Versatile MXene Gels Assisted by Brief and Low‑Strength Centrifugation

Due to the mutual repulsion between their hydrophilic surface terminations and the high surface energy facilitating their ran-dom restacking,2D MXene nanosheets usually cannot self-assemble into 3D macroscopic gels with various applications in the absence of proper linking agents.In this work,a rapid spontaneous gelation of Ti3C2Tx MXene with a very low dispersion concentration of 0.5 mg mL^(-1) into multifunctional architectures under moderate centrifugation is illustrated.The as-prepared MXene gels exhibit reconfigurable internal structures and tunable rheological,tribological,electrochemical,infrared-emissive and photothermal-conversion properties based on the pH-induced changes in the surface chemistry of Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) nanosheets.By adopting a gel with optimized pH value,high lubrication,exceptional specific capacitances(~635 and~408 F g^(-1) at 5 and 100 mV s^(-1),respectively),long-term capacitance retention(~96.7%after 10,000 cycles)and high-precision screen-or extrusion-printing into different high-resolution anticounterfeiting patterns can be achieved,thus displaying extensive potential applications in the fields of semi-solid lubrication,control-lable devices,supercapacitors,information encryption and infrared camouflaging.

Self-Exfoliation of Flake Graphite for Bioinspired Compositing with Aramid Nanofiber toward Integration of Mechanical and Thermoconductive Properties

Flexible yet highly thermoconductive materials are essential for the development of next-generation flexible electronic devices.Herein,we report a bioinspired nanostructured film with the integration of large ductility and high thermal conductivity based on self-exfoliated pristine graphene and three-dimensional aramid nanofiber network.A self-grinding strategy to directly exfoliate flake graphite into few-layer and few-defect pristine graphene is successfully developed through mutual shear friction between graphite particles,generating largely enhanced yield and productivity in comparison to normal liquid-based exfoliation strategies,such as ultrasonication,high-shear mixing and ball milling.Inspired by nacre,a new bioinspired layered structural design model containing three-dimensional nanofiber network is proposed and implemented with an interconnected aramid nanofiber network and high-loading graphene nanosheets by a developed continuous assembly strategy of sol-gel-film transformation.It is revealed that the bioinspired film not only exhibits nacre-like ductile deformation behavior by releasing the hidden length of curved aramid nanofibers,but also possesses good thermal transport ability by directionally conducting heat along pristine graphene nanosheets.

Interplant communication:an emerging battlefield in plant-aphid-virus interactions

Plants constantly face threats from various organisms,including pathogens and herbivores.Among the pathogens,plant viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that infect plants and cause serious crop yield losses.

Surface defect and lattice engineering of Bi_(5)O_(7)Br ultrathin nanosheets for efficient photocatalysis

The effective separation and migration of photogenerated charge carriers in bulk and on the surface of photocatalysts will significantly promote photocatalytic efficiency.However,the synchronous regulation of photocharges on both counts is challenging.Herein,the simultaneous separation of bulk and surface photocharges is conducted to enhance photocatalytic activity by coupling the surface defects and lattice engineering of bismuth oxybromide.The depth-modulated Bi_(5)O_(7)Br ultrathin nanosheets with an abundance of bismuth in the crystal structure increased the internal electric field,which propelled the separation and migration of photocharges from bulk to the surface.Creation of oxygen vacancies(OVs)on the nanosheet surface forms local electric fields,which can stimulate the migration of charges to active sites on the catalyst surface.Therefore,the OV-assembled Bi_(5)O_(7)Br nanosheets demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic degradation efficiency under simulated solar-light illumination.This study proved the possibility of charge governing via electric field modulation based on an integrated strategy.

Transcriptional and post‑transcriptional regulation of RNAi‑related gene expression during plant‑virus interactions

As sessile organisms,plants encounter diverse invasions from pathogens including viruses.To survive and thrive,plants have evolved multilayered defense mechanisms to combat virus infection.RNAi,also known as RNA silencing,is an across-kingdom innate immunity and gene regulatory machinery.Molecular framework and crucial roles of RNAi in antiviral defense have been well-characterized.However,it is largely unknown that how RNAi is transcriptionally regulated to initiate,maintain and enhance cellular silencing under normal or stress conditions.Recently,insights into the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of RNAi-related genes in different physiological processes have been emerging.In this review,we integrate these new findings to provide updated views on how plants modulate RNAi machinery at the(post-)transcriptional level to respond to virus infection.