Zhaoyang Fan

A novel CdS/ZnO heterojunction constructed of zero-dimensional (0D) CdS quantum dots (QDs) and two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanosheets (NSs) was rationally designed for the first time. The 2D ZnO NSs were assembled into ZnO microflowers (MFs) via an ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal procedure (100 °C, 12 h) in the presence of a NaOH solution (0.06 M), and CdS QDs were deposited on both sides of every ZnO NS in situ by using the successive ionic-layer absorption and reaction method. It was found that the ultrasonic treatment played an important role in the generation of ZnO NSs, while NaOH was responsible to the assembly of a flower-like structure. The obtained CdS/ZnO 0D/2D heterostructures exhibited remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution from water splitting in comparison with other CdS/ZnO heterostructures with different dimensional combinations such as 2D/2D, 0D/three-dimensional (3D), and 3D/0D. Among them, CdS/ZnO-12 (12 deposition cycles of CdS QDs) exhibited the highest hydrogen evolution rate of 22.12 mmol/g/h, which was 13 and 138 times higher than those of single CdS (1.68 mmol/g/h) and ZnO (0.16 mmol/g/h), respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to several positive factors, such as the formation of a Z-scheme photocatalytic system, the tiny size effect of 0D CdS QDs and 2D ZnO NSs, and the intimate contact between CdS QDs and ZnO NSs. The formation of a Z-scheme photocatalytic system remarkably promoted the separation and migration of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The tiny size effect effectively decreased the recombination probability of electrons and holes. The intimate contact between the two semiconductors efficiently reduced the migration resistance of photogenerated carriers. Furthermore, CdS/ZnO-12 also presented excellent stability for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution without any decay within five cycles in 25 h.

Developing photocatalysts with high charge separation and transfer efficiency remains a key challenge for photocatalytic water-splitting reaction. In this work, a facial approach was explored to successfully realize the in situ growth of g-C3N4 on the surface of C-doped TiO2 hollow nanospheres (C-TiO2). The as-obtained heterogeneous photocatalyst, C-TiO2@g-C3N4 (TCN), presented core-shell hollow nanosphere structure. Systematic studies disclose that the TCN photocatalysts exhibit remarkably enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for water splitting to produce H2 compared with the pristine C-TiO2 and g-C3N4. The TCN-2 photocatalyst (the weight ratio of initial urea and C-TiO2 is 2:1) presents the highest H2 generation rate of 35.6 μmol g−1 h−1, which is 22.7 and 10.5 times higher than that of C-TiO2 and g-C3N4, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the formation of the heterojunction between the two semiconductors, which effectively promotes the separation of photo-generated carriers. Meanwhile, the intimate contact between the C-TiO2 and g-C3N4 resulted from the in situ growth greatly improves the separation and transfer efficiency of photo-generated carries. Besides, the enhancement in the utilization efficiency of light energy due to the unique hollow structure also exhibits a positive contribution.

Photocatalytic H2 evolution is highly attractive for converting abundant solar energy to valuable fuel. Herein, we report the use of an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology to fabricate a new class of [email protected] core-shell heterostructure. The rationally designed ultrathin ZnO shell not only allows the light to be absorbed by CdS core, but also provides an intimate heterojunction interface between ZnO shell and CdS core. The amount of ZnO shell coated on CdS core is finely tuned by the number of deposition cycles, and the obtained [email protected] with 100 ALD deposition cycles displays the optimal photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 11.36 mmol/g/h. When Pt and PdS are used as the co-catalysts, the H2 evolution rates are further enhanced to 71.39 and 98.82 mmol/g/h, respectively, which are 4.1 and 5.7 times higher than the highest reported value (17.40 mmol/g/h) among CdS-ZnO catalyst systems. Detailed characterization reveals that the drastically enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to not only efficient space separation of the photo-induced electrons and holes resulted from the formation of a direct Z-scheme photocatalytic system between crystalline ZnO and CdS, but also the intimate contact at molecular scale between the two semiconductors. Due to the coverage of ALD-prepared crystalline ZnO shell on CdS core, the [email protected] core-shell structures exhibit excellent photostability.

Quercetin (Q), a common dietary flavonoid, has gained research attention in cancer chemo-prevention, but its low level of aqueous solubility, stability, cellular bioavailability has limited its application. We have synthesized biocompatible and biodegradable Q-nanostructured lipid carriers (Q-NLC) using a novel phase inversion-based process method. The average size of Q-NLC was 32 nm in diameter. Q-NLC had good chemical and physical stability, and showed a sustained release pattern. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of Q-NLC were 95% and 11%, respectively. The aqueous solubility of Q was dramatically improved by at least 1000 folds. The results from Raman spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated that Q presented in NLC as an encapsulated molecule form. As compared to native Q, Q-NLC dramatically increased cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner (1-50 μM) and induced apoptosis at 20 μM in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The enhanced cytotoxicity and apoptosis were parallel to increased Q uptake by those cancer cells. Void NLC did not change the viability and apoptosis of those cancer cells as compared to phosphate buffered saline. In conclusion, Q-NLC dramatically enhanced the anti-cancer activities of Q, which were associated with enhanced Q solubility and stability, and increased Q content in those cancer cells. Q-NLC have a potential for chemo-preventive use in breast cancer.

One-dimensional hierarchical nanostructure of NiCo2O4 nanosheets@halloysite nanotubes was successfully prepared through a facile coprecipitation method followed by a thermal annealing treatment. The microstructure and chemical composition of NiCo2O4 nanosheets@halloysite nanotubes are investigated by SEM, TEM, HRTEM, XRD, and XPS. The specific capacitance of the unique NiCo2O4 nanosheets@halloysite nanotubes is 1728 F g–1 at the end of 8600 cycles when the charge–discharge current density is 10 A g–1, leading to only 5.26% capacity loss. Broadly, the as-obtained NiCo2O4 nanosheets@halloysite nanotubes reveal ultrahigh capacitance and remarkable cycling stability in virtue of the ultrathin and hierarchical nanosheets and intense cation/anion exchange performance of halloysite.

A unique hybrid nanostructure of ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets on CMK-3 is designed and fabricated as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. With advantages of the nanosheets-on-channel architecture, the MoS2@CMK-3 electrode is able to deliver a high discharge capacity of 934 mAh g−1 even after 150 cycles at a current density of 400 mA g−1. As a service to our authors and readers, this journal provides supporting information supplied by the authors. Such materials are peer reviewed and may be re-organized for online delivery, but are not copy-edited or typeset. Technical support issues arising from supporting information (other than missing files) should be addressed to the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

Gadolinium (Gd) has been used as a dopant to modify MnOx for enhanced catalytic performance and sulfur resistance in the application of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3 for the first time. The results show that the introduction of Gd with proper amount can effectively restrain the crystallization of MnOx, enhance the specific surface area, increase the concentrations of surface Mn4+ and chemisorbed oxygen species, and enhance the amount and the strength of surface acid sites. The MnGdO-2 catalyst (Gd-modified MnOx with the mole ratio of Gd/Mn = 0.1) exhibits optimal catalytic performance among all prepared catalysts with a 100% NO conversion performance in a wide temperature window from 120 to 330 °C and a 100% N2 selectivity from 150 to 300 °C under a high space velocity of 36,000 h−1. In-situ DRIFT spectra reveal that the Gd doping can promote the NH3 adsorption on the catalyst pre-adsorbed with NOx species, facilitating the reactive NH4+ species taking part in the SCR reaction. More importantly, MnGdO-2 catalyst presents stronger resistance to water vapor or sulfur poisoning in comparison with pure MnOx catalyst, which can be ascribed to these facts that Gd-modification restrains the transformation of MnO2 to Mn2O3 and the generation of MnSO4, impedes the decrease in Lewis acid sites and the increase in Brønsted acid sites, and alleviates the competitive adsorption between the NO and SO2. This work may provide new insights into the effects of rare earth modification on the de-NOx mechanism and the SO2 resistance mechanism of MnOx catalysts.

In this work, a novel porous nanoneedlelike MnOx-FeOx catalyst (MnOx-FeOx nanoneedles) was developed for the first time by rationally heat-treating metal-organic frameworks including MnFe precursor synthesized by hydrothermal method. A counterpart catalyst (MnOx-FeOx nanoparticles) without porous nanoneedle structure was also prepared by a similar procedure for comparison. The two catalysts were systematically characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction, ammonia temperature-programmed desorption, and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (in situ DRIFT), and their catalytic activities were evaluated by selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx by NH3. The results showed that the rationally designed MnOx-FeOx nanoneedles presented outstanding low-temperature NH3-SCR activity (100% NOx conversion in a wide temperature window from 120 to 240 °C), high selectivity for N2 (nearly 100% N2 selectivity from 60 to 240 °C), and excellent water resistance and stability in comparison with the counterpart MnOx-FeOx nanoparticles. The reasons can be attributed not only to the unique porous nanoneedle structure but also to the uniform distribution of MnOx and FeOx. More importantly, the desired Mn4+/Mnn+ and Oα/(Oα + Oβ) ratios, as well as rich redox sites and abundant strong acid sites on the surface of the porous MnOx-FeOx nanoneedles, also contribute to these excellent performances. In situ DRIFT suggested that the NH3-SCR of NO over MnOx-FeOx nanoneedles follows both Eley-Rideal and Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanisms.

