Search

To synthesize colorless superheat‐resistant polyimide films, one of the valid approaches is the incorporation of the asymmetric and warped structures in the main chain. Applying this approach on 5(6)‐amino‐2‐(4‐aminobenzene)benzimidazole (PABZ) and changing its linearity, 6, 5′‐diamine‐2′‐methyl‐1‐methyl‐2‐phenylbenzimidazole (5a) and 6, 3′‐diamine‐2′‐methyl‐1‐methyl‐2‐phenylbenzimidazole (5b) were devised and synthesized successfully, then polymerized with 1,2,4,5‐cyclohexanetetracarboxylic dianhydride (HPMDA). The prepared poly(benzimidazole imide)s (PBIIs) with the rigid main chain and loose packing had the excellent heat‐resistant level (Tg > 400°C) and optical properties (T400 > 80%). Besides, the alterations resulting from various linearities were discussed comprehensively. This research is beneficial to the application of optical field, providing a promising candidate of heat‐resistant colorless materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the continuous development of aerospace and outer space exploration, high-performance thermal insulation materials with high-temperature resistance and attractive mechanical properties have always been a fascinating topic of research to protect human body or components from extreme environments. In this research, hydrophobic silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles as molecular skeleton enhancers and heat transfer inhibitors are introduced in crosslinked polyimide (PI) aerogels with rigid molecular structure to maintain the stable nanoporous network structure. The density, shrinkage, porosity, specific surface area and pore size distribution of PI/SiO2 composite aerogels can be adjusted by the addition of SiO2 nanoparticles, so as to improve the comprehensive performances. The excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties of PI/SiO2 composite aerogels with super-high working temperature of over 550 °C and high modulus of compression and tension (compression Young’s modulus of 37.75 MPa and tensile modulus of 237.1 MPa) ensure their use as a structural component. The charming thermal conductivity (29.7 mWm−1 K−1) and excellent flame resistance make them a candidate for high-performance thermal insulation materials.Graphical abstract: As the continuous development of aerospace and outer space exploration, high-performance thermal insulation materials with high-temperature resistance and attractive mechanical properties have always been a fascinating topic of research to protect human body or components from extreme environments. In this research, hydrophobic silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles as molecular skeleton enhancers and heat transfer inhibitors are introduced in crosslinked polyimide (PI) aerogels with rigid molecular structure to maintain the stable nanoporous network structure. The density, shrinkage, porosity, specific surface area and pore size distribution of PI/SiO2 composite aerogels can be adjusted by the addition of SiO2 nanoparticles, so as to improve the comprehensive performances. The excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties of PI/SiO2 composite aerogels with super-high working temperature of over 550 °C and high modulus of compression and tension (compression Young’s modulus of 37.75 MPa and tensile modulus of 237.1 MPa) ensure their use as a structural component. The charming thermal conductivity (29.7 mWm−1 K−1) and excellent flame resistance make them a candidate for high-performance thermal insulation materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyimide (PI) aerogels have various applications in aerospace, national defense, military industry, and rail transit equipment. This paper reports a series of ultra-lightweight, high elasticity, high strength, low thermal conductivity, and high flame retardant rGO/PI nanocomposite aerogels prepared by the ice templating method. The effects of freezing processes (unidirectional freezing and random freezing), chemical composition, and environmental temperature (-196-200 °C) on the morphology, mechanical, and thermal properties of the aerogels were systematically studied. The results indicated that unidirectional aerogels exhibit anisotropic mechanical properties and thermal performance. Compression in the horizontal direction showed high elasticity, high fatigue resistance, and superior thermal insulation. Meanwhile, in the vertical direction, it demonstrated high strength (PI-G-9 reaching 14 MPa). After 10,000 cycles of compression in the horizontal direction (at 50 % strain), the unidirectional PI-G-5 aerogel still retains 90.32 % height retention, and 78.5 % stress retention, and exhibited a low stable energy loss coefficient (22.11 %). It also possessed a low thermal conductivity (32.8 mW m -1 K -1 ) and demonstrated good thermal insulation performance by sustaining at 200 °C for 30 min. Interestingly, the elasticity of the aerogels was enhanced with decreasing temperatures, achieving a height recovery rate of up to 100 % when compressed in liquid nitrogen. More importantly, the rGO/PI aerogels could be utilized over a wide temperature range (-196-200 °C) and had a high limiting oxygen index (LOI) ranging from 43.3 to 48.1 %. Therefore, this work may provide a viable approach for designing thermal insulation and flame-retardant protective materials with excellent mechanical properties that are suitable for harsh environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Saline and alkaline stresses limit plant growth and reduce crop yield. Soil salinization and alkalization seriously threaten the sustainable development of agriculture and the virtuous cycle of ecology. Biofertilizers made from plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) not only enhance plant growth and stress tolerance, but also are environmentally friendly and cost-effective. There have been many studies on the mechanisms underlying PGPRs enhancing plant salt resistance. However, there is limited knowledge about the interaction between PGPR and plants under alkaline-sodic stress. To clarify the mechanisms underlying PGPR's improvement of plants' tolerance to alkaline-sodic stress, we screened PGPR from the rhizosphere microorganisms of local plants growing in alkaline-sodic land and selected an efficient strain, Bacillus altitudinis AD13-4, as the research object. Our results indicate that the strain AD13-4 can produce various growth-promoting substances to regulate plant endogenous hormone levels, cell division and differentiation, photosynthesis, antioxidant capacity, etc. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the strain AD13-4 significantly affected metabolism and secondary metabolism, signal transduction, photosynthesis, redox processes, and plant-pathogen interactions. Under alkaline-sodic conditions, inoculation of the strain AD13-4 significantly improved plant biomass and the contents of metabolites (e.g., soluble proteins and sugars) as well as secondary metabolites (e.g., phenols, flavonoids, and terpenoids). The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results indicated that the strain AD13-4 significantly affected the abundance and composition of the rhizospheric microbiota and improved soil activities and physiochemical properties. Our study provides theoretical support for the optimization of saline-alkali-tolerant PGPR and valuable information for elucidating the mechanism of plant alkaline-sodic tolerance.