Experimental and computational analysis of SnS encapsulated into carbonized chitosan as electrode material for potassium ion batteries.

Tin sulphide compounds (SnS, x = 1, 2) are potential anode materials for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) due to their characteristic layered structure, high theoretical capacity, non-toxicity and low production cost. However, they suffer from significant volume changes resulting in poor performance of such anodes. In this work incorporation of SnS into the carbon structure was expected to overcome these disadvantages.

Laccase-based biocatalytic systems application in sustainable degradation of pharmaceutically active contaminants.

The outflow of pharmaceutically active chemicals (PhACs) exerts a negative impact on biological systems even at extremely low concentrations. For instance, enormous threats to human and aquatic species have resulted from the widespread use of antibiotics in ecosystems, which stimulate the emergence and formation of antibiotic-resistant bacterial species and associated genes. Additionally, it is challenging to eliminate these PhACs by employing conventional physicochemical water treatment techniques.

Designing high-performance asymmetric and hybrid energy devices via merging supercapacitive/pseudopcapacitive and Li-ion battery type electrodes.

We report a strategic development of asymmetric (supercapacitive-pseudocapacitive) and hybrid (supercapacitive/pseudocapacitive-battery) energy device architectures as generation-II electrochemical energy systems. We derived performance-potential estimation regarding the specific power, specific energy, and fast charge-discharge cyclic capability. Among the conceived group, pseudocapacitor-battery hybrid device is constructed with a high-rate intrinsic asymmetric pseudocapacitive (α - MnO/rGO) and a high-capacity Li-ion intercalation battery type (po-nSi/rGO) electrodes.

Activation of small molecules by ambiphilic NHC-stabilized phosphinoborenium cation: formation of boreniums with B-O-C, B-O-B, and B-O-P structural motifs.

The reactivity of the phosphinoborenium cation supported by a 1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazolin-2-ylidene ligand toward small molecules was explored. The phosphinoborenium cation exhibited dual Lewis acid-base properties due to the presence of the Lewis acidic boron center and the Lewis basic phosphido ligand connected by a covalent bond. The reaction of the title cation with CO led to the insertion of a CO molecule into the P-B bond.

Combined effect of nitrogen-doped carbon and NiCoO for electrochemical water splitting.

Electrocatalytic water splitting for green hydrogen production necessitates effective electrocatalysts. Currently, commercial catalysts are primarily platinum-based. Therefore, finding catalysts with comparable catalytic activity but lower cost is essential.

Synthesis and characterization of MoS-carbon based materials for enhanced energy storage applications.

The article delves into the synthesis and characterization of MoS-carbon-based materials, holding promise for applications in supercapacitors and ion batteries. The synthesis process entails the preparation of MoS and its carbon hybrids through exfoliation, hydrothermal treatment, and subsequent pyrolysis. Various analytical techniques were employed to comprehensively examine the structural, compositional, and morphological properties of the resulting materials.

From weak- to strong-coupling superconductivity in the AlB-type solid solution SrGaAlGe with honeycomb layers.

We report on the structure and the superconducting properties of 9-electron 111 compounds with honeycomb layers, namely SrGaGe, SrAlGe, and the SrGa1-xAlGe solid solution. By means of single-crystal x-ray diffraction we show that, on one hand, SrGaGe crystallizes into the centrosymmetric6/space group (= 4.2555(2) Å,= 4.

Mitigating Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) Toxicity for Biomedical Applications.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a novel class of crystalline porous materials, consisting of metal ions and organic linkers. These hybrid materials possess exceptional porosity and specific surface area, which have recently garnered significant interest due to their potential applications in gas separation and storage, energy storage, biomedical imaging, and drug delivery. As MOFs are being explored for biomedical applications, it is essential to comprehensively assess their toxicity.

Methodology Approach for Microplastics Isolation from Samples Containing Sucrose.

The growing production and use of plastics significantly contribute to microplastics (MPs) contamination in the environment. Humans are exposed to MPs primarily through the gastrointestinal route, as these particles are present in beverages and food, e.g.

