High detectivity Ge photodetector at 940†nm achieved by growing strained-Ge with a top Si stressor.

We have developed a self-powered near-infrared photodetector (PD) with high detectivity using a tensile strained Ge layer capped with a thick Si layer. The Si layer acts as a stressor and maintains the strain of Ge with minimal dislocations by creating a rough surface. By using Raman spectroscopy, we confirmed that the Ge layer has a 1.83% in-plane tensile strain. The Ge PD exhibits a high responsivity of 0.45 A/W at -1 V bias voltage for 940 nm wavelength. The PD's dark current density is as low as ∼1.50 × 10-6 A/cm2 at -1 V. The high responsivity and low dark current result in a detectivity as high as 6.55 × 1011 cmHz1/2/W. This Ge PD has great potential for applications in light detection and ranging (LiDAR), Internet of Things (IoTs), and Optical Sensing Networks.

Cooperative Catalysis-Enabled (4 + 3) Cycloaddition of 2-Indolylmethanols with In Situ-Generated ortho-Naphthoquinone Methides.

A cooperative catalysis-enabled (4 + 3) cycloaddition of 2-indolylmethanols with ortho-naphthoquinone methides (o-NQMs), which were in situ-generated from enynones, has been established in the presence of silver/Brønsted acid cocatalysts. In the reaction pathway, the key o-NQM intermediates were formed through Ag(I)-catalyzed cyclization of enynones, while the indole-based carbocation intermediates were generated via Brønsted acid-catalyzed dehydration of 2-indolylmethanols. By this approach, a wide range of seven-membered cyclohepta[b]indoles were synthesized in good yields with high efficiency under mild reaction conditions, which serves as a useful strategy toward constructing indole-fused seven-membered rings. Moreover, the catalytic asymmetric version of this (4 + 3) cycloaddition has been realized under the cooperative catalysis of Ag(I) with chiral phosphoric acid, which offered chiral cyclohepta[b]indole with a good enantioselectivity (75% ee). This work not only represents the first cooperative catalysis-enabled (4 + 3) cycloaddition of 2-indolylmethanols but also provides a good example for o-NQM-involved cycloadditions, which will contribute to the chemistry of 2-indolylmethanols and enrich the research contents of cooperative catalysis.

How Should We Activate Ferrate(VI)? Fe(IV) and Fe(V) Tell Different Stories about Fluoroquinolone Transformation and Toxicity Changes.

Many studies have investigated activation of ferrate (Fe(VI)) to produce reactive high-valent iron intermediates to enhance the oxidation of micropollutants. However, the differences in the risk of pollutant transformation caused by Fe(IV) and Fe(V) have not been taken seriously. In this study, Fe(VI)-alone, Fe3+/Fe(VI), and NaHCO3/Fe(VI) processes were used to oxidize fluoroquinolone antibiotics to explore the different effects of Fe(IV) and Fe(V) on product accumulation and toxicity changes. The contribution of Fe(IV) to levofloxacin degradation was 99.9% in the Fe3+/Fe(VI) process, and that of Fe(V) was 89.4% in the NaHCO3/Fe(VI) process. The cytotoxicity equivalents of levofloxacin decreased by 1.9 mg phenol/L in the Fe(IV)-dominant process while they significantly (p < 0.05) increased by 4.7 mg phenol/L in the Fe(V)-dominant process. The acute toxicity toward luminescent bacteria and the results for other fluoroquinolone antibiotics also showed that Fe(IV) reduced the toxicity and Fe(V) increased the toxicity. Density functional theory calculations showed that Fe(V) induced quinolone ring opening, which would increase the toxicity. Fe(IV) tended to oxidize the piperazine group, which reduced the toxicity. These results show the different-pollutant transformation caused by Fe(IV) and Fe(V). In future, the different risk outcomes during Fe(VI) activation should be taken seriously.

New Insights into Photo-Fenton Chemistry: The Overlooked Role of Excited IronIII Species.

