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Confining materials within nanoscale volumes alters their physical and chemical properties, with positive consequences for energy storage, conversion, and catalysis. The pore structure and composition of scaffolds are essential variables for optimizing these properties, with carbon-based materials being preferred due to their tunable porous structures and chemical versatility. This study investigates the influence of surface functional groups on the dehydrogenation kinetics of nanoconfined NaAlH4 using zeolite-templated carbons (ZTCs). We focus on oxygen functional groups commonly present as intrinsic impurities on carbon scaffolds, analyzing three ZTC scaffolds to determine how their concentrations and configurations affect dehydrogenation behavior. Our findings reveal that carbonyl groups enhance charge transfer and destabilize Al–H bonds more effectively than ether or phenol groups. This indicates that the type of oxygen functional group is more critical than the quantity, highlighting the importance of properly tailoring oxygen defects to improve hydrogen storage performance in nanoconfined systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractTo further understand the effects of fiber type on the properties of different asphalt mastic, basalt fiber (BF), glass fiber (GF) and polyester fiber (PF) were utilized to prepare the corresponding fiber reinforced asphalt mastic samples. Cohesion-adhesion and rheological properties of fiber reinforced asphalt mastic were evaluated by the self-designed low-temperature tensile test, binder bond strength test, temperature sweep test and frequency sweep test. At the same time, the interfacial interaction ability between the fiber and asphalt mastic was quantitatively analyzed based on the complex shear modulus coefficient index. The results showed that adding fibers can significantly improve the ultimate tensile force and tensile fracture energy of the asphalt mastic at low temperature. Fiber has a certain improvement effect on the interface adhesion strength between asphalt mastic and aggregate. Meanwhile, the addition of fiber significantly improves the high-temperature of asphalt mastic. The difference of complex shear modulus of asphalt mastic before and after adding fibers under low-frequency condition is more obvious compared with the high-frequency condition. Furthermore, the type of fiber presents a significant impact on the interfacial interaction between fiber and asphalt mastic, which is also affected by the service temperature. These findings are helpful for understanding the reinforcing mechanism of fibers in asphalt mastic and can guide the selection of fibers in asphalt materials. It is also of great importance for the optimal design and application of fiber-asphalt mixtures as well as for promoting the use of fibers in asphalt pavements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyurethane (PU) is one of the important industrial polymers. PU and its composites can be used in different applications. This paper examines the potential of PU/copper sulphide (CuS) nanocomposites (NCs) for application as green mulching films in agriculture. Castor oil-based PU NCs were fabricated by varying the CuS concentration viz., 0.0%, 1.0%, 2.0%, 4.0% and 8.0%. The NCs were characterised for microcrystalline nature by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy used for examining spectral characteristics, morphological assessment by scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis by energy-dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy. The NCs were characterised for tensile properties, which revealed that a 4% PU/CuS nanocomposite (NC) exhibited high elongation at break of 399.72 MPa, suitable for mulching applications. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to examine the thermal stability and degradation. The chemical resistance and water absorption were evaluated in various atmosphere. The biodegradability was investigated through the soil and cow dung burial test. The pot study experiment is conducted to investigate the effect of NC on growth rate of the plants, which showed that beans treated with PU/CuS NC showed a 43% increase in height within 7 days and a 32% increase within 35 days, with an increase of about 62.5% in leaf width within 7 days and continues to increase until the 35th day and shows considerably more branches and stem diameter than the control. This work concludes that PU/CuS NCs have high potential as green mulching films for application in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geogrid-reinforced calcareous sand (GRCS) is an attractive alternative to enhance the bearing capacity and stability of geotechnical structures in island and coastal areas. Understanding