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Network pharmacology, a holistic approach based on the theory of biological network technology, integrates information from biological systems, drugs, and diseases. Here, this theory was used to predict the targets of Wu-Wei-Wen-Tong Chubi capsule (WWWT) to explore the mechanism in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The ingredients of each herbal medicine in WWWT were collected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and the active ingredients were screened through bioavailability (OB) ≥30% and drug-likeness (DL) ≥ 0.18. SwissTargetPrection and TCMSP were utilized to calculate and predict the targets of active ingredients. RA-related targets were obtained by searching the Genecards and OMIM databases. The common targets of RA and WWWT were used for gene ontology (GO), KEGG pathway enrichment, protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, and molecular docking. And then, four key genes were screened for subsequent verification experiments. In total, 90 active compounds and 330 potential targets of WWWT, 1310 targets of RA, and 135 intersection targets were found. Additionally, GO and pathway analysis identified 4610 significant GO terms and 147 significant KEGG pathways. Based on the PPI network, 11 key genes including IL-6, MMP-9, and TNF-α were screened out for molecular docking. Molecular docking showed that these key genes have good binding activities to active compounds of WWWT such as oroxylin a, kaempferol, and luteolin. Simultaneously, Western blot experimental validation demonstrated that the protein expressions of IL-6, MMP-9, TNF-α, and VEGFA significantly decreased after WWWT treatment. The mechanism of WWWT in treating RA involves multiple active compounds acting on multiple targets, and multiple pathways, which provides an important reference for further elucidation the mechanism and clinical applications of WWWT in the treatment of RA.

Rod-shaped SU-101 catalysts exhibited a high HCOO− Faraday efficiency of 93.66% at −1.10 V vs. RHE due to the unique hexacoordinated Bi3+ site of SU-101.

In recent years, the incidence and mortality of myocardial infarction (MI) have been increasing throughout the world, threatening public health. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), play critical roles in the progression of MI. The present study aimed to investigate the role of lncRNA AK006774 in the progression of myocardial infarction and find out novel therapeutic or diagnostic target of myocardial infarction. A mouse ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model and 2,3,5-Triphenyte-trazoliumchloride (TTC) staining were performed to evaluate the effects of AK006774 on I/R injury in vivo. Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) models using primary cardiomyocytes have been established. Flow cytometry and Terminal Deoxynucleotide Transferase dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) assays were performed to evaluate the effects of AK006774 on cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Luciferase and RNA pull-down assays were performed to verify the interaction between miR-448 and its targets. Western blotting and quantitative PCR were performed to determine protein and gene expression, respectively. We first found that AK006774 overexpression reduced I/R-induced infarct area and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vivo. Accordingly, AK006774 inhibited apoptosis and oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes subjected to H/R treatment in vitro. Mechanistically, AK006774 modulated the expression of bcl-2 by sponging miR-448. Overexpression of miR-448 antagonized the effects of AK006774 on cardiomyocyte apoptosis. The AK006774/miR-448/bcl-2 signaling axis acts as a key regulator of I/R injury and may be a potential therapeutic or diagnostic target for the treatment of MI., Graphical abstract

Different from traditional metal-support heterogenous catalysts, inverse heterogeneous catalysts, in which the surface of metal is decorated by metal oxide, have recently attracted increasing interests owing to the unique interfacial effect and electronic structure. However, a deep insight into the effect of metal-oxide interaction on the catalytic performance still remains a great challenge. In our work, an inverse hematite/palladium (Fe2O3/Pd) hybrid nanostructure, i.e., the active Fe2O3 ultrathin oxide layers partially covering on the surface of Pd nanoparticles (NPs), exhibited superior electrocatalytic performance towards methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) as compared to the bare Pd NPs based on density functional theory calculation. The charge could transfer from Pd to Fe2O3 driven by the built-in potential at the interface of Pd and Fe2O3, which favors the downshift of d band center of Pd. With the assistance of interfacial hydroxyl OH*, the cleavage of O H and C H in CH3OH could take place much easily with lower barrier energy on Fe2O3/Pd than that on pure Pd via two electrons transferring reaction pathways. Our results highlight that the synergy of Pd and Fe2O3 at the interface could facilitate the electrochemical transformation of methanol into formaldehyde assisted with interfacial hydroxyl OH*.

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is an attractive pathway for closing the anthropogenic carbon cycle and storing intermittent renewable energy by converting CO2 to valuable chemicals and fuels. The production of highly reduced carbon compounds beyond CO and formate, such as hydrocarbon and oxygenate products with higher energy density, is particularly desirable for practical applications. However, the productivity towards highly reduced chemicals is typically limited by high overpotential and poor selectivity due to the multiple electron-proton transfer steps. Tandem catalysis, which is extensively utilized by nature for producing biological macromolecules with multiple enzymes via coupled reaction steps, represents a promising strategy for enhancing the CO2RR performance. Improving the efficiency of CO2RR via tandem catalysis has recently emerged as an exciting research frontier and achieved significant advances. Here we describe the general principles and also considerations for designing tandem catalysis for CO2RR. Recent advances in constructing tandem catalysts, mainly including bimetallic alloy nanostructures, bimetallic heterostructures, bimetallic core-shell nanostructures, bimetallic mixture catalysts, metal-metal organic framework (MOF) and metal-metallic complexes, metal-nonmetal hybrid nanomaterials and copper-free hybrid nanomaterials for boosting the CO2RR performance are systematically summarized. The study of tandem catalysis for CO2RR is still at the early stage, and future research challenges and opportunities are also discussed.

