NtMYB27 acts downstream of NtBES1 to modulate flavonoids accumulation in response to UV-B radiation in tobacco.

UV-B radiation can induce the accumulation of many secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, in plants to protect them from oxidative damage. BRI1-EMS-SUPPRESSOR1 (BES1) has been shown to mediate the biosynthesis of flavonoids in response to UV-B. However, the detailed mechanism by which it acts still needs to be further elucidated. Here, we revealed that UV-B significantly inhibited the transcription of multiple transcription factor genes in tobacco, including NtMYB27, which was subsequently shown to be a repressor of flavonoids synthesis in tobacco. We further demonstrated that NtBES1 directly binds to the E-box motifs present in the promoter of NtMYB27 to mediate its transcriptional repression upon UV-B exposure. The UV-B-repressed NtMYB27 could bind to the ACCT-containing element (ACE) in the promoters of Nt4CL and NtCHS and served as a modulator that promoted the biosynthesis of lignin and chlorogenic acid (CGA) but inhibited the accumulation of flavonoids in tobacco. The expression of NtMYB27 was also significantly repressed by heat stress, suggesting its putative roles in regulating heat-induced flavonoids accumulation. Taken together, our results revealed the role of NtBES1 and NtMYB27 in regulating the synthesis of flavonoids during the plant response to UV-B radiation in tobacco.

Genomic anatomy of homozygous XX females and YY males reveals early evolutionary trajectory of sex-determining gene and sex chromosomes in Silurus fishes.

Sex chromosomes display remarkable diversity and variability among vertebrates. Compared with research on the X/Y and Z/W chromosomes, which have long evolutionary histories in mammals and birds, studies on the sex chromosomes at early evolutionary stages are limited. Here, we precisely assembled the genomes of homozygous XX female and YY male Lanzhou catfish (Silurus lanzhouensis) derived from an artificial gynogenetic family and a self-fertilized family, respectively. Chromosome 24 (Chr24) was identified as the sex chromosome based on resequencing data. Comparative analysis of the X and Y chromosomes showed an approximate 320 kb Y-specific region with a Y-specific duplicate of anti-Mullerian hormone type-II receptor (amhr2y), which is consistent with findings in two other Silurus species but on different chromosomes (Chr24 of S. meridionalis and Chr5 of S. asotus). Deficiency of amhr2y resulted in male-to-female sex reversal, indicating that amhr2y plays a male-determining role in S. lanzhouensis. Phylogenetic analysis and comparative genomics revealed that the common sex-determining gene amhr2y was initially translocated to Chr24 of the Silurus ancestor along with the expansion of transposable elements. Chr24 was maintained as the sex chromosome in S. meridionalis and S. lanzhouensis, whereas a sex-determining region transition triggered sex chromosome turnover from Chr24 to Chr5 in S. asotus. Additionally, gene duplication, translocation, and degeneration were observed in the Y-specific regions of Silurus species. These findings present a clear case for the early evolutionary trajectory of sex chromosomes, including sex-determining gene origin, repeat sequence expansion, gene gathering and degeneration in sex-determining region, and sex chromosome turnover.

