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Pb–Zn alloy is an ideal anode material for zinc electrodeposition. In this work, the microstructure of Pb–Zn alloy is controlled by composite electro-magnetic fields (CEMFs), and the mechanism is investigated. The results show that electric current pulses (ECPs) can significantly enhance the nucleation driving force for the second phase, thereby promoting the refinement of the second phase. Static magnetic field (SMF) can substantially suppress melt convection and increase the melt cooling rate around the center axis of the sample. Therefore, it is favorable for the formation of a homogeneous dispersed microstructure along the radial direction. CEMFs not only can inhibit melt convection, but also enhance the nucleation rates of Minority Phase Droplets (MPDs). This promotes the formation of a solidification microstructure in which the fine Minority Phase Particles (MPPs) are homogeneously distributed in the matrix. This work indicates that the application of CEMFs is an effective method for controlling the microstructure of monotectic alloys and it has an important industrial value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birefringent crystals could modulate the polarization of light and are widely used as polarizers, waveplates, optical isolators, etc. To date, commercial birefringent crystals have been exclusively limited to purely inorganic compounds such as α‐BaB2O4 with birefringence of about 0.12. Herein, we report a new hydrogen bonded supramolecular framework, namely, Cd(H2C6N7O3)2⋅8 H2O, which exhibits exceptionally large birefringence up to about 0.60. To the best of our knowledge, the birefringence of Cd(H2C6N7O3)2⋅8 H2O is significantly larger than those of all commercial birefringent crystals and is the largest among hydrogen bonded supramolecular framework crystals. First‐principles calculations and structural analyses reveal that the exceptional birefringence is mainly ascribed to strong covalent interactions within (H2C6N7O3)− organic ligands and the perfect coplanarity between them. Given the rich structural diversity and tunability, hydrogen bonded supramolecular frameworks would offer unprecedented opportunities beyond the traditional purely inorganic oxides for birefringent crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birefringent crystals could modulate the polarization of light and are widely used as polarizers, waveplates, optical isolators, etc. To date, commercial birefringent crystals have been exclusively limited to purely inorganic compounds such as α‐BaB2O4 with birefringence of about 0.12. Herein, we report a new hydrogen bonded supramolecular framework, namely, Cd(H2C6N7O3)2⋅8 H2O, which exhibits exceptionally large birefringence up to about 0.60. To the best of our knowledge, the birefringence of Cd(H2C6N7O3)2⋅8 H2O is significantly larger than those of all commercial birefringent crystals and is the largest among hydrogen bonded supramolecular framework crystals. First‐principles calculations and structural analyses reveal that the exceptional birefringence is mainly ascribed to strong covalent interactions within (H2C6N7O3)− organic ligands and the perfect coplanarity between them. Given the rich structural diversity and tunability, hydrogen bonded supramolecular frameworks would offer unprecedented opportunities beyond the traditional purely inorganic oxides for birefringent crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano bowl-like Co–Co6Mo6C2 coated by N,P co-doped carbon (Co–Co6Mo6C2@NPC) is reported as an electrocatalyst for Zn–air batteries. Co–Co6Mo6C2@NPC only needs an overpotential of 210 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for the OER, and the half-wave potential for the ORR is 0.81 V. In addition, the Co–Co6Mo6C2@NPC based battery shows a large open-circuit voltage of 1.335 V and a maximum power density of 160.5 mW cm−2, as well as good stability. The improved catalytic performance can be ascribed to the co-existence of Co6Mo6C2 and Co species to improve the intrinsic catalytic activity, and the bowl-like nanostructure to facilitate the mass transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals consist of traditional functional building blocks with inherent optical limitation. Herein, inspired by traditional (B3O6)3− inorganic building block, we theoretically identified a new type of organic functional building blocks and then successfully synthesized the first cyamelurate NLO crystal, Ba(H2C6N7O3)2 ⋅ 8 H2O. To our surprise, the constituent (H2C6N7O3)− building block is not in structurally optimal arrangement, but Ba(H2C6N7O3)2 ⋅ 8 H2O exhibits excellent optical properties including wide band gap of 4.10 eV, very large birefringence of 0.24@550 nm, and exceptionally strong second‐harmonic generation (SHG) response of about 12×KH2PO4. Both the SHG response and birefringence are much larger than those of commercial NLO crystal β‐BaB2O4 with optimally aligned (B3O6)3− building block. Theoretical calculations suggest that the expanded π‐conjugation delocalization within (H2C6N7O3)−vs (B3O6)3− should be responsible to the enhanced performance. This work implies that there is still much room to develop new NLO crystals with excellent functional building blocks that may be longly neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals consist of traditional functional building blocks with inherent optical limitation. Herein, inspired by traditional (B3O6)3− inorganic building block, we theoretically identified a new type of organic functional building blocks and then successfully synthesized the first cyamelurate NLO crystal, Ba(H2C6N7O3)2 ⋅ 8 H2O. To our surprise, the constituent (H2C6N7O3)− building block is not in structurally optimal arrangement, but Ba(H2C6N7O3)2 ⋅ 8 H2O exhibits excellent optical properties including wide band gap of 4.10 eV, very large birefringence of 0.24@550 nm, and exceptionally strong second‐harmonic generation (SHG) response of about 12×KH2PO4. Both the SHG response and birefringence are much larger than those of commercial NLO crystal β‐BaB2O4 with optimally aligned (B3O6)3− building block. Theoretical calculations suggest that the expanded π‐conjugation delocalization within (H2C6N7O3)−vs (B3O6)3− should be responsible to the enhanced performance. This work implies that there is still much room to develop new NLO crystals with excellent functional building blocks that may be longly neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birefringent materials are highly demanded for high‐performance polarized optics. As compared with artificial anisotropic metamaterials, anisotropic crystals have advantages of low optical losses and easy processing, but their birefringence is still limited. Herein, based on first‐principles studies, we identified a new type of functional anion units, (HxC6N9)(3−x)− (x=0, 1, 2), and then successfully synthesized a new anisotropic crystal, namely, CsH2C6N9⋅H2O (I), whose crystal structure consists of (H2C6N9)− anions. Remarkably, I is ultraviolet transparent and exhibits very large birefringence of about 0.55@550 nm, which is much larger than those of commercial birefringent crystals. These results make I a candidate for highly efficient manipulation of optics and light in optical modulation devices. Theoretical calculations reveal that large birefringence mainly arises from the cooperative π orbitals in (H2C6N9)− anions. This work provides a new insight on the underlying structure–property relationships of anisotropic crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birefringent materials are highly demanded for high‐performance polarized optics. As compared with artificial anisotropic metamaterials, anisotropic crystals have advantages of low optical losses and easy processing, but their birefringence is still limited. Herein, based on first‐principles studies, we identified a new type of functional anion units, (HxC6N9)(3−x)− (x=0, 1, 2), and then successfully