Hard carbon derived from coconut shells,walnut shells,and corn silk biomass waste exhibiting high capacity for Na-ion batteries

In recent years,hard carbon materials have gained significant interest as anode materials for Na-ion batteries.Biomass waste is considered one of the most interesting,renewable,available,and cost-effective precursor to obtain hard carbon(HC);however,HC properties must be finely tuned to achieve performance comparable to those provided by Li-ion batteries.In this work,three biomass wastes(coconut shells,walnut shells,and corn silk) were evaluated as potential precursors for HC preparation involving a pyrolysis process and subsequent acid washing to remove the inorganic impurities.All obtained materials exhibited low and similar specific surface areas(<10 m^(2)·g^(-1)), but they presented different structures and surface functionalities.The walnut shell HC possessed a lower amount of inorganic impurities and oxygen-based functional groups compared to the coconut shell and corn silk HCs,leading to higher initial coulombic efficiency(iCE).The structural organization was higher in the case of the walnut shell HC,while the corn silk HC revealed a heterogeneous structure combining both highly disordered carbon and localized graphitized domains.All HCs delivered high initial reversible capacities between 293 and 315 mAh g^(-1) at 50 mA g^(-1) current rate,which remained rather stable during long-term cycling.The best capacity(293 mAh g^(-1) after 100 charge/discharge cycles) and highest capacity retention(93%) was achieved in walnut HCs in half-cells,which could be associated with its higher sp2 C content,better organized structure,and fewer impurities.An "adsorption-insertion" Na storage mechanism is suggested based on several techniques.The walnut HCs exhibited an attractive energy density of 279 Wh/kg when tested in full cells.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging of fluorescent proteins as an effective quantitative tool for noninvasive study of intracellular processes

Fluorescence litime imaging(FLIM)is an effective noninvasive bioanalytical tol based onmeasuring fuorescent lifetime of fuorophores.A growing number of FLIM studies utilizes ge-netically engineered fluorescent proteins targeted to specific subcellular structures to probe localmolecular environment,which opens new directions in cell science.This paper highlights theunconventional applications of FLIM for studies of molecular processes in diverse organelles oflive cultured cells.

Quantization of light energy directly from classical electromagnetic theory in vacuum

It is currently believed that light quantum or the quantization of light energy is beyond classical physics, and the picture of wave-particle duality, which was criticized by Einstein but has attracted a number of experimental researches, is necessary for the description of light. It is shown in this paper, however, that the quantization of light energy in vacuum, which is the same as that in quantum electrodynamics, can be derived directly from the classical electromagnetic theory through the consideration of statistics based on classical physics. Therefore, the quantization of energy is an intrinsic property of light as a classical electromagnetic wave and has no need of being related to particles.

An Introduction to Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Coupling Small Satellite Constellation

A future Chinese mission is introduced to study the coupling between magnetosphere,ionosphere and thermosphere,i.e.the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Coupling Small Satellite Constellation(MIT).The scientific objective of the mission is to focus on the outflow ions from the ionosphere to the magnetosphere.The constellation is planning to be composed of four small satellites;each small satellite has its own orbit and crosses the polar region at nearly the same time but at different altitude.The payloads onboard include particle detectors,electromagnetic payloads,auroral imagers and neutral atom imagers.With these payloads,the mission will be able to investigate acceleration mechanism of the upflow ions at different altitudes.Currently the orbits have been determined and prototypes of some have also been completed.Competition for next phase selection is scheduled in late 2015.

Spin-orbit Splitting and Lifetime Broadening in the A2△ Electronic State of l-C5H

Optical absorption bands at -18772 and -18807 cm-1, previously assigned to A2A-X2H electronic origin band transitions of the linear carbon-chain radicals CsH and CsD, respectively, have been reinvestigated. The spectra have been recorded in direct absorption applying cavity ring-down spectroscopy to a supersonically expanding acetylene/helium plasma. The improved spectra allow deducing a l-CsH upper state spin-orbit coupling constant X=-0.7（3） cm-1 and a A2A lifetime of 1.65=0.3 ps.

