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This work demonstrated the development of a hierarchical porous carbon–carbon composite used as an electrode material for capacitive deionization. The novel core–shell composite consisting of carbon nanofibers and N-rich porous carbon nanosheets (CNFZIF) was obtained by in situ growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanosheets on electrospun nanofibers. By tailoring the composition and porosity of CNFZIF, ion transport and adsorption in the composite were tuned to achieve a large desalination capacity and a high desalination rate. Thanks to the synergistic effect of its N-rich carbon surface, high hydrophilicity, large specific surface area and unique hierarchical porous structure, the engineered CNFZIF sample exhibited an excellent capacitive deionization performance with a maximum desalination capacity of up to 50.88 mg g−1 for NaCl solution and a high capacity retention rate of 97% after 30 cycles. Remarkably, CNFZIF also demonstrated high desalination capacities of 27.19 mg g−1, 25.35 mg g−1 and 20.46 mg g−1 for CaCl2, MgCl2, and KCl solutions, respectively. This work provided a new route for the design of advanced electrode materials, and therefore represents a major step forward in the development of electrodes for capacitive deionization applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intriguing catalytic properties of cerium-based materials have motivated the development of Ce-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). However, the controlled crystallization of Ce MOFs remains nascent due to complications with the high reduction potential of Ce4+ species. Modulators offer a route in other well-studied coordination networks to slow down crystallization processes to allow for corrective, uniform crystal growth. Herein, we report an investigation of modulator identity and concentration on the synthesis of a Ce-UiO-type MOF with 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (NDC) as a linker. At low concentrations using both benzoic acid and trifluoroacetic acid, we observed a mononuclear Ce3+ MOF (NU-350) through single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Higher modulator concentrations yielded pure-phase Ce-UiO-NDC, with uniform particle sizes observed with utilizing benzoic acid as a modulator. Moreover, we demonstrated the transferability of this synthesis through the pure-phase synthesis of Ce-UiO-66 with benzoic acid as a modulator. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed a single crystalline domain within Ce-UiO-NDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isoreticular synthesis is a powerful tool to enhance specific attributes of a metal–organic framework (MOF). While the isoreticular expansion of MOF structure are prevalent in the literature, the compression of a topology holds great promise for separations due to the contracted pore apertures and/or cavities. Herein, we report the synthesis, characterization and Xe/Kr separation capability of a new Zr-based MOF, NU-1106, connected by the tetratopic linker 1,3,6,8-pyrene tetracarboxylate, which exhibits a compressed ftw topology compared to the extended ones reported previously. NU-1106 showed selective uptake of Xenon over Krypton, providing the potential for use for separations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the clinical efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy strategies against breast cancer is limited, and low response rates need to be improved. Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the sensitization process of immunotherapy. As a natural dietary supplement, fucoidan has been reported to have immunomodulatory effects, while some studies have found that oral fucoidan may act as a potential prebiotic to modulate the gut microbiota. Therefore, this study investigated whether fucoidan could enhance the effects of anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody antitumor immunotherapy by modulating gut microbiota and its metabolites. We found that the anti-tumor effect of the combination treatment was significantly enhanced, while fucoidan significantly improved the composition of the gut microbiota by increasing the number of potentially beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium , Faecalibaculum and Lactobacillus . Interference with the gut microbiota by antibiotics revealed impaired antitumor efficacy, confirming the necessity of gut microbiota in the antitumor effects of fucoidan in vivo . Metabolomics further revealed that fucoidan may have reversed the metabolic disturbances induced by the breast cancer model through tryptophan metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways, with the most significant increase in the content of short-chain fatty acids, especially acetic and butyric acids. These modulations improved the function of effector T cells and suppressed Treg cell production. Thus, our findings suggest that fucoidan combined with the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody may be a novel strategy to sensitize breast cancer patients to anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody immunotherapy. Meanwhile, the gut microbiota might serve as a new biomarker to predict the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody response to breast cancer immunotherapy.

Isoreticular synthesis is a powerful tool to enhance specific attributes of a metal-organic framework (MOF). While the isoreticular expansion of MOF structure are prevalent in the literature, the compression of a topology holds great promise for separations due to the contracted pore apertures and/or cavities. Herein, we report the synthesis, characterization and Xe/Kr separation capability of a new Zr-based MOF, NU-1106, connected by the tetratopic linker 1,3,6,8-pyrene tetracarboxylate, which exhibits a compressed ftw topology compared to the extended ones reported previously. NU-1106 showed selective uptake of Xenon over Krypton, providing the potential for use for separations.