Development of an m6A subtype classifier to guide precision therapy for patients with bladder cancer.

Purpose: Bladder cancer (BLCA) is a highly heterogeneous tumor. We aim to construct a classifier from the perspective of N6-methyladenosine methylation (m6A) to identify patients with different prognostic risks and treatment responsiveness for precision therapy. Methods: Data on gene expression profile, mutation, and clinical characteristics were mainly obtained from the TCGA-BLCA cohort. Unsupervised clustering was performed to construct m6A subtypes. The tumor microenvironment (TME) landscapes were explored by using ssGSEA, ESTIMATE, and MCPcounter algorithms. K-M survival curves and Cox regression analysis were used to demonstrate the significance of m6A subtypes in predicting prognosis. pRRophetic, oncoPredict, and TIDE algorithms were used to evaluate responsiveness to antitumor therapy. A classifier of m6a subtypes was finally developed based on random forest and artificial neural network (ANN). Results: The two m6A subtypes have significantly different m6A-related gene expression profiles and mutational landscapes. TME analysis showed a higher level of stromal and Inhibitory immune components in subtype B compared with subtype A. The m6A subtype is a clinically independent prognostic predictor of BLCA, subtype B has a poorer prognosis. Drug sensitivity analysis showed that subtype B has lower IC50 values and AUC values for cisplatin and docetaxel. Efficacy assessment showed significantly poorer radiotherapy efficacy and lower immunotherapy responsiveness in subtype B. We finally constructed an ANN classifier to accurately classify BLCA patients into two m6A subtypes. Conclusion: Our study developed a classifier for identifying subtypes with different m6A characteristics, and BLCA patients with different m6A subtypes have significantly different prognosis and responsiveness to antitumor therapy.

Switchable Photoelectric Response in High-Temperature Leadless Molecular Ferroelectric [C4N2H14][BiI5].

Lead-free molecular ferroelectrics have garnered considerable attention for their promising potential, but such species with narrow band gap and sensitive photoelectric response are yet inadequate. Herein, we demonstrated the bulk ferroelectric photovoltaic effect in a novel lead-free molecular ferroelectric [C4N2H14][BiI5] with a Curie temperature (Tc) of 366 K and a narrow band gap (Eg) of 1.92 eV. The transformation of the crystal structure from the polar space group P21 to the nonpolar space group P21/m was elucidated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Room-temperature (RT) hysteresis loop reveals the intrinsic ferroelectricity of [C4N2H14][BiI5] with a relative small coercive field (Ec ∼ 0.27 kV/cm), saturation polarization (Ps ∼ 1.87 µC/cm2), and remanent polarization (Pr ∼ 1.61 µC/cm2). [C4N2H14][BiI5]-based solar device exhibits significant PV effects with a steady-state photocurrent (Jsc) of 3.54 µA/cm2 and a photovoltage (Voc) of 0.34 V under AM 1.5 G illumination, which can be significantly improved by adjusting the ferroelectric polarization, reaching a maximum Jsc of 140 µA/cm2 and Voc of 0.51 V. This work offers a promising avenue for lead-free molecular ferroelectric materials in the field of optoelectronic devices.

Bulk Photovoltaic Effect in High-Temperature Lead-Halide Molecular Ferroelectric [C4N2H14][PbI4].

Hybrid organic-inorganic molecular ferroelectrics (HOIMFs) have garnered significant attention owing to their potential applications in optoelectronic and spintronic devices. However, HOIMFs with high Curie temperature (Tc), narrow bandgap (Eg), excellent stability, and high breakdown voltage are still very rare. Herein, we present a novel lead-halide molecular ferroelectric, (1,4-butanediammonium)PbI4 (1), synthesized hydrothermally. 1 exhibits a ferroelectric-to-paraelectric phase transition with a high Curie temperature of 485 K, a room temperature ferroelectric hysteresis loop with a robust saturation polarization of 3.9 µC/cm2 and strong coercivity of 33 kV/cm, and a typical semiconductor behavior with a direct bandgap of 2.28 eV. Switchable photovoltaic effect was observed in 1-based device with a fast response time of ∼2 ms and high breakdown electric field of 80 kV/cm. Dramatically enhanced photovoltaic performance has been achieved by manipulating the ferroelectric polarization, resulting in a maximum photovoltage of Voc ∼ 0.84 V and a photocurrent of Jsc ∼ 33.31 nA/cm2 under standard AM 1.5 G illumination. This study offers a bright avenue for advancing high-Tc lead-halide molecular ferroelectrics with promising potentials in photodetectors, data storage, and logical switching devices.

