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The industrialization of the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries presents promising opportunities and challenges. Herein, we developed a strategy of combining task-specific deep eutectic solvent (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid: choline chloride) dissolution and the following solvent-induced crystallization (SIC) for upcycling LiCoO2 (LCO) battery cathodes into cobalt-polyphenol networks. It has been confirmed that protic solvents (ethylene glycol, methanol, ethanol, and H2O) serve as effective inducing agents to achieve this strategy, playing a role in: (1) regulating the coordination environment of metal ions, initiating the self-assembly process with polyphenol anions and (2) provoking the precipitation of metal-polyphenol network particles (MPNPs) by altering the solubility. Comprehensive research indicated that when organic building blocks (phenolic acid, polyphenol compounds and their derivatives), Cl−, and inducing agents concurrently exist in the system, one-step conversion from LCO to MPNPs could be achieved. A tandem scheme is proposed based on the research for upcycling LCO into MPNPs, which are applied widely in separation, purification and catalysis. Experiments on ternary electrode materials demonstrated the robust generalizability of our strategy. This work provides valuable insights for the industrialization of spent LCO battery recycling and its transformation into novel materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet cherry pomace waste (CPW) obtained after juice production still contains high amounts of dietary fiber and added value compounds such as polyphenols. For this reason, it can be employed as renewable feedstock to produce novel commodities, bioactive compounds and bio-functional materials. In this study, a sustainable biorefinery approach has been developed combining the use of natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) for the recovery of polyphenolic compounds and bio-based ionic liquids (bio-ILs) for the treatment and conversion of the remaining lignocellulosic residue into an ionogel. The extraction efficiency and selectivity of different classes of (NA)DESs were evaluated varying both the hydrogen bond acceptor, HBA (choline chloride (ChCl), betaine (Bet) and L -proline (Pro)) and the hydrogen bond donor, HBD (carboxylic acids and polyols). The extracted phenolic compounds were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by UHPLC-HR-ESI-MS leading to the identification of more than 25 compounds, classifiable into four main subclasses (phenolic acids, flavonoid glycosides, flavonoid aglycones, and anthocyanins). The majority of ChCl-based DESs improved the total phenol extraction compared to classical solvents (up to twice). ChCl : ethylene glycol 1 : 2 was identified as the best performing system in terms of total phenolic content (total phenol 759 ± 85 μg g−1 of dried CPW) and was employed as the extraction medium for further optimization of the operative conditions and recycling study. The solvent was quantitatively recovered for three cycles with retention of the extraction efficiency towards all the identified subclasses of phenols. Finally, cholinium arginate (ChArg) allowed for obtaining cellulose enriched material (35 wt% of dried biomass) that was subsequently dissolved at 2 wt% in cholinium levulinate (ChLev) to prepare a weak physical ionogel, a functional biomaterial potentially useful in medical and pharmaceutical sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geothermal energy is increasingly employed across diverse applications, with bridge deck snow melting emerging as a notable utilization scenario. In Jinan city, China, a project is underway to utilize ground source heat pumps (GSHPS) for heating bridges. However, essential operational parameters, including fluid medium, temperature, and heat exchange details, are currently lacking. This study addresses the thermal design challenges associated with ground heat exchangers (GHE) for bridge heating through a combination of numerical modeling and field experiments. Utilizing software Fluent, a refined three-dimensional multi-condition heat transfer numerical analysis was carried out. Field tests based on actual operating conditions were also conducted and the design parameters were verified. The results indicate that an inlet temperature of 5°C and an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol with a mass concentration of 35% as the heat exchange medium are suitable for the GSHPS in Jinan; Moreover, the influence of backfill material and operation time on the heat transfer efficiency was revealed and the suitable material with 10% bentonite and 90% SiO2 was suggested; Finally, based on the influence of the pipe spacing on the heating characteristics of bridge deck, the transition spacing of 0.2 m is given for the temperature response of the bridge deck. This comprehensive study contributes valuable insights through simulation and experimental analysis of the thermal environment variation, aiming to advance the development of GSHPS for bridge deck heating in Jinan, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new strategy was developed to build a CO2-philic/hydrophilic surfactant by combining the common free radical polymerization and the grafting modification technology, and a brush polymer was synthesized with poly(vinyl acetate)(PVAc) based copolymer as the CO2-philic group (as the main chain) and the methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) as the hydrophilic part (as the branched chain) (PVAc-g-mPEG). The CO2-philic ability can be controlled by adjusting the chain length of the CO2-philic fragment. The results indicate that PVAc-g-mPEG has excellent surfactant activity, and can emulsify the CO2/H2O system to obtain the CO2-in-water (C/W) high interval phase emulsion (HIPE 80%, v/v), which can remain stable for more than 20 h. If using the monomers/crosslinking agent solution instead of water, the highly porous monolithic materials will be obtained after the continuous phase is polymerized. In this paper, polyacrylamide (PAM) and poly(acrylamide/diethyl aminoethyl methacrylate) (PADM)-based porous monolithic materials were prepared. These materials were used to remove bovine serum albumin (BSA, as the model matter) from the solution, and the results indicated that PAM-based porous monolithic materials had almost no enrichment capacity for protein, while PADM-based porous monolithic materials can adsorb BSA up to 129.3 mg/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates the preparation of ZnMn2O4 nanoparticles through thermal hydrolysis in different solvents, such as isopropanol, ethylene glycol, glycerol, and water, combined with pyrolysis. The obtained samples were characterised by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FT‒IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray mapping, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, and a vibrating sample magnetometer. The electrocatalytic activity of ZnMn2O4 nanoparticles was investigated toward the oxidation of uric acid (UA) and xanthine (XA). The ZnMn2O4-nanoparticle-modified electrode not only enhances the oxidation currents of the two purine derivatives but also successfully separates the voltammetric signals of the analytes in their binary mixture and, hence, is employed for their simultaneous determination. The factors affecting the analysis, such as pH, scan rate, linear range, detection limit, reproducibility, and interferents, were also investigated. The results show that the UA and XA limits of detection are as low as 0.55 and 1.28 µM, and the modified electrodes have satisfactory repeatability and reproducibility. The practical application of the modified electrode was demonstrated by simultaneously determining the concentrations of UA and XA in urine samples with exceptional accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High performance copolyesters with ultrahigh glass transition temperature (Tg) are crucial in emerging technology fields such as electronic devices, automotives, and coatings. In this paper, a series of poly(ethylene bis[4‐(2‐hydroxyethoxy) phenyl] sulfone 2,6‐naphthalate) (PESNs) with high Tg are synthesized by the copolymerization of 2,6‐naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (2,6‐NDA), bis[4‐(2‐hydroxyethoxy) phenyl] sulfone (BHEBS), and ethylene glycol (EG). The chemical structure and compositions of prepared copolymers are confirmed by hydrogen nuclear magnetic spectra (1H NMR). Tg of copolyesters (121.1–152.2 °C) depends on composition and is comparable to that of polyetheretherketone (PEEK: 143 °C), increasing as the amount of BHEBS units is increased. The Fox, Gordon–Taylor, and Kwei equations are employed to evaluate the variation of Tg with respect to the composition of PESNs, respectively. In these three equations, the data calculated by Kwei equation fit the actual results best, attributed to the peculiar dielectric properties. In addition, PESNs show good solubility in 1,1,2,2‐tetrachloroethane, DMF, and DMSO, which is conducive to meet the needs of polyester coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impacts of a nonlinearly expanding sheet on velocity, heat and mass transport for a Suttery hybrid nanoliquid (mixture of Sutterby fluid and Al 2 O 3 and Cu). The zero-mass flux concentration and convective boundary conditions are considered. Nondimensionalization of governing equations may be achieved through similarity conversions. The governing equations are solved utilizing the Optimal Homotopy Analysis Method. Graphs and tables were used to document the effects of different variables. The numerical values for skin friction, Sherwood number and Nusselt number are provided in a table for diverse relevant factors. Comparisons were made to a previous study's findings. The results obtained are in agreement with the findings of the prior study. The outcome is that the occurrence of hybrid nanoparticles ( Al 2 O 3 and Cu) in ethylene