4th Cycle Research Articles

Plasma-Enabled Process with Single-Atom Catalysts for Sustainable Plastic Waste Transformation.

In this study, we present a novel plasma-enabled strategy for the rapid breakdown of various types of plastic wastes, including mixtures, into high-value carbon nanomaterials and hydrogen. The H2 yield and selectivity achieved through the catalyst-free plasma-enabled strategy are 14.2 and 5.9 times higher, respectively, compared to those obtained with conventional thermal pyrolysis. It is noteworthy that this catalyst-free plasma alone approach yields a significantly higher energy yield of H2 (gH2/kWh) compared to other pyrolysis processes. By coupling plasma pyrolysis with thermal catalytic process, employing of 1 wt.% M/CeO2 atomically dispersed catalysts can further enhance hydrogen production. Specifically, the 1 wt.% Co/CeO2 catalyst demonstrated excellent catalytic performance throughout the 10 cycles of plastic waste decomposition, achieving the highest H2 yield of 46.7 mmol/gplastic (equivalent to 64.4% of theoretical H2 production) and nearly 100% hydrogen atom recovery efficiency at the 7th cycle. Notably, the H2 yield achieved over the atomically dispersed Fe on CeO2 surface in the integrated plasma-thermal catalytic process is comparable to that obtained with Fe particles on CeO2 surface (10 wt.%). This innovative and straightforward approach provides a promising and expedient strategy for continuously converting diverse plastic waste streams into high-value products conducive to a circular plastic economy.

Preparation of low-cost sludge-based highly porous biochar for efficient removal of refractory pollutants from agrochemical and pharmaceutical wastewater

Producing a high-performance sludge biochar through a feasible method is a great challenge and is crucial for practicability. Herein, we reported a highly porous sludge biochar synthesized from agrochemical-pharmaceutical and municipal sludge blends through a novel pyrolysis-acid treatment-post pyrolysis method. The optimized biochar named ASMS91 obtained interconnected pores with a total pore volume of 0.894 cm3/g and a surface area of 691.4 m2/g through extended acid wash and subsequent post-pyrolysis, which is superior to non-activated sludge biochar. ASMS91 removed 45.3 % of wastewater COD (156 mg/L) in 24 h, which was rapid and higher performance than commercial activated carbon (1000 iodine number). This outstanding performance is due to its high adsorption ability of long-chain aliphatic compounds (e.g., 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol, neophytadiene and eicosane) into mesopores, which accounts for 71.8 % of pore filling. ASMS91 was highly recyclable, and adsorption was reduced by only 5.3 % after the 4th cycle. It also outperformed other sludge biochar in literature in removing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS), sulfamethoxazole, methylene blue, and methylene orange. Finally, the feasibility of our proposed method was validated by a brief techno-economic analysis. This feasible approach may support future research regarding sludge valorization and low-cost chemical wastewater treatment.

Synthesis and electrochemical characteristics of metal nanoparticles decorated composite anode made of domestic alloy, used in lithium ion batteries

In this work, appropriate material selection and process design enable the succesful production of high energy density electrode active material in the form of XAZ (where X, A and Z stand for electrochemically active, electrochemically inactive and carbon materials, respectively). Herein, the precipitates rich in iron and chromium are extracted selectively from a local ferrochromium alloy utilizing hydrometallurgy procedures. The precipitates are then exposed to separate calcination to get iron-rich and chromium-rich oxides seperately. In the end, a composite (XAZ) is fabricated under the mild synthesis conditions by combining these oxides with activated carbon and aluminum powder in a planetary ball mill. The composite's morphological, structural, and chemical properties are all optimized. The galvanostatic test results clearly demonstrate that the powder made of XAZ composite with embedded metal nanoparticles delivers 798 mAh g-1 after 100th cycle under a current load of 50 mA g-1 and high capacity (600 mAh g−1) over 300 cycles with an exceptional rate performance. It is anticipated that this research will create novel opportunities for producing high-value electrode active materials from accessible, low-cost raw ingredients.

