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The purpose of this work was to analyze and evaluate the functional properties of a new nanoemulsion that contained cordycepin. Droplet size and distribution were measured, and the stability of the nanoemulsion in different storage conditions was evaluated. We also tested skin irritation caused by the nanoemulsion, cordycepin stability in the nanoemulsion, anti-aging effect, and microbial challenge. The nanoemulsion was homogeneous with proper dispersion stability, and cordycepin was stable for eight months within the cosmetic nanoemulsion. The nanoemulsion did not irritate human hand and face skin, and the cosmetic nanoemulsion was effective in preventing microbial contamination of the product during use and storage. The new nanoemulsion containing cordycepin satisfied provisions of the 2015 Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics of the Ministry of Health, People's Republic of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing highly active and durable electrocatalysts remain an ongoing challenge in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here, the reductive IL/Ti3C2Tx(FA) is produced in a water‐free mixture of formic acid (FA), ionic liquid (IL) and LiF, subsequently, the simultaneous reduction encapsulation trap the Pd nanocatalysts and IL within bilayer carbide‐derived carbon (CDC) to obtain Pd@IL/CDC(FA) with high metal loading up to 69.7%. Thereby, the featured active phases in Pd@IL/CDC(FA) impart potent chemical nanoconfinement to defend metals from dissolution and aggregation, boost mass and electron transfer, and mediate oxidation states and adsorption/desorption of metal Pd in the ORR. Instead of deactivation and Ostwald ripening, the catalytic performances of Pd@IL/CDC(FA) are gradually enhanced in an accelerated durability test up to 20 000 cycles. In a Zn–air battery, the Pd@IL/CDC(FA) cathode gives a specific capacity of 812.6 mAh gZn−1 and a voltage loss of only 41 mV in galvanostatic discharge for 1000 h. The work opens new venues in controllably preparing high activity and durable electrocatalysts from in‐situ generated CDCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wetting and corrosion behavior of the corundum substrate anode by CaO–SiO 2 –MgO molten slag was investigated via the joint application of the sessile drop method with applied voltage and SEM-EDS technique. The slag drop exhibited a good wettability on the corundum substrate. The apparent contact angle at zero voltage slightly exceeded that at a 1 V applied voltage but was lower than those at 1.5 V and 2 V ones. Low applied voltage of 1 V had little effect on the corundum substrate's direct dissolution corrosion processes; high ones of not less than 1.5 V caused the electrode reaction to occur. The stirring effect of O 2 bubbles from the anode reaction aggravated the substrate's direct dissolution and physical stripping. It was found that the applied voltage could inhibit the slag penetration, and the apparent contact angle had no obvious relation with the direct dissolution thickness and penetration depth. A thin but almost continuous MgO⋅Al 2 O 3 (MA) layer could form at the slag/substrate interface at the applied voltage of 1.5 V. These results indicate the positive effect of applied voltage on the distribution of interfacial products and the molten slag penetration in reducing the corrosion of corundum anode under certain conditions. However, when the applied voltage was too high, the vigorous electrode reaction could aggravate the direct dissolution and physical stripping of the corundum anode, and damage the continuation of the formed interface product layer with a high melting point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The charge transfer and active sites of metal-free imidazolium-based composites were unveiled by an electrochemical method with high sensitivity and selectivity due to the specific donor–acceptor coupling of imidazolium with NO2−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aid of TiO 2 and Ag/TiO 2 composites with ultrahigh specific surface areas (about 400 m 2 g −1 ), we demonstrated a facile controlled strategy to adjust the photooxidation activity of Ag/TiO 2 in the photocatalysis degradation process of Rhodamine B (RhB). A series of photocatalysis experiment results indicated that the selective oxidation of RhB could be performed through changing irradiation light. When the as-prepared unannealed Ag/TiO 2 was used as photocatalyst, Rh-110 was produced only under visible light irradiation. Instead, RhB would be oxidized completely under ultraviolet irradiation or using the annealing Ag/TiO 2 . Although there were many photocatalysis degradation mechanisms of RhB in previous literatures, we have not found an appropriate mechanism to explain this phenomenon. Radical-trapping tests indicated that the effect of superoxide anion radical was more important than hydroxyl radical in the forming process of Rh-110, and hence the selective oxidation mechanism of Ag/TiO 2 was suggested according to the role changing of Ag nanoparticles on the composites under visible and ultraviolet irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CdTe quantum dots (QDs) capped by 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium mercaptopropionate ([emim]MP) and the reduced graphene oxide (RG) modified by the amine-terminated ionic liquid ([amim]Br) were synthesized in this work. The coordinating interface interactions between QD and RG render the nanocomposite the excellent electrochemical performances as revealed by cyclic voltammetry, chronocoulometry, and electrical impedance spectroscopy. Based on the experimental results obtained from amimRG, CdTe@MP-amimRG, CdTe@[bmim]MP-amimRG, and CdTe@[emim]MP-amimRG nanocomposites, it is proposed that the synergistic effects between imidazolium rings and graphene are responsible for the enhanced performances. Taking the CdTe@[emim]MP-amimRG nanocomposite as the electrochemical sensor of puerarin, the proposed method demonstrates the linear range over 0.01–4.0 μmol L −1 with the detection limits of 6 nmol L −1 in the aqueous solution (S/N = 