Two-dimensional ZIF-L derived dual Fe/FeN sites for synergistic efficient oxygen reduction in alkaline and acid media.

Fe-N-C catalysts have emerged as the most promising alternatives to commercial Pt/C catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to their cost-effectiveness and favorable activity. Herein, a dual-site Fe/FeN-NC catalyst was synthesized via a green, in situ doping strategy using two-dimensional Fe-doped ZIF-L as a nitrogen-rich precursor. The catalyst integrated Fe nanoparticles (NPs) and FeN sites anchored on carbon nanotubes, intertwined with nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanosheets, achieving a high active site density and graphitisation.

Lightweight MXene Composite Films with Hollow Egg-Box Structures: Enhanced Electromagnetic Shielding Performance Beyond Pure MXene.

MXene is widely used in the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding field. However, the high electromagnetic reflectivity of pure MXene causes potential secondary EMI pollution. This study presents a hollow egg-box structure used in MXene composite film, by which the reflectivity (R) could decrease from 0.

Modulating Built-In Electric Field Strength in Ru/RuO2 Interfaces through Ni Doping to Enhance Hydrogen Conversion at Ampere-level Current.

Improving the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) efficiency is essential for developing advanced anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) that operate at industrial ampere-level currents. Herein, we employ density functional theory (DFT) calculations to identify Ni-RuO2 as the leading candidate among various 3d transition metal-doped M-RuO2 (where metal M includes Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn). The incorporation of Ni atoms facilitates the partial reduction of RuO2, resulting in the formation of a Ni-Ru/RuO2 interface having a significant built-in electric field (BIEF) during electrochemical reactions.

Reductive Removal of Antimony from Wastewater by a UV/Sulfite Process: Targeted Recovery of Strategic Metalloid Antimony.

The removal of antimony from wastewater using traditional methods such as adsorption and membrane filtration generates large amounts of antimony-containing hazardous wastes, posing significant environmental threats. This study proposed a new treatment strategy to reductively remove and recover antimony from wastewater using an advanced UV/sulfite reduction process in the form of valuable strategic metalloid antimony (Sb(0)), thus preventing hazardous waste generation. The results indicated that more than 99.

Single-Site Catalyst for the Synthesis of Disentangled Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene.

Disentangled ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (-UHMWPE) solves the problem of the difficult processing of traditional UHMWPE caused by entanglements between molecular chains. In this review, we look into the innovative realm of nascent disentangled UHMWPE, concentrating on the recent advances achieved through the in situ polymerization of ethylene by single-site catalysts. The effect of single-site catalysts and polymerization conditions on the molecular characteristics is discussed in detail from the perspective of mechanism and DFT calculations.

A highly stretchable, self-healing, self-adhesive polyacrylic acid/chitosan multifunctional composite hydrogel for flexible strain sensors.

Conductive hydrogels have emerged as excellent candidates for the design and construction of flexible wearable sensors and have attracted great attention in the field of wearable sensors. However, there are still serious challenges to integrating high stretchability, self-healing, self-adhesion, excellent sensing properties, and good biocompatibility into hydrogel wearable devices through easy and green strategies. In this paper, multifunctional conductive hydrogels (PCGB) with good biocompatibility, high tensile (1694 % strain), self-adhesive, and self-healing properties were fabricated by incorporating boric acid (BA) and glucose (Glu) simultaneously into polyacrylic acid (PAA) and chitosan (CS) polymer networks using a simple one-pot polymerization method.

Mechanical Twisting-Induced Enhancement of Second-Order Optical Nonlinearity in a Flexible Molecular Crystal.

Flexible molecular crystals are essential for advancing smart materials, providing unique functionality and adaptability for applications in next-generation electronics, pharmaceuticals, and energy storage. However, the optical applications of flexible molecular crystals have been largely restricted to linear optics, with nonlinear optical (NLO) properties rarely explored. Herein, we report on the application of mechanical twisting of flexible molecular crystals for second-order nonlinear optics.

Breaking the Stability-Activity Trade-off of Oxygen Electrocatalyst by Gallium Bilateral-Regulation for High-Performance Zinc-Air Batteries.

The rational design of metal oxide catalysts with enhanced oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance is crucial for the practical application of aqueous rechargeable zinc-air batteries (a-r-ZABs). Precisely regulating the electronic environment of metal-oxygen (M-O) active species is critical yet challenging for improving their activity and stability toward OER and ORR. Herein, we propose an atomic-level bilateral regulation strategy by introducing atomically dispersed Ga for continuously tuning the electronic environment of Ru-O and Mn-O in the Ga/MnRuO catalyst.

