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In this study, the novel pH‐sensitive s‐IPN consist of sodium alginate integrated with poly(HEMA‐co‐MA) hydrogel matrix are prepared by using two‐step methodology. In the first step, 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)/maleic acid (MA) copolymeric hydrogels are prepared by gamma radiation polymerization. Then, poly(HEMA‐co‐MA) hydrogel was immersed in sodium alginate solution (SA) and finally gamma radiation polymerization was carried out. The swelling, pH‐sensivity and diffusion properties of the prepared s‐IPN gels in deionized water and in dye solutions were investigated. Methylene Blue (MB) was used as a model dye. MB adsorption capacities of the hydrogels were found to be 0.26, 0.40 and 13.77 mg MB/g dry gel in PHEMA, P(HEMA‐co‐MA) and s‐IPN SA/P(HEMA‐co‐MA) hydrogels, respectively. MB release data was fitted to various kinetic models to study the dye release behavior. The MB release from all the prepared hydrogels fitted the Korsmeyer‐Peppas model. Swelling, diffusion and MB adsorption properties of the new s‐IPN hydrogel were improved with the inclusion of SA and MA in the gel structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates energy harvesting by a deionized (DI) water droplet flow on an epitaxial graphene film on a SiC substrate. We obtain an epitaxial single-crystal graphene film by annealing a 4H-SiC substrate. Energy harvesting of the solution droplet flow on the graphene surface has been investigated by using NaCl or HCl solutions. This study validates the voltage generated from the DI water flow on the epitaxial graphene film. The maximum generated voltage was as high as 100 mV, which was a quite large value compared with the previous reports. Furthermore, we measure the dependence of flow direction on electrode configuration. The generated voltages are independent of the electrode configuration, indicating that the DI water flow direction is not influenced by the voltage generation for the single-crystal epitaxial graphene film. Based on these results, the origin of the voltage generation on the epitaxial graphene film is not only an outcome of the fluctuation of the electrical-double layer, resulting in the breaking of the uniform balance of the surface charges, but also other factors such as the charges in the DI water or frictional electrification. In addition, the buffer layer has no effect on the epitaxial graphene film on the SiC substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bubbles, widely distributed in nature and industry, have been extensively explored as important energy carriers. Despite notable progress, how to harvest the energy inherent in small bubbles remains a significant challenge. Herein, a bubble driven triboelectric nanogenerator (BD‐TENG) that can scavenge energy directly and efficiently from bubbles is explored. The BD‐TENG can generate sustained voltages of up to −120 V when small air bubbles rise in a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tube filled with deionized water. Furthermore, the effects of the tube diameter, electrode length, and bubble volume based on the harvest activity are also investigated. As a proof of concept, it is demonstrated that the BD‐TENG can be utilized to illuminate four blue LEDs. Notably, the conclusion of this research work demonstrates an innovative roadmap for bubble energy harvesting in liquid media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of fluoride-containing whitening products on sound enamel and on artificial caries lesions during a cariogenic challenge. Materials and methods: Bovine enamel specimens (n = 120) with three areas [non-treated sound enamel (NSE), treated sound enamel (TSE), and treated artificial caries lesion (TACL)] were randomly assigned to the four groups: whitening mouthrinse (WM: 2.5% hydrogen peroxide-100 ppm F−), placebo mouthrinse (PM: 0% hydrogen peroxide-100 ppm F−), whitening gel (WG: 10% carbamide peroxide-1130 ppm F−), and deionized water (negative control; NC). The treatments (2 min for WM, PM, and NC, and 2 h for WG) were carried out during a 28-day pH-cycling model (6 × 60 min demineralization/day). Relative surface reflection intensity (rSRI) and transversal microradiography (TMR) analyses were performed. Fluoride uptake (surface and subsurface) was measured in additional enamel specimens. Results: For TSE, a higher value of rSRI was observed in WM (89.99% ± 6.94), and a greater decrease in rSRI was observed for WG and NC, and no sign of mineral loss was verified for all groups (p > 0.05). For TACL, rSRI significantly decreased after pH-cycling for all experimental groups with no difference between them (p < 0.05). Higher amounts of fluoride were found in WG. WG and WM exhibited intermediate values of mineral loss, similar to PM. Conclusions: The whitening products did not potentialize the enamel demineralization under a severe cariogenic challenge, and they did not exacerbate mineral loss of the artificial caries lesions. Clinical relevance: Low concentrated hydrogen peroxide whitening gel and mouthrinse containing fluoride do not intensify the progression of caries lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We evaluated a novel disinfectant (VR) and seven comparators (disinfectants A–G) against resistant pathogens common in healthcare settings. Methods and Results: VR at different dilutions, along with commercial disinfectants A–G, was tested against surrogate viruses, and resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens. Surrogate viruses had an initial concentration of ~1 × 108 mL−1, and bacterial and fungal isolates had an initial concentration of ~1 × 106 mL−1 on Siliconee surfaces. After the application of VR or a comparator disinfectant, surfaces were tested for the reduction in microbial loads after 30 s and 5 min wet exposures, and after a 24 h dry residue exposure. Sterile deionized water was used as a control. The VR at a concentration of 4.68% was superior to all comparator disinfectants against most pathogens in wet and dry testing. The VR at 7.8% concentration showed the highest pathogen-reduction rate among all comparator disinfectants when tested against all pathogens. Conclusions: Overall, the novel VR disinfectant was the most effective disinfectant in both wet and dry residue states against the range of tested pathogens. Significance and Impact of the Study: VR is a broadly effective disinfectant combination for use in high-risk settings, particularly those in which intervals between applications of disinfectant can be lengthy or inconsistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess impacts of early in ovo injection (at 10 days of incubation) of copper (sulfate, acetate, or nanoparticles) on histomorphometric parameters of small intestine and growth performance of post-hatched chicks. Fertile eggs (n = 462) were distributed to seven groups (3 replicates, 22 eggs in each). The first group as a control, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th groups injected with 100 µL deionized water containing 8 μg/egg of Cu (sulfate, acetate and nanoparticles, respectively), and the 5th, 6th and 7th groups injected with 100 µL deionized water containing 16 μg/egg of the same Cu sources above. Results illustrated that in ovo administration of Cu sulfate and Cu acetate significantly improved histological parameters of small intestine parts of newly hatched chicks compared with the control. Cu sulfate and nano-Cu significantly augmented body weight gain compared with the control. In ovo Cu injection showed a nonsignificant improvement in feed conversion ratio. The highest level (16 μg/egg) of different sources was better than the lowest level (8 μg/egg) in most results. In conclusion, it is recommended that in ovo injection of Cu (16 μg/egg) can improve the growth performance (Cu sulfate and nano-Cu) and the small intestine histomorphometry parameters (Cu sulfate and Cu acetate) of broiler chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers are already becoming willing to get involved in bismuth oxysulfide (Bi2O2S), a new two-dimensional optoelectronic material with a lengthy carrier lifetime and a unique loose structure. In this work, the Bi2O2S nanosheets are produced by room temperature chemical synthesis and built a Bi2O2S nanosheets flexible photodetector based on deionized water solid-state