Bulk Preparation Research Articles

Development of Proton Conductors with Skelton of Lithium-Ion Conducting Oxides

Efficient solid-oxide fuel cells and electrolyzers require proton-conducting electrolyte materials that exhibit high proton conductivity at intermediate temperatures (300–600 °C), chemical stability against CO2 and H2O, and compatibility with electrode materials. Two well-known classes of proton-conducting inorganic materials exist: solid oxyacids that show high proton conductivity but decompose at relatively low temperatures (≈200 °C) when dehydrated, and perovskite-type oxide refractories that remain stable even in the dehydrated state but exhibit high conductivity only at high temperatures above 600 °C. Significant efforts have been made to develop thermostable oxyacids or perovskite-type oxides showing high proton conductivity at intermediate temperatures.As a new class of proton-conducting materials, alkali–proton-exchanged oxides have gradually gained attention. Unlike perovskite-type oxides, these oxides are likely to experience less electronic current leakage under high oxygen potentials due to the proton being incorporated without oxygen vacancy hydration. This makes them especially suitable for use as solid-state electrolytes in electrolyzers. Recent studies on their proton conductivity have emerged due to advances in bulk preparation methods, such as gigapascal-level compaction, electrochemical ion exchange, or thermally-assisted ion exchange using fatty acids. Several materials with crystal structural frameworks of lithium-ion conducting oxides (e.g., LixAl0.5Co0.5O2, LISICON-type Li14Zn(GeO4)4, NASICON-type LiZr2(PO4)3) have been reported to exhibit high proton conductivity on the order of 10−3 S·cm−1 or higher at intermediate temperatures. [1–5] However, the thermal decomposition of these oxides due to thermodynamic metastability poses a significant issue when used as solid electrolytes in electrolyzers.In this study, proton forms of cubic garnet-type Li7La3Zr2O7 and NASICON-type LiZr2(PO4)3 are synthesized, and their preparation difficulty, proton conductivity, and thermal stability are examined and their differences are discussed. The thermally-assisted ion exchange using fatty acids achieved 91% lithium-proton exchange in Li7La3Zr2O7. However, proton-exchanged Li7La3Zr2O7 decomposed at 325 °C by the dehydration reaction. The conductivity of the proton-exchanged Li7La3Zr2O7 was on the order of 10−4 S·cm−1. Using theoretical calculation, the low conductivity was considered to be due to the isolated configuration of ZrO6, which hinders proton hopping. [6] Conversely, NASICON-type LiZr2(PO4)3 showed only 11% lithium-proton exchange. Instead, HZr2(PO4)3 was synthesized via NH3 desorption reaction from NH4Zr2(PO4)3. While maintaining NASICON-type crystal structure stability up to 600 °C, proton desorption occurred above 500 °C, as indicated by magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) analysis. MAS NMR also suggested the introduction of mobile protons by aliovalent doping to HZr2(PO4)3. Proton hopping along with corner-shared ZrO6–PO4 chains is being considered in this material.

Analytical Techniques for the Determination of Metformin and its Combinations with Oral Antidiabetic Agents in Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms: Combinations with Sulphonylurea Antidiabetic Drugs

The sulfonylurea class of antidiabetic agents includes a range of closely related compounds, allowing for similar analytical approaches when combined with metformin. This article provides a comprehensive review of published methods for determining sulfonylureas and metformin combinations in bulk and pharmaceutical preparations. Various techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thin-layer chromatography (TLC), capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), and spectrophotometric methods have been widely used for these compounds, yielding reliable results. Additionally, the article discusses the number of citations for each method and its specific purpose, offering critical commentary. Keywords: metformin; sulphonylureas; combination; determination; analytical techniques

Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Extruded AZ80 Magnesium Alloy during Room Temperature Multidirectional Forging Based on Twin Deformation Mode.

