Nitrided Rhodium Nanoclusters with Optimized Water Bonding and Splitting Effects for pH-Universal H2-Production.

The nitridation of noble metals-based catalysts to further enhance their hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics in neutral and alkaline conditions would be an effective strategy for developing high-performance wide pH HER catalysts. Herein, a facile molten urea method is employed to construct the nitrided Rh nanoclusters (RhxN) supported on N-doped carbon (RhxN-NC). The uniformly distributed RhxN clusters exhibited optimized water bonding and splitting effects, therefore resulting in excellent pH-universal HER performance. The optimized RhxN-NC catalyst only requires 8, 12, and 109 mV overpotentials to reach the current density of 10 mA cm-2 in 0.5 M H2SO4, 1.0 M KOH, and 1.0 M PBS electrolytes, respectively. The spectroscopic characterizations and theoretical calculation further confirm the vital role of Rh-N moieties in RhxN clusters in improving the transfer of electrons and facilitating the generation of H2. This work not only provides a suitable nitridation method for noble metal species in mild conditions but also makes a breakthrough in synthesizing noble metal nitrides-based electrocatalysts to achieve an exceptional wide-pH HER performance and other catalysis.

Customization of Manganese Oxide Cathodes via Precise Electrochemical Lithium-Ion Intercalation for Diverse Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Manganese oxide-based aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are attractive energy storage devices, owing to their good safety, low cost, and ecofriendly features. However, various critical issues, including poor conductivity, sluggish reaction kinetics, and unstable structure still restrict their further development. Oxygen defect engineering is an effective strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of manganese oxides, but challenging in the accurate regulation of oxygen defects. In this work, an effective and controllable defect engineering strategy-controllable electrochemical lithium-ion intercalation - is proposed to tackle this issue. The incorporation of lithium ions and oxygen defects can promote the conductivity, lattice spacing, and structural stability of Mn2O3 (MO), thus improving its capacity (232.7 mAh g-1), rate performance, and long-term cycling stability (99.0% capacity retention after 3000 cycles). Interestingly, the optimal ratio of intercalated lithium-ion varies at different temperature or mass-loading of MO, which provides the possibility to customize diverse ZIBs to meet different application conditions. In addition, the fabricated ZIBs present good flexibility, superior safety, and admirable adaptability under extreme temperatures (-20-100 °C). This work provides an inspiration on the structural customization of metal oxide nanomaterials for diverse ZIBs, and sheds light on the construction of future portable electronics.

Ampere-Level Current Density CO2 Reduction with High C2+ Selectivity on La(OH)3-Modified Cu Catalysts.

The carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) driven by electricity can transform CO2 into high-value multi-carbon (C2+) products. Copper (Cu)-based catalysts are efficient but suffer from low C2+ selectivity at high current densities. Here La(OH)3 in Cu catalyst is introduced to modify its electronic structure towards efficient CO2RR to C2+ products at ampere-level current densities. The La(OH)3/Cu catalyst has a remarkable C2+ Faradaic efficiency (FEC2+) of 71.2% which is 2.2 times that of the pure Cu catalyst at a current density of 1,000 mA cm-2 and keeps stable for 8 h. In situ spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations both show that La(OH)3 modifies the electronic structure of Cu. This modification favors *CO adsorption, subsequent hydrogenation, *CO─*COH coupling, and consequently increases C2+ selectivity. This work provides a guidance on facilitating C2+ product formation, and suppressing hydrogen evolution by La(OH)3 modification, enabling efficient CO2RR at ampere-level current densities.

Photocatalysis with atomically thin sheets.

Atomically thin sheets (e.g., graphene and monolayer molybdenum disulfide) are ideal optical and reaction platforms. They provide opportunities for deciphering some important and often elusive photocatalytic phenomena related to electronic band structures and photo-charges. In parallel, in such thin sheets, fine tuning of photocatalytic properties can be achieved. These include atomic-level regulation of electronic band structures and atomic-level steering of charge separation and transfer. Herein, we review the physics and chemistry of electronic band structures and photo-charges, as well as their state-of-the-art characterization techniques, before delving into their atomic-level deciphering and mastery on the platform of atomically thin sheets.