synthesized a new anisotropic crystal, namely, CsH2C6N9⋅H2O (I), whose crystal structure consists of (H2C6N9)− anions. Remarkably, I is ultraviolet transparent and exhibits very large birefringence of about 0.55@550 nm, which is much larger than those of commercial birefringent crystals. These results make I a candidate for highly efficient manipulation of optics and light in optical modulation devices. Theoretical calculations reveal that large birefringence mainly arises from the cooperative π orbitals in (H2C6N9)− anions. This work provides a new insight on the underlying structure–property relationships of anisotropic crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2′-O-methylation (Nm) is a prominent RNA modification well known in noncoding RNAs and more recently also found at many mRNA internal sites. However, their function and base-resolution stoichiometry remain underexplored. Here, we investigate the transcriptome-wide effect of internal site Nm on mRNA stability. Combining nanopore sequencing with our developed machine learning method, NanoNm, we identify thousands of Nm sites on mRNAs with a single-base resolution. We observe a positive effect of FBL-mediated Nm modification on mRNA stability and expression level. Elevated FBL expression in cancer cells is associated with increased expression levels for 2′-O-methylated mRNAs of cancer pathways, implying the role of FBL in post-transcriptional regulation. Lastly, we find that FBL-mediated 2′-O-methylation connects to widespread 3′ UTR shortening, a mechanism that globally increases RNA stability. Collectively, we demonstrate that FBL-mediated Nm modifications at mRNA internal sites regulate gene expression by enhancing mRNA stability. • Widespread 2′-O-methylation (Nm) at mRNA internal sites promotes mRNA stability • De novo detection and measurement of Nm by nanopore RNA-seq and machine learning • FBL deficiency decreased Nm, stability, and expression level of mRNAs in PCa • Nm is linked to alternative polyadenylation, which leads to 3′ UTR shortening Li et al. develop a machine learning approach to measure the stoichiometry of 2′-O-methylation at internal sites of mRNA using nanopore RNA sequencing data. FBL-mediated Nm modifications, when connected to widespread shortening of the 3′ UTR, regulate gene expression by enhancing mRNA stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite borate‐sulfates composed of isolated borate and sulfate groups have been discovered for more than one century, borosulfates of B‐O‐S bonding have not been synthesized until 2012 and their properties remain rarely explored. Here, we report a new borosulfate, namely LiRb4[B(SO4)4], which shows potential as a bran‐new class of deep‐UV nonlinear optical (NLO) material. Remarkably, according to the in situ single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, LiRb4[B(SO4)4] undergoes successive first‐order phase transitions with incommensurate structural modulations under room temperature and low temperature with (3 + 1)D superspace groups of X2(α0γ)0 and P21(α0γ)0, respectively. The first‐principle calculations and structural analyses reveal that NLO properties, phase transitions, and incommensurate modulations are closely related to the [B(SO4)4]5− super‐tetrahedral units with B‐O‐S bonding. We anticipate that the unprecedented coexistence of deep‐UV transparency, NLO responses, and incommensurate structural modulations in one borosulfate will bring new possibilities to understand the underlying concepts of physics and chemistry in aperiodic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite borate‐sulfates composed of isolated borate and sulfate groups have been discovered for more than one century, borosulfates of B‐O‐S bonding have not been synthesized until 2012 and their properties remain rarely explored. Here, we report a new borosulfate, namely LiRb4[B(SO4)4], which shows potential as a bran‐new class of deep‐UV nonlinear optical (NLO) material. Remarkably, according to the in situ single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, LiRb4[B(SO4)4] undergoes successive first‐order phase transitions with incommensurate structural modulations under room temperature and low temperature with (3 + 1)D superspace groups of X2(α0γ)0 and P21(α0γ)0, respectively. The first‐principle calculations and structural analyses reveal that NLO properties, phase transitions, and incommensurate modulations are closely related to the [B(SO4)4]5− super‐tetrahedral units with B‐O‐S bonding. We anticipate that the unprecedented coexistence of deep‐UV transparency, NLO responses, and incommensurate structural modulations in one borosulfate will bring new possibilities to understand the underlying concepts of physics and chemistry in aperiodic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metal corrosion possesses a serious threat to the safety and loss of property. The anticorrosion study on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) remains rarely reported. Therefore, it is desirable to build MOFs-based anticorrosion coating with long-term corrosion resistance. Herein, we prepared a novel MOF-polymer anticorrosion composite PANI@MIL-101 by encapsulating polyaniline (PANI) within the pores of MIL-101 with in-situ polymerization of aniline monomer. The N 2 adsorption-desorption and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of PANI@MIL-101 illustrate that PANI is successfully encapsulated in the pores of MIL-101 with in-situ polymerization. PANI@MIL-101 was dispersed in epoxy resin (EP) to prepare anti-corrosive coatings. The Tafel potentiodynamic polarization measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy show that PANI@MIL-101/EP coating system has superior corrosion protection with the lowest i corr value and the highest |Z| 0.01 value compared with MIL-101/EP coating, PANI/EP coating and EP coating. A possible anticorrosion mechanism of PANI@MIL-101 was discussed. This work reveals that MOF-polymer composite materials are superb candidates for high-performance corrosion protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a key role in electrochemical splitting of water and it is urgent to develop high-performance and cost-effective OER catalysts. In this work, we report the synthesis of V-Co/CoO@C nanorod as highly efficient OER catalysts. The V 2 O 5 nanowire and metal organic framework composite leads to the successful preparation of the catalyst. The V 2 O 5 nanowire not only induces the formation of Co/CoO species, but also facilitates uniform V doping. When used as OER catalyst, the V-Co/CoO@C nanorod only needs a low overpotential of 320 mV to achieve a high current density of 10 mA·cm−2. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Porous V-Co/CoO@C nanorod was synthesized by using a V 2 O 5 @ZIF-67 as precursor. • The V-Co/CoO@C nanorod shows high OER activity of 10 mA·cm−2 at a η value of 320 mV. • The use of V 2 O 5 lead to the formation of Co/CoO and V doping. • The Co/CoO species and uniform V doping contributed to its OER performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is one of the core reactions that occur in fuel cells and metal air batteries. Metal-free catalysts such as porous carbons are promising candidates for ORR and the performance of porous carbons strongly depends on their nanostructure. Herein, we reported the synthesis of high surface area N doped carbon nanotube (CNT-900) by using ZnO@zeolite imidazolate framework (ZnO@ZIF-8) nanowire as a precursor. When used for an ORR catalyst, the CNT-900 show obvious superior performance compared with the carbon derived from ZIF-8. In addition, it exhibits comparable activity with 20 wt% Pt/C and superior stability. Combined with green and facile synthesis strategy, the method in this work can be easily extended to synthesis other nanomaterials for energy storage and conversion application. Graphical abstract N doped carbon nanotube with high surface area and ORR performance was synthesized by