Exploring innovative synthetic solutions for advanced polymer-based electrochromic energy storage devices:Phenoxazine as a promising chromophore

The current investigation offers an innovative synthetic solution regarding electrochromic(EC)and energy storage applications by exploring phenoxazine(POZ)moiety.Subsequently,three POZ-based polymers(polyimide,polyazomethine,and polyamide)were synthesized to ascertain the superior performer.The polyamide exhibited remarkable attributes,including high redox stability during 500 repetitive CVs,optical contrast of 61.98%,rapid response times of 1.02 and 1.38 s for coloring and bleaching,EC efficiency of 280 cm^(2)C^(-1).and decays of the optical density and EC efficiency of only 12.18%and 6.23%after 1000 cycles.Then,the energy storage performance of polyamide PA was tested,for which the following parameters were obtained:74.7 F g^(-1)(CV,scan rate of 10 mV s^(-1))and 118 F g^(-1)(GCD,charging current of 0.1 A g^(-1)).Then,the polyamide was tested in EES devices,which yielded the following EC parameters:an optical contrast of 62.15%,response times of 9.24 and 5.01 s for coloring and bleaching,EC efficiency of 178 cm^(2)C^(-1),and moderate decays of 20.25%and 23.24%for the optical density and EC efficiency after 500 cycles.The energy storage performance included a capacitance of 106 F g^(-1)(CV,scan rate of 0.1 mV s^(-1))and 9.23 F g^(-1)(GCD,charging current of 0.1 A g^(-1)),capacitance decay of 11.9%after500 cycles,and 1.7 V retention after 2 h.Also,two EES devices connected in series powered a 3 V LED for almost 30 s.

纳米纤维素基柔性导电薄膜的构筑及其在柔性电子器件中的应用研究进展

纳米纤维素(NC)因具有高比表面积、优异的力学性能、出色的热稳定性和可生物降解性,是柔性储能设备电极材料的理想候选者。在柔性电子器件的应用中,通常将NC与导电材料结合以提高其导电性。本文从NC的结构特点出发,综述了NC基导电薄膜的形成及其在柔性电子器件的应用,总结分析了NC基导电薄膜在实际应用中存在的问题和挑战,并对其未来的研究方向进行展望。

Multidisciplinary strategies to enhance therapeutic effects of flavonoids from Epimedii Folium:Integration of herbal medicine,enzyme engineering,and nanotechnology

Flavonoids such as baohuoside I and icaritin are the major active compounds in Epimedii Folium(EF)and possess excellent therapeutic effects on various diseases.Encouragingly,in 2022,icaritin soft capsules were approved to reach the market for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)by National Medical Products Administration(NMPA)of China.Moreover,recent studies demonstrate that icaritin can serve as immune-modulating agent to exert anti-tumor effects.Nonetheless,both production efficiency and clinical applications of epimedium flavonoids have been restrained because of their low content,poor bioavailability,and unfavorable in vivo delivery efficiency.Recently,various strategies,including enzyme engineering and nanotechnology,have been developed to increase productivity and activity,improve delivery efficiency,and enhance therapeutic effects of epimedium flavonoids.In this review,the structure-activity relationship of epimedium flavonoids is described.Then,enzymatic engineering strategies for increasing the productivity of highly active baohuoside I and icaritin are discussed.The nanomedicines for overcoming in vivo delivery barriers and improving therapeutic effects of various diseases are summarized.Finally,the challenges and an outlook on clinical translation of epimedium flavonoids are proposed.