Multi-omics reveals the impact of cancer-associated fibroblasts on the prognosis and treatment response of adult diffuse highest-grade gliomas.

Background: Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAF), an important cancer-promoting and immunosuppressive component of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), have recently been found to infiltrate adult diffuse highest-grade gliomas (ADHGG) (gliomas of grade IV). Methods: Gene expression and clinical data of ADHGG patients were obtained from the CGGA and TCGA databases. Consensus clustering was used to identify CAF subtypes based on CAF key genes acquired from single-cell omics and spatial transcriptomomics. CIBERSORT, ssGSEA, MCPcounter, and ESTIMATE analyses were used to assess the TIME of GBM. Survival analysis, drug sensitivity analysis, TCIA database, TIDE and cMap algorithms were used to compare the prognosis and treatment response between patients with different CAF subtypes. An artificial neural network (ANN) model based on random forest was constructed to exactly identify CAF subtypes, which was validated in a real-world patient cohort of ADHGG. Results: Consensus clustering classified ADHGG into two CAF subtypes. Compared with subtype B, patients with ADHGG subtype A had a poorer prognosis, worse responsiveness to immunotherapy and radiotherapy, higher CAF infiltration in TIME, but higher sensitivity to temozolomide. Furthermore, patients with subtype A had a much lower proportion of IDH mutations. Finally, the ANN model based on five genes (COL3A1, COL1A2, CD248, FN1, and COL1A1) could exactly discriminate CAF subtypes, and the validation of the real-world cohort indicated consistent results with the bioinformatics analyses. Conclusion: This study revealed a novel CAF subtype to distinguish ADHGG patients with different prognosis and treatment responsiveness, which may be helpful for accurate clinical decision-making of ADHGG.

Cs2MnCl4:Eu2+: A Near-Violet Light-Triggered Single-Component White Light Emitter.

Single-component white-light luminescent materials are considered an economical and facile choice for phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pc-WLEDs). Here, a new single-component white-light-emitting material Cs2MnCl4:Eu2+ based on the combination of a lead-free halide structure and a rare-earth ion is first reported. Benefiting from the smart dilution-sensitization design strategy, white light composed of dual broad emission originating from Eu2+ (blue light, 444 nm, 4f65d1 → 4f7) and Mn2+ (yellow light, 566 nm, 4T1g → 6A1g) was successfully realized under near-ultraviolet light (404 nm) radiation with a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 66%. Based on the single-source Cs2MnCl4:Eu2+ phosphor, a pc-WLEDs device with "eye-friendly" white light production was successfully fabricated. The pc-WLEDs exhibit suitable color coordinates of (0.3294, 0.2746) and a high color rendering index of 82.3, demonstrating the potential in the future health-conscious illumination application by reducing the risk of eye strain and high-energy blue-light damage. This work achieves a new single-component white-light-emitting Mn-based halide phosphor and provides a new path for the design of single-component white light sources in Mn-based halides.

