Short-Term Increases in NO2 and O3 Concentrations during Pregnancy and Stillbirth Risk in the U.S.: A Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Study

Associations between gaseous pollutant exposure and stillbirth have focused on exposures averaged over trimesters or gestation. We investigated the association between short-term increases in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) concentrations and stillbirth risk among a national sample of 116 788 Medicaid enrollees from 2000 to 2014. A time-stratified case-crossover design was used to estimate distributed (lag 0-lag 6) and cumulative lag effects, which were adjusted for PM2.5 concentration and temperature. Effect modification by race/ethnicity and proximity to hydraulic fracturing (fracking) wells was assessed. Short-term increases in the NO2 and O3 concentrations were not associated with stillbirth in the overall sample. Among American Indian individuals (n = 1694), a 10 ppb increase in NO2 concentrations was associated with increased stillbirth odds at lag 0 (5.66%, 95%CI: [0.57%, 11.01%], p = 0.03) and lag 1 (4.08%, 95%CI: [0.22%, 8.09%], p = 0.04) but not lag 0-6 (7.12%, 95%CI: [-9.83%, 27.27%], p = 0.43). Among participants living in zip codes within 15 km of active fracking wells (n = 9486), a 10 ppb increase in NO2 concentration was associated with increased stillbirth odds in single-day lags (2.42%, 95%CI: [0.37%, 4.52%], p = 0.02 for lag 0 and 1.83%, 95%CI: [0.25%, 3.43%], p = 0.03 for lag 1) but not the cumulative lag (lag 0-6) (4.62%, 95%CI: [-2.75%, 12.55%], p = 0.22). Odds ratios were close to the null in zip codes distant from fracking wells. Future studies should investigate the role of air pollutants emitted from fracking and potential racial disparities in the relationship between short-term increases in NO2 concentrations and stillbirth.

A dicarbonate solvent electrolyte for high performance 5 V-Class Lithium-based batteries

Rechargeable lithium batteries using 5 V positive electrode materials can deliver considerably higher energy density as compared to state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries. However, their development remains plagued by the lack of electrolytes with concurrent anodic stability and Li metal compatibility. Here we report a new electrolyte based on dimethyl 2,5-dioxahexanedioate solvent for 5 V-class batteries. Benefiting from the particular chemical structure, weak interaction with lithium cation and resultant peculiar solvation structure, the resulting electrolyte not only enables stable, dendrite-free lithium plating-stripping, but also displays anodic stability up to 5.2 V (vs. Li/Li+), in additive or co-solvent-free formulation, and at low salt concentration of 1 M. Consequently, the Li | |LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cells using the 1 M LiPF6 in 2,5-dioxahexanedioate based electrolyte retain >97% of the initial capacity after 250 cycles, outperforming the conventional carbonate-based electrolyte formulations, making this, and potentially other dicarbonate solvents promising for future Lithium-based battery practical explorations.

Improving dual electrodes compatibility through tailoring solvation structures enabling high-performance and low-temperature Li||LiFePO4 batteries

Li||LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries have good stability and high energy density. However, they exhibit unsatisfactory low-temperature electrochemical performance. Due to the fragile interfacial passivation layers and sluggish kinetics, commercial electrolytes fail to simultaneously achieve acceptable stabilization with dual electrodes in low-temperature Li||LFP batteries. Herein, a novel localized high-concentration electrolyte (LHCE) with great dual-electrodes compatibility is proposed to match with the low-temperature Li||LFP batteries. With increasing local concentration, the FSI- sequentially replaces the solvent molecules and enters the first solvation sheath, forming the anion-dominated solvation structures. This effectively suppresses free solvents decomposition and constructs the anion-derived passivation layers with inorganic-rich components, further contributing to the rapid transport kinetics and endowing the LHCE with great dual electrodes compatibility. These dual-electrodes co-stabilization effects of the LHCE are originally clarified in the low-temperature Li||LFP batteries. The designed LHCE also delivers low freezing point (-99.8 ℃), high ionic conductivity (2.4 mS cm-1 at -40 ℃), and superior stability (>4.7 V vs. Li/Li+). Hence, the Li||LFP batteries with LHCE possess superb cyclic stability at low temperatures, delivering a high discharge capacity of 120 mAh g-1 over 300 cycles at -20 ℃. Moreover, compared to commercial electrolytes, LHCE endows the Li||LFP batteries with superior low-temperature performances under practical conditions, including limited Li anode (3 mAh cm-2) and a wide temperature range (30 ℃ to -40 ℃).

Steady-state analysis of social responsibility strategy of coal power enterprises from the perspective of game theory

Under the dual-carbon background, coal power enterprises are required to actively fulfill their social responsibility in order to achieve energy saving and emission reduction as soon as possible. Considering the uncertainty of the external environment and the potential conflict of interest of the key stakeholders in the fulfillment of corporate social responsibility, coal power enterprises are not always positive in fulfilling their social responsibility. This paper combines prospect theory and mental account theory with evolutionary game to construct an evolutionary game model involving coal power enterprises, government regulators and the public to study the social responsibility behavior of coal power enterprises. The results of the study show that: (1) The social responsibility behavior of coal power enterprises under the dual-carbon background is a typical cost-driven behavior, and coal power enterprises are more sensitive to costs compared to benefits. (2) The formulation of regulatory policies by government regulators largely depends on the decision inertia of coal power enterprises, and the formulation of regulatory policies by government regulators will also affect the decision inertia of coal power enterprises. (3) The public's strategic choices do not entirely depend on the strategic choices of coal and power enterprises and government regulators, and are more closely related to the setting of the reference point. (4) In addition to the realistic factors, the subjective factors of decision makers are also important factors affecting the fulfillment of social responsibility of coal and power enterprises. Based on the results of the study, this paper proposes countermeasures to enhance the internal driving force of coal power enterprises to fulfill their social responsibility behaviors from the aspects of establishing a communication mechanism, improving the reward and punishment system, and strengthening risk management.