Direct photoreduction of FeIII is a widely recognized route for accelerating FeIII/FeII cycle in photo-Fenton chemistry. However, most of the wavelengths covering the full spectral range are insufficient to supply enough photon energy for the direct reduction process. Herein, the hitherto neglected mechanism of FeIII reduction that the FeIII indirect reduction pathway initiated by light energy-dependent reactivity variation and reactive excited state (ES) was explored. Evolution of excited-state FeIII species (*FeIII) resulting from metal-centered charge excitation (MCCE) of FeIII is experimentally verified using pulsed laser femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy with UV-vis detection and theoretically verified by quantum chemical calculation. Intense photoinduced intravalence charge transition was observed at λ = 380 and 466 nm, revealing quartet 4MCCE and doublet 2MCCE and their exponential processes. Light energy-dependent variation of *FeIII reactivity was kinetically certified by fitting the apparent rate constant of the radical-chain sequence of photo-Fenton reactions. Covalency is found to compensate for the intravalence charge separation following photoexcitation of the metal center in the MCCE state of Fenton photosensitizer. The *FeIII is established as a model, demonstrating the intravalence hole delocalization in the ES can be leveraged for photo-Fenton reaction or other photocatalytic schemes based on electron transfer chemistry.

Origins of Selective Oxidation in Carbon-Based Nonradical Oxidation Processes toward Organic Pollutants: Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSARs).

Metal-free carbon material-mediated nonradical oxidation processes (C-NOPs) have emerged as a research hotspot due to their excellent performance in selectively eliminating organic pollutants in aqueous environments. However, the selective oxidation mechanisms of C-NOPs remain obscure due to the diversity of organic pollutants and nonradical active species. Herein, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models were employed to unveil the origins of C-NOP selectivity toward organic pollutants in different oxidant systems. QSAR analysis based on adsorption and oxidation descriptors revealed that C-NOP selectivity depends on the oxidation potentials of organic pollutants rather than on adsorption interactions. However, the dominance of electronic effects in selective oxidation decreases with increasing structural complexity of organic pollutants. Moreover, the oxidation threshold solely depends on the inherent electronic nature of organic pollutants and not on the reactivity of nonradical active species. Notably, the accuracy of substituent descriptors (Hammett constants) and theoretical descriptors (e.g., highest occupied molecular orbital energy, ionization potential, and single-electron oxidation potential) is significantly influenced by the complexity and molecular state of organic pollutants. Overall, the study findings reveal the origins of organic pollutant-oriented selective oxidation and provide insight into the application of descriptors in QSAR analysis.

Insight into the Discriminative Efficiencies and Mechanisms of Peroxy Activation via Fe/Cu Bimetallic Catalysts for Wastewater Purification.

Fe/Cu bimetallic catalysts have a synergistic effect that can effectively enhance catalytic activity, so Fe/Cu bimetallic catalysts have been extensively studied. However, the efficacy and mechanisms of Fe/Cu bimetallic catalysts' peroxidation activation have rarely been explored. In this study, Fe/Cu bimetallic materials were fabricated to catalyze different oxidizing agents, including peroxymonosulfate (PMS), peroxydisulfate (PDS), peroxyacetic acid (PAA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The Fe/Cu/oxidant systems exhibited an excellent degradation efficiency of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). In the Fe/Cu/PMS, Fe/Cu/PDS, and Fe/Cu/PAA systems, the main reactive oxygen species (ROS) responsible for SMX degradation were hydroxyl radical (•OH) and singlet oxygen (1O2), while the main ROS was only •OH in the H2O2 system. The differences in the surface structure of the materials before and after oxidation were examined, revealing the presence of a large amount of flocculent material on the surface of the oxidized PMS material. Anion experiments and actual body experiments also revealed that the PMS system had a strong anti-interference ability. Finally, a comprehensive comparison concluded that the PMS system was the optimal system among the four oxidation systems. Overall, this work revealed that the PMS oxidant has a better catalytic degradation of SMX compared to other oxidizers for Fe/Cu, that PMS generates more ROS, and that the PMS system has a stronger resistance to interference.

Intensive Treatment of Organic Wastewater by Three-Dimensional Electrode System within Mn-Loaded Steel Slag as Catalytic Particle Electrodes.

