Fatty Amines Research Articles

Characterization and Biofabrication of Silver Nanoparticles Utilizing Isochrysis Extract along with its in vitro Antibacterial and Antioxidant Applications

Abstract: Background: At present, bio-green methods are more expedient than physical and chemical approaches due to their prompt, simple, lucrative, scalable and conservational synthesis of nanoparticles. Aim: This study investigates the extracellular biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the ethanolic-hexane extract of Isochrysis sp. (EHEI). Materials and Methods: Biosynthesized AgNPs were nano-characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectra (FTIR), and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) and finally examined for antibacterial and antioxidant activity. Results: The biosynthesis of AgNPs was evidenced with UV-Vis spectra showing surface plasmon resonance (SPR) at 421 nm; fabrication of highly stable, well dispersed, spherical AgNPs with an average size of 64.47 nm which were evidenced by FESEM. The crystalline nature of AgNPs was apparent from the diffraction peaks of XRD. The Zeta potential value of-22.3 mV demonstrated the colloidal stability of AgNPs. FTIR spectra showed that functional groups existing in fatty acids, lipids, proteins, xanthophylls, polyphenols and amines are accountable for the formation and stabilization of AgNPs. GCMS confirmed that biomolecules like fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) are involved in capping, biochemical reduction of Ag+ ions and stabilization of AgNPs. Also, the synthesized NPs displayed high antimicrobial activity against pathogenic G+ve and G-ve bacteria. In vitro antioxidant properties were ascertained by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide and reducing power assays which established that AgNPs have an incomparable scavenging potential than the extracts. Conclusion: Use of such a microalgal system postulates an alternative template for biofabrication of multifunctional nanomaterials in extensive prototype that might be extensively applicable in biomedical sectors. Keywords: Isochrysis, AgNPs, FESEM, GCMS, Antibacterial, Antioxidant.

Reversible Facet Reconstruction of CdSe/CdS Core/Shell Nanocrystals by Facet–Ligand Pairing

Synthesis of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals with defined facet structures is challenging, though such nanocrystals are essential for fully realizing their size-dependent optical and optoelectronic properties. Here, for the mostly developed colloidal wurtzite CdSe/CdS core/shell nanocrystals, facet reconstruction is investigated under typical synthetic conditions, excluding nucleation, growth, and interparticle ripening. Within the reaction time window, two reproducible sets of facets─each with a specific group of low-index facets─can be reversibly reconstructed by switching the ligand system, indicating thermodynamic stability of each set. With a unique <0001> axis, atomic structures of the low-index facets of wurtzite nanocrystals are diverse. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that each facet in a given set is paired with a common ligand in the solution, namely, either fatty amine and/or cadmium alkanoate. The robust bonding modes of ligands are found to be strongly facet-dependent and often unconventional, instead of following Green's classification. Results suggest that facet-controlled nanocrystals can be synthesized by optimal facet-ligand pairing either in synthesis or after-synthesis reconstruction, implying semiconductor nanocrystal formation with size-dependent properties down to an atomic level.

Effects of fatty acid-ethanol amine (FA-EA) derivatives on lipid accumulation and inflammation.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of fatty acid-ethanol amine (FA-EA) derivatives (L1-L10) on the mitigation of intracellular lipid accumulation and downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in vitro. First, the series of FA-EA derivatives were synthesized and characterized. Then, their cytotoxic, intracellular lipid accumulation and inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated. The oil red O staining experiment showed that the tested compounds L4, L6, L8, L9, and L10 could reduce intracellular lipid accumulation induced by palmitic acid (PA). Moreover, ω-3/ω-6 PUFA-EA derivatives showed inhibitory effect on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. ω-3/ω-6 PUFA-EA derivatives at a concentrations of 10μM could significantly decrease mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, inhibit NO production, and alleviate the protein expression of IL-1β in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. These data suggest that ω-3 PUFA-EA derivatives can be beneficial for further pharmaceutical development to treat chronic low-grade inflammation diseases such as obesity.

