Oxygen Atom Migration in Ni2P/TiO2 Heterostructures Dynamically Regulates the Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction PathwayJia, Wei, Hou
et alInorg Chem (2025)
Abstract: Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) are widely applied in electrocatalytic reactions, such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), due to their excellent physicochemical properties. However, when utilized in CO2 reduction reactions, severe hydrogen evolution limits the activation of CO2 molecules. In this study, oxygen atoms were successfully migrated from TiO2 into Ni2P nanoparticles through a simple impregnation and low-temperature phosphidation process, constructing an O-Ni2P/TiO2 nanowire array electrode that modulates the surface electronic structure, inhibits hydrogen evolution, and promotes CO2 activation. At a potential of -0.4 V (vs RHE), the CH4 production rate reached 1.46 μmol·h-1·cm-2, with a Faraday efficiency of 11.8%, and maintained long-term stability during the 36-h electrocatalytic process. In situ infrared spectroscopy revealed that CO* and CH3* intermediates are easily formed on the surface of the material, which are key intermediates directly related to the CO2 to CH4. Further density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated that the oxygen-doped Ni2P surface has a lower barrier for the formation of CHO*, thereby facilitating the conversion of CO2 to CH4.
Temperature-Dependent {111}-Texture Transfer to Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Films from {111}-Textured TiN Electrode and Its Impact on FerroelectricityHan, Kim, Jeong
et alACS Appl Mater Interfaces (2025)
Abstract: The crystallographic texture of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) thin films plays a crucial role in determining their ferroelectric properties, requiring a deeper understanding of the texture transfer from the substrate. This study investigated the influence of the deposition temperature on the crystallographic texture, residual stress, and ferroelectric properties of HZO thin films. Grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering analyses confirmed a pronounced increase in the {111} texture of the HZO films when the deposition temperature increased from 200 to 300 °C. The observed {111} texture was attributed to the influence of the thermodynamic stability on in situ nucleation and growth during atomic layer deposition at elevated temperatures, which led to preferential crystallization along the {111} direction. The improved {111}-texture of the HZO film was shown to correlate directly with a ∼25.0% increase in the remanent polarization (Pr) in positive-up-negative-down measurements and a ∼17.2% decrease in the Pr change during the wake-up effect, reinforcing the superior performance of the films produced at higher temperatures.
Detection of central and obstructive sleep apneas in mice: A new surgical and recording protocolMatteoli, Alvente, Berteotti
et alPLoS One (2025) 20 (3), e0320650
Abstract: Sleep apnea is a common respiratory disorder in humans and consists of recurrent episodes of cessation of breathing or decrease in airflow during sleep. Sleep apnea can be classified as central or obstructive, based on its origin. Central sleep apnea results from an impaired transmission of the signal for inspiration from the brain to inspiratory muscles, while obstructive sleep apnea occurs in the presence of an obstruction of the upper airways during inspiration. This condition leads to repetitive episodes of reduced oxygen and elevated carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream, which entail both direct and indirect adverse effects on vital organs, especially the brain and heart. Basic research on animal models has been instrumental in advancing the understanding of disease mechanisms and pathophysiology, and in expediting the development of targeted therapies in several medical fields. Among animal models, mice are the mammalian species of choice for functional genomics of integrative functions such as sleep. Mice have long been known to show sleep apneas, but the classification of sleep apneas as central or obstructive in mice is technically challenging due to the small size of these animals. Here we present a method aimed at identifying central and obstructive sleep apneas in mice. This method involves the surgical implantation of electrodes for recording the electroencephalogram and nuchal muscle electromyogram, which are the gold standard to study the wake-sleep cycle, and for recording the diaphragm electromyogram, which allows the detection of diaphragm contraction. The method also includes the simultaneous recording of the above-mentioned biological signals and breathing inside a whole-body plethysmograph and the data analysis allows to score wake-sleep states and to detect sleep apneas and categorize them into central and obstructive events.Copyright: © 2025 Matteoli et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Electrocapillary Plating-An Innovative Method of Creating Nanostructures Enhances the Working Performance of Implantable BioelectrodesHu, Li, Lin
et alACS Appl Mater Interfaces (2025)
Abstract: The current optimization of implantable electrodes focuses on reducing impedance and improving anti-inflammatory properties. The fabrication of nanostructures on electrode surfaces is a promising strategy for reducing impedance while also minimizing interference from the array of immune cells that cause foreign body reactions. Electrochemical deposition is a common method for creating nanostructures. However, the generation of impurities that are difficult to remove during the preparation process is unavoidable. Herein, we develop a simple, economical, and stable method, namely, electrocapillary plating, to create nanostructures on the electrode surface based on the electrocapillary phenomenon and electrochemical deposition without introducing impurities. This technology enables the fabrication of various nanostructures at different current densities and pH values. The process and mechanism of structure formation are investigated through simulations, which show that the conductive droplets undergo droplet climbing and nanostructure deposition due to the electrocapillary phenomenon and electrochemical deposition. Compared to traditional plating and control groups, the Electrocapillary plating-modified electrode demonstrates reduced impedance, lower protein adhesion, and greater tolerance to changes in the physicochemical environment. The in vitro and in vivo biological experiments verify that the Electrocapillary plating modified electrode shows the properties of bactericidal, pro-tissue repair and inhibition of the inflammatory response. These results highlight the potential of Electrocapillary plating as a novel strategy to optimize electrode performance in the field of implantable bioelectrodes. In addition, Electrocapillary plating, as an innovative surface modification technology, can create nanostructures of different metals and even further modulate the surface morphology by means such as hydrogen reduction. It may have even wider applications in various fields such as electronics, medicine, energy, environment, and materials science.
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