Magnon-Skyrmion Hybrid Quantum Systems: Tailoring Interactions via Magnons.

Coherent and dissipative interactions between different quantum systems are essential for the construction of hybrid quantum systems and the investigation of novel quantum phenomena. Here, we propose and analyze a magnon-skyrmion hybrid quantum system, consisting of a micromagnet and nearby magnetic skyrmions. We predict a strong-coupling mechanism between the magnonic mode of the micromagnet and the quantized helicity degree of freedom of the skyrmion. We show that with this hybrid setup it is possible to induce magnon-mediated nonreciprocal interactions and responses between distant skyrmion qubits or between skyrmion qubits and other quantum systems like superconducting qubits. This work provides a quantum platform for the investigation of diverse quantum effects and quantum information processing with magnetic microstructures.

The complex of tannic acid and cetylpyridinium chloride: An antibacterial and stain-removal cleaner for aligners.

INTRODUCTION: Effective aligner hygiene is recognized as an important part of orthodontic treatments and oral hygiene. However, there is no effective cleansing method for removable aligners. METHODS: In this study, we incorporated tannic acid (TA) with cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) to develop the TA-CPC complex. The antibacterial properties of 15.8 mg/mL TA-CPC against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated in vitro, which were compared with 5.1 mg/mL TA, 10.7 mg/mL CPC, a commercial denture cleansing solution (YA; 15 mg/mL), and water. As for the assessment of stain-removal ability, the aligners stained by coffee were soaked in cleansing solutions, and the color changes (ΔE∗) were calculated on the basis of the CIE L∗a∗b∗ color system, and the National Bureau of Standards system was used for the clinical interpretation of the color change. Atomic force microscope examination, tensile property assessment, and wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis were performed to investigate the material compatibility of TA-CPC, and Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and live/dead assay were used to test the cytotoxicity of TA-CPC. RESULTS: The results showed that TA-CPC had a positive zeta-potential, and cation-π interaction changed the chemical environments of the phenyl group in TA-CPC, resulting in greater inhibition zones of S. aureus and E. coli than other cleaners. The quantification of the biofilm biomass and the fluorescent intensities also reflected that the TA-CPC solution exhibited better antibacterial ability. As for the ability of stain removal, ΔE∗ value of group TA-CPC was 2.84 ± 0.55, whereas those of stained aligners immersed with deionized distilled water, TA, YA, and CPC were 10.26 ± 0.04, 9.54 ± 0.24, 5.93 ± 0.36, and 4.69 ± 0.35, respectively. The visual inspection and National Bureau of Standards ratings also showed that the color of stained aligners cleansed by TA-CPC was much lighter than those of the other groups. Meanwhile, TA-CPC had good compatibility with the aligner material and cells. CONCLUSIONS: TA-CPC is a promising strategy to inhibit the formation of biofilms and remove the stains on the aligners safely, which may disinfect the aligners to improve oral health and help keep the transparent appearances of aligners without impacting the morphology and mechanical properties.

Enhanced Tripartite Interactions in Spin-Magnon-Mechanical Hybrid Systems.

Coherent tripartite interactions among degrees of freedom of completely different nature are instrumental for quantum information and simulation technologies, but they are generally difficult to realize and remain largely unexplored. Here, we predict a tripartite coupling mechanism in a hybrid setup comprising a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center and a micromagnet. We propose to realize direct and strong tripartite interactions among single NV spins, magnons, and phonons via modulating the relative motion between the NV center and the micromagnet. Specifically, by introducing a parametric drive (two-phonon drive) to modulate the mechanical motion (such as the center-of-mass motion of a NV spin in diamond trapped in an electrical trap or a levitated micromagnet in a magnetic trap), we can obtain a tunable and strong spin-magnon-phonon coupling at the single quantum level, with up to 2 orders of magnitude enhancement for the tripartite coupling strength. This enables, for example, tripartite entanglement among solid-state spins, magnons, and mechanical motions in quantum spin-magnonics-mechanics with realistic experimental parameters. This protocol can be readily implemented with the well-developed techniques in ion traps or magnetic traps and could pave the way for general applications in quantum simulations and information processing based on directly and strongly coupled tripartite systems.

miR-20a-5p regulated SMAD6 to inhibit chondrogenesis of hDPSCs.

