Search

Three-dimensional bioprinting is a potent biofabrication technique in tissue engineering but is limited by inadequate bioink availability. Plant-derived proteins are increasingly recognized as highly promising yet underutilized materials for biomedical product development and hold potential for use in bioink formulations. Herein, we report the development of a biocompatible plant protein bioink from pea protein isolate. Through pH shifting, ethanol precipitation, and lyophilization, the pea protein isolate (PPI) transformed from an insoluble to a soluble form. Next, it was modified with glycidyl methacrylate to obtain methacrylate-modified PPI (PPIGMA), which is photocurable and was used as the precursor of bioink. The mechanical and microstructural studies of the hydrogel containing 16% PPIGMA revealed a suitable compress modulus and a porous network with a pore size over 100 μm, which can facilitate nutrient and waste transportation. The PPIGMA bioink exhibited good 3D bioprinting performance in creating complex patterns and good biocompatibility as plenty of viable cells were observed in the printed samples after 3 days of incubation in the cell culture medium. No immunogenicity of the PPIGMA bioink was identified as no inflammation was observed for 4 weeks after implantation in Sprague Dawley rats. Compared with methacrylate-modified gelatin, the PPIGMA bioink significantly enhanced cartilage regeneration in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that it can be used in tissue engineering applications. In summary, the PPIGMA bioink can be potentially used for tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor-triggered targeting ammonium bicarbonate (TTABC) liposomes were proposed to improve the uptake of ammonium bicarbonate (ABC) liposomes in tumor cells and retain their long circulation in vivo in our previous study. However, it must be solved how to precisely release the loaded drugs of the TTABC liposomes into tumor cells. In addition, synergistic multimodal therapy could result in better tumor treatment outcomes than monomodal chemotherapy. In the research, we prepared indocyanine green (ICG) and doxorubicin (DOX) encapsulated TTABC liposomes (ICG&DOX@TTABC) to achieve near-infrared (NIR) light-controlled chemo/photothermal/photodynamic multimodal therapy guided by fluorescence and photothermal imaging. In vitro and vivo studies show that ICG&DOX@TTABC can specifically accumulate in tumor tissues, effectively transform NIR light into local thermo-therapy, and have excellent anti-tumor ability without obvious side effects. ICG&DOX@TTABC could be promising for fluorescence and photothermal imaging-guided chemo/photothermal/photodynamic tumor treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) films have emerged as promising semiconducting materials for electronic and optoelectronic applications. However, a defect region, such as gap or void areas between the edges of the nanosheets originating from the layer-by-layer assembly of 2D nanosheets, is often inevitably present in laminar TMD films and strongly affects the semiconductor properties. In this work, we developed a defect modification strategy to patch the gap regions in molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) film for optimizing its thermoelectric performance. The defect regions can be bridged through the nanoconfinement electrostatic force between the surface anisotropic MoS2 nanosheets and inserted copper, leading to a MoS2–Cu lateral heterostructure. Compared with the MoS2 film, the carrier mobility of the modified MoS2 film increased 15 times, resulting in a high Seebeck coefficient of 159.4 μV K−1 at room temperature. In addition, the thermoelectric stability of MoS2 films can be improved simultaneously. Our results provide a new concept of microstructure regulation on laminar TMD films to improve thermoelectric performances and will promote 2D laminar films with potential applications in other semiconductor fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hollow nanostructured metal oxides (HNMOs) have got great attention as advanced materials due to their fascinating physicochemical properties and significantly enhanced performance. However, because of the poor electron conductivity of most metal oxides, it is highly desirable to integrate metal oxides with conductive carbon materials for further achieving boosted behavior. Herein, induced by functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), a rationally designed hollow sphere CeO2/multi-walled carbon nanotube composite (HS-CeO2/MWCNTs) has been successfully prepared for the first time via a facile template-free hydrothermal reaction followed by calcination. Particularly, the appropriate functional group density on the surface of MWCNTs can lead to the in situ growth of hollow sphere CeO2. The HS-CeO2/MWCNT composite featuring a unique 3D interpenetrating structure of hollow metal oxides and MWCNTs displays superior electrochemical performance to previously reported CeO2-based composites, delivering excellent specific capacitance, brilliant cycling stability with 90.1% retention after 5000 cycles, and a prominent rate capability of 86.5% even at 10 A g−1. It is worth noting that our newly developed synthesis method equally well applies for the preparation of hollow sphere CeO2/activated carbon, hollow sphere CeO2/graphene oxide, and hollow sphere Fe2O3/MWCNTs. The