Synthesis of Efficient S-Scheme Heterostructures Composed of BiPO4 and KNbO3 for Photocatalytic N2 Fixation and Water Purification.

The preparation of catalysts with heterojunction structures is a strategy to achieve efficient charge separation and high photocatalytic activity of photocatalysts. In this work, BiPO4/KNbO3 heterostructure photocatalysts were fabricated by a combination of hydrothermal and precipitation methods and subsequently employed in catalyzing N2-to-NH3 conversion and RhB degradation under light illumination. Morphological analysis revealed the effective dispersion of BiPO4 on KNbO3 nanocubes. Band structure analysis suggests that KNbO3 and BiPO4 exhibit suitable band potentials to form an S-scheme heterojunction. Under the joint action of the built-in electric field at the interface, energy band bending, and Coulomb attraction force, photogenerated electrons and holes with low redox performance are consumed, while those with high redox performance are effectively spatially separated. Consequently, the BiPO4/KNbO3 shows enhanced photocatalytic activity. The NH3 production rate of the optimal sample is 2.6 and 5.8 times higher than that of KNbO3 and BiPO4, respectively. The enhanced photoactivity of BiPO4/KNbO3 is also observed in the photocatalytic degradation of RhB. This study offers valuable insights for the design and preparation of S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts.

The heterointerface effect to boost the catalytic performance of single atom catalysts for sulfur conversion in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered as one of the promising next-generation energy storage devices due to their characteristics of high energy density and low cost. However, the shuttle effect and sluggish conversion of lithium polysulfide (LiPs) have hindered their commercial applications. To address these issues, in our previous works, we have screened several highly efficient single atom catalysts (SACs) (MN4@G, M = V, Mo and W) with atomically dispersed transition metal atoms supported by nitrogen doped graphene based on high throughput calculations. Nevertheless, they still suffer from low loading of metal centers and unsatisfactory capability for accelerating the reaction kinetics. To tackle such problems, based on first-principles calculations, we systematically investigated the heterointerface effect on the catalytic performance of such three MN4@G toward sulfur conversion upon forming heterostructures with 5 typical two-dimensional materials of TiS2, C3N4, BN, graphene and reduced graphene oxide. Guided by efficient descriptors proposed in our previous work, we screened VN4@G/TiS2, MoN4@G/TiS2 and WN4@G/TiS2 possessing low Li2S decomposition barriers of 0.54, 0.44 and 0.41 eV, respectively. They also possess enhanced capabilities for catalyzing the sulfur reduction reaction as well as stabilizing soluble LiPs. More interestingly, the heterointerface can enhance the capability of the carbon atoms far away from the metal centers for trapping LiPs. This work shows that introducing a heterointerface is a promising strategy to boost the performance of SACs in Li-S batteries.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Voriconazole in Patients with End-Stage Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify the factors that influence voriconazole (VCZ) plasma concentrations and optimize the doses of VCZ in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). METHODS: Patients with ESLD who received a VCZ maintenance dose of 100 mg twice daily (group A, n = 57) or the VCZ maintenance dose of 50 mg twice daily (group B, n = 37), orally or intravenously, were enrolled in this study. Trough plasma concentrations (Cmin) of VCZ between 1 and 5 mg/L were considered within the therapeutic target range. RESULTS: The VCZ Cmin was determined in 94 patients with ESLD. The VCZ Cmin of patients in group A was remarkably higher than those in group B (4.85 ± 2.53 mg/L vs 2.75 ± 1.40 mg/L; P < 0.001). Compared with group A, fewer patients in group B had VCZ Cmin outside the therapeutic target (23/57 vs. 6/37, P = 0.021). Univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that both body weight and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores were closely associated with the VCZ Cmin in group B. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that dose optimization based on body weight and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores is required to strike an efficacy-safety balance during VCZ treatment in patients with ESLD.