Synthesis and characterization of N-acyl alkanolamide surfactant from fatty acids and alcohol amines using sodium methoxide catalyst

Surfactant is a substance added to the liquid that improves the spread's properties by weakening the liquid's surface voltage. Surfactants have a molecular structure consisting of hydrophilic groups and hydrophobic groups. Surfactant needs in Indonesia continue to increase along with the development of industries in Indonesia. This study will be synthesized by the N-acyl surfactant alkanolamide using one type of alcohol amine, namely diethanolamine, through a reaction of amidation between fatty acids and using organic solvents tert-amyl alcohol. The catalyst used is a chemical catalyst, namely sodium methoxide. Furthermore, the purpose of this research is to determine the effect of reaction variables and determine the characteristics of the N-acyl alkanolamide surfactant in the form of acidic numbers and spreading numbers. This study showed for lauric acid, palmitate acid, and the best stearate acid at 90 oC reaction temperatures and 2-hour reaction times, while the best succinic acid at 100 oC and a reaction time of 2 hours. The relationship between reaction rate and time is directly proportional; the longer the reaction time, the higher the rate. The conversion relationship with reaction time is directly proportional, where conversion will increase with the increase in reaction time. However, this does not happen to all fatty acids. Due to the increase in reaction time, it will not provide significant results on surfactant products. The relation between the reaction temperature and the conversion acquisition at the time obtained decreased along with the increase in reaction temperatures. The acid numbers in the best conditions in a row are 40.67 for N-palmitoyl diethanolamine, 47.41 for N-lauroyl diethanolamine, 63.11 for N-succinyl diethanolamine, and 22.44 for N-stearoyl diethanolamine. The saponification number in the best conditions in a row is 36.47 for N-palmitoyl diethanolamine, 23.84 for N-lauroyl diethanolamine, 57.50 for N-succinoyl diethanolamine, and 7.01 for N-stearoyl diethanolamine.

Functionalized Magnetite Nanoparticles Using Two New Ionic Liquids for Efficient Oil Spill Cleanup

Recently, magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) have gained great attention for oil spill cleanup due to their unique properties, e.g., high oil removal efficiency, high surface area, and response to an external magnetic field. The efficiency of MNPs for oil spill uptake can be enhanced by functionalizing their surface using different materials. Furthermore, the functionalization of MNP surface using these materials promotes their chemical stability. This study aims to functionalize the surface of magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) using two newly synthesized hydrophobic ionic liquids (ILs) and apply them for oil spill cleanup. ILs were synthesized by the reaction of glycidyl-4-nonyl ether (GE) with fatty amines, either octadecylamine (OA) or dodecylamine (DA), to yield the corresponding amines, GEOA and GEDA, respectively. GEOA and GEDA were quaternized with acetic acid (AA) to produce the corresponding ILs, GEOA-IL and GEDA-IL. The produced ILs, GEOA-IL and GEDA-IL, were applied for the surface modification of magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs), producing surface-modified MNPs, GO-MNPs and GD-MNPs, respectively. GO-MNPs and GD-MNPs were characterized using Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, contact angle, and vibrating sample magnetometer. Their oil removal efficiency (ORE) was investigated at different MNP : crude oil ratios ranging from 1 : 1–1 : 50. GO-MNPs and GD-MNPs showed high ORE even at low MNP ratios. Furthermore, GO-MNPs showed higher oil removal efficiency than GD-MNPs, which may be explained using GEOA-IL containing a longer alkyl chain for MNP surface modification in comparison to GEDA-IL. Furthermore, GO-MNPs and GD-MNPs displayed excellent reusability in five cycles, with a slight decrease in ORE with increasing cycles.

Integrated metabolite analysis and health-relevant in vitro functionality of white, red, and orange maize (Zea mays L.) from the Peruvian Andean race Cabanita at different maturity stages.

The high maize (Zea mays L.) diversity in Peru has been recognized worldwide, but the investigation focused on its integral health-relevant and bioactive characterization is limited. Therefore, this research aimed at studying the variability of the primary and the secondary (free and dietary fiber-bound phenolic, and carotenoid compounds) metabolites of three maize types (white, red, and orange) from the Peruvian Andean race Cabanita at different maturity stages (milk-S1, dough-S2, and mature-S3) using targeted and untargeted methods. In addition, their antioxidant potential, and α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities relevant for hyperglycemia management were investigated using in vitro models. Results revealed a high effect of the maize type and the maturity stage. All maize types had hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids in their free phenolic fractions, whereas major bound phenolic compounds were ferulic acid, ferulic acid derivatives, and p-coumaric acid. Flavonoids such as luteolin derivatives and anthocyanins were specific in the orange and red maize, respectively. The orange and red groups showed higher phenolic ranges (free + bound) (223.9-274.4 mg/100 g DW, 193.4- 229.8 mg/100 g DW for the orange and red maize, respectively) than the white maize (162.2-225.0 mg/100 g DW). Xanthophylls (lutein, zeaxanthin, neoxanthin, and a lutein isomer) were detected in all maize types. However, the orange maize showed the highest total carotenoid contents (3.19-5.87 μg/g DW). Most phenolic and carotenoid compounds decreased with kernel maturity in all cases. In relation to the primary metabolites, all maize types had similar fatty acid contents (linoleic acid > oleic acid > palmitic acid > α-linolenic acid > stearic acid) which increased with kernel development. Simple sugars, alcohols, amino acids, free fatty acids, organic acids, amines, and phytosterols declined along with grain maturity and were overall more abundant in white maize at S1. The in vitro functionality was similar among Cabanita maize types, but it decreased with the grain development, and showed a high correlation with the hydrophilic free phenolic fraction. Current results suggest that the nutraceutical characteristics of orange and white Cabanita maize are better at S1 and S2 stages while the red maize would be more beneficial at S3.

Lipidomic analysis of geopropolis of Brazilian stingless bees by LC-HRMS

Stingless bees (Meliponini) represent over than 500 species, found in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. They produce geopropolis, a resinous natural product containing bioactive compounds, which is commonly used in folk medicine. In the current study, LC-HRMS and bioinformatic tools were used to carry out for the first time the lipidomic analysis of geopropolis from indigenous Brazilian stingless bees. As a result, 61 compounds of several lipid classes were identified with elevated degree of confidence. Then, we demonstrated that lipids in geopropolis are not restricted to waxes and fatty acids; but fatty amides and amines, phenolic lipids, resorcinols, retinoids, abietanoids, diterpenoids, pentacyclic triterpenoids, prostaglandins, retinoids, and steroids were found. In addition, multivariate analysis, based on the lipidomic profile of extracts, reinforces the assumption that the species of stingless bees, as well as the geographical origin are relevant factors to affect geopropolis composition once that the lipidic profile allowed the discrimination of geopropolis in groups related to the geographical origin, bee specie or bee genus. The lipidic profile also suggest a selective forage habits of T. angustula, which seems to collect resins from more specific vegetal sources regardless geographic origin, while other stingless bees, such as M. marginata and M. quadrifasciata, are less selective and may adapt to collect resins from a wider variety of plants.

Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses reveal key metabolic pathways in response to potassium deficiency in coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) seedlings.

Potassium ions (K+) are important for plant growth and crop yield. However, the effects of K+ deficiency on the biomass of coconut seedlings and the mechanism by which K+ deficiency regulates plant growth remain largely unknown. Therefore, in this study, we compared the physiological, transcriptome, and metabolite profiles of coconut seedling leaves under K+-deficient and K+-sufficient conditions using pot hydroponic experiments, RNA-sequencing, and metabolomics technologies. K+ deficiency stress significantly reduced the plant height, biomass, and soil and plant analyzer development value, as well as K content, soluble protein, crude fat, and soluble sugar contents of coconut seedlings. Under K+ deficiency, the leaf malondialdehyde content of coconut seedlings were significantly increased, whereas the proline (Pro) content was significantly reduced. Superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase activities were significantly reduced. The contents of endogenous hormones such as auxin, gibberellin, and zeatin were significantly decreased, whereas abscisic acid content was significantly increased. RNA-sequencing revealed that compared to the control, there were 1003 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the leaves of coconut seedlings under K+ deficiency. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that these DEGs were mainly related to "integral component of membrane," "plasma membrane," "nucleus", "transcription factor activity," "sequence-specific DNA binding," and "protein kinase activity." Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis indicated that the DEGs were mainly involved in "MAPK signaling pathway-plant," "plant hormone signal transduction," "starch and sucrose metabolism," "plant-pathogen interaction," "ABC transporters," and "glycerophospholipid metabolism." Metabolomic analysis showed that metabolites related to fatty acids, lipidol, amines, organic acids, amino acids, and flavonoids were generally down-regulated in coconut seedlings under K+ deficiency, whereas metabolites related to phenolic acids, nucleic acids, sugars, and alkaloids were mostly up-regulated. Therefore, coconut seedlings respond to K+ deficiency stress by regulating signal transduction pathways, primary and secondary metabolism, and plant-pathogen interaction. These results confirm the importance of K+ for coconut production, and provide a more in-depth understanding of the response of coconut seedlings to K+ deficiency and a basis for improving K+ utilization efficiency in coconut trees.

