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Zinc metal anodes in aqueous electrolytes commonly face challenges such as dendrite growth and undesirable side reactions, limiting their application in the field of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) for energy storage. Drawing inspiration from industrial practices involving molybdenum salt solutions for metal modification, a polyoxometalate solution was formulated as a passivation solution for zinc anodes (referred to as MO solution). The formed passivation layer, referred to as the MO layer, exhibited a uniform and protective nature with a thickness of approximately 10 μm. The experimental results demonstrated that this passivation layer effectively suppressed side reactions at the zinc anode interface, as evidenced by lower corrosion current density for MO-Zn anodes. Additionally, the newly plated Zn was uniformly deposited atop the MO layer, ensuring coating integrity and inhibiting dendrite growth. As a result, under more demanding conditions such as a larger current of 8 mA cm -2 , the MO-Zn anode displayed an extended cycle life exceeding 420 h in a symmetric battery, with an overpotential as low as 98 mV. This performance significantly outperformed that of commercially available pure Zn foils (with a cycle life of 60 h and an overpotential of 192 mV). Notably, a self-made Na-doped V 2 O 5 served as the cathode (referred to as NaVO), forming the MO-Zn//NaVO full battery. Even under high current test conditions of 2 A/g, the specific capacity of the MO-Zn//NaVO full battery remained substantial at 152.83 mAh/g after 1000 cycles. Furthermore, pouch batteries assembled with NaVO//MO-Zn successfully illuminated small bulbs. This study offers a viable optimization strategy for AZIB anodes and demonstrates the potential of using polyoxometalate solution for etching zinc anodes to inhibit dendrite growth and interfacial corrosion of zinc metal anodes., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Precursor method is a well-known technology for preparing certain functional materials. In this work, a novel 3d-4f bimetallic organic framework, denoted as 45MCeCo (45 M representing 4,5-imidazole dicarboxylic acid), was successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal technique. The compound thus obtained has the molecular formula of C 10 H 11 CeCoN 4 O 12 . By meticulously controlling the amounts of the experimental materials, it was feasible to prepare flower-like crystals possessing identical single crystal structures and significantly larger specific surface areas. As a precursor for electrode materials, this structure underwent calcination at different temperatures to prepare Co 3 O 4 /CeO 2 composites with in situ composite heterostructures. Post-electrochemical tests revealed that CeO 2 remains unreactive across all potentials, thereby contributing to the stabilization of the electrode material structure. In contrast, Co 3 O 4 participated in redox reactions to provide a specific capacity to the sample. In addition, when comparing the performance of the electrode material under different calcination conditions, it became evident that the material exhibited optimal electrochemical performance when subjected to a temperature of 700 °C for 2 h., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have caused significant research attention due to their low redox potential of 0.76 V, high theoretical capacity of 820 mAh g -1 . However, the dendrite growth of zinc anode and the side reactions caused by water seriously affect the cycle life of AZIBs. To solve the above problems, a new method of etching zinc anodes with CuCl 2 salt solution was designed, which the zinc anode was named CZn. The process resulted to a uniformly distributed micro gully morphology on the zinc surface, and providing an increased number of nucleation sites for zinc deposition and reducing local current density. The calculation results of exchange current density and activation energy show that CZn has stronger Zn/Zn 2+ kinetic effect. At a current density of 5 mA cm -2 and an area capacity of 5 mAh cm -2 , cycle life of the CZn symmetrical cell can reach 500 h, which is more than seven times that of the raw Zn symmetrical cell. This work proposes a simple method of zinc anode protection, which provides a new idea for zinc metal anode protection., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) are receiving broad attention owing to their high safety and low cost. However, the high mechanical strength and irreversible growth of zinc dendrites limit the practical application of AZIBs. Herein, regular mesh-like gullies are built on the surface of zinc foil (M150 Zn) by using simple model pressing method and stainless steel mesh as a mold. Due to the charge-enrichment effect, zinc ion deposition and stripping will be preferentially carried out in the grooves to keep the outer surface flat. In addition, zinc is exposed to 002 crystal surface in the gully after being pressed, and the deposited zinc is more inclined to grow at a small angle, so that it has a sedimentary morphology parallel to the basement. Consequently, at a current density of 0.5 mA cm -2 , the M150 zinc anode has a voltage hysteresis of only 35 mV and a cycle life of up to 400 h (relative to a zinc foil of 96 mV and 160 h). Even more imposing is that the full cell has a capacity retention of approximately 100% after 1000 cycles at 2 A g -1 and a specific capacity of almost 60 mAh g -1 when activated carbon is used as the cathode. It is a promising method to improve the stable cycle performance of AZIBs by using a simple method to realize the non-prominent dendrites on the surface of zinc electrode., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Biomass-derived carbon (BC) has attracted extensive attention as anode material for lithium ion batteries (LiBs) due to its natural hierarchical porous structure and rich heteroatoms that can adsorb Li + . However, the specific surface area of pure biomass carbon is generally small, so we can help NH 3 and inorganic acid produced by urea decomposition to strip biomass, improve its specific surface area and enrich nitrogen elements. The nitrogen-rich graphite flake obtained by the above treatment of hemp is named NGF. The product that has a high nitrogen content of 10.12% has a high specific surface area of 1151.1 m 2  g -1 . In the lithium ion battery test, the capacity of NGF is 806.6 mAh g -1 at 30 mA g -1 , which is twice than that of BC. NGF also showed excellent performance that is 429.2 mAh g -1 under high current testing at 2000 mA g -1 . The reaction process kinetics is analyzed and we found that the outstanding rate performance is attributed to the large-scale capacitance control. In addition, the results of the constant current intermittent titration test indicate that the diffusion coefficient of NGF is greater than that of BC. This work proposes a simple method of nitrogen-rich activated carbon, which has a significantly commercial prospect., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Backgruound: The common reference intervals (RIs) for thyroid hormones currently used in China are provided by equipment manufacturers. This study aimed to establish thyroid hormone RIs in the population of Lanzhou, a city in the subplateau region of northwest China, and compare them with previous reports and manufacturer-provided values., Methods: In total, 3,123 individuals (1,680 men, 1,443 women) from Lanzhou, an iodine-adequate area of China, perceived as healthy were selected. The Abbott Architect analyzer was used to determine the serum concentration of thyroid hormones. The 95% RI was estimated using the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles as the lower and upper reference limits, respectively., Results: The serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), total triiodothyronine (TT3), antithyroglobulin (ATG) antibody, and antithyroid peroxidase (ATPO) antibody levels were significantly correlated with sex (P<0.05). TSH, total thyroxine (TT4), and ATPO levels were significantly correlated with age (P<0.05). The serum levels of TSH, ATG, and ATPO in men were significantly lower than in women; in contrast, the serum TT3 level was significantly higher in men than in women (P<0.05). Serum TSH, TT3, TT4, and ATG levels differed across age groups (P<0.05), but no such variation was observed for ATG levels (P>0.05). The established RIs of TSH, ATG, and ATPO in this study differed between sexes (P<0.05). The thyroid hormone RIs established herein were inconsistent with the manufacturer-provided values., Conclusion: The RIs of thyroid hormones in the healthy population of Lanzhou were inconsistent with those in the manufacturer's manual. Validated sex-specific values are required for diagnosing thyroid diseases.

