Pub Date : 2024-07-22DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00098-2
Mo Qiao
{"title":"Switchable thermal pathways in batteries","authors":"Mo Qiao","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00098-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00098-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141816471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-12DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00090-w
Yiyuan Zhang, Zhandong Huang, Feifei Qin, Hongzhou Wang, Kai Cui, Kun Guo, Zheren Cai, Xiaobing Cai, Junfeng Xiao, Jan Carmeliet, Jinjia Wei, Yanlin Song, Jun Yang, Liqiu Wang
Human civilization relies heavily on the ability to precisely process liquids. Switching between liquid capture and release plays a fundamental role in the handling of various liquids, with applications that demand reversible, spatially and temporally precise, volumetrically accurate and programmable control over the liquid, independent of the details of the employed solid tools and processed liquids. However, current fluidic techniques do not fully meet these requirements. Here we present connected polyhedral frames to effectively address this challenge by tailoring liquid continuity between frames to dictate the liquid capture or release of individual frames, with an overall network that is readily switchable locally, dynamically and reversibly. Each frame captures or releases liquids, independent of its base materials, structures and processed liquids. The connected polyhedral frames are a versatile tool that enables many important functions including three-dimensional (3D) programmable patterning of liquids, 3D spatiotemporal control of concentrations of multiple materials, packaging of 3D liquid arrays and large-scale manipulation of multiple liquids, thus considerably advancing many fields, including interface science and soft materials. Switching between liquid capture and release is important in handling various liquids. Here the authors present connected polyhedral frames that form a network of units that capture or release liquid that is readily switchable locally, dynamically and reversibly, thus functioning as a versatile fluidic processor.
{"title":"Connected three-dimensional polyhedral frames for programmable liquid processing","authors":"Yiyuan Zhang, Zhandong Huang, Feifei Qin, Hongzhou Wang, Kai Cui, Kun Guo, Zheren Cai, Xiaobing Cai, Junfeng Xiao, Jan Carmeliet, Jinjia Wei, Yanlin Song, Jun Yang, Liqiu Wang","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00090-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00090-w","url":null,"abstract":"Human civilization relies heavily on the ability to precisely process liquids. Switching between liquid capture and release plays a fundamental role in the handling of various liquids, with applications that demand reversible, spatially and temporally precise, volumetrically accurate and programmable control over the liquid, independent of the details of the employed solid tools and processed liquids. However, current fluidic techniques do not fully meet these requirements. Here we present connected polyhedral frames to effectively address this challenge by tailoring liquid continuity between frames to dictate the liquid capture or release of individual frames, with an overall network that is readily switchable locally, dynamically and reversibly. Each frame captures or releases liquids, independent of its base materials, structures and processed liquids. The connected polyhedral frames are a versatile tool that enables many important functions including three-dimensional (3D) programmable patterning of liquids, 3D spatiotemporal control of concentrations of multiple materials, packaging of 3D liquid arrays and large-scale manipulation of multiple liquids, thus considerably advancing many fields, including interface science and soft materials. Switching between liquid capture and release is important in handling various liquids. Here the authors present connected polyhedral frames that form a network of units that capture or release liquid that is readily switchable locally, dynamically and reversibly, thus functioning as a versatile fluidic processor.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-024-00090-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141654748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-05DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00089-3
Stefan D. A. Zondag, Jasper H. A. Schuurmans, Arnab Chaudhuri, Robin P. L. Visser, Cíntia Soares, Natan Padoin, Koen P. L. Kuijpers, Matthieu Dorbec, John van der Schaaf, Timothy Noël
Photocatalysis for small-molecule activation has advanced considerably over the past decade, yet its scale-up remains challenging in part due to photon attenuation effects. One promising solution lies in combining high photonic intensities with continuous-flow reactor technology, requiring careful understanding of photon transport for successful implementation. Here, to address this, we introduce a characterization approach, starting with radiometric light source analysis, followed by three-dimensional reactor and light source simulation. This strategy, when followed up with chemical actinometry experiments, decouples photon flux quantification and path length determination, substantially curtailing the experimental process. The workflow proves versatile across various reactor systems, simplifying intricate light interactions into a single one-dimensional parameter—the effective optical path length. This parameter effectively characterizes photoreactor setups, irrespective of scale, geometry, light intensity or concentration. Additionally, the proposed workflow provides insight into light source positioning and reactor design, and facilitates experiments at lower concentrations, ensuring representative reactor operation. In essence, our approach provides a thorough, efficient and consistent framework for reactor irradiation characterization. The characterization of light irradiation for intensified flow reactors extends beyond the determination of photon fluxes, requiring the precise determination of optical path lengths. Here the authors introduce a systematic workflow that integrates radiometry, ray-tracing simulations and actinometry to obtain these system parameters.
