Fabrication of nanocellulose-based high-mechanical and super-hydrophobic xerogels for speedy oil absorbents.

Cellulose-based porous materials are promising for various fields and preferred for sustainable development. However, the low mechanical properties and high hydrophilicity of cellulose-based xerogels had a direct influence on their application in oil absorption. To address the challenge, an environmentally friendly and economical method for synthesizing MTMS/C0.

Microfluidics for Nanomedicine Delivery.

Nanomedicine is revolutionizing precision medicine, providing targeted, personalized treatment options. Lipid-based nanomedicines offer distinct benefits including high potency, targeted delivery, extended retention in the body, reduced toxicity, and lower required doses. These characteristics make lipid-based nanoparticles ideal for drug delivery in areas such as gene therapy, cancer treatment, and mRNA vaccines.

Microstructure and properties of joint of Al/Cu welded by resistance element welding with an auxiliary gasket of Ni.

A rivet of aluminum and auxiliary gasket of nickel were adopted to weld A1060 aluminum plate and T2 copper plate using resistance element welding. The interfacial microstructure was analyzed and the tensile shear load of the joint was tested. A layer of AlCu and the eutectic structure of AlCu and (Al) were formed in the interfacial zone of Al/Cu.

Electride transition in liquid aluminum under high pressure and high temperature.

Despite the conventional view of liquid aluminum (l-Al) as a simple metal governed by the free-electron model, it exhibits unique bonding characteristics. This study uncovers a gradual transition from free electron to electride behavior in l-Al at high pressure and temperature, forming a type of two-component liquid where atomic and electride states coexist. The proportion of electride increases with pressure and temperature until reaching saturation, leading to notable changes in the pair-correlation function and coordination number of l-Al at saturation pressure.

Many-body van der Waals interactions in multilayer structures studied by atomic force microscopy.

Van der Waals interaction in multilayer structures was predicted to be of many-body character, almost in parallel with the establishment of Lifshitz theory. However, the diminishing interaction between layers separated by a finite-thickness intermediate layer prevents experimental verification of the many-body nature. Here we verify the substrate contribution at the adhesion between the atomic force microscopy tip and the supported graphene, by taking advantage of the atomic-scale proximity of two objects separated by graphene.

Magnetic Field-Driven NiCo-3DOMC Modified Separators for Effective Lithium Polysulfide Mitigation and Catalysis.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) face challenges from the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and slow redox kinetics. In this study, a NiCo-Doped 3D Ordered Mesoporous Carbon (NiCo-3DOMC) composite material is synthesized using a gel-crystalline template and sol-gel method to modify polypropylene separators in LSBs. Density Functional Theory calculations and experiment results demonstrate that under a magnetic field, the NiCo-3DOMC enhances adsorption and catalyzes the conversion of LiPSs, effectively mitigating the shuttle effect and boosting redox kinetics.

A new classification algorithm for low concentration slurry based on machine vision.

Machine vision was utilized in this study to accurately classify the low concentration slurry. Orthogonal experiment L(3) indicated that the optimal coal slurry collection images were achieved with exposure value of 10, slurry layer thickness of 7 cm, and light intensity of 5 × 10 lux. Subsequently, a new low concentration classification model was systematically developed, encompassing aspects such as original image acquisition, data augmentation, dataset partitioning, classification algorithm design, and model evaluation.

Design and Fabrication of a Patch Antenna for 5G Wireless Communications from a Low-Permittivity LiAlSiO-Based Ceramic.

A microwave dielectric ceramic based on lithium aluminum silicate (LiAlSiO) with ultralow permittivity was synthesized using the traditional solid-state reaction technique, and its dielectric characteristics at microwave frequencies are presented. The nominal LiAlSiO ceramic exhibited a relative permittivity of 3.95.

Capture and Diffusion of Hydrogen in Tantalum and Copper with Vacancy Defects: A First-Principles Study.

Oxygen-free copper is utilized in nuclear processing heaters; however, it exhibits poor resistance to hydrogen radiation corrosion. A tantalum-copper diffusion layer with high vacancy concentration was prepared on the copper surface. This layer demonstrates superior hydrogen trapping and diffusion resistance compared to pure tantalum, though the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

Shark chondroitin sulfate gold nanoparticles: A biocompatible apoptotic agent for osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is a highly aggressive tumor that originates in the bone and often infiltrates nearby bone cells. It is the most prevalent type of primary bone cancer among the various bone malignancies. Traditional cancer treatment methods such as surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy have had restricted success.

Photocatalytic Hydrodichloromethylation of Unactivated Alkenes with Chloroform.

A visible-light-induced method for the hydrodichloromethylation of unactivated alkenes using chloroform (CHCl) was developed, employing pyridine·BH as the halogen atom transfer (XAT) reagent. The strategy showed a broad functional group tolerance, and 29 examples of unactivated alkenes, including complex natural products or drug derivatives, have been established with good yields. Mechanistic studies indicated that CHCl serves as both the source of a dichloromethyl radical and a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reagent, and the borane short-chain reaction process was involved in this system.

Recent advances in modifications, biotechnology, and biomedical applications of chitosan-based materials: A review.

Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide with recognized biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and cost-effectiveness, is primarily sourced from crustacean exoskeletons. Its inherent limitations such as poor water solubility, low thermal stability, and inadequate mechanical strength have hindered its widespread application. However, through modifications, chitosan can exhibit enhanced properties such as water solubility, antibacterial and antioxidant activities, adsorption capacity, and film-forming ability, opening up avenues for diverse applications.