Biological Tissue-Inspired Ultrasoft,Ultrathin,and Mechanically Enhanced Microfiber Composite Hydrogel for Flexible Bioelectronics

Hydrogels offer tissue-like softness,stretchability,fracture toughness,ionic conductivity,and compatibility with biological tissues,which make them promising candidates for fabricating flexible bioelectronics.A soft hydrogel film offers an ideal interface to directly bridge thin-film electronics with the soft tissues.However,it remains difficult to fabricate a soft hydrogel film with an ultrathin configuration and excellent mechanical strength.Here we report a biological tissue-inspired ultrasoft microfiber composite ultrathin(<5μm)hydrogel film,which is currently the thinnest hydrogel film as far as we know.The embedded microfibers endow the composite hydrogel with prominent mechanical strength(tensile stress~6 MPa)and anti-tearing property.Moreover,our microfiber composite hydrogel offers the capability of tunable mechanical properties in a broad range,allowing for matching the modulus of most biological tissues and organs.The incorporation of glycerol and salt ions imparts the microfiber composite hydrogel with high ionic conductivity and prominent anti-dehydration behavior.Such microfiber composite hydrogels are promising for constructing attaching-type flexible bioelectronics to monitor biosignals.

Nanomedicine-boosting icaritin-based immunotherapy of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Traditional treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),such as surgical resection,transplantation,radiofrequency ablation,and chemotherapy are unsatisfactory,and therefore the exploration of powerful therapeutic strategies is urgently needed.Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy for advanced HCC treatment due to its minimal side effects and long-lasting therapeutic memory effects.Recent studies have demonstrated that icaritin could serve as an immunomodulator for effective immunotherapy of advanced HCC.Encouragingly,in 2022,icaritin soft capsules were approved by the National Medical Products Administration(NMPA)of China for the immunotherapy of advanced HCC.However,the therapeutic efficacy of icaritin in clinical practice is impaired by its poor bioavailability and unfavorable in vivo delivery efficiency.Recently,functionalized drug delivery systems including stimuli-responsive nanocarriers,cell membrane-coated nanocarriers,and living cell-nanocarrier systems have been designed to overcome the shortcomings of drugs,including the low bioavailability and limited delivery efficiency as well as side effects.Taken together,the development of icaritin-based nanomedicines is expected to further improve the immunotherapy of advanced HCC.Herein,we compared the different preparation methods for icaritin,interpreted the HCC immune microenvironment and the mechanisms underlying icaritin for treatment of advanced HCC,and discussed both the design of icaritin-based nanomedicines with high icaritin loading and the latest progress in icaritinbased nanomedicines for advanced HCC immunotherapy.Finally,the prospects to promote further clinical translation of icaritin-based nanomedicines for the immunotherapy of advanced HCC were proposed.

Promotional effects of Ru and Fe on Ni/ZrO_(2) catalyst during CO_(2) methanation:A comparative evaluation of the mechanism

Ni-based catalysts are widely investigated non-noble metal-based systems for CO_(2)methanation.However,their industrial application is still limited due to lower activity at low-temperature and catalyst deactivation.Incorporating a second metal such as Ru and Fe is considered as a successful strategy to overcome these challenges through alloy formation or the synergies provided by the interplay of two adjacent metallic sites.Nonetheless,their promotional effect on the CO_(2)methanation mechanism under similar conditions has not been reported yet.In this work,Fe and Ru-promoted Ni/ZrO_(2)catalysts were investigated to evaluate their promotional effect on the mechanism.The Ni/Fe ratio was first optimized and a CO_(2)conversion rate of 37.7 mmolCO_(2)/(molNi+Fes)and 96.3%CH^(4)selectivity was obtained over the Ni_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)/ZrO_(2)catalyst.In comparison with Ni_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)/ZrO_(2),Ni_(0.8)Ru_(0.2)/ZrO_(2)prepared with the same composition showed higher activity and stability in CO_(2)methanation.Characterization results indicate alloys formation and H spillover for Ni_(0.8)Ru_(0.2)/ZrO_(2)to be responsible for promotion.Besides,in situ DRIFTS studies evidenced the occurrence of both CO_(2)dissociative and associative pathways over Ni_(0.8)Ru_(0.2)/ZrO_(2)catalyst,while solely the CO_(2)associative pathway occurred for Ni_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)/ZrO_(2)