MoS₂ nanosheet@TiO₂ nanotube hybrid nanostructures show enhanced cycling performance and rate capability as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

CMK-3, a member of the ordered mesoporous carbon materials, has been considered as one of the most leading electrode materials due to its high conductivity, uniform diameter, an interconnected mesoporous structure with a large pore volume and a highly ordered hexagonal morphology. However, the relatively low specific capacity of CMK-3 can be substantially improved by hybridizing with NiO. Herein, we demonstrate a simple precipitation method followed by a calcination treatment to fabricate ultrathin NiO nanosheets (NiO-NSs) on highly ordered CMK-3 such that the final electrode composite displays a novel nanosheets-mesoporous structure. The as-synthesized electrode composite exhibits excellent electrochemical stability and high rate performance, which can be ascribed to the hybrid structures of NiO-NSs and the conductive mesoporous matrix. The porous ultrathin NiO-NSs and the inner channels of CMK-3 are beneficial for the lithium ion diffusion while the conductive interconnected CMK-3 network is favorable to fast electron transfer. The suggested nanosheet-mesoporous structure provides a promising innovative design for battery electrodes with improved electrochemical performance.

Two Mn/CeO2 catalysts were successfully prepared by the impregnation of Mn precursor on two supports, CeO2 microspheres (CeO2-MSs) and CeO2 microrods (CeO2-MRs), respectively. The obtained Mn/CeO2-MSs and Mn/CeO2-MRs catalysts were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, N2 physical adsorption, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, H2-TPR, NH3-TPD and in situ DRIFT in detail, and their catalytic activities and N2 selectivities were studied by selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3. The results showed that the Mn/CeO2-MSs catalyst presented much superior catalytic activity to the counterpart Mn/CeO2-MRs catalyst, and an almost 100% NOx conversion was maintained at 150–240 °C under a high space velocity of 36,000 h−1. The high catalytic performance of Mn/CeO2-MSs can be attributed to a series of better properties in comparison with Mn/CeO2-MRs, such as unique [email protected]@shell microsphere structure, much larger specific surface area, higher relative percentages of Mn4+/Mnn+ and Ce3+/(Ce3+Ce4+), more easily reduced of Mn species, more Brønsted acid sites. Furthermore, Mn/CeO2-MSs catalyst presented excellent resistance to H2O deactivation and SO2 poison, and the SCR reaction mechanism over Mn/CeO2-MSs followed both E-R and L-H mechanisms.

A series of Sm-modified MnOx-TiO2 (SMT) catalysts are prepared and characterized. The results show that the introduction of Sm can effectively restrain the crystallization process of MnOx and TiO2, enhance the specific surface area, increase the surface concentration of chemisorbed oxygen species and the amount of strong surface acid sites, and reduce the surface concentration of Mn4+. The catalytic performances of the SMT catalysts are evaluated by the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3. It is found that SMT-0.3 catalyst (a 0.3 mol rate of Sm/Mn) exhibits a 100% NOx conversion in a wide operating temperature window from 180 to 390 °C, and a 100% N2 selectivity from 120 to 390 °C under a GHSV of 36,000 h−1, which is obviously better than MnOx-TiO2 without Sm addition. In-situ DRIFT spectra reveal that, at low temperature (below 200 °C), absorbed NH3 species can react with gas-phase NO over MnOx-TiO2 catalyst following Eley-Rideal (E-R) mechanism, while the NH3-SCR of NO over SMT-0.3 follows both E-R and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanisms. However, at high temperature (above 200 °C), the SCR reaction over MnOx-TiO2 is via “standard SCR” process, but the SCR reaction over SMT-0.3 is through “fast SCR” reaction.

Abstract Two‐dimensional/two‐dimensional (2D/2D) stacking heterostructures are highly desirable in fabricating efficient photocatalysts because face‐to‐face contact can provide a maximized interfacial region between the two semiconductors; this largely facilitates the migration of charge carriers. Herein, a WS 2 /graphitic carbon nitride (CN) 2D/2D nanosheet heterostructure decorated with CdS quantum dots (QDs) has been designed, for the first time. Optimized CdS/WS 2 /CN without another cocatalyst exhibits a significantly enhanced photocatalytic H 2 evolution rate of 1174.5 μmol h −1 g −1 under visible‐light irradiation ( λ >420 nm), which is nearly 67 times higher than that of the pure CN nanosheets. The improved photocatalytic activity can be primarily attributed to the highly efficient charge‐transfer pathways built among the three components, which effectively accelerate the separation and transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes, and thus, inhibit their recombination. Moreover, the extended light‐absorption range also contributes to excellent photocatalytic efficiency. In addition, the CdS/WS 2 /CN photocatalyst shows excellent stability and reusability without apparent decay in the photocatalytic H 2 evolution within 4 cycles in 20 h. It is believed that this work may shed light on specifically designed 2D/2D nanosheet heterostructures for more efficient visible‐light‐driven photocatalysts.

Abstract The Z‐scheme photocatalytic system for water splitting based on semiconductors has exhibited great potential for H 2 fuel production from renewable resources. In this work, we constructed g‐C 3 N 4 /Au/C‐TiO 2 hollow spheres as an all‐solid‐state Z‐scheme photocatalytic system with Au nanoparticles as the electron mediator. The as‐synthesized g‐C 3 N 4 /Au/C‐TiO 2 photocatalyst showed a remarkably enhanced photocatalytic H 2 evolution rate under visible‐light irradiation ( λ >420 nm), which was 86 and 42 times higher than those of pure C‐TiO 2 and g‐C 3 N 4 , respectively. The enhancement of photocatalytic performance can be mainly attributed to the intentionally designed Z‐scheme system, which not only promoted the efficient transfer and separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, but also retained the strong redox ability of the charge carriers. In addition, the Z‐scheme system also achieved high visible‐light absorption and utilization owing to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of Au nanoparticles and hollow structures of C‐TiO 2 . All the factors synergistically promote the photocatalytic activity of the g‐C 3 N 4 /Au/C‐TiO 2 hollow nanospheres, providing a promising method for the rational design of highly efficient visible‐light‐driven photocatalysts.

The chemopreventive actions exerted by green tea are thought to be due to its major polyphenol, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). However, the low level of stability and bioavailability in the body makes administering EGCG at chemopreventive doses unrealistic. We synthesized EGCG encapsulated chitosan-coated nanoliposomes (CSLIPO-EGCG), and observed their antiproliferative and proapoptotic effect in MCF7 breast cancer cells. CSLIPO-EGCG significantly enhanced EGCG stability, improved sustained release, increased intracellular EGCG content in MCF7 cells, induced apoptosis of MCF7 cells, and inhibited MCF7 cell proliferation compared to native EGCG and void CSLIPO. The CSLIPO-EGCG retained its antiproliferative and proapoptotic effectiveness at 10 μM or lower, at which native EGCG does not have any beneficial effects. This study portends a potential breakthrough in the prevention or even treatment of breast cancer by using biocompatible and biodegradable CSLIPO-EGCG with enhanced chemopreventive efficacy and minimized immunogenicity and side-effects.

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with NH3 is the most efficient and economic flue gas denitrification technology developed to date. Due to its high low-temperature catalytic activity, Mn-based catalysts present a great prospect for application in SCR de-NOx at low temperatures. However, overcoming the poor resistance of Mn-based catalysts to H2O and SO2 poison is still a challenge. This paper reviews the recent progress on the H2O and SO2 resistance of Mn-based catalysts for the low-temperature SCR of NOx. Firstly, the poison mechanisms of H2O and SO2 are introduced in detail, respectively. Secondly, Mn-based catalysts are divided into three categories—single MnOx catalysts, Mn-based multi-metal oxide catalysts, and Mn-based supported catalysts—to review the research progress of Mn-based catalysts for H2O and SO2 resistance. Thirdly, several strategies to reduce the poisonous effects of H2O and SO2, such as metal modification, proper support, the combination of metal modification and support, the rational design of structure and morphology, are summarized. Finally, perspectives and future directions of Mn-based catalysts for the low-temperature SCR of NOx are proposed.

A novel flower-like In₂S₃/CdIn₂S₄/In₂O₃ ternary heterostructure is rationally constructed for the first time, and it shows significantly enhanced photocatalytic H₂ production.

MnM2O4 microspheres (M = Co, Cu, Ni) were successfully prepared by a hydrothermal method. The catalytic activities of the as-prepared MnM2O4 microspheres were comparatively investigated by the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH3, and their reaction mechanisms were studied by in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT). The results showed that MnCo2O4 presented the best low-temperature catalytic activity (nearly 100% NOx conversion in a wide temperature window from 120 to 330 °C under a high gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 36,000 h−1), the best N2 selectivity (100% N2 selectivity in the temperature range from 60 to 360 °C), and excellent water resistance. The high catalytic activity of MnCo2O4 was mainly attributed to the large quantity of surface acid sites with dominant Brønsted acid sites rather than Lewis acid sites. In addition, larger SBET and higher surface Mn4+ concentration also had positive effect on its catalytic activity. Contrastively, the least number of surface acid sites with dominant Lewis acid sites rather than Brønsted acid sites over MnCu2O4 resulted in its worst low-temperature catalytic activity. The catalytic activity of MnNi2O4 was in the middle. In-situ DRIFT revealed that the NH3-SCR of NO over MnCo2O4 and MnNi2O4 followed both Eley-Rideal (E-R) and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanisms. For MnCu2O4, the reaction was dominated by E-R mechanism.

