Background: Diabetic foot complications impose a significant strain on healthcare systems worldwide, acting as a principal cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with diabetes mellitus. While traditional methods in diagnosing and treating these conditions have faced limitations, the emergence of Machine Learning (ML) technologies heralds a new era, offering the promise of revolutionizing diabetic foot care through enhanced precision and tailored treatment strategies. Objective: This review aims to explore the transformative impact of ML on managing diabetic foot complications, highlighting its potential to advance diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic approaches by leveraging developments in medical imaging, biomarker detection, and clinical biomechanics. Methods: A meticulous literature search was executed across PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases to identify pertinent articles published up to March 2024. The search strategy was carefully crafted, employing a combination of keywords such as "Machine Learning," "Diabetic Foot," "Diabetic Foot Ulcers," "Diabetic Foot Care," "Artificial Intelligence," and "Predictive Modeling." This review offers an in-depth analysis of the foundational principles and algorithms that constitute ML, placing a special emphasis on their relevance to the medical sciences, particularly within the specialized domain of diabetic foot pathology. Through the incorporation of illustrative case studies and schematic diagrams, the review endeavors to elucidate the intricate computational methodologies involved. Results: ML has proven to be invaluable in deriving critical insights from complex datasets, enhancing both the diagnostic precision and therapeutic planning for diabetic foot management. This review highlights the efficacy of ML in clinical decision-making, underscored by comparative analyses of ML algorithms in prognostic assessments and diagnostic applications within diabetic foot care. Conclusion: The review culminates in a prospective assessment of the trajectory of ML applications in the realm of diabetic foot care. We believe that despite challenges such as computational limitations and ethical considerations, ML remains at the forefront of revolutionizing treatment paradigms for the management of diabetic foot complications that are globally applicable and precision-oriented. This technological evolution heralds unprecedented possibilities for treatment and opportunities for enhancing patient care.
Diabetic Foot , Machine Learning , Diabetic Foot/therapy , Humans
To investigate the relationship between structures and adsorption properties, four different morphologies of chitosan, with hydrogel (CSH), aerogel (CSA), powder (CSP), and electrospinning nanofiber (CSEN) characteristics, were employed as adsorbents for the removal of Acid Red 27. The structures and morphologies of the four chitosan adsorbents were characterized with SEM, XRD, ATR-FTIR, and BET methods. The adsorption behaviors and mechanisms of the four chitosan adsorbents were comparatively studied. All adsorption behaviors exhibited a good fit with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 > 0.99) and Langmuir isotherm model (R2 > 0.99). Comparing the adsorption rates and the maximum adsorption capacities, the order was CSH > CSA > CSP > CSEN. The maximum adsorption capacities of CSH, CSA, CSP, and CSEN were 2732.2 (4.523), 676.7 (1.119), 534.8 (0.885), and 215.5 (0.357) mg/g (mmol/g) at 20 °C, respectively. The crystallinities of CSH, CSA, CSP, and CSEN were calculated as 0.41%, 6.97%, 8.76%, and 39.77%, respectively. The crystallinity of the four chitosan adsorbents was the main factor impacting the adsorption rates and adsorption capacities, compared with the specific surface area. With the decrease in crystallinity, the adsorption rates and capacities of the four chitosan adsorbents increased gradually under the same experimental conditions. CSH with a low crystallinity and large specific surface area resulted in the highest adsorption rate and capacity.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses a significant global health burden. This is particularly due to its macrovascular complications, such as coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease, which have emerged as leading contributors to morbidity and mortality. This review comprehensively explores the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these complications, protective strategies, and both existing and emerging secondary preventive measures. Furthermore, we delve into the applications of experimental models and methodologies in foundational research while also highlighting current research limitations and future directions. Specifically, we focus on the literature published post-2020 concerning the secondary prevention of macrovascular complications in patients with T2DM by conducting a targeted review of studies supported by robust evidence to offer a holistic perspective.
