Versatile and Fast Electrochemical Activation Method for Carbon Nanotube Fibers with Diverse Active Materials.

In this study, the challenge of non-electrochemical activity in carbon nanotube fibers (CNTFs) is addressed by developing a modified chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) densification process specifically developed for directly spun CNTFs. This post-treatment method, well-known for enhancing the physical properties of CNTFs, utilizes the double diffusion phenomenon to efficiently integrate a diverse range of active materials, from conductive polymers like polyaniline (PANI) to metal oxides like nickel oxide (NiO), into the fibers. This universal and cost-effective approach not only simplifies the integration process but also significantly boosts both the electrochemical and physical properties of the fibers.

Dual-Hydrogen Bond Donor-Functionalized Carbon Nanotube Fibers: Enhancing Anion-Sensing Performance Through Functionalization Approaches.

In this study, chemiresistive anion sensors are developed using carbon nanotube fibers (CNTFs) functionalized with squaramide-based dual-hydrogen bond donors (SQ1 and SQ2) and systematically compared the sensing properties attained by two different functionalization methods. Model structures of the selectors are synthesized based on a squaramide motif incorporating an electron-withdrawing group. Anion-binding studies of SQ1 and SQ2 are conducted using UV-vis titrations to elucidate the anion-binding properties of the selectors.

Exploring the Regulatory Landscape of Dementia: Insights from Non-Coding RNAs.

Dementia, a multifaceted neurological syndrome characterized by cognitive decline, poses significant challenges to daily functioning. The main causes of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), and vascular dementia (VD), have different symptoms and etiologies. Genetic regulators, specifically non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), are known to play important roles in dementia pathogenesis.

Exploring the Key Signaling Pathways and ncRNAs in Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer to be diagnosed, and it has a substantial mortality rate. Despite numerous studies being conducted on CRC, it remains a significant health concern. The disease-free survival rates notably decrease as CRC progresses, emphasizing the urgency for effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Lyotropic Boron Nitride Nanotube Liquid Crystals: Preparation, Characterization, and Wet-Spinning for Fabrication of Composite Fiber.

Microfiber fabrication via wet-spinning of lyotropic liquid crystals (LCs) with anisotropic nanomaterials has gained increased attention due to the microfibers' excellent physical/chemical properties originating from the unidirectional alignment of anisotropic nanomaterials along the fiber axis with high packing density. For wet-spinning of the microfibers, however, preparing lyotropic LCs by achieving high colloidal stability of anisotropic nanomaterials, even at high concentrations, has been a critically unmet prerequisite, especially for recently emerging nanomaterials. Here, we propose a cationically charged polymeric stabilizer that can efficiently be adsorbed on the surface of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs), which provide steric hindrance in combination with Coulombic repulsion leading to high colloidal stability of BNNTs up to 22 wt %.

Wide-Range Size Fractionation of Graphene Oxide by Flow Field-Flow Fractionation.

Many interesting properties of 2D materials and their assembled structures are strongly dependent on the lateral size and size distribution of 2D materials. Accordingly, effective size separation of polydisperse 2D sheets is critical for desirable applications. Here, we introduce flow field-flow fractionation (FlFFF) for a wide-range size fractionation of graphene oxide (GO) up to 100 μm.

Ultrahigh strength, modulus, and conductivity of graphitic fibers by macromolecular coalescence.

Theoretical considerations suggest that the strength of carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers be exceptional; however, their mechanical performance values are much lower than the theoretical values. To achieve macroscopic fibers with ultrahigh performance, we developed a method to form multidimensional nanostructures by coalescence of individual nanotubes. The highly aligned wet-spun fibers of single- or double-walled nanotube bundles were graphitized to induce nanotube collapse and multi-inner walled structures.

3-D porous cellulose nanofibril aerogels with a controllable copper nanoparticle loading as a highly efficient non-noble-metal catalyst for 4-nitrophenol reduction.

Nitrophenols(NPs) are highly toxic compounds that occur in various industrial effluents. Herein, we investigated Cu nanoparticle-loaded cellulose nanofibril (CNF/PEI-Cu) aerogels as a catalyst for degrading 4-nitrophenol (4NP) in the wastewater. Non-noble metal based low-cost catalyst material and easily scalable preparation method make CNF/PEI-Cu aerogel as an appropriate catalyst for practical application in 4NP wastewater treatment.

