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Separators are applied to segregate cathode and anode, and provide ion transport channels in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Nevertheless, present commercial polyolefin separators represent high thermal shrinkage and inferior electrolyte wettability, seriously limiting wider development of LIBs. In this work, we prepared zirconia (ZrO

Background. The competing endogenous RNA (CeRNA) network plays important roles in the occurrence and development of colon cancer. This research is aimed at constructing a miRNA-mRNA network associated with exosomes in colon cancer. Methods. We explored the GEO database and then analyzed the RNAs of 722 samples to obtain differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and mRNAs (DEGs) alongside the progress of colon cancer. Next, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis of DEM target genes and DEGs were performed. In addition, a miRNA-mRNA network related to exosomes in colon cancer was constructed based on DEMs and DEGs. Finally, the expression of miRNA and mRNA in the network was verified by GEPIA2 on the base of TCGA database. Results. Through our analysis, 19 DEMs (17 up and 2 down) and 1672 DEGs (954 up and 718 down) were screened. The GO and KEGG results show that these DEGs were mainly enriched in ribonucleoprotein complex biogenesis, noncoding RNA metabolic process, cell-substrate junction, cadherin binding, transcription coregulator activity, and regulation of the human T-cell leukemia virus 1 infection-related pathway. Besides, a miRNA-mRNA network, including 4 miRNAs (hsa-miR-623, hsa-miR-320c, hsa-miR-486-5p, and hsa-miR-1290) and 7 mRNAs (GNAI1, CADM1, PGRMC2, etc.), was constructed. Three of these seven mRNAs were downregulated in colon cancer. Ultimately, the GNAI1, CADM1, and PGRMC2 expression levels were verified by TCGA database. Conclusions. This study reveals the network relationship between colon cancer exosome-derived miRNA and targeted mRNA. It deepens our understanding of new molecular mechanisms and pathways that may play a role in the occurrence and metastasis of colon cancer.

Developing polyimide (PI) fibers with excellent interfacial adhesion and high mechanical properties for the PI fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites (PFRPs) industry has been challenging. In this work, 4,4′-diamino-(1,1′-biphenyl)-3,3′-diol (HAB) diamine was introduced into the rigid molecular chains, and the high-performance PI fibers, presenting an interfacial shear strength (IFSS) value of 46.33 MPa, tensile strength of 2.62 GPa, and modulus of 100.15 GPa, were successfully manufactured when the content of HAB in mixed diamines was 30 mol %. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy identified the presence of intermolecular H-bonding interactions, and 2D small-angle X-ray scattering indicated that the introduction of HAB moiety contributed to reducing the radii of microvoids in the fibers, which were considered to be the key factors leading to a significant enhancement in the mechanical properties of the fibers. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the static contact angle intuitively illustrated that the synthetic fiber surface contained active hydroxyl groups. The IFSS value of PI fiber/epoxy resin composites (PI/EPs) was 56.47 MPa when the content of HAB reached 70 mol %. Failure morphologies confirmed that the interfacial adhesion of PI/EPs was enhanced owing to the surface activity of PI fibers. Consequently, this study provides an effective strategy to the long-standing problems of high mechanical performances and poor surface activity for traditional PI fibers used in the PFRPs industry.

Microencapsulating phase-change materials (PCMs) into CaCO3 shell is considered as an effective way to resolve the leakage problem of the microcapsule system and enhance its heat transfer. Herein, we designed and fabricated a type of phase-change microcapsule system based on an n-docosane core and CaCO3/Fe3O4 composite shell using a nonaqueous emulsion-templated self-assembly technology for enhancing solar photothermal energy absorption, conversion and storage performance. The type and addition amount of templating agent and the mass ratio of PCM core to wall material play key roles in the formation of microcapsules with a controllable spherical or rhombohedral morphology and a perfect core-shell microstructure. The resultant phase-change microcapsules show a satisfactory latent heat-storage capacity of around 140 J/g, high encapsulation ratio of over 59%, high thermal conductivity of 0.795 W m−1 K−1, excellent leakage prevention capability and good thermal cycle stability when synthesized under the optimum synthetic condition. More importantly, the phase-change microcapsules exhibit a significant enhancement in solar photothermal conversion and storage performance due to the presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in their shell, and their photothermal conversion efficiency was improved by 47.9% compared to the corresponding microcapsules without Fe3O4. In conclusion, the phase-change microcapsules developed in this work show considerable potential in high-efficient solar energy utilization.

