Furosemide Research Articles

The Development of Nano Si Materials in the Application of Lithium-Ion Batteries Anode

Electric vehicles (EVs) have become a practical alternative to conventional fuel vehicles due to their environmental friendliness, high energy efficiency, low operating costs, etc. In EVs, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) play a crucial role. It provides a power source for EVs and directly affects their performance. Among them, LIBs with silicon nanomaterials as negative electrodes show great potential in improving EV performance. This article aims to conclude Si-based anode LIBs’ present challenges and introduce advanced optimization methods with nano-Si material according to these challenges. It starts with the principle of Li-ion storage in Si. Then, problems faced by pure Si anodes and the preliminarily improved Si-based anodes are listed. Finally, further optimization methods in the nano Si anodes during these years are introduced. The optimization methods mainly include improving the service life of nano-Si-based anode and reducing the cost of manufacture. This comprehensive review provides reference and inspiration for developing Si-based anode LIBs applied in EVs.

Effect of drugs of various groups on the pharmacokinetics of cefotaxime in comparison with their effect on lymphatic tissue drainage

Introduction. The lymphatic system plays a key role in spreading pathogens, including those causing intraabdominal infections. An urgent task of pharmacology is to create methods for the targeted delivery of antibiotics to lymphatic vessels and intestinal tissues. One approach is to use agents acting as endolymphatic conductors to achieve a high drug concentration in the lymphatic system. Aim. To evaluate the effect of various drugs on the concentration of cefotaxime, a third-generation antibiotic, in blood and intestinal tissues, as well as on lymphatic drainage in experiments on mice. Materials and methods. We investigated the effect of hyaluronidase (HLRD), bovgialuronidase azoximer (BovGLRD+Az), terrilitin (TRL), papaya milky juice (PMJ ), sodium heparin (HepS ), aprotinin (APRT), azoximer bromide (AzBrom), furosemide (FRSD) and sodium deoxyribonucleate (DRN) on the removal time of lymphotropic dye from mouse mesentery and the cefotaxime concentration in blood plasma and intestinal tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography. Results. HLRD reduced the time of dye removal from the mesentery by 26.2%, BovGLRD+Az – by 33.5%, TRL – by 36%, PMS – by 23.1%, HepS – by 30.1%, APRT – by 34.6%. The differences in lymphostimulating activity between these drugs were not statistically significant. AzBrom and FRSD increased the dye removal time by 8.3% and 6%, respectively; the DRN had no effect. HLRD, BovGLRD, TRL, PMJ, HepS and APRT increased the CF concentration in blood and intestinal tissues 1.5 and 24 hours after injection, in contrast to the single injection of antibiotic. AzBrom increased the CF concentration only after 1.5 hours. FRSD increased the antibiotic concentration in intestinal tissues but not in blood plasma. The DRN did not affect the studied indicators. Conclusion. Lymphostimulating drugs HLRD, BovGLRD, TRL, PMJ, HepS and APRT effectively direct the antibiotic to the lymphatic system and can be used for lymphotropic therapy.

Polyacrylonitrile and aluminum metal dual functionalization interconnected network for superior lithium storage in silicon anode

Currently, silicon-based anode is one of the most promising anode materials that can be applied in next-generation lithium-ion batteries. However, the high activity of the electrode–electrolyte interface and low electronic conductivity of Si anode during the cycling process greatly limits its large-scale application. Aluminum (Al) is the metallic current collector known to promote electronic conductivity and lithium-ion transfer at low cost. However, to our knowledge, scalable interface engineering incorporating Al with carbonized polymer has not been reported. Herein, a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and aluminum metal dual functionalization interconnected network is achieved via a simple sol-gel method followed by high-temperature calcination to obtain a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) while allowing fast Li+ transmission. The calculated diffusion energy barrier for lithium ions in Al is 0.2198 eV, significantly lower than that in Cu and Fe. Benefiting from the enhanced interfacial protection and kinetics of Si with polyacrylonitrile/Al, the prepared Si@Al@CPAN anode exhibits high lithium storage capacity (2034.90 mAh/g after 150 cycles at 0.84 A/g). At the same time, the prepared Si@Al@CPAN anode outperforms the pure Si anode in rate performance at 12.6 A/g (1116.75 mAh/g vs. 2.84 mAh/g). The present work delivers new design ideas for high-performance Si anode with a multi-functionalization interface.

