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It is highly desirable to develop a low-cost and rapid detection method for trace levels of carbendazim fungicide residues, which would be beneficial for improving human health and mitigating environmental issues. Herein, isolated single tungsten atoms were implanted onto well-organized metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived N-doped carbons to form W-N-C single-site heterojunctions with ultrahigh electrocatalytic activity. The coupling of W-N-C with Cu 3 (HHTP) 2 , an electronically conductive MOF with a large surface area and porous structure, exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic performance for the oxidation of carbendazim (CBZ) when they were used for decorating graphene nanoplatelet flexible electrode arrays fabricated via template-assisted scalable filtration. A wide linear range (3.0 nM-50 μM) with an ultra-low detection limit of 0.97 nM and fast response was achieved for CBZ analysis. Moreover, the sensing platform has been utilised to monitor CBZ levels in vegetable samples with satisfactory recovery rates of 97.2-102% and a low relative standard deviation of 1.9%., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The efficacy of sensors, particularly sensor arrays, lies in their selectivity. However, research on selectivity remains notably obscure and scarce. In this work, indoor pollutants (C 7 H 8 , HCHO, CH 4 , and NO 2 ) were chosen as the target gas. Following the screening of six oxides from previous work, temperature-programmed desorption/reduction experiments were conducted to delve into the origins of selectivity. The results explicate the superiority of NiO in detecting toluene and unveil the distinctive NO 2 sensing mechanism of WO 3 sensors. Based on the sensor array comprising these oxides, it can clearly detect low concentrations of C 7 H 8 ( S = 1.6 to 50 ppb), HCHO ( S = 1.4 to 50 ppb), and NO 2 ( S = 3.3 to 50 ppb), which satisfies the requisites of indoor air monitoring. Meanwhile, three machine learning models (Extreme Gradient Boosting, Support Vector Machine, and Back Propagation Neural Network) are employed for gas classification. The classification accuracies of these models are 95.45%, 100%, and 100%, while the R 2 values of the concentration prediction are 99.65%, 94.9%, and 98.04%, respectively, indicating the rationality of material selection. Furthermore, it can still achieve relatively high accuracy in gas classification (94.12%) and concentration prediction (89.36%), even for gas mixtures of four gases. Finally, an indoor air quality monitoring system is developed, which enables real-time monitoring of indoor gas quality through the Internet of Things.

Serious acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a tremendous threat to global public health. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency use of volatile organic components as detection biomarkers for COVID-19, ushering in a new era of portable, simple, and rapid epidemiological screening based on breath diagnosis. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important biomarker indicating the degree of inflammation in the respiratory tract. In this study, a hollow multishelled structured WO 3 (HoMSs-WO 3 )-based waveguide microwave gas sensor (MGS) was fabricated to detect trace levels of NO in exhaled breath for the preliminary diagnosis of COVID-19. The sensor showed excellent reusability and selectivity and efficiently detected NO in the 10-100 ppb, with a sensitivity of 39.27 dB/ppm and a detection limit of 2.52 ppb. In addition, a sound correlation was observed in the measurement results between the MGS and the Sunvou detector for detecting NO from the exhaled breath of clinical COVID-19 patients. The difference between the two measurements was within 1.96 standard bias, and the consistency range was -12 to 17 ppb, thus fully demonstrating the significant potential of the sensor in COVID-19 screening.

