Enhancing Optical Properties of Zn-Mn Solid Solution Hybrid Halides for Wide Color Gamut Backlight Displays.

Hybrid metal halides display a range of optical properties and hold promise for various applications such as solid-state lighting, anti-counterfeiting measures, backlight displays, and X-ray detection. The incorporation of zinc into (C13H26N)2MnBr4 aims to enhance its structural rigidity and improve its narrow band green light emission properties. The resulting (C13H26N)2ZnBr4 compound exhibits an identical crystal structure to (C13H26N)2MnBr4, indicating the potential for a solid solution of varying Zn and Mn ratios within this structural framework. (C13H26N)2Zn0.2Mn0.8Br4 exhibits significantly enhanced properties, including a photoluminescence quantum yield of 92%, a minimum full width at half maximum of 43 nm, and 85% retention of room temperature emission at 420 K. Additionally, crystals of (C13H26N)2ZnCl4 and (C7H18N)2ZnX4 (X = Br, I) are synthesized, with (C7H18N)2ZnBr4 displaying luminescent color changes dependent on excitation. (C7H18N)2Zn0.2Mn0.8Br4 demonstrates reversible phase transitions and alterations in optical properties. A white light-emitting diode utilizing (C13H26N)2Zn0.2Mn0.8Br4 and commercial phosphors exhibited a color gamut of 112.2% of the National Television Standards Committee 1931 Standard. This investigation introduces a stable and highly efficient narrow-band green phosphor suitable for displays.

Broadband Near-Infrared Sr3Al9.8SiO20:0.2Cr Phosphor Realized by Crystallographic Site Engineering.

Broadband near-infrared (NIR) phosphor-converted devices play a vital role in emerging applications of imaging, medicine, agriculture, etc. Herein, a series of economical broadband NIR-emitting Sr3Al10-xSiO20:xCr (SASO:xCr) phosphors with tunable bandwidths and emission peaks were realized by tailoring the Cr3+ doping concentration. The optimal Sr3Al9.8SiO20:0.2Cr (SASO:0.2Cr) phosphor exhibits a broadband emission with full width at half-maximum ∼ 140 nm, and the internal/external quantum efficiency and thermal stability of the SASO:0.2Cr were measured to be 68%/37% and 77%@380 K, respectively. An NIR phosphor-converted light-emitting diode (NIR pc-LED) device was fabricated by combining a blue LED chip with the SASO:0.2Cr phosphor. The applications of NIR pc-LED on plant growth promotion, night vision, and medical imaging were demonstrated. We reported an economical broadband NIR phosphor with multiple potential applications and highlighted the crystallographic site engineering strategy to explore broadband phosphors based on aluminates.

Fine-Tuning Optoelectronic Features in Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Metal Halides: A Focus on the Phenylbutanammonium Series.

Extensive research has been dedicated to exploring the potential applications of organic-inorganic hybrid metal halides in optoelectronics. This study presents findings on three metal halides based on phenylbutanammonium (PBA). Specifically, (PBA)2MnBr4(H2O)2 and (PBA)2Sn(IV)Cl6 exhibit zero-dimensional structures with P21/c and Pnma space groups, respectively, while (PBA)2Sn(II)Br4 features a two-dimensional structure with P1̅ space group. Under UV excitation, (PBA)2MnBr4(H2O)2 exhibits double emission arising from the 4T1 → 6A1 transitions of Mn2+ in two distinct coordination environments. The emission spectrum of (PBA)2SnCl6 aligns with that of PBACl, suggesting that the luminescence originates from the organic component. The yellow emission of (PBA)2SnBr4 is attributed to the self-trapped excitons. This study introduces the PBA series of compounds, revealing that varying metal ions and halogen combinations can adjust the structural dimensions and influence optical properties. The insights gained from this work serve as a guide for the preparation of efficient white light-emitting diodes.

White Light Emission in Zero-Dimensional Indium Hybrid with Hydrogen Bond.

