A large source of cloud condensation nuclei from new particle formation in the tropics.

Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) can affect cloud properties and therefore Earth's radiative balance1-3. New particle formation (NPF) from condensable vapours in the free troposphere has been suggested to contribute to CCN, especially in remote, pristine atmospheric regions4, but direct evidence is sparse, and the magnitude of this contribution is uncertain5-7. Here we use in situ aircraft measurements of vertical profiles of aerosol size distributions to present a global-scale survey of NPF occurrence. We observe intense NPF at high altitudes in tropical convective regions over both Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Together with the results of chemical-transport models, our findings indicate that NPF persists at all longitudes as a global-scale band in the tropical upper troposphere, covering about 40 per cent of Earth's surface. Furthermore, we find that this NPF in the tropical upper troposphere is a globally important source of CCN in the lower troposphere, where CCN can affect cloud properties. Our findings suggest that the production of CCN as new particles descend towards the surface is not adequately captured in global models, which tend to underestimate both the magnitude of tropical upper tropospheric NPF and the subsequent growth of new particles to CCN sizes.

Human defensin-inspired discovery of peptidomimetic antibiotics.

SignificanceWe report the development of peptidomimetic antibiotics derived from a natural antimicrobial peptide, human α-defensin 5. By engaging multiple bacterial targets, the lead compound is efficacious in vitro and in vivo against bacteria with highly inducible antibiotic resistance, promising a useful therapeutic agent for the treatment of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Comprehensive genome-wide analysis of wheat xylanase inhibitor protein (XIP) genes: unveiling their role in Fusarium head blight resistance and plant immune mechanisms.

In this comprehensive genome-wide study, we identified and classified 83 Xylanase Inhibitor Protein (XIP) genes in wheat, grouped into five distinct categories, to enhance understanding of wheat's resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB), a significant fungal threat to global wheat production. Our analysis reveals the unique distribution of XIP genes across wheat chromosomes, particularly at terminal regions, suggesting their role in the evolutionary expansion of the gene family. Several XIP genes lack signal peptides, indicating potential alternative secretion pathways that could be pivotal in plant defense against FHB. The study also uncovers the sequence homology between XIPs and chitinases, hinting at a functional diversification within the XIP gene family. Additionally, the research explores the association of XIP genes with plant immune mechanisms, particularly their linkage with plant hormone signaling pathways like abscisic acid and jasmonic acid. XIP-7A3, in particular, demonstrates a significant increase in expression upon FHB infection, highlighting its potential as a key candidate gene for enhancing wheat's resistance to this disease. This research not only enriches our understanding of the XIP gene family in wheat but also provides a foundation for future investigations into their role in developing FHB-resistant wheat cultivars. The findings offer significant implications for wheat genomics and breeding, contributing to the development of more resilient crops against fungal diseases.

miRNA let-7 family regulated by NEAT1 and ARID3A/NF-κB inhibits PRRSV-2 replication in vitro and in vivo.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most economically devastating diseases affecting the swine industry worldwide. To investigate the role of miRNAs in the infection and susceptibility of PRRS virus (PRRSV), twenty-four miRNA libraries were constructed and sequenced from PRRSV-infected and mock-infected Porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) of Meishan, Landrace, Pietrain and Qingping pigs at 9 hours post infection (hpi), 36 hpi, and 60 hpi. The let-7 family miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between PRRSV-infected and mock-infected PAMs from 4 pig breeds. The let-7 family miRNAs could significantly inhibit PRRSV-2 replication by directly targeting the 3'UTR of the PRRSV-2 genome and porcine IL6, which plays an important role in PRRSV replication and lung injury. NEAT1 acts as a competing endogenous lncRNA (ceRNA) to upregulate IL6 by attaching let-7 in PAMs. EMSA and ChIP results confirmed that ARID3A could bind to the promoter region of pri-let-7a/let-7f/let-7d gene cluster and inhibit the expression of the let-7 family. Moreover, the NF-κB signaling pathway inhibits the expression of the let-7 family by affecting the nuclear import of ARID3A. The pEGFP-N1-let-7 significantly reduced viral infections and pathological changes in PRRSV-infected piglets. Taken together, NEAT1/ARID3A/let-7/IL6 play significant roles in PRRSV-2 infection and may be promising therapeutic targets for PRRS.