Featuring light weight and high specific capacity, lithium (Li) metal anode has been regarded as the “Holy Grail” for lithium-ion based batteries. The barriers in terms of mossy and dendritic Li formation and infinite volume expansion should be overcome before its application in practice. Herein, we propose a three-dimensional (3D) CNT host on Cu foil, serving as an integrated electrode ([email protected]) to stabilize Li metal cyclic behavior. The 3D host is prepared by growing CNT sponge on the Cu substrate directly and seamlessly. Stable cycling with high Coulombic efficiency of ~ 99% is achieved at a current density of 1 mA/cm2 over 250 cycles. In contrast, the bare Cu electrode presents a mossy-like Li morphology with a low Coulombic efficiency of ~ 60% after 150 cycles. The results reveal that the effective manipulation of Li deposition in this unique 3D host successfully suppresses the growth of Li dendrites.

Atherosclerosis is the key pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, which is a silent killer and a leading cause of death in the United States. Atherosclerosis starts with the adhesion of inflammatory monocytes on the activated endothelial cells in response to inflammatory stimuli. These monocytes can further migrate into the intimal layer of the blood vessel where they differentiate into macrophages, which take up oxidized low-density lipoproteins and release inflammatory factors to amplify the local inflammatory response. After accumulation of cholesterol, the lipid-laden macrophages are transformed into foam cells, the hallmark of the early stage of atherosclerosis. Foam cells can die from apoptosis or necrosis, and the intracellular lipid is deposed in the artery wall forming lesions. The angiogenesis for nurturing cells is enhanced during lesion development. Proteases released from macrophages, foam cells, and other cells degrade the fibrous cap of the lesion, resulting in rupture of the lesion and subsequent thrombus formation. Thrombi can block blood circulation, which represents a major cause of acute heart events and stroke. There are generally no symptoms in the early stages of atherosclerosis. Current detection techniques cannot easily, safely, and effectively detect the lesions in the early stages, nor can they characterize the lesion features such as the vulnerability. While the available therapeutic modalities cannot target specific molecules, cells, and processes in the lesions, nanoparticles appear to have a promising potential in improving atherosclerosis detection and treatment via targeting the intimal macrophages, foam cells, endothelial cells, angiogenesis, proteolysis, apoptosis, and thrombosis. Indeed, many nanoparticles have been developed in improving blood lipid profile and decreasing inflammatory response for enhancing therapeutic efficacy of drugs and decreasing their side effects. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2017, 9:e1412. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1412 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

As a member of the ternary metal oxide family, nickel cobaltite is considered as a promising electrode material. This is due to its high theoretical capacity, low diffusional resistance to protons, ease of electrolyte penetration, superior ionic/electronic conductivity and higher electrochemical activity compared to single metallic oxides such as NiO or Co3O4. However, NiCo2O4's relatively low electrical conductivity and its tendency to pulverize due to the volume changes experienced during the charge–discharge process remain a pressing issue to be solved. Here we demonstrate a simple co-precipitation and calcination routine to graft ultrathin NiCo2O4 nanosheets onto highly-ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-3 to form a new mesoporous-nanosheet structure which can accommodate stresses induced by volume changes and provide favourable conducting paths. The material exhibits a high specific surface area and excellent electrochemical performance, which can be ascribed to the ultrathin NiCo2O4 nanosheets and the interconnected conductive network of the mesoporous matrix. The nanosheets and the inner channels of CMK-3 are more beneficial to the diffusion of Li+ while the interconnected conductive network favours fast electron conduction.

This research aims to enhance the SO2 tolerance of manganese oxide (MnOx) catalysts for low-temperature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) de-NOx. Based on the deactivation mechanism of MnOx, we target at the promotion of the byproduct (NH4HSO4) decomposition and the inhibition of the byproduct (MnSO4) formation. To achieve this target, thermogravimetric (TG) and temperature programmed desorption of SO2 (SO2-TPD) are performed upon as many as 21 kinds of single metal oxides to explore the potentially effective chemical composition as the additive of MnOx catalysts. The TG result indicates that Al2O3 can remarkably decrease the thermal stability of NH4HSO4. In addition, the SO2-TPD analysis reveals that the formed species after SO2 adsorption are weakly adsorbed on Al2O3. Thus, Al2O3 is selected to mix with MnOx to optimize its SO2 tolerance. Further experimental results demonstrate that the proper introduction of Al2O3 can effectively enhance the low-temperature SCR de-NOx activity and the SO2 tolerance of MnOx. It is revealed that the introduction of Al2O3 into MnOx can not only facilitate the decomposition of NH4HSO4 but also lead to reduced thermal stability of the adsorbed SO2 species to some extent. As compared to the pristine MnOx, the slight introduction of Al2O3 as the additive is beneficial to the low-temperature SCR de-NOx activity and SO2 tolerance of MnOx.

QiShenYiQi is a Chinese herbal formula composed of Astragalus membranaceus Fisch. ex Bunge, root; Slauia miltiorrhiza Bunge, root and rhizome; Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H.Chen, root; and Dalbergia odorifera T.C.Chen, heartwood of trunk and root with a proportion of 10:5:1:0.067. Its dripping pills were approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in 2003 and could be used in the clinical treatment of ischemic heart diseases. Ferroptosis is an important pathological mechanism in the process of myocardial ischemia (MI). Whether QSYQ can improve ferroptosis induced by myocardial ischemia is still unclear. In this study, the potential mechanisms of QSYQ against ferroptosis in MI-induced injury were investigated. The main components of QSYQ were analyzed by HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. MI model was established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery and then treated with QSYQ dropping pills for 14 days. The cardiac function of mice was evaluated by echocardiography. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Masson's trichrome staining were used to detect the pathological changes in heart tissue. Serum biochemical indexes were analyzed by biochemical kit. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to observe the mitochondria ultrastructure and mitochondrial ROS was detected by immunofluorescence. Then, photoacoustic imaging was used to observe the redox status of the mice’ hearts. Finally, the mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis related proteins and the proteins of ferroptosis were analyzed by western blotting. RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression changes of ferroptosis. A total of 20 principal components of QSYQ were characterized by HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. QSYQ significantly improved cardiac function and myocardial injury in MI mice. Furthermore, the lipid peroxidation change levels (MDA, 4-HNE, and GSH) in serum were attenuated and myocardial iron content was reduced after QSYQ treatment. On this basis, QSYQ also improved the expression changes of ferroptosis related mRNA and proteins. In addition, QSYQ promoted mitochondrial biogenesis (PGC-1α, Nrf1, and TFAM) and mitochondrial fusion (MFN-2 and OPA1) and inhibited mitochondrial excessive fission (Phosphorylation of Drp1 at ser616) in vitro and in vivo, indicating that the cardioprotection of QSYQ might be related to promoting mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamic homeostasis. In summary, QSYQ could alleviate MI-induced ferroptosis by improving mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamic homeostasis.

Trans-resveratrol (R) has a potential to increase energy expenditure via inducing browning in white adipose tissue. However, its low levels of aqueous solubility, stability, and poor bioavailability limit its application. We have successfully synthesized biocompatible, and biodegradable R encapsulated lipid nanocarriers (R-nano), and R encapsulated liposomes (R-lipo). The mean particle size of R-nano and R-lipo were 140 nm and 110 nm, respectively, and their polydispersity index values were less than 0.2. Nanoencapsulation significantly increased aqueous solubility and enhanced chemical stability of R, especially at 37 °C. R-lipo had higher physical and chemical stability than R-nano while R-nano had more prolonged release than R-lipo. Both R-nano and R-lipo increased cellular R content in 3T3-L1 cells. Both R-nano and R-lipo dose-dependently induced uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) mRNA expression and decreased white specific marker insulin growth factor binding protein 3 expression under isoproterenol (ISO)-stimulated conditions. At the low dose (5 μM), nanoencapsulated compared to native R enhanced UCP1 and beige marker CD137 expression under ISO-stimulated conditions. Compared to R-nano, R-lipo had better biological activity, possibly due to its higher physical and chemical stability at the room and body temperature. Taken together, our study demonstrates that nanoencapsulation increased R's aqueous solubility and stability, which led to enhanced browning of white adipocytes. Even though both R-lipo and R-nano increased R's browning activities, their differential characteristics need to be considered in obesity treatment.

