Colloid and Interface Science Communications最新文献

The development of biomedical devices and soft robotics has spurred the utilization of silicone elastomers. Converting these polymers into particulates is increasingly important for their application to advanced materials and processes. However, the highly viscous nature of silicone resins, resulting from their long polymer chains, makes it challenging to fabricate them as particulates. Recently, a blade-free planetary mixer has been used to effectively emulsify viscous resins in a thixotropic medium. However, the particle fabrication process has not yet been examined to gain full control over the produced microparticles. This study presents key processing parameters for the fabrication of silicone elastomer microparticles in a sodium alginate medium using a blade-free planetary mixer. The experimental results show that stirring speed, stirring time, and medium concentration are the determining factors for controlling the particle size distribution. The variation in particle size by parameters exhibits differences depending on the viscous-to-elastic transition of the medium.

The potential of Aspergillus sp. for plastic biodegradation is a promising approach for environmentally friendly waste management. Various research studies have been conducted to optimize conditions that enhance the biodegradation of plastics and to understand the genetic basis of Aspergillus species. By performing this investigation, we discussed the role of various species of Aspergillus sp. in the decomposition of plastic polymers. Most Aspergillus sp. grow within the pH range of 4 to 6. 37.5% of the studies showed that Aspergillus sp. grows optimally at 30 °C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) tests were used in 34.61% and 32.69% of the different studies, respectively. It has been observed that fungi can biodegrade polymers more effectively within a size range of 20–100 μm. Most studies (34.21%) have focused on the biodegradation of polymers within 21 to 30 days. The highest percentage of studies (44%) focused on the biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by various Aspergillus sp. The dominant Aspergillus sp., including A. niger, A. flavus, and A. oryzae, play a significant role in the biodegradation of microplastics. Enzymes such as laccase, esterase, peroxidase, lipase, and urease play crucial roles in the degradation of plastics. Laccase utilizes oxygen to generate reactive oxygen species, breaking polymer chains. Esterase cleaves polymers into fragments, while peroxidase generates radicals for polymer degradation. Lipases and urease also contribute to the degradation of specific plastic substrates. In general, it can be said that this fungal species has been successful in effectively degrading various polymers.

Driven by the dual‑carbon target strategy, the governance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is imminent. Traditional activated carbon adsorption is not conducive to the complete removal of VOCs, which undoubtedly increases the follow-up cost. Therefore, photocatalytic technology has gradually been used on biomass carbon-based supports with its high efficiency and environmental protection, while has achieved considerable results. Nevertheless, we still face difficult catalyst selection and unclear catalytic reaction mechanisms. So, a deeper understanding of biomass carbon-based photocatalysts is required. We review the types, structures, and adsorption-catalytic effects of biomass carbon-based supports. Meanwhile, we briefly describe the removal of VOCs by metal catalysis, non-metal catalysis, and single-atom catalysis in the research of biomass carbon-based catalysts, and briefly describe the density functional Application of theory to VOCs adsorption-catalysis. Finally, we prospects and directions for the technological development of biomass carbon-based photocatalytic removal of VOCs are proposed.

Tumor immunotherapy has developed rapidly in recent years, with good curative effects and minimal side effects, but it is restricted by the poor tumor immunogenicity. Metformin, a clinical drug used worldwide, has been found to have a novel role in inducing tumor pyroptosis, which in turn promotes tumor to releases inflammatory substances and improve tumor immunogenicity. Nevertheless, it requires a higher dosage for cancer treatment compared to conventional chemotherapy medications, thereby exhibiting pronounced side effects. Within the context of this specific study, we developed a pH-responsive nanocarrier (MT NPs) that can simultaneously deliver metformin as a pyroptosis inducer and Toripalimab as an anti-programmed cell death (PD)-1 monoclonal antibody for the purpose of cancer immunotherapy. Once the nanodrugs reached the acidic tumor microenvironment, their structures were degraded due to hydrophilic transformation caused by segment protonation. Furthermore, the MT NPs released the metformin and Toripalimab to synergistically promote tumor immunity, resulting in significantly improved therapeutic outcomes, potentially leading to successful tumor eradication.

A novel non-solvent displacement nonaqueous precipitation method was developed for core-shell materials preparation taking C@ZrSiO₄ black pigments synthesis as the case. The effects of the precursor concentration on the synthesis and coloration of the C@ZrSiO₄ pigment was investigated via X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and CIELAB colorimetry. The results show that the optimized precursors concentration is 1.50 mol/L, C@ZrSiO₄ encapsulated pigments prepared by the method have a uniform and dense shell encapsulated zircon layer with the thickness of 10–20 nm. The size of C@ZrSiO₄ encapsulated pigments was 50–210 nm, without particles agglomeration. This uniform and dense encapsulation facilitates a good color rendering effect in high-temperature glaze, and the chromaticity values of glaze are L* = 35.05, a* = 0.34 and b* = 1.08, respectively. Non-solvent displacement nonaqueous precipitation method might be an extremely promising method for preparing core-shell structural materials.

