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The application of organic–inorganic perovskites has recently attracted increasing interest due to their excellent optoelectronic properties. As an emerging semiconductor, the doping capability and...

Four naphthalene diimide-based organic molecules comprising donor–acceptor units, 3-DPNDI (1), [3-DPNDI]·2DMF (2), [3-DPNDI]·2NMP (3) and [3-DPNDI]·4DMSO (4) (3-DPNDI = N,N′-di-(3-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide, DMF = dimethyl formamide, NMP = N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide), have been synthesized, which exhibit different supramolecular networks through lone pair–π interactions and discriminative photoinduced electron transfer (ET) accompanying photochromic properties. The combination of different electron-rich solvents with electron-deficient component 3-DPNDI causes the distinct interfacial contacts of electron donors/acceptors, which should be responsible for the different photoresponsive behaviors of 2–4. More importantly, the introduction of DMF and NMP into 3-DPNDI crystal lattices leads to a positive effect on the photoresponsive rate and coloration contrast, while DMSO gives rise to a negative influence on the photochromic properties. This present study illustrates the influence of electron-rich solvents on the resultant supramolecular networks and photochromic behaviors with tunable photoresponsive properties.

Four naphthalene diimide (NDI)-derived coordination polymers (CPs), [Cd(3-DPNDI)(o-BDC)] (1), [Cd(3-DPNDI)2(p-BDC)(NO3)] (2), [Cd(3-DPNDI)(NDC)(H2O)2] (3), [Cd(3-DPNDI)(BPC)(H2O)] (4) (3-DPNDI = N,N’-di-(3-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide, o-BDC = phthalic acid, p-BDC = terephthalic acid, NDC = 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, BPC = biphenyl-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid), have been designed and prepared. The usage of carboxylic acid ligands with different sizes, shapes and charge densities leads to the distinct resultant architectures of four CPs and divergent weak interactions (lone pair⋯π, π⋯π and C–H⋯π interactions) of electron donors/acceptors, which further lead to the completely different photoinduced electron transfer (PET) and consequent photochromic properties. More specifically, 1 and 2 display excellent photochromic behaviors with a fast photoresponsive rate and high coloration contrast, which are attributed to the suitable interfacial contacts of electron donors/acceptors. However, 3 and 4 are basically optical inert, which could be attributed to the negative effect of the stronger charge transfer (CT) on PET. The present study illustrates the delicate modulating effect of carboxylic acid ligands on the resultant networks, interfacial relationship and PET together with photoresponsive behaviors.

Histone acetylation is a well-characterized epigenetic modification controlled by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). Imbalanced histone acetylation has been observed in many primary cancers. Therefore, efforts have been made to find drugs or small molecules such as HDAC inhibitors that can revert acetylation levels to normal in cancer cells. We observed dose-dependent reduction in the endogenous and exogenous protein expression levels of KAT8 (also known as human MOF), a member of the MYST family of HATs, and its corresponding histone acetylation at H4K5, H4K8, and H4K16 in chemotherapy drug gemcitabine (GEM)-exposed T24 bladder cancer (BLCA) cells. Interestingly, the reduction in MOF and histone H4 acetylation was inversely proportional to GEM-induced γH2AX, an indicator of chemotherapy drug effectiveness. Furthermore, pGL4-MOF-Luc reporter activities were significantly inhibited by GEM, thereby suggesting that GEM utilizes an MOF-mediated anti-BLCA mechanism of action. In the CCK-8, wound healing assays and Transwell® experiments, the additive effects on cell proliferation and migration were observed in the presence of exogenous MOF and GEM. In addition, the promoted cell sensitivity to GEM by exogenous MOF in BLCA cells was confirmed using an Annexin V-FITC/PI assay. Taken together, our results provide the theoretical basis for elucidating the anti-BLCA mechanism of GEM.

We designed, synthesized, and characterized a series of naphthalene diimide (NDI)-based polymers with pristine (H)-, fluorine (F)-, chlorine (Cl)-, and cyano (CN)-substituted thienylene–vinylene–th...

Two 1D zinc-based naphthalene diimide coordination polymers, [ZnCl2(3-DPNDI)]·H2O (1) and [ZnCl2(4-DPNDI)]·DMA (2) (3/4-DPNDI = (3/4-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide, DMA = dimethylacetamide), have been designed and prepared through a strategy based on positional isomerism. The usage of positional isomers leads to the linear shaped chain for 1 and zigzag shaped chain for 2, which are further assembled into distinct supramolecular networks through different numbers and strength of lone pair–π interactions. Furthermore, the two compounds exhibit different photochromic properties based on the photoinduced electron transfer (ET) between electron-rich O/Cl atoms and electron-deficient DPNDI centroids. By comparison with 2, the excellent photochromic behavior with a fast photoresponsive rate and high coloration contrast of 1 should be attributed to the maximization of numbers and strength of lone pair–π interactions between donors and acceptors, implying the delicate modulating effect of positional isomerism on the distinct interfacial position and photoinduced electron transfer together with photoresponsive behaviors.

Two organic–inorganic hybrids, [3-H2DPNDI][ZnCl4]·0.5H2O (1) and [4-H2DPNDI][ZnCl4]·0.5H2O (2) (3-H2DPNDI2+ = protonated N,N-di(3-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide, 4-H2DPNDI2+ = protonated N,N-...