Aiming at enhancing the detection efficiency and identification accuracy of tetracycline under a high-temperature condition, this study focuses on an innovative fluorescent sensing system (MIP@CQD-PCM) based on molecularly imprinted phase-change microcapsules along with the carbon quantum dots (CQDs) embedded in their shell. This system was fabricated by microencapsulating n-eicosane as a phase change material (PCM) core within a CQDs-embedded SiO2 shell, followed by coating a tetracycline-templated molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) layer onto the surface of the SiO2 shell. The specific recognition sites to tetracycline molecules were finally achieved by removal of tetracycline template from the MIP layer. Comprehensive characterizations and investigations on the structure and performance of the fluorescent sensing system were given to confirm its successful fabrication in accordance to our design strategy. The resultant MIP@CQD-PCM exhibits a satisfactory thermal storage capacity and phase-change cycle stability for temperature regulation and thermal management applications under a phase-change enthalpy of over 162 J/g. Most of all, a typical fluorescence-quenching effect was obtained from the combination of the CQDs embedded in the SiO2 shell and the tetracycline molecules adsorbed in the MIP layer. This makes the MIP@CQD-PCM achieve an enhanced capability for the fluorescence identification of tetracycline in a high-temperature environment through the in situ thermal management of its PCM core. The MIP@CQD-PCM also displays high selectivity and good reusability for tetracycline detection in industrial applications. This work provides a promising strategy for the design and development of fluorescent sensing systems with high recognition efficiency and identification accuracy in the detection of hazardous substances.

A nanoflaky nickel-hydroxide-decorated phase-change microcapsule system [designated as Ni(OH)2-SiO2-MEPCM] was designed as a smart electrode material for supercapacitor application. This system was constructed through microencapsulating n-docosane core into a silica shell via emulsion-templated interfacial polycondensation, followed by fabricating a nanoflaky Ni(OH)2 layer on the surface of silica shell through structure-directed interfacial precipitation. Such a combination of phase-change microcapsules and electrochemically active material makes the Ni(OH)2-SiO2-MEPCM synchronously implement thermal self-regulation and electrochemical energy storage. The Ni(OH)2-SiO2-MEPCM shows a perfect core-shell structured morphology and well-defined nanoflaky surface microstructure. The Ni(OH)2-SiO2-MEPCM not only possesses a good temperature regulation capability with a latent-heat capacity of around 140 J/g but also exhibits an excellent thermal cycle stability and good high-temperature shape stability. Most importantly, compared to traditional electrode materials, the Ni(OH)2-SiO2-MEPCM can perform effective thermal self-regulation to regulate the micro-ambient temperature by its n-docosane core when used as an electrode material for supercapacitors, leading to improved electrochemical performance and good long-term cycle stability with capacitance retention of 86.2% after 3000 charge-discharge cycles at a high ambient temperature of 50 °C. All of these features indicate that the Ni(OH)2-SiO2-MEPCM developed by this work has great potential as a smart electrode material for electrochemical energy-storage applications.

