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Monazite ((Ce, La)PO4) is one of the major types of light rare earth minerals from which the light rare earth elements cerium (Ce) and lanthanum (La) are economically extracted. Flotation is extensively used to recover fine-grained monazite. Sodium oleate (NaOL) is considered as the collector with the strong collecting ability for monazite flotation. However, this study shows that its collecting ability is still limited. In this paper, a phosphonic acid, nonane-1,1-bisphosphonic acid (C9-BPA), was employed as the novel collector in place of NaOL. Flotation experiments show that even when the C9-BPA dosage is less than one-fifth of the NaOL dosage, the monazite recovery using C9-BPA as the collector is approximately 22 wt% higher than that using NaOL. The mechanism by which C9-BPA adsorbs on monazite was investigated using zeta potential, infrared (IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements as well as first-principles calculations. Zeta potential measurements show a more significant decrease in the zeta potentials of monazite after the addition of C9-BPA compared to those after the addition of NaOL. For C9-BPA-treated monazite, the characteristic peaks of C9-BPA were observed in the IR and C 1s XPS spectrum, whereas for monazite treated by NaOL, no characteristic peak of NaOL was observed. Experimental results show that C9-BPA has a stronger affinity towards the monazite surface than NaOL as confirmed by the higher adsorption energy of CP-BPA on the monazite surface (‒204.22 kJ/mol) than NaOL (‒48.48 kJ/mol). This study demonstrates an extensive application value and prospect of C9-BPA in monazite flotation and helps design novel collectors with strong collecting ability for monazite flotation.

In the present work a new thermal conductivity model is developed for two-phase composite materials, which are consisted of a continuous matrix and dispersed 3D-particles separated from each other by the matrix as a function of grain size and volume ratio of the dispersed particles at different temperatures. The model is applied to reproduce experimental thermal conductivity values of cemented carbide systems WC-Co and WC-Ag. Good agreement was found between measured thermal conductivity data originating from both this work and recent literature and the calculated ones only using semi-empirical parameters for the interfacial thermal resistance (ITR) values at WC/Co, WC/Ag and WC/WC interfaces as a function of temperature. Additionally, the temperature and grain size dependence of the thermal conductivity for WC is established for the first time. The model works well for the case when the matrix (Ag) has a higher thermal conductivity compared to that of the WC particles and also for the case when the matrix (Co) has a lower thermal conductivity compared to that of the WC particles. The new model forms a physically sound basis for further development / materials design of cemented carbides and particle-reinforced composite materials.

In the process of multilayer copper wiring CMP (chemical mechanical polishing), electrochemical corrosion will occur due to the contact between slurries and metal interface. Inhibitors are added to slurries to reduce the degree of corrosion reactions. In this paper, a new reagent, adenine (AD), was introduced as a corrosion inhibitor. Electrochemical experiments showed that solutions containing AD obtained a higher potential and a more stable OCP curve than solutions without AD. Potentiodynamic polarization tests showed that the corrosion current density decreased with the addition of a 0.1 wt% AD solution. In addition, an increase in AD led to an increase in corrosion potential, and the Tafel slope indicated the anodic corrosion inhibition of AD. AFM (atomic force microscopy) and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) images of the copper surface showed that the addition of AD could improve the surface morphology of copper and reduce the number of corrosion pits. Static etch tests and polishing experiments proved that AD was an effective inhibitor. The inhibitory mechanism of AD was verified through XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and UV–Vis spectrophotometry experiments, which showed that AD under alkaline conditions mainly depended on the adsorption of AD molecules on the surface of Cu to form an adsorption film. In addition, XPS experiments also proved that AD covered the copper surface and was easier to clean than BTA.

The stigma of saffron, a precious spice widely used in the world, takes only 7.4% (w/w) of the total weight of the flower, resulting in wasting the rest 92.6% of the flower. The utilization of the waste saffron floral bio-residues (SFB) has hence attracted people’s attention. In this paper, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) associated with macroporous resin (MPR) purification step was successfully applied to enrich antioxidant flavonoid in SFB extract for the first time, resulting in significant increase in flavonoid content compared with other extraction method reported in literatures. The yield of the extract was up to 10%, and the content of kaempferol-3-O-sophoroside (KS) in the obtained extract was more than 50%, which was much higher than the total flavonoid content (2.05–19.2%) reported in other literatures. UAE procedure was optimized by studying the influence of parameters, e.g., extracting solvent, time, temperature and sample–solvent ratio, based on contents of KS and delphinidin-3,5-di-O-glucoside (DG) and the antioxidant activity of the extract. Further enrichment of flavonoid was achieved by D-101 MPR with optimum purification conditions. Furthermore, 52 flavonoids, 8 alkaloids and 10 polyols were identified or putatively characterized from the SFB extract using UPLC-MS, and the contents of KS and DG were determined to be 501.90 and 22.01 mg/g, respectively. Besides, the SFB flavonoid extract showed good antioxidant activities with IC50 33.79 μg/mL for DPPH scavenging effect and 39.65 μmol/mg trolox for ORAC values

As potential cast and wrought Mg alloys, Mg-X (X=Al, Zn, Sn) based alloys have attracted great interest. This work is to develop a dataset of atomic mobilities that is valid over a wide composition range. With the obtained mobilities, and a compatible thermodynamic description, as well as thermophysical parameters, simulations are performed to predict the characteristics of precipitation evolution. Examples are presented for the isothermal aging processes in Mg-x wt.%Al (x = 5.9, 6, 8.8, 9), Mg-x wt.%Zn (x = 6, 6.2, 8, 8.65), Mg-x wt.%Sn (x = 6.04, 6.92, 8.64) alloys. The simulated size distribution, number density and volume fraction of precipitates reasonably account for the experimental results and provide additional information for further alloy composition design and heat treatment optimization.