Coronary Artery Disease , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 , Humans , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications , Secondary Prevention
Engineering targeted and reliable charge transfer pathways in multiphase photocatalysts remains a challenge. Herein, we conceptualize the Cd@CdS-ZnO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/ZnS heterostructures coupled with reliable carrier migration channels and visible-light response antennas by building rGO-integrated electrochemical nanoreactors and an ion-exchange process. In this ternary catalyst, the Cd clusters and rGO perform as charge relays to boost carrier transport via the Z-scheme route and accelerate photogenerated carriers to react with surface-adsorbed substances. Meanwhile, thanks to CdS, the heterostructures have photocatalytic properties under visible light illumination and can also inhibit self-corrosion by shielding Cd clusters to avoid disrupting charge transfer channels. Therefore, the special heterostructure demonstrates fascinating photocatalytic hydrogen production activity without the intervention of cocatalysts. This work provides a feasible protocol for improving the interfaces between metals and semiconductors to achieve efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation.
BACKGROUND: Constipation is one of the common gastrointestinal complications after stroke. It not only aggravates the condition of stroke, but also brings huge medical burden to patients, and has a negative impact on the quality of life of patients. Auricular therapy, as a part of Chinese traditional acupuncture and moxibustion, has been found to be effective in the clinical treatment of constipation. However, no systematic review has investigated the efficacy and safety of auricular therapy in the treatment of post-stroke constipation. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness and safety of auricular therapy for post-stroke constipation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Eight electronic databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library/Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Internet, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang, and VIP databases, will be searched for relevant studies published from inception to February 2023. Two reviewers will independently conduct research selection, data extraction, and evaluation of research quality. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assess the efficacy and safety of auricular therapy for the treatment of post-stroke constipation will be included in this study. We will use the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool to evaluate the methodological qualities (including bias risk). If possible, a meta-analysis will be performed after screening. RESULTS: This study may provide high-quality evidence for the efficacy and safety of auricular therapy in treating post-stroke constipation. CONCLUSION: The conclusions of our study will provide an evidence to judge whether auricular therapy is an effective and safe intervention for patients with post-stroke constipation. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required, as this study was based on a review of published research. This review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated electronically and in print. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration number: PROSPERO CRD42023402242.
Acupuncture Therapy , Moxibustion , Stroke , Humans , Systematic Reviews as Topic , Meta-Analysis as Topic , Moxibustion/methods , Constipation/etiology , Constipation/therapy , Stroke/complications , Stroke/therapy , Research Design , Review Literature as Topic , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Carbon nitrides with layered structures and scalable syntheses have emerged as potential anode choices for the commercialization of sodium-ion batteries. However, the low crystallinity of materials synthesized through traditional thermal condensation leads to insufficient conductivity and poor cycling stability, which significantly hamper their practical applications. Herein, a facile salt-covering method was proposed for the synthesis of highly ordered crystalline C3N4-based all-carbon nanocomposites. The sealing environment created by this strategy leads to the formation of poly(heptazine imide) (PHI), the crystalline phase of C3N4, with extended π-conjugation and a fully condensed nanosheet structure. Meanwhile, theoretical calculations reveal the high crystallinity of C3N4 significantly reduces the energy barrier for electron transition and enables the generation of efficient charge transfer channels at the heterogeneous interface between carbon and C3N4. Accordingly, such nanocomposites present ultrastable cycling performances over 5000 cycles, with a high reversible capacity of 245.1 mAh g-1 at 2 A g-1 delivered. More importantly, they also exhibit an outstanding low-temperature capacity of 196.6 mAh g-1 at -20 °C. This work offers opportunities for the energy storage use of C3N4 and provides some clues for developing long-life and high-capacity anodes operated under extreme conditions.
Lithium metal anodes with ultrahigh theoretical capacities are very attractive for assembling high-performance batteries. However, uncontrolled Li dendrite growth strongly retards their practical applications. Different from conventional separator modification strategies that are always focused on functional group tuning or mechanical barrier construction, herein, we propose a crystallinity engineering-related tactic by using the highly crystalline carbon nitride as the separator interlayer to suppress dendrite growth. Interestingly, the presence of Cl- intercalation and high-content pyrrolic-N from molten salt treatment along with highly crystalline structure enhanced the interactions of carbon nitride with Li+ and homogenized lithium flux for uniform deposition, as supported by both experimental and theoretical evidences. The Li-Li cell with the modified separator therefore delivered ultrahigh stability even after 3,000 h with dendrite-free cycled electrodes. Meanwhile, the assembled Li-LiFePO4 full-cell also presented high-capacity retention. This work opens up opportunities for design of functional separators through crystallinity engineering and broadens the use of C3N4 for advanced batteries.
