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Large pyroelectric and energy harvesting properties have been attracting increasing attentions due to the practical applications in infrared detectors and energy harvesting technologies. Ferroelectric-antiferroelectric (FE-AFE) phase transitions are usually accompanied by a sharp drop in polarization, which will lead to excellent pyroelectric properties and energy harvesting density. Therefore, FE-AFE phase boundary design is an effective strategy to develop new pyroelectric materials. In this paper, Pb(Lu1/2Nb1/2)O3-PbTiO3 (PLN-PT) single crystals with FE-AFE phase transitions were obtained by molten salt growth method. The temperature-induced FE-AFE phase transition was verified by temperature-dependent macrodomain structure, DSC curves and dielectric properties. Obviously, PLN-PT crystals display excellent peak pyroelectric coefficient (∼6.8 μC/(cm2·K)) with a maximum depolarization temperature of 118 °C. Meanwhile, the pyroelectric energy harvesting density is as high as 2.62 J/cm3, which is much higher than other pyroelectric materials. The results reveal that the PLN-PT crystal is a promising candidate for infrared detectors and energy harvesting devices.

The unique thermodynamic and kinetic coordination chemistry of ruthenium allows it to modulate key adverse aggregation and membrane interactions of α-synuclein (α-syn) associated with Parkinson's disease. We show that the low-toxic Ru

The design and synthesis of metal–organic framework/graphene oxide (MOF/GO) composites are vital for their applications in energy, adsorption, sensing, supercapacitors, and catalysis. How to achiev...

Nematic liquid crystals are promising materials for microwave communication owing to their continuous tunability as dielectrics and wide frequency range selection. However,conventional liquid crystals exhibit large dielectric loss and high freezing point, hindering their research and application in microwave communication. in this paper,14 novel liquid crystal polyphenylene compounds with lateral methyl substitute were synthesised. Their structures were characterized by IR, NMR,MS and the elemental analyses. Their mesogenic properties were analyzed by POM and DSC. The dielectric properties in microwave frequencies(10-35 GHz)of eight target compounds (6a,7b,8a~8e) with LC matrix were obtained by extrapolation and perturbation techniques. The results show that i. fluorinated polyphenylene compounds with lateral methyl generally exhibited low melting points (���75��C), ii. compounds with isothiocyanate group yielded high birefringence 0.385-0.441, iii. compounds based on quaterphenyl displayed a wide temperature range of nematic phase, and iv. the maximum dielectric loss of compounds 6e,8c,8e are less than 6.51��10-3,which are better than those of using fluorine replace the methyl group derivative. Therefore, the proposed approach can effectively reduce dielectric loss,reduce the melting temperature, improve the dielectric properties of liquid crystal materials for microwave communication.

The single-atom enzyme (SAE) is a novel type of nanozyme that exhibits extraordinary catalytic activity. Here, we constructed a PEGylated manganese-based SAE (Mn/PSAE) by coordination of single-atom manganese to nitrogen atoms in hollow zeolitic imidazolate frameworks. Mn/PSAE catalyzes the conversion of cellular H2 O2 to . OH through a Fenton-like reaction; it also promotes the decomposition of H2 O2 to O2 and continuously catalyzes the conversion of O2 to cytotoxic . O2 - via oxidase-like activity. The catalytic activity of Mn/PSAE is more pronounced in the weak acidic tumor environment; therefore, these cascade reactions enable the sufficient generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and effectively kill tumor cells. The prominent photothermal conversion property of the amorphous carbon can be utilized for photothermal therapy. Hence, Mn/PSAE exhibits significant therapeutic efficacy through tumor microenvironment stimulated generation of multiple ROS and photothermal activity.

In this work, nickel sulfide (Ni3S2) nanowires were directly grown on nickel foam (Ni3S2@NF) via hydrothermal sulfurization of the nickel foam (NF). The Ni3S2@NF electrode exhibited excellent activity for urea oxidation reaction (UOR), which can deliver a current density of 100 mA cm−2 at 0.36 V (vs SCE) for UOR in the electrolyte of 1.0 M NaOH and 0.33 M urea. The Ni3S2@NF electrode also exhibited excellent activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which shows decent stability and catalytic performance with an overpotential of ˜127 mv at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M NaOH. The excellent catalytic activity for both UOR and HER renders the Ni3S2@NF an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for urea-assisted electrolytic hydrogen production. As a result, the two-electrode system assembled with Ni3S2@NF can drive 20 mA cm−2 at a cell voltage of only 1.49 V with excellent longevity.