Multiparametric Characterization of Focal Cortical Dysplasia Using 3D MR Fingerprinting.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a multiparametric machine-learning (ML) framework using high-resolution 3 dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR) fingerprinting (MRF) data for quantitative characterization of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). MATERIALS: We included 119 subjects, 33 patients with focal epilepsy and histopathologically confirmed FCD, 60 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs), and 26 disease controls (DCs). Subjects underwent whole-brain 3 Tesla MRF acquisition, the reconstruction of which generated T1 and T2 relaxometry maps. A 3D region of interest was manually created for each lesion, and z-score normalization using HC data was performed. We conducted 2D classification with ensemble models using MRF T1 and T2 mean and standard deviation from gray matter and white matter for FCD versus controls. Subtype classification additionally incorporated entropy and uniformity of MRF metrics, as well as morphometric features from the morphometric analysis program (MAP). We translated 2D results to individual probabilities using the percentage of slices above an adaptive threshold. These probabilities and clinical variables were input into a support vector machine for individual-level classification. Fivefold cross-validation was performed and performance metrics were reported using receiver-operating-characteristic-curve analyses. RESULTS: FCD versus HC classification yielded mean sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 0.945, 0.980, and 0.962, respectively; FCD versus DC classification achieved 0.918, 0.965, and 0.939. In comparison, visual review of the clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected 48% (16/33) of the lesions by official radiology report. In the subgroup where both clinical MRI and MAP were negative, the MRF-ML models correctly distinguished FCD patients from HCs and DCs in 98.3% of cross-validation trials for the magnetic resonance imaging negative group and MAP negative group. Type II versus non-type-II classification exhibited mean sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 0.835, 0.823, and 0.83, respectively; type IIa versus IIb classification showed 0.85, 0.9, and 0.87. In comparison, the transmantle sign was present in 58% (7/12) of the IIb cases. INTERPRETATION: The MRF-ML framework presented in this study demonstrated strong efficacy in noninvasively classifying FCD from normal cortex and distinguishing FCD subtypes. ANN NEUROL 2024.

Brusatol hinders the progression of bladder cancer by Chac1/Nrf2/SLC7A11 pathway.

Bladder cancer is a common tumor that impacts the urinary system and marked by a significant fatality rate and an unfavorable prognosis. Promising antineoplastic properties are exhibited by brusatol, which is obtained from the dried ripe fruit of Brucea javanica. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of brusatol on the progression of bladder cancer and uncover the molecular mechanism involved. We used Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation and EdU assays to detect cell numbers, viability and proliferation. We used transwell migration assay to detect cell migration ability. The mechanism of brusatol inhibition of bladder cancer proliferation was studied by flow cytometry and western blotting. It was revealed that brusatol could reduce the viability and proliferation of T24 and 5637 cells. The transwell migration assay revealed that brusatol was able to attenuate the migration of T24 and 5637 cells. We found that treatment with brusatol increased the levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde and Fe2+, thereby further promoting ferroptosis in T24 and 5637 cells. In addition, treatment with RSL3 (an agonistor of ferroptosis) ferrostatin-1 (a selective inhibitor of ferroptosis) enhanced or reversed the brusatol-induced inhibition. In vivo, treatment with brusatol significantly suppressed the tumor growth in nude mice. Mechanistically, brusatol induced ferroptosis by upregulating the expression of ChaC glutathione-specific gamma-glutamylcyclotransferase (Chac1) and decreasing the expression of SLC7A11 and Nrf2 in T24 and 5637 cells. To summarize, the findings of this research demonstrated that brusatol hindered the growth of bladder cancer and triggered ferroptosis via the Chac1/Nrf2/SLC7A11 pathway.

Contact-electro-catalysis (CEC).

Contact-electro-catalysis (CEC) is an emerging field that utilizes electron transfer occurring at the liquid-solid and even liquid-liquid interfaces because of the contact-electrification effect to stimulate redox reactions. The energy source of CEC is external mechanical stimuli, and solids to be used are generally organic as well as in-organic materials even though they are chemically inert. CEC has rapidly garnered extensive attention and demonstrated its potential for both mechanistic research and practical applications of mechanocatalysis. This review aims to elucidate the fundamental principle, prominent features, and applications of CEC by compiling and analyzing the recent developments. In detail, the theoretical foundation for CEC, the methods for improving CEC, and the unique advantages of CEC have been discussed. Furthermore, we outline a roadmap for future research and development of CEC. We hope that this review will stimulate extensive studies in the chemistry community for investigating the CEC, a catalytic process in nature.

Flexible Tactile Sensors for 3D Force Detection.

