Controlling droplet adhesion and interfacial dewetting on solid surfaces is important for droplet manipulation and liquid removal in a wide range of applications, particularly in the wet cleaning of micro/nanostructured semiconductor chips, where trapped water residues can compromise structural stability. Therefore, a strategy that reduces droplet adhesion without relying on surface structural modification is highly desired. In this work, a novel supercritical CO2-mediated droplet levitation mechanism, termed the pseudo-Leidenfrost effect, is proposed based on the conventional thermally driven Leidenfrost effect. Compared with its thermally driven counterpart, the proposed scCO2-mediated mechanism avoids the need for global substrate superheating while forming a denser and more stable CO2-rich interfacial cushion beneath the droplet. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that this mechanism is primarily driven by the competitive adsorption between CO2 and H2O on the surface, which leads to the formation of a molecular cushion beneath the nanodroplet and thereby enables droplet levitation. Density functional theory calculations further indicate that the adsorption affinity of CO2 on the surface must be comparable to or greater than that of H2O to ensure the stable emergence of the pseudo-Leidenfrost effect. This work provides a novel non-thermal strategy for droplet manipulation, along with atomistic and nanoscale insights into the underlying mechanism.
Wearable piezoresistive sensors show great potential for motion analysis, health monitoring, and human-computer interaction. However, conventional sensing materials often suffer from limited sensitivity, insufficient flexibility, poor environmental adaptability, and inadequate antibacterial performance for skin-contact applications. Herein, a bioinspired anisotropic AgNWs/MFC/SA composite aerogel (30 A-55MS) was fabricated by directional freeze-drying, using silver nanowires (AgNWs) as the conductive and antibacterial network, microfibrillated cellulose/sodium alginate (MFC/SA) as the biomass-derived polymer scaffold, and CaCl2 as the ionicgelation agent. The directional porous architecture was inspired by the transport-channel structure of taro stalks. Subsequently, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was introduced by vacuum-assisted impregnation to obtain the 30 A-55MS/PDMS composite aerogel elastomer. PDMS encapsulation enhanced the mechanical stability and environmental resistance of the elastomer, which also exhibited bacterial reduction efficiencies of 95.57% against E. coli and 95.21% against S. aureus. The wearable piezoresistive sensor assembled from the 30 A-55MS/PDMS elastomer exhibited a high gauge factor (GF = -20.792 in the 0-2% strain range), rapid response/recovery times of 65/40 ms, and stable cycling performance over 1000 compression cycles. Moreover, real-time finger, neck, elbow, wrist, and knee movements were successfully monitored. This work provides a promising strategy for developing multifunctional aerogel-based wearable sensors for health monitoring, motion analysis, and human-computer interaction.
Methanol ammoxidation to hydrogen cyanide (HCN) over MnP/SiO2 catalysts was investigated in a fixed-bed tubular reactor at atmospheric pressure over 633-713 K. Kinetic experiments were carried out by systematically varying temperature, methanol space time, and the O-2/CH3OH molar ratio. Nearly complete methanol conversion was achieved under optimized conditions, and HCN was the dominant carbon-containing product; CO and CO2 were formed only as minor deep-oxidation by-products (typically <10% on a carbon basis). A mechanistically motivated Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (LHHW) model was developed in which CH3OH and NH3 competitively adsorb on a family of metal (M) sites, oxygen adsorbs on a separate family of oxygen (O) sites and participates in HCN formation, and CO/CO2 form via deep oxidation of a methanol-derived intermediate by lattice oxygen. The resulting dual-site rate expressions captured both rate magnitudes and selectivity trends across all experiments. All kinetic and adsorption parameters were statistically significant, and the fitted adsorption enthalpies and entropies satisfied established thermodynamic consistency criteria. The resulting kinetic framework provides a physically meaningful basis for reactor-scale simulation and design, as used in the companion Part II study.
