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• Conductive polypyrrole modified porous carbonyl iron powder was synthesized by one step method. • Polypyrrole modified porous carbonyl iron powder composites have excellent microwave absorption properties. • The mechanism of polypyrrole modified porous carbonyl iron powder composite was discussed in detail. Carbonyl iron powder (CIP) is a common microwave absorber frequently utilized to prepare microwave-absorbing materials. However, it exhibits only magnetic loss and no dielectric loss, which inevitably affects its wave-absorbing performance. Here, porous carbonyl iron powder (p-CIP) modified with conductive polypyrrole (PPy) was successfully prepared by one-step chemical etching and in-situ polymerization and then utilized to fabricate epoxy composites with high microwave absorption intensity. The scanning electron microscopy images revealed that conductive PPy was encapsulated on the surface of p-CIP. The reflection loss of the P-200 sample is −41.2 dB at 2.2 mm thickness. Reduction of the sample thickness to 1.8 mm resulted in a still acceptable reflection loss of −35.5 dB. Moreover, the effective absorption bandwidth widened to approximately 6.75 GHz (10.55–17.3 GHz). This provides a valuable approach for the development of microwave-absorbing materials with high absorption capacity. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The interfacial polymerization is regulated by the inverse diffusible organic phase additive polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPYN). • The modified reverse osmosis (RO) separation layer features abundant free volume. • The flux of the modified RO membrane increases nearly 3 times compared with the pristine RO membrane without sacrificing separation selectivity. • The modified RO membrane exhibits excellent anti-biofouling property. Highly permeable thin film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes with abundant free volume are desirable for water treatment. However, the strategy of controlling the microstructure of the separation layer with high free volume rate is still a challenge. In this work, a modified strategy for the preparation of high-performance TFC RO membrane with inverse diffusible polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPYN) as organic phase additive was developed. The combination of PPYN and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) would diffuse backwards from the organic phase into the aqueous phase during the reaction process to disrupt the normal interfacial polymerization (IP) and thus introduce more free volume in the RO membrane due to the nanobubbles from violent reactions. Moreover, the thickness of the modified membrane decreased and the hydrophilicity increased based on the modulation of IP by PPYN, which facilitated the water molecules to transport. The prepared RO-PPYN membranes showed nearly three times the flux compared with the pristine RO membrane without sacrificing separation selectivity. Furthermore, the anti-biofouling property of the modified membrane was also improved. This work successfully demonstrated the potential use of PPYN as an organic filler to enhance the performance of seawater desalination in RO membranes. Our modification strategy provides an efficient and convenient way to prepare novel RO membranes with high permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Text-based person search is a sub-task in the field of image retrieval, which aims to retrieve target person images according to a given textual description. The significant feature gap between two modalities makes this task very challenging. Many existing methods attempt to utilize local alignment to address this problem in the fine-grained level. However, most relevant methods introduce additional models or complicated training and evaluation strategies, which are hard to use in realistic scenarios. In order to facilitate the practical application, we propose a simple but effective baseline for text-based person search named TIPCB (i.e., T ext- I mage P art-based C onvolutional B aseline). Firstly, a novel dual-path local alignment network structure is proposed to extract visual and textual local representations, in which images are segmented horizontally and texts are aligned adaptively. Then, we propose a multi-stage cross-modal matching strategy, which eliminates the modality gap from three feature levels, including low level, local level and global level. Extensive experiments are conducted on the widely-used benchmark datasets (CUHK-PEDES and ICFG-PEDES) and verify that our method outperforms all the existing methods. Our code has been released in https://github.com/OrangeYHChen/TIPCB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote the corrosion resistance and surface conductivity of metal bipolar plates (BP) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), a TaCN nanoceramic coating with TaN and TaC dual phase structures was engineered onto a commercially pure titanium substrate employing the double cathode glow discharge plasma (DCGDP) technique. The as-prepared TaCN coating was well-adhered to the substrate with a thickness of ∼16.5 μm. The coating exhibited a microstructure comprising equiaxed grains with an average size of ∼10.3 nm. The electrochemical behavior of the TaCN coating was evaluated in a simulated PEMFC environment containing various HF concentrations. Open circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiostatic polarization, and Mott-Schottky tests showed that the addition of HF enhanced the corrosion rate of both the Ti substrate and the TaCN coating. Nevertheless, the TaCN coating exhibited improved corrosion potential, lower corrosion current density and larger resistance than that of Ti for all HF concentrations. The Hilbert-Huang and corrosion morphology analysis indicated that the TaCN coating maintained a passive state with increasing HF concentration. First-principle calculations investigated the adsorption capacity of the F− ions on the passive film on the TaCN coating. Furthermore, the TaCN coating possesses desirable interfacial contact resistance (ICR) (about 10 mΩ cm2 under a compressive force of 140 N cm−2) and outstanding hydrophobicity (92.9° ± 2°). Overall, the TaCN coating, which can deliver appreciable enhancement relative to the performance of titanium, represents an extremely competitive candidate as a protective coating for bipolar plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A Kriging model updating method combined of Kriging surrogate model and genetic algorithm is proposed to estimate parameters for horizontal multilayer earth model. • The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method are analyzed. • The optimization accuracy influenced by initial data samples is discussed. • Verification cases have been illustrated for the feasibility of final estimated earth models. A Kriging model updating method combined with Kriging surrogate model and genetic algorithm is proposed in this paper, helping to improve the computational efficiency of parameters estimation for horizontal multilayer earth model around electrical substation. Based on the theory of widely used Wenner configuration method for apparent resistivity measurement, the optimization model for horizontal multilayer earth model parameters is built up. To avoid time-consuming calculation, Kriging surrogate model is introduced to replace the complicated optimization model using small amount of data samples. Then genetic algorithm is adopted to update this Kriging model and estimate the earth model parameters until the criterion achieved. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method are analyzed. And several cases of multilayer earth model are studied furtherly and compared with traditional genetic algorithm to verify its feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic litter and its associated environmental hazards have garnered global attention in recent years, highlighting the need for effective management. Improper handling of plastic litter can lead to environmental degradation, making it crucial to address this issue. In this paper, we propose an innovative approach to predict the spatial distribution and quantity of plastic litter at the city level by leveraging crowd-sensing data and designing a graph neural network-based model. Meteorological data is specifically used to enhance temporal correlation, while the spatial distribution of litter is clustered using the K-means method to capture spatial correlation. For each cluster, multiple graphs are constructed based on the points of interest (POIs) and litter distribution within the cluster. Graph attention neural networks and heterogeneous graph attention networks are then utilized to aggregate the adjacency information and overall structural information of these graphs, respectively. Finally, the litter prediction results are obtained through multiple fully connected layers. Real-world experiments convincingly demonstrate the high effectiveness of our proposed model in predicting city-wide litter, surpassing multiple comparative models. All the code and datasets can be accessed from the GitHub repository at https://github.com/ZJUDataIntelligence/Genii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Monomers developed in recent years for preparation of TFC membranes is summarized. • The relationship between monomer structure and membrane properties is established. • The application problems of the IP monomers are summarized. • The outlook for future development of the monomer is also discussed. The thin-film composite (TFC) membranes fabricated by interfacial polymerization (IP) can be applied in the fields of nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO), which has the unparalleled advantages, such as high selectivity and permeability, small capital investment and low energy consumption, thus attracting great research interest in industry and academia field. The performance of TFC membranes is determined by their microstructure and physicochemical properties while IP monomer plays a decisive role regarding both. Over the past few decades, the researchers have paid intensive and sustained efforts to develop new IP monomers. This paper reviews these monomers and the corresponding membranes developed in recent years with the aim of establishing an intrinsic relationship between monomer structure and membrane properties. The excellent performances based on new monomers in enhancing the permeability, selectivity, anti-fouling and chemical stability of NF and RO membranes for liquid treatment are highlighted. Finally, various problems in the monomer development are summarized and the outlook for future development is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology of the active layer plays a crucial role in the device performance and stability of organic solar cells (OSCs). To obtain the optimized blend film morphology, numerous solvent additives have been developed and utilized. Nevertheless, the commonly used high boiling point solvent additives have strict volume control and residual problems, which are not conducive to the development of OSCs. To alter the situation, it is urgent