the geogrid–particle interaction and shear mechanical behavior is the current challenge. This work investigated the shear mechanical behavior of the GRCS under the influence of inclination angle, stress level, geogrid type, and the number of geogrids employing large-scale direct shear tests. The results revealed that the shear strength of the three-layer inclined reinforcement increased by an average of 81% and 59% compared to the unreinforced and horizontally reinforced conditions, respectively. The internal friction angle and the pseudo cohesion at the shear plane were particularly sensitive to the inclined reinforcement condition, with maximum values of 54.7° and 55 kPa, respectively. The increased inclination angle and geogrids enhanced the initial volume shrinkage and maximum dilation during the shear process, which is essentially governed by the rotation and alignment of the particles. The shear stress level primarily influenced particle crushing, with a maximum relative breakage index of 2.18%. In addition, a simplified calculation of the equivalent additional stress provided by the geogrid–particle interface was further developed under the horizontal and inclined reinforcements. Further, the potential correlations between the shear stress transfer coefficient and the determined parameters were clarified by analyzing the force and deformation characteristics of the geogrids. The presented findings are highly significant for understanding the geogrid–particle interaction mechanisms and the future application of reinforced geostructures in calcareous sand regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly toxic substances contained in spent cathode carbon blocks (SCCB) pose a serious threat to human health and the ecological environment, and are difficult to recycle. To address this issue, we utilize H2O2 to oxidize cyanides and grow hydroxyapatite (HAP) on spent cathode carbon blocks to adsorb fluoride ions, achieving controlled removal of cyanides and fluorides. Subsequently, the hydroxyapatite‐spent cathode carbon block composite material (H‐SCCB) is applied to modified asphalt, and simulations of the interaction between hydroxyapatite interfaces and asphalt components are conducted. The results indicate that the total cyanide and fluoride ion concentrations in the experimental wastewater meet the discharge standards for industrial wastewater in China. Hydroxyapatite successfully grows on SCCB, presenting a rich porous structure and significantly increased surface area. Mechanical testing shows that 4% H‐SCCB exhibits optimal performance, with a 23.28% increase in complex modulus (G*) compared to the matrix asphalt. Creep recovery capability (R) increases by 54.32% and 7%, respectively. Additionally, molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the interface adsorption between hydroxyapatite and asphalt binder is primarily influenced by electrostatic forces. Under the influence of hydroxyapatite, the diffusion abilities of asphalt four components are as follows: resin > aromatic > saturate > asphaltene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomically thin monolayer (ML) GeSb 2 Te 4 (GST) holds promising prospects in non-volatile memory applications because of its high non-homogeneous crystallization rate. In GST-based devices, the interaction between GST and metals is crucial, as it affects the electronic properties. Herein, based on first-principles calculations, we investigate the interaction and Schottky barrier height of contacts formed by the combination of ML GST with various metals. It is found that the interfaces of GST with Pt, Pd, Ir and W exhibit strong interaction, characterized by large binding energies ranging from 1.394 to 1.015 eV , and the interfaces between GST and Cu, Ag and Au display weak interaction. For the seven contacts, Ag and W form Ohmic contacts with ML GST, while Cu, Au, Pd, Ir, and Pt form n-type Schottky contacts, with Schottky barrier heights ranging from 0.029 to 0.353 eV . The strong Fermi level pinning at GST-metal interface is observed with a pinning factor of 0.378. Additionally, altering the interfacial distance and optimizing the layers of GST enable a transition from Ohmic contact to Schottky contact. These findings provide crucial guidance for the design and optimization of electronic devices based on phase change materials like GST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asphalt modified with treated waste tires has good environmental protection and application value. However, the nano-modification mechanism of crumb rubber (CR) with asphalt is still unclear. This research investigates the mechanism, aging, and interfacial interaction with the aggregate of CR modification asphalt (CRMA). The base asphalt and CRMA (original and aged) and two typical aggregate