Bacterial Metabolites: A Link between Gut Microbiota and Dermatological Diseases

Dysbiosis has been identified in many dermatological conditions (e.g., psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, systemic lupus erythematosus). One of the ways by which the microbiota affect homeostasis is through microbiota-derived molecules (metabolites). There are three main groups of metabolites: short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), tryptophan metabolites, and amine derivatives including trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). Each group has its own uptake and specific receptors through which these metabolites can exert their systemic function. This review provides up-to-date knowledge about the impact that these groups of gut microbiota metabolites may have in dermatological conditions. Special attention is paid to the effect of microbial metabolites on the immune system, including changes in the profile of the immune cells and cytokine disbalance, which are characteristic of several dermatological diseases, especially psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Targeting the production of microbiota metabolites may serve as a novel therapeutic approach in several immune-mediated dermatological diseases.

New insight into the enhanced ozonation of malodorous compounds by Cu(II): Inhibiting the formation of free radicals to promote ozone utilization.

Metal-enhanced ozonation can greatly improve the decay of organic matter; however, whether this method benefits the decay of malodorous compounds or not and the possible mechanism are not well understood. In this study, nine typical malodorous compounds were selected to reveal that Cu(II)-enhanced ozonation can greatly promote the decay of fatty amines because of the direct ozone oxidation, which was enhanced to promote ozone utilization. Moreover, trace Cu(II) can amplify the observed rate constants of dimethylamine and trimethylamine for 48.9% and 155.7%, respectively, and Cu(II) dosage was the determining factor using response surface methodology to investigate the interactions between initial pH, Cu(II) dosage and ozone dosage. These results demonstrated that the formation of •OH and O2•- was inhibited rather than promoted, which was quite different from some previously reported Cu(II)-enhanced ozonation counterparts. Moreover, the enhanced effect of trace Cu(II) was exhibited in both single and complex malodorous compounds. The conversion pathway of nitrogen and sulfur elements was clarified, with the targeted mineralization of nitrogen of nitrogen-containing malodorous compounds into NO3-N and the odor characteristics of sulfur-containing malodorous compounds disappeared. These findings provided new insight for utilizing metal ions to enhance the direct ozone oxidation capacity of malodorous compounds.

Competitive Hydrodeoxygenation and Hydrodenitrogenation Reactions in the Hydrotreatment of Fatty Acid and Amine Mixtures

Understanding how hydrotreating oxygen-containing compounds together with nitrogen-containing compounds affects the reactivity and selectivity is relevant for processing renewable feedstocks. In this work, competitive hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) reactions were studied by co-hydrotreating palmitic acid (C16 acid) and tetradecylamine (C14 amine) over a Pt/ZrO2 catalyst in a batch reactor. HDO proceeded faster than HDN in the studied system, and the deoxygenation reactions were found to have an inhibitory effect on HDN. Co-hydrotreating the C16 acid and the C14 amine expanded the reaction network from the individual HDO and HDN networks and changed the prevailing reaction pathways, initially in favor of oxygen removal. The formation of heavy secondary amides and amines through condensation reactions became increasingly favored as the share of C16 acid in the feed increased. For a given conversion level, the condensation product selectivity was observed to increase as the reaction temperature was decreased, whereas increasing the reaction temperature promoted the formation of the desired paraffins. This work described the ease of HDO compared to HDN, the role of condensation reactions in the co-hydrotreating reaction network, and the inhibitory effect on HDN thereof.

Study the reuse possibility of tempering lubricant for cold‐rolled strip wet‐rolling processing

AbstractIn the wet rolling process of industrial cold‐rolled strips, the tempering lubricant was discarded after one‐time use, which resulted in huge waste and high costs for wastewater treatment. In order to explore the reuse value and feasibility of the tempering lubricant, the influences of industrial rolling were to be studied first. In the comparison of before and after‐use‐ tempering lubricant, the surface tension decreased by 34%, and the physicochemical indicators such as electrical conductivity, pH, and total alkali value decreased by 4%–14.3%. In terms of the components and related effects, about 15% of heavy organic matter, such as fatty acids and alcohol amine was responsible for lubrication, rust prevention, and corrosion inhibition. These heavy organic solutes would reduce by 2%–6%, with impurities increasing after rolling. However, the waste tempering lubricant still had a high reuse value. Further from the influence of impurities and microorganisms, it was concluded that if the solid powders were filtered out, the bacteriostatic agent was added after 3 days, and the changes in the effective substance concentration of the tempering lubricant were mastered to replace 1/3 of it in time during recycling, then the reuse of the tempering lubricant was feasible.

