Search

A series of novel Sr5YTi3Nb7O30:xEu3+ (x = 0.05–0.40) red-emitting phosphors were firstly synthesized using the high-temperature solid-state method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns demonstrate that the phosphors are pure phase with the space group P4bm of tetragonal system. Under the 395 nm excitation wavelength, the red emission of Sr5YTi3Nb7O30:Eu3+ phosphor is considered to be dominated by the 5D0→7F2 transition at 613 nm. The asymmetry ratios (R/O) of Sr5YTi3Nb7O30:xEu3+ (x = 0.05–0.40) phosphors are identified as 2.64–2.78, which contribute to the high color purity (99.5%–99.8%). The phosphor has good thermal stability with 0.17 eV of activation energy. The Commission International de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of the w-LED nearly overlap with the standard white light (0.333, 0.333), the Ra is as high as 90. Meanwhile, the features of fingerprint are simultaneously distinguished at three levels on aluminum foil by Sr5YTi3Nb7O30:0.30Eu3+ phosphor. In addition, the latent fingerprint on various nonporous substrates (stainless steel, glass, and plastic surfaces) were identified. In summary, the phosphor is feasible to apply in the w-LEDs and latent fingerprint detection.

A double-perovskite Sr3TeO6:Eu3+ red phosphor was successfully prepared and confirmed to be a single phase through X-ray diffraction. Under an optimal excitation wavelength (394 nm), the Sr3TeO6:Eu3+ phosphor emitted intense red light at 617 nm, which corresponded to 5D0→7F2 transition. When the concentration of Eu3+ exceeded the optimal doping concentration (25 mol%), concentration quenching occurred because of the interactions among the nearest neighbor ions. The phosphor exhibited excellent thermal stability, and the Ea value was 0.27 eV. In accordance with Judd–Ofelt theory, the low symmetry of Eu3+ ions was confirmed, and it resulted in a color purity of up to 99.5%–99.8%. Among the charge compensators (Li+, Na+, and K+), the Na+ ions had the best charge compensation effect. The luminescence intensity of Sr3TeO6:Eu3+, Na+ was approximately 2.06 times that of Sr3TeO6:Eu3+ and 2.25 times that of commercial phosphor (Y2O3:Eu3+). The fabricated red LED has the potential to be used for plant and herb cultivation. A white light–emitting diode (w–LED) was successfully prepared, and related parameters were established. The Ra value of the prepared w–LED was as high as 91, and R9 was 5.7 times that of a commercial w–LED. These characteristics indicate that phosphors have potential in the solid-state lighting field.

Biological gel paper actuators (BGPAs) constitute a rising class of electroactive smart artificial muscles with the advantages of large deformation and high energy density at low cost, and they are extensively used in areas such as soft robots, aerospace applications, and biomedical engineering. In this study, a double-side casting process and evaluation methods were proposed for manufacturing electroactive BGPAs and testing their output force characteristics. Furthermore, the effect and optimization mechanism of the double-side casting temperature on the output force performance and electrically activated mechanochemical behavior of a BGPA were studied in depth under single-cycle and repeated work periods. The experimental results demonstrated that when the casting temperature was 50 °C, various hydrogel membranes of BGPAs had optimal connections, with a penetration thickness of 6 μm, which reduced the interfacial contact resistance and drastically increased the quantity of interlayer hydrated ions. Moreover, the specific capacitance of this BGPA reached a maximum at 551.34 mF/g, but its elastic modulus, internal resistance and water loss rate all reached minimum values of 5.934 MPa, 1.91 Ω and 0.176%, respectively. Hence, the ideal values of the working life and output force density were similarly obtained for the BGPA, which were 891 s and 16.249 mN/g, respectively. In general, this optimized high-performance BGPA holds great value for the development and validation of natural smart polymers and engineering solutions.

As a major high-energy plasticizer in the production of propellant, the destructive nature and thermal hazards of DINA are enormous. To evaluate the potential thermal hazards for its decomposition, the non-isothermal DSC and ARC experiments were performed to determine the decomposition kinetic model and parameters. It can be seen from the DSC results that DINA underwent a melting process before thermal decomposition, the endothermic peak and exothermic peak are identified at about 49−52℃ and 153−162℃, respectively. Combined with the results of DSC and ARC tests, the reliable kinetic model of DINA consists of four consecutive autocatalytic reaction has been created and verified. Subsequently, kinetic-based numerical simulations were executed to evaluate the thermal explosion hazards of DINA under the different scenarios. Process safety parameters under adiabatic conditions including time to maximum rate as well as induction period were consequently retrieved. Furthermore, inherent safety recommendations were proposed to forestall the process accidents in storage and the applications of DINA.

Recently, hollow filler as an emerging concept is attracting more attention in preparation of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). Herein, poly(ethylene glycol) microcapsules (PMC) are synthesized via distillation precipitation polymerization and embedded into the polyetherimide (Ultem®1000) matrix to fabricate MMMs for CO2 capture. The PMC exhibits a preferential hollow structure within the Ultem matrix to furnish highways within membrane, and thus achieve high gas permeability. Meanwhile, the favorable affinity of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) microcapsule with ether oxygen group (EO) towards CO2 enhances the CO2 solubility selectivity. Such integration of physical and chemical microenvironments in the as-designed PEG microcapsule affords highly enhanced CO2 separation performance. Compared to pristine Ultem®1000, the membrane with 2.5 wt% PMC loading exhibits 310% increment in CO2 permeability and 22% increment in CO2/N2 selectivity, which shows the promising prospects of designing PEG-containing microcapsules as the filler of MMMs for CO2 capture.