Transparent polycrystalline p-channel copper bromide (CuBr) thin-film transistors (TFTs) are fabricated using a simple one-step spin coating at room temperature. Optimized CuBr TFTs operate in depletion mode with an on-voltage of 35 V and exhibit a hole mobility of 0.15 cm $^{2}\,\,\text{V}^{-1}\,\,\text{s}^{-1}$ , high ON/OFF current ratio ${\sim }10^{4}$ and cycling bias sweep/air stabilities. The performance is superior to that of most solution-processed p-type oxide TFTs, highlighting CuBr as a promising p-type candidate for next-generation printable transparent electronics.

Since hole transport materials (HTMs) play a significant role in enhancing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), which are the key factors for their commercialization, an effective design strategy is necessary for the potential HTMs in the current emerging field of PSCs. Here, we present a new class of HTM with pyridine as a central core with an extended π-conjugated molecular structure with electron-donating blocks. We have systematically investigated its photophysical, thermal, electrochemical, and charge transport properties and found that 4,4′-(5,5′-(pyridine-2,6-diylbis(4,1-phenylene))bis(thiophene-5,2-diyl))bis(N,N-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)aniline) (PyThTPA) is a potential HTM candidate for making PSCs. The PyThTPA HTM-based PSC attained an average PCE of 16.57% with outstanding long-term durability of over 720 hrs with minimal reduction of its initial PCE and negligible hysteresis. This PSC performance was 34% higher than that of the state-of-the-art HTM, Spiro-OMeTAD with tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (BCF). We speculate that the Lewis acid-base adduct (LABA) formation of pyridine in the HTM and BCF interacted with methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3), resulting in the MAPbI3/HTM interface becoming more selective for holes. This also enhanced the film uniformity and afforded a smoother morphology with improved hydrophobicity that further increased the long-term durability. Furthermore, the mobility and conductivity were increased for PyThTPA with BCF. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of pyridine being incorporated into the HTM with continuous π-conjugation and with a high performance of nearly 17%. Overall, we believe that this approach will be an effective design strategy capable of enhancing the performance of PSCs with less hysteresis and improved long-term durability.

Although organic–inorganic halide perovskites continue to generate considerable interest due to great potentials for various optoelectronic devices, there are some critical obstacles to practical applications, including lead toxicity, relatively low field-effect mobility, and strong hysteresis during operation. This paper proposes a universal approach to significantly improve mobility and operational stability with reduced dual-sweep hysteresis for perovskite-based thin film transistors (TFTs) by coupling low-dimensional lead-free perovskite material (C6H5C2H4NH3)2SnI4 (hereafter abbreviated as (PEA)2SnI4) with embedded conjugated polymer wrapped semiconducting carbon nanotubes (semi-CNTs). In (PEA)2SnI4/semi-CNT hybrid TFTs, semi-CNTs can provide highway-like transport paths, enabling smoother carrier transport with less trapping and scattering. We also demonstrate the performance of (PEA)2SnI4/semi-CNT hybrid phototransistors with ultrahigh photoresponsivity (R) of 6.3 × 104 A/W and detectivity (D*) of ...

Microplastics and organic pollutants are typical contaminants in the marine environment. However, little is known about their interactions. In this study, the sorption of 3,6-Dibromocarbazole(3,6-BCZ) and 1,3,6,8-Tetrabromocarbazole (1,3,6,8-BCZ) by Polypropylene microplastic in simulated seawater was studied. Factors, including particle size, salinity and concentration, were investigated, and the experimental results were simulated using a mathematical model. Results showed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model was more suitable to describe the sorption of polyhalogenated carbazole by microplastics, with equilibrium sorption times of 6 h and 8 h for 3,6-BCZ and 1,3,6,8-BCZ, respectively. Sorption capacity increased with decreasing particle size and the adsorption capacity increased initially and then decreased with increasing salinity, with a maximum sorption occurring at salinity of 14%. Moreover, the sorption amount increased with the increasing concentration of polyhalogenated carbazole. The sorption isotherms were confirmed as the extended Langmuir model and the extended Freundlich model, both of which were S-type.

Based on vanadium-doped zigzag phosphorene nanoribbon (ZPNRs), we investigate the electronic structures and spin-dependent transport properties by the first-principles calculations in combination with the nonequilibrium Green's function approach. We find that the ZPNRs can be tuned from nonmagnetic metals to magnetic metals or half-metals by different doping positions, which are caused by the hybridization among different electron orbitals under the crystal field. Moreover, a robust negative differential resistance effect is observed in all studied devices, and a perfect spin-filter effect with almost 100% spin polarization can be found under low bias. We analyze the transport properties in detail from the viewpoint of the transmission spectrum and molecular energy levels. These results indicate that the vanadium-doped ZPNRs have potential applications as multi-functional spintronic devices.