A dual-functional Pt(iv) prodrug, Pt-furoxan, can release cytotoxic cisplatin and signaling molecule NO upon cellular internalization. NO modulates the cellular response towards cisplatin, leading to a synergistic anti-proliferation effect and a promising anti-metastasis effect both in vitro and in vivo.

Two-dimensional catalysts show outstanding catalytic performance due to their distinct laminar structure and electronic properties. A facile synthesis of layered catalysts with superior catalytic performance remains a significant challenge. Herein, a novel layered Pd@ZIF-L-Co catalyst is synthesized via a facile in situ method; additionally, a series of transitional catalysts and a three-dimensional Pd@ZIF-67 catalyst are obtained by simply adjusting the ratio of water to methanol in the solvent. Characterizations of the catalysts reveal that layered ZIF-L-Co is beneficial in the dispersion and exposure of Pd NPs, and strong interactions exist between the layered ZIF framework and the PVP-Pd. The as-fabricated Pd@ZIF-L-Co shows superior catalytic properties in the reduction of nitroarenes with NaBH4, with a TOF value that is three times higher than that of Pd@ZIF-67. This work presents the design and synthesis of layered ZIF-based catalysts.

The targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs is a major challenge in the clinical treatment of cancer. Herein, we constructed a multifunctional DNA nanoplatform as a versatile carrier of the highly potent platinum-based DNA intercalator, 56MESS. In our rational design, 56MESS was efficiently loaded into the double-bundle DNA tetrahedron through intercalation with the DNA duplex. With the integration of a nanobody that both targets and blocks epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the DNA nanocarriers exhibit excellent selectivity for cells with elevated EGFR expression (a common biomarker related to tumor formation) and combined tumor therapy without obvious systemic toxicity. This DNA-based platinum-drug delivery system provides a promising strategy for the treatment of tumors.

In decades of hybrid rice breeding, the combining ability has been successfully used to evaluate excellent parental lines and predict heterosis. However, previous studies for the combining ability mainly focused on cultivated rice and rarely involved wild rice. In this study, for the first time, we identified 20 new quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the combining ability in wild rice using a North Carolina II mating design. Among them, qGCA1, one of the major QTLs that can significantly improve the general combining ability of the plant height, spikelet number, and yield per plant, was delimited to an interval of about 72 kb on chromosome 1. qSCA8, another major QTL, which can significantly improve the specific combining ability of the seed-setting rate and yield per plant, was located in an interval of about 90 kb on chromosome 8. These QTLs discovered from wild rice will provide new ideas to explain the genetic mechanism of the combining ability and establish the basis for breeding of high-combining-ability rice.

3D NiO nanowalls are homogeneously grown on macroporous nickel foam by a hydrothermal method. The morphology of the NiO nanowalls are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the phase structure of NiO nanowalls is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The results indicate that the NiO nanowalls are uniformly distributed on the entire nickel foam framework. And ammonia fluoride has significant influence on the height and thickness of NiO nanowalls. With the presence of ammonia fluoride, NiO nanowalls with height of 4.6 (±0.4) μm and thickness around 50 nm were obtained, while the height and thickness decreased to 1.7 (±0.2) μm and around 20 nm without the presence of ammonia fluoride. The NiO nanowalls were used as electrodes for urea oxidation in alkaline condition. The electro-oxidation activity the catalyst is investigated by cyclic voltammetry and potential step chronoamperometry. The electrocatalytic performance of NiO electrodes depends strongly on the sample preparation condition. The 3D NiO nanowalls electrode exhibit excellent electro-oxidation activity towards urea oxidation. The morphology of the electrodes has significant influence on their activity. The current density of 3D NiO nanowalls electrode prepared with NH4F at 0.7 V reached 800 mA cm−2, which was over 4 times than that of sample prepared without NH4F. Moreover, NiO nanowalls prepared with NH4F was more stable than the one prepared without NH4F, which did not show any appreciable morphology change after being used for urea electro-oxidation for 12 h. While the one prepared without NH4F collapsed after used.

