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Energy Materials and Devices

Next-gen energy storage: hydrogel electrolyte boosts sodium-zinc battery efficiency

Aqueous secondary batteries have garnered significant attention for their inherent safety, low cost, and environmental friendliness, making them strong contenders for next-generation energy storage systems. However, their practical applications are hindered by a narrow electrochemical stability window and relatively low energy density, which limit their scalability and performance in large-scale settings. These challenges highlight the urgent need for advanced electrolytes that can overcome these limitations and unlock the full potential of aqueous batteries for energy storage applications. On December 31, 2024, researchers from the China University of Petroleum (East China) unveiled their findings (DOI: 10.26599/EMD.2024.9370050) in the journal Energy Materials and Devices. The team successfully synthesized a novel hydrogel electrolyte that, when paired with a Prussian blue cathode, achieves outstanding energy density and cyclability in sodium-zinc hybrid ion batteries. This innovation represents a significant leap forward in the field of aqueous battery technologies. The newly developed hydrogel electrolyte, named Zn–SA–PSN, is built on a unique polymer network featuring interconnected amide chains and hydrophilic functional groups, which are key to its high performance. This advanced design delivers an impressive ionic conductivity of 43 mS·cm⁻¹, significantly surpassing traditional electrolytes, and an expanded electrochemical stability window of 2.5 V. The broader stability window supports higher voltage operations, critical for enhancing the energy density of batteries. When paired with a Prussian blue cathode, the sodium-zinc hybrid battery demonstrates remarkable performance, achieving over 6000 cycles with a minimal capacity decay of just 0.0096% per cycle at a high current density of 25 C. This stability is attributed to the hydrogel electrolyte’s ability to suppress side reactions and inhibit dendrite growth, which are common challenges in zinc anodes. Additionally, the battery achieves an impressive energy density of approximately 220 Wh·kg⁻¹ and outstanding rate performance, with capabilities of up to 5 C. The Zn–SA–PSN electrolyte’s versatility extends its applications to other cathode materials, making it compatible with both aqueous sodium-zinc hybrid batteries and zinc-ion batteries. These findings highlight the transformative potential of hydrogel electrolytes in advancing battery technologies. "Our hydrogel electrolyte represents a significant advancement in the field of aqueous batteries," said Dr. Linjie Zhi, lead researcher on the project. "Its ability to maintain high performance over thousands of cycles and at high current densities is a testament to its potential for practical applications in energy storage. This innovation addresses critical limitations in current battery technologies and opens new avenues for further development." The development of the Zn–SA–PSN hydrogel electrolyte carries profound implications for the energy storage industry. Its ability to deliver high energy density and long-term stability could transform battery systems for grid-scale energy storage, electric vehicles, and other applications demanding efficiency and safety. Moreover, this breakthrough underscores the promise of hybrid ion batteries in meeting the growing need for sustainable, high-performance energy storage solutions. As the demand for reliable and environmentally friendly energy systems continues to rise, innovations like this hydrogel electrolyte pave the way for a more sustainable energy future. This work was financially supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2022YFE0127400), Taishan Scholar Project of Shandong Province (Grant Nos. ts202208832 and tsqnz20221118), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52473285), Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 21CX06028A). See the article: Advanced high-voltage and super-stable sodium–zinc hybrid ion batteries enabled by a hydrogel electrolyte About Energy Materials and Devices Energy Materials and Devices is launched by Tsinghua University, published quarterly by Tsinghua University Press, exclusively available via SciOpen, aiming at being an international, single-blind peer-reviewed, open-access and interdisciplinary journal in the cutting-edge field of energy materials and devices. It focuses on the innovation research of the whole chain of basic research, technological innovation, achievement transformation and industrialization in the field of energy materials and devices, and publishes original, leading and forward-looking research results, including but not limited to the materials design, synthesis, integration, assembly and characterization of devices for energy storage and conversion etc.
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Journal of Advanced Ceramics

