Phase Behavior and Electrochemical Characterization of Blends of Perfluoropolyether, Poly(ethylene glycol), and a Lithium Salt

International audienceElectrolytes consisting of low molecular weight perfluoropolyether (PFPE), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) blends were prepared and systematically studied for salt concentration and stoichiometry effects on the materials’ thermal and electrochemical properties. Herein we report that the tunable ratios of PFPE and PEG allow for precise control of crystalline melting and glass transition temperature properties. These blended liquid polymer electrolytes are inherently nonflammable and remain stable in the amorphous phase from approximately 150 °C down to −85 °C. The ionic conductivity of the electrolytes are on the order of 10–4 S/cm at 30 °C, which makes them suitable for rechargeable lithium batteries

RNA segment 9 exists as a duplex concatemer in an Australian strain of epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV): Genetic analysis and evidence for the presence of concatemers as a normal feature of orbivirus replication

AbstractThis paper reports a concatemeric RNA in a strain of epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) serotype 5. Sequencing showed that the concatemeric RNA contains two identical full-length copies of genome segment 9, arranged in series, which has apparently replaced the monomeric form of the segment. In vitro translation demonstrated that the concatemeric RNA can act as a viable template for VP6 translation, but that no double-sized protein is produced. Studies were also performed to assess whether mutations might be easily introduced into the second copy (which might indicate some potential evolutionary significance of a concatemeric RNA segment), however multiple (n=40) passages generated no changes in the sequence of either the upstream or downstream segments. Further, we present results that demonstrate the presence of concatemers or partial gene duplications in multiple segments of different orbiviruses (in tissue culture and purified virus), suggesting their generation is likely to be a normal feature of orbivirus replication