A series of highly active de-NOx catalysts, Eu-modified MnOx-TiO2 (MnTiEu), was prepared by an inverse co-precipitation method. Their physiochemical properties were investigated by XRD, TEM, EDS, BET, XPS and H2-TPR in detail, and their catalytic activities were evaluated by the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH3. The results showed that the introduction of Eu with proper amount into MnOx-TiO2 can effectively restrain the crystallization process of MnOx and TiO2, enhance specific surface area, increase the concentration of both surface Mn4 + and chemisorbed oxygen species, improve the stability of Mn4 + and Mn3 +, reduce the amount of surface acid sites, enhance the strength of surface acid sites. The obtained MnTiEu-0.3 catalyst (the molar rate of Eu/Mn was 0.3 and the mole rate of Mn/Ti was 0.1) exhibited a 100% NOx conversion activity in a wide temperature window from 180 to 390 °C and a 100% N2 selectivity from 120 to 390 °C under a high space velocity of 36,000 h− 1. Furthermore, MnTiEu-0.3 catalyst presented stronger resistance to concurrent H2O and SO2 poison in comparison with MnOx-TiO2 catalyst without Eu addition. In-situ DRIFT spectra suggested that NH3 can be adsorbed on both Lewis and Brønsted acid sites. For MnOx-TiO2 catalyst, both coordinated NH3 species on Lewis acid sites and NH4+ species on Brønsted acid sites can react with gas-phase NO following E-R mechanism. As regards MnTiEu-0.3, the NH3-SCR of NO follows both Eley-Rideal and Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanisms, in which the Eley-Rideal mechanism is predominated.

Novel MoO₃/1T-MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ is developed for the first time, where 1T-MoS₂ acts as an electron mediator to construct an all-solid-state <italic>Z</italic>-scheme photocatalyst.

Crystal facets usually play an important role in the catalytic activity of inorganic single crystals. In this work, two α-Mn2O3 single crystals with an octahedron (exposed with (1 1 1) facet) and a truncated octahedron (exposed with both (1 1 1) and (0 0 1) facets) were successfully prepared by a simple solvent-thermal reaction, and their catalytic activities were evaluated by the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3. The results show that the catalytic performance of the α-Mn2O3 single crystal with a truncated octahedron was enhanced in comparison with the α-Mn2O3 single crystal with an octahedron by the exposure of a small fraction of (0 0 1) facets. This can be attributed to the new active sites created by charge redistribution on the surface of the (0 0 1) facets, which provides more adsorption sites, facilitating the further adsorption and reaction of NH3 and NO molecules, and thereby enhancing the catalytic performance. This work should provide new insight into the understanding of crystal-facet-dependent reactivity and important guides for the design and preparation of SCR catalysts with high activity.

The multiple valence states distributions (VSDs) endowed the catalyst with excellent low temperature de-NOx activity, while little is known about whether the SO2 resistance can be affected by VSDs modulation. In this context, three model manganese oxide catalysts (MnO2, Mn2O3 and Mn3O4) with different valence state distributions were fabricated and evaluated in the NH3-SCR reaction under the presence of SO2. The results show that the three catalysts exhibited a valance-state-dependent SO2 resistance (Mn3O4 > Mn2O3 > MnO2) under the SCR atmosphere with the presence of 100 ppm SO2 at 100 °C within 7 h. Thermal regeneration analysis revealed the overall deactivation was dominated by the remarkably different reversible activity loss proportions, which were found proportionally correlated to the superficial Mn4+/Mnn+ content of the catalysts. Further characterizations indicated the Mn3O4 catalyst with more basic sites and less bulk-like sulfate formation could be the reason for its more slowly deactivation within the limited test period. However, the overall number of basic sites on MnOx is still critically insufficient for longer SO2 resistance test. This work clarified the deactivations details of MnOx from the perspective of valence state distributions, which can provide references for the design of better low temperature SO2-tolerant de-NOx catalyst.

Cu₂MoS₄ was employed as a promising non-noble metal co-catalyst to couple with g-C₃N₄ for highly efficient water splitting.

Abstract The full exposure of active ingredients plays an important role in the enhancement of catalytic performance. In this work, a series of novel catalysts, Mn−Co mixed oxide nanosheets with ultrathin thickness (about 3.5 nm) and different Mn/Co ratios (0.52, 0.69, and 1.52) vertically anchored on a support (H 2 Ti 3 O 7 nanowires), are rationally developed. This unique structure not only fully exposes the active ingredients of the Mn−Co mixed oxides, but also is very favorable for the diffusion and transfer of gas molecules through the space between these standing nanosheets. As expected, the developed catalysts (MnO x ‐CoO y /H 2 Ti 3 O 7 , MnCoTi), especially MnCoTi‐2 with the Mn/Co molar ratio of 0.69, present excellent low‐temperature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) performance, high N 2 selectivity, superior water tolerance and stability. The relative turnover frequency (TOF) value over MnCoTi‐2 at 100 °C is as high as 9.25×10 −4 s −1 under the gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 200 000 h −1 , which is rarely reported among Mn‐Ti, Mn−Co, and Mn−Co‐Ti mixed oxide catalysts. The results of in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy suggest that the coordinated NH 3 , NH 4 + ions, adsorbed NO 2 , and bidentate nitrate are the reactive species and the Eley–Rideal and Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanisms can be simultaneously involved on the surface of the MnCoTi‐2 at a relatively low temperature (90 °C).

Enhancing thermogenic energy expenditure via promoting the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) is a potential therapeutic strategy to manage energy imbalance and the consequent comorbidities associated with excess body weight. Adverse effects and toxicities of currently available methods to induce browning of WAT have retarded exploration of this promising therapeutic approach. Targeted delivery of browning agents to adipose stromal cells (ASCs) in subcutaneous WAT to induce differentiation into beige adipocytes may overcome these barriers. Herein, we report for the first time, ASC-targeted delivery of trans-resveratrol (R), a representative agent, using ligand-coated R-encapsulated nanoparticles (L-Rnano) that selectively bind to glycanation site-deficient decorin receptors on ASCs. After biweekly intravenous administration of L-Rnano to obese C57BL/6 J mice for 5 weeks targeted R delivery significantly induced ASCs differentiation into beige adipocytes, which subsequently resulted in 40% decrease in fat mass, accompanied by improved glucose homeostasis and decreased inflammation. Our results suggest that the ASC-targeted nanoparticle delivery of browning agents could be a transformative technology in combating obesity and its comorbidities with high efficacy and low toxicity.

The design of efficient and stable photocatalyst plays a critical role in the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water splitting. Herein, we develop a novel ZnS/CdS/ZnO ternary heterostructure by the in-situ sulfuration of CdS/ZnO, which includes four contact interfaces: CdS-ZnS interface, ZnS-ZnO interface, CdS-ZnO interface and ZnS-CdS-ZnO ternary interface, forming three charge carrier-transfer modes (type-I, type-II and direct Z-scheme) through five carrier-transfer pathways. As a result, the separation and transfer of photoexcited electron-hole pairs are promoted significantly, resulting in a high hydrogen evolution rate of 44.70 mmol h−1 g−1, which is 2, 3.7 and 8 times higher than those of binary heterostructures, CdS/ZnO, CdS/ZnS and ZnS/ZnO, respectively, and 26.5, 280 and 298 times higher than those of single CdS, ZnO and ZnS, respectively. As a counterpart ternary heterostructure, CdS/ZnS/ZnO contains only two interfaces: CdS-ZnS interface and ZnS-ZnO interface, which form two charge carrier-transfer modes (type-I and type-II) through two carrier-transfer pathways, leading to its much lower hydrogen evolution rate (27.25 mmol h−1 g−1) than ZnS/CdS/ZnO ternary heterostructure. This work is relevant for understanding the charge-transfer pathways between multi-interfaces in multicomponent heterojunctions.

Current approaches to the diagnosis and therapy of atherosclerosis cannot target lesion-determinant cells in the artery wall. Intimal macrophage infiltration promotes atherosclerotic lesion development by facilitating the accumulation of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) and increasing inflammatory responses. The presence of these cells is positively associated with lesion progression, severity and destabilization. Hence, they are an important diagnostic and therapeutic target. The objective of this study was to noninvasively assess the distribution and accumulation of intimal macrophages using CD36-targeted nanovesicles. Soy phosphatidylcholine was used to synthesize liposome-like nanovesicles. 1-(Palmitoyl)-2-(5-keto-6-octene-dioyl) phosphatidylcholine was incorporated on their surface to target the CD36 receptor. All in vitro data demonstrate that these targeted nanovesicles had a high binding affinity for the oxLDL binding site of the CD36 receptor and participated in CD36-mediated recognition and uptake of nanovesicles by macrophages. Intravenous administration into LDL receptor null mice of targeted compared to non-targeted nanovesicles resulted in higher uptake in aortic lesions. The nanovesicles co-localized with macrophages and their CD36 receptors in aortic lesions. This molecular target approach may facilitate the in vivo noninvasive imaging of atherosclerotic lesions in terms of intimal macrophage accumulation and distribution and disclose lesion features related to inflammation and possibly vulnerability thereby facilitate early lesion detection and targeted delivery of therapeutic compounds to intimal macrophages.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), a versatile natural product in fresh tea leaves and green tea, has been investigated as a preventative treatment for cancers and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to develop EGCG-nanoethosomes for transdermal delivery and to evaluate them for treating subcutaneously implanted human melanoma cell tumors. EGCG-nanoethosomes, composed of 0.2% EGCG, 2% soybean phosphatidylcholine, 30% ethanol, 1% Tween-80 and 0.1% sugar esters, were prepared and characterized using laser transmission electron microscopy. These nanoethosomes were smoother and more compact than basic-nanoethosomes with the same components except for EGCG. The effectiveness of transdermal delivery by EGCG-nanoethosomes was demonstrated in an in vitro permeability assay system using mouse skin. The inhibitory effect of docetaxel (DT) loaded in EGCG-nanoethosomes (DT-EGCG-nanoethosomes) was analyzed by monitoring growth of a subcutaneously implanted tumor from A-375 human melanoma cells in mice. Mice treated with DT-EGCG-nanoethosomes exhibited a significant therapeutic effect, with tumors shrinking, on average, by 31.5% of initial volumes after 14 d treatment. This indicated a potential for treating skin cancer. In a pharmacokinetic study, transdermal delivery by DT-EGCG-nanoethosomes enabled sufficient DT exposure to the tumor. Together, these findings indicated that EGCG-nanoethosomes have great potential as drug carriers for transdermal delivery.

