A low-toxicity uranyl-selective-binding linear pentapeptide sequence as a potential uranium decorporation agent.

Searching for highly selective, efficient, and low-toxicity chelating agents is central to resolving uranium contamination . Peptides composed of amino acids exhibit very low toxicity for accumulation in the human body and have been proven effective in chelating actinides within the human body. Herein, we report a rationally designed short phosphorylated peptide sequence PP-B, which exhibits high affinity and selectivity for uranyl compared to other trace elements present in the body (such as Na, K, Ca, Co, Fe, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn).

Ag(i) emitters with ultrafast spin-flip dynamics for high-efficiency electroluminescence.

Carbene-metal-amide (CMA) complexes are appealing emitters for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, little is known about silver(i)-CMA complexes, particularly electroluminescent ones. Here we report a series of Ag(i)-CMA complexes prepared using benzothiophene-fused carbazole derivatives as amide ligands.

Strain-induced charge delocalization achieves ultralow exciton binding energy toward efficient photocatalysis.

The exciton effect is commonly observed in photocatalysts, where substantial exciton binding energy ( ) significantly hampers the efficient generation of photo-excited electron-hole pairs, thereby severely constraining photocatalysis. Herein, we propose a strategy to reduce through strain-induced charge delocalization. Taking TaO as a prototype, tensile strain was introduced by engineering a crystalline/amorphous interface, weakening the interaction between Ta 5d and O 2p orbitals, thus endowing a delocalized charge transport and significantly lowering .

Dual active site-mediated Ir single-atom-doped RuO catalysts for highly efficient and stable water splitting.

The electronic structure modulation through heterogeneous single-atom doping is an effective strategy to improve electrocatalysis performance of catalysts. Here, Ir single-atom doped RuO (Ir/RuO) is constructed by substituting Ru sites with mono-disperse Ir atoms in RuO crystals. The Ir/RuO-850 catalyst shows excellent activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media, with overpotentials of only 37 and 234 mV respectively, at a current density of 10 mA cm, lower than that of commercial Pt/C (39 mV-HER) and RuO (295 mV-OER).

analysis of the -glycosidic linkages of oligosaccharides using nonconventional NMR -couplings: and MD models of .

analysis (Meredith , 2022, , 3135-3141) is a new NMR-based method to treat ensembles of redundant NMR spin-coupling constants (-couplings) to obtain experiment-based probability distributions of molecular torsion angles in solution. Work reported to date on modeling the conformations of -glycosidic linkages of oligosaccharides using three conventional -coupling constraints ( , , ) has shown that the method gives mean torsion angles and circular standard deviations (CSDs) for in very good agreement with those obtained by MD simulation. On the other hand, CSDs for determined by analysis have consistently been much larger than those determined by MD, calling into question either the reliability of analysis or MD to accurately predict this behavior.

Tannin-assisted interfacial polymerization towards COF membranes for efficient dye separation.

Membrane separation has been shown to have significant potential in addressing the global shortage of clean water. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have gained significant attention in the field of membrane separation due to their structural stability and controllable pore size. Here, a modification of polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes with TA-assisted COFs is prepared by interfacial polymerization and co-deposition.

Highly efficient aramid fiber supported polypropylene membranes modified with reduced graphene oxide based metallic nanocomposites: antimicrobial and antiviral capabilities.

Polypropylene hybrid polymeric membranes with aramid support have been fabricated using Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS). Different modifying materials, such as metallic nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), improve the properties of these membranes. The nanomaterials and the fabricated membranes have been characterized with FTIR spectrometer, SEM and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer.

Sharply expanding single-atomically dispersed Fe-N active sites through bidirectional coordination for oxygen reduction.

For Fe-NC systems, high-density Fe-N sites are the basis for high-efficiency oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and P doping can further lower the reaction energy barrier, especially in the form of metal-P bonding. However, limited to the irregular agglomeration of metal atoms at high temperatures, Fe-P bonds and high-density Fe-N cannot be guaranteed simultaneously. Here, to escape the random and violent agglomeration of Fe species during high-temperature carbonization, triphenylphosphine and 2-methylimidazole with a strong metal coordination capability are introduced together to confine Fe growth.

