Polymer Ligands with Multi-Nitrogen Heterocyclic Carbenes for Enhanced Stability and Reactivity in Nanoparticle Surface Functionalization.

Nitrogen heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are emerging as effective substitutes for conventional thiol ligands in surface functionalization of nanoparticles (NPs), offering exceptional stability to NPs under harsh conditions. However, the highly reactive feature of NHCs limits their use in introducing chemically active groups onto the NP surface. Herein, we develop a general yet robust strategy for the efficient surface functionalization of NPs with copolymer ligands bearing various functional groups.

Tuning Electrical Conductivity and Ultrafast Optical Nonlinearity of Reduced-GO Films Ablated by Femtosecond Laser Direct Writing.

Carbon-based nanomaterials with excellent electrical and optical properties are highly sought after for a plethora of hybrid applications, ranging from advanced sustainable energy storage devices to opto-electronic components. In this contribution, we examine in detail the dependence of electrical conductivity and the ultrafast optical nonlinearity of graphene oxide (GO) films on their degrees of reduction, as well as the link between the two properties. The GO films were first synthesized through the vacuum filtration method and then reduced partially and controllably by way of femtosecond laser direct writing with varying power doses.

The role of inflammatory factors in mediating the causal effects of type 1 diabetes mellitus on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A two-step Mendelian randomization study.

While recent studies suggested a potential causal link between type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) but not type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the involved mechanism remains unclear. Here, using a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, we verified the causal relationship between the two types of diabetes mellitus and IPF and investigated the possible role of inflammation in the association between diabetes mellitus and IPF. Based on genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data of T1DM, T2DM, and IPF, the univariable MR, multivariable MR (MVMR), and mediation MR were successively used to analyze the causal relationship.

Study on the application of brine mixing method in lithium extraction from Zabuye salt lake, Tibet.

With the rapid development of new energy industry, the demand for lithium resources continues to rise. The salinity-gradient solar pond (SGSP) technology is used to extract the lithium carbonate from Zabuye salt lake brine in the Tibet Plateau of China. Years of production practice proved that due to the unsatisfactory quality and insufficient amount of lithium-rich brine used to make the SGSP, the yield and grade of lithium concentrate in the solar pond has been seriously affected.

Effects of humic acid on the growth and cadmium accumulation of maize ( L.) seedlings.

The increasing prevalence of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated agricultural soils threatens the safe production of maize ( L.). To decrease the Cd accumulation in maize, a pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of humic acid on the growth and Cd uptake of maize seedlings.