Fe3 O4 Research Articles

Optimization of Magnetic Dielectric Nanocomposites Obtained by Facile and Low-Cost Fabrication for Effective Absorption of Electromagnetic Waves

This work presents the synthesis of Fe3 O4 nanoparticles (FNPs) and nanocomposites (NCs) of FNPs and functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) at varying weight ratios for application in 8–18 GHz electromagnetic waves (EMW) absorbers. Their dielectric, magnetic, and structural characteristics were also examined. To create the desired NCs, CNTs are first mixed with FNPs at various weight ratios. The magnetic properties of the samples were ascertained using a vibrating sample magnetometer, and the dielectric properties of all the samples were examined by a vector network analyzer at room temperature after the crystal structure of the samples was determined by X-ray diffraction, surface morphology, and elemental analysis by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Fe3 O4 @CNTs NCs in six different weight ratios (NC1 -NC6 ) were prepared. Sample NC3 , with a thickness of 2.25 mm, exhibited the greatest loss in the X band, measuring -27.07 dB, out of all the samples. Additionally, the NC4 sample which has a thickness of 5.00 mm, had the best loss, which came in at -38.21 dB in the Ku band. A data-driven method developed for multi-parameter optimization was then used to find out the optimal ratio weight ratio and sample thickness based on the experimental data. Samples with minimum reflection loss -34.1 dB (-41.5 dB), and others with effective bandwidth coving 69.0 % (71.4 %) in the X band (Ku band) were obtained.

Tunable 2D Electron- and 2D Hole States Observed at Fe/SrTiO3 Interfaces.

Oxide electronics provide the key concepts and materials for enhancing silicon-based semiconductor technologies with novel functionalities. However, a basic but key property of semiconductor devices still needs to be unveiled in its oxidic counterparts: the ability to set or even switch between two types of carriers-either negatively (n) charged electrons or positively (p) charged holes. Here, direct evidence for individually emerging n- or p-type 2D band dispersions in STO-based heterostructures is provided using resonant photoelectron spectroscopy. The key to tuning the carrier character is the oxidation state of an adjacent Fe-based interface layer: For Fe and FeO, hole bands emerge in the empty bandgap region of STO due to hybridization of Ti- and Fe- derived states across the interface, while for Fe3O4 overlayers, an 2D electron system is formed. Unexpected oxygen vacancy characteristics arise for the hole-type interfaces, which as of yet hadbeen exclusively assigned to the emergence of 2DESs. In general, this finding opens up the possibility to straightforwardly switch the type of conductivity at STO interfaces by the oxidation state of a redox overlayer. This will extend the spectrum of phenomena in oxide electronics, including the realization of combined n/p-type all-oxide transistors or logicgates.

Electron Aggregation and Oxygen Fixation Reinforced Microwave Dynamic and Thermal Therapy for Effective Treatment of MRSA-Induced Osteomyelitis.

Antibiotics are frequently used to clinically treat osteomyelitis caused by bacterial infections. However, extended antibiotic use may result in drug resistance, which can be life threatening. Here, a heterojunction comprising Fe2O3/Fe3S4 magnetic composite is constructed to achieve short-term and efficient treat osteomyelitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The Fe2O3/Fe3S4 composite exhibits powerful microwave (MW) absorption properties, thereby effectively converting incident electromagnetic energy into thermal energy. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that Fe2O3/Fe3S4 possesses significant charge accumulation and oxygen-fixing capacity at the heterogeneous interface, which provides more active sites and oxygen sources for trapping electromagnetic hotspots. The finite element analysis indicates that Fe2O3/Fe3S4 displays a larger electromagnetism field enhancement parameter than Fe2O3 owing to a significant increase in electromagnetic hotspots. These hotspots contribute to charge differential accumulation and depletion motions at the interface, thereby augmenting the release of free electrons that subsequently combine with the oxygen adsorbed by Fe2O3/Fe3S4 to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and heat. This research, which achieves extraordinary bacterial eradication through the synergistic effect of microwave thermal therapy (MWTT) and microwave dynamic therapy (MDT), presents a novel strategy for treating deep-tissue bacterial infections.