Renewable Syngas Generation via Low-Temperature Electrolysis: Opportunities and Challenges

The production of syngas (i.e., a mixture of CO and H2) via the electrochemical reduction of CO2 and water can contribute to the green transition of various industrial sectors. Here we provide a joint academic-industrial perspective on the key technical and economical differences of the concurrent (i.e., CO and H2 are generated in the same electrolyzer cell) and separated (i.e., CO and H2 are electrogenerated in different electrolyzers) production of syngas. Using a combination of literature analysis, experimental data, and techno-economic analysis, we demonstrate that the production of synthesis gas is notably less expensive if we operate a CO2 electrolyzer in a CO-selective mode and combine it with a separate PEM electrolyzer for H2 generation. We also conclude that by the further decrease of the cost of renewable electricity and the increase of CO2 emission taxes, such prepared renewable syngas will become cost competitive.

A cross-scale framework for evaluating flexibility values of battery and fuel cell electric vehicles

Flexibility has become increasingly important considering the intermittency of variable renewable energy in low-carbon energy systems. Electrified transportation exhibits great potential to provide flexibility. This article analyzed and compared the flexibility values of battery electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles for planning and operating interdependent electricity and hydrogen supply chains while considering battery degradation costs. A cross-scale framework involving both macro-level and micro-level models was proposed to compute the profits of flexible EV refueling/charging with battery degradation considered. Here we show that the flexibility reduction after considering battery degradation is quantified by at least 4.7% of the minimum system cost and enlarged under fast charging and low-temperature scenarios. Our findings imply that energy policies and relevant management technologies are crucial to shaping the comparative flexibility advantage of the two transportation electrification pathways. The proposed cross-scale methodology has broad implications for the assessment of emerging energy technologies with complex dynamics.

Metal vacancy-enriched layered double hydroxide for biomass molecule electrooxidation coupled with hydrogen production

The electrochemical oxidation of biomass molecules coupling with hydrogen production is a promising strategy to obtain both green energy and value-added chemicals; however, this strategy is limited by the competing oxygen evolution reactions and high energy consumption. Herein, we report a hierarchical CoNi layered double hydroxides (LDHs) electrocatalyst with abundant Ni vacancies for the efficient anodic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and cathodic hydrogen evolution. The unique hierarchical nanosheet structure and Ni vacancies provide outstanding activity and selectivity toward several biomass molecules because of the finely regulated electronic structure and highly-exposed active sites. In particular, a high faradaic efficiency (FE) at a high current density (99% at 100 mA cm-2) is achieved for HMF oxidation, and a two-electrode electrolyzer is assembled based on the Ni vacancies-enriched LDH, which realized a continuous synthesis of highly-pure 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid products with high yields (95%) and FE (90%).

Efficient solar-driven CO2-to-fuel conversion via Ni/MgAlO x @SiO2 nanocomposites at low temperature

Solar-driven CO2-to-fuel conversion assisted by another major greenhouse gas CH4 is promising to concurrently tackle energy shortage and global warming problems. However, current techniques still suffer from drawbacks of low efficiency, poor stability, and low selectivity. Here, a novel nanocomposite composed of interconnected Ni/MgAlO x nanoflakes grown on SiO2 particles with excellent spatial confinement of active sites is proposed for direct solar-driven CO2-to-fuel conversion. An ultrahigh light-to-fuel efficiency up to 35.7%, high production rates of H2 (136.6 mmol min-1g- 1) and CO (148.2 mmol min-1g-1), excellent selectivity (H2/CO ratio of 0.92), and good stability are reported simultaneously. These outstanding performances are attributed to strong metal-support interactions, improved CO2 absorption and activation, and decreased apparent activation energy under direct light illumination. MgAlO x @SiO2 support helps to lower the activation energy of CH* oxidation to CHO* and improve the dissociation of CH4 to CH3* as confirmed by DFT calculations. Moreover, the lattice oxygen of MgAlO x participates in the reaction and contributes to the removal of carbon deposition. This work provides promising routes for the conversion of greenhouse gasses into industrially valuable syngas with high efficiency, high selectivity, and benign sustainability.

Highly elastic energy storage device based on intrinsically super-stretchable polymer lithium-ion conductor with high conductivity

Stretchable power sources, especially stretchable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), have attracted increasing attention due to their enormous prospects for powering flexible/wearable electronics. Despite recent advances, it is still challenging to develop ultra-stretchable LIBs that can withstand large deformation. In particular, stretchable LIBs require an elastic electrolyte as a basic component, while the conductivity of most elastic electrolytes drops sharply during deformation, especially during large deformations. This is why highly stretchable LIBs have not yet been realized until now. As a proof of concept, a super-stretchable LIB with strain up to 1200% is created based on an intrinsically super-stretchable polymer electrolyte as the lithium-ion conductor. The super-stretchable conductive system is constructed by an effective diblock copolymerization strategy via photocuring of vinyl functionalized 2-ureido-4-pyrimidone (VFUpy), an acrylic monomer containing succinonitrile and a lithium salt, achieving high ionic conductivity (3.5 × 10-4 mS cm-1 at room temperature (RT)) and large deformation (the strain can reach 4560%). The acrylic elastomer containing Li-ion conductive domains can strongly increase the compatibility between the neighboring elastic networks, resulting in high ionic conductivity under ultra-large deformation, while VFUpy increases elasticity modulus (over three times) and electrochemical stability (voltage window reaches 5.3 V) of the prepared polymer conductor. At a strain of up to 1200%, the resulting stretchable LIBs are still sufficient to power LEDs. This study sheds light on the design and development of high-performance intrinsically super-stretchable materials for the advancement of highly elastic energy storage devices for powering flexible/wearable electronics that can endure large deformation.