electrolytes. Photoelectrochemical tests showed that the photodetector based on deionized water solid-state electrolyte had excellent photoresponse performance under 0 V, and its photocurrent density was 0.55 μA/cm2 when the optical power was 75 mW/cm2. In addition, the photodetector exhibited superb stability. After cycling the "on–off" behavior for 1000 s, the photocurrent slightly decreased 8% than initial state. At a bending angle of 30°, the photocurrent density was about 91% of the original state, but when the bending angle is 60°, the photocurrent density was about 76% of the original state, which may be caused by the small cracks formed during the bending process. The results showed that the flexible photodetector based on Bi2O2S nanosheets had decent stability and mechanical flexibility, and were safer and more environmentally friendly than traditional detectors, providing a workable option for the flexible photodetector's construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyacrylic acid (PAA)-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNP@PAA) were synthesized and evaluated as draw solutes in the forward osmosis (FO) process. MNP@PAA were synthesized by microwave irradiation and chemical co-precipitation from aqueous solutions of Fe2+ and Fe3+ salts. The results showed that the synthesized MNPs have spherical shapes of maghemite Fe2O3 and superparamagnetic properties, which allow draw solution (DS) recovery using an external magnetic field. Synthesized MNP, coated with PAA, yielded an osmotic pressure of ~12.8 bar at a 0.7% concentration, resulting in an initial water flux of 8.1 LMH. The MNP@PAA particles were captured by an external magnetic field, rinsed in ethanol, and re-concentrated as DS in repetitive FO experiments with deionized water as a feed solution (FS). The osmotic pressure of the re-concentrated DS was 4.1 bar at a 0.35% concentration, resulting in an initial water flux of 2.1 LMH. Taken together, the results show the feasibility of using MNP@PAA particles as draw solutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudocapacitive (PC) materials are under investigation for energy storage in supercapacitors, which exhibit exceptionally high capacitance, good cyclic stability, and high power density. The ability to combine high electrical capacitance with advanced ferrimagnetic or ferromagnetic properties in a single material at room temperature opens an avenue for the development of advanced magnetically ordered pseudocapacitive (MOPC) materials. This review covers materials science aspects, charge storage mechanisms, magnetocapacitance, and magnetoelectric (ME) phenomena in MOPC materials. Recent studies demonstrate high PC properties of advanced ferrimagnetic materials, such as spinel ferrites and hexagonal ferrites. Of particular importance is the discovery of PC properties of perovskite-type manganites, which exhibit room temperature ferromagnetism and giant negative magnetoresistance. The coupling of high capacitance and magnetization in MOPC provides a platform for strong ME interactions. Various strategies are used for manipulation of electrical capacitance/magnetization of MOPC by a magnetic field/electrode potential. Magnetocapacitance studies show significant increase in capacitance of MOPC under the influence of a magnetic field. Moreover, the application of a magnetic field results in enhanced energy density and power density, reduction of resistance, and improvement of cyclic stability. Such findings offer a potential of a breakthrough in the development of advanced supercapacitors. High magnetocapacitance and ME phenomena are linked to the influence of magnetic fields on electrolyte diffusion, structure of electrical double layer, charge transfer resistance, and variation of conductivity and magnetization of MOPC materials, which facilitate charge/discharge behavior. Various applications of ME effect in MOPC are discussed. Moreover, advantages of magnetocapacitive MOPC are described for applications in electronic and spintronic devices, supercapacitors, and devices for magnetically enhanced capacitive deionization of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacitive deionization (CDI) has been considered as a novel technology to relieve freshwater shortages. However, due to the limited physical adsorption capacity, the salt removal capacity remains low. To enhance the desalination capacity, battery type, and capacitive materials are employed to fabricate a dual-ion electrochemical deionization (DEDI) device. Herein, a Prussian blue/carbon framework (PB/CF) and BiOCl/CF were prepared by in situ conversion with a MOF-derived carbon framework as the precursor. A PB/CF composite was used as the sodium electrode, and BiOCl/CF was used as the chloride electrode. This system achieved high desalination capacity, excellent cycling stability, and rapid desalination. The maximum desalination capacity was 163 mg g−1 at 100 mA g−1, and the desalination rate was 0.631 mg g−1 s−1 at a high current density of 1000 mA g−1. The outstanding desalination performance of this system arose from the synergistic effect of combining battery materials with a carbon framework for deionization and offers potential for future desalination designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we synthesized lactobionic acid-decorated diselenide-linked polyethylene glycol-doxorubicin conjugate (LA-PEG-SeSe-DOX) and prepared free DOX-loaded LA-PEG-SeSe-DOX(DOX@LA-PEG-SeSe-DOX) nanoparticles for hepatoma-targeted DOX delivery. LA-PEG-SeSe-DOX can self-assemble into nanoparticles in deionized water and DOX@LA-PEG-SeSe-DOX nanoparticles were prepared by loading free DOX into LA-PEG-Se-Se-DOX nanoparticles under sonication. DOX@LA-PEG-SeSe-DOX nanoparticles have high DOX loading content of 31.3%. The dynamic scattering analysis shows that DOX@LA-PEG-SeSe-DOX nanoparticles have small size (hydrodynamic diameter 4 5. 6 9 ± 0. 7 1 nm), near neutral zeta potential, and excellent colloidal stability. The in vitro drug release study indicates that DOX@LA-PEG-SeSe-DOX nanoparticles exhibit dual redox-responsive drug release characteristics. The cellular uptake study reveals that DOX@LA-PEG-SeSe-DOX nanoparticles can be taken up by hepatoma cells by asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR)-mediated pathway. Finally, DOX@LA-PEG-SeSe-DOX nanoparticles exhibit enhanced cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells as compared to LA-PEG-SeSe-DOX nanoparticles, underlining the significance of releasing free DOX for effective tumor cell proliferation inhibition. This work provides a facile and effective strategy for targeted delivery of DOX to hepatoma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adhesives with strong and stable underwater adhesion performance play a critical role in industrial and biomedical fields. However, achieving strong underwater adhesion, especially in flowing aqueous and blood environments, remains challenging. In this work, a novel solvent‐exchange‐triggered adhesive of catechol‐functionalized polyethylenimine ethoxylated is presented. The authors show that the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution of the catechol‐functionalized polymer can be directly applied to various substrates and exhibits robust dry/underwater adhesion performance induced through in situ liquid‐to‐solid phase transition triggered by water‐DMSO solvent exchange. The adhesive can even strongly bond low‐surface‐energy substrates (e.g., > 86 kPa for polytetrafluoroethylene) in diverse environments, including deionized water, air, phosphate‐buffered saline solution, seawater, and aqueous conditions with different pH values. Moreover, the adhesive exhibits strong adhesion to biological tissues and can be used as a hemostatic sealant to prevent bleeding from arteries and severe trauma to the viscera. The adhesives developed in this study with strong dry/underwater adhesion performance and excellent hemostatic capabilities display enormous application prospects in the biomedical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium leaching from cement hydrates has been shown to decrease the durability and shorten the service life of the concrete. Earlier studies have focused on investigating the leaching progress in deionized water or ammonium nitrate solutions, neglecting the effects of aggressive ion concentrations, types, and temperatures. In