High-performance supercapacitors based on hierarchically porous carbons with a three-dimensional conductive network structure

Clews of polymer nanobelts (CsPNBs) have the advantages of inexpensive raw materials, simple synthesis and large output. Novel clews of carbon nanobelts (CsCNBs) have been successfully prepared by carbonizing CsPNBs and by KOH activation subsequently. From the optimized process, CsCNBs*4, with a specific surface area of 2291 m2 g−1 and a pore volume of up to 1.29 cm3 g−1, has been obtained. Fundamentally, the CsCNBs possess a three-dimensional conductive network structure, a hierarchically porous framework, and excellent hydrophilicity, which enable fast ion diffusion through channels and a large enough ion adsorption/desorption surface to improve electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. The product exhibits a high specific capacitance of 327.5 F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1 in a three-electrode system. The results also reveal a high-rate capacitance (72.2% capacitance retention at 500 mV s−1) and stable cycling lifetime (95% of initial capacitance after 15 000 cycles). Moreover, CsCNBs*4 provides a high energy density of 29.8 W h kg−1 at a power density of 345.4 W kg−1 in 1 M tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate/acetonitrile (TEABF4/AN) electrolyte. These inspiring results imply that this carbon material with a three-dimensional conductive network structure possesses excellent potential for energy storage

Ultrahigh-content nitrogen-decorated nanoporous carbon derived from metal organic frameworks and its application in supercapacitors

Single electric double-layer capacitors cannot meet the growing demand for energy due to their insufficient energy density. Generally speaking, the supercapacitors introduced with pseudo-capacitance by doping heteroatoms (N, O) in porous carbon materials can obtain much higher capacitance than electric double-layer capacitors. In view of above merits, in this study, nanoporous carbon materials with ultrahigh N enrichment (14.23 wt%) and high specific surface area (942 m2 g−1) by in situ introduction of N-doped MOF (ZTIF-1, Organic ligands 5-methyltetrazole/C2H4N4) were produced. It was found that as supercapacitors' electrode materials, these nanoporous carbons exhibit a capacitance as high as 272 F g-1 at 0.1 A g−1, and an excellent cycle life (almost no attenuation after 10,000 cycles.). Moreover, the symmetric supercapacitors were assembled to further investigate the actual capacitive performance, and the capacitance shows up to 154 F g-1 at 0.1 A g−1. Such excellent properties may be attributed to a combination of a high specific surface area, ultrahigh nitrogen content and hierarchically porous structure. The results shown in this study fully demonstrate that the nanoporous carbon materials containing ultrahigh nitrogen content can be used as a potential electrode material in supercapacitors

Facile synthesis of ultrahigh-surface-area hollow carbon nanospheres and their application in lithium-sulfur batteries

Hollow carbon nanospheres (HCNs) with specific surface areas up to 2949 m2 g−1 and pore volume up to 2.9 cm3 g−1 were successfully synthesized from polyaniline‐co‐polypyrrole hollow nanospheres by carbonization and CO2 activation. The cavity diameter and wall thickness of HCNs can be easily controlled by activation time. Owing to their large inner cavity and enclosed structure, HCNs are desirable carriers for encapsulating sulfur. To better understand the effects of pore characteristics and sulfur contents on the performances of lithium‐sulfur batteries, three composites of HCNs and sulfur are prepared and studied in detail. The composites of HCNs with moderate specific surface areas and suitable sulfur content present a better performance. The first discharge capacity of this composite reaches 1401 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C. Even after 200 cycles, the discharge capacity remains at 626 mAh g−1

Folate-receptor-targeted co-self-assembly carrier-free gemcitabine nanoparticles loading indocyanine green for chemo-photothermal therapy

The carrier-free chemo-photothermal therapy has become a promising strategy to improve anti-cancer therapeutic efficacy owing to the combination of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy, with improved chemotherapy drug pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, high drug loading, and reduced toxicity. We designed a novel carrier-free targeting nanoparticles, co-self-assembled amphiphilic prodrugs 3′,5′-dioleoyl gemcitabine (DOG), and tumor-targeted γ-octadecyl folate (MOFA), with encapsulated US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) for synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy. The DOG linking oleic acid to the sugar moiety of gemcitabine (GEM) showed better self-assembly ability among GEM amphiphilic prodrugs linking different fatty acids. The readily available and highly reproducible 3′,5′-dioleoyl gemcitabine/γ-octadecyl folate/indocyanine green (DOG/MOFA/ICG) nanoparticles were prepared by reprecipitation and showed nano-scale structure with mono-dispersity, great encapsulation efficiency of ICG (approximately 74%), acid- and laser irradiation-triggered GEM release in vitro and sustained GEM release in vivo after intravenous administration as well as excellent temperature conversion (57.0°C) with near-infrared laser irradiation. The combinational DOG/MOFA/ICG nanoparticles with near-infrared laser irradiation showed better anti-tumor efficacy than individual chemotherapy or photothermal therapy, with very low hemolysis and inappreciable toxicity for L929 cells. This co-self-assembly of the ICG and the chemotherapy drug (GEM) provides a novel tactic for the rational design of multifunctional nanosystems for targeting drug delivery and theranostics