Water‑Dispersible CsPbBr_(3) Perovskite Nanocrystals with Ultra‑Stability and its Application in Electrochemical CO_(2) Reduction

Thanks to the excellent optoelectronic properties,lead halide perovskites(LHPs)have been widely employed in highperformance optoelectronic devices such as solar cells and lightemitting diodes.However,overcoming their poor stability against water has been one of the biggest challenges for most applications.Herein,we report a novel hot-injection method in a Pb-poor environment combined with a well-designed purification process to synthesize water-dispersible CsPbBr_(3) nanocrystals(NCs).The as-prepared NCs sustain their superior photoluminescence(91%quantum yield in water)for more than 200 days in an aqueous environment,which is attributed to a passivation effect induced by excess CsBr salts.Thanks to the ultra-stability of these LHP NCs,for the first time,we report a new application of LHP NCs,in which they are applied to electrocatalysis of CO_(2) reduction reaction.Noticeably,they show significant electrocatalytic activity(faradaic yield:32%for CH4,40%for CO)and operation stability(>350 h).

The Influence of Gravity on Single Crystallization in Large Volume Drops

The chemical, physical, and biological properties of more than two millions of proteins which follow to be synthesized by Pharmaceutical Industry, can be anticipated (by using their XRD diffrac-tograms) if they will be grown from aqueous drops as high quality, large volume single-crystals. This is not a simple task and usually the growing process is seen as art rather than a science. The growing is expensive, time consuming, and finally an amorphous aggregate may result instead one single-crystal. In this article, we show for the first time how one single crystal can be grown in large volume hanging drops through their fast evaporation. The single nucleation is determined by choosing the proper sense of gravitational force relative to the drop triple line contact. In a special configuration, single-crystals of glycine and threonine were rapidly grown.

Exploring fs-laser irradiation damage subthreshold behavior of dielectric mirrors via electrical measurements

With ultrafast laser systems reaching presently 10 PW peak power or operating at high repetition rates,research towards ensuring the long-term,trouble-free performance of all laser-exposed optical components is critical.Our work is focused on providing insight into the optical material behavior at fluences below the standardized laser-induced damage threshold(LIDT)value by implementing a simultaneous dual analysis of surface emitted particles using a Langmuir probe(LP)and the target current(TC).HfO_(2) and ZrO_(2) thin films deposited on fused silica substrates by pulsed laser deposition at various O_(2) pressures for defect and stoichiometry control were irradiated by Gaussian,ultrashort laser pulses(800 nm,10 Hz,70 fs)in a wide range of fluences.Both TC and LP collected signals were in good agreement with the existing theoretical description of laser–matter interaction at an ultrashort time scale.Our approach for an in situ LIDT monitoring system provides measurable signals for below-threshold irradiation conditions that indicate the endurance limit of the optical surfaces in the single-shot energy scanning mode.The LIDT value extracted from the LP-TC system is in line with the multipulse statistical analysis done with ISO 21254-2:2011(E).The implementation of the LP and TC as on-shot diagnostic tools for optical components will have a significant impact on the reliability of next-generation ultrafast and high-power laser systems.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging for studying DNA compaction and gene activities

Optical imaging is a most useful and widespread technique for the investigation of the structure and function of the cellular genomes.However,an analysis of immensely convoluted and irregularly compacted DNA polymer is highly challenging even by modern super-resolution microscopy approaches.Here we propose fluorescence lifetime imaging(FLIM)for the advancement of studies of genomic structure including DNA compaction,replication as well as monitoring of gene expression.The proposed FLIM assay employs two independent mechanisms for DNA compaction sensing.One mechanism relies on the inverse quadratic relation between the fluorescence lifetimes of fluorescence probes incorporated into DNA and their local refractive index,variable due to DNA compaction density.Another mechanism is based on the Förster resonance energy transfer(FRET)process between the donor and the acceptor fluorophores,both incorporated into DNA.Both these proposed mechanisms were validated in cultured cells.The obtained data unravel a significant difference in compaction of the gene-rich and gene-poor pools of genomic DNA.We show that the gene-rich DNA is loosely compacted compared to the dense DNA domains devoid of active genes.

Black phosphorus-based photothermal therapy with aCD47-mediated immune checkpoint blockade for enhanced cancer immunotherapy

Here,we describe a combination strategy of black phosphorus(BP)-based photothermal therapy together with anti-CD47 antibody(aCD47)-based immunotherapy to synergistically enhance cancer treatment.Tumour resistance to immune checkpoint blockades in most cancers due to immune escape from host surveillance,along with the initiation of metastasis through immunosuppressive cells in the tumour microenvironment,remains a significant challenge for cancer immunotherapy.aCD47,an agent for CD47/SIRPαaxis blockade,induces modest phagocytic activity and a low response rate for monotherapy,resulting in failures in clinical trials.We showed that BP-mediated ablation of tumours through photothermal effects could serve as an effective strategy for specific immunological stimulation,improving the inherently poor immunogenicity of tumours,which is particularly useful for enhancing cancer immunotherapy.BP in combination with aCD47 blockade activates both innate and adaptive immunities and promotes local and systemic anticancer immune responses,thus offering a synergistically enhanced effect in suppression of tumour progression and in inducing abscopal effects for inhibition of metastatic cancers.Our combination strategy provides a promising platform in which photothermal agents could help to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of immunotherapy.