Protic ionic liquids based on fatty acids: A mixture of ionic and non-ionic molecules

Fatty acids are long chain carboxylic acids naturally and abundantly found in oils and fats; therefore, they are interesting candidates for protic ionic liquids (PILs) synthesis. Mixtures of carboxylic acids and amines should lead to intermediate proton transfer from the acid to the amine to form PILs, with both ionic molecules (PIL) and non-ionic molecules observed in these mixtures, depending on the nature of the amine. This work studied the physicochemical properties of mixtures between fatty acids and amines, with phase transitions, thermal stability, viscosity, solvation (Kamlet-Taft parameters) and proton transfer evaluated. Our results show that like other carboxylic acids the proton transfer is highly dependent on the structure of the amine, being much higher for primary amines than for tertiary amines. Also, hydroxyl groups on tertiary amines increase the proton transfer. The extent of the proton transfer strongly influences the physicochemical properties of the mixtures, where a larger proton transfer leads to a higher melting point and higher viscosity. Also, mixtures based on highly volatile amines decomposed at low temperatures even when a high degree of proton transfer was observed. Surprisingly, mixtures based on butylamine or triethylamine exhibited high hydrogen bond acceptor capacity and low dipolarity-polarizability which is an unusual characteristics of ionic liquids, potentially opening new solvent application space for ionic liquids.

Effect of Different Anti-Stripping Agents on the Rheological Properties of Asphalt

Water damage is one of the main forms of early damage of highway asphalt pavement, which seriously affects the service performance of asphalt pavement. To address the problem of early water damage of asphalt pavement, the addition of anti-stripping agents in asphalt is an effective technical means. To further analyze the influence of anti-stripping agents on asphalt performance, Qingchuan rock asphalt, acylamine anti-stripping agent, fatty amine anti-stripping agent, rock asphalt + acylamine anti-stripping agent and rock asphalt + fatty amine anti-stripping agent were selected to modify the base asphalt. The rheological properties of modified asphalt were tested using a dynamic shear rheometer and bending beam rheometer. Combined with the mathematical-model-fitting test results of Sigmoidal, Burgers, viscoelastic continuum damage model (VECD), etc., the effects of different anti-stripping agents on the rheological properties of asphalt were evaluated through model parameters. The results showed that the Qingchuan rock asphalt could improve the high-temperature resistance to deformation of asphalt and improved the resistance to deformation of asphalt in a wide frequency domain but increased the risk of low-temperature cracking of asphalt. Acylamine anti-stripping agents and aliphatic amine anti-stripping agents reduced the elastic recovery ability and deformation resistance under a wide frequency domain of asphalt at high temperatures but enhanced the flexible deformation and ductility of asphalt at low temperatures. The compound anti-stripping agent not only improved the high-temperature deformation resistance of asphalt, but also improved the deficiency of rock asphalt’s low-temperature performance and effectively enhanced its performance.

A Mechanistic Overview on Impact of Dietary Fibres on Gut Microbiota and Its Association with Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an abnormal growth that occurs in the rectum or rectal portion. In 2020, an anticipated 104,610 new cases of colon illness and 43,340 new cases of rectal abnormal growth were expected in the United States. Red and processed meat, body bloatedness, belly fatness, and binge drinking expands the occurrence of colorectal disease. Dietary fibres contribute to faecal bulking, but they are break down by gut bacteria and produce metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs are chemical compounds that are mostly made up of acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Acetate and butyrate help to control mucus production and discharge, and thus, protect the gut mucosa. Reduced mucus secretion/increased bacterial catabolism, and fermentation of amino acids resulted in an increase of potentially detrimental metabolites such as branched-chain fatty acids, ammonia, amines, and N-nitroso complex components. Vital roles of fibres include reduction in the time that carcinogens encounter the intestinal lumen and promotion of healthy gut microbiota as well as modification of the host metabolism. The present review focuses on a brief introduction to various dietary fibres and specialised metabolites that can possess beneficial effect on CRC, as well as presenting our current, detailed understanding of various dietary fibres along with their potential effects on gut microbiota and its association with the colon cancer. A comprehensive discussion is also included, advocating the dietary fibre-enriched diet.

Effect of methionine hydroxy analog feed supplements: Significant alteration and enrichment of rumen microbiota and metabolome in Hu sheep.

