Impact of Metal Source Structure on the Electrocatalytic Properties of Polyacrylonitrile-Derived Co-N-Doped Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) plays a central role in energy conversion and storage technologies. A promising alternative to precious metal catalysts are non-precious metal doped carbons. Considerable efforts have been devoted to cobalt-doped carbonized polyacrylonitrile catalysts, but the optimization of their catalytic performance remains a key challenge.

Active Sites Regulation and Mass Production of a Hierarchically Porous Fe-N-C Catalyst for Zinc-Air Batteries.

Although the iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe-N-C) catalyst has great potential in zinc-air batteries (ZABs), the insufficient performance and low production of the Fe-N-C catalyst are still the key factors that greatly limit the commercial application. In this study, first, a simple dual melt-salt template method is developed to prepare the hierarchically porous HPFe-N-C catalyst with abundant highly stable Fe-pyridinic-N sites. Then, HPFe-N-C and Fe-phenanthroline are mixed and heated for the mass production of THPFe-N-C with rich highly active Fe-pyrrolic-N sites.

Vanadate-Mediated Mismatch Configuration over the Reconstructed Nickel-Iron Electrocatalyst for Boosting Alkaline Oxygen Evolution.

During the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), catalyst candidates that can fully trigger self-reconstruction to derive active species with favorable configurations are expected to overcome the sluggish reaction kinetics. Herein, we innovatively propose the introduction of heterogeneous vanadate dopants into nickel-iron alloy precatalysts, where the crystal mismatch structure induces local electron delocalization in the hexagonal close packed alloy phase, thereby facilitating adequate electrochemical reconstruction to form (oxy)hydroxides as the real catalytic species. Simultaneously, the participation of vanadate in the reconstruction also triggers mismatch in the derived (oxy)hydroxides, reinforcing the metal-oxygen covalence, so that lattice oxygen activation is kinetically favorable and facilitates the OER via the lattice oxygen pathway.

Nitrogen, sulfur co-coordinated iron single-atom catalysts with the optimized electronic structure for highly efficient oxygen reduction in Zn-air battery and fuel cell.

Atomically dispersed iron-nitrogen-carbon (FesbndNsbndC) materials have been considered ideal catalysts for the oxygen reduction. Unfortunately, designing and adjusting the electronic structure of single-atom Fe sites to boost the kinetics and activity still faces grand challenges. In this work, the coordination environment engineering is developed to synthesize the Fe/NSC catalyst with the tailored N, S co-coordinated Fe atomic site (Fe-NS site).

All-Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells: Defect Regulation and Emerging Applications in Extreme Environments.

All-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs), such as CsPbX, have garnered considerable attention recently, as they exhibit superior thermodynamic and optoelectronic stabilities compared to the organic-inorganic hybrid PSCs. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of CsPbX PSCs is generally lower than that of organic-inorganic hybrid PSCs, as they contain higher defect densities at the interface and within the perovskite light-absorbing layers, resulting in higher non-radiative recombination and voltage loss. Consequently, defect regulation has been adopted as an important strategy to improve device performance and stability.

High selective electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to ethylene enabled by regulating the microenvironment over Cu-Ag nanowires.

Copper-based tandem catalysts are effective candidates for yielding multi-carbon (C2+) products in electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CORR). However, these catalysts still face a significant challenge regarding in the low selectivity for the production of a specific product. In this study, we report a high selectivity of 77.

Experimental and Theoretical Study of the New Leveler Basic Blue 1 during Copper Superconformal Growth.

A novel chlorinated functional group-modified triphenylmethane derivative leveler BB1 is used to achieve superconformal electrodeposition in microvias. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are performed to study the suppressing effect of BB1, while the convection-dependent adsorption of BB1 on the copper surface is analyzed by galvanostatic measurement, and a BB1 concentration window between 100 and 200 mg/L is beneficial for superfilling. The interactions among BB1, bis-(sodium sulfopropyl) disulfide (SPS), and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) are also investigated.

Coexisting Fe single atoms and nanoparticles on hierarchically porous carbon for high-efficiency oxygen reduction reaction and Zn-air batteries.

