High-Density NiCu Bimetallic Phosphide Nanosheet Clusters Constructed by Cu-Induced Effect Boost Total Urea Hydrolysis for Hydrogen Production.

The development of urea electrolysis technologies toward energy-saving hydrogen production can alleviate the environmental issues caused by urea-rich wastewater. In the current practices, the development of high-performance electrocatalysts in urea electrolysis remains critical. In this work, the NiCu-P/NF catalyst is prepared by anchoring Ni/Cu bimetallic phosphide nanosheets onto Ni foam (NF). In the experiments, the micron-sized elemental Cu polyhedron is first anchored on the surface of the NF substrate to provide more space for the growth of bimetallic nanosheets. Meanwhile, the Cu element adjusted the electron distribution within the composite and formed Ni/P orbital vacancies, which in turn accelerated the kinetic process. As a result, the optimal NiCu-P/NF sample exhibits excellent catalytic activity and cycling stability in a hybrid electrolysis system for the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Further, the alkaline urea-containing electrolyzer is assembled with NiCu-P/NF as two electrodes reached a current density of 50 mA cm-2 with a low driving potential of 1.422 V, which outperforms the typical commercial noble metal electrolyzer (RuO2||Pt/C). Those findings suggest the feasibility of the substrate regulation strategy to increase the growth density of active species in preparation of an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for cracking the urea-containing wastewater.

Single-cell omics traces the heterogeneity of prostate cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment.

Prostate cancer is one of the more heterogeneous tumour types. In recent years, with the rapid development of single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptome technologies, researchers have gained a more intuitive and comprehensive understanding of the heterogeneity of prostate cancer. Tumour-associated epithelial cells; cancer-associated fibroblasts; the complexity of the immune microenvironment, and the heterogeneity of the spatial distribution of tumour cells and other cancer-promoting molecules play a crucial role in the growth, invasion, and metastasis of prostate cancer. Single-cell multi-omics biotechnology, especially single-cell transcriptome sequencing, reveals the expression level of single cells with higher resolution and finely dissects the molecular characteristics of different tumour cells. We reviewed the recent literature on prostate cancer cells, focusing on single-cell RNA sequencing. And we analysed the heterogeneity and spatial distribution differences of different tumour cell types. We discussed the impact of novel single-cell omics technologies, such as rich omics exploration strategies, multi-omics joint analysis modes, and deep learning models, on future prostate cancer research. In this review, we have constructed a comprehensive catalogue of single-cell omics studies in prostate cancer. This article aimed to provide a more thorough understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. We summarised and proposed several key issues and directions on applying single-cell multi-omics and spatial transcriptomics to understand the heterogeneity of prostate cancer. Finally, we discussed single-cell omics trends and future directions in prostate cancer.

Comparison of the safety and effectiveness of different surgical timing for acute cholecystitis after percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To compare the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in the treatment of acute cholecystitis (AC) at different time points after percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD). METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from database inception to 1 May 2022. The last date of search was the May 30, 2022. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) was used to conduct quality assessments, and RevMan (Version 5.4) was used to perform the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies and 4379 patients were analyzed. Compared with the < 2-week group, the ≥ 2-week group had shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss, shorter postoperative hospital stay, lower rate of conversion to laparotomy, and fewer complications. There was no statistical difference between the two groups regarding bile duct injury, bile leakage, and total cost. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence indicates that the ≥ 2-week group has the advantage in less intraoperative blood loss, minor tissue damage, quick recovery, and sound healing in treating AC. It can be seen that LC after 2 weeks is safe and effective for AC patients who have already undergone PTGBD and is recommended, but further confirmation is needed in a larger sample of randomized controlled studies.

Selectivity of Oxygen Evolution Reaction on Carbon Cloth-Supported δ-MnO2 Nanosheets in Electrolysis of Real Seawater.

