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To address the ever-increasing CO2 concentration problem in the atmospheric air arisen by massive consumption of fossil fuels, electrocatalytic technologies that reduce CO2 to generate high value-added products have been gaining increasing interest. Cu-based CO2 reduction catalysts have attracted widespread attention owing to their capability of generating C1 and C2+ products. However, Cu-based catalysts are highly challenged by their low product selectivity. Recently, Cu-based bimetallic catalysts have been found the unique catalytical activity and selectivity in CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR). The incorporation of other metals can change the electronic circumstance of Cu-based catalysts, promoting the adsorption ability of the intermediate products and consequently leading to high selectivity. In this minireview, we intend to summarize recent advances of Cu-based bimetallic catalysts in producing C1 and C2+ products, involving designing heterostructure, alloy, defects and surface modification engineering. We pay special attention to the regulation of electronic structure of the composite catalysts, as well as insights into the relationship between electronic property and catalytical performance for Cu-based bimetallic catalysts.

There is interest in the development of drug-based hydrogels for responsive sustained drug release. Here, the authors report on the self-assembly of natural small molecule, rhein, into hydrogels and the application of the hydrogels as stable controlled release agents for neuro-inflammatory therapy

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

To address the ever-increasing CO2 concentration problem in the atmospheric air arisen by massive consumption of fossil fuels, electrocatalytic technologies that reduce CO2 to generate high value-added products have been gaining increasing interest. Cu-based CO2 reduction catalysts have attracted widespread attention owing to their capability of generating C1 and C2+ products. However, Cu-based catalysts are highly challenged by their low product selectivity. Recently, Cu-based bimetallic catalysts have been found the unique catalytical activity and selectivity in CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR). The incorporation of other metals can change the electronic circumstance of Cu-based catalysts, promoting the adsorption ability of the intermediate products and consequently leading to high selectivity. In this minireview, we intend to summarize recent advances of Cu-based bimetallic catalysts in producing C1 and C2+ products, involving designing heterostructure, alloy, defects and surface modification engineering. We pay special attention to the regulation of electronic structure of the composite catalysts, as well as insights into the relationship between electronic property and catalytical performance for Cu-based bimetallic catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile strategy was developed to fabricate structure controllable microcrystals of ferrocene-based metal-organic (Fc-Ala-BCB) materials through evaporation-induced self-assembly. Two distinctive microcrystals, microrods and microtubes had been achieved by tuning the solvents during the self-assemblies. X-ray diffraction analysis was conducted on single crystals to investigate the packing mode of Fc-Ala-BCB molecules, which indicated the two crystals with the hexagonal system. Inheriting the aromaticity and chirality of ferrocenyl and L-Ala, this organic molecule self-assembled into a single-helix structure through intermolecule hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking. Theoretical analysis and stimulated computations were carried out to compare the surface energies of certain planes. Among those microcrystals, the microrods exhibited a higher chemical activity in catalyzing the decomposition of H2O2, due to the high-density atomic steps and kinks on the high energy surfaces. However, the hollow hexagonal tubes displayed appropriate catalytic activity and novel maneuverability toward catalyzing H2O2. The O2 bubbles accumulated at the inner walls of the microtube were periodically released as individual bubbles, suggesting their potential application as a new kind of microengine (e.g., the microrotor). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of arsenite on activities of several enzymes including mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), microsomal cytochrome P450 and b5, NAD(P)H cytochrome C reductase and glutathione S-transferase were studied. The effects of arsenite on the mitochondrial membrane lipid peroxidation (LPO), the content of hepatic cytosol reduced glutathione and the activity of glutathione peroxidase was also investigated in rats. The results indicated that the activities of mitochondrial PDH and SDH were inhibited to 59 % and 57 % of the control activities respectively after arsenite was administered by intraperitoneal injection (i. p.) for 7 consecutive days at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Administration of arsenite led to a potential decrease of GSH content. The increase in lipid peroxidation of liver mitochondrial membrane prepared from rats treated with arsenite was also observed ( P<0. 05). Arsenite did not appear to affect the liver cytosolic glutathione peroxidase and microsomal enzyme activities in vivo. In in vitro test, liver mitochondria and cytosol were treated with arsenite, which led to a decreased SDH activity and GSH content and increase of mitochondrial LPO in a dose-dependent pattern that was similar to the results obtained in in vitro experiments. Selenite played a significant antagonistic role in effects of arsenite either in vivo or in vitro on the activities of mitochondrial PDH and SDH, and the content of mitochondrial LPO and cytosolic GSH. This results suggested that the toxic effects of arsenite on rat were associated with increased levels of LPO and the injured SH group in body caused by arsenite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]