Excessive nitrogen and phosphorus in aquatic systems trigger eutrophication and environmental contamination. Herein, Ca(OH)2-modified Camellia oleifera shell biochar was fabricated as an adsorbent for NH4+ and PO43− removal, with the effects of contact time, temperature, initial concentration, and pH on adsorption performance investigated, and the mechanisms clarified via kinetic/isothermal models combined with FT-IR and XPS characterizations. Results showed that NH4+ and PO43− adsorption both fit the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, indicating chemisorption dominance. NH4+ adsorption complied with both Langmuir and Freundlich models (monolayer-multilayer coexistence), while PO43− adsorption followed only the Freundlich model (predominant multilayer adsorption). Acidic conditions and low temperatures favored PO43− uptake, whereas alkaline conditions promoted NH4+ adsorption, with adsorption capacity showing a decrease-then-increase trend with temperature elevation. Notably, the modified biochar maintained favorable performance in complex swine wastewater. Mechanistically, NH4+ removal was dominated by ion exchange, while PO43− removal relied on the synergy of ion exchange and precipitation, with precipitation as the primary pathway. This work provides a cost-effective strategy for nutrient removal from wastewater via agricultural waste valorization.

The Haber-Bosch process dominates industrial ammonia synthesis but incurs massive energy consumption and carbon emissions. Here, we demonstrate a catalyst-free approach for direct ammonia synthesis from atmospheric nitrogen and water under ambient temperature and pressure, leveraging ultra-fast laser-induced plasma at the gas-liquid interface. By optimizing irradiation parameters (irradiation time, pulse energy, number of beams) and implementing a concentric laser scanning strategy, we achieved a maximum ammonia concentration of 0.624 μmol/20mL. This method bypasses the need for high temperature/pressure or catalysts, offering a sustainable path for distributed ammonia production. Our work underscores the potential of strong optical fields in activating inert molecules like N2 and H2O, with implications for decarbonizing chemical synthesis.

Wireless microsystems for neural signal recording have emerged as a solution to overcome the limitations of tethered systems, which restrict the mobility of subjects and introduce noise interference. However, existing microsystems often face data throughput, signal processing, and long-distance wireless transmission challenges. This study presents a high-performance wireless microsystem capable of 32-channel, 30 kHz real-time recording, featuring Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based signal processing to reduce transmission load. The microsystem is integrated with platinum nanoparticles/poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate-enhanced microelectrode arrays for improved signal quality. A custom NeuroWireless platform was developed for seamless data reception and storage. Experimental validation in rats demonstrated the microsystem’s ability to detect spikes and local field potentials from the hippocampal CA1 and CA2 subregions. Comparative analysis of the neural signals revealed distinct activity patterns between these subregions. The wireless microsystem achieves high accuracy and throughput over distances up to 30 m, demonstrating its resilience and potential for neuroscience research. This work provides a compact, adaptable solution for multi-channel neural signal detection and offers a foundation for future applications in brain–computer interfaces.

Membrane distillation (MD) technology has shown unique advantages in treating saline organic wastewaters, however, improving membrane materials of anti-wetting/fouling properties is still agap for the large-scale application. In this study, a non-fluorinated composite membrane showing both good amphiphobic properties and high flux was synthesized by feasible electrostatic attraction. Characterizations indicated that SiO2nano- particles were successfully loaded on the PVDF membrane (SiO2/PVDF) surface to form a multi-level rough amphiphobic structure, with contact angles of water and ethylene glycol as 139 degrees and 128 degrees, respectively. In MD tests, the SiO2/PVDF membrane exhibited a stable flux of 15 LMH with 3.5 wt% NaCl and 19.5 LMH with 50 mg/ L kerosene. Notably, after a 24-hour continuous test, the flux remained above 9 LMH for NaCl and 11 LMH for kerosene, with salt rejection rates exceeding 98 %, indicating excellent anti-fouling characteristics. This study is expected to provide a feasible membrane modification for MD process in treating high saline organic wastewater.