addition, the current equilibrium curve of calcium leaching is based on experimental data in deionized water, and its applicability to calcium leaching in actual marine environments is controversial. In this study, a dissolution experiment was carried out to study the effects of chloride ion concentrations and environmental temperatures. The functional relationship of critical parameters (x1 , x2 , and Csatu) of the equilibrium curves with the chloride ion concentrations and temperatures was established. Furthermore, considering the influence of calcium leaching on porosity and the diffusion coefficient of cementitious materials, the calcium leaching model was established within a time and space framework. The results showed that calcium leaching was accelerated by the increased concentration of chloride ions and the decrease in environmental temperature. In the authors' view, this study lays a theoretical foundation for a transport-reaction-mechanical deterioration model of concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many living tissues, such as muscle, become mechanically stronger with growth. Yet, synthetic hydrogels usually exhibit an opposite size‐mechanical property relation, that is, swelling‐weakening behavior. Herein, a series of swollen yet strengthened polyampholyte (PA) hydrogels are developed via a simple metal‐ion solution soaking strategy. In this strategy, a dynamic PA hydrogel (with ionic bonds) is dialyzed in ZrOCl2 solutions (Step‐I) and deionized water (Step‐II) successively to obtain equilibrated hydrogels. Due to the specific Zr4+ ions and PA network structure, Step‐I takes several months with sample size and mechanical performance increasing continuously, while Step‐II only needs several days. Through this strategy, the resultant hydrogel networks are reorganized and eventually constructed by ionic and metalligand bonds, enabling the swelling yet strengthening behavior. A systematic study confirms that dialysis time in Step‐I and corresponding ZrOCl2 concentration can significantly affect the multiphase microstructures of the hydrogels, resulting in different mechanical enhancements. The optimized hydrogel possesses 39.2 MPa of Young's modulus and 3.7 MPa of tensile strength, which are 302 and 5.5 times these of the original PA gel, respectively. Despite distinct swelling, these hydrogels still mechanically surpass many existing high‐performance hydrogels. This study opens a novel pathway for fabricating swollen yet strengthened hydrogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials and manufacturing technologies are necessary for tissue engineering and developing temporary artificial extracellular matrices. In this study, scaffolds were fabricated from freshly synthesized titanate (Na2Ti3O7) and its precursor titanium dioxide and their properties were investigated. The scaffolds with improved properties were then mixed with gelatin to form a scaffold material using the freeze-drying technique. To determine the optimal composition for the compression test of the nanocomposite scaffold, a mixture design with three factors of gelatin, titanate, and deionized water was used. Then, the scaffold microstructures were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to determine the porosity of the nanocomposite scaffolds. The scaffolds were fabricated as a nanocomposite and determined their compressive modulus values. The results showed that the porosity of the gelatin/Na2Ti3O7 nanocomposite scaffolds ranged from 67% to 85%. When the mixing ratio was 100:0, the degree of swelling was 22.98%. The highest swelling ratio of 85.43% was obtained when the freeze-drying technique was applied to the mixture of gelatin and Na2Ti3O7 with a mixing ratio of 80:20. The specimens formed (gelatin:titanate = 80:20) exhibited a compressive modulus of 30.57 kPa. The sample with a composition of 15.10% gelatin, 2% Na2Ti3O7, and 82.9% DI water, processed by the mixture design technique, showed the highest yield of 30.57 kPa in the compression test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks with RHO, qtz and ANA topologies were synthesized at room temperature under aqueous conditions. An excess of unreacted ligand acted as a structure directing agent to nucleate the porous RHO framework. [Display omitted] Here we report the synthesis of a zeolitic imidazolate framework with RHO topology (RHO-Zn(eim) 2 ; eim is the deprotonated anion of 2-ethylimidazole (Heim)) in the aqueous phase. Zn(eim) 2 crystals were prepared by the reaction between Heim and zinc acetate in deionized water. The products prepared at relatively high Heim/Zn molar ratios were Zn(eim) 2 whose structure assigned to RHO, qtz and ANA topologies. Zn(eim) 2 obtained under static condition had porous RHO structure, while under stirred condition, nonporous dense qtz and ANA structures were formed. This study revealed that the formation of RHO porous structure requires the template effect of excess Heim. The RHO-Zn(eim) 2 crystals possessed high surface area and micropore volume, whose morphology consisted of a rhombic dodecahedron. RHO-Zn(eim) 2 exhibited high adsorption capacity (4 mmol/g) for hexane and cyclohexane. Due to the hydrophobic nature of RHO-Zn(eim) 2 , water vapor was hardly adsorbed. Although RHO-Zn(eim) 2 was stable in the presence of water vapor, it became nonporous upon hydrolysis in aqueous solution. In contrast, partial carbonization of topmost surface improved the structural stability against hydrolysis by water, while maintaining the adsorption capacity and increasing the adsorption rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, polyethylene oxide (PEO) and curdlan solutions were used to prepare PEO/curdlan nanofiber films by electrospinning using deionized water as the solvent. In the electrospinning process, PEO was used as the base material, and its concentration was fixed at 6.0 wt.%. Moreover, the concentration of curdlan gum varied from 1.0 to 5.0 wt.%. For the electrospinning conditions, various operating voltages (12–24 kV), working distances (12–20 cm) and feeding rates of polymer solution (5–50 μL/min) were also modified. Based on the experimental results, the optimum concentration for the curdlan gum was 2.0 wt.%. Additionally, the most suitable operating voltage, working distance and feeding rate for the electrospinning process were 19 kV, 20 cm and 9 μL/min, respectively, which can help to prepare relatively thinner PEO/curdlan nanofibers with higher mesh porosity and without the formation of beaded nanofibers. Finally, the PEO/curdlan nanofiber instant films containing 5.0 wt.% quercetin inclusion complex were used to perform wetting and disintegration processes. It was found that the instant film can be dissolved significantly on the low-moisture wet wipe. On the other hand, when the instant film touched water, it can be disintegrated very quickly within 5 s, and the quercetin inclusion complex was dissolved in water efficiently. Furthermore, when the instant film encountered the water vapor at 50 °C, it almost completely disintegrated after immersion for 30 min. The results indicate that the electrospun PEO/curdlan nanofiber film is highly feasible for biomedical applications consisting of instant masks and quick-release wound dressings, even in the water vapor environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the fabrication of nanocomposites using electrospinning technique from poly lactic acid (PLA) and nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HAp). The prepared electrospun PLA-nHAP nanocomposite is intended to be used for drug delivery application. A hydrogen bond in between nHAp and PLA was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Degradation study of the prepared electrospun PLA-nHAp nanocomposite was conducted for 30 days both in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) of pH 7.4 and deionized water. The degradation of the nanocomposite occurred faster in PBS in comparison to water. Cytotoxicity analysis was conducted on both Vero cells and BHK-21 cells and the survival percentage of both cells was found to be more than 95%, which indicates that the prepared nanocomposite is non-toxic and biocompatible. Gentamicin was loaded in the nanocomposite via an encapsulation process and the in vitro drug delivery process was investigated in phosphate buffer solution at different pHs. An initial burst release of the drug was observed from the nanocomposite after 1 to 2 weeks for all pH media. After that, a sustained drug release behavior was observed for the nanocomposite for 8 weeks with a release of 80%, 70% and 50% at pHs 5.5, 6.0 and 7.4, respectively. It can be suggested that the electrospun PLA-nHAp nanocomposite can be used as a potential antibacterial drug carrier for sustained drug release in dental and orthopedic sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rising healthcare costs and the rapid increase in remote physiologic monitoring and care delivery, there is an increasing need for economical, accurate, and non-invasive continuous measures of blood analytes. Based on radio frequency identification (RFID), a novel electromagnetic technology (the Bio-RFID sensor) was developed to non-invasively penetrate inanimate surfaces, capture data from individual radio frequencies, and convert those data into physiologically meaningful information and insights. Here, we describe groundbreaking proof-of-principle studies using Bio-RFID to accurately measure various concentrations of analytes in deionized water. In particular, we tested the hypothesis that the Bio-RFID sensor is able to precisely and non-invasively measure and identify a variety of analytes in vitro. For this assessment, varying solutions of (1) water in isopropyl alcohol; (2) salt in water, and (3) commercial bleach in water were tested, using a randomized double-blind trial design, as proxies for biochemical solutions in general. The Bio-RFID technology was able to detect concentrations of 2000 parts per million (ppm), with evidence suggesting the ability to detect considerably smaller concentration differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a promising continuous desalination technology, flow electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) has received considerable attention. However, poor conductivity and dispersion of the traditional active carbon (AC) flow-electrode limit the properties of FCDI. In order to achieve excellent desalination performance, a flow electrode with good dispersion, low resistance, and high salt adsorption capacity is essential. In this study, nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NPC) was synthesized through one-step pyrolysis process of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid tetrasodium (Na4EDTA). The prepared NPC material showed a high specific surface area (1168.4 m2 g−1), appropriate nitrogen and oxygen doping, excellent hydrophilicity and low resistance. At 1.2 V applied voltage, the desalting experiments showed that the FCDI system based on a NPC flow electrode exhibited a higher average salt removal rate of 0.0459 mg cm−2 min−1, and the salt adsorption capacity (148.93 mg g−1) based on the NPC flow electrode was about 2.3 times larger than that of AC. Furthermore, after continuous desalination cycling for long periods of time, the salt removal efficiency and average salt removal rate remained stable. The results of this study may be useful for the future exploration of high performance electrode materials for FCDI systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of TiO2/SiO2 catalysts were prepared by hydrolysis and used in the transesterification of diphenyl carbonate (DPC) and 1,4‐butanediol (BDO) to produce polycarbonate diol (PCDL). The physical properties of TiO2/SiO2 solid acid catalysts were characterized, and the relationship between their structural features and catalytic transesterification reaction was analyzed. The effects of various reaction conditions such as hydrolysis procedure, transesterification temperature, catalyst amount, and the mole ratio of the starting materials on the catalytic synthesis of PCDL were investigated. The maximum catalytic activity was based on the TiO2 : SiO2=3 : 1 with hydrolysis procedure of adding the Ti/Si mixture (A) to deionized water and anhydrous ethanol (B). The as‐synthesized TiO2/SiO2‐A‐to‐B catalyst exhibits rough surface with the average pore size of 6.75 nm, and the total acid amount of 1.07 mmol/g. The PCDL yield of transesterification reached 89.8 %, and the number average molecular weight reached 9074 g/mol under the optimal reaction conditions, and the molecular weight of the PCDL product could be adjusted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides, fine chemicals, and many other chemical industries usually produce a large amount of waste solid salt which is detrimental to the environment when treated by burning and rigid landfill. In contrast to traditional disposal strategies, resource utilization of waste salt is beneficial for both the environment and economy. However, the current technique for the resource utilization of waste salt, such as nanofiltration, is high cost and hard to popularize. In this study, the photoelectrocatalytic treatment of waste salt obtained from the glyphosate industry and its utilization as a raw material for chlor-alkali electrolysis are proved to be feasible. The waste salt consists mainly of NaCl, with ~ 1.31 wt% of organic impurities. A TiO2 nanotube electrode was employed for the photoelectrocatalytic treatment of brine with NaCl concentration of 270 g L−1 prepared from waste salt. After preliminary treatment, the total organic carbon content (TOC) of the waste salt brine was reduced to 50 mg L−1, with a removal ratio of 85%. It is able to meet the standard of refined brine in the chlor-alkali industry (TOC < 20 mg L−1) with further treatment. A study on the photoelectrocatalytic mechanism reveals that the main oxidative species contributing to the degradation are holes (h+) and chlorine active substances other than Cl∙ under the condition of high Cl− concentration. The organic impurities in the waste salt are poisonous to both the electrode and membrane in the process of chlor-alkali electrolysis, leading to an increase in the voltage. With photoelectrocatalytic treatment, most of the organic impurities can be removed so that the waste salt can be utilized as a raw material for chlor-alkali electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims at highlighting plasma, plasma-activated water (PAW) in particular, as a means of alternative, an innovative and unique method for its application in different aspects of food and vegetable processing and preservation. To investigate the effect of PAW on nutrient retention in vegetables, an experimental set was used to produce PAW that processes deionized water (DI). The concentrations of reactive species in PAW were calculated to compare their effect on nutrient retention. Then, the vegetables were washed with DI and PAW for 20 minutes. The samples were stored at 4 °C for 14 days. Immediately after washing and on the seventh and fourteenth days, nutrient content levels were measured. The results showed that using PAW causes the nutrients to remain in the vegetables for a longer time. We show that nutrient persistence in vegetables depends on the concentration and the type of reactive species in PAW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyoxometalates (POMs) with small-sized, high specific surface area, high negative charges, tunable chemical composition and unique geometrical structure, as well as self-assembly behavior have been widely employed as the transferable building block to construct target catalyst. However, there is lack of effective strategy to display their intrinsic activity for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline condition. Herein, presented is Ni modified PW12 clusters in situ integrated on Ni foam with unique hierarchical structure (Ni-WO/NF), prepared from the Ni modified Keggin-type phosphotungstic acid (H3PW12O40) through the facile hydrothermal method by optimizing the volume ratio of ethanol and deionized water. The as-synthesized Ni-WO/NF possessed abundant active sites, unique micro-nanostructure, and fast charge-transfer ability at interface. Benefiting from these advantages, the optimized Ni-WO/NF exhibited superior hydrogen evolution reaction. (HER) performance with lower overpotential of 75 mV at 10 cm−2 in 1 M KOH, accompanying with a Tafel slope of 86 mV dec−1. Our discovery offers an approach to prepare heteroatom modified materials with hierarchical structure at the cost-effective HER catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature concerning the principal problems is analyzed. Basic characteristics of porous structures and methods of their determination are described, in particular, the pore distribution in radii, full porosity, the specific surface area, hydrophilic–hydrophobic properties. The effect of porous structure on the electrochemical characteristics of the following devices is discussed: lithium-ion and lithium-oxygen batteries, fuel cells with proton-exchange membrane, supercapacitors, electrodialyzers, and devices for water capacitive deionization (desalination). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An alternative way to perform underwater laser ablation without submersion was achieved. • An innovative approach to laser cleaning of gilded bronze was successfully demonstrated. • A novel tool to obtain localized water vesicles during laser cleaning was developed. A group of twenty-eight fragments of monumental bronze statues from the Roman Age, recently underwent a series of conservation treatments at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (OPD) in Florence, Italy. These fragments had never been investigated or cleaned before. During this restoration, supported by an extensive diagnostic campaign, an attempt was made to understand the conservation issues of each fragment and to identify the most suitable cleaning treatment in order to guarantee the removal of concretions and alteration products without damaging these precious artworks. In particular, two large scale fragments, depicting the two sides of a horse's maned neck, and identified as part of an equestrian monument, showed traces of gilding emerging from a thick layer of mineralization and sand encrustations. The bronzes were then subjected to cleaning tests by means of laser ablation to reveal any further remains of gilding. Among the different application methods of laser cleaning, irradiation in water has demonstrated its effectiveness in this case, offering operational advantages due to cavitation-mediated processes. Due to the size and shape of the artefacts (characterized by protruding details such as the mane, etc.), and the general state of conservation, it was impossible to submerge them completely or apply plastic films on their surface to create "pocket pools" filled with deionized water. In this paper we present a new tool for underwater laser cleaning application based on the modification of a water brush pen capable of creating an extremely localized water vesicle, avoiding placing any containment system on the surface. This method has proved to be very powerful in removing the mineralized layer without affecting the underlying gold leaf, leaving only a few traces of the deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maltooligosaccharides (MOS) have become a prominent market in the pharma and food industries due to their excellent bio-preservative and prebiotic properties. However, producing specific maltooligosaccharides like maltopentaose (G5) is relatively tedious and expensive. Here, a novel maltooligosaccharide-forming α-amylase from Bacillus cereus (BcMFAse) was characterized and exhibited a specific activity of 1965.0 ± 9.7 U/mg. The BcMFAse principally produced G5 by hydrolyzing soluble starch, with a maximum G5 yield of 215.8 ± 5.9 g/kg starch, accounting for 63.8 % of the saccharide mixture. The enzymatic hydrolysate was purified by AB-8 macroporous resin column chromatography. Briefly, 1.0 mL adsorbate containing 486.6 g/L total saccharides with deionized water elution at a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min and column temperature of 55 °C. Afterward, G5 was enriched up to 95.4 % purity, and 72.2 % was recovered in solution. The proposed process was simulated by SuperPro Designer software, and the remarkable economic results included a payback period of 0.08 years and an internal rate of return of 294.6 %. This study represented that BcMFAse could be a promising candidate for applications in the food and pharma fields. It first provided a high-efficiency process for producing > 90 % pure G5, which was economically attractive on an industrial scale. [Display omitted] • A novel maltooligosaccharide-forming α-amylase (BcMFAse) was firstly reported. • BcMFAse had 1965 U/mg of amylase activity and 63.8 % of maltopentaose specificity. • A high-efficiency process for producing pure maltopentaose was developed. • 95.4 % of maltopentaose purity was achieved by AB-8 macroporous resin purification. • Techno-economic analysis of high-purity maltopentaose production was conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cathepsin K (catK) modulates the degradation of dentin collagen. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of catK inhibitors on dentin erosion. Dentin beams were eroded (4 times/d for 5 days) and immersed in deionized water (negative control), 0.1 M NaCl, 0.3 M NaCl, 0.5 M NaCl, or 1 μm odanacatib (each n = 16) for 30 min after each erosive challenge. Erosive dentin loss (EDL) and demineralized organic matrix (DOM) thickness were evaluated profilometrically. Additionally, dentin beams were demineralized, immersed in the respective solutions for 30 min each (n = 5), and then incubated in artificial saliva for 5 days. Dentin collage degradation was evaluated by quantifying the levels of the C-terminal peptide of type I collagen (CTX), C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), and hydroxyproline (HYP) in the incubation media. Significantly lower EDL and dentin collagen degradation (CTX, ICTP, and HYP) and thicker DOM layers were observed in the samples treated with 0.3 m NaCl and 1 μm odanacatib than in those treated with deionized water (all p < 0.05). The samples treated with 1 μm odanacatib showed significantly lower levels of CTX and HYP than those treated with 0.3 M NaCl (all p < 0.05). The present findings support the potential use of catK inhibitors in controlling dentin erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, the ability of detergents to solubilize biological membranes has been utilized in biotechnological manufacturing to disrupt the lipid envelope of potentially contaminating viruses and thus enhance the safety margins of plasma- and cell-derived drugs. This ability has been linked to detergent micelles, which are formed if the concentration of detergent molecules exceeds the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Traditionally, the CMC of detergents is determined in deionized water (ddH2O), i.e., a situation considerably different from the actual situation of biotechnological manufacturing. This study compared, for five distinct detergents, the CMC in ddH2O side-by-side with two biopharmaceutical process intermediates relevant to plasma-derived (Immunoglobulin) and cell-derived (monoclonal antibody) products, respectively. Depending on the matrix, the CMC of detergents changed by a factor of up to ~4-fold. Further, the CMC in biotechnological matrices did not correlate with antiviral potency, as Triton X-100 (TX-100) and similar detergents had comparatively higher CMCs than polysorbate-based detergents, which are known to be less potent in terms of virus inactivation. Finally, it was demonstrated that TX-100 and similar detergents also have virus-inactivating properties if applied below the CMC. Thus, the presence of detergent micelles might not be an absolute prerequisite for the disruption of virus envelopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature-resistant polyacrylamide microsphere was successfully synthesized by reverse- phase emulsion polymerization in 5# white oil with glyceryl monooleate as emulsifier, using tetraallylammonium chloride as cross-linking agent. FTIR, EDS, and SEM test results show that AM and tetraallylammo-nium chloride successfully participated in the reaction, and microspheres have a good spherical degree. Laser particle analyzer test results show that the particle size of the microspheres is 4.2 µm, the particle size is expanded to 10.2 um after the water absorption in the deionized water at 60 °C, and temperature, NaCl content, and the type of metal ions all affect the particle size after water absorption. Microscopic observation results show that the polymer microspheres can be stably present in distilled water at 180 °C for more than 7 d, indicating that the microspheres have good stability of high-temperature resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the effects of Semen Cuscutae-Fructus Lycii（SC-FL） on