Engineered Bio-Heterojunction Confers Extra- and Intracellular Bacterial Ferroptosis and Hunger-Triggered Cell Protection for Diabetic Wound Repair.

Nanomaterial-mediated ferroptosis has garnered considerable interest in the antibacterial field, as it invokes the disequilibrium of ion homeostasis and boosts lipid peroxidation in extra- and intracellular bacteria. However, current ferroptosis-associated antibacterial strategies indiscriminately pose damage to healthy cells, ultimately compromising their biocompatibility. To address this daunting issue, this work has designed a precise ferroptosis bio-heterojunction (F-bio-HJ) consisting of Fe2 O3 , Ti3 C2 -MXene, and glucose oxidase (GOx) to induce extra-intracellular bacteria-targeted ferroptosis for infected diabetic cutaneous regeneration. Fe2 O3 /Ti3 C2 -MXene@GOx (FMG) catalytically generates a considerable amount of ROS which assaults the membrane of extracellular bacteria, facilitating the permeation of synchronously generated Fe2+ /Fe3+ into bacteria under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, causing planktonic bacterial death via ferroptosis, Fe2+ overload, and lipid peroxidation. Additionally, FMG facilitates intracellular bacterial ferroptosis by transporting Fe2+ into intracellular bacteria via inward ferroportin (FPN). With GOx consuming glucose, FMG creates hunger protection which helps macrophages escape cell ferroptosis by activating the adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway. In vivo results authenticate that FMG boosts diabetic infectious cutaneous regeneration without triggering ferroptosis in normal cells. As envisaged, the proposed tactic provides a promising approach to combat intractable infections by precisely terminating extra-intracellular infection via steerable ferroptosis, thereby markedly elevating the biocompatibility of therapeutic ferroptosis-mediated strategies.

Modeling and Simulation of a High-Performance Magnetic Biosensor for Biomedical Sensing

The current magnetic-based biosensor technologies are expensive and intricate, making them unsuitable for meeting the requirements of point-of-care medical diagnosis. This research introduces a straightforward magnetic biosensor architecture that includes an L-shaped ferromagnetic core with UL dimensions. The design involves an air gap being replaced with highly porous aluminum or copper foam, offering a potentially cost-effective and uncomplicated solution for point-of-care diagnosis based on the magnetic field effect. The foam serves as a medium for hosting biological samples, such as proteins and DNA, which are labeled with high-permeability ferromagnetic nanoparticles. The biosensor operates by detecting labeled biological molecules through magnetic field interactions. The electrical parameters of the system underwent methodical optimization to enhance overall performance. The investigation delved into the influence of various materials on the magnetic properties of the air gap. It also examined the relationships between permeability, output-induced voltage, input voltage, and input frequency. The findings reveal that utilizing materials with elevated magnetic permeability, such as Magnetite (Fe3 O4 ) or Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2 O4 ) ferrofluids, significantly enhances the biosensor's performance by optimizing magnetic coupling between primary and secondary windings. This innovative magnetic biosensor exhibits potential applications in diverse fields, including molecular biology and medical diagnostics. The study contributes valuable insights into the design and optimization of magnetic biosensors, offering opportunities for heightened sensitivity and selectivity in the detection of ferromagnetic nanoparticles labeled biomolecules such as DNA or proteins.

Methamphetamine Removal from Aquatic Environments by Magnetic Microrobots with Cyclodextrin Chiral Recognition Elements.

The growing consumption of drugs of abuse together with the inefficiency of the current wastewater treatment plants toward their presence has resulted in an emergent class of pollutants. Thus, the development of alternative approaches to remediate this environmental threat is urgently needed. Microrobots, combining autonomous motion with great tunability for the development of specific tasks, have turned into promising candidates to take on the challenge. Here, hybrid urchin-like hematite (α-Fe2O3) microparticles carrying magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles and surface functionalization with organic β-cyclodextrin (CD) molecules are prepared with the aim of on-the-fly encapsulation of illicit drugs into the linked CD cavities of moving microrobots. The resulting mag-CD microrobots are tested against methamphetamine (MA), proving their ability for the removal of this psychoactive substance. A dramatically enhanced capture of MA from water with active magnetically powered microrobots when compared with static passive CD-modified particles is demonstrated. This work shows the advantages of enhanced mass transfer provided by the externally controlled magnetic navigation in microrobots that together with the versatility of their design is an efficient strategy to clean polluted waters.