The posttranslational modification (PTM) of proteins, particularly acetylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitination, plays a critical role in the host innate immune response. PTMs’ dynamic changes and the crosstalk among them are complicated. To build a comprehensive dynamic network of inflammation related proteins, we integrated data from the whole cell proteome (WCP), acetylome, phosphoproteome and ubiquitinome of human and mouse macrophages. Our datasets of acetylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitination sites helped identify PTM crosstalk within and across proteins involved in the inflammatory response. Stimulation of macrophages by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) resulted in both degradative and non-degradative ubiquitination. Moreover, this study contributes to the interpretation of the roles of known inflammatory molecules and the discovery of novel inflammatory proteins.

Background It has been reported that nitric oxide (NO) could ameliorate cadmium (Cd) toxicity in tall fescue; however, the underlying mechanisms of NO mediated Cd detoxification are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the possible molecular mechanisms of Cd detoxification process by comparative transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches. Results The application of Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as NO donor decreased the Cd content of tall fescue by 11% under Cd stress (T1 treatment), but the Cd content was increased by 24% when treated with Carboxy-PTIO (c-PTIO) together with Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (T2 treatment). RNA-seq analysis revealed that 904 (414 up- and 490 down-regulated) and 118 (74 up- and 44 down-regulated) DEGs were identified in the T1 vs Cd (only Cd treatment) and T2 vs Cd comparisons, respectively. Moreover, metabolite profile analysis showed that 99 (65 up- and 34-down- regulated) and 131 (45 up- and 86 down-regulated) metabolites were altered in the T1 vs Cd and T2 vs Cd comparisons, respectively. The integrated analyses of transcriptomic and metabolic data showed that 81 DEGs and 15 differentially expressed metabolites were involved in 20 NO-induced pathways. The dominant pathways were antioxidant activities such as glutathione metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, secondary metabolites such as flavone and flavonol biosynthesis and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, ABC transporters, and nitrogen metabolism. Conclusions In general, the results revealed that there are three major mechanisms involved in NO-mediated Cd detoxification in tall fescue, including (a) antioxidant capacity enhancement; (b) accumulation of secondary metabolites related to cadmium chelation and sequestration; and (c) regulation of cadmium ion transportation, such as ABC transporter activation. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the NO-mediated cadmium stress response.

Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, particularly acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination, play critical roles in the host innate immune response. PTMs' dynamic changes and the crosstalk among them are complicated. To build a comprehensive dynamic network of inflammation-related proteins, we integrated data from the whole-cell proteome (WCP), acetylome, phosphoproteome, and ubiquitinome of human and mouse macrophages. Our datasets of acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination sites helped identify PTM crosstalk within and across proteins involved in the inflammatory response. Stimulation of macrophages by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) resulted in both degradative and non-degradative ubiquitination. Moreover, this study contributes to the interpretation of the roles of known inflammatory molecules and the discovery of novel inflammatory proteins.

Synergetic treatments that combine chemotherapy with photothermal/photodynamic therapy have been developed as promising new strategies for cancer therapy, especially for drug-resistant cancers. To achieve optimized synergetic outcomes for cancer therapy, it is highly desirable to selectively and simultaneously deliver both chemotherapeutics and near-infrared photosensitizers to the cancer tissues and cells, enhancing local accumulation. Here we report the preparation of poly-ε-caprolactone nanoparticles (PCL NPs) using bovine albumin as a stabilizer; the nanoparticles are loaded with IR780 and paclitaxel (PTX) for combinational phototherapy and chemotherapy. Moreover, in order to enable active targeting toward ovarian cancer, a specific peptide recognizing luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone receptors (LHRH) on ovarian cancer cells was covalently grafted onto the surface of the as-prepared NPs. As a result, LHRH peptide modified PCL (PCL-LHRH) NPs demonstrated increased internalization in ovarian tumor cells in vitro and selective targeting in tumor xenografts in vivo. PTX and IR780 can be efficiently encapsulated into PCL-LHRH NPs by an oil-in-water emulsion and solvent evaporation method. The systematic administration of ovarian tumor targeting PCL-LHRH/IR780-PTX can efficiently hinder the growth of drug-resistant xenografts in vivo with the assistance of an 808 nm near-infrared laser. These findings indicate that peptide mediated tumor targeting multifunctional nanomaterials may have remarkable profits in controlled drug delivery and synergistic therapy on drug-resistant cancer., The authors are grateful for thefinancial support of theNational Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFE0132700), the National Natural Science Foundationof China (51673171, 51822306), and the FundamentalResearch Funds for the Central Universities of China(2019XZZX004-07). This study is supported in part by KeyLaboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University),Ministry of Education, P.R. China/Women’s ReproductiveHealth Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province/Center forUterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of ZhejiangProvince (ZDFY2017-RG/RH-001).