Modelling temperature- and composition-dependent thermal conductivity in alloys is challengeable and is seldom studied systematically. In the present work, a new model is developed to describe the temperature and concentration dependence of thermal conductivity for binary alloys. In this new model, firstly thermal conductivity of pure metals was modelled as the function of temperature for each phase and each magnetic state by the corresponding physically sound model. Secondly, in order to describe the composition and temperature dependence of thermal conductivity for solid phases, the combination of the theories of Nordheim and Mott for electric conductivity of alloys with the Wiedemann-Franz law was performed. Thirdly, the reliability of the new model was verified by presently measured thermal conductivities for pure Co, Ni and Co-Ni alloys at 300, 600, 900 and 1100 K as well as for binary Al-Zn, Mg-Zn and U-Zr systems using the data taken from the literature. The calculated thermal conductivities can well reproduce the measured ones in one-phase regions of a series of Co-Ni alloys. The thermal conductivity in a two-phase region of the Co-Ni system is reasonably predicted as well. It is demonstrated that the new model can be utilized to evaluate the thermal conductivity over the whole investigated composition and temperature ranges for the first time and is expected to be extended to ternary and multicomponent systems by CALPHAD method, which contributes significantly to the development of computational design of materials.

Purpose Nose-to-brain drug delivery is an effective approach for poorly soluble drugs to bypass the blood–brain barrier. A new drug intranasal delivery system, a nanosuspension-based in situ gel, was developed and evaluated to improve the solubility and bioavailability of the drug and to prolong its retention time in the nasal cavity. Materials and Methods Breviscapine (BRE) was chosen as the model drug. BRE nanosuspensions (BRE-NS) were converted into BRE nanosuspension powders (BRE-NP). A BRE nanosuspension in situ gelling system (BRE-NG) was prepared by mixing BRE-NP and 0.5% gellan gum (m/v). First, the BRE-NP were evaluated in terms of particle size and by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Subsequently, the critical ionic concentration of the gellan gum phase transition, influence of the deacetylated gellan gum (DGG) concentration on the expansion coefficient (S%), water-holding capacity, rheological properties and in vitro release behaviour of the BRE-NG were investigated. The pharmacokinetics and brain distribution of the BRE-NG after intranasal administration were compared with those of the intravenously injected BRE-NP nanosuspensions in rats. Results The rheology results demonstrated that BRE-NG was a non-Newtonian fluid with good spreadability and bioadhesion performance. Moreover, the absolute bioavailability estimated for BRE-NG after intranasal administration was 57.12%. The drug targeting efficiency (DTE%) of BRE in the cerebrum, cerebellum and olfactory bulb was 4006, 999 and 3290, respectively. The nose-to-brain direct transport percentage (DTP%) of the cerebrum, cerebellum and olfactory bulb was 0.975, 0.950 and 0.970, respectively. Conclusion It was concluded that the in situ gel significantly increased the drug retention time at the administration site. Therefore, the nanosuspension-based in situ gel could be a convenient and effective intranasal formulation for the administration of BRE.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) generally display an immunosuppressive M2 phenotype and promote tumor progression and metastasis, suggesting their potential value as a target in cancer immunotherapy. Chlorogenic acid (CHA) has been identified as a potent immunomodulator that promotes the polarization of TAMs from an M2 to an M1 phenotype. However, rapid clearance in vivo and low tumor accumulation have compromised the immunotherapeutic efficacy of CHA in clinical trials. In this study, mannosylated liposomes are developed for targeted delivery of CHA to TAMs. The immunoregulatory effects of CHA, along with the overall antitumor efficacy of CHA-encapsulated mannosylated liposomes, are investigated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. The prepared CHA-encapsulated mannosylated liposomes exhibit an ideal particle size, favorable stability, and preferential accumulation in tumors via the mannose receptor-mediated TAMs-targeting effects. Further, CHA-encapsulated mannosylated liposomes inhibit G422 glioma tumor growth by efficiently promoting the polarization of the pro-tumorigenic M2 phenotype to the anti-tumorigenic M1 phenotype. Overall, these findings indicate that CHA-encapsulated mannosylated liposomes have great potential to enhance the immunotherapeutic efficacy of CHA by inducing a shift from the M2 to the M1 phenotype., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • DSPE-PEG-Mannose was prepared to functionalize the liposomes for targeted delivery of CHA to TAMs. • Mannosylated liposomes exhibited preferential accumulation in tumors, thereby promoting the polarization of TAMs. • Mannosylated liposomes have great potential to enhance the immunotherapeutic efficacy of chlorogenic acid.

Wujun Dong1,2 ,* Jun Ye1,2 ,* Weijue Wang,1,2 Yanfang Yang,1,2 Hongliang Wang,1,2 Tong Sun,1,2 Lili Gao,1,2 Yuling Liu1,2 1State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People’s Republic of China; 2Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Novel Formulation, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yuling LiuState Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 10 89285188Fax +86 10 89285190Email ylliu@imm.ac.cnPurpose: Lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles have shown great promise in the transdermal delivery of therapeutic agents. Baicalein, a natural bioactive flavonoid, possesses multiple biological activities against dermatosis. However, its topical application is limited due to its inherently poor hydrophilicity and lipophilicity. In this study, the baicalein-phospholipid complex was prepared to enhance the lipophilicity of baicalein and then lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles loaded with the baicalein-phospholipid complex were developed to improve the transdermal retention and permeability of baicalein.Methods: Lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by the solvent-injection method and characterized in terms of particle size distribution, zeta potential, and morphology. The in vitro release, the ex vivo and in vivo permeation studies, and safety evaluation of lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles were performed to evaluate the effectiveness in enhancing transdermal retention and permeability of baicalein.Results: The lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles obtained by the self-assembled interaction of chitosan and lecithin not only efficiently encapsulated the drug with high entrapment efficiency (84.5%) but also provided sustained release of baicalein without initial burst release. Importantly, analysis of the permeation profile ex vivo and in vivo demonstrated that lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles prolonged the retention of baicalein in the skin and efficiently penetrated the barrier of stratum corneum without displaying skin irritation.Conclusion: These results indicate the potential of drug-phospholipid complexes in enhancing the entrapment efficiency and self-assembled lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles based on phospholipid complexes in the design of a rational transdermal delivery platform to improve the efficiency of transdermal therapy by enhancing its percutaneous retention and penetration in the skin.Keywords: lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles, transdermal delivery, phospholipid complex, baicalein