Developing a green, low-carbon, and circular economic system is the key to achieving carbon neutrality. This study investigated the organics removal efficiency in a three-dimensional electrode reactor (3DER) constructed from repurposed industrial solid waste, i.e., Mn-loaded steel slag, as the catalytic particle electrodes (CPE). The CPE, a micron-grade material consisting primarily of transition metals, including Fe and Mn, exhibited excellent electric conductivity, catalytic ability, and recyclability. High rhodamine B (RhB) removal efficiency in the 3DER was observed through a physical modelling experiment. The optimal operating condition was determined through a single-factor experiment in which 5.0 g·L-1 CPE and 3 mM peroxymonosulfate (PMS) were added to a 200 mL solution of 10 mM RhB under a current intensity of 0.5 A and a 1.5 to 2.0 cm distance between the 2D electrodes. When the initial pH value of the simulated solution was 3 to 9, the RhB removal rate exceeded 96% after 20 min reaction. In addition, the main reactive oxidation species in the 3DER were determined. The results illustrated that HO• and SO4•- both existed, but that the contribution of SO4•- to RhB removal was much lower than that of HO• in the 3DER. In summary, this research provides information on the potential of the 3DER for removing refractory organics from water.

Removal of Phenols by Highly Active Periodate on Carbon Nanotubes: A Mechanistic Investigation.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their derivatives have been widely exploited to activate various oxidants for environmental remediation. However, the intrinsic mechanism of CNTs-driven periodate (PI) activation remains ambiguous, which significantly impedes their scientific progress toward practical application. Here, we found that CNTs can strongly boost PI activation for the oxidation of various phenols. Reactive oxygen species analysis, in situ Raman characterization, galvanic oxidation process experiments, and electrochemical tests revealed that CNTs could activate PI to form high-potential metastable intermediates (CNTs-PI*) rather than produce free radicals and 1O2, thereby facilitating direct electron transfer from the pollutants to PI. Additionally, we analyzed quantitative structure-activity relationships between rate constants of phenols oxidation and double descriptors (e.g., Hammett constants and logarithm of the octanol-water partition coefficient). The adsorption of phenols on CNT surfaces and their electronic properties are critical factors affecting the oxidation process. Besides, in the CNTs/PI system, phenol adsorbed the CNT surfaces was oxidized by the CNTs-PI* complexes, and products were mainly generated via the coupling reaction of phenoxyl radical. Most of the products adsorbed and accumulated on the CNT surfaces realized phenol removal from the bulk solution. Such a unique non-mineralization removal process achieved an extremely high apparent electron utilization efficiency of 378%. The activity evaluation and theoretical calculations of CNT derivatives confirmed that the carbonyl/ketonic functional groups and double-vacancy defects of the CNTs were the primary active sites, where high-oxidation-potential CNTs-PI* were formed. Further, the PI species could achieve a stoichiometric decomposition into iodate, a safe sink of iodine species, without the generation of typical iodinated byproducts. Our discovery provides new mechanistic insight into CNTs-driven PI activation for the green future of environmental remediation.

Metal Borides as Excellent Co-Catalysts for Boosted and Long-Lasting Fenton-like Reaction: Dual Co-Catalytic Centers of Metal and Boron.

The continuous electron supply for oxidant decomposition-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is the main contributor for the long-standing micropollutant oxidation in the iron-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Herein, as a new class of co-catalysts, metal borides with dual active sites and preeminent conductive performance can effectively overcome the inherent drawback of Fenton-like reactions by steadily donating electrons to inactive Fe(III). Among the metal borides, tungsten boride (WB) exhibits a significant co-catalytic performance run ahead of common heterogeneous co-catalysts and exceptionally high stability. Based on qualitative and semi-quantitative tests, the hydroxyl radical, sulfate radical, and iron(IV)-oxo complex are all produced in the WB/Fe(III)/PDS system and Fe(IV)-induced methyl phenyl sulfoxide decomposition is up to 72%. Moreover, the production efficiency of ROS and relative proportions of radical and nonradical pathways change with various experimental conditions (dosages of PDS, WB, and solution pH) and water matrices. The rate-determining step of Fe(II) regeneration is greatly accelerated resulting from the synergetic effect between exposed metallic reactive sites and nonmetallic boron with reductive properties of WB. In addition, the self-dissolution of surface tungsten oxide and boron oxide leads to a renovated surface for sustainable Fe(III) reduction in long-term operations. Our discovery provides an efficient and sustainable strategy in the field of enhanced AOPs for water remediation.