Investigating the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–Ag-Sc ultra-fine grain alloy processed by accumulative rolling bonding method

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of accumulative roll bonding (ARB) and precipitation hardening on the microstructure development and there of mechanical properties of ultrafine grained Al–Ag-Sc alloy. For this purpose, the samples were heated to a temperature of 600 °C for 24 h, and then they were quenched in water. In order to carry out the two-stage precipitation hardening process, the samples were placed in the furnace at a temperature of 350 °C for 5000 s in the first stage, which was followed by quenching in water. In the second stage, they were heated to 250 °C for 5000 s following by water quenching too. Following, the samples were subjected to the ARB for up to 8 cycles. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) equipped with Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) techniques, and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) was used to verify the microstructure and phase analysis of the prepared samples. Also, tensile and microhardness tests were conducted to confirm the mechanical properties, and pin-on-disk tests were done to check wear behavior. Microstructural parameters such as crystallite size, microstrain, and density of dislocations in rolled sheets were estimated using the Rietveld method. The Results have shown that applying various cycles of the ARB process leads to the development of ultra/nano grain structure. In that sense, performing 8-cycle of the ARB transformed the low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) of the 4-cycle ARB condition to high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs). Results showed that there is proper welding between different layers, except for the layers created in the last cycle. Similarly, the obtained size of the crystallites demonstrates that the samples become finer when ARB cycles are increased. The results of the mechanical tests indicated that after 8 cycles, there is approximately 3.5-fold and 2.5-fold increase in the tensile strength and hardness compared to the original (annealed) sample, respectively. While the elongation decreased slowly and reached 1.5% in the 8th cycle. A fractography of the fracture surface of the original sample included deep and coaxial dimples, indicating a ductile fracture. Analysis of wear surface degradation showed that scratch wear occurred for all samples.

Recycling and Reuse of Mn-Based Spinel Electrode from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

In this paper, we introduce an environmentally friendly approach to recycle used batteries and recover highly valuable manganese-based cathode materials. This study demonstrates the feasibility of fast plasma pyrolysis to recover LiMn2O4 electrode materials (e.g., lithium manganese oxide, LMO) and demonstrate their reuse in newly assembled Li-ion cells. The electrochemical performance of as-recycled cathodes shows an initial discharge capacity of 72 mAh/g and is stable for 100 cycles at 0.1 C. After adding 20 mole % of excess LiOH, the recycled LMO after relithiation at 660 °C can deliver an initial discharge capacity of 96 mAh/g and retain a decent discharge capacity of 88 mAh/g after 50 cycles at a 0.2 C rate. Without relithiation, the as-recycled LMO cathode after heating at 1000 °C delivers the best electrochemical cycling performance, including an initial discharge capacity of 94 mAh/g and 50th cycle capacity of 91 mAh/g at a 0.2 C rate. This study highlights a feasible approach for recycling electrode materials in spent LIBs. Recycling of lithium-ion batteries and especially electrode materials is crucial for the sustained growth of the lithium-ion battery industry and reduced environmental issues.

Stress-Relieving Carboxylated Polythiophene/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Conductive Layer for Stable Silicon Microparticle Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

Silicon is one of the most promising anode materials for next generation Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) on account of its ultrahigh specific capacity (4200 mAh g-1) and relatively low working potential of 0.3 V (vs. Li+/Li). However, practical commercial implementation of silicon poses a great challenge due to technical difficulties such as low conductivity (10-5-10-3 S cm-1), low initial Coulombic efficiency (50-80%) and stress-induced fracture, along with SEI accumulation due to severe volume changes (~400%) inherent in silicon-based anodes.To address these challenges and advance the next generation of LIBs, we present poly[3-(potassium-4-butanoate)thiophene] (PPBT) and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) coated silicon microparticles (Si MPs) (PPBT/SWNT@Si MPs) as active materials for highly stable Si-based anodes for LIB systems. The water-soluble conjugated polymer, PPBT, was selected for its ability to serve as an ion and electron conducting physical/chemical linker (10-5 S cm-1 vs. PVDF; ~ 10-8 S cm-1) to the surface of various high capacity anode active materials systems. In consideration of current practical requirements for Si-based anode materials, Si MPs were selected as starting materials due to their lower surface area than the nanoscale analogs, a characteristic that can further improve LIB bulk capacity. In addition, Si MPs are known to have high initial Coulombic efficiency and industrial compatibility. With the help of PPBT, which facilitates unraveling of entangled single-walled carbon nanotubes, SWNTs were successfully attached to the surface of the active materials. PPBT carboxylate substituents were found to be chemically bound to the Si MP surface, providing an electrochemically conductive environment in intimate contact with the 1D SWNTs and Si MPs.Due to facilitated ion/electron transport kinetics, PPBT/SWNT@SiMP anodes exhibited superior capacity retention and higher reversible capacities, even at a high current density of 8 A g-1, compared to bare Si MP anodes. Improved initial Coulombic efficiency and stable cycling performance over 300 cycles were achieved. In situ Raman spectroscopy was employed to investigate the evolution of stress on the SWNTs during lithiation/delithiation, which elucidated the mechanism underlying the enhancement in PPBT/SWNT@Si MP anode cycling performance. The single-walled carbon nanotubes within the PPBT/SWNT@Si MP anodes consistently exhibited reversible stress recovery and 45 % less tensile stress variation after the 10th cycle than SWNT@Si MP control anodes fabricated by direct mixing of the microparticles with SWNTs to create SWNT@Si MPs.Combined, the results suggest that a well-developed conductive interface can enhance the rate performance, and improve electrode stability and Coulombic efficiency. Furthermore, the PPBT/SWNT coating directly bound to the Si MP surface provides for efficient stress relaxation of Si-based electrodes, resulting in reversible lithiation/delithiation, low electrode resistance, and reduced SEI layer formation.