Low-dimensional organic-inorganic metal halides (OIMHs) have been explored as single-component white light emitters for applications in solid-state lighting. Herein, we report a zero-dimensional (0D) In-based OIMH (TMPDA)[InCl5(H2O)] (TMPDA = N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine), which crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric P212121 space group and contains hydrogen bonds between the adjacent [InCl5(H2O)]2- octahedra in structure. It exhibits a large optical band gap (4.10 eV) and dual-band emission under UV light. Spectroscopic analysis and theoretical calculation indicate that the high (404 nm)- and low (513 nm)-energy emissions are attributed to the bound excitons in organic ligands and self-trapped excitons in [InCl5(H2O)]2- units, respectively. It is found that Sb doping in this 0D hybrid provides additional orange (590 nm) emission assigned to the 3P1 → 1S0 triplet radiative recombination. By adjusting the doping level, the emission color can be turned from turquoise to orange, and interestingly, a single-component white-light emission is realized by balancing the high-energy emission from organic ligand, the turquoise emission from [InCl5(H2O)]2-, and the orange one from [SbCl5(H2O)]2-. This work not only provides a new OIMH showing the single-component white light emission but also demonstrates the potential of In-based hybrids with hydrogen bonds for solid-state luminescence.

High External Quantum Efficiency and Dual-Band Emission of (C7H18N)3Sb2Cl9 for Sensitivity Temperature Sensing.

Organic-inorganic hybrid halides have gained attention for their ease of processing and remarkable optoelectronic properties. However, the relationship between the structure and optical properties requires further exploration. In this study, the butyltrimethylammonium cation (C7H18N+) was chosen, and seven compounds were synthesized: (C7H18N)3Sb2X9 (X = Cl, Br), (C7H18N)3Bi2X9 (X = Cl, Br, I), and (C7H18N)(C2H8N)MBr5 (M = Sb, Bi). Crystals with a single organic cation exhibit a zero-dimensional structure, while the introduction of dimethylamine ions increases the crystal dimensionality from zero-dimensional (C7H18N)3Sb2Br9 to one-dimensional (C7H18N)(C2H8N)SbBr5. Under 372 nm excitation, (C7H18N)3Sb2Cl9 showed broad orange-red single-band emission with a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 88.4% and an external quantum efficiency of up to 56.9%. A white light-emitting diode based on (C7H18N)3Sb2Cl9 achieved a high color rendering index of 96.3. Moreover, dual-band emission was observed in (C7H18N)3Sb2Cl9 under 308 nm excitation, which exhibits an absolute temperature sensitivity of 1.96 × 10-3 K-1 (320 K), and a flexible film was prepared by incorporating polydimethylsiloxane. This shows the promise of hybrid metal halides as photoluminescent materials and their possibilities for temperature sensing.

Paospora carinifang n. gen., n. sp. (Microsporidia: Spragueidae), a parasite of the ridgetail white prawn, Palaemon carinicauda.

A new microsporidian disease of the pond-reared ridgetail white prawn, Palaemon carinicauda, was found in China. Light microscopy, pathology, and scanning electron microscopy showed that the parasite infected the host's skeletal muscle tissue and formed spherical sporophorous vesicles (SPOVs). Electron microscopy revealed that its merogonic life stages developed in direct contact with the host cytoplasm. The sporogonic life stages underwent octosporoblastic sporogony with the formation of eight uninucleate spores in each SPOV. Fresh SPOVs were 5.4 ± 0.55 µm in diameter. The octospores were oval and measured 2.3 × 1.5 µm (fresh) and 1.96 × 1.17 µm (fixed). The isofilar polar filament was coiled with 9-10 turns and arranged in two rows. Phylogenetic analysis based on the SSU rRNA gene suggests that this microsporidium has close affinities with members of the genera Potaspora and Apotaspora, but represents an independent generic taxon. We therefore propose the establishment of a new genus and species (Paospora carinifang n. gen., n. sp.) within the family Spragueidae. We also propose a taxonomic revision to transfer Potaspora macrobrachium to this new genus and reclassify it as Paospora macrobrachium comb. nov.