3). Moreover, the sensor exhibits fast response time (2s), high sensitivity (74.57 μA μmol L −1 cm −2 ), as well as reproducibility (RSD ≤ 8%), and can maintain the stability at 4 °C for two weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A copper-based surface model with ZrO 2 clusters supporting is constructed. • The adsorption mechanisms of MSR reactants are studied via DFT calculations. • The ZrO 2 -doped copper surface shows considerable adsorption performance. • Oxygen vacancies in specific surface sites further promote adsorption capacity. The surface adsorption mechanisms of copper-based catalysts for hydrogen production from methanol are investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In this study, pure and ZrO 2 - modified copper surfaces are concerned. All the surfaces and adsorbed configurations are optimized via Dmol3 module and analyzed by density of states (DOS), charge transfer and electron density difference. The results show that the O–Cu bond of pure copper surface and the O-Zr bond of ZrO 2 -modified surface is formed respectively after adsorption of various adsorbates, where strong interactions and electron migration are detected. Compared to pure copper surface, the ZrO 2 -modified one shows better adsorption capacity and catalytic activity for hydrogen production. The inhibition of carbon monoxide discharge for stable ZrO 2 -presorbed configurations are confirmed. In addition, the oxygen vacancy is also considered, and the O-defective surface of O v 1 is the most stable configuration, which can be easily formed. This is beneficial to further hydrogen production reactions like MSR. The heterogeneity of catalyst surface that ZrO 2 brings great promotes the adsorption capacity, and this provide theoretic basis for future catalyst design. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pd-CoO∙TiO 2 /TiO 2 and Pd-CoO x /TiO 2 represent high catalytic activity and selectivity in CO 2 transformations. • CO is a good prober toward Lewis acidic centers for the reaction intermediates of methoxy species. • Lewis acidity and alkalinity are readily controllable on the catalysts surfaces. • High catalytic performances are derived from the cooperation of Lewis acid/base on the interfaces. • The studies provide an alternative solution to relate the catalytic activity with the strengths of Lewis acids and bases. A highly attractive aim is to turn CO 2 into useful chemicals selectively and efficiently, but it still retains great challenging to understand the relations between catalytic performances and interface properties. Here, we report an alternative solution to relate the catalytic activity with the strengths of Lewis acids and bases on the Pd-CoO x interfaces. CoO∙TiO 2 /TiO 2 and CoO x /TiO 2 possess the wide spectrum of Lewis acid/base centres, and give the low selectivity and conversion. The introduction of Pd can focus them on the intrinsic centres, and makes Pd-CoO∙TiO 2 /TiO 2 and Pd-CoO x /TiO 2 represent the ideal catalysis. With temperature-programmed desorptions of CO 2 , CO and NH 3 , it is evidenced that the catalytic hydrogenations of CO 2 to CO, CH 4 and CH 3 OH depend on the cooperation of the Lewis acidic/alkaline centres on the interfaces. The studies provide guidelines for rational design and synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts including but not limited to CO 2 hydrogenation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pd-CoO∙TiO 2 /TiO 2 and Pd-CoO x /TiO 2 represent high catalytic activity and selectivity in CO 2 transformations. • CO is a good prober toward Lewis acidic centers for the reaction intermediates of methoxy species. • Lewis acidity and alkalinity are readily controllable on the catalysts surfaces. • High catalytic performances are derived from the cooperation of Lewis acid/base on the interfaces. • The studies provide an alternative solution to relate the catalytic activity with the strengths of Lewis acids and bases. A highly attractive aim is to turn CO 2 into useful chemicals selectively and efficiently, but it still retains great challenging to understand the relations between catalytic performances and interface properties. Here, we report an alternative solution to relate the catalytic activity with the strengths of Lewis acids and bases on the Pd-CoO x interfaces. CoO∙TiO 2 /TiO 2 and CoO x /TiO 2 possess the wide spectrum of Lewis acid/base centres, and give the low selectivity and conversion. The introduction of Pd can focus them on the intrinsic centres, and makes Pd-CoO∙TiO 2 /TiO 2 and Pd-CoO x /TiO 2 represent the ideal catalysis. With temperature-programmed desorptions of CO 2 , CO and NH 3 , it is evidenced that the catalytic hydrogenations of CO 2 to CO, CH 4 and CH 3 OH depend on the cooperation of the Lewis acidic/alkaline centres on the interfaces. The studies provide guidelines for rational design and synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts including but not limited to CO 2 hydrogenation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High fluorescence efficiency is desired for the practical applications of semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) in many fields. However, reducing photoluminescence (PL) efficiency is usually observed after ligand exchanges on nanocrystal surfaces due to the generation of surface defects. Here, we report the preparation of polyvinylpyrrolidone-capped CdSe NCs (CdSe/PVP), and show the PL enhancement of CdSe/PVP NCs under UV radiation in the air. The experimental results indicate that the PL-enhanced mechanism of the NCs in methanol results from passivation of the lyates in that they act as the hole-acceptors. By screening of hole scavenger, furthermore, it is found that ditertbutyl peroxide is a better passivators of surface defects, and promotes the PL efficiency of CdSe/PVP NCs to achieve a value 110 times higher than that of as-prepared CdSe/PVP NCs. The photopassivation in the presence of organic molecules provides a prefertial, inexpensive path to harvest NCs with high PL efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The dependences of the absorption spectra of chrome azurol S (CAS) and Al3+–CAS complexes