An ionic liquid-assisted strategy for enhanced anticorrosion of low-energy PEO coatings on magnesium–lithium alloy

A low-energy plasma electrolytic oxidation(LePEO)technique is developed to simultaneously improve energy efficiency and anti-corrosion.Ionic liquids(1-butyl-3-methylimidazole tetrafluoroborate(BmimBF_(4)))as sustainable corrosion inhibitors are chosen to investigate the corrosion inhibition behavior of ionic liquid(ILs)during the LePEO process for LA91 magnesium-lithium(Mg-Li)alloy.Results show that the ionic liquid BmimBF_(4)participates in the LePEO coating formation process,causing an increment in coating thickness and surface roughness.The low conductivity of the ionic liquid is responsible for the voltage and breakdown voltage increases during the LePEO with IL process(LePEO-IL).After adding BmimBF_(4),corrosion current density decreases from 1.159×10^(−4)A·cm^(−2)to 8.143×10^(−6)A·cm^(−2).The impedance modulus increases to 1.048×10^(4)Ω·cm^(−2)and neutral salt spray remains intact for 24 h.The superior corrosion resistance of the LePEO coating assisted by ionic liquid could be mainly attributed to its compact and thick barrier layer and physical absorption of ionic liquid.The ionic liquid-assisted LePEO technique provides a promising approach to reducing energy consumption and improving film performance.

Ionic Liquid-Enhanced Assembly of Nanomaterials for Highly Stable Flexible Transparent Electrodes

The controlled assembly of nanomaterials has demon-strated significant potential in advancing technological devices.However,achieving highly efficient and low-loss assembly technique for nanomate-rials,enabling the creation of hierarchical structures with distinctive func-tionalities,remains a formidable challenge.Here,we present a method for nanomaterial assembly enhanced by ionic liquids,which enables the fabrication of highly stable,flexible,and transparent electrodes featuring an organized layered structure.The utilization of hydrophobic and non-volatile ionic liquids facilitates the production of stable interfaces with water,effectively preventing the sedimentation of 1D/2D nanomaterials assembled at the interface.Furthermore,the interfacially assembled nanomaterial monolayer exhibits an alternate self-climbing behavior,enabling layer-by-layer transfer and the formation of a well-ordered MXene-wrapped silver nanowire network film.The resulting composite film not only demonstrates exceptional photoelectric performance with a sheet resistance of 9.4Ωsq^(-1) and 93%transmittance,but also showcases remarkable environmental stability and mechanical flexibility.Particularly noteworthy is its application in transparent electromagnetic interference shielding materials and triboelectric nanogenerator devices.This research introduces an innovative approach to manufacture and tailor functional devices based on ordered nanomaterials.

Liquid crystal-integrated metasurfaces for an active photonic platform

Metasurfaces have opened the door to next-generation optical devices due to their ability to dramatically modulate electromagnetic waves at will using periodically arranged nanostructures.However,metasurfaces typically have static optical responses with fixed geometries of nanostructures,which poses challenges for implementing transition to technology by replacing conventional optical components.To solve this problem,liquid crystals(LCs)have been actively employed for designing tunable metasurfaces using their adjustable birefringent in real time.Here,we review recent studies on LCpowered tunable metasurfaces,which are categorized as wavefront tuning and spectral tuning.Compared to numerous reviews on tunable metasurfaces,this review intensively explores recent development of LC-integrated metasurfaces.At the end of this review,we briefly introduce the latest research trends on LC-powered metasurfaces and suggest further directions for improving LCs.We hope that this review will accelerate the development of new and innovative LC-powered devices.

Circulating tumor DNA in liquid biopsy: Current diagnostic limitation

With the rapid development of science and technology,cell-free DNA(cfDNA)is rapidly becoming an important biomarker for tumor diagnosis,monitoring and prognosis,and this cfDNA-based liquid biopsy technology has great potential to become an important part of precision medicine.cfDNA is the total amount of free DNA in the systemic circulation,including DNA fragments derived from tumor cells and all other somatic cells.Tumor cells release fragments of DNA into the bloodstream,and this source of cfDNA is called circulating tumor DNA(ctDNA).cfDNA detection has become a major focus in the field of tumor research in recent years,which provides a new opportunity for non-invasive diagnosis and prognosis of cancer.In this paper,we discuss the limitations of the study on the origin and dynamics analysis of ctDNA,and how to solve these problems in the future.Although the future faces major challenges,it also con-tains great potential.