Establishment of a TaqMan probe-based qPCR assay for detecting microsporidia Enterospora epinepheli in grouper.

Enterospora epinepheli is an intranuclear microsporidian parasite causing serious emaciative disease in hatchery-bred juvenile groupers (Epinephelus spp.). Rapid and sensitive detection is urgently needed as its chronic infection tends to cause emaciation as well as white faeces syndrome and results in fry mortality. This study established a TaqMan probe-based real-time quantitative PCR assays targeting the small subunit rRNA (SSU) gene of E. epinepheli. The relationship between the standard curve of cycle threshold (Ct) and the logarithmic starting quantity (SQ) was determined as Ct = -3.177 lg (SQ) + 38.397. The correlation coefficient (R2 ) was 0.999, and the amplification efficiency was 106.4%. The detection limit of the TaqMan probe-based qPCR assay was 1.0 × 101 copies/µL and that is 100 times sensitive than the traditional PCR method. There is no cross-reaction with other aquatic microsporidia such as Ecytonucleospora hepatopenaei, Nucleospora hippocampi, Potaspora sp., Ameson portunus. The intra-assay and inter-assay showed great repeatability and reproducibility. In addition, the test of clinical samples showed that this assay effectively detected E. epinepheli in the grouper's intestine tissue. The established TaqMan qPCR assays will be a valuable diagnostic tool for the epidemiological investigation as well as prevention and control of E. epinepheli.

Enhancing External Quantum Efficiency of Blue-Emitting Phosphor Ba(K)-ß-Al2O3:Eu2+ by Lattice Site Engineering for Full-Spectrum Lighting.

The discovery of violet-excitable blue-emitting phosphor is a significant breakthrough for the development of phosphor-converted full-spectrum white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). However, the application of most known violet-excitable blue-emitting phosphors is limited by their low external quantum efficiency (EQE). In this work, we reported on how the EQE values of Eu2+-doped Ba(K)-ß-Al2O3 blue-emitting phosphor can be significantly improved through lattice site engineering. By partially substituting K+ for Ba2+, the Eu2+-occupied crystallographic site changes and the coordination polyhedron of Eu2+ shrinks, leading to the increase of crystal field splitting. Consequently, the excitation spectrum exhibits a continuous red shift to match the violet excitation, which enhances the PL intensity of solid solution phosphor (Ba0.4K1.6)0.84Al22O35-α:0.32Eu2+ ((B0.4K1.6)0.84AO:Eu) by 1.42 times compared to that of the end-member Ba1.68Al22O35-α:0.32Eu2+ (B1.68AO:Eu) phosphor. Correspondingly, under the 400 nm violet light excitation, the EQE of optimal blue-emitting (B0.4K1.6)0.84AO:Eu phosphor is up to 53%. Additionally, the phosphor also shows excellent resistance to luminescence thermal quenching (95% at 150 °C). Finally, the WLED fabricated based on (B0.4K1.6)0.84AO:Eu and commercial green and red phosphors exhibited an ultra-high color rending index with Ra = 95.5 and R1-R15 >90. This work offers guidance for tuning the spectral properties of phosphors through lattice site engineering.

Enabling Yb3+ Luminescence with Visible Light Response in Mg2GeO4 via Energy Transfer.

The growing demand for spectroscopy applications in the areas of bioimaging, food quality analysis, and temperature sensing has led to extensive research on infrared light sources. It is crucial for the design of cost-effective and high-performance systems that phosphors possess the ability to absorb blue light from commercial LEDs and convert the excitation energy to long-wavelength infrared luminescence. In this work, we obtained Yb3+ luminescence with visible light response by utilizing the energy transfer from Cr3+ to Yb3+ in Mg2GeO4. After the introduction of Yb3+, intense NIR luminescence peaking at 974 nm can be achieved with an increasing intensity. The local structure analysis was performed to investigate the preferential occupation of Yb3+ ions and the energy transfer process in Mg2GeO4. Considering the properties of thermally coupled anti-Stokes and Stokes emissions of Yb3+ and the sensitive variation of the emission intensity, the potential application of Mg2GeO4:Cr3+, Yb3+ as thermometers was demonstrated.

