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Prenylated flavonol glycosides in Epimedium plants, as key medicinal components, are known to have great pharmaceutical activities for human health. Among the main prenylated flavonol glycosides, the modification mechanism of different sugar moieties is still not well understood. In the current study, a novel prenylated flavonol rhamnoside xylosyltransferase gene (EpF3R2″XylT) was cloned from E. pubescens, and the enzymatic activity of its decoding proteins was examined in vitro with different prenylated flavonol rhamnoside substrates and different 3-O-monosaccharide moieties. Furthermore, the functional and structural domains of EpF3R2″XylT were analyzed by bioinformatic approaches and 3-D protein structure remodeling. In summary, EpF3R2″XylT was shown to cluster with GGT (glycosyltransferase that glycosylates sugar moieties of glycosides) through phylogenetic analysis. In enzymatic analysis, EpF3R2″XylT was proven to transfer xylose moiety from UDP-xylose to prenylated flavonol rhamnoside at the 2″-OH position of rhamnose. The analysis of enzymatic kinetics showed that EpF3R2″XylT had the highest substrate affinity toward icariin with the lowest Km value of 75.96 ± 11.91 mM. Transient expression of EpF3R2″XylT in tobacco leaf showed functional production of EpF3R2″XylT proteins in planta. EpF3R2″XylT was preferably expressed in the leaves of E. pubescens, which is consistent with the accumulation levels of major prenylflavonol 3-O-triglycoside. The discovery of EpF3R2″XylT will provide an economical and efficient alternative way to produce prenylated flavonol trisaccharides through the biosynthetic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-level porous material based on additive manufacturing, is a potentially disruptive material across multiple industries, including medical implants, thermal insulation and filtration. In this study, we propose a novel approach to fabricate materials with controllable pores via digital light processing (DLP) and decomposition of Al(OH) 3. DLP can be used to fabricate macro pores bigger than 300 μm. And the decomposition of Al(OH) 3 can result in micro pores of about 1 μm inside the scaffolds. The process parameters of curing, debinding and sintering temperature (1100−1500 ℃) of ceramic scaffolds with containing proportion of Al(OH) 3 (0−60 wt.%) were examined. The results indicated multi-level porous ceramic scaffold has controllable porosity and pore size distribution and meets the requirement of implant strength. Biological test show that ceramic scaffolds with multi-level pores promoted osteoblast proliferation and adhesion. The multi-level porous ceramic scaffolds prepared by DLP and decomposition of Al(OH) 3 have great prospects for the application in bone implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large‐scale production of hydrogen from water‐alkali electrolyzers is impeded by the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts. The hybridization of an acid‐active HER catalyst with a cocatalyst at the nanoscale helps boost HER kinetics in alkaline media. Here, it is demonstrated that 1T–MoS2 nanosheet edges (instead of basal planes) decorated by metal hydroxides form highly active edge1T‐MoS2/edgeNi(OH)2 heterostructures, which significantly enhance HER performance in alkaline media. Featured with rich edge1T‐MoS2/edgeNi(OH)2 sites, the fabricated 1T–MoS2 QS/Ni(OH)2 hybrid (quantum sized 1T–MoS2 sheets decorated with Ni(OH)2 via interface engineering) only requires overpotentials of 57 and 112 mV to drive HER current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively, and has a low Tafel slope of 30 mV dec−1 in 1 m KOH. So far, this is the best performance for MoS2‐based electrocatalysts and the 1T–MoS2 QS/Ni(OH)2 hybrid is among the best‐performing non‐Pt alkaline HER electrocatalysts known. The HER process is durable for 100 h at current densities up to 500 mA cm−2. This work not only provides an active, cost‐effective, and robust alkaline HER electrocatalyst, but also demonstrates a design strategy for preparing high‐performance catalysts based on edge‐rich 2D quantum sheets for other catalytic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The waste heat recovery (HR) systems are employed to increase the overall thermal efficiency of electric generation units (EGUs). Although the emission factors (in terms of gram of pollutants per unit of thermal energy consumed or electric energy generated) generally decreases after installing HR systems, the emission rates in terms of grams of pollutants per unit of time remain unchanged. However, HR systems reduce stack exit temperature, resulting in lower effective emission heights, which lead to higher near-source ground level concentrations (GLCs) of air pollutants. In order to comprehensively evaluate the near-source air quality impact from deploying HR systems, we proposed a new modeling framework by integrating a computationally efficient Gaussian-based dispersion model (AERMOD) and a (relatively) more accurate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. As a demonstration of the proposed framework, we investigated the HR impact on NO x concentrations near a simple cycle gas turbine located in Brentwood, NY. Specifically, we applied the AERMOD modeling system to screen the hourly GLCs over five years, and highest values (and the corresponding hours) were shown to cluster into two main meteorological conditions: the stable atmospheric boundary layer with relatively high wind speed (Stable, HW) and the unstable atmospheric boundary layer with relatively low wind speed (Unstable, LW). These two conditions were further simulated using a CFD model that have been extensively evaluated previously for detailed analysis. By setting different stack exit temperatures, the near-source air quality impact of different waste heat conversion rates was evaluated. We introduced a concept called the heat recovery amplified factor (HRAF), defined as the ratio between the maximum GLC with HR system and that without HR system, as an indicator of HR impact. HRAF was shown to be much more sensitive to temperature in the Unstable, LW condition than in the Stable, HW condition. Although the results were limited to a specific simple cycle gas turbine, the proposed modeling framework and HRAF can be used for evaluating the HR systems impact for other emission sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Butterfly wing skeleton is a widely used hard-template in recent years for fabricating photonic crystal structures. However, the smallest construction units for the most species of butterflies are commonly larger than ∼50nm, which greatly hinders their applications in designing much smaller functional parts down to real “nano scale”. This work indicates, however, that hollow ZrO2 nanowires with ∼2.4μm in length, ∼35nm in diameter and ∼12nm in wall thickness can be synthesized via the selection of suitable butterfly bio-templates followed by heat processing. Especially, the successful fabrication of these naturally cross-linked ZrO2 nanotubes suggests a new optional approach in fabricating assembled nano systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The microstructure and interface of B4C particulate reinforced 2024 aluminum alloy matrix composites produced by mechanical alloying and hot extrusion were investigated. The results showed that the B4C particles could be dispersed into based alloy uniformly by high-energy milling technique. The twin structure of B4C particle was detected frequently in this experiment. A refined microstructure of matrix was obtained with size of sub-grains about 400nm. EDX, TEM and SAD analysis indicated that the MgO particles were formed near the interface during fabrication. The temperature increment during high-energy milling was attributed to the formation of B2O3 which promoting generation of MgO particles during hot consolidation processing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we show that if and only if the commutator of the multiplication operator by b and the singular integral operator T is bounded from to , where , and . Also we will obtain that if and only if the commutator of the multiplication operator by b and the fractional integral operator is bounded from to , where , and with . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Resolving spatial variability in ambient air pollutant and quantifying contributing factors are critical to human exposure assessment and effective pollution control. Data-driven techniques have been employed in air quality modeling due to their capability to capture the complex relationships in data as well as for the benefit of fast and easy implementation. In this study, we addressed two issues on model evaluation and interpretability by applying two common data-driven approaches, linear regression (LR) and random forest (RF) with potentially predictive land-use predictor variables to predict spatial variations of air pollution in an urban setting. The data came from the measurement of ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) concentrations in the Greater Vancouver Regional District in Canada. First, we showed that the model performance was sensitive to the division of training and test sets. Applying a limited number of hold-out validations or cross-validations and reporting the mean model metrics cannot capture the variability and fairly evaluate the model performance. We proposed repeated cross-validations (RCVs) as a reliable evaluation method that accounts for both mean and variance. Second, there is not a consistent approach to measure the importance of predictor variables and quantify their contributions among different types of data-driven models. Traditional approaches only reflect the relative importance among predictor variables in terms of predictive power without a quantification of contribution to the model output. We proposed to apply SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), a Shapley-value-based explanation method based on the coalitional game theory, as a unifying framework to interpret and compare different types of data-driven methods. We showed that SHAP is capable of 1) calculating predictor variable's contribution to each data point; 2) ranking the importance of predictor variables in terms of their contributions to the model output. The results indicated that different models may favor different predictor variables and result in different interpretability. • Data-driven model performance is sensitive to the division of training and test sets. • Recommend applying Repeated Cross-Validations (RCVs) for model evaluation. • Applied SHAP to quantify contributing factors in data-driven air quality modeling. • SHAP can serve as a unifying framework to interpret and compare different models. • Different data-driven models may result in different model interpretability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Across NYS, a wealth of low-value land exists to support utility-scale solar PV. • Solar generation can reduce summer peak demand by up to 9.6% in certain regions in New York. • Regional ramping requirements may increase by up to 151% during sunny winter days. • PV performance during system peak should be retained in capacity valuation of solar. Rapidly growing utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) holds promise for addressing the energy and environmental challenges posed by high electricity demand days (HEDDs). We assessed the implications on strategic planning of future solar development in an emerging solar market, New York State (NYS) in the U.S., by synthesizing information on electrical infrastructure, tax assessment, geographical constraints and measured meteorological data. Considering three solar PV penetration scenarios (4500 MW, 6000 MW, and 9000 MW), we examined the impact of distributed utility-scale solar farms on peak demand reduction and ramping requirements during historical peak events. Our results reiterate that, across NYS, a wealth of low-value land exists to support utility-scale solar PV and that generation from these resources can reduce peak demand by up to 9.6% under the 9000 MW scenario. In addition, peak demand reduction displays locational and temporal dependency. Contingent upon local meteorology, a solar farm can reduce demand during the peak hour by anywhere between 10 and 74% of its rated capacity during summer HEDDs. However, the highest ramping requirements are more likely to occur during winter than summer. Furthermore, because developers cannot predict performance during the annual system peak, current capacity valuation methodologies for solar projects may not be adequate to promote a healthy competitive market for solar. Incorporating a broader spectrum of peak demand conditions into variable resource capacity valuation would improve strategic planning, not only in NYS, but across growing solar markets worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood smoke contains large quantities of carbonaceous aerosols known to increase climate forcing and be detrimental to human health. This paper reports the findings from our ambient sampling of fresh residential wood combustion (RWC) plumes in two heating seasons (2015–2016, 2016–2017) in Upstate New York. An Aethalometer (AE33) and a pDR-1500 were employed to monitor residential wood smoke plumes in Ithaca, NY through a hybrid mobile-stationary method. Fresh wood smoke plumes were captured and characterized at 13 different RWC sources in the city, all without significant influence from other combustion sources or atmospheric aging. Wood smoke absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) was estimated using both a one-component model, AAEWB, and a two-component model, AAEBrC (assuming AAEBC = 1.0). Consistent with the recent laboratory studies, our results show that AAEs were highly variable for residential wood smoke for the same source and across different sources, with AAEWB values ranging from 1.3 to 5.0 and AAEBrC values ranging from 2.2 to 7.4. This finding challenges the use of using a single AAE wood smoke value within the range of 1 to 2.5 for source apportionment studies. Furthermore, the PM2.5/BC ratio measured using optical instruments was demonstrated to be potentially useful to characterize burning conditions. Different wood smoke sources can be distinguished by their PM2.5/BC ratio, which range between 15 and 150. This shows promise as an in-situ, cost-effective, ambient sampling-based method to characterize wood burning conditions. Implications: There are two main implications from this paper. First, the large variability in wood smoke absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) values revealed from our real-world, ambient sampling of residential wood combustion plumes indicated that it is not appropriate to use a single AAE wood smoke value for source apportionment studies. Second, the PM2.5/BC ratio has been shown to serve as a promising in-situ, cost-effective, ambient sampling-based indicator to characterize wood burning conditions. This has the potential to greatly reduce the costs of insitu wood smoke surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower-like