Photocatalytic H₂ Generation Efficiencies of TiO₂ Nanotube-based Heterostructures Grafted with ZnO Nanorods, Ag Nanoparticles, or Pd Nanodendrites

TiO₂ nanotube-based heterostructures grafted with ZnO nanorods, Ag nanoparticles, or Pd nanodendrites were synthesized for photocatalytic H₂O/CH₃OH splitting and H₂ generation. Compared with P25 TiO₂ nanoparticles and bare TiO₂ nanotubes, these heterostructures, in particular, the one grafted with Pd nanodendrites, were found to present a markedly enhanced photocatalytic H₂ generation efficiency (net H₂ generation rate ∼143 μmol/h). Rather than the surface area of the photocatalysts, the lifetime (separation) of photogenerated carriers and, in particular, the surface plasmon resonance-stimulated carrier excitation dominated the number of total effective carriers. A power relationship with an exponent of 0.2 between the H₂ generation rate and the number of total photogenerated carriers was determined, which suggests that the number of effective carriers or the efficiency in H₂O/CH₃OH splitting might decay in an exponential way

Additional file 4: Figure S3. of Motor neuron-derived Thsd7a is essential for zebrafish vascular development via the Notch-dll4 signaling pathway

The tip cells on ISV showed protrusions without specific orientation in Thsd7a knockdown zebrafsih. Representative images showed the effects of Thsd7a knockdown by injecting Thsd7a MO2 into Tg(fli1:EGFP) zebrafish embryos; 5msMO2 was used as control. The morphants were then observed at 27 ~ 34hpf. In the control group, the tip cell on ISV displayed tree-shape morphology with single main protrusion (A and B). After knockdown of Thsd7a, the tip cell displayed fan-shape morphology with disorientation (C and D). Scale bar is 10 μm. (PNG 683 kb

Additional file 3: Figure S2. of Motor neuron-derived Thsd7a is essential for zebrafish vascular development via the Notch-dll4 signaling pathway

The approach of construct thsd7a transgenic zebrafish. Representative image is the flow chart of making transgenic fish construct. PCR amplified cassette containing GFP was flanked by target homologous BAC sequence indicated by gray box. The target homologous site was designed to locate between the thsd7a translational start site and the first exon. BAC containing PCR product and thsd7a promoter were then electroporated into EL250 competent cells which can induce homologous recombination activity. The end product was microinjected into zebrafish embryos at one-to-two cell stages. (PNG 156 kb