Identifying disulfidptosis subtypes in hepatocellular carcinoma through machine learning and preliminary exploration of its connection with immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent and deadly cancer, with limited treatment options for advanced-stage patients. Disulfidptosis is a recently identified mechanism of programmed cell death that occurs in SLC7A11 high-expressing cells due to glucose starvation-induced disintegration of the cellular disulfide skeleton. We aimed to explore the potential of disulfidptosis, as a prognostic and therapeutic marker in HCC. METHODS: We classified HCC patients into two disulfidptosis subtypes (C1 and C2) based on the transcriptional profiles of 31 disulfrgs using a non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm. Further, five genes (NEIL3, MMP1, STC2, ADH4 and CFHR3) were screened by Cox regression analysis and machine learning algorithm to construct a disulfidptosis scoring system (disulfS). Cell proliferation assay, F-actin staining and PBMC co-culture model were used to validate that disulfidptosis occurs in HCC and correlates with immunotherapy response. RESULTS: Our results suggests that the low disulfidptosis subtype (C2) demonstrated better overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) prognosis, along with lower levels of immunosuppressive cell infiltration and activation of the glycine/serine/threonine metabolic pathway. Additionally, the low disulfidptosis group showed better responses to immunotherapy and potential antagonism with sorafenib treatment. As a total survival risk factor, disulfS demonstrated high predictive efficacy in multiple validation cohorts. We demonstrated the presence of disulfidptosis in HCC cells and its possible relevance to immunotherapeutic sensitization. CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that novel biomarkers related to disulfidptosis may serve as useful clinical diagnostic indicators for liver cancer, enabling the prediction of prognosis and identification of potential treatment targets.

Intense green light emission in Sr2 ZnGe2 O7 :Mn2+ phosphors by the design of high symmetry melilite structure.

A green phosphor Sr2 ZnGe2 O7 :Mn2+ with a melilite structure was prepared using a high-temperature solid-state reaction. When the 535 nm emission was monitored, the excitation spectrum of the Sr2 ZnGe2 O7 :Mn2+ was found to contain two excitation bands in the ultraviolet (UV) region. When excited by UV light, the sample shows bright green emission at 535 nm, which corresponds to the distinctive transition of Mn2+ (4 T1 →6 A1 ). Moreover, the quantum efficiency of Sr2 ZnGe2 O7 :Mn2+ could reach 67.6%. Finally, a high-performance white-light-emitting diode (WLED) with a low correlated colour temperature of 4632 K and a high colour rendering index (CRI) of 92.3 were packaged by coating commercial blue and red phosphors with an optimized Sr2 ZnGe2 O7 :Mn2+ sample on a 310 nm UV chip. This indicated that Sr2 ZnGe2 O7 :Mn2+ has the potential application as a green component in the WLED lighting field.

WGX50 mitigates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity through inhibition of mitochondrial ROS and ferroptosis.

BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) is a major impediment to its clinical application. It is indispensable to explore alternative treatment molecules or drugs for mitigating DIC. WGX50, an organic extract derived from Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant biological activity, however, its function and mechanism in DIC remain unclear. METHODS: We established DOX-induced cardiotoxicity models both in vitro and in vivo. Echocardiography and histological analyses were used to determine the severity of cardiac injury in mice. The myocardial damage markers cTnT, CK-MB, ANP, BNP, and ferroptosis associated indicators Fe2+, MDA, and GPX4 were measured using ELISA, RT-qPCR, and western blot assays. The morphology of mitochondria was investigated with a transmission electron microscope. The levels of mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial ROS, and lipid ROS were detected using JC-1, MitoSOX™, and C11-BODIPY 581/591 probes. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrate that WGX50 protects DOX-induced cardiotoxicity via restraining mitochondrial ROS and ferroptosis. In vivo, WGX50 effectively relieves doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction, cardiac injury, fibrosis, mitochondrial damage, and redox imbalance. In vitro, WGX50 preserves mitochondrial function by reducing the level of mitochondrial membrane potential and increasing mitochondrial ATP production. Furthermore, WGX50 reduces iron accumulation and mitochondrial ROS, increases GPX4 expression, and regulates lipid metabolism to inhibit DOX-induced ferroptosis. CONCLUSION: Taken together, WGX50 protects DOX-induced cardiotoxicity via mitochondrial ROS and the ferroptosis pathway, which provides novel insights for WGX50 as a promising drug candidate for cardioprotection.

Preparation of a novel Bi9O7.5S6/SnS composite film with improved photoelectric properties.

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) bismuth oxychalcogenides have been considered as promising candidates for high-speed and low-power photoelectronic devices due to their high charge carrier mobility and excellent environmental stability. However, the photoelectric performance of their bulk materials still falls short of expectations. Herein, a novel Bi9O7.5S6/SnS composite film with a type-II heterojunction was successfully prepared by combining hydrothermal and knife-coating techniques. The crystal structure, morphology, and optical properties were systematically investigated. Under 1 V bias voltage, the photocurrent of the Bi9O7.5S6/SnS composite film can be obtained as 107 µA cm-2, which is about 29.9 times and 93.9 times higher than that of bare Bi9O7.5S6 and SnS, respectively. The type-II heterojunction has played a significant role in improving the photoelectric performance of the Bi9O7.5S6/SnS composite film by facilitating the separation and transfer of photo-generated carriers. This work sheds light on the design and development of new bismuth-based composite materials for advanced photoelectric and photocatalytic applications.

ADNP is associated with immune infiltration and radiosensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma for predicting the prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal diseases due to its high faculty of invasiveness and metastasis. Activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) has been regarded as an oncogene in bladder cancer and ovarian cancer. However, the role of ADNP in the regulation of tumor immune response, development, and treatment resistance in HCC remains unknown and is worth exploring. METHODS: The correlation between ADNP and prognosis, immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoints, chemokines, tumor mutation burden, microsatellite instability, and genomic mutation of pan-cancer cohorts in The Cancer Genome Atlas was analyzed. ADNP expression in HCC cell lines, HCC and the adjacent normal tissues was measured by western blotting and immunochemistry. Nomogram was constructed to predict the survival of patients with HCC based on the ADNP expression and significant clinical characteristics. The potential biological functions and impacts on radiotherapy of ADNP in HCC cell lines were verified by vitro experiments. RESULTS: ADNP was upregulated in most cancers and patients with elevated ADNP expression were related to poor survival in several types of cancers including HCC. Functional enrichment analysis showed ADNP participated in the pathways correlated with coagulation cascades and DNA double strand break repair. Further, ADNP exhibited a negative correlation with the immune score, stromal score, estimated score, and chemokines, and a positive correlation with cancer-associated fibroblasts, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, neutrophils, regulatory T cells, and endothelial cells. Immunochemistry and western blotting results demonstrated ADNP was up-regulated in HCC. Vitro experiments verified that suppressing the ADNP expression significantly inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration and elevated the radiosensitivity via decreasing DNA damage repair in HCC. CONCLUSION: ADNP might play an oncogene and immunosuppression role in tumor immune infiltration and response, thus influencing the prognosis. Its downregulation could attenuate the proliferation, invasion, migration, radioresistance of HCC. Our results indicated the potential of ADNP as a promising biomarker to predict the survival of HCC patients, providing a theoretical basis for novel integrative strategies.

Construction of the novel immune risk scoring system related to CD8+ T cells in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is a gynecological malignant tumor with high incidence and poor prognosis. Although immunotherapy has brought significant survival benefits to advanced UCEC patients, traditional evaluation indicators cannot accurately identify all potential beneficiaries of immunotherapy. Consequently, it is necessary to construct a new scoring system to predict patient prognosis and responsiveness of immunotherapy. METHODS: CIBERSORT combined with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), and random forest algorithms to screen the module associated with CD8+ T cells, and key genes related to prognosis were selected out by univariate, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analyses to develop the novel immune risk score (NIRS). Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis was used to compare the difference of survival between high- and low- NIRS groups. We  also explored the correlations between NIRS, immune infiltration and immunotherapy, and three external validation sets were used to verify the predictive performance of NIRS. Furthermore, clinical subgroup analysis, mutation analysis, differential expression of immune checkpoints, and drug sensitivity analysis were performed to generate individualized treatments for patients with different risk scores. Finally, gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was conducted to explore the biological functions of NIRS, and qRT-PCR was applied to verify the differential expressions of three trait genes at cellular and tissue levels. RESULTS: Among the modules clustered by WGCNA, the magenta module was most positively associated with CD8+ T cells. Three genes (CTSW, CD3D and CD48) were selected to construct NIRS after multiple screening procedures. NIRS was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor of UCEC, and patients with high NIRS had significantly worse prognosis compared to those with low NIRS. The high NIRS group showed lower levels of infiltrated immune cells, gene mutations, and expression of multiple immune checkpoints, indicating reduced sensitivity to immunotherapy. Three module genes were identified as protective factors positively correlated with the level of CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we constructed NIRS as a novel predictive signature of UCEC. NIRS not only differentiates patients with distinct prognoses and immune responsiveness, but also guides their therapeutic regimens.

