Evolution of Naturally Dried MXene-Based Composite Aerogels with Flash Joule Annealing for Large-Scale Production of Highly Sensitive Customized Sensors.

MXene aerogels, known for good electrical properties, offer immense potential for the development of high-sensitivity pressure sensors. However, the intrinsic challenges stemming from the poor self-assembly capability and high hydrophilicity of MXene impede the natural drying process of MXene-based hydrogels, thereby constraining their application on a large scale in sensor technology. Herein, a graphene-assisted approach aimed at modulating the hydrophobicity and enhancing framework strength of MXene through a well-designed prefreezing technique incorporating 3D spherical macroporous structures is proposed. This synergistic strategy enables the fabrication of naturally dried MXene aerogels across various size scales. Moreover, the integration of 3D spherical macroporous structures improves elasticity and electrical responsiveness of aerogels. Consequently, the aerogel sensor exhibits great performances, including high sensitivity (1250 kPa-1), low detection limit (0.4 Pa), wide frequency response range (0.1-8 Hz), and excellent stability (1000 cycles). This sensor proves adept at monitoring pressure signals ranging from lightweight paper to human motion. Additionally, the application of customized laser engraving endows aerogels with unique functionalities, such as compressibility and immunity to strain, stretchability and resistance to compression, as well as wind detection. Thus, the proposed approach holds significant promise as a scalable method for the mass production of aerogels with versatile applications.

Ultralow-resistance electrochemical capacitor for integrable line filtering.

Electrochemical capacitors are expected to replace conventional electrolytic capacitors in line filtering for integrated circuits and portable electronics1-8. However, practical implementation of electrochemical capacitors into line-filtering circuits has not yet been achieved owing to the difficulty in synergistic accomplishment of fast responses, high specific capacitance, miniaturization and circuit-compatible integration1,4,5,9-12. Here we propose an electric-field enhancement strategy to promote frequency characteristics and capacitance simultaneously. By downscaling the channel width with femtosecond-laser scribing, a miniaturized narrow-channel in-plane electrochemical capacitor shows drastically reduced ionic resistances within both the electrode material and the electrolyte, leading to an ultralow series resistance of 39 mΩ cm2 at 120 Hz. As a consequence, an ultrahigh areal capacitance of up to 5.2 mF cm-2 is achieved with a phase angle of -80° at 120 Hz, twice as large as one of the highest reported previously4,13,14, and little degradation is observed over 1,000,000 cycles. Scalable integration of this electrochemical capacitor into microcircuitry shows a high integration density of 80 cells cm-2 and on-demand customization of capacitance and voltage. In light of excellent filtering performances and circuit compatibility, this work presents an important step of line-filtering electrochemical capacitors towards practical applications in integrated circuits and flexible electronics.

Flavonoid extract Kushenol a exhibits anti-proliferative activity in breast cancer cells via suppression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

BACKGROUND: Kushenol A is natural flavonoid extract discovered in recent years, with potential anti-tumor activity. Its role in breast cancer is poorly understood. METHODS: To investigate biological function of Kushenol A in breast cancer (BC), Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, western blotting, qPCR analysis, and xenograft mouse model were performed. RESULTS: We found that Kushenol A treatment reduced proliferative capability and induced G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of BC cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Besides, Kushenol A treatment contributed to the upregulation of apoptosis-related and cell cycle-associated genes. In nude mice, Kushenol A administration repressed BC xenograft tumor growth. Mechanistically, phosphorylation levels of AKT and mTOR were markedly attenuated in Kushenol A-treated BC cells; however, there were no significant differences in total AKT and mTOR expressions. Moreover, PI3K inhibitor combined with Kushenol A exhibited synergistic inhibitory activity on cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings suggested that Kushenol A suppressed BC cell proliferation by modulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Kushenol A may be a promising therapeutic drug for treating BC.