Polycrystalline inclusion-free growth of thick, lattice-matched SiGeC with high substitutional Carbon concentrations up to 2%

Lattice-matched SiGeC with ~20% of Ge was grown at 550°C, 10 Torr on a 300 mm Si substrate in an industrial standard Reduced Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition reactor using commercially available Si2H6/GeH4/SiH3CH3 precursors. Thicknesses exceeding 250 nm resulted in cluster formation in SiGeC with [C]Sub~2.0% and [C]Int~0.4%, with a surface density up to 6.13x106 µm-2. Room temperature photoluminescence measurements showed that the clusters were non-radiative defects and Transmission Electron Microscopy, using the ASTAR system, proved they were polycrystalline with random orientation. Cluster-free growth was achieved for 1 µm thick SiGeC with [C]Sub~1.0% and no interstitial carbon atoms, however, without lattice-matched growth on a Si substrate. Injecting HCl during a co-flow process resulted in a smooth surface with a RMS roughness of 0.23 nm and a reduction of [C]Intfrom ~0.7% down to ~0.1%, close to the detection limit of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy at 0.1%. This led to a significant cluster surface density reduction down to 1.15x104 µm-2. The injection of HCl caused an increase in the Ge concentration from 19.7% up to 28.9% and a non-lattice-matched growth. A Cyclic Deposition Etch (CDE) process resulted in no [C]Int reduction, but significantly reduced the cluster surface density down to 4.60x104 µm-2. CDE-grown SiGeC was lattice-matched to the Si substrate and yielded a smooth surface with a RMS roughness of 0.22 nm. This enabled the growth of high crystalline quality, thick, lattice-matched layers on a 300 mm Si substrate with material properties beyond pure Si.

Evaluation of Band Structure of Single Crystalline Si-Rich SiSn thin Film

We evaluated the bandgap energy and optical properties of single-crystalline silicon-tin (Si1-x Sn x ) thin films utilizing Photoluminescence (PL), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The PL and SE results showed that the indirect and direct bandgap energy decrease with increasing Sn fraction. Furthermore, the change in the direct bandgap energy is larger than the indirect bandgap energy. This shows that Si1-x Sn x approaches the direct transition type. Then, the Sn fraction from the indirect-to-direct bandgap is estimated to be 47.2%. In addition, XPS results showed that the difference in valence band maximum between Si1-x Sn x and pure Si increased depending on Sn fraction. This is responsible for the decrease in the indirect and direct bandgap energy.

Bimetallic FeCo-MOFs mediated Au nanorods etching for the multi-colorimetric and photothermal immunosensing of illegal additive

With the rapid expansion of the health food industry, the scope of safety supervision has also increased. However, traditional instrument detection methods cannot meet the requirements for the rapid on-site detection. Hence, the development of a rapid, precise, and simple method for the analysis of illegal additives in health foods is of great importance. In this work, by using FeCo-MOFs as mimetic peroxidase to mediate Au nanorods (Au NRs) etching, a dual-mode immunosensor based on multi-colorimetric and photothermal signals was fabricated to detect furosemide (FUR). In multi-colorimetric channel, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peaks of Au NRs shifted blue, resulting in multi-color changes from red to gray to blue and finally to purple. In photothermal channel, the photothermal effect of Au NRs decreased, resulting in temperature changes. In the range of 1.0 × 10−5-1.0 × 10−2 μg/mL, both LSPR peak blue shift and temperature changes were linearly correlated with the logarithm of FUR concentration, with the detection limits were 4.9 × 10−6 and 8.5 × 10−6 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, its concentration can be accurately and intuitively assessed through the observation of vivid colorimetric changes. This advancement offers a highly promising approach for the on-site detection of FUR, facilitating timely and efficient monitoring, thereby significantly enhancing regulatory compliance and ensuring consumer safety.