A Mechanistic Overview of the Current Status and Future Challenges of Aluminum Anode and Electrolyte in Aluminum-Air Batteries

Aluminum-air batteries (AABs) are regarded as attractive candidates for usage as an electric vehicle power source due to their high theoretical energy density (8100 Wh kg-1 ), which is considerably higher than that of lithium-ion batteries. However, AABs have several issues with commercial applications. In this review, we outline the difficulties and most recent developments in AABs technology, including electrolytes and aluminum anodes, as well as their mechanistic understanding. First, the impact of the Al anode and alloying on battery performance is discussed. Then we focus on the impact of electrolytes on battery performances. The possibility of enhancing electrochemical performances by adding inhibitors to electrolytes is also investigated. Additionally, the use of aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes in AABs is also discussed. Finally, the challenges and potential future research areas for the advancement of AABs are suggested.

Electrolyte Design for Lithium-Ion Batteries for Extreme Temperature Applications

With increasing energy storage demands across various applications, reliable batteries capable of performing in harsh environments, such as extreme temperatures, are crucial. However, current lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) exhibit limitations in both low and high-temperature performance, restricting their use in critical fields like defense, military, and aerospace. These challenges stem from the narrow operational temperature range and safety concerns of existing electrolyte systems. To enable LIBs to function effectively under extreme temperatures, the optimization and design of novel electrolytes are essential. Given the urgency for LIBs operating in extreme temperatures and the notable progress in this research field, a comprehensive and timely review is imperative. This article presents an overview of challenges associated with extreme temperature applications and strategies used to design electrolytes with enhanced performance. Additionally, the significance of understanding underlying electrolyte behavior mechanisms and the role of different electrolyte components in determining battery performance are emphasized. Last, future research directions and perspectives on electrolyte design for LIBs under extreme temperatures are discussed. Overall, this article offers valuable insights into the development of electrolytes for LIBs capable of reliable operation in extreme conditions.

A resilient battery electric bus transit system configuration

Electric mobility is fundamental to combat climate change and attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-11). However, electric mobility necessitates a seamless integration between power and transportation systems, as the resiliency of both systems is becoming far more interdependent. Here, we focus on disruption to Battery Electric Bus (BEB) transit system charging infrastructure and offer a resilient BEB transit system planning model. The proposed model optimizes the BEB system costs while ensuring the system's robustness against simultaneous charging station failures. In our case study, a single charging station failure would lead to up to 34.03% service reduction, and two simultaneous failures would reduce the service by up to 58.18%. Our proposed two-stage robust model addresses this issue with a relatively small added cost (3.26% and 8.12% higher than the base model). This cost enables uninterrupted BEB system operation during disruption, ensuring personal mobility, social interaction, and economic productivity.

Localized Anion-Cation Aggregated Aqueous Electrolytes with Accelerated Kinetics for Low-Temperature Zinc Metal Batteries

Aqueous zinc metal batteries hold great promise for large-scale energy storage because of their high safety, rich material resources and low cost. However, the freeze of aqueous electrolytes hinders low-temperature operation of the batteries. Here, aqueous localized anion-cation aggregated electrolytes composed of Zn(BF4 )2 as the salt and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the diluent, are developed to improve the low-temperature performance of the Zn anode. THF promotes the inclusion of BF4 - in the solvation sheath of Zn2+ , facilitating the formation of ZnF2 -rich solid-electrolyte-interphase. THF also affects the hydrogen bonding between neighboring H2 O molecules, effectively lowering the freezing point. Therefore, the full cells of Zn||polyaniline (PANI) exhibit an ultralong cycle life of 8000 cycles with an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.99 % at -40 °C. Impressively, the pouch cells display a high capacity retention of 86.2 % after 500 cycles at -40 °C, which demonstrates the great prospect of such electrolytes in cold regions. This work provides new insights for the design of low-temperature aqueous electrolytes.

Improving the Efficiencies of Water Splitting and CO2 Electrolysis by Anodic O2 Bubble Management

This study systematically explores the impact of the anodic flow field design on the transport of O2 bubble and subsequent energy efficiency in electrolysis devices. Two distinct configurations, namely a conventional serpentine flow panel and an interdigitated flow panel, are integrated at the anode side of the electrolyzer. The interdigitated flow field exhibits superior performance in both alkaline water splitting and CO2 reduction despite the experience of an increased pressure drop. Numerical simulations reveal that the enhanced convective flow of the O2 bubbles induced by a forced anolyte flow through the porous electrode within the interdigitated panel design resulted in a 3 orders of magnitude increase in the level of the O2 bubble transport compared to the serpentine configuration. These findings not only underscore the significance of flow field design on bubble management but also provide a basis for advancing the electrolysis efficiency at industrial-level current densities.

Partially Ion-Paired Solvation Structure Design for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries under Extreme Operating Conditions

Achieving increased energy density under extreme operating conditions remains a major challenge in rechargeable batteries. Herein, we demonstrate an all-fluorinated ester-based electrolyte comprising partially fluorinated carboxylate and carbonate esters. This electrolyte exhibits temperature-resilient physicochemical properties and moderate ion-paired solvation, leading to a half solvent-separated and half contact-ion pair in a sole electrolyte. As a result, facile desolvation and preferential reduction of anions/fluorinated co-solvents for LiF-dominated interphases are achieved without compromising ionic conductivity (>1 mS cm-1 even at -40 °C). These advantageous features were found to apply to both lithium metal and sulfur-based electrodes even under extreme operating conditions, allowing stable cycling of Li || sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) full cells with high SPAN loading (>3.5 mAh cm-2 ) and thin Li anode (50 μm) at -40, 23 and 50 °C. This work offers a promising path for designing temperature-resilient electrolytes to support high energy density Li metal batteries operating in extreme conditions.

COVID-19, SDGs and public health systems: Linkages in Brazil

Background

The global 2030 Agenda covers a range of interconnected issues which need interdisciplinary and holistic approaches to improve human well-being and protect the natural environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light critical inequities in society and policy gaps in health services. As highlighted through analyses of the interlinkages among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), connections between human health and well-being and the environment, can help support new policy needs in addressing systemic health crises, including widespread pandemics.