OBJECTIVES: Chondrogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) is highly promising for cartilage repair. The specific mechanism, however, still needs to be explicated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we isolated hDPSCs and transfected cells with lentiviruses containing an over-expression, knock-down, or negative control of miR-20a-5p. Three-D pellet cultures of hDPSCs were used for the chondrogenic induction. Following the pellet culture period, chondrogenesis was assessed by histological and immunohistochemical analysis and expression of chondrogenic-related genes. Dual-luciferase report assay was performed to determine potential targeted genes of miR-20a-5p, and the phosphorylation levels of P65 and IκBα were explored. Animal experiments were performed to determine the effect of miR-20a-5p on cartilage regeneration. RESULTS: miR-20a-5p was showed to repress the expression of SMAD6 to inhibit the chondrogenic differentiation of hDPSCs. Accordingly, the knock-down of miR-20a-5p promoted cartilage regeneration in the osteochondral defects of rats. Mechanically, it is indicated that NF-κB signaling is the potential down-stream network of miR-20a-5p/Smad6 crosstalk during chondrogenic differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: miR-20a-5p could target SMAD6 to activate NF-κB signaling pathway, and thus inhibit chondrogenesis of hDPSCs, which provided promising therapeutic target for cartilage defects clinically.

Hyaluronan injection versus oral glucosamine and diclofenac in the treatment of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: This study was aimed to compare the effects of 4 biweekly hyaluronan (HA) injection with glucosamine and diclofenac oral administration on TMJ OA patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included TMJ OA patients who had the treatment of 4 biweekly HA injection (group HA) or oral glucosamine hydrochloride for 3 months and diclofenac sodium for 2 weeks (group G/D), and had complete data at first-visit, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. Clinical signs and symptoms were scored by anamnestic dysfunction index (Ai) and clinical dysfunction index (Di), and condylar bone changes were evaluated by CBCT scoring system. RESULTS: We included 22 patients in group HA and 20 patients in group G/D. After HA injection, Ai was decreased from 4.3 to 1.6(CI [- 4.0, - 1.4]) at 3-month follow-up, which was smaller than that in group G/D significantly. Di in group HA was declined significantly from 8.1 at first-visit to 3.6 at 3-month follow-up, while Di in group G/D scarcely changed until at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Neither HA injection nor oral glucosamine/diclofenac showed positive effect on the bone of TMJs during follow-ups with statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: HA injection alleviated signs and symptoms of TMJ OA rapidly and presented superior clinical effects over oral glucosamine with diclofenac. However, both treatments did not limit the bone destruction of TMJs significantly. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This cohort study provides knowledge on the symptom relief and bone changes of TMJ OA patients when treated with HA injection or glucosamine and diclofenac oral administration.

Progress on the mechanistic research of the trinucleotide repeat instabilities underlying human neurodegenerative diseases.

The expansion and deletion instabilities shown by some trinucleotide repeated DNA sequences are associated with more than 50 neurodegenerative diseases in humans. The increase or decrease of the trinucleotide repeat units underlying the diseases are not yet clearly explained using any mechanism, but has been found to affect the expression of specific genes, or produces cytotoxic RNA and protein, which has now become a common pathological mechanism of the diseases. The ongoing studies have shown that the changes in the copy numbers of the disease-related trinucleotide repeats may result from abnormal DNA replication, repair, recombination, and gene transcription. Human genetical studies also suggest that abnormal DNA replication, repair, recombination, or gene transcription that occurred in the disease-related trinucleotide repeat DNA sites may play a key role in the trinucleotide repeat DNA instabilities. Based on the research experiences of our research group, this paper reviews the recent research progress on the mechanisms of the disease-associated trinucleotide repeat DNA instabilities including their base mutation instabilities, the amplification and deletion instabilities of the repeat units, to better understand the molecular mechanism of the disease-associated trinucleotide repeats instabilities.

Novel association between FOXO3 rs2232365 polymorphism and late-onset preeclampsia: a case-control candidate genetic study.

BACKGROUND: Both genetic susceptibility and dysregulated lipid metabolism are important susceptibilities to preeclampsia. In the study, we devote to investigate the associations of FOXO3 and TLR7 genetic polymorphisms with preeclampsia in a Chinese population. METHODS: This case-control study involved 335 Han Chinese pregnant women, including 177 pregnant women with preeclampsia and 158 healthy controls. The preeclampsia group was further sub-grouped into early-onset preeclampsia (EOPE, n = 70)and late-onset preeclampsia (LOPE, n = 107. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including FOXO3 (rs2232365, rs3761548), and TLR7 rs3853839 were genotyped by multiplex PCR for targeted next-generation sequencing. The χ2 test and multiple interaction effect analyses were performed to determine the association of three SNPs with serum lipid levels and thyroid function in women with preeclampsia. RESULTS: The genotype (CC vs. TT + CT) distribution of rs2232365 revealed a significant association with LOPE (P = 0.004, odds ratio = 3.525 (0.95 CI: 1.498-8.164)). No significant difference was found in the genotype and allele frequencies of rs3761548 and rs3853839 between controls and cases (P > 0.05). Moreover, the genotype CT/TT of rs2232365 was significantly correlated with increased TG/HDL levels in the LOPE group (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: The polymorphisms of rs2232365 are associated with the risk of LOPE and may modulate TG/HDL levels in pregnant women with LOPE.

