Dahai Zhang

Aqueous Zn‐ion batteries (AZIBs) hold great potential for cost‐effective and safe grid‐scale energy storage, yet their lifespan is limited by dendrite growth and side reactions arising from an unstable electrode/electrolyte interface. Although high‐concentration electrolytes can tune solvation structure and enhance Zn plating/stripping stability, they suffer from high cost and low practicality. Herein, we propose a localized supersaturated electrolyte interface (LSEI) concept via constructing a low Si/Al ratio ZSM‐5 zeolite (LZ5) interphase on the Zn surface. The abundant Brønsted acid sites inside the LZ5 nanochannels function as “ion tentacles” to spontaneously capture and confine Zn ²⁺ , dramatically raising the localized Zn ²⁺ concentration on the Zn surface even in a dilute ZnSO ₄ electrolyte (1 M). This LSEI creates a H ₂ O‐deficient and anion‐enriched Zn ²⁺ solvation structure at the LZ5 interface, which concurrently accelerates Zn ²⁺ desolvation and transport dynamics for dendrite‐free deposition and suppresses H ₂ O‐induced side reactions. Consequently, the LZ5@Zn symmetric cells deliver a lifespan of over 2400 h and a high cumulative capacity exceeding 5.5 Ah cm ⁻² . The assembled LZ5@Zn//NH ₄ V ₄ O ₁₀ full cells achieve 96% capacity retention over 1200 cycles at 3 A g ⁻¹ . Our findings highlight the potential of LSEI design for developing durable Zn anodes toward practical AZIBs.

Aqueous Zn‐ion batteries (AZIBs) hold great potential for cost‐effective and safe grid‐scale energy storage, yet their lifespan is limited by dendrite growth and side reactions arising from an unstable electrode/electrolyte interface. Although high‐concentration electrolytes can tune solvation structure and enhance Zn plating/stripping stability, they suffer from high cost and low practicality. Herein, we propose a localized supersaturated electrolyte interface (LSEI) concept via constructing a low Si/Al ratio ZSM‐5 zeolite (LZ5) interphase on the Zn surface. The abundant Brønsted acid sites inside the LZ5 nanochannels function as “ion tentacles” to spontaneously capture and confine Zn ²⁺ , dramatically raising the localized Zn ²⁺ concentration on the Zn surface even in a dilute ZnSO ₄ electrolyte (1 M). This LSEI creates a H ₂ O‐deficient and anion‐enriched Zn ²⁺ solvation structure at the LZ5 interface, which concurrently accelerates Zn ²⁺ desolvation and transport dynamics for dendrite‐free deposition and suppresses H ₂ O‐induced side reactions. Consequently, the LZ5@Zn symmetric cells deliver a lifespan of over 2400 h and a high cumulative capacity exceeding 5.5 Ah cm ⁻² . The assembled LZ5@Zn//NH ₄ V ₄ O ₁₀ full cells achieve 96% capacity retention over 1200 cycles at 3 A g ⁻¹ . Our findings highlight the potential of LSEI design for developing durable Zn anodes toward practical AZIBs.

Diatoms are ecologically important microorganisms that rely on dynamic pigment regulation for light use and photoprotection. These pigments also possess antioxidant, UV-protective, and anti-inflammatory properties, making them valuable for both ecological and biotechnological applications. While pigment biosynthesis in diatoms is well studied, the molecular responses to intermittent light environments remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the adaptation of the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to simulated seasonal and intermittent light–dark (LD) cycles using a combination of physiological and transcriptomic analyses. We assessed growth, pigment content, photosynthetic performance, and elemental composition under different LD regimens (LD 24:0, LD 16:8, LD 12:12, LD 8:16, LD 4:2, LD 2:2, and LD 2:4). Our results showed that intermittent light stimulated growth and photosynthetic efficiency, with the highest pigment content observed under the LD 2:2 regimen. This regimen also increased the ratio of photosynthetic to photoprotective pigments and reduced diadinoxanthin de-epoxidation. Transcriptomic data revealed that moderate LD cycles (LD 2:2 and LD 12:12) upregulated genes involved in chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis, as well as light-harvesting complex pathways. This study provides key insights into the molecular and physiological strategies diatoms employ to adapt to variable light environments and highlights their potential for improved pigment production in industrial and biotechnological applications. IMPORTANCE: Diatoms are tiny algae that play a key role in Earth's ecosystems by absorbing carbon and producing oxygen. They also create valuable pigments with properties that can protect against environmental stress and may have uses in health, food, and industry. This study reveals how diatoms adapt to changing light conditions, which are common in natural waters. Researchers found that short intervals of light and darkness can boost diatom growth and increase pigment production, especially under very short light cycles. By exploring the genes and biochemical processes involved, the study offers new insight into how these microorganisms survive in dynamic environments. This knowledge could help improve the sustainable production of diatom-derived pigments for a range of practical applications, from food coloring to natural health products.