Electron donors and acceptors in the active layer of organic solar cells have a significant influence on the power conversion efficiency of the cells. Fluorination is one of the most commonly applied and effective halogenation methods in developing novel donors and acceptors. Herein, to investigate the effects of fluorination on the molecular properties and photovoltaic performance, we selected PBnDT-TAZ and DTxBT (x = 0F, 1F) as the D-π-A-π type donors, combined with PC61BM as acceptor. The geometries, electronic structures, excitation properties, and electrostatic potentials (ESPs) of the donors and donor/PC61BM complexes were investigated by quantum chemical calculations. The rate constants of electronic processes at heterojunction interfaces were also analyzed. The results indicate that the fluorination of the benzothiadiazole (BT), benzotriazole (TAZ), and thienyl segments generally decreases the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies of donor molecules. Meanwhile, the effects of fluorination on HOMO energies are more significant than the effects on LUMO energies. The fluorination of the TAZ and thienyl segments usually generate a blueshift, reduce absorbance, and significantly increase average ESP, whereas the fluorination of BT induces a slight redshift of absorbance. The results suggest that the fluorination of thienyl, BT, and TAZ enhances intermolecular interactions, increases exciton binding and charge transfer (CT) energy, reduces the transferred charges between donors and PC61BM, increases local excited states, and decreases CT and hybrid excited states, as well as effectively suppressing charge recombination rates at donor–PC61BM interfaces. The results of this work provide a theoretical basis for understanding how fluorination regulates the photovoltaic performance of electron donors.

The incorporation of magnetic metals into carbon-based materials provides an effective approach to address the impedance matching imbalance inherent in pure carbon-based wave-absorbing materials. However, the challenge was found in developing simple and efficient methods to fabricate carbon-based composites. Herein, Ni particles with an urchin-like morphology to effectively attenuate electromagnetic waves were loaded on porous carbon derived from canola straw (hereafter referred to as CCS) via electroplating. Thereafter, urchin-shaped NiO/Ni particles with heterojunctions on the CCS (NiO/Ni@CCS) were constructed by a brief low-temperature heat treatment. Experimental and simulation results indicated that the heterogeneous interface caused interface charge redistribution, thereby enhancing conductive and dielectric losses. NiO/Ni@CCS performed an excellent microwave absorbability with a minimum reflection loss of -52.09 dB and a wider efficient absorption bandwidth of 5.1 GHz. The radar cross-section (RCS) simulation further confirmed that NiO/Ni@CCS exhibited superior microwave attenuation capability with an RCS reduction of 29.16 dB m2. Moreover, NiO/Ni@CCS composite showed excellent corrosion resistance with a corrosion potential of -0.074 V for potential application in complex environments.

Methane in-situ explosive fracturing technology produces shale debris particles within fracture channels, enabling a self-propping effect that enhances the fracture network conductivity and long-term stability. This study employs X-ray computed tomography (CT) and digital volume correlation (DVC) to investigate the microstructural evolution and hydromechanical responses of shale self-propped fracture under varying confining pressures, highlighting the critical role of shale particles in maintaining fracture conductivity. Results indicate that the fracture aperture in the self-propped sample is significantly larger than in the unpropped sample throughout the loading process, with shale particles tending to crush rather than embedded into the matrix, thus maintaining flow pathways. As confining pressure increases, contact areas between fracture surfaces and particles expand, enhancing the system’s stability and compressive resistance. Geometric analyses show flow paths becoming increasingly concentrated and branched under high stress. This resulted in a significant reduction in connectivity, restricting fracture permeability and amplifying the nonlinear gas flow behavior. This study introduces a permeability-strain recovery zone and a novel sensitivity parameter m, delineating stress sensitivity boundaries for permeability and normal strain, with m-value increasing with stress, revealing four characteristic regions. These findings offer theoretical support for optimizing fracturing techniques to enhance resource extraction efficiency.

This study investigates the structural evolution under thermal treatment in an inert atmosphere of polyetherblock-amide (PEBA) based on PA1012 and PTMO. Thermal analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), insitu small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), rheology, and in situ infrared spectroscopy are employed to characterize the structure evolution, with a focus on both chemical and physical aspects. After the thermal treatment at 260 degrees C for 60 min in nitrogen atmosphere, the chemical analyses of the sample show minimal reactions at the repeating unit scale, with only slight post-condensation. The main finding in this work is the suppression of crystallization in polyamide hard segments. Other key physical performances like glass transition temperature (Tg) and Brill transition temperature (TB) are largely unaffected, with the TB only shifts from 64 degrees C to 61 degrees C detected by WAXD. The observed changes are attributed to the formation of a denser non-chemical-crosslinking network structure, which reduces crystallization temperatures. Rheological measurements indicate that this network is reversible and can be disrupted by shear. This research enhances understanding of PEBA's non-chemical-crosslinking network structure and its potential for controllable processing and functional design in high-performance materials.

