Search

As we know, "Who can be said to be a conscious being?" is one of the hard problems in present science, and no method has been found to strictly differentiate the conscious being from the being without consciousness or usual matter. In this short paper, we present a strict physical method based on revised quantum dynamics to test the existence of consciousness, and the principle is to use the distinguishability of nonorthogonal single states. We demonstrate that although the dynamical collapse time can’t be measured by a physical measuring device, a conscious being can perceive it under the assumed QSC condition, thus can distinguish the nonorthogonal single states in the framework of revised quantum dynamics This in principle provides a quantum method to differentiate man and machine, or to test the existence of consciousness. We further discuss the rationality of the assumed QSC condition, and denote that some experimental evidences have indicated that our human being can satisfy the condition. This not only provides some confirmation of our method, but also indicates that the method is a practical proposal, which can be implemented in the near future experiments.

Objectives: This study focused on perceived threat of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) in Chinese older adults and investigated its associations with their perceived stigma and knowledge of ADRD.Methods: We examined Chinese older adults' perceived threat of ADRD and its associations with perceived stigma, knowledge of ADRD, family variables and health variables. Data for this cross-sectional study were collected by student interviewers in 2016. The participants (N = 754) were recruited from two urban communities in mainland China and their ages ranged from 60 to 89 (M = 69.54, SD = 7.35).Results: Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that those who are younger, have more depressive symptoms and lower levels of family cohesion are more likely to worry about ADRD. More ADRD knowledge and higher levels of perceived stigma are significantly associated with perceived threat of ADRD. Community site moderated the relationship between stigma and perceived threat of ADRD.Conclusions: Intervention or service programs need to promote ADRD knowledge and awareness in a culturally sensitive way as well as address stigma and fear toward ADRD in the older population. Future studies are needed to incorporate more cultural and environmental factors to fully understand Chinese older adults' attitudes toward and literacy of ADRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seawater electrolysis using renewable electricity offers an attractive route to sustainable hydrogen production, but the sluggish electrode kinetics and poor durability are two major challenges. We report a molybdenum nitride (Mo 2 N) catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction with activity comparable to commercial platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst in natural seawater. The catalyst operates more than 1000 hours of continuous testing at 100 mA cm -2 without degradation, whereas massive precipitate (mainly magnesium hydroxide) forms on the Pt/C counterpart after 36 hours of operation at 10 mA cm -2 . Our investigation reveals that ammonium groups generate in situ at the catalyst surface, which not only improve the connectivity of hydrogen-bond networks but also suppress the local pH increase, enabling the enhanced performances. Moreover, a zero-gap membrane flow electrolyser assembled by this catalyst exhibits a current density of 1 A cm -2 at 1.87 V and 60 o C in simulated seawater and runs steadily over 900 hours., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Simultaneously improving the activity and stability of catalysts for anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) remains a notable challenge. Here, we report a chromium-doped ruthenium dioxide with oxygen vacancies, termed Cr 0.2 Ru 0.8 O 2-x , that drives OER with an overpotential of 170 mV at 10 mA cm -2 and operates stably over 2000 h in acidic media. Experimental and theoretical studies show that the synergy of Cr dopant and oxygen vacancy induces an unconventional dopant-mediated hydroxyl spillover mechanism. Such dynamic hydroxyl spillover from Cr dopant to Ru active site changes the rate-determining step from OOH* formation to O 2 formation and thus greatly improves the OER performance. Moreover, the Cr dopant and oxygen vacancy also play a crucial role in stabilizing surface Ru and lattice oxygen in the Ru-O-Cr structural motif. When assembled into the anode of a practical PEMWE device, Cr 0.2 Ru 0.8 O 2-x enables long-term durability of over 200 h at an ampere-level current density and 60 degrees centigrade., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Jumonji domain-containing protein D3 (JMJD3) is a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase that specifically removes transcriptional repression marks di- and tri-methylated groups from lysine 27 on histone 3 (H3K27me2/3). The erasure of these marks leads to the activation of some associated genes, thereby influencing various biological processes, such as development, differentiation, and immune response. However, comprehensive descriptions regarding the relationship between JMJD3 and inflammation are lacking. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of JMJD3, including its structure, functions, and involvement in inflammatory pathways. In addition, we summarize the evidence supporting JMJD3's role in several inflammatory diseases, as well as the potential therapeutic applications of JMJD3 inhibitors. Additionally, we also discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with investigating the functions of JMJD3 and developing targeted inhibitors and propose feasible solutions to provide valuable insights into the functional exploration and discovery of potential drugs targeting JMJD3 for inflammatory diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells provide the possibility to use platinum group metal-free catalysts, but the anodic hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) suffers from sluggish kinetics and its source is still debated. Here, over nickel-tungsten (Ni-W) alloy catalysts, we show that the Ni : W ratio greatly governs the HOR performance in alkaline electrolyte. Experimental and theoretical studies unravel that alloying with W can tune the unpaired electrons in Ni, tailoring the potential of zero charge and the catalytic surface to favor hydroxyl adsorption (OH ad ). The OH ad species coordinately interact with potassium (K + ) ions, which break the K + solvation sheath to leave free water molecules, yielding an improved connectivity of hydrogen-bond networks. Consequently, the optimal Ni 17 W 3 alloy exhibits alkaline HOR activity superior to the state-of-the-art platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst and operates steadily with negligible decay after 10,000 cycles. Our findings offer new understandings of alloyed HOR catalysts and will guide rational design of next-generation catalysts for fuel cells., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Scarce and expensive iridium oxide is still the cornerstone catalyst of polymer-electrolyte membrane electrolyzers for green hydrogen production because of its exceptional stability under industrially relevant oxygen evolution reaction (OER) conditions. Earth-abundant transition metal oxides used for this task, however, show poor long-term stability. We demonstrate here the use of nitrogen-doped cobalt oxide as an effective iridium substitute. The catalyst exhibits a low overpotential of 240 mV at 10 mA cm -2 and negligible activity decay after 1000 h of operation in an alkaline electrolyte. Incorporation of nitrogen dopants not only triggers the OER mechanism switched from the traditional adsorbate evolution route to the lattice oxygen oxidation route but also achieves oxygen nonbonding (O NB ) states as electron donors, thereby preventing structural destabilization. In a practical anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzer, this catalyst at anode delivers a current density of 1000 mA cm -2 at 1.78 V and an electrical efficiency of 47.8 kW-hours per kilogram hydrogen.

Reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) by renewable electricity to produce multicarbon chemicals, such as ethylene (C 2 H 4 ), continues to be a challenge because of insufficient Faradaic efficiency, low production rates, and complex mechanistic pathways. Here, we report that the rate-determining steps (RDS) on common copper (Cu) surfaces diverge in CO 2 electroreduction, leading to distinct catalytic performances. Through a combination of experimental and computational studies, we reveal that C─C bond-making is the RDS on Cu(100), whereas the protonation of *CO with adsorbed water becomes rate-limiting on Cu(111) with a higher energy barrier. On an oxide-derived Cu(100)-dominant Cu catalyst, we reach a high C 2 H 4 Faradaic efficiency of 72%, partial current density of 359 mA cm -2 , and long-term stability exceeding 100 h at 500 mA cm -2 , greatly outperforming its Cu(111)-rich counterpart. We further demonstrate constant C 2 H 4 selectivity of >60% over 70 h in a membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer with a full-cell energy efficiency of 23.4%., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Electrocatalysts with high activity and durability for acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) play a crucial role in achieving cost-effective hydrogen production via proton exchange membrane water electrolysis. A novel electrocatalyst, Te-doped RuO 2 (Te-RuO 2 ) nanotubes, synthesized using a template-directed process, which significantly enhances the OER performance in acidic media is reported. The Te-RuO 2 nanotubes exhibit remarkable OER activity in acidic media, requiring an overpotential of only 171 mV to achieve an anodic current density of 10 mA cm -2 . Furthermore, they maintain stable chronopotentiometric performance under 10 mA cm -2 in acidic media for up to 50 h. Based on the experimental results and density functional calculations, this significant improvement in OER performance to the synergistic effect of large specific surface area and modulated electronic structure resulting from the doping of Te cations is attributed., (© 2023 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Copper (Cu) is considered to be the most effective catalyst for electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into value-added hydrocarbons, but its stability still faces considerable challenge. Here, we report the poisoning effect of carbon deposition during CO 2 reduction on the active sites of Cu electrode-a critical deactivation factor that is often overlooked. We find that, *C, an intermediate toward methane formation, could desorb on the electrode surface to form carbon species. We reveal a strong correlation between the formation of methane and the carbon deposition, and the reaction conditions favoring methane production result in more carbon deposition. The deposited carbon blocks the active sites and consequently causes rapid deterioration of the catalytic performance. We further demonstrate that the carbon deposition can be mitigated by increasing the roughness of the electrode and increasing the pH of the electrolyte. This work offers a new guidance for designing more stable catalysts for CO 2 reduction., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Co-published by University of Science and Technology of China and American Chemical Society.)

Electrochemical synthesis of valuable chemicals and feedstocks through carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reduction in acidic electrolytes can surmount the considerable CO 2 loss in alkaline and neutral conditions. However, achieving high productivity, while operating steadily in acidic electrolytes, remains a big challenge owing to the severe competing hydrogen evolution reaction. Here, we show that vertically grown bismuth nanosheets on a gas-diffusion layer can create numerous cavities as electrolyte reservoirs, which confine in situ-generated hydroxide and potassium ions and limit inward proton diffusion, producing locally alkaline environments. Based on this design, we achieve formic acid Faradaic efficiency of 96.3% and partial current density of 471 mA cm -2 at pH 2. When operated in a slim continuous-flow electrolyzer, the system exhibits a full-cell formic acid energy efficiency of 40% and a single pass carbon efficiency of 79% and performs steadily over 50 h. We further demonstrate the production of pure formic acid aqueous solution with a concentration of 4.2 weight %., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Carbon-carbon coupling electrochemistry on a conventional copper (Cu) catalyst still undergoes low selectivity among many different multicarbon (C 2+ ) chemicals, posing a grand challenge to achieve a single C 2+ product. Here, we demonstrate a laser irradiation synthesis of a gerhardtite mineral, Cu 2 (OH) 3 NO 3 , as a catalyst precursor to make a Cu catalyst with abundant stacking faults under reducing conditions. Such structural perturbation modulates electronic microenvironments of Cu, leading to improved d-electron back-donation to the antibonding orbital of *CO intermediates and thus strengthening *CO adsorption. With increased *CO coverage on the defect-rich Cu, we report an acetate selectivity of 56 ± 2% (compared to 31 ± 1% for conventional Cu) and a partial current density of 222 ± 7 mA per square centimeter in CO electroreduction. When run at 400 mA per square centimeter for 40 h in a flow reactor, this catalyst produces 68.3 mmol of acetate throughout. This work highlights the value of a Cu-containing mineral phase in accessing suitable structures for improved selectivity to a single desired C 2+ product.

Maximizing hole-transfer kinetics-usually a rate-determining step in semiconductor-based artificial photosynthesis-is pivotal for simultaneously enabling high-efficiency solar hydrogen production and hole utilization. However, this remains elusive yet as efforts are largely focused on optimizing the electron-involved half-reactions only by empirically employing sacrificial electron donors (SEDs) to consume the wasted holes. Using high-quality ZnSe quantum wires as models, we show that how hole-transfer processes in different SEDs affect their photocatalytic performances. We found that larger driving forces of SEDs monotonically enhance hole-transfer rates and photocatalytic performances by almost three orders of magnitude, a result conforming well with the Auger-assisted hole-transfer model in quantum-confined systems. Intriguingly, further loading Pt cocatalyts can yield either an Auger-assisted model or a Marcus inverted region for electron transfer, depending on the competing hole-transfer kinetics in SEDs., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Converting hydrogen chemical energy into electrical energy by fuel cells offers high efficiencies and environmental advantages, but ultrapure hydrogen (over 99.97%) is required; otherwise, the electrode catalysts, typically platinum on carbon (Pt/C), will be poisoned by impurity gases such as ammonia (NH 3 ). Here we demonstrate remarkable NH 3 resistivity over a nickel-molybdenum alloy (MoNi 4 ) modulated by chromium (Cr) dopants. The resultant Cr-MoNi 4 exhibits high activity toward alkaline hydrogen oxidation and can undergo 10,000 cycles without apparent activity decay in the presence of 2 ppm of NH 3 . Furthermore, a fuel cell assembled with this catalyst retains 95% of the initial peak power density even when NH 3 (10 ppm)/H 2 was fed, whereas the power output reduces to 61% of the initial value for the Pt/C catalyst. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the Cr modifier not only creates electron-rich states that restrain lone-pair electron donation but also downshifts the d-band center to suppress d-electron back-donation, synergistically weakening NH 3 adsorption.

The in situ exsolution technique of nanoparticles has brought new opportunities for the utilization of perovskite-based catalysts in solid oxide cells. However, the lack of control over the structural evolution of host perovskites during the promotion of exsolution has restricted the architectural exploitation of exsolution-facilitated perovskites. In this study, we strategically broke the long-standing trade-off phenomenon between promoted exsolution and suppressed phase transition via B-site supplement, thus broadening the scope of exsolution-facilitated perovskite materials. Using carbon dioxide electrolysis as an illustrative case study, we demonstrate that the catalytic activity and stability of perovskites with exsolved nanoparticles (P-eNs) can be selectively enhanced by regulating the explicit phase of host perovskites, accentuating the critical role of the architectures of perovskite scaffold in catalytic reactions occurring on P-eNs. The concept demonstrated could potentially pave the way for designing the advanced exsolution-facilitated P-eNs materials and unveiling a wide range of catalytic chemistry taking place on P-eNs., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Large-scale deployment of proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzers has to overcome a cost barrier resulting from the exclusive adoption of platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts. Ideally, carbon-supported platinum used at cathode should be replaced with PGM-free catalysts, but they often undergo insufficient activity and stability subjecting to corrosive acidic conditions. Inspired by marcasite existed under acidic environments in nature, we report a sulfur doping-driven structural transformation from pyrite-type cobalt diselenide to pure marcasite counterpart. The resultant catalyst drives hydrogen evolution reaction with low overpotential of 67 millivolts at 10 milliamperes per square centimeter and exhibits no degradation after 1000 hours of testing in acid. Moreover, a PEM electrolyzer with this catalyst as cathode runs stably over 410 hours at 1 ampere per square centimeter and 60°C. The marked properties arise from sulfur doping that not only triggers formation of acid-resistant marcasite structure but also tailors electronic states (e.g., work function) for improved hydrogen diffusion and electrocatalysis.

The electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) presents a sustainable route to convert renewable electricity to value-added fuels and feedstocks in the form of chemical energy. However, the selectivity and rate of conversion of CO 2 to desirable carbon-based products, especially multicarbon products, remain below the requirement for its implementation at the commercial scale, which primarily originates from inadequate reactants and intermediates near catalytic surfaces during the CO 2 RR. The enrichment of reactants and intermediates provides one of the coping guidelines to improve CO 2 RR performance by accelerating the reaction rate and improving product selectivity. Herein, we discuss strategies to achieve the enrichment of reactants and intermediates through catalyst design, local microenvironment modulation, electrolyte regulation, and electrolyzer optimization. The structure and properties of CO 2 are first presented, showing the necessity and feasibility of enriching reactants and intermediates. Next, the influence of the enrichment effect on CO 2 electrolysis, i.e. , accelerating the reaction rate and improving product selectivity, are comprehensively discussed. Then, catalyst design from micrometer scale to atom scale, including wettability and morphology regulation, surface modification, and tandem structure construction, as well as surface atom engineering, is highlighted to implement the enrichment of reactants and intermediates. Catalyst restructuring during the CO 2 RR process and its impact on the enrichment of intermediates and reactants are also discussed. Subsequently, enriching CO 2 reactants and intermediates by modulating the local microenvironment to achieve high carbon utilization for the CO 2 RR to produce multicarbon products is reviewed. After that, insights into enriching reactants and intermediates through electrolyte regulation are provided by investigating various electrolytes, including aqueous solutions, organic solvents, and ionic liquids. Additionally, the key role of electrolyzer optimization in promoting the enrichment effect is considered. We end the review by outlining the remaining technological challenges and providing feasible suggestions aimed at directing the future employment of enrichment strategies to propel the practical implementation of CO 2 electrolysis technology.

ConspectusLow-temperature ion-exchange membrane hydrogen fuel cells, as zero-emission power sources, can largely preserve the merits of gasoline engines, including rapid fueling, extended cruising range, and low maintenance cost. To enable the widespread prevalence of fuel-cell automobiles, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has set a long-term fuel-cell system cost target of US$30 kW -1 . Over past decades, proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology has developed rapidly, resulting in the first commercial sales of fuel-cell-powered vehicles. Although there has been great success, the mass market penetration of PEMFCs is currently hindered by the excessive reliance on expensive platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts. Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), because of the alkaline environment that permits the use of PGM-free catalysts, have become an alternative technology with inherent long-term cost advantages. Thus far, significant progress has been made in the exploration of PGM-free catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction at the AEMFC cathode, some of which have shown intrinsic catalytic properties comparable to PGM catalysts. However, the development of PGM-free catalysts for the anodic hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) has lagged behind, presumably owing to its sluggish kinetics in alkali. In alkaline media, the HOR kinetics is about 2 orders of magnitude slower than that in acid, which demands higher PGM loadings to reach similar fuel-cell performance in PEMFCs. Since Raney nickel (Ni) was explored for alkaline HOR catalysis in 1960s, research on Ni-based HOR catalysts has begun and now is flourishing, primarily thanks to their favorable adsorption energies of key HOR intermediates (e.g., Ni-H ad and Ni-OH ad ). At present, a number of strategies have been developed to improve HOR performances of Ni-based materials, such as alloying, Ni nitridation, and alloy amorphization, which yield cost-effective HOR catalysts that rival or even exceed the activity and stability of PGM counterparts.In this Account, we describe our recent research endeavors toward the development of efficient Ni-based HOR catalysts for practical AEMFC anodes. First, we briefly highlight the important merits of AEMFC technology and why Ni-based materials are appealing for alkaline HOR catalysis. Critical innovations in the design of Ni-based nanostructured and bulky catalysts were then discussed, showing their great promise to catalyze alkaline HOR that traditionally relied on PGMs. To demonstrate utility, performances of the elaborately designed Ni-based catalysts under realistic fuel-cell conditions were examined, along with an initial effort to develop a CO-tolerant AEMFC anode. We conclude by outlining future research directions that allow access to next-generation PGM-free HOR catalysts for advanced AEMFCs.

C 50 carotenoids, as unique bioactive molecules, have many biological properties, including antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial activity, and have a wide range of potential uses in the food, cosmetic, and biomedical industries. The majority of C 50 carotenoids are produced by the sterile fermentation of halophilic archaea. This study aims to look at more cost-effective and manageable ways of producing C 50 carotenoids. The basic medium, carbon source supplementation, and optimal culture conditions for Halorubrum sp. HRM-150 C 50 carotenoids production by open fermentation were examined in this work. The results indicated that Halorubrum sp. HRM-150 grown in natural brine medium grew faster than artificial brine medium. The addition of glucose, sucrose, and lactose (10 g/L) enhanced both biomass and carotenoids productivity, with the highest level reaching 4.53 ± 0.32 μg/mL when glucose was added. According to the findings of orthogonal studies based on the OD 600 and carotenoids productivity, the best conditions for open fermentation were salinity 20-25%, rotation speed 150-200 rpm, and pH 7.0-8.2. The up-scaled open fermentation was carried out in a 7 L medium under optimum culture conditions. At 96 h, the OD 600 and carotenoids productivity were 9.86 ± 0.51 (dry weight 10.40 ± 1.27 g/L) and 7.31 ± 0.65 μg/mL (701.40 ± 21.51 μg/g dry weight, respectively). When amplified with both universal bacterial primer and archaeal primer in the open fermentation, Halorubrum remained the dominating species, indicating that contamination was kept within an acceptable level. To summarize, open fermentation of Halorubrum is a promising method for producing C 50 carotenoids., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Finding highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts is pertinent to the ultimate goal of transformation into a net-zero carbon emission society. The design principles for such HER catalysts lie in the well-known structure-property relationship, which guides the synthesis procedure that creates catalyst with target properties such as catalytic activity. Here we report a general strategy to synthesize 10 kinds of single-atom-doped CoSe 2 -DETA (DETA = diethylenetriamine) nanobelts. By systematically analyzing these products, we demonstrate a volcano-shape correlation between HER activity and Co atomic configuration (ratio of Co-N bonds to Co-Se bonds). Specifically, Pb-CoSe 2 -DETA catalyst reaches current density of 10 mA cm -2 at 74 mV in acidic electrolyte (0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , pH ~0.35). This striking catalytic performance can be attributed to its optimized Co atomic configuration induced by single-atom doping., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (CO 2 R) in neutral electrolytes can mitigate the energy and carbon losses caused by carbonate formation but often experiences unsatisfied multicarbon selectivity and reaction rates because of the kinetic limitation to the critical carbon monoxide (CO)-CO coupling step. Here, we describe that a dual-phase copper-based catalyst with abundant Cu(I) sites at the amorphous-nanocrystalline interfaces, which is electrochemically robust in reducing environments, can enhance chloride-specific adsorption and consequently mediate local *CO coverage for improved CO-CO coupling kinetics. Using this catalyst design strategy, we demonstrate efficient multicarbon production from CO 2 R in a neutral potassium chloride electrolyte (pH ∼6.6) with a high Faradaic efficiency of 81% and a partial current density of 322 milliamperes per square centimeter. This catalyst is stable after 45 h of operation at current densities relevant to commercial CO 2 electrolysis (300 mA per square centimeter).

Alkaline fuel cells can permit the adoption of platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) catalysts and cheap bipolar plates, thus further lowering the cost. With the exploration of PGM-free hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) catalysts, nickel-based compounds have been considered as the most promising HOR catalysts in alkali. Here we report an interfacial engineering through the formation of nickel-vanadium oxide (Ni/V 2 O 3 ) heterostructures to activate Ni for efficient HOR catalysis in alkali. The strong electron transfer from Ni to V 2 O 3 could modulate the electronic structure of Ni sites. The optimal Ni/V 2 O 3 catalyst exhibits a high intrinsic activity of 0.038 mA cm -2 and outstanding stability. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that Ni/V 2 O 3 interface as the active sites can enable to optimize the hydrogen and hydroxyl bindings, as well as protect metallic Ni from extensive oxidation, thus achieving the notable activity and durability., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

In comparison to the well-developed proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells, anion-exchange-membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) permit adoption of platinum-group-metal (PGM)-free catalysts due to the alkaline environment, giving a substantial cost reduction. However, previous AEMFCs have generally shown unsatisfactory performances due to the lack of effective PGM-free catalysts that can endure harsh fuel cell conditions. Here we report a plasma-assisted synthesis of high-quality nickel nitride (Ni 3 N) and zirconium nitride (ZrN) employing dinitrogen as the nitrogen resource, exhibiting exceptional catalytic performances toward hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction in an alkaline enviroment, respectively. A PGM-free AEMFC assembled by using Ni 3 N as the anode and ZrN as the cathode delivers power densities of 256 mW cm -2 under an H 2 -O 2 condition and 151 mW cm -2 under an H 2 -air condition. Furthermore, the fuel cell shows no evidence of degradation after 25 h of operation. This work creates opportunities for developing high-performance and durable AEMFCs based on metal nitrides.

The effects of different phenolic compounds on the interfacial behaviour of casein were investigated, and the action mechanism was further explored. Tannic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin and quercitrin promoted the aggregation of casein and decreased its solubility. Although the emulsifying and foaming capabilities of casein showed slight decrease with the treatment of phenolic compounds, its emulsifying and foaming stabilities were both greatly improved. By using fluorescence and circular dichroism spectra, phenolic compounds exhibited the capability to bind and form complexes with casein. Meanwhile, the binding interaction by phenolic compounds increased the α-helix content in casein and decreased its random coil content, which indicated a transition of the spatial conformation of casein from disorder to order. By using molecular docking, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions and Van der Waals were found in the interactions between phenolic compounds and casein. According to the analysis of spectroscopy and simulation results, the structure characteristics of phenolic compounds, including molecular weight, number and position of hydroxyl groups, acylation and glycosylation, exhibited significant effects on their interactions with casein, so as to affect the interfacial behaviour of casein. All present results suggested that phenolic compounds had the potential to improve the properties of casein in food and chemical industries., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst is commercially adopted in fuel cells but it undergoes formidable active-site poisoning by carbon monoxide (CO). In particular, given the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in anion-exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC), the issues of Pt poisoning and slow rate would combine mutually, notably worsening the device performances. Here we overcome these challenges through incorporating cobalt (Co) into molybdenum-nickel alloy (MoNi 4 ), termed Co-MoNi 4 , which not only shows superior HOR activity over the Pt/C catalyst in alkali, but more intriguingly exhibits excellent CO tolerance with only small activity decay after 10 000 cycles in the presence of 500 parts per million (ppm) CO. When feeding with CO (250 ppm)/H 2 , the AEMFC assembled by this catalyst yields a peak power density of 394 mW cm -2 , far exceeding the Pt/C catalyst. Experimental and computational studies reveal that weakened CO chemisorption originates from the electron-deficient Ni sites after Co incorporation that suppresses d→CO 2π* back-donation., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Electrochemical generation of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) by two-electron oxygen reduction offers a green method to mitigate the current dependence on the energy-intensive anthraquinone process, promising its on-site applications. Unfortunately, in alkaline environments, H 2 O 2 is not stable and undergoes rapid decomposition. Making H 2 O 2 in acidic electrolytes can prevent its decomposition, but choices of active, stable, and selective electrocatalysts are significantly limited. Here, the selective and efficient two-electron reduction of oxygen toward H 2 O 2 in acid by a composite catalyst that is composed of black phosphorus (BP) nailed chemically on the metallic cobalt diselenide (CoSe 2 ) surface is reported. It is found that this catalyst exhibits a 91% Faradic efficiency for H 2 O 2 product at an overpotential of 300 mV. Moreover, it can mediate oxygen to H 2 O 2 with a high production rate of ≈1530 mg L -1 h -1 cm -2 in a flow-cell reactor. Spectroscopic and computational studies together uncover a BP-induced surface charge redistribution in CoSe 2 , which leads to a favorable surface electronic structure that weakens the HOO* adsorption, thus enhancing the kinetics toward H 2 O 2 formation., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR), when powered with intermittent but renewable energies, holds an attractive potential to close the anthropogenic carbon cycle through efficiently converting the exorbitantly discharged CO 2 to value-added fuels and/or chemicals and consequently reduce the greenhouse gas emission. Through systematically integrating the density functional theory calculations, the modeling statistics of various proportions of CO 2 RR-preferred electroactive sites, and the theoretical work function results, it is found that the crystallographically unambiguous Ag nanoclusters (NCs) hold a high possibility to enable an outstanding CO 2 RR performance, particularly at an optimal size of around 2 nm. Motivated by this, homogeneously well-distributed ultrasmall Ag NCs with an average size of ∼2 nm (2 nm Ag NCs) were thus synthesized to electrochemically promote CO 2 RR, and the results demonstrate that the 2 nm Ag NCs are able to achieve a significantly larger CO partial current density [ j (CO) ], an impressively higher CO Faraday efficiency of over 93.8%, and a lower onset overpotential (η) of 146 mV as well as a remarkably higher energy efficiency of 62.8% and a superior stability of 45 h as compared to Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and bulk Ag. Both theoretical computations and experimental results clearly and persuasively demonstrate an impressive promotion effect of the crystallographically explicit atomic structure for electrochemically reducing CO 2 to CO, which exemplifies a novel design approach to more benchmark metal-based platforms for advancing the practically large-scale CO 2 RR application.

Perovskites with exsolved nanoparticles (P-eNs) have immense potentials for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reduction in solid oxide electrolysis cell. Despite the recent achievements in promoting the B-site cation exsolution for enhanced catalytic activities, the unsatisfactory stability of P-eNs at high voltages greatly impedes their practical applications and this issue has not been elucidated. In this study, we reveal that the formation of B-site vacancies in perovskite scaffold is the major contributor to the degradation of P-eNs; we then address this issue by fine-regulating the B-site supplement of the reduced Sr 2 Fe 1.3 Ni 0.2 Mo 0.5 O 6-δ using foreign Fe sources, achieving a robust perovskite scaffold and prolonged stability performance. Furthermore, the degradation mechanism from the perspective of structure stability of perovskite has also been proposed to understand the origins of performance deterioration. The B-site supplement endows P-eNs with the capability to become appealing electrocatalysts for CO 2 reduction and more broadly, for other energy storage and conversion systems., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Hydrogen production from water electrolysis in neutral-pH electrolytes can not only avoid the corrosion and safety issues and expand the catalyst option but also potentially integrate with artificial photosynthesis and bioelectrocatalysis. However, heterogeneous catalysts that can efficiently negotiate the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in neutral solutions are considerably lacking. Herein, we report a template-assisted strategy for the synthesis of 13 kinds of tube-like nanostructured perovskite oxides (TNPOs) with markedly high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas. By systematic examination of these TNPOs, we found that the OER activity of TNPOs in neutral solution exhibits a volcano shape as a function of the covalency of transition metal-oxygen bonds. Consequently, our designed Sm-doped LaCoO 3 catalyst yields a geometric current density of 8.5 mA cm -2 at 1.75 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode in 1 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 7) due to the optimized covalency of Co 3d and O 2p states, representing the most active noble-metal-free OER catalyst in neutral electrolytes reported as yet.

Transient receptor potential channel TRPV4 and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (Nox2) are involved in oxidative stress that increases endothelial permeability. It has been shown that obesity enhances the physical association of TRPV4 and Nox2, but the role of TRPV4-Nox2 association in obesity has not been clarified. In this study we investigated the function of TRPV4-Nox2 complex in reducing oxidative stress and regulating abnormal vascular permeability in obesity. Obesity was induced in mice by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD) for 14 weeks. The physical interaction between TRPV4 and Nox2 was measured using FRET, co-immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays. The functional interaction was measured by rhodamine phalloidin, CM-H 2 DCFDA in vitro, the fluorescent dye dihydroethidium (DHE) staining assay, and the Evans blue permeability assay in vivo. We demonstrated that TRPV4 physically and functionally associated with Nox2, and this physical association was enhanced in aorta of obese mice. Furthermore, we showed that interrupting TRPV4-Nox2 coupling by TRPV4 knockout, or by treatment with a specific Nox2 inhibitor Nox2 dstat or a specific TRPV4 inhibitor HC067046 significantly attenuated obesity-induced ROS overproduction in aortic endothelial cells, and reversed the abnormal endothelial cytoskeletal structure. In order to discover small molecules disrupting the over-coupling of TPRV4 and Nox2 in obesity, we performed molecular docking analysis and found that compound M12 modulated TRPV4-Nox2 association, reduced ROS production, and finally reversed disruption of the vascular barrier in obesity. Together, this study, for the first time, provides evidence for the TRPV4 physically interacting with Nox2. TRPV4-Nox2 complex is a potential drug target in improving oxidative stress and disruption of the vascular barrier in obesity. Compound M12 targeting TRPV4-Nox2 complex can improve vascular barrier function in obesity., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to CPS and SIMM.)

Picturing the atomic migration pathways of catalysts in a reactive atmosphere is of central significance for uncovering the underlying catalytic mechanisms and directing the design of high-performance catalysts. Here, we describe a reduction-controlled atomic migration pathway that converts nanoparticles to single atom alloys (SAAs), which has remained synthetically challenging in prior attempts due to the elusive mechanism. We achieved this by thermally treating the noble-metal nanoparticles M (M = Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Ir, Pt, and Au) on metal oxide (CuO) supports with H 2 /Ar. Atomic-level characterization revealed such conversion as the synergistic consequence of noble metal-promoted H 2 dissociation and concomitant CuO reduction. The observed atomic migration pathway offers an understanding of the dynamic mechanisms study of nanomaterials formation and catalyst design.

The electrosynthesis of valuable multicarbon chemicals using carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) as a feedstock has substantially progressed recently but still faces considerable challenges. A major difficulty lines in the sluggish kinetics of forming carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds, especially in neutral media. We report here that oxide-derived copper crystals enclosed by six {100} and eight {111} facets can reduce CO 2 to multicarbon products with a high Faradaic efficiency of 74.9 ± 1.7% at a commercially relevant current density of 300 mA cm -2 in 1 M KHCO 3 (pH ∼ 8.4). By combining the experimental and computational studies, we uncovered that Cu(100)/Cu(111) interfaces offer a favorable local electronic structure that enhances *CO adsorption and lowers C-C coupling activation energy barriers, performing superior to Cu(100) and Cu(111) surfaces, respectively. On this catalyst, no obvious degradation was observed at 300 mA cm -2 over 50 h of continuous operation.

Electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in the acidic environment could largely prevent its decomposition to water, but efficient catalysts that constitute entirely earth-abundant elements are lacking. Here we report the experimental demonstration of narrowing the interlayer gap of metallic cobalt diselenide (CoSe 2 ), which creates high-performance catalyst to selectively drive two-electron oxygen reduction toward H 2 O 2 in an acidic electrolyte. The enhancement of the interlayer coupling between CoSe 2 atomic layers offers a favorable surface electronic structure that weakens the critical *OOH adsorption, promoting the energetics for H 2 O 2 production. Consequently, on the strongly coupled CoSe 2 catalyst, we achieved Faradaic efficiency of 96.7 %, current density of 50.04 milliamperes per square centimeter, and product rate of 30.60 mg cm -2  h -1 . Moreover, this catalyst shows no sign of degradation when operating at -63 milliamperes per square centimeter over 100 hours., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The ever-increasing concern for adverse climate changes has propelled worldwide research on the reduction of CO 2 emission. In this regard, CO 2 electroreduction (CER) to formate is one of the promising approaches to converting CO 2 to a useful product. However, to achieve a high production rate of formate, the existing catalysts for CER fall short of expectation in maintaining the high formate selectivity and activity over a wide potential window. Through this study, we report that Bi 2 O 3 nanosheets (NSs) grown on carbon nanofiber (CNF) with inherent hydrophobicity achieve a peak formate current density of 102.1 mA cm -2 and high formate Faradaic efficiency of >93% over a very wide potential window of 1000 mV. To the best of our knowledge, this outperforms all the relevant achievements reported so far. In addition, the Bi 2 O 3 NSs on CNF demonstrate a good antiflooding capability when operating in a flow cell system and can deliver a current density of 300 mA cm -2 . Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the hydrophobic carbon surface can repel water molecules to form a robust solid-liquid-gas triple-phase boundary and a concentrated CO 2 layer; both can boost CER activity with the local high concentration of CO 2 and through inhibiting the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by reducing proton contacts. This water-repelling effect also increases the local pH at the catalyst surface, thus inhibiting HER further. More significantly, the concept and methodology of this hydrophobic engineering could be broadly applicable to other formate-producing materials from CER.

Recently developed solid-state catalysts can mediate carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) electroreduction to valuable products at high rates and selectivities. However, under commercially relevant current densities of > 200 milliamperes per square centimeter (mA cm -2 ), catalysts often undergo particle agglomeration, active-phase change, and/or element dissolution, making the long-term operational stability a considerable challenge. Here we report an indium sulfide catalyst that is stabilized by adding zinc in the structure and shows dramatically improved stability. The obtained ZnIn 2 S 4 catalyst can reduce CO 2 to formate with 99.3% Faradaic efficiency at 300 mA cm -2 over 60 h of continuous operation without decay. By contrast, similarly synthesized indium sulfide without zinc participation deteriorates quickly under the same conditions. Combining experimental and theoretical studies, we unveil that the introduction of zinc largely enhances the covalency of In-S bonds, which "locks" sulfur-a catalytic site that can activate H 2 O to react with CO 2 , yielding HCOO* intermediates-from being dissolved during high-rate electrolysis., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Hydrogen economy has emerged as a very promising alternative to the current hydrocarbon economy, which involves the process of harvesting renewable energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen and then further utilization of clean hydrogen fuel. The production of hydrogen by water electrolysis is an essential prerequisite of the hydrogen economy with zero carbon emission. Among various water electrolysis technologies, alkaline water splitting has been commercialized for more than 100 years, representing the most mature and economic technology. Here, the historic development of water electrolysis is overviewed, and several critical electrochemical parameters are discussed. After that, advanced nonprecious metal electrocatalysts that emerged recently for negotiating the alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are discussed, including transition metal oxides, (oxy)hydroxides, chalcogenides, phosphides, and nitrides for the OER, as well as transition metal alloys, chalcogenides, phosphides, and carbides for the HER. In this section, particular attention is paid to the catalyst synthesis, activity and stability challenges, performance improvement, and industry-relevant developments. Some recent works about scaled-up catalyst synthesis, novel electrode designs, and alkaline seawater electrolysis are also spotlighted. Finally, an outlook on future challenges and opportunities for alkaline water splitting is offered, and potential future directions are speculated., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Photoelectrochemical catalysis is an attractive way to provide direct hydrogen production from solar energy. However, solar conversion efficiencies are hindered by the fact that light harvesting has so far been of limited efficiency in the near-infrared region as compared to that in the visible and ultraviolet regions. Here we introduce near-infrared-active photoanodes that feature lattice-matched morphological hetero-nanostructures, a strategy that improves energy conversion efficiency by increasing light-harvesting spectral range and charge separation efficiency simultaneously. Specifically, we demonstrate a near-infrared-active morphological heterojunction comprised of BiSeTe ternary alloy nanotubes and ultrathin nanosheets. The heterojunction's hierarchical nanostructure separates charges at the lattice-matched interface of the two morphological components, preventing further carrier recombination. As a result, the photoanodes achieve an incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency of 36% at 800 nm in an electrolyte solution containing hole scavengers without a co-catalyst., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The metastable nature of metal chalcogenide nanomaterials (MCNs) provides us with fresh perspectives and plentiful grounds in the search of new strategies for physicochemical tuning. In the past decade, numerous efforts have been devoted to synthesizing and modifying diverse emerging MCNs based on their "soft chemistry", that is, gently regulating the composition, structure, phase, and interface while not entirely disrupting the original features. This tutorial review focuses on design principles based on the metastability of MCNs, such as ion mobility and vacancy, thermal and structural instability, chemical reactivity, and phase transition, together with corresponding soft chemical approaches, including ion-exchange, catalytic growth, segregation or coupling, template grafting or transformation, and crystal-phase engineering, and summarizes recent advances in their preparation and modification. Finally, prospects for the future development of soft chemistry-directed synthetic guidelines and metastable metal chalcogenide-derived nanomaterials are proposed and highlighted.

We report that continuous MOF films with highly controlled thickness (from 44 to 5100 nm) can be deposited over length scales greater than 80 centimeters by a facile, fast, and cost-effective spray-coating method. Such success relies on our discovery of unprecedented perfectly dispersed colloidal solutions consisting of amorphous MOF nanoparticles, which we adopted as precursors that readily converted to the crystalline films upon low-temperature in situ heating. The colloidal solutions allow for the fabrication of compact and uniform MOF films on a great deal of substrates such as fluorine-doped tin oxide, glass, SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , Si, Cu, and even flexible polycarbonate, widening their technological applications where substrates are essential. Despite the present work focuses on the fabrication of uniform cobalt-(2-methylimidazole) 2 and zinc-(2-methylimidazole) 2 films, our findings mark a great possibility in producing other high-quality MOF thin films on a large scale., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Copper is currently the material with the most promise as catalyst to drive carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) electroreduction to produce value-added multicarbon (C 2+ ) compounds. However, a copper catalyst on a carbon-based gas diffusion layer electrode often has poor stability-especially when performing at high current densities-owing to electrolyte flooding caused by the hydrophobicity decrease of the gas diffusion layer during operation. Here, we report a bioinspired copper catalyst on a gas diffusion layer that mimics the unique hierarchical structuring of Setaria 's hydrophobic leaves. This hierarchical copper structure endows the CO 2 reduction electrode with sufficient hydrophobicity to build a robust gas-liquid-solid triple-phase boundary, which can not only trap more CO 2 close to the active copper surface but also effectively resist electrolyte flooding even under high-rate operation. We consequently achieved a high C 2+ production rate of 255 ± 5.7 mA cm -2 with a 64 ± 1.4% faradaic efficiency, as well as outstanding operational stability at 300 mA cm -2 over 45 h in a flow reactor, largely outperforming its wettable copper counterparts.

Operating fuel cells in alkaline environments permits the use of platinum-group-metal-free (PGM-free) catalysts and inexpensive bipolar plates, leading to significant cost reduction. Of the PGM-free catalysts explored, however, only a few nickel-based materials are active for catalyzing the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in alkali; moreover, these catalysts deactivate rapidly at high anode potentials owing to nickel hydroxide formation. Here we describe that a nickel-tungsten-copper (Ni 5.2 WCu 2.2 ) ternary alloy showing HOR activity rivals Pt/C benchmark in alkaline electrolyte. Importantly, we achieved a high anode potential up to 0.3 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode on this catalyst with good operational stability over 20 h. The catalyst also displays excellent CO-tolerant ability that Pt/C catalyst lacks. Experimental and theoretical studies uncover that nickel, tungsten, and copper play in synergy to create a favorable alloying surface for optimized hydrogen and hydroxyl bindings, as well as for the improved oxidation resistance, which result in the HOR enhancement.

Although the Turing structures, or stationary reaction-diffusion patterns, have received increasing attention in biology and chemistry, making such unusual patterns on inorganic solids is fundamentally challenging. We report a simple cation exchange approach to produce Turing-type Ag 2 Se on CoSe 2 nanobelts relied on diffusion-driven instability. The resultant Turing-type Ag 2 Se-CoSe 2 material is highly effective to catalyze the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolytes with an 84.5 % anodic energy efficiency. Electrochemical measurements show that the intrinsic OER activity correlates linearly with the length of Ag 2 Se-CoSe 2 interfaces, determining that such Turing-type interfaces are more active sites for OER. Combing X-ray absorption and computational simulations, we ascribe the excellent OER performance to the optimized adsorption energies for critical oxygen-containing intermediates at the unconventional interfaces., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The enhanced release of inflammatory cytokines mediated by high mobility group box1 (HMGB1) leads to pain sensation, and has been implicated in the etiology of inflammatory pain. Paeonol (PAE), a major active phenolic component in Cortex Moutan, provides neuroprotective efficacy via exerting anti-inflammatory effect. However, the role and mechanism of PAE in inflammatory pain remain to be fully clarified. In this study, we showed that PAE treatment significantly ameliorated mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia of mice induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). The analgesic effect of PAE administration was associated with suppressing the enhanced expression of HMGB1 as well as the downstream signaling molecules including toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), the nuclear NF-κB p65, TNF-α and IL-1β after CFA insult in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a key brain region responsible for pain processing. Furthermore, inhibition of HMGB1 activity by glycyrrhizin (GLY), an HMGB1 inhibitor, alleviated CFA-induced pain and also facilitated PAE-mediated analgesic effect in mice along with the decreased expression of TLR4, NF-κB p65, TNF-α and IL-1β upon CFA injury. Collectively, we showed PAE exerted analgesic effect through inhibiting the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB p65 pathway and subsequent generation of cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in the ACC.

Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)-associated neuroinflammation mediated by activated microglia is involved in the pathogenesis of depression. The role of the pore-forming protein gasdermin D (GSDMD), a newly identified pyroptosis executioner downstream of NLRP3 inflammasome mediating inflammatory programmed cell death, in depression has not been well defined. Here, we provide evidence that paeoniflorin (PF), a monoterpene glycoside compound derived from Paeonia lactiflora, ameliorated reserpine-induced mouse depression-like behaviors, characterized as increased mobility time in tail suspension test and forced swimming test, as well as the abnormal alteration of synaptic plasticity in the depressive hippocampus. The molecular docking simulation predicted that PF would interact with C-terminus of GSDMD. We further demonstrated that PF administration inhibited the enhanced expression of GSDMD which mainly distributed in microglia, along with the proteins involved in pyroptosis signaling transduction including caspase (CASP)-11, CASP-1, NLRP3, and interleukin (IL)-1β in the hippocampus of mice treated with reserpine. And also, PF prevented lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-induced pyroptosis in murine N9 microglia in vitro, evidenced by inhibiting the expression of CASP-11, NLRP3, CASP-1 cleavage, as well as IL-1β. Furthermore, VX-765, an effective and selective inhibitor for CASP-1 activation, reduced the expression of inflammasome and pyroptosis-associated proteins in over-activated N9 and also facilitated PF-mediated inhibition of pyroptosis synergistically. Collectively, the data indicated that PF exerted antidepressant effects, alleviating neuroinflammation through inhibiting CASP-11-dependent pyroptosis signaling transduction induced by over-activated microglia in the hippocampus of mice treated with reserpine. Thus, GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in activated microglia is a previously unrecognized inflammatory mechanism of depression and represents a unique therapeutic opportunity for mitigating depression given PF administration.

Persistent microglia-mediated neuroinflammation contributes to the progressive loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently, NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated neuroinflammation is considered to influence the pathogenesis of PD profoundly. Promoting DA neuron survival and/or inhibiting neuroinflammation may offer neuroprotection for PD. In the present study, we found that echinacoside (ECH), a phenylethanoid glycoside derived from Cistanche Deserticola, ameliorated motor deficit induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in a mouse PD model, characterized as decreased mobility distance in open field test and average time in rotarod test, as well as increased turn time and total time in pole test. ECH administration promoted the reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression and the number of TH-positive neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) under MPTP injury as the molecular docking simulation predicted that ECH would interact with TH. Moreover, ECH improved cell viability in MPP + -damaged SH-SY5Y cell, a cell line for DA neuron, in vitro. Furthermore, ECH administration alleviated MPTP-triggered microglial activation, thus downregulated the expression and activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes in mice SN, along with the involved proteins including Caspase (CASP)-1 and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). The inhibition of NLRP3/CASP-1/IL-1β neuroinflammatory signaling was further confirmed in murine N9 microglia activated by MPP + insult after ECH treatment in vitro. Furthermore, MCC950, a selective inhibitor for NLRP3 activation, reduced the enhancive expression of NLRP3/CASP-1/IL-1β in MPP + -insulted N9, and also facilitated the inhibition of inflammation synergistically mediated by ECH treatment. All the collected data revealed that ECH ameliorated PD mice neuroethology through promoting DA neuron survival and inhibiting the activated microglia-mediated NLRP3/CASP-1/IL-1β inflammatory signaling. These findings highlight the crucial roles of NLRP3 inflammasome involved in PD neuropathology and ECH exertes neuroprotection for PD as double-targeting neuroinflammation and DA neuronal survival., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)