on the concentration of ionic liquids (ILs), 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C n Mim]Br, with n =8, 10, 12), were measured at 298.15K in aqueous solutions with pH=5.6. It is found that ILs can induce the significant red-shifts of the wavelength at the absorption maximum (λ max) of Al3+–CAS complex from 545 to 646nm for [C8Mim]Br, and to 642nm for [C12Mim]Br and [C16Mim]Br, respectively. Accompanying the red-shifts, the absorbance at λ max, and thereby molar absorptivity (ɛ), changes markedly with the IL concentration, and consequently the effect of ILs on the absorbance at λ max is systematically investigated in this work. Along with the experimental results of resonance light scattering, the sensitization mechanism is analyzed from the aggregation of the ILs and the interactions of ILs with CAS and Al3+–CAS complexes. It is shown that the hydrophobic interactions of IL subaggregates with CAS in Al3+–CAS complex are the crucial factor for the sensitization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The polymer–ammonium complexes are an important class of proton conducting polymer electrolytes. In this work, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)–NH4SCN electrolytes were prepared over a large range of the salt content, and their FT-IR spectra were measured at room temperature. Based on the assignments of each band in the spectral envelope of SCN−1, their relative intensities are determined by the use of FT-IR technique. Following the experimental results and spectral analyses, this paper reports the interactions, the various ionic associations, the changes of the ionic association with NH4SCN content, and the characteristics of structure in PEO–NH4SCN electrolytes. It is shown that the hydrogen bonds of PEO and NH4SCN exert the great effect to the ionic association, the interactions of PEO with NH4SCN, and PEO crystallinity, in particular, under the condition of high NH4SCN content. In addition, the differences of ionic association among PEO–NaSCN, PEO–KSCN and NH4SCN electrolytes are also compared in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Methyl orange (MO) exhibits a sensitive spectral signature to the polarity of medium environment. Using MO as the spectroscopic probe, this paper reports the results of studies on the aggregation of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs, [C n mim]Br, n =8, 10, 12, and 16) in aqueous solutions. Along with the results obtained from the measurements of electrical conductivity and resonance light scattering (RLS), this investigation shows the characteristics of the IL aggregation and the properties of the bulk phase prior to the aggregation, and hence reveals the aggregation differences between surface active [C n mim]Br and traditional surfactants. It is shown that hydrogen bonds play a dominant role in the aggregation of ILs in addition to Coulombic and hydrophobic interactions. Compared with traditional cationic surfactant, IL displays the stronger aggregation due to the formation of the hydrogen bonded network. Also, such hydrogen bonded network results in the loose arrangements of imidazolium rings in the subaggregates of [C n mim]Br (n <10). When the mid-wavelength absorption band is just beginning to appear as the band of absorption maximum, the corresponding concentration is indicative of the formation of the perfect aggregates, and is in agreement with the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of the ILs except [C8mim]Br. Moreover, it was found that the polarity in the core of the perfect IL aggregates is similar to the polarity within micelles of traditional cationic surfactant with the same alkyl chain length. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The polymeric conformations can provide insight into the structure and the mechanism of ion transport in solid polymer electrolytes. In this work, the FT-IR spectra of PEO–NaSCN complexes were measured at room temperature, and the solvation of NaSCN in PEO was revealed by the conformational changes of PEO with NaSCN content. It is suggested that the complexation of PEO with NaSCN can occur through three modes: trans-coordination, gauche-coordination, and cryptande-coordination, depending on the conformation and the flexibility of PEO backbone. The trans-coordination is a weak solvation and can cause the interchain crosslinking and the reduction of segmental motion. The gauche-coordination is a strong complexation and can form complexes in which Na+ is wrapped by the PEO helix. The cryptandes result from the internal rotation of the flexible PEO backbone and can interact directly with NaSCN to form triple ion aggregations, especially when the salt content is low in PEO. In addition, the effect of PEO crystallinity on solvation and the solvating ability of PEO with different molecular weight are discussed also in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Solid polymer electrolytes are potentially useful electrolytes to be applied in high-energy batteries. In the present work, a novel polymer electrolyte, polyethylene oxide (PEO)–NaSCN–AlCl3, was prepared and investigated by FT-IR spectroscopic techniques. Based on the FT-IR data, the bands in the CN stretching envelope have been assigned and the effect of AlCl3 on ion–ion and ion–polymer interactions in the polymer electrolyte has been examined. It is shown that the Lewis acid–base interaction of AlCl3 with SCN1− leads to the formation of the complex anions AlCl3SCN− and Al2Cl6SCN−, depending on the content of AlCl3 and/or NaSCN in PEO; the preferential interactions of AlCl3 with crystal complex P(EO)3NaSCN occur in PEO–NaSCN–AlCl3 electrolytes; the AlCl3–NaSCN complex anions can play a plasticization role in PEO–NaSCN–AlCl3 electrolyte, and are expected to be a important factor to improve the conductivity and to enhance the cation transference number. In addition, the interactions between AlCl3 and ether oxygen of PEO were analyzed, and their effect on ionic association was also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Temperature dependence of the physiochemical characteristics of a room-temperature ionic liquid consisting of trimethylhexylammonium (TMHA) cation and bis(trifluoromethane) sulfonylimide (TFSI) anion containing different concentrations of LiTFSI salt was examined. Electrochemical properties of a spinel LiMn2O4 electrode in 1 M LiTFSI/TMHA-TFSI ionic electrolyte were investigated at different temperatures by using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The Li/ionic electrolyte/LiMn2O4 cell exhibited satisfactory electrochemical properties with a discharge capacity of 108.2 mA h/g and 91.4% coulombic efficiency in the first cycle under room temperature. At decreased temperature, reversible capacity of the cell could not attain a satisfactory value due to the high internal resistance of the cell and the large activation energy for lithium ion transfer through the electrode/electrolyte interface. Anodic electrolyte oxidation results in the decrease of coulombic efficiency with increasing temperature. Irreversible structural conversion of the spinel LiMn2O4 in the ionic electrolyte, possibly associated with the formation of TMHA intercalated compounds and/or Jahn−Teller distortion, was considered to be responsible for the electrochemical decay with increasing cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blend-based electrolyte, polyethylene oxide (PEO)–poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF)–NaSCN, was prepared and characterized by FT-IR, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurements at room temperature, and the effect of PVdF content on solvation and ion association was discussed over the content of 5–95%. It is shown that PEO has much stronger ability of solvation to NaSCN than PVdF does, indicating that the polymeric donor number is more important than its dielectric constant in solvating effect of polymer. However, PVdF can keep its semicrystalline nature and form microporous structure in blend-based electrolytes. These characters make PVdF not only enhance the mechanical stability of the electrolyte thin films, but also transform PEO crystalline phase into fully amorphous phase. Although PVdF can effectively disrupt the crystalline complex P(EO)3NaSCN, it does not affect the component of triple aggregations. In addition, the effect of PVdF content on ion association is also discussed in PEO–NaSCN electrolytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vibrational spectroscopic studies have been carried out on solutions of LiBF4 in acetonitrile as a function of concentrations of lithium salt. Great changes in the vibrational characteristics of C⋮N and C−C stretches were observed as a result of solvation. The solvation numbers of Li+ determined from spectroscopic data are found to decrease from 3.2 to 1.4 with increasing concentration of the lithium salt. It is expected that the solvation number is 4 in the infinite diluted solution. Solvation structures of the lithium ion were suggested by density functional theory and the results were compared with the spectroscopic data. Changes of the ν1 mode of BF4- with concentration of the salt were also analyzed, and the bands at 763, 771, and 780 cm-1 indicate the coexisting of free ion, contact ion pairs, and dimers. The structures of ion pairs in gas phase and in acetonitrile solutions were suggested on the basis of DFT calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FT-IR spectra of P(EO)nMSCN polymer electrolytes have been recorded at room temperature from n=6–80. The peaks located at ∼2037 and ∼2043 cm−1 were respectively assigned to SCN− stretching mode in crystalline complex and contact ion-pair dimer of NaSCN. It was shown that the free SCN− and the crystalline complex were formed in PEO–NaSCN, but they were not observed in PEO–KSCN system. The PEO–KSCN electrolytes exhibit the amorphous characteristics, which make the contact ion pairs, and the solvent-separated dimers are main ion species in this system. The contact ion-pair dimers can be formed in both systems as the ability of PEO chain to wrap cation is reduced with increase salt content. These conclusions are used to explain the experimental results of conductivity for PEO–MSCN polymer electrolytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Combustion mechanism and dynamics of jatropha oil droplets are studied. • Flame spread velocity and flame spread limit of jatropha oil droplets are determined. • The flame spread behavior of jatropha oil droplets is classified into three modes. The present study investigated the flame spread and combustion characteristics of two jatropha oil droplets, droplet A and B. Specifically, the pyrolysis characteristics of jatropha oil were studied using thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to analyze the components in jatropha oil. Then, the flame spread from droplet A to droplet B and combustion dynamics of two droplets were studied in a constant volume chamber under atmospheric pressure and room temperature (300 K). The effects of normalized droplets spacing S/d 0 (2.7–4.9) on flame spread were also studied. The results showed that the combustion of jatropha oil droplet containing three stages: initial expansion stage, quasi-steady combustion stage and micro-explosive combustion stage. Periodic puffing and micro-explosion occurred during micro-explosive combustion stage. This is due to the superheating of low boiling-point components produced by pyrolysis of long-chain fatty acids in jatropha oil. The duration of initial expansion stage increases significantly with the increase of droplet spacing. When the normalized droplet spacing reaches 4.9, the second droplet cannot ignite and reached flame spread limit. Interestingly, the flame spread velocity increase at first and then decrease with increase droplet spacing. This is because the diffusion flame is cooled by unburned droplet when the spacing is relatively small. However, when the spacing is relatively large, the flame spread velocity mainly depends on the duration of second droplet in first stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type I interferons (IFN-I) play pivotal roles in tumor therapy for three decades, underscoring the critical importance of maintaining the integrity of the IFN-1 signaling pathway in radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. However, the specific mechanism by which IFN-I contributes to these therapies, particularly in terms of activating dendritic cells (DCs), remains unclear. Based on recent studies, aberrant DNA in the cytoplasm activates the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)- stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway, which in turn produces IFN-I, which is essential for antiviral and anticancer immunity. Notably, STING can also enhance anticancer immunity by promoting autophagy, inflammation, and glycolysis in an IFN-I-independent manner. These research advancements contribute to our comprehension of the distinctions between IFN-I drugs and STING agonists in the context of oncology therapy and shed light on the challenges involved in developing STING agonist drugs. Thus, we aimed to summarize the novel mechanisms underlying cGAS-STING-IFN-I signal activation in DC-mediated antigen presentation and its role in the cancer immune cycle in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the development of a method to modify the surface of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to create functional materials and meet the application requirements in localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and fields such as optical devices, optical energy conversion and catalysis. It details the methods used and the surface chemistry and color which are controlled by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. It concludes that the core nanostructure are formed during the interface reactions.

Salidroside has been widely used in anti-tumor, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular protection. However, there are few reports of its use for wound repair. Herein, salidroside inflammation-targeted emulsion gel and non-targeted emulsion gel were developed for wound repair. The inflammation-targeted emulsion gels showed an overall trend of better transdermal penetration and lower potential than non-targeted emulsion gels (−58.7 mV and −1.6 mV, respectively). The apparent improvement of the trauma surface was significant in each administration group. There was a significant difference in the rate of wound healing of the rats between each administration group and the model group at days 7 and 14. Pathological tissue sections showed that inflammatory cells in the epidermis, dermis, and basal layer were significantly reduced, and the granulation tissue was proliferated in the inflammation-targeted emulsion gel group and the non-targeted emulsion gel group. Regarding the expressions of EGF and bFGF, the expressions of bFGF and EGF in the tissues of the inflammation-targeted group at days 7, 14, or 21 were significantly higher than that of the non-targeted emulsion gel group and the model group, both of which were statistically significant compared with the model group (p < 0.05). These results demonstrated that salidroside has the potential as an alternative drug for wound repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type I interferon (IFN-I) is a potent immune modulator intricately involved in regulating tumor immunity. Meanwhile, the integrity of the IFN-I signaling pathway is essential for radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. However, the clinical application of IFN-I remains challenging due to its non-specific cytotoxicity and limited half-life. To overcome these limitations, we developed a gene delivery platform, CRISPR-V, enabling the rapid creation of novel HSV-1 oncolytic viruses. Utilizing this platform, we created an oncolytic virus, OVH-IFNβ, in which the IFNβ gene was incorporated into the HSV-1 genome. However, exogenous IFNβ expression significantly inhibited OVH-IFNβ replication. Through transcriptome data analyses, we identified several ISG genes inhibiting OVH-IFNβ replication. By gene knockout and functional studies of the downstream effectors, we confirmed the prominent antiviral activities of protein kinase R (PKR). To balance the antitumor and antiviral immunity of IFNβ, we developed a novel HSV-1 oncolytic virus, OVH-IFNβ-iPKR, which can express IFNβ while inhibiting PKR, leading to a potent antitumor immunity while reducing the antiviral capacity of IFNβ. OVH-IFNβ-iPKR shows a strong ability to induce immunogenic cell death and activate tumor-specific CD8+ T cells, leading to de novo immune responses and providing a novel strategy for tumor immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type I interferon (IFN-I) is a potent immune modulator intricately involved in regulating tumor immunity. Meanwhile, the integrity of the IFN-I signaling pathway is essential for radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. However, the clinical application of IFN-I remains challenging due to its non-specific cytotoxicity and limited half-life. To overcome these limitations, we developed a gene delivery platform, CRISPR-V, enabling the rapid creation of novel HSV-1 oncolytic viruses. Utilizing this platform, we created an oncolytic virus, OVH-IFNβ, in which the IFNβ gene was incorporated into the HSV-1 genome. However, exogenous IFNβ expression significantly inhibited OVH-IFNβ replication. Through transcriptome data analyses, we identified several ISG genes inhibiting OVH-IFNβ replication. By gene knockout and functional studies of the downstream effectors, we confirmed the prominent antiviral activities of protein kinase R (PKR). To balance the antitumor and antiviral immunity of IFNβ, we developed a novel HSV-1 oncolytic virus, OVH-IFNβ-iPKR, which can express IFNβ while inhibiting PKR, leading to a potent antitumor immunity while reducing the antiviral capacity of IFNβ. OVH-IFNβ-iPKR shows a strong ability to induce immunogenic cell death and activate tumor-specific CD8+ T cells, leading to de novo immune responses and providing a novel strategy for tumor immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A crosslinking Sb-NC/PoMXene network with fully-active species is designed. • The network greatly enhances ion/electron transport and alleviates volume variation. • Interweaved polar interfaces benefit rich binding/catalytic sites to polysulfides. • Long