Electrochemical urea synthesis through the CO2 and nitrate reduction reaction is a promising sustainable alternative, but it is limited by inefficient C-N coupling and competing hydrogen evolution. Here, we report a sulfur-modulated Cu2S/CuS electrocatalyst that promotes selective urea formation by tuning the adsorption of key intermediates. The catalyst achieves a urea yield of 260.8 +/- 10.2 mu g h-1 cm-2 with a remarkable faradaic efficiency of 80.0 +/- 2.8% at-0.4 V versus RHE for a Cu-S-based catalyst. In situ FT-IR spectroscopy identifies *CO and *NO intermediates along with a C-N stretching signal, while isotopic HRMS confirms nitrate-derived nitrogen in the product. These results support a mechanism in which sulfur-modulated Cu delta+-S sites enhance *CO-*NO coupling while suppressing hydrogen evolution (HER). This work highlights sulfur incorporation as an effective strategy to regulate intermediate adsorption and enable selective C-N coupling for urea electrosynthesis.
Developing advanced microstructured energetic composites provides an effective strategy for regulating combustion behavior and improving the energy utilization efficiency of aluminized solid propellants. Through tailored microstructural assembly, this advanced interface engineering not only mitigates aluminum agglomeration to boost the combustion efficiency of metallic fuels, but also effectively desensitizes high-energy explosives. In this study, large-scale molecular dynamics simulations driven by a high-fidelity neural network potential were employed to investigate the combustion dynamics of two distinct microunit architectures: Al-core/RDX-shell (Al@RDX) and RDX-core/Al-shell (RDX@Al). Particular emphasis was placed on clarifying how interfacial topology influences local decomposition behavior, heat release, and pressure evolution at the nanoscale. Under condensed-phase conditions, Al@RDX exhibits rapid initial heat release due to fast RDX decomposition. However, decomposition fragments can diffuse away from the Al interface, limiting sustained interfacial reactions. In contrast, the confined RDX@Al structure initially suppresses decomposition, but gradually enhances interfacial reactions through the accumulation of reactive fragments near the surrounding Al shell, leading to stronger interfacial coupling and accelerated Al consumption. Vacuum simulations further show that RDX@Al maintains stronger interfacial reactivity under pressure-release conditions, indicating lower sensitivity to pressure fluctuations These findings establish a qualitative relationship between interfacial topology and localized combustion behavior, providing mechanistic guidance for the design of high performance aluminized composite propellants.
Ofloxacin (OFX), a recalcitrant fluoroquinolone antibiotic, poses significant risks to ecosystems and human health, necessitating the development of efficient remediation technologies. In this study, a bimetallic spinel Mn0.8Co2.2O4 catalyst was successfully synthesized via pyrolysis of a CoMn-BTC metal-organic framework precursor and employed for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation toward OFX degradation. The incorporation of Mn into the Co3O4 lattice induced lattice distortion, enlarging specific surface area (45.3 m2/g), and enriching Co2+ content (58.34%), oxygen vacancies, and hydroxyl groups, thereby enhancing electron transfer capability and redox activity. The Mn0.8Co2.2O4/PMS system achieved complete OFX removal within 25 min (k = 0.14219 min-1), 1.78 times higher than pristine Co3O4, with high PMS utilization (75.96%) and near-complete mineralization (96.9% TOC removal). The catalyst exhibited excellent stability over five cycles with minimal metal leaching (Co: 0.365 mg/L, Mn: 0.079 mg/L) and maintained high efficiency (>= 88.81%) across pH 3-11. Both radical (center dot O2-, SO4 center dot-, center dot OH) and non-radical (1O2, Co(IV) = O) pathways contributed, with 1O2 and center dot O2- predominant, with Co/Mn redox