The low ionic conductivity at room temperature and poor dimensional stability at high temperature of polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based solid electrolytes greatly limit the development and utilization of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs). To reconcile the contradiction between electrochemical performance and mechanical strength of PEO-based SPEs, a cross-linking structure with active -CH 2 CH 2 O- soft chains that doped with rigid segments is designed and prepared through a method of green ultraviolet irradiation without solvent. The obtained solid film shows a high ionic conductivity of 0.2 mS·cm -1 and an ionic transference number of 0.51 at room temperature. The activation energy value of 1.92 kJ·mol -1 gives evidence for a favorable migration mechanism of PTP-SPE. A combination of flexibility and strength can be realized by molecular structure design with a tensile elongation of 40%. The reversible overpotential in galvanostatic cycling over 500 h of a Li||Li symmetrical cell indicates that the compact PTP-SPE can inhibit the formation of lithium dendrites. This work provides a new strategy for designing high-performance composite solid electrolytes at room temperature., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

Because of different atomic arrangements and/or different exposed atoms on different surfaces of crystalline particles, different physical and chemical properties can be resulted and exhibited. In this work, we prepared BiOCl with {110} crystal facet by introducing urea as the structure-directing agent, and constructed oxygen vacancies (OVs) in BiOCl (110) to form BiOCl (110)-OV. Control of exposure surface can improve photocatalyst activity and the defect level caused by OVs can improve charge separation and light absorption, thereby further enhancing the production of free radicals and the activation of pollutants. Due to the synergistic effect of the hierarchical microsphere structure of BiOCl and OVs, the degradation rate of tetracycline hydrochloride (20 mg/L) in the presence of BiOCl (110)-OV can reach 95.1% after 15 min of the simulated sunlight illumination. This research provides novel ideas for the design and development of photocatalyst with hierarchical structure and oxygen vacancy defects., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

High electron transfer rates and a higher number of electron transfer active sites play important roles in inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. In the experiments described in this article, the g-C 3 N 4 /BC/Bi 25 FeO 40 composite material was prepared to use biochar (BC) as the conductive channel. The presence of BC significantly increases the electron transfer rate due to its excellent electrical conductivity and can provide more electron transfer active sites. At the same time, BC provides a larger surface area and has a loose porous structure, which lead to excellent adsorption performance. Based on various characterization results, it was confirmed that the Z-scheme heterojunction was successfully constructed between g-C 3 N 4 and Bi 25 FeO 40 . The photocatalytic experiment results showed that the degradation efficiency of g-C 3 N 4 /BC/Bi 25 FeO 40 on the tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) could reach 92.2% within 60 min. Parameters such as circulation stability, pH value of the solution and the amount of composite materials were studied. The synthesized composite material has good reusability and high efficiency in a wide pH range of 3-11. Its excellent photocatalytic activity is attributed to the formation of an effective Z-scheme heterostructure, as well as the rapid photoelectron transfer and excellent adsorption capacity of BC. This work provides a way to design new photocatalysts using semiconductor composite materials and BC materials., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mesoporous ZnCo 2 O 4 microsheets are successfully obtained by using a MOF as a precursor. Benefiting from the special structure with favorable electron-transfer and Li-ion diffusion properties, the sample calcined at 600 °C exhibits superior lithium storage capacity of 816.2 mA h g -1 at 100 mA g -1 after 100 cycles, which has great application potential.

