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Abstract Cave crickets (Rhaphidophoridae) are insects of an ancient and wingless lineage within Orthoptera that are distributed worldwide except in Antarctica, and each subfamily has a high level of endemicity. Here, we show the comprehensive phylogeny of cave crickets using multi-gene datasets from mitochondrial and nuclear loci, including all extant subfamilies for the first time. We reveal phylogenetic relationships between subfamilies, including the sister relationship between Anoplophilinae and Gammarotettiginae, based on which we suggest new synapomorphies. Through biogeographic analyses based on divergence time estimations and ancestral range reconstruction, we propose novel hypotheses regarding the biogeographic history of cave crickets. We suggest that Gammarotettiginae in California originated from the Asian lineage when Asia and the Americas were connected by the Bering land bridge, and the opening of the western interior seaway affected the division of Ceuthophilinae from Tropidischiinae in North America. We estimate that Rhaphidophoridae originated at 138 Mya throughout Pangea. We further hypothesize that the loss of wings in Rhaphidophoridae could be the result of their adaptation to low temperatures in the Mesozoic era. 

Abstract This study presents a novel polymer‐in‐salt (PIS) zwitterionic polyurethane‐based solid polymer electrolyte (zPU‐SPE) that offers high ionic conductivity, strong interaction with electrodes, and excellent mechanical and electrochemical stabilities, making it promising for high‐performance all solid‐state lithium batteries (ASSLBs). The zPU‐SPE exhibits remarkable lithium‐ion (Li⁺) conductivity (3.7 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹at 25 °C), enabled by exceptionally high salt loading of up to 90 wt.% (12.6 molar ratio of Li salt to polymer unit) without phase separation. It addresses the limitations of conventional SPEs by combining high ionic conductivity with a Li⁺transference number of 0.44, achieved through the incorporation of zwitterionic groups that enhance ion dissociation and transport. The high surface energy (338.4 J m⁻²) and elasticity ensure excellent adhesion to Li anodes, reducing interfacial resistance and ensuring uniform Li⁺flux. When tested in Li||zPU||LiFePO₄ and Li||zPU||S/C cells, the zPU‐SPE demonstrated remarkable cycling stability, retaining 76% capacity after 2000 cycles with the LiFePO₄cathode, and achieving 84% capacity retention after 300 cycles with the S/C cathode. Molecular simulations and a range of experimental characterizations confirm the superior structural organization of the zPU matrix, contributing to its outstanding electrochemical performance. The findings strongly suggest that zPU‐SPE is a promising candidate for next‐generation ASSLBs. 

Liquid flow batteries have potential to achieve high energy efficiency as a large-scale energy storage system. However, the ion exchange membranes (IEMs) currently used in flow batteries do not have high ion selectivity and conductance at the same time, owing to the trade-off between ionic membrane resistance and ion selectivity. Here, we report a rationally designed sulfonated aromatic polymer membrane which can greatly mitigate the trade-off limitation and achieve high performance vanadium RFB. Small-angle X-ray scattering studies and density functional theory calculations indicated that the narrowly distributed aqueous ionic domain of just the right width (<7 Å) and the strong hydrogen bond interaction of vanadium species with a unique polymer side chain structure play a key role in improving the ion selectivity. Our systematic studies of the polymer structures, morphologies, and transport properties provide valuable insight that can aid in elucidating the structure–property relationship of IEMs and in establishing design criteria for the development of high-performance membranes. 

Multi-functional membranes with high permeance and selectivity that can mimic nature's designs have tremendous industrial and bio-medical applications. Here, we report a novel concept of a 3D nanometer (nm)-thin membrane that can overcome the shortcomings of conventional membrane structures. Our 3D membrane is composed of two three-dimensionally interwoven channels that are separated by a continuous nm-thin amorphous TiO 2 layer. This 3D architecture dramatically increases the surface area by 6000 times, coupled with an ultra-short diffusion distance through the 2 – 4 nm-thin selective layer that allows for ultrafast gas and water transport, ∼900 l m −2 h −1 bar −1 . The 3D membrane also exhibits a very high ion rejection ( R ∼ 100% for potassium ferricyanide) due to the combined size- and charge-based exclusion mechanisms. The combination of high ion rejection and ultrafast permeation makes our 3DM superior to the state-of-the-art high-flux membranes whose performances are limited by the flux-rejection tradeoff. Furthermore, its ultimate Li + selectivity over polysulfide or gas can potentially solve major technical challenges in energy storage applications, such as lithium – sulfur or lithium – O 2 batteries. 

Abstract A carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced Nafion membrane (CNT/N) with reduced interfacial resistance was prepared and served as a promising ion exchange membrane for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The reinforcement of CNT effectively enhanced the tensile properties of Nafion membranes. The electrochemical properties of CNT/N membrane were analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and fitted with an analytical model to investigate the ionic and interfacial resistances. The EIS measurement reveals that the exposed CNT on the composite membrane surface significantly reduced the interfacial resistance of the membrane. The VRFB single cell performance of the CNT/N shows higher voltage efficiency (93% vs 89%) and energy efficiency (86% vs 83%) than recast Nafion at a current density of 40 mA cm⁻². The cycling stability measurement showed that the discharge capacity retention of the VRFB cell equipped with CNT/N was greatly enhanced. The results suggest that the incorporation of CNT in ion exchange membrane is an effective approach for achieving lower membrane bulky and interfacial resistance, and thus, improving capacity retention, voltage, and energy efficiency. 

Abstract Recent studies of the high energy‐conversion efficiency of the nanofluidic platform have revealed the enormous potential for efficient exploitation of electrokinetic phenomena in nanoporous membranes for clean‐energy harvesting from salinity gradients. Here, nanofluidic reverse electrodialysis (NF‐RED) consisting of vertically aligned boron‐nitride‐nanopore (VA‐BNNP) membranes is presented, which can efficiently harness osmotic power. The power density of the VA‐BNNP reaches up to 105 W m⁻², which is several orders of magnitude higher than in other nanopores with similar pore sizes, leading to 165 mW m⁻²of net power density (i.e., power per membrane area). Low‐pressure chemical vapor deposition technology is employed to uniformly deposit a thin BN layer within 1D anodized alumina pores to prepare a macroscopic VA‐BNNP membrane with a high nanopore density, ≈10⁸pores cm⁻². These membranes can resolve fundamental questions regarding the ion mobility, liquid transport, and power generation in highly charged nanopores. It is shown that the transference number in the VA‐BNNP is almost constant over the entire salt concentration range, which is different from other nanopore systems. Moreover, it is also demonstrated that the BN deposition on the nanopore channels can significantly enhance the diffusio‐osmosis velocity by two orders of magnitude at a high salinity gradient, resulting in a huge increase in power density.