In this study, flower-like Fe3O4 microspheres with hierarchical structure were prepared by a one-step solvothermal method, and the obtained flower-like Fe3O4 microspheres were adopted as a new magnetorheological (MR) material to prepare a uniform MR suspension with high performances. The synthesized samples were systematically examined using FE-SEM, TEM, TGA, XRD, XPS, BET and VSM. The prepared flower-like Fe3O4 microspheres-based MR fluid indicated typical MR properties, as evidenced by the fact that shear stress, yield stress, viscoelastic storage modulus and loss modulus of MR fluid strongly depended on magnetic field strengths. Specifically, the resultant MR fluid showed good sedimentation stability with sedimentation ratio of 86.5% in the settling period. The excellent sedimentation stability could be attributed to the unique flower-like hierarchical structure, high specific surface area and the reduced particle-fluid density mismatch.

This study established a facile one-step strategy to anchor MnFe2O4 nanoparticles on the surface of MoS2 nanosheets in a controlled manner. The as-prepared MnFe2O4/MoS2 nanocomposites were investigated by TEM, XRD, XPS, Raman, BET and VSM in detail. The MnFe2O4 nanoparticles with an average particle size of 26 nm were densely and uniformly decorated on MoS2 nanosheets, and consequently, both the aggregation of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles and restacking of MoS2 nanosheets were effectively prevented. More importantly, the MnFe2O4/MoS2 nanocomposites exhibited high specific surface area, typical superparamagnetic behavior and excellent solution dispersion, showing a great potential for biomedical applications in the fields of magnetic resonance imaging, targeted drug delivery and tumor hyperthermia.

In this study, we reported novel nanocomposites containing cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets (CoFe2O4/MoS2). The obtained CoFe2O4/MoS2 as dispersed phase was used to prepare magnetorheological (MR) fluid and the rheological properties were investigated in detail. The results of transmission electron microscopy showed that the CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were homogeneoused decorated on the surface of MoS2 nanosheets. The successful preparation of CoFe2O4/MoS2 was further confirmed by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. The CoFe2O4/MoS2 based MR fluid exhibited typical MR effect with increasing viscosity, shear stress, yield stress and dynamic shear moduli depending on external magnetic fields. More importantly, the prepared fluid showed excellent sedimentation stability due to unique two-dimensional structure and reduced fluid-particle density mismatch.

Temperature sensitive p(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) modified gold nanoparticles (GNP@PNA) were prepared via coordination bonding between gold and sulfur elements. Their diameter and zeta potential were 86 nm and −26.2 mV at 25 °C, and 47 nm and −30.5 mV at 37 °C respectively. Thermogravimetric characterization of GNP@PNA indicated that the PNA shell and the GNP core accounted for 19.2 wt% and 78.2 wt%, namely ca. 70–80 chains of PNA were combined on the surface of one GNP nanoparticle. GNP@PNA showed much better X-ray attenuation ability, ca. 1.6–3.3 times higher than that of Omnipaque. In addition, the temperature sensitive sol–gel transition of GNP@PNA dispersions could realize the so-called “in situ casting” embolization from tumoral aorta to peripheral arteries, and improve their angiographic ability owing to the inhibition against GNP aggregation via gelation. Renal artery embolization on normal rabbits and TAE on VX2 tumor-bearing rabbits indicated that GNP@PNA achieved better embolization for longer times than Ivalon and Lipiodol. Excellent biocompatibility of GNP@PNA dispersions was also observed via the evaluation of cytotoxicity, hemolysis and hepatorenal function.

In the present work, we reported a facile synthesis of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles in the presence of L -cysteine (Lys). The morphology and size of samples were characterized by SEM and TEM. The successful coating of Lys on the surface of CoFe2O4 was confirmed by XRD, XPS and TGA. The investigation of magnetic properties showed that both bare CoFe2O4 and Lys-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles exhibited room-temperature superparamagnetic behavior. The results of MTT experiments revealed insignificant cytotoxicity of Lys-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles even after 24 h incubation. More importantly, Lys-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles displayed an excellent drug loading capacity and a pH-sensitive drug release behavior. In summary, the prepared Lys-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles demonstrated a promising application potential in controlled drug delivery.

In this study, poly (e-caprolactone) (PCL) microspheres loading magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles and anti-cancer drug of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) were successfully prepared by a modified solvent-evaporation method. The obtained magnetic composite microspheres exhibited dual features of magnetic resonance imaging and controlled drug delivery. The morphology, structure, thermal behavior and magnetic properties of the drug-loaded magnetic microspheres were investigated in detail by SEM, XRD, DSC and SQUID. The obtained composite microspheres showed superparamagnetic behavior and T2-weighted enhancement effect. The drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, releasing behavior and in vitro cytotoxicity of the drug-loaded composite microspheres were systematically investigated. It was found that the values of drug loading and encapsulation efficiency were 36.7% and 25.8%, respectively. The composite microspheres were sensitive to pH and released in a sustained way, and both the release curves under various pH conditions (4.0 and 7.4) were well satisfied with the biphase kinetics function. In addition, the magnetic response of the drug-loaded microspheres was studied and the results showed that the composite microspheres had a good magnetic stability and strong targeting ability.

In this study, monodisperse and superparamagnetic manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles have been synthesized by a one-pot sonochemical method using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as stabilizer. The as-prepared MnFe2O4 nanoparticles were investigated systematically by TEM, XRD, FTIR, XPS, SQUID and MTT. The TEM observation showed that the PVP-coated MnFe2O4 nanoparticles had uniform dispersion with narrow particle size distribution. The magnetization curves demonstrated superparamagnetic properties of the coated MnFe2O4 nanoparticles with good hydrophilicity at room temperature. The in vitro cytotoxicity experiments exhibited negligible cytotoxicity of the obtained PVP-coated MnFe2O4 nanoparticles even at the high concentration of 150 μg/mL after 24 h treatment. More importantly, anti-cancer model drug of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) was loaded on the surface of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. The drug loading capacity of the developed nanocarrier reached 0.45 mg/mg and the loaded DOX exhibited interesting pH-dependent release behavior. In conclusion, the as-prepared PVP-coated MnFe2O4 nanoparticles were proposed as a potential candidate for controlled drug delivery.

Superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were successfully deposited on the surface of MoS2 nanosheets (Fe3O4/MoS2) by a sonochemical method and the obtained Fe3O4/MoS2 nanocomposites were used as a promising candidate for a magnetorheological (MR) fluid. This MR fluid was prepared from the Fe3O4/MoS2 nanocomposites and its corresponding MR performances were examined using a rotational rheometer. The MR fluid based on Fe3O4/MoS2 showed typical MR effects with increasing viscosity, shear stress, yield stress and dynamic shear modulus depending on the applied magnetic fields. Compared with commercial carbonyl iron (CI) particles, the sedimentation stability of the Fe3O4/MoS2–MR fluid was greatly improved because of its unique two-dimensional structure and the reduced fluid–particle density mismatch. Therefore, the prepared Fe3O4/MoS2-based MR fluid with typical MR effects and good sedimentation stability would have great potential in practical applications.

Cu-Ni bimetallic single atoms supported on core–shell materials of TiO2@N-doped porous graphene were prepared using a precursor dilution strategy. HAADF-STEM and XRD results showed Cu and Ni atoms were uniformly dispersed on the surface of the N-doped porous graphene. XPS revealed the coordination environment of copper and nickel atoms, forming Cu-N4 and Ni-N4, which were conductive to the desulfurization. The photocatalytic performance of the catalysts was evaluated by the removal of dibenzothiophene from the model oil. The effect of the metal loading, temperature, reaction time, and reaction time on the desulfurization ratios was investigated. Experimental results showed the desulfurization activities of 1 wt% TiO2@Cu/Ni-NG was the best. The desulfurization ratios of DBT achieved 100% for 120 min under 30 °C, and the desulfurization ratios could still achieved 98.5% after 10 cycles. With the increase in the metal loading and reaction temperature, desulfurization ratios increased first and then decreased. The kinetics of the desulfurization reaction was established, which showed TiO2@Cu/Ni-NG could reduce the activation energy and accelerate the reaction rate because of the synergistic effect between the Cu and Ni single-atom loaded on the surface of nitrogen-doped graphene. The simple and universal preparation process of TiO2@Cu/Ni-NG makes it have a good application prospect.

In this study, we prepared calcium ferrite (CaFe2O4) nanocrystal clusters by a solvothermal method and evaluated their application potential in magnetorheological (MR) fluid. The morphology, composition, microstructure and magnetic properties of the CaFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters were investigated in detail. The as-prepared CaFe2O4-based MR fluid showed typical Bingham fluid behavior, changing from a liquid-like to a solid-like structure under an external magnetic field. Compared with carbonyl iron (CI) particles, the MR fluid based on CaFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters showed enhanced sedimentation stability, which can be mainly due to the reduced density mismatch between dispersed phase and carrier fluid. In conclusion, the as-prepared CaFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters are considered as a promising candidate for high-performance MR fluid.

Designing an efficient and environmentally-friendly catalyst for desulfurization and denitrogenation of diesel to substitute for widely used catalysts is essential. We have prepared Ir/Pr-N-CQDs-TiO2 by doping N, CQDs, Ir, and Pr in TiO2. The results suggested that turnover frequencies were much higher than those of the others, which indicated that the prepared catalyst had an excellent activity of desulfurization and denitrogenation under ultraviolet radiation. Turnover frequencies of benzothiophene, dibenzothiophene, and 4, 6-dimethyldibenzothiophene were 62.8, 78.4, and 92.4, and turnover frequencies of quinolone, indole, and carbazole were 64.5, 88.4, and 86.5, respectively. The ratios of desulfurization and denitrogenation reached 99.8% and 95.5%. The results of PL, UV–vis, and EPR showed the doping of N, CQDs, Ir, and Pr could extend the range of photo-absorption and improve the hole-electron separation of TiO2. This might be because of the N, CQDs, Ir, and Pr increasing oxygen vacancies and defects on the catalytic surface, forming lower gap energy and rapidly transferring and reserving electrons under ultraviolet radiation. Also, the photocatalytic mechanism of Ir/Pr-N-CQDs-TiO2 was proposed in the present work.

Given the limitations of conventional vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) systems, a novel vacuum ultraviolet/graphite carbon nitride (VUV/g-C3N4) system with high adaptability to varying environmental conditions was developed. Compared with conventional VUV and UV/g-C3N4 systems, the VUV/g-C3N4 system demonstrates a much higher ability for the efficient degradation of chlorophenols (CPs). In particular, the VUV/g-C3N4 system exhibits outstanding performance even at low pH and high concentrations of humic acid and SO42-. Alkaline conditions and the presence of HCO3- can further promote CP removal. In addition, the feasibility of the VUV/g-C3N4 system was verified by its stable operation in both river water and tap water. Unlike conventional photochemical systems relying on •OH, the dominant reactive species for CP degradation by the VUV/g-C3N4 system was identified to be •O2-. This study conclusively provided a novel system for the efficient photocatalytic treatment of pollutants.

The removal of thiophene sulfides was considered as one of the major steps for producing clean diesel fuel. We prepared a defect-rich Pr/Ce–N–TiO2 for breaking carbon-sulfur bonds of thiophene sulfides aided by visible light. Prepared photocatalysts of Pr/Ce–N–TiO2-2 had a large specific surface area of 114 m2/g and a pore diameter of 20–30 nm. The experimental results displayed the Turnover Frequency of thiophene, benzothiophene, dibenzothiophene, and 4, 6-dimethyl-dibenzothiophene was 50, 48, 45, and 49, respectively. Interestingly, the proper content of defects on the surface distinctly improved the activity of the oxidation and in situ hydrogenation of dibenzothiophenes. And desulfurization ratios were 100% when the composition of Pr3+, Ce3+, Ti3+, and Oads on the surface of the catalyst was 10.6, 6.6, 18.9, and 12.3%. The consequences of Photoluminescence emission spectra, Ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry, and Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy showed the co-doping of N, Pr, and Ce extended the photo-absorption range and increased the hole-electron separation of TiO2, which might be because the synergy of N, Pr, and Ce increased oxygen vacancies and defects on the catalytic surface, and formed lower gap energy leading to transfer and reserve electrons quickly under visible light. Also, we speculated the mechanism of photocatalytic desulfurization over Pr/Ce–N–TiO2 depending on the experimental results.

