Search

Abstract Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) poses challenges for targeted delivery and retention of therapeutic proteins due to excess extracellular matrix (ECM). Here we present a new approach to treat MASH, termed “Fibrosis overexpression and retention (FORT)”. In this strategy, we design (1) retinoid-derivative lipid nanoparticle (LNP) to enable enhanced mRNA overexpression in fibrotic regions, and (2) mRNA modifications which facilitate anchoring of therapeutic proteins in ECM. LNPs containing carboxyl-retinoids, rather than alcohol- or ester-retinoids, effectively deliver mRNA with over 10-fold enhancement of protein expression in fibrotic livers. The carboxyl-retinoid rearrangement on the LNP surface improves protein binding and membrane fusion. Therapeutic proteins are then engineered with an endogenous collagen-binding domain. These fusion proteins exhibit increased retention in fibrotic lesions and reduced systemic toxicity. In vivo, fibrosis-targeting LNPs encoding fusion proteins demonstrate superior therapeutic efficacy in three clinically relevant male-animal MASH models. This approach holds promise in fibrotic diseases unsuited for protein injection.

Abstract Polyamorphic transition (PT) is a compelling and pivotal physical phenomenon in the field of glass and materials science. Understanding this transition is of scientific and technological significance, as it offers an important pathway for effectively tuning the structure and property of glasses. In contrast to the PT observed in conventional metallic glasses (MGs), which typically exhibit a pronounced first-order nature, herein we report a continuous PT (CPT) without first-order characteristics in high-entropy MGs (HEMGs) upon heating. This CPT behavior is featured by the continuous structural evolution at the atomic level and an increasing chemical concentration gradient with temperature, but no abrupt reduction in volume and energy. The continuous transformation is associated with the absence of local favorable structures and chemical heterogeneity caused by the high configurational entropy, which limits the distance and frequency of atomic diffusion. As a result of the CPT, numerous glass states can be generated, which provides an opportunity to understand the nature, atomic packing, formability, and properties of MGs. Moreover, this discovery highlights the implication of configurational entropy in exploring polyamorphic glasses with an identical composition but highly tunable structures and properties.

Powder bed fusion (PBF), along with subsequent heat treatment, plays a crucial role in enhancing the impact toughness of FeCoNiCrMo0.2 high-entropy alloys (HEAs) and expanding their potential applications in field for high-speed deformation. In this study, the dynamic-mechanical properties and microstructure of the as-built PBF–FeCoNiCrMo0.2 HEAs and quenched PBF–FeCoNiCrMo0.2 HEAs heated at 600–750 °C for 8 h were investigated. As the heating temperature increases, the columnar grains and cellular structures undergo coarsening and the dislocation density gradually decreases. Moreover, higher heating temperatures facilitate the precipitation of Mo-rich second phases. This occurrence can be primarily attributed to the segregation of Mo at the boundaries of the as-built specimens. Consequently, in the quenched specimens, the μ phases are predominantly distributed along the boundaries of the cellular structures. In the quenched Q700 specimen (heated at 700 °C for 8h), the size and volume fraction of the μ phases are measured to be 63.4 nm and 3.59%, respectively. Additionally, under the same condition, the Q700 specimens also exhibited a relatively slight increase in the size of the cellular structures. The impact energy absorption, dynamic yield strength, and dynamic compressive strength of the Q700 quenched specimens were found to be 210.1 MJ/m3, 1066 MPa, and 1649 MPa at a strain rate of 1840 s−1. These values represent a dramatic improvement of 38.1%, 52.7%, and 14.7% higher in comparison to those of the as-built specimens. Under impact deformation, the presence of the μ phases plays a significant role in impeding the movement of dislocations by acting as a pinning agent for the boundaries of the cellular structures, thereby enhancing the strength. Simultaneously, the cellular structures were significantly elongated to form the deformation bands and to coordinate the impact deformation, leading to good impact energy absorption. In combination, the synergistic strengthening and toughening effect of the μ phases and the elongated cellular structures contribute to a remarkable improvement in the impact toughness of the PBF-HEAs.