^1H固体核磁共振技术对管材用Cr系催化剂催化乙烯共聚物及不同耐压等级管材料的研究

以基于Cr系催化剂、不同己烯含量的管材用乙烯己烯共聚物为研究对象，应用^1H固体NMR技术测定了其室温下的相结构参数以及不同温度下的相结构变化．研究发现，随着共聚单体含量的增加，NMR结晶相组分的含量降低，界面区和无定形区组分含量增加，且两者在NMR测定的长周期中所占的比例也增加．提出了以界面区含量和无定形区含量的比例随温度的变化作为定性判断非晶区中链段运动受限程度的依据．此外，采用相同的^1H固体NMR技术研究了不同耐压等级聚乙烯管材料基体树脂的聚集态结构．发现室温下随着管材料耐压等级的增加，结晶相组分含量减少而其他两组分含量增加，且NMR测定的长周期中结晶相组分所占比例降低而其他两组分比例升高．实验结果证明，上述定性判断非晶区中链段运动受限程度的判据与材料的耐压等级有较好的对应关系．

核磁共振对高分子材料结构的在线分析

传统NMR技术需将被检测物体置于高频超导磁铁中心,其应用范围受到了很大限制。近年来出现了一种新型便携式核磁共振通用表面探测仪(NMR-MOUSE),它可以放置于被检测物表面进行在线分析,灵敏地检测出材料的变化,可在相关领域用于评估材料性能,并预测材料的使用寿命。文中主要介绍NMR-MOUSE的基本原理,并着重讨论其在非均相橡胶和塑料高分子聚合物表征领域中的应用情况。

低场单边核磁对砖石材料加固效果的评价

采用3种材料(第1种以有机硅为主要成分并引入氟碳化合物;第2种是质量分数分别为30%和70%的Remmers300和酒精;第3种是质量分数分别为30%和70%的硅烷单体和酒精)来加固石质文物样品,然后用单边核磁技术探测样品0,3,5mm深度剖面的孔隙率、孔径分布.结果发现:经过加固处理的样品孔隙率有所减小,同时具有较小的含水率;用第1种和第3种材料加固的样品其渗透加固效果较好,但通过三维形貌仪分析发现,第3种加固材料使样品表面形貌及颜色改变较大.综合比较后得出,第1种加固材料较为理想.

Vascular dysfunction in diabetes: The endothelial progenitor cells as new therapeutic strategy

The vascular endothelium is a critical determinant of dia- betes-associated vascular complications, and improving endothelial function is an important target for therapy. Diabetes mellitus contributes to endothelial cell injury and dysfunction. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a critical role in maintaining endothelial function and might affect the progression of vascular disease. EPCs are essential to blood vessel formation, can differentiate into mature endothelial cells, and promote the repair of damaged endothelium. In diabetes, the circulating EPC count is low and their functionality is impaired. The me- chanisms that underlie this reduced count and impaired functionality are poorly understood. Knowledge of the status of EPCs is critical for assessing the health of the vascular system, and interventions that increase the number of EPCs and restore their angiogenic activity in diabetes may prove to be particularly beneficial. The pre-sent review outlines current thinking on EPCs' therapeutic potential in endothelial dysfunction in diabetes, as well as evidence-based perspectives regarding their use for vascular regenerative medicine.

Investigation of reinforcement of the modified carbon black from wasted tires by nuclear magnetic resonance

Pyrolysis has the potential of transforming waste into recyclable products. Pyrolytic carbon black (PCB) is one of the most important products from the pyrolysis of used tires. Techniques for surface modifications of PCB have been developed. One of the most significant applications for modified PCB is to reinforce the rubber matrix to obtain high added values. The transverse relaxation and the chain dynamics of vulcanized rubber networks with PCB and modified PCB were studied and compared with those of the commercial carbon blacks using selective 1H transverse relaxation (T2) experiments and dipolar correlation effect (DCE) experiments on the stimulated echo. Demineralization and coupling agent modification not only intensified the interactions between the modified PCB and the neighboring polyisoprene chains, but also increased the chemical cross-link density of the vulcanized rubber with modified PCB. The mechanical testing of the rubbers with different kinds of carbon blacks showed that the maximum strain of the rubber with modified PCB was improved greatly. The mechanical testing results confirmed the conclusion obtained by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). PCB modified by the demineralization and NDZ-105 titanate coupling agent could be used to replace the commercial semi-reinforcing carbon black.

