Latest ArticlesTiO2 has been widely studied as one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to good structural stability and small volume changes. However, its applications are still greatly affected by its poor electrical conductivity. In this work, ultrasmall TiO2 quantum dots (QDs) are firmly grown onto 2D Ti3C2Tx nanosheets (A-TiO2/Ti3C2Tx), benefiting from the positive regulation of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES). Interestingly, SiO2 nanoparticles produced by the hydrolysis of APTES can strengthen the strong coupling of TiO2 QDs with Ti3C2Tx, thereby enhancing the structural integrity of the composite. As expected, the A-TiO2/Ti3C2Tx composite demonstrates an exceptional lithium storage performance, achieving a high capacity of 425.4 mAh/g for 400 cycles at 0.1 A/g, and an outstanding long-term cycling stability. In-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and theoretical analysis unconver that the superior lithium storage performance is attributed to its unique heterostructure and in-situ N doping derived from APTES, which not only reduces the Li+ adsorption energy, but also gives the fast charge transfer dynamics.
Aryl-ether bonds are facile to attack by oxidizing radicals, thus stimulating the exploitation of ether-free polymers as proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for the long-lasting operation of fuel cells. In this study, a novel class of PEMs derived from all-carbon fluorinated backbone polymers containing sulfide-linked alkyl sulfonic acid side chains have been developed through a straightforward and effective synthetic procedure. The sulfide-linked alkyl sulfonate groups were tethered to the poly(triphenylene pentafluorophenyl) backbone through a quantified and site-specific para-fluoro-thiol click reaction. Owing to the existence of obvious phase separation morphology between hydrophobic main chain and hydrophilic sulfonate groups in the side chains, resulting PEMs demonstrated favorable proton conductivity of 142.5 mS/cm at 80 ℃, while maintaining excellent dimensional stability with an in-plane swelling ratio of <17% as well as a through-plane swelling ratio of <25%. They also exhibit elevated thermal decomposition temperatures (Td5% exceeding 300 ℃) alongside high tensile strength (>50 MPa). Furthermore, the ether-free full-carbon fluorinated main chain and the -S- group in the side chain, which serves as an effective free-radical scavenger, providing good chemical stability during Fenton's test. The PEMs achieved a maximum power density of 407 mW/cm2 in a single H2/air fuel cell, and an open-circuit voltage decline rate of 0.275 mV/h in a durability test at 30% RH and 80 ℃. Concurrently, the hydrogen crossover current density is only 1/3 of that of Nafion 212. These findings reveal that the resulted PEMs display considerable antioxidative properties along with commendable performance, with prospective applications in proton exchange membrane fuel cells.
Broadband photothermal and photoacoustic agents in the near-infrared (NIR) biowindow are of significance for cancer phototheranostics. In this work, PtCu nanosheets with an average lateral size of less than 10 nm are synthesized as NIR photothermal and photoacoustic agents in vivo, which show strong light absorption from NIR-Ⅰ to NIR-Ⅱ biowindows with the photothermal conversion efficiencies of 20.4% under 808 nm laser and 32.7% under 1064 nm laser. PtCu nanosheets functionalized with folic acid-modified thiol-poly(ethylene glycol) (SH-PEG-FA) present good biocompatibility and 4T1 tumor-targeted effect, which give high-contrast photoacoustic imaging and efficient photothermal ablation of 4T1 tumor in both NIR-Ⅰ and NIR-Ⅱ biowindows. Our work significantly broadens applications of noble metal-based nanomaterials in the fields of cancer phototheranostics by rationally designing their structures and modulating their physicochemical properties.
For large-scale energy storage devices, all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been revered for the abundant resources, low cost, safety performance and a wide operating temperature range. Na-ion solid-state electrolytes (Na-ion SSEs) are the critical parts and mostly determine the electrochemical performance of SIBs. Among the studied ones, inorganic Na-ion SSEs stand out for their good safety performance and high ionic conductivity. In this review, we outline the research progress of inorganic SSEs in SIBs based on the perspectives of crystal structure, performance optimization, synthesis methods, all-solid-state SIBs, interface modification and related characterization techniques. We hope to provide some ideas for the design of future high-performance Na-ion SSEs.
Enhancing the corrosion resistance of carriers within Fenton-like systems and inhibiting the migration and aggregation of single atoms in reaction environments are essential for maintaining both high activity and stability at catalytic sites, thus meeting fundamental requirements for practical application. The Fenton-like process of activating various strong oxidants by silicon-based single atom catalysts (SACs) prepared based on silicon-based materials (mesoporous silica, silicon-based minerals, and organosilicon materials) has unique advantages such as structural stability (especially important under strong oxidation conditions) and environmental protection. In this paper, the preparation strategies for the silicon-based SACs were assessed first, and the structural characteristics of various silicon-based SACs are systematically discussed, their application process and mechanism in Fenton-like process to achieve water purification are investigated, and the progress of Fenton-like process in density functional theory (DFT) of silicon-based derived single atom catalysts is summarized. In this paper, the preparation strategies and applications of silicon-based derived SACs are analyzed in depth, and their oxidation activities and pathways to different pollutants in water are reviewed. In addition, this paper also summarizes the device design and application of silicon-based derived SACs, and prospects the future development of silicon-based SACs in Fenton-like applications.
Recently, CsPbBr3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered attention due to cost-effectiveness and reliability. However, hole transport limitations lead to charge recombination and lower power conversion efficiency (PCE). Defects in the CsPbBr3 layer, poor hole transport at the interface with carbon electrodes, and energy level differences hinder performance. Optimizing the perovskite layer using electron-donating organic molecules containing -NH2 groups enhances efficiency and stability by passivating defects and modulating lattice structure. In this work, tetra(4-aminophenyl)ethylene (TPE) and tetra(4-aminobiphenyl)ethylene (TPE-Ph) were employed to optimize the CsPbBr3/carbon electrode interface. Their strong electron-donating properties and amino groups facilitate hole transfer and defect passivation, boosting PCE to 9.38% and enhancing stability.
Protein damage repair and prevention are important objectives in skin care industry. Skin protein damage or modifications such as glycation, carbonylation or oxidation, have a significant impact on its function, therefore directly influencing various skin functions or properties including skin appearance. However, there is a lack of comprehensive methods to visualize and assess the protein damage. In this article, we present a three-channel imaging approach to simultaneously visualize and quantitatively evaluate protein oxidation, protein glycation and carbonylation in a full-thickness skin model. We successfully visualized and quantified the impact of the multiple stimuli (ultraviolet radiation A (UVA) and/or methylglyoxal) as well as treatment effect of positive control (vitamins C and E) with this method. Our findings indicate that multiple stimuli exhibit synergistic effects on protein damage. Furthermore, we evaluated a unique combination of skin care ingredients which demonstrated an excellent efficacy in resisting protein damage. Further research revealed that three ingredients of the combination upregulate autophagy in cells, which may contribute to remove damaged proteins and maintain protein quality homeostasis. This method provides a holistic assessment of protein damages and can be employed to evaluate the impact of various stimuli or to assess the efficacy of skin care ingredients in mitigating such damage.
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