A Review of Soy-Tannin Gelling for Resins Applications

Soy flour(SF),soy protein and soy protein isolates(SPI)have been the focus of increasing research on their application as new materials for a variety of applications,mainly for wood adhesives and other resins.Tannins too have been the focus of increasing research for similar applications.While both materials are classed as non-toxic and have achieved interesting results the majority of the numerous and rather inventive approaches have still relied on some sort of hardeners or cross-linkers to bring either of them or even their combination to achieve acceptable results.The paper after a presentation of the two materials and their characteristics concentrates on the formation of gels,gelling and even hardening in the case of soy-tannin combined resins.The chapter than finishes with details of the formation of resins giving suitable wood adhesive of acceptable performance by the covalent coreaction of soy protein and tannin without any other hardener,thus totally bio-sourced,non-toxic and environment friendly as a base of further advances to expect in future by these two materials combination.

Recent Advances in Pure-Organic Host-Guest Room-Temperature Phosphorescence Systems Toward Bioimaging

Organic room-temperature phosphorescence(RTP)materials have garnered considerable attention in the fields of biosensing,optoelectronic devices,and anticounterfeiting because of their substantial Stokes shifts,tunable emission wavelengths,and prolonged lifetimes.These materials offer remarkable advantages for biological imaging applications by effectively reducing environmental autofluorescence and enhancing imaging resolution.Recently,host-guest systems have been employed as efficient approaches to fabricate pure-organic RTP materials for bioimaging,providing benefits such as controllable preparation and flexible modulation.Consequently,an increasing number of corresponding studies are being reported;however,a comprehensive systematic review is still lacking.Therefore,we summarize recent advances in the development of pureorganic RTP materials using host-guest systems with regard to bioimaging,including rigid matrices and sensitization.The challenge and potential of RTP for biological imaging are also proposed to promote the biomedical applications of organic RTP materials with excellent optical properties.

Room-Temperature Phosphorescence and Lifetime of Fossil Resins (Amber) from Dominican Republic, Mexico, Baltic Sea, Myanmar, and Fushun, China

Amber can emit room temperature phosphorescence(RTP)under the well-known 365 nm fluorescence ultraviolet light.This paper is devoted to the phosphorescence study of 20 pieces of amber materials from the Dominican Republic,Mexico,Baltic sea,Myanmar,and Fushun,China.The results show that amber from the same geographic origin has similar shape in phosphorescence spectra.However,the shape of the amber phosphorescence spectra varies depending on their different localities.Burmite(amber from Myanmar)and Fushun amber have a bright yellow phosphorescence with a long lifetime,while the Dominican and Mexican ones are weaker and last shorter.The irradiation of Baltic amber becomes faint or even inert.Phosphorescence spectral Gaussian fitting results suggest an emission maximum near 550 nm in most amber samples.Their phosphorescence lifetime,analyzed through the exponential function fitting,is up to 1 second in Burmite and Fushun samples,shorter in the Dominican and Mexican ones,about 0.230 s,and the shortest in Baltic amber,close to 0.151 s.These variations of phosphorescence lifetime and intensity are related to the relative geological ages of these amber.It indicated that the phosphorescence agent was probably formed during the long geological time.While the anomaly occurred in Baltic amber,the only one found in a sea secondary deposit form,it demonstrated that the terrestrial geological environment these amber preserved has prevented the phosphorescence agent to be deactivated.

Preparation and properties of high-energy-density aluminum/boroncontaining gelled fuels

Energetic nanofluid fuel has caught the attention of the field of aerospace liquid propellant for its high energy density(HED), but it suffers from the inevitable solid-liquid phase separation problem. To resolve this problem, herein we synthesized the high-Al-/B-containing(up to 30%(mass)) HED gelled fuels, with low-molecular-mass organic gellant Z, which show high net heat of combustion(NHOC), density, storage stability, and thixotropic properties. The characterizations indicate that the application of energetic particles to the gelled fuels obviously destroys their fibrous network structures but can provide the new particle-gellant gelation microstructures, resulting in the comparable stability between 1.0%(mass) Z/JP-10 + 30%(mass) Al or B and pure JP-10 gelled fuel. Moreover, the gelled fuels with high-content Al or B exhibit high shear-thinning property, recovery capability, and mechanical strength, which are favorable for their storage and utilization. Importantly, the prepared 1.0%(mass) Z/JP-10 + 30%(mass) B(or 1.0%(mass) Z/JP-10 + 30%(mass) Al) shows the density and NHOC 1.27 times(1.30) and 1.43 times(1.21)higher than pure JP-10, respectively. This work provides a facile and valid approach to the manufacturing of HED gelled fuels with high content of energetic particles for gel propellants.