Design, Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Type of Thermo-Responsible Phospholipid Microcapsule-Alginate Composite Hydrogel for Drug Delivery.

Liposomes are extensively used in drug delivery, while alginates are widely used in tissue engineering. However, liposomes are usually thermally unstable and drug-leaking when in liquids, while the drug carriers made of alginates show low loading capacities when used for drug delivery. Herein, we developed a type of thermo-responsible liposome-alginate composite hydrogel (TSPMAH) by grafting thermo-responsive liposomes onto alginates by using Ca2+ mediated bonding between the phosphatidic serine (PS) in the liposome membrane and the alginate. The temperature-sensitivity of the liposomes was actualized by using phospholipids comprising dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and PS and the liposomes were prepared by a thin-film dispersion method. The TSPMAH was then successfully prepared by bridge-linking the microcapsules onto the alginate hydrogel via PS-Ca2+-Carboxyl-alginate interaction. Characterizations of the TSPMAH were carried out using scanning electron microscopy, transform infrared spectroscopy, and laser scanning confocal microscopy, respectively. Their rheological property was also characterized by using a rheometer. Cytotoxicity evaluations of the TSPMAH showed that the composite hydrogel was biocompatible, safe, and non-toxic. Further, loading and thermos-inducible release of model drugs encapsulated by the TSPMAH as a drug carrier system was also studied by making protamine-siRNA complex-carrying TSPMAH drug carriers. Our results indicated that the TSPMAH described herein has great potentials to be further developed into an intelligent drug delivery system.

Prognostic Significance and Diagnostic Value of Overexpressed lncRNA PVT1 in Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of lncRNA PVT1 in CRC tissue compared to adjacent normal tissues, and reveal the association between lncRNA PVT1 expression level and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with CRC. METHODS: We detected the lncRNA PVT1 relative expression of cancerous tissues in 130 patients with CRC by using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. At the same time, we collected the clinicopathological and prognostic information. RESULTS: IncRNA PVT1 was overexpressed in CRC tissues compared to paired-adjacent normal tissues and the high expression rate was 72.31%. High expression of lncRNA PVT1 predicts a later tumor stage (p = 0.001), poorer tissue differentiation (p = 0.019), and higher plasma CEA level (p = 0.043). Additionally, the lncRNA PVT1 expression was closely related to lymph node metastasis (N1/N2 vs. N0) and distant metastasis (M1 vs. M0) in CRC patients (p = 0.002; p = 0.003), but not to tumor T classification (p = 0.314). The result of prognostic analysis indicated that the 1-year and 3-year DFS of the lncRNA PVT1 low and high expression patients were 93.8% and 81.1%, 69.3% and 44.7%, respectively. The median DFS was 44 months in low expression group and 26 months in high expression group, with statistical significance (p = 0.021). COX multivariate analysis showed that TNM staging (III/IV vs. I/II: HR = 6.342, 95% CI: 2.994 - 13.433, p < 0.001) and the lncRNA PVT1 expression (high expression vs. low expression: HR = 3.744, 95% CI: 1.493 - 9.392, p = 0.005) was closely related to DFS in CRC patients. As with tumor TNM staging, lncRNA PVT1 expression was also an independent prognostic predictor of DFS. The proportion of lncRNA PVT1 high expression (fold change ≥ 1.725) was higher than that of elevated CEA ( > 5 ng/mL) in different CRC stages, especially, there was a significant difference in stage I patients (X2 = 41.717, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The lncRNA PVT1 was over-expressed in CRC tissues, which indicated a poor prognosis. The lncRNA PVT1 expression is far higher than the plasma CEA level in the early stage patients, which has the potential diagnostic value for early stage CRC.

Changes in vessel density of the patients with narrow antenior chamber after an acute intraocular pressure elevation observed by OCT angiography.

