Flow-induced shear stress and deformation of a core–shell-structured microcapsule in a microchannel

A numerical model was developed and validated to investigate the fluid–structure interactions between fully developed pipe flow and core–shell-structured microcapsule in a microchannel. Different flow rates and microcapsule shell thicknesses were considered. A sixth-order rotational symmetric distribution of von Mises stress over the microcapsule shell can be observed on the microcapsule with a thinner shell configuration, especially at higher flow rate conditions. It is also observed that when being carried along in a fully developed pipe flow, the microcapsule with a thinner shell tends to accumulate stress at a higher rate compared to that with a thicker shell. In general, for the same microcapsule configuration, higher flow velocity would induce a higher stress level over the microcapsule shell. The deformation gradient was used to capture the microcapsule's deformation in the present study. The effect of Young's modulus on the microcapsule shell on the microcapsule deformation was investigated as well. Our findings will shed light on the understanding of the stability of core–shell-structured microcapsule when subjected to flow-induced shear stress in a microfluidic system, enabling a more exquisite control over the breakup dynamics of drug-loaded microcapsule for biomedical applications.     

Anti-fibrosis attributes: UHPLC-MS/MS-based pharmacokinetics profiling of a novel autotaxin inhibitor with excellent in vivo efficacy in rat

3,4-Difluorobenzyl(1-ethyl-5-(4-((4-hydroxypiperidin-1-yl)-methyl)thiazol-2-yl)-1H-indol-3-yl)carbamate (NAI59), a small molecule with outstanding therapeutic effectiveness to anti-pulmonary fibrosis, was developed as an autotaxin inhibitor candidate compound. To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and plasma protein binding of NAI59, a UPLC–MS/MS method was developed to quantify NAI59 in plasma and phosphate-buffered saline. The calibration curve linearity ranged from 9.95 to 1990.00 ng/mL in plasma. The accuracy was −6.8 to 5.9%, and the intra- and inter-day precision was within 15%. The matrix effect and recovery, as well as dilution integrity, were within the criteria. The chromatographic and mass spectrometric conditions were also feasible to determine phosphate-buffered saline samples, and it has been proved that this method exhibits good precision and accuracy in the range of 9.95–497.50 ng/mL in phosphate-buffered saline. This study is the first to determine the pharmacokinetics, absolute bioavailability, and plasma protein binding of NAI59 in rats using this established method. Therefore, the pharmacokinetic profiles of NAI59 showed a dose-dependent relationship after oral administration, and the absolute bioavailability in rats was 6.3%. In addition, the results of protein binding showed that the combining capacity of NAI59 with plasma protein attained 90% and increased with the increase in drug concentration.     

Space-Confined Atomic Clusters Catalyze Superassembly of Silicon Nanodots within Carbon Frameworks for Use in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Incorporating nanoscale Si into a carbon matrix with high dispersity is desirable for the preparation of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) but remains challenging. A space-confined catalytic strategy is proposed for direct superassembly of Si nanodots within a carbon (Si NDs⊂C) framework by copyrolysis of triphenyltin hydride (TPT) and diphenylsilane (DPS), where Sn atomic clusters created from TPT pyrolysis serve as the catalyst for DPS pyrolysis and Si catalytic growth. The use of Sn atomic cluster catalysts alters the reaction pathway to avoid SiC generation and enable formation of Si NDs with reduced dimensions. A typical Si NDs⊂C framework demonstrates a remarkable comprehensive performance comparable to other Si-based high-performance half LIBs, and higher energy densities compared to commercial full LIBs, as a consequence of the high dispersity of Si NDs with low lithiation stress. Supported by mechanic simulations, this study paves the way for construction of Si/C composites suitable for applications in future energy technologies.     

A New Approach to Develop a Standardized Method for Simultaneous Analysis of Astragaloside IV and Formononetin in Radix Astragali by High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - A new high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method has been developed for the simultaneous estimation of...     

Strategies for Improving the Catalytic Performance of 2D Covalent Organic Frameworks for Hydrogen Evolution and Oxygen Evolution Reactions

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been deemed as clean and sustainable strategies to solve the energy crisis and environmental problems. Various catalysts have been developed to promote the process of HER and OER. Among them, two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) have received great attention due to their diverse and designable structure. In this minireview, we mainly summarize the diverse linkages of 2D COFs and strategies for enhancing the catalytic performance of 2D COFs for HER and OER, such as introducing active building blocks, metal ions and tailored linkages. Furthermore, a brief outlook for the development directions of COFs in the field of HER and OER is provided, expecting to stimulate new opportunities in future research.     

Cu2O/TiO2-Bi2WO6三元复合催化剂的制备及光催化性能研究

采用水热法制备花状Bi2 WO6,并利用超声分散法制备了Cu2 O/TiO2-Bi2 WO6复合光催化剂,通过FESEM、XRD、XPS、FI-IR、UV-vis DRS和PL对光催化剂进行了分析和表征.表征结果证明:花状Bi2 WO6表面负载着碎片状的TiO2和立方体Cu2 O形成Cu2 O/TiO2-Bi2 WO6复合光催化剂;以短链脂肪酸(SCFAs)为牺牲剂,考察复合光催化剂的光催化产生氢气和烷烃的性能.实验结果表明:Cu2 O/TiO2-Bi2 WO6复合光催化剂以乙酸为牺牲剂,主要产氢气和甲烷,降解率高达91.82;;以丙酸为牺牲剂,产物主要是乙烷和丁烷,降解率高达90.70;;以丁酸为牺牲剂,除了氢气,甲烷,乙烷,丙烷,丁烷外,气体产物还含有一定量的戊烷,其降解率高达91.50;.结合反应液中间产物的成分进行检测,由此推断出光催化反应的可能机理.     

Synthesis and Structural Characterization of a Cobalt Coordination Polymer with Formate and Bis(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone Ligands

Crystallography Reports - A cobalt coordination polymer, {[Co(L1)2(H2O)2] · (HCOO)2 · H2O}n, where L1 is a bis(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone, has been synthesized and characterized...     

Hierarchical motion planning at the acceleration level based on task priority matrix for space robot

Nonlinear Dynamics - A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) due to many benefits is being considered as an imaging and therapeutic technology recently. The critical challenge is to...