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β-Elemene is a volatile oil used for the treatment of cancer, but poor solubility, low bioavailability, and various adverse reactions limit its application. For ameliorating risks of the venous toxicity of β-elemene, intravenously injectable micelle of β-elemene was prepared using the thin-film hydration method. The results pointed out the micelles were uniformly spherical with about 20.96 ± 0.1966 nm in average diameter and exhibited high entrapment efficiency (99.02% ± 0.88%). As revealed by drug release studies in vitro, β-elemene micelles had sustained drug release. Compared with free β-elemene, the micelles increased the drug cellular uptake and enhanced the anti-tumor effect in vitro through retarding cell cycle and inducing apoptosis. Meanwhile, the elevated serum stability of β-elemene micelles implied less drug leakage and reduced toxicity. The wound healing and tube formation assay in vitro demonstrated the anti-metastasis and anti-angiogenesis effects of β-elemene micelles. Moreover, the pharmacokinetics study showed the AUC and T1/2 of β-elemene in micelle group were 1.79 and 1.62 times of that in free β-elemene group, suggesting the circulation time of β-elemene in the blood had been prolonged. In addition, β-elemene micelles showed a favorable antitumor response compared with the β-elemene solution on C26 colon cancer-bearing mice model. Local irritation study investigated in rabbits indicated that the β-elemene micelles strikingly mitigated the irritation to the injection sites compared with free β-elemene. These results proved that the micelle could be a good candidate as an auspicious drug delivery system of β-elemene for the prospective clinical treatment of carcinoma.

The homogeneous, nonaqueous catalytic activity of the rhenium-thiolate complex ReL3 (L = diphenylphosphinobenzenethiolate) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been transferred from nonaqueous homogeneous to aqueous heterogeneous conditions by immobilization on a glassy carbon electrode surface. A series of modified electrodes based on ReL3 and its oxidized precursor [ReL3][PF6] were fabricated by drop-cast methods, yielding catalytically active species with HER overpotentials for a current density of 10 mA/cm2, ranging from 357 to 919 mV. The overpotential correlates with film resistance as measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and film morphology as determined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The lowest overpotential was for films based on the ionic [ReL3][PF6] precursor with the inclusion of carbon black. Stability measurements indicate a 2 to 3 h conditioning period in which the overpotential increases, after which no change in activity is observed within 24 h or...

Although it has been demonstrated that one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional carbon nanomaterials can improve the CH 4 production of anaerobic digestion (AD), the effect of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterials on AD have not been reported. To expand the application of carbon nanomaterials in AD, the effect of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterials-carbon quantum dots (CDs) on various feedstocks (c.a. cellulose, glucose, ethanol, and vinegar residue) were investigated in this study. Results have shown that CH 4 yield from ethanol was increased by 24.59% (p = 0.396) after adding 5 g/L zinc doped carbon quantum dots (Zn-doped CDs) while that from vinegar residue was dramatically increased by 230% (p = 0.000) using 5 g/L nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots (N-doped CDs). In addition, photoluminescence demonstrated that CDs acted as a capacitor for transmitting and receiving electrons. Furthermore, co-occurrence network analysis revealed that Clostridiales might be used as a signal source to communicate with other species. This study firstly shifted the application of CDs from fluorescence to AD and manifested its positive impact on AD. In short, these findings provided a better understanding on the effects of CDs on different feedstocks of methanogenesis and revealed new evidence of stimulating methanogenesis via CDs.

