Reconcile the contradictory wettability requirements for the reduction and oxidation half-reactions in overall CO_(2) photoreduction via alternately hydrophobic surfaces

The overall photocatalytic CO_(2) reduction reaction(OPCRR)that can directly convert CO_(2) and H_(2)O into fuels represents a promising renewable energy conversion technology.As a typical redox reaction,the OPCRR involves two half-reactions:the CO_(2) reduction half-reaction(CRHR)and the water oxidation half-reaction(WOHR).Generally,both half-reactions can be promoted by adjusting the wettability of catalysts.However,there is a contradiction in wettability requirements for the two half-reactions.Specifically,CRHR prefers a hydrophobic surface that can accumulate more CO_(2) molecules on the active sites,ensuring the appropriate ratio of gas-phase(CO_(2))to liquid-phase(H_(2)O)reactants.Conversely,the WOHR prefers a hydrophilic surface that can promote the departure of the gaseous product(O_(2))from the catalyst surface,preventing isolation between active sites and the reactant(H_(2)O).Here,we successfully reconciled the contradictory wettability requirements for the CRHR and WOHR by creating an alternately hydrophobic catalyst.This was achieved through a selectively hydrophobic modification method and a charge-transfer-control strategy.Consequently,the collaboratively promoted CRHR and WOHR led to a significantly enhanced OPCRR with a solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency of 0.186%.Notably,in ethanol production,the catalyst exhibited a 10.64-fold increase in generation rate(271.44μmol g^(-1)h~(-1))and a 4-fold increase in selectivity(55.77%)compared to the benchmark catalyst.This innovative approach holds great potential for application in universal overall reactions involving gas participation.

Self-propelled Leidenfrost droplets on femtosecond-laser-induced surface with periodic hydrophobicity gradient

The controllable transfer of droplets on the surface of objects has a wide application prospect in the fields of microfluidic devices,fog collection and so on.The Leidenfrost effect can be utilized to significantly reduce motion resistance.However,the use of 3D structures limits the widespread application of self-propulsion based on Leidenfrost droplets in microelectromechanical system.To manipulate Leidenfrost droplets,it is necessary to create 2D or quasi-2D geometries.In this study,femtosecond laser is applied to fabricate a surface with periodic hydrophobicity gradient(SPHG),enabling directional self-propulsion of Leidenfrost droplets.Flow field analysis within the Leidenfrost droplets reveals that the vapor layer between the droplets and the hot surface can be modulated by the SPHG,resulting in directional propulsion of the inner gas.The viscous force between the gas and liquid then drives the droplet to move.

Hollow Ni Mo-based nitride heterojunction with super-hydrophilic/aerophobic surface for efficient urea-assisted hydrogen production

Hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and urea oxidation reaction(UOR)are key reactions of the watercycling associated catalytic process/device.The design of catalysts with a super-hydrophilic/aerophobic structure and optimized electron distribution holds great promise.Here,we have designed a threedimensional(3D)hollow Ni/NiMoN hierarchical structure with arrayed-sheet surface based on a onepot hydrothermal route for efficient urea-assisted HER based on a simple hydrothermal process.The Ni/NiMoN catalyst exhibits super-hydrophilic/aerophobic properties with a small droplet contact angle of 6.07°and an underwater bubble contact angle of 155.7°,thus facilitating an escape of bubbles from the electrodes.Density functional theory calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate the optimized electronic structure at the interface of Ni and NiMoN,which can promote the adsorption/desorption of reactants and intermediates.The virtues combining with a large specific surface area endow Ni/NiMoN with efficient catalytic activity of low potentials of 25 mV for HER and 1.33 V for UOR at10 mA cm^(-2).The coupled HER and UOR system demonstrates a low cell voltage of 1.42 V at 10 mA cm^(-2),which is approximately 209 mV lower than water electrolysis.

HYDROPHOBICITY－HYDROPHILICITY BALANCE RELATIONSHIPSFORCOLLECTORLESSFLOTATIONOFSULPHIDEMINERALS

ＨＹＤＲＯＰＨＯＢＩＣＩＴＹ－ＨＹＤＲＯＰＨＩＬＩＣＩＴＹＢＡＬＡＮＣＥＲＥＬＡＴＩＯＮＳＨＩＰＳＦＯＲＣＯＬＬＥＣＴＯＲＬＥＳＳＦＬＯＴＡＴＩＯＮＯＦＳＵＬＰＨＩＤＥＭＩＮＥＲＡＬＳＨＹＤＲＯＰＨＯＢＩＣＩＴＹ－ＨＹＤＲＯＰＨＩＬＩＣＩＴＹＢＡＬＡ...

Hydrophilic/hydrophobic characters of antimicrobial peptides derived from animals and their effects on multidrug resistant clinical isolates

Multidrug resistant（MDR） pathogen infections are serious threats to hospitalized patients because of the limited therapeutic options. A novel group of antibiotic candidates, antimicrobial peptides（AMPs）, have recently shown powerful activities against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Unfortunately, the viability of using these AMPs in clinical settings remains to be seen, since most still need to be evaluated prior to clinical trials and not all of AMPs are potent against MDR clinical isolates. To find a connection between the characteristics of several of these AMPs and their effects against MDR pathogens, we selected 14 AMPs of animal origin with typical structures and evaluated their in vitro activities against clinical strains of extensive drugresistant Acinetobacter baumannii, methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. Our results showed that these peptides＇ hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics, rather than their secondary structures, may explain their antibacterial effects on these clinical isolates. Peptides that are amphipathic along the longitudinal direction seemed to be effective against Gramnegative pathogens, while peptides with hydrophilic terminals separated by a hydrophobic intermediate section appeared to be effective against both Gramnegative and Gram-positive pathogens. Among these, cathelicidin-BF was found to inhibit all of the Gram-negative pathogens tested at dosages of no more than 16 mg/L, killing a pandrug-resistant A. baumannii strain within 2 h at 4×MICs and 4 h at 2×MICs. Tachyplesin III was also found capable of inhibiting all Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens tested at no more than 16 mg/L, and similarly killed the same A. baumannii strain within 4 h at 4×MICs and 2×MICs. These results suggest that both cathelicidin-BF and tachyplesin III are likely viable targets for the development of AMPs for clinical uses.

Comparison of posterior capsule opacification at 360-degree square edge hydrophilic and sharp edge hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens in diabetic patients

·AIM: To compare posterior capsule opacification(PCO)degree and visual functions after phacoemulsification in eyes implanted with 360-degree square edge hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lens(IOL)(570C C-flex, Rayner) and sharp edge hydrophobic acrylic IOL(Sensar AR40 e,AMO) in diabetic patients.· METHODS: Sixty diabetic patients underwent uneventful phacoemulsification and randomly implanted one of the two IOLs. The PCO value was measured by retroillumination photographs and Evaluation of Posterior Capsule Opacification(EPCO) 2000 image-analysis software at 1, 6, 12, and 24 mo after surgery. Visual acuity, and contrast sensitivity in photopic and mesopic conditions were also examined at each follow up time point. The incidence of eye that required Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy were also compared.·RESULTS: There was not any statistically significant difference in PCO scores between Rayner C-flex 570 C group and Sensar AR40 e group at each follow up time point. Visual acuity, Nd:YAG capsulotomy incidence and contrast sensitivity also had no significant difference during the 24 mo follow-up.·CONCLUSION: For diabetic patients, Rayner 570 C Cflex and Sensar AR40 e IOLs are same effective for prevent PCO. The 360-degree square edge design maybe is a good alternative technique to improve PCO prevention.

Hydrophobic versus hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lens on posterior capsule opacification: a Meta-analysis

AIM: To conduct a Meta-analysis pooling randomized controlled trials(RCTs) to compare hydrophobic with hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses in terms of posterior capsule opacification(PCO) development.METHODS: Electronic databases including PubMed,Embase, and the Cochrane Library were queried from their starting till January 2020. RCTs investigating the impact of hydrophobic versus hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses on PCO were considered eligible in this study. The pooled effect estimates were calculated using the random-effects model.RESULTS: Thirteen RCTs comprising of 939 patients(1263 eyes) were covered in this study. Patients with hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses had a lower PCO score than those with a hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses [standard mean difference:-1.80;95% confidence interval(CI):-2.62 to-0.98;P<0.001]. Moreover, the frequency of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet(Nd:YAG)capsulotomy in patients with hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses was significantly lower than patients with hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses(relative risk: 0.38;95%CI: 0.20-0.71;P=0.003).CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses are superior to hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses in patients after cataract surgery due to lower PCO score and reduced Nd:YAG capsulotomy. While similar studies are conducted by other researchers, the present study conducted subgroup analyses that show superior results with hydrophobic lenses in trials conducted in western countries.

STUDY ON A HYDROPHOBIC-HYDROPHILIC GRADIENT ROD

A hydrophobic-hydrophilic gradient rod with a length of 40 mm and a diameter of 3 mm was prepared by heating a polymethylsilsesquioxane rod in a cylindrical stove with temperature gradient. The rod was thus pyrolyzed under a temperature gradient condition. The organic end of the gradient rod appears hydrophobic with a contact angle of 109.9° while the other end is hydrophilic with a contact angle of 62.4°. The gradient chemical structure and the gradient microstructure along the rod were characterized by FTIR and SEM, respectively.

A Metal-organic Framework with Alternately Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Layers Based on Tetrazole Derivative:Synthesis,Structure and Luminescent Property

A new metal-organic framework based on ethyl 1H-tetrazole-5-acetate （Hetza）, [Ag4（etza）4] （1）, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, thermal gravimetric and X-ray structural analysis. Crystal data for the title complex are as follows： triclinic system, space group P1 with a = 11.0771（6）, b = 11.6636（6）, c = 13.2925（8）, a = 102.3710（10）, β =103.3810（10）, γ = 90.0890（10）°, V = 1629.60（16） A3, Mr = 1052.06, Z = 2, F（000） = 1024, Dc = 2.144 g/cm3, μ（MoKa） = 2.438 mm^-1, the final R = 0.0538 and wR = 0.1475 （I 〉 2σ（I））. Complex 1 adopts the （4.82） topological network and the alternately hydrophilic-hydrophilic and hydropho- bic-hydrophobic arrangements. The luminescent properties of complex 1 and the free Hetza ligand have been studied in the solid states.

PHASE SEPARATION AND MICROVOID FORMATION AT PHASE INTERFACES OF HYDROPHOBIC-HYDROPHILIC POLYMER BLENDS DURING WET PROCESSING

In this paper,morphological structure,thermodynamic compatibility and relationship be-tween porosities and blend ratios of the wet coagulated PU/PVA sheets were studied by meansof observation of scanning electronic micrographies,tests of dynamic mechanical properties,moisture regain and vapor permeability.Furthermore,the formation of microvoids at interfacesof separated phases was discussed and a microvoid formation mechanism at phase interfaces ofhydrophobic-hydrophilic blends was suggested and compared with that ofhydrophobic-hydrophobic blends.

Synthesis and Characterization of a HydrophilicHydrophobic IPN Composed of Poly(vinyl alcohol)and Polystyrene

A hydrophilic/hydrophobic interpenetrating polymer network （IPN） of poly （vinyl alcohol） / polystyrene was prepared by conversion of the IPN of poly （vinyl acetate）/polystyrene. The hydrophilic/hydrophobic IPN was characterized by FT-IR and DSC, and the swelling ratios of the IPN in different solvents were measured.

A novel double polymer modified hydrophobic/hydrophilic stationary phase for liquid chromatography

In this paper,norbornene imidazolium hexafluorophosphate(NM-MIm-PF6)was modified on the surface of aminopropyl silica by ring-opening metathesis polymerization(ROMP),and then oligo(ethylene glycol)methacrylate(OEGMA)were grafted on the surface by atom transfer radical polymerization(ATRP).Some characterizations in this article confirmed that the synthesis of P(NM-MIm-PF6)-SiPOEGMA(Pl-Si-P2)is successful.The P1-Si-P2 can separate sugars,amino acids,sulfonamides in a hydrophilic interaction mode and alkyl benzene,polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in a reverse phase mode.The experiment also found that the column has typical characte ristics of hydrophobic/hydrophilic separation mechanism.Compared to single hydrophobic C18 column and single hydrophilic Si-NH2 column,this P1-Si-P2 shows certain advantages.

Effect of the Morphology of Leather Surface on the Hydrophobic-Hydrophilic Properties

Natural leathers (split, velour split, nubuck) ware investigated. Solution of fluorine silane in ethanol was applied as the hydrophobic agent. It is shown that the microstructure of the leather surface, provided its structural elements possess hydrophilic properties, determines the wetting regime and duration of the induction period of changeover from heterogeneous to homogeneous wetting. The heterogeneous regime of wetting is distinguished by low rates of spreading and absorbing. The homogeneous wetting is characterized by high rates of spreading and absorbing of a water drop. A necessary condition of the stable heterogeneous wetting regime and achieving hydrophobicity of leather with structurally inhomogeneous face layer is to preserve the microstructure features of their surface at hydrophobic treatment. The morphological peculiarities of split and ground leather ensure stable hydrophobic properties after application of efficient hydrophobizators.

Denaturation of DNA in Ternary Mixed Solution of Water/Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Organic Solvent

Denaturation was examined for the first time in a ternary mixed solution of water/hydrophilic/ hydrophobic organic solvent using λ-DNA and a plasmid as models. The absorbance of λ-DNA and the plasmid at 260 nm gradually increased for several days up to 1.68 and 1.38 times the initial values, respectively, in a water/acetonitrile/ethyl acetate (15:3:2, volume ratio) mixed solution, whereas there was little change in a water/acetonitrile (15:3, volume ratio) mixed solution. The plasmid treated with the ternary mixed solution was also examined with agarose gel electrophoresis. These experimental data indicated that λ-DNA changed from a double helix structure to a single helix structure and that the plasmid partially transformed to generate a denaturation bubble in the structure. The new idea of using the ternary mixed solution first enabled the interaction of the hydrophobic organic solvent (e.g., ethyl acetate) molecule with the double helical structure of DNA, leading to specific slow-proceeding denaturation.

Construction of Self-Assembly Based Tunable Absorber:Lightweight,Hydrophobic and Self-Cleaning Properties

Although multifunctional aerogels are expected to be used in applications such as portable electronic devices,it is still a great challenge to confer multifunctionality to aerogels while maintaining their inherent microstructure.Herein,a simple method is proposed to prepare multifunctional NiCo/C aerogels with excellent electromagnetic wave absorption properties,superhydrophobicity,and self-cleaning by water-induced NiCo-MOF self-assembly.Specifically,the impedance matching of the three-dimensional(3D)structure and the interfacial polarization provided by CoNi/C as well as the defect-induced dipole polarization are the primary contributors to the broadband absorption.As a result,the prepared NiCo/C aerogels have a broadband width of 6.22 GHz at 1.9 mm.Due to the presence of hydrophobic functional groups,CoNi/C aerogels improve the stability in humid environments and obtain hydrophobicity with large contact angles>140°.This multifunctional aerogel has promising applications in electromagnetic wave absorption,resistance to water or humid environments.

Enhancing Hydrophilicity of Thick Electrodes for High Energy Density Aqueous Batteries

Thick electrodes can substantially enhance the overall energy density of batteries.However,insufficient wettability of aqueous electrolytes toward electrodes with conventional hydrophobic binders severely limits utilization of active materials with increasing the thickness of electrodes for aqueous batteries,resulting in battery performance deterioration with a reduced capacity.Here,we demonstrate that controlling the hydrophilicity of the thicker electrodes is critical to enhancing the overall energy density of batteries.Hydrophilic binders are synthesized via a simple sulfonation process of conventional polyvinylidene fluoride binders,considering physicochemical properties such as mechanical properties and adhesion.The introduction of abundant sulfonate groups of binders(i)allows fast and sufficient electrolyte wetting,and(ii)improves ionic conduction in thick electrodes,enabling a significant increase in reversible capacities under various current densities.Further,the sulfonated binder effectively inhibits the dissolution of cathode materials in reactive aqueous electrolytes.Overall,our findings significantly enhance the energy density and contribute to the development of practical zinc-ion batteries.

Fabrication of polyetheretherketone(PEEK)-based 3D electronics with fine resolution by a hydrophobic treatment assisted hybrid additive manufacturing method

Additive manufacturing(AM)is a free-form technology that shows great potential in the integrated creation of three-dimensional(3D)electronics.However,the fabrication of 3D conformal circuits that fulfill the requirements of high service temperature,high conductivity and high resolution remains a challenge.In this paper,a hybrid AM method combining the fused deposition modeling(FDM)and hydrophobic treatment assisted laser activation metallization(LAM)was proposed for manufacturing the polyetheretherketone(PEEK)-based 3D electronics,by which the conformal copper patterns were deposited on the 3D-printed PEEK parts,and the adhesion between them reached the 5B high level.Moreover,the 3D components could support the thermal cycling test from-55℃ to 125℃ for more than 100 cycles.Particularly,the application of a hydrophobic coating on the FDM-printed PEEK before LAM can promote an ideal catalytic selectivity on its surface,not affected by the inevitable printing borders and pores in the FDM-printed parts,then making the resolution of the electroless plated copper lines improved significantly.In consequence,Cu lines with width and spacing of only60μm and 100μm were obtained on both as-printed and after-polished PEEK substrates.Finally,the potential of this technique to fabricate 3D conformal electronics was demonstrated.

Reduced graphene oxide aerogel decorated with Mo_(2)C nanoparticles toward multifunctional properties of hydrophobicity,thermal insulation and microwave absorption

Reduced graphene oxide(rGO)aerogels are emerging as very attractive scaffolds for high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption materials(EWAMs)due to their intrinsic conductive networks and intricate interior microstructure,as well as good compatibility with other electromagnetic(EM)components.Herein,we realized the decoration of rGO aerogel with Mo_(2)C nanoparticles by sequential hydrothermal assembly,freeze-drying,and high-temperature pyrolysis.Results show that Mo_(2)C nanoparticle loading can be easily controlled by the ammonium molybdate to glucose molar ratio.The hydrophobicity and thermal insulation of the rGO aerogel are effectively improved upon the introduction of Mo_(2)C nanoparticles,and more importantly,these nanoparticles regulate the EM properties of the rGO aerogel to a large extent.Although more Mo_(2)C nanoparticles may decrease the overall attenuation ability of the rGO aerogel,they bring much better impedance matching.At a molar ratio of 1:1,a desirable balance between attenuation ability and impedance matching is observed.In this context,the Mo_(2)C/r GO aerogel displays strong reflection loss and broad response bandwidth,even with a small applied thickness(1.7 mm)and low filler loading(9.0wt%).The positive effects of Mo_(2)C nanoparticles on multifunctional properties may render Mo_(2)C/r GO aerogels promising candidates for high-performance EWAMs under harsh conditions.

Improving the anti-collapse performance of water-based drilling fluids of Xinjiang Oilfield using hydrophobically modified silica nanoparticles with cationic surfactants

Wellbore instability,especially drilling with water-based drilling fluids(WBDFs)in complex shale for-mations,is a critical challenge for oil and gas development.The purpose of this paper is to study the feasibility of using hydrophobically modified silica nanoparticle(HMN)to enhance the comprehensive performance of WBDFs in the Xinjiang Oilfield,especially the anti-collapse performance.The effect of HMN on the overall performance of WBDFs in the Xinjiang Oilfield,including inhibition,plugging,lu-bricity,rheology,and filtration loss,was studied with a series of experiments.The mechanism of HMN action was studied by analyzing the changes of shale surface structure and chemical groups,wettability,and capillary force.The experimental results showed that HMN could improve the performance of WBDFs in the Xinjiang Oilfeld to inhibit the hydration swelling and dispersion of shale.The plugging and lubrication performance of the WBDFs in the Xinjiang Oilfield were also enhanced with HMN based on the experimental results.HMN had less impact on the rheological and filtration performance of the WBDFs in the Xinjiang Oilfield.In addition,HMN significantly prevented the decrease of shale strength.The potential mechanism of HMN was as follows.The chemical composition and structure of the shale surface were altered due to the adsorption of HMN driven by electrostatic attraction.Changes of the shale surface resulted in significant wettability transition.The capillary force of the shale was converted from a driving force of water into the interior to a resistance.In summary,hydrophobic nanoparticles presented afavorable application potential for WBDFs.