models were constructed. The accuracy of the model was verified through multiple indicators. The effects of CR and aging on the physical properties (density, compatibility, and diffusion coefficient), mechanical properties, component interaction behavior, and interfacial interactions with aggregates of CRMA were systematically analyzed. The results showed that the CR reduced the diffusion coefficient of asphalt by about 31%. The CR inhibited the movement of the components of asphalt (especially saturate and aromatic), which significantly improved the mechanical properties of asphalt. The compatibility between asphalt and CR significantly deteriorated after aging. The difference in the solubility parameter was about four times that before aging. It is instructive for the regeneration of CRMA. Aging led to a decrease in the shear modulus and Young's modulus of both base asphalt and CRMA, which verified and quantified the adverse effects of aging on the mechanical properties. Comparing the two aggregates, CaCO3 had a greater adhesion with asphalt than SiO2. The difference ranged from 22.5% to 39.9%, which quantified the difference in the adhesion properties of acid base aggregates with asphalt. This study can provide theoretical guidance for the modification and application of CRMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The effect of adhesion additive and nature of filler on fatigue life and interfacial interaction in mastic is analyzed in this paper. Materials and methods of research. Frequency sweep from 0.1 to 100 rad/s at strain 0.05% at temperatures from 30 to –10°С with a step 10°С and cyclic tests (LAS test) at temperatures from 16 to 1°С with a step 3°С for bitumen grade BND 100/130 and mastics based on it, containing fillers of different nature, were performed on the dynamic shear rheometer. Mastics were prepared by mixing bitumen (3 min; 160°С and 600 rpm) and filler (filler volume fraction – 0.275). Adhesion additive in an amount of 0.7%, was introduced into bitumen before the filler to investigate the effect of AD on the properties of bitumen and AB. The damage characteristic curve under cyclic loads was calculated using two models of VECD theory (Viscoelastic Continuum Damage Modeling System): dissipated strain energy and pseudo-strain energy. Results and Discussion. The influence of nature and properties of filler, adhesive additive, temperature and frequency of tests on the parameter of interfacial interaction K-B-G* and thickness of adsorbed layer has been investigated. The intensity of damage in the specimen under cyclic loads and the behavior of fatigue parameters as a function of test temperature at two variants of determining the parameter α have been analyzed. Conclusion. It is shown that an increase in the interfacial layer thickness in asphalt mastic leads to an increase in their resistance to damage accumulation (Damage Intensity) during fatigue testing (LAS), and lowers the rate of pseudo-deformation energy growth.

Carbon nanotubes-based thermoelectric materials with high electrical conductivity (σ) and excellent mechanical properties have promising applications in flexible wearable devices. Two-dimensional transition metal sulfide MoS 2 has been used to enhance the thermoelectric properties of carbon nanotubes due to its high Seebeck coefficient (S). However, MoS 2 nanosheets are prone to agglomeration due to their high specific surface area, which causes lower doping efficiency. In this work, MoS 2 @GO hybrids are successfully fabricated using a hydrothermal in-situ growth method to anchor exfoliated MoS 2 on graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, and MoS 2 @GO hybrids significantly enhance the interfacial interaction between MoS 2 and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), improve the carrier mobility, lead to a simultaneous enhancement of the S and the σ. The maximum S value of MoS 2 @GO/SWCNT is 42.3 ± 0.2 μV K−1, the σ is 1173.2 ± 45.6 S cm−1, and an optimum power factor (PF) of 208.8 ± 8.5 μW m−1 K−2 is obtained at room temperature, which reaches 261.3 ± 10.2 μW m−1 K−2 at 385 K. For application demonstration, a thermoelectric device is assembled by connecting six pairs of p-type MoS 2 @GO/SWCNT and n-type copper sheets in series, which demonstrates an open-circuit voltage of 17.4 mV and an output power of 2.1 μW under a temperature difference of 50 K. Therefore, this study enriches the design and synthesis strategy of exfoliated MoS 2 and provides a new approach for the development of high-performance SWCNT-based thermoelectric materials, which has important potential applications in the field of wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights The interaction between fiber and polymer matrix is crucial for the properties of fiber‐reinforced composites. This