In this work, monodispersed and high quality crystalline MnCO₃ micro-peanuts and MnCO₃ nano-shuttles were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. A growth mechanism was proposed to elucidate the influence of reactant components on the morphology and size of the prepared MnCO₃ samples. Both structures were employed as active electrode materials in lithium ion batteries. The electrochemical performance of the obtained MnCO₃ samples was examined by analyzing the cyclic voltammograms, galvanostatic charge–discharge, rate performance and electrochemical impedance. At a current rate of 250 mA h g⁻¹, the reversible capacity of the MnCO₃ nano-shuttle electrode after 500 cycles was 605 mA h g⁻¹, while that of the MnCO₃ micro-peanut electrode was 463.4 mA h g⁻¹. The results indicated that the MnCO₃ samples synthesized by this method presented wonderful electrochemical properties, which could be used as promising active materials in lithium ion batteries.

Among the transition metal oxides, the Mn₃O₄ nanostructure possesses high theoretical specific capacity and lower operating voltage. However, the low electrical conductivity of Mn₃O₄ decreases its specific capacity and restricts its application in the energy conversion and energy storage. In this work, well-shaped, octahedron-like Mn₃O₄ nanocrystals were prepared by one-step hydrothermal reduction method. Field emission scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transformation infrared spectrometer were applied to characterize the morphology, the structure, and the composition of formed product. The growth mechanism of Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedron was studied. Cyclic voltammograms, galvanostatic charge–discharge, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and rate performance were used to study the electrochemical properties of obtained samples. The experimental results indicate that the component of initial reactants can influence the morphology and composition of the formed manganese oxide. At the current density of 1.0 A g⁻¹, the discharge specific capacity of as-prepared Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedrons maintains at about 450 mAh g⁻¹ after 300 cycles. This work proves that the formed Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedrons possess an excellent reversibility and display promising electrochemical properties for the preparation of lithium-ion batteries.

DBP, one of the phthalic acid esters (PAEs), is known as an endocrine disruptor and is toxic to humans in abnormal concentrations. Here, a high-density and ordered SERS substrate based on the self-assembly of triangular Ag nanoplate (TAgNP) arrays is developed for DBP detection. Benefiting from the ordered arrangement and sharp corners of TAgNPS, the arrays can provide sufficient and uniform hotspots for reproducible and highly active SERS effects. Using Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a reporter molecule, the SERS enhancement factor (EF) of the TAgNP arrays was found to be as high as 1.2 × 10⁷ and the relative standard deviation was 6.56%. As a trial for practical applications, the TAgNP array substrates were used for the detection of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in edible oils. In this assay, edible oil samples were added to hexane as an organic phase for the formation of the TAgNP arrays, which caused DBP to be loaded at hotspots. DBP in edible oils could be identified at concentrations as low as 10⁻⁷ M. This SERS substrate based on the TAgNP arrays has great potential applications in the high sensitivity and reproducible detection of contaminants in food.

Human fibrinogen is an important coagulation factor as well as an independent predictor of coronary heart disease and stroke. Analysis of dysfibrinogens may provide useful information and help us to understand the molecular defects in fibrin polymerization. In the present study, we investigated the influence of oxidative stress of fibrinogen induced by H₂O₂ on the polymerization state of fibrin. UV absorbance spectroscopy, circular dichroism, ζ-potential, dynamic light scattering and steady shear viscosity were all employed to study the influence of oxidative stress on the molecular structure, the surface charges, and the size and shape of fibrinogen molecules. The fibrin morphology obtained was imaged and investigated using atomic force microscopy. The results demonstrated that the cross-linking, branching and height distribution of formed fibrin will be influenced by the oxidative stress of fibrinogen. This study presents new insights into the aggregation behaviour of fibrinogen and will be helpful to understand the formation mechanism of thrombosis under oxidative stress.

An electrochemiluminescence sensor based on surface-initiated reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (SI-RAFT) signal amplification.