A series of NiyCo1-yMn2Ox microspheres (MSs) (y = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9) were synthesized successfully by a hydrothermal method. Their physicochemical properties of the as-prepared NiyCo1-yMn2Ox MSs were explored by using a series of characterizations, and their catalytic performances were evaluated by the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3. It was found that there are the synergetic effects between Ni and Co, which have an important impact on the surface physicochemical properties of NiyCo1-yMn2Ox MSs, such as the roughness of the surface, the stacking molding, the crystal structure, the specific surface area, the concentrations of surface Mn4+, Co3+ and Ni2+, the reducibility, and the proportion of weak acid and strong acid sites, etc, which further affect the reaction mechanism of de-NOx of NiyCo1-yMn2Ox MSs, and finally dominate their catalytic performances for the SCR of NOx with NH3. Among all NiyCo1-yMn2Ox MSs, Ni0.7Co0.3Mn2Ox exhibits the optimal catalytic performance for the SCR of NOx, which is much better than CoMn2Ox and NiMn2Ox. This work may shed light on the deliberately designed Mn-based SCR catalysts with high activity by taking advantage of the synergetic effects between components.

Some phytochemical-derived synthetic compounds have been shown to improve neurological disorders, especially in ischemic stroke. In this study, we identified a novel biscoumarin compound, known as COM 3, which had substantial antioxidant effects in neurons. Next, we found that COM 3 occupies a critical binding site between the Nrf2 and Keap1 dipolymer, impairing the inhibitory effects of Keap1 on Nrf2, both of which play central roles in increasing endogenous antioxidant activity. We verified that COM 3 could increase the survival of neurons experiencing oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) from 51.1% to 77.2% when exposure to 2.5 and 10 μg/mL of COM 3, respectively. In addition, the same concentrations of COM 3 could reduce brain infarct volumes by 33.8%to13.7%, respectively, while also reducing the neurobehavioral score from 3.3 to 1.4 on average in mice with a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). COM 3 reduced neuronal death from 36.5% to 13.9% and apoptosis from 35.1% to 18.2%. In addition, COM 3 could improve the neuronal mitochondrial energy metabolism after experiencing oxidative stress caused by OGD or MCAO. The present study suggests that COM 3 protects against OGD in neurons and MCAO in mice by interfering with the structure of Keap1 to activate the nuclear transcription of Nrf2, which balances endogenous redox activity and restores mitochondrial function. Hence, COM 3 might be a potential therapeutic agent for ischemic stroke in the clinic.

Herein, two simple model catalysts (Mn3O4 and MnFeOx) were fabricated and operated under different temperatures (100, 150, 200, 250 °C) in SCR atmosphere with the presence of SO2, followed by thermal regeneration and characterizations to reveal the deactivation mechanism and the role of FeOx. The results indicated both catalysts exhibited temperature-dependent deactivation behavior, where the total activity loss displayed volcano-type SO2 resistance tendency within 100–250 °C and the most severe activity loss (98 % for Mn3O4 and 81 % for MnFeOx) was found at 150 °C. Meanwhile, the higher relative proportion of irreversible activity loss was found at lower temperatures, which is associated with the more easily saturated chemical adsorption of SO2 as evidenced by SO2+O2 breakthrough test. At higher temperatures, the SO2 oxidation and its further transformation into NH4HSO4 could be favored, thus resulting in increased reversible activity loss. The FeOx modification can protect MnOx species from sulfation to a certain degree and lower the irreversible deactivation, which is evidenced by the binding energy upshift and downshift of Fen+ species after being poisoned and regenerated, as well as the slightly changed binding energy of Mnn+ species from the XPS analysis.

Exploring efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) will have a great impact on the field of fuel cells and metal-air batteries. In this paper, we report a simple and efficient routine to coat ordered mesoporous carbon (CMK-3) with nitrogen-doped carbon via pyrolysis of the surface-self-polymerized polydopamine. The optimized CMK-3 catalyst with a coating of nitrogen-doped carbon demonstrates excellent electrocatalytic activity towards ORR in alkaline media. The coating procedure under optimized conditions lowers the ORR half-wave-potential by 80 mV, giving a genuine metal-free catalyst with an onset ORR potential of 0.96 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)) and half-wave potential of 0.83 V (vs RHE) in 0.1 M KOH, which is much better than other carbon material-based catalysts (such as carbon nanotubes and their composites). The performance of this surface-nitrogen-rich CMK-3 catalyst is also superior to that of N-doped ordered mesoporous carbon synthesized by means of the 'nanocasting' technique. Furthermore, the as-prepared catalyst performs comparably in terms of activity, superior durability, and higher tolerance to methanol compared with commercially available Pt/C.

Abstract: A new pyrrolidinyl-isosteviol bifunctional organocatalyst was synthesized, which was applied to catalyze the asymmetric Michael addition between cyclohexanone and nitroolefins. With 10 mol % of the organocatalyst, the reaction proceeded in water in high yields (up to 99%) with excellent diastereoselectivities (anti/syn up to 98:2) and good enantioselectivities (up to 90% ee). The design of the proline-isosteviol conjugates as organocatalysts was based on the crucial role of proline in the formation of enamine. To sum up, a new pyrrolidinyl-isosteviol bifunctional organocatalyst was synthesized, which could effectively catalyze the C-C formation reaction between a number of nitroolefins and cyclohexanone.

We previously found that the levels of metabolite N-acetylglutamine were significantly increased in urine samples of patients with heart failure (HF) and in coronary artery ligation (CAL)-induced HF mice, whereas the expression of its specific metabolic-degrading enzyme aminoacylase-1 (ACY1) was markedly decreased. In the current study, we investigated the role of ACY1 in the pathogenesis of HF and the therapeutic effects of 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 in HF experimental models in vivo and in vitro. HF was induced in mice by CAL. The mice were administered Rg3 (7.5, 15, 30 mg · kg-1· d-1, i.g.), or positive drug metoprolol (Met, 5.14 mg · kg-1· d-1, i.g.), or ACY1 inhibitor mono-tert-butyl malonate (MTBM, 5 mg · kg-1 · d-1, i.p.) for 14 days. We showed that administration of MTBM significantly exacerbated CAL-induced myocardial injury, aggravated cardiac dysfunction, and pathological damages, and promoted myocardial fibrosis in CAL mice. In Ang II-induced mouse cardiac fibroblasts (MCFs) model, overexpression of ACY1 suppressed the expression of COL3A1 and COL1A via inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway, whereas ACY1-siRNA promoted the cardiac fibrosis responses. We showed that a high dose of Rg3 (30 mg · kg-1· d-1) significantly decreased the content of N-acetylglutamine, increased the expression of ACY1, and inhibited TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway in CAL mice; Rg3 (25 μM) exerted similar effects in Ang II-treated MCFs. Meanwhile, Rg3 treatment ameliorated cardiac function and pathological features, and it also attenuated myocardial fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. In Ang II-treated MCFs, the effects of Rg3 on collagen deposition and TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway were slightly enhanced by overexpression of ACY1, whereas ACY1 siRNA partially weakened the beneficial effects of Rg3, suggesting that Rg3 might suppress myocardial fibrosis through ACY1. Our study demonstrates that N-acetylglutamine may be a potential biomarker of HF and its specific metabolic-degrading enzyme ACY1 could be a potential therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of myocardial fibrosis during the development of HF. Rg3 attenuates myocardial fibrosis to ameliorate HF through increasing ACY1 expression and inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway, which provides some references for further development of anti-fibrotic drugs for HF.

The structural characterization of hydrocarbon biomarkers with high molecular weight still remains a challenge even using the ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (UHRMS). In this work, a homologue series identification strategy was proposed based on the “sequentiality” of crude oil, where “sequentiality” revealed a compositional continuum of the naturally existing components in crude oil. With the steady increase of mass to charge ratio (m/z), the collision cross-section (CCS) value was measured by trapped ion mobility mass spectrometry (TIMS-MS) and showed a linear relationship with m/z. The structure of C20-C34 steranes and C27-C38 hopanes was determined using linear correlation. The accuracy of molecular formula was confirmed by UHRMS, and the structural determination was verified by MS/MS. The identification of sterane series and hopane series demonstrated the application of the homologue series identification strategy in the structural determination of hydrocarbon biomarkers with high molecular weight. Compared with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) within the GC-able reach, the new analytical strategy showed better qualitative results and comparable quantitative results, which made it promising to explore novel hydrocarbon biomarkers in crude oil.

The intrinsic very poor electrical conductivity of many transition-metal-oxides is a bottleneck when using them as electrocatalysts in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Herein, we report a study of using metallic conductive...

A novel rectangular-ambulatory-plane TiO₂ plate with exposed {001} facets was developed for the first time, and its formation mechanism was well revealed.

