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.     

Understanding the solubility and crystallization of molybdenum in high-sodium borosilicate glasses: effect of lanthanum oxide

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - The simplified 8-oxide system (SiO2-B2O3-Na2O-Al2O3-CaO-TiO2-MoO3-La2O3) has been prepared under two types of cooling methods, and analyzed with...     

Hitherto-Unexplored Photodynamic Therapy of Ag2S and Enhanced Regulation Based on Polydopamine In Vitro and Vivo

Given their superior penetration depths, photosensitizers with longer absorption wavelengths present broader application prospects in photodynamic therapy (PDT). Herein, Ag₂S quantum dots were discovered, for the first time, to be capable of killing tumor cells through the photodynamic route by near-infrared light irradiation, which means relatively less excitation of the probe compared with traditional photosensitizers absorbing short wavelengths. On modification with polydopamine (PDA), PDA-Ag₂S was obtained, which showed outstanding capacity for inducing reactive oxygen species (increased by 1.69 times). With the addition of PDA, Ag₂S had more opportunities to react with surrounding O₂, which was demonstrated by typical triplet electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis. Furthermore, the PDT effects of Ag₂S and PDA-Ag₂S achieved at longer wavelengths were almost identical to the effects produced at 660 nm, which was proved by studies in vitro. PDA-Ag₂S showed distinctly better therapeutic effects than Ag₂S in experiments in vivo, which further validated the enhanced regulatory effect of PDA. Altogether, a new photosensitizer with longer absorption wavelength was developed by using the hitherto-unexplored photodynamic function of Ag₂S quantum dots, which extended and enhanced the regulatory effect originating from PDA.     

Boron(iii) β-diketonate-based small molecules for functional non-fullerene polymer solar cells and organic resistive memory devices

A class of acceptor–donor–acceptor chromophoric small-molecule non-fullerene acceptors, 1–4, with difluoroboron(iii) β-diketonate (BF₂bdk) as the electron-accepting moiety has been developed. Through the variation of the central donor unit and the modification on the peripheral substituents of the terminal BF₂bdk acceptor unit, their photophysical and electrochemical properties have been systematically studied. Taking advantage of their low-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels (from −3.65 to −3.72 eV) and relatively high electron mobility (7.49 × 10⁻⁴ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹), these BF₂bdk-based compounds have been employed as non-fullerene acceptors in organic solar cells with maximum power conversion efficiencies of up to 4.31%. Moreover, bistable resistive memory characteristics with charge-trapping mechanisms have been demonstrated in these BF₂bdk-based compounds. This work not only demonstrates for the first time the use of a boron(iii) β-diketonate unit in constructing non-fullerene acceptors, but also provides more insights into designing organic materials with multi-functional properties.

Boron(iii) β-diketonates have been demonstrated to serve as multi-functional materials in NFA-based OPVs and organic resistive memories.     

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.     

Recyclable and reusable Pd(OAc)2/PPh3/PEG‐2000 system for homocoupling reaction of arylboronic acids under air without base

A stable and efficient Pd(OAc)₂/PPh₃/PEG‐2000 catalytic system for homocoupling of arylboronic acids has been developed. In the presence of Pd(OAc)₂ and PPh₃, the homocoupling reaction of arylboronic acids was carried out smoothly in PEG‐2000 at 70 °C under air without base to afford a variety of symmetric biaryls in good to excellent yields. The isolation of the products was readily performed by extraction with diethyl ether, and the Pd(OAc)₂/PPh₃/PEG‐2000 system could be easily recycled and reused six times without significant loss of catalytic activity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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...