Enhanced far infrared emissivity, UV protection and near-infrared shielding of polypropylene composites via incorporation of natural mineral for functional fabric development.

Far infrared radiation in the range of 4-20 µm has been showed to have biological and health benefits to the human body. Therefore, incorporating far-infrared emissivity additives into polymers and/or fabrics hold promise for the development of functional textiles. In this study, we incorporated nine types of natural minerals into polypropylene (PP) film and examined their properties to identify potential candidates for functional textiles and apparels.

Processing plastic waste via pyrolysis-thermolysis into hydrogen and solid carbon additive to ethylene-vinyl acetate foam for cushioning applications.

A strategy for enhancing value creation from pyrolysis gas and oil, derived from plastic waste, through the generation of two additional outputs of solid carbon and hydrogen was investigated. Three types of hard-to-recycle plastic waste (marine plastic litter, household mixed plastics and cosmetic products packaging) were thermally treated in two stages: (i) decomposition of feedstock into gas and oil via pyrolysis at 600 °C; and (ii) thermolytic conversion of the pyrolysis gas and a fraction of oil into hydrogen and solid carbon at 1300 °C separately. The thermolysis of both pyrolysis gas and oil fractions predominantly resulted in the production of solid carbon (39-70 wt% per plastic feedstock and carbon content of 91.

Bacterial cellulose impregnated with andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium) microencapsulation as diabetic wound dressing.

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus which can cause infection, amputation and even death. One of many treatments that can be applied to support the DFU healing processes is by using wound dressings. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a good material to be used as a wound dressing.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Using N-Doped ZnO/Carbon Dot (N-ZnO/CD) Nanocomposites Derived from Organic Soybean.

This study reports on successful synthesis of carbon dots (CDs), nitrogen-doped zinc oxide (N-ZnO), and N-ZnO/CD nanocomposites as photocatalysts for degradation of methylene blue. The first part was the synthesis of CDs utilizing a precursor from soybean and ethylenediamine as a dopant by a hydrothermal method. The second part was the synthesis of N-ZnO with urea as the nitrogen dopant carried out by a calcination method in a furnace at 500 °C for 2 h in an N atmosphere (5 C min).

Acetylated lignin from oil palm empty fruit bunches and its electrospun nanofibres with PVA: Potential carbon fibre precursor.

The electrospinning of acetylated lignin/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibres was carried out to expand the application of lignin materials obtained from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB). Lignin was isolated by the steam explosion method and subsequently precipitated using HSO. Acetylated lignin was produced by mixing acetic anhydride and pyridine at a 2:1 v/v ratio.

Nanocomposite Foams with Balanced Mechanical Properties and Energy Return from EVA and CNT for the Midsole of Sports Footwear Application.

Polymer foam that provides good support with high energy return (low energy loss) is desirable for sport footwear to improve running performance. Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) foam is commonly used in the midsole of running shoes. However, EVA foam exhibits low mechanical properties.

Conformal Noble Metal High-Entropy Alloy Nanofilms by Atomic Layer Deposition for an Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The current synthesis methods of high-entropy alloy (HEA) thin-film coatings face huge challenges in facile preparation, precise thickness control, conformal integration, and affordability. These challenges are more specific and noteworthy for noble metal-based HEA thin films where the conventional sputtering methods encounter thickness control and high-cost issues (high-purity noble metal targets required). Herein, for the first time, we report a facile and controllable synthesis process of quinary HEA coatings consisting of noble metals (Rh, Ru, Pt, Pd, and Ir), by sequential atomic layer deposition (ALD) coupled with electrical Joule heating for post-alloying.

The New Materials for Battery Electrode Prototypes.

In this article, we present the performance of Copper (Cu)/Graphene Nano Sheets (GNS) and C-π (Graphite, GNS, and Nitrogen-doped Graphene Nano Sheets (N-GNS)) as a new battery electrode prototype. The objectives of this research are to develop a number of prototypes of the battery electrode, namely Cu/GNS//Electrolyte//C-π, and to evaluate their respective performances. The GNS, N-GNS, and primary battery electrode prototypes (Cu/GNS/Electrolyte/C-π) were synthesized by using a modified Hummers method; the N-doped sheet was obtained by doping nitrogen at room temperature and the impregnation or the composite techniques, respectively.