High-Throughput Calculations for Screening d- and p-Block Single-Atom Catalysts toward Li2 S/Na2 S Decomposition Guided by Facile Descriptor beyond Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi Relationship.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are promising cathode materials for addressing issues faced by lithium-sulfur batteries. Considering the ample chemical space of SACs, high-throughput calculations are efficient strategies for their rational design. However, the high throughput calculations are impeded by the time-consuming determination of the decomposition barrier (Eb ) of Li2 S. In this study, the effects of bond formation and breakage on the kinetics of SAC-catalyzed Li2 S decomposition with g-C3 N4 as the substrate are clarified. Furthermore, a new efficient and easily-obtained descriptor Li─S─Li angle (ALi─S─Li ) of adsorbed Li2 S, different from the widely accepted thermodynamic data for predicting Eb , which breaks the well-known Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi relationship, is identified. Under the guidance of ALi─S─Li , several superior SACs with d- and p-block metal centers supported by g-C3 N4 are screened to accelerate the sulfur redox reaction and fix the soluble lithium polysulfides. The newly identified descriptor of ALi─S─Li can be extended to rationally design SACs for Na─S batteries. This study opens a new pathway for tuning the performance of SACs to catalyze the decomposition of X2 S (X = Li, Na, and K) and thus accelerate the design of SACs for alkaline-chalcogenide batteries.

Selection and evaluation of quality markers for the regulation of PXR-CYP3A4/FXR-LXRα by Exocarpium Citri Grandis for the treatment of hyperlipidaemia with dispelling blood stasis and removing phlegm.

Hyperlipidaemia is described as "excessive phlegm" and "blood stasis" in the classic theory of traditional Chinese medicine. Exocarpium Citri Grandis has the effect of dispelling blood stasis and removing phlegm, which can better meet the treatment needs of this disease. However, there is still a lack of focus and depth in the study of the chemical composition of this medicine, and the correlation between the study of relevant medicinal substances and the efficacy of dispelling stasis and removing phlegm is insufficient. To address this issue, this study was carried out to validate the overall efficacy and identify and determine the chemical composition of Exocarpium Citri Grandis. The regulatory mechanism of the PXR-CYP3A4/FXR-LXRα pathway and its active ingredients were screened, and a pharmacokinetic study of active ingredients was performed. The obtained multidimensional data were statistically analysed and comprehensively evaluated. The quality marker of Exocarpium Citri Grandis in the treatment of hyperlipidaemia based on the PXR-CYP3A4/FXR-LXRα mechanism to exert the efficacy of dispelling blood stasis and removing phlegm was finally determined. Based on the above experiments, we identified 27 compounds from the ethanol extract of Exocarpium Citri Grandis. Among them, naringenin, meranzin hydrate, apigenin, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, anacardiin, hesperidin and naringin can significantly regulate all or part of the targets in the PXR-CYP3A4/FXR-LXRα pathway. It also has suitable content and pharmacokinetic characteristics in vivo. In conclusion, this study established quality markers to characterize the efficacy of Exocarpium Citri Grandis in dispelling blood stasis and removing phlegm, which provides a scientific basis for the targeted evaluation of the hypolipidaemic activity of this medicinal plant.

Metabolomics analysis delineates the therapeutic effects of Yinlan Tiaozhi capsule on triton WR-1339 -induced hyperlipidemia in mice.

Hyperlipidemia is a disorder of lipid metabolism resulting from abnormal blood lipid metabolism and is one of the most frequent metabolic diseases that endanger people's health. Yinlan Tiaozhi capsule (YL) is a formulated TCM widely used to treat hyperlipidemia. The purpose of this study was to discover biomarkers utilizing untargeted metabolomics techniques, as well as to analyze the mechanisms underlying the changes in metabolic pathways linked to lipid-lowering, anti-inflammation, and regulation of angiogenesis in hyperlipidemia mice. To assess the efficacy of YL, serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels were measured. Biochemical examinations showed that YL significantly reduced the levels of TC, TG, LDL-c, Il6, Tnf-α, and Vegfa in hyperlipidemia mice (p < 0.01). YL also significantly increased the levels of HDL-c and Alb (p < 0.01). Twenty-seven potential serum biomarkers associated with hyperlipidemia were determined. These differential metabolites were related to the reduction of serum lipid levels in hyperlipidemia mice, probably through metabolic pathways such as linoleic acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, and D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism. Further correlation analysis showed that the serum lipid reduction through YL was related to the metabolites (amino acid metabolites, phospholipids metabolites, and fatty acids metabolites). The present study reveals that YL has a profound effect on alleviating triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemia, inflammation, and angiogenesis and that the positive effects of YL were primarily associated with the correction of metabolic abnormalities and the maintenance of metabolite dynamic balance.