This study investigates the preparation of ultrahigh-strength AZ80 magnesium alloy bulks using room temperature multidirectional forging (MDF) at different strain rates. The focus is on elucidating the effects of multidirectional loading and strain rates on grain refinement and the subsequent impact on the mechanical properties of the AZ80 alloy. Unlike hot deformation, the alloy subjected to room temperature MDF exhibits a lamellar twinned structure with multi-scale interactions. The key to achieving effective room temperature MDF of the alloy lies in combining multidirectional loading with small forging strains per pass (6%). This approach not only maximizes the activation of twinning to accommodate deformation but ensures sufficient grain refinement. Microstructural analysis reveals that the evolution of the grain structure in the alloy during deformation results from the competition between {101¯2} twinning or twinning variant interactions and detwinning. Increasing the forging rate effectively activates more twin variants, and additional deformation passes significantly enhance twin interaction levels and dislocation density. Furthermore, at a higher strain rate, more pronounced dislocation accumulation facilitates the transformation of twin structures into high-angle grain boundaries, promoting texture dispersion and suppressing detwinning. The primary strengthening mechanisms in room temperature MDF samples are grain refinement and dislocation strengthening. While increased dislocation density raises yield strength, it reduces post-yield work hardening capacity. After two passes of MDF at a higher strain rate, the alloy achieves an optimal balance of strength and ductility, with a tensile strength of 462 MPa and an elongation of 5.1%, significantly outperforming hot-deformed magnesium alloys.

Safety method, Spectrophotometric Determination of Sulfamethaxazole drug in bulk and Pharmaceutical Preparations

A simple, cheap, fast, accurate, Safety and sensitive spectrophotometric method for the determination of sulfamethaxazole (SFMx), in pure form and pharmaceutical dosage forms. has been described The Method is based on the diazotization of the drug by sodium nitrite in acidic medium at 5Cº followed by coupling with salbutamol sulphate (SBS) drug to form orange color the product was stabilized and measured at 452 nm Beer’s law is obeyed in the concentration range of 2.5-87.5 ?g ml-1 with molar absorptivity of 2.5x104 L mole-1 cm-1. All variables including the reagent concentration, reaction time, color stability period, and sulfamethaxazole /salbutamol ratio were studied in order to optimize the reaction conditions. No interferences were observed Results of analysis were validated statistically and by recovery studies. These methods are successfully employed for the determination of sulfamethaxazole in some pharmaceutical preparations.. The developed method is easy to use and accurate for routine studies relative to HPLC and other techniques.

Research on the performance of foamed concrete based on superhydrophobic bulk modification

Foamed concrete is a kind of lightweight insulation material formed by the uniform mixture of foam and cement slurry. The superhydrophobic bulk modification of foamed concrete can reduce its high water absorption and prolong its service life. In this paper, the compatibility of three hydrophobic agents named polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), isoctyltriethoxysilane (ICTS) and SBT®-TIA with foams was studied, and the reasons of incompatibility were revealed. Then, the superhydrophobic bulk foamed concrete system was constructed by physical foaming method, adding polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), calcium stearate (CS), nano-silica (NS) and covering the surface of the specimen with 200-mesh wire mesh. The results show that the maximum contact angles of the meshed surface and the internal polished surface of superhydrophobic foamed concrete were 162.7° and 153.5°, respectively. At the same time, the water absorption rate of the modified specimen was significantly reduced, and the reduction rate was up to 90 %. In addition, the deterioration degree of thermal insulation performance after soaking and the dry shrinkage rate were significantly reduced compared with ordinary foamed concrete. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that increasing the multi-scale roughness could improve the hydrophobic properties of foamed concrete. Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) also confirmed that low surface energy groups such as -CH2 and -CH3 in PDMS bonded to the cement hydration products, indicating the successful preparation of superhydrophobic bulk foamed concrete.