Co 3 O 4 has been extensively studied as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its high theoretical capacity. However, during the charging-discharging processes, the issues of large volume change and low electric conductivity arise, which significantly limit the practical applications of Co 3 O 4 . To solve these issues, a Co 3 O 4 /CeO 2 heterostructure derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) was designed and synthesized through one-step microwave synthesis. Benefiting from the mesoporous structure and presence of hetero-components, Co 3 O 4 /CeO 2 having the molar ratio of Co/Ce = 5:1 (denoted as 5Co 3 O 4 /CeO 2 ) exhibits high reversible capacity and excellent cycling stability when used as an anode material for LIBs. Specifically, compared to a single-phase Co 3 O 4 anode, which shows a capacity of 538.6 mAh/g after 100 cycles, 5Co 3 O 4 /CeO 2 exhibits a higher capacity (1131.2 mAh/g at 100 mA/g). This study provides a novel strategy for using rare earth components to modify electrode materials., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Novel lithium-lanthanide (Ln: cerium and praseodymium) bimetallic coordination polymers with formulas C 10 H 2 LnLiO 8 (Ln: Ce (CeLipma) and Pr (PrLipma)) and C 10 H 3 CeO 8 (Cepma) were prepared through a simple hydrothermal method. The three compounds were characterized by means of FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, SEM, TEM, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results of structural refinement show that they belong to triclinic symmetry and P 1 ‾ space group with cerium (or praseodymium) and lithium cations, forming coordination bonds to oxygen atoms from different pyromellitic acid molecules, and leading to the construction of 3D structures. It is interesting to note that the frameworks exclude any coordination water and lattice water. As an electrode material for lithium-ion batteries, CeLipma exhibits a maximum capacity of 800.5 mAh g -1 and a retention of 91.4 % after 50 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g -1 . The favorable electrochemical properties of the lanthanide coordination polymers show potential application prospects in the field of electrode materials., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

AlN nanowires macro-array were successfully fabricated on Si substrate by double template method and chemical vapour deposition. The research shows that AlN nanowires array with different diameter, length and coverage can be prepared by controlling the experimental conditions. The as-prepared AlN nanowires array were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, the Ultraviolet absorption of AlN nanowires array as a sensors was investigated and calculated with the first principle.

In this study, we have reported nitrogen-doped graphite C coated Co nanocomposite (Co@CN) catalysts synthesized by one-step arc discharge method. The surface compositions, morphologies and the catalytic properties of the Co@CN nanocomposites were studied minutely. The results reveal that the prepared Co@CN nanocomposites have typical core-shell structure and show highly efficient catalytic performance in a reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), rhodamine and methylene blue. Their rate constant (K app ) is 0.074 s -1 in a reduction of 4-NP, which is much higher than that of reported transition metal-based catalysts. Moreover, the overpotential of Co@CN is only 96 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm -2 in alkaline solution, showing high electrocatalytic activities in the hydrogen evolution reaction. The excellent synergistic effect between nitrogen-doped graphite C shell and magnetic Co core enables the Co@CN nanocomposites catalysts to hold abundant active sites and to transmit rapidly electron ability, resulting in Co@CN nanocomposite catalysts having a highly efficient catalytic nature.

Disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an important pathological hallmark of ischemic stroke. Blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBD) is a consequence of ischemia and may also exacerbate damage to brain parenchyma. Therefore, maintaining BBB integrity is critical for the central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis. This review offers a concise overview of BBB structure and function, along with the mechanisms underlying its impairment following a stroke. In addition, we review the recent imaging techniques employed to study blood-brain barrier permeability (BBBP) in the context of ischemic brain injury with the goal of providing imaging guidance for stroke diagnosis and treatment from the perspective of the BBBD. This knowledge is vital for developing strategies to safeguard the BBB during cerebral ischemia., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

A nitrogen doped carbon matrix supported Cu 2 O composite material (Cu/Cu2O@NC) was fabricated successfully with a coordination polymer as precursor through calcination. In this composite material, Cu 2 O particles with a size of about 6-10 nm were dispersed evenly in the nitrogen doped carbon matrix. After calcination, some coordinated nitrogen atoms were doped in the lattice of Cu 2 O and replace oxygen atoms, thus generating a large number of oxygen vacancies. In Cu/Cu2O@NC, the existence of oxygen vacancies has been confirmed by electron spin resonance (ESR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Under visible light irradiation, Cu/Cu2O@NC exhibits excellent H 2 production with the rate of 379.6 μmol h -1 g -1 . Its photocatalytic activity affects organic dyes, such as Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO). In addition to photocatalysis, Cu/Cu2O@NC also exhibits striking catalytic activity in reductive conversion of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol with in presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ). The conversion efficiency reaches almost 100% in 250 s with the quantity of Cu/Cu2O@NC as low as 5 mg. The outstanding H 2 production and organic pollutants removal are attributed to the oxygen vacancy. We expect that Cu/Cu2O@NC will find its way as a new resource for hydrogen energy as well as a promising material in water purification.

Unique nanoporous Co 3 O 4 fibres and sheets were successfully fabricated via a facile hydrothermal route (150 °C) and subsequent annealing process at 500 °C in air. The excellent microwave absorption of the nanoporous Co 3 O 4 materials originates not only from the dielectric loss and impedance matching, but also from geometrical effects. Herein, the photocatalytic behavior of the as-prepared Co 3 O 4 has also been reported based on the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in an aqueous medium under simulated solar light.

Using bulky amides as the structure-directing agents (SDAs) is an alternative synthetic strategy for the exploration of crystalline large pore (≥12-membered ring) zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs). Specifically, by using the bulky amides, dibutylformamide (DBF) and dipropylformamide (DPF) as solvent and imidazole (Im) as a ligand, two ZIFs mimicking the CAN and AlPO-5 (AFI) zeotypes with 12-membered ring (MR) pore openings were synthesized, and denoted as CAN-[Zn(Im) 2 ] and AFI-[Zn(Im) 2 ], respectively. These two materials are the first known examples of Zn(Im) 2 polymorphs with 12-MR pores and AFI-[Zn(Im) 2 ] has the largest pore apertures reported to date for ZIF materials. The concept that the bulky amides used were not simply acting as the solvent, but were in fact acting as SDAs or templates during the synthesis of the large pore ZIFs, was suggested by the closeness of the geometrical fit between the guest DBF and the can cages (composite building units) of the CAN-[Zn(Im) 2 ].

