Transition-metal
sulfides are key cathode materials for thermal
batteries used in military applications. However, it is still a big
challenge to prepare sulfides with good electronic conductivity and
thermal stability. Herein, we rapidly synthesized a Co-doped NiS2 micro/nanostructure using a hydrothermal method. We found
that the specific capacity of the Ni1–x
Co
x
S2 micro/nanostructure
increases with the amount of Co doping. Under a current density of
100 mA cm–2, the specific capacity of Ni0.5Co0.5S2 was about 1565.2 As g–1 (434.8 mAh g–1) with a cutoff voltage of 1.5 V.
Owing to the small polarization impedance (5 mΩ), the pulse
voltage reaches about 1.74 V under a pulse current of 2.5 A cm–2, 30 ms. Additionally, the discharge mechanism was
proposed by analyzing the discharge product according to the anionic
redox chemistry. Furthermore, a 3.9 kg full thermal battery is assembled
based on the synthesized Ni0.5Co0.5S2 cathode materials. Notably, the full thermal battery discharges
at a current density of 100 mA cm–2, with an operating
time of about 4000 s, enabling a high specific energy density of around
142.5 Wh kg–1. In summary, this work presents an
effective cathode material for thermal battery with high specific
energy and long operating life.
Two-dimensional
(2D) nanomaterials possessing a unique sheet structure, compared to
correlative bulk materials, exhibit excellent properties, especially
in the energy storage and energy conversion field. In this case, NiCl2 nanosheets with thicknesses of 2–8 nm are first prepared
by a simple chemical vapor deposition method. For the Li–B/LiF–LiCl–LiBr/NiCl2 thermal battery, the specific energy of NiCl2 nanosheets
increases from 510 W h kg–1 (NiCl2 rods)
to 616 W h kg–1 at an operation temperature of 500
°C and a current density of 0.2 A cm–2. The
2D morphology and large numbers of defects not only improve the redox
reaction rates and the lithium storage capacity, but also enhance
the adsorption capacity with the flake-like binder MgO, which prolong
the discharge time by suppressing the discharge product diffusion
to the electrolyte. These results indicate that NiCl2 nanosheets
have a great possibility to become a desirable candidate of cathode
materials for assisting in the development of high energy output and
provide a new way to restrain the immersion between the electrode
and electrolyte.
Mature microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNA molecules involved in regulation of post-translational gene expression. Although aberrant levels of miRNAs have been found in various tumor tissues, their importance in tumor development and the molecular basis of their regulatory role remain unclear. Our bioinformatic analysis on The Cancer Genome Atlas database and microarray-based comparison of miRNA in different cell lines revealed that the level of mir-1287 is suppressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. When upregulated, mir-1287 can reduce the tumorigenesis phenotypes of HCC cells in several in vitro models. We further found that mir-1287 directly targets messenger RNA encoding PIK3R3, which is a tumor-promoting factor acting in several pathways linked to tumorigenesis. Our study suggests that aberrant suppression of mir-1287 is potentially responsible for the development of HCC, and miRNA-based strategies may be developed for efficient detection and treatment of HCC.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.