cycles and oxygen vacancies serving as key active sites. Electrochemical analysis and density functional theory calculations further confirmed that Mn doping enhanced PMS adsorption energy, elongated the O-O bond, facilitated interfacial electron transfer, and shifted the d-band center closer to the Fermi level, thereby boosting catalytic activity. Three plausible degradation pathways were proposed based on reactive site analysis and intermediate identification. This work provides fundamental insights into Mn-doped cobalt spinel for Fenton-like PMS activation and demonstrates their potential as efficient, stable catalysts for antibiotic-contaminated wastewater remediation.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating degenerative joint disease marked by cartilage erosion, synovial inflammation, and hypoxia-driven pain, yet disease-modifying therapies remain elusive. Here, we present a photosynthetic microalgae hydrogel (ALG-TYR/CHL/pEV@DIF) that integrates Chlorella vulgaris-derived oxygen, hydrogen, bioelectricity, and ATP microgeneration with photodynamically active platelet extracellular vesicles loading diferuloylmethane (pEV@DIF) embedded in an alginate-tyramine scaffold. Upon near-infrared (NIR) activation, this living construct simultaneously enhanced O2/H2/ATP release, and bioelectric signaling, reprogramming proinflammatory CD86+ M1 macrophages toward reparative CD206+ M2 phenotypes, selectively reducing fibroblast survival while maintaining chondrocyte viability, and reinforcing hydrogel mechanics under compression. In a rat OA model, the hydrogel normalized joint temperature, restored cartilage hydration on T2weighted MRI with near-healthy signal intensity, and improved stride frequency, reflecting significant pain alleviation. Histological and immunofluorescence analyses further revealed collagen II upregulation, suppressed TNF-alpha and HIF-1 alpha expression, and systemic biosafety without off-target toxicity. Radiographic and behavioral datasets may provide a useful foundation for future quantitative image and motion analysis, although such approaches were beyond the scope of the present study. Collectively, this photosynthetic microalga hydrogel harnessing photodynamic extracellular vesicles mitigates OA through a minimally invasive, self-powered "green-gold" strategy for regenerative therapy.
Metalloorganic photoresists (PRs) have emerged as key materials for extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, where high sensitivity, chemical robustness, and pattern resolutions and fidelity should be achieved simultaneously. Herein, we report a molecular design for EUV PRs which integrates Sn, ditopic di(pyrazolylcarboxylate) ligands, and monotopic carboxylate ligands bearing aryl-Cl (Cl) or styryl (Sty) moieties. The Cl and Sty units function as radical-initiation and -propagation units, respectively, improving sensitivity. Spectroscopic analyses confirm pentacoordinate Sn centers incorporating the different ligands within a Sn-oxo-carboxylate framework. The Sn complexes exhibit several benefits for EUV PRs, including excellent compatibility with solvents, month-long storage stability in solutions, and suppressed thermal crosslinking, which enables reliable wet processes for patterning. Under UV, e-beam, and EUV exposure, the complexes act as efficient negative-tone resists. Notably, Cl-containing complexes exhibit high e-beam sensitivity (D-50 = 22 mu C cm(-2); D-100 = 70 mu C cm(-2)) under the standard dose-thickness condition, whereas excessive Sty ligand incorporation reduces sensitivity. Line/space patterns with half-pitch <50 nm could be produced with the Cl-containing complex under EUV exposure. Mechanistic studies identify three cooperative crosslinking pathways, including radical homocoupling, radical rebound, and Sn-oxo network formation reactions. This molecular framework offers a versatile route to simultaneously optimize reactivity and stability in metalloorganic PRs for advanced EUV lithography.
