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Single Cu atom with special structure of Cu–N charge bridge broadens the response range of visible light, increases the efficiency of electron–hole separation and transfer, and reduces the hydrogen evolution reaction energy barrier.

Liquid metals (LMs) have emerged as promising functional materials that combine the properties of both liquid and metal. These characteristics enabled them to find applications in many fields. However, the LMs usually can only display a silver-white physical appearance, which limits their further applications in the fields with the imposition of stringent requirements for color and aesthetics. Herein, we report that the surface of LMs was transformed directly from metal to fluorescent semiconductor layer by an example of eutectic GaInSn (eGaInSn) induced by thermal oxidation. Specifically, a core-shell structure is formed from the fluorescent layer and the LMs. The shell endows the LMs with fluorescence without affecting their interior fluidity and conductivity. In particular, the formation process as well as the degree of crystallization, phase transformation, and light emission of the fluorescent oxide shell on the surface of LMs is regulated by the component content. A thorough analysis of surface morphology, composition, structure, and properties of the fluorescent shell suggests that the Ga

A liquid metal (LM) generally has excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, flexibility, fluidity, and reflectivity. Innovative electronics using a LM to paint colorful fluorescent patterns may be applied to many important fields. Herein we propose, for the first time, the use of a LM to paint fluorescent patterns in the field of natural science. An LM containing a main-group metal (Ga

Non-motile cells of Haematococcus pluvialis grow slowly, whereas motile cells grow fast and divide frequently. Cultivation from non-motile cells to motile cells of H. pluvialis was implemented to promote semi-continuous production. When old cultures which consist of non-motile cells were inoculated in fresh medium with an inoculation amount less than 15%, zoospores were produced in the non-motile cells and developed into motile cells, as the concentration of astaxanthin inducer in the medium was below the threshold value. This process was accomplished within 3 days after inoculation. Furthermore, enhancing KNO3 content to 1200 mg L−1 or reducing light intensity to 20 μmol photons m−2 s−1 could increase growth during the late culturing period of H. pluvialis and postpone the next round of transformation from motile cells to non-motile cells. A semi-continuous cultivation method for H. pluvialis from non-motile cells to motile cells is proposed in order to regulate the life cycle and promote industrial production. This cultivation mode shortens the inoculum cultivation stage and simplifies the production process of H. pluvialis, showing considerable commercial potential.

Studying optical properties of organic materials is important due to the rapid development of organic light-emitting diodes, solar cells, and photon detectors. Here for the first time we have performed tight-binding calculations for singlet excitons, in combination with first-principles calculations of the excited states in molecular dimers, to describe the optical properties of a zinc-phthalocyanine one-dimensional molecular chain. We have included the intra-molecule and charge-transfer excitations and the coupling between them. Our calculations have successfully interpreted a body of experimental UV-Vis optical spectra of transition-metal phthalocyanines. Compared with the previous ab initio calculations for a molecular dimer, the optical absorptions at the split peaks of the Q-bands can be comparable, which indicates the importance of the coupling between the intra-molecular and charge-transfer excitons., 15 pages, 4 figures

Haematococcus pluvialis was modified for higher astaxanthin production compatible with the superiorities of high biomass and high activity by three-stage mutagenesis breeding. UV irradiation mutants named UV11-4 made an increase on cell dry weight, but showed a longer growth circle than the wild type. On the basis of UV mutants, ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) mutants E2-5 cut down the latent phase, brought forward and extended the logarithmic phase. The inhibitor diphenylamine (DPA) was employed to screen high-yield astaxanthin producer by the color change of colonies from green to red on solid medium. Via the contravariant cultivation, proliferation and transformation, the mutant DPA12-2 possessed an 1.7-fold astaxanthin production compared to the wild type, reaching 47.21±3.30mg/g dry cells.

Fed-batch culture and the transformation conditions of Haematococcus pluvialis in a 5L photobioreactor were investigated. Methods of feeding model, low temperature at night and proper feeding time were used to increase both cell biomass and cell activity. Dry cell weight of 1.87 g/L which was 2.0-fold of batch culture and the specific growth rate of 0.43 d(-1) suggested the superduper results of these methods to increase the dry cell weight in the short cultivation time. Furthermore, mixed lights of blue and white (ratio of 3:1) at 7000 xl were used to expedite the morphologic changes of H. pluvialis from green cells to red cyst cells with the yield of 91.8±2.53 mg/L.