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Enhanced carbon capture and oxygen production via water splitting was observed by controlling the plasmon-induced resonance energy transfer (PIRET) for photosystem II (PSII) in thylakoid extracts and spirulina assembled on gold nanoparticle (AuNP) dimer arrays. The two types of vertical (V) and horizontal (H) AuNP dimer arrays were uniformly inserted inside pore diameter-controlled templates. Based on the theoretical calculations, the longitudinal mode of the H AuNP dimer array was found to be sensitive to the nanogap distances between the two AuNPs in resonance with the absorption at P680 of the PSII. The longitudinal modes that interacted with P680 of PSII increased from the V to the H conformer. The optical properties from the H AuNP dimer array caused overlapping absorbance and photoluminescence with PSII, and the H AuNP dimer arrays exhibited a significant increase in carbon capture and oxygen generation rates in comparison with those of the bare PSII protein complex under light irradiation via the controlled PIRET process.

In this study, an adsorbent made of alginate (Alg) caged magnesium sulfide nanoparticles (MgS) microbeads were used to treat lead ions (Pb

Facile detection of indoor semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) is a critical issue to raise an increasing concern to current researchers, since their emissions have impacted the health of humans, who spend much of their time indoors after the recent incessant COVID-19 pandemic outbreaks. Plasmonic nanomaterial platforms can utilize an electromagnetic field to induce significant Raman signal enhancements of vibrational spectra of pollutant molecules from localized hotspots. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing based on functional plasmonic nanostructures has currently emerged as a powerful analytical technique, which is widely adopted for the ultra-sensitive detection of SVOC molecules, including phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from household chemicals in indoor environments. This concise topical review gives updated recent developments and trends in optical sensors of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and SERS for effective sensing of SVOCs by functionalization of noble metal nanostructures. Specific features of plasmonic nanomaterials utilized in sensors are evaluated comparatively, including their various sizes and shapes. Novel aptasensors-assisted SERS technology and its potential application are also introduced for selective sensing. The current challenges and perspectives on SERS-based optical sensors using plasmonic nanomaterial platforms and aptasensors are discussed for applying indoor SVOC detection.

This work introduces a facile geometry-controlled method for the fabrication of embossed and engraved polymeric moth-eye-inspired nanostructures in imprinting molds using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates, resulting in a novel anti-reflective transparent coating. The moth-eye nanostructures are prepared directly on the surface of a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. As a prerequisite procedure, a UV-curable polyurethane acrylate resin is spun on the PET. The shape of the moth-eye nanostructures can then be adjusted by controlling the size and shape of the nanopores in the AAO templates. Both embossed and concaved polymer moth-eye nanostructures were successfully mounted on a PET substrate. Embossed polymer replica molds were prepared using the AAO master templates in combination with an imprinting process. As revealed by field-emission electron microscope (FE-SEM) images, conical nanopatterns in the AAO template with a diameter of ~90 nm and a depth of ~100 nm, create a homogeneous embossed morphology in the polymer moth-eye nanostructure. The polymeric molds with the depths of 300 and 500 nm revealed the amalgamated structures in their apexes. In addition, a dip-imprinting process of the polymeric layers was implemented to yield a concaved mold by assembly on the surface of the 100 nm embossed polymer mold substrate. Considering that the embossed structures may be crumbled due to their protuberant shapes, the concaved geometries can have an advantage of stability in a certain application concerning physical degradation along with a higher transmission by ~2%, despite somewhat nonuniform structure. The experimental and theoretical results of this study indicate that this polymer layer has the potential for use in anti-reflective coating applications in transparent films.