Abstract An organic photovoltaic bulk heterojunction comprises of a mixture of donor and acceptor materials, forming a semi-crystalline thin film with both crystalline and amorphous domains. Domain sizes critically impact the device performance; however, conventional X-ray scattering techniques cannot detect the contrast between donor and acceptor materials within the amorphous intermixing regions. In this study, we employ neutron scattering and targeted deuteration of acceptor materials to enhance the scattering contrast by nearly one order of magnitude. Remarkably, the PM6:deuterated Y6 system reveals a new length scale, indicating short-range aggregation of Y6 molecules in the amorphous intermixing regions. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations confirm that this short-range aggregation is an inherent morphological advantage of Y6 which effectively assists charge extraction and suppresses charge recombination as shown by capacitance spectroscopy. Our findings uncover the amorphous nanomorphology of organic photovoltaic thin films, providing crucial insights into the morphology-driven device performance.

Abstract Aiming at the creation of polymers with attractive dynamic properties, herein, rotaxane-branched dendronized polymers (DPs) with rotaxane-branched dendrons attached onto the polymer chains are proposed. Starting from macromonomers with both rotaxane-branched dendrons and polymerization site, targeted rotaxane-branched DPs are successfully synthesized through ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Interestingly, due to the existence of multiple switchable [2]rotaxane branches within the attached dendrons, anion-induced reversible thickness modulation of the resultant rotaxane-branched DPs is achieved, which further lead to tunable thermal and rheological properties, making them attractive platform for the construction of smart polymeric materials.

Abstract An in situ autogenous particle‐reinforced Ti‐2.5Zr‐2Al‐1(Si,C) titanium alloy is prepared by vacuum induction melting. The wide range of an effective strain between 0.2 and 1.2 and the corresponding microstructure are obtained by the double‐cone high‐throughput compression test and finite element simulation. The deformation mechanism diagram with strains of 0.2–1.2 and strain rates of 0.7–1.5 s−1 at 900°C is constructed. When the strain rate is 1.3 s−1, dynamic recovery occurs in the small strain range (1.182), resulting in the deformation bands. High‐angle annular dark field and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy are used to determine the existence of bimodal particle distribution, namely micron‐scale TiC particles and nano‐scale Ti5Si3 and (Zr, Si) particles. The average radius of the (Zr, Si) nanoparticles measured by small angle neutron scattering is 19.3 nm, and the volume fraction is 0.35%. DRX grains with an average size of 0.49 μm are obtained at 900°C, strain rate of 1.3 s−1, and strain of about 0.6. Micron‐scale particles stimulated DRX nucleation, while nanoscale particles hindered the growth of new grains, resulting in grain refinement.

The phase separation behaviour of non-structure protein nsp8 of SARS CoV2 in the primer synthesis mechanism is presented, underpinning the replication of coronavirus.

In this work, the nanostructure of oxide dispersion-strengthened steels was studied by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atom probe tomography (APT). The steels under study have different alloying systems differing in their contents of Cr, V, Ti, Al, and Zr. The methods of local analysis of TEM and APT revealed a significant number of nanosized oxide particles and clusters. Their sizes, number densities, and compositions were determined. A calculation of hardness from SANS data collected without an external magnetic field, or under a 1.1 T field, showed good agreement with the microhardness of the materials. The importance of taking into account two types of inclusions (oxides and clusters) and both nuclear and magnetic scattering was shown by the analysis of the scattering data.

Abstract Small-angle neutron scattering and high-pressure mercury intrusion capillary pressure testing are integrated to analyze the pore size distribution of the broad sense shale oil reservoir samples of the Permian Lucaogou Formation in the Jimsar Sag, Junggar Basin, China. The results show that, compared with the measurement method integrating gas adsorption and mercury intrusion, combination of small-angle neutron scattering and mercury intrusion can more accurately characterize full-scale pore size distribution. The full-scale pore size distribution curve of the rock samples in the study area includes two types: the declining type and submicron pore-dominated type. The declining type is mainly found with silty mudstone and dolomitic mudstone, and most of its pores are smaller than 80 nm. Silt-fine sandstones and dolarenite are mostly of the submicron pores-dominated type, with most pores smaller than 500 nm. They also present large specific pore volumes and average pore diameters of macropores and are the favorable lithogenous facies for development of high-quality reservoirs.