Method

We identify links between the COVID-19 crisis and multiple SDGs in the context of Brazil based on a review of the current literature in the health sector.Findings: We identify synergistic connections between 88 out of 169 SDG targets and COVID-19, notably around themes such as City Environment, Contextual Policies and the value created by improved Information and Technology. Using the context of the Brazilian National Health Service (SUS) highlights recurrent interconnections from the focal point of target 3.8. This includes topics such as challenges for universal healthcare coverage, budget allocation, and universalisation.

Conclusions

The framework developed for supporting policy-making decisions and the design of toolkits for dealing with future health-related emergency scenarios offers a practical solution in the health sector. It is worth noting that progress and action on public health systems and policies must go hand in hand with addressing existing socio-economic vulnerabilities in society. This is vital for tackling future pandemics and simultaneously addressing the SDGs.

Overcoming the Electrode Challenges of High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are becoming a major part of a greener and more sustainable future. However, the costs of high-purity hydrogen and noble metal catalysts alongside the complexity of the PEMFC system severely hamper their commercialization. Operating PEMFCs at high temperatures (HT-PEMFCs, above 120 °C) brings several advantages, such as increased tolerance to contaminants, more affordable catalysts, and operations without liquid water, hence considerably simplifying the system. While recent progresses in proton exchange membranes for HT-PEMFCs have made this technology more viable, the HT-PEMFC viscous acid electrolyte lowers the active site utilization by unevenly diffusing into the catalyst layer while it acutely poisons the catalytic sites. In recent years, the synthesis of platinum group metal (PGM) and PGM-free catalysts with higher acid tolerance and phosphate-promoted oxygen reduction reaction, in conjunction with the design of catalyst layers with improved acid distribution and more triple-phase boundaries, has provided great opportunities for more efficient HT-PEMFCs. The progress in these two interconnected fields is reviewed here, with recommendations for the most promising routes worthy of further investigation. Using these approaches, the performance and durability of HT-PEMFCs will be significantly improved.

Stability Issues in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction: Recent Advances in Fundamental Understanding and Design Strategies

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) offers a promising approach to close the anthropogenic carbon cycle and store intermittent renewable energy in fuels or chemicals. On the path to commercializing this technology, achieving the long-term operation stability is a central requirement but still confronts challenges. This motivates to organize the present review to systematically discuss the stability issue of CO2 RR. This review starts from the fundamental understanding on the destabilization mechanisms of CO2 RR, with focus on the degradation of electrocatalyst and change of reaction microenvironment during continuous electrolysis. Subsequently, recent efforts on catalyst design to stabilize the active sites are summarized, where increasing atomic binding strength to resist surface reconstruction is highlighted. Next, the optimization of electrolysis system to enhance the operation stability by maintaining reaction microenvironment especially mitigating flooding and carbonate problems is demonstrated. The manipulation on operation conditions also enables to prolong CO2 RR lifespan through recovering catalytically active sites and mass transport process. This review finally ends up by indicating the challenges and future opportunities.

Potassium-Based Dual-Ion Batteries Operating at -60 °C Enabled By Co-Intercalation Anode Chemistry

Battery performance at subzero is restricted by sluggish interfacial kinetics. To resolve this issue, potassium-based dual-ion batteries (K-DIBs) based on the polytriphenylamine (PTPAn) cathode with anion storage chemistry and the hydrogen titanate (HTO) anode with K+ /solvent co-intercalation mechanism are constructed. Both the PTPAn cathode and the HTO anode do not undergo the desolvation process, which can effectively accelerate the interfacial kinetics at subzero. As revealed by theoretical calculations and experimental analysis, the strong K+ /solvent binding energy in the dilute electrolyte, the charge shielding effect of the crystal water, and the uniform SEI layer with high content of the flexible organic species synergically promote HTO to undergo K+ /solvent co-intercalation behavior. The special co-intercalation mechanism and anion storage chemistry enable HTO||PTPAn K-DIBs with superior rate performance and cycle durability, maintaining a capacity retention of 94.1% after 6000 cycles at -40 °C and 91% after 1000 cycles at -60 °C. These results provide a step forward for achieving high-performance energy storage devices at low temperatures.

Electrolyte Design for Low-Temperature Li-Metal Batteries: Challenges and Prospects

Electrolyte design holds the greatest opportunity for the development of batteries that are capable of sub-zero temperature operation. To get the most energy storage out of the battery at low temperatures, improvements in electrolyte chemistry need to be coupled with optimized electrode materials and tailored electrolyte/electrode interphases. Herein, this review critically outlines electrolytes' limiting factors, including reduced ionic conductivity, large de-solvation energy, sluggish charge transfer, and slow Li-ion transportation across the electrolyte/electrode interphases, which affect the low-temperature performance of Li-metal batteries. Detailed theoretical derivations that explain the explicit influence of temperature on battery performance are presented to deepen understanding. Emerging improvement strategies from the aspects of electrolyte design and electrolyte/electrode interphase engineering are summarized and rigorously compared. Perspectives on future research are proposed to guide the ongoing exploration for better low-temperature Li-metal batteries.

High Chaos Induced Multiple-Anion-Rich Solvation Structure Enabling Ultrahigh Voltage and Wide Temperature Lithium-Metal Batteries

The optimal electrolyte for ultrahigh energy density (>400 Wh/kg) lithium-metal batteries with a LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode is required to withstand high voltage (≥4.7 V) and be adaptable over a wide temperature range. However, the battery performance is degraded by aggressive electrode-electrolyte reactions at high temperature and high voltage, while excessive growth of lithium dendrites usually occurs due to poor kinetics at low temperature. Accordingly, the development of electrolytes has encountered challenges in that there is almost no electrolyte simultaneously meeting the above requirements. Herein, a high chaos electrolyte design strategy is proposed, which promotes the formation of weak solvation structures involving multiple anions. By tailoring a Li+-EMC-DMC-DFOB--PO2F2--PF6- multiple-anion-rich solvation sheath, a robust inorganic-rich interphase is obtained for the electrode-electrolyte interphase (EEI), which is resistant to the intense interfacial reactions at high voltage (4.7 V) and high temperature (45 °C). In addition, the Li+ solvation is weakened by the multiple-anion solvation structure, which is a benefit to Li+ desolventization at low temperature (-30 °C), greatly improving the charge transfer kinetics and inhibiting the lithium dendrite growth. This work provides an innovative strategy to manipulate the high chaos electrolyte to further optimize solvation chemistry for high voltage and wide temperature applications.