A novel method for controlling reduced graphene oxide (rGO) wrinkles through a phase transition in a solution using a low critical solution temperature (LCST) polymer dispersant has been developed. The polymer dispersant is designed by control of architecture and composition using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. Synthesized poly(2-(dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate-block-styrene) (PDbS) can be successfully functionalized on the rGO surface via noncovalent functionalization. PDbS-functionalized rGO (PDbS-rGO) exhibits good dispersibility in an aqueous phase at room temperature and forms wrinkles on the PDbS-rGO surface because of phase transition at the LCST of the polymer dispersant. The formation of PDbS-rGO wrinkles is controlled by varying the aggregation number of the polymer dispersant on the PDbS-rGO surface that strongly depends on temperature. This is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy (ID' /IG ratios are 0.560, 0.579, and 0.684, which correspond to 45, 70, and 95 °C, respectively). In addition, the mechanism of wrinkle control is proved by gold nanoparticles that are grown in polymer dispersant on the PDbS-rGO surface.

Recently, binary metal-oxide--based electrode materials with and without doping have attracted growing interest for application to supercapacitors (SCs). Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of a K-doped (ca. 9%) binary Sr–Cu metal oxide (K-SrCu2O2; KSCO) by a simple solid-state reaction with good crystallinity. The KSCO-modified carbon-cloth (CC) electrode showed a wide electrochemical potential window (− 0.2 to 0.8 V) and delivered a specific capacitance (Cs) of 438 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, compared to the low value (14.5 F g−1 at 1 A g−1) for the undoped SrCu2O2 (SCO)-modified electrode. This substantially improved Cs for SCO upon K-doping can be attributed to the increased conductivity, which enhanced the rate of ion intercalation/deintercalation into the tunnels of KSCO. Furthermore, the KSCO-modified electrode exhibited high-electrochemical stability with a capacitance loss of only 10% after 5000 charge–discharge cycles.

We demonstrate the synthesis of a composite of α-MnO2 nanorods and dielectric boron nitride nanoplatelets(BNNPs) as an electrode material for application in nanoscale dielectric pseudocapacitors. The optimize nanocomposite delivers a significantly high specific capacitance (890 F/g at 0.41 A/g), which is >72% of the theoretical specific capacitance of α-MnO2 at a mass loading of ca. 6 wt%. Pure BNNPs exhibit negligible charge storage capacity with a specific capacitance of 1.30 F/g at 0.024 A/g. The BNNPs increase the amount of K+ insertion/extraction and the conductivity of α-MnO2 nanorods by lowering the charge transfer resistance at the electrode-electrolyte interface. This is due to the electrical polarization of dielectric BNNPs during charging and discharging, which increases the rate and amount of K+ insertion or extraction induce by electrostatic force. The nanocomposite shows good capacity retention (94.12% after 2000 cycles) with high energy and power density. This research opens up a new avenue for the development of new types of nanoscale dielectric pseudocapacitors with high capacitance by exploring other suitable metal-oxides and nanoscale dielectric material composites.

Zinc sulfide@reduced graphene oxide composites with a three-dimensional (3D) network-like framework were prepared through a simple solvothermal reaction. Numerous ultrasmall ZnS nanoparticles make up the composites with being well attached on both sides of reduced graphene oxide. The ZnS@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites show remarkable electrochemical behaviors for lithium-ion batteries as anode materials. They deliver an outstanding specific capacity of 1130.5 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 200 cycles. Reversible specific capacities of 480.9 mAh g−1 and 742.7 mAh g−1 can be maintained at 1000 mA g−1 as well as 2000 mA g−1, respectively. The outstanding electrochemical performance is mainly ascribed to the reduced graphene oxide in the nanocomposites. The 3D network-like framework could provide a high surface area with numerous active sites. It not only promotes the fast diffusion of the electrons and ions, but effectively accommodates the volume-expansion during the lithium ion insertion/extraction process. Thus, the superior electrochemical performance enables the nanocomposites to be a desirable anode for lithium ions battery in the coming years.