A clean process for the recovery of rare earth and transition metals from NiMH battery based on primary amine and lauric acid.

A novel rare earth separation system composed of lauric acid (LA) and primary ammonium (RNH2) was studied. Compared with individual LA and RNH2, the mixed extraction system can significantly improve the extraction and separation ability of rare earth (RE). When LA and RNH2 are mixed in an equal molar ratio, the synergistic coefficient for extracting Nd(III) in the system reaches 136.85. Effective separation of Nd from Co and Ni can be achieved, with the separation coefficients of 1503 and 2762 for Nd/Co and Nd/Ni, respectively. The ion association mechanism of developed extraction system can avoid the generation of saponification wastewater. Thus, the negative impact of saponification wastewater on the economy and environment can be reduced. The extraction system is simple to be prepared and easy to be stripped, which helps to reduce acid and alkali consumption. Application of this extraction system can effectively realize the separation of RE elements La, Ce, Pr, Nd and transition metals Co, Ni, Mn in nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery. This paper provides a new strategy for the development of ionic liquid saponification technology without saponified wastewater.

Interfacial Ir-V Direct Metal Bonding Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Activity in Vanadium Oxides Supported Catalysts.

Tuning the interfacial structure of metal oxide substrates is an essential strategy to induce electronic structure reconstruction of supported catalysts, which is of great importance in optimizing their catalytic activities. Herein, vanadium oxides-supported Ir catalysts (Ir-V2O3, Ir-VO2, and Ir-V2O5) with different interfacial bonding environments (Ir-V, Ir-Obri, and Ir-O, respectively) were investigated for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The regulating mechanism of the influence of different interfacial bonding environments on HER activity was investigated by both experimental results and computational evidence. Benefiting from the unique advantages of interfacial Ir-V direct metal bonds in Ir-V2O3, including enhanced electron transfer and electron donation ability, an optimized HER performance can be obtained with lowest overpotentials of 16 and 26 mV at 10 mA cm-2, high mass activities of 11.24 and 6.66 A mg-1, and turnover frequency values of 11.20 and 6.63 s-1, in acidic and alkaline conditions respectively. Furthermore, the assembled Ir-V2O3||RuO2 anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer requires only 1.92 V to achieve a high current density of 500 mA cm-2 and realizes long-term stability. This study provides essential insights into the regulating mechanism of interfacial chemical bonding in electrocatalysts and offers a new pathway to design noble metal catalysts for different applications.

IrPd Nanoalloy-Structured Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Efficient and pH-Universal Water Splitting.

The lack of high efficiency and pH-universal bifunctional electrocatalysts for water splitting to hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) hinders the large-scale production of green hydrogen. Here, an IrPd electrocatalyst supported on ketjenblack that exhibits outstanding bifunctional performance for both HER and OER at wide pH conditions is presented. The optimized IrPd catalyst exhibits a specific activity of 4.46 and 3.98 A mgIr -1 in the overpotential of 100 and 370 mV for HER and OER, respectively, in alkaline conditions. When applied to the anion exchange membrane electrolyzer, the Ir44 Pd56 /KB catalyst shows a stability of >20 h at a current of 250 mA cm-2 for water decomposition, indicating promising prospects for practical applications. Beyond offering an advanced electrocatalyst, this work also guides the rational design of desirable bifunctional electrocatalysts for HER and OER by regulating the microenvironments and electronic structures of metal catalytic sites for diverse catalysis.

Triple-function Hydrated Eutectic Electrolyte for Enhanced Aqueous Zinc Batteries.

Aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ARZBs) are impeded by the mutual problems of unstable cathode, electrolyte parasitic reactions, and dendritic growth of zinc (Zn) anode. Herein, a triple-functional strategy by introducing the tetramethylene sulfone (TMS) to form a hydrated eutectic electrolyte is reported to ameliorate these issues. The activity of H2 O is inhibited by reconstructing hydrogen bonds due to the strong interaction between TMS and H2 O. Meanwhile, the preferentially adsorbed TMS on the Zn surface increases the thickness of double electric layer (EDL) structure, which provides a shielding buffer layer to suppress dendrite growth. Interestingly, TMS modulates the primary solvation shell of Zn2+ ultimately to achieve a novel solvent co-intercalation ((Zn-TMS)2+ ) mechanism, and the intercalated TMS works as a "pillar" that provides more zincophilic sites and stabilizes the structure of cathode (NH4 V4 O10 , (NVO)). Consequently, the Zn||NVO battery exhibits a remarkably high specific capacity of 515.6 mAh g-1 at a low current density of 0.2 A g-1 for over 40 days. This multi-functional electrolytes and solvent co-intercalation mechanism will significantly propel the practical development of aqueous batteries.