to develop highly volatile additives to minimize the unfavorable effect. Here, a volatile aromatic small molecule, benzoylacetate (BA), is used as a solid additive to control the morphology of the active layer during the post-treatment procedure. More importantly, BA has an apparent positive interaction with Y6, leading to more favorable molecular arrangement in the blend film and enhanced charge transfer properties. Finally, the BA-treated PM6:Y6 device exhibits improved device performance and photostability. Moreover, BA could be used as a universal solid additive for different OSC systems. Specifically, a superior PCE of 18.5 % is achieved in BA-processed PM6:L8-BO binary system with good photostability. Our work demonstrates an approach of applying a volatile solid additive to improve the device performance and photostability. [Display omitted] • High-performance organic solar cells (OSCs) were fabricated by introducing benzoylacetone (BA), a volatile aromatic small molecule, into the non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) systems. • The addition of BA can be used to control the blend morphology and obtain improved crystallinity and appropriate phase separation. Meanwhile, good volatility of BA is beneficial to improve the photostability of OSCs. • For the binary PM6:L8-BO device, a notable PCE of 18.5 % was yielded after treatment with the BA additive, which is much higher than that of the device treated with DIO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) reinforced Mg-4Zn-0.5Mn (wt%) matrix composites (GNPs/ZM40) with different concentrations (0.1, 0.3, 0.5 wt%) of GNPs were processed by liquid-state molding method combined with low temperature extrusion process. The microstructure of the prepared materials was analyzed by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and optical microscope (OM). And the tensile test at room temperature was carried out to reveal the mechanical properties of the materials. The results showed that the 0.3 wt% GNPs/ZM40 composite exhibited the outstanding mechanical properties of yield strength (YS: ∼466 MPa) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS: ∼532 MPa). In as-cast materials, the addition of GNPs led to the refinement of equiaxed grains and eutectic phases in the composites, closely related with the promotion of heterogeneous nucleation by GNPs during the solidification. After low temperature extrusion, the prominent dynamic recrystallization (DRX) took place in as-extruded alloy and GNPs/ZM40 composites, producing plenty of fine grains. In contrast to the alloy, the average grain sizes of the composites with different GNPs content were reduced, whereas the degrees of recrystallization in the composites increased. These differences in microstructural evolutions originated primarily from the inhibiting effect of GNPs on the grain growth and the boost to DRX by the high-density dislocations in magnesium matrix caused by GNPs. Accordingly, the high YS of the composites could be largely ascribed to fine-grain strengthening, dislocation strengthening effect and load transfer mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel polyamide loose NF membrane was prepared from aqueous monomer (piperazine-2-carboxylic acid). • The loose NF membrane formation mechanism was clarified. • The loose NF membrane exhibited high water permeance and outstanding separation selectivity of dye/salt. • The loose NF membrane demonstrated excellent antifouling performance. Dye effluent is regarded as one of the most hazardous industrial effluents. Although loose nanofiltration (NF) membranes have been considered as an effective alternative technique for treating dye effluent, their development is still constrained by subpar permeance, separation efficiency and anti-fouling performance. In this work, a novel loose polyamide (PA) NF membrane was designed employing a conventional interfacial polymerization process using piperazine-2-carboxylic acid (PIP-COOH) and trimesoyl chloride as aqueous and organic phase monomers, respectively. The presence of unique electron-absorbing carboxyl groups on the PIP-COOH monomer not only provided abundant negative charge on the membrane surface, but also greatly reduced the reactivity, diffusion rate and solubility in n-hexane of the aqueous monomer, allowing for the formation of a more relaxed and smoother active layer. The balanced combination of pore size screening and Donnan effect achieved precise separations with high permeability. Moreover, the interaction of the carboxyl groups with the backbone structure increased the free volume of the PA layer and improved permeability significantly. The PIP-COOH/TMC membrane prepared under the optimal conditions exhibited high water permeance of 598.1 L·m−2·h−1·MPa−1, high reactive red rejection (99.3%) and low NaCl rejection (5.4%). Furthermore, the membrane possessed exceptional anti-fouling performance thanks to the ultra-smooth surface with crucial antifouling index flux recovery ratio as high as about 99%, which showed unexpected application possibilities. In conclusion, this study offers a potential novel membrane material for the development and application of loose NF membranes in the treatment of colored effluent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of electronic waste, also known as e-waste, has risen with the growing reliance on electronic products. To reduce negative environmental impact and achieve sustainable industrial processes, recovering and reusing products is crucial. Advances in AI and robotics can help in this effort by reducing workload for human workers and allowing them to stay away from hazardous materials. However, autonomous human motion/intention perception is a primary barrier in e-waste remanufacturing. To address the research gap, this study combined experimental data collection with deep learning models for accurate disassembly task recognition. Over 570,000 frames of motion data were collected from inertial measurement units (IMU) worn by 22 participants. A novel sequence-based correction (SBC) algorithm was also proposed to further improve the accuracy of the overall pipeline. Results showed that models (CNN, LSTM, and GoogLeNet) had an overall accuracy of 88–92%. The proposed SBC algorithm improved accuracy to 95%. • Conducted experiment on end-of-life desktop disassembly for task recognition. • Developed IMU-based deep learning models for human activity recognition. • Proposed a sequence-based correction approach for enhancing the overall recognition accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The influences of electronic metal-support interactions (EMSI) on the catalytic hydrogenation of ethylene over Pd n /CeO2 (n = 4, 7, 10) have been studied. • The charge redistribution on the Pd cluster creates 2 typical sites: IF sites located at the interface between metal and support and T sites located at the topmost of the cluster. • IF sites show extremely higher activity for H 2 dissociation and T sites show better activity for ethylene hydrogenation. • At high H coverage, both the kinetics and thermodynamics of the hydrogenation reaction would be significantly promoted. • The two types of sites should collaborate synergically to promote the hydrogenation process. The catalytic activity of supported catalyst is closely related to the electronic metal-support interactions (EMSI). In this paper, first principles density functional theory study was conducted to understand the EMSI between Pd clusters (Pd 4 , Pd 7 , Pd 10) and CeO 2 substrate. When Pd was loaded on CeO 2 surface, the electrons of Pd would transfer to the CeO 2 substrate via Pd-O bonding interactions. Moreover, the charge redistribution on the Pd cluster leads to significant polarization of electron density. Consequently, the Pd atoms located at the metal-support interface (IF site) are positively charged, while the Pd atoms at the topmost (T site) are negatively charged. The H 2 dissociation and ethylene hydrogenation at these sites were calculated with both low and high hydrogen coverage. It was found that the two types of sites should collaborate synergically to promote the hydrogenation of ethylene. In particular, the IF sites exhibit relatively high activity for H 2 dissociation, while the T sites show superior catalytic efficiency for ethylene hydrogenation. Therefore, the EMSI induced charge polarization can tune the electronic structure and charge state of supported metal catalysts, which further determines the performance of different region on the catalyst. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metal–metal oxide-support interaction stabilized MoO 4 2- is realized in a mesoporous carbon supported heterogenous Ni 4 Mo/NiMoO 4 structure (NiMoO x @CMK-3) for boosting hydrogen evolution. [Display omitted] • A novel NiMoO x @CMK-3 electrocatalyst is synthesized for promoted HER process and outstanding AEMWE performance. • The ex/in-situ characterization evidence the strong heterointerface inhibits the MoO 4 2- loss. • DFT calculations reveal the optimized heterogeneous NiMoO x possesses a moderate Mo-H* binding energy for HER. Constructing low-cost, high-active and robust heterogeneous hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts with strong metal–metal oxide-support interaction (SMMOSI) is still an urgent challenge for the development of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE), especially under high current density (e.g., 1 A cm−2). Herein, a hierarchical composite of heterogenous Ni 4 Mo/NiMoO 4 (NiMoO x) nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on a mesoporous carbon CMK-3 (NiMoO x @CMK-3) is designed as a superior electrocatalyst for HER. Significantly, the strong interaction between heterogeneous NiMoO x NPs and CMK-3 supporting matrix effectively stabilize the catalytic active Ni 4 Mo/NiMoO 4 heterostructure by altering the local geometric and electronic structures, leading to maximumly exposure of active sites and promoted electron transfer ability. The optimized electrocatalyst exhibits outstanding HER activity with an extremely low overpotential and Tafel slope of 7 mV@10 mA cm−2 and 27.7 mV dec-1, respectively, and can steadily operate at 100 mA cm−2 for 800 h. More significantly, owing to these HER merits, the AEMWE configuration with NiMoO x @CMK-3 (−) is also designed, resulting in low cell voltage of 1.965 V@1 A cm−2 and negligible degradation over 400 h@1 A cm−2. Further ex/in-situ electrochemical spectra evidence that both the partial combined MoO 4 2- from NiMoO 4 and the newly formed MoO 4 2- originating from dissolved Mo in NiMoO x @CMK-3 could boost the fast generation of polymerized Mo 2 O 7 2- that could effectively accelerate the HER process in alkaline conditions by facilitating the formation of active Mo-H* intermediates. Moreover, theoretical calculation results demonstrate the upshifting of d-band center of Mo toward Fermi level for the heterogeneous NiMoO x and the strong charge distribution between the heterointerface could optimize adsorption free energies of H* (ΔG H*) on the surface of Mo atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deformation of constituent phases determines the mechanical properties of titanium alloys. To address