paper explored the use of end‐capped waterborne polyurethanes (WPU) modified basalt fiber (BF) to reinforce the polypropylene (PP), aiming to improve interfacial interaction and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the effect of the ratio of soft and hard segments in the end‐capped WPU and the fiber content on the comprehensive properties of the composites have been thoroughly investigated. Three kinds of capped aqueous polyurethanes with different soft‐to‐hard segment ratios were prepared, corresponding to isocyanate indices (R) of 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5, respectively. The results indicated that the fracture section images of the composites confirmed the modification effect of BF and the good interfacial compatibility between end‐capped WPU modified BF (W‐BF) and PP. Moreover, the composite with R = 1.4 end‐capped WPU modified BF exhibited the optimum mechanical properties, fatigue properties and thermal deformation temperature. Specifically, the tensile strength, fatigue performance and heat distortion temperature achieved value of 47.7 MPa, 55,000 cycles and 142.5°C, which represent increases of 32.5%, 400%, and 10.9%, respectively, compared with the unmodified fiber‐reinforced composites, respectively. This efficient interface modification strategy will provide a novel method for high‐performance fiber reinforced composites. Waterborne polyurethanes improve the surface roughness of BF. Chemical and physical interaction between WPU and BF. WPU modification to enhance BF‐PP interfacial interaction. WPU and BF increase the tensile strength by 40%. Stronger interfacial interactions lead to higher thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber reinforced polyolefin (CFRPO) composites have been widely applied in many engineering fields owing to their high specific strength and stiffness. However, carbon fiber (CF) with a chemically inert surface and low surface energy results in the weak interfacial interaction and mechanical properties of CFRPO composites. In this work, thermally reduced graphene was coated on CF with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) as a modifier and coupling agent to improve the interfacial strength between CF and the matrix. After incorporated in linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) by melt compounding, the yield strength, yield modulus and thermal conductivity of modified CF reinforced polyethylene (LLDPE/CF-PLG) composite were increased by 18.18%, 16.48% and 5.27%, respectively, and the volume resistivity was decreased by 35.32% compared with LLDPE/CF at 30 wt.% content. The characterization results demonstrate that the enhancement of mechanical properties is attributed to the increased specific surface area, surface roughness and oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of CF-PLG. This strategy provides a new approach for the enhancement of CF reinforced polymer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Petroleum Geology & Oilfield Development in Daqing is the property of Editorial Department of Petroleum Geology & Oilfield Development in Daqing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The interaction properties can be significantly improved by using conjugated polymers with aromatic rings for carbon nanotube (CNT)‐reinforced composites. In this study, we investigated the influence of the molecular structure of the polyimide (PI) conjugated polymer on the mechanical properties and interfacial characteristics of CNT/PI composites. To that end, nanocomposites composed of aligned multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and PI with three different molecular structures were examined. Tensile tests, small‐angle x‐ray scattering (SAXS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted, which revealed significant variations in the tensile properties among the three aligned MWNT/PI nanocomposites. The SAXS analyses indicated that MWNT/BPDA‐PDA had the largest interfacial specific surface area, as corroborated by the MD simulation results, which further demonstrated that the rigidity of the molecular structure influenced the extent of wrapping the PI chains around MWNTs. A highly rigid molecular chain hindered the intrachain folding of the PI chain, facilitating better wrapping of the MWNTs and a larger interfacial area. The MWNTs induced conformational changes in the PI chain owing to π–π stacking. Hermans orientation factor revealed that BPDA‐PDA exhibited the highest degree of orientation with MWNTs, whereas BTDA‐MPD displayed the greatest extent of MWNT‐induced conformational changes. The calculated interaction energy confirmed that MWNT/BTDA‐MPD exhibited the strongest interface strength (−41.50 Kcal/mol/nm2), which was 36.32% and 43.03% higher than that of MWNT/BPDA‐ODA and