MiR-320 inhibits PRRSV replication by targeting PRRSV ORF6 and porcine CEBPB.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a highly contagious disease caused by Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), results in huge economic losses to the world pig industry. MiRNAs have been reported to be involved in regulation of viral infection. In our study, miR-320 was one of 21 common differentially expressed miRNAs of Meishan, Pietrain, and Landrace pig breeds at 9-h post-infection (hpi). Bioinformatics and experiments found that PRRSV replication was inhibited by miR-320 through directly targeting PRRSV ORF6. In addition, the expression of CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta (CEBPB) was also inhibited by miR-320 by targeting the 3' UTR of CEBPB, which significantly promotes PRRSV replication. Intramuscular injection of pEGFP-N1-miR-320 verified that miR-320 significantly inhibited the replication of PRRSV and alleviated the symptoms caused by PRRSV in piglets. Taken together, miR-320 have significant roles in the infection and may be promising therapeutic target for PRRS.

On Nucleation Pathways and Particle Size Distribution Evolutions in Stratospheric Aircraft Exhaust Plumes with H2SO4 Enhancement.

Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is proposed as a means of reducing global warming and climate change impacts. Similar to aerosol enhancements produced by volcanic eruptions, introducing particles into the stratosphere would reflect sunlight and reduce the level of warming. However, uncertainties remain about the roles of nucleation mechanisms, ionized molecules, impurities (unevaporated residuals of injected precursors), and ambient conditions in the generation of SAI particles optimally sized to reflect sunlight. Here, we use a kinetic ion-mediated and homogeneous nucleation model to study the formation of H2SO4 particles in aircraft exhaust plumes with direct injection of H2SO4 vapor. We find that under the conditions that produce particles of desired sizes (diameter ∼200-300 nm), nucleation occurs in the nascent (t < 0.01 s), hot (T = 360-445 K), and dry (RH = 0.01-0.1%) plume and is predominantly unary. Nucleation on chemiions occurs first, followed by neutral new particle formation, which converts most of the injected H2SO4 vapor to particles. Coagulation in the aging and diluting plumes governs the subsequent evolution to a narrow (σg = 1.3) particle size distribution. Scavenging by exhaust soot is negligible, but scavenging by acid impurities or incomplete H2SO4 evaporation in the hot exhaust plume and enhanced background aerosols can matter. This research highlights the need to obtain laboratory and/or real-world experiment data to verify the model prediction.

Decompression alone or fusion in single-level lumbar spinal stenosis with spondylolisthesis? A systematic review and meta analysis.

PURPOSE: The objective of this systematic review and metaanalysis is to compare the efficacy and safety of decompression alone versus decompression plus fusion in single-level lumbar spinal stenosis with spondylolisthesis. METHODS: A comprehensive search of the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Ovid Medline databases was conducted to find randomized control trials (RCTs) or cohort studies that compared decompression alone and decompression plus fusion in single-level lumbar spinal stenosis with spondylolisthesis. Operation time; reoperation; postoperative complications; postoperative Oswestry disability index(ODI) scores and scores related to back and leg pain were collected from eligible studies for meta-analysis. RESULTS: We included 3 randomized controlled trials and 9 cohort studies with 6182 patients. The decompression alone group showed less operative time(P < 0.001) and intraoperative blood loss(p = 0.000), and no significant difference in postoperative complications was observed in randomized controlled trials(p = 0.428) or cohort studies(p = 0.731). There was no significant difference between the other two groups in reoperation(P = 0.071), postoperative ODI scores and scores related to back and leg pain. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found that the decompression alone group performed better in terms of operation time and intraoperative blood loss, and there was no significant difference between the two surgical methods in rate of reoperation and postoperative complications, ODI, low back pain and leg pain. Therefore, we come to the conclusion that decompression alone is not inferior to decompression and fusion in patients with single-level lumbar spinal stenosis with spondylolisthesis.

(111) Facet-oriented Cu2Mg Intermetallic Compound with Cu3-Mg Sites for CO2 Electroreduction to Ethanol with Industrial Current Density.