Deformable nanovesicles (DNVs) have been used in the buccal delivery of biomacromolecules due to their ability to enhance drug penetration. However, no breakthroughs have been made until now due to limited understanding of the factors affecting in vivo buccal delivery. In this study, we designed a series of DNVs, based on an insulin–phospholipid complex (IPC-DNVs), to investigate the influence of drug dose, buccal administration methods, and key quality characteristics of IPC-DNVs for buccal delivery. IPC-DNVs showed a non-linear dose–response relationship between 8 and 12 IU. There was no significant effect of drug delivery site (sublingual mucosa/buccal mucosa) or ligation time (15 or 30 min) on buccal absorption of IPC-DNVs. However, the area above the curve of reduction in blood glucose level overtime (AAC0–6h) for oral mucosa administration was significantly higher than that for buccal mucosa administration. Increasing the drug concentration in IPC-DNVs led to a decrease in AAC0–6h. This might be due to local leakage of DNVs, while squeezing through biological barriers with high concentration of insulin, thus hindering the subsequent delivery of DNVs. IPC-DNVs, measuring 80–220 nm in size, did not significantly affect AAC0–6h. However, when the size was increased to approximately 400 nm, AAC0–6h decreased, thus suggesting that IPC-DNVs with reasonable size were more effective. Additionally, increased deformability of IPC-DNVs might cause drugs to leak easily, thus reducing the promoting effect of buccal absorption. Our results clarified the effect of characteristics of IPC-DNVs on buccal delivery in vivo and provided meaningful support for the design of dosage form of DNVs.

BackgroundMesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) are critical draining lymph nodes of the immune system that accommodate more than half of the body’s lymphocytes, suggesting their potential value as a cancer immunotherapy target. Therefore, efficient delivery of immunomodulators to the MLNs holds great potential for activating immune responses and enhancing the efficacy of antitumor immunotherapy. Self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) have attracted increasing attention to improving oral bioavailability by taking advantage of the intestinal lymphatic transport pathway. Relatively little focus has been given to the lymphatic transport advantage of SMEDDS for efficient immunomodulators delivery to the MLNs. In the present study, we aimed to change the intestinal lymphatic transport paradigm from increasing bioavailability to delivering high concentrations of immunomodulators to the MLNs.MethodsChlorogenic acid (CHA)-encapsulated SMEDDS (CHA-SME) were developed for targeted delivery of CHA to the MLNs. The intestinal lymphatic transport, immunoregulatory effects on immune cells, and overall antitumor immune efficacy of CHA-SME were investigated through in vitro and in vivo experiments.ResultsCHA-SME enhanced drug permeation through intestinal epithelial cells and promoted drug accumulation within the MLNs via the lymphatic transport pathway. Furthermore, CHA-SME inhibited tumor growth in subcutaneous and orthotopic glioma models by promoting dendritic cell maturation, priming the naive T cells into effector T cells, and inhibiting the immunosuppressive component. Notably, CHA-SME induced a long-term immune memory effect for immunotherapy.ConclusionsThese findings indicate that CHA-SME have great potential to enhance the immunotherapeutic efficacy of CHA by activating antitumor immune responses.

Natural Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) fibers were modified with 2-methacryloyloxyethyl isocyanate (MOI) first for the introduction of vinyl groups. Then, 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanethiol was grafted onto the SF fibers via thiol-ene click chemistry using ultraviolet light. The formations of MOI-modified and PFDT-grafted SF fibers were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The morphology of samples was also revealed by a scanning electron microscope. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry results demonstrated that SF fibers did not show significant change in thermal behavior, regardless of the chemical modification. To confirm the cytotoxicity of the prepared SF fibers, MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay was performed, and no toxicity was observed with PFDT-grafted SF fibers. The results also showed that PFDT-grafted SF fibers exhibited good antifouling properties when Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) was selected as a model for algal cells adhesion experiment.

Purpose The aims of this study were to prepare a baicalein self-microemulsion with baicalein-phospholipid complex as the intermediate (BAPC-SMEDDS) and to compare its effects with those of conventional baicalein self-microemulsion (CBA-SMEDDS) on baicalein oral absorption and lymphatic transport. Methods Two SMEDDS were characterized by emulsifying efficiency, droplet size, zeta potential, cloud point, dilution stability, physical stability, and in vitro release and lipolysis. Different formulations of 40 mg/kg baicalein were orally administered to Sprague-Dawley rats to investigate their respective bioavailabilities. The chylomicron flow blocking rat model was used to evaluate their lymphatic transport. Results The droplet sizes of BAPC-SMEDDS and CBA-SMEDDS after 100x dilution were 9.6±0.2 nm and 11.3±0.4 nm, respectively. In vivo experiments indicated that the relative bioavailability of CBA-SMEDDS and BAPC-SMEDDS was 342.5% and 448.7% compared to that of free baicalein (BA). The AUC0-t and Cmax of BAPC-SMEDDS were 1.31 and 1.87 times higher than those of CBA-SMEDDS, respectively. The lymphatic transport study revealed that 81.2% of orally absorbed BA entered the circulation directly through the portal vein, whereas approximately 18.8% was transported into the blood via lymphatic transport. CBA-SMEDDS and BAPC-SMEDDS increased the lymphatic transport ratio of BA from 18.8% to 56.2% and 70.2%, respectively. Therefore, self-microemulsion not only significantly improves oral bioavailability of baicalein, but also increases the proportion lymphatically transported. This is beneficial to the direct interaction of baicalein with relevant immune cells in the lymphatic system and for proper display of its effects. Conclusion This study demonstrates the oral absorption and lymphatic transport characteristics of free baicalein and baicalein SMEDDS with different compositions. This is of great significance to studies on lymphatic targeted delivery of natural immunomodulatory compounds.

SiGe is one of the most promising strain relaxed buffer at advanced technology nodes. In this paper, the effects of pentapotassium; 2-[bis[2-[bis(carboxylatomethyl)amino]ethyl] amino]acetate (DTPA-5K) and triethanolamine (TEA) on Si0.5Ge0.5 chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) under alkaline condition were investigated. The results show that, DTPA-5K is a corrosion and rate enhancer for Si0.5Ge0.5. GeO2 and the silicon sub-oxide are believed to be generated on Si0.5Ge0.5 surface in DTPA-5K solution. The Si0.5Ge0.5 removal rate and its selectivity to TEOS are both proportional to DTPA-5K concentration. However, DTPA-5K has an impact on the slurry stability. With proper DTPA-5K concentration to ensure colloidal stability, the surface roughness of Si0.5Ge0.5 can be improved by triethanolamine (TEA). An optimized slurry formulation in the presence of DTPA-5K and TEA yielded a high Si0.5Ge0.5 removal rate, an acceptable within-wafer non-uniformity (WIWNU), very low surface roughness and desirable selectivity to TEOS. A CMP mechanism for this system is also proposed.

