A scalable battery recycling strategy to recover and regenerate solid electrolytes and cathode materials in spent all solid-state batteries, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gases.

With the rapidly increasing ubiquity of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), sustainable battery recycling is a matter of growing urgency. The major challenge faced in LIB sustainability lies with the fact that the current LIBs are not designed for recycling, making it difficult to engineer recycling approaches that avoid breaking batteries down into their raw materials. Thus, it is prudent to explore new approaches to both fabricate and recycle next-generation batteries before they enter the market. Here, we developed a sustainable design and scalable recycling strategy for next-generation all solid-state batteries (ASSBs). We use the EverBatt model to analyze the relative energy consumption and environmental impact compared to conventional recycling methods. We demonstrate efficient separation and recovery of spent solid electrolytes and electrodes from a lithium metal ASSB and directly regenerate them into usable formats without damaging their core chemical structure. The recycled materials are then reconstituted to fabricate new batteries, achieving similar performance as pristine ASSBs, completing the cycle. This work demonstrates the first fully recycled ASSB and provides critical design consideration for future sustainable batteries.

To secure the reliability of flexible electronics, the effect of multicomponent stress on the device properties during complex mechanical deformation needs to be thoroughly understood. The electrical resistances of metal interconnects are investigated by in situ monitoring at different twisting angles and with different pattern positions. As the twisting angle increased, the electrical resistance increased earlier. Furthermore, in the line pattern located far from the central axis, severe electrical degradation and fatigue damage formation were observed. Multicomponent stress evolution during twisting was analyzed by the finite-element simulation method. For easy practical application for estimating the representative twisting strain, an analytic solution of twisting deformation was formulated and compared with the simulation. Using the equivalent strain, the fatigue lifetime was fitted, and the exponents were obtained for lifetime expectation. This systematic study provides the guidelines for highly reliable flexible devices and the tools for determining the expected fatigue lifetime.

The preparation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) samples from powders is quite difficult and challenging. For powders with particles in the 1–5 μm size range, it is especially difficult to select an adequate sample preparation technique. Epoxy is commonly used to bind powder, but drawbacks, such as differential milling originating from unequal milling rates between the epoxy and powder, remain. We propose a new, simple method for preparing TEM samples. This method is especially useful for powders with particles in the 1–5 μm size range that are vulnerable to oxidation. The method uses solder as an embedding agent together with focused ion beam (FIB) milling. The powder was embedded in low-temperature solder using a conventional hot-mounting instrument. Subsequently, FIB was used to fabricate thin TEM samples via the lift-out technique. The solder proved to be more effective than epoxy in producing thin TEM samples with large areas. The problem of differential milling was mitigated, and the solder binder was more stable than epoxy under an electron beam. This methodology can be applied for preparing TEM samples from various powders that are either vulnerable to oxidation or composed of high atomic number elements.

The formation and morphological evolution of germanides formed in a ternary Ni/Ta-interlayer/Ge system were examined by ex situ and in situ annealing experiments. The Ni germanide film formed in the Ni/Ta-interlayer/Ge system maintained continuity up to 550°C, whereas agglomeration of the Ni germanide occurred in the Ni/Ge system without Ta-interlayer. Through microstructural and chemical analysis of the Ni/Ta-interlayer/Ge system during and after in situ annealing in a transmission electron microscope, it was confirmed that the Ta atoms remained uniformly on the top of the newly formed Ni germanide layer during the diffusion reaction. Consequently, the agglomeration of the Ni germanide film was retarded and the thermal stability was improved by the Ta incorporation.

The oxidation mechanism and thermal stability of nickel oxide (NiO)/carbon nanotube (CNT) composites were investigated by examining composites with different NiO contents by thermogravimetric analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). NiO acts as a catalyst in the oxidation of CNT in the composite. CNTs can be oxidized, even in a vacuum, by reducing NiO to nickel at temperatures lower than the normal oxidation temperature of CNTs. This phase transition was confirmed directly by in situ heating TEM observations. In air, reduction by CNT occurs simultaneously with reoxidation by gaseous O2 molecules, and NiO maintains its phase. The thermal stability decreased with increasing NiO content because of defects in the CNT generated by the NiO loading.

Thiazolidinediones, such as rosiglitazone or pioglitazone, are anti-diabetic agents that have been expected to show a beneficial effect in Alzheimer's disease (AD) because of their anti-inflammatory effect. However, these agents have failed to show a significant beneficial effect on AD in recent clinical trials. Here, we suggest that low-dose rosiglitazone treatment, and not the conventional doses, has an amyloid β (Aβ)-clearing effect by increasing LRP1, an Aβ outward transporter in the blood–brain barrier. Rosiglitazone up-regulated LRP1 mRNA and protein expression and LRP1 promoter activity in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). Aβ uptake through LRP1 in HBMECs was also increased by rosiglitazone. This increase in LRP1 and Aβ uptake was observed in up to 10 nm rosiglitazone concentration. At concentrations above 20 nm rosiglitazone, the LRP1 expression and Aβ uptake in HBMECs were not altered. The possible mechanism of this unusual dose response is discussed. This study suggests a new therapeutic application of thiazolidinediones for AD at a much lower dose than the doses used for diabetes treatment.