Stability and deactivation of OER electrocatalysts: A review

Recently, H_(2) has attracted increasing attention as green energy carrier holding the possibility to replace fossil fuel-based energy sources and thereby reduce CO_(2) emissions. Green hydrogen can be generated by water electrolysis using renewable energies like wind and solar power. When it is combusted, only water forms as by-product. However, the efficiency of water electrolysis is hampered by the anodic oxygen evolution reaction(OER) because of the slow kinetics which leads to a high overpotential. Therefore, many catalysts have been developed for OER to facilitate the kinetics and reduce the overpotential. In addition to electrocatalytic activity, the stability of the catalysts is imperative for industrial application and has been intensively studied. In this review, we cover recent findings on the stability and deactivation mechanisms of OER catalysts. We discuss the correlation between OER activity and stability, methodologies and experimental techniques to study the stability and deactivation as well as the deactivation mechanisms, together with factors influencing stability. Furthermore, strategies for stabilizing and regenerating OER catalysts as well as methods to predict stability are summarized. Finally, the review highlights emerging methodologies yet to be explored and future directions of stability studies and the design of highly stable OER catalysts.

Physicochemical and Thermal Characterization of Dura Palm Kernel Powder as a Load for Polymers: Case of Polyvinyl Chloride

This work presents the physical and thermal characterization of the dura palm kernel powder of Cameroon for their use as fillers for polymers composites. The powders of palm kernel were obtained using a percussion grinder mill with an industrial microniser which allowed obtaining a powder less than 50 μm with an apparent density between 0,505 ≤ ρ ≤ 0,680 g/cm3 at 1.56 of relative humidity. The infrared of the powder of palm kernel shows the presence of phenols groups with a large band around 3341 cm-1, -C-H at 2917.02 cm-1 and -C-O at 1040 cm-1 as the main peaks. The polyvinyl chloride of infrared obtained shows the presence of -C-Cl, -CH2 and CH as the mains peaks. The infrared of 12.5% of palm kernel powder with polyvinyl chloride shows an increase of the CH2 and CH bonds and a decrease of the -OH bonds. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetric analysis of powders, polyvinyl chloride and mixture showed that the mixing powders are intermediate between the polyvinyl chloride and palm kernel powder. The powder decreased the phase temperatures of the mixture from 98.58℃ to 95℃ for the glass transition temperature and from 515℃ to 459℃ for the crystallization temperature. The thermogravimetric curves of palm kernel powder and polyvinyl chloride have showed that these materials lose their different masses in three different phases, and the one of composite (mixture of polyvinyl chloride with 12.5% of palm kernel powder) in two different phases.

Surface Chemical Modification of Cellulose Nanocrystals and Its Application in Biomaterials

Cellulose nanocrystals(CNCs) have been widely applied in biomaterials and show great biocompatibility and mechanical strength. In this review, the chemical reactions applied in CNC surface modification and their application in CNC based biomaterials are introduced. Furthermore, the conjugation of different functional molecules and nanostructures to the surface of CNCs are discussed, with focus on the binding modes, reaction conditions, and reaction mechanisms. With this introduction, we hope to provide a clear view of the strategies for surface modification of CNCs and their application in biomaterials, thus providing an overall picture of promising CNC-based biomaterials and their production.

Physicochemical properties and structure of fluid at nano-/micro-interface:Progress in simulation and experimental study

In modern chemical engineering processes, the involvement of solid/fluid interface is the most important component of process intensification techniques, such as confined membrane separation and catalysis. In the review, we summarized the research progress of the latest theoretical and experimental works to elucidate the contribution of interface to the fluid properties and structures at nano-and micro-scale. We mainly focused on water, alcohol aqueous solution, and ionic liquids, because they are classical systems in interfacial science and/or widely involved in the industrialization process. Surface-induced fluids were observed in all reviewed systems and played a critical role in physicochemical properties and structures of outside fluid. It can even be regarded as a new interface, when the adsorption layer has a strong interaction with the solid surface. Finally, we proposed a perspective on scientific challenges in the modern chemical engineering processes and outlined future prospects.

