Superhydrophobic polyimide films with a hierarchical topography: combined replica molding and layer-by-layer assembly

Artificial superhydrophobic surfaces with a hierarchical topography were fabricated by using layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes and silica nanoparticles on microsphere-patterned polyimide precursor substrates followed with thermal and fluoroalkylsilane treatment. In this special hierarchical topography, micrometer-scale structures were provided by replica molding of polyamic acid using two-dimensional arrays of polystyrene latex spheres as templates, and nanosized silica particles were then assembled on these microspheres to construct finer structures at the nanoscale. Heat treatment was conducted to induce chemical cross-linking between polyelectrolytes and simultaneously convert polyamic acid to polyimide. After surface modification with fluoroalkylsilane, the as-prepared highly hydrophilic surface was endowed with superhydrophobicity due to the bioinspired combination of low surface energy materials and hierarchical surface structures. A superhydrophobic surface with a static water contact angle of 160 degrees and sliding angle of less than 10 degrees was obtained. Notably, the polyimide microspheres were integrated with the substrate and were mechanically stable. In addition, the chemical and mechanical stability of the polyelectrolyte/silica nanoparticle multilayers could be increased by heat-induced cross-linking between polyelectrolytes to form nylon-like films, as well as the formation of interfacial chemical bonds.     

PD-L1 Aptamer-Functionalized Metal–Organic Framework Nanoparticles for Robust Photo-Immunotherapy against Cancer with Enhanced Safety

Immune checkpoint blockade has become a paradigm-shifting treatment modality to combat cancer, while conventional administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-L1 antibody (α-PD-L1), often shows unsatisfactory immune responses and lead to severe immune-related adverse effects (irAEs). Herein, we develop a PD-L1 aptamer-based spherical nucleic acids (SNAs), which consists of oxaliplatin (OXA) encapsulated in a metal–organic framework nanoparticle core and a dense shell of aptPD-L1 (denoted as M@O-A). Upon light irradiation, this nanosystem enables concurrent photodynamic therapy (PDT), chemotherapy, and enhanced immunotherapy in one shot to inhibit both primary colorectal tumors and untreated distant tumors in mice. Notably, M@O-A shows scarcely any systemic immunotoxicity in a clinical irAEs-mimic transgenic mouse model. Collectively, this study presents a novel strategy for priming robust photo-immunotherapy against cancer with enhanced safety.     

Adsolubilization of dihydroxybenzenes into CTAB layers on silica particles

The adsolubilization of dihydroxybenzenes (catechol and hydroquinone) into cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) layers on silica particles have been investigated by dye method and UV spectrum. It is found that the adsolubilization amount of catechol increases with increasing the concentration of CTAB, reaches a maximum value at the critical micelle concentration (CMC), and then decreases with further increment of CTAB concentration. For hydroquinone, different phenomenon is observed. The maximum adsolubilization amount reaches at critical surface aggregation concentration (CSAC) instead of CMC of the CTAB and then decreases to constant values. In order to analyze the adsolubilization difference between catechol and hydroquinone, we determined the interaction between them and CTAB in the bulk solution by measuring the diffusion coefficient of dihydroxybenzenes with ultramicroelectrode (UME). The individual contributions to the overall apparent diffusion coefficient of dihydroxybenzenes in CTAB solutions were also calculated. The results indicate that more hydroquinone than catechol could interact with CTAB molecules. However, rarely hydroquinone could interact with CTAB micelles compared with catechol. It is suggested that the substitution positions of hydroxyl lead to the difference of the interaction between dihydroxybenzenes and CTAB, which is responsible for the difference of the adsolubilization.     

Electrochemical insights into the ethanol tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

It is expected that intracellular redox activity may closely related to catabolic states of living cells, based on which a mediated electrochemical method has been proposed to measure the ethanol tolerance of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae AS 3800. The couple menadione/ferricyanide was employed as a carrier mediator system, sensing intracellular redox activity. Microelectrode voltammetric method was introduced to assay the ferrocyanide accumulations arising from menadione mediated reduction of ferricyanide by the yeast. The mediated electrochemical study show that the maximal ethanol tolerance limit of S. cerevisiae is about 25% (v/v) ethanol, which is consistent with the result obtained by the conventional fermentative ability measurement. Moreover, the electrochemical method for the first time confirmed that the specific activities of the glycolytic and alcohologenic enzymes within intact living cells remained high by the presence of sublethal ethanol, which was only predicted by in vitro enzymatic assay and cannot be measured by conventional method. The new method can be used as an easy and rapid method to determine the maximal ethanol tolerance of yeast cells.     