It is of great significance to disclose the diverse aging pathways for polymers under multiple factors, so as to predict and control the potential aging evolution. However, the current methods fail to distinguish multiple pathways (multi-paths) of polymer aging due to the lack of spatiotemporal resolution. In this work, using polyimide as a model polymer, the hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amino groups from the polyimide aging process were labeled using specific fluorescent probes through boron-oxygen, imine, and thiourea linkages, respectively. When the excitation and emission wavelengths of each fluorescent probe were controlled, the multi-paths in polyimide aging can be visualized individually and simultaneously in three-dimensional fluorescent images. The overall aging process under hydrothermal treatment was destructured into the pyrolysis and hydrolysis pathways. Three-dimensional dynamic studies discovered that the increased humidity, along with the decreased oxygen content, could hamper the pyrolysis reaction and accelerate the hydrolysis reaction, leading to severe degradation of the overall polyimide aging. More importantly, the oxygen showed a higher regulation coefficient in accelerating the pyrolysis reaction, than the water vapor in motivating the hydrolysis reactions. Such a multidimensional identification methodology is able to guide the long-term use of polymers and control their aging process to a harmless direction in advance by tuning the contents of oxygen and water vapor.

A series of polyamic acid (PAA) solutions and corresponding polyimide (PI) films with different chemical structures were prepared through a partial pre-imidization process, and the rheological behavior of PAA solutions and thermal mechanical properties of PI films were investigated in detail. The FT-IR spectra indicate that the pre-imidization degree (pre-ID) of PI could be accurately controlled by adjusting the amount of dehydration reagents. The PI films with a certain pre-ID exhibit better mechanical properties and lower coefficient of thermal expansion. The viscosity curves of PAA solution with varying shear rate show that the PAA solutions with high pre-ID have low shear sensitivity, which exhibits a lower viscosity at the low shear rate, but retains almost the same viscosity at high shear rate. Chain conformation variations with pre-IDs and solvent content were investigated by molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. The MD results indicate that a sudden increase in cohesive energy density leads to gel at a certain pre-ID and the mobility of molecular chain decreases greatly with solvent volatilization. It is supposed that the molecular chain orientation induced by the pre-imidization will be preserved in the subsequent thermal imidization process. Therefore, the PI films with a certain pre-IDs exhibit more excellent thermal mechanical properties, especially for the PI with rigid-rod segments.

High-performance polymeric separators are crucial materials for advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Generally, separators need simultaneously possess qualified flame retardancy, mec...

Functional polymeric materials with electrical bi-stable states possess significant potential for high-density data storage due to their nanoscale memory site, three-dimensional-stacking ability and intrinsic flexibility. Aromatic polyimides bearing donor-acceptor (D-A) skeleton could form charge transfer complex (CTC) under electrical field, leading to their feasibility as memory materials. Three novel porphyrinated polyimides DATPP-DSDA, Zn-DATPP-DSDA and Mn-DATPP-DSDA were designed and synthesized for information memory applications. Metal ions with different electron configurations at 3d orbital have a determining influence on memory behaviors of polyimides: nonvolatile write-once-read-many-times memory (WORM) for DATPP-DSDA, volatile static random access memory (SRAM) for Zn-DATPP-DSDA, but no memory performance for Mn-DATPP-DSDA. By comparing the contribution of orbital transition and hole-electron distribution of charge-transfer excited states, roles of metal ions in regulating memory types were discussed. Molecular simulation results indicate that the Zn ion could play a bridge role in paving the route for excited electrons from a D to an A, while a trap role for the Mn ion in hindering this process. This study proves the feasibility of the strategy for modulating the memory behaviors of porphyrinated polyimides by varying the central metal ion and provides the exact effects of various metal ions on regulating charge transfer processes.