testicular structure and sperm quality of oligoasthenozoospermia mouse models induced by Glucosides of Tripterygium wilfordii hook. F（GTW）. Methods A total of 36 male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the control group（12） and the model group（24）. The mice in the control group were treated with deionized water, and the mice in the model group with GTW for 4 weeks. Two mice from the control group and four mice from the model group were randomly selected for model verification. After the model was successfully validated, the remaining 10 normal mice were used as the control group, and the mice in the model group were divided into the model group and the treatment group according to the random number table method, with 10 mice in each group. The mice in the control group and the model group were given with deionized water, and the mice in the treatment group intragastrically with SC-FL suspension for 4 weeks. At the end of the 8th week of the experiment, the body mass, testicular mass and semen parameters of mice were measured, and the histological morphology of testes was observed by hematoxylin eosin（HE） staining. Results The testicular quality, sperm concentration, and total sperm motility（PR+NP） of mice in the treatment group were higher than those in the spermatogenic failure model group, with significant differences（P＜ 0.01）. Compared with the model group, the Sertoli cells and spermatids were increased in the testicular tissue of the treatment group, and the seminiferous tubules were structurally intact and arranged closely. Conclusion Semen Cuscutae-Fructus Lycii（SC-FL）can effectively alleviate oligoasthenozoospermia, and its mechanism may be related to the repair of testicular tissue structure damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), thanks to their adjustable porous structure and abundant build‐in functional motifs, have been recently regarded as promising electrode materials for a variety of batteries. There still remain grand opportunities to further utilizing their merits for developing advanced COFs‐based batteries. In this paper, we propose a hybrid acid/alkali all‐COFs battery by coupling pyrene‐4,5,9,10‐tetraone based COF cathode with anthraquinone based COF anode. In such a hybrid acid/alkali all‐COFs battery, the cathodic COF favorably works in acid with a relatively positive potential, while the anodic COF preferably runs in alkali with a relatively negative potential. It thus can deliver a decently high discharge capacity of 92.97 mAh g−1 with a wide voltage window of 2.0 V, and exhibit high energy density of 74.2 Wh kg−1 along with a considerable cyclic stability over 300 cycles. The development of the proof‐of‐concept all‐COFs battery may drive forward the improvement of newly cost‐effective and performance‐reliable energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), thanks to their adjustable porous structure and abundant build‐in functional motifs, have been recently regarded as promising electrode materials for a variety of batteries. There still remain grand opportunities to further utilizing their merits for developing advanced COFs‐based batteries. In this paper, we propose a hybrid acid/alkali all‐COFs battery by coupling pyrene‐4,5,9,10‐tetraone based COF cathode with anthraquinone based COF anode. In such a hybrid acid/alkali all‐COFs battery, the cathodic COF favorably works in acid with a relatively positive potential, while the anodic COF preferably runs in alkali with a relatively negative potential. It thus can deliver a decently high discharge capacity of 92.97 mAh g−1 with a wide voltage window of 2.0 V, and exhibit high energy density of 74.2 Wh kg−1 along with a considerable cyclic stability over 300 cycles. The development of the proof‐of‐concept all‐COFs battery may drive forward the improvement of newly cost‐effective and performance‐reliable energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water-soluble Mn2+ doped CsPbCl 3 nanocrystals coating by 6-aminocaproic acid (ACA) ligand were prepared by a simple ligand assisted reprecipitation method at room temperature. The CsPbCl 3 :Mn2+/ACA nanocrystals were almost cubic phase and had mean size of about 10 nm. Due to the coating and passivation of ACA, the CsPbCl 3 :Mn2+/ACA nanocrystals retained the initial fluorescence intensity of 20% after being dispersed in deionized water for 20 days. The orange LED device based on CsPbCl 3 :Mn2+/ACA nanocrystals were prepared with excellent luminescence properties. In the cytotoxicity test, even if the MCF-7 cells were cultured for 24 h at the concentration of CsPbCl 3 :Mn2+/ACA nanocrystals as high as 160 μg·ml−1, the cell survival rate was still 70%. Confocal fluorescent cell imaging results showed that the nanocrystals had remarkable fluorescent cell imaging effect even after 24 h. The synthesized CsPbCl 3 :Mn2+/ACA nanocrystals have nice water solubility, good water stability, low cytotoxicity and highly luminescence properties, and have great application potential in the field of orange LED and fluorescent probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial solar evaporation technology is considered as one of the most promising green ways to solve the problems of freshwater scarcity and sewage treatment. Herein, we prepared a low-cost, easy-to-fabricate, and excellent performance polyaniline (PANI)-wood solar evaporator using a simple surface self-assembly technique. The evaporator achieves an evaporation rate of 1.66 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 sun and a photothermal conversion efficiency of 86.9%. In the process of seawater desalination, the purification rate of four ions in seawater reaches at least 99%. And water purified by evaporator meets the drinking water standard of the World Health Organization (WHO). In the experiment of evaporating organic dye aqueous solution, the light transmittance of the purified water is similar to that of deionized water. These performances are higher than those of most reported wood-based solar evaporators. Therefore, the efficient solar evaporation system has great potential in addressing desalination and water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RuO2 electrodes are spray-deposited with various precursor solution concentrations using aqueous/organic solvent mixtures. RuO2 has a preferential growth along the (110) plane of the rutile tetragonal crystal structure with porous morphology. The bandgap decreases from 2.05 to 1.77 eV with increasing precursor solution concentrations. Electrical resistivity of 0.12 × 104 Ωcm has been observed for RuO2 films prepared with a 50 mM precursor solution concentration. RuO2 film showed a specific capacitance of 893 Fg−1 at a scan rate of 5 mVs−1 and 964 Fg−1 at 0.5 Ag−1 with 93.67% capacitance retention over 1000 cycles. As a RuO2 electrode supercapacitor device, the energy density reaches 76.56 Whkg−1 at a power density of 1701 Wkg−1. The solution resistance is about 0.32 Ω for the RuO2 electrode prepared with a precursor solution concentration of 50 mM. The use of an aqueous/organic mixture as solvent improves the electrochemical supercapacitive performance of RuO2 electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determination of water quality is one of the most important aspects in groundwater studies. People around the world have used groundwater as a source of drinking water, and even today more than half the world's population depends on groundwater for survival. Higher concentrations of heavy metals presentation is very serious problem as these metals leach into ground water or soil, which is detrimental to human health. Ground water pollution is a consequence of several activities like chemical manufacturing, painting and coating and mining. Metals exert a deleterious effect on fauna and flora of lakes and streams. The present studies, determination of metals were carried out from both well and borewell water of Neyveli of Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu (India). Method was used as differential pulse anodic stripping voltammeter (DPASV) at glassy carbon electrode (GCE) vs Ag/AgCl. Determination of heavy metals was done in pH 4.0. The samples were subjected to analysis for elements like Zn, Cd, Pb, Fe, As and Cu by using electrochemical technique for determination of trace metal concentration up to 1 part per million (ppm). The concentrations of