Green Ether Electrolytes for Sustainable High-voltage Potassium Ion Batteries

Ether-based electrolytes are promising for secondary batteries due to their good compatibility with alkali metal anodes and high ionic conductivity. However, they suffer from poor oxidative stability and high toxicity, leading to severe electrolyte decomposition at high voltage and biosafety/environmental concerns when electrolyte leakage occurs. Here, we report a green ether solvent through a rational design of carbon-chain regulation to elicit steric hindrance, such a structure significantly reducing the solvent‘s biotoxicity and tuning the solvation structure of electrolytes. Notably, our solvent design is versatile, and an anion-dominated solvation structure is favored, facilitating a stable interphase formation on both the anode and cathode in potassium-ion batteries. Remarkably, the green ether-based electrolyte demonstrates excellent compatibility with K metal and graphite anode and a 4.2 V high-voltage cathode (200 cycles with average Coulombic efficiency of 99.64 %). This work points to a promising path toward the molecular design of green ether-based electrolytes for practical high-voltage potassium-ion batteries and other rechargeable batteries.     

Biosynthesis optimization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Trichoderma longibranchiatum and biosafety assessment with silkworm (Bombyx mori)

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have raised public concern due to their widespread application in the field of agriculture, medicine, and environment and their potential toxic effects on humans and the environments. In this study, biosynthesis of nanosilver particles mediated by Trichoderma longibranchiatum using orthogonal experimental design (OED) was optimized. Silkworm larvae were exposed via the mulberry leaves to AgNPs to evaluate their toxic effects. The results showed that 2 mmol/L silver nitrate and 55 °C of reaction temperature at pH 7.0 for 24 h were the optimum values for AgNPs biosynthesis with the synthesis amount and antifungal activity of AgNPs as the indices. The characterization of the biosynthesized AgNPs was conducted using electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS), UV/visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The crystalline structured nanoparticles were spherical or polyhedral with a mean size ranging about 5–50 nm. FTIR showed that many functional group moieties (–OH, –CH₃, –C–O, etc.) involved as a capping and reducing agent in AgNPs biosynthesis. After the larvae were fed with 50 mg/mL AgNPs, there were no obvious adverse effects on the growth of larvae and cocoon quality. Further supplement of AgNPs-B could promote the weight of larvae and the cocoon shell ratio. The data presented herein provided valuable information on a reliable eco-friendly, simple, low-cost biosynthesis of AgNPs and its biosafety evaluation which may contribute to its increased application in the future.     

Zirconium metal-organic framework nanocrystal as microwave sensitizer for enhancement of tumor therapy

A microwave thermal therapy was proposed based on the strategy of microwave sensitizers and the susceptibility of the tumor tissue for enhancing thermal antitumor therapy.     

Aptamer-based electrochemical biosensor for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Botulinum</Emphasis> neurotoxin

We have developed an aptamer-based electrochemical sensor for detection of Botulinum neurotoxin, where steric hindrance is applied to achieve specific signal amplification via conformational change of the aptamer. The incubation time and potassium concentration of the reaction buffer were found to be key parameters affecting the sensitivity of detection of the recognition of Botulinum neurotoxin by the aptamer. Under optimized experimental conditions, a high signal-to-noise ratio was obtained within 24 h with a limit of detection (LOD) of 40 pg/ml by two standard deviation cutoffs above the noise level.     

超连续光谱细胞无损伤非侵入式检测技术的研究

中国在庞大的人口基数下拥有丰富的遗传资源,这些资源可能被国外非法掠夺以获取利益,非法掠夺的过程揭示可能存在一些安全隐患,例如传染疾病的扩散等。如何加强对中国公民遗传资源的保护,促进国际间正常合法的信息共享和科研合作已成为生物安全的新问题。为加强人体细胞及其制品等特殊生物物品出入境管理,防止遗传资源流失和有害物品传入,促进各个国家间医学科学研究及国际交流与合作,提出一种非侵入、快速安全的细胞光谱鉴别技术。简述了细胞超连续光谱的物理化学机制,讨论了细胞浓度对超连续光谱的影响,实现了无损伤、非侵入式探测提取生物细胞超连续特征光谱。实验发现细胞超连续特征光谱主要集中在500~700 nm的可见区域。实验中的细胞样本均为单独培养,因此各个样本间互不影响,不存在平行样本的问题;实验对象为293T细胞、HCC827细胞以及HT29细胞,3类细胞的培养基均为PBS溶液,每类细胞拥有3种浓度（5×105,5×106和5×107 cells·mL-1）且每种浓度下独立培养3个样本,一共获取27个独立细胞样本。实验测试了24个细胞样本的超连续光谱并以此建立预测模型,另有3个样本作为未知样本进行模型预判。使用主成分分析法对测试样本的原始数据进行降维和聚类,并对降维后的数据通过支持向量机回归法进行分类;训练集的均方根误差RMSE=0.097 2,R2=0.995 1,验证集的均方根误差为RMSE=0.097 2,R2=0.931 4。研究发现细胞浓度影响超连续特征光谱的提取,在建立模型时,考虑到该技术应用的普适性以及实验样本浓度参数有限,未考虑细胞浓度对预判模型识别率的影响。后期若以某一浓度阈值作为细胞检测的浓度起点,该模型的识别率将会更准确、科学。在可控的实验条件下,超连续光谱可以应用于生物细胞无损伤、非侵入式的鉴别。