Ionic liquids for CO_(2) electrochemical reduction

Electrochemical reduction of CO_(2) is a novel research field towards a CO_(2)-neutral global economy and combating fast accelerating and disastrous climate changes while finding new solutions to store renewable energy in value-added chemicals and fuels.Ionic liquids(ILs),as medium and catalysts(or supporting part of catalysts)have been given wide attention in the electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reaction(CO_(2) RR)due to their unique advantages in lowering overpotential and improving the product selectivity,as well as their designable and tunable properties.In this review,we have summarized the recent progress of CO_(2) electro-reduction in IL-based electrolytes to produce higher-value chemicals.We then have highlighted the unique enhancing effect of ILs on CO_(2) RR as templates,precursors,and surface functional moieties of electrocatalytic materials.Finally,computational chemistry tools utilized to understand how the ILs facilitate the CO_(2) RR or to propose the reaction mechanisms,generated intermediates and products have been discussed.

Impact of Natural Oil-Based Recycled Polyols on Properties of Cast Polyurethanes

In this study, castor oil, rapeseed oil and medium chain triglycerides of coconut oil, were transesterified bymeans of 2-ethyl-2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol (trimethylolpropane) and consequently used to convertpolycarbonate waste from end-of-life vehicles into liquid polyols. The prepared recycled polyols, composeduniquely of renewable and recycled components, had a hydroxyl number of ca. 250 mg KOH·g−1. They weresuccessfully applied as 100% replacement of a virgin polyol for preparation of solid crosslinked polyurethanes(PU) by solvent-free casting. The produced rigid cast PU exhibited the main transition temperature rangingfrom 44°C to 53°C, the hardness value from 46 to 61 Shore D and the beneficial low water absorption (0.4-0.5wt.%). The PU network structure was highly influenced by the presence of aromatic structures ofpolycarbonate-units and fatty acid compositions. A suitable selection of natural oil thus enabled to adjustthermo-mechanical properties and promote excellent optical transparency of the produced PU.

Facile Fabrication of Conductive Paper-based Materials from Tunicate Cellulose Nanocrystals and Polydopamine-decorated Graphene Oxide

Conductive papers made from graphene and its derivatives are important for the development of electronic devices; however, elastomerbased matrices usually make it difficult for the conductive sheets to form continuous conductive networks. In this work, we used tunicate-derived cellulose nanocrystals(TCNC) instead of traditional elastomers as the matrix for polydopamine(PDA)-coated and reduced graphene oxide(GO) to prepare conductive paper, which, at a low concentration, were better for the formation of conductive networks from conductive sheets. It was found that the Young's modulus of the conductive paper produced via this strategy reached as high as 7 GPa. Meanwhile, owing to the partial reduction of GO during the polymerization of dopamine, the conductivity of the conductive paper reached as high as 1.3×10-5 S/cm when the PDA-coated GO content was 1 wt%, which was much higher than the conductivity of pure GO(～4.60×10-8 S/cm). This work provides a new strategy for preparing environmentally friendly conductive papers with good mechanical properties and low conductive filler content, which may be used to produce high-performance, low-cost electronic devices.

Review of Cellulose Nanocrystal-based Fluorophore Materials and Their Application in Metal Ion Detection

Cellulose nanocrystals(CNCs), a unique and promising natural material extracted from native cellulose, have attracted considerable attention owing to their physical properties and special surface chemistry. This review focuses on chemical conjugation strategies that can be used for preparation of fluorescent-molecule labeled CNCs and the development of biomaterials.Furthermore, their application in the detection of metal ions and future development prospects are discussed. We hope to provide a clear view of the strategies for surface fluorescent modification of CNCs and their application in detection of metal ions.