Pure and Yb-doped Mn3O4 nanostructures with different amounts of Yb3+ were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal route. The as-synthesized samples have been distinguished via scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) techniques. Powder XRD patterns indicate that the Mn3-xYbxO4 (x = 0.00–0.08) samples are isostructural with spinel Mn3O4. The incorporation of Yb3+ into the Mn3O4 lattice was approved successfully through energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique. The pore volume and BET specific surface area of mesoporous Mn3O4 notably exceeds in comparison to Yb-doped Mn3O4 samples. The electrochemical properties of all the prepared materials as supercapacitance were investigated. Among different contents of Yb, 2% Yb-doped Mn3O4 displayed the enhanced specific capacitance. For photocatalytic degradation of Methyl Orange in aqueous solution, Yb-doped Mn3O4 nanoparticles were employed under visible light irradiation. Considering various amounts of dopant agent, 8% Yb-doped Mn3O4 nanoparticles showed the highest decolorization. In the occurrence of various radical scavengers, the inhibitory effect trend was benzoquinone > I− > buthanol > oxalate.

This paper develops a numerical simulation model to research the deformable particle-particle interactions caused by dielectrophoresis (DEP) under AC electric fields. The DEP force is calculated by using Maxwell stress tensor method, and the hydrodynamic force is obtained by calculating the hydrodynamic stress tensor. Simulation results show that the DEP interactive motion will facilitate the particles forming particle chains that are parallel to the electric field, and the particles with low shear modulus present a lower x-component velocity. Also, the electric field intensity and particles radius have some effects on the DEP motions, and for different particles, smaller particles with larger electric field intensity easily reach a larger velocity. The numerical research may provide universal guidance for biological cells manipulation and assembly.

Controlled self-assembly of different numbers of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the highly ordered cylindrical anodic aluminum oxide nanopores was achieved by a facile ultrasonication method. The su...

In this study, ZnFe-layered double hydroxides were synthesized by a chemical co-precipitation method with different intercalated anions, including chloride and sulfate. They were then modified with graphene oxide to obtain ZnFe Cl-LDH/GO and ZnFe SO4-LDH/GO photocatalysts. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, TEM, FTIR, BET, UV-Vis DRS, XPS, and PL analyses and evaluated for the decomposition of ofloxacin (OFX) under visible light irradiation. OFX is a persistent and resistant emerging pollutant in an aqueous solution. Among the photocatalysts synthesized, the photocatalytic activity of ZnFe SO4-LDH/GO was highest (71.19% after 150 min irradiation) under optimum conditions. This observation is ascribed to the synergistic impact of swift separation rates of the photo-generated electrons that extend the longevity of charge carriers resulting from the heterostructures created between pure ZnFe SO4-LDH and GO. The results indicate that a pseudo-first-order kinetic model can determine the kinetics of the OFX-degrading system. Based on the results of scavengers, •OH radicals and h+ were the major species for OFX degradation. Moreover, a possible photocatalytic mechanism is proposed for the degradation of OFX. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was employed to recognize the by-products formed in solution by the dissociation of OFX. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) was analyzed to evaluate the mineralization of the OFX solution. Furthermore, the reusability and photostability of the photocatalyst were examined. The leaching zinc and iron concentrations in the aqueous phase were measured within five consecutive examinations.

Herein, Fe3O4 nanospheres attached on N, S co-doped graphene quantum dots (NSG) enclosed CdSe nanoparticles (CdSe/NSG–Fe3O4) is introduced as a magnetic high-performance photocatalyst for the heterogeneous photodegradation of methylene blue in aqueous solutions. The as-prepared CdSe/NSG–Fe3O4 nanocatalyst showed high stability and adequate ferromagnetism which makes it easy to be separated and reused. CdSe/NSG–Fe3O4 nanocomposites displayed enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of organic compounds such as azo-dyes compared with CdSe nanoparticles. In view of these advantages offered by the prepared nanocatalyst, it has a high potential for the degradation of organic contaminants.