The demand for large energy storage systems is consecutively increasing, which requires low-cost and renewable batteries technologies with sustainable performance. Potassium, as the nearest element to sodium and lithium in the IA group of the periodic table, possesses excellent superiorities in electrochemical energy storage devices. Correspondingly, numerous electrode materials with excellent stability and capability have been developed for rechargeable potassium-ion batteries (KIBs). In this review, recent results of electrode materials concerning different types of electrolytes (organic electrolyte, aqueous electrolyte, and all-solid-state electrolyte) for rechargeable KIBs are summarized. An overall content of ongoing cathode/anode electrode materials utilized in rechargeable KIBs with organic electrolyte is reviewed. The topic focuses on employing organic compounds, Prussian blue analogues, layered oxides, and polyanionic compounds as cathode. In addition, different anode materials such as intercalation compounds, alloy compounds, conversion compounds, and organic compounds were discussed. Furthermore, the current research progress of other potassium-based electrochemical energy storage devices (KEES) with low costs and high specific energy densities, such as potassium-ion hybrid capacitors (KIHCs) and potassium dual-ion batteries (KDIBs), are also summarized. Finally, we pointed out the current challenges and future directions of KEES.

The rational design and synthesis of hybrid-type electrode nanomaterials are significant for their diverse applications, including their potential usage as high-efficiency nanoarchitectures for supercapacitors (SCs) as a class of promising energy-storage systems for powering next-generation electric vehicles and electronic devices. Here, we reported a facile and controllable synthesis of core-shell NiS/Ni3S2@NiWO4 nanoarrays to fabricate a freestanding electrode for hybrid SCs. Impressively, the as-prepared freestanding NiS/Ni3S2@NiWO4 electrode presents an ultrahigh areal capacity of 2032 μA h cm−2 at 5 mA cm−2, and a capacity retention of 63.6% even when the current density increased up to 50 mA cm−2. Remarkably, the NiS/Ni3S2@NiWO4 nanoarray-based hybrid SC delivers a maximum energy density of 1.283 mW h cm−2 at 3.128 mW cm−2 and a maximum power density of 41.105 mW cm−2 at 0.753 mW h cm−2. Furthermore, the hybrid SC exhibits a capacity retention of 89.6% even after continuous 10,000 cycles, proving its superior stability. This study provides a facile pathway to rationally design a variety of core-shell metal nanostructures for high-performance energy storage devices.

The rational design and synthesis of multimetallic nanostructures (NSs) with rich defects are of significant importance for their diverse applications, including their promising usage as high-effic...

Lattice engineering on specific facets of metal catalysts is critically important not only for the enhancement of their catalytic performance but also for deeply understanding the effect of facet-based lattice engineering on catalytic reactions. Here, we develop a facile two-step method for the lattice expansion on specific facets, i.e., Pt(100) and Pt(111), of Pt catalysts. We first prepare the Pd@Pt core-shell nanoparticles exposed with the Pt(100) and Pt(111) facets, respectively, via the Pd-seeded epitaxial growth, and then convert the Pd core to PdH0.43 by hydrogen intercalation. The lattice expansion of the Pd core induces the lattice enlargement of the Pt shell, which can significantly promote the alcohol oxidation reaction (AOR) on both Pt(100) and Pt(111) facets. Impressively, Pt mass specific activities of 32.51 A mgPt-1 for methanol oxidation and 14.86 A mgPt-1 for ethanol oxidation, which are 41.15 and 25.19 times those of the commercial Pt/C catalyst, respectively, have been achieved on the Pt(111) facet. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the remarkably improved catalytic performance on both the Pt(100) and the Pt(111) facets through lattice expansion arises from the enhanced OH adsorption. This work not only paves the way for lattice engineering on specific facets of nanomaterials to enhance their electrocatalytic activity but also offers a promising strategy toward the rational design and preparation of highly efficient catalysts.

Previous studies have confirmed that astragaloside (AST) exerts a positive effect on alleviating synovial and joint injury in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the precise mechanisms through which AST acts in the treatment of RA remain unclear. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LOC100912373 was identified as a key gene related to RA and has been proven to interact with miR-17-5p, in order to regulate the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 and protein kinase B axis (PDK1/AKT axis). The present study aimed to determine whether AST may treat RA through the interaction between lncRNA LOC100912373 and the miR-17-5p/PDK1 axis. MTT assays and flow cytometry were used to detect the proliferation and cell cycle progression of AST-treated fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs). The expression of lncRNA LOC100912373 and miR-17-5p, as well as relative the mRNA expression of the PDK1 and AKT genes following AST intervention was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), immunofluorescence and western blot analysis. The results revealed that AST inhibited FLS proliferation, reduced lncRNA LOC100912373 expression levels, increased miR-17-5p expression levels, and decreased the PDK1 and p-AKT expression levels. Additionally, consecutive rescue experiments revealed that AST counteracted the effects of lncRNA LOC100912373 overexpression on FLS proliferation and cell cycle progression. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that AST inhibits FLS proliferation by regulating the expression of lncRNA LOC100912373 and the miR-17-5p/PDK1 axis.

