Large Surface Area Research Articles

Recent Advances in Catalyst Design and Performance Optimization of Nanostructured Cathode Materials in Zinc-Air Batteries.

This review focuses on the advanced design and optimization of nanostructured zinc-air batteries (ZABs), with the aim of boosting their energy storage and conversion capabilities. The findings show that ZABs favor porous nanostructures owing to their large surface area, and this enhances the battery capacity, catalytic activity, and life cycle. In addition, the nanomaterials improve the electrical conductivity, ion transport, and overall battery stability, which crucially reduces dendrite growth on the zinc anodes and improves cycle life and energy efficiency. To obtain a superior performance, the importance of controlling the operational conditions and using custom nanostructural designs, optimal electrode materials, and carefully adjusted electrolytes is highlighted. In conclusion, porous nanostructures and nanoscale materials significantly boost the energy density, longevity, and efficiency of Zn-air batteries. It is suggested that future research should focus on the fundamental design principles of these materials to further enhance the battery performance and drive sustainable energy solutions.

Effective fracture placement using alternate fracturing

ABSTRACT Alternate (Out-Of-Sequence) Pinpoint Fracturing has been tested in Western Siberia and Western Canada. It aims to create fracture complexity via reducing the stress anisotropy to improve fracture network connectivity. It is initiated by fracturing Stages 1 and then 3 (Outside Fracs) followed by Stage 2 (Centre Frac). A fracture model is calibrated using Alternate Pinpoint Fracturing trials in Western Canada. The calibrated fracture model is used to evaluate Alternate Pinpoint Fracturing under various geomechanical and treatment conditions for identifying strategies in maximising its benefits. This integrated geomechanical study reveals that: (1) Centre Fracs tend to have a larger surface area and smaller conductivity versus Outside Fracs, (2) Centre Fracs tend to be narrower and shorter (versus Outside Fracs) if sufficient out-of-zone growth is attained in the absence of strong fracture height containment, making it an option for penetrating multi-stacked zones in one treatment, and (3) Where Centre Fracs are shorter or near-well fracture complexity is generated, it can be considered in treating the child wells to reduce frac hits.

Ultrasensitive Ti3C2Tx@Pt-Based Immunochromatography with Catalytic Amplification and a Dual Signal for the Detection of Chloramphenicol in Animal-Derived Foods.

Herein, a catalytic amplification enhanced dual-signal immunochromatographic assay (ICA) based on Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) modified with Ti3C2Tx MXene (Ti3C2Tx@Pt) was first developed for chloramphenicol (CAP) in animal-derived foods. Due to the large specific surface area and abundant active sites of Ti3C2Tx@Pt, they can be loaded with hundreds of Pt NPs to enhance their catalytic activity, resulting in a significant increase in the detection sensitivity; the sensitivity was up to 50-fold more sensitive than the reported ICA for CAP. The LODs of the developed method for milk/chicken/fish were 0.01 μg/kg, the LOQs were 0.03 μg/kg and the recovery rates were 80.5-117.0%, 87.2-118.1% and 92.7-117.9%, with corresponding variations ranging from 3.1 to 9.6%, 6.0 to 12.7% and 6.0 to 13.6%, respectively. The linear range was 0.0125-1.0 μg/kg. The results of the LC-MS/MS confirmation test on 30 real samples had a good correlation with that of our established method (R2 > 0.98), indicating the practical reliability of the established method. The above results indicated that an ICA based on the Ti3C2Tx@Pt nanozyme has excellent potential as a food safety detection tool.

Spinel ferrites having conductive grains, resistive interfacial boundaries and relaxation mechanism for possible supercapacitor applications

Linear increase in crystallite size (16–24 nm) of MnxZn1−xFe2O4 nanostructures and mixed behavior of lattice constant (8.429–8.462 Å) is reported. The system exhibits considerable promise for microwave applications due to its elevated dielectric constants and minimal dispersion losses from 20 Hz to 20 MHz. With x = 0.75, sample is good for energy storage devices like supercapacitors due to large specific surface area (53 m2/g) and dielectric constant. These samples exhibit maximum relaxation times ranging from 1.97 × 10−7 s to 2.43 × 10−4 s, with corresponding relaxation energy values spanning from 159.22 meV to 341 meV for x = 0 and x = 1 samples. The Cole-Cole plots reveal that grains exhibit conductive behavior at lower frequencies, while grain boundaries contribute significantly to the resistive behavior. Additionally, we have introduced Bode diagrams and equivalent electronic circuit models for the first time, offering valuable insights into the electrical behavior of the nanomaterial samples.