Mortality risk from United States coal electricity generation

Policy-makers seeking to limit the impact of coal electricity-generating units (EGUs, also known as power plants) on air quality and climate justify regulations by quantifying the health burden attributable to exposure from these sources. We defined "coal PM2.5" as fine particulate matter associated with coal EGU sulfur dioxide emissions and estimated annual exposure to coal PM2.5 from 480 EGUs in the US. We estimated the number of deaths attributable to coal PM2.5 from 1999 to 2020 using individual-level Medicare death records representing 650 million person-years. Exposure to coal PM2.5 was associated with 2.1 times greater mortality risk than exposure to PM2.5 from all sources. A total of 460,000 deaths were attributable to coal PM2.5, representing 25% of all PM2.5-related Medicare deaths before 2009 and 7% after 2012. Here, we quantify and visualize the contribution of individual EGUs to mortality.

Super-fast Charging Biohybrid Batteries through a Power-to-formate-to-bioelectricity Process by Combining Microbial Electrochemistry and CO2 Electrolysis

Extensive study on renewable energy storage has been sparked by the growing worries regarding global warming. In this study, incorporating the latest advancements in microbial electrochemistry and electrochemical CO2 reduction, a super-fast charging biohybrid battery was introduced by using pure formic acid as an energy carrier. CO2 electrolyser with a slim-catholyte layer and a solid electrolyte layer was built, which made it possible to use affordable anion exchange membranes and electrocatalysts that are readily accessible. The biohybrid battery only required a 3-minute charging to accomplish an astounding 25-hour discharging phase. In the power-to-formate-to-bioelectricity process, bioconversion played a vital role in restricting both the overall Faradaic efficiency and Energy efficiency. The CO2 electrolyser was able to operate continuously for an impressive total duration of 164 hours under Gas Stand-By model, by storing N2 gas in the extraction chamber during stand-by periods. Additionally, the electric signal generated during the discharging phase was utilized for monitoring water biotoxicity. Functional genes related to formate metabolism were identified in the bioanode and electrochemically active bacteria were discovered. On the other hand, Paracoccus was predominantly found in the used air cathode. These results advance our current knowledge of exploiting biohybrid technology.

Dual-Role of Polyelectrolyte-Tethered Benzimidazolium Cation in Promoting CO2 /Pure Water Co-Electrolysis to Ethylene

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR), as a promising route to realize negative carbon emissions, is known to be strongly affected by electrolyte cations (i.e., cation effect). In contrast to the widely-studied alkali cations in liquid electrolytes, the effect of organic cations grafted on alkaline polyelectrolytes (APE) remains unexplored, although APE has already become an essential component of CO2 electrolyzers. Herein, by studying the organic cation effect on CO2 RR, we find that benzimidazolium cation (Beim+ ) significantly outperforms other commonly-used nitrogenous cations (R4 N+ ) in promoting C2+ (mainly C2 H4 ) production over copper electrode. Cyclic voltammetry and in situ spectroscopy studies reveal that the Beim+ can synergistically boost the CO2 to *CO conversion and reduce the proton supply at the electrocatalytic interface, thus facilitating the *CO dimerization toward C2+ formation. By utilizing the homemade APE ionomer, we further realize efficient C2 H4 production at an industrial-scale current density of 331 mA cm-2 from CO2 /pure water co-electrolysis, thanks to the dual-role of Beim+ in synergistic catalysis and ionic conduction. This study provides a new avenue to boost CO2 RR through the structural design of polyelectrolytes.

Analysis of the evolving factors of social media users' emotions and behaviors: a longitudinal study from China's COVID-19 opening policy period

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered citizen panic and social crises worldwide. The Chinese government was the first to implement strict prevention and control policies. However, in December 2022, the Chinese government suddenly changed its prevention and control policies and completely opened up. This led to a large-scale infection of the epidemic in a short period of time, which will cause unknown social impacts. This study collected 500+ epidemic-related hotspots and 200,000+ data from November 1, 2022, to March 1, 2023. Using a sentiment classification method based on pre-trained neural network models, we conducted inductive analysis and a summary of high-frequency words of various emotions. This study focuses on the inflection point of the emotional evolution of social media users and the evolution of "hot topic searches" events and emotional behavioral factors after the sudden open policy. Our research results show that, first of all, the positive emotions of social media users are divided into 4 inflection points and 5 time periods, and the negative emotions are divided into 3 inflection points and 4 time periods. Behavioral factors are different at each stage of each emotion. And the evolution patterns of positive emotions and negative emotions are also different. Secondly, the evolution of behavioral elements deserves more attention. Continue to pay attention: The treatment of diseases, the recovery of personal health, the promotion of festive atmosphere, and the reduction of publicity on the harm of "new crown sequelae and second infections" are the behavioral concerns that affect users' emotional changes. Finally, it is necessary to change the "hot topic searches" event by guiding the user's behavioral focus to control the inflection point of the user's emotion. This study helps governments and institutions understand the dynamic impact of epidemic policy changes on social media users, thereby promoting policy formulation and better coping with social crises.