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a well-known type of over-the-counter painkillers and is frequently found in surface waterbodies, causing hepatotoxicity and skin irritation. Due to its persistence and chronic effects on the environment, innovative solutions must be provided to decompose APAP, effectively. Innovative catalysts of tungsten-modified iron oxides (TF) were successfully developed via a combustion method and thoroughly characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, a porosimetry analysis, Mössbauer spectroscopy, VSM magnetometry, and EPR. With the synthesis method, tungsten was successfully incorporated into iron oxides to form ferrites and other magnetic iron oxides with a high porosity of 19.7 % and a large surface area of 29.5 m 2 /g. Also, their catalytic activities for APAP degradation by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) were evaluated under various conditions. Under optimal conditions, TF 2.0 showed the highest APAP degradation of 95 % removal with a catalyst loading of 2.0 g/L, initial APAP concentration of 5 mg/L, PMS of 6.5 mM, and pH 2.15 at room temperature. No inhibition by solution pHs, alkalinity, and humic acid was observed for APAP degradation in this study. The catalysts also showed chemical and mechanical stability, achieving 100 % degradation of 1 mg/L APAP during reusability tests with three consecutive experiments. These results show that TFs can effectively degrade persistent contaminants of emerging concern in water, offering an impactful contribution to wastewater treatment to protect human health and the ecosystem., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In order to solve the problem of significantly shortened storage time of bananas in hot and humid environment (e.g., 30 °C and 90 % relative humidity), this paper reports the preparation of ZnO-TiO 2 -Bi 2 WO 6 (ZTB) ternary heterojunction antimicrobial photocatalysts composite carboxymethyl chitosan film (ZTB/CMCS). ZTB were prepared by hydrothermal method and composited with CMCS by surface deposition method to construct ZTB/CMCS edible nano-preservation film. It is noteworthy that the ZTB/CMCS composite film exhibited excellent antibacterial efficiency (>99.99 %) against E. coli and S. aureus suspensions (10 6  CFU/mL) after 24 h of incubation at 37 °C. Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectroscopy showed that the incorporation of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) into the ZTB structure led to a decrease in fluorescence lifetime. Moreover, the interfacial interaction between ZnO and TiO 2 /Bi 2 WO 6 inhibited the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, promoting carrier separation and improving photocatalytic activity. The combination of high antibacterial activity, photocatalytic degradation of ethylene and inhibition of gas exchange provided multiple protections for fruit preservation. Therefore, this work provides a novel, effective and safe method for prolonging the preservation of bananas in hot and humid environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Jianwei Guo reports was provided by Guangdong University of Technology. Janwei Guo reports a relationship with Guangdong University of Technology that includes: employment. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Photocatalysis has been widely used as one of the most promising approaches to remove various pollutants in liquid or gas phases during the last decade. The main emphasis of the study is on the synergy of vacancy engineering and heterojunction formation, two widely used modifying approaches, to significantly alter photocatalytic performance. The vacancy-induced Ag 2 CO 3 /BiOBr/WO 3-x heterojunction system has been fabricated using a co-precipitation technique to efficiently abate methylene blue (MB) dye and doxycycline (DC) antibiotic. The as-fabricated Ag 2 CO 3 /BiOBr/WO 3-x heterojunction system displayed improved optoelectronic characteristic features because of the rational combination of dual charge transferal route and defect modulation. The Ag 2 CO 3 /BiOBr/WO 3-x system possessed 97% and 74% photodegradation efficacy for MB and DC, respectively, with better charge isolation and migration efficacy. The ternary photocatalyst possessed a multi-fold increase in the reaction rate for both MB and DC, i.e., 0.021 and 0.0078 min -1 , respectively, compared to pristine counterparts. Additionally, more insightful deductions about the photodegradation routes were made possible by the structural investigations of MB and DC using density functional theory (DFT) simulations. This study advances the understanding of the mechanisms forming visible light active dual Z-scheme heterojunction for effective environmental remediation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Acebutolol (ACE) is commonly used to treat hypertension and high blood pressure. Large doses of ACE can have adverse effects with potentially life-threatening consequences. It is, therefore, essential to develop a simple, low-cost, reliable, and reproducible device for detecting ACE in biofluids. This study explores the potential of unique two-dimensional nano-flakes, such as tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ). Graphene oxide (GO) typically exhibits lower electrical conductivity than pristine graphene due to the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups that interfere with the π-conjugated structure. Functionalizing GO with tannic acid (TA) can partially reinstate the π-conjugation and limit the amount of oxygen, resulting in enhanced electrical conductivity. Ultrasonic techniques were utilized to create WO 3 NFs@TA-rGO, and a range of spectroscopic and microscopic methods were applied to examine the formation of the resulting WO 3 NFs@TA-rGO nanocomposites. Under optimal conditions, modified sensors resulted in lower limits of detection (0.0055 μM) and good sensitivity (0.40 μA μM -1  cm -2 ). They also exhibited a broad linear range spanning from 0.009 to 568.6 μM. Fabricated sensors have significant anti-interference properties with high specificity and excellent storage stability (RSD = 4.3 %), reproducibility (RSD = 3.9 %), and repeatability (RSD = 3.3 %). Ultimately, the sensor's efficacy was confirmed through the successful detection of ACE in biological samples (with recoveries ranging from 99.1 to 99.6 %). Lastly, this study highlights the substantial potential of ACE detection and extends its applications in biomedical diagnostics and pharmaceutical research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The photoelectrocatalytic advanced oxidation process (PEAOP) necessitates high-performing and stable photoanodes for the effective oxidation of complex pollutants in industrial wastewater. This study presents the construction of 2D WO 3 /MXene heteronanostructures for the development of efficient and stable photoanode. The WO 3 /MXene heterostructure features well-ordered WO 3 photoactive sites anchored on micron-sized MXene sheets, providing an increased visible light active catalytic surface area and enhanced electrocatalytic activities for pollutant oxidation. Phenol, a highly toxic compound, was completely oxidized at an applied potential of 0.8 V vs. RHE under visible light irradiation. Systematic optimization of operational conditions for the photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of phenol was conducted. The phenol oxidation mechanism was elucidated via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis and the identification of intermediate compounds. Additionally, a mixed model of phenol and arsenic (III) in polluted water demonstrated the capability of WO 3 /MXene photoanode for the simultaneous oxidation of both organic and inorganic pollutants, achieving complete conversion of phenol and As(III) to non-toxic As(V). The WO 3 /MXene photoanode facilitated water oxidation, generating a substantial amount of O 2 •- and • OH oxidative species, which are crucial for the concurrent oxidation of phenol and arsenic. Recyclability tests demonstrated a 99% retention of performance, confirming the WO 3 /MXene photoanode's suitability for long-term operation in PEAOPs. The findings suggest that integrating WO 3 /MXene photoanodes into water purification systems can enhance economic feasibility, reduce energy consumption, and improve efficiency. This PEAOP offers a viable solution to the critical issue of heavy metal and organic chemical pollution in various water bodies, given its scalability and ability to preserve ecosystems while conserving clean water resources., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mine waste can be transformed into technosol as an ecological strategy. Despite its importance to soil functions, biological activity is often overlooked. Biopolymers can serve as innovative tools for bioremediation, facilitating chemical reactions and creating networks to encapsulate contaminants. This work aims to assess the use of bioleached and stabilised residues from a tungsten mine for technosol production. The first objective was to evaluate mine tailings for their bioleaching potential by biostimulation or bioaugmentation with strain Diaphorobacter polyhydroxybutyrativorans B2A2W2. The second was to evaluate the effect of Portland cement or biopolymers such as Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) or Xanthan Gum (XG) on the stabilisation of bioleached residues. The impact of biopolymers on residues' characteristics, such as metal leaching, number of cultivable microorganisms, compression strength and ecotoxicity was evaluated using flow systems. Over time, bioleached metallic elements decreased, except for iron (Fe). Biostimulated and stabilised residues exhibited similar trends; both CMC and cement showed low leaching rates and viable microorganisms in the same order (10 6 CFU × ml -1 ). However, bioaugmented residue stabilised with XG showed 10 6 CFU × ml -1 viable microorganisms and increased 2.2-fold Fe leaching than BA_Control. CMC addition to bioaugmented residue reduced 5.9-fold Fe leaching and increased 100-fold viable microorganisms. By utilising both biological and engineering approaches to characterise the technosol, this study contributes to advancing knowledge of technosol production. The residues biostimulated and stabilised with CMC produced a material useful for bio-applications, with low toxicity and metal leaching, useful for bio-applications. XG was the best stabiliser for geotechnical engineering applications, with improved compression strength. In conclusion, the study demonstrates the usefulness of biopolymer treatment for residues and emphasises the importance of selecting the appropriate biopolymer for the intended function of technosols., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Detecting hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) odor gas in the environment at parts-per-billion-level concentrations is crucial. However, a significant challenge is the rapid deactivation caused by SO 4 2- deposition. To address this issue, we developed a sensing material comprising Fe 2 O 3 -decorated WO 3 nanowires (FWO) with strong interfacial interaction. During the H 2 S sensing process, important oxygen vacancies (OVs) are generated in situ and are recyclable on the surface of the Fe 2 O 3 cluster. This sensor achieves a response of 140 (Ra/Rg) toward 50 ppm of H 2 S at 250 °C, with an experimentally measured detection limit of 1 ppb. It also exhibits remarkable stability, with no significant change observed over a long period of 150 days. Based on a combination of in situ DRIFT and DFT calculations, we have identified that the overactivation of O 2 is the key step in the formation of SO 4 2- . This overactivation can be partially modulated by the synergistic effect of Fe 2 O 3 decoration and the in situ generated OVs, regulating the oxidation product to SO 2 rather than the toxic SO 4 2- . Furthermore, the continuous generation of OVs compensates for the loss of active sites pertaining to SO 4 2- deposition, thereby contributing to the excellent stability of the sensor. This study underscores the beneficial impact of in situ OV generation in FWO for H 2 S sensing, offering a dynamic strategy to enhance sensor performance, particularly in terms of stability.

Transition metal oxide semiconductors have great potential for use in H 2 sensors, but in recent years, the strange phenomena about gas-sensitive performance associated with their special properties have been more widely discussed in research. In some cases, the resistance of transition metal oxide gas sensors will emerge with some changes contrary to their intrinsic semiconductor characteristics, especially in gas sensor research of WO 3 . Based on the hydrothermal synthesis of WO 3 , our work focuses on the abnormal change of tungsten oxide resistance to different gases at low temperature (80-200 °C) and high temperature (above 200 °C). Through in situ FT-IR and in situ XPS, combined with density functional theory calculations, a new reasonable explanation of WO 3 is proposed for the abnormal resistance change caused by temperature and the strange response due to gas concentration. The occurrence of these findings can be attributed to the synergistic effect resulting from the presence of two contributing factors. One of them is attributed to the alteration in the surface valence state of WO 3 induced by gas, resulting in the reduction of W 6+ . The other one is due to the reaction between gas and adsorbed oxygen on the surface of WO 3 . This work presents a novel and rational concept for addressing the reaction mechanism between gas and transition metal oxide semiconductors, thereby paving the way for the development of highly efficient gas sensors based on transition metal oxide semiconductors.

Selective and sensitive sarcosine detection is crucial due to its recent endorsement as a prostate cancer (PCa) biomarker in clinical diagnosis. The reduced graphene oxide-cobalt nickel tungsten boron oxides (CoNiWBO/rGO) nanocomposite is developed as a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor for sarcosine detection in PCa patients' serum. CoNiWBO/rGO is synthesized by the chemical reduction method via a one-pot reduction method followed by calcination at 500 °C under a nitrogen environment for 2 h and characterized by UV-Vis, XRD, TGA, and SEM. CoNiWBO/rGO is then deposited on a glassy carbon electrode, and sarcosine sensing parameters are optimized, including concentration and pH. This non-enzymatic sensor is employed to directly determine sarcosine in serum samples. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) are employed to monitor the electrochemical behavior where sarcosine binding leads to oxidation. Chronoamperometric studies show the stability of the developed sensor. The results demonstrate a wide linear range from 0.1 to 50 µM and low limits of detection, i.e., 0.04 µM and 0.07 µM using DPV and LSV respectivel. Moreover, the calculated recovery of sarcosine in human serum of prostate cancer patients is 78-96%. The developed electrochemical sensor for sarcosine detection can have potential applications in clinical diagnosis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to investigate how alloying tungsten (W) with molybdenum (Mo) and local strain affect the primary defect formation and interstitial dislocation loops (IDLs) in W-Mo alloys. While the number of Frenkel pairs (FPs) in the W-Mo alloy is similar to pure W, it is half that of pure Mo. The W-20% Mo alloy, chosen for further analysis, showed minimal FP variance after collision cascades induced by primary knock-on atoms (PKAs) at 10 to 80 keV. The research examined hydrostatic strains from -1.4% to 1.6%, finding that higher strains correlated with increased FP counts and cluster formation, including IDLs. The following two types of IDLs were identified: majority ½ <111> loops as well as <100> IDLs that formed within the initial picoseconds of the simulations under higher tensile strain (1.6%) and larger PKA energies (80 keV). The strain effects also correlated with changes in threshold displacement energy (TDE), with higher FP formation under tensile strain. This study highlights the impact of strain and alloying on radiation damage, particularly in low-temperature, high-energy environments.

