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Feng, Yue

Publications and source records attributed to Feng, Yue.

Comprehensive evaluation of commercially scalable atomic-layer-deposited alumina coating impact on full cell battery performance across varied test conditions

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) has emerged as a strategic enhancement method for lithium-ion battery (LIB) materials offering potential benefits and durability benefits for industrial battery production. However, the translation from laboratory achievements to commercial-scale applications has been limited. Here, this study aims to bridge this gap by comprehensively evaluating the effects of commercially scalable Al 2 O 3 ALD coatings using full pouch cell performance as a means to assess the ALD impact. We utilized large-scale slot-die coating techniques to ensure consistent electrode quality and tested four configurations of pouch cells to analyze the individual effects of ALD coating on anode and cathode electroactive materials. Our extensive testing matrix included long-term cycling, fast discharge, fast charge, leakage current, and high voltage tests. While at lower C-rates (<~1C), the influence of Al 2 O 3 coatings on cell performance is not significant. Fast charging conditions reveal that the anode ALD coating significantly enhances performance via a passivating effect, while on the cathode, it is detrimental, potentially due to increased resistance of the thin interfacial layer formed during the ALD processing. Leakage current and high-voltage tests show that the application of ALD coatings on either anode or cathode effectively minimizes side reactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface. Additionally, ALD coatings significantly mitigate concentrated and localized lithium plating on the anodes. These insights provide a valuable understanding of the potential of ALD technologies in LIB manufacturing to tailor cell performance, paving the way for safer, more efficient, and cost-effective battery solutions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Spatial resolution of different discretizations over long-time for the Dirac equation with small potentials

In this report we compare the long-time error bounds and spatial resolution of finite difference methods with different spatial discretizations for the Dirac equation with small electromagnetic potentials characterized by $\varepsilon \in (0, 1]$ a dimensionless parameter. We begin with the simple and widely used finite difference time domain (FDTD) methods, and establish rigorous error bounds of them, which are valid up to the time at $O(1/\varepsilon)$. In the error estimates, we pay particular attention to how the errors depend explicitly on the mesh size $h$ and time step $\tau$ as well as the small parameter $\varepsilon$. Based on the results, in order to obtain "correct" numerical solutions up to the time at $O(1/\varepsilon)$, the $\varepsilon$-scalability (or meshing strategy requirement) of the FDTD methods should be taken as $h = O(\varepsilon^{1/2})$ and $\tau = O(\varepsilon^{1/2})$. To improve the spatial resolution capacity, we apply the Fourier spectral method to discretize the Dirac equation in space. Error bounds of the resulting finite difference Fourier pseudospectral (FDFP) methods show that they exhibit uniform spatial errors in the long-time regime, which are optimal in space as suggested by the Shannon's sampling theorem. Extensive numerical results are reported to confirm the error bounds and demonstrate that they are sharp.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Targeted protein degradation: from small molecules to complex organelles—a Keystone Symposia report

Targeted protein degradation is critical for proper cellular function and development. Protein degradation pathways, such as the ubiquitin proteasomes system, autophagy, and endosome–lysosome pathway, must be tightly regulated to ensure proper elimination of misfolded and aggregated proteins and regulate changing protein levels during cellular differentiation, while ensuring that normal proteins remain unscathed. Protein degradation pathways have also garnered interest as a means to selectively eliminate target proteins that may be difficult to inhibit via other mechanisms. Additionally, on June 7 and 8, 2021, several experts in protein degradation pathways met virtually for the Keystone eSymposium “Targeting protein degradation: from small molecules to complex organelles.” The event brought together researchers working in different protein degradation pathways in an effort to begin to develop a holistic, integrated vision of protein degradation that incorporates all the major pathways to understand how changes in them can lead to disease pathology and, alternatively, how they can be leveraged for novel therapeutics.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

The Legionella Effector SdjA Is a Bifunctional Enzyme That Distinctly Regulates Phosphoribosyl Ubiquitination

Legionella pneumophila promotes its survival and replication in phagocytes by actively modulating cellular processes using effectors injected into host cells by its Dot/Icm type IV secretion system. Many of these effectors function to manipulate the ubiquitin network of infected cells, thus contributing to the biogenesis of the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV), which is permissive for bacterial replication. Among these, members of the SidE effector family (SidEs) catalyze ubiquitination of functionally diverse host proteins by a mechanism that is chemically distinct from the canonical three-enzyme cascade. The activity of SidEs is regulated by two mechanisms: reversal of the phosphoribosyl ubiquitination by DupA and DupB and direct inactivation by SidJ, which is a calmodulin-dependent glutamylase. In many L. pneumophila strains, SidJ belongs to a two-member protein family. Its homolog SdjA appears to function differently from SidJ despite the high-level similarity in their primary sequences. Here, we found that SdjA is a bifunctional enzyme that exhibits distinct activities toward members of the SidE family. It inhibits the activity of SdeB and SdeC by glutamylation. Unexpectedly, it also functions as a deglutamylase that reverses SidJ-induced glutamylation on SdeA. Our results reveal that an enzyme can catalyze two completely opposite biochemical reactions, which highlights the distinct regulation of phosphoribosyl ubiquitination by the SidJ effector family.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Structural and histone binding studies of the chromo barrel domain of TIP60

Tat-interactive protein 60 consists of an N-terminal chromo barrel domain (TIP60-CB) and a C-terminal acetyltransferase domain and acetylates histone and nonhistone proteins in diverse cellular processes. While TIP60-CB is thought to recognize histone tails, molecular details of this interaction remain unclear. In this work, we attempted a quantitative analysis of the interaction between the human TIP60-CB and histone peptides, but did not observe any detectable binding by either fluorescence polarization or isothermal titration calorimetry assays. We also determined the crystal structure of the TIP60-CB alone. Analysis of the apo-tructure reveals a putative peptide-binding site that might be occluded by the basic side chain of a residue in a unique β hairpin between the two N-terminal strands of the β barrel, leading to the inability of TIP60-CB to bind histones.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A controllable IC-compatible thin-film fuse realized using electro-explosion

A controllable IC-compatible thin-film fuse was developed that had Al/SiO{sub 2} thin-film stacks on a silicon substrate. The micro fuse has both a traditional mode and a controllable mode when applied as a fuse. It blows at 800 mA and 913.8 mV in the traditional mode. In the controllable mode, it blows within 400 ns at 10 V. It can be used for small electronic elements as well as electropyrotechnic initiators to improve the no-firing current.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