glycol liquid enhances its thermal conductivity thereby increasing the thermal boundary layer thickness. The presence of hybrid nanoparticles ( Al 2 O 3 and Cu) in ethylene glycol liquid also increases the momentum boundary layer thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) provide a portable and environmentally friendly power source with high energy density. However, the slow kinetic of the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) has hindered the commercialization of DEFCs. Palladium (Pd)-based nanomaterials are the best promising catalysts for EOR due to the high catalytic activities and relatively abundant reserves. In this paper, we developed a simple and green way for the preparation of palladium hydride (PdH 0.43) and Au/PdH 0.43 heterostructures. Ethylene glycol (EG) provided the source of H atoms for the formation of PdH 0.43 in synthesis process. The as-synthesized PdH 0.43 and Au/PdH 0.43 nanocrystals were extremely stable under ambient conditions and annealing at 300 °C under Ar. Compared with PdH 0.43 and commercial Pd/C, Au/PdH 0.43 presented a higher mass activity of 2659 mA mg−1, a lower oxidation peak potential, and a higher catalytic stability for oxidizing ethanol. Remarkably, the improved catalytic performance might arise from the synergistically modulation of electronic structure, the enhanced resistance to poisoning products and the acceleration of electron transfer by the formation of palladium hydrides and abundant heterostructures of Au/PdH 0.43. This work provides a promising reference for the development of metal-hydride nanomaterials and heterostructures as efficient catalysts. • The PdH 0.43 and Au/PdH 0.43 were prepared with ethylene glycol as the H source. • The PdH 0.43 and Au/PdH 0.43 were extremely stable in the air over six months. • Au/PdH 0.43 can maintain the stability of structure even annealing at 300 °C in Ar. • Au/PdH 0.43 exhibited a higher performance toward EOR than PdH 0.43 and Pd/C. • The improved activities might arise from the doping of H and heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super-liquid-repellent surfaces capable of preventing wetting with various liquids have tremendous application. However, high liquid repellency relies on surface texturing to minimize the solid–liquid interfacial contact, which generally results in impaired interface robustness and pressure resistance. Consequently, the surface tends to undergo a Cassie–Baxter to Wenzel wetting transition and loses liquid repellency under high-velocity liquid impact, especially for low-surface-tension liquids. Here, surface design through combining the nanoscale effect and doubly reentrant structure is demonstrated to solve the above challenge. By utilizing a facile colloidal lithography process, robust liquid repellent surfaces featuring nanoscale doubly reentrant (NDR) structures are constructed. The nanoscale features ensure sufficient triple contact line density at a low solid–liquid contact fraction to enhance the capillary force for liquid suspension. In conjunction with the doubly reentrant topography that maximizes the upward component of capillary force, such NDR surfaces enable an extremely robust solid–liquid–gas composite interface. As a result, the prepared NDR surface maintain excellent repellency upon high-velocity impact of various liquids, including ethylene glycol drops with a Weber number (We) above 306 and ethanol drops with a We of 57. The above findings can help the development of super-liquid-repellent surfaces applicable to harsh conditions of high-velocity liquid impact or high hydrostatic pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eutectic solvents are tunable for targeted applications through the functional groups in their hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and hydrogen bond donor (HBD) components, as well as the HBA : HBD composition ratio. This study examines the properties of choline-based eutectics containing imidazole, phenol, pyrrole-2-carbonitrile, and 1,2,4-triazole HBAs, and ethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, and ethanolamine HBDs. The viscosity, conductivity, degree of hydrogen bonding, thermal stability, and solvatochromic properties are examined as a function of HBA, HBD, and the composition. These studies revealed a predominant dependence of physical properties on the HBD and determined that the strong hydrogen bonding in phenol and imidazole-based systems lead to higher viscosities and lower conductivities – critical parameters for CO2 capture and electrochemical conversion. The developed eutectic solvents were further evaluated in terms of their CO2 capture capacities and electrochemical stabilities. Solvatochromic properties were found to correlate with CO2 capacities, demonstrating the tunability of these solvents for CO2 capture. The quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) analysis demonstrated the ability to predict viscosities and CO2 capture capacities (<25% deviation) through a multi linear regression method utilizing five molecular descriptors. This work highlights the role of functionalized HBAs and HBDs in the physical, thermal, and electrochemical properties of eutectic solvents as they relate to CO2 capture and electrochemical processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorinated compounds with side-chains longer than six carbon have been banned due to their toxicity to environment, organisms and human, so that attentions have been paid on degradable short-chain fluorinated or non-fluorinated materials. Here in this paper, several novel short-chain fluorinated polysiloxanes with multi-functions were synthesized successfully and applied on cotton fabrics. Chemical structure of these fluorinated polysiloxanes were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectrum and nuclear magnetic resonance. Liquid repellency, washing durability, thermal stability, fabric style and color deepening of treated cotton fabrics were investigated. Additionally, the effect of benzoyl spacer on the surface wettability was fully studied. Results demonstrate that FPAPS-20@cotton (cotton fabric treated by fluorinated polysiloxane with 20% fluorine content) exhibits the greatest liquid repellency as the contact angles for water, ethylene glycol, glycerol and octane are 150.1°, 132.3°, 138.1° and 105.5°. Moreover, the benzoyl spacer plays a positive role in the durable wettability of FPAPS-20@cotton, resulting in the water contact angles ranging from 150.1° to 146.0° when FPAPS-20@cotton exposes to the water droplet for 20 min. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provides the experimental evidence for this result. On the other hand, thermal-gravimetric analysis confirms that the fluoroalkyl segments of the fluorinated polysiloxanes can decelerate the thermal decomposition of cotton fabrics. Moreover, compared with the untreated dyed cotton fabric, the K/S values of cotton fabrics with navy, red and orange color treated with FPAPS-20 increase by 42.61%, 11.00% and 18.18%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of sustainable drug delivery systems is very important in the field of pharmaceutical research and has many advantages over the usual methods of drug administration, including improving effectiveness, reducing side effects, and increasing patient compliance. Among various techniques, electrospraying as a voltage‐driven process has emerged as a promising technology for the fabrication of drug‐loaded nanoparticles. In recent years, the application of electrospray approach for drug release has been widely investigated. However, optimization of electrospray process parameters and development of mathematical models to predict drug release kinetics from microparticles are still challenging. To address these issues, a combination of Central Composite Design (CCD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) has been used. This paper focuses on the application of CCD‐RSM for modeling and optimization of doxorubicin (DOX)‐poly(caprolactone) (PCL)‐polyethylene glycol (PEG) microparticles prepared using electrospray method. Doxorubicin, a widely used anticancer drug, exhibits potent cytotoxicity against a wide range of cancers. PCL‐PEG microparticles are promising as drug carriers due to their biocompatibility, controlled release properties, and ability to protect the encapsulated drug from degradation. The CCD‐RSM approach allows systematic investigation and optimization of several formulation and process variables, including polymer concentration, PCL‐PEG weight ratio, and applied voltage on drug release behavior. In addition, the effect of rheology and electrical conductivity of polymer fluid on the size of particles obtained from electrospraying was investigated. The effect of adding folic acid and doxorubicin in the optimized sample of nanoparticles and the effect of different concentrations of doxorubicin were investigated, and SEM, DLS, and FTIR techniques were used to characterize the microparticles, and the MMT test was performed to evaluate their cytotoxicity. The results showed that the optimized formulation is effective for sustained drug release over a long period for drug delivery applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematical simulation of biological fluids is of upmost significance due to its numerous medical uses. Interpreting various biological flows necessitates a thorough knowledge of the peristaltic mechanism. This paper presents a computational study for the peristaltic pumping within vertical asymmetric channels filled with BN‐EG nanofluid under the influence of temperature‐dependent electrical conductivity and thermal radiation. Experimental study showed that the nanofluid created by suspending Boron Nitride particles in a combination of Ethylene Glycol exhibited non‐Newtonian characteristics. Further, the Carreau's fluid model provides accurate predictions about the rheological properties of BN‐EG nanofluid. Various configurations of the outer boundaries are considered, namely, square wave, multi‐sinusoidal wave, trapezoidal