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Defect-engineered carbon materials have been emerged as promising electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in metal-air batteries. Developing a facile strategy for the preparation of highly active nanocarbon electrocatalysts remains challenging. Herein, a low-cost and simple route is developed to synthesize defective graphene by pyrolyzing the mixture of glucose and carbon nitride. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the graphene formation is ascribed to two-dimensional layered feature of carbon nitride, and high compatibility of carbon nitride/glucose systems. Structural measurements suggest that the graphene possesses rich edge and topological defects. The graphene catalyst exhibits higher power density than commercial Pt/C catalyst in a primary Zn-air battery. Combining experimental results and theoretical thermodynamic analysis, it is identified that graphitic nitrogen-modified topological defects at carbon framework edges are responsible for the decent ORR performance. The strategy presented in this work can be can be scaled up readily to fabricate defective carbon materials.

In order to reduce the negative impact of the extra carbon coating on the electrochemical properties of the commonly sandwiched carbon nanotubes@tin dioxide@carbon (CNT@SnO2@C) composites, the external C coating has been designed as a porous carbon in this work. The well-designed porous carbon coating offers an attractive advantage compared to the common carbon coatings, namely, it can not only better mitigate the volumetric variation of SnO2 by means of its spongy structure with better flexibility and rich free space, but also accelerate the lithium-ions diffusion by virtue of its open tunnel-like architecture. For this reason, this composite prepared here shows outstanding electrochemical performance stemming from the cooperative effect of inner CNT supporting and externally porous carbon coating, displaying 819.3 and 576.0 mAh g−1 at 200 and even 1000 mA g−1 after even 500 cycles, respectively. This surface engineering strategy may be valuable for enhancing the cyclical durability of other metal oxides with higher theoretical specific capacities.

To meet demands of composite solid propellants, seeking a promising material as catalyst for the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) has drawn attention. Herein, a commercially available nano sponge was used as the carbon source and a novel CuxO/carbonized nano sponge (CuxO/CNS) nanocomposite was successfully prepared via a facile precipitation method followed by a calcination process. CuxO/CNS nanocomposite was a simple sponge carbonization combined with CuxO nanoneedles grown directly on the surface of carbonized sponge substrate. Especially, CuxO nanoneedles looked like grass or leaf, dotted with carbon sponge skeleton. To further deeply evaluate the catalytic effect of CuxO/CNS nanocomposite on the thermal decomposition of AP, DSC technique was carried out. As expected, CuxO/CNS nanocomposite exhibited excellent catalytic effect on the thermal decomposition of AP. In a word, this finding provides a new insight into promising application of new catalysts in AP-based solid propellants.

A supersaturated tungsten Ta-Hf-W-C solid solution coating is successfully prepared by a reactive plasma spraying. The reaction process and solution behavior of TaC-HfC-WC-C composite powder during induction plasma spheroidization (IPS) and vacuum plasma spraying (VPS) are described. Compared with the direct spraying, the coating made by IPS-VPS multi-stage plasma heating process has lower porosity and better composition uniformity. The highest hardness obtained by nanoindentation can reach up to 43.3 GPa due to solid solution strengthening. This work provides a new method and a potential material for thermal spraying super-hard coatings.

Adhesion formation during tendon healing remains a severe problem in clinical practice. Multiple factors contribute to postoperative adhesion formation, and macrophage-driven inflammation is thought to be greatly involved in this process. We hypothesize that reducing macrophage-mediated inflammation in the injured tendon by regulating M1 to M2 macrophage polarization may effectively inhibit adhesion formation. Here, we developed an acellular immunomodulatory biomaterial consisting of an electrospun polycaprolactone/silk fibroin (PCL/SF) composite fibrous scaffold functionalized with mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular matrix (ECM). To enhance the immunoregulatory potential of MSCs, we performed inflammatory licensing with IFN-γ to obtain immunomodulatory ECM (iECM). Proteomic analyses of MSCs and their secreted ECM components from different culture conditions revealed the MSC-ECM molecular signatures and the potential mechanism of ECM immunoregulation. Then, the immunoregulatory potential of the iECM-modified scaffold was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Relative to the PCL/SF fibrous scaffold, the iECM-functionalized scaffold facilitated M2 macrophage polarization and inhibited the expression of multiple cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, CXCL11, IL-10, IL-1R2, and TGF-β1) in vitro, strongly suggesting the immunosuppressive ability of iECM derived from inflammatory licensed MSCs. Consistent with the in vitro findings, the results of rat subcutaneous implantation indicated that a markedly lower foreign-body reaction (FBR) was obtained in the PCL/SF-iECM group than in the other groups, as evidenced by thinner fibrotic capsule formation, less type I collagen production and more M2-type macrophage polarization. In the rat Achilles tendon injury model, the PCL/SF-iECM scaffold greatly mitigated tendon adhesion with clear sheath space formation between the tendon and the scaffold. These data highlight the immunomodulatory potential of iECM-functionalized fibrous scaffolds to attenuate FBR by modulating M2 macrophage polarization, thereby preventing tendon adhesion. Statement of significance Electrospun PCL/SF fibrous scaffolds functionalized with ECM secreted by MSCs stimulated by inflammatory factor IFN-γ was developed that combined physical barrier and immunomodulatory functions to prevent tendon adhesion formation. PCL/SF micro-nanoscale bimodal fibrous scaffolds prepared by emulsion electrospinning possess high porosity and a large pore size beneficial for nutrient transport to promote intrinsic healing; moreover, surface modification with immunomodulatory ECM (iECM) mitigates the FBR of fibrous scaffolds to prevent tendon adhesion. The iECM-functionalized electrospun scaffolds exhibit powerful immunomodulatory potency in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the iECM-modified scaffolds, as an anti-adhesion physical barrier with immunomodulatory ability, have an excellent performance in a rat Achilles tendon adhesion model. MSC secretome-based therapeutics, as an acellular regenerative medicine strategy, are expected to be applied to other inflammatory diseases due to its strong immunoregulatory potential.

MXenes are a group of recently discovered 2D materials and have attracted extensive attention since their first report in 2011; they have shown excellent prospects for energy storage applications owing to their unique layered microstructure and tunable electrical properties. One major feature of MXenes is their tailorable surface terminations (e.g., −F, −O, −OH). Numerous studies have indicated that the composition of the surface terminations can significantly impact the electrochemical properties of MXenes. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood, mainly because of the difficulties in quantitative analysis and characterization. This review summarizes the latest research progress on MXene terminations. First, a systematic introduction to the approaches for preparing MXenes is presented, which generally dominates the surface terminations. Then, theoretical and experimental efforts regarding the surface terminations are discussed, and the influence of surface terminations on the electronic and electrochemical properties of MXenes are generalized. Finally, we present the significance and research prospects of MXene terminations. We expect this review to encourage research on MXenes and provide guidance for usingthese materials for batteries and supercapacitors.

