Controllable Synthesis of Na3V2(PO4)3/C Nanofibers as Cathode Material for Sodium-Ion Batteries by Electrostatic Spinning

Low-Dimensional Vanadium-Based High-Voltage Cathode Materials for Promising Rechargeable Alkali-Ion Batteries

Owing to their rich structural chemistry and unique electrochemical properties, vanadium-based materials, especially the low-dimensional ones, are showing promising applications in energy storage and conversion. In this invited review, low-dimensional vanadium-based materials (including 0D, 1D, and 2D nanostructures of vanadium-containing oxides, polyanions, and mixed-polyanions) and their emerging applications in advanced alkali-metal-ion batteries (e.g., Li-ion, Na-ion, and K-ion batteries) are systematically summarized. Future development trends, challenges, solutions, and perspectives are discussed and proposed. Mechanisms and new insights are also given for the development of advanced vanadium-based materials in high-performance energy storage and conversion.

Carbon-Decorated Na3V2(PO4)3 as Ultralong Lifespan Cathodes for High-Energy-Density Symmetric Sodium-Ion Batteries

In this work, several carbon-decorated Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ materials (NVP@C-750/800/850) are successfully fabricated using a sol-gel approach and subsequent heat treatment. When NVP@C-800 is used as a cathode, it shows an ultralong cycle life (2000 cycles) at a high rate of 10C, which is superior to the other two electrodes and those of reported NVP@C cathodes in the literature. The excellent results of NVP@C-800 are attributed to its nanostructure and the well-defined conductive carbon layer. The symmetric sodium (Na)-ion battery (SIB) with NVP@C-800 as both a cathode and an anode shows a high capacity at 40 mA g^-1 with a voltage plateau of about 1.79 V and energy density of 113 W h kg^-1, revealing that NVP@C is of great application prospect.

Advance of Nano-Composite Electrospun Fibers in Periodontal Regeneration

Periodontitis is considered to be the main cause of tooth loss, which affects about 15% of the adult population around the world. Scaling and root-planning are the conventional treatments utilized to remove the contaminated tissue and bacteria, but eventually lead to the formation of a poor connection-long junctional epithelium. Therefore, regenerative therapies, such as guided tissue/bone regeneration (GTR/GBR) for periodontal regeneration have been attempted. GTR membranes, acting as scaffolds, create three-dimensional (3D) environment for the guiding of cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation, and play a significant role in periodontal regeneration. Nano-composite scaffolds based on electrospun nanofibers have gained great attention due to their ability to emulate natural extracellular matrix (ECM) that affects cell survival, attachment and reorganization. Promoted protein absorption, cellular reactions, activation of specific gene expression and intracellular signaling, and high surface area to volume ratio are also important properties of nanofibrous scaffolds. Moreover, several bioactive components, such as bioceramics and functional polymers can be easily blended into nanofibrous matrixes to regulate the physical-chemical-biological properties and regeneration abilities. Simultaneously, functional growth factors, proteins and drugs are also incorporated to regulate cellular reactions and even modify the local inflammatory microenvironment, which benefit periodontal regeneration and functional restoration. Herein, the progress of nano-composite electrospun fibers for periodontal regeneration is reviewed, including fabrication methods, compound types and processes, and surface modifications, etc. Significant proof-of-concept examples are utilized to illustrate the results of material characteristics, cellular interactions and periodontal regenerations. Finally, the existing limitations of nano-composite electrospun fibers and the development tendencies in future are also discussed.