MOF-modified dendrite-free gel polymer electrolyte for zinc-ion batteries.

Zinc-ion batteries are promising candidates for large-scale energy storage, and gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) play an important role in zinc-ion battery applications. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are characterized by large specific surface areas and ordered pores. This highly ordered microporous structure provides a continuous transport channel for ions, thus realizing the high-speed transmission of ions.

Vertical spatial denitrification performance and microbial community composition in denitrification biofilters coupled with water electrolysis.

In this study, a denitrification biofilter coupled with water electrolysis (DNBF-WE) was developed as a novel heterotrophic-hydrogen autotrophic denitrification system, which could enhance denitrification with limited organic carbon in the secondary effluent. The volumetric denitrification rate of DNBF-WE reached 152.16 g N m d (C/N = 2, = 60 mA, and HRT = 5 h).

Effective separation of dyes/salts by sulfonated covalent organic framework membranes based on phenolamine network conditioning.

This study developed a modified polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membrane controlled by a phenol-amine network and enhanced with a sulfonated covalent organic framework (SCOF), aimed at improving the efficiency of textile wastewater treatment. Utilizing a phenol-amine network control strategy allows for precise manipulation of interfacial reactions in the synthesis of SCOF, achieving highly uniform modification on the surface of the PAN membrane. This modified membrane demonstrated high rejection of over 98% for various water-soluble dyes, including Alcian blue 8GX, Coomassie Brilliant Blue G250, methyl blue, congo red, and rose bengal, and also exhibited specific selectivity in processing salt-containing wastewater.

Unveiling the heavy-metal ion critical role in γ-dicalcium silicate: from solidification to early hydration.

The heavy-metal ion critical role in γ-dicalcium silicate (γ-CS) both in terms of solidification mechanism and hydration is still unclear. In this work, the solidification mechanism and the effect on initiating hydration of these three heavy-metal ions (Ba, Cd, and Cr) in γ-CS is systemically studied by well-defined calculations. The calculated results show that the solid solution tendency of ions originates from the charge contribution, and the charge localization caused by the doping of Cr ions weakens the surface water adsorption.

Rigidify styryl-pyridinium dyes to benzo[]coumarin-based bright two-photon fluorescent probes for cellular bioimaging.

Fluorescence imaging of organelles at the cellular level is important for studying biological processes. The development of a highly emissive fluorescent probe that operates under a suitable excitation light source is a key step in high-quality fluorescence imaging. For long-term, high-fidelity fluorescence imaging of mitochondria-related cellular processes using two-photon microscopy and stimulated emission depletion microscopy, we developed a new benzocoumarin-based cationic fluorescent probe (BS-CN) that is far-red emitting, water-soluble, photostable, and very bright in cells.

Precise synthesis of BN embedded perylene diimide oligomers for fast-charging and long-life potassium-organic batteries.

Replacing the C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond with an isoelectronic BN unit is an effective strategy to tune the optoelectronic properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, precise control of the BN orientations in large PAH systems is still a synthetic challenge. Herein, we demonstrate a facile approach for the synthesis of BN embedded perylene diimide (PDI) nanoribbons, and the polarization orientations of the BN unit were precisely regulated in the two PDI trimers.

Combined experimental and simulation study on H storage in oxygen and nitrogen co-doped activated carbon derived from biomass waste: superior pore size and surface chemistry development.

In this study, heteroatom (O, N)-doped activated carbon (AC) is produced using urea and KOH activation from abundant and cost-effective biomass waste for H storage. The O and N co-doped AC exhibits the highest specific surface area and H storage capacity (2.62 wt%), increasing by 47% from unmodified AC at -196 °C and 1 bar.

Re-imagining the daniell cell: ampere-hour-level rechargeable Zn-Cu batteries.

The Daniell cell (Cu Zn), was invented almost two centuries ago, but has been set aside due to its non-rechargeable nature and limited energy density. However, these cells are exceptionally sustainable because they do not require rare earth elements, are aqueous and easy to recycle. This work addresses key challenges in making Daniell cells relevant to our current energy crisis.

Using polyacrylamide hydrogel to adsorb chloride ions in cement-based materials.