Designing an efficient photocatalyst for desulfurization with simultaneous denitrogenation is essential for producing clean diesel fuel. In this paper, we prepared a photocatalyst with high desulfurization and denitrogenation activities by Er, W, and N co-doping modification of TiO2. Some influences of metal content, reaction time and temperature, basic nitride content and species, catalyst amount, and stability of the catalyst on desulfurization and denitrogenation were considered. Experimental results showed the desulfurization ratio was 100%, and the denitrogenation ratio was also 100% under the suitable conditions. The TOF of thiophene, benzonthiophene, and 4, 6- DMDBT reached 33.1, 34.2, and 36.2, respectively. The results of PL, UV–vis, and EPR showed that the co-doping of Er, W, and N extended the photo-absorption range and improved the hole-electron separation of TiO2 when the content of Er and W was 1.6% and 1.0%, respectively. This might be because the co-doping of Er, W, and N increased oxygen vacancies and defects on the catalytic surface, formed lower gap energy, and transfered and reserved electrons more quickly under visible light. Also, the photocatalytic mechanism of Er/W-N-TiO2 was proposed in the present work.

Aerosol properties derived from sun-photometric observations at Wuhan during a haze period were analyzed and used as input in a radiative transfer model to calculate the aerosol radiative effect (ARE) in ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR), and shortwave (SW) spectra. The results showed that the aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 440 nm increased from 0.32 under clear-air conditions to 0.85 during common haze and 1.39 during severe haze. An unusual inverse relationship was found between the Angstrom exponent (AE) and AOD during the haze period at Wuhan. Under high-humidity conditions, the fine-mode median radius of aerosols increased from 0.113 μm to approximately 0.2–0.5 μm as a result of hygroscopic growth, which led to increases in the AOD and decreases in the AE simultaneously. These changes were responsible for the inverse relationship between AE and AOD at Wuhan. The surface ARE in the UV (AREUV), VIS (AREVIS), NIR (ARENIR), and SW (ARESW) spectra changed from −4.46, −25.37, −12.15, and −41.99 W/m2 under clear-air conditions to −9.48, −53.96, −29.81, and −93.25 W/m2 during common hazy days and −12.89, −80.16, −55.17, and −148.22 W/m2 during severe hazy days, respectively, and the percentages of AREUV, AREVIS, and ARENIR in ARESW changed from 11%, 61%, and 28%–9%, 54%, and 37%, respectively. Meanwhile, the ARE efficiencies (REE) in SW varied from −206.5 W/m2 under clear-air conditions to −152.94 W/m2 during the common haze period and −131.47 W/m2 during the severe haze period. The smallest decreasing rate of the REE in NIR was associated with the increase of ARENIR. The weakened REE values were related to the strong forward scattering and weak backward scattering of fine aerosol particles with increasing size resulting from hygroscopic growth, while the variation of the single scattering albedo showed less impact. Source region analysis by back trajectories and the concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) method showed that black carbon came from nearby regions with low trajectories, and the surrounding haze areas were major sources of fine-mode particles in the haze in Wuhan.

Novel nanocomposites consisting of manganese ferrite nanoparticles and graphene oxide nanosheets (MnFe2O4/GO) have been synthesized as a promising candidate for magnetorheological (MR) fluid. The morphology, microstructure, composition and magnetic properties of the obtained MnFe2O4/GO were studied in detail. It was found that the MnFe2O4 nanoparticles with diameter of 8–12 nm were densely decorated on the surface of GO nanosheets. The magnetization investigation revealed that as-prepared MnFe2O4/GO had superparamagnetic behavior with saturation magnetization of 36.2 emu/g. The MR fluid was prepared by the obtained MnFe2O4/GO and the corresponding MR properties were investigated using a Physica MCR301 rheometer fitted with a magneto-rheological module. The MnFe2O4/GO-based MR fluid exhibited typical MR effect with increasing shear stress, yield stress and dynamic shear modulus depending on magnetic fields. More importantly, the sedimentation stability of the prepared MR fluid was found to be improved due to the unique sheet-like structure and the reduced density mismatch between the dispersed particles and the carrier medium. The MnFe2O4/GO-based fluid with typical MR effect and excellent sedimentation stability would provide a feasible candidate for practical applications.

In this study, zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanocrystal clusters were synthesized successfully with a surfactant-assistant solvothermal method and investigated as a potential magnetorheological material. The morphology, structure, and magnetic properties of the obtained ZnFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters were investigated in detail using a scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and superconducting quantum interference device. It was found that the ZnFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters showed well-defined shape and homogeneous dispersion with narrow size distribution of 276 nm in diameter. The field-dependent magnetization curve indicated superparamagnetic properties of as-prepared ZnFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters with saturation magnetization ( Ms) of 86.6 emu/g at room temperature. The magnetorheological fluid with 25% particle mass fraction was prepared by ZnFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters, and the corresponding magnetorheological properties were also tested using a Physica MCR301 rheometer fitted with a magnetorheological module. The prepared magnetorheological fluid changed from a liquid-like to a solid-like state under an external magnetic field, suggesting typical Bingham plastic behavior. Compared with conventional carbonyl iron particles, ZnFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters–based magnetorheological fluid showed enhanced sedimentation stability. The obtained ZnFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters are considered as an ideal candidate for magnetorheological fluid with typical magnetorheological effect as well as improved sedimentation stability.

Single crystals of the birefringent material Ba2Ca(B3O6)2 (BCBO) with dimensions up to 40 × 28 × 10 mm3 were successfully grown by top-seeded solution growth (TSSG) method from B2O3–NaF flux. It exhibits high transmittance in the range of 190–3000 nm with UV cutoff of 178 nm, which is much shorter than that (189 nm) of the commercial UV birefringent crystal, the high-temperature phase of BaB2O4 (α-BBO). Meanwhile, BCBO crystal has large birefringence (Δn = no – ne = 0.2524–0.0862) in the wavelength range from 178 to 3000 nm and without phase transition from room temperature to the melting point. A prototype of Glan–Taylor polarizer made from BCBO crystal showed an optical extinction ratio of 104:1, which is comparable to those of commercial birefringence crystals. The experimental results demonstrate that the BCBO crystal can be a new promising birefringent crystal for UV, especially the sub-200 nm deep-UV range.

