Biofilm-responsive encapsulated-phage coating for autonomous biofouling mitigation in water storage systems.

Biofilms in water storage systems may harbor pathogens that threaten public health. Chemical disinfectants are marginally effective in eradicating biofilms due to limited penetration, and often generate harmful disinfection byproducts. To enhance biofouling mitigation in household water storage tanks, we encapsulated bacteriophages (phages) in chitosan crosslinked with tri-polyphosphate and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane.

Persistent free radicals in biochar enhance superoxide-mediated Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycling and the efficacy of CaO Fenton-like treatment.

Superoxide radicals (O) produced by the reaction of Fe(III) with HO can regenerate Fe(II) in Fenton-like reactions, and conditions that facilitate this function enhance Fenton treatment. Here, we developed an efficient Fenton-like system by using calcium peroxide/biochar (CaO/BC) composites as oxidants and tartaric acid-chelated Fe(III) as catalysts, and tested it for enhanced O-based Fe(II) regeneration and faster sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation. SMX degradation rates and peroxide utilization efficiencies were significantly higher with CaO/BC than those with CaO or HO lacking BC.

A 3D Plasmonic Antenna-Reactor for Nanoscale Thermal Hotspots and Gradients.

Plasmonic nanoantennas focus light below the diffraction limit, creating strong field enhancements, typically within a nanoscale junction. Placing a nanostructure within the junction can greatly enhance the nanostructure's innate optical absorption, resulting in intense photothermal heating that could ultimately compromise both the nanostructure and the nanoantenna. Here, we demonstrate a three-dimensional "antenna-reactor" geometry that results in large nanoscale thermal gradients, inducing large local temperature increases in the confined nanostructure reactor while minimizing the temperature increase of the surrounding antenna.