Construction of a novel molecular typing and scoring system for anoikis distinguishes between different prognostic risks and treatment responsiveness in low-grade glioma.

Background: The main factors responsible for low-grade glioma (LGG)s' poor prognosis and treatment effectiveness include recurrence and malignant progression. A specific type of programmed cell death, known as anoikis, which is crucial for tumor invasion and metastasis, however, has not yet been investigated in LGGs. Methods: We downloaded data of 509 samples from the TCGA-LGG cohort, carried out cluster analysis for typing twice on the basis of 19 anoikis-associated genes, and the subtypes were evaluated the differences in clinicopathological and biological features. ESTIMATE and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis were employed to examine the immunological milieu of LGGs, and enrichment analysis was used to look into the underlying biological mechanisms in LGGs. Cox regression analysis and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression algorithm were used to create a prediction scoring system. The scoring system was used for classifying LGG into high- and low- anoikis riskscore (anoiS) groups. The impact of the anoiS on the prognosis, standard treatment, and immunotherapy of patients with LGG was assessed using survival analysis and drug sensitivity analysis. Cell experiments were employed for the verification of the differential expression between LGG cells and normal cells of the anoikis gene team that regard CCT5 as the core. Results: Based on the expression profiles of the 19 anoikis-associated genes, all individuals with LGG were classified into four subtypes and two macrosubtypes. The different macrosubtypes had significantly different biological characteristics, and the anoirgclusterBD subtype manifested a significantly bad prognosis and a high immune level of infiltration. And subsequent secondary genotyping also showed good prognostic discrimination. We further constructed an anoikis scoring system, anoiS. LGG patients having a high anoiS had a worse prognosis in comparison to those having a low anoiS. The high anoiS group exhibited larger levels of immune infiltration and superior immunotherapy efficacy than the low anoiS group. The high anoiS group was also more susceptible to temozolomide (TMZ) than the low anoiS group, according to a drug sensitivity analysis of TMZ. Conclusion: This study constructed a scoring system for predicting the prognosis of patients with LGG and their responsive to TMZ and immunotherapy.

Molecular subtypes based on centrosome-related genes can predict prognosis and therapeutic responsiveness in patients with low-grade gliomas.

Background: Abnormalities in centrosome regulatory genes can induce chromosome instability, cell differentiation errors, and tumorigenesis. However, a limited number of comprehensive analyses of centrosome-related genes have been performed in low-grade gliomas (LGG). Methods: LGG data were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) databases. The ConsensusClusterPlus" R package was used for unsupervised clustering. We constructed a centrosome-related genes (CRGs) signature using a random forest model, lasso Cox model, and multivariate Cox model, and quantified the centrosome-related risk score (centS). The prognostic prediction efficacy of centS was evaluated using a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. Immune cell infiltration and genomic mutational landscapes were evaluated using the ESTIMATE algorithm, single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm, and "maftools" R package, respectively. Differences in clinical features, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation, 1p19q codeletion, O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase promoter (MGMTp) methylation, and response to antitumor therapy between the high- and low-centS groups were explored. "pRRophetic" R packages were used for temozolomide (TMZ) sensitivity analysis. qRT-PCR verified the differential expression of the centrosomal gene team, the core of which is CEP135, between LGG cells and normal cells. Results: Two distinct CRG-based clusters were identified using consensus unsupervised clustering analysis. The prognosis, biological characteristics, and immune cell infiltration of the two clusters differed significantly. A well-performing centS signature was developed to predict the prognosis of patients with LGG based on 12 potential CRGs. We found that patients in the high-centS group showed poorer prognosis and lower proportion of IDH mutation and 1p19q codeletion compared to those in the low-centS group. Furthermore, patients in the high-centS group showed higher sensitivity to TMZ, higher tumor mutation burden, and immune cell infiltration. Finally, we identified a centrosomal gene team whose core was CEP135, and verified their differential expression between LGG cells and normal glial cells. Conclusion: Our findings reveal a novel centrosome-related signature for predicting the prognosis and therapeutic responsiveness of patients with LGG. This may be helpful for the accurate clinical treatment of LGG.

