2021 F. M. Becket Fellowship – Summary Report Measuring Transient Electrochemistry of Lithium Metal Anodes under Varying External Stack Pressures

Lithium metal anodes are challenged by the inherent chemical and electrochemical reactivity of lithium metal, which is further exacerbated by non-uniform high surface area deposition. Recently, lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) salt coupled with a fluorinated solvent has been demonstrated to result in densely deposited lithium morphology along with high Coulombic efficiencies due to a stable solidelectrolyte-interphase. Along with other newly discovered electrolyte compositions for stable lithium deposition, these studies typically utilize high stack pressures and elevated temperatures. These developments are promising, and would further benefit from a study that maps out the effects of varying stack pressure and temperature on lithium anode mechanics, chemistry, and electrochemistry.

Clinicopathological and prognostic study of IgA-dominant postinfectious glomerulonephritis

Background The clinicopathological and prognostic features of IgA-dominant postinfectious glomerulonephritis and its difference from the primary IgA nephropathy remains to be investigated. Methods The clinical and pathological data of 6542 patients who underwent renal biopsy from 2009 to 2020 in our hospital were reviewed and 50 patients who met the selection criteria of IgA-dominant postinfectious glomerulonephritis were enrolled to conduct a retrospective and observational single-center study. The selection criteria were: meet the characteristics of IgA dominance or codominance in immunofluorescence, and conform to 3 of the following 5 criteria: 1.Clinical or laboratory evidence show that there is infection before or at the onset of glomerulonephritis; 2.The level of serum complement decreased; 3.Renal pathology is consistent with endocapillary proliferative glomerulonephritis; 4. Glomerular immunofluorescence staining showed complement C3 dominance or codominance; 5. Hump-like subepithelial immune complex deposition was observed under electron microscopy. According to age, sex, renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR) and follow-up time, the control group was constructed with 1:3 matched cases of primary IgA nephropathy. The clinicopathological and prognostic differences between the two groups were analyzed. Results The most common histological pattern of IgA-dominant postinfectious glomerulonephritis was acute endocapillary proliferative glomerulonephritis and exudative glomerulonephritis. Immunofluorescence showed mainly IgA deposition or IgA deposition only, mainly deposited in the mesangial area (deposition rate 100 %), with typical C3 high-intensity staining (intensity++~+++), mainly deposited in the mesangial area (deposition rate 92.0 %). The fluorescence intensity of kappa is usually not weaker than lambda. The probability of the appearance of typical hump-like electron deposition under electron microscopy is low. Compared to primary IgA nephropathy, patients with IgA-dominant postinfectious glomerulonephritis had higher proportion of crescents (p = 0. 005) and endocapillary hypercellularity (p < 0.001) in pathological manifestations. Using serum creatinine level doubled of the baseline or reached end-stage renal disease as the endpoint, the prognosis of IgA-dominant postinfectious glomerulonephritis patients was worse than that of primary IgA nephropathy patients (p = 0.013). Conclusions The clinicopathological features of patients with IgA-dominant postinfectious glomerulonephritis was different from that of primary IgA nephropathy, and the prognosis was worse.

Chemical and topographical patterns combined with solution shear for selective-area deposition of highly-aligned semiconducting carbon nanotubes

Selective shear deposition of polymer-wrapped semiconducting carbon nanotubes (s-CNTs) into densely packed, highly aligned arrays of s-CNTs using removable chemical and topographical patterns.

Annealing Effect on the Properties of Electrochromic V2O5 Thin Films Grown by Spray Deposition Technique

Nanostructured electrochromic V2O5 thin films were prepared using spray pyrolysis technique growth at a temperature of 250 °C using air-carrier spray deposition, starting from ammonium metavanadate precursor in water, followed by annealing at 400 °C in O2 atmosphere for 2 h. The V2O5 films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, and their electrochromic behavior was studied using optical spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry in both the as-deposited and postannealing case. The studies showed that the simple, cost -effective, suitable for large area deposition method used can lead to an interesting surface structuring with large active surface properties suitable for electrochromic applications. Further studies for growth optimization and improvements of films properties and stability are to be performed.

Electrochromic Performance of V2O5 Thin Films Grown by Spray Pyrolysis

A new approach regarding the development of nanostructured V2O5 electrochromic thin films at low temperature (250 °C), using air-carrier spray deposition and ammonium metavanadate in water as precursor is presented. The obtained V2O5 films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, while their electrochromic response was studied using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The study showed that this simple, cost effective, suitable for large area deposition method can lead to V2O5 films with large active surface for electrochromic applications.