Methionine hydroxy analogs (MHA) are widely used as the main sources of methionine in ruminant feed production. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of using MHA supplements such as MHA as a salt of calcium (MHA-Ca) and 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)-butanoic acid isopropyl ester (HMBi) as sources of methionine on the rumen microbiota and metabolome in Hu sheep. Seventy-two healthy Hu sheep were randomly assigned to three dietary treatment groups: control, MHA-Ca, and HMBi groups. The results showed that the concentrations of total volatile fatty acids, acetate, and propionate were higher in the HMBi group than in the control group. The HMBi and MHA-Ca groups had higher alpha diversity values than those in control group. We compared the rumen microbiota by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. At the phylum level, the HMBi group had a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes and a lower relative abundance of Synergistetes than did the control group. At the genus level, the control group had a higher relative abundance of Treponema_2 than did the HBMi group and a higher relative abundance of Prevotellaceae_UCG_004 than did the MHA-Ca group. Metabolomic analyses revealed that fatty acids, amino acids, lipids, organic acids, sugars, amines, and nucleosides were significantly altered in both MHA-Ca and HMBi groups. Metabolites with significant differences were enriched in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolisms, such as phenylalanine metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, tryptophan metabolism, galactose metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism. Above all, the findings presented in this study indicate that MHA alter the rumen microbiota and metabolites and that different forms of MHA have different impacts. The results of our study contribute to a better understanding of the effects of MHA.

ZnO nanorods loading with fatty amine as composite PCMs device for efficient light-to-thermal and electro-to-thermal conversion

Phase change materials (PCMs) with ideal light-to-thermal conversion efficiency play an important role in solar energy storage and conversion. Hence, we report the fabrication of a novel composite PCMs (CPCMs) device based on ZnO nanorods deposited indium tin oxide (ITO) glass loading with fatty amines. ZnO nanorods were deposited on the ITO glass using a three-electrode electrodeposition method, and 1-Hexadecylamine (HDA) was loaded on the ITO glass via spin-coating, followed by spraying polypyrrole (ppy) on the surface of CPCM device to improve thermal conductivity and solar absorption. The as-prepared CPCM device exhibits excellent light-to-thermal conversion efficiency, achieving a high conversion efficiency of 90.2% obtained at 1sun owing to its high light absorption (80%), enhanced thermal conductivity (improved by 57.8%), and the unique vertical aligned nanorods structure which could significantly decrease tortuosity, thereby reducing thermal route and lowering thermal response time. Furthermore, the electro-to-thermal conversion efficiency of the CPCMs device has also been investigated and the results show that it can reach up to 69.8% under a low voltage of 5 V, indicating that the CPCM device has a high potential in the field of electro-to-thermal conversion. Based on the benefits listed above, the CPCM device may serve an ideal platform for a wide range of solar energy storage and conversion applications.

Roles of gut microbiota and metabolites in overweight and obesity of children.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is an increasing public health problem. Pediatric overweight and obesity result from multiple factors, including genetic background, diet, and lifestyle. In addition, the gut microbiota and their metabolites play crucial roles in the progression of overweight and obesity of children. Therefore, we reviewed the roles of gut microbiota in overweight/obese children. The relationship between pediatric overweight/obesity and gut metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, medium-chain fatty acids, amino acids, amines, and bile acids, are also summarized. Targeting gut microbiota and metabolites might be a promising strategy for interventions aimed at reducing pediatric overweight/obesity.

Carboxylate Group-Based Phase-Selective Organogelators with a pH-Triggered Recyclable Property.

Phase-selective organogelators (PSOGs) have recently attracted more attention because of their advantages in handling oil spills and leaked organic solvents. However, it is difficult to separate and recover the organic phase and PSOGs from organic gels due to the strong interaction between them. Aiming to enhance the separation and recovery performance of the organic phase and PSOGs, we synthesized a series of pH-responsive PSOGs by using itaconic anhydride and fatty amines with carbon chain lengths of C12-C18. Here, PSOGs have an excellent gelation ability in that amounts of organic solvents and fuel oil can be solidified at a low concentration (<3 wt %). It is worth noting that these gels are stronger, which is more convenient for removal by a salvage operation. More importantly, compared with traditional organogelators, pH-responsive PSOGs can easily recover the organic phase and fuel oil with an adjustment of the pH without extraction or distillation. Because of the transformation between the hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of PSOGs by pH stimulation, 83.15% PSOGs are recovered in three-cycle experiments. In addition, the recycled PSOGs can be used to realize the removal of the organic phase again. Herein, we find that pH-responsive PSOGs could be used as promising and sustainable materials for separating and recovering organic solvents/oils and PSOGs.

Novel Foam Stabilized by Fatty Amine Polyether Carboxylate and AOS Binary Blend for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Novel Foam Stabilized by Fatty Amine Polyether Carboxylate and AOS Binary Blend for Enhanced Oil Recovery