Current Developments in Emerging Lanthanide-Doped Persistent Luminescent Scintillators and Their Applications.

Lanthanide-doped scintillators have the ability to convert the absorbed X-ray irradiation into ultraviolet (UV), visible (Vis), or near-infrared (NIR) light. Lanthanide-doped scintillators with excellent persistent luminescence (PersL) are emerging as a new class of PersL materials recently. They have attracted great attention due to their unique "self-luminescence" characteristic and potential applications. In this review, we comb through and focus on current developments of lanthanide-doped persistent luminescent scintillators (PersLSs), including their PersL mechanism, synthetic methods, tuning of PersL properties (e. g. emission wavelength, intensity, and duration time), as well as their promising applications (e. g. information storage, encryption, anti-counterfeiting, bio-imaging, and photodynamic therapy). We hope this review will provide valuable guidance for the future development of PersLSs.

Modulating electrical and photoelectrical properties of one-step electrospun one-dimensional SnO2 arrays.

One-dimensional nanostructured SnO2 has attracted intense research interest due to its advantageous properties, including a large surface-to-volume ratio, high optical transparency and typical n-type properties. However, how to fabricate high-performance and multifunctional electronic devices based on 1D nanostructured SnO2 via low-cost and efficient preparation techniques is still a huge challenge. In this work, a low-cost, one-step electrospun technology was employed to synthesize the SnO2 nanofiber (NF) and nanotube (NT) arrays. The electrical and photoelectrical parameters of SnO2 NTs-based devices were effectively controlled through simple changes to the amount of Sn in the precursor solution. The optimal 0.2 SnO2 NTs-based field effect transistors (FETs) with 0.2 g SnCl2*4H2O per 5 ml in the precursor solution exhibit a high saturation current (∼9 × 10-5 A) and a large on/off ratio exceeding 2.4 × 106. Additionally, 0.2 SnO2 NTs-based FET also exhibit a narrowband deep-UV photodetectivity (240-320 nm), including an ultra-high photocurrent of 307 µA, a high photosensitivity of 2003, responsibility of 214 A W-1 and detectivity of 2.19 × 1013 Jones. Furthermore, the SnO2 NTs-based transparent photodetectors were as well be integrated with fluorine-doped tin oxide glass and demonstrated a high optical transparency and photosensitivity (∼199). All these results elucidate the significant advantages of these electrospun SnO2 NTs for next-generation multifunctional electronics and transparent photonics.

LncRNA FEZF1-AS1 promotes pulmonary fibrosis via up-regulating EZH2 and targeting miR-200c-3p to regulate the ZEB1 pathway.

The role and detailed mechanisms of lncRNAs in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are not fully understood. qPCR was conducted to verify lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 expression in the transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1)-stimulated human lung fibroblasts (HLF) and A549. The EMT-related proteins were performed by western blotting. Cell proliferation, migration, and transition were detected by CCK-8, colony formation, wound-healing and transwell assays. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to validate the target relationship of FEZF1-AS1 and miR-200c-3p. FEZF1-AS1 is highly expressed in the fibrotic A549 and HLF. in vitro experiments revealed that FEZF1-AS1 facilitates cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Knockdown of FEZF1-AS1 attenuated TGF-b1-induced fibrogenesis both in vitro. Moreover, silencing FEZF1-AS1 inhibited fibrogenesis through modulation of miR-200c-3p. In addition, inhibition of miR-200c-3p promoted fibrogenesis by regulation of Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1). Mechanistically, FEZF1-AS1 promoted lung fibrosis by acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-200c-3p. FEZF1-AS1 silencing increased the expression and activity of miR-200c-3p to inhibit ZEB1 and alleviate lung fibrogenesis in A549 and HLF. In addition, our study showed that FEZF1-AS1 can regulate enhancer of zeste homolog2 (EZH2) to upregulate fibrosis-related proteins and promote lung fibrosis. In summary, the results of our study revealed the pulmonary fibrogenic effect of FEZF1-AS1 in cellular experiments, demonstrating the potential roles and mechanisms of the FEZF1-AS1/miR-200c-3p/ZEB1 and FEZF1-AS1/EZH2 pathways, which provides a novel and potential therapeutic target to lung fibrosis.

Crystallization of piezoceramic films on glass via flash lamp annealing.

