Preparation of Palladium Supported on Ferric Oxide Nano-catalysts for Carbon Monoxide Oxidation in Low Temperature

Catalytic property of Pd/Fe2O3 catalysts on carbon monoxide(CO) oxidation at low temperature were investigated in this paper. Both the as-prepared and H2-pretreated Pd/Fe2O3 catalysts show catalytic performances on CO oxidation. The CO was completely converted at 333 K for the as-prepared sample,whereas at 313 K for H2-pretreated Pd/Fe2O3-573 catalyst. The catalytic performance of the Pd/Fe2O3 catalyst decreases with increased calcination temperature. This may be due to the increased crystallinity of the support and decreased metal-support interaction. Progressive deactivation of the catalysts during long-time reaction was associated with the formation of carbonates on the catalyst surface that inhibits CO activation or intermediate transformation.

Highly Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Photoelectrochemical Performance of ZnO-Modified In_2S_3 Nanosheet Arrays by Atomic Layer Deposition

Photoanodes based on In_2S_3/ZnO heterojunction nanosheet arrays(NSAs) have been fabricated by atomic layer deposition of ZnO over In_2S_3 NSAs, which were in situ grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide glasses via a facile solvothermal process. The as-prepared photoanodes show dramatically enhanced performance for photoelectrochemical(PEC) water splitting, compared to single semiconductor counterparts. The optical and PEC properties of In_2S_3/ZnO NSAs have been optimized by modulating the thickness of the Zn O overlayer. After pairing with ZnO, the NSAs exhibit a broadened absorption range and an increased light absorptance over a wide wavelength region of 250–850 nm. The optimized sample of In_2S_3/ZnO-50 NSAs shows a photocurrent density of 1.642 m A cm^(-2)(1.5 V vs. RHE) and an incident photonto-current efficiency of 27.64% at 380 nm(1.23 V vs.RHE), which are 70 and 116 times higher than those of the pristine In_2S_3 NSAs, respectively. A detailed energy band edge analysis reveals the type-II band alignment of the In_2S_3/ZnO heterojunction, which enables efficient separation and collection of photogenerated carriers,especially with the assistance of positive bias potential, and then results in the significantly increased PEC activity.

Bioinspired MXene-Based User-Interactive Electronic Skin for Digital and Visual Dual-Channel Sensing

User-interactive electronic skin(e-skin) that could convert mechanical stimuli into distinguishable outputs displays tremendous potential for wearable devices and health care applications. However, the existing devices have the disadvantages such as complex integration procedure and lack of the intuitive signal display function. Here, we present a bioinspired user-interactive e-skin, which is simple in structure and can synchronously achieve digital electrical response and optical visualization upon external mechanical stimulus. The e-skin comprises a conductive layer with a carbon nanotubes/cellulose nanofibers/MXene nanohybrid network featuring remarkable electromechanical behaviors, and a stretchable elastomer layer, which is composed of silicone rubber and thermochromic pigments. Furthermore, the conductive nanohybrid network with outstanding Joule heating performance can generate controllable thermal energy under voltage input and then achieve the dynamic coloration of silicone-based elastomer. Especially, such an innovative fusion strategy of digital data and visual images enables the e-skin to monitor human activities with evermore intuition and accuracy. The simple design philosophy and reliable operation of the demonstrated e-skin are expected to provide an ideal platform for next-generation flexible electronics.

Human iPS Cells Loaded with MnO2-Based Nanoprobes for Photodynamic and Simultaneous Enhanced Immunotherapy Against Cancer