Theoretical investigation of the effect of changing the auxiliary acceptor on the performance of organic D-A'-A dyes used as sensitizers in DSSCs

CONTEXT

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have displayed huge potential in inexpensive, efficient, and clean solar energy technology. In this work, seven new dyes with the structure D-A'-A were designed in which the thiophene in the reference dye was replaced by auxiliary acceptors (A'). These dyes consist mainly of a pyranylidene-based electron donor D and the cyanoacrylic acid moiety as acceptor A. A computational investigation was carried out on the effect of various auxiliary acceptors A' on the efficiency of D-A'-A dyes in isolation and after binding to the semiconductor TiO2. Optimized structures, geometrical, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic parameters were calculated to predict promising dyes for potential use as solar cell sensitizers, including band gap (Egap), natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, nonlinear optical properties (NLO), UV-Vis absorption spectra, maximum absorption wavelength (λmax), reorganization energy (λtotal), light-harvesting efficiency (LHE), electron injection driving force (ΔGinject) and open-circuit photovoltage (VOC). The results of this study revealed that all designed dyes, compared to the reference dye, are characterized by small Egap and λtotal values as well as large λmax, in addition to significant NLO properties and large adsorption energy (Eads). Therefore, all studied dyes can be used as sensitizers in DSSC.

METHODS

Using Density Functional Theory (DFT) approaches with the B3LYP functional and the 6-31G(d,p) basis set, all ground state geometries of the isolated dyes were fully optimized. Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) method using the CAM-B3LYP/6-31G(d,p)/IEF-PCM level was applied to simulate the UV-visible absorption properties. All isolated dye calculations were performed using the Gaussian 09 software package. DFT calculations have been carried out with the DMol3 package included in Materials Studio for simulating the adsorption of the investigated dyestuff on the TiO2 surface of anatase (101), using the generalized gradient corrected approximation (GGA) approach of the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) functional with the basic set of digital double polarisation (DNP). To study the optical performance of dye@TiO2 the PBE/DNP method present in DMol3 was applied.

Electrowetting limits electrochemical CO2 reduction in carbon-free gas diffusion electrodes

CO2 electrolysis might be a key process to utilize intermittent renewable electricity for the sustainable production of hydrocarbon chemicals without relying on fossil fuels. Commonly used carbon-based gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) enable high Faradaic efficiencies for the desired carbon products at high current densities, but have limited stability. In this study, we explore the adaption of a carbon-free GDE from a Chlor-alkali electrolysis process as a cathode for gas-fed CO2 electrolysis. We determine the impact of electrowetting on the electrochemical performance by analyzing the Faradaic efficiency for CO at industrially relevant current density. The characterization of used GDEs with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) reveals a potential-dependent degradation, which can be explained through chemical polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) degradation and/or physical erosion of PTFE through the restructuring of the silver surface. Our results further suggest that electrowetting-induced flooding lets the Faradaic efficiency for CO drop below 40% after only 30 min of electrolysis. We conclude that the effect of electrowetting has to be managed more carefully before the investigated carbon-free GDEs can compete with carbon-based GDEs as cathodes for CO2 electrolysis. Further, not only the conductive phase (such as carbon), but also the binder (such as PTFE), should be carefully selected for stable CO2 reduction.

A Long Way from Steubenville: Environmental Epidemiology in a Rapidly Changing World

This commentary focuses on research that has long been at the core of environmental epidemiology: studies of the health effects of air pollution. It highlights publications in the American Journal of Epidemiology going back more than 50 years that have contributed to the debate about the validity of this research and its meaning for public policy. Technological advances have greatly expanded the toolbox of environmental epidemiologists in terms of measuring and analyzing complex exposures in large populations. Yet, discussions about biases in estimating air pollution health effects have always been and remain intense. Epidemiologists have brought new methodologies and concepts to this research, alleviating some but not all concerns. Here, the focus is on seminal epidemiologic work that established valid links between air pollution exposures and health outcomes and generated data for environmental policies and prevention. With this commentary, I hope to inspire epidemiologists to address many more of the burning environmental health questions-wildfires included-with a similar scientific doggedness. The rapidly changing conditions of our planet are challenging us to innovate and offer solutions, albeit perhaps a little bit faster this time around.

To promote healthy aging, focus on the environment

To build health equity for an aging world marked by dramatic disparities in healthy lifespan between countries, regions and population groups, research at the intersections of biology, toxicology and the social and behavioral sciences points the way: to promote healthy aging, focus on the environment. In this Perspective, we suggest that ideas and tools from the emerging field of geroscience offer opportunities to advance the environmental science of aging. Specifically, the capacity to measure the pace and progress of biological processes of aging within individuals from relatively young ages makes it possible to study how changing environments can change aging trajectories from early in life, in time to prevent or delay aging-related disease and disability and build aging health equity.

Changing profile of suicide methods in India: 2014-2021

BACKGROUND

Restricting access to suicide methods is one of the most effective suicide prevention approaches.

METHODS

Trends in method specific suicide rates (2014-2021) in India were calculated using National Crime Records Bureau data (NCRB) by sex and geographical region. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to empirically identify any changes in suicide trends.

RESULTS

Suicide rates by hanging increased from 6.08 to 10.0 per 100,000 population among males and from 2.55 to 3.56 per 100,000 among females over the study period. Insecticide poisoning suicide rates also increased from 1.51 to 2.73 per 100,000 among males and from 0.74 to 1.14 per 100,000 among females. Suicide by self-immolation decreased over the study period among both sexes. In general, these national trends were mirrored among different regions. Joinpoint regression indicated an increase in suicide by hanging (annual percentage change (APC) of 12.3 among males between 2018 and 2021 and 4.9 among females between 2014 and 2021) and an increase in male suicide by insecticide poisoning between 2014 and 2021 (APC of 4.2) while a decrease in self-immolation rates was noted among males (APC of -12.7 between 2014 and 2021) and females (APC of -16.5 between 2016 and 2021).

LIMITATION

The NCRB data might underestimate true suicide rates.

CONCLUSION

Hanging suicides and insecticides poisoning suicides observed an increasing trend between 2014 and 2021. Self-immolation rates decreased during the study period which might be, in part, associated with the initiative to provide clean cooking fuel to households. Ban on lethal pesticides must be prioritised which might help lower insecticide poisoning suicide rates.

