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With the advantages of short charging and discharging times, high power density, and long cycle life, supercapacitors are regarded as one of the most promising energy storage devices and have garnered massive attention in the field of energy storage. This paper prepared La1−xCaxMnO3 (x=0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2) nanoparticles by the sol‐gel method. The microstructure, morphology, and electrochemical performance of the samples were characterized. The results depict that La0.85Ca0.15MnO3 has a low charge transfer resistance (0.19 Ω) and a large specific surface area (38.79 m2 g−1). The maximum specific capacitance of the La0.85Ca0.15MnO3 sample reached 248 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g, which is ascribable to its large specific surface area and high oxygen vacancy concentration. The anion‐intercalation mechanism was investigated by the charging and discharging process. The above results depict that Ca‐doping significantly enhances the electrochemical performance of LaMnO3 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inthis work, the influence of the ionic strength and phosphateions on poly(l-lysine) hydrodynamic radius, conformationand persistence lengths has been studied for molar masses comprisedbetween 3000 and 70 000 g/mol. Mark–Houwink coefficientshave been obtained via the determination of poly(l-lysine)hydrodynamic radius using Taylor dispersion analysis. The influenceof phosphate ions and ionic strength on the solvent quality (poor,Θ, or good solvent) for poly(l-lysine) have been studiedin details. Quantitative data on hydrodynamic radius, persistencelength, Mark–Houwink coefficients are provided at pH 7.4, inthe range of 10 mM to 1 M ionic strength, and for different phosphateion concentrations from 0.1 mM to 50 mM under physiological conditions(154 mM ionic strength, pH 7.4). The strong influence of phosphateions on poly(l-lysine) properties was finally illustratedby studying the interactions (stoichiometry, binding constant, andcooperativity) between poly(l-lysine) of DP 50 and humanserum albumin, in the absence and in the presence of phosphate ionsat pH 7.4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Characterization of polymer hydrophobicity. [•] Determination of polymer log D distributions. [•] Applications to cationic polylysines derivatives. [•] Comparison between MEKC and MEEKC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Free-standing nickel (Ni) nanorods were successfully prepared by pulsed electrodeposition using porous alumina membrane (PAM) on titanium (Ti) pre-coated silicon (Si) substrate. Initially, Si substrate was coated with subsequent layers of Ti (∼200nm) and Al (∼600nm) by sputtering process. The PAM/Ti/Si structure was fabricated by a two-step anodization in 0.3M oxalic acid under a constant voltage of 40V, and then used to grow Ni nanorods by pulsed electrodeposition. Finally, an Al layer was deposited on the Ni nanorods. The relationship between the pore-widening time and the pore diameter of the PAM on Si was also investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was employed to observe the morphology of PAM, Ni nanorods and Al/Ni heterostructure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to study the morphological and structural properties of Ni nanorods, respectively. Also, the compositional properties of the samples were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS). The pore diameter and the pore length of the PAM were approximately 54.2±12.2nm and 800nm, respectively. The Ni nanorods stand perpendicularly on the substrate, whose diameter and length were similar to the PAM. The Ni nanorods give an XRD pattern of face-centered cubic crystal structure. Ni nanorods with deposited a layer of Al have the potential application of a heat source or energetic material in the silicon-based micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) compatible device. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• VS 2 /BlueP heterostructures as anodes could combine the advantages of VS 2 and BlueP. • Improved electrical conductivity and mechanical property are observed in the heterostructures. • VS 2 /BlueP heterostructures possess a high specific capacity of 1211.34 mA h/g. In this work, based on first principles calculations and molecular dynamics simulation, we systematically investigated the VS 2 /blue phosphorene (BlueP) heterostructures as potential anodes for LIBs. Our results show that both H-VS 2 /BlueP and T-VS 2 /BlueP heterostructures exhibit metallic characteristics, ensuring good electrical conductivity for the fast electron transport. The Young's moduli (187.3 N/m for H-VS 2 /BlueP and 183.4 N/m for T-VS 2 /BlueP), mechanical flexibility (ultimate strains > 16%) and adsorption energy of VS 2 /BlueP heterostructures are remarkably improved in comparison with pristine BlueP. Such improved mechanical property and adsorption energy are of great significance to suppress the anode pulverization on the whole lithium intercalation–deintercalation process. Moreover, the specific capacities of VS 2 /BlueP heterostructures are up to 1211.34 mA h/g (multi-layer Li adsorption), which are much higher than pristine BlueP and commercial graphite anodes. In addition, diffusion barriers in the H-VS 2 /BlueP and T-VS 2 /BlueP heterostructures are 0.17, 0.16 eV, respectively, implying high mobility of Li. All these encouraging results indicate that VS 2 /BlueP heterostructures are promising anodes to achieve advanced LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Ss) is a devastating fungal pathogen that causes Sclerotinia stem rot in rapeseed (Brassica napus), and is also detrimental to mulberry and many other crops. A wild mulberry germplasm, Morus laevigata, showed high resistance to Ss, but the molecular basis for the resistance is largely unknown. Here, the transcriptome response characteristics of M. laevigata to Ss infection were revealed by RNA-seq. A total of 833 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected after the