Latest ArticlesOrganic semiconductors are promising candidates as active layers in flexible and biocompatible electronics owing to their solution processability and molecular design flexibility. However, it remains necessary to establish a green processing approach to acquire desirable electrical properties for scalable industrial applications. Here, a highly efficient and environmentally friendly post-treatment method using liquid nitrogen as a cooling bath is developed to optimize the aggregation structure and electrical performance of organic semiconductors. The carrier mobility has increased by nearly 60% with this treatment, achieving a performance boost comparable to that of traditional annealing methods. This performance improvement is attributable to the denser aggregation structure and enhanced molecular ordering compared with those of as-cast semiconducting polymer films. Impressively, the entire process can be completed within a few minutes without additional vacuum or high-temperature conditions, offering an economical and efficient alternative to traditional methods. Furthermore, the enhancement effect and long-term stability of this treatment are validated across a wide range of organic semiconductors, positioning this green and versatile approach as a promising substitute for conventional post-treatment, thereby facilitating the development of next-generation sustainable electronics.
Photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) synthesis, driven by solar energy, offers a sustainable and cleaner alternative for producing green H2O2 from water and oxygen. 2D photocatalysts have emerged as powerful materials for this purpose due to their unique physiochemical properties such as a flexible planar structure and large surface area. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in 2D photocatalytic materials employed in H2O2 synthesis, including metal oxides, metal chalcogenides, bismuth-based materials, graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C3N4), metal−organic frameworks (MOFs), and covalent organic frameworks (COFs). Beginning with an extensive introduction to possible reaction routes for photocatalytic H2O2 synthesis, we summarize the common methods for H2O2 detection, crucial for obtaining reliable results in H2O2 studies. Additionally, we highlight molecular-level modification strategies for 2D photocatalysts, such as surface modification, ion doping, defect engineering, and heterojunction construction, which promote high-efficiency solar-to-chemical conversion for sustainable H2O2 photosynthesis. Furthermore, we discuss key issues and provide perspective outlooks for the efficient and sustainable generation of H2O2 in scale-up industrial production. This review offers in-depth insights into different reaction pathways of H2O2 synthesis and provides design principles for 2D photocatalysts to enhance H2O2 production, guiding the development of efficient photocatalysts for H2O2 synthesis.
In polarized cells, the differential distribution of proteins results in the formation of apical and basolateral membranes. The basolateral membrane contacts basal lamina and mediates cell-to-cell communication, which is crucial for maintaining homeostasis and enabling drug absorption. To establish and maintain the basolateral domain, intricate mechanisms are necessary to ensure the proper sorting and transportation of molecules. Sorting signals play a crucial role in regulating the distributions of basolateral proteins, determining their trafficking route and final residence. Newly synthesized proteins can be segregated into different carrier vesicles at either trans-Golgi network (TGN) or endosomes. Additionally, understanding basolateral transport in polarized epithelial cells is important for predicting diseases and delivering drugs. This review provides a summary of recent advancements in the mechanisms and applications of basolateral sorting and trafficking.
Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate (NO3−) at low concentrations to ammonia (NH4+) still faces challenges of low NO3− conversion and NH4+ selectivity due to the sluggish mass transfer and insufficient atomic hydrogen (H*) supply. Herein, we propose CuO/NiO heterojunction with the assistance of a built-in electric field to enhance mass transfer and H* provision. The built-in electric field in CuO/NiO is successfully formed as demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. The results reveal that CuO/NiO achieves high NO3− reduction activity (100%) and NH4+ selectivity (100%) under low NO3− concentration conditions (100 mg/L NO3−, ca. 22.6 mg/L NO3−-N), which is superior to that of many recently reported electrocatalysts. Density functional theory calculations further clarify that the built-in electric field triggers the enhanced adsorption of reactants on CuO/NiO heterojunction interface and strong d-p orbital hybridization between reactants and CuO/NiO. Besides, the free energy diagram of hydrogen evolution reaction of CuO/NiO confirms the realization of enhanced H* provision. Moreover, coupling experiments and consecutive cycle tests demonstrate the potential of CuO/NiO in practical applications. This work may open up a new path and guide the development of efficient electrocatalysts for electrocatalytic reduction of NO3− at low concentrations to NH4+.