In Situ Biosynthesis of FeS Nanoparticles Boosts Current Generation in Bioelectrochemical Systems Through Efficient Electron Transfer.

The utility of electrochemical active biofilm in bioelectrochemical systems has received considerable attention for harvesting energy and chemical products. However, the slow electron transfer between biofilms and electrodes hinders the enhancement of performance and still remains challenging. Here, using Fe3O4 /L-Cys nanoparticles as precursors to induce biomineralization, a facile strategy for the construction of an effective electron transfer pathway through biofilm and biological/inorganic interface is proposed, and the underlying mechanisms are elucidated. Taking advantage of an on-chip interdigitated microelectrode array (IDA), the conductive current of biofilm that is related to the electron transfer process within biofilm is characterized, and a 2.10-fold increase in current output is detected. The modification of Fe3O4/L-Cys on the electrode surface facilitates the electron transfer between the biofilm and the electrode, as the bio/inorganic interface electron transfer resistance is only 16% compared to the control. The in-situ biosynthetic Fe-containing nanoparticles (e.g., FeS) enhance the transmembrane EET and the EET within biofilm, and the peak conductivity increases 3.4-fold compared to the control. The in-situ biosynthesis method upregulates the genes involved in energy metabolism and electron transfer from the transcriptome analysis. This study enriches the insights of biosynthetic nanoparticles on electron transfer process, holding promise in bioenergy conversion.

2D Film-Like Magnetic SERS Tag with Enhanced Capture and Detection Abilities for Immunochromatographic Diagnosis of Multiple Bacteria.

Here, a multiplex surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-immunochromatography (ICA) platform is presented using a graphene oxide (GO)-based film-like magnetic tag (GFe-DAu-D/M) that effectively captures and detects multiple bacteria in complex specimens. The 2D GFe-DAu-D/M tag with universal bacterial capture ability is fabricated through the layer-by-layer assembly of one layer of small Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and two layers of 30nm AuNPs with a 0.5nm built-in nanogap on monolayer GO nanosheets followed by co-modification with 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (MPBA) and 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid).The GFe-DAu-D/M enabled the rapid enrichment of multiple bacteria by MPBA and quantitative analysis of target bacteria on test lines by specific antibodies, thus achieving multiple signal amplification of magnetic enrichment effect and multilayer dense hotspots and eliminating matrix interference in real-world applications. The developed technology can directly and simultaneously diagnose three major pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhimurium) with detection limits down to the level of 10cellsmL-1. The good performance of the proposed method in the detection of real urinary tract infection specimens is also demonstrated, suggesting the great potential of the GFe-DAu-D/M-ICA platform for the highly sensitive monitoring of bacterial infections or contamination.

Preparation of carbon-coated Fe2 O3 @Ti3 C2 Tx composites by mussel-like modifications as high-performance anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Fe2 O3 with high theoretical capacity (1007 mA h g-1 ) and low cost is a potential anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but its practical application is restricted by its low electrical conductivity and large volume changes during lithiation/delithiation. To solve these problems, Fe2 O3 @Ti3 C2 Tx composites were synthesized by a mussel-like modification method, which relies on the self-polymerization of dopamine under mild conditions. During polymerization, the electronegative group (-OH) on dopamine can easily coordinate with Fe3+ ions as well as form hydrogen bonds with the -OH terminal group on the surface of Ti3 C2 Tx , which induces a uniform distribution of Fe2 O3 on the Ti3 C2 Tx surface and mitigates self-accumulation of MXene nanosheets. In addition, the polydopamine-derived carbon layer protects Ti3 C2 Tx from oxidation during the hydrothermal process, which can further improve the electrical conductivity of the composites and buffer the volume expansion and particle agglomeration of Fe2 O3 . As a result, Fe2 O3 @Ti3 C2 Tx anodes exhibit ~100 % capacity retention with almost no capacity loss at 0.5 A g-1 after 250 cycles, and a stable capacity of 430 mA h g-1 at 2 A g-1 after 500 cycles. The unique structural design of this work provides new ideas for the development of MXene-based composites in energy storage applications.

