Supramolecular polymer gels: from construction methods to functionality.

Supramolecular polymer gels (SPGs) are precisely designed gels brought together by noncovalent interactions to form three-dimensional network structures of polymers. SPGs combine the merits of supramolecular polymers and gels, such as stimuli-responsiveness, self-healing, and self-adaptation, which endows SPGs with potential application value in the fields of biomaterials, Recently, much effort has been made to design new SPGs and related materials with high performance. Herein, we review the research endeavor and future directions of SPGs depending on the construction methods, topological structures, stimuli-responsiveness, and functionality.

Solid-state fermentation of ammoniated corn straw to produce feed protein and toxicological assessment of the product.

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) of ammoniated corn straw was used to produce feed protein, followed by a toxicological assessment of the fermentation product. Results showed that through ammonification at 35 °C for 9 days and the subsequent SSF by the two fungi Penicillium sp. and Torula allii at 30 °C for 5 days, the contents of real protein and crude protein of the corn straw reached 29.

Isolation and characterization of organic matter-degrading bacteria from coking wastewater treatment plant.

As a step toward bioaugmentation of coking wastewater treatment 45 bacteria strains were isolated from the activated sludge of a coking wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Three strains identified as Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas synxantha, and Pseudomonas pseudoaligenes exhibited high dehydrogenase activity which indicates a strong ability to degrade organic matter. Subsequently all three strains showed high naphthalene degradation abilities.