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The slow Zn2+ intercalation/deintercalation kinetics in cathodes severely limits the electrochemical performance of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). Herein, we demonstrate a new kind of coordinately unsaturated manganese-based metal–organic framework (MOF) as an advanced cathode for ZIBs. Coordination unsaturation of Mn is performed with oxygen atoms of two adjacent −COO–. Its proper unsaturated coordination degree guarantees the high-efficiency Zn2+ transport and electron exchange, thereby ensuring high intrinsic activity and fast electrochemical reaction kinetics during repeated charging/discharging processes. Consequently, this MOF-based electrode possesses a high capacity of 138 mAh g–1 at 100 mA g–1 and a long life span (93.5% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 3000 mA g–1) due to the above advantages. Such distinct Zn2+ ion storage performance surpasses those of most of the recently reported MOF cathodes. This concept of adjusting the coordination degree to tune the energy storage capability provides new avenues for exploring high-performance MOF cathodes in aqueous ZIBs.

Nanohydroxyapatite reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (nano-HA/PVA) gel composites has been proposed as a promising biomaterial to replace diseased or damaged articular cartilage. In this paper, nano-HA/PVA gel composites were prepared by in situ synthesis nano-HA particles in PVA solution and accompanied with freeze/thaw method. The influence of nano-HA content, PVA concentration and freeze/thaw cycle times on the compressive mechanical behavior of nano-HA/PVA gel composites were evaluated using mechanical test equipment. The results showed that the compressive mechanical behavior of nano-HA/PVA gel composites was similar to that of natural articular cartilage, which held special viscoelastic characteristics. Both the compressive strength and modulus of the composites improved correspondingly with the rise of freeze/thaw cycle times and PVA concentration. The compressive strength and modulus of nano-HA/PVA gel composites firstly increased and then presented decreasing trend with the rise of nano-HA content. Furthermore, the compressive modulus of the composites improved exponentially with the rise of compressive strain ratio.

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Nanohydroxyapatite reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) gel (nano-HA/PVA gel) composites has been proposed as an articular cartilage repair biomaterial. In this paper, nano-HA/PVA gel composites were prepared by in situ synthesis nano-HA particles in PVA solution and accompanied with freeze/thaw method. The influence of nano-HA content, PVA concentration, test frequency and freeze/thaw cycle times on the viscoelastic behavior of nano-HA/PVA gel composites were evaluated using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The results showed that both storage modulus and loss modulus firstly increased and then presented decreasing trend with the rise of nano-HA content. Their maximum values were obtained while nano-HA content was 6%. Furthermore, the G' and G'' of the composites improve with the increase of PVA concentrations and freeze/thaw cycle times. This effect was more distinct at low freeze/thaw cycles. The phase angle (tan delta) of the pure PVA gel is larger than that of the nano-HA/PVA composites at the test frequency spectra, but all the phase angle values of the tested composites were close to that of nature bone.

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Because of the diversity of bonding properties between transition metal ions and multifunctional organic ligands, metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) with slow ion transport kinetics are considered as prospective materials for electrochemical energy storage. In this study, Ni−Mn-MOFs with a three-dimensional (3D) spherical structure were rationally synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The optimal electrode could provide rich redox active sites to guarantee enough Li + -storage capacity. The 3D microspheres assembled from MOF nanosheets not only provide an advantageous route for lithium-ion transport but the buffer volume also changes during the cycle because of the enhancement of electrochemical performance, resulting in a high capacity of 1380 mA h g −1 and an outstanding cycle life of 200 cycles. Additionally, the influence of the solvent content of the complex on the electrochemical properties of MOFs was also investigated. The results of this study provided insights and mechanistic explanations for the design of MOFs for lithium-ion battery applications.

Functional graded materials provided us one new concept for artificial articular cartilage design with graded component and graded structure. In this article, a novel functional material design was proposed by functionalizing hydroxyapatite (HA) particles in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel. The goal of the present study was to fabricate a multilayer gradient HA/PVA gel biocomposites through layer-by-layer casting method combining with freeze/thaw cycle technology and establish a mechanical model to predict the compressive mechanical properties of multilayer gradient gel biocomposites. The results showed that the compressive strength of the multilayer gradient gel biocomposites increased with the rise of HA content, but it presented decreasing trend with the rise of interlayer gradient concentration of HA particles. Furthermore, the compressive strength of multilayer gradient biocomposites would be approximately predicted by the established mechanical model. The maximum error between theoretical compressive strength predicted by the model and the experimental strength is less than 7%. On the other hand, the compressive mechanical properties of multilayer gradient composites could be designed and controlled by the mechanical model as established in this study.