Severe trauma not only damages the skin, but also affects the bones, causing osteoarthritis or bone defects. Traditional treatment strategies (such as sutures, metal stents, etc.) have problems with the need for a second surgery and difficulty in degradation, which cannot meet the treatment expectations of clinical doctors well. As the novel biomedical material, hydrogels have great potential in the treatment of bone defects due to the advantages of seamless filling, degradability and easy operation. Here, we designed a composite hydrogel (Gel-Gym/HS-Dopa) composed of glycidyl methacrylate-modified gelatin (Gel-Gym) and dopamine-functionalized chondroitin sulfate (HS-Dopa). The hydrogel exhibited good tissue adhesion, self-healing, biodegradability, anti-inflammatory and biocompatibility. In animal experiments, Gel-Gym/HS-Dopa hydrogel could significantly promote the rat skin wound healing and bone defect reconstruction in vivo. Therefore, the hydrogel was promising as a potential deep trauma dressing.

The Helically Coiled Heat Exchanger (HCHX) is a promising candidate for modular Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs), valued for its high heat transfer efficiency, structural compactness, reduced fouling tendency, and excellent thermal compensation capabilities. The thermal–hydraulic performance of the shell side, crucial for reactor efficiency and safety, requires accurate prediction. This is challenged by the scarcity of reliable correlations for high-Prandtl number fluoride salts under low-Reynolds number conditions. To address this gap, this study explores the heat transfer and flow resistance of FNaBe salt flow in an HCHX using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The validated CFD model examines the effects of structural parameters (number of layers, tube pitch, and helix angle) and inlet conditions (temperatures and velocities). It is found that the Nusselt number and friction factor increase with more layers but decrease with a higher tube pitch and helix angle. Subsequently, new empirical correlations integrating these geometric parameters are proposed, demonstrating excellent agreement with simulation results (deviations within the range of −10–5% for Nu and −5–10% for f). This study offers vital theoretical support for optimizing compact HCHX designs in MSRs.

High-performance phototheranostics with combined photothermal therapy and photoacoustic imaging have been considered promising approaches for efficient cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, developing phototheranostic materials with efficient photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), especially over the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm), remains challenging. Herein, we report an ultraefficient NIR-II-activated nanomedicine with phototheranostic and vaccination capability for highly efficient in vivo tumor elimination and metastasis inhibition. The NIR-II nanomedicine of a semiconducting biradical oligomer with a motor-flexible design was demonstrated with a record-breaking PCE of 87% upon NIR-II excitation. This nanomedicine inherently features extraordinary photothermal stability, good biocompatibility, and excellent photoacoustic performance, contributing to high-contrast photoacoustic im- aging in living mice and high-performance photothermal elimination of tumors. Moreover, a whole-cell vaccine based on a NIR-II nanomedicine with NIR-II-activated performance was further designed to remotely activate the antitumor immunologic memory and effectively inhibit tumor occurrence and metas- tasis in vivo, with good biosafety. Thus, this work paves a new avenue for designing NIR-II active semi- conducting biradical materials as a promising theranostics platform and further promotes the development of NIR-II nanomedicine for personalized cancer treatment. 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Enormous developments have been achieved in the design of organic theranostics agents simultaneously with diagnostic and therapeutic performances, especially in the second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) window. One major challenge for the further progress of organic theranostics agents is the rarity of efficient materials simultaneously integrated with optical and magnetic performances, especially with tumor-responsive performance. Herein, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-sensitive, NIR-II-excitable conjugated polymer material is developed as a multifunctional nanoplatform for efficient tumor microenvironment (TME)-activated multimodal cancer theranostics. With D-A molecular engineering and ferrocene anchoring, the absorption capability of ferrocene-typed conjugated polymers (FCPs) can be rationally regulated to achieve NIR-II absorption. The water-dispersive FCP-3 NPs demonstrate superior NIR-II-excitable photothermal performance (PCE = 54 %) and T2-weighted MRI responses toward tumor endogenous H2O2. Upon NIR-II irradiation, FCP-3 NPs can efficiently generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) through NIR-II photothermal-augmented Fenton reaction in the TME. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirm that the FCP-3 NPs have high-performance combination therapy of NIR-II photothermal therapy and augmented chemodynamic therapy with TME-sensitive magnetic resonance and photoacoustic dual-modal imaging, which realizes 100 % tumor elimination with high safety. This work offers a major step toward designing tumor microenvironment-activated polymeric materials for smart multimodal cancer theranostics.

