Graphene has been successfully modified with palladium nanoparticles in a facile manner by reducing palladium acetate [Pd(OAc) 2 ] in the present of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), which is used as both surfactant and the reducing agent. The palladium nanoparticle-graphene hybrids (Pd-graphene hybrids) are characterized by highresolution transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. We demonstrate that the Pd-graphene hybrids can act as an efficient catalyst for the Suzuki reaction under aqueous and aerobic conditions, with the reaction reaching completion in as little as 5 min. The influence of the preparation conditions on the catalytic activities of the hybrids is also investigated.

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Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)-graphene oxide (GO) hybrids were successfully prepared. The structural reorganization behavior of GO-PNIPAM is dependent on the water content in the GO-PNIPAM hybrids. Reversible switching of its wettability on exposure to NIR light was also demonstrated.

Capacitive deionization has been considered as a promising solution to the challenge of freshwater shortage due to its high efficiency, low environmental footprint, and low energy consumption. However, developing advanced electrode materials to improve capacitive deionization performance remains a challenge. Herein, the hierarchical bismuthene nanosheets (Bi-ene NSs)@MXene heterostructure was successfully prepared by combining the Lewis acidic molten salt etching and the galvanic replacement reaction, which achieves the effective utilization of the molten salt etching byproducts (residual copper). The vertically aligned bismuthene nanosheets array evenly in situ grown on the surface of MXene, which not only facilitate ion and electron transport as well as offer abundant active sites but also provide strong interfacial interaction between bismuthene and MXene. Benefiting from the above advantages, the Bi-ene NSs@MXene heterostructure as a promising capacitive deionization electrode material exhibits high desalination capacity (88.2 mg/g at 1.2 V), fast desalination rate, and good long-term cycling performance. Moreover, the mechanisms involved were elaborated by systematical characterizations and density functional theory calculations. This work provides inspirations for the preparation of MXene-based heterostructures and their application for capacitive deionization.

The expression profiles of miRNAs in thymus tissues from mice of different age have been demonstrated in our previous study. After an integrated analysis of the miRNA expression profiles, we demonstrated that the expression of miR-181a-5p was significantly decreased in thymic epithelial cells (TECs) from 10-to 19-month-old mice when compared with that in TECs from 1-month-old mice by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We hypothesized that miR-181a-5p in TECs might be associated with the age-related thymus involution through regulating some genes or signaling pathway. To test this hypothesis, the mouse medullary thymic epithelial cells (MTEC1) were used. Transfection with miR-181a-5p mimic promoted the proliferation of MTEC1 cells, but did not affect apoptosis. The effect was reversed when the expression of miR-181a-5p was suppressed in MTEC1 cells. Furthermore, the transforming growth factor beta receptor I (Tgfbr1) was confirmed as a direct target of miR-181a-5p by luciferase assay. Moreover, it was found that overexpression of miR-181a-5p down-regulated the phosphorylation of Smad3 and blocked the activation of the transforming growth factor beta signaling. Nevertheless, an inversely correlation was observed between the expression of Tgfbr1 and miR-181a-5p in TECs derived from mice of different age. Collectively, we provide evidence that miR-181a-5p may be an important endogenous regulator in the proliferation of TECs, and the expression levels of miR-181a-5p in TECs may be associated with the age-related thymus involution.