In this study, magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4) nanocrystal clusters were synthesized using an ascorbic acid-assistant solvothermal method and evaluated as a candidate for magnetorheological (MR) fluid. The morphology, microstructure and magnetic properties of the MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters were investigated in detail by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters were suspended in silicone oil to prepare MR fluid and the MR properties were tested using a Physica MCR301 rheometer fitted with a magneto-rheological module. The prepared MR fluid showed typical Bingham plastic behavior, changing from a liquid-like to a solid-like structure under an external magnetic field. Compared with the conventional carbonyl iron particles, MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters-based MR fluid demonstrated enhanced sedimentation stability due to the reduced mismatch in density between the particles and the carrier medium. In summary, the as-prepared MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters are regarded as a promising candidate for MR fluid with enhanced sedimentation stability.

Spray-drying and freeze-drying are effective approaches to improve the long-term stability of nanosuspensions. This research explored the effect of spray-drying and freeze-drying techniques on PVP K30-stabilized silybin nanosuspensions. The morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM): The spray-dried sample was spherical, and the freeze-dried samples were rodlike with smooth surfaces. The redispersibility was studied via dynamic light scattering (DLS): The size, PDI, and zeta of the spray-dried sample were 133.27 nm, 0.214, and 24.37 mV, respectively; the size, PDI, and zeta of the freeze-dried sample were 298.70 nm, 0.114, and 20.98 mV, respectively. The in vitro dissolution was studied, and the two dry powders showed a significant increase compared to silybin. The two dried powders had better long-term stability than the liquid starting material. Overall, spray-drying and freeze-drying are appropriate drying methods for the preparation of silybin nanosuspensions with better stability and dissolution velocity.

Porous SiO2@Cu/Ni core-shell nanomaterials were prepared by the sol-gel method. The results of HADDF-STEM and XRD indicated that Cu and Ni were evenly distributed on the surface of the SiO2 supporter. XPS and H2-TPR showed that the chemical state of Cu and Ni were conducive to the desulfurization reaction. The catalytic performance of samples was evaluated through the desulfurization ratios using 4, 6-Dimethyldibenzothiophene as the model sulfide. The effect of metal loading, Ni:Cu ratios, and temperature on the desulfurization, the selectivity of sulfone and 3-3′-dimethylbiphenyl was investigated. The results suggested that the desulfurization activities of 20 wt % SiO2@Cu/Ni were much higher than those of the other catalysts. Due to the synergistic effect among Cu, Ni, and the supporter, the desulfurization rate and selectivity of sulfone and 3-3′-dimethylbiphenyl were all 100% under the suitable conditions. And after the reaction, ICP-OES results showed that the catalyst composition was unchanged, indicating that SiO2@Cu/Ni had good stability while maintaining excellent catalytic performance. Also, the desulfurization mechanism of SiO2@Cu/Ni core-shell nanomaterials was proposed in the present work.

In this investigation, nanocomposites of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles grown on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were developed by a ultrasonic-assisted co-precipitation technique. The as-prepared MWCNTs/CoFe2O4 nanocomposites were characterized in detail using transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectra, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer and nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherms. The obtained MWCNTs/CoFe2O4 was adopted as the advanced dispersed phase for the fabrication of a uniform magnetorheological (MR) fluid, and its rheological properties and sedimentation stability were comprehensively examined. It had been revealed that the designed MR suspension exhibited typical MR features with increasing viscosity, shear stress, yield stress, storage modulus and loss modulus depending on the applied magnetic fields. It was worthy to note that the sedimentation stability of MR fluid was improved significantly, which was primarily attributed to the special three-dimensional network structure of MWCNTs/CoFe2O4 and the reduced density mismatch between the dispersed phase and carrier fluid.

The optical properties and radiative forcing of atmospheric aerosol (ARF) and black carbon (BC) aerosol (BCRF) in ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR), and shortwave (SW) spectra were investigated under haze conditions based on the observations of the Aethalometer and sun-sky radiometer and simulations from libRadtran. The results show that the BC concentrations increased greatly from 2.73 μg/m3 under clear-air conditions to 7.95 μg/m3 under severe haze conditions, while BC aerosol optical depth (AOD) increased from 0.025 to 0.092. A high correlation (R2=0.62) was found between BC AOD and absorbing aerosol optical depth (AAOD) derived from the sun-sky radiometer. The BCRF in SW (BCRFSW) varied from -10.20 W/m2 under clear-air conditions to -25.40 W/m2 under severe hazy conditions. However, its fraction in ARF (ARFSW) decreased from 19% to 17% simultaneously, which is mainly related to the decrease of the ratio of BC AOD to AOD. The fraction of ARF in VIS in ARFSW decreased from 56.3% under clear-air conditions to 50.5% under severe haze conditions, while the fraction of BCRF in VIS in BCRFSW was much larger, and increased from 72.9% to 73.8%. The BCRF efficiency (BCRFE) was much larger than ARF efficiency (ARFE), and both of them decreased with the development of haze. The ARFE in SW decreased from -173.84 W/m2 under clear-air conditions to -112.75 W/m2 under severe haze conditions while BCRFESW varied from -482.50 W/m2 to -321.88 W/m2. The decrease of ARFE and BCRFE is related to the increase of aerosol loading and asymmetry factor (ASY). The ASY increased and the forward scattering was enhanced with the development of haze due to the hygroscopic growth of aerosol particles, which reduced the extinction efficiency of aerosols including BC on solar radiation and the cooling effect on the surface.