wave, and triangular wave. A uniform magnetic field together with nanoparticles and mass concentrations, joule heating, first‐order chemical reaction as well as viscous dissipation are considered. Influences of the Dufour and Soret numbers are examined, and the cases of biological scientific assumptions which is known as low Reynolds number and long wavelength are applied. All the computations are obtained numerically using Mathematica symbolical software (ND‐Solve), and the obtained results are presented in terms of the axial velocity u, heat transfer rate Z, concentration profile Ω, temperature profile θ, extra stress tensor Sxy${S}_{xy}$, pressure gradient dpdx$\frac{{dp}}{{dx}}$, pressure rise Δpλ${\mathrm{\Delta p}}_{{\lambda}}$ and stream function ψ. The major outcomes revealed that the maximizing in electrical conductivity coefficient, variable viscosity coefficient and magnetic field parameter is better to obtain a higher rate of the heat transfer while the increase in thermo‐diffusion effects as well as linear thermal radiation coefficient causes a reduction in the rate of heat transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Published Vex data in Table 5 and in Figure 2a are not the same. • Published Redlich-Kister equation does not back-calculated Vex values reported in Table 5. • Published Redlich-Kister equation does not back-calculated Vex values depicted in Figure 2a. • Inconsistencies also noted between tabulated and graphed values of Δ η and Δ G *E. A polemic is given regarding the volumetric properties that Wang and coworkers reported in their published paper. The tabulated excess molar volumes, Vex , reported by the authors are not the same values as graphically depicted in the paper. Our analysis of the experimental data indicated that the tabulated were likely calculated assuming a ternary system, while the graphically depicted values were likely calculated using a pseudo-binary system treatment. Similar inconsistences were noted between several of the tabulated and graphed viscometric properties in the published paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Metal-organic framework (MOF) dispersion based fluids showed high potential for solar-thermal energy conversion (STEC). • Three different MOF dispersions (CuBTC, FeBTC, ZIF8 in ethylene glycol) were systematically explored for STEC application. • FeBTC showed the highest STEC efficiency with long-term dispersion stability, making it most promising for practical use. • This report marks a significant milestone in introducing the potential of MOF dispersion-based fluids for STEC application. • This research will pave the way for future explorations on various MOF dispersions in this field. This paper discusses the potential use of metal–organic framework (MOF) dispersion based fluids for solar-to-thermal energy conversion (STEC). For this, the optical and thermal characteristics of MOF dispersion were investigated, with MOFs dispersed in ethylene glycol (EG). This study is focused on three different MOF dispersions, namely ZIF8/EG, CuBTC/EG, and FeBTC/EG, each with varying concentrations of MOF particles. The results showed that FeBTC/EG at a concentration of 0.3 wt% is the optimal fluid for STEC, exhibiting the highest absorption and STEC efficiency compared to the other two fluids. The study also highlights the trade-off between STEC efficiency and cost, as increasing the concentration of MOF particles decreases the specific absorption rate (SAR). Additionally, the paper evaluates the dispersion stability of FeBTC/EG over time, which is critical for practical STEC applications. The novelty of the paper lies in the use of MOF dispersion based fluids for STEC application, which has not been extensively studied before. This study provides valuable insights into the potential use of MOF/EG for STEC and highlights the importance of optimizing the concentration of MOF particles for efficient and cost-effective performance. This study also introduces the novel application of MOF dispersion based fluids for enhanced STEC performance, showcasing FeBTC/EG as a standout for its high efficiency and stability. It marks a significant stride in utilizing MOF materials for sustainable energy, emphasizing practical considerations of dispersion stability and cost-effectiveness in STEC systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defect engineering and heterojunction are the two dominant methods to improve the efficiency of semiconductor photocatalysis. Loading can also improve the performance of photocatalysts and solve the problems of photocatalyst agglomeration and difficult recovery in water. In this paper, a ternary ZnIn 2 S 4 /TiO 2 /MS-SiO 2 composite photocatalyst (EG-ZIS/TS) was constructed by sequentially loading nano-TiO 2 and defective state ZnIn 2 S 4 (EG-ZIS) on industrial by-product SiO 2 microspheres (MS-SiO 2). Among them, EG-ZIS was prepared with ethylene glycol as a solvent. Compared with EG-ZIS/T (unloaded MS-SiO 2) and ZIS/TS (non-defected state ZnIn 2 S 4), the degradation performance of methyl orange (MO) solution and the reduction performance of hexavalent chromium under simulated daylight irradiation were substantially improved. As a result, Zn defects enhanced the photocatalytic performance of ZnIn 2 S 4 and the heterojunction between ZnIn 2 S 4 and TiO 2 , and this enhancement was achieved by adjusting the work function of the system and promoting interface electronic transmission. The loading of MS-SiO 2 further produced a synergistic effect of enhancing the heterojunction photocatalytic efficiency by improving the dispersion and immobilization of TiO 2 and EG-ZIS. The effect of ethylene glycol on the curvature and surface Zn defectivity of ZnIn 2 S 4 nanosheets was also investigated in this study. This study provides an innovative approach to improve the oxidation and reduction performance of photocatalysts by combining semiconductor defect, heterojunction, and loading on the carrier surface and finds that the loading of photocatalysts on the SiO 2 carrier surface has an enhancement effect on the performance of the formed heterojunction. This thesis is useful and informative for related research. [Display omitted] • ZnIn 2 S 4 with surface Zn defects was prepared using ethylene glycol as solvent. • Construct a heterojunction between the defect ZnIn 2 S 4 and nano TiO 2. • Load EG-ZnIn 2 S 4 /TiO 2 onto industrial byproduct SiO 2 microspheres. • Defect, heterostructure, and carrier jointly enhance the performance of photocatalysts. • This paper provides a solution for industrial treatment of pollutants in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel and energy-saving reactive pressure-swing distillation process was designed for separating the THF-methanol-water mixture. • Energy consumption was greatly reduced by multi-objective genetic algorithm and heat-integrated optimization. • The total annual cost of the designed two heat integration processes for the RPSD-B was greatly reduced, i.e., 45.9% and 52.2%, respectively. • The water in THF-methanol-water was fully utilized to react with ethylene oxide to generate by-product EG. The low-energy and low-cost process development and design has always been a hot topic and challenge in separating azeotropic systems in the world. In this paper, a novel, energy-saving reactive pressure-swing distillation (RPSD) was, for the first time, designed for separating the ternary mixture of tetrahydrofuran (THF)-methanol–water. In the reactive distillation column, the process of reacting water with ethylene oxide to produce ethylene glycol for the first time was used to separate THF-methanol–water mixture, then the residual mixtures were separated by two pressure-swing distillation columns. Two feasible RPSD separation processes were investigated in terms of thermodynamic modeling and T-xy phase diagram analysis to achieve optimal separation sequence. The two designed separation processes were optimized by a multi-objective genetic algorithm and heat integration to maximize economic benefit. Results demonstrated that, compared to the conventional pressure-swing distillation process, the total annual cost of the designed two heat-integrated processes based on the RPSD-B process were greatly reduced, i.e., 45.9% and 52.2%, respectively. This paper has important guiding significance for the separation and purification of multicomponent azeotropes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testicular organoids have great potential for maintaining male fertility and even restoring male infertility. However, existing studies on generating organoids with testis-specific structure and function are scarce and come with many limitations. Research on cryopreservation of testicular organoids is even more limited, and inappropriate cryopreservation methods may result in the loss of properties in resuscitated or regenerated organoids, rendering them unsuitable for clinical or research needs. In this paper, we investigated the effects of mouse age and cell number on the self-aggregation of testicular cells into spheres in low-adsorption plates. Various media compositions, culture systems, and cell numbers were used to culture cell spheres for 14 days to form testicular organoids, and the self-organization of the organoids was assessed by histological and immunofluorescence staining. We determined the appropriate cryopreservation conditions for testicular cells, cell spheres, and tissues. Subsequently, organoids derived from cryopreserved testicular tissues, testicular cells, and testicular cell spheres were compared and evaluated by histological and immunofluorescence staining. The results indicate that testicular cell spheres consisting of 30 × 104 testicular cells from 2-week-old mice were able to form organoids highly similar to the luminal structure and cell distribution of natural mouse testicular tissues. This transformation occurred over 14 days of incubation in α-MEM medium containing 10 % knockout serum replacer (KSR) using an agarose hydrogel culture system. Additionally, the Sertoli cells were tightly connected to form a blood-testis barrier. The relative rates of tubular area, germ cells, Sertoli cells, and peritubular myoid cells were 36.985 % ± 0.695, 13.347 % ± 3.102, 47.570 % ± 0.379, and 27.406 % ± 1.832, respectively. The optimal cryopreservation protocol for primary testicular cells involved slow freezing with a cryoprotectant consisting of α-MEM with 10 % dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Slow freezing with cryoprotectants containing 5 % DMSO and 5 % ethylene glycol (EG) was optimal for all different volumes of testicular cell spheres. Compared to testicular organoids generated from frozen testicular tissue and cell spheres, freezing testicular cells proved most effective in maintaining organoid differentiation characteristics and cell-cell interactions. The findings of this study contribute to a "universal" testicular organoid in vitro culture protocol with promising applications for fertility preservation and restoration in prepubertal cancer patients and adult infertile patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An ionic conducting disulfide network was synthesized based on polyethylene. • The copolymer can maintain the ionic conductivity of polyethylene glycol. • The copolymer network has a short chain segment relaxation time (5.18 × 10−5 s). • The melted network can penetrate the complicated surface of active material. • Lithium hybrid capacitor with copolymer as electrolyte performed excellently. Polymer electrolytes are being actively researched in energy storage applications because of their large operating potential range and cycle stability. Among them, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is most commonly used to take advantage of the high ionic conductivity generated by polar functional groups in the structure. However, the polar functional group in the PEG structure has limitations that not only interfere with the movement of ions through interchain interaction, but also prevent the penetration of the polymer structure into the electrode material. In this paper, a copolymer into which a dynamic disulfide bonding network was introduced based on PEG was synthesized to control the polar functional effect of the polymer chain. The copolymer was then applied as a lithium-ion hybrid capacitor electrolyte. Due to the disconnection of the dynamic disulfide bond, the viscosity of the polymer electrolyte was reduced, allowing smooth penetration into the electrode material. The copolymer-based polymer electrolyte showed better energy storage performance and shorter relaxation time than a commercial PEG-based device (225 F g−1/5.18 × 10−5 s for copolymer and 166 F g−1/7.96 × 10−3 s for PEG). In addition, the copolymer not only preserved excellent ionic conductivity of PEG at a certain level (from 6.3 × 10−4 S cm−1 to 3.73 × 10−4 S cm−1) but also decreased the polarity of the material due to the presence of the nonpolar disulfide chain, thereby reducing crystallinity and dielectric permittivity (from 1460 to 246). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The one-step synthesis of demulsifiers is a simple method. • This demulsifier has excellent demulsification efficiency at low temperatures (45 °C), greatly reducing production costs while ensuring high demulsification efficiency. • After the action of this demulsifier, the oil–water separation interface is smooth and clear, and the separated water contains almost no crude oil. The extraction of crude oil generates a significant volume of stable emulsions that can lead to various adverse effects in industrial extraction processes. Therefore, emulsion demulsification is a crucial step. In this paper, PGDA, a low-temperature W/O demulsifier with double hydrophobic chains, was synthesized from poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate by a simple low-temperature process. The structure of PGDA was analyzed by FTIR and 1H NMR, and the demulsification performance was evaluated by a bottle-testing method. The results demonstrated that PGDA, at a concentration of 500 mg/L, achieved a demulsification efficiency of 100 % under low-temperature conditions (45 °C) over a 5-hour period. Furthermore, it also showed good demulsifying performance in wide pH range (6–10) and high salinity (100,000 mg/L). In addition, the possible mechanism of demulsification of PGDA was investigated by zeta potential, interfacial tension, and three-phase contact angle, etc. PGDA showed strong competitive adsorption ability with asphaltenes at the interface. PGDA has the ability to navigate rapidly to the oil–water boundary and displace the native surfactants there, thus destabilizing the emulsion and thus promoting the separation of oil and water. PGDA by virtue of the simple synthesis process, low demulsification temperature and high efficiency are of practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) of the Ti6A14V alloy surface generates a recast layer and microcracks, which seriously affects the strength and corrosion resistance of the parts. Electrochemical polishing is widely used in metal surface finishing due to its low cost and high efficiency. To solve the problem of surface quality after WEDM machining, in this paper, electrochemical polishing of Ti6Al4V alloy after machining is investigated for different ethanol/glycol ratios of polishing solution and surface corrosion resistance. Based on this study, the effect of current density on the surface roughness, morphology, and corrosion resistance of WEDM-machined parts was also analyzed. By optimizing the ethanol/glycol ratio and current density, a micron-sized impurity-free Ti6Al4V surface was obtained at a glycol/ethanol ratio of 4:1 and a current density of 0.55 A cm−2, and the surface roughness (Ra) was reduced from 3.69 to 0.40 μm. The microcracks and recast layer were completely removed, the corrosion current density was reduced by one order of magnitude, and the corrosion resistance was significantly improved, which amounted to 0.49 ± 0.04 µA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Photochromic inks switching between colorless and cyan/magenta/yellow are developed. • Optimal rheological properties of the inks are achieved for high-resolution inkjet printing. • The photo-responsive inks can be printed on flexible substrates with large-area. • Colorless to full-color photochromism is realized using the three-primary-color inks. • Customizable anticounterfeiting stamps and personal checks have been demonstrated. Inkjet printing of photo-responsive patterns capable of switching between colorless and full-color is regarded as an innovative anticounterfeiting technique with a higher security level. Therefore, colorless inks which can be changed to cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) upon photochromism are highly required. Herein, three photochromic (PC) inks C, M, and Y switching between colorless and cyan/magenta/yellow, respectively, have been successfully prepared by dissolving viologen derivatives AV, AEV, and NOV in solvent mixtures of water, ethanol, and ethylene glycol, with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as surfactant. With a mass fraction of 0.5 wt% for SDS, an optimal rheological property with a viscosity of 3.48 mPa·s, a contact angle of 29.4° on poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate, a surface tension of 23.16 mN m−1, and a Z value of 3.85, is realized for ink C. Under the same conditions, inks M and Y are prepared and display suitable rheological properties for inkjet printing. The films are invisible initially and become colorful upon UV irradiation with no significant decay after 20 repetitive PC switching. Subsequently, various colorful patterns with high resolutions were printed on conventional A4 paper and become visible only after irradiation by a UV lamp. Therefore, these photo-responsive tricolor inks can be used in anticounterfeiting field and two practical examples of a stamp and a personal check with cryptical texts and color information have been demonstrated. Overall, the developed photo-responsive C/M/Y inks can be utilized in flexible, full-color, and large-area printing, providing a novel approach towards innovative anticounterfeiting technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion protection and ice-over delay of aluminum alloys have always been pressing issues. Lotus-inspired superhydrophobic materials show great potential in the field of corrosion prevention and delayed icing, but they are currently prone to failure due to wetting and adhesion by low surface tension liquids. In this paper, we constructed a superamphiphobic (superhydrophobic and superoleophobic) organosilane-grafted attapulgite (OG-ATP) coating on 5083 aluminum alloy substrates using ATP, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), and 1 H,1 H,2 H,2 H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFAS) through hydrolysis-condensation reaction and spray-coating technique. The coating exhibits contact angles greater than 150º and sliding angles less than 10º for water, glycerol, ethylene glycol, peanut oil, and even n-hexadecane with surface tension@20 ºC of 27.5 mN/m. Through studying surface morphologies, chemical compositions, electrochemical behaviors, self-cleaning, and anti-icing performance, it was found that the R ct and |Z| 0.01 Hz of the protected aluminum alloy increased by four orders of magnitude with a corrosion inhibition efficiency of 99.99 %, demonstrating excellent anti-corrosion functionality. Additionally, icing test results at -5 °C, -10 °C, and -15 °C show that the prepared coating exhibits significant delayed icing performance. We believe that the integration of properties such as water-oil repellency, self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and anti-icing will enable superamphiphobic materials to demonstrate enormous application prospects in various fields. [Display omitted] • A superamphiphobic OG-ATP coating was constructed on 5083 aluminum alloy. • The coating features superior liquid repellency towards water and oil droplets. • R ct and |Z| 