Highly dispersed active sites and strong metal-support interaction for boosting CO2 hydrogenation to methanol

As global energy demand continues to increase and global climate change issues caused by greenhouse gas emissions gradually heat up, the effective conversion of carbon dioxide into high value-added methanol has become a key challenge in the energy and environmental fields. However, due to the chemical inertness of CO2 molecules, it is difficult to activate CO2 at low temperatures, resulting in extremely low conversion rates. Although increasing the reaction temperature is beneficial for the conversion of CO2, there is also competition in the reverse water gas reaction, resulting in lower methanol selectivity. Therefore, developing efficient catalysts is the key to improving CO2 conversion rate and methanol selectivity. In this work, we used zirconium-based UIO-66 metal-organic framework as a precursor, replaced the original terephthalic acid ligand with thermally unstable aminoterephthalic acid, and supported Cu on the MOF precursor by equal volume impregnation method. After heat treatment, the Cu/ZrO2-DM catalyst was prepared. The catalyst was compared with Cu/ZrO2 catalyst prepared by co-precipitation method, hydrothermal method and unmodified Cu/ZrO2-D catalyst. The Cu/ZrO2-DM catalyst exhibited the highest CO2 conversion and methanol selectivity in the hydrogenation reaction, reaching 13.95% and 90.78%, respectively. The main reason is attributed to the large specific surface area of the copper-based catalyst derived from MOF materials, the good dispersion of the active center and the strong interaction between Cu and the precursor. This work may provide a new perspective for the design and synthesis of related catalytic materials for efficient CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.

Efficient photocatalytic removal of ciprofloxacin through in-situ growth of g-C3N4 on the surface of clinoptilolite

Natural mineral clinoptilolite has many advantages such as porous structure, stability, low price, environmental protection, and simple modification process, making it an ideal choice for wastewater treatment materials. Loading photocatalysts on the surface of zeolite can effectively exert adsorption degradation synergy in wastewater treatment, improve pollutant removal and mineralization capabilities, and further reduce the harm of wastewater to the environment. In this work, g-C3N4 was in-situ grown on the surface of clinoptilolite using a one-step calcination method for efficient photocatalytic removal of the pollutant ciprofloxacin from water. In-situ growth of g-C3N4 on clinoptilolite enables the catalyst to have strong adsorption capacity for pollutants. At the same time, the large specific surface area and extended photo-generated carrier lifetime make the composite photocatalyst exhibit excellent visible light adsorption degradation ability. The CN/CLI-60 with the best photocatalytic performance showed a removal rate of over 90 % of ciprofloxacin within 60 min, much higher than pure g-C3N4 and clinoptilolite. In addition, the pH value, pollutant concentration, catalyst quantity, and cycle stability have all been investigated to evaluate the practical application potential of this catalyst. This work can provide industrial guidance for the rational design of low-cost and high-efficiency photocatalysts using natural clinoptilolite.

Electrochemical detection of tryptophan in pineapple fruit using a green and chemically synthesized PANI/CuO nanocomposite modified electrode

This study investigated the electrochemical detection of Tryptophan (Trp) in pineapple using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with nanocomposites of green and chemically synthesized copper oxide-polyaniline (PANI/CuOgrn and PANI/CuOchm). Given the properties of PANI/CuOgrn and PANI/CuOchm that have never been applied in the detection of Trp, it indicates that the development of a highly sensitive and selective sensing platform for Trp-is necessary. Such a platform would take advantage of high electric conductivity, larger surface area, and improved catalytic activity of the nanocomposites. PANI/CuOgrn and PANI/CuOchm nanocomposites were formed by doping polyaniline (PANI) with green and chemically synthesized copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles. Using Debye-Scherrer the particle sizes of PANI/CuOgrn and PANI/CuOchm were found to be 15 nm and 13 nm, respectively. Through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV), the electrochemical behaviour of CuOch, CuOgrn, PANI/CuOchm, and PANI/CuOgrn electrodes was studied, with the focus on comparing the nanocomposites for tryptophan (Trp) catalysis. GCE-PANI/CuOchm showed a higher current response of 3.2 μA than GCE-PANI/CuOgrn. SWV was used to determine Trp, with the linear range of 5.11 μM to 25.85 μM and limit of detection (LOD) values of 3.947 and 2.037 μM for GCE-PANI/CuOchm, and 3.434 and 2.427 μM for GCE-PANI/CuOgrn. The GCE-PANI/CuOchm electrode achieved a recovered percentage of 96 % to 109 %, with an average RSD value of 18.3 (n=3), while the GCE-PANI/CuOchm electrode achieved a percentage recovery of 85 % to 103 % with an RSD value of 12.7 (n=3). The high recovery percentages for both electrodes confirm their dependability in detecting Trp. The high concentration of Trp-in the fruit and the electrode's sensitivity to identifying Trp-in actual sample analysis may account for the high recovery percentage observed.

