INFLUENCE OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURES OF SECONDARY AMINE TERMINATED POLY(ESTER-AMINE)S ON THE CURING PERFORMANCE WITH EPOXY RESIN

Five secondary amine terminated poly（ester-amine）s （defined as PEA） with controlled molecular structures were synthesized through reacting excessive piperazine with phthalicdiglycol diacrylate （PDDA） and 1,1,1-trimethylolpropane triacrylate （TMPTA） at a constant secondary amine/acrylate group ratio of 1.5/1 and at different PDDA/TMPTA molar ratios. Both IR and ^1H-NMR spectra indicated that all acrylate groups were consumed in the reaction, based on which the structural parameters were calculated from the ^1H-NMR spectra. With decreasing PDDA/TMPTA ratio, the content of secondary amine, degree of branching, molecular weight, Tg and Td increased accordingly. These polymers were further used as both crosslinkers and flexibilizers for a linear epoxy resin E51 to form cured films under ambient condition. The gel content, relative hardness and Tg of the resulting films increased as PEA molecules changed from linear to highly branching structures. Due to the flexibility of PEA molecules, all the films possessed excellent mechanical performance.

Investigation on the Structure and Curing Performances of Secondary Amine Terminated Hyperbranched Poly(ester-amine)s

Three secondary amine terminated hyperbranched poly（ester-amine）s （defined as HPEA1, HPEA2 and HPEA3） were synthesized from piperazine （A2） and trimethylolpropane triacrylate （TMPTA, B3） at their molar ratios of 2.5：1, 2.25：1 and 2.0：1, respectively. The polymers were analyzed by 1H NMR, GPC, DSC and TGA. The results indicated that the ratio of secondary amine to tertiary amine and the content of secondary amine decreased, while the molecular weight, molecular weight distribution and glass transition temperature （Tg） increased from HPEA1 to HPEA3. Due to their reactive terminal groups and flexible chains, these polymers further reacted with an epoxy resin （E51） to form cured films under ambient conditions. With increasing the ratio between secondary amine groups and epoxy groups from 1：2 to 2：1, the gel content, film hardness and onset decomposing temperature of the cured samples increased. The good film performances should make the polymers as the components of non-solvent coating materials.

4天香烟烟雾暴露联合poly(I:C)刺激对小鼠肺部免疫应答及干扰素表达的影响

目的:探讨短期香烟烟雾暴露联合poly(I:C)刺激对小鼠肺部免疫应答及干扰素表达的影响。方法:BALB/c小鼠随机分为4组:对照组、熏烟组、poly(I:C)组和熏烟联合poly(I:C)组。检测支气管肺泡灌洗液(BALF)中总细胞数及细胞分类计数;普通光镜下观察各组细胞形态;荧光定量PCR检测肺组织细胞因子、趋化因子和干扰素及干扰素刺激基因表达。结果:与对照组相比,熏烟联合poly(I:C)组总细胞数计数、巨噬细胞与中性粒细胞计数明显升高(P<0.05),且熏烟联合poly(I:C)组巨噬细胞计数高于poly(I:C)组;与poly(I:C)组比较,熏烟联合poly(I:C)组小鼠气道灌洗液巨噬细胞体积较大,呈圆形或不规则形,细胞质较多空泡;与对照组相比,熏烟联合poly(I:C)组小鼠肺组织中性粒细胞趋化因子CXCL1(P<0.05)、CXCL2(P<0.01)和淋巴细胞趋化因子CCL2(P<0.01)mRNA表达升高,肺组织IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-αmRNA表达明显升高(P<0.01),肺组织IFN-β(P<0.01)、IFN-γ(P<0.05)、MX2(P<0.01)和IP-10(P<0.01)表达显著升高,且与poly(I:C)组小鼠相比,熏烟联合poly(I:C)组小鼠肺组织CXCL2(P<0.05)、TNF-α(P<0.01)和IFN-β(P<0.05)mRNA表达明显升高。结论:熏烟联合poly(I:C)诱导了小鼠肺部炎症反应和干扰素及干扰素刺激基因表达。同时,香烟暴露加剧了poly(I:C)诱导的小鼠肺部急性炎症反应和Ⅰ型干扰素表达。

New Phase Transfer Agent for Dye: Application for Hyperbranched Poly (ester-amine)

Hydrophilic hyperbranched poly(ester-amine) (HPEA) synthesized from diethanolamine and methyl acrylate was used as phase transfer agent for the first time to transfer methyl orange (MO) from water into chloroform. This process was quantified by UV-Vis spectra. A possible mechanism was put forward based on the formation of amphiphilic aggregates.

Innovative approach to boosting the chemical stability of AZ31 magnesium alloy using polymer-modified hybrid metal oxides

Meeting the demands of complex and advanced applications requires the development of high-performance hybrid materials with unique properties.However,the integration of polymeric frameworks with MgO/WO_(3) composite layers faces challenges due to the lack of understanding of the formation mechanism and the challenge of determining the impact of self-assembled architecture on anticorrosive properties.In this study,we aimed to enhance the corrosion resistance of the MgO layer produced by plasma electrolysis(PE)of AZ31 Mg alloy by incorporating WO_(3) with partially phosphorated poly(vinyl alcohol)(PPVA).Two types of porous MgO layers were produced using the PE process with an alkaline-phosphate electrolyte,one with and one without WO_(3) nanoparticles,which were subsequently immersed in an aqueous solution of PPVA.Incorporating PPVA into the WO_(3)-MgO layer resulted in hybrids being deposited in a fragmented manner,creating a“laminar reef-like structure”that sealed most of the structural defects in the layer.The PPVA-sealed WO_(3)-based coating exhibited superior corrosion resistance compared to the other samples.Computational analyses were employed to explore the mechanism underlying the formation of PPVA/WO_(3) hybrids on the MgO layer.These findings suggest that PPVA-WO_(3)-MgO hybrid coatings can potentially improve corrosion resistance in various fields.

TOPCon太阳电池背面叠层poly工艺的优化及其对电性能的影响

通过增加TOPCon太阳电池poly层中的磷掺杂浓度可以增强poly层与硅基底之间的钝化效果并提高poly层与金属电极间的接触能力,但过高的掺杂浓度会导致磷原子扩散到硅基底,破坏氧化层与硅基底之间的界面钝化效果。为了解决这一问题,提出在poly层中间增加一层薄的氧化层作为阻挡层(即叠层poly工艺,下文简称为“叠层工艺”)的方案,将原本单一的poly-Si磷掺杂进行双层分布,底层poly-Si轻掺杂,表层poly-Si重掺杂;对常规工艺和叠层工艺制备TOPCon的太阳电池进行对比试验后,进一步优化叠层工艺,调整中间氧化层厚度,并研究不同中间氧化层厚度的叠层工艺对TOPCon太阳电池电性能的影响。实验结果表明:1)叠层工艺可以提高TOPCon太阳电池的电性能;2)当中间氧化层厚度提升至1.5 nm时,太阳电池的光电转换效率达到最高值(25.66%)。但中间氧化层的厚度是一个需要精确控制的工艺参数,需找到最佳的厚度平衡点,以提高太阳电池性能。

Flexible and Robust Functionalized Boron Nitride/Poly(p‑Phenylene Benzobisoxazole)Nanocomposite Paper with High Thermal Conductivity and Outstanding Electrical Insulation

With the rapid development of 5G information technology,thermal conductivity/dissipation problems of highly integrated electronic devices and electrical equipment are becoming prominent.In this work,“high-temperature solid-phase&diazonium salt decomposition”method is carried out to prepare benzidine-functionalized boron nitride(m-BN).Subsequently,m-BN/poly(pphenylene benzobisoxazole)nanofiber(PNF)nanocomposite paper with nacremimetic layered structures is prepared via sol–gel film transformation approach.The obtained m-BN/PNF nanocomposite paper with 50 wt%m-BN presents excellent thermal conductivity,incredible electrical insulation,outstanding mechanical properties and thermal stability,due to the construction of extensive hydrogen bonds andπ–πinteractions between m-BN and PNF,and stable nacre-mimetic layered structures.Itsλ∥andλ_(⊥)are 9.68 and 0.84 W m^(-1)K^(-1),and the volume resistivity and breakdown strength are as high as 2.3×10^(15)Ωcm and 324.2 kV mm^(-1),respectively.Besides,it also presents extremely high tensile strength of 193.6 MPa and thermal decomposition temperature of 640°C,showing a broad application prospect in high-end thermal management fields such as electronic devices and electrical equipment.

Poly (ADP-ribose): A double-edged sword governing cancer cell survival and death

Poly(ADP-ribose)(PAR),a polymer of ADP-ribose,is synthesized by PAR po-lymerase and is crucial for the survival of cancer cells due to its vital functions in DNA repair and post-translational modifications.Beyond its supportive role,PAR also triggers cancer cell death by excessive accumulation of PAR leading to an energy crisis and parthanatos.This phenomenon underscores the potential of targeting PAR regulation as a novel anticancer strategy,and the rationale would present an engaging topic in the field of anticancer research.Therefore,this editorial provides an overview of the mechanisms determining cancer cell fate,emphasizing the central role of PAR.It further introduces promising methods for modulating PAR concentrations that may pave the way for innovative anticancer therapies.

Synergistic coupling among Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5),polycarbonate and N,Ndimethylformamide enhances the electrochemical performance of PVDF-HFP-based solid electrolyte

Polymer solid electrolytes(SPEs)based on the[solvate-Li+]complex structure have promising prospects in lithium metal batteries(LMBs)due to their unique ion transport mechanism.However,the solvation structure may compromise the mechanical performance and safety,hindering practical application of SPEs.In this work,a composite solid electrolyte(CSE)is designed through the organic-inorganic syner-gistic interaction among N,N-dimethylformamide(DMF),polycarbonate(PC),and Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5) in poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)(PVDF-HFP).Flame-retardant Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5) nanowires provide non-flammability to the prepared CSEs,and the addition of PC improves the dispersion of Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5) nanowires.Simultaneously,the organic-inorganic synergistic action of PC plasticizer and Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5) nanowires pro-motes the dissociation degree of LiTFSI and reduces the crystallinity of PVDF-HFP,enabling rapid Li ion transport.Additionally,Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations confirm the coordination between Mg atoms in Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5) and N atoms in DMF,which exhibits Lewis base-like behavior attacking adjacent C-F and C-H bonds in PVDF-HFP while inducing dehydrofluorination of PVDF-HFP.Based on the syner-gistic coupling of Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5),PC,and DMF in the PVDF-HFP matrix,the prepared CSE exhibits superior ion conductivity(9.78×10^(-4) s cm^(-1)).The assembled Li symmetric cells cycle stably for 3900 h at a current density of 0.1 mA cm^(-2) without short circuit.The LFP||Li cells assembled with PDL-Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5)/PC CSEs show excellent rate capability and cycling performance,with a capacity retention of 83.3%after 1000 cycles at 0.5 C.This work provides a novel approach for the practical application of organic-inorganic Synergistic CSEs in LMBs.

A comparative study for petroleum removal capacities of the bacterial consortia entrapped in sodium alginate,sodium alginate/poly(vinyl alcohol),and bushnell haas agar

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the degradation efficiencies of free and entrapped bacterial consortia(Staphylococcus capitis CP053957.1 and Achromobacter marplatensis MT078618.1)to different polymers such as Sodium Alginate(SA),Sodium Alginate/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)(SA/PVA),and Bushnell Haas Agar(BHA).In addition to SA and SA/PVA,which are cost-effective,non-toxic and have different functional groups,BHA,which is frequently encountered in laboratory-scale studies but has not been used as an entrapment material until now.Based on these,the polymers with different surface morphologies and chemical compositions were analyzed by SEM and FT-IR.While the petroleum removal efficiency was higher with the entrapped bacterial consortia than with the free one,BHA-entrapped bacterial consortium enhanced the petroleum removal more than SA and SA/PVA.Accordingly,the degradation rate of bacterial consortia entrapped with BHA was 2.039 day^(-1),SA/PVA was 1.560,SA was 0.993,the half-life period of BHA-entrapped bacterial consortia is quite low(t_(1/2)=0.339)compared with SA(t_(1/2)=0.444)and SA/PVA(t_(1/2)=0.697).The effects of the four main factors such as:amount of BHA(0.5,1,1.5,2,2.5,3 g),disc size(4,5,6,7,8 mm),inoculum concentration(1,2.5,5,7.5,10 mL),and incubation period on petroleum removal were also investigated.The maximum petroleum removal(94.5%)was obtained at≥2.5 mL of bacterial consortium entrapped in 2 g BHA with a 7 mm disc size at 168 h and the results were also confirmed by statistical analysis.Although a decrease was observed during the reuse of bacterial consortium entrapped in BHA,the petroleum removal was still above 50%at 10th cycle.Based on GC-MS analysis,the removal capacity of BHA-entrapped consortium was over 90%for short-chain n-alkanes and 80%for medium-chain n-alkanes.Overall,the obtained data are expected to provide a potential guideline in cleaning up the large-scale oil pollution in the future.Since there has been no similar study investigating petroleum removal with the bacterial consortia entrapped with BHA,this novel entrapment material can potentially be used in the treatment of petroleum pollution in advanced remediation studies.

High-performance and robust high-temperature polymer electrolyte membranes with moderate microphase separation by implementation of terphenyl-based polymers

Acid loss and plasticization of phosphoric acid(PA)-doped high-temperature polymer electrolyte membranes(HT-PEMs)are critical limitations to their practical application in fuel cells.To overcome these barriers,poly(terphenyl piperidinium)s constructed from the m-and p-isomers of terphenyl were synthesized to regulate the microstructure of the membrane.Highly rigid p-terphenyl units prompt the formation of moderate PA aggregates,where the ion-pair interaction between piperidinium and biphosphate is reinforced,leading to a reduction in the plasticizing effect.As a result,there are trade-offs between the proton conductivity,mechanical strength,and PA retention of the membranes with varied m/p-isomer ratios.The designed PA-doped PTP-20m membrane exhibits superior ionic conductivity,good mechanical strength,and excellent PA retention over a wide range of temperature(80–160°C)as well as satisfactory resistance to harsh accelerated aging tests.As a result,the membrane presents a desirable combination of performance(1.462 W cm^(-2) under the H_(2)/O_(2)condition,which is 1.5 times higher than that of PBI-based membrane)and durability(300 h at 160°C and 0.2 A cm^(-2))in the fuel cell.The results of this study provide new insights that will guide molecular design from the perspective of microstructure to improve the performance and robustness of HT-PEMs.

Systematic analysis of DNA polymerases as therapeutic targets in pan-cancers

Introduction:DNA polymerases are crucial for maintaining genome stability and influencing tumorigenesis.However,the clinical implications of DNA polymerases in tumorigenesis and their potential as anti-cancer therapy targets are not well understood.Methods:We conducted a systematic analysis using TCGA Pan-Cancer Atlas data and Gene Set Cancer Analysis results to examine the expression profiles of 15 DNA polymerases(POLYs)and their clinical correlations.We also evaluated the prognostic value of POLYs by analyzing their expression levels in relation to overall survival time(OS)using Kaplan-Meier survival curves.Additionally,we investigated the correlations between POLY expression and immune cells,DNA damage repair(DDR)pathways,and ubiquitination.Drug sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the relationship between POLY expression and drug response.Results:Our analysis revealed that 14 out of 15 POLYs exhibited significantly distinct expression patterns between tumor and normal samples across most cancer types,except for DNA nucleotidylexotransferase(DNTT).Specifically,POLD1 and POLE showed elevated expression in almost all cancers,while POLQ exhibited high expression levels in all cancer types.Some POLYs showed heightened expression in specific cancer subtypes,while others exhibited low expression.Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated significant prognostic value of POLYs in multiple cancers,including PAAD,KIRC,and ACC.Cox analysis further validated these findings.Alteration patterns of POLYs varied significantly among different cancer types and were associated with poorer survival outcomes.Significant correlations were observed between the expression of POLY members and immune cells,DDR pathways,and ubiquitination.Drug sensitivity analysis indicated an inverse relationship between POLY expression and drug response.Conclusion:Our comprehensive study highlights the significant role of POLYs in cancer development and identifies them as promising prognostic and immunological biomarkers for various cancer types.Additionally,targeting POLYs therapeutically holds promise for tumor immunotherapy.

Edaravone-loaded poly(amino acid) nanogel inhibits ferroptosis for neuroprotection in cerebral ischemia injury

Neurological injury caused by ischemic stroke is a major cause of permanent disability and death. The currently available neuroprotective drugs fail to achieve desired therapeutic efficacy mainly due to short circulation half-life and poor blood−brain barrier (BBB) permeability. For that, an edaravone-loaded pH/glutathione (pH/GSH) dual-responsive poly(amino acid) nanogel (NG/EDA) was developed to improve the neuroprotection of EDA. The nanogel was triggered by acidic and EDA-induced high-level GSH microenvironments, which enabled the selective and sustained release of EDA at the site of ischemic injury. NG/EDA exhibited a uniform sub-spherical morphology with a mean hydrodynamic diameter of 112.3 ± 8.2 nm. NG/EDA efficiently accumulated at the cerebral ischemic injury site of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) mice, showing an efficient BBB crossing feature. Notably, NG/EDA with 50 µM EDA significantly increased neuron survival (29.3%) following oxygen and glucose deprivation by inhibiting ferroptosis. In addition, administering NG/EDA for 7 d significantly reduced infarct volume to 22.2% ± 7.2% and decreased neurobehavioral scores from 9.0 ± 0.6 to 2.0 ± 0.8. Such a pH/GSH dual-responsive nanoplatform might provide a unique and promising modality for neuroprotection in ischemic stroke and other central nervous system diseases.

Application of the Shrinking Particle Model for the Evaluation of Molecular Recyclability of PET versus Semi-Aromatic Polyesters

The molecular recyclability of poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and three semi-aromatic polyesters poly (phloretic acid) (poly-H), poly (dihydroferulic acid) (poly-G), and poly (dihydrosinapinic acid) (poly-S) is evaluated in this study. PET is an extensively used aromatic polyester, and poly-H, poly-G, and poly-S can be considered semi-aromatic poly (lactic acid) modifications. All these polyesters have been depolymerized at neutral pH and by acid- and base-catalyzed hydrolysis at two temperatures, i.e., 50˚C and 80˚C. Base-catalyzed depolymerization of virgin PET leads to an isolated yield of 38% after 48 hours of reaction at 80˚C. Contrary to these results for PET, almost all the monomers of the semi-aromatic polyesters poly-H, poly-G, and poly-S are recovered with isolated yields larger than 90% at the same temperature after 15 minutes in a facile manner. A shrinking particle model used to determine the global kinetics of the base-catalyzed depolymerization showed that the rate rises with increasing temperature. Using the shrinking particle model, the intrinsic reaction rate constants were determined. It has been demonstrated that the rate coefficients of the depolymerization of the semi-aromatic polyesters poly-H, poly-G, and poly-S are between 2 and 3 orders of magnitude higher than those for PET.

Novel sandwich structured glass fiber Cloth/Poly(ethylene oxide)-MXene composite electrolyte

Recently,poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)-based solid polymer electrolytes have been attracting great attention,and efforts are currently underway to develop PEO-based composite electrolytes for next generation high performance all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.In this article,a novel sandwich structured solid-state PEO composite electrolyte is developed for high performance all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.The PEO-based composite electrolyte is fabricated by hot-pressing PEO,LiTFSI and Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene nanosheets into glass fiber cloth(GFC).The as-prepared GFC@PEO-MXene electrolyte shows high mechanical properties,good electrochemical stability,and high lithium-ion migration number,which indicates an obvious synergistic effect from the microscale GFC and the nanoscale MXene.Such as,the GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene electrolyte shows a high tensile strength of 43.43 MPa and an impressive Young's modulus of 496 MPa,which are increased by 1205%and 6048%over those of PEO.Meanwhile,the ionic conductivity of GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene at 60℃ reaches 5.01×10^(-2) S m^(-1),which is increased by around 200%compared with that of GFC@PEO electrolyte.In addition,the Li/Li symmetric battery based on GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene electrolyte shows an excellent cycling stability over 800 h(0.3 mA cm^(-2),0.3 mAh cm^(-2)),which is obviously longer than that based on PEO and GFC@PEO electrolytes due to the better compatibility of GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene electrolyte with Li anode.Furthermore,the solid-state Li/LiFePO_(4) battery with GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene as electrolyte demonstrates a high capacity of 110.2–166.1 mAh g^(-1) in a wide temperature range of 25–60C,and an excellent capacity retention rate.The developed sandwich structured GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene electrolyte with the excellent overall performance is promising for next generation high performance all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Low testing rates and high BRCA prevalence: Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor use in Middle East BRCA/homologous recombination deficiency-positive cancer patients

BACKGROUND Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase inhibitors(PARPis)are approved as first-line therapies for breast cancer gene(BRCA)-positive,human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.They are also effective for new and recurrent ovarian cancers that are BRCA-or homologous recombination deficiency(HRD)-positive.However,data on these mutations and PARPi use in the Middle East are limited.AIM To assess BRCA/HRD prevalence and PARPi use in patients in the Middle East with breast/ovarian cancer.METHODS This was a single-center retrospective study of 57 of 472 breast cancer patients tested for BRCA mutations,and 25 of 65 ovarian cancer patients tested for HRD.These adult patients participated in at least four visits to the oncology service at our center between August 2021 and May 2023.Data were summarized using descriptive statistics and compared using counts and percentages.Response to treatment was assessed using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors criteria.RESULTS Among the 472 breast cancer patients,12.1%underwent BRCA testing,and 38.5%of 65 ovarian cancer patients received HRD testing.Pathogenic mutations were found in 25.6%of the tested patients:26.3%breast cancers had germline BRCA(gBRCA)mutations and 24.0%ovarian cancers showed HRD.Notably,40.0%of gBRCA-positive breast cancers and 66.0%of HRD-positive ovarian cancers were Middle Eastern and Asian patients,respectively.PARPi treatment was used in 5(33.3%)gBRCA-positive breast cancer patients as first-line therapy(n=1;7-months progression-free),for maintenance(n=2;>15-months progression-free),or at later stages due to compliance issues(n=2).Four patients(66.6%)with HRD-positive ovarian cancer received PARPi and all remained progression-free.CONCLUSION Lower testing rates but higher BRCA mutations in breast cancer were found.Ethnicity reflected United Arab Emirates demographics,with breast cancer in Middle Eastern and ovarian cancer in Asian patients.

TOPCon太阳电池单面沉积Poly-Si的工艺研究

目前隧穿氧化层钝化接触(TOPCon)电池制造技术越来越成熟,所耗成本不断降低。行业内普遍采用低压化学气相沉积(LPCVD)方式进行双面沉积或单面沉积。单面沉积存在Poly-Si绕镀问题,严重影响电池片转化效率和外观质量,同时正面绕镀层去除难度较大,在用碱溶液去除绕镀层的同时,存在绕镀层去除不彻底或者非绕镀区域P^(+)层被腐蚀的风险,导致P^(+)发射极受损,严重影响电池片外观质量与性能。双面沉积可避免上述问题,但产能减少一半,制造成本增加。本文对单面沉积Poly-Si工艺及绕镀层去除工艺进行研究,在TOPCon电池正面及背面制作了一层合适厚度的氧化层掩膜,搭配合适的清洗工艺、去绕镀清洗工艺,既可有效地去除P^(+)层绕镀的Poly-Si,也可很好地保护正面P^(+)层及背面掺杂Poly-Si层不受破坏,同时可大幅提升产能。

Poly(lactic acid)-aspirin microspheres prepared via the traditional and improved solvent evaporation methods and its application performances

Drug-loaded microspheres are significant for the development of modern pharmaceutical products. It is well known that the taken of aspirin for long-term increases the risk of serious gastrointestinal complications, therefore a controllable delivery of aspirin is of importance to lighten those side effects. In this work, poly(lactic acid)(PLA) was chosen as the carrier to prepare PLA-aspirin microspheres by using the traditional and the improved solvent evaporation methods. It was found that no matter which experimental condition was, the encapsulation efficiency of aspirin was higher by using the improved method than that of the traditional method. Specifically, when the concentration of polyvinyl alcohol = 1%(mass),the polymer concentration = 1:20, the oil/water rate = 1:2.5, PLA-aspirin microspheres were obtained via the improved method with a high yield of 82.83%(mass) and an encapsulation efficiency of 44.09%. PLAaspirin microspheres were then prepared continuously using the improved method, which further enhanced the encapsulation efficiency to 54.56%. Approximate 85% aspirin released from microspheres within 7 days. Obvious degradation which was represented by reduction on hardness was observed by soaking microspheres in PBS for 60 days. This work is of interest because it provides a continuous route to prepare PLA-aspirin microspheres continuously with a high drug encapsulation efficiency.

Poly(ionic liquid)-crosslinked graphene oxide/carbon nanotube membranes as efficient solar steam generators

Graphene oxide(GO)is regarded as a promising candidate to construct solar absorbers for addressing freshwater crisis,but the easy delamination of GO in water poses a critical challenge for practical solar desalination.Herein,we improve the stability of GO membranes by a self-crosslinking poly(ionic liquid)(PIL)in a mild condition,which crosslinks neighbouring GO nanosheets without blemishing the hydrophilic structure of GO.By further adding carbon nanotubes(CNTs),the sandwiched GO/CNT@PIL(GCP)membrane displays a good stability in pH=1 or 13 solution even for 270 days.The molecular dynamics simulation results indicate that the generation of water nanofluidics in nanochannels of GO nanosheets remarkably reduces the water evaporation enthalpy in GCP membrane,compared to bulk water.Consequently,the GCP membrane exhibits a high evaporation rate(1.87 kg m^(-2)h^(-1))and displays stable evaporation rates for 14 h under 1 kW m^(-2)irradiation.The GCP membrane additionally works very well when using different water sources(e.g.,dye-polluted water)or even strong acidic solution(pH=1)or basic solution(pH=13).More importantly,through bundling pluralities of GCP membrane,an efficient solar desalination device is developed to produce drinkable water from seawater.The average daily drinkable water amount in sunny day is 10.1 kg m^(-2),which meets with the daily drinkable water needs of five adults.The high evaporation rate,long-time durability and good scalability make the GCP membrane an outstanding candidate for practical solar seawater desalination.

Three-in-one fire-retardant poly(phosphate)-based fast ion-conductor for all-solid-state lithium batteries

The development of flame retardant or nonflammable electrolytes is the key to improve the safety of lithium batteries,owing to inflammable organic solvents and polymer matrix in common liquid and polymer electrolytes regarded as the main cause of battery fire.Herein,a series of solid-state polyphosphate oligomers(SPPO)as a three-in-one electrolyte that integrated the roles of lithium salt,dissociation matrix,and flame retardant were synthesized.The well-designed SPPO electrolytes showed an optimal ionic conductivity of 5.5×10^(-4)S cm-1at 30℃,an acceptable electrochemical window up to 4.0 V vs.Li/Li+,and lithium ion transference number of 0.547.Stable Li-ion stripping/plating behavior for 500 h of charge-discharge cycles without internal short-circuit in a Li|SPPO|Li cell was confirmed,together with outstanding interface compatibility between the SPPO electrolyte and lithium foil.The optimal Li|SPPO|LiFePO4cell presented good reversible discharge capacity of 149.4 mA h g-1at 0.1 C and Coulombic efficiency of 96.4%after 120 cycles.More importantly,the prepared SPPO cannot be ignited by the lighter fire and show a limited-oxygen-index value as high as 35.5%,indicating splendid nonflammable nature.The SPPO could be a promising candidate as a three-in-one solid-state electrolyte for the improved safety of rechargeable lithium batteries.