The great advances in silicon photonic sensing technology have made it an attractive platform for a wide of sensing applications. However, most silicon photonic sensing platforms suffer from high susceptibility to the temperature fluctuation of operating environment. Additional complex and costly chemical signal enhancement strategies are usually required to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Here, a biotoxoid photonic sensor that is resistant to temperature fluctuation have been demonstrated. This novel sensor consists of a ring resonator coupled to a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) readout unit. Instead of using costly wavelength interrogation, our photonic sensor directly measures the light intensity ratio between the two output ports of MZI. The temperature dependence (TD) controlling section of the MZI is used to eliminate the adverse effects of ambient temperature fluctuation. The simulation and experimental results show a linear relationship between the interrogation function and the concentration of analyte under operation conditions. The thermal drift of the proposed sensor is just 0.18%, which is a reduction of 567 folds for chemical sensing and 28 folds for immuno-biosensing compared to conventional single ring resonator. The SNR increases from 6.85 dB to 19.88 dB within a 2°C temperature variation. The high SNR optical sensor promises great potential for amplification-free of detection of nucleic acids and other biomarkers. Ministry of Education (MOE) National Research Foundation (NRF) Accepted version

Low phosphate (Pi) availability and high aluminum (Al) toxicity constitute two major plant mineral nutritional stressors that limit plant productivity on acidic soils. Advances toward the identification of genes and signaling networks that are involved in both stresses in model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa), and in other plants as well have revealed that some factors such as organic acids (OAs), cell wall properties, phytohormones, and iron (Fe) homeostasis are interconnected with each other. Moreover, OAs are involved in recruiting of many plant-growth-promoting bacteria that are able to secrete both OAs and phosphatases to increase Pi availability and decrease Al toxicity. In this review paper, we summarize these mutual mechanisms by which plants deal with both Al toxicity and P starvation, with emphasis on OA secretion regulation, plant-growth-promoting bacteria, transcription factors, transporters, hormones, and cell wall-related kinases in the context of root development and root system architecture remodeling that plays a determinant role in improving P use efficiency and Al resistance on acidic soils.

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb) was widely studied for phytoremediation of organic or heavy metal contaminated soils. However, there is still little information concerning toxicity of chromium (Cr) to tall fescue and roles of nitric oxide (NO) in plants against Cr(VI) stress. In this study, different Cr(VI) treatments (0, 1, 5 and 10 mg/L Cr(VI)) and NO treatments were applied with different combinations in hydroponics culture and their interactions to tall fescue were studied. Specifically, 100 µM sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and 100 µM NG-nitro- L -arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME) treatments were used to apply exogenous NO or inhibit synthesis of NO respectively. Our results showed that tall fescue exhibits comparable Cr(VI) tolerance as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Additionally, Cr(VI) accumulation in tall fescue leaves were carefully studied and discussed. Moreover, we observed the significantly increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) contents of tall fescue when subjected to Cr(VI) stress, as well as decreased photosynthetic activities induced by Cr(VI) stress by methods of chlorophyll a fluorescence transient, slow chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics and rapid light response curves. Decreased behaviors of photosynthetic activities may due to destruction of antennae pigments by Cr(VI), ROS burst induced by Cr(VI), and down regulation of photosystem II (PSII) by non-photochemical quenching to avoid over reduction of quinone A, which could be considered as an important strategy to cope with Cr(VI) stress. Meanwhile, exogenous NO treatment improves overall physiological and photosynthetic behaviors of tall fescue against Cr(VI) stress. Moreover, increased translocation factors and improved Cr(VI) tolerance of plants under exogenous NO treatment suggest that SNP treatment could be a useful application for Cr phytoremediation.

Cancer chemotherapy can be hindered by drug resistance which leads to lower drug efficiency. Here, we have developed a drug delivery system that tethers doxorubicin to the surface of gold nanorods via a pH-sensitive linkage (AuNRs@DOX), for a combined photothermal and chemical therapy for cancer. First, AuNRs@DOX is ingested by HepG2 liver cancer cells. After endocytosis, the acidic pH triggers the release of doxorubicin, which leads to chemotherapeutic effects. The gold nanorods are not only carriers of DOX, but also photothermal conversion agents. In the presence of an 808 nm near-infrared laser, AuNRs@DOX significantly enhance the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin via the photothermal effect, which induces elevated apoptosis of hepG2 cancer cells, leading to better therapeutic effects in vitro and in vivo., Highlights • Doxorubicin is tethered on AuNRs with a pH-triggered linkage. • AuNRs@DOX are ingested by cancer cells andrelease doxorubicin under acidic pH triggers. • AuNRs@DOX show excellent combinational chemo- and photothermal therapy effect.

Cadmium (Cd) is a severely toxic heavy metal and environmental pollutant. Tall fescue is a cold season turf grass which has high resistance to Cd as well as the ability to enrich it. To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the adaptability of tall fescue to Cd stress, RNA-Seq was used to examine Cd stress responses of tall fescue at a transcriptional level. A total of 12 cDNA libraries were constructed from the total RNA of roots or leaves of tall fescue with or without Cd treatments. A total of 2594 (1768 up- and 826 down-regulated) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the roots of Cd-stressed tall fescue compared with control roots (R_cd vs R_ck), while only 52 (29 up- and 23 down-regulated) DEGs were found in the leaves of Cd-stressed plants versus the controls (L_cd vs L_ck). The genes encoding glutathione S-transferase (GST), transporter proteins including the ABC transporter, ZRT/IRT-like protein, potassium transporter/channel, nitrate transporter, putative iron-phytosiderophore transporter, copper-transporting ATPase or transporter and multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) proteins, and numerous transcription factors were found to be significantly induced in Cd-treated roots. In addition, pathogenesis/disease-related gene mRNAs were accumulated in Cd-treated roots of tall fescue. Furthermore, the significantly enriched KEGG pathways in roots were related to 'Glutathione metabolism', 'Ribosome', 'alpha-Linolenic acid metabolism', 'Diterpenoid biosynthesis', 'Sulfur metabolism', 'Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis', 'Protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum', 'Protein export' and 'Nitrogen metabolism'. The study provides novel insights for further understanding the molecular mechanisms of tall fescue responses to Cd stress.