Constructing heterojunction photocatalysts offers a promising approach to realize photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into chemical fuels, where the key lies in proposing a reasonable design for the preparation of effective heterostructure photocatalysts. Herein, NiMoO4/In2O3 S-scheme heterojunction hollow hexagonal prisms (HPPs) with tight interfacial coupling were successfully constructed through a stepwise cation ion etching/anion exchange and pyrolysis strategy using MIL-68(In) solid hexagonal prisms (HPs) as template. NiIn layered double hydroxide (NiIn-LDH) nanosheets were first produced by Ni2+ ion etching of MIL-68(In) via a solvothermal process. In this Ni2+ ion etching process, MIL-68(In) HPs were hollowed, followed by anion exchange, Mo6+ inserted NiIn-LDH (Mo-NiIn-LDH) was obtained. The resulting Mo-NiIn-LDH/MIL-68(In) precursor was then calcined to yield NiMoO4/In2O3 HHPs. This strategy facilitates the intimate integration of In2O3 HHPs with surface NiMoO4 nanosheets and forms a well-defined S-scheme heterojunction interface, greatly accelerating charge carrier dynamics. Meanwhile, this unique hollow hexagonal prism architecture, featuring a high specific surface area, shortens the charge migration distance and supplies abundant reactive sites for CO2 adsorption and activation, while also enhancing light-harvesting capability. Owing to these advantages, the as-fabricated NiMoO4/In2O3 heterostructure exhibits a remarkably boosted photocatalytic CO generation rate of 96.60 mu mol g-1 h-1 and a selectivity of 80.5%. Combined electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis, in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) test technique, and energy band alignment support the S-scheme charge transfer mechanism. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTs) tests reveal the key intermediates of photocatalytic CO2 reduction process. This research introduces a comprehensive approach for the systematic design of advanced heterostructure photocatalysts, enabling effective and selective reduction of CO2 by facilitating close interfacial contact.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and deadly gas that poses significant hazards even at low concentrations. Therefore, developing highly sensitive, low-power CO sensors are of critical importance. In this work, SnO2 nanosheets were directly fabricated on alumina planar by aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD). Subsequently, MOF-derived cobalt oxide was grown on the SnO2 nanosheets through a chemical bath deposition method (CBD) to construct a Co3O4/SnO2 heterojunction. This heterojunction was utilized as a sensing layer for developing a CO gas sensor. The Co3O4/SnO2-2 sensor exhibited not only a higher response of 115% toward 100 ppm CO but also a lower detection limit of 100 ppb at 150 degrees C, comparing with the SnO2 sensor (38%, 200 ppb, 310 degrees C). The improved sensing capabilities of the Co3O4/SnO2-2 sensor arise from the combined influence of a pronounced heterojunction effect, abundant oxygen vacancies and a unique mesoporous structure. Combining AACVD and CBD methods, the fabrication of Co3O4/SnO2 heterojunction not only enables CO sensor with Low-temperature operating and low-concentration detection, but also offers a feasible approach for developing high-performance gas sensors.
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) offers a sustainable route for freshwater production, but its practical performance is constrained by high evaporation enthalpy and inefficient thermal management. Here, we develop a three-dimensional (3D) SDIE system that integrates a metal-organic framework (MOF) derived photothermal evaporator (CoN-C@PBS-800) with a black expanded polyethylene (B-EPE) auxiliary thermal layer. The CoNC@PBS-800, fabricated through in situ growth of ZIF-67 on a porous inorganic scaffold, features broadband solar absorption, rapid water transport, and a reduced evaporation enthalpy of only 37.4% that of bulk water. Coupled with the radiative and convective heating provided by B-EPE, the system achieves an evaporation rate of 4.54 kg m- 2 h- 1 under 1.0 sun illumination and photothermal conversion efficiency of 182%, surpassing the theoretical limit of conventional 2D designs. Importantly, the evaporator exhibits outstanding salt rejection and long-term stability in real seawater, maintaining a desalination efficiency of 99.9%. Outdoor desalination trials and plant-irrigation tests further validate the system's ability to produce clean, biologically safe water that meets WHO drinking standards. This work demonstrates a synergistic material-and-thermal design that concurrently lowers evaporation energy demand and enhances ambient heat harvesting, offering a scalable and environmentally adaptive strategy for sustainable solar desalination.
Bovine mastitis represents a major economic and clinical burden for the dairy industry. Because first-line treatment relies on heavy antibiotic use, it contributes significantly to the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). There is a clear need for non-traditional therapeutics capable of reducing bacterial burden while simultaneously mitigating the inflammation and oxidative stress associated with the disease. In this study, we developed a multifunctional nanoplatform by encapsulating berberine (BBR) within gallic acid-grafted chitosan nanoparticles (GA-g-CSNPs). Covalent grafting of gallate was used to enhance the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the chitosan backbone. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations suggested that BBR formed stable interactions with hub proteins involved in mastitis-related inflammation. These interactions may partly explain its multitarget pharmacological effects. The BBR@GA-g-CSNPs demonstrated significantly enhanced antibacterial and antioxidant activity compared with free BBR, reducing the bacterial inflammatory response in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). The nanoplatform reinforced the compromised blood-milk epithelial barrier by restoring the E-cadherin/beta-catenin junctional complex. At the cellular level, the system promoted mitochondrial homeostasis by enhancing PINK1/p62-mediated mitophagy and facilitating the targeted clearance of damaged mitochondria under oxidative injury. Our findings establish BBR@GA-g-CSNPs as a viable candidate for mastitis intervention. By coupling direct bacterial suppression with the restoration of cellular quality control mechanisms, this engineered nanoplatform provides a practical strategy for mammary tissue repair, and an alternative to conventional antibiotic reliance.
Two-photon polymerization (TPP) has attracted increasing attention and research interest due to its high-resolution fabrication capability at the micro/nanoscale. While rigid photocurable monomers are often used to enhance mechanical performance, they can lead to modulus mismatch that limits applicability in flexible devices. In this work, a series of polyurethane acrylate (PUA) oligomers with different molecular weights are synthesized, enabling the tuning of storage modulus (25 degrees C) across three orders of magnitude. These oligomers form the basis of a solvent-free elastomeric photoresist (G-PCLx), suitable for photoresist-immersion printing (i.e., the objective lens is directly immersed in the photoresist droplet). In situ compression tests reveal that micro-pillars fabricated from the G-PCL1000 exhibit exceptional damage tolerance, sustaining 54% measured strain without structural collapse and achieving recovery rates up to 85%. Complex architectures, such as fullerene spheres and Kelvin lattices, maintain structural integrity under 60% set strain, developing only minor cracks (1-1.5 um length) without structural failure. The achieved mechanical robustness originates from the glass transition temperature of the PUA oligomer near room temperature (similar to 25 degrees C), which promotes segmental mobility within the crosslinked network. This design provides an effective strategy for fabricating high-precision, flexible microstructures at room temperature.
Photothermal conversion enables the cleavage of C-O bonds in lignin beta-O-4 linkages under mild conditions, yet the rational design of efficient catalysts remains challenging. Herein, density functional theory (DFT) was employed to systematically investigate the photothermal catalytic hydrogenolysis of phenylethyl phenyl ether (PPE) over the Ni-loaded C3N4 Z-scheme heterojunction with varying N vacancy concentrations and metal sizes. A moderate density of N defects in C3N4 can enhance its electron transfer efficiency, light absorption capability, and interaction with Ni metals. The strong redox ability of Ni enables the conversion of PPE into phenol and ethylbenzene via photogenerated electrons and H* species. Thermal catalytic conditions further facilitate charge transfer under photoexcitation. In particular, the dissociation energy results for PPE indicate that a moderate density of N defects promotes the cleavage of the C-O bond. Among various metal configurations, Ni clusters (NiC) and small nanoparticles (NiS-N) exhibit excellent dielectric properties and superior activity in cleaving C-O bonds, underscoring the structure sensitivity of Ni in adsorbing and activating both H2 and PPE. These findings highlight the synergistic effects of N defects and Ni particle size in enhancing the photothermal hydrogenolysis of beta-O-4 over Ni/C3N4 catalysts, offering guiding principles for designing efficient photothermal catalysts for lignin valorization.
Wastewater streams often contain both surfactant-stabilized oily emulsions and high salinity, posing a significant challenge to conventional oil/water separation and desalination technologies. Herein, we report a gradient Janus aerogel (JG@BC) that combines oil-water separation and solar-driven interfacial evaporation in a single material, enabling efficient treatment of complex oily seawater systems. The aerogel is fabricated via an atmospheric pressure drying strategy based on a bacterial cellulose-chitosan framework, featuring a continuous nano-tomicroscale pore-size gradient and asymmetric wettability. This structural design simultaneously facilitates capillary-driven water transport, selective interception of nano/submicron oil droplets, and localized photothermal evaporation. As a result, the JG@BC aerogel achieves a high evaporation rate of 3.16 kg center dot m- 2 center dot h- 1 under one sun illumination in 20 wt% saline oily water, along with stable operation over 120 cycles without noticeable salt accumulation or oil fouling. Computational fluid dynamics simulations provide insight into the coupled mechanisms of water transport and emulsion separation. This work provides a promising materials design strategy for integrated solar desalination and oily wastewater purification, while also highlighting the potential of ambient-pressure drying for scalable aerogel fabrication.
Solar-driven water-electricity cogeneration offers a promising and sustainable pathway to alleviate global shortages of freshwater and electricity. However, conventional evaporators are susceptible to salt accumulation, which critically constrains their practical deployment and further advancement. Here, we report a hydrogel evaporator that exploits the Donnan effect to enable efficient and stable water-electricity cogeneration. The hydrogel is constructed by copolymerizing N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAM), acrylamide (AM), and the cationic monomer (3-acrylamidopropyl) trimethylammonium chloride (APTAC), forming a multi-network, ion-regulated architecture. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) enables reversible swelling-deswelling transitions that facilitate salt dissolution and autonomous self-cleaning under dark conditions. The fixed positive charges introduced by APTAC establish a strong Donnan effect, shifting the ionic equilibrium to suppress Na+ activity while preferentially enriching Cl- relative to the bulk solution. This synergistic regulation effectively suppresses salt crystallization even under high salinity while simultaneously enhancing evaporation-driven charge separation. Under one-sun irradiation, the optimized evaporator achieves an evaporation rate of 3.43 kg m- 2 h- 1 and an open-circuit voltage of 0.165 V in 3.5 wt% NaCl, while maintaining stable operation without salt accumulation over extended periods in 15 wt% NaCl. This work provides a robust material strategy for stable and efficient solar-driven water-electricity cogeneration.
To mitigate the most important drawbacks associated with conventional CdS-sensitized TiO2, especially those related to photocorrosion and Cd2+ dissolution issues, a novel photocatalyst based on an immobilized CdS/TiO2 photocatalytic heterostructure was designed. In this context, a thin layer of CdS acting as a sensitizer was formed at the base of the reactor, which was co. The CdS layer was fully encapsulated by a rutile TiO2 overlayer, exposing only the TiO2 surface to the treated water. The photocatalytic activity of the heterostructure toward PhPy (20 ppm) mineralization under simulated solar irradiation was evaluated in a continuous-flow reactor. As expected, compared with both CdS and TiO2, the immobilized heterostructure exhibited better photocatalytic behavior, demonstrating a high degree of sensitization and efficient charge separation via an electron transfer mechanism. The effects of the pH, light intensity, flow rate, initial concentration of the pollutant and temperature were investigated in detail. The best results were obtained under slightly basic conditions (pH 8.3), high light intensities and high flow rates, indicating the importance of effective mass and photon transfer in the degradation reaction. Kinetic analysis indicated that the degradation behavior was better described by the pseudo-second-order model than by the pseudo-first-order model, suggesting the important role of surface interactions during photocatalysis. An activation energy of similar to 18 kJ/mol, estimated using the Arrhenius approach, suggests that the photocatalytic degradation process is diffusion controlled and governed primarily by surface interactions. Most importantly, there was no observable leakage of Cd2+ ions during the reaction, implying successful suppression of the photocorrosion of CdS by the TiO2 overlayer. This means that the buried CdS layer did not contact the aqueous solution at any stage of the reaction.