In this work, MnTi-MOFs precursors were successfully synthesized via solvothermal method, from which MnTi-I catalyst was subsequently derived and evaluated in NH3-SCR. A series of characterization confirmed the successful preparation of MnTi-MOFs precursors in one step by controlling the ratio of metal element to organic ligand as well as the molar ratio of Mn to Ti. Benefiting by its moderate surface chemisorption oxygen, higher Mn4+/Mn3+ ratio and more acid sites on the catalyst surface, MnTi-I catalyst behaved better in NH3-SCR with 97% NOx conversion at 150 °C, 80.1% N2 selectivity at 360 °C and strong H2O/SO2 resistance. This work provides a new protocol for the one-step synthesis of bimetallic MOFs and a theoretical basis for fabricating an efficient MnTi-based catalyst in the NH3-SCR field.

Nanoethosomal suspensions, composed of phospholipids, ethanol, and water, are novel lipid carriers. These suspensions have been reported to enhance the permeation of drugs into the skin as a result of the interdigitation effect of ethanol on the lipid bilayer of liposomes and by increasing the fluidity of lipids in the stratum corneum. The physical stability of the nanoethosomal suspension is still a critical research problem until now. This study investigated the commercial palm sucrose esters to improve the colloidal stability of nanoethosomal suspensions. The results indicated that palm sucrose esters (PSE) were effective for stabilizing nanoethosomal suspension of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from green tea. A PSE concentration of 0.15% was optimal for a nanoethosomal suspension which gave mean diameter 75.5 ± 3.5 nm, zeta potential -30.8 ± 3.2 mV and polydispersity index 0.207 ± 0.017. Moreover, the effectiveness of stabilization was influenced by the degree of esterification of the sucrose esters: the sucrose polyesters could prolong the stability of nanoethosomes loaded with EGCG to a year, but the sucrose monoesters only provided less than 6 months of stabilization. EGCG nanoethosomal suspension stabilized by sucrose polyesters shows better inhibition effectiveness against UVB-induced skin damage than native EGCG. The nanoethosomal suspension has the potential for its utilization as skin care and other products. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 2416-2425, 2017.

The aim of this work is to develop curcumin-loaded hollow mesoporous silica microspheres (HMSMs@curcumin) to improve the poor oral bioavailability of curcumin. Hollow mesoporous silica microspheres (HMSMs) were synthesized in facile route using a hard template. HMSMs and HMSMs@curcumin were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In addition, to demonstrate the potential application of the HMSMs@curcumin, cytotoxicity, in vitro release behavior and in vivo pharmacokinetics of curcumin loaded in these HMSMs were investigated by using of Caco-2 cells and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, respectively. These mono-dispersed HMSMs exhibited high drug loading ratio and encapsulation efficiency due to the mesoporous shell and hollow core. The excellent characteristics of HMSMs such as mono-dispersed morphology, smooth surface, uniform, ordered and size-narrowing mesopores resulted in a good in vitro release profile of curcumin from HMSMs@curcumin. Moreover, an impressive improvement in the oral absorption of curcumin and prolonged systemic circulation time were achieved in the in vivo animal studies. In addition, the good biocompatibility of developed HMSMs with Caco-2 cells was confirmed based on the in vitro cytotoxicity assay. In conclusion, this system demonstrated a great potential for efficient delivery of curcumin in vitro and in vivo, suggesting a good prospect for its application in clinic for therapeutic drug delivery in future.

Oxidized phosphatidylcholines (oxPCs) enriched on the oxidized LDL (oxLDL) surface are responsible ligands for binding oxLDL to the CD36 receptor of intimal macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions. We synthesized liposome-like nanoparticles (NPs) using soy phosphatidylcholine and incorporated 1-palmitoyl-2-(4-keto-dodec-3-enedioyl) phosphatidylcholine, a type of oxPCs, on their surface to make ligand-NP (L-NPs). The objectives of this study were to measure and compare their binding affinity to and uptake by primary mouse and THP-1 derived macrophages, and to determine their target specificity to intimal macrophages in aortic lesions in LDL receptor null (LDLr−/−) mice. All in vitro data demonstrate that L-NPs had a high binding affinity to macrophage CD36 receptor. L-NPs had 1.4-fold higher accumulation in aortic lesion areas than NPs. L-NPs co-localized with intimal macrophages and CD36 receptors in the aortic lesions. This target delivery approach may portend a breakthrough in molecular imaging and targeted treatment of atherosclerosis.

Abstract In this study, cerium oxide with different exposed crystal facets was prepared and function as the support for MnO x /CeO 2 catalysts, whose catalytic performance were evaluated in the methanol oxidation reaction. The results showed that the difference in crystal facet exposure could remarkably affect the methanol oxidation performance of the MnO x /CeO 2 catalysts, where the (110) facet exposure is more beneficial to the catalytic performance. A series of characterizations revealed that the best performance of the MnO x /CeO 2 ‐NS catalyst can be attributed to the increase of oxygen vacancies and a more suitable valence state distribution, which is intrinsically correlated with the exposed (110) facet, resulting in excellent methanol oxidation performance with T 50 =156 °C, T 90 =171 °C, better stability and preferable H 2 O/CO 2 resistance. This work might provide a fundamental understanding for the rational design and optimization of manganese‐cerium oxide catalysts for the methanol oxidation reaction.

We report measurements of methane (CH4) mixing ratios and emission fluxes derived from sampling at a monitoring station at an exploratory shale gas extraction facility in Lancashire, England. Elevated ambient CH4 mixing ratios were recorded in January 2019 during a period of cold-venting associated with a nitrogen lift process at the facility. These processes are used to clear the well to stimulate flow of natural gas from the target shale. Estimates of CH4 flux during the emission event were made using three independent modeling approaches: Gaussian plume dispersion (following both a simple Gaussian plume inversion and the US EPA OTM 33-A method), and a Lagrangian stochastic transport model (WindTrax). The three methods yielded an estimated peak CH4 flux during January 2019 of approximately 70 g s−1. The total mass of CH4 emitted during the six-day venting period was calculated to be 2.9, 4.2 ± 1.4(1σ) and 7.1 ± 2.1(1σ) tonnes CH4 using the simple Gaussian plume model, WindTrax, and OTM-33A methods, respectively. Whilst the flux approaches all agreed within 1σ uncertainty, an estimate of 4.2 (± 1.4) tonnes CH4 represents the most confident assessment due to the explicit modeling of advection and meteorological stability permitted using the WindTrax model. This mass is consistent with fluxes calculated by the Environment Agency (in the range 2.7 to 6.8 tonnes CH4), using emission data provided by the shale site operator to the regulator. This study provides the first CH4 emission estimate for a nitrogen lift process and the first-reported flux monitoring of a UK shale gas site, and contributes to the evaluation of the environmental impacts of shale gas operations worldwide. This study also provides forward guidance on future monitoring applications and flux calculation in transient emission events.Implications: This manuscript discusses atmospheric measurements near to the UK’s first hydraulic fracturing facility, which has very high UK public, media, and policy interest. The focus of this manuscript is on a single week of data in which a large venting event at the shale gas site saw emissions of ~4 tonnes of methane to atmosphere, in breach of environmental permits. These results are likely to beresults are likely to be reported by the media and may influence future policy decisions concerning the UK hydraulic fracturing industry.

We previously reported the protective effects of biscoumarin derivatives against oxidative stress, but effects of the derivative on mitochondrial oxidative damage induced apoptosis in ischemic stroke remains unknown. Primary neurons were subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) for the in vitro simulation of ischemic stroke, and an ischemic stroke model was established in mice by operation of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The results indicated that the nontoxic concentration range of biscoumarin derivative Comp. B in neurons was from 0 to 30 μg/ml and the optimal protective concentration was 20 μg/ml. Treatment with Comp. B increased the cell survival rate and alleviated mitochondrial oxidative damage and apoptosis in OGD-treated neurons. Comp. B reduced the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK, and thus alleviated apoptosis in OGD-treated neurons. Further research demonstrated that the dephosphorylation effect on ERK of Comp. B is a key factor in alleviating apoptosis in neurons induced by OGD injury. Furthermore, Comp. B reduced the infarct volume, improved neurobehavioural score, and alleviated morphological changes and brain apoptosis in MCAO mice. The novel biscoumarin derivative Comp. B alleviates mitochondrial oxidative damage and apoptosis in ischemic stroke mice. These findings might provide new insights that will aid in elucidating the effect of biscoumarin derivative against cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury and support the new development of Comp. B as a potential treatment for ischemic stroke.

Proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) is elevated in sepsis, but the function and possible mechanism of PAMP in bacterial infection is elusive. This study is aim to evaluate the role of PAMP in the interaction between the Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and the host barrier. Our results showed that PAMP alleviated the EHEC-induced disruption of goblet cells and mucosal damage in the intestine, increased the expression of occludin in the colon of EHEC-infected mice, and reduced the proinflammatory cytokines level in serum significantly compared with the control group. Meanwhile, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation could dose-dependently induce the expression of preproADM, the precursor of PAMP, in human intestinal epithelial cell (HIEC) and human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC). In addition, PAMP inhibited the growth of EHEC O157:H7 and destroyed the inner and outer membrane. At low concentration, PAMP attenuated the EHEC virulence genes including hlyA and eaeA, which was also confirmed from reduced hemolysis to red cells and adhesion to HIEC. These results indicated that EHEC infection would modulate the expression of PAMP in intestinal epithelium or vascular endothelium, and in turn exerted a protective effect in EHEC induced infection by rupturing the bacterial cell membrane and attenuating the bacterial virulence.