this relationship, the deformation of primary α (α p ), secondary α plates (α s ) and residual β phase (β r ) in Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si alloy was investigated based on the microstructure near fracture surface of uniaxial tensile samples. It is found that α p is elongated and α s mainly undergoes kinking deformation during tensile tests. The deformation of α p is dominated by planar slipping, the deformation of α s in colony is dominated by planar slipping and in basket weave is controlled by twin, planar slipping and dislocation tangling and the deformation of β r is controlled by dislocation tangling. In the microstructure with high volume fraction of α p (about 60%), the deformation amount of both α p and α s increases with the thickness of α s , which increases the elongation of the alloy and changes the failure modes of α p from fracture to boundary separation. In the microstructure with low volume fraction of α p (19%) and long α s , α p has large deformation amount, while α s with relative small deformation amount has large kinking region which increases the strength of the alloy. However, due to low volume fraction of α p , its contribution to the ductility of alloy is limited and thus the elongation of the alloy is relatively small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A computational framework relying on a non-iterative mesh generation algorithm is introduced for modeling moving boundary transient diffusion problems, with a special focus on its application for simulating corrosion phenomena. In this approach, the Conforming to Interface Structured Adaptive Mesh Refinement (CISAMR) technique is employed to adapt the finite element mesh to the evolving morphology of the problem. CISAMR combines customized h -adaptivity, r -adaptivity, and sub-triangulation algorithms to transform a simple structured mesh into a high quality hybrid conforming mesh composed of rectangular and triangular elements. A key advantage of this method for modeling moving boundary problems is that only the elements located along the moving boundary must be modified to regenerate a conforming mesh at each step. This feature not only facilitates the remeshing process but also reduces the error associated with projecting nodal values of the solution to the new mesh. After a convergence study, we verify the accuracy of CISAMR for modeling pitting corrosion problems by comparing results with analytical solutions and phase field simulations. Additional examples are also provided to show the application of CISAMR for simulating corrosion problems with intricate morphologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Nanofiltration (NF) membranes were prepared using hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) as aqueous phase co-monomer. • The surface electropositivity of NF membrane was significantly enhanced with almost constant pore size. • Modified NF membranes demonstrated superb magnesium-lithium separation performance and excellent antibacterial properties. In recent years, the global demand for lithium resources has been constantly rising thanks to the rapid development of the new energy industry. Nanofiltration (NF) membranes with positive charge could achieve high efficiency separation performance of magnesium ion (Mg2+)/ lithium ion (Li+), which provides a useful solution for the extraction and recovery of lithium resources from brine. In this work, hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) was introduced into the interfacial polymerization (IP) as co-monomer with piperazine (PIP) to react with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) for preparing positively charged NF membranes. Based on the modulation of IP process by HACC, the thickness of the modified NF membrane separation layer reduced and the hydrophilicity increased, while the pore size had no obvious variation. In addition, the introduction of the quaternary ammonium group in HACC also increased the antibacterial properties of the NF membrane. The optimized NF-HACC-0.3 not only improved the separation factor significantly, but also increased the flux by 2 times compared with the original membrane. This strategy provides a new valuable idea and insight for the preparation and development of Mg2+/Li+ separation NF membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of interfacial polymerization (IP) is the critical procedure for the preparation and industrialization of thin film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membranes. However, the IP control is still a huge challenge based on the extremely rapid reaction rate during the fabrication of the membrane. Herein, a new strategy was developed to modulate the IP process to increase the NF membrane performance. The aldehyde oxidized dextran (ODex) interlayer was deposited on the polysulfone ultrafiltration substrate, and the enamine would form between the secondary amines of aqueous phase monomer piperazine (PIP) and aldehyde groups of the ODex. Based on the by-products of IP, the enamine gradually decomposed reversibly in a hydrogen ion environment and the immobilized PIP was released and continued to react with organic phase monomer trimesoyl chloride (TMC). Accordingly, a thinner and exhibiting nanowire structures separation layer with fewer defects was obtained. The permeance of the optimal NF membrane with 0.7 wt% ODex interlayer deposition concentration could reach up to 208 ± 10.4 Lm−2h−1MPa−1, which was more than 2.5 times permeance of the ordinary NF membrane, and the rejection rate for Na 2 SO 4 could reach 99.3 ± 0.3%. In addition, the mono- and divalent ion selectivity of the modified membrane was also greatly improved (α NaCl/Na2SO4 = 115). This study provides a new idea for the regulation of IP process, thereby suggesting a reasonable proposal for improving the performance of TFC NF membranes. [Display omitted] •The enamine was formed between the secondary amines of piperazine and the aldehyde group on the oxidized dextran interlayer. •The interfacial polymerization procedure was effectively regulated by a reversible enamine reaction. •The effect of enamine reversible reaction on the structure of nanofiltration membrane was discussed in detail. •The performance of modified NF membranes for monovalent/divalent salts selectivity was significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Carboxylated starch nanoparticles (CSNPs) were synthesized and embedded in the separation layer of the nanofiltration membrane. • The aggregated or large CSNPs adsorb the aqueous phase to build an aqueous template during the interfacial polymerization transferring the reaction interface. • The compatibility problem of nanoparticles and separation layer was effectively solved. • The S NaCl/Na2SO4 of the modified nanofiltration membrane reached 180 with more than 2 times improvement in flux. The challenge of poor compatibility between nanoparticles and separation layers in thin film nanocomposite (TFN) nanofiltration (NF) membranes has always plagued the researchers. In this work, a carboxylated starch nanoparticles (CSNPs) were introduced into the polyamide (PA) separation layer of NF membrane by the IP reaction between trimesoyl chloride (TMC) and piperazine (PIP). The agglomerated or large size CSNPs could transfer the reaction interface above the particles through the formation of a water template by adsorption of aqueous phase monomers, which shaped the defect-free separation layer. Furthermore, the reduced thickness and increased density of the separation layer greatly enhanced the separation selectivity of the nanofiltration membrane thanks to the introduction of hydrophilic groups of nanoparticles. The modified membrane achieved a nearly 5-fold improvement in separation selectivity for NaCl and Na 2 SO 4 (S NaCl/Na2SO4 = 180) and a 2-fold increase in the water permeance. In addition, the modified NF membrane also possessed better chlorine-resistance property based on the formation of polyarylester between the reaction of hydroxyl groups in CSNPs and acyl chloride groups in TMC. Such novel aqueous-phase additives provide new insights to effectively solve the compatibility problem between the nanoparticles and separation layers, which is favorable for the commercial production of NF membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membrane is a novel kind of membrane that has been extensively studied in recent years and broadly applied in desalination and wastewater treatment. The improvement of separation performance by optimizing the structure and morphology of NF membranes can significantly reduce energy consumption and bring more economic benefits. In this work, glutaraldehyde (GA) was used to crosslink polyethyleneimine (PEI) and dextran nanoparticles (DNPs) to construct an interfacial coating interlayer on polysulfone (PSF) ultrafiltration (UF) substrate. Subsequently, the polyamide (PA) NF membranes were fabricated by interfacial polymerization (IP) between piperazine (PIP) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC). DNPs were semi-encapsulated in the PEI coating and the exposed nanoparticles would be embedded in the PA layer for forming interfacial channels after IP. The interlayer not only affected the adsorption and diffusion of aqueous phase monomers to form a thin membrane, but also improved the membrane density to prevent selective defects associated with the incorporation of nanoparticles. The pure water permeance of the interlayered-TFC NF membrane was determined as 313.3 Lm−2h−1MPa−1, which was approximately four-fold that of the pristine membrane. The retention rate of various divalent salts of the NF membrane also significantly improved, and the retention rate of Na 2 SO 4 exceeded 99%. This innovative method of interlayer modification has exhibited great potential in rapid desalination and wastewater recovery, providing new possibilities for the preparation of industrial high-performance NF membranes. [Display omitted] • An innovative interlayer combining DNPs and PEI coating was successfully constructed. • DNPs were semi-encapsulated in the PEI coating to formed interfacial channels favorable for water passage. • The flux of the interlayer-modified NF membrane increased nearly 4 times with the retention rate of Na 2 SO 4 above 99%. • NF membrane exhibited excellent monovalent/divalent ion selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thin graphene quantum dots interlayer-based polyarylate membranes were prepared by interfacial polymerization. • The influence of two kinds of graphene quantum dots towards membrane structure was discussed in detail. • The quantum dots partially or fully released from the interlayer further optimized the intrinsic properties of the separation layer. • The polyarylate membranes showed excellent CO 2 /N 2 separation performance. Interlayered-thin film nanocomposite (i-TFN) membranes with nanomaterials as the interlayer has attracted more and more attention of researchers in recent years due to the effective regulation of the separation layer structure in the membrane separation field. In this work, the amino-functionalized graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) were synthesized and applied as an interlayer to modify the polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration substrate. Then interfacial polymerization (IP) between trimesoyl chloride (TMC) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was performed to prepare novel i-TFN polyarylate membranes for CO 2 /N 2 separation. The effect of the N-GQDs deposition amount on the structure and gas separation performance of the composite membrane was studied thoroughly. The results indicated that the i-TFN polyarylate membrane presented a particular sandwich structure and provided an effective transport channel for the diffusion of CO 2. Moreover, the affinity of the N-containing groups (e. g. amino and amide groups) in the i-TFN membrane and the CO 2 molecules helped to increase the CO 2 /N 2 separation selectivity. At the optimal preparation condition, the obtained i-TFN membrane showed CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 23.3 with CO 2 permeance of 174.5 GPU. This work proposes a novel nanomaterial interlayer to effectively improve the gas permselectivity by regulating the structure of i-TFN membranes, which has significant instruction for the preparation of high-performance i-TFN by exploring the interlayer of other nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among various novel antimicrobial therapies, sonodynamic therapy (SDT) exhibits its advantages for the treatment of bacterial infections due to its high penetration depth and low side effects. In this study, a new nanosonosensitizer (HFH@ZIF-8) that loads sonosensitizer hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) into zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), was constructed for killing multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria and treatment of in vivo infection diseases by SDT. In particular, the developed HFH@ZIF-8 exhibited enhanced water-solubility, good biocompatibility, and improved disease-targeting capability for delivering and releasing HMME and ablating the infected lesion. More importantly, the presence of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin for HFH@ZIF-8 can offer sufficient oxygen consumption by SDT, augmenting the efficacy of SDT by improving ROS generating efficiency against deep tissue multidrug-resistant bacterial infection. Therefore, this study paves a new avenue for treating infection disease, particularly for antibiotic resistant bacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membrane is an excellent choice to solve water shortage based on the advantages of high flux and selective separation. However, the current NF membrane still causes a tremendous amount of energy consumption in the practical applications due to the limitation of flux. In this work, dextran nanoparticles (DNPs) with the cross-linked organic components, numerous hydrophilic groups and internal cavities were added into the aqueous phase solution, and novel NF membranes were fabricated by adjusting the concentration and particle size of DNPs to control the interfacial polymerization (IP) reaction. After modification, the decrease of membrane thickness and the increase of surface hydrophilicity improved the separation performance of NF membrane. The water flux of NF membrane with 0.5 wt% DNPs doping was up to 211.2 Lm−2h−1MPa−1, which was more than twice as high as the unmodified membrane with Na 2 SO 4 retention up to above 98%. It was also worth mentioning that the modified membrane indicated excellent monovalent/divalent ion selectivity and anti-fouling performance. This strategy of improving membrane performance by controlling the concentration and particle size of the aqueous phase additives with the advantages of simplicity and universality provides a certain impetus for the development of TFC membrane. • Dextran nanoparticles were successfully incorporated into the separation layer of NF membrane. • The water flux of the DNPs-modified NF membrane increased 2–3 times without sacrificing the Na 2 SO 4 retention. • The influence of the particle size and concentration of DNPs was discussed detailedly. • The anti-fouling performance and monovalent/divalent ion selectivity of the membrane improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocabulary acquisition and assessment are regarded as the key basis for the instruction of English as a second language. However, it is time-consuming, fallible and repetitive for the school teachers and parents to assess the proficiency of the students’ vocabulary acquisition. We customized the open source course management system Moodle to build the individualized vocabulary review and assessment functions for English instruction. This web-based system was integrated into the regular English instruction of an experiment class of Grade three in a junior middle school, i.e. it was used in one school hour almost every week for an entire school term. Within this blended learning environment, the students’ performance of the experiment class in the ordinary and especially vocabulary examinations throughout the school term was improved gradually and was better than that of the control class, so that it achieved number one among sixteen classes in the same grade at the final term examination, compared with number eight before this experiment. The survey and interview with the students also demonstrated the system’s valuable functions for vocabulary acquisition and listening comprehension, and showed the students’ favor to such a kind of syllabus design with the intelligent course management system. The implication of this research is that the blended learning of English class with the individualized vocabulary acquisition and assessment system can improve the students’ performance in vocabulary acquisition and in ordinary test. This system can also be applied in other English classes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To improve the resistance to corrosion attack, hydrophobicity and the electrical conductivity of stainless steel (SS) bipolar plates for usage in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC), a TiCN nanostructured coating, with the average thickness about 15 μm, was deposited onto a 316L SS substrate using the double cathode glow discharge plasma (DCGDP) method. Electrochemical measurements were carried out at 50 °C to determine the corrosion performance of both bare and TiCN-coated 316L SS in a simulated anode environment, replicating the operating conditions of a DMFC, with different methanol concentrations (0.05 M H 2 SO 4 + 2 ppm HF + x M methanol (where x = 5, 10, 15, 20)). The results showed that the electrochemical degradation rate of both materials decreased with increasing methanol addition due to the restriction of proton mobility in the solution through the action of the methanol. At all the methanol concentrations of the test solutions, the TiCN coating had higher corrosion potentials and lower corrosion current densities than bare 316L SS, thus showing better corrosion resistance and enhanced electrochemical stability. Moreover, interfacial contact resistance (ICR) measurements revealed that the TiCN coating immersed in all test solutions with different methanol concentrations maintained a very low ICR value, which was advantageous to the operation of DMFC. Therefore, the TiCN coating, combining excellent corrosion resistance with good electrical conductivity, is considered to be an attractive candidate to serve as a protective surface for SS bipolar plates. • A TiCN coating exhibits a dense and uniform microstructure. • The TiCN coating has better corrosion resistance and hydrophobicity than the uncoated 316L SS. • ICR for the TiCN coating was much lower than that of bare 316L SS. • The carrier density of the passive layer of bare 316L SS is substantially larger than that of the passive layer of the TiCN coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel polyarylate NF membranes were prepared with oligomeric phenolic resin monomer. • NF membrane exhibited a high Na 2 SO 4 rejection rate and excellent chlorine-resistance. • The influence of preparation parameters on the NF membrane performance was investigated. Conventional water treatment polyamide nanofiltration (NF) membranes often suffer from the degradation of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in sewage or during the process of membrane cleaning and deteriorate the separation performance, which significantly increases the treatment cost. Herein, a novel polyacrylate composite NF membranes were prepared by interfacial polymerization using oligomeric phenolic resin (OPR) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) as aqueous and organic phase monomer respectively on the polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration supporting membranes. The fabrication parameters, including the pH of the aqueous solution, reaction time and the concentration of the monomer, on the performance of the composite NF membranes were optimized. A series of characterization indicated that the surface of the NF membranes was negatively charged, the molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) and the pore diameter of the polyacrylate membrane were 400 Da and 0.47 nm, respectively. At the optimized preparation conditions, the NF membrane exhibited high Na 2 SO 4 rejection of 98.2% and water flux of 2.42L·m−2·h−1·bar−1, which was superior to most of the polyacrylate NF membranes reported in recent years. Compared with the polyamide membrane, the prepared polyacrylate membrane demonstrated better chlorine-resistant property and still maintained 92.0% Na 2 SO 4 rejection after being treated with NaOCl solution. Moreover, the NF membrane preserved excellent long-term operation stability. The chlorine-resistant NF membrane constructed from OPR monomer has a broad application prospect in the field of high chlorine wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of person re-identification (ReID) is to find the same person under different cameras and the basic difficulty lies in the need for large amounts of cross-camera pedestrian annotations. In reality, annotating cross-camera pedestrians is time-consuming especially in large-scale surveillance camera networks. This paper focuses on addressing the ReID problem under single-camera training (SCT) setting, where each person of the training set only appears in one camera. Due to the lack of cross-camera pedestrian annotations, it is difficult to effectively eliminate the camera style interference by narrowing the distance between the image features of the same person. To address this problem, we propose a close-set camera style distribution alignment (C2SDA) framework for SCT ReID. In order to reduce the camera-style interference from both instance- and distribution-levels simultaneously, we first design an instance-distribution camera style alignment module that directly aligns the feature distribution of input images under each camera and then trains the model at instance level with the aligned features. Secondly, we further design an augment close-set camera style distribution module that transforms the camera feature distribution alignment problem from open-set into close-set one, which preserving the discriminative ability of features during the alignment