Biotransformation of soybean oil to a self-healing biopolymer

Soybean oil in the presence of mineral salts, peptone, carbohydrates, lipase, and lipopeptide transformed to a soft tissue-like material after 10-day incubation at 37°C with shaking at 200 rpm. When damaged, the resultant soft tissue self-healed in an aqueous medium. Analysis revealed that during the self-assembly process, components present in the aqueous medium were entangled in the soft tissue; upon damage, release of these components accelerated healing. Superficial damage resulted in smooth healing, whereas deep damage gave uneven healing similar to deep skin wounds.     

A correlation study on optimum conditions of microbial precipitation and prerequisites for self-healing concrete

Microbial induced CaCO₃ precipitation (MICP) based upon enzymatic urea hydrolysis has been verified as an effective way for crack treatment, especially for self-healing of concrete cracks. This paper aimed at correlating optimum conditions of MICP with prerequisites for self-healing concrete. Orthogonal experiments on a combination of factors contributing to the MICP process were firstly performed. Initial cell density and Ca²⁺ concentration were highly significant factor and significant factor respectively. High initial cell density (1×10⁸ cells·mL^-1) together with relatively low Ca²⁺ concentration (50 mM) favored microbial precipitation. The second part of this study was associated with dissolution tests to simulate the dissolving behavior of urea and calcium, since the dissolving of healing agents in cracks is a prerequisite of self-healing. By an addition of urea and Ca(NO₃)₂ with constant mass ratio of 2:3 in concrete, the highest values of the estimated urea concentration (345 mM) and Ca²⁺ concentration (44 mM) dissolved in cracks were close to the optimal values found by orthogonal studies. Although the addition of urea and Ca(NO₃)₂ would not have a negative impact on the mechanical properties of concrete, direct mixing is not recommended due to the low utilization efficiency of incorporating healing agents for self-healing.     

半干旱矿区侵蚀营力对黑沙蒿根系生长特性的影响及其自修复

以半干旱矿区典型分布的黑沙蒿为研究对象,通过野外原位不离体试验,模拟侵蚀拉拔破坏对黑沙蒿根系生长特性的影响,并分析其受损自修复能力,旨在揭示植物根系在脆弱生态区中抵御外力侵蚀的生存策略.结果 表明,拉拔破坏形成机械损伤后,根系生长速率和活性均明显降低,持续拉拔对二者的抑制作用显著大于瞬时拉拔,重度损伤产生的负反馈显著大...     

基于芽胞的混凝土微生物原位修复技术研究进展

混凝土是最广泛使用的现代建筑材料,在应力作用下易于开裂,使混凝土结构具有渗透性,影响其耐用性和完整性,进而缩短使用寿命。混凝土微生物原位修复技术是一种廉价、有效、绿色的方式,因其具有良好的生物相容性、延长混凝土服役寿命、减少经济损失与环境污染等特点,已成为研究热点。其中,芽胞杆菌因良好的生物矿化能力且其芽胞具有极强的环境耐受能力和长期存活能力而备受关注。为推动微生物原位修复混凝土的研究开发及规模化应用,文中综述了基于芽胞的混凝土原位修复机理、芽胞在混凝土中的生存情况、芽胞与外添加物对混凝土机械性能的影响、修复剂的开发和修复效果等方面的进展,并指出了将来的研究重点,如提高芽胞在混凝土内部恶劣环境下的存活能力、降低外添加物对混凝土机械性能的影响和强化实际现场应用的修复效果等。     

