Remarkable N2-selectivity enhancement of NH3-SCR over HPMo modified MnCo-BTC@SiO2 catalyst.

In this work, the phosphomolybdate (HPMo) modification strategy was applied to improve the N2 selectivity of MnCo-BTC@SiO2 catalyst for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx, and further, the mechanism of HPMo modification on enhanced catalytic performance was explored. Among MnCo-BTC@SiO2-x catalysts with different HPMo concentrations, MnCo-BTC@SiO2-0.75 catalyst exhibited not only the highest NH3-SCR performance (∼95% at 200-300°C) but also the best N2 selectivity (exceed 80% at 100-300°C) due to the appropriate redox capacity, greater surface acidity. X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) and temperature programmed reduction of H2 (H2-TPR) results showed that the modification with HPMo reduced the oxidation-reduction performance of the catalyst due to electron transfer from Mo5+ to Mn4+/Mn3+ and prevent the excessive oxidation of ammonia adsorption species. NH3 temperature-programmed desorption of (NH3-TPD) results showed that the modification with HPMo could significantly improve the surface acidity and NH3 adsorption, which enhance the catalytic activity and N2 selectivity. In-situ diffused reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (in-situ DRIFTS) revealed that modification with HPMo increased significantly the amount of adsorbed NH3 species on the Bronsted acid site and CB/CL, it suppressed the production of N2O by inhibiting the production of NH species, the deep dehydrogenation of ammonia adsorption species. This study provided a simple design strategy for the catalyst to improve the low-temperature catalytic performance and N2 selectivity.

Oligomerization-Enhanced Receptor-Ligand Binding Revealed by Dual-Color Simultaneous Tracking on Living Cell Membranes.

GPCR oligomerization plays a critical role in cellular signaling, yet the stoichiometry of the interactions between oligomers and binding ligands in living cells remains a longstanding challenge. Here, by developing a dual-color simultaneous tracking system based on a total internal reflection fluorescence microscope (TIRFM), the CCR5-CCL5 interactions are visualized and quantitatively assessed in real time. Results show that each oligomeric state of CCR5 could bind with CCL5 but with different binding affinities; CCR5 dimers have a 3.5-fold higher binding affinity than the monomers. The dimerization may cause an asymmetric conformational change which makes the first binding pocket have a 3.5-fold higher binding affinity and the second have only a half compared with the monomeric CCR5. This study is the first example to directly scrutinize the CCR5-CCL5 interactions at the single-molecule level on living cell membranes and will offer great potential for the interaction stoichiometry study of diverse surface proteins.

Comprehensive Assessment of Nile Tilapia Skin (Oreochromis niloticus) Collagen Hydrogels for Wound Dressings.

Collagen plays an important role in the formation of extracellular matrix (ECM) and development/migration of cells and tissues. Here we report the preparation of collagen and collagen hydrogel from the skin of tilapia and an evaluation of their potential as a wound dressing for the treatment of refractory wounds. The acid-soluble collagen (ASC) and pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) were extracted and characterized using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. Both ASC and PSC belong to type I collagen and have a complete triple helix structure, but PSC shows lower molecular weight and thermal stability, and has the inherent low antigenicity. Therefore, PSC was selected to prepare biomedical hydrogels using its self-aggregating properties. Rheological characterization showed that the mechanical strength of the hydrogels increased as the PSC content increased. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis indicated that hydrogels could form a regular network structure at a suitable PSC content. Cytotoxicity experiments confirmed that hydrogels with different PSC content showed no significant toxicity to fibroblasts. Skin repair experiments and pathological analysis showed that the collagen hydrogels wound dressing could significantly accelerate the healing of deep second-degree burn wounds and the generation of new skin appendages, which can be used for treatment of various refractory wounds.