ACS Omega最新文献

With the growing interest in wearable or stretchable electronics, research on stretchable electrodes has also been active. Generally, metal electrodes have high conductivity but very low stretchability, while organic electrodes have high stretchability but lower conductivity than metals. In this paper, metal/organic hybrid electrodes were fabricated on elastic poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrates to take advantage of the high conductivity of metals and the high stretchability of organic semiconductors. Additionally, by prestraining the PDMS substrate, the stretchability of the electrodes was further increased. However, the uniaxially prestrained electrodes produced compressive stresses in the direction perpendicular to the stretching direction due to Poisson’s effect, resulting in many cracks. To solve this problem, biaxial prestrain was introduced to the PDMS substrate. The electrodes fabricated with uniaxial prestrain exhibited a structure with wrinkles aligned in one dimension, whereas the electrodes with biaxial prestrain displayed highly ordered, two-dimensional wrinkle patterns arranged on the electrode surface. The electrodes with biaxial prestrain maintained stable electrical performance even after 200 cycles of stretching at a strain of 50%, withstanding up to 130% strain. Furthermore, of all the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)-based electrodes reported so far, our electrode showed the lowest sheet resistance of 0.91 Ω/sq. The strategy of our study offers promising opportunities for integrated wearable devices.

Glaucoma is a chronic optic neuropathy and is the second cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Although the pathogenesis of the disease is not fully understood, the death of retinal ganglion cells and degeneration of the optic nerve are likely promoted by a combination of local and systemic factors. Growing attention has been paid to nonintraocular pressure risk factors, including mechanisms of inflammation and neuroinflammation. Phenotypical and molecular alterations of circulating immune cells, in particular, lymphocyte subsets, have been documented in murine models of glaucoma and in human subjects. Very recently, oxygen consumption rate and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) have been proposed as biomarkers of disease progression, thus suggesting that immune cells of glaucoma subjects present severe molecular and metabolic alterations. In this framework, this pilot study aimed to be the first to characterize global proteome perturbations of PBMC of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) compared to nonglaucomatous controls (control) by shotgun proteomics. The approach identified >4,500 proteins and a total of 435 differentially expressed proteins between POAG and control subjects. Clustering and rationalization of proteomic data sets and immunodetection of selected proteins by Western blotting highlighted significant alterations of immune system compartments (i.e., complement factors, regulators of immune functions, and lymphocyte activation) and pathways serving key roles for immune system such as proteolysis (i.e., matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors), autophagy (i.e., beclin-1 and LC3B), cell proliferation (Bcl2), mitochondrial (i.e., sirtuin), and energetic/redox metabolism (i.e., NADK). Based on these findings, this proteomic study suggests that circulating immune cells suffer from heterogeneous alterations of central pathways involved in cell metabolism and homeostasis. Larger, properly designed studies are required to confirm specifically how immune cellular alterations may be involved in the pathogenesis of both neuroinflammation and glaucomatous disease.

The aim of the copyrolysis of used lubricant oil (ULO) and used cooking oil (UCO) was to investigate the effects of operating parameters on the thermal stability of ULO and UCO, which significantly improves the quality of fuel-like products. This process was carried out in a 3000 cm³ semibatch pyrolysis reactor; the systematic experimental design involved catalytic copyrolysis by varying the operating parameters of the pyrolysis temperature (400–500 °C), the inert nitrogen flow rate (25–150 mL/min), and the ratio of blended ULO/UCO from 0.9:0.1 to 0.2:0.8. The advantage of Ni modified to activated carbon is that it is considered a stronger acid solid catalyst with an extraordinary pore structure, which undergoes catalytic copyrolysis; the concentration of the Ni metal doped into the AC catalyst was 3–10 wt %, and the catalyst loading on the feedstocks (5–20 wt % of Ni/AC catalyst) was performed. The effects of the conversion of ULO/UCO on the yield and physicochemical properties of copyrolysis oil and the product distribution according to ASTM D86 were investigated. The 5 wt % Ni doped into the AC catalyst is related to the strength of the acid activity that accelerated the conversion of large hydrocarbon compounds to obtain a straight aliphatic hydrocarbon compound, and the Ni/AC catalyst also plays a role in facilitated C–C bond cleavage and bond scission to smaller hydrocarbon compounds. The highest yield of naphtha-like fraction of 25.34 wt % was obtained at the optimal condition of 425 °C, the N₂ carrier flow rate was 50 mL/min, the ULO/UCO ratio was 0.5:0.5, 5 wt % Ni was modified into the AC catalyst, and 5% catalyst was loaded into the feedstock. The synergistic effects of UCO and ULO during copyrolysis also revealed that the H-donor and hydrocarbon radicals of UCO decrease the thermal stability of ULO, whereas the addition of 5 wt % Ni to the AC catalyst, which is relevant to acid activity, is mainly responsible for bond scission, hydrogenation, isomerization, and oligomerization, resulting in the formulation of condensable volatile vapors to maximize the production of straight aliphatic and olefinic hydrocarbon compounds, which can be used as sustainable fuels from the conversion of waste to alternative energy.

