Divergent interpretations have appeared in the literature regarding the structural nature and evolutionary behavior for photoluminescent CdSe nanospecies with sharp doublets in optical absorption. We report a comprehensive description of the transformation pathway from one CdSe nanospecies displaying an absorption doublet at 373/393 nm to another species with a doublet at 433/460 nm. These two nanospecies are zero‐dimensional (0D) magic‐size clusters (MSCs) with 3D quantum confinement, and are labeled dMSC‐393 and dMSC‐460, respectively. Synchrotron‐based small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) returns a radius of gyration of 0.92 nm for dMSC‐393 and 1.14 nm for dMSC‐460, and indicates that both types are disc shaped with the exponent of the SAXS form factor equal to 2.1. The MSCs develop from their unique counterpart precursor compounds (PCs), which are labeled PC‐393 and PC‐460, respectively. For the dMSC‐393 to dMSC‐460 transformation, the proposed PC‐enabled pathway is comprised of three key steps, dMSC‐393 to PC‐393 (Step 1), PC‐393 to PC‐460 (Step 2 involving monomer addition), and PC‐460 to dMSC‐460 (Step 3). The present study provides a framework for understanding the PC‐based evolution of MSCs and how PCs enable transformations between MSCs.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects obesity-associated metabolic syndrome, which exhibits hepatic steatosis, insulin insensitivity and glucose intolerance. Previous studies indicated that hepatic microRNAs (miRs) play critical roles in the development of NAFLD. In this study, we aim to explore the pathophysiological role of miR-194 in obesity-mediated metabolic dysfunction. Our findings show that the high fat diet or palmitic acid treatment significantly increase hepatic miR-194 levels in vivo and in vitro. Silence of miR-194 protects palmitic acid-induced inflammatory response in cultured hepatocytes, and attenuates structural disorders, lipid deposits and inflammatory response in fatty liver. MiR-194 inhibitor also improves glucose and insulin intolerance in obese mice. Through dual luciferase assay, we demonstrate that miR-194 directly binds to FXR/Nr1h4 3'-UTR, and inhibits gene expression of FXR/Nr1h4. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-194 downregulates FXR/Nr1h4 in cultured hepatocytes, but miR-194 inhibitor reversely increases FXR/Nr1h4 expression in obese mouse liver tissues. On the contrast, silence of FXR/Nr1h4 abolishes the hepatic benefits in obese mice treated with miR-194 inhibitor. Present study provides a novel finding that suppression of miR-194 attenuates dietary-induced NAFLD via upregulation of FXR/Nr1h4. The findings suggest miR-194/FXR are potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for NAFLD.

Colloidal semiconductor ternary CdTeS magic-size clusters (MSCs) have not been reported. Here, we present the first synthesis of CdTeS MSCs at room temperature and our understanding of the evolution pathway. The MSCs exhibit sharp optical absorption peaking at 381 nm and are labeled MSC-381. CdTeS MSC-381 evolves when pre-nucleation-stage samples of binary CdTe and CdS that do not contain quantum dots (QDs) are separately prepared and then mixed and incubated at room temperature. We propose that CdTeS MSC-381 evolves from its precursor compound (PC) via quasi-isomerization. Synchrotron-based small-angle X-ray scattering suggests that PCs/MSCs of CdTe and CdTeS are similar in sizes. We propose further that the CdTeS PC forms from the substitution reaction between the CdTe PC and the CdS monomer/fragment (Mo/Fr). The present study paves the way to the room-temperature evolution of ternary MSCs and provides an in-depth understanding of the PC to MSC transformation.

For those colloidal semiconductor CdSe nanospecies that exhibit sharp optical absorption doublets, different explanations have appeared in the literature regarding their morphological nature and formation, with no consensus reached. Here, we discuss the transformation pathway in two types of CdSe nanoplatelets (NPLs), from NPL-393 to NPL-460, exhibiting absorption doublets at 373/393 and 433/460 nm, respectively. Synchrotronbased small/wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) was performed to monitor the in situ transformation associated with the temperature. Combining the results of SAXS/WAXS, optical spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, we propose that the transformation pathway experiences corresponding magic-sized clusters (MSCs), which display similar optical properties but with zero-dimensional structure. From stacked NPL-393 to stacked NPL-460, the transformation goes through sequentially individual NPL-393, MSC-393, MSC-460, and individual NPL-460 at their corresponding characteristic temperature. The present findings provide compelling evidence that both MSCs and their assembled NPLs exhibit similar optical absorption.

The effect of diphenyl phosphine (HPPh2) on precursors conversion reaction and nucleation/growth of quantum dots (QDs) were in situ investigated by the combination of SAXS and UV-vis.

Divergent interpretations have appeared in the literature regarding the structural nature and evolutionary behavior for photoluminescent CdSe nanospecies with sharp doublets in optical absorption. We report ac omprehensive description of the transformation pathway from one CdSe nanospecies displaying an absorption doublet at 373/393 nm to another species with ad oublet at 433/460 nm. These two nanospecies are zero-dimensional (0D) magic-sizec lusters (MSCs) with 3D quantum confinement, and are labeled dMSC-393 and dMSC-460, respectively.S ynchrotron-based small-angle X-rays cattering (SAXS) returns ar adius of gyration of 0.92 nm for dMSC-393 and 1.14 nm for dMSC-460, and indicates that both types are disc shaped with the exponent of the SAXS form factor equal to 2.1. The MSCs develop from their unique counterpart precursor compounds (PCs), whichare labeled PC-393 and PC-460, respectively.For the dMSC-393 to dMSC-460 transformation, the proposed PCenabled pathwayiscomprised of three key steps,dMSC-393 to PC-393 (Step 1), PC-393 to PC-460 (Step 2i nvolving monomer addition), and PC-460 to dMSC-460 (Step 3). The present study provides af ramework for understanding the PC-based evolution of MSCs and howP Cs enable transformations between MSCs.

No abstract

The transformation pathway … … for magic-size clusters (MSCs) with absorption doublets has remained unknown so far. Meng Zhang, Jianrong Zeng, Kui Yu et al. propose in their Research Article on page that the transformation from the MSCs with characteristic optical absorption at 373/393 nm (dMSC-393) to those at 433/460 nm (dMSC-460) occurs via the addition reaction of the CdSe monomers to the precursor compound of dMSC-393.