Abstract: A rechargeable lithium battery comprising an anode, a cathode, and a quasi-solid or solid-state electrolyte in ionic communication with the anode and the cathode, wherein the electrolyte comprises: (a) a polymer, which is a polymerization or crosslinking product of a reactive additive, wherein the reactive additive comprises at least one reactive polymer, reactive oligomer, or reactive monomer and a crosslinking agent or initiator; (b) a lithium salt; and (c) from 0% to 30% by weight or by volume of a non-aqueous liquid solvent, based on the total weight or volume of the polymer, the lithium salt, and the liquid solvent combined. This liquid solvent proportion is preferably <20%, more preferably <10% and most preferably <5% by weight or by volume. The cathode comprises particles of a cathode active material and the electrolyte is in physical contact with at least a majority of or substantially all of the cathode active material particles.

Abstract: An electrolyte, comprising: (a) a polymer, which is a polymerization or crosslinking product of a reactive additive, wherein the reactive additive comprises at least one reactive polymer, reactive oligomer, or reactive monomer and a curing agent or initiator and wherein the reactive polymer, oligomer, or monomer comprises at least a reactive carboxylic and/or a hydroxyl group; (b) a lithium salt; and (c) an organic liquid solvent or ionic liquid. The polymer preferably comprises a cross-linked network of chains from poly (acrylic acid), poly(vinyl alcohol), polyethylene glycol, carboxymethyl cellulose, or a combination thereof. Also provided is a lithium battery comprising such an electrolyte.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery comprising a cathode, an anode, and an elastic polymer protective layer disposed between the cathode and the anode, and a working electrolyte, wherein the elastic polymer protective layer comprises a high-elasticity polymer having a thickness from 50 nm to 100 ?m, a lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm at room temperature, and a fully recoverable tensile elastic strain from 2% to 1,000% when measured without any additive or filler dispersed therein and wherein the high-elasticity polymer comprises a crosslinked polymer network of chains derived from at least one multi-functional monomer or oligomer selected from an acrylate, polyether, polyurethane acrylate, tetraethylene glycol diacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, or di(trimethylolpropane) tetraacrylate, wherein a multi-functional monomer or oligomer comprises at least three reactive functional groups.

Abstract: A composite particulate for a lithium battery, wherein the composite particulate has a diameter from 10 nm to 50 ?m and comprises one or more than one anode active material particles that are dispersed in a high-elasticity polymer matrix or encapsulated by a high-elasticity polymer shell, wherein said high-elasticity polymer matrix or shell has a recoverable elastic tensile strain no less than 5%, when measured without an additive or reinforcement dispersed therein, and a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10?8 S/cm at room temperature and wherein said high-elasticity polymer comprises a crosslinked polymer network of chains from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), a substituted version thereof, or a derivative thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for obtaining multileaflet Medicago sativa materials by means of MsPALM1 artificial site-directed mutants. The method comprises: selecting a target site from an exon region of a compound leaf developmental regulatory gene MsPALM1 of Medicago sativa and constructing a plant CRISPR/Cas9 editing recombinant vector MsCRISPR/Cas9::PALM1 and introducing the vector into Medicago sativa cells and regenerating into plants, cutting and repairing to cause a loss-of-function mutation in the MsPALM1 gene of Medicago sativa cells, and then screening the mutant plants by restriction endonuclease digestion and/or targeted deep sequencing of the target sites of the regenerated plants to obtain lines carrying four MsPALM1 allelic genes with simultaneous loss of function mutation. After phenotypic identification, it was confirmed that the compound leaves of the regenerated plants changed from three leaflets to five leaflets.

Abstract: The present disclosure is drawn to covers for electronic devices. In one example, a cover for an electronic device can include an enclosure with a light metal substrate with an opening therethrough, and a first protective coating covering the light metal substrate. A second protective coating is on the first protective coating, and a chamfered edge is present along the opening where the chamfer cuts through the first protective coating and the second protective coating to expose the light metal substrate at the chamfered edge. In one example, a transparent passivation layer is included along the chamfered edge.