How to trigger strong anti-tumor immune responses has become a focus for tumor therapy.Here,we report the human-induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSs)to deliver MnO2@Ce6 nanoprobes into tumors for simultaneous photodynamic therapy(PDT)and enhanced immunotherapy.Ce6 photosensitizer was attached on manganese dioxide(MnO2)nanoparticles,and resultant MnO2@Ce6 nanoprobes were delivered into mitomycin-treated iPSs to form iPS-MnO2@Ce6 nanoprobes.The iPS-MnO2@Ce6 actively targeted in vivo tumors,the acidic microenvironment triggered interaction between MnO2 and H2O2,released large quantities of oxygen,alleviated hypoxia in tumor.Upon PDT,singlet oxygen formed,broken iPSs released tumor-shared antigens,which evoked an intensive innate and adaptive immune response against the tumor,improving dendritic cells matured,effector T cells,and natural killer cells were activated.Meanwhile,regulatory T cells were reduced,and then the immune response induced by iPS-MnO2@Ce6 was markedly stronger than the immune reaction induced by MnO2@Ce6(P<0.05).The iPS-MnO2@Ce6 markedly inhibited tumor growth and metastasis and reduced mortality in mice models with tumor.Human iPS s loaded with MnO2-based nanoprobes are a promising strategy for simultaneous PDT and enhanced immunotherapy against tumor and own clinical translational prospect.

Photocatalytic oxidation for degradation of VOCs

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the major group of indoor air pollutants, which significantly impact indoor air quality (IAQ) and influence human health. Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is a cost-effective technology for VOCs removal, compared with adsorption, biofiltration, or thermal catalysis method. Development of active photocatalyst systems is crucial for the PCO reaction. In this paper, the catalyst systems for photocatalysis under UV and visible light were discussed and the kinetics of photocatalytic oxidation was presented in order that some key influencing factors (relative huminity, light intensity, initial contaminant concentration and mass of catalyst) had also been studied. In addition, the future research directions were also presented in this paper.

A Review on Graphene-Based Gas/Vapor Sensors with Unique Properties and Potential Applications

Graphene-based gas/vapor sensors have attracted much attention in recent years due to their variety of structures, unique sensing performances, room-temperature working conditions, and tremendous application prospects, etc.Herein, we summarize recent advantages in graphene preparation, sensor construction, and sensing properties of various graphene-based gas/vapor sensors, such as NH_3, NO_2, H_2, CO, SO_2, H_2S, as well as vapor of volatile organic compounds.The detection mechanisms pertaining to various gases are also discussed. In conclusion part, some existing problems which may hinder the sensor applications are presented. Several possible methods to solve these problems are proposed, for example, conceived solutions, hybrid nanostructures, multiple sensor arrays, and new recognition algorithm.

A Review on Metal-and Metal Oxide-Based Nanozymes:Properties,Mechanisms,and Applications

Since the ferromagnetic(Fe_(3)O_(4))nanoparticles were firstly reported to exert enzyme-like activity in 2007,extensive research progress in nanozymes has been made with deep investigation of diverse nanozymes and rapid development of related nanotechnologies.As promising alterna-tives for natural enzymes,nanozymes have broadened the way toward clinical medicine,food safety,environmental monitoring,and chemical production.The past decade has witnessed the rapid development of metal-and metal oxide-based nanozymes owing to their remarkable physicochemical proper-ties in parallel with low cost,high stability,and easy storage.It is widely known that the deep study of catalytic activities and mechanism sheds sig-nificant influence on the applications of nanozymes.This review digs into the characteristics and intrinsic properties of metal-and metal oxide-based nanozymes,especially emphasizing their catalytic mechanism and recent applications in biological analysis,relieving inflammation,antibacterial,and cancer therapy.We also conclude the present challenges and provide insights into the future research of nanozymes constituted of metal and metal oxide nanomaterials.

Novel self-assembled films of La-based phosphonate 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane

Silane coupling reagent (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)) was prepared on single-crystal silicon substrates to form two-dimensional self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The terminal-NH2 groups in the film were in situ phosphorylated to -PO(OH)2 group to endow the film with good chemisorption ability. Then La-based thin films were deposited on phosphorylated APTES-SAM in order to make good use of the chemisorption ability of -PO(OH)2 groups. The thickness of the film was determined with ellipsometer, while phase transformation and surface morphology, surface energy, phase composition were analyzed by means of atomic force microscope (AFM), contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicated that the terminal-NH2 groups could be completely transformed into desirable-PO(OH)2 groups after phosphorylation of APTES-SAM. Detailed XPS analysis of the La3+ peaks revealed that lanthanum element existed in the films in different states. As a result, conclusion could be made that lanthanum reacted with -PO(OH)2 groups on the surface of the substrate by chemical bond which would improve the bonding strength between the film and silicon substrate. Since the La-based thin films were well adhered to the silicon substrate, it might find promising application in the surface-modification of single-crystal Si and SiC in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

