Search

Graphical abstract Highlights • The CuS/Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 p-n heterojunction material were synthesized. • Flower like hierarchical structures with improved visible light absorption. • Intra-electric field and microscopic contact are vital for photocatalytic activity. • CuS/Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 materials highly active for MCPA degradation under visible light. • The mechanistic details of MCPA degradation is illustrated. Abstract In this study, a series of CuS/Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 p-n heterojunction materials were synthesized by a two-step process. Initially, the Aurivillius phase Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 (BT) was synthesized by a facile combustion route using urea as a fuel. The Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 was subsequently modified by deposition of CuS (5–20 wt%) using a hydrothermal route to prepare the heterojunction materials. The methods of synthesis and calcination temperature were important factors which influenced the morphology, particle size and phase purity of Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 material. Phase pure BT nanoplates with planar dimension of 150–200 nm and thickness between 50 and 70 nm were obtained at a calcination temperature of 600 °C. Pure CuS prepared by hydrothermal method, contained hierarchical microspheres with diameter in the range of 1.2–1.6 μm. The heterostructure materials exhibited hierarchical flower like structure consisting of ultrathin CuS nanosheets and BT-nanoflakes. HRTEM and microstructural study revealed microscopic close interaction between the two phases. The optical and electrical measurement study suggested significant improvement in visible light absorption (400–800 nm) and charge carrier separation due to heterojunction formation. The CuS/Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 materials showed excellent photocatalytic activity for aqueous phase degradation of 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) herbicide under visible light (>95% degradation in 3 h). The rate constant for CuS/Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 materials was 4.5 times higher than the pure BT material towards MCPA degradation. The OH and O 2 – radicals have been identified as the reactive species, the formation of which was confirmed by spectrometric method using terephthalic acid and nitroblue tetrazolium as molecular probes. The mechanism of MCPA degradation over the photocatalyst surface has also been elucidated using LC-ESI-MS, TOC and scavenger experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuO nanofibers were fabricated by calcination of the electrospun PVP/Cu(NO3)2 composite nanofibers. For the first time, CuS, Cu7.2S4, and Cu2 –xSe nanofibers were successfully synthesized by double-crucible sulfurization and selenidation methods via inheriting the morphology of CuO nanofibers as precursors, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows CuS, Cu7.2S4, and Cu2 –xSe nanofibers are respectively pure hexagonal phase, cubic phase and orthorhombic phase with space group of P63/mmc, Fm-3m and Cmcm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicates that the diameter of CuS, Cu7.2S4, and Cu2 –xSe nanofibers are 149.60 ± 17.52, 103.40 ± 12.95, and 127.28 ± 19.55 nm under the 95% confidence level, respectively. More importantly, this preparation technique is of universal significance to prepare other metal chalcogenides nanofibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • CuS nanoparticles and g-C 3 N 4 QDs endow the nanoplatform with tumor microenvironment-responsive PTT and PDT functions. • The targeting agent FA allows the nanoplatform to specifically act on cancer cells and has no damage to healthy tissues. • 808 nm NIR excitation light does not cause overheating of tissues compared to 980 nm NIR light. • The doping of rare earth ions makes the nanoplatform have triple UCL, CT, and MRI imaging. Abstract Combined therapy with multimodal therapeutic agents based on nanomaterials has been shown as a promising approach to cancer treatment. In this report, a highly efficient multifunctional anti-cancer nanocomposite was fabricated by assembling a photothermal agent (CuS nanoparticles) and a photodynamic agent (g-C 3 N 4 quantum dots) on upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) after mesoporous silica coating. Then, the surface modification of the obtained nanocomposite (abbreviated as CUSCs) with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and folic acid (FA) endows the final sample (denoted as CUSCs-PEG-FA) with an excellent cancer cell targeting effect and biocompatibility. In this nanoplatform, CuS nanoparticles are an inorganic substance with low toxicity and high photothermal conversion efficiency. g-C 3 N 4 QDs have excellent biocompatibility and are beneficial for cellular uptake due to their small size. UCNPs can be excited by near-infrared (NIR) light to produce ultraviolet and visible (UV– vis) light emission, which overlaps with the UV absorption peak of high fluorescence g-C 3 N 4 quantum dots (QDs). Therefore, when the nanocomposite is excited by 808 nm NIR light, a synergistic treatment effect will be presented. Since the wavelengths absorbed by the chosen photothermal agent and the photosensitizer are different, sufficient utilization of energy can be achieved. Combining photothermal therapy (high photothermal conversion efficiency of 27.4%) and photodynamic therapy can inhibit cancer more effectively compared to any monotherapy. Moreover, as a result of the inherent performance ability of the doped rare earth ions, excellent applicability for computed tomography (CT), upconversion luminescence (UCL) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Chronic H3R antagonism alleviates CUS induced depression-like phenotypes. • Chronic treatment of H3R antagonist increases BDNF expression in PFC and hippocampus of CUS treated mice. • Histamine treatment increases BDNF expression in primary cortical neurons via H4R. • Chronic H3R antagonist resets the overactive HPA axis due to chronic stress. Abstract The last two decades of research has established histamine (HA) as a neurotransmitter. Since H3R antagonists are known to modulate several neurotransmitters besides HA, H3R antagonists have shown potential for the treatment of different central nervous system disorders, including depression. However, molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of H3R antagonism in depression are not clear, yet. In the present study, we investigated the antidepressant potential of ciproxifan, a selective H3R antagonist, in chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model of depression in C57BL/6 J mice. We observed that chronic treatment of CUS mice with ciproxifan (3 mg/kg i.p.; for three weeks) alleviates depression-like symptoms such as helplessness measured by forced swim and tail suspension test (FST and TST), anhedonia measured by sucrose preference test (SPT) and social deficit measured in social behavior test. Chronic ciproxifan treatment restored CUS induced BDNF expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. We also observed that ciproxifan modulates CUS induced NUCB2/nesfatin-1 and CRH expression in the hypothalamus and plasma corticosterone. We also determined the direct effect of HA on BDNF expression in neurons by western blotting and immunocytochemistry, and found that HA significantly induced BDNF expression, which was blocked by the H4R selective antagonist, but not by other HA receptor selective antagonists. Furthermore, ciproxifan significantly modulated NMDA glutamate receptor subunits NR2B and NR2A. Thus, these results suggest that increased HA signaling in the brain produces antidepressant-like effects in mice and modulates BDNF expression and HPA-axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Semiconductor material with narrow bandgap is an ideal photo-thermal conversion material because of its high absorption intensity in infrared region. Here, CuS/TiO 2 composites were synthesized based on UV-responsive TiO 2 compound with narrow bandgap semiconductor material CuS for CO 2 conversion under full-spectrum irradiation. The experimental results showed that 2% CuS/TiO 2 exhibited higher photocatalytic CO 2 reduction efficiency due to the solar induced photo-thermal synergistic effect. CuS can absorb and convert infrared light into heat energy, which promotes the utilization range of sunlight for CO 2 conversion. In-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR) was used to explain the photocatalytic mechanism at the molecular level. This work suggested a feasible way for integrated utilization of solar energy by narrow bandgap semiconductor compounds with TiO 2 to convert CO 2. Graphical abstract CuS/TiO 2 exhibited higher photocatalytic efficiency of CO 2 reduction due to the solar induced photo-thermal synergistic effect. Image 1 Highlights • CuS/TiO 2 composites were synthesized. • CuS/TiO 2 showed enhanced photo-thermal synergistic catalytic activity. • In-situ FT–IR was used to explain the photocatalytic mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cu2O/CuO/CuS electrocatalyst was prepared by thermal oxidation of cleaned copper mesh in the air into Cu2O/CuO and CuS was deposited on oxide surface using facile successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method. The successive fabrication of the electrocatalyst was confirmed using XRD, SEM, Raman and XPS. The catalytic enhancement is believed to be associated with the reduction of copper sulfide. Together with copper oxides, they offer favorable adsorption sites for electrochemical CO2 reduction. The synthesized catalyst offered significantly enhanced activity and selectivity performance for CO2 reduction at lower overpotential. Remarkably, the faradaic efficiency for formate generation reaches 84% at the potential of − 0.7 V versus RHE. It has also provided a high partial current density of − 20 mA cm− 2.Graphical Abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergism of CuS and tartaric acid (TA) in the reduction of Cr(VI) with an irradiation of simulated solar light was investigated through observing the effects of solution pH, temperature, CuS loading and TA concentration on the removal efficiency of Cr(VI). Approximately 32% and 54% of the initial Cr(VI) (100 µmol/L) were reduced within 180 min by TA and CuS with light, respectively. Under the same condition, however, almost a complete removal of the initial Cr(VI) was achieved within 130 min in the coexistence of CuS and TA. In the case, it is considered that Cr(VI) was rapidly reduced in two main pathways. One is that H2S produced from the dissolution of CuS in weak acidic solution directly reduced Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The other is that Cu(II) released from CuS reacted with TA to form complexes with photochemical activity, producing Cu(I) through ligand-to-metal electron transfer, and then the reduction of Cr(VI) was coupled with a conversion of Cu(I) to Cu(II). Thus, a cycle catalytic system was established for the reduction of Cr(VI). Moreover, it is observed that the reaction could be divided into two stages: the initial chemical reduction of Cr(VI) by H2S and the later photochemical reduction of Cr(VI) by Cu(II)-TA complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional porous CuS/graphene photocatalysts had been successfully prepared by twostep solvothermal method and exhibited outstanding adsorption synergistic photodegradation for anion dyemethyl orange (MO). Due to the combination of the adsorption of graphene porous aerogel and the photocatalysis of CuS, the CuS/graphene photocatalysts could rapidly enrich the methyl orange and effectively degrade MO in suit. The degradation rate of MO went up to as high as 92.94% by the CuS/graphene composites in 55 min through the synergistic effect of adsorption photocatalytic, which was about 2.9 times more than that of bare CuS. The obviously improved photodegradation rate was attributed to the excellent adsorption performance and high charge mobility of the porous graphene substrate. Moreover, its MO removal efficiency still remained 79.47% after 3 times cyclic experiments. Meanwhile, due to its special 3D porous network structure, the CuS/graphene composites could efficiently separate from the solution without assistance of filtering. Therefore, the CuS/graphene composites with the synergy of adsorption and photocatalysis would be a promising strategy for practical dye wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Typical SEM images of CuS/graphene composite and schematic illustration of a Li/S cell configuration with a CuS/graphene-coated separator. Highlights • CuS/graphene with high lithium polysulfides adsorption capacity was synthesized. • CuS/graphene coated-separator functions as a highly efficient ionic sieve to LPS. • The cell with CuS/graphene coated-separator exhibit enhanced cycling performance. Abstract Herein, we demonstrate a facile synthesis process to fabricate and deposit flower-like CuS/graphene nanocomposite on a multi-functional separator for efficient immobilization of polysulfides of lithium/sulfur (Li/S) batteries. Admirably, as-prepared CuS/graphene composite endows enriched oxygen-functional groups and excellent electrical conductivity for cathode area. The introduction of CuS/graphene-coated separator effectively reduced the dissolution of lithium polysulfides as well as enhanced the integrity of the sulfur cathode for Li/S batteries. The cell with these modified separator delivered an enviable discharge capacity of 1302 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C, as well as an excellent reversible capacity of 760 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles. Furthermore, an outstanding rate capability of 568 mAh g−1 at 3.0 C has been achieved in the cell with CuS/graphene-coated separator. The results reveal that CuS/graphene-coated separator shows an admirable potentiality to boost the performance of next-generation Li/S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracar-boxylic acid (PTCA) as luminophor was grafted on the surface of graphene oxide (PTCA-GO) directly. GO exhibited large specific surface area and excellent electrical conductivity which can immobilize large amounts of PTCA to improve the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) efficiency. Moreover, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were anchored on the surface of PTCA-GO to immobilize primary antibodies (Ab 1) via Au-NH 2 bond and enhance the electron transport of PTCA-GO. CuS was used as a novel co-reaction accelerator in PTCA-K 2 S 2 O 8 system to label secondary antibodies (Ab 2), which can react with the coreactant (K 2 S 2 O 8) to produce more SO 4 •-. SiO 2 nanospheres with large specific surface area were used to load a mass of CuS and Au NPs, which can directly combine with Ab 2 and accelerate the ECL emission remarkably. Therefore, a novel sandwich-type ECL immunosensor was fabricated successfully for amyloid-β protein (Aβ) detection. Under the optimal condition, a wide detection range from 50 fg/mL to 25 ng/mL and a low detection limit of 18 fg/mL (S/N = 3) were obtained. Featuring favorable specificity, stability and reproducibility, the strategy can be a powerful analytical tool in sensitive trace detection of biomolecules in clinical analysis. Highlights • PTCA was grafted on Au@GO which improved the ECL behavior. • CuS acted as co-reaction accelerator to amplify the ECL signal. • CuS reacted with the coreactant (S 2 O 8 2-) to produce more SO 4 •-. • Amyloid-β protein was ultrasensitively detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CuS-PVP@ZIF-67 is obtained by a simple synthetic method. • High removal efficiency for many pollutants is achieved with CuS-PVP@ZIF-67/PMS. • The catalyst used can be easily recovered by suction filtration. • The potential harm of intermediate products is analyzed. • A possible synergistic mechanism of adsorption-PMS activation is proposed. Selective removal of organic pollutants by PMS-activated heterogeneous catalytic system has become one of the commonly used methods, but the adsorption of the catalyst is often ignored in the degradation process. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are often used in the field of environment because of their high porosity and structural diversity/adjustability. However, there are still difficulties in the aggregation and recycling of nanoparticles. This study effectively synthesized the material CuS-PVP@ZIF-67 by using hollow spherical CuS as the carrier of Co-MOF (ZIF-67) to solve these problems. A high concentration of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) can be successfully adsorbed by electrostatic attraction and π-π interaction, and small amount of PMS may be quickly activated, and the removal rate of OTC is 94.82 % in 20 min. The catalyst used can be easily recovered by suction filtration and has good reusability. In addition, a potential cooperating mechanism for adsorption-PMS activation has additionally been proposed. The degradation pathway of OTC is determined, and the potential harm of intermediate products is analyzed. This work aims to create a heterogeneous catalytic system with significant adsorption and catalytic ability to remove refractory organic contaminants in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CuS@BSANPs, were synthesized through a biomineralization approach. • CuS@BSANPs show a spherical shape and have an average size of 13.15 ± 3.4 nm. • MTT assay shows that 4T1 cells growth was inhibited when it was co-treated with CuS@BSANPs and X-ray irradiation. • Under combination therapy, there is a large rise in the ROS level in the cells. Researchers have become more interested in new nanotechnologies for radiotherapy over the past few years. To increase radiotherapy (RT) efficacy, it is very desirable to design nanoparticles (NPs) that efficiently generate hazardous reactive oxygen species (ROS) when exposed to X-rays. As a potential nanoradiosensitizer, the potential of CuS NPs, is investigated here. For this aim, bovine serum albumin (BSA) coated CuS NPs, CuS@BSANPs, were synthesized through a biomineralization approach. CuS@BSANPs show a spherical shape and have an average size of 13.15 ± 3.4 nm. It show hydrodynamic size about 37 nm and the zata potential about −45 mV. MTT assay shows that 4T1 cells growth was inhibited when it was co-treated with CuS@BSANPs and X-ray irradiation. Under combination therapy, there is a large rise in the ROS level in the cells, which plays an important role in the greater damage caused to cancer cells. The CuS@BSANPs show the potential to be a very effective nanoradiosensitizer agent for the treatment of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels are emerging materials for solar steam generation to alleviate water scarcity. Herein, a semiconductor of copper sulfide (CuS) was integrated into cellulose hydrogel to fabricate a solar steam evaporator. Sustainable and low-cost cotton linter (cellulose) was regenerated by NaOH/urea solvent. Epichlorohydrin was added as a cross-linking agent to enhance the mechanical robustness of the composite hydrogel, and CuS crystals were tightly attached to cellulose fibers and uniformly distributed in the hydrogel matrix. Under simulated solar light, a heating zone was established at the top surface of the composite hydrogel, and CuS can efficiently absorb and convert light into heat. The hydrophilic cellulose network affords an adequate water supply and a low water vaporization enthalpy. By tuning the CuS loadings, the optimized evaporation rate and solar-to-vapor efficiency could reach 2.2 kg/m2/h and 87 %, respectively, under 1 sun irradiation. The evaporation rate remained above 2.1 kg/m2/h after 48 h of irradiation. Moreover, the hydrogels (with a CuS loading of 30 wt%) showed a efficiently photocatalytic degradation of 95 % for methylene blue and 92 % for Rhodamine B. Such functional hydrogel evaporator holds great potential for practical water treatment and solar-driven applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covellite is a secondary copper sulfide, and it is not abundant. There are few investigations on this mineral in spite of it being formed during the leaching of chalcocite or digenite; the other investigations on covellite are with the use of mineraloids, copper concentrates, and synthetic covellite. The present investigation applied the surface optimization methodology using a central composite face design to evaluate the effect of leaching time, chloride concentration, and sulfuric acid concentration on the level of copper extraction from covellite (84.3% of purity). Copper is dissolved from a sample of pure covellite without the application of temperature or pressure; the importance of its purity is that the behavior of the parameters is analyzed, isolating the impurities that affect leaching. The chloride came from NaCl, and it was effectuated in a size range from –150 to +106 μm. An ANOVA indicated that the leaching time and chloride concentration have the most significant influence, while the copper extraction was independent of sulfuric acid concentration. The experimental data were described by a highly representative quadratic model obtained by linear regression (R2 = 0.99).

To effectively remove high concentrations of mercury in a high sulfur atmosphere of nonferrous smelting flue gas, a novel two-dimensional CuS-MOF (CuS-BDC-2D) material is synthesized by anchoring S to Cu sites in the Cu-BDC MOF. The highly dispersed CuS active sites and MOF framework structural properties in CuS-BDC-2D enable efficiently collaborate in capturing mercury. CuS-BDC-2D exhibits a layered floral structure with high specific surface area and thermal stability, with poor crystallinity. Compared to CuS and the three-dimensional CuS-MOF (CuS-BDC-3D) structure, CuS-BDC-2D demonstrates significantly higher mercury capture capacity due to the high exposure of active sites and defects sites in the two-dimensional material. Moreover, CuS-BDC-2D exhibits excellent resistance to sulfur, maintaining its high efficiency in removing Hg 0 even at high levels of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), such as 5000-20,000 ppm. The superior performance of CuS-BDC-2D makes it suitable for controlling mercury emissions in actual nonferrous smelting flue gas. This discovery also paves the way for the development of new mercury adsorbents, which can guide future advancements in this field.

CO 2 electroreduction into liquid fuels is of broad interest and benefits reducing the energy crisis and environment burdens. CuS has been reported to be a desirable candidate for CO 2 electroreduction into formate; however, its formate selectivity and stability are still far from the demands of practical application. Herein, we report CuS nanoparticles exhibiting good Faradaic efficiency of formate (about 98 %) in CO 2 electroreduction and its deactivation mechanism during the reaction. The deactivation of CuS was found to be associated with the reconstruction and S loss of CuS, which deteriorates the Faradaic efficiency of formate. Combined with ionic and gas analyses, the S atom in CuS was lost in the form of H 2 S, SO 2 , and SO 4 , followed by the reconstruction of CuS into copper oxides. Such a catalyst reconstruction facilitates electroreductions of CO 2- , followed by the reconstruction of CuS into copper oxides. Such a catalyst reconstruction facilitates electroreductions of CO 2 and H 2 O, respectively, into CO and H 2 electroreduction into formate. This work reveals the important role of S loss and reconstruction of metal sulfide catalysts during the electroreduction reaction, which may benefit the further development of CuS-based electro-catalyst for CO 2 electroreduction into formate. This work reveals the important role of S loss and reconstruction of metal sulfide catalysts during the electroreduction reaction, which may benefit the further development of CuS-based electro-catalyst for CO 2 electroreduction., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Ultrasonic field (USF) is widely used to regulate the intrinsic properties of materials that are not applied in electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption. One reason is that the lack of a response mechanism for the materials to USF hinders the expansion of their EMW absorption performance. Therefore, to address this issue, a series of CuS nanoparticles with diverse anions are constructed in the presence or absence of USF. The ultrasonic-induced cavitation effect can significantly promote CuS crystallization and lead to the accumulation of S defects at the grain boundaries (GBs). Furthermore, the S defects at the GBs are easily oriented and arranged, allowing the polarization relaxation retention to be maintained at 10 wt%. Consequently, the CuS with a nitrate precursor under USF shows an optimum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 10.24 GHz at a thickness of 3.5 mm, which is 228.6% more than that without the USF. CuS with a chloride precursor also achieves an EAB of 3.92 GHz, even at a considerably low filler ratio. Thus, this study demonstrates the response mechanism of diverse anions to the USF for the first time and provides a novel technique to optimize the EMW absorption performance of semiconductors., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

CuS is a unique semiconductor with potential in optoelectronics. Its unusual electronic structure, including a partially occupied valence band, and complex crystal structure with an S-S bond offer unique opportunities and potential applications. In this work, the use of doping to optimize the properties of CuS for various applications is investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Among the dopants studied, Ni, Zn, and Mg may be the most practical due to their lower formation energies. Doping with Fe, Ni, or Ca induces significant distortion, which may be beneficial for achieving materials with high surface areas and active states. Significantly, doping alters the conductor-like behavior of CuS, opening a band gap by increasing bond ionicity and reducing the S-S bond covalency. Thus, doping CuS can tune the plasmonic properties and transform it from a conductor to an intrinsic fluorescent semiconductor. Ni and Fe doping give the lowest band gaps (0.35 eV and 0.39 eV, respectively), while Mg doping gives the highest (0.86 eV). Doping with Mg, Ca, and Zn may enhance electron mobility and charge separation. Most dopants increase the anisotropy of electron-to-hole mass ratios, enabling device design that exploits directional-dependence for improved performance., (© 2023 The Authors. ChemPhysChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Highlights • Hole transfer was enhanced by incorporating CuS in carbon electrode. • CuS nanostructures prepared by a simple precipitation method. • The addition of CuS improved the photovoltaic performance of hole-conductor-free perovskite solar cell. • C-CuS electrode based PSC showed high efficiency and long-term stability. Abstract Hole conductor-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on carbon electrodes have drawn much attention on account of low cost, long-term stability, simple manufacture technology. In the devices, the carbon electrodes not only play as charge transfer channels, but also as hole extracting layers, thus the conductivity and hole mobility are critical for the performance. However, the hole mobility of carbon layers is relatively low. Here, low-temperature carbon layers were incorporated with CuS nanostructures, in which the hole mobility was improved. After adding 1 wt.% CuS, the PSCs yielded to the best power conversion efficiency of 11.28% with a V OC of 0.98 V and J SC of 18.26 mA cm−2, while the pure carbon electrode based PSCs attained the best power conversion efficiency of 9.36% with a V OC of 0.93 V and J SC of 16.14 mA cm−2 which is slightly higher than that of the PSCs based on pure carbon counter electrode. This study demonstrates that it is an effective way to improve the hole transport property of carbon counter electrode by combining p-type CuS with high hole mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials made from self-lubricating inorganic and organic composites have gained great attention due to advantages of the rust-resistance, light weight, low cost, and high compatibility. As a result, they have extensive applications in the friction and lubrication fields, typically for vehicle. With the help of the water bath and hydrothermal method, we have prepared the CuS nanomaterials with and without oleic acid modification. Various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra, transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and vertical universal friction as well as wear testing, have been employed to analyze the structure information and characterize the related tribological properties of our CuS nanomaterials. Results show that the morphologies of the CuS nanomaterials are nanorods. Increasing the surface area and the concentration of CuS nanorod additives can significantly reduce the friction coefficient and wear rate of pins in both unmodified and oleic acid-modified CuS nanomaterials. More than that, we find that when compared to those without oleic acid modification, the oleic acid modification enable the CuS nanomaterials to exhibit higher anti-wear properties. The EDS analysis shows that there is still a uniform tribo-film in the surface of oleic acid-modified CuS nanomaterials, implying the prominent tribological performances of CuS nanorods additives. Our results indicate that the Oleic acid-modified CuS nanorods can be served as a new lubricating and tribological material for vehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • CuS TCFs have been prepared on a large sized flexible substrate via CBD method. • Conductivity and transmittance of CuS TCFs could be conveniently controlled according to requirements. • The performances of CuS TCFs almost unchanged even after hundreds of bending operations. Abstract Transparent conductive CuS film was prepared on A4 sized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate through chemical bath deposition method reacting at a mild temperature of 35 °C by using copper nitrate and thiourea as precursors and triethanolamine as complexing agent. Characterization studies showed that the as prepared nanoparticles were closely packed and tightly adhered onto the surface of the PET substrate with the highest ASTM 5B level, and formed a homogeneous nanosized CuS film with satisfied conductivity and transmittance. It was found that the light transmittance with the film was negatively correlated with its conductivity. When the light transmittance for the film prepared under optimized conditions was enhanced from 55.0 to 71.7%, the conductivity underwent a consistent deterioration, and the corresponding sheet resistance value was increased from 74.12 to 196.20 Ω/□. Although bending operation was testified to be an important influencing factor on the properties of the film and could let its resistance vary along with the decrease of curvature radius, the amplitude of variation was limited. Both of conductivity and transmittance remained almost unchanged for the film to which hundreds of severe bending operations were subjected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 (BSC) nanoplates with high aspect ratio and hierarchical nanostructures were prepared by hydrothermal technique using urea/hexamethylenetetramine as hydrolysing agent and KCl as additive in different solvent systems. The relative molar proportion of urea and KCl was crucial for phase purity as well as thickness and planar dimension of the BSC plates. The BSC nanoplates were used as substrates to prepare CuS-Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 (CuS/BSC) direct z-scheme heterojunction systems. The heterojunction materials were characterized by FESEM, HRTEM, XRD, PL, FTIR and UV–Vis-DRS techniques. The presence of crystalline tetragonal BSC and hexagonal covellite CuS phase was inferred from XRD study. Morphologically, the CuS/BSC material contained CuS nanorods and BSC nanoplates. HRTEM study suggested microscopic close contact between the CuS nanorods and BSC nanoplates. Optical property study revealed improvement in visible light absorption and enhanced separation of excitons. The CuS/BSC materials were used as photocatalyst for chlorpyrifos pesticide degradation under visible light irradiation. The heterojunction materials were highly active achieving >95% degradation within 3 h of reaction. The pathway and mechanism of CP degradation was elucidated using GCMS and radical scavenger experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly sensitive and selective photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor was constructed for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) detection based on ZnO flower-rods (ZnO FRs) modified with g-C3N4-Au nanoparticle (AuNP) nanohybrids. The nanohybrids of g-C3N4-AuNPs can improve the visible light absorbance of ZnO FRs and enhance the PEC property. We designed a sandwichlike structure formed with DNA hybridization of NH2-probe1, CEA aptamer, and CuS-NH2-probe2 to detect CEA. The p-type semiconductor CuS nanocrystals (NCs) at the terminational part of sandwichlike structure work as electron traps to capture photogenerated electrons and consequently lead to a magnified photocurrent change. The results indicate that the photocurrent is increased when CEA antigen (Ag) is introduced. Since the sandwichlike structure is destroyed, CuS NCs are restricted to capture photogenerated electron. The PEC aptasensor for CEA determination is ranged from 0.01 ng·mL−1 to 2.5 ng·mL−1 with a detection of 1.9 pg·mL−1. The proposed aptasensor exhibits satisfactory PEC performances with rapid detection, great sensitivity and specificity. Specially, this PEC aptasensor shows a reliable result for the determination of CEA in invalid human serum compared with the ELISA method. The designed aptasensor may provide a new idea for a versatile PEC platform to determine various molecules.ᅟ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide growing with copper sulfide (CuS) nanoplates was synthesized via a hydrothermal method. Structural and morphological investigations demonstrate CuS nanoplates are distributed on the surface of rGO. The as-prepared CuS@rGO nanocompsite as anode material displays a high specific capacity, a good rate capability, as well as an outstanding cycling stability, and delivers a reversible capacity of 1087.1 mAh g −1 at 100 mA g −1 over 200 cycles, 426.8 mAh g −1 at 2 A g −1 even over 450 cycles. The high performance is ascribed to the rGO, because it can provides a large surface area, improves electrical conductivity and effectively accommodates severe volume-variation during the charge/discharge process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper sulfide (CuS) thin films were prepared on commercial glass substrates by Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) method using solution of different copper salts at 50 °C temperature for seven hours. Different anions of copper salts that is crucial for the properties of the films affect the precipitation mechanism and growth rate. For this reason, the effect of the different copper salts on the properties of CuS thin films was investigated and discussed. The influence of the different copper salts in the chemical bath was determined by means of optical transmission of the thin films in the wavelength range of 400–1100 nm taken at room temperature. Next, using these data, the optical band gap values E g , the extinction coefficient k, the refractive index n , and the real ε 1 and imaginary parts ε 2 of the dielectric constant were calculated. The crystallographic structure of CuS thin films were analyzed with an X-ray diffractometer (XRD). XRD analysis was revealed the polycrystalline and hexagonal phase of CuS thin films. The surface roughness of the films were measured by AFM. The surface roughness of the thin films was different despite the same deposition time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt sulfide materials are wildly investigated in oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In order to further decrease the cost of the catalysts, cobalt-copper-iron trimetal sulfides (CoCuFe-S) are designed and successfully fabricated via a simple hydrothermal method following a thermal treatment. CoCuFe-S has a three-dimensional nanostructure, which is assembled by numerous nanosheets. Three components are uniformly distributed in the composite. CoCuFe-S with different ratios are employed as OER catalysts and compared with pure Co 9 S 8 , CuS and FeS. The optimal CoCuFe-S-8 catalyst exhibits high and robust activity for OER with a small overpotential of 0.30 V at current density of 10 mA cm −2 and a low Tafel slope of 79 mV·dec −1 . The turnover frequency is 0.27 s −1 and the mass activity is 114 A g −1 at overpotential of 0.30 V, even better than the commercial RuO 2 . In addition, CoCuFe-S-8 catalyst showed long-term durability under 1 M KOH solution. The excellent OER performance may result from the synergistic effect among the three sulfides. The introduction of FeS and CuS are beneficial for the formation of Co 9 S 8 , increasing the conductivity of the catalyst and decreased the adsorption of the oxygen atoms on Co atom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CuS/Ag2S microspheres with reduced graphene oxide (CuS/Ag2S-rGO) composites have been successfully prepared via a hydrothermal method. The characteristic of CuS/Ag2S-rGO microspheres were characterized by the Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the transmission electron (TEM), the X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS). The photocatalytic experiments results shown that the CuS/Ag2S-rGO have high photodegradation rate about 98% for methylene blue (MB) under visible-light irradiation, and still retained 90% original catalytic activity after four cycles. The high visible photocatalytic degradation was attributed to the interfacial charge transfer in the Z-scheme photocatalytic systems of CuS/Ag2S and fast separation of photoelectric. This composition was expected to show considerable potential applications in water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Layered transition metal sulfides (LTMSs) have tremendous commercial potential in anode materials for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) in large‐scale energy storage application. However, it is a great challenge for most LTMS electrodes to have long cycling life and high‐rate capability due to their larger volume expansion and the formation of soluble polysulfide intermediates caused by the conversion reaction. Herein, layered CuS microspheres with tunable interlayer space and pore volumes are reported through a cost‐effective interaction method using a cationic surfactant of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The CuS–CTAB microsphere as an anode for SIBs reveals a high reversible capacity of 684.6 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, and 312.5 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1 after 1000 cycles with high capacity retention of 90.6%. The excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the unique structure of this material, and a high pseudocapacitive contribution ensures its high‐rate performance. Moreover, in situ X‐ray diffraction is applied to investigate their sodium storage mechanism. It is found that the long chain CTAB in the CuS provides buffer space, traps polysulfides, and restrains the further growth of Cu particles during the conversion reaction process that ensure the long cycling stability and high reversibility of the electrode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuO and CuS films were coated on AISI 4140 steel samples by Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) to investigate their usability as solid lubricant. Wear tests were performed using pin-on-disk tribo-tester under dry and lubricated conditions. The structural, morphological and morphological features of untreated, CuO and CuS coated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and microhardness, scratch analysis. The surface examinations indicated that needle-like structures formed after coating processes and CuO and CuS films exhibited oleophobic behavior. CuO and CuS thin films reduced the coefficient of friction due to the low shear strength of bonding in transfer films. CuO and CuS films decreased the wear rates in comparison to untreated sample for both dry and lubricated conditions. Also, CuO thin films exhibited better wear resistance than CuS films in dry and lubricated wear tests. The overall results revealed that both CuO and CuS films produced by SILAR can be an alternative to conventional solid lubricants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, hierarchical ZnFe 2 O 4 @RGO@CuS composite was synthesized by a simple two-step hydrothermal route, and its constitution, microstructures and microwave absorption properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and vector network analyzer (VNA). Experimental results show that hierarchical ZnFe 2 O 4 @RGO@CuS composite exhibits an enhanced electromagnetic wave attenuation capacity, which is ascribed to the suitable impedance match, magnetic loss, dielectric loss and special hierarchical nanostructure. Importantly, the three-dimensional flower-like structure of CuS can produce more multiple reflection and scattering, leading to more consumption of electromagnetic wave energy. The maximum reflection loss of ZnFe 2 O 4 @RGO @CuS composite reaches −55.4 dB at 14.6 GHz and the effective absorption bandwidth (<−10 dB) is as wide as 7.5 GHz (from 10.5 to 18 GHz) for a thickness of only 2.2 mm. Hence, the as-prepared nanocomposite with strong absorption and wide frequency can be a promising absorber in decreasing EM wave interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a useful monotherapy for depression or adjunctive therapy for resistant depression. However, the anti-depressive effects of different parameters and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we aimed to assess the effect of rTMS with different parameters (1/5/10 Hz, 0.84/1.26 T) on the depressive-like behaviors, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-HIAA (5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid) and DA and NE levels, and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) activity in chronic unpredictable stress-treated rats, along with the expression of sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) and MAO-A in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and cortex-derived astrocytes from new-born rats. Moreover, the depressive-like behaviors were monitored following the transcranial injection of the Sirt1 inhibitor EX527 (1 mM) daily for 1 week. We found that rTMS treatment (5/10 Hz, 0.84/1.26 T) ameliorated depressive-like behaviors, increased 5-HT, DA and NE levels, decreased the 5-HIAA level and Sirt1 and MAO-A expression, and reduced MAO-A activity in the PFC. The depressive-like behaviors were also ameliorated after the transcranial injection of EX527. Importantly, rTMS (5/10 Hz, 0.84/1.26 T) inhibited Sirt1 and MAO-A expressions in astrocytes and Sirt1 knockdown with short hairpin RNA decreased MAO-A expression in astrocytes. These results suggest that the inhibition of Sirt1/MAO-A expression in astrocytes in the PFC may contribute to the different anti-depressive effects of rTMS with different parameters, and may also provide a novel insight into the mechanisms underlying major depressive disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, CuS film was deposited onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate using a facile chemical bath deposition method, and then modified by PbS using simple successive ionic layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) method with different cycles. These CuS/PbS films were utilized as counter electrodes (CEs) for CdSe/CdS co-sensitized solar cells. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer was used to characterize the CuS/PbS films. The results show that CuS/PbS (10 cycles) CE exhibits an improved power conversion efficiency of 5.54% under the illumination of one sun (100 mW cm −2 ), which is higher than the CuS/PbS (0 cycles), CuS/PbS (5 cycles), and CuS/PbS (15 cycles) CEs. This enhancement is mainly attributed to good catalytic activity and lower charge-transfer and series resistances, which have been proved by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Tafel polarization measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting using high-performance catalysts shows considerable promise in generating environment-friendly hydrogen energy. Its practical applications, however, suffer from several shortcomings, such as low photocurrent density, large onset-voltage value, and poor durability. In this study, CuS and CdS quantum-dot-cosensitized porous TiO 2 -based PEC catalysts (CuS-CT) have been successfully synthesized via in situ sulfuration of CuO and CdO coexisting inside a porous TiO 2 monolith by a hydrothermal method. Compared to porous TiO 2 , CuS-sensitized porous TiO 2 (CuS-TiO 2 ), and CdS-sensitized porous TiO 2 (CdS-TiO 2 ) in terms of PEC performance, the CuS-CT photoanode exhibited a significantly high anodic photocurrent for water splitting under simulated sunlight radiation. The photocurrent produced by the optimized sample of 7% CuS-5% CdS-TiO 2 (7% CuS-CT) was nearly 2.7 times higher than that of pure porous TiO 2 at 1.0 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). Porous TiO 2 possesses large surface areas that can drive fast electrolyte transport and afford more surface reaction active sites. On the other hand, CuS and CdS quantum dots not only broaden the visible light absorption range, but also improve photoinduced electron-hole separation efficiency. The co-sensitized multi-nanostructures photoanodes lead to a remarkable and promising application in PEC water splitting reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent diodes formed by a heterojunction between p‐type CuS–ZnS and n‐type ZnO thin films were fabricated by sequential chemical bath deposition and sol‐gel spin coating. The diodes are transparent in the visible (≈70% at 550 nm) and exhibit a good rectifying characteristics, with If/Ir ratios of up to 800 at ±1 V, higher than most of the reported solution‐processed diodes measured at a similar bias. More importantly, when operated as a self‐powered (zero bias) UV photodetector, they show stable and fast (<1 s) photoresponse with a maximum responsivity of 12 mA W−1 at 300 nm. Both the response time and responsivity of the p‐CuZnS/n‐ZnO UV photodiode are comparable or superior to similar solution‐processed devices reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Graphene‐like two‐dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have many unique properties in diverse fields, but the synthesis method of graphene‐like CuS 2D nanomaterials is rarely studied. In this work, we reported that the CuS flower‐like superstructure microspheres with a solid core (CuS‐FSMs) were prepared by a facile hydrolysis method without a template or surfactant. The novel CuS‐FSM material showed a well‐define solid core of approximately 300–500 nm and a loose shell of 0.5–1 μm. More importantly, the loose shell of the CuS‐FSMs was constructed of graphene‐like CuS nanosheets (CuS‐GN). The formation mechanism indicated that the CuS‐FSMs were firstly formed on the surface of hexagonal prism‐shaped Cu3(TAA)3Cl3 precursors, and then the well‐defined solid core was produced through the Ostwald ripening of CuS‐GN. The electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction was employed as a probe reaction to gain insight into the properties of CuS‐FSMs, which exhibited a high limiting current density of 92.4 mA cm−2 and stability in 1 M KOH electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work intends to study the effect of the additional inorganic CuS layer between the ITO-contact and the organic 2,7,12,17-tetra- tert -butyl-5,10,15,20-tetraaza-21H,23H-porphine (TTBTP). Two junctions of ITO/TTBTP and ITO/CuS/TTBTP were accomplished by the thermal vacuum evaporating technique. The capacitance-voltage characteristics of these two junctions were investigated. It was found that the built-in voltage was reduced from 0.62 to 0.35 V by the additional inorganic CuS layer. Further, the investigation of the dark current density versus the applied voltage at various temperatures emphasizes the influence of the adding inorganic CuS layer in the lowering of R s , R s h and n values. Moreover, getting the same value of the diode quality factor (n) at different temperatures for the two junctions suggested that thermionic emission is the adopted theory. Regarding the power-law (J ∼ V m ) relation, the charge transport mechanism is described by the space charge limited current controlled by a distribution of trap levels. The photoelectric study confirms that the additional inorganic layer plays a key role in the increasing of many parameters such as photosensitivity, short-circuit current density, open-circuit voltage, and power conversion efficiency. Increasing the conversion efficiency ten times by the additional inorganic CuS layer will open the doors for developing the fabrication solar cell with low cost, easily synthesized, and high conversion efficiency. • Two junctions of ITO/TTBTP and ITO/CuS/TTBTP were accomplished by vacuum evaporating technique. • The addition of the CuS layer has a significant influence on improving the performance of the heterojunction. • The efficiency has been increased ten times after the addition of the inorganic CuS layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure of surgical treatment is usually the result of bacterial colonization around the implant. This subsequently brings about various diseases such as peri-implantitis and sepsis. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the antimicrobial properties of polydopamine adhered eggshell powder-loaded copper sulfide antimicrobial coatings. Here, we used eggshell powder-loaded copper sulfide as an antimicrobial agent to form an antimicrobial coating on the surface of titanium alloy screws using the chelating action of polydopamine. The coating showed good antibacterial effects against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria represented by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. A series of subsequent characterizations confirmed the perfect loading of the material on the screws, and subsequent friction experiments on porcine femurs also demonstrated the good adhesion of the antimicrobial coating. Meanwhile, cytotoxicity assessment was performed by the CCK-8 method, confirming cellular biosafety. This work explores the value of eggshell-loaded CuS nanomaterial coatings in the prevention and treatment of orthopedic endothelial infections, which contributes to the translational application of novel antimicrobial materials in the clinical setting and has important social and economic value. • In vivo simulated motion friction experiments using porcine femur verified that the titanium screw material has good adhesion. • CuS/CaCO 3 nanomaterials showed strong antibacterial ability against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. • Cytotoxicity experiments were performed to demonstrate the excellent biosafety of the CuS/CaCO 3 nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the relationship between product diversity and the performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs), especially Credit Unions (CUs) and Badan Usaha Kredit Pedesaan (BUKPs) in Yogyakarta. It employs a binary logistic regression method in its analysis and utilizes annual pooled cross section data from 16 CUs and 34 BUKPs in Yogyakarta from 2011. The result indicated that there was a direct negative relationship between the levels of saving–loan product diversity and the scale of outreach and also between the levels of saving–loan product diversity and depth of outreach. It also suggested an indirect negative relationship between the levels of saving–loan product diversity and staff productivity and also between the levels of saving–loan product diversity and self-sufficiency.

CuS nanospheres interconnected by the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been successfully prepared via a facile one-step microwave-assisted method. The component and microstructure of CuS/CNTs hybrid materials are well characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Assembled as electrodes and tested in lithium ion batteries, the composites show impressive electrochemical performances. After 450 cycles, the CuS/0.1 CNT and CuS/0.5 CNT release more than 437 and 569 mAh g −1 , respectively, at 400 mA g −1 , which are superior to those of contrast experiments (pristine CuS and CuS mechanically mixing with CNTs). Even at the high current density of 6400 mA g −1 , the CuS/0.5 CNT still displays the reversible capacity of about 400 mAh g −1 . The improved performances can be ascribed to the inherently CNTs conducting network, boosting the interior electron transport and reaction kinetics, so that a significantly enhanced reversible capacities and rate capability can be realized. Furthermore, the surface properties and reaction kinetics of electrodes are also investigated via cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic intermittence titration (GITT) measurements, proving the enhanced lithium storage properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuS-WO 3 composites were synthesized by an in situ solution method at low temperature. The crystalline phase, morphology, particle size, and the optical properties of CuS-WO 3 samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra. CuS-WO 3 composites showed much higher activity for photocatalytic degradation of RhB as compared with WO 3 and CuS. The degradation rate constant over 1 wt% CuS-WO 3 catalyst was 4.4 times and 9.2 times higher than that of WO 3 and CuS, respectively. It is found that holes (h + ) and superoxide radical anions ( O 2 − ) are the dominant reactive species by using methanol, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) and ascorbic acid as scavengers. Band structure analysis shows that bottom of CB of WO 3 is very similar with and higher (ca. 0.01 eV) than the top of VB of CuS. The results of PL showed that the similarity renders the recombination between photogenerated holes on the VB of CuS and photogenerated electrons on the CB of WO 3 possible and easy, forming a direct Z-scheme in CuS-WO 3 . This result in that more electrons in the CB of CuS and holes in the VB of WO 3 survived, and then participated in the photocatalytic degradation of RhB, showing an increased activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the behavioral deficits, cognitive impairment and possible mechanisms induced by chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) in mice of different ages. Methods: The behaviors and cognition were tested using the open field test, tail suspension test and the Morris water maze. The changes in the insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphorylation (p-ERK) in the hippocampus (HP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results: The 15-month-old mice revealed a significant decline in spontaneous behavior and the learning–memory function and showed a decrease in IGF-II and p-ERK expression levels in HP and PFC. Four weeks of CUS exposure induced significant anxiety- and depression-like behavior and learning–memory function impairment in 3- to 15-month-old mice, and reduced IGF-II and p-ERK expression levels in HP and PFC, compared with control group mice, respectively. Conclusions: The behavioral deficits and cognitive impairment induced by CUS and aging in mice could be associated with the down-regulated expression of IGF-II and p-ERK in HP and PFC. This role seems to be dependent on the intracellular ERK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel g-C 3 N 4 /CuS p - n heterostructured photocatalyst has been fabricated through an in situ synthesis technique. The samples were characterized through X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and UV–vis spectroscopy. And the results indicated that CuS nanoparticles were closely anchored on the surface of g-C 3 N 4 with good dispersion. The g-C 3 N 4 /CuS heterojunctions exhibited enhanced photocatalytic performance in degradation of RhB and MB than that of pure g-C 3 N 4 and CuS, and the selected sample of g-C 3 N 4 /CuS-2 displayed the best photocatalytic activity. The degradation rates of RhB and MB with g-C 3 N 4 /CuS-2 photocatalyst were 8.914 and 13.543 times higher than that of pure g-C 3 N 4 , and 3.023 and 6.373 times higher than that of pure CuS, respectively. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity may be ascribed to the matched overlapping band structure and the interaction between CuS and g-C 3 N 4 . The interaction between g-C 3 N 4 and CuS would not only improve the optical absorption property of g-C 3 N 4 , but also create more interface for the efficiently transfer of photo-generated electron-hole pairs to restrict the recombination, which was proved by the photoluminescent spectra. Moreover, a possible photocatalytic mechanism has been tentatively proposed according to the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]