半干旱矿区3种灌木侧根分支处折力损伤后的自修复特性

以神东矿区用于植被恢复的小叶锦鸡儿、沙柳、沙棘为对象,研究侧根分支处极限抗折力学特性及受力受损后生长指标、力学特性的自修复能力,以明确半干旱采煤沉陷区灌木侧根分支处在遭受外力损伤后的可持续固土能力.结果表明: 3种灌木生长季初期侧根分支处极限抗折力和抗折强度均存在显著差异,种间变化均表现为小叶锦鸡儿>沙柳>沙棘.小叶锦鸡儿和沙柳侧根分支处抗折强度与纤维素、木质素及棕纤维素含量呈显著正相关,沙棘抗折强度与纤维素和木质素含量呈显著负相关,与棕纤维素含量呈显著正相关.沉陷区形成的折力损伤显著破坏灌木侧根分支处的正常生长和力学特性,即使通过3个月的自修复也不能恢复到未受损水平.生长指标自修复能力越强,抗折力自修复程度越高,修复率种间变化为沙棘(91.2%)>沙柳(82.0%)>小叶锦鸡儿(73.9%),抗折力修复率种间变化为沙棘(41.4%)>沙柳(37.1%)>小叶锦鸡儿(30.0%).3种灌木侧根分支处可持续固土指数分别为小叶锦鸡儿(2.2084)>沙柳(0.2009)>沙棘(-2.4093),说明在半干旱采煤沉陷区小叶锦鸡儿可持续固土能力最强,沙柳次之,沙棘最弱.     

A Novel Multifunctional Crosslinking PVA/CMCS Hydrogel Containing Cyclic Peptide Actinomycin X2 and PA@Fe with Excellent Antibacterial and Commendable Mechanical Properties

Bacterial infected environments and resulting bacterial infections have been threatening the human health globally. Due to increased bacterial resistance caused by improper and excessive use of antibiotics, antibacterial biomaterials are being developed as alternatives to antibiotics in some cases. Herein, an advanced multifunctional hydrogel with excellent antibacterial properties, enhanced mechanical properties, biocompatibility and self-healing performance, was designed through freezing-thawing method. This hydrogel network is composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), protocatechualdehyde (PA), ferric iron (Fe) and an antimicrobial cyclic peptide actinomycin X2 (Ac.X2). The double dynamic bonds among protocatechualdehyde (PA), ferric iron (Fe) and carboxymethyl chitosan containing coordinate bond (catechol-Fe) as well as dynamic Schiff base bonds and hydrogen bonds endowed the hydrogel with enhanced mechanical properties. Successful formation of hydrogel was confirmed through ATR-IR and XRD, and structural evaluation through SEM analysis, whereas mechanical properties were tested with electromechanical universal testing machine. The resulting PVA/CMCS/Ac.X2/PA@Fe (PCXPA) hydrogel has favorable biocompatibility and excellent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against both S. aureus (95.3 %) and E. coli (90.2 %) compared with free-soluble Ac.X2, which exhibited subpar performance against E. coli reported in our previous studies. This work provides a new insight on preparing multifunctional hydrogels containing antimicrobial peptides as antibacterial material.     

Self-Repairing Membranes for Inflatable Structures Inspired by a Rapid Wound Sealing Process of Climbing Plants

A new self-repairing membrane for inflatable light weight structures such as rubber boats or Tensairity® constructions is presented. Inspired by rapid self-sealing processes in plants, a thin soft cellular polyurethane foam coating is applied on the inside of a fabric substrate, which closes the fissure if the membrane is punctured with a spike. Experimental tests are carried out with a purpose built setup by measuring the air mass flow through a leak in a damaged membrane sample. It is shown that the weight per unit area of the self-repairing foam as well as the curing of the two component PU-foam under an overpressure influence the repair efficiency. Curing the foam under overpressure affects the relative density as well as the microstructure of the foam coatings. Maximal median repair efficiencies of 0.999 have been obtained with 0.16 g·cm⁻² foam cured at 1 bar overpressure. These results suggest that the bio-inspired technique has the potential to extend the functional integrity of injured inflatable structures dramatically.     

From Ionogels to Biredox Ionic Liquids: Some Emerging Opportunities for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion Devices

Ionic liquids (ILs) continue to receive attention for applications in electrochemistry because of their unique properties as charge carriers (electrolytes) and redox shuttles (solar cells) and their ability to promote energy storage either electrostatically (supercapacitors) or chemically (secondary batteries). More specifically, the confinement of ILs in nanopores or the adsorption at surfaces, are considered a promising strategy for all solid‐state energy storage and conversion devices. Upon such immobilization, one benefits from the specific properties of ILs (large electrochemical window, relatively high ionic conductivity, task‐specific functionalities, etc.) combined with surface and confinement effects that can be tuned by playing with the porosity and chemical nature of the host. Here, some emerging applications of ILs in electrochemistry are first discussed: silica‐based ionogels as solid electrolytes and systems that involve carbon host substrates, as typical electrode materials in electrical double layer capacitors and lithium secondary batteries. Also, a non‐exhaustive, yet a comprehensive picture of the confinement and surface effects at play in such applications is presented. Then, the confinement of task‐specific ILs such as protonic ILs, IL lithium salts, and biredox ILs, is discussed, which paves the way for promising perspectives. Finally, some concluding remarks are reported and directions for future work are suggested.     

