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Small‐molecule ruthenium (Ru) complexes exhibit limitations in terms of nonspecific delivery, rapid metabolism, and low tumor accumulation. Their delivery can be improved through physical encapsulation into nanocarriers via hydrophobic forces, metallophilic interactions, or π–π stacking interactions. However, delivering Ru complexes for efficient therapy is substantially hindered by potential leakage of drugs, low drug‐loading capacity, or batch‐to‐batch variations. Moreover, current metalloprodrug‐based self‐delivery systems necessitate supramolecular interactions, which are unsuitable for Ru complexes because of their octahedral structures. Herein, two self‐assembled molecular Ru drugs, Ru‐3XOEG and Ru‐PEG, are reported. Ru‐3XOEG involves a three‐arm dendritic oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG), while Ru‐PEG involves a linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain. Furthermore, these drugs contain an anticancer Ru moiety and a planar pyrene moiety to render hydrophobic forces and π–π stacking supramolecular interactions. Ru‐3XOEG self‐assembles into large compound micelles. Ru‐PEG self‐assembles into vesicles. These Ru‐containing self‐delivered systems exhibit well‐defined structures, high Ru loading contents, and long circulation in blood without external nanocarriers. Red light irradiation induces the release of Ru‐H2O anticancer agents and the generation of 1O2 to inhibit tumor growth. The presented design of self‐assembled molecular Ru complexes opens avenues for the concept of self‐delivered metalloprodrugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alteration of metabolic phenotype in podocytes directly contributes to the development of albuminuria and renal injury in conditions of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). This study aimed to identify and evaluate liver receptor homologue‐1 (LRH‐1) as a possible therapeutic target that alleviates glutamine (Gln) metabolism disorders and mitigates podocyte injury in DKD. Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses were performed to characterize amino acid metabolism changes in the glomeruli of diabetic mice. Next, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry assays, and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect the expression of different genes in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, Gln and glutamate (Glu) content as well as ATP generation were examined. A decrease in LRH‐1 and glutaminase 2 (GLS2) expression was detected in diabetic podocytes. Conversely, the administration of LRH‐1 agonist (DLPC) upregulated the expression of GLS2 and promoted glutaminolysis, with an improvement in mitochondrial dysfunction and less apoptosis in podocytes compared to those in vehicle‐treated db/db mice. Our study indicates the essential role of LRH‐1 in governing the Gln metabolism of podocytes, targeting LRH‐1 could restore podocytes from diabetes‐induced disturbed glutaminolysis in mitochondria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A life-cycle assessment of bio-jet fuel from waste cooking oil (WCO) produced by hydrotreatment was performed and compared with petroleum-derived jet fuel. This study aimed to evaluate the sustainability and find out the bottleneck restricting the development of WCO-based jet fuel production. The carbon intensity of the WCO-based bio-jet fuel was 63.7% lower compared to the conventional jet fuel, and the proportion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by hydrogen in the WCO was 18.7%. The feedstock stage proportion of GHG emissions of first-, second-, and third-generation biofuels increased. A sensitivity analysis found that the transportation distance of WCO was more sensitive to GHG emissions, and it is important to develop a detailed plan for feedstock collection. A scenario analysis was also performed according to China's energy structure and hydrogen sources. Although the electric power structure derived from renewable energy will increase GHG emissions in the immediate future, it will eventually reduce emissions due to technical progress by 2050. The preparation of jet fuel from WCO can not only recycle waste but can also contribute to emission reduction for the aviation industry, which is a potential sustainable and feasible aviation fuel route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alloying scattering of phonons is particularly effective in reducing the thermal conductivity. The alloying model considers the mass and strain fluctuations but the substitutional atoms are assumed to be positioned at the ideal lattice point, i.e., without lattice distortion. In the real case, the existence of the lattice distortion in the alloy is inevitable, and it should have an additional contribution to the phonon scattering. Such an effect, however, is usually ignored and can be partially ascribed to the difficulty of experimentally identifying and quantifying the lattice distortion. In this work, significant distortion of the crystal lattice is directly observed by the scanning transmission electron microscopy in YbCd2Sb2 with multiple elements alloying. These results show that the plane distance of adjacent Ytterbium atoms along the direction b fluctuates in the range between 0.34 and 0.46 nm, a distortion from ≈−11.7% to ≈16.0%. The lattice distortion plays a remarkable role in phonon scattering and substantially reduces the lattice thermal conductivity to ≈0.45 Wm–1 K–1 at 700 K. As a result, a peak zT of ≈1.4 is achieved in (Yb0.9Mg0.1)Cd1.2Mg0.4Zn0.4Sb2. These results indicate that tuning the lattice distortion can be a promising strategy for enhancing thermoelectric performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nanostructure of ion channels of thin perfluorosulfonic acid membrane in the catalyst layer plays an important role in determining the efficiency of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. However, it is still unclear at microscopic scale at present time. In this work, by combining molecular dynamics simulation with unsupervised machine learning, the nanostructure of ion channels in the catalyst layer was visualized and quantified, including the size, shape, distribution and connectivity. Then the effects of water content and side chain length on the nanostructure of ion channels in the catalyst layer were revealed. It is shown that the water content has a more important effect than side chain length. As the water content increases and the side chain becomes shorter, the ionic clusters become larger and the bridging region between neighboring ionic clusters becomes wider. Moreover, the shape anisotropy of the ionic clusters becomes slightly smaller with increasing water content. The heterogeneity of the diffusion of water molecules is revealed, which may originate from the spatial limiting effect of the size of ionic clusters, as well as the strong interactions with sulfonate and platinum. It is also found that the jumping of water molecules between neighboring ionic