Enhanced Electrochemical Characterization of the Immune Checkpoint Protein PD-L1 using Aptamer-Functionalized Magnetic Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is highly expressed in cancer cells and participates in the immune escape process of tumor cells. However, as one of the most promising biomarkers for cancer immunotherapy monitoring, the key problem ahead of practical usage is how to effectively improve the detection sensitivity of PD-L1. Herein, an electrochemical aptasensor for the evaluation of tumor immunotherapy is developed based on the immune checkpoint protein PD-L1. The fundamental principle of this method involves the utilization of DNA nanotetrahedron (NTH)-based capture probes and aptamer-modified magnetic metal-organic framework nanocomposites as signaling probes. A synergistic enhancement is observed in the electrocatalytic effect between Fe3O4 and UiO-66 porous shells in Fe3O4@UiO-66 nanocomposites. Therefore, the integration of aptamer-modified Fe3O4@UiO-66@Au with NTH-assisted target immobilization as an electrochemical sensing platform can significantly enhance sensitivity and specificity for target detection. This method enables the detection of targets at concentrations as low as 7.76 pgmL-1 over a wide linear range (0.01 to 1000ngmL-1). The authors have successfully employed this sensor for in situ characterization of PD-L1 on the cell surface and for monitoring changes in PD-L1 expression during drug therapy, providing a cost-effective yet robust alternative to highly expensive and expertise-dependent flow cytometry.

A magnetic molecular imprinting-based fluorescence probe for sensitive and selective detection of 2,4-D herbicide.

A new magnetic molecular imprinting-based turn-on fluorescence probe (Fe3 O4 NPs@SiO2 @NBD@MIPs) has been synthesized via a facile sol-gel polymerization for the detection of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Based on the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) of nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD), 2,4-D can be recognized by enhancement of NBD fluorescence. With the presence of Fe3 O4 in the core of the probe, this sensor can also be reused many times using magnetic aggregation methods. After the addition of various concentrations of 2,4-D, the fluorescence peak at 530 nm (excitation of 468 nm) increased linearly ranging from 0.1 to 3μM with a detection limit of 0.023 μM. This sensing system is believed to be available for detecting 2,4-D in real samples, with high recovery rates ranging from 94% to 108% for three spike levels of 2,4-D with precisions below 5%.

Adsorption of AR114 onto humic acid-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles

In this study, Fe3O4 and humic acid-modified Fe3O4 (Fe3O4@HA) magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized and used for the removal of Acid Red 114 (AR114) dyestuff from aqueous. The batch adsorption method was used for the experiments. The magnetic nanoparticles, synthesised by an inexpensive and environmentally friendly precipitation process, were characterised by FTIR, SEM-EDX, BET surface area, and XRD analyses. The optimum pH values determined for Fe3O4 and Fe 3O4@HA were the original pH (6.4) and 4, respectively. The equilibrium state was reached after 60 minutes for both adsorbents. The values for Fe 3O4 and Fe3O4@HA were determined as 3.4 mg/g and 3.1 mg/g, respectively, when 10 mg/l initial dyestuff concentration and 2 g adsorbent were used. The results obtained in the adsorption experiments performed for both adsorbents were compatible with the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo- second-order kinetic model. Fe3O4 was found to be more efficient than Fe3O4@HA in terms of reuse and Fe3O4 can be used 5 times without any significant loss of adsorption capacity. The results showed that Fe3O4 and Fe3O4@HA can be environmentally friendly alternative adsorbents for the removal of hazardous azo dyestuffs from water, and have regeneration possibilities.

Ultrasound-Stimulated "Exocytosis" by Cell-Like Microbubbles Enhances Antibacterial Species Penetration and Immune Activation Against Implant Infection.

