Laser-assisted exfoliation of Ti3C2Tx.

As an emerging two-dimensional material, MXene has shown a wide range of applications, which has triggered the demand for efficient exfoliation of nanoflakes with large size and specific surface area. Here, we took advantage of the efficient photo-thermal conversion of Ti3C2Tx and employed 532 nm continuous wave laser irradiation to assist the traditional ultrasonic exfoliation, with no need for complex equipment and an expensive femtosecond or picosecond laser. This approach greatly improves the exfoliation efficiency, increases the size, uniformity and specific surface area of the Ti3C2Tx nanoflakes, and reduces energy consumption as well. The electrical conductivity of Ti3C2Tx film is also significantly enhanced (from 3135 to 7433 S m-1). It is demonstrated that the laser promotes the formation of Ti-OH and enhances the solubility of Ti3C2Tx in water, facilitating the exfoliation and preventing oxidation as a result.

Exercise serum regulates uric acid transporters in normal rat kidney cells.

Hyperuricemia (HUA) refers to a physiological condition of high serum uric acid (SUA) level in the body, which may cause an increased risk of several chronic diseases. The kidney's impaired uric acid (UA) metabolism is an important reason for HUA. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that circulating factors produced during exercise regulate the expression of ABCC4, ABCG2, URAT1, and GLUT9 in normal rat kidneys and normal rat kidney cells (NRK-52E) and their relationship with NF-κB and NRF-2. NRK-52E cells were separately cultured by serum from 10 healthy SD rats who did not exercise (CON) and 10 healthy SD rats who did aerobic treadmill exercise for 6 weeks. Cells cultured by serum from rats who did aerobic treadmill exercise for 6 weeks were separated by without NRF-2 inhibitor (EXE) and with NRF-2 inhibitor (EXE + ML). SUA level of rats was tested by using dry chemical assays, xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity in serum and liver were tested by using enzyme colorimetry assays, protein expression in kidney and NRK-52E cells were tested by using Western-blot, and UA levels in the upper or lower chamber were tested by colorimetry assays. Aerobic exercise reduced SUA levels in rats but did not significantly affect on liver xanthine oxidase. It also increased the expression of some UA transporters in the kidney and NRK-52E cells and increased the cells' ability in UA excretion. When the NRF-2 was inhibited, the NF-κB and ABCG2 increased, and the expression of ABCC4, URAT1, and GLUT9 decreased. In conclusion, this study suggested that 6 weeks of aerobic treadmill exercise intervention may help to improve the excretion of UA in renal cells, suggesting that long-term aerobic exercise may be a means to prevent hyperuricemia.

Cu2Se as Textured Adjuvant for Pb-Doped BiCuSeO Materials Leading to High Thermoelectric Performance.

Exploring the origin of intrinsic low thermal conductivity in BiCuSeO is of great significance for searching new oxide thermoelectric (TE) materials. In addition, from the perspective of material preparation, it is of great value to further develop the TE performance optimization strategy of BiCuSeO-based materials. In this work, the low-temperature TE transport properties of Pb-doped BiCuSeO-based materials are investigated. It is found that Pb doping can greatly optimize the carrier concentration, soften the lattice, and reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. The addition of Cu2Se significantly enhanced the grain texture and then increased the interface concentration parallel to the pressure direction in the sintering process, which further reduced the lattice thermal conductivity of the material. Finally, the ZT value of Bi0.96Pb0.04CuSeO-6 mol % Cu2Se bulk material is as high as 0.85 at 840 K. This provides important guidance to improve the properties of TE materials via interface engineering.