Near-infrared (NIR) theranostics have received considerable attention because of their advantages in precise diagnostic imaging and efficient simultaneous treatment and have achieved tremendous advancements in the last few years. However, their progress is severely restricted by the rarity of efficient second NIR (NIR-II) responsive phototheranostic materials, especially in the NIR-IIb region. Moreover, these materials often embarrass the quenching puzzle in the aggregative state, thus greatly reducing their theranostic performance. To overcome this limitation, we developed anti-quenching donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D)-conjugated oligomers with NIR-IIb emission for high-performance NIR-II angiography and phototheranostics. Through multi-acceptor engineering, a series of multi-acceptor conjugated oligomer SU-n (n = 1, 2, and 5) with tunable acceptor ratios were synthesized, and their efficiency in anti-quenching NIR-II emission was demonstrated. When prepared into water-dispersed nanoparticles (NPs), SU-5 NPs exhibit bright NIR-II emission and dual phototherapy for photothermal therapy and photodynamic therapy simultaneously upon 808 nm light excitation. With these benefits, high-resolution whole-body and local angiography in vivo of SU-5 NPs were successfully realized in the NIR-IIb window. Moreover, in vivo , theranostics experiments demonstrated the efficiency of SU-5 NPs in NIR-II imaging-guided complete tumor photoablation without any relapses with high biosafety. This work explores a practical multi-acceptor engineering strategy for developing anti-quenching theranostic materials, providing an efficient theranostic agent for efficient NIR-IIb bioimaging and phototheranostics. (c) 2025 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Polyether-based crystalline multiblock copolymers have been employed as membrane materials for the removal of CO2 from light gases due to their excellent gas permeability and selectivity. However, the influence of the nature of the crystalline and amorphous regions on gas permeability needs to be deeply explored. In this work, the effect of the phase structure, especially the degree of microphase separation (DPS) in the amorphous regions, on the gas transport properties of poly(ether-b-amide) (PEBA) segmented copolymers has been studied. It was found that the amorphous domain consists of two partially mixed phases enriched either with poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO) or with polyamide 1012 (PA1012). The effect of annealing on the microphase structure in the crystalline and amorphous regions was investigated by X-ray scattering techniques. The DPS was found to be inversely correlated with the crystallinity of the hard segments. Gas permeability measurements confirmed that for PEBA membranes with lower crystallinity, weak microphase separation favors gas permeability. All these findings provide a simple method to modulate the degree of microphase separation by varying the crystallinity of the hard segments. Additionally, this work shed light on the synergistic effects of these factors on gas permeability, providing valuable guidance to enhance the performance of gas separation membranes.

In this work, the evolution of the crystalline structures of MEAM-printed polyamide1012 (PA1012) parts with the nozzle temperatures (T-n) and thermal annealing temperatures (T-a) was investigated. It is found that T-n plays an important role in determining the crystalline structure of PA1012 parts. The freshly-printed PA1012 parts crystalize as gamma crystals at T-n lower than 230 degrees C. With T-n increasing to above 230 degrees C, a small amount of alpha phase coexists with gamma phase in the PA1012 parts. Also, the thermal annealing treatment can tailor the crystalline structure of the MEAM-printed PA1012 parts. Specifically, the crystalline structure exhibits a transformation from gamma phase to alpha crystal, after annealing the PA1012 parts at a T-a higher than 90 degrees C for 10 min. Due to the presence of a high content of gamma phase, the Brill transition occurs at a low temperature for the MEAM-printed PA1012 parts, implying a close relationship between the H-bond sheet structures and the formation of gamma phase. Moreover, the crystalline structure exerts a significant influence on the mechanical properties of the PA1012 parts. The samples with only gamma phase exhibit much higher tensile strength and Young's modulus, but much lower ductility, compared to those containing only alpha crystal. Hence, this work provides effective pathways for regulating crystalline structures as well as mechanical properties of MEAM-printed long-chain polyamide materials.

Transforming the microscopic graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets into macroscopic film materials holds significant promise for various applications. However, those GO films normally suffer from low tensile strength and poor toughness. Optimizing the assembly of GO nanosheets, especially in designing the interactions between adjacent nanosheets, remains challenging. Herein, inspired by mussels, we incorporated polymer rich in UPy functional units into GO films, namely GUPy films. The multiple hydrogen bonding between the UPy units and oxygen-containing groups on GO nanosheets resulted in highly stretchable and tough GO films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the presence of UPy in the films, revealing tightly linked layered structures at the microscopic level. Macroscopically, the films displayed exceptional flexibility, withstanding folding and curling without damage. Tensile tests demonstrated the superior mechanical properties of the GUPy film, which boasts a Young's modulus of 1100.5 MPa, fracture strain of 24.0%, tensile strength of 183.5 MPa, and toughness of 19.5 MJ m-3. These values are 2.3, 2.4, 6.0, and 12.2 times higher than those of pure GO films, respectively, and significantly exceed those of control films lacking UPy. Additionally, cyclic tensile tests confirmed the excellent energy dissipation capability of the GUPy film. This bio-inspired strategy offers a promising route for developing high-performance two-dimensional materials, expanding their potential applications. The UPy-rich polymers have been utilized to toughen and strengthen graphene oxide films through quadruple hydrogen-bonding, which offered a promising route for developing high-performance two-dimensional materials.