Abstract: Provided is a lithium secondary battery comprising a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte or separator-electrolyte assembly disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein the anode comprises: (a) An anode current collector, initially having no lithium or lithium alloy as an anode active material when the battery is made and prior to a charge or discharge operation; and (b) a thin layer of a high-elasticity polymer in ionic contact with the electrolyte and having a recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 700%, a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10?8 S/cm, and a thickness from 0.5 nm to 100 ?m. Preferably, the high-elasticity polymer contains a cross-linked network of polymer chains having an ether linkage, nitrile-derived linkage, benzo peroxide-derived linkage, ethylene oxide linkage, propylene oxide linkage, vinyl alcohol linkage, cyano-resin linkage, triacrylate monomer-derived linkage, tetraacrylate monomer-derived linkage, or a combination thereof in the cross-linked network of polymer chains.

Abstract: A method of producing a powder mass for a lithium battery, the method comprising: (a) providing a solution containing a sulfonated elastomer dissolved in a solvent or a precursor in a liquid form or dissolved in a solvent; (b) dispersing a plurality of particles of a cathode active material in the solution to form a slurry; and (c) dispensing the slurry and removing the solvent and/or polymerizing/curing the precursor to form the powder mass, wherein the powder mass comprises multiple particulates and at least a particulate comprises one or a plurality of particles of a cathode active material being encapsulated by a thin layer of sulfonated elastomer having a thickness from 1 nm to 10 ?m, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 800%, and a lithium ion conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm at room temperature.

Abstract: Provided is a powder of multi-functional composite particulates for a lithium battery, wherein at least one of the composite particulates has a diameter from 50 nm to 50 ?m and comprises a plurality of anode active material particles that are dispersed in a high-elasticity polymer matrix having a recoverable tensile strain no less than 5%, when measured without an additive or reinforcement, and a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10?8 S/cm at room temperature, wherein the polymer matrix forms a continuous phase (matrix). Preferably, the composite particulate further comprises a conductive reinforcement (e.g. CNTs, graphene sheets, CNFs, etc.) that forms a 3D network of electron-conducting paths in physical or electronic contact with the anode particles. A production method for these composite particulates is also provided.

Abstract: Disclosed in the present invention is a signal transmission method for a multi-antenna multi-user TDD communication system. Each frame of the TDD communication system includes one forward downlink frame synchronization signal, multiple downlink data time slots, and multiple uplink data time slots; the downlink frame synchronization signal is a broadcast signal, the base station sends the downlink frame synchronization signal to all terminals, and after each terminal receives the downlink frame synchronization signal, time and frequency synchronization is performed with reference to the base station to acquire the start time and end time of each uplink data time slot. The synchronization signal received power P is evaluated and compared with the synchronization signal received power range of all uplink data time slots in the frame, and all terminals falling into the synchronization signal received power range of the uplink data time slot k select the uplink data time slot k to send data.

Abstract: Provided is porous anode or cathode electrode for a lithium battery, the porous electrode comprising multiple particles of an electrode active material (with or without a high-elasticity polymer coating deposited thereon), an optional conductive additive, and a high-elasticity polymer binder that bonds the particles and conductive additive together to form the electrode wherein the multiple particles have pores occupying a pore volume faction Vp and the electrode has pores, external to the multiple particles, occupying a volume faction Ve, wherein Ve and Vp are all based on the total electrode volume, not counting the volume of an electrode current collector, and the total pore volume fraction Vt=Vp+Ve is from 10% to 80% in such a manner that the volume expansion of the electrode during battery charge/discharge operations does not exceed 30% (preferably <20%, more preferably <10% and most preferably 0%).

Abstract: Provided is a lithium secondary battery containing an anode, a cathode, a porous separator/electrolyte element disposed between the anode and the cathode, and a cathode-protecting layer bonded or adhered to the cathode, wherein the cathode-protecting layer comprises a lithium ion-conducting polymer matrix or binder and inorganic material particles that are dispersed in or chemically bonded by the polymer matrix or binder and wherein the cathode-protecting layer has a thickness from 10 nm to 100 ?m and the polymer matrix or binder has a lithium-ion conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm. Additionally or alternatively, there can be a similarly configured anode-protecting layer adhered to the anode. Such an electrode-protecting layer prevents massive internal shorting from occurring even when the porous separator gets melted, contracted, or collapsed under extreme temperature conditions induced by, for instance, dendrite or nail penetration.