{"title":"Determining photon flux and effective optical path length in intensified flow photoreactors","authors":"Stefan D. A. Zondag, Jasper H. A. Schuurmans, Arnab Chaudhuri, Robin P. L. Visser, Cíntia Soares, Natan Padoin, Koen P. L. Kuijpers, Matthieu Dorbec, John van der Schaaf, Timothy Noël","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00089-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00089-3","url":null,"abstract":"Photocatalysis for small-molecule activation has advanced considerably over the past decade, yet its scale-up remains challenging in part due to photon attenuation effects. One promising solution lies in combining high photonic intensities with continuous-flow reactor technology, requiring careful understanding of photon transport for successful implementation. Here, to address this, we introduce a characterization approach, starting with radiometric light source analysis, followed by three-dimensional reactor and light source simulation. This strategy, when followed up with chemical actinometry experiments, decouples photon flux quantification and path length determination, substantially curtailing the experimental process. The workflow proves versatile across various reactor systems, simplifying intricate light interactions into a single one-dimensional parameter—the effective optical path length. This parameter effectively characterizes photoreactor setups, irrespective of scale, geometry, light intensity or concentration. Additionally, the proposed workflow provides insight into light source positioning and reactor design, and facilitates experiments at lower concentrations, ensuring representative reactor operation. In essence, our approach provides a thorough, efficient and consistent framework for reactor irradiation characterization. The characterization of light irradiation for intensified flow reactors extends beyond the determination of photon fluxes, requiring the precise determination of optical path lengths. Here the authors introduce a systematic workflow that integrates radiometry, ray-tracing simulations and actinometry to obtain these system parameters.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141673762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-04DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00088-4
Jia-Qi Tian, Mu-Yueh Chang, Chen Chen, Zhen-Hong Luo, Wilhelm T. S. Huck, Nan-Nan Deng
The construction of synthetic cells that exhibit some of the complex behaviors of biological cells is a fundamental challenge. A major bottleneck is the transport of substances across the artificial cell membrane barrier, which is important for maintaining intracellular biochemical reactions and metabolism. To address this challenge, we develop a strategy of interfacial energy-mediated bulk transport across liposomal membranes. By control over interfacial tensions, unilamellar liposomes can reversibly engulf and excrete microdroplets, revealing rudimentary forms of life-like behaviors. We demonstrate that the bulk transmembrane transport can be regulated by diverse environmental stimuli, such as solvent evaporation, temperature and osmotic pressure, and coupled with the transport of biomolecules, including enzyme substrates, ions and DNA molecules. Our results highlight a general mechanism for intricate membrane dynamics and remodeling, offering opportunities for the development of high-order cell-like characteristics in synthetic cells, micro-robots and drug carriers. Controllable and reversible transmembrane transport is a fundamental challenge in building synthetic cells. Here, interfacial energy-mediated bulk transport across artificial cell membranes is developed to mimic a rudimentary form of endocytosis- and exocytosis-like behaviors, facilitating the shuttling of biomolecules such as enzyme substrates, ions and nucleic acids.