In this work, we report an element segregation phenomenon in two-dimensional (2D) core-shell nanoplates, subsequently resulting in the formation of yolk-cage nanostructures after selective electrochemical etching. By using PtCu nanoplates as templates, PtCu@Pd core-shell nanoplates are formed. Interestingly, during the growth of Ru on the PtCu@Pd core-shell nanoplates, due to the selective element diffusion, PtCuPd@PdCu@Ru nanoplates are obtained. After selectively etching of PdCu in PtCuPd@PdCu@Ru using electrochemical method, the PtCuPd@Ru yolk-cage nanostructures are obtained. As a proof-of-concept application, this unique nanostructure shows superior electrocatalytic activity and stability toward the methanol oxidation reaction as compared to the PtCu nanoplates and commercial Pt/C catalyst.

Rh nanostructures composed of nanosheets embedded with nanodomains adopt vacated Barlow packing with ordered vacancies., Metallic nanostructures are commonly densely packed into a few packing variants with slightly different atomic packing factors. The structural aspects and physicochemical properties related with the vacancies in such nanostructures are rarely explored because of lack of an effective way to control the introduction of vacancy sites. Highly voided metallic nanostructures with ordered vacancies are however energetically high lying and very difficult to synthesize. Here, we report a chemical method for synthesis of hierarchical Rh nanostructures (Rh NSs) composed of ultrathin nanosheets, composed of hexagonal close-packed structure embedded with nanodomains that adopt a vacated Barlow packing with ordered vacancies. The obtained Rh NSs exhibit remarkably enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. Theoretical calculations reveal that the exceptional electrocatalytic performance of Rh NSs originates from their unique vacancy structures, which facilitate the adsorption and dissociation of H2O in the HER.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease and characterized by chronic inflammation, abnormal synovial cell proliferation, and joint swelling and tenderness, and it causes patients substantial pain. To date, the pathogenesis of RA remains unclear, and specific treatment is still lacking in the clinic. Evidence from previous research indicated that the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) LOC100912373 is a key lncRNA and involved in RA. However, our understanding of the specific mechanism of lncRNA LOC100912373 in RA development and progression is still in its infancy. In this study, fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) were cultured by enzyme-dispersed and substrate-attached explant methods. The MTT method, flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy were used to determine the effect of lncRNA LOC100912373 on FLSs. The expression of key genes such as lncRNA LOC100912373, miR-17-5p, PDK1 and AKT in FLSs was detected by RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence and Western blot. The localization of lncRNA LOC100912373 was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The specific targeting relationship between lncRNA LOC100912373 and miR-17-5p/PDK1 was verified by RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter gene analysis. The results showed that lncRNA LOC100912373 localized in the cytoplasm and was highly expressed in the synovial tissues and FLSs of AA rats. LncRNA LOC100912373 overexpression promoted the proliferation of FLSs. In addition, lncRNA LOC100912373 could bind to miR-17-5p, and the expression of lncRNA LOC100912373 was negatively correlated with miR-17-5p and positively correlated with PDK1/AKT. In conclusion, lncRNA LOC100912373 may upregulate the expression of PDK1 by sponging miR-17-5p, accelerating the phosphorylation of AKT and inducing the proliferation of FLSs, thus promoting the occurrence and development of RA.

The continuous exploration of clean-energy technology is critical for the sustainable development of society. The recent work on the electric energy harvesting from water evaporation has made a significant contribution to the utilization of clean energy for self-powering systems. Here, a novel metal-organic-framework-based hybrid nanomaterial is delicately designed and synthesized by the growth of UIO-66 nanoparticles on 2D AlOOH nanoflakes. Due to the combined merits from the 2D morphology, which is inherited from the AlOOH nanoflakes, and the high surface potential, which originates from the UIO-66 nanoparticles, the device made of the AlOOH/UIO-66 hybrid nanomaterials can harvest electric energy from natural water evaporation. An open-circuit voltage of 1.63 ± 0.10 V can be achieved on the prototype devices made of the hybrid nanomaterial. As a proof-of-concept application, a small electric appliance, e.g., a digital calculator, is powered up by a 3 × 3 device array connected in a combined series-parallel configuration.

