Latest ArticlesGraphene-like materials and metal-organic framework (MOF) materials hold significant promise for advanced energy systems. However, the accumulation of two-dimensional (2D) material and the low conductivity of MOF have seriously affected their practical application. The universal method for synthesizing homogeneous nitrogen-doped graphene-like carbon/metal-organic framework (N-GLC/MOF) composites, including N-GLC/MOF-74, N-GLC/ZIF-8, N-GLC/Cu-BTC, and N-GLC/FeCo-PBA was presented. Thanks to the synergistic effect of the two components, the N-GLC/MOF-74 composite exhibits a specific capacitance of 470.18 F/g at 1 A/g and maintains a coulombic efficiency of 95.04% at 5 A/g over 5500 cycles. Our work lays a solid foundation for the design and synthesis of N-GLC-based composites. We anticipate that this research will furnish valuable insights for the advancement of N-GLC/MOF composites, with a primary focus on enhancing supercapacitor performance.
The utilization of fungicides in plants is very low, emphasizing the need to improve their utilization rates. In this study, the fungicide dimethachlon (Dim) was encapsulated within hollow mesoporous silica (HMSNs), and a coating was formed on the HMSNs surface through the reaction of Na2CO3 and CaCl2, resulting in a pH-responsive delivery system named D/H@CaCO3, proven valuable in preventing sclerotinia diseases in romaine lettuce. When disease-infested romaine lettuce was treated with D/H@CaCO3, it degraded in the acidic microenvironment of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (S. sclerotiorum), allowing for the pH-responsive release of Dim and effectively killing S. sclerotiorum. Moreover, the degraded CaCO3 coating releases CO2, which enhances the photosynthetic pigment contents, such as chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids, in turn promoting plant growth. D/H@CaCO3 is biologically safe for plants and is environmentally friendly, as confirmed by assessments involving zebrafish and earthworms. Given their antifungal capabilities, the controlled release of fungicides offers potential for plant protection.
In view of widespread existence and toxicity, removal and detection of bisphenols is imperative to assess environmental risks and reduce harm to human health. Although many techniques have been reported, constructing fast and sensitive method remains a challenge. Herein, porous poly(divinylbenzene) polymer was synthesized in-situ on the Fe3O4 particles by means of distillation-precipitation polymerization and functioned as sorbents to extract bisphenols. Employing Fe3O4@poly(divinylbenzene) as sorbent, a magnetic solid-phase extraction coupling with liquid chromatography was developed to detect trace bisphenols in water. This method presented low detection limits (0.01–0.03 ng/mL), high enrichment ability (enrichment factor, 327–343), and good reproducibility. Moreover, the method showed satisfactory recoveries in the detection of lake water (80.60%-116.2%) and egg sample (75.17%-120.0%). Impressively, Fe3O4@PDVB has excellent adsorption capacity, which can realize rapid kinetic adsorption of bisphenols with equilibrium time all less than 10 s. The maximum adsorption capacities reached 1074.8, 1049.7, 1299.1 and 1329.5 mg/g for bisphenol F, bisphenol A, bisphenol B and bisphenol AF with Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption mechanism of Fe3O4@PDVB to bisphenols was investigated and demonstrated that hydrophobic interactions played a key role, together with assistance of stacking interactions and hydrogen interactions. Overall, this work provides a promising sorbent material with ultra-fast and large adsorption capacities for extraction of bisphenols from water.
The prototype material, Li1.23Ru0.41Ni0.36O2, is proposed to gain the deep and comprehensive understanding of chemical and structural changes of the novel layered/rocksalt intergrown cathodes. Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectra and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering reveal that both cationic and anionic redox evolves in the charge compensation process of the intergrown material, while synchrotron-based extended X-ray fine structure spectra and in situ X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrates that the intergrown material undergoes minimal local- and long-range structural variations at deep de/lithiation. This work highlights the great potential of the intergrown structure to inspire the design of advanced cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
Human β-galactosidase (β-gal) is recognized as a crucial biomarker for evaluating senescence at the cellular and tissue levels in humans. However, tools to precisely track the endogenous β-gal are still limited. Herein, we present two novel self-calibrating β-gal probes 7a and 7b which were constructed on a unique green/red dual-emissive fluorescence platform. The two probes inherently exhibited a stable green fluorescence signal impervious to β-gal activity, serving as a reliable internal reference. They also displayed a progressively diminishing red fluorescence signal with the increasing of β-gal expression levels. The dual behavior endows them with self-calibration capacity and then renders excellently selective and sensitive for precisely monitoring β-gal activity. Notably, compared with E. coli β-gal, the two probes are more effectively response to A. oryzae β-gal homologous to human β-gal, indicating their unique species-selectivity. Furthermore, 7a was validated for its effectiveness in determining senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) expression in senescent NRK-52E and HepG2 cells, underscoring its practical applicability in senescence research.