BACKGROUND: Although the pathogenesis of glaucoma is not fully understood,an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major factor contributing to its development and progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the vessel densities of the macula and optic nerve head (ONH) after an acute elevation in the intraocular pressure (IOP) observed using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). METHODS: This was a prospective comparative study of subjects with narrow anterior chamber angles who underwent laser peripheral iridotomies (LPIs). The IOP was measured before and one hour after the LPI. The retinal vessel densities of the macula and ONH were measured using OCTA at the baseline and one hour after the LPI. RESULTS: A total of 64 eyes of 51 individuals were enrolled in this study, and 58 eyes of 43 individuals finally completed the study with a mean IOP rise of 10.5 ± 7.6 mmHg after the LPI. Based on the magnitude of the rise in the IOP, we divided the subjects into three groups: group A = IOP rise ≤10 mmHg, group B = 10 mmHg < IOP rise ≤20 mmHg, and group C = IOP rise > 20 mmHg. The vessel density did not differ after the acute IOP elevation in either the macular region or papillary region in group A or group B (p > 0.05), but there was a significant difference in group C (p < 0.05). However, when the subjects were not separated into groups, the vessel densities of the ONH and macular region did not differ between the measurements obtained at the baseline and one hour after the LPI (p > 0.05). The correlation existed in peripapillary and macular vessel density (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In these subjects with narrow antenior chamber, an acute mild or moderate IOP elevation for one hour after the LPI did not affect the vessel density in the macula or ONH, as examined using OCTA. However, when the IOP rise was greater than 20 mmHg, the macular and papillary vessel density decreased significantly.

LncRNA PVT1: a Novel Therapeutic Target for Cancers.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNA PVT1, as an important carcinogenic lncRNA, is highly expressed in many malignant tumors and suggests a poorer prognosis. It can promote the occurrence and development of cancers by affecting cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis. This article reviews the progress of lncRNA PVT1 on cancer therapy, in order to facilitate the in-depth study of lncRNA PVT1 acting as a promising target for therapy in cancers. METHODS: We extracted all relevant studies of lncRNA PVT1 on the treatment of cancers by searching electronic databases Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science from inception to November 30, 2017. RESULTS: Accumulating vigorous evidence has shown that lncRNA PVT1 performs a significant carcinogenic activity in various cancers, for instance, negatively modulating miRNA as a ceRNA or a molecular sponge to exert tumor-promoting effect. Based on the critical role of lncRNA PVT1 in the pathogenesis of cancers, numerous studies have already demonstrated that lncRNA PVT1 might serve as a potential therapeutic target for various cancers, such as non-small cell lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, breast cancer, glioma, etc. CONCLUSIONS: Numerous studies have indicated that lncRNA PVT1 will most likely become a novel target for cancer therapy with the deepening systematic research.

A direct proofreader-clamp interaction stabilizes the Pol III replicase in the polymerization mode.

Processive DNA synthesis by the αεθ core of the Escherichia coli Pol III replicase requires it to be bound to the ß2 clamp via a site in the α polymerase subunit. How the ε proofreading exonuclease subunit influences DNA synthesis by α was not previously understood. In this work, bulk assays of DNA replication were used to uncover a non-proofreading activity of ε. Combination of mutagenesis with biophysical studies and single-molecule leading-strand replication assays traced this activity to a novel ß-binding site in ε that, in conjunction with the site in α, maintains a closed state of the αεθ-ß2 replicase in the polymerization mode of DNA synthesis. The ε-ß interaction, selected during evolution to be weak and thus suited for transient disruption to enable access of alternate polymerases and other clamp binding proteins, therefore makes an important contribution to the network of protein-protein interactions that finely tune stability of the replicase on the DNA template in its various conformational states.

Increased Expression of PCNA-AS1 in Colorectal Cancer and its Clinical Association.

BACKGROUND: The aim is to study the expression of PCNA-AS1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissue and paired-adjacent normal tissue and the relationship between its expression level and clinical pathological features. METHODS: Using real-time qPCR, PCNA-AS1 expression levels were detected in 114 cases to establish the relationship between its expression and clinicopathologic features. Moreover, the expressions of PCNA-AS1 were investigated in CRC and normal colonic epithelial cell lines. RESULTS: PCNA-AS1 was upregulated in CRC patients. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The expression level was significantly correlated with the tumor invasion and TNM stage. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.824, 0.632, and 0.860, respectively. Moreover, PCNA-AS1 was up-regulated in CRC cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: PCNA-AS1 may function as a potential tumor biomarker for diagnosing CRC.