The efficient ethanol electrosynthesis from CO2 is challenging with low selectivity at high CO2 electrolysis rates, due to the competition with H2 and other reduction products. Copper-based bimetallic electrocatalysts are potential candidates for the CO2-to-ethanol conversion, but the secondary metal has mainly been focused on active components (such as Ag, Sn) for CO2 electroreduction, which also promote selectivity of ethylene or other reduction products rather than ethanol. Limited attention has been given to alkali-earth metals due to their inherently active chemical property. Herein, we rationally synthesized a (111) facet-oriented nano Cu2Mg (designated as Cu2Mg(111)) intermetallic compound with high-density ordered Cu3-Mg sites. The in situ Raman spectroscopy and density function theory calculations revealed that the Cu3 - δ $_{^{\rm{{\rm \delta} }} }$ --Mg- δ $_{^{\rm{{\rm \delta} }} }$ + active sites allowed to increase *CO surface coverage, decrease reaction energy for *CO-CO coupling, and stabilize *CHCHOH intermediates, thus promoting the ethanol formation pathway. The Cu2Mg(111) catalyst exhibited a high FEC2H5OH of 76.2±4.8 % at 600 mA⋅cm-2, and a peak value of |jC2H5OH| of 720±34 mA⋅cm-2, almost 4 times of that using conventional Cu2Mg with (311) facets, comparable to the best reported values for the CO2-to-ethanol electroreduction.

Mouse α-Defensins: Structural and Functional Analysis of the 17 Cryptdin Isoforms Identified from a Single Jejunal Crypt.

Mouse α-defensins, better known as cryptdins, are host protective antimicrobial peptides produced in the intestinal crypt by Paneth cells. To date, more than 20 cryptdin mRNAs have been identified from mouse small intestine, of which the first six cryptdins (Crp1 to Crp6) have been isolated and characterized at the peptide level. We quantified bactericidal activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus of the 17 cryptdin isoforms identified by Ouellette and colleagues from a single jejunal crypt (A. J. Ouellette et al., Infect Immun 62:5040-5047, 1994), along with linearized analogs of Crp1, Crp4, and Crp14. In addition, we analyzed the most potent and weakest cryptdins in the panel with respect to their ability to self-associate in solution. Finally, we solved, for the first time, the high-resolution crystal structure of a cryptdin, Crp14, and performed molecular dynamics simulation on Crp14 and a hypothetical mutant, T14K-Crp14. Our results indicate that mutational effects are highly dependent on cryptdin sequence, residue position, and bacterial strain. Crp14 adopts a disulfide-stabilized, three-stranded ß-sheet core structure and forms a noncanonical dimer stabilized by asymmetrical interactions between the two ß1 strands in parallel. The killing of E. coli by cryptdins is generally independent of their tertiary and quaternary structures that are important for the killing of S. aureus, which is indicative of two distinct mechanisms of action. Importantly, sequence variations impact the bactericidal activity of cryptdins by influencing their ability to self-associate in solution. This study expands our current understanding of how cryptdins function at the molecular level.

Over 2 A cm-2 CO2 -to-Ethanol Conversion by Alkali-Metal Cation Induced Copper With Dominant (200) Facets.

The high-rate ethanol electrosynthesis from CO2 is challenging due to the low selectivity and poor activity, which requires the competition with other reduction products and H2 . Here, the electrochemical reconstruction of Cs3 Cu2 Cl5 perovskite to form surface Cl-bonded, low-coordinated Cs modified Cu(200) nanocubes (CuClCs), is demonstrated. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the CuClCs structure possesses low Bader charges and a large coordination capacity; and thus, can promote the CO2 -to-ethanol pathway via stabilizing C-O bond in oxygenate intermediates. The CuClCs catalyst exhibits outstanding partial current densities for producing ethanol (up to 2124 ± 54 mA cm-2 ) as one of the highest reported values in the electrochemical CO2 or CO reduction. This work suggests an attractive strategy with surface alkali-metal cations for ampere-level CO2 -to-ethanol electrosynthesis.

Facile Synthesis of ZrO2-SiO2 Antireflective Films with Good Mechanical Performances for Perovskite Solar Cells.

