Insufficient ionic conductivity and freezing of the electrolyte are considered the main problems for electrochemical energy storage at low temperatures (low T). Here, an electrolyte with a freezing point lower than −130 °C is developed by using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as an additive with molar fraction of 0.3 to an aqueous solution of 2 m NaClO4 (2M‐0.3 electrolyte). The 2M‐0.3 electrolyte exhibits sufficient ionic conductivity of 0.11 mS cm−1 at −50 °C. The combination of spectroscopic investigations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that hydrogen bonds are stably formed between DMSO and water molecules, facilitating the operation of the electrolyte at ultra‐low T. Using DMSO as the electrolyte additive, the aqueous rechargeable alkali‐ion batteries (AABs) can work well even at −50 °C. This work provides a simple and effective strategy to develop low T AABs.

We report a facile solid exfoliation method to prepare NH2-functionalized few-layer black phosphorene for use as an electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction.

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Aqueous sodium ion batteries (ASIBs) with the characteristics of long cycling life, all-climate compatibility, and low cost need to be developed urgently. Herein, a novel dual-ion battery baesd on Na+ and ClO4 – electrochemistry is proposed, consisting of an nano/microstructured Ni­(OH)2 (NNH) cathode, a carbon-coated NaTi2(PO4)3 (NTP@C) anode, and 2 M NaClO4 aqueous (aq.) electrolyte. In a charging process, sodium ions are inserted into NaTi2(PO4)3 to form Na3Ti2(PO4)3, and ClO4 – is stored in the electric double layers of the NNH cathode; in a reverse process, the Na+ is extracted from Na3Ti2(PO4)3 to form NaTi2(PO4)3, and the adsorption ClO4 – is released into the electrolyte. Because of the mechanism of the dual-ion reaction, the aqueous sodium-ion-based dual-ion hybrid battery (ASDHB) displays excellent rate performance, with a capacity of 82.3 mA h g–1 anode even at the ultrahigh rate of 50 C. Moreover, the ASDHB displays an ultralong cycling life at a wide temperature range (i.e., from −20 to 50 °C), even at a low temperature of −20 °C, the capacity retention is still as high as 85% after 10 000 cycles at the rate of 10 C. At the same time, it shows a high energy density of 40.1 Wh kg–1 total and power density of 257.7 W kg–1 total, indicating the potential application on electrial energy storage.

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Coarse cereal intake has been reported to be associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer. However, evidence from intervention studies is absent and the molecular basis of this phenomenon remains largely unexplored. This study sought to investigate the effects of foxtail millet and rice, two common staple grains in Asia, on the progression of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) and define the mechanism involved. In total, 40 BALB/c mice were randomized into four groups. The Normal and azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS) groups were supplied with an AIN-93G diet, while the millet- and rice-treated groups were supplied with a modified AIN-93G diet. Compared to the AOM/DSS-induced CAC mice supplemented with rice, an increased survival rate, suppressed tumor burden, and reduced disease activity index were observed in the millet-treated group. The levels of IL-6 and IL-17 were decreased in the millet-treated group compared to both the AOM/DSS and AOM/DSS + rice groups. Millet treatment inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 and the related signaling proteins involved in cell proliferation, survival and angiogenesis. These beneficial effects were mediated by the activation of gut receptors AHR and GPCRs via the microbial metabolites (indole derivates and short-chain fatty acids) of foxtail millet. Moreover, millet-treatment increased the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Bacteroidales_S24-7 compared to the rice-treated mice. This study could help researchers to develop better dietary patterns that work against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and for CAC patients.

MoS2 nanoplates were in situ grafted onto graphite felt to enable high performance zinc–polyiodine redox flow batteries.

Increasing both the energy barrier for magnetization reversal and the coercive field of the hysteresis loop are significant challenges in the field of single-molecule magnets (SMMs). Coordination geometries of lanthanide ions and magnetic interactions between lanthanide ions are both important for guiding the magnetic behavior of SMMs. We report a high energy barrier of 657 K (457 cm ) in a diamagnetic-ion-diluted lanthanide chain compound with a constrained bisphenoid symmetry (D ); this energy barrier is substantially higher than the barrier of 567 K (394 cm ) of the non-diluted chain compound with intrachain ferromagnetic interactions. Although intrachain magnetic interaction lowers the energy barrier for magnetization reversal, it can greatly enhance the coercive fields and zero-field remanence of the hysteresis loops, which is crucial for the rational design of high-performance SMMs. Factors related to the coordination sphere of the lanthanide center, which govern the high magnetic relaxation barriers through the second excited Kramer's doublets and the magnetic interactions that affect the hysteresis loops, were revealed through ab initio calculations.