Molecularly imprinted nano-antibodies (MINAs) are tailor-made recognition synthetic antibodies that mimic the behavior of biological receptors with a central role in numerous living systems. In the last decades, MINAs have gained attention for present high selectivity and affinity, remarkable stability, effective production methods, and potentially low cost. Currently, with innovations in material science and technological breakthroughs, the applications of MINAs are eventually undergoing a revolutionary transformation from the initial separation and adsorption fields to the burgeoning biomedicine fields. In this review, a comprehensive overview of key current progress made in the preparation of MINAs and their crucial biomedical applications is presented. Also, we provide future perspectives and highlight the present challenges remaining for prospective research on the biomedical applications of MINAs. We envision that this review will provide precious guidance for constructing multifunctional MINAs tailored towards the frontier needs in biomedicines, thereby fostering the development of approaches to biological material.

Various skin infections present a substantial challenge in both patient care and the medical community. A primary obstacle to effective wound healing is the colonization of pathogenic bacteria, which would produce hyaluronidase (HAase). This enzyme degrades hyaluronic acid (HA) at wound sites, facilitating bacterial infection. Herein, we developed a HAase-responsive hydrogel, HA-EPL-PEG, incorporating the antimicrobial peptide ε-Poly-l-lysine (EPL) and Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), chemically crosslinked via a photoinitiator. Following, the in vitro antibacterial and antifouling properties of this hydrogel were evaluated, along with its cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. Subsequently, its bacteria secreted HAase responsive functionality was evaluated. In vivo antibacterial, anti-infectious and wound healing effects were further investigated in a rodent model. All these results demonstrated the multifunctional benefits of HA-EPL-PEG hydrogel, showcasing its HAase-responsive nature, antibacterial and antifouling activities. Importantly, the hydrogel significantly expedited the healing of full-thickness skin wounds, denoting a promising avenue for advancing wound care.

Personal protective masks have been widely recommended to mitigate the transmission of respiratory diseases during a pandemic outbreak. However, common surgical masks cannot be self-sterilized for reuse, resulting in the increasing potential risk of second infection and higher economic costs. Herein, the solar-induced self-healing superhydrophobic mask (PCNTs-HD₈) with excellent photo-sterilized and reusable capabilities is fabricated by a simple spraying technology. The PCNTs-HD₈ exhibits remarkable superhydrophobic and photothermal properties, enabling the potent synergistic antibacterial effects against both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Benefiting from the excellent solar-induced self-healing superhydrophobic properties, PCNTs-HD₈ shows potential for reusable without losing the efficient synergistic antibacterial properties even after undergoing 12 times of etching-healing cycles. The PCNTs-HD₈ also maintains almost the same water vapor transport rate compared with pristine surgical masks. This work provides an immediate strategy to mitigate the transmission of respiratory diseases while reducing economic costs and resource consumption.

The scarcity of wood resources in China has led to the development of wood-based panels. However, wood-based panels often exhibit hydrophilicity and require veneering. This paper presents a solution to this problem in which a composite membrane is prepared using nanocellulose (CNF) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) through the hot pressing method. The surface of the composite membrane is then coated with silica nanoparticles using the sol-gel method to achieve a superhydrophobic effect. The coating has a surface hardness of 5H, adhesion of 0, gloss of 20% Gu, colour difference of 3.11, and impact resistance of 19 kg.cm. The resulting modified wood-based panel has a contact angle of 166.8° and a sliding angle of 5.3°, indicating excellent self-cleaning properties and chemical stability. This innovation promotes the use of wood-based panels in high-humidity environments and offers new research avenues for the high-value utilization of nanocellulose.

To solve the problem of poor water resistance and flammability of kraft paper, we proposed a simple and efficient method for preparing highly flame-retardant superhydrophobic coating for kraft paper. Ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and aluminum hydroxide (ATH) were utilized as the flame retardant layer, while Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and candle soot were employed for the superhydrophobic layer. The results revealed that the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of superhydrophobic flame retardant kraft paper (SFKP) was as high as 80%, 296.0% higher than that of ordinary kraft paper (OKP). In addition, the water contact angle (WCA) of the SFKP surface reaches 154.1°, and the water sliding angle (WSA) is 3°. Meanwhile, the WCA of SFKP remains above 150° after 12 h of immersion in water. This indicates that SFKP has excellent flame retardancy and water resistance, and is expected to be utilized in harsh environments such as floods or fires.