present work provides a versatile yet facile template-free approach to prepare hollow nanostructured metal oxide/carbon composites. Developing carbon material based hollow nanostructured metal oxides will open a new route to design advanced electrode materials for supercapacitors and other electrochemical energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured arrays grown on metal substrates have been attracting considerable attention as promising electrode materials for energy storage systems. Herein, unique Li4Ti5O12/TiO2 multilayer arrays (LTO/TiO2 MLAs) featuring advanced surface lithium storage capability are successfully synthesized for the first time via a facile substrate-free hydrothermal method with subsequent calcination. The proposed substrate-free growth mechanism of the LTO/TiO2 MLA is demonstrated in detail. Compared to previously reported LTO and LTO/TiO2 arrays grown on various substrates, a novel multilayer array structure and remarkable surface lithium storage capability have been clearly detected in our newly prepared LTO/TiO2 MLA. The unique framework of the LTO/TiO2 MLA can not only offer abundant grain boundaries and phase interfaces for increasing the number of Li+ storage sites but also provide rich and hierarchical channels to ensure more lithium ions and electrons rapidly diffuse and migrate, contributing to advanced surface lithium storage capability. The as-prepared LTO/TiO2 MLA exhibits great practical potential for further achieving both high-capacity and high-rate lithium storage, delivering an ultrahigh reversible capacity of 193 mA h g−1 at 0.5C and a superior rate capability of 148 mA h g−1 at 30C between 1.0 and 2.5 V. Our present work provides a facile yet scalable and substrate-free approach for the rational design and fabrication of multilayer arrays with superior electrochemical performance. We believe that the multilayer array structure with abundant active sites and diffusion channels will attract intense interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmaceutically important tetrahydroquinoline spiro compounds were efficiently constructed via cascade SNAr/Knoevenagel condensation/[1,5]-hydride transfer/cyclization on water, featuring high atom-economy and step-economy. This water-based redox-neutral C(sp3)–H functionalization rendered a 4-step cascade reaction successful without resorting to any catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore catalysts combining highly accessible specific surface areas with low recombination of the photo-induced electron–hole pairs, a novel SiO2@PDA@BiOBr composite photocatalyst with a hierarchical core–shell structure was prepared by a facile solvothermal method. The catalyst shows a superior performance on photodegradation of Rhodamine B under visible light irradiation, especially for SiO2@PDA-2@BiOBr with the reactant kinetics constant (k = 0.0487 min−1). The enhanced photocatalytic performance of SiO2@PDA-2@BiOBr was ascribed to the decreased band-gap, higher surface area, and effectively photo-generated electron–hole pairs by the introduction of polydopamine (PDA). In addition, the photocatalytic degradation is initiated by ṖO2− derived from dye photosensitization and h+ from the BiOBr. Cyclic experiments also indicate that the SiO2@PDA-2@BiOBr is reusable during the photodegradation process. The hierarchical core–shell SiO2@PDA@BiOBr photocatalyst will provide a theoretical model for the development of physical chemistry and structural properties of BiOBr-based composites to enhance the photocatalytic performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanorods-composed yolk–shell bimetallic-organic frameworks microspheres are successfully synthesized by a one-step solvothermal method in the absence of any template or surfactant. Furthermore, hierarchical double-shelled NiO/ZnO hollow spheres are obtained by calcination of the bimetallic organic frameworks in air. The NiO/ZnO hollow spheres, as supercapacitor electrodes, exhibit high capacitance of 497 F g−1 at the current density of 1.3 A g−1 and present a superior cycling stability. The superior electrochemical performance is believed to come from the unique double-shelled NiO/ZnO hollow structures, which offer free space to accommodate the volume change during the ion insertion and desertion processes, as well as provide rich electroactive sites for the electrochemical reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered as suitable materials for various applications in the area of photocatalysis. On the other hand, 2D BiOBr materials are efficient for the photodegradation of organic dyes under visible light illumination. In this work, BiOBr/NH2-MIL-125(Ti) composite photocatalysts with different NH2-MIL-125(Ti) content were prepared by incorporating NH2-MIL-125(Ti) with BiOBr using a co-precipitation method. A series of characterizations confirmed the strong synergistic effect between BiOBr and NH2-MIL-125(Ti). In rhodamine B (RhB) degradation experiments, the composite photocatalyst with a mass percent of 7 wt% NH2-MIL-125(Ti) exhibited an improved photocatalytic activity compared to pristine BiOBr and NH2-MIL-125(Ti). Furthermore, the enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light illumination could be attributed to the Ti3+–Ti4+ intervalence electron transfer and synergistic effect between NH2-MIL-125(Ti) and BiOBr, and also resulted in a separation efficiency of