Enabling Si‐Dominant Anodes: Influence of Neutralization Degree of Polyacrylic Acid on Low‐Cost Micron‐Sized Silicon Anode in High‐Energy Li‐Ion Full Cell

AbstractMicron‐sized silicon is a promising low‐cost, abundant material to increase the energy density of lithium‐ion batteries. Nevertheless, significant volume change and therefore excessive solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) growth lead to fast capacity fading. In this work, polyacrylic acid (PAA) with different neutralization degrees is used for the fabrication of Si anodes for practical applications. The electrochemical performance in full pouch cells reveals that the increase in neutralization degree of PAA up to 70 % enhances the overall performance by improved electrode properties, higher first cycle efficiency (FCE up to 78.1 % at C/3) and better capacity retention (85.4 % after 150 cycles at 1 C) over cycling, while with even higher neutralization degrees (such as 80 %) the performance declines. Since proper mixing of the slurry is another important factor, we optimized the mixing procedure by increasing the solid content of the slurry, which has shown positive influence on the electrochemical performance and electrode properties. To summarize, this work shows full cell 1 C cycling until capacity retention of 85 % after 150 cycles with pure Si microparticle anodes for 70 % neutralized PAA as well as increased C‐rate performance up to 5 C. Post‐mortem, less degradation on electrode and particle level is observed.

A facile and effective strategy for modifying combustion of Zr/KClO4 via adding Si

As a commonly applied ignition composition, Zr/KClO4 has attracted various interests and plenty of efforts have been made to improve the combustion performance. In this study, Si nanoparticles were incorporated into Zr/KClO4 by sonication. Around 2.5× peak pressure and 9.2× reactivity were achieved by Si/50%Zr/KClO4 when compared to Zr/KClO4. In addition, the peak pressure and pressurization rate of Si/Zr/KClO4 ternary systems are all superior to ones of both Zr/KClO4 and Si/KClO4 binary systems. The synergetic effect of Si/Zr/KClO4 is a combination of shorter ignition delay of Zr/KClO4 and more gas production of Si/KClO4, which is also reflected on the higher flame propagation rate of Si/Zr-based thermites than composites with pure Si or Zr as the fuel. Meanwhile, the heat release during the redox reaction has been measured. The results show ∼700–1000 J/g higher energy release than Zr/KClO4, and higher combustion efficiency can be attained by ternary systems than binary ones. Thus, adding Si powders is an effective way to improve the energetic behavior of Zr/KClO4 ignition composition, and Si/Zr/KClO4 ternary composites can be a promising candidate for application in pyrotechnics.

Self-assembled Si-based anode combined with electrostatic spinning method to realize high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Addressing the volume expansion when silicon and metal oxides alone are used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. This study used a simple self-assembly method and electrostatic spinning technique to prepare silicon@copper oxide@carbon nanofibres (CNFs) anodes with dual modification. The high rigidity of metal oxide CuO and the excellent cycling stability of CNFs effectively reduce the buildup of silicon particles, alleviate the volume expansion effect, and improve the electrical conductivity, which leads to better cycling stability and larger specific capacity of lithium-ion batteries. An excellent reversible specific capacity of 748.5 mAh g‐1−1 was observed after 800 cycles at a high current density of 1 A g−1. In addition, the surface of Si@CuO@CNFs electrodes remains smooth and undamaged after 800 cycles, and the increase in cross-sectional thickness is about 68 %, which is significantly smaller than the 300 % increase in cross-sectional thickness of pure Si anode and effectively improves the specific capacity of Li-ion batteries. This research optimizes the design of silicon-based anode materials with simple and mature process technology, which makes an indispensable contribution to developing high-efficiency, long-life, and environmentally friendly lithium-ion batteries. The easy availability and non-polluting nature of the materials used also effectively reduce the reliance on rare or expensive elements, minimize the production process's environmental impact, and vigorously promote the global energy transition and low-carbon green development strategy.