Hot-band absorption of indocyanine green for advanced anti-stokes fluorescence bioimaging

Bright anti-Stokes fluorescence(ASF)in the first near-infrared spectral region(NIR-I,800 nm–900 nm)under the excitation of a 915 nm continuous wave(CW)laser,is observed in Indocyanine Green(ICG),a dye approved by the Food and Drug Administration for clinical use.The dependence of fluorescence intensity on excitation light power and temperature,together with fluorescence lifetime measurement,establish this ASF to be originated from absorption from a thermally excited vibrational level(hot-band absorption),as shown in our experiments,which is stronger than the upconversion fluorescence from widely-used rare-earth ion doped nanoparticles.To test the utility of this ASF NIR-I probe for advanced bioimaging,we successively apply it for biothermal sensing,cerebral blood vessel tomography and blood stream velocimetry.Moreover,in combination with L1057 nanoparticles,which absorb the ASF of ICG and emit beyond 1100 nm,these two probes generate multi-mode images in two fluorescent channels under the excitation of a single 915 nm CW laser.One channel is used to monitor two overlapping organs,urinary system&blood vessel of a live mouse,while the other shows urinary system only.Using in intraoperative real-time monitoring,such multi-mode imaging method can be beneficial for visual guiding in anatomy of the urinary system to avoid any accidental injury to the surrounding blood vessels during surgery.

In-situ neutron-transmutation for substitutional doping in 2D layered indium selenide based phototransistor

Neutron-transmutation doping(NTD)has been demonstrated for the first time in this work for substitutional introduction of tin(Sn)shallow donors into two-dimensional(2D)layered indium selenide(InSe)to manipulate electron transfer and charge carrier dynamics.Multidisciplinary study including density functional theory,transient optical absorption,and FET devices have been carried out to reveal that the field effect electron mobility of the fabricated phototransistor is increased 100-fold due to the smaller electron effective mass and longer electron life time in the Sn-doped InSe.The responsivity of the Sn-doped InSe based phototransistor is accordingly enhanced by about 50 times,being as high as 397 A/W.The results show that NTD is a highly effective and controllable doping method,possessing good compatibility with the semiconductor manufacturing process,even after device fabrication,and can be carried out without introducing any contamination,which is radically different from traditional doping methods.

Initial Experience of NIR-II Fluorescence Imaging-Guided Surgery in Foot and Ankle Surgery

Optical imaging in the second near-infrared(NIR-II;900-1880 nm)window is currently a popular research topic in the field of biomedical imaging.This study aimed to explore the application value of NIR-II fluorescence imaging in foot and ankle surgeries.A lab-established NIR-II fluorescence surgical navigation system was developed and used to navigate foot and ankle surgeries which enabled obtaining more high-spatial-frequency information and a higher signal-to-background ratio(SBR)in NIR-II fluorescence images compared to NIR-I fluorescence images;our result demonstrates that NIR-II imaging could provide higher-contrast and larger-depth images to surgeons.Three types of clinical application scenarios(diabetic foot,calcaneal fracture,and lower extremity trauma)were included in this study.Using the NIR-II fluorescence imaging technique,we observed the ischemic region in the diabetic foot before morphological alterations,accurately determined the boundary of the ischemic region in the surgical incision,and fully assessed the blood supply condition of the flap.NIR-II fluorescence imaging can help surgeons precisely judge surgical margins,detect ischemic lesions early,and dynamically trace the perfusion process.We believe that portable and reliable NIR-II fluorescence imaging equipment and additional functional fluorescent probes can play crucial roles in precision surgery.