Sputtered Deposited Cu Functionalized MoS2 Nanoworm Thin Films for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Gas Sensor

Semiconducting nanostructures thin films are used in state-of-arts applications due to their heightened physical properties. Semiconducting metal sulfides nanostructures are a growing asset in current semiconductor technology due to their extraordinary physical, chemical, and electronic properties and their outstanding applications in different sensing and optoelectronic devices. The gas sensing capability of semiconducting nanostructures is a recent research interest of many researchers. The MoS2 thin films were grown using reactive sputteringand the sensing performance of pure MoS2 and Cu-MoS2 thin films was studied towards nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas concentrations (2-200 ppm) at the optimum working temperature of 100℃. The Cu-MoS2 sensor provides a high sensing response as compared to the pure MoS2 thin-film sensor towards 20 ppm of NO2 gas with a fast response and recovery time of 54 s and 82 s, respectively. It was observed that the proposed sensor chip displays an almost stable signal up to the 5th cycle. It is observed that the proposed sensor device exhibits the highest response (30%) to NO2 concerning weak response (10%) towards additional potentially interfering gases (NH3, CO, and H2) at 100°C. It reveals that the Cu-MoS2 thin-film sensor chip is highly selective to NO2 gas at 100 °C.

Effectiveness and safety of bortezomib-dexamethasone regimen in patients with multiple myeloma: A prospective observational study

Background: Bortezomib and dexamethasone (BD) regimen offers a promising therapeutic approach in multiple myeloma (MM) by inhibiting the proteolytic pathway of tumor cells. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to assess the safety profile and treatment outcomes of MM patients undergoing the BD regimen. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study included MM patients who received BD regimen. Patients received bortezomib (1.3 mg/m2 intravenous) weekly for 4 weeks along with dexamethasone (40 mg orally) weekly for 4 weeks. Clinical assessments were performed after each cycle, and adverse drug reactions were graded according to National Cancer Institute criteria. Treatment outcomes were evaluated after the 4th cycle based on specific parameters. Results: Thirty-seven patients, with a mean age of 56.2 years, predominantly male (56.8%), were included. Common symptoms included bone pain, fatigue, weight loss, and appetite loss. Toxicities were mainly grade 1 and 2, with peripheral neuropathy (PN) being the most prevalent. The BD regimen exhibited a response rate of 65%, accompanied by significant improvements in bone marrow plasma cells, β2 microglobulin, immunoglobulin assay, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. In addition, treatment improved performance status, in 51.4% of patients achieving scores above 90 on the Karnofsky scale. Conclusion: The BD regimen demonstrated notable efficacy and tolerability in MM treatment. However, it is associated with a higher risk of PN.

A pore-scale study of fracture sealing through enzymatically-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) method demonstrates its potential for CO2 storage management

Geological fractures are mechanical breaks in subsurface rock volumes that provide important subsurface flow pathways. However, the presence of fractures can cause unwanted challenges, such as gas leakage through fractured caprocks, which must be addressed. In this study, the dynamics of enzymatically induced carbonate precipitation in rock fractures and their subsequent influence on CO2 leakage were investigated from a pore-scale perspective for the first time. This was achieved through real-time monitoring of the injection of the solution into a rock-microfluidic flow cell using optical and scanning electron microscopy. It was revealed that the main growth dynamics occur during the first three injection cycles, with growth continuing until the fracture aperture is fully closed in the 6th cycle. Based on the flow simulation, a significant reduction of up to 25% in the CO2 conductivity of the original fracture is expected even after the first treatment cycle. Future studies are suggested to explore different resolutions, testing conditions, and to conduct 3-dimensional investigations of the growth dynamics.

