Latest ArticlesConstructing synergistic active sites and optimizing the cooperative adsorption energies for hydrogen and hydroxyl based intermediates are two essential strategies to improve the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline medium. However, it is still in its infancy to simultaneously achieve these goals, especially for designing a well-defined carrier with multiple hydroxyl adsorption sites. Herein, the Ni(HCO3)2 nanoplates (NHC) with horizontal interfaces sites of Ni-terminated NiO, NiOOH, NiCOO, and Ni(OH)2 were employed as the hydroxyl adsorption active sites, which could anchor Pt particles with hydrogen adsorption active sites, constructing the synergistic active sites (NHC-Pt) for HER catalysis. Evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), the NHC could affect the chemical state and electronic structure of Pt particles by forming bond of Pt-O which could reduce the reaction energy barriers, facilitate the adsorption of hydrogen and establishment of H–H bond. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) theoretical calculation revealed that the related process of hydroxide was the rate-determining step. It is demonstrated the hydroxyl group presents the lowest energy barrier for desorption in the process of HER when the gradual desorption process could be described as a migration from Ni(HCO3)2·OH directly or via other Ni-based systems formed after partial decomposition of nickel hydrocarbonate to Ni(OH)2···OH with following desorption. As a result, the NHC-Pt hierarchical nanostructure demonstrated superior activity towards HER in a pH-universal solution. This enhancement can be attributed to the optimized electronic structure of Pt, the migration of hydroxyl group on NHC substrates, and the synergistic effects between the NHC carrier and Pt particles.
A dimeric Y(Ⅲ)-containing antimonotungstate [Y4(H2O)8(mal)2(OAc)O(Sb2WⅤ2WⅥ19O72)2]21− (Y4mal2, H3mal = DL-malic acid), resembling a “handshake” configuration, was synthesized and characterized. The polyanion of Y4mal2 consists of two Dawson-derived {Y2Sb2W21} moieties that are further linked by two mal ligands and one μ2-bridging acetate to form an asymmetric polyanion. Notably, the chiral configuration induced by the D- or L-configuration of the mal ligand results in both {Y2Sb2W21} moieties within one polyanion exhibiting identical chirality, leading to the racemate crystallization of Y4mal2. Moreover, Y4mal2 exhibits excellent Lewis acid catalytic activity for environmentally friendly synthesis of imidazoles.
Diabetic pressure ulcers (DPU) are non-healing due to vascular dysfunction and bacterial infection. Early intervention can delay ulcer progression, such as preventing the formation of full-thickness skin defects. Local administration of deferoxamine (DFO) at wound sites has been shown to promote neovascularization and enhance wound healing. However, since DPU skin wounds are not full-thickness defects and DFO is hydrophilic, enhancing its transdermal delivery is crucial for effective treatment. Photothermal ablation of stratum corneum, generated by copper sulfide nanoparticles (CuS NPs) under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation, is a promising method to improve transdermal drug delivery. Meanwhile, CuS NPs-induced photothermal therapy offers excellent antibacterial performance. In this study, DFO and CuS NPs were incorporated into a matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs)-sensitive hydrogel. This hydrogel promotes cell adhesion and is degraded by cell-secreted MMPs, a process crucial for the controlled release of encapsulated DFO and CuS NPs. Under NIR irradiation, the stratum corneum is disrupted, facilitating transdermal DFO delivery and simultaneously eliminating infected bacteria. As a result, the essential requirements for DPU treatment, "facilitating transdermal DFO delivery, promoting angiogenesis, and inhibiting bacterial infection", were achieved simultaneously.
Viral epidemics pose a serious threat to global public health, making it essential to explore virus-host interactions for uncovering the pathogenesis of viral diseases and developing effective antiviral strategies. Traditional in vitro cell infection models struggle to replicate physiological microenvironment, while animal infection models may encounter obstacles such as species gap, high-cost, and ethical issues. Additionally, potential heterogeneous infection outcomes are usually inaccessible by population-based experiments. Microfluidics, as an emerging interdisciplinary platform, has proven to be a powerful tool for inquiring virus-host interactions. In this review, conventional virological methods were introduced first and remarkable advantages of microfluidics in viral cell biology were highlighted. Next, the in-depth applications of microfluidics in analyzing heterogeneity of virus-host interplays, dynamic monitoring of events related to viral life cycle, and modeling of viral infectious diseases were fully elaborated from the perspective of single-cell chip, multi-cell culture chip and organ-on-a-chip (organ chip). Finally, the opportunities and challenges in developing robust microfluidic methods for virology were discussed. Overall, this review aims to provide an overview of microfluidic-based research on virus-host interaction and promote multidisciplinary collaborations for better understanding and responding to viral threats.
Under "green architecture" principles, electrochromic smart windows are employed to adjust optical transmittance and indoor temperature, yet their high costs limit the wide application. Here, an electrochromic window is driven by a redox flow battery (RFB), where TOC and deposition layers are no longer needed. The transmittance of the electrochromic window is modulated by the state of oxidation (SOC) of aqueous posolyte Fe(phen)3Cl2, which is coupled with BTMAP-Vi negolyte in RFB. Under optimized conditions, average CE, VE, and EE reach 93.25%, 92.61%, and 86.35% for RFB with a capacity fading rate of 1.57% per cycle. 88.66% optical modulation and 9.36 cm2/C coloration efficiency are achieved in the electrochromic process, and 72.34% optical modulation is maintained after 12000 s. Essentially, the indoor temperature declines 3 ℃ for posolyte with 100% SOC when compared with the control experiment using circulating water for a model house. This means minimum electricity of 0.0185 kWh is saved when using an air conditioner to cool a 100 m3 house, which corresponds to declined CO2 emission (COE) of 0.0185 kg. This work provides a novel and cost-efficient strategy for modulating indoor comfort via electrochromic windows driven by RFB.
Effective design of nanoheterostructure anode with high ion/electron migration kinetics can give electrode with superior electrochemical performance. However, the design and preparation of nanoheterostructure composites with high-capacity and long cycling life in half and pouch full cells remain a big challenge. Here, a novel micro-pore MnS/Mn2SnS4 heterostructure nanowire were in situ encapsulated into the N and S elements co-doped amorphous carbon tubes (abbreviated as (MnS/Mn2SnS4)@N,S-ACTs) and showed superior energy storage properties in Na-/Li-ion half cells and pouch full cells. The Na-/Li-storage capabilities improvement are attribute to the strong synergistic effect between MnS/Mn2SnS4 heterostructure and N,S-ACTs protective layer, the former induces an local built-in electric field between Mn2SnS4 and MnS during charging/discharging, accelerating interfacial ion/electron diffusion dynamics, the latter effective maintains the morphology and volume evolution during Na+/Li+ charging/discharging, achieving a long-term cycling stability (e.g., high discharge capacity of 79.2 mAh/g with the capacity retention of 79.3% can be gained after 2200 cycles at 3 C in (MnS/Mn2SnS4)@N,S-ACTs//LiFePO4 pouch full cells; a high capacity of ~34 mAh/g at 10 C can be got with a Coulombic efficiency of 100% after 1000 cycles in pouch (MnS/Mn2SnS4)@N,S-ACTs//Na3V2(PO4)2O2F full cells.
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