MWNT/BPDA‐PDA, demonstrating its superior tensile properties. This study provides insights into the interfacial characteristics between conjugated polymers and CNTs, which are essential for designing interfaces and developing high‐performance nanocomposites. Highlights: Interfacial interaction between polyimide and aligned carbon nanotubes was investigated.Modulation by polyimide structures on the mechanical property of composite was revealed.The rigidity of the polyimide hinders the folding and facilitates the wrapping.The interfacial interaction induces molecular orientation in polyimide can be observed by molecular dynamic simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under complex approach by means of simultaneous measurements (during the deformation) of stress-strain diagrams (τ-ε), the Hall coefficient RH, electrical conductivity σ, temperature dependences of microhardness Нv(Т) and quantitative analysis of interfacial interactions (energy of interfacial interaction γm and interfacial tension σm), the peculiarities of the mechanical properties in CdxHg1-xTe solid-solution crystals (х = 0-0.26) with metal and semi-conductor properties are studied. The special role of point defects and the influence of band structure on the behaviour of mobile dislocations are established. As found, in the process of strain hardening, a significant contribution is made by the interphase interaction between neighbouring structural fragments inherent in the semi-metallic crystal as well as induced in the process of deformation. From the point of view of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, energy parameters of interphase interaction in a fragmented crystal are estimated and a mechanism of self-organization is proposed. The peculiarities of near-surface layers and their role in formation of the elastic-plastic state of the investigated crystals are analysed. As claimed, the crystal under process of deformation should be considered as an open non-equilibrium thermodynamic system that evolves to minimum entropy not only to preserve its integrity, but also to create new types of structures (defects) capable of more effectively dissipating the added energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights The mechanical strength of polylactic acid (PLA) can be improved by carbon fiber (CF) compositing to expand its application in tissue engineering scaffolds. However, the mechanical strength of CF‐reinforced polylactic acid (CFRPLA) composites is compromised due to weak interfacial interaction resulting from the chemically inert surface of CF. In the article, carbon nanotube (CNT) with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) as a coupling agent was covered on CF to improve the chemical activity and roughness of the surface of CF, and then the as‐prepared CF‐PCNT were further incorporated into PLA via melt compounding. The yield strength, modulus, and thermal conductivity of PLA/CF‐PCNT were 14.09%, 7.65%, and 5.24% higher than those of PLA/CF, respectively, and the volume resistivity was 99.74% lower at a 10 wt% loading. The enhancement for the mechanical properties of PLA/CF‐PCNT composites could be ascribed to the mechanical locking, hydrogen bonds and covalent bonds between CF and matrix through the interface modulation of CNT and PDDA. This facile and non‐destructive method offers a novel strategy for the modification of CF fillers. CF was modified by PDDA and CNT through a facile and non‐destructive method. The active functional groups and roughness on the surface of CF were increased. The surfaces of CFs were characterized by FT‐IR, Raman spectra, XPS and SEM. The interface was improved by mechanical locking, covalent, and hydrogen bonds. The mechanical strength, electrical and thermal conductivity of composites were improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D printing of unique structures with tunable properties offers significant advantages in the fabrication of complex and customized electronic devices. This study introduces a process-microstructure–property-guided manufacturing route to fabricate PVDF-2D MoS2 piezoelectric nanocomposites with tunable piezoelectric properties without having a postprocess. We control PVDF's microstructure through direct ink writing (DIW) 3D printing while tuning PVDF-MoS2 interfacial strain by controlling rheology and 3D printing parameters, such as nozzle size and printing speed. Our approach demonstrates tunable piezoelectricity in PVDF-MoS2, achieving a 15-fold increase in the piezoelectric coefficient (d33) at a printing-induced shear stress of 6685 Pa. This enhancement arises from the electrostatic interactions between PVDF and MoS2 and the filler distribution and alignment caused by the in situ shear stress in 3D printing, as confirmed by XPS and Raman mapping analyses. Our findings advance the understanding of piezoelectric mechanisms in PVDF-based nanocomposites, laying the foundation for 3D printing of piezoelectric sensors in wearable device applications with enhanced performance and customization capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to solve the problem of debonding of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers in asphalt to improve the property of asphalt materials. A simple layer-by-layer self-assembly method was employed, in which a chitosan (CS)/phytanic acid (PA) coating was first constructed on the fiber surface. This coating immobilized Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the fiber surface by electrostatic adsorption and coordination, resulting in a robust active surface to obtain Fe3O4-PA-CS-PAN fibers, which were used to laminate styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS)-modified asphalt. Dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests confirmed that the Fe3O4-PA-CS-PAN fiber-modified asphalt possessed superior viscoelastic properties and rutting resistance. At 64 °C, the viscosity modulus (G′) and viscous modulus (G′′) of the 1.5% Fe3O4-PA-CS-PAN fiber-modified asphalt increased by 18.23% and 26.19%, respectively, compared with that of the same dosage of PAN fiber-modified asphalt. This can be ascribed to the effective enhancement of the bonding of the interface between the modified PAN fibers and the asphalt. This research contributes to the development and improvement of future road materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work is devoted to mathematical modeling of the dynamics of inhomogeneous electrically charged media. The dynamics of gas suspensions (solid particles suspended in a gas) is investigated. The mathematical model has implemented a continual approach to modeling the dynamics of inhomogeneous media; the model takes into account the interphase momentum exchange as well as the interphase heat transfer. The carrier medium is described as a viscous, compressible, heat-conducting gas. The equations of the mathematical model are supplemented with initial and boundary conditions. The influence of the physical density of the dispersed phase material on the intensity of interaction in electrically neutral and electrically charged gas suspensions is investigated. Both surface and mass densities of electric charge are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raising the cutoff voltage can efficiently increase the energy density of lithium cobalt oxide (LCO). However, upon charging over 4.55 V the LCO undergoes irreversible phase transition from the pristine O3 phase to the metastable H1‐3 phases, causing serious side reactions, which results in poor cycling stability. Herein, a multifunctional aqueous composite binder derived from the cross‐linking of fucoidan (FUC) and polyacrylamide (PAM) is developed to enhance the stability of LCO cathode at 4.6 V. The cross‐linking interaction of FUC and PAM provides a uniform coating on the surface of LCO and ensures a high peel strength for the electrode, effectively mitigating irreversible phase transition and detrimental interface side reactions. More importantly, the sulfur ester and amide groups of FUC‐PAM favorably function as surface charge compensators to the high valent Co upon charging under high voltages, thus stabilizes the surface lattice of LCO and suppresses the detrimental oxygen release. As expected, the LCO with a cutoff voltage of 4.6 V exhibits a high capacity retention of 90% after 100 cycles at a current density of 110 mA g−1. The interfacial coordination effect of composite binders offers a novel strategy to enhance the stability of high‐voltage LCO for high‐energy lithium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed matrix lithium adsorbents have attracted much interest for lithium recovery from brine. However, the absence of an interfacial interaction between the inorganic lithium-ion sieves (LISs) and the organic polymer matrix resulted in the poor structural stability and attenuated lithium adsorption efficiency. Here, a novel hollow hemispherical mixed matrix lithium adsorbent (H-LIS) with high interfacial compatibility was constructed based on mussel-bioinspired surface chemistry using a solvent evaporation induced phase transition method. The effects of types of functional modifiers, LIS loading amount, adsorption temperature and pH on their structural stability and lithium adsorption performance were systematically investigated. The optimized H-LIS adsorbent with the LIS loading amount of 50 wt.