Highly sensitive methyl parathion electrochemical sensor designed from expired mung bean-derived porous carbon embellished with cerium oxide nanoparticles

Methyl parathion (MP) is one kind of highly toxic, efficient, and broad-spectrum organic phosphorus insecticides, which may prevent and control various pests on crops. However, the unscientific usage of MP has caused serious harm to humans and ecological environment. It is very necessary to design a sensitive and selective MP analysis method to ensure the food safety and life health. In this work, we reported a low-cost and environmental-friendly strategy to prepare the expired mung bean derived porous carbon (EMBPC) with interconnected carbon conductive network and large specific surface area, which was further decorated by cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles. EMBPC possessed good conductivity property and electrochemical active area, which effectively boosted the charge transfer efficiency. CeO2 nanoparticles with good biocompatibility and high catalytic capacity promoted the efficient adsorption of MP on the surface of sensing electrode due to the affinity of CeO2 nanoparticles towards the phosphate groups of MP. Furthermore, EMBPC with porous carbon conductive structure could effectively make up for the inherent disadvantage of CeO2 nanoparticles in the term of electrical conductivity. The fabricated EMBPC@CeO2/GCE sensor showed highly sensitive MP detection property with low limit of detection (LOD) of 9.028 nM. The satisfactory repeatability, reproducibility, and anti-interference ability could be achieved at the fabricated MP electrochemical sensor. For the detection of MP in food samples, the EMBPC@CeO2/GCE sensor showed satisfactory recovery rates of 95.25–112.31 % and low RSD of 1.76–4.05 %, which suggested the good application prospect of the EMBPC@CeO2/GCE sensor.

Efficient Template-Catalyzed In Situ Polymerization for Carbon Xerogels with Large Specific Surface Area and High Adsorption.

The limited specific surface area (SSA), long preparation period, and high cost are significant challenges for carbon xerogels (CXs). To overcome these limitations, we propose an approach to prepare tannin-resorcinol-formaldehyde-based CXs through template-catalyzed in situ polymerization. ZnCl2 acts as a catalyst and significantly accelerates the polymerization reaction through the coordination of Zn2+ to the carbonyl group in formaldehyde, while atmospheric drying instead of special drying and without solvent exchange reduces the preparation period to 24 h. In addition, ZnCl2 acts as an activator for the formation of many pores. Plant-derived tannins not only reduce the preparation cost but also regulate the pore structure. The resulted CXs with hierarchical porous structures show an optimal SSA of 1308 m2/g, high adsorption capabilities (for cationic, nitrosoaniline dyes, metal, and nonmetallic ions, especially for methylene blue with 454.93 mg/g), low shrinkage down to 10%, and reusability with 92.9% retention after 5 cycles. This work provides a promising and cost-effective method for the large-scale preparation of porous carbon materials with large SSA, offering potential applications in adsorption, energy storage, and catalysis.

Mineral-derived layered carbon-based catalysts for enhanced Fenton-like reactions and catalytic ceramic membrane systems: Si-O coordination mediates radical generation and electron transfer

Taking advantage of the silica-rich layered structure of montmorillonite (MT), carbon-based catalysts are expected to efficiently activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS), avoiding the instability and metal leaching problems of metal catalysts. This study developed innovative metal-free catalysts (10 N/C@Si) with Si-O coordination derived from the naturally abundant MT, which was different from the conventional methods of using them as carriers or ion doping. The fabricated 10 N/C@Si catalysts with a large specific surface (368.7 m2/g) area exhibited a significant catalytic oxidation ability for tetracycline (kobs = 0.401 min -1). The degradation mechanism included enhanced radical and electron transfer. The Si-O coordination can lead to the cleavage of adsorbed PMS, accelerating the generation of radicals, and can also serve as a bridge for the transfer of electrons from tetracycline to the 10 N/C@Si/PMS complexes, as proved by density-functional theory (DFT) computations. Additionally, loading of 10 N/C@Si on ceramic membranes (CM) achieved an extraordinarily large water flux of 505.0 L·m−2·h−1 and showed full oxidation of tetracycline, which simultaneously allowed efficient in-situ degradation and one-step solid–liquid separation.

