ChemNanoMat最新文献

Neuronanomedicine merges nanotechnology and neuroscience in the pursuit of engineering therapeutic interventions for neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). While no nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems (NDDSs) are yet approved for use for targeting the central nervous system, this review critically analyses the development of NDDSs for the improvement of currently approved therapeutics for the symptomatic treatment of AD and PD. It showcases how NDDSs can help therapeutic payloads overcome existing limitations, such as insufficient drug accumulation in the brain and limited effectiveness, by enhancing their pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, brain penetration and accumulation, and overall therapeutic efficacy through drug encapsulation, manipulation of nanoparticle properties, and nanoparticle surface functionalisation. However, we also draw attention to widespread issues in the field that impede progress, including the poor selection of in vitro models and the inadequate design of pre-clinical in vivo studies. We further advocate for greater standardisation of study design and reporting requirements in the future, which would likely enhance outcomes and expedite the translation of neuronanomedicines.

A simple and energy-saving synthesis process for the high-performance Si/C anode material of lithium-ion batteries is advantageous for application. In this paper, the layered Si/C composite was synthesized by a low temperature one-pot synthesis from industrial Ca−Si alloy and CCl₄. The effect of synthesis temperature on the structure and performance of the products was investigated. We found that low temperature favors to the multilayer structure of Si/C. Taking the advantage of the layered structure, the Si/C-300 anode material prepared at the temperature of 300 °C has good electrochemical performance of a reversible capacity of more than 1000 mAh g⁻¹ at a current density of 2 A g⁻¹ for 300 cycles, with a capacity retention ratio of 82.8 %, and an ICE of 77.0 %. At a high current density of 6 A g⁻¹, the specific discharge capacity of 721.6 mAh g⁻¹ can be achieved. The synthesis method provides a promising route to high performance silicon-carbon anode materials.

By a mild and straightforward synthetic protocol in aqueous solution and without surfactants, hierarchical Cu₂O nanospheres were grown on preformed In₂O₃ nanostructures, varying the ratio In : Cu (2.5, 0.5). Accordingly, two different binary compounds In₂O₃-Cu₂O were prepared and afterwards they were integrated with TiO₂ NPs. The ternary composites having a loading of 2.0, 5.0 and 10.0 wt.% respectively of binary In₂O₃-Cu₂O, were tested as photocatalysts in the solar-driven production of hydrogen from water, using as sacrificial agents alcohols derived from the biomass. Satisfyingly, the rate of H₂ evolution (20.5 mmol/g h) resulted two orders of magnitude higher respect to bare TiO₂ (0.2 mmol/g h). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements revealed the formation of a tight heterojunction between In₂O₃ and Cu₂O, which is responsible for the improved charge carrier density and transfer and for the diminished electron-hole recombination.

In enhancing the lifespan of anode-free Li metal batteries (AFLMBs), current collector (CC) engineering is crucial for achieving uniform and dendrite-free lithium deposition. The commonly used copper (Cu) CC is unsatisfactory because of its poor lithiophilicity. Here, we consider Zn doping on the Cu CC surface (Zn−Cu) and explore the reductive stability of a high-concentration electrolyte (HCE), consisting of 3.6 M Lithium Hexafluorophosphate (LiPF₆) salt in a mixture of ethylene carbonate (EC) and diethylcarbonate (DEC), on the Zn−Cu (111) surface (HCE|Zn−Cu) using density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. The interfacial reactions in the HCE|Zn−Cu system are compared to those on the pristine Cu (111) surface (HCE|Cu). We have also studied the effect of electron-rich environments on the decomposition mechanism of the HCE mixture on both the CC surfaces. It is found that the HCE mixture is electrochemically stable on both Cu and Zn−Cu surfaces in a neutral environment. However, under electron-rich conditions, only one DEC molecule has decomposed upon contact with the Cu CC surface, while the two PF₆⁻ anion groups from Li salts have decomposed much faster (within 100 fs) when the HCE mixture interacts with the Zn−Cu surface. Our results indicate that Zn doping suppresses undesirable solvent decomposition and improves the quality of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer.

Finding effective and specific catalytic materials for the transformation of carbon dioxide into fuel is indisputably a significant challenge. In this study, 3D porous sphere structure MXene quantum dot/Bi₂S₃ (MBS) composites were prepared using electrostatic self-assemblage of protonated Bismuth sulphide nanoparticles (Bi₂S₃ NSs) with Ti₃C₂(OH)₂ QDs (MQDs-OH). The optimized MBS material demonstrates an excellent narrow band gap (Eg=1.24 V (vs. NHE)) and high selectivity and efficiency in catalyzing CH₃OH, delivering impressive yields of up to 694.7 μmol/g. This study may lead to a new approach to the development of multidimensional photocatalysts for CH₃OH production by adsorption of atmospheric CO₂.