Artificial visual system empowered by 2D materials-based hardware simulates the functionalities of the human visual system, leading the forefront of artificial intelligence vision. However, retina-mimicked hardware that has not yet fully emulated the neural circuits of visual pathways is restricted from realizing more complex and special functions. In this work, we proposed a human visual pathway-replicated hardware that consists of crossbar arrays with split floating gate 2D tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) unit devices that simulate the retina and visual cortex, and related connective peripheral circuits that replicate connectomics between the retina and visual cortex. This hardware experimentally displays advanced multi-functions of red-green color-blindness processing, low-power shape recognition, and self-driven motion tracking, promoting the development of machine vision, driverless technology, brain-computer interfaces, and intelligent robotics., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Due to the unique properties of heterojunction interfaces, heterojunction materials have broad application prospects in gas sensors. In this work, a facile and economical two-step synthesis method was employed to fabricate h-BN/WO 3 heterojunctions, exhibiting excellent performance in triethylamine (TEA) detection. The results indicate that compared to pure WO 3 sensors, h-BN/WO 3 sensors exhibit superior TEA sensing capabilities, with an excellent response of 281.45 to 20 ppm TEA at 100 °C, which is 3.4 times higher. Moreover, h-BN/WO 3 sensors demonstrate favorable response times, low detection limits, and good stability. These significant enhancements are attributed to the increase in oxygen vacancies and the establishment of heterojunctions between h-BN and WO 3 . Heterojunctions can regulate the concentration and transport rate of charge carriers, as well as the interface potential barrier, thereby affecting the gas sensing processes. This work may promote the further development of sensing materials and the practical application of WO 3 sensors in TEA detection., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Radiotherapy (RT) is often administered, either alone or in combination with other therapies, for most malignancies. However, the degree of tumor oxygenation, damage to adjacent healthy tissues, and inaccurate guidance remain issues that result in discontinuation or failure of RT. Here, a multifunctional therapeutic platform based on Ir@WO 3-x is developed which simultaneously addresses these critical issues above for precision radiosensitization. Ir@WO 3-x nanoreactors exhibit strong absorption of X-ray, acting as radiosensitizers. Moreover, ultrasmall Ir enzyme-mimic nanocrystals (NCs) are decorated onto the surface of the nanoreactor, where NCs have catalyst-like activity and are sensitive to H 2 O 2 in the tumor microenvironment (TME) under near infrared-II (NIR-II) light stimulation. They efficiently catalyze the conversion of H 2 O 2 to O 2 , thereby ameliorating hypoxia, inhibiting the expression of HIF-1α, and enhancing RT-induced DNA damage in cancerous tissue, further improving the efficiency of RT. Additionally, in response to high H 2 O 2 levels in TME, the Ir@WO 3-x nanoreactor also exerts peroxidase-like activity, boosting exogenous ROS, which increases oxidative damage and enhances ROS-dependent death signaling. Furthermore, Ir@WO 3-x can serve as a high-quality computed tomography contrast agent due to its high X-ray attenuation coefficient and generation of pronounced tumor-tissue contrast. This report highlights the potential of advanced health materials to enhance precision therapeutic modalities., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

In this work, chemical modification of the chitosan with ethyl acetoacetate was performed through a base-catalyzed reaction in which epichlorohydrin facilitated the insertion as well as nucleophilic substitution reaction to graft the 1,3-dioxo moiety across the linear chains of the base biopolymer to establish specificity and selectivity for U(VI) removal. The modified chitosan (EAA-CS) was intercalated into phosphate rich alginate matrix (PASA). Later on, the WO 3 -doped composites with different WO 3 to PASA mass ratio were prepared and characterized using FTIR, XPS, SEM-EDS, XRD, and elemental mapping analysis. WO 3 significantly contributed to chemically stable inorganic-organic composites with improved porous texture. Among the prepared composites, MCPS-3 microspherical beads, having mass ratio of 30.0 % w/w, exhibited excellent sorption capacity for U(VI) at an optimal pH 4.5. The successful U(VI) sorption was validated by the existence of two U4f peaks at 392.25 and 381.36 eV due to U4f 5/2 and U4f 7/2 sub-peaks with an intensity ratio of 3:4, respectively. Batch mode sorption kinetics followed pseudo-second-order rate equation (R 2  ≈ 0.99, q e,th  ≈ 116.88 mg/g, k 2  = 0.86 × 10 -4  g/mg.min -1 ) and equilibrium sorption data aligns with Langmuir (R 2  = 0.99, q m  = 343.85 mg/g at 310 K and pH = 4.5, K L  = 2.00 × 10 -2  L/mg) and Temkin models (R 2  ≈ 0.99). Thermodynamic parameters ΔH o (30.51 kJ/mol), ΔS o (0.19 kJ/mol.K) and ΔG o (-25.64, -26.89, and - 27.91 kJ/mol) at 298, 305, and 310 K, respectively, suggested that the uptake process is feasible, endothermic and spontaneous. Based on these findings, it is reasonable to conclude that MCPS-3 could be a better hydrogel-based biomaterial for appreciable uranium recovery., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bioactive NAD + mediated multiple biocatalytic pathways in metabolic networks. Refining the structure of NADH oxidase-like (NOX) mimics to efficiently replenish NAD + has been promising but challenging in NAD + -dependent dehydrogenase electrochemical cascade biosensing. Herein, we discovered that PtO x structures, formed via lattice oxygen translocation from WO 3 to Pt NPs at the interface, potentially activate and modulate the NOX-like functionality in Pt@WO 3 nanosheets. Incorporating PtO x leads to a more positive valence of Pt species within Pt/PtO x @WO 3- x , where the PtO 2 species serve as preeminent reaction sites for NADH coordination, activation, and dehydrogenation. Consequently, such nanozymes display enhanced NOX-like activity towards NADH oxidation in comparison to Pt@WO 3 . Ultimately, the 650-Pt/PtO x @WO 3- x nanozyme is employed in an electrochemical cascade biosensor for β-hydroxybutyrate (HB) detection, achieving a calculated detection limit of 25 μM. This study offers insights into PtO x activation in Pt-based NOX mimics and supports the future development of NAD + /NADH-dependent electrochemical biosensors.

The large-scale utilization of antibiotics has opened a separate chapter of pollution with the generation of reactive drug-resistant bacteria. To deal with this, in this work, different mass ratios of CoFe 2 O 4 /WO 3 nanocomposites were prepared following an in situ growth method using the precursors of WO 3 and CoFe 2 O 4 . The structure, morphology, and optical properties of the nanocomposite photocatalysts were scrutinized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-Vis DRS), photoluminescence spectrum (PL), etc. The experimental data signified that the loading of CoFe 2 O 4 obviously changed the optical properties of WO 3 . The photocatalytic performance of CoFe 2 O 4 /WO 3 composites was investigated by considering tetracycline as a potential pollutant. The outcome of the analyzed data exposed that the CoFe 2 O 4 /WO 3 composite with a mass ratio of 5% had the best degradation performance for tetracycline eradication under the solar light, and a degradation efficiency of 77% was achieved in 20 min. The monitored degradation efficiency of the optimized photocatalyst was 45% higher compared with the degradation efficiency of 32% for pure WO 3 . Capturing experiments and tests revealed that hydroxyl radical (·OH) and hole (h + ) were the primary eradicators of the target pollutant. This study demonstrates that a proper mass of CoFe 2 O 4 can significantly push WO 3 for enhanced eradication of waterborne pollutants.

The reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrogen (N 2 ) to value-added products is a substantial area of research in the fields of sustainable chemistry and renewable energy that aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the production of alternative fuels and chemicals. The current work deals with the synthesis of pyrochlore-type europium stannate (Eu 2 Sn 2 O 7 : EuSnO), tungsten disulfide (WS 2 :WS), and novel EuSnO/WS heterostructure by a simple and facile co-precipitation-aided hydrothermal method. Using different methods, the morphological and structural analyses of the prepared samples were characterized. It was confirmed that a heterostructure was formed between the cubic EuSnO and the layered WS. Synthesized materials were used for photocatalytic CO 2 and N 2 reduction under UV and visible light. The amount of CO and CH 4 evolved due to CO 2 reduction is high in EuSnO/WS (CO = 104, CH 4  = 64 μmol h -1 g -1 ) compared to pure EuSnO (CO = 36, CH 4  = 70 μmol h -1 g -1 ) and WS (CO = 22, CH 4  = 1.8 μmol h -1 g -1 ) under visible light. The same trend was observed even in the N 2 fixation reaction under visible light, and the amount of NH 4 + produced was found to be 13, 26, and 41 μmol h -1 g -1 in the presence of WS, EuSnO and EuSnO/WS, respectively. Enhanced light-driven activity towards CO 2 and N 2 reduction reactions in EuSnO/WS is due to the efficient charge separation through the formation of type-II heterostructure, which is in part associated with photocurrent response, photoluminescence, and electrochemical impedence spectroscopic (EIS) results. The EuSnO/WS heterostructure's exceptional stability and reusability may pique the attention of pyrochlore-based composite materials in photocatalytic energy and environmental applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Iron-based catalysts for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation hold considerable potential in water treatment. However, the slow conversion of Fe(III) to Fe(II) restricts its large-scale application. Herein, an iron phosphate tungsten boride composite (FePO 4 /WB) was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method to facilitate the Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox cycle and realize the efficient degradation of neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs). Based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) characterization, scavenging experiments, chemical probe approaches, and quantitative tests, both radicals (HO • and SO 4 ⋅- ) and non-radicals ( 1 O 2 and Fe(IV)) were produced in the FePO 4 /WB-PMS system, with relative contributions of 3.02 %, 3.58 %, 6.24 %, and 87.16 % to the degradation of imidacloprid (IMI), respectively. Mechanistic studies revealed that tungsten boride (WB) promoted the reduction of FePO 4 , and the generated Fe(II) dominantly activated PMS through a two-electron transfer to form Fe(IV), while a minority of Fe(II) engaged in a one-electron transfer with PMS to produce SO 4 ⋅- , HO • , and 1 O 2 . In addition, four degradation pathways of NEOs were proposed by analyzing the byproducts using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Besides, seed germination experiments revealed the biotoxicity of NEOs was significantly reduced after degradation via the FePO 4 /WB-PMS system. Meanwhile, the recycling experiments and continuous flow reactor experiments showed that FePO 4 /WB exhibited high stability. Overall, this study provided a new perspective on water remediation by Fenton-like reaction. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Neonicotinoids (NEOs) are a type of insecticide used widely around the world. They've been found in many aquatic environments, raising concerns about their possible negative effects on the environment and health. Iron-based catalysts for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation hold great promise for water purification. However, the slow conversion of Fe(III) to Fe(II) restricts its large-scale application. Herein, iron phosphate tungsten boride composite (FePO 4 /WB) was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method to facilitate the Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox cycle and realize the efficient degradation of NEOs. The excellent stability and reusability provided a great prospect for water remediation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) which include antibiotics such as tetracycline (TC) and ciprofloxacin (CIP), etc., have attracted increasing attention worldwide due to their potential threat to the aquatic environment and human health. In this work, a facile sol-gel method was developed to prepare tungsten-doped TiO 2 with tunable W 5+ /W 6+ ratio for the removal of PPCPs. The influence of solvents in the synthesis of the three different tungsten precursors doped TiO 2 is also taken into account. WCl 6 , ammonium metatungstate (AMT), and Na 2 WO 4 ●2H 2 O not only acted as the tungsten precursors but also controlled the tungsten ratio. The photocatalyst prepared by WCl 6 as the tungsten precursor and ethanol as the solvent showed the highest photodegradation performance for ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TC), and the photodegradation performance for tetracycline (TC) was 2.3, 2.8, and 7.8 times that of AMT, Na 2 WO 4 ●2H 2 O as the tungsten precursors and pristine TiO 2 , respectively. These results were attributed to the influence of the tungsten precursors and solvents on the W 5+ /W 6+ ratio, sample crystallinity and surface properties. This study provides an effective method for the design of tungsten-doped TiO 2 with tunable W 5+ /W 6+ ratio, which has a profound impact on future studies in the field of photocatalytic degradation of PPCPs using an environmentally friendly approach.

Bacterial infections claim millions of lives every year, with the escalating menace of microbial antibiotic resistance compounding this global crisis. Nanozymes, poised as prospective substitutes for antibiotics, present a significant frontier in antibacterial therapy, yet their precise enzymatic origins remain elusive. With the continuous development of nanozymes, the applications of elemental N-modulated nanozymes have spanned multiple fields, including sensing and detection, infection therapy, cancer treatment, and pollutant degradation. The introduction of nitrogen into nanozymes not only broadens their application range but also holds significant importance for the design of catalysts in biomedical research. The synergistic interplay between W and N induces pivotal alterations in electronic configurations, endowing tungsten nitride (WN) with a peroxidase-like functionality. Furthermore, the introduction of N vacancies augments the nanozyme activity, thus amplifying the catalytic potential of WN nanostructures. Rigorous theoretical modeling and empirical validation corroborate the genesis of the enzyme activity. The meticulously engineered WN nanoflower architecture exhibits an exceptional ability in traversing bacterial surfaces, exerting potent bactericidal effects through direct physical interactions. Additionally, the topological intricacies of these nanostructures facilitate precise targeting of generated radicals on bacterial surfaces, culminating in exceptional bactericidal efficacy against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains along with notable inhibition of bacterial biofilm formation. Importantly, assessments using a skin infection model underscore the proficiency of WN nanoflowers in effectively clearing bacterial infections and fostering wound healing. This pioneering research illuminates the realm of pseudoenzyme activity and bacterial capture-killing strategies, promising a fertile ground for the development of innovative, high-performance artificial peroxidases.