Currently, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) is an effective therapy for ischemic stroke (IS). However, blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption is a serious side effect of rtPA therapy and may lead to patients' death. The natural polyphenol apigenin has a good therapeutic effect on IS. Apigenin has potential BBB protection, but the mechanism by which it protects the BBB integrity is not clear. In this study, we used network pharmacology, bioinformatics, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation to reveal the mechanisms by which apigenin protects the BBB. Among the 146 targets of apigenin for the treatment of IS, 20 proteins were identified as core targets (e.g., MMP-9, TLR4, STAT3). Apigenin protects BBB integrity by inhibiting the activity of MMPs through anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative stress. These mechanisms included JAK/STAT, the toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and Nitrogen metabolism signaling pathways. The findings of this study contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of apigenin in the treatment of BBB disruption and provide ideas for the development of drugs to treat IS.
BACKGROUND: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the recommended treatment for depression in patients with epilepsy (PWE). However, there are no studies that calculate the effect size of CBT on depression and quality of life (QoL) in PWE. METHODS: We searched seven electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials, Ovid Medline, and PsycINFO). We included 13 studies examining CBT for depression in PWE and calculated its effect size. RESULTS: A total of 13 studies met the criteria. After treatment, CBT improves depression in PWE (g = 0.36, 95%CI: 0.18 to 0.54, I2 = 50%), and the efficacy maintains during follow-up (g = 0.47, 95%CI: 0.04 to 0.89, I2 = 80%). Subgroup analysis has shown that individual CBT (g = 0.47, 95%CI: 0.20 to 0.73, I2 = 0%) had a greater effect size than group CBT (g = 0.30, 95%CI: 0.07 to 0.53, I2 = 62%) in the treatment of depression. Likewise, CBT has a positive effect on the QoL improvement of PWE (g = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.11 to 0.57, I2 = 64%). In controlling seizures, CBT did not differ from the control group (g = -0.06, 95%CI: -0.32 to 0.19, I2 = 0%). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive behavioral therapy interventions were effective in improving depression and QoL in PWE, but not effective in controlling seizures. The efficacy of CBT interventions targeting seizure control seems to be uncertain.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Epilepsy , Humans , Depression/etiology , Depression/therapy , Quality of Life , Epilepsy/complications , Epilepsy/therapy , Seizures
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Epimedii has long been used as a traditional medicine in Asia for the treatment of various common diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, erectile dysfunction, and stroke. Studies have reported the ameliorative effects of Icariside II (ICS II), a major metabolite of Epimedii, on acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in animal models. Based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effects and neuroprotective mechanisms of ICS II on AIS. METHODS: First, we have searched 6 databases using studies with ICS II treatment on AIS animal models to explore the efficacy of ICS II on AIS in preclinical studies. The literature retrieval time ended on March 8, 2022 (Systematic Review Registration ID: CRD42022306291). There were no restrictions on the language of the search strategy. Systematic review follows the Patient, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome (PICO) methodology and framework. SYCLE's RoB tool was used to evaluate the the risk of bias. In network pharmacology, AIS-related genes were identified and the target-pathway network was constructed. Then, these targets were used in the enrichments of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways and gene ontology (GO). Molecular docking and MD simulation were finally employed between ICS II and the potential target genes. RESULTS: Twelve publications were included describing outcomes of 1993 animals. The literature details, animal strains, induction models, doses administered, duration of administration, and outcome measures were extracted from the 12 included studies. ICS II has a good protective effect against AIS. Most of the studies in this systematic review had the appropriate methodological quality, but some did not clearly state the controlling for bias of potential study. Network pharmacology identified 246 targets with SRC, CTNNB1, HSP90AA1, MAPK1, and RELA as the core target proteins. Besides, 215 potential pathways of ICS II were identified, such as PI3K-Akt, MAPK, and cGMP-PKG signaling pathway. GO enrichment analysis showed that ICS II was significantly enriched in subsequent regulation such as MAPK cascade. Molecular docking and MD simulations showed that ICS II can closely bind with important targets. CONCLUSIONS: ICS II is a promising drug in the treatment of AIS. However, this systematic review reveals key knowledge gaps (i.e., the protective role of ICS II in women) that ICS II must address before it can be used for the treatment of human AIS. Our study shows that ICS II plays a protective role in AIS through multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics, providing ideas for the development of drugs for the treatment of AIS.