Zinc-ion capacitors (ZICs) have great potential for energy storage applications due to high safety, environmental friendliness, low cost, and high energy density. However, challenges such as poor ion diffusion kinetics and the low conductivity of cathode materials still need to be addressed. Nano ZnV₂O₄/nitrogen-doped porous carbon (ZVO/N-PC) composites are efficiently synthesized via a simple annealing process. Highly crystalline ZVO nanoparticles are in-situ grown on the three-dimensional N-PC surface by precisely tuning the ratio of the vanadium source, achieving a dual enhancement in electronic and ionic conductivities. Benefiting from the nanoengineering build-up, the optimized ZVO-0.6/N-PC anode exhibits impressive rate performance (405.9/308.8 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.2/5.0 A g⁻¹) and cycling capability (0.0029 % capacity drop per cycle at 5.0 A g⁻¹ after 5,800 cycles). Using nitrogen-doped porous activated carbon (N-PAC) as the anode and ZVO-0.6/N-PC as the cathode, the assembled ZICs deliver a high energy density of 27.5 Wh kg⁻¹ at a power density of 450.0 W kg⁻¹. After 10,000 cycles at 1.0 A g⁻¹, the capacity retention rate remains as 72.8 %, demonstrating excellent cycling stability. This highlights the promising application of nano ZVO/N-PC composites towards ZICs as competitive cathodes.

We analyze the adsorption of the proteinogenic amino acids (AAs) glutamine, glutamic acid, lysine, tyrosine, proline, and valine onto bare iron oxide nanoparticles (approx. 10 nm). Aiming to identify the governing principles of low molecular weight coronae, which remain underinvestigated, our study covers broad concentration ranges up to the solubility limit of the AAs. Isothermal experiments reveal that the highly soluble AAs valine, proline, and lysine form extensive multilayers on the nanoparticle surface, and infrared measurements indicate intermolecular interactions, particularly with valine and lysine, for higher AA contents. Conversely, the low solubility of tyrosine and glutamic acid restricts their adsorption capacity, despite their higher partitioning on the solid surface. Parameters derived from fitting a classic saturation model seem to align with well-documented physicochemical properties such as the hydrophobicity and the complexity indices – a promising first step towards formulating design principles. Scaling these parameters by the AA solubility reveals a clear correlation with the adsorption behavior. In adsorption experiments with AA model mixtures, sequential incubation increases the adsorption capacity for valine and proline, whereas simultaneous incubation with these AAs reduces tyrosine's capacity. Future studies should seek to elucidate adsorption patterns to advance our understanding of corona growth and evolution mechanisms.

Nontoxic Sn-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) represent a promising alternative to Pb-based PSCs, given their similar electronic properties and an ideal bandgap, accompanied by the highest theoretical efficiency (>33%). However, the performance of Sn-based PSCs lags significantly behind their Pb-based counterparts. This disparity arises from the susceptibility of Sn²⁺ to easy oxidation to Sn⁴⁺, an energy level mismatch, and fast crystilization. It is widely acknowledged that the oxidation of Sn²⁺ to Sn⁴⁺ results in severe P-type doping, leading to increased recombination, which is a primary factor contributing to the lower device performance. In this perspective article, we summarized the utilization of metallic Sn in Sn-based PSCs to facilitate the reduction of Sn⁴⁺ back to Sn²⁺. This approach is preferred due to its effectiveness, simplicity in process, and the absence of introducing additional impurities. Moreover, metallic Sn can serve as a source for synthesizing SnI₂ and act as hole transport material through transformation from Sn to SnO_x. We hope this article serve as a valuable reference for the ongoing development of Sn-based materials in PSCs technology.

The development of bifunctional electrocatalysts coupled with HER and OER activities in the same electrolyte to achieve overall water decomposition is more attractive and challenging for practical applications. Here, we prepared a CoFe-LDH catalyst via a hydrothermal method, and grew highly dispersed Pt−CoFe@CC bifunctional catalyst on a carbon cloth via the ethylene glycol thermal reduction method. The low content of Pt was limited to CoFe-LDH to balance the catalytic performance and cost, to achieve effective water decomposition. Surprisingly, the overall decomposition of water can be achieved with a voltage of only 1.6 V and good stability for up to 20 hours. This work provides a design idea and method for combining HER and OER bifunctional electrocatalysts.