2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for Photocatalysis.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), a rising star in the post-graphene era, are fundamentally and technologically intriguing for photocatalysis. Their extraordinary electronic, optical, and chemical properties endow them as promising materials for effectively harvesting light and catalyzing the redox reaction in photocatalysis. Here, we present a tutorial-style review of the field of 2D TMDs for photocatalysis to educate researchers (especially the new-comers), which begins with a brief introduction of the fundamentals of 2D TMDs and photocatalysis along with the synthesis of this type of material, then look deeply into the merits of 2D TMDs as co-catalysts and active photocatalysts, followed by an overview of the challenges and corresponding strategies of 2D TMDs for photocatalysis, and finally look ahead this topic.

Boosting Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to HCOOH on Ni Single Atom Anchored WTe2 Monolayer.

Achieving efficient conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) to formic acid (HCOOH) at mild conditions is a promising means to reduce greenhouse gas emission and mitigate the energy crisis. Herein, spin-polarized density functional theory calculations with van der Waals corrections (DFT+D3) are performed to analyze the catalytic activity of seven metals (Ti, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, In, and Sn) anchored on a tungsten ditelluride monolayer (M@WTe2 ) and screen favorable CO2 reduction pathways. These results demonstrate that Ni single atoms strongly bind to the WTe2 monolayer and exist in isolated form due to the high diffusion barriers. Also, Ni-anchored WTe2 monolayer (Ni@WTe2 ) possesses a considerably low limiting-potential (-0.11 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode) to convert CO2 to HCOOH due to moderate OCHO adsorption energy and a suppressed competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Therefore, Ni@WTe2 monolayer is a promising electrocatalytic material for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR). This study sheds light on strategies of designing single metal atom anchored WTe2 catalysts for improved CO2 RR performances.

Transient Solid-State Laser Activation of Indium for High-Performance Reduction of CO2 to Formate.

Deficiencies in understanding the local environment of active sites and limited synthetic skills challenge the delivery of industrially-relevant current densities with low overpotentials and high selectivity for CO2 reduction. Here, a transient laser induction of metal salts can stimulate extreme conditions and rapid kinetics to produce defect-rich indium nanoparticles (L-In) is reported. Atomic-resolution microscopy and X-ray absorption disclose the highly defective and undercoordinated local environment in L-In. In a flow cell, L-In shows a very small onset overpotential of ≈92 mV and delivers a current density of ≈360 mA cm-2 with a formate Faradaic efficiency of 98% at a low potential of -0.62 V versus RHE. The formation rate of formate reaches up to 6364.4 µmol h-1mgIn-1$mg_{{\rm{In}}}^{--1}$ , which is nearly 39 folds higher than that of commercial In (160.7 µmol h-1mgIn-1$mg_{{\rm{In}}}^{--1}$ ), outperforming most of the previous results that have been reported under KHCO3 environments. Density function theory calculations suggest that the defects facilitate the formation of *OCHO intermediate and stabilize the *HCOOH while inhibiting hydrogen adsorption. This study suggests that transient solid-state laser induction provides a facile and cost-effective approach to form ligand-free and defect-rich materials with tailored activities.

Periodic nanostructures: preparation, properties and applications.

