Steric stabilization of colloidal UiO-66 nanocrystals with oleylammonium octadecylphosphonate.

We report the synthesis and characterization of octahedral UiO-66 nanocrystals ( = 17-25 nm) terminated with amine, oleate, and octadecylphosphonate ligands. Acetate capped UiO-66 nanocrystals were dispersed in toluene using oleic acid and oleylamine. Ligand exchange with octadecylphosphonic acid produces ammonium octadecylphosphonate terminated nanocrystals with coverages of 2.

Electrolyte-Electrocatalyst Interfacial Effects of Polymeric Materials for Tandem CO Capture and Conversion Elucidated Using In Situ Electrochemical AFM.

Integrating CO capture and electrochemical conversion has been proposed as a strategy to reduce the net energy required for CO regeneration in traditional CO capture and conversion schemes and can be coupled with carbon-free renewable electricity. Polyethylenimine (PEI)-based materials have been previously studied as CO capture materials and can be integrated in these reactive capture processes. PEI-based electrolytes have been found to significantly increase the CO loading, and impact selectivity and rate of product formation when compared to the conventional aqueous electrolytes.

Carbon capture in polymer-based electrolytes.

Nanoparticle organic hybrid materials (NOHMs) have been proposed as excellent electrolytes for combined CO capture and electrochemical conversion due to their conductive nature and chemical tunability. However, CO capture behavior and transport properties of these electrolytes after CO capture have not yet been studied. Here, we use a variety of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to explore the carbon speciation and transport properties of branched polyethylenimine (PEI) and PEI-grafted silica nanoparticles (denoted as NOHM-I-PEI) after CO capture.

Elucidating the assembly of nanoparticle organic hybrid materials (NOHMs) near an electrode interface with varying potential using neutron reflectivity.

A critical concern regarding electrolyte formulation in an electrochemical environment is the impact of the interaction of the multiple components (, supporting electrolyte or additive) with the electrode surface. Recently, liquid-like neat Nanoparticle Organic Hybrid Materials (NOHMs) have been considered as an electrolyte component to improve the transport of redox-active species to the electrode surface. However, the structure and assembly of the NOHMs near the electrode surface is unknown and could significantly impact the electrode-electrolyte interface.

Crif1 deficiency in dopamine neurons triggers early-onset parkinsonism.

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in Parkinson's Disease (PD) progression; however, the mitochondrial factors underlying the development of PD symptoms remain unclear. One candidate is CR6-interacting factor1 (CRIF1), which controls translation and membrane insertion of 13 mitochondrial proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation. Here, we found that CRIF1 mRNA and protein expression were significantly reduced in postmortem brains of elderly PD patients compared to normal controls.

Introduction to CO capture and conversion.

An introduction to the themed collection on CO capture and conversion, featuring exciting research on advanced nanoscale materials and reactions.

Wet flue gas CO capture and utilization using one-dimensional metal-organic chains.

Herein, we describe the use of an ultramicroporous metal-organic framework (MOF) with a composition of [Ni(pzdc)(ade)(HO)]·(HO) (pzdc: 3,5-pyrazole dicarboxylic acid; ade: adenine), for the selective capture of carbon dioxide (CO) from wet flue gas followed by its conversion to value-added products. This MOF is comprised of one-dimensional Ni(II)-pyrazole dicarboxylate-adenine chains; through pi-pi stacking and H-bonding interactions, these one-dimensional chains stack into a three-dimensional supramolecular structure with a one-dimensional pore network. Upon heating, our MOF undergoes a color change from light blue to lavender, indicating a change in the coordination geometry of Ni(II).

Mechanistic Study of Controlled Zinc Electrodeposition Behaviors Facilitated by Nanoscale Electrolyte Additives at the Electrode Interface.

Nanoparticle organic hybrid materials (NOHMs) are liquid-like materials composed of an inorganic core to which a polymeric canopy is ionically tethered. NOHMs have unique properties including negligible vapor pressure, high oxidative thermal stability, and the ability to bind to reactive species of interest due to the tunability of their polymeric canopy. This makes them promising multifunctional materials for a wide range of energy and environmental technologies, including electrolyte additives for electrochemical energy storage (e.

Nanoscale Hybrid Electrolytes with Viscosity Controlled Using Ionic Stimulus for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage.

As renewable energy is rapidly integrated into the grid, the challenge has become storing intermittent renewable electricity. Technologies including flow batteries and CO conversion to dense energy carriers are promising storage options for renewable electricity. To achieve this technological advancement, the development of next generation electrolyte materials that can increase the energy density of flow batteries and combine CO capture and conversion is desired.

Electrochemical CO Reduction Reaction over Cu Nanoparticles with Tunable Activity and Selectivity Mediated by Functional Groups in Polymeric Binder.

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CORR) using copper (Cu)-based catalysts has received significant attention mainly because Cu is an element capable of producing hydrocarbons and oxygenates. One possible way to control the CORR performance at the electrode interface is by modifying catalysts with specific functional groups of different polymeric binders, which are necessary components in the process of electrode fabrication. However, the modification effect of the key functional groups on the CORR activity and selectivity is poorly understood over Cu-based catalysts.

