ABSTRACT
Zinc-ion capacitors (ZICs) gain enormous attraction for their high power density, low cost, and long life, but their poor low-temperature performance is still a challenge due to the dissatisfactory freezing point of aqueous electrolyte solution. It is difficult for them to meet the requirements in cold environments as well as the extreme low temperature and severe temperature fluctuations in aerospace environments. Herein, ethanol (EtOH) solvent with ZnCl2 is used as an electrolyte to address these issues. Benefiting from the low freezing point (-114 °C) of EtOH, the ZIC with the ZnCl2/EtOH electrolyte can be operated at an ultralow temperature of -78 °C. It also demonstrates long cycling stability over 30,000 cycles. Such an enhancement is attributed to the unique properties of [ZnCl(EtOH)5]+ that can stabilize the coordination environment of Zn2+, slow the diffusivity, and raise the nucleation overpotential, leading to uniform Zn plating/stripping and subsequently suppressing dendrite growth. Meanwhile, the lower activation energy in ZnCl2/EtOH than that in ZnSO4/H2O electrolytes endows the ZIC excellent charge transfer properties. This work provides a fascinating electrolyte and a feasible pathway for ultra-low-temperature ZICs with a long cycling life.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To develop a novel method for preparing decellularized liver biological scaffold (DLBS) for liver tissue engineering. METHODS: DLBS was prepared by treatment of rat livers with detergent and enzymatic cell extraction and observed under optical and scanning electron microscopes. To assess the biocompatibility of the product, C3A cells and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cells (BM-MSCs) were cocultured with DLBS as the scaffold, and the effect of DLBS on the proliferation of C3A cells was evaluated by MTT assay. DLBS was also implanted under the dorsal skin of SD rats to evaluate the tissue biocompatibility of this material. RESULTS: Application of the detergent and enzymatic extraction allowed full extraction of the cells in the liver, leaving an extracellular matrix scaffold composed mainly of collagen and elastic fibrin. The coculture experiment showed that C3A cells and BM-MSCs could grow on and adhere to DLBS. The result of MTT assay showed that DLBS could promote the proliferation of C3A cells. CONCLUSION: This cell-free DLBS, which retains intact extracellular matrix and promotes cell attachment, proliferation, growth and differentiation, can be an ideal biological matrix scaffold material.