Herein, to efficiently improve the lithium storage of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, a distinctive porous carbon (PC) assisted carbon nanotubes (CNTs) supporting architecture has been designed and fabricated successfully. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles are deposited on the surface of CNTs and then covered by an extra PC. In such a designed architecture, highly conductive and robust CNTs can not only improve the conductivity but also boost the structure of the as-fabricated Fe3O4-based composite (CNTs@Fe3O4@PC). In particular, the foam-like PC has a certain level of volume elasticity and open tunnel-like structure to better anchor the Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the surface of CNTs and facilitate the transfer of electrons and ions, therefore guaranteeing the fast kinetics and long-term stability. The results show that the capacitive contribution is predominant in lithium storage of the CNTs@Fe3O4@PC electrode. Consequently, the as-fabricated CNTs@Fe3O4@PC shows high capacity, good rate capability, and long life, displaying 766 and 572 mAh g-1 after 400 and 700 cycles at 200 and even 1000 mA g-1, respectively. Thus outstanding performance makes the CNTs@Fe3O4@PC have great potential to be advanced lithium-ion battery anode materials. Furthermore, this strategy can be extended to other nanostructured metal oxide anodes, such as CoO, SnO2, and Bi2O3 nanomaterials.

The implantation of synthetic polymeric scaffolds induced foreign-body reaction (FBR) seriously influence the wound healing and impair functionality recovery. A novel short peptide, mechano-growth factor (MGF), was introduced in this study to modify an electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fibrous scaffold to direct the macrophage phenotype transition and mitigate the FBR. In vitro studies discovered the cell signal transduction mechanism of MGF regulates the macrophage polarization via the expression of related genes and proteins. We found that macrophages response the MGF stimuli via endocytosis, then MGF promotes the histone acetylation and upregulates the STAT6 expression to direct an anti-inflammatory phenotype transition. Subsequently, an immunoregulatory electrospun PCL fibrous scaffold was modified by silk fibroin (SF) single-component layer-by-layer assembly, and the SF was decorated with MGF via click chemistry. Macrophages seeded on scaffold to identify the function of MGF modified scaffold in directing macrophage polarization in vitro. Parallelly, rat subcutaneous implantation model and rat tendon adhesion model were performed to detect the immunomodulatory ability of the MGF-modified scaffold in vivo. The results demonstrate that MGF-modified scaffold is beneficial to the transformation of macrophages to M2 phenotype in vitro. More importantly, MGF-functionalized scaffold can inhibit the FBR at the subcutaneous tissue and prevent tissue adhesion., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • MGF regulates macrophage polarization to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. • MGF immobilized on the surface of electrospun fiber through silk layer-by-layer self-assembly and click chemistry. • MGF-modified scaffolds effectively mitigate the foreign-body reactions in vivo. • MGF-modified scaffold as an anti-adhesion physical barrier has excellent performance in rat tendon injury adhesion model.

The limited amount of electron mediators (EMs) excreted by microorganisms has restricted electricity generation and the related pollutant removal in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The polyphenolic-rich plants contain simple polyphenols or anthraquinones that have promising electron-shuttling potential, but this has not been well understood. Herein, four herbal plants Polygonum multiflorum (T. fallopia), rhubarb (B. rheum), radix rubiae (L. Rubia) and semen cassiae (Catsia tora Linn) were selected and then studied to produce EMs to stimulate electricity generation in MFCs. B. rheum had the highest redox activity and 2% acid pretreatment contributing the most to the release of electroactive substances. The highest power density (18.67 W/m3) and Coulombic efficiency (29.03%) and the lowest internal resistance (29.02 Ω) were achieved in MFCs with B. rheum addition compared to other herbal plants. The satisfactory COD (93.68%) and NH4+-N (39.68%) removal were also obtained with a 0.01 g/L dosage. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and high throughput sequencing analysis showed that B. rheum had the least negative effects on biofilm microstructure and microbial species, corresponding to its outstanding performance. These findings first suggested that B. rheum can be regarded as a promising redox mediator to improve MFC performance. This study provided a new thinking to apply herbal wastewater or pharmaceutical waste in improving the bioelectrochemical system.

We developed a novel portable and automated dissolution test analyzer for rapid and high precision in vitro dissolution testing of drugs. The analyzer consists of a flow-through-cell drug dissolution system, an automated sequential sampling system, a high-speed capillary electrophoresis (HSCE) system, and a data acquisition system. Combining the high-temporal resolution flow-gating sampling approach with HSCE, which has outstanding advantages of efficient separation and resolution, the analyzer can achieve rapid analysis and exhibits the ability in miniaturization for on-site assessment of different active pharmaceutical ingredients. To integrate the flow-through-cell dissolution system with HSCE, a specially designed flow-gating-injection (FGI) interface was employed. The performance of the analyzer was investigated by analyzing the dissolution of immediate-release drugs including single dose (amoxicillin dispersible tablets) and fixed dose combination (amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium) drug tablets with the high-temporal resolutions of 12 s and 20 s, respectively. The dissolution profiles of different active pharmaceutical ingredients could be simultaneously and automatically monitored with high repeatability and accuracy. The analyzer was successfully utilized for the pharmaceutical quality control and bio-relevant dissolution testing, as well as in vivo-in vitro correlation analysis. Our portable analyzer is miniaturized, convenient and of low-cost, and will provide a valuable tool for dissolution testing in pharmaceutical research and development.

The influence of alloying elements and heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical behaviors of extruded Mg–Gd–Nd ternary alloys was investigated in this study. The grain sizes dramatically decreased after extrusion, and the particles which distributed in Mg matrix had great effect on the grain size. The grain sizes of extruded alloys decreased from 26 to 5 ​μm with the alloying content increasing. The mechanical test results show that both Gd and Nd had positive effect on the hardness, yield strength and Young's modulus. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was enhanced by Gd content, decreased with Nd content. The elongation of alloys was lower with higher alloying elements. Those extruded alloys were aged for 200 ​h in 200 ​°C. The Young's moduli were decreased by ageing treatment. Combined with microstructure study, the part of the reinforcement which identified as Mg5(Gd/Nd) was dissolved in Mg matrix. Nd element obviously has influence on the solubility of Gd in Mg alloys.