Periodic nanostructures, a group of nanomaterials consisting of single or multiple nano units/components periodically arranged into ordered patterns (e.g., vertical and lateral superlattices), have attracted tremendous attention in recent years due to their extraordinary physical and chemical properties that offer a huge potential for a multitude of applications in energy conversion, electronic and optoelectronic applications. Recent advances in the preparation strategies of periodic nanostructures, including self-assembly, epitaxy, and exfoliation, have paved the way to rationally modulate their ferroelectricity, superconductivity, band gap and many other physical and chemical properties. For example, the recent discovery of superconductivity observed in "magic-angle" graphene superlattices has sparked intensive studies in new ways, creating superlattices in twisted 2D materials. Recent development in the various state-of-the-art preparations of periodic nanostructures has created many new ideas and findings, warranting a timely review. In this review, we discuss the current advances of periodic nanostructures, including their preparation strategies, property modulations and various applications.

Investigation into the Phase-Activity Relationship of MnO2 Nanomaterials toward Ozone-Assisted Catalytic Oxidation of Toluene.

Manganese dioxide (MnO2 ), with naturally abundant crystal phases, is one of the most active candidates for toluene degradation. However, it remains ambiguous and controversial of the phase-activity relationship and the origin of the catalytic activity of these multiphase MnO2 . In this study, six types of MnO2 with crystal phases corresponding to α-, ß-, γ-, ε-, λ-, and δ-MnO2 are prepared, and their catalytic activity toward ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation of toluene at room temperature are studied, which follow the order of δ-MnO2  > α-MnO2  > ε-MnO2  > γ-MnO2  > λ-MnO2  > ß-MnO2 . Further investigation of the specific oxygen species with the toluene oxidation activity indicates that high catalytic activity of MnO2 is originated from the rich oxygen vacancy and the strong mobility of oxygen species. This work illustrates the important role of crystal phase in determining the oxygen vacancies' density and the mobility of oxygen species, thus influencing the catalytic activity of MnO2 catalysts, which sheds light on strategies of rational design and synthesis of multiphase MnO2 catalysts for volatile organic pollutants' (VOCs) degradation.

High-Yield Exfoliation of Ultrathin 2D Ni3 Cr2 P2 S9 and Ni3 Cr2 P2 Se9 Nanosheets.

Multinary layered 2D nanomaterials can exhibit distinct physicochemical properties and innovative applications as compared to binary 2D nanomaterials due to their unique crystal structures. However, it still remains a challenge for the high-yield preparation of high-quality multinary 2D nanosheets. Here, the high-yield and large-scale production of two quaternary metal thiophosphate nanosheets are reported, i.e., Ni3 Cr2 P2 S9 and Ni3 Cr2 P2 Se9 , via the liquid exfoliation of their layered bulk crystals. The exfoliated single-crystalline Ni3 Cr2 P2 S9 nanosheets, with a lateral size ranging from a few hundred nanometers to a few micrometers and thickness of 1.4 ± 0.2 nm, can be easily used to prepare flexible thin films via a simple vacuum filtration process. As a proof-of-concept application, the fabricated thin film is used as a supercapacitor electrode with good specific capacitance. These high-yield, large-scale, solution-processable quaternary metal thiophosphate nanosheets could also be promising in other applications like biosensors, cancer therapies, and flexible electronics.

Metallic 1T Phase Enabling MoS2 Nanodots as an Efficient Agent for Photoacoustic Imaging Guided Photothermal Therapy in the Near-Infrared-II Window.

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanomaterials, specially MoS2 , are proven to be appealing nanoagents for photothermal cancer therapies. However, the impact of the crystal phase of TMDs on their performance in photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and photothermal therapy (PTT) remains unclear. Herein, the preparation of ultrasmall single-layer MoS2 nanodots with different phases (1T and 2H phase) is reported to explore their phase-dependent performances as nanoagents for PAI guided PTT in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window. Significantly, the 1T-MoS2 nanodots give a much higher extinction coefficient (25.6 L g-1  cm-1 ) at 1064 nm and subsequent photothermal power conversion efficiency (PCE: 43.3%) than that of the 2H-MoS2 nanodots (extinction coefficient: 5.3 L g-1  cm-1 , PCE: 21.3%). Moreover, the 1T-MoS2 nanodots also give strong PAI signals as compared to negligible signals of 2H-MoS2 nanodots in the NIR-II window. After modification with polyvinylpyrrolidone, the 1T-MoS2 nanodots can be used as a highly efficient agent for PAI guided PTT to effectively ablate cancer cells in vitro and tumors in vivo under 1064 nm laser irradiation. This work proves that the crystal phase plays a key role in determining the performance of nanoagents based on TMD nanomaterials for PAI guided PTT.