clusters is a rate-limiting step of transport. This study provides a fundamental and comprehensive understanding on the nanostructure of ion channels and related transport properties in the thin PFSA membrane of catalyst layer, which is vital for the design of high-performance proton exchange membranes. [Display omitted] • Ionic clusters in thin PFSA membrane were discerned from one another. • Nanostructure of ion channels in thin PFSA membrane was visualized and quantified. • The jumping of water molecules between neighboring ionic clusters is a key factor in the diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and efficient short-term wind speed forecasts are critical for maintaining safe and stable operation of the wind power system. Consequently, a UNet-based fully convolutional neural network, STD-UNet, was proposed to predict the refined grid wind speed and direction in China. STD-UNet extracts and reconstructs the spatiotemporal characteristics with embedded spatiotemporal coupling and fits the wind data from wind speed, high-frequency information and wind direction using a hybrid loss function. The experiments showed the accuracy of STD-UNet in predicting the wind speed with mean absolute error of 0.74 m/s in 3 h, 1.06 m/s in 6 h, and 1.43 m/s in 12 h. The accuracy of the wind direction forecast in eight directions reached 97.66 % in 1 h and 93.1 % in 3 h. The transferability of STD-UNet was tested by accurately predicting vector wind speed in Northwest China and North America using Northeast China model. Finally, the efficiency experiments showed that STD-UNet took only 26 ms to predict the wind speed and direction in the next 24 h. Therefore, STD-UNet can be used as an effective tool for wind power centers to predict the vector wind speed and aid in wind power's the ultra-short-term and short-term deployment planning owing to its accuracy and efficiency. [Display omitted] • The STD-UNet proposed predicts wind speed and direction accurately and efficiently. • A novel hybrid loss function focusing on the wind speed, fluctuation and direction was proposed. • The STD-UNet is characterized to be of very high transferability and robustness. • The STD-UNet benefits the regulation and operation of short-term wind power in a large region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of promising thermoelectric materials has often been challenged by the doping bottleneck. As an example, the n-type Zintl phases are promising thermoelectric materials but are challenging to synthesize due to intractable cation vacancies. In this work, by incorporating excess Mg and Te doping, n-type SmMg 2 Sb 2 with high thermoelectric performance has been realized. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the conduction bands extrema of SmMg 2 Sb 2 are located at the L and M points in the Brillouin zone, and the valley degeneracy is 6. The high valley degeneracy of conduction bands results in a much larger n-type density-of-state effective mass (∼2.6 m 0) compared to that of many p-type Zintl phases. With the optimization of the electron concentration, an n-type power factor ∼11.0 μW cm−1 K−2 is obtained in SmMg 2+ δ Sb 1.97 Te 0.03 (δ = 0.3). Together with the effectively reduced lattice thermal conductivity by further alloying of SmMg 2 Bi 2 , a peak zT ∼1.0 at 873 K is achieved in n-type SmMg 2+ δ Sb 1.72 Bi 0.25 Te 0.03 (δ = 0.3), demonstrating the great potential of n-type Zintl phase thermoelectric materials. By tuning the stoichiometry and Te-doping, n-type Zintl phase SmMg 2 Sb 2 was successfully obtained. The multivalley in the conduction band enables SmMg 2.3 Sb 1.72 Bi 0.25 Te 0.03 to achieve a zT value of 1.0 at 823 K, which is higher than that of all reported n-type rare-earth-based Zintl phases. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alignment of valence bands has been demonstrated to be effective in promoting the thermoelectric performance of p-type AB2X2 zintl phases. In this work, the degeneracy of the valence bands is manipulated by alloying CaCd2Sb2 with CaMg2Sb2. It is found that the Γ(pxy) band and the Γ(pz) band were effectively converged in CaCd1.5Mg0.5Sb2. By further doping Ag at the Cd site, the carrier concentration can be maintained when the alloying concentration varies. The room-temperature Seebeck coefficient increased from ∼150 μV K−1 in CaCd2Sb2 to ∼190 μV K−1 in CaCd1.5Mg0.5Sb2 when the carrier concentration was maintained at ∼2.5 × 1019 cm−3. In addition, Cd/Mg substitutional point defects with substantial atomic mass difference induced significant phonon scattering; thus, a lattice thermal conductivity as low as ∼0.5 W m−1 K−1 was achieved at 750 K. Eventually, a peak zT value of ∼1.3 was realized in CaCd1.494Ag0.006Mg0.5Sb2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, series of rGO/SnO 2 nanocomposites were synthesized with hydrothermal method by mixing graphene oxide (GO) solution and pre-prepared SnO 2 quantum dot solution. The phase structure and morphology of the as-obtained rGO/SnO 2 nanocomposites were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis absorption spectrums, Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique. The detailed investigation of gas-sensing properties of rGO/SnO 2 nanocomposites-based sensors exhibited that the gas response of SnO 2 -based sensors to ethanol gas increased with the addition of GO, especially when the GO dosage reached 3.3 wt%, which revealed the highest response value of 48.34–50 ppm ethanol gas at 120 °C. Besides, it also displayed an excellent selectivity, good repeatability and long-time stability. The mechanism of rGO functionalized SnO 2 and enhanced ethanol gas sensing property at relative low temperature was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we report a simple process involving catalytic adsorptive desulfurization (CADS) of model jet fuel under mild conditions with H2O2 using TiO2 loaded on MCM‐41, SBA‐15, or multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) prepared by ultrasonic assisted initial wetting impregnation. The removal of dibenzothiophene (DBT) was investigated in terms of the oxygen/sulfur ratio, temperature, loading capacity, competitive components and adsorption kinetics. The adsorption capacity and adsorption strength of TiO2/MCM‐41 were higher than those of TiO2/SBA‐15, which are related to the higher SBET of MCM‐41, or the presence of numerous silanol groups. The TiO2/MWCNTs also showed excellent DBT adsorption capacities. TiO2/MCM‐41 exhibited better selectivity toward the oxidative‐adsorptive desulfurization of DBT owing to the weak influence of competitive adsorption of aromatics; this was explained by the lack of micropores in the one‐dimensional mesoporous structure. The sample with 1 % TiO2/MCM‐41 showed a high DBT adsorption capacity and rapid kinetics, and thus proved to be an inexpensive and effective desulfurization adsorbent for producing clean jet fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1‐2‐2‐type Zintl phase compounds have promising thermoelectric properties because of their complex