The reversible methanolysis of an azomethine C[double bond, length as m-dash]N in a series of copper(ii) Schiff base complexes has been investigated through combined spectroscopic, structural, and kinetic studies. Pentadentate copper(ii) complexes [L1-Cu(X)]Y (L1 = 1,2-bis[(1-methyl-2-imidazolyl)methyleneamino]ethane; X = Y = ClO4- (1); X = Y = TfO- (2); X = Y = BF4- (3); X = H2O, Y = (ClO4-)2 (4) spontaneously add methanol in a ligand centered reaction to yield stable, isolable hemiaminal ether product complexes 5-8. In methanol free solution, 5-8 spontaneously release alcohol to regenerate 1-4. The methanol addition reaction is first-order in methanol and first-order in complex with second-order rate constants varying from 1.1 × 10-4 to 187 × 10-4 M-1 s-1 dependent on the donor ability of the axial ligand. Rate constants for methanol elimination vary from 0.67 to 3.7 × 10-4 s-1 with dependence on the counterion and water content of the solvent. Equilibrium constants for methanolysis range from 1.5 to 51 M-1. Structural comparisons of the Schiff base complexes 1-4 and the hemiaminal ether complexes 5-8 suggest methanol addition is favored by the release of ligand strain associated with three planar five-membered chelates in 1-4.

The variation of strength of fly ash geopolymer under different alkali activator modulus is studied. In this paper, three samples with modulus of alkali initiator 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 were prepared by laboratory test, and the unconfined compressive strength, SEM scanning and XRD analysis were conducted. Results show that the strength of the fly ash geopolymer negative correlation with alkali excitation agent module, with higher modulus alkali excitation agent, the strength of the polymer decreased obviously. From the micro perspective, the lower modulus of the sample of the microstructure appear more dense, gelling material produce more obvious at the same time. From the part of XRD, different modulus of the sample composition are same basically.

In this paper, Tafel polarization technique is used to study the corrosion behavior of A3 steel basic magnesium sulfate, and then analyzing the ratio of raw materials cement, nitrites rust inhibitor and wet-dry cycle of basic magnesium sulfate corrosion of reinforced influence, and the steel corrosion behavior of basic magnesium sulfate compared with magnesium oxychloride cement and Portland cement. The results show that: the higher MgO/MgSO4 mole ratio will reduce the corrosion rate of steel; Too high and too low H2O/MgSO4 mole ratio may speed up the reinforcement corrosion effect; Adding a small amount of nitrite rust and corrosion inhibitor, not only can obviously reduce the alkali type magnesium sulfate in the early hydration of cement steel bar corrosion rate, but also can significantly reduce dry-wet circulation under the action of alkali type magnesium sulfate cement corrosion of reinforcement effect. Basic magnesium sulfate cement has excellent ability to protect reinforced, its long-term corrosion of reinforcement effect and was equal to that of Portland cement. Basic magnesium sulfate corrosion of reinforced is far below the level in the MOC in the case.

Water resistance of basic magnesium sulfate (BMS) cement has been studied in this paper. The solubility of main hydration of 5Mg(OH) 2 ·MgSO 4 ·7H 2 O in BMS cement has been analyzed by analyzing ions changes in 5Mg(OH) 2 ·MgSO 4 ·7H 2 O solution. Compressive strength and softening coefficient changes of BMS cement after immersing in water have been tested to evaluate water resistance of BMS cement. And crystal compositions and microstructure of BMS cement before and after immersing in water has been analyzed by XRD and SEM to study the mechanism. These results show that 5Mg(OH) 2 ·MgSO 4 ·7H 2 O possesses a low solubility at room temperature. Basic magnesium sulfate cement displayed an excellent water resistance based on additives in basic magnesium sulfate cement can inhibit the hydration of hard burnt MgO to sheet-like Mg(OH) 2 and reduce crystallization stress in BMS cement.

The influence of pH of the gelatin solution on the cycle performance of the sulfur cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries was studied. Scanning electron microscopy measurements revealed that the cathode prepared with pH 10.0 gelatin solution as a binder showed a uniform distribution. The charge/discharge experiments of the lithium-sulfur batteries showed that an initial capacity of 1137 mAh g -1 and a reversible capacity of 642 mAh g -1 after 30 cycles were achieved, which were higher than those of the cathodes prepared at pH 5.0 and 8.0. To understand the effect of the pH value of the gelatin solution on the cycle performance of sulfur cathodes, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry were carried out.