Two novel metal pyridylmethylphosphonates, namely, [Co(4-pmp)] (1) and [Cu(4-pmp)(H2O)] (2), (4-pmpH2 = 4-pyridylmethylphosphonic acid), have been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. In compound 1, each {PO3C} tetrahedron is corner-shared with three {CoNO3} tetrahedra and vice versa, thus forming a one-dimensional (1-D) inorganic chain along the a axis containing 8-membered rings of [(Co-O-P-O)2]. The inorganic chains are further connected by a 4-pmp(2-) ligand, generating a 2-D layered structure. Compound 2 displays a three-dimensional (3-D) framework structure, in which the inorganic layers are pillared by the pyridyl groups of the ligand, generating a 3-D pillared-layered structure. The magnetic properties of 1 and 2 have been studied. Compounds 1 and 2 behave as metamagnets at low temperature. The critical fields are about 70 kOe for 1 and 47 kOe for 2 at 1.8 K.

Two new examples of uncommon three-dimensional Ca-bearing metal organic frameworks, [Ca(H2O)3(HPXBP)] (CaP1) and [Ca2(H2O)2(HPXBP)1.5] (CaP2) (PXBP: p-xylylenebisphosphonate), were prepared and their structures characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. CaP1 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group, with three water molecules occupying a half coordination sphere on one side of the Ca atom, while CaP2 crystallizes in the triclinic P1̅ space group, with two crystallographic unique Ca atoms, each coordinated by a single water molecule. In contrast with CaP2, which exhibits very low bioactivity, CaP1 readily precipitates bone-precursor phases (octacalcium phosphate, OCP, and hydroxyapatite) in SBF solutions. Moreover, studies with MG63 osteoblast-like cells indicate that CaP1 is not toxic and stimulates bone mineralization and, thus, holds considerable potential for treating bone diseases, such as osteoporosis.

Reactions of rare earth chlorides, N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetic acid (H(4)pmida) and ferrous oxalate dihydrate under ionothermal conditions result in four new isostructural 3d-4f heterometal coordination polymers, [LnFe(III)Fe(6)(Hpmida)(6)]·2H(2)O {Ln = Eu (1), Dy (2), Ho (3) and Y (4)}. All compounds were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The compounds feature a very interesting three dimensional (3-D) structure built up from a secondary building unit, [Fe(2)(Hpmida)(2)](2-) and possess a new topology type and complicated unique tilings. The catalytic properties of compounds 1-4 were investigated showing that these types of compounds are heterogeneous catalysts in the Knöevenagel condensation with high selectivity.

Understanding how temperature affects the electronic transitions of BFO is important for design of BiFeO3 (BFO)-based temperature-sensitive device. Hitherto, however, there have been only very limited reports of the quantitative simulation. Here, we used density functional theory (DFT) and two-dimensional correlation analysis (2D-CA) techniques to calculate the systematic variations in electronic transitions of BFO crystal, over a range of temperature (50~1500 K). The results suggest that the heat accumulation accelerates the O-2p(4) orbital splitting, inducing the Fe(3+)-3d(5) → Fe(2+)-3d(5)d(0) charge disproportionation. The origin is observed as the temperature-dependent electron transfer process changes from threefold degeneracy to twofold degeneracy. Additionally, the crystallographic orientation (111) can be used to control the 2p-hole-induced electronic transition as O → unoccupied Fe(3+)-3d(5), in comparison to the O → Bi-6p(3) + Fe(3+)-3d(5)d(0) on the orientations (001) and (101). This study offers new perspective on the improvement of BFO-based temperature-sensitive device.

By using a large-size amide, dibutylformamide (DBF), as a structure directing agent, a new zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) was synthesized. The ZIF Zn10(Im)20·4DBF has an unprecedented zeolitic topology and features 10 crystallographically independent Zn atoms, a 10-membered ring (MR) channel and an unusual 4-connected 10-nodal net.

H2V3O8 has been regarded as a compelling cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) owing to its elevated theoretical capacity, abundance of vanadium valence states, and advantageous layered configuration. Nonetheless, the intrinsically low conductivity and sluggish ionic reaction kinetics of H2V3O8 result in undesirable, constraining its broader implementation in AZIBs. In this study, a facile hydrothermal approach was utilized to prepare H2V3O8 nanowires with an abundance of oxygen vacancies. The combination of nanowire nanostructure and oxygen vacancies of the H2V3O8 offer improved ion diffusion kinetics and enhanced electronic conductivity, leading to a superior improved electrochemical performance. Particularly, the H2V3O8 nanowire cathodes with the optimal oxygen vacancy concentration (HVO-20) exhibit a specific capacity of 461.7 mAh g−1 at 0.3 A g−1 and exceptional cycle life of 198.8 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 1.0 A g−1. The investigation unveils the impact of oxygen vacancy vanadium-based oxides on the performance of AZIBs, presenting a viable strategy for advanced cathode materials in AZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The normal operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir, which involves periodic water storage and discharge, has led to strong disturbances in environmental conditions that alter soil microbial habitats in the riparian zones. Riparian zones are an important part of controlling pollution in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, since they act as a final ecological barrier that intercepts pollutants. Meanwhile, monitoring the health of microbial communities in the riparian zone is crucial for maintaining the ecological security of the reservoir area. We specifically investigate the Daning River, which are tributaries of the Three Gorges Reservoir and have typical riparian zones. Soil samples from these areas were subjected to high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and 18S rRNA genes, in order to obtain the characteristics of the present microbial communities under strong disturbances in the riparian zones. We studied the characteristics and distribution patterns of microbial communities and their relationship with soil physicochemical properties. The study results indicate that microbial communities exhibit high diversity and evenness, and spatial heterogeneity is present. The ASV dataset contains many sequences not assigned to known genera, suggesting the presence of new fungal genera in the riparian zone. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that pH and NH 4 + -N were the primary environmental factors driving bacterial community variation in the riparian zone, while pH, total carbon (TC) content, and NO 3 - -N were identified as the main drivers of soil archaeal community variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral porous inorganic materials, lanthanide pyrophosphates, were prepared from chiral porous metal-organic framework precursors, which upon thermal decomposition transpose their chirality and porosity onto the inorganic framework. It is argued that this synthesis concept may be extended to other chiral porous inorganic solids.

Reactions of lanthanide chlorides, copper hydroxycarbonate and 3,5-pyrazole dicarboxylic acid (H3pdc) under hydrothermal conditions result in six new 3d-4f heterometallic coordination polymers with two types of structures. Compounds [CuLn2(pdc)2(Hpdc)(H2O)4]·2H2O (Ln = Tb (1), Dy (2), Er (3), and Y (4) exhibit a layered porous structure, made up of Cu(II)Ln(III) di-nuclear units which are connected by protonated Hpdc(2-) ligand, while the others [Cu3Ln4(pdc)6(H2O)8] (Ln = Eu (5), Gd (6)) display a three-dimensional (3-D) framework structure, in which six Cu(II)Ln(III) di-nuclear units are cross-linked by two coordinated lanthanide atoms. The catalytic properties of 3 are investigated showing its activity and recyclability in the reaction of cyclopropanation of styrene.

Mixed zinc-lanthanide (Zn-Ln) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on the 3,5-pyrazoledicarboxylate ligand exhibit an unusual three-dimensional (3D) inorganic subnetwork and display highly efficient photoluminescence.

New chiral metal organic frameworks, assembled from Y(III), Na(I), and chiral flexible-achiral rigid dicarboxylate ligands, formulated as [NaY(Tart)(BDC)(H(2)O)(2)] (1) and [NaY(Tart)(biBDC)(H(2)O)(2)] (2) (H(2)Tart = Tartaric acid; H(2)BDC = Terephthalic acid; H(2)biBDC = Biphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid), were obtained as single phases under hydrothermal conditions. Their structures were solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), and characterized by (13)C CPMAS NMR, thermal analyses (thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)), and X-ray thermodiffractometry. Both compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic chiral space group C222(1) with a = 6.8854(2) A, b = 30.3859(7) A, c = 7.4741(2) A for 1, and a = 6.8531(2) A, b = 39.0426(8) A, c = 7.4976(2) A for 2. 1 and 2 are layered structures whose three-dimensional stability is ensured by strong hydrogen bond interactions. The dehydration of both compounds is accompanied by phase transformation, while the spontaneous rehydration process is characterized by different kinetics, fast in the case of 1 and slow for 2.

The supramolecular salt [H(2)pip](3)[Ge(hedp)(2)].14H(2)O (1) [H(2)pip(2+)=piperazine cation C(4)H(12)N(2)(2+); hedp(5-)=deprotonated form of etidronic acid, C(2)H(3)P(2)O(7)(5-)) is reported. This consists of an organic-inorganic hybrid hydrogen-bonded nanoporous framework, the internal surface of which acts as a template for the three-dimensional (3D) clustering of water molecules. The structure and molecular dynamics of this material are characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman (H/D isotopic substitution) spectroscopy, and (2)H solid-state (wide-line and MAS) NMR spectroscopy. Material 1 is shown to be unusual because 1) few nanoporous materials exhibit a well-organised 3D framework of water molecules, 2) it provides a unique opportunity to follow experimentally and to rationalise the deconstruction of a 3D water framework and 3) despite the fact that the hybrid framework is a supramolecular salt, the structure does not collapse after dehydration and the final material is crystalline.

As a main stream method of landscape pattern optimization, the ecological network plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem stability, improving landscape connectivity, and promoting landscape sustainable development. Based on landscape connectivity index and morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), a comprehensive evaluation system of ecological patches was constructed in the main river basin of Liao River, and ecological sources were extracted. According to the habitat characteristics of the study area, the ecological cumulative resistance surface was constructed, and the ecological corridors and nodes were extracted by the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model. The ecological network of the study area was comprehensively evaluated by using the network analysis method, and the importance level of the ecological corridor was divided by the gravity model, so as to put forward the optimization suggestions of the landscape pattern based on the ecological network. The results showed that the ecological network in the main river basin of Liao River is composed of 20 ecological sources, 108 ecological corridors, and 72 ecological nodes, with the distribution characteristics of dense east and sparse west. The main landscape components are cropland and woodland. The closure degree, line point rate, and connectivity index of the ecological network are 0.27, 1.50, and 0.51, respectively, and the cost ratio is 0.23. In the optimization of landscape pattern, priority should be given to the restoration of primary ecological sources and ecological corridors, followed by the ecological construction of secondary and tertiary ecological sources and ecological corridors, the rational use of engineering technology for habitat remodeling, and the adoption of the "patch-corridor-substrate" model to improve the stability and landscape connectivity of the regional ecosystem. The construction of ecological network in the main river basin of Liao River is of great significance to regional ecological security and biodiversity conservation, and provides data support for optimizing the landscape pattern of the basin and promoting regional sustainable development., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Isostructural modular microporous Na2[Y(hedp)(H2O)0.67] and Na4[Ln2(hedp)2(H2O)2].nH2O (Ln = La, Ce, Nd, Eu, Gd, Tb, Er) framework-type, and layered orthorhombic [Eu(H2hedp)(H2O)2].H2O and Na0.9[Nd0.9Ge0.10(Hhedp)(H2O)2], monoclinic [Ln(H2hedp)(H2O)].3H2O (Ln = Y, Tb), and triclinic [Yb(H2hedp)].H2O coordination polymers based on etidronic acid (H5hedp) have been prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and characterized structurally by (among others) single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR. The structure of the framework materials comprises eight-membered ring channels filled with Na+ and both free and lanthanide-coordinated water molecules, which are removed reversibly by calcination at 300 degrees C (structural integrity is preserved up to ca. 475 degrees C), denoting a clear zeolite-type behavior. Interesting photoluminescence properties, sensitive to the hydration degree, are reported for Na4[Eu2(hedp)2(H2O)2].H2O and its fully dehydrated form. The 3D framework and layered materials are, to a certain extent, interconvertable during the hydrothermal synthesis stage via the addition of HCl or NaCl: of the 3D framework Na4[Tb2(hedp)2(H2O)2].nH2O, affords layered [Tb(H2hedp) (H2O)].3H2O, whereas layered [Tb(H2hedp)(H2O)2].H2O reacts with sodium chloride yielding a material similar to Na4[Tb2(hedp)2(H2O)2].nH2O. In layered [Y(H2hedp)(H2O)].3H2O, noncoordinated water molecules are engaged in cooperative water-to-water hydrogen-bonding interactions, leading to the formation of a (H2O)13 cluster, which is the basis of an unprecedented two-dimensional water network present in the interlayer space.

