All-Integrated Bifunctional Separator for Li Dendrite Detection via Novel Solution Synthesis of a Thermostable Polyimide Separator

Safe operation is crucial for lithium (Li) batteries, and therefore, developing separators with dendrite-detection function is of great scientific and technological interest. However, challenges have been encountered when integrating the function into commercial polyolefin separators. Among all polymer candidates, polyimides (PIs) are prominent due to their good thermal/mechanical stability and electrolyte wettability. Nevertheless, it is still a challenge to efficiently synthesize PI separators, let alone integrate additional functions. In this work, a novel yet facile solution synthesis was developed to fabricate a nanoporous PI separator. Specifically, recyclable LiBr was utilized as the template for nanopores creation while the polymer was processed at the intermediate stage. This method proves not only to be a facile synthesis with basic lab facility but also to have promising potential for low-cost industrial production. The as-synthesized PI separator exhibited excellent thermal/mechanical stability and electrolyte wettability, the latter of which further improves the ionic conductivity and thus battery rate capability. Notably, stable full-cell cycling for over 200 cycles with a PI separator was further achieved. Based on this method, the fabrication of an all-integrated PI/Cu/PI bifunctional separator for dendrite detection can be fulfilled. The as-fabricated all-integrated separators prove efficient as early alarms of Li penetration, opening up the opportunity for safer battery design by separator engineering

Roll-to-Roll Transfer of Electrospun Nanofiber Film for High-Efficiency Transparent Air Filter

Particulate matter (PM) pollution in air has become a serious environmental issue calling for new type of filter technologies. Recently, we have demonstrated a highly efficient air filter by direct electrospinning of polymer fibers onto supporting mesh although its throughput is limited. Here, we demonstrate a high throughput method based on fast transfer of electrospun nanofiber film from roughed metal foil to a receiving mesh substrate. Compared with the direct electrospinning method, the transfer method is 10 times faster and has better filtration performance at the same transmittance, owing to the uniformity of transferred nanofiber film (>99.97% removal of PM_2.5 at ∼73% of transmittance). With these advantages, large area freestanding nanofiber film and roll-to-roll production of air filter are demonstrated

Polymer–Drug Nanoparticles Combine Doxorubicin Carrier and Heparin Bioactivity Functionalities for Primary and Metastatic Cancer Treatment

Here, a biocompatible amphiphilic copolymer of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and doxorubicin (DOX) connected by an acid-sensitive hydrazone bond for enhanced tumor treatment efficacy and safety has been designed and tested. The conjugate combines DOX delivery with LMWH antimetastatic capabilities. After the nanoparticles reach the tumor site, the acidic tumor microenvironment triggers the breakage of the hydrazone bond releasing DOX from the nanoparticles, which results in an increase in the cellular uptake and enhanced in vivo antitumor efficacy. A 3.4-fold and 1.5-fold increase in tumor growth inhibition were observed compared to the saline-treated control group and free DOX treated group, respectively. The LMWH-based nanoparticles effectively inhibited interactions between tumor cells and platelets mediated by P-selectin reducing metastasis of cells in both in vitro and in vivo models. The improved safety and therapeutic effect of LMWW-DOX nanoparticles offers new potential for tumor therapy

Conformal Lithium Fluoride Protection Layer on Three-Dimensional Lithium by Nonhazardous Gaseous Reagent Freon

Research on lithium (Li) metal chemistry has been rapidly gaining momentum nowadays not only because of the appealing high theoretical capacity, but also its indispensable role in the next-generation Li–S and Li–air batteries. However, two root problems of Li metal, namely high reactivity and infinite relative volume change during cycling, bring about numerous other challenges that impede its practical applications. In the past, extensive studies have targeted these two root causes by either improving interfacial stability or constructing a stable host. However, efficient surface passivation on three-dimensional (3D) Li is still absent. Here, we develop a conformal LiF coating technique on Li surface with commercial Freon R134a as the reagent. In contrast to solid/liquid reagents, gaseous Freon exhibits not only nontoxicity and well-controlled reactivity, but also much better permeability that enables a uniform LiF coating even on 3D Li. By applying a LiF coating onto 3D layered Li-reduced graphene oxide (Li-rGO) electrodes, highly reduced side reactions and enhanced cycling stability without overpotential augment for over 200 cycles were proven in symmetric cells. Furthermore, Li–S cells with LiF protected Li-rGO exhibit significantly improved cyclability and Coulombic efficiency, while excellent rate capability (∼800 mAh g^–1 at 2 C) can still be retained