Engineering Temperature‐Dependent Carrier Concentration in Bulk Composite Materials via Temperature‐Dependent Fermi Level Offset

Precise control of carrier concentration in both bulk and thin‐film materials is crucial for many solid‐state devices, including photovoltaic cells, superconductors, and high mobility transistors. For applications that span a wide temperature range (thermoelectric power generation being a prime example) the optimal carrier concentration varies as a function of temperature. This work presents a modified modulation doping method to engineer the temperature dependence of the carrier concentration by incorporating a nanosize secondary phase that controls the temperature‐dependent doping in the bulk matrix. This study demonstrates this technique by de‐doping the heavily defect‐doped degenerate semiconductor GeTe, thereby enhancing its average power factor by 100% at low temperatures, with no deterioration at high temperatures. This can be a general method to improve the average thermoelectric performance of many other materials.     

A Critical Review of Machine Learning of Energy Materials

Machine learning (ML) is rapidly revolutionizing many fields and is starting to change landscapes for physics and chemistry. With its ability to solve complex tasks autonomously, ML is being exploited as a radically new way to help find material correlations, understand materials chemistry, and accelerate the discovery of materials. Here, an in‐depth review of the application of ML to energy materials, including rechargeable alkali‐ion batteries, photovoltaics, catalysts, thermoelectrics, piezoelectrics, and superconductors, is presented. A conceptual framework is first provided for ML in materials science, with a broad overview of different ML techniques as well as best practices. This is followed by a critical discussion of how ML is applied in energy materials. This review is concluded with the perspectives on major challenges and opportunities in this exciting field.     

Protein separation and identification using magnetic beads encoded with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

This article presents a prototype of a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-encoded magnetic bead of 8 μm diameter. The core part of the bead is composed of a magnetic nanoparticle (NP)-embedded sulfonated polystyrene bead. The outer part of the bead is embedded with Ag NPs on which labeling molecules generating specific SERS bands are adsorbed. A silica shell is fabricated for further bioconjugation and protection of SERS signaling. Benzenethiol, 4-mercaptotoluene, 2-naphthalenethiol, and 4-aminothiophenol are used as labeling molecules. The magnetic SERS beads are used as substrates for protein sensing and screening with easy handling. As a model application, streptavidin-bound magnetic SERS beads are used to illustrate selective separation in a flow cytometry system, and the screened beads are spectrally recognized by Raman spectroscopy. The proposed magnetic SERS beads are likely to be used as a versatile solid support for protein sensing and screening in multiple assay technology.     

Simulated biological materials for electromagnetic radiation absorption studies

For the study of electromagnetic dosimetry and hyperthermia, it is necessary to simulate human biological materials. This can be done by chemical mixtures that are described in this paper. Formulas are presented for simulating bone, lung, brain, and muscle tissue in the frequency range of 100 MHz to 1 GHz. By using these preparations a realistic equivalent to the human body can be constructed.     

Studies on Thermoelectric Properties of n‐type Polycrystalline SnSe1‐xSx by Iodine Doping

Iodine‐doped n‐type SnSe polycrystalline by melting and hot pressing is prepared. The prepared material is anisotropic with a peak ZT of ≈0.8 at about 773 K measured along the hot pressing direction. This is the first report on thermoelectric properties of n‐type Sn chalcogenide alloys. With increasing content of iodine, the carrier concentration changed from 2.3 × 10¹⁷ cm^?3 (p‐type) to 5.0 × 10¹⁵ cm^?3 (n‐type) then to 2.0 × 10¹⁷ cm^?3 (n‐type). The decent ZT is mainly attributed to the intrinsically low thermal conductivity due to the high anharmonicity of the chemical bonds like those in p‐type SnSe. By alloying with 10 at% SnS, even lower thermal conductivity and an enhanced Seebeck coefficient were achieved, leading to an increased ZT of ≈1.0 at about 773 K measured also along the hot pressing direction.     

