Related papers: A physical perspective on lithium therapy
Synthetic lipid membranes in the absence of proteins can display quantized conduction events for ions that are virtually indistinguishable from those of protein channel. By indistinguishable we mean that one cannot decide based on the…
This paper discusses possible mechanisms for the selective effect of weakly ionized non-equilibrium plasma and currents in electrolyte on healthy and cancerous cells in physiological saline in a Petri dish. The interaction with the plasma…
We propose a mechanism for the stabilization/destabilization of cell membranes by multivalent ions with an emphasis on its implications for the division and fusion of cells. We find that multivalent cations preferentially adsorbed onto a…
In this tutorial we discuss the chemical potential of ions in water (i.e., in a salt solution, in an electrolyte phase) and inside (charged) nanoporous materials such as porous membranes. In water treatment, such membranes are often used to…
Biological membranes are complex, dynamic structures essential for cellular compartmentalization, signaling, and mechanical integrity. The molecular organization of eukaryotic membranes has been extensively studied, including the lipid…
Detailed understanding of solid-solid interface structure-function relations is critical for the improvement and wide deployment of all solid-state batteries. The interfaces between lithium phosphorous oxynitride ("LiPON") solid electrolyte…
Interactions mediated by the cell membrane between inclusions, such as membrane proteins or antimicrobial peptides, play important roles in their biological activity. They also constitute a fascinating challenge for physicists, since they…
We give an explicit formula for the membrane potential of cells in terms of the intracellular and extracellular ionic concentrations, and derive equations for the ionic currents that flow through channels, exchangers and electrogenic pumps.…
Health concerns associated with the advent of nanotechnologies have risen sharply when it was found that particles of nanoscopic dimensions reach the cell lumina. Plasma and organelle lipid membranes, which are exposed to both the incoming…
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become essential in modern energy storage; however, their performance is often limited by the stability and efficiency of their components, particularly the cathode and electrolyte. Transition metal layered…
The lateral diffusion of lipids within membrane is of paramount importance, serving as a central mechanism in numerous physiological processes including cell signaling, membrane trafficking, protein activity regulation, and energy…
Whether live cell membranes show miscibility phase transitions (MPTs), and if so, how they fluctuate near the transitions remain outstanding unresolved issues in physics and biology alike. Motivated by these questions we construct a generic…
A minimalist simulation model for lipid bilayers is presented. Each lipid is represented by a flexible chain of beads in implicit solvent. The hydrophobic effect is mimicked through an intermolecular pair potential localized at the…
We briefly review the effects of selective solvation of ions in aqueous mixtures, where the ion densities and the composition fluctuations are strongly coupled. We then examine the surface tension \gamma of a liquid-liquid interface in the…
The organization of lipids in biological membranes is essential for cellular functions such as signal transduction and membrane trafficking. A major challenge is how to control lateral lipid composition in supported membranes which are…
Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) are a new class of organic salts whose melting temperature falls below the conventional limit of 100C. Their low vapor pressure, moreover, has made these ionic compounds the solvents of choice of the…
To explore the potential of molecular gas treatment of freshly cut lithium foils in non-electrolyte based passivation of high energy-density Li anodes, density functional theory (DFT) has been used to study the decomposition of molecular…
In this article, we study the transport properties of superconcentrated electrolytes using Molecular Dynamics simulations, which have been shown experimentally to retard elemental dissolution in vanadium containing cathode materials. Five…
This progress report summarizes recent studies of electrochemical oxidation to modulate the interfacial tension of gallium-based alloys. These alloys, which are liquid at ambient conditions, have the largest interfacial tension of any…
Capacity degradation and destructive hazards are two core challenges for lithium-ion batteries at high temperatures, which need to be solved urgently. Adding flame retardants or fire extinguishing agents can only achieve one-time…