Background: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are critical in tumor progression and metastasis. Selective targeting of TAMs holds great potential to ameliorate the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and enhance the efficacy of antitumor therapy. Various liposomes have been developed to target TAMs via cell-specific surface receptors either to deplete or re-educate TAMs. Since immuno-stimulation often initiates with the interaction of nanocarriers with the innate immunity cells such as macrophages, the intrinsic impact of drug-free liposomes on macrophage activation and polarization via cell interaction is one of the most critical issues in nanomedicine for promoting effective immunotherapy. Methods: In this study, conventional bare liposomes, PEGylated liposomes, and mannosylated liposomes were developed and the cytotoxicity, cellular internalization, immunostimulatory activity, targeting efficiency, antitumor efficacy, and mechanism were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results: All liposomes displayed an ideal particle size, good biocompatibility, and controlled release behavior. Mannosylated liposomes exhibited superior in vitro cellular internalization and tumor spheroid penetration with the aid of the mannose receptor-mediated TAMs-targeting effects. In particular, mannosylated liposomes promoted the polarization of both M0 and M2 to the M1 phenotype by enhancing the expression ratio of CD86/CD206 in vitro. Of note, mannosylated liposomes could inhibit G422 glioma tumor growth, which may be attributed to the polarization of TAMs, as evidenced by the reduction in expression level of the TAMs surface marker. Conclusion: These results indicate the potential value of mannosylated liposomes in the design of a rational delivery system to enhance the antitumor immune efficacy of immunomodulators by inducing a shift from the M2 to the M1 phenotype.

Unlike rotational symmetric surfaces, free-form surfaces have sophisticated degrees of freedom, therefore, are more difficult to be aligned. In this work, a practical and accurate correction method is proposed for the misalignment removal of the free-form surface in a non-null interferometric testing system based on computer modeling. The misalignment aberrations, introduced by axial location error, rotation error and non-axial attitude error, are modeled and corrected step by step. The axial and non-axial positions of the free-form surface in the computer model are adjusted from the ideal position to the misaligned one, matching the actual positions in experiment for the correction. Since the modeled position are tuned to be consistent with the actual one, all the misalignment aberrations can be removed from the test wavefront with the reconstruction algorithm. Computer simulations are displayed to verify the accuracy of the proposed method. Experimental results after alignment show basic consistency with the results of Taylor Hobson Profilometer, in which the peak-to-valley (PV) value error of the profile line is better than 1/30 λ .

A new algorithm to calculate binary phase diagrams is described. The condition numbers of phase matrices are analyzed, which can explain the stability during iterations. The linear systems of equations from thermodynamic calculation are simplified. Such simplifications significantly reduce the condition numbers of phase matrices and improve the computational efficiency. The Cu-Mg and Al-Ta phase diagrams are computed by using a home-made code to verify the efficiency of this algorithm over the method utilizing direct matrix inversion without simplifications. It is highly expected that the presently developed algorithm can be generalized to calculate multi-component phase diagrams efficiently.

Traditional Herbal Medicine (THM) has been used for thousands of years, and is popular worldwide due to its effectiveness in a variety of diseases. THM has also formed the basis of the discovery of modern drugs like artemisinin and paclitaxel. However, at present, studies that focus on development in the field of THM are stagnant because currently, the effective ingredients in the herbal formulations and the ambiguity of the underlying mechanisms of action are unknown. In this review, we have investigated the studies available that focused on the efficacy, active ingredients and bioavailability of THM, and the function of gut microbiota in THM-mediated treatment of disease. We hypothesized that most THMs treat diseases via three mechanisms: (1) metabolizing into active metabolites by the action of gut microbiota, (2) regulation of gut microbiota balance, and (3) regulating the fermentation products of the gut microbes. Therefore, focusing on these aspects can help elucidate the pharmacodynamic constituents of THM preparations, and their therapeutic mechanisms of action.

Novel Co-doped Bi2WO6 nanosheets on the surfaces of an Fe3O4 hybrid material were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The samples were systematically characterized by multiple techniques including XRD, SEM, TEM, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, PL, and SQUID magnetometry. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained samples was evaluated by using rhodamine B (RhB) as a target organic pollutant. The results indicated that 1%Co2+-Fe3O4(0.04 g)/Bi2WO6 displayed the highest photocatalytic activity, and the degradation efficiency reached 88.8% after 120 min. More importantly, the 1%Co2+-Fe3O4(0.04 g)/Bi2WO6 hybrid material showed good magnetic properties, and it could be effectively separated from the reaction mixture by applying an external magnetic field. The enhanced photocatalytic activity should be attributed to the synergistic effect between the heterojunction interface and the Co2+ doping effect, which leads to a strong visible light absorption and higher migration efficiency of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. 1%Co2+-Fe3O4/Bi2WO6 is expected to be a promising photocatalyst for environmental cleaning.

Wafer surface is usually contaminated by organic residues, such as benzotriazole(BTA), after chemical mechanical planarization (CMP). Due to the reason that these organic residuals need to be removed during the post-CMP cleaning process as well as keep the copper corrosion prevented, it is critically important for some large scale industrial applications to develop an effective and low-cost cleaning solution, which will remove the organic residuals and inhibiting corrosion of copper surface. In this work, the effect of surfactant based on alkaline chelating agent was investigated for BTA removal and copper corrosion during post-CMP cleaning. BTA removal was characterized using contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The degree of corrosion of Cu surface was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electrochemical techniques. The Cu surface quality after cleaning was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The defect maps of the 300 mm Cu patterned wafer surface after cleaning were also collected. The experimental results demonstrate that surfactant in the cleaning solution can effectively inhibit the Cu surface corrosion with a lower surface roughness and simultaneously facilitate the removal of BTA residues. The related cleaning mechanism has been studied and proposed based on our experimental results.

The phase separation in the ZrC-TiC-WC pseudo-ternary system is investigated by actualizing a model based on Cahn-Hilliard equation in three-dimensional space. The simulation results show the solute diffusion of the three elements at different time and temperature, and the results are compared with the experimental results. The microstructural evolution is investigated by performing a statistical analysis during the spinodal decomposition. A sub-circular pattern is observed with the Ti- and W-rich regions embedded in the Zr rich matrix and the approximately the same shape and distribution. The number of Ti- and W-rich regions decreases and their averages size increases with time. The time required for completion of phase separation decreases with the increase of temperature. The simulation result of the phase separation in the ZrC-TiC-WC pseudo-ternary system is very similar to the experimental observation in element distribution. The laws and characteristics of microstructure evolution are well predicted in the ZrC-TiC-WC pseudo-ternary system.

13a-(S)-3-pivaloyloxyl-6,7-dimethoxyphenanthro(9,10-b)-indolizidine (CAT3) is a novel oral anti-glioma pro-drug with a potent anti-tumor effect against temozolomide-resistant glioma. 13a(S)-3-hydroxyl-6,7-dimethoxyphenanthro(9,10-b)-indolizidine (PF403) is the active in vivo lipase degradation metabolite of CAT3. Both CAT3 and PF403 can penetrate the blood&ndash, brain barrier to cause an anti-glioma effect. However, PF403, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract and plasma, causes significant gastrointestinal side effects, limiting the clinical application of CAT3. The objective of this paper was to propose a metabolism modification for CAT3 using a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS), in order to reduce the generation of PF403 in the gastrointestinal tract and plasma, as well as increase the bioavailability of CAT3 in vivo and the amount of anti-tumor substances in the brain. Thus, a CAT3-loaded self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (CAT3-SMEDDS) was prepared, and its physicochemical characterization was systematically carried out. Next, the pharmacokinetic parameters of CAT3 and its metabolite in the rats&rsquo, plasma and brain were measured. Furthermore, the in vivo anti-glioma effects and safety of CAT3-SMEDDS were evaluated. Finally, Caco-2 cell uptake, MDCK monolayer cellular transfer, and the intestinal lymphatic transport mechanisms of SMEDDS were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Results show that CAT3-SMEDDS was able to form nanoemulsion droplets in artificial gastrointestinal fluid within 1 min, displaying an ideal particle size (15&ndash, 30 nm), positive charge (5&ndash, 9 mV), and controlled release behavior. CAT3-SMEDDS increased the membrane permeability of CAT3 by 3.9-fold and promoted intestinal lymphatic transport. Hence, the bioavailability of CAT3 was increased 79% and the level of its metabolite, PF403, was decreased to 49%. Moreover, the concentrations of CAT3 and PF403 were increased 2&ndash, 6-fold and 1.3&ndash, 7.2-fold, respectively, in the brain. Therefore, the anti-glioma effect in the orthotopic models was improved with CAT3-SMEDDS compared with CAT3 in 21 days. Additionally, CAT3-SMEDDS reduced the gastrointestinal side effects of CAT3, such as severe diarrhea, necrosis, and edema, and observed less inflammatory cell infiltration in the gastrointestinal tract, compared with the bare CAT3. Our work reveals that, through the metabolism modification effect, SMEDDS can improve the bioavailability of CAT3 and reduce the generation of PF403 in the gastrointestinal tract and plasma. Therefore, it has the potential to increase the anti-glioma effect and reduce the gastrointestinal side effects of CAT3 simultaneously.

The tablet manufacturing process is a complex system, especially in continuous manufacturing (CM). It includes multiple unit operations, such as mixing, granulation, and tableting. In tablet manufacturing, critical quality attributes are influenced by multiple factorial relationships between material properties, process variables, and interactions. Moreover, the variation in raw material attributes and manufacturing processes is an inherent characteristic and seriously affects the quality of pharmaceutical products. To deepen our understanding of the tablet manufacturing process, multivariable modeling techniques can replace univariate analysis to investigate tablet manufacturing. In this review, the roles of the most prominent multivariate modeling techniques in the tablet manufacturing process are discussed. The review mainly focuses on applying multivariate modeling techniques to process understanding, optimization, process monitoring, and process control within multiple unit operations. To minimize the errors in the process of modeling, good modeling practice (GMoP) was introduced into the pharmaceutical process. Furthermore, current progress in the continuous manufacturing of tablets and the role of multivariate modeling techniques in continuous manufacturing are introduced. In this review, information is provided to both researchers and manufacturers to improve tablet quality.

Gambogic acid (GA), a kind of dry resin secreted by the Garcinia hanburyi tree, is a natural active ingredient with various biological activities, such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial effects, etc. An increasing amount of evidence indicates that GA has obvious anti-cancer effects via various molecular mechanisms, including the induction of apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest and the inhibition of invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis. In order to improve the efficacy in cancer treatment, nanometer drug delivery systems have been employed to load GA and form micelles, nanoparticles, nanofibers, and so on. In this review, we aim to offer a summary of chemical structure and properties, anti-cancer activities, drug delivery systems and combination therapy of GA, which might provide a reference to promote the development and clinical application of GA.

In state of the art technologies, defect reduction is central to the achievement of low cost, high yield manufacturing. The defects occurred during the CMP process would lead to severe circuit failure and affect yield. In this paper, effect of slurry chemistry on surface defect during barrier CMP was studied. The experimental results showed that the complexation can effectively remove the copper residue, but would induce large dishing and erosion, if the complexation is so strong. The strong electrostatic attraction on oxide surface can improve the removal rate selectivity of OX to Cu and reduce the dishing and erosion. The dispersion effect and wetting effect can prevent the agglomeration of abrasive particles and make the copper surface hydrophilic, it can effectively reduce scratch defect during CMP.

13a-(S)-3-pivaloyloxyl-6,7-dimethoxyphenanthro(9,10-b)-indolizidine (CAT3) is a novel oral anti-glioma pro-drug with a potent anti-tumor effect against temozolomide-resistant glioma in vivo. However, poor lipid solubility has limited the encapsulation efficacy during formulation development. Moreover, although the active metabolite of CAT3, 13a(S)-3-hydroxyl-6,7-dimethoxyphenanthro(9,10-b)-indolizidine (PF403), can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and approach the brain tissue with a 1000-fold higher anti-glioma activity than CAT3 in vitro, its bioavailability and Cmax were considerably low in plasma, limiting the anti-tumor efficacy. In this study, a novel oleic acid-CAT3 conjugate (OA-CAT3) was synthesized at the first time to increase the lipid solubility of CAT3. The OA-CAT3 loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (OA-CAT3-SLN) were constructed using an ultrasonic technique to enhance the bioavailability and Cmax of PF403 in plasma. Our results demonstrated that CAT3 was amorphous in the lipid core of OA-CAT3-SLN and the in vitro release was well controlled. Furthermore, the encapsulation efficacy and the zeta potential increased to 80.65 &plusmn, 6.79% and &ndash, 26.7 &plusmn, 0.46 mV, respectively, compared to the normal CAT3 loaded SLN. As indicated by the high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) quantitation, the monolayer cellular transepithelial transport rate of OA-CAT3-SLN improved by 2.42-fold relied on cholesterol compared to the CAT3 suspension. Hence, the in vitro cell viability of OA-CAT3-SLN in C6 glioma cells decreased to 29.77% &plusmn, 2.13% and 10.75% &plusmn, 3.12% at 48 and 72 h, respectively. Finally, compared to the CAT3 suspension, the in vivo pharmacokinetics in rats indicated that the plasma bioavailability and Cmax of PF403 as afforded by OA-CAT3-SLN increased by 1.7- and 5.5-fold, respectively. Overall, the results indicate that OA-CAT3-SLN could be an efficacious delivery system in the treatment of glioma.