photo-generated electron–hole pairs during the photocatalytic reaction. This study can open up numerous opportunities for the development of various MOF-based visible light photocatalysts when combined with 2D bismuth oxyhalide materials for applications in environmental cleaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanorods-composed yolk–shell bimetallic-organic frameworks microspheres are successfully synthesized by a one-step solvothermal method in the absence of any template or surfactant. Furthermore, hierarchical double-shelled NiO/ZnO hollow spheres are obtained by calcination of the bimetallic organic frameworks in air. The NiO/ZnO hollow spheres, as supercapacitor electrodes, exhibit high capacitance of 497 F g−1 at the current density of 1.3 A g−1 and present a superior cycling stability. The superior electrochemical performance is believed to come from the unique double-shelled NiO/ZnO hollow structures, which offer free space to accommodate the volume change during the ion insertion and desertion processes, as well as provide rich electroactive sites for the electrochemical reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hexagonal nanosheet LDH@ZIF-8 composite was fabricated by in situ growth of ZIF-8 on Zn–Al LDH without adding any zinc precursor, and exhibited a CO2 adsorption capacity of 1.0 mmol g−1 at room temperature and 1 bar, which was significantly higher than that of pure Zn–Al LDH or ZIF-8, indicating a synergy between ZIF-8 and Zn–Al LDH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore catalysts combining highly accessible specific surface areas with low recombination of the photo-induced electron-hole pairs, a novel SiO 2 @PDA@BiOBr composite photocatalyst with a hierarchical core-shell structure was prepared by a facile solvothermal method. The catalyst shows a superior performance on photodegradation of Rhodamine B under visible light irradiation, especially for SiO 2 @PDA-2@BiOBr with the reactant kinetics constant (k = 0.0487 min -1 ). The enhanced photocatalytic performance of SiO 2 @PDA-2@BiOBr was ascribed to the decreased band-gap, higher surface area, and effectively photo-generated electron-hole pairs by the introduction of polydopamine (PDA). In addition, the photocatalytic degradation is initiated by ˙O 2 - derived from dye photosensitization and h + from the BiOBr. Cyclic experiments also indicate that the SiO 2 @PDA-2@BiOBr is reusable during the photodegradation process. The hierarchical core-shell SiO 2 @PDA@BiOBr photocatalyst will provide a theoretical model for the development of physical chemistry and structural properties of BiOBr-based composites to enhance the photocatalytic performances.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered as suitable materials for various applications in the area of photocatalysis. On the other hand, 2D BiOBr materials are efficient for the photodegradation of organic dyes under visible light illumination. In this work, BiOBr/NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) composite photocatalysts with different NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) content were prepared by incorporating NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) with BiOBr using a co-precipitation method. A series of characterizations confirmed the strong synergistic effect between BiOBr and NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti). In rhodamine B (RhB) degradation experiments, the composite photocatalyst with a mass percent of 7 wt% NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) exhibited an improved photocatalytic activity compared to pristine BiOBr and NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti). Furthermore, the enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light illumination could be attributed to the Ti 3+ -Ti 4+ intervalence electron transfer and synergistic effect between NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) and BiOBr, and also resulted in a separation efficiency of photo-generated electron-hole pairs during the photocatalytic reaction. This study can open up numerous opportunities for the development of various MOF-based visible light photocatalysts when combined with 2D bismuth oxyhalide materials for applications in environmental cleaning.

Nanorods-composed yolk-shell bimetallic-organic frameworks microspheres are successfully synthesized by a one-step solvothermal method in the absence of any template or surfactant. Furthermore, hierarchical double-shelled NiO/ZnO hollow spheres are obtained by calcination of the bimetallic organic frameworks in air. The NiO/ZnO hollow spheres, as supercapacitor electrodes, exhibit high capacitance of 497 F g(-1) at the current density of 1.3 A g(-1) and present a superior cycling stability. The superior electrochemical performance is believed to come from the unique double-shelled NiO/ZnO hollow structures, which offer free space to accommodate the volume change during the ion insertion and desertion processes, as well as provide rich electroactive sites for the electrochemical reactions.

A hexagonal nanosheet LDH@ZIF-8 composite was fabricated by in situ growth of ZIF-8 on Zn-Al LDH without adding any zinc precursor, and exhibited a CO2 adsorption capacity of 1.0 mmol g(-1) at room temperature and 1 bar, which was significantly higher than that of pure Zn-Al LDH or ZIF-8, indicating a synergy between ZIF-8 and Zn-Al LDH.