crystal structures and multiple valence‐band structures. In this work, a series of single phase (Yb0.9Mg0.1)MgxZn2−xSb2 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1) compounds are prepared by alloying YbZn2Sb2 with 10 at% MgZn2Sb2 and different amounts of YbMg2Sb2. The incorporation of Mg at the Yb site, as well as at the Zn site, not only leads to an effective orbital alignment confirmed by the dramatically enhanced density of states effective mass and Seebeck coefficients, but also increases the point defect scattering, contributing to a low lattice thermal conductivity ≈0.54 W m−1 K−1 at 773 K. Combined with the optimization of the carrier concentration by Ag doping at the Zn site, a highest ZT value ≈1.5 at 773 K is achieved in (Yb0.9Mg0.1)Mg0.8Zn1.2Ag0.002Sb2, which is higher than that of all the previously reported 1‐2‐2‐type Zintl phase compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of impurities and oxidation evolution of waste cooking oil on the preparation of bio‐jet fuel via hydroconversion were studied. The hydrogenation active sites and acid sites were covered by heavy metals, sulfides, and basic nitrogen compounds, resulting in the increase of selectivity for bio‐jet fuel by decreasing the selectivity of diesel, aromatics, and iso‐alkanes. The effects of impurities, oxidation on the reaction pathway, and product distribution became more distinct with higher catalyst acidity. The evolution and variation of naphthalene, indan, and phenanthrene obtained from cyclic fatty acids influenced the properties of fuel or evoked the catalyst deactivation. This work will help to design new catalysts for selective conversion of waste cooking oil into bio‐jet fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-wood fibers (e.g., straw) show a large volume in China, which effectively offsets the shortage issue of the forest resource, especially as raw material in the pulping and papermaking industry. The chemi-mechanical pulp (CMP) from the straw is significantly developed due to the advantages of high pulp yield, mechanical strength, and low cost. While the large-amount lignin exposed the pulp fiber surface of straw CMP negatively affects the bonding between its fibers, thus restricting the further improvement of its physical properties. Herein, we developed an environmentally friendly strategy of coupling the laccase/PHB and Ca2+ treatments to modify the chemical and structural properties of fibers toward the high-strength straw CMP. The laccase/PHB treatment removes the lignin of the straw CMP with a Kappa number decrease from 108.28 of the original sample to 75.65 with an 8 u/g dosage of laccase at a 3% PHB system. The removal of lignin with a stiff property also modifies the fiber morphologies of straw CMP, including increasing the measured fiber curl index from 8.0% to 8.5%, and the kink angle from 129° to 137°. Simultaneously, the introduced Ca2+ triggers the strong bonding with the anionic groups of straw CMP fibers, which creates enough, multiple bonds in this fiber system. The coupling laccase/PHB and Ca2+ treatments boost the mechanical strength of the straw CMP, more specifically, the tearing index, tensile index, and bursting index increase from 3.51 mN•m2/g, 20.01 N • m/g, and 1.57 KPa•m2/g of original pulp to 4.56 mN•m2/g, 29.80 N • m/g, and 2.26 KPa•m2/g, respectively. This integrated strategy of laccase/PHB and Ca2+ treatment provides a valuable guideline for improving the strength performance of plant fibers, beyond the straw CMP. • Environmentally friendly laccase/PHB and Ca2+ treatments toward the high-strength straw CMP. • Laccase/PHB treatment removes lignin and enables more exposure of cellulose. • PHB introduces carboxyl group on straw CMP. • Chelation between Ca2+ and carboxyl group happens on straw CMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a novel magnetic digital microfluidic platform that combines a superhydrophobic magnetic film (SHMF) with an electromagnetic pillar array (EMPA) for droplet manipulation. Upon dynamic excitation of the EMPA under the SHMF, the surface topography of the SHMF was programmatically changed, which can direct and control the motion of aqueous droplets efficiently and accurately by utilizing gravitational force. Using this platform, we demonstrated the following droplet operations: path-programmable transportation of droplets, parallel transportation of multiple droplets, merging and mixing of multiple droplets. In particular, a rapid and efficient mixing was easily achieved by oscillating the coalesced droplets with the frequent switching of magnetic actuation of the EMPA (e.g., by applying AC current). We also demonstrated the applicability of this platform as a new type of open-surface digital microfluidic device using a simple crystallization experiment. We believe that this platform is appealing for biological microanalyses and chemical microreactions because it provides a means for pure droplet manipulation without any additives (e.g., magnetic particles), and allows better scalability and programmability of droplet manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The direct conversion of waste cooking oil (WCO) into bio‐jet fuel was investigated over a core‐shell hierarchical USY@Al‐SBA‐15 zeolite‐supported NiMo catalyst. The core‐shell structure showed better acid and pore size distributions. The synergetic effect of the core‐shell micropore and mesopore structure significantly contributed to enhancing the selectivity for the jet fuel (C9–15 hydrocarbons) from 9.3 % over NiMo/USY up to 35.7 % over NiMo/USY@Al‐SBA‐15, with high isomerization (iso‐/n‐paraffins ratio = 2.7) and moderate aromatic fraction (18.7 %). The decarboxylation reaction was selectively enhanced. Optimal selectivity for jet fuel (39.7 %) was obtained at 380 °C and a high H2/oil ratio would decrease the yield of jet fuel. This catalyst showed excellent stability for the hydroconversion of WCO to hydrocarbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Difluoroenol silyl ethers are a unique class of enol silyl ethers that are widely used as a powerful difluoroalkylating reagent to incorporate difluoromethylene groups into organic molecules. In this context, we revealed a fluorine effect that the difluoroenol silyl ethers exhibit the oxygen nucleophilicity in lieu of traditional α-carbon nucleophilicity toward the aromatic iodonium/sulfonium species, thus allowing us to develop difluoroalkylative [3,3]-rearrangement of aryl iodanes and aryl sulfoxides and the difluoroalkylative dearomatization of aryl sulfoxides. In this article, we summarize these works and illustrate the logic of our design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Perirenal fat (PRF) has multiple effects on the kidney through its physical structure and adipocytokine-secreting ability. The present study explored the relationship between PRF thickness and the onset and progression of albuminuria in patients with diabetes. Methods. In the cross-sectional analysis, we screened 959 patients from 8764 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who met the inclusion criteria and measured their perirenal fat thickness (PFT) using color Doppler ultrasound. A group of laboratory indexes were included in the analysis models. In a longitudinal study, a total of 218 patients with a baseline UACR <30 mg/g were included in the follow-up study. Results. In a cross-sectional analysis, patients with diabetes and higher PFT presented with higher albuminuria. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that PFT was an independent risk factor for the degree of albuminuria in patients with T2DM (odds ratio = 4.186, 95%CI: 2.290–7.653, P < 0.001). In a longitudinal study, 218 albuminuria-free patients with T2DM at the baseline were followed up for a mean of 12.3 months. Based on the cutoff value from the ROC diagnostic test in the cross-sectional study, patients were divided into two groups: higher PFT (H-PFT) and lower PFT (L-PFT). Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis showed that H-PFT was associated with a higher incidence of albuminuria than L-PFT (log-rank test, χ2 = 4.522, P = 0.033). Cox regression analysis showed that PFT was a risk factor for the earlier onset of albuminuria (hazard ratio 2.83, 95% CI: 1.34–4.88, P < 0.001). Conclusions. PRF evaluated by color Doppler ultrasound is an easy and reliable tool for predicting the onset and progression of albuminuria in patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR)-related lipid transfer domain-3 (STARD3) is a sterol-binding protein that facilitates cholesterol transport between cellular organelles. Cholesterol accumulation in podocytes directly contributes to the pathogenesis of albuminuria and renal injury under the condition of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The aim of this study is to determine the role of STARD3 on the intracellular distribution of cholesterol within podocytes. In vivo and in vitro models of diabetes were performed. The protein levels of STARD3, Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NPC1), and Niemann-Pick disease type C2 (NPC2) were respectively detected by western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence. Filipin staining was used to evaluate the subcellular localization of cholesterol in podocytes. Mitochondrial damage was evaluated using JC-1 (CBIC2) and ROS (reactive oxygen species) assays. Upregulation of STARD3 under diabetes and hyperglycemia increases cholesterol transport from the late endosomal/lysosomal (LE/LY) to mitochondria, leading to mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation and cell injury in podocytes. Conversely, downregulating STARD3 expression attenuated mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation, and improved mitochondrial homeostasis. STARD3 may govern intracellular cholesterol transport in podocytes, subsequently leading to regulation of mitochondrial metabolism. Therefore, targeting STARD3 emerges as a potential therapeutic strategy to mitigate diabetes-induced mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation and associated injury in podocytes. Increased mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation and injury podocytes under diabetic kidney disease: STARD3 contributes to cholesterol transport from late endosomal/lysosomal (LE/LY) to the mitochondria in an NPC2-independent manner, and upregulation of STARD3 expression leads to diabetes-induced mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation and injury in podocytes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi2Te3‐based alloys have historically dominated the commercial realm of near room‐temperature thermoelectric (TE) materials. However, the more widespread application is currently constrained by its mediocre TE performance and inferior mechanical properties resulting from intrinsic hierarchical structure. Herein, microstructure modulation and carrier transport optimization strategies are employed to efficiently balance the electro‐thermal transport performance. Specifically, the weighted mobility increases by 24%, while the lattice thermal conductivity decreases by 31% at 350 K compared to the matrix. Consequently, the Bi0.5Sb1.496Cu0.004Te2.98 sample attains a peak ZT of 1.45 at 350 K and an average ZT of 1.20 (300–500 K). Moreover, intricated microstructure design, exemplified by the gradient twin structure, significantly enhances the mechanical performance metrics, including Vickers hardness, compressive strength, and bending strength, to notable levels of 0.94 GPa, 224 MPa, and 58 MPa, respectively. Consequently, the constructed 17‐pair TE modules demonstrate a maximum conversion efficiency of 6.5% at ΔT = 200 K, surpassing the majority of reported Bi2Te3‐based modules. This study provides novel insights into the synergistic enhancement of TE and mechanical properties in Bi2Te3‐based materials, with potential applicability to other TE systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tripping is a common problem that everyone faces when walking. This paper mainly focuses on a lower limb exoskeleton that can help those weak in joints to avoid tripping when negotiating stairs or stepping over obstacles. This method does not need a camera or map reconstruction to recognize the obstacles and plan paths. The exoskeleton applies an impedance controller to follow and control the pilot's movements. A virtual potential field is proposed to help the robot regulate the pilot's motion and avoid kicking the obstacles appearing in front of the pilot's foot during walking. Simulation and experiments show that this method works effectively and could help the elderly and those affected by joint weakness avoid tripping when walking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hierarchical SBUY-MCM-41 catalyst was prepared by sacrificing USY (a microporous molecular sieve) to synthesize the MCM-41 zeolite via a hydrothermal method. The hydroconversion of waste cooking oil into hydrocarbon fuel over a NiMo/SBUY-MCM-41 catalyst was investigated. The micropores of the Y building units were inherited by the SBUY-MCM-41 zeolite, in which a special hierarchical structure was formed and the accessibility of reactants to the micropore active sites was improved. The hierarchical SBUY-MCM-41 showed high acidity and hydrothermal stability. Compared with mesoporous Al-MCM-41 and microporous USY zeolites, the SBUY-MCM-41-supported NiMo catalyst significantly enhanced the selective cracking of waste cooking oil for the production of jet-fuel-range hydrocarbons (37.3%), with the highest selectivity for the formation of C10–C14 hydrocarbons and a satisfactory selectivity for the formation of jet-fuel-range aromatics (7.6%), as well as a few cyclic compounds. The improved selectivity is the result of the special hierarchical structure and acid distribution of SBUY-MCM-41. This work provides a new strategy to synthesize a hierarchical catalyst for producing alternative jet fuel from waste cooking oil and vegetable oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Podocytes play a critical role in maintaining