cyclability is achieved for 700 cycles with capacity retention over 99%. The performances of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) depend heavily on sulfur hosts with the desired properties including excellent electronic conductivity, high sulfur loading, strong polysulfide capture, and active catalytic centers. Here, we demonstrate 2D partially oxidized Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene (PoMXene) can be cross-linked by Sb, N co-implanted carbon (Sb-NC) through Ti-O-Sb bond to synthetize Sb-NC/PoMXene. It is shown that the nanostructuring Sb-NC/PoMXene provides fast ion/electron transport channel and robust 3D architecture to alleviate volume variations. Significantly, the interweaved polar interfaces benefit rich binding sites from Sb nanoparticles, N atoms, TiO 2 and Ti 3 C 2 T x towards polysulfides, and the Sb-NC could catalytically accelerate redox kinetics, thus efficiently suppressing polysulfide shuttle. As a result, the Sb-NC/PoMXene/S hybrids represent high capacity (1148.4 mAh g−1 at 0.1C) and long cyclability (570.6 mAh g−1 after 700 cycles at 2C). When the sulfur loading is increased to 4 mg cm−2, the thick cathode still maintains a high areal capacity of 3.8 mAh cm−2 with a decay of only 0.10% per cycle over 100 cycles at 0.2C. The studies pave a novel pathway to design nanostructured electrodes and promote catalytic performances in LSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concerted catalysis throughout multiple elementary steps is key to impel sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, NiMo/Mo 2 N/NC(500-R) array is constructed by embedding densely packed NiMo/Mo 2 N heterojunctions into nanorod skeleton of nitrogen-rich derived carbons (NC), then followed by electrochemical surface reconstruction. The great electrochemical surface area of resultant electrocatalyst implies fully-exposed concerted diatomic-ensembles. The ensemble effect of unique heteronanojunction induces charge polarizations between Mo and Ni species, gives pseudocapacitance comparable to supercapacitors, and pumps mass transfers to refresh entire HER process. The exceptional activity is demonstrated by ultra-low overpotentials of 5.8 and 200.6 mV respectively at 10 and 1000 mA cm−2, the impressive durability is indicated by lasting alkaline HER for 1000 h at 1 A cm−2. Moreover, the performances in water-alkali electrolyzer outperform most reported catalysts. This work presents valuable insights into concerted catalysis and designing efficient and durable electrocatalysts by ensemble effect from different metal heterojunctions for commercial applications. [Display omitted] • Well-separated heteronanojunctions impart the enhanced intrinsic activity to array. • Ensemble effect refreshes the concerted diatomic sites by charge polarizations. • Electrocatalyst delivers ultra-low overpotentials in alkaline hydrogen evolution. • Striking durability makes electrocatalyst commercializable in hydrogen production. • In-depth insights offer guidance to design efficient and durable electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biorenewable alcohols are identified as the promising energy in fuel cells, but the lack of efficient catalysts limits the electricity output. Here, we chemically grew the PdAg alloy nanoparticles (NPs) on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) to obtain PdxAgy(m)/RGO, and investigated the dependences of peak current densities on the metal loadings (m), Pd mole fractions (x), and sizes. The maximal peak currents of 1.86, 4.88, 14.3 and 13.6 × 104 mA cm−2 mgPd−1 were respectively achieved in the electrooxidation reactions of methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol and glycerol. It is shown that the interactions of PdAg NPs with RGO can control the catalytic efficiencies through mediating the electronic characteristics of metal NPs and the reactant absorptions. Except the catalysts for methanol oxidation reaction, the efficient catalysis possesses the same lattice structure in PdAg alloys with the optimized m, and gives a common descriptor to select the catalyst with high catalytic activity. Graph Abstarct: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although significant progress has been made in the synthesis of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) in recent years, the construction of hierarchical pores in such materials remains a great challenge. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of hierarchically porous COFs (HP-COFs) under mild conditions in ionic liquids 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborates ([Cnmim][BF4], n = 4, 6, 10). It has been found that apart from the inherent micropores, a large mesoporous structure has been produced in the COFs in which the size of pores can be simply tuned by adjusting the alkyl chain length of the ionic liquids. These mesopores have been confirmed by N2 sorption and electron microscopy techniques. Importantly, this approach is applicable for the preparation of various HP-COFs, such as imine and hydrazone based COFs, which are quite difficult to acquire through traditional methods. In addition, these HP-COFs show highly effective catalytic performance for C–C bond formation, especially for large size molecule based C–C coupling reactions in comparison with uni-pore COFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract High performances, cost-effectiveness, and facile preparation of electrode materials are of utmost importance for supercapacitors in practical applications. Herein, Ni(HCO 3) 2 nanoparticles (NPs) of low cost and environmental friendliness were embedded into polydopamine-reduced graphene oxide (PDA-RGO) networks via cost-effective hydrothermal route. It is shown the conducting PDA can uniformly distributes and robustly immobilizes Ni(HCO 3) 2 NPs in the nanocomposite while the ionic channels are improved for electrolyte access. Consequently, the as-prepared Ni(HCO 3) 2 -PDA-RGO composite offers the high Faradaic capacity of 870 C g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and moderate rate capability. Furthermore, the assembled Ni(HCO 3) 2 -PDA-RGO//activated carbon hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) delivers a specific capacity of 192 C g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 within operation voltage window of 1.7 V. The maximum energy density of the HSC reaches to 45.3 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 425 W kg−1, and the initial specific capacity maintains 90.5% after 3000 successive charge-discharge cycles. The high energy density and good cycleability certify the potential of the ternary Ni(HCO 3) 2 -PDA-RGO composite in efficient and long lifetime energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The critical behavior of relative viscosity and intrinsic viscosity near the gelation point was experimentally examined for 1 g/100 ml alginate solution induced by cupric ions. The critical exponent of relative viscosity was found to be 1.27, which is in good agreement with the prediction of the percolation model based on a Rouse cluster approximation gives the exponent as 1.3. Critical behavior of intrinsic viscosity reveals that the constant of Huggins equation k′ for alginate clusters formed near the gelation point was considerably higher than that of linear alginate polychains in aqueous solution. Typically intramolecular crosslinking between polychains in the low cupric concentration could be detected in the plots of [η] vs molar fraction of cupric ions for the system. The weak divergence of intrinsic viscosity resembles the critical behavior of Zimm clusters predicted by the three-dimensional percolation theory rather than clusters of classical theory. © 1996 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a simple, template-free, and one-step strategy to synthesize nanostructured Au architectures with fascinating morphology is highly desirable and technically important due to their valuable applications in varied fields. In this work, the “green” strategy of “tunable ionic liquids-water (ILs-H 2 O) interfacial synthesis” developed previously by us is utilized for feasible synthesis of gold needle mushroom-like micro/nanostructures at the 1,3-dibutylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C 4 bim][Tf 2 N]) - water interface and ambient conditions. The as-obtained gold needle mushrooms (AuNMs) have been characterized and analyzed systemically by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that the as-prepared AuNMs can be used as substrates to perform surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) investigation with striking SERS sensitivity. By employing ILs with different alkyl chain lengths of the imidazolium cations and/or different nature of anions, Au nanomaterials with diverse morphologies can be easily prepared at different ILs-H 2 O interfaces. Based on the analysis of the control experiments, the growth and formation of AuNMs at the [C 4 bim][Tf 2 N]-H 2 O interface have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Montmorillonite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (M-nZVI) was synthesized by sodium borohydride reduction and characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The interaction of uranium with M-nZVI was studied using batch technique under different experimental conditions such as pH, ionic strength, initial U(VI) concentration, solid-to-liquid ration ( m/V), and temperature. The presence of montmorillonite decreased the aggregation while increased the specific surface area (SSA) of the iron nanoparticles. The SSA for as-synthesized M-nZVI was 91.42 m/g, higher than 26.60 and 10.23 m/g for nZVI and montmorillonite, respectively. The removal efficiency of U(VI) using M-nZVI was significantly affected by the pH of the aqueous solution, whereas it was slightly affected by ionic strength and temperature. The isoelectric point of M-nZVI was at pH 5.6; however the results indicated that the optimum removal efficiency of U(VI) using M-nZVI was achieved at a pH range 3.0-5.0. The experiments with aqueous solution containing 100 μg/L of U(VI) showed that the removal efficiency of the as-synthesized M-nZVI was about 978 μg/g at pH 3.0. These results show that M-nZVI has a potential as a novel material for removing U(VI) from aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Densities of (d-xylose+HCl+water) have been measured at temperature in the range (278.15 to 318.15) K as a function of concentration of both d-xylose and hydrochloric acid. The densities have been used to estimate the molar volumes and isobaric expansivity of the ternary solutions. The molar volumes of the ternary solutions vary linearly with mole fraction of d-xylose. The standard partial molar volumes for d-xylose in aqueous solutions of molality (0.2, 0.4, 0.7, 1.1, 1.6, and 2.1) mol·kg−1 HCl have been determined. In the investigated temperature range, the relation: , can be used to describe the temperature dependence of the standard partial molar volumes. These results have, in conjunction with the results obtained in water, been used to deduce the standard volumes of transfer, Δt V ∘, of d-xylose from water to aqueous HCl solutions. An increase in the transfer volume of d-xylose with increasing HCl concentrations has been explained by the stronger interactions of H+ with the hydrophilic groups of d-xylose. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Solutions of sodium tetrafluorobrate in acetonitrile–dimethylformamide, and acetonitrile–dimethylsulfoxide mixtures have been studied by FT-Raman spectroscopy for three solvent compositions, respectively. New bands due to solvent molecules in the first solvation shell of Na+ were detected in the region of the Oh name="sbnd" />N deformation and CH3 rocking mode for amide and of the Se:glyph name="sbnd" />S stretching modes for sulfoxide. The individual solvation numbers of sodium cation in different environment were deduced. In all the cases, it is found that the sodium ion was preferentially solvated by DMF or DMSO in respective binary solvents. This result was further supported by ab initio calculations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A simple method of determining ultra-trace Au in natural water was presented by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GFAAS) after in situ enrichment with thiol cotton fiber (TCF). The sample solution was adjusted to pH 1.5–2.0 with HCl, then the water sample was passed through a column packed with 0.10–0.20 g TCF and the flow rate was controlled at 20–40 ml min−1. The effects of interferences, such as complexing and oxidizing agents and other elements adsorbed on TCF were overcome by chemical treatments prior to the desorption of Au. The adsorbed Au was adsorbed with 2.0 ml hot acid, then it was extracted with 1.00 ml methyl isobutylketone (MIBK). For a 5 l water sample, the detection limit of Au is 0.02 ng l−1. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for the determination of 1.44 ng l−1 Au was 9.4%.The method was applied to determine ultra-trace Au both in suspended phase and soluble phase in natural water, the concentrations of total Au in natural water samples range from 0.51 to 67.82 ng l−1. The recovery of added 0.50–6.00 ng l−1 Au was 80–95%. The method is useful in prospecting for Au deposits by means of hydrogeochemical methods. The enrichment is carried out in the field, and then the determination of Au is completed later in the laboratory. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The rich oxygen-vacancies (O V s) on transition metal oxides are favorable for charge storage in supercapacitors, but are subjected to deactivation during charge-discharge cycles. Herein, we report that Co 3 O 4 @polydopamine-reduced graphene oxide (Co 3 O 4 @PDA-RGO) nanocomposite could relieve the deactivation problem via the self-reviving of O V s. Besides the high specific surface area and ion/electron conductivities, Co 3 O 4 @PDA-RGO provides a robust framework to disperse Co 3 O 4 nanorods, and the oxygen atoms in the vicinity of O V s account for 46.2% of oxygen-species. Especially, the resultant O V s can survive the rigorous charge-discharge cycles by virtue of the reversible redox with the aid of PDA-RGO. Given the advantageous structural characteristics, a high specific capacitance of 1562 ​F ​g−1 (781C ​g−1) can be delivered at current densities of 0.5 ​A ​g−1 and retain to 771 ​F ​g−1 (385.5C ​g−1) at 20 ​A ​g−1 ​by the Co 3 O 4 @PDA-RGO electrode. Moreover, 91% of its initial capacitance can be maintained after 10,000 consecutive charge-discharge cycles. The asymmetric supercapacitor, assembled by the Co 3 O 4 @PDA-RGO electrode and an activated carbon electrode, delivers a high energy density of 46.1 ​Wh kg−1 at 800 ​W ​kg−1. This study paves an efficient avenue to synthesize self-reviving O V on metal oxides for the potential applications in supercapacitors. A Co 3 O 4 @PDA-RGO with self-surviving oxygen vacancies onto Co 3 O 4 component was prepared, the self-surviving oxygen vacancies avoid the deactivation of the faradaic electrode during electrochemical cycles, therefore enable substantially enhanced faradaic capacity and cycleability. [Display omitted] • An oxygen vacancies enriched Co 3 O 4 @PDA-RGO composite was designed. • The surviving of oxygen vacancies were achieved by the PDA-RGO mat. • Substantially enhanced faradic capacity and cycling performance were ensured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ternary composite with immobilization of Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) onto porous polydopamine-reduced graphene oxide framework, abbreviated as Fe2O3@PDA-RGO, was fabricated via a simple, scalable and cost-efficient hydrothermal reaction. The as-prepared 3D Fe2O3@PDA-RGO nanocomposite provides a specific surface area of 119.9 m2 g-1 on account of the well-dispersed Fe2O3 NPs (~35 nm) onto the PDA-RGO sheets as spacer. When applied as a special faradic electrode material in negative potential region, Fe2O3@PDA-RGO can offer 169 mA h g-1 (609 F g−1) at 1 A g-1. The fabricated AC//Fe2O3@PDA-RGO asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) delivers an energy density of 35.8 W h kg-1 (0.94 mW h cm-3) at 800 W kg-1 (21 mW cm-3) and an outstanding cyclic stability (75.7% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles). The good performance of Fe2O3@PDA-RGO in single-electrode and ASC manifests the potential the ternary composite in energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomineralization induced by microorganisms has become a hot spot in the field of carbonate sedimentology; however, the mechanisms involved still need to be explored. In this study, the bacterium Bacillus subtilis J2 (GenBank MG575432) was used to induce the precipitation of calcium carbonate minerals at Mg/Ca molar ratios of 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12. Bacillus subtilis J2 bacteria released ammonia to increase pH, but the ammonia released only made the pH increase to 8.25. Carbonic anhydrase was also produced to catalyze the hydration of carbon dioxide, and this process released carbonate and bicarbonate ions that not only increased pH but also elevated carbonate supersaturation. The biominerals formed at a Mg/Ca molar ratio of 0 were spherulitic, elongated, dumbbell-shaped, and irregularly rhombohedral calcite; at a Mg/Ca molar ratio of 3, the biominerals were calcite and aragonite, the weight ratio of calcite decreased from 26.7% to 15.6%, and that of aragonite increased from 73.3% to 84.4% with increasing incubation time. At higher Mg/Ca molar ratios, the biominerals were aragonite, and the crystallinity and thermal stability of aragonite decreased with increasing Mg/Ca molar ratios. FTIR results showed that many organic functional groups were present on/within the biominerals, such as C–O–C, N–H, C=O, O–H, and C–H. HRTEM-SAED examination of the ultra-thin slices of B. subtilis J2 bacteria showed that nano-sized minerals with poor crystal structure had grown or been adsorbed on the EPS coating. The EPS of the B. subtilis J2 strain contained abundant glutamic acid and aspartic acid, which could be deprotonated in an alkaline condition to adsorb Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions; this made EPS act as the nucleation sites. This study may provide some references for further understanding of the mechanism of biomineralization induced by microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]