Tuning lithium-peroxide formation and decomposition routes with single-atom catalysts for lithium-oxygen batteries.

Lithium-oxygen batteries with ultrahigh energy density have received considerable attention as of the future energy storage technologies. The development of effective electrocatalysts and a corresponding working mechanism during cycling are critically important for lithium-oxygen batteries. Here, a single cobalt atom electrocatalyst is synthesized for lithium-oxygen batteries by a polymer encapsulation strategy.

Realizing Formation and Decomposition of LiO on Its Own Surface with a Highly Dispersed Catalyst for High Round-Trip Efficiency Li-O Batteries.

The rapid and effective formation and decomposition of LiO during cycling is crucial to solve the problems associated with the practical limitation of lithium-oxygen (Li-O) batteries. In this work, a highly dispersed electrocatalyst with Ru nanoclusters inside the special organic molecular cage (RuNCs@RCC3) through a reverse double-solvent method for Li-O batteries has been proposed for the first time. This RuNCs@RCC3 shows an effective catalyst enabling reversible formation and decomposition of the LiO at the interface between the LiO and the liquid electrolyte, rather than the sluggish solid-solid interface reactions on commonly used solid catalysts.

A novel color-tunable phosphor, NaGdF:Ln (Ln = Eu, Tb, Dy, Sm, Ho) sub-microcrystals: structure, luminescence and energy transfer properties.

Ln3+-Doped fluorides are economical and highly efficient luminescent materials, which play a crucial role in LEDs, biolabeling, and sensors. Therefore, Na5Gd9F32:Ln3+ sub-microspheres with tunable multicolor emissions were successfully synthesized via a simple water bath method employing colloidal Gd(OH)CO3 spheres as precursors. Samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS and PL.

Facile synthesis and color-tunable properties of monodisperse β-NaYF:Ln (Ln = Eu, Tb, Tm, Sm, Ho) microtubes.

In this study, monodisperse and uniform β-NaYF hexagonal microtubes were successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method without any organic surfactants, employing Y(OH)CO colloid spheres as precursors. The possible formation mechanism was studied on the basis of a series of time-dependent control experiments and its intrinsic crystal structure. The integrated emission intensity of β-NaYF:0.

Highly bright multicolour emission through energy migration in core/shell nanotubes.

This paper describes a simple and environmentally-friendly approach that allowed for the facile synthesis of a gadolinium-based core/shell/shell nanotube structure with a set of lanthanide ions incorporated into separated layers. In addition, by the rational design of a core/shell structure we systematically investigated the luminescence properties of different lanthanide ions in NaGdF4 host, and efficient down-conversion emission can be realized through gadolinium sublattice-mediated energy migration. The Gd(3+) ions play an intermediate role in this process.

Size-tailored synthesis and luminescent properties of three-dimensional BaMoO4 , BaMoO4 :Eu(3+) micron-octahedrons and micron-flowers via sonochemical route.

Almost monodisperse three-dimensional (3D) BaMoO4, BaMoO4 :Eu(3+) micron-octahedrons and micron-flowers were successfully prepared via a large-scale and facile sonochemical route without using any catalysts or templates. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersion X-ray (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy were employed to characterize the as-obtained products. It was found that size modulation could be easily realized by changing the concentrations of reactants and the pH value of precursors.

Self-assembled 3D sphere-like SrMoO4 and SrMoO4:Ln3+ (Ln=Eu, Sm, Tb, Dy) microarchitectures: facile sonochemical synthesis and optical properties.

Three-dimensional (3D) well-defined SrMoO4 and SrMoO4:Ln(3+) (Ln=Eu, Sm, Tb, Dy) hierarchical structures of obvious sphere-like shape have been successfully synthesized using a large-scale and facile sonochemical route without using any catalysts or templates. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to characterize the samples. The intrinsic structural feature of SrMoO4 and external factor, namely the ultrasonic time and the pH value, are responsible for the ultimate shape evolutions of the product.

Geniposide inhibits airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness in a mouse model of asthma.

Our group recently reported the strong anti-inflammatory effects of geniposide (Gen), a bioactive iridoid glucoside derived from gardenia jasminoides, in a mouse acute lung injury model. Herein, we hypothesized that Gen might also have potential therapeutic benefits in treatment of asthma, which was tested in a mouse model of ovalbumin (Ova)-induced allergic airway inflammation. Ova-sensitized and -challenged BALB/c mice, as compared with control animals, displayed airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophilia, mucus hypersecretion, and increased T help 2 (Th2)-associated cytokine and chemokine amounts, as well as serum Ova-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) level.

New secoiridoid glycosides from the roots of Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora.

Three new secoiridoid glycosides, named picrogentiosides A (1), B (2) and C (3), have been isolated from the underground parts of Picrorhiza Scrophulariiflora, together with the two known compounds plantamajoside (4) and plantainoside D (5). Their structures were established by spectroscopic analyses and comparisons with data from related compounds. A pilot pharmacological study showed that picrogentiosides A (1) and B (2) have an immunomodulatory effect in vitro.