The microstructure and hydrogen storage properties of Ti10+xV80-xFe6Zr4 (x = 0, 5, 10, 15) alloys have been studied. XRD and SEM analyses show that all alloys consist of a BCC main phase and a small fraction of C14 Laves secondary phase, in which the latter precipitates along the grain boundary of the former becoming network structure. With increasing Ti content in the alloy, the lattice parameter and cell volume of the BCC main phase of the alloy increase. The chemical composition of each phase is analysed by EDS, from which the lattice parameters of BCC phase have a good linear relationship with their average atomic radii. All bulk alloys have good activation behaviors and hydriding kinetics. With the increase of Ti content, the incubation time for activation decreases first and then increases under an initial hydrogen pressure of 4 MPa at 298 K. The incubation time of Ti15V75Fe6Zr4 alloy is only 12 s. It is one of the shortest incubation time in V-based solid solution alloys as far as we know, which may be related to the existence of C14 Laves phase. All the alloys have relatively high hydrogen absorption capacities of above 3 wt%, which increase first and then decrease as the Ti content increases, achieving the maximum capacity of 3.61 wt% at x = 10 at 298 K. With increasing x, the equilibrium plateau pressure of dehydrogenation of the samples at 353 K decreases owing to the expansion of unit cell of main phase, which is far below 0.1 MPa for x = 10 and 15. The maximum desorption capacity of 1.94 wt% (desorbed to 0.001 MPa) is obtained at x = 5, compared to that of 1.6 wt% (desorbed to 0.1 MPa) achieved at x = 0.

Two-dimensional (2D) hierarchical Mn2O3@graphene composite is synthesized by a one-step solid-phase reaction. The nanosheets of Mn2O3 are vertically grown on few-layered graphene, constructing a unique 2D hierarchical structure. As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), this hierarchical composite displays excellent electrochemical performances, showing an extraordinary reversible discharge capacity of 2125.9 mA h g–1. Moreover, a record high reversible capacity of 1746.8 mA h g–1 is maintained after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g–1, which retains 82.2 % of the initial capacity. Such an outstanding performance could be attributed to its novel structure and the synergistic effects between the Mn2O3 and graphene.

Mg-based porous materials, as potential bone tissue engineering scaffolds, are considered an attractive strategy for bone repair owing to favorable biodegradability, good biocompatibility and suitable mechanical properties. In this work, 3D-cubic interconnected porous Mg–xZn–0.3Ca (x = 0,3,6) scaffolds were prepared to obtain desirable pore structures with a mean porosity up to 73% and main pore size of 400–500 µm, which pore structures were close to the human cancellous bone. The structure–property relationships in the present scaffolds were analyzed by experiments and theoretical models of generalized method of cells (GMC). Mg–xZn–0.3Ca scaffolds exhibited good compression properties with a maximum above 5 MPa in yield strength and about 0.4 GPa in elastic modulus. This was attributed to not only the alloy strengthening but also the large minimum solid area. On the other hand, the scaffolds showed undesirable and relatively serious degradation behavior in Hank's solution, resulting from Zn addition in Mg-based scaffolds and the high surface area ratio in the pore structure. Therefore, surface modifications are worth studying for controlled degradation in the future. In conclusion, this research would explore a novel attempt to introduce 3D-cubic pore structure for Mg-based scaffolds, and provide new insights into the preparations of Mg-based scaffolds with good service performances for bone repair.

Lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries are attractive due to their high theoretical energy density. However, conventional Li–S batteries with liquid electrolytes undergo polysulfide shuttle-effect and lithium dendrite formation during charge/discharge process, leading to poor electrochemical performance and safety issues. Garnet type Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) solid-state electrolyte (SSE) restricts the penetration of polysulfides and exhibits high ionic conductivity at room temperature (RT). Herein, Li6.5La3Zr1.5Nb0.5O12 (LLZNO) ceramic electrolyte using Li3PO4 (LPO) as sintering aids (LLZNO-LPO) is prepared by the rapid sintering method and is applied to construct a shuttle-effect free solid-state Li–S battery. The SSE displays high conductive pure cubic-LLZO phase; during the rapid sintering, LPO melts and junctions the voids between the grains, thus improves Li+ conductivity. As a result, the LLZNO-LPO ceramic electrolyte with Li+ conductivity of 4.3 × 10−4 S cm−1 and high critical current density (CCD) of 1.2 mA cm−2 is obtained at RT. The Li–S solid-state battery which utilizes LLZNO-LPO ceramic electrolyte can deliver an initial discharge capacity of 943 mA h·g−1 and 602 mA h·g−1 retention after 60 cycles. In the same time, the initial coulombic efficiency is as high as 99.5%, indicating that the SSE can effectively block the polysulfide shuttle towards the Li anode and fulfill a shuttle-free Li–S battery.

In this study, the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) is used to establish a nonlinear dynamic model for a conical shell truncated by a functionally graded graphene platelet-reinforced composite (FG-GPLRC). The vibration analyses of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell are presented. Considering the graphene platelets (GPLs) of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell with three different distribution patterns, the modified Halpin-Tsai model is used to calculate the effective Young’s modulus. Hamilton’s principle, the FSDT, and the von-Karman type nonlinear geometric relationships are used to derive a system of partial differential governing equations of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell. The Galerkin method is used to obtain the ordinary differential equations of the truncated conical shell. Then, the analytical nonlinear frequencies of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell are solved by the harmonic balance method. The effects of the weight fraction and distribution pattern of the GPLs, the ratio of the length to the radius as well as the ratio of the radius to the thickness of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell on the nonlinear natural frequency characteristics are discussed. This study culminates in the discovery of the periodic motion and chaotic motion of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell.

To improve the pyrolytic carbon (PyC) deposition rate of Carbon/Carbon (C/C) composites prepared by the traditional chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) method, the 3D Ni/wood-carbon (3D Ni/C) catalyst was introduced into the CVI process. The effects of catalyst on the density of C/C composites were studied, and the deposition rate and morphologies of PyC were investigated after catalytic CVI. The morphologies of catalyst and PyC were characterized by scanning electron microscope and polarized light microscopy. The catalytic deposition mechanism of PyC was studied by density functional theory. The experimental results show that the initial carbon deposition efficiency of the catalytic pyrolysis process was 3–4 times that of the noncatalytic process. The catalyst reduced the energy barrier in the first step of deposition reaction from 382.55 to 171.67 kJ/mol according to simulation results. The pyrolysis reaction energy with Ni catalyst is reduced by 54% than that without the catalyst.

The aim of the study is to reveal the effect of knitted fabric parameters on fragrance retention performance. For this purpose, four knitted fabric parameters were explored, including yarn composition, yarn count, wales per centimeter, and courses per centimeter. The fragrance concentration of the knitted fabric was quantitatively measured by the electronic nose. Then the fragrance retention amount was put forward to characterize the fragrance retention performance of fabrics. Meanwhile, the factors affecting the fragrance retention performance were analyzed. By using single factor analysis of variance and regression analysis, the relationship between knitted fabric parameters and fragrance retention performance was revealed. The value of significance is lower than 0.05, which shows that knitted fabric parameters make a difference on fragrance retention performance. Furthermore, a regression equation was determined as a predicted model. The fragrance retention performance of the knitted fabric is directly proportional to the hydrophile fiber content and stitch density (i.e. course and wale) of the fabric. On the contrary, it is inversely proportional to the yarn count. The drying property and wicking property were proved to influence the fragrance retention performance. Drying property is the crucial factor on fragrance retention performance. The data and method presented in this paper provide a basis for optimizing the design of knitted fabrics with fragrance retention performance.

