The structure and fluctuations of the swollen L(alpha) lamellar phase of highly charged surfactant didodecyldimethylammonium halide fluid bilayers (DDA+X-) are studied using high-resolution small-angle x-ray scattering and medium-resolution, high-contrast small-angle neutron-scattering. The Caille parameter eta, as a function of the swelling (L(alpha) periodicity d), was determined from the full q-range fits of the measured scattering profiles for three different counterions (X- = Cl-, Br-, and NO3-). This parameter quantifies the amplitude of the membrane fluctuations within the Landau-de Gennes smectic-A linear elasticity theory. The different anions used gave strong specific effects at the maximum swelling of the L(alpha) phase, while at lower swellings a two-phase coexistence of swollen and collapsed lamellae (d approximately 30 and approximately 80 angstroms) was observed for bromide and nitrate ions. Over the intermediate dilution range for all three counterions, a single L(alpha) phase can be continuously swollen with pure water which is governed by an equation of state (i.e., osmotic pressure versus period) and thermally excited fluctuation amplitudes that can be well described by the same Poisson-Boltzmann calculation. The membranes were found to be slightly stiffer than predicted by purely electrostatic repulsions, and this is tentatively attributed to an extra bending rigidity contribution from the surfactant chains.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1950667 | DOI Listing |
J Am Chem Soc
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
Advancements in the development of fast-charging and long-lasting microstructured alloying anodes with high volumetric capacities are essential for enhancing the operational efficiency of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). These anodes, however, face challenges such as declined cyclability and rate capability, primarily due to mechanical degradation reduced by significant volumetric changes (over 252%) and slow kinetics of sodium-ion storage. Herein, we introduce a novel anode design featuring densely packed bismuth (Bi) embedded within highly conductive carbon microspheres to overcome the aforementioned challenges.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Chem Soc
January 2025
Functional Crystals Lab, Key Laboratory of Functional Crystals and Laser Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
Tetrahedral halides with broad transparency and large second harmonic effects have the potential to serve as mid-infrared wide-bandgap materials with balanced nonlinear-optical (NLO) properties. However, their regular tetrahedral motifs tend to exhibit low optical birefringence (Δ < 0.03) due to limited structural anisotropy, which constrains their practical phase-matched capability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnal Chem
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource of Yunnan, University Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Science and Technology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P. R. China.
Ethylenediamine (EDA), as an important chemical raw material and fine chemical intermediate, has been widely applied in various industries. Real-time monitoring of EDA is highly desirable in daily life due to its potential threat to human health. Herein, we report a molecular probe named 4,4'-(9-carbazole-3,6-diyl)bis(1-(naphthalen-2-ylmethyl)pyridin-1-ium) iodide (p-N-DPC·I) with ratiometric luminescent and colorimetric dual-mode responses toward EDA, endowing a highly sensitive and selective detection method for its real-time monitoring.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomacromolecules
January 2025
Instituto de Química de los Materiales, Ambiente y Energía, CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, CABA (Buenos Aires) 1428, Argentina.
The study of the phase behavior of polyelectrolyte complex coacervates has attracted significant attention in recent years due to their potential use as membrane-less organelles, microreactors, and drug delivery platforms. In this work, we investigate the mechanism of protein loading in chain-length asymmetric complex coacervates composed of a polyelectrolyte and an oppositely charged multivalent ion. Unlike the symmetric case (polycation + polyanion), we show that protein loading is highly selective based on the protein's net charge: only proteins with charges opposite to the polyelectrolyte can be loaded.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Due to its increasing prevalence and suboptimal treatment, non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection is an emerging problem in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Detailed description of regional NTM prevalence and distribution, and identification of predictors of NTM acquisition in CF are essential to optimise treatment and surveillance guidelines.
Methods: A retrospective, multi-center analysis was conducted between the years 2020 and 2022 on data from 232 adult patients registered in the Hungarian CF Registry in 2022.
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