Integration of thin-film oxide piezoelectrics on glass is imperative for the next generation of transparent electronics to attain sensing and actuating functions. However, their crystallization temperature (above 650 °C) is incompatible with most glasses. We developed a flash lamp process for the growth of piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate films. The process enables crystallization on various types of glasses in a few seconds only. The functional properties of these films are comparable to the films processed with standard rapid thermal annealing at 700 °C. A surface haptic device was fabricated with a 1 µm-thick film (piezoelectric e33,f of -5 C m-2). Its ultrasonic surface deflection reached 1.5 µm at 60 V, sufficient for its use in surface rendering applications. This flash lamp annealing process is compatible with large glass sheets and roll-to-roll processing and has the potential to significantly expand the applications of piezoelectric devices on glass.

Fine-Tuning Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate Synthesis in Escherichia coli for Cadaverine Production in Minimal Culture Media.

Cadaverine is a critical C5 monomer for the production of polyamides. Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), as a crucial cofactor for the key enzyme lysine decarboxylase in the cadaverine biosynthesis pathway, has seen a persistent shortage, leading to limitations in cadaverine production. To address this issue, a dual-pathway strategy was implemented, synergistically enhancing both endogenous and heterologous PLP synthesis modules and resulting in improved PLP synthesis. Subsequently, a growth-stage-dependent molecular switch was introduced to balance the precursor competition between PLP synthesis and cell growth. Additionally, a PLP sensor-based negative feedback circuit was constructed by integrating a newly identified PLP-responsive promoter PygjH and an arabinose-regulated system, dynamically regulating the expression of the PLP synthetic genes and preventing excessive intracellular PLP accumulation. The optimal strain, L18, cultivated in the minimal medium AM1, demonstrated cadaverine production with a titer, yield, and productivity of 64.03 g/L, 0.23 g/g glucose, and 1.33 g/L/h, respectively. This represents the highest titer reported to date in engineered Escherichia coli by fed-batch fermentation in a minimal medium.

Portable Near-Infrared to Near-Infrared Platform for Homogeneous Quantification of Biomarkers in Complex Biological Samples.

Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based homogeneous immunoassay obviates tedious washing steps and thus is a promising approach for immunoassays. However, a conventional FRET-based homogeneous immunoassay operating in the visible region is not able to overcome the interference of complex biological samples, thus resulting in insufficient detection sensitivity and poor accuracy. Here, we develop a near-infrared (NIR)-to-NIR FRET platform (Ex = 808 nm, Em = 980 nm) that enables background-free high-throughput homogeneous quantification of various biomarkers in complex biological samples. This NIR-to-NIR FRET platform is portable and easy to operate and is mainly composed of a high-performance NIR-to-NIR FRET pair based on lanthanide-doped nanoparticles (LnNPs) and a custom-made microplate reader for readout of NIR luminescence signals. We demonstrate that this NIR-to-NIR FRET platform is versatile and robust, capable of realizing highly sensitive and accurate detection of various critical biomarkers, including small molecules (morphine and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D), proteins (human chorionic gonadotropin), and viral particles (adenovirus) in unprocessed complex biological samples (urine, whole blood, and feces) within 5-10 min. We expect this NIR-to-NIR FRET platform to provide low-cost healthcare for populations living in resource-limited areas and be widely used in many other fields, such as food safety and environmental monitoring.

Corrosion Behavior of the AlCoCrFeNi2.1 Eutectic High-Entropy Alloy in Chloride-Containing Sulfuric Acid Solutions at Different Temperatures.

In this work, the influence of temperature on the corrosion behavior of AlCoCrFeNi2.1 eutectic high-entropy alloy in a chloride-containing sulfuric acid solution was investigated using electrochemical measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Results show that the passive film of AlCoCrFeNi2.1 is stable in chloride-containing sulfuric acid solutions at low temperatures, while an unstable film forms on the alloy at high temperatures. Furthermore, temperature changes the proportion of hydroxide and oxide in Fe and Cr, but it has no noticeable effect on Al and Ni, which is a significant factor on the passive behavior. L12 phase exhibits good corrosion resistance at different temperatures. Pitting occurred on B2 phase in the chloride-containing sulfuric acid solution at a low temperature of 5 °C, while pitting and dissolution take place on AlCoCrFeNi2.1 in the acid solution at room temperature and above.