Ischemic Stroke , Animals , Female , Flavonoids , Humans , Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy , Male , Molecular Docking Simulation , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has recently emerged as an ideal target for biomarker analytes. Thus, the development of rapid and ultrasensitive ctDNA detection methods is essential. In this study, a high-throughput surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based lateral flow assay (LFA) strip is proposed. The aim of this method is to achieve accurate quantification of TP53 and PIK3CA E545K, two types of ctDNAs associated with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), particularly for point-of-care testing (POCT). Raman reporters and hairpin DNAs are used to functionalize the Pd-Au core-shell nanorods (Pd-AuNRs), which serve as the SERS probes. During the detection process, the existence of targets could open the hairpins on the surface of Pd-AuNRs and trigger the first step of catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) amplification. The next stage of CHA amplification is initiated by the hairpins prefixed on the test lines, generating numerous "hot spots" to enhance the SERS signal significantly. By the combination of high-performing SERS probes and a target-specific signal amplification strategy, TP53 and PIK3CA E545K are directly quantified in the range of 100 aM-1 nM, with the respective limits of detection (LOD) calculated as 33.1 aM and 20.0 aM in the PBS buffer and 37.8 aM and 23.1 aM in human serum, which are significantly lower than for traditional colorimetric LFA methods. The entire detection process is completed within 45 min, and the multichannel design realizes the parallel detection of multiple groups of samples. Moreover, the analytical performance is validated, including reproducibility, uniformity, and specificity. Finally, the SERS-LFA biosensor is employed to analyze the expression levels of TP53 and PIK3CA E545K in the serum of patients with HNSCC. The results are verified as consistent with those of qRT-PCR. Thus, the SERS-LFA biosensor can be considered as a noninvasive liquid biopsy assay for clinical cancer diagnosis.
As the high-crystalline phase of carbon nitride, poly(heptazine imide) (PHI) has attracted much attention in recent years, considering the more effective light absorption, better charge carrier behavior, and higher surface area of PHI compared with its counterpart with a melon structure that is commonly synthesized through thermal polymerization. Nevertheless, exploring effective strategies to further improve the performance of PHI is still highly desirable. In this work, it is revealed that the photocatalytic as well as piezocatalytic performances of PHI are greatly promoted by coupling with carbon dots (CDots) through a facile ultrasonication process. Detailed structure characterizations indicate that a very low content of CDots (0.05%) decoration can double the light absorbance and achieve the efficient separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers. The optimal photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of PHI/CDots is about 2.49 and 2.81 times that of PHI, under UV-Visible and visible light irradiation, respectively. Moreover, the piezocatalytic H2O2 generation and KMnO4 degradation activities of PHI/CDots are around 2 times that of PHI. The results obtained in this work provide references for the modification of PHI and may inspire new strategies for the design of highly efficient carbonaceous photocatalysts.
Phase junctions of photocatalysts can promote the separation of photogenerated charge carriers for efficient utilization of the carriers. Construction of phase junctions and establishing their structure-performance relationship are still required. Herein, polycrystalline TiO2 decahedral plates with different phases were synthesized by thermal treatment-induced topotactic transition of titanium oxalate crystals. The phase of TiO2 evolved from pure anatase to anatase-brookite, anatase-brookite-rutile, and then to anatase-rutile, while the morphology of the decahedral plates was well maintained. The biphase anatase-brookite was found to be most efficient in photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Specifically, the hydrogen generation rate of the biphase anatase-brookite TiO2 was nearly 2.4 times greater than that of the biphase anatase-rutile TiO2. The spatially resolved surface photovoltage measurements indicate the more efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers and thus greater photocatalytic activity of the former. This work provides a strategy for developing efficient phase-junction photocatalysts.