The sluggish photoelectrochemical performance of p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (p-DSSCs) has hindered its commercial use. In this work, we introduce a novel hierarchical nanocomposite of NiO nanoparticles anchored on highly ordered mesoporous carbons CMK-3 (NiO/CMK-3). Using CMK-3 as a backbone effectively prevented the self-aggregation of NiO nanoparticles and subsequently increased the total specific surface area of the composite for more dye adsorption. The interconnected conductive networks of CMK-3 also served as a split-flow high-speed channel, which was beneficial for hole spin-flow to accelerate hole transfer. The hierarchical NiO/CMK-3 photocathode improved the photovoltaic conversion efficiency to 1.48% in a cell with a Cobalt(II)/(III) electrolyte and a PMI-6T-TPA dye.

Looking for early diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets is the key to ensuring prompt treatment of myocardial ischemia (MI).Here, a novel biomarker xanthurenic acid (XA) was identified based on metabolomics and exhibited high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of MI patients.Additionally, the elevation of XA was proved to induce myocardial injury in vivo by promoting myocardial apoptosis and ferroptosis.Combining metabolomics and transcriptional data further revealed that kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) profoundly increased in MI mice, and was closely associated with the elevation of XA.More importantly, pharmacological or heart-specific inhibition of KMO obviously suppressed the elevation of XA and profoundly ameliorated the OGD-induced cardiomyocytes injury and the ligation-induced MI injury.Mechanistically, KMO inhibition effectively restrained myocardial apoptosis and ferroptosis by modulating mitochondrial fission and fusion.In addition, virtual screening and experimental validation were adopted to identify ginsenoside Rb3 as a novel inhibitor of KMO and exhibited great cardioprotective effects by regulating mitochondrial dynamical balance.Taken together, targeting KMO may provide a new approach for the clinical treatment of MI through maintaining mitochondrial fusion and fission balance, and ginsenoside Rb3 showed great potential to be developed as a novel therapeutic drug targeting KMO.

Polysulfide shuttling between the sulfur cathode and the lithium anode leads to low Columbic efficiency and cycling stability, which hinders the development of practical lithium sulfur batteries (LSBs). Introducing catalytic nanostructures to stabilize the otherwise soluble polysulfides and promote their conversion to solids has been proved to be an effective strategy in addressing this problem, but the heavy mass of catalysts often results in a low specific energy of the whole electrode. In this work, nickel cobalt sulfide (NiCo 2 S 4 , NCS), one of the promising catalytic materials, was investigated to enhance the LSB performance by grafting it to vertical graphene (VG) grown on carbon nanofiber film(CNF) substrate. Different from previous studies, here NCS nanosheets possess ultrathin and edge-oriented structure, inherited from the underlying VG. As a result, this NCS/VG material not only significantly reduces the needed mass of NCS catalyst but also enormously improves the conductivity of the hybrid structure. When using this free-standing film as catalytic overlayer on top of the sulfur cathode, the polysulfide shuttle effect is largely alleviated, as revealed by the enhanced electrochemical performance and the catalytic function demonstration. The assembled LSB exhibited attractive electrochemical performances of 1000 mAh g -1 specific capacity at 0.3C and 800 mAh g -1 at 1C within 400 cycles for 2 mg cm -2 of sulfur loading and 850 mAh g -1 specific capacity at 0.25C for 6 mg cm -2 of sulfur loading. An areal capacity of 4.5 mAh cm -2 was demonstrated at the 100 th cycle at 0.3 C.

Background Quercetin, a natural flavonoid, has a potential against many breast cancer cells, but its low solubility and bioavailability in the body make administering it in therapeutic dose unrealistic. We have successfully synthesized quercetin encapsulated nanocarriers (NanoQ). Our hypothesis is that NanoQ can enhance quercetin stability and solubility, increase quercetin bioavailability in vitro and in vivo, decrease the viability of breast cancer cells, and induce their apoptosis. Methods The stability, solubility and cellular uptake of quercetin in MCF7 and MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells were measured using a high performance liquid chromatography system. The viability and apoptosis of breast cancer cells were measured using a 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and Annexin‐V/propidium iodide assay, respectively. The pharmacokinetics of NanoQ was measured in SD rats. Results NanoQ were about 30 nm in diameter. Nanoencapsulation significantly increased the stability and solubility of quercetin, and increased quercetin cellular content 3.9 times and 9.3 times in MCF7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells, respectively. NanoQ also significantly lowered the viability of both breast cancer cells and induced their apoptosis as compared to free quercetin at the same concentrations. Conclusion NanoQ is a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Grant Funding Source : TTU research incentive funding

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in U.S. Macrophages are major cells responsible for atherosclerotic lesion development. (−)‐Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) abundant in green tea is valuable for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. But low levels of stability and bioavailability limit its application in human. We encapsulated EGCG into biocompatible and biodegradable nanocarriers to increase its stability and cellular bioavailability. The stability of nanoencapsulated EGCG and native EGCG was measured at pH 7.2 at 4 °C and 25 °C. Nanoencapsulated EGCG was separated from nonencapsulated EGCG using a Sephadex™ G‐25 column. Total and nanoencapsulated EGCG was measured using a high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. EGCG uptake by THP‐1 derived macrophages was measured using the same HPLC system. Nanoencapsulation significantly increased EGCG stability and its uptake by macrophages compared to native EGCG. This innovation portends a potential breakthrough in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis by using natural compounds with minimized immunogenicity and side‐effects. Grant Funding Source : NIH 1R15AT007013‐01

Abstract Purpose QiShenYiQi dripping pill (QSYQ) is a traditional Chinese medicine for alleviating cardiovascular diseases. Whereas, the potential mechanism remains to be further elucidated. Thus, this paper is designed to explore the protective mechanism of QSYQ in myocardial ischemia (MI)-induced injury. Methods Myocardial ischemia was induced in mice by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation (CAL). Then, mice were treated by QSYQ dripping pills (12, 35 and 105 mg/kg) for 14 days. The effect and mechanism of QSYQ against MI injury were investigated in vivo . Results Treatment with QSYQ significantly improved the contractile function, and extenuated myocardial fibrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration after MI injury. QSYQ administration also reduced the level of LDH and NT-pro BNP in serum. Additionally, myocardial iron content and serum MDA, 4-HNE were decreased and GSH was increased after QSYQ administration. The mRNA expression of GPX4 and SLC7A11 were increased, and PTGS2 mRNA expression level was reduced by QSYQ treatment. Moreover, QSYQ ameliorated myocardial mitochondrial ultrastructure damage and decreased mitochondrial ROS production. Furthermore, QSYQ heightened the expressions of PGC-1α, TFAM and Nrf1, which indicated that QSYQ could promote mitochondrial biogenesis. In addition, QSYQ treatment also increased MFN2 and OPA1 expressions, while the expression of p-DRP1 was decreased. Conclusions All these suggested that QSYQ could promote mitochondrial dynamic homeostasis to improve myocardial injury. QSYQ could alleviate MI-induced ferroptosis via improving mitochondrial dynamical homeostasis and biogenesis, which provided references for its clinical application.

Many fresh fruits have short shelf life due to microbial growth. Trans-resveratrol (R) and quercetin (Q) have antimicrobial property, but they are easily degraded and have low bioavailability. These issues can be overcome by biocompatible lipid nanoparticles (NPs) using vitamin E as a hdrophobic core. Coating R and Q NPs (RQ-NPs) with chitosan (CS), can enhance their stability, antibacterial effect, and bioavailability. The objectives of this project are to make and optimize CS-coated R-NPs, Q-NPs and RQ-NPs, measure their characteristics, evaluate their antibacterial effect, investigate fresh-keeping property when coating them on fruits, and determine their bioavailability. The size, polydispersity indexes (PDI) and zeta potential of NPs were measured using Zetasizer Pro. Their chemical stability was measured using HPLC. The S. enteritidis, L. monocytogenes, E. coli, and S. aureus were used to evaluate their antibacterial effect. After coating strawberry with NPs, the protective effect was determined by maintained quality. Mice were given NPs via oral gavage, and the bioavailability were determined based on blood R and Q concentrations. The mean particle size of R-NPs, Q-NPs and RQ-NPs was around 50, 30, and 40 nm, and zeta potential was around −2, −10 and −8 mV, respectively. Their PDI were less than 0.3 R-NPs containing 200 μg/mL of R and Q-NPs containing 300 μg/mL of Q significantly inhibited bacteria growth. A a lower concentration of R and Q in RQ-NPs (containing 150 μg/mL of R and 90 μg/mL of Q) exhibited similar antibacterial effect. After coating NPs with CS, their PDI remained under 0.3, but the size of of R-NPs, Q-NPs and RQ-NPs was about 90, 55, 60 nm, and zeta potential was around +30, +15 and +25 mV, respectively. CS-coated NPs were stable at 4°C and 22°C for at least 5 days and 3 days. CS-coated NPs exhibited enhanced antibacterial effect and prolonged the shelf life of strawberry furtherly. Nanoencapsulation also increased oral bioavailability in mice. RQ-NPs showed a synergistic antibacterial effect, and CS coating increased their stability and antibacterial effect. CS-coated RQ-NPs maintained freshness of strawberry, and showed enhanced bioavailability in mice, indicating their potential implementation in active food packaging. NIH 1R15AT010395-01 and American Heart Association 19AIREA34480011.