Enabling Flexible Polymer Tandem Solar Cells by 3D Ptychographic Imaging

The realization of a complete tandem polymer solar cell under ambient conditions using only printing and coating methods on a flexible substrate results in a fully scalable process but also requires accurate control during layer formation to succeed. The serial process where the layers are added one after the other by wet processing leaves plenty of room for error and the process development calls for an analytical technique that enables 3D reconstruction of the layer stack with the possibility to probe thickness, density, and chemistry of the individual layers in the stack. The use of ptychography on a complete 12‐layer solar cell stack is presented and it is shown that this technique provides the necessary insight to enable efficient development of inks and processes for the most critical layers in the tandem stack such as the recombination layer where solvent penetration in fully solution processed 12‐layer stacks is critical in eleven of the steps.     

Lipophilic polyoxomolybdate nanocapsules in constitutional dynamic hybrid materials

Dynamic hybrid materials based on Müller’s porous Keplerate type molybdenum-oxide based nanocapsules are described. The present efforts involve the preparation and properties of hybrid materials formed between lipophilic MCM41-mesoporous or octadecyldimethylsilica with Keplerate type molybdenum-oxide based Mo132 nanocapsules - designed by encapsulation into DODA - dimethyldioctadecylammonium cationic surfactants (DODA)₄₀Mo132. In particular, the use of a “dynamic reversible hydrophobic interface” between (DODA)₄₀Mo132 and lipophilic silica can render the emerging hybrid mesophases self-adaptive. The reversible hydrophobic interactions allow to both capsule and inorganic silica components to mutually (synergistically) adapt their spatial constitution during simultaneous (collective) formation of self-organized hybrid domains. This might provide new insights into the features that control the design of novel complex materials.     

Programmable assembly of 2D crystalline protein arrays into covalently stacked 3D bionanomaterials

Rational embellishment of self-assembling two-dimensional (2D) proteins make it possible to build 3D nanomaterials with novel catalytic, optoelectronic and mechanical properties. However, introducing multiple sites of embellishment into 2D protein arrays without affecting the self-assembly is challenging, limiting the ability to program in additional functionality and new 3D configurations. Here we introduce two orthogonal covalent linkages at multiple sites in a 2D crystalline-forming protein without affecting its self-assembly. We first engineered the surface-layer protein SbsB from Geobacillus stearothermophilus pV72/p2 to display isopeptide bond-forming protein conjugation pairs, SpyTag or SnoopTag, at four positions spaced 5.7-10.5 nm apart laterally and 3 nm axially. The C-terminal and two newly-identified locations within SbsB monomer accommodated the short SpyTag or SnoopTag peptide tags without affecting the 2D lattice structure. Introducing tags at distinct locations enabled orthogonal and covalent binding of SpyCatcher- or SnoopCatcher-protein fusions to micron-sized 2D nanosheets. By introducing different types of bifunctional cross-linkers, the dual-functionalized nanosheets were programmed to self-assemble into different 3D stacks, all of which retain their nanoscale order. Thus, our work creates a modular protein platform that is easy to program to create dual-functionalized 2D and lamellar 3D nanomaterials with new catalytic, optoelectronic, and mechanical properties.     

Reversible immobilization of glucoamylase onto magnetic polystyrene beads with multifunctional groups

A novel and simple process for the surface functionalization of micron-sized monodisperse magnetic polystyrene (PS) microbeads was reported. The polystyrene seed particles were prepared prior to the dispersion polymerization method. Afterwards, series of surface chemical modifications on polystyrene microspheres were conducted, and three end-functional microspheres with carboxyl, imidazolyl and sulphydryl groups were obtained. The functional magnetic polystyrene microspheres were prepared by impregnation and subsequent precipitation of ferric and ferrous ions into the polystyrene particles. Finally, the functional magnetic polystyrene was used for the reversible immobilization of glucoamylase via metal-affinity adsorption. The results indicated that the obtained immobilized glucoamylase presented excellent reusability, applicability, magnetic response and regeneration of supports. The magnetic PS microspheres retained >65% of its initial activity at 65 °C over 6 h; and the lowest residual activity of immobilized glucoamylase prepared by regenerated supports still remained about 50% of the initial activity after the 10th cycles.