Activation of nitrogen species mixed with Ar and H2S plasma for directly N-doped TMD films synthesis.

Among the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD), tungsten disulfide (WS2) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) are promising sulfides for replacing noble metals in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) owing to their abundance and good catalytic activity. However, the catalytic activity is derived from the edge sites of WS2 and MoS2, while their basal planes are inert. We propose a novel process for N-doped TMD synthesis for advanced HER using N2 + Ar + H2S plasma. The high ionization energy of Ar gas enabled nitrogen species activation results in efficient N-doping of TMD (named In situ-MoS2 and In situ-WS2). In situ-MoS2 and WS2 were characterized by various techniques (Raman spectroscopy, XPS, HR-TEM, TOF-SIMS, and OES), confirming nanocrystalline and N-doping. The N-doped TMD were used as electrocatalysts for the HER, with overpotentials of 294 mV (In situ-MoS2) and 298 mV (In situ-WS2) at a current density of 10 mA cm-2, which are lower than those of pristine MoS2 and WS2, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were conducted for the hydrogen Gibbs energy (∆GH) to investigate the effect of N doping on the HER activity. Mixed gas plasma proposes a facile and novel fabrication process for direct N doping on TMD as a suitable HER electrocatalyst.

Synthesis of vertically aligned wafer-scale tantalum disulfide using high-Ar/H2S ratio plasma.

Nanostructural modification of two-dimensional (2D) materials has attracted significant attention for enhancing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. In this study, the nanostructure of TaS2films was controlled by controlling the Ar/H2S gas ratio used in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). At a high Ar/H2S gas ratio, vertically aligned TaS2(V-TaS2) films were formed over a large-area (4 in) at a temperature of 250 °C, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the lowest temperature reported for PECVD. Furthermore, the plasma species formed in the injected gas at various Ar/H2S gas ratios were analyzed using optical emission spectroscopy to determine the synthesis mechanism. In addition, the 4 in wafer-scale V-TaS2was analyzed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy, and the HER performance of the as-synthesized TaS2fabricated with various Ar/H2S ratios was measured. The results revealed that, depending on the film structure of TaS2, the HER performance can be enhanced owing to its structural advantage. Furthermore, the excellent stability and robustness of V-TaS2was confirmed by conducting 1000 HER cycles and post-HER material characterization. This study provides important insights into the plasma-assisted nanostructural modification of 2D materials for application as enhanced electrocatalysts.

Adrenal insufficiency in systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS): A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Adrenal insufficiency (AI) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this systematic review was to enhance diagnostic approaches and summarize therapeutic strategies in the management of AI in patients with systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). METHODS: A literature search of PubMed and Medline databases was performed and 91 publications containing 105 cases were included for the final analysis. RESULTS: The following frequency of clinical signs and symptoms was noted: abdominal pain (39.04%) was the leading symptom, followed by fever (33.33%), vomiting (23.81%), and nausea (19.05%). APS was present in 73%, SLE in 17% of the patients, while 2% had a diagnosis of both, SLE and APS. ACTH stimulation test (ACTHst) was performed in 18% of cases and 76.6% of them were unresponsive towards stimulation. Variable treatment approaches were used: hydrocortisone was most commonly used (38.09%), followed by fludrocortisone (26.67%), prednisolone (20.00%) and volume replacement treatment (11.43%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis highlights the importance of an early diagnosis and initiation of therapeutic management when AI is suspected. In line, signs and symptoms related to autoimmune diseases in patients with AI should be reviewed crtitically.

Effects of Wet-Pressing and Cross-Linking on the Tensile Properties of Carbon Nanotube Fibers.

To increase the strength of carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers (CNTFs), the mean size of voids between bundles of CNTs was reduced by wet-pressing, and the CNTs were cross-linked. Separate and simultaneous physical (roller pressing) and chemical methods (cross-linking) were tested to confirm each method's effects on the CNTF strength. By reducing the fraction of pores, roller pressing decreased the cross-sectional area from 160 µm² to 66 µm² and increased the average load-at-break from 2.83 ± 0.25 cN to 4.41 ± 0.16 cN. Simultaneous injection of crosslinker and roller pressing augmented the cross-linking effect by increasing the infiltration of the crosslinker solution into the CNTF, so the specific strength increased from 0.40 ± 0.05 N/tex to 0.67 ± 0.04 N/tex. To increase the strength by cross-linking, it was necessary that the size of the pores inside the CNTF were reduced, and the infiltration of the solution was increased. These results suggest that combined physical and chemical treatment is effective to increase the strength of CNTFs.