Rechargeable Zn/Sn-air batteries have received considerable attention as promising energy storage devices.However,the electrochemical performance of these batteries is significantly constrained by the sluggish electro...Rechargeable Zn/Sn-air batteries have received considerable attention as promising energy storage devices.However,the electrochemical performance of these batteries is significantly constrained by the sluggish electrocatalytic reaction kinetics at the cathode.The integration of light energy into Zn/Sn-air batteries is a promising strategy for enhancing their performance.However,the photothermal and photoelectric effects generate heat in the battery under prolonged solar irradiation,leading to air cathode instability.This paper presents the first design and synthesis of Ni_(2)-1,5-diamino-4,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone(Ni_(2)DDA),an electronically conductiveπ-d conjugated metal-organic framework(MOF).Ni_(2)DDA exhibits both photoelectric and photothermal effects,with an optical band gap of~1.14 eV.Under illumination,Ni_(2)DDA achieves excellent oxygen evolution reaction performance(with an overpotential of 245 mV vs.reversible hydrogen electrode at 10 mA cm^(−2))and photothermal stability.These properties result from the synergy between the photoelectric and photothermal effects of Ni_(2)DDA.Upon integration into Zn/Sn-air batteries,Ni_(2)DDA ensures excellent cycling stability under light and exhibits remarkable performance in high-temperature environments up to 80℃.This study experimentally confirms the stable operation of photo-assisted Zn/Sn-air batteries under high-temperature conditions for the first time and provides novel insights into the application of electronically conductive MOFs in photoelectrocatalysis and photothermal catalysis.展开更多
Germanium(Ge)–air batteries have gained significant attention from researchers owing to their high power density and excellent safety.However,self-corrosion and surface passivation issues of Ge anode limit the develo...Germanium(Ge)–air batteries have gained significant attention from researchers owing to their high power density and excellent safety.However,self-corrosion and surface passivation issues of Ge anode limit the development of high-performance Ge–air batteries.In this study,conductive metal-organic framework(MOF)Ni_(3)(HITP)_(2) material was synthesized by the gas–liquid interface approach.The Ni_(3)(HITP)_(2) material was deposited on the surface of the Ge anode to prevent corrosion and passivation reactions inside the battery.At 16℃,the discharge time of Ge anodes protected with MOFs was extended to 59 h at 195μA cm−2,which was twice that of bare Ge anodes.The positive effect of MOFs on Ge–air batteries at high temperatures was observed for the first time.The Ge@Ni_(3)(HITP)_(2) anodes discharged over 600 h at 65.0μA cm^(−2).The experimental results confirmed that the two-dimensional conductive MOF material effectively suppressed the self-corrosion and passivation on Ge anodes.This work provides new ideas for improving the performance of batteries in extreme environments and a new strategy for anode protection in air batteries.展开更多
Germanium(Ge)-air battery,a new type of semiconductor-air battery,has garnered increasing attention owing to its environmental friendliness,safety,and excellent dynamic performance.However,the flat Ge anode is prone t...Germanium(Ge)-air battery,a new type of semiconductor-air battery,has garnered increasing attention owing to its environmental friendliness,safety,and excellent dynamic performance.However,the flat Ge anode is prone to passivation,owing to GeO_(2) accumulation on its surface,resulting in premature discharge termination.In this study,various nano-Ge pyramid structures(GePS)were prepared using chemical etching(CE)and metal-assisted chemical etching(MACE)methods to enhance the specific surface area of the Ge anode,thereby facilitating the dissolution of the passivation layer.This study revealed that the MACE method significantly accelerated the etching rate of the Ge surface,producing exceptional GePS.Furthermore,Ge-air batteries employing Ge anodes prepared using MACE demonstrated an exceptional discharge life of up to 9240 h(385 days).The peak power density reached 3.03mW/cm^(2),representing improvements of more than 2 times and 1.8 times,respectively,compared with batteries using flat Ge anodes.This study presents a straightforward approach to enhance Ge anode performance,thereby expanding the potential applications of Ge-air batteries.展开更多