High-Efficiency Intrinsic Yellow-Orange Emission in Hybrid Indium Bromide with Double Octahedral Configuration.

Zero-dimensional (0D) In-based organic-inorganic metal halides (OIMHs) have received growing interest in recent years as promising luminescent materials. However, the high efficiencies of 0D In-based OIMHs are all dependent on Sb doping in the existing literature. Here, we report a novel 0D In-based OIMH (C10H22N2)2In2Br10, which exhibits intrinsic broadband emission (610 nm), and the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) can reach 70% without Sb doping. (C10H22N2)2In2Br10 shows a typical 0D structure with three different In-Br polyhedra (two octahedra and one tetrahedron) separated by large organic cations. Based on the optical property measurements and theoretical calculations, we demonstrate that (C10H22N2)2In2Br10 is an indirect semiconductor with a band gap of 3.74 eV, and the In-Br inorganic moiety is primarily responsible for the intense emission of (C10H22N2)2In2Br10. Interestingly, the unique double octahedral configuration in (C10H22N2)2In2Br10 may enhance the structural distortion and stimulate the self-trapped excitons (STEs), leading to the related high PLQY. Our work provides a novel 0D In-based OIMH with high-efficiency intrinsic emission, which is helpful for understanding the structure-PL relationships of hybrid halides.

Solution-Obtained (NH4)3In0.95Sb0.05Cl6 with High External Photoluminescence Quantum Yield and Excellent Antiquenching Properties.

The efficient broad-band emission from low-dimensional metal halides has garnered significant interest. However, most of these materials exhibit poor stability at the operating temperature of light-emitting diodes. In this study, using the solution method (temperature lower than 90 °C), a new compound (NH4)3In0.95Sb0.05Cl6 was obtained with the structure in the Pnma space group featuring unit-cell parameters of a = 12.3871(4) Å, b = 24.9895(9) Å, and c = 7.7844(3) Å. (NH4)3In0.95Sb0.05Cl6 can be prepared by doping (NH4)2InCl5·H2O when the Sb3+ feeding ratio is in the range of 30-80%. Thermal analysis reveals that (NH4)3In0.95Sb0.05Cl6 is stable up to 320 °C. (NH4)3In0.95Sb0.05Cl6 exhibits broad-band yellow-white emission with extremely high internal and external photoluminescence quantum yields of 93 and 77%, respectively. Interestingly, (NH4)3In0.95Sb0.05Cl6 displays remarkable resistance to thermal quenching, retaining 83% of its initial photoluminescence intensity at 80 °C. A white light-emitting diode is fabricated by combining (NH4)3In0.95Sb0.05Cl6 with a commercial phosphor, and a high color rendering of 92.8 was obtained. This work presents an environmentally friendly, efficient, stable UV-excited broad-band emission material for potential solid-state lighting applications.

Zero-Dimensional Halides with ns2 Electron (Sb3+) Activation to Generate Broad Photoluminescence.

Organic-inorganic metal halides (OIMHs) have various crystal structures and offer excellent semiconducting properties. Here, we report three novel OIMHs, (PPA)6InBr9 (PPA = [C6H5(CH2)3NH3]+), (PBA)2SbBr5, and (PBA)2SbI6 (PBA = [C6H5(CH2)4NH3]+), showing typical zero-dimensional (0D) structure, octahedra dimers, and corner-sharing one-dimensional chains and crystallized in the monoclinic system with P21, P21/c, and C2/c space groups, respectively. (PPA)6InBr9, (PBA)2SbBr5, and (PBA)2SbI6 have experimental optical band gaps of ∼3.16, ∼2.24, and 1.48 eV, respectively. (PPA)6InBr9 exhibits bright-orange light emission centered at 642 nm with a full-width at half-maximum of 179 nm (0.51 eV) and a Stokes shift of 277 nm (1.46 eV). After Sb3+ doping, the peak position did not change, and the photoluminescence quantum yield increased significantly from 9.2 to 53.0%. The efficient emission of Sb:(PPA)6InBr9 stems from the isolated ns2 luminescent center and strong electron-phonon coupling, making the spin-forbidden 3P1-1S0 observable. By combining commercial blue and green phosphors with orange-red-light-emitting (PPA)6In0.99Sb0.01Br9, a white-light-emitting diode was constructed, with the color-rendering index reaching up to 92.3. Our work highlights three novel 0D OIMHs, with chemical doping of Sb3+ shown to significantly enhance the luminescence properties, demonstrating their potential applications in solid-state lighting.

