Recent advances in starch–clay nanocomposites

Biological nanocomposites are a valuable addition to the existing nanocomposite materials and eventually can substitute petroleum-based composite materials in numerous applications due to their inherent advantages such as biodegradability, eco-friendliness, low cost, and easy availability to name a few. Recently, polymer–clay nanocomposites have achieved much more attention due to their enhanced properties such as size dispersion and significant enhancement in physicochemical and mechanical properties in comparison to the pure polymer systems. Among various biopolymers, starch is one of the most abundant natural polymers on the earth and is highly valuable due to its chemical and physical properties. Starch polymer has highly increased potential as an alternative to petroleum-based materials. However, starch cannot be used alone and starch–clay nanocomposite has emerged as a new potential green sustainable material. This article focuses on recent progress in starch-based nanocomposites with particular emphasis on starch–clay nanocomposite preparation, properties, and applications.     

Recent development of heterogeneous catalysis in ring-opening,biocatalysis, and selective partial oxidation reactions on metal oxides

In this review article, we analyze the state of the art and future developments in three important domains of heterogeneous catalysis, namely ring opening, biocatalysis, and partial oxidation on metal oxides. After recollecting the scientific bases of each domain, we consider several examples, some recent improvements/developments, and some prospective views.     

Purely Organic Fluorescence Afterglow: Visible-Light-Excitation,Inherent Mechanism,Tunable Color,and Practical Applications with Very Low Cost

Purely organic materials with visible light excitable fluorescence afterglow are promising for applications. Herein, fluorescence afterglow with various intensity and duration was observed on fluorescent dyes once being dispersed in polymer matrix, thanks to the slow reverse intersystem crossing rate (k_RISC) and long delayed fluorescence lifetime (τ_DF) derived from the coplanar and rigid chemical structure of the dyes. To verify the mechanism, different polymers were used to tune singlet-triplet splitting energy based on solvent effect. And commercial acriflavine (Acf) film showed blue shifted fluorescence compared to purified one, with slower k_RISC (≈10⁰ s⁻¹) and longer τ_DF (0.6 s). Via energy transfer from Acf to rhodamine B, the afterglow color was further regulated, with the largest fluorescence quantum yield of 42.4 %. It was demonstrated that the materials worked on color tunable light sources, and low-cost ($2 for 50 000 labels) anti-counterfeit labels recognized by white light.     

High internal phase Pickering emulsions

Macroemulsions rendered stable by adsorbed colloidal particles are termed Pickering emulsions. If the volume fraction of dispersed phase exceeds around 0.75, the emulsions are named high internal phase Pickering emulsions abbreviated to HIPPEs, which present new properties and potential applications. We review here the recent progress in preparing and studying HIPPEs of both oil-in-water and water-in-oil types. This includes discussion of the range of solid particle emulsifiers, the choice of the two immiscible liquids and methods for their preparation. As a result of their high interfacial area and long-term stability, HIPPEs are being put to use in many potential applications including drug delivery, catalysis, and in the production of novel porous materials.     

Manufacture of Vinylidene Diphosphonic Acid and Novel Phosphorus-Containing Polymers

A novel method for the preparation of vinylidene diphosphonic acid (VDPA) is described. Incorporation of this monomer into water-soluble polymers is discussed.     

The recent progress of solvent sublation

Solvent sublation is a kind of adsorptive bubble separation technique in which the surface-active (or hydrophobic) compounds in aqueous phase are adsorbed on the bubble surfaces of an ascending gas stream and then collected in an organic layer placed on top of the aqueous phase. The technique has many advantages, such as high separation efficiency, high concentration coefficient, low dosage of organic solvent, soft separation process, and simple operation. Thus, this technique has been widely applied in many fields. The present article reviews solvent sublation's theoretical research and some applications in the last 10 years, and gives the development trend in the future.     

Separation and preconcentration by a cloud point extraction procedure for determination of metals: an overview

Recently, cloud point extraction (CPE) has been an attractive subject as an alternative to liquid–liquid extraction. The technique is based on the property of most non-ionic surfactants in aqueous solutions to form micelles and become turbid when heated to the cloud point temperature. This review covers a selection of the literature published on applications of CPE in determination of metal ions over the period between 2004 and 2008.     

Optimal control of impulsive Volterra equations with variable impulse times

We obtain necessary conditions of optimality for impulsive Volterra integral equations with switching and impulsive controls, with variable impulse time-instants. The present work continues and complements our previous work on impulsive Volterra control with fixed impulse times.     

Extension of Colombeau algebra to derivatives of arbitrary order , . Application to ODEs and PDEs with entire and fractional derivatives

We give an extension of Colombeau algebra of generalized functions to fractional derivatives. We apply it in solving ODEs and PDEs with entire and fractional derivatives with respect to temporal and spatial variables. We give applications to ODEs and PDEs driven by fractional derivatives of delta distribution.     

Reinforced Modification of PEEK and its Applications

聚醚醚酮（PEEK）作为一种特种热塑性工程塑料,在许多工程领域有着广泛的应用。采用不同手段改性聚醚醚酮,改善其热学性能、力学性能、摩擦学性能和加工性能等,有利于降低生产成本和进一步拓展其应用范围。本文从化学改性和纤维增强、无机填充、表面改性、与有机共混等物理改性两个方面综述了近年来国内外聚醚醚酮改性研究进展情况,以及对其在工业领域、电子电器领域、航空领域、汽车领域和医学领域中的应用作了简单的概括,最后展望了聚醚醚酮改性研究开发问题及解决方法。