Halide perovskite semiconductors exhibit a low intrinsic effective mass of charge carriers; however, their development of transistors is lagging far behind the development of photovoltaic and light-emitting diodes. In this study, we report highly reproducible phenethylammonium tin iodide transistors with mobility over 4 cm2 V−1 s−1 and an on/off ratio over 105 using a simple method of adding a bifunctional additive, urea, into the precursor. This non-volatile Lewis base can modify the crystallization speed and passivate grain-boundary defects, enabling a significant improvement in the transistor characteristics over pristine devices without urea. Furthermore, we demonstrate unprecedented phototransistor characteristics, with detectivity exceeding 1017 Jones when the improved perovskite transistors are used. It is expected that more intensive efforts can be attracted to advance the development of high-performance perovskite (photo)transistors.

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb) is a turf grass species which is widely used for rhizoremediation of organic contaminants and shows notable prospects in heavy metal phytoremediation. In this study, different concentrations of cadmium ion (Cd2+) were applied to study toxic effects of Cd2+ and responses of tall fescue by soilless culture. Tall fescue showed comparable high tolerance to Cd2+ as Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.). Additionally, the treatment with high concentration of Cd2+ leaded to decreased chlorophyll contents, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation, as well as damage of cell membrane, necrosis and apoptosis in tall fescue roots, and toxicity of Cd2+ on physiologic properties of tall fescue has been well discussed. Moreover, in photosystem II electron donor side, electron transport from oxygen evolution complex (OEC) to Yz residue of D1 protein was inhibited under high Cd2+ treatments, which may be due to the Cd2+ induced ROS production and the replacement of Ca2+ in the core of OEC. In electron acceptor side, electron transport efficiency from quinone B to photosystem I acceptors increased under high Cd2+ treatments, which may be an important response for plants against Cd2+ toxicity and its mechanism needs our further study.

One-dimensional metal-oxide nanowires are regarded as important building blocks in nanoscale electronics, because of their unique mechanical and electrical properties. In this work, p-type nickel oxide nanowires (NiO NWs) were fabricated by combining sol-gel and electrospinning processes. The poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) with a molecular weight of 1 300 000 was used as the polymer matrix to increase the viscosity of a NiO precursor solution. The formation and properties of the as-spun NiO/PVP composite NWs before/after calcination treatment were investigated using various techniques. Because of the enhanced adhesion properties between ultraviolet (UV)-treated NiO NWs and the substrate, the field-effect transistors (FETs) based on NiO NWs were found to exhibit satisfying p-channel behaviors. For the fabrication of aligned NiO NW arrays, two parallel conducting Si strips were grounded as NW collector. The integrated FETs based on aligned NiO NWs were demonstrated to exhibit superior electrical performance, compared to the disordered counterparts with the comparable NW coverage. By employing high- k aluminum oxide (Al

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a typical and widely used warm-season turfgrass. Low temperature is one of the key environmental stress limiting its utility. However, little information is available about the differences of cold response between bermudagrass genotypes. Here, we analyzed antioxidant defense system and fatty acid composition in cold-resistant genotype WBD128 and cold-sensitive genotype WBDg17 exposed to chilling stress. Low temperature (4 °C) significantly decreased the relative water content, whereas increased the H2O2 and O2− contents, more profoundly for WBDg17. Under chilling condition, WBD128 had higher anti O2− activity than WBDg17. Besides, the contents of total glutathione, reduced glutathione (GSH) and its oxidized form (GSSG) were markedly increased by low temperature in both genotypes, whereas WBD128 had significantly higher values of GSH, total glutathione, and GSH/GSSG ratio than WBDg17. Moreover, chilling stress increased saturated fatty acids (SFAs) percentage (palmitic acid and stearic acid) in WBDg17. After chilling treatment, the proportion of linoleic acid decreased in both genotypes, particularly in WBDg17. As for unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), the percentage of linolenic acid was increased in WBD128. In addition, chilling treatment decreased the values of double bond index (DBI), UFA/SFA ratio as well as degree of unsaturation in WBDg17. Finally, chilling stress altered the expression patterns of the genes, which encode one kind of late embryogenesis abundant proteins (LEA), superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) C-repeat-binding factor/DRE-binding factor (CBF1), and peroxidase (POD-2). Collectively, our results revealed that natural variation of chilling tolerance in bermudagrass genotypes may be largely associated with the alterations of antioxidant defense system and fatty acid composition.

Thermo-responsive graphene-polymer films have been obtained by the modification of large CVD graphene films with pyrene-terminated poly( N -isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) via non-covalent π-π stacking interactions. Pyrene-terminated PNIPAAm was prepared by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using a pyrene-functionalized RAFT agent. Since PNIPAAm possesses a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 32 °C, the as-prepared graphene-PNIPAAm films could be reversibly deformed as a result of the morphology response of PNIPAAm to the environmental temperature variation. In addition, the thermo-triggered deformation of the graphene-PNIPAAm films was observed to be reversible and controllable by manipulation of the environmental temperature. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and high-resolution SEM analysis evidenced the successful attachment of the PNIPAAm on the graphene surface. The thickness of the polymer was revealed by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The successful stepwise fabrication of the CVD graphene-polymer composite films was also characterized using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These thermo-responsive composite films would be highly desirable for a wide range of applications, such as thermo-responsive actuators, a thermo-responsive intelligent switch was fabricated using these thermo-responsive graphene composite films.

