High-stability tin/carbon battery electrodes produced using reduction expansion synthesis

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review.This study shows high stability Sn (10 wt %)/carbon Li-ion battery anodes can be made via the Reduction Expansion Synthesis (RES) process. Hybrid Sn/C anodes had an initial capacity of 425 mAh g-1 which stabilized to ~340 mAh g-1 after less than 10 cycles. Unlike earlier Sn/C anodes, capacity remained virtually constant for more than 180 additional cycles. Neat carbon independently tested for Li capacity had a steady specific capacity of 280 mAh g-1. The difference detected between the pure carbon and Sn/C cases are consistent with Sn having the theoretical capacity of ~1000 mAh g-1. The high stability of the RES derived anodes, relative to earlier Sn based electrodes, is postulated to exist because RES synthesis enables the formation of direct, strong bond between Sn and carbon substrate atoms, hence reducing the rate of Sn electrode disintegration and capacity fade due to expansion upon lithiation. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy are consistent with this postulate as both show an initial Sn particles size of only a few nanometers and minimal growth after cycling. Reduced interface resistance is also indicative of unique Sn-carbon bond.Office of Naval Research for supporting this project under Naval Enterprise Partnership Teaming with Universities for National Excellence at Purdue Center for Power and Energy ResearchGrant number N00014-15-1-283

Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of mutant yellow leaves provide insights into pigment synthesis and metabolism in Ginkgo biloba

Background: Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba L.) is an excellent landscape species. Its yellow-green leaf mutants are ideal materials for research on pigment synthesis, but the regulatory mechanism of leaf coloration in these ginkgo mutants remains unclear. Results: We compared the metabolomes and transcriptomes of green and mutant yellow leaves of ginkgo over the same period in this study. The results showed that the chlorophyll content of normal green leaves was significantly higher than that of mutant yellow leaves of ginkgo. We obtained 931.52M clean reads from different color leaves of ginkgo. A total of 283 substances in the metabolic profiles were finally detected, including 50 significantly differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs). We identified these DEMs and 1361 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 37, 4, 3 and 13 DEGs involved in the photosynthesis, chlorophyll, carotenoid, and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, respectively. Moreover, integrative analysis of the metabolomes and transcriptomes revealed that the flavonoid pathway contained the upregulated DEM (−)-epicatechin. Fourteen DEGs from the photosynthesis pathway were positively or negatively correlated with the DEMs. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a complex metabolic network in mutant yellow leaves. This study will provide a basis for studies of leaf color variation and regulation.Forestry, Faculty ofNon UBCForest and Conservation Sciences, Department ofReviewedFacult

Transcriptional profiling of long noncoding RNAs associated with leaf-color mutation in Ginkgo biloba L

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in diverse biological processes and have been widely studied in recent years. However, the roles of lncRNAs in leaf pigment formation in ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba L.) remain poorly understood. Results: In this study, lncRNA libraries for mutant yellow-leaf and normal green-leaf ginkgo trees were constructed via high-throughput sequencing. A total of 2044 lncRNAs were obtained with an average length of 702 nt and typically harbored 2 exons. We identified 238 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs), 32 DELs and 49 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs) that constituted coexpression networks. We also found that 48 cis-acting DELs regulated 72 target genes, and 31 trans-acting DELs regulated 31 different target genes, which provides a new perspective for the regulation of the leaf-color mutation. Due to the crucial regulatory roles of lncRNAs in a wide range of biological processes, we conducted in-depth studies on the DELs and their targets and found that the chloroplast thylakoid membrane subcategory and the photosynthesis pathways (ko00195) were most enriched, suggesting their potential roles in leaf coloration mechanisms. In addition, our correlation analysis indicates that eight DELs and 68 transcription factors (TFs) might be involved in interaction networks. Conclusions: This study has enriched the knowledge concerning lncRNAs and provides new insights into the function of lncRNAs in leaf-color mutations, which will benefit future selective breeding of ginkgo.Forestry, Faculty ofNon UBCForest and Conservation Sciences, Department ofReviewedFacult

Overexpression of GbF3′5′H1 Provides a Potential to Improve the Content of Epicatechin and Gallocatechin

The flavonoids in Ginkgo biloba L. (ginkgo) have important medicinal uses due to their antioxidant, antitumor, and blood circulation-promoting effects. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying flavonoid biosynthesis in ginkgo remain elusive. Flavonoid 3′, 5′-hydroxylase (F3′5′H) is an important enzyme in flavonoid synthesis. We detected a novel differentially expressed GbF3′5′H1 gene homologous to the F3′5′H enzyme involved in the flavonoid synthesis pathway through transcriptome sequencing. In this study, we characterized this gene, performed an expression analysis, and heterologously overexpressed GbF3′5′H1 in Populus. Our results showed that GbF3′5′H1 is abundant in the leaf and highly expressed during April. We also found four metabolites closely related to flavonoid biosynthesis. Importantly, the contents of 4′,5-dihydroxy-7-glucosyloxyflavanone, epicatechin, and gallocatechin were significantly higher in transgenic plants than in nontransgenic plants. Our findings revealed that the GbF3′5′H1 gene functions in the biosynthesis of flavonoid-related metabolites, suggesting that GbF3′5′H1 represents a prime candidate for future studies (e.g., gene-editing) aiming to optimize ginkgo flavonoid production, especially that of flavan-3-ols.Forestry, Faculty ofNon UBCForest and Conservation Sciences, Department ofReviewedFacult

A Novel Approach of Microstructure Refinement of TiAl in Laser Beam Welding

Grain refinement through borides is known to be suppressed when TiAl is welded with a laser beam. As β grains do not primarily nucleate on boride at a high cooling rate, a mixture of nitrogen and argon is applied as a protecting gas for the formation of TiN during solidification. The phase transformation is changed correspondingly from Liquid → Liquid + β → β → α + β → α + γ+ β → α2 + γ + B2 to Liquid → TiN + Liquid → β+ TiN → α + γ + TiN → α2 + γ+ TiN. It is found that β grains prefer to nucleate heterogeneously on the suspending TiN in the melt with orientation relationship {111}TiN//{110}β, leading to refined β grains. α2 colonies that were thus modified into fine non-dendritic grains. The effects of nitrogen as a shielding atmosphere on the microstructure evolution of TiAl are elaborately studied

Precipitation characteristics and tensile properties of high-nitrogen chromium-manganese steel fabricated by wire and arc additive manufacturing with isothermal post-heat treatment

Wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) technology is a promising method for fabricating high-performance protective materials and structural parts from high-nitrogen steel (HNS). However, owing to the complicated thermal fields generated by the process, it may produce some undesirable precipitates, such as the intermetallic σ phase or chromate nitrides, especially when the fabricated part is large. This study focused on the precipitation features of WAAM-produced high-nitrogen Cr-Mn steel containing 0.7 wt% nitrogen. When the isothermal post-heat treatment was conducted at approximately 900 °C, the σ phase dominated the original inter-dendritic ferrite (Inter-F) region. And, there were some secondary austenite precipitates (γ2) along with a small amount of Cr2N. The oxide inclusions (especially the MnO particles) provided excellent nucleation sites for the σ phase in the Inter-F region or at the Inter-F and γ matrix interface due to the high interface energy and lattice matching index. Further, when aging above 1000 °C, no σ phase was found, and the decomposition of the Inter-F to γ matrix was dominated by element diffusion. With the precipitation of the σ phase, a typical brittle fracture was observed in the samples aged at low temperatures of 800 °C and 900 °C

High-stability tin/carbon battery electrodes produced using reduction expansion synthesis

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2018.02.079This study shows high stability Sn (10wt %)/carbon Li-ion battery anodes can be made via the Reduction Expansion Synthesis (RES) process. Hybrid Sn/C anodes had an initial capacity of 425 mAh g-1 which stabilized to ~340 mAh g-1 after less than 10 cycles. Unlike earlier Sn/C anodes, capacity remained virtually constant for more than 180 additional cycles. Neat carbon independently tested for Li capacity had a steady specific capacity of 280 mAh g-1. The difference detected between the pure carbon and Sn/C cases are consistent with Sn having the theoretical capacity of ~1000mAh g-1. The high stability of the RES derived anodes, relative to earlier Sn based electrodes, is postulated to exist because RES synthesis enables the formation of direct, strong bond between Sn and carbon substrate atoms, hence reducing the rate of Sn electrode disintegration and capacity fade due to expansion upon lithiation. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy are consistent with this postulate as both show an initial Sn particles size of only a few nanometers and minimal growth after cycling. Reduced interface resistance is also indicative of unique Sn-carbon bond.Office of Naval ResearchPurdue Center for Power and Energy Research provided under grant number N00014-15-1-283

In situ observation of competitive growth of α grains during β → α transformation in laser beam manufactured TiAl alloys

Low ductility has long been the bottleneck for high temperature application of TiAl alloys. It is reported that grain refinement through boride could improve its mechanical property. However, this refinement is suppressed at high cooling rate. This article delineates for the first time an in situ observation by synchrotron X-ray diffraction. It illustrates the mechanism of competitive nucleation and grain growth of Burgers and non-Burgers αgrains during β → α transformation in a Ti–45Al–5Nb–0.2C–0.2B alloy (TNB-V5). Comparing with those in base material, the volume fraction and size of borides are significantly reduced in the welding zone. The non-Burgers αgrains nucleate earlier than Burgers α. However, Burgers α grains grow much faster than non-Burgers α during β→ α transformation in the welding zone, due to a high thermodynamic driving force of Burgers α grains. No orientation relationships between α and borides or between β and borides are observed in the fast cooling