[Prediction and analysis of Q-markers of Elephantopus scaber based on its UPLC fingerprint, content determination of components, and in vitro a nti-tumor activity].

This study aimed to provide scientific evidence for predicting quality markers(Q-markers) of Elephantopus scaber by establishing UPLC fingerprint of E. scaber from different geographical origins and determining the content of 13 major components, as well as conducting in vitro anti-cancer activity investigation of the main components. The chromatographic column used was Waters CORTECS UPLC C_(18)(2.1 mm×150 mm, 1.6 µm), and the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid solution(gradient elution). The column temperature was set at 30 ℃, and the flow rate was 0.2 mL·min~(-1). The injection volume was 1 µL, and the detection wavelength was 240 nm. The UPLC fingerprint of E. scaber was fitted using the Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine(2012 edition) to determine common peaks, evaluate similarity, identify and determine the content of major components. The CCK-8 assay was used to explore the inhibitory effect of the main components on the proliferation of lung cancer cells. The results showed that in the established UPLC fingerprint of E. scaber, 35 common peaks were identified. Thirteen major components, including neochlorogenic acid(peak 1), chlorogenic acid(peak 2), cryptochlorogenic acid(peak 3), caffeic acid(peak 4), schaftoside(peak 6), galuteolin(peak 9), isochlorogenic acid B(peak 10), isochlorogenic acid A(peak 12), isochlorogenic acid C(peak 18), deoxyelephantopin(peak 28), isodeoxyelephantopin(peak 29), isoscabertopin(peak 31), and scabertopin(peak 32) were identified and quantified, and a quantitative analysis method was established. The results of the in vitro anti-cancer activity study showed that deoxyelephantopin, isodeoxyelephantopin, isoscabertopin, and scabertopin in E. scaber exhibited inhibition rates of lung cancer cell proliferation exceeding 80% at a concentration of 10 µmol·L~(-1), higher than the positive drug paclitaxel. These results indicate that the fingerprint of E. scaber is highly characteristic, and the quantitative analysis method is accurate and stable, providing references for the research on quality standards of E. scaber. Four sesquiterpene lactones in E. scaber show significant anti-cancer activity and can serve as Q-markers for E. scaber.

Community structures of mangrove endophytic and rhizosphere bacteria in Zhangjiangkou National Mangrove Nature Reserve.

Bacterial communities play an important role in mangrove ecosystems. In order to gain information on the bacterial communities in mangrove species and rhizospheres grown in Zhangjiangkou National Mangrove Nature Reserve, this study collected root, branch, and leaf samples from five mangrove species as well as rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere samples and analyzed the community structure of endophytic bacteria and bacteria in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technique. Bacteria in 52 phyla, 64 classes, 152 orders, 295 families, and 794 genera were identified, which mainly belonged to Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria, and Nitrospirota. At each taxonomic level, the community structure of the rhizosphere bacteria varied slightly with mangrove species, but endophytic bacteria differed greatly with plant species. The diversity indices of endophytic bacteria in branch and leaf samples of Acanthus ilicifolius were significantly lower, and endophytic bacteria in the plant tissues had higher abundance in the replication/repair and translation Clusters of Orthologous Genes functional categories but lower abundance in the carbohydrate metabolism category. This study helps to understand the community structure and diversity characteristics of endophytic and rhizosphere bacteria in different mangrove plants. Provide a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the functions of mangrove ecosystems.

Aqueous Cationic Fluorinated Polyurethane for Application in Novel UV-Curable Cathodic Electrodeposition Coatings.