Host-guest recognition-based macrocycle in macrocycle to form "Russian doll" assemblies remains an interesting topic in supramolecular chemistry. Herein, a macrocycle-in-macrocycle assembly was studied using cucurbit[10]uril (Q[10]) and the smallest cucurbituril-like macrocycle (TD[4]). X-ray crystal structure analysis revealed that TD[4] was encapsulated in the cavity of Q[10] to form a 1:1 complex. Importantly, competitive guest studies suggested that TD[4] had the highest binding constant with the Q[10] host among the guests used, including Q[5], Me8TD[4], and amantadine molecules in water. Our results provided a new cucurbituril-based Russian-doll structure containing both the largest and smallest cavities of the cucurbiturils, which expanded the family of molecular Russian dolls.
The sequestration of 99Tc represents one of the most challenging tasks in nuclear waste decontamination. In the event of a radioactive waste leak, 99TcO4– (a main form of 99Tc) would spread into the groundwater, a scenario difficult to address with conventional anion exchange materials like resin and inorganic cationic sorbents. Herein, we present a nickel(Ⅱ) metal-organic framework (MOF), TNU-143, featuring 3D four-fold interpenetrated networks. TNU-143 exhibits efficient ReO4– (a nonradioactive analogue of 99TcO4–) removal with fast anion exchange kinetics (< 1 min), high sorption capacity (844 mg/g for ReO4–), and outstanding selectivity over common anions. More importantly, TNU-143 shows superior stability in alkaline solution and can remove 91.6% ReO4– from simulated alkaline high-level waste (HLW) streams with solid-liquid ratio of 40 g/L. The uptake mechanism is elucidated by the single-crystal structure of TNU-143(Re), showing that ReO4– anions are firmly coordinated to nickel cation to result in a 2D layered structures. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm the transformation from TNU-143 to TNU-143(Re) is a thermodynamically favorable process. This work presents a new approach to the removal of ReO4–/99TcO4– from alkaline nulcear fuel using MOF sorbents.
Herein, a diatomite biomorphic Si-O doped carbon-based catalyst (DB-SiOC) was prepared using natural mineral diatomite as the silicon source and porous template. The results showed that the metal-free DB-SiOC catalyst exhibited ultrafast oxidation towards chlorophenol (CP) via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation, which was almost one order of magnitudes than most of carbon-based catalysts. The DB-SiOC/PMS system also showed the high ability to resist the interference of environmental matrix. The radicals (•OH and SO4•‒) exhibited a very small contribution to the CP oxidation while the electron transfer processes (ETP) played the major role in the DB-SiOC/PMS system. The electron shuttles from the electron-donating CP molecules to the adjacent DB-SiOC/PMS* could be efficiently triggered via Si-O bonds as bridges, making it possible for ultrafast oxidation of CP. In addition, the hollow-disc shaped DB-SiOC provided the biomorphic DE structures with abundant pores for enriching the PMS and pollutants, thus further accelerating the oxidation reaction. This work provided a new routine for the fabrication of Si-O doped carbon-based catalysts with excellent Fenton-like catalytic activity, which would greatly promote their application prospects in Fenton-like systems.
Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) has shown its capability in visualizing the spatial distribution of various kinds of endogenous metabolites. Nevertheless, high quality mass imaging of low polar metabolites remains challenging. Herein, a platform for sensitive matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry imaging of cholesterol and glycerides has been proposed. In the platform, a vacuum promoted on-tissue derivatization strategy was proposed to constantly make the derivatization reaction proceed towards to the direction of products. Compared with traditional on-tissue derivatization procedure, the strategy improved the acquired intensity of derivatized glycerides about 50%. Additionally, the mass spectrometry image reflecting the signal ratio between 3 classes of glycerides was achieved to exploit the metabolic level of glycerides on tissue slice. Finally, the platform was applied to brain slices of Alzheimer's transgenic mice, type 2 diabetes mice and normal mice. Significant difference was found in mass spectrometry images reflecting the signal ratio of multiple endogenous metabolites. The work constructed a promising platform for mapping of glycerides in tissue by mass spectrometry imaging.
No. 86 Xueyuan South Road, Haidian District, Beijing
010-62199257
qkjq@cast.org.cn
Copyright © 2025 China Association for Science and Technology. All rights reserved. For all open access content, the relevant licensing terms apply.
Sponsored by the Office of the Leading Group for Cybersecurity and Informatization of CAST, and supported by Science and Technology Review Publishing House