Background:Alzheimer's disease(AD)is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no effective therapies.It is well known that chronic neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the onset and progression of AD.Wel...Background:Alzheimer's disease(AD)is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no effective therapies.It is well known that chronic neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the onset and progression of AD.Well-balanced neuronal-microglial interactions are essential for brain functions.However,determining the role of microglia—the primary immune cells in the brain—in neuroinflammation in AD and the associated molecular basis has been challenging.Methods:Inflammatory factors in the sera of AD patients were detected and their association with microglia activation was analyzed.The mechanism for microglial inflammation was investigated.IL6 and TNF-α were found to be significantly increased in the AD stage.Results:Our analysis revealed that microglia were extensively activated in AD cerebra,releasing sufficient amounts of cytokines to impair the neural stem cells(NSCs)function.Moreover,the ApoD-induced NLRC4 inflammasome was activated in microglia,which gave rise to the proinflammatory phenotype.Targeting the microglial ApoD promoted NSC self-renewal and inhibited neuron apoptosis.These findings demonstrate the critical role of ApoD in microglial inflammasome activation,and for the first time reveal that microglia-induced inflammation suppresses neuronal proliferation.Conclusion:Our studies establish the cellular basis for microglia activation in AD progression and shed light on cellular interactions important for AD treatment.展开更多
The dried leaves of Apocynum venetum L. （AVL） is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used as antihypertensive medicine in China. Accurate determination of its best harvest season is important for its effective and...The dried leaves of Apocynum venetum L. （AVL） is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used as antihypertensive medicine in China. Accurate determination of its best harvest season is important for its effective and safe use. In the present study, we developed a reliable method based on high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-electro spray ionization-ion trap-time of flight （HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF） mass spectrometry and HPLC-DAD for the identification and quantification of major components in AVL leaves. Quantitative analysis of 24 samples collected weekly helped monitor the changes of compounds dynamically in AVL leaves to determine the best harvest season. A total of 30 compounds were identified, including quinic acid, five phenolic acids and 24 flavonoids. For the first time, 16 compounds were selected as marker compounds and simultaneously monitored weekly instead of monthly during the growth of the plant. The results showed that in May the leaves had the highest amount of phenolic acids, flavonoids and total compounds. Therefore, May should be the best harvest season for AVL leaves, which was distinct from previous studies. The established method was validated to be simple, accurate and precise, and thus it was of great importance for determination of the best harvest season.展开更多
High-speed polarization management is highly desirable for many applications,such as remote sensing,telecommunication,and medical diagnosis.However,most of the approaches for polarization management rely on bulky opti...High-speed polarization management is highly desirable for many applications,such as remote sensing,telecommunication,and medical diagnosis.However,most of the approaches for polarization management rely on bulky optical components that are slow to respond,cumbersome to use,and sometimes with high drive voltages.Here,we overcome these limitations by harnessing photonic integrated circuits based on thin-film lithium niobate platform.We successfully realize a portfolio of thin-film lithium niobate devices for essential polarization management functionalities,including arbitrary polarization generation,fast polarization measurement,polarization scrambling,and automatic polarization control.The present devices feature ultra-fast control speeds,low drive voltages,low optical losses and compact footprints.Using these devices,we achieve high fidelity polarization generation with a polarization extinction ratio up to 41.9 dB and fast polarization scrambling with a scrambling rate up to 65 Mrad s−1,both of which are best results in integrated optics.We also demonstrate the endless polarization state tracking operation in our devices.The demonstrated devices unlock a drastically new level of performance and scales in polarization management devices,leading to a paradigm shift in polarization management.展开更多
Developing efficient approaches to building a suitable environment for humans on the moon play a key role in future long-term sustainable lunar exploration activities,which has motivated many countries to propose dive...Developing efficient approaches to building a suitable environment for humans on the moon play a key role in future long-term sustainable lunar exploration activities,which has motivated many countries to propose diverse plans to build a lunar base.The lava tubes discovered by the Kaguya mission offer huge potential sites to host such bases.Through computation and analysis,we show that lunar lava tubes offer stable structures,suitable temperatures,low radiation doses,and low meteorite impact rates.We summarize previous research results and put forward the conditions to find and use a suitable lunar lava tube for human habitation on the moon.The establishment of extraterrestrial bases still faces many technical bottlenecks;many countries have begun to use the earth’s environment for extraterrestrial exploration and simulation missions.In this regard,we proposed the idea of using the Earth’s karst caves to simulate extraterrestrial lava tubes,selected caves in Chongqing as the simulation site,and demonstrated the feasibility from both structural and environmental aspects.Finally,we proposed a karst cave simulation platform with three main research directions:cave sealing technology,efficient daylight system,and internal circulation research of artificial ecosystems containing natural soil and rock.We hope to promote the development of related research on extraterrestrial bases through simulation experiments.展开更多
