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Microplastics (MPs) provide a specific habitat for bacterial adhesion and the adsorption of extracellular DNA (eDNA), making them hotspots for the transformation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. However, the heterogeneous mechanism of ARG regulation by quorum sensing (QS) in MP biofilms remains unclear. This study demonstrated that QS signals, including C8-HSL, 3-oxo-C10-HSL, and C12-HSL, were detected at ng/L levels in Bacillus subtilisbiofilms colonized on MPs. The addition of these three AHLs enhanced natural transformation by 1–2 orders of magnitude in both MP and natural substrate (NS) biofilms, while QS inhibitors decreased transformation frequencies by 2 orders of magnitude. Moreover, transformation frequencies in MP biofilms increased 6.0-fold under QS regulation mediated by AHLs, compared to a 2.5-fold increase in NS biofilms. QS-regulated biofilm formation and EPS secretion were found to be responsible for ARG dissemination in MP biofilms, as indicated by the positive correlation between transformation frequencies and EPS variation. Additionally, mRNA expression analysis revealed that activation and inhibition of the QS system in MP biofilms regulated the expression of natural transformation-related genes, including epsG(regulating EPS secretion) and recO(regulating eDNA transformation). These results highlight the significant influence of the QS system on ARG dissemination through heterogeneous biofilm formation and EPS secretion in MP biofilms. Understanding the effect and mechanism of QS on ARG natural transformation provides new insights into controlling ARG spread by targeting QS in host bacteria within MP biofilms.

As the energy problem becomes tenser, solar energy is used and researched increasingly. Traditional solar power generation photovoltaic panels have low power generation efficiency, high cost, and large size that is difficult to install. At present, a new type of nano-material coating has been developed in China, which can be applied to the surface of any building and can stably convert solar energy into electric energy. This technology reduces the cost of photovoltaic power generation systems, improves power generation efficiency, and makes solar power generation systems widely used. The reliability of the power system is improved greatly by the Solar power generation system based on nanotechnology, but it also increases the complexity of grid control. Bringing new failure problems to the system, the most common of which is the is-landing effect. The active frequency drift with positive feedback (AFDPF) is an effective anti-islanding detection method in a photovoltaic grid-connected system. But because of the parameters of this method, the initial chopping coefficient Cf0and the positive feedback coefficient k are fixed values. Improper setting of parameters will result in too large detection blind area, too slow detection speed, and too high total harmonic content of grid current. This paper proposed a particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based technique to obtain optimal parameters of the AFDPF anti-islanding detection method. A new method is proposed, which combines the particle swarm optimization algorithm with the positive feedback active frequency shift method. It takes the non-detection zone (NDZ) minimization as the objective function, the current harmonic content as the constraint condition, and performs the parameter Cf0and k Settings optimization. The simulation verification was carried out on a 10 kW single-phase photovoltaic power generation grid-connected system. The results show that under different loads, the improved algorithm can accurately and quickly detect the islanding effect and reduce the total harmonic content of the system.

There are no ideal biomarkers including the TNM stage that can accurately predict the recurrence of colorectal cancer (CRC) and the benefit of chemotherapy for stage II patients. Here, 451 CRC patients were divided into three groups according to preoperative levels of prothrombin time (PT) and CEA to analyze the value of these indexes in predicting postoperative recurrence in different TNM stages. Preoperatively elevated levels of PT and CEA were significantly associated with a high 5-year cumulative recurrence rate (CRR) and short recurrence-free survival (RFS). According to PT and CEA levels, the 5-year CRR and RFS differed significantly among the High-risk (PT ≥ 12.65 s and CEA ≥ 10.175 ng/ml), Middle-risk (PT ≥ 12.65 s or CEA ≥ 10.175 ng/ml), and Low-risk (PT < 12.65 s and CEA < 10.175 ng/ml) groups (p< 0.001). In the same TNM stage, the 5-year CRR of the High-risk group was significantly higher and the RFS was markedly shorter than those in the Low-risk and even those in stage III (p< 0.001). In the subgroup of early stage (stage I and II), the 5-year CRR of the High-risk group was significantly higher and the RFS was significantly shorter than those in stage IIIA and IIIB (p< 0.001), which is similar to IIIC. In conclusion, preoperatively elevated levels of serum PT and CEA were reliable predictors of postoperative high-risk recurrence in CRC and combined with TNM stage precisely identify postoperative recurrence CRC patients in stage I–III and the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stage II CRC.

