Improved solar-driven water purification using an eco-friendly and cost-effective aerogel-based interfacial evaporator with exceptional photocatalytic capabilities.

As a promising solution to address the global challenge of freshwater scarcity, solar-powered interfacial steam generation has undergone notable advancements. This study introduces a novel solar-driven interfacial evaporation membrane (ZnIn2S4@SiO2/ACSA, ZSAS) comprising a ZnIn2S4@SiO2 composite and a black sodium alginate aerogel infused with activated carbon. The ZSAS membrane demonstrates exceptional light absorption and thermal insulation, leading to elevated surface temperatures and reduced heat dissipation into the bulk water. Furthermore, the incorporation of AC reinforces the mechanical properties of the ZSAS membrane and enhances the water purification performance. These collective features result in an impressive evaporation rate of 1.485 kg m-2 h-1 and a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 91.2% under 1 sun irradiation for the optimal ZSAS membrane. Moreover, the optimal ZSAS membrane can effectively remove salts, heavy metal ions, and organic pollutants, benefitting from its superior evaporation separation effect and the photocatalytic properties of the ZnIn2S4@SiO2 composite.

Biochar-Based Photothermal Hydrogel for Efficient Solar Water Purification.

The development of technology for solar interface evaporation has a significant meaning for the sustainable use of water resources in remote regions. However, establishing a solar evaporator with a high evaporation rate and favorable water treatment capabilities remains challenging. In this work, we reported a silver nanoparticle (AgNP)@carbonized cattail (CC)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite hydrogel (ACPH) membrane. Because of the successfully loaded AgNPs, which have a photothermal synergy with the CC, the ACPH-10 membrane obtained an excellent photothermal conversion performance. Additionally, the hydrophilicity of the ACPH-10 membrane ensures a sustainable water supply which is necessary for the improvement of the evaporation rate. Therefore, the ACPH-10 membrane achieves an evaporation rate of 1.66 kg m-2 h-1 and an efficiency of 88.0%, attributed to the remarkable photothermal conversion and water transmission. More importantly, the membrane exhibits superior purification ability in a variety of sewage. Pollutant removal rates in heavy metal and organic dye sewage have exceeded 99.8%. As a result, the ACPH membrane holds great promise for wastewater recovery and seawater desalination, which can aid in resolving the water crisis issue.

How About Vanadium-Based Compounds as Cathode Materials for Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries?

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) stand out among many monovalent/multivalent metal-ion batteries as promising new energy storage devices because of their good safety, low cost, and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, there are still many great challenges to exploring new-type cathode materials that are suitable for Zn2+ intercalation. Vanadium-based compounds with various structures, large layer spacing, and different oxidation states are considered suitable cathode candidates for AZIBs. Herein, the research advances in vanadium-based compounds in recent years are systematically reviewed. The preparation methods, crystal structures, electrochemical performances, and energy storage mechanisms of vanadium-based compounds (e.g., vanadium phosphates, vanadium oxides, vanadates, vanadium sulfides, and vanadium nitrides) are mainly introduced. Finally, the limitations and development prospects of vanadium-based compounds are pointed out. Vanadium-based compounds as cathode materials for AZIBs are hoped to flourish in the coming years and attract more and more researchers' attention.

Co-Intercalation of Dual Charge Carriers in Metal-Ion-Confining Layered Vanadium Oxide Nanobelts for Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Vanadium-based oxides with high theoretical specific capacities and open crystal structures are promising cathodes for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). In this work, the confined synthesis can insert metal ions into the interlayer spacing of layered vanadium oxide nanobelts without changing the original morphology. Furthermore, we obtain a series of nanomaterials based on metal-confined nanobelts, and describe the effect of interlayer spacing on the electrochemical performance. The electrochemical properties of the obtained Al2.65 V6 O13 ⋅ 2.07H2 O as cathodes for AZIBs are remarkably improved with a high initial capacity of 571.7 mAh ⋅ g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 . Even at a high current density of 5.0 A g-1 , the initial capacity can still reach 205.7 mAh g-1 , with a high capacity retention of 89.2 % after 2000 cycles. This study demonstrates that nanobelts confined with metal ions can significantly improve energy storage applications, revealing new avenues for enhancing the electrochemical performance of AZIBs.

A Simple and Efficient Solar Interfacial Evaporation Device Based on Carbonized Cattail and Agarose Hydrogel for Water Evaporation and Purification.