Sustainable Production of Molybdenum Carbide (MXene) from Fruit Wastes for Improved Solar Evaporation.

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Edison Huixiang Ang at the National Institute of Education, an institute of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The image depicts the sustainable fabrication of two-dimensional MXene sheets from the upcycling of fruit waste for solar desalination. Read the full text of the article at 10.

In Situ Observation of Shear-Induced Jamming Front Propagation during Low-Velocity Impact in Polypropylene Glycol/Fumed Silica Shear Thickening Fluids.

Shear jamming, a relatively new type of phase transition from discontinuous shear thickening into a solid-like state driven by shear in dense suspensions, has been shown to originate from frictional interactions between particles. However, not all dense suspensions shear jam. Dense fumed silica colloidal systems have wide applications in the industry of smart materials from body armor to dynamic dampers due to extremely low bulk density and high colloid stability.

Affimer sandwich probes for stable and robust lateral flow assaying.

Lateral flow assays (LFAs) widely deployed for on-site diagnosis have predominantly utilized antibodies as recognition molecules. Antibodies with limited thermal stability deteriorate the performance of the LFA over time. Herein, we demonstrate a stable and robust LFA by utilizing thermally stable peptide-based 12-14 kDa affimers as recognition molecules, in lieu of conventional protein-based antibodies to analyze complex samples with a significantly improved shelf life at room temperature.

Noble metal alloy thin films by atomic layer deposition and rapid Joule heating.

Metal alloys are usually fabricated by melting constituent metals together or sintering metal alloy particles made by high energy ball milling (mechanical alloying). All these methods only allow for bulk alloys to be formed. This manuscript details a new method of fabricating Rhodium-Iridium (Rh-Ir) metal alloy films using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and rapid Joule heating induced alloying that gives functional thin film alloys, enabling conformal thin films with high aspect ratios on 3D nanostructured substrate.

Mechanically Durable Memristor Arrays Based on a Discrete Structure Design.

Memristors constitute a promising functional component for information storage and in-memory computing in flexible and stretchable electronics including wearable devices, prosthetics, and soft robotics. Despite tremendous efforts made to adapt conventional rigid memristors to flexible and stretchable scenarios, stretchable and mechanical-damage-endurable memristors, which are critical for maintaining reliable functions under unexpected mechanical attack, have never been achieved. Here, the development of stretchable memristors with mechanical damage endurance based on a discrete structure design is reported.

Blood biomarkers to detect new-onset atrial fibrillation and cardioembolism in ischemic stroke patients.

Background: Accumulating data suggest blood biomarkers could inform stroke etiology.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of multiple blood biomarkers in elucidating stroke etiology with a focus on new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) and cardioembolism.

Methods: Between January and December 2017, information on clinical and laboratory parameters and stroke characteristics was prospectively collected from ischemic stroke patients recruited from the National University Hospital, Singapore.

Inorganic Photonic Microspheres with Localized Concentric Ordering for Deep Pattern Encoding and Triple Sensory Microsensor.

Photonic microspheres offer building units with unique topological structures and specific optical functions for diverse applications. Here, a new class of inorganic photonic microspheres with superior robustness, optical and electrical properties is reported by introducing a unique localized concentric ordering architecture and chemical interaction, which further serve as building blocks for deep pattern encoding and multiple sensory optoelectronic devices. Benefiting from localized concentric ordering architecture, the resultant photonic microspheres demonstrate orientation- and angle-independent structural colors.

Blood-Based Biomarkers Are Associated with Different Ischemic Stroke Mechanisms and Enable Rapid Classification between Cardioembolic and Atherosclerosis Etiologies.

Stroke is a top leading cause of death, which occurs due to interference in the blood flow of the brain. Ischemic stroke (blockage) accounts for most cases (87%) and is further subtyped into cardioembolic, atherosclerosis, lacunar, other causes, and cryptogenic strokes. The main value of subtyping ischemic stroke patients is for a better therapeutic decision-making process.