The therapeutic efficacy of programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) blockade immunotherapy is extremely dampened by complex immunosuppressive mechanisms including regulatory T cells (Treg), M2 macrophages (M2), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The pivotal roles of PGE2 have been recognized by directly inactivating CD8+ T cells and indirectly inducing Treg and M2. Therefore, PGE2 abolishment through inactivating cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) could be robust to sensitize tumour toward anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy, which has gone into clinical trials. However, exploring this promising strategy in nanomedicine to enhance immunotherapy remains unrevealed. The key challenge to synergistically combine COX-2 inhibition and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 lies in the different pharmacokinetic profiles and the spatial obstacles since PD-1/PD-L1 interaction occurs extracellularly and COX-2 locates intracellularly. Thus, the programmed release nanoparticles (termed as Cele-BMS-NPs) are rationally designed, which are composed of pH-sensitive human serum albumin derivative, BMS-202 compound as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor, glutathione (GSH)-activatable prodrug of celecoxib (COX-2 inhibitor). The in vitro experiments demonstrate that this smart Cele-BMS-NPs could extracellularly release BMS-202 under the acidic tumour microenvironment, and the intracellularly release of celecoxib in response to the elevated GSH concentration inside tumour cells. After systemic administration, the intratumoral infiltration of CD8+ T cells is significantly enhanced and meanwhile immunosuppressive M2, Treg, and PGE2 are reduced, thereby eliciting the anti-tumour immune responses toward low immunogenic tumours and postsurgical tumour recurrences.

Two kinds of carbon quantum dots, C-dots-160 and C-dots-200 with different fluorescence luminescence behaviors were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method at 160 and 200 °C, respectively, using ammonium citrate as the raw material. The relationship between the microstructure of the C-dots and the fluorescence emission behavior was investigated. Results indicate that an increase of synthesis temperature introduces more oxygen and nitrogen atoms into the C-dots, increasing the total number of structural defects and altering their concentration ratio. It is this ratio difference in the two C-dots that causes their different luminescence behaviors. The proportion of several types of defects in the C-dots-200 are relatively balanced, leading to excitation wavelength-dependent fluorescence while the most abundant defects in C-dots-160 are in the form of C=O, which is the main reason for its excitation independent luminescence behavior. The number of structural defects in C-dots-160 is less than in C-dots-200 and the latter has the stronger fluorescence emission.

With co-substitution of (Li0.5Sm0.5) at A site and W at B site, the electrical properties of modified Ca0.92(Li0.5Sm0.5)0.08Bi2Nb2-xWxO9 [(CLS)BN-xW, x = 0, 0.015 and 0.03] piezoceramics with ultrahigh Curie temperature (TC) of > 930 °C were enhanced dramatically. The increased resistivity induced by the co-substitution ensure them to be polarized under an enough high field. Combined with the increase of spontaneous ferroelectric polarization (PS), the significant enhancements in the piezoelectric, dielectric and ferroelectric properties can be obtained in the composition x = 0.015. Furthermore, the piezoelectric activity (d33) and bulk resistivity (ρb) of (CLS)BN-0.015 W can be further enhanced at an appropriate sintering temperature. This optimum composition sintered at 1170 °C shows ultrahigh TC of ∼948 °C, d33 of ∼17.3 pC/N and ρb of ∼6.9 MΩ cm at 600 °C, which are comparable to those of the reported high-temperature Aurivillius piezoceramics with TC > 850 °C.

Psychostimulants, such as amphetamine-type stimulants, induce alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis function. In this study, we sought to investigate the changes in the HPT axis using a wellcharacterized non-human primate model after chronic exposure to methamphetamine (MA). The data collected from 10 adult monkeys were retrospectively studied, assigning them into two groups—the control group (saline) and MA group. MA was injected for 4 weeks with gradually increasing dose, and later injected maintenance doses for 24 weeks. We collected and tested the blood samples on a weekly basis for T4, free T4, T3, free T3, TSH, TgAb, and TPOAb. We used western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction techniques to test the protein and mRNA expression of bcl-2, Bax, and thyroid stimulating hormonereceptor. The MA group had significantly higher levels of T4, FT4, T3, and TSH than the control group. However, no significant difference was observed in FT3, TGAb, and TPOAb. Compared with the control group, most of the thyroid from the MA group consistently showed markedly disordered structure: varied size, lymphocytic infiltration, and local fibrosis. In the MA group, the protein and mRNA expression of Bax were significantly higher than the control group, whereas the protein and mRNA expression of Bcl-2 and TSH-R were significantly lower. These results indicate that chronic exposure to MA can lead to changes in the HPT axis function and induce apoptosis or other microdamage to the thyroid gland in a non-human primate model.

Here, we report a novel topotactic method to grow 2D free-standing perovskite using KNbO3 (KN) as a model system. Perovskite KN with monoclinic phase, distorted by as large as ∼6 degrees compared with orthorhombic KN, is obtained from 2D KNbO2 after oxygen-assisted annealing at relatively low temperature (530 °C). Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) measurements confirm that the 2D KN sheets show strong spontaneous polarization (Ps) along [101]pc direction and a weak in-plane polarization, which is consistent with theoretical predictions. Thickness-dependent stripe domains, with increased surface displacement and PFM phase changes, are observed along the monoclinic tilt direction, indicating the preserved strain in KN induces the variation of nanoscale ferroelectric properties. 2D perovskite KN with low symmetry phase stable at room temperature will provide new opportunities in the exploration of nanoscale information storage devices and better understanding of ferroelectric/ferroelastic phenomena in 2D perovskite oxides.

Weyl semimetals haveattracted extensive research interests due to their unique topological properties. However, photoelectric devices based on pristine semimetals with large electrical conductivity...

