Cesium-doped ammonium vanadium bronze nanosheets as high capacity aqueous zinc-ion battery cathodes with long cycle life and superb rate capability.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are emerging as a promising candidate for large grid energy storage due to their abundant availability and high safety. To meet long cycle life requirements, developing a stable cathode with high rate capability is of great importance. Herein, cesium-doped ammonium vanadium bronze Cs0.07NH4V4O10·0.28H2O (CNVO) is synthesized and proposed as a potential cathode material in AZIBs. The doping of Cs+ ions expands the interlayer spacing of the (001) plane from 9.7 to 10.5 Å, which leads to enhanced kinetics and a low energy barrier for the intercalation of Zn2+ ions. The as-synthesized CNVO boasts a two-dimensional (2D) sheet-like morphology with a lateral dimension of about 500 and a low thickness of 9 nm, which enables robust stability during cycling. Additionally, the synergistic interactions among Cs, NH4 and V enhance the electrochemical stability of CNVO during the Zn2+/H+ intercalation/deintercalation reactions. The three-pronged approaches make CNVO nanosheet cathodes deliver a high specific capacity of 475.6 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, a high energy density of 347.4 W h kg-1 at 74.4 W kg-1 and superb cycling stability with 90.1% capacity retention after 5000 cycles at 10 A g-1. Electrochemical studies indicate that Zn2+ ion storage in CNVO is a comprehensive process involving intercalation and pseudocapacitance, with the latter not only providing extra capacity but also facilitating fast charge-discharge capability.

Nucleic acid-based therapy for brain cancer: Challenges and strategies.

Nucleic acid-based therapy emerges as a powerful weapon for the treatment of tumors thanks to its direct, effective, and lasting therapeutic effect. Encouragingly, continuous nucleic acid-based drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Despite the tremendous progress, there are few nucleic acid-based drugs for brain tumors in clinic. The most challenging problems lie on the instability of nucleic acids, difficulty in traversing the biological barriers, and the off-target effect. Herein, nucleic acid-based therapy for brain tumor is summarized considering three aspects: (i) the therapeutic nucleic acids and their applications in clinical trials; (ii) the various administration routes for nucleic acid delivery and the respective advantages and drawbacks. (iii) the strategies and carriers for improving stability and targeting ability of nucleic acid drugs. This review provides thorough knowledge for the rational design of nucleic acid-based drugs against brain tumor.

[UV-Vis studies on the course of reaction of Au/Ag alloy colloid with hydrogen tetrachloroaurate(III) hydrate].

Using citrate as protector, Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles with different molar ratios were prepared with hydrazine as the reducer. One plasmon band between monometallic Ag and Au was observed in their UV-Vis spectra. And the peak of alloy shifted linearly with the ratio of Au changing in the alloy. By UV-Vis spectra, the course of reaction of the alloy colloid with HAuCl4 was studied. The result shows that the UV-Vis spectra of the alloy colloid changed regularly with the adding volume of HAuCl4 increasing. And there is a linear interval in it with the change in the calculated ratio of Au. With the former studies, the course can be attributed to the dealloy of Au/Ag alloy.

Nanozyme-based catalytic theranostics.

Nanozymes, a type of nanomaterial with intrinsic enzyme-like activities, have emerged as a promising tool for disease theranostics. As a type of artificial enzyme mimic, nanozymes can overcome the shortcomings of natural enzymes, including high cost, low stability, and difficulty in storage when they are used in disease diagnosis. Moreover, the multi-enzymatic activity of nanozymes can regulate the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in various cells. For example, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity can be used to scavenge ROS, and peroxidase (POD) and oxidase (OXD) activity can be used to generate ROS. In this review, we summarize recent progress on the strategies and applications of nanozyme-based disease theranostics. In addition, we address the opportunities and challenges of nanozyme-based catalytic theranostics in the near future.

Ferritin variants: inspirations for rationally designing protein nanocarriers.

Ferritin, a natural iron storage protein, is endowed with a unique structure, the ability to self-assemble and excellent physicochemical properties. Beyond these, genetic manipulation can easily tune the structure and functions of ferritin nanocages, which further expands the biomedical applications of ferritin. Here, we focus on human H-ferritin, a recently discovered ligand of transferrin receptor 1, to review its derived variants and related structures and properties. We hope this review will provide new insights into how to rationally design versatile protein cage nanocarriers for effective disease treatment.

[Preparation and surface enhanced raman spectroscopic studies on Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles].

Using citrate as protector, Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles with different molar ratios were prepared by using hydrazine as the reducer, One plasmon band between that of monometallic Ag and Au observed in their UV-Vis spectra indicated the formation of Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles. TEM results showed diameters about 25 nm and homogeneous color of the alloy nanoparticles without clear core-shell contrast. By using Pyridine as the probe molecules, SERS studies were performed. The results indicated the spectra of Pyridine adsorbed on alloy is different from that of Ag and Au.