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Two novel phenanthroimidazole derivatives were synthesized for efficient three-photon excited fluorescence and absorption. By introducing spirobi [9H-fluorene] to replace fluorene, the three-photon-excited fluorescence and cross-section are significantly enhanced to 3.56 ± 0.15 × 10 −78 cm 6 s 2 photon −2 , which is among the highest reported values for organic molecules. Our results supply a useful method to develop novel materials for applications of three-photon excited fluorescence and absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved pulp refers to pulp of high cellulose content which is used to manufacture various cellulose-derived products such as regenerated fibers or films (e.g., Viscose, Lyocell), cellulose esters (acetates, propionates, butyrates, nitrates) and cellulose ethers (carboxymethyl-, ethyl-, methyl-celluloses). With the rapid development of the global economy and a constant increase in population, the overall demand for dissolved pulp is rising. Dissolved pulp is generally made by the prehydrolysis kraft and acid sulfite processes comprising additional purification stages such as hot and cold caustic extraction. Dilute sulfuric acid is the most commonly used solvent for prehydrolysis of biomass to produce the dissolved pulp. However, cellulose is seriously degraded and the equipment is corroded while the prehydrolysis with sulfuric acid is performed. Oxalic acid, as an organic acid, has a better prehydrolysis selectivity than some mineral acids such as sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid. The purpose of this paper is to clarify bamboo lignin removal during the bamboo prehydrolysis with oxalic acid to improve the prehydrolysis process for dissolved pulp. The acid-insoluble lignin contents were determined with 72% H2SO4 according to the TAPPI standard test method (T 222 om-06) at different prehydrolysis periods. The distribution of pseudo-lignin on the surface of bamboo fibers was observed by FE-SEM. The chemical structural changes of bamboo lignin were studied by means of CP/MAS 13C-NMR. The results show that the yield decreased with the extension of prehydrolysis time as most of the hemicellulose and a little of the lignin and cellulose were degraded under the acid prehydrolysis conditions. As an increased amount of oxalic acid was applied for prehydrolysis, an increased drop of the yield was obtained. The lignin content based on the prehydrolysed bamboo chips increased with the extension of prehydrolysis time due to a predominant degradation of hemicellulose, the increased amount of oxalic acid and the higher lignin content. However, the lignin content based on the bamboo chips increased dramatically after an initial decline with the extension of prehydrolysis time due to the condensation between the lignin degradation products and carbohydrates, and the formation of pseudo-lignin. As an increased amount of oxalic acid was used for prehydrolysis of bamboo, a greater increase in the rate of lignin content was obtained. The bamboo lignin has more phenolic hydroxyls due to the breakdown of aryl-ether bonds (β -O-4) during the oxalic acid prehydrolysis of bamboo. The pseudo-lignin originating from carbohydrates including cellulose and hemicellulose could attach to the surface of bamboo fibers in the form of microspheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the bondability between clay filler and lignocellulosic fiber, Kaolin clay particles were modified using a starch−fatty acid complex method. The coating efficiency of starch on clay particle surfaces was investigated by measuring the dissolved starch in the supernatant. The experimental results indicated that more than 98% of the applied starch was precipitated onto the surface of the filler, and the resulting starch−fatty acid−clay composites had relatively good resistance against moderate shear force. The morphology, particle size, and ζ potential of the starch modified filler were also determined with scanning electron microscopy, Malvern particle size analyzer, and Malvern Zetasizer, respectively. An aqueous slurry of linerboard pulp containing 5−15 wt % modified fillers was used for handsheet preparation, and the effects of the addition of modified filler on the paper properties were studied. At a dosage of 10% of the modified filler (based on filler), the retention of the filler was higher than 75%. The strength properties of paper with starch modified fillers were improved by approximately 15% when compared against those of paper with unmodified fillers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and ionic liquids (ILs) are potential solvents for lignocellulosic biomass fractionation. In this study, the rice straw pretreatment efficiency of four cholinium-based solvents (DESs and ILs) prepared from the same sources (lactic acid and lysine) were comparatively investigated at 110 °C for 4 h. The lignin removal rate correlated well with the saccharification efficiency of the pulps. Quantum chemical (QC) calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations focused on the microscopic structure and non-covalent interactions of the solvents and lignin model molecules (guaiacylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether, GG) were carried out, and the results indicate that anions of the solvent systems play a leading role (through strong hydrogen bonds or electrostatic interactions) in establishing interactions with GG, supported by cations (via van der Waals interactions). There were clear positive relationships between the total interaction energies (IEs) and lignin removal, cellulose digestibility and glucose yields. In particular, [Ch][Lys] with a low self-interaction energy is able to free some active sites to form strong hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions with lignin, thus resulting in lignin dissolution and excellent delignification. For cholinium cations, an ideal partner system provides low self-IEs for solvent molecules and strong IEs between solvents and lignin, which are determined by the type and number of functional groups and the alkyl chain length of the partner components. This work provides ideas about tailoring suitable partner systems for cholinium cations to build solvents for efficient biomass deconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitinase is a kind of hydrolase with chitin as a substrate and is proposed to play an essential role in plant defense system by functioning against fungal pathogens through degrading chitin. Recent studies indicated chitinase is also involved in abiotic stress response in plants, helping plants to survive in stressful environments. A. nanus, a rare evergreen broad-leaved shrub distrusted in deserts in Central Asia, exhibits a high level of tolerance to drought and low temperature stresses. To identify the chitinase gene involved in drought and low temperature responses in A. nanus, we performed genome-wide identification, classification, sequence alignment, and spatio-temporal gene expression analysis of the chitinases in A. nanus under osmotic and low temperature stress. A total of 32 chitinase genes belonging to glycosyl hydrolase 18 (GH18) and GH19 families were identified from A. nanus. Class III chitinases appear to be amplified quantitatively in A. nanus, and their genes carry less introns, indicating their involvement in stress response in A. nanus. The expression level of the majority of chitinases varied in leaves, stems, and roots, and regulated under environmental stress. Some chitinases, such as EVM0022783, EVM0020238, and EVM0003645, are strongly induced by low temperature and osmotic stress, and the MYC/ICE1 (inducer of CBF expression 1) binding sites in promoter regions may mediate the induction of these chitinases under stress. These chitinases might play key roles in the tolerance to these abiotic stress in A. nanus and have potential for biotechnological applications. This study provided important data for understanding the biological functions of chitinases in A. nanus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Developing highly efficient, sustainable carbon cathodes is essential for emerging Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZICs). Herein, lignin's novel chemical modification (amination) has been developed to produce high quantity pyrrolic-N moieties as active sites. Furthermore, chemically modified amine moieties in lignin are vital as a natural self-activating template to generate hierarchical porosity in the 2D (graphene-like) architecture with exceedingly high surface area (2926.4 m2g−1). The rationally introduced dominated pyrrolic-N moieties boost the Zn-ion storage capacity and reaction kinetics due to the dual energy storage mechanism and efficient charge