Previous research has found that the peripheral and end cutting edges of the cutter had different cutting mechanisms in the micro end cutting process considering the size effect. This investigation is a further study on this point considering the cutting edge radius of the cutter and the material of the workpiece based on the methods of finite element simulation and the micro end cutting experiment. This study adopts a combination of simulation and experiment research methods and the cutting edge radius and the workpiece material as two variables. Considering the cutting mechanisms of the peripheral cutting edge and the end cutting edge are different, the peripheral cutting edge and the end cutting edge are studied respectively. Meanwhile, the minimum undeformed chip thickness (MUCT) value is determined in three ways, chip morphology, cutting force, and surface roughness, so the final result obtained by comparing three kinds of results has a very important reference value. Not only are the chip morphology obtained by finite element simulation and the surface roughness obtained by the micro end cutting experiment used to identify the MUCT value, but also the cutting force. The simulation and experimental results show that the cutting force can be used to identify the MUCT value for the peripheral cutting edge, but it cannot be used for the end cutting edge. The MUCT value increases with the increase of the cutting edge radius, no matter which process it is. The material property has some effects on the MUCT value; even the cutting parameters and the cutting edge radius remain unchanged for the peripheral cutting edge. However, the material property has no effect on the MUCT value for the end cutting edge. In this study, the influence of important variables on MUCT is studied as much as possible to reflect a real application situation.

Coal seam microorganisms have attracted much attention for their special functions that are closely related to secondary biogenic gas formation, but the influence of subsurface microbial invasion on coal microorganisms remains poorly understood. In this study, subsurface microorganisms from soils at different depths were used to infect coal samples, and the abundance and composition of the microbial community were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that methane production from the coal samples treated with soil extractions did not increase significantly nor did the abundance and transcriptional activity of archaeal 16S rRNA and mcrA genes. In contrast, two soil extractions significantly improved the abundance and transcriptional activity of the coal bacteria. There was no significant difference in the effects of different soil extractions on bacterial abundance and transcriptional activity, but differences in the effects on α- and β-bacterial diversity between the coal samples treated by different soil extractions were found. Soil extraction from the shallow layer soil far away from the coal mine increased the bacterial α-diversity of the coal samples and changed the bacterial community composition. In addition, this soil extraction increased various bacterial groups in the coal sample and changed the predictive metagenome functional contents of the coal samples from the bacterial sequence data. In summary, this study provides basic microbial information for subsurface microbial invasion of coal seams and helps increase understanding of the source of microorganisms in in situ coal seams and the changes in the microbial community during subsurface microbial migration.

The thermal stability of MoAlB powder was studied. The effects of vacuum, Ar protection, molten salt treatment, and additives (B and C) on its thermal stability were studied. Results showed that MoAlB powder would react with a small amount of O2 in the furnace under vacuum and low temperature to form MoB, Al3Mo, B2O3, and Al2O3. At higher temperature, MoAlB first decomposed into MoB and Al. Al was oxidized to Al2O3. The thermal stability of MoAlB powder was better under the protection of Ar. However, molten salt heat treatment and additives such as B and C could promote the decomposition of MoAlB

The practical application of lithium-ion batteries suffers from low energy density and the struggle to satisfy the ever-growing requirements of the energy-storage Internet. Therefore, developing next-generation electrode materials with high energy density is of the utmost significance. There are high expectations with respect to the development of lattice oxygen redox (LOR)-a promising strategy for developing cathode materials as it renders nearly a doubling of the specific capacity. However, challenges have been put forward toward the deep-seated origins of the LOR reaction and if its whole potential could be effectively realized in practical application. In the following Review, the intrinsic science that induces the LOR activity and crystal structure evolution are extensively discussed. Moreover, a variety of characterization techniques for investigating these behaviors are presented. Furthermore, we have highlighted the practical restrictions and outlined the probable approaches of Li-based layered oxide cathodes for improving such materials to meet the practical applications.

The presence of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) after injuries to the enthesis could lead to cellular oxidative damage, high inflammatory response, chronic inflammation, and limited fibrochondral inductivity, making tissue repair and functional recovery difficult. Here, a multifunctional silk fibroin nanofiber modified with polydopamine and kartogenin was designed and fabricated to not only effectively reduce inflammation by scavenging ROS in the early stage of the enthesis healing but also enhance fibrocartilage formation with fibrochondrogenic induction in the later stages. The in vitro results confirmed the antioxidant capability and the fibrochondral inductivity of the functionalized nanofibers. In vivo studies showed that the multifunctional nanofiber can significantly improve the integration of tendon-bone and accelerate the regeneration of interface tissue, resulting in an excellent biomechanical property. Thus, the incorporation of antioxidant and bio-active molecules into extracellular matrix-like biomaterials in interface tissue engineering provides an integrative approach that facilitates damaged tissue regeneration and functional recovery, thereby improving the clinical outcome of the engineered tissue.

The mechanism underlying neurogenesis during embryonic spinal cord development involves a specific ligand/receptor interaction, which may be help guide neuroengineering to boost stem cell-based neural regeneration for the structural and functional repair of spinal cord injury. Herein, we hypothesized that supplying spinal cord defects with an exogenous neural network in the NT-3/fibroin-coated gelatin sponge (NF-GS) scaffold might improve tissue repair efficacy. To test this, we engineered tropomyosin receptor kinase C (TrkC)-modified neural stem cell (NSC)-derived neural network tissue with robust viability within an NF-GS scaffold. When NSCs were genetically modified to overexpress TrkC, the NT-3 receptor, a functional neuronal population dominated the neural network tissue. The pro-regenerative niche allowed the long-term survival and phenotypic maintenance of the donor neural network tissue for up to 8 weeks in the injured spinal cord. Additionally, host nerve fibers regenerated into the graft, making synaptic connections with the donor neurons. Accordingly, motor function recovery was significantly improved in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI) that received TrkC-modified NSC-derived neural network tissue transplantation. Together, the results suggested that transplantation of the neural network tissue formed in the 3D bioactive scaffold may represent a valuable approach to study and develop therapies for SCI., Graphical abstract Scheme 1. A neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) sustained-release bioscaffold supports the formation of tyrosine kinase receptor C (TrkC)-modified neural stem cell-derived neural network tissue with efficacy in repairing spinal cord injury.Image 1, Highlights • A NT-3 sustained-release scaffold confers a microenvironment partially simulating the developmental spinal cord. • The NT-3 microenvironment boosts neuronal differentiation of TrkC-modified NSCs by interactions between ligand and receptor. • TrkC-NSCs is self-organized into a neural network tissue with typical neural excitability in 3D bioactive scaffold in vitro. • The grafted neural network tissue can survive and maintain neural property, and improve motor function of paralyzed rats.

Polymerised styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) 1502 is one of the most common petrochemical products. During the identification of fire evidence, the combustion residues of SBR 1502 highly interfere with the identification of gasoline, a fire accelerant. By conducting thermogravimetric–differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) experiments at various oxygen concentrations (0, 14, and 21 vol.%), the TG-DSC combustion characteristic behaviour of SBR 1502 was investigated. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to examine the combustion residues at different stages. The results indicated a lack of 2,3-dimethylnaphthalene among the combustion residue of SBR 1502 at the oxygen concentration of 0 and 14 vol.%, thus effectively avoiding the interference of this combustion residue in gasoline identification. The results of the quantitative analysis revealed aromatic hydrocarbon components as the most interfering components for all oxygen concentration and temperature. The combustion residues of SBR 1502 at different oxygen concentrations and combustion stages exhibited different degrees of interference in gasoline identification. Therefore, qualitative and quantitative analyses (hierarchical clustering analysis) were employed to eliminate interference from SBR 1502 in gasoline identification. The results provide theoretical support during the fire identification process.

