Understanding glioblastoma stromal barriers against NK cell attack using tri-culture 3D spheroid model.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a highly aggressive tumor type with a dismal survival rate, has a poor outcome which is at least partly attributed to the crosstalk between cancer cells and cells from the tumor microenvironment such as astrocytes and microglia. We aimed to decipher the effect of these cells on GBM progression and on cell-based therapies using 3D co-cultures. Co-culturing of glioblastoma cells with patient-derived astrocytes or microglia or both formed dense and heterogeneous spheroids.

Ultrathin graphene oxide-based hollow fiber membranes with brush-like CO-philic agent for highly efficient CO capture.

Among the current CO capture technologies, membrane gas separation has many inherent advantages over other conventional techniques. However, fabricating gas separation membranes with both high CO permeance and high CO/N selectivity, especially under wet conditions, is a challenge. In this study, sub-20-nm thick, layered graphene oxide (GO)-based hollow fiber membranes with grafted, brush-like CO-philic agent alternating between GO layers are prepared by a facile coating process for highly efficient CO/N separation under wet conditions.

Three-Dimensional Porous Nitrogen-Doped NiO Nanostructures as Highly Sensitive NO₂ Sensors.

Nickel oxide has been widely used in chemical sensing applications, because it has an excellent p-type semiconducting property with high chemical stability. Here, we present a novel technique of fabricating three-dimensional porous nitrogen-doped nickel oxide nanosheets as a highly sensitive NO₂ sensor. The elaborate nanostructure was prepared by a simple and effective hydrothermal synthesis method.

Enhancement of recombination process using silver and graphene quantum dot embedded intermediate layer for efficient organic tandem cells.

High performance of organic tandem solar cell is largely dependent on transparent and conductive intermediate layer (IML). The current work reports the design and fabrication of an IML using a simple solution process. The efficiency of a homo-tandem device with poly(3-hexylthiophene):phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester as an active layer and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)/poly(ethylenimine) as an IML was initially found to be 3.

Fabrication of 3D structured ZnO nanorod/reduced graphene oxide hydrogels and their use for photo-enhanced organic dye removal.

Hybrid 3-dimensional (3D) structures composed of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods and reduced graphene oxide hydrogel (rGOH) were fabricated by chemical reaction between Zn ions and GO followed by in-situ lateral growth of ZnO nanorods using Zn ions as seed points. The 3D networked ZnO nanorod-rGOH (ZNR-rGOH) fabricated in this study exhibited excellent methylene blue (MB) removal efficiency due to efficient physical adsorption of dye molecules because of electrostatic attractive forces and enhanced photocatalytic activity by the laterally grown ZnO nanorods. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood rate constant of ZNR-rGOH was 4-fold higher than that of pristine rGO due to the enhanced photocatalytic effects obtained by incorporating laterally grown ZnO nanorods inside the rGOH network.

The rapid and enhanced reduction of graphene oxide by microwave assisted acid catalyzed reaction.

We report a novel synthetic route to fabricate reduced graphene oxide (rGO) from graphene oxide (GO) using a microwave assisted acid catalyzed reaction in organic solvent. The obtained rGO in this study exhibited 4 times higher electrical conductivity, less oxygen content and better ordered structure than that of conventional solvothermally fabricated ones. By using microwave irradiation, high quality rGO can be obtained in several minutes.

Fast and simple reduction of graphene oxide in various organic solvents using microwave irradiation.

The fabrication of graphene has been widely studied and chemical reduction is considered the most suitable approach to achieve large-scale production and graphene functionalization due to its versatility of chemical routes. We report here a fast and simple reduction of graphene oxide in various organic solvents using microwave irradiation. The reduction can be completed in several minutes, and the oxygen content and conductivity (10,000 S/m) of the reduced graphene oxide were comparable to the previously reported results which reported between 1 hr and 24 hrs for the reduction.

Controlled growth of ZnO nanomaterials via hydrothermal method: effect of buffer layer.

We report a facile solution-based method for the controlled growth of ZnO nanomaterials on an AIN/Si substrate. A ZnO buffer layer was coated on the substrate before growing the ZnO nano-materials. The shape of the ZnO nanomaterials changed from nanosheet to nanorod as the thickness of the ZnO buffer layer increased.