In order to investigate the effect of phase separation (PS) on the super duplex stainless steel SAF 2507, the evolution of the nanostructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of the alloy was studied after aging at 500 °C for 1, 10, 100, and 1000 h. The nanostructure of PS was quantitatively characterized by small-angle neutron scattering. The hardness, impact toughness, and pitting corrosion resistance were measured for different conditions. The results show that the early stage of PS had a more significant impact on the nanostructure and properties of SAF 2507. The fracture behavior of the alloy was likely determined by the mechanical properties of ferrite for aged conditions. The pitting corrosion resistance of SAF 2507 aged at 500 °C was closely related to the Cr depletion caused by PS, and the resistance became weaker with the progression of PS. The evolution of the passivation region with aging time correlated well with that of mechanical properties and characteristic parameters of PS, indicating that it is possible to develop a new nondestructive electrochemical method to quantify the evolution of PS in SAF 2507.

Abstract The correlation between structure and function lies at the heart of materials science and engineering. Especially, modern functional materials usually contain inhomogeneities at an atomic level, endowing them with interesting properties regarding electrons, phonons, and magnetic moments. Over the past few decades, many of the key developments in functional materials have been driven by the rapid advances in short‐range crystallographic techniques. Among them, pair distribution function (PDF) technique, capable of utilizing the entire Bragg and diffuse scattering signals, stands out as a powerful tool for detecting local structure away from average. With the advent of synchrotron X‐rays, spallation neutrons, and advanced computing power, the PDF can quantitatively encode a local structure and in turn guide atomic‐scale engineering in the functional materials. Here, the PDF investigations in a range of functional materials are reviewed, including ferroelectrics/thermoelectrics, colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) magnets, high‐temperature superconductors (HTSC), quantum dots (QDs), nano‐catalysts, and energy storage materials, where the links between functions and structural inhomogeneities are prominent. For each application, a brief description of the structure‐function coupling will be given, followed by selected cases of PDF investigations. Before that, an overview of the theory, methodology, and unique power of the PDF method will be also presented.

Ventilation design of the scattering room and sample room in the Chinese Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) is of great significance to maintain good indoor air quality and ensure the health of radiation workers. Based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) theory, the three-dimensional models of the scattering and sample rooms were established and fourteen layout schemes were simulated. Subsequently, the best schemes were selected among three typical layout schemes. On this basis, the paper presents research about the influence of changing the height of the outlet on the ventilation quality. The results show that the trend of numerical simulation is consistent with experimental data, which verifies the reliability of the numerical method. The change of the exhaust port position has an apparent influence on indoor ventilation, which reduces the air age by 4–27%. When the position of the outlet descends 0.5 m, the air age decreases by 2–11%, and this study provides guidance and suggestions for the design of the scattering and sample rooms.

Owing to the potential of sodium as an alternative to lithium as charge carrier, increasing attention has been focused on the development of high-performance electrolytes for Na batteries in recent years. In this regard, gel-type electrolytes, which combine the outstanding ionic conductivity of liquid electrolytes and the safety of solid electrolytes, demonstrate immense application prospects. However, most gel electrolytes not only need a number of specific techniques for molding, but also typically suffer from breakage, leading to a short service life and severe safety issues. In this study, a supramolecular thixotropic ionogel electrolyte is proposed to address these problems. This thixotropic electrolyte is formed by the supramolecular self-assembly of D-gluconic acetal-based gelator (B8) in an ionic liquid solution of a Na salt, which exhibits moldability, a high ionic conductivity, and a rapid self-healing property. The ionogel electrolyte is chemically stable to Na and exhibits a good Na+ transference number. In addition, the self-assembly mechanism of B8 and thixotropic mechanism of ionogel are investigated. The safe, low-cost and multifunctional ionogel electrolyte developed herein supports the development of future high-performance Na batteries.

Although the preparation of artificial light-harvesting systems (ALHs) has attracted increasing attention, dynamic regulation of antenna effect in ALHs has been still a major challenge. Herein, we constructed a family of new rotaxane dendrimers containing up to fifty-six anthracene moieties (energy donor) on the wheels of the rotaxane units and one zinc(II) porphyrin moiety (energy acceptor) at the central core. Notably, the resultant rotaxane dendrimers incorporate a large number of rotaxane subunits on the dendritic skeleton in a monodisperse manner, which thus allowed for the high energy transfer efficiencies and antenna effects. More importantly, with the addition and removal of acetate anions, the directional and reversible motion of rotaxane unit on each axis was realized, thus leading to dynamic regulation of antenna effect in resultant rotaxane dendrimers.

In this work, the precipitation behavior of the ω phase and ω→α transformation in Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-1Cr-1Fe (Ti-55511) alloy was investigated during isothermal aging at 450 °C. The results show that the α precipitates increase with the increasing of aging time, resulting from the β→α and ω→α transformations. The ω→→α transformation involves the formation and evolution of the isothermal ω phase. The formation of the isothermal ω phase occurs after 30 min and ends at 120 min, which is caused by the embryonic ω phase to isothermal ω phase transformation. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) results indicates that the evolution of the isothermal ω phase goes through the increasing average size and aspect ratio from 24.7 to 47.0 nm and from 2.1 to 2.7 respectively, and the morphology evolution of the ω particle from ellipsoid to spindle-like. Moreover, the isothermal ω phase assists the α phase to nucleate at the ω/β interface, which involves the changes in elemental composition. The α phase is enriched in Al. Compared to the α phase, the element of Mo, V and Cr in the isothermal ω phase is lower. The Fe element is uniformly distributed in the isothermal ω phase and β matrix but lean in the α phase.

Advanced amorphous coatings consisting of Co-based metallic glasses with ultrahigh strength (6 GPa) and high microhardness (up to 17 GPa) can significantly improve the surface properties of matrix materials. However, the intrinsic brittleness of Co-based metallic glasses can lead to the initiation of microcracks caused by the inevitable generation of thermal stress during the laser cladding process, which severely limits the potential application. In this paper, the methods of increasing substrate temperature and fabricating composite coatings with the addition of toughened Fe powders were adopted to inhibit the generation of microcracks in the Co55Ta10B35 amorphous coatings. Moreover, neutron shielding performances of the cladding coatings with high B content were investigated with a wide range of neutron energy (wavelength: 0.15–0.85 nm). The results indicate that the fully amorphous coating and composite ones can be fabricated successfully. The increase in the substrate temperature and the addition of Fe powders can effectively inhibit the initiation and propagation of microcracks. The fully Co-based amorphous coating with high B content (35 at.%) can exhibit excellent neutron shielding performance. With the addition of Fe powders, the neutron shielding performance is reduced gradually due to the dilution effect of B in the composite cladding coatings, but the microcrack will be completely restrained.

Neutron diffraction experiments with both conventional powder diffraction setup and under in-situ compressive loading were conducted to investigate the structural origins of large strength and toughness enhancements in Ti-16Al-27Nb alloy after Er addition. The primary phase is determined to be the ordered B2 structure form, in agreement with the previous electron microscopy study. Lattice strains of {210} and {100} planes were measured as a function of applied stress, and elastic anisotropy was found for both, and strong plastic nonlinearity was discovered for (210) reflection. The grain refinement during plastic deformation was proposed by both the 2D diffraction intensity distribution and SEM observations, while stress-induced martensitic phase transition was not observed in this study. It is believed that the activation of different slip systems and grain refinement might be the structural origin of the novel mechanical properties of this alloy.

Utilizing small angle neutron scattering techniques on organic shales, this study presents an innovative approach for characterizing the status of oil occurrence, and new insights into pore scale assessment through scattering vector-pore size relationship. The results indicate the successful identification of different shale oil occurrence status, before and after solvent extraction of residual oil for four shale samples with different contents of total organic carbon. In addition, coupled with density distribution analyses, the work demonstrates that shale samples with lower total organic carbon contents typically signify a smaller radius of gyration with better oil mobility, which indicates a greater wave oscillation with a larger pore size to be estimated from the scattering vector. This work also elucidates the notable scenarios of an increasing pore size could correspond to a decreasing radius of gyration caused by mass density redistribution. For polydisperse systems, this research illustrates the variations in pore volumetric ratio impact the scattering intensity, whereas pore scale changes affect the oscillation pattern. This novel research of analyzing mass density distribution and pore scale information in real space is also suitable for other porous media systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]