Modified cellulose nanofibril aerogel: Tunable catalyst support for treatment of 4-Nitrophenol from wastewater.

4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) is a hazardous aromatic compound widely used for various industries. Catalytic reduction of 4-NP using metal nanoparticles (NPs) is a highly effective method to treat 4-NP from waste effluent. Even though lots of methods have investigated to prepare efficient metal NPs composites, the nano and/or micro size of composites makes it hard to recover after wastewater treatment, limiting its practical use.

Fabrication of cylindrical 3D cellulose nanofibril(CNF) aerogel for continuous removal of copper(Cu) from wastewater.

Heavy metal contamination in wastewater is a serious problem due to its high toxicity. In this study, three-dimensional porous and flexible polyethylene imine grafted cellulose nanofibril aerogel (PEI@CNF aerogel) is synthesized as a highly efficient biosorbent for continuous treatment of wastewater containing copper (Cu). The synthesized PEI@CNF aerogel efficiently separates Cu from wastewater and exhibits outstanding selectivity for Cu in the presence of other metal ions.

Mechanically enhanced graphene oxide/carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibril composite fiber as a scalable adsorbent for heavy metal removal.

Recently, graphene oxide(GO) has gained much attention for heavy metal removal due to its high surface area and lots of functional groups on the surface. However, GO itself in powder form is far away from practical adsorbents because it remains dispersed in liquid phase which causes difficulty in the separation from effluent. In this study, GO/carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibril (CMCNF) composite fiber(CF) is developed as an efficient and durable adsorbent.

Prussian blue-embedded carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibril membranes for removing radioactive cesium from aqueous solution.

In this study, we synthesized a Prussian blue (PB)-embedded macroporous carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibril (CMCNF) membrane for facile cesium (Cs) removal. The PB was formed in situ at Fe sites on a CMCNF framework cross-linked using FeCl as a cross-linking agent. Cubic PB particles of size 5-20 nm were observed on the macroporous CMCNF membrane surface.

Modified tunicate nanocellulose liquid crystalline fiber as closed loop for recycling platinum-group metals.

Rising demand and elemental rarity requires the recycling of precious metals such as platinum group elements (PGMs). Recently, biosorption has been focused on the capability of recovering precious metals, but in practice, recycling is inefficient or far away from a closed-loop material system. Here we use a polyethylenimine (PEI)-grafted spun-fiber made of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) extracted from a tunicate as a biosorbent for PGMs.

Composite Microgels Created by Complexation between Polyvinyl Alcohol and Graphene Oxide in Compressed Double-Emulsion Drops.

Microgels, microparticles made of hydrogels, show fast diffusion kinetics and high reconfigurability while maintaining the advantages of hydrogels, being useful for various applications. Here, presented is a new microfluidic strategy for producing polymer-graphene oxide (GO) composite microgels without chemical cues or a temperature swing for gelation. As a main component of microgels, polymers that are able to form hydrogen bonds, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), are used.

Continuous Meter-Scale Synthesis of Weavable Tunicate Cellulose/Carbon Nanotube Fibers for High-Performance Wearable Sensors.

Weavable sensing fibers with superior mechanical strength and sensing functionality are crucial for the realization of wearable textile sensors. However, in the fabrication of previously reported wearable sensing fibers, additional processes such as reduction, doping, and coating were essential to satisfy both requirements. The sensing fibers should be continuously synthesized in a scalable process for commercial applications with high reliability and productivity, which was challenging.

Direct spinning and densification method for high-performance carbon nanotube fibers.

Developing methods to assemble nanomaterials into macroscopic scaffolds is of critical significance at the current stage of nanotechnology. However, the complications of the fabrication methods impede the widespread usages of newly developed materials even with the superior properties in many cases. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of a highly-efficient and potentially-continuous fiber-spinning method to produce high-performance carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber (CNTF).

A seed-mediated growth of gold nanoparticles inside carbon nanotube fibers for fabrication of multifunctional nanohybrid fibers with enhanced mechanical and electrical properties.