Enhancement of room-temperature magnetoresistance in La_(0.5)Sm_(0.2)Sr_(0.3)MnO_3/(Ag_2O)_(x/2)

La0.5Sm0.2Sr0.3MnO3/（Ag2O）x/2 （x = 0.00, 0.04, 0.08, 0.25, 0.30） samples were prepared by the solid-state reaction method, and their transport behaviors, transport mechanism, and magnetoresistance effect were studied through the measurement and fitting of p-T curves. The results show that the element Ag takes part in reaction when the doping amount is small. Ag is mainly distributed at the grain boundary of the host material and is in metallic state when the doping amount is relatively large; then the system becomes a two-phase composite. A small amount of Ag doping can apparently increase grain-boundary magnetoresistance induced by the spin-dependent scattering. The resistivity of the sample doped with 30 mol% Ag is one order of magnitude smaller than that of low-doped samples, and its magnetoresistance in the magnetic field of 0.5 T and at 300 K is strengthened apparently reaching 9.4%, which is connected not only with the improvement of the grain-boundary structure of the host material but also with the decrease of material resistivity.

Room-Temperature Assembled MXene-Based Aerogels for High Mass-Loading Sodium-Ion Storage

Low-temperature assembly of MXene nanosheets into three-dimensional(3D) robust aerogels addresses the crucial stability concern of the nano-building blocks during the fabrication process,which is of key importance for transforming the fascinating properties at the nanoscale into the macroscopic scale for practical applications.Herein,suitable cross-linking agents(amino-propyltriethoxysilane,Mn^(2+),Fe^(2+),Zn^(2+),and Co^(2+)) as interfacial mediators to engineer the interlayer interactions are reported to realize the graphene oxide(GO)-assisted assembly of Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene aerogel at room temperature.This elaborate aerogel construction not only suppresses the oxidation degradation of Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) but also generates porous aerogels with a high Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) content(87 wt%) and robustness,thereby guaranteeing the functional accessibility of Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) nanosheets and operational reliability as integrated functional materials.In combination with a further sulfur modification,the Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) aerogel electrode shows promising electrochemical performances as the freestanding anode for sodium-ion storage.Even at an ultrahigh loading mass of 12.3 mg cm^(-2),a pronounced areal capacity of 1.26 mAh cm^(-2) at a current density of 0.1 A g^(-1) has been achieved,which is of practical significance.This work conceptually suggests a new way to exert the utmost surface functionalities of MXenes in 3D monolithic form and can be an inspiring scaffold to promote the application of MXenes in different areas.

Preparation and Properties of Embeddable Ag/Ag Cl Gelling Reference Electrode for Rebars Corrosion Monitoring in Concrete

Reference electrodes are a key part for corrosion monitoring and measurement of rebars in concrete. A reference electrode that can be buried in concrete is fabricated by using Ag/Ag Cl electrode and methyl cellulose gelling electrolyte. The stability, repeatability and anti-polarization of the reference electrode are investigated; the influences of the inner electrolyte loss, exterior OH- contamination, and temperature on the potential of the reference electrode are also investigated in this paper. The results show that the reference electrode has good stability, repeatability, and antipolarization. The influences of inner electrolyte loss, exterior OH- contamination, and temperature on the potential of the reference electrode are minimal. Therefore, it can be used for corrosion monitoring and measurement of rebars in concrete.