Long Noncoding RNA PVT1 as a Potent Predictor of Prognosis in Cancers: a Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1), an oncogenic long noncoding RNA located in a recognized cancer-risk gene region-8q24, is significantly overexpressed in various cancers. Many studies have found that high expression of PVT1 was correlated with poor prognosis. METHODS: This meta-analysis was performed by searching electronic databases Pubmed, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang, and ChongQing VIP for eligible papers on the prognostic impact and clinicopathological characteristics of PVT1 expression in cancer from inception to January 31, 2017. The hazard ratio (HR) and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed to estimate the pooled effect of PVT1 on prognosis of cancers using Stata 12.0 version software. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were finally included in this review with a total of 1559 patients. The pooled result indicated that overexpressed PVT1 predicts a poorer prognosis of cancerous patients for overall survival (HR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.61 - 2.26, p < 0.001) and disease-free survival (HR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.46 - 2.48, p < 0.001) or recurrencefree survival (HR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.24 - 2.52, p = 0.002) or progression-free survival (HR = 2.84, 95% CI: 1.67 - 4.82, p < 0.001). High expression of PVT1 was closely associated with tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (III/IV vs. I/II: OR = 3.19, 95% CI: 2.43 - 4.18, p < 0.001), and the significant correlation between PVT1 expression and TNM stage is found in T classification (T3/4 vs. T1/2: OR = 6.48, 95% CI: 2.93 - 14.31, p < 0.001) and lymph node metastasis (present vs. absent: OR = 2.56, 95% CI:1.36 - 4.80, p = 0.003), but not in distant metastasis of patients with cancers (yes vs. no: OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 0.72 - 8.66, p = 0.15). Furthermore, the cancerous patients with high PVT1 expression had a worse histological differentiation than those with low PVT1 expression (undifferentiated/poorly vs. moderately/well: OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.02 - 2.14, p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: PVT1 could serve as a potent predicator of prognosis in different types of cancers.

Efficacy of whole-course pain intervention on health-related quality of life for patients after esophagectomy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of whole-course pain intervention on health-related quality of life (QoL) for patients after esophagectomy. METHODS: A retrospecitve analysis was performed on 81 patients who were enrolled as conventional care group (control group with 40 cases) and whole-course pain intervention group (observation group with 41 cases) respectively af?ter Sweet, Ivor-Lewis and McKeown esophagectomy between January 2011 and December 2013. Then, the postoperative recovery parameters of the patients were compared, accompanied with evaluation of QoL using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey 6 months after the operation. RESULTS: The patients in the observation group demonstrated significantly better pain control and overall satisfaction rate than those of the control group, along with significantly lower morbidity of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) (p<0.05). However, the health-related QoL 6 months after the operation indicated no significant difference between the two groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: In summary, the whole-course pain intervention is conducive to relieve pain and to reduce the occurrence of CPSP in patients after esophagectomy.

R-loop structure: the formation and the effects on genomic stability.

R-loop is a type of three-stranded nucleic acid structure that is made up of an RNA:DNA hybrid, formed due to failing separation of a nascent RNA molecule with transcripting template in transcription or by the re-annealing of RNA molecule with one of the two strands in a double stranded DNA molecule, along with the single stranded DNA, which is either the non-template strand in the transcription bubble or the RNA substituted DNA strand. Formation of R-loops can occur when transcription goes through a genomic DNA region having a tract of G bases in the non-template strand in the transcription bubble or through a type of triplet microsatellite DNA sequences that are known to be associated with certain human diseases. The negative supercoiling forces accumulated in the transcription bubble, and the misprocessing of RNA precursors, as well as the delayed utilizations and transportations of RNA molecules to cytoplasm promote R loop formation. Many studies show that cells can manage R loop formation with efficiency, and can also process the R-loops already formed in the cell, and by which, the bad effects of R-loops on DNA replication, gene mutation and homologous recombination can be regulated. In this review, we summarize the formation and the impacts of R-loops on DNA replication, mutation rates and the frequencies of homologous recombination, and also discusse the possible role of the R-loop induced DNA replication in mediating trinucleotide repeat expansions as seen with those frequently associated with human neuromuscular degenerative diseases.