CO Emission Delineating the Interface between the Milky Way Nuclear Wind Cavity and the Gaseous Disk

Based on the MWISP survey, we study high-z CO emission toward the tangent points, in which the distances of the molecular clouds (MCs) are well determined. In the region of l=12-26 deg and |b|<5.1 deg, a total of 321 MCs with |z|> 110 pc are identified, of which nearly 30 extreme high-z MCs (EHMCs at |z|> 260 pc) are concentrated in a narrow region of R_GC=2.6-3.1 kpc. The EHMC concentrations, together with other high-z MCs at R_GC=2.3-2.6 kpc, constitute molecular crater-wall structures surrounding the edges of the HI voids that are physically associated with the Fermi bubbles. Intriguingly, some large high-z MCs, which lie in the crater-walls above and below the Galactic plane, show cometary structures with the head toward the plane, favouring the scenario that the entrained molecular gas moves with the multi-phase flows from the plane to the high-z regions. We suggest that the Milky Way nuclear wind has a significant impact on the Galactic gaseous disk. The powerful nuclear wind at ~3-6 Myr ago is likely responsible for the observational features, (1) the enhanced CO gas lying in the edges of the HI voids, (2) the deficiency of atomic and molecular gas within R_GC<3 kpc, (3) the possible connection between the EHMC concentrations and the 3-kpc arm, and (4) the elongated high-z MCs with the tail pointing away from the Galactic plane.Comment: 27 pages, 7 Figures, 1 Table. To appear in ApJ. Comments are welcome

Paternal Programming of Liver Function and Lipid Profile Induced by a Paternal Pre-Conceptional Unhealthy Diet: Potential Association with Altered Gut Microbiome Composition

Background/Aims: Paternal exposure to adverse environmental conditions can act on offspring’s phenotype and influence offspring’s later life disease risk. Our study was designed to examine the effect of feeding male rats before mating a high-fat, high-sucrose and high-salt diet (HFSSD) over two generations (F0 and F1) on their offspring’s (F2) liver function and gut microbiome composition. Methods: Male F0 rats and male F1 rats were fed either control diet or HFSSD before mating. Liver function of F2 offspring was investigated, and their gut microbiome composition was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing in the F2 offspring of rats whose fathers and grandfathers were fed with control diet (CD) (F0CD+F1CD-F2 group) or HFSSD prior to mating (F0HD+F1HD-F2 group). Results: F2 offspring had higher serum aspartate aminotransferase activity (female, p &#x3c; 0.05 and male, p &#x3c; 0.01 respectively) compared with control. Shannon indexes of gut microbiota indicated a significantly higher diversity in the female F0HD+F1HD-F2 as compared to F0CD+F1CD-F2 female offspring (p &#x3c; 0.01). The dominant phyla of all the groups were Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. There were significant differences in gut bacterial community composition at phyla and genus level between the F0CD+F1CD-F2 and F0HD+F1HD-F2. Furthermore, the variation in the relative abundance (percentage) of bacterial genus in the F2 offspring was associated with liver function alterations induced by a paternal pre-conceptional unhealthy diet. Male F0HD+F1HD-F2 offspring had higher serum cholesterol, high density lipoproteins as well as low density lipoproteins concentrations compared to the corresponding male control rats. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings suggested that a paternal pre-conceptional unhealthy diet predisposes the offspring to mild liver function alterations and alterations of gut microbiota in later life. Effects on lipids were sex-specific and only seen in male offspring

The Cassiopeia Filament: A Blown Spur of the Local Arm

We present wide-field and high-sensitivity CO(1-0) molecular line observations toward the Cassiopeia region, using the 13.7m millimeter telescope of the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO). The CO observations reveal a large-scale highly filamentary molecular cloud within the Galactic region of 132\fdg0\,$\geq$\,$l$\,$\geq$\,122\fdg0 and -1\fdg0\,$\leq$\,$b$\,$\leq$\,3\fdg0 and the velocity range from approximately +1 to +4 km/s. The measured length of the large-scale filament, referred to as the Cassiopeia Filament, is about 390 pc. The observed properties of the Cassiopeia Filament, such as length, column density, and velocity gradient, are consistent with those synthetic large-scale filaments in the inter-arm regions. Based on its observed properties and location on the Galactic plane, we suggest that the Cassiopeia Filament is a spur of the Local arm, which is formed due to the galactic shear. The western end of the Cassiopeia Filament shows a giant arc-like molecular gas shell, which is extending in the velocity range from roughly -1 to +7 km/s. Finger-like structures, with systematic velocity gradients, are detected in the shell. The CO kinematics suggest that the large shell is expanding at a velocity of ~6.5 km/s. Both the shell and finger-like structures outline a giant bubble with a radius of ~16 pc, which is likely produced by stellar wind from the progenitor star of a supernova remnant. The observed spectral linewidths suggest that the whole Cassiopeia Filament was quiescent initially until its west part was blown by stellar wind and became supersonically turbulent.Comment: 46 pages, 19 figures, to be published by the A