Room-temperature fast assembly of 3D macroscopically porous graphene frameworks for binder-free compact supercapacitors with high gravimetric and volumetric capacitances

Synthesis and applications of three-dimensional(3 D)porous graphene frameworks(GFs)have attracted extensive interest owing to their intriguing advantages of high specific surface area,enriched porosity,excellent electrical conductivity,exceptional compressibility and processability.However,it is still challenging for economically viable,fast and scalable assembly of 3 D GFs at room-temperature.Herein,we reported a one-step scalable strategy for fast self-assembly of graphene oxide into 3 D macroscopically porous GFs,with assistance of polyoxometalates(POM)as functional cross-linker and hydrazine hydrate as reductant at room-temperature.The resulting 3 D interconnected macroporous POM-GFs uniformly decorated with ultrasmall POM nanoclusters were directly processed into binder-/additive-free film compact electrodes(1.68 g cm^(-3))with highly aligned,layer-stacked structure and electrically conductivity(622 S m-1)for high-performance supercapacitors,showing an impressive gravimetric capacitance of205 F g-1,volumetric capacitance of 334 F cm^(-3) at 1 mV s^(-1),and remarkable cycling stability with capacitance retention of 83%after 10,000 cycles,outperforming the most reported GFs.Further,the solid-state supercapacitors offered excellent gravimetric capacitance of 157 F g-1 exceptionally volumetric capacitance of 115 F cm^(-3) at 2 mV s^(-1) based on single electrode,and volumetric energy density of2.6 mWh cm^(-3).Therefore,this work will open novel opportunities to room-temperature fast assembly of 3 D porous graphene architectures for high-energy-density supercapacitors.

Benzoin Condensation in Imidazolium Based Room-temperature Ionic Liquids

Benzoin condensation promoted efficiently in three imidazolium based room tempera- ture ionic liquids [bmim]Br, [bmim]BF4 and [Bnmim]BF4 is reported for the first time. Benzoins were obtained in up to 91% yield within less than 30 min under mild conditions.

Understanding Sulfur Redox Mechanisms in Different Electrolytes for Room-Temperature Na-S Batteries

This work reports influence of two different electrolytes,carbonate ester and ether electrolytes,on the sulfur redox reactions in room-temperature Na-S batteries.Two sulfur cathodes with different S loading ratio and status are investigated.A sulfur-rich composite with most sulfur dispersed on the surface of a carbon host can realize a high loading ratio(72%S).In contrast,a confined sulfur sample can encapsulate S into the pores of the carbon host with a low loading ratio(44%S).In carbonate ester electrolyte,only the sulfur trapped in porous structures is active via‘solid-solid’behavior during cycling.The S cathode with high surface sulfur shows poor reversible capacity because of the severe side reactions between the surface polysulfides and the carbonate ester solvents.To improve the capacity of the sulfur-rich cathode,ether electrolyte with NaNO_(3) additive is explored to realize a‘solid-liquid’sulfur redox process and confine the shuttle effect of the dissolved polysulfides.As a result,the sulfur-rich cathode achieved high reversible capacity(483 mAh g^(−1)),corresponding to a specific energy of 362 Wh kg^(−1) after 200 cycles,shedding light on the use of ether electrolyte for high-loading sulfur cathode.

Encapsulation of Almond Essential Oil by Co-Extrusion/Gelling Using Chitosan as Wall Material

Encapsulation confers protection to substances as essential oils from processes like oxidation, evaporation or uncontrolled release. In this study almond oil capsules were obtained by co-extrusion/gelling technique. Chitosan was used as shell material and sodium triphosphate pentabasic as cross linking agent. Different encapsulation process variables were studied: cross-linker concentration, nozzles size and potential. Optical microscopy was used to determine the capsules morphology and degradability tests were performed in order to study capsules degradation over time. Results showed that nozzles size and cross linking concentration are key variables to consider in the encapsulation process. Degradability tests showed rapid weight loss.

Ethanol-driven Room-temperature Synthesis of Potential Green-emitting Phosphors： a Case Study of Tb^3＋-doped CaHPO4

A novel green nanophosphor CaHPO4：Tb3＋ was synthesized via a room-temperatureco-precipitation route driven by ethanol solvent. X-ray powder diffraction （XRD）, scanningelectron microscopy （SEM） and photoluminescence spectroscopy （PL） techniques were utilizedto characterize the structure, morphology and fluorescence performance of the obtained powders.The results demonstrated that the prepared samples were well crystallized with triclinic phaseCaHPO4 structure and particle-like morphology. Photoluminescence measurements indicated thatCaHPOa：Tb3＋ had a strong absorption peak at 370 nm and exhibited characteristic emissions withseveral sharp peaks corresponding to the transitions 5D4-7FJ （jr = 6-3） of Tb3＋. Moreover, theluminescence optimum concentration for CaHPO4：Tb3＋ was determined to be 11 mol%, whichmight be a promising green-emitting ohosohor for display applications.

Room-temperature conversion of ethane and the mechanism understanding over single iron atoms confined in graphene

The catalytic conversion of ethane to high value-added chemicals is significantly important for utilization of hydrocarbon resources.However, it is a great challenge due to the typically required high temperature(> 400 ℃) conditions.Herein, a highly active catalytic conversion process of ethane at room temperature(25 ℃) is reported on single iron atoms confined in graphene via the porphyrin-like N4-coordination structures.Combining with the operando time of flight mass spectrometer and density functional theory calculations, the reaction is identified as a radical mechanism, in which the C–H bonds of the same C atom are preferentially and sequentially activated, generating the value-added C2 chemicals, simultaneously avoiding the over-oxidation of the products to CO2.The in-situ formed O–FeN4–O structure at the single iron atom serves as the active center for the reaction and facilitates the formation of ethyl radicals.This work deepens the understanding of alkane C–H activation on the FeN4 center and provides the reference in development of efficient catalyst for selective oxidation of light alkane.

High room-temperature magnetization in Co-doped TiO_(2) nanoparticles promoted by vacuum annealing for different durations

To clarify the contribution of oxygen vacancies to room-temperature ferromagnetism(RTFM)in cobalt doped TiO_(2)(Co-TiO_(2)),and in order to obtain the high level of magnetization suitable for spintronic devices,in this work,Co-TiO_(2) nano-particles are prepared via the sol-gel route,followed by vacuum annealing for different durations,and the influence of vacu-um annealing duration on the structure and room-temperature magnetism of the compounds is examined.The results reveal that with an increase in annealing duration,the concentration of oxygen vacancies rises steadily,while the saturation magnetiza-tion(Ms)shows an initial gradual increase,followed by a sharp decline,and even disappearance.The maximum Ms is as high as 1.19 emu/g,which is promising with respect to the development of spintronic devices.Further analysis reveals that oxygen va-cancies,modulated by annealing duration,play a critical role in tuning room-temperature magnetism.An appropriate concentra-tion of oxygen vacancies is beneficial in terms of promoting RTFM in Co-TiO_(2).However,excessive oxygen vacancies will result in a negative impact on RTFM,due to antiferromagnetic superexchange interactions originating from nearest-neighbor Co^(2+)ions.

Development and evaluation of Panax notoginseng saponins contained in an in situ pHtriggered gelling system for sustained ocular posterior segment drug delivery

Objective:This study aimed to lay the foundation for the research on Panax notoginseng saponins(PNS)in pH-sensitive in situ gel and the development and improvement of related preparations.Methods:We used Carbopol■940,a commonly used pH-sensitive polymer,and the thickener hydroxypropyl methylcellulose(HPMC E4M)as an ophthalmic gel matrix to prepare an ophthalmic in situ gel of PNS.In addition,formula optimization was performed by assessing gelling capability with the results of in vitro release studies.In vitro(corneal permeation,rheological,and stability)and in vivo(ocular irritation and preliminary pharmacokinetics in the vitreous)studies were also performed.Results:The results demonstrated that the in situ gelling systems containing PNS showed a sustained release of the drug,making it an ideal ocular delivery system for improving posterior ocular bioavailability.Conclusions:This study lays the foundation for the research of PNS contained in an in situ pH-triggered gel as well as the development and improvement of related preparations.It concurrently traditional Chinese medicine with a contemporary in situ gelling approach to provide new directions for the treatment of posterior ocular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.

The Microstructure and Gelling Mechanism of Thermo-responsive Chitosan Hydrogel System

Thermo-respansive chitosan hydrogel system （TRCHS） was prepared and its mierostructure was investigated by scaning electron microscope （SEM） and mercury intrusion poremaster （MIP）. Based on analyzing the data, a special porosity property was reported at the first time. Its gelling mechanism was studied by a group of contrast experiments. Results may provide experimental and theoretical supports for how to apply it on tissue engineering scaffold and how to influeuee or control its essential properties.

Extraction and characterization of gelling pectin from the peel of Poncirus trifoliata fruit

In the framework of searching for new pectin sources to partially compensate for domestic and regional demands, the peel (albedo) of the “non-comestible” fruit of Poncirus trifoliata was investigated using a relatively simple experimental design for optimization, in which only the variable was the extraction pH (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) on the basis of our previous studies on diverse pectin sources. The results showed that the yield of pectin (7.4%-19.8%) was strongly influenced by the extraction pH when the other parameters, namely the solid to liquid extractant (S/L) ratio, temperature (T &degC), and time (t) were fixed to 1:25 (w/v), 75&degC, and 90 min, respectively. Likewise, the galacturonic acid content (GalA: 61.4%-79.2%), total neutral sugar content (TNS: 9.1%-22.5%), degree of branching (3.5%-13.9%), homogalacturonan (HG) to rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) ratio (2.2-5.6), degree of methylesterification (DM: 54-77), viscosity average molecular weight (Mν: 57-82), and gelling capacity (GC: 124-158) were all affected by the extraction pH. The optimum pH for producing pectin with good yield, quality characteristics (GalA > 65%, DM > 60, Mν > 80 kDa), and gelling capacity (GC > 150), from the peel of P. trifoliata fruit, was found to be pH 1.5.

Microencapsulation of Rosemary Essential Oil by Co-Extrusion/Gelling Using Alginate as a Wall Material

An essential oil is the volatile lipophilic component extracted from plants. Microencapsulation systems protect the essential oil from degradation and evaporation, and at the same time allow a sustained release. This work analyzed and characterized the rosemary essential oil microcapsules prepared by co-extrusion technique using alginate as wall material and calcium chloride as cross linker. Several instrumental techniques were used: optical microscopy, coulter counter, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), termogravimetric analysis (TGA), spectrophotometry, antimicrobial test and chromatography. Results show that rosemary oil has pesticidal properties, and its microencapsulation allows knowing that these properties remain inside the microcapsules.

Alumina Ceramics Fabricated by in-situ Consolidation of Pre-gelling Starch

An in-situ consolidation method was developed and optimized to successfully fabricate alumina ceramics using pre-gelling starch. Our results showed that the obtained ceramics have more homogeneous microstructure, higher density, higher flexural strength, and favorable biocompatibility compared to the regular one. During the process, cornstarch granules swelled and deformed but no fracture was observed. After the cornstarch granules bursted, alumina particles were suspended uniformly in the three-dimensional network structure to generate a much smoother surface. Below 0.5 wt% higher cornstarch content increased the flexural strength of prepared ceramics, while above 0.5 wt% the mechanical properties were compromised. Therefore the cornstarch content of 0.5% was the optimal concentration to achieve the highest mechanical strength of the prepared ceramics, with a measured flexural strength of 341 MPa, and a relative density of 96.01%.

Preparation of Microcapsules Containing Artificial Diet for Tropical Fishes with Spray Gelling Method

The microcapsules containing the artificial diet for tropical fishes were prepared with the spray gelling method in order to prevent water environmental pollution. The carboxymethyl cellulose sodium aqueous solution, in which α-tocopherol droplets containing the powdery artificial diet were dispersed, was dropped or sprayed into the chitosan aqueous solution. Microcapsules were prepared by forming polyionic complex shell made from chitosan and carboxymethyl cellulose sodium. In the experiment, the concentration of carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMCNa) was mainly changed to investigate the effect on the diameters of microcapsules, the content and the microencapsulation efficiency. The microcapsules couldn’t be prepared with the concentration of carboxymethyl cellulose sodium less than 3.0 wt%. The microcapsules were the core-shell type. The diameters of microcapsules were increased with the concentration of CMCNa and the microencapsulation efficiency of ca. 100% could be obtained by the preparation method presented in this study. The microcapsules were found to be eaten well by tropical fishes and to prevent water environmental pollution.