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Rare-earth elements (REEs) in industrial wastewaters have great value for recycling and reuse, but their characteristic of low concentration poses a challenge to an efficient enrichment from wastewaters. In recent years, thiometallates featuring two-dimensional layers have shown great potential in the enrichment of REEs via the ion-exchange process. However, investigations on thiometallates featuring three-dimensional anionic frameworks for the recovery of REEs have not been reported. Herein, K2Sn2S5(KTS-2), a thiostannate possessing a three-dimensional porous framework, was chosen as an ion-exchange material for capturing REEs from an aqueous solution. Indeed, KTS-2 exhibited excellent ion-exchange performance for all 16 REEs (except Pm). Specifically, KTS-2 displayed a high capture capacity (232.7 ± 7.8 mg/g) and a short equilibrium time (within 10 min) for Yb3+ions. In addition, KTS-2 had a high distribution coefficient for Yb3+ions (Kd> 105mL/g) in the presence of excessive interfering ions. Impressively, KTS-2 could reach removal rates of above 95% for all 16 REEs in a large quantity of wastewater with low initial concentration (∼7 mg/L). Moreover, KTS-2 could be used as an eco-friendly material for ion exchange of REEs, since the released K+cations would not cause secondary pollution to the water solution.

Thiol–amine solvent mixtures have been widely applied in the solution processing of binary chalcogenide thin films due to their excellent ability to dissolve various bulk binary chalcogenides. However, application of this solvent system in preparing new crystalline chalcogenidometalates has not been explored. In this work, by using a thiol–amine solvent mixture of n-butylamine (BA) and 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT) as the reaction medium and protonated piperazine (pip) cation as the template, we synthesized a series of new chalcogenidoarsenates with structures ranging from discrete clusters to two-dimensional layers, namely, [pipH2][pipH][AsS4] (1), [pipH2][pipH][As(Se0.4S0.6)4] (2), [pipH2]2[pipH]2[In2AsIII2AsV2S13.3(S2)0.7] (3), [pipH2]2[pipH]2[In2AsIII2AsV2S10.2Se3.1(Se2)0.7] (4), [pipH2]0.5[AsS(S2)] (5), [pipH2]0.5[AsS2] (6), [pipH]2[AgAsS4] (7), [pipH2]1.5[GaAsIIIAsVS7] (8), and Cs2[pipH]2[InAs6S12]Cl (9). Particularly, compounds 3, 4, and 8contain mixed-valent AsIIIand AsVions in their discrete clusters and one-dimensional chain. In addition, compound 5could thermodynamically transform to compound 6with increasing reaction temperature, which may be attributed to the thermodynamically unstable S–S species in the chains of 5. The BA–EDT solvent mixture was crucial to the synthesis of these compounds, since no title crystals can be prepared by replacing the BA–EDT solvent mixture with other conventional solvents or removing one component of the BA–EDT solvent mixture from the reaction system. Our research demonstrates that thiol–amine solvent systems could be promising reaction media for growing novel crystalline chalcogenidometalates.

Inorganic metal sulfides have received extensive investigation as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, applications of crystalline organic hybrid metal sulfides as anode materials in LIBs are quite rare. In addition, combining the nanoparticles of crystalline organic hybrid metal sulfides with conductive materials is expected to enhance the electrochemical lithium storage performance. Nevertheless, due to the difficulty of harvesting the nanoparticles of crystalline organic hybrid metal sulfides, this approach has never been tried to date. Herein, nanoparticles of a crystalline organic hybrid cadmium antimony sulfide (1,4-DABH2)Cd2Sb2S6(DCAS) were prepared by a top-down method, including the procedures of solvothermal synthesis, ball milling, and ultrasonic pulverization. Thereafter, the nanoparticles of DCAS with sizes of ∼500 nm were intercalated into graphene oxide nanosheets through a freeze-drying treatment and a DCAS@GO composite was obtained. Compared with the reported Sb2S3- and CdS-based composites, the DCAS@GO composite exhibited superior electrochemical Li+ion storage performance, including a high capacity of 1075.6 mAh g–1at 100 mA g–1and exceptional rate tolerances (646.8 mAh g–1at 5000 mA g–1). In addition, DCAS@GO can provide a high capacity of 705.6 mAh g–1after 500 cycles at 1000 mA g–1. Our research offers a viable approach for preparing the nanoparticles of crystalline organic hybrid metal sulfides and proves that intercalating organic hybrid metal sulfide nanoparticles into GO nanosheets can efficiently boost the electrochemical Li+ion storage performance.