Electrolysis of seawater using solar and wind energy is a promising technology for hydrogen production which is not affected by the shortage of freshwater resources. However, the competition of chlorine evolution reactions and oxygen evolution reactions on the anode is a major obstacle in the upscaling of seawater electrolyzers for hydrogen production and energy storage, which require chlorine-inhibited oxygen evolution electrodes to become commercially viable. In this study, such an electrode was prepared by growing δ-MnO2 nanosheet arrays on the carbon cloth surface. The selectivity of the newly prepared anode towards the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) was 66.3% after 30 min of electrolyzer operation. The insertion of Fe, Co and Ni ions into MnO2 nanosheets resulted in an increased number of trivalent Mn atoms, which had a negative effect on the OER selectivity. Good tolerance of MnO2/CC electrodes to chlorine evolution in seawater electrolysis indicates its suitability for upscaling this important energy conversion and storage technology.

Foamed Carbon-Supported Nickel-Iron Oxides Interspersed with Bamboo-Like Carbon Nanotubes for High-Performance Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries.

The development of multi-component bi-functional electrocatalysts is necessary for commercialization of high-performance zinc-air batteries. Herein, foamed carbon-supported nickel-iron oxides interspersed with bamboo-like carbon nanotubes are prepared as bi-functional electrocatalysts for this battery type. During high temperature synthesis, edges of carbon sheets comprising the foamed carbon structure become involuted to form short carbon nanotubes. The composite of carbon nanotubes and network carbon confer high specific surface area and high electrical conductivity on the newly prepared materials. The supported NiFe2 O4 phase improves the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity by fixing more N atoms, and high-valent Ni oxide (Ni2 O3 ) promotes the formation of OO bonds, which is conducive to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The optimized material exhibits excellent bi-functional electrocatalytic activity toward both ORR and OER, and its use in the assembled zinc-air battery cell results in a high power density of 150 mW cm-2 with long discharge stability.

Catalytically Active CoSe2 Supported on Nitrogen-Doped Three Dimensional Porous Carbon as a Cathode for Highly Stable Lithium-Sulfur Battery.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are promising secondary energy storage devices that are mainly limited by its unsatisfactory cyclability owing to inefficient reversible conversion of sulfur and lithium sulfide on the cathode during the discharge/charging process. In this study, nitrogen-doped three-dimensional porous carbon material loaded with CoSe2 nanoparticles (CoSe2 -PNC) is developed as a cathode for lithium-sulfur battery. A combination of CoSe2 and nitrogen-doped porous carbon can efficiently improve the cathode activity and its conductivity, resulting in enhanced redox kinetics of the charge/discharge process. The obtained electrode exhibits a high discharge specific capacity of 1139.6 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.2 C. After 100 cycles, its capacity remained at 865.7 mAh g-1 thus corresponding to a capacity retention of 75.97 %. In a long-term cycling test, discharge specific capacity of 546.7 mAh g-1 was observed after 300 cycles performed at a current density of 1 C.

Molten-Salt Media Synthesis of N-Doped Carbon Tubes Containing Encapsulated Co Nanoparticles as a Bifunctional Air Cathode for Zinc-Air Batteries.

Cost efficient bifunctional air cathodes possessing high electrocatalytic activity are of great importance for the development of secondary Zn-air batteries. In this work, cobalt nanoparticles are encapsulated within a 3D N-doped open network of carbon tubes (Co@N-CNTs) by a molten-salt synthesis procedure conducted at a high temperature. Physical characterization demonstrates that Co@N-CNTs are comprised of Co particle inserted carbon tubes with mesoporous tube walls, providing significant active surface area for electrochemical reactions. High electrocatalytic activity of Co@N-CNTs towards both oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions is due to its well-developed active surface and a synergistic effect between N-doped carbon and Co nanoparticles. Both primary and secondary Zn-air battery cells assembled using Co@N-CNTs as an air cathode show higher electrochemical performance than similar cells containing commercial Pt/C and Pt/C +RuO2 , making the newly developed material a promising alternative to existing metal-based air cathodes.

A High Faraday Efficiency NiMoO4 Nanosheet Array Catalyst by Adjusting the Hydrophilicity for Overall Water Splitting.

