Hierarchically porous, ultra-strong reduced graphene oxide-cellulose nanocrystal sponges for exceptional adsorption of water contaminants.

Self-assembly of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets into porous 3D sponges is a promising approach to exploit their capacity to adsorb contaminants while facilitating the recovery of the nanosheets from treated water. Yet, forming mechanically robust sponges with suitable adsorption properties presents a significant challenge. Ultra-strong and highly porous 3D sponges are formed using GO, vitamin C (VC), and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) - natural nanorods isolated from wood pulp.

Role of Cell Appendages in Initial Attachment and Stability of E. coli on Silica Monitored by Nondestructive TIRF Microscopy.

Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy was used to investigate initial attachment and stability of wild-type, curli-deficient (ΔcsgA), flagella-deficient (ΔflhDC), and type-1 fimbriae-deficient (Δfim) mutant E. coli strains. Suspended bacteria were injected into a flow cell where they deposited on a silica coverslip, and images were acquired over a 2 min period.