In the present work, using sonochemical method, novel mercury (II) metal–organic supramolecule with nano-rods shape, [Hg(1,10-phen)Cl2]n (1) (1,10-then = 1,10-phenanthroline) was prepared. The impact of the synthesis elements including duration, irradiation power, and concentrations was investigated and enhanced. Nano rods and nano flowers morphologies were obtained by applying diverse sonication time, power and concentration. The samples were categorized via IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, single crystal X-ray analysis, elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. Based on the X-ray structure analysis, it was observed that two nitrogen atoms of the “1,10-phen” ligand and four chloride bridging atoms with symmetrical octahedral geometry and a HgN2Cl4 donor set coordinate the Hg(II) atom. A one-dimensional zig-zag polymer is created by the crystal forms. The nearby chains attached to π–π of nearby aromatic circles of “1,10-phen” and other weak interactions. Hence, as a result of the weak interactions, it is possible for the 1D zig-zag arrangement to create a three dimensional metal–organic coordination polymer. Through thermolyzing the compound 1 with oleic acid as a surfactant at the temperature of 180 °C, HgO nanoparticles were obtained. Using SEM, the as-synthesized HgO nanoparticles were further tested in terms of the morphology and size.

Reduced graphene oxide@nickel oxide (NiO) composites were prepared through a simple hydrothermal reaction combined with a heat treatment. The reduced graphene oxide@NiO composites are composed of NiO nanosheets uniformly attaching on both sides of cross-linked reduced graphene oxide. Some favorable electrochemical performances in specific capacity, cycling performance, and rate capability are achieved using the porous nanocomposites as an anode for lithium-ion batteries. And the reversible specific capacity can reach up to1023 mAh g−1 at 400 mA g−1 after 200 cycles. A full cell consists of a commercial LiCoO2 cathode and the reduced graphene oxide NiO@-3 nanocomposites anode, is able to hold a high capacity of 772 mAh g−1 at 400 mA g−1 after 200 cycles. The three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide plays a key role in enhancing the electrical conductivity of the electrode materials; and it effectively prevents the NiO nanoparticles from dropping off the electrode and buffers the volume variation during the discharge-charge process. The reduced graphene oxide@NiO nanocomposites present a great potential to be a promising electrode material in the near future for lithium-ion batteries.

This study demonstrated the kinetics of nucleophilic substitution reactions of butyl methyl chlorophosphate (2) with X-anilines (XC$_{6}$H$_{4}$NH$_{2})$ and deuterated X-anilines (XC$_{6}$H$_{4}$ND$_{2})$ in MeCN at 55.0 \textpm\ 0.1 \textdegree C together with the general optimized method for the synthesis of 2 under mild conditions. Different spectroscopic characterizations revealed the formation of 2 with high purity. The free energy relationship with the substituents X in the anilines exhibited biphasic concavity upwards with a break point at X $=$ H, which induced large negative $\rho_{X}$ and small positive $\beta_{X}$ values. The deuterium kinetic isotope effects (DKIEs) were secondary inverse ($k_{H}$/$k_{D}$ \textless\ 1: 0.702--0.918) and the magnitudes were increased with the change of nucleophiles from weakly basic to strongly basic anilines. A concerted mechanism with a rate-limiting leaving group departing from the intermediate is proposed based on the selectivity parameters and the variation of DKIEs with X.

Co9S8@MoS2 core-shell nanoparticles anchored on both sides of reduced graphene oxide (Co9S8@MoS2/rGO) were synthesized via hydrothermal reaction. The core-shell composites were used as an anode material and demonstrated enhanced electrochemical performance with high capacity, capacity retention, cycling stability, and rate capability during cycling tests. The nanocomposites deliver a reversible capacity of 2014.5 mAh g−1 at a high rate of 0.3 A g−1 with a capacity retention efficiency of 82.8% after 200 cycles. The reduced graphene oxide-based three-dimensional framework of the core-shell structure can reduce the internal resistance of the whole electrode, facilitate more Li+ ion insertion and extraction from the crystal structure, and relieve the strain caused by volume change during the lithiation/delithiation process. The electrochemical behaviors could make the composites a great potential anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

A stereo-structured ZnCo2O4@reduced graphene oxide (ZCO@rGO) nanocomposite was prepared by an adsorption process combined with a hydrothermal process and calcination. Three-dimensional (3D) rGO was used as a template, and ZCO nanoparticles were anchored uniformly and compactly on both sides of the rGO. In half cells, the nanocomposite exhibits decent electrochemical characteristics, including a high cycling capability of 1613 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1 over 400 cycles. In addition, when matched with a commercial LiCoO2 cathode, the ZCO@rGO//LiCoO2 full cell also delivers favorable electrochemical properties, including a capacity of 1589 mAh g−1 over 140 cycles at 100 mAh g−1, making it a prospective candidate for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries.

