Vanadium-Substituted Dawson-Type Polyoxometalate–TiO2 Nanowire Composite Film as Advanced Cathode Material for Bifunctional Electrochromic Energy-Storage Devices

Polyoxometalates (POMs) demonstrate potential for application in the development of integrated smart energy devices based on bifunctional electrochromic (EC) optical modulation and electrochemical energy storage. Herein, a nanocomposite thin film composed of a vanadium-substituted Dawson-type POM, i.e., K₇[P₂W₁₇VO₆₂]·18H₂O, and TiO₂ nanowires were constructed via the combination of hydrothermal and layer-by-layer self-assembly methods. Through scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy characterisations, it was found that the TiO₂ nanowire substrate acts as a skeleton to adsorb POM nanoparticles, thereby avoiding the aggregation or stacking of POM particles. The unique three-dimensional core−shell structures of these nanocomposites with high specific surface areas increases the number of active sites during the reaction process and shortens the ion diffusion pathway, thereby improving the electrochemical activities and electrical conductivities. Compared with pure POM thin films, the composite films showed improved EC properties with a significant optical contrast (38.32% at 580 nm), a short response time (1.65 and 1.64 s for colouring and bleaching, respectively), an excellent colouration efficiency (116.5 cm² C⁻¹), and satisfactory energy-storage properties (volumetric capacitance = 297.1 F cm⁻³ at 0.2 mA cm⁻²). Finally, a solid-state electrochromic energy-storage (EES) device was fabricated using the composite film as the cathode. After charging, the constructed device was able to light up a single light-emitting diode for 20 s. These results highlight the promising features of POM-based EES devices and demonstrate their potential for use in a wide range of applications, such as smart windows, military camouflage, sensors, and intelligent systems.     

Interfacial Adhesion between Fatty Acid Collectors and Hydrophilic Surfaces: Implications for Low-Rank Coal Flotation

Fatty acids, which are enriched in vegetable oil, have attracted much attention in low-rank coal flotation because of their unique chemical structure. In this study, density functional theory calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, and atomic force microscopy were employed to investigate the adsorption structure and forces between collectors and hydrophilic surfaces. The results show that fatty acids can be easily adsorbed onto surfaces through hydrogen bonds, and can cover the oxygen sites. The existence of hydration film on hydrophilic surfaces prevented nonpolar molecules from being able to adsorb, while polar fatty acids could adsorb and expel water molecules. The adhesion force between the RCOOH-terminated probe and the surface appeared in the retraction process, which differed significantly from that of the RCH₃-terminated probe, indicating that polar fatty acids are more suitable as flotation collectors for low-rank coal than nonpolar hydrocarbon oil. The simulation and AFM test revealed the mechanisms of polar fatty acids, and can provide guidance for low-rank coal flotation applications.     

A MXene-derived redox homeostasis regulator perturbs the Nrf2 antioxidant program for reinforced sonodynamic therapy

Ultrasound (US)-mediated sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has emerged as a spatiotemporally controllable therapeutic modality in combating cancer because of its high tissue-penetration depth and minimal invasiveness. However, the elevated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) antioxidant program in cancer cells can serve as a chief reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification system to alleviate oxidative injury and promote tumorigenesis, and thus greatly antagonize the therapeutic efficacy of ROS-mediated anticancer therapies. Herein, we report that vanadium carbide MXene-derived carbon dots (PMQDs) can act as high-efficacy sonosensitizers to efficiently generate ROS upon US irradiation and simultaneously hinder the Nrf2 antioxidant program for enhanced sonodynamic therapy of cancer. These PMQDs show superior US-triggered ROS generating ability because of their efficient migration/separation of electron–hole pairs and narrow bandgap. Importantly, these PMQDs can serve as efficient redox homeostasis regulators to perturb the Nrf2 antioxidant mechanism and thus reduce its effects on ROS neutralization for enhanced SDT efficacy. Overall, the present study will not only provide a new paradigm to augment SDT by perturbing the Nrf2 antioxidant program, but also give valuable insights into developing high-efficacy MXene-derived nanoagents for cancer therapy.

A redox homeostasis regulator has been developed as a high-efficacy sonosensitizer to efficiently generate reactive oxygen species upon ultrasound irradiation and simultaneously hinder the Nrf2 antioxidant program for enhanced sonodynamic therapy.     

Mesoporous sodium four-coordinate aluminosilicate nanoparticles modulate dendritic cell pyroptosis and activate innate and adaptive immunity

Pyroptosis is a programmed cell death widely studied in cancer cells for tumour inhibition, but rarely in dendritic cell (DC) activation for vaccine development. Here, we report the synthesis of sodium stabilized mesoporous aluminosilicate nanoparticles as DC pyroptosis modulators and antigen carriers. By surface modification of sodium-stabilized four-coordinate aluminium species on dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles, the resultant Na-^IVAl-DMSN significantly activated DC through caspase-1 dependent pyroptosis via pH responsive intracellular ion exchange. The released proinflammatory cellular contents further mediated DC hyperactivation with prolonged cytokine release. In vivo studies showed that Na-^IVAl-DMSN induced enhanced cellular immunity mediated by natural killer (NK) cells, cytotoxic T cells, and memory T cells as well as humoral immune response. Our results provide a new principle for the design of next-generation nanoadjuvants for vaccine applications.

Na-^IVAl-DMSN acts as both antigen carriers and modulators to “hyperactivate” dendritic cells (DCs) via potassium (K⁺) efflux dependent pyroptosis, eventually leading to enhanced adaptive and innate immunity.     

微波硫灯发射光谱的理论模拟

通过实验观测了微波硫灯的发光光谱. 利用从头计算的多组态准简并微扰理论方法, 采用cc-pVQZ基组计算了S2分子B3Σu--X3Σg-态和B″3Πu-X3Σg-态的跃迁矩及其振动态之间跃迁的弗兰克-康登因子, 导出了S2分子振动分辨发射谱. 同时, 利用含时密度泛函方法计算了Sn(n=2~8)分子的吸收谱. 将计算得到的S2分子振动分辨发射谱与实验所测得的光谱分布进行了比较分析, 解释了微波硫灯的宽谱区发光光谱的特性.     

SiH3+O(3P)反应机理的理论研究

利用abinitio方法对SiH3+O(3P)反应进行了理论研究,在MP2/6-311+G(d,p)水平上优化得到了反应途径上的反应物、中间体、过渡态和产物的几何构型,并在QCISD(T)/6-311+G(d,p)水平上进行单点能计算.计算结果表明,SiH3+O(3P)→IM1→TS3→IM2→TS8→HOSi+H2为主反应通道,其他可能存在的次要产物有HSiOH+H、H2SiO+H和HSiO+H2.HOSi、HSiO和HSiOH(cis)还可能进一步解离生成SiO.另外,计算结果对SiH4+O(3P)反应机理中存在的争议给出了可能的解释,认为Withnall等人在实验中观察到的产物HSiOH、H2SiO和SiO并不是SiH4+O(3P)反应的直接产物,而是来自副反应SiH3+O(3P).     

不同类型细胞穿膜肽二级结构特征研究

细胞穿膜肽是一类能以受体依赖或非受体依赖方式介导胞吞作用的小分子短肽,能够携带不同分子穿过细胞膜,这一特性使细胞穿膜肽成为一种有效的运输载体,为药物靶向治疗提供了新希望.本文从生物信息角度针对不同长度区间、运输不同类型分子细胞穿膜肽之间的异同二级结构特征进行了系统研究,同时进一步对不同穿膜方式对应的细胞穿膜肽二级结构特征进行了对比研究,结果表明不同类型细胞穿膜肽之间在二级结构组成上具有不同程度差异特征,为今后揭示细胞穿膜肽相关分子结构机制奠定可靠的理论基础.     

Theoretical description of improving measurement accuracy for incoherence Mie Doppler wind lidar

For the nonlinearity of Fabry-Perot interferometer(FPI) transmission spectrum,the measurement uncertainty of incoherent Mie Doppler wind lidar based on it increases evidently with the increase of backscattering signal Doppler shift.A method of repeating the use of the approximate linear part of FPI transmission spectra for reducing the high uncertainty of a big Doppler shift is proposed.One of the ways of realizing this method is discussed in detail,in which the characteristics of FPI transmission spectrum changing with thickness and incident angle are utilized simultaneously.Under different atmosphere conditions,it has been proved theoretically that the range of measurement uncertainty drops to one-sixth while its minimum has no serious change.This method can be used not only to guide the new system design,but also as a new working way for the fabricated system.     

An efficient deterministic secure quantum communication scheme based on cluster states and identity authentication

A novel efficient deterministic secure quantum communication scheme based on four-qubit cluster states and single-photon identity authentication is proposed. In this scheme, the two authenticated users can transmit two bits of classical information per cluster state, and its efficiency of the quantum communication is 1/3, which is approximately 1.67 times that of the previous protocol presented by Wang et al [Chin. Phys. Lett. 23 (2006) 2658]. Security analysis shows the present scheme is secure against intercept-resend attack and the impersonator's attack. Furthermore, it is more economic with present-day techniques and easily processed by a one-way quantum computer.     

双轴应变条件下单层MoSe2电子结构和拉曼光谱的第一性原理计算

二硒化钼的层间相互作用强,单层结构具有更低的带隙和更好的稳定性.由于独特的光学性质和优异的电学性能受到研究人员的广泛关注.本文基于密度泛函理论的第一原理,计算和分析了在双轴拉伸压缩应变条件下单层MoSe₂能带结构,拉曼光谱和声子谱的变化规律以及性质产生的原因.在拉伸压缩应变作用下,直接带隙转变为间接带隙.当拉伸应变达到12%时,材料发生半导体-金属相变.当压缩应变达到6%时,声子谱中开始出现虚频率,表明结构开始变得不稳定.