Achieving High >90% Energy Efficiency in Relaxor Ferroelectric

High-quality relaxor ferroelectric BNT-based ceramics achieved high discharge density by many methods of chemical doping, hierarchical structure design, advanced sintering technology, and defect structure engineering. Unfortunately, the inferior energy efficiency of BNT-based ceramics is still at a level of 60 to 70%, which means a large portion of stored energy is dissipated generating more joule heat. Notably, low energy efficiency is a long-time neglected but important issue, and corresponding solutions need to be developed. Recently, a research group of dielectric materials for energy storage capacitor led by Prof. Dr. Zong-Yang Shen from Jingdezhen Ceramic University, reported aliovalent rare earth ion Sm3+-doped relaxor ferroelectric Ba0.12Na0.3Bi0.3Sr0.28-1.5x□0.5xSmxTiO3 (abbreviated as Smx-BNBST) solid solutions thorough defect-engineered phase/domain structure competition. Sm0.07-BNBST ceramics achieve a high energy efficiency of 91% together with a recoverable energy density of 2.1 J/cm3 at a low electric field of 114 kV/cm, which exceeds other reported dielectric materials at the same electric field. The team published their work in Journal of Advanced Ceramics (DOI: 10.26599/JAC.2024.9220999) on November 7, 2024. “In this work, we proposed that defect-induced phase competition between tetragonal phase P4bm and pseudo-cubic phase Pmm not only strengthens polarization switching ability but also improves dielectric temperature stability via thermal evolutions. More importantly, a high 91% energy efficiency with discharge density of 2.1 J/cm3 was achieved in Sm0.07-BNBST ceramics at a low electric field of 114 kV/cm, which is closely related to a reduced Pr demonstrated by PFM measurement.” said Prof. Zong-Yang Shen, vice dean at School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic University (China), whose research interests include dielectric ceramics for high power density energy storage capacitors, and high Curie temperature piezoelectric ceramics. “Reduced domain size determines the remanent polarization (Pr), while the competition between tetragonal phase and pseudo-cubic phase determines the maximum polarization (Pmax). For the x=0 composition, it exhibits obvious ferroelectricity with increasing voltage; and after the electric field is removed, the polarization direction is still maintained and difficult to return to the initial state, corresponding to a high Pr. For the x=0.07 composition, the ferroelectricity is significantly weakened; when the external voltage is removed, the polarization direction can quickly return to the initial state, corresponding to a low Pr. The rapid response of polarization switching in Sm0.07-BNBST ceramics indicates that it has highly active polar nanoregions (PNRs), which produce low Pr and moderate Pmax, contributing to enhanced energy density and efficiency.” said Zong-Yang Shen. “As the Sm concentration increases, the P-E loops of Smx-BNBST ceramics gradually become slimmer, and both Pmax and Pr gradually decrease, indicating that Sm doping weakens the ferroelectricity. When the Sm equals to 0.07 mol, Pmax shows a sudden increase, which may be related to the synergistic contributions of tetragonal/pseudo-cubic phase competition and reduced domain size.” said Zong-Yang Shen. “Compared with pure BNBST ceramics with one dielectric peak of <100 °C, Smx-BNBST ceramics exhibit a new weak dielectric peak near ~200°C, which should be related to the thermal evolution of defect-induced phase competition between tetragonal phase and pseudo-cubic phase in BNT ceramics. As the Sm concentration increases, the dielectric peaks gradually broaden, and corresponding transition temperature Tm1 shifts towards lower temperatures, strengthening the dielectric temperature stability.” said Zong-Yang Shen. Prof. Zong-Yang Shen said “In the following work, we will do research on designing and analyzing the influence of defect structure on dielectric and ferroelectric behaviors of BNT-based ceramics.” He hopes to obtain a BNT-based ceramics with high discharge density and energy efficiency at low electric field, and then fabricate them into multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) to advance the development of dielectric materials in practical applications. Other contributors include Dong-Xu Li, Wei Deng, Zhipeng Li, Xuhai Shi, You Zhang, Wenqin Luo, and Fusheng Song from School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic University in Jingdezhen, China; Deng Wei from Research Center for Advanced Functional Ceramics at Wuzhen Laboratory, Jiaxing, China; You Zhang from Ceramic Research Institute of Light Industry of China, Jingdezhen, China; Chao-Feng Wu from Center of Advanced Ceramic Materials and Devices at Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, Zhejiang province, China. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52267002), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (20212ACB204010), and Science & Technology Research Project of Jiangxi Provincial Education Department (GJJ211301). About Author First Author: Dong-Xu Li is currently a lecturer at School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic University. He obtained his PhD degree in 2024 from Wuhan University of Technology. His main research interest includes ferroelectric/antiferroelectric materials for electrostatic energy storage. Co-first Author: Wei Deng has received his Master degree in 2023 from Jingdezhen Ceramic University. His main research interest includes dielectric materials for energy storage capacitor. Corresponding Author: Zong-Yang Shen is currently a professor and vice dean of School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic University. He obtained his PhD degree at School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, in 2007. Afterward, he joined Prof. Jing-Feng Li’s group in Tsinghua University, as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. In the year 2010, he joined Jingdezhen Ceramic University, and studied in MRI, Pennsylvania State University, as a visiting scholar in Prof. Shujun Zhang’s group from 2012 to 2013. His research interests include dielectric ceramics for high power density energy storage capacitors, and high Curie temperature piezoelectric ceramics. He was granted the Ninth Science and Technology Nomination Award for young scientists from the Chinese Ceramic Society in 2011 and the Polish Ceramic Society Award in 2018. He has published over 60 SCI/EI papers as the first/corresponding author. See the article: Aliovalent Sm-doping enables BNT-based realxor ferroelectric ceramics with > 90% energy efficiency About Journal of Advanced Ceramics Journal of Advanced Ceramics (JAC) is an international academic journal that presents the state-of-the-art results of theoretical and experimental studies on the processing, structure, and properties of advanced ceramics and ceramic-based composites. JAC is Fully Open Access, monthly published by Tsinghua University Press, and exclusively available via SciOpen. JAC’s 2023 IF is 18.6, ranking in Top 1 (1/31, Q1) among all journals in “Materials Science, Ceramics” category, and its 2023 CiteScore is 21.0 (top 5%) in Scopus database. ResearchGate homepage: https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Journal-of-Advanced-Ceramics-2227-8508
Ceramics
Carbon Future

Highly selective pathway for propyne semihydrogenation achieved via CoSb intermetallic catalyst

