A novel form stable phase change material with comb-like cross-linked polyurethane as supporting skeleton.

To improve the homogeneity of phase-change materials (PCMs) composites for thermal energy storage, the poly(ethylene glycol monomethyl ether)-based trimethylolpropane (Ymer-N120) with long side ethyoxyl chains is employed to form comb-like polyurethane which functioned as supporting materials for PCMs. And the results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, accelerated thermal cycling testing, thermogravimetric analysis and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) suggested a crosslinked polyurethane embedded with micron grade myristic acid (MA) crystals was prepared during the thermal curing process. The obtained comb-like polyurethane (YP) can provide 3D structure supporting materials for melting MA.

Recent Advances in Electrochemical Biosensors for Monitoring Animal Cell Function and Viability.

Redox reactions in live cells are generated by involving various redox biomolecules for maintaining cell viability and functions. These qualities have been exploited in the development of clinical monitoring, diagnostic approaches, and numerous types of biosensors. Particularly, electrochemical biosensor-based live-cell detection technologies, such as electric cell-substrate impedance (ECIS), field-effect transistors (FETs), and potentiometric-based biosensors, are used for the electrochemical-based sensing of extracellular changes, genetic alterations, and redox reactions.

Gold nanostructure-integrated conductive microwell arrays for uniform cancer spheroid formation and electrochemical drug screening.

Cancer spheroids, which mimic distinct cell-to-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions of solid tumors in vitro, have emerged as a promising tumor model for drug screening. However, owing to the unique characteristics of spheroids composed of three-dimensionally densely-packed cells, the precise characterizations of cell viability and function with conventional colorimetric assays are challenging. Herein, we report gold nanostructure-integrated conductive microwell arrays (GONIMA) that enable both highly efficient uniform cancer spheroid formation and precise electrochemical detection of cell viability.

Simultaneous voltammetric determination of acetaminophen and dopamine using a glassy carbon electrode modified with copper porphyrin-exfoliated graphene.

Graphene nanosheets (GSs) were prepared via liquid-phase non-covalent exfoliation of graphite powder in N,N-dimethylformamide under the assistance of copper(II) meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin tetrasodium salt Na(CuTCPP). A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with a film of such GSs which, due to the good electrical conductivity of graphene and the electrocatalytic properties of Na(CuTCPP), is capable of simultaneous determination of acetaminophen (AC) and dopamine (DA). The peak currents, best measured at voltage of 0.

Mechanical Composite of LiNiCoAlO/Carbon Nanotubes with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

LiNiCoAlO/carbon nanotube (NCA/CNT) composite cathode materials are prepared by a facile mechanical grinding method, without damage to the crystal structure and morphology of the bulk. The NCA/CNT composite exhibits enhanced cycling and rate performance compared with pristine NCA. After 60 cycles at a current rate of 0.

Facile Synthesis of Nanosized Lithium-Ion-Conducting Solid Electrolyte LiAlTi(PO) and Its Mechanical Nanocomposites with LiMnO for Enhanced Cyclic Performance in Lithium Ion Batteries.

Nanoparticles of fast lithium-ion-conducting solid electrolyte LiAlTi(PO) (LATP) are prepared by a modified citric-acid-assisted sol-gel method that involves a two-step heat treatment in which the dry gel is calcined first in argon and then in air. The obtained LATP exhibits smaller particle size (down to 40 nm) with a narrower size distribution and less aggregation than LATP prepared by a conventional sol-gel method because of a polymeric network that preserves during LATP crystallization. It has a high relative density of 97.

Preparation of NASICON-Type Nanosized Solid Electrolyte LiAlTi(PO) by Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly for Lithium-Ion Battery.

A simple and practicable evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method is introduced for the first time to prepare nanosized solid electrolyte LiAlTi(PO) (LATP) for all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries. A pure Na super ion conductor (NASICON) phase is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and its primary particle size is down to 70 nm by optimizing evaporation rate of the solvent. Excellent room temperature bulk and total lithium-ion conductivities of 2.

Novel tocotrienol-entrapping vesicles can eradicate solid tumors after intravenous administration.

The therapeutic potential of tocotrienol, a vitamin E extract with anti-cancer properties, is hampered by its failure to specifically reach tumors after intravenous administration. In this work, we demonstrated that novel transferrin-bearing, tocopheryl-based multilamellar vesicles entrapping tocotrienol significantly improved tocotrienol uptake by cancer cells overexpressing transferrin receptors. This led to a dramatically improved therapeutic efficacy in vitro, ranging from 17-fold to 72-fold improvement depending on the cell lines, compared to the free drug.

Tumor regression after systemic administration of tocotrienol entrapped in tumor-targeted vesicles.

The therapeutic potential of tocotrienol, an extract of vitamin E with anti-cancer properties, is hampered by its failure to specifically reach tumors after intravenous administration, without secondary effects on normal tissues. We hypothesize that the encapsulation of tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) within vesicles bearing transferrin, whose receptors are overexpressed on many cancer cells, could result in a selective delivery to tumors after intravenous administration. The objectives of this study are therefore to prepare and characterize transferrin-targeted vesicles encapsulating TRF, and to evaluate their therapeutic efficacy in vitro and in vivo.