Solution-processed n-type oxide semiconductors have received great interest in thin-film transistor (TFT) applications. However, solution-processed p-type oxide semiconductors are not as successful as their n-type counterparts because of the lack of material choice and their complicated fabrication procedures. In this study, a simple one-step synthetic method was employed to fabricate a p-type Cu2O thin film via in-situ reaction of a CuI film in aqueous NaOH solution at room temperature. The structure, morphology, and component variations as a function of annealing conditions (≤350 °C) were investigated. The analysis indicates that the phase evolution of Cu2O → Cu2O + CuO → CuO occurred at higher temperatures and the pure CuO phase was achieved at 250 °C. The crystallinity, average grain size, and surface morphology of the CuxO thin films were found to increase in slope as the annealing temperature increased. To explore the possible applications of the obtained CuxO films as semiconducting channel components, bottom-gated TFTs on SiO2 gate dielectrics were constructed and examined. The hole mobility of the optimized device was calculated to be 0.32 cm2 V−1 s−1, along with an on/off current ratio of 5 × 104, and a subthreshold swing of 1.1 V dec−1. The further integration of the CuxO film on an Al2O3 high-k dielectric achieves an improved device performance at 2.5 V. This work successfully demonstrates a simple method to fabricate p-type Cu-based thin films and TFTs via a solution route, which represents a great step towards the development of low-cost and all-oxide complementary metal oxide semiconductor electronics.

A one-pot and template-free strategy for synthesizing hollow TiO2 nanostructures (HTSs) is developed by using titanocene dichloride as a titanium source, acetone as a solvent, and ammonia as a basic source. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations demonstrate that the morphology transformation undergoes solid, yolk–shell and then hollow structures, typical of an Ostwald ripening process. Comparative experiments suggest that the mismatched hydrolysis rate of chloride anion and organic cyclopentadiene in unique titanocene dichloride (Cp2TiCl2) molecules should be responsible for the formation of HTSs. The TiO2 nanostructures exhibit controllable morphologies and tunable sizes by mainly adjusting the amounts of the titanium precursor or ammonia. The HTSs show much improved photocatalytic performance as compared with samples of other morphologies in water splitting application, due to the remarkably increased surface area and active sites, and enhanced mass transfer. Our findings reported herein may offer new perspectives in materials chemistry, and energy- and environment-related applications.

Due to the long growth period of plants, phytoremediation is time costly. Improving the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in shoots of plants will promote the efficiency of phytoremediation. In this study, two senescence-relative phytohormones, abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA), were applied to strengthening phytoremediation of Cd by tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea S.). Under hydroponic culture, phytohormones treatment increased the Cd content of shoots 11.4-fold over the control, reaching 316.3 mg/kg (dry weight). Phytohormones-induced senescence contributes to the transport of heavy metals, and HMA3 was found to play a key role in this process. Additionally, this strategy could strengthen the accumulation of Cu and Zn in tall fescue shoots. Moreover, in soil pot culture, the strategy increased shoot Cd contents 2.56-fold over the control in tall fescue, and 2.55-fold over the control in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.), indicating its comprehensive adaptability and potential use in the field. In summary, senescence-induced heavy metal transport is developed as a novel strategy to strengthen phytoremediation. The strategy could be applied at the end of phytoremediation with an additional short duration (7 days) with comprehensive adaptability, and markedly strengthen the phytoremediation in the field.

Segregation behavior and capturing mechanism of phosphorus (P) in dual-phase steel were systematically investigated by Atom probe tomography (APT). The dual-phase steel is composed of lath martensite, irregular ferrite and MC-carbide (M = Ti, Mo). The P is mainly dissolved in ferrite and martensite grains, and a small amount of P segregates around MC-carbide. APT analysis confirms that the carbide is a type of (Ti, Mo) C. The MC-carbide has a competitive advantage over the ferrite/martensite interface in capturing P atoms. Therefore, it can be concluded that P segregation around the MC-carbide weakens P enrichment at the ferrite/martensite interface. In the end, it is expected that the MC-carbide significantly reduces the P damage to the mechanical properties of dual-phase steel, especially the impact properties.

Although there are a few research studies on solution-processed p-channel oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs), the strict fabrication conditions and the poor electrical properties have limited their applications in low-power complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics. Here, the application of the polyol reduction method for processing p-type CuxO and NiOx channel layers and their implementation in TFT devices are reported. The optimized CuxO and NiOx TFTs were achieved at low annealing temperatures (∼300 °C) and exhibited decent electrical properties. Encouraged by the inspiring results obtained on SiO2/Si substrates, the TFT performance was further optimized by device engineering, employing high-k AlOx as the gate dielectric. The fully solution-processed NiOx/AlOx TFT could be operated at a low voltage of 3.5 V and exhibits a high hole mobility of around 25 cm2 V−1 s−1. Our work demonstrates the ability to grow high-quality p-type oxide films and devices via the polyol reduction method over large area substrates while at the same time it provides guidelines for further p-type oxide material and device improvements.