Objectives Our study aimed to probe the effects of rosiglitazone treatment on a severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) model induced by caerulein and investigate the underlying mechanism. Methods Differentially expressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in the mice of a SAP group were screened out by microarray analysis. The inflammatory response pathway was obtained from the online website DAVID Bioinformatics Resources 6.8. The interactions of caerulein and its target proteins were shown by search tool for interactions of chemicals (STITCH). Functional interactions of the genes associated with pancreatitis and the target proteins of caerulein were obtained with search tool for interactions of chemicals (STRING). SAP mice were established by hourly intraperitoneal injection of caerulein. Rosiglitazone was used as treatment drug, and pancreatic inflammation was assessed. The expression of Socs3 was studied by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. The expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1b, and Egr1 were studied by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Results The GSE77983 data were analyzed, and the results showed that Socs3 was overexpressed in SAP tissues. The inflammation response pathway in pancreas was selected by DAVID, STITCH, and STRING. After injection of rosiglitazone in mice, the serum levels of amylase and lipase were decreased. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of Socs3 and inflammatory cytokines in pancreatic tissues were downregulated. Conclusions Rosiglitazone could protect mice with SAP from injury by downregulating Socs3 and inhibiting the inflammatory response pathway.

To explore the predicting performance of renal resistive index (RRI), semi quantitative power Doppler ultrasound (PDU) score and serum cystatin C (Cys C) for acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with cardiac failure or sepsis.A prospective, observational study was conducted. Critically ill patients with acute cardiac failure or sepsis admitted to the emergency intensive care unit (ICU) of Cangzhou Central Hospital from January 1st to December 31st in 2018 were enrolled. In addition to the demographic data, serum Cys C, RRI, and PDU score were measured within 6 hours after admission to ICU. Renal function was assessed on day 5 according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Patients who proceeded to AKI stage 2 or 3 within 5 days from admission were defined as the AKI 2-3 group; other patients were classified into the AKI 0-1 group. The differences of each index were compared in all patients, cardiac failure patients and sepsis patients between the two groups. Multivariate binary Logistic regression was carried out to identify the independent risk predictors of AKI 2-3. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to examine the values of Cys C, RRI, PDU score, and RRI+PDU in predicting AKI 2-3.Thirty-seven patients with cardiac failure (11 with no AKI, 10 with AKI stage 1, 3 with AKI stage 2, and 13 with AKI stage 3) and 26 patients with sepsis (8 with no AKI, 2 with AKI stage 1, 7 with AKI stage 2, and 9 with AKI stage 3) were recruited. In all patients as well as the subgroup of cardiac failure, compared with the AKI 0-1 group, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, rate of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), 28-day mortality, serum creatinine (SCr), Cys C and RRI were higher in AKI 2-3 group, and urine output, PDU score were lower; in the subgroup of sepsis, rate of CRRT, SCr, and Cys C were higher in AKI 2-3 group, and urine output was lower. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis found that Cys C and PDU score were independent risk factors for AKI 2-3 in all patients [Cys C: odds ratio (OR) = 11.294, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 2.801-45.541, P = 0.001; PDU score: OR = 0.187, 95%CI was 0.056-0.627, P = 0.007]; RRI and PDU score were independent risk factors for AKI 2-3 in patients with cardiac failure [RRI (×10): OR = 6.172, 95%CI was 0.883-43.153, P = 0.067; PDU score: OR = 0.063, 95%CI was 0.007-0.584, P = 0.015]; Cys C was the independent risk factor for AKI 2-3 in patients with sepsis (OR = 22.830, 95%CI was 1.345-387.623, P = 0.030). It was shown by ROC curve analysis that: in the subgroup of cardiac failure, the predictive values of RRI, PDU score and Cys C were well [area under the curve (AUC) and 95%CI was 0.839 (0.673-0.942), 0.894 (0.749-0.971), 0.777 (0.610-0.897), all P0.01]. RRI+PDU performed best in predicting AKI (AUC = 0.956, 95%CI was 0.825-0.997, P0.01), and the predictive value was higher than Cys C [AUC (95%CI): 0.956 (0.825-0.997) vs. 0.777 (0.610-0.897), P = 0.034]. In the subgroup of sepsis, the predictive value of Cys C was well (AUC = 0.913, 95%CI was 0.735-0.987, P0.01), however, the predictive value of RRI, PDU, RRI+PDU were poor.RRI and PDU score effectively predict AKI stage 2 or 3 in cardiac failure patients, but not in patients with sepsis. The predictive values of Cys C for AKI are similar in patients with cardiac failure or sepsis.

BACKGROUND HIV infection leads to the damage of NK cells, which is closely associated with the disease's progression, but whether it affects immune reconstitution after Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) is not clear. METHODS From March 9 to October 31, 2017, a total of 75 confirmed cases with HIV in Wenzhou were collected and analyzed. NK cell subsets were measured and compared among three groups: the control group, the group whose CD4+ T cell counts