Preparation and characterization of 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane self-assembled monolayers

Silane coupling regent （3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane （MPTS）） was prepared on the single-crystal silicon substrate to form 2-dimensional self-assembled monolayers （SAMs）. The growth behavior of SAMs formed from 3-MPTS was investigated using atomic force microscopy （AFM）, contact angle measurements, ellipsometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）. The formation behavior of MPTS SAMs was investigated by a series of AFM images and the roughness of MPTS SAMs on silicon substrates with the assembling time from 1 min to 24 h. The water contact angle measurements indicated the growth behavior of MPTS that correlated with the AFM measurements at different immersion times, too. The chemical states of the typical elements in the MPTS SAMs were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that MPTS is self-assembled on the substrate.

Characterization and tribological investigation of self-assembled MPTS-MPTES/RE composite films

γ-mercapto-propyl trimethoxysilane （MPTS） and γ-methacryloxy propyltrimethoxysilane （MPTES） were self-assembled on a hy- droxylated glass substrate to form a two-dimensional organic monolayer （MPTS-MPTES SAM）. The terminal thiol groups （-SH） in the MPTS-MPTES SAM were in-situ oxidized into sulfonic acid groups （-SO3H） to endow the film with good chemisorption ability. Then rare earth （RE） （lanthanum-based） composite thin films were prepared by self-assembly technique based on the as-prepared SAM, taking advantage of the chemisorption ability of the sulfonic acid groups. Automatic force microscope （AFM）, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry （XPS）, contact angle measurement and ellipsometer were used to characterize MPTS-MPTES/RE composite films. The macrofriction and wear behaviors of the films sliding against an AISI-52100 steel ball were examined on a unidirectional friction and wear tester, and the worn surface morphologies were observed on an AFM. The results showed that MPTS-MPTES/RE films had a low friction coefficient （0.09） and a long wear life （5980 sliding pass） at a light load （50 mN）. It indicated that the superior tribological properties of the MPTS-MPTES/RE composite films were attributed to the special characteristic of RE elements, the mobility of the films and good bonding strength.

Cu_2O nanoparticles:Radiation synthesis,and photocatalytic activity

Cu_2O nanocrystals were synthesized by irradiating an aqueous solution of CuSO_4·5H_2O(1.25g),polyvinyl alcohol(PVA,0.8 g),and isopropanol(3.1 mL).The products were characterized by powder XRD,TEM and SEM. Methyl orange degradation under visible light using the Cu_2O nanocrystals as catalyst was studied by UV-Vis absorption method.The results show that the products are nanocrystals of pure Cu_2O.Morphology and size of the nanoparticles are affected by the irradiation dose and pH value of the initial solution.Octahedral Cu_2O nanocrystals of 116 nm in size can be obtained at the initial pH of 8.0 and 280-kGy irradiation.The nanocrystals have excellent catalytic activity for photodegradation of the methyl orange solution bubbled at the air-flow rate of 750 mL·min^(-1),due to the large {111} facets of octahedral Cu_2O particles.

Preparation and characterization of ZnO/Cu/ZnO transparent conductive films

ZnO/Cu/ZnO transparent conductive thin films were prepared by RF sputtering deposition of ZnO target and DC sputtering deposition of Cu target on n-type （001） Si and glass substrates at room temperature. The mor- phology, structure, optical, and electrical properties of the multilayer films were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope （FESEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, UV/Vis spectrophotometer, and Hall effect mea- surement system. The influence of Cu layer thickness and the oxygen pressure in sputtering atmosphere on the film properties were studied. ZnO/Cu/ZnO transparent conduc- tive film fabricated in pure Ar atmosphere with 10 nm Cu layer thickness has the best performance： resistivity of 2.3 × 10^-4 Ω.cm, carrier concentration of 6.44 × 10^16 cm-2, mobility of 4.51 cm2.（V.s）-1, and acceptable aver- age transmittance of 80 % in the visible range. The trans- mittance and conductivity of the films fabricated with oxygen are lower than those of the films fabricated without oxygen, which indicates that oxygen atmosphere does not improve the optical and electrical properties of ZnO/Cu/ ZnO films.