Ss inoculation in the leaf of M. laevigata. After the GO terms and KEGG pathways enrichment analyses, 42 resistance-related genes were selected as core candidates from the upregulated DEGs. Their expression patterns were detected in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of M. laevigata. Most of them (30/42) were specifically or mainly expressed in flowers, which was consistent with the fact that Ss mainly infects plants through floral organs, and indicated that Ss-resistance genes could be induced by pathogen inoculation on ectopic organs. After the Ss inoculation, these candidate genes were also induced in the two susceptible varieties of mulberry, but the responses of most of them were much slower with lower extents. Based on the expression patterns and functional annotation of the 42 candidate genes, we cloned the full-length gDNA and cDNA sequences of the Ss-inducible chitinase gene set (MlChi family). Phylogenetic tree construction, protein interaction network prediction, and gene expression analysis revealed their special roles in response to Ss infection. In prokaryotic expression, their protein products were all in the form of an inclusion body. Our results will help in the understanding of the molecular basis of Ss-resistance in M. laevigata, and the isolated MlChi genes are candidates for the improvement in plant Ss-resistance via biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-powered photoelectric devices as a new type of sensor without an external power source have a great potential advantage in the next generation of portable and wearable personal devices. The design of those devices is normally based on three kinds of strategies: a p–n junction, the Schottky junction and ferroelectric polarization. Here, a novel solution based on ion migration induced self-powered photodetectors was explored. In this work, high quality halide perovskite FAPbBr3 crystals were grown by an inverse temperature crystallization (ITC) method. An irreversible ion migration was intentionally created using a symmetrically structured Au/FAPbBr3/Au device. The resulting built-in electric field and energy band bending were proved using electrical measurements in the dark and under light. Finally, the response of the ion migration induced self-powered FAPbBr3 detector was investigated with the values of R (∼0.18 mA W−1) and EQE (∼0.055%) under light with a power density of 1 mW cm−2 and a wavelength of 397 nm. Our investigation demonstrates that ion migration, which is normally deemed a detrimental factor for device stability, can be intentionally used for self-powered photoelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanowires of various inorganic materials have been fabricated due to the realization of their applications in different fields. Large-area and uniform cupric oxide (CuO) nanowires were successfully synthesized by a very simple thermal oxidation of copper thin films. The copper films were deposited by electron beam evaporation onto Ti/Si substrates, in which Ti film was first deposited on silicon substrate to serve as adhesion layer. The structure characterization revealed that these nanowires are monoclinic structured single crystallites. The effects of different growth parameters, namely, annealing time, annealing temperature, and film thickness on the fabrication of the CuO nanowires were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. A typical procedure simply involved the thermal oxidation of these substrates in air and within the temperature range from 300 to 700°C. It is found that nanowires can only be formed at thermal temperature of 400°C. It is observed that the growth time has an important effect on the length and density of the CuO nanowires, whereas the average diameter is almost the same, i.e.50nm. Different from the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) and vapor–solid (VS) mechanism, the growth of nanowires is found to be based on the accumulation and relaxation of the stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The band edges of metal-halide perovskites with a general chemical structure of ABX3 (A, usually a monovalent organic cation; B, a divalent cation; and X, a halide anion) are constructed mainly of the orbitals from B and X sites. Hence, the structural and compositional varieties of the inorganic B–X framework are primarily responsible for regulating their electronic properties, whereas A-site cations are thought to only help stabilize the lattice and not to directly contribute to near-edge states. We report a p-conjugation–induced extension of electronic states of A-site cations that affects perovskite frontier orbitals. The p-conjugated pyrene-containing A-site cations electronically contribute to the surface band edges and influence the carrier dynamics, with a properly tailored intercalation distance between layers of the inorganic framework. The ethylammonium pyrene increased hole mobilities, improved power conversion efficiencies relative to that of a reference perovskite, and enhanced device stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arabidopsis thaliana MYB43 (AtMYB43) is suggested to be involved in cell wall lignification. PtrMYB152, the Populus orthologue of AtMYB43, is a transcriptional activator of lignin biosynthesis and vessel wall deposition. In this research, MYB43 genes from Brassica napus (rapeseed) and its parental species B. rapa and B. oleracea were molecularly characterized, which were dominantly expressed in stem and other vascular organs and showed responsiveness to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection. The BnMYB43 family was silenced by RNAi, and the transgenic rapeseed lines showed retardation in growth and development with smaller organs, reduced lodging resistance, fewer silique number and lower yield potential. The thickness of the xylem layer decreased by 28%; the numbers of sclerenchymatous cells, vessels, interfascicular fibers, sieve tubes and pith cells in the whole cross section of the stem decreased by 28%, 59%, 48%, 34% and 21% in these lines, respectively. The contents of