Flow-driven Surface Instabilities of Tubular Chitosan Hydrogel

Spatial structures break their symmetry under the influence of shear stress arising from fluid flow. Here, we present surface instabilities appearing on chitosan tubes when an acidic solution of chitosan with various molecular weight is injected into a pool of sodium hydroxide solution. At slow flow rates wrinkle-to-fold transition takes place along the direction of the flow yielding a banded structure. For greater injection rates we observe coexisting modes of wrinkles and folds which are stabilized to periodic wrinkles when the alkaline concentration is increased. The instabilities are characterized by the scaling laws of the pattern wavelength and amplitude with the tube characteristics. Our experimental adaptation of mechanical instabilities provides a new in situ method to create soft biomaterials with the desired surface morphology without the use of any prefabricated templates.     

The Influence of Water Vapor on the Electrochemical Shift of an Ionic Liquid Measured by Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Ionic liquids (ILs) are considered to be one of the steppingstones to fabricate next generation electrochemical devices given their unique physical and chemical properties. The addition of water to ILs significantly impact electrochemical related properties including viscosity, density, conductivity, and electrochemical window. Herein we utilize ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) to examine the impact of water on values of the electrochemical shift (S), which is determined by measuring changes in binding energy shifts as a function of an external bias. APXPS spectra of C 1s, O 1s and N 1s regions are examined for the IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, [C₄mim][OAc], at the IL/gas interface as a function of both water vapor pressure and external bias. Results reveal that in the absence of water vapor there is an IL ohmic drop between the working electrode and quasi reference electrode, giving rise to chemical specific S values of less than one. Upon introducing water vapor, S values approach one as a function of increasing water vapor pressure, indicating a decrease in the IL ohmic drop as the IL/water mixture becomes more conductive and the potential drop is driven by the electric double layer at the electrode/IL interface.     

Functional Group Modification and Bonding Characteristics of Ti3C2 MXene-Organic Composites from First-Principles Calculations

The unique physical structure and abundant surface functional groups of MXene make the grafted organic molecules exhibit specific electrical and optical properties. This work reports the results of first-principles calculations to investigate the composite systems formed by different organic molecular monomers, namely acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AM), 1-aziridineethanol (1-AD) and glucose, and Ti₃C₂ MXene saturated with different functional groups, namely −OH, −O and −F. The results show that the interaction between organic molecules and the MXene surface depends on the type of functional groups of the organic molecules, while the strength of the interaction is determined by the type of surface functional groups and the number of hydrogen bonds. The bare Ti₃C₂ and Ti₃C₂(OH)₂ can readily form strong chemical and hydrogen bonds with AA and AM molecules, leading to strong adsorption energy and a large amount of charge transfer, while the interaction between organic molecules and MXene saturated by −F or −O groups mainly exhibits physical interactions, accompanied by low adsorption energy and a small amount of charge transfer. This research provides theoretical guidance for the synthesis of high-performance MXene organic composite systems.     

Indirectly Detected DNP-Enhanced 17O NMR Spectroscopy: Observation of Non-Protonated Near-Surface Oxygen at Naturally Abundant Silica and Silica-Alumina

Recent studies have shown that dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) can be used to detect ¹⁷O solid-state NMR spectra of naturally abundant samples within a reasonable experimental time. Observations using indirect DNP, which relies on ¹H mediation in transferring electron hyperpolarization to ¹⁷O, are currently limited mostly to hydroxyls. Direct DNP schemes can hyperpolarize non-protonated oxygen near the radicals; however, they generally offer much lower signal enhancements. In this study, we demonstrate the detection of signals from non-protonated ¹⁷O in materials containing silicon. The sensitivity boost that made the experiment possible originates from three sources: indirect DNP excitation of ²⁹Si via protons, indirect detection of ¹⁷O through ²⁹Si nuclei using two-dimensional ²⁹Si{¹⁷O} D-HMQC, and Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill refocusing of ²⁹Si magnetization during acquisition. This ²⁹Si-detected scheme enabled, for the first time, 2D ¹⁷O−²⁹Si heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy in mesoporous silica and silica-alumina surfaces at natural abundance. In contrast to the silanols showing motion-averaged ¹⁷O signals, the framework oxygens exhibit unperturbed powder patterns as unambiguous fingerprints of surface sites. Along with hydroxyl oxygens, detection of these moieties will help in gaining more atomistic-scale insights into surface chemistry.     

Reaction Behaviors of S-, O-, and N-containing Aliphatic Molecules with a Propyl Moiety on Ge(100) Surface

The reaction pathways of 1-propanethiol, 1-propanol, and propylamine molecules, containing a propyl moiety, on a Ge(100) surface were investigated using high-resolution photoemission spectroscopy (HRPES) experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Upon analysis of the HRPES data, the adsorption of 1-propanethiol and 1-propanol was found to occur through a dissociation reaction, whereas that of propylamine took place via N dative bonding at room temperature. On the basis of our DFT results, adsorption geometries and transition states for each of these molecules on the Ge(100) surface were confirmed. Systematic studies of S-, O-, and N-containing molecules, composed of an identical propyl moiety, on the Ge(100) surface provide insight into the adsorption mechanism of aliphatic molecules containing alkyl chains on the Ge(100) surface.     