As tactile force sensing has become increasingly significant in the field of machine haptics, achieving multidimensional force sensing remains a challenge. We propose a 3D flexible force sensor that consists of an axisymmetric hemispherical protrusion and four equally sized quarter-circle electrodes. By simulating the device using a force and electrical field model, it has been found that the magnitude and direction of the force can be expressed through the voltage relationship of the four electrodes when the magnitude of the shear force remains constant and its direction varies within 0-360°. The experimental results show that a resolution of 15° can be achieved in the range 0-90°. Additionally, we installed the sensor on a robotic hand, enabling it to perceive the magnitude and direction of touch and grasp actions. Based on this, the designed 3D flexible tactile force sensor provides valuable insights for multidimensional force detection and applications.

Optimising first-line subtyping-based therapy in triple-negative breast cancer (FUTURE-SUPER): a multi-cohort, randomised, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancers display heterogeneity in molecular drivers and immune traits. We previously classified triple-negative breast cancers into four subtypes: luminal androgen receptor (LAR), immunomodulatory, basal-like immune-suppressed (BLIS), and mesenchymal-like (MES). Here, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of subtyping-based therapy in the first-line treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. METHODS: FUTURE-SUPER is an ongoing, open-label, randomised, controlled phase 2 trial being conducted at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC), Shanghai, China. Eligible participants were females aged 18-70 years, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, and histologically confirmed, untreated metastatic or recurrent triple-negative breast cancer. After categorising participants into five cohorts according to molecular subtype and genomic biomarkers, participants were randomly assigned (1:1) with a block size of 4, stratified by subtype, to receive, in 28-day cycles, nab-paclitaxel (100 mg/m2, intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15) alone (control group) or with a subtyping-based regimen (subtyping-based group): pyrotinib (400 mg orally daily) for the LAR-HER2mut subtype, everolimus (10 mg orally daily) for the LAR-PI3K/AKTmut and MES-PI3K/AKTmut subtypes, camrelizumab (200 mg intravenously on days 1 and 15) and famitinib (20 mg orally daily) for the immunomodulatory subtype, and bevacizumab (10 mg/kg intravenously on days 1 and 15) for the BLIS/MES-PI3K/AKTWT subtype. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival for the pooled subtyping-based group versus the control group in the intention-to-treat population (all randomly assigned participants). Safety was analysed in all patients with safety records who received at least one dose of study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04395989). FINDINGS: Between July 28, 2020, and Oct 16, 2022, 139 female participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to the subtyping-based group (n=69) or control group (n=70). At the data cutoff (May 31, 2023), the median follow-up was 22·5 months (IQR 15·2-29·0). Median progression-free survival was significantly longer in the pooled subtyping-based group (11·3 months [95% CI 8·6-15·2]) than in the control group (5·8 months [4·0-6·7]; hazard ratio 0·44 [95% CI 0·30-0·65]; p<0·0001). The most common grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were neutropenia (21 [30%] of 69 in the pooled subtyping-based group vs 16 [23%] of 70 in the control group), anaemia (five [7%] vs none), and increased alanine aminotransferase (four [6%] vs one [1%]). Treatment-related serious adverse events were reported for seven (10%) of 69 patients in the subtyping-based group and none in the control group. No treatment-related deaths were reported in either group. INTERPRETATION: These findings highlight the potential clinical benefits of using molecular subtype-based treatment optimisation in patients with triple-negative breast cancer, suggesting a path for further clinical investigation. Phase 3 randomised clinical trials assessing the efficacy of subtyping-based regimens are now underway. FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, Shanghai Hospital Development Center, and Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. TRANSLATION: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Preferentially expressed endosperm genes reveal unique activities in wheat endosperm during grain filling.