The title compound, [Zn(2)V(2)(C(5)H(6)NO(7)P)(2)O(2)(H(2)O)(10)]·2H(2)O, contains a [V(2)O(2)(pmida)(2)](4-) dimeric anionic unit [where H(4)pmida is N-(phosphono-meth-yl)imino-diacetic acid] lying on a centre of symmetry which is exo-coordinated via the two deprotonated phospho-nate groups to two Zn(2+) cations, with the coordination environment of Zn completed by five water mol-ecules. The crystal packing is mediated by an extensive network of strong and highly directional O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the water mol-ecules (coordinated and uncoordinated) and the functional groups of pmida(4-), leading to a three-dimensional supra-molecular network.

The hydrothermal synthesis and structural characterization of a number of complex compounds containing the divalent tris(oxalato-O,O')germanate anion, [Ge(C2O4)3]2-, or the neutral bis(oxalate-O,O')germanium fragment, [Ge(C2O4)2], with transition-metal (M) cationic complexes of 1,10'-phenanthroline (phen) is reported: [M(phen)3][Ge(C2O4)3].xH2O [where M2+ = Cu2+ (1a and 1b), Fe2+ (2a and 2b), Ni2+ (3), Co2+ (4); x = 0.2 for 2b], [MGe(phen)2(mu2-OH)2(C2O4)2] [where M2+ = Cd2+ (5) and Cu2+ (6)]. The isolation of two polymorphs with Cu2+ (1a and 1b) and other pseudo-polymorphs for Fe2+ (2a and 2b) was rationalized based on slightly different molar ratios for the starting materials. All compounds have been characterized using EDS, SEM, vibrational spectroscopy (FT-IR and FT-Raman), thermogravimetry, and CHN elemental composition and their structure determined on the basis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The crystal packing of the different chemical moieties for each series of compounds was discussed on the basis of the various intermolecular interactions present (strong C-H...pi and weak C-H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions, C-H...pi and pi-pi contacts).

Background and purpose: Early blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) can be detected on perfusion computed tomography (PCT) images before undergoing reperfusion therapy. In this study, we aimed to determine whether early disruption of the BBB predicts intracranial hemorrhage transformation (HT) in patients with AIS undergoing endovascular therapy and further identify factors influencing BBB disruption. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed general clinical and imaging data derived from 159 consecutive patients with acute anterior circulation stroke who were admitted to the Department of Neurology of the First Hospital of Jilin University, and who underwent endovascular treatment between January 1, 2021, and March 31, 2023. We evaluated the relationship between BBB destruction and intracranial HT before endovascular reperfusion therapy and examined the risk factors for early BBB destruction. Results: A total of 159 patients with assessable BBB leakage were included. The median (interquartile range, IQR) age was 63 (54-70) years, 108 (67.9%) patients were male, and the median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NHISS) score was 12 (10-15). Follow-up non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) detected HT in 63 patients. After logistic regression modeling adjustment, we found that BBB leakage in the true leakage area was slightly more than 2-fold risk of HT (odds ratio [OR], 2.01; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-3.92). Heart rate was also associated with HT (OR, 1.03, 95% CI, 1.001.05). High Blood-brain barrier permeability (BBBP) in the true leakage area was positively correlated with infarct core volume (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05). Conclusion: Early BBB destruction before endovascular reperfusion therapy was associated with HT, whereas high BBBP correlated positively with infarct core volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative analysis with methyl ammonium lead iodide and methyl ammonium tin iodide as absorber layers in a perovskite solar cell (PSC) is done through modelling and simulation in SCAPS-1D. Four lead-based and lead-free models with similar transporting layers are optimized with respect to the donor and acceptor densities of transporting layers as well as absorber keeping other parameters like total defect density and thickness same. It is observed that lead-free tin-based PSCs shows best performance than the lead-based PSC with similar transporting materials. With Cu2O and TiO2 as hole and electron transport layers respectively, lead and lead-free PSC exhibits 20.18 and 28.76% conversion efficiencies. On the other hand, CuI and PCBM taken as corresponding layers the conversion efficiencies reach 17.86 and 24.16% efficiencies for lead and lead-free PSCs respectively. The study enforces the use of non-toxic lead-free PSC with better performance than lead-based PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, VO2/V2O5 heterostructures were successfully prepared by a hydrothermal and in-situ sintering procedure and were studied as aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs). The novel heterostructure plays a critical role in controlling electrochemical performance. X‒ray diffraction analysis showed that the heterostructures were composed mainly of the orthorhombic VO2 and monoclinic V2O5 phases. Compared with pristine VO2 and V2O5, the VO2/V2O5 heterostructure showed excellent electrochemical properties when applied as a cathode for AZIBs. The cathode materials showed a high specific capacity of 453.6 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1, considerable rate performance and capacity retention of 85.6% after 800 cycles at a scan rate of 1 A g−1. The X‒ray photoelectron spectra indicated the chemical components and elemental valence and the impedance analysis indicated the charge transfer kinetics. The method proposed herein provides a strategy for designing AZIBs with high capacity and fast ion diffusion rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compound formulated as (C4H12N2)[Ge2(pmida)2(OH)2] x 4 H2O (where pmida(4-) = N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetate and C4H12N2(2+) = piperazinedium cation), containing the anionic [Ge2(pmida)2(OH)2]2- complex, has been synthesised by the hydrothermal approach and its structure determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Several high-resolution solid-state magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR techniques, in particular two-dimensional 1H-X(13C,31P) heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) and 1H-1H homonuclear correlation (HOMCOR) experiments incorporating a frequency-switched Lee-Goldburg (FS-LG) decoupling scheme, have been employed for the first time in such a material. Using these tools in tandem affords an excellent general approach to study the structure of other inorganic-organic hybrids. We assigned the NMR resonances with the help of C...H and P...H internuclear distances obtained through systematic statistical analyses of the crystallographic data. The compound was further characterised by powder X-ray diffraction techniques, IR and Raman spectroscopy, and by elemental and thermal analyses (thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry).