We found that during spin-coating and annealing processes, the ambient humidity can have obvious impact on the characteristics of p-channel copper oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs). We studied such impact in great details along with the device operational stability. A dry deposition atmosphere (relative humidity, ${\mathrm {RH}} \le20$ %) is necessary for the best device performance, including a hole mobility of 0.1 cm $^{{2}}\,\,\text{V}^{{-1}}\,\,\text{s}^{{-1}}$ , an on/off current ratio of $> 10^{{4}}$ , and high operational stability (< 2 V threshold voltage shift after 5.5 h of bias stress), attributable to residues with fewer hydroxide defects. These findings offer a clear inspiration for achieving highly stable and reproducible p-channel oxide TFTs through a low-cost solution process.

The effects of time, temperature, and salinity on the adsorption of Tonalide (AHTN), Musk Xylene (MX), Galaxolide (HHCB), and Musk Ketone (MK) by microplastics of polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are studied. Results indicate that the equilibrium sorption time was about 10 h and the adsorption kinetics model conformed to the first-order adsorption kinetic model and pseudo-second order kinetic model, this indicates that the main adsorption mechanism might be chemical adsorption and physical absorption. Adsorption reached a nadir at 15 °C and 14% salinity. The adsorption capacity gradually increases, and then decreases, finally increases with an increase in NaCl concentration. Due to the specific surface area and the pore volume of PVC was larger than PE, the adsorption capacity of PVC was higher than that of PE in the equal conditions.

Soil acidification can alter the biogeochemistry of ecosystems and adversely affect biota; however, there are still many debates about the toxicity of aluminum (Al) fractions and Al species in soil:water extracts to plants. In this study, five crude soils with different pH values (4.92-8.51) were collected, seeded with tall fescue and grown in rhizosphere boxes for 120 days. Then, soil properties, labile Al fractions and Al species in soil:water extracts were determined, and their toxicities to plants were analyzed. Our study showed that a stable exchangeable Al fraction (ExAl) pool exists and is supplied by other labile Al fractions. Dissolution of Al from adsorbed hydroxyl-Al fraction (HyAl) and organic-Al fraction (OrAl) may play important roles in soil Al toxicity, as HyAl and OrAl account for major parts of soil labile Al. Additionally, Al3+ and mononuclear hydroxyl-Al species in soil:water extracts have few effects to plants. Nevertheless, high negative correlations were found between Al-F- complexes and tall fescue biomass, indicating their toxicity in the natural soil environment. Thus, in many cases, Al3+ toxicity should not be emphasized because of its lower activity in soil water extracts. Moreover, toxicities of AlF3(aq) and AlF4- to plants should be emphasized, because they have been confirmed in soil water extracts in this study.

Here, room-temperature solution-processed inorganic p-type copper iodide (CuI) thin-film transistors (TFTs) are reported for the first time. The spin-coated 5 nm thick CuI film has average hole mobility (µFE ) of 0.44 cm2 V-1 s-1 and on/off current ratio of 5 × 102 . Furthermore, µFE increases to 1.93 cm2 V-1 s-1 and operating voltage significantly reduces from 60 to 5 V by using a high permittivity ZrO2 dielectric layer replacing traditional SiO2 . Transparent complementary inverters composed of p-type CuI and n-type indium gallium zinc oxide TFTs are demonstrated with clear inverting characteristics and voltage gain over 4. These outcomes provide effective approaches for solution-processed inorganic p-type semiconductor inks and related electronics.

In this work, we develop a simple and eco-friendly water-inducement method for high-k yttrium oxide (YOx) dielectric. To prepare YOx thin films at low temperature, yttrium nitrate and deionized water were used as the source materials. No toxic organic materials were required in the YOx coating process. The YOx thin film annealed at 350 � C showed a low leakage current density of 2 � 10 � 9 A/cm 2 at 5 MV/cm and a large areal-capacitance of 448 nF/cm 2 at 1 kHz. On the basis of its implementation as the gate dielectric, the fully-water-induced In2O3 TFT based on YOx exhibited a high field-effect mobility of 15.98 cm 2 /Vs, excellent subthreshold swing of 75 mV/dec, an on/off current ratio of 6 � 10 6 , and a negligible hysteresis of 50 mV. The as-fabricated TFT operated at a low voltage (~1.5 V) and showed high drain current drive capability, enabling oxide TFT with a water-induced high-k dielectric for use in backplane electronics for low-power mobile display applications.