Development of an anti-microbial peptide-mediated liposomal delivery system: a novel approach towards pH-responsive anti-microbial peptides

<div><p></p><p>On one hand, the application of anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) in the construction of AMPs-mediated drug delivery system has not yet been fully exploited; on the other hand, its non-selectivity <i>in vivo</i> has also limited its clinical application. In this work, we chose one pH-responsive peptide, [D]-H₆L₉, and functionalized it onto the surface of liposomes (D-Lip). The protonation of histidines in the sequence of [D]-H₆L₉ under pH 6.3 could switch the surface charge of D-Lip from negative (under pH 7.4) to positive (under pH 6.3), and the cellular uptake and tumor spheroids uptake were increased accordingly. Lysosome co-localization assay suggested that there was only little overlap of D-Lip with lysosomes in 12 h, which indicated that D-Lip could escape lysosomes effectively. <i>In vivo</i> biodistribution assay on C26 tumor-bearing BALB/C mice showed that DiR-labeled D-Lip could reach tumors as much as PEG-Lip, and both tumor slices and quantitative measurement of dispersed cells of <i>in vivo</i> tumors by flow cytometry demonstrated that D-Lip could be taken up by tumors more efficiently. Therefore, we have established an anti-microbial peptide-mediated liposomal delivery system for tumor delivery.</p></div

Enhanced Tumor Retention Effect by Click Chemistry for Improved Cancer Immunochemotherapy

Because of the limited drug concentration in tumor tissues and inappropriate treatment strategies, tumor recurrence and metastasis are critical challenges for effectively treating malignancies. A key challenge for effective delivery of nanoparticles is to reduce uptake by reticuloendothelial system and to enhance the permeability and retention effect. Herein, we demonstrated Cu­(I)-catalyzed click chemistry triggered the aggregation of azide/alkyne-modified micelles, enhancing micelles accumulation in tumor tissues. In addition, combined doxorubicin with the adjuvant monophosphoryl lipid A, an agonist of toll-like receptor4, generated immunogenic cell death, which further promoted maturity of dendritic cells, antigen presentation and induced strong effector T cells in vivo. Following combined with anti-PD-L1 therapy, substantial antitumor and metastasis inhibitory effects were achieved because of the reduced PD-L1 expression and regulatory T cells. In addition, effective long-term immunity from memory T cell responses protected mice from tumor recurrence

In Situ Electrochemically Derived Nanoporous Oxides from Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for Active Oxygen Evolution Catalysts

Transition metal dichalcogenides have been widely studied as active electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions. However, their properties as oxygen evolution reaction catalysts have not been fully explored. In this study, we systematically investigate a family of transition metal dichalcogenides (MX, M = Co, Ni, Fe; X = S, Se, Te) as candidates for water oxidation. It reveals that the transition metal dichalcogenides are easily oxidized in strong alkaline media via an in situ electrochemical oxidation process, producing nanoporous transition metal oxides toward much enhanced water oxidation activity due to their increased surface area and more exposed electroactive sites. The optimal cobalt nickel iron oxides that derived from their sulfides and selenides demonstrate a low overpotential of 232 mV at current density of 10 mA cm^–2, a small Tafel slope of 35 mV per decade, and negligible degradation of electrochemical activity over 200 h of electrolysis. This study represents the discovery of nanoporous transition metal oxides deriving from their chalcogenides as outstanding electrocatalysts for water oxidation

Co-delivery of doxorubicin and P-gp inhibitor by a reduction-sensitive liposome to overcome multidrug resistance, enhance anti-tumor efficiency and reduce toxicity

<p>To overcome multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer chemotherapy with high efficiency and safety, a reduction-sensitive liposome (CL-R8-LP), which was co-modified with reduction-sensitive cleavable PEG and octaarginine (R8) to increase the tumor accumulation, cellular uptake and lysosome escape, was applied to co-encapsulate doxorubicin (DOX) and a P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitor of verapamil (VER) in this study. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of DOX and VER in the binary-drug loaded CL-R8-LP (DOX + VER) was about 95 and 70% (w/w), respectively. The uptake efficiencies, the cytotoxicity, and the apoptosis and necrosis-inducing efficiency of CL-R8-LP (DOX + VER) were much higher than those of DOX and the other control liposomes in MCF-7/ADR cells or tumor spheroids. Besides, CL-R8-LP (DOX + VER) was proven to be uptaken into MCF-7/ADR cells by clathrin-mediated and macropinocytosis-mediated endocytosis, followed by efficient lysosomal escape. <i>In vivo</i>, CL-R8-LP (DOX + VER) effectively inhibited the growth of MCF-7/ADR tumor and reduce the toxicity of DOX and VER, which could be ascribed to increased accumulation of drugs in drug-resistant tumor cells and reduced distribution in normal tissues. In summary, the co-delivery of chemotherapeutics and P-gp inhibitors by our reduction-sensitive liposome was a promising approach to overcome MDR, improve anti-tumor effect and reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy.</p

In Situ Electrochemical Oxidation Tuning of Transition Metal Disulfides to Oxides for Enhanced Water Oxidation

The development of catalysts with earth-abundant elements for efficient oxygen evolution reactions is of paramount significance for clean and sustainable energy storage and conversion devices. Our group demonstrated recently that the electrochemical tuning of catalysts via lithium insertion and extraction has emerged as a powerful approach to improve catalytic activity. Here we report a novel in situ electrochemical oxidation tuning approach to develop a series of binary, ternary, and quaternary transition metal (e.g., Co, Ni, Fe) oxides from their corresponding sulfides as highly active catalysts for much enhanced water oxidation. The electrochemically tuned cobalt–nickel–iron oxides grown directly on the three-dimensional carbon fiber electrodes exhibit a low overpotential of 232 mV at current density of 10 mA cm^–2, small Tafel slope of 37.6 mV dec^–1, and exceptional long-term stability of electrolysis for over 100 h in 1 M KOH alkaline medium, superior to most non-noble oxygen evolution catalysts reported so far. The materials evolution associated with the electrochemical oxidation tuning is systematically investigated by various characterizations, manifesting that the improved activities are attributed to the significant grain size reduction and increase of surface area and electroactive sites. This work provides a promising strategy to develop electrocatalysts for large-scale water-splitting systems and many other applications

Cabazitaxel and indocyanine green co-delivery tumor-targeting nanoparticle for improved antitumor efficacy and minimized drug toxicity

<p>Cabazitaxel (CBX) is an effective antineoplastic agent for the treatment of many kinds of cancers. However, the poor water solubility remains a serious deterrent to the utilization of CBX as a commercial drug. In this study, we designed a strategy that integrated CBX into albumin nanoparticles (ANs) formed with human serum albumin (HSA) to improve the water solubility and targeting ability. Meanwhile, we utilized a photothermal agent-indocyanine green (ICG), which could cooperate with CBX to enhance the antitumor effect. The obtained ANs containing ICG and CBX (AN-ICG-CBX) exhibited good mono-dispersity. <i>In vitro</i> cytotoxicity study showed the effectiveness of CBX and ICG, respectively, whereas AN-ICG-CBX with irradiation exhibited the most efficient antiproliferative ability (83.7%). <i>In vivo</i> safety evaluation studies demonstrated the safety of AN-ICG-CBX. Furthermore, the <i>in vivo</i> antitumor study indicated that the AN-ICG-CBX with irradiation achieved higher tumor inhibition rate (91.3%) compared with CBX-encapsulated AN (AN-CBX) (83.3%) or ICG-encapsulated AN (AN-ICG) plus irradiation (60.1%) in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice. To sum up, a safety and effective formulation AN-ICG-CBX was developed in this study and successfully reduced the drug toxicity, improved the targeting efficiency and enhanced the therapeutic effects, becoming a promising candidate for clinical application.</p