The remarkable mechanical, electrical, and thermal capabilities of monolayer graphene make it a wonder substance. As the number of layers in graphene flakes increases to few-layer graphene (number of layers ≤ 5) and multi-layer graphene (number of layers ≤ 10), its properties are affected. In order to obtain the necessary qualities, it is crucial to manage the number of layers in the graphene flake. Therefore, in the current review, we discuss the various processes for producing mono- and few-/multi-layer graphene. The impact of mono-/few-/multi-layer graphene is then assessed with regard to its qualities (including mechanical, thermal, and optical properties). Graphene possesses unique electrical features, such as good carrier mobility, typical ambipolar behaviour, and a unique energy band structure, which might be employed in field effect transistors (FETs) and utilized in radio frequency (RF) circuits, sensors, memory, and other applications. In this review, we cover graphene’s integration into devices for biomolecule detection as well as biomedical applications. The advantages of using graphene in each situation are explored, and samples of the most cutting-edge solutions for biomedical devices and other applications are documented and reviewed.

For the quantifiable amounts of Telmisartan (TLM) and Hydrochlorothiazide (HYD) in the presence of Amlodipine (AML) in a ternary mixture of synthetic laboratory mixture, a novel, sensitive, quick, and practical reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method was given. In order to separate, a Waters Spherisorb ODS-2 C18 column was used. For HYD, TLM, and AML, these techniques were viable over linearity ranges of 4-12 μg/mL, 4-25 μg/mL, and 5-40 μg/mL, respectively. The mobile phase system was acetonitrile:methanol: phosphate buffer at pH 2.5 (65:5:30 v/v/v), and the flow rate was 1.5 mL/min. Novel spectrophotometric methods were applied for active substances to determine simultaneously. The first method is absorptivity centering using factorized spectrum, and the second method is dual amplitude difference coupled with absorbance subtraction. These approaches have been effectively applied to bulk, laboratory synthetic mixtures to employ active components quantitatively. Correlation coefficients were found to be higher than 0.99 and the limit of detection values lower than 0.49 μg/mL in both spectrophotometric methods. The methodologies were validated following ICH recommendations. In the developed HPLC method, the limit of detection values was found to be 0.01 μg/mL for HYD and 0.02 μg/mL for AML and TLM. The correlation coefficients for the HPLC method were found to be 0.9971 for HYD, 0.9990 for AML, and 0.9983 for TLM. The suggested HPLC technique is a simple, effective, sensitive, environmentally friendly, and time-saving approach for determining TLM and HYD in the presence of AML.

Fumonisins (FBs) can be found extensively in feedstuffs, foodstuffs, and crops. The consumption of the fumonisin-contaminated corn can result in esophageal cancer. In addition, the secondary metabolites of fungi termed mycotoxins may have some adverse effects on animals and humans such as estrogenicity, immunotoxicity, teratogenicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity. Hence, developing sensitivity techniques for mycotoxins determination is of great importance. This paper reports the latest developments of nanomaterial-based electrochemical biosensing, apta-sensing, sensing, and immunosensing analyses to detect fumonisins. A concise study of the occurrence, legislations, toxicity, and distribution of FBs in levels monitoring was done. The techniques, different detection matrices, and approaches to highly selective and sensitive sensing methods were reviewed. The review also summarizes the salient features and the necessity of biosensing assessments in FBs detection, and diverse immobilization techniques. Furthermore, this review defined the performance of various electrochemical sensors using different detection elements couples with nanomaterials fabricated applying different detection elements coupled with nanomaterials (metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), metal NPs, CNT, and graphene), the factors limiting progress, and the upcoming tasks in successful aptasensor fabrication with the functionalized nanomaterials.