Elucidating charge transfer process and enhancing electrochemical performance of laser-induced graphene via surface engineering with sustainable hydrogel membranes: An electrochemist's perspective.

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) has emerged as a promising solvent-free strategy for producing highly porous, 3D graphene structures, particularly for electrochemical applications. However, the unique character of LIG and hydrogel membrane (HM) coated LIG requires accounting for the specific conditions of its charge transfer process. This study investigates electron transfer kinetics and the electroactive surface area of LIG electrodes, finding efficient kinetics for the [Fe(CN)] redox process, with a high rate constant of 4.

An Online Nanoinformatics Platform Empowering Computational Modeling of Nanomaterials by Nanostructure Annotations and Machine Learning Toolkits.

Modern nanotechnology has generated numerous datasets from and studies on nanomaterials, with some available on nanoinformatics portals. However, these existing databases lack the digital data and tools suitable for machine learning studies. Here, we report a nanoinformatics platform that accurately annotates nanostructures into machine-readable data files and provides modeling toolkits.

Molybdenum sulfide modified with nickel or platinum nanoparticles as an effective catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction.

In this study, we investigate the catalytic performance of molybdenum sulfide (MoS) modified with either nickel (Ni) or platinum (Pt) nanoparticles as catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The MoS was prepared on the TiO nanotube substrates via a facile hydrothermal method, followed by the deposition by magnetron sputtering of Ni or Pt nanoparticles on the MoS surface. Structural and morphological characterization confirmed the successful incorporation of Ni or Pt nanoparticles onto the MoS support.

Physicochemical Characterization of the Particulate Matter in New Jersey/New York City Area, Resulting from the Canadian Quebec Wildfires in June 2023.

The global increase in wildfires, primarily driven by climate change, significantly affects air quality and health. Wildfire-emitted particulate matter (WFPM) is linked to adverse health effects, yet the toxicological mechanisms are not fully understood given its physicochemical complexity and the lack of spatiotemporal exposure data. This study focuses on the physicochemical characterization of WFPM from a Canadian wildfire in June 2023, which affected over 100 million people in the US Northeast, particularly around New Jersey/New York.

Internal Structure of Incipient Soot from Acetylene Pyrolysis Obtained via Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

A series of reactive molecular dynamics simulations is used to study the internal structure of incipient soot particles obtained from acetylene pyrolysis. The simulations were performed using the ReaxFF potential at four different temperatures. The resulting soot particles are cataloged and analyzed to obtain statistics of their mass, volume, density, C/H ratio, number of cyclic structures, and other features.

Tailor-Made Polysaccharides for Biomedical Applications.

Polysaccharides (PSAs) are carbohydrate-based macromolecules widely used in the biomedical field, either in their pure form or in blends/nanocomposites with other materials. The relationship between structure, properties, and functions has inspired scientists to design multifunctional PSAs for various biomedical applications by incorporating unique molecular structures and targeted bulk properties. Multiple strategies, such as conjugation, grafting, cross-linking, and functionalization, have been explored to control their mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, hydrophilicity, degradability, rheological features, and stimuli-responsiveness.

Microwave-Induced Processing of Free-Standing 3D Printouts: An Effortless Route to High-Redox Kinetics in Electroanalysis.

3D-printable composites have become an attractive option used for the design and manufacture of electrochemical sensors. However, to ensure proper charge-transfer kinetics at the electrode/electrolyte interface, activation is often required, with this step consisting of polymer removal to reveal the conductive nanofiller. In this work, we present a novel effective method for the activation of composites consisting of poly(lactic acid) filled with carbon black (CB-PLA) using microwave radiation.

A new strategy for PET depolymerization: Application of bimetallic MOF-74 as a selective catalyst.