Unveiling the Mechanical and Electrochemical Evolution of Nanosilicon Composite Anodes in Sulfide-Based All-Solid-State Batteries

The utilization of silicon (Si) anodes in all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASLBs) provides the potential for high energy density. However, the compatibility of sulfide solid-state electrolytes (SEs) with Si and carbon is often questioned due to potential decomposition. To investigate this, operando X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, ex-situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ex-situ X-ray nano-tomography (XnT) were utilized to study the chemistry and structure evolution of nano Si composite anodes. Results from XANES demonstrated a partial decomposition of SEs during the first lithiation stage, which was further accelerated by the presence of carbon. But the performance of first three cycles in Si-SE-C was stable, which proved the generated media is ionically conductive. XnT and SEM results showed that the addition of SEs and carbon improved the structural stability of the anode with fewer pores and voids. A chemo-elasto-plastic model revealed that SEs and carbon buffered the volume expansion of Si, thus enhancing mechanical stability. The balance between the pros and cons of SEs and carbon in enhancing reaction kinetics and structural stability enabled the Si composite anode to demonstrate the highest Si utilization with higher specific capacities and better rate than pure Si and Si composite anodes with only SEs.

Ab Initio Tomography Analysis of Lithium Incorporation and Diffusion in Multidomain Silicon Suboxide Anode Materials

Silicon is considered a promising anode material to supplant conventional graphite materials in lithium-ion batteries due to its higher theoretical energy-storage capacity compared to graphite. However, the widespread application of Si anodes has been hindered because the capacity of Si anodes decreases rapidly as the charge/discharge cycle proceeds. The controlled incorporation of oxygen into Si is often considered as a feasible approach for employing Si as an anode material in the form of silicon suboxide. Silicon suboxide exhibits a lower energy capacity compared to pure Si, but offers enhanced stability against volume expansion. Consequently, silicon suboxide materials have been commercialized by blending them with graphite. However, the blending ratio of silicon suboxide with graphite is limited to low levels due to its poor first-cycle efficiency, so-called initial Coulombic efficiency. In-depth understanding of the lithium interaction characteristics within multidomain silicon suboxide is indispensable for optimizing the electrochemical performance of silicon suboxide anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. In this study, we investigate the domain-dependent thermodynamic and kinetic properties of lithium atoms within systematically designed multidomain silicon suboxide models composed of Si, SiO2, and Si/SiO2 interface by performing a series of computational simulations combined with a unique tomography-like sampling scheme. We find that the Si/SiO2 interfacial region exhibits preferential thermodynamics and kinetics for lithiation and can serve as a critical lithium transport channel during charge-discharge cycles, while the SiO2 domain is likely to be excluded from lithiation due to its high resistance to lithium diffusion. Consequently, a significant fraction of lithium is expected to be trapped at the Si/SiO2 interface during the discharge process, which ultimately contributes to a low initial Coulombic efficiency. This theoretical understanding suggests that the formation of continuously connected lithium-transportable Si/SiO2 interfacial channels surrounding the Si domains, along with a well-structured shallow SiO2 framework through the use of appropriate synthesis methods, is essential for maximizing the electrochemical performance of silicon suboxide anode materials. Our theoretical approach offers new insights into the atomistic characteristics of silicon suboxide during lithiation/delithiation processes, ultimately enabling the identification of the origin of low ICE and strategies for addressing it.References(1) Chae, S.; Lim, H.-K.; Lee, S. Energy Landscapes for Lithium Incorporation and Diffusion in Multidomain Silicon Suboxide Anode Materials. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2023, 15 (49), 57059-57069. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c12846. Figure 1