In situ exsolved NiFe nanoparticles in Ni-doped Sr0.9Ti0.3Fe0.63Ni0.07O3‑δ anode with a three-dimensionally ordered macroporous structure for solid oxide fuel cells fueled by alkanes

In this work, A-site deficient Ni-doped Sr0.9Ti0.3Fe0.63Ni0.07O3‑δ perovskite anode with ordered macroporous structures (STFN-3DOM) is designed to facilitate in-situ Ni-Fe exsolution for solid oxide fuel cells fueled by alkanes, e.g., methane and propane. The large specific surface area and A-site deficient of STFN-3DOM provide more exsolved Ni-Fe active sites and enhance the reaction kinetics of alkane reforming. Quasi-in-situ XPS is used to reveal the changes in the chemical state of elements during the exsolution and propane reforming process on the STFN-3DOM surface. The synergistic effect of A-site deficient, three-dimensional ordered macroporous structure, and in-situ Ni-Fe exsolution promotes the La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.83Mg0.17O3‑δ (LSGM) electrolyte-supported SOFC single cell to deliver advanced performance with both wet H2 (1.33 W cm−2) and wet C3H8 (0.838 W cm−2) at 850 °C, exhibiting satisfactory long-time stability in CH4 and redox stability. Density functional theory calculation confirms the low activation energy of STFN-3DOM for the rate-limiting step of C3H8* dissociation.

Design of mesoporous Carbon/SnO2 micro/nanostructured ethanol sensors

The low cost and convenient preparation of ZIF-8 derived mesoporous carbon polyhedrons (MPCPs) are introduced into SnO2 nanoparticles, and MPCPs/SnO2 composites with unique porous polyhedral micro/nanostructure are synthesized. The gas-sensitive investigations of the MPCPs/SnO2 sensor show that the sensitivity towards ethanol is significantly improved. The response of MPCPs/SnO2 sensor is approximately 79.5 towards 100 ppm ethanol at 160 °C, which is 3.5 times that of pure SnO2 sensor, and the response/recovery time are 17 s/38 s. In addition, the MPCPs/SnO2 sensor is significantly less cross-sensitive to other interfering gases. The enhancement of gas sensing performance is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of high porosity, large specific surface area and abundant electrochemically active region of the MPCPs/SnO2 micro/nanostructure. Therefore, the synergy of the above factors provides the basis for improving the sensitivity and reducing the response/recovery time of the MPCPs/SnO2 sensor. The study provides technical guidance for designing ethanol sensors with higher sensitivity, shorter response/recovery time and lower cross-sensitivity.

Reconstructing Kaolinite Compounds for Remarkably Enhanced Adsorption of Congo Red.

Organic dyes are widely used in many important areas, but they also bring many issues for water pollution. To address the above issues, a reconstructed kaolinite hybrid compound (γ-AlOOH@A-Kaol) was obtained from raw kaolinite (Kaol) in this work. The product was then characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the absorption properties of γ-AlOOH@A-Kaol for congo red were further studied. The results demonstrated that flower-like γ-AlOOH with nanolamellae were uniformly loaded on the surface of acid-treated Kaol with a porous structure (A-Kaol). In addition, the surface area (36.5 m2/g), pore volume (0.146 cm3/g), and pore size (13.0 nm) of γ-AlOOH@A-Kaol were different from those of A-Kaol (127.4 m2/g, 0.127 cm3/g, and 4.28 nm, respectively) and γ-AlOOH (34.1 m2/g, 0.315 cm3/g, and 21.5 nm, respectively). The unique structure could significantly enhance the sorption capacity for congo red, which could exceed 1000 mg/g. The reasons may be ascribed to the abundant groups of -OH, large specific surface area, and porous structure of γ-AlOOH@A-Kaol. This work provides an efficient route for comprehensive utilization and production of Kaol-based compound materials that could be used in the field of environmental conservation.

Cu-BTC Derived Mesoporous CuS Nanomaterial as Nanozyme for Colorimetric Detection of Glutathione.