构建能展现生物细胞某些复杂行为的合成细胞是一项基本挑战。一个主要瓶颈是物质跨人工细胞膜屏障的运输，这对维持细胞内的生化反应和新陈代谢非常重要。为了应对这一挑战，我们开发了一种以界面能量为媒介的脂质体膜散装运输策略。通过控制界面张力，单乳脂质体可以可逆地吞噬和排泄微滴，从而展现出类似生命的初级行为形式。我们证明，大分子跨膜运输可受溶剂蒸发、温度和渗透压等各种环境刺激的调节，并与生物大分子（包括酶底物、离子和 DNA 分子）的运输相结合。我们的研究结果强调了复杂膜动力学和重塑的一般机制，为在合成细胞、微型机器人和药物载体中开发高阶类细胞特性提供了机会。可控和可逆的跨膜传输是构建合成细胞的基本挑战。在这里，我们开发了界面能量介导的跨人工细胞膜的大容量传输，以模拟类似内吞和外吞行为的初级形式，促进生物大分子（如酶底物、离子和核酸）的穿梭。
{"title":"Interfacial energy-mediated bulk transport across artificial cell membranes","authors":"Jia-Qi Tian, Mu-Yueh Chang, Chen Chen, Zhen-Hong Luo, Wilhelm T. S. Huck, Nan-Nan Deng","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00088-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00088-4","url":null,"abstract":"The construction of synthetic cells that exhibit some of the complex behaviors of biological cells is a fundamental challenge. A major bottleneck is the transport of substances across the artificial cell membrane barrier, which is important for maintaining intracellular biochemical reactions and metabolism. To address this challenge, we develop a strategy of interfacial energy-mediated bulk transport across liposomal membranes. By control over interfacial tensions, unilamellar liposomes can reversibly engulf and excrete microdroplets, revealing rudimentary forms of life-like behaviors. We demonstrate that the bulk transmembrane transport can be regulated by diverse environmental stimuli, such as solvent evaporation, temperature and osmotic pressure, and coupled with the transport of biomolecules, including enzyme substrates, ions and DNA molecules. Our results highlight a general mechanism for intricate membrane dynamics and remodeling, offering opportunities for the development of high-order cell-like characteristics in synthetic cells, micro-robots and drug carriers. Controllable and reversible transmembrane transport is a fundamental challenge in building synthetic cells. Here, interfacial energy-mediated bulk transport across artificial cell membranes is developed to mimic a rudimentary form of endocytosis- and exocytosis-like behaviors, facilitating the shuttling of biomolecules such as enzyme substrates, ions and nucleic acids.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141678705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-25DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00079-5
Jung Tae Kim, Han Su, Yu Zhong, Chongzhen Wang, Haoyang Wu, Dingyi Zhao, Changhong Wang, Xueliang Sun, Yuzhang Li
All-solid-state lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have emerged as a promising energy storage solution due to their potential high energy density, cost effectiveness and safe operation. Gaining a deeper understanding of sulfur redox in the solid state is critical for advancing all-solid-state Li–S battery technology. In particular, the key electrochemical reactions of solid-state sulfur are distinct from those in the liquid state, yet discussion of such aspects remains lacking thus far. This Perspective provides a fundamental overview of all-solid-state Li–S batteries by delving into the underlying redox mechanisms of solid-state sulfur, placing a specific emphasis on key reaction engineering principles, such as mass transport, electrochemical kinetics and thermodynamics. The dimensionless Damköhler number is underscored to elucidate transport and kinetics limitations in solid-state sulfur. Furthermore, advanced characterization techniques, such as cryogenic electron microscopy, are highlighted as powerful tools to bridge the current gaps in understanding that limit the deployment of all-solid-state Li–S batteries. All-solid-state lithium–sulfur batteries have been recognized for their high energy density and safety. This Perspective explores sulfur redox in the solid state, emphasizing the critical roles of electrochemical kinetics, thermodynamics, mass transport and advanced techniques such as cryogenic electron microscopy to help bridge gaps in current understanding.
{"title":"All-solid-state lithium–sulfur batteries through a reaction engineering lens","authors":"Jung Tae Kim, Han Su, Yu Zhong, Chongzhen Wang, Haoyang Wu, Dingyi Zhao, Changhong Wang, Xueliang Sun, Yuzhang Li","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00079-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00079-5","url":null,"abstract":"All-solid-state lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have emerged as a promising energy storage solution due to their potential high energy density, cost effectiveness and safe operation. Gaining a deeper understanding of sulfur redox in the solid state is critical for advancing all-solid-state Li–S battery technology. In particular, the key electrochemical reactions of solid-state sulfur are distinct from those in the liquid state, yet discussion of such aspects remains lacking thus far. This Perspective provides a fundamental overview of all-solid-state Li–S batteries by delving into the underlying redox mechanisms of solid-state sulfur, placing a specific emphasis on key reaction engineering principles, such as mass transport, electrochemical kinetics and thermodynamics. The dimensionless Damköhler number is underscored to elucidate transport and kinetics limitations in solid-state sulfur. Furthermore, advanced characterization techniques, such as cryogenic electron microscopy, are highlighted as powerful tools to bridge the current gaps in understanding that limit the deployment of all-solid-state Li–S batteries. All-solid-state lithium–sulfur batteries have been recognized for their high energy density and safety. This Perspective explores sulfur redox in the solid state, emphasizing the critical roles of electrochemical kinetics, thermodynamics, mass transport and advanced techniques such as cryogenic electron microscopy to help bridge gaps in current understanding.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141452750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-24DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00083-9
Emulsions underpin a wide range of important natural phenomena and many technological applications. However, it remains challenging to create emulsion droplets with specific internal structures. Now, a method has been developed to create macromolecular emulsions with custom architectures by applying non-equilibrium thermodynamic principles to condensate formation.