Serious challenges in energy and the environment require us to find solutions that use sustainable processes. There are many sustainable electrocatalytic processes that might provide the answers to the above-mentioned challenges, such as the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), water splitting, the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR), and the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). These reactions can enhance the value added by producing hydrogen energy through water splitting or convert useless CO2 and N2 into fuels and NH3. These electrocatalytic reactions can be driven by high-performance catalysts. Therefore, the exploration of novel electrocatalysts is one of the important electrocatalytic fields. In this paper, we aim to systematically discuss a variety of electrocatalysts used for sustainable processes and to give further insights into their status and associated challenges. We invited many famous research groups to write this roadmap with topics including platinum (Pt) and its alloys for ORR, oxides for ORR, chalcogenides for ORR, carbon-based hollow electrocatalysts for ORR, carbides for ORR, atomically dispersed Fe–N–C catalysts for ORR, metal-free catalysts for ORR, single-atom catalysts (SACs) for ORR, metal boride (MB) electrocatalysts for water splitting, transitional metal carbides (TMCs) for water splitting, transition metal (TM) phosphides for water splitting, oxides for water splitting, sulfides for water splitting, layered double hydroxides for water splitting, carbon-based electrocatalysts for water splitting, Ru-based electrocatalysts for water splitting, metal oxides for CO2RR, metal sulfides for CO2RR, metals for CO2RR, carbon for CO2RR, SACs for CO2RR, heterogeneous molecular catalysts for CO2RR, oxides for NRR, chalcogenides for NRR, C3N4 for NRR, SACs for NRR, etc. Their contributions enabled us to compile this 2020 roadmap on electrocatalysts for green catalytic processes and provide some suggestions for future researchers.

As an important aspect of crystal phase engineering, controlled crystal phase transformation of noble metal nanomaterials has emerged as an effective strategy to explore novel crystal phases of nanomaterials. In particular, it is of significant importance to observe the transformation pathway and reveal the transformation mechanism in situ. Here, the phase transformation behavior of face-centered cubic (fcc) Au nanoparticles (fcc-AuNPs), adhering to the surface of 4H nanodomains in 4H/fcc Au nanorods, referred to as 4H-AuNDs, during in situ transmission electron microscopy imaging is systematically studied. It is found that the phase transformation is dependent on the ratio of the size of the monocrystalline nanoparticle (NP) to the diameter of 4H-AuND. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation and theoretical modeling are used to explain the experimental results, giving a size-dependent phase transformation diagram which provides a general guidance to predict the phase transformation pathway between fcc and 4H Au nanomaterials. Impressively, this method is general, which is used to study the phase transformation of other metal NPs, such as Pd, Ag, and PtPdAg, adhering to 4H-AuNDs. The work opens an avenue for selective phase engineering of nanomaterials which may possess unique physicochemical properties and promising applications.

While metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit excellent potential in extensive catalytic reactions, predictably synthesizing MOF nanoparticles (NPs) with desired and uniform sizes remains a great challenge. Here, a mild and efficient ultrasound-assisted synthetic method has been developed to prepare ZIF-8, ZIF-67, and Co/ZIF-8 with well-designed particle size and morphology. By adjusting the cobalt content doped into a heterometallic ZIF-8 structure, tunable particle sizes ranging from 35 nm to over 300 nm have been achieved, resulting from the differences in nucleation and growth rates of zinc and cobalt ZIFs. Impressively, this as-obtained bimetallic Zn/Co-ZIF shows hierarchical porous structure with modified physicochemical properties, leading to a change of nitrogen adsorption-desorption characteristics. In addition, when used as a heterogenous catalyst, the bimetallic Co-doped ZIF-8 is demonstrated to have both enhanced catalytic performance for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) in organic dye degradation compared to pure ZIF-8, as well as superior structural stability, when compared to monometallic ZIF-67. This work provides a novel strategy for the predictable design and controlled fabrication of bimetallic MOF nanostructures with desired structures and compositions. Ministry of Education (MOE) Submitted/Accepted version The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Ministry of Education (MOE) Singapore AcRF Tier 1 grant (2018-T1- 001-077) and the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/R01650X/1).

Functional nanomaterials are playing a crucial role in the emerging field of energy-related devices. Recently, as a novel synthesis method, high-temperature shock (HTS), which is rapid, low cost, eco-friendly, universal, scalable, and controllable, has provided a promising option for the rational design and synthesis of various high-quality nanomaterials. In this report, the HTS technique, including the equipment setup and operating principle, is systematically introduced, and recent progress in the synthesis of nanomaterials for energy storage and conversion applications using this HTS method is summarized. The growth mechanisms of nanoparticles and carbonaceous nanomaterials are thoroughly discussed, followed by the summary of the characteristic advantages of the HTS strategy. A series of nanomaterials prepared by the HTS method, including carbon-based films, metal nanoparticles and compound nanoparticles, show high performance in the diverse applications of storage energy batteries, highly active catalysts, and smart energy devices. Finally, the future perspectives and directions of HTS in nanomanufacturing for broader applications are presented.

Rational design and synthesis of materials for highly efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of paramount importance in the development and utilization of renewable energy. Here, RuNi alloy nanostructures (RuNi NSs) composed of multilayered nanosheets are prepared through a one-pot solvothermal process. Impressively, they exhibit a remarkable electrocatalytic HER activity under alkaline conditions with a low overpotential of only 15 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of only 28 mV dec−1, much better than those of commercial Ru/C and Pt/C catalysts. This superior performance could be attributed to their large electrochemically active surface area (154 m2 g−1), and the Ni alloying effect which facilitates the water dissociation and optimizes the hydrogen adsorption and desorption. This work paves the way to the rational design and synthesis of new materials for highly efficient electrocatalysis.