The seed-mediated growth strategy of Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) inside carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers is demonstrated to greatly improve their mechanical and electrical properties and provide a function for catalytic applications. The resulting Au NP@CNT nanocomposite fibers exhibit 100% knot efficiency, catalytic activity and considerably enhanced modulus, tensile strength, and electrical conductivity from 7 GPa, 109 MPa and 1300 S cm-1 to 24 GPa, 351 MPa and 3600 S cm-1, respectively. The enhancement mechanism is also revealed by systematic characterization and theoretical simulations.

Recovery of platinum from waste effluent using polyethyleneimine-modified nanocelluloses: Effects of the cellulose source and type.

Nanocellulose is a promising biosorbent for the recovery of precious metals from waste streams. A variety of nanocelluloses exhibit significant different properties that depend on the natural source and type. In this study, cellulose nanofibrils(P-CNF) and cellulose nanocrystals(P-CNC) obtained from hard wood pulp and CNF from tunicates(T-CNF) were evaluated for their ability to recover platinum(Pt) after modification with polyethyleneimine(PEI).

Mussel-Inspired Defect Engineering of Graphene Liquid Crystalline Fibers for Synergistic Enhancement of Mechanical Strength and Electrical Conductivity.

Inspired by mussel adhesive polydopamine (PDA), effective reinforcement of graphene-based liquid crystalline fibers to attain high mechanical and electrical properties simultaneously is presented. The two-step defect engineering, relying on bioinspired surface polymerization and subsequent solution infiltration of PDA, addresses the intrinsic limitation of graphene fibers arising from the folding and wrinkling of graphene layers during the fiber-spinning process. For a clear understanding of the mechanism of PDA-induced defect engineering, interfacial adhesion between graphene oxide sheets is straightforwardly analyzed by the atomic force microscopy pull-off test.

Carboxymethlyated cellulose nanofibrils(CMCNFs) embedded in polyurethane foam as a modular adsorbent of heavy metal ions.

Polyurethane (PU) foam was utilized as an efficient and durable template to immobilize surface-functionalized nanocellulose, carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibrils (CMCNFs), to address some of the challenges for the application of nanocellulose to industrial water purification, such as its agglomeration, difficulties in separation from effluent, and regeneration. The composite foams exhibited well dispersed CMCNFs in PU matrices with open pore structure; the hydrogen bonds result in the enhancement of mechanical strength, which is another requirement of ideal adsorbents for wastewater treatment. The composite foams show high adsorption capacity and the potential for recyclability.

Nitrogen-Doped Single Graphene Fiber with Platinum Water Dissociation Catalyst for Wearable Humidity Sensor.

Humidity sensors are essential components in wearable electronics for monitoring of environmental condition and physical state. In this work, a unique humidity sensing layer composed of nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (nRGO) fiber on colorless polyimide film is proposed. Ultralong graphene oxide (GO) fibers are synthesized by solution assembly of large GO sheets assisted by lyotropic liquid crystal behavior.

Preparation of highly stable zeolite-alginate foam composite for strontium(Sr) removal from seawater and evaluation of Sr adsorption performance.

Alginate bead is a promising strontium (Sr) adsorbent in seawater, but highly concentrated Na ions caused over-swelling and damaged the hydrogel bead. To improve the mechanical stability of alginate bead, flexible foam-type zeolite-alginate composite was synthesized and Sr adsorption performance was evaluated in seawater; 1-10% zeolite immobilized alginate foams were prepared by freeze-dry technique. Immobilization of zeolite into alginate foam converted macro-pores to meso-pores which lead to more compact structure.

Significantly Increased Solubility of Carbon Nanotubes in Superacid by Oxidation and Their Assembly into High-Performance Fibers.

This study demonstrates that small amount of oxygen incorporated into carbon nanotubes (CNTs) during the purification process greatly increases their solubility in chlorosulfonic acid (CSA). Using as-purchased and unpurified CNT powders, the optimal purification process is established to significantly increase the solubility of CNTs in CSA, and spin CNT fibers with high mechanical strength (0.84 N tex ) and electrical conductivity (1.

High-strength carbon nanotube/carbon composite fibers via chemical vapor infiltration.

In this study, we have developed an efficient and scalable method for improving the mechanical properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers. The mechanical properties of as-synthesized CNT fibers are primarily limited by their porous structures and the weak bonding between adjacent CNTs. These result in inefficient load transfer, leading to low tensile strength and modulus.