Fabrication and enhanced photoelectric properties of a novel Bi9O7.5S6/CdS composite film.

Layered bismuth oxychalcogenides have been demonstrated as potential candidates for high-speed and low-power electronics due to their outstanding environmental stability and high carrier mobility, but the photoelectric performance of bulk species is still far from satisfactory. Herein, a novel Bi9O7.5S6/CdS composite film with a type-II heterojunction has been successfully prepared by combining chemical bath deposition (CBD) and spin-coating technologies. The structure, morphology, optical and photoelectric properties of the samples were investigated systematically. The photoelectric current of the Bi9O7.5S6/CdS composite film was obtained as 32.49 µA cm-2 at 1 V, which is about 13.9-fold and 3.3-fold higher than those of bare Bi9O7.5S6 and CdS. An enhanced photoelectric response and photostability were achieved in the Bi9O7.5S6/CdS composite film, and can be appropriately attributed to the improved separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers driven by the type-II heterojunction. This work offers a promising route to develop high-performance visible-light photoelectric devices with type-II heterojunctions.

Cuproptosis status affects treatment options about immunotherapy and targeted therapy for patients with kidney renal clear cell carcinoma.

The development of immunotherapy has changed the treatment landscape of advanced kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), offering patients more treatment options. Cuproptosis, a novel cell death mode dependent on copper ions and mitochondrial respiration has not yet been studied in KIRC. We assembled a comprehensive cohort of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-KIRC and GSE29609, performed cluster analysis for typing twice using seven cuproptosis-promoting genes (CPGs) as a starting point, and assessed the differences in biological and clinicopathological characteristics between different subtypes. Furthermore, we explored the tumor immune infiltration landscape in KIRC using ESTIMATE and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and the potential molecular mechanisms of cuproptosis in KIRC using enrichment analysis. We constructed a cuproptosis score (CUS) using the Boruta algorithm combined with principal component analysis. We evaluated the impact of CUS on prognosis, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy in patients with KIRC using survival analysis, the predictions from the Cancer Immunome Atlas database, and targeted drug susceptibility analysis. We found that patients with high CUS levels show poor prognosis and efficacy against all four immune checkpoint inhibitors, and their immunosuppression may depend on TGFB1. However, the high-CUS group showed higher sensitivity to sunitinib, axitinib, and elesclomol. Sunitinib monotherapy may reverse the poor prognosis and result in higher progression free survival. Then, we identified two potential CPGs and verified their differential expression between the KIRC and the normal samples. Finally, we explored the effect of the key gene FDX1 on the proliferation of KIRC cells and confirmed the presence of cuproptosis in KIRC cells. We developed a targeted therapy and immunotherapy strategy for advanced KIRC based on CUS. Our findings provide new insights into the relationship among cuproptosis, metabolism, and immunity in KIRC.

Visible-light photoelectric response in semiconducting quaternary oxysulfide FeOCuS with anti-PbO-type structure.

A novel quaternary oxysulfide, FeOCuS has been successfully synthesized with a tetragonal anti-PbO-type structure and a visible-light bandgap of about 1.37 eV. Driven by only a 0.4 V bias voltage under simulated AM 1.5 G illumination, a high photocurrent density of 3.89 mA cm-2 has been achieved, revealing the potential optoelectronic applications.

A Novel Red-Emitting Na2NbOF5:Mn4+ Phosphor with Ultrahigh Color Purity for Warm White Lighting and Wide-Gamut Backlight Displays.