Temperature/pH dual-stimuli-responsive phase-change microcapsules (Dual-SR-MEPCM) were designed that can form the basis of smart drug delivery systems. They employed n-eicosane as a phase change material (PCM) microencapsulated in an acrylate-functionalized silica shell via emulsion-templated interfacial polycondensation. A poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylate acid) functional layer was then fabricated on the surface of the silica shell through surfactant-assisted radical polymerization. The combination of phase-change microcapsules and stimuli-responsive material results in a system that synchronously implements thermal self-regulation by its PCM core together with controllable drug release through its polymeric functional layer. The resultant Dual-SR-MEPCM exhibits regularly spherical morphology, uniform particle-size distribution and well-defined core–shell microstructure, which indicates successful construction according to our design principle. This system has been further evaluated for multipurpose applications in thermal regulation and drug delivery with independent temperature and pH triggering. The Dual-SR-MEPCM not only shows a high thermal energy-storage capacity of over 160 J/g, but also good anti-leakage performance, thermal cycle stability and high-temperature shape stability. Our studies also reveal independent stimuli-responsive behaviors for temperature and pH when using bovine serum albumin and doxorubicin hydrochloride as model drugs. All of these features indicate that the Dual-SR-MEPCM designed in this study can serve as a promising candidate for smart drug delivery systems, with great potential for future multipurpose applications in advanced pharmaceutical areas.

The object of this paper is to interpret the self-polymerization mechanism of dopamine by molecular simulation and use dopamine polymerization to modify the surface properties of polyimide fibers for improving its interfacial adhesion strength with the epoxy resin matrix. Theoretically, the molecular simulation results of calculated energy band gaps and infrared spectrum of the intermediate products generated in the dopamine self-polymerization process confirmed that the spontaneity of self-polymerization of dopamine and the occurrence of intramolecular cyclization and intermolecular polymerization in the self-polymerization process of dopamine. Moreover, the interaction between polyimide and poly(dopamine) was simulated, and the calculated results showed that the interaction between them depended on hydrogen bonding and was verified by ultrasound treatment. Experimentally, the effect of dopamine treatment concentration on the surface properties of polyimide fibers was investigated. Obviously, after a relatively high dopamine concentration treatment, the surface roughness and surface energy of polyimide fibers were largely improved and the number of active groups on polyimide fibers surface were increased, which were altogether conducive to enhance the adhesion strength of polyimide fibers with the epoxy resin matrix.

As a type of promising phase-change materials, sugar alcohols have a great potential for thermal energy storage due to their high energy-storage density. However, the intermolecular hydrogen bondin...

Here, a rapid and efficient strategy was introduced to prepare polyimide/graphene nanosheet (PI/GN) composite fibers by microwave-assisted imidization. The mechanical properties of the PI/GNs (1 wt%) fibers treated by microwave-assisted imidization were apparently improved with the tensile strength of 1.12 GPa at 350 °C, which was approximately 1.7 times as much as those treated with traditional thermal imidization. The PI/GNs (1 wt%) fibers heated by the microwave-assisted imidization method exhibited excellent thermal stabilities of up to 570.3 °C in nitrogen for a 5% weight loss, and a glass transition temperature above 339 °C. The results of the infrared spectrum and thermal properties indicated that the microwave-assisted treatment could promote the imidization degree of the PI/GN fibers prominently. Meanwhile, as a microwave absorber, graphene nanosheets (GNs) could also promote the imidization process by converting microwave energy into thermal energy. The microwave-polyimide/graphene nanosheet (MW-PI/GN) fibers possessed an optimum tensile strength of 1.38 GPa and modulus of 56.82 GPa at the GN content of 0.25 wt%. The 5% weight loss temperature in nitrogen ranged from 520.9 °C to 570.3 °C, and the glass transition temperature was increased from 305.7 °C to 339.1 °C with increasing the GN content.

CO2 hydrogenation into valuable chemical products has attracted intensive research interest in recent years, with product selectivity control remaining an important topic that requires fine tuning of the catalytic structure and mechanistic understanding. Herein we report our study of anionic phosphorus-regulated indium oxide In2O3 (P-In2O3) nanocatalyst materials for CO2 hydrogenation and achieve nearly full-range selectivity control between methanol and CO products by means of tuning the P content. In situ DRIFTS experiments and XPS characterization reveal the importance of P anion regulation in controlling the CO2 hydrogenation pathways, with an increase in the P content resulting in a decrease in the reducibility of In2O3 that alters CO2 adsorption configuration by blocking and weakening oxygen vacancy (OV) sites for methanol generation and in the meantime creates new sites predominantly active for CO generation. This study demonstrates excellent control of the product selectivity property by regulating the catalyst composition with P anions and provides mechanistic discussions, which offers a new, effective strategy in CO2 hydrogenation catalyst research.