Carbon-coated metal chalcogenide composites have been demonstrated as one type of promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, combining carbon materials with micronanoparticles of metal chalcogenide always involve complicated processes, such as polymer coating, carbonization, and sulfidation/selenization. To address this issue, herein, we reported a series of carbon-coated FexSey@CN (FexSey= FeSe2, Fe3Se4, Fe7Se8) composites prepared via the thermodynamic transformation of a crystalline organic hybrid iron selenide [Fe(phen)2](Se4) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline). By pyrolyzing the bulk crystals of [Fe(phen)2](Se4) at different temperatures, FexSeymicrorods were formed in situ, where the nitrogen-doped carbon layers were coated on the surface of the microrods. Moreover, all the as-prepared FexSey@CN composites exhibited excellent sodium-ion storage capabilities as anode materials in SIBs. This work proves that crystalline organic hybrid metal chalcogenides can be used as a novel material system for the in situ formation of carbon-coated metal chalcogenide composites, which could have great potential in the application of electrochemical energy storage.

Sodium-ion batteries suffer the disadvantages of poor rate performance and cycling stability due to its sluggish sodiation kinetics. A rational design strategy for both materials compositions and structures has been proposed to meet these challenges. Herein, a triple-component composite derived from metal–organic frameworks, comprising FeS2, nitrogen–sulfur co-doped porous carbon, and reduced graphene oxide (FeS2@NSC/G), has been successfully synthesized. With the capacities contributions from different sodium storage routes (diffusion-controlled processes and surface capacitive processes) at varies rate conditions, it is aiming to make full use of each component in the electrode composite and their unique porous structures. Expected electrode properties have been achieved and related electrochemical behaviors have also been investigated. The strategy would present a promising thought for composites design, which could enhance high-rate electrochemical energy storage performances.

To evaluate the effect of acupuncture therapy on the side effect of Etomidate anesthesia and to determine the best timing of acupuncture intervention during Etomidate anesthesia. Female patients with rectal cancer scheduled to receive radical resection were randomly divided into four groups: a control group (group I), a preoperative acupuncture group (group II), an intraoperative acupuncture group (group III), and a postoperative acupuncture group (group IV), 25 subjects in each group. The levels of serum cortisol, blood glucose, and gastrin of patients were monitored at the following time-points: preoperative (T0, when having entered the operating room), intraoperative (T1, 30 min after skin cutting), the end of operation (T2, after suturing skin), and postoperative (T3, postoperative 24 h). The cases with massive hemorrhage, unsteady vital sign during operation or operation time longer than 5 h were eliminated, and 92 cases were enrolled into the results of the study. The blood sugar in the four groups increased significantly at T2 and T3, compared to T0 (P<0.05); the blood sugar reached 8.78±1,57) mmol/L at T2 in group, and the increase was statistically significant compared to those of the other groups (P<0.05). The levels of serum cortisol of all patients were in normal range. Compare to T0, the cortisol level decreased in group I, III, IV at each point, and the decreases were statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared to the other groups, the cortisol level was increased at T1 and T3 in group II, and the change was statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared to T0, the gastrin level at T3 increased in group I, III and IV, but decreased in group II, and the changes had statistical significance (P<0.05). Compared to the other groups, the decrease of gastrin level in group II at T3 was statistically significant (P<0.05). Acupuncture before operation can keep blood sugar and serum cortisol steady during Etomidate anesthesia and reduce gastrin after Etomidate anesthesia, hence regulating the Etomidate-related stress responses effectively.

In this Article, we present a facile microwave-assisted synthesis route for the preparation of water-soluble and high-quality CuInS2/ZnS nanocrystals (NCs) with glutathione as the stabilizer. The as-prepared CuInS2/ZnS NCs exhibited small particle sizes (∼3.3 nm), long photoluminescence lifetimes, and color-tunable properties ranging from the visible to the near-infrared by varying the initial ratio of Cu/In in the precursors. The low-toxicity, highly luminescent and biocompatible CuInS2/ZnS NCs were applied to cell imaging, showing that they could be used as promising fluorescent probes. Furthermore, the CuInS2/ZnS NCs were used as the signal labels for a fluoroimmunoassay of the biomarker IL-6, showing their great potential for use as reliable point-of-care diagnostics for biomarkers of cancer and other diseases.

The research concentrates on the preparation of the Nontoxic multi-color fluorescent substance. Fluorescent substance in biology exists two major shortcomings, one is that they are toxic and the other is that they are relatively monotonous, only emitting light of a single color. In response to this situation, we propose a new preparation method of multi-color, non-toxic fluorescent substance and study its fluorescence characteristics.

A series of novel organically templated germanium antimony sulfides have been solvothermally synthesized and structurally, thermally, and optically characterized. The compound [Me2NH2]6[(Ge2Sb2S7)(Ge4S10)] (1) features two distinct tetranuclear [Ge2Sb2S7]2−and [Ge4S10]4−isolated clusters. The compound [(Me)2NH2][DabcoH]2[Ge2Sb3S10] (2) (Dabco=triethylenediamine) features a 1D‐[Ge2Sb3S10]n3n−ribbon constructed with two [GeSbS5]n3n−chains bridged by Sb3+ion in ψ‐SbS4configuration. Compounds [M(en)3][GeSb2S6] (M=Ni (3), Co (4) en=ethylenediamine) feature the unique 2D grid layer structures of [GeSb2S6]n2n−. The compound [(Me)2NH2]2[GeSb2S6] (5) previously reported by us features a 3D chiral microporous structure with the chiral channels. The optical absorption spectra indicate that all the compounds are wide bandgap semiconductors. Thermal stabilities of these compounds have been investigated by thermogravimetric analyses (TGA).

This paper aims to present the configuration design approach and the energy management strategy (EMS) of a series-parallel hybrid electric transit bus (SPHEB) jointly developed by Shanghai Automotive Industry Co. Ltd. (SAIC) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), China. A major feature of this SPHEB is that a novel manual transmission is designed to switch the powertrain configuration between series and parallel types. To reduce the fuel consumption as well as sustain the battery state of charge, an EMS including seven energy flow modes is designed and applied to this SPHEB. Governed by this EMS, the engine is maintained to operate in high efficiency regions. The experimental test carried on the transit bus city driving cycle is described and analyzed. The experimental results demonstrate the technical feasibility and fuel economy of this approach.

Imidazolium-based ionic liquids have been widely applied in the synthesis of organic hybrid chalcogenidometalates, while the other types of ionic liquids are rarely tried. Reported here is the first application of a pyridinium-based ionic liquid in the preparation of two main-group heterometallic selenides featuring isomorphic three-dimensional frameworks. Of particular interest is that three gallium–tin selenides possessing another type of three-dimensional framework have been prepared by replacing the pyridinium-based ionic liquid with imidalolium-based ionic liquids under the same reaction conditions.

The structures of the novel title compound (II) (triclinic, space group P$\bar 1$, Z = 2), (III) (monoclinic, C2, Z = 2) and (V) and (VII) (orthorhombic, Pbca, Z = 8) are determined by single crystal XRD.