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The viscosity is a foundational parameter of biomacromolecule in the food industry. The viscosity of macroscopic colloids is closely related to the dynamical behaviors of mesoscopic biomacromolecule clusters, which are difficult to be investigated at molecular resolution by common methods. In this study, based on experimental data, multi-scale simulations combining microscopic molecular dynamics simulation, mesoscopic Brownian dynamics simulation, and macroscopic flow field construction were used to investigate the dynamical behaviors of mesoscopic clusters of konjac glucomannan (KGM) colloids (~500 nm) over a long time (~100 ms). Numerical statistical parameters of the mesoscopic simulation of macroscopic clusters were proposed and proved to represent the viscosity of colloids. Based on the intermolecular interaction and macromolecular conformation, the mechanism of the shear thinning effect was revealed as both the regular arrangement of macromolecules at low shear rates (<100 s−1) and structural collapse of macromolecules at high shear rates (>500 s−1). Then, the effect of molecular concentration, molecular weight, and temperature on the colloid viscosity and cluster structure of KGM colloids was investigated by experiments and simulations. This study provides a novel multi-scale numerical method and insight into the viscosity mechanism of biomacromolecule. The viscosity mechanism of konjac glucomannan colloids was investigated by experiments and multi-scale simulations. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of bio-based conductive hydrogel has become the research frontier of flexible sensors. However, it is a challenge to prepare a simple method to prepare bio-based conductive hydrogel with excellent stability, tensile strength, and conductivity. Here, we show a simple strategy to prepare conductive, stretchable, and stable hydrogel (KKLN). The KKLN consists of the conductive polyaniline (PANI) fiber prepared by electrospinning and lithium ions (Li+) in physical form, which has the all-biological matrix with Konjac glucomannan / K-Carrageen (KGM-KC) interpenetrating network structure. In this system, the hydrogel shows remarkable mechanical property (strength: 239.26 kPa, strain: 340.69%) and high conductivity (7261 μs/cm) because contribution of PANI fiber and Li+. And the KKLN exhibits outstanding characteristic on the swelling and heat stability performance. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the prepared hydrogel can accurately monitor the movement of the body parts, including the index finger, elbow, wrist, and knee. Therefore, this prepared method and introduction of the fiber prepared by electrospinning provide a new strategy to promote the further development of flexible sensors based on the biological matrix. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Konjac glucomannan/zeolitic imidazole framework-67 (KGM/ZIF-67) hybrid aerogels were prepared as novel adsorbents to remove malachite green (MG) from aqueous solutions. The impacts of adsorption temperature, solution pH, and ionic strength on adsorption capacity were investigated. The results show that ZIF-67 coordinates with the molecular chain of KGM and modifies the KGM aerogel. The adsorption equilibrium time of KZ2 for MG is 150 min. The adsorption process follows the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 2891.30 mg·g−1 at 30 ℃. MG adsorption using the hybrid aerogels is a spontaneous and endothermic process. This research shows that hybrid aerogels prepared using KGM and ZIF-67 are promising for use in new water purification applications. [Display omitted] • The inorganic-organic hybrid aerogels are fabricated from biopolymer-KGM and ZIF-67. • Ultra-high molecular chain of KGM perform as good carrier for the dispersion of ZIF-67 in the hybrid aerogels. • The KGM/ZIF-67 hybrid aerogels exhibit good recyclable adsorption properties for MG dye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]