process. Experimental results verify that our framework can significantly improve the ReID performance under SCT setting and surpass the current SOTA methods. The source code is available at https://github.com/HongweiZhang97/CCSDA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoglycogen (PG) is a carbohydrate biomaterial with naturally occurring dendrimer-like nanostructures. Being a hyperbranched α-D-glucan, PG holds promising potential to encapsulate bioactive compounds, but on the other hand it is highly susceptible to digestive degradations, limiting its applications as oral delivery vehicles for bioactive compounds. In this study, we exploited chemical modification, i.e. carboxymethylation, to turn PG into a polyelectrolyte (CMPG) with abundant surface carboxylic groups carrying negative charge. Sodium caseinate (NaCas), an amphiphilic protein molecule, was studied to form nanocomplex with CMPG via a pH- and heating-induced complexation. The fabrication of CMPG/NaCas nanocomplex was optimized based on biopolymer concentrations, mass ratios, pH conditions and heating temperatures. Heating the CMPG/NaCas mixture at mass ratio of 2:1, pH 4.6 (isoelectric point of NaCas), and 60 °C for 1 h was the optimal preparation condition to form nanocomplex. Both Fourier transform infrared and fluorescence spectroscopies revealed that the driving forces to form nanocomplex were primarily electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding, with limited contributions from hydrophobic interactions. Spherical nanoparticles with a size of 65 nm and uniform size distribution were characterized by dynamic light scattering and visualized by transmission electron microscopy. The colloidal stability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions was greatly improved after the formation of nanocomplex. CMPG/NaCas nanocomplex was capable to encapsulate curcumin with a sustained release profile under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Nevertheless, heating process was found to have a negative impact on the encapsulation capability of nanocomplex for curcumin, due to highly hydrophilic nature of CMPG. Image 1 • Carboxymethylated phytoglycogen was prepared with a smaller particle size. • Electrostatic interactions were the driving force to form nanocomplex with caseinate. • Nanocomplex demonstrated good stability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. • Heating negatively affected the encapsulation capability of nanocomplex for curcumin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The Na V 1.8 channel, mainly found in the peripheral nervous system, is recognized as one of the key factors in chronic pain. The molecule VX-150 was initially promising in targeting this channel, but the phase II trials of VX-150 did not show expected pain relief results. By analyzing the interaction mode of VX-150 and Na V 1.8, we developed two series with a total of 19 molecules and examined their binding affinity to Na V 1.8 in vitro and analgesic effect in vivo. One compound, named 2j , stood out with notable activity against the Na V 1.8 channel and showed effective pain relief in models of chronic inflammatory pain and neuropathic pain. Our research points to 2j as a strong contender for developing safer pain-relief treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the tribocorrosion performance of mechanical components applied in marine environments, a (TiZrNbTaMo)C refractory high entropy alloy carbide (RHEAC) coating was deposited using a sputtering deposition technique onto a commercial purity Ti substrate. The as-synthesized RHEAC coating, with an average thickness of approximately 22 µm, exhibited a single-phase face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure, composed of equiaxed grains with an average diameter of approximately 9 nm. The tribocorrosion performance of the RHEAC coating was investigated by both open circuit potential (OCP) and potentiodynamic polarization measurements in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. Under both static corrosion and tribocorrosion conditions, the RHEAC coating showed higher OCP values relative to the uncoated substrate. Similarly, the potentiodynamic polarization measurements revealed that the RHEAC coating exhibited more noble corrosion potential values and a lower corrosion current density under both static and tribocorrosion conditions, in comparison with uncoated Ti. After application of the RHEAC coating, the specific wear rate of commercially pure Ti was lowered by two orders of magnitude under conditions of both tribocorrosion and dry sliding wear. Moreover, Mott-Schottky and point of zero charge (PZC) measurements suggested that the passive film present on the RHEAC coating exhibited a smaller donor density as well as a higher capacity to impede Cl − ions adsorption than the passive film grown on uncoated substrate. • The potential drop of the RHEAC coating is significantly lower than CP-Ti substrate. • The RHEAC coating possesses a larger E corr and a lower i corr than CP-Ti substrate. • The specific wear rate of bare CP-Ti has improved by two orders of magnitude after coated with RHEAC. • The RHEAC coating exhibits lower donor densities than uncoated CP-Ti. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Monolithic high-entropy perovskite oxide was innovatively proposed to activate PMS. • Entropy-stabilized structure could significantly suppress the cobalt leaching. • Multimetallic composition led to a boosted catalytic activity (TOF: 15.38 min−1). • The monolithic catalyst was easily recyclable and allowed rapid mass transfer. • The monolithic catalyst showed high efficacy and good durability in MNZ removal. Utilizing cobalt-containing oxides as catalysts is one of the most popular ways of activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to generate sulfate radical (SO 4 −) for elimination of organic pollutants. However, it still remains a great challenge to realize high activity, good stability, and easy recyclability at the same time. Herein, we demonstrate that high-entropy perovskite oxide (HEPO) washcoated porous alumina ceramic (La(Co 0.2 Al 0.2 Fe 0.2 Mn 0.2 Cu 0.2)O 3 @PAC) is a superb catalyst for PMS activation. In particular, benefiting from unique multimetallic composition and entropy-stabilized structure, the La(Co 0.2 Al 0.2 Fe 0.2 Mn 0.2 Cu 0.2)O 3 @PAC manifested high catalytic activity with a turnover frequency (TOF) up to 15.38 min−1 in activating PMS for degradation of antibiotic pollutant metronidazole (MNZ). Meanwhile, the high stability of HEPO gave rise to a significant decrease of cobalt leaching (0.111 mg L−1) in comparison with LaCoO 3 @PAC catalyst (1.71 mg L−1). Moreover, monolithic porous architecture of La(Co 0.2 Al 0.2 Fe 0.2 Mn 0.2 Cu 0.2)O 3 @PAC could not only endow this catalyst with easy recyclability but ensure high permeability for rapid mass transfer of guest species. Our work exemplifies the superiority of HEPO-based monolithic catalyst as a new promising activator of PMS for water remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The high c-axis oriented BFO films are grown on (001) Si substrate with LNO bottom. • The thickness-dependent strain-relaxation behavior is studied from 50 to 400 nm. • The ME effect will weaken with the thickness-dependent strain-relaxation. • The maximum value of the ME coefficient was around 265 mV/cm.Oe for 50 nm film. The thickness-dependent strain-relaxation behavior and the associated impacts upon the magnetic, electric properties and magnetoelectric coupling effect for the highly c-axis oriented BiFeO 3 (BFO) film films grown on (0 0 1) oriented Si substrate were studied. The result shown that the value of remnant polarization and coercive field were suppressed as the strain relaxes with increasing thickness. The BFO films also presented typical weak ferromagnetic hysteresis loops with a low coercive field and small remnant magnetization, and the saturated magnetization and remnant magnetization decreasing with increasing film thickness. The room temperature dynamic magnetoelectric coupling was approved by the transverse magnetoelectric voltage coefficients, which also decreased with strain relaxation due to the increase of thickness, and the maximum was around 265 mV/cm.Oe when the film thickness is 50 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mechanism of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) on spinel TiMn 2 O 4 (001) surface has been studied via DFT simulations. • The water molecules could serve as a hydrogen exchanger and play a positive role in promoting the SCR process. • The overall SCR process is highly exothermic with modest activation barriers on TiMn 2 O 4 (001) surface. • The spinel TiMn 2 O 4 is a promising catalyst for low temperature SCR. Manganese based spinel oxides is one of the most promising catalysts for low temperature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) process due to its high activity and tunable composition. Understanding the molecular-level reaction mechanism of SCR on Mn-containing spinel oxides is of great importance for design and development of appropriate catalyst for low temperature SCR process. In this paper, density functional theory calculations were performed to address the detail SCR reaction pathways between NH 3 and NO on spinel TiMn 2 O 4 (001) surface. The full SCR process was found to be divided into four sequential stages, including the NH 3 chemisorption (stage i), NH 2 NO formation (stage ii), H migration (stage iii), and products desorption (stage iv). Notably, we found that water molecules could serve as a hydrogen exchanger and play a positive role in promoting the hydrogen migration during stage i and stage iii of the SCR process. Thermodynamically, the overall SCR process is highly exothermic with the reaction energy of -3.054 eV. Kinetically, the formation of NH 2 NO intermediate was identified as the rate determining step with a moderate activation barrier of 1.064 eV. Our results suggest that the spinel TiMn 2 O 4 is a promising catalyst for low temperature SCR. Moreover, the promoting effect of water on hydrogen diffusion should be also applicable to other chemical reactions involving hydrogen transfer. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mechanism of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) on spinel TiMn 2 O 4 (001) surface has been studied via DFT simulations. • The water molecules could serve as a hydrogen exchanger and play a positive role in promoting the SCR process. • The overall SCR process is highly exothermic with modest activation barriers on TiMn 2 O 4 (001) surface. • The spinel TiMn 2 O 4 is a promising catalyst for low temperature SCR. Manganese based spinel oxides is one of the most promising catalysts for low temperature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) process due to its high activity and tunable composition. Understanding the molecular-level reaction mechanism of SCR on Mn-containing spinel oxides is of great importance for design and development of appropriate catalyst for low temperature SCR process. In this paper, density functional theory calculations were performed to address the detail SCR reaction pathways between NH 3 and NO on spinel TiMn 2 O 4 (001) surface. The full SCR process was found to be divided into four sequential stages, including the NH 3 chemisorption (stage i), NH 2 NO formation (stage ii), H migration (stage iii), and products desorption (stage iv). Notably, we found that water molecules could serve as a hydrogen exchanger and play a positive role in promoting the hydrogen migration during stage i and stage iii of the SCR process. Thermodynamically, the overall SCR process is highly exothermic with the reaction energy of -3.054 eV. Kinetically, the formation of NH 2 NO intermediate was identified as the rate determining step with a moderate activation barrier of 1.064 eV. Our results suggest that the spinel TiMn 2 O 4 is a promising catalyst for low temperature SCR. Moreover, the promoting effect of water on hydrogen diffusion should be also applicable to other chemical reactions involving hydrogen transfer. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high conductivity of commercial carbon fibers leads to a noticeable skinning effect and weak microwave impedance matching. This results in insufficient effective absorption bandwidth and less than ideal overall wave absorption performance, mainly reflecting electromagnetic waves. These limitations restrict the application of carbon fibers. In this study, we successfully prepared carbon fiber/epoxy composites with adjustable electrical conductivity by precisely controlling the temperature and time of pre-oxidized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers during the low-temperature carbonization stage. This allowed us to regulate the components and microstructure of conductive carbon fibers. The carbon fiber/epoxy composites demonstrated exceptional microwave absorption performance due to their various loss mechanisms. The impedance matching conditions and microwave attenuation capability were also quantitatively evaluated. For 850-9 samples, an effective bandwidth of approximately 7 GHz (11 GHz–18 GHz) was achieved with a thickness of 2.5 mm. For 900-9 samples, the best reflection loss achieved is −39.9 dB at 5.8 GHz, which corresponds to a thickness of 3 mm. The carbon fibers with different electrical conductivity can be obtained by modulating the microstructure of carbon fibers, which can improve the impedance matching performance of conductive carbon fibers and reduce their reflection of electromagnetic waves to improve the microwave absorption performance, achieving the transformation of traditional carbon fibers from electromagnetic shielding to effective microwave absorption. This simple and efficient preparation method has yielded promising results and offers a new avenue for the advancement of high-performance carbon fiber microwave absorbing materials. [Display omitted] • Conductivity-tunable carbon fibers obtained by carbon fiber microstructure modulation. • Broadband absorption bandwidth of 7 GHz was achieved at 2.5 mm and RL min value of −39.9 dB at 5.8 GHz was achieved at 3 mm. • Strong conductive loss and polarization loss accounted for reinforced microwave absorption performance. • Achieved the transformation of traditional carbon fibers from microwaves reflection to effective absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type-II superlattice (T2SL) detectors represent a promising advancement in long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) photodetector with significant potential across various applications. This study aims to explore the effect of different InAs layer thicknesses on the properties of InAs/GaSb LWIR SLs, which are fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). By employing a comprehensive multi-technique analysis, including Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDXS), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Photoluminescence (PL). We substantiate the outstanding surface morphology, high-quality strain-balanced characterization, actual growth thickness assessment, and elemental content analysis using advanced spectroscopy techniques. These results demonstrate comprehensive insights into the 14/7 ML InAs/GaSb SLs elemental composition and distribution, enhancing understanding of superlattice properties for LWIR applications. • This report investigates the properties of InAs/GaSb LWIR SLs. The SLs were fabricated using MBE and were subjected to a comprehensive analysis using various techniques, including AFM, XRD, TEM, EDXS, XPS, and PL. • The analysis revealed excellent surface morphology, precise thickness assessment, and detailed elemental analysis to characterize the InAs/GaSb SLs (14/7 ML) using advanced spectroscopy techniques. • The results highlight the potential of 14/7 ML InAs/GaSb SLs and provide valuable characterization information that can guide future research and development efforts in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stearic acid (C18:0, SA) is a saturated long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) that has a prominent function in lactating dairy cows. It is obtained primarily from the diet and is stored in the form of triacylglycerol (TAG) molecules. The transmembrane glycoprotein cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) is also known as fatty acid translocase, but whether SA promotes lipid synthesis through CD36 and FAK/mTORC1 signaling is unknown. In this study, we examined the function and mechanism of CD36-mediated SA-induced lipid synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). SA-enriched supplements enhanced lipid synthesis and the FAK/mTORC1 pathway in BMECs. SA-induced lipid synthesis, FAK/mTORC1 signaling, and the expression of lipogenic genes were impaired by anti-CD36 and the CD36-specific inhibitor SSO, whereas overexpression of CD36 effected the opposite results. Inhibition of FAK/mTORC1 by TAE226/Rapamycin attenuated SA-induced TAG synthesis, inactivated FAK/mTORC1 signaling, and downregulated the lipogenic genes PPARG , CD36 , ACSL1 , SCD , GPAT4 , LIPIN1, and DGAT 1 at the mRNA and protein levels in BMECs. By coimmunoprecipitation and yeast two-hybrid screen, CD36 interacted directly with Fyn but not Lyn, and Fyn bound directly to FAK; FAK also interacted directly with TSC2. CD36 linked FAK through Fyn, and FAK coupled mTORC1 through TSC2 to form the CD36/Fyn/FAK/mTORC1 signaling axis. Thus, stearic acid promotes lipogenesis through CD36 and Fyn/FAK/mTORC1 signaling in BMECs. Our findings provide novel insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms by which LCFA supplements promote lipid synthesis in BMECs. • SA promotes lipid synthesis, FAK/mTORC1 signaling, and the expression of lipogenic genes in BMECs. • CD36, as a potential receptor, mediates and senses exogenous SA signaling to regulate the lipid synthesis. • CD36 couples FAK through Fyn to form the CD36/Fyn/FAK/mTORC1 signaling axis to mediate SA-induced lipid synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasi-one-dimensional antimony chalcogenide Sb 2 (S, Se) 3 semiconductor is regarded as one of the most promising photovoltaic materials due to their high optical absorbance coefficient and tunable band gaps. However, current researchers rarely optimize experimental conditions based on characteristics of the Se/S ratio in Sb 2 (S, Se) 3 material and ignore the experimental optimization based on material characteristics. Herein, Sb 2 (S, Se) 3 thin films with three different Se/(Se + S) ratios (Se = 0.2, 0.5, 0.8) are prepared by vapor transport deposition (VTD) based on the temperature sensitivity of the evaporator source. The influence of VTD conditions of Sb 2 (S, Se) 3 on optical properties, electrical properties, film quality, and defect characteristics are investigated through UV absorbance spectra, current density versus voltage (J-V) measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), respectively. It is concluded that the deposition temperature is closely associated with the shift of the band gap. Moreover, different original Se/(Se + S) ratios yield different optimum temperatures (Se = 0.2, 480 °C; Se = 0.5, 500 °C; Se = 0.8, 520 °C), and optimum temperature increase with Se atom ratios. With optimization of the Se/(Se + S) ratio and deposition temperature, a Sb 2 (S, Se) 3 solar cell (Se = 0.8) prepared under 520 °C has optimal light absorbance, longer carrier lifetime, and better film quality, displaying a high efficiency of 6.78%. • 6.78%-efficient the Sb 2 (S, Se) 3 solar cells was achieve using Sb 2 Se 3 and Sb 2 S 3 mixed powders. • The highest efficiency was achieved with Sb 2 Se 3 mass ratio of 0.8 under deposition temperature of 520 °C. • Varied powders yielded different optimum temperatures, and the optimum temperature increased with increasing Sb 2 Se 3 ratios. • Shallower-level defect reduces carrier loss in the carrier transport process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Developed a FEA model for six-phase MRCAC. • Studied the influence of MRCA replacement rate and residual mortar thickness on compressive performance of recycled concrete. • Clarified coverage and adhesion amount of old cement mortar by statistical methods and analysis results. Based on the typical morphology of recycled coarse aggregate in reality and the ontological relationship of the existing recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) mesoscopic constituent materials, a finite element analysis model of recycled coarse aggregate that can take into account the factors of the amount and location of attachment of the residual mortar was developed to establish the Modeled Recycled Coarse Aggregate Concrete (MRCAC). Combined with the mesoscopic mechanical properties of MRCAC, a plastic damage intrinsic model was used in the numerical analysis of MRCAC under uniaxial compressive loading to study the damage characteristics and stress–strain relationships of MRCAC. In this paper, the Modeled Recycled Coarse Aggregate (MRCA) is established in the ABAQUS numerical analysis software by self-compiled Python script, and the uniaxial compression simulation of MRCAC is carried out. Compared with the existing idealized model recycled concrete and other forms of digital recycled concrete model, The results show that, on the premise of meeting the general law of existing research results, the development of cracks in MRCAC under load is directly related to the shape of residual mortar wrapping. The strength of MRCAC is minimally influenced by residual mortar adhesion amount; however, the coverage of residual mortar has a significant impact on its strength. The arrangement of MRCA may also play a role in the stress–strain relationship of MRCAC. Additionally, it should be noted that residual mortar adhesion amount and coverage are distinct concepts that affect the strength and strain of MRCAC independently. These findings highlight the need to differentiate between these two factors in further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant adhesives have great potential as substitutes for formaldehyde-based adhesives due to their environmental friendliness, low cost, and nontoxicity. However, the application of this type of adhesive is challenged by its water resistance. Herein, an environmentally friendly bioadhesive was prepared from