We propose and demonstrate a polarization diversity two-dimensional grating coupler based on the lithium niobate on insulator platform, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The optimization design, perfor...We propose and demonstrate a polarization diversity two-dimensional grating coupler based on the lithium niobate on insulator platform, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The optimization design, performance characteristics,and fabrication tolerance of the two-dimensional grating coupler are thoroughly analyzed utilizing the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method. Experimentally,-7.2 d B of coupling efficiency is achieved with 1 d B bandwidth of64 nm. The polarization-dependent loss is about 0.4 d B around 1550 nm. Our work provides new polarization multiplexing approaches for the lithium niobate on insulator platform, paving the way for critical applications such as high-speed polarization multiplexed electro-optical modulators.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.62464010)Spring City Plan-Special Program for Young Talents(K202005007)+2 种基金Yunnan Talents Support Plan for Young Talents(XDYC-QNRC-2022-0482)Yunnan Local Colleges Applied Basic Research Projects(202101BA070001-138)Frontier Research Team of Kunming University 2023.
文摘Rechargeable Zn/Sn-air batteries have received considerable attention as promising energy storage devices.However,the electrochemical performance of these batteries is significantly constrained by the sluggish electrocatalytic reaction kinetics at the cathode.The integration of light energy into Zn/Sn-air batteries is a promising strategy for enhancing their performance.However,the photothermal and photoelectric effects generate heat in the battery under prolonged solar irradiation,leading to air cathode instability.This paper presents the first design and synthesis of Ni_(2)-1,5-diamino-4,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone(Ni_(2)DDA),an electronically conductiveπ-d conjugated metal-organic framework(MOF).Ni_(2)DDA exhibits both photoelectric and photothermal effects,with an optical band gap of~1.14 eV.Under illumination,Ni_(2)DDA achieves excellent oxygen evolution reaction performance(with an overpotential of 245 mV vs.reversible hydrogen electrode at 10 mA cm^(−2))and photothermal stability.These properties result from the synergy between the photoelectric and photothermal effects of Ni_(2)DDA.Upon integration into Zn/Sn-air batteries,Ni_(2)DDA ensures excellent cycling stability under light and exhibits remarkable performance in high-temperature environments up to 80℃.This study experimentally confirms the stable operation of photo-assisted Zn/Sn-air batteries under high-temperature conditions for the first time and provides novel insights into the application of electronically conductive MOFs in photoelectrocatalysis and photothermal catalysis.
基金National Natural Science Foundation ofChina,Grant/ Award Number: 61904073Spring City Plan-Special Program forYoung Talents,Grant/A ward Number:K202005007+2 种基金Yunnan Talents SupportPlan for Yong Talents,Grant/Award Number: XDYC-QNRC-2022-0482Yunnan Local CollegesApplied Basic Research Projects,Grant/A ward Numbers:202101BA070001-138,2018FH001-016Frontier Research Team of KunmingUniversity 2023。
文摘Germanium(Ge)–air batteries have gained significant attention from researchers owing to their high power density and excellent safety.However,self-corrosion and surface passivation issues of Ge anode limit the development of high-performance Ge–air batteries.In this study,conductive metal-organic framework(MOF)Ni_(3)(HITP)_(2) material was synthesized by the gas–liquid interface approach.The Ni_(3)(HITP)_(2) material was deposited on the surface of the Ge anode to prevent corrosion and passivation reactions inside the battery.At 16℃,the discharge time of Ge anodes protected with MOFs was extended to 59 h at 195μA cm−2,which was twice that of bare Ge anodes.The positive effect of MOFs on Ge–air batteries at high temperatures was observed for the first time.The Ge@Ni_(3)(HITP)_(2) anodes discharged over 600 h at 65.0μA cm^(−2).The experimental results confirmed that the two-dimensional conductive MOF material effectively suppressed the self-corrosion and passivation on Ge anodes.This work provides new ideas for improving the performance of batteries in extreme environments and a new strategy for anode protection in air batteries.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61904073)Spring City Plan-Special Program for Young Talents(No.K202005007)+2 种基金Yunnan Talents Support Plan for Yong Talents(No.XDYC-QNRC-2022-0482)Yunnan Local Colleges Applied Basic Research Projects(No.202101BA070001-138)Frontier Research Team of Kunming University 2023.