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) have drawn considerable attention in both academic and technological realms over the past century owing to their high elasticity and easy processing. However, conventional TPEs, e.g., polystyrene-b-polyisoprene-b-polystyrene (SIS) or polystyrene-b-polybutadiene-b-polystyrene (SBS), exhibit low upper service temperature (UST) and low thermal degradation temperature (T-d), limiting their applications in extreme conditions, as for example, firefighting and aerospace work in high temperature. Herein, we designed polybenzofulvene (PBF)-based triblock copolymer (PBF-b-PI-b-PBF, FIF) TPEs by living anionic polymerization, where PBF as the hard block, dominating the service temperature range, showed an elevated UST due to reduction of torsional degrees of freedom for the polystyrene structure with the introduction of the conjugated cyclopentadiene pentagon. To further check the chemical structure of the hard phase (PBF) on the UST and T-d, hydrogenation of the unsaturated bonds in PBF was conducted, that may also improve the chemical resistance. Our results demonstrated that one optimized TPEs (FIF-14, 14 volume percentage of PBF in the triblock copolymer) showed an effective increase of T-g of hard block to 140 degrees C (from 95 degrees C of SIS). With the complete hydrogenation, T-g of the hard block in FIF-14 was kept at 130 degrees C, while the T-d increased to 350 degrees C. Furthermore, this hydrogenated FIF-14 showed robust mechanical properties (Young's modulus of 36.9 MPa and ultimate stress exceeding 16.8 MPa) due to the suitable domain-size microphase separation, showing a great potential service in high temperature.

Internal curing is an effective method to reduce the autogenous shrinkage of cementitious materials. Besides, the increasing in relative humidity (RH) due to the internal curing also reduces the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), which is beneficial for enhancing the anti-cracking performance of cementitious materials. In this paper, effects of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) on the microstructure and performance of cementitious materials were investigated. The superabsorbent polymer (SAP) changes the time and spatial distribution of water in cementitious materials, so it should have an influence on the microstructure of cement matrix, thus affecting the performance of cementitious materials. Results indicate that the CTE of concrete increases over time, while that of concrete with SAP shows a completely different behavior. In 0.1% SAP system, the CTE increases slowly over time after about 2days, while in 0.2% SAP and 0.3% SAP systems, the CTE is nearly stabilized during the test period. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) results indicate that the SAP decreases the number of empty capillary pores and increases the total porosity, which inhibits the increase of CTE over time. The dosage of SAP plays an important role in enhancing the internal curing performance. By increasing the dosage of SAP, the number of empty capillary pores decreases, the saturation degree of capillary pores rises, and consequently, the CTE and autogenous shrinkage of concrete are reduced.

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Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound derived from the cannabis plant, has been confirmed to induce anxiolytic-like and antipsychotic-like effects. However, the exact mechanisms remain unclear. This study substantiated CBD's interaction with the 5-HT1A receptor (5-HT1AR) in vitro (CHO cells expressing human 5HT1AR) and in vivo (rat lower lip retraction test, LLR test). We then assessed the impact of CBD in mice using the stress-induced hyperthermia (SIH) model and the phencyclidine (PCP)-induced negative symptoms of schizophrenia model, respectively. Concurrently, we investigated whether WAY-100635, a typical 5-HT1AR antagonist, could attenuate these effects. Furthermore, the neurotransmitter changes through high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were studied. Results revealed that CBD exhibits selective 5-HT1AR agonists-mediated effects in the rat lower lip retraction test, aligning with the robust agonistic (EC50 = 1.75 mu M) profile observed in CHO cells. CBD at 3 mg/kg significantly reduced SIH (Delta T), a response that WAY-100635 abolished. Chronic administration of CBD at 100 mg/kg mitigated the increase in PCP-induced immobility time in the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Moreover, it induced significant alterations in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and norepinephrine (NE) levels within the hippocampus (HPC). Thus, we concluded that the 5-HT1AR mediates CBD's anxiolytic-like effects. Additionally, CBD's effects on the negative symptoms of schizophrenia may be linked to changes in GABA and NE levels in the hippocampus. These findings offer novel insights for advancing the exploration of CBD's anxiolytic-like and antipsychotic-like effects.