normal glomerular filtration, and podocyte loss from the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) initiates and worsens chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the exact mechanism underlying podocyte loss remains unclear. Fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) is a bifunctional enzyme that plays crucial roles in glycolysis, cell proliferation, cell survival, and cell adhesion. This study aimed to determine the role of PFKFB3 in angiotensin II (Ang II) kidney damage. We found that mice infused with Ang II developed glomerular podocyte detachment and impaired renal function accompanied by decreased PFKFB3 expression in vivo and in vitro. Inhibition of PFKFB3 with the PFKFB3 inhibitor 3PO further aggravated podocyte loss induced by Ang II. In contrast, activating PFKFB3 with the PFKFB3 agonist meclizine alleviated the podocyte loss induced by Ang II. Mechanistically, PFKFB3 knockdown likely aggravate Ang II-induced podocyte loss by suppressing talin1 phosphorylation and integrin beta1 subunit (ITGB1) activity. Conversely, PFKFB3 overexpression protected against Ang II-induced podocyte loss. These findings suggest that Ang II leads to a decrease in podocyte adhesion by suppressing PFKFB3 expression, and indicates a potential therapeutic target for podocyte injury in CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth‐telluride‐based alloy is the sole thermoelectric candidate for commercial thermoelectric application in low‐grade waste heat harvest near room temperature, but the sharp drop of thermoelectric properties at higher temperature and weak mechanical strength in zone‐melted material are the main obstacles to its wide development for power generation. Herein, an effective approach is reported to improve the thermoelectric performance of p‐type Bi0.42Sb1.58Te3 hot‐pressed sample by incorporating Ag5SbSe4. A peak ZT of 1.40 at 375 K and a high average ZT of 1.25 between 300 and 500 K are achieved. Such outstanding thermoelectric performance originates from the synergistic effects of improved density‐of‐states effective mass, reduced bipolar thermal conductivity by the boosted carrier concentration, and suppressed lattice thermal conductivity by the induced phonon scattering centers including substitute point defects, dislocations, stress–strain clusters, and grain boundaries. Comprised of the p‐type Bi0.42Sb1.58Te3 + 0.10 wt% Ag5SbSe4 and zone‐melted n‐type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3, the thermoelectric module exhibits a high conversion efficiency of 6.5% at a temperature gradient of 200 K, indicating promising applications for low‐grade heat harvest near room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing production technology pathways of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that align with China's national conditions and aviation transportation needs is crucial for promoting the SAF industry and achieving China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. This article first projects the future SAF demand in China for the coming decades. Using SAF demand data as an input, this article employs the TOPSIS analysis method to comprehensively evaluate the suitability of four SAF production technology pathways at different stages of development in China, which are Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ), Natural Gas + Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis (G + FT), and Power-to-Liquid (PtL). The research results reveal the following trends: HEFA-based processes are the most suitable technology pathways for China in the near term; the G + FT route, based on energy crops, appears the most likely to support civil aviation needs in the medium to long term. In the long run, the PtL route holds significant potential, especially with the decreasing costs of green electricity, advancements in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology, and improvements in SAF synthesis methods. In the final section of this article, we provide recommendations to drive the development of the SAF industry in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic dyes in the excited singlet state (S1) decay via intersystem crossing (ISC) to the triplet state, radiative dissipation as fluorescence, or nonradiative decay for thermal deactivation. Although many studies are conducted to improve ISC and fluorescence efficiency, few have optimized S1 decay via thermal deactivation, which is crucial for designing photothermal agents. A strategy for inhibiting radiative decay and ISC by introducing electron withdraw groups (EWGs) into the meso position of heptamethine cyanines (Cy7) is reported here, which allows S1 energy decay via nonradiative relaxation. The decrease in the electron density of Cy7 caused by EWGs improved the photostability, which is important for biological applications because conventional cyanine dyes are easily photobleached. The EWG substitutes acted as efficient rotation groups with low‐energy barriers, narrowing the energy gap between S1 and the ground state and considerably improving the photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE). The PCE of CF3cy with the strongest EWG is increased up to 83%. Liposome is used as a carrier to improve the biocompatibility and tumor retention of CF3cy, which is combined with the toll‐like receptor agonist resiquimod (R848) for synergistic photothermal immunotherapy against both primary and distant tumors and elicits a long‐lasting immunological memory effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Curcumin (Cur), a bioactive component of Chinese traditional medicine, has demonstrated inhibitory properties against cancer cell proliferation while synergistically enhancing the anticancer efficacy of erlotinib (Er). However, the individual limitations of both drugs, including poor aqueous solubility, lack of targeting ability, short half-life, etc., and their distinct pharmacokinetic profiles mitigate or eliminate their combined antitumor potential. Results: In this study, we developed a molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)-based delivery system, functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and biotin, and co-loaded with Cur and Er, to achieve efficient cancer therapy. The MoS2-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er system effectively converted near-infrared (NIR) light into heat, thereby inducing direct photothermal ablation of cancer cells and promoting controlled release of Cur and Er. Biotin-mediated tumor targeting facilitated the selective accumulation of MoS2-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er at the tumor site, thus enhancing the synergistic antitumor effects of Cur and Er. Remarkably, MoS2-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er achieved the combination of synergistic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy (PTT) upon NIR irradiation, effectively suppressing lung cancer cell proliferation and inhabiting tumor growth in vivo. Conclusions: The as-synthesized