Aqueous polyurethane is an environmentally friendly, low-cost, high-performance resin with good abrasion resistance and strong adhesion. Cationic aqueous polyurethane is limited in cathodic electrophoretic coatings due to its complicated preparation process and its poor stability and single performance after emulsification and dispersion. The introduction of perfluoropolyether alcohol (PFPE-OH) and light curing technology can effectively improve the stability of aqueous polyurethane emulsions, and thus enhance the functionality of coating films. In this paper, a new UV-curable fluorinated polyurethane-based cathodic electrophoretic coating was prepared using cationic polyurethane as a precursor, introducing PFPE-OH capping, and grafting hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The results showed that the presence of perfluoropolyether alcohol in the structure affected the variation of the moisture content of the paint film after flash evaporation. Based on the emulsion particle size and morphology tests, it can be assumed that the fluorinated cationic polyurethane emulsion is a core-shell structure with hydrophobic ends encapsulated in the polymer and hydrophilic ends on the outer surface. After abrasion testing and baking, the fluorine atoms of the coating were found to increase from 8.89% to 27.34%. The static contact angle of the coating to water was 104.6 ± 3°, and the water droplets rolled off without traces, indicating that the coating is hydrophobic. The coating has excellent thermal stability and tensile properties. The coating also passed the tests of impact resistance, flexibility, adhesion, and resistance to chemical corrosion in extreme environments. This study provides a new idea for the construction of a new and efficient cathodic electrophoretic coating system, and also provides more areas for the promotion of cationic polyurethane to practical applications.

Remarkably enhanced catalytic performance in CoOx/Bi4Ti3O12 heterostructures for methyl orange degradation via piezocatalysis and piezo-photocatalysis.

A novel heterojunction composite of CoOx/Bi4Ti3O12 was synthesized through a combination of molten salt and photodeposition methods. The optimal sample exhibited superior performance in the piezocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye with a degradation rate of 1.09 h-1, which was 2.4 times higher than that of pristine Bi4Ti3O12. Various characterizations were conducted to reveal the fundamental nature accountable for the outstanding piezocatalytic performance of CoOx/Bi4Ti3O12. The investigation of the band structure indicated that the CoOx/Bi4Ti3O12 composite formed a type-I p-n heterojunction structure, with CoOx acting as a hole trapper to effectively separate and transfer piezogenerated carriers. Significantly, the MO degradation rate of the best CoOx/Bi4Ti3O12 sample further increased to 2.96 h-1 under combined ultrasonic vibration and simulated sunlight. The synergy between piezocatalysis and photocatalysis can be ascribed to the following factors. The photoexcitation process ensures the sufficient generation of charge carriers in the CoOx/Bi4Ti3O12, while the piezoelectric field within Bi4Ti3O12 promotes the separation of electron-hole pairs in the bulk phase. Furthermore, the heterojunction structure between Bi4Ti3O12 and CoOx significantly facilitates the surface separation of charge carriers. This increased involvement of free electrons and holes in the reaction leads to a remarkable enhancement in catalytic MO degradation. This work contributes to the understanding of the coupling mechanism between the piezoelectric effect and photocatalysis, and also provides a promising strategy for the development of efficient catalysts for wastewater treatment.

In Situ Fabrication of an S-Scheme NaNbO3/Bi2O2CO3 Heterojunction for Enhanced Performance in Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation.

In this study, NaNbO3 microcubes were introduced during the preparation of Bi2O2CO3 nanosheets to construct a series of NaNbO3/Bi2O2CO3 heterojunctions with varying NaNbO3 content. Their photoactivities for N2 fixation were examined and compared. Results demonstrated that 7.5% NaNbO3/Bi2O2CO3 had the highest photoactivity. The NH3 production rate under simulated solar light is 453.1 µmol L-1 g-1 h-1, representing 2.0 and 3.8-fold increases compared to those of Bi2O2CO3 and NaNbO3, respectively. A comprehensive investigation encompassing the physical and chemical properties of the NaNbO3/Bi2O2CO3 photocatalyst was conducted. Bi2O2CO3 nanosheets were discovered to be distributed on the NaNbO3 microcubes surface. The addition of NaNbO3 exhibited nearly no effect on the photoabsorption performance and specific surface area of the Bi2O2CO3. However, the tight contact between NaNbO3 and Bi2O2CO3 and their appropriate band positions led to the formation of a heterojunction structure between them. The electron drift occurring in the interface region induces the creation of an internal electric field and energy band bending. This facilitates the transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes through an S-scheme mechanism, achieving efficient separation without compromising the redox performance. As a result, the NaNbO3/Bi2O2CO3 composite exhibits exceptional performance in the photocatalytic nitrogen fixation reaction. This study expands the application of S-scheme photocatalysts in the field of N2 reduction and provides insights into the preparation of efficient S-scheme photocatalysts.

Effects of high- and low-yield moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests on bacterial community structure.

