Clustering-Resistant Cu Single Atoms on Porous Au Nanoparticles Supported by TiO2 for Sustainable Photoconversion of CO2 into CH4.

Photocatalysts based on single atoms (SAs) modification can lead to unprecedented reactivity with recent advances. However, the deactivation of SAs-modified photocatalysts remains a critical challenge in the field of photocatalytic CO2 reduction. In this study, we unveil the detrimental effect of CO intermediates on Cu single atoms (Cu-SAs) during photocatalytic CO2 reduction, leading to clustering and deactivation on TiO2. To address this, we developed a novel Cu-SAs anchored on Au porous nanoparticles (CuAu-SAPNPs-TiO2) via a vectored etching approach. This system not only enhances CH4 production with a rate of 748.8 µmol ⋅ g-1 ⋅ h-1 and 93.1 % selectivity but also mitigates Cu-SAs clustering, maintaining stability over 7 days. This sustained high performance, despite the exceptionally high efficiency and selectivity in CH4 production, highlights the CuAu-SAPNPs-TiO2 overarching superior photocatalytic properties. Consequently, this work underscores the potential of tailored SAs-based systems for efficient and durable CO2 reduction by reshaping surface adsorption dynamics and optimizing the thermodynamic behavior of the SAs.

Individualized intensive insulin therapy of diabetes: Not only the goal, but also the time.

Intensive insulin therapy has been extensively used to control blood glucose levels because of its ability to reduce the risk of chronic complications of diabetes. According to current guidelines, intensive glycemic control requires individualized glucose goals rather than as low as possible. During intensive therapy, rapid blood glucose reduction can aggravate microvascular and macrovascular complications, and prolonged overuse of insulin can lead to treatment-induced neuropathy and retinopathy, hypoglycemia, obesity, lipodystrophy, and insulin antibody syndrome. Therefore, we need to develop individualized hypoglycemic plans for patients with diabetes, including the time required for blood glucose normalization and the duration of intensive insulin therapy, which deserves further study.

Determination of chloropropanol esters and glycidyl esters in nutritional foods by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry based on acid hydrolysis and solid-phase extraction.

This study presents a method based on acid transesterification and the purification by solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for quantifying 3- and 2-monochloropropanediol esters (3-MCPDE, 2-MCPDE) and glycidyl esters (GE) in nutritional foods. The fat was extracted by liquid-liquid extraction with petroleum ether and diethyl ether after the sample was hydrolysed with ammonia. Then the extract was purified by a SPE cartridge filled with the aminopropyl sorbents. It was demonstrated that the optimal elution volume for 3-MCPDE, 2-MCPDE and GE greatly depended on the sample matrix and varied from 6 to 12 mL for four different kinds of food matrices. All three analytes in the sample solution could be fully collected in the first 10-12 mL of eluate. By this way, monoacylglycerols commonly present in the samples were fully removed. Therefore, the overestimation of GE quantification was effectively eliminated. The modified analytical procedure was fully validated in a single laboratory and has been recommended as a Chinese Food Safety National Standard. In addition, two derivatisation agents, heptafluorobutyrylimidazole and phenylboronic acid, were proved to be equivalent in method accuracy and precision for the quantification of three analytes.

Topological Magneto-optical Effect from Skyrmions in Two-Dimensional Ferromagnets.

Skyrmions in two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials are considered as ideal candidates for information carriers in next-generation spintronic devices. However, conventional methods for elucidating the physical properties of skyrmions have limited the development of skyrmions in diverse 2D magnetic material systems due to their requirements for electrical conductivity. To overcome this limitation, we propose to utilize an optical method (magneto-optical Kerr technique) to detect the skyrmions in 2D magnetic materials. Herein, the graphene/Fe3GeTe2/graphene vertical van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure devices are fabricated to generate stabilized skyrmions by applying out-of-plane current. In combination with magnetic circular dichroism measurements, we observe topological-reflective magnetic circular dichroism (T-RMCD) effects in Fe3GeTe2 flakes and attribute the peak-shaped component in T-RMCD to the annihilation of skyrmion magnetic domains. Notably, the T-RMCD signal can maintain up to a temperature as high as the Curie temperature of Fe3GeTe2 flakes (∼200 K). Our work provides a universal, contactless, and nondestructive approach for studying the physical properties of skyrmions in 2D vdW magnetic materials while adding another degree of freedom to the modulation of skyrmions.