2D Polyamides Enable Self-Healing and Recyclable Elastomers with High Robustness, Toughness, and Crack Resistance via Supramolecular Interactions.

High-performance elastomers with exceptional mechanical properties and self-healing capabilities have garnered significant attention due to their wide range of potential applications. However, designing elastomers that strike a balance between self-healing capabilities and mechanical properties remains a considerable challenge. Inspired by biological cartilage, a highly robust, tough, and crack-resistant self-healing elastomer is presented by incorporating hydrogen-bond-rich 2D polyamide (2DPA) into a poly(urethane-urea) matrix.

Novel ionic chitosan derivatives based on pyridinium sulfonate: Synthesis, characterization, and studies on antimicrobial, antioxidant, and biocompatibility properties.

To improve the solubility, antimicrobial efficacy, antioxidant capacity, and biocompatibility of chitosan for broader applications, a series of novel ionic chitosan derivatives were synthesized in this study by amidating chitosan with carboxyl pyridinium sulfonate. These derivatives were characterized through various analytical techniques, including FTIR, H NMR, UV, TGA, and XRD. Proton NMR was particularly utilized to determine the degree of substitution.

AlO-Induced Phase Conversion Regulation of WS Anode Enhances the Lithium Storage Reversibility.

WS is an attractive anode in alkali metal ion batteries (AMIBs) due to its 2D-layered structure and high theoretical capacity. However, the shuttle effect of sulfur and the spontaneous growth of W nanoparticles are key issues that limit the alkali-ion accommodation ability. Now, it is still a great challenge to achieve in situ control of the microstructure evolution paths in enclosed batteries for extending the cycling reversibility/lifespan.

Topological regulation in polysilsesquioxanes for achieving super-hard and flexible membranes: insights from molecular simulation.

Cage-like and ladder-like polysilsesquioxane, named EPOSS and ELPSQ, were synthesized and employed as precursors to develop a UV-curable membrane exhibiting remarkable hardness, superior flexibility, exceptional transparency and excellent friction resistance. Nanoindentation analysis demonstrates that the precise control of the Silicane molecular frameworks by adding a small quantity of EPOSS to ELPSQ can significantly enhance the hardness of the membranes. The resulting hardness value reaches a record 1.

An albumin fluorescent sensor array discriminates ochratoxins.

A sensor array that can distinguish ochratoxins based on the fluorescence of the albumin-ochratoxin complex has been developed. This sensor array enabled the identification of ochratoxins and their mixtures in real food samples.

Bimetallic sulfides based hybrid anodes are constructed for high-performance lithium ion batteries.

Transition metal sulfides (TMSs) are considered as one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in virtue of their high theoretical specific capacity, low cost and environmental friendliness. However, the intrinsic poor electron/ion transport, large volume change and the shuttle effect of polysulfides hinder their achievement of superb rate capability and cycle performance. Compared with the monometallic sulfides, bimetallic sulfides have superior electron transport capability and higher electrochemical activity.

Pectin/zinc alginate films containing anthocyanins from dragon fruit peel as intelligent pH indicators for shrimp freshness monitor.

The novel incorporation of dragon fruit peel extract (DE), rich in anthocyanins, Zn (from Zinc Alginate) and pectin was applied to create active and intelligent food packaging composite films. These films were characterized for their microstructure and properties. Various levels of anthocyanin extracts (1 %, 3 %, and 5 %) were evaluated for their impact on the films' physical and functional properties, incorporating microstructure, mechanical strength, barrier properties, pH sensitivity, and bacteriostatic effectiveness.

In situ evolved high-valence Co active sites enable highly efficient and stable chlorine evolution reaction.

The chlor-alkali process is crucial in the modern chemical industry, yet it is highly energy-intensive, consuming about 4 % of global electricity due to the significant overpotential and low selectivity of existing chlorine evolution reaction (CER) electrocatalysts. Although advanced electrocatalysts have reduced the energy demands of the chlor-alkali process, they typically incorporate precious metals. Here, we introduce a novel precious metal-free electrocatalyst, (CoZn)VO@C, with a hollow nanocube structure that exhibits outstanding CER performance.

Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Combined with Solid-Phase Extraction for Purification of Lignans.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can specifically recognize template molecules in solution with imprinted cavities. Due to their capacity for scalable production, they can be used to isolate target products from natural products for industrial production in the fields of pharmaceuticals and food. In this study, magnetic single-template molecularly imprinted polymers (St-MIPs) instead of magnetic multi-template molecularly imprinted polymers (Mt-MIPs) were prepared by surface imprinting using Schizandrol A as a template molecule and deep eutectic solvent (DES) as a functional monomer, combined with solid-phase extraction (SPE) for the adsorption and separation of Schizandrol A, Schisantherin A, Schizandrin A, and Schizandrin B from (Turcz.

Unraveling the Multifunctional Mechanism of Fluoroethylene Carbonate in Enhancing High-Performance Room-Temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries has attracted growing attentions in large-scale energy storage technology, while the serious shuttle effect and interface side reaction limit its practical application. Despite fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) has been widely used as an electrolyte additive or co-solvent to facilitate the optimization of electrode-electrolyte interphase in RT Na-S batteries, its crucial influence and mechanism have not been clearly understood. Herein, we deeply reveal the two-steps cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI) formation by using FEC as the exclusive electrolyte solvent.