To study the characteristics of bacterial community structure in high-yield and low-yield moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests, we collected bamboo rhizome, rhizome root, stem, leaf, rhizosphere soil, and non-rhizosphere soil from high- and low-yield forests in Yong'an City and Jiangle County of Fujian Province, China. The genomic DNA of the samples was extracted, sequenced and analyzed. The results show that: the common differences between the high-yield and low-yield P. edulis forest samples in the two regions were mainly in bacterial community compositions in the bamboo rhizome, rhizome root, and soil samples. Differences in the bacterial community compositions in the stem and leaf samples were insignificant. The bacterial species and diversity in rhizome root and rhizosphere soil of high-yield P. edulis forests were less than those of low-yield forests. The relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria in rhizome root samples of high-yield forests was higher than that in low-yield forests. The relative abundance of Rhizobiales and Burkholderiales in bamboo rhizome samples in high-yield forests was higher than that in low-yield forests. The relative abundance of Bradyrhizobium in bamboo rhizome samples in high-yield forests was higher than that in low-yield forests in the two regions. The change of bacterial community composition in P. edulis stems and leaves showed little correlation with high- or low-yields of P. edulis forests. Notably, the bacterial community composition of the rhizome root system was correlated with the high yield of bamboo. This study provides a theoretical basis for using of microbes to enhance the yields of P. edulis forests.

Preparation of NaNbO3 microcube with abundant oxygen vacancies and its high photocatalytic N2 fixation activity in the help of Pt nanoparticles.

In this study, the photocatalytic N2 immobilization performance of NaNbO3 is enhanced via oxygen vacancy introduction and Pt loading. The designed Pt-loaded NaNbO3 with rich oxygen defects (Pt/O-NaNbO3) is synthesized by combining ion-exchange and photodeposition methods. Characterization result indicates that the O-NaNbO3 has hollow microcube morphology and higher surface area than NaNbO3. The introduced oxygen defects greatly affect the energy band structure. The band gap is slightly narrowed and the conduction band is raised, allowing O-NaNbO3 to generate electrons with strong reducibility. Moreover, the oxygen defects reduced the work function of NaNbO3, leading to increased charge separation in the bulk phase. The loaded Pt nanoparticles can further increase the surface charge separation via the formed Schottky barriers between Pt and O-NaNbO3, which was thought to be the primary cause of the increased photocatalytic activity. Additionally, the oxygen vacancies and metal Pt also contribute to the adsorption and activation of N2. Under the combined effect of the above changes, Pt/O-NaNbO3 presents much higher photoactivity than NaNbO3. The optimized NH3 production rate reaches 293.3 µmol/L g-1h-1 under simulated solar light, which is approximately 2.2 and 20.2 times higher than that of O-NaNbO3 and NaNbO3, respectively. This research offers a successful illustration of how to improve photocatalytic N2 fixation and may shed some light on how to design and construct efficient photocatalysts by combining several techniques.

Herbal formula Jiawei Xiaochengqi decoction prevents postoperative abdominal adhesion in a rat model through inhibition of CXCL2-CXCR2 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative abdominal adhesion (PAA) is the most common complication after abdominal surgeries, which can lead to intestinal obstruction, chronic abdominal pain or female infertility. Jiawei Xiaochengqi decoction (JWXCQ) is a hospital preparation widely used for PAA treatment in Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University for more than twenty years. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects and potential mechanism of JWXCQ against PAA and provide beneficial information for its clinical application. METHODS: The main active components of JWXCQ were identified using ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) combined with standard substance comparison. The efficacy and underlying mechanism of JWXCQ were evaluated through in vivo experiments with a postsurgical-induced peritoneal adhesion rat model, and in vitro studies with LPS-stimulated Raw 264.7 macrophages and primary fibroblasts. H&E and Masson staining were performed to assess histopathological changes. The levels of cytokines/proteins-associated with inflammation and degradation of extracellular matrix as well as CXCL2-CXCR2 pathway-related proteins were determined by ELISA, qRT-PCR, western blot assays or immunohistochemistry, respectively. Furthermore, siCXCR2 transfection was used to validate the mechanism of action of JWXCQ. RESULTS: JWXCQ treatment significantly reduced the formation of PAA, inhibited the inflammation and collagen deposition, and facilitated the secretion of MMP9, decreased the levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, TIMP1, COL-1, and suppressed the CXCL2-CXCR2 pathway in PAA rats. Furthermore, JWXCQ inhibited its downstream pathways, the JAK2-STAT3 and PI3K-AKT signaling, as indicated by the suppression of the phosphorylation levels of STAT3 and AKT. In vitro cell experiments revealed that JWXCQ reduced IL-1ß and IL-6 secretion in Raw 264.7 macrophages and COL-1 in primary fibroblasts. The CXCL2-CXCR2, JAK2-STAT3 and PI3K-AKT pathways were also inhibited after JWXCQ treatment, which were consistent with the in vivo results. More importantly, silence of CXCR2 eliminated the regulatory effects of JWXCQ. CONCLUSION: JWXCQ could effectively prevent the PAA formation by alleviating inflammation and collagen deposition, which was associated with the inhibition of CXCL2-CXCR2 pathway. This study investigated the relevant pharmacological mechanisms of JWXCQ, providing further evidence for the application of JWXCQ in clinical PAA treatment.