In this paper, Cu-BTC derived mesoporous CuS nanomaterial (m-CuS) was synthesized via a two-step process involving carbonization and sulfidation of Cu-BTC for colorimetric glutathione detection. The Cu-BTC was constructed by 1,3,5-benzenetri-carboxylic acid (H3BTC) and Cu2+ ions. The obtained m-CuS showed a large specific surface area (55.751 m2/g), pore volume (0.153 cm3/g), and pore diameter (15.380 nm). In addition, the synthesized m-CuS exhibited high peroxidase-like activity and could catalyze oxidation of the colorless substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine to a blue product. Peroxidase-like activity mechanism studies using terephthalic acid as a fluorescent probe proved that m-CuS assists H2O2 decomposition to reactive oxygen species, which are responsible for TMB oxidation. However, the catalytic activity of m-CuS for the oxidation of TMB by H2O2 could be potently inhibited in the presence of glutathione. Based on this phenomenon, the colorimetric detection of glutathione was demonstrated with good selectivity and high sensitivity. The linear range was 1-20 μM and 20-300 μM with a detection limit of 0.1 μM. The m-CuS showing good stability and robust peroxidase catalytic activity was applied for the detection of glutathione in human urine samples.

In-situ synthesis of coral reef-like synergistic zinc cobalt oxide and zinc manganese oxide composite as a battery-type electrode material for supercapacitors

Recently, in-situ preparation of metal oxide composite structures has gained much importance in fabricating electrode materials for energy storage and conversion devices because of its advantageous properties of beneficial interfacial contact, high conductivity, good synergism, short ion diffusion distance, better electrochemical performance, etc. Binary transition metal oxides (BTMOs) are given great attention for their significant electrochemical performances over primary MOs because of the two metal ions with different valent states for the redox reactions. In this study, we synthesize zinc cobalt oxide (ZnCo2O4) and zinc manganese oxide (ZnMn2O4) composite via a solvothermal synthetic method. The existence of both phases is identified using an X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The unique coral reef-like structures of the composite electrode are analysed via field emission scanning electron microscopy, and the nanostructure was identified using transmission electron microscopy. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the surface oxidation states of the composite and supports the XRD analysis. The synergetic composite electrode provides a large surface area of 50.86 m2 g−1 with many pores. The composite electrode has a specific capacity of 250 C g−1 at 1 A g−1. The ZCO/ZMO composite demonstrated impressive stability, retaining a specific capacity of 180 C g−1 at 6 A g−1 over 5000 cycles.

Study on oxygen evolution reaction efficiency demonstrated by Ce-E (E = S, Se and te) electrocatalyst

The strategy of generating sustainable energy with hydrogen fuel is highly significant and promising. Hydrogen fuel being non-toxic proves beneficial for the environment and can be produced in a variety of ways, as industrial water splitting into oxygen and hydrogen is a crucial future plan. This study aims to investigate cerium-based chalcogens (CeS, CeSe, and CeTe), as a catalyst to broaden the family of highly effective OER electrocatalysts based on transition metal chalcogenides. CeTe on NF was found to exhibit lowest onset potential with an overpotential of 333 mV at 10 mAcm−2 and a 51 mVdec−1 Tafel value among CeE (E = S, Se) chalcogenides with comparable stoichiometry. Using different analyses, it was determined that CeTe had a large surface area of 83.7 m2g-1, a cubic structure, and a highly crystalline nanoflakes morphology. High electrochemical surface area of 562 cm2, small resistance as Rs of 1.12 Ω, and Rct 729 mΩ, along with high TOF value of 0.174 s−1, 0.059 s−1, 0.009 s−1 for CeTe as compared to CeSe and CeS have supported by CV results. In particular, CeTe showed exceptional catalytic efficiency and was highly active and durable in oxygen evolution reactions.

Chitosan-derived large surface area porous carbon via microphase separation engineering of pore-regulation and nitrogen-doping coupling for high-performance supercapacitors