In the present study, the manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles were controllably anchored on the surface of MgAl-layered double hydroxide (MgAl-LDH) using a facile two-step hydrothermal method, and the as-prepared MnFe2O4/MgAl-LDH nanocomposites were adopted as the magnetic dispersed phase to prepare a stable and uniform magnetorheological (MR) suspension. The obtained MnFe2O4/MgAl-LDH nanocomposites were deeply characterized by XRD, TEM, XPS, BET and SQUID, and the viscoelastic properties of MnFe2O4/MgAl-LDH based MR fluid were investigated in detail under the action of different magnetic fields. More importantly, the results of sedimentation tests showed that the sedimentation stability of MnFe2O4/MgAl-LDH based MR fluid was much higher than that of carbonyl iron (CI) particles based MR fluid. The improved sedimentation stability can be attributed to the special plate-like structure, high specific surface area and reduced density difference.

Double perovskite compounds have the advantages of excellent chemical stability. Herein, a series of red-emitting Ca2InSbO6 (CISO):Eu3+ phosphors were synthesized through the high-temperature solid-state method. Phase purity, elemental composition, photoluminescence properties, and luminescence decay were investigated in detail. Under 395 nm excitation, the CISO:0.80Eu3+ phosphor manifested a brilliant red emission peak at 616 nm due to the 5D0→7F2 transition of Eu3+. The optimal doped concentration of Eu3+ was 0.80 mol. The critical distance (Rc = 8.41 A) was calculated. The dominant concentration-quenching mechanism of Eu3+ was ascribed to the electric dipole–dipole interaction. Compared with commercial red phosphors (e.g., Y2O2S:Eu3+, and Y2O3:Eu3+), the Commission International del’Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates of the CISO:0.80Eu3+ phosphor (0.656, 0.338) were very close to those of the National Television System Committee [(0.670, 0.330)]. Impressively, the CISO:Eu3+ phosphors exhibited abnormal thermal-quenching phenomenon. Up to 380 K, the CISO:0.80Eu3+ phosphor did not exhibit thermal quenching, and its intensity increase was about 14%. The thermal-quenching mechanism was studied in detail, and the thermal activation energy (Ea) was found to be 0.34 eV. The CISO:0.80Eu3+ phosphor also had a high color purity (98.2%). Moreover, the internal quantum efficiency of the CISO:0.80Eu3+ phosphor reached as high as 82%. Thus, a white light-emitting diode (w-LED) with low CCT (4553 K), Ra (88.1), and CIE chromaticity coordinates of (0.345, 0.361) were obtained. All these results demonstrated the potential of the Ca2InSbO6:Eu3+ phosphors as red-emitting substitutes for w-LEDs.

Developing multifunctional theranostic platforms with complementary roles has drawn considerable attention in recent years. In this study, superparamagnetic cobalt ferrite/graphene oxide (CoFe 2 O 4 /GO) nanocomposites with integrated characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging and controlled drug delivery were prepared by sonochemical method. The morphology, microstructure and physical properties of as-prepared CoFe 2 O 4 /GO were investigated in detail by transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectra, N 2 adsorption/desorption isotherm, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) and zeta potential measurements. The obtained CoFe 2 O 4 /GO exhibited superparamagnetic property and dose-dependent T 2 -weighted enhancement effect with relaxivity coefficient of 92.71 mM −1 s −1 . Furthermore, the CoFe 2 O 4 /GO showed negligible cytotoxicity even at a high concentration after being treated for 96 h. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as an anti-tumor model drug was loaded on CoFe 2 O 4 /GO. The nanocomposites were found to be able to efficiently transport DOX into the cancer cells and then cause cell death. The drug loading capacity of this nanocarrier was as high as 1.08 mg/mg and the drug release behavior demonstrated a sustained and pH-responsive way. The results suggested that the as-prepared CoFe 2 O 4 /GO showed great potential as an effective multifunctional nanoplatform for magnetic resonance imaging and controlled drug delivery for simultaneous cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy.

In this study, monodisperse cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles were prepared successfully with various additions of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) by sonochemical method, in which PVP served as a stabilizer and dispersant. The effects and roles of PVP on the morphology, microstructure and magnetic properties of the obtained CoFe2O4 were investigated in detail by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). It was found that PVP-coated CoFe2O4 showed relatively well dispersion with narrow size distribution. The field-dependent magnetization curves indicated superparamagnetic behavior of PVP-coated CoFe2O4 with moderate saturation magnetization and hydrophilic character at room temperature. More importantly, the in vitro cytotoxicity testing exhibited negligible cytotoxicity of as-prepared PVP-CoFe2O4 even at the concentration as high as 150 μg/mL after 24 h treatment. Considering the superparamagnetic properties, hydrophilic character and negligible cytotoxicity, the monodisperse CoFe2O4 nanoparticles hold great potential in a variety of biomedical applications.

In this study, manganese ferrite/graphene oxide (MnFe 2 O 4 /GO) nanocomposites as controlled targeted drug delivery were prepared by a facile sonochemical method. It was found that GO nanosheets were fully exfoliated and decorated with MnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles having diameters of 5–13 nm. The field-dependent magnetization curve indicated superparamagnetic behavior of the obtained MnFe 2 O 4 /GO with saturation magnetization of 34.9 emu/g at room temperature. The in vitro cytotoxicity testing exhibited negligible cytotoxicity of as-prepared MnFe 2 O 4 /GO even at the concentration as high as 150 μg/mL. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as an anti-tumor model drug was utilized to explore the application potential of MnFe 2 O 4 /GO for controlled drug delivery. The drug loading capacity of this nanocarrier was as high as 0.97 mg/mg and the drug release behavior showed a sustained and pH-responsive way.