Community Structure and Diversity of Rhizosphere Soil and Endophytic Bacteria during the Period of Growth of Moso Bamboo Shoots.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the community structure of rhizosphere soil bacteria and endophytic bacteria during the growth of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) shoots. METHODS: This study collected the rhizospheric soil samples, tissue samples of rhizome roots, shoot buds, winter bamboo shoots, spring bamboo shoots, and samples of forest soil. Their metagenomic DNA was extracted, and the bacterial community structure and diversity characteristics were compared and analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technology. RESULTS: These samples enabled the identification of 32 phyla, 52 classes, 121 orders, 251 families, and 593 genera of bacteria. The phyla primarily included Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Cyanobacteria among others. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum in the samples of bamboo shoots and rhizome roots, whereas Acidobacteria was dominant in the rhizosphere and forest soil samples. The predominant genera of the rhizome root samples were Acidothermus, Bradyrhizobium and Acidobacterium, and the predominant genera of the soil samples were Acidothermus and Acidobacterium. CONCLUSIONS: This study preliminarily revealed the regularity between the growth and development of bamboo shoots and the changes in the community structure of rhizosphere soil and endophytic bacteria, which provides insights into the relationship between growth and the bacterial community structure in different stages of bamboo shoots.

Cluster-enabled patterning of copper nanostructures from aqueous solution using a femtosecond laser.

A one-step method for patterning low-resistivity nanoscale copper wire is proposed herein to solve the challenging issues of using common metals rather than noble metal nanostructures fabricated by direct laser writing in solution. A complexing and a reducing agent were introduced for the single-photon absorption of copper solution in the visible range and to enable two-photon absorption with a femtosecond laser. Copper clusters were generated prior to direct laser writing to decrease induced laser energy during two-photon absorption and accelerate copper nanowire patterning to avoid the boiling of copper solution. A surfactant was used to restrain the overgrowth of copper clusters to obtain written nanowires with high uniformity. By controlling the laser writing parameters, the obtained copper wire had a minimum width of 230 nm and a resistivity of 1.22 × 10-5Ω·m. Our method paves the way for the fabrication of common metal nanodevices by direct laser writing.

Simultaneously Enhancing Catalytic Performance and Increasing Density of Bifunctional CuN3 Active Sites in Dopant-Free 2D C3N3Cu for Oxygen Reduction/Evolution Reactions.

Atomically dispersed M-N-C has been considered an effective catalyst for various electrochemical reactions such as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which faces the challenge of increasing metal load while simultaneously maintaining catalytic performance. Herein, we put forward a strategy for boosting catalytic performances of a single Cu atom coordinated with three N atoms (CuN3) for both ORR and OER by increasing the density of connected CuN3 moieties. Our calculations first show that a single CuN3 moiety exhibiting no catalytic performance for ORR and OER can be activated by increasing the density of metal centers, which weakens the binding affinity to *OH due to the lowered d-band center of the metal atoms. These findings stimulate the further theoretical design of a two-dimensional compound of C3N3Cu with a high concentration of homogeneously distributed CuN3 moieties serving as bifunctional active sites, which demonstrates efficient catalytic performance for both ORR and OER as reflected by the overpotentials of 0.71 and 0.43 V, respectively. This work opens a new avenue for designing effective single-atom catalysts with potential applications as energy storage and conversion devices possessing high density of metal centers independent of the doping strategy and defect engineering, which deserves experimental investigation in the future.

