A One-Stone-Two-Birds Strategy for Photothermal Shape Memory Polyurethane Utilizing Lignin as Monomer and Internal Photothermal Agent.

Photothermal-triggering shape memory polyurethane allows for precise and controllable shape transformation under remote light stimulation, making it highly desirable for applications in intelligent devices. This study develops a sustainable and high-performance lignin-based polyurethane (LPU) using a one-stone-two-birds strategy, wherein lignin serves as both a synthetic monomer and an internal photothermal agent. The incorporation of lignin significantly improved the mechanical properties of LPU, achieving a tensile strength of 42.

Elucidating the synergistic effect of oxygen vacancies and Z-scheme heterojunction in NU-1000/BiOCl-Ov composites towards enhanced photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride.

Although Z-scheme heterojunction composites have been widely studied in photocatalysis, in-depth investigation of oxygen vacancies (Ov) in the Z-scheme photocatalysts is still rare. Herein, an oxygen vacancies modified NU-1000/BiOCl-Ov composite with Z-scheme heterojunction was rationally designed and fabricated. The combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiment verified the presence of oxygen vacancies, meanwhile the Z-scheme charge transfer across the heterojunction interface was confirmed in detail by the in situ-XPS, Kelvin probe force microscope (KPFM) studies, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), EPR radical capture experiment, as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculation.

Utilizing heterogeneity of lignin to diminish supercooling of phase change material nano-capsules with high latent heat.

Fatty acids, in particular, are valued as phase change materials (PCMs) for their non-toxic, biodegradable nature and thermal stability. However, the leakage and supercooling issues during phase transitions limit their application. Microencapsulation of PCMs, while improving thermal response, often leads to supercooling, complicating temperature regulation and increasing energy consumption.

Rap1 and mTOR signaling pathways drive opposing immunotoxic effects of structurally similar aryl-OPFRs, TPHP and TOCP.

Aryl organophosphorus flame retardants (aryl-OPFRs), commonly used product additives with close ties to daily life, have been regrettably characterized by multiple well-defined toxicity risks. Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) and tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP), two structurally similar aryl-OPFRs, were observed in our previous study to exhibit contrasting immunotoxic effects on THP-1 macrophages, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study sought to address the knowledge gap by integrating transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to elucidate the intricate mechanisms.

Plasmonic MOF for Highly Selective SERS Sensing of Trace Mercury (II) in Complex Matrices.

Developing Ag-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensors for detecting Hg(II) has garnered significant research interest due to their unparalleled selectivity, which is brought by the specific Ag-Hg amalgamation reaction. However, existing sensors perform unsatisfactorily in the trace detection of Hg(II) because the low concentration of Hg(II) does not have the redox potential sufficient to amalgamate with Ag. To address this challenge, a plasmonic MOF SERS sensor is developed, nanoetched Ag@UiO-68-SMe, by integrating the enormous Raman enhancement effects of nanoetched Ag with the selective enrichment function of UiO-68-SMe into single entity.

Accurate prelithiation of lithium ion battery SiO anodes towards improved initial coulombic efficiency.

We propose an accurate prelithiation method for SiO anodes using ball-milling with LiF. The formation of a LiF-rich SEI layer reduces active lithium loss, resulting in excellent electrochemical performance. This study provides a new approach for developing high-performance silicon-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Preparation of nitrogen-doped lignin porous carbon using low dosage KHCO for efficient methylene blue adsorption: Activation mechanism and adsorption performance.

The previous requirement for activation of porous carbon adsorbents commonly exceeded several times the mass of the carbon precursor. Therefore, it was crucial to develop cost-effective and efficient carbon adsorbent materials for long-term environmental remediation. In this study, biorefinery lignin was utilized to fabricate porous carbon with an ultrahigh specific surface area (3423 m g) and pore volume (1.

Fractionation of lignin from corncob with high-yield p - coumaric acid production in deep eutectic solvents followed by pyrolysis to produce monophenols.

Two distinctive aromatic units, p - coumarate and ferulate, exist in corncob lignin, which have the potential to yield p - coumaric acid (pCA) and ferulic acid (FA). Although pCA and FA are primarily extracted from corncob lignin utilizing strong acids and bases, extremely acidic or alkaline conditions result in the disruption of the aromatic unit structure of the residual lignin. Herein, lactic acid coupled with choline chloride was utilized as acidic deep eutectic solvent (DES), while KCO with glycerin was used as alkaline DES, thereby facilitating the extraction of pCA, FA and lignin from corncob in a mild environment.

New Insight into Industrial Lignin Intermolecular Force Heterogeneity Mitigation: Monodispersed Lignin Colloidal Sphere Synthesis and Full Biomass Photonic Material Preparation.