Modulating Electronic Structure Engineering of Atomically Dispersed Cobalt Catalyst in Fenton-like Reaction for Efficient Degradation of Organic Pollutants.

Currently, the lack of model catalysts limits the understanding of the catalytic essence. Herein, we report the functional group modification of model single atom catalysts (SACs) with an accurately regulated electronic structure for accelerating the sluggish kinetics of the Fenton-like reaction. The amino-modified cobalt phthalocyanine anchored on graphene (CoPc/G-NH2) shows superior catalytic performance in the peroxymonosulfate (PMS) based Fenton-like reaction with Co mass-normalized pseudo-first-order reaction rate constants (kobs, 0.2935 min-1), which is increased by 4 and 163 times compared to those of CoPc/G (0.0737 min-1) and Co3O4/G (0.0018 min-1). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the modification of the -NH2 group narrows the gap between the d-band center and the Fermi level of a single Co atom, which strengthens the charge transfer rate at the reaction interface and reduces the free energy barrier for the activation of PMS. Moreover, the scale-up experiment realizes 100% phenol removal at 7200-bed volumes during 240 h continuous operation without obvious decline in catalytic performance. This work provides in-depth insight into the catalytic mechanism of Fenton-like reactions and demonstrates the electronic engineering of SACs as an effective strategy for improving the Fenton-like activity to achieve the goal of practical application.

Active Center Size-Dependent Fenton-Like Chemistry for Sustainable Water Decontamination.

Accurately controlling catalytic activity and mechanism as well as identifying structure-activity-selectivity correlations in Fenton-like chemistry is essential for designing high-performance catalysts for sustainable water decontamination. Herein, active center size-dependent catalysts with single cobalt atoms (CoSA), atomic clusters (CoAC), and nanoparticles (CoNP) were fabricated to realize the changeover of catalytic activity and mechanism in peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-based Fenton-like chemistry. Catalytic activity and durability vary with the change in metal active center sizes. Besides, reducing the metal size from nanoparticles to single atoms significantly modulates contributions of radical and nonradical mechanisms, thus achieving selective/nonselective degradation. Density functional theory calculations reveal evolutions in catalytic mechanisms of size-dependent catalytic systems over different Gibbs free energies for reactive oxygen species generation. Single-atom site contact with PMS is preferred to induce nonradical mechanisms, while PMS dissociates and generates radicals on clusters and nanoparticles. Differences originating from reaction mechanisms endow developed systems with size-dependent selectivity and mineralization for treating actual hospital wastewater in column reactors. This work brings an in-depth understanding of metal size effects in Fenton-like chemistry and guides the design of intelligent catalysts to fulfill the demand of specific scenes for water purification.

Coupled Surface-Confinement Effect and Pore Engineering in a Single-Fe-Atom Catalyst for Ultrafast Fenton-like Reaction with High-Valent Iron-Oxo Complex Oxidation.

The nanoconfinement effect in Fenton-like reactions shows great potential in environmental remediation, but the construction of confinement structure and the corresponding mechanism are rarely elucidated systematically. Herein, we proposed a novel peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation system employing the single Fe atom supported on mesoporous N-doped carbon (FeSA-MNC, specific surface area = 1520.9 m2/g), which could accelerate the catalytic oxidation process via the surface-confinement effect. The degradation activity of the confined system was remarkably increased by 34.6 times compared to its analogue unconfined system. The generation of almost 100% high-valent iron-oxo species was identified via 18O isotope-labeled experiments, quenching tests, and probe methods. The density functional theory illustrated that the surface-confinement effect narrows the gap between the d-band center and Fermi level of the single Fe atom, which strengthens the charge transfer rate at the reaction interface and reduces the free energy barrier for PMS activation. The surface-confinement system exhibited excellent pollutant degradation efficiency, robust resistance to coexisting matter, and adaptation of a wide pH range (3.0-11.0) and various temperature environments (5-40 °C). Finally, the FeSA-MNC/PMS system could achieve 100% sulfamethoxazole removal without significant performance decline after 10,000-bed volumes. This work provides novel and significant insights into the surface-confinement effect in Fenton-like chemistry and guides the design of superior oxidation systems for environmental remediation.

Facilely Tuning the First-Shell Coordination Microenvironment in Iron Single-Atom for Fenton-like Chemistry toward Highly Efficient Wastewater Purification.

Precisely identifying the atomic structures in single-atom sites and establishing authentic structure-activity relationships for single-atom catalyst (SAC) coordination are significant challenges. Here, theoretical calculations first predicted the underlying catalytic activity of Fe-NxC4-x sites with diverse first-shell coordination environments. Substituting N with C to coordinate with the central Fe atom induces an inferior Fenton-like catalytic efficiency. Then, Fe-SACs carrying three configurations (Fe-N2C2, Fe-N3C1, and Fe-N4) fabricate facilely and demonstrate that optimized coordination environments of Fe-NxC4-x significantly promote the Fenton-like catalytic activity. Specifically, the reaction rate constant increases from 0.064 to 0.318 min-1 as the coordination number of Fe-N increases from 2 to 4, slightly influencing the nonradical reaction mechanism dominated by 1O2. In-depth theoretical calculations unveil that the modulated coordination environments of Fe-SACs from Fe-N2C2 to Fe-N4 optimize the d-band electronic structures and regulate the binding strength of peroxymonosulfate on Fe-NxC4-x sites, resulting in a reduced energy barrier and enhanced Fenton-like catalytic activity. The catalytic stability and the actual hospital sewage treatment capacity also showed strong coordination dependency. This strategy of local coordination engineering offers a vivid example of modulating SACs with well-regulated coordination environments, ultimately maximizing their catalytic efficiency.

In Situ Regulation of MnO2 Structural Characteristics by Oxyanions to Boost Permanganate Autocatalysis for Phenol Removal.

Oxyanions, a class of constituents naturally occurring in water, have been widely demonstrated to enhance permanganate (Mn(VII)) decontamination efficiency. However, the detailed mechanism remains ambiguous, mainly because the role of oxyanions in regulating the structural parameters of colloidal MnO2 to control the autocatalytic activity of Mn(VII) has received little attention. Herein, the origin of oxyanion-induced enhancement is systematically studied using theoretical calculations, electrochemical tests, and structure-activity relation analysis. Using bicarbonate (HCO3-) as an example, the results indicate that HCO3- can accelerate the degradation of phenol by Mn(VII) by improving its autocatalytic process. Specifically, HCO3- plays a significant role in regulating the structure of in situ produced MnO2 colloids, i.e., increasing the surface Mn(III)s content and restricting particle growth. These structural changes in MnO2 facilitate its strong binding to Mn(VII), thereby triggering interfacial electron transfer. The resultant surface-activated Mn(VII)* complexes demonstrate excellent degrading activity via directly seizing one electron from phenol. Further, other oxyanions with appropriate ionic potentials (i.e., borate, acetate, metasilicate, molybdate, and phosphate) exhibit favorable influences on the oxidative capability of Mn(VII) through an activation mechanism similar to that of HCO3-. These findings considerably improve our fundamental understanding of the oxidation behavior of Mn(VII) in actual water environments and provide a theoretical foundation for designing autocatalytically boosted Mn(VII) oxidation systems.

Redox-Active Polymers as Robust Electron-Shuttle Co-Catalysts for Fast Fe3+/Fe2+ Circulation and Green Fenton Oxidation.

