In this study, the antifungal effects of silver nano-particles (nano-Ag) and their mode of action were investigated. Nano-Ag showed antifungal effects on fungi tested with low hemolytic effects against human erythrocytes. To elucidate the antifungal mode of action of nano-Ag, flow cytometry analysis, a glucose-release test, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the change in membrane dynamics using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH), as a plasma membrane probe, were performed with Candida albicans. The results suggest nano-Ag may exert an antifungal activity by disrupting the structure of the cell membrane and inhibiting the normal budding process due to the destruction of the membrane integrity. The present study indicates nano-Ag has considerable antifungal activity, deserving further investigation for clinical applications.

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We prepared metallic-nanoparticle-embedded one-dimensional titanium dioxide (1D-TiO 2 ) via a one-step electrospinning process, in which Au or Ag metallic nanoparticles between 5 and 10 nm in diameter were incorporated within the TiO 2 nanofibers. After calcination of the composite nanofibers at high temperature of 450 °C, the nanofibers were converted to 1D-TiO 2 by the thermal decomposition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). This process simultaneously changed the metal precursors (AgNO 3 or HAuCl 4 • 3H 2 O) to metallic nanoparticles (Ag or Au) to produce 1D-TiO 2 nanofiber composites

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In this paper, ZnMn2O4 mesoscale tubular arrays on current collectors were successfully synthesized using a reactive template route combined with a postcalcination process through the shape-preserving conversion of ZnO nanorod arrays in aqueous solutions at room temperature. On the basis of the experimental analyses, including X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, a plausible formation mechanism of ZnMn2O4 tubular arrays was proposed in which solid ZnO nanorods are gradually transformed to ZnMn2O4 tubules via a simple cation exchange process between Zn(2+) and Mn(2+), followed by a postannealing process. Moreover, the lithium storage properties of the as-prepared ZnMn2O4 tubular structures were investigated by applying the structures as an active electrode material without auxiliary additives. The ZnMn2O4 array electrodes showed an excellent discharge capacity of ca. 1198.3 mAh g(-1) on the first cycle and exhibited outstanding cycling durability, rate capability, and Coulombic efficiency. These results indicate that the free-standing tubular array architectures of ZnMn2O4 prepared directly on the current collector can be powerful candidates for a highly reversible lithium storage electrode platform.

Recently our modern society is demanding flexible, low‐cost, and lightweight electrochemical energy storage systems, which are very important in variety of applications ranging from portable consumer electronics to large industrial‐scale power and energy management. Among different energy storage systems, flexible supercapacitors have been considered as one of the most promising candidates due to their significant merits such as high power density along with the unique properties of being flexible, lightweight, shape versatile, and eco‐friendly in comparison to other energy storage systems. In this regard, this review article describes the principles of supercapacitors and the recent research progress on flexible supercapacitor electrodes, for which metal substrates, carbon‐based paper, conventional paper, textiles, sponges, and cables are used as substrates to fabricate high‐performance flexible supercapacitors. Finally, the future challenges and perspectives for the development of flexible supercapacitors based on bendable substrates and their applications are discussed.

A hybrid composite system of MnCo2 O4 nanowires (MCO NWs) anchored on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets was prepared as the bifunctional catalyst of a Li-O2 battery cathode. The catalysts can be obtained from the hybridization of one-dimensional MCO NWs and two-dimensional RGO nanosheets. As O2 -cathode catalysts for Li-O2 cells, the MCO@RGO composites showed a high initial discharge capacity (ca. 11092.1 mAh gcarbon (-1) ) with a high rate performance. The Li-O2 cells could run for more than 35 cycles with high reversibility under a limited specific capacity of 1000 mAh gcarbon (-1) with a low potential polarization of 1.36 V, as compared with those of pure Ketjenblack and MCO NWs. The high cycling stability, low potential polarization, and rate capability suggest that the MCO@RGO composites prepared here are promising catalyst candidates for highly reversible Li-O2 battery cathodes.