using ZnO@ZIF-8 nanowire as precursor. Unlabelled Image Highlights • ZnO@ZIF-8 was facilely synthesized at room temperature and converted to N doped carbon nanotube at 900 °C. • The CNT-900 shows very high surface area, which greatly improves its ORR performance. • The CNT-900 exhibits comparable activity with 20 wt% Pt/C and superior stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of increasing importance to develop highly active and economical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts, which have great significance for the large‐scale implementation of various energy conversion systems, including metal–air batteries and fuel cells. Herein, a novel method to synthesize FeNx‐decorated carbon nanotubes as a high‐efficiency ORR catalyst, by utilizing ZnO nanowires as a sacrificial template and a Fe–polydopamine complex as metal and carbon sources, is reported. The obtained catalyst shows great potential for replacing Pt/C as the ORR catalyst under various pH conditions, from alkaline to acidic electrolytes. The high conductivity, large surface area of the carbon nanotube, and highly active FeNx species contributed greatly to the high performance of the catalyst. The work presented herein paves a new way for the synthesis of 1D porous nanomaterials for a broad range of energy‐related applications. Doped to reduce: FeNx‐decorated carbon nanotubes are prepared by utilizing ZnO nanowires as a sacrificial template and Fe–polydopamine (Fe–PDA) complex as metal and carbon sources (see figure). The evaporation of Zn at high temperature results in a high surface area of the carbon nanotubes, and the FeNx species contribute greatly to the oxygen reduction reaction activity of the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are two of the core reactions that occur in fuel cells and water electrolysis devices. Heteroatom-doped carbon materials are promising metal-free electrocatalysts to improve the conversion efficiency of these devices. To optimize the nanostructures of such carbon-based catalysts, herein, we reported an effective template method to synthesize N doped carbon nanotubes by using polydopamine as a precursor. The use of the ZnO nanowire not only serves as a self-sacrificial template to direct the formation of the nanotube, but also greatly extends the porosity of the carbon nanotube. Moreover, the polydopamine precursor also leads to effective N doping. An optimized sample, NCNT-900, shows high ORR performance comparable with that of Pt/C as well as good HER performance in both alkaline and acid media, making it one of the most effective carbon-based HER catalysts. This strategy offers an opportunity to synthesize catalysts with higher activity by rational design of a carbon precursor with higher N content or multi-heteroatom co-doping.Graphical Abstract: Nitrogen doped carbon nanotube with high performance for both ORR and HER was synthesized using ZnO nanowires as template. The obtained materials show effective N doping that provides abundant active sites, high surface area and unique textural parameters that can effectively enhance mass transfer. When used for electrocatalysts, NCNT-900 shows high ORR performance comparable with that of Pt/C and good HER performance in both alkaline and acid media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Both epidemiological investigations and animal studies have linked arsenic-contaminated water to cancers, including skin, liver and lung cancers. Besides genotoxicity, arsenic exposure-related pathogenesis of disease is widely considered through epigenetic mechanisms; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be determined. Herein we explore the initial epigenetic changes via acute sodium arsenite (As) exposures of mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells and histone H3K79 methyltransferase Dot1L knockout (Dot1L−/−) MEF cells. Our RNA-seq and Western blot data demonstrated that, in both cell lines, acute As exposure abolished histone acetyltransferase p300 at the RNA level and subsequent protein level. Consequently, p300-specific main target histone H3K27ac, a marker separating active from poised enhancers, decreased dramatically as validated by both Western blot and ChIP-qPCR/seq analyses. Concomitantly, H3K4me1 as another well-known marker for enhancers also showed significant decreases, suggesting an underappreciated crosstalk between H3K4me1 and H3K27ac involved in As exposure. Significantly, As exposure-reduced H3K27ac and H3K4me1 inhibited the expression of genes including EP300 itself and Kruppel Like Factor 4(Klf4) that both are tumor suppressor genes. Collectively, our investigations identified p300 as an internal bridging factor within cells to sense external environmental As exposure to alter chromatin, thereby changing gene transcription for disease pathogenesis. Highlights • Acuate arsenite exposure abolished histone acetyltransferase p300. • A crosstalk between H3K4me1 and H3K27ac involved in arsenite exposure. • Attenuated H3K27ac and H3K4me1 repressed the expression of tumor suppressor genes upon arsenite exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pt-based alloys have been explored as the most promising cathode catalyst for fuel cells due to their excellent electrocatalytic activity in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the long-term performance of Pt-based alloys is compromised owing to the de-alloying behavior under the corrosive circumstance. More importantly, the complicated synthesized methods have hindered their further practical application. In this report, a facile and effective operating conditions-assisted method has been developed to synthesize the stable hexagonal nanoplates PtFe alloy with a high electrocatalytic activity. In the three prepared PtM (M: Fe, Co, Ni) alloy samples, the PtFe alloy exhibits a superior catalytic activity, which improves by about 100 and 178 mV for half-wave potential in alkaline and acidic medium with the same Pt-loading amount, respectively. In addition, the PtFe alloy catalyst exhibits an electrochemical stability, compared to the conventional carbon-supported Pt catalysts. In view of the advantages of the facile operating preparation and the excellent electrocatalytic performance, we believe that the hexagonal nanoplates PtFe alloy holds great application as a promising electrocatalyst in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-dimensional MoO2–Co2Mo3O8@C nanorods were synthesized by using MoO3@ZIF-67 composites as a precursor for the first time, and it is found that the Co2Mo3O8 species and its composite have excellent OER activities. The MoO2–Co2Mo3O8@C nanorods present favorable electrocatalytic advantages toward OER in alkaline solution, requiring an overpotential of only 320 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm−2. In addition, the catalyst also shows a small Tafel slope of 88 mV dec−1 and relatively good durability. The attractive OER performance can be attributed to the highly active Co2Mo3O8 and MoO2 species and the unique structure of the catalyst. This strategy can be extended to design and synthesize other novel and highly efficient molybdenum based ternary metal oxides as OER catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sluggish anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) greatly hinders the working efficiency of electrochemical water splitting to produce hydrogen, and it is therefore important to explore high-performance and cost-effective OER catalysts. In this communication, we report the synthesis of cobalt boride incorporated within porous carbon using a metal–organic framework (MOF) as a precursor. The high catalytic activity of Co–B and the high conductivity of carbon both contribute to the OER catalytic activity of Co–B/C. When used as an OER catalyst, this material shows high catalytic activity, delivering a current density of 10 mA cm − 2 at a low overpotential of 320 mV, as well as outstanding long-term electrochemical