文摘Germanium(Ge)-air battery,a new type of semiconductor-air battery,has garnered increasing attention owing to its environmental friendliness,safety,and excellent dynamic performance.However,the flat Ge anode is prone to passivation,owing to GeO_(2) accumulation on its surface,resulting in premature discharge termination.In this study,various nano-Ge pyramid structures(GePS)were prepared using chemical etching(CE)and metal-assisted chemical etching(MACE)methods to enhance the specific surface area of the Ge anode,thereby facilitating the dissolution of the passivation layer.This study revealed that the MACE method significantly accelerated the etching rate of the Ge surface,producing exceptional GePS.Furthermore,Ge-air batteries employing Ge anodes prepared using MACE demonstrated an exceptional discharge life of up to 9240 h(385 days).The peak power density reached 3.03mW/cm^(2),representing improvements of more than 2 times and 1.8 times,respectively,compared with batteries using flat Ge anodes.This study presents a straightforward approach to enhance Ge anode performance,thereby expanding the potential applications of Ge-air batteries.
基金supported by the Guiding Science and Technology Development Grant in the Social Sector of Luoyang(2101083A)。
文摘Background:Alzheimer's disease(AD)is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no effective therapies.It is well known that chronic neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the onset and progression of AD.Well-balanced neuronal-microglial interactions are essential for brain functions.However,determining the role of microglia—the primary immune cells in the brain—in neuroinflammation in AD and the associated molecular basis has been challenging.Methods:Inflammatory factors in the sera of AD patients were detected and their association with microglia activation was analyzed.The mechanism for microglial inflammation was investigated.IL6 and TNF-α were found to be significantly increased in the AD stage.Results:Our analysis revealed that microglia were extensively activated in AD cerebra,releasing sufficient amounts of cytokines to impair the neural stem cells(NSCs)function.Moreover,the ApoD-induced NLRC4 inflammasome was activated in microglia,which gave rise to the proinflammatory phenotype.Targeting the microglial ApoD promoted NSC self-renewal and inhibited neuron apoptosis.These findings demonstrate the critical role of ApoD in microglial inflammasome activation,and for the first time reveal that microglia-induced inflammation suppresses neuronal proliferation.Conclusion:Our studies establish the cellular basis for microglia activation in AD progression and shed light on cellular interactions important for AD treatment.
基金Initiative Drug Discovery of National Science and Technology Major Project(Grant No.2014ZX09304307-001-011)
文摘The dried leaves of Apocynum venetum L. （AVL） is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used as antihypertensive medicine in China. Accurate determination of its best harvest season is important for its effective and safe use. In the present study, we developed a reliable method based on high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-electro spray ionization-ion trap-time of flight （HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF） mass spectrometry and HPLC-DAD for the identification and quantification of major components in AVL leaves. Quantitative analysis of 24 samples collected weekly helped monitor the changes of compounds dynamically in AVL leaves to determine the best harvest season. A total of 30 compounds were identified, including quinic acid, five phenolic acids and 24 flavonoids. For the first time, 16 compounds were selected as marker compounds and simultaneously monitored weekly instead of monthly during the growth of the plant. The results showed that in May the leaves had the highest amount of phenolic acids, flavonoids and total compounds. Therefore, May should be the best harvest season for AVL leaves, which was distinct from previous studies. The established method was validated to be simple, accurate and precise, and thus it was of great importance for determination of the best harvest season.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2019YFB1803900 and 2019YFA0705000)National Natural Science Foundation of China(11690031 and 11761131001)+2 种基金Key R&D Program of Guangdong Province(2018B030329001)Local Innovative and Research Teams Project of Guangdong Pearl River Talents Program(2017BT01X121)Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province(2019B121204003).