Polyimide/graphene (PI/G) composite fibers containing p-phenylenediamine ( p-PDA), 3,3′,4,4′-Biphenyl tetracarboxylic diandhydride (BPDA) and graphene (G) were prepared by wet spinning and thermal imidization. The mechanical properties, thermal stability, orientation factor and morphology of PI/G composite fibers were characterized and studied. Within the scope of the study, the tensile strength and tensile modulus of the fibers increased first and then decreased with the increase of the graphene content. Moreover, the glass transition temperature and thermal decomposition temperature of the PI/G composite fibers increased with the increased of the graphene content. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the degree of orientation of the of prepared fibers increase firstly and then decrease with the content of graphene increasing. SEM indicated that graphene was dispersed evenly in the PI/G composite fibers and graphene had satisfactory compatibility with PI matrix.

We reported the fabrication of an electrochemical sensor for uric acid (UA) monitoring using metal-free electrode based on heteroatoms (S, N, P, and O) doped carbon (HADC) nanoparticles, derived fr...

The novel copolymerization polyimide (PI) hollow fibers (HFs) of 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) containing –CF3 groups were prepared and investigated through both simulation and experiment. To demonstrate the alteration attributable to the introduction of fluoromonomers, the condensed states of pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA)/4,4′-oxybisbenzenamine (ODA), PMDA/6FDA/ODA, and 6FDA/ODA PI were constructed by Material Studio, and we simulated the mobility of molecular chain, free volume fraction, and O2/N2 dissolution–diffusion process. The molecular dynamics simulation results demonstrated that the properties of the copolymerized PI system with 6FDA were significantly improved, while the selectivity remained almost unchanged. Then, the films of copolymerized PI and HFs were prepared by the two-step method, and O2/N2 permeability of the PI copolymer films was characterized, indicating that although the gas permeation performance was greatly improved, the selectivity was not so satisfactory. However, the selection factor increased heavily after polydimethylsiloxane coating.

Two types of thermosetting polyimide (PI) resin were prepared using a polymerization monomeric reactant method, and high performance PI fabric/PI resin composites were fabricated through a wet infiltration and thermoforming process. The properties of a PI fabric, PI resin, and PI/PI composites were comprehensively analyzed. The experimental results indicate that a resin end-capped with phenylacetylene achieves a better processability and heat resistance. The two composites exhibit excellent thermal, mechanical, and dielectric properties. They achieve a glass transition temperature of higher than 320°C and a 5% weight loss temperature of over 600°C under an air atmosphere. During mechanical testing, an interlaminar shear strength exceeding 35 MPa was achieved, whereas the maximum flexural strength was found to be greater than 400 MPa. Moreover, their dielectric constant at 1 MHz was below 3.4, with a dielectric loss of no more than 0.01.

Poly(4,4'-oxydiphenylene pyromellitimide) (PMDA/ODA) hollow fiber membranes with regular morphologies have been successfully prepared through a two-step dry-jet wet spinning method. The morphologies of polyimide (PI) hollow fibers were regulated via adjusting the major spinning parameters, including dope/bore flow rate ratio, bore fluid composition, coagulation bath temperature and air gap distance. SEM results show that the morphologies of PI hollow fibers strongly depended on the spinning conditions, and fibers with regular asymmetric structures were finally obtained. The fiber wall thickened with the increase of dope/bore flow rate ratio, and the fibers could well self-support when the dope/bore flow rate ratio ranged from 3:1 to 4:1. While higher DMAc content in the bore fluid was conducive to the formation of finger-like voids, reduced amount of DMAc would result in smaller finger-like voids and thereby lower overall porosities as well as better mechanical properties. Moreover, the finger-like voids and surface defects could be effectively prevented by lowering the coagulation bath temperature or extending the air gap distance. Gas separation and mechanical properties of the hollow fibers were found closely related to these morphological changes. On such basis, regular PI hollow fibers with different microstructures and Young’s modulus up to 1040 MPa were successfully fabricated. The prepared polyimide hollow fibers are promising candidates for fine separation under high temperature and high pressure or can be employed as the support of composite membranes.