Herein, coupling of noble metal-free plasmonic copper nanoparticles with tungsten suboxide and supporting on zeolite nanoclay (Cu/WO 3-x @ZNC) composite will be introduced for bi-functional photocatalytic ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation and water photothermal evaporation under visible/infrared (Vis/IR) exposure. Reduced band-gap of WO 3-x via oxygen vacancies creation and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) formation by Cu nanoparticles contributed significantly the extension and intensification of composite's photo-absorption range. Furthermore, small mesoporous structure of ZNC enhanced CIP adsorption and charge carriers separation where the reported photocatalytic efficiencies were 88.3 and 81.7% upon IR and Vis light exposure respectively. It was evidenced that plasmonic hot electrons (e - .s) and hydroxyl radicals (OH •- ) performed the basic functions of the photocatalytic process. At the other side, oxygen vacancies existence, plasmonic effect, and confining thermal characteristics of WO 3-x , Cu, and ZNC correspondingly induced water photothermal evaporation with efficiencies up to 97.5 and 72.8% under IR and Vis illumination respectively. This work introduces synthesis of a novel bi-functional photocatalytic-photothermal composite by metal sub-oxide and non-noble metal plasmonic coupling and supporting on naturally-derived carrier for water restoration under broad spectral exposure., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No competing financial interests or personal relationships could influence this paper work to be declared., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Water pollution has been made worse by the widespread use of organic dyes and their discharge, which has coincided with the industry's rapid development. Piezoelectric catalysis, as an effective wastewater purification method with promising applications, can enhance the catalyst activity by collecting tiny vibrations in nature and is not limited by sunlight. In this work, we designed and synthesized intriguing WS 2 /Bi 2 WO 6 heterojunction nanocomposites, investigated their shape, structure, and piezoelectric characteristics using a range of characterization techniques, and used ultrasound to accelerate the organic dye Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation in wastewater. In comparison to the pristine monomaterials, the results demonstrated that the heterojunction composites demonstrated excellent degradation and stability of RhB under ultrasonic circumstances. The existence of heterojunctions and the internal piezoelectric field created by ultrasonic driving work in concert to boost catalytic performance, and the organic dye's rate of degradation is further accelerated by the carriers that are mutually transferred between the composites., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The widespread usage of levofloxacin (LVF) intake is executed for several urinary and respiratory systems infections in human. But, its over intake leads to severe damage to humans and the environment by its exposure. Hence the detection of LVF is concerned and we herein developed an electrocatalyst, strontium tungsten oxide nanospheres and later decorated onto the functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (SrWO 4 /f-MWCNT) to perform effective electrochemical recognition of LVF in aquatic and biological samples. Binary metal oxide with carbon composite SrWO 4 /f-MWCNT was developed due to its specific features as nanostructures. Various methods of investigation have been examined to identify the physiochemical characteristics like X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and morphological characteristics including field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The synthesized SrWO 4 /f-MWCNT sample crystalline size was around 32.9 nm. The SrWO 4 /f-MWCNT modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) has been subjected to electrochemical investigation with a wide linear range of 0.049 μM-574.73 μM with good sensitivity 2.86 μA μM -1 cm 2 , the limit of detection at 14.9 nM for LVF sensing. Furthermore, the designed LVF detection exhibited excellent anti-interference, stability, reproducibility, and repeatability. The as-developed sensor's electrochemical outcomes indicate the superior performance inherent in the developed composite., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Herein, we present a colorimetric detection method based on the surface-enhanced photochromic phenomenon of tungsten (VI) oxide (WO 3 ) nanocolloid particles for α-amino acid (AA) molecules, including L -aspartic acid (Asp), L -glutamic acid (Glu), L -histidine (His), L -isoleucine (Ile), L -leucine (Leu), L -lysine (Lys), L -phenylalanine (Phe), and L -valine (Val). The UV-induced photochromic phenomena in the AA/WO 3 binary aqueous systems were investigated using UV-Vis absorption spectrometry. The adsorption properties of the AA molecules on the surface of the WO 3 nanocolloid particles have been identified using a combination of adsorption isotherm analysis and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. A good linear correlation between the concentration of the AAs adsorbed on the surface of the WO 3 nanocolloid particles and the initial photochromic coloration rate in the corresponding UV-irradiated WO 3 colloidal aqueous solution was obtained with over three orders of magnitude, indicating that the surface-enhanced photochromic phenomenon of the WO 3 nanocolloid particle can be used to detect the AA molecules. In addition, based on the results of the UV-Vis absorption, ATR-FTIR, and adsorption isotherm analyses, we have experimentally demonstrated that the AA/WO 3 binary aqueous system with inner-sphere adsorbed Ile, Leu, Lys, or Val molecules on the surface of the WO 3 nanocolloid particles exhibits a more significant surface-enhanced photochromic phenomenon than the system with outer-sphere adsorbed Asp, Glu, His, or Phe molecules. The strong inner-sphere adsorption of the AA molecules successfully improved the limit of detection. This study provides valuable insights into a "label-free" colorimetric assay system based on the surface-enhanced photochromic phenomenon of the WO 3 nanocolloid probe., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.)