0.01 Hz increased by four orders of magnitude compared to 5083 Al alloy. • The corrosion inhibition efficiency of the superamphiphobic coating is 99.99 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new hybrid nanofluids, rGO-Ag/water and rGO-Ag/water + ethylene glycol were prepared. • Optical and photo-thermal properties of hybrid nanofluids were experimentally tested. • Both hybrid nanofluids achieve superior solar absorption. • The PTE performance was enhanced at low concentrations of hybrid nanofluids. In the current paper, the thermo-physical, optical and photo-thermal conversion characteristics of reduced graphene oxide nanosheets and silver nanoparticles suspended in water and water + ethylene glycol solution (1:1) were experimental investigated under indoor conditions. The results indicated that the hybrid nanofluids have a good solar absorption in both visible and near-infrared regions (220–1400 nm). Comparing transmission spectra and extinction coefficients of rGO-Ag/water and rGO-Ag/W + EG hybrid nanofluids it is found that the use of rGO-Ag/W + EG hybrid nanofluid is much more beneficial than the rGO-Ag/water nanofluid in solar applications. The rGO-Ag /water and rGO-Ag /W + EG hybrid nanofluids with 0.10 wt% exhibit a relative increase in the temperature difference by about 21 % and 37 % compared to the base fluids and also stored energy values of 4989 J and 5432 J respectively, after an irradiation time of 60 min. This study emphasized the solar potential of rGO-Ag hybrid nanofluids for improving the direct absorption solar collectors performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • New thermoresponsive co-polymers synthesized. • High-molecular weight methacrylate copolymers >50 kDa reported for the first time. • The new copolymers have tuneable LCSTs around the physiological temperature. • The polymers have high cytocompatibility. Methacrylate-based polymers are frequently used in the development of thermoresponsive smart materials for biomedical applications. Among all the routes to such polymers, reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerisation is one of the most widely used. This paper reports the synthesis of thermoresponsive copolymers comprising oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate with Mn of 300 (OEGMA 300) and di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (DiEGMA). Polymers of molecular weight up to 100 kDA were obtained via RAFT polymerisation, mediated by a dithiobenzoate chain transfer agent (CTA) at 70 °C. An appropriate solvent, ratio of initiator to monomers, and minimum reaction polymerisation time were essential to provide optimum polymers. The synthesis of homogenous p(OEGMA 300 -co-DIEGMA) polymers with PDI of 1.1–1.2 was achieved in toluene with ≥10 h of reaction. Increasing the molecular weight of the p(OEGMA 300 -co-DiEGMA) polymers decreases the polydispersity index. p(OEGMA 300 -co-DiEGMA) polymers with Mw of 50,000 Da were successfully synthesised with lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs) of 41.3 °C, 43.0 °C and >45 °C for OEGMA 300 :DiEGMA molar ratios of 2:8, 3:7 and 4:6, respectively. Further, the LCST was not found to be affected by the polymer molecular weight. The p(OEGMA 300 -co-DiEGMA) polymers showed no cytotoxicity to Caco-2 cells at a concentration of 1 mg mL−1, whereas a decrease of HDF cell viability by up to 26.5 % was seen. These polymers could be beneficial for several biomedical applications, such as developing formulations for temperature-triggered drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the impact of various cleaning solutions on the geometry, roughness, gloss, hardness, and flexural strength of 3D-printed zirconia. Cleaning solutions, including isopropyl alcohol (IPA, 99.9%), ethyl alcohol (EtOH, 99.9%), and tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether (TPM, ≥ 97.5%), were diluted to a concentration of 70% and categorized into six groups: IPA99, EtOH99, TPM97, IPA70, EtOH70, and TPM70. Zirconia discs, printed via digital light processing, were sintered after cleaning. The geometry, roughness, gloss, hardness, and flexural strength were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc test (p < 0.05). The thickness of TPM70 was the highest. The diameter of TPM70 was significantly larger than that of EtOH99 and IPA70 (p < 0.05). The weight of the TPM groups was significantly higher than that of IPA70 (p < 0.05). The roughness Ra of TPM70 was significantly greater than that of IPA99, EtOH99, and EtOH70 (p < 0.05). The differences in surface gloss, hardness, and flexural strength among the different groups were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Different cleaning solutions did not affect the surface gloss, hardness, and flexural strength of 3D-printed zirconia. High and low concentrations of the same cleaning solution did not affect the surface gloss, hardness, and flexural strength. IPA70, TPM97, and EtOH can be considered viable post-printing cleaning alternatives to the traditional gold standard, IPA99. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral Flow Assays (LFAs) are cost‐effective and widely utilized for rapid diagnostics, yet they often suffer from limited sensitivity. This study introduces a straightforward yet highly effective method to enhance LFAs performance by integrating a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel to create a "reaction trap." This hydrogel reaction trap optimizes the flow rate and reaction time at the sensing components, substantially improving assay performance. By applying various hydrogel concentrations (6%, 9%, 12%, 15%, and 18% w/v), significant enhancements across a range of detection systems are achieved. An optimized 18% hydrogel concentration shows a 1.5 times increase in sensitivity in the tested commercial pregnancy test. Additionally, 12% hydrogel concentration is tested in pregnancy, ovulation, and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) commercial kits, and the improvement reached up to a sevenfold increase in signal intensity. The enhancement in detection illustrates the profound impact of this simple modification and shows the importance of hydrogel concentration optimization to maximize detection improvement. These results demonstrate that hydrogel‐coated LFAs offer a scalable and highly effective solution for boosting the reliability and sensitivity of rapid diagnostics across different healthcare settings, with broad potential for global health diagnostics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aliphatic diols such as ethylene and propylene glycol are the key products in the chemical industry for manufacturing polymers. The synthesis of these molecules usually implies sequential processes, including epoxidation of olefins using hydrogen peroxide or oxygen with subsequent hydrolysis to glycols. Direct hydroxylation of olefins by cheap and green oxidants is an economically attractive and environmentally friendly route for the synthesis of diols. Here, we report a photocatalytic reaction for the dihydroxylation of ethylene and propylene to their glycols at room temperature using water as the oxidant. The photocatalyst contains Pd clusters stabilized by sub-nanometric polyoxometalate with TiO2 as the host material. Under light irradiation, it results in production rates of ethylene glycol and propylene glycols of 146.8 mmol·gPd−1·h−1 and 28.6 mmol·gPd−1·h−1 with liquid-phase selectivities of 63.3 % and 80.0 %, respectively. Meanwhile, green hydrogen derived from water is produced as another valuable product. Combined spectroscopy investigation suggests that the reaction proceeds via π-bonded adsorption of olefins over Pd clusters with hydroxylation by hydroxyl radicals formed by photocatalytic dissociation of water. A direct, selective photocatalytic method for synthesizing glycols from olefins at room temperature uses water as the oxidizing agent and H2 as byproduct. The hydroxylation proceeds by hydroxyl radicals formed by photocatalytic dissociation of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated acrylamide (AA) levels and various quality parameters in homemade fried potatoes prepared in different sizes by integrating principles from the Slow Food Movement with advanced sensor technology. To this aim, a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was first developed for the determination of AA in homemade fried potatoes at low levels, and the AA levels in the samples were established. First of all, monolayer formation of allyl mercaptane on the SPR chip surface was carried out to form double bonds that could polymerize on the chip surface. AA-imprinted SPR chip surfaces modified with allyl mercaptane were prepared via UV polymerization using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a cross-linker, N,N′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator, and methacryloylamidoglutamicacid (MAGA) as a monomer. The prepared AA-imprinted and nonimprinted surfaces were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy methods. The SPR sensor indicated linearity in the range of 1.0 × 10−9–5.0 × 10−8 M with a detection limit (LOD) of 3.0 × 10−10 M in homemade fried potatoes, and the SPR sensor demonstrated high selectivity and repeatability in terms of AA detection. Additionally, the highest AA level was observed in the potato sample belonging to the T1 group, at 15.37 nM (p < 0.05), and a strong and positive correlation was found between AA levels and sensory parameters, the a* value, the ΔE value, and the browning index (BI) (p < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triazine pesticide (atrazine and its derivatives) detection sensors have been developed to thoroughly check for the presence of these chemicals and ultimately prevent their exposure to humans. Sensitive coatings were designed by utilizing molecular imprinting technology, which aims to create artificial receptors for the detection of chlorotriazine pesticides with gravimetric transducers. Initially, imprinted polymers were developed, using acrylate and methacrylate