Preparation of fused silica glass micropatterns via gel method using quartz fiber as reinforcer

The preparation of fused silica glass with microstructural patterns has attracted considerable interest, and the process chain of using nano-silica powders mixed with organic polymers to prepare composites for molding, degreasing, and sintering provides a good solution. However, the potential negative effects of organic residues cannot be avoided. In this study, a pattern stencil replication method with silica gel using high-purity quartz fibers as reinforcement is proposed for preparing micropatterned fused silica glass. The microscopic morphology and mechanical properties before and after silica gel drying and the optical properties of fused silica glass obtained by sintering were evaluated via transmission electron microscopy), three-point bending strength test, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction spectrum analysis, ultraviolet–visible and infrared measurements. The results showed that quartz fiber as a reinforcer could shorten the drying time of the gel and did not degrade the quality of the fused silica glass obtained by sintering. Laser confocal test results showed that microlens arrays were generated by template replication, demonstrating the feasibility of molding fused silica lens arrays with small feature sizes and providing new ideas for the preparation of bulk fused silica glass or micropatterned glass.

Ultrahigh temperature ablation resistant HfB2-SiC composites: From liquid SiHfCB precursor synthesis to light weight bulk preparation and characterization

The current generation of ultrahigh temperature ceramic precursors typically encounters obstacles in achieving high ceramic yields (<40 wt.%) due to the challenges in integrating significant amounts of boron, which hampers their conversion into boride-based ultrahigh temperature ceramics. To tackle these challenges, a serious of pioneering liquid multi-component hafnium-containing ceramic SiHfCB precursors (with different Hf/Si ratios) have been developed. These novel precursors are featured with stable molecular structure and high ceramic yield which were successfully created through a novel one-pot polymerization process. They present in liquid form and their structure is characterized by C-C bonds forming its main chain with branched chains of O-Si-O, Si-O-Hf, Si-O-B, and B-O-Hf which have untapped advantages including uniform component dispersion, and excellent fluidity. The ceramic yield of SiHfCB precursor with Hf/Si of 0.2 is remarkably up to 68.6 wt.% at 1500 °C, and their Hf content exceeded 50 wt.%. Of particular interest, the pyrolyzed product HfB2-SiC nanopowders derived from the SiHfCB precursor with Hf/Si of 0.2, consist of nanopowders in the 40–60 nm range with a density of 5.23 g cm−3. Remarkably, this material demonstrates exceptional performance in ultrahigh temperature oxygen-containing environments at 2500 °C, showing near-zero ablation with a linear ablation rate of just 2.5 × 10−4 mm s−1. Post-ablation analysis of the microstructure reveals that the formation of a lava-like HfO2 and HfO2-SiO2 oxide layer effectively blocks oxygen penetration and provides excellent oxidation resistance. The innovative SiHfCB hafnium-containing ceramic precursor offers a groundbreaking solution for the preparation of lightweight ultrahigh-temperature ceramics. This development is poised to provide robust technical support for the use of ultrahigh temperature ceramics in non-ablative thermal protective systems, particularly in the construction of hypersonic vehicles, where ultrahigh temperature resilience is crucial.

Planar defects and strain distributions in polycrystalline BaFe2As2 superconductors synthesized by mechanochemical methods

In this study, the microstructure of polycrystalline Co-doped BaFe2As2 superconducting bulks was comprehensively analyzed. The synthesis process involved ball milling and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS). A strong correlation between the microstructure and synthesis conditions was observed. Specifically, when mechanochemical synthesis of raw metal powders was carried out at a ball milling energy (EBM) of 100 MJ/kg, the resulting Co-BaFe2As2 bulk contained nanograins with a high density of planar defects and exhibited a high critical current density (Jc) under both magnetic and self-fields. The findings suggest that planar defects are one of the influential factors on the superconducting properties. Atomic-resolution microstructural characterization revealed that the planar defects are parallel to (001) and exhibit distinctive atomic arrangements. Atomic-resolution elemental mappings displayed a remarkable barium concentration in planar defects and grain boundaries compared to the BaFe2As2 matrix. Local strain fields were also observed around planar defects, especially near their edges. These nanoscale strain fields could be considered as volumetric pinning centers, and effectively pin flux vortices in the random crystal orientation, thereby increasing Jc in the Fe-based superconducting bulk. Additionally, an extended investigation was performed to include a K-doped BaFe2As2 bulk that exhibits similar planar defects. Based on the results of the microstructural analysis, speculations were mode on the evolution process of the microstructure during the preparation of BaFe2As2 bulks.