Abstract: A novel power generation type electromagnetic damping tuned mass damper comprises a connecting plate, a supporting guide rail fixed to the connecting plate, an mass block, a mounting assembly fixed to the mass block and a power generation type electromagnetic damping mechanism mounted on the mounting assembly. The power generation type electromagnetic damping mechanism comprises a power generation type electromagnetic damping assembly mounted on the mounting assembly, a roller rotatably mounted on the mounting assembly, a driving wheel mounted on the roller, a driven wheel mounted at an output end of the power generation type electromagnetic damping assembly and a conveyor belt sleeved on the driving wheel and the driven wheel; the roller is mounted on the supporting guide rail in a rolling manner, and the rotating centers of the roller and the driving wheel are the same and the roller and the driving wheel rotate synchronously.

Abstract: A rechargeable lithium cell comprising: (a) a cathode having a cathode active material and a first electrolyte in ionic contact with the cathode active material; (b) an anode having an anode current collector but no anode active material and having no lithium metal when the cell is made; (c) an optional porous separator electronically separating the anode and the cathode; and (d) a second electrolyte, comprising a polymer electrolyte in ionic contact with the first electrolyte, wherein the polymer electrolyte is disposed substantially between the anode and the cathode, between the separator and the cathode, and/or between the separator and the anode. The polymer electrolyte substantially does not permeate into the anode or the cathode. Also provided is a method of preparing or operating such an anode-less lithium cell.

Abstract: Examples include an apparatus comprising a laptop housing, an elastomer layer fixed on a surface of the laptop housing, and a fabric layer fixed on the elastomer layer.

Abstract: Provided is an anode electrode (e.g. a layer or roll of a laminated structure) for a lithium battery or sodium battery, the anode electrode comprising: (a) an anode current collector having two primary surfaces; (b) multiple particles or coating of a lithium-attracting metal or sodium-attracting metal deposited on at least one of the two primary surfaces, wherein the lithium-attracting metal or sodium-attracting metal, having a diameter or thickness from 1 nm to 10 ?m, is selected from Au, Ag, Mg, Zn, Ti, K, Al, Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Sn, V, Cr, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof; and (c) a layer of graphene that covers and protects the multiple particles or coating of the metal. Also provided is a process for producing such an anode electrode and a battery cell.

Abstract: A rechargeable lithium cell comprising two electrolyte compositions: (a) a first electrolyte composition (in physical contact with the cathode and the anode of the cell) contains a lithium salt dissolved in a mixture of a liquid solvent and a flame-retardant additive, having a lithium salt concentration from 1.5 M to 14.0 M; and (b) a second electrolyte composition, comprising a polymer electrolyte in ionic contact with the first electrolyte composition and being disposed substantially between the anode and the cathode, between the separator and the cathode and/or between the separator and the anode. The polymer electrolyte substantially does not permeate into the anode or the cathode.

Abstract: A method of producing a pre-sulfurized active cathode layer for a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell; the method comprising: (a) Preparing an integral layer of porous graphene structure having a specific surface area greater than 100 m2/g; (b) Preparing an electrolyte comprising a solvent and a sulfur source; (c) Preparing an anode; and (d) Bringing the integral layer and the anode in ionic contact with the electrolyte and imposing an electric current between the anode and the integral layer (serving as a cathode) to electrochemically deposit nano-scaled sulfur particles or coating on the graphene surfaces. The sulfur particles or coating have a thickness or diameter smaller than 20 nm (preferably <10 nm, more preferably <5 nm or even <3 nm) and occupy a weight fraction of at least 70% (preferably >90% or even >95%).

Abstract: In one example, a display is described, which may include a plurality of spaced light emitting device packages, a privacy gate having partition walls to partition each of the plurality of spaced light emitting device packages, and a control unit to selectively move the partition walls up or down relative to the plurality of spaced light emitting device packages to control a viewing angle of the display.

Abstract: A method of producing a powder mass for a lithium battery, comprising: (a) mixing an inorganic filler and an elastomer or its precursor in a liquid medium or solvent to form a suspension; (b) dispersing a plurality of particles of a cathode active material in the suspension to form a slurry; and (c) dispensing the slurry and removing the solvent and/or polymerizing or curing the precursor to form the powder mass, wherein at least a particulate comprises one or a plurality of cathode active material particles being encapsulated by a layer of inorganic filler-reinforced elastomer having a thickness from 1 nm to 10 ?m, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, and a lithium ion conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm and the inorganic filler has a lithium intercalation potential from 1.1 V to 4.5 V versus Li/Li+.