Formation of two-dimensional transition metal oxide nanosheets with nanoparticles as intermediates.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted significant interest because of their large surface-to-volume ratios and electron confinement. Compared to common 2D materials such as graphene or metal hydroxides, with their intrinsic layered atomic structures, the formation mechanisms of 2D metal oxides with a rocksalt structure are not well understood. Here, we report the formation process for 2D cobalt oxide and cobalt nickel oxide nanosheets, after analysis by in situ liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy. Our observations reveal that three-dimensional (3D) nanoparticles are initially formed from the molecular precursor solution and then transform into 2D nanosheets. Ab initio calculations show that a small nanocrystal is dominated by positive edge energy, but when it grows to a certain size, the negative surface energy becomes dominant, driving the transformation of the 3D nanocrystal into a 2D structure. Uncovering these growth pathways, including the 3D-to-2D transition, provides opportunities for future material design and synthesis in solution.

Electrochemical biosensing platforms on the basis of reduced graphene oxide and its composites with Au nanodots.

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and Au nanodot (AuND, ∼1.5 nm) modified rGO, referred to as AuNDs-rGO, synthesized by a simple photochemical reduction method, are used for electrochemical biosensors. Our experimental results showed that the glucose oxidase (GOX)/rGO/Nafion/glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibits a linear range from 0.03 to 6.28 mM and a detection limit of 0.03 mM at a signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of 3 for the amperometric sensing of glucose, while the GOX/AuNDs-rGO/Nafion/GCE shows a wider linear range from 0.02 to 8.82 mM and a lower detection limit of 0.02 mM. This difference may arise from the high catalytic activity of the AuNDs. Our studies demonstrate that the composites of rGO/Nafion and AuNDs-rGO/Nafion might offer a new class of electrode materials, and provide a promising platform for biosensing applications.

Crystallization of Mordenite Platelets using Cooperative Organic Structure-Directing Agents.

Organic structure-directing agents (OSDAs) are exploited in the crystallization of microporous materials to tailor the physicochemical properties of the resulting zeolite for applications ranging from separations to catalysis. The rational design of these OSDAs often entails the identification of molecules with a geometry that is commensurate with the channels and cages of the target zeolite structure. Syntheses tend to employ only a single OSDA, but there are a few examples where two or more organics operate synergistically to yield a desired product. Using a combination of state-of-the-art characterization techniques and molecular modeling, we show that the coupling of N,N,N-trimethyl-1,1-adamantammonium and 1,2-hexanediol, each yielding distinct zeolites when used alone, results in the cooperative direction of a third structure, HOU-4, with the mordenite framework type (MOR). Rietveld refinement using synchrotron X-ray diffraction data reveals the spatial arrangement of the organics in the HOU-4 crystals, with amines located in the large channels and alcohols oriented in the side pockets lining the one-dimensional pores. These results are in excellent agreement with molecular dynamics calculations, which predict similar spatial distributions of organics with an energetically favorable packing density that agrees with experimental measurements of OSDA loading, as well as with solid-state two-dimensional 27Al{29Si}, 27Al{1H}, and 13C{1H} NMR correlation spectra, which establish the proximities and interactions of occluded OSDAs. A combination of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy is used to quantify the size of the HOU-4 crystals, which exhibit a platelike morphology, and to index the crystal facets. Our findings reveal that the combined OSDAs work in tandem to produce ultrathin, nonfaulted HOU-4 crystals that exhibit improved catalytic activity for cumene cracking in comparison to mordenite crystals prepared via conventional syntheses. This novel demonstration of cooperativity highlights the potential possibilities for expanding the use of dual structure-directing agents in zeolite synthesis.

Visualization of Colloidal Nanocrystal Formation and Electrode-Electrolyte Interfaces in Liquids Using TEM.