To obtain a highly active, stable, and binder-free electrode based on transition-metal compounds for water splitting, nickel foam-supported 3D NiMoO4 nanosheet arrays modified with 0D Fe-doped carbon quantum dots (Fe-CQDs/NiMoO4 /NF) are synthesized. The structure characterizations indicated that 0D Fe-CQDs are evenly dispersed onto the NiMoO4 sheets of the arrays. The contact angle analysis confirmed that the surface hydrophilia of the arrays is improved after the 0D Fe-CQDs are deposited 3D on the NiMoO4 sheets. Here, both the activity and durability in electrochemical water splitting are significantly enhanced with the Fe-CQDs/NiMoO4 /NF catalysts. At a current density of 10 mA cm-2 , the resultant Fe-CQDs/NiMoO4 /NF revealed an overpotential of only 117 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a relatively low overpotential of 336 mV toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and a Faraday efficiency of up to 99 %. This performance can be attributed to the unique 3D nanosheet array structure, the synergistic effect, and the optimal hydrophilia for gas evolution evolved from the electrode surface.

Tailoring hollow structure within NiCoP nanowire arrays via nanoscale Kirkendall diffusion to enhance hydrogen evolution reaction.

Hollow structured nanomaterials with void space available inside the shells can effectively enhance electrocatalytic activity due to their high specific surface area, volume buffer and shell permeability properties. In this study, low-cost and hollow structured bimetal phosphide nanowires are synthesized directly on Ni foam via the Kirkendall effect by using NaH2PO2 as a phosphorizing agent at 350 °C. Both the crystal and hollow structures of the obtained phosphide can be efficiently tuned by controlling the amount of phosphorizing agent and the phosphorizing time. The morphology and microstructure of the obtained phosphides are characterised using various techniques, which indicate that the formation mechanism of the hollow structure is consistent with the Kirkendall effect. The optimized bimetal phosphide sample demonstrates a low onset potential (59 mV) at a current density of 10 mA cm-2, low charge transfer resistance (0.83 Ω) and superior durability in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) for water electrolysis. The electrochemical results clearly demonstrate that the hollow structure can efficiently improve the HER properties and the obtained phosphide is a promising HER catalysts for water splitting in KOH or seawater electrolytes.

Switching between ticagrelor and clopidogrel in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention: insight into contemporary practice in Chinese patients.

Ticagrelor has been proved to be more effective than clopidogrel; however, little is known about the switching between ticagrelor and clopidogrel in real-world clinical practice. We assessed the prevalence, related factors, dose bridging, compliance, and short-term outcomes of in-hospital switching between ticagrelor and clopidogrel in consecutively recruited patients treated by ticagrelor after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 417 eligible patients administrated with ticagrelor in-hospital after PCI were recruited. Switching between ticagrelor and clopidogrel occurred in 362 (86.8%) patients, with 318 (76.3%) from clopidogrel to ticagrelor occurring mainly after PCI and 44 (10.6%) from ticagrelor to clopidogrel primarily at discharge. History of cerebrovascular disease, final diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, left main disease, ostial lesion, co-administration with warfarin, CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles' carriage status, and ticagrelor-related dyspnoea emerged as related factors for the switching between clopidogrel and ticagrelor. Dose bridging between clopidogrel loading dose and ticagrelor maintenance dose (MD) was more frequent in patients switching from clopidogrel to ticagrelor, while the bridging between ticagrelor MD and clopidogrel MD was more likely to occur in patients switched from ticagrelor to clopidogrel. At 6 month follow-up, poor compliance was observed in patients from clopidogrel to ticagrelor (64.8%) or treated only by ticagrelor (50.9%), but perfect compliance in patients from ticagrelor to clopidogrel (100%). After excluding the cases with incompliance, patients switching from ticagrelor to clopidogrel had a relatively lower bleeding risk in comparison with patients with constant ticagrelor treatment and those switching from clopidogrel to ticagrelor (29.5% vs. 50.0% vs. 46.6%, adjusted P = 0.02). In-hospital switching between ticagrelor and clopidogrel is frequent in patients undergoing PCI. In comparison with constant ticagrelor treatment, switching from clopidogrel to ticagrelor in ischaemic high-risk patients confers similar antiplatelet efficacy and safety, while switching from ticagrelor to clopidogrel in ischaemic low-risk patients relates to lower hazard for bleeding events.

