Antibacterial cotton fabric prepared by a “grafting to” strategy using a QAC copolymer

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) have outstanding antimicrobial effect, but covalent immobilization of plentiful QAC onto cotton fiber surface to realize a durable function remains a challenge. Herein, a quaternary ammonium monomer, [2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride (DMC) was co-polymerized with methyl acrylate (MA) to prepare an antibacterial copolymer, poly(DMC-co-MA). To graft the copolymer with an improved grafting efficiency, cotton fabric was treated using carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) to establish an amino-functionalized fiber surface first. This treatment allows the amidation reactions between the amino groups and the pendant ester groups in the poly(DMC-co-MA) to take place, achieving a durable anionic polymer coating onto the fiber surfaces with remarkably antibacterial effect. Characterization results indicated that when DMC/MA monomer ratio was 100:1, the resulting copolymer endows the modified cotton fabric with antibacterial capability that inactivates all Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Even after 50 laundering cycles, more than 98.0% of the antibacterial rate could still be retained. Moreover, the wearing comfort properties such as softness, water absorption and air permeability of the finishing cotton fabrics have been insignificantly changed by comparing to the untreated cotton fabric.

     

The Varied Frustrated Lewis Pair Reactivity of the Germylene Phosphaketene (CH{(CMe)(2,6-iPr2C6H3N)}2)GePCO

The germylene species (CH{(CMe)(2,6-iPr₂C₆H₃N)}₂)GePCO 1 is shown to react with the Lewis acids (E(C₆F₅)₃ E=B, Al). Nonetheless, 1 participates in FLP chemistry with electron deficient alkynes or olefins, acting as an intramolecular FLP. In contrast, in the presence of B(C₆F₅)₃ and an electron rich alkyne, 1 behaves as Ge-based nucleophile to effect intermolecular FLP addition to the alkyne. This reactivity demonstrates that the reaction pathway is controlled by the nature of the electrophile and nucleophile generated in solution, as revealed by extensive DFT calculations.     

The Non-Ancillary Nature of Trimethylsilylamide Substituents in Boranes and Borinium Cations

The known boranes (R(Me₃Si)N)₂BF (R=Me₃Si 1 , tBu 2 , C₆F₅ 3 , o-tol 4 , Mes 5 , Dipp 6 ) and borinium salts (R(Me₃Si)N)₂B][B(C₆F₅)₄] (R=Me₃Si 7 , tBu 8 ) are prepared and fully characterized. Compound 7 is shown to react with phosphines to generate [R₃PSiMe₃]⁺ and [R₃PH]⁺ (R=Me, tBu). Efforts to generate related borinium cations via fluoride abstraction from (R(Me₃Si)N)₂BF (R=C₆F₅ 3 , o-tol 4 , Mes 5 ) gave complex mixtures suggesting multiple reaction pathways. However for R=Dipp 6 , the species [(μ-F)(SiMe₂N(Dipp))₂BMe][B(C₆F₅)₄] was isolated as the major product, indicating methyl abstraction from silicon and F/Me exchange on boron. These observations together with state-of-the-art DFT mechanistic studies reveal that the trimethylsilyl-substituents do not behave as ancillary subsitutents but rather act as sources of proton, SiMe₃ and methyl groups.     

钠离子电池用高性能锑基负极材料的调控策略研究进展

锑(Sb)具有高的理论比容量、较小的电极极化、合适的Na⁺脱嵌电位、价格低廉以及环境友好的优势,而成为一种具有较大应用前景的钠离子电池负极材料。但是,Sb基负极材料的一个重要挑战是在循环过程中高比容量伴随着大的体积变化,进而导致活性材料粉化,并从集流体上脱落,这大大限制了其在钠离子电池领域的大规模应用。因此,如何解决Sb基负极材料充放电过程中体积膨胀问题对于高性能的钠离子电池设计是至关重要的。本文详细综述和讨论了Sb基材料的结构-性能关系及其在钠离子电池中的应用,详细介绍了钠离子电池Sb基负极材料在氧化还原反应机理、形貌设计、结构-性能关系等方面的最新研究进展。本综述的主要目的是探讨影响Sb基负极材料性能的决定因素,从而提出有前途的改性策略,以提高其可逆容量和循环稳定性。最后,对Sb基钠离子电池负极材料的未来发展、面临的挑战和前景进行了展望。本文可为Sb负极材料的构建和优化提供具体的观点,阐明了Sb基负极材料未来的发展方向,从而促进钠离子电池的快速发展和实际应用。     

Parameter optimization and performance study of Ni–P coatings prepared by pulse-assisted jet electrochemical deposition

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Jet electrochemical deposition is a relatively new technology for selective electrochemical deposition. Its advantages include high deposition accuracy and...     