The incidence of esophageal cancer is positively associated with fumonisin contamination. It is necessary to develop methods for the rapid detection of fumonisins. In this work, a self-powered photoelectrochemical aptamer sensor based on ZnIn 2 S 4 /WO 3 photoanode and Au@W-Co 3 O 4 photocathode is proposed for the sensitive detection of fumonisin B1 (FB1). Among them, under visible light irradiation, the Z-type heterostructure of ZnIn 2 S 4 /WO 3 acts as a photoanode to improve the electron transfer rate, which contributes to the enhancement of the photocathode signal and lays the foundation for a wider detection range. The Au@W-Co 3 O 4 photocathode as a sensing interface reduces the probability of false positives (comparison of anode sensing platforms). The PEC sensor has a good working performance in the detection range (10 pg/mL-1000 ng/mL) with a detection limit of 2.7 pg/mL (S/N = 3). In addition, the sensor offers good selectivity, stability and excellent recoveries in real sample analysis. This work is expected to play a role in the field of analyzing environmental toxins., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we investigated the degradation of the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) using platinized tungsten oxide (Pt/WO 3 ), synthesized via a simple photodeposition method, under visible light. The results of degradation experiments show a significant enhancement in TBBPA degradation upon surface platinization of WO 3 , with the degradation rate increasing by 13.4 times compared to bare WO 3 . The presence of Pt on the WO 3 surface stores conduction band electrons, which facilitates the two-electron reduction of oxygen and enhances the production of valence band holes (h VB + ) and hydroxyl radicals ( ● OH). Both h VB + and ● OH are significantly involved in the degradation of TBBPA in the visible light-irradiated Pt/WO 3 system. This was verified through fluorescence spectroscopy employing coumarin as a chemical probe and oxidizing species-quenching experiments. The analysis of degradation products and their toxicity assessment demonstrate that the toxicity of TBBPA-contaminated water is significantly reduced after Pt/WO 3 photocatalysis. The degradation rate of TBBPA increased with increasing Pt/WO 3 dosage, reached an optimum at a Pt content of 0.5 wt%, but decreased with increasing TBBPA concentration. The decrease in degradation efficiency of Pt/WO 3 was minor, both in the presence of various anions and after repeated use. This study proposes that Pt/WO 3 is a viable photocatalyst for the degradation of TBBPA in water under visible light., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Water pollution caused by antibiotics and synthetic dyes and imminent energy crises due to limited fossil fuel resources are issues of contemporary decades. Herein, we address them by enabling the multifunctionality in dual Z-scheme MoS 2 /WO 3-x /AgBiS 2 across photolysis, photo Fenton-like, and night catalysis. Defect, basal, and facet-engineered WO 3-x is modified with MoS 2 and AgBiS 2 , which extended its photoresponse from the UV-NIR region, inhibited carrier recombination, and reduced carrier transfer resistance. The electric field rearrangement leads to a flow of electrons from MoS 2 and AgBiS 2 to WO 3-x and intensifies the electron population, which is crucial for night catalysis. When MoS 2 /WO 3-x /AgBiS 2 was employed against doxycycline hydrochloride (DOXH), it removed 95.65, 81.11, and 77.92 % of DOXH in 100 min during photo-Fenton (PFR), night-Fenton (NFR), and photocatalytic (PCR) reactions, respectively. It also effectively removed 91.91, 98.17, 99.01, and 98.99 % of rhodamine B (RhB), Congo red (CR), methylene blue (MB), and methylene orange (MO) in Fenton reactions, respectively. ESR analysis consolidates the ROS generation feature of MoS 2 /WO 3-x /AgBiS 2 using H 2 O 2 with and without irradiation. This work provides a strategy to eliminate the deficiencies of WO 3-x and is conducive to the evolution of applications seeking to combat environmental and energy crises., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Characterization and evaluation of hazardous spent V 2 O 5 -WO 3 /TiO 2 catalysts are critical to determining their treatment or final disposal. This study employs a thermal approach to simulate the preparation of spent catalysts derived from commercial V 2 O 5 -WO 3 /TiO 2 catalysts and investigate the structure-activity relationship of the carrier changes during the deactivation process. The results indicate that the catalyst carrier undergoes two processes: an increase in grain size and a transformation in crystal structure. Both structural and catalytic investigations demonstrate that the grain size for catalyst deactivation is 24.62 nm, and the formation of CaWO 4 occurs before the crystalline transformation. The specific surface area is susceptible to an increase in grain size. The reactions of selective catalytic reduction involve the participation of both Brønsted acid and Lewis acid sites. The deactivation process of the carrier initially affects Brønsted acid sites, followed by a reduction in Lewis acid sites, resulting in a decline in NH 3 adsorption capacity and oxidation. Correlation analysis reveals that changes in the physicochemical properties of the catalyst reduce the NO conversion, with the order being The grain size > Total acid amount > The surface area. It is recommended to recycle the spent catalyst if the carrier grain size is less than 25 nm. The findings of this investigation contribute to expanding the database for evaluating and understanding the physicochemical properties of spent catalysts for disposal., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) exhibit promising photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT) for anti-tumour treatment. Herein, we proposed an engineering strategy to regulate the lattice structure of tungsten-doped molybdenum selenide (Mo x W 1-x Se 2 ) transformed conformational nanoarchitectonics using a microwave-assisted solvothermal method for enhancing peroxidase (POD)-like catalytic performance by adjusting the ratio of molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W). Furthermore, the optimised Mo 0.8 W 0.2 Se 2 nanoflakes surface was modified with chitosan (CHI) for improved biocompatibility and nanocatalytic efficacy, then the obtained CHI-Mo 0.8 W 0.2 Se 2 subsequently loaded the chemotherapeutic drug mitoxantrone (MTO) for enhanced 4 T1 cells killing ability, shortly denoted as CHI-Mo 0.8 W 0.2 Se 2 -MTO for PTT-augmented CDT and chemotherapy (CT). A series of performance validations successfully showed that electrons tend to transfer from W to Mo in CHI-Mo 0.8 W 0.2 Se 2 , which resulted in superior POD-like activity (Km = 0.038 mM) of CHI-Mo 0.8 W 0.2 Se 2 compared with that of horseradish peroxidase. Furthermore, CHI-Mo 0.8 W 0.2 Se 2 -MTO with excellent photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE=63.2 %) in the near-infrared (NIR) region could further promote endogenous •OH generation and MTO controlled release within solid tumours. In vivo studies confirmed the successful achievement of synergistic therapeutic effects (tumour inhibition rate of over 90 %) with minimised side effects. Versatile therapeutic nanoagents hold great potential for personalised therapy of breast cancer and will find their way to the pharmaceutical field., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Co-20Cr-15W-10Ni (mass%, CCWN) alloy is extensively used as a platform material for balloon-expandable stents. In this study, the mechanical properties of CCWN alloy are improved following the addition of Fe, and the effects of Fe addition on the mechanical and corrosive properties of the alloy are investigated. As-cast specimens were fabricated by adding pure Fe to a commercially available CCWN alloy (base alloy) such that the resulting alloys contained 4, 6, and 8 mass% Fe. The as-cast specimens were subjected to homogenization heat treatment at 1523 K for 7.2 ks and then hot-forged at 1473 K (as-forged specimens). The as-forged specimens were cold-rolled at a reduction rate of 30% and heat-treated at 1473 K for 300 s (recrystallized specimens). The matrix of the recrystallized base- and Fe-containing alloys consisted of a single γ (face-centered cubic)-phase. The Fe-added alloys revealed precipitates composed of the η-phase (M 6 X-M 12 X-type phase, M: metallic element, X: C and/or N). The average grain size of the recrystallized base and Fe-added alloy specimens was approximately 34 μm and the amount of added Fe had no significant effect on the static recrystallization behavior of the resulting alloys. Alloys containing 6 mass% or more Fe showed improvements in strength and ductility compared with the base alloy. When the Fe-added alloys were compared, their strength decreased whereas their ductility increased when the added Fe increased. Because Fe acts as a γ-phase-stabilizing element for Co, Fe addition increases the stacking fault energy of the base alloy, resulting in the formation of the ε (hexagonal close-packed)-phase owing to the suppression of strain-induced martensitic transformation (SIMT), and improvements in ductility. No deterioration in corrosion resistance was observed following the addition of up to 8 mass% Fe to the base alloy. Based on these results, the addition of Fe to CCWN alloy may be considered an effective method to improve its mechanical properties, especially ductility, without impairing its corrosion resistance. The results of this study will be useful for the future development of Ni-free Co-Cr alloys for next-generation, small-diameter stents., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Kosuke Ueki reports financial support was provided by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Kosuke Ueki reports financial support was provided by TANAKA Memorial Foundation. Kosuke Ueki reports financial support was provided by Kubota Corporation. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To advance cervical cancer diagnostics, we propose a state-of-the-art label-free electrochemical immunosensor designed for the simultaneous detection of multiple biomarker proteins (p16 INK4a , p53, and Ki67). This immunosensor is constructed using a polyethyleneimine-coated gold nanoparticles/2D tungsten disulfide/graphene oxide (PEI-AuNPs/2D WS 2 /GO) composite-modified three-screen-printed carbon electrode (3SPCE) array. The 2D WS 2 /GO hybrid provides a large specific surface area for supporting well-dispersed PEI-AuNPs and adsorbed redox-active species, enhancing overall performance. The PEI-AuNPs-decorated 2D WS 2 /GO composite not only improves electrode conductivity but also increases the antibody loading capacity. Redox-active species, including Cd 2+ ions, 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAP), and methylene blue (MB), serve as distinct signaling compounds to quantitatively detect the cervical cancer biomarkers p16 INK4a , p53, and Ki67, respectively. Additionally, the immunosensor demonstrates the detection with high sensitivity, good storage stability, high selectivity, and acceptable reproducibility. This immunosensor demonstrates a good linear relationship with the logarithm of protein concentrations. Additionally, the immunosensor also demonstrates high sensitivity, good storage stability, high selectivity, and acceptable reproducibility. Our promising results and the successful application of the immunosensor in detecting three tumor markers in human serum highlight its potential for clinical diagnosis of cervical cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A Pt nanoparticle-immobilized WO 3 material is a promising candidate for catalytic reactions, and the surface and electronic structure can strongly affect the performance. However, the effect of the intrinsic oxygen vacancy of WO 3 on the d-band structure of Pt and the synergistic effect of Pt and the WO 3 matrix on reaction performance are still ambiguous, which greatly hinders the design of advanced materials. Herein, Pt-decorated WO 3 nanosheets with different electronic metal-support interactions are successfully prepared by finely tuning the oxygen vacancy structure of WO 3 nanosheets. Notably, Pt-modified WO 3 nanosheets annealed at 400 °C exhibit excellent benzene series (BTEX) sensing performance ( S = 377.33, 365.21, 348.45, and 319.23 for 50 ppm ethylbenzene, benzene, toluene, and xylene, respectively, at 140 °C), fast response and recovery dynamics (10/7 s), excellent reliability (σ = 0.14), and sensing stability (φ = 0.08%). Detailed structural characterization and DFT results reveal that interfacial Pt δ+ -O v -W 5+ sites are recognized as the active sites, and the oxygen vacancies of the WO 3 matrix can significantly affect the d-band structure of Pt nanoparticles. Notably, Pt/WO 3 -400 with improved surface oxygen mobility and medium electronic metal-support interaction facilitates the activation and desorption of BTEX, which contributes to the highly efficient BTEX sensing performance. Our work provides a new insight for the design of high-performance surface reaction materials for advanced applications.

Reliable and real-time monitoring of seafood decay is attracting growing interest for food safety and human health, while it is still a great challenge to accurately identify the released triethylamine (TEA) from the complex volatilome. Herein, defect-engineered WO 3- x architectures are presented to design advanced TEA sensors for seafood quality assessment. Benefiting from abundant oxygen vacancies, the obtained WO 2.91 sensor exhibits remarkable TEA-sensing performance in terms of higher response (1.9 times), faster response time (2.1 times), lower detection limit (3.2 times), and higher TEA/NH 3 selectivity (2.8 times) compared with the air-annealed WO 2.96 sensor. Furthermore, the definite WO 2.91 sensor demonstrates long-term stability and anti-interference in complex gases, enabling the accurate recognition of TEA during halibut decay (0-48 h). Coupled with the random forest algorithm with 70 estimators, the WO 2.91 sensor enables accurate prediction of halibut storage with an accuracy of 95%. This work not only provides deep insights into improving gas-sensing performance by defect engineering but also offers a rational solution for reliably assessing seafood quality.

Ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) is combined with simultaneous electrical measurements and supported by density functional theory calculations to investigate the sensing mechanism of tungsten disulfide (WS 2 )-based gas sensors in an operando dynamic experiment. This approach allows for the direct correlation between changes in the surface potential and the resistivity of the WS 2 sensing active layer under realistic operating conditions. Focusing on the toxic gases NO 2 and NH 3 , we concurrently demonstrate the distinct chemical interactions between oxidizing or reducing agents and the WS 2 active layer and their effect on the sensor response. The experimental setup mimics standard electrical measurements on chemiresistors, exposing the sample to dry air and introducing the target gas analyte at different concentrations. This methodology applied to NH 3 concentrations of 100, 230, and 760 and 14 ppm of NO 2 establishes a benchmark for future APXPS studies on sensing devices, providing fast acquisition times and a 1:1 correlation between electrical response and spectroscopy data in operando conditions. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the sensing mechanism in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, paving the way for optimizing chemiresistor sensors for various industrial applications and wireless platforms with low energy consumption.

In pursuing advanced neuromorphic applications, this study introduces the successful engineering of a flexible electronic synapse based on WO 3- x , structured as W/WO 3- x /Pt/Muscovite-Mica. This artificial synapse is designed to emulate crucial learning behaviors fundamental to in-memory computing. We systematically explore synaptic plasticity dynamics by implementing pulse measurements capturing potentiation and depression traits akin to biological synapses under flat and different bending conditions, thereby highlighting its potential suitability for flexible electronic applications. The findings demonstrate that the memristor accurately replicates essential properties of biological synapses, including short-term plasticity (STP), long-term plasticity (LTP), and the intriguing transition from STP to LTP. Furthermore, other variables are investigated, such as paired-pulse facilitation, spike rate-dependent plasticity, spike time-dependent plasticity, pulse duration-dependent plasticity, and pulse amplitude-dependent plasticity. Utilizing data from flat and differently bent synapses, neural network simulations for pattern recognition tasks using the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology dataset reveal a high recognition accuracy of ∼95% with a fast learning speed that requires only 15 epochs to reach saturation., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.)

Currently, one of the primary challenges that human society must overcome is the task of decreasing the amount of energy used and the adverse effects that it has on the environment. The daily increase in liquid waste (comprising organic pollutants) is a direct result of the creation and expansion of new companies, causing significant environmental disruption. Water contamination is attributed to several industries such as textile, chemical, poultry, dairy, and pharmaceutical. In this study, we present the successful degradation of methylene blue dye using g-C 3 N 4 (GCN) mixed with WO 3 and V 2 O 5 composites (GCN/WO 3 /V 2 O 5 ternary composite) as a photocatalyst, prepared by a simple mechanochemistry method. The GCN/WO 3 /V 2 O 5 ternary composite revealed a notable enhancement in photocatalytic performance, achieving around 97% degradation of aqueous methylene blue (MB). This performance surpasses that of the individual photocatalysts, namely pure GCN, GCN/WO 3 , and GCN/V 2 O 5 composites. Furthermore, the GCN/WO 3 /V 2 O 5 ternary composite exhibited exceptional stability even after undergoing five consecutive cycles. The exceptional photocatalytic activity of the GCN/WO 3 /V 2 O 5 ternary composite can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of metal-free GCN and metal oxides, resulting in the alteration of the band gap and suppression of charge recombination in the ternary photocatalyst. This study offers a better platform for understanding the characteristics of materials and their photocatalytic performance under visible light conditions., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

A cleanroom free optimized fabrication of a low-cost facile tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) combined with chitosan-based hydrogel device is reported for multifunctional applications including tactile sensing, pulse rate monitoring, respiratory rate monitoring, human body movements detection, and human electrophysiological signal detection. Chitosan being a natural biodegradable, non-toxic compound serves as a substrate to the semiconducting WSe 2 electrode which is synthesized using a single step hydrothermal technique. Elaborate characterization studies are performed to confirm the morphological, structural, and electrical properties of the fabricated chitosan/WSe 2 device. Chitosan/WSe 2 sensor with copper contacts on each side is put directly on skin to capture human body motions. The resistivity of the sample was calculated as 26 kΩ m -1 . The device behaves as an ultrasensitive pressure sensor for tactile and arterial pulse sensing with response time of 0.9 s and sensitivity of around 0.02 kPa -1 . It is also capable for strain sensing with a gauge factor of 54 which is significantly higher than similar other reported electrodes. The human body movements sensing can be attributed to the piezoresistive character of WSe 2 that originates from its non-centrosymmetric structure. Further, the sensor is employed for monitoring respiratory rate which measures to 13 counts/min for healthy individual and electrophysiological signals like ECG and EOG which can be used later for detecting numerous pathological conditions in humans. Electrophysiological signal sensing is carried out using a bio-signal amplifier (Bio-Amp EXG Pill) connected to Arduino. The skin-friendly, low toxic WSe 2 /chitosan dry electrodes pave the way for replacing wet electrodes and find numerous applications in personalized healthcare., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

The presence of metronidazole (MNZ) and acetaminophen (ACE) in aquatic environments has raised growing concerns regarding their potential impact on human health. Incorporating various patterns into a photocatalytic material is considered a critical approach to achieving enhanced photocatalytic efficiency in the photocatalysis process. In this study, WO 3 nanoparticles, which were immobilized onto ferromagnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes that were functionalized using (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (FMMWCNTs@GLYMO@WO 3 ), exhibited remarkable efficiency in removing MNZ and ACE (93% and 97%) in only 15 min. In addition, the new visible-light FMMWCNTs@GLYMO@WO 3 nanoparticles as a magnetically separable photocatalyst were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), EDS-mapping, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and total organic carbon (TOC) due to detailed studies (morphological, structural, magnetic and optical properties) of the photocatalyst. In-depth spectroscopic and microscopic characterization of the newly developed ferromagnetic FMMWCNTs@GLYMO@WO₃ (III) photocatalyst revealed a spherical morphology, with nanoparticle diameters averaging between 23 and 39 nm. Compared to conventional multiwall carbon nanotube and WO₃ photocatalysts, FMMWCNTs@GLYMO@WO₃ (III) demonstrated superior photocatalytic activity. Remarkably, it exhibited excellent reusability, maintaining its efficiency over a minimum of five cycles in the degradation of metronidazole (MNZ) and acetaminophen (ACE)., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Integrating a pre-enrichment step into electrochemical detection methodologies has traditionally been employed to enhance the performance of heavy metal detection. However, this augmentation also introduces a degree of intricacy into the sensing process and increases energy consumption. In this work, Mo-doped WO 3 is grown in situ on carbon cloth by one-step electrodeposition. The electrode detect multiple heavy metal ions simultaneously in the range of 0.1-100.0 μM with LODs ranging from 11.2 to 17.1 nM. The electrode successfully detected heavy metal ions in diverse food samples. This pioneering detection strategy realized the direct and simultaneous detection of multiple heavy metal ions by utilizing the valence property of WO 3 and oxygen vacancies generated by molybdenum doping. The Mo-WO 3 /CC pre-enrichment-free detection electrode boasts straightforward preparation, a streamlined detection procedure, swift response kinetics, and superior performance relative to previously reported electrodes, which makes it possible to develop a portable heavy metal ion detection device., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Down-regulator of transcription 1 (DR1) is considered as a biomarker of hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), which is a risk factor for thyroid cancer. Here, a label-free electrochemical biosensor for DR1 detection was constructed based on polyamidoamine (PAMAM) polymer and the nanocomposite (WO 3 @AuNPs) composed of tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). WO 3 @AuNPs was obtained by combining monolayer WO 3 nanosheets, which has high conductivity, and AuNPs. The modification of WO 3 @AuNPs can not only increase the conductivity of the electrode but also provide more active sites for signaling units, thus greatly improve the sensitivity of the sensor. The polymer PAMAM is biocompatible and non-immunogenic, and its end functional group can bind to the target molecules, providing them with more binding sites and thus improving the sensitivity of the sensor. Under optimal conditions, the label-free biosensor showed a good linear relationship between the logarithm of DR1 concentration and the impedance in the range of 10 fg ⋅ mL -1 to 100 ng ⋅ mL -1 , with a detection limit as low as 0.3 fg ⋅ mL -1 . Besides, this label-free electrochemical platform exhibited satisfactory selectivity and anti-interference capability in human serum samples. Therefore, this method has considerable potential in clinical detection of DR1., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