Concrete material is an important engineering material for modern marine engineering construction, but the presence of chloride ions in sea sand and seawater can cause corrosion of reinforcing steel, which greatly endangers the safety of reinforced concrete structures. Gel is an environmental friendly functional material which has the functions of exchange and adsorption of ions. Therefore, in this paper, polyacrylamide (PAM) gels were prepared for chloride ions adsorption in a reinforced concrete system.

Preparation of CuO@humic acid@carbon nanotube composite material using humic acid as a coupling agent and its lithium-ion storage performance.

The conventional Li-ion battery composite electrode material composed of CuO and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) suffer from poor contact between CuO and CNTs. This results in high electrode resistance and poor electrochemical performance. To solve this problem, CuO@humic acid (HA) @CNT anode material with cross-linked network structure was generated by linking CuO and CNT with HA as a coupling agent.

Chip-based TEM investigation of structural thermal instability in aged layered cathode.

Thermally induced oxygen release is an intrinsic structural instability in layered cathodes, which causes thermal runaway issues and becomes increasingly critical with the continuous improvement in energy density. Furthermore, thermal runaway events always occur in electrochemically aged cathodes, where the coupling of the thermal and electrochemical effect remains elusive. Herein, we report the anomalous segregation of cobalt metal in an aged LiCoO cathode, which is attributed to the local exposure of the high-energy (100) surface of LiCoO and weak interface Co-O dangling bonds significantly promoting the diffusion of Co.

Assembling phenyl-modified colloidal silica on graphene oxide towards ethanol redispersible graphene oxide powder.

Recently, ethanol has shown promising potential in the large-scale reduction of graphene oxide (GO) into graphene. However, dispersion of GO powder in ethanol is a challenge due to its poor affinity, which hinders permeation and intercalation of ethanol between GO molecule layers. In this paper, phenyl-modified colloidal silica nanospheres (PSNS) were synthesized by phenyl-tri-ethoxy-silane (PTES) and tetra-ethyl -silicate (TEOS) using a sol-gel method.

Enhanced volatile fatty acid production from waste activated sludge by urea hydrogen peroxide: performance and mechanisms.

Anaerobic acidogenesis of waste activated sludge (WAS) presents significant potential for resource recovery and waste treatment. However, the slow hydrolysis of WAS limits the efficiency of this approach. In this study, we applied urea hydrogen peroxide (UHP) pretreatment to enhance WAS hydrolysis and investigated the effects of operating parameters on volatile fatty acid (VFA) production and the associated mechanisms.

Study of a three-dimensional biofilm-electrode reactor (3D-BER) that combined heterotrophic and autotrophic denitrification (HAD) to remove nitrate from water.

A three-dimensional biofilm-electrode reactor (3D-BER) that combined heterotrophic and autotrophic denitrification (HAD) was developed to remove nitrate. The denitrification performance of the 3D-BER was evaluated under different experimental conditions, including current intensities (0-80 mA), COD/N ratios (0.5-5), and hydraulic retention times (2-12 h).

Modification of sulfonated poly(arylene ether nitrile) proton exchange membranes by poly(ethylene--vinyl alcohol).

The modification of the physicochemical properties of sulfonated poly(arylene ether nitrile) (SPAEN) proton exchange membranes was demonstrated by poly(ethylene--vinyl alcohol) (EVOH) doping (named SPAEN-%). By controlling the temperature during membrane preparation, the side reactions of the sulfonic acid groups to form sulfonic acid esters were effectively prevented, greatly reducing the proton conductivity of the membranes. Due to the flexible chain of EVOH, SPAEN-8% showed a relatively high elongation of 30.

Cycling stability of FeO nanosheets as supercapacitor sheet electrodes enhanced by MgFeO nanoparticles.

The FeO material is a common active material for supercapacitor electrodes and has received much attention due to its cheap and easy availability and high initial specific capacitance. In the present study, we prepared adhesive-free FeO sheet electrodes for supercapacitors by growing FeO material on nickel foam by hydrothermal method. The sheet electrode exhibited a high initial specific capacitance of 863 F g, but we found that the sheet lost its specific capacitance too quickly through cyclic stability tests.