BACKGROUND: Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) endosperm contains starch and proteins, which determine the final yield, quality, and nutritional value of wheat grain. The preferentially expressed endosperm genes can precisely provide targets in the endosperm for improving wheat grain quality and nutrition using modern bioengineering technologies. However, the genes specifically expressed in developing endosperms remain largely unknown. RESULTS: In this study, 315 preferentially expressed endosperm genes (PEEGs) in the spring wheat landrace, Chinese Spring, were screened using data obtained from an open bioinformatics database, which reveals a unique grain reserve deposition process and special signal transduction in a developing wheat endosperm. Furthermore, transcription and accumulation of storage proteins in the wheat cultivar, XC26 were evaluated. The results revealed that 315 PEEG plays a critical role in storage protein fragment deposition and is a potential candidate for modifying grain quality and nutrition. CONCLUSION: These results provide new insights into endosperm development and candidate genes and promoters for improving wheat grain quality through genetic engineering and plant breeding techniques.

Triboelectric Spectroscopy for In Situ Chemical Analysis of Liquids.

Chemical analysis of ions and small organic molecules in liquid samples is crucial for applications in chemistry, biology, environmental sciences, and health monitoring. Mainstream electrochemical and chromatographic techniques often suffer from complex and lengthy sample preparation and testing procedures and require either bulky or expensive instrumentation. Here, we combine triboelectrification and charge transfer on the surface of electrical insulators to demonstrate the concept of triboelectric spectroscopy (TES) for chemical analysis. As a drop of the liquid sample slides along an insulating reclined plane, the local triboelectrification of the surface is recorded, and the charge pattern along the sample trajectory is used to build a fingerprinting of the charge transfer spectroscopy. Chemical information extracted from the charge transfer pattern enables a new nondestructive and ultrafast (<1 s) tool for chemical analysis. TES profiles are unique, and through an automated identification, it is possible to match against standard and hence detect over 30 types of common salts, acids, bases and organic molecules. The qualitative and quantitative accuracies of the TES methodology is close to 93%, and the detection limit is as low as ppb levels. Instruments for TES chemical analysis are portable and can be further miniaturized, opening a path to in situ and rapid chemical detection relying on inexpensive, portable low-tech instrumentation.

Free Radicals Generated in Perfluorocarbon-Water (Liquid-Liquid) Interfacial Contact Electrification and Their Application in Cancer Therapy.

Electron transfer during solid-liquid contact electrification has been demonstrated to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and superoxide anion radicals (•O2-). Here, we show that such a process also occurs in liquid-liquid contact electrification. By preparing perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions to construct a perfluorocarbon-water "liquid-liquid" interface, we confirmed that electrons were transferred from water to perfluorocarbon in ultrasonication-induced high-frequency liquid-liquid contact to produce •OH and •O2-. The produced ROS could be applied to ablate tumors by triggering large-scale immunogenic cell death in tumor cells, promoting dendritic cell maturation and macrophage polarization, ultimately activating T cell-mediated antitumor immune response. Importantly, the raw material for producing •OH is water, so the tumor therapy is not limited by the endogenous substances (O2, H2O2, etc.) in the tumor microenvironment. This work provides new perspectives for elucidating the mechanism of generation of free radicals in liquid-liquid contact and provides an excellent tumor therapeutic modality.

Logic Signal Amplification System for Sensitive Electrochemiluminescence Detection and Subtype Identification of Cancer Cells.

Achieving sensitive detection and accurate identification of cancer cells is vital for diagnosing and treating the disease. Here, we developed a logic signal amplification system using DNA tetrahedron-mediated three-dimensional (3D) DNA nanonetworks for sensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection and subtype identification of cancer cells. Specially designed hairpins were integrated into DNA tetrahedral nanostructures (DTNs) to perform a catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) reaction in the presence of target microRNA, forming hyperbranched 3D nanonetworks. Benefiting from the "spatial confinement effect," the DNA tetrahedron-mediated catalytic hairpin assembly (DTCHA) reaction displayed significantly faster kinetics and greater cycle conversion efficiency than traditional CHA. The resulting 3D nanonetworks could load a large amount of Ru(phen)32+, significantly enhancing its ECL signal, and exhibit detection limits for both miR-21 and miR-141 at the femtomolar level. The biosensor based on modular logic gates facilitated the distinction and quantification of cancer cells and normal cells based on miR-21 levels, combined with miR-141 levels, to further identify different subtypes of breast cancer cells. Overall, this study provides potential applications in miRNA-related clinical diagnostics.