transfer between pyrrolic-N and Zn+2 ions. Furthermore, the pyrrolic-N species are energetically favorable for the adsorption of Zn+2 ions by the formation of N -Zn+2 chemical bonds. Besides, the nitrogen oxides reduce the intrinsic resistance and induce a more polarized surface, resulting in high wettability and efficient transfer of electrolytes into the pores of hydrophobic carbon materials. Subsequently, the chemically modified lignin-derived activated carbon material (Chem-ACM) as a cathode in ZICs delivers a high capacity of 161.2 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 with the admirable energy density of 106.7 W h kg−1 at 897 W kg−1 and excellent retention capacity (94%) after 10,000 cycles. Mainly, the assembled quasi solid-state ZICs using Chem-ACM retains the remarkable storage capacity (202 mA h g−1 at 0.2 Ag−1) even at a high bending angle. Notably, the Chem-ACM has been further employed in symmetric supercapacitors as an electrode, and it displays exceptional specific capacitance of 354 Fg−1 at 0.5 Ag−1 with tremendous energy (43.5 W h kg−1) and the power density (0.53 kW kg−1). Additionally, the charge storage capability of Chem-ACM is positively dependent on high nitrogen contents, and it is extrapolated that pyrrolic-N moieties are dominant active sites. Hence, the designed amination-assisted biocarbon synthesis provides a new way to prepare high nitrogen-containing biocarbon for ZICs and further understand pyrrolic-N species' impact on Zn-ion storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collector–emitter voltage (${V}_{\textsf {CE}}$) plateau of the 500-V deep-oxide trench (DOT) silicon-on-insulator lateral insulated gate bipolar transistor (SOI-LIGBT) during inductive load turn-off is investigated and optimized for the first time in this paper, aiming to reduce the turn-off loss (${E}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}$). The mechanism of ${V}_{\textsf {CE}}$ plateau is revealed by TCAD simulation. In conventional DOT SOI-LIGBT, the large number of stored carries in the silicon region beneath the DOT (Region I) hinders the extension of depletion layer and slows down ${V}_{\textsf {CE}}$ rising during turn-off, leading to a plateau phase. A novel DOT SOI-LIGBT with dual-controllable vertical field plates (CPFs) is proposed to shorten the ${V}_{\textsf {CE}}$ plateau. The dual CPFs are arranged in the DOT and their electric potentials (${V}_{\textsf {F} 1}$ and ${V}_{\textsf {F} 2}$) are controlled through the connection with scrolled resistive polysilicon filed plate. By adjusting ${V}_{\textsf {F} 1}$ and ${V}_{\textsf {F} 2}$ , the accelerated depletion and extraction of stored carriers in Region I can be realized, resulting in a short ${V}_{\mathbf {CE}}$ plateau duration. The ${V}_{\mathbf {CE}}$ plateau duration can be decreased from 156 ns for the conventional SOI-LIGBT to 60 ns for the proposed SOI-LIGBT with ${V}_{F1} = 0$ V and ${V}_{\textsf {F}2} = {0.5}\,\,{V}_{\textsf {CE}}$. The proposed DOT SOI-LIGBT achieves an ${E}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}} $ 59.2% lower than the conventional DOT SOI-LIGBT at the same ${V}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}$ of 2.96 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve a breakthrough in the application of cold caustic extraction, it is necessary to limit the amount of alkali and to dissolve the hemicelluloses sufficiently. A NaOH/ZnO aqueous solution system was used to separate hemicelluloses from bleached bamboo pulp efficiently and selectively. The NaOH/ZnO process proved to be more successful in the removal of hemicelluloses. Under the conditions of 0.5% ZnO concentration, the NaOH/ZnO aqueous solution system decreased the hemicelluloses content to 4.99%, which was lower than 7.46% of the control sample treated with NaOH alone at the same 7% NaOH concentration. Correspondingly, the NaOH/ZnO system led to an increase in alpha-cellulose content with significantly improved hemicelluloses removal efficiency and selectivity. As a result of the NaOH/ZnO process, a higher degree of polymerization was observed, and the cellulose I structure was always maintained, which provided good benefits for the subsequent utilization of cellulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, cellulose paper based triboelectric nanogenerators (CPTENGs) has gained widely attention due to the development of wearable, green and miniaturized electronic products. Modification of cellulose fibers or paper is a feasible method to improve the output performance of CPTENGs, however, the simple and effective routes to improve the triboelectric property of cellulose paper still remain a challenge. Herein, we report a simple method to prepare PEO/cellulose composite paper (PEO/CCP) via mixing polyethylene oxide (PEO) with cationic cellulose fibers. Benefiting from amino groups and PEO, the composite paper exhibits higher triboelectric positive property and triboelectric charge density, thereby endowing PEO/CCP based TENG with outstanding output performance. The voltage, current and power density peak values of PEO/CCP based TENG exhibited linear relationship with amino groups content; in this instance, the performance of the TENGs can be readily adjusted by the amino groups. The voltage, current and power density of PEO/CCP based TENG can be up to 222.1 V, 4.3 μA, and 217.3 mW•m−2, respectively. Moreover, a human-health detection device based on this TENG can monitor the physiological signals such as eye muscles, respiration, heart beat and wrist pulse, promising potentials for applications in human health-care. • PEO can improve the triboelectric positive property of cellulose paper. • The V OC , I SC and Q SC values of PEO/CCP based TENG exhibits linear relationship with amino groups content. • The PEO/CCP based TENG can yield a maximum V OC and I SC of 222.1 V and 4.3 μA. • A human-health detection device with button battery structure was designed. • The human-health detection device can monitor physiological signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Hydrogel devices still cannot overcome the dehydration puzzle. This problem can be solved by using green deep eutectic solvents (DES) instead of water, but the formed gel lacks enough strength and functionality. Herein, we successfully assembled a function-integrated stable anhydrous gel in DES system using active MXene as a function-filler. First, Mxene can catalyze the rapid polymerization of monomers at room temperature. Then, it can also assemble/crosslink the gel through strong interactions with the polymer chains, which endow the gel with great stretchability (∼1750%), self-healing (∼100%), conductivity (1.5 × 10-2 S·m−1), and adhesion (∼7 kPa;pigskin). In addition, the gel also inherits the environmental adaptability of DES, which can achieve nearly 100% weight retention at 40 °C, even 80 °C. Importantly, the application potential of stable functionalized gels in ultra-anti-dryness bioelectrodes, self-healing strain sensors, and electric-generators have been explored and successively demonstrated. The rapid fabrication of functional materials in this new solvent system can be extended to other anhydrous polymer gels for on-demand development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, bleached chemical pulp from hardwood was treated with different carboxylic acid choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvents (CA/ChCl DESs) including formic acid, acetic acid, ethanedioic acid, propanedioic acid and choline chloride. The dissolution and degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose in chemical pulps in these DESs were analyzed, while the relationships between the polarity parameters of DESs and the degradation and dissolution of cellulosic fibers were discussed. The results show that dicarboxylic acids/ChCl were more conducive to the solubility and degradation of cellulosic fibers compared to monocarboxylic acids/ChCl at a higher temperature. In addition, the increase in alkyl of the CA could reduce the solubility to cellulosic fiber. The further study reveals that the dissolution and degradation of cellulosic fibers are generally governed both by temperature and the ability of DESs hydrogen bond acidity (α), while temperature shows little effect on α. However, no remarkable relationships were found between the DESs hydrogen bond basicity (β) and cellulose degradation and dissolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria and virus infections have posed a great threat to public health and personnel safety. For realizing rapid sterilization of the bacteria and virus, electrical stimulation sterilization was adopted to endow cellulose fibers with instantaneous antibacterial and antiviral properties. In the proposed strategy, the fiber is