The rational design and synthesis of anisotropic 3D nanostructures with specific composition, morphology, surface structure, and crystal phase is of significant importance for their diverse applications. Here, the synthesis of well‐crystalline lotus‐thalamus‐shaped Pt‐Ni anisotropic superstructures (ASs) via a facile one‐pot solvothermal method is reported. The Pt‐Ni ASs with Pt‐rich surface are composed of one Ni‐rich “core” with face‐centered cubic (fcc) phase, Ni‐rich “arms” with hexagonal close‐packed phase protruding from the core, and facet‐selectively grown Pt‐rich “lotus seeds” with fcc phase on the end surfaces of the “arms.” Impressively, these unique Pt‐Ni ASs exhibit superior electrocatalytic activity and stability toward the hydrogen evolution reaction under alkaline conditions compared to commercial Pt/C and previously reported electrocatalysts. The obtained overpotential is as low as 27.7 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2, and the turnover frequency reaches 18.63 H2 s−1 at the overpotential of 50 mV. This work provides a new strategy for the synthesis of highly anisotropic superstructures with a spatial heterogeneity to boost their promising application in catalytic reactions. ASTAR (Agency for Sci., Tech. and Research, S’pore) MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore) Accepted version

The presence of therapy-associated hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants is the main drawback of antiviral therapy for HBV infection. Moreover, drug-resistant variants are more insensitive to a second agent and more therapy-associated mutations will be present. To apply better nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) and reduce the occurrence of resistance, the prevalence and types of drug-resistant mutations in acute hepatitis B patients were investigated in this study. One hundred three HBV DNA-positive patients with symptomatic acute hepatitis B that were observed from 2011 to 2013 were enrolled. Direct polymerase chain reaction sequencing was used firstly to screen HBV reverse-transcriptase domain to detect HBV mutants. Five lamivudine-resistant variants were identified. Clonal sequencing was performed for 5 resistance-positive samples and 10 other random samples. Interestingly, all detected samples harbored drug-resistant mutations, although with different percentage. Thirteen harbored lamivudine-related alone (five) or together with other NA related mutations (five with adefovir, one with entecavir, and one with telbivudine), and two of them harbored adefovir-related mutations. Also, mutations associated with four currently used NA were all detected, and the frequency is in accordance with the popularity of NA used in clinical practice. These data suggest that drug-resistant variants are present in patients with acute hepatitis B and NA should be applied more carefully for chronic hepatitis B patients developed from acute hepatitis B.

The exploration of new porous hybrid materials is of great importance because of their unique properties and promising applications in separation of materials, catalysis, etc. Herein, for the first time, by integration of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a new type of MOF@COF core-shell hybrid material, i.e., NH2 -MIL-68@TPA-COF, with high crystallinity and hierarchical pore structure, is synthesized. As a proof-of-concept application, the obtained NH2 -MIL-68@TPA-COF hybrid material is used as an effective visible-light-driven photocatalyst for the degradation of rhodamine B. The synthetic strategy in this study opens up a new avenue for the construction of other MOF-COF hybrid materials, which could have various promising applications. NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore) MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)

Thermally conductive adhesives (TCAs) have been widely used in electronic packaging industry, such as for chip packages in smart phones and high-power LED lightings, as they combine the workability of polymer resins with the high thermal conductivity of fillers[1−4]. The polymer resins endow adequate adhesion strength and provide sufficient mechanical robustness. The thermally conductive fillers mainly determine the capacity of heat dissipation; and the filler can be carbon nanotube, graphene, aluminum nitride, and metal, etc. Among the metallic filler materials, silver is regarded as a competitive TCA filler because of the superior thermal conductivity (∼400 W·m−1·k−1) and resistance to oxidization. The interfacial resistance can be dramatically reduced when sintering behavior is occurred. Yet, it is still a great challenge to fabricate silver-based TCA samples at low temperature with a relatively high thermal conductivity since it is hard to sinter at a moderate temperature. In this work, a simple surface treatment of silver micro-flakes is applied. Laser flash apparatus results show that the out-of-plane thermal conductivity of 85 wt% TCAs achieve 22 W·m−1·k−1when cured at 190 °C. The out-of-plane thermal conductivity of the TCA sample is ideal for applications in high-power thermal interface materials. It is notable that the surface treatment only simply includes two steps: hydrazine hydrate treatment and iodination treatment. A careful study on the influence factors such as surface treatment, curing temperature was conducted. The excellent heat conducting behavior renders the TCA with a good deal of future applications in high-power electron packaging.