Industrial lignin is an underutilized resource from the pulping industry due to its high heterogeneity. The transformation of industrial lignin into monodispersed lignin colloidal spheres (LCSs) for the preparation of advanced biomass photonic materials is particularly appealing, because of their unique biocompatibility. However, the LCSs synthesized from industrial lignin generally show a wide size distribution and thus limit this specific application.

Manipulating Aggregate Electrochemistry for High-Performance Organic Redox Flow Batteries.

Organic molecule in solutions is the energy storage unit in the organic redox flow batteries (ORFBs), of which the aggregation is acknowledged pivotal but has been rarely investigated. By establishing a pyridinium library, the manipulation over the aggregation in solutions is investigated at the molecular level. Both theoretical calculations and physiochemical methods are used to characterize the aggregate's structure, and salient findings are as follows.

Multifunctional lignin-reinforced cellulose foam for the simultaneous removal of oils, dyes, and metal ions from water.

Pollutants emitted by industry pose an emerging threat to ecosystems, human health and native species, which has attracted global attention. At present, most of the biomass-based water remediation materials suffer from the poor mechanical properties, complexity of the modification process, single function and low adsorption capacity. Therefore, a high-strength lignin/cellulose foam absorbent (LCMA) with super-hydrophilic surface was developed for wastewater treatment by using lignin as the skeleton to crosslink cellulose through sol-gel method.

Starch-calcium inclusion complexes: Optimizing transparency, anti-fogging, and fluorescence in thermoplastic starch.

With the increasing demand for anti-fogging transparent material and environmental concern, developing sustainable intrinsically hydrophilic and anti-fogging thermoplastic material is important. In this work, thermoplastic starch (TPS) films with good anti-fogging and optical properties were prepared via coordinative interactions with calcium chloride (CaCl), zinc chloride (ZnCl) and magnesium chloride (MgCl). Among them, TPS with the incorporation of CaCl exhibited excellent anti-fogging and high optical transparency.

Localized Electron Redistribution in Methanol Molecules over the Sea Urchin-like Tricobalt Tetroxide/Copper Oxide Nanostructures for Fast Hydrogen Release.

Catalytic methanolysis of ammonia borane (NHBH) is a prospective technology in the field of hydrogen energy in which hydrogen production and hydrogen storage can be integrated together. The splitting of the O-H bond is identified as the rate-determining step (RDS) in this reaction. Thus, a deep understanding of the relationship between the electronic structure of the catalyst, especially the localized electron density of active sites, and the breaking behaviors of the O-H bond is of extreme importance for the rational design of robust catalysts for the reaction.

Development of an external standard method for the high-throughput determination of broadly polar multiclass synthetic dyes in high-sugar, high-fat, and high-protein foods.

Simultaneous detection of multiple synthetic dyes in food additives presents a challenge. A high-throughput UPLC-Q-OMS method with purification-free extraction was developed for the simultaneous detection of 30 synthetic dyes across six categories in various foods. The results showed satisfactory separation of the dyes was achieved using a phenyl column, acetonitrile, and a 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate mobile phase.

Surface Sulfurization of Cubic CuO to Form CuS Nanostructure-Decorated Catalysts for Light-Enhanced Electrocatalytic H Evolution and Photocatalytic CO Reduction.

Developing highly efficient bifunctional catalysts for electrocatalysis and photocatalysis suffers from sluggish charge transfer and poor photo-to-electric conversion rate. Herein, micro-sized CuO cubes were initially prepared for subsequent transformation into CuO@CuS core-shell structures by a slight surface sulfurization. The formation of nanostructured CuS thin layer at CuO surface can endow an immediate charge separation and migration under light irradiation, leading to high surface photovoltages (SPV, 18-30 mV).

Insights into the sunlight-Induced photodegradation mechanisms of methamphetamine in surface water driven by NO₃, HCO₃ and Fe.

Psychoactive substances abuse is a global issue, with the methamphetamine (METH) being the most used and produced illicit substance in recent years. METH has been recognized as emerging contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. Research on the removal of METH from surface water is still lacking in-depth exploration.

Multifunctional Ultrathin TiCT MXene@CuCoO /PE Separator for Ultra-High-Energy-Density and Large-Capacity Lithium-Sulfur Pouch Cells.

The shuttling of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), sluggish reaction kinetics, and uncontrolled lithium deposition/stripping remain the main challenges in lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs), which are aggravated under practical working conditions, i.e., high sulfur loading and lean electrolyte in large-capacity pouch cells.

Reducing Dead Species by Electrochemically-Densified Cathode-Interface-Reaction Layer towards High-Rate-Endurable Zn||I-Br Batteries.