Gentamicin (GM) is a commonly used antibiotic, and ototoxicity is one of its side effects. Puerarin (PU) is an isoflavone in kudzu roots that exerts a number of pharmacological effects, including antioxidative and free radical scavenging effects. The present study investigated whether PU could protect against GMinduced ototoxicity in C57BL/6J mice and House Ear InstituteOrgan of Corti 1 (HEIOC1) cells. C57BL/6J mice and HEIOC1 cells were used to establish models of GMinduced ototoxicity in this study. Auditory brainstem responses were measured to assess hearing thresholds, and microscopy was used to observe the morphology of cochlear hair cells after fluorescent staining. Cell viability was examined with Cell Counting Kit8 assays. To evaluate cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, TUNEL assays, reverse transcriptionquantitative PCR, DCFHDA staining, JC1 staining and western blotting were performed. PU protected against GMinduced hearing damage in C57BL/6J mice. PU ameliorated the morphological changes of mouse cochlear hair cells and reduced the apoptosis rate of HEIOC1 cells after GMmediated damage. GMinduced ototoxicity may be closely related to the upregulation of p53 expression and the activation of endogenous mitochondrial apoptosis pathways, and PU could protect cochlear hair cells from GMmediated damage by reducing the production of ROS and inhibiting the mitochondriadependent apoptosis pathway.
Apoptosis/drug effects , Gentamicins/toxicity , Isoflavones/pharmacology , Mitochondria/metabolism , Ototoxicity/prevention & control , Protective Agents/pharmacology , Animals , Caspase 3/metabolism , Cell Line , Cell Survival/drug effects , Hair Cells, Auditory/drug effects , Hearing Loss/prevention & control , Isoflavones/therapeutic use , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mitochondria/drug effects , Mitochondrial Membranes/drug effects , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Protective Agents/therapeutic use , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism , bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism
Non-invasive early diagnosis is of great significant in disease pathologic development and subsequent medical treatments, and microRNA (miRNA) detection has attracted critical attention in early cancer screening and diagnosis. However, it was still a challenge to report an accurate and sensitive method for the detection of miRNA during cancer development, especially in the presence of its analogs that produce intense background noise. Herein, we developed a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based lateral flow assay (LFA) biosensor, assisted with catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) amplification strategy, for the dynamic monitoring of miR-106b and miR-196b, associated with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). In the presence of target miRNAs, two hairpin DNAs could self-assemble into double-stranded DNA, exposing the biotin molecules modified on the surface of palladium (Pd)-gold (Au) core-shell nanorods (Pd-AuNRs). Then, the biotin molecules could be captured by the streptavidin (SA), which was fixed on the test lines (T1 line and T2 line) beforehand. The core-shell spatial structures and aggregation Pd-AuNRs generated abundant active "hot spots" on the T line, significantly amplifying the SERS signals. Using this strategy, the limits of detections were low to aM level, and the selectivity, reproducibility, and uniformity of the proposed SERS-LFA biosensor were satisfactory. Finally, this rapid analysis strategy was successfully applied to quantitatively detect the target miRNAs in clinical serum obtained from healthy subjects and patients with LSCC at different stages. The results were consistent with the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Thus, the CHA-assisted SERS-LFA biosensor would become a promising alternative tool for miRNAs detection, which showed a tremendous clinical application prospect in diagnosing LSCC.