Carcinosarcoma of native renal pelvis in recipient after a renal transplant: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Carcinosarcoma is a malignancy that rarely occurs in the renal pelvis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present a case of histologically proven, native renal pelvis carcinosarcoma in a 65-year-old woman who had accepted a renal transplant. We performed a laparoscopic ureterectomy, combined with lymph node dissection and immunosuppression with sirolimus (SRL), which was alternated with the conventional immunosuppressant--cyclosporine. RESULTS: This patient was still alive 34 months after renal transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Operation is still the best choice, and the SRL may be beneficial for preventing the progression of a tumor.

Downregulation of ST6GAL2 Correlates to Liver Inflammation and Predicts Adverse Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose: ST6 Beta-Galactoside Alpha-2,6-Sialyltransferase 2 (ST6GAL2), a member of the sialic acid transferase family, is differentially expressed in diverse cancers. However, it remains poorly understood in tumorigenesis and impacts on immune cell infiltration (ICI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients and Methods: Herein, the expression, diagnosis, prognosis, functional enrichment, genetic alterations, immune characteristics, and targeted drugs of ST6GAL2 in HCC were researched by conducting bioinformatics analysis, in vivo, and in vitro experiments. Results: ST6GAL2 was remarkably decreased in HCC compared to non-tumor tissues, portending a poor prognosis associated with high DNA methylation levels. Functional enrichment and GSVA analyses revealed that ST6GAL2 might function through the extracellular matrix, PI3K-Akt signaling pathways, and tumor inflammation signature. We found that ST6GAL2 expression was proportional to ICI, immunostimulator, and immune subtypes. ST6GAL2 expression first increased and then decreased during the progression of liver inflammation to HCC. The dysfunctional experiment indicated that ST6GAL2 might exert immunosuppressive effects during HCC progression through regulating ICI. Several broad-spectrum anticancer drugs were obtained by drug sensitivity prediction analysis of ST6GAL2. Conclusion: In conclusion, ST6GAL2 was a reliable prognostic biomarker strongly associated with ICI, and could be a potential immunotherapeutic target for HCC.

Boosting oxygen evolution electrocatalysis via CeO2 engineering on Fe2N nanoparticles for rechargeable Zn-air batteries.

In the process of developing low-cost and high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts, rational selection of catalytic components and tuning of their electronic structures to achieve synergistic effects is a feasible approach. In this work, CeO2 was composited into Fe/N-doped carbon foam by a molten salt method to improve the electrocatalytic performance of the composite catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The results showed that the excitation of oxygen vacancies in CeO2 accelerated the migration of oxygen species and enhanced the oxygen storage/release capacity of the as-prepared catalyst. Meanwhile, the size effect of CeO2 particles enabled the timely discharge of gas bubbles from the reaction system and thus improved the OER kinetics. In addition, a large number of pyridine-N species were induced by CeO2-doping and sequentially anchored in the carbon matrix. As a result, the Fe2N active state was formed through the strengthened binding of Fe-N elements. Benefiting from the strong electronic interaction between Fe2N and CeO2 components, the optimal CeO2-Fe2N/NFC-2 catalyst sample showed a good OER performance (Ej=10 = 266 mV) and ORR electrocatalytic activity (E1/2 = 0.87 V). The practical feasibility tests indicated that the Zn-air battery assembled by the CeO2-Fe2N/NFC-2 catalyst exhibited a large energy density and an excellent long-term cycling stability.

Differences in the pathogenetic characteristics of prostate cancer in the transitional and peripheral zones and the possible molecular biological mechanisms.