Corrosion behavior of pure metals(Ni and Ti)and alloys(316H SS and GH3535)in liquid GaInSn

In this study,the interactions between a Ga-based liquid metal,GaInSn,and several metal materials,including pure metals(Ni and Ti)and alloys(316H stainless steel(SS)and GH3535),at 650℃were investigated.The aim was to evaluate the corrosion performance and select a suitable candidate material for use as a molten salt manometer diaphragm in thermal energy storage systems.The results indicated that the alloys(316H SS and GH3535)exhibited less corrosion than pure metals(Ni and Ti)in liquid GaInSn.Ga-rich binary intermetallic compounds were found to form on the surfaces of all the tested metal materials exposed to liquid GaInSn,as a result of the decomposition of liquid GaInSn and its reaction with the constituent elements of the metal materials.The corrosion mechanism for all the tested materials exposed to liquid GaInSn was also investigated and proposed,which may aid in selecting the optimal candidate material when liquid GaInSn is used as the pressure-sensing medium.

Ionic liquid derived electrocatalysts for electrochemical water splitting

Hydrogen production from electrochemical water splitting is a promising strategy to generate green energy,which requires the development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction and the oxygen evolution reaction(HER and OER).Ionic liquids(ILs)or poly(ionic liquids)(PILs),containing heteroatoms,metal-based anions,and various structures,have been frequently involved as precursors to prepare electrocatalysts for water splitting.Moreover,ILs/PILs possess high conductivity,wide electrochemical windows,and high thermal and chemical stability,which can be directly applied in the electrocatalysis process with high durability.In this review,we focus on the studies of ILs/PILs-derived electrocatalysts for HER and OER,where ILs/PILs are applied as heteroatom dopants and metal precursors to prepare catalysts or are directly utilized as the electrocatalysts.Due to those attractive properties,IL/PIL-derived electrocatalysts exhibit excellent performance for electrochemical water splitting.All these accomplishments and developments are systematically summarized and thoughtfully discussed.Then,the overall perspectives for the current challenges and future developments of ILs/PILs-derived electrocatalysts are provided.

Multi-dimensional multiplexing optical secret sharing framework with cascaded liquid crystal holograms

Secret sharing is a promising technology for information encryption by splitting the secret information into different shares.However,the traditional scheme suffers from information leakage in decryption process since the amount of available information channels is limited.Herein,we propose and demonstrate an optical secret sharing framework based on the multi-dimensional multiplexing liquid crystal(LC)holograms.The LC holograms are used as spatially separated shares to carry secret images.The polarization of the incident light and the distance between different shares are served as secret keys,which can significantly improve the information security and capacity.Besides,the decryption condition is also restricted by the applied external voltage due to the variant diffraction efficiency,which further increases the information security.In implementation,an artificial neural network(ANN)model is developed to carefully design the phase distribution of each LC hologram.With the advantage of high security,high capacity and simple configuration,our optical secret sharing framework has great potentials in optical encryption and dynamic holographic display.

Transient liquid phase bonding of DD5 superalloy using a designed interlayer: microstructure and mechanical properties

Nickel based single crystal superalloy is currently widely used as the material for turbine blades in aerospace engines.However,metallurgical defects during the manufacturing process and damage during harsh environmental service are inevitable challenges for turbine blades.Therefore,bonding techniques play a very important role in the manufacturing and repair of turbine blades.The transient liquid phase(TLP)bonding of DD5 Ni-based single crystal superalloy was performed using the designed H1 interlayer.A new third-generation Ni-based superalloy T1 powder was mixed with H1 powder as another interlayer to improve the mechanical properties of the bonded joints.The res-ults show that,such a designed H1 interlayer is beneficial to the improvement of shear strength of DD5 alloy bonded joints by adjusting the bonding temperature and the prolongation of holding time.The maximum shear strength at room temperature of the joint with H1 interlayer reached 681 MPa when bonded at 1260℃for 3 h.The addition of T1 powder can effectively reduce holding time or relatively lower bond-ing temperature,while maintaining relatively high shear strength.When 1 wt.%T1 powder was mixed into H1 interlayer,the maximum room temperature shear strength of the joint bonded at 1260℃reached 641 MPa,which could be obtained for only 1 h.Considering the bonding temperature and the efficiency,the acceptable process parameter of H1+5 wt.%T1 interlayer was 1240℃/2 h,and the room tem-perature shear strength reached 613 MPa.