α-Co(OH) 2 nanosheets are in-situ grown on the surface of activated carbon supports for supercapacitors via a facile and cost-effective microwave-assisted method. The existence of carbon supports facilitates the dispersion of pseudocapacitive Co(OH) 2 nanosheets and also provides appropriate pathways for charges while charging and discharging. The obtained hybrid architectures can provide a high specific capacitance up to 345 F g −1 at 0.1 A g −1 , and still retain 284 F g −1 at a current density as high as 5 A g −1 . In addition, benefited from the stable hybrid nanostructures, an excellent electrochemical stability is achieved with an only 16% capacitance degradation after 15,000 charge-discharge cycles at a high current density of 5 A g −1 . The impressive electrochemical performance is ascribed to the synergistic effect of porous carbon substrates and pseudocapacitive Co(OH) 2 nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through billions of years of evolution, nature has created biological materials with remarkable properties. Studying these biological materials can guide the design and fabrication of bio-inspired materials. Many of the complex natural architectures, such as shells, bones, and honeycombs, have been studied to imitate the design and fabrication of materials with improved hardness and stiffness. Recently, an increasing number of researchers have investigated the wings of lepidopterans (butterflies and moths) because these structures may exhibit dazzling colors. Based on previous studies, these iridescent colors are attributable to periodic structures on the scales that constitute the wing surfaces. These complex and diverse structures have recently become a focus of multidisciplinary research due to their promising applications in the display of structural colors, advanced sensors, and solar cells. This review provides a broad overview of the research into these wings, particularly the microstructures in the wing scales. This review investigates the following three fields: structural characterization and optical property analysis of lepidopteran wings, modeling and simulation of the optical properties and microstructure, and the fabrication of artificial structures inspired by these wings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Preparation of low-cost, eco-friendly, efficient porous hard carbons (PHC) electrodes and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). • A comparative study between conventional activation and one-step sonochemical activation. • Physiochemical adsorption of Na+ ions on surface sites/functional groups, and intercalation into graphitic layers. • PHC-1 exhibited the highest specific capacity, excellent rate capability, and superior cycle stability with good retention. • Dependence of the low-voltage plateau region's capacity on graphitization and that of the high-voltage slope on porosity. A facile one-step sonochemical activation method is utilized to fabricate biomass-derived 3D porous hard carbon (PHC-1) with tuned-surface and is compared with the conventional two-step activation method. As raw biomass offers good KOH impregnation, ultrasonication power diffuses both K+ and OH– ions deep into its interior, creating various nanopores and attaching copious functional groups. In contrast, conventional activation lacks these features under the same carbonization/activation parameters. The high porosity (1599 m2/g), rich functional groups (O = 8.10%, N = 0.95%), and well-connected nanoporous network resulting from sonochemical activation, remarkably increased specific capacity, surface wettability, and electrode stability, consequently improved electrochemical performance. Benefiting from its suitable microstructure, PHC-1 possesses superior specific capacity (330 mAh/g at 20 mA/g), good capacity retention (89.5%), and excellent structural stability over 500 sodiation/desodiation cycles at high current density (1000 mA/g). Apart from modus operandi comparison, the two activation methods also provide mechanistic insights as the low-voltage plateau region and graphitic layers decrease simultaneously. This work suggests a scalable and economical approach for synthesizing large-scale activated porous carbons that are used in various applications, be it energy storage, water purification, or gas storage, to name a few. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ultrathin graphitic nanostructures are grown inside solid activated carbon particles by catalytic graphitization method with the aid of Ni. The graphitic nanostructures consist of 3–8 graphitic layers, forming a highly conductive network on the surface of disordered carbon frameworks. Owing to the ultrathin characteristic of the produced graphitic nanostructures, the resulted porous graphitic carbons show a high specific surface area up to 1622m2/g. A detailed investigation reveals that the features of the growing graphitic nanostructures are strongly associated with the catalytic temperature as well as the state of Ni nanoparticles. Some well-dispersed fine Ni particles with diameter below 15nm are found to be the key to form the ultrathin graphitic nanostructures at appropriate catalytic temperature. Also, a novel mechanism is proposed for the catalytic formation of the ultrathin graphitic nanostructures. As the electrode material of electrochemical capacitors, the porous graphitic carbon exhibits much higher high-rate capacitive performance compared to its activated carbon precursor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Biomorphic Al2O3 fibers have successfully been prepared using natural fibers of cotton as bio-templates. Cotton fibers are infiltrated with AlCl3 solution and subsequently sintered in air at high temperatures to produce the final Al2O3 fibers. The synthesized fibers faithfully retain the fibrous cotton morphologies, with the complete removal of the cotton body. The sintering temperatures adopted exhibit great effects on the surface pore-size distribution for the prepared Al2O3 fibers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Developing interfacial connections is one of the breakthrough strategies to improve the photocatalytic activity. Herein, ZnBi 2 O 4 nanoparticles-ZnO nanorods heterojunction was successfully synthesized and used, as a dual-function photocatalyst, for photocatalytic degradation of Bisphenol A and hydrogen production with improved photocatalytic activity under simulated sunlight irradiation. The highest H 2 production (3.44 mmol g−1 h−1) was obtained for ZnO-20 wt% ZnBi 2 O 4 sample, which is around 12.7 times higher than pure ZnO. According to the HRTEM result, the intimate interfacial connections are formed between ZnO and ZnBi 2 O 4 which could act as trapping centers for charge carriers and results in the boosted photocatalytic activity. Further, a high aspect ratio of 1D ZnO nanorods and small size of 0D ZnBi 2 O 4 nanoparticles (~10 nm) increases the number of interfacial contacts and thus the charge carriers' recombination was suppressed more efficiently. Based on the trapping experiments, ESR and Mott-Schottky analysis, ZnBi 2 O 4 –ZnO hybrid photocatalyst followed the S -scheme charge transfer mechanism. • Novel 0D/1D ZnBi 2 O 4 /ZnO p-n heterojunction was successfully prepared. • The prepared hybrid system revealed improved H 2 production and BPA decomposition. • The highest hydrogen evolution (3.44 mmol.g−1.h−1) was achieved on ZnO–20%ZnBi 2 O 4. • S -scheme mechanism was suggested for boosted photocatalytic activity. • The defects formed at the interfacial contacts decreased the recombination rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural biological systems are constantly developing efficient mechanisms to counter adverse effects of increasing human population and depleting energy resources. Their intelligent mechanisms are characterized by the ability to detect changes in the environment, store and evaluate information, and respond to external stimuli. Bio-inspired replication into man-made functional materials guarantees enhancement of characteristics and performance. Specifically, butterfly architectures have inspired the fabrication of sensor and energy materials by replicating their unique micro/nanostructures, light-trapping mechanisms and selective responses to external stimuli. These bio-inspired sensor and energy materials have shown improved performance in harnessing renewable energy, environmental remediation and health monitoring. Therefore, this review highlights recent progress reported on the classification of butterfly wing scale architectures and explores several bio-inspired sensor and energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rough set theory is a mathematics tool specifying imperfection and uncertainty. Based on the knowledge theory of the rough set, the numerical values of some features or attributes are not required. Through data reduction, this article analyzes the investment decision of hydraulic engineering and obtains the following by reduction: i. when the construction expense of the hydraulic engineering is low, but the financial income is high, the investment in the construction project can be selected; ii. when the expense of the hydraulic construction project is low and the external influence is common or the financial expense is common, if the external influence is low or the financial income is high, the investment can be delayed; iii. when the construction strategic benefit of the hydraulic engineering is low, the decision rule of no investment can be selected. The novel findings discovered by this article have provided scientific information regarding investment decisions of hydraulic engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-based aerogels have demonstrated to have a great promise as advanced microwave absorption materials due to their ultralow volumetric density, unique pore structure, and high electrical conductivity. However, the comparatively complex fabrication process, weak machinability and difficulty in regulation of electromagnetic properties still hinder their large-scale application. Here, we reported a facile and scalable fabrication of novel carbon hybrid aerogels with adjustable electromagnetic properties from naturally abundant bacterial cellulose. Composed of robust network of ultrahigh-aspect-ratio metal/carbon nanofibers, the carbon hybrid aerogels exhibited combined characteristics of highly porous structure, ultralow density, physical flexibility and electromagnetic properties. As fillers of microwave absorption materials, the fabricated hybrid aerogels delivered strong microwave-absorbing ability with the minimum reflection loss of −70.1 dB even at the filler loading as low as 0.8 wt%, superior to previously reported carbon-based aerogels. Especially, the naturally unique surface chemistry and physical properties of bacterial cellulose provided the possibility of manipulating the microstructure and morphology of carbon hybrid aerogels in easy ways as demonstrated in this work, which can be utilized to optimize microwave absorption property and absorption band. Thus, biocarbon materials exhibit promising potential for meeting the increasing demand for scalable, high-efficiency and requirement-guided microwave absorption materials. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research into the causes of macro-cracks in the debinding of light-cured ceramic body is predominantly focused on heating rate and holding time. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to analyze the causes of defects in the ceramic body during the debinding process via the interconnected channels formed in the process of the binder discharged from the inside to the outside. The physical and chemical changes, and related reaction products of the binder were analyzed by the TG-FTIR using a specific resin as the binder in the low temperature debinding stage (200–300 °C) and high temperature debinding stage (300–600 °C). Based on the result, a novel approach is proposed to illustrate the process of the formation of interconnected channels and defects. The samples of green bodies debond at different holding time were analyzed by the SEM and μ-CT. The experimental results prove the formation of interconnected channels, and it is found that the holding temperature of 237 °C is favorable for the formation of the channel and the discharge of the gas products. The defect-free samples after low temperature debinding process were debond in the high temperature debinding process at three different holding temperatures of 360 °C, 430 °C, and 550 °C obtained by analyzing the DTG curve and the absorption curve of CO 2 in the infrared spectrum, and samples after high temperature debinding process were analyzed by the SEM and μ-CT. The experimental results show that these holding temperatures favor the stable discharge of CO 2 and the binder pyrolysis products from the channels, thereby avoiding cracks due to severe gas expansion. The research results in this paper have important reference value for the preparation of defect-free ceramic samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by fiber‐interwoven eggshell membrane (ESM) with associated specific permeability and transport performance, interconnected nanotube networks are constructed to empolder relevant distinctive properties and functional advantages. In this work, a typical ESM‐templated procedure combined with stepwise impregnation and gradient calcination is developed to accomplish the fabrication of multilevel frameworks from TiO2 nanocrystallites to porous multiwalled nanotubes (NTs) to final interconnected networks. During the impregnation process, in situ mineralization occurs on ESM fiber substrate to generate Ti‐impregnant coating with variant composition and layered structure. Followed by the calcination, anatase TiO2 porous NTs come into being as ESM templates decompose at 500°C, then heterogeneous nanocrystallites are achieved at higher temperature. Thus, the final ESM‐morphic nanocomposites present interconnected networks woven by porous multiwalled NTs. Benefiting from interconnected multichannels of multilevel networks and controllable heterogeneous nanocrystallites, the ESM‐inspired TiO2 would behave higher light‐excitation and transport efficiency, which can achieve more valuable applications such as photocatalytic degradation to some organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new ternary composite of 1T‐molybdenum disulfide, hexagonal tungsten trioxide, and reduced graphene oxide (M‐W‐rGO) is synthesized by using a one‐pot hydrothermal process. The synergetic effect of 1T‐MoS2 and hexa‐WO3 nanoflowers improves the electrochemical performance for supercapacitors by inducing additional active sites and hexagonal tunnels, respectively, which lead to high storage capacity and easy transfer of electrolyte ions. The ternary M‐W‐rGO composite has a high specific capacitance of 836 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, which is nearly twice that of binary composites of M‐rGO and W‐rGO with high capacitance retention of 86.35 % after 3000 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g−1. This study provides a new ternary composite that can be used as an electrode material for high‐performance supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly defective molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) nanosheets of 1T phase are synthesized on a three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide (3D RGO) network through a one-pot hydrothermal method. By switching the reaction time, the resulting MoS 2 's phases (1T or 2H) and defect-density are successfully controlled. Reducing the reaction time from 20 to 6 h increases the defect-density and induces a phase transition from hybrid 2H/1T to 1T phase. High defect-density coupled with high 1T-phase portion in MoS 2 nanosheets/RGO heterostructures enhances the electrochemical performance for supercapacitor application by inducing additional active sites, which provide fast charge transfer rate and a large number of ion diffusion channels. Among all samples, the defect rich 1T-phase MoS 2 nanosheets/RGO heterostructure synthesized in 6 h (M/RGO-6) gives an outstanding specific capacitance of 442.0 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1. The M/RGO-6 also exhibits excellent cycling stability with capacitance retention of 90.3% over 1000 cycles at 5 A g−1. These make M/RGO-6 attractive to the electrode of high-performance supercapacitors. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenylated polyphenols have attracted a lot of interest because of their significant pharmacological activities. The chemoenzymatic synthesis of prenylated polyphenols using prenyltransferase (PT) has been regarded as a promising alternative to chemical synthesis or plant-based production. Psoralea corylifolia L. with abundance of diversified prenylated polyphenol compounds is an ideal material for the discovery of prenyltransferases available in synthetic biology. In this study, we investigated the transcriptomic data from P. corylifolia for prenyltransferases (PcPTs) involved in the biosynthesis of prenylated phenols. Among 11 PcPTs, our yeast expression in vitro survey showed that PcPT11 was able to utilize 23 substrates, including 22 flavonoids and 1 coumarin, and was the one able to use the most substrates. PcPT11 acts in a highly regio-specific way to prenylate flavonoids at the C-6 position to produce compounds with important pharmacological effects such as corylifolinin, wighteone, and bavachin, which are the major ingredients in P. corylifolia. Finally, PcPT11 exhibited strong expression in fruits and leaves, and a GFP-PcPT11 fusion protein was shown to be localized in chloroplasts when expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. Our study laid a foundation for understanding the biosynthetic pathway of prenylated flavonoids in P. corylifolia , and demonstrated that PcPT11 is a valuable enzyme to produce these pharmaceutically important prenylated polyphenols through biosynthetic approaches. • PcPT11 is a novel prenyltransferase gene with broad substrate promiscuity from Psoralea corylifolia. • PcPT11 has largely contributed to the diverse biosynthesis of secondary compounds in Psoralea corylifolia. • PcPT11 is a potential tool to produce bioactive prenylated compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalently functionalized 1T-MoS 2 (Fc-1T-MoS 2) nanosheets are synthesized by the chemical reaction between electrochemically exfoliated 1T-MoS 2 nanosheets and iodobenzene. The NH 2 Ph ring functionality and 1T-MoS 2 phase improves the electrochemical performance for supercapacitors by enhancing the charge density and electronic properties, which leads to fast charge transport and high charge storage capacity. The Fc-1T-MoS 2 has a high specific capacitance of 501 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 with capacitance retention of 76.32% after 2000 cycles, which is 2.6 times of magnitude higher than that of bare 1T-MoS 2 nanosheets. This study exposes the effect of functionalization of MoS 2 nanosheets for supercapacitor applications. [Display omitted] • 1T-MoS 2 nanosheets was exfoliated electrochemically. • Exfoliated 1T-MoS 2 nanosheets was functionalized with NH 2 Ph ring containing electron donating group. • The functionalized 1T-MoS 2 nanosheets showed an excellent supercapacitance performance as compared to bare 1T-MoS 2 nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Controlled synthesis of Cu/Carbon-hybrid through green freeze-drying and carbonization process. • 3D nano-pyramids offer highly sensitive and selective behavior toward simultaneous monitoring of phenolic pollutants. • 3D nano-pyramids show high electrocatalytic performance in terms of durability. • A reliable sensor to evaluate the quality of food. Abstract Excessive usage of phenolic compounds such as catechol (Cat-), cresol (Cre-) and p- nitrophenol (PNP) in food processing and pharmaceutical industry may lead to severe health issues including nerve cells disruption and even infertility. Thus, designing sensitive nanoscale electrochemical sensors to boost single screen signalling of these phenolic compounds from environmental samples is highly demanded. However, control monitoring and quantification of these phenolic compounds from real samples such as commercially available pesticides and insecticides is quite challenging because of their low concentration along with excess of co-existing interfering species. Herein, for the simultaneous electrochemical monitoring of these phenolic pollutants, we fabricate C-encapsulated three-dimensional Cu nano-pyramids (C@3DCu-PY) through a simple, scalable freeze-drying and carbonization process. The resulting hybrid contains 3D arrangement of controlled Cu nano-pyramids with atomic arrangement along all four lateral faces with sharp apex which result in exposition of greater fraction of Cu {111} catalytic active sites, large number of sp2 carbon atoms, and maximum surface defects along with dipolar/quadrupolar radiative plasmons, thus offering highly sensitive and selective behaviour toward simultaneous monitoring of Cat-, cresol and PNP. The designed C@3DCu-PY electrode also shows fast diffusion and kinetics of ions compared to C@almond (AL)-like Cu nanoparticles (NPs) sample, thus indicating shape dependent efficacy of the designed electrode. Because of high sensitivity, the developed novel C@3DCu-PY electrode was successfully applied to monitor PNP from commercially available insecticide. The results demonstrated the potential of the designed electrode to be used in preventing serious health issue associated with phenolic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: MXenes, 2D compounds generated from layered bulk materials, have attracted significant attention in energy‐related fields. However, most syntheses involve HF, which is highly corrosive and harmful to lithium‐ion battery and supercapacitor performance. Here an alkali‐assisted hydrothermal method is used to prepare a MXene Ti3C2Tx (T=OH, O). This route is inspired from a Bayer process used in bauxite refining. The process is free of fluorine and yields multilayer Ti3C2Tx with ca. 92 wt % in purity (using 27.5  m NaOH, 270 °C). Without the F terminations, the resulting Ti3C2Tx film electrode (ca. 52 μm in thickness, ca. 1.63 g cm−3 in density) is 314 F g−1 via gravimetric capacitance at 2 mV s−1 in 1  m H2SO4. This surpasses (by ca. 214 %) that of the multilayer Ti3C2Tx prepared via HF treatments. This fluorine‐free method also provides an alkali‐etching strategy for exploring new MXenes for which the interlayer amphoteric/acidic atoms from the pristine MAX phase must be removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: MXenes, 2D compounds generated from layered bulk materials, have attracted significant attention in energy‐related fields. However, most syntheses involve HF, which is highly corrosive and harmful to lithium‐ion battery and supercapacitor performance. Here an alkali‐assisted hydrothermal method is used to prepare a MXene Ti3C2Tx (T=OH, O). This route is inspired from a Bayer process used in bauxite refining. The process is free of fluorine and yields multilayer Ti3C2Tx with ca. 92 wt % in purity (using 27.5  m NaOH, 270 °C). Without the F terminations, the resulting Ti3C2Tx film electrode (ca. 52 μm in thickness, ca. 1.63 g cm−3 in density) is 314 F g−1 via gravimetric capacitance at 2 mV s−1 in 1  m H2SO4. This surpasses (by ca. 214 %) that of the multilayer Ti3C2Tx prepared via HF treatments. This fluorine‐free method also provides an alkali‐etching strategy for exploring new MXenes for which the interlayer amphoteric/acidic atoms from the pristine MAX phase must be removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The garnet-type lithium ion conductor, nominal Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO) has received a lot of interest as they are considered usable as solid electrolytes in lithium battery. The Li + migration bottleneck size of garnet-type Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO) solid electrolyte are posed significant effect on Li + transportation property. However, the regulation mechanism of the bottleneck size on the Li + migration activation energy is not clear. In the study, equivalent substitution of tetravalent M 4+ (M 4+  = Ge 4+ , Ti 4+ , Sn 4+ , Hf 4+ and Te 4+ ) ions on Zr site of Li 7 La 3 M 0.25 Zr 1.75 O 12 is designed to regulate the bottleneck size. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) is applied to detect the quantitative structural information of M-doped LLZO. Experimental and calculations results show that the M 4+ substitution regulate the Li + migration bottleneck size via changing M–O bond length. The M–O bond length increases with the increase of M 4+ doping ion radius which results in the increase of the bottleneck size. However, larger bottleneck size is not necessarily favorable for Li + migration. Ge 4+ and Ti 4+ doped LLZO have smaller bottleneck size than the un-doped LLZO, which is more suitable for Li + migration (corresponds to lower E a of 0.28 eV, 0.29 eV, respectively). This study is of great significance for obtaining optimum lithium ion migration channel size for LLZO, and the regulation mechanism is universality for crystal ion conductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic water splitting via utilizing various semiconductors is recognized as a promising way for hydrogen production. Plasmonic metals with sub-micrometer textures can improve the photocatalytic performance of semiconductors via a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) process. Moreover, arrays of multilayer metallic structures can help generate strong LSPR. However, artificial synthesis has difficulties in constructing novel multilayer metallic arrays down to nanoscales. Here, we use three dimensional (3D) scales from Morpho didius forewings (M) to prepare 3D Au-wings with intact hierarchical bio-structures. For comparison, we use Troides helena forewings (T) which are known for their antireflection quasi-honeycomb structures resulting in strong light absorbing ability. Results show that multilayer rib structures of Au-M can significantly amplify the LSPR of 3D Au and thus can efficiently help the photocatalytic process (9-fold increase). This amplification effect is obviously more superior to the straightforward enhancement of the absorption of incident light (Au-T, 5-fold increase). Thus, our study provides the possibility to prepare highly efficient plasmonic photocatalysts (possessing 3D multilayer rib structures) via an easy method. This work will also be revealing for plasmonic applications in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein TiO 2 coated on glass fiber cloth (TiO 2 /glass fiber cloth, TGFC) was synthesised by sol-gel method. We demonstrated the property about TGFC of photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants under ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) light and sunlight. Glass fiber cloth (GFC) was chosen as the support of TiO 2 in order to improve the practical applications for water purification. TGFC-1–6 were characterized by ERSEM, XRD and XPS. Photocatalytic decomposition of crystal violet (CV) was carried out to investigate the photocatalytic activity of TGFC. The efficiency of TGFC-3 was the best. And its photocatalytic decomposition rate of the second to fifth cycle was higher than the first cycle. The photocatalytic decomposition rate of TGFC-3 was 85% under sunlight from 8:00–14:00. We could design and regulate the shape of TGFC and estimate the area, weight and thickness of TiO 2 , more easily than glass fibers. TGFC is suitable for photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants in the water, especially to be fixed in sewage treatment pool and reused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The slow photon effect in a photonic crystal (PC) can lead to delay and storage of light in the PC and has an immense potential for improving solar-to-energy efficiency. A series of biomorphic TiO 2 photonic crystal (TiO 2 -BMPC) structures are fabricated through a sol–gel method by using butterfly wings as templates, and subsequently gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with an average size of about 9 nm are deposited in situ into the TiO 2 -BMPC. Varying structural characteristics of the PCs by choosing different butterfly wings, the slow photon region of the photonic band gap could be purposely tuned to overlap with strong localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) region of the Au NPs. The matching slow photon of the TiO 2 -BMPC templated from the butterfly wings of Euploea mulciber intensifies the SPR responses (central at 550 nm) of the Au NPs. Consequently, the visible-light harvesting capability of the Au/TiO 2 -BMPC is significantly improved due to this unique biomorphic architecture. As a result, the designed photocatalyst exhibits a photocatalytic activity that is several time higher than conventional Au/TiO 2 -P25 material, as illustrated by the example of the photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange (MO) under visible-light illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous hard carbons (PHC) are promising anode materials in sodium-ion batteries; however, the availability of large surface area creates numerous irreversible active sites that cause rapid initial cycle capacity fading and electrode degradation, resulting in lower specific capacity and poor cycle stability. PHC surface modification via 2D transition metal dichalcogenides is a synergistic approach to combine excellent electrochemical properties of both materials and resolve these issues. Therefore, we designed 1T MoS 2 nanopatterned PHC skeleton using carbonization and hydrothermal treatment of biomass (chickpea husk). As a result, HC@MoS 2 -II electrode with extended d 002 spacing of MoS 2 nanolayers (0.650 nm) exhibited an excellent specific capacity of 470 mAh/g at 50 mA/g with high initial coulombic efficiency (63%) and ultra-long cycle stability (190 mAh/g) at 1000 mA/g over 3500 cycles. The extraordinary electrochemical performance can be attributed to the synergistic assembly, where the high surface area PHC skeleton effectively buffered large volume expansion during charging/discharging, and 1T MoS 2 nanoflowers added fast ionic diffusion kinetics and PHC surface protection. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MnO/C hybrid with ultra-small MnO nanoparticles (5.2 nm) embedded in porous carbon is fabricated and applied as the anode material for lithium ion batteries. The MnO/C hybrid electrode exhibits excellent specific capacity of 820 mAh g −1 at a current density of 100 mA g −1 and also outstanding rate performance with specific capacity of 483 mAh g −1 at a current density of 5000 mA g −1 . After cycling for 1000 times at 1000 mA g −1 , the specific capacity increases to 1625 mAh g −1 . The TEM photos show that the particles are broken into 2 nm particles after cycling. We also apply XAFS to detect the final state of the Mn in the hybrid electrodes and find that smaller MnO particles are oxidized to a mixture of Mn 2 O 3 and MnO 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural world exhibits numerous examples of efficient optical designs with novel hierarchical microstructures and specialized functionality after millions of years of evolution. Materials scientists have long been deriving understanding and inspiration from nature's optical ingenuity, such as vivid structural colors, light antireflection, light focusing, and chirality. Progress in engineering bioinspired optical functional materials has been exciting in the past years. In this review, the focus is on the state‐of‐the‐art achievements of bioinspired optical materials with applications in various areas including efficient light manipulation, optical sensors, light–energy conversion, plasmonic materials with ultrahigh surface plasmon resonance (SPR) efficiency and metamaterials. The major challenges and perspectives for bioinspired designs of optical functional materials in the future are also briefly addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three dimensional hybrid carbon materials have been prepared using different biomass-derived porous carbons as catalyst supports for growing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via a chemical vapor deposition method. The nickel catalyst-loaded supports before and after growing MWCNTs were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra, and mercury porosimetry. The results show that the grown MWCNTs microstructures are closely related to the porous structures and surface conditions of the carbon supports. By using bamboo as template, a porous carbon support with a large total pore volume, appropriate pore size, and abundant favorable surface functional groups is obtained, which is found to be an ideal support for growing the MWCNTs. Investigation of growth mechanism demonstrated that the combination of appropriate porous structures and surface conditions plays an essential role in catalyst distribution and MWCNTs growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A newly designed N-doped porous carbon with magnetic nanoparticles formed in situ (RHC-mag-CN) was fabricated through simple impregnation then polymerization and calcination. The doped nitrogen in RHC-mag-CN was in the form of graphite-type layers with the composition of CN. The resultant nanocomposite maintained a high surface area of 1136 m2 g−1 with 18.5 wt% magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4 and Fe) inside, which showed a saturation magnetization (Ms) of 22 emu/g. When used as an adsorbent, the RHC-mag-CN demonstrated a very quick adsorption property for the removal of Cr(VI), during which 92% of Cr(VI) could be removed within 10 min for dilute solutions at 2 g L−1 adsorbent dose. The high adsorption capacity (16 mg g−1) is related to the synergetic effects of physical adsorption from the surface area and chemical adsorption from complexation reactions between Cr(VI) and Fe3O4. Importantly, the basic CNs in RHC-mag-CN increase its negative charge density and simultaneously increase the adsorption of metallic cations, such as Cr3+ formed in the acid solution from the reduction of Cr(VI). The formation of magnetic nanoparticles inside not only supplies complexing sites for the adsorption of Cr(VI), but also shows perfect magnetic separation performance from aqueous solution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Inspired by the high light-harvesting properties of typical butterfly wings, ceramic WO butterfly wings with hierarchical structures of bio-butterfly wings was fabricated using a template of PapilioParis butterfly wings through a sol-gel method. The effect of calcination temperatures on the structures of the ceramic butterfly wings was investigated and the results showed that the WO butterfly wing replica calcined at 550 °C (WO replica-550) is a single phase and has a high crystallinity and relatively fine hierarchical structure. The average grain size of WO replica-550 and WO powder are around 32.6 and 42.2 nm, respectively. Compared with pure WO powder, WO replica-550 demonstrated a higher light-harvesting capability in the region from 460 to 700 nm and more importantly the higher charge separation rate, as evidenced by electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. Photocatalytic O evolutions from water were investigated on the ceramic butterfly wings and pure WO powder under visible light ( λ > 420 nm). The results showed that the amount of O produced from WO replica-550 is 50 % higher than that of the pure WO powder. The improved photocatalytic performance of WO replica-550 is attributed to the quasi-honeycomb structure inherited from the PapilioParis butterfly wings, providing both high light-harvesting efficiency and efficient charge transport through the WO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Novel visible driven WO 3 -CeO 2 heterojunction was successfully synthesized. • The prepared photocatalyst was applied for degradation of Sulfamerazine from an aqueous solution. • Incorporation of CeO 2 on WO 3 significantly enhanced the photodegradation percentage. • S-scheme mechanism was suggested for the boosted photocatalytic activity. • Photodegradation pathways of Sulfamerazine antibiotic were investigated. In this work, hierarchical WO 3 -CeO 2 hollow sphere heterojunctions were fabricated via a two-step hydrothermal method and applied for degradation of sulfamerazine antibiotic under visible light irradiation. The incorporation of CeO 2 into the WO 3 microspheres was confirmed by XRD, BET, HRTEM, and XPS analysis. The results revealed that the photocatalytic activity of WO 3 -CeO 2 heterojunction was greatly enhanced compared to pure CeO 2 and WO 3 samples, and the highest degradation percentage of sulfamerazine was achieved on the WO 3 -CeO 2 heterojunction with 30 mol. % CeO 2 content. This could be ascribed to the efficient separation of charge carriers which was facilitated by oxygen vacancies formed at the interfaces of two coupled semiconductors. EIS analysis verified that the charge transfer resistance of WO 3 -30CeO 2 heterojunction was decreased, which is due to the heterojunction effect. Moreover, based on the Mott-Schottky calculations, radical trapping experiments and ESR analysis, hydroxide radicals were identified as the main active species, and an S-scheme charge transfer mechanism was suggested to explain the enhanced photocatalytic activity. The possible degradation pathway of sulfamerazine was suggested through the detection of degradation intermediates by mass spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Photosynthesis of green plants provides an effective blueprint for transform solar energy into useful hydrogen energy. Thereinto, their hierarchical structures are favorable to the light-harvesting. Meanwhile, the functional components (light-harvesting pigments) can absorb visible wavelengths of sunlight, and offer reaction center for the energy transform. Inspired by these, we contrive an artificial photosynthetic system for the high efficiency of H2-production rate by introducing a similar functional structure (reticular hierarchical structure) and component (CdS/Pt–TiO2). The CdS/Pt–TiO2 with hierarchically reticular structure is prepared by transforming wings into TiO2 via a sol–gel process, and depositing Pt and CdS nanoparticles onto the TiO2 substrate by photoreduction and chemical bath deposition method, respectively. Contributing to the couple effect of reticular hierarchical structure and ternary hybrid composition, CdS/Pt–TiO2 nanocomposites exhibit high visible-light photocatalytic H2-production rate (12.7% apparent quantum efficiency obtained at 420 nm). This concept provides a new horizon to exploit solar energy for sustainable energy by imitating the photosynthesis process from structure and ingredients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, 1,4-bi(phenylalanine-diglycol)-benzene (PDB) based Low-Molecular-Weight-Gelator (LMWG) hydrogels are modified using hydrophilic polysaccharide (sodium alginate). A set of techniques including Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis), and circular dichroism (CD) had confirmed a β-turn arrangement of PDB gelators and a semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN), which was formed through hydrogen bonds between LMWG fibers and polysaccharide chains. The evaluation of physicochemical properties of hydrogels indicates that gelator-polysaccharide hybrid hydrogels possess better mechanical and water retention properties than LMWG hydrogels. The release study of dyes (model drug) from both LMWG and hybrid hydrogels was carried out. Compared with PDB based hydrogels, hybrid hydrogels show a selective and controllable release property for certain dyes. The results suggest LMWG-polysaccharide hybrid gels may find potential applications as promising drug delivery vehicles for drug molecules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We embed individual wing scales from Chrysiridia rhipheus (sunset moth) into pH sensitive interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) of chitosan and PVA to generate novel pH sensors based on “biological physical dye”. The immobilized wing scales’ visible reflectance is responsive to pH conditions, owing to their inner microstructural changes induced by the IPN volume change in the swelling/deswelling process of hydrogel. In neutral and acidic environments, the in situ reflectance peaks of wing scales slightly shift ∼27nm around 730nm for pH 1.00–7.07, while in basic environments the peaks obviously blueshift ∼260nm from ∼730nm at pH 7.07 to ∼470nm at pH 13.74. Such prominent pH sensitivity of “moth scale indicators” in week basic conditions (pH 7.95–9.99) promises a bio-sensing pH monitor that can be used in bio-medical and bio-controlled applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Titanium matrix composites reinforced with multiple ceramic particulates TiB, TiC and Nd2O3 were prepared by powder metallurgy utilizing the chemical reactions among Ti, B4C, NdB6 and oxygen in Ti powder. The thermodynamic feasibility of the in situ reaction has been calculated. The phases were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The result shows that multiple ceramic phases TiB, TiC and Nd2O3 particulates have been synthesized. The microstructures were examined by means of optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), backscattered electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results show that the reinforcements are distributed uniformly in the matrix alloy and grow in different shapes. TiB grows in needle shape; TiC and Nd2O3 grow in equiaxed or near-equiaxed shapes. The addition of NdB6 is beneficial to grain refinement, grain-boundary purification and porosity reduction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Papilio paris butterflies have an iridescent blue color patch on their hind wings which is visible over a wide viewing angle. Optical and scanning electron microscopy observations of scales from the wings show that the blue color scales have very different microstructure to the matt black ones which also populate the wings. Scanning electron micrographs of the blue scales show that their surfaces comprise a regular two-dimensional array of concavities. By contrast the matt black scales have fine, sponge-like structure, between the ridges and the cross ribs in the scales. Using both types of scale as bio-templates, we obtain zinc oxide (ZnO) replicas of the microstructures of the original scales. Room temperature (T =300 K) cathodoluminescence spectra of these ZnO replicas have also been studied. Both spectra show a similar sharp near-band-edge emission, but have different green emission, which we associate with the different microstructures of the ZnO replicas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Carbon-matrix composites with self-assembly interconnected carbon nano-ribbon networks were fabricated using natural and inexpensive rice husks by impregnating the rice husks with transitional metal solutions and sintering. The nano-structure of the composite was characterized using transmission electron microscopy. The electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of the composite was evaluated in the frequency range of 30kHz–1.5GHz. The electrical conductivity was measured as a function of the sintering temperature. These characteristics were compared with those of carbon-matrix composites without nano-ribbon networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Biomorphic Cr2O3 was synthesized using two different wood tissues as templates and was subjected to X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption measurements to investigate the phases and microstructures. A hierarchical pore structure from the ordered pore arrays derived from wood tissues to the nanopores formed on ceramic struts is demonstrated. The microstructure of the ceramic struts changed with increasing calcination temperature. From Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, characteristic IR absorption peaks were detected, and furthermore, an overall collapse of transmission curves with increasing calcination temperature was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Au/Ce/SnS 2 /HPEI nanocomposite was obtained via a wet/hydrothermal method. • Au/Ce/SnS 2 /HPEI had high activity and good stability in photocatalytic process. • Investigation of synergistic effects of catalyst for H 2 production processes. • The prepared Au/Ce/SnS 2 /HPEI displayed excellent antifungal activity. In this project, the Au and Ce co-doped SnS 2 decoration on hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (Au/Ce/SnS 2 /HPEI) nanocomposites were prepared via wet/hydrothermal chemical method. Compared with pure SnS 2 and co doped SnS 2 , Au/Ce/SnS 2 /HPEI nanocomposite indicated higher photo-degradation performance for the reduction of chromium (VI) under visible light irradiation. Therewith, Au/Ce/SnS 2 /HPEI nanocomposites was applied for photo-degradation of drug. The possible mechanism shows the superoxide anion radical (O 2 −) plays important role in in the removal of Cr(VI). The Au/Ce/SnS 2 /HPEI nanocomposites shows the best photocatalysis activity for water reduction. The prepared Au/Ce/SnS 2 /HPEI displayed excellent antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]