fluffed by mechanical refining, and then by means of the hydrogen bond between hydroxyl and aniline, the polyaniline (PANI) directionally grows vertically along the fine fibers via in-situ oxidative polymerization. Benefiting from the conductive polyaniline nanorod arrays on the fiber stem, the paper made from PANI modified refined fibers (PANI/BCF/P) exhibited excellent antibacterial and antiviral activity, the inhibition rates against S. aureus , E. coli , and bacteriophage MS2 can up to 100 %, 100 %, and 99.89 %, respectively when a weak voltage (2.5 V) was applied within 20 min. This study provides a feasible path for plant fiber to achieve efficient antibacterial and antiviral activity with electrical stimulation, which is of great significance for the preparation of electroactive antibacterial and antiviral green health products. • Refining makes the fiber to be fluffed. • Nanorod arrays can be realized by in-situ growth of PANI on the fine fibers. • Electrical stimulation sterilization is feasible for cellulosic fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Figure C1 KCNF-TENG builds multi-channel, fast-response self-powered wearable sensing systems for human–computer interaction and control hardware. [Display omitted] • kapok cellulose nanofiber film (KCNF) with superior optical, mechanical and biological properties was prepared. • The KCNF dielectric enhancement formed after mechanical treatment significantly improves the electrical output performance of TENG devices. • Self-powered human–computer interaction systems, e.g., five-finger input, smart medicine, and intelligent games, were established. As wearable devices in the fields of medical health, human–computer interaction, and motion detection continue to diversify in their materials and forms, they show vast application potential. Cellulose materials are emerging as prominent materials for fabricating flexible wearable electronic devices because of their favorable skin compatibility, cost-effectiveness, and abundance. However, there is little research on the use of kapok cellulose in wearable electronics. This study addresses this knowledge gap by exploring the high-yield production and waste recycling potential of kapok cellulose. To overcome the limitations of conventional cellulose films, such as poor flexibility, high haze, and limited light transmittance, a kapok cellulose nanofiber film (KCNF) with a transparency of > 90 % and a tensile strain of > 20 % is prepared. The use of the KCNF as a friction electric material in the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) improves its electrical output performance by 228 % and permits its comfortable long-term attachment to the skin for self-powered tactile sensing applications, including game control, text input, and smart medical devices. This study demonstrates that the exploration of KCNF materials expands the options available for developing wearable electronic devices with numerous potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Multi-layer forming technology can integrate triboelectric material with electrode. • The all CPTENGs can exhibit excellent humidity, acid and alkali resistance. • The CPTENGs can yield a V OC , I SC and power density of 227.1 V, 6.9 μA and 520 mW/m2. • Matching CPTENGs with P-ZISC can obtain a self-charging power system (PSCPS). • The PSCPS can drive some miniaturized electronics for a long time. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are regarded as a promising technology to drive the development of flexible/wearable electronics and self-powering sensor. Application of cellulose paper as the triboelectric positive materials makes TENGs more environmentally friendly. However, the limited output performance and stability in harsh environments and oxidation and corrosion of the metal electrodes have limited the practical application of cellulose paper based triboelectric nanogenerators (CPTENGs). Here, we have integrated cellulose paper-based triboelectric material and electrode in one sheet by using multi-layer forming technology in paper industry; the upper triboelectric layer shows excellent triboelectric positive performance, hydrophobicity and acid and alkali resistance, while the bottom electrode exhibits promise conductivity. The all CPTENGs can yield a maximum open-circuit voltage (V OC) of 227.1 V, a short-circuit current (I SC) of 6.9 μA. Furthermore, the V OC values of the all CPTENGs increase from 0.02 V to 225.1 V at the load resistance of 100 Ω∼10 GΩ; and a power density of 520 mW·m−2 is also obtained at a load resistance of 30 MΩ. Moreover, the V OC of CPTENGs not only retains up to 78 % of its initial value at a high relative humidity of 90 %, but also almost maintains unchanged in a wide range of the pH environment (pH = 1∼13). More importantly, the CPTENGs can be readily matched with paper-based zinc supercapacitor (P-ZISC) to act as an all paper based self-charging power system (PSCPS). The PSCPS is capable of driving various miniaturized electronics, such as electronic watch, temperature/humidity indicator, demonstrating its potential application in a sustainable power source for portable and green electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor formaldehyde (HCHO) (emitted from furniture and/or wood products) causes widespread concerns, and photocatalysis is one of the effective methods to degrade HCHO. In this work, we prepared a new MOF-based photo-catalyst by modifying ZIF-67 (modified ZIF-67, ZIF-67-F) via a low-temperature thermal treatment, which allows the conversion of –N＝C– groups in ZIF-67 to –N＝C＝O, effectively expending the limited light absorption of ZIF-67 from 200–310 nm and 500–620 nm to a broad absorption in the UV-visible region of 200 to 780nm. In addition, the dissociation of the functional groups (–CH3) on ZIF-67 creates more cavities and improves the porous ZIF-67-F material. Benefiting from the excellent light excitation and adsorption performance, ZIF-67-F can successfully degrade 87.8% HCHO at room temperature, where, ˙O2− is the main active species in the degradation reactions. In addition, ZIF-67-F shows great stability and reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: T long-term effects of cognitive therapy and behavior therapy (CTBT) for menopausal symptoms are unknown, and whether the effects are different between natural menopause and treatment-induced menopause are currently unclear. Therefore, we sought to conduct an accurate estimate of the efficacy of CTBT for menopausal symptoms. Methods: We conducted searches of Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science databases for studies from 1 January 1977 to 1 November 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing intervention groups to control groups for menopausal symptoms were included. Hedge's g was used as the standardized between-group effect size with a random-effects model. Results: We included 14 RCTs comprising 1618 patients with a mean sample size of 116. CTBT significantly outperformed control groups in terms of reducing hot flushes [g = 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23–0.55, I2 = 45], night sweats, depression (g = 0.50, 95% CI 0.34–0.66, I2 = 51), anxiety (g = 0.38, 95% CI 0.23–0.54, I2 = 49), fatigue, and quality of life. Egger's test indicated no publication bias. Conclusions: CTBT is an effective psychological treatment for menopausal symptoms, with predominantly small to moderate effects. The efficacy is sustained long-term, although it declines somewhat over time. The efficacy was stronger for natural menopause symptoms, such as vasomotor symptoms, than for treatment-induced menopause symptoms. These findings provide support for treatment guidelines recommending CTBT as a treatment option for menopausal symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solution-processable organic photovoltaics (OPVs) attract much attention due to their potential as low-cost and lightweight sources of renewable energy. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of state-of-the-art OPVs based on bulk-heterojunction and tandem structures can reach over 10.0%, resulting from the progress in new materials, device engineering, device physics, etc. In particular, the fabrication and controllability of solution-processable organic active-layer thin films play an important role in the performance of OPV devices. The anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template method is a versatile and fascinating technique for fabricating ordered organic nanostructures with controlled properties. Here, a review is given on the solution-based fabrication of ordered organic semiconductor nanostructures by AAO templates, as well as its application in OPVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of conductive, soft, ultra-stretchable, and asymmetrically adhesive hydrogels is difficult and essential for both wearable electronics and anti-adhesion tissue dressings. In particular, there is still no simple, effective and universal approach to construct an asymmetrically adhesive multifunctional hydrogel. Here, we first synthesized lignosulfonate sodium (LS)-doped PAA hydrogels with uniform adhesion (adhesive strength: ~30.5 kPa), conductivity (~0.45 S/m), stretchability (up to ~2250%), and low compressive modulus (~20 kPa). In the second step, an oriented soaking of Fe3+ onto the upper surface of the resultant composite hydrogel renders the upper surface non-adhesive. This novel strategy masterfully delivers asymmetric adhesion behavior to the upper and bottom surfaces of the same hydrogel (~0 kPa adhesive strength for the upper surface; strong adhesive strength of ~27 kPa for the bottom surface). The asymmetric adhesive hydrogel has proven to adhere well onto the human skin and achieve waste-barrier. Importantly, this hydrogel assembled pressure sensor demonstrates excellent anti-interference and wearable comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, four different media including aqueous water, acetic acid (AA), HCl, and H2SO4 were used to hydrolyze holocelluloses. The decomposition of holocellulose and pseudo‐lignin formation are discussed. It was found that AA and water are almost comparable in catalyzing holocellulose (HC) decomposition but the former can promote sugar decomposition and therefore pseudo‐lignin formation. In contrast, HCl and H2SO4 are more efficient in HC decomposition and furfural formation; specifically, HCl is extremely potent for HC decomposition and furfural formation but inert for pseudo‐lignin formation. The results confirmed that both hydrogen ions and anions would affect the carbohydrate decomposition; in this case, further study revealed that only concentrated Cl− in the water system can promote the furfural formation but Cl− with relative low concentration will inhibit pseudo‐lignin formation. It is proved that, Cl− can stabilize the intermediates that facilitate the pseudo lignin formation. © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, various biomacromolecule-based hydrogels have been extensively and deeply studied in the field of wearable electronics. However, the application of lignin-based hydrogels in flexible devices is still in its infancy. This is mainly due to the significant differences in physical and chemical properties of industrially extracted lignin. In order to seek the universal applicability of diversified lignin in the preparation of hydrogel electronics, we mainly paid attention to the natural physical and chemical properties of lignin to discuss feasible solutions for functional gel design. These properties include chemical reactivity, UV shielding, antibacterial, bio-degradability, anti-oxidation, etc. Finally, in view of lignin's unique properties and the demand for high-quality flexible electronics, some insights are proposed regarding the future research and development directions of lignin-based hydrogel electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti 3 C 2 T x (MXene), a new kind of 2D ceramic nanosheets, is receiving more and more attention in the fields of medicine, biology, energy, electronics, etc. However, the preparation and application of MXene in hydrogel is still in its infancy period. Here, we review the latest progress (after 2018) related to MXene hydrogels in time. Aiming at the key issue of the dispersion stability of MXene in hydrogel systems, the preparation strategy, mechanism, advantages and disadvantages of MXene hydrogels are sorted out in detail, and the potential application prospects of MXene composite hydrogel are introduced. Finally, future viewpoints are put forward for the dispersion stability challenges that need solving in the design of MXene hydrogel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD) is an efficient method for biogas production. In this study, the TAD of Arundo donax cv. Lvzhou No. 1 (ADL-1, a new kind of energy crop with high cold tolerance) at different growth stages was carried out, in order to investigate the relationship between microbial community structure and its function during the fermentation process. The results showed that the most optimal growth period of ADL-1 was 3 months, regarding the yield of biogas production. The TAD process lasted for 10 days with cumulative biogas and methane yields of 312.7 mL/g VS and 231 mL/g VS, respectively. The degradation rates of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin were 41.78%, 27.99%, and 14.46%, respectively. The high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons revealed that the most abundant bacterial phylum in TAD was Firmicutes with three dominant genera of Tepidiphilus, Sedimentibacter, and Gelria. Also, the main archaeal order was Methanomicrobiales, in which Methanoculleus and Methanosarcina were detected as dominant genera. Therefore, this article reveals the dynamic changes of structure and function of microbial communities during TAD of ADL-1, providing the theoretical basis for the development of energy crops with cold tolerance as potential biogas feedstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of lignin-based carbon electrodes for high-performance flexible, solid-state supercapacitors in next-generation soft and portable electronics, has received much attention. Herein, a self-doped multi-porous lignin-based biocarbon (SUMBC) has been prepared via a simple sulfonation assisted sacrificial template method for the effective formation of oxygenated C-S-C moieties in the carbon network. In this proposed method, the sulfonate moieties in lignin are responsible for the successful decoration of oxygen enriched C-S-C moieties as well as for creating the optimal multilevel porous architecture (ultra-micropores, micropores and mesopores) in the carbon matrix with a large surface area (3149 m2 g−1). Because the sulfonate functionalities yield more sulfur species and induce further defects into carbon framework, in the activation process, these sulfur functionalities produce additional narrow micropores. Benefiting from the above unique feature, the supercapacitor (SC) with the SUMBC electrode delivers excellent capacitive behavior in both acidic (2 M H 2 SO 4) and alkaline (6 M KOH) liquid electrolytes. More prominently, the all-solid state, symmetric supercapacitors assembled by SUMBC show outstanding capacitance of ~140 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 in two different devices and reveals high energy density (~5.41 W h kg−1 at 0.5 k W kg−1 power density) and excellent stability. In addition, the solid-state supercapacitors manifest a remarkable flexibility at different bending angles. Hence, the present work provides a new strategy for the preparation of efficient biocarbons via a facile sulfonation assisted sacrificial template method; moreover, the high-performance all-solid supercapacitors based on sulfonated modified lignin has great potential in the field of portable and wearable energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the wide adaptability to samples in various states, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy has attracted increasing attention. In the present work, it was firstly used to analyze lignocellulosic biomass material and develop the possible use for rapid detection. Through the analysis of the spectra, it was observed that the extremely pure microcrystalline cellulose, filter paper and purchased xylan have almost no absorption, whereas the chemical pulps, dissolving pulps and extracted hemicellulose with residual trace impurities show a weak absorption in the range from 200 nm to 400 nm. The prominent sensitivity to the trace impurities, such as residual lignin, makes the UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy a potential tool for the rapid detection of the purity of cellulose and hemicellulose. As for lignin, the spectrum is characterized by a broader strong absorption at 250–280 nm and 280–350 nm, of which the latter is similar to UV absorption spectra. In addition, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy can be potentially used in monitoring lignin-like substance formation in the biomass engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic avalanche instability in the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) lateral insulated-gate bipolar transistors (LIGBT) at low temperature is investigated. The measured results show a time-dependent collector-emitter voltage (V CE) walk event at –40 °C under the OFF-state dynamic avalanche conditions. A charge couple is proposed and TCAD simulations are performed for the mechanism revealing. It is found that the dynamic