Antireflective (AR) films are widely applied in solar cells to reduce the reflectivity toward sunlight, thus improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells. However, AR films are still suffering from poor mechanical properties and low transmittance in photovoltaic applications. Herein, a ZrO2-SiO2 composite film with enhanced mechanical properties was successfully synthesized by a facile sol-gel method, whose pencil hardness increased from less than 6B to B compared with the pure SiO2 film synthesized with the same alkali-catalyzed method. Moreover, the ZrO2-SiO2 film with a Zr/Si mole ratio (nZr/Si) of 0.06 exhibited a high transmittance gain (ΔT) of 3.0%, and an obvious increase (1.32%) in PCE was observed in a perovskite solar cell compared with the cell covered by a bare glass. Additionally, both the short-circuit current density (JSC) and PCE of perovskite solar cells have a non-linear increasing relationship with the average transmittance (Tavg) of the ZrO2-SiO2 composite film. In this sense, this work can provide a facile way to prepare AR films effectively improving performances of solar cells.

Environmental exposure disparities in ultrafine particles and PM2.5 by urbanicity and socio-demographics in New York state, 2013-2020.

BACKGROUND: The spatiotemporal and demographic disparities in exposure to ultrafine particles (UFP; number concentrations of particulate matter (PM) with diameter ≤0.1 µm), a key subcomponent of fine aerosols (PM2.5; mass concentrations of PM ≤ 2.5 µm), have not been well studied. OBJECTIVE: To quantify and compare the aerosol pollutant exposure disparities for UFP and PM2.5 by socio-demographic factors in New York State (NYS). METHODS: Ambient atmospheric UFP and PM2.5 were quantified using a global three-dimensional model of chemical transport with state-of-the-science aerosol microphysical processes validated extensively with observations. We matched these to U.S. census demographic data for varied spatial scales (state, county, county subdivision) and derived population-weighted aerosol exposure estimates. Aerosol exposure disparities for each demographic and socioeconomic (SES) indicator, with a focus on race-ethnicity and income, were quantified for the period 2013-2020. RESULTS: The average NYS resident was exposed to 4451 #·cm-3 UFP and 7.87 µg·m-3 PM2.5 in 2013-2020, but minority race-ethnicity groups were invariably exposed to greater daily aerosol pollution (UFP: +75.0% & PM2.5: +16.2%). UFP has increased since 2017 and is temporally and seasonally out-of-phase with PM2.5. Race-ethnicity exposure disparities for PM2.5 have declined over time; by -6% from 2013 to 2017 and plateaued thereafter despite its decreasing concentrations. In contrast, these disparities have increased (+12.5-13.5%) for UFP. The aerosol pollution exposure disparities were the highest for low-income minorities and were more amplified for UFP than PM2.5. DISCUSSION: We identified large disparities in aerosol pollution exposure by urbanization level and socio-demographics in NYS residents. Jurisdictions with higher proportions of race-ethnicity minorities, low-income residents, and greater urbanization were disproportionately exposed to higher concentrations of UFP and PM2.5 than other NYS residents. These race-ethnicity exposure disparities were much larger, more disproportionate, and unabating over time for UFP compared to PM2.5 across various income strata and levels of urbanicity.

Morroniside ameliorates glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis and promotes osteoblastogenesis by interacting with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2.

CONTEXT: Morroniside (MOR) possesses antiosteoporosis (OP) effects, but its molecular target and relevant mechanisms remain unknown. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of MOR on glucocorticoid-induced OP and osteoblastogenesis and its underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of MOR (10-100 µM) on the proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells were studied in vitro. The glucocorticoid-induced zebrafish OP model was treated with 10, 20 and 40 µM MOR for five days to evaluate its effects on vertebral bone density and related osteogenic markers. In addition, molecular targets prediction and molecular docking analysis were carried out to explore the binding interactions of MOR with the target proteins. RESULTS: In cultured MC3T3-E1 cells, 20 µM MOR significantly increased cell viability (1.64 ± 0.12 vs. 0.95 ± 0.16; p < 0.01) and cell differentiation (1.57 ± 0.01 vs. 1.00 ± 0.04; p < 0.01) compared to the control group. MOR treatment significantly ameliorated vertebral bone loss in the glucocorticoid-induced OP zebrafish model (0.86 ± 0.02 vs. 0.40 ± 0.03; p < 0.01) and restored the expression of osteoblast-specific markers, including ALP, Runx2 and Col-І. Ligand-based target prediction and molecular docking revealed the binding interaction between MOR and the glucose pockets in sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrated that MOR treatment promoted osteoblastogenesis and ameliorated glucocorticoid-induced OP by targeting SGLT2, which may provide therapeutic potential in managing glucocorticoid-induced OP.

Total syntheses of (+)-adunctins C and D: assignment of their absolute configurations.

