Influence of Layer Thickness on the Drying of Lithium‐Ion Battery Electrodes—Simulation and Experimental Validation

In this work, a detailed study of the drying of battery electrodes of different thicknesses is presented. A mathematical model to calculate the solvent loading and film temperature over the drying time is experimentally validated. The model is based on a first study presenting a simulation model to predict the drying course when linear drying kinetics prevail and no resistance exists for solvent transport within the film. To shed some light on the drying behavior of electrode films with different thicknesses, the start of capillary pore emptying is observed using a digital microscope. In the experiments, an onset of capillary transport even before the end of film shrinkage is observed for the electrode films with thicknesses above state-of-the-art-thickness. A clusterwise drying behavior becomes more distinct for thicker electrodes, with large areas of dry and wet capillaries next to each other, compared to a more homogenous drying of the thin electrodes. Based on these findings, the linear model is extended to consider transport limitations within the porous electrode film in the form of a moving drying front. The experiments show an increasing deviation from the linear model with increasing electrode thickness and the extended simulation, which considers transport resistances within the film, shows good agreement

Investigation of Drying Curves of Lithium‐Ion Battery Electrodes with a New Gravimetrical Double Side Batch Dryer Concept Including Setup Characterization and Model Simulations

Herein, an experimental setup comprised of a stationary convection dryer (Comb Nozzle Dryer) supplemented by a measurement for gravimetric drying curves is introduced. The drying process of anodes for lithium‐ion batteries is experimentally investigated and compared to modeling results, showing very good agreement for the investigated films. Heat transfer coefficients of the issued impinging nozzles are characterized and measured quantitatively and are used for the drying simulation of the gravimetric drying experiments. In situ temperature changes in the films are measured and presented using an infrared camera setup

Increased Moisture Uptake of NCM622 Cathodes after Calendering due to Particle Breakage

As moisture presents a critical contamination in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), electrodes and separators need to be post-dried before cell assembly. The moisture adsorption, desorption and re-adsorption of electrodes during processing is strongly dependent on their material system, manufacturing route and microstructure. The microstructure, in turn, is significantly defined by the coating density, which is adjusted by calendering. As a consequence, the calendering step is expected to directly influence the moisture sorption behavior of electrodes. This is why the influence of different coating densities and structural properties on the moisture content of NCM622 cathodes was investigated in this study. For increasing density, an increasing moisture content was detected by Karl Fischer Titration and sorption measurements. SEM and BET analyses showed an increasing amount of NCM622 particle breakage, accompanied by a rising surface area. Hence, the increased moisture uptake of cathodes with higher density is mainly caused by a higher surface area, which results from particle cracking and breakage during calendering. Electrochemical analysis showed that the increased active surface area of cathodes with higher densities leads to a good performance during formation and at low C-rates. However, the reduced porosity impairs the ionic conductivity and causes capacity loss at higher C-rates

Highly efficient polymer solar cells cast from non-halogenated xylene/anisaldehyde solution

Several high performance polymer:fullerene bulk-heterojunction photo-active layers, deposited from the non-halogenated solvents o-xylene or anisole in combination with the eco-compatible additive p-anisaldehyde, are investigated. The respective solar cells yield excellent power conversion efficiencies up to 9.5%, outperforming reference devices deposited from the commonly used halogenated chlorobenzene/1,8-diiodooctane solvent/additive combination. The impact of the processing solvent on the bulk-heterojunction properties is exemplified on solar cells comprising benzodithiophene-thienothiophene co-polymers and functionalized fullerenes (PTB7:PC71BM). The additive p-anisaldehyde improves film formation, enhances polymer order, reduces fullerene agglomeration and shows high volatility, thereby positively affecting layer deposition, improving charge carrier extraction and reducing drying time, the latter being crucial for future large area roll-to-roll device fabrication. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015

Fragment-derived inhibitors of human N-myristoyltransferase block capsid assembly and replication of the common cold virus

Rhinoviruses (RVs) are the pathogens most often responsible for the common cold, and are a frequent cause of exacerbations in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. Here we report the discovery of IMP-1088, a picomolar dual inhibitor of the human N-myristoyltransferases NMT1 and NMT2, and use it to demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of host-cell N-myristoylation rapidly and completely prevents rhinoviral replication without inducing cytotoxicity. The identification of cooperative binding between weak-binding fragments led to rapid inhibitor optimization through fragment reconstruction, structure-guided fragment linking and conformational control over linker geometry. We show that inhibition of the co-translational myristoylation of a specific virus-encoded protein (VP0) by IMP-1088 potently blocks a key step in viral capsid assembly, to deliver a low nanomolar antiviral activity against multiple RV strains, poliovirus and foot and-mouth disease virus, and protection of cells against virus-induced killing, highlighting the potential of host myristoylation as a drug target in picornaviral infections