Accelerating the rate-limiting Fe3+/Fe2+ circulation in Fenton reactions through the addition of reducing agents (or co-catalysts) stands out as one of the most promising technologies for rapid water decontamination. However, conventional reducing agents such as hydroxylamine and metal sulfides are greatly restricted by three intractable challenges: (1) self-quenching effects, (2) heavy metal dissolution, and (3) irreversible capacity decline. To this end, we, for the first time, introduced redox-active polymers as electron shuttles to expedite the Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle and promote H2O2 activation. The reduction of Fe3+ mainly took place at active N-H or O-H bonds through a proton-coupled electron transfer process. As electron carriers, H atoms at the solid phase could effectively inhibit radical quenching, avoid metal dissolution, and maintain long-term reducing capacity via facile regeneration. Experimental and density functional theory (DFT) calculation results indicated that the activity of different polymers shows a volcano curve trend as a function of the energy barrier, highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) gap, and vertical ionization potential. Thanks to the appropriate redox ability, polyaniline outperforms other redox-active polymers (e.g., poypyrrole, hydroquinone resin, poly(2,6-diaminopyridine), and hexaazatrinaphthalene framework) with a highest iron reduction capacity up to 5.5 mmol/g, which corresponds to the state transformation from leucoemeraldine to emeraldine. Moreover, the proposed system exhibited high pollutant removal efficiency in a flow-through reactor for 8000 bed volumes without an obvious decline in performance. Overall, this work established a green and sustainable oxidation system, which offers great potential for practical organic wastewater remediation.

The Comparison of Functional Outcomes in Patients With Unilateral or Bilateral Intracapsular Mandibular Condylar Fractures After Closed or Open Treatment: A 10-Year Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The treatment strategies for mandibular condylar head fractures, also known as intracapsular condylar fractures (ICFs), have not been concluded. We humbly present our treatment outcomes and share our experience in our department. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the functional outcomes between closed reduction (CR) and open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for management of unilateral or bilateral ICFs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This 10-year retrospective cohort study included 71 patients with 102 ICFs who were treated in our department from May 2007 to August 2017. Nine patients mixed with extracapsular fractures were excluded; thus, 62 patients with 93 ICFs were included. All patients received treatment by the senior surgeon in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Branch, Taiwan. The patient's basic data, fracture morphologies, associated injuries, managements, complications, and maximal mouth opening (MMO) measurement at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperative were reviewed for analysis. RESULTS: Among the 93 fractures, 31 (50%) were bilateral and 31 were unilateral (50%). Based on He's classification, 45 (48%) had type A fracture, 13 (14%) had type B, 5 (5%) had type C, 20 (22%) had type M, and 10 (11%) had no displacement. Maximal mouth opening of 37 mm in unilateral cases after 6 months was significantly higher than the 33-mm MMO in bilateral cases. In addition, the MMO in the ORIF group was significantly higher than that of the CR group in 3 months postoperative. Univariate (odds ratio, 4.92; P = 0.01) and multivariate (odds ratio, 4.76; P = 0.027) analyses revealed CR as an independent risk factor for trismus development compared with ORIF. Malocclusion was observed in 5 patients in both CR and ORIF groups. In addition, 1 patient developed temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis in the CR group. No surgical-related temporary or permanent facial nerve palsy was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Open reduction and internal fixation for condylar head fracture provided better recovery in MMO than CR, and the MMO recovery was less in bilateral condylar head fracture than unilateral condylar head fracture. Open reduction and internal fixation in ICFs have a lower risk for trismus development and should be the treatment of choice in selected cases.

Multichannel room response equalization with a broadened control region using a linearly constrained approach and sensor interpolation.

This paper describes a room response equalization technique based on an underdetermined multichannel inverse filtering (UMIF) and linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) approach. Not limited to the local control at the neighborhood of the measured control points, the proposed UMIF-LCMV system is capable of widening the effective equalization area of the reproduced sound field, with a large number of interpolated control points. Specifically, a constrained optimization problem is formulated to minimize the matching error at the interpolated control points while seeking precise matching at the measured control points. In practical implementation, only the frequency responses (FRs) associated with a limited number of control points need to be measured, whereas the FRs for the interpolated points are established by using a plane wave decomposition-based sensor interpolation technique. A two-stage procedure is developed to trim down plane wave components by using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm and to obtain the complex amplitudes of the principal components. Simulations and objective and subjective experiments are conducted for a system comprising a linear loudspeaker array and a linear microphone array. The results have confirmed the efficacy of the proposed system in widening the effective listening area with only limited discrete measurements.

A simple fluorescent strategy for liver capillary labeling with carbon quantum dot-lectin nanoprobe.