文摘High-speed polarization management is highly desirable for many applications,such as remote sensing,telecommunication,and medical diagnosis.However,most of the approaches for polarization management rely on bulky optical components that are slow to respond,cumbersome to use,and sometimes with high drive voltages.Here,we overcome these limitations by harnessing photonic integrated circuits based on thin-film lithium niobate platform.We successfully realize a portfolio of thin-film lithium niobate devices for essential polarization management functionalities,including arbitrary polarization generation,fast polarization measurement,polarization scrambling,and automatic polarization control.The present devices feature ultra-fast control speeds,low drive voltages,low optical losses and compact footprints.Using these devices,we achieve high fidelity polarization generation with a polarization extinction ratio up to 41.9 dB and fast polarization scrambling with a scrambling rate up to 65 Mrad s−1,both of which are best results in integrated optics.We also demonstrate the endless polarization state tracking operation in our devices.The demonstrated devices unlock a drastically new level of performance and scales in polarization management devices,leading to a paradigm shift in polarization management.
基金Gengxin Xie acknowledges the supports by The Third Preresearch Projects of the Civil Space Project from China National Space Administration(CNSA),“The Key Technology for the Construction of Micro-Ecospheres Adapted to the Lunar Environment”(NO.6141A020221)Ministry of Education Equipment Pre-research Joint Fund of the Ministry of Education,“The Key Technologies for the Construction and Control of Bioregenerative Life Support Systems”(NO.8091B010103).
文摘Developing efficient approaches to building a suitable environment for humans on the moon play a key role in future long-term sustainable lunar exploration activities,which has motivated many countries to propose diverse plans to build a lunar base.The lava tubes discovered by the Kaguya mission offer huge potential sites to host such bases.Through computation and analysis,we show that lunar lava tubes offer stable structures,suitable temperatures,low radiation doses,and low meteorite impact rates.We summarize previous research results and put forward the conditions to find and use a suitable lunar lava tube for human habitation on the moon.The establishment of extraterrestrial bases still faces many technical bottlenecks;many countries have begun to use the earth’s environment for extraterrestrial exploration and simulation missions.In this regard,we proposed the idea of using the Earth’s karst caves to simulate extraterrestrial lava tubes,selected caves in Chongqing as the simulation site,and demonstrated the feasibility from both structural and environmental aspects.Finally,we proposed a karst cave simulation platform with three main research directions:cave sealing technology,efficient daylight system,and internal circulation research of artificial ecosystems containing natural soil and rock.We hope to promote the development of related research on extraterrestrial bases through simulation experiments.
基金supported in part by the National Key R&D Program of China(Nos.2019YFB1803900 and 2019YFA0705000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11690031,11761131001,and 11904061)+6 种基金the Key R&D Program of Guangdong Province(No.2018B030329001)the Local Innovative and Research Teams Project of Guangdong Pearl River Talents Program(No.2017BT01X121)the Project of Key Laboratory of Radar Imaging and Microwave Photonics,Ministry of Education(No.RIMP2019003)the Innovation Fund of WNLO(No.2018WNLOKF010),the Guangzhou Science and Technology Program(No.201707010096)the Guangxi Youth and Middle Aged Ability Promotion Project(No.2019KY0126)the BaGui Scholar Programof Guangxi Province(No.02304002022C)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2020M673554XB).
文摘We propose and demonstrate a polarization diversity two-dimensional grating coupler based on the lithium niobate on insulator platform, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The optimization design, performance characteristics,and fabrication tolerance of the two-dimensional grating coupler are thoroughly analyzed utilizing the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method. Experimentally,-7.2 d B of coupling efficiency is achieved with 1 d B bandwidth of64 nm. The polarization-dependent loss is about 0.4 d B around 1550 nm. Our work provides new polarization multiplexing approaches for the lithium niobate on insulator platform, paving the way for critical applications such as high-speed polarization multiplexed electro-optical modulators.