Ongoing rapid urbanization has triggered significant changes in land use, rendering landscape patterns adversely impacted and certain habitat patches degraded. Ecological networks have consequently contracted overall. As such, an investigation into how land-use landscape patterns and ecological networks change over time and space is of major significance for ecological restoration and regional sustainability. Taking Xuzhou Planning Area as a case study, we examined spatiotemporal changes and features of the landscape pattern by employing the land-use change degree, the land-use transition matrix, and quantified landscape pattern indices. An ecological network analysis, which studies the changes in network connectivity and robustness, as well as their causes and contributors, was undertaken to probe into the features and trends of spatiotemporal changes in the land-use landscape pattern and ecological network amid expeditious urbanization. Analysis results unveiled the following: (1) From 1985 to 2020, there was a decline in the area of farmland, forest, and grassland, accompanied by an increase in land for construction, water bodies, and unused land. The southwestern research area witnessed farmland substantially give way to land for construction for this period, and the most dramatic change in land use occurred between 2000 and 2010. (2) The area of dominant patches in the research area shrank, along with more fragmented, complex landscapes. The land for construction was emerging as the dominant landscape by area, whereas patches of farmland, forest, grassland, and water bodies became less connected. (3) The ecological network was densely linked in the northeast, with sparser connections in the southwest. Spatial shrinkage was observed in the research area's southwestern and central ecological corridors. Overall, the number of ecological sources and corridors rose and subsequently dropped before a rebound. (4) The ecological network grew more connected and robust from 1985 through 1990, as portions of farmland were converted into water bodies, which led to an increase in ecological sources. Given a reduction in ecological sources and corridors in the southwestern and central regions between 1990 and 2010, network connectivity and robustness declined, which was reversed from 2010 onward with the addition of two ecological sources—Pan'an Lake and Dugong Lake. With an optimal ecological network in 1990, however, it deteriorated significantly by 2010. The research area saw the minimum value of its network connectivity indices of network stability index (α), evenness index (β), and connectivity index (γ), in 2010, when its ecological network was highly fragmented and vulnerable, attributing to a strong contrast between the maximal connected subgraph's relative size and connectivity robustness. The research findings can lay scientific groundwork for addressing ecological issues, restoring landscape patterns, and developing ecological networks amid urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The water-level-fluctuating zone (WLFZ) is the buffer zone of energy and material exchange between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Artificial vegetation restoration of WLFZ can improve the interception capacity of P pollution. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of artificial vegetation restoration on the bioavailability of soil phosphorus (P) in the WLFZ. Material and methods: Soil samples from different spatial locations (natural vegetation zone, artificial vegetation restoration zone) and different altitudes of the WLFZ were collected in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) region, Chongqing, China. Soil P fraction, microbial biomass P (MBP), and phosphatase activity were measured. Results and discussion: Artificial vegetation restoration changed the spatial distribution patterns of soil bioavailable P (Bio-P) in the WLFZ. The soil bioavailable inorganic P (Bio-Pi) in the artificial vegetation restoration zone was significantly higher than those at the natural vegetation zone (p < 0.05) and its content decreased with the decrease of altitude. The content of bioavailable organic P (Bio-Po) in the two transects was not significantly different in general, but was different at different altitudes. Phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity was negatively correlated with Bio-Po in artificial vegetation restoration zone (p < 0.01, R2 = 0.21), but significantly positively correlated with in natural vegetation zone (p < 0.05, R2 = 0.17); this suggests that the relationship between Bio-Po and PDE activity was altered by vegetation restoration. Moreover, the factors controlling the bioavailability of P in the WLFZ are discussed. Conclusion: Artificial vegetation restoration and altitude are the control factors of soil P fractions and bioavailability in WLFZ. Vegetation restoration can increase soil TP and Bio-Pi in general but has little effect on Bio-Po. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyaniline (PANI) is one of the most utilized conducting polymers for energy storage applications due to its ease of processing, flexibility, environmental friendliness and high theoretical pseudocapacitance. However, the major limitation to the use of the PANI material for energy storage and conversion purposes has been its poor cyclability and poor capacity retention, which normally results during the charge–discharge process of the electrode. The introduction of dopants and reinforcing materials are valid ways of solving these challenges. This review study focusses on PANI and its composites as energy storage materials, and the work done so far to improve their mechanical, thermal and electrochemical performance. Emphasis will be given on PANI-carbon composite, PANI-acid-doped and other nanocomposites of PANI with carbon materials and metal compounds. The review also includes the effects of concentration and processing techniques on the properties and performance of the PANI composite supercapacitor electrodes. Finally, the