avalanche instability is closely related to the hole accumulation at the collector-side bottom, the depletion in P-type substrate (P-sub) and the transfer of the breakdown spot. The optimization strategy for the dynamic avalanche stability is drawn based on the revealed mechanism. The V CE walk can be suppressed or eliminated by preventing the dynamic expansion/shrinking behaviour of the depletion layer in substrate or satisfying an equal relationship between the vertical breakdown voltage (BVV) and the lateral breakdown voltage (BVL). With different device types, collector structures, N-drift lengths, BOX thicknesses, substrate biases and substrate types, the V CE walk events at low temperature (–40 °C) are comprehensively discussed in this paper. The V CE walk can be completely eliminated through replacing the P-sub by the N-type substrate (N-sub). • Measured results show a time-dependent collector-emitter voltage walk event at -40oC. • A charge couple is proposed and TCAD simulations are performed for the mechanism revealing. • The dynamic avalanche instability is closely related to the hole accumulation at the collector-side bottom. • The optimization strategy for the dynamic avalanche stability is drawn based on the revealed mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a simple two-stage pretreatment (TSP) was utilized to improve hemicellulose separation and alleviate lignin condensation and therefore facilitate hemicellulose extraction and subsequent kraft pulping. In contrast to single-stage pretreatment, TSP showed a significant improvement for hemicellulose extraction and hemicellulose degradation and provided an almost identical cellulose loss. The hemicellulose separation efficiency was significantly improved using TSP with 60 min first followed by 30 min. More importantly, proper pretreatment is beneficial to the subsequent delignification; extensive pretreatment can retard delignification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, five types of superjunction (SJ) configurations are investigated in the silicon-on-insulator lateral insulated-gate bipolar transistor (SOI-LIGBT). technology computer aided design simulations are carried out to give insight into the mechanism for improving turn-off loss (${E} _{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}$) by adopting SJ in the drift region of SOI-LIGBT. In mechanism revealing, collector–emitter voltage rising during the inductive load turn-off is divided into two phases: slow rising phase (SRP) and rapid rising phase (RRP). It is found that the depletion accompanying with carrier extraction in the drift region and at the collector is responsible for the SRP and RRP, respectively, and accordingly, the difference of turn-off transient among the five types of SJ configurations is clarified. Moreover, reduced ${E} _{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}$ can be realized by lowering the transition voltage from SRP to RRP (${V} _{\text {A}}$). Low electric potential from the emitter side can be delivered to the collector side through the undepleted regions in P-pillar, which largely determine ${V} _{\text {A}}$. According to the above-mentioned mechanism, an optimization strategy and a novel SJ SOI-LIGBT with composite P-pillar are proposed for the first time. The proposed SJ SOI-LIGBT achieves an ${E} _{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}~76.3$ % lower than the conventional SOI-LIGBT at ON-state voltage drop of ~1.41 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel 500-V rated silicon-on-insulator lateral insulated-gate bipolar transistor (SOI-LIGBT), featuring a W-shaped n-typed buffer and p-typed composite collectors, is proposed for the first time in this paper. The composite collectors which consist of a high-doped p+ layer and a low-doped p− layer can maintain a high level of collector-side hole injection in ON-state; the low-doped p− layer combining with the W-shaped buffer provides a low barrier path for electron extraction during turn-off; thus, high current capability and high turn-off speed can be realized at the same time. The measurement results show that 67.3% decrease in turn-off time can be obtained at the expense of only 6.3% of current capability. Compared with the standard SOI-LIGBT, no additional processing steps or process modifications are required for the proposed SOI-LIGBT. The low-doped p− collector is formed simultaneously with the emitter-side p-well while the W-shaped buffer is formed by diffusion overlapping of two neighboring windows. At 125 °C, the proposed SOI-LIGBT exhibits an ON-state voltage drop of 2.48 V, a saturated current density of 420 A/cm2, a turn-off time of <250 ns, and a short-circuit withstand time of $>4~\mu \text{s}$ , allowing significant improvements in power loss, operating frequency, and ruggedness for single-chip intelligent power ICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract A novel molecularly imprinted membrane (Cell/SiO 2 -MIM) with specific selective recognition sites for paclitaxel (PTX) separation. Highlights • A novel molecular imprinting membrane (Cell/SiO 2 -MIM) was prepared. • The Cell/SiO 2 -MIM has a special recognition ability toward paclitaxel (PTX). • The Cell/SiO 2 -MIM showed excellent perm-selectivity and adsorption capacity to PTX. • The excellent stability and reusability of Cell/SiO 2 -MIM were also demonstrated. Abstract Separating the natural product of paclitaxel from its structural analogs still remains a significant challenge. In this work, a novel molecular imprinting membrane (Cell/SiO 2 -MIM) with specific recognition sites was hierarchically constructed for paclitaxel (PTX) separation. Inspired by mussel, inorganic silica nanoparticles (SiO 2 NPs) were introduced onto the surface of the regenerated cellulose membrane as polymerization platform in an attempt to enhance the permeation flux of the membrane. The specific recognition sites of PTX were constructed on the nanoscale silica surface through the bulk polymerization of vinylpyridine in the presence of PTX as templates, leading to the membrane with the selective recognition ability for the target molecule (PTX). The as-synthesized imprinting membrane exhibited excellent selective adsorption capacity and perm-selectivity towards PTX, with the maximum adsorption amount and separation factor of 46.36 mg/g and 3.77, respectively. Moreover, after six consecutive adsorption and desorption cycles, the membrane maintained the excellent stability and reusability, which facilities its potential application in an industrial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • [Amim][Cl] and [Bmim][Cl] was more suitable for preparing quality film. • A decrease of DP resulted in a higher crystallinity index. • Crystal structure governs the properties of the film. Abstract Three ionic liquids (ILs) with increasing dissolution power, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim][Cl]), 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Amim][Cl]), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([Emim][Ac]), were selected for cellulose dissolution and film preparation through regeneration. The physical properties of the films were investigated, and the correlation between the IL used and the film properties was evaluated. The results indicated that the superior cellulose dissolution system, [Emim][Ac], had the most difficult regeneration process (i.e., more time was required for gel formation), followed by [Amim][Cl], and [Bmim][Cl]. On the other hand, the film produced from [Amim][Cl] had the highest crystallinity, transparency, and tensile strength, followed by the films produced from [Bmim][Cl] and [Emim][Ac]. It was inferred that stronger and more ordered molecular arrangements and inter-molecular interactions preferentially occurred during cellulose regeneration from [Amim][Cl] than during cellulose regeneration from [Bmim][Cl] and [Emim][Ac]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • GCOS with high DS was firstly synthesized in an acid-free aqueous medium. • The MIC of GCOS against S. aureus and E. coli is only 1/8 of COS. • GCOS-CFs show excellent antibacterial and antiviral activity. • Antibacterial and antiviral activities of GCOS-CFs are stable to water and heat. The worldwide spread of COVID-19 has put a higher requirement for personal medical protective clothing, developing protective clothing with sustained antibacterial and antiviral performance is the priority for safe and sustaining application. For this purpose, we develop a novel cellulose based material with sustained antibacterial and antiviral properties. In the proposed method, the chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) was subjected to a guanylation reaction with dicyandiamide in the presence of Scandium (III) triflate; because of the relatively lower molecular weight and water solubility of the COS, GCOS (guanylated chitosan oligosaccharide) with high substitution degree (DS) could be successfully synthetized without acid application. In this instance, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the GCOS were only 1/8 and 1/4 of that of COS. The introduction of GCOS onto the fiber endowed the fiber with extremely high antibacterial and antiviral performance, showing 100% bacteriostatic rate against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and 99.48% virus load reduction of bacteriophage MS2. More importantly, the GCOS modified cellulosic fibers (GCOS-CFs) exhibit excellent sustained antibacterial and antiviral properties; namely, 30 washing cycles had negligible effect on the bacteriostatic rate (100%) and inhibition rate of bacteriophage MS2 (99.0%). Moreover, the paper prepared from the GCOS-CFs still exhibited prominent antibacterial and antiviral activity; inferring that the sheeting forming, press, and drying process have almost no effect on the antibacterial and antiviral performances. The insensitive of antibacterial and antiviral activity to water washing (spunlace) and heat (drying) make the GCOS-CFs a potential material applicable in the spunlaced non-woven fabric production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust superhydrophobic and superoleophilic cellulose- g -PFOEMA filter paper membranes were fabricated via surface grafting of poly(perfluorooctylethyl methacrylate) (PFOEMA) using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The surface chemical compositions, morphologies and wettability of cellulose- g -PFOEMA with different degree of graft ratio (DG) were investigated using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and contact angle (CA) measurement. IR and XPS showed that PFOEMA were introduced into surface of filter paper. The superhydrophobicity of filter paper increased with amount of PFOEMA grafted. When DG of grafted PFOEMA was higher than 11.2%, the superhydrophobicity reached a steady state and the measured water contact angle was about 157°. The PFOEMA-grafted filter paper exhibited excellent chemical resistance toward a wide range of pH solution from 1 to 12. Cellulose- g -PFOEMA is convenient for oil/water separation with efficiency higher than 95%. The excellent reusability and stability make cellulose- g -PFOEMA filter paper membrane a promising candidate in the applications of oil spillage cleanup and the separation of oil/water mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, an ionic liquid/water (IL/w) system was developed to separate hemicelluloses from the chemical pulp with enhanced efficiency by employing xylanase. In the traditional IL/w process, when the water content was in the range 20-15%, the extraction of hemicelluloses was 71–80%. However, the highly efficient hemicelluloses removal was always accompanied with an increased cellulose loss. In this regard, xylanase (X) pretreatment was introduced to facilitate the IL/w process for improving the separation selectivity/efficiency of the hemicelluloses. In the case of the IL/w-20 (water content is 20%) procedure, X 30 (30 mg/g xylanase) pretreatment could increase hemicelluloses removal from 71 to 78%, while the separation selectivity increased from 11.0 to 43.8. Additionally, X pretreatment also reduced IL usage/charge to achieve the same degree of hemicelluloses removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The worldwide outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has attracted extensive attention to antibacterial and antivirus materials. Cellulose is the most potential candidate for the preparation of green, environmentally friendly antibacterial and antiviral materials. Herein, modified cellulosic fibers with sustained antibacterial and antiviral performance was prepared by introducing chitosan oligosaccharide onto the fibers. The two-step method is proved to be more effective than the one-step method for enhanced chitosan oligosaccharide loadings and antibacterial and antiviral activity. In this instance, the modified fibers with 61.77 mg/g chitosan oligosaccharide loadings can inhibit Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by 100 % after contacting with bacteria for 12 h and reduce the bacteriophage MS2 by 99.19 % after 1 h of contact. More importantly, the modified fibers have washing durable antibacterial and antiviral activity; the modified fibers have 100 % antibacterial and 98.38 % antiviral activity after 20 washing cycles. Benefiting from the excellent performance of the individual fibers, the paper prepared from the modified fibers show great antibacterial (100 %) and antiviral performance (99.01 %) and comparable mechanical strength. The modified fibers have potential applications in the manufacture of protective clothing and protective hygiene products. • Chitosan oligosaccharide is used to prepare cellulosic fibers with antibacterial and antiviral performance. • Two-step method is proved to be effective in COS loadings and antibacterial and antiviral performance. • The modified fibers show excellent antibacterial and antiviral activity. • The modified fibers show excellent antibacterial and antiviral durability against washing. • The paper made from modified fibers still exhibits excellent antibacterial and antiviral performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose and its derivatives have received much attention as green raw materials to prepare ultrafiltration membranes. However, the inferior performance (low rejection, poor anti-fouling etc.) hinders their development. To improve the preparation of cellulose based ultrafiltration membrane and its performance, in this study, we developed a facile strategy to fabricate cellulose acetate ultrafiltration membranes by adding methyl acetate (MAC, as a co-solvent) to N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The results show that the pore morphologies of the membrane can be regulated by adjusting the DMAc to MAC ratio. Under optimal conditions, the pure water flux can reach 188.0 L/m2h, with the BSA rejection ratio of 95.2 %, which is about 20 % higher than the control. Furthermore, the anti-fouling and long-term stability of ultrafiltration membranes have improved significantly. The above results support the conclusion that using a mixed solvent by adding MAC to DMAc is effective for tuning the pore structure of cellulose-based ultrafiltration membrane, hence, improving its performance for water purification. • A method of using MCA as cosolvent to regulate CA membrane structure was proposed. • The water flux of the membrane reached 188.0 L/m2h. • The BSA rejection of the membrane reached 95.23 %. • The anti-fouling and long-term stability of membranes have improved significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To further explore the factors that resist hemicelluloses degradation and release, the chemical composition and molecular weight (MW) in both the interior and exterior portions of the hydrothermally pretreated bamboo substrates were characterized. The chemical composition analysis showed that pretreatment made the lignin tend to accumulate on the exterior surface of the bamboo chips; and therefore gave rise to a large difference of lignin content between exterior and interior. Along with the degradation of hemicelluloses, the difference of hemicelluloses content in both the exterior and interior part became small. On the contrary, the hemicelluloses from the both exterior and interior portions had an invariable MW in the early stage of pretreatment; whereas, the difference of hemicelluloses MW between the exterior and interior part increased with the pretreatment continue, indicating low MW of hemicelluloses in the interior portion. Long time pretreatment promoted increasingly lignin covering on the surface of the chips; the lignin coatings might act as a hydrophobic layer blocking the access of the degraded hemicelluloses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A cocklebur structured fiber design was developed for polypyrrole modified fibers. • Formation of fibrous polypyrrole on the modified-fiber surface with high yield. • An all-in-one paper supercapacitor was produced with the papermaking technology. • Electrodes and separator were integrated by the inter-layer bonding of paper. In the era of miniaturization, low-cost, high mechanical stability and lightweight are the pre-requisites for the commercialization of smart-wearable supercapacitors (SCs). For this purpose, light-weight, binder-free, sustainable cellulose based thin-films with conductive polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy) have attained considerable attention. However, the delamination of the conductive