Researchers delved deep into the regulation of cobalt active sites to enhance the selectivity of propylene to improve scalability and affordability of the production of this important chemical. Chemical reactions are not always naturally optimized to yield the products in the quantities needed, especially on the scale needed for the amount of industry in the world today. Researchers from East China University of Science and Technology explored the options available to develop a more cost-effective, scalable and straightforward method to increase specificity towards a certain pathway to maximize selectivity for propylene, an important building block for the preparation of gasoline and other chemicals that are found in a wide range of products. This is done through the synthesis of a cobalt-antimony (CoSb) intermetallic catalyst, which is a highly ordered structure achieved by combining at least two metallic elements, providing unique properties to the material that gives it enhanced catalytic abilities. Results were published in Carbon Future (DOI: 10.26599/CF.2024.9200020) on September 29, 2024. Propyne semihydrogenation selectively adds hydrogen to carbon-carbon triple bonds to reduce them to double bonds. Propyne is a popular chemical intermediate and is also used as a specialty fuel. For such a necessary chemical, little effort has been put towards finding a way to optimize the cobalt reaction sites for configuration matching for this given scenario. Researchers saw an astounding 97% selectivity for propylene which significantly outperforms the reference cobalt catalyst. This notable percentage of selectivity can be attributed to the unique properties the CoSb intermetallic catalyst gives to the reaction thanks to the well-defined and highly organized geometric and electronic structure. “Temperature-programmed surface reaction and desorption measurements, along with theoretical calculations, unravel that this exceptional selectivity arises from the kinetically preferred desorption of propylene over its further hydrogenation to undesired propane byproduct on the finely regulated Co sites of the CoSb intermetallic catalyst,” said Xuezhi Duan, author and researcher of the study. The CoSb catalyst is used to optimize the process of propyne semihydrogenation. Its selectivity can be attributed to a reaction’s preference for ease: energetically, the desired product of propylene is yielded in larger quantities than the undesired product of propane, which can save time and resources while reducing the amount of “junk” products at the end of the reaction. In many reactions, two or more products will be yielded in varying percentages, and it’s not always the case that the desired product is yielded in a higher quantity than the undesirable product. Achieving a highly selective pathway for a chemical reaction can help ensure the proper product is yielded in the desired quantities while minimizing the percentage of undesired products, creating a more efficient reaction that can lead to an overall reduction of the amount of materials used. With the impressive selectivity rate of the CoSb catalyst it is possible that Co catalysts can be tuned with near-perfect precision by Sb. Not only does this provide a positive outlook for the subject of this study, but other substrates could be tested and observed for their effectiveness as an alternative for selective hydrogenation. Xiaohu Ge, Ziyue Kou, Nina Fei, Yueqiang Cao, Xinggui Zhou and Xuezhi Duan of the State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology and Hao Jiang of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the East China University of Science and Technology contributed to this research. The National Key R&D Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Shanghai Rising-star Program, the Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan, the Program of Shanghai Academic/Technology Research Leader, Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities and the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of CPSF made this research possible. See the article: Regulation of cobalt active sites by antimony to match adsorption configuration for propyne semihydrogenation About Carbon Future Carbon Future is an open access, peer-reviewed and international interdisciplinary journal, published by Tsinghua University Press and exclusively available via SciOpen. Carbon Future reports carbon-related materials and processes, including catalysis, energy conversion and storage, as well as low carbon emission process and engineering. Carbon Future will publish Research Articles, Reviews, Minireviews, Highlights, Perspectives, and News and Views from all aspects concerned with carbon. Carbon Future will publish articles that focus on, but not limited to, the following areas: carbon-related or -derived materials, carbon-related catalysis and fundamentals, low carbon-related energy conversion and storage, low carbon emission chemical processes.
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Energy and Climate Management