these metals in the study area were compared with drinking water quality limits given by the World Health Organization (WHO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calibration is an important source of variability in liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods for insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). This study investigated the impact of different calibrator matrices on IGF-1 measurements by LC-MS. Moreover, the comparability of immunoassays and LC-MS was assessed. Calibrators from 12.5 to 2009 ng/ml were prepared by spiking WHO international Standard (ID 02/254 NIBSC, UK) into the following matrices: native human plasma, fresh charcoal-treated human plasma (FCTHP), old charcoal-treated human plasma, deionized water, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and rat plasma (RP). A validated in-house LC-MS method was calibrated repeatedly with these calibrators. Then, serum samples from 197 growth hormone excess and deficiency patients were analysed with each calibration. The seven calibration curves had different slopes leading to markedly different patient results. The largest differences in IGF-1 concentration from the median (interquartile range) was observed with the calibrator in water and the calibrator in RP (336.4 [279.6–417.0] vs. 112.5 [71.2–171.2], p < 0.001). The smallest difference was observed with calibrators in FCTHP and BSA (141.8 [102.0–198.5] vs. 127.9 [86.9–186.0], p < 0.049). Compared to LC-MS with calibrators in FCTHP, immunoassays showed relevant proportional bias (range: −43% to −68%), constant bias (range: 22.84 to 57.29 ng/ml) and pronounced scatter. Comparing the immunoassays with each other revealed proportional bias of up to 24%. The calibrator matrix is critical for the measurement of IGF-1 by LC-MS. Regardless of the calibrator matrix, LC-MS shows poor agreement with immunoassays. Also, the agreement between different immunoassays is variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a physical model that provides a comprehensive understanding of the motion behavior of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) immersed in ultrapure deionized water and subjected to a series of nanosecond pulses. In a study conducted by Y. Mi et al. The authors explored the global alignment behavior of BNNSs and fitted the experimental data with an exponential decay function. However, this function lacks clear physical mechanisms and the significance of the fitting parameters remains unclear. To address this issue, we have developed a kinetic model that explicitly describes the underlying physical mechanisms. Furthermore, we propose a simplified mathematical model that not only predicts the displacement of BNNSs but also estimates the total time, velocity, and acceleration of the motion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at sustainable treatment of municipal landfill leachate (MLL) along with resource recovery by integrating acidogenesis and bioelectrogenesis. Initially, during acidogenic fermentation, more than 60 % of MLL COD was converted to biohydrogen (0.23 L/g COD load) and volatile fatty acids (VFAs; 56.15 g COD/L). Acetic (25.09 g COD/L), propionic (1.27 g COD/L), and butyric acid (29.77 g COD/L) made up the majority of VFAs. To increase MLL's further treatment, the left-over COD in the acidogenic effluent was introduced into bio-electrochemical treatment system. Three differently configured bio-electrochemical treatment systems (BET 1 , BET 2 , and BET 3) were evaluated varying their anode composition. BET 1 was operated with a capacitive designed PANi/CNT composite electrode, while BET 2 was operated with PANi-SSM and BET 3 with a graphite electrode. The modified composite electrode in BET 1 played a significant role in leachate treatment (COD removal, 71.21 %) displaying a power density of 35 mW/m2. Apart from higher removal of ammoniacal nitrogen, sulfates and phosphates, the composite electrodes in the BET 1 resulted in improved bioelectrogenic activity and capacity of electrons migration between electrode and biocatalyst. Additionally, the modified anode showed higher redox peak currents, lower charge transfer resistance, and ohmic losses. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fringe field capacitive sensors with interdigitated electrodes allow non-invasive measurements. The design of the fringing electric field and analytical characteristics of four different geometrical shaped capacitive sensors for water level measurement have been covered in this work. The work aims to explore the effect of the geometrical shape of IDC sensors, compare the performance of all the designed sensors, characterize their frequency behaviour and establish the best suitable sensor for water level measurement. All statistical calculations were undertaken for the goodness of fit for the proposed sensor's model. The experiments were performed in the laboratory by immersing the sensor inside the container containing still tap water. The result obtained was promising since the measurement of all the proposed sensors fitted the experimental data for a measured frequency range with a satisfactory determination of the coefficient of the R-square value. Archimedean spiral sensor performance is found to be best at all statistical criteria (R-square > 0.99, percent NRMSE < 1.56, standard deviation, and uniformity) for the level measurement. The experimental report shows that the sensitivity of the spiral sensor is 0.0533 to 0.055 nF/cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of multi-dimensional nanocomposites has been extensively attempted to achieve synergistic performance through the uniform mixing of functional constituents. Herein, we report a one-pot fabrication of nanocomposites composed of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Al2O3 powder. Our strategy involves a synthesis of CNTs on the entire Al2O3 surface using a rotatable chemical vapor deposition system (RCVD). Ehylene and ferritin-induced nanoparticles were used as the carbon source and wet catalyst, respectively. The RCVD was composed of a quartz reaction tube, 5.08 cm in diameter and 150 cm in length, with a rotation speed controller. Ferritin dissolved in deionized water was uniformly dispersed on the Al2O3 surface and calcinated to obtain iron nanoparticles. The synthesis temperature, time, and rotation speed of the chamber were the main parameters used to investigate the growth behavior of CNTs. We found that the CNTs can be grown at least around 600 °C, and the number of tubes increases with increasing growth time. A faster rotation of the chamber allows for the uniform growth of CNT by the tip-growth mechanism. Our results are preliminary at present but show that the RCVD process is sufficient for the fabrication of powder-based nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debonding of zirconia cantilevered resin-bonded fixed dental prostheses (RBFDPs) remains the main treatment complication, therefore, the present in vitro study aimed to evaluate the effect of different surface pretreatments on the bonding of zirconia RBFDPs. Eighty milled zirconia maxillary central incisors, with complementary zirconia cantilevered RBFDPs, were randomly subjected to four different surface pretreatments (n = 20): as-machined (AM); airborne-particle abraded (APA); coated with nanostructured alumina coating (NAC); incisor air-abraded and RBFDP coated (NAC_APA). After bonding, half of each group (n = 10) was stored in deionized water (150 days/37 °C), thermocycled (37,500 cycles, 5–55 °C), and cyclically loaded (50 N/1.2 × 106). Load-bearing capacity (LBC) was determined using a quasi-static test. Additionally, finite element analysis (FEA) and fractography were performed. t-test and one-way ANOVA were used for statistical-analysis. Before aging, the NAC group provided superior LBC to other groups (p < 0.05). After aging, the AM specimens debonded spontaneously, while other groups exhibited comparable LBC (p ˃ 0.05). The FEA results correlated with the in vitro experiment and fractography, showing highly stressed areas in the bonding interface, cement layer, and in RBFDP's retainer wing and connector. The NAC RBFDPs exhibited comparable long-term bonding performance to APA and should be regarded as a zirconia pretreatment alternative to APA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The encapsulation