The first total synthesis of (+)-adunctin C (ent-1) and (+)-adunctin D (2), two monoterpene-substitued dihydrochalcones isolated from Piper aduncum (Piperaceae), was achieved. A regioselective oxidative [3 + 2] cycloaddition of acylphloroglucinol with (-)-ß-phellandrene was developed to construct their unique spirobenzofuran skeleton. The absolute configurations of natural adunctins 1 and 2 were thus assigned through these endeavors.

[Material manufacturability classification in high shear wet granulation process of Chinese medicine].

The high shear wet granulation(HSWG) process of Chinese medicine has a complicated mechanism. There are many influencing factors that contribute to this process. In order to summarize the manufacturability of different kinds of materials in HSWG, this paper constructed a material library composed of 11 materials, including 4 Chinese medicine extracts and 7 pharmaceutical excipients. Each material was described by 22 physical parameters. Several binders were employed, and their density, viscosity and surface tension were characterized. Combining empirical constraints and the principle of randomization, 21 designed experiments and 8 verification experiments were arranged. The partial least squares(PLS) algorithm was used to establish a process model in prediction of the median granule size based on properties of raw materials and binders, and process parameters. The surface tension and density of binders, as well as the maximum pore saturation were identified as key variables. In the latent variable space of the HSWG process model, all materials could be divided into three categories, namely the Chinese medicine extracts, the diluents and the disintegrants. The granulation of Chinese medicine extracts required low viscosity and low amount of binder, and the resulted granule sizes were small. The diluent powders occupied a large physical space, and could be made into granules with different granule sizes by adjusting the properties of binders. The disintegrants tended to be made into large granules under the condition of aqueous binder. The combination use of material database and multivariate modeling method is conducive to innovate the knowledge discovery of the wet granulation process of Chinese medicine, and provides a basis for the formulation and process design based on material attributes.

Ru Single Atoms on N-Doped Carbon by Spatial Confinement and Ionic Substitution Strategies for High-Performance Li-O2 Batteries.

Nonaqueous rechargeable lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs) are one of the most promising candidates for future electric vehicles and wearable/flexible electronics. However, their development is severely hindered by the sluggish kinetics of the ORR and OER during the discharge and charge processes. Here, we employ MOF-assisted spatial confinement and ionic substitution strategies to synthesize Ru single atoms riveted with nitrogen-doped porous carbon (Ru SAs-NC) as the electrocatalytic material. By using the optimized Ru0.3 SAs-NC as electrocatalyst in the oxygen-breathing electrodes, the developed LOB can deliver the lowest overpotential of only 0.55 V at 0.02 mA cm-2. Moreover, in-situ DEMS results quantify that the e-/O2 ratio of LOBs in a full cycle is only 2.14, indicating a superior electrocatalytic performance in LOB applications. Theoretical calculations reveal that the Ru-N4 serves as the driving force center, and the amount of this configuration can significantly affect the internal affinity of intermediate species. The rate-limiting step of the ORR on the catalyst surface is the occurrence of 2e- reactions to generate Li2O2, while that of the OER pathway is the oxidation of Li2O2. This work broadens the field of vision for the design of single-site high-efficiency catalysts with maximum atomic utilization efficiency for LOBs.

The Interaction of lncRNA XLOC-2222497, AKR1C1, and Progesterone in Porcine Endometrium and Pregnancy.

The endometrium is an important tissue for pregnancy and plays an important role in reproduction. In this study, high-throughput transcriptome sequencing was performed in endometrium samples of Meishan and Yorkshire pigs on days 18 and 32 of pregnancy. Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C1 (AKR1C1) was found to be a differentially expressed gene, and was identified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Immunohistochemistry results revealed the cellular localization of the AKR1C1 protein in the endometrium. Luciferase activity assay demonstrated that the AKR1C1 core promoter region was located in the region from -706 to -564, containing two nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) binding sites (antioxidant response elements, AREs). XLOC-2222497 was identified as a nuclear long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) highly expressed in the endometrium. XLOC-2222497 overexpression and knockdown have an effect on the expression of AKR1C1. Endocrinologic measurement showed the difference in progesterone levels between Meishan and Yorkshire pigs. Progesterone treatment upregulated AKR1C1 and XLOC-2222497 expression in porcine endometrial epithelial cells. In conclusion, transcriptome analysis revealed differentially expressed transcripts during the early pregnancy process. Further experiments demonstrated the interaction of XLOC-2222497/AKR1C1/progesterone in the endometrium and provided new potential targets for pregnancy maintenance and its control.