BACKGROUND: Migraine is painful disease in which neurotransmitters related to pain transmission play an important role. Hejie Zhitong prescription (HJZT) has been used in the clinic as an effective prescription for the treatment of migraine for many years. Our team aimed to further explore its antimigraine mechanism based on previous research results and to explore the inhibitory effect of HJZT on the transmission of pain related to nitroglycerine (NTG)-induced migraine as well as the synergistic effect of HJZT with pentobarbital sodium on promoting sleep. METHODS: Sixty mice were randomly assigned to groups and received the corresponding interventions. Sleep latency and sleep time were recorded to calculate the incidence of sleep. Forty-eight Wistar rats were randomly assigned and administered an intervention corresponding to their group. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), serotonin (5-HT), substance P (SP), and cholecystokinin (CCK) levels were measured using ELISAs. Levels of the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein were assessed using immunohistochemistry. The expression of the CGRP and CCK mRNAs in the midbrain and trigeminal ganglion (TG) were measured using real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: HJZT promoted the occurrence of sleep in mice. HJZT downregulated COX-2 expression in the midbrain and TG of rats but upregulated the expression of the CB1R, and decreased the plasma level of the CGRP protein and expression of its mRNA in the midbrain and TG. It also downregulated the expression of the CCK mRNA in the midbrain and TG. The high-dose HJZT treatment increased plasma 5-HT levels, but did not induce changes in the plasma levels of the SP or CCK protein. CONCLUSIONS: HJZT exerts a synergistic effect with pentobarbital sodium on promoting sleep. As for anti-migraine, HJZT can inhibits the expression of nociceptive transmission-associated neurotransmitters, including 5-HT, CGRP and CCK, which may be related to its upregulation of CB1R and downregulation of COX-2.
Developing earth-abundant and highly efficient nonprecious metal catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is critical for the storage and conversion of renewable energy sources. Molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) has been extensively investigated as one of the most promising nonprecious electrocatalysts for boosting HER because of its low cost, high electrical conductivity, good chemical structure, and similar electronic structure to that of Pt. However, Mo2C always exhibits the negative hydrogen-binding energy, which can largely prevent adsorbed H desorption during the HER process. Herein, we report P- and Ni-dual-doped Mo2C in porous nitrogen-doped carbon (P/Ni-Mo2C) as an electrocatalyst for the HER, exhibiting excellent activity and durability with a low overpotential of 165 mV at 10 mA cm-2 in alkaline electrolyte. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations proved that P and Ni acted as the anion and cation, respectively, to synergistically tune the electronic properties of Mo2C to decrease the negative hydrogen-binding energy, endowing the catalyst with excellent catalytic performance for the HER.
The design and fabrication of low-cost, efficient, and robust electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of great importance in accelerating the development of water electrolysis technology. Herein, NiRu alloy nanostructures embedded in a nitrogen-doped carbon matrix (NiRu@NC) have been fabricated through a facile metal-organic framework-derived (MOF-derived) strategy. Benefiting from their advantages in the unique structures and components, the resulting NiRu@NC possesses excellent activity and durability towards the HER, which exhibits low overpotentials of 85 and 53 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in acidic and alkaline electrolytes, respectively. Furthermore, NiRu2@NC-600 also exhibits excellent hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) activity in an alkaline electrolyte. Therefore, this work provides a facile MOF-derived strategy for the design and synthesis of low-cost and efficient electrocatalysts for the HER.
Though carbon matrices could effectively improve the electrical conductivity and accommodate the volume expansion of CuO-based anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), achieving an optimized utilization ratio of the active CuO component remains a big challenge. In this work, we developed a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived strategy to synthesize ultrafine CuO nanoparticles embedded in a porous carbon matrix (CuO@C). Benefiting from its unique structure, the resulting CuO@C exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1024 mA h g-1 at 100 mA g-1 after 100 cycles and a long-term cycling stability with a reversible capacity of 613 mA h g-1 at 500 mA g-1 over 700 cycles. The outstanding Li-storage performances can be attributed to its porous carbon matrix and ultrafine CuO nanoparticles with more exposed active sites for electrochemical reactions.
Although binary metal oxides with high theoretical specific capacities and power densities are widely investigated as promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), their poor cycling stability and huge volume expansion largely limit their extensive application in practical electrode materials. Herein, we report a facile strategy to synthesize hollow NiCo2O4 nanowires through direct calcination of binary metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in air. When evaluated as an anode material for LIBs, NiCo2O4 nanowires deliver a reversible capacity of 1310 mA h g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1 after 100 cycles. Even at a high current density of 1 A g-1, NiCo2O4 nanowires exhibit long-term cycling stability with a capacity of 720 mA h g-1 after 1000 cycles. The outstanding lithium-storage performance can be attributed to the unique structures with 1D porous channels, which are beneficial for the fast transfer of Li+ ions and electrolyte and alleviate the strain caused by the volume expansion during cycling processes.