biomaterials, including waste cottonseed protein and sawdust. Isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and oxidized cellulose (OC) were used as double crosslinking modifiers. A protein-based bioadhesive with excellent adhesive properties and stable hydrothermal resistance was produced. The impact of IPDI and OC on the crosslinking network was evaluated by detailed Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry analysis. It was found that IPDI and OC, as crosslinking agents, synergistically improved the dry and wet bonding strength of the adhesive. At the optimal loadings of 10% OC and 20% IPDI, the wet bonding strength of the adhesive reached 1.55 MPa on average, which is more than twice that of the Chinese Type II plywood adhesive standard (0.7 MPa). The dry bonding strength also increased to 2.67 MPa with this addition. The improvements in bonding strength as well as the water-resistance of the bioadhesive were ascribed to the formation of a dual-crosslinking network between the IPDI, OC, and cottonseed protein. Both protein-oxidized cellulose and protein-isophorone diisocyanate crosslinking networks were formed in the adhesive system, tightly combining the adhesive components. Thus, the biodegradable adhesive developed in this work provides an effective and convenient approach for the development of all-biomass-derived adhesives, and the constructed high-performance adhesive presents potential application for sustainable wood products. [Display omitted] • Protein-based bioadhesive with excellent adhesive properties and stable hydrothermal resistance. • A dual-crosslinking network contributing to outstanding adhesion performance. • Cheap, easily-made, and environmentally friendly bioadhesive for plywood board applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane based on polyamide (PA) chemistry was widely applied for water purification and desalination process due to the improved water permeance. It remains a great challenge to significantly enhance rejection because of the non-selective defects caused by the aggregation of nanomaterials in the PA layer. Novel interlayer-based TFN (iTFN) membrane containing nanomaterial interlayer between the porous substrate and PA layer is the promising candidate to improve PA integrity and thus overcome the ubiquitous trade-off between permeability and selectivity. The nanomaterial interlayer not only promotes the subsequent interfacial polymerization (IP) but also provides improved pathways for water transport, which leads to simultaneous improvement in membrane permeability and selectivity. This review systematically categorizes nanomaterial interlayers into three types according to construction methods, namely, direct deposition, in situ growth and functional group-anchored in situ assembly (FAISA). The mechanism of interlayer modulating IP process and PA structure, as well as the effects on water transport, are comprehensively analyzed. Encouraging results reveal that using MOFs interlayer prepared by FAISA is the most promising way to break the trade-off in manufacturing reverse osmosis membranes. Finally, challenges and future efforts are presented for advancing iTFN membranes. [Display omitted] • Recent advances in the porous nanomaterial interlayer enhanced iTFN membranes have been summarized. • Nanomaterial interlayers are categorized into three types according to the construction methods. • The effects of nanomaterial interlayer on interfacial polymerization and separation performance have been explored. • Functional group-anchored in situ assembly MOFs interlayer is a promising candidate to overcome the trade-off between membrane permeability and selectivity. • Challenges and future efforts of promoting nanomaterial interlayer-based iTFN membranes are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional interfacial polymerization (IP) requires excessive amounts of reactive monomers and solvents due to the dip-coating method. Herein, we report a rod-coating assisted IP process to prepare nanofiltration (NF) membranes. The results demonstrate that a perfect PA layer can be fabricated by using low monomer dosages of PIP (0.08 g/m2) and TMC (0.016 g/m2). This can significantly reduce the consumption of monomers and organic solvents, and effectively avoid the waste of hazardous and expensive chemicals. Thanks to the fewer monomer dosages, the prepared NF membranes were much thinner and looser, which significantly improved the membrane permeability. The highest permeance of the rod-coated membranes reached 204.0 L/(m2 h MPa), which was increased by ∼251% compared to the dip-coated NF membrane. More importantly, the rod-coated membranes possessed excellent Na 2 SO 4 rejections (>99.0%) and ultralow NaCl rejections (<14.4%). And the maximum NaCl/Na 2 SO 4 selective efficiency reached 125.7, which was about 7 folds to that of the dip-coated NF membrane. This study suggests that the rod-coating method is highly feasible for the preparation of polyamide NF membranes with high performance. It is reasonable to expect that this rod-coating assisted IP process offers a new approach to fabricating NF membranes. [Display omitted] • High performance PA-NF membranes fabricated by rod-coated assisted IP process. • The rod-coating method significantly reduce the consumption of the monomers. • The rod-coated membrane possesses an excellent permeate flux of 204.0 L/(m2 h MPa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

K 2 Fe[Fe(CN) 6 ] (KFHCF) is promising cathode material for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). However, it suffers from limited capacity, poor cycling, and rate capability during cycling. Here, the low-spin Fe species coordinated with carbon atoms from cyanogen ligands (FeLS-C) are regulated and activated by manganese (Mn) substitution. The regulation is systematically investigated through theoretical simulation and experiments. The original electron configuration (t 2g 6e g 0) of FeLS-C is changed with appropriate Mn-substitution (t 2g 3e g 2), which improves the utilization of FeLS-C, accelerates the redox charge transfer and enhances the electrical conductivity of the material. The resultant K 2 Mn 0.1 Fe 0.9 [Fe(CN) 6 ] (KMFHCF-0.1) delivers an improved reversible capacity of 135 mAh·g−1 at 100 mA g−1 while the capacity of pure KFHCF is only 118 mAh·g−1. It also demonstrates excellent rate performance (76 mAh·g−1 at 800 mA·g−1) and long cycling stability (0.3% capacity degradation per cycle over 200 cycles). Ex-situ measurements verify that the cathode undergoes a highly reversible solid solution process during K-ions insertion/extraction. The full cells with hard carbon anodes demonstrate a high reversible capacity of 110 mAh·g−1 and considerable energy density of 275 Wh·kg−1 as well as excellent cyclability and favorable rate performance. This work expands the design pathways for Prussian blue analogs cathode materials. [Display omitted] • The low-spin Fe in Mn–Fe hexacyanoferrate is activated by Mn substitution. • The Mn regulated Mn–Fe hexacyanoferrate delivers superior potassium ion storage performance. • A facile solid solution process during the redox process is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the global demand for lithium resources has grown substantially due to the rapid development of the new energy industry. The nanofiltration (NF) technique is a feasible method to extract lithium from salt-lake brine, and the high Mg2+/Li+ separation selectivity of the NF membrane is the crucial factor in the NF separation process. In this work, the polyamide (PA) layer was prepared on the polyphenol/PEI interlayer-modified polysulfone (PSF) substrate to endow the NF membrane with decreased pore size and weakened electronegativity. Enhanced steric hindrance effect and reduced electrostatic attraction between Mg2+ and PA layer increased the Mg2+ rejection, thereby improving the Mg2+/Li+ separation factor of the NF membrane. Furthermore, the positively charged polyphenol/PEI interlayer hindered the permeation of Mg2+ through the Donnan effect, further enhancing the Mg2+/Li + separation factor. A separation factor up to 50.7 for Mg2+/Li+ was achieved by extracting lithium from simulated brine using the obtained NF membrane. In addition, the NF membrane exhibited a permeability of 18.6 L m−2 h−1·bar−1 and excellent long-term stability, which greatly improved the Mg2+/Li+ separation efficiency and reduced energy consumption. Therefore, this work provides a simple strategy for preparing NF membranes with high Mg2+/Li+ separation factor and permeability. [Display omitted] • Dual-electric layer NF membranes with positively charged interlayer and negatively charged separation layer. • The high Mg2+/Li+ separation selectivity is attributed to the synergy between the steric hindrance effect and Donnan exclusion. • The Mg2+/Li+ selectivity of NF membranes can be adjusted by changing the preparation conditions of the interlayer. • Permeability - selectivity trade-off was well addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Nanofiltration membranes with strong negative charge were prepared by a new aqueous monomer 2,4,6-trimethyl-3,5-diaminobenzenesulfonamide (TMDBSA) through the traditional interfacial polymerization process without any post-treatment. • The membrane has high water permeability (19.6 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) and >98.3% methyl blue rejection. • It owns separation stability for the removal of MB in a harsh acid environment. • It has excellent antifouling performance and long-term stability during the filtration tests. • It demonstrates great practical application potential for treating acidic anionic dyes solutions. Nanofiltration (NF) membranes with negative surface charge are of critical significance for the efficient removal of anionic dyes from wastewater. In this work, a novel negatively charged NF membrane was prepared from a new sulfonamide monomer, 2,4,6-trimethyl-3,5-diaminobenzenesulfonamide (TMDBSA) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) via interfacial polymerization. The unique diamino-sulfonamide structure of TMDBSA would be conducive to the formation of a poly (amide-sulfonamide) (PASA) layer with enhanced negative charge while maintaining the appropriate degree of crosslinking. The TMDBSA-TMC membrane prepared at optimized condition exhibits both high water permeability (19.6 L m−2h−1 bar−1) and superior rejections of anionic dyes with different molecular weights (e.g. 98.3% rejection for methyl blue), reveals that Donnan exclusion dominates the rejection mechanism. More importantly, benefiting from the strong negatively charged surface and PASA structure, the TMDBSA-TMC membrane shows separation stability for the removal of methyl blue in a broad pH range, even under a harsh acid environment. Meanwhile, the membrane has excellent antifouling performance and long-term stability during the filtration tests. The newly developed negatively charged NF membrane demonstrates great practical application potential for the removal of anionic dyes with small molecular weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mono/multivalent cation separation techniques have shown increasing importance in diverse environmental