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Using magnetron sputtering, followed by post calcination TiO2, WO3, and TiO2/ WO3 layered films were prepared using magnetron sputtering and followed by post calcination. The film structures and morphologies were checked using XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FE- SEM, XPS, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The TiO2 and WO3 films are of anatase and orthorhombic structures. The WO3 underlayer of the TiO2/ WO3 film grows in [002] direction, almost perpendicular to substrates. Compared with the TiO2 film, the TiO2/ WO3-layered film effectively absorbs near- UV light. The photocurrent of layered TiO2/ WO3 film is much higher than that of TiO2 film under UV light illumination. The photoelectrocatalytic activity of the films was evaluated in two-electrode photocatalytic reactor, which is assisted by bias voltage. It is seen that PEC activity of TiO2/ WO3 film is almost four times higher than pure TiO2 film. Summarily, the TiO2/ WO3-layered film with dual-function of anti- UV light and high PEC activity was prepared using facile magnetron sputtering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we first introduce the test problem classes with respect to the initial value problems of nonlinear stiff impulsive differential equations in Banach spaces. The stability and asymptotic stability results of the analytic solution of the above-mentioned problems are obtained. As an example of discretization methods, the numerical stability and asymptotic stability results of the implicit Euler method are also given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this review we have summarized some recent results mainly reported by our group that focused on the development of smart gating nanochannels based on polymer films. These nanochannels were prepared using a track-etch process. The responsive materials/molecules and modification methods/techniques have also been demonstrated, from which we have obtained a series of smart gating nanochannels that can respond to single/dual external stimuli, e.g., pH, ion, temperature, light, and so on. These studies utilize responsive behaviors to regulate ionic transport properties inside a single nanochannel and demonstrate the feasibility of designing other smart nanodevices in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the numerical solution of nonlinear functional differential and functional equations. The adaptation of one-leg methods is considered. It is proved that an A-stable one-leg method is globally stable and a strongly A-stable one-leg method is asymptotically stable under suitable conditions. A numerical test is given to confirm the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the numerical dissipativity of a class of nonlinear neutral delay integro-differential equations. The dissipativity results are obtained for -algebraically stable one-leg methods when they are applied to the above problems. A numerical example is given to confirm our theoretical results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is devoted to investigating the nonlinear stability properties of linear multistep methods for the solution to neutral delay differential equations in Banach space. Two approaches to numerically treating the “neutral term” are considered, which allow us to prove several results on numerical stability of linear multistep methods. These results provide some criteria for choosing the step size such that the numerical method is stable. Some examples of application and a numerical experiment, which further confirms the main results, are given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the dissipativity and asymptotic stability of the theoretical solutions of a class of nonlinear neutral delay integro-differential equations (NDIDEs). We first give a generalization of the Halanay inequality which plays an important role in the study of dissipativity and stability of differential equations. Then, we apply the generalization of the Halanay inequality to NDIDEs and the dissipativity and the asymptotic stability results of the theoretical solution of NDIDEs are obtained. From a numerical point of view, it is important to study the potential of numerical methods in preserving the qualitative behavior of the analytical solutions. Therefore, the results, presented in this paper, provide the theoretical foundation for analyzing the dissipativity and the asymptotic stability of the numerical methods when they are applied to these systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the numerical dissipativity of a class of nonlinear neutral delay integro-differential equations. The dissipativity results are obtained for algebraically stable Runge–Kutta methods when they are applied to above problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the stability and asymptotic stability of -methods for the initial value problems of nonlinear stiff Volterra functional differential equations in Banach spaces. A series of new stability and asymptotic stability results of -methods are obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Ag particles were photodeposited on TiO2 powder surface. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, transmittance electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis diffused reflection spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectrophotoscopy were used to investigate the structure and morphologies of the samples. It is found that the loaded Ag particles have no effect on the XRD patterns, and the Raman scattering becomes much stronger due to the surface Raman enhancing effect. The TEM images show that the TiO2 grains are in the shape of short sticks, and the spherical Ag particles with hexagonal structure are adhered to the TiO2 grain surface tightly. XPS result shows that the loaded Ag particles can not affect the chemical states of Ti and O, and they are mainly in the form of metal Ag. A wide plasmon absorption appears on the UV-vis spectra after Ag photodeposition. The loaded Ag further greatly decreases the PL intensity, which partly indicates the electron transfer from TiO2 to Ag. The photocatalytic activities firstly increase with the content of loaded Ag, and then sharply decrease. Finally, the photocatalytic mechanism related to Ag-loaded TiO2 powders was discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Low H 2 O(g) content inhibited ultrafine PMs formation, while higher H 2 O(g) promoted it. • Ultrafine PM was more sensitive to H 2 O in oxy-fuel atmosphere with low O 2 content. • Competition between combustion temp and reduction atm affected ultrafine PM yield. • H 2 O(g) improved the growth of ultrafine particle in comparison with dry atmosphere. • H 2 O promoted the enrichment of AAEM and Fe, but had the opposite effect on si and al. In this study, the effect of H 2 O on the formation of ultrafine particulate matter (PM) in an oxy-combustion atmosphere with various O 2 contents of 21%, 27%, and 33% was investigated in a high-temperature drop tube furnace at 1800 K. The combustion-generated ultrafine PM was collected by a 14-stage electrical low-pressure impactor for analyzing the mass- and number-based particle size distribution (PSD). The element composition of ultrafine PM was identified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results indicated that all the primary peaks of the mass- and number-based PSD of ultrafine PM were located nearby 0.2 μm under various O 2 /CO 2 /H 2 O atmospheres. As H 2 O content increased, both the mass and the number yield of ultrafine PM decreased initially and then increased, with an inflection point at 5% H 2 O content. The inhibitory effects of 5% H 2 O content on the formation of ultrafine PM at 21%, 27% and 33% O 2 contents were −12.3%, −28.5%, and −33.5%, respectively, while the promoting effects of 30% H 2 O content were 105.4%, 54.0%, and 7.0%, respectively. Thus, the yield of ultrafine PM in the oxy-combustion atmosphere with low O 2 content fluctuates more with the increase of H 2 O, and was more sensitive to H 2 O. Moreover, with the increase of H 2 O and O 2 content, the average mass of ultrafine PM exhibited an enlarged tendency. And high H 2 O content (30%) evidently favored the enrichment of alkali and alkaline earth metals (e.g. Na, K, Ca and Mg), as well as Fe in PM 0.1 , whereas the volatilization of Si and Al was suppressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverse nanoconfined ion transport behaviors have attracted increasing attention in constructing ion-channel-inspired nanoconfined systems for high nanofluidic energy conversion performance. Conventional nanofluidic systems cannot simultaneously obtain high ion-selectivity and high ion-flux in a large region due to the decreasing effect of the electrical double layer (EDL) formed on the charged surface. Here, space charge is introduced in the nanoconfined system to effectively solve this problem by employing the synergistic effect of surface and space charges. The charge effect contribution on controlled-ion-transport is further decoupled into surface charge, space charge and synergistic effects for the first time. The surface charge induces charge separation within the EDL in a smaller diameter channel while the space charge dominates the ion-selectivity by the ion-exchange mechanism in a larger diameter channel. The synergistic effect, contributed by EDL and ion-exchange effects, is extremely important in large (around 100 nm), short nanochannel (around 100 nm), and high concentration fold (around 1000-fold) conditions to achieve high ion-selectivity, ion-flux, and nanofluidic energy conversion performances, which is systematically analyzed by theoretical simulation results. These results reveal the mechanism for enhanced ion transport behaviors and provide a solid foundation for designing high-performance nanofluidic devices in fields of desalination, sensor, energy conversion and storage. Surface charge induces ions separation within electrical double layers in smaller diameter nanochannels while space charge dominates the ion-selectivity by the ion-exchange mechanism in larger diameter nanochannels. The synergistic effect, contributed by electrical double layer and ion-exchange effects, is extremely important in a large, short nanochannel, and high concentration conditions to achieve high ion-selectivity, ion-flux, and nanofluidic energy conversion performances. [Display omitted] • Highlight nanofluidic ion behaviors (selectivity and flux) can be improved by synergistic effect of surface and space charges. • Reveal that surface charge induces ion selectivity within EDL while space charge dominates that by ion-exchange mechanism. • Propose a method to quantitatively decouple and analyze the synergistic effect on nanofluidic energy conversion performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A highly efficient photoelectrocatalytic course was realized by combining TiO2 and CdS films. The TiO2 films were prepared using dc reactive magnetron sputtering method, and the CdS films were deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) were used to characterize the film structure and surface morphologies. The experiment results showed that the photoelectrocatalysis by using the TiO2 and CdS films under double-beam irradiation of UV and visible lights had higher photocatalytic activity than the sum of photoelectrocatalysis solely using TiO2 and CdS films. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The overall impact of CO 2 on the coal char combustion is complicated due to the interplay between the CO 2 thermal effect and chemical effect (including the gasification endothermicity, and its direct additional carbon consumption). To assess the impact of these factors on the carbon consumption process, we conduct a quantitative study on the separate physicochemical effects of CO 2 through experimental and kinetic research. Two oxygen concentrations (15% and 21% O 2), representing industrial boiler and air combustion environments, were selected. The experiment research on its thermal effect (evaluated by carbon conversion ratios) is performed at 1773 K in a high-temperature drop tube furnace. The chemical effect of CO 2 is predicted for a 100 μm coal char particle using a self-developed char burning kinetics model. Results indicate that the carbon conversion ratios show a V-type distribution with higher CO 2 concentrations, as a result of its complex physicochemical effects, with minimal carbon conversion points around the CO 2 concentrations of 5–10 vol.%. The thermal effect initially increases with higher CO 2 concentrations from 0 to 10 vol.%, but it declines with a further increase in CO 2 concentrations, while the endothermicity effect of the gasification reaction increases with higher CO 2 concentrations. The relative contribution of the endothermicity effect on the char consumption is 20.4% in the 21%O 2 /10CO 2 /N 2 environment, lower than the thermal effect (29.9%), but it continuously increases and becomes the most influential inhibitory factor at higher CO 2 concentrations. The strongest suppression effect of CO 2 corresponds to the CO 2 concentrations of 10 vol.%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clay mineral/g-C 3 N 4 composites were prepared through a simple one-pot synthesis with acid-treated clay minerals and melamine as precursors. Three typical clay minerals, e.g., kaolinite, sepiolite, and talc, were adopted as photocatalyst carriers. Notably, the acid-treated clay minerals coupled with g-C 3 N 4 in three different ways. The kaolinite/g-C 3 N 4 composite, in particular, proceeded with an intercalation reaction due to the in situ growth of g-C 3 N 4 within the layers of acid-treated kaolinite, leading to the expansion of kaolinite layers and a prominently large specific surface area of 61.9 m2 g−1. The resultant composites were used in photocatalytic H 2 generation by water splitting and CO 2 reduction, exhibiting superior photocatalytic performance to the g-C 3 N 4. Among the obtained composites, the optimized kaolinite/g-C 3 N 4 showed the best photocatalytic activities, e.g. 3.03 μmol g−1 h−1 of CO evolution and 385 μmol g−1 h−1 of H 2 evolution, compared with merely 0.91 μmol g−1 h−1 of CO evolution and 96.4 μmol g−1 h−1 of H 2 evolution for bare g-C 3 N 4. The superior performance of kaolinite/g-C 3 N 4 can be ascribed to the large specific surface area and better distribution of g-C 3 N 4 , which can enhance the light absorption, increase the number of active sites and favor the charge separation. [Display omitted] • The g-C 3 N 4 was in situ grown on three types of acid-treated clay minerals. • The clay minerals coupled with the g-C 3 N 4 in three distinctive manners. • The composites all exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than the g-C 3 N 4. • The kaolinite/g-C 3 N 4 composite showed the best photocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It is observed for the first time that the interference peaks of transmission spectra of TiO2 film shift to the shorter wavelength after UV illumination. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to monitor the dynamic change of the film surface with UV illumination time, which shows that a ∼30nm water layer can be formed on the surface after 90min UV illumination. The XPS analysis revealed that the water layer is composed of physically absorbed water molecule because it can be wiped off by ultra high vacuum (UHV). At last, based on those analyses, a model was established that uses characteristic matrix and admittance to simulate the effect of UV illumination on the film transmission spectra, and it is found that the film refractive index slightly decreases with UV illumination, which may be due to the absorbed water and other surface structure changes induced by UV illumination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The nano-TiO2 powder was synthesized using wet chemical method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The photodegradation of aqueous methyl orange and phenol under the irradiation of visible, ultraviolet (UV), and UV+visible lights was used to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of nano-TiO2 powder prepared. It is found that the photocatalysis under UV and visible light irradiation simultaneously is much faster than the sum of that solely induced by UV light and visible light. UV–vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to investigate the physical cause of the enhancement of photocatalytic activity induced by UV+visible two-beam light irradiation. A photocatalytic mechanism based on the d–d transition of photoinduced electrons on surface located at conduction band was suggested to explain the experimental result. It is considered that this is a novel method to utilize visible light in the photocatalysis by using undoped TiO2 material. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the dissipativity of theoretical solutions to nonlinear Volterra functional differential equations (VFDEs). At first, we give some generalizations of Halanay''s inequality which play an important role in study of dissipativity and stability of differential equations. Then, by applying the generalization of Halanay''s inequality, the dissipativity results of VFDEs are obtained, which provides unified theoretical foundation for the dissipativity analysis of systems in ordinary differential equations (ODEs), delay differential equations (DDEs), integro-differential equations (IDEs), Volterra delay-integro-differential equations (VDIDEs) and VFDEs of other type which appear in practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is devoted to the investigations into the nonlinear stability properties of explicit and diagonally implicit Runge–Kutta methods for solving neutral delay differential equations in Banach space. Two approaches to numerically treating “neutral term” are considered, which allow us to prove several results on numerical stability and conditional contractivity of explicit and diagonally implicit Runge–Kutta methods. In particular, some new results on stiff ODEs and stiff DDEs, which can be regarded as the generalizations of previous results in the literature, are obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the stability properties of theoretical solution and numerical solution to nonlinear neutral differential equations with two delays in Banach space. Some sufficient conditions for the stability and asymptotic stability of the systems are given. The numerical stability of θ-methods when applied to the systems is also considered. A series of new stability results of θ-methods are obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the numerical solution of Volterra functional differential equations. We focus on the stability and asymptotic stability properties of implicit Euler method when applied to nonlinear stiff Volterra functional differential equations in Banach spaces. A series of new stability and asymptotic stability results are obtained. Numerical example is given to confirm the theoretical results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: N-doped TiO2 films were prepared by a radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering (RF-MS) deposition method from an undoped TiO2 target in a mixture of Ar/N2 atmosphere on heated quartz glass substrates. The structures and properties of the N-doped were studied by XRD, Raman, XPS, TEM, ultraviolet (UV)–vis and PL spectroscopy. By analyzing the structures and photocatalytic activities of undoped and N-doped TiO2 films under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation, the probable photocatalytic mechanism of N-doped TiO2 films was investigated. Because many oxygen defects are caused in films by nitrogen doping, it is presumed that nitrogen doping and oxygen defect induced the formation of new states closed to the valence band and conduction band, respectively. The cooperation of nitrogen and oxygen defects leads to a significant narrowing of the band gap and greatly improves the absorption in the visible light region. It is found that the degradation efficiencies of N-doped TiO2 films greatly decreased under ultraviolet irradiation, but slowly improved under visible light irradiation, compared with the undoped TiO2 film. It is suggested that the N-doped TiO2 films are formed for the nitrogen to occupy oxygen defect sites directly. The doped nitrogen ions and oxygen defects act as recombination centers that reduce the lifetime of photo-induced electrons and holes, thereby resulting in the decrease of photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet light illumination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The TiO2 film was prepared by dc reactive magnetron sputtering using a pure Ti disk as target. Raman scattering microscope, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to identify the structure. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra were measured at room temperature. Some interesting features were found on the PL spectra. The emission peak at 3.69eV is corresponding to the vertical radiative recombination of the photo-induced electrons and holes. The PL peaks at 3.40 and 3.36eV arise from band-to-band radiative recombination, and it can be considered as a two phonon (Eg(ν 5), Eg(ν 6))–one photon coupling course. The PL band from 2.8 to 3.1eV is ascribed to surface-state trapped exciton emission, including a single phonon–one photon coupling course with the Eg(ν 1) phonon attendance. The bulk oxygen impurity trapped exciton emission is the physical reason of the peak at 2.65eV and its incident peaks from 2.4 to 2.8eV, which consists of single, two and three phonon–one photon coupling courses with B1g(ν 2) and Eg(ν 1) phonon assistance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present paper is concerned with the numerical solution to initial value problems of neutral delay integro-differential equations (NDIDEs). The sufficient conditions for the stability and asymptotic stability of Runge–Kutta methods for a class of nonlinear systems of NDIDEs are derived. A numerical test that confirms the theoretical results is given in the end. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present paper is concerned with the numerical solution to initial value problems of neutral delay differential equations (NDDEs). The sufficient conditions for the stability and asymptotic stability of the general linear methods for a class R α,β of nonlinear systems of NDDEs are derived. Numerical test is given that confirm the theoretical results in the end. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• COPMI had varying degrees of emotional and interpersonal difficulties during the pandemic. • Nearly half of COPMI reported quite worried about the pandemic. • Over half of COPMI reported being negatively affected by COVID-19 in all aspects of their lives. • Concerns about COVID-19, decreased family income and domestic violence were risk factors for COPMI's mental health. Children of parents with mental illness (COPMI) are vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aimed to assess the psychosocial impacts of the pandemic and identify potential factors influencing their mental health. 665 COPMI from six sites including Wuhan in China were enrolled. COPMI's mental health and the impacts of COVID-19 were assessed by an online survey. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the association between impact factors and participants' mental health. 16.1 % of participants were in abnormal range of mental health, with interpersonal relationship being the most common problem. 48.6 % of participants reported quite worried about the epidemic. All aspects of adverse effects of COVID-19 were more prevalent among COPMI in Wuhan than in other sites. Concerns about COVID-19 (OR = 1.7, p = 0.02), decreased family income (OR = 2.0, p = 0.02), being physically abused (OR = 2.1, p = 0.04), witnessing family members being physically abused (OR = 2.0, p = 0.03), and needs for promoting family members' mental health (OR = 2.2, p < 0.01) were independent risk factors for participants' mental health. The findings raise our awareness of the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the wellbeing of COPMI. Multifaceted psychosocial support for COPMI is urgently needed to support them live through the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two types of cobalt imidazole complexes, e.g. cobalt 2-methylimidazole (Co-MIm) and cobalt 1-ethylimidazole (Co-EIm), are adopted as surface passivation agents to modify the Sn-doped α-Fe2O3 nanorods (Sn-Fe2O3 NRs) photoanode by a facile impregnation method. Systematic characterizations are performed and the fabricated photoanodes are applied to photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. Interestingly, the cobalt imidazoles nanosheets are embedded into the Sn-Fe2O3 NRs film to form crack-like gaps and NRs bundles on the surface of the composite photoanodes, e.g. Co-MIm@Sn-Fe2O3 and Co-EIm@Sn-Fe2O3. With simulated sunlight irradiation and an applied potential of 1.23 V (vs. RHE), the photocurrent densities of the Co-EIm@Sn-Fe2O3 and Co-MIm@Sn-Fe2O3 reach 0.81 mA/cm2 and 0.61 mA/cm2 with enhanced stability, respectively, compared with 0.36 mA/cm2 of the Sn-Fe2O3. The gaps and bundles on the surface of the composite photoanodes make the surface rougher and improve their light absorption ability. Moreover, the cobalt imidazoles as passivation agents can effectively inhibit surface states from capturing charge carriers, reduce charge recombination and facilitate charge transfer, thus improving the PEC performance. Notably, it is found that the cobalt imidazole with a longer alkyl chain, e.g. Co-EIm, is more effective than the Co-MIm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly efficient biological ion channels with sophisticated transport characteristics in living organisms have inspired the design of artificial channels that are functionally comparable to those of their natural counterparts and applicable on a much larger scale. Self‐assembly currently offers a facile approach for producing nanoconfined ion channels that exhibit smart ion‐transport properties, including ion selectivity, gating, and rectification, and have shown great potential for various applications. In this Minireview, we give an overview of strategies for engineering bio‐inspired self‐assembled ion channels. We focus on emerging channel assemblies based on different fabrication processes such as supramolecular assembly, nanosystem‐based fabrication, and polymer‐based integration. The applications of these bio‐inspired channels in the exploration of physiological events, detection of molecules/ions, ion separation, and energy conversion are concisely presented. Finally, future developments and challenges of this booming research field are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-fluid biopsy, cancer detection, electrochemical, nano-channel Keywords: bio-fluid biopsy; cancer detection; electrochemical; nano-channel EN bio-fluid biopsy cancer detection electrochemical nano-channel 1 1 1 05/17/21 20210501 NES 210501 In article number 2001205, Wei and co-workers innovatively designed a cancer defending system by a conical nano-channel device for cancer biomarker recognition. Inside Front Cover: Ultra-Sensitive and Selective Electrochemical Bio-Fluid Biopsy for Oral Cancer Screening (Small Methods 5/2021). [Extracted from the article]

Bioinspired nanofluidic devices have drawn increasing global interest due to their giant applicable potential in a wide range of fields. By mimicking biological prototype, it is expected to achieve high energy conversion efficiency and tunable ion transport. However, the low osmotic conversion efficiency, weak ion transport capability and poor mechanical performance limit practical application. We designed a class of heterogeneous membrane consisting of a support layer and a thin top layer to meet fundamental requirements. To achieve higher power generation, we incorporated metal organic framework (MOF) nanosheets (dispersed phase) into polymer matrix (continuous phase) to afford a mixed matrix top layer. This unique structure addressed the geometric restriction associated with the polymeric specie due to their limited pore accessibility. As a result, the presented membranes produced high power density of ca. 7 W m−2 and a high energy conversion efficiency of ca. 40% under a salinity gradient of 50 (0.5 M|0.01 M, NaCl). This work thus offers an insight into a new methodology in the development of a novel membrane technology for highly efficient energy conversion. MOF enhanced SPEEK/SPSF heterogeneous membrane showed record-high salinity gradient energy conversion performance. ga1 • A SPEEK-MOF/SPSF heterogeneous membrane was fabricated, which has a record-high SGE conversion performance and promising application potential. • Some beneficial designs are synergistically integrated into composite, such as heterogenous structure, mixed matrix and temperature gradient. • The intrinsic pores of 2D ZnTCPP nanosheets shorten the ion transport path while maintaining selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity gradient energy is an abundant renewable energy source that can help satisfy the growing global demand for energy. Although current approaches based on membrane design for salinity gradient energy conversion have been demonstrated to improve conversion efficiency they suffer from the trade-off between selectivity and intrinsic resistance of the membranes, which impedes the rates of energy conversion. In this study, a charged porous asymmetric membrane was fabricated, consisting of a thin charged nanopore (~1 nm) layer and a charged porous structure (80–100 nm) layer. Its asymmetric electric potential and charged porous structure increase its affinity to uniport of ions and enables high ion conductivity. While maintaining a high degree of selectivity, the membrane exhibited an intrinsic membrane resistance of 0.53 ± 0.12 Ω·cm2, which was lower than that of the commercial and other reported membranes. The maximum power density reached up to 12.5 W/m2 with a 500-fold salinity gradient. This membrane shows great promise in industrialization and provides new insights into high salinity energy conversion. Charged porous asymmetric composed with a thin nanopore layer and a charged porous layer overcome the trade-off between selectivity and intrinsic resistance of the membranes, showing great promise in salinity gradient power conversion. ga1 • CPAM overcome the trade-off between selectivity and internal resistance. • High robust energies were obtained from the salinity gradients through the asymmetric nanochannel membrane. • Numerical simulations explain the high selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical water splitting into hydrogen and oxygen in neutral electrolytes has great significance for future energy supply security, potentially offering a pathway for H 2 generation from seawater. However, the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) generally occurs at low rates in neutral solutions due to the low proton concentration in such media. Herein, we fabricated a novel HER catalyst capable of efficient H 2 evolution in water at neutral pH, comprising a nickel-molybdenum nitride nanowire array modified with metallic Ni nanoparticles (Ni/NiMoN). The entire Ni/NiMoN array was supported on a Cu foam. The Ni nanoparticles promoted the dissociation of adsorbed water to enhance the supply of protons in the neutral electrolyte, whilst the nanowire array imparted the electrode surface with underwater superaerophobic properties, thus allowing H 2 gas bubbles to detach from the electrode in a facile manner. On the basis of the synergies realized between the different electrode components, the Ni/NiMoN nanowire array electrode offered exceptional HER performance, with an overpotential of only 37 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in a neutral electrolyte. Results guide the development of next-generation earth-abundant element electrocatalysts for HER in neutral media. • A Ni-Mo nitride nanowire array modified with Ni nanoparticles was fabricated as H 2 evolution reaction (HER) catalyst. • The introduction of a water dissociation catalyst (Ni nanoparticles in this case) can boost the neutral HER performance. • The nanowire array with underwater superaerophobic property allowed H 2 gas bubbles to detach from the electrode facilely. • The nanowire array electrocatalyst exhibited outstanding HER performance in a neutral electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction for 'Bioinspired hydrogel-based nanofluidic ionic diodes: nano-confined network tuning and ion transport regulation' by Congcong Zhu et al., Chem. Commun., 2020, 56, 8123–8126, DOI: 10.1039/D0CC01313G. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SNP genotyping was conducted for 130 patients with WDEIA and 600 healthy individuals. • The rs1946518 polymorphism at the IL18 locus was associated with the risk for WDEIA. • The variant G allele of rs1946518 might be a risk factor for the elevated total IgE levels. • The haplotype AGG was associated with a high risk of WDEIA. To investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the interleukin (IL)-18 locus with wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA) in the Han Chinese population. 130 patients with WDEIA and 600 healthy subjects were recruited for this study. Three tag SNPs (rs360729, rs360717 and rs1946518) were selected and genotyped, and total IgE and specific IgE levels were measured using the ImmunoCAP system. After Bonferroni correction, the frequency of the G-allele in rs1946518 in the WDEIA group was significantly higher than that in control group (P = 0.0015). Genotypic distributions of rs1946518 significantly differed between WDEIA and control groups, and compared with the TT genotype, the homozygote GG genotype was associated with a higher risk of WDEIA (P = 0.0031). At position rs1946518, the log-transformed total IgE values were significantly higher in the group with the heterozygous GT genotype than in TT genotype group (P = 0.0024). Haplotype AGG formed by three SNPs alleles occurred significantly more frequently in WDEIA group than in control group (P = 0.003). The minor allele G at position rs1946518 might serve as a marker for the risk of WDEIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological nanochannels which can regulate ionic transport across cell membranes intelligently play a significant role in physiological functions. Inspired by these nanochannels, numerous artificial nanochannels have been developed during recent years. The exploration of smart solid‐state nanochannels can lay a solid foundation, not only for fundamental studies of biological systems but also practical applications in various fields. The basic fabrication principles, functional materials, and diverse applications based on artificial nanochannels are summarized in this review. In addition, theoretical insights into transport mechanisms and structure–function relationships are discussed. Meanwhile, it is believed that improvements will be made via computer‐guided strategy in designing more efficient devices with upgrading accuracy. Finally, some remaining challenges and perspectives for developments in both novel conceptions and technology of this inspiring research field are stated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using nuclear power to replace electricity generated from fossil fuels is an effective strategy to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions and also spurs the search for new sources of nuclear fuel. Extracting uranium from seawater has a significant reserve advantage, although its ultralow concentration presents substantial challenges. Here, inspired by the fractal structure of cardiac trabeculae on the inner surface of the heart, a uranium enrichment electrode with a superhydrophilic and uranium‐affinitive fractal surface is developed. This innovative design enhances rapid charge/ion transfer, ensures complete surface wetting, and provides numerous adsorption sites. By synergistically integrating the advantages of electric‐assisted processes and bioinspired microstructures predicated on chemical coordination principles, the electrode demonstrates a uranium adsorption capacity of 13.2 mg g−1 following a 7‐d exposure to natural seawater. This research not only demonstrates an effective strategy for the development of advanced uranium enrichment electrodes but also provides more possibilities for innovative approaches in sustainable energy technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc (Zn) metal batteries could be the technology of choice for sustainable battery chemistries owing to its better safety and cost advantage. However, their cycle life and Coulombic efficiency (CE) are strongly limited by the dendritic growth and side reactions of Zn anodes. Herein, we proposed an in situ construction of a metal‐phosphonate‐organic network (MPON) with three‐dimensional interconnected networks on Zn metal, which can act as an ion enrichment layer for Zn anodes in Zn‐metal batteries. This MPON with abundant porous structure and phosphate sites possesses ion enriching properties and high Zn2+ transference number (0.83), which is beneficial for enhancing Zn2+ migration and self‐concentrating kinetics. Meanwhile, MPON offers hydrophobicity to effectively inhibit the water‐induced Zn anode corrosion. As a result, the Zn electrode exhibits superior Zn/Zn2+ reversibility of over 4 months at 3 mA cm−2 and a high CE of 99.6 %. Moreover, the Zn/NaV3O8 ⋅ 1.5H2O and Zn/MnO2 full cells using ultrathin Zn anodes (10 μm) exhibit high‐capacity retention of 81 % and 78 % after 1400 and 1000 cycles, respectively. This work provides a unique promise to design high‐performance anode for practical Zn‐metal‐based batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]