We systematically investigate the long-neglected low-temperature fusing behavior of silver micro/nanodendrites and demonstrate the feasibility of employing this intriguing property for the printed electronics application, i.e., printed fuse-links. Fuse-links have experienced insignificant changes since they were invented in the 1890s. By introducing silver micro/nanodendrites-based electrically conductive composites (ECCs) as a printed fusible element, coupled with the state-of-the-art printed electronics technology, key performance characteristics of a fuse-link are dramatically improved as compared with the commercially available counterparts, including an expedient fabrication process, lower available rated current (40% of the minimum value of Littelfuse 467 series fuses), shorter response time (only 3.35% of the Littelfuse 2920L030 at 1.5 times of the rated current), milder surface temperature rise (16.89 °C lower than FGMB) and voltage drop (only 24.26% of FGMB) in normal operations, easier to mass produce, and more flexible in product design. This technology may inspire the development of future printed electronic components.

A series of single track clads and bulk samples were prepared by laser solid forming under atmospheres of air, argon and nitrogen. The forming atmosphere has little effect on the variation of the width and height of a single track clad with scanning velocity, laser power and feeding rate. Under air, the width and height of single track clads are the largest. Under argon, they are slightly larger than those under nitrogen when the laser energy density is high. For bulk samples prepared under air and nitrogen, both sidewalls of the cross-section tilt inward in the lower part; with an increase in the deposition height, the sidewalls tend to be oriented vertically. Under argon, the sidewalls maintain their severe inward tilts from the bottom to top of the bulk sample. Under air, the bulk sample is covered by oxide dross. Fine and dense metal beads are attached to the lower sidewalls under argon, but these beads are coarse and sparse under nitrogen. The effects of the forming atmosphere on the effective energy, effective mass and deformation of the molten pool during laser solid forming were analyzed. The influence of the atmosphere is attributed to the exothermic oxidation reaction under air, the more extensive plasma plume effect under argon and the larger deformation of the molten pool under air and nitrogen.

Hierarchical metals with abundant nanostructures are expected to provide excellent performance characteristics in electronic printing or packaging, catalysis, molecular detection, sensing, and microfluidic flow control, due to the inherent fascinating properties of metal framework (e.g. superior electrical conductivity, catalytic activities, optical properties, etc.) and the general characteristics of hierarchical materials. Yet it is still great challenging to synthesize hierarchical metals with controllable morphologies and nanostructures in large-scale via a facile synthetic method. Here we demonstrate a one-step method to fabricate mono-dispersed hierarchical silver micro-particles with tailored size and morphology in high yields. The silver micro-particles can be obtained merely by mixing the silver salts, reducing agents and surfactants simultaneously. Controllable morphologies and nanostructures can be realized simply by adjusting the reaction parameters, such as the concentration of reactants, mixing velocity, reaction temperature, and so forth. These silver micro-particles possess unique hierarchical structures with abundant nano-sized structures and uniformly distributed mesopores, which provide excellent low-temperature sintering ability and strong electromagnetic field enhancement effect. The facile and efficient synthetic method, along with such intriguing characteristics, renders the silver micro-particles with considerable interest in a wide variety of applications in future electronic devices.

Fractal metallic dendrites have been drawing more attentions recently, yet they have rarely been explored in electronic printing or packaging applications because of the great challenges in large-scale synthesis and limited understanding in such applications. Here we demonstrate a controllable synthesis of fractal Ag micro-dendrites at the hundred-gram scale. When used as the fillers for isotropically electrically conductive composites (ECCs), the unique three-dimensional fractal geometrical configuration and low-temperature sintering characteristic render the Ag micro dendrites with an ultra-low electrical percolation threshold of 0.97 vol% (8 wt%). The ultra-low percolation threshold and self-limited fusing ability may address some critical challenges in current interconnect technology for microelectronics. For example, only half of the laser-scribe energy is needed to pattern fine circuit lines printed using the present ECCs, showing great potential for wiring ultrathin circuits for high performance flexible electronics., Electrically conductive composites are increasingly being studied for their favourable mechanical and electrical properties. Here, the authors employ a new synthetic strategy to attain fractal silver micro-dendrites which can be laser-scribed for implementation in flexible printed microelectronics.

Microelectronics and micromechanical systems (MEMS) are gaining popularity by virtue of small size, high integration, diverse functionalities, mass production and low cost. However, the existing current cutting-off fuse components can hardly be used in a microelectronics or micromechanical system to realize circuit protection due to their large size and high fusing current. Herein we report a novel current cutting-off fuse component based on printed electrically conductive nanocomposites (ECCs), which are composed of silver microdendrites with fractal morphology as the fusible conductive fillers and the thermosetting resin matrix. The silver paste was pasted between two copper electrodes with controlled space. The current cutting-off performance of the fuses was investigated within different silver fillers, various paste sizes, and diverse electrode spaces. The results show that, the silver dendrite-based paste can be fused at a relative low current due to its abundant nano-sized rims at the edge of the dendrite branches. Furthermore, the minimum fusing current (530 mA) was achieved when the silver flake-based paste was dispensed between two electrodes with distance of 100 µm and width of 30 µm. It is obvious that the fusing current attenuates gradually with the increase of space between two copper electrodes, and the silver paste in large spot size possesses higher fusing current than in small one. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses suggest that the silver fillers go through the melting and shrinking stages during the fusing process, thus the adjacent silver fillers separate to break the circuit. Considering the low material cost and negligible environmental risk, this novel current cutting-off fuse can provide cost-effective and environmental-friendly protection for MEMS devices.

Direct printing nanoparticle-based conductive inks onto paper substrates has encountered difficulties e.g. the nanoparticles are prone to penetrate into the pores of the paper and become partially segmented and the necessary low-temperature-sintering process is harmful to the dimension-stability of paper. Here we prototyped the paper-based circuit substrate in combination with printed thermoplastic electrically conductive adhesives (ECA), which takes the advantage of the capillarity of paper and thus both the conductivity and mechanical robustness of the printed circuitsweredrastically improved without sintering process. For instance, the electrical resistivity of the ECA specimen on a pulp paper (6 × 10−5Ω·cm, with 50 wt% loading of Ag) was only 14% of that on PET film than that on PET film. This improvement has been found directly related to the sizing degree of paper, in agreement with the effective medium approximation simulation results in this work. The thermoplastic nature also enables excellent mechanical strength of the printed ECA to resist repeated folding. Considering the generality of the process and the wide acceptance of ECA technique in the modern electronic packages, this method may find vast applications in e.g. circuit boards, capacitive touch pads and radio frequency identification antennas, which have been prototyped in the manuscript.

The presence of therapy-associated hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants is the main drawback of antiviral therapy for HBV infection. Moreover, drug-resistant variants are more insensitive to a second agent and more therapy-associated mutations will be present. To apply better nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) and reduce the occurrence of resistance, the prevalence and types of drug-resistant mutations in acute hepatitis B patients were investigated in this study. One hundred three HBV DNA-positive patients with symptomatic acute hepatitis B that were observed from 2011 to 2013 were enrolled. Direct polymerase chain reaction sequencing was used firstly to screen HBV reverse-transcriptase domain to detect HBV mutants. Five lamivudine-resistant variants were identified. Clonal sequencing was performed for 5 resistance-positive samples and 10 other random samples. Interestingly, all detected samples harbored drug-resistant mutations, although with different percentage. Thirteen harbored lamivudine-related alone (five) or together with other NA related mutations (five with adefovir, one with entecavir, and one with telbivudine), and two of them harbored adefovir-related mutations. Also, mutations associated with four currently used NA were all detected, and the frequency is in accordance with the popularity of NA used in clinical practice. These data suggest that drug-resistant variants are present in patients with acute hepatitis B and NA should be applied more carefully for chronic hepatitis B patients developed from acute hepatitis B.

Energy storage devices have become more indispensable in our lives. Among various energy storage devices, supercapacitors have been considered as one of the most promising candidates. In terms of the components of supercapacitor, current collector plays a significant role in enhancing the performance of the supercapacitors. Here we report a novel current collector preparation method through depositing nickel nanocone arrays structure on stainless steel plates. The average height of the nanocones was ∼800nm, and its aspect ratio was about 4, which greatly increased the surface area. Owing to its dislocation growth mechanism, the surface of nanocones was rough, which efficiently improved the adhesion with active materials. In order to demonstrate this novel current collector, manganese oxide (MnO 2 ) was deposited on stainless steel with nickel nanocone arrays. Results showed that the specific capacitance of the nickel nanocone array supported MnO 2 which was investigated in 0.5 M Na 2 SO 4 was 351 F/g. It is worth mentioning that the preparation of the novel current collector can be fabricated in large-scale by roll-to-roll process, which greatly promotes the application of the novel current collector.

A commercial thermoplastic screen printing ink is employed as the binder of conductive adhesive (ECA). The electrically resistivity of 3.6 × 10−5 Ω·cm is observed at 80 wt% silver loading. The printed circuit based with the ECA is foldable because of the thermoplastic nature of the binder, and it is sufficiently reliable for the practical application. The lap shear test indicates the shear strength of the ECA is 12.5 MPa. Due to the excellent mechanical property and the processability of the resin binder, this formulation is especially advantageous in the application of flexible electronics applications with the features of low cost and convenience for fabrication.

Electrically conductive composites have been intensively studied as the interconnects and the printed lines in the next generation of electrical devices. Silver fillers have been widely accepted as the key conductive filler material due to their excellent electrical conductivity, malleability, chemical and mechanical stability. Here we for the first time introduce a scalable synthesis of the mono-dispersed silver dendrites with 3-D micro- and nano- structures, and their uses as the conductive filler for the electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) with ultralow silver content. These silver dendrites have a unique 3-D fractal structure, which are able to provide excellent low-temperature sintering ability due to the abundant nanostructures at the edge of the dendrite leaves. This feature renders them form excellent electrical percolation network with ultralow concentration (percolation threshold down to 20 wt%) in conventional engineering resins, which is currently the one with the lowest percolation threshold for the micro-metal-filler based ECAs. Thermal analysis (TGA/DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) suggest that the silver dendrite powders go through a sintering process at the temperature below 150°C, thus the adjacent dendrites are able to form effective ohmic conductance. Considering the low materials preparation cost and negligible environmental risk, this method suggests an effective way to develop environmentally benign materials for the flexible printed electronics devices.