Microstructural Nonuniformity of GdBCO Superconductor Bulk

High-temperature superconducting materials REBa2Cu3O7-δ(REBCO or RE123, RE is a rare earth), can widely be used in electric motors, nuclear magnetic resonance and other fields, because these can trap strong magnetic fields. The top-seeded melt-texture growth method is widely chosen in the preparation and performance research of various REBCO superconductor bulks, which can effectively suppress random nucleation and reduce weak connections between grains, etc. However, the superconductor bulks prepared by this method often have the problem of uniformed microstructure. A single-domain GdBCO superconductor bulk with NdBCO single-seed guidance and Y123 liquid source was successfully growth using the top-seeded melt-texture growth method, and the microscopic morphology of the samples were studied, which exhibits the microstructural nonuniformity of GdBCO superconductor bulk. The specimens at different positions, C1, C2 below the seed, P1, P2 below the cross pattern, of the bulk exhibit critical transition temperature, TC , higher than 94.5 K, with a maximum value of 95.9 K, demonstrating superior superconductivity. Cracks and pores are unevenly distributed in GdBCO superconductor bulk, and the pores mainly gather in the area below the seed and far from the upper surface. At the same distance from the upper surface, specimens below the cross pattern have higher self-field JC values (P1>C1, P2>C2) than specimens below the seed, which should be related to the nonuniformity of the pores.

New spectrophotometric determination sulfamethaxazole drug via various analytical techniques in pharmaceutical formulation

The first method on the oxidative coupling Amoxixilin reaction with 2,4- dinitrophenyl hydrazine and Sodium Iodate diluted to produce a soluble red-Orange dye product was devised to estimate the Amoxicillin in bulk and pharmaceutical preparation. The concentration range is between 1 and 50 g/mL. Beer's law is met by the product in terms. With a molar absorptivity of 6.2×103L.mol-1.cm-1 and a correlation coefficient of 0.9995, Sandell's sensitivity is 0.059g.cm-2 at 475 nm. A second technique for determining a trace amount in an aqueous solution product is called cloud point extraction (CPE), and it is based on measurements made with a UV-visible spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 480 nm. The correlation coefficient was 0.9996 and the Beer's law concentration range was 0.25–6 g/mL The molar absorptivity was 103623.79 L.mol-1.cm-1. Pre-concentration 25, detection of limit 0.023 µg/mL. The distribution coefficient (D) was 158.6, and enrichment factor was 28.35. The last method is flow injection analysis, which is straightforward to estimate. The Beer's law concentration range was 2-150 µg / mL, Sandell's sensitivity is 0.13 µg.cm-2 at 475 nm, with a molar absorptivity of 2.8×103 L.mol-1.cm-1 and correlation coefficient was 0.9996, it is successfully used for drug estimation. Qualities in a straightforward situation or pharmacological formulations.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Itaconic Acid as a Comonomer in Betulin-Based Thermosets via Sequential and Bulk Preparation.

