Effect of the binder content on the electrochemical performance of composite cathode using Li6PS5Cl precursor solution in an all-solid-state lithium battery

All-solid-state batteries with cathode composites containing high concentration of active materials are required to achieve higher energy densities. Here, a composite cathode containing up to 89 wt% of high-voltage cathode active material (LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2) was prepared by covering this with a solution-derived solid electrolyte (argyrodite, Li6PS5Cl) and the incorporation of different content binder (ethyl cellulose). All-solid-state batteries were fabricated using 80Li(2)Sa (TM) 20P(2)S(5) (mol%) glass and indium metal as a solid electrolyte and anode, respectively. The all-solid-state battery with a composite cathode containing 0.5 wt% of ethyl cellulose showed an initial discharge capacity of 45 mAhg(-1) at 25 A degrees C and maintained 91.7% of the discharge capacity after ten cycles, around 30% higher than that obtained for the battery with the composite cathode without a binder

Simple Preparation of Pd Core Nanoparticles for Pd Core/Pt Shell Catalyst and Evaluation of Activity and Durability for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Pd core nanoparticles less than 5 nm in mean size were prepared on carbon black (CB) without any stabilizer by using palladium acetate as a precursor and CO as a reducing agent, and then used for preparing Pd core/Pt shell nanoparticles-loaded CB (Pt/Pd/CB). The mean size of Pd nanoparticles could be controlled by the concentration of palladium acetate and the CO bubbling time. The cyclic voltammograms of two Pd nanoparticles-loaded CB (Pd4.2/CB, Pd3.3/CB) electrodes whose mean size was 4.2 and 3.3 nm, respectively, had characteristics similar to a Pt electrode after the formation of a Pt monolayer shell, suggesting that the Pd core nanoparticles were almost covered with the Pt monolayer shell. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on both Pt/Pd/CB proceeded in 4-electron reduction mechanism. Both Pt/Pd/CB electrodes was ca. 1.5 times higher in ORR activity per electrochemical surface area of Pt (specific activity, SA) than the commercial Pt nanoparticles-loaded CB (Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo, Pt/CB-TKK) electrode, and the Pt/Pd3.3/CB electrode had higher SA than the Pt/Pd4.2/CB electrode. The ORR activity per unit mass of Pt for both Pt/Pd/CB electrodes was 5.0 and 5.5 times as high as that for the Pt/CB-TKK electrode, respectively. The durability of both Pt/Pd/CB electrodes was comparable to that of Pt/CB-TKK

Jasminum sambac

Functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNTs) were individually dispersed in a commercial polypropylene (PP) matrix using our well-established α-zirconium phosphate (ZrP) nanoplatelet-assisted dispersion approach. The F-MWCNTs remained uniformly dispersed in PP after melt mixing and injection-molding and were found to remarkably enhance modulus and strength at only 0.1 wt % loading. The individual F-MWCNTs were mostly oriented and extended in the flow direction and were shown to be integrated within the crystalline structure of the matrix. The change in mechanical properties is attributed to both the modification in crystal structure due to MWCNT-induced nucleation and the direct reinforcement of crystalline lamellae and amorphous regions by the MWCNTs. We propose that the compatibilized F-MWCNTs exhibit sufficient interfacial interaction with the PP matrix to anchor lamellae stacks and resist interlamellar slip. The F-MWCNTs also reinforce amorphous domains between crystallites and behave as “super”-tie chains, thereby achieving improvement in tensile properties at low MWCNT loading. This approach for nanocomposite preparation is scalable and easily adapted for other thermoplastics by proper MWCNT surface functionalization

Home‐based cardiac rehabilitation using information and communication technology for heart failure patients with frailty

Abstract Aims Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an evidence‐based, secondary preventive strategy that improves mortality and morbidity rates in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the implementation and continuation of CR remains unsatisfactory, particularly for outpatients with physical frailty. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of a comprehensive home‐based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) programme that combines patient education, exercise guidance, and nutritional guidance using information and communication technology (ICT). Methods and results This study was a single‐centre, open‐label, randomized, controlled trial. Between April 2020 and November 2020, 30 outpatients with chronic HF (New York Heart Association II–III) and physical frailty were enrolled. The control group (n = 15) continued with standard care, while the HBCR group (n = 15) also received comprehensive, individualized CR, including ICT‐based exercise and nutrition guidance using ICT via a Fitbit® device for 3 months. The CR team communicated with each patient in HBCR group once a week via the application messaging tool and planned the training frequency and intensity of training individually for the next week according to each patient's symptoms and recorded pulse data during exercise. Dietitians conducted a nutritional assessment and then provided individual nutritional advice using the picture‐posting function of the application. The primary outcome was the change in the 6 min walking distance (6MWD). The participants' mean age was 63.7 ± 10.1 years, 53% were male, and 87% had non‐ischaemic heart disease. The observed change in the 6MWD was significantly greater in the HBCR group (52.1 ± 43.9 m vs. −4.3 ± 38.8 m; P < 0.001) at a 73% of adherence rate. There was no significant change in adverse events in either group. Conclusions Our comprehensive HBCR programme using ICT for HF patients with physical frailty improved exercise tolerance and improved lower extremity muscle strength in our sample, suggesting management with individualized ICT‐based programmes as a safe and effective approach. Considering the increasing number of HF patients with frailty worldwide, our approach provides an efficient method to keep patients engaged in physical activity in their daily life

Using the larvae of caddisfly as a biomonitor to assess the spatialdistribution and effective half-life of radiocesium in riverine environmentsin Fukushima, Japan

The environmental monitoring survey using this organisms was called“Caddisfly Watch”and this activity hasinvolved both scientists and local people for collecting them.A simple method is needed for the continuous monitoring of radiocesium (137Cs) contamination in riverineenvironments after the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) in Japan. In aprogram called“Caddisfly Watch”, we used larvae of the caddisflyStenopsyche marmorata(Trichoptera: Steno-psychidae) to monitor the spatial distribution and estimate effective half-life (Teff)of137Cs pollution in riverineenvironments. Caddisfly larvae showed that the highest concentration of137Cs among several aquatic organismsand no apparent variation between growth stage. In addition, caddisfly larvae reflected137Cs concentrations insuspended particulate matter in their gut, and that showed no seasonal variation, better reproducibility, andsignificant correlation with those in sediment. Results indicate that caddisfly larvae can be used as a biologicalsampler of suspended particulate matters. TheTeffvalues of137Cs concentrations in caddisfly larvae estimated bysingle component decay function model showed significantfit. TheTeffvalues in Kuma, Maeda, downstreamNiida, upstream Niida, Ohkawa, and Ukedo river showed 2.8, 5.7, 3.1, 6.7, 0.6, and 4.8 years (34, 68, 38, 80, 6.9,and 58 months), respectively. The results of declining trend in this study were similar to those in previous re-ported in Fukushima. Further continuous observations using this simple approach of“Caddisfly Watch”make itpossible to predict the future of the contamination with radioactive Cs in the river environment