Chinese NGOs’ engagement in trans-boundary renewable energy technology transfer

Effective adoption of renewable energy technologies (RETs) is essential for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. As a leader in RETs, China has been pivotal in advancing trans-boundary technology transfer. Since launching the Green Belt and Road Initiative in 2017, China has expanded its renewable energy network to the global South by increasing climate finance and accelerating technology transfer. However, numerous challenges remain, including political, financial, legal, environmental, and cultural barriers. To address these issues, Chinese Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have started to engage in RET transfers, collaborating with tech enterprises, recipient country governments, local communities, and other stakeholders. Researchers from Renmin University of China analyzed the roles of Chinese NGOs in this process through three case studies. Their findings were published in Energy and Climate Management (DOI: 10.26599/ECM.2024.9400009) on August 30, 2024. “We aim to balance the studies on the roles of NGOs in trans-boundary technology transfer, as previous research has primarily focused on NGOs in the West. The engagement of Chinese domestic NGOs in trans-boundary renewable energy technology transfer is a recent phenomenon, accompanying the advancement of Chinese technologies and supplying capacities in this field, thus making it an emerging field of inquiry. This study is one of the early birds in this field, hopefully it will inspire future studies,” said Professor Lei Zhang, corresponding author of the paper, associate professor from the School of Ecology & Environment at Renmin University of China. The team examined three distinct Chinese NGOs: Institution G, a comprehensive NGO that implements technology transfer pilot projects; Institution L, a think tank specializing in industry research and policy advocacy; and Institution M, a bridge organization that empowers local NGOs and fosters cooperation between social organizations and enterprises. These cases were chosen to represent different types of Chinese NGOs involved in trans-boundary RET transfers. The team used rigorous methods to analyze the three cases, including semi-structured interviews with NGO experts and renewable energy firm representatives, supplemented by secondary data analysis from reports, articles, and documents. Researchers found that the combination of globalization, informatization, and the institutional push for green and low-carbon transformations driven by environmental and climate crises has led to a new grid-based technology transfer model involving multiple players. Within this framework, Chinese NGOs play various critical roles, such as coordinating stakeholders, offering technical assistance and policy guidance, creating technology information exchange platforms, monitoring the environmental and social responsibilities of overseas enterprises, conducting pilot projects, and providing professional advice to support renewable energy investments and financing. Despite their growing importance, the involvement of Chinese NGOs in climate technology transfer remains limited. Their participation in trans-boundary RET transfers is still in its early stages and faces several challenges, including limited global integration, insufficient policy and institutional support, a lack of professional expertise, and inadequate funding. The research team discovered the new roles of domestic NGOs engaged in RET transfer and expected the paper to inform policy and practice, enabling NGOs to take on a more engaged and impactful role in global environmental governance and promoting the inclusive growth of host countries. Professor Lei Zhang said, “Building on previous studies on NGOs and technology transfer, we explored how the uniqueness in terms of Chinese domestic NGOs and the policy context in which they operate would contribute to the knowledge pool. Standing between the North and the South, Chinese NGOs do play a dual role, yet face dual challenges. We trust that this study will shed light on the potentials and concerns of these NGOs through in-depth case studies.” Other contributors include Anqi Zhu and Xu Pan from the School of Ecology & Environment, and Professor Minpeng Chen from the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, both at Renmin University of China. This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China [2018YFA0606503]. See the article: Chinese NGOs’ engagement in trans-boundary renewable energy technology transfer About Energy and Climate Management Managing the changing climate and energy transition are two closely related scientific and policy challenges of our society. Energy and Climate Management is an open access, peer-reviewed scholarly, policy-oriented academic journal dedicated to publishing interdisciplinary scientific papers on cutting-edge research on contemporary energy and climate management analysis. The Journal is exclusively available via SciOpen and aims to incentivize a meaningful dialogue between academics, think tanks, and public authorities worldwide. Contributions are welcomed covering areas related to energy and climate management, especially policy, economics, governance, and finance. Online submission portal available at https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/jecm.
Humanities and Social Sciences
Food Science of Animal Products

Harnessing egg yolk power: a new approach to paprika oleoresin stability

Paprika oleoresin (PO), extracted from chili peppers, is renowned for its vibrant color and beneficial health properties, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, its lipophilic nature and sensitivity to factors like oxygen, heat, and light restrict its use in water-based foods. While previous approaches, including emulsions and liposomes, have aimed to improve PO’s stability, the results have been limited. These persistent challenges underscore the need for new stabilization methods for PO. The study (DOI: 10.26599/FSAP.2024.9240064), led by scientists from Chengdu University and Huazhong Agricultural University, was published in the journal Food Science of Animal Products on August 23. The research utilized high-pressure homogenization (HPH) to restructure low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from egg yolk, producing a stable aqueous PO solution. By examining microstructure, particle size, encapsulation efficiency, and stability under various conditions, the study confirmed that HPH significantly enhances PO's solubility and stability, offering a greener, safer method of utilizing LDL as a bioactive carrier. The researchers found that HPH at 100 MPa for 10 cycles decreased the average particle size of the LDL-PO complex by 37.2% and improved encapsulation efficiency by 9.2%. Stability assessments showed notable enhancements in storage, thermal, and UV irradiation resistance, with stability rates increasing from 30.83% to 62.90%, 64.42% to 76.97%, and 77.56% to 92.98%, respectively. Structural analysis revealed that HPH promotes better interaction between LDL and PO, optimizing the dispersion and stability of PO in water without compromising the lipoprotein’s structure. “The innovative use of HPH to remodel LDL represents a significant advance in the stabilization of natural pigments like PO,” stated Dr. Jinqiu Wang, the study’s lead researcher. “This technique not only boosts LDL’s role as an effective carrier but also broadens the potential uses of natural colorants in various food products, marking a greener and safer approach to food processing.” The study’s findings suggest that HPH could be extended to stabilize other fat-soluble bioactive compounds, enhancing their application in the food industry. This method offers a promising pathway toward more sustainable and efficient food production, leveraging LDL’s versatility as a carrier for diverse nutrients and active ingredients in aqueous solutions. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32072236), and Sichuan Innovation Team Project of National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System (SCCXTD-2024-24). See the article: High pressure homogenization induced egg yolk low-density lipoprotein remodeling and its application in loaded paprika oleoresin About Food Science of Animal Products Food Science of Animal Products, sponsored by Beijing Academy of Food Sciences, published by Tsinghua University Press and exclusively available via SciOpen, is a peer-reviewed, open access international journal that publishes the latest research findings in the field of animal-origin foods, involving food materials such as meat, aquatic products, milk, eggs, animal offals and edible insects. The research scope includes the quality and processing characteristics of food raw materials, the relationships of nutritional components and bioactive substances with human health, product flavor and sensory characteristics, the control of harmful substances during processing or cooking, product preservation, storage and packaging; microorganisms and fermentation, illegal drug residues and food safety detection; authenticity identification; cell-cultured meat, regulations and standards.
Life Sciences and Medicine
CAAI Artificial Intelligence Research

Team’s sequential control policy framework offers high success in multiple peg-in-hole assembly tasks

A research team conducted a study to improve robots' performance in multiple peg-in-hole assembly in adapting to different working scenarios, including different object geometry and pose. Using a flexible and reusable sequential control policy framework, they explored how to apply artificial intelligence technology more efficiently in industrial scenarios. Their sequential control policy framework demonstrated higher training efficiency with faster convergence and a higher success rate compared to the single control policy for long-term multiple peg-in-hole assembly tasks. The team’s work is published in the journal CAAI Artificial Intelligence Research (DOI: 10.26599/AIR.2024.9150043) on November 22, 2024. Previous research has achieved high precision in peg-in-hole assembly. As the name describes, peg-in-hole assembly refers to a robotics task where the robot inserts a peg into a hole. It is a fundamental task, widely used in many areas of automated manufacturing. However, generalization to changing working scenarios remains an underexplored area. To address this, the team proposed a sequential control policy, or SeqPolicy, to implement the multiple peg-in-hole flexibly while maintaining a higher success rate. Sequential control policy describes a system where steps are taken in a predetermined order. The system moves from one step to the next once the previous step is successfully completed. The picking process is incorporated to simulate the uncertainties of the random grasping pose. “In this framework, reinforcement learning is used to train the control policy through trial and error, making the policy robust to dynamic environments. However, policy learning is challenging in the long-term task because of the low sample efficiency, which makes the control policy require numerous trials to discover an effective strategy as expert-desired,” said, Xinyu Liu, a researcher from the Technical University of Denmark. For example, sometimes the training gets stuck in sub-optimal behaviors, leading to the failure of the overall task. Therefore, SeqPolicy divides a long-term task into three primitive skills: picking, aligning, and insertion, which are simple and fast-training. Additionally, the important intermediate states like the lifting height and initial aligning direction can be guided by expert knowledge to meet specific requirements in different scenarios. This modular pipeline can train the control policy efficiently and adapt to diverse scenarios flexibly. “Instead of relying on a single super control policy to handle everything, we propose building a team with several small and specialized control policies, each focused on primitive skills,” said Liu. “Artificial intelligence and robotics are popular topics, and impressive results are shown, but achieving both strong generalization ability, like handling diverse tasks, and high precision, such as doing each task perfectly, with limited cost, including computational resources and sim2real deployment, is a challenge,” said Liu. The policy learning is simple and stable-performed for primitive skills, like aligning and insertion in the peg-in-hole assembly. Having some small specialization control policies to implement the assembly task together is low-cost and flexible, and it meets the unique demands of industrial applications. Additionally, these small policies are reusable. Looking ahead, the team sees work that could be conducted to improve their framework, and several directions that could be explored based on this study. Policy chaining would be an immediate challenge to automatically transfer the specialized skills or control policies. Currently, the policies are just linked manually by defining the initial state based on the end state of the previous task. Developing a seamless policy chaining method would make the system more autonomous. Another vital direction is refining how robots "see" and understand the spatial information of the objects. “The way we define what the robot observes, its observation space, is critical for deciding when to switch from one skill to another. Experiments in our study showed progress, but multimodal fusion technology could significantly improve the system's adaptability in diverse scenes like factories or labs,” said Chao Zeng, a co-author of this work “Our ultimate goal is to develop a general framework for robotic assembly with several specialization control policies and a ‘manager model’ that determines the expert models based on the states and extracts the universal observation for these control policies. With this framework, robotic assembly could be conducted efficiently and flexibly,” said Zeng. The research team includes Xinyu Liu from the Technical University of Denmark; Chao Zeng and Chenguang Yang from the University of Liverpool; and Jianwei Zhang from the University of Hamburg. The research is partially funded by the UKRI Guarantee funding for Horizon Europe MSCA Postdoctoral/Individual Fellowships. See the article: Reinforcement Learning-Based Sequential Control Policy for Multiple Peg-in-Hole Assembly About CAAI Artificial Intelligence Research CAAI Artificial Intelligence Research (CAAI AIR) is an Open Access, peer-reviewed scholarly journal, published by Tsinghua University Press, released exclusively on SciOpen. CAAI AIR aims to publish the state-of-the-art achievements in the field of artificial intelligence and its applications, including knowledge intelligence, perceptual intelligence, machine learning, behavioral intelligence, brain and cognition, AI chips and applications, etc. Original research and review articles on but not limited to the above topics are welcome. The journal is completely Open Access with no article processing fees for authors.
Information Sciences
Journal of Advanced Ceramics

Flexible and resilient SiOC amorphous nanofibers via electrospinning: Towards thermal and electromagnetic wave protection