Hydrogel-Based Biosensors.

There is an increasing interest in sensing applications for a variety of analytes in aqueous environments, as conventional methods do not work reliably under humid conditions or they require complex equipment with experienced operators. Hydrogel sensors are easy to fabricate, are incredibly sensitive, and have broad dynamic ranges. Experiments on their robustness, reliability, and reusability have indicated the possible long-term applications of these systems in a variety of fields, including disease diagnosis, detection of pharmaceuticals, and in environmental testing. It is possible to produce hydrogels, which, upon sensing a specific analyte, can adsorb it onto their 3D-structure and can therefore be used to remove them from a given environment. High specificity can be obtained by using molecularly imprinted polymers. Typical detection principles involve optical methods including fluorescence and chemiluminescence, and volume changes in colloidal photonic crystals, as well as electrochemical methods. Here, we explore the current research utilizing hydrogel-based sensors in three main areas: (1) biomedical applications, (2) for detecting and quantifying pharmaceuticals of interest, and (3) detecting and quantifying environmental contaminants in aqueous environments.

Effect of pH on the Corrosion and Repassivation Behavior of TA2 in Simulated Seawater.

The effect of pH on the corrosion and repassivation behavior of TA2 in simulated seawater was studied using electrochemical tests, immersion experiments, and surface morphology topology analysis. The results show that Ecorr and Rf increased while ipass and weight loss rate decreased as the pH of simulated seawater increased. The TA2 passive film was determined to be mainly composed of a large amount of TiO2 and a small amount of TiO. The repassivation function of TA2 can be expressed as E = -0.1375 + 0.0532ln(t - 1.241) for a simulated seawater pH of 8.2. The parameter b, which represents the slope of the potential-time curve during the friction electrode test, was used to evaluate the repassivation behavior of TA2. The increase in pH value was observed to promote the repassivation speed of the passive film, which is beneficial to the corrosion resistance of TA2.

High Annealing Stability of InAlZnO Nanofiber Field-Effect Transistors with Improved Morphology by Al Doping.

In2O3 nanofibers usually suffer a high off-current and consequent low on/off current ratio, as well as a large negative threshold voltage (Vth). Furthermore, regarding Zn doped binary-cation In2O3 nanofibers, severe thermal diffusion of Zn elements can result in deteriorated electrical performance when annealed at high temperature. Here, we applied an electrospinning technique to obtain ternary-cation IAZO nanofibers with controllable Vth and chemical stoichiometry. The presence of the Al element in IAZO nanofibers can lead to more superior microstructure with improved uniformity, lower surface defect, and superior metal-oxide-metal lattice at high annealing temperature. Consequently, our Al-doped ternary-cation IAZO devices exhibited an improved on/off current ratio of 107 and a high electron mobility of ∼10 cm2 V-1 s-1. Moreover, the electron mobility can be increased to 30 cm2 V-1 s-1 in our low-voltage operated FETs with high-k AlOx as the dielectric layer, which can be envisioned to exhibit vast implications for high-performance transparent electronics.

Sr-Doped Cubic In2O3/Rhombohedral In2O3 Homojunction Nanowires for Highly Sensitive and Selective Breath Ethanol Sensing: Experiment and DFT Simulation Studies.

In recent years, it is urgent and challenging to fabricate highly sensitive and selective gas sensors for breath analyses. In this work, Sr-doped cubic In2O3/rhombohedral In2O3 homojunction nanowires (NWs) are synthesized by one-step electrospun technology. The Sr doping alters the cubic phase of pure In2O3 into the rhombohedral phase, which is verified by the high-resolution transmittance electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy, and is attributable to the low cohesive energy as calculated by the density functional theory (DFT). As a proof-of-concept of fatty liver biomarker sensing, ethanol sensors are fabricated using the electrospun In2O3 NWs. The results show that 8 wt % Sr-doped In2O3 shows the highest ethanol sensing performance with a high response of 21-1 ppm, a high selectivity over other interfering gases such as methanol, acetone, formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, and benzene, a high stability measured in 6 weeks, and also a high resistance to high humidity of 80%. The outstanding ethanol sensing performance is attributable to the enhanced ethanol adsorption by Sr doping as calculated by DFT, the stable rhombohedral phase and the preferred (104) facet exposure, and the formed homojunctions favoring the electron transfer. All these results show the effective structural modification of In2O3 by Sr doping, and also the great potency of the homojunction Sr-doped In2O3 NWs for highly sensitive, selective, and stable breath ethanol sensing.