durability. This finding is of fundamental and practical importance as it not only extends the application of MOFs, but also introduces a new method for synthesizing highly efficient OER electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroatom doped porous carbons have been regarded as one of most promising candidates for Pt-free oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. The proper heteroatom bonding configuration and synergistic effect of multiple atom co-doping are very important for improving their catalytic activity. In this work, a series of N, S co-doped porous carbons (NSCs) with excellent ORR performance were prepared by rationally using a dual-ligand metal organic framework as a carbon precursor. The interconnected porous structure, high surface area, N, S co-doping and high graphitization-N dopant, significantly contribute to the enhanced catalytic performance of ORR. The electrocatalyst studies indicated that the obtained materials have comparable ORR activity to that of the commercial Pt/C in both alkaline and acidic media, and superior long-term durability than that of Pt/C. This work can provide some guidance for synthesizing other multiple atom co-doping carbons for energy storage and conversion applications through target oriented synthesis of metal organic frameworks with different ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical anisotropic (e.g., birefringent) crystals can manipulate the polarization of light and thus are widely applied in modern optical fields. Common birefringent crystals are almost exclusively limited to inorganic oxides with small birefringence. Here, a new 1D hybrid halide perovskite PZPbCl3 (PZ = phenazine) is reported, which consists of perfectly parallel Pb–Cl chains and PZ cations. Remarkably, polarized optical observations show that even a PZPbCl3 crystal with micrometer thickness can modulate the polarized light efficiently. Furthermore, PZPbCl3 exhibits exceptional birefringence up to 0.65@546 nm, which is significantly larger than that of commercial oxide crystals. According to first‐principles calculations and polarizability anisotropy analyses, it is found that this birefringence is mainly ascribed to the linear polymerization of π‐conjugated rings in PZ cations. Due to the rich physical properties and structural diversity of hybrid perovskites, it is believed that the introduction of excellent birefringence into the hybrid perovskites will bring unprecedented opportunities to the future explorations of polarization‐dependent functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MoO 2 @MoS 2 @Co 9 S 8 heterostructure nanorod by utilizing MoO 3 @ZIF-67 as a precursor. • The nanorod is assembled by 2D nanosheet with high electrochemical surface area. • The nanorod can serve as bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. • The HER and OER overpotentials at 10 mA cm−2 are 160 mV and 310 mV. • The high performance is induced by the synergistic effect of the heterostructure. Developing low-cost and high-efficiency bifunctional catalysts for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) to catalyze electrochemical overall water splitting is critical for the production of hydrogen. Herein, we develop an in-situ reduction and vulcanization strategy to prepare MoO 2 @MoS 2 @Co 9 S 8 heterostructure nanorods by utilizing MoO 3 @ZIF-67 as a precursor. The reduction of MoO 3 can produce more conductive MoO 2 , and the vulcanization reaction can produce highly active MoS 2 for the HER as well as highly active Co 9 S 8 for the OER. In addition, the MoS 2 anchor on the MoO 2 not only facilitates electron transfer, but also interacts with Co 9 S 8 to induce a synergic catalytic effect by the electron transfer between them. Moreover, the 2D nanosheet assembled heterostructure nanorods can provide a large electrochemical surface area. Therefore, the merits of the materials are fully utilized and outstanding catalytic performances are achieved. MoO 2 @MoS 2 @Co 9 S 8 can catalyze HER and OER effectively with overpotentials of 160 and 310 mV at 10 mA cm−2, indicating its bifunctional activity. In addition, the two electrode electrolyzer catalyzed by MoO 2 @MoS 2 @Co 9 S 8 can reach 10 mA cm−2 current density at a cell voltage of 1.62 V with very high stability, demonstrating its practical application for water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new acentric sulfate, Cs 2 Zn 2 (SO 4) 3 , has a two-dimensional layered structure, which is different from A 2 B 2 (SO 4) 3 (A = K, Rb, B = Mg, Ca, Cd, Zn) type that owns three-dimensional framework. Meanwhile, Cs 2 Zn 2 (SO 4) 3 exhibits a moderate second-order NLO response of about 0.15 × KH 2 PO 4. This work will enrich the diversity of sulfate structure and provide new desgin strategy on the synthesis of novel NLO sulfates. • A new congruently melting sulfate Cs 2 Zn 2 (SO 4) 3 is synthesized. • Cs 2 Zn 2 (SO 4) 3 exhibits a unique two-dimensional layer structure. • Cs 2 Zn 2 (SO 4) 3 exhibits second-order nonlinear optical response of about 0.15 × KH 2 PO 4. Acentric structure is the indispensable condition for a compund to exhibit nonlinear optical (NLO) response. However, it's difficult for inorganic sulfates to crystallize in acentric structures. In this communication, a new acentric sulfate, Cs 2 Zn 2 (SO 4) 3 , has been synthesized by spontaneous crystallization method. The crystal structure of Cs 2 Zn 2 (SO 4) 3 is layered and is composed of Zn 2 (SO 4) 3 layers and Cs+ cations, which is different from A 2 B 2 (SO 4) 3 (A = K, Rb, B = Mg, Ca, Cd, Zn) type that owns three-dimensional framework. Powder NLO response suggest that Cs 2 Zn 2 (SO 4) 3 exhibits a moderate second-order NLO response of about 0.15 × KH 2 PO 4. Theoretical calculations were performed and elucidated that the origination of NLO response is from SO 4 groups and ZnO n (n = 4, 5) polyhedra. This work will enrich the diversity of sulfate structure and provide new desgin strategy on the synthesis of novel NLO sulfates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birefringent crystals that can modulate the polarization of light play a significant role in modern optical devices including polarizing microscopes, optical isolators, and achromatic quarter‐wave plates. To date, commercial birefringent crystals are exclusively limited to purely inorganic compounds. Here we report a new organic–inorganic hybrid halide, MLAPbBr4 (MLA=melamine), which features a (110)‐oriented layered perovskite structure. Although the 6s2 lone‐pair electrons of Pb2+ cations are stereochemically inert, MLAPbBr4 exhibits a birefringence of 0.322@550 nm, which exceeds those of all commercial birefringent crystals. The first‐principles calculations reveal that this birefringence should be ascribed to the highly dislocated π‐conjugation of MLA cations and high distortion of PbBr6 octahedra. This work highlights the persistently neglected great potential of hybrid halide perovskites as birefringent crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birefringent crystals that can modulate the polarization of light play a significant role in modern optical devices including polarizing microscopes, optical isolators, and achromatic quarter‐wave plates. To date, commercial birefringent crystals are exclusively limited to purely inorganic compounds. Here we report a new organic–inorganic hybrid halide, MLAPbBr4 (MLA=melamine), which features a (110)‐oriented layered perovskite structure. Although the 6s2 lone‐pair electrons of Pb2+ cations are stereochemically inert, MLAPbBr4 exhibits a birefringence of 0.322@550 nm, which exceeds those of all commercial birefringent crystals. The first‐principles calculations reveal that this birefringence should be ascribed to the highly dislocated π‐conjugation of MLA cations and high distortion of PbBr6 octahedra. This work highlights the persistently neglected great potential of hybrid halide perovskites as birefringent crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The size effect of Zn-MOF on the porosity and gas uptake of its derived carbon are investigated. • The large-size MOF tend to form porous carbons with higher specific surface area and large pore size. • The carbon derived from small-size MOF shows lower specific surface area and more micropores. • The CS-1000 shows a high CO 2 , H 2 and CH 4 uptake of uptake of 129.2, 241.6 cm3 g−1 and 58.3 cm3 g−1. Metal organic framework (MOF) derived carbon is an important kind of carbons with various potential applications. The structure of MOF precursor plays a key role in the proprieties of their derived carbon. Herein, the size effect of a Zn-MOF on the porosity and gas uptake of its derived carbon are investigated in detail. We found that the large-size MOF tend to form porous carbons with higher specific surface area as well as large pore size, while the carbon derived from small-size MOF shows lower specific surface area and more micropores as well as higher gas uptake. Especially, the CS-1000 derived from Zn-MOF-small shows a high CO 2 uptake of 129.2 cm3 g−1 at 273 K and 1 bar, a high H 2 uptake of 241.6 cm3 g−1 at 77 K and 1 bar, and a high CH 4 uptake of 58.3 cm3 g−1 at 273 K and 1 bar, making it very potential for carbon capture and sequestration and clean energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three-dimensional polyacrylamide gel microarray (3-D gel microarray) has a strong adsorption for hybridzation probes with fluorescent label, resulting in high fluorescent background noise. The background noise has hampered the broad application of the microarray in scientific research. A low-frequency ultrasound of 40kHz has been successfully employed to efficiently remove the nonspecifically bound fluorescent probes from the 3-D gel microarray. The method can significantly enhance the signal to noise ratio of the 3-D gel microarray and make it work better in single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• ZnS decorated N, S co-doped porous carbon polyhedron are synthesized. • A small fraction of ZnS can greatly improve the ORR activity of the catalyst. • The ZnS@NC-3 shows comparable ORR activity with 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst. • The Zn-air battery using ZnS@NC-3 shows an open circuit voltage of 1.524 V. • The Zn-air battery exhibit a power density of 176 mW cm−2 and a specific capacity of 736 mA h g−1. Developing low cost, environmentally friendly and high efficiency oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts is critical for clean energy conversion and storage devices including fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Herein, we developed a facile method to doping N, S and ZnS into carbon framework simultaneously. The N, S co-doping and extra ZnS active sites could prominently enhance the ORR performance of the carbon. The optimized sample ZnS@NC-3 exhibit an onset potential of 0.94 V and a half-wave potential of 0.84 V, which is comparable to 20 wt% Pt/C. In addition, the methanol tolerance and cycle ability are obvious superior than that of Pt/C. Moreover, when used as electrocatalysts for Zn-air battery, the battery exhibits an open circuit voltage of 1.524 V, a high specific capacity of 736 mA h g−1 and a max power density of 176 mW cm−2, demonstrating its great potential for clean energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts is crucial for practical applications in water splitting and metal-air battery devices. Special structures of materials often bring in unprecedented catalytic activity. Herein, we first report the synthesis of CoMoO 4 nanotube by using MoO 3 @ZIF-67 nanorod. The CoMoO 4 nanotube shows high OER activity with a low overpotential of 315 mV delivering a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The electro-catalytic activity surpasses that of many Co and Mo-based catalysts. Furthermore, the strategy presented here is facile, and can be extended to the synthesis of other Mo-based nanotube materials for energy storage and conversion. Unlabelled Image • CoMoO 4 nanotube was prepared by using MOF composite as precursor for the first time. • The CoMoO 4 shows high a specific surface area of 157 m2 g−1. • The CoMoO 4 shows high OER activity of 10 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 315 mV. • The CoMoO 4 also shows outstanding long-term electrochemical durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hollow CoVO x /Ag heterojunction was synthesized for OER. • The interaction of CoVO x and Ag nanoparticles regulated the electronic structure. • The extrinsic catalytic activity of CoVO x /Ag is enhanced due to the hollow structure. • The OER overpotential for CoVO x /Ag-5 at 10 mA cm−2 is only 247 mV. • The catalyst can enable full water splitting with 100% Faraday efficiency. Developing high-active and inexpensive electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is very important in the field of water splitting. The catalytic performance of electrocatalysts can be significantly improved by optimizing the electronic structure and designing suitable nanostructure. In this work, we represent the synthesis of hollow CoVO x /Ag-5 for OER. Due to the interaction of CoVO x and Ag nanoparticles, the electronic structure is optimized to improve the intrinsic catalytic activity. Additionally, the extrinsic catalytic activity of CoVO x /Ag is enhanced by the abundant active sites from the hollow structure. As a result, the CoVO x /Ag-5 demonstrates significantly enhanced OER catalytic activity with a low overpotential of 247 mV at 10 mA cm−2. In addition, it also exhibits excellent durability, without obvious attenuation in performance after continuous operation for 60 h. Furthermore, the catalyst can enable full water splitting with appropriate 100 % Faraday efficiency, demonstrating its practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase matching is indispensable for high efficiency of second‐order nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals. Thousands of these crystals rely on birefringence phase matching, whereas only a few of them are quasi‐phase matching without the restriction of birefringence. Herein, using oriented seeds inch‐sized LiNH4SO4 (LAS) single crystals are successfully grown. LAS is NLO‐active with a very short deep‐UV absorption edge of 171 nm and high laser damage threshold up to 1.47 GW cm−2 at 1064 nm, 10 ns, but its birefringence is merely 0.0078@532 nm, which is too small to realize birefringence phase matching in deep‐UV region. Fortunately, P−E hysteresis loop, variable‐temperature NLO tests, and ferroelectric domain observations confirm that LAS is ferroelectric. Furthermore, LAS exhibits small refractive index dispersion resulting in a relatively long periodic length of 1.4 µm and its single domain structure can be easily obtained by electrical poling. These attributes make LAS a scarce NLO candidate for deep‐UV quasi‐phase matching. This work highlights the longly overlooked potential of sulfates and provides new opportunities for deep‐UV NLO materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel CoMoO 4 -RuO 2 heterogeneous catalyst with flower-liked morphology was developed as a highly efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst for Zn-air battery. [Display omitted] Constructing heterogeneous catalysts can significantly boost the electrocatalytic activity due to the improved intrinsic catalytic activity induced by tailored electronic structure and optimized chemisorption to the reaction intermediates. RuO 2 based electrocatalysts are especially attractive due to the high catalytic activity of RuO 2. To reduce the usage of noble metal and improve the catalytic activity of catalyst, CoMoO 4 -RuO 2 micro-flower was synthesized using a facile hydrothermal-calcination method in this work. CoMoO 4 -RuO 2 exhibits a low overpotential of 177 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and a high half-wave potential of 0.858 V