Prediction of UCS and BTS under freeze-thaw conditions in the NW himalayan rock mass using petrographic analysis and laboratory testing

Repeated freeze-thaw (F&T) cycles substantially harm the durability of rocks, heightening the potential for landslides, rockslides, and avalanches. The current work investigates the effect of the F&T cycle on rock mass (biotite schist) samples. For this purpose, 32 rock samples were prepared and gathered from eight distinct locations in the northwest Himalayan region. For each sample, petrographical analysis and laboratory testing such as uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) are investigated at repeated (0th, 10th, 20th, and 30th) F&T cycles. Additionally, machine learning (ML) sequential models such as recurrent neural networks (RNN), gated recurrent units (GRU), and bi-directional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) are constructed to estimate the UCS and BTS under F&T conditions. Petrographical results show no change in the mineral indices, while there is a noticeable increase in aspect ratio but a significant decline in mean grain size with each successive 10th cycle, suggesting sample damage. The study also provides a comprehensive assessment of the ML models' performance, highlighting the Bi-LSTM model's superior accuracy among all models in terms of R2 (0.9850) and RMSLE (0.0100) during the TR stage and R2 (0.9020) and RMSLE (0.0170) during the TS stage for UCS prediction. Similarly, BTS prediction also shows superior precision, recording an R2 (0.7543) and RMSLE (0.0345) during TR and R2 (0.7404) and RMSLE (0.0213) during TS stages. The present study also explores the heatmap, line diagram, regression analysis, 2D kernel density plot, Taylor diagram, and DDR criterion for evaluating the model performance more clearly.

Damage evolution, acoustic emission and electromagnetic radiation of rock under uniaxial cyclic loading

Uniaxial cyclic loading compression experiments are conducted with synchronous monitoring of acoustic emission (AE) and electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The AE and EMR characteristics of rocks during cyclic loading are analyzed. Subsequently, the Kaiser and Felicity effects of AE and EMR are disclosed. Moreover, the b-value and fractal dimension are calculated to explore the cracking mechanism of rock materials. These results show that the AE and EMR are active during the 1st and 2nd loading cycles, and sparse during the 3rd and 4th loading cycles where the AE and EMR are only generated when the stress exceeds the previous peak stress due to the Kaiser effect. In the 5th loading cycle, AE and EMR accelerate and peak at rock failure. The variation of EMR-based FR is consistent with that for AE under cyclic loading. Hence, the FR associated with EMR is also well correlated with stress memory. The AE and EMR-based FR is greater than 1 in the 2nd-4th loading cycles, and less than 1 in the 5th cycle, indicating that FR can be used to reflect the damage evolution of rocks. The b-value and fractal dimension increase in the 1st-4th loading cycles, and turn to decrease in the 5th loading cycle. This pattern serves as a precursor to identify the rock failure.

Aggressive Metastatic Insulinoma in a Patient of Diabetes Mellitus with Documentation on Dual-Tracer PET-CT ([68Ga]Ga-DOTATATE and [18F]FDG): Clinical Benefits with Combined Chemo-PRRT Approach

AbstractInsulinoma is a relatively uncommon pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, with approximately 10% of the cases being malignant. Diabetes mellitus (DM) with concurrent insulinoma is very rare and the diagnosis of such condition is easily missed as it can be misconstrued as improved glycemic control. Therefore, persistent hypoglycemic symptoms even after stopping antidiabetic medications may be considered for insulinoma. Herein, we present a patient with DM and pancreatic insulinoma with extensive hepatic and skeletal metastases on dual-tracer positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) ([68Ga]Ga-DOTATATE and [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose). Given the extensive disease, the patient was treated with a combination of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) and chemotherapy (capecitabine and temozolomide). During therapy, patient showed early clinical and imaging response for insulinoma leading to unmasking of poor glycemic control necessitating requirement of insulin administration for DM. The patient did not experience any life-threatening hypoglycemia during the chemo-PRRT treatment and showed an improvement in quality of life. Unfortunately, the disease progressed at the 4th cycle, 10 months after the initiation of PRRT. We conclude that combined chemo-PRRT may be considered an effective treatment option for patients with metastatic insulinoma and DM owing to its favorable imaging response and effective symptom control.

Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia Infection in Breast Cancer Receiving Dose-dense Chemotherapy: A Case Report and Literature Review

We herein report 3 cases of breast cancer who developed Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia during dose-dense chemotherapy. The patients developed fever, fatigue, and cough on the 4th to 5th cycle of chemotherapy. Chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed ground-glass opacities, later on confirmed PCP as bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed. They were treated with Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) for 3 weeks, with clinical improvement. The first case was able to complete subsequent cycles of chemotherapy with TMP-SMX prophylaxis. The second case omitted the remaining cycles of chemotherapy and proceeded with adjuvant hormonal and radiotherapy. The third case also discontinued subsequent cycles and proceeded with surgery. All 3 cases didn’t developed complications nor recurrence of infection on their subsequent treatments. Clinicians must be vigilant in recognizing those at risk for PCP especially among cancer patients undergoing dose-dense chemotherapy. Moreover, as the infection is life-threatening, early treatment must be initiated to prevent serious complications. Prophylactic antibiotic must be considered if there is a high-risk for recurrence of infection, thus preventing delay in surgery or adjuvant therapies.

Self-assembled mesoporous silica decorated with biogenic carbon dot nanospheres hybrid nanomaterial for efficient removal of aqueous Methoxy-DDT via a Short-Bed Adsorption column technique

Methoxy-DDT is an organochlorine pesticide extensively used in agricultural practices as a DDT substitute. Methoxy-DDT has been found and quantified in several investigations in groundwater, drinking water, sediment, and various biota. Therefore, designing efficient and cost-effective adsorbents for removing methoxy-DDT is vital. In this work, we embedded Ficus benghalensis L. derived carbon dots (CDs) in mesoporous silica (MS) to fabricate MS-CDs nanohybrid material. MS-CDs nanohybrid exhibited remarkable selectivity and removal efficiency towards methoxy-DDT, outperforming other endocrine disruptors. Parameters for industrial-scale fixed-bed adsorption columns, such as bed capacity, length, and breakthrough times, were analyzed. The kinetic study revealed that pseudo-second-order (PSO) adsorption and isotherm analysis confirmed the Langmuir model as the best fit. Small bed adsorption (SBA) column analysis was carried out using spiked Yamuna river water, and the breakthrough curves were demonstrated by varying MS-CDs bed height. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained for methoxy-DDT was 17.16 mg/g at breakthrough and 49.98 mg/g at exhaustion. The adsorbent showed 86.53% removal efficiency in the 5th cycle, demonstrating good reusability. These results indicate that the developed material MS-CDs-based organic sphere is an effective adsorbent for aqueous methoxy-DDT adsorption and can be applied to wastewater treatment.

Fabrication of granular three-dimensional graphene oxide/UiO-66 adsorbent for high uranium adsorption: Density functional theory and fixed bed column studies

This study presents a thorough investigation of the novel application of graphene oxide (GO) modified with melamine formaldehyde to fabricate granular three-dimensional GO (3D-GO), followed by the introduction of UiO-66 doping (3D-GO/U) for high uranium (U) adsorption. The U(VI) adsorption isotherms revealed that 3D-GO/U-10 with 10 % UiO-66 incorporation exhibited an impressive adsorption capacity of 375.5 mg g–1 and remained high U(VI) sorption performance in wide pH range. The introduction of UiO-66 to 3D-GO (3D-GO/U-10) led to the deagglomeration of the UiO-66 particles. The in situ surface-enhanced-Raman-spectroscopy-analysis and density-functional-theory simulations showed the symmetric metal center site Zr–O2 on UiO-66 was discovered to exhibit the highest adsorption energy (–3.21 eV) for U(VI) species due to the electrons transfer from the oxygen atom to U(VI) drives the covalent bonding between the symmetric metal center sites Zr–O2 and U(VI) on 3D-GO/U-10. The 3D-GO/U-10 was regenerated using a 0.1 M Na2CO3/0.01 M H2O2 solution and achieved up to 89.7 % U(VI) removal in the 5th cycle. The continuous flow column experiments results revealed 3D-GO/U-10 can regenerate and maintain a U(VI) removal capacity of ∼76 % for up to 4 cycles column experiments. Therefore, 3D-GO/U-10 exhibits great potential for removing U(VI) from water bodies.