The inherent chemical functionalities of biobased monomers enable the production of renewably sourced polymers that further advance sustainable manufacturing. Itaconic acid (IA) is a nontoxic, commercially produced biobased monomer that can undergo both UV and thermal curing. Betulin is a biocompatible, structurally complex diol derived from birch tree bark that has been recently studied for materials with diverse applications. Here, betulin, IA, and biobased linear diacids, 1,12-dodecanedioic acid (C12) and 1,18-octadecanedioic acid (C18), were used to prepare thermosets using sequential and bulk curing methods. Thermoplastic polyester precursors were synthesized and formulated into polyester-methacrylate (PM) resins to produce sequential UV-curable thermosets. Bulk-cured polyester thermosets were prepared using a one-pot, solventless melt polycondensation using glycerol as a cross-linker. The structure-property relationships of the thermoplastic polyester precursors, sequentially prepared PM thermosets, and bulk-cured polyester thermosets were evaluated with varying IA content. Both types of thermosets exhibited higher storage moduli, Tgs, and thermal stabilities with greater IA comonomer content. These results demonstrate the viability of using IA as a comonomer to produce betulin-based thermosets each with tunable properties, expanding the scope of their applications and use in polymeric materials.

H3K9 and H4K20 methyltransferases are directly involved in the heterochromatinization of the paternal chromosomes in male Planococcus citri embryos.

Using a new method for bulk preparation of early stage embryos, we have investigated the role played by putative Planococcus citri H3K9 and H4K20 histone methyl transferases (HMTases) in regulating heterochromatinization of the imprinted paternal chromosomal set in male embryos. We found that H3K9 and H420 HMTases are required for heterochromatinization of the paternal chromosomes. We present evidence that both HMTases maintain the paternal "imprint" during the cleavage divisions when both parental chromosome sets are euchromatic. A testable model that accommodates our findings is proposed.

Preparation and properties of bulk ZnO/MoS2 nanocomposite by cold sintering process with three-component solvent

Preparation and properties of bulk ZnO/MoS2 nanocomposite by cold sintering process with three-component solvent

Green-adapted spectrophotometric determination of fostemsavir based on selective bromophenol blue extraction; reduction of hazardous consumption using computational calculations

A computationally-assisted and green spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of fostemsavir, a recently FDA-approved drug used in combination with antiretroviral drugs to treat multidrug-resistant HIV-1 infection. The method was developed using computational studies and solvent selection based on green chemistry principles. The density functional theory method was employed to identify bromophenol blue as the preferred acid dye for efficient extraction of fostemsavir. The solvent selection process involved a careful evaluation of the green ranking of solvents, which led to the use of water as the solvent. The method involved the extraction of fostemsavir with bromophenol blue to form a yellow ion-pair complex, which exhibited maximally sharp peaks at 418 nm, enabling sensitive visible spectrophotometric determination of fostemsavir in bulk and pharmaceutical preparations. The extraction procedures were optimized, and the method was demonstrated to be sensitive over the concentration range of 2–12 μg/mL fostemsavir. Furthermore, the method was evaluated with respect to green chemistry principles using the analytical eco-scale, the green analytical method index, and analytical greenness metric approach, all of which confirmed that the data obtained by the proposed method were environmentally acceptable.

Mechanistic study for drug induced cholestasis using batch-fabricated 3D spheroids developed by agarose-stamping method

Cell spheroid culture can recapitulate the tissue microstructure and cellular responses in vivo. While there is a strong need to understand the modes of toxic action using the spheroid culture method, existing preparation techniques suffer from low efficiency and high cost. Herein, we developed a metal stamp containing hundreds of protrusions for batch bulk preparation of cell spheroids in each well of the culture plates. The agarose matrix imprinted by the stamp can form an array of hemispherical pits, which facilitated the fabrication of hundreds of uniformly sized rat hepatocyte spheroids in each well. Chlorpromazine (CPZ) was used as a model drug to investigate the mechanism for drug induced cholestasis (DIC) by agarose-stamping method. Hepatocyte spheroids showed a more sensitive detection of hepatotoxicity compared to 2D and Matrigel-based culture systems. Cell spheroids were also collected for staining of cholestatic protein and showed a CPZ-concentration-dependent decrease of bile acid efflux related proteins (BSEP and MRP2) and tight junction (ZO-1). In addition, the stamping system successfully delineated the DIC mechanism by CPZ that may be associated with the phosphorylation of MYPT1 and MLC2, two central proteins in the Rho-associated protein kinase pathway (ROCK), which were significantly attenuated by ROCK inhibitors. Our results demonstrated a large-scale fabrication of cell spheroids by the agarose-stamping method, with promising benefits for exploring the mechanisms for drug hepatotoxic responses.

A Chiral Metal-Organic Framework Prepared on Large-Scale for Sensitive and Enantioselective Fluorescence Recognition.

MOF-based luminescent sensors have garnered considerable attention due to their potential in recognition and discrimination with high sensitivity, selectivity, and fast response in the last decades. Herein, this work describes the bulk preparation of a novel luminescent homochiral MOF, namely, [Cd(s-L)](NO3)2 (MOF-1), from an enantiopure pyridyl-functionalized ligand with rigid binaphthol skeleton under mild synthetic condition. Except for the features of porosity and crystallinity, the MOF-1 has also been characterized with water-stability, luminescence, and homochirality. Most important, the MOF-1 exhibits highly sensitive molecular recognition toward the4-nitrobenzoic acid (NBC) and moderate enantioselective detection of proline, arginine, and 1-phenylethanol.

Abstract LB082: The CytoR1: a standardized dielectrophoretic platform for label free sorting

Abstract Dielectrophoresis (DEP), a label-free electrokinetic technique, has a long history of being used to characterize and separate target subpopulations from mixed samples. A large body of literature has investigated these parameters with unique setups and limited cell varieties. The technical challenge of the technique coupled with the uncertainty in the breadth of data has limited the commercialization and widespread adoption of DEP for biological applications. The work presented here aims to evaluate a range of prior applications of DEP on a standardized platform. A variety of cell types were characterized and compared to literature values considering variables such as frequency, voltage, and flow rate. Once a cell type’s frequency response curve is generated, it is possible to design workflows to enrich that cell type from a bulk mixture, without antibody labeling. Here, we test various cell types and characteristics on a microfluidics-based, benchtop cell sorting technology, the CytoR1. First, the CytoR1 successfully facilitated the separation of ovarian cancer stem cells (CSCs) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), both from mice. From a 56.2% CSCs and 43.8% PMBCs co-culture, we were able to deplete 50% of the PMBCs while retaining the original CSC population. Further work investigated the ability to sort neuron subpopulations. Live neurons can be isolated from a bulk preparation and further enriched by size and phenotype with varying voltage and frequency settings. By modulating voltage and flow rate in addition to frequency, a distinct population of small neurons can be isolated for further study. Finally, cell state can be investigated. Red blood cells were characterized in both their native and oxidatively stressed states. Curves show a distinct shift towards higher frequencies with increasing oxidative stress suggesting the ability to separate these populations from each other. Together these data suggest the versatility of a robust, DEP-based sorting platform, the CytoR1, for label free cell sorting. Citation Format: Dean E. Thomas, Katherine E. Degen, Ridi Barua, Andrea Bertke, Erin A. Henslee, Alexandra R. Hyler. The CytoR1: a standardized dielectrophoretic platform for label free sorting [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 2 (Clinical Trials and Late-Breaking Research); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(8_Suppl):Abstract nr LB082.

Recent revelations and future directions using single-cell technologies in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a clinically and biologically heterogeneous disease with varying outcomes. In the last decade, the application of next-generation sequencing technologies has allowed extensive mapping of disease-specific genomic, epigenomic, immunogenetic, and transcriptomic signatures linked to CLL pathogenesis. These technologies have improved our understanding of the impact of tumor heterogeneity and evolution on disease outcome, although they have mostly been performed on bulk preparations of nucleic acids. As a further development, new technologies have emerged in recent years that allow high-resolution mapping at the single-cell level. These include single-cell RNA sequencing for assessment of the transcriptome, both of leukemic and non-malignant cells in the tumor microenvironment; immunogenetic profiling of B and T cell receptor rearrangements; single-cell sequencing methods for investigation of methylation and chromatin accessibility across the genome; and targeted single-cell DNA sequencing for analysis of copy-number alterations and single nucleotide variants. In addition, concomitant profiling of cellular subpopulations, based on protein expression, can also be obtained by various antibody-based approaches. In this review, we discuss different single-cell sequencing technologies and how they have been applied so far to study CLL onset and progression, also in response to treatment. This latter aspect is particularly relevant considering that we are moving away from chemoimmunotherapy to targeted therapies, with a potentially distinct impact on clonal dynamics. We also discuss new possibilities, such as integrative multi-omics analysis, as well as inherent limitations of the different single-cell technologies, from sample preparation to data interpretation using available bioinformatic pipelines. Finally, we discuss future directions in this rapidly evolving field.

Water Soluble PMPC-Derived Bright Fluorescent Nitrogen/Phosphorous-Doped Carbon Dots for Fluorescent Ink (Anti-Counterfeiting) and Cellular Multicolor Imaging.

Here, a simple one-step hydrothermal-assisted carbonization process was adopted for the preparation of nitrogen/phosphorous-doped carbon dots from a water-soluble polymer, poly 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine (PMPC). By the free-radical polymerization method, PMPC was synthesized using 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) and 4,4'-azobis (4-cyanovaleric acid). The water-soluble polymers, PMPC, that have nitrogen/phosphorus moieties are used to prepare carbon dots (P-CDs). The resulting P-CDs were thoroughly characterized by various analytical techniques such as field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), high-resolution transmittance electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy to determine their structural and optical properties. The synthesized P-CDs displayed bright/durable fluorescence, were stable for long periods, and confirmed the enrichment of functionalities including oxygen, phosphorus, and nitrogen heteroatoms in the carbon matrix. Since the synthesized P-CDs showed bright fluorescence with excellent photostability, excitation-dependent fluorescence emission, and excellent quantum yield (23%), it has been explored as a fluorescent (security) ink for drawing and writing (anti-counterfeiting). Further, cytotoxicity study results advised for biocompatibility and thus were used for cellular multicolor imaging in nematodes. This work not only demonstrated the preparation of CDs from polymers that can be used as advanced fluorescence ink, a bioimaging agent for anti-counterfeiting, and cellular multicolor imaging candidate, but additionally prominently opened a new perspective on the bulk preparation of CDs simply and efficiently for various applications.

Preparation of two-dimensional sodium-boron phosphide nanosheets used for Na-ion hybrid supercapacitor devices

The development of high-performance sodium-ion hybrid supercapacitors (NISCs) are assembled using facile bulk preparations of sodium boron phosphide (Na-BP) nanosheets as the negative electrode (battery type) and mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) as the positive electrode (capacitor type). The Na-BP is optimized through different annealing temperatures ranging from 700 to 900 °C under an inert atmosphere. The structural and morphological characterization of the as-prepared materials were investigated by XRD, micro-laser RAMAN, FE-SEM and FE-TEM. The hybrid NISCs were assembled with an Na-BP-700//MCMB, Na-BP-800//MCMB and Na-BP-900//MCMB device configuration with a wide potential of 1–4 V vs. (Na/Na+) and their revealed a gravimetric specific capacitance (Csp) of 48.66 F/g, 83.33 F/g and 125 F/g @ 0.1 A/g, respectively. Finally, Na-BP-900//MCMB device is exhibiting excellent capacity retention of 73.52% even after 10,000 cycles at 0.3 A/g. Moreover, sodium boron phosphide (Na-BP) facile preparations by annealing method and efficient scaleable process for preparing without pre-sodiations for future hybrid supercapacitor devices.