This study was supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 51472130 and 51572135) and Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Grant no. ZR2012FM020). Solution-processed oxide semiconductors have been widely studied with the objective of achieving high-performance, sustainable and low-cost electronic devices. In this report a simple and eco-friendly water-inducement method has been developed to fabricate high-k dielectrics and hybrid thin-film transistors (TFTs); introducing metal nitrates and deionized water as the precursor materials. The AlOx dielectric films annealed at temperatures higher than 350 °C result in low leakage current densities and the dielectric constants are nearly 7. Instead of the conventional oxide semiconductors, water-induced (WI) polyvinylprrolidone (PVP) was introduced into the In2O3 solution to form a hybrid metal oxide/polymer channel layer. The 250 °C-annealed WI In2O3:PVP TFTs based on AlOx dielectric exhibit outstanding electrical performances and high stability. These promising properties were obtained at an ultra-low operating voltage of 2 V. The WI metal oxide/polymer hybrid TFTs are promising alternatives for applications in low-cost, low-consumption and eco-friendly flexible electronics. authorsversion published

A combination of chemotherapy and phototherapy has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer treatment. To achieve effective combinational therapy of cancer with reduced toxicity, it is highly desirable to improve the targeting of chemotherapeutic and near-infrared photosensitizers to enhance their accumulation in tumor. Here we report a novel tumor targeting cell membrane capsule (CMC), originate from living cells, to load doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) and indocyanine green (ICG), for combinational photo-chemotherapy against cancer. As a result, folic acid modified CMC (CMC-FA, with a diameter about 200 nm and a FA density of 0.4 molecule/nm2) showed 3–4 fold higher cell uptake by cancer cells in vitro and 2.3 times higher accumulation in mouse cancer xenografts in vivo than pristine CMC. DOX and ICG with therapeutically significant concentrations can be sequentially encapsulated into CMC-FA by temporary permeating the plasma membranes with high efficiency. The systematic administration of cancer targeting CMC-FA loaded with DOX and ICG could significantly inhibit tumor growth in mouse xenografts in the presence of a near-infrared light at 808 nm, without noticeable toxicity. These findings suggest that cancer targeting CMC may have considerable benefits in drug delivery and combinational cancer therapy. Statement of Significance A combination of chemotherapy and photothermal/photodynamic therapy has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer therapy. In current study, a novel cancer targeting cell membrane capsule (CMC-FA), originate from living cells and surface modified with folic acid, was developed to load doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) and indocyanine green (ICG), for combinational photo-chemotherapy against cancer. The systematic administration of drug loaded CMC-FA can significantly inhibit tumor growth in mouse xenografts in the presence of a near-infrared light at 808 nm, without noticeable toxicity. This study provides a simple and robust strategy to develop biocompatible therapeutic cell membrane capsules, holds strong translational potential in precise cancer treatment.

L-Ascorbate (Asc) plays important roles in plant development, hormone signaling, the cell cycle and cellular redox system, etc. The higher content of Asc in plant chloroplasts indicates its important role in the photosystem. The objective of this study was to study the roles of Asc in tall fescue leaves against heat stress. After a heat stress treatment, we observed a lower value of the maximum quantum yield for primary photochemistry (φPo), which reflects the inhibited activity of the photochemical phase of photosystem II (PSII). Moreover, we observed a higher value of efficiency of electron transfer from QB to photosystem I acceptors (δR0), which reflects elevated activity of the thermal phase of the photosystem of the tall fescue. The addition of Asc facilitate the behavior of the photochemical phase of the PSII by lowering the ROS content as well as that of the alternative electron donor to provide electron to the tyrosine residue of the D1 protein. Additionally, exogenous Asc reduces the activity of the thermal phase of the photosystem, which could contribute to the limitation of energy input into the photosystem in tall fescue against heat stress. Synthesis of the Asc increased under heat stress treatment. However, under heat stress this regulation does not occur at the transcription level and requires further study.

A novel three-dimensional (3D) superstructure of cobalt hydroxide carbonate assembled from nanoneedles has been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. Furthermore, we tested the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction performance, which demonstrated that the superstructure exhibited high catalytic activity, achieving 10 mA cm-2 at a low overpotential of merely 240 mV.

A novel structure of arrays of Cu/graphene double-nanocaps was developed via a one-step low-temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Polystyrene spheres (PSSs) are ingeniously employed as both templates and solid carbon sources. SERS measurements reveal their high sensitivity and stability due to the synergistic effect of Cu and graphene double nanocaps.

In this letter, indium–titanium–zinc–oxide thin-film transistors with zirconium oxide (ZrOx) gate dielectric were fabricated at room temperature. In the devices, an ultra-thin ZrOx layer was formed as the gate dielectric by sol–gel process followed by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The devices can be operated under a voltage of 4 V. Enhancement mode operations with a high field-effect mobility of 48.9 cm2/V s, a threshold voltage of 1.4 V, a subthreshold swing of 0.2 V/decade, and an on/off current ratio of 106 were realized. Our results demonstrate that UV-irradiated ZrOx dielectric is a promising gate dielectric candidate for high-performance oxide devices.

Wide-range optical sensors based on a single ring resonator are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The sensor worked at the TE and TM modes simultaneously. Because the sensitivities of the TE mode and TM mode are different, the TE mode is used for the large measurement range, and the TM mode is used for the high sensitivity measurement. The experimental results showed that the measurement range for the TE mode was almost three times larger than that of the TM mode. A sensitivity of 233 nm/RIU was achieved for the wavelength interrogation of the TM mode.

The determination of oxygenous groups, conjugated area ratio, and reduction efficiency of graphene oxide (GO) is a difficult task because of its heterogeneous structure. Herein, a novel approach is described for a detailed understanding of the surface chemistry of GO by using pyrene as a fluorescent probe through π-π stacking interactions.