monomers containing hydrophilic and hydrophobic side chains, specifically for atrazine, which shares a basic heterocyclic triazine structure with its structural analogs. By adjusting the ratio of the acid to the cross-linker and introducing acrylate ester as a copolymer, optimal non-covalent interactions were achieved with the hydrophobic core of triazine molecules and their amino groups. A maximum sensor response of 546 Hz (frequency shift/layer height equal to 87.36) was observed for a sensitive coating composed of 46% methacrylic acid and 54% ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, with a demonstrated layer height of 250 nm (6.25 kHz). The molecularly imprinted copolymer demonstrated fully reversible sensor responses, not only for atrazine but also for its metabolites, like des-ethyl atrazine, and structural analogs, such as propazine and terbuthylazine. The efficiency of modified molecularly imprinted polymers for targeted analytes was tested by combining them with a universally applicable quartz crystal microbalance transducer. The stable selectivity pattern of the developed sensor provides an excellent basis for a pattern recognition procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squalene (SQ) is a well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that provides promising anti-aging and UV-protective roles on human skin. However, its strong hydrophobic nature, accompanied by issues such as poor solubility and limited tissue permeation, has created challenges for scientists to investigate its untapped potential in more complex conditions, including cancer progression. The present study assessed the potent anti-metastatic properties of a newly synthesized amphiphilic ethylene glycol SQ derivative (SQ-diEG) in melanoma, the most fatal skin cancer. In vitro and in vivo experiments have discovered that SQ-diEG may exert its potential on melanoma malignancy through the mitochondria-mediated caspase activation apoptotic signaling pathway. The potent anti-metastatic effect of SQ-diEG was observed in vitro using highly proliferative and aggressive melanoma cells. Administration of SQ-diEG (25 mg/kg) significantly decreased the tumor burden on the lung and inhibited the metastasis-associated proteins and gene markers in B16F10 lung colonization mice model. Furthermore, global gene profiling also revealed a promising role of SQ-diEG in tumor microenvironment. We anticipated that the amphiphilic nature of the SQ compound bearing ethylene glycol oligomers could potentially augment its ability to reach the pathology site, thus enhancing its therapeutic potential in melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel microwave‐assisted intercalation (MAI) strategy is proposed for fast and efficient intercalation of layered MXene to prepare large‐size single‐layer MXene. After LiF‐HCl etching of Ti3AlC2, the as‐prepared multi‐layer Ti3C2Tx (M‐T) are intercalated with Li3AlF6 as an intercalator and ethylene glycol (EG) as a solvent under microwave irradiation for 5 min. Furthermore, the dispersed high‐quality large‐sized single‐layer Ti3C2Tx (S‐T) nanosheets with a thickness of 1.66 nm and a large lateral size over 20 µm are achieved with a yield of over 60% after a further ultrasonic delamination followed by electrostatic precipitation, acid washing, and calcination. In addition, Pd/S‐T composite catalyst, which is constructed with Pd nanoparticles supported on the as‐prepared S‐T nanosheets, exhibits an excellent performance for rapid and efficient selective hydrogenation of nitroarenes with H2 under a mild condition. At room temperature, full conversion of nitrobenzene and 100% aniline selectivity are achieved over Pd/S‐T catalyst in 20 min with 0.5 MPa of H2 pressure. This work provides a novel method for facile, fast, and large‐scale preparation of single‐layer MXene and develops a new approach for constructing efficient nanocatalytic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive discussion/analysis of the published viscosity data of ethylene glycol, EG, in the temperature range from 260 (just above the freezing point) to 465 K was recently reported in this journal. It was found that some of the reported data sets significantly deviate from each other, and the largest discrepancies were found at the lower end of the temperature interval examined (Mebelli et al. in Int. J. Thermophys. 42:116, 2021). Hence, in this work, the densities and viscosities of EG were measured in the temperature interval starting in the supercooled region at 248 and extending up to 313 K. Well-established experimental techniques were employed, that is, pycnometry and laminar flow viscometry, the relative precision of which were better than 0.5 and 0.5 %, respectively. The density was found to linearly depend on temperature in the temperature range studied; the cubic expansion coefficient was found to be γ = (5.20 + 3.99 × 10−3 T K− 1) × 10−4 K−1. When our experimental density data were applied to calculate the dynamic viscosity values using the correlation dependence published in the aforementioned review (Mebelli et al. in Int. J. Thermophys. 42:116, 2021), the discrepancy between our experimental data and the calculated values is less than 2 % above the freezing point; however, in the supercooled region, the discrepancy increases up to 4 % at 248 K. When the cooling rate is higher than 10 K min− 1 and the sample mass is less than 5 mg, EG does not freeze; it undergoes glass formation (Tg = − 121 °C) as revealed in our DSC experiments. The Arrhenius plot for viscosity data was found to be nonlinear; from the Angell plot, it was concluded that EG is a moderately fragile liquid with the fragility index = 70. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the appealing properties of random copolymers, the use of these biomaterials in association with phospholipids is still limited, as several aspects of their performance have not been investigated. The aim of this work is the formulation of lipid/random copolymer platforms and the comprehensive study of their features by multiple advanced characterization techniques. Both biomaterials are amphiphilic, including two phospholipids (1,2-dioctadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC)) and a statistical copolymer of oligo (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA) and 2-(diisopropylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DIPAEMA). We examined the design parameters, including the lipid composition, the % comonomer ratio, and the lipid-to-polymer ratio that could be critical for their behavior. The structures were also probed in different conditions. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time that P(OEGMA-co-DIPAEMA)/lipid hybrid colloidal dispersions have been investigated from a membrane mechanics, biophysical, and morphological perspective. Among other parameters, the copolymer architecture and the hydrophilic to hydrophobic balance are deemed fundamental parameters for the biomaterial co-assembly, having an impact on the membrane's fluidity, morphology, and thermodynamics. Exploiting their unique characteristics, the most promising candidates were utilized for methotrexate (MTX) loading to explore their encapsulation capability and potential antitumor efficacy in vitro in various cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we developed a smart drug delivery system composed of poly (ethylene glycol)-block-poly (ε-caprolactone) (PEG-PCL)-based polymersomes (Ps) loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and vemurafenib (VEM). To enhance targeted delivery to malignant melanoma cells, these drug-loaded nanovesicles were conjugated to the oxalate transferrin variant (oxalate Tf) and incorporated into three-dimensional chitosan hydrogels. This innovative approach represents the first application of oxalate Tf for the precision delivery of drug-loaded polymersomes within a semi-solid dosage form based on chitosan hydrogels. These resulting semi-solids exhibited a sustained release profile for both encapsulated drugs. To evaluate their potency, we compared the cytotoxicity of native Tf-Ps with oxalate Tf-Ps. Notably, the oxalate Tf-Ps demonstrated a 3-fold decrease in cell viability against melanoma cells compared to normal cells and were 1.6-fold more potent than native Tf-Ps, indicating the greater potency of this nanoformulation. These findings suggest that dual-drug delivery using an oxalate-Tf-targeting ligand significantly enhances the drug delivery efficiency of Tf-conjugated nanovesicles and offers a promising strategy to overcome the challenge of multidrug resistance in melanoma therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxicological analyses often necessitate the identification of compounds belonging to diverse functional groups. For GC–MS analyses, derivatization of compounds belonging to different functional groups can pose a challenge and requires the development of comprehensive methods of analysis. One example could be ethylene glycol, whose widespread use is related to possible unintentional or suicidal intoxications. This fact clearly indicates the need to develop sensitive methods for the determination of ethylene glycol and its metabolites in biological material, as only such complex analysis allows for proper toxicological expertise. A simultaneous GC–QqQ–MS/MS method for the determination of ethylene glycol together with its metabolites, glyoxal and glycolic acid, as well as the detection of glyoxylic acid and oxalic acid, was developed and fully validated. A novel approach for simultaneous derivatization of substances from different groups (alcohols, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids) was established. Sample preparation included the addition of three internal standards (BHB-d4, ethylene glycol-d4 and methylglyoxal), precipitation with acetonitrile and subsequent derivatization with N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA), as well as pentafluorophenylhydrazine (PFPH). Detection was carried out with the use of triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The