Next generation lanthanide doped nanoscintillators and photon converters

Scintillators are of significance for the realization of indirect X-ray detection and X-ray excited optical luminescence(XEOL)imaging.However,commercial bulk scintillators not only require complex fabrication procedures,but also exhibit non-tunable XEOL wavelength and poor device processability.Moreover,thick crystals usually generate light scattering followed by evident signal crosstalk in a photodiode array.Lanthanide doped fluoride nanoscintillators(NSs)prepared with low-temperature wet-chemical method possess several advantages,such as low toxicity,cheap fabrication cost,convenient device processability and adjustable emission wavelengths from ultraviolet to visible and extending to second near infrared window.In addition,they exhibit X-ray excited long persistent luminescence(XEPL)making them suitable for broadening the scope of their applications.This review discusses and summarizes the XEOL and XEPL characteristics of lanthanide doped fluoride NSs.We discuss design strategies and nanostructures that allow manipulation of excitation dynamics in a core-shell geometry to simultaneously produce XEOL,XEPL,as well as photon upconversion and downshifting,enabling emission at multiple wavelengths with a varying time scale profile.The review ends with a discussion of the existing challenges for advancing this field,and presents our subjective insight into areas of further multidisciplinary opportunities.

Self-collimation in photonic crystals with anisotropic constituents

In a photonic crystal composed of anisotropic constituents we quantify the range of input angles and the degree of collimation of the beam inside the crystal. The optical properties of a photobleached 4- dimethylamino-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium-tosylate （DAST） crystal are used in our model to demonstrate the efficacy of the self-collimation features.

Modeling nanomaterial physical properties:theory and simulation

A brief theory and simulation overview for the purpose of design is presented with examples applies to modeling the physical properties,behavior,and phenomena of nanomaterial.This review paper constructs perspectives that consider coupling traditional domains of simulation by novel pathways to produce accurate representations of nanomaterial properties,behavior and phenomena.It is all about size scaling and how different approaches are able to simulate,integrate or simply pass the baton to the next level of complexity.In macroscopic world,the atomic or molecular information alone may not be directly useful.Nor is the bulk information useful in the microscopic world without intimate knowledge of molecular makeup.Therefore,when designing Nanomaterials,knowledge of properties spanning the complete range of size is the prerequisite of a recommended self-consistent approach.In fact,regarding applications in both industry and academia,the simulation first approach often can lead to great savings in time.This review paper focuses mostly on optical and electronic properties but a section is added that provides a segue into mechanical properties for future consideration.

Broadband mid-infrared nonlinear optical modulator enabled by gold nanorods:towards the mid-infrared regime

Mid-infrared pulsed lasers operating around the 3 μm wavelength regime are important for a wide range of applications including sensing, spectroscopy, imaging, etc. Despite the recent advances in technology, the lack of a nonlinear optical modulator operating in the mid-infrared regime remains a significant challenge. Here, we report the third-order nonlinear optical response of gold nanorods(GNRs) ranging from 800 nm to the mid-infrared regime(2810 nm) enabled by their size and overlapping behavior-dependent longitudinal surface plasmon resonance. In addition, we demonstrate a wavelength-tunable Er3+-doped fluoride fiber laser modulated by GNRs, which can deliver pulsed laser output, with the pulse duration down to 533 ns, tunable wavelength ranging from 2760.2 to 2810.0 nm, and spectral 3 d B bandwidth of about 1 nm. The experimental results not only validate the GNRs’ robust mid-infrared nonlinear optical response, but also manifest their application potential in high-performance broadband optoelectronic devices.

Light-induced tumor theranostics based on chemical-exfoliated borophene

Among 2D materials(Xenes)which are at the forefront of research activities,borophene,is an exciting new entry due to its uniquely varied optical,electronic,and chemical properties in many polymorphic forms with widely varying band gaps including the lightest 2D metallic phase.In this paper,we used a simple selective chemical etching to prepare borophene with a strong near IR light-induced photothermal effect.The photothermal efficiency is similar to plasmonic Au nanoparticles,with the added benefit of borophene being degradable due to electron deficiency of boron.We introduce this selective chemical etching process to obtain ultrathin and large borophene nanosheets(thickness of ~4 nm and lateral size up to ~600 nm)from the precursor of AlB_(2).We also report first-time observation of a selective Acid etching behavior showing HCl etching of Al to form a residual B lattice,while HF selectively etches B to yield an Al lattice.We demonstrate that through surface modification with polydopamine(PDA),a biocompatible smart delivery nanoplatform of B@PDA can respond to a tumor environment,exhibiting an enhanced cellular uptake efficiency.We demonstrate that borophene can be more suitable for safe photothermal theranostic of thick tumor using deep penetrating near IR light compared to gold nanoparticles which are not degradable,thus posing longterm toxicity concerns.With about 40 kinds of borides,we hope that our work will open door to more discoveries of this top-down selective etching approach for generating borophene structures with rich unexplored thermal,electronic,and optical properties for many other technological applications.