Co-delivery of chemotherapy drugs and VEGF siRNA (siVEGF) to control tumor growth has been a research hotspot for improving cancer treatment. Current systems co-deliver siVEGF and chemo drugs into tumor cells simultaneously. Although effective, these systems do not flow to the abnormal blood vessels around tumor cells (vascular niche, PVN), which play an important role in the metastasis and deterioration of the tumor. Thus, we custom-synthesized triblock copolymer poly(e-caprolactone)-polyethyleneglycol-poly(L-histidine) (PCL-PEG-PHIS) with previously synthesized folate-PEG-PHIS to construct a targeted multifunctional polymer micelle (PTX/siVEGF-CPPs/TMPM) to sequentially deliver siVEGF-CPPs (disulfide bond-linked siVEGF and cell-penetrating peptides) and paclitaxel (PTX). The sequential delivery vesicles showed the anticipated three-layered TEM structure and dual-convertible (surface charge- and particle size-reversible) features in the tumor environment (pH 6.5), which guaranteed the sequential release of siVEGF-CPPs and PTX in the tumor extracellular environment and tumor cells, respectively. To mimic the in vivo tumor environment, a double cell model was employed by co-culturing HUVECs and MCF-7 cells. Improved cell endocytosis efficiency, VEGF gene silence efficacy, and in vitro anti-proliferation activity were achieved. An in vivo study on MCF-7 tumor-bearing female nude mice also indicated that sequential delivery vesicles could lead to significant induction of tumor cell apoptosis, loss of VEGF expression, and destruction of tumor blood vessels (PVN and neovascularization). These sequential delivery vesicles show potential as an effective co-delivery platform for siVEGF and chemo drugs to improve cancer therapy efficacy.

The isothermal sections of the Ag–Cr–Zr ternary system at 1000 and 750°C were experimentally established. A series of phases as well as their compositions and crystal structures were characterized on the annealed alloys by means of optical microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Our studies have detected four three-phase regions at both 1000 and 750°C. (Ag) was observed to exist in the solid state at 750°C, and in the liquid state at 1000°C. No ternary compound was found in this system. The maximal solubilities of Cr in (Ag), Ag in ZrCr2, and Cr in AgZr2 at 1000°C are 4.12, 2.13, 0.91 at.%, respectively. At 750°C, the solid solubilities of Cr in AgZr, AgZr2, and that of Ag in αZrCr2 are determined to be about 1 at.%.

Based on 18 bulk diffusion couples, the composition-dependent interdiffusion coefficients in the fcc Co-V-Mo alloys at 1273, 1373 and 1473 K were obtained from the intersection points of the diffusion couples by means of EPMA technique coupled with the Whittle and Green method. With the experimentally determined interdiffusion coefficients and the critically reviewed experimental diffusivities available in the literature, the atomic mobilities of fcc Co-V-Mo alloys were assessed by means of Diffusion Controlled Transformation (DICTRA) software. The quality of the assessed atomic mobilities was confirmed by the comprehensive comparisons between various DICTRA-calculated diffusion behaviors and the experimental ones, including concentration profiles and diffusion paths.

Based on 18 bulk diffusion couples, the composition-dependent interdiffusion coefficients in the FCC Co-rich Co-Ti-V alloys at 1273, 1373 and 1473 K were obtained from the intersection points of the diffusion couples by means of EPMA technique applied to Whittle and Green method. The reliability of the experimental interdiffusivities is validated via thermodynamic constraints. Taking Co as the solvent element, the present results show that when the temperature is from 1273 to 1473 K, the ternary interdiffusion coefficients increases from 10−16 to 10−14 m2/s and the diffusion of Ti is generally faster than V. The ternary main interdiffusion coefficients of $$\tilde{D}_{\text{TiTi}}^{\text{Co}}$$ and $$\tilde{D}_{\text{VV}}^{\text{Co}}$$ at different compositions of Ti and V at 1473 K were compared with the values obtained for boundary binary Co-Ti and Co-V systems in the literature. A composition-dependent decreasing-increasing tendency was found for $$\tilde{D}_{\text{VV}}^{\text{Co}}$$ .

The Cu-Cr-Zr ternary system was investigated via thermodynamic modeling coupled with key experiments. The isothermal section of the Cu-Cr-Zr system at 1123 K was determined by means of optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis, and the phase transformation temperatures were measured by differential scanning calorimetry. The Cu-Cr sub-binary system was re-assessed with a substitutional solution model for the solution phases to ensure its compatibility in multi-component system. A set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters for the Cu-Cr-Zr systems was obtained using the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagram) approach, and the calculated phase diagram is in a satisfactory agreement with the present experimental results and literature information. An increase of the thermodynamic stability for the CuZr and Cr 2 Zr phases due to the ternary solubility is verified by calculation.

Utilizing five groups of bulk diffusion couples together with electron probe microanalysis technique, the composition-dependent ternary interdiffusion coefficients in fcc Cu–Ni–Sn alloys at 1023 K were determined via the Whittle and Green method. The presently obtained interdiffusion coefficients at 1023 K as well as our previously measured ones at 1073 K were combined with the slightly modified thermodynamic descriptions of the fcc Cu–Ni–Sn phase to explore atomic mobilities of Cu, Ni and Sn in fcc Cu–Ni–Sn alloys within the CALPHAD framework. In order to be consistent with the thermodynamic description, atomic mobilities in binary fcc Ni–Sn alloys were re-evaluated in the present work. The quality of the assessed kinetic characteristics was confirmed by the comprehensive comparisons between various model-predicted diffusion behaviors and the experimental ones, including concentration profiles and diffusion paths.

