Test factors affecting the performance of zinc–air battery

Zinc-air batteries provide a great potential for future large-scale energy storage.We assess the test factors that mainly affect the measured power density of the zinc-air battery.By fitting the polarization curves of the zinc-air batteries,we reveal the effect of testing parameters(electrode distance,electrolyte concentration,and oxygen flux)and preparation of catalysts ink on the activation,ohm,and concentration polarizations of the zinc-air battery.Finally,recommendations on evaluating the potentials of non-noblemetal electrocatalysts for applications in zinc-air batteries were given.

FOLR1-induced folate deficiency reduces viral replication via modulating APOBEC3 family expression

Folate receptor alpha(FOLR1)is vital for cells ingesting folate(FA).FA plays an indispensable role in cell pro-liferation and survival.However,it is not clear whether the axis of FOLR1/FA has a similar function in viral replication.In this study,we used vesicular stomatitis virus(VSV)to investigate the relationship between FOLR1-mediated FA deficiency and viral replication,as well as the underlying mechanisms.We discovered that FOLR1 upregulation led to the deficiency of FA in HeLa cells and mice.Meanwhile,VSV replication was notably sup-pressed by FOLR1 overexpression,and this antiviral activity was related to FA deficiency.Mechanistically,FA deficiency mainly upregulated apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic subunit 3B(APOBEC3B)expression,which suppressed VSV replication in vitro and in vivo.In addition,methotrexate(MTX),an FA metabolism inhibitor,effectively inhibited VSV replication by enhancing the expression of APOBEC3B in vitro and in vivo.Overall,our present study provided a new perspective for the role of FA metabolism in viral infections and highlights the potential of MTX as a broad-spectrum antiviral agent against RNA viruses.

Ce and Er Co-doped TiO2 for rapid bacteria- killing using visible light

Bacterial infection and related diseases are threatening the health of human beings.Photocatalytic disinfection as a simple and low-cost disinfection strategy is attracting more and more attention.In this work,TiO2 nanoparticles(NPs)were modified by co-doping of Ce and Er using the sol-gel method,which endowed TiO2 NPs with enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance but not pure ultraviolet photocatalytic properties compared the untreated TiO2.Our results disclosed that as the doping content of Er increased,the photocatalytic activity of modified TiO2 NPs initially increased and subsequently decreased.The same trend occurred for Ce doping.When the doping dose of Er and Ce is 0.5 mol%and 0.2 mol%,the 0.5Ce0.2Ti-O calcined at 800℃ presented the best antibacterial properties,with the antibacterial efficiency of 91.23%and 92.8%for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli,respectively.The existence of Er ions is thought to successfully turn the near-infrared radiation into visible region,which is easier to be absorbed by TiO2 NPs.Meanwhile,the addition of Ce ions can effectively extend spectral response range and inhibit the recombination of electrons and holes,enhancing the photocatalytic disinfection activity of co-doped TiO2.

Facile synthesis of nickel cobalt selenide hollow nanospheres as efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for rechargeable Zn-air battery

Designing high active,low cost and bifunctional electrocatalysts is urgent for developing clean energy storage and conversion systems.Transition metal selenides exhibit optimal electronic conductivity and tunable physicochemical properties,which endow them with potential for efficient electrocatalysts to facilitate the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions(ORR and OER).Herein,hollow NixCo0.85-xSe nanospheres were synthesized using a facile polyol based solution chemical method.The NixCo0.85-xSe exhibits an onset overpotential of 0.89 V for ORR,and an overpotential of 305 mV to achieve 10 mA cm^-2 for OER.Moreover,the NixCo0.85-xSe based Zn-air battery displays remarkable specific capacity and durability.Such superior catalytic performances can be attributed to the synergistic effect,large specific surface area and enhanced electron transfer rate.This approach provides a new way to design highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for electrochemical energy storage and utilization.