authors end the review with advances in the performance of PANI composites as energy storage material, challenges and recommendations for future improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China prioritizes ecological civilization construction and embraces the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." Great achievements have been made in ecological protection and restoration through implementing a series of policies and projects. This paper reviews the history of ecological restoration in China and the current development of the "integrated protection and restoration project of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts (IPRP)." Furthermore, the characteristics of IPRP were systematically elaborated from the perspectives of the ecological civilization thought, the policy management, and the key scientific issues. Also, the current achievements were summarized in the fields of national ecological space management, biodiversity conservation, and ecological protection and restoration. Existing challenges in management policy, scientific issues, and engineering practices were highlighted. Future perspectives include ecological space control, nature-based Solutions, biodiversity big data platform, modern techniques, and value realization mechanisms of ecological products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and hybrids with biomaterial are broadly investigated for a variety of applications. In this work, a novel dual-phase MOF has been grown on bacterial cellulose (BC) as a biopolymer nano-fibrous film (Ni/Mn-MOF@BC), and nickel foam (Ni/Mn-MOF@NF) using a simple reflux method to explore their potential for photocatalyst and energy storage applications. The studies showed that the prepared Mn and Ni/Mn-MOFs display different structures. Besides, the growth of MOFs on BC substantially changed the morphology of the samples by reducing their micro sized scales to nanoparticles. The nanosized MOF particles grown on BC served as a visible-light photocatalytic material. Regarding the high surface area of BC and the synergistic effect of two metal ions, Ni/Mn-MOF@BC with a lower band gap demonstrates remarkable photocatalytic degradation efficiency (ca. 84% within 3 h) against methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light, and the catalyst retained 65% of its initial pollutant removal properties after four cycles of irradiation. Besides, MOF powders deposited on nickel foam have been utilized as highly capacitive electrochemical electrodes. There, Ni/Mn-MOF@NF electrode also possesses outstanding electrochemical properties, showing a specific capacitance of 2769 Fg−1 at 0.5 Ag−1, and capacity retention of 94% after 1000 cycles at 10 Ag−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiFePO4, one of the mainstream cathode materials of current EV batteries, exhibits experimental diffusion coefficients (Dc) of Li+ which are not only several orders of magnitude lower than those predicted by the ionic hopping barriers obtained from theoretical calculations and spectroscopic measurements, but also span several orders from 10−14 to 10−18 cm2 s−1 under different states of charge (SOC) and the charging rates (C-rates). Atomic level understanding of such sluggishness and diversity of Li+ transport kinetics would be of significance in improving the rate performance of LiFePO4 through material and operation optimization but remain challenging. Herein, we show that the high sensitivity of Li hopping barriers on the local Li–Li coordination environments (numbers and configurations) plays a key role in the ion transport kinetics. This is due a neural network-based deep potential (DP) which allows accurate and efficient calculation of hopping barriers of Li+ in LiFePO4 with various Li–Li coordination environments, with which the kinetic Monte-Carlo (KMC) method was employed to determine the Dc values at various C-rates and SOC across a broad spectrum. Especially, an accelerated KMC simulation strategy is proposed to obtain the Dc values under a wide range of SOC at low C-rates, which agree well with that obtained from the galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT). The present study provides accurate descriptions of Li+ transport kinetics at both very high and low C-rates, which remains challenging to experiments and first-principles calculations, respectively. Finally, it is revealed that the gradient distributions of Li+ density along the diffusion path result in great asymmetry in the barriers of the forward and backward hopping, causing very slow diffusion of Li+ and the diverse variation of Dc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With expanding the working frequency of 5G wireless communication equipment to high-frequency millimeter wave, exploring microwave dielectric ceramics with low relative permittivity (εr < 15) and high quality factor have become a current research hotspot. In this paper, the crystal structure of NaSrLa(WO4)3 (NSLW) ceramics prepared by a solid state reaction method were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD and Rietveld refinement results confirmed the formation of tetragonal NSLW single-phase with I41/a space group. The relationship between the microwave dielectric properties and sintering temperature of NSLW ceramics was investigated. The εr and quality factor were affected by bulk density, packing fraction and cation ordering degree, respectively. The τf value was related to the bonding valence of W–O. The vibration characteristics were studied by Raman spectroscopy, and WO4 vibration was dominant. NSLW ceramics sintered at 1225 °C show excellent dielectric properties: εr = 8.81, Q×f = 56,056 GHz (at 11.48 GHz), τf = − 54.82 ppm/°C. By compounding with CaTiO3, a near-zero τf were obtained for 0.92NSLW−0.08CaTiO3 composite ceramics with optimized performance (εr = 13.38, Q×f = 8928 GHz, τf = − 0.39 ppm/°C) sintered at 1250 °C, exhibiting potential application prospects in 5G technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]