Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting by g-C_3N_4/TiO_2 Nanotube Array Heterostructures

Well-ordered TiO_2 nanotube arrays(TNTAs)decorated with graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_3N_4) were fabricated by anodic oxidization and calcination process.First, TNTAs were prepared via the anodic oxidation of Ti foil in glycerol solution containing fluorinion and 20%deionized water. Subsequently, g-C_3N_4 film was hydrothermally grown on TNTAs via the hydrogen-bonded cyanuric acid melamine supramolecular complex. The results showed that g-C_3N_4 was successfully decorated on the TNTAs and the g-C_3N_4/TNTAs served as an efficient and stable photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting. The facile deposition method enables the fabrication of efficient and low-cost photoanodes for renewable energy applications.

Tartary buckwheat(Fagopyrum tataricum(L.)Gaertn)protein-derived antioxidant peptides:mechanisms of action and structure-activity relationship in Caco-2 cell models

Excessive reactive oxygen species(ROS)can cause oxidative damage and lead to various metabolic disease.Tartary buckwheat(Fagopyrum tataricum(L.)Gaertn)is a new kind of protein-rich functional food,the protein in which has been proved to have good antioxidant capacity.In this study,in order to further explore the antioxidant mechanism of Tartary buckwheat protein,4 peptides(CR-8,LR-8,GK-10 and SR-12)were isolated and identified from it.H2 O2 was used to induce oxidative damage to Caco-2 cells to evaluate antioxidant capacity of these peptides.The results of superoxide dismutase(SOD),total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC)and mitochondrial membrane potential etc.showed that these peptides have superior antioxidant capacity.CR-8 has the best antioxidant capacity.In order to further clarify the antioxidant mechanism of CR-8,metabolomics was used to analyze related metabolites and metabolic pathways.The results showed that after CR-8 intervention,the content of metabolites such as L-acetyl carnitine has increased.This indicated that CR-8 can improve the antioxidant capacity of damaged cells by intervening in multiple metabolic pathways.This also revealed the anti-oxidant mechanism of tartary buckwheat protein.In conclusion,it provided a theoretical basis for further studying the activity of tartary buckwheat portein and utilizing buckwheat resources.

Architectural design and electrochemical performance of MOF-based solid-state electrolytes for high-performance secondary batteries

Nowadays solid-state batteries have become a hot spot in the research of batteries and a significant candidate for commercial batteries for the increasing demands for good safety and excellent energy density.Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)have been considered as suitable materials for solid-state electrolytes(SSEs)for the merits of regular channels and large specific surface areas,which can provide a promising structural platform for fast-ion conduction.Therefore,numerous kinds of MOF-based SSEs with enhanced electrochemical performance have been successfully synthesized and studied in recent years.In this review,the recent progress(synthesis methods,physical and chemical characteristics)of MOF-based SSEs for secondary batteries have been summarized.Finally,the challenges and opportunities faced by the future development in this field are put forward,hoping to provide some enlightenment for the synthesis of MOF-based SSEs,so as to create more efficient,long-lasting,and safe SSE-based secondary batteries.

Ultra-lightweight and wide field of view augmented reality virtual retina display based on optical fiber projector and volume holographic lens

A novel see-through virtual retina display(VRD) system is proposed in this Letter. An optical fiber projector is used as the thin-light-beam source, which is modified from a laser scan projector by separating the laser sources and the scan mechanical structure. A synthetic aperture method is proposed for simple, low-cost fabrication of a volume holographic lens with large numerical aperture. These two key performance-enhanced elements are integrated into a lightweight and ordinary-glasses-like optical see-through VRD system. The proposed VRD system achieves a weight of 30g and a diagonal field of view of 60°.

Facile Synthesis of Carbon-Supported Ultrasmall Ag@Pd Core-Shell Nanocrystals with Superior Electrocatalytic Activity for Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cell Application

To design electrocatalysts with excellent performance, morphology, composition and structure is a decisive influential factor. In this work, ultrasmall Ag@Pd core-shell nanocrystals supported on Vulcan XC72R carbon with different Ag/Pd atomic ratios are synthesized via a facile successive reduction approach with formaldehyde and eth- ylene glycol as reducing agents, respectively. The Ag-core/Pd-shell nanostructures are revealed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）. Ag@Pd core-shell nanocrystals possess a narrow size distribution with an average size of ca. 4.3 nm. In comparison to monometallic Pd/C and commercial Pd black catalysts, such Ag@Pd core-shell nanocrystals display excellent electrocatalytic activities for formic acid oxidation, which may be due to high Pd utilization derived from the formation of Ag@Pd core-shell nanostructure and the strong interaction between Ag and Pd.

Polyphenol-based hydrogels: Pyramid evolution from crosslinked structures to biomedical applications and the reverse design

As a kind of nature-derived bioactive materials, polyphenol-based hydrogels possess many unique and outstanding properties such as adhesion, toughness, and self-healing due to their specific crosslinking structures, which have been widely used in biomedical fields including wound healing, antitumor, treatment of motor system injury, digestive system disease, oculopathy, and bioelectronics. In this review, starting with the classi-fication of common polyphenol-based hydrogels, the pyramid evolution process of polyphenol-based hydrogels from crosslinking structures to derived properties and then to biomedical applications is elaborated, as well as the efficient reverse design considerations of polyphenol-based hydrogel systems are proposed. Finally, the existing problems and development prospects of these hydrogel materials are discussed. It is hoped that the unique perspective of the review can promote further innovation and breakthroughs of polyphenol-based hydrogels in the future.