In this study, the Fe(III)/WS 2 /peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system was found to remove up to 97% of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (CHA) within 10 min. CHA is a model compound for naphthenic acids (NAs), which are prevalent in petroleum industrial wastewater. The addition of WS 2 effectively activated the Fe(III)/PMS system, significantly enhancing its ability to produce reactive oxidative species (ROS) for the oxidation of CHA. Further experimental results and characterization analyses demonstrated that the metallic element W(IV) in WS 2 could provide electrons for the direct reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II), thus rapidly activating PMS and initiating a chain redox process to produce ROS (SO 4 •- , • OH, and 1 O 2 ). Repeated tests and practical exploratory experiments indicated that WS 2 exhibited excellent catalytic performance, reusability and anti-interference capacity, achieving efficient degradation of commercial NAs mixtures. Therefore, applying WS 2 to catalyze the Fe(III)/PMS system can overcome speed limitations and facilitate simple, economical engineering applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Metal oxides with nanoarray structures have been demonstrated to be prospective materials for the design of gas sensors with high sensitivity. In this work, the WO 3 nanoneedle array structures were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method and subsequent calcination. It was demonstrated that the calcination of the sample at 400 °C facilitated the construction of lilac-like multiple self-supporting WO 3 arrays, with appropriate c/h-WO 3 heterophase junction and highly oriented nanoneedles. Sensors with this structure exhibited the highest sensitivity (2305) to 100 ppm ethylene glycol at 160 °C and outstanding selectivity. The enhanced ethylene glycol gas sensing can be attributed to the abundant transport channels and active sites provided by this unique structure. In addition, the more oxygen adsorption caused by the heterophase junction and the aggregation of reaction medium induced by tip effect are both in favor of the improvement on the gas sensing performance.

Exposure to mustard gas can cause damage or death to human beings, depending on the concentration and duration. Thus, developing high-performance mustard-gas sensors is highly needed for early warning. Herein, ultrathin WO 3 nanosheet-supported Pd nanoparticles hybrids (WO 3 NSs/Pd) are prepared as chemiresistive sulfur mustard simulant (e.g., 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, 2-CEES) gas sensors. As a result, the optimal WO 3 NSs/Pd-2 (2 wt % of Pd)-based sensor exhibits a high response of 8.5 and a rapid response/recovery time of 9/92 s toward 700 ppb 2-CEES at 260 °C. The detection limit could be as low as 15 ppb with a response of 1.4. Moreover, WO 3 NSs/Pd-2 shows good repeatability, 30-day operating stability, and good selectivity. In WO 3 NSs/Pd-2, ultrathin WO 3 NSs are rich in oxygen vacancies, offer more sites to adsorb oxygen species, and make their size close to or even within the thickness of the so-called electron depletion layer, thus inducing a large resistance change (response). Moreover, strong metal-support interactions (SMSIs) between WO 3 NSs and Pd nanoparticles enhance the catalytic redox reaction performance, thereby achieving a superior sensing performance toward 2-CEES. These findings in this work provide a new approach to optimize the sensing performance of a chemiresistive sensor by constructing SMSIs in ultrathin metal oxides.

Solid waste challenges in both the tungsten and photovoltaic industries present significant barriers to achieving carbon neutrality. This study introduces an innovative strategy for the efficient extraction of valuable metals from hazardous tungsten leaching residue (W-residue) by leveraging photovoltaic silicon kerf waste (SKW) as a silicothermic reducing agent. W-residue contains 26.2% valuable metal oxides (WO 3 , CoO, Nb 2 O 5 , and Ta 2 O 5 ) and other refractory oxides (SiO 2 , TiO 2 , etc.), while micron-sized SKW contains 91.9% Si with a surface oxide layer. The impact of SKW addition on the silicothermic reduction process for valuable metal oxides in W-residue was investigated. Incorporating SKW and Na 2 CO 3 flux enables valuable metal oxides from W-residue to be effectively reduced and enriched as a valuable alloy phase, with unreduced refractory oxides forming a harmless slag phase during the Na 2 O-SiO 2 -TiO 2 slag refining process. This process achieved an overall recovery yield of valuable metals of 91.7%, with individual recovery yields of W, Co, and Nb exceeding 90% with the addition of 8 wt.% SKW. This innovative approach not only achieves high-value recovery from W-residue and utilization of SKW but also minimizes environmental impact through an efficient and eco-friendly recycling pathway. The strategy contributes significantly to the establishment of a resource-efficient circular economy, wherein the recovered high-value alloy phase return to the tungsten supply chain, and the harmless slag phase become raw materials for microcrystalline glass production., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper presents the synthesis of visible light-responsive ternary nanocomposites composed of cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O), tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ), and titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) with varying weight percentages (wt.%) of the Cu 2 O. The resulting Cu 2 O/WO 3 /TiO 2 (CWT) nanocomposites exhibited band gap energy ranging from 2.35 to 2.90 eV. Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical (PEC) studies confirmed a reduced recombination rate of photoexcited charge carriers in the CWT nanocomposites, facilitated by a direct Z-scheme heterojunction. The 0.50CWT nanocomposite demonstrated superior photodegradation activity (2.29 × 10 -2  min -1 ) against Reactive Black 5 (RB5) dye under visible light activation. Furthermore, the 0.50CWT nanocomposite exhibited excellent stability with 80.51% RB5 photodegradation retention after five cycles. The 0.50CWT electrode achieved a maximum specific capacitance of 66.32 F/g at 10 mA/g current density, with a capacitance retention of 95.17% after 1000 charge-discharge cycles, affirming its stable and efficient supercapacitor performance. This was supported by well-defined peaks in cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) curves, indicating pseudocapacitive properties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Infiltration of excessive antibiotics into aquatic ecosystems plays a significant role in antibiotic resistance, a major global health challenge. It is therefore critical to develop effective technologies for their removal. Herein, defect-rich Bi 2 WO 6 nanoparticles are solvothermally prepared via epitaxial growth on pristine Bi 2 WO 6 seed nanocrystals, and the efficiency of the photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin, a common antibiotic, is found to increase markedly from 62.51% to 98.27% under visible photoirradiation for 60 min. This is due to the formation of a large number of structural defects, where the synergistic interactions between grain boundaries and adjacent dislocations and oxygen vacancies lead to an improved separation and migration efficiency of photogenerated carriers and facilitate the adsorption and degradation of ciprofloxacin, as confirmed in experimental and theoretical studies. Results from this work demonstrate the unique potential of defect engineering for enhanced photocatalytic performance, a critical step in removing antibiotic contaminants in aquatic ecosystems., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

In recent years, the removal organic pollutants from wastewater by advanced oxidation processes, especially photocatalysis, has become a meaningful approach due to its eco-friendliness and low cost. Herein, staggered type-II Bi 2 WO 6 /WO 3 heterojunction photocatalysts were prepared by a facile hydrothermal route and investigated by modern physicochemical methods (X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy). The optimized BWOW-5 photocatalyst exhibited a H 2 O 2 -assisted photocatalytic methylene blue removal efficiency of 94.1% (k = 0.01414 min -1 ) within 180 min under optimal reaction conditions, which is much higher than that of unmodified Bi 2 WO 6 and WO 3 due to efficient separation of the photogenerated charge carriers. The trapping experiments demonstrated that photogenerated hydroxyl radicals and holes play a key role in the photodegradation reaction. Moreover, the optimized BWOW-5 heterojunction photocatalyst exhibited excellent activity in the H 2 O 2 -assisted degradation of other pollutants, namely phenol, isoniazid, levofloxacin, and dibenzothiophene with the removal rate of 63.1, 73.6, 95.0, and 72.4%, respectively. This investigation offers a design strategy for Bi 2 WO 6 -based multifunctional photocatalytic composites with improved activity for organic pollutant degradation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)