Effective on-site surveillance of pathogens in aquaculture environments via loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) remains challenging due to the impractical and time-intensive DNA extraction required in field settings. In this study, a DNA extraction-free approach, i.e., direct LAMP (dLAMP), was evaluated, additionally concerning key physicochemical inhibitors derived from real, complex aquaculture water matrices. Eight representative water samples were collected from Litopenaeus vannamei aquaculture systems, encompassing broad ranges of salinity (7.61‰–32.88‰), pH (6.98–8.41), chemical oxygen demand (COD: 6.00–12.25 mg/L), soluble reactive phosphate (SRP: 0.13–1.24 mg/L), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN: 0.67–3.09 mg/L), and total suspended solids (TSS: 133–737 mg/L). Boiled aquaculture water samples served directly as DNA templates for the LAMP detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus with tlh gene. While pH, COD, SRP, DIN, and TSS had negligible effects on amplification efficiency, elevated salinity was found to significantly reduce assay sensitivity. Adjusting the salinity using deionized water to ≤ 10.00‰ effectively mitigates its inhibitory effect. Under optimized conditions, 10 µL of boiled aquaculture water was sufficient for reliable detection without compromising sensitivity or specificity. The detection limit was determined to be 10 ² CFU/mL (with a detection probability of 67%). Using DNA dye GeneFinder™ to show amplicon visually, the entire workflow, including sampling, salinity adjustment (if needed), boiling, chilling, and isothermal incubation, required no more than 1 h. This dLAMP method requires no specialized equipment beyond a portable heater, demonstrating a strong potential for point-of-care applications, and enabling practical field surveillance of pathogens in aquaculture water.

The increasing environmental pollution caused by metal nanoparticles (NPs) has become a major concern, among which the ecological toxicity of zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs attracts particular attention. In this study, the Yellow River Estuary sediment was used as a research focus. A noncontact conductivity method was used to enable real-time, nondestructive monitoring of the growth kinetics of Bacillus licheniformis and Vibrio parahaemolyticus . Combining a noncontact conductivity method with high-throughput sequencing systematically revealed the multilevel toxic effects of ZnO NPs, from individual strains to the microbial community. The results showed that ZnO NPs prolonged the growth lag phase and reduced the maximum metabolic activity of both strains. These inhibitory effects were more pronounced at higher concentrations. At 160 mg/L ZnO NPs, the cell wall integrity of B. licheniformis and V. parahaemolyticus decreased by 21.99% and 12.38%, respectively. In addition, the lactate dehydrogenase release significantly increased ( p < 0.01), and the intracellular reactive oxygen species levels were 15.34 times and 4.27 times those of the control group. Microbial analysis revealed that ZnO NPs significantly reduced the α-diversity index (with Chao and Shannon indices decreasing by 55.35% and 18.11%, respectively) and altered the composition of functional bacteria. This study integrated multiple methods to elucidate multilevel mechanisms, providing critical data and theoretical support for nanomaterial ecological risk assessment in estuarine environments.

Growth curves of surviving bacterial cells show that MICs of Ag NPs against V. parahaemolyticus varied greatly in different estuarine water samples. The antibacterial effectiveness depends on the combination of physicochemical parameters.