Spring of constant elasticity is a concept from theories of extension while elastic nonlinearity in compressive deformation is a general phenomenon for polymeric materials involved in offset or flexographic printing, paper board, polymer plate, and cushioning tape. This phenomenon needs therefore to be coped with by the model of printing dynamics. We hereby present an extended approach based on the Maxwell material model. In the extended approach, a compression process is subdivided into (or approximated by) sequential subprocesses. The elastic modulus may vary from one subsection to another but remains constant in each of the subprocesses. With the extended approach dynamic behaviours (compression/recovering) of paperboard can be reproduced and predicted. As a concrete example, dynamic behaviours of paper board in the print nip were simulated with satisfactory outcome. The simulation also revealed that viscoelasticity of the board is the origin of mechanical hysteresis of the stress–strain curve. Due to viscoelasticity and nonlinearity of the materials careful design is essential to simulate full-scale printing with a lab press.

The growth and shear properties of intermetallic compound (IMC) in Cu/In-48Sn/Cu solder joints at different bonding times have been studied, and the growth kinetics of interfacial Cu3(In,Sn) phase at different bonding temperatures investigated. The results show that the IMC of the Cu/In-48Sn/Cu joint is composed of Cu6(In,Sn)5 and Cu3(In,Sn) but transforms to Cu3(In,Sn) after 120 min of bonding at 260°C and pressure of 3 MPa. The morphology of the Cu6(In,Sn)5 layer changed from flat to scallop, and the growth rate of Cu3(In,Sn) located directly below the convex part of the Cu6(In,Sn)5 sector was significantly higher than that of Cu3(In,Sn) located directly below the concave part of the Cu6(In,Sn)5 sector. The shear strength of the solder joints first increased then slowly decreased, reaching 21.8 MPa when increasing the bonding time to 60 min. The shear strength of the solder joints was improved by the formation of Cu6(In,Sn)5 and Cu3(In,Sn), and Cu3(In,Sn) phase played a greater role in improving the shear strength of the solder joints than did Cu6(In,Sn)5 phase. The growth kinetics index n of Cu3(In,Sn) was 0.478 to 0.495, and the growth mechanism of Cu3(In,Sn) was controlled by diffusion at bonding temperatures of 250°C to 280°C.

A submerged macrophyte sediment microbial fuel cell (SP-SMFC) was constructed in this study. Ceratophyllum demersum L., Vallisneria natans, Hydrilla verticillate were chosen as the submerged plants to form cer-SMFC, val-SMFC, hyd-SMFC systems. Plant groups showed the advantage of bioelectricity generation and pollutants removal compared with the unplanted system. The cer-SMFC group stood out with the maximum power density as 24.56 mW m−2 and the average pollutants removal in overlying water (COD: 81.16%, TN: 65.27%, TP: 79.10%) and in sediments (TN: 26.40%, TP: 21.79%). The determination of root exudates and radial oxygen loss (ROL) demonstrated that C. demersum L. was superior to other studied submerged macrophytes. More root exudates may contribute to an increase in available substrates for electrochemically active bacteria and other microorganisms. Higher enzyme activities were obtained in three SP-SMFCs (especially in cer-SMFC). ATPase and APA activities in cer-SMFC group were increased by over 40% compared with the control. The results indicated that the presence of plants enhanced the microorganism activities, thereby improving bioelectricity generation and pollutants removal. This study will facilitate the application of SP-SMFC technology as an alternative for in situ remediation of polluted sediments.

An ecological floating bed-microbial fuel cell (EFB-MFC) coupled system was constructed in this study. With windmill grass, goldfish algae, water hyacinth and water spinach chosen as the cathodic floating bed plants, performance with regard to electricity generation and nitrogen removal was investigated. For electricity generation, introducing plants into an MFC reduced the internal resistance of the system by 21.23%–67.66% and increased the average voltage by 26.26%–62.63% compared to the system with no plants. In addition, the coupled system improved the removal efficiency of NH4+-N and TN by 2.54%–16.40% and 2.91%–16.86%, respectively. The water spinach system achieved the best performance for electricity generation and nitrogen removal. However, the extra NH4+-N released by rotten roots of windmill grass impaired the nitrogen removal. Radial oxygen loss and root exudates played significant roles in enhancing electricity generation and nitrogen removal. Moreover, electricity generation can stimulate the activity of enzymes related to nitrogen removal and drive the migration of NH4+-N thereby enhancing nitrogen removal. This study also first revealed that an EFB-MFC showed greater capability than a nonplanted group for protecting enzyme activity related to nitrogen removal from excessive high water temperature (over 30 °C).

A major bottleneck of large-scale water splitting for hydrogen production is the lack of catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with low cost and high efficiency. In this work, we proposed an electrocatalyst of a curved carbon nanocone embedded with two TMN4 active sites (TM = transition metal) and used first-principles calculations to investigate their OER mechanisms and catalytic activities. In the particular spatial confinement of a curved nanocone, we found that the distance between intermediates adsorbed on two active sites is shorter than the distance between these two active sites. This finding can be used to enhance OER activity by distance-dependent interaction between intermediates through two different mechanisms. The first mechanism in which an O2 molecule is generated from two neighboring *O intermediates exhibits a linear activity trend, and the lowest overpotential is 0.27 V for the FeN4 system. In the second mechanism, selective stabilization of the *OOH intermediate is realized, leading to a new scaling relationship (ΔG*OOH = ΔG*OH + 3.04 eV) associated with a modified OER activity volcano (theoretical volcano apex at 0.29 V). The studied mechanisms of the spatial confinement of a carbon nanocone provide a new perspective for designing efficient OER catalysts.