Taking the hepatic sinusoid (HS) as the main delivery area of liver nutrients and metabolic waste, recognizing its structure is important for a deep understanding of liver function. In this paper, based on lycopersicon esculentum lectin (LEL), with targeting ability for endothelial cells, and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), with high biosafety, an LEL-coupled CQD immunofluorescence probe (CQD@LEL) that can label microvessels is designed and used for the fluorescence labeling and imaging of HS in liver tissue sections. The CQD size is approximately 2 nm. Blue fluorescence is emitted under excitation; its optimal excitation wavelength is 400 nm while the emission is at about 450 nm. Gel electrophoresis and capillary electrophoresis confirm that glutaraldehyde can couple LEL to CQD, and the obtained CQD@LEL retains the fluorescence property and has good stability. Optimization experiments show that its labeling effect is positively correlated with time and probe concentration for dyeing the blood vessels of mouse liver slices. In order to improve the effect further, a probe concentration of 0.17 mg mL-1 and incubation time of 3 h were chosen to label the liver tissue sections. The results show that the liver microvessels are formed by interstitial structures among the hepatic cords, and the HS presents a granular or patchy appearance. H&E and ultrathin section TEM show that the microvascular wall of the liver is composed of discontinuous endothelial cells, and there are Kupffer cells and other cells in the tubes, proving that our probe can clearly label the structure and morphology of liver microvessels. This work is of great significance for the visualization of HS.

Effects of Molecular Structure on Organic Contaminants' Degradation Efficiency and Dominant ROS in the Advanced Oxidation Process with Multiple ROS.

In this study, the previously overlooked effects of contaminants' molecular structure on their degradation efficiencies and dominant reactive oxygen species (ROS) in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are investigated with a peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation system selected as the typical AOP system. Averagely, degradation efficiencies of 19 contaminants are discrepant in the CoCaAl-LDO/PMS system with production of SO4•-, •OH, and 1O2. Density functional theory calculations indicated that compounds with high EHOMO, low-energy gap (ΔE = ELUMO - EHOMO), and low vertical ionization potential are more vulnerable to be attacked. Further analysis disclosed that the dominant ROS was the same one when treating similar types of contaminants, namely SO4•-, 1O2, 1O2, and •OH for the degradation of CBZ-like compounds, SAs, bisphenol, and triazine compounds, respectively. This phenomenon may be caused by the contaminants' structures especially the commonly shared or basic parent structures which can affect their effective reaction time and second-order rate constants with ROS, thus influencing the contribution of each ROS during its degradation. Overall, the new insights gained in this study provide a basis for designing more effective AOPs to improve their practical application in wastewater treatment.

The Effect of Arch Cartilage Graft and Tajima Reverse U Approach in the Secondary Reconstruction of Unilateral Cleft Lip Nasal Deformity.

ABSTRACT: Secondary cleft lip nasal deformity is complicated with wide spectrum of defect and varied reconstructive procedures. There has been no unanimous solution for a given problem. In case of a localized alar depression in unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity, the conchal cartilage applied as arch graft was proposed. Patients were recruited from database of craniofacial center who received Tajima method and arch cartilage graft. Inclusion criteria were patients with unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity after skeletal maturity. Through a reverse U incision, the lower lateral cartilage was dissected and released from the skin and the contralateral cartilage. The harvested conchal cartilage graft was trimmed to 25 to 30 by 8mm in size, and inserted as arch shape overlying the cleft side lower lateral cartilage. Transdomal fixation sutures were made. Outcome assessment was performed, and the nostril and alar dimensions were measured. Thirty-nine patients were eligible for evaluation of the surgical outcome. Majority of patients underwent simultaneous lip revision (97%). No surgery-related complications were noted in this series. Satisfaction to the nasal reconstruction was reported in 85% of patients. Further minor nasal revisions were performed in 6 patients (15%). Quantitative measurement showed statistically significant improvement in nostril height, alar height and alar width after the surgery. It is concluded that the Tajima reverse U approach plus arch cartilage graft is an effective method for secondary reconstruction of the unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity in selected patients presenting with cleft side alar depression.5.