materials in sandwich-type structures of SCs, particularly during the cyclic bending process at high current densities, is a great challenge for wearable SCs. To circumvent the problem of delamination of conductive materials, multi-layer forming concept that consists of three sequential steps (forming, pressing and drying) in papermaking technology has inspired us to prepare mechanically ultra-stable paper electrodes towards for wearable SCs. For this reason, we firstly adopted the multi-layer concept to design all-in-one paper flexible SCs by integrating PPy-modified cellulose fibers as electrodes, and un-modified cellulose paper as a separator. More importantly, a cocklebur like structure of PPy-modified cellulose fiber has been attained by the virtue of the strong inter-molecular hydrogen bonding between free hydroxyl groups on the surface cellulose fibers and PPy, resulting in increased PPy loading, and thus enhancing the electrochemical properties of the all-in-one paper supercapacitor. Furthermore, these hydroxyl groups facilitate the inter-layer bonding of the paper structure in the subsequent pressing and drying processes, favoring the integration of the electrodes and separator. Benefiting from the multi-layer forming concept and suitable morphology of PPy- modified cellulose, we have prepared an ultra-thin (150 μm) all-in-one paper SC with high areal specific capacitance (up to 562 mF cm−2), high energy density (up to 3.1 mWh cm−3) and high-power density (up to 414.9 mW cm−3). Moreover, the all-in-one paper SC shows excellent flexibility, with negligible specific capacitance loss by bending at 0° to 180° angles after repeating 1000 times. The proposed concept and supercapacitor fabrication process is scalable and can be readily implemented in a modern paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel magnetic superhydrophobic cellulose-based microspheres were fabricated using poly(DOPAm-co-PFOEA), which provide remarkable stability to liquid marbles with various liquids for liquid droplet transportation and manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a previous study by the authors, it was found that benzene-ethanol extraction (BAE) could remove some of the lignin fragments from pretreated bamboo substrate and therefore cause a decrease in the lignin content of the substrate. In the present study, lignin was isolated by dioxane extraction of enzyme hydrolysis of ball-milled substrate (CEL method), and the effects of BAE on lignin molecular weight (MW) were determined. Results indicated that hydrothermal pretreatment could facilitate lignin isolation substantially when CEL method was used. Lignin fragments with low MW were more sensitive to BAE, and therefore, evident increase in both weight average molecular weight (Mw) and number average molecular weight (Mn) was observed; especially, the increase rate of Mn was more than 2.5 times of Mw when degradation prevailed. However, subtle changes were found in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra between the lignin samples with and without BAE; the solubility of lignin in benzene-ethanol solution was more dependent on the MW level than on the functional groups in lignin structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose-based membranes have emerged as an attractive alternative to non-biodegradable petrochemical materials. An important drawback, however, is that cellulose-based membranes are prone to biofouling. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) encapped with polyacrylic acid were conjugated with the chitosan/cellulose composite films to enhance the antimicrobial activities. Using the 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodii-mide hydrochloride and N -hydroxysuccinimide as biocoupling agents, AgNPs with an average size of 9 nm were distributed evenly in the film without agglomeration. The presence of AgNPs in the chitosan/cellulose–AgNPs composite films was further confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurements. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis supported the presence of amide bonds between the primary amino groups of chitosan and the carboxylic residues of coordination to silver nanoparticles. The antimicrobial properties of the chitosan/cellulose and chitosan/cellulose–AgNPs composite films were determined using the disk diffusion tests with Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ). As compared to the chitosan/cellulose composite films, the chitosan/cellulose–AgNPs composite films showed significantly improved antimicrobial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel SiC/Pyrrolic-N doped carbon material have been synthesized from bamboo. • Inherent SiO 2 moieties in natural bamboo has been used as a sacrificial template. • The synergy of SiC and Pyrrolic-N has been demonstrated for Faradaic redox reactions. • Natural bamboo-based carbon materials deliver capacitance of 369 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1. • Bamboo-based carbon materials deliver 100% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. It is still challenging to prepare porous carbon materials following a facile, green and universal sacrificial template method from renewable biomass. For this purpose, bio-renewable bamboo is a natural silicon reservoir containing a significant amount of inherent silica that can act as a natural sacrificial template for the formation of porous carbon materials as well as a dopant. Herein, we firstly report the SiC/N dual doped bio-renewable carbon material via a facile, natural sacrificial template method. In this newly developed method, the inherently available SiO 2 nanoparticles have been utilized as the natural sacrificial template for creating the multi-porous architecture as well as for the generation of structural defects in the form of SiC nano-species. Additionally, the inherent nitrogen functional groups give rise to the formation of only pyrrolic-N species after pyrolysis. Furthermore, dual doping of SiC and pyrrolic-N species stimulate the faradaic redox reaction during the charge/discharge process and further increase the rate capability at higher current density with excellent electrochemical stability. Hence, the synergistic effect of SiC and N-pyrrolic dually doped carbon network gives rise to the formation of promising electrode material towards supercapacitors. Benefiting from the above unique features, the supercapacitor with the SNAC-1 electrode material delivers excellent capacitive behavior (369 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1) in 1 M H 2 SO 4 electrolyte with 100% capacitance retention after 5000 charge–discharge cycles. More prominently, the all-solid state, symmetric supercapacitors assembled by SNAC-1 show outstanding capacitance of 162 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and reveal high energy density (∼5.41 W h kg−1 at 0.5 kW kg−1 power density) and excellent cyclic stability. This work provides an ideal sustainable solution from bamboo source to prepare porous SiC/N composites for cost-effective supercapacitor's electrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was oxidized to form dialdehyde CMC (DCMC). [•] Guanidine hydrochloride (GH) was grafted onto the DCMC to obtain DCMC-GH. [•] The coating of DCMC-GH onto paper resulted in the improvement of paper strength. [•] The DCMC-GH-coated paper exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been investigated as a promising device to harvest mechanical energy into electricity. At present, paper-based triboelectric nanogenerators (P-TENGs) have been widely researched because paper features with lightweight, low cost, abundance, renewability and biodegradability. In this paper, the operating principles and operation modes of TENGs, the development progress and performance enhancement routes of P-TENGs are comprehensively reviewed. Additionally, the overview, challenges and opportunities of P-TENGs applications are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Front Cover: Solution ‐ processable organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have attracted much attention due to their potential as low cost and lightweight sources of renewable energy. The anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template method is a versatile and fascinating technique to fabricate ordered organic nanostructures with controlled properties. An overview on the solution ‐ based fabrication of ordered organic semiconductor nanostructures by AAO templates as well as its application in OPVs is provided. Further details can be found in the article by H. Wu, J. Yang,* S. Cao, L. Huang, and L. Chen on page 584. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Green bamboo was hydrolyzed over a range of durations at different temperatures. A simple pseudo-homogeneous irreversible first order kinetic model was developed to describe pentosan solubility during steam treatment of green bamboo. To avoid the influence of soluble pentosan during heating process, kinetic parameters were effectively dissolved based on the data in the reacting process. Moreover, the pentosan solubility during heating process was also well modeled by numerical algorithm method. According to the origin of H factor, a modified parameter called steam treatment factor (f(P)) was proposed in this paper based on the determined kinetic constants. Finally, residual pentosan in whole process could be predicted properly based on the f(P) and the introducing of potential hydrolysis degree (h d). After using f(P) to combine reaction temperature and time into a single factor, comparative result showed that steam treatment is more effective for removing pentosan compared with hot water extraction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Perdeuterated pyridinium chloride–DMSO-d6 is an effective solvent system for whole cell biomass dissolution and NMR characterization. Employing this solvent system, semi-quantitative 13C–1H heteronuclear single quantum correlation (HSQC) spectroscopy of untreated, steam, dilute acid and lime pretreated poplar biomass samples was readily accomplished. In an effort to demonstrate the efficacy and usefulness of this fairly new characterization technique, relative spectral intensities of the untreated and pretreated biomass samples were evaluated and compared. From the relative signal intensities of hemicelluloses in each system it was observed that hemicelluloses are being removed in various pretreatment conditions, but complete dissolution of hemicellulose was observed only with acid pretreatment. The relative changes in lignin subunits after pretreatment were estimated from the volume integration of resolved cross peaks of various lignin subunits. The degradation of lignin was observed in all pretreatments, though more significant changes were noticed after dilute acid and lime pretreatment. HSQC analysis results were in agreement with the composition analysis of pretreated biomass samples. Thus, this methodology broadens the application of whole cell NMR analysis in biofuel research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Keeping in view the huge demands of green and flexible supercapacitors to further digitalize and electrify human community, it is imperative to develop cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions. Herein, we report a sequential protocol to fabricate flexible, lightweight and inexpensive cellulose fiber thin film electrode based on vertically aligned polyaniline (PANI) nano-dendrites@fiber for supercapacitors. In this process, the mechanical shearing not only induces the branched architecture on cellulose fibers, but also promotes the subsequent growth of vertically aligned nano-dendrites of PANI on the cellulose fibers with increased PANI loading. The high fibrillation caused by mechanical shearing and the well-ordered growth of vertically aligned PANI dendrites on cellulose fibers make the resultant PANI@Paper hierarchically porous with high specific surface area, conductivity, mechanical strength and flexibility. The PANI@Paper based supercapacitor demonstrates excellent specific capacitance of 296 Fg-1 at 1 Ag-1 and areal capacitance of 5017 mF cm−2 at 10 mA cm−2. Furthermore, a solid-state supercapacitor based on PANI@Paper demonstrates excellent capacitance (282 Fg-1 at 1 Ag-1), high energy density (2.5 Wh kg−1) and power density of (0.3 kW kg−1). Impressively, all-paper supercapacitor fabricated with PANI@Paper and commercial paper shows remarkable capacitance (271 Fg-1 at 1 Ag-1) and flexibility while maintaining the electrochemical stability. [Display omitted] • Novel vertically aligned PANI nano-dendrimers@CF as a flexible electrode for SCs. • Synthesis of PANI nano-dendrimers@CF via mechanically enhanced polymerization method. • PANI nano-dendrimers@CF based electrodes for the mass production of all-paper SCs. • The PANI@Paper electrode delivers excellent areal capacitance of 5017 mF cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The asymmetric hydrogel is adjusted and assembled by lignin and cellulose derivatives. • The hydrogel exhibits completely asymmetric adhesion, strength, and electriferous. • The hydrogel-based sensor has excellent skin adaptability and application stability. • The hydrogel can be applied to self-adhesive bioelectrodes and self-powered sensors. Mechanical adaptability, great wearability, application stability, and self-powered sensing characteristics are important requirements for hydrogel-based strain sensors. In this study, a novel double-layer hydrogel was fabricated with asymmetrical adhesion, strength, and electriferous properties. Wherein, the lignosulfonate sodium (LS)-borax mediated bottom hydrogel layer exhibits excellent softness (Young's modulus: ~14.2 kPa) and skin-adhesion (Adhesive strength: ~18.7 kPa) while the quaternary hydroxyethyl cellulose (QHEC) mediated top hydrogel layer demonstrates great mechanical strength (Young's modulus: ~101.3 kPa) and non-adhesive (Adhesive strength: ~2.2 kPa) properties. These complementary asymmetrical adhesion and strength properties endow the hydrogel-based sensor with exceptionally stable sensing performance and adaptive wearability; moreover, the lignocellulosic materials utilization plays a significant role in the designability, antibacterial and biodegradable properties. In addition, the synergy of negative LS (-) and positive QHEC (+) particles enables the double-layer hydrogel great self-powered sensing because of the directional movement of free ions initiated by the external mechanical stimulus. This study presents a hierarchical design idea of wearable electronics, which will have potential applications in many fields from wearable bioelectrodes to self-powered sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose paper has been functionalized by nanoparticles such as Ag nanoparticles, TiO2, and BaTiO3 for versatile applications including supercapacitor, sensors, photoactivity, and packaging. Herein, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanosheet-modified paper (ZnO@paper) with excellent antibacterial properties was fabricated via a mild ZnCl2-urea eutectic solvent. In this proposed method, cellulose fibers as the raw material for ZnO@paper were treated by an aqueous solvent of ZnCl2-urea; the crystalline region was destroyed and [ZnCl]+-based cations were adsorbed on the surface of cellulose fibers, facilitating more ZnO growth on ZnO@paper. A flexible paper-based triboelectric nanogenerator (P-TENG) was made of ZnO@paper paired with a PTFE film. The P-TENG presents high triboelectric output performance and antibacterial activity. For instance, the output voltage and current of the P-TENG were 77 V and 0.17 μA, respectively. ZnO@paper showed excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus, suggesting that a P-TENG can restrain and kill the bacteria during the working process. The results also indicated that ZnO could improve the surface roughness of cellulose paper, enhancing the output performance of a flexible P-TENG. In addition, the potential application of a P-TENG-based pressure sensor for determining human motion information was also reported. This study not only produced a high-performance P-TENG for fabricating green and sustainable electronics, but also provides an effective and novel method for ZnO@paper preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic phytochemical investigation of Pteris wallichiana J. Agardh resulted in the isolation of twenty compounds, including five sesquiterpenes (1 – 5), six flavonoids (6 – 11), seven phenolic acids (12 – 18) and two fatty acids (19 and 20). Their structures were deduced from MS, NMR and ORD data. This is the first report of compounds dehydropterosin B (2), (2 R ,3 S)-pterosin C (4), (2 R ,3 R)-pterosin L (5), apigenin (6), luteolin (7), luteolin-7- O -glucoside (10), caffeic acid (13), vanillin (14), 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (15), chlorogenic acid (17), 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (18), suberic acid (19) and azelaic acid (20) from P. wallichiana and of compounds 15 , 19 and 20 from the family Pteridaceae. Furthermore, a chemotaxonomic study of the isolates was performed. • A phytochemical study of P. wallichiana led to isolation of twenty compounds. • Compounds 2 , 4 – 7 , 10 , 13 , 14 , 17 and 18 were first found from P. wallichiana. • Compounds 15 , 19 and 20 were first found from the family Pteridaceae. • P. wallichiana has a close chemotaxonomic relationship with other Pteris species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]