Inhibition of a new AXL isoform, AXL3, induces apoptosis of mantle cell lymphoma cells.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma having a poor overall survival that is in need for the development of new therapeutics. In this study, we report the identification and expression of a new isoform splice variant of the tyrosine kinase receptor AXL in MCL cells. This new AXL isoform, called AXL3, lacks the ligand-binding domain of the commonly described AXL splice variants and is constitutively activated in MCL cells. Interestingly, functional characterization of AXL3, using CRISPR inhibition, revealed that only the knock down of this isoform leads to apoptosis of MCL cells. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of AXL activity resulted in a significant decrease in the activation of well-known proproliferative and survival pathways activated in MCL cells (ie, ß-catenin, Ak strain transforming, and NF-κB). Therapeutically, preclinical studies using a xenograft mouse model of MCL indicated that bemcentinib is more effective than ibrutinib in reducing the tumor burden and to increase the overall survival. Our study highlights the importance of a previously unidentified AXL splice variant in cancer and the potential of bemcentinib as a targeted therapy for MCL.

Understanding photochemical degradation mechanisms in photoactive layer materials for organic solar cells.

Over the past decades, the field of organic solar cells (OSCs) has witnessed a significant evolution in materials chemistry, which has resulted in a remarkable enhancement of device performance, achieving efficiencies of over 19%. The photoactive layer materials in OSCs play a crucial role in light absorption, charge generation, transport and stability. To facilitate the scale-up of OSCs, it is imperative to address the photostability of these electron acceptor and donor materials, as their photochemical degradation process remains a challenge during the photo-to-electric conversion. In this review, we present an overview of the development of electron acceptor and donor materials, emphasizing the crucial aspects of their chemical stability behavior that are linked to the photostability of OSCs. Throughout each section, we highlight the photochemical degradation pathways for electron acceptor and donor materials, and their link to device degradation. We also discuss the existing interdisciplinary challenges and obstacles that impede the development of photostable materials. Finally, we offer insights into strategies aimed at enhancing photochemical stability and discuss future directions for developing photostable photo-active layers, facilitating the commercialization of OSCs.

Electrochemical Diselenation of BODIPY Fluorophores for Bioimaging Applications and Sensitization of 1 O2.

We report a rapid, efficient, and scope-extensive approach for the late-stage electrochemical diselenation of BODIPYs. Photophysical analyses reveal red-shifted absorption - corroborated by TD-DFT and DLPNO-STEOM-CCSD computations - and color-tunable emission with large Stokes shifts in the selenium-containing derivatives compared to their precursors. In addition, due to the presence of the heavy Se atoms, competitive ISC generates triplet states which sensitize 1 O2 and display phosphorescence in PMMA films at RT and in a frozen glass matrix at 77 K. Importantly, the selenium-containing BODIPYs demonstrate the ability to selectively stain lipid droplets, exhibiting distinct fluorescence in both green and red channels. This work highlights the potential of electrochemistry as an efficient method for synthesizing unique emission-tunable fluorophores with broad-ranging applications in bioimaging and related fields.

Electrochemical Diselenation of BODIPY Fluorophores for Bioimaging Applications and Sensitization of 1 O2.

Invited for the cover of this issue are the groups of Holger Braunschweig at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany and Eufrânio N. da Silva Júnior at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, UFMG, Brazil. The image depicts the electrochemical synthesis of selenium-containing BODIPY molecules with lightning symbolizing the electrifying synthetic process, while the surrounding elemental chaos hints at the red-shifted absorption and emission and the transformative photophysical properties of these new compounds. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202303883.

Assisted reproductive technology induces different secondary sex ratio: parental and embryonic impacts.