% possessed the structural merit that the LIS functionally modified by dopamine exposed on both the inner and outer surfaces of the hollow hemispheres. At the best adsorption pH of 12.0, it showed a comparable lithium adsorption capacity of 25.68 mg·g−1 to the powdery LIS within 4 h, favorable adsorption selectivity of Mg/Li and good reusability that could maintain over 90% of lithium adsorption capacity after the LiCl adsorption—0.25 M HCl pickling-DI water cleaning cycling processes for three times. The interfacial interaction mechanism of H-LIS for lithium adsorption was innovatively explored via advanced microcalorimetry technology. It suggested the nature of the Li+ adsorption process was exothermic and dopamine modification could reduce the activation energy for lithium adsorption from 15.68 kJ·mol−1 to 13.83 kJ·mol−1 and trigger a faster response to Li+ by strengthening the Li+-H+ exchange rate, which established the thermodynamic relationship between the structure and Li+ adsorption performance of H-LIS. This work will provide a technical support for the structural regulation of functional materials for lithium extraction from brine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of East China University of Science & Technology is the property of Journal of East China University of Science & Technology Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Flexible strain sensors are attracting attention in areas such as medical monitoring sensing and rehabilitation therapy monitoring due to their powerful ability to sense, process, transmit and display complex information. However, it is an urgent challenge to realize the trade‐off between excellent performances such as high sensitivity, high linearity, wide strain sensing range and high durability. Herein, we prepare stretchable conductive composites with wrinkle composite micro‐crack structure by combining carboxystyrene butadiene rubber (XSBR) layer and carboxymethyl cellulose@Ag nanowire‐CNTs (CMC@AgNWs‐CNTs) conductive layer. Based on interfacial interactions, it can be adapted to different needs by adjusting the thickness of the strain sensing layer. When the thickness of the strain sensing layer is 4 μm, the strain sensor has a wide sensing range (strain capacity up to 300%) and high sensitivity (strain sensing factor of 484). At a thickness of 8 μm, the strain sensing performance exhibits a wide strain range, high linear fit and good cyclic stability. This work provides a new research idea to improve the comprehensive performance of flexible strain sensors and the contradiction between wide sensing range, high sensitivity and high linearity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing complex and variable emerging antibiotic pollutants, the traditional development of functional materials is a "trial-and-error" process based on physicochemical principles, where laborious steps and long timescales make it difficult to accelerate technical breakthroughs. Notably, natural biomolecular coronas derived from highly tolerant organisms under significant contamination scenarios can be used in conjunction with nanotechnology to tackling emerging contaminants of concern. Here, super worms (Tubifex tubifex) with high pollutant tolerance were integrated with nano-zero valent iron (nZVI) to effectively reduce the content of 17 antibiotics in wastewater within 7 d. Inspired by the synergistic remediation, nZVI-augmented worms were constructed as biological nanocomposites. Neither nZVI (0.3 to 3 g/L) nor worms (104 to 105 per liter) alone efficiently degraded florfenicol (FF, as a representative antibiotic), while their composite removed 87% of FF (3 µmol/L). Under antibiotic exposure, biomolecules secreted by worms formed a corona on and modified the nZVI particle surface, enabling the nano-bio interface greater functionality, including responsiveness, enrichment, and reduction. Mechanistically, FF exposure activated glucose-alanine cycle pathways that synthesize organic acids and amines as major metabolites, which were assembled into vesicles and secreted, thereby interacting with nZVI in a biologically response design strategy. Lactic acid and urea formed hydrogen bonds with FF, enriched analyte presence at the heterogeneous interface. Succinic and lactic acids corroded the nZVI passivation layer and promoted electron transfer through surface conjugation. This unique strategy highlights biomolecular coronas as a complex resource to augment nano-enabled technologies and will provide shortcuts for rational manipulation of nanomaterial surfaces with coordinated multifunctionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although glass fibers are more common, quartz fibers (QFs) are also considered as the ideal reinforcing material in dentistry, due to their superior mechanical strength, high purity, and good photoconductive properties. However, the relatively inert surfaces limit their further applications. Therefore, the aim of this study is to modify the fiber surface properties to