In this work, a novel red-emitting oxyfluoride phosphor Na2NbOF5:Mn4+ with an ultra-intense zero-phonon line (ZPL) was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. The phase composition and luminescent properties of Na2NbOF5:Mn4+ were studied in detail. The photoluminescence excitation spectrum contains two intense excitation bands centered at 369 and 470 nm, which match well with commercial UV and blue light-emitting diode (LED) chips. When excited by 470 nm blue light, Na2NbOF5:Mn4+ exhibits red light emission dominated by ZPL. Notably, the color purity of the Na2NbOF5:Mn4+ red phosphor can reach 99.9%. Meanwhile, the Na2NbOF5:Mn4+ phosphor has a shorter fluorescence decay time than commercial K2SiF6:Mn4+, which is conducive to fast switching of images in display applications. Profiting from the intense ZPL, white light-emitting diode (WLED) with high color rendering index of Ra = 86.2 and low correlated color temperature of Tc = 3133 K is realized using yellow YAG:Ce3+ and red Na2NbOF5:Mn4+ phosphor. The WLED fabricated using CsPbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) and red Na2NbOF5:Mn4+ phosphor shows a wide color gamut of 127.56% NTSC (National Television Standard Committee). The results show that red-emitting Na2NbOF5:Mn4+ phosphor has potential application prospects in WLED lighting and display backlight.

Polarization-enhanced photoelectrochemical properties of BaTiO3/BaTiO3-x/CdS heterostructure nanocubes.

With the aim of improving the photocatalytic activity for water splitting, novel core-shell-structured crystalline-BaTiO3/amorphous-BaTiO3-x/crystalline-CdS composite nanocubes are prepared by a facile two-step synthesis approach. Basic characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy are carried out on the as-prepared composite nanocubes in order to confirm the quality of their crystal structure, morphology and chemical components correspondingly. UV-Vis-NIR measurements of the as-prepared composite nanocubes validate the presence of extended visible-light absorbance due to oxygen-deficient BaTiO3-x. Photoelectrochemical tests are carried out on the as-prepared nanocomposite films that are coated directly on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates. The as-prepared composite nanocubes show a photocurrent density of 100 µA cm-2 without electric field poling, whereas they show about 200 µA cm-2 with an electric field poling of 18.8 kV cm-1. This study suggests that the photoelectrochemical performance is highest in our prepared BaTiO3/BaTiO3-x/CdS composite film compared to the pure BaTiO3, CdS and BaTiO3/BaTiO3-x films, and it may offer a new potential route for designing cost-effective, highly stable and efficient photocatalysts.

Facile synthesis and magnetic and electrical properties of layered chalcogenides K2CoCu3Q4 (Q for S and Se).

Layered transition-metal chalcogenides have attracted great interest due to their unique electronic and optical properties. Here, we represent two layered quaternary chalcogenides K2CoCu3S4 and K2CoCu3Se4 prepared by a convenient hydrothermal route. From powder XRD and TEM analyses, K2CoCu3Q4 possesses a tetragonal ThCr2Si2-type structure with a random arrangement of Co and Cu atoms. The phase purity of the samples was confirmed by ICP, SEM, and EDS analyses, and the oxidation states of Co and Cu atoms were determined to be +3 and +1 by XPS spectra. Both samples show a weak ferromagnetic behavior at low temperature induced by spin-canted antiferromagnetic ordering. The temperature dependent resistivity, ρ(T), reveals a metallic nature for stoichiometric K2CoCu3S4. The semiconducting behavior of K2CoCu3Se4 could be explained better by variable range hopping (VRH) rather than adiabatic small polaron hopping (SPH). This new series of layered chalcogenides may offer a promising candidate for potential electronic applications.

Enhanced solar absorption and visible-light photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of aluminium-reduced BaTiO3 nanoparticles.

Enhanced solar light absorption and photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties have been achieved in black BaTiO3 with a unique core/shell structure (crystalline BaTiO3@amorphous BaTiO3-x) using an Al-reduction method. This finding may open a new avenue to tune the inert ferroelectric materials toward excellent photocatalysts for advanced applications.