The rapid advancements in the electronics industry have provided significant convenience to the civilian uses but have also contributed to electromagnetic pollution, posing risks to human safety. To meet the diverse requirements of civilian applications, such as devices with varied curved surfaces and clothing for different working environments, EMW absorbers must not only provide effective absorption but also be lightweight, easily processed, and sufficiently flexibility. Additionally, EMW absorption materials face challenges under extreme conditions commonly encountered in construction and transportation industries, including high temperatures, frequent vibrations, and pressure impacts. Hence, exploring the materials with exceptional thermal insulation, significant flexibility and resilience, excellent processability, and ultralight characteristics represents a trend in the development of advanced microwave absorbers. Polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) SiOC exhibits robust mechanical and high-temperature performance in extreme environments, combined with low density, high strength, and low raw material costs, which highlight its potential for applications in both thermal and electromagnetic wave (EMW)protection. However, SiOC ceramics derived from a single precursor polymer suffer from low dielectric properties, limiting their further applications. To improve EMW attenuation performance, it is common to introduce a second phase into the SiOC matrix, leveraging the advantages of various components to enhance the EMW absorption. On the other hand, the inherent brittleness of SiOC ceramics severely hinders their use in complex environments. In this case, electrospinning is a versatile method for producing one-dimensional micro-nanofiber materials with uniform size distribution and consistent morphology. Aiming to improve both flexibility and EMW absorption performance, the strategy of multi-phase composition and electrospinning were applied to fabricate SiOC nanofibers The team published their work in Journal of Advanced Ceramics (DOI: 10.26599/JAC.2024.9220968) on September 9, 2024. Herein, Co and TiO2 modified SiOC nanofibers (CTS) were successfully prepared using a simple and controllable electrospinning technique. Thanks to the excellent three-dimensional continuous network structure provided by electrospinning and the uniform distribution of composite materials within the fibers, CTS composites exhibit outstanding thermal insulation (thermal conductivity <0.0404 Wm-1K-1), remarkable flexibility (less than 4% resistance change after 1500 cycles of 180° bending), and impressive compressive resistance (residual strain <12% after 500 cycles at 60% strain). The CTS-800 sample (silicone resin) with a filler content of only 5 wt% achieves an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 8.64 GHz (9.36-18.00 GHz) at a thickness of 3.25 mm, with an RLmin value of -66.00 dB at 17.11 GHz. The successful preparation of such multi-functional CTS nanofiber materials makes it promising perspectives for the application of thermal and microwave protection. The SiOC nanofiber sample exhibits the comprehensive multifunctional properties due to its high porosity and multilayer structure along the thickness. EMW or thermal shock waves from the outside can be significantly attenuated. Additionally, outstanding flexibility ensures that our findings can perfectly grapple with the deformations required in various high-demand scenarios, thus enhancing work efficiency.   About Author Prof. Lixi Wang is the deputy dean of the College of Materials Science and Engineering at Nanjing University of Technology. She holds the BSc, M.S. and Ph.D. in materials science from Nanjing Tech University (2000-2009), and later became a visiting scholar at Georgia Institute of Technology in 2012., where focusing on research and teaching in optical functional materials. Prof Lixi Wang’s research has been concentrated on electromagnetic functional and spectral conversion materials. Prof. Yi Hou holds the BSc and Ph.D in materials science from Northwestern Polytechnical University (2009-2019). He became the Associate Scientist/Research Scientist in Temasek Laboratories’ at National University of Singapore from 2018 to 2022. Prof Yi Hou is working on microwave absorption materials and ceramic nanofiber materials. Mr. Linghao Pan is a master graduate student of College of Materials Science and Engineering at Nanjing University of Technology. His research focuses on SiOC nanofiber materials. See the article: Flexible and resilient Co/TiO2/SiOC nanofibers via electrospinning: Towards thermal and electromagnetic wave protection About Journal of Advanced Ceramics Journal of Advanced Ceramics (JAC) is an international academic journal that presents the state-of-the-art results of theoretical and experimental studies on the processing, structure, and properties of advanced ceramics and ceramic-based composites. JAC is Fully Open Access, monthly published by Tsinghua University Press, and exclusively available via SciOpen. JAC’s 2023 IF is 18.6, ranking in Top 1 (1/31, Q1) among all journals in “Materials Science, Ceramics” category, and its 2023 CiteScore is 21.0 (top 5%) in Scopus database. ResearchGate homepage: https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Journal-of-Advanced-Ceramics-2227-8508
Ceramics
Energy Materials and Devices