Investigation of Tribological Behavior of Lanthanum-Based Thin Films Deposited on Sulfonated Self-Assembled Monolayer

3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane （MPTS） was prepared on glass substrate so as to form a two-dimensional self-assembled monolayer （SAM）, and the terminal - SH group in the film was in situ oxidized to - SO3H group to confer good chemisorption ability to the film. Thus, lanthanum-based thin films were deposited on oxidized MPTS-SAM, making use of the chemisorption ability of -SOaH group. Atomic force microscopy （AFM） and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry （XPS） and contact angle measurements were used to characterize the thin films. The tribological properties of the as-prepared thin films sliding against a steel ball were evaluated on a friction and wear tester. Tribological experiment shows that the friction coefficient of glass substrate decreases from 0.8 to 0.08 after the rare earth （RE） self-assembled films （SAMs） are formed on its surface. And the RE self-assembled films have longer wear life （500 sliding passes）. It is demonstrated that RE self-assembled film exhibits good wear-resistant property. The marked decrease in friction and the longer wear life of RE films are attributed to the excellent adhesion of the film to the substrate and to the special characteristics of the RE elements. The frictional behaviors of RE thin-films-coated silicon surface were sensitive to the applied load and the sliding velocity of the steel ball.

Washing and Dyeing Wastewater Treatment by Combined Nano Flocculation and Photocatalysis Processes

The research investigated the performance of combined process (flocculation pretreatment-pho- to catalysis). The characteristics of nano flocculation and photocataly were evaluated by simulated dye and surfactant wastewater. In the coagulation and settling period, decolorization rate of five dyes wastewater by nano flocculant was higher than 95%. In the photocatalytic period, degradation of twelve sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate reached 33%. Washing and dyeing wastewater treated by combined process conformed to the “textile dyeing and finishing industry back to the water quality standard” (FZ/T 01107-2011). The results showed that the combined process was highly advanced treatment for washing and dying wastewater.

Metal-organic frameworks based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy technique for ultra-sensitive biomedical trace detection

Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)have attracted widespread interest due to their unique and unprecedented advantages in microstructures and properties.Besides,surface-enhanced Raman scattering(SERS)technology has also rapidly developed into a powerful fingerprint spectroscopic technique that can provide rapid,non-invasive,non-destructive,and ultra-sensitive detection,even down to single molecular level.Consequently,a considerable amount of researchers combined MOFs with the SERS technique to further improve the sensing performance and broaden the applications of SERS substrates.Herein,representative synthesis strategies of MOFs to fabricate SERS-active substrates are summarized and their applications in ultra-sensitive biomedical trace detection are also reviewed.Besides,relative barriers,advantages,disadvantages,future trends,and prospects are particularly discussed to give guidance to relevant researchers.

Dual-targeted lung cancer therapy via inhalation delivery of UCNP-siRNA-AS1411 nanocages

Objective:Although great progress has been made in the field of siRNA gene therapy,safe,efficient,and targeted delivery of siRNA are still major challenges in siRNA therapeutics.Methods:We developed an up-conversion nanoparticle-based nanocage system.This system protected the siRNA from being degraded by nucleases in organisms and selectively delivered the siRNAs to the tumor sites,due to modifications of targeted molecules on the surfaces of nanocages and local inhalation.Results:The siRNAs delivered by the up-conversion nanoparticle nanocages were protected from degradation in transit to the tumor sites,where they accumulated.Compared with the passive target and control groups,the up-conversion nanoparticles based on the nanocage system showed a tumor suppressive effect after approximately 3 weeks of treatment.Conclusions:The up-conversion nanoparticle nanocages efficiently delivered vascular endothelial growth factor siRNAs to tumor sites.Mice with lung tumors treated with tumors targeting up-conversion nanoparticle nanocages showed steady body weight changes,high tumor inhibition ratios,and longer survival times.

Remote Tracking Gas Molecular via the Standalone-Like Nanosensor-Based Tele-Monitoring System

Remote tracking the variation of air quality in an effective way will be highly helpful to decrease the health risk of human short-and long-term exposures to air pollution.However,high power consumption and poor sensing performance remain the concerned issues,thereby limiting the scale-up in deploying air quality tracking networks.Herein,we report a standalone-like smart device that can remotely track the variation of air pollutants in a power-saving way.Brevity,the created smart device demonstrated satisfactory selectivity(against six kinds of representative exhaust gases or air pollutants),desirable response magnitude(164–100 ppm),and acceptable response/recovery rate(52.0/50.5 s),as well as linear response relationship to NO2.After aging for 2 weeks,the created device exhibited relatively stable sensing performance more than 3 months.Moreover,a photoluminescence-enhanced light fidelity(Li-Fi)telecommunication technique is proposed and the Li-Fi communication distance is significantly extended.Conclusively,our reported standalone-like smart device would sever as a powerful sensing platform to construct high-performance and low-power consumption air quality wireless sensor networks and to prevent air pollutant-induced diseases via a more effective and low-cost approach.

Multifunctional lymph-targeted platform based Mn@mSiO2 nanocomposites： Combining PFOB dual-mode imaging and DOX for cancer diagnose treatment on for and

A universal platform with M_n doping and hyaluronic acid （HA） modification, based on mesoporous silica （mSiO2）, was designed and used as a basic multifunctional material with magnetic resonance （MR） imaging. Furthermore, we added flexible functions through the addition of functional molecules. Specially, two typical compounds, hydrophobic perfluorooctyl bromide （PFOB） and hydrophilic doxorubicin （DOX）, were loaded into the channels to obtain PFOB@Mn@mSiO2@HA （PMMH） or DOX@Mn@mSiO2@HA （DMMH） or imaging and therapy, respectively. The were highly targeted to the lymph system in nanoparticles for dual-mode imaging PMMH and DMMH nanoparticles vitro and in vivo. MR and ultrasound imaging of PMMH nanoparticles were performed in the lymph system, while MR imaging and chemotherapy of DMMH nanoparticles was used to detect cancer. These results showed that both PMMH and DMMH nanoparficles can be designed with high lymph targeting efficiency. PMMH nanoparticles are a dual-mode contrast agent for both ultrasound and MR imaging for the lymph system and DMMH nanoparticles are powerful agents for the combined diagnosis and therapy of cancer in vivo.

A direct atomic layer deposition method for growth of ultra-thin lubricant tungsten disulfide films

We describe a direct atomic layer deposition method to grow lubricant tungsten disulfide(WS_2) films. The WS_2 films were deposited on a Si(100) substrate and a zinc sulfide(ZnS) film coated the Si(100) substrate using tungsten hexacarbonyl and hydrogen sulfide as precursors. The ZnS film served as an intermediate layer to facilitate the nucleation and growth of the WS_2 films. The thickness of the WS_2 films was measured via scanning electron microscope, the microstructure was probed with an X-ray diffractometer and a transmission electron microscope. The friction coefficient was measured with a ball-on-disk tester under dry nitrogen. The results reveal that the WS_2 films deposited on both substrates are ~175 nm and have(002) and(101) crystal orientations. The WS_2 film deposited on the ZnS coated Si substrate exhibits a stronger(002) orientation and a denser crystal structure than that deposited on the Si substrate. The WS_2 films on both substrates have low friction coefficients. However, due to the stronger(002) orientation and denser crystal structure, the friction coefficient of the WS_2 film deposited on ZnS coated Si substrate is smaller with longer wear life.

Hyaluronic Acid-Gadolinium Complex Nanospheres as Lymphatic System-Specific Contrast Agent for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

A novel MRI contrast agent, hyaluronic acid gadolinium complex （HA-Gd-DTPA） nanospheres, is prepared by the synthesis of hyaluronic acid gadolinium complexes and their assembly. The physicochemical properties are characterized, and the lymphatic targeting in vitro and in vivo are also evaluated. The results show that the HA-Gd-DTPA nanospheres with suitable and stable physicochemical properties could be used for in vivo lymphatic targeting studies. Furthermore, the HA-Gd-DTPA nanospheres have obviously higher relaxation efficiency and MRI contrast between blood vessel and lymph vessel in rabbit than that of Magnevist. Thus, the novel MRI contrast agent can be taken up selectively by lymphatic system and used as a potential MRI contrast agents in lymphatic system.