In this study, cobalt ferrite/graphene oxide (CoFe 2 O 4 /GO) nanocomposites were synthesized successfully by a facile sonochemical method. The microstructure and physical properties of CoFe 2 O 4 /GO nanocomposites were investigated in detail by TEM, XRD and SQUID. It was found that GO nanosheets were fully exfoliated and decorated homogeneously with CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles having diameters of 8∼15 nm. The field-dependent magnetization curve indicated superparamagnetic behavior of as-prepared CoFe 2 O 4 /GO with saturation magnetization ( M s ) of 34.9 emu/g at room temperature. The ferrofluid was prepared by the obtained CoFe 2 O 4 /GO with 25 wt% particles and its magnetorheological (MR) properties were tested using a Physica MCR301 rheometer fitted with a magneto-rheological module. The CoFe 2 O 4 /GO-based ferrofluid exhibited typical MR effect with increasing viscosity, shear stress and yield stress depending on the applied magnetic field strength.

Novel Sm3+-doped double perovskite Ca2MgTeO6 orange-red emitting phosphors were prepared using solid-state reaction at 1100 °C. The powder phase purity, particle morphology and size, elemental composition, and luminescence properties of prepared samples were analyzed in detail. Under the 405 nm excitation, Ca2MgTeO6:Sm3+ phosphors showed four sharp emission peaks ascribed to the 4f-4f transitions, and the strongest one was at 645 nm. The best doping concentration of Sm3+ in Ca2MgTeO6:Sm3+ phosphors was 0.05 mol. The critical distance of the energy transfer between the Sm3+ ions was calculated to be 16.4 A. The luminescence quenching was confirmed by the dipole-dipole interaction of among Sm3+ ions. The phosphor exhibited excellent thermal stability with high activation energy (0.32 eV). The commission international de l'Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates of Ca2MgTeO6:Sm3+ phosphors were in the orange-red region. The fabricated white light-emitting diode (w-LED) presented high color rendering index (Ra) of 90 and a good correlated color temperature (CCT) of 6726 K. Thus, Ca2MgTeO6:Sm3+ phosphors have great potential applications in displays and photonic devices.

In this study, a novel core-shell structure Deacetyl mycoepoxydience nanosuspensions (CS-DM-NSs) delivery system was successfully designed by self-assembly method and the solidification technology was also investigated. The Deacetyl mycoepoxydience (DM) nanocrystals core was prepared by anti-solvent precipitation with folate modified distearoylphosphatidyl ethanolamine-polyethylene glycol (DSPE-PEG2000-FA) and D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) as functional stabilizers. Then the DM nanocrystals core was completely wrapped by the polyethylene glycol-hyaluronic acid (PEG-HA) as shell. To improve the stability, the CS-DM-NSs were solidified by spray-drying and freeze-drying, respectively. The influence of the solidification approach on the solidified powders was demonstrated by TEM and SEM. Compared with the freeze dried CS-DM-NSs, the spray dried powder presented spherical in shape with smooth surface. The dissolution velocity of the two powders was higher than to the raw drug (3.5-fold and 4.5-fold, respectively). The solidified CS-DM-NSs presented dose- and time- dependent cytotoxicity to cancer cells (MCF-7) and significantly higher cytotoxicity than the free DM. In addition, there was no significant difference between the spray-drying and the freeze-drying solidified CS-DM-NSs. Overall, the CS-DM-NSs showed promising potential as a drug carrier for cancer therapy and the spray drying could be confidently used for the CS-DM-NSs solidification with higher stability, smaller particle size, and faster dissolution rate.

In this study, porous MnFe2O4 nanoflakes were synthesized by a facile one-step solvothermal method, and the obtained products were employed as new magnetorheological (MR) materials to prepare a well dispersed MR suspension. The synthesized MnFe2O4 nanoflakes were systematically examined using XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, XPS, BET and VSM. The shear stress, yield stress, storage modulus and loss modulus of MR fluid strongly depended on the applied magnetic field strengths, indicating typical MR performances. More importantly, the obtained MR fluid demonstrated enhanced sedimentation stability in the recording time. This phenomenon was mainly attributed to the unique porous lamellar structure and the decreased particle-fluid density mismatch. In conclusion, the prepared MnFe2O4 nanoflakes as novel MR materials will serve as a bright candidate in various technological applications.

In this contribution, an amino acid of L-Arginine coated cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoclusters with mesoporous structure were synthesized via a facile solvothermal strategy. The morphology, structure and properties of bare CoFe2O4 and L-Arg-coated CoFe2O4 nanoclusters were characterized in detail by SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, TGA, BET and SQUID. It was found that these products exhibited a well-defined clusters-like morphology and a uniform size distribution with an average diameter of 103.6 nm. The as-prepared superparamagnetic CoFe2O4 nanoclusters with mesoporous structure and negligible cytotoxicity could be utilized as an effective drug delivery for doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). The drug loading capacity and the release behavior in vitro of DOX from L-Arg-coated CoFe2O4 nanoclusters at different pH values (4.0 and 7.4) were investigated. The results showed that the developed drug delivery system exhibited a high drug loading capacity and a pH-sensitive drug release behavior.

Diclofenac sodium (DS) is an aryl acetic acid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug which is widely used in various types of chronic bone and joint pains, but its terminal plasma half life is short, often accompanied with gastrointestinal side effects. We try to find an inexpensive and effective drug carrier to prolong the administration interval, maintain a stable blood concentration and reduce side effects. In our work, DS had been intercalated into a layered inorganic host, Ca–Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) by co-precipitation under a nitrogen atmosphere to control the release. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to investigate the change of chemical structure and morphological structure when DS was inserted into the interlayer of LDH. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) were employed to characterize the electron binding energy of calcium and aluminum cations both on the surface and in the bulk of the samples. The results of absorption peaks, morphologies and the basal spacing increased from 8.6[Formula: see text]Å to 29.59[Formula: see text]Å gave the evidences for the intercalation of DS into the interlayer of CaAl-LDH. The results of XPS and XANES spectra revealed the complexation of –OH and [Formula: see text] with Ca[Formula: see text] and Al[Formula: see text] were both were affected by the loading of DS with CaAl-LDH, but no new chemical bonds were formed. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) analysis showed the dissolving process of Ca and Al ions from CaAl-LDH in the solution. In addition, the results of the drug release profile and release kinetic of intercalated LDHs showed that release behavior of DS from intercalated compounds was well controlled.