Microwave Ablation versus Surgical Resection for US-detected Multifocal T1N0M0 Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A 10-Center Study.

Background Microwave ablation (MWA) is currently under preliminary investigation for the treatment of multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and has shown promising treatment efficacy. Compared with surgical resection (SR), MWA is minimally invasive and could preserve thyroid function. However, a comparative analysis between MWA and SR is warranted to draw definitive conclusions. Purpose To compare MWA and SR for preoperative US-detected T1N0M0 multifocal PTC in terms of overall and 1-, 3-, and 5-year progression-free survival rates and complication rates. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, 775 patients with preoperative US-detected T1N0M0 multifocal PTC treated with MWA or SR across 10 centers between May 2015 and December 2021 were included. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed for patients in the MWA and SR groups, followed by comparisons between the two groups. The primary outcomes were overall and 1-, 3-, and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates and complication rates. Results After PSM, 229 patients (median age, 44 years [IQR 36.5-50.5 years]; 179 female) in the MWA group and 453 patients (median age, 45 years [IQR 37-53 years]; 367 female) in the SR group were observed for a median of 20 months (range, 12-74 months) and 26 months (range, 12-64 months), respectively. MWA resulted in less blood loss, shorter incision length, and shorter procedure and hospitalization durations (all P < .001). There was no evidence of differences in overall and 1-, 3-, or 5-year PFS rates (all P > .05) between MWA and SR (5-year rate, 77.2% vs 83.1%; P = .36) groups. Permanent hoarseness (2.2%, P = .05) and hypoparathyroidism (4.0%, P = .005) were encountered only in the SR group. Conclusion There was no evidence of a significant difference in PFS rates between MWA and SR for US-detected multifocal T1N0M0 PTC, and MWA resulted in fewer complications. Therefore, MWA is a feasible option for selected patients with multifocal T1N0M0 PTC. © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Georgiades in this issue.

Multi-Attribute Triboelectric Materials and Innovative Applications Via TENGs.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) as an avant-garde technology that transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy, offering a new direction for green energy and sustainable development. By means of high-efficiency TENGs, conventional materials as new triboelectric materials have exhibited multi-attribute characteristics, achieving innovative applications in the field of micro-nano energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. The progress of TENGs technology with the triboelectric materials is complementary and mutually promoting. On the one hand, one of the cruxes of TENGs lies in the triboelectric materials, which have a decisive impact on their performance. On the other hand, as the research and application of TENGs continue to deepen, higher demands are placed on triboelectric materials, which in turn promotes the advancement of the entire material system as well as the fields of materials science and physics. This work aims to delve into the characteristics, types, preferred choices, and modification treatments of triboelectric materials on the performances of TENGs, hoping to provide guidance and insights for future research and applications.

Nanocomposite Electret Layer Improved Long-Term Stable Solid-Liquid Contact Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Water Wave Energy Harvesting.

With the continuous rise of environmental pollution and energy crisis, the global energy revolution is risen. Development of renewable blue energy based on the emerging promising triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) has become an important direction of future energy development. The solid-liquid contact triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has the advantages of flexible structure, easy manufacture, and long-term stability, which makes it easier to integrate and achieve large-scale conversion of wave mechanical energy. However, the electric power output is still not large enough, which limits its practical applications. In this work, a nanocomposite electret layer enhanced solid-liquid contact triboelectric nanogenerator (E-TENG) is proposed for water wave energy harvesting, which can effectively improve the electric output and achieve real-time power supply of wireless sensing. Through introducing a nanocomposite electret layer into flexible multilayer solid-liquid contact TENG, higher power output is achieved. The E-TENG (active size of 50 mm × 49 mm) shows desired output performance, a power density of 521 mW m-2. The generated electric energy can drive wireless temperature sensing by transmitting wireless signals carrying detection information at the period of ˂5.5 min. This research greatly improves the electric output and provides a solid basis for the industrialization of TENG in blue energy.