Photovoltaic fields largely outperform afforestation efficiency in global climate change mitigation strategies

Suppression of carbon emissions through photovoltaic (PV) energy and carbon sequestration through afforestation provides complementary climate change mitigation (CCM) strategies. However, a quantification of the "break-even time" (BET) required to offset the warming impacts of the reduced surface reflectivity of incoming solar radiation (albedo effect) is needed, though seldom accounted for in CCM strategies. Here, we quantify the CCM potential of PV fields and afforestation, considering atmospheric carbon reductions, solar panel life cycle analysis (LCA), surface energy balance, and land area required across different climatic zones, with a focus on drylands, which offer the main remaining land area reserves for forestation aiming climate change mitigation (Rohatyn S, Yakir D, Rotenberg E, Carmel Y. Limited climate change mitigation potential through forestation of the vast dryland regions. 2022. Science 377:1436-1439). Results indicate a BET of PV fields of ∼2.5 years but >50× longer for dryland afforestation, even though the latter is more efficient at surface heat dissipation and local surface cooling. Furthermore, PV is ∼100× more efficient in atmospheric carbon mitigation. While the relative efficiency of afforestation compared with PV fields significantly increases in more mesic climates, PV field BET is still ∼20× faster than in afforestation, and land area required greatly exceeds availability for tree planting in a sufficient scale. Although this analysis focusing purely on the climatic radiative forcing perspective quantified an unambiguous advantage for the PV strategy over afforestation, both approaches must be combined and complementary, depending on climate zone, since forests provide crucial ecosystem, climate regulation, and even social services.

Research Progress of Liquid Electrolytes for Lithium Metal Batteries at High Temperatures

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are the most promising high energy density energy storage technologies for electric vehicles, military, and aerospace applications. LMBs require further improvement to operate efficiently when chronically or routinely exposed to high temperatures. Electrolyte engineering with high temperature tolerance and electrode compatibility has been essential to the development of LMBs. In this review, the primary obstacles to achieving high-temperature LMBs are first explored. Subsequently, electrolyte tailoring options, such as lithium salt optimization, solvation structure modification, and the addition of additives are reviewed in detail. In addition, the feasibility of utilizing LMBs at high temperatures has been investigated. In conclusion, this study provides insights and perspectives for future research on electrolyte design at high temperatures.

Solution chemistry quasi-epitaxial growth of atomic CaTiO3 perovskite layers to stabilize and passivate TiO2 photoelectrodes for efficient water splitting

Perovskite oxides with unique crystal structures and high defect tolerance are promising as atomic surface passivation layers for photoelectrodes for efficient and stable water splitting. However, controllably depositing and crystalizing perovskite-type metal oxides at the atomic level remains challenging, as they usually crystalize at higher temperatures than regular metal oxides. Here, we report a mild solution chemistry approach for the quasi-epitaxial growth of an atomic CaTiO3 perovskite layer on rutile TiO2 nanorod arrays. The high-temperature crystallization of CaTiO3 perovskite is overcome by a sequential hydrothermal conversion of the atomic amorphous TiOx layer to CaTiO3 perovskite. The atomic quasi-epitaxial CaTiO3 layer passivated TiO2 nanorod arrays exhibit more efficient interface charge transfer and high photoelectrochemical performance for water splitting. Such a mild solution-based approach for the quasi-epitaxial growth of atomic metal oxide perovskite layers could be a promising strategy for both fabricating atomic perovskite layers and improving their photoelectrochemical properties.

Origin of Li+ Solvation Ability of Electrolyte Solvent: Ring Strain

Developing new organic solvents to support the use of Li metal anodes in secondary batteries is an area of great interest. In particular, research is actively underway to improve battery performance by introducing fluorine to ether solvents, as these are highly compatible with Li metal anodes because fluorine imparts high oxidative stability and relatively low Li-ion solvation ability. However, theoretical analysis of the solvation ability of organic solvents mostly focuses on the electron-withdrawing capability of fluorine. Herein, we analyze the effect of the structural characteristics of solvents on their Li+ ion solvation ability from a computational chemistry perspective. We reveal that the structural constraints imposed on the oxygen binding sites in solvent molecules vary depending on the structural characteristics of the N-membered ring formed by the interaction between the organic solvent and Li+ ions and the internal ring containing the oxygen binding sites. We demonstrate that the structural strain of the organic solvents has a comparable effect on Li+ solvation ability seen for the electrical properties of fluorine elements. This work emphasizes the importance of understanding the structural characteristics and strain when attempting to understand the interactions between solvents and metal cations and effectively control the solvation ability of solvents.

One-step electrodeposition of binder-containing Cu nanocube catalyst layers for carbon dioxide reduction

To reach industrially relevant current densities in the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, this process must be performed in continuous-flow electrolyzer cells, applying gas diffusion electrodes. Beyond the chemical composition of the catalyst, both its morphology and the overall structure of the catalyst layer are decisive in terms of reaction rate and product selectivity. We present an electrodeposition method for preparing coherent copper nanocube catalyst layers on hydrophobic carbon paper, hence forming gas diffusion electrodes with high coverage in a single step. This was enabled by the appropriate wetting of the carbon paper (controlled by the composition of the electrodeposition solution) and the use of a custom-designed 3D-printed electrolyzer cell, which allowed the deposition of copper nanocubes selectively on the microporous side of the carbon paper substrate. Furthermore, a polymeric binder (Capstone ST-110) was successfully incorporated into the catalyst layer during electrodeposition. The high electrode coverage and the binder content together result in an increased ethylene production rate during CO2 reduction, compared to catalyst layers prepared from simple aqueous solutions.