In the face of the contradiction between the shortage of fossil raw materials, global warming and growing energy demand, it is of great practical significance to apply biomass, which is widely available in nature, environmentally friendly and renewable, to energy storage. Based on the coupling mechanism of pore-regulation and N-doping, this study implements pre-carbonization through microphase separation engineering in the chitosan (CS) and aniline (AN) co-hydrothermal. Using hydrochar as the precursor, porous carbon with good electrochemical properties has been prepared by a multi-step process consisting of KOH activation, pyrolysis, pickling and water washing. The CS/AN co-doped porous carbons (1830.08–2576.53 m2/g) show an enhancement of 8.48%–52.73 % in specific surface area compared to the CS porous carbon (1687.02 m2/g). The hierarchical network structure of the micro-mesoporous interconnects enables fast ion transport and the ultra-micropores further increase the specific capacitance of the electrodes. Theoretical calculation shows that N doping can effectively activate the chemically inert carbon structure and enhance the adsorption capacity of electrolyte ions, thus increasing the specific capacitance. Using 6 M KOH as the electrolyte, CS-AN60-220-800 exhibits a specific capacitance of 368.6 F/g (1.0 A/g) in the three-electrode system. In the two-electrode system, the supercapacitor device constructed with CS-AN60-220-800 demonstrates a capacitance retention of 95.32 % (after 10,000 cycles) along with an energy density of 14.16 Wh/kg (with a power density of 125 W/kg), which is at a high level among similar biomass symmetric supercapacitors. The preparation strategy provides a valuable reference for the preparation of other biomass-based porous carbon, as well as for applications in energy storage.

Understanding adsorption mechanisms and metal ion selectivity of superparamagnetic beads with mesoporous CMK-3 carbon and commercial activated carbon

This study investigates, the adsorption capacities of synthesized magnetic hybrid beads containing ordered mesoporous carbon (CMK-3) and commercial activated carbon (commercial AC) for Cd (II), Ni (II), and Hg (II) ions adsorption in single and ternary systems. The order of maximum adsorption capacity was Cd (II) > Ni (II) > Hg (II) in both beads and systems. L13 beads containing CMK-3 exhibit superior adsorption efficiency compared to L3 beads with commercial AC, attributed to the large surface area, enhanced accessibility to adsorption sites, and the presence of O=C bonds, as well as other elements such as F−. Adsorption of all metal ions was described by Freundlich isotherm in L3 beads in both systems, meanwhile in L13 beads, Langmuir and Freundlich models described adsorption differently in both systems and among metal ions, indicating a more complex process. According to the reported maximum adsorption capacity values, L3 beads exhibit a greater affinity for Hg (II) ions, while L13 beads show a higher affinity for Cd (II) and Ni (II) ions. Adsorption in both beads occurred through several mechanisms involving surface complexation, ion-exchange, precipitation, physical and chemical processes. These findings highlight the importance of material design in optimizing adsorption performance for environmental applications, with potential for further enhancement of adsorption capacities and selectivities through future research.

Structural engineering of magnetite nanozymes for enhanced chemodynamic cancer therapy

Magnetite nanoparticles have demonstrated great potential as nanozymes in chemodynamic therapy (CDT) for cancer. However, their in vivo efficiency remains limited. Here we developed magnetite nanozymes (MNZs) with dual enzyme activities and demonstrated their shape-dependent behavior in eradicating tumors. Three versions of MNZs were constructed of the same materials but largely different geometric forms: spherical (SMNZ), elliptic (EMNZ) and flaky (FMNZ); they were evaluated against each other in treating an aggressive mouse tumor model of triple-negative breast cancer. We showed that the shape influence is substantial, and with the optimal geometric form, FMNZ dramatically outperform its two counterparts and demonstrates phenomenal ability to shrink tumors via systemic injection. We further illustrated that the vastly increased treatment efficiency can be attributed to the large surface area of FMNZ that resulted in increased cellular uptake, greater iron ions release and increased production of highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH), which leads to enhanced self-cascade CDT.

Interfacial Heterojunction Enables High Efficient PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells.

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are promising optoelectronic materials for solution-processed thin film optoelectronic devices. However, the large surface area with abundant surface defects of CQDs and trap-assisted non-radiative recombination losses at the interface between CQDs and charge-transport layer limit their optoelectronic performance. To address this issue, an interface heterojunction strategy is proposed to protect the CQDs interface by incorporating a thin layer of polyethyleneimine (PEIE) to suppress trap-assisted non-radiative recombination losses. This thin layer not only acts as a protective barrier but also modulates carrier recombination and extraction dynamics by forming heterojunctions at the buried interface between CQDs and charge-transport layer, thereby enhancing the interface charge extraction efficiency. This enhancement is demonstrated by the shortened lifetime of carrier extraction from 0.72 to 0.46ps. As a result, the resultant PbS CQD solar cells achieve a power-conversion-efficiency (PCE) of 13.4% compared to 12.2% without the heterojunction.