Since the theory of modern anatomical partitioning of the prostate was proposed, the differences in the incidence and pathological parameters of prostate cancer between the peripheral zone and transition zone have been gradually revealed. It suggests that there are differences in the pathogenic pathways and molecular biology of prostate cancer between different regions of origin. Over the past decade, advances in sequencing technologies have revealed more about molecules, genomes, and cell types specific to the peripheral and transitional zones. In recent years, the innovation of spatial imaging and multiple-parameter magnetic resonance imaging has provided new technical support for the zonal study of prostate cancer. In this work, we reviewed all the research results and the latest research progress in the study of prostate cancer in the past two decades. We summarized and proposed several vital issues and focused directions for understanding the differences between peripheral and transitional zones in prostate cancer.

Kirkendall effect Strengthened-Superhydrophilic/superaerophobic Co-Ni3N/NF heterostructure as electrode catalyst for High-current hydrogen production.

The development of efficient electrocatalysts for large-scale water electrolysis is crucial and challenging. Research efforts towards interface engineering and electronic structure modulation can be leveraged to enhance the electrochemical performance of the developed catalysts. In this work, a surface-engineered Co-Ni3N/NF heterostructure electrode was prepared based on Kirkendall effect for high-current water electrolysis. In the experiments, the textural feature and intrinsic activity of the Co-Ni3N/NF heterostructure were tuned through cobalt-doping and the creation of structural defects. As a result, the increased surface energy endowed Co-Ni3N/NF heterostructure with superhydrophilic and superaerophobic properties. Meanwhile, the contact area of the gas-liquid-solid three phases was optimized. With a large underwater bubble contact angle (CA) of 169°, the electrolyte solution can infiltrate the Co-Ni3N/NF electrode within 150 ms. Sequentially, the generated gas bubbles were able to detach at high frequency, which ensured the rapid mass exchange. The performance tests showed that the optimal Co-Ni3N/NF electrode sample reached current densities of 100 mA cm-2 and 500 mA cm-2 at the overpotentials of 98 mV and 123 mV, respectively. Benefiting from the reduction of hydrogen embrittlement, the HER performance of the prepared Co-Ni3N/NF electrode sample decreased slightly after 100 h durability test, but the overall structure remained well. Those results allowed us to conclude that the prepared Co-Ni3N/NF electrocatalyst holds the promises for large-scale water electrolysis in industries. More specifically, this work provided a new perspective that the efficiency of electrocatalysts for large-scale water electrolysis can be enhanced by constructing a heterostructure with good wettability and gas repellency.

Three-dimensional nickel nanowires modified by amorphous Fe nanosheets as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction.

The development of electrode materials with abundant active surface sites is important for large-scale hydrogen production by water electrolysis. In this study, Fe/Ni NWs/NF catalysts were prepared by hydrothermal and electrochemical deposition of iron nanosheets on nickel chain nanowires, initially grown on nickel foam. The synthesized Fe/Ni NWs/NF electrode possessed a 3D layered heterostructure and crystalline-amorphous interfaces, containing amorphous Fe nanosheets, which demonstrated excellent activity in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The newly prepared electrode material has a large specific surface area, and its electrocatalytic performance is characterized by a small Tafel slope and an oxygen evolution overpotential of 303 mV at 50 mA cm-2. The electrode was highly stable in alkaline media with no degradation observed after 40 h of continuous OER operation at 50 mA cm-2. The study demonstrates the significant promise of the Fe/Ni NWs/NF electrode material for large-scale hydrogen production by water electrolysis and provides a facile and low-cost approach for the preparation of highly active OER electrocatalysts.

Biomimicry-inspired fish scale-like Ni3N/FeNi3N/NF superhydrophilic/superaerophobic nanoarrays displaying high electrocatalytic performance.