This Letter uses polarized Raman spectroscopy as a “strain rosette” to quantitatively determine all the in-plane components of the stress tensor for (110) silicon. Through polarized Raman spectroscopy, Raman wavenumber shifts can be obtained at the same point with different polarization directions of the incident and/or scattered light. With at least three measured Raman shifts in different polarized directions, the three stress components of a surface that contains two non-equal normal stresses and one shear stress can be calculated accordingly. We develop an analytical and linear Raman wavenumber shift–stress relationship when shear stress is considered. The experimental results verify the theoretical predictions. It shows that the simple stress condition assumption may lead to erroneous results.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a nonsteroidal estrogenic mycotoxin produced by Fusariumstrains that is harmful to the intestinal health of animals and is widely present in contaminated crops. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential therapeutic target of ZEN-induced jejunal damage in weaned gilts. Sixteen weaned gilts either received a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 3.0 mg/kg ZEN in a 32-d experiment. The results showed that ZEN at the concentration of 3.0 mg/kg diet activated the inflammatory response and caused oxidative stress of gilts (P < 0.05). ZEN exposure resulted in the upregulation (P < 0.05) of the Exchange protein directly activated by the cAMP 1/Ras-related protein1/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (Epac1/Rap1/JNK) signaling pathway in the jejunum of gilts in vivo and in the intestinal porcine epithelial cells in vitro. The cell viability, EdU-positive cells, and the mRNA expression of B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) were decreased, whereas the reactive oxygen species production and the mRNA expressions of Bcl-2-associated X(Bax) and Cysteine-aspartic acid protease 3(Caspase3) were increased (P < 0.05) by ZEN. However, ZEN increased the mRNA expression of Bcl-2and decreased the mRNA expressions of Baxand caspase3(P < 0.05) after the Epac1 was blocked. These results collectively indicated that a 3.0 mg ZEN /kg diet induced jejunal damage via the Epac1/Rap1/JNK signaling pathway.The dietary supplementation of ZEN at 3.0 mg/kg was found to stimulate the inflammatory response and oxidative stress through the Epac1/Rap1/JNK signaling pathway in the jejunum of weaned gilts. The findings of this study indicate that targeting the Epac1/Rap1/JNK signaling pathway may represent a potential therapeutic approach to alleviating the detrimental effects of ZEN on the jejunal health of weaned gilts.Mycotoxins have caused huge economic losses to livestock industry. This study assessed the impact of zearalenone (ZEN) on the jejunum of weaned gilts. Results revealed that significant inflammatory response and oxidative stress were stimulated by 3.0 mg/kg ZEN in the jejunum tissue of weaned gilts. Furthermore, the reactive oxygen species accumulation and apoptosis in the intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) were triggered, respectively. The negative impact of ZEN on the jejunum was by activation of Epac1/Rap1/JNK signaling pathway in the jejunum and this could be reduced by blocking Epac1. A more comprehensive understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms will facilitate the development of novel strategies to mitigate the detrimental effect of ZEN on the jejunum of weaned gilts.Graphical Abstract

A gelled multiple water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) emulsion was successfully developed by the unique combination of emulsifying and gelation properties of natural glycyrrhizic acid (GA) nanofibrils, assembling into a fibrillar hydrogel network in the continuous phase. The multiple emulsion gels had relatively homogeneous size distribution, high yield (85.6–92.5%), and superior storage stability. The multilayer interfacial fibril shell and the GA fibrillar hydrogel in bulk can effectively protect the double emulsion droplets against flocculation, creaming, and coalescence, thus contributing to the multiple emulsion stability. Particularly, the highly viscoelastic bulk hydrogel had a high storage modulus, which was found to be able to strongly prevent the osmotic-driven water diffusion from the internal water droplets to the external water phase. We show that these multicompartmentalized emulsion gels can be used to encapsulate and protect photosensitive water-soluble cargos by loading them into the internal water droplets. These stable multiple emulsion gels based on natural, sustainable saponin nanofibrils have potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care industries.