Autonomous Underwater Self-Healable Adhesive Elastomers Enabled by Dynamical Hydrophobic Phase-Separated Microdomains.

High-efficient underwater self-healing materials with reliable mechanical attributes hold great promise for applications in ocean explorations and diverse underwater operations. Nevertheless, achieving these functions in aquatic environments is challenging because the recombination of dynamic interactions will suffer from resistance to interfacial water molecules. Herein, an ultra-robust and all-environment stable self-healable polyurethane-amide supramolecular elastomer is developed through rational engineering of hydrophobic domains and multistrength hydrogen bonding interactions to provide mechanical and healing compatibility as well as efficient suppression of water ingress. The coupling of hydrophobic chains and hierarchical hydrogen bonds within a multiphase matrix self-assemble to generate dynamical hydrophobic hard-phase microdomains, which synergistically realize high stretchability (1601%), extreme toughness (87.1 MJ m-3), and outstanding capability to autonomous self-healing in various harsh aqueous conditions with an efficiency of 58% and healed strength of 12.7 MPa underwater. Furthermore, the self-aggregation of hydrophobic clusters with sufficient dynamic interactions endows the resultant elastomer with effective instantaneous adhesion (6.2 MPa, 941.9 N m-1) in extremely harsh aqueous conditions. It is revealed that the dynamical hydrophobic hard-phase microdomain composed of hydrophobic barriers and cooperative reversible interactions allows for regulating its mechanical enhancement and underwater self-healing efficiency, enabling the elastomers as intelligent sealing devices in marine applications.

Self-Powered Traffic Lights Through Wind Energy Harvesting Based on High-Performance Fur-Brush Dish Triboelectric Nanogenerators.

Traffic lights play vital roles in urban traffic management systems, providing clear directional guidance for vehicles and pedestrians while ensuring traffic safety. However, the vast quantity of traffic lights widely distributed in the transportation system aggravates energy consumption. Here, a self-powered traffic light system is proposed through wind energy harvesting based on a high-performance fur-brush dish triboelectric nanogenerator (FD-TENG). The FD-TENG harvests wind energy to power the traffic light system continuously without needing an external power supply. Natural rabbit furs are applied to dish structures, due to their outstanding characteristics of shallow wear, high performance, and resistance to humidity. Also, the grid pattern of the dish structure significantly impacts the TENG outputs. Additionally, the internal electric field and the influences of mechanical and structural parameters on the outputs are analyzed by finite element simulations. After optimization, the FD-TENG can achieve a peak power density of 3.275 W m-3. The portable and miniature features of FD-TENG make it suitable for other natural environment systems such as forests, oceans, and mountains, besides the traffic light systems. This study presents a viable strategy for self-powered traffic lights, establishing a basis for efficient environmental energy harvesting toward big data and Internet of Things applications.

High-Durability Stacked Disc-Type Rolling Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Environmental Monitoring Around Charging Buoys of Unmanned Ships.

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) as a means of energy harvesting can effectively harvest ocean wave energy, but the energy conversion efficiency and stability of the device during long-term operations are still problems that must be solved for TENGs. Decreasing the frictional resistance between two triboelectric material surfaces is one of the critical approaches for improving the device efficiency and durability. In this work, a novel stacked disc-type rolling triboelectric nanogenerator (SDR-TENG) is designed and fabricated for low-frequency water wave energy harvesting. After 860 000 working cycles, the electrical output attenuation of the SDR-TENG basic unit is less than 5%, showing excellent device durability. Under the simulated water wave conditions, the SDR-TENG with four rolling TENG units can produce an output current of 84.4 µA and an output power of 7.6 mW, corresponding to an effective power density of 16.8 W m-3. This work not only proposes a strategy to effectively enhance the durability of the devices, but also provides a feasible solution for monitoring the surrounding environment of the charging buoys of unmanned ships.