Large-volume production of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), especially in the form of bottles and food packaging containers, causes problems with polymer waste management. Waste PET could be recycled thermally, mechanically or chemically and the last method allows to obtain individual monomers, but most often it is carried out in the presence of homogeneous catalysts, that are difficult to separate and reuse. In view of this, this work reports for the first time, application of bimetallic MOF-74 - as heterogeneous catalyst - for depolymerization of PET with high monomer (bishydroxyethyl terephthalate, BHET) recovery.

Tuning Intramolecular Charge Transfer in Antimony(V) Porphyrin through Axial Fluorination.

Modulation of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) has been tested in two antimony(V) porphyrins, SbT(DMP)P(OMe)·PF and SbT(DMP)P(OTFE)·PF, where the -positions are occupied by 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl (DMP), and the axial positions are linked with either methoxy (OMe) or trifluoroethoxy (OTFE) units, respectively. The presence of the Sb(+5) ion makes the porphyrin center electron poor. Under this situation, placing electron-rich units in the -position creates a condition for push-pull type ICT in the SbT(DMP)P(OMe)·PF.

Mechanisms of ingested polystyrene micro-nanoplastics (MNPs) uptake and translocation in an in vitro tri-culture small intestinal epithelium.

Micro and nanoplastics (MNPs) are now ubiquitous contaminants of food and water. Many cellular and animal studies have shown that ingested MNPs can breach the intestinal barrier to reach the circulation. To date however, the cellular mechanisms involved in intestinal absorption of MNPs have not been investigated with physiologically relevant models, and thus remain unknown.

Assessment of Ingested Micro- and Nanoplastic (MNP)-Mediated Genotoxicity in an In Vitro Model of the Small Intestinal Epithelium (SIE).

Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) have become ubiquitous contaminants of water and foods, resulting in high levels of human ingestion exposure. MNPs have been found in human blood and multiple tissues, suggesting that they are readily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and widely distributed. Growing toxicological evidence suggests that ingested MNPs may pose a serious health threat.

Thermosensitive composite based on agarose and chitosan saturated with carbon dioxide. Preliminary study of requirements for production of new CSAG bioink.

This study introduces a method for producing printable, thermosensitive bioink formulated from agarose (AG) and carbon dioxide-saturated chitosan (CS) hydrogels. The research identified medium molecular weight chitosan as optimal for bioink production, with a preferred chitosan hydrogel content of 40-60 %. Rheological analysis reveals the bioink's pseudoplastic behavior and a sol-gel phase transition between 27.

Dispersion and Dosimetric Challenges of Hydrophobic Carbon-Based Nanoparticles in In Vitro Cellular Studies.

Methodologies across the dispersion preparation, characterization, and cellular dosimetry of hydrophilic nanoparticles (NPs) have been developed and used extensively in the field of nanotoxicology. However, hydrophobic NPs pose a challenge for dispersion in aqueous culture media using conventional methods that include sonication followed by mixing in the culture medium of interest and cellular dosimetry. In this study, a robust methodology for the preparation of stable dispersions of hydrophobic NPs for cellular studies is developed by introducing continuous energy over time via stirring in the culture medium followed by dispersion characterization and cellular dosimetry.

Noncentrosymmetric Triangular Magnet CaMnTeO: Strong Quantum Fluctuations and Role of s versus s Electronic States in Competing Exchange Interactions.

Noncentrosymmetric triangular magnets offer a unique platform for realizing strong quantum fluctuations. However, designing these quantum materials remains an open challenge attributable to a knowledge gap in the tunability of competing exchange interactions at the atomic level. Here, a new noncentrosymmetric triangular S = 3/2 magnet CaMnTeO is created based on careful chemical and physical considerations.

Oleogel-Based Nanoemulsions for Beverages: Effect of Self-Assembled Fibrillar Networks on Stability and Release Properties of Emulsions.

Reducing the use of stabilizers is one of the main challenges in food emulsions, especially for beverages. This work aimed to produce oleogel-structured nanoemulsions (NEs) without additional surfactants. Lecithin-stearic acid (LSa) and lecithin-sorbitan tristearate (LSt) oleogels formed stable NEs under optimized sonication conditions.