Diaqua­(1,10-phenanthrolin-2-ol)nickel(II) dinitrate

In the mononuclear title complex, [Ni(C12H8N2O)2(H2O)2](NO3)2, the NiII ion is coordinated in a distorted octa­hedral geometry. The dihedral angle between the two mean planes defined by the phenanthroline ligands is 88.26 (6)°. Intra- and intermolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the cation and the anions lead to the formation of a layered arrangement parallel to (010)

editorial electrode materials for lithium and post lithium rechargeable batteries

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Formation, crystal growth and colour appearance of Mimetic Tianmu glaze

WZZ thanks EPSRC for financial support on FEG-SEM equipment (EP/F019580/1).Mimetic Tianmu glaze has been synthesized and analysed by using X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the main body of the glaze was amorphous aluminium silicate with many embedded polycrystalline spherical particles of metal oxides containing manganese, cobalt, vanadium, bismuth and tungsten. Two dimensional spinel dendrites crystals of manganese, cobalt and aluminium oxide formed on the surface of the glaze. The formation mechanism of the microstructures in the Tianmu glaze is proposed. The colour appearance of the glaze has also been discussed. It has been found that the crystal thickness dependant light interference could be an important factor for the appearance of rainbow-like colour in the glaze layer.PostprintPeer reviewe

Photoluminescent nano-CsPbBr3 embedded in Cs4PbBr6 crystals : formation mechanism and properties

WS would like to thank the China Scholarships Council and the University of St Andrews for the CSC-St Andrews studentship. Part of this work was financially supported by the National Science and Technology Council in Taiwan (Contract No. NSTC 112-2113-M-002-020) for RSL.Luminescent crystalline cesium lead bromide has been synthesized by using an antisolvent method with the nominal ratio of Cs:Pb in the precursors varying in a wide range from 4.5:1 to 1:1. Although the powder X-ray diffraction patterns of all the specimens show Cs4PbBr6 as a pure phase or a main phase, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images reveal a large amount of CsPbBr3 nanocrystallites embedded in all the Cs4PbBr6 crystals. A formation mechanism of these perovskite nanocrystallites serving as actual active centers of photoluminescence is proposed. The most crucial step in the crystal growth is the deposition of a noncrystalline coating layer containing polymerized PbBr64– linked by Cs+ with the Cs:Pb ratio of about 3:1, and therefore, the actual crystal growth sites are at the interface between the crystal and the coating layer, instead of the crystal/solution interface. The local lack of Cs during the formation of Cs4PbBr6 results in the formation of CsPbBr3 nanocrystallites inside the parent crystals of Cs4PbBr6. The photoluminescence quantum yield and stability of the embedded CsPbBr3 nanocrystallites are significantly improved in comparison with bare CsPbBr3 crystals. Such simultaneous growth of parent crystals and the embedded nanocrystallites sheds light on further development of cesium lead halide-based photoluminescent materials.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Plasmonic hot electrons for sensing, photodetection, and solar energy applications: A perspective

In plasmonic metals, surface plasmon resonance decays and generates hot electrons and hot holes through non-radiative Landau damping. These hot carriers are highly energetic, which can be modulated by the plasmonic material, size, shape, and surrounding dielectric medium. A plasmonic metal nanostructure, which can absorb incident light in an extended spectral range and transfer the absorbed light energy to adjacent molecules or semiconductors, functions as a “plasmonic photosensitizer.” This article deals with the generation, emission, transfer, and energetics of plasmonic hot carriers. It also describes the mechanisms of hot electron transfer from the plasmonic metal to the surface adsorbates or to the adjacent semiconductors. In addition, this article highlights the applications of plasmonic hot electrons in photodetectors, photocatalysts, photoelectrochemical cells, photovoltaics, biosensors, and chemical sensors. It discusses the applications and the design principles of plasmonic materials and devices

Unraveling the effect of salt chemistry on long-durability high-phosphorus-concentration anode for potassium ion batteries

Phosphorus-based anode materials are of considerable interest for grid-scale energy storage systems due to their high theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, the low electrical conductivity of P, large volume changes during cycling, and highly-reactive phosphide surface are hindering their potential applications. Herein, outstanding long-term cycling stability with high retained potassium storage capacity (213.7 mA h g−1over 2000 cycles) was achieved via the introduction of an alternative potassium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (KFSI) salt and by using a layered compound (GeP5) with a high phosphorus concentration as anode material. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic mapping results suggest that KFSI salt helps to form an uniform solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer and reduces the side reactions at the electrode/electrolyte interface, thus enhancing the cycling performance. In-operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis has revealed the synergistic reaction mechanisms of the K-P and K-Ge reactions. These findings indicate the enormous potential of phosphorus-based anodes for high-performance potassium ion batteries and can attract broad interest for regulating the SEI layer formation through manipulating the salt chemistry

Enhancement of polar phases in PVDF by forming PVDF/SiC nanowire composite

Different contents of silicon carbide (SiC) nanowires were mixed with Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) to facilitate the polar phase crystallization. It was shown that the annealing temperature and SiC content affected on the phase and crystalline structures of PVDF/SiC samples. Furthermore, the addition of SiC nanowire enhanced the transformation of non-polar α phase to polar phases and increased the relative fraction of β phase in PVDF. Due to the nucleating agent mechanism of SiC nanowires, the ion-dipole interaction between the negatively charged surface of SiC nanowires and the positive CH2 groups in PVDF facilitated the formation of polar phases in PVDF

Apoptosis-inducing effect of 6,7-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxy-8- formylflavon from Nicotiana tabacum L leaf in human hepatoma HepG2 cells via activation of mitochondriamediated apoptotic pathway

Purpose: To study the anti-proliferative and apoptotic influences of 6,7-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxy-8- formylflavon (DHF) from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum L. in human hepatoma HepG2 cells, and the underlying mechanisms.Methods: The anti-proliferative effect of DHF (10 - 50 μg/mL) on HepG2 cells was assessed by CCK-8 assay. The pro-apoptotic effect of DHF (10, 20 and 30 μg/mL) on HepG2 cells was investigated via flow cytometry, while the mechanisms involved were studied using western blot. Xenograft assay was employed for determination of the in vivo effect of DHF (40 mg/kg/day) on HepG2 cell-induced tumor.Results: The proliferation of HepG2 cells was inhibited by DHF (IC50 = 25.87 μg/mL) due to apoptosis. In addition, xenograft assay revealed that HepG2 cell-induced tumor growth was significantly suppressed by DHF (p < 0.05 or 0.01) without any effects on mice body weights. The expressions of Survivin and Bcl-2 proteins were significantly decreased, while those of Bax, c-caspase-9, and ccaspase- 3 proteins were significantly increased by DHF (p < 0.05 or 0.01), leading to increase in cytoplasmic levels of Smac and cytochrome c proteins.Conclusion: The underlying mechanism DHF-mediated apoptotic changes in HepG2 cells in vitro and in vivo involves induction of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Thus, DHF is a good drug candidate for the development of an effective therapy for liver cancer.Keywords: 6,7-Dimethoxy-4'-hydroxy-8-formylflavon, HepG2 cells, Hepatoma, Mitochondria, Apoptosis, Bax, Cytochrome C, Survivi