Host immune systems serving as crucial defense lines are vital resisting mechanisms against biofilm-associated implant infections. Nevertheless, biofilms hinder the penetration of anti-bacterial species, inhibit phagocytosis of immune cells, and frustrate host inflammatory responses, ultimately resulting in the weakness of the host immune system for biofilm elimination. Herein, a cell-like construct is developed through encapsulation of erythrocyte membrane fragments on the surface of Fe3 O4 nanoparticle-fabricated microbubbles and then loaded with hydroxyurea (EMB-Hu). Under ultrasound (US) stimulation, EMB-Hu undergoes a stable oscillation manner to act in an "exocytosis" mechanism for disrupting biofilm, releasing agents, and enhancing penetration of catalytically generated anti-bacterial species within biofilms. Additionally, the US-stimulated "exocytosis" by EMB-Hu can activate pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization and enhance macrophage phagocytosis for clearance of disrupted biofilms. Collectively, this work has exhibited cell-like microbubbles with US-stimulated "exocytosis" mechanisms to overcome the biofilm barrier and signal macrophages for inflammatory activation, finally achieving favorable therapeutic effects against implant infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilms.

Pentlandite and its alteration products in serpentinites of the Itkulsky ultrabasic massif (Southern Urals)

The relevance of the work is due to the need to study the mineralogy of the only indigenous manifestation of jewelry olivine within the Ural region. The purpose of the work is to study pentlandite and the products of its supergene alteration in serpentinites of the Itkulsky ultrabasic massif in the Southern Urals. Research methodology. The composition of some minerals was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope JSM6390LV from Jeol with an energy dispersive attachment INCA Energy 450 X-Max 80 from Oxford Instruments (analyst L. V. Leonova). The same instrument was used to obtain images of minerals in BSE (back-scattered electron) mode. X-ray structural study of minerals was carried out on an XRD-7000 X-ray diffractometer from Shimadzu with polycapillary optics and a high-temperature attachment NTK-1200N from Anton Paar for operation in the temperature range 25–1500 °C (analyst O. L. Galakhova). Conditions: copper radiation, V = 40 kV, I = 30 mA, step size – 0.02°. Results. Pentlandite is the main sulfide mineral of antigorite serpentinites; it is characterized by a fairly pure chemical composition; the only impurities in the mineral are cobalt (from 0 to 1.18 wt. %). According to the Ni/Fe ratio, the sulfide belongs to nickel and pentlandite proper. Smythite replaces pentlandite grains along the cracks and at the edges. Chemical composition, wt. %: S – 40.81; Fe – 37.65; Co – 1.66; Ni – 19.87, well calculated for the crystal chemical formula of smythite – (Fe5.83Ni2.93Co0.24)9.00S11.00. Cronstedtite replaces the pentlandite matrix in the form of veined segregations. It is distinguished by its chemical composition: SiO2 – 17,82; Fe2 O3 – 40,00; NiO – 11,02; FeO – 18,06; MnO – 0,57; MgO – 2,23; CaO – 1,30; H2 O – 9,00 (by difference in accordance with the standard), which is calculated based on the crystal chemical formula of Ni-Mg-bearing cronstedtite – (Fe2+ 0.95Ni0.71Mg0.21Ca0.09Mn0.03)1.99Fe3+ 1.01[(Si1.12Fe3+ 0.88)2.00O5 ](OH)3.80. Conclusions. Pentlandite from antigorite serpentinites of the Itkulsky ultrabasic massif (Southern Urals) was studied. Under the influence of weathering processes, most of the pentlandite grains were partially replaced by secondary sulfide – smythite and ferruginous serpentine – cronstedtite.

Preparation of branched polyethyleneimine-assisted boronic acid-functionalized magnetic MXene for the enrichment of catecholamines in urine samples.