•Egg white glycopeptide (EWG) was successfully obtained•Stimulating macrophage treated by EWG resulted in expression changes of 184 proteins•EWG activated macrophage immunity through classic inflammatory signaling pathways•Lectin C-type domain was involved in EWG activation of macrophage immunity

Potassium (K) is a highly mobile nutrient element that continuously adjusts its demand strategy among and within cotton leaves through redistribution. This indirectly leads to variations in the leaf potassium content (LKC, %) at different leaf positions. However, owing to the interaction between light and leaf age, leaf sensitivity at different positions to this change varies, including the reflection and absorption of the spectrum. How to selecting the optimal monitoring leaf position is an important factor in quickly and accurately evaluation of cotton LKC using spectral remote sensing technology. Therefore, this study proposes a comprehensive multileaf position estimation model based on the vertical distribution characteristics of LKC from top to bottom. This is aimed at achieving an accurate estimation of cotton LKC and optimizing the strategy for selecting the monitored leaf position. Between 2020 and 2021, we collected hyperspectral imaging data of the main stem leaves at different positions from top to bottom (Li, i=1, 2, 3, …, n), during the cotton budding, flowering, and boll setting stages. Vertical distribution characteristics, sensitivity differences, and spectral correlations of LKC at different leaf positions were investigated. Additionally, the optimal range of the dominant leaf position for monitoring was determined. Partial least squares regression (PLSR), random forest regression (RFR), support vector machine regression (SVR), and the entropy weight method (EWM) were used to establish LKC estimation models for single leaf and multileaf positions. The results showed a vertical heterogeneous distribution of cotton LKC, with LKC initially increasing and then gradually decreasing from top to bottom, and the average LKC of cotton reaches its maximum value at flowering stage. The upper leaf position demonstrated greater sensitivity to K and exhibited a stronger correlation with the spectrum. The selected dominant leaf positions for the three growth stages were L1–L5, L1–L4, and L1–L2, respectively. Based on the dominant leaf position monitoring range, the optimal single leaf position models for estimating LKC during the three growth stages were PLSR-L4, PLSR-L1, and SVR-L2, with The coefficient of determination of the validation set (R2val) of 0.786, 0.580, and 0.768, and the root-mean-square error of the validation set (RMSEval) of 0.168, 0.197, and 0.191, respectively. The multileaf position LKC estimation model was constructed by EWM with R2val of 0.887, 0.728, and 0.703, and RMSEval of 0.134, 0.172, and 0.209, respectively. In contrast, the newly developed multileaf position comprehensive estimation model yielded superior results, improving the stability of the model on the basis of high accuracy, especially during the budding and flowering stages. These findings hold significant importance for investigating cotton LKC spectral models and selecting suitable leaf positions for field monitoring.

In this study, the lychnophora residue-derived porous carbon sheets (LRPCSs) were synthesized using a facile one-step pyrolysis method, and the physicochemical properties of LRPCSs were analyzed via various characterization apparatus, its adsorption behaviors and mechanism for copper(Ⅱ) (Cu(II)) were also investigated. The LRPCSs possessed three-dimensional honeycomb sheet structure, a specific surface area of 14.6 m2·g−1, abundant mineral elements (K, Ca, and Mg), and the oxygen- and sulfur-containing functional groups, which would offer more active sites for the fast adsorption of Cu(II). Batch experiments demonstrated that the adsorption properties of Cu(II) by LRPCSs raised with the raising of biochar dose, pH value (2−6), Cu(II) concentration, and temperature. The isotherms and kinetics studies showed that the adsorption data conformed very well to Langmuir isotherm (R2≥0.9975) and pseudo-second-order kinetic models (R2≥0.9941). The maximum Cu(II) adsorption capacities of LRPCSs were respectively 103.09, 120.48, and 153.85 mg·g−1at 298, 308, and 318 K, which were superior to previously reported biochar adsorbents. The thermodynamic studies indicated that the Cu(II) adsorption with LRPCSs was an automatic, endothermal, and entropy-raising process (ΔG° = −6.82∼−8.47 kJ·mol−1, ΔH° = 17.89 kJ·mol−1, ΔS° = 83.07 J·(mol·K)−1). The adsorption capacity of Cu(II) with LRPCSs still remained 85% after four adsorption-desorption cycles. Furthermore, the ion exchange and surface complexation were the predominant mechanism for the Cu(Ⅱ) adsorption by LRPCSs, with cation-π interaction and pore capture playing a secondary role. This study showed that LRPCSs could be an effective, low-cost, and reusable adsorbent with great potential for application in remediating the Cu(II)-containing wastewater pollution.