Fe single-atom catalysts still suffer from unsatisfactory intrinsic activity and durability for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, the coexisting Fe single atoms and nanoparticles on hierarchically porous carbon (denoted as Fe-FeN-C) are prepared via a Zn(OH)(CO)-assisted pyrolysis strategy. Theoretical calculation reveals that the Fe nanoparticles can optimize the electronic structures and d-band center of Fe active center, hence reducing the reaction energy barrier for enhancing intrinsic activity.

Key Roles of Interfacial OH ion Distribution on Proton Coupled Electron Transfer Kinetics Toward Urea Oxidation Reaction.

Enhancing alkaline urea oxidation reaction (UOR) activity is essential to upgrade renewable electrolysis systems. As a core step of UOR, proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) determines the overall performance, and accelerating its kinetic remains a challenge. In this work, a newly raised electrocatalyst of NiCoMoCuO H with derived multi-metal co-doping (oxy)hydroxide species during electrochemical oxidation states is reported, which ensures considerable alkaline UOR activity (10/500 mA cm at 1.

Solvent environment engineering to synthesize FeNC nanocubes with densely Fe-N sites as oxygen reduction catalysts for Zn-air battery.

Zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF)-derived iron-nitrogen-carbon (FeNC) materials are expected to be high-efficiency catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, increasing the density of active sites while avoiding metal accumulation still faces significant challenges. Herein, solvent environment engineering is used to synthesize the FeNC containing dense Fe-N moieties by adjusting the solvent during the ZIF precursor synthesis process.

Construction of Self-Supporting NiCoFe Nanotube Arrays Enabling High-Efficiency Alkaline Oxygen Evolution.

Enhancing the intrinsic activity and modulating the electrode-electrolyte interface microenvironment of nickel-based candidates are essential for breaking through the sluggish kinetics limitation of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a ternary nickel-cobalt-iron solid solution with delicate hollow nanoarrays architecture (labeled as NiCoFe-NTs) was designed and fabricated via a ZnO-templated electrodeposition strategy. Owing to the synergistic nanostructure and composition feature, NiCoFe-NT presents desirable alkaline OER performance, with a η and η of 187 and 310 mV, respectively, along with favorable long-term durability.

Bimetallic co-doping engineering over nickel-based oxy-hydroxide enables high-performance electrocatalytic oxygen evolution.

Enhancing the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance is essential to realize practical energy-saving water electrolysis and CO electroreduction. Herein, we report a bimetallic co-doping engineering to design and fabricate nickel-cobalt-iron collaborative oxy-hydroxide on nickel foam that labeled as NiCoFeOH-NF. As expected, NiCoFeOH-NF exhibits an outstanding OER activity with current density of 10 mA cm at 194 mV, Tafel slope of 53 mV dec, along with the robust long-term stability, which is significantly better than bimetallic NiCo and NiFe combinations.

Synergistic doping and structural engineering over dendritic NiMoCu electrocatalyst enabling highly efficient hydrogen production.

The development of non-precious metal electrocatalysts with remarkable activity is a major objective for achieving high-efficiency hydrogen generation. Here, a trimetallic electrocatalyst with a dendritic nanostructure, which is denoted as NiMoCu-NF, was fabricated on nickel foam a gas-template electrodeposition strategy. By virtue of the metallic doping and structural optimization, NiMoCu-NF exhibits superior HER electrocatalytic activity with an overpotential of 52 mV at 10 mA cm.

Synergistic Interfacial and Doping Engineering of Heterostructured NiCo(OH)-CoW as an Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalyst.

To achieve high efficiency of water electrolysis to produce hydrogen (H), developing non-noble metal-based catalysts with considerable performance have been considered as a crucial strategy, which is correlated with both the interphase properties and multi-metal synergistic effects. Herein, as a proof of concept, a delicate NiCo(OH)-CoW catalyst with a bush-like heterostructure was realized via gas-template-assisted electrodeposition, followed by an electrochemical etching-growth process, which ensured a high active area and fast gas release kinetics for a superior hydrogen evolution reaction, with an overpotential of 21 and 139 mV at 10 and 500 mA cm, respectively. Physical and electrochemical analyses demonstrated that the synergistic effect of the NiCo(OH)/CoW heterogeneous interface resulted in favorable electron redistribution and faster electron transfer efficiency.

