Utilizing a Photocatalysis Process to Achieve a Cathode with Low Charging Overpotential and High Cycling Durability for a Li-O2 Battery

The practical applications of non-aqueous lithium-oxygen batteries are impeded by large overpotentials and unsatisfactory cycling durability. Reported here is that commonly encountered fatal problems can be efficiently solved by using a carbon- and binder-free electrode of titanium coated with TiO₂ nanotube arrays (TNAs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Ultraviolet irradiation of the TNAs generates positively charged holes, which efficiently decompose Li₂O₂ and Li₂CO₃ during recharging, thereby reducing the overpotential to one that is near the equilibrium potential for Li₂O₂ formation. The AuNPs promote Li₂O₂ formation, resulting in a large discharge capacity. The electrode exhibits excellent stability with about 100 % coulombic efficiency during continuous cycling of up to 200 cycles, which is due to the carbon- and binder-free composition. This work reveals a new strategy towards the development of highly efficient oxygen electrode materials for lithium-oxygen batteries.     

CdS纳米晶@碳点复合物膜的电致化学发光

采用热解柠檬酸法制备碳点(CDs),并将之与表面无包裹剂的CdS纳米晶(CdS NCs)超声复合制备CdS纳米晶@碳点(CdS NCs@CDs)复合物。研究了复合物膜阴极电致化学发光(ECL),探讨了CDs对CdS纳米晶膜ECL增强的机理。CDs分散性良好、尺寸在1.5~4 nm之间;与粒径约为4 nm的CdS纳米晶按体积比2∶3复合后,在360 nm光激发下复合物具有最强的荧光发射且表现为CDs的荧光。同时,复合物膜产生归属于激发态CdS纳米晶的最强的ECL发射,且ECL发光峰起置电势正移至-1.05 V。复合物膜的ECL发射是pH依赖的,在pH值为6时,复合物膜具有最大的ECL强度,为CdS纳米晶膜ECL强度的19倍。这种ECL增强源于CDs能束缚大量电子产生局域电场从而促进近邻CdS纳米晶激发态的形成与弛豫。     

CeO2-MnOx催化剂形貌对低浓度甲烷催化燃烧反应性能的影响

采用水热合成法制备了船形、扁球形及纳米片CeO₂-MnO_x复合氧化物。并运用低温N₂吸脱附、XRD、SEM、TEM、H₂-TPR、拉曼光谱、XPS等表征技术对不同形貌CeO₂-MnO_x复合氧化物的结构与其低浓度CH₄催化燃烧反应性能之间的关系进行了关联。结果表明,CeO₂-MnO_x复合氧化物的形貌与其催化性能密切相关。其中,扁球形CeO₂-MnO_x复合氧化物的氧空位、Ce³⁺含量及表面吸附活性氧物种最多,其CH₄催化燃烧反应活性最高,540℃时,可将CH₄完全转化;其次是船形CeO₂-MnO_x复合氧化物催化剂,540℃时其CH₄转化率为94.05%;与前两者相比,纳米片CeO₂-MnO_x复合氧化物催化剂的氧空位及表面吸附活性氧物种较少,活性较差,相同反应温度下,其CH₄转化率仅为89.68%。     

Pt-FeOx催化剂微结构对催化CO氧化性能的影响

借助较为成熟的纳米技术手段,采用PVP为保护剂、乙二醇为还原剂制备具有不同Pt/Fe比例的双金属纳米粒子,最终通过氧化处理获得具有不同微结构环境的纳米Pt-FeO_x催化剂,并以此为模型考察它们对CO氧化性能的影响。结果表明FeO_x物种的数量一方面影响Pt物种的价态,同时也影响Fe物种自身的氧化还原性质,这些性质直接和间接地影响着CO和氧分子的活化,Pt周围适量FeO_x物种的存在对构建高活性CO氧化催化剂有利。     

纳米多孔双金属氧化物NiCo2O4的制备及其电化学性能

采用快速凝固与脱合金化相结合的方法制备纳米多孔Ni、Ni-Co合金,分别经腐蚀与退火获得纳米多孔NiO、NiCo_2O_4,采用XRD、SEM、TEM、N_2吸附-脱附等对多孔NiO、NiCo_2O_4电极的物相、形貌结构、孔径分布进行表征,并通过循环伏安、恒电流充放电等方法测试多孔电极的电化学性能。结果表明,得到的纳米多孔NiO具有均匀的"泥裂"式结构,在1A·g~(-1)电流密度下比电容为375 F·g~(-1),当电流密度增加至20 A·g~(-1)时的比容保持率为67.5%,在4 A·g~(-1)电流密度下循环充放电1 000次,比容保持率为81.7%;NiCo_2O_4形成典型的开放式纳米多孔双连续结构,其在1A·g~(-1)电流密度下比电容为674 F·g~(-1),当电流密度增加至20 A·g~(-1),比容保持率达72.0%;在4 A·g~(-1)电流密度下循环充放电1 000次,比容保持率达92.9%,双连续纳米多孔结构及其提供的机械稳定性,使得NiCo_2O_4表现出更为优异的超电容性能。     

Biodegradable polymers in gene‐silencing technology

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) technology has shown great promise as a new class of therapeutics invention for treatment of cancer and other diseases. siRNA has been used extensively in blocking various genes and is presently being evaluated as a therapeutic for cancer and viral disease. Despite the excitement about this remarkable biological process for sequence specific gene regulation, the major limitations against the use of siRNAs‐based therapeutics are their rapid degradation by serum nuclease, poor cellular uptake, and rapid renal clearance following systemic delivery, off‐target effects, and induction of immune responses. Many researchers have tried to overcome these limitations with developing nuclease‐resistant chemically modified siRNAs and variety of synthetic and natural biodegradable lipids and polymers for siRNA delivery to enhance efficacy and safety profiles. An ideal siRNAs‐based delivery system must be clinically suitable, safe, and effective. This review discuss the recent progress of biodegradable polymers in siRNA delivery technology.     

Cu‐Based Nanoparticles as Emerging Environmental Catalysts

This account provides an overview of current research activities on nanoparticles containing the earth‐abundant and inexpensive element copper (Cu) and Cu‐based nanoparticles, especially in the field of environmental catalysis. The different synthetic strategies with possible modification of the chemical/ physical properties of these nanoparticles using such strategies and/or conditions to improve catalytic activity are presented. The design and development of support and/or bimetallic systems (e. g., alloys, intermetallic, etc.) are also included. Herein, we report synthetic approaches of Cu and Cu‐based nanoparticles (monometallic copper, bimetallic copper and copper (II) oxide nanoparticles/nanostructures) and impregnation of such nanoparticles onto support material (e. g., Co₃O₄ nanostructure), along with their applications as environmental catalyst for various oxidation and reduction reactions. Finally, this account provides necessary advances and perspectives of Cu‐based nanoparticles in the environmental catalysis.     

SiO2负载Au-Pd双金属纳米颗粒催化甲醇选择性氧化合成甲酸甲酯

甲醇选择氧化制备甲酸甲酯（MF）是延伸甲醇产业链、开发高附加值下游产品的有效途径之一,负载型Au及Pd催化剂在这一反应中表现出优异的低温催化性能。为探索实用、高效和易再生的甲醇选择氧化催化剂,同时揭示双金属颗粒中Au和Pd的协同效应及甲醇氧化反应机理,本研究制备了一系列二氧化硅负载的Au-Pd催化剂（Au-Pd/SiO₂）,详细研究了其对甲醇选择氧化制甲酸甲酯的催化性能。结果表明,Au和Pd总负载量为0.6%、且Au/Pd质量比为2时,所制备的Au₂-Pd₁/SiO₂催化剂表现出优异的甲醇氧化催化性能;在130℃下,甲醇转化率达到57.0%,MF选择性为72.7%。多种表征结果显示,Au-Pd双金属纳米颗粒粒径为2-4 nm,高度分散于SiO₂载体表面,倾向于生成孪晶结构并暴露（111）晶面,这些因素是Au-Pd/SiO₂具有优异催化性能的主要原因。通过DRIFTS表征研究,提出了一个可能的MF生成机理：即甲醇首先与处于Au-Pd纳米粒子界面的表面氧作用,生成化学吸附的甲氧基;随后,甲氧基经去质子作用生成吸附的甲醛物种,后者与相邻的甲氧基物种亲核反应,并经β-H消除后得到目标产物MF。     

氧分压对固体氧化物电解池性能的影响

High-temperature (700–900 ℃) steam electrolysis based on solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) is valuable as an efficient and clean path for large-scale hydrogen production with nearly zero carbon emissions, compared with the traditional paths of steam methane reforming or coal gasification. The operation parameters, in particular the feeding gas composition and pressure, significantly affect the performance of the electrolysis cell. In this study, a computational fluid dynamics model of an SOEC is built to predict the electrochemical performance of the cell with different sweep gases on the oxygen electrode. Sweep gases with different oxygen partial pressures between 1.01 × 10³ and 1.0 × 10⁵ Pa are fed to the oxygen electrode of the cell, and the influence of the oxygen partial pressure on the chemical equilibrium and kinetic reactions of the SOECs is analyzed. It is shown that the rate of increase of the reversible potential is inversely proportional to the oxygen partial pressure. Regarding the overpotentials caused by the ohmic, activation, and concentration polarization, the results vary with the reversible potential. The Ohmic overpotential is constant under different operating conditions. The activation and concentration overpotentials at the hydrogen electrode are also steady over the entire oxygen partial pressure range. The oxygen partial pressure has the largest effect on the activation and concentration overpotentials on the oxygen electrode side, both of which decrease sharply with increasing oxygen partial pressure. Owing to the combined effects of the reversible potential and polarization overpotentials, the total electrolysis voltage is nonlinear. At low current density, the electrolysis cell shows better performance at low oxygen partial pressure, whereas the performance improves with increasing oxygen partial pressure at high current density. Thus, at low current density, the best sweep gas should be an oxygen-deficient gas such as nitrogen, CO₂, or steam. Steam is the most promising because it is easy to separate the steam from the by-product oxygen in the tail gas, provided that the oxygen electrode is humidity-tolerant. However, at high current density, it is best to use pure oxygen as the sweep gas to reduce the electric energy consumption in the steam electrolysis process. The effects of the oxygen partial pressure on the power density and coefficient of performance of the SOEC are also discussed. At low current density, the electrical power demand is constant, and the efficiency decreases with growing oxygen partial pressure, whereas at high current density, the electrical power demand drops, and the efficiency increases.     

Nanoparticle‐Mediated Immunogenic Cell Death Enables and Potentiates Cancer Immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapies that train or stimulate the inherent immunological systems to recognize, attack, and eradicate tumor cells with minimal damage to healthy cells have demonstrated promising clinical responses in recent years. However, most of these immunotherapeutic strategies only benefit a small subset of patients and cause systemic autoimmune side effects in some patients. Immunogenic cell death (ICD)‐inducing modalities not only directly kill cancer cells but also induce antitumor immune responses against a broad spectrum of solid tumors. Such strategies for generating vaccine‐like functions could be used to stimulate a “cold” tumor microenvironment to become an immunogenic, “hot” tumor microenvironment, working in synergy with immunotherapies to increase patient response rates and lead to successful treatment outcomes. This Minireview will focus on nanoparticle‐based treatment modalities that can induce and enhance ICD to potentiate cancer immunotherapy.