For the purpose of studying the diffusion behavior of hcp Mg–Al–Sn alloys, several Mg–Al, Mg–Sn and Mg–Al–Sn alloys were prepared and assembled into ten diffusion couples annealed at 723, 773, 823 K separately. With the aid of the electron probe microanalyzer technique and efficient CALTPP (CALculation of ThermoPhysical Properties) software, the composition dependent interdiffusivities at various temperatures were calculated. After that, the atomic mobilities were evaluated according to the obtained diffusivities in conjunction with available thermodynamic descriptions of the system in literature. Extensive comparisons between the model-predicted and experimental data on diffusion behaviors indicate the reliability of the presently obtained kinetic parameters. It worth noting that the measured composition profiles and diffusion paths can be logically predicted merely with two ternary interaction parameters. The currently obtained atomic mobilities will serve the high-throughput computation design for multi-component Mg alloys.

The calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD) approach in combination with first-principles calculation was employed to perform a thermodynamic modeling of the Cu–Be system. The experimental phase diagram and thermodynamic data available in the literature were critically reviewed. The enthalpy of formation for the ordered γ (bcc_B2) phase at 0 K was computed via first-principles calculation. In addition to the high-temperature disordered bcc_A2 form of Be, there are large homogeneity ranges for bcc_A2 and bcc_B2 from 30 to 50 at.% Be over wide temperature ranges. It is thus a challenge for CALPHAD approach in which all of the bcc lattice stabilities might be modeled with a single Gibbs energy function. A stepwise thermodynamic modeling of the disorder (bcc_A2) and order (bcc_B2) transition was proposed to obtain a set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters for the Cu–Be system. The calculated phase diagram and thermodynamic properties using the present thermodynamic description are in a satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. The presently proposed strategy is equally valid for the modeling of complex order/disorder transition in other binary systems.

Arsenic pollution has caused worldwide attention due to its mandatory toxicity. Chemical structures of the adsorbent and arsenic species greatly influence the arsenic adsorption efficiency. The goethite impregnated graphene oxide (GO)-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) aerogel (α-FeOOH@GCA) was prepared via a facile self-assembly method of GO-CNTs induced by in-situ Fe2+ reduction. α-FeOOH@GCA showed excellent adsorption capacities of 56.43, 24.43 and 102.11mgg-1 for As(V), DMA and p-ASA comparing with that of 25.71, 8.03 and 14.52mgg-1 of pristine α-FeOOH, respectively. The incorporation of GO-CNTs not only hinders the aggregation of GO-CNTs but also inhibits the growth of α-FeOOH nanoparticles greatly facilitating the diffusion and adsorption capacity of arsenic species. α-FeOOH@GCA shows wide favorable application pH for arsenic species adsorption, high adsorption kinetics and excellent reusability. The phosphate and silicate anions compete with the arsenic species for active adsorption sites due to the similar anionic structure. Based on FTIR spectra, arsenic species were proven to form inner sphere complex on the surface of α-FeOOH@GCA through different ligand exchanging mechanism greatly dependent on the molecular structures of arsenic species. The results show that α-FeOOH@GCA could be used as promising adsorbent for arsenic purification in water system.

For the advanced IC technology nodes, the surface quality of the polished silicon substrate surface becomes more and more critical. Haze is used to characterize extremely small pits scatter light disproportionately at the angle of measurement (90°), and Haze collected on full wafer scale with high throughput is the key CMP output parameter in an advanced CMP process. In this study, the influence of surface defects especially scratch, particle contamination, and surface roughness on Haze was investigated. The results indicate scratch and particle contamination take some influence on Haze, and Haze increases quickly with the increasing of surface roughness. So it can be concluded that surface roughness is the key affecting factor of Haze. In addition, the influence of FA/O surfactant in the alkaline slurry on Haze was studied. The results show FA/O surfactant can effectively decrease Haze. Finally, the advantages of the FA/O alkaline slurry were exhibited by the contrast experiments. A much lower level of metallic ions residual and a much better WIWNU were gotten for silicon wafers polished by FA/O alkaline slurry than that by the commercial one. Hence, the FA/O alkaline slurry provides a high quality silicon wafer surface. The results are helpful for researching the silicon CMP as well as the other materials.

Arsenic pollution poses severe threat to human health, therefore dealing with the problem of arsenic contamination in water bodies is extremely important. The adsorption behaviors of different arsenic species, such as arsenate (As(V)), p-arsanilic acid (p-ASA), roxarsone (ROX), dimethylarsenate (DMA) from water using mesoporous bimetal oxide magnetic manganese ferrite nanoparticles (MnFe 2 O 4 ) have been detailedly investigated. The adsorbent was synthesized via a facile co-precipitation approach and recovered conveniently owing to its strong magnetic properties. The obtained MnFe 2 O 4 with large surface area and abundant hydroxyly functional groups exhibited excellent adsorption performance for As(V) and p-ASA, in contrast to ROX and DMA with the maximum adsorption capacities of As(V), p-ASA, ROX and DMA of 68.25 mg g −1 , 59.45 mg g −1 , 51.49 mg g −1 , and 35.77 mg g −1 , respectively. The Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model correlated satisfactorily with the adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics, and thermodynamic parameters depicted the spontaneous endothermic nature for the adsorption of different arsenic species. The adsorption mechanism of different arsenic species onto MnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles at various pH values could be explained by surface complexation and molecular structural variations. Attenuated Total internal Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) further proved that arsenic species were bonded to the surface of MnFe 2 O 4 through the formation of an inner-sphere complex between the arsenic acid moiety and surface metal centers. The results would help to know the interaction of arsenic species with iron-manganese minerals and the mobility of arsenic species in natural environments.

In this study, three typical impact-protective materials, D3O, PORON XRD, and DEFLEXION were chosen to explore the dependences of rheological and compression mechanical properties on the internal cellular structures with polymer matrix characteristics, which were examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyses, and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The rheological property of these three foaming materials were examined using a rheometer, and the mechanical property in a compression mode was further examined using an Instron universal tensile testing machine. The dependences of rheological parameters, such as dynamic moduli, normalized moduli, and loss tangent, on angular frequency, and the dependences of mechanical properties in compression, such as the degree of strain-hardening, hysteresis, and elastic recovery, on the strain rate for D3O, PORON XRD, and DEFLEXION can be well-correlated with their internal cellular structural parameters, revealing, for example, that D3O and PORON XRD exhibit simultaneously high strength and great energy loss in a high-frequency impact, making them suitable for use as soft, close-fitting materials; however, DEFLEXION dissipates much energy whether it suffers a large strain rate or not, making it suitable for use as a high-risk impact-protective material. The rheometry and compression tests used in this study can provide the basic references for selecting and characterizing certain impact-protective materials for applications.