The mass transfer efficiency and structural stability of the electrode are critical for industrialized water electrolysis operations. Herein, the biomimicry-inspired design of Ni3N/FeNi3N/NF nanoarrays with a fish scale-like structure, which endowed the Ni3N/FeNi3N/NF nanoarrays with rapid infiltration of aqueous solution within 60 ms and 169° bubble contact angle, is demonstrated. The optimal Ni3N/FeNi3N/NF sample displayed catalytic activity with hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) overpotentials of only 48 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and 102 mV at 100 mA cm-2. Similarly, the overpotential of the anodic-coupled urea oxidation reaction (UOR) was only 1.3 V at 10 mA cm-2 and 1.35 V at 100 mA cm-2. Besides, the small impact resulting from the rapid bubble extraction within the Ni3N/FeNi3N/NF nanoarrays ensured excellent HER cycling stability over 100 h at a current density of 50 mA cm-2. The further scale-up experiment suggests the industrialization prospects of the prepared Ni3N/FeNi3N/NF electrocatalysts.

Enhancement of Organic Oxygen Atoms on Metal Cobalt for Sulfur Adsorption and Catalytic Polysulfide Conversion.

Metals and their compounds effectively suppress the polysulfide shuttle effect on the cathodes of a lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery by chemisorbing polysulfides and catalyzing their conversion. However, S fixation on currently available cathode materials is below the requirements of large-scale practical application of this battery type. In this study, perylenequinone was utilized to improve polysulfide chemisorption and conversion on cobalt (Co)-containing Li-S battery cathodes. According to IGMH analysis, the binding energies of DPD and carbon materials as well as polysulfide adsorption were significantly enhanced in the presence of Co. According to in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups in perylenequinone are able to form O-Li bonds with Li2Sn, facilitating chemisorption and catalytic conversion of polysulfides on metallic Co. The newly prepared cathode material demonstrated superior rate and cycling performances in the Li-S battery. It exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 780 mAh g-1 at 1 C and a minimum capacity decay rate of only 0.041% over 800 cycles. Even with a high S loading, the cathode material maintained an impressive capacity retention rate of 73% after 120 cycles at 0.2 C.

Amorphous RuCoP Ultrafine Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon as Efficient Catalysts for Hydrogenation of Adipic Acid to 1,6-Hexanediol.

As an important raw material for organic synthesis, the 1,6-hexanediol (HDOL) is synthesized by the complicated two-step process traditionally. The hydrogenation of adipic acid (AA) is a potential way to prepare 1,6-hexanediol. At present, amorphous RuMP (M: Co, Ni, Fe, etc.)-based alloys with low Ru content were developed by co-precipitation as the efficient catalysts for converting AA to HDOL via hydrogenation. Among these RuMP catalysts, RuCoP alloys exhibited the highest selectivity and yield to HDOL owing to the electronic effect. The selectivity and yield of HDOL for the optimized RuCoP/C sample was achieved to 80% and 64%, respectively, at 65 bar and 220 °C. A series of RuCoP alloys with different degrees of crystallinity and particle sizes were prepared to investigate the effect of morphology and structure on its catalytic performance. The results indicated that the high catalytic activity of RuCoP/C resulted from its rich active sites due to its amorphous phase and small particle size.

Using sp2 N atom anchoring effect to prepare ultrafine vanadium nitride particles on porous nitrogen-doped carbon as cathode for lithium-sulfur battery.

Porous carbon-supported transition metals and their compounds have attracted much attention as sulfur host materials for cathodes of lithium-sulfur batteries, due to their high chemisorption capacity and ability to catalyze the conversion of polysulfides. However, actual activity of these materials is not very high because of low specific surface areas of transition metal compounds synthesized at high temperatures. In this study, ultra-fine vanadium nitride particles with an average particle size of ca. 4 nm (VN/M/NC) are successfully grown on the surface of nitrogen-doped three-dimensional carbon using sp2 nitrogen atoms, resulting from melamine pyrolysis in the presence of ammonium metavanadate, as anchor points to lock vanadium atoms in the VN/M/NC material. When used as a cathode for lithium-sulfur battery, VN/M/NC demonstrates initial discharge specific capacity of 1080 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C, and retains a discharge capacity of 475 mAh g-1 at a high rate of 2 C. With capacity attenuation of only 0.037% per cycle after 500 cycles at 1 C, the newly obtained VN/M/NC can be a promising cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries.