Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with open metal sites enrich the population of O2 in the pores significantly and assist the Li–O2 reaction when employed as a cell electrode material. A primary ...capacity of 9420 mA h g−1 is achieved in a cell with Mn‐MOF‐74; more than four times higher than the value obtained in a cell without an MOF.
The controllable growth of CsPbI3 perovskite thin films with desired crystal phase and morphology is crucial for the development of high efficiency inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The role ...of dimethylammonium iodide (DMAI) used in CsPbI3 perovskite fabrication was carefully investigated. We demonstrated that the DMAI is an effective volatile additive to manipulate the crystallization process of CsPbI3 inorganic perovskite films with different crystal phases and morphologies. The thermogravimetric analysis results indicated that the sublimation of DMAI is sensitive to moisture, and a proper atmosphere is helpful for the DMAI removal. The time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance results confirmed that the DMAI additive would not alloy into the crystal lattice of CsPbI3 perovskite. Moreover, the DMAI residues in CsPbI3 perovskite can deteriorate the photovoltaic performance and stability. Finally, the PSCs based on phenyltrimethylammonium chloride passivated CsPbI3 inorganic perovskite achieved a record champion efficiency up to 19.03 %.
The role of DMAI in fabricating high quality CsPbI3 inorganic perovskite thin films is demonstrated to be a volatile crystal growth additive rather than dopant. With optimal DMAI additive and PTACl passivation, a PTACl‐CsPbI3 based champion photovoltaic device exhibits a record efficiency of 19.03 %.
In order to fulfill the increasing demand for renewable energy, besides the lithium-ion batteries, other alkali (Na, K)-ion batteries are extensively investigated. However, the difficulty to find ...universal and environmentally benign electrodes for these alkali (Na, K)-ion batteries still severely restricts their development. Promising characteristics, including molecular diversity, low cost, and operation safety, endow the organic electrodes more advantages for applications in alkali-ion batteries. However, organic electrodes usually deliver a reversible capacity smaller than that of their inorganic counterparts due to sluggish ion/electron diffusion and possible dissolution in organic electrolytes. This work introduces fluorine atoms into the covalent triazine frameworks (CTF) to obtain two-dimensional layered fluorinated CTF (FCTF) and its exfoliated few-layered product (E-FCTF) and uses them as anodes of Li, Na, and K organic batteries. Exfoliated E-FCTF electrode delivers high reversible capacities, as well as excellent cycle life for alkali organic batteries (1035 mAh g–1 at 100 mA g–1 after 300 cycles and 581 mAh g–1 at 2 A g–1 after 1000 cycles for lithium organic batteries). In view of the experimental probing and the theoretical calculation, the Li storage mechanism for the E-FCTF can be determined to be an intriguing multielectronic redox reaction originated from lithium storage on the benzene ring and triazine ring units.
Due to perceived health benefits and increasing consumption trends, plant proteins in their entirety or as partial substitutes have been employed in various food formulations. With the demand for ...‘clean label’, there is an increasing need to develop proteins from plant sources as natural food emulsifiers, with comparable properties to traditionally used dairy proteins. A comprehensive and systematic comparison between emulsifying properties of dairy and plant proteins is of interest to the food industry, with the shift towards reducing the usage of animal proteins in food manufacturing.
This review presents the comparison between dairy and plant proteins as natural food emulsifiers, underlining the mechanisms elicited from their structures and compositions. It covers the factors influencing the performance of mixed protein systems in emulsion, and the trends for food developers regarding potential applications.
The emulsifying properties of food proteins are highly dependent on protein sources, structure, molecular weight, and adsorption behavior. Insights into the relationship between protein structure and emulsifying functionality of dairy and plant proteins under specific conditions, and the suitability of plant proteins as alternative to dairy proteins as natural food emulsifiers are provided.
•Protein composition and structure influence adsorption behavior at oil/water interfaces.•Dairy proteins are predominant natural emulsifiers in food and beverage formulations.•Particle based Pickering stabilizer from plant sources have potential as alternative options from dairy proteins.•Emulsifying properties can be improved by utilizing mixed dairy and plant protein emulsifiers.
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) represent a new family of porous polymers with highly ordered two or three-dimensional channels. Although numerous studies have been focused on the design and ...synthesis of COF in the form of powders, the development of COF-based separation membranes is still hampered by the challenges of COF particles agglomeration and harsh synthetic conditions. In this work, interfacial polymerization (IP) directly performed on polymeric substrates as employed in the traditional IP process of polyamide (PA) membranes is developed for the synthesis of COF-based membranes. With the moderate reaction rate between monomer pairs in corresponding aqueous and organic solutions, a conformal growth of COF crystallites directly composited with the polysulfone (PSF) ultrafiltration substrates can be realized within 1 min. The synthesis parameters including reaction time and precursor concentrations are optimized, and thus-synthesized COF/PSF membrane presents a stable rejection to dye (Congo red) of 99.5% with a high water permeance of up to 50 L m−2 h−1 bar−1, which is 2–10 times higher than that of many other membranes with similar rejection. This convenient IP process is expected to facilitate the up-scaling and real-world applications of COF-based membranes.
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•COF-based membrane has been directly synthesized on polymeric substrates by IP.•TpPa amount is the critical factor to the performance of TpPa/PSF membrane.•TpPa/PSF membrane can effectively remove dye with a size above 1.5 nm from water.•The IP process is expected to facilitate the up-scaling of COF-based membranes.
Development of novel bioanalytical methods for monitoring of H2S is key toward understanding the physiological and pathological functions of this gasotransmitter in live organisms. A ...ruthenium(II)‐complex‐based luminescence probe, Ru‐MDB (MDB: 4’‐methyl‐2,2’‐bipyridine‐4‐yl)methyl 2‐((2,4‐dinitrophenyl)thio)benzoate), was developed by introducing a new H2S responsive masking moiety to a red‐emitting RuII luminophore. Cleavage of this masking group by a H2S‐triggered reaction leads to a luminescence “off–on” response. The long‐lived emissions of Ru‐MDB and its reaction product with H2S allowed quantitative detection of H2S in autofluorescence‐rich human sera and adult zebrafish organs using the time‐gated luminescence mode. Ru‐MDB exhibits red emission, a large Stokes shift, high specificity and sensitivity for H2S detection, and low cytotoxicity, which enables imaging and flow cytometry analysis of lysosomal H2S generation in live inflamed cells under drug stimulation. Monitoring of H2S in live Daphnia magna, zebrafish embryos, adult zebrafish, and mice, was conducted by in vivo imaging using Ru‐MDB as a probe.
In vivo sensing of H2S: A luminescent probe, Ru‐MDB, was developed for phosphorescence and time‐gated luminescence quantification of H2S using a responsive luminescence‐masking moiety. Monitoring and visualization of H2S in cell lysosomes, D. magna, zebrafish, organs, mice, and human sera, is possible. Key: electron transfer (ET), emission (Em), excitation (Ex).
Single-cell sequencing (SCS) has emerged as a powerful new set of technologies for studying rare cells and delineating complex populations. Over the past 5 years, SCS methods for DNA and RNA have had ...a broad impact on many diverse fields of biology, including microbiology, neurobiology, development, tissue mosaicism, immunology, and cancer research. In this review, we will discuss SCS technologies and applications, as well as translational applications in the clinic.
Wang and Navin provide an overview of what can be achieved with single-cell sequencing, from basic science to translational application in the clinic.
Hybrid supercapacitors generally show high power and long life spans but inferior energy densities, which are mainly caused by carbon negative electrodes with low specific capacitances. To improve ...the energy densities, the traditional methods include optimizing pore structures and modifying pseudocapacitive groups on the carbon materials. Here, another promising way is suggested, which has no adverse effects to the carbon materials, that is, constructing electron‐rich regions on the electrode surfaces for absorbing cations as much as possible. For this aim, a series of hierarchical porous carbon materials are produced by calcinating carbon dots–hydrogel composites, which have controllable surface states including electron‐rich regions. The optimal sample is employed as the negative electrode to fabricate hybrid supercapacitors, which show remarkable specific energy densities (up to 62.8–90.1 Wh kg−1) in different systems.
Robust carbon negative electrodes for hybrid supercapacitors are fabricated by a new promising method, that is, constructing electron‐rich regions on the electrode surfaces for absorbing cations as much as possible. Correspondingly, hierarchical porous carbon materials are produced by calcinating carbon dots–hydrogel composites, which have controllable surface states including electron‐rich regions.
The cell membrane is not only a physical barrier, but also a functional organelle that regulates the communication between a cell and its environment. The ability to functionalize the cell membrane ...with synthetic molecules or nanostructures would advance cellular functions beyond what evolution has provided. The aim of this Minireview is to introduce recent progress in using synthetic DNA and DNA‐based nanostructures for cell‐surface engineering. We first introduce chemical conjugation and physical binding methods for monovalent and polyvalent surface engineering. We then introduce the application of these methods for either the promotion or inhibition of cell–environment communication in numerous applications, including the promotion of cell–cell recognition, regulation of intracellular pathways, protection of therapeutic cells, and sensing of the intracellular and extracellular microenvironments. Lastly, we summarize current challenges existing in this area and potential solutions to solve these challenges.
State‐of‐the‐art methods for using DNA to engineer cell surfaces on both a monovalent and polyvalent scale are introduced in this Minireview. The application of these methods for either the promotion or inhibition of cell–environment communication in different settings is also described.
Oral cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Despite easy access to the oral cavity and significant advances in treatment, the morbidity and mortality rates for oral cancer patients are ...still very high, mainly due to late-stage diagnosis when treatment is less successful. Oral cancer has also been found to be the most expensive cancer to treat in the United States. Early diagnosis of oral cancer can significantly improve patient survival rate and reduce medical costs. There is an urgent unmet need for an accurate and sensitive molecular-based diagnostic tool for early oral cancer detection. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has gained increasing attention in cancer research due to its ability to elucidate qualitative and quantitative information of biochemical content and molecular-level structural changes in complex biological systems. The diagnosis of a disease is based on biochemical changes underlying the disease pathology rather than morphological changes of the tissue. It is a versatile method that can work with tissues, cells, or body fluids. In this review article, we aim to summarize the studies of infrared spectroscopy in oral cancer research and detection. It provides early evidence to support the potential application of infrared spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool for oral potentially malignant and malignant lesions. The challenges and opportunities in clinical translation are also discussed.
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