Mitochondria are important targets for the intracellular delivery of drugs and DNA. For mitochondria-targeted delivery, a mitochondriotropic molecule, triphenylphosphonium (TPP), was applied to the synthesis of amphiphilic TPP-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(e-caprolactone) (TPP-PEG-PCL) polymers. The TPP-PEG-PCL polymer was used to prepare micelles using a solvent evaporation method for the delivery of gambogic acid (GA) (GA-TPP). The micelles were obtained with a favorable particle size of 150.07 ± 11.71 nm and an encapsulation efficiency of 80.78 ± 1.36%, and they displayed homogeneous spherical shapes. The GA-TPP micelles exerted enhanced cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effect against A549 cells compared to free GA and GA-loaded PEG-PCL (GA-PP) micelles, due to the inhibition of the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and promotion of caspase 3/7 and caspase 9 activity. Notably, the mitochondria-targeting GA-TPP micelles selectively accumulated in the mitochondria, inducing the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the release of cytochrome c , thereby achieving improved mitochondria-targeting effects. In conclusion, the GA-TPP micelle system shows great promise for lung cancer treatment by inducing an apoptotic effect via the mitochondrial signaling pathway.

The Cu-Zr binary system is re-investigated via experiment and thermodynamic modeling. Four alloys were prepared by arc melting in order to check the controversial phase equilibria reported in the literature. Both as-cast and annealed alloys were examined by optical microscopy, x-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis, and the phase transformation temperatures were measured by differential scanning calorimetry. The intermetallic compounds, Cu24Zr13, Cu2Zr and Cu5Zr8, were demonstrated to be not the stable phases. Based on the literature information and present experimental data, the Cu-Zr system was critically evaluated by means of CALculation of PHAse Diagram approach. A set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters was obtained, and the calculated phase diagram and thermodynamic properties are in a satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.

Resveratrol (RES), a natural polyphenolic compound existing in plants, exhibits anticancer potential in inhibiting growth of various types of human cancers especially breast cancer. However, the poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability limit its clinical application. Pluronic F127 (F127)-SS-Tocopherol (TOC) polymer is a redox-sensitive conjugate which has been synthesized by our previous study. Due to the amphiphilic properties of block copolymer F127-SS-TOC, RES was encapsulated by the F127-SS-TOC polymer and formed RES-loaded micelles (F127-SS-TOC/RES) in aqueous solution by self-assembly via a solvent evaporation method. The drug loading of F127-SS-TOC/RES micelles was 13.25 ± 2.29%, which remained stable for 7 days at 25 °C. The particle size and zeta potential of the above-mentioned micelles measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) were 39.50 ± 1.39 nm and −4.55 ± 0.39 mV, respectively. Besides, F127-SS-TOC/RES micelles have significant cytotoxicity in human breast cancer cells MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 compared to free RES and non-redox-sensitive F127-TOC/RES micelles. The results also showed that redox-sensitive F127-SS-TOC/RES micelles could induce apoptosis and elevate the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level against MDA-MB-231 cells. Hence, our results indicated that RES loaded F127-SS-TOC micelles hold potential in improving the treatment of breast cancer.

1D Ag3PO4-NPs/Cu-NWs have been constructed to enhance visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity via biomimetic synthesis. Cu nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. During the process of biomimetic synthesis, the porous PTFE film, which can mimic the transport process of cell membranes, plays an important role in controlling the transport speed of silver ions (Ag+) to decrease the reaction speed. Thus inhibition of the replacement reaction of Ag+/Cu and the uniform growth of Ag3PO4 nanoparticles (NPs) with a diameter of about 10 nm on Cu-NWs can be realized simultaneously. The diameter of Ag3PO4-NPs/Cu-NW is about 70 nm. Owing to the high electron transport of single crystal Cu-NWs, the free electrons in Ag3PO4 are transferred out to promote photogenerated electron–hole pair separation. The stability of Ag3PO4 NPs of the Ag3PO4-NPs/Cu-NWs was improved and the photodecomposition no longer occurred. Meanwhile, the band-gap of Ag3PO4 decreased to 2.07 eV after being coated on Cu-NWs and expanded the absorption scope of visible-light. In addition, the active species-trapping experiments indicated that the holes and ˙O2− play important roles in the photocatalytic reactions. The novel Ag3PO4-NPs/Cu-NWs were used for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CPFX) for the first time and showed high photocatalytic degradation performance. After visible-light irradiation for 15 min, the degradation rates of CPFX with pure Ag3PO4 NPs and AC0.3 as catalysts were about 27% and 53%. In the end, the degradation efficiency of Ag3PO4-NPs/Cu-NWs was 6.07 times that of the pure Ag3PO4 NPs.

Silicon wafers have been widely used as substrate in the Giga large-scale integration (GLSI). Silicon chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) factors are very important for the polished silicon surface state, because they play an important role in the quality and yield of devices. The effect of CMP factors on silicon substrate removal rate and surface quality used for advanced technology nodes integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing was the focus of this study. In particular, the effect of pH, temperature, and abrasive concentration on silicon CMP were investigated. The alkaline slurry used in the experiments was a non-hydrogen peroxide based system containing a novel type chelating agent and a surfactant. The pH experiments showed that the silicon removal rate depends on the slurry pH, surface roughness and haze are decreasing with the increase of the slurry pH. The temperature and abrasive concentration experiments proved that the polishing temperature and the abrasive concentration have some effect on silicon removal rate, surface roughness, and haze. The silicon removal rate increases with the increase of the abrasive concentration, while the surface roughness and haze decrease; moreover, with the increase of the polishing temperature, the silicon removal rate, surface roughness, and haze increase. Silicon CMP is a combination of mechanical and chemical processes, which shows that the increase in both the mechanical and chemical effects can contribute to the increase in the silicon removal rate. Furthermore, the surface quality (roughness and haze) depends on the mechanical and chemical effects; the increase in the chemical effect is favorable but that in the mechanical effect is harmful to the surface quality. The results obtained facilitate the study of silicon CMP and other materials.