One of the main trends in the development of solar interface evaporation technology is the simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly bio-based evaporation device. However, the development of bio-based evaporators with high water evaporation rates and good pollution removal capability is a significant challenge. Here, we present a carbonized cattail-agarose hydrogel (CCAH) membrane with numerous microchannels resembling bamboo knots, exceptional hydrophilicity, outstanding light absorption capability, and potent adsorption. Under one solar irradiation, its evaporation rate and efficiency reached 1.93 kg m-2 h-1 and 95.8%, respectively. More importantly, the CCAH membrane produces steam water that is almost totally free of salts (Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+), heavy metal ions (Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cr2+), and organic dyes (Rhodamine B, methylene blue, and methyl orange). The CCAH membrane is highly promising for the use of saltwater desalination and wastewater recovery to help people in impoverished areas with water scarcity problems.

Estimating the self-thinning boundary line for oak mixed forests in central China by using stochastic frontier analysis and a proposed variable density model.

A suitable self-thinning model is fundamental to effective density control and management. Using data from 265 plot measurements in oak mixed forests in central China, we demonstrated how to estimate a suitable self-thinning line for oak mixed forests from three aspects, i.e., self-thinning models (Reineke's model and the variable density model), statistical methods (quantile regression and stochastic frontier analysis), and the variables affecting stands (topography and stand structure factors). The proposed variable density model, which is based on the quadratic mean diameter and dominant height, exhibited a better goodness of fit and biological relevance than Reineke's model for modeling the self-thinning line for mixed oak forests. In addition, the normal-truncated normal stochastic frontier model was superior to quantile regression for modeling the self-thinning line. The altitude, Simpson index, and dominant height-diameter ratio ( H d /D) also had significant effects on the density of mixed forests. Overall, a variable density self-thinning model may be constructed using stochastic frontier analysis for oak mixed forests while considering the effects of site quality and stand structure on density. The findings may contribute to a more accurate density management map for mixed forests.

Gold nanoparticles-biomembrane interactions: From fundamental to simulation.

Gold Nanoparticles (AuNPs) are a class of promising nanomaterial for biomedical applications ranging from bioimaging, drug delivery to phototherapy because of their biocompatibility, easily tunable size and shape, and versatile surface modifications. In recent years, the rapid development of AuNPs in nanomedicine has made it imperative to seek fundamental understanding on their nano-biointeractions to minimize adverse effects and improve targeting/imaging efficiency. In this review, we summarize the different pathways of NPs-biomembrane interactions with a focus on AuNPs, follow by an analysis on how the physiochemical properties (size, surface charge, shape, surface ligands, and hydrophobicity etc.) of AuNPs can be involved in the mechanisms of cellular uptake. Finally, some recent advances on simulation modelling of AuNPs-biomembrane interactions and a brief outlook in the field are discussed.

Renal Clearable Gold Nanoparticle-Functionalized Silk Film for in vivo Fluorescent Temperature Mapping.

Implantable optical sensing devices that can continuously monitor physiological temperature changes hold great potential toward applications in healthcare and medical field. Here, we present a conceptual foundation for the design of biocompatible temperature sensing device by integrating renal clearable luminescent gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with silk film (AuNPs-SF). We found that the AuNPs display strong temperature dependence in both near-IR fluorescence intensity and lifetime over a large temperature range (10-60°C), with a fluorescence intensity sensitivity of 1.72%/°C and lifetime sensitivity of 0.09 µs/°C. When integrated, the AuNPs with biocompatible silk film are implanted in the dorsal region of mice. The fluorescence imaging of the AuNPs-SF in the body shows a linear relationship between the average fluorescence intensity and temperature. More importantly, <3.68% ID gold are left in the body, and no adverse effect is observed for 8 weeks. This AuNPs-SF can be potentially used as a flexible, biocompatible, and implantable sensing device for in vivo temperature mapping.

A new Ni-diaminoglyoxime-g-C3N4 complex towards efficient photocatalytic ethanol splitting via a ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) mechanism.

We report a novel Ni-diaminoglyoxime-g-C3N4 (Ni-DAG-CN) complex for H2 evolution through photocatalytic ethanol splitting. Compared to that of pristine g-C3N4, Ni-DAG-CN exhibits a 21-fold enhancement of photocatalytic activity (296.1 µmol h-1 g-1) under irradiation with excellent stability. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to a proposed ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) mechanism, which is illustrated both experimentally and theoretically. This work provides great potential in the future design of low-cost, high-performance photocatalysts for H2 evolution from alcohol splitting.

An Improved Metal-to-Ligand Charge Transfer Mechanism for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

It is of great significance to fabricate a full-spectrum-active photocatalysts for more efficient utilization of solar energy. An improved metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) mechanism is proposed for a photocatalyst based on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3 N4 ). UV/Vis spectroscopy indicates that the as-prepared photocatalyst absorbs light at λ<1100 nm. The rather stable photocatalyst is found to be 26.1 times more active in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (868.9 µmol h-1 g-1 ) than bulk g-C3 N4 (B-CN) under visible light. The material exhibits high activity under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation (49.1 µmol h-1 g-1 ). The mechanism of photocatalytic activity and stability are investigated by both experiment and theory. This proposed mechanism may have great potential for engineering renewable photocatalysts in the future.

Synergistic Effect of Dual Particle-Size AuNPs on TiO2 for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Design of efficient catalysts for photocatalytic water-splitting hydrogen evolution is of fundamental importance for the production of sustainable clean energy. In this study, a dual particle-size AuNPs/TiO2 composite containing both small (16.9 ± 5.5 nm) and large (45.0 ± 9.8 nm) AuNPs was synthesized by annealing two different sized AuNPs onto TiO2 nanosheets. Dual particle-size AuNPs/TiO2 composites of 2.1 wt% catalyze photocatalytic H2 evolution 281 times faster than pure TiO2. Control experiments indicate the observed rate increase for the 2.1 wt% dual particle-size AuNPs/TiO2 composites is larger than 2.1 wt% small AuNPs/TiO2 composites, or 2.1 wt% large AuNPs/TiO2 composites in isolation. The observed photocatalytic enhancement can be attributed to the synergistic effect of dual particle-size AuNPs on TiO2. Specifically, small-sized AuNPs can act as an electron sink to generate more electron-hole pairs, while the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of large-sized AuNPs concurrently injects hot electrons into the TiO2 conduction band to enhance charge transfer. In addition, a gold-dicyanodiamine composite (GDC)-directed synthesis of 2.1 wt% dual particle-size AuNPs/TiO2 composites was also completed. Notably, a photocatalytic efficiency enhancement was observed that was comparable to the previously prepared 2.1 wt% dual particle-size AuNPs/TiO2 composites. Taken together, the synergistic effects of dual particle-size AuNPs on TiO2 can be potentially used as a foundation to develop semiconductor photocatalyst heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Over two-orders of magnitude enhancement of the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity of carbon nitride via mediator-free decoration with gold-organic microspheres.

A mediator and Pt free photocatalytic system is created for H2 production over AuNPs/g-C3N4 hybrids under visible light irradiation. In contrast to pure g-C3N4 and state-of-the-art 3 wt% Pt loaded g-C3N4, ingeniously decorating minute AuNPs onto g-C3N4 can enhance the catalytic activity by about 348 and 25 times, respectively.

Glutathione-Mediated Cu(I)/Cu(II) Complexes: Valence-Dependent Effects on Clearance and In Vivo Imaging Application.

Contrast imaging agents need to be cleared in a reasonable time (less than 72 h), so it is quite urgent to understand the structure, biocompatibility, and metabolism features of imaging agents. In this work, luminescent Cu(I)-GSH complex and their derivative oxidized Cu(II)-GSSG complex have been easily synthesized. Through systematically probing the renal clearance and biodistribution of the as-prepared copper complexes, we found that Cu(I)-GSH complex revealed much more efficient renal clearance and remarkably lower liver accumulation than that of their oxidation states, which could be due to strong protein binding of partial forms of Cu(II)-GSSG complex. Besides, we also attempted to incorporate radioactive copper-64 into Cu(I)-GSH complex for the synthesis of radioactive contrast agent. Indeed, the as-prepared radioactive Cu(I)-GSH complex also showed consistent high efficiency renal excretion, allowing them to be potential PET imaging agents in clinical translation.

Multifunctional Hydrogels with Temperature, Ion, and Magnetocaloric Stimuli-Responsive Performances.

In this work, multifunctional hydrogels with vivid color change and shrinking-swelling response to temperature, ion strength, and alternating magnetic field are fabricated via magnetic assembly. The hydrogels show gradual shift colors from yellowish green to green, cyan, blue, purple, and even reddish violet in response to temperature or ion strength. In the response process, the whole color modulation process is fully reversible and transferable along with a relative short response time. Especially, the magnetism and porous structure of the hybrid hydrogel enable it to be a potential carrier for hydrophobic molecules. Taking advantage of the magnetocaloric responsiveness, the dyed oil loaded hydrogel exhibits a controllable release behavior in each reversible shrinking-swelling cycle under an alternating magnetic field. This multi-responsive hydrogel can hold promise for practical engineering applications, including sensors, displays, and controlled release.

Magnetic-Directed Assembly from Janus Building Blocks to Multiplex Molecular-Analogue Photonic Crystal Structures.

The predictable assembly of colloidal particles into a programmable superstructure is a challenging and vital task in chemistry and materials science. In this work, we develop an available magnetic-directed assembly strategy to construct a series of molecular-analogue photonic crystal cluster particles involving dot, line, triangle, tetrahedron, and triangular bipyramid configurations from solid-liquid Janus building blocks. These versatile multiplex molecular-analogue structural clusters containing photonic band gap, fluorescent, and magnetic information can open a new promising access to a variety of robust hierarchical microstructural particle materials.

Glutathione-triggered luminescent silver nanoparticle: A urinary clearable nanoparticle for potential clinical practice.

While inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) hold great promise for the revolution of current diagnostic techniques, potential risks of inorganic NPs on human health remain a big challenge and require to be thoroughly understood. In order to minimize the toxicity induced by the accumulation of NPs in reticuloendothelial system (RES), significant efforts have been devoted to the development of renal clearable nanomaterials by manipulating their surface-chemistry properties. In this work, a facile route is developed to fabricate luminescent silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which reveal efficient renal clearance. Considering the fundamental importance and hopeful applications of the as-prepared AgNPs, we systematically investigate their biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, and renal clearance behaviors. Different from conventional metal NPs that are often severely accumulated in the vital organs, these luminescent renal clearable AgNPs demonstrate promisingly clinical translation for medical applications.

Dual photonic-bandgap optical films towards the generation of photonic crystal-derived 2-dimensional chemical codes.

Chemical-oriented 2-dimensional (2D) optical codes were constructed for the first time by integrating bi-layer or bistriate-structure responsive photonic crystals (RPCs), which not only presents high information capacity in encoding processes, but offers a facile route to the detection of high performance sensors along with accurate analysis and anti-jamming performances.

Janus Suprabead Displays Derived from the Modified Photonic Crystals toward Temperature Magnetism and Optics Multiple Responses.

The design and development of Janus suprabeads (JSs) with multiple responses are highly desirable in the fabrication of functional nanomaterials. In this work, we report a triphase microfluidic strategy for the construction of JSs with temperature-magnetism-optics triple responses. Initially, macromonomer poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) obtained via catalytic chain transfer polymerization (CCTP) was grafted onto the polystyrene (PS) colloidal photonic crystals (CPCs) surface. Because abundant carboxylic acid groups in PMAA could coordinate cadmium ions for in situ production of fluorescent CdS quantum dots (QDs) after introducing sulfur ions, the as-prepared JSs were endowed with favorable optical properties. Meanwhile, the as-prepared Cd(2+)/PS CPCs were employed as a template to build JSs with temperature-magnetism sensitivity via the introduction of magnetic Fe3O4 and hydrogels. Finally, the fluorescence pattern was easily performed by using chalcogenides as "ink" to write on the pad, in which in situ reaction mechanism was involved in the response. The multiple responsive JSs show promising applications in sensor, display, and anticounterfeit fields.

Renal clearance and degradation of glutathione-coated copper nanoparticles.

Degradation of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) into small molecular complexes is often observed in the physiological environment; however, how this process influences renal clearance of inorganic NPs is largely unknown. By systematically comparing renal clearance of degradable luminescent glutathione coated copper NPs (GS-CuNPs) and their dissociated products, Cu(II)-glutathione disulfide (GSSG) complexes (Cu(II)-GSSG), we found that GS-CuNPs were eliminated through the urinary system surprisingly faster and accumulated in the liver much less than their smaller dissociation counterparts. With assistance of radiochemistry and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, we found that the observed "nano size" effect in enhancing renal clearance is attributed to the fact that GS-CuNPs are more resistant to serum protein adsorption than Cu(II)-GSSG. In addition, since dissociation of GS-CuNPs follows zero-order chemical kinetics, their renal clearance and biodistribution also depend on initial injection doses and their dissociation processes. Quantitative understanding of size effect and other factors involved in renal clearance and biodistribution of degradable inorganic NPs will lay down a foundation for further development of renal-clearable inorganic NPs with minimized nanotoxicity.