Stream development can generate environmental changes that impact fish communities. In temperate streams, the distribution of fish species is associated with environmental gradients. To analyze the relevant factors, large-scale exploration is required. Thus, to evaluate the distribution patterns of fish in Korea, sampling was conducted on a national scale at 720 sites over a 6-week period in 2009. A total of 124 fish species in 27 families were identified; Zacco platypus and Zacco koreanus of the Cyprinidae were the dominant and subdominant species, respectively. Of the species found, 46 (37.1%) were endemic and 4 (3.2%) exotic; of the latter, Micropterus salmoides and Lepomis macrochirus were widely distributed. Upon canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), both altitude and biological oxygen demand (BOD) were highly correlated with CCA axes 1 and 2, respectively. This explained 62.5% of the species–environment relationship. Altitude and stream order were longitudinally related to species distribution. The numbers of both total and endemic species gradually increased as streams grew in size to the fourth–fifth-order, and decreased in sixth-order, streams. Overall, fish communities were stable throughout the entire watershed, whereas some species showed site-specific occurrence patterns due to the paleogeomorphological characteristics of Korean peninsula. However, various anthropogenic activities may negatively affect fish communities. Therefore, both short- and long-term sustainable management strategies are required to conserve native fish fauna.

An organic/inorganic hybrid-type nonvolatile memory TFT was proposed as a core device for the future flexible electronics. The structural feature of this memory TFT was that a ferroelectric copolymer and an oxide semiconductor layers were employed as a gate insulator and an active channel, respectively. The memory TFT with the structure of Au/poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene)/Al2O3/ZnO/Ti/Au/Ti/poly(ethylene naphthalate) could be successfully fabricated at the process temperature of below 150°C. It was confirmed that the TFT well operated as a memory device even under the bending situations.

Cellulose electro-active paper (EAPap) has attracted much attention as a new smart electronic material to be utilized as mechanical sensors, bio compatible applications and wireless communications. The thin EAPap film has many advantages such as lightweight, flexible, dryness, biodegradable, easy to chemically modify, cheap and abundance. Also EAPap film has a good reversibility for mechanical performance, such as bending movement, under electric field. The main actuation mechanism governed by piezoelectric property can be modulated by material direction and stretching ratio during process. In this paper we present the overview as well as fabrication process of cellulose EAPap as a novel smart material. Also we propose the method to enhance the piezoelectricity, its mechanical and electromechanical properties. In addition, the fabrication of high quality metal patterns with Schottky diode on the cellulose surface is an initiating stage for the integration of the EAPap actuator and electronic components. The integration of flexible actuator and electronic elements has huge potential application including flying magic carpets, microwave driven flying insets and micro-robots and smart wall papers.

We have fabricated a new magnetic field enhanced solid phase crystallization (FESPC) polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin film transistors (TFTs), which shows the excellent electrical characteristics and superior stability compared with hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) TFTs. The mobility (μ) and threshold voltage (VTH) of p-type TFTs of which the channel width and length are 5 μm and 7 μm, respectively are 31.98 cm2/Vs and -6.14 V, at VDS=-0.1 V. In the FESPC TFTs, the characteristics caused by grain boundary are remarkable due to large number of grain boundaries in the channel compared with poly-Si TFTs. The VTH of the TFT which have 5 μm channel length is smaller than that of 18 μm channel length by 1.36 V, which is considerably large value. It is due to the large number of grain boundaries in the channel and the high lateral electric field. The grain boundary potential barrier height is decreased, when the large lateral electric field is applied (which is called DIGBL effect). As a result of increased mobility, the drain current is increased, and VTH can be decreased. The activation energy (Ea ) is strongly depended on the drain bias and the number of grain boundaries. is decreased, caused by the large drain bias and/or smaller number of grain boundaries. This decreased Ea can be reduced VTH due to increased the drain current. VTH of p-type poly-Si TFT employing FESPC on the glass substrate is affected by channel length and VDS due to energy barrier lowering effect at the grain boundary by increased lateral electrical field.

We have investigated the shift of threshold voltage in the a-Si:H TFT due to the various negative pulse width stress. The drain bias dependent threshold voltage shift in the pulsed stress of a-Si:H TFT for AMOLED backplane is also measured and analyzed. When a positive gate and drain bias is applied to a-Si:H TFT (W/L = 200/4 Ým), VTH of a-Si:H TFT is increased during the stress time due to the defect state creation and charge trapping. VTH of a-Si:H TFT is increased from 1.645V to 2.53V (δVTH=0.885V) after the DC gate bias stress of VGS=15V, VDS=0V for 20,000sec. When the pulsed negative bias stress is applied to the gate electrode of the current driving a-Si:H TFT with the drain bias, VTH shift is considerably reduced due to the hole trapping into the gate insulator during the stress. When a negative pulse width is 16msec (pulse of 60Hz), the VTH is increased form 1.594V to 2.195V (δVTH=0.601V). When a negative pulse width increases from 16msec to 5sec without drain bias (VDS=0V), VTH is increased from 1.615V to 2.055V (δVTH=0.44V). When a drain bias is increased from 0V to 15V, VTH is slightly decreased from 1.58V to 1.529V (δVTH=-0.051V) due to large (-30V) VGD (VG=-15V, VD=15V) bias, while it is increased from 1.66V to 2.078V (δVTH=0.418V) width DC gate bias stress of VGS=15V, VDS=15V for 20,000sec.