A specific enterotype derived from gut microbiome of older individuals enables favorable responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but inconsistent responses persist. Our study delves into the intriguing phenomenon of enhanced immunotherapy sensitivity in older individuals with cancers. Through a meta-analysis encompassing 25 small-to-mid-sized trials of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), we demonstrate that older individuals exhibit heightened responsiveness to ICB therapy. To understand the underlying mechanism, we reanalyze single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from multiple studies and unveil distinct upregulation of exhausted and cytotoxic T cell markers within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of older patients. Recognizing the potential role of gut microbiota in modulating the efficacy of immunotherapy, we identify an aging-enriched enterotype linked to improved immunotherapy outcomes in older patients. Fecal microbiota transplantation experiments in mice confirm the therapeutic potential of the aging-enriched enterotype, enhancing treatment sensitivity and reshaping the TME. Our discoveries confront the prevailing paradox and provide encouraging paths for tailoring cancer immunotherapy strategies according to an individual's gut microbiome profile.

Nickel Oxide Decorated Halloysite Nanotubes as Sulfur Host Materials for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries with high energy density still confront many challenges, such as polysulfide dissolution, the large volume change of sulfur, and fast capacity fading in long-term cycling. Herein, a naturally abundant clay material, halloysite, is introduced as a sulfur host material in the cathode of Li-S batteries. Nickel oxide nanoparticles are embedded into the halloysite nanotubes (NiO@Halloysite) by hydrothermal and calcination treatment to improve the affinity of halloysite nanotubes to polysulfides. The NiO@Halloysite composite loaded with sulfur (S/NiO@Halloysite) is employed as the cathode of Li-S batteries, which combines the physical confinements of tubular halloysite particles and good chemical adsorption ability of NiO. The S/NiO@Halloysite electrode exhibits a high discharge capacity of 1205.47 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C. In addition, it demonstrates enhanced cycling stability, retaining ≈60% of initial capacity after 450 cycles at 0.5 C. The synthesized NiO@Halloysite can provide a promising prospect and valuable insight into applying natural clay materials in Li-S batteries.

Multi-functionalized carbon nanotubes towards green fabrication of heterogeneous catalyst platforms with enhanced catalytic properties under NIR light irradiation.

Metal/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been attractive hybrid systems due to their high specific surface area and exceptional catalytic activity, but their challenging synthesis and dispersion impede their extensive applications. Herein, we report a facile and green approach towards the fabrication of metal/CNT composites, which utilizes a versatile glycopeptide (GP) both as a stabilizer for CNTs in water and as a reducing agent for noble metal ions. The abundant hydrogen bonds in GP endow the formed GP-CNTs with excellent plasticity, enabling the availability of polymorphic CNT species from dispersion to viscous paste, gel, and even to dough by increasing their concentration. The GP molecules can reduce metal precursors at room temperature without additional reducing agents, enabling the in situ immobilization of metal nanoparticles (e.g. Au, Ag, Pt, and Pd) on the CNT surface. The combination of the excellent catalytic properties of Pd particles with photothermal conversion capability of CNTs makes the Pd/CNT composite a promising catalyst for the fast degradation of organic pollutants, as demonstrated by a model catalytic reaction using 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The conversion of 4-NP using the Pd/CNT composite as the catalyst has increased by 1.6-fold under near infrared light illumination, benefiting from the strong light-to-heat conversion effect of CNTs. Our proposed strategy opens a new avenue for the synthesis of CNT composites as a sustainable and versatile catalyst platform.

Poly(ionic liquid) nanovesicles via polymerization induced self-assembly and their stabilization of Cu nanoparticles for tailored CO2 electroreduction.

Herein, we report a straightforward, scalable synthetic route towards poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) homopolymer nanovesicles (NVs) with a tunable particle size of 50 to 120 nm and a shell thickness of 15 to 60 nm via one-step free radical polymerization induced self-assembly. By increasing monomer concentration for polymerization, their nanoscopic morphology can evolve from hollow NVs to dense spheres, and finally to directional worms, in which a multilamellar packing of PIL chains occurred in all samples. The transformation mechanism of NVs' internal morphology is studied in detail by coarse-grained simulations, revealing a correlation between the PIL chain length and the shell thickness of NVs. To explore their potential applications, PIL NVs with varied shell thickness are in situ functionalized with ultra-small (1 âˆ¼ 3 nm in size) copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and employed as electrocatalysts for CO2 electroreduction. The composite electrocatalysts exhibit a 2.5-fold enhancement in selectivity towards C1 products (e.g., CH4), compared to the pristine CuNPs. This enhancement is attributed to the strong electronic interactions between the CuNPs and the surface functionalities of PIL NVs. This study casts new aspects on using nanostructured PILs as new electrocatalyst supports in CO2 conversion to C1 products.