for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Moreover, the Zn-air battery assembled using CoMoO 4 -RuO 2 exhibit shows a high maximum discharge power density of 149 mW cm−2 and a large open circuit voltage of 1.38 V. The good performance can be attributed to the incorporation of RuO 2 , which not only induces extra catalytic active sites, but also forms heterojunction with CoMoO 4 to optimize the electronic structure of CoMoO 4 -RuO 2 , thereby achieving a better equilibrium of absorption and desorption of intermediates. The work provides insights into designing RuO 2 based electrocatalysts for advanced electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tribocatalysis is vitally important for electrochemistry, energy conservation, and water treatment. Exploring eco‐friendly and low‐cost tribocatalysts with high performance is crucial for practical applications. Here, the highly efficient tribocatalytic performance of FeOOH nanorods is reported. The factors related to the tribocatalytic activity such as nanorod diameter, surface area, and surface roughness are investigated, and the diameter of the FeOOH nanorods is found to have a significant effect on their tribocatalytic performance. As a result, under ultrasonic excitation, the optimized FeOOH nanorods exhibit superior tribocatalytic degradation toward rhodamine B (RhB), acid orange 7, methylene blue, methyl orange dyes, and their mixture. The RhB and mixed dyes are effectively degraded within 20 min (k = 0.179 min−1) and 35 min (k = 0.089 min−1), respectively, with the FeOOH nanorods showing excellent reusability. Moreover, antibiotics, such as tetracycline hydrochloride, phenol, and bisphenol A are efficiently degraded. Investigation of the catalytic mechanism reveals that the friction‐generated h+ as well as these yielded •OH and •O2− active radicals participate in the catalytic reaction. This work not only shed light on the design of high‐performance tribocatalyst but also demonstrates that by harvesting mechanical energy, the FeOOH nanorods are promising materials for removing organic contaminants in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competitive phase selection during cooling a metastable alloy is mainly controlled by the process of nucleation and growth for either the equilibrium stable phase or metastable phase. However, the control of competitive phase selection is still a standing challenge. In this work, a general method for controlling the competitive phase selection process by in-situ forming nanoparticles is reported. The solidification experiments of Cu-Cr metastable immiscible alloys were performed to probe the effect of in-situ TiB 2 , Cr 3 C 2 /Cr 7 C 3 or TiC nanoparticles. The results indicate that the Cr-rich minority phase originates from the liquid-solid phase transformation and exhibits coarse dendrite morphology for the Cu-Cr alloy without nanoparticles. In contrast, suitable nanoparticles may lower the Gibbs free energy barrier for the formation of metastable phase, trigger the liquid-liquid phase transformation, thus the Cr-rich minority phase almost shows spherical morphology and the size is only a few microns, even hundreds of nanometers. Furthermore, the microhardness of Cu-Cr alloys with nanoparticles is improved significantly. This strategy may have extensive application prospects for the modification of phase selection behaviors and solidification process of Cu-Cr metastable immiscible alloy. [Display omitted] • A general method for controlling the competitive phase selection process by in-situ nanoparticles is proposed. • Suitable nanoparticles lower the Gibbs free energy barrier and the undercooling for the formation of metastable phase. • in-situ TiB 2 , Cr 3 C 2 , Cr 7 C 3 or TiC nanoparticles can modify the phase selection behaviors of Cu-Cr alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Single-atom Co catalysts with more Co-N 4 sites were successfully synthesized. • The catalyst exhibits an excellent ORR electrocatalytic activity. • The catalyst based Zn-air batteries shows higher peak power density. • DFT confirm that more Co-N 4 sites can lower the reaction energy barrier of ORR. Transition metal single atom catalysts (TM SACs) are the most promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and metal-air batteries. However, the low density of M-N x active sites seriously hinders further improvement of the ORR electrocatalytic activity. Here, a strategy for encapsulating nitrogen-rich guest molecules (triethylenediamine cobalt complex, [Co(en) 3 ]3+) was proposed to construct a high-performance cobalt single-atom catalyst (Co-encapsulated SAC/NC). With this strategy, the guest molecules are encapsulated into metal–organic framework (MOF) cages as an additional cobalt source to boost cobalt loading, while abundant nitrogen from guest molecules contributes to the formation of Co-N 4 active sites. Remarkably, the resulting Co-encapsulated SAC/NC has a high cobalt loading amount of 4.03 wt%, and spherical aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy (AC-TEM) has confirmed that most cobalt exists in a single-atom state. As a result, the Co-encapsulated SAC/NC exhibits excellent ORR catalytic performance with a half-wave potential of 0.88 V. Furthermore, Zn-air batteries employing Co-encapsulated SAC/NC as air cathode show high peak power density and excellent cycling stability. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that adjacent active sites have different rate-determining steps and lower reaction energy barriers than a single active site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS), a treatment for both benign and malignant splenic diseases, can prove technically challenging in patients with massive splenomegaly. In particular, the optimal surgical modality for treating massive splenomegaly in children remains controversial. Methods: The clinicopathologic data of 289 pediatric patients undergoing splenectomy for massive splenomegaly were studied in a retrospective analysis. Accordingly, the patients were classified into the LS surgery group and open splenectomy (OS) surgery group. In the laparoscopy cohort, they were separated into two subgroups according to the method of surgery: the multi-incision laparoscopic splenectomy (MILS) and the single-incision laparoscopic splenectomy (SILS) surgery groups, respectively. Patient demographics, clinical data, surgery, complications, and postoperative recovery underwent analysis. Concurrently, we compared the risk of adverse laparoscopic splenectomy outcomes utilizing univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Results: The total operation time proved remarkably shorter in the OS group in contrast to the LS group (149.87 ± 61.44 versus 188.20 ± 52.51 min, P < 0.001). Relative to the OS group, the LS group exhibited lowered postoperative pain scores, bowel recovery time, and postoperative hospitalization time (P < 0.001). No remarkable difference existed in post-operation complications or mortality (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, the operation duration was remarkably longer in the SILS surgery group than in the MILS surgery group (200 ± 46.11 versus 171.39 ± 40.30 min, P = 0.02). Meanwhile, the operative duration of MILS and SILS displayed a remarkable positive association with splenic length. Moreover, the operative duration of SILS displayed a remarkable positive association with the age, weight, and height of the sick children. Splenic length proved an independent risk factor of adverse outcomes (P < 0.001, OR 1.378). Conclusions: For pediatric patients with massive splenomegaly who can tolerate prolonged anesthesia and operative procedures, LS surgery proves the optimal treatment regimen. SILS remains a novel surgery therapy which may be deemed a substitutional surgery approach for treating massive splenomegaly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birefringent crystals that can switch light polarization have important applications in optoelectronics. In the last decades, birefringence is mostly optimized by chemical strategies. Recently, switching birefringence by physical means has attracted much attention. Here, this work reports the observation of heat switching birefringence in a 2D layered hybrid halide perovskite (C2N3H4)2PbCl4 ((C2N3H4)+=1,2,4‐triazolium). This heat switching birefringence leads to a significant change in the interference color for the crystal plate under the illumination of orthogonal polarized light. Structure analyses reveal a heat dependent structure transition in (C2N3H4)2PbCl4, whose birefringence is switched by the change in the distortion degree of PbCl6 octahedron. This discovery may be beneficial to the further development of stimuli‐responsive polarization optical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birefringent crystals that can switch light polarization have important applications in optoelectronics. In the last decades, birefringence is mostly optimized by chemical strategies. Recently, switching birefringence by physical means has attracted much attention. Here, this work reports the observation of heat switching birefringence in a 2D layered hybrid halide perovskite (C2N3H4)2PbCl4 ((C2N3H4)+=1,2,4‐triazolium). This heat switching birefringence leads to a significant change in the interference color for the crystal plate under the illumination of orthogonal polarized light. Structure analyses reveal a heat dependent structure transition in (C2N3H4)2PbCl4, whose birefringence is switched by the change in the distortion degree of PbCl6 octahedron. This discovery may be beneficial to the further development of stimuli‐responsive polarization optical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid booming of intelligent traffic system, vehicular ad hoc networks have attracted wide attention from both academic and industry. However, security is the main obstacle for the wide deployment of vehicular ad hoc networks. Vehicular ad hoc networks security has two critical issues: access authentication and privacy preservation. How to ensure privacy preservation and improve the efficiency of authentication has become the urgent needs. However, the existing access authentication schemes for vehicular ad hoc networks with different flaws cannot maintain the balance between security and efficiency. Thus, an anonymous access authentication scheme for vehicular ad hoc networks under edge computing based on ID-based short group signature mechanism is proposed in this article to improve the efficiency and anonymity of access authentication. Multiple pseudonyms are presented to preserve the privacy of vehicle node. Besides, a new method is designed to identify and revoke malicious vehicles in the evaluation manner. The core protocols of the proposed scheme are proved to be secure by SVO logic. According to the computation cost and transmission overhead analysis, we indicate that our scheme owns better performance. Moreover, in this article, we combine vehicular ad hoc networks with edge computing together to provide a new clue for the development of mobile edge computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes an evolutionary multiagent framework of the co-operative co-evolutionary multiobjective model (CCMO-EMAS), specifically for equipment layout optimization in engineering. In this framework, each agent is set in a multiobjective cooperative co-evolutionary mode along with the algorithms and corresponding settings. In each iteration, agents are executed in turn, and each agent optimizes a subpopulation from system decomposition. Additionally, the collaboration mechanism is addressed to build complete solutions and evaluate individuals in the co-operative co-evolutionary algorithm. Each subpopulation is optimized once, and the corresponding agent is evaluated based on the improvement of the system memory. Moreover, the agent team is also evolved through an elite genetic algorithm. Finally, the proposed CCMO-EMAS framework is verified in a multimodule satellite equipment layout problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allele-specific DNA methylation (ASM) describes genomic loci that maintain CpG methylation at only one inherited allele rather than having coordinated methylation across both alleles. The most prominent of these regions are germline ASMs (gASMs) that control the expression of imprinted genes in a parent of origin-dependent manner and are associated with disease. However, our recent report reveals numerous ASMs at non-imprinted genes. These non-germline ASMs are dependent on DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and strikingly show the feature of random, switchable monoallelic methylation patterns in the mouse genome. The significance of these ASMs to human health has not been explored. Due to their shared allelicity with gASMs, herein, we propose that non-traditional ASMs are sensitive to exposures in association with human disease. Results: We first explore their conservancy in the human genome. Our data show that our putative non-germline ASMs were in conserved regions of the human genome and located adjacent to genes vital for neuronal development and maturation. We next tested the hypothesized vulnerability of these regions by exposing human embryonic kidney cell HEK293 with the neurotoxicant rotenone for 24 h. Indeed,14 genes adjacent to our identified regions were differentially expressed from RNA-sequencing. We analyzed the base-resolution methylation patterns of the predicted non-germline ASMs at two neurological genes, HCN2 and NEFM, with potential to increase the risk of neurodegeneration. Both regions were significantly hypomethylated in response to rotenone. Conclusions: Our data indicate that non-germline ASMs seem conserved between mouse and human genomes, overlap important regulatory factor binding motifs, and regulate the expression of genes vital to neuronal function. These results support the notion that ASMs are sensitive to environmental factors such as rotenone and may alter the risk of neurological disease later in life by disrupting neuronal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ir nanoparticles have been synthesized by using a sample hydrothermal method while well dispersed Ir@SiO 2 composite microspheres could be obtained hydrothermally after adding SiO 2 microspheres into the synthesis system. Particles of Ir formed on the surface of SiO 2 microspheres were well crystalline similar to the pure Ir nanoparticles. Both the glassy carbon electrodes modified by Ir nanoparticles and Ir@SiO 2 composite microspheres showed weak electrochemical activities toward oxidation of dopamine and ascorbic acid. However, the Ir nanoparticles modified gold electrode displayed an obvious catalytic activity toward electrooxidation of either dopamine or ascorbic acid. For the gold electrode modified with Ir@SiO 2 composite microspheres, the electrochemical behavior could be affected obviously by the quantity of the electrocatalyst on the surface of bare gold electrode. The relationship between structure and property of both samples have been studied and analyzed based on the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports a new second‐order nonlinear optical (NLO) material [C(NH2)3]3C3N3S3 (GU3TMT), consisting of π‐conjugated planar (C3N3S3)3− and triangular [C(NH2)3]+ groups. Interestingly, GU3TMT exhibits a large NLO response (2.0×KH2PO4) and moderate birefringence 0.067 at wavelength 550 nm, even though (C3N3S3)3− and [C(NH2)3]+ do not exhibit the most favorable arrangement in the structure of GU3TMT. First‐principles calculations suggest that NLO properties mainly originate from the highly π‐conjugated (C3N3S3)3− rings, and the π‐conjugated [C(NH2)3]+ triangles contribute much less to the overall NLO response. This work will inspire new thoughts with in‐depth on the role of π‐conjugated groups in NLO crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high‐efficiency