The Cover Feature illustrates a novel catalyst, Mn-Co mixed oxide nanosheets vertically anchored on H2Ti3O7 nanowires, for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx by NH3. This unique structure not only fully exposes the active ingredients, but also is very favorable for the diffusion and transfer of gas molecules via the space between these standing nanosheets. As expected, the developed MnOx-CoOy/H2Ti3O7 catalyst with the Mn/Co mole ratio of 0.69 presents excellent low-temperature SCR performance. In their Full Paper, J.-W. Shi et al. explain that the reason can be not only ascribed to the beneficial nanostructure, but also to the enhanced surface Mn4+/Mnn+ and Oα/(Oα+Oβ) ratios, redox property and acid sites resulted from the interaction between MnOx and CoOy. This work may shed light on the deliberate design of Mn-based catalysts for more efficient de-NOx performance. More information can be found in the Full Paper by J.-W. Shi et al. on page 2833 in Issue 13, 2018 (DOI: 10.1002/cctc.201800227).

To prepare ion exchange doxorubicin-loaded poly (acrylic acid) microspheres (DPMs) and evaluate the properties of these chemoembolic agents.Poly (acrylic acid) microspheres (PMs) without drug were prepared by inverse suspension polymerization method and then doxorubicin was loaded by ion exchange mechanism to prepare DPMs. Optical microscope was used to investigate the morphology and particle size distribution of PMs and DPMs; fluorescence microscope and confocal microscope were used to observe the distribution of doxorubicin after drug loading. Elasticities of both the microspheres were evaluated by texture analyzer. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was established to determine the drug loading behavior of PMs and releasing behavior of DPMs. The in vivo embolic property was evaluated by embolizing the hepatic artery of a rabbit with 0.1 mL of DPMs.PMs and DPMs were both spherical in shape, smooth in surface and dispersed well. Doxorubicin was mainly in the outer area inside of DPMs and distributed evenly. The average particle size of PMs and DPMs were (283±136) μm and (248±149) μm, respectively. PMs and DPMs both had good compression ability with the Young's modulus of (62.63±1.65) kPa and (93.94±1.10) kPa separately. PMs reached the drug loading balance at 12 h, and the entrapment efficiency was greater than 99%. Drug loading of PMs in doxorubicin solution at the concentration of 5.0 g/L and 12.5 g/L was (19.78±0.27) g/L and (49.45±0.37) g/L, respectively. Doxorubicin released slowly from DPMs in PBS and the accumulative release percentages of DPMs with corresponding drug loading were 6.82%±0.02% and 2.83%±0.10% after 24 h, respectively. Arterial angiograms showed that the hepatic artery of the rabbit was successfully embolized with DPMs.DPMs with good performance of loading doxorubicin could be a potential embolic agent for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.

Vanadium-based compounds, with four oxidation states (V5+, V4+, V3+, V2+) and many different crystal phases, are one of the most intensively studied material systems for supercapacitor application, owing to their easily tailored morphologies, structures and electronic properties, as well as their large pseudocapacitance. In this chapter, we will summarize the physicochemical features and highlight electrochemical studies of vanadium-based oxides, nitrides, and other compounds as pseudocapacitive electrode materials. A variety of methods of improving their conductivity and stability by nanostructure engineering and incorporating with different nanocarbon materials will be particularly emphasized throughout this chapter.

Electrochemical supercapacitors (ECs) are being used as an independent energy/power supply or power buffer-assisting batteries, owing to their distinct merits such as high power density and long cycle life. However, their slow frequency response makes them incapable of working like a conventional electrical capacitor used for ripple current filtering, electrical pulse generation and pulse harvesting, and many other applications. Developing high-frequency ECs (HF-ECs) in substation of the bulky electrolytic capacitors, therefore, is highly desirable and has attracted considerable attention recently. In this chapter, several vertically aligned 1D and 2D nanomaterial structures, particularly those based on carbon nanotube and graphene, will be discussed with a focus on developing HF-ECs.

The major polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) of green tea shows well-known health benefits such as potential anti-cancer, anti-oxidation and ameliorating cardiovascular disease. This work aims to improve the bioactivity of EGCG on H9C2 cardiomyocytes by combination regimen of vardenafil and EGCG. The proliferative rates were significantly improved by 18.74%, 10.77% and 29.17% after 48 h with EGCG, vardenafil, and the combination of EGCG and low-dose vardenafil treatments, respectively. The treatments also increased the expression of the nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and acutely stimulate production of vasodilators nitric oxide (NO) from 17.33μmol/L to 19.75, 20.87 and 24.47μmol/L in H9C2 cells. We further demonstrated that vardenafil also remarkably promoted EGCG to counteract H2O2-induced apoptotic damage in H9C2 by strengthening antioxidant defense systems and suppressing myocardial apoptosis. These results suggest that EGCG and low-dose vardenafil in combination may be a promising regimen to help prevent cardiovascular diseases.

High frequency electrochemical capacitors (HF-ECs), which have large capacitance density and therefore reduced device size in substitution of the bulky aluminum electrolytic capacitors, are of increasing interest. To produce HF-ECs that can respond at hundreds and even kilo hertz range, the tortuous mesoporous electrode of a conventional EC must be replaced with a relatively straightforward and large pore-based structure, and the whole electrode resistance must be small. Various electrode structures have been investigated but very few can deliver an adequate capacitance density at 120 Hz. In this study, Prussian blue (PB) cubes, as a metal organic framework, are used as building blocks of a 3D scaffold for the vertical graphene (VG) nanosheets growth. In a rapid plasma enhanced chemical evaporation deposition (PECVD) process, a 3D conductive porous network comprised of VG and PB-derived carbon cages was successfully fabricated, and this material structure has a seamless interface with the current collector. Benefiting from the unique electrode material structure, the fabricated HF-ECs exhibited an equivalent series resistance (ESR)as low as 40 mΩ cm -2 , 120 Hz phase angle ( F 120 ) of 85.9 o and 120 Hz electrode areal capacitance ( C A 120 ) of 1.02 mF cm -2 , or F 120 = -80.6 o and C A 120 = 2.34 mF cm -2 for a thicker electrode, which are among the best reported overall performances thus far for HF-ECs. Integrated cell was assembled to work at 2.7 V for line frequency filtering of different waveforms, demonstrating excellent performance. Figure 1. (a) SEM and (b) TEM images of PB derived vertical graphene structure. (c) CV curves recorded at 100 V s -1 ,(d) complex-plane-impedance plotswith inset displaying the high-frequency region, and (e) the derived specific capacitance versus frequency (red line: 3 mg, yellow line: 5 mg and purple line: 7 mg of PB precursor treated in PECVD for 5 min). Figure 1

Magnetic Resonance in MedicineVolume 84, Issue 2 p. 509-518 ISSUE INFORMATIONFree Access Issue Information First published: 22 April 2020 https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.27844AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume84, Issue2August 2020Pages 509-518 RelatedInformation

Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) represent a promising energy conversion and storage technique for a multitude of applications, ranging from stationary grid storage to mobile electric vehicles and electronic devices. However, the dissolution of intermediate lithium polysulfides (LPSs) into the electrolyte causes the shuttle phenomenon of the soluble LiPSs and the subsequent adverse effects that result in low columbic efficiency and poor cycling stability, among other issues. Numerous methods have been investigated to attack the polysulfide shuttle effect, from physically blocking the diffusion of LPS to chemically immobilize the LPS to catalytic surface [1] . The later strategy is more effective in curbing the LPS diffusion and can also facilitate the LPS redox reaction by reducing their active energies. In this research, one of the promising catalytic materials, nickel cobalt sulfide (NiCo 2 S 4 , NCS) was investigated as catalyst to enhance the LSB performance by grafting it to vertical graphene (VG) grown on carbon nanofiber film (CNF) substrate. Different from other reported metal sulfides materials [2] , the studied NCS nanosheets possess ultrathin and edge oriented structure, which is realized by the structural regulation function of VG. As a result, this NCS/VG material not only significantly reduces the utilization of NCS catalyst but also enormously improves the conductivity of the hybrid material. When using this free-standing film as catalytic overlayer on top of sulfur cathode, the derived LSB exhibited attractive electrochemical performances of 1000 mAh g -1 specific capacity at 0.3C and 800 mAh g -1 at 1C within 400 cycles for 2 mg cm -2 of sulfur loading and 850 mAh g -1 specific capacity at 0.25C for 6 mg cm -2 of sulfur loading. An areal capacity of 4.5 mAh cm -2 was demonstrated at the 100 th cycle at 0.3 C. [1] S. Li, Z. Fan, Encapsulation methods of sulfur particles for lithium-sulfur batteries: A review. Energy Storage Materials, 2020 , 34 , 107-127. [2] M. Zhang, W. Chen, L. Xue, Y. Jiao, et al., Adsorption-Catalysis Design in the Lithium-Sulfur Battery. Adv. Energy Mater., 2020 , 10, 1903008.