Aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs) are regarded as viable alternatives to lithium-ion technology because of their high volumetric capacity, their low cost, and the rich abundance of aluminum. However, several serious drawbacks of aqueous systems (passive film formation, hydrogen evolution, anode corrosion, etc.) hinder the large-scale application of these systems. Thus, nonaqueous AIBs show incomparable advantages for progress in large-scale electrical energy storage. However, nonaqueous aluminum battery systems are still nascent, and various technical and scientific obstacles to designing AIBs with high capacity and long cycling life have not been resolved until now. Moreover, the aluminum cell is a complex device whose energy density is determined by various parameters, most of which are often ignored, resulting in failure to achieve the maximum performance of the cell. The purpose here is to discuss how to further develop reliable nonaqueous AIBs. First, the current status of nonaqueous AIBs is reviewed based on statistical data from the literature. The influence of parameters on energy density is analyzed, and the current situation and existing problems are summarized. Furthermore, possible solutions and concerns regarding the construction of reliable nonaqueous AIBs are comprehensively discussed. Finally, future research directions and prospects in the aluminum battery field are proposed.

Rechargeable aluminum‐ion batteries have drawn considerable attention as a new energy storage system, but their applications are still significantly impeded by critical issues such as low energy density and the lack of excellent electrolytes. Herein, a high‐energy aluminum‐manganese battery is fabricated by using a Birnessite MnO2 cathode, which can be greatly optimized by a divalence manganese ions (Mn2+) electrolyte pre‐addition strategy. The battery exhibits a remarkable energy density of 620 Wh kg−1 (based on the Birnessite MnO2 material) and a capacity retention above 320 mAh g−1 for over 65 cycles, much superior to that with no Mn2+ pre‐addition. The electrochemical reactions of the battery are scrutinized by a series of analysis techniques, indicating that the Birnessite MnO2 pristine cathode is first reduced as Mn2+ to dissolve in the electrolyte upon discharge, and AlxMn(1−x)O2 is then generated upon charge, serving as a reversible cathode active material in following cycles. This work provides new opportunities for the development of high‐performance and low‐cost aqueous aluminum‐ion batteries for prospective applications.

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Garlic, an economically important vegetable, spice, and medicinal crop, produces highly enlarged bulbs and unique organosulfur compounds. Here, we report a chromosome-level genome assembly for garlic, with a total size of approximately 16.24 Gb, as well as the annotation of 57 561 predicted protein-coding genes, making garlic the first Allium species with a sequenced genome. Analysis of this garlic genome assembly reveals a recent burst of transposable elements, explaining the substantial expansion of the garlic genome. We examined the evolution of certain genes associated with the biosynthesis of allicin and inulin neoseries-type fructans, and provided new insights into the biosynthesis of these two compounds. Furthermore, a large-scale transcriptome was produced to characterize the expression patterns of garlic genes in different tissues and at various growth stages of enlarged bulbs. The reference genome and large-scale transcriptome data generated in this study provide valuable new resources for research on garlic biology and breeding.

Melatonin (MT) plays integral roles in regulating several biological processes including plant growth, seed germination, flowering, senescence, and stress responses. This study investigated the effects of MT on adventitious root formation (ARF) of de-rooted tomato seedlings. Exogenous MT positively or negatively influenced ARF, which was dependent on the concentration of MT application. In the present experiment, 50 μM MT showed the best effect on inducing ARF. Interestingly, exogenous MT promoted the accumulation of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) by down-regulating the expression of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR). To determine the interaction of MT and NO in ARF, MT synthesis inhibitor p-chlorophenylalanine, NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide potassium salt as well as GSNOR-overexpression plants with low NO levels were used. The function of MT was removed by NO scavenger or GSNOR-overexpression plants. However, application of MT synthesis inhibitor did little to abolish the function of NO. These results indicate that NO, as a downstream signal, was involved in the MT-induced ARF. Concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-butyric acid, as well as the expression of several genes related to the auxin signaling pathway (PIN1, PIN3, PIN7, IAA19, and IAA24), showed that MT influenced auxin transport and signal transduction as well as auxin accumulation through the NO signaling pathway. Collectively, these strongly suggest that elevated NO levels resulting from inhibited GSNOR activity and auxin signaling were involved in the MT-induced ARF in tomato plants. This can be applied in basic research and breeding.

Small alterations to the structure of a star-shaped template totally change its mode of operation. The hexapyridyl template directs the conversion of a porphyrin dimer to the cyclic hexamer, but deleting one pyridine site changes the product to the cyclic decamer, while deleting two binding sites changes the product to the cyclic octamer. This surprising switch in selectivity is explained by the formation of 2:1 caterpillar track complexes, in which two template wheels bind inside the nanoring. Caterpillar track complexes can also be prepared by binding the hexapyridyl template inside the 8- and 10-porphyrin nanorings. NMR exchange spectroscopy (EXSY) experiments show that these complexes exhibit correlated motion, in which the conrotatory rotation of the two template wheels is coupled to rotation of the nanoring track. In the case of the 10-porphyrin system, the correlated motion can be locked by binding palladium(II) dichloride between the two templates.

high carrier mobility, and good air stability, it has the possibility to serve as the channel material of postsilicon era. Disappointingly, most existing 2D semiconductors cannot meet these requirements simultaneously, including the most concerned 2D MoS 2 and black phosphorene (BP). [8][9][10][11][12] Experimentally, 2D MoS 2 FETs have been scaled down to the sub-10 nm region, [13][14][15] but the low on-current (<250 µA µm −1 ) mainly caused by the low carrier mobility fails to meet the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) requirements, [16] which is in accord with the results of the ab initio quantum transport simulations. [17] 2D BP FETs own high carrier mobility but are so sensitive to the air that their device performance degenerates when exposed under ambient condition. [18,19] Therefore, it is crucial to find a 2D channel material with a modest band gap, large drive current, and high air stability to continue Moore's law.Tellurium (Te), a p-type semiconductor, consists of individual helical Te chains that are stacked together by van der Waals force. [20] Recently, atomically thin tellurene (2D form of Tellurium) has been fabricated by a substrate-free solution process and molecular beam epitaxy on a graphene/6H-SiC substrate, respectively. [21][22][23] 2D tellurene possesses an anisotropic structure and is constituted of alternate tetragonal and hexagonal rings. [24,25] The band gap of tellurene monotonically decreasesThe merging 2D semiconductor tellurene (2D Group-VI tellurium) is a possible channel candidate for post-silicon field-effect transistor (FETs) due to its high carrier mobility, high drive current, and excellent air stability. The performance limits of sub-5-nm ML tellurene metal-oxide-semiconductor FETs (MOSFETs) are explored by employing exact ab initio quantum transport simulations. An optimized p-type ML tellurene MOSFET meets both the high performance (along both the armchair and the zigzag directions) and the low power (along the armchair direction) requirements of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) at a gate length of 4 nm with a negative capacity dielectric. Hence, choosing ML tellurene as the channel material provides a novel route to continue the Moore's law to 4 nm.

Two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals are promising channel materials for next generation electronics due to its outstanding gate electrostatics and few dangling bonds.