A novel, highly biocompatible bacterial cellulose (BC)-zein composite nanofiber with a controlled hydrophobic biosurface was successfully developed through a simple and green solution impregnation method, followed by evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) of adsorbed zein protein. The surface hydrophobicity of the zein-modified BC nanofibers could be controlled by simply changing the zein concentration, which is able to tune the morphology of self-assembled zein structures after EISA, thus affecting the surface roughness of composite membranes. Zein self-assembly at low concentrations (5 mg/mL) resulted in the formation of hierarchical zein structures (spheres and bicontinuous sponges) on the BC surface, thus increasing the surface roughness and leading to high hydrophobicity (the water contact angle reached 110.5°). However, at high zein concentrations, these large zein spheres assembled into a flat zein film, which decreased the surface roughness and hydrophobicity of membranes. The homogeneous incorporation of zein structures on the BC surface by hydrogen bonding did not significantly change the internal structure and mechanical performance of BC nanofibers. In comparison with pure BC, the BC-zein nanofibers had a better biocompatibility, showing a significantly increased adhesion and proliferation of fibroblast cells. This is probably due to the rough surface structure of BC-zein nanofibers as well as the high biocompatibility of natural zein protein. The novel BC-zein composite nanofibers with controlled surface roughness and hydrophobicity could be of particular interest for the design of BC-based biomaterials and biodevices that require specific surface properties and adhesion.

Enhancing the extraction efficiency of the bioactive ingredients from Chinese medicinal material (CMM) is crucial to effective applications in clinical practice. Herein, focusing on Xuefu Zhuyu decoction (XFZYD) as a classical formula with antithrombotic efficacy, we developed an accessible and environment-friendly method via cyclodextrin (CD) for assisting the extraction of chemical components. The employment of CDs significantly enhanced the extraction efficiency of poorly water-soluble components in XFZYD, from which hydroxypropyl-β-CD (HP-β-CD) showed the best extraction efficiency by comparing to α-CD, β-CD, and γ-CD. Six representative ingredients were focused to systematically perform the encapsulation study between HP-β-CD and guest molecule. The satisfactory association constants of HP-β-CD with the tested compounds were determined by implementing phase solubility method and direct fluorescence technique. The inclusion complexes were studied by DSC and SEM to visualize thermal characteristics and surface textures, which were further confirmed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Moreover, theoretical calculations indicated that stable binding between HP-β-CD and tested compounds were witnessed by various non-covalent interactions. Thus, the formation of the inclusion complex with CD is a very effective method to improve the extraction efficiency of the active compounds from CMM.

The nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) with dominance of the pyridinic-N configuration is synthesized via a straightforward process including chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of graphene and postdoping with a solid nitrogen precursor of graphitic C3N4at elevated temperature. The NG fabricated from CVD-grown graphene contains a high N content up to 6.5 at. % when postdoped at 800 °C but maintains high crystalline quality of graphene. The obtained NG exhibits high activity, long-standing stability, and outstanding crossover resistance for electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline medium. The NG treated at 800 °C shows the best ORR performance. Further study of the dependence of ORR activity on different N functional groups in these metal-free NG electrodes provides deeper insights into the origin of ORR activity. Our results reveal that the pyridinic-N tends to be the most active N functional group to facilitate ORR at low overpotential via a four-electron pathway.

Oxygen reduction and evolution reactions are essential for broad range of renewable energy technologies such as fuel cells, metal-air batteries and hydrogen production through water splitting, therefore, tremendous effort has been taken to develop excellent catalysts for these reactions. However, the development of cost-effective and efficient bifunctional catalysts for both reactions still remained a grand challenge. Herein, we report the electrocatalytic investigations of bamboo-shaped carbon nitrogen nanotubes (CNNTs) having different diameter distribution synthesized by liquid chemical vapor deposition technique using different nitrogen containing precursors. These CNNTs are found to be efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. The electrocatalytic activity strongly depends on the nanotube diameter as well as nitrogen functionality type. The higher diameter CNNTs are more favorable for these reactions. The increase in nanotube diameter itself enhances the catalytic activity by lowering the oxygen adsorption energy, better conductivity, and further facilitates the reaction by increasing the percentage of catalytically active nitrogen moieties in CNNTs.

The challenge in the electrosynthesis of fuels from CO2is to achieve durable and active performance with cost-effective catalysts. Here, we report that carbon nanotubes (CNTs), doped with nitrogen to form resident electron-rich defects, can act as highly efficient and, more importantly, stable catalysts for the conversion of CO2to CO. The unprecedented overpotential (−0.18 V) and selectivity (80%) observed on nitrogen-doped CNTs (NCNTs) are attributed to their unique features to facilitate the reaction, including (i) high electrical conductivity, (ii) preferable catalytic sites (pyridinic N defects), and (iii) low free energy for CO2activation and high barrier for hydrogen evolution. Indeed, DFT calculations show a low free energy barrier for the potential-limiting step to form key intermediate COOH as well as strong binding energy of adsorbed COOH and weak binding energy for the adsorbed CO. The highest selective site toward CO production is pyridinic N, and the NCNT-based electrodes exhibit no degradation over 10 h of continuous operation, suggesting the structural stability of the electrode.

To develop highly effective adsorbents for chromium removal, a nitrogen-doped biomass-derived carbon (NHPC) was synthesized via direct carbonation of loofah sponge followed by alkali activation and doping modification. NHPC possessed a hierarchical micro-/mesoporous lamellar structure with nitrogen-containing functional groups (1.33 at%), specific surface area (1792.47 m2/g), and pore volume (1.18 cm3/g). NHPC exhibited a higher Cr(VI) adsorption affinity than the HPC (without nitrogen doping) or the pristine loofah sponge carbon (LSC) did. The influence of process parameters, including pH, dosage, time, temperature, and Cr(VI) concentration, on Cr(VI) adsorption by NHPC were evaluated. The Cr(VI) adsorption kinetics matched with the pseudo-second-order model (R2⩾ 0.9983). The Cr(VI) adsorption isotherm was fitted with the Langmuir isotherm model, which indicated the maximum Cr(VI) adsorption capacities: 227.27, 238.10, and 285.71 mg/g at 298K, 308K, and 318K, respectively. The model analysis also indicated that adsorption of Cr(VI) on NHPC was a spontaneous, endothermal, and entropy-increasing process. The Cr(VI) adsorption process potentially involved mixed reductive and adsorbed mechanism. Furthermore, computational chemistry calculations revealed that the adsorption energy between NHPC and Cr(VI) (−0.84 eV) was lower than that of HPC (−0.51 eV), suggesting that nitrogen doping could greatly enhance the interaction between NHPC and Cr(VI).

We present a quantitative analysis of the electron transfer between single gold nanorods and monolayer graphene under no electrical bias. Using single-particle dark-field scattering and photoluminescence spectroscopy to access the homogeneous linewidth, we observe broadening of the surface plasmon resonance for gold nanorods on graphene compared to nanorods on a quartz substrate. Because of the absence of spectral plasmon shifts, dielectric interactions between the gold nanorods and graphene are not important and we instead assign the plasmon damping to charge transfer between plasmon-generated hot electrons and the graphene that acts as an efficient acceptor. Analysis of the plasmon linewidth yields an average electron transfer time of 160 ± 30 fs, which is otherwise difficult to measure directly in the time domain with single-particle sensitivity. In comparison to intrinsic hot electron decay and radiative relaxation, we furthermore calculate from the plasmon linewidth that charge transfer between the gold nanorods and the graphene support occurs with an efficiency of ∼10%. Our results are important for future applications of light harvesting with metal nanoparticle plasmons and efficient hot electron acceptors as well as for understanding hot electron transfer in plasmon-assisted chemical reactions.

Graphene has emerged as an outstanding material for optoelectronic applications due to its high electronic mobility and unique doping capabilities. Here we demonstrate electrical tunability and hybridization of plasmons in graphene nanodisks and nanorings down to 3.7 μm light wavelength. By electrically doping patterned graphene arrays with an applied gate voltage, we observe radical changes in the plasmon energy and strength, in excellent quantitative agreement with rigorous analytical theory. We further show evidence of an unexpected increase in plasmon lifetime with growing energy. Plasmon hybridization and electrical doping in nanorings of suitably chosen nanoscale dimensions are key elements for bringing the optical response of graphene closer to the near-infrared, where it can provide a robust, integrable platform for light modulation, switching, and sensing.

Graphene was grown directly on porous nickel films, followed by the growth of controlled lengths of vertical carbon nanotube (CNT) forests that seamlessly emanate from the graphene surface. The metal–graphene–CNT structure is used to directly fabricate field-emitter devices and double-layer capacitors. The three-dimensional nanostructured hybrid materials, with better interfacial contacts and volume utilization, can stimulate the development of several energy-efficient technologies.

The surface property of a photocatalyst, including surface acid sites and oxygen vacancies, plays a pivotal role in photocatalytic organic synthesis reactions. Benzoin isopropyl ether (BIE) is usually produced via polycondensation of benzaldehyde and catalyzed with highly toxic cyanide. Here, we report a green photocatalytic approach for the selective synthesis of BIE over WO3driven by a green-light-emitting diode. The improved photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the synergy of oxygen vacancies (VOs) and acid sites over N-doped WO3nanobelts. The results revealed that reactant molecules were predominantly adsorbed and activated on surface oxygen vacancies (VOSs) and the Brønsted acid promoted the etherification reaction; the introduction of VOs and nitrogen altered the band structure and electronic properties, resulting in improved photocatalytic activity. Our work provides an efficient approach to the selective photocatalytic synthesis of organics over photocatalysts with finely tuned surface properties and band structures via defect and doping engineering.

