High-quality amino-functionalized Ti₃C₂T_x MXene (alk-MXene-NH₂) nanosheets were successfully synthesized by a facile alkalization-grafting modification for lead adsorption.

Metal–organic framework (MOF) membranes used for gas separation have attracted considerable attention recently. Although there are studies focusing on their continuous growth on inorganic substrates, MOF–polymer membranes are in demand because of their low cost, high processing ability and large membrane area. To achieve this purpose, the flexibility of the polymer must be reduced and the MOF-to-substrate adhesion strength should be greatly enhanced. Herein, a continuous and well inter-grown Cu₃(BTC)₂–PAN composite membrane has been successfully fabricated by directly growing via a covalent linker. Dehydrogenation, cyclization and crosslinking reactions of the PAN hollow fiber by solvothermal treatment can greatly improve the stiffness and compression strength of the composite membrane. To increase the adhesion strength effectively, a covalent linker between the MOF layer and PAN substrate is provided by chemical modification. The prepared membrane achieves a high H₂ permeance of 7.05 × 10⁻⁵ mol (m⁻² s⁻¹ Pa⁻¹) and a good separation factor of 7.14 for binary H₂–CO₂ mixtures with high thermal and pressure stability. Our strategy has also been developed for preparing a continuous and well inter-grown ZIF-8–PAN membrane. A very thin ZIF-8 layer is finally synthesized due to the large number of nucleation sites on the substrate. All of these distinguished properties suggest that MOF–PAN composite membranes fabricated by chemical modification are promising candidates for gas separation.

Importance of the field: Hepatotoxicity is the most frequent reason for the withdrawal of an approved drug from the market. Monolayer culture of hepatocyte in two-dimension, which is relatively inexpensive, convenient and easy to use, serves a traditional hepatocyte-based high-content screening for identifying hepatotoxic side effects of tested drugs. However, two-dimensional methods have their limitations in lack of insensitivity on reflection of drug hepatotoxicity. Three-dimensional (3D) cultures of hepatocytes in sandwich, spheroid and gel entrapment provide a microenvironment for high expression of liver-specific functions and are being proposed for prediction of drug hepatotoxicity. Areas covered in this review: This review addressed the reliability of 3D culture models on screening hepatotoxic drugs with particular emphasis on gel entrapment culture model due to its more systematic data on drug testing. What the reader will gain: The reader will gain a comprehensive understanding of the improved prediction efficacy of 3D culture models. Take home message: Hepatocytes in 3D cultures, although in need of further standardization required by the throughput operation, show great potential in attempts to ensure the efficacy on prediction of drug hepatotoxicity.

MOF nanosheets were in situ crystallized between rGO to form composite membranes with excellent H ₂ /CO ₂ separation performance.