[Key technologies and applications of industrial big data in manufacturing of Chinese medicine].

Along with the striding of the Chinese medicine(CM) manufacturing toward the Industry 4.0, some digital factories have accumulated lightweight industrial big data, which become part of the enterprise assets. These digital assets possess the possibility of solving the problems within the CM production system, like the Sigma gap and the poverty of manufacturing knowledge. From the holistic perspective, a three-tiered architecture of CM industrial big data is put forward, and it consists of the data integration layer, the data analysis layer and the application scenarios layer. In data integration layer, sensing of CM critical quality attributes is the key technology for big data collection. In data analysis and mining layer, the self-developed iTCM algorithm library and model library are introduced to facilitate the implementation of the model lifecycle methodologies, including process model development, model validation, model configuration and model maintenance. The CM quality transfer structure is closely related with the connection mode of multiple production units. The system modeling technologies, such as the partition-integration modeling method, the expanding modeling method and path modeling method, are key to mapping the structure of real manufacturing system. It is pointed out that advance modeling approaches that combine the first-principles driven and data driven technologies are promising in the future. At last, real-world applications of CM industrial big data in manufacturing of injections, oral solid dosages, and formula particles are presented. It is shown that the industrial big data can help process diagnosis, quality forming mechanism interpretations, real time release testing method development and intelligent product formulation design. As renewable resources, the CM industrial big data enable the manufacturing knowledge accumulation and product quality improvement, laying the foundation of intelligent manufacturing.

Zinc ions increase GH signaling ability through regulation of available plasma membrane-localized GHR.

It is well known that zinc ion (Zn2+ ) can regulate the biological activity of growth hormone (GH). However, until now, the mechanism by which Zn2+ regulates GH biological activity remains unclear. In the current study, we first performed molecular docking between Zn2+ and porcine GH (pGH) using computational biology. We then explored the effect of Zn2+ on the GH signaling ability in the cell model expressing porcine growth hormone receptor (GHR). It was found that the phosphorylation levels of Janus kinase 2, signal transducers and activators of transcription 5/3/1, and GHR increased significantly under Zn2+ treatment, indicating that Zn2+ can enhance the signaling ability of GH/GHR. On this basis, we further explored how Zn2+ regulates the biological activity of GH/GHR. The results showed that downregulation and turnover of GHR changed under Zn2+ /pGH treatment. Zn2+ enhanced the membrane residence time of pGH/GHR and delayed GHR downregulation. Further investigation showed that the internalization dynamic of pGH/GHR was changed by Zn2+ , which prolonged the residence time of pGH/GHR in the cell membrane. These factors acted together to upregulate the signaling of GH/GHR. This study lays a foundation for further exploration of the biological effects of Zn2+ on GH.

Defects-Induced In-Plane Heterophase in Cobalt Oxide Nanosheets for Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Cobalt oxides as efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts have received much attention because of their rich reserves and cheap cost. There are two common cobalt oxides, Co3 O4 (spinel phase, stable but poor intrinsic activity) and CoO (rocksalt phase, active but easily be oxidatized). Constructing Co3 O4 /CoO heterophase can inherit both characteristic features of each component and form a heterophase interface facilitating charge transfer, which is believed to be an effective strategy in designing excellent electrocatalysts. Herein, an atomic arrangement engineering strategy is applied to improve electrocatalytic activity of Co3 O4 for the OER. With the presence of oxygen vacancies, cobalt atoms at tetrahedral sites in Co3 O4 can more easily diffuse into interstitial octahedral sites to form CoO phase structure as revealed by periodic density functional theory computations. The Co3 O4 /CoO spinel/rocksalt heterophase can be in situ fabricated at the atomic scale in plane. The overpotential to reach 10 mA cm-2 of Co3 O4 /CoO is 1.532 V, which is 92 mV smaller than that of Co3 O4 . Theoretical calculations confirm that the excellent electrochemical activity is corresponding to a decline in average p-state energy of adsorbed-O on the Co3 O4 /CoO heterophase interface. The reaction Gibbs energy barrier has been significantly decreased with the construction of the heterophase interface.