The escalation of antibiotic overuse and the emergence of multidrug resistance underscore the urgent need for innovative strategies with both antibacterial and wound-healing capabilities. Photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) represent promising antibiotic-free alternatives; however, their clinical translation is hindered by limited photon absorption and rapid electron-hole recombination. Incorporating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto MOFs enhances photocatalytic performance, while embedding AgNPs@MOF within hydrogels mitigates the rapid release of metal ions. In this study, a silver-copper nanocomplex (AgNPs/CuNA-bFGF) loaded with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was integrated into a multifunctional double-network hydrogel synthesized from quaternary ammonium chitosan, oxidative polysaccharide, and acrylamide. The resultant hydrogel exhibited robust self-healing properties, adhesive strength, antioxidant activity, and strong antibacterial activity. The presence of AgNPs/CuNA conferred synergistic PTT/PDT effects, facilitating combined photothermal-photodynamic-ionic (Ag+ and Cu2+) antibacterial action under near-infrared irradiation. This hydrogel achieves over 90% inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli under 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. In vivo, following biofilm removal, AgNPs/ CuNA-bFGF@QAP reduces reactive oxygen species and inflammation, enhances collagen deposition and neovascularization, and accelerates healing of infected wounds in SD rats. Collectively, the multifunctional AgNPs/ CuNA-bFGF@QAP hydrogel presents considerable potential as an advanced wound dressing for managing chronic infectious wounds.
Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have attracted considerable attention as an efficient technology for converting ambient mechanical energy into electrical energy for sustainable electronic applications. In this study, silver nanowires (AgNWs) were incorporated into a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix through additive manufacturing to improve the triboelectric performance of the developed nanocomposite. PVDF served as the negative triboelectric layer, while polyamide 6 (PA6) was used as the positive triboelectric material. The effect of AgNW loading on the structural, dielectric, surface, and electrical properties of the fabricated devices was systematically investigated. Among the different compositions, the PVDF composite containing 7 wt% AgNWs exhibited the highest performance, generating an output voltage of 270 V, a short-circuit current of 22.5 mu A, and a maximum power density of 6.8 W/m2. The enhanced triboelectric performance was mainly attributed to increased beta-phase formation, improved dielectric properties, and the formation of interconnected microcapacitive charge-trapping networks by AgNWs, which effectively enhanced surface charge density and charge retention capability. In addition, the additive manufacturing process improved surface roughness and layer uniformity, resulting in enhanced contact electrification and efficient charge transfer. The fabricated TENG demonstrated stable energy harvesting performance under various biomechanical motions and was successfully applied for body-motion sensing and vibration monitoring. Overall, this study presents a scalable and efficient pathway for designing high-performance nanocomposite-based TENGs, with strong potential for energy harvesting, body-motion sensing, and vibration monitoring applications.
Increasing environmental degradation necessitates the development of sustainable methods for biochemicals and bioenergy production from renewable feedstocks. To maximize energy recovery from lignocellulosic biomass, this study proposes a cascade valorization strategy: producing hydrogen via dark fermentation (DF) using a mixed microbial culture and converting the formed short-chain carboxylates into medium-chain carboxylic acids via chain elongation (CE) using Clostridium kluyveri. Continuous one-stage (combined DF and CE) and two-stage (separate DF and CE) systems fed with a model lignocellulosic sugar mixture (MSM) and supplemented with ethanol were compared under varying pH (6.5-7.5), hydraulic retention times (HRT 4-8 days), and ethanol concentrations (5-10 g/L). The two-stage configuration significantly outperformed the one-stage system by mitigating metabolic competition. The DF reactor in the two-stage system reached a stable hydrogen yield of 1.89 mol H2/molMSM. Extending HRT to 8 days favored caproic acid production in both systems. The two-stage system achieved the highest caproate concentration of 10.01 f 0.23 g/L at pH 7.0 (selectivity 83 f 1%), whereas the one-stage system peaked at 7.36 f 0.08 g/L (pH 6.5) (selectivity 75 f 1%). Notably, bioaugmentation with a CE-adapted mixed culture proved highly effective in the two-stage configuration, yielding the highest caproate concentration of 10.40 f 0.05 g/L and overcoming kinetic limitations at a shortened HRT of 4 days due to enrichment with key functional genera, such as Caproiciproducens and Sporanaerobacter. These findings demonstrate that separating metabolic stages combined with bioaugmentation enables efficient co-production of valuable chemicals from lignocellulosic substrates.