Highly active cathode catalysts for efficient formation/decomposition of Li2O2 are essential for the performance improvement of lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs). In this study, a grain-refining Co0.85Se catalyst with a lattice spacing of 2.69 Å of (101) plane closely matching with the (100) plane (2.72 Å) of Li2O2 was applied for high-performance LOBs. Highly (101) plane exposed Co0.85Se@CNT was synthesized by a simple one-pot hydrothermal method. The Co0.85Se with the lattice matching effect not only led to the efficient conversion and polarized growth of Li2O2, but also prevented the formation of byproducts. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that Co0.85Se (101) plane has the intrinsic catalytic ability to generate/decompose Li2O2 during ORR/OER process, due to its homogeneous electron distribution, suitable adsorption energy, and promoted Li2O2 growth kinetics. As a consequence, the (101) plane highly exposed Co0.85Se@CNT-80 electrode exhibited remarkable cycle stability over 2400 h at 100 mA/g and 290 cycles at 500 mA/g, which is about 2 times longer than other electrodes.
To address the pressing global need for carbon-neutral fuels, optimizing the conversion of biomass to bio-oil (bio-chemicals) is crucial. Here, we introduce MXene (Ti3C2Tx) as an innovative catalyst in biomass pyrolysis, exhibiting significant prowess in boosting levoglucosan yields. Py-GC/MS analysis indicated a remarkable 438% enhancement in levoglucosan yield when a 5 wt% catalyst-to-biomass ratio was employed. Laboratory-scale studies achieved an impressive 13.95 wt% levoglucosan in ex-situ fixed-bed catalytic pyrolysis, a yield that is 19.6 times higher than that from pure biomass at 40 wt% catalyst loading. Recycling evaluations affirm the robust stability of the MXene catalyst, validating its potential for multiple use cycles in eco-friendly industrial levoglucosan production.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising cancer treatment modality owing to its high spatiotemporal selectivity and noninvasive nature. However, conventional photosensitizers (PSs) used in PDT are responsive only to visible light, which makes them unsuitable for tissue penetration. In this study, we propose a PS based on hot band absorption (HBA), which can be triggered by anti-Stokes light at 808 nm via a one-photon process. The introduction of selenium (Se) into pentamethine cyanine (Secy5) not only facilitates intersystem crossing for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production but also enhances HBA efficiency, thereby prolonging the excitation wavelength. In addition, Secy5 demonstrates excellent biocompatibility, unlike its I-substituted counterpart (Icy5), and produces not only 1O2 but also O2•−, making it a desirable candidate for treating hypoxic solid tumors. According to the results of in vivo and in vitro experiments, Secy5 can efficiently inhibit cancer cell growth via anti-Stokes activation processes, thereby providing a novel approach to design anti-Stokes excitation PSs for anticancer treatment.
Colorectal cancer is a common cancer worldwide. Traditional chemotherapeutic drugs often face limitations such as poor aqueous solubility and high systemic toxicity, which can lead to adverse side effects and limited therapeutic efficacy. In this study, a library of one kind of biodegradable and biocompatible polymer, leucine based-poly(ester amide)s (Leu-PEAs) was developed and utilized as drug carrier. The structure of Leu-PEAs can be tuned to alter their physicochemical properties, enhancing drug loading capacity and delivery efficiency. Leu-PEAs can self-assemble into nanoparticles by nanoprecipitation and load paclitaxel (PTX) with the diameter of ~108 nm and PTX loading capacity of ~8.5%. PTX-loaded Leu-PEAs nanoparticles (PTX@Leu-PEAs) demonstrated significant inhibition of CT26 cell growth in vitro. In vivo, these nanoparticles exhibited prolonged tumor accumulation and antitumor effects, with no observed toxicity to normal organs. Furthermore, blank Leu-PEAs nanoparticles also showed antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo, which may be attributed to the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway by leucine. Consequently, this biocompatible Leu-PEAs nano-drug delivery system shows potential as a promising strategy for colorectal cancer treatment, warranting further investigation.
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