MoS2-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er, featuring high targeting ability, NIR light-responsive drug release, and the integration of synergistic chemotherapy and PTT, may provide a promising strategy for the treatment of lung cancer in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The good co‐existence of midgap state and valence band degeneracy is realized in Bi‐alloyed GeTe through the In‐Cd codoping to play different but complementary roles in the valence band structure modification. In doping induces midgap state and results in a considerably improved Seebeck coefficient near room temperature, while Cd doping significantly increases the Seebeck coefficient in the mid‐high temperature region by promoting the valence band convergence. The synergistic effects obviously increase the density of state effective mass from 1.39 to 2.65 m0, and the corresponding carrier mobility still reaches 34.3 cm2 V−1 s−1 at room temperature. Moreover, the Bi‐In‐Cd co‐alloying introduces various phonon scattering centers including nanoprecipitates and strain field fluctuations and suppresses the lattice thermal conductivity to a rather low value of 0.56 W m−1 K−1 at 600 K. As a result, the Ge0.89Bi0.06In0.01Cd0.04Te sample obtains excellent thermoelectric properties of zTmax ≈2.12 at 650 K and zTavg ≈1.43 between 300 and 773 K. This study illustrates that the thermoelectric performance of GeTe can be optimized in a wide temperature range through the synergy of midgap state and valence band convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied static ice pressure detection of hydraulic structures based on fiber loop ring down technology. Our detection system consists of a mode-locked laser, two 2 × 1 optical fiber couplers, a piece of single-mode fiber, the on-line micro-bend fiber sensor and a photo-detector. The static ice pressure was monitored based on measuring the change of the ring down time induced by external ice pressure on on-line micro-bend fiber sensor. We monitored the static ice pressure during ice growth and melting from −10 °C to 6 °C. The detection sensitivity is 0.00998/(μs·kPa). The proposed pressure sensing method has many advantages such as free from the fluctuation of the light power, simple structure, fast response and high sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1-2-2 Zintl phase compound is a promising thermoelectric material and holds potential for thermoelectric applications. Currently, there are many reports on Zintl-phase thermoelectric materials with high zT values. However, studies on the contact materials for the Zintl phase compounds have seldom been reported. Herein, an ohmic contact is realized in the YbMg 0.8 Zn 1.2 Sb 2 /Fe junction with a contact resistivity of less than 1 μΩ cm2. The microstructural analysis shows that the interface reaction layer is composed of a Fe-Sb alloy layer and a Sb-poor Zintl layer. After 400 h of annealing at 773 K, the contact resistivity increased to ∼5.69 μΩ cm2 due to the increased thickness of the Sb-poor layer and the decreased Sb content in the Sb-poor layer. To suppress the diffusion of the Sb element, the Fe-Sb layer with the nominal composition of Fe 90 Sb 10 is chosen as the contact material. Our results show that the junction of YbMg 0.8 Zn 1.2 Sb 2 /Fe-Sb exhibits an extremely low contact resistivity, an excellent thermal stability, and good mechanical properties. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, GeTe has emerged as a very promising thermoelectric material. However, the pristine GeTe exhibits intrinsically low Seebeck coefficient and high thermal conductivity. Therefore, resolving these issues is critical for further promoting its thermoelectric performance. Herein, PbTe and AgSbTe2 are chosen to form a solid solution with GeTe. Benefitting from the converged electronic bands and reduced thermal conductivity after AgSbTe2 alloying, the thermoelectric performance of GeTe‐based materials is effectively improved. In addition, PbTe alloying can optimize the carrier concentration and further improve the effective mass, and thus a remarkable enhancement in the Seebeck coefficient is realized. Moreover, intense phonon scattering occurs due to the introduced point defects at the Ge site, and the lattice thermal conductivity is effectively reduced to be as low as ≈0.47 W m−1 K−1. As a result, a high zT of ≈0.7 at 323 K and ≈2.4 at 723 K can be achieved in (Pb0.15Ge0.85Te)0.8(AgSbTe2)0.2, leading to a record‐high average zT of ≈1.8 and a high conversion efficiency of ≈14.8% under the temperature difference of 500 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth telluride alloys favor the applications of low‐grade waste heat recovery if their figure‐of‐merits are improved within the larger temperature range from 300 to 523 K. Herein, this work reports a synergistic optimization for Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (BST) by incorporating the copper(II) phthalocyanine (CuPc), which is preferentially distributed at the grain boundary of BST after the spark plasma sintering process and suppresses the grain growth of BST. The lattice thermal conductivity of composites is then extensively reduced by the multiscale scattering induced by the CuPc. In addition, the Cu atoms diffuse into the lattice of BST and increase the whole concentration, thus suppressing the bipolar effect. As a result, the average zT value is effectively enhanced from 0.7 to 1.1 in the temperature range between 300 and 523 K. A high conversion efficiency of 6.8% is achieved in a single BST/CuPc5 leg, which is 41.7% higher than that of BST at temperature different ΔT = 223 K. This result proves that the composition optimization of the BST/CuPc is a promising strategy to improve the application of BST‐based TE modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a High Order Reconstruction (HOR) method for improved multi-scale edge aware tone mapping. The study aims to contribute to the improvement of edge-aware techniques for smoothing an input image, while keeping its edges intact. The proposed HOR methods circumvent limitations of the existing state of the art methods, e.g., altering the image structure due to changes in contrast; remove artefacts around edges; as well as reducing computational complexity in terms of implementation and associated computational costs. In particular, the proposed method aims at reducing the changes in the image structure by intrinsically enclosing an edge-stop mechanism whose computational cost is comparable to the state-of-the-art multi-scale edge aware techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GeTe alloys have attracted wide attention due to their high conversion efficiency. However, pristine GeTe possesses intrinsically massive Ge vacancies, leading to a very high hole concentration (1021 cm−3). Herein, a decreased carrier concentration is realized by alloying NaSbTe2 in GeTe due to the increased formation energy of Ge vacancies. This alloying also lowers energy separation between the valence bands in the rhombohedral GeTe and induces