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has become a powerful analytical tool for addressing unique scientific problems in chemical sciences as well as in materials sciences and other disciplines. There has been a lot of recent interest in the development and applications of liquid phase environmental TEM. In this Account, we review the development and applications of liquid cell TEM for the study of dynamic phenomena at liquid-solid interfaces, focusing on two areas: (1) nucleation, growth, and self-assembly of colloidal nanocrystals and (2) electrode-electrolyte interfaces during charge and discharge processes. We highlight the achievements and progress that have been made in these two topical areas of our studies. For example, tracking single platinum particle growth trajectories revealed that two different pathways of growth, either by monomer attachment or coalescence between nanoparticles, led to the same particle size. With the improved spatial resolution and fast electron detection, we were able to trace individual facet development during platinum nanocube platinum nanocube growth. The results showed that different from the surface energy minimization rule prediction, the growth rates of all low-energy facets, such as {100}, {110}, and {111}, were similar. The {100} facets stopped growth early, and the continuous growth of the rest facets resulted in a nanocube. Density functional theory calculations showed that the amine ligands with low mobility on the {100} facets blocked the further growth of the facets. The effect of the ligand on nanoparticle shape evolution were further studied systematically using a Pt-Fe nanoparticle system by changing the oleylamine concentration. With 20%, 30%, or 50% oleylamine, Pt-Fe nanowires or nanoparticles with different morphologies and stabilities were achieved. Real-time imaging of nanoparticles in solution also enabled the study of interactions between nanoparticles during self-assembly. We further compared the study of noble-metal nanoparticles and transition-metal oxides in a liquid cell to elucidate the nanoparticle formation mechanisms. In the second part of this Account, we review the study of electrolyte-electrode interfaces by the development of electrochemical liquid cell TEM. The formation of single-crystalline Pb dendrites from polycrystalline branches and Li dendrite growth in a commercial electrolyte for Li ion batteries were observed. We also studied lithiation reactions of MoS2 and Au electrodes. MoS2 nanoflakes on the Ti electrode underwent irreversible decomposition, resulting in the vanishing of the MoS2 active nanoflakes. More detailed study using nanobeam diffraction indicated that the MoS2 nanoflakes were broken down into small nanoparticles as a result of the fast discharge. For the lithiation of Au electrodes, three distinct types of morphology changes during reactions were revealed, including gradual dissolution, explosive reaction, and local expansion/shrinkage. Additionally, we studied electrolyte decomposition reactions such as bubble formation and solid electrolyte interphase formation. At the end, our perspective on the challenges and opportunities in the applications of liquid phase environmental TEM for the study of liquid chemical reactions is provided.

Comparison of the use of rhBMP-7 versus iliac crest autograft in single-level lumbar fusion: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and clinical effectiveness of rhBMP-7 (or osteogenic protein-1) versus that of autogenous iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) in single-level posterolateral fusion (PLF) of the lumbar spine. A systematic search of all articles published through July 1, 2016 was conducted in databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Collaboration Library. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared rhBMP-7 with ICBG for the treatment of single-level degenerative spondylolisthesis, provided the fusion rate, clinical success rate, safety and adverse events report, operation time, and hospital stay durations as the outcome were assessed. As a result, a total of five RCTs involving 539 patients met the inclusion criteria. The outcomes of subgroup analysis demonstrated that when compared with autogenous ICBG, rhBMP-7 appear to yield lower fusion rates in instrumented posterolateral fusion patients (RR = 0.76, 95% CI [0.60, 0.98], P = 0.03), despite the test for overall fusion rates suggested that there was no significant difference between the two groups (RR = 0.89, 95% CI [0.78, 1.02], P = 0.09). Patients treated with OP-1 had shorter operation times versus those treated with ICBG (WMD = -16.70,95% CI [-25.83, -7.57], P = 0.0003). Additionally, the outcomes demonstrated a lack of significant differences between rhBMP-7 and ICBG in terms of clinical success of ODI, overall adverse events, revision rates and duration of hospitalization. In conclusion, with the exception of reducing the operation time, our review suggests that the use of the rhBMP-7 instead of ICBG produce no any additional beneficial effect on the fusion rates, clinical success of ODI, overall adverse events, revision rates and duration of hospitalization in single level PLF. On the contrary, it appeared to yield lower fusion rate in the instrumented posterolateral fusion patients and cannot be recommended as an effective tool for this set of patients.