Unexpected Intrinsic Catalytic Function of Porous Boron Nitride Nanorods for Highly Efficient Peroxymonosulfate Activation in Water Treatment.

Porous boron nitride (BN) nanorods, which were synthesized via a one-stage pyrolysis, exhibited excellent catalytic performance for organics' degradation via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The origin of the unexpected catalytic function of porous BN nanorods was proposed, in which non-radical oxidation driven by the defects on porous BN dominated the sulfamethoxazole degradation via the generation of singlet oxygen (O). The adsorption energy between PMS and BN was calculated via density functional theory (DFT), and the PMS activation kinetics were further investigated using an electrochemical methodology.

Highly Robust Interfacially Polymerized PA Layer on Thermally Responsive Semi-IPN Hydrogel: Toward On-Demand Tuning of Porosity and Surface Charge.

Hydrogel composites with skin layer that allows fast and selective rejection of molecules possess high potential for numerous applications, including sample preconcentration for point-of-use detection and analysis. The stimuli-responsive hydrogels are particularly promising due to facile regenerability. However, poor adhesion of the skin layer due to swelling-degree difference during continuous swelling/deswelling of the hydrogel hinders its further development.

BiOClBr-coated fabrics with enhanced antimicrobial properties under ambient light.

This study demonstrates the fabrication of ambient light enabled antimicrobial functional fabrics by coating flower-like bismuth oxyhalide i.e. BiOClBr, with the use of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) as binders for improved coating robustness and durability.

In Situ Formation of 3D Conductive and Cell-Laden Graphene Hydrogel for Electrically Regulating Cellular Behavior.

Electroconductive and injectable hydrogels are attracting increasing attention owing to the needs of electrically induced regulation of cell behavior, tissue engineering of electroactive tissues, and achieving minimum invasiveness during tissue repair. In this study, a novel in situ formed 3D conductive and cell-laden hydrogel is developed, which can be broadly used in bioprinting, tissue engineering, neuroengineering etc. An instantaneous, uniform spatial distribution and encapsulation of cells can be achieved as a result of hydrogen bonding induced hydrogel formation.

Design Rationale for Stimuli-Responsive, Semi-interpenetrating Polymer Network Hydrogels-A Quantitative Approach.

Stimuli-responsive semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogels form an important class of polymers for their tunable properties via molecular design. They are widely investigated for a diverse range of applications including drug delivery, sensors, actuators, and osmotic agents. However, in-depth studies on some of the critical design principles affecting diffusion/leaching of linear polymer from semi-IPN hydrogels are lacking.

Salt Template Assisted BN Scaffold Fabrication toward Highly Thermally Conductive Epoxy Composites.

With the trend of device miniaturization and higher integration, polymer composites with high thermal conductivity are highly desirable for efficient removal of accumulated heat to maintain high performance of electronics. In this work, epoxy composites embedded with three-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (BN) scaffold were fabricated. The BN-poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) scaffold was prepared by the salt template method using PVDF as the adhesive, while the corresponding epoxy composite was manufactured with vacuum-assisted impregnation.

Insights into the speciation of heavy metals during pyrolysis of industrial sludge.

The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanisms in heavy metals immobilisation during pyrolysis of industrial sludge (IS). Pyrolysis was conducted in a fixed-bed unit at the temperature range between 400 and 800°C. Conventional and advanced analytical techniques were employed to assess the influencing parameters on the transformation of heavy metals during pyrolysis process.

Bioinspired reinforcement of cyclosiloxane hybrid polymer.

Structural analysis showed that cyclosiloxane hybrid polymer (CHP) is a collection of nano-sized nacre-like structures in random orientations. Inspired by the reinforcement of nacre-like materials, basal-functionalized graphene (GO-AA) was inserted between CHP layers, acting as 'double-sided tape' to improve the mechanical properties. The resulting GO-AA/CHP nanocomposites showed a 156% improvement in toughness with only a 0.

An eco-friendly approach for heavy metal adsorbent regeneration using CO-responsive molecular octopus.

Perennial problems of adsorption in wastewater treatment include adsorbent recycling, generation of waste sludge and secondary pollution because harmful concentrated acids, bases or strong chelators are often used for adsorbent regeneration and adsorbate recovery. We report, for the first time, an eco-friendly regeneration concept demonstrated with a CO-responsive octopus-like polymeric adsorbent. Various heavy metals can be scavenged at very high Q by such adsorbent through coordination.

A Dual-Responsive Nanocomposite toward Climate-Adaptable Solar Modulation for Energy-Saving Smart Windows.

In this work, a novel fully autonomous photothermotropic material made by hybridization of the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel and antimony-tin oxide (ATO) is presented. In this photothermotropic system, the near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing ATO acts as nanoheater to induce the optical switching of the hydrogel. Such a new passive smart window is characterized by excellent NIR shielding, a photothermally activated switching mechanism, enhanced response speed, and solar modulation ability.

Folate Acts in E. coli to Accelerate C. elegans Aging Independently of Bacterial Biosynthesis.

Folates are cofactors for biosynthetic enzymes in all eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Animals cannot synthesize folate and must acquire it from their diet or microbiota. Previously, we showed that inhibiting E.

Novel low temperature synthesis route for functional Au/ZnFe mixed oxide nanohybrids.

ZnFe layered double hydroxide (LDH) was synthesized through which the [AuCl4](-) anions were directly intercalated in situ. Low temperature calcination converts the [AuCl4](-) intercalated LDH into an intimately mixed ZnFe metal oxides containing favorably dispersed Au nanoparticles. The unique microstructure exhibited substantially improved photocatalytic activity by more than 40 times compared to the baseline material intercalated with [CO3](2-).

H2O-EG-assisted synthesis of uniform urchinlike rutile TiO2 with superior lithium storage properties.

A facile green method to synthesize uniform nanostructured urchinlike rutile TiO2 is demonstrated. Titanium trichloride was selected as the TiO2 precursor, and a mixed solvent containing H2O and ethylene glycol was used. By using this binary medium, the nucleation and crystal growth of rutile TiO2 can be regulated, giving rise to very uniform urchinlike structures with tailorable sizes.

Colloidal CuInSe2 nanocrystals: from gradient stoichiometry toward homogeneous alloyed structure mediated by conducting polymer P3HT.

We report, for the first time, the synthesis of colloidal copper indium selenide (CuInSe2) nanocrystals (NCs) possessing a gradient stoichiometry that is potentially tunable by the presence of a conducting polymer, i.e., poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) in the synthesis medium.

Deep-UV sensors based on SAW oscillators using low-temperature-grown AlN films on sapphires.

High-quality epitaxial AlN films were deposited on sapphire substrates at low growth temperature using a helicon sputtering system. SAW filters fabricated on the AlN films exhibited excellent characteristics, with center frequency of 354.2 MHz, which corresponds to a phase velocity of 5667 m/s.

Stability studies of CdSe nanocrystals in an aqueous environment.

In this paper, CdSe nanocrystal dissolution in an aqueous solution was studied. It was found that light is a key factor affecting the dissolution of nanocrystals. In the presence of light, the electrons generated from CdSe nanocrystals reduce water to hydrogen and hydroxide ions (OH-) while photo-generated holes oxidize CdSe to Cd2+ and elemental Se.

Inkjet printing of multi-walled carbon nanotube/polymer composite thin film for interconnection.

In this paper, multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) ink was selectively patterned by inkjet printing on substrates to form conductive traces and electrodes for interconnection application. MWCNT was firstly functionalized using concentrated acid and dispersed in deionized water to form a colloidal solution. Various concentrations of MWCNT were formulated to test the stability of the solution.

Fabrication of lab-on chip platforms by hot embossing and photo patterning.

In this paper, we review the approaches developed in our laboratory to fabricate polymer-based microfluidic devices to suit a range of applications in bio- or chemical analysis. Thermoplastic materials such as polycarbonate (PC) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) are used to fabricate microfluidic devices via hot embossing. To emboss microchannels, we use hard stamps fabricated in silicon or soft stamps molded on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS).