Combinatorial materials research applied to the development of new surface coatings IV. A high-throughput bacterial biofilm retention and retraction assay for screening fouling-release performance of coatings

Abstract

A high-throughput bacterial biofilm retention screening method has been augmented to facilitate the rapid analysis and down-selection of fouling-release coatings for identification of promising candidates. Coatings were cast in modified 24-well tissue culture plates and inoculated with the marine bacterium Cytophaga lytica for attachment and biofilm growth. Biofilms retained after rinsing with deionised water were dried at ambient laboratory conditions. During the drying process, retained biofilms retracted through a surface de-wetting phenomenon on the hydrophobic silicone surfaces. The retracted biofilms were stained with crystal violet, imaged, and analysed for percentage coverage. Two sets of experimental fouling-release coatings were analysed with the high-throughput biofilm retention and retraction assay (HTBRRA). The first set consisted of a series of model polysiloxane coatings that were systematically varied with respect to ratios of low and high MW silanol-terminated PDMS, level of cross-linker, and amount of silicone oil. The second set consisted of cross-linked PDMS-polyurethane coatings varied with respect to the MW of the PDMS and end group functionality. For the model polysiloxane coatings, HTBRRA results were compared to data obtained from field immersion testing at the Indian River Lagoon at the Florida Institute of Technology. The percentage coverage calculations of retracted biofilms correlated well to barnacle adhesion strength in the field (R² = 0.82) and accurately identified the best and poorest performing coating compositions. For the cross-linked PDMS-polyurethane coatings, the HTBRRA results were compared to combinatorial pseudobarnacle pull-off adhesion data and good agreement in performance was observed. Details of the developed assay and its implications in the rapid discovery of new fouling-release coatings are discussed.     

Hierarchically Porous,Ultrathick, “Breathable” Wood‐Derived Cathode for Lithium‐Oxygen Batteries

In this work, a hierarchically porous and ultrathick “breathable” wood‐based cathode for high‐performance Li‐O₂ batteries is developed. The 3D carbon matrix obtained from the carbonized and activated wood (denoted as CA‐wood) serves as a superconductive current collector and an ideal porous host for accommodating catalysts. The ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles are uniformly anchored on the porous wall of the aligned microchannels (denoted as CA‐wood/Ru). The aligned open microchannels inside the carbon matrix contribute to unimpeded oxygen gas diffusion. Moreover, the hierarchical pores on the microchannel walls can be facilely impregnated by electrolyte, forming a continuous supply of electrolyte. As a result, numerous ideal triphase active sites are formed where electrolyte, oxygen, and catalyst accumulate on the porous walls of microchannels. Benefiting from the numerous well‐balanced triple‐phase active sites, the assembled Li‐O₂ battery with the CA‐wood/Ru cathode (thickness: ≈700 µm) shows a high specific area capacity of 8.58 mA h cm^?2 at 0.1 mA cm^?2. Moreover, the areal capacity can be further increased to 56.0 mA h cm^?2 by using an ultrathick CA‐wood/Ru cathode with a thickness of ≈3.4 mm. The facile ultrathick wood‐based cathodes can be applied to other cathodes to achieve a super high areal capacity without sacrificing the electrochemical performance.     

Charge and Discharge Processes and Sodium Storage in Disodium Pyridine‐2,5‐Dicarboxylate Anode—Insights from Experiments and Theory

A combined experimental and computational study of disodium pyridine‐2,5‐dicarboxylate (Na₂PDC) is presented exploring the possibility of using it as a potential anode for organic sodium‐ion batteries. This electrode material can reversibly insert/release two Na cations per formula unit, resulting in high reversible capacity of 270 mA h g^?1 (236 mA h g^?1 after accounting for the contribution from Super P carbon) with excellent cyclability 225 mA h g^?1, with retention of 83% capacity after 100 cycles, and good rate performance with reversible capacity of 138 mA h g^?1 at a 5 C rate. The performance of disodium pyridine dicarboxylate is therefore found to be superior to that of the related and well investigated disodium terephthalate. The material shows two voltage plateaus at about 0.6 V up to Na₂₊₁PDC and then 0.4 V up to full sodiation, Na₂₊₂PDC. The first plateau is attributed to the coordination of inserted Na to nitrogen atoms with bond formation, i.e., a different mechanism from the terephthalate analog. The subsequent plateau is due to coordination to the carboxylic groups.     

黄臀鹎禁食和夜间能量物质消耗的研究

本文报道分布于昆明地区的黄臀鹎Pycnonotus xanthorrhous在禁食和四季夜间能量物质——脂肪、蛋白质和糖的消耗情况。结果表明,在人为禁食条件下黄臀鹎的存活时间仅19小时,死亡时躯脂降低79％,去脂飞翔肌干重降低46％,肝糖降低96％。在夜间黄臀鹎消耗大量的储存脂肪,并以冬季的消耗量最大。肝糖提供的能量极少。在繁殖期和换羽期,储存的飞翔肌蛋白质在夜间大量分解以提供鸟体的需要。     

High Efficiency Half‐Heusler Thermoelectric Materials for Energy Harvesting

Half‐Heusler (HH) compounds have gained ever‐increasing popularity as promising high temperature thermoelectric materials. High figure of merit zT of ≈1.0 above 1000 K has recently been realized for both n‐type and p‐type HH compounds, demonstrating the realistic prospect of these high temperature compounds for high efficiency power generation. Here, recent progress in advanced fabrication techniques and the intrinsic atomic disorders in HH compounds, which are linked to the understanding of the electrical transport, is discussed. Thermoelectric transport features of n‐type ZrNiSn‐based HH alloys are particularly emphasized, which is beneficial to further improving thermoelectric performance and comprehensively understanding the underlying mechanisms in HH thermoelectric materials. The rational design and realization of new high performance p‐type Fe(V,Nb)Sb‐based HH compounds are also demonstrated. The outlook for future research directions of HH thermoelectric materials is also discussed.     

固定化微生物在生物膜式生化需氧量传感器中的应用现状

生化需氧量(Biochemical oxygen demand,BOD)微生物传感器是一种快速检测水样中有机污染物含量的设备,固定化微生物是其核心部件之一,对其稳定性、响应时间、使用寿命及实际应用范围等性能有着重要影响。生物膜式BOD传感器较其他类型的BOD微生物传感器具有结构简单、灵敏度高、响应时间短等优点,受到广泛的研究和应用。本文主要针对固定化微生物在生物膜式BOD传感器中的应用情况,概述较典型的微生物固定化方式的原理、特点及应用;总结几类应用较多或具有较好前景的载体材料,并讨论载体特性与传感器性能之间的关系;综述微生物在该领域的应用现状;简要介绍生物膜式BOD传感器的实际应用及商业化现状,比较其与另外几种BOD微生物传感器的优缺点;分析生物膜式BOD传感器中固定化微生物现存的一些问题及其发展趋势。     

Outstanding Low Temperature Thermoelectric Power Factor from Completely Organic Thin Films Enabled by Multidimensional Conjugated Nanomaterials

In an effort to create a paintable/printable thermoelectric material, comprised exclusively of organic components, polyaniline (PANi), graphene, and double‐walled nanotube (DWNT) are alternately deposited from aqueous solutions using the layer‐by‐layer assembly technique. Graphene and DWNT are stabilized with an intrinsically conductive polymer, poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). An 80 quadlayer thin film (≈1 μm thick), comprised of a PANi/graphene‐PEDOT:PSS/PANi/DWNT‐PEDOT:PSS repeating sequence, exhibits unprecedented electrical conductivity (σ ≈ 1.9 × 10⁵ S m^?1) and Seebeck coefficient (S ≈ 120 μV K^?1) for a completely organic material. These two values yield a thermoelectric power factor (PF = S ² σ ^?1) of 2710 μW m^?1 K^?2, which is the highest value ever reported for a completely organic material and among the highest for any material measured at room temperature. These outstanding properties are attributed to the highly ordered structure in the multilayer assembly. This water‐based thermoelectric nanocomposite is competitive with the best inorganic semiconductors (e.g., bismuth telluride) at room temperature and can be applied as a coating to any flexible surface (e.g., fibers in clothing). For the first time, there is a real opportunity to harness waste heat from unconventional sources, such as body heat, to power devices in an environmentally‐friendly way.     

Lithium Doping to Enhance Thermoelectric Performance of MgAgSb with Weak Electron–Phonon Coupling

Despite the unfavorable band structure with twofold degeneracy at the valence band maximum, MgAgSb is still an excellent p‐type thermoelectric material for applications near room temperature. The intrinsically weak electron–phonon coupling, reflected by the low deformation potential E_def ≈ 6.3 eV, plays a crucial role in the relatively high power factor of MgAgSb. More importantly, Li is successfully doped into Mg site to tune the carrier concentration, leading to the resistivity reduction by a factor of 3 and a consequent increase in power factor by ≈30% at 300 K. Low lattice thermal conductivity can be simultaneously achieved by all‐scale hierarchical phonon scattering architecture including high density of dislocations and nanoscale stacking faults, nanoinclusions, and multiscale grain boundaries. Collectively, much higher average power factor ≈25 μW cm^?1 K^?2 with a high average ZT ≈ 1.1 from 300 to 548 K is achieved for 0.01 Li doping, which would result in a high output power density ≈1.56 W cm^?2 and leg efficiency ≈9.2% by calculations assuming cold‐side temperature T_c = 323 K, hot‐side temperature T_h = 548 K, and leg length = 2 mm.     

Low‐Temperature Solution‐Based Phosphorization Reaction Route to Sn4P3/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanohybrids as Anodes for Sodium Ion Batteries

Different from previously reported mechanical alloying route to synthesize Sn _x P₃, novel Sn₄P₃/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) hybrids are synthesized for the first time through an in situ low‐temperature solution‐based phosphorization reaction route from Sn/RGO. Sn₄P₃ nanoparticles combining with advantages of high conductivity of Sn and high capacity of P are homogenously loaded on the RGO nanosheets, interconnecting to form 3D mesoporous architecture nanostructures. The Sn₄P₃/RGO hybrid architecture materials exhibit significantly improved electrochemical performance of high reversible capacity, high‐rate capability, and excellent cycling performance as sodium ion batteries (SIBs) anode materials, showing an excellent reversible capacity of 656 mA h g^?1 at a current density of 100 mA g^?1 over 100 cycles, demonstrating a greatly enhanced rate capability of a reversible capacity of 391 mA h g^?1 even at a high current density of 2.0 A g^?1. Moreover, Sn₄P₃/RGO SIBs anodes exhibit a superior long cycling life, delivering a high capacity of 362 mA h g^?1 after 1500 cycles at a high current density of 1.0 A g^?1. The outstanding cycling performance and rate capability of these porous hierarchical Sn₄P₃/RGO hybrid anodes can be attributed to the advantage of porous structure, and the synergistic effect between Sn₄P₃ nanoparticles and RGO nanosheets.     

Strong between‐site variation in New Caledonian crows’ use of hook‐tool‐making materials

Functional tool use requires the selection of appropriate raw materials. New Caledonian crows Corvus moneduloides are known for their extraordinary tool‐making behaviour, including the crafting of hooked stick tools from branched vegetation. We describe a surprisingly strong between‐site difference in the plant materials used by wild crows to manufacture these tools: crows at one study site use branches of the non‐native shrub Desmanthus virgatus, whereas only approximately 7 km away, birds apparently ignore this material in favour of the terminal twigs of an as‐yet‐unidentified tree species. Although it is likely that differences in local plant communities drive this striking pattern, it remains to be determined how and why crows develop such strong site‐specific preferences for certain raw materials.