cellulose and lignin decreased by 17.49% and 16.21% respectively, while the pectin content increased by 71.92% in stems of RNAi lines. When inoculated with S. sclerotiorum, the lesion length was drastically decreased by 52.10% in the stems of transgenic plants compared with WT, implying great increase in disease resistance. Correspondingly, changes in the gene expression patterns of lignin biosynthesis, cellulose biosynthesis, pectin biosynthesis, cell cycle, SA- and JA-signals, and defensive pathways were in accordance with above phenotypic modifications. These results show that BnMYB43, being a growth-defense trade-off participant, positively regulates vascular lignification, plant morphology and yield potential, but negatively affects resistance to S. sclerotiorum. Moreover, this lignification activator influences cell biogenesis of both lignified and non-lignified tissues of the whole vascular organ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An ISCAP process was used to obtain Zn-doped CdS NPs in situ on a polymer substrate. • Supported photocatalysts with fractal supports were tested through RhB degradation. • Supported Zn-doped CdS was found to be photostable, with good recyclability. • PVPA, the binder, displayed a protective effect on the immobilized CdS catalyst. In this study, we explore the potential of an innovative method based on cold plasma discharge (CPD), to fabricate stable supported photocatalysts for the photodegradation of organic water pollutants. Supported catalysts bear significant advantages compared to colloidal ones, the main benefit being that they can be separated from water and reused much more easily, which is a crucial aspect especially of nanocompounds. They can also participate in reducing catalyst loss between operations or even enable continuous-flow processes, usually more productive than batch, discontinued operations. Hereby, we describe an immobilization approach, i.e. in situ complexation-assisted precipitation (ISCAP), which allows the fabrication of nanoCdS photocatalyst, directly at the surface of a polymer substrate. More specifically, we establish the potential of this process to obtain a hybrid coating of zinc-doped CdS, in situ. Our findings revealed that the resulting supported catalyst was photoactive – degrading Rhodamine B (RhB) dye, easily recyclable and photostable thanks to the successful doping of the catalytic phase. In addition, it seems that the immobilization itself stabilized the catalyst, probably thanks to polyvinylphosphonic acid (PVPA), used as a complexing and binding agent. The catalytic phase was immobilized on a resin substrate that was fabricated by liquid crystal diode (LCD) 3D printing, and conceived using fractal-inspired geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cotton fiber textile was modified using cold plasma discharge. • Bi 2 MoO 6 microflowers and AgNPs were successfully immobilized using three different techniques based on CPD. • The textile composite was tested with two bacteria: E. coli and S. Aureus. • Significant antimicrobial activity was observed with the two strains, both in dark conditions and under low-intensity visible light. In this study, we expose various techniques based on cold plasma discharge (CPD), and more precisely aqueous-phase plasma-aided grafting (APPAG), to efficiently modify the surface of polymers as well as fabric made of natural fibers. Several directions were investigated to ultimately add a functional coating providing an antimicrobial effect to textiles. Our strategy relies on the immobilization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and Bi 2 MoO 6 (BMO) – a robust inorganic photocatalyst that can be activated by visible light – microflowers, at the surface of cotton fabric fibers. Notably, an in situ complexation-assisted precipitation route (ISCAP – an original method derived from CPD) was successfully employed to generate a very uniform coating of silver nanoparticles at the surface of organic substrates. As we demonstrate in this study, the surface functionalization with BMO and silver provides a significant protection against bacteria in dark conditions, through a bacteriostatic effect of nano silver, and under low-intensity artificial visible light (thanks to the photocatalytic effect of BMO/Ag), hence suitable for an indoor environment such as hospitals. Our composite nanomaterial, cotton/BMO/AgNPs, was assessed through antibacterial testing with Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. Aureus) , showing a pronounced antimicrobial effect with both strains. This study opens prospects for the functionalization of natural or artificial fiber materials with possible applications in the field of biomedical protective equipment such as bandages, masks or technical cloths; or even photocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus strain WYCQ02 was obtained from soil samples by high-temperature screening. A 1,327-bp DNA fragment containing a 1,152-bp long open reading frame named phyC-WYCQ02 was amplified from the genomic DNA of strain WYCQ02 by PCR. The ORF encoded a polypeptide of 383 amino acid residues with a putative signal peptide of 26 amino acids. The 1,089-bp fragment encoding the mature peptide of neutral phytase and a 6 × histidine tag was cloned into the plasmid pPIC9K. The expression vector, pPIC9K-phyC, was linearized and transformed in Pichia pastoris. The molecular weight of phytase was estimated to be approximately 53 kDa by electrophoresis. The optimal temperature of the purified phytase was 55°C and the optimal pH value was between 7.0 and 8.0. After incubation at 70°C for 10 and 30 min, the relative activity was still over 80 and 62%, and over 70% of enzyme activity remained in the pH range of 5.0-10.0. There was no significant difference in enzymatic activity after incubation for 30 or 60 min in buffer with different pH values, therefore the purified phytase had some acid and alkali resistance. The phytase gene and the engineered yeast strain may have value in industrial applications. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]