Enhancing CO_(2) transport with plasma-functionalized ionic liquid membranes

The ionic liquid(IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate treated with radiofrequency plasma is proposed for functionalization and immobilization on polyethersulfone supports to form supported ionic liquid membranes for CO_(2) separation.The effects of treatment time and transmembrane pressure difference on CO_(2) permeance were evaluated.The best gas permeation performance was obtained with a treatment time of 10 min and the transmembrane pressure difference was 0.25 MPa.Characterization of the materials by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrates that the IL is grafted with carboxyl groups and deprotonated through plasma treatment.A preliminary mechanism for the plasma treatment and facilitated transport of CO_(2)has been proposed on this basis.

Effect of liquid surface depression size on discharge characteristics and chemical distribution in the plasma-liquid anode system

Atmospheric pressure plasma-liquid interactions exist in a variety of applications,including wastewater treatment,wound sterilization,and disinfection.In practice,the phenomenon of liquid surface depression will inevitably appear.The applied gas will cause a depression on the liquid surface,which will undoubtedly affect the plasma generation and further affect the application performance.However,the effect of liquid surface deformation on the plasma is still unclear.In this work,numerical models are developed to reveal the mechanism of liquid surface depressions affecting plasma discharge characteristics and the consequential distribution of plasma species,and further study the influence of liquid surface depressions of different sizes generated by different helium flow rates on the plasma.Results show that the liquid surface deformation changes the initial spatial electric field,resulting in the rearrangement of electrons on the liquid surface.The charges deposited on the liquid surface further increase the degree of distortion of the electric field.Moreover,the electric field and electron distribution affected by the liquid surface depression significantly influence the generation and distribution of active species,which determines the practical effectiveness of the relevant applications.This work explores the phenomenon of liquid surface depression,which has been neglected in previous related work,and contributes to further understanding of plasma-liquid interactions,providing better theoretical guidance for related applications and technologies.

Emerging role of liquid biopsy in rat sarcoma virus mutated metastatic colorectal cancer:A case report

BACKGROUND In patients with metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC),the treatment options are limited and have been proved to be affected by rat sarcoma virus(RAS)mutational status.In RAS wild-type(wt)patients,the combination of antiepidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)monoclonal antibodies with chemotherapy(CT)is more effective than CT alone.On the other hand,RAS-mutated patients are not eligible for treatment with anti-EGFR antibodies.CASE SUMMARY Eleven patients with initially RAS-mutated mCRC were followed from diagnosis to May 2022.At the time of cell-free DNA determination,five patients had undergone one CT line,five patients had undergone two CT lines,and one patient had undergone three CT lines(all in combination with bevacizumab).At the second and third treatment lines[second line(2L),third line(3L)],patients with neo-RAS wt received a combination of CT and cetuximab.In neo-RAS wt patients treated with anti-EGFR,our findings indicated an increase in progression-free survival for both 2L and 3L(14.5 mo,P=0.119 and 3.9 mo,P=0.882,respectively).Regarding 2L overall survival,we registered a slight increase in neo-RAS wt patients treated with anti-EGFR(33.6 mo vs 32.4 mo,P=0.385).At data cut-off,two patients were still alive:A RAS-mutated patient undergoing 3L treatment and a neo-RAS wt patient who received 2L treatment with anti-EGFR(ongoing).CONCLUSION Our case series demonstrated that monitoring RAS mutations in mCRC by liquid biopsy may provide an additional treatment line for neo-RAS wt patients.

Method Development and Validation of the Simultaneous Analysis of Methylisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Benzisothiazolinone and Bronopol in Washing-Up Liquid

A method of analysis for the simultaneous determination of methylisothiazolinone (MI), methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMI), benzisothiazolinone (BIT) and Bronopol (BNP) in washing-up liquid was established. The method consisted of a gradient HPLC analysis at three different wavelengths. The four compounds could be analyzed with good precision and accuracy.