bifunctional electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) to realize low‐cost water splitting is the premise for large‐scale production of hydrogen. The catalytic activity of an electrocatalysts greatly depends on its composition and structure. In this work, we report the preparation of hollow CoS2/MoS2 heterostructure using ZIF‐67 as the precursor. The ratio of Co and Mo are optimized to maximize the synergy of CoS2 and MoS2, due to their specific catalytic activity for OER and HER. The optimized CoS2/MoS2 exhibits good bifunctional catalytic activity in view of its low overpotentials for HER (170 mV) and OER (270 mV), as well as small cell voltage of 1.66 V for overall water splitting. This work provides a facile strategy to controllable fabrication of efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for renewable energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is kinetically sluggish due to the limitation of the four-electron transfer pathway, so it is imperative to explore advanced catalysts with a superior structure and catalytic output under facile synthetic conditions. In the present work, an easily accessible strategy was proposed to implement the plant-polyphenol-involved coordination assembly on Co(OH)2 nanosheets. A TA-Fe (TA = tannic acid) coordination assembly growing on Co(OH)2 resulted in the heterostructure of Co(OH)2@TA-Fe as an electrocatalyst for OER. It could significantly decrease the overpotential to 297 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The heterostructure Co(OH)2@TA-Fe also possessed favorable reaction kinetics with a low Tafel slope of 64.8 mV dec−1 and facilitated a charge-transfer ability. The enhanced electrocatalytic performance was further unraveled to be related to the confined growth of the coordination assembly on Co(OH)2 to expose more active sites, the modulated surface properties and their synergistic effect. This study demonstrated a simple and feasible strategy to utilize inexpensive biomass-derived substances as novel modifiers to enhance the performance of energy-conversion electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiperovskites have been studied since the 1980s because of their rich physical and chemical properties, but their linear and second‐order nonlinear optical responses remain largely unknown. Here we report a new polar crystal, Cs3Cl(HC3N3S3) (I), which features a quasi‐one‐dimensional antiperovskite structure composed of ClCs6 polyhedra and A‐site [HC3N3S3]2− rings. To our best knowledge, this kind of antiperovskite structure is reported for the first time. Remarkably, I exhibits a very strong nonlinear optical response up to 11.4 times that of the benchmark KH2PO4 and exceptionally large birefringence of 0.52. The first‐principles calculations and structural analyses reveal that [HC3N3S3]2− is the "material gene" while the antiperovskite structural feature making it in a favorable arrangement. This work provides a new structural platform for the rational design of integrated optoelectronic materials with linear and second‐order nonlinear optical responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiperovskites have been studied since the 1980s because of their rich physical and chemical properties, but their linear and second‐order nonlinear optical responses remain largely unknown. Here we report a new polar crystal, Cs3Cl(HC3N3S3) (I), which features a quasi‐one‐dimensional antiperovskite structure composed of ClCs6 polyhedra and A‐site [HC3N3S3]2− rings. To our best knowledge, this kind of antiperovskite structure is reported for the first time. Remarkably, I exhibits a very strong nonlinear optical response up to 11.4 times that of the benchmark KH2PO4 and exceptionally large birefringence of 0.52. The first‐principles calculations and structural analyses reveal that [HC3N3S3]2− is the "material gene" while the antiperovskite structural feature making it in a favorable arrangement. This work provides a new structural platform for the rational design of integrated optoelectronic materials with linear and second‐order nonlinear optical responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are many reports on the application of minimally invasive technology in correction of children's vesicoureteral junction obstruction (VUJO), but there is no report on the treatment of children's VUJO with the transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (TU-LESS) Lich–Gregoir method. We aimed to comparatively analyze the therapeutic outcomes of transvesicoscopic ureteral reimplantation Cohen (TUR-C) procedure and TU-LESS Lich–Gregoir (TU-LESS-LG) procedure in pediatric VUJO. Materials and Methods: The data of 49 children with VUJO, admitted from January 2016 to January 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. Based on different surgical methods, they were divided into the TUR-C group (23 cases) and the TU-LESS-LG group (26 cases). Demographic characteristics, perioperative characteristics, postoperative complications, recovery of renal function, and improvement of hydronephrosis were compared between the two groups. Results: There were no statistical differences in demographic characteristics and preoperative data between the two groups. The TU-LESS-LG group was superior to the TUR-C group in terms of average operation time and postoperative hospital stay. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of postoperative complications, postoperative recovery of renal function, and improvement of hydronephrosis. Conclusions: The two surgical methods can achieve a similar curative effect in the treatment of VUJO. The TU-LESS-LG procedure has more advantages of operation time, postoperative hospital stay, wider age range for selection of cases, megaureter tapering, and cosmetic incision, but the operation is more difficult. Clinical Trial Registration number: 2021(KY-E-048). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CoS 2 @MoS 2 @NiS 2 nano polyhedron with double-shelled structure was demonstrated to have multiple catalytic activity for HER, OER and ORR, which could serve as highly efficient catalysts for both rechargeable Zn-air batteries and overall water spitting. [Display omitted] • Double shelled hollow CoS 2 @MoS 2 @NiS 2 polyhedron was synthesized using a self-template method. • The CoS 2 @MoS 2 @NiS 2 exhibits multiple catalytic activity for HER, OER and ORR. • The CoS 2 @MoS 2 @NiS 2 exhibits a low HER overpotential of 156 mV at 10 mA cm−2. • The OER and ORR performance was demonstrated by rechargeable Zn-air battery. • The Zn-air battery can effectively drive water splitting device catalyzed by CoS 2 @MoS 2 @NiS 2. Electrocatalysts play important role in various energy conversion and storage devices. The catalytic performance of electrocatalysts can be enhanced through the increasement of intrinsic catalytic activity by optimizing electronic structure and the improvement of exposed active sites by designing proper nanostructures. In this work, CoS 2 @MoS 2 @NiS 2 nano polyhedron with double-shelled structure was prepared using metal organic framework as a precursor. Due to the rational integration of multifunctional active center, the strong electronic interaction of the various component, the high electrochemical surface area and shortened mass transport induced by the special structure, CoS 2 @MoS 2 @NiS 2 exhibits high catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Specifically, low overpotentials of 156 and 200 mV was achieved to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm−2 for HER and OER, and a high half-wave potential of 0.80 V was observed for ORR. More importantly, the Zn-air battery assembled by CoS 2 @MoS 2 @NiS 2 exhibits a high-power density of 80.28 mW cm−2 and could effectively drive overall water splitting. This work provides a new platform for designing multifunctional catalysts with high activity for energy conversion and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]