Synthetic-Method-Dependent Antimony Bromides and Their Photoluminescent Properties.

Recently, excellent optical properties of low-dimensional organic-inorganic metal halides, stemming from their tunable structure and optoelectronic properties, have been demonstrated. The synthetic method is critical because it is highly related to the structure and properties of the halide. Herein, we obtain two different antimony bromides, (Bmpip)2SbBr5 and (Bmpip)3Sb2Br9, which both possess the P21/c space group having different crystal structures, and this confirms the important influence of synthesis on the single-crystal structure. (Bmpip)2SbBr5 contains Bmpip+ and [SbBr5]2- pyramids, and (Bmpip)3Sb2Br9 consists of Bmpip+ and Sb-based dimers [Sb2Br9]3-. Under 400 nm excitation, (Bmpip)2SbBr5 exhibits a 640 nm orange emission with a quantum yield of ∼11.5% owing to Sb 5s2 electron luminescence. A diode was fabricated by (Bmpip)2SbBr5 and commercial phosphors and showed a high color render index of 92. Our work reveals the effect of the preparation method on the crystal structure. A luminescent material was finally identified.

Improving the Chemical Stability of Narrow-Band Green-Emitting Manganese(II) Hybrid by Zn-Doping.

Hybrid tetrahedral Mn(II)-based halides show great potential for narrow-band green emitters, which could be applied in the liquid crystal display field. However, the strategy to improve the chemical stability of tetrahedral Mn hybrids has not been fully investigated. Here, we demonstrate that Zn doping can be an effective route to significantly improve the stability of tetrahedral Mn hybrids under air conditions without compromising the luminous efficiency. A new bromide (ABI)2MnBr4 (ABI = 2-aminobenzimidazole) is synthesized, which exhibits a typical zero-dimensional structure with isolated [MnBr4]2- tetrahedra in the P1̅ space group. Under 450 nm excitation, a narrow-band green-emitting peak at 516 nm is observed with a full width at half maximum of 42 nm. It is indicated that spontaneous phase transition from the tetrahedral to octahedral motif occurs in this Mn hybrid driven by humidity, combined with the emission color change from green to red. Interestingly, this phase transition could be strongly suppressed by Zn doping with a very low doping amount (5%), leading to the significantly improved chemical stability of (ABI)2MnBr4 without reducing the photoluminescence quantum yield. Our work provides a simple and feasible strategy to enhance the chemical stability of the green-emitting (ABI)2MnBr4, and it may also be applicable for other tetrahedral Mn-based hybrids.

Photoluminescent Properties of Two-Dimensional Manganese(II)-Based Perovskites with Different-Length Arylamine Cations.

The participation of organic cations plays an important role in tuning broad-spectra emissions. Herein, we synthesized a series of Mn(II)-based two-dimensional (2D) halide perovskites with arylamine cations of different lengths having the general formula (C6H5(CH2)xNH3)2MnCl4 (x = 1-4), with the x = 4 compound reported here for the first time. With the increase in the -(CH2)- in organic cations, the distance between adjacent inorganic layers increases, causing the title compounds to exhibit different structural distortions. As the Mn-Cl-Mn angular distortion increases, the experimental optical band gaps of the title compounds increase correspondingly. When the angle distortion between the octahedrons of the compounds is similar, the band gaps may also be affected by the distortion of the octahedron itself (the bond-length distortion of 2 is greater than that of 4). Under UV-light irradiation at 298 K, all of the compounds exhibit two emission peaks centered at 480-505 and 610 nm, corresponding to the organic-cation emission and the 4T1(G) to 6A1(S) radiative transition of Mn2+ ions, respectively. Among these title compounds, (PPA)2MnCl4 [(PPA)+ = C6H5(CH2)3NH3+] exhibits the strongest photoluminescence (PL). The study of the title compounds contributes to an in-depth understanding of the relationship between the structural distortion and optical properties of 2D Mn(II)-based perovskite materials.