Network pharmacology analysis and experimental validation to explore the mechanism of Bushao Tiaozhi capsule (BSTZC) on hyperlipidemia.

Bushao Tiaozhi Capsule (BSTZC) is a novel drug in China that is used in clinical practice and has significant therapeutic effects on hyperlipidemia (HLP). In our previous study, BSTZC has a good regulatory effect on lipid metabolism of HLP rats. However, its bioactive compounds, potential targets, and underlying mechanism remain largely unclear. We extracted the active ingredients and targets in BSTZC from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and literature mining. Subsequently, core ingredients, potential targets, and signaling pathways were determined through bioinformatics analysis, including constructed Drug-Ingredient-Gene symbols-Disease (D-I-G-D), protein-protein interaction (PPI), the Gene Ontology (GO), and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Finally, the reliability of the core targets was evaluated using in vivo studies. A total of 36 bioactive ingredients and 209 gene targets were identified in BSTZC. The network analysis revealed that quercetin, kaempferol, wogonin, isorhamnetin, baicalein and luteolin may be the core ingredients. The 26 core targets of BSTZC, including IL-6, TNF, VEGFA, and CASP3, were considered potential therapeutic targets. Furthermore, GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the treatment of HLP by BSTZC might be related to lipopolysaccharide, oxidative stress, inflammatory response and cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. The pathway analysis showed enrichment for different pathways like MAPK signaling pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic, IL-17 signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway. In this study, network pharmacology analysis, and experiment verification were combined, and revealed that BSTZC may regulate key inflammatory markers and apoptosis for ameliorating HLP.

Metallic C5N monolayer as an efficient catalyst for accelerating redox kinetics of sulfur in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Lithium-sulfur battery is one of the most promising applicants for the next generation of energy storage devices whose commercial applications are impeded by the key issue of the shuttle effect. To overcome this obstacle, various two-dimensional (2D) carbon-based metal-free compounds have been proposed to serve as anchoring materials for immobilizing soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPs), which however suffer from low electronic conductivity implying unsatisfactory performance for catalyzing sulfur redox. Therefore, we have predicted metallic C5N monolayers, possessing hexagonal (H) and orthorhombic (O) phases, exhibiting excellent performance for suppressing the shuttle effect. First-principles simulations demonstrate that O-C5N could serve as a bifunctional anchoring material due to its strong adsorption capability to LiPs and excellent catalytic performance for sulfur redox with active sites from both basal plane and zigzag edges. Furthermore, the rate of Li2S oxidation over O-C5N is fast due to the low energy barrier of 0.93 eV for Li2S decomposition. While for H-C5N, only N atoms located at the armchair edges can efficiently trap LiPs and boost the formation and dissociation of Li2S during discharge and charge processes, respectively. The current work opens an avenue of designing 2D metallic carbon-based anchoring materials for lithium-sulfur batteries, which deserves further experimental research efforts.

Universal-Descriptors-Guided Design of Single Atom Catalysts toward Oxidation of Li2 S in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The sulfur redox kinetics critically matters to superior lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, for which single atom catalysts (SACs) take effect on promoting Li2 S redox process and mitigating the shuttle behavior of lithium polysulfide (LiPs). However, conventional trial-and-error strategy significantly slows down the development of SACs in Li-S batteries. Here, the Li2 S oxidation processes over MN4 @G catalysts are fully explored and energy barrier of Li2 S decomposition (Eb ) is identified to correlate strongly with three parameters of energy difference between initial and final states of Li2 S decomposition, reaction energy of Li2 S oxidation and LiS bond strength. These three parameters can serve as efficient descriptors by which two excellent SACs of MoN4 @G and WN4 @G are screened which give rise to Eb values of 0.58 and 0.55 eV, respectively, outperforming other analogues in adsorbing LiPs and accelerating the redox kinetics of Li2 S. This method can be extended to a wider range of SACs by coupling MN4 moiety with heterostructures and heteroatoms beyond N where WN4 @G/TiS2 heterointerface is predicted to exhibit enhanced catalytic performance for Li2 S decomposition with Eb of 0.40 eV. This work will help accelerate the process of designing a wider range of efficient catalysts in Li-S batteries and even beyond, e.g. alkali-ion-Chalcogen batteries.