Intravenous delivery of furosemide using lipid-based versus polymer-based nanocapsules: in vitro and in vivo studies

Objectives Furosemide (FSM), a potent loop diuretic, is used to treat edema due to hypertension, congestive heart failure, and liver and renal failures. FSM applications are limited by its low bioavailability. Our aim is to use different nanoencapsulation strategies to control the release of FSM and enhance its pharmacokinetic properties. Methods Two types of FSM-loaded nanocapsules, namely FSM-loaded lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) and polymeric nanocapsules (PNCs), were developed, physicochemically characterized, and subjected to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies. Lipid nanocapsules were prepared by the simple phase inversion method using LabrafacTM lipid, while the polymeric nanocapsules were prepared by nanoprecipitation method using polycaprolactone polymer. Results Transmission electron microscopy ascertains spherical structures, corroborating the nanometric diameter of both types of nanocapsules. The particle size of the optimized FSM-loaded LNCs and FSM-loaded PNCs was 32.19 ± 0.72 nm and 230.7 ± 5.13 nm, respectively. The percent entrapment efficiency was 63.56 ± 1.40% of FSM for the optimized PNCs. The in vitro release study indicated prolonged drug release compared to drug solutions. The two loaded nanocapsules systems succeeded in enhancing the pharmacokinetic parameters in comparison to the marketed FSM solution with superior diuretic activity (p < 0.05). The results of the stability study and the terminal sterilization by autoclave indicated the superiority of LNCs over PNCs in maintaining the physical parameters under storage conditions and the drastic conditions of sterilization. Conclusions LNCs and PNCs are considered promising nanosysems for improving the diuretic effect of FSM.

Structural changes in Ge1−xSnx and Si1−x−yGeySnx thin films on SOI substrates treated by pulse laser annealing

Ge1−xSnx and Si1−x−yGeySnx alloys are promising materials for future opto- and nanoelectronics applications. These alloys enable effective bandgap engineering, broad adjustability of their lattice parameter, exhibit much higher carrier mobility than pure Si, and are compatible with the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology. Unfortunately, the equilibrium solid solubility of Sn in Si1−xGex is less than 1% and the pseudomorphic growth of Si1−x−yGeySnx on Ge or Si can cause in-plane compressive strain in the grown layer, degrading the superior properties of these alloys. Therefore, post-growth strain engineering by ultrafast non-equilibrium thermal treatments like pulse laser annealing (PLA) is needed to improve the layer quality. In this article, Ge0.94Sn0.06 and Si0.14Ge0.8Sn0.06 thin films grown on silicon-on-insulator substrates by molecular beam epitaxy were post-growth thermally treated by PLA. The material is analyzed before and after the thermal treatments by transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and Hall-effect measurements. It is shown that after annealing, the material is single-crystalline with improved crystallinity than the as-grown layer. This is reflected in a significantly increased XRD reflection intensity, well-ordered atomic pillars, and increased active carrier concentrations up to 4 × 1019 cm−3.

A Hybrid Structure to Improve Electrochemical Performance of SiO Anode Materials in Lithium-Ion Battery.

The wide utilization of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) prompts extensive research on the anode materials with large capacity and excellent stability. Despite the attractive electrochemical properties of pure Si anodes outperforming other Si-based materials, its unsafety caused by huge volumetric expansion is commonly admitted. Silicon monoxide (SiO) anode is advantageous in mild volume fluctuation, and would be a proper alternative if the low initial columbic efficiency and conductivity can be ameliorated. Herein, a hybrid structure composed of active material SiO particles and carbon nanofibers (SiO/CNFs) is proposed as a solution. CNFs, through electrospun processes, serve as a conductive skeleton for SiO nanoparticles and enable SiO nanoparticles to be uniformly embedded in. As a result, the SiO/CNF electrochemical performance reaches a peak at 20% the mass ratio of SiO, where the retention rate reaches 73.9% after 400 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g-1, and the discharge capacity after stabilization and 100 cycles are 1.47 and 1.84 times higher than that of pure SiO, respectively. A fast lithium-ion transport rate during cycling is also demonstrated as the corresponding diffusion coefficient of the SiO/CNF reaches ~8 × 10-15 cm2 s-1. This SiO/CNF hybrid structure provides a flexible and cost-effective solution for LIBs and sheds light on alternative anode choices for industrial battery assembly.

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer based on coordination for the determination of trace banned substance furosemide in human urine.

Furosemide (FUR), banned in sports events by the World Anti-Doping Agency, is a key target in drug tests, necessitating a pretreatment material capable of selectively, rapidly, and sufficiently separating/enriching analytes from complex matrices. Herein, a metal-mediated magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (mMIP) was rationally designed and synthesized for the specific capture of FUR. The preparations involved the utilization of chromium (III) as the binding pivot, (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane as functional monomer, and Fe3O4 as core, all assembled via free radical polymerization. Both the morphologies and adsorptive properties of the mMIP were characterized using multiple methods. The resulting Cr(III)-mediated mMIP (ChM-mMIP) presented excellent selectivity and specificity toward FUR. Under optimized conditions, the adsorption capacity reached 128.50mg/g within 10 min, and the imprinting factor was 10.41. Moreover, it was also successfully applied as a dispersive solid-phase extraction material, enabling the detection of FUR concentration as low as 20ng/mL in human urine samples when coupled with a high-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array. Overall, this study offers a valuable strategy for the development of novel recognition material.

Low loss polycrystalline SiGe core fibers for nonlinear photonics.

Polycrystalline silicon-germanium (SiGe) core fibers offer great potential as flexible platforms for microscale optoelectronic and nonlinear optical devices. Compared to silicon (Si) core fibers, the SiGe material provides the potential for higher nonlinear coefficients, extended mid-infrared wavelength coverage, and a means to tune the bandgap and index of refraction by varying the Ge composition. Here, SiGe core fibers (10 at% Ge) were fabricated using the molten core drawing method, followed by CO2 laser irradiation to improve the homogeneity of the core. The transmission properties of the fibers were further optimized using a fiber tapering method to tailor the core diameter and re-grow the crystal grains. The resulting tapered SiGe fiber exhibited an average linear loss of ∼3 dB cm-1 across the wavelength range 1.5 - 2.5 µm, allowing for nonlinear optical characterization of this new fiber type. Measurements of the nonlinear figure of merit demonstrate the potential for higher nonlinear performance compared to the pure Si core fibers, particularly for wavelengths >2 µm, indicating that the SiGe fiber platform could open up new opportunities for mid-infrared nonlinear photonics.

Effects of Functional Biomaterials on the Attributes of Orally Disintegrating Tablets Loaded with Furosemide Nanoparticles: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluations.