BACKGROUND: Assisted reproduction technology (ART) has advanced significantly, raising concerns regarding its impact on the secondary sex ratio (SSR), which is the sex ratio at birth in offspring. This study aimed to explore factors affecting SSR in singletons, singletons from twin gestation, and twins from twin gestation within the context of ART. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 8335 births involving 6,223 couples undergoing ART. Binary logistic regression assessed relationships between parental and embryonic factors and SSR in singletons and singletons from twin gestation. Multinomial logistic regression models were utilized to identify factors influencing SSR in twins from twin gestation. RESULTS: Secondary infertility (OR = 1.164, 95% CI: 1.009-1.342), advanced paternal age (OR = 1.261, 95% CI: 1.038-1.534), and blastocyst embryo transfer (OR = 1.339, 95% CI: 1.030-1.742) were associated with an increased SSR, while frozen embryo transfer (FET) showed a negative association with SSR (OR = 0.738, 95% CI: 0.597-0.912) in singletons. A longer duration of gonadotropin (Gn) usage reduced SSR in singletons (OR = 0.961, 95% CI: 0.932-0.990) and singletons from twin gestation (OR = 0.906, 95% CI: 0.838-0.980). In singletons from twin gestation, male-induced infertility (OR = 2.208, 95% CI: 1.120-4.348) and higher Gn dosage (OR = 1.250, 95% CI: 1.010-1.548) were significantly associated with an increased SSR. Women aged > 35 years and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were associated with lower SSR (OR = 0.539, 95% CI: 0.293-0.990 and OR = 0.331, 95% CI: 0.158-0.690, respectively). In twins from twin gestation, paternal age exceeded maternal age (OR = 0.682, 95% CI: 0.492-0.945) and higher Gn dosage (OR = 0.837, 95% CI: 0.715-0.980) were associated with a higher proportion of male twins. Cleavage stage transfer (OR = 1.754, 95% CI: 1.133-2.716) resulted in a higher percentage of boy-girl twins compared to blastocyst transfer. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the complex interplay of various factors in determining the SSR in ART, highlighting the importance of considering infertility type, paternal age, fertilization method, embryo transfer stage, and Gn use duration when assessing SSR. Nevertheless, further research with a large sample size is necessary to confirm and expand upon the findings of this study.

Simultaneous Modulation of Interface Reinforcement, Crystallization, Anti-Reflection, and Carrier Transport in Sb Gradient-Doped SnO2 /Sb2 S3 Heterostructure for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Cell.

In this study, an effective quadruple optimization integrated synergistic strategy is designed to fabricate quality Sb gradient-doped SnO2 /Sb2 S3 heterostructure for an efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell. The experimental results and theoretical calculations reveal that i) optical absorption matching is realized by combining the anti-reflection of SnO2 and high light absorption ability of Sb2 S3 in the visible region; ii) interface reinforcement is carried out by coordinating gradient-distributed Sb in SnO2 with S in S-rich precursor of Sb2 S3 for improving the Sb2 S3 crystallization process and matching crystalline lattice of Sb:SnO2 and Sb2 S3 ; iii) ultrahigh electron mobility is achieved by making Sb gradient-doped SnO2 ; iv) carrier separation and transport are accelerated by constructing type-II heterojunction with appropriate energy level alignment and forming a high-speed electron transport channel. All of above-mentioned optimization effects are integrated into a synergistic strategy for constructing the Sb:SnO2 /Sb2 S3 photoanode, achieving a photocurrent density of 2.30 mA cm-2 , hydrogen generation rate of 30.03 µmol cm-2 h-1 , and decent working stability. Notably, this method can also be used in other large-scale fabrication processes, such as drop-casting, spray-coating, blade-coating, printing, slot-die, etc. Moreover, this universal integrated strategy paves an avenue to fabricate efficient photoelectrodes with excellent photoelectrochemical performances.

Investigation into the performance decay of proton-exchange membranes based on sulfonated heterocyclic poly(aryl ether ketone)s in Fenton's reagent.

Sulfonated N-heterocyclic poly(aryl ether) proton-exchange membranes have potential applications in the fuel-cell field due to their favorable proton conduction capacity and stability. This paper investigates the changes in mass and performance decay, such as proton conduction and mechanical strength, of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)s (SPEEKs) and three sulfonated N-heterocyclic poly(aryl ether ketone) (SPPEK, SPBPEK-P-8, and SPPEKK-P) membranes in Fenton's oxidative experiment. The SPEEK membrane exhibited the worst oxidative stability. The oxidative stability of the SPPEK membrane is enhanced due to the introduction of phthalazinone units in the chains. The SPPEKK-P and SPBPEK-P-8 membranes exhibit better radical tolerance than the SPPEK membrane, with proton conductivity retention rates of 66% and 73% for 1 h oxidative treatment, respectively. In addition, the molecular chains of SPPEKK-P and SPBPEK-P-8 exhibit relatively little disruption. The pendant benzenesulfonic groups enhance the steric effects for reducing radical attacks on the ether bonds and reduce the hydration of molecular chains. The introduction of phthalazinone units decreases the rupture points in the main chain. Therefore, the radical tolerance of the membranes is improved. These results provide a reference for the design of highly stable sulfonated heterocyclic poly(aryl ether) membranes.