In response to high steam usage, significant greenhouse gas emissions, and secondary pollution risks associated with solvents in steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) and solvent-assisted SAGD techniques for oil sands extraction, a new technology using liquid dimethyl ether (DME) for displacement–dissolution–permeation extraction (DME–DDP) has been proposed. Using a self-designed DME–DDP experimental apparatus, oil extraction experiments were conducted on consolidated oil sands samples to simulate the oil sand formations in the Athabasca region in Canada. The experimental results indicated that oil washing efficiency reached 84% under the optimal pressure gradient, with recoveries of >90% for saturates and aromatics, >60% for resins, and >50% for asphaltenes. The DME–DDP oil extraction process includes two stages, displacement and dissolution–permeation, each contributing to approximately 50% of the total oil recovery. The pressure gradient is the primary factor influencing oil washing efficiency, with higher recovery necessitating slower permeation or extended contact time between DME and crude oil in the formation. DME is a colorless, nontoxic, and nongreenhouse gas that can be recycled. These characteristics underscore the environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness of the proposed method.

Dinitrobenzene, a crucial intermediate in pesticide and dye production, is typically synthesized through the exothermic nitration of nitrobenzene. This study presents a continuous-flow microreactor system integrated with micromixers to enhance selectivity and safety in the nitration process. An open-source Python program was developed to precisely control the mass flow rate ratio of nitrobenzene to the mixed acid. By optimizing reaction conditions and employing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a surfactant, the selectivity of p-dinitrobenzene was minimized to 0.44%, while hazardous nitrophenol byproducts were reduced to 112 ppm─a significant improvement compared to the 509 ppm observed in traditional batch processes. Compared to traditional batch reactors, the microreactor system significantly lowered p-dinitrobenzene selectivity and minimized nitrophenol and trinitrobenzene formation, highlighting its suitability for industrial-scale applications.

Sarcopoterium spinosum is a medicinal plant, presenting glucose-lowering properties. The study aimed to identify the active components and their mechanisms of action. Bioguided fractionation was utilized to isolate the active molecules, followed by NMR and HRESI MS for their identification and structural elucidation. Binding to the insulin receptor (IR) and activation of the receptor were measured in vitro. Glucose-lowering effects were validated in vivo. A novel procyanidin trimer, named sarcocyanidin A (1, catechin-(4α-8)-epicatechin-(4β-8)-epicatechin), was identified. Sarcocyanidin A (1) activated insulin signaling in CHO-IR and L6 myotubes, while the IR inhibitor abolished this effect. IR autofluorescence and cell-based thermal shift assays indicate a direct interaction of sarcocyanidin A (1) with IR. Sarcocyanidin A (1) also activated insulin signaling and reduced blood glucose in mice. Sarcocyanidin A, a novel procyanidin trimer, mediates at least part of the antidiabetic properties of SSE, through activation of IR.

The sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction is the main obstacle to the development of water splitting. MoS₂ exhibits excellent activity in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, the catalytic activity is insufficient for commercial bifunctional catalysts due to the inadequate oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic activity. To address the deficiency of the OER active site of MoS₂ and develop a more effective bifunctional catalyst, a one-step hydrothermal process was employed to synthesize a nonprecious Co–MoS₂ catalyst, utilizing sodium molybdate as the molybdenum source, thiourea as the sulfur source, and cobalt nitrate as the cobalt source, respectively. The electrocatalytic activity of the sample was tested in an electrolyte solution of 0.1 M KOH and 1 M KOH. The experimental result indicated that the catalytic activity of the Co–MoS₂ catalyst for HER and OER was remarkably enhanced compared to the pristine MoS₂. The overpotential of OER and HER was reduced by approximately 200 mV and 130 mV in a 0.1 M KOH solution, respectively. Additionally, in the 1 M KOH electrolyte, the overpotentials of OER and HER were about 312 mV and 297 mV, respectively. Co–MoS₂ with the Co(NO₃)₂ doping of 0.6 g (0.206 mol %) also exhibited excellent stability in 0.1 M KOH and 1 M KOH electrolytes. When the Co–MoS₂ (Co(NO₃)₂─0.6 g, 0.343 mol %) electrode was used as both anode and cathode for overall water splitting in the 1 M KOH electrolyte, the current density of 10 mA cm^–2 could be achieved with only 1.86 V and with a good stability. This work provides an alternative for bifunctional catalysts in overall water splitting.

The use of organosilanes has been shown to be an effective method for wettability alteration. This work explored for the first time how the structure of organosilanes impacts their ability to modify the wettability of different mineral surfaces, including pure quartz, pure calcite, sandstone, and limestone. Seven organosilanes were selected with different numbers of hydrolyzable groups, alkyl chain lengths, alkyl chain structures, and number of silicon atoms. Contact angle measurements, residual fluid saturations, and capillary pressure curves consistently showed that more hydrolyzable groups create more hydrophobic surfaces. As the number of carbon atoms increases in the silane alkyl chain, the hydrophobicity increases. The structure of the alkyl chain does not have an observable impact on the degree of wettability alteration. Finally, dipodal silanes with two silicon atoms create a much less hydrophobic surface than a single silicon atom silane. By understanding organosilane structure–property relationships with sandstone and limestone surfaces, it is possible to design tailored treatments for specific subsurface applications. Particularly in geosystems engineering, the results presented here can offer insights into enhanced oil recovery processes such as improving gas well deliverability and addressing injectivity issues during water-alternating-gas injection, as well as geological carbon sequestration processes such as improving storage capacity and caprock integrity.

In order to explore the effects of carbon chain length of nonpolar saturated hydrocarbons and the type of polar groups on coal gangue flotation, five saturated hydrocarbons with different carbon chain lengths and seven hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon derivatives with different groups were selected for flotation. The results show that the flotation effect is better when the number of carbon atoms in the carbon chain exceeds 13. Oxygen-containing functional groups possess greater electronegativity and polarity compared to hydrocarbon groups, resulting in better flotation performance. Collectors containing oxygen-based groups achieves the highest recovery rate of combustible body and the ash content of kaolin, which are 71.67 and 88.34%, respectively. The carbon molecules in coal gangue contain a higher proportion of carbon oxygen structure, and more hydrogen bonds can be formed between them and the oxygen-containing functional groups in the collectors, which makes the stronger binding effect between them. The results of infrared and XPS testing of coal gangue show that the carbon–oxygen structures on the surface of coal gangue is more than 60%. The solid nuclear magnetic test results of coal gangue show that the proportion of carbon–oxygen structures in the whole material is close to 20%.

This study aimed to develop a novel adsorbent, Zn²⁺-loaded hexanediamine–chitosan (HDA-CS) beads, for the selective removal of human testosterone from plasma. The preparation involved synthesizing chitosan beads, modifying them with hexanediamine to enhance adsorption capacity and subsequently loading them with zinc ions. The effects of the HDA spacer, Zn²⁺ concentration, and adsorption time on the adsorption percentage for testosterone were systematically investigated through a series of adsorption experiments. Results indicated that the Zn²⁺-HDA-CS beads achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of approximately 35% within 90 min. The analysis of plasma concentrations of Zn²⁺, albumin, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) indicated that the adsorption process involved a complex interaction between testosterone-bound SHBG and albumin for Zn²⁺ binding sites on the beads. Additionally, the adsorbent demonstrated good storage stability and selectivity for testosterone, with minimal impact on total protein content in plasma. These findings highlight the potential of Zn²⁺-HDA-CS beads as an effective therapeutic option for managing testosterone levels in clinical settings, particularly in patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.