汽车外流场数值仿真中的湍流模型分析与应用

采用较为合理的计算流体力学分析技术对汽车高速行驶时其外部气动特 性进行研究. 以带有轮胎、侧后视镜以及天线等突出部件的某轿车外流场模型为研究对象, 在稳态下采用RNS法中Realizable $k$-$\varepsilon$两方程湍流模型结合增强壁 面函数法对不同车速工况下整车外流场进行数值仿真计算. 研究表明：沿车辆X纵 向上所形成压力差是产生气动阻力的主要原因; 随车速的提高, 气动阻力 的增长速度快于气动升力的增长.     

快速成型弹性风洞模型高速气动特性研究

利用光固化快速成型技术加工了内部金属骨架、外部光敏树脂外形的弹性轻质AGARD-B模型.采用气动与结构并发分析方法对其跨声速气动特性进行了初步研究,完成了风洞验证实验.研究结果表明:在马赫数0.6和1.2、较小攻角(α≤4°)的条件下,弹性轻质模型气动力特性与金属模型基本吻合;较大攻角(α>4°)条件下,因弹性轻质模型刚度比全金属模型小,试验过程中受气动载荷作用,特别是升力的影响,结构机翼变形较大,导致气动力特性与全金属模型差异较大,故气动力系数需要进行弹性变形修正.初步实验结果指出:在跨声速范围内,弹性轻质模型可直接用于气动布局选型设计与研究、基本状态等研究;但同时弹性轻质模型刚度不足,易变形.     

强激光远场光束质量参数的测试

 提出漫射红外成像-多点标校测量方法,用于测量强激光远场光束质量参数。在激光远场距离处设置漫反射靶板,用成像探测器摄取经靶面漫射的脉冲强激光光斑图像;在靶面中心处挖小孔,孔后放置能量探测器实时测量激光脉宽和峰值功率。同时对整个激光光斑图像进行能量定标,进而得出远场脉冲强激光的实际空间能量/功率分布、总能量,以及相应的光束质量参数。应用该测量方法,对高能TEA CO₂激光进行测量研究,测得其远场光束截面半径为80.2 mm,发散角为1.55 mrad。     

Deoxy-liquefaction products obtained from Crofton weed at different temperatures

Crofton weed is an invasive alien plant which is causing significant economic and environmental losses in China. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the applicability of deoxy-liquefaction reaction to the utilization of Crofton weed. Deoxy-liquefaction experiments of two different sections (leaves and stems) and the whole plant of Crofton weed were performed at six different temperatures (375-500 °C). Oils with low oxygen contents (<8 wt%) and high HHVs (>40 MJ/kg) were obtained. 425 °C was the optimum temperature for obtaining oil from Crofton weed. Besides, solid chars with high HHVs of about 20 MJ/kg were obtained. Gases with HHVs ranging from 1.6 to 5.7 MJ/mol were produced. The overall energy recovery of the system was estimated at about 70%.     

Investigation of the interactions between the hydrophobic cavities of cyclodextrins and pullulanase

The effects of cyclodextrins and derivatives on the activity and structure of pullulanase were investigated in this study. Our results showed that cyclodextrins and derivatives decreased the activity of pullulanase. This decrease was attributed to the interaction between the hydrophobic cavities of cyclodextrins and pullulanase. The hydrophobic cavity was confirmed to encapsulate the groups of pullulanase molecules by the addition of competitive guests. The results obtained from fluorescence spectroscopy analysis showed that β-CD showed more efficient interactions with pullulanase molecules and the side chain groups of cyclodextrin significantly prevented the interaction between the hydrophobic cavities of β-CD and pullulanase molecules. These findings suggest that the geometric dimension of hydrophobic cavities was crucial for matching between cyclodextrins and pullulanase and steric hindrance caused by side chains led to the decrease of the interaction.     

Facile synthesis of hollow palladium/copper alloyed nanocubes for formic acid oxidation

Hollow PdCu alloyed nanocubes were successfully synthesized by a novel one-pot template-free strategy through tuning the surface energy difference of the crystal planes by alloying. Compared with the solid nanoparticles, the hollow nanocubes exhibit superior electrocatalytic activity and stability for formic acid oxidation.