Sustainable development pathways for energies in Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration

The sustainable development of urban agglomerations plays a pivotal role in national and global efforts to reduce emissions. By focusing on the efficient exchange and optimization of energy consumption across various sectors, the sustainable development of energy systems within urban agglomerations can be achieved. However, the overall impact of the cross-sector energy optimization and complementarity has not been quantitatively analyzed. Here, we focused on the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) urban agglomeration in China and proposed an optimization framework for energy, environment, and economy. The framework considered four sectors: transportation sector, power sector, industry sector, and building sector, in order to determine the most sustainable development pathway for the urban agglomeration. The optimization model considers total costs and greenhouse gas emissions reduction as the objectives and utilizes technologies as constraints to optimize the pathway. We found that this optimization strategy resulted in a 53.1 billion tons increase in CO2 emissions reduction in the region. The results of emission reduction varied across sectors, ranging from 4.5 to 22.2 billion tons CO2 equivalent, and across cities, ranging from 7.1 to 4688.1 Mt. The results suggest that the core cities in the urban agglomeration can take on a leadership role. By promoting cross-sector collaboration and implementing energy recycling, the energy efficiency of surrounding cities can be greatly improved, leading to the sustainable development of the urban agglomeration.

Stability of high-entropy alloys under electrocatalytic conditions

High-entropy alloys are claimed to possess superior stability due to thermodynamic contributions. However, this statement mostly lies on a hypothetical basis. In this study, we use on-line inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer to investigate the dissolution of five representative electrocatalysts in acidic and alkaline media and a wide potential window targeting the most important applications. To address both model and applied systems, we synthesized thin films and carbon-supported nanoparticles ranging from an elemental (Pt) sample to binary (PtRu), ternary (PtRuIr), quaternary (PtRuIrRh), and quinary (PtRuIrRhPd) alloy samples. For certain metals in the high-entropy alloy under alkaline conditions, lower dissolution was observed. Still, the improvement was not striking and can be rather explained by the lowered concentration of elements in the multinary alloys instead of the synergistic effects of thermodynamics. We postulate that this is because of dissolution kinetic effects, which are always present under electrocatalytic conditions, overcompensating thermodynamic contributions.

Non-invasive current collectors for improved current-density distribution during CO2 electrolysis on super-hydrophobic electrodes

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 presents an attractive way to store renewable energy in chemical bonds in a potentially carbon-neutral way. However, the available electrolyzers suffer from intrinsic problems, like flooding and salt accumulation, that must be overcome to industrialize the technology. To mitigate flooding and salt precipitation issues, researchers have used super-hydrophobic electrodes based on either expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) gas-diffusion layers (GDL's), or carbon-based GDL's with added PTFE. While the PTFE backbone is highly resistant to flooding, the non-conductive nature of PTFE means that without additional current collection the catalyst layer itself is responsible for electron-dispersion, which penalizes system efficiency and stability. In this work, we present operando results that illustrate that the current distribution and electrical potential distribution is far from a uniform distribution in thin catalyst layers (~50 nm) deposited onto ePTFE GDL's. We then compare the effects of thicker catalyst layers (~500 nm) and a newly developed non-invasive current collector (NICC). The NICC can maintain more uniform current distributions with 10-fold thinner catalyst layers while improving stability towards ethylene (≥ 30%) by approximately two-fold.

Strong Solvent and Dual Lithium Salts Enable Fast-Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries Operating from -78 to 60 °C

Current lithium-ion batteries degrade under high rates and low temperatures due to the use of carbonate electrolytes with restricted Li+ conduction and sluggish Li+ desolvation. Herein, a strong solvent with dual lithium salts surmounts the thermodynamic limitations by regulating interactions among Li+ ions, anions, and solvents at the molecular level. Highly dissociated lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) in dimethyl sulfite (DMS) solvent with a favorable dielectric constant and melting point ensures rapid Li+ conduction while the high affinity between difluoro(oxalato)borate anions (DFOB-) and Li+ ions guarantees smooth Li+ desolvation within a wide temperature range. In the meantime, the ultrathin self-limited electrode/electrolyte interface and the electric double layer induced by DFOB- result in enhanced electrode compatibility. The as-formulated electrolyte enables stable cycles at high currents (41.3 mA cm-2) and a wide temperature range from -78 to 60 °C. The 1 Ah graphite||LiCoO2 (2 mAh cm-2) pouch cell achieves 80% reversible capacity at 2 C rate under -20 °C and 86% reversible capacity at 0.1 C rate under -50 °C. This work sheds new light on the electrolyte design with strong solvent and dual lithium salts and further facilitates the development of high-performance lithium-ion batteries operating under extreme conditions.

Hybrid Polymer-Alloy-Fluoride Interphase Enabling Fast Ion Transport Kinetics for Low-Temperature Lithium Metal Batteries

Low-temperature lithium metal batteries are of vital importance for cold-climate condition applications. Their realization, however, is plagued by the extremely sluggish Li+ transport kinetics in the vicinity of Li metal anode at low temperatures. Different from the widely adopted electrolyte engineering, a functional interphase design concept is proposed in this work to efficiently improve the low-temperature electrochemical reaction kinetics of Li metal anodes. As a proof of concept, we design a hybrid polymer-alloy-fluoride (PAF) interphase featuring numerous gradient fluorinated solid-solution alloy composite nanoparticles embedded in a polymerized dioxolane matrix. Systematic experimental and theoretical investigations demonstrate that the hybrid PAF interphase not only exhibits superior lithiophilicity but also provides abundant ionic conductive pathways for homogeneous and fast Li+ transport at the Li-electrolyte interface. With enhanced interfacial dynamics of Li-ion migration, the as-designed PAF-Li anode works stably for 720 h with low voltage hysteresis and dendrite-free electrode morphology in symmetric cell configurations at -40 °C. The full cells with PAF-Li anode display a commercial-grade capacity of 4.26 mAh cm-2 and high capacity retention of 74.7% after 150 cycles at -20 °C. The rational functional interphase design for accelerating ion-transfer kinetics sheds innovative insights for developing high-areal-capacity and long-lifespan lithium metal batteries at low temperatures.