Graphdiyne (GDY)-based materials are carbon allotropes with a two-dimensional (2D) planar structure composed of diacetylene bonds (sp) and sp 2 hybridized carbons. Their unique geometrical and electronic structure give them excellent electrochemical properties. The larger specific surface area and ion-diffusion channels in pores can provide more storage sites for alkali metal ions and increase the diffusion rate of electrons and ions. Hence, GDY-based materials possess broad prospects in electrochemical energy storage and have gained more favor as anode materials for alkali ion batteries. Here, we have made a systematic summary of GDY-based materials and their derivatives, including the geometrical and electronic structures, synthesis, modifications, and storage mechanisms of Li+/Na+/K+, along with the applications in Li+/Na+/K+ batteries. In view of the current situation, the large-scale application of GDY-based materials as anodes in alkali ion batteries is still a great challenge. We hope that this work can provide a theoretical basis for GDY-based materials with superior performance, more convenient and safer preparation, and higher yield.

A clustered Nb-drug conjugate (cNDC@PEG) was designed using anti-EGFR Nb to specifically deliver Pt(iv) prodrugs to tumors. cNDC@PEG efficiently targets EGFR positive tumor cells, and the clustered cNDC@PEG is more efficient in inhibiting tumor growth in vivo than the monomeric NDC. This work provides a novel strategy for the construction of a multi-valent NDC using dendrimers.

Cu(i) binds to the N-terminal metal binding domain (MBD) of hCTR1 and induces its conformational change, which promotes the interaction of the MBD with cell membranes. The membrane interaction was confirmed in living cells. This process could be the first step to initiate the cellular uptake of copper ions by hCTR1.

All-inorganic halide perovskites have attracted significant attention because of their excellent photoelectric performance. However, several remaining challenges, including large-scale synthesis, strict limitations on the experimental conditions, and material stability, limit their practical application. In this study, we propose a simple ligand-assisted supersaturated recrystallization (LASR) procedure in order to prepare perovskite-related plum-pudding-like Cs4PbBr6/CsPbBr3 microcrystals (MCs) on a large scale and at room temperature. The LASR approach was proved to rely on the selection of an appropriate antisolvent. The synthesized Cs4PbBr6/CsPbBr3 MCs exhibit strong green emission at 520 nm with a narrow full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) value of 20 nm originating from the CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in the Cs4PbBr6 MCs. Additionally, the environmental stability experiment showed ∼20% PL intensity loss after storage under ambient conditions with 50% relative humidity (RH) for 2 months.

Hypoxia is a hallmark of the tumor microenvironment (TME) that promotes tumor development and metastasis. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising strategy in the treatment of tumors, but it is limited by the lack of oxygen in TME. In this work, an O

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by uncontrolled secretion of autoantibodies by plasma cells. Although the functional importance of plasma cells and autoantibodies in SLE has been well established, the underlying molecular mechanisms of controlling autoantibody production remain poorly understood. Here we show that Peli1 has a B cell-intrinsic function to protect against lupus-like autoimmunity in mice. Peli1 deficiency in B cells induces autoantibody production via noncanonical NF-κB signaling. Mechanically, Peli1 functions as an E3 ligase to associate with NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK) and mediates NIK Lys48 ubiquitination and degradation. Overexpression of Peli1 inhibits noncanonical NF-κB activation and alleviates lupus-like disease. In humans, PELI1 levels negatively correlate with disease severity in SLE patients. Our findings establish Peli1 as a negative regulator of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway in the context of restraining the pathogenesis of lupus-like disease., Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder mediated by excessive autoantibodies. Here the authors show that an E3 ubiquitin ligase, Peli1, negatively modulates noncanonical NF-κB signaling to restrain lupus-like symptoms in mice, and that Peli1 expression inversely correlates with SLE severity in humans.

A new series of pyrimidine derivatives containing Schiff bases structure have been synthesized efficiently by modification of the C-2 position of Biginelli 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-(1H)-thiones (DHPMs). Their structures have been characterized by IR, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, MS spectra and elemental analysis.

