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Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) has shown great potential as the electrode for aqueous ammonium ion batteries (AAIBs) owing to its good electrochemical reversibility and high theoretical capacity. However, the electrochemical performance of V2O5 is seriously limited by the weak NH4+ adsorption capability and insufficient active sites of vanadium oxide originated from the unsuitable 3d orbital electron state. Herein, the strategy of a 3d orbital electron tunning and crystal engineering is used to increase the ammonium ion storage capacity of V2O5 electrode. The experimental results show that the modified 3d orbital state of V4+ ( t 2 g 1 ) can effectively increase the active sites of V2O5. Therefore, the as-prepared N-VO exhibits a high specific capacity of 249.3 mA h g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 and 69.5 mA h g−1 at 10.0 A g−1, superior to other reported anode material for AAIBs. Noticeably, the prepared resultant quasi-solid-state ammonium ion battery can display considerable cycling stability with capacity retention of 87.9% after a long cycle life of 10 000 cycles at 1 A g−1 and impressive mechanical flexibility with no capacity decay after cycling at different bending angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in portable energy storage. The capacity of commercial graphite is difficult to improve due to the stoichiometry limit of LiC6 of graphite, thus new anodes need to be developed to meet the demand of high-energy–density LIB. The growing interest in graphitized carbon nitride (g-C3N4) stems from its structural resemblance to graphite and its capacity to offer abundant adsorption and intercalation sites. However, g-C3N4, as a semiconductor, has a low lithium transfer rate due to its poor conductivity and high diffusion resistance. Improving the electron transport rate of g-C3N4 and reducing the adsorption energy barrier of Li+ in g-C3N4 are the keys to improving the electrochemical performances of g-C3N4. In this study, lignin and melamine were homogeneously mixed using the spray drying method, followed by the preparation of covalently bonded C3N4/LC material through a one-step carbonization process. The uniform dispersion of g-C3N4 in amorphous carbon can improve the conductivity and reduce the diffusion energy barrier of Li+. As a result, the C3N4/LC-x anode has better electrochemical behavior, including higher reversible capacity, better rate performance, and cycle stability. Highlights: • The covalently bonded C3N4/LC-x material was prepared through a one-step carbonization method. • The uniform dispersion of g-C3N4 in amorphous carbon could improve the electronic conductivity and reduce the diffusion energy barrier of Li+ ions. • C3N4/LC-2 showed high reversible capacity, ideal rate performance, and cycle life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence illuminated that gut microbiota directly modulates the development of atherosclerosis (AS) through interactions with metaflammation. The natural bioactive isoquinoline alkaloid palmatine (PAL), which is extracted from one of the herbs (Coptis chinensis) of the anti-AS formular, is of particular interest due to its pharmacological properties. ApoE-/- mice were administered PAL or vehicle; plaque areas, and stability were assessed by histopathological and immunohistochemistry analysis, serum glycolysis and lipid levels, and inflammation levels were also evaluated. 16S rRNA sequencing and metabolomics analysis were employed to evaluate microbial composition and serum metabolites. Microbial culture experiments were designed to reveal the target microbiota and associated metabolites. Cell culture and transcriptome were performed to elucidate the function of microbial metabolites on THP-1. PAL reduced the area of plaque and necrotic core, improving inflammatory infiltration within plaques, improving glycolipid metabolism, and reducing the levels of serum inflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner. PAL treatment reshaped the composition of the gut microbiota, especially, reducing the relative abundance of Desulfovibrio piger (D. piger) in a dose-dependent manner and serum level of hippuric acid (HA). D. piger was able to convert phenylalanine into 3-phenylpropionic acid (precursor of HA). Finally, we verified HA accelerated the progression of AS and increased the secretions of inflammatory cytokines in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, PAL exhibited anti-AS effects by regulating the gut microbiota-phenylalanine metabolism axis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have declared no conflict of interest, (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The precise identification of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) during surgery and assessment of their benign status is crucial for accurate tumor staging and optimal treatment strategizing. Currently, a deficiency exists in non-invasive in vivo diagnostic techniques that can accurately pinpoint SLNs during surgery while simultaneously evaluating their benign status. Here, a tumor-activatable liposomal nanoprobe (nTAL) is developed, remotely loaded with clinically approved photosensitizer, methyl aminolevulinate (MAL), to noninvasively visualize the tumor metastasis lymph nodes (LNs) with precision. Benefited from the highly efficient LNs draining of nanosized liposome and tumor cell-specific transformation of the non-fluorescent MAL to fluorescent protoporphyrin IX (PPIX), nTAL succeeded in targeting the SLNs and differentiated the metastatic from the benign ones with a positive correlation between PPIX generation and tumor cell infiltration in LNs. Moreover, the nTAL technology is capable of probing the early metastatic stage with a primary tumor size of 50 mm 3 . This study provides a new strategy for intraoperative visualization of real-time sentinel node dissection., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Aqueous alkaline Zn-based batteries (AAZBs) possess great promise for large-scale applications thanks to their higher discharging plateau and unique reaction mechanism. However, the capacity and rate capability of Ni-based cathodes are still unsatisfactory due to their insufficient OH - adsorption and diffusion ability. Herein, heterostructured Ni 3 S 2 /Ni(OH) 2 nanosheets with outstanding electrochemical performance are synthesized via a facile chemical etching strategy. The heterostructured Ni 3 S 2 /Ni(OH) 2 nanosheet cathode shows significantly increased capacity and rate capability due to its boosted OH - adsorption and diffusion ability compared to Ni 3 S 2 . Consequently, the assembled Zn//Ni 3 S 2 /Ni(OH) 2 cell can deliver an ultrahigh capacity of 2.26 mAh cm -2 , an excellent rate performance (0.91 mAh cm -2 at 100 mA cm -2 ) and a satisfying cycling stability (1.01 mAh cm -2 at 20 mA cm -2 after 500 cycles). Moreover, a prominent energy density of 3.86 mWh cm -2 is obtained, which exceeds the majority of recently reported AAZBs. This work is expected to provide a new modification direction for developing high-performance nickel sulfide cathode for AAZBs., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)