Phosphotungstic acid ionic liquid for efficient photocatalytic desulfurization:Synthesis,application and mechanism

An efficient mass transfer process is a critical factor for regulating catalytic activity in a photocatalytic desulfurization system.Herein,a phosphotungstic acid(HPW)active center is successfully composited with a quaternary ammonium phosphotungstate-based hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride ionic liquid(CTAC-HPW)by the ion exchange method for the photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene sulfide.The keggin structure of HPW and highly mass transfer performance of organic cations synergistically enhanced the photocatalytic activity towards the effective convertion of dibenzothiophene(DBT)with the excitation of visible light.The deep desulfurization(<10 mg·kg^(-1))is attained within 30 min,and well stability is demonstrated within 25 cycles.Moreover,the CTAC-HPW photocatalyst projects well selectivity to interference from coexisting compounds such as olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons and universality of dibenzothiophenes,for example,4-methyldibenzothiophene(4-MDBT)and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene(4,6-DMDBT).Ultimately,a possible photocatalytic desulfurization mechanism is proposed according to the Gaschromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS),proving that the final product is the corresponding sulfone.The trapping experiment and electron spin resonance(ESR)analysis confirmed that h^(+)and,COOH played critical roles in the oxidation process.The work offers a practicable strategy for efficiently converting DBT to DBTO_(2) with added value.

Highly selective extraction of aromatics from aliphatics by using metal chloride-based ionic liquids

The separation of aromatics from aliphatics is essential for achieving maximum exploitation of oil resources in the petrochemical industry.In this study,a series of metal chloride-based ionic liquids were prepared and their performances in the separation of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene(tetralin)/dodecane and tetralin/decalin systems were studied.Among these ionic liquids,1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrachloroferrate([EMIM][FeCl_(4)])with the highest selectivity was used as the extractant.Density functional theory calculations showed that[EMIM][FeCl_(4)]interacted more strongly with tetralin than with dodecane and decalin.Energy decomposition analysis of[EMIM][FeCl_(4)]-tetralin indicated that electrostatics and dispersion played essential roles,and induction cannot be neglected.The van der Waals forces was a main effect in[EMIM][FeCl_(4)]-tetralin by independent gradient model analysis.The tetralin distribution coefficient and selectivity were 0.8 and 110,respectively,with 10%(mol)tetralin in the initial tetralin/dodecane system,and 0.67 and 19.5,respectively,with 10%(mol)tetralin in the initial tetralin/decalin system.The selectivity increased with decreasing alkyl chain length of the extractant.The influence of the extraction temperature,extractant dosage,and initial concentrations of the system components on the separation performance were studied.Recycling experiments showed that the regenerated[EMIM][FeCl_(4)]could be used repeatedly.

High-performance liquid metal electromagnetic actuator fabricated by femtosecond laser

Small-scale electromagnetic soft actuators are characterized by a fast response and simplecontrol,holding prospects in the field of soft and miniaturized robotics.The use of liquid metal(LM)to replace a rigid conductor inside soft actuators can reduce the rigidity and enhance the actuation performance and robustness.Despite research efforts,challenges persist in the flexible fabrication of LM soft actuators and in the improvement of actuation performance.To address these challenges,we developed a fast and robust electromagnetic soft microplate actuator based on a laser-induced selective adhesion transfer method.Equipped with unprecedentedly thin LM circuit and customized low Young’s modulus silicone rubber(1.03 kPa),our actuator exhibits an excellent deformation angle(265.25?)and actuation bending angular velocity(284.66 rad·s^(-1)).Furthermore,multiple actuators have been combined to build an artificial gripper with a wide range of functionalities.Our actuator presents new possibilities for designing small-scaleartificial machines and supports advancements in ultrafast soft and miniaturized robotics.

Dielectric anisotropy in liquid crystal mixtures with nematic and smectic phases

The modulation of dielectric anisotropy(△ε)is pivotal for elucidating molecular interactions and directing the alignment of liquid crystals.In this study,we combine liquid crystals with opposing dielectric anisotropies to explore the impact of varying concentrations on their properties.We report the sign-reversal of△εin both the nematic and smectic A phases of these mixed liquid crystals,alongside a dual-frequency behaviour across a broad temperature spectrum.Our research further quantifies the influence of mixture ratios under various temperatures and electric field frequencies.This exploration may pave the way for the discovery of new physical phenomena.

Naturally Crosslinked Biocompatible Carbonaceous Liquid Metal Aqueous Ink Printing Wearable Electronics for Multi-Sensing and Energy Harvesting

Achieving flexible electronics with comfort and durability comparable to traditional textiles is one of the ultimate pursuits of smart wearables.Ink printing is desirable for e-textile development using a simple and inexpensive process.However,fabricating high-performance atop textiles with good dispersity,stability,biocompatibility,and wearability for high-resolution,large-scale manufacturing,and practical applications has remained challenging.Here,waterbased multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)-decorated liquid metal(LM)inks are proposed with carbonaceous gallium–indium micro-nanostructure.With the assistance of biopolymers,the sodium alginate-encapsulated LM droplets contain high carboxyl groups which non-covalently crosslink with silk sericin-mediated MWCNTs.E-textile can be prepared subsequently via printing technique and natural waterproof triboelectric coating,enabling good flexibility,hydrophilicity,breathability,wearability,biocompatibility,conductivity,stability,and excellent versatility,without any artificial chemicals.The obtained e-textile can be used in various applications with designable patterns and circuits.Multi-sensing applications of recognizing complex human motions,breathing,phonation,and pressure distribution are demonstrated with repeatable and reliable signals.Self-powered and energy-harvesting capabilities are also presented by driving electronic devices and lighting LEDs.As proof of concept,this work provides new opportunities in a scalable and sustainable way to develop novel wearable electronics and smart clothing for future commercial applications.

Ionic liquid-assisted preparation of hydroxyapatite and its catalytic performance for decarboxylation of itaconic acid

The synthesis of methacrylic acid from biomass-derived itaconic acid is a green route,for it can get rid of the dependence on fossil resource.In order to solve the problems on this route such as use of a preciousmetal catalyst and a corrosive homogeneous alkali,we prepared a series of hydroxyapatite catalysts by an ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal method and evaluated their catalytic performance.The results showed that the ionic liquid[Bmim]BF_(4) can affect the crystal growth of hydroxyapatite,provide fluoride ion for fluorination of hydroxyapatite,and adjust the surface acidity and basicity,morphology,textural properties,crystallinity,and composition of hydroxyapatite.The[Bmim]BF4 dosage and hydrothermal temperature can affect the fluoride ion concentration in the hydrothermal system,thus changing the degree of fluoridation of hydroxyapatite.High fluoride-ion concentration can lead to the formation of CaF_(2) and thus significantly decrease the catalytic performance of hydroxyapatite.The hydrothermal time mainly affects the growth of hydroxyapatite crystals on the c axis,leading to different catalytic performance.The suitable conditions for the preparation of this fluoridized hydroxyapatite are as follows:a mass ratio of[Bmim]BF4 to calcium salt=0.2:1,a hydrothermal time of 12 h,and a hydrothermal temperature of 130℃.A maximal methacrylic acid yield of 54.7%was obtained using the fluoridized hydroxyapatite under relatively mild reaction conditions(250℃ and 2 MPa of N_(2))in the absence of a precious-metal catalyst and a corrosive homogeneous alkali.

Structure and dynamical properties during solidification of liquid aluminum induced by cooling and compression

The structural transformation from a liquid into a crystalline solid is an important subject in condensed matter physics and materials science. In the present study, first-principles molecular dynamics calculations are performed to investigate the structure and properties of aluminum during the solidification which is induced by cooling and compression. In the cooling process and compression process, it is found that the icosahedral short-range order is initially enhanced and then begin to decay, the face-centered cubic short-range order eventually becomes dominant before it transforms into a crystalline solid.

Design of a 3D-printed liquid lithium divertor target plate and its interaction with high-density plasma

A liquid Li divertor is a promising alternative for future fusion devices.In this work a new divertor model is proposed,which is processed by 3D-printing technology to accurately control the size of the internal capillary structure.At a steady-state heat load of 10 MW m^(-2),the thermal stress of the tungsten target is within the bearing range of tungsten by finite-element simulation.In order to evaluate the wicking ability of the capillary structure,the wicking process at 600℃ was simulated by FLUENT.The result was identical to that of the corresponding experiments.Within 1 s,liquid lithium was wicked to the target surface by the capillary structure of the target and quickly spread on the target surface.During the wicking process,the average wicking mass rate of lithium should reach 0.062 g s^(-1),which could even supplement the evaporation requirement of liquid lithium under an environment>950℃.Irradiation experiments under different plasma discharge currents were carried out in a linear plasma device(SCU-PSI),and the evolution of the vapor cloud during plasma irradiation was analyzed.It was found that the target temperature tends to plateau despite the gradually increased input current,indicating that the vapor shielding effect is gradually enhanced.The irradiation experiment also confirmed that the 3D-printed tungsten structure has better heat consumption performance than a tungsten mesh structure or multichannel structure.These results reveal the application potential and feasibility of a 3D-printed porous capillary structure in plasma-facing components and provide a reference for further liquid-solid combined target designs.