Reduced Graphene Oxide-Coated Si Nanowires for Highly Sensitive and Selective Detection of Indoor Formaldehyde.

Although significant developments have been made in the low-concentration formaldehyde monitoring in indoor air by using gas sensors, they still suffer from insufficient performance for achieving ppb-level detection. In this work, <100> oriented Si nanowires (SiNWs) with high specific surface area were prepared via metal-assisted chemical etching method (MACE), and then were uniformly coated with graphene oxide (GO) followed by the subsequent reductive process in H2/Ar atmosphere at 800 °C to obtain reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The RGO coating (RGO@n-SiNWs) obviously enhances SiNWs sensitivity to low-concentration formaldehyde, benefiting from the increased specific surface area, the sensitization effect of RGO, and the formation of p-n junction between SiNWs and RGO. Specifically, RGO@n-SiNWs exhibits a high response of 6.4 to 10 ppm formaldehyde at 300 °C, which is about 2.6 times higher than that of pristine SiNWs (~ 2.5). Furthermore, the RGO@n-SiNWs show a high response of 2.4 to 0.1 ppm formaldehyde which is the largest permissive concentration in indoor air, a low detection limit of 35 ppb obtained by non-linear fitting, and fast response/recovery times of 30 and 10 s. In the meanwhile, the sensor also shows high selectivity over other typical interfering gases such as ethanol, acetone, ammonia, methanol, xylene, and toluene, and shows a high stability over a measurement period of 6 days. These results enable the highly sensitive, selective, and stable detection of low-concentration formaldehyde to guarantee safety of indoor environment.

Flexible Conductive Anodes Based on 3D Hierarchical Sn/NS-CNFs@rGO Network for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Metallic Sn has provoked tremendous progress as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, Sn anodes suffer from a dramatic capacity fading, owing to pulverization induced by drastic volume expansion during cycling. Herein, a flexible three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical conductive network electrode is designed by constructing Sn quantum dots (QDs) encapsulated in one-dimensional N,S co-doped carbon nanofibers (NS-CNFs) sheathed within two-dimensional (2D) reduced graphene oxide (rGO) scrolls. In this ingenious strategy, 1D NS-CNFs are regarded as building blocks to prevent the aggregation and pulverization of Sn QDs during sodiation/desodiation, 2D rGO acts as electrical roads and "bridges" among NS-CNFs to improve the conductivity of the electrode and enlarge the contact area with electrolyte. Because of the unique structural merits, the flexible 3D hierarchical conductive network was directly used as binder- and current collector-free anode for SIBs, exhibiting ultra-long cycling life (373 mAh g-1 after 5000 cycles at 1 A g-1), and excellent high-rate capability (189 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1). This work provides a facile and efficient engineering method to construct 3D hierarchical conductive electrodes for other flexible energy storage devices.

Formation Mechanisms of InGaAs Nanowires Produced by a Solid-Source Two-Step Chemical Vapor Deposition.

The morphologies and microstructures of Au-catalyzed InGaAs nanowires (NWs) prepared by a two-step solid-source chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method were systematically investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The detailed structural characterization and statistical analysis reveal that two specific morphologies are dominant in InGaAs NWs, a zigzag surface morphology and a smooth surface morphology. The zigzag morphology results from the periodic existence of twining structures, and the smooth morphology results from a lack of twining structures. HRTEM images and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) indicate that the catalyst heads have two structures, Au4In and AuIn2, which produce InGaAs NWs in a cubic phase crystalline form. The growth mechanism of the InGaAs NWs begins with Au nanoparticles melting into small spheres. In atoms are diffused into the Au spheres to form an Au-In alloy. When the concentration of In inside the alloy reaches its saturation point, the In precipitate reacts with Ga and As atoms to form InGaAs at the interface between the catalyst and substrate. Once the InGaAs compound forms, additional precipitation and reactions only occur at the interface of the InGaAs and the catalyst. These results provide a fundamental understanding of the InGaAs NW growth process which is critical to the formation of high-quality InGaAs NWs for various device applications.