As a major intermediate in the synthesis of explosives, the destructive nature and thermal hazards of 2,4-DNT are enormous. To evaluate the potential thermal hazards for its decomposition, the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) experiments under non-isothermal and isothermal conditions were performed to determine the decomposition kinetic model and parameters. According to the dynamic DSC results, 2,4-DNT underwent a melting process before thermal decomposition, the endothermic peak and exothermic peak are identified at about 67–70 ℃ and 245–272 ℃, respectively. Combined with the results of non-isothermal and isothermal tests, the proper decomposition kinetic model of 2,4-DNT consists of two consecutive reactions has been created and verified. Thermal behaviors under different scenarios and thermal explosion have been simulated separately to predict the thermal hazard parameters. It can also be concluded from the simulation under external fire exposure scenario, with increasing of the filling ratios for sample, the induction period of the exothermic decomposition reaction is also continuously shortened, accompanied by greater danger.

Polymer functionalized nanoparticles have attracted burgeoning interests in designing and fabricating novel nanocomposite membranes for fast transport of ions or small molecules. Herein, imidazolium polymer coated graphene oxides (AImGOs), bearing different length of polymer brushes, are synthesized via ATRP technique, and thus a very high weight percentage of imidazolium polymer brushes on GO (up to 89.5%) is acquired, corresponding to a high IEC value up to 65.5 mmol g−1. The as-synthesized AImGOs are then dispersed into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) to prepare nanocomposite membranes. The polymer brushes coated on AImGOs render better interfacial compatibility and filler dispersity. The large specific surface area and high aspect ratio of GO contributes to the enhancement of swelling resistance and mechanical stability of membranes. More importantly, the imidazolium polymer brushes on AImGOs endow the membrane with efficient OH– conduction ability due to the high loading of OH– hopping sites, the flexible chain, and the intrinsic large surface area of GO, demonstrating that efficient OH−-hopping pathways are constructed along the interface between PVA matrix and AImGO. By lengthening the polymer brushes, increasing AImGO content, and adopting appropriate types of imidazolium cations, a remarkable increment of OH– conductivity are observed. To be noted, long polymer brushes quaternized with ethyl chloroformate yield zwitterion type functionality, entitling the highest OH– conductivity of 31.6 mS cm−1 at 30 °C (100% RH).

Freeze-drying is an effective way to improve long-term physical stability of nanosuspension in drug delivery applications. Nanosuspension also known as suspension of nanoparticles. In this study, the effect of freeze-drying with different cryoprotectants on the physicochemical characteristics of resveratrol (RSV) nanosuspension and quercetin (QUE) nanosuspension was evaluated. D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) and folate-modified distearoylphosphatidyl ethanolamine-polyethylene glycol (DSPE-PEG-FA) were selected as functional stabilisers formulated nanosuspension which were prepared by anti-solvent precipitation method. RSV nanoparticle size and QUE nanoparticle size were about 210 and 110 nm, respectively. The AFM and TEM results of nanosuspension showed uniform and irregular shape particles. After freeze-drying, the optimal concentration of four cryoprotectants was determined by the particle size of re-dispersed nanoparticles. The dissolution profile of drug nanoparticle significantly showed approximately at a 6-8-fold increase dissolution rate. Moreover, TPGS and DSPE-PEG-FA stabilised RSV nanosuspension and QUE nanosuspension samples showed better effect on long-term physical stability.

A new circular-lattice photonic crystal fiber (CL-PCF) with square air-holes in the cladding is designed and numerically investigated, which can support up to 58 OAM modes. The transmission characteristics such as confinement loss, chromatic dispersion, effective mode area and nonlinear coefficient are analyzed by using a full-vector finite element method. The proposed CL-PCF, used in fiber communication systems, might greatly enhance the channel capacity and spectral efficiency.

Recently temperature sensitive polymers have been developed as novel embolization materials. However, their flowability and embolization have been seriously impacted by iodine-based X-ray contrast agents. In order to resolve the drawbacks of these contrast agents, highly concentrated complex (HCC) dispersions of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with p(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-butyl methylacrylate) (PIB) nanogels were developed as new blood-vessel-embolic materials with high-resolution angiography. Although GNPs have better X-ray attenuation than iodinated compounds, their poor dispersion stability limits their application in digital subtraction angiography (DSA). HCC dispersions show excellent X-ray attenuation ability which is 2.6 times higher than Omnipaque at 0.31 mol L−1. This can be attributed to the fact that the sol–gel transition of nanogel dispersions improves the colloid stability of GNPs. In the two sol–gel transition temperatures (Tg–s and T′s–g) of nanogel dispersions, GNPs have no influence on T′s–g, and a great influence on Tg–s. The in vivo experimental data indicate that HCC dispersions show high angiographic ability and good blood-vessel embolization, and can be used for postoperative examination for long periods owing to the entrapment of GNPs into the embolic sites. The HCC dispersions have potential to be developed as new blood-vessel-embolic materials with high-resolution angiography.

In a recent paper, J.Y. Lee and H.J. Choi commented our previous study (Smart Mater. Struct. 2016, 25: 035028) regarding the yield stresses of the MR fluid containing Fe3O4 nanoparticles surface-treated by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. They pointed out that a better understanding of dynamic and static yield stress should be achieved. We have carefully read the comments and found that these suggestions are very helpful for us to improve our study. We have made some explanations, which help the readers to better understand our article.

Concern about the increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration and its impact on the environment has led to increasing attention directed toward finding advanced materials and technologies suited for efficient CO2 capture, storage and purification of clean-burning natural gas. In this letter, we have performed comprehensive theoretical investigation of CO2, N2, CH4 and H2 adsorption on B2CNTs. Our study shows that CO2 molecules can form strong interactions with B2CNTs with different charge states. However, N2, CH4 and H2 can only form very weak interactions with B2CNTs. Therefore, the study demonstrates B2CNTs could sever as promising materials for CO2 capture and gas separation.