Stabilizing lithium-ion batteries: the vanadium touch

As demand surges for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, lithium-ion batteries need to deliver higher energy densities at lower costs. While conventional cathode materials like LiFePO4 and Li-Ni-Co-Mn-O are widely used, they often fail to balance performance with affordability. Lithium-rich manganese oxides (LRMOs) have emerged as a potential alternative due to their high capacity and cobalt-free composition. However, their low initial Coulombic efficiency and rapid voltage decay have limited their broader application. Addressing these challenges requires deeper research to stabilize LRMOs for widespread commercial use. In September, 2024, a team from Guangdong University of Technology, led by Dong Luo and Chenyu Liu, published a study (DOI: 10.26599/EMD.2024.9370039) in Energy Materials and Devices. that marks a significant advancement in lithium-ion battery technology. Their research demonstrates how treating lithium-rich cathode materials with NH4VO3 results in a vanadium-doped spinel-layered structure that enhances both initial Coulombic efficiency and voltage stability. This simple yet effective modification represents a major step toward improving the sustainability and performance of high-energy lithium-ion batteries. The study addresses two long-standing issues in LRMO cathodes: low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and rapid voltage decay. The research team employed a hydrothermal treatment using NH4VO3, which introduced vanadium to the cathode surface, forming a V-doped spinel-layered structure. This innovative structure improved lithium-ion diffusion and reduced surface interface reactions, thereby stabilizing the oxygen redox process. Notably, the ICE jumped from 74.4% to 91.6%, surpassing the threshold required for commercialization. In addition to the significant boost in efficiency, the cathode also demonstrated impressive voltage stability, with a minimal decay of only 0.47 mV per cycle over 200 cycles. This improvement is linked to the suppression of irreversible oxygen release and the formation of strong V-O bonds, which reinforce the material’s structural stability. By addressing these critical challenges, the study highlights a promising approach to enhancing the performance and lifespan of LRMO cathodes, making them more suitable for high-energy applications. Commenting on the research, lead scientist Professor Dong Luo stated, "Our findings offer a practical and highly effective method for tackling the persistent challenges of low Coulombic efficiency and voltage decay in lithium-rich cathodes. By incorporating vanadium, we’ve significantly improved redox stability and voltage performance, paving the way for next-generation lithium-ion batteries to meet the growing energy needs of sectors like electric vehicles and renewable energy storage." The V-doped lithium-rich cathode holds strong potential for applications in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and consumer electronics, where battery efficiency and longevity are paramount. The improved efficiency and stability not only promise to lower costs by eliminating cobalt but also enhance overall battery performance. As this technology scales, it could lead to more affordable and sustainable energy solutions, accelerating the global shift towards cleaner, more efficient power sources.   See the article: V-doped Co-free Li-rich layered oxide with enhanced oxygen redox reversibility for excellent voltage stability and high initial Coulombic efficiency About Energy Materials and Devices Energy Materials and Devices is launched by Tsinghua University, published quarterly by Tsinghua University Press, exclusively available via SciOpen, aiming at being an international, single-blind peer-reviewed, open-access and interdisciplinary journal in the cutting-edge field of energy materials and devices. It focuses on the innovation research of the whole chain of basic research, technological innovation, achievement transformation and industrialization in the field of energy materials and devices, and publishes original, leading and forward-looking research results, including but not limited to the materials design, synthesis, integration, assembly and characterization of devices for energy storage and conversion etc.
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Carbon Future

Research team undertakes review of carbon anodes for lithium-ion batteries

A team of researchers has undertaken a study of the future of carbon anodes for lithium-ion batteries. Their review provides a comprehensive overview of the progression in carbon anode development and the current status of their industrialization. This study underscores the critical role of interphase regulation engineering in advancing lithium-ion battery technology. Their research is published in the journal Carbon Future (DOI: 10.26599/CF.2024.9200017) on September 24, 2024. Today, graphite is the most commonly used material for anodes in lithium-ion batteries. Graphite can operate at a low voltage, is readily available, and cost effective. While graphite materials have been used as the anode for lithium-ion batteries for almost 30 years, there is still room for greater development and application of graphite anodes. Graphite was not used in the earliest lithium-ion batteries because of its compatibility issue with the electrolyte used at that time. A little later, scientists discovered that ethylene carbonate could be used to form a protective layer, known as the solid electrolyte interphase, on the surface of graphite anodes. “The solid electrolyte interphase plays a multifaceted role by bolstering electrochemical stability, affecting the transport of ions at the interphase and the associated impedance, guiding the design of electrode materials, and acting as a diagnostic tool for battery health,” said Qiang Zhang, a professor at Tsinghua University. A well-structured solid electrolyte interphase layer is essential for graphite anodes to achieve high efficiency and stable performance. Although the components of the solid electrolyte interphase are a very small part of the battery, their impact on overall battery performance is significant. To better understand the graphite interphase, the team undertook their review. “The pursuit of deeper insights into the properties of the solid electrolyte interphase and its dynamic behavior is essential for propelling battery technology forward, steering it towards safer, more efficient, and longer-lasting energy storage systems,” said Zhang. In their review, the research team noted six insights related to carbon anodes. With the rise of new energy sources and the electrification of transportation and industry, the demand for graphite anodes continues to grow. The team notes the future potential for carbon-silicon composite anodes prepared from silanes for high energy density batteries and the optimization of carbon-lithium metal composite anode for solid state batteries. The production of artificial graphite anodes is both costly and a highly energy-intensive process. The team notes the need for reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption in artificial graphite manufacturing through innovative graphitization technologies. The team notes that it is crucial to establish data associations and data-driven models to collect performance characteristics of lithium-ion batteries in practical conditions. This will allow researchers to predict the battery life, gain an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of graphite electrodes in various dynamic processes, and optimize the factors for preparing lithium-ion battery cells, so that battery performance is improved. Lithium plating in graphite electrodes is a technical challenge that critically affects safety performance. The team recommends monitoring the formation of dendrite and mitigating its side-impacts. The team also recommends interface regulation for promoting the high-quality development of graphite. This requires a combination of basic theoretical research, in-situ or operando characterization techniques, and data-driven process development. The recycling of electrode materials, especially graphite, from spent batteries is an important industry focus. The team recommends a comprehensive look at the energy consumption, emissions, costs, and material properties in the recycling process. Even though graphite has been the anode material in lithium-ion batteries for almost three decades, the investigation into the interphase chemistry of graphite anodes continues to evolve. Graphite-based anode materials offer a wide range of applications in lithium-ion batteries. They also have potential applications in emerging energy storage technologies, such as potassium-ion batteries, dual-ion batteries, and calcium-ion batteries. “Carbon materials have joined our life for thousands of years. This is an era full of opportunities because the demand and requirements of high-performance carbon materials are higher than ever; at the same time, it is also an era full of challenges as our understanding of the interface of carbon materials is still limited, and precise synthesis technology still has a long way to go. The current era urgently needs efficient preparation technologies with low or even negative carbon emissions to produce better carbon materials for building a better life,” said Zhang. The research is funded by the National Key R&D Program of China, S&T Program of Hebei, National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Beijing Natural Science Foundation, the Seed Fund of Shanxi Research Institute for Clean Energy, the Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program, and Ordos Laboratory. The research team includes Bin Cao from Tsinghua University and Xi’an University of Science and Technology; Mengjiao Du, Zirong Guo, and Huan Liu from Xi’an University of Science and Technology; Chong Yan and Jia-Qi Huang from Beijing Institute of Technology; Aibing Chen from Hebei University of Science and Technology; Xiang Chen from Tsinghua University and Sungkyunkwan University; Cheng Tang from Tsinghua University; and Qiang Zhang from Tsinghua University and Ordos Laboratory. See the article: The future of carbon anodes for lithium-ion batteries: The rational regulation of graphite interphase About Carbon Future Carbon Future is an open access, peer-reviewed and international interdisciplinary journal, published by Tsinghua University Press and exclusively available via SciOpen. Carbon Future reports carbon-related materials and processes, including catalysis, energy conversion and storage, as well as low carbon emission process and engineering. Carbon Future will publish Research Articles, Reviews, Minireviews, Highlights, Perspectives, and News and Views from all aspects concerned with carbon. Carbon Future will publish articles that focus on, but not limited to, the following areas: carbon-related or -derived materials, carbon-related catalysis and fundamentals, low carbon-related energy conversion and storage, low carbon emission chemical processes.
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Cell Organoid

