Revealing the effect of Nb or V doping on anode performance in Na2Ti3O7 for sodium-ion batteries: a first-principles study.

Sodium titanate Na2Ti3O7 (NTO) has superior electrochemical properties as an anode material in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), and Nb or V doping is suggested to enhance the electrode performance. In this work, we carry out systematic first-principles calculations of the structural, electronic and electrochemical properties of NTO and Na2Ti2.75M0.25O7 (M = Nb, V), using supercells to reveal the effect of Nb or V NTO-doping on its anode performance. It is found that Nb doping gives rise to the expansion of cell volume but V doping induces the shrinkage of cell volume due to the larger and smaller ionic radius of the Nb and V ions, respectively, compared to that of the Ti ion. We perform structural optimization of the intermediate phases of Na2+xM3O7 with increasing Na content x from 0 to 2, revealing that the overall relative volume expansion rate is slightly increased by Nb and V doping but remains lower than 3%. Our calculations demonstrate that the electrode potential of NTO is slightly raised and the specific capacity is reduced, but the electronic and ionic conductivities are improved by Nb or V doping. With the revealed understanding and mechanisms, our work will contribute to the search for advanced electrode materials for SIBs.

Defect formation and ambivalent effects on electrochemical performance in layered sodium titanate Na2Ti3O7.

Point defects can be formed readily in layered transition metal oxides used as electrode materials for alkali-ion batteries but their influence on the electrode performance is yet obscure. In this work, we report a systematic first-principles study of intrinsic point defects and defect complexes in sodium titanate Na2Ti3O7, a low-voltage anode material for sodium-ion batteries. Within the density functional theory framework, we calculate the defect formation energies with a set of atomic chemical potentials, which define the synthesis conditions for the stable Na2Ti3O7 compound. Given the atomic chemical potential landscape and defect formation energies, we find that Na interstitials (Nai+), Na antisites (NaTi3-), and Na vacancies (VNa-) are dominant defects depending on the synthesis conditions. Furthermore, our calculations reveal that O vacancies (VO) and Ti antisites (TiNa) lower the electrode potential compared with the perfect system, whereas Ti vacancies (VTi) and NaTi increase the voltage. Finally, we evaluate the activation barriers for vacancy-mediated Na diffusion in the defective systems, finding that the intrinsic point defects improve the Na ion conduction. Our results provide a profound understanding of defect formation and influences on electrode performance, paving a way to designing high-performance anode materials.

[KLF6 Super-enhancer Regulates Cell Proliferation by Recruiting GATA2 and SOX10 in Human Hepatoma Cells].

Super-enhancer consists of a large cluster of transcription enhancers that regulates the expression of genes playing an important role in the growth and development of malignant tumors. Recently, several attempts for the identification of super-enhancers have been made, but their functional role in tumor cells remains unclear. This paper aims at elucidating the functional properties of KLF6 super-enhancer related to the growth regulation of HepG2 cells, in relation to transcription factors (TFs). First, some TFs specifying KLF6 super enhancer were identified using CRISPR/Cas9 system and siRNA. Then, their effects on the expression of the target gene KLF6 were assessed. Last, their influence on the proliferation of tumor cells was considered using the MTT method. The study shows that the active enhancers of KLF6 super-enhancer recruit GATA2 and SOX10 TFs to control the expression of the target gene, KLF6. Our findings suggest that the activity of KLF6 super-enhancer is regulated by two TFs (GATA2 and SOX10), and its targeting may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the liver cancer therapy.

Restriction endonuclease T.Smu451I with new cleavage specificity-neoschizomer of T.AsuI.

A specific type II restriction endonuclease T.Smu451I has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from the frozen cells of soil bacterium Sphingobacterium multivorum 451 (formerly Flavobacterium multivorum 451), using ultrasonic grinding, nucleic acid removal by streptomycin sulfate, protein precipitation by ammonium sulfate and phosphocellulose P-11, DEAE-Cellulose DE-52, Hepharin-Sepharose CL-6B chromatography, and elucidated several characteristics of T.Smu451I. The molecular weight of the enzyme determined by gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was calculated to be 45,000 ± 2000 D (dimer) and 23,000 ± 1000 D (monomer), respectively. The isoelectric point (pI) of T.Smu451I is 5.4. T.Smu451I recognizes pentanucleotide palindromic sequences 5'-GGNC↓C-3' and cleaves between C and C in position shown by arrow to produce 3'-cohesive terminus of trinucleotide. Therefore, T.Smu451I is a neoschizomer of T.AsuI.

First-principles study of the structural and electrochemical properties of NaxTi2O4 (0 ≤x≤ 1) with tunnel structure for anode applications in alkali-ion batteries.