Low-Temperature Hydrotreatment of C4/C5 Fractions Using a Dual-Metal-Loaded Composite Oxide Catalyst.

C4 and C5 fractions are significant by-products in the ethylene industry, with considerable research and economic potential when processed through hydrogenation technology to enhance their value. This study explored the development of hydrotreating catalysts using composite oxides as carriers, specifically enhancing low-temperature performance by incorporating electronic promoters and employing specialized surface modification techniques. This approach enabled the synthesis of non-noble metal hydrogenation catalysts supported on AlO-TiO composite oxides.

Enhancing stability and physiological activity of Aronia melanocarpa L. anthocyanin by polysaccharides.

Background: The existence of multiple phenolic hydroxyl groups in anthocyanins makes their structure unstable and leads to the degradation of anthocyanins. At present, there are few studies on the stability and physiological activity of Aronia melanocarpa L. anthocyanins by different polysaccharides.

Research Progress and Application of Layered Rare Earth Hydroxides, a Class of Inorganic Layered Compounds with Photoluminescence.

Inorganic layered compounds are an important part of organic-inorganic functional nanocomposites and offer plentiful opportunities and possibilities for synthesizing new-style multifunctional materials because they could be intercalated, exfoliated, and swollen. In recent years, as inorganic layered materials with photoluminescence, layered rare earth hydroxides (LRHs) have been extensively studied. Due to their rich functionalization ways, they have been applied or shown potential application value in many fields such as pollution detection, biomedicine, photoelectric energy storage, and so on.

Promoting ClO Generation from the HOCl + HOCl Reaction on Aqueous/Frozen Air-Water Interfaces.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is considered a temporary reservoir of dichlorine monoxide (ClO). Previous studies have suggested that ClO is difficult to generate from the reaction of HOCl + HOCl in the gas phase. Here, we demonstrate that ClO can be generated from the HOCl + HOCl reaction at aqueous/frozen air-water interfaces, which is confirmed by ab initio molecular dynamic calculations.

Rational modifications on N-(4-quinolinoyl)-Gly-2-cyanopyrrolidine to develop fibroblast activation protein-targeted radioligands with improved affinity and tumor uptake.

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) has been an attractive target for cancer imaging and therapy. Radiolabeled FAP-targeting ligands have shown promising results for clinical applications. However, further improvements are ongoing in pursuit of increasing tumor uptake, prolonging tumor residence, and maintenance good tumor-to-background contrast for extensive theranostic application.

Printing Cell Embedded Sacrificial Strategy for Microvasculature using Degradable DNA Biolubricant.

Microvasculature is essential for the continued function of cells in tissue and is fundamental in the fields of tissue engineering, organ repair and drug screening. However, the fabrication of microvasculature is still challenging using existing strategies. Here, we developed a general PRINting Cell Embedded Sacrificial Strategy (PRINCESS) and successfully fabricated microvasculatures using degradable DNA biolubricant.

Recent Advances in Propylene-Based Elastomers Polymerized by Homogeneous Catalysts.

Propylene-based elastomers (PBEs) have received widespread attention and research in recent years due to their structural diversity and excellent properties, and are also an important area for leading chemical companies to compete for layout, but efficient synthesis of PBEs remains challenging. In this paper, we review the development of PBEs and categorize them into three types, grounded in their unique chain structures, including homopolymer propylene-based elastomers (hPBEs), random copolymer propylene-based elastomers (rPBEs), and block copolymer propylene-based elastomers (bPBEs). The successful synthesis of these diverse PBEs is largely credited to the relentless innovative advancements in homogeneous catalysts (metallocene catalysts, constrained geometry catalysts, and non-metallocene catalysts).

Main-Chain Azobenzene Poly(ether ester) Multiblock Copolymers for Strong and Tough Light-Driven Actuators.

The stimulus-responsive polymeric materials have attracted great research interest, especially those remotely manipulated materials with potential applications in actuators and soft robotics. Here we report a photoresponsive main-chain actuator based on azobenzene poly(ether ester) multiblock copolymer (mBCP) thermoplastic elastomers, (PTAD--PTMO--PTAD), which were synthesized by a cascade polycondensation-coupling ring-opening polymerization method using poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO) and azobenzene-containing cyclic oligoesters (COTADs) as monomers. The thermal, mechanical, and microphase separation behaviors of mBCPs could be flexibly tuned by altering the ratios of soft-to-hard segments and block number ().