Small Organic Molecular-Based Hybrid Halides with High Photoluminescence Quenching Temperature.

Organic-inorganic metal halides (OIMHs) exhibit excellent photoelectric properties; however, their high-temperature light-emission stability requires further improvement. Here, we report three isostructural OIMHs (C2H8N)4InCl7, (C2H8N)4SbCl7, and (C2H8N)4SbBr7 (C2H8N+ = dimethylammonium). They are all crystallized in the P21212 space group with a zero-dimensional (0D) structure, with orange-red photoluminescence (PL) under 365 nm UV excitation. Among them, (C2H8N)4InCl7 exhibits the strongest PL with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 13.9% at room temperature. Optical property measurements and density functional theory unveil that the luminescence of (C2H8N)4InCl7 at 405 and 620 nm is due to free exciton and self-trapped exciton emission, respectively. It is worth noting that (C2H8N)4InCl7 shows a high PL quenching temperature, maintaining 50% of its room-temperature PL intensity at 425 K, which is rare in OIHMs. This is much higher than the application temperature of phosphors in practical solid-state lighting applications (363-383 K). In this temperature range, the luminous intensity of (C2H8N)4InCl7 exceeds 60% of that at room temperature. The high PL quenching temperature observed in (C2H8N)4InCl7 indicates the potential of OIMHs for applications in phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes.

Circular RNA circCSPP1 knockdown attenuates doxorubicin resistance and suppresses tumor progression of colorectal cancer via miR-944/FZD7 axis.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to play vital roles in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, only a few circRNAs have been experimentally validated and functionally described. In this research, we aimed to reveal the functional mechanism of circCSPP1 in CRC. METHODS: 36 DOX sensitive and 36 resistant CRC cases participated in this study. The expression of circCSPP1, miR-944 and FZD7 were detected by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and the protein levels of FZD7, MRP1, P-gp and LRP were detected by western blot. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, transwell assay, or flow cytometry analysis, respectively. The interaction between miR-944 and circCSPP1 or frizzled-7 (FZD7) was predicted by Starbase 3.0 and verified by the dual luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and RNA pull down assay. Xenograft tumor assay was performed to examine the effect of circCSPP1 on tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS: The expression of circCSPP1 and FZD7 was upregulated while miR-944 expression was downregulated in doxorubicin (DOX)-resistant CRC tissues and cells. CircCSPP1 knockdown significantly downregulated enhanced doxorubicin sensitivity, suppressed proliferation, migration, invasion, and induced apoptosis in DOX-resistant CRC cells. Interestingly, we found that circCSPP1 directly downregulated miR-944 expression and miR-944 decreased FZD7 level through targeting to 3' untranslated region (UTR) of FZD7. Furthermore, circCSPP1 mediated DOX-resistant CRC cell progression and doxorubicin sensitivity by regulating miR-944/FZD7 axis. Besides, circCSPP1 downregulation dramatically repressed CRC tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSION: Our data indicated that circCSPP1 knockdown inhibited DOX-resistant CRC cell growth and enhanced doxorubicin sensitivity by miR-944/FZD7 axis, providing a potential target for CRC therapy.

Use Chou's 5-steps rule to study how Baicalin suppresses the malignant phenotypes and induces the apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells.

