Biomimetic Synthesis of Polydopamine Coated ZnFe2O4 Composites as Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Metal oxides as anode materials for lithium storage suffer from poor cycling stability due to their conversion mechanisms. Here, we report an efficient biomimetic method to fabricate a conformal coating of conductive polymer on ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles, which shows outstanding electrochemical performance as anode material for lithium storage. Polydopamine (PDA) film, a bionic ionic permeable film, was successfully coated on the surfaces of ZnFe2O4 particles by the self-polymerization of dopamine in the presence of an alkaline buffer solution. The thickness of PDA coating layer was tunable by controlling the reaction time, and the obtained ZnFe2O4/PDA sample with 8 nm coating layer exhibited an outstanding electrochemical performance in terms of cycling stability and rate capability. ZnFe2O4/PDA composites delivered an initial discharge capacity of 2079 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 and showed a minimum capacity decay after 150 cycles. Importantly, the coating layer improved the rate capability of composites compared to that of its counterpart, the bare ZnFe2O4 particle materials. The outstanding electrochemical performance was because of the buffering and protective effects of the PDA coating layer, which could be a general protection strategy for electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries.

MOF-derived cobalt-doped ZnO@C composites as a high-performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Cobalt (Co)-doped MOF-5s (Co-MOF-5s) were first synthesized by a secondary growth method, followed by a heat treatment to yield Co-doped ZnO coated with carbon (CZO@C). Compared with carbon-coated ZnO (ZnO@C), the doping of Co increased the graphitization degree of the carbon on the surface of CZO@C nanoparticles and enhanced the conductivity of the material. The electrochemical properties of the materials were characterized by galvanostatic discharge/charge tests. It was found that the as-synthesized CZO@C composites enabled a reversible capacity of 725 mA h g(-1) up to the 50th cycle at a current density of 100 mA g(-1), which was higher than that of ZnO@C composites (335 mA h g(-1)).

The divergence of two independent lineages of an endemic Chinese gecko, Gekko swinhonis, launched by the Qinling orogenic belt.

The genetic structure and demographic history of an endemic Chinese gecko, Gekko swinhonis, were investigated by analysing the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and 10 microsatellite loci for samples collected from 27 localities. Mitochondrial DNA data provided a detailed distribution of two highly divergent evolutionary lineages, between which the average pairwise distance achieved was 0.14. The geographic division of the two lineages coincided with a plate boundary consisting of the Qinling and Taihang Mts, suggesting a historical vicariant pattern. The orogeny of the Qinling Mts, a dispersal and major climatic barrier of the region, may have launched the independent lineage divergence. Both lineages have experienced recent expansion, and the current sympatric localities comprised the region of contact between the lineages. Individual-based phylogenetic analyses of nucDNA and Bayesian-clustering approaches revealed a deep genetic structure analogous to mtDNA. Incongruence between nucDNA and mtDNA at the individual level at localities outside of the contact region can be explained by the different inheritance patterns and male-biased dispersal in this species. High genetic divergence, long-term isolation and ecological adaptation, as well as the morphological differences, suggest the presence of a cryptic species.

[Effects of land use type and slope position on soil physical properties in loess tableland area].

Soil samples under different land use types and at different slope positions in the Wangdonggou watershed of loess tableland area were collected to determine their particle composition, bulk density (pb), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), and the effects of land use type and slope position on the soil physical properties were studied in virtue of the variation coefficient and non-parameter tests. The results showed that the physical properties of soil varied in horizontal direction and vertical profile, however at the same slope position or under the same land use type, the pb and particle composition were similar. In horizontal direction, Ks varied strongly, slit content and pb varied weakly, and clay and sand contents varied medially. In vertical profile, soil particles had a continuous distribution, but pb and Ks varied greatly in 0-25 cm layer. With the slope degree descended, soil contained more clay and had a higher pb, and Ks increased. At upper and middle slopes, soil physical properties were similar, and thus, could be merged into one in related researches. There was a significant difference in soil physical properties between grassland and other land use types, which was mainly due to the effects of slope position, but the soil physical properties in farmland and orchard were similar, indicating the important effects of human activities.