Molten Salt-Shielded Synthesis(MS^(3))of MXenes in Air

MXenes are two-dimensional transition metal carbides and/or nitrides with unique physiochemical properties and have attracted extensive interest in numerous fields.However,current MXene synthesis methods are limited by hazardous synthesis conditions,high production costs,or difficulty in largescale production.Therefore,a general,safe,cost-effective,and scalable synthesis method for MXenes is crucial.Here,we report the fast synthesis of MXenes in the open air using a molten salt-shielded synthesis(MS^(3))method,which uses Lewis-acid salts as etchants and a low-melting-point eutectic salt mixture as the reaction medium and shield to prevent MXene oxidation at high temperatures.Carbide and nitride MXenes,including Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x),Ti_(2)CT_(x),Ti_(3)CNT_(x),and Ti_(4)N_(3)T_(x),were successfully synthesized using the MS^(3) method.We also present the flexibility of the MS^(3) method by scaling the etching process to large batches of 20 and 60 g of Ti_(3)AlC_(2) MAX precursor in one pot.When used as negative electrodes,the prepared MS^(3)-MXenes delivered excellent electrochemical properties for high-rate Li-ion storage.

Brain delivery of fibronectin through bioactive phosphorous dendrimers for Parkinson’s disease treatment via cooperative modulation of microglia

Effective treatment of Parkinson’s disease(PD),a prevalent central neurodegenerative disorder particularly affecting the elderly population,still remains a huge challenge.We present here a novel nanomedicine formulation based on bioactive hydroxyl-terminated phosphorous dendrimers(termed as AK123)complexed with fibronectin(FN)with anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities.The created optimized AK123/FN nanocomplexes(NCs)with a size of 223 nm display good colloidal stability in aqueous solution and can be specifically taken up by microglia through FN-mediated targeting.We show that the AK123/FN NCs are able to consume excessive reactive oxygen species,promote microglia M2 polarization and inhibit the nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway to downregulate inflammatory factors.With the abundant dendrimer surface hydroxyl terminal groups,the developed NCs are able to cross blood-brain barrier(BBB)to exert targeted therapy of a PD mouse model through the AK123-mediated anti-inflammation for M2 polarization of microglia and FN-mediated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects,thus reducing the aggregation ofα-synuclein and restoring the contents of dopamine and tyrosine hydroxylase to normal levels in vivo.The developed dendrimer/FN NCs combine the advantages of BBB-crossing hydroxyl-terminated bioactive per se phosphorus dendrimers and FN,which is expected to be extended for the treatment of different neurodegenerative diseases.