Baicalin is a traditional Chinese herb purified from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. In this study, we further analyzed the molecular mechanism behind the anti-tumor activity of Baicalin in colorectal cancer (CRC). The establishment of circular RNA (circRNA)/microRNA (miRNA)/messenger RNA (mRNA) axis was predicted by bioinformatic databases and verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Baicalin dose-dependently reduced the expression of circRNA myosin heavy chain 9 (circMYH9) in CRC cells. Baicalin exposure suppressed the malignant phenotypes of CRC cells, which were largely reversed by the overexpression of circMYH9. CircMYH9 functioned as a molecular sponge for miR-761. CircMYH9 overexpression protected CRC cells from Baicalin-induced injury partly through down-regulating miR-761. MiR-761 interacted with the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) mRNA. CircMYH9 up-regulated HDGF expression partly through sponging miR-761 in CRC cells. MiR-761 silencing counteracted the anti-tumor activity of Baicalin partly through up-regulating HDGF in CRC cells. Baicalin suppresses xenograft tumor growth in vivo, and this suppressive effect was partly reversed by the overexpression of circMYH9. In conclusion, Baicalin exhibited an anti-tumor activity in CRC cells partly through down-regulating circMYH9 and HDGF and up-regulating miR-761.

Color-Tunable Persistent Luminescence of Ca10M(PO4)7:Eu2+ (M = Li, Na, and K) with a ß-Ca3(PO4)2-Type Structure.

Eu2+-activated Ca10M(PO4)7 (M = Li, Na, and K) phosphates have been explored extensively because of their tunable emission wavelengths and excellent luminescence performances. Herein, the persistent luminescence (PersL) properties of Eu2+-doped Ca10M(PO4)7 phosphors with a ß-Ca3(PO4)2-type structure are reported. With the variation of alkali metal M from Li to Na and to K, the PersL color can be adjusted sequentially from yellow to white and to blue, and the persistent durations are prolonged significantly from about ∼61 s for Ca9.997Li(PO4)7:0.003Eu2+ to ∼1950 s for Ca9.999Na(PO4)7:0.001Eu2+ and to ∼7440 s for Ca9.9995K(PO4)7:0.0005Eu2+ at the threshold value (0.32 mcd/m2) after 254 nm irradiation. The trap depths are estimated according to the thermoluminescence glow curves with various heating rates. Comparing the thermoluminescence excitation and photoluminescence excitation spectra, it can be verified that there are two sources of ionized electrons in the charging process: one is excited from the valence band to the conduction band (CB) and the other is excited from the 4f ground state of Eu2+ to the higher 5d levels or directly to the CB. Finally, the PersL mechanism is proposed. This work is expected to motivate more research of Eu2+-doped phosphate-based PersL materials, as well as contributes to the understanding of the PersL mechanism of Eu2+-doped phosphors.

Light-Emitting 0D Hybrid Metal Halide (C3H12N2)2Sb2Cl10 with Antimony Dimers.

Low-dimensional organic-inorganic metal halides (OIMHs), as emerging light-emitting materials, have aroused widespread attention owing to their unique structural tunability and photoelectric characteristics. OIMHs are also promising materials for optoelectronic equipment, light-emitting diodes, and photodetectors. In this study, (C3H12N2)2Sb2Cl10 (C3H12N22+ is an N-methylethylenediamine cation), a new zero-dimensional OIMH, has been reported, and (C3H12N2)2Sb2Cl10 possesses a P21/n space group. The (C3H12N2)2Sb2Cl10 structure contains [Sb2Cl10]4- dimers (composed of two edge-sharing [SbCl6]3- octahedra) that are surrounded by C3H12N22+ cations. The experimental band gap of (C3H12N2)2Sb2Cl10 is 3.80 eV, and density functional theory calculation demonstrates that (C3H12N2)2Sb2Cl10 possesses a direct band gap, with the edge of the band gap mainly contributed from the inorganic units. (C3H12N2)2Sb2Cl10 exhibits good ambient and thermal stability. Under 395 nm excitation at room temperature, (C3H12N2)2Sb2Cl10 exhibits a broad emission with a full width at half-maximum of ∼114 nm, peaking at 480 nm, and the broad emission was ascribed to self-trapped exciton emission.