A lysosome-targetable fluorescent probe based on HClO-mediated cyclization reaction for imaging of hypochlorous acid.

Misplaced or excessive hypochlorous acid in lysosomes has a close association with lots of diseases, so monitoring hypochlorous acid in lysosomes is particularly necessary. In the present work, a novel lysosome-targetable fluorescent probe (Lyso-R-HClO) for hypochlorous acid based on a HClO-mediated cyclization reaction was developed. In the fluorescent probe, the morpholine unit and the site of a HClO-mediated cyclization reaction were, respectively, used as the lysosome-targetable group and the response group. The probe has high selectivity and high sensitivity to hypochlorous acid, with a linear range from 5.0 × 10-8 to 3.0 × 10-6 M and a detection limit of 15 nM; it was successfully used to image endogenous and exogenous lysosomal HClO. Finally, Lyso-R-HClO was further applied to image lysosomal HClO produced in bacteria-infected macrophage with satisfactory results, which indicate that it is an useful tool for studies of lysosomal HClO and the role of lysosome.

Compressive Behaviour of Aluminium Pyramidal Lattice Material-Filled Tubes.

This study focuses on the uniaxial compressive behaviour of thin-walled Al alloy tubes filled with pyramidal lattice material. The mechanical properties of an empty tube, Al pyramidal lattice material, and pyramidal lattice material-filled tube were investigated. The results show that the pyramidal lattice material-filled tubes are stronger and provide greater energy absorption on account of the interaction between the pyramidal lattice material and the surrounding tube.

Effects of Copper Dopants on the Magnetic Property of Lightly Cu-Doped ZnO Nanocrystals.

To explore the origin of magnetism, the effect of light Cu-doping on ferromagnetic and photoluminescence properties of ZnO nanocrystals was investigated. These Cu-doped ZnO nanocrystals were prepared using a facile solution method. The Cu2+ and Cu+ ions were incorporated into Zn sites, as revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). At the Cu concentration of 0.25 at.%, the saturated magnetization reached the maximum and then decreased with increasing Cu concentration. With increasing Cu concentration, the photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy indicated the distribution of VO+ and VO++ vacancies nearly unchanged. These results indicate that Cu ions can enhance the long-range ferromagnetic ordering at an ultralow concentration, but antiferromagnetic "Cu+-Vo-Cu2+" couples may also be generated, even at a very low Cu-doping concentration.

Crystal growth kinetics, microstructure and electrochemical properties of LiFePO4/carbon nanocomposites fabricated using a chelating structure phosphorus source.

LiFePO4/carbon (LFP/C) nanocomposites were fabricated using bis(hexamethylene triamine penta (methylene phosphonic acid)) (BHMTPMPA) as a new and environment-friendly phosphorus source. The activation energy of the fabricated LFP/C was first investigated in depth based on the theoretical Arrhenius equation and experimental results of the LFP/C composite particle size distribution to explore the grain growth dynamics of the LFP/C particles during the sintering process. The results indicate that the activation energy is lower than 3.82 kJ mol-1 when the sintering temperature is within the range of 600-800 °C, which suggests that the crystal growth kinetics of the LFP/C particles is diffusion-controlled. The diffusion-controlled mechanism results from the mutual effects of chelation with Fe2+ cations, in situ formation of carbon layers and high concentration of hard aggregates due to the use of an organic phosphorous source (BHMTPMPA). The diffusion-controlled mechanism of the LFP/C effectively reduces the LFP particle size and hinders the growth of anomalous crystals, which may further result in nanosized LFP particles and good electrochemical performances. SEM and TEM analyses show that the prepared LFP/C has a uniform particle size of about 300 nm, which further confirms the effects of the diffusion-controlled mechanism of the LFP/C particle crystal growth kinetics. Electrochemical tests also verify the significant influence of the diffusion-controlled mechanism. The electrical conductivity and Li-ion diffusion coefficient (D Li +) of the fabricated LFP/C nanocomposite are 1.56 × 10-1 S cm-1 and 6.24 × 10-11 cm2 s-1, respectively, due to the chelating structure of the phosphorus source. The fabricated LFP/C nanocomposite exhibits a high reversible capacity of 166.9 mA h g-1 at 0.2C rate, and presents an excellent rate capacity of 134.8 mA h g-1 at 10C.