Effect of Lead Exposure on Spontaneous Abortion: a Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to determine the effects of blood lead levels (BLLs) on spontaneous abortion. METHODS: A well-matched case-control study was performed at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2016 - 2018. Spontaneous abortion cases requiring suction and curettage within 12 weeks gestational age composed the case group. Control group includes pregnancies showing fetal cardiac activity with simultaneous requests for induced abortions matched to case group in age, gravidity, parity, and gestational age. RESULTS: Three hundred patients with 150 per group were included. Age, gravidity, parity, gestational age and the number of lead exposures, smokers, alcoholic beverage drinkers, and coffee drinkers were not significantly different between the two groups. The mean BLLs were 27.17 µg/L and 17.28 µg/L for the case and control group, respectively (p = 0.000). The odds ratios for spontaneous abortion comparing 5 - 9, 10 - 14, 15 - 24, 25 - 39, and ≥ 40 µg/L with a reference category of < 5 µg/L blood lead were 1.58 (0.23 - 10.90), 3.13 (2.11 - 9.08), 4.63 (1.45 - 14.83), 6.33 (1.95 - 20.56), and 22.56 (4.91 - 103.66), respectively, demonstrating a significant trend (P1 = 0.64, P2 = 0.02, P3 = 0.01, P4 = 0.02, and P5 = 0.00). CONCLUSIONS: Lead contamination and its effect on spontaneous abortion cannot be ignored. During early pregnancy, when BLL is above 10 µg/L, the chance of spontaneous abortion increases compared to BLLs below 5 µg/L. The higher the BLL is, the greater the risk of spontaneous abortion will be.

High-Salt Diet Causes Expansion of the Lymphatic Network and Increased Lymph Flow in Skin and Muscle of Rats.

Objective- A commonly accepted pivotal mechanism in fluid volume and blood pressure regulation is the parallel relationship between body Na+ and extracellular fluid content. Several recent studies have, however, shown that a considerable amount of Na+ can be retained in skin without commensurate water retention. Here, we asked whether a salt accumulation shown to result in VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor)-C secretion and lymphangiogenesis had any influence on lymphatic function. Approach and Results- By optical imaging of macromolecular tracer washout in skin, we found that salt accumulation resulted in an increase in lymph flow of 26% that was noticeable only after including an overnight recording period. Surprisingly, lymph flow in skeletal muscle recorded with a new positron emission tomography/computed tomography method was also increased after salt exposure. The transcapillary filtration was unaffected by the high-salt diet and deoxycorticosterone-salt treatment, suggesting that the capillary barrier was not influenced by the salt accumulation. A significant reduction in lymph flow after depletion of macrophages/monocytes by clodronate suggests these cells are involved in the observed lymph flow response, together with collecting vessels shown here to enhance their contraction frequency as a response to extracellular Na+. Conclusions- The observed changes in lymph flow suggest that the lymphatics may influence long-term regulation of tissue fluid balance during salt accumulation by contributing to fluid homeostasis in skin and muscle. Our studies identify lymph clearance as a potential disease-modifying factor that might be targeted in conditions characterized by salt accumulation like chronic kidney disease and salt-sensitive hypertension.

Biomarkers of metal toxicity in embryos in the general population.

BACKGROUND: With the development of industrialization, public exposure to toxic metals could occur everywhere, eventually affecting individuals' reproductive systems and even embryos and leading to early pregnancy loss. The aim of the study was to determine the profile of toxic metal levels in pregnant women in the general population and to identify biomarkers for metal toxicity in embryos. METHODS: A case-control study with pregnant women was conducted at Peking Union Medical College Hospital in 2016-2018. Women who experienced spontaneous abortion within 12 weeks of gestation comprised the case group, and women with pregnancies showing fetal cardiac activity who requested an induced abortion almost simultaneously were included in the control group. Blood and urine specimen were tested for concentrations of cadmium, chromium, selenium, arsenic, and mercury. RESULTS: A total of 195 patients were enrolled, with 95 in the case group and 100 in the control group. Significant differences in gravidity, parity, history of miscarriage, mean blood cadmium levels, and mean urine chromium levels were present between the two groups (P1 = 0.013, P2 = 0.000, P3 = 0.000, P4 = 0.002, P5 = 0.046); the odds ratios in the spontaneous abortion with blood cadmium >0.4 µg/L, urine chromium >2 µg/L, gravity <3, parity <2, and history of miscarriage >1 compared with the induced abortion group were 1.26 (1.09, 1.85), 1.56 (1.23, 2.53), 1.39 (1.17, 1.98), 1.72 (1.21, 4.62), and 1.18 (1.06, 1.65), with P-values of 0.003, 0.031, 0.003, 0.247, and 0.001, respectively. CONCLUSION: Blood cadmium and urine chromium levels are two possible biomarkers of toxic metal embryotoxicity in the general population, which means that in the general population, blood cadmium >0.4 µg/L or urine chromium >2 µg/L might indicate an increased risk of spontaneous abortion.

Circular RNAs are differentially expressed in liver ischemia/reperfusion injury model.

Liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury has high mortality due to the intense inflammatory process occurs in the liver. However, the pathological mechanism underlying I/R injury is still not clear. Recent works showed that circular RNAs play critical roles in many human diseases. In this study, the occurrence of liver I/R injury was validated by an analysis of the blood samples and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of liver tissues. Total RNA was purified and followed by RNA-seq in the purpose of screening the circRNAs in significant differentially expression, which were validated by quantitative PCR. GO and KEGG analysis were performed to determine the function of these differentially expressed circular RNAs. The circular structure of the circRNA was validated with gel electrophoresis and RNase R treatment. We found that some circular RNAs were differentially expressed in Liver I/R mouse models through bioinformatics analysis. These circular RNAs play roles in biological process, cellular component, and molecular function through GO analysis. Meanwhile, Hippo signaling pathway was found to be correlated with circular RNAs function in I/R models by KEGG analysis. To further validate bioinformatics data, two up-regulated and three down-regulated circular RNAs were confirmed in I/R models. The circularity of these differentially expressed circular RNAs was validated through gel electrophoresis and RNase R treatment. In summary, this work provides new insights into the mechanism underlying pathogenesis of liver I/R injury, providing new and potentially efficient targets against I/R injury.

Hybrid PbS Quantum-Dot-in-Perovskite for High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cell.

In this study, a facile and effective approach to synthesize high-quality perovskite-quantum dots (QDs) hybrid film is demonstrated, which dramatically improves the photovoltaic performance of a perovskite solar cell (PSC). Adding PbS QDs into CH3 NH3 PbI3 (MAPbI3 ) precursor to form a QD-in-perovskite structure is found to be beneficial for the crystallization of perovskite, revealed by enlarged grain size, reduced fragmentized grains, enhanced characteristic peak intensity, and large percentage of (220) plane in X-ray diffraction patterns. The hybrid film also shows higher carrier mobility, as evidenced by Hall Effect measurement. By taking all these advantages, the PSC based on MAPbI3 -PbS hybrid film leads to an improvement in power conversion efficiency by 14% compared to that based on pure perovskite, primarily ascribed to higher current density and fill factor (FF). Ultimately, an efficiency reaching up to 18.6% and a FF of over ≈0.77 are achieved based on the PSC with hybrid film. Such a simple hybridizing technique opens up a promising method to improve the performance of PSCs, and has strong potential to be applied to prepare other hybrid composite materials.