B-Type Natriuretic Peptide as a Significant Brain Biomarker for Stroke Triaging Using a Bedside Point-of-Care Monitoring Biosensor.

Stroke is a widespread condition that causes 7 million deaths globally. Survivors suffer from a range of disabilities that affect their everyday life. It is a complex condition and there is a need to monitor the different signals that are associated with it.

Functionalized silicon dioxide self-referenced plasmonic chip as point-of-care biosensor for stroke biomarkers NT-proBNP and S100β.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors are often used in the detection of solid, liquid or gaseous samples in diagnostics, pharmaceutics and military defense. Plasmon waveguide resonance (PWR) mode is obtained when a dielectric waveguide layer is added to the metal film. In this study, a self-referenced PWR (SRPWR) silicon dioxide (SiO) chip was examined.

Enhanced Colorimetric Signal for Accurate Signal Detection in Paper-Based Biosensors.

Paper-based colorimetric biosensors combine the use of paper with colorimetric signal detection. However, they usually demonstrate lower sensitivities because a signal amplification procedure has not been used. Stopping the reaction of colorimetric signal generation is often used in lab-based assays in order to amplify and stabilize the colorimetric signal for detection.

Periodic FTO IOs/CdS NRs/CdSe Clusters with Superior Light Scattering Ability for Improved Photoelectrochemical Performance.

Periodic fluorine-doped tin oxide inverse opals (FTO IOs) grafted with CdS nanorods (NRs) and CdSe clusters are reported for improved photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. This hierarchical photoanode is fabricated by a combination of dip-coating, hydrothermal reaction, and chemical bath deposition. The growth of 1D CdS NRs on the periodic walls of 3D FTO IOs forms a unique 3D/1D hierarchical structure, providing a sizeable specific surface area for the loading of CdSe clusters.

Self-Assembled VO Mesh Film-Based Resistance Switches with High Transparency and Abrupt ON/OFF Ratio.

Vanadium dioxide, a well-known phase transition material with abrupt resistance change during its transition temperature, is herein used to fabricate the transparent mesh film onto a glass slide through self-assembly mesh printing. A record high ON/OFF ratio up to 10 is achieved together with high visible transmittance of 86% compared to the normal glass slide with visible transmittance at 88%. The high transparent properties make the resistive switches applicable for next-generation electronics, such as see-through computing device and beyond.

Additive-Free Electrophoretic Deposition of Graphene Quantum Dots Thin Films.

The electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of graphene-based materials on transparent substrates is highly potential for many applications. Several factors can determine the yield of the EPD process, such as applied voltage, deposition time and particularly the presence of dispersion additives (stabilisers) in the suspension solution. This study presents an additive-free EPD of graphene quantum dot (GQD) thin films on an indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate and studies the deposition mechanism with the variation of the applied voltage (10-50 V) and deposition time (5-25 min).

Multicolored Photonic Crystal Carbon Fiber Yarns and Fabrics with Mechanical Robustness for Thermal Management.

Multicolored photonic crystal carbon fiber (CF) yarns and fabrics with mechanical robustness in a full spectrum are reported. By facilely controlling the thickness of the periodic layer, a series of photonic CF yarns and fabrics with vivid structural colors ranging from purple, green, yellow, orange, to red are obtained. Interestingly, the prepared multicolored CF yarns show anisotropic optical reflection properties because of their unique axisymmetric geometry, while the plain-woven fabrics exhibit vivid colors even under ambient scattering light.

Point-of-Care Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor for Stroke Biomarkers NT-proBNP and S100β Using a Functionalized Gold Chip with Specific Antibody.

Surface-plasmon-resonance (SPR) is a quantum-electromagnetic phenomenon arising from the interaction of light with free electrons at a metal-dielectric interface. At a specific angle/wavelength of light, the photon's energy is transferred to excite the oscillation of the free electrons on the surface. A change in the refractive-index (RI) may occur, which is influenced by the analyte concentration in the medium in close contact with the metal surface.