Facile synthesis of 2D ultrathin and ultrahigh specific surface hierarchical porous carbon nanosheets for advanced energy storage

Two dimensional (2D) porous carbon nanosheets (CNS) have attracted tremendous research interests in energy storage and conversion, such as supercapacitors (SCs) and lithium-sulfur batteries, because of their unique micromorphology, chemical stability and high specific surface area (SSA). Rational design and facile scalable synthesis of CNS with high SSA, low cost and ultrathin nanosheet structure is highly desired but hitherto remains a big challenge. Here, we report a novel synthesis method of 2D hierarchical porous CNS with ultrahigh SSA (2687 m2 g−1) and ultrathin structure by directly pyrolysing and activating a unique and abundant biomass sheet. The electrochemical characterisations show that the prepared CNS-4-1 materials as electrodes creates a good energy-storage capability, with the energy density being 91 Wh kg−1 for symmetric SCs in ionic liquids, which is the highest in the reported biomass-derived CNS materials for SCs applications so far. Besides, the CNS-5-1 also exhibits a high initial capacity of 1078 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C when it acted as a sulfur hosting material for lithium-sulfur batteries. More importantly, it also shows a 586 mAh g−1 reversible capacity and an approaching 100% coulombic efficiency after 500 cycles at a high rate of 1 C. These superior electrochemical properties of the CNS are mainly attributed to their unique 2D ultrathin nanosheet structure, large SSA, and reasonable hierarchical porous structure. This work not only provides a new strategy to fabricate the ultrathin CNS in large scale and low cost but also enlarges CNS materials potential applications in energy storage

Study on pathological and clinical characteristics of chronic HBV infected patients with HBsAg positive, HBV DNA negative, HBeAg negative

AimsStudy of clinical characteristics of hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV DNA)-negative, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative patients based on liver histopathology.MethodsWe retrospectively enrolled patients with chronic HBV infection diagnosis at Beijing Ditan Hospital from May 2008 to November 2020. To study the differences between patients with significant hepatic histopathology and those without significant hepatic histopathology. And to study the independent factors of significant hepatic histopathology.Results85 HBV DNA-negative and HBeAg-negative patients were 37.90 ± 10.30 years old, 23.50% of patients with grade of inflammation (G) &gt;1, 35.30% of patients with liver fibrosis stage (S) &gt;1, 44.70% patients were diagnosed with significant hepatic histopathology. Compared to the no significant hepatic histopathology group, another group had older age (41.70 ± 10.70 vs 34.80 ± 8.87 years, t=-3.28, P=0.002), higher total bilirubin (TBIL) [14.9(10.3, 22.4) vs 11(8.9, 14.4) μmol/L, z=-2.26, P=0.024], lower cholinesterase (CHE) (t=-2.86, P=0.005, 7388.00 ± 2156.00 vs 8988.00 ± 2823.00 U/L) and lower platelet (PLT) (t=2.75, P=0.007, 157.00 ± 61.40 vs 194.00 ± 61.00 10^9/L). Abnormal ALT patients are more likely to have significant hepatic histopathology (z=5.44, P=0.020, 66.70% vs 337.50%). G had significant correlation with CHE (P=0.008, r=-0.23), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (P=0.041, r=0.18), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P=0.001, r=0.29). S had significant correlation with TBIL (P = 0.008, r = 0.23), age (P &lt; 0.001, r = 0.32), international normalized ratio (INR) (P = 0.04, r = 0.23), CHE (P &lt; 0.001, r = -0.30), PLT (P &lt; 0.001, r = -0.40) and prothrombin time activity (PTA) (P = 0.046, r = -0.22). Multivariate logistic analysis indicated only age (95%CI=1.014~1.130, OR=1.069, P=0.013) was an impact factor for significant hepatic histopathology. The cutoff point of age was 34.30 years.ConclusionsA large proportion of chronic HBV infection patients with HBeAg-negative and HBV DNA-negative still have chronic hepatitis. Age is an independent factor for significant hepatic histopatholog