Interfacial Hydrogen-Bond Interactions Driven Assembly toward Polychromatic Copper Nanoclusters.

Constructing versatile metal nanoclusters (NCs) assemblies through noncovalent weak interactions between inter-ligands is a long-standing challenge in interfacial chemistry, while compelling interfacial hydrogen-bond-driven metal NCs assemblies remain unexplored so far. Here, the study reports an amination-ligand o-phenylenediamine-coordinated copper NCs (CuNCs), demonstrating the impact of interfacial hydrogen-bonds (IHBs) motifs on the luminescent behaviors of metal NCs as the alteration of protic solvent. Experimental results supported by theoretical calculation unveil that the flexibility of interfacial ligand and the distance of cuprophilic CuI···CuI interaction between intra-/inter-NCs can be tailored by manipulating the cooperation between the diverse IHBs motifs reconstruction, therewith the IHBs-modulated fundamental structure-property relationships are established. Importantly, by utilizing the IHBs-mediated optical polychromatism of aminated CuNCs, portable visualization of humidity sensing test-strips with fast response is successfully manufactured. This work not only provides further insights into exploring the interfacial chemistry of NCs based on inter-ligands hydrogen-bond interactions, but also offers a new opportunity to expand the practical application for optical sensing of metal NCs.

A Triboelectric-Electromagnetic Hybrid Nanogenerator with Magnetic Coupling Assisted Waterproof Encapsulation for Long-Lasting Energy Harvesting.

Ocean energy harvesting based on a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has great application potential, while the encapsulation of triboelectric devices in water poses a critical issue. Herein, a triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid nanogenerator (TE-HNG) consisting of TENGs and electromagnetic generators (EMGs) is proposed to harvest water flow energy. A magnetic coupling transmission component is applied to replace traditional bearing structures, which can realize the fully enclosed packaging of the TENG devices and achieve long-lasting energy harvesting from water flow. Under the intense water impact, magnetic coupling reduces the possibility of internal gear damage due to excessive torque, indicating superior stability and robustness compared to conventional TENG. At the waterwheel rotates speed of 75 rpm, the TE-HNG can generate an output peak power of 114.83 mW, corresponding to a peak power density of 37.105 W m-3. After 5 h of continuous operation, the electrical output attenuation of TENG is less than 3%, demonstrating excellent device durability. Moreover, a self-powered temperature sensing system and a self-powered cathodic protection system based on the TE-HNG are developed and illustrated. This work provides a prospective strategy for improving the output stability of TENGs, which benefits the practical applications of the TENGs in large-scale blue energy harvesting.

A Dual-Mode Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Efficiently Harvesting Droplet Energy.

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a promising solution to harvest the low-frequency, low-actuation-force, and high-entropy droplet energy. Conventional attempts mainly focus on maximizing electrostatic energy harvest on the liquid-solid surface, but enormous kinetic energy of droplet hitting the substrate is directly dissipated, limiting the output performance. Here, a dual-mode TENG (DM-TENG) is proposed to efficiently harvest both electrostatic energy at liquid-solid surface from a droplet TENG (D-TENG) and elastic potential energy of the vibrated cantilever from a contact-separation TENG (CS-TENG). Triggered by small droplets, the flexible cantilever beam, rather than conventional stiff ones, can easily vibrate multiple times with large amplitude, enabling frequency multiplication of CS-TENG and producing amplified output charges. Combining with the top electrode design to sufficiently utilize charges at liquid-solid interface, a record-high output charge of 158 nC is realized by single droplet. The energy conversion efficiency of DM-TENG is 2.66-fold of D-TENG. An array system with the specially designed power management circuit is also demonstrated for building self-powered system, offering promising applications for efficiently harvesting raindrop energy.