New insights into the origin of hysteresis behavior in perovskite solar cells.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have received tremendous attention due to their stunning progress in photovoltaic performance. The hysteresis behavior, however, is one of the major concerning issues accompanying the development of PSCs. In this context, we propose a new mechanism that explains the origin of hysteresis behavior by analyzing the electrical processes after changing the external electrical bias: the compensating electric field to the scanning voltage induced by drifting carriers. This is further verified by experiments, where we observed much reduced hysteresis in the current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics for the PSCs based on a thinner perovskite layer, which is a result of more evenly distributed electrons and holes. Moreover, light illumination with different wavelengths was applied to vary the initial carrier distribution inside the perovskite layer. We found that J-V curves when illuminating the device with longer wavelengths exhibited diminished hysteresis, which could be a result of more evenly generated carriers due to a smaller absorptivity than that with short wavelength illumination. Based on the proposed model, three key factors affecting the hysteresis behavior were pointed out, including the initial carrier distribution, the carrier transport properties in the perovskite layer, and the carrier extraction properties at the interfaces. Strategies to construct hysteresis-free and stable PSCs have thus been accordingly proposed.

Validation of a simple inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method for detecting urine and serum iodine and evaluation of iodine status of pregnant women in Beijing.

Rapid and simple method for serum and urine iodine is necessary for iodine-related diseases. This study aimed to establish and validate a simple and rapid method for quantification of iodine in human urine and serum using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Generally, samples were diluted using water with 1.5% isopropanol and 7 mmol hydrous ammonium before analysis by the ICP-MS. Performance of the method was validated, and the urine and serum iodine levels of 72 pregnant women were analyzed. Results showed that the lower limit of detection of the ICP-MS method was 0.87 µg/L. No significant memory effects were observed. Recovery in both serum and urine was approximately 100%. Compared with NIST SRM3668, bias was <1%, exhibiting good accuracy. The inter-run coefficients of variation (CVs) for serum and urine iodine were 2.8-3.5% and 3.5-6.7%, respectively, and total CVs for serum and urine iodine were 3.2-3.7% and 3.9-6.7%, respectively. Comparison of the iodine results obtained by the ICP-MS method and the conventional S-K method revealed excellent correlation (r = 0.984, mean bias = -1.7%). The median urine iodine of pregnant women (125.5 µg/L) was lower than that of WHO criteria for iodine deficiency (median urinary iodine <150 µg/L) while 55.6% of the individuals with urine iodine level less than 150 µg/L. The median serum iodine level of the pregnant women was 69.0 µg/L. In conclusion, a rapid and simple ICP-MS method for urine and serum iodine measurements has been established and validated, and the pregnant women in Beijing may still suffer from insufficient iodine intake. Abbreviations CV coefficients of variation HPLC high-performance liquid chromatography ICP-MS inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry KED kinetic energy discrimination KI potassium iodide LOD limit of detection S-K Sandell-Kolthoff reaction PUMCH Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Enhancing the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells by Hybridizing SnS Quantum Dots with CH3 NH3 PbI3.

The combination of perovskite solar cells and quantum dot solar cells has significant potential due to the complementary nature of the two constituent materials. In this study, solar cells (SCs) with a hybrid CH3 NH3 PbI3 /SnS quantum dots (QDs) absorber layer are fabricated by a facile and universal in situ crystallization method, enabling easy embedding of the QDs in perovskite layer. Compared with SCs based on CH3 NH3 PbI3 , SCs using CH3 NH3 PbI3 /SnS QDs hybrid films as absorber achieves a 25% enhancement in efficiency, giving rise to an efficiency of 16.8%. The performance improvement can be attributed to the improved crystallinity of the absorber, enhanced photo-induced carriers' separation and transport within the absorber layer, and improved incident light utilization. The generality of the methods used in this work paves a universal pathway for preparing other perovskite/QDs hybrid materials and the synthesis of entire nontoxic perovskite/QDs hybrid structure.

[Investigation on reference ranges of thyroid hormones and urine iodine in early pregnancy].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the reference ranges of serum thyroid hormones and urine iodine in early pregnancy. METHODS: The study included 368 early pregnant women who underwent their routine antenatal care in Obstetric Clinic of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The level of serum thyroid hormones was tested by automatic chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer. The value of urine iodine was tested by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The reference ranges were decided by twoside limits( the 2. 5th and 97. 5th percentile values). RESULTS: The reference ranges of serum thyroid hormones in early pregnancy: FT3 3. 74- 5. 88 pmol/L, FT4 12. 54-20. 15 pmol/L, TSH 0. 12- 3. 48 mU/L. The reference ranges of individual urinary iodine concentration was 31- 543 µg/L. CONCLUSION: The reference ranges of serum thyroid hormones and individual urinary iodine in early pregnancy are established based on laboratory testing results.