Acetic acid at atmospheric pressure is an alternative solvent that can be used for high-efficiency separation of lignin. However, few studies reported the isolation of lignin using acetic acid at above atmospheric pressure. In this study, acetic acid solution at above atmospheric pressure was used to extract lignin from Chinese quince fruit. The influences of different extraction conditions on the lignin yields were firstly investigated. Among the five extraction parameters (extraction temperature/pressure, acetic acid concentration, extraction time, catalyst dosage, and solid/liquid ratio), catalyst dosage had the most important influence on lignin yields. Five acetic acid lignin (AAL80, AAL100, AAL120, AAL140, and AAL160) samples obtained at different extraction temperatures/pressures (80 °C–160 °C/0.03–0.35 MPa) were used to analyze the influence of extraction temperatures/pressures on their structural features. Comparing to lignins extracted with acetic acid at atmospheric pressure, lignins obtained by acetic acid extraction at above atmospheric pressures (AAL120, AAL140, and AAL160) had higher purity. The acetic acid could degrade lignin at temperatures above 120 °C. When extracted at 120 °C–160 °C, the depolymerization degree of lignins increased with rising temperatures. AAL160 with more condensed structures was the most thermally stable. As the extraction temperature rose, the proportion of β–5 linkages in lignins gradually increased, while the proportion of β–O–4 and β–β linkages decreased. AAL80 had the highest DPPH, while AAL120 showed the highest ferric reducing activity. The study clarifies the lignins isolated with acetic acid at above atmospheric pressure from Chinese quince fruits and contributes to their potential application.

To improve the mechanical properties of carbon/carbon (C/C) composites, in-situ synthetized single-crystalline hafnium carbide nanowires (HfCnws) were introduced into the carbon fiber preforms by electrophoresis-thermal evaporation method. The Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were utilized as the carbon source and templates for forming HfCnws. The microstructure, chemical composition and mechanical properties of the HfCnws modified carbon/carbon (HfCnws-C/C) composites were characterized. Results reveal that HfC is produced preferentially in the inner nodular parts and end parts of MWCNTs. The raising heat-treatment temperature would influence the diffusion rate of Hf atoms and then the number of nucleation sites, which further changed the aspect ratio and morphology of HfCnws. The HfCnws have refined the grain size of pyrolytic carbon (PyC), and significantly improve the flexural strength of C/C composites by 79.3%.

The emergence, transference, amplification, and memory of chiroptical activity in supramolecular assemblies, including circularly polarized absorbance and circularly polarized luminescence, remain significant challenges. Herein, an achiral pyridine-substituted coumarin derivative and chiral additives can coassemble into helical nanostructures with fine chiroptical activity via subtle hydrogen-bonding interactions. The resulting supramolecular assemblies remain optically active even after the removal of chiral additives, demonstrating supramolecular chirality can be remembered in the assemblies. More importantly, the removed chiral elements can be reused to achieve continuous circulation and amplification of chirality. This work presents insight into the emergence, transference, amplification, and memory of chirality in a supramolecular assembly system and could be applied to the manufacturing of chiroptical materials.

This paper presents a new theoretical model for rotating elastic hub-blade assemblies, made of functionally graded (FG) graphene nanoplatelet (GPL) reinforced nanocomposites, and their free vibration characteristics are investigated. This model is the first attempt to include two elastic components simultaneously and consider the coupled effect. The Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and the Donnell’s shell theory are employed to establish the mathematic model of the blade and hub, respectively. The effective material properties, varying continuously along the thickness of the beam and cylindrical shell, are determined via the Halpin-Tsai micromechanics model and the rule of the mixture. The Lagrange’s equation is adopted to derive the equations of motion which are then solved by employing the substructure mode synthesis method and the Galerkin method. A parametric study is conducted to examine the effects of the rotating speed, graphene nanoplatelet distribution pattern, GPL weight fraction, length-to-thickness ratio and length-to-width ratio of graphene nanoplatelets (GPLs) and blade dimension on the natural frequencies of the nanocomposite rotor system, which will significantly benefit on the structural and material design of GPL reinforced hub-blade assembly.

This paper investigates the effect of soldering temperature on solder joint voids and reliability of flip-chip LED chips during reflow soldering. Lead-free solder SAC305 was used as solder paste. The void ratio of the flip-chip LED solder joint at 250°C, 260°C, 270°C, 280°C, and 290°C reflow soldering temperatures was detected by x-ray detector. Shear tests were conducted to evaluate the influence of interfacial reactions on the mechanical reliability of solder joints. The distribution of voids in the shear section was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Next, the photoelectric and thermal properties of FC-LED filament were tested and analyzed. Finally, a high-temperature and high-humidity aging experiment was carried out to test the reliability of the LED filament. The results show that the void ratio of the LED filament soldering joint is the lowest when the soldering temperature is 270°C. The small void ratio of the solder joints results in lower steady-state voltage and junction temperature of the flip-chip LED filament. As the void density in the solder joint decreases, the shear strength of the solder joint increases. At this time, the shear resistance and mechanical reliability are the highest.

(Phenoxy)pentafluorocyclotriphosphazene (FPPN), a kind of flame retardant, is initially mixed with gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) to formulate a new safe electrolyte, in which lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiODFB) is used as the additive to improve the electrode interfacial properties. It is found that the addition of FPPN ensures that this electrolyte is totally non-flammable, and the conductivity of this electrolyte is about 10 mS cm−1, which is equivalent to that of most commercial electrolytes. More significant, this high safety electrolyte helps graphite/LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 full cells to obtain preeminent electrochemical performance. The capacity retention of the cells reaches 85.4% after 500 cycles at 1C and room temperature, which is apparently better than that of a commercial electrolyte. Its cycle performance at elevated temperature (60 °C) exceeds that of a commercial electrolyte. Furthermore, the cell with this electrolyte can deliver a discharge capacity of about 90 mA h g−1 at low temperature (−40 °C). To sum up, such an electrolyte can ensure safety and electrochemical performance in a wide-temperature range of operating conditions. The interfacial properties of electrodes are also tested by XPS and SEM measurements, and this is the first time to analyze the influence of fluorinated cyclophosphazenes on the graphite anode.

SO2 and NO emitted from coal-fired power plants have caused serious air pollution in China. In this study, a test system for NO oxidation using O3 is established. The basic characteristics of NO oxidation and products forms are studied. A separate test system for the combined removal of SO2 and NOx is also established, and the absorption characteristics of NOx are studied. The characteristics of NO oxidation and NOx absorption were verified in a 35 t·h−1 industrial boiler wet combined desulfurization and denitrification project. The operating economy of ozone oxidation wet denitrification technology is analyzed. The results show that O3 has a high rate and strong selectivity for NO oxidation. When O3 is insufficient, the primary oxidation product is NO2. When O3 is present in excess, NO2 continues to get oxidized to N2O5 or NO3. The removal efficiency of NO2 in alkaline absorption system is low (only about 15%). NOx removal efficiency can be improved by oxidizing NOx to N2O5 or NO3 by increasing ozone ratio. When the molar ratio of O3/NO is 1.77, the NOx removal efficiency reaches 90.3%, while the operating cost of removing NOx per kilogram is 6.06 USD (NO2).

