Three-dimensional mesoporous PtM (M = Co, Cu, Ni) nanowire catalysts with high-performance towards methanol electro-oxidation reaction and oxygen reduction reaction.

Alloying with transition elements is proven to be an effective way to improve the methanol electro-oxidation reaction (MOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities of Pt catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Through a process of rapid solidification and two-step dealloying, we have successfully fabricated three-dimensional mesoporous PtM (M = Co, Cu, Ni) nanowire catalysts, which show much enhanced electrocatalytic properties towards MOR and ORR in comparison with the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Electrochemical tests indicate that alloying with Cu presents the best ORR activities, the half-wave potential of which is 42 mV positively shifted compared with the commercial Pt/C (0.

Terahertz Spectroscopy for Accurate Identification of Basing on Nonconjugated 24(R)-Pseudoginsenoside F.

is a perennial herbaceous plant that contains many beneficial ginsenosides with diverse pharmacological effects. 24(R)-pseudoginsenoside F is specific to . , a useful biomarker for distinguishing this species from other related plants.

Carbon doping switching on the hydrogen adsorption activity of NiO for hydrogen evolution reaction.

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is more sluggish in alkaline than in acidic media because of the additional energy required for water dissociation. Numerous catalysts, including NiO, that offer active sites for water dissociation have been extensively investigated. Yet, the overall HER performance of NiO is still limited by lacking favorable H adsorption sites.

Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Geothermal Fluids through Bacterial Cell Surface Adsorption.

The increasing demand for rare earth elements (REEs) in the modern economy motivates the development of novel strategies for cost-effective REE recovery from nontraditional feedstocks. We previously engineered E. coli to express lanthanide binding tags on the cell surface, which increased the REE biosorption capacity and selectivity.

Gaussian numerical analysis and terahertz spectroscopic measurement of homocysteine.

Homocysteine is an amino acid related to metabolism in human vivo, which is closely related to cardiovascular disease, senile dementia, bone fracture, et al. Currently, the usual medical test methods for homocysteine include high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which are time-consuming or expensive. In this paper, we first analyze the vibration and rotation of homocysteine molecules by using density functional theory, and then we ensure that the theoretical absorption peaks are located in the range of the terahertz spectrum.

Ultralight Conductive Silver Nanowire Aerogels.

Low-density metal foams have many potential applications in electronics, energy storage, catalytic supports, fuel cells, sensors, and medical devices. Here, we report a new method for fabricating ultralight, conductive silver aerogel monoliths with predictable densities using silver nanowires. Silver nanowire building blocks were prepared by polyol synthesis and purified by selective precipitation.

Paper-Based Electrodes for Flexible Energy Storage Devices.

Paper-based materials are emerging as a new category of advanced electrodes for flexible energy storage devices, including supercapacitors, Li-ion batteries, Li-S batteries, Li-oxygen batteries. This review summarizes recent advances in the synthesis of paper-based electrodes, including paper-supported electrodes and paper-like electrodes. Their structural features, electrochemical performances and implementation as electrodes for flexible energy storage devices including supercapacitors and batteries are highlighted and compared.

Dealloying assisted high-yield growth of surfactant-free <110> highly active Cu-doped CeO nanowires for low-temperature CO oxidation.

CeO is widely used as a commercial CO oxidation catalyst, but it suffers from high-temperature (>200 °C) complete conversion. Despite enormous efforts made to promote its low-temperature activity by interfacing CuO and CeO, it is still a long-standing challenge to balance the desired catalytic activity with high-yield preparation. Creating intimate synergistic interfaces between Cu and Ce species and exploring surfactant-free large-scale methods are both critical and challenging.

Amorphous Mixed-Valence Vanadium Oxide/Exfoliated Carbon Cloth Structure Shows a Record High Cycling Stability.

Previous studies show that vanadium oxides suffer from severe capacity loss during cycling in the liquid electrolyte, which has hindered their applications in electrochemical energy storage. The electrochemical instability is mainly due to chemical dissolution and structural pulverization of vanadium oxides during charge/discharge cyclings. In this study the authors demonstrate that amorphous mixed-valence vanadium oxide deposited on exfoliated carbon cloth (CC) can address these two limitations simultaneously.

Three-Dimensional Cu Foam-Supported Single Crystalline Mesoporous Cu2O Nanothorn Arrays for Ultra-Highly Sensitive and Efficient Nonenzymatic Detection of Glucose.

Highly sensitive and efficient biosensors play a crucial role in clinical, environmental, industrial, and agricultural applications, and tremendous efforts have been dedicated to advanced electrode materials with superior electrochemical activities and low cost. Here, we report a three-dimensional binder-free Cu foam-supported Cu2O nanothorn array electrode developed via facile electrochemistry. The nanothorns growing in situ along the specific direction of <011> have single crystalline features and a mesoporous surface.

Anodization of Pd in H₂SO₄ solutions: influence of potential, polarization time, and electrolyte concentration.

The anodization of Pd in H₂SO₄ solutions has been investigated by electrochemical measurements, considering the effect of the applied potential, polarization time, and electrolyte concentration. The anodization and subsequent reduction result in the formation of Pd nanostructures on the electrode surface. Compared to the bulk Pd, the anodization of Pd in H₂SO₄ solutions leads to different cyclic voltammetry (CV) behaviors including well-separated adsorption/desorption peaks in the hydrogen region and relatively larger reduction peak areas.