Fabrication of novel glutathione-Fe3O4-loaded/activated carbon encapsulated sand bionanocomposites for enhanced removal of diethyl phthalate from aqueous environment in a vertical flow reactor

The extensive use of plasticizers in various industries has made Diethyl phthalate (DEP), a serious threat to the environment and ecological water security, owing to its complex-structure and low-biodegradability. Thus, the present study aimed to design a sustainable sand-coated nano glutathione (GSH) -Fe3O4-loaded/activated carbon (AC) bionanocomposite (AC-GSH-Fe3O4@sand bionanocomposite) for effective removal of DEP from water. Characterization results suggested bionanocomposites' rough and irregular texture due to the uneven distribution of AC and Fe3O4 nanoparticles over the sand. The XRD spectra indicated high crystallinity of bionanocomposites, while the FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of all individual components, i.e., GSH, AC, Fe3O4, and sand. EDX-mapping, AFM, and TGA further verified its elemental composition, topographical changes and thermal stability. The influence of pH (3, 7, 9), bed height (2, 4, 6) cm, and flow rate (2.5, 3.5, 4.5) mL min−1 were studied in a dynamic system with an initial DEP concentration of 50 mg L−1 to investigate the removal behavior of the bionanocomposites. The best DEP removal efficiency (90.18 %) was achieved over 28-h at pH 9, bed-height-4 cm, and flow-rate-3.5 mL min−1, with an optimum qmax-200.25 mg g−1 as determined through Thomas-model. Breakthrough curves were predicted using various column models, and the corresponding parameters essential for column-reactor process design were calculated. The high reusability up to the 10th cycle (≥83.32%) and the effective treatment in complex matrices (tap-water: 90.11 %, river-water: 89.72 %, wastewater: 83.83%) demonstrated bionanocomposites’ prominent sustainability. Additionally, the production cost at 6.64 USD per Kg, underscores its potentiality for industrial application. Phytotoxicity assessment on mung-bean revealed better root (5.02 ± 0.27 cm) and shoot (17.64 ± 0.35 cm) growth in the bionanocomposite-treated DEP samples over the untreated samples. Thus, AC-GSH-Fe3O4@sand bionanocomposites could be considered a highly-sustainable, low-cost technique for the effective removal of DEP and other phthalate-esters from contaminated matrices.

Sorption of divalent metal ions by modified carbopol-based adsorbent nanocomposite hydrogel

A new adsorbent, modified Carbopol 934-polyacrylamide network polymer (mCarbo-PAm hydrogel), embedded with silver nanoparticles, has been introduced to remove divalent metal ions. It was prepared by supporting nanosized "Ag" onto a porous modified carbopol 934-polyacrylamide polymer network using free radical polymerization. The nanogels were characterized by different methods, including Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and swelling kinetics. The outcome exhibited that the loading of Ag nanoparticles onto mCarbo-PAm hydrogel was successful in improving the swelling ability of the gel. The nanocomposite hydrogel sorption results indicated that the affinity order was Pb2+(96.52 %) > Cu2+(86.66 %) > Zn2+(69.64 %) at pH 6.7. Which is better than the mCarbo-PAm hydrogel sample: Pb2+(71.78 %) > Cu2+(69.54 %) > Zn2+(33.92 %). The kinetic results showed that sorption follows pseudo-second-order kinetics at pH 6.7. The thermodynamic studies verified that the adsorption processes were nonspontaneous in the case of Pb2+ and spontaneous in the cases of Cu2+ and Zn2+. The observed adsorption process is endothermic in nature. The work also highlights the reusability of the synthesised adsorbent for the metal ion sorption for upto 8 cycles, wherein, no compromise in adsorption capacity was observed till 5th cycle.

Determining the Optimal Intramedullary Screw Canal Fill Ratio in Length Unstable Metacarpal Fractures: A Biomechanical Investigation

Intramedullary (IM) screw fixation is gaining popularity in the treatment of metacarpal fractures. Despite its rapid adoption, there is a paucity of evidence regarding parameters to optimize effectiveness. This study aimed to quantify the relationship between stability, IM screw size, and canal fill using a cadaveric model. Thirty cadaveric metacarpals (14 index, 13 middle, and three ring fingers; mean age: 58.3 years, range: 48-70) were selected to allow for canal fill ratios of 0.7-1.1 for screws sized 3.0, 3.5, and 4.5 mm. Metacarpals underwent a 45° volar-dorsal osteotomy at the midpoint before fixation with an IM screw. Specimens were subjected to 100 cycles of loading at 10 N, 20 N, and 30 N before load-to-failure testing. Correlation coefficients for angular displacement on the final cycle at each load, peak load to failure, and average stiffness were assessed. Correlation coefficients for the angular displacement on the 100th cycle were as follows: 10 N, R= 0.62, 20 N, R= 0.57, and 30N, R= 0.58. Correlation values for peak load to failure as a function of canal fit were as follows: 3.0 mm, R= 0.5, 3.5 mm, R= 0.17, and 4.5 mm, R= 0.44. The canal fill ratio that intersected the line-of-best fit at an angular deformity of 10° was 0.74. Average peak forces for 3.0-, 3.5-, and 4.5-mm screws were 79.5, 136.5, and 179.6 N, respectively. Average stiffness for each caliber was 14.8, 33.4, and 52.3 N/mm. Increasing screw diameter and IM fill resulted in more stable fixation, but marginal gains were seen in ratios >0.9. A minimum fill ratio of 0.74 was sufficient to withstand forces of early active motion with angular deformity <10°. An understanding of the relationship of IM fill ratio of metacarpal screws to fracture stability may provide a framework for clinicians to optimally size these implants.

Synergistic Effects of Bisalt Additives in High-Voltage Rechargeable Lithium Batteries.

The stability of high-energy-density lithium metal batteries (LMBs) heavily relies on the composition of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed on lithium metal anodes. In this study, the inorganic-rich SEI layer was achieved by incorporating bisalts additives into carbonate-based electrolytes. Within this SEI layer, the presence of LiF, polythionate, and Li3N was observed, generated by combining 1.0 м lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide in ethylene carbonate: ethyl methyl carbonate:dimethyl carbonate in a 1 : 1 : 1 volume ratio, with the addition of 2 wt% lithium difluorophosphate and 2 wt% lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate additives (EL-DO). Furthermore, this formulation effectively mitigated corrosion of aluminum current collectors. EL-DO exhibited outstanding performance, including an average coulombic efficiency of 98.2 % in Li||Cu cells and a stable discharge capacity of approximately 162 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles in a Li||LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) configuration. Moreover, EL-DO displayed the potential to enhance the performance not only of LMBs but also of lithium-ion batteries. In the case of Gr||NCM811 cell using EL-DO, it consistently maintained high discharge capacities, even achieving around 135 mAh g-1 after the 100th cycle, surpassing the performance of other electrolytes. This study underscores the synergistic impact of bisalts additives in elevating the performance of lithium batteries.

Removal of brilliant blue and direct black-19 dyes from aqueous solutions using walnut husk-derived Fe–Cu bimetallic nanoparticles embedded in multiwalled carbon nanotubes

In present study aqueous extract of walnut husk was used for the simple, cost-effective synthesis of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) embedded with bimetallic iron-copper (Fe–Cu) nanoparticles, which exhibits adsorption capacity of 769.23 mg/g and 804.50 mg/g for Brilliant Blue (BB) dye and Direct Black (DB-19) dye respectively. The MWCNT@Fe–Cu were characterized by using FTIR, BET, FESEM, EDX, and XRD. The adsorption experiments were conducted by varying concentrations (50 ppm–200 ppm), pH (2.0–11.0), contact time (1 min–5 min), and temperature (30 °C–60 °C) to investigate their effect on adsorption. The adsorption data was best fit with the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model, adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. The adsorption of each dye up to the 5th adsorption/desorption cycle was >95 %. From the 6th cycle to the 20th cycle the adsorption decreased from 97 % to 60.98 % and 95 % to56.76 % in the case of BB dye and DB-19 dye respectively. The unique feature of adsorbent is its pH independence as it showed more than 90 % removal efficiency in acidic as well basic medium. All findings underscore the effectiveness of synthesized MWCNT@Fe–Cu to be used as a potential adsorbent for organic dyes removal from industrial effluent.