Polymer Electrolytes – New Opportunities for the Development of Multivalent Ion Batteries

Batteries, as highly concerned energy conversion system, have a great development prospect in various fields, especially in the field of energy powered vehicles. Multivalent ion batteries are getting more attention due to their low cost, high abundance in earth crust, high capacity and safety compared with Lithium batteries. Despite above advantages, several problems still need to be solved before multivalent ion batteries achieve large-scale application, such as interfacial parasitic reaction, anode passivation, and dendrites. The replacement of liquid electrolytes with gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) which pose high safety, high mechanical strength and simplified battery system, is an effective strategy to inhibit dendrite growth and improve electrochemical performance. This review mainly discusses the advantages and challenges of multivalent ion batteries including zinc, magnesium, calcium and aluminum batteries. Meanwhile, the major targets of this review are introducing the recent developments and making a summary of the future trends of GPEs in the multivalent ion batteries.     

Topological nature of in‐gap bound states in disordered large‐gap monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides

We propose a physical model based on disordered (a hole punched inside a material) monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) to demonstrate a large‐gap quantum valley Hall insulator. We find an emergence of bound states lying inside the bulk gap of the TMDs. They are strongly affected by spin–valley coupling, rest‐ and kinetic‐mass terms and the hole size. In addition, in the whole range of the hole size, at least two in‐gap bound states with opposite angular momentum, circulating around the edge of the hole, exist.Their topological insulator (TI) feature is analyzed by the Chern number, characterized by spacial distribution of their probabilities and confirmed by energy dispersion curves (energy vs. angular momentum). It not only sheds light on overcoming low‐temperature operating limitation of existing narrow‐gap TIs, but also opens an opportunity to realize valley‐ and spin‐qubits. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Direct experimental limit on neutron-mirror-neutron oscillations

In case a mirror world with a copy of our ordinary particle spectrum would exist, the neutron n and its degenerate partner, the mirror neutron n', could potentially mix and undergo nn' oscillations. The interaction of an ordinary magnetic field with the ordinary neutron would lift the degeneracy between the mirror partners, diminish the n' amplitude in the n wave function and, thus, suppress its observability. We report an experimental comparison of ultracold neutron storage in a trap with and without superimposed magnetic field. No influence of the magnetic field is found and, assuming negligible mirror magnetic fields, a limit on the oscillation time taunn' > 103 s (95% C.L.) is derived.     

Fast resistive reconnection regime in the nonlinear evolution of double tearing modes

Phases of nonlinear double tearing modes are studied numerically. The first two phases lead to the formation and growth of magnetic islands and are followed by a fast reconnection phase to complete the process, driven by a process of neighboring magnetic separatrices merging and magnetic islands coupling. The fast growth can be understood as a result of the island interaction equivalent to a steadily inward flux boundary driven. Resistivity dependences for various phases are studied and shown by scaling analysis for the first time. It is found that after an early Sweet-Parker phase with a eta(1/2)-scale, a slow nonlinear phase in a Rutherford regime with a eta(1)-scale is followed by the fast reconnection phase with a eta(1/5)-scale.     

Unified Mie and fractal scattering by biological cells and subcellular structures

Angle-resolved light scattering spectroscopy of biological cells is investigated in the visible wavelength range. A unified Mie and fractal model is shown to provide an accurate global agreement with light scattering spectra from 1.1 degrees to 165 degrees scattering angles. It is found that light scattering in forward directions (<8 degrees ) is dominated by Mie scattering by the bare cell and nucleus, whereas light scattering at large angles (>20 degrees ) is determined by fractal scattering by subcellular structures. The findings are consistent with the results of experimental investigation of the contributions of different cellular components to light scattering by cells.