A series of polyimide (PI) films derived from pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA) were prepared with the employment of chemical pre-imidization, and the pre-imidization degree (pre-ID) was found influential on structures and properties of the films obtained. Specifically, a certain degree of chemical imidization could promote the in-plane orientation of molecular chains inside the film, which then enhanced the mechanical strength and reduced the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the films. Further, such pre-imidization process could expand the internal space gap inside the films, thereby lowering their dielectric constant and glass transition temperature. Our study provides a new approach for preparing high-performance PI films through chemical imidization.

Mesoporous carbon (MPC) nanomaterials, with large specific surface area, excellent conductivity and stability, and effective mass transfer are beneficial for use as catalyst support in electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for fuel cell applications. However, MPC utilization was limited by difficulties in loading catalyst nanoparticles within the MPC pores while simultaneously controlling critical particle parameters such as size and distribution. In this study we report a new vacuum impregnation method combined with solid-state chemistry synthesis for preparing highly active ORR catalyst nanoparticles on MPC supports. We confirm the effectiveness of this method by synthesizing octahedral Pt2CuNi nanoparticles on hydrophilic MPC with an even particle distribution in the MPC pores. We also demonstrate the capability of this method in controlling the particle size and morphology by adjusting the synthesis parameters. The synthesized catalysts exhibited excellent ORR activity and promising durability, which proves the goodness of using MPC support in ORR electrocatalysis. The findings offer a new methodology for synthesizing nanoparticles in MPC pores with parameter control and provide an intriguing strategy to develop new ORR catalysts using MPC support structure.

The synergy between nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) in quaternary heteroatom-doped carbons is rarely probed, although these elements can significantly alter the performance of the oxygen evolution reac...

The tensile properties of polyimide (PI) filament tows were measured under quasi-static state and at high strain rates with a universal tensile testing machine and a split Hopkinson tension bar, respectively. Experimental results showed that mechanical behaviors of the tows were rather sensitive to strain rate, with failure stress and modulus increasing distinctly but the elongation at break declining as the strain rate increased. Besides, the PI filament tows exhibited a higher growth rate of fracture stress than para-aramid fiber and aramid III fiber did, and scanning electronic microscopy observation on the fracture surface indicated a ductile fracture mode. With the increase of strain rate, the axial splitting of fiber intensified. Further, strength distributions of the PI filament tows were evaluated by a single Weibull distribution function, and the curve predicted was in good accordance with the experimental data obtained.

Polymer solar cells (PSCs) with a bulk heterojunction (BHJ) device structure have incredible advantages, such as low-cost fabrication and flexibility. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of BHJ PSCs needs to be further improved to realize their practical applications. In this study, boosted PCEs from PSCs based on BHJ composites incorporated with Fe

Electromagnetic (EM) and infrared (IR) stealth play an important role in the development of military technology and the defense industry. This study focused on developing a new type of multifunctional composite film based on polyimide (PI)/graphene/Fe3O4 hybrid aerogel and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a phase change material (PCM) for EM and IR bi-stealth applications. The composite films were successfully fabricated by constructing a series of PI-based hybrid aerogels containing different contents of graphene nanosheets and Fe3O4 nanoparticles through prepolymerizaton, film casting, freeze-drying, and thermal imidization, followed by loading molten PEG through vacuum impregnation. The construction of PI/graphene/Fe3O4 hybrid aerogel films provides a robust, flexible, and microwave-absorption-functionalized support material for PEG. The resultant multifunctional composite films not only exhibit high microwave absorption effectiveness across a broad frequency range, but also show a good ability to implement thermal management and temperature regulation under a high latent-heat capacity of over 158 J/g. Most of all, the multifunctional composite films present a wideband absorption capability at 7.0–16.5 GHz and a minimum reflection loss of −38.5 dB. This results in excellent EM and IR bi-stealth performance through the effective wideband microwave absorption of graphene/Fe3O4 component and the thermal buffer of PEG. This study offers a new strategy for the design and development of high-performance and lightweight EM–IR bi-stealth materials to meet the requirement of stealth and camouflage applications in military equipment and defense engineering.

Flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) offers an electrochemical, energy-efficient technique for water desalination. In this work, we report the study of carbon-based FCDI, which consists of one desalination chamber and one salination chamber and applies a carbon nanomaterials-based flow electrode that circulates between the cell anode and cathode, to achieve a fast, continuous desalination process. Five different carbon nanomaterials were used for preparing the flow electrode and were studied for the desalination performance, with properties including average salt removal rate (ASRR), salt removal efficiency (SRE), energy consumption (EC) and charge efficiency (CE) being quantitatively determined for comparation. Different FCDI parameters, including carbon concentration and flow rate of the flow electrode and cell voltage, were investigated to examine the influences on the desalination. Long-term operation of the carbon-based FCDI was evaluated using the optimal results found in the conditions of 1.5 M concentration, 1.5 V cell voltage, and 20 mL min−1 flow rate of electrode and water streams. The results showed an ASRR of 63.7 µg cm−2 min−1, EC of 162 kJ mol−1, and CE of 89.3%. The research findings validate a good efficiency of this new carbon-based FCDI technology in continuous water desalination and suggest its good potential for real, long-term application.

Hydrogen is an appealing energy carrier that can potentially replace conventional fossil fuels in the development of a clean, sustainable hydrogen economy, which would resolve environmental problems caused by the combustion of the non-renewable resources while also meeting the rising demand for energy. However, hydrogen storage has remained a major roadblock in the hydrogen economy development. As a matter of fact, the state-of-the-art methods fall short of the 2025 Department of Energy (DOE) onboard hydrogen storage target of 5.5 wt.% under 85 °C and 12 bars. Herein we report a new, electrochemical ethylamine/acetonitrile redox method for efficient, high-capacity hydrogen storage under completely ambient conditions. The amine/nitrile redox couple is selected due to their moderate chemical polarity and relatively simple hydrogenation and dehydrogenation pathways, which would aid reaction activation and reduce the energy barrier. Electrochemical potential provides the driving force in CH3CH2NH2 dehydrogenation under ambient conditions, rather than high temperature and pressure that are typically required to thermally drive an endothermic process. We demonstrate an effective, complete cycle of CH3CN hydrogenation to CH3CH2NH2 for hydrogen uptake and CH3CH2NH2 dehydrogenation to CH3CN for hydrogen release at low overpotentials, using commercial Pt black catalyst in an electrochemical cell. The studied CH3CH2NH2/CH3CN system has a theoretical H2 storage capacity of 8.9 wt.%, well surpassing the 5.5 wt.% DOE target. This study offers a new, effective hydrogen storage strategy that can be extended to many other amine/nitrile redox systems and would help advance the hydrogen economy development.

A series of polyimide (PI) films with a high-temperature-induced shape memory effect and tunable properties were prepared via the facile random copolymerization of 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA) with 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropyl)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) and 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA). The trigger temperature can be controlled from 294 to 326 °C by adjusting the ratio of monomers. The effects of monomer rigidity on the chain mobility, physical properties, and shape memory performance of as-prepared copolyimide were systematically investigated. The introduction of ODPA could enhance the mobility of PI macromolecular chains, which made chain entanglement more likely to occur and increased the physical crosslinking density, thereby improving the PI’s shape recovery up to 97%. Meanwhile, the existence of 6FDA enabled PI films to set quickly at low temperatures with a shape fixation of 98%. The shape memory cycling characteristics of the polyimide films are also studied, and the relationship between the PI chemical structure and the film properties are further discussed.