We developed a water-soluble, stable and selective "turn-on" fluorescence sensing platform based on carbon quantum dots (CQDs) for rapid determination of phosphate (Pi) in aqueous solutions and for visualization of latent fingerprints on paper. The hydroxyl groups on the surface of the synthesized CQDs can be deprotonated by Pi to trigger the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process and the inhibition of excited-state proton transfer (ESPT), achieving a turn-on emission response. CQDs demonstrated the capability to selectively detect Pi over other common ions and biomolecules with the linear fluorescence intensity change in the range from 0 to 100 μM. Moreover, the paper sprayed with the CQD solution showed a remarkable blue emission speckle and a fingerprint upon addition of Pi solution and finger touching, respectively. Notably, the fingerprint images including level 3 details (crossover, bifurcation, termination, and island and sweat pores) are also clearly identified and distinguished, indicating their potential application in document security. We believe that the as-synthesized CQDs will provide a new tool for Pi detection in aqueous media and paper document security.

SiC was introduced as nanowires and multilayered structure matrix to modify C/C composites, then SiC nanowires reinforced C/(PyC-SiC)n (SM-CS) composites were prepared. The electromagnetic shielding and thermal conductive properties were investigated and the further relationship between these properties and the number of cycles of preparation (N) was also studied. The results showed that total shielding effectiveness (SET) values of modified composites were all higher than 30 dB which meant more than 99.9% electromagnetic wave was shielded. And the SET values increased with the rising of N (SM-CS4--47.6 dB > SM-CS3--42.7 dB > SM-CS2--37.1 dB). With the rising of N, not only the conductivity of SM-CSN composite increased, but also the interfaces inside the matrix increased, leading to a continuous increase in reflection and absorption of electromagnetic waves. Meanwhile, the thermal diffusivities and conductivities of the SM-CS composites in the temperature range from 25 to 1500 °C were all higher than those of pure C/C composites, and they were also almost increased by N. That was because the improvement of SiC nanowires in heat transport was very large, and even exceeded the reducing of multilayered structure. Due to these good functional properties, the modified composites would exhibit excellent potential in aerospace field.

As classic organic dyes, diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) derivatives have attracted researchers' attention due to their high charge carrier mobility and good environmental stability. In our study, the pyridine-flanked diketopyrrolopyrrole (PyDPP) with a large conjugated system and 2,2′-bithiazole were used to design and synthesize an all-acceptor (A–A) polymer, poly-(dipyridinyldiketopyrrolopyrrole-bithiazole), named P(PyDPP2OD-2Tz). At the same time, poly-(dipyridinyldiketopyrrolopyrrole-bithiophene), P(PyDPP2OD-2T), was synthesized for comparison and discussion. The A–A polymer P(PyDPP2OD-2Tz) synthesized in our research had a highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level of −5.85 eV, and a lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level of −3.65 eV. Its energy band gap was 2.20 eV, which was similar to P(PyDPP2OD-2T). At the same time, measurement of a series of performance characterizations proved that the polymer P(PyDPP2OD-2Tz) had good thermal stability. It was judged to be an amorphous polymer with a wide distribution of glassy regions. Based on the above advantages, it is expected to increase the carrier mobility of polymer P(PyDPP2OD-2Tz), and improve its device performance as an n-type organic semiconductor material applied to organic field effect transistors, and find new designs for the development of organic functional materials science ideas.

Succinoglycan is an industrially important exopolysaccharide biosynthesized by bacteria. In this study, mutant strain 18052 N-11 was obtained from the wild type strain Rhizobium radiobacter ATCC 19358 by NTG mutagenesis. It has a high yield succinoglycan of 32.5 g/L cultured in a 15 L-fementer for 72 h. Succinoglycan SG-A from the wild type strain has two components, and the molecular weights were 1.55 × 107 Da and 1.26 × 106 Da, respectively. While, succinoglycan SG-N from the mutant strain was a homogeneous polysaccharide, and the molecular weight was 1.01 × 107 Da. The molecular weight of both succinoglycan was higher than those reported in literatures. DSC thermogram of SG-A showed a higher endothermic peak than that of SG-N due to the higher crystallinity of SG-A. The dynamic frequency sweep test of SG-A and SG-N showed that the elastic modulus G' and viscosity modulus G" curves intersected at 65 °C, indicating the thermally induced order-disorder conformation. The results of effect of concentrations (2.5–15%) and temperatures (25–75 °C) on apparent viscosity of SG-A and SG-N showed that the succinoglycan solutions exhibited non-Newtonian, shear-thinning behavior. Both SG-A and SG-N showed an excellent emulsification activity. The characterizations and rheological properties make SG-A and SG-N prominent candidates in food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and petroleum industries.

The combination therapy based on artemisinin is the most effective method to treat malaria. Sensitive, rapid and accurate detection of artemisinin is very important to monitor clinical pharmaceutical effect as well as the drug quality control. In this work, catalytic performance of polyoxometalates (POMs), vanadomolybdophosphoric heteropoly acid (H5PMo10V2O40, PMoV2) and tungstophosphoric heteropoly acid (Na5PW11O39Cu, PW11Cu), are investigated. It is indicated that the POMs exhibit peroxidase-like activity, which efficiently catalyze the artemisinin/thiamine reaction to produce fluorescent product thiochrome. With the usage of the POMs as the catalyst in combination with fluorescent probes, we propose a method for highly sensitive and rapid determination of artemisinin. When PMoV2 and PW11Cu are used as catalysts, the linear ranges are 1.0 × 10−6-1.0 × 10−1 mM and 5.0 × 10−6-9.0 × 10−1 mM, and the detection limits are as low as 0.5 nM and 1 nM, respectively. The method is successfully applied to determine artemisinin in human plasma and Artemisia annua. L leaves with good accuracy.

In this study, Na2CO3 was used as an activator to roast and activate high aluminium fly ash (HAFA) via conventional heating. Microwave roasting technology was then used to strengthen the activation process and the reaction mechanism was discussed and compared with that of conventional heating. Microwave heating had an obvious effect on the HAFA activation process: with an aluminium leaching rate of approximately 93.00%, both the roasting time (30 min) and temperature (700 °C) were comparatively reduced, and the mass ratio of HAFA to Na2CO3 employed was 1:0.8. XRD analysis showed that the phase evolution of HAFA was not changed during microwave heating, but the Na2CO3-HAFA activation reaction was promoted. And SEM analysis showed that the micro-structure of roasted materials varied greatly with respect to the different heating methods. With microwave heating, overall breakage of mullite particles occurs and there is higher degree of breakage than conventional heating.

A novel fluorescent probe based on hydroxyquinoline conjugated with a charged trimethylindolenine unit Toc-Ac was developed, which exhibited long wavelength emission (560 nm) and a large Stokes shift (∼140 nm) due to the intrinsic mechanism of the intramolecular charge transfer process. The probe Toc-Ac showed a highly sensitive response to Cys (the detection limit was 3.86 × 10−8 M) in aqueous solution and was successfully applied for detecting endogenous Cys in living cells and mice.