Metformin: a potential game-changer in skin cancer treatment

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare skin sarcoma known for its high recurrence rates, making treatment particularly challenging. While surgery remains the standard option, it often leads to scarring and other complications. Current in vitro models struggle to capture the complexity of the skin tumor environment, especially the role of immune cells. These limitations highlight the need for more accurate models to explore new treatment strategies. Due to these issues, advancing alternative therapies that can minimize surgical impact while effectively controlling tumor growth is crucial. Published by Tsinghua University Press, Cell Organoid featured the findings (DOI: 10.26599/CO.2024.9410001) of researchers from Shanghai Lisheng Biotech and Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital in 2024. The team successfully developed patient-derived organoids from DFSP tumors, closely replicating the histological and genetic characteristics of clinical samples. Using these organoids, they tested both metformin and imatinib, a drug already approved for DFSP treatment. Their study revealed that, beyond inhibiting tumor growth, metformin uniquely impacted immune pathways, suggesting a new therapeutic role for the drug in cancer treatment. The researchers developed DFSP organoids without the use of enzymes, maintaining the tumor’s natural immune environment. These organoids contained 11 different cell types, including immune cells, offering a detailed model for drug testing. Both metformin and imatinib were shown to reduce tumor growth, but metformin stood out by significantly altering the expression of genes related to immune system activity and cancer cell signaling. This indicates that metformin doesn’t just target tumor cells but also influences the surrounding immune environment, providing a dual mechanism of action. This ability to modulate immune responses highlights metformin’s potential as a repurposed cancer treatment, particularly for rare skin tumors like DFSP. By preserving the tumor’s complexity, the organoids provide a valuable platform for screening drugs and exploring personalized therapies that go beyond standard treatments. Dr. Jun Chen, a lead researcher, explained the significance of the findings: “By creating DFSP organoids, we’ve gained crucial insights into how drugs affect both tumor and immune cells. Metformin’s unique ability to modulate immune signaling opens up new treatment possibilities that could minimize the need for surgery. This approach not only helps us better understand the biology of these tumors but also suggests ways to improve outcomes for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers like DFSP.” The success of metformin in modulating immune pathways within DFSP organoids suggests broader applications for cancer treatment. These organoids provide a highly accurate model for testing other drugs and personalized therapies, especially in cancers that are difficult to treat. By replicating the tumor microenvironment, this model opens new doors for developing targeted treatments. As researchers continue to explore metformin’s effects, its repurposing for cancer therapy could revolutionize treatment strategies for rare skin cancers and improve patient outcomes. The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 82373719, 82173662, and 32200581), Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (No. 21ZR1436800), and Clinical Research Project of Multi-Disciplinary Team, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (No. 201901). See the article: Patient-derived skin tumor organoids with immune cells respond to metformin About Cell Organoid Cell Organoid aims to provide a worldwide platform for research into all aspects of organoids and their applications in medicine. It is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that publishes high-quality articles dealing with a wide range of basic research, clinical and translational medicine study topics in the field.
Life Sciences and Medicine
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