and energy applications. The separation performance of emerging monovalent cation exchange membranes (MCEMs) is greatly determined by the architecture and charge property of MCEMs, which should be finely tuned for the energy efficiency applications. Herein, a series of mussel-inspired polyphenol/polyethyleneimine assembled membranes (PPAMs) with highly positively-charged surfaces were elegantly constructed through a facile layer-by-layer assembly method. Based on the synergetic reactions between polyphenols with multiple reactive groups and PEI with abundant amino groups, the denser membrane surfaces with a higher crosslinking degree and more positive charges were readily formed. As a result, the Na+/Mg2+ and Li+/Mg2+ perm-selectivities of PPAMs with such surface architecture and charge property followed the same order as gallic acid/polyethyleneimine membrane (M-GA/PEI) > pyrogallic/polyethyleneimine membrane (M-Pyrogallic/PEI) > protocatechuic acid/polyethyleneimine membrane (M-PA/PEI) > caffeic acid/polyethyleneimine membrane (M-CA/PEI). Most interestingly, the M-GA/PEI fabricated exhibited the unprecedented perm-selectivity (Na+/Mg2+) up to 180.4 with Na+ flux of 6.01 × 10−8 mol cm−2 s−1, which exceeded the current "Upper Bound" plot of MCEMs. The low membrane resistance and excellent separation performance of PPAMs brought great potential for resource recovery and environmental remediation. [Display omitted] • Mussel-inspired PPAMs are fabricated through a facile layer-by-layer assembly method. • M-GA/PEI exhibits the unprecedented perm-selectivity (Na+/Mg2+) of 180.4. • PPAMs can be deployed to extract monovalent cations in Na+/Mg2+ and Li+/Mg2+ systems. • The superior separation performance of PPAMs exceeds the current "Upper Bound" plot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Derived from Y6, BTSi-4F has a novel bulky siloxane-terminated group as side-chains. • BTSi-4F exhibits a better solubility and up-shifted LUMO energy level. • BTSi-4F shows a more ordered molecular packing, and higher electron-mobility. • The PM6:BTSi-4F film shows a better blend miscibility than PM6:Y6 film. • The PCE of the OSCs was improved from 13.0% to 16.6% upon modification. As one of the simple but most effective molecular design strategies, side-chain engineering has been widely employed to modify the photoelectric properties of active layer materials for boosting the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, a functionalized small molecule acceptor (SMA) named BTSi-4F with a bulky siloxane-terminated solubilizing group as side-chains, derived from a classical SMA of Y6, was designed and synthesized. The results demonstrate that the introduction of siloxane-functional terminated groups into SMA not only affects the optical absorption and molecular energy levels, but also regulates the miscibility between the polymer donor and SMA. Compared to the original Y6, BTSi-4F exhibits a better solubility, upshifted lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level, more ordered molecular packing, and higher electron-mobility. Matched with a wide bandgap polymer donor PM6, the chlorobenzene-processed OSCs based on PM6:BTSi-4F achieved a superior power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.6% with both high open-circuit voltage (V oc) of 0.90 V and high fill factor (FF) of 0.77, while the devices based on PM6:Y6 obtained a much lower PCE of 13.0% with a V oc of 0.81 V and FF of 0.69 under the same conditions. This work offers a promising molecular design strategy of siloxane-terminated side chain engineering to develop high-performance SMAs for efficient OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway regulates the development of ovaries and synthesis of vitellogenin (Vg) in the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus , but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we cloned the essential c-fos gene of the JNK signaling pathway using the rapid amplification of complementary DNA end method. The full-length cDNA of c-fos was 2829 bp long and had a 1497 bp open reading frame encoding a 498 amino acid protein and containing a basic leucine zipper domain. After injecting c-jun-double stranded (ds) RNA to silence the JNK signaling pathway target gene c-jun, the expression levels of key JNK signaling pathway genes (c-jun, JNK, Vg, and c-fos) in the hepatopancreas were significantly down-regulated (P < 0.05). In ovarian tissue, the expression levels of c-jun, c-fos, and Vg genes were significantly down-regulated (P < 0.05), but no significant change was detected for JNK gene expression. Hematoxylin-eosin staining indicated that the oocytes in the c-jun-dsRNA group and the Vg-dsRNA group developed slowly, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay confirmed that the accumulation of vitellin in the ovary was significantly reduced by 56% and 52% in the two groups, respectively. Co-immunoprecipitation results showed that c-Jun and c-fos proteins play a regulatory role by forming a heterodimeric transcription factor activator protein 1. These results indicated that the JNK signaling pathway of P. trituberculatus regulated the synthesis of Vg through the transcription factor activator protein 1, thereby regulating the accumulation of yolk. The results of this study provided a theoretical basis and technical guidance for P. trituberculatus production. • Obtain the full-length cDNA and molecular characteristics of the c-fos gene of Portunus trituberculatus. • The interaction between Jun protein and Fos protein of Portunus trituberculatus was identified. • Explored the regulatory effect of JNK protein target gene c-jun/Vg gene silencing on yolk accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of rodent model systems use injection of DNA or viral constructs in the neonatal brain. However, approaches for reliable positioning and stereotaxic injection at this developmental stage are limited, typically relying on handheld positioning or molds that must be re-aligned for use in a given laboratory. A complete protocol and open-source software pipeline for generating 3D-printed head molds derived from a CT scan of a neonatal mouse head cast, together with a universal adapter that can be placed on a standard stereotaxic stage. A series of test injections with adenovirus encoding red fluorescent protein, or Fluorogold, were conducted using original clay molds and newly generated 3D printed molds. Several metrics were used to compare spread and localization of targeted injections. The new method of head mold generation gave comparable results to the field standard, but also allowed the rapid generation of additional copies of each head mold with standardized positioning of the head each time. This 3D printing pipeline can be used to efficiently develop a series of head molds with standardized injection coordinates across multiple laboratories. More broadly, this pipeline can easily be adapted to other perinatal ages or species. • Head molds for stereotaxic injection of neonatal mouse brains can be 3D printed. • 3D-printed head molds standardize head orientation and stereotaxic coordinates. • 3D-printed head mold injections are as precise and consistent as the clay standard. • 3D printing decreases the amount of time required to generate a new head mold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Special circular microporous polyarylate membrane was prepared by interfacial polymerization. • Three kinds of CD (α-, β- and γ-CD) presented different polycondensation reactivity. • The types and content of alkali in the aqueous solution affected the membrane structure and gas permeation properties. • β-CD/TMC polyacrylate membranes showed high CO 2 /N 2 separation performance. Microporous polymer membranes have received extensive attention in the membrane separation field based on the advantage of high gas permeance and low cost. However, there are a few reports of microporous polyacrylate membranes fabricated by interfacial polymerization (IP), and the formation mechanism and influence factor of the microporous structure is rarely illuminated. In this work, thin-film polyacrylate membrane with circular microporous morphology were prepared by IP method with cyclodextrin and acyl chloride as the aqueous and oil phase monomer respectively for effective gas separation. The effects of the aqueous and organic phase monomer structure and concentration, the concentration and type of alkali in the aqueous solution on the membrane morphology and gas separation performance were investigated in detail. As a result, the polyacrylate membrane fabricated by β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) with optimal content of NaOH in the aqueous phase formed the special circular microporous structure by the scanning electronic microscope (SEM) characterization. The resulting membrane showed CO 2 permeance of 200 GPU with CO 2 /N 2 ideal separation selectivity of 10.53. This work provides an effective strategy to fabricate high performance polyacrylate membrane by regulating the monomer structure and the alkali concentration in the aqueous phenol solution with IP method, which would inspire the exploration of other phenolic monomer for the assembly of microporous polymer membranes for gas separation or seawater desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofiltration (NF) membrane is of great significance for desalination of light brine and purification of drinking water. Although the development of novel preparation methods and membrane materials has improved the separation performance, it is still a major challenge to promote NF membrane toward industrial production with simpler and more controllable process. Herein, the polyphenol intermediate layer was designed by 5,5′,6,6′-tetrahydroxy-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethyl-1,1′-spirobisindane (TTSBI) with twist structure and polyethyleneimine (PEI) co-deposition to increase the surface hydrophilicity and electropositivity of the polysulfone ultrafiltration substrate. Subsequently interfacial polymerization (IP) was carried out on the polyphenol intermediate layer to assemble a polyamide ultrathin selective layer using trimesoyl chloride and piperazine monomer. Through adjusting the co-deposition time of TTSB and PEI, a unique nano-pleated structure was successfully formed on the thin-film composite membrane surface. The water permeance of the membrane was determined as 23.7 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 with 99.4% Na 2 SO 4 rejection, which was almost triple fold of the flux of the controller membrane without the intermediate layer. Our results provide an efficient and convenient way to fabricate the advanced NF membrane with higher divalent/monovalent ion selectivity and water permeance simultaneously, which will provide advices for the gas separation and pervaporation membranes with the IP method. • Novel TTSBI-PEI interlayer-based polyamide membrane was fabricated by interfacial polymerization. • The nano-pleated structure on the selective layer improved the water flux without deterioration of Na 2 SO 4 rejection. • The novel nanofiltration membrane exhibited excellent long-term stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]