Biodegradable and Biocompatible Silatrane Polymers

In this study, new biodegradable and biocompatible amphiphilic polymers were obtained by modifying the peripheral hydroxyl groups of branched polyethers and polyesters with organosilicon substituents. The structures of the synthesized polymers were confirmed by NMR and GPC. Organosilicon moieties of the polymers were formed by silatranes and trimethylsilyl blocks and displayed hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, respectively. The effect of the ratio of hydrophilic to hydrophobic organosilicon structures on the surface activity and biological activity of macromolecules was studied, together with the effect on these activities of the macromolecules’ molecular weight and chemical structure. In particular, the critical micelle concentrations were determined, the effect of the structure of the polymers on their wetting with aqueous solutions on glass and parafilm was described, and the aggregation stability of emulsions was studied. Finally, the effect of the polymer structures on their antifungal activity and seed germination stimulation was examined.     

Surface engineering of nanoparticles for highly efficient UV‐shielding composites

Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) with high energy can not only hurt human skin but also accelerate the degradation of organic matter. Hence, the preparation of polymer‐based UV‐shielding nanocomposites has attracted substantial attention due to the low cost, easy processing and wide applications. Notably, the highly efficient UV‐shielding polymer nanocomposites are still hindered by the agglomeration of inorganic anti‐UV nanoparticles (Nps) in polymer matrix and the narrow absorption range of UV‐shielding agents. To overcome the aforementioned bottlenecks, surface engineering of anti‐UV Nps including organic modification and inorganic hybridization has been extensively employed to enhance the UV‐shielding efficiency of composites. Herein, to deliver the readers a comprehensive understanding of the surface engineering of anti‐UV Nps, we systematically summarize the recent advances in surface organic modification and inorganic hybridization related to anti‐UV Nps. The UV‐shielding mechanism and the factors affecting UV‐shielding efficiency of polymer nanocomposites are also discussed. Finally, perspectives on remaining challenges and future development of highly efficient UV‐shielding composites are outlined.     

Blocking Effect of Demethylzeylasteral on the Interaction between Human ACE2 Protein and SARS-CoV-2 RBD Protein Discovered Using SPR Technology

The novel coronavirus disease (2019-nCoV) has been affecting global health since the end of 2019, and there is no sign that the epidemic is abating. Targeting the interaction between the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein and the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor is a promising therapeutic strategy. In this study, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used as the primary method to screen a library of 960 compounds. A compound 02B05 (demethylzeylasteral, CAS number: 107316-88-1) that had high affinities for S-RBD and ACE2 was discovered, and binding affinities (K_D, μM) of 02B05-ACE2 and 02B05-S-RBD were 1.736 and 1.039 μM, respectively. The results of a competition experiment showed that 02B05 could effectively block the binding of S-RBD to ACE2 protein. Furthermore, pseudovirus infection assay revealed that 02B05 could inhibit entry of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus into 293T cells to a certain extent at nontoxic concentration. The compoundobtained in this study serve as references for the design of drugs which have potential in the treatment of COVID-19 and can thus accelerate the process of developing effective drugs to treat SARS-CoV-2 infections.     

Optimization of Vacuum-Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Natural Polyphenols and Flavonoids from Raw Solid Waste of the Orange Juice Producing Industry at Industrial Scale

Orange pomace (OP) is a solid waste produced in bulk as a byproduct of the orange juice industry and accounts for approximately 50% of the quantity of the fruits processed into juice. In numerous literature references there is information about diverse uses of orange pomace for the production of high-added-value products including production of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial extracts rich in polyphenols and flavonoids which can substitute the hazardous chemical antioxidants/antimicrobials used in agro-food and cosmetics sectors. In this work and for the first time, according to our knowledge, the eco-friendly aqueous vacuum microwave assisted extraction of orange pomace was investigated and optimized at real industrial scale in order to produce aqueous antioxidant/antimicrobial extracts. A Response Surface Optimization methodology with a multipoint historical data experimental design was employed to obtain the optimal values of the process parameters in order to achieve the maximum rates of extraction of OP total polyphenols and/or total flavonoids for economically optimum production at industrial scale. The three factors used for the optimization were: (a) microwave power (b) water to raw pomace ratio and (c) extraction time. Moreover, the effectiveness and statistical soundness of the derived cubic polynomial predictive models were verified by ANOVA.     

Toxicity of Zn-Fe Layered Double Hydroxide to Different Organisms in the Aquatic Environment

The application of layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanomaterials as catalysts has attracted great interest due to their unique structural features. It also triggered the need to study their fate and behavior in the aquatic environment. In the present study, Zn-Fe nanolayered double hydroxides (Zn-Fe LDHs) were synthesized using a co-precipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption analyses. The toxicity of the home-made Zn-Fe LDHs catalyst was examined by employing a variety of aquatic organisms from different trophic levels, namely the marine photobacterium Vibrio fischeri, the freshwater microalga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna, and the duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza. From the experimental results, it was evident that the acute toxicity of the catalyst depended on the exposure time and type of selected test organism. Zn-Fe LDHs toxicity was also affected by its physical state in suspension, chemical composition, as well as interaction with the bioassay test medium.