Herein, a magnetic borate-functionalized MXene composite with multiple boronic affinity sites was fabricated by embedding Fe3 O4 nanoparticles with 4-formylphenylboronic acid functionalized Ti3 C2 Tx nanosheets and served as sorbent for the simultaneous extraction of catecholamines (CAs) in urine samples. The morphology and structure of the magnetic materials were investigated using scanning microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, and X-ray diffraction. The introduction of polyethyleneimine can amplify the bonded boronic acid groups, thereby effectively improving the adsorption capacities for CAs based on the multiple interactions of boronic affinity, hydrogen bonding, and metal coordination. The adsorption performance was investigated using the kinetics and isotherms models, and the main parameters that influence the extraction efficiency were optimized. Under the most favorable magnetic solid-phase extraction condition, a sensitive method for the analysis of CAs in urine samples was developed by combining magnetic solid-phase extraction conditions with high-performance liquid chromatography detection. The findings illustrated that the proposed approach possessed a wide linearity range of 0.05-250ng/mL with an acceptable correlation coefficient (R2 ≥0.9984) and detection limits of 0.010-0.015ng/mL for the target CAs. The research not only provides a notable composite with multiple boronic affinity sites but also offers an effective and feasible measure for the detection of CAs in biological samples.

Spin-Polarized Surface Capacitance Effects Enable Fe3 O4 Anode Superior Wide Operation-Temperature Sodium Storage.

Fe3 O4 is widely investigated as an anode for ambient sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), but its electrochemical properties in the wide operation-temperature range have rarely been studied. Herein, the Fe3 O4 nanoparticles, which are well encapsulated by carbon nanolayers, are uniformly dispersed on the graphene basal plane (named Fe3 O4 /C@G) to be used as the anode for SIBs. The existence of graphene can reduce the size of Fe3 O4 /C nanoparticles from 150 to 80nm and greatly boost charge transport capability of electrode, resulting in an obvious size decrease of superparamagnetic Fe nanoparticles generated from the conversion reaction from 5 to 2nm. Importantly, the ultra-small superparamagnetic Fe nanoparticles (≈2nm) can induce a strong spin-polarized surface capacitance effect at operating temperatures ranging from -40 to 60°C, thus achieving highly efficient Na-ion transport and storage in a wide operation-temperature range. Consequently, the Fe3 O4 /C@G anode shows high capacity, excellent fast-charging capability, and cycling stability ranging from -40 to 60°C in half/full cells. This work demonstrates the viability of Fe3 O4 as anode for wide operation-temperature SIBs and reveals that spin-polarized surface capacitance effects can promote Na-ion storage over a wide operation temperature range.

Development of heart organoid cryopreservation method through Fe3 O4 nanoparticles based nanowarming system.

Beyond single cell two-dimensional (2D) culture, research on organoids that can mimic human organs is rapidly developing. However, there are still problems in commercialization and joint research using organoids due to the lack of technology to safely store organoids. Since organoids are 3D complex structures with a certain size (0.1-5mm) beyond the size of cells, the conventional cell-level cryopreservation method using cryoprotectant (CPA) cannot overcome the damage caused by volume change due to osmotic pressure difference and ice nucleation. Herein, we attempted to solve such limitations by applying a nanowarming system using CPA with high cell permeability and Fe3 O4 nanoparticles. By performing beat rate measurement, histological analysis, contractility analysis, and multi-electrode array, it was verified that the developed method could significantly improve functional recovery and survival of heart organoids after freezing and thawing. In this study, we demonstrated a successful organoid cryopreservation method based on a Fe3 O4 nanowarming system. The developed technology will provide clues to the field of tissue cryopreservation and spur the application of organoids.

Boosting Solid-State Reconversion Reactivity to Mitigate Lithium Trapping for High Initial Coulombic Efficiency.

An initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) higher than 90% is crucial for industrial lithium-ion batteries, but numerous electrode materials are not standards compliant. Lithium trapping, due to i) incomplete solid-state reaction of Li+ generation and ii) sluggish Li+ diffusion, undermines ICE in high-capacity electrodes (e.g., conversion-type electrodes). Current approaches mitigating lithium trapping emphasize ii) nanoscaling (<50nm) to minimize Li+ diffusion distance, followed by severe solid electrolyte interphase formation and inferior volