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An improved understanding of the degradation pathways under external stimuli is needed to address stability challenges in two-dimensional (2D) perovskite semiconductor materials. In this study, in situ synchrotron nanoprobe X-ray fluorescence (nano-XRF) is used to investigate the evolution of halide redistribution within various 2D halide perovskite (n = 1–3) lateral heterostructures under ultraviolet (UV) exposure. The results show that iodine (I) experiences a loss in all cases, with the rate of change following the perovskite dimensionality monotonically. In contrast, bromine (Br) is relatively more stable than I in n = 2 and 3 heterostructures, with no significant change in the total Br concentration but a visible amount of Br diffusion to the previously I-rich regime. Combining nano-XRF and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), we found a reduction of dimensionality in crystals with n > 1 after UV exposure, indicating significant structural reconfiguration beyond ion migration.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most difficult cancers to effectively treat, in part because of the lack of precision therapies and limited therapeutic access to intracranial tumor sites due to the presence of the blood-brain and blood-tumor barriers. We have developed a precision medicine approach for GBM treatment that involves the use of brain-penetrant RNA interference-based spherical nucleic acids (SNAs), which consist of gold nanoparticle cores covalently conjugated with radially oriented and densely packed small interfering RNA (siRNA) oligonucleotides. On the basis of previous preclinical evaluation, we conducted toxicology and toxicokinetic studies in nonhuman primates and a single-arm, open-label phase 0 first-in-human trial (NCT03020017) to determine safety, pharmacokinetics, intratumoral accumulation and gene-suppressive activity of systemically administered SNAs carrying siRNA specific for the GBM oncogene Bcl2Like12 (Bcl2L12). Patients with recurrent GBM were treated with intravenous administration of siBcl2L12-SNAs (drug moniker: NU-0129), at a dose corresponding to 1/50th of the no-observed-adverse-event level, followed by tumor resection. Safety assessment revealed no grade 4 or 5 treatment-related toxicities. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, x-ray fluorescence microscopy, and silver staining of resected GBM tissue demonstrated that intravenously administered SNAs reached patient tumors, with gold enrichment observed in the tumor-associated endothelium, macrophages, and tumor cells. NU-0129 uptake into glioma cells correlated with a reduction in tumor-associated Bcl2L12 protein expression, as indicated by comparison of matched primary tumor and NU-0129-treated recurrent tumor. Our results establish SNA nanoconjugates as a potential brain-penetrant precision medicine approach for the systemic treatment of GBM.

Lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) are increasingly encouraged to enhance their environmental friendliness and safety while maintaining optimal energy density and cost‐effectiveness. Although various electrolytes using greener and safer glyme solvents have been reported, the low charge voltage (usually lower than 4.0 V vs Li/Li+) restricts the energy density of LIBs. Herein, tetraglyme, a less‐toxic, non‐volatile, and non‐flammable ether solvent, is exploited to build safer and greener LIBs. It is demonstrated that ether electrolytes, at a standard salt concentration (1 m), can be reversibly cycled to 4.5 V vs Li/Li+. Anchored with Boron‐rich cathode‐electrolyte interphase (CEI) and mitigated current collector corrosion, the LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) cathode delivers competitive cyclability versus commercial carbonate electrolytes when charged to 4.5 V. Synchrotron spectroscopic and imaging analyses show that the tetraglyme electrolyte can sufficiently suppress the overcharge behavior associated with the high‐voltage electrolyte decomposition, which is advantageous over previously reported glyme electrolytes. The new electrolyte also enables minimal transition metal dissolution and deposition. NMC811||hard carbon full cell delivers excellent cycling stability at C/3 with a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.77%. This work reports an oxidation‐resilient tetraglyme electrolyte with record‐high 4.5 V stability and enlightens further applications of glyme solvents for sustainable LIBs by designing Boron‐rich interphases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environ Health Perspect. 130(10):107002 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10255 The author affiliations were incorrectly listed. The correct affiliations are: Haibo Jin, [1,2] Chen Yang, [3] Chengyue Jiang, [1,2] Luxi Li, [1,2] Mengge Pan, [...]

Recent progress in the development of dichroic Bragg coherent diffractive imaging, a new technique for simultaneous three-dimensional imaging of strain and magnetization at the nanoscale, is reported. This progress includes the installation of a diamond X-ray phase retarder at beamline 34-ID-C of the Advanced Photon Source. The performance of the phase retarder for tuning X-ray polarization is demonstrated with temperature-dependent X-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements on a gadolinium foil in transmission and on a Gd5Si2Ge2 crystal in diffraction geometry with a partially coherent, focused X-ray beam. Feasibility tests for dichroic Bragg coherent diffractive imaging are presented. These tests include (1) using conventional Bragg coherent diffractive imaging to determine whether the phase retarder introduces aberrations using a nonmagnetic gold nanocrystal as a control sample, and (2) collecting coherent diffraction patterns of a magnetic Gd5Si2Ge2 nanocrystal with left- and right-circularly polarized X-rays. Future applications of dichroic Bragg coherent diffractive imaging for the correlation of strain and lattice defects with magnetic ordering and inhomogeneities are considered.

Background: The toxicity of microplastics (MPs) has attracted wide attention from researchers. Previous studies have indicated that MPs produce toxic effects on a variety of organs in aquatic organisms and mammals. However, the exact neurotoxicity of MPs in mammals is still unclear. Objectives: We aimed to confirm the neurotoxicity of chronic exposure to polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) at environmental pollution concentrations. Methods: In the present study, mice were provided drinking water containing 100 [micro]g/L and 1,000 [micro]g/L PS-MPs with diameters of 0.5, 4, and 10 [micro]m for 180 consecutive days. After the exposure period, the mice were anesthetized to gain brain tissues. The accumulation of PS-MPs in brain tissues, integrity of the blood-brain barrier, inflammation, and spine density were detected. We evaluated learning and memory ability by the Morris water maze and novel object recognition tests. Results: We observed the accumulation of PS-MPs with various particle diameters (0.5, 4, and 10 [micro]m) in the brains of exposed mice. Meanwhile, exposed mice also exhibited disruption of the blood-brain barrier, higher level of dendritic spine density, and an inflammatory response in the hippocampus. In addition, exposed mice exhibited cognitive and memory deficits compared with control mice as determined using the Morris water maze and novel object recognition tests, respectively. There was a concentration-dependent trend, but no particle size- dependent differences were seen in the neurotoxicity of MPs. Conclusions: Collectively, our results suggested that PS-MPs exposure can lead to learning and memory dysfunctions and induce neurotoxic effects in mice, findings which have wide-ranging implications for the public regarding the potential risks of MPs. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10255, Introduction Microplastics (MPs), defined as particles Many studies have demonstrated that MPs can produce certain toxic effects on the different organs of mammals and aquatic organisms, including the gastrointestinal tract, [...]