Values of iodine metabolism biomarkers in assessing the iodine nutrition status in surgically treated patients with thyroid disease.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical application value of iodine metabolism biomarkers in assessing iodine nutrition status in surgically treated patients with thyroid disease. METHODS: Blood,morning urine and 24-hour urine samples were collected in 31 healthy volunteers and in 30 surgically treated patients with thyroid disease before and after surgery. Iodine concentration was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The iodine metabolism biomarkers including serum iodine (SI), morning urine iodine(UI), morning urine iodine/urine creatinine ratio (UI/UCr), 24-hour urine iodine (24 h UI), and 24-hour urine iodine excretion (24 h UIE) were evaluated in these two groups. In addition, the validation coincidence rate of iodine metabolism biomarkers in healthy volunteers to different reference ranges including World Health Organization, Mayo Clinic, and Quest Diagnostics were calculated. RESULTS: The UI/UCr ratio of pre-operative thyroid disease patients was significantly lower than that of healthy volunteers (P<0.05), while the other biomarkers showed no significant differences (all P>0.05) between these two groups. The SI, UI ,and 24 h UI in postoperative thyroid disease patients were significantly higher than those of the pre-operative patients (all P<0.05). Though the medians of all biomarkers in healthy volunteers were within the reference ranges,only the validation coincidence rates of SI, UI, and UI/UCr in the 41-70-year populations were over than 90% according to Mayo Clinic; furthermore, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve about UI/UCr ratio (0.737) was the biggest within the iodine metabolism biomarkers. CONCLUSION: The UI/UCr ratio may be used for iodine nutrition evaluation in surgically treated patients with thyroid disease.

[Effect of Naoshuantong capsule on change of SSQOL index in patients with ischemic stroke in six mouths follow-up].

To evaluate the effect of Naoshuantong capsule on the life quality of patients with ischemic stroke in six months of follow-up studies, and observe the adverse events. The results would provide reference for the secondary prevention on the recovery stage of ischemic stroke. 696 patients from 12 Class III Grade I hospitals nationwide were divided into 2 groups by central randomization system. The study group, 344 cases, were treated with Naoshuantong capsule plus Aspirin, and the control group, 352 cases, were treated with Aspirin. The patients were treated for 6 months. At the end of treatment, SS-QOL used for evaluating the quality of life was observed. The safety index was defined by adverse observation event. The incidence of adverse events and laboratory tests results were observed before and after treatment at the same time. The results indicated that compared to the control group, the treatment group had significant statistical difference in the impact of effort, self-care ability and the the work or labor ability of patients (P < 0.05). No serious adverse events were observed. Naoshuantong capsule showed some superiority to Asprin on improving the quality of life on patients with ischemic stroke, and it could be used in secondary prevention on the recovery stage of ischemic stroke. Naoshuantong capsule is safe and effective in the treatment of convalescence ischemic stroke.

Dendritic TiO2 /ln2 S3 /AgInS2 trilaminar core-shell branched nanoarrays and the enhanced activity for photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Hierarchical TiO2 /ln2 S3 /AgInS2 trilaminar core-shell branched nanorod arrays (T-CS BNRs) have been fabricated directly on conducting glass substrates (FTO) via a facile, versatile and low-cost hydrothermal and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. On the basis of optimal thickness of AgInS2 shell, such TiO2 /ln2 S3 /AgInS2 T-CS BNRs exhibit a higher photocatalytic activity, the photocurrent density and efficiency for hydrogen generation are up to 22.13 mA·cm(-2) and 14.83%, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest value ever reported for similar nanostructures. The trilaminar architecture is able to suppress carrier recombination and increase electron collection efficiency via (i) increasing the photon absorption through the lager specific surface area of TiO2 BNRs and a sensitizer layer (AgInS2 ), (ii) a buffer layer (ln2 S3 ), (iii) a better energy level alignment.