improve the interfacial interactions with polymeric resins. In this study, we systematically introduced four different surface modification strategies onto short quartz fibers (SQFs) for the preparation of dental composites. Particularly, the acid etching was a facile way to create mechanical interlocking structures. In addition, the silanization process, the sol-gel treatment, and the polymer grafting were further proposed to increase the surface roughness and the reactive sites. The effect of surface modifications on the fiber surface morphological changes, mechanical properties, water stability, and in vitro cell viability of dental composites were investigated. Among all surface-modified SQFs, SQFs-POSS (SQFs modified with methacrylate-POSS) exhibited the roughest surface morphology and highest grafting rates compared with other three materials. Furthermore, all these SQFs were applied as reinforcements to make dimethacrylate-based dental resin composites. Of all fillers, SQFs-POSS demonstrated the best reinforcing effect, providing significantly higher improvements of 55.7 %, 114.3 %, and 164.7 % for flexural strength, flexural modulus, and breaking energy, respectively, over those of SQFs-filled composite. The related reinforcing mechanism was further investigated. The SQFs-POSS-filled composite also exhibited the best water stability performance and in vitro cell viability. This work provided valuable insights into the optimization of filler-matrix interaction through fiber surface modifications. Specifically, SQFs-POSS markedly outperformed other formulations in terms of the physicochemical performance and in vitro cytotoxicity, which offers possibilities for developing high-performance dental composites for clinical applications in restorative dentistry. [Display omitted] • Four different surface modifications were proposed to short quartz fibers (SQFs). • MA-POSS grafting on SQFs (SQFs-POSS) achieved the roughest surface morphology. • The developed SQFs-POSS exhibited best reinforcing effect for dental composites. • All surface-modified SQFs did not compromise the in vitro cell viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)-based flexible thermoelectric films exhibit potential application in wearable electronics due to their good electrical conductivity (σ) and high flexibility. Nevertheless, the low Seebeck coefficient (S) greatly limits their thermoelectric application. The high S of inorganic boron nitride nanosheets is expected to make up for the low S of SWCNT. In this work, exfoliated boron nitride nanosheets (EBNS) are first prepared by solvothermal exfoliation of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), which are composited with SWCNT through a simple mixing and filtration method to prepare self-supporting EBNS/SWCNT films with improved thermoelectric properties. Here, the energy filtering effect at the EBNS/SWCNT interface significantly improves the S values of the films. The results show that the maximum S of the EBNS/SWCNT at room temperature is 50.6 μV K–1 and the maximum power factor (PF) is 116.1 μW m–1 K–2 at the EBNS/SWCNT mass ratio of 7.5%. Finally, six pairs of p-type EBNS/SWCNT films and n-type copper sheets are connected in series to assemble a self-powered thermoelectric device, which demonstrates an open-circuit voltage of 8.1 mV and an output power of 550 nW under a temperature difference of 60 K. Therefore, this work provides a simple and effective method to improve the performance of carbon nanotube-based thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3,4-Dinitrofurazanfuroxan (DNTF) is widely used in fusion-cast-based explosive carriers owing to its low melting point, high energy, and excellent stability. To reduce the susceptibility of DNTF and improve the thermal properties, core–shell composites (DNTF@PDA@HTPB) were synthesized using the oxidative self-polymerization reaction of dopamine. The results showed that hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) was tightly coated on the surface of DNTF@PDA crystals, and the crystal structure of the high-energy crystals did not experience any significant changes during the encapsulation process. Compared with the raw DNTF, the thermal decomposition of DNTF in the DNTF@PDA and DNTF@PDA are delayed by 13.3℃ and 17.1℃, respectively. This phenomenon indicates that the thermal stability of DNTF@PDA and DNTF@PDA@HTPB composites is improved. The ignition speed of DNTF@PDA@HTPB is faster, and the flame activity is more vigorous. Meanwhile, the friction susceptibility of DNTF@PDA@HTPB is reduced by 44% compared to DNTF, and the impact susceptibility is significantly reduced by 75%. This study provides a new idea to improve fused-cast explosives' structure and combustion performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]