Monocrystalline silicon (c-Si) is still an important material related to microelectronics/optoelectronics. The nondestructive measurement of the c-Si material and its microstructure is commonly required in scientific research and industrial applications, for which Raman spectroscopy is an indispensable method. However, Raman measurements based on the specific fixed Raman geometry/polarization configuration are limited for the quantified analysis of c-Si performance, which makes it difficult to meet the high-end requirements of advanced silicon-based microelectronics and optoelectronics. Angle-resolved Raman measurements have become a new trend of experimental analysis in the field of materials, physics, mechanics, and optics. In this paper, the characteristics of the angle-resolved polarized Raman scattering of c-Si under the in-axis and off-axis configurations are systematically analyzed. A general theoretical model of the angle-resolved Raman intensity is established, which includes several alterable angle parameters, including the inclination angle, rotation angle of the sample, and polarization directions of the incident laser and scattered light. The diversification of the Raman intensity is given at different angles for various geometries and polarization configurations. The theoretical model is verified and calibrated by typical experiments. In addition, this work provides a reliable basis for the analysis of complex polarized Raman experiments on silicon-based structures.

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with three different average diameters of 90, 120, and 140 nm were synthesized by a metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) method. Environmental sustainability of the MACE process was studied by investigating material consumptions, gas emissions, and silver nanoparticle concentrations in nitric acid solutions for 1 g of SiNWs and 1 kW h of lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrodes. It was found that the process for 90 nm SiNWs has the best sustainability performance compared with the other two processes. Specifically, in this study for 1 g of 90 nm SiNWs, 8.845 g of Si wafer is consumed, 1.09 g of H2 and 1.04 g of NO are produced, and 54.807 mg of Ag nanoparticles are found in the HNO3 solution. Additionally, for 1 kW h of LIB electrodes, the process for 90 nm SiNWs results in 1.943 kg of Si wafer consumption, 239.455 g of H2 and 239.455 g of NO emissions, and 12.040 g of Ag nanoparticles concentrations. By quantitatively investigating the material consumptions and emissions, this study assesses the sustainability performance of the MACE process for synthesizing SiNWs for use in LIBs, and thus it provides process data for the analysis and the development of sustainable production methods for SiNWs and similar anode materials for next-generation LIBs.

As one of the most promising anode materials for high-capacity lithium ion batteries (LIBs), silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have been studied extensively. The metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) is a low-cost and scalable method for SiNW synthesis. Nanoparticle emissions from the MACE process, however, are of grave concerns due to their hazardous effects on both occupational and public health. In this study, both airborne and aqueous nanoparticle emissions from the MACE process for SiNWs with three sizes of 90 nm, 120 nm, and 140 nm are experimentally investigated. The prepared SiNWs are used as anodes of LIB coin cells, and the experimental results reveal that the initial discharge and charge capacities of LIB electrodes are 3636 and 2721 mAh g−1 with 90 nm SiNWs, 3779 and 2712 mAh g−1 with 120 nm SiNWs, and 3611 and 2539 mAh g−1 with 140 nm SiNWs. It is found that for 1 kW h of LIB electrodes, the MACE process for 140 nm SiNWs produces a high concentration of airborne nanoparticle emissions of 2.48 × 109 particles/cm3; the process for 120 nm SiNWs produces a high mass concentration of aqueous particle emissions, with a value of 9.95 × 105 mg/L. The findings in this study can provide experimental data of nanoparticle emissions from the MACE process for SiNWs for LIB applications and can help the environmental impact assessment and life cycle assessment of the technology in the future.

Silicon-based semiconductor materials, especially {001} silicon, are the main functional materials in the electronic information industry. Residual stress plays an important role in the reliability of semiconductor devices. However, the stress state is often simplified, especially when the effect of shear stress on Raman wavenumber is neglected. In this study, the relationship between the Raman wavenumber and the plane stress components of typical crystal planes is established. It is observed that only the Raman wavenumber of the {001} plane has nothing to do with plane shear stress. Finally, a calibration experiment was carried out to validate the theoretical deduction.