{"title":"Structuring emulsion droplets out of equilibrium","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00083-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00083-9","url":null,"abstract":"Emulsions underpin a wide range of important natural phenomena and many technological applications. However, it remains challenging to create emulsion droplets with specific internal structures. Now, a method has been developed to create macromolecular emulsions with custom architectures by applying non-equilibrium thermodynamic principles to condensate formation.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141452732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-10DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00077-7
Nadia A. Erkamp, Madelief A. M. Verwiel, Daoyuan Qian, Tomas Sneideris, Frans A. Spaepen, David A. Weitz, Jan C. M. van Hest, Tuomas P. J. Knowles
The structure and function of biomolecular condensates are closely related. However, many studies and applications of this relationship are prevented because controlling the mesoscale architecture of condensates can be difficult. Here we introduce a way to create custom multiphase architectures by nucleating new droplets in condensates. This nucleation occurs due to limited diffusion in the dense condensates and a composition change forced upon the system by changing the experimental conditions. The designed architectures are transient states created out of equilibrium. We provide a detailed method for understanding and designing a range of condensate architectures. Access to these long-lived complex architectures will enable researchers to incorporate increasingly sophisticated compartmentalization and functionality in condensates. This general strategy for creating complex structured condensates out of equilibrium may also provide insights into the structure of condensates in cells. Biomolecular condensates can contain multiple phases. The number of droplets of each phase and their location give the condensate a certain architecture. Here the authors present a method to create a range of transient architectures in biomolecular condensates, making the architecture or interfacial area controllable design variables in experiments.
{"title":"Biomolecular condensates with complex architectures via controlled nucleation","authors":"Nadia A. Erkamp, Madelief A. M. Verwiel, Daoyuan Qian, Tomas Sneideris, Frans A. Spaepen, David A. Weitz, Jan C. M. van Hest, Tuomas P. J. Knowles","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00077-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00077-7","url":null,"abstract":"The structure and function of biomolecular condensates are closely related. However, many studies and applications of this relationship are prevented because controlling the mesoscale architecture of condensates can be difficult. Here we introduce a way to create custom multiphase architectures by nucleating new droplets in condensates. This nucleation occurs due to limited diffusion in the dense condensates and a composition change forced upon the system by changing the experimental conditions. The designed architectures are transient states created out of equilibrium. We provide a detailed method for understanding and designing a range of condensate architectures. Access to these long-lived complex architectures will enable researchers to incorporate increasingly sophisticated compartmentalization and functionality in condensates. This general strategy for creating complex structured condensates out of equilibrium may also provide insights into the structure of condensates in cells. Biomolecular condensates can contain multiple phases. The number of droplets of each phase and their location give the condensate a certain architecture. Here the authors present a method to create a range of transient architectures in biomolecular condensates, making the architecture or interfacial area controllable design variables in experiments.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-024-00077-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141360807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-10DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00080-y
Daniele Marchisio
Daniele Marchisio discusses the importance of chemical reaction rates with respect to physical transport rates with the help of the Damköhler numbers.
Daniele Marchisio 借助达姆克勒数讨论了化学反应速率对物理传输速率的重要性。
{"title":"Reacting with the flows of similarity","authors":"Daniele Marchisio","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00080-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00080-y","url":null,"abstract":"Daniele Marchisio discusses the importance of chemical reaction rates with respect to physical transport rates with the help of the Damköhler numbers.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141360633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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