In the present work, using a sonochemical method, a new lead (II) coordination 1D polymer, [Pb(L)2(CH3COO)]n (L = pyridine-4-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazone) (1) was prepared. It was characterized structurally with different spectroscopic methods, such as SEM, IR spectroscopy, XRD, and elemental analysis. The coordination compound becomes a stair-step one-dimensional polymer in solid mode. The lead (II) ions have the coordination number of six (PbNS3O2) with two oxygen atoms from acetate anion and three sulfur atoms and one nitrogen atom from organic ligand. It contains a stereo-chemically active lone electron pair and the hemidirected coordination sphere. The high-intensity ultrasound is considered a flexible, environmentally friendly, and easy synthetic tool for the coordination compounds. PbO clusters was achieved with thermolyzing 1 at 180 ˚C with oleic acid (as a surfactant). Furthermore, the size and morphology of the created PbO clusters were assessed via SEM. The estimated gap of HOMO and LUMO is 3.275 eV based on DFT calculations.

Fabrication of novel metal oxide nanostructured composites is a proficient approach to develop efficient energy storage devices and development of cost-free and eco-friendly metal oxide nanostructures for supercapacitor applications received considerable attention in recent years. The Co

In the present research, a novel mercury (II) metal organic coordination compound, [Hg(Q)I2]n (Q = pyridine-4-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazide) with nano rods shape was prepared applying an ultrasonic manner. The synthesized compound was determined with infrared spectroscopy (IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In solid state the coordination polymer takes the appearance of a zig-zag 1D polymer. The coordination number of Hg (II) is four by one sulfur atom of organic ligand and three iodine atoms which two of iodine atoms are coordinated to other repeating units, and one of iodine is unattached. The zig-zag 1D chains interact with neighboring chains via poor interactions, making a 3D supramolecular metal organic polymer.

The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based lateral flow assay (LFA) strip has been considered a high-sensitivity sensor that can overcome the low sensitivity and the difficulty of quantitative analysis problems inherent in the colorimetric LFA sensor. In the SERS-based LFA strip reported so far, a liquid sample flows through the nitrocellulose membrane in a single pathway. In some cases, however, this single-flow approach still has a limitation in detection sensitivity. This study developed a conceptually new SERS-based dual-flow LFA sensor to improve the detection sensitivity in a single-flow LFA sensor. First, a 25 nm Raman reporter-labeled gold nanoparticle (AuNP) solution flowed through one way, and a 45 nm AuNP solution continuously flowed through another path. This sequential flow of two different AuNP solutions enables forming additional bright hot spots between 25 and 45 nm AuNPs in the test line, and the SERS signal is strongly enhanced. Using this SERS-based dual-flow LFA sensor, it was possible to detect thyroid-stimulating hormone less than 0.5 μIU/mL that cannot be measured with a SERS-based single-flow LFA sensor.

The nanorods of [Pb(L)Br2]n (1) (L = 1,2-bis (pyridin-3-ylmethylene)hydrazine) underwent ultrasound irradiation and were synthesized as a novel three-dimensional fishbone-like Pb(II)–organic coordination supramolecular compound. The morphology and nanostructure of the synthesized compound were determined through SEM, FTIR, elemental analyses, and XRD. Compound 1 was structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and revealed six-coordinated Pb (II) ions bonded to two N atoms from two L ligands and four bromine anions, forming a one-dimensional fishbone-like coordination polymer, which extended into a 3D supramolecular structure through weak intermolecular interactions. The bulk thermal stability of compound 1 was examined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Moreover, PbO nanoparticles with sizes of 40–80 nm were obtained through the thermolysis of 1 at 180 °C using oleic acid as a surfactant.

Bone and periodontium are tissues that have a unique capacity to repair from harm. However, replacing or regrowing missing tissues is not always effective, and it becomes more difficult as the defect grows larger. Because of aging and the increased prevalence of debilitating disorders such as diabetes, there is a considerable increase in demand for orthopedic and periodontal surgical operations, and successful techniques for tissue regeneration are still required. Even with significant limitations, such as quantity and the need for a donor area, autogenous bone grafts remain the best solution. Topical administration methods integrate osteoconductive biomaterial and osteoinductive chemicals as hormones as alternative options. This is a promising method for removing the need for autogenous bone transplantation. Furthermore, despite enormous investigation, there is currently no single approach that can reproduce all the physiologic activities of autogenous bone transplants. The localized bioengineering technique uses biomaterials to administer different hormones to capitalize on the host’s regeneration capacity and capability, as well as resemble intrinsic therapy. The current study adds to the comprehension of the principle of hormone redirection and its local administration in both bone and periodontal tissue engineering.

In this study, Tb-doped CdSe nanoparticles with variable Tb3+ content were synthesized by a simple sonochemical technique. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The sono-photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared specimens were assessed for the degradation of Reactive Black 5. The experimental results show that the sono-photocatalytic process (85.25%) produced a higher degradation percentage than the individual sono- (22%) and photocatalytic degradation (8%) processes for an initial dye concentration and Tb-doped CdSe dosage of 20 mg/L and 1 g/L, respectively. Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to assess model and optimize the impacts of the operational parameters, namely, the Tb3+ content, initial dye concentration, catalyst dosage, and time. The addition of benzoquinone results in remarkably inhibited degradation and the addition of ammonium oxalate reduced the removal percentage to 24%. Superoxide radicals and photogenerated holes were detected as the main oxidative species.

Droplets composed of two different materials, or Janus droplets, have diverse applications, including microfluidic digital laboratory systems, DNA chips, and self-assembly systems. A three-dimensional computational study of Janus droplet formation in a double Y-type microfluidic device filled with a shear-thinning fluid is performed by using the multiphaseInterDyMFoam solver of the OpenFOAM, based on a finite-volume method. The bi-phase volume-of-fluid method is adopted to track the interface with an adaptive dynamic mesh refinement for moving interfaces. The formation of Janus droplets in the shear-thinning fluid is characterized in five different states of tubbing, jetting, intermediate, dripping and unstable dripping in a multiphase microsystem under various flow conditions. The formation mechanism of Janus droplets is understood by analyzing the influencing factors, including the flow rates of the continuous phase and of the dispersed phase, surface tension, and non-Newtonian rheological parameters. Studies have found that the formation of the Janus droplets and their sizes are related to the flow rate at the inlet under low capillary numbers. The rheological parameters of shear-thinning fluid have a significant impact on the size of Janus droplets and their formation mechanism. As the apparent viscosity increases, the frequency of Janus droplet formation increases, while the droplet volume decreases. Compared with Newtonian fluid, the Janus droplet is more readily generated in shear-thinning fluid due to the interlay of diminishing viscous force, surface tension, and pressure drop.

This study focused on developing an efficient phase change material (PCM) with a stable shape that can be applied in a wide range of industries. To prevent leakage of the PCM liquid at a temperature above the melting point, we used an encapsulation method by making use of an interfacial polycondensation reaction, and attempted to develop a new PCM with excellent thermal conductivity and thermal energy storage capacity. In order to improve the functionality of the PCM in latent thermal storage applications, a magnetic material, Fe3O4, was mixed with n-eicosane and a shape-stable phase change microcapsule with a silica shell was successfully prepared. In this study, we loaded Cu metal nanoparticles on the outer wall of the capsule with the aim of improving the thermal conductivity of the material for efficient heat transfer. The results indicated that the n-eicosane-Fe3O4@SiO2@Cu microcapsule has excellent heat transfer ability owing to its high thermal conductivity and exhibits efficient thermal energy storage–release performance by suppressing supercooling. The n-eicosane-Fe3O4@SiO2@Cu microcapsule showed an encapsulation efficiency (Een) of 61.48%, an energy storage efficiency (Ees) of 61.47%, and a thermal storage capacity (Ces) of 99.99%. Moreover, the multi-cycle differential scanning calorimetry scan showed excellent thermal reliability and shape stability, even in repetitive melting–cooling processes, suggesting that it is a promising PCM that can be used in industrial applications.