Correction: Complexing agent study computational chemistry for environmentally friendly silver electrodeposition and the application of a silver deposit.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/C4RA05869K.].

miR‑654‑3p suppresses cell viability and promotes apoptosis by targeting RASAL2 in non‑small‑cell lung cancer.

Non‑small‑cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 80% of lung cancer cases, and is the leading cause of cancer‑associated mortality worldwide. The present study aimed to investigate the roles of microRNA (miR)‑654‑3p in NSCLC. The expression levels of miR‑654‑3p and its target ras protein activator like 2 (RASAL2) mRNA were determined by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction; protein expression was analyzed by western blotting.

A theoretical study of atomically dispersed MN/C (M = Fe or Mn) as a high-activity catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Carbon-based, non-noble metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are crucial for the large-scale application of metal-air batteries and fuel cells. Density functional theory calculations were performed to explore the potential of atomically dispersed MN4/C (M = Fe or Mn) as an ORR catalyst in an acidic electrolyte and the ORR mechanism on MN4/C was systematically studied. The results indicated MN4 as the active site of MN4/C and a four-electron OOH transformation pathway as the preferred ORR mechanism on the MN4/C surface.

Transition Metal and Nitrogen Co-Doped Carbon-based Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction: From Active Site Insights to the Rational Design of Precursors and Structures.

Considering the urgent requirement for clean and sustainable energy, fuel cells and metal-air batteries have emerged as promising energy storage and conversion devices to alleviate the worldwide energy challenges. The key step in accelerating the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics at the cathode is to develop cost-effective and high-efficiency non-precious metal catalysts, which can be used to replace expensive Pt-based catalysts. Recently, the transition metal and nitrogen co-doped carbon (M-N /C) materials with tailored morphology, tunable composition, and confined structure show great potential in both acidic and alkaline media.

STK31 regulates the proliferation and cell cycle of lung cancer cells via the Wnt/β‑catenin pathway and feedback regulation by c‑myc.

Lung cancer, which is a leading cause of cancer‑related deaths, is diagnosed at a male to female ratio of 2.1:1. Serine‑threonine kinase 31 (STK31) is a novel cancer/testis (CT)‑related gene that is highly expressed in several types of cancers, such as lung and colorectal cancer, and plays crucial roles in cancer.

Graphite N-C-P dominated three-dimensional nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped holey graphene foams as high-efficiency electrocatalysts for Zn-air batteries.

The search for metal-free catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) in energy storage and conversion devices, such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries, is highly desirable but challenging. Here, we have designed and synthesized controllable 3D nitrogen and phosphorous co-doped holey graphene foams (N,P-HGFs) as a high-efficiency ORR catalyst through structural regulation and electronic engineering. The obtained catalyst shows a half-wave potential of 0.

miR‑140‑5p regulates cell migration and invasion of non‑small cell lung cancer cells through targeting VEGFA.

Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer worldwide, the most prevalent form of which is non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MicroRNAs (miRs) are involved in the progression of NSCLC; however, the specific function of miR‑140‑5p in NSCLC remains unclear. The present study demonstrated that miR‑140‑5p was downregulated in the tumor tissues of patients with NSCLC, and it was associated with a poor prognosis.

Superior cycle performance and high reversible capacity of SnO2/graphene composite as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

SnO2/graphene composite with superior cycle performance and high reversible capacity was prepared by a one-step microwave-hydrothermal method using a microwave reaction system. The SnO2/graphene composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The size of SnO2 grains deposited on graphene sheets is less than 3.

A combined theoretical and experimental study for silver electroplating.

A novel method combined theoretical and experimental study for environmental friendly silver electroplating was introduced. Quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were employed for predicting the behaviour and function of the complexing agents. Electronic properties, orbital information, and single point energies of the 5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DMH), nicotinic acid (NA), as well as their silver(I)-complexes were provided by quantum chemical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT).