Interfacial modulation of bifunctional electrolyte additive engineering for dendrite-free and robust lithium metal anode

Anode materials for rechargeable electric car batteries are obtained from Li-metal owing to their extremely high specific capacity and low redox potential.Unfortunately,safety concerns related to dendrite formation on the anode surface caused by the uneven distribution of Li-ions during the discharge process interfere with the use of Li-metal in industrial batteries.In this study,methyl vinyl sulfone(MVS),a sulfone-based functional electrolyte additive,is used in an additive engineering strategy to control Lielectrolyte interactions and address the aforementioned problems.Li dendrite growth may be restricted,and transition metal degradation on the surface of the cathode can be reduced by the MVS-derived functional electrolyte additive interfacial layer.The electrochemical performance of an ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate(EC/DMC)+1 wt% MVS Li-metal anode of a Li||Li symmetric cell exhibits remarkable cycle stability,maintaining a low overvoltage for over 750 h at 1 mA cm^(-2),and capacity of 1 mA h cm^(-2).Additionally,LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)(NCM811) full cells with the MVS additive exhibit enhanced electrochemical stability for 250 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g^(-1).This study provides an innovative approach for stabilizing the metal-electrolyte interfacial layer that may be used for practical applications in metal-based rechargeable batteries.

Enhancement of physicochemical properties and baking quality of broken rice flour through superheated steam

This study investigated the effects of superheated steam(SS)treatment at different temperatures(120℃,150℃,180℃)on the physicochemical properties of broken rice flour and the quality of broken rice cakes.SS treatment at 120℃ significantly enhanced the moisture content of broken rice flour(P<0.05).In contrast,treatments at 150℃ and 180℃ caused decrease of moisture content,amylose leaching,and reduction of damaged starch content.After SS treatment,the pasting properties of broken rice flour increased,along with the rising of storage modulus and loss modulus.The proportion of short chains(DP 6-12)in amylopectin increased from 29.42%to 34.80%(P<0.05),which could delay starch retrogradation.Compared with untreated ones,the SS-150 broken rice cakes showed a significantly higher specific volume(2.96 mL/g,P<0.05),more uniform cell structure,and lower hardness(1.66 N)and chewiness(10.22 mJ).After 7 days of storage,cakes from SS-treated rice flour(150℃ and 180℃)had significantly reduced hardness and chewiness.The study demonstrated that SS treatment could improve the properties of broken rice flour and enhance the quality of broken rice cakes,especially at 150℃ and 180℃.This study presents a method for improving the quality of broken rice flour and rice cakes using superheated steam treatment,addressing challenges related to poor flour characteristics and suboptimal cake quality.The findings offer technical and theoretical support for enhancing rice cake production,contributing to the comprehensive utilization of rice resources.

Recent advances in graphene-based phase change composites for thermal energy storage and management

Energy storage and conservation are receiving increased attention due to rising global energy demands.Therefore,the development of energy storage materials is crucial.Thermal energy storage(TES)systems based on phase change materials(PCMs)have increased in prominence over the past two decades,not only because of their outstanding heat storage capacities but also their superior thermal energy regulation capability.However,issues such as leakage and low thermal conductivity limit their applicability in a variety of settings.Carbon-based materials such as graphene and its derivatives can be utilized to surmount these obstacles.This study examines the recent advancements in graphene-based phase change composites(PCCs),where graphene-based nanostructures such as graphene,graphene oxide(GO),functionalized graphene/GO,and graphene aerogel(GA)are incorporated into PCMs to substantially enhance their shape stability and thermal conductivity that could be translated to better storage capacity,durability,and temperature response,thus boosting their attractiveness for TES systems.In addition,the applications of these graphene-based PCCs in various TES disciplines,such as energy conservation in buildings,solar utilization,and battery thermal management,are discussed and summarized.

Fabrication of a Bi-layer Tubular Scaffold Consisted of a Dense Nanofibrous Inner Layer and a Porous Nanoyarn Outer Layer for Vascular Tissue Engineering

Recent years, it has attracted more attentions to increase the porosity and pore size of nanofibrous scaffolds to provide the for the cells to grow into the small-diameter vascular grafts. In this study, a novel bi-layer tubular scaffold with an inner layer and an outer layer was fabricated. The inner layer was random collagen/poly （ L-lactide-co-caprolactone ） I P （ LLA- CL） ] nanofibrous mat fabricated by conventional electrospinning and the outer layer was aligned collagen/P （LLA-CL） nanoyarns prepared by a dynamic liquid dectrospinning method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） was used to characterize the chemical structure. Scanning electron microscopy （ SEM ） was employed to observe the morphology of the layers and the cross- sectioned bi-layer tubular scaffold. A liquid displacement method was employed to measure the porosities of the inner and outer layers. Stress-strain curves were obtained to evaluate the mechanical properties of the two different layers and the bi-layer membrane. The diameters of the nanofibers and the nanoyarns were （480 ± 197 ） nm and （ 19.66 ± 4.05 ） μm, respectively. The outer layer had a significantly higher porosity and a larger pore size than those of the inner layer. Furthermore, the bi-layer membrane showed a good mechanical property which was suitable as small-diameter vascular graft. The results indicated that the bi-layer tubular scaffold had a great potential application in small vascular tissue engineering.

Preparation and Properties of Conductive Polyester Fabric Based on Ni-P Chemical Plating with Pd-Chitosan Activation

In this study, an effective deposition of Ni-P alloy on polyester （PET） was proposed by a chemical plating method with PdCl2 solution and a chelating agent chitosan （CTS）. As a critical step in chemical plating of making electromagnetic shielding fabric, the optimized processing of textile chemical plating is the fabrics padded with 3 % acetic acid （HAc） solution containing 10 g/L CTS and 5.5 mL/L formaldehyde （HCHO） as cross-linking agent for 20 min at room temperature. The highest weight gain and the lowest surface resistance of the treated fabric were achieved by the optimum pretreatment method. The CTS-Pd PET fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, scanning probe microscope （SPM）, and the glancing incident angle X-ray diffraction （XRD） pattern. The results showed that CTS acting as a chelating had effectively fixed Pd （H） ions. A uniform and continuous structure of Ni-P plating layer was obtained using the CTS pretreatment.

Chemical stability of doped BaCeO_3-BaZrO_3 solid solutions in different atmospheres

BaCe0.45Zr0.45M0.1O3-δ （M=Y, In） and BaCe0.9Y0.1O3-δ were prepared through the conventional solid state reaction route. The chemical stability was investigated in hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and boiling water. Crystalline phase and microsa-ucture of the proton conductor before and after stability test were measured with X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, respectively. The results showed that all materials were quite stable in H2 atmosphere. In CO2 atmosphere, BaCe0.45Zr0.45M0.1O3-δ（M=Y, In） were relatively stable, while Bafe0.9Y0.1O3-δ decomposed. In boiling water, BaCe0.9Y0.1O3-δ was quickly decomposed into Ba（OH）2 and corresponding oxide. BaCe0.45Zr0.45M0.1O3-δ slightly reacted with boiling water and some amorphous phases were formed. However, BaCe0.45Zr0.45In0.1O3-δ was observed to exhibit better stability than BaCe0.45Zr0.45Y0.1O3-δ in water. The experimental results were interpreted in terms of thermodynamic data and tolerance factor.

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Luminescent Properties of the Indium(Ⅲ) Complex Based on 2,6-Bis(1-phenylbenzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine

The complex [In（bpbp）Cl3]·H2O, where bpbp is 2,6-bis（1-phenylbenzimidazol- 2-yl）-pyridine （bpbp）, was synthesized and characterized by X-ray single-crystal structure analysis. For the complex： C31H21Cl3InN5·H2O, Mr = 702.71, monoclinic, space group, P21/n, a = 9.3918（10）, b = 21.024（2）, c = 14.5323（15）, β = 96.938（2）°, V = 2848.4（5）3, Z = 4, Dc = 1.639 g/cm3, λ = 0.71073, μ（MoKα） = 1.147 mm-1, F（000） = 1408, S = 1.00, R = 0.0430 and wR = 0.1438 for 4620 observed reflections with Ⅰ 〉 2σ（Ⅰ）. It is a neutral complex. The In（Ⅲ） ion adopts a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry coordinated by three nitrogen atoms of the ligand and three chlorine atoms. The complex emits blue luminescence with emission peaks at 430 nm in the solid state.

Liquid marbles containing petroleum and their properties

Liquid marbles （non-stick droplets） containing crude petroleum are reported. Liquid marbles were ob- tained by use of fluorinated decyl polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxane （FD-POSS） powder. Marbles containing crude petroleum remained stable on a broad diversity of solid and liquid supports. The effective surface tension of marbles filled with petroleum was established. The mechanism of friction of the marbles is discussed. Actuation of liquid marbles containing crude petroleum with an electric field is presented.

Synthesis of Calix[4] arene Thia Derivative and Extraction Effect of Substituents on Mercury( Ⅱ) and Lead( Ⅱ)

Calix[4]arene derivatives have been reported to possess high selectivity for metal ions.In order to analyze the extraction effect of substituents on Hg^(2+)and Pb^(2+),calix[4]arene derivatives containing hydroxyl,bromoethoxy and 1,11-dioxa-4,8-dithiahendecene were successfully synthesized,with their extraction effectiveness towards Hg^(2+)and Pb^(2+)were evaluated respectively.The results indicated that the phenolic hydroxyl in calix[4]arene improved the extraction ability on Hg^(2+)by promoting the formation of the negative oxygen ions that could bind with Hg^(2+)by coordination and ionic bonds.The extraction ability of 5,17-dinitro-26,28-(1’,11’-dioxa-4’,8’-dithiahendecene)-calix[4]arene(calix[4]arene thia derivative)was improved slightly due to the better coordination capacity for metal ions after introduction of 1,11-dioxa-4,8-dithiahendecene,which was a chelate-binding centre.Regarding to Pb^(2+),only 1,11-dioxa-4,8-dithiahendecene on molecule contributed to extraction due to the coordination bond.Since the metal ion with higher charge-to-radius ratio could coordinate with one ligand more stably,Pb^(2+)with higher charge-to-radius ratio than Hg^(2+)was coordinated and extracted by the calix[4]arene thia derivative more easily.Furthermore,extraction rates of the calix[4]arene thia derivative on both ions(Hg^(2+)and Pb^(2+))increased with the increase of pH value in acidic aqueous system(pH<7).

Raoultella terrigena RtZG1 Electrical Performance Appraisal and System Optimization

The aims of this study are to provide a strain and its optimal application in electro-producting performance for revealing the electrical generating mechanism in the future.We constructed microbial fuel cells(MFCs)device that was a bipolar chamber MFC,using metal ion media(MIM)and water as anode and cathode reaction substation fluid,respectively.In this study,we identified an isolate as Raoultella terrigena,named RtZG1,which could produce electron.Also,we optimized the conditions of electrical energy generation.The continuous output current could reach about 200μA within 3 h when the ratio of electro-bacterial fluid to matrix fluid was 1∶4,the temperature was 37℃,the carbon-nitrogen ratio of the inorganic salt medium was 10∶1,as well as the concentration of MIM was 1.Based on the optimization,it is clear that the most suitable conditions of electricity production for this strain lay the foundation for the application of this strain.

Curing Kinetics and Properties of Epoxy Resin with 1,4-bis(2,4-diaminophenoxy)benzene

A multifunctional amine, 1,4-bis（2,4-diaminophenoxy）benzene（14 BDAPOB）, was prepared and used as a novel hardener for novolac epoxy resin（ER）. The structure of 14 BDAPOB was characterized with Fourier transform infrared（FT-IR） spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry（DSC）. The curing kinetics of the novolac epoxy resin/1,4-bis（2,4-diaminophenoxy）benzene（ER/14 BDAPOB） system was studied by means of non-isothermal DSC experiments at five heating rates and determined by the Kissinger, Ozawa and Crane methods. The results showed that the activation energy Ea of the ER/14 BDAPOB（74.56 kJ/mol） system was higher than that of the epoxy resin/LCA-30（ER/LCA-30, 68.85 kJ/mol）, where LCA-30 is a commercial modified diamine. The reaction order, frequency factor and the reaction rate constant at peak temperature of the two systems were calculated. The initial decomposition temperatures（Tonset） were 398.8 ℃（ER/14 BDAPOB）and 334.3 ℃（ER/LCA-30）. The tensile shear strengths were 21.63 MPa（ER/14 BDAPOB） and 21.28 MPa（ER/LCA-30）. The results showed that the two cured systems exhibited good thermal and mechanical properties.

Design of the reactive dyes containing large planar multi-conjugated systems and their application in non-aqueous dyeing

The development of pollution-free dyeing technology, including anhydrous dyeing and non-aqueous dyeing technologies, has always been an important way and research hot in energy conservation and emission reduction. Designing new structural dye molecules is the key to water-saving dyeing processes.Herein, three reactive dyes were designed and synthesized, which contained large planar multiconjugated systems and multi-reactive groups. The designed reactive dyes are expected to have high affinity and high fixations in non-aqueous or small bath dyeing processes. The reactive dyes were applied in the decamethylcyclopentasiloxane(DMCS) reverse micelle dyeing for cotton fabric. High exhaustion rate of 99.35%, 98.10% and 98.80%, and fixation rate of 95.15%, 96.34% and 94.40% for three dyes, R1,R2 and R3, could be respectively obtained. The dyes can be fully utilized and had excellent dyeing performance, fastness and levelling properties under the revere micelle dyeing. The cotton fabric is like an oil-water separator in the dyeing process, where the dye micelles rapidly absorb and permeate into the cotton fibers. DMCS circulates around the fabric to transfer mass and energy. After dyeing, the solvent can be separated quickly and reused. The new reactive dyes containing large planar and multi-conjugated systems have potential application in green and sustainable dyeing technology with less wastewater and higher utilization.

Hippocampal Neuron-Derived Extracellular Matrix Coated Nanofibrous Scaffold for Neural Tissue Engineering

The aim of this study is to prepare poly-L-lactide(PLLA)electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds coated with hippocampal neuron-derived extracellular matrix(N-ECM)and construct a novel neural tissue engineering scaffold.Neonatal rat hippocampal neurons were seeded on PLLA nanofibers,and then decellularized to derive a cell-free extracellular matrix loaded N-ECM/PLLA modified scaffolds.The morphology and ingredients of N-ECM/PLLA were observed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and immunofluorescence staining respectively,and the cytocompatibility of the composite scaffolds was characterized by cell count kit-8(CCK-8)assay.The N-ECM was clearly identified loading on scaffolds when being imaged via SEM and immunofluorescence staining results showed that the N-ECM was made up of fibronectin and laminin.Most importantly,compared with tissue culture polystyrene and pure scaffolds,N-ECM/PLLA scaffolds could effectively facilitate the proliferation of rat adrenal neuroma cells(PC12 cells),indicating their better cell compatibilities.Based on the combination of N-ECM and PLLA biomaterials,the present study has fabricated a unique and versatile neural tissue engineering scaffold,offering a new thought for future neural tissue engineering.

Preparation and investigation of a novel iodine-based visible polyvinyl alcohol embolization material

Polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) embolization particles, currently used in clinical practice, have good expansibility and are capable of permanent embolization. However, the lack of adhesion of embolization particles contributes to facilitated recanalization after embolization, while the lack of visualization facilitates misembolization. At present, embolization materials with good expansion, adhesion, and visualization potential are urgently required in clinical practice. Here, we report the development of PVA/gelatin/iohexol(I) fiber blocks as a novel embolization material for liver embolization in rats. In our work, electrospun PVA/gelatin/I nanofibrous mats were first prepared, homogenized, centrifuged in a gradient manner, and freeze-dried to obtain fiber blocks(fiber diameter =296.2 ± 74.23 nm, length 99.6 ± 17.0 μm × width 46.9 ± 13.3 μm). The fiber blocks exhibited excellent cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility. Fiber blocks with a PVA/gelatin/I mass ratio of 8:2:10 were selected due to their excellent expansibility and adhesive properties. The PVA/gelatin/I fiber blocks display excellent liver embolic effects and computed tomography(CT) imaging potential due to a combination of the following characteristics: expansibility of PVA and gelatin, adhesive property of gelatin, and CT imaging potential of I. The developed fiber block material is an embolic material that may potentially be used in interventional medicine.

Preparation and Characterization of Chitosan Nanofibers Containing Silver Nanoparticles

Chitosan(CS)nanofibers containing silver nanoparticles(AgNPs)were prepared by in-situ reducing method.A water soluble carboxymethyl chitosan(CMCT)was applied for the preparation of AgNPs.The impact factor such as the concentration of CMCT,silver nitrate(AgNO_3)content,temperature and the heating time during the preparation of AgNPs were studied.The result showed that the proper value of the concentration of CMCT,AgNO_3content,temperature and the heating time were set as0.1%,20μL AgNO_3(1.7 mol/L),90°and 3 h,separately and the maximum concentration of AgNPs could be acquired.To solve the spinnability of chitosan nanofiber,a super high molecular weight polyethylene oxide(PEO)was introduced to the system,and a new mixed solvent system was prepared by adding acetic acid,dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)and several drops of Triton X-100TMto distilled water.CS/PEO(80/20)with the concentration of 3%was dissolved in the mixed solvent to prepare electrospinning solution for CS/PEO(80/20)nanofiber fabrication.The CS containing AgNPs electrospun solution could be prepared by replacing the distilled water to silver nanoparticle solution during the preparation of mixed solvent.Ultraviolet visible(UV-Vis)spectra and transmission electron microscope(TEM)results showed that silver nanoparticles were prepared successfully.CS membranes with and without AgNPs were acquired via a traditional electrospinning equipment.These two nanofiber membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscope(SEM)images and mechanical testing.It could be noticed from the SEM images that there was a good morphology and random distribution for the nanofibers with an average fiber diameter of 180 nm.The mechanical property results showed that the addition of AgNPs decreased the mechanical strength significantly but the mechanical strength could still support wound dressing application.

3D Nanocomposite Hydrogel Scaffolds Fabricated by Rapid Prototyping for Bone Tissue Engineering

Colloidal gels made of oppositely charged nanoparticles are a novel class of hydrogels and can exhibit pseudoplastic behavior which will enable them to mold easily into specific shapes.These moldable gels can be used as building blocks to self-assemble into integral scaffolds from bottom to up through electrostatic forces.However,they are too weak to maintain scaffold morphology just depending on interparticle interactions such as Van der Waals attraction and electrostatic forces especially for bone tissue engineering.In this study,oppositely charged gelatin nanoparticles were firstly prepared by two-step desolvation method,followed by the mixture with water to form colloid gels.To solve the problem of weak mechanical performance of colloid gels, gelatin macromolecules were introduced into the prepared gels to form blend gels.The blend gels can be easily processed into three-dimensional( 3D) porous scaffolds via motor assisted microsyringe( MAM)system,a nozzle-based rapid prototyping technology,under mild conditions.After fabrication the scaffolds were crosslinked by glutaraldehyde( GA,25% solution in water by weight),then the crosslinked gelatin macromolecules network could form to improve the mechanical properties of colloid gels.The average particle size and zeta potential of gelatin nanoparticles were measured by NanoZS instrument.The morphology and microstructures of scaffolds were characterized by macroscopic images.The mechanical properties of the scaffolds were studied by a universal material testing machine.

Preparation of Phase Change Microcapsule and Its Plication in Textiles

Phase change microcapsules(PCMs)are prepared with n-hexadecane and n-octadecane as core material,and melamine-formaldehyde resin is used as shell material by in-situ polymerization.Differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)was used to analyze the phase change properties.Thermal conductivity and maximum heat flux of cotton fabric finished with PCMs before and after being washed were also measured.It has been found that melting and crystal enthalpy of the PCMs decrease with decreasing the core/shell ratio,while qmax of fabric treated with PCMs decreases and the thermal conductivity increases.Study shows that fabric finished by the PCMs has good temperature conditioning function.

Electrospun Chitosan( CS)/Poly( L-lactic-co-ε-caprolactone)( PLCL ) Nanofibers and Their Potential as Small-Diameter Vascular Scaffold

The ideal small-diameter vascular grafts should mimic the nanostructure and mechanical properties of nature blood vessel. In this study, electrospun chitosan( CS)/poly( L-lactic-co-ε-caprolactone)( PLCL) nanofibers were developed for potential small-diameter blood vessel applications. CS is a positively charged polymer which is beneficial for cell attachment and growth,while PLCL provides favorable mechanical support due to its excellent elasticity. Typical nanofibrous structure was observed in both CS/PLCL and pure PLCL scaffolds. The optimal mechanical property could be achieved when the weight ratio of CS/PLCL was 1 ∶ 2.Compared with pure PLCL scaffolds, the CS/PLCL scaffolds showed higher hydrophilicity and markedly promoted the attachment,spreading and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells( HUVECs). Hence,CS/PLCL scaffolds can be used as potential vascular grafts.

Mechanism and Application of Enzyme Treatment on Wool

Protease treatments on wool have its inherent defect in shrink-proofing because protease will decompose wool through cell membrane complex （CMC）. In order to solve this problem, mechanism of enzyme treatments on wool was adequately analyzed and possible enzyme applications were discussed. The mechanism of enzyme treatment on wool was analyzed through weight loss, strength, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, electrophoresis, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis （ SDS- PAGE）, and amino acids composition. Based on the results, a possible novel multifunetional enzyme treatment on wool to achieve shrink-resistance was proposed. In order to shorten enzyme treatment time, the rate of proteolysis of wool was investigated. Considering the specificity of proteases, wool composition, and structure of dyes, a better enzyme pretreatment before dyeing to get better dyeabflity and lower dyeing temperature was discussed.

Green Electrospun Silk Fibroin/Galactose Chitosan Composite Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Hepatic Tissue Engineering

The electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds made of proteins and polysaccharides were thought to be able to simulate the structure of natural extracellular matrix well.Silk fibroin(SF)and chitosan(CS)are probably the most widely used natural materials in biomedical fields including liver tissue engineering for their good properties and wide variety of sources.The asialoglycoprotein receptors of hepatocyte were reported to specifically recognize and interact with galactose.In this work,a green electrospun SF/galactosylated chitosan(GC)composite nanofibrous scaffold was fabricated and characterized.The data indicated that the addition of GC greatly influenced the spinning effect of SF aqueous solution,and the average diameter of the composite nanofibers was about 520nm.Moreover,the green electrospun SF/GC nanofibrous scaffolds were demonstrated significantly enhancing the adhesion and proliferation of hepatocyte(RH35)according to our data.The present study did a useful exploration on constructing scaffolds for liver regeneration by green electrospinning,and also laid a good foundation for the further applicative research of this green electrospun scaffolds in liver tissue engineering.