Search

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical step for sustainable fuel production through electrochemistry process. Maximizing active sites of nanocatalyst with enhanced intrinsic activity, especially the activation of lattice oxygen, is gradually recognized as the primary incentive. Since the surface reconfiguration to oxyhydroxide is unavoidable for oxygen-activated transition metal oxides, developing a surface termination like oxyhydroxide in oxides is highly desirable. In this work, we demonstrate an unusual surface termination of (111)-facet Co3O4 nanosheet that is exclusively containing edge-sharing octahedral Co3+ similar to CoOOH that can perform at approximately 40 times higher current density at 1.63 V (vs RHE) than commercial RuO2. It is found that this surface termination has an oxidized oxygen state in contrast to standard Co-O systems, which can serve as active site independently, breaking the scaling relationship limit. This work forwards the applications of oxide electrocatalysts in the energy conversion field by surface termination engineering.

As the aging population continues to increase, aging-related inflammation, oxidative stress, and neurodegenerative diseases have become serious global health threats. Resveratrol, a star molecule in natural polyphenols, has been widely reported to have physiological activities such as anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotection. However, its poor water solubility, rapid metabolism, low bioavailability and poor targeting ability, which limits its application. Accordingly, a brain-targeted resveratrol liposome (ANG-RES-LIP) was developed to solve these issues. Experimental results showed that ANG-RES-LIP has a uniform size distribution, good biocompatibility, and a drug encapsulation rate of over 90%. Furthermore, in vitro cell experiments showed that the modification of the targeting ligand ANG significantly increased the capability of RES to cross the BBB and neuronal uptake. Compared with free RES, ANG-RES-LIP demonstrated stronger antioxidant activity and the ability to rescue oxidatively damaged cells from apoptosis. Additionally, ANG-RES-LIP showed the ability to repair damaged neuronal mitochondrial membrane potential. In vivo experiments further demonstrated that ANG-RES-LIP improved cognitive function by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation levels in the brains of aging model mice, repairing damaged neurons and glial cells, and increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor. In summary, this study not only provides a new method for further development and application of resveratrol but also a promising strategy for preventing and treating age-related neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water splitting is the most important process for making green hydrogen. The positive effects of ferroelectric polarization in various kinds of water splitting are well recognized, but the study of electrocatalytic water splitting is still in its infancy. Herein, a family of intrinsic ferroelectrics with a flexible tetragonal tungsten bronze structure is chosen to accommodate oxygen evolution reaction (OER) active sites together with its freedom for tuning the ferroelectric polarization. It is found that the OER performance is positively correlated with the ferroelectric polarization, with a significant reduction in the overpotential of ≈40 mV at 10 mA cm−2, coming from two trade‐off effects, i.e., enhancement of the surface adsorption and band tilting for fast electron transfer. This study not only fills the gap between electrocatalytic water splitting and the band structure but also proposes ferroelectric polarization as a powerful tool to enhance water splitting for clean hydrogen in several ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the drug treatment regimen for patients with heart failure complicated with hyperuricemia. Methods: Clinical pharmacists participated in the drug treatment of the patients with heart failure complicated with hyperuricemia, and related literature was reviewed and analyzed. Results and Conclusion: There were interactions between heart failure and hyperuricemia. The choice of right drugs could be more beneficial to patients. In the treatment of hyperuricemia,various non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs had different effects on pain relief and cardiovascular system. Allopurinol could reduce the incidence of cardiovascular adverse events. Rational choice of drugs for the treatment of heart failure could reduce the level of uric acid, and subsequently reduce the impact of high uric acid on cardiovascular system and the rate of such adverse events as gout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel phase of nano materials that break the traditional structural constraints are highly desirable, particularly in the field of mechanocatalysis, offering versatile applications ranging from energy to medical diagnosis and treatment. In this work, a distinct layered barium dititanate (BaTi 2 O 5 ) nanocrystals using a pH-modulated hydrothermal method is successfully synthesized. These nanocrystals exhibit outstanding hydrogen generation capability (1160 µmol g -1  h -1 in pure water) and demonstrate remarkable performance in organic dye degradation using ultrasonication. The crystal structure of this newly discovered BaTi 2 O 5 phase, is determined by a combination of synchrotron Powder Diffraction refinement and X-ray adsorption techniques, including X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS). Density Functional Theory calculations revealed that the newly-discovered BaTi 2 O 5 phase demonstrates dipole moments along the z-axis, distributed in an antiparallel direction within a single unit cell. These inherent dipoles induce a surface polarization and a ferroelectric-flexoelectric response under mechanical stimuli when the materials go to nano dimension. With a band alignment well-suitable for hydrogen and reactive oxygen species generation, this BaTi 2 O 5 phase demonstrates promising potential for Mechanocatalysis. The discovery of this distinct phase not only enriches the material candidates for mechanocatalysis but also provides valuable insights., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)