High-Performance Multicolor Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Based on a Pt(II) Carbene Complex Featuring Hemiligand Interaction.

Utilizing a single organic light-emitting diode (OLED) architecture for multicolor emissions can significantly simplify manufacturing progress and broaden applications. Here, we report on a carbene-based Pt(II) complex, designated as , which exhibits an unusual dimeric packing mode solely by hemiligand π···π stacking. This feature is distinct from the well-known Pt···Pt or Pt···ligand interactions.

Cationized Decalcified Bone Matrix for Infected Bone Defect Treatment.

We aim to develop a dual-functional bone regeneration scaffold (Q-D) with antibacterial and osteogenic properties for infected bone defect treatment. This study provides insights into antibacterial components that could be combined with naturally derived materials through a facile Schiff base reaction, offering a potential strategy to enhance antibacterial properties. Naturally derived decalcified bone matrix (DBM) has been reported to be porous and biodegradable.

Phytic acid-induced durable fire-proof and hydrophobic complex coating for versatile cotton fabrics.

To address the current development requirements for multifunctional cotton fabrics, a phytic acid-induced flame-retardant hydrophobic coating containing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and silicon (Si) was grafted on the surface of cotton fabrics using a facile step-by-step immersion method. The limiting oxygen index value improved to 31.2 %, decreasing to 26.

Annual emissions of NO, NO, HONO, and NH from maize-wheat fields in the North China Plain.

Fertilized agricultural soil is a significant source of gaseous nitrogen compounds (GNCs), including NO, NO, HONO, and NH. The North China Plain (NCP) is the "hot region" for the release of these GNCs due to intensive fertilization practices. However, existing research has primarily focused on NO emissions from fertilized farmland in the NCP, lacking comprehensive observational studies on other GNCs.

The Synergetic Effect of Metal-Loaded Electrospun Carbon Fibers for Photothermal Conversion.

With the increasing demand for energy and worsening environmental issues, the application of photothermal materials has been widely explored due to their high energy conversion capabilities and environmental friendliness. In this work, metal-carbon fiber composites were prepared and subjected to photothermal and water evaporation performance tests alongside pure metals and pyrolytic phenolic resin materials. The results show that the addition of metals effectively improved the photothermal efficiency by narrowing the molecular energy gaps of the materials, indicating a strong synergistic enhancement effect between metals and carbon materials.

Rational Design of Crystalline and Enantiomerically Pure Helicenes with Open-Shell Singlet Ground States.

Helicene diradical derivatives have attracted widespread attentions because of their unique magnetic and chiroptoelectronic properties, however, crystalline and enantiomerically pure forms of helicene diradicals are extremely rare. Herein, we describe the rational design and synthesis of o-quinone functionalized helicene diradicals with crystalline enantiomerical purity. Diradical dianion salt Rac-3K and its enantiomers P/M-3K were obtained by reduction of corresponding precursors Rac-3 and P/M-3 with two equivalent potassium graphite in THF in the presence of (di)benzo-18-crown-6.

A facile way to fabricate a thrombin immobilized composite sponge with dual hemostatic effects for acute hemorrhage control.

Uncontrolled bleeding and excessive blood loss stand as the leading causes of death in complex surgeries, civilian traumas, and military operations. Sponges have been used for developing efficiency hemostats, but most commonly used hemostatic sponges possess only one single coagulation mechanism or lack inherent blood clotting ability. Herein, we proposed simple yet innovative approaches for creating novel hemostatic composite sponges with dual hemostatic effects.

Finite Element Analysis of the Structure and Working Principle of Solid-State Shear Milling (S3M) Equipment.

Solid-state shear milling (S3M) equipment is an evolution from traditional stone mills, enabling the processing of polymer materials and fillers through crushing, mixing, and mechanochemical reactions at ambient temperature. Due to the complex structure of the mill-pan, empirical data alone are insufficient to give a comprehensive understanding of the physicochemical interactions during the milling process. To provide an in-depth insight of the working effect and mechanism of S3M equipment, finite element method (FEM) analysis is employed to simulate the milling dynamics, which substantiates the correlation between numerical outcomes and experimental observations.