Interhalogen-involved aqueous Zn||halogen batteries (AZHBs) are latent high-energy systems for grid-level energy storage, yet usually suffer from poor high-rate endurability caused by the formation of "dead species". Herein, via an electrochemically-densified cathode-interface-reaction layer (CIRL), Zn||I-Br batteries involving interhalogen reactions between the I cathode and Br from the electrolytes are initially achieved with excellent high-rate endurability. Different from that in diluted electrolytes, the CIRL formed in Br-concentrated electrolyte is denser and water-lean, which enables halogen species conversion with a more rapid charge transfer and lower activation energy.

Triple-shelled Ni@MnO/C hollow spheres with enhanced performance for rechargeable zinc-ion capacitors.

Electrochemical activation techniques and the use of multi-shell structured materials are effective strategies to enhance the electrochemical performance of rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion capacitors (ZICs). In this study, we successfully synthesized spherical NiMn-MOFs a solvothermal method and used them as templates to prepare Ni/MnO@C nanospheres with different core-shell structures by adjusting the heating rate under an Ar atmosphere. The multi-shelled structure provides more active sites and alleviates structural strain associated with repeated Zn insertion/extraction processes.

Achieving Stable Orientational Zinc Deposition for Reversible Zinc Anode through Supramolecular Anchoring Mechanism.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries have been impeded by the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), uncontrolled zinc dendrites, and side reactions on the Zn anode. In this work, a Zn-polyphenol supramolecular network is rationally designed for stabilizing Zn anodes (ZPN@Zn) even at high current density. Theoretical calculations and experiments show that the zinc-polyphenol supramolecular layer effectively inhibits the hydrogen evolution reaction by capturing water molecules through strong hydrogen bonding networks while also facilitating the rapid replenishment of Zn ions at the interface through supramolecular anchoring.

Adaptive window adjustment with boundary DoU loss for cascade segmentation of anatomy and lesions in prostate cancer using bpMRI.

Accurate segmentation of prostate anatomy and lesions using biparametric magnetic resonance imaging (bpMRI) is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer with the aid of artificial intelligence. In prostate bpMRI, different tissues and pathologies are best visualized within specific and narrow ranges for each sequence, which have varying requirements for image window settings. Currently, adjustments to window settings rely on experience, lacking an efficient method for universal automated adjustment.

Effective CuO/CuS nanospheres heterostructures for advanced "rocking-chair" zinc-ion battery.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted considerable attention for energy storage owing to their environmental friendliness and high safety. However, the adverse side reactions and unsatisfactory cycle life brought by Zn-metal anodes limit their large applications. Herein, CuO/CuS (CSO) heterostructured hollow nanospheres is proposed as an attractive conversion-type Zn-metal-free anode for "rocking-chair" ZIBs.

Metagenomic analysis manifesting intrinsic relatedness between antibiotic resistance genes and sulfate- and iron-reducing microbes in sediment cores of the Pearl River Estuary.

Antibiotic resistance is an increasingly concerned hotspot of human health. Microbial determinants that may affect the profiles of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environments need be explored. Here, sediment cores in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) were analyzed using metagenomic approaches.

Preparation of a V-COF@SWCNTs-COOH/SPCE supported molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor for real-time detection of trace sulfadimidine.

To overcome the limitations of insufficient sensitivity and poor specificity of portable screen-printed carbon electrode-electrochemical sensors (SPCE-EC) in practical applications, we prepared carrier composites of carboxylic single-walled carbon nanotubes vertically grafted by covalent organic frameworks (v-COF@SWCNTs-COOH) and coated with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) of sulfadimidine (SM). 55 °C hot steam elution is more eco-friendly than traditional organic solvent elution. The results showed that when the mass ratio of DBA to DBA-SWCNTs was 1:1, the v-COF@SWCNTs-COOH obtained by the two-step synthesis method could increase the electrical signal up to 2.

Conformational Modulation of Efficient Macrocyclic Emitters Featuring Delayed Fluorescence by Conjugation Length and Cavity Dimensions.

The π-conjugated macrocyclic emitters with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) characteristics have attracted widespread attention in the field of organic electroluminescence (EL) materials due to their unique geometries and excellent luminescence performance. Despite the significant impact of conjugation length and cavity dimensions on molecular conformation, the influence of these factors on the excited-state properties remains understudied. Herein, we formulated a strategy aimed at modulating the conformation of TADF macrocyclic molecules containing aniline as the donor (D) unit, and triazine as the acceptor (A), linked in D-A and D-π-A alternative macrocyclic construction (MC-TNT and MC-TST).