of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (NCs) in oxide glass can effectively avoid contact of the external environment with the halide perovskite. However, the effects of hydroxyl and oxygen on NCs cannot be completely excluded because of the nature of oxide glass itself. Here, we proposed a new solution to solve these problems by using fluorophosphate (FP) glass as the embedding matrix. The composition (Br concentration) and heat treatment conditions (temperature and time) of the glass matrix were designed and optimized to improve the optical properties of CsPbBr3 NCs. The results showed that highly pure green light with an emission peak of 534 nm and a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of approximately 19 nm was achieved using CsPbBr3 NCs@glass and a light-emitting diode (LED)/laser diode (LD). The Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of the two devices were (0.243, 0.723) and (0.239, 0.739), with very high color purities of 96.6% and 97.3%, respectively. The photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of the samples excited at 365 nm and 450 nm wavelengths were 34.54% and 38.85%, respectively. Additionally, the chemical stability of CsPbBr3 NCs was significantly improved by the encapsulation in FP glass, retaining 88% of the original PL intensity after 30 days of storage in deionized water. This work provides a new choice to improve the stability of a halide perovskite in a matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To extract dysprosium (Dy) from LiCl–KCl molten salt, the electrochemical properties of Dy on liquid Sn electrode were explored by various electrochemical methods such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronopotentiometry (CP), and coulometric titration (CT). The Dy-Sn solid solution ((Dy-Sn)solution) was formed when the Dy was deposited on liquid Sn. The electrode process is a reversible reaction controlled by diffusion, and the diffusion coefficient of Dy(III) in LiCl–KCl molten salt was measured in the order of 10−5 cm2 s−1. CT and CP were used to assess the solubility and diffusion coefficient of Dy in liquid Sn, respectively. Meanwhile, the co-deposition of Dy(III) and Sn(II) was analyzed by CV and square wave voltammetry (SWV) to obtain the Dy-Sn intermetallic compounds, and four electrochemical signals related to Dy-Sn intermetallic compounds were observed. In addition, the feasibility of extracting Dy using liquid Sn electrode was verified by galvanostatic electrolysis (GE) and potentiostatic electrolysis (PE), and the products were characterized by XRD and SEM–EDS. The Dy-Sn alloys prepared by PE and GE consisted of DySn2 and (DySn3 + DySn2), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated carbon is the most commonly used electrode material in electrochemical double-layer capacitors. The rational utilization of biomass (waste) to prepare porous activated carbon as efficient electrode material for supercapacitor application is observed. Herein, we have prepared activated carbon from Canna indica as a tolerable and earth-bountiful carbon source via the facile physicochemical method. The microwave method has provided the highest order of activated carbon with an irregular partial lamellar structure morphology compared to the traditional activation method. Microwave-assisted acid-treated activated carbon (R3 sample) exhibited superior electrochemical properties compared with other samples (as-prepared biochar (R1 sample) and chemically activated (R2 sample)). Hence, R3 coated conductive electrode offered a high Cs of 112.9. F/g at 4 A/g in 1 M Na2SO4 with the cyclability of 76.8% after 3000 cycles at 20 A/g. A fabricated symmetric R3//R3 device showed the Cs of 54.3 F/g at 1 A/g with the energy/power density of 14.8 Wh/kg and 666.5 W/kg. The symmetric device offered a high cyclability of 86% after 3000 cycles at 20 A/g. This work delivers an effective tactic and cost-effective approach for synthesizing of activated carbon as a value-added product from biowaste for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the controllable fabrication of anisotropic particles with different sizes and morphologies via self-assembly and photoinduced deformation of azo colloidal microspheres, which were formed from a typical azo molecular material (IAC-4) that contains a 1,4,3,6-dianhydrosorbitol core and the cinnamate peripheral groups. Firstly, azo colloidal microspheres were obtained by self-assembly via gradually adding deionized water into IAC-4 solution of tetrahydrofuran. For precisely controlling the length of short axis of anisotropic particles, IAC-4 colloidal microspheres with different and uniform sizes were obtained by adjusting the IAC-4 concentration, adding rate of water and stirring rate. The size of colloidal microspheres becomes smaller with the increase in IAC-4 concentration, the adding rate of water and the stirring rate. Finally, IAC-4 colloidal microspheres in the solid state, perpendicularly irradiated by the linearly polarized laser beam (λ = 488 nm), were irreversibly and controllably stretched into anisotropic particles with the different morphologies, length of long axis and axial ratio via adjusting the irradiation time and the power of laser beam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat transmission by means of heat pipes is one of the fastest and most efficient thermal management technologies. The performance of typical thermal systems that use heat transfer fluid (HTF) can be improved by incorporating nanoparticles into the HTF (nanofluid). This work describes an experimental examination of metal oxide suspended nano-sized particles such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper oxide (CuO) in deionized water as the base fluid (DIwater). The nanoparticle levels used for this investigation are 0%, 1%, 2% and 3% by weight. Experiments were carried out at all levels of nanofluids with heat pipe inclinations ranging from horizontal to vertical. The rheological measurements of the two nanofluids under a wide range of temperatures and shear rate were studied. The thermal performance of a heat pipe with water-based nanofluids is expected to improve more than that of a normal heat pipe. The thermal efficiency of a heat pipe using nanofluids was examined at various tilt angles. The results show that a heat pipe at a tilt angle of 60° generates superior effects. Temperature distribution along the length of the heat pipe under different power input conditions was presented using varied weight proportions of nanofluids (ZnO & CuO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methylene blue dye can cause damage to the eyes of humans and animals, as well as skin irritation. Also, it can result in nausea, cancer, vomiting, convulsions, and diarrhea. Consequently, in this work, an aqueous solution of sodium metasilicate pentahydrate (12 g dissolved in 50 mL of deionized water) reacted separately with two aqueous solutions of magnesium nitrate hexahydrate (8.47 g dissolved in 50 mL of deionized water and 11.47 g dissolved in 50 mL of deionized water) to obtain sodium magnesium silicate hydrate/sodium magnesium silicate hydroxide as novel nanostructures via the sol–gel method. Besides, the synthesized nanostructures were utilized for the efficient removal of methylene blue dye from aqueous media. The mean crystallite sizes of the nanostructures, which were synthesized using 8.47 and 11.47 g of magnesium nitrate hexahydrate, are 73.17 and 60.25 nm, respectively. The nanostructures, which were synthesized using 8.47 and 11.47 g of magnesium nitrate hexahydrate, were composed of cubes, spheres, and irregular shapes with mean grain sizes of 175 and 110 nm, respectively. The BET surface areas of the nanostructures, which were synthesized using 8.47 and 11.47 g of magnesium nitrate hexahydrate, are 171.04 and 189.90 m2/g, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities of the nanostructures, which were synthesized using 8.47 and 11.47 g of magnesium nitrate hexahydrate, toward methylene blue dye are 384.62 and 404.86 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption of methylene blue dye using the synthesized nanostructures is consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir equilibrium isotherm. Also, the adsorption of the methylene blue dye is chemical and exothermic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]