Xiaowei Cheng

Abstract In this study, a straightforward coassembly strategy is demonstrated to synthesize Pt sensitized mesoporous WO 3 with crystalline framework through the simultaneous coassembly of amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide)‐ b ‐polystyrene, hydrophobic platinum precursors, and hydrophilic tungsten precursors. The obtained WO 3 /Pt nanocomposites possess large pore size (≈13 nm), high surface area (128 m 2 g −1 ), large pore volume (0.32 cm 3 g −1 ), and Pt nanoparticles (≈4 nm) in situ homogeneously distributed in mesopores, and they exhibit excellent catalytic sensing response to CO of low concentration at low working temperature with good sensitivity, ultrashort response‐recovery time (16 s/1 s), and high selectivity. In‐depth study reveals that besides the contribution from the fast diffusion of gaseous molecules and rich interfaces in mesoporous WO 3 /Pt nanocomposites, the partially oxidized Pt nanoparticles that chemically and electronically sensitize the crystalline WO 3 matrix, dramatically enhance the sensitivity and selectivity.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as attractive electrode materials for applications in energy storage and conversion, owing to their high porosity and surface area. In this communication, we report a hierarchically structured Co-MOF supported on nickel foam (Co-MOF/NF) serving as a high-performance electrode material for supercapacitors. The as-obtained Co-MOF/NF exhibits an ultrahigh areal specific capacitance of 13.6 F cm-2 at 2 mA cm-2 in 2 M KOH, exceeding those of the previously reported MOF-based materials. It also shows an excellent rate performance of 79.4% at a current density of 20 mA cm-2. An asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device employing Co-MOF/NF as the positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as the negative electrode achieves a high energy density of 1.7 mW h cm-2 at a power density of 4.0 mW cm-2 with a capacitance retention of 69.7% after 2000 cycles.

Foodborne pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes can cause various illnesses and pose a serious threat to public health. They produce species-specific microbial volatile organic compounds, i.e., the biomarkers, making it possible to indirectly measure microbial contamination in foodstuff. Herein, highly ordered mesoporous tungsten oxides with high surface areas and tunable pores have been synthesized and used as sensing materials to achieve an exceptionally sensitive and selective detection of trace Listeria monocytogenes. The mesoporous WO3-based chemiresistive sensors exhibit a rapid response, superior sensitivity, and highly selective detection of 3-hydroxy-2-butanone. The chemical mechanism study reveals that acetic acid is the main product generated by the surface catalytic reaction of the biomarker molecule over mesoporous WO3. Furthermore, by using the mesoporous WO3-based sensors, a rapid bacteria detection was achieved, with a high sensitivity, a linear relationship in a broad range, and a high specificity for Listeria monocytogenes. Such a good gas sensing performance foresees the great potential application of mesoporous WO3-based sensors for fast and effective detection of microbial contamination for the safety of food, water safety and public health.

Core-shell magnetic mesoporous silica microspheres (Magn-MSMs) with tunable large mesopores in the shell are highly desired in biocatalysis, magnetic bioseparation, and enrichment. In this study, a shearing assisted interface coassembly in n-hexane/water biliquid systems is developed to synthesize uniform Magn-MSMs with magnetic core and mesoporous silica shell for an efficient size-selective biocatalysis. The synthesis features the rational control over the electrostatic interaction among cationic surfactant molecules, silicate oligomers, and Fe3O4@RF microspheres (RF: resorcinol formaldehyde) in the presence of shearing-regulated solubilization of n-hexane in surfactant micelles. Through this multicomponent interface coassembly, surfactant-silica mesostructured composite has been uniformly deposited on the Fe3O4@RF microspheres, and core-shell Magn-MSMs are obtained after removing the surfactant and n-hexane. The obtained Magn-MSMs possess excellent water dispersibility, uniform diameter (600 nm), large and tunable perpendicular mesopores (5.0-9.0 nm), high surface area (498-623 m(2)/g), large pore volume (0.91-0.98 cm(3)/g), and high magnetization (34.5-37.1 emu/g). By utilization of their large and open mesopores, Magn-MSMs with a pore size of about 9.0 nm have been demonstrated to be able to immobilize a large bioenzyme (trypsin with size of 4.0 nm) with a high loading capacity of ∼97 μg/mg via chemically binding. Magn-MSMs with immobilized trypsin exhibit an excellent convenient and size selective enzymolysis of low molecular proteins in the mixture of proteins of different sizes and a good recycling performance by using the magnetic separability of the microspheres.

In male reproductive development in plants, meristemoid precursor cells possessing transient, stem cell-like features undergo cell divisions and differentiation to produce the anther, the male reproductive organ. The anther contains centrally positioned microsporocytes surrounded by four distinct layers of wall: the epidermis, endothecium, middle layer, and tapetum. Here, we report that the rice (Oryza sativa) basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein TDR INTERACTING PROTEIN2 (TIP2) functions as a crucial switch in the meristemoid transition and differentiation during early anther development. The tip2 mutants display undifferentiated inner three anther wall layers and abort tapetal programmed cell death, causing complete male sterility. TIP2 has two paralogs in rice, TDR and EAT1, which are key regulators of tapetal programmed cell death. We revealed that TIP2 acts upstream of TDR and EAT1 and directly regulates the expression of TDR and EAT1. In addition, TIP2 can interact with TDR, indicating a role of TIP2 in later anther development. Our findings suggest that the bHLH proteins TIP2, TDR, and EAT1 play a central role in regulating differentiation, morphogenesis, and degradation of anther somatic cell layers, highlighting the role of paralogous bHLH proteins in regulating distinct steps of plant cell-type determination.