two extra valence band pockets around the Fermi surface along Γ‐L and L‐W in the cubic GeTe, all of which contributes to the higher power factors over a wide temperature range. Combined with the low lattice thermal conductivities due to plenty of dislocations and strains as a result of the crystallographic disorder of Na, Ge, and Sb, a maximum zT ≈ 2.35 at 773 K and a zTave of 1.33 from 300 to 773 K are achieved in (GeTe)90(NaSbTe2)10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mismatch between the feedback current and the actual current, which widely exists in low-inductance permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) driving system due to the motor's complex electrical characteristics, hinders the generation of expected current in the motor. This issue can even lead to serious out-of-control consequence threatening the surroundings. To solve this issue, conventional solution usually employs a large inductor by placing it in the power line to force the match of two currents. However, this solution not only slows down the motor's response, but also increases the system's weight, volume, and the overall cost. In this article, a novel feedback current self-correction method is proposed, aiming to correct the feedback current without relying on extra hardware. To this end, first, a novel distributed capacitance contained extended model (DCCEM) is proposed to precisely describe the motor's electrical characteristics. Then, the proposed mean value oriented current estimator (MVOCE) is established to correct the feedback current. Experimental results indicate that the current error reduced by 60–99% under different working conditions. Besides, as a particularly important case, the out-of-control consequence is successfully prevented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mg 3 Sb 2 -based materials possess promising thermoelectric performances, however, probably poor interfacial behaviors when connected with the metal electrodes due to the strong chemical activity and volatility of the element Mg. In this paper, a high conversion efficiency of up to 9 % was achieved with a reliable Mg 3.2 Sb 1.5 Bi 0.49 Te 0.01 /304 stainless steel junction at a temperature difference of 370 K (T h = 673 K, T c = 303 K). The transformation from a single ferritic structure (Fe) to an austenitic structure (304 stainless steel) insures the lower diffusion coefficient and higher expansion coefficient of 304 stainless steel, which contributes to the suppressed interfacial reaction, ideal electrical properties, and robust mechanical properties from room temperature to higher temperature. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of studies have shown that immune inflammatory response plays a vital role in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-dependent inflammatory response is a key mechanism in the initiation and development of DKD. The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an adaptor protein that can drive noninfectious inflammation and pyroptosis. However, the mechanism of STING regulating immune inflammation and the interaction with NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis in high glucose state still remains unclear. This study evaluated the potential role of STING in high glucose (HG)-induced podocyte inflammation response. STING expression was significantly increased in db/db mice, STZ-treated diabetic mice, and HG-treated podocytes. Podocyte-specific deletion of STING alleviated podocyte injury, renal dysfunction, and inflammation in STZ-induced diabetic mice. STING inhibitor (H151) administration ameliorated inflammation and improved renal function in db/db mice. STING deletion in podocytes attenuated the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and podocyte pyroptosis in STZ-induced diabetic mice. In vitro , modulated STING expression by STING siRNA alleviated pyroptosis and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in HG-treated podocytes. NLRP3 over-expression offset the beneficial effects of STING deletion. These results indicate that STING deletion suppresses podocyte inflammation response through suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation and provide evidence that STING may be a potential target for podocyte injury in DKD. • STING-mediated inflammation response contributes to HG-induced podocyte injury in diabetic mice. • STING promotes NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis in podocytes in DKD. • STING could be a potential target for the prevention and treatment of DKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi2Te3-based compounds are the benchmark thermoelectric materials working near room temperature. In this study, we synthesize ytterbium (Yb) doped Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 bulk materials by high energy ball milling and direct current hot pressing. The Yb-doping increases the carrier concentration and suppresses the intrinsic excitation, thus optimizing the electrical transport properties. In addition, the point defects introduced by adding Yb to the lattice behave as extra phonon scattering centres, yielding a reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity. As a result, for the Yb0.0075Bi0.5Sb1.4925Te3 sample, a high zT of ∼1.3 at 330 K is achieved, and the average zT reaches 0.96 between 303 K and 523 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mg3Sb2-based Zintl compounds are considered as promising thermoelectric materials due to their low thermal conductivity and high Seebeck coefficient. In this paper, we studied the thermoelectric properties of p-type lithium (Li)-doped Mg3Sb2 prepared by ball milling and hot pressing. A maximum ZT value ~ 0.6 at about 773 K was achieved in Mg2.975Li0.025Sb2, which was ascribed to the increased carrier concentration by Li doping. Mixed scattering mechanism is dominated at lower temperature, yielding higher carrier mobility. Isoelectronic substitution of Zn on the Mg site further increased the electrical conductivity by narrowing the band gap and decreased the lattice thermal conductivity by double substitution, contributing to an enhanced average ZT in Mg2.475Zn0.5Li0.025Sb2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Single crystal tin selenide (SnSe) has attracted much attention for its excellent thermoelectric performance. However, polycrystalline SnSe exhibits unsatisfactory figure‐of‐merit due to the inferior electrical properties, especially for n‐type SnSe. In this work, a high concentration of Br doping (6–12 atm%) on the Se site effectively increases the Hall carrier concentration from 1.6 × 1017 cm−3 (p‐type) in undoped SnSe to 1.3 × 1019 cm−3 (n‐type) in Br‐doped SnSe0.88Br0.12, leading to an increased electrical conductivity close to that of a single crystal. Combined with the decreased lattice thermal conductivity due to the enhanced phonon scattering by composition fluctuation and dislocations, a peak ZT of ≈1.3 at 773 K, together with the enhanced average ZT is obtained in SnSe0.9Br0.1 along the hot pressing direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective photothermal agents (PTAs) are of particular importance for anticancer phototherapy. Nevertheless, conventional PTAs are frequently plagued by inadequate photostability, short-wavelength absorption, and low photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE). Herein, we designed and synthesized a near-infrared squaraine dye (SQ) with the maximum absorption wavelength at ∼710 nm. The squaraine dye demonstrates much enhanced photostability compared with indocyanine green (ICG), a commercial PTA. To improve the tumor targeting capacity, SQ was encapsulated into polymeric nanoparticles (SQ-NPs), which show a high photothermal conversion of 52.8% with strong photoacoustic signals upon 760 nm NIR laser irradiation. Through intravenous injection into tumor-bearing mice, SQ-NPs accumulate at the tumor site and efficiently inhibit the growth of tumor under photoacoustic image-guided photothermal therapy. • A near infrared squaraine dye (SQ) is synthesized with high photostability and high photothermal conversion efficiency. • The dye SQ was encapsulated into polymeric nanoparticles with good biocompatibility and tumor targeting ability. • SQ nanoparticles can inhibit tumor growth via photoacoustic image-guided photothermal therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have reported that Angiotensin II (Ang II) contributes to podocyte injury by interfering with metabolism. Glycolysis is essential for podocytes and glycolysis abnormality is associated with glomerular injury in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Glycerol-3-phosphate (G-3-P) biosynthesis is a shunt pathway of glycolysis, in which cytosolic glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (GPD1) catalyzes dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) to generate G-3-P in the presence of the NADH. G-3-P is not only a substrate in glycerophospholipids and glyceride synthesis but also can be oxidated by mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD2) to regenerate DHAP in mitochondria. Since G-3-P biosynthesis links to glycolysis, mitochondrial metabolism and lipid synthesis, we speculate G-3-P biosynthesis abnormality is probably involved in podocyte injury. In this study, we demonstrated that Ang II upregulated GPD1 expression and increased G-3-P and glycerophospholipid syntheses in podocytes. GPD1 knockdown protected podocytes from Ang II-induced lipid accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction. GPD1 overexpression exacerbated Ang II-induced podocyte injury. In addition, we proved that lipid accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction were correlated with G-3-P content in podocytes. These results suggest that Ang II upregulates GPD1 and promotes G-3-P biosynthesis in podocytes, which promote lipid accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction in podocytes. • It is proposed that Ang II increases the metabolic flux from glycolysis to G-3-P biosynthesis by upregulating GPD1. • G-3-P biosynthesis led to lipid accumulation, ROS production and mitochondrial dysfunction in podocytes. • The severity of podocyte injury was correlated with intracellular G-3-P concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The layer-structure Bi 2 Si 2 Te 6 -based compounds provide a new family for exploring higher thermoelectric performance. • Sb alloying enhances the density-of-states near the valence band maximum for a larger carrier effective mass. • A decreased thermal conductivity is obtained by alloying Sb at the Bi site for additional point-defect scattering of phonons. • The peak zT value is improved from ∼ 0.45 at 573 K for Bi 2 Si 2 Te 6 to ∼ 1.2 at 773 K for BiSbSi 2 Te 6. A layer-structure compound Bi 2 Si 2 Te 6 is introduced as a promising thermoelectric material. The intrinsic low lattice thermal conductivity of Bi 2 Si 2 Te 6 is because of the low phonon group velocities near the Γ point and the overlap of optical and acoustic phonon branches. A further decreased thermal conductivity is obtained by alloying Sb at the Bi site for the additional point-defect scattering of phonons. This Sb alloying also enhances the density-of-states near the valence band maximum for a larger carrier effective mass, and suppresses the bipolar effect by increasing the carrier concentration and widening the band gap. Benefitting from both the enhancement of power factor and the decrease of lattice thermal conductivity, the peak zT value is improved from ∼ 0.45 at 573 K for Bi 2 Si 2 Te 6 to ∼ 1.2 at 773 K for BiSbSi 2 Te 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High strength and high electrical conductivity materials are the key materials for the development of modern electronic information and energy industries. In the present study, ultrahigh-strength Cu 50 Zr 43 Al 7 metallic glass alloy is used as starting material. The crystalline Cu-coated Cu–Zr–Al metallic glass composite powders were prepared by the electroless copper plating of the metallic glass powders, then the composite powders were sintered by using spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. The fabricated Cu/Cu–Zr–Al bulk metallic glass composites exhibited simultaneously high strength and high electrical conductivity, as well as large plastic strain. The study opens a new way for development of new high strength and high conductivity materials. • Cu-coated CuZrAl glassy powders were prepared by electroless plating process. • The Cu coating layers were uniformly and densely distributed on the glassy surface. • The metallic glass composites were produced by spark plasma sintering process. • The composites had strength of 721 MPa, plasticity of 13% and conductivity of 35.02 %IACS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar absorbing coating is a critical component in concentrated solar power (CSP) system. How to further decrease costs and enhance thermal stability of coatings is crucial for large-scaled CSP systems. Herein, we present a cost-effective and facile strategy to prepare the MoSi 2 –SiO 2 based coatings, which can survive at 850 °C in air for 100 h due to the formation of a SiO 2 barrier in cermet that prevents the coatings from further oxidation. The absorbers demonstrate a high absorptance of ∼95%, and the total efficiency using this absorber could reach 63.5% with the conditions of a solar concentration ratio of C = 1000 at 850 °C, which exceeds most of spectrally selective coatings. These results suggest that the MoSi 2 –SiO 2 based absorbing coating would be a potential candidate for a large-scale deployment in high-temperature solar thermal conversion systems. • A cost-effective, facile and scalable method is introduced to prepare the MoSi 2 –SiO 2 based absorbing coatings. • MoSi 2 -SiO 2 based absorbing coatings demonstrate a peak total efficiency (>63%) at 850 oC for a concentration ratio of 1000. • The spontaneous formed SiO x barrier in MoSi 2 –SiO 2 layer ensures the superior thermal stability at 850 °C in air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]