Furosemide (FUR) is a diuretic used to relieve edema, congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, end-stage renal disease, and hypertension. FUR is a class IV according to the Biopharmaceutics Classification System. It is practically insoluble in water. This study aimed to optimize and formulate porous orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) prepared by sublimation and loaded with FUR nanoparticles prepared by using a planetary ball mill. Different functional biomaterials called stabilizers were used to stabilize the nanoparticle formula. Pluronic F-127 was the optimum stabilizer in terms of particle size (354.07 ± 6.44), zeta potential (-25.3 ± 5.65), and dissolution efficiency (56.34%). The impact of the stabilizer concentration was studied as well, and a concentration of 3% showed the smallest particle size (354.07 ± 6.44), best zeta potential value (-25.3 ± 5.65), and percentage of dissolution rate (56.34%). A FUR-loaded nanoparticle formula was successfully prepared. The nanoparticle formula was stabilized by using 3% pluronic F-127, and 3% was chosen for further study of the incorporation into oral disintegration tablets prepared by the sublimation technique. The impact of the matrix sublimating agent and superdisintegrant on the ODTs' attributes (in vitro disintegration, wetting time, and in vitro dissolution efficiency) was studied using 32 full factorial designs. In vivo, the diuretic activity was tested for the optimized FUR ODTs by calculating the Lipschitz value using rats as an animal model. The stability of the ODTs loaded with FUR nanoparticles was assessed under accelerated conditions for 6 months. Finally, the ODT formula loaded with FUR NPs showed a rapid onset of action that was significantly faster than untreated drugs. Nanonization and ODT formulation enhances the dissolution rate and bioavailability of FUR. Many factors can be controlled to achieve optimization results, including the formulation and process parameters.

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Tailoring the Size of Reduced Graphene Oxide Sheets to Fabricate Silicon Composite Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The integration of a silicon (Si) anode into lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) holds great promise for energy storage, but challenges arise from unstable electrochemical reactions and volume changes during cycling. This study investigates the influence of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) size on the performance of rGO-protected Si composite (Si@rGO) anodes. Two sizes of graphene oxide (GO(L) and GO(S)) are used to synthesize Si@rGO composites with a core-shell structure by spray drying and thermal reduction. Electrochemical evaluations show the advantages of the Si@rGO(S) anode with improved cycle life and cycling efficiency over Si@rGO(L) and pure Si. The Si@rGO(S) anode facilitates the formation of a stable LiF-rich solid electrolyte interface (SEI) after cycling, ensuring enhanced capacity retention and swelling control. Rate capability tests also demonstrate the superior high-power performance of Si@rGO(S) with low and stable resistances in Si@rGO(S) over extended cycles. This study provides critical insights into the tailoring of graphene-protected Si composites, highlighting the critical role of rGO size in shaping structural and electrochemical properties. The Si material wrapped by graphene with an optimal lateral size of graphene emerges as a promising candidate for high-performance LIB anodes, thereby advancing electrochemical energy storage technologies.

Diuretic effects of Hecogenin and Hecogenin acetate via aldosterone synthase inhibition

Hecogenin (HEC) is a steroidal saponin found in many plant species and serves as a precursor for steroidal drugs. The diuretic effects of HEC and its derivative, hecogenin acetate (HA), remain largely unexplored. The present study aimed to explore the potential diuretic effects of HEC and HA compared to furosemide (FUR) and spironolactone (SPIR). Additionally, the study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism particularly focusing on aldosterone synthase gene expression. Fifty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into nine groups (Group 1–9). Group 1 (control) received the vehicle, Groups 2 received FUR 10 mg/kg, Group 3, 4, and 5 were given HEC, while Groups 6, 7 and 8 received HA i.p at doses of 5, 10, and 25 mg/kg, respectively. Group 9 received SPIR i.p at the dose of 25 mg/kg. Urine volume, diuretic index and diuretic activity were monitored at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 24 h post-administration. Treatment was given daily for seven days. After that, rats were sacrificed and blood was collected for serum electrolytes determination. Adrenal glands were dissected out for gene expression studies. The results revealed that HEC and HA at the administered doses significantly and dose-dependently increased urine and electrolyte excretion. These results were primarily observed at 25 mg/kg of each compound. Gene expression studies demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in aldosterone synthase gene expression, suggesting aldosterone synthesis inhibition as a potential mechanism for their diuretic activity. Notably, HA exhibited more pronounced diuretic effects surpassing those of HEC. This enhanced diuretic activity of HA can be attributed to its stronger impact on aldosterone synthase inhibition. These findings offer valuable insights into the diuretic effects of both HEC and HA along with their underlying molecular mechanisms.