Dynamic Mixing Behaviors of Ionically Tethered Polymer Canopy of Nanoscale Hybrid Materials in Fluids of Varying Physical and Chemical Properties.

An emerging area of sustainable energy and environmental research is focused on the development of novel electrolytes that can increase the solubility of target species and improve subsequent reaction performance. Electrolytes with chemical and structural tunability have allowed for significant advancements in flow batteries and CO conversion integrated with CO capture. Liquid-like nanoparticle organic hybrid materials (NOHMs) are nanoscale fluids that are composed of inorganic nanocores and an ionically tethered polymeric canopy.

CO utilization in built environment the swing carbonation of alkaline solid wastes with different mineralogy.

Carbon mineralization to solid carbonates is one of the reaction pathways that can not only utilize captured CO2 but also potentially store it in the long term. In this study, the dissolution and carbonation behaviors of alkaline solid wastes (i.e.

Electrochemical approaches for selective recovery of critical elements in hydrometallurgical processes of complex feedstocks.

Critical minerals are essential for the ever-increasing urban and industrial activities in modern society. The shift to cost-efficient and ecofriendly urban mining can be an avenue to replace the traditional linear flow of virgin-mined materials. Electrochemical separation technologies provide a sustainable approach to metal recovery, through possible integration with renewable energy, the minimization of external chemical input, as well as reducing secondary pollution.

Alkaline thermal treatment of seaweed for high-purity hydrogen production with carbon capture and storage potential.

Current thermochemical methods to generate H include gasification and steam reforming of coal and natural gas, in which anthropogenic CO emission is inevitable. If biomass is used as a source of H, the process can be considered carbon-neutral. Seaweeds are among the less studied types of biomass with great potential because they do not require freshwater.

Review of liquid nano-absorbents for enhanced CO capture.

Liquid nano-absorbents have become a topic of interest as a result of their enhanced mass-transfer performance for CO capture. They are believed to have revolutionized the conventional CO chemisorption process by largely improving CO capture kinetics and reducing the energy requirement for solvent regeneration. Two classes of nanomaterial-based CO capture absorbents, amine-based nanoparticle suspensions (nanofluids) and nanoparticle organic hybrid materials (NOHMs), have been developed, with significant progress achieved in recent decades.

Inhibitory Basal Ganglia Inputs Induce Excitatory Motor Signals in the Thalamus.

Basal ganglia (BG) circuits orchestrate complex motor behaviors predominantly via inhibitory synaptic outputs. Although these inhibitory BG outputs are known to reduce the excitability of postsynaptic target neurons, precisely how this change impairs motor performance remains poorly understood. Here, we show that optogenetic photostimulation of inhibitory BG inputs from the globus pallidus induces a surge of action potentials in the ventrolateral thalamic (VL) neurons and muscle contractions during the post-inhibitory period.

Optogenetic Mapping of Functional Connectivity in Freely Moving Mice via Insertable Wrapping Electrode Array Beneath the Skull.

Spatiotemporal mapping of neural interactions through electrocorticography (ECoG) is the key to understanding brain functions and disorders. For the entire brain cortical areas, this approach has been challenging, especially in freely moving states, owing to the need for extensive craniotomy. Here, we introduce a flexible microelectrode array system, termed iWEBS, which can be inserted through a small cranial slit and stably wrap onto the curved cortical surface.

Brain somatic mutations in MTOR cause focal cortical dysplasia type II leading to intractable epilepsy.

Focal cortical dysplasia type II (FCDII) is a sporadic developmental malformation of the cerebral cortex characterized by dysmorphic neurons, dyslamination and medically refractory epilepsy. It has been hypothesized that FCD is caused by somatic mutations in affected regions. Here, we used deep whole-exome sequencing (read depth, 412-668×) validated by site-specific amplicon sequencing (100-347,499×) in paired brain-blood DNA from four subjects with FCDII and uncovered a de novo brain somatic mutation, mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) c.

Directed precipitation of hydrated and anhydrous magnesium carbonates for carbon storage.

Magnesite is the most desirable phase within the magnesium carbonate family for carbon storage for a number of reasons: magnesium efficiency, omission of additional crystal waters and thermodynamic stability. For large-scale carbonation to be a viable industrial process, magnesite precipitation must be made to occur rapidly and reliably. Unfortunately, the formation of metastable hydrated magnesium carbonate phases (e.

Genetic manipulation of outer membrane permeability: generating porous heterogeneous catalyst analogs in Escherichia coli.

The limited permeability of the E. coli outer membrane can significantly hinder whole-cell biocatalyst performance. In this study, the SARS coronavirus small envelope protein (SCVE) was expressed in E.

Surface Display of Small Peptides on Escherichia coli for Enhanced Calcite Precipitation Rates.

Mineralization has emerged as a promising strategy for long-term carbon sequestration. These processes involve carbon dioxide hydration followed by mineral precipitation. We have explored the production of whole-cell biocatalysts engineered with carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity to accelerate the CO₂ hydration reaction.