Ferritin is an iron-storage protein nanocage that is assembled from 24 subunits. The hollow cavity of ferritin enables its encapsulation of various therapeutic agents; therefore, ferritin has been intensively investigated for drug delivery. The use of antibody-ferritin conjugates provides an effective approach for targeted drug delivery. However, the complicated preparation and limited protein stability hamper wide applications of this system. Herein, we designed a novel nanobody-ferritin platform (Nb-Ftn) for targeted drug delivery. The site-specific conjugation between nanobody and ferritin is achieved by transglutaminase-catalyzed protein ligation. This ligation strategy allows the Nb conjugation after drug loading in ferritin, which avoids deactivation of the nanobody under the harsh pH environment required for drug encapsulation. To verify the tumor targeting of this Nb-Ftn platform, a photodynamic reagent, manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc), was loaded into the ferritin cavity, and an anti-EGFR nanobody was conjugated to the surface of the ferritin. The ferritin nanocage can encapsulate about 82 MnPc molecules. This MnPc@Nb-Ftn conjugate can be efficiently internalized by EGFR positive A431 cancer cells, but not by EGFR negative MCF-7 cells. Upon 730 nm laser irradiation, MnPc@Nb-Ftn selectively killed EGFR positive A431 cells by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), whereas no obvious damage was observed on MCF-7 cells. Given that ferritin can be used for encapsulation of various therapeutic agents, this work provides a strategy for facile construction of nanobody-ferritin for targeted drug delivery.

5,10,15,20-Tetrakis-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-porphyrin (TPPS) can be adsorbed on a poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methylacrylate)-grafted ethylene-vinyl alcohol (PDMAEMA-grafted EVAL) membrane based on electrostatic interaction. H- and J-aggregation of TPPS on the membrane was investigated. A higher adsorption amount of TPPS and a higher grafting degree of the membrane helped to form J-aggregates. Two types of chiral J-aggregates were achieved in the presence of chiral tryptophan. The pending-type chiral aggregates showed single CD bands and rod-like morphology; and the wrapping-type aggregates exhibited CD couplets and dispersed spherical morphology. The wrapping chirality can be cyclically “switched off–on” by cycling the pH from 1.0–7.0–1.0, and the pending chirality would transform into the wrapping one after such a pH cycle. The aggregates of TPPS on the achiral membrane expressed the chiral information of the excess enantiomer, and the supramolecular chirality can be imprinted via strong electrostatic interaction with PDMAEMA chains even after removal of the chiral template.

This study reports a new method of producing high-purity monoacylglycerols (MAGs) by glycerolysis of fully hydrogenated palm oil (FHPO) catalyzed by hydrotalcite loaded with K2CO3 (K2CO3/HT). The effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, catalyst (K2CO3/HT) loading, and mass ratio of FHPO to glycerol on glycerolysis were investigated. The selected conditions included a reaction temperature of 200°C, K2CO3/HT loading at 0.8 wt.% (FHPO mass), a 5:2 mass ratio of FHPO to glycerol, and a reaction time of 2 h. Under these selected conditions, the yield of MAGs in the acylglycerol phase reached 46.8 wt.%. A two-stage molecular distillation was introduced to purify MAGs, and the final MAG product was obtained with a purity of 96.6 wt.% and a recovery of 96.8%. Furthermore, the recycled K2CO3/HT was reactivated with restored catalytic efficiency through impregnation, carbonation, and recalcination.

In this report, we describe a method for modifying electrical and optoelectrical properties of CdS nanobelts using low-energy (lower than 10 keV) e-beam irradiation in a scanning electron microscope. The electrical conductivity of the nanobelts was dramatically improved via the irradiation of e-beams. The modified conductivity of the nanobelts depends on the energy of the e-beam; it exhibits a larger photocurrent and higher external quantum efficiency but slower time-response than that before the modification. A possible mechanism about the modification is the increase of electron accumulation (injected electrons) in the nanobelts due to e-beam irradiation. In addition, the optoelectrical modification could be caused by the trapped electrons in the nanobelts and the decrease of contact resistance between the nanobelts and metal electrodes induced by e-beam irradiation. The results of this work are significant for the in situ study of semiconductor nanostructures in the electron microscope. Besides, the method of electrical and optoelectrical modification presented here has potential application in electronics and optoelectronics.