Due to their low cost and easy synthesis method, several kinds of sodium titanates have been explored as anode materials for sodium ion batteries (SIBs). However, some of them have not yet been considered as electrode materials for SIBs, and here we have carried out a first-principles study on NaxTi2O4 compounds with two different tunnel structures, denoted as single and double phases, to demonstrate their structural and electrochemical properties upon Na or Li insertion. Our calculation results reveal that these compounds exhibit structural stability during sodiation/desodiation and a moderate electrode voltage of ∼0.82 V vs. Na+/Na with a specific capacity of ∼150 mA h g-1. In particular, the activation energy of Na+ ion migration in the double phase is estimated to be as low as 0.28 eV, which is the lowest value among the SIB electrodes developed so far, and this can be attributed to the wide tunnel structure. In addition, we verify their potentiality for use as anode materials in lithium ion batteries (LIBs) by exploring their properties upon Li insertion. Since these compounds are predicted to be promising anode materials for SIBs or LIBs by our calculations, we believe that our findings will promote further experimental studies.

Interface Engineering in Hybrid Iodide CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskites Using Lewis Base and Graphene toward High-Performance Solar Cells.

Photovoltaic solar cells based on organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites have achieved a substantial breakthrough via advanced interface engineering. Reports have emphasized that combining the hybrid perovskites with the Lewis base and/or graphene can definitely improve the performance through surface trap passivation and band alignment alteration; the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Here, using density functional theory calculations, we show that upon the formation of CH3NH3PbI3 interfaces with three different Lewis base molecules and graphene, the binding strength with S-donors thiocarbamide and thioacetamide is higher than with O-donor dimethyl sulfoxide, while the interface dipole and work function reduction tend to increase from S-donors to O-donor. We provide evidences of deep trap state elimination in the S-donor perovskite interfaces through the analysis of defect formation on the CH3NH3PbI3(110) surface and of stability enhancement by estimation of activation barriers for vacancy-mediated iodine atom migrations. These theoretical predictions are in line with the experimental observation of performance enhancement in the perovskites prepared using thiocarbamide.

Bci528I, a new isoschizomer of EcoRI isolated from Bacillus circulans 528.

Bacillus circulans 528 produces a restriction endonuclease, Bci528I which is an isoschizomer of EcoRI. We purified the enzyme, using Sephadex G-150, Phospho-cellulose, DEAE-cellulose, Hepharin-Sepharose CL-6B chromatography. The specific activity of Bci528I was 29,400 U/mg·protein. Bci528I recognizes 5'-GAATTC-3' in dsDNA and cleaves between G and A of the recognition sequence, producing a symmetric four base 5'overhang.

First-principles study of NaxTiO2 with trigonal bipyramid structures: an insight into sodium-ion battery anode applications.

Developing efficient anode materials with low electrode voltage, high specific capacity and superior rate capability is urgently required on the road to commercially viable sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Aiming at finding a new SIB anode material, we investigate the electrochemical properties of NaxTiO2 compounds with unprecedented penta-oxygen-coordinated trigonal bipyramid (TB) structures by using first-principles calculations. Identifying the four different TB phases, we perform the optimization of their crystal structures and calculate their energetics such as sodium binding energy, formation energy, electrode potential and activation energy for Na ion migration. The computations reveal that the TB-I phase is the best choice among the four TB phases for a SIB anode material due to a relatively low volume change of under 4% upon Na insertion, low electrode voltage under 1.0 V with a possibility of realizing the highest specific capacity of ∼335 mA h g-1 from full sodiation at x = 1, and reasonably low activation barriers under 0.35 eV at the Na content from x = 0.125 to x = 0.5. Through the analysis of electronic density of states and charge density difference upon sodiation, we find that the NaxTiO2 compounds in TB phases change from electron insulating to electron conducting materials due to the electron transfer from Na atoms to Ti ions, offering the Ti4+/Ti3+ redox couple for SIB operation.

Two-Dimensional Hybrid Composites of SnS2 with Graphene and Graphene Oxide for Improving Sodium Storage: A First-Principles Study.

Among the recent achievements of sodium-ion battery (SIB) electrode materials, hybridization of two-dimensional (2D) materials is one of the most interesting appointments. In this work, we propose to use the 2D hybrid composites of SnS2 with graphene or graphene oxide (GO) layers as the SIB anode, based on the first-principles calculations of their atomic structures, sodium intercalation energetics, and electronic properties. The calculations reveal that a graphene or GO film can effectively support not only the stable formation of a heterointerface with the SnS2 layer but also the easy intercalation of a sodium atom with low migration energy and acceptable low volume change. The electronic charge-density differences and the local density of states indicate that the electrons are transferred from the graphene or GO layer to the SnS2 layer, facilitating the formation of a heterointerface and improving the electronic conductance of the semiconducting SnS2 layer. These 2D hybrid composites of SnS2/G or GO are concluded to be more promising candidates for SIB anodes compared with the individual monolayers.