Sulfolane (SL) is investigated as an electrolyte additive for LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 / graphite cell cycled in the voltage range of 3.0-4.6 V (vs. Li + /Li). The cyclic stability of LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 /graphite cells is improved by using 2 vol.% SL. Charge-discharge tests on graphite/Li and LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 /Li cells show that the cyclic improvement of the full cell results from the contribution of SL on the enforced stability of both graphite anode and LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 cathode. Linear sweep voltammetry data indicate that SL can improve the oxidation potential of the reference electrolyte, that is, 1.0 M LiPF 6 in ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate (1/1, by volume). Cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicate that an SL-containing electrolyte is likely to form low impedance, as well as a protective and stable film on both cathode and anode electrodes, which improves the stability of the electrode and electrolyte during cycling.

We introduce an accessible cell phone imaging method using small droplets of microscope immersion oil and consumer-grade oils. Oil droplets were more resistant to evaporation than water droplets, and they resolved cellular structures that were visible using a 20x/0.75 objective. We optically characterized the droplets using a cell phone screen and resolution target. We further obtained cellular resolution images of an onion epidermis and a zea stem cross-section sample. Our droplet-based method enables stable optical imaging for diagnostic and educational purposes without custom setups, specialized components, or manufacturing processes.

Dendritic cells (DCs) can infiltrate tight junctions of the epithelium to collect remote antigens during immune surveillance. While elongated membrane structures represent a plausible structure to perform this task, their functional mechanisms remain elusive owing to the lack of high-resolution characterizations in live DCs. Here, we developed fluorescent artificial antigens (FAAs) based on quantum dots coated with polyacrylic acid. Single-particle tracking of FAAs enables us to superresolve the membrane fiber network responsible for the antigen uptake. Using the DC2.4 cell line as a model system, we discovered the extensive membrane network approaching 200 μm in length with tunnel-like cavities about 150 nm in width. The membrane fiber network also contained heterogeneous circular migrasomes. Disconnecting the membrane network from the cell body decreased the intracellular FAA density. Our study enables mechanistic investigations of DC membrane networks and nanocarriers that target this mechanism.

We report single-particle characterizations of membrane-penetrating semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) in T cell lymphocytes. We functionalized water-soluble CdSe/CdZnS QDs with a cell-penetrating peptide composed of an Asp-Ser-Ser (DSS) repeat sequence....

A safe charging algorithm in wireless rechargeable sensor network ensures the charging efficiency and the electromagnetic radiation below the threshold. Compared with the current charging algorithms, the safe charging algorithm is more complicated due to the radiation constraint and the mobility of the chargers. A safe charging algorithm based on multiple mobile chargers is proposed in this paper to charge the sensor nodes with mobile chargers, in order to ensure the premise of radiation safety, multiple mobile chargers can effectively complete the network charging task. Firstly, this algorithm narrows the possible location of the sensor nodes by utilizing the charging time and antenna waveform. Secondly, the performance of non-partition charging algorithm which algorithm allow chargers to charge different sensors sets in a different cycle is evaluated against the one of partition charging which does not allow for charging different ones. The moving distance of the charger node will be reduced by 18%. It not only improves the safety level which is inversely proportional to electromagnetic radiation but also expands the application scope of the wireless sensor nodes.

Quantum dot (QD)–organic dye couple chromophores are topical due to their applications in biology, catalysis, and energy. The maximization of energy transfer efficiency can be guided by the underlying Förster or Dexter mechanisms; however, the impact of fluorescence intermittency must also be considered. Here we demonstrate that the average ⟨t on⟩ and ⟨t off⟩ times of dye acceptors in coupled QD–dye chromophores are substantially affected by the donors’ blinking behavior. With regard to biological imaging, this effect beneficially minimizes the photobleaching of the acceptor dye. The implications for alternative energy are less encouraging as the acceptors’ capacity to store energy, using ⟨t on⟩/⟨t off⟩ as a metric, was reduced by as much as ∼95%. These detrimental effects can be mitigated by suppressing QD blinking via surface treatment. This study also demonstrates several instances of the nonconformity of QD blinking dynamics to a power law distribution, as a robust examination of the off times reveals log-normal behavior that is consistent with the Albery model.

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