Binary transition metal oxides exhibit improved properties including good redox potentials and electrical conductivities compared with single metal oxides as electrode materials in energy storage. Herein, ZIF-67 is prepared by a one-step method using Co²⁺ as the central metal ion, 2-methylimidazole as the organic ligand, and methanol as an organic solvent at room temperature. Hollow NiCo₂O₄ and sheet-like Co₃O₄/NiCo₂O₄ derived from bimetallic imidazolate framework precursors were synthesized by adding cobalt and nickel ions in appropriate proportions. A hollow and porous structure is achieved for the reaction between a nickel salt and ZIF-67, and this unique nanostructure provides a high active surface area, which is beneficial to the electrochemical properties. Several samples are prepared and used as electrode materials for electrochemical tests in 6 M KOH. As a result, the Co₃O₄/NiCo₂O₄ electrode with a sheet nanostructure showed a high specific capacitance of 846 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹. This Co₃O₄/NiCo₂O₄ electrode material is promising for future studies on high-performance supercapacitors to solve emerging energy-related problems. [ ]

A new MoS₂/TiSi₂ complex catalyst was designed and synthesized by a simple one-step in situ photo-assisted reduction procedure. The structural and morphological properties of the composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultraviolet-visible diffused reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), which proved the formation of MoS₂/TiSi₂. MoS₂/TiSi₂ with optimized composition showed obviously enhanced photocatalytic activity and superior durability for water reduction to produce H₂. The H₂ generation rate over the MoS₂/TiSi₂ photocatalyst containing 3 wt % MoS₂ reached 214.1 μmol·h⁻¹·g⁻¹ under visible light irradiation, which was ca. 5.6 times that of the pristine TiSi₂. The improved photocatalytic activity of MoS₂/TiSi₂ could be related to the broad response spectrum, large visible light absorption, and synergies among MoS₂ and TiSi₂ that enhance photoexcited charge transfer and separation.

Iron levels are closely related to animals' growth performance and anti-oxidant function. Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding glycoprotein, which can promote the absorption of iron and regulate immune function. This study aimed to clarify the effect of maternal LF supplementation on the iron metabolism of Dahe piglets. Sixty sows (Dahe black, parity 3-4, no significant differences in body weight) were randomly assigned to five groups: control (basal diet with no iron supplementation), supplemented 100 (LF1 group), 200 (LF2 group), or 300 (LF3 group) mg LF/kg in the basal diet, and the basal diet supplemented with 100 (Fe-Gly group) mg Fe/kg as ferrous glycine (Fe-Gly). The serum anti-oxidant parameters of the sows and neonatal piglets were determined. The iron contents, anti-oxidant gene expression levels, and Fe-acquisition genes were detected in the liver, heart, spleen, and other neonatal organs. The results indicated that (1) the LF3 group of sows had the highest serum and colostrum iron contents (P< 0.05). The maternal LF significantly promoted the iron stores in the heart, liver, spleen, and lung of piglets compared with Fe-Gly. (2) The maternal LF increased serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activities of sows. Compared with other groups, the total anti-oxidant capacity (T-AOC) activity of LF2 groups increased significantly (P< 0.05). (3) LF significantly increased piglet serum GSH-Px, T-SOD, and T-AOC activities (P< 0.05). (4) Gene expression levels of GSH-Px, and SOD in the duodenum and jejunum of the LF2 group were significantly higher than in the Fe-Gly group (P< 0.05), while the expression levels in the liver and heart were lower (P< 0.05). (5) The expression levels of hepcidin and LF in the liver and duodenum of the LF2 group were significantly higher than in the Fe-Gly group (P< 0.05). In conclusion, maternal LF supplementation showed remarkable effects on iron storage in neonatal piglets, and exhibited strong antioxidant activities, it is helpful to prevent the occurrence of iron deficiency, and improves the immune function of animals.

Single-atom catalysts anchored to oxide or carbonaceous substances are typically tightly coordinated by oxygen or heteroatoms, which certainly impact their electronic structure and coordination environment, thereby affecting their catalytic activity. In this study, we prepared a stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst on tungsten carbide using a simple pyrolysis method. The unique structure of tungsten carbide allows the atomic RuNi catalytic site to weakly bond to the surface W and C atoms. XRD patterns and HRTEM images of the WCx-RuNi showed the characteristics of phase-pure WC and W₂C, and the absence of nanoparticles. Combined with XPS, the atomic dispersion of Ru/Ni in the catalyst was confirmed. The catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic ability, with a low overpotential of 330 mV at 50 mA/cm² in 1 m KOH solutions, and demonstrates high long-term stability. This high OER activity is ascribed to the synergistic action of metal Ru/Ni atoms with double monomers. The addition of Ni increases the state density of WCx-RuNi near the Fermi level, promoting the adsorption of oxygen-containing intermediates and enhancing electron exchange. The larger proximity of the d band center to the Fermi level suggests a strong interaction between the d electrons and the valence or conduction band, facilitating charge transfer. Our research offers a promising avenue for reasonable utilization of inexpensive and durable WCx carrier-supported metal single-atom catalysts for electrochemical catalysis.