ionization method was electron impact, and quantitative analysis was carried out in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The lower limit of quantification was 1 μg/mL, 0.1 μg/mL, and 500 μg/mL for ethylene glycol, glyoxal, and glycolic acid, respectively. The presented method was applied in three authentic postmortem cases of ethylene glycol intoxication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) cells can be increased by reducing high temperatures with appropriate cooling. Passive cooling systems using air, water, ethylene glycol, and air/water+TiO2 nano bi-fluid froth in the duct channel have been studied, but an overall assessment is essential for its possible application. In the present work, a numerical study is adopted to investigate the impact of the fluid-duct channel type on the electrical and thermal efficiency of the photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collector. Such investigation is achieved by means of a MATLAB R2022b code based on the Runge–Kutta (RK4) method. Four kinds of fluid duct channels are used to optimize the best fluid for improving the overall efficiency of the investigated PVT system. The numerical validation of the proposed model has been made by comparing the numerical and experimental results reported in the literature. The outcomes indicate that varying the duct channel nature affects mainly the electrical and thermal efficiency of the PVT collector. Our results validate that the nature of the fluid affects weakly the electrical efficiency, whereas the thermal efficiency is strongly affected. Accordingly, it is observed that PVT collectors based on nano bi-fluid air/water+TiO2 give the best performance. In this context, an appreciable increase in the overall efficiency of 22% is observed when the water+TiO2 fluid is substituted by air/ water+TiO2 nano bi-fluid. Therefore, these motivating results make the PVT nano bi-fluid efficient and suitable for solar photovoltaic thermal applications since this system exhibits a daily overall efficiency of about 56.96%. The present work proves that controlling the design, cooling technique, and nature of the cooling fluid used is a crucial factor for improving the electrical, thermal, and overall efficiency of the PVT systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been extensive research on the biological recycling of PET waste to address the issue of plastic waste pollution, with ethylene glycol (EG) being one of the main components recovered from this process. Therefore, finding ways to convert PET monomer EG into high-value products is crucial for effective PET waste recycling. In this study, we successfully engineered Escherichia coli to utilize EG and produce glycolic acid (GA), expecting to facilitate the biological recycling of PET waste. The engineered E. coli, able to utilize 10 g/L EG to produce 1.38 g/L GA within 96 h, was initially constructed. Subsequently, strategies based on overexpression of key enzymes and knock-out of the competing pathways are employed to enhance EG utilization along with GA biosynthesis. An engineered E. coli, characterized by the highest GA production titer and substrate conversion rate, was obtained. The GA titer increased to 5.1 g/L with a yield of 0.75 g/g EG, which is the highest level in the shake flake experiments. Transcriptional level analysis and metabolomic analysis were then conducted, revealing that overexpression of key enzymes and knock-out of the competing pathways improved the metabolic flow in the EG utilization. The improved metabolic flow also leads to accelerated synthesis and metabolism of amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moxifloxacin evaluation in pharmaceuticals and biological fluids is in high demand. It is important to fabricate a simple, sensitive, selective, miniaturized, and cost-effective chemical sensor to detect moxifloxacin in the environment. In this study, an electrochemical sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was fabricated for the detection of moxifloxacin in which interdigital electrodes (IDEs) were used as transducers. Thermal free-radical bulk polymerization was used to synthesize MIP, methacrylic acid (MAA) was used as a functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a crosslinker, azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as a free radical initiator, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a porogenic solvent in a poly (methacrylic acid) system for efficient recognition. The LCR meter was used to measure various electrical properties such as inductance and resistance. A concentration-dependent linear response was observed by the fabricated sensor having a lower limit of detection of 240 and 63 ppb for series and parallel resistance, respectively. Meanwhile, series and parallel inductance had lower detection limits of 48 and 8 ppb, respectively. Furthermore, in the presence of competing agents such as uric acid, ascorbic acid, and paracetamol, the fabricated sensor showed a selective response for moxifloxacin. The fabricated sensor also showed reversible and reproducible response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryopreservation, storing biological material in liquid nitrogen (LN, −196 °C), offers a valuable option for the long-term conservation of non-orthodox seeds and vegetatively propagated species in the sector of agrobiodiversity and wild flora. Although the large-scale cryobanking of germplasm collections has been increasing worldwide, the wide application of cryopreservation protocols in wild flora is hampered by difficulties in vitro propagation and a lack of universal cryopreservation protocols, among others. This study established a systematic approach to developing an in vitro culture and droplet-vitrification cryopreservation procedure for shoot tips of Scrophularia kakudensis. The standard procedure includes a two-step preculture with 10% sucrose for 31 h and with 17.5% sucrose for 16 h, osmoprotection with loading solution C4-35% (17.5% glycerol + 17.5% sucrose, w/v) for 30 min, cryoprotection with A3-80% (33.3% glycerol + 13.3% dimethyl sulfoxide + 13.3% ethylene glycol + 20.1% sucrose, w/v) at 0 °C for 60 min, and cooling and rewarming using aluminum foil strips. After unloading, a three-step regrowth procedure starting with an ammonium-free medium with growth regulators was essential for developing normal plantlets from cryopreserved shoot tips. Liquid overlay on the gelled medium two weeks after inoculation resulted in vigorous growth during subcultures. Moreover, liquid overlay increased LN regeneration by up to 80%, i.e., 23% higher than no liquid overlay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical micromachining is promising technique used to machine metal matrix composites and hard to cut materials. In this research mixed L18 Orthogonal array experiments are used to along with 30 vol% of ethylene glycol mixed sodium nitrate electrolyte. The tool electrode is coated with ceramic coating whose diameter is 360 µm and Al7075 + 10 vol%B4C metal matrix composites of thickness 500 µm is used as a workpiece. The experiments are optimized using grey relational analysis and most significant factor is found using Analysis of variance (ANOVA). As per the Grey relational Analysis (GRA) the optimal combination is 30 vol% of ethylene glycol,voltage of 9 V,duty cycle of 70% and electrolyte concentration of 35 g/L. As per the ANOVA, the most promising factor is electrolyte concentration which shows 46.36%. The Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model prediction value is 0.1675 and 1.1400 which is very close to GRA optimized values of machining rate and surface corrosion factors, ie 0.1667 and 1.1395 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation and recycling of waste epoxy resins is an urgent environmental problem, encouraging the use of degradable thermosetting epoxies. In this study, a high-performance thermosetting epoxy resin material that can be easily degraded and recycled was prepared using a low-viscosity and high-activity epoxy monomer, tetrahydrophthalic acid diglycidyl ester. Owing to the breakable ester bond in this epoxy monomer, the thermosetting three-dimensional epoxy cross-linked structure can be rapidly degraded using ethylene glycol at atmospheric pressure. After further depolymerization of the epoxy resin/glycol solution with NaOH, sodium cyclohexene-2-carboxylate was obtained. The sodium salt was acidified, epoxidized, and then re-prepared to obtain the epoxy monomer diglycidyl tetrahydrophthalate. The recycled epoxy monomer possesses the same thermal and mechanical properties as the original epoxy monomer, thus realizing the economic and environmentally friendly degradation and recycling of the thermosetting epoxy resin under mild conditions, and this recycling method is applicable to epoxy systems with ester bonding in the cured material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the impact of plasticizer functional groups on starch plasticization, three distinct plasticizers were selected in this study: ethylene glycol (EG), ethylenediamine (EDA), and ethylenebisformamide (EBF). Three models of the plasticizer/starch system were constructed using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and the analysis encompassed the computation of mean square displacement (MSD), radial distribution function (RDF), and hydrogen bonding energy for each system. Additionally, the proportions of simulation were used to prepare thermoplastic starch films, which were subsequently subjected to examinations such as DSC, XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and mechanical property testing. Comparative analysis of the simulation data from the three systems and the properties of the manufactured thermoplastic starch (TPS) established that the diverse functional groups of plasticizers significantly influenced starch plasticization. In different plasticizer functional group types, it was observed that hydroxyl groups in EG and amino groups in EDA predominantly form hydrogen bonds with hydroxyl groups in starch molecular chain. In contrast, amide groups in EBF can establish hydrogen bonds not only with hydroxyl groups of starch but also with ether bonds on the starch main chain, thereby resulting in more effective starch plasticization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel magnetic molecular-imprinted polymer (MMIP) was used to selectively extract folic acid directly from real samples. Folic acid was used as template molecule, Fe3O4/SiO2-3-triethoxysilyl-propyl-acrylamide as functional monomer, azobisisobutyronitrile as initiation, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker agent, and acrylamide as the secondary monomer in a mixed ethanol-water solvent. The effect of different parameters on the extraction efficiency was studied, and the optimum conditions were established as follows: the concentrations of crosslinking and template were fixed at 0.05 and 0.06 g, absorption percentage was 96.5, pH was adjusted to 8, and extraction time was 8 h with a temperature of 25 °C. By examining the effect of pH, we tried to investigate the effect of the amide groups that present in MMIP and its intermolecular hydrogen interaction with folic acid. After optimising the effective parameters in polymer synthesis and adsorption rate, a magnetic imprinting dispersive solid-phase extraction method combined with fluorescence spectrophotometry at λem = 367 nm (MMIP-DSPE-FL) was constructed for sensitive determination of folic acid in tomato samples. The limit of quantification (LOQ) and limit of detection (LOD) values were 30.00 ± 0.01 μg L−1 and 10.00 ± 0.03 μg L−1, respectively, after the MMIP-DSPE preconcentration. Three tomato samples were analysed to give recoveries in the range of 80.2–81.6%, with relative standard deviation values below 0.6% (n = 3). The prepared MMIP-DSPE showed high selectivity toward folic acid, which could be used six times without changing adsorption capacity. The adsorption isotherm of the folic acid-imprinted polymer pursued the Langmuir model (RL = 0.029), and the kinetics model followed pseudo-first-order (R 2 = 0.9974). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of ethylene glycol (EG) from cellulose has garnered significant attention in recent years as an attractive alternative to fossil fuels due to the potential of cellulose as a renewable and sustainable feedstock. In this work, to the best of our knowledge, a series of low-cost Ni-W bimetallic catalysts supported on glucose/carbon nanotube hybrid carbons were synthesised for the first time and employed to transform cellulose into EG. Two different strategies were combined for the preparation of the carbons: the activation and addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to obtain a hybrid material (AG-CNT). The catalytic conversion process proceeded through cellulose hydrolysis to glucose, followed by glucose retro-aldol condensation to glycolaldehyde and its subsequent hydrogenation to EG. Through the optimisation of the catalyst's properties, particularly the metals' content, a good synergistic effect of C-C bond cleavage and hydrogenation capabilities was assured, resulting in the highly selective production of EG. The balance between Ni and W active sites was confirmed to be a crucial parameter. Thus, total cellulose conversion (100%) was achieved with EG yields of 60–62%, which are amongst the best yields ever reported for the catalytic conversion of cellulose into EG via carbon-supported catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: A class of solvent-free covalent organic framework (COF) single-ion conductors (Li-COF@P) has been designed via ion–dipole interaction as opposed to traditional ion–ion interaction, promoting ion dissociation and Li+ migration through directional ionic channels. The Li-COF@P enabled long cycle life (88.3% after 2000 cycles) in all-solid-state Li organic batteries (ASSLOBs) under ambient operating conditions, which outperformed those of previously reported ASSOLBs. This Li-COF@P strategy holds promise as a viable alternative to the currently prevalent inorganic solid electrolytes. Single-ion conductors based on covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have garnered attention as a potential alternative to currently prevalent inorganic ion conductors owing to their structural uniqueness and chemical versatility. However, the sluggish Li+ conduction has hindered their practical applications. Here, we present a class of solvent-free COF single-ion conductors (Li-COF@P) based on weak ion–dipole interaction as opposed to traditional strong ion–ion interaction. The ion (Li+ from the COF)–dipole (oxygen from poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate embedded in the COF pores) interaction in the Li-COF@P promotes ion dissociation and Li+ migration via directional ionic channels. Driven by this single-ion transport behavior, the Li-COF@P enables reversible Li plating/stripping on Li-metal electrodes and stable cycling performance (88.3% after 2000 cycles) in organic batteries (Li metal anode||5,5'-dimethyl-2,2'-bis-p-benzoquinone (Me2BBQ) cathode) under ambient operating conditions, highlighting the electrochemical viability of the Li-COF@P for all-solid-state organic batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2), value-added chemicals like as synthetic fuels and chemical feedstocks can be produced. In the current state of the art, copper-based materials are most widely used being the most effective catalysts for this reaction. It is still necessary to improve the reaction rate and product selectivity of CuOx for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). The main objective of this work was synthesized and evaluate the copper oxide electrocatalyst combined with silver (CuO 70% Ag 30%) for the conversion of carbon dioxide into synthetic fuels. The catalysts have been prepared by the oxalate method and assessed in a flow cell system. The results of electrochemical experiments were carried out at room temperature and at different potentials (-1.05 V–0.75 V vs. RHE in presence of 0.1 M KHCO3) and gas and liquid chromatographic analysis are summarized. The CuOx-based electrodes demonstrated the selective of ~ 25% at -0.55 V for formic acid (HCOOH) and over CuO -Ag and selective of ethylene at ~ 20% over CuOx at -1.05 V. Other products were formed as ethylene, ethanol, and propanol (C2H4, EtOH, PrOH) at more positive potentials. On the other hand, carbon monoxide, acetate, ethylene glycol, propinaldehyde, glycoaldehyde and glyoxal (CO, CH3COO, C2H6O2, C3H6O, C2H4O2, C2H2O2) have been formed and detected. Based on the results of these studies, it appears that the formation of synthetic fuels from CO2 at room temperature in alkaline environment can be very promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,2-propylene glycol and its 50-50 w/w mixture with water were used to prepare heat transfer fluids based on amino-functionalized silica. On top of pH-neutral dispersions (no reagents added except for the solvent and the particles), dispersions acidified with acetic acid and with HCl were used to enhance the positive electric charge of silica particles. The colloidal particles had a positive zeta potential >40 mV and showed apparent particle radii of 70 nm, and these properties remained unchanged on heating up to 80 °C for up to 28 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative approach for creating customized dosage forms and supporting patient populations with specific requirements who need additional support to improve drug adherence is 3D printing. This work introduces liquid crystal display (LCD) 3D printing as a means of developing melatonin (MLT) tablets. For patients who are blind or visually challenged, Braille patterns were displayed on the tablet surface in addition to the optimization of printing hydrogel inks. Owing to the great printing accuracy, blind patients could validate the Braille patterns that provided the required information. Upon further examination MLT was found to be present in the photopolymerized resins in an amorphous state. The choice of poly(ethylene glycol)-diacrylate (PEGDA) with varying molecular weights and the inclusion of surfactants or solubilizers interfered with the photopolymerization of the resin, hence controlling the rates of MLT dissolution towards the sought sustained release. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed that photopolymerization of the PEGDA resins in the printed dosage forms has taken place. A small batch scale-up investigation showed that LCDs could print a significant number of tablets quickly—about twenty-four minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luminescent Ag nanoclusters (Ag NCs) are a promising probe material for sensing and bioimaging applications. However, the intrinsic obstacle of poor water stability and photostability greatly restrict their practical application in biological systems. Herein, we report the intracellular hypochlorite (ClO−) detection with amphiphilic copolymer-modified luminescent Ag NCs with good biocompatibility and photostability. The Ag NCs were synthesized by using chemically inert hydrophobic ligands and then modified with an amphiphilic (1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(poly(ethylene glycol))-2000]) (DSPE-PEG-2000) and sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) for phase transfer. It was found that the approach of the removal of organic solvents during the phase transfer has remarkable influences on the properties of the Ag NCs, including their size, luminescence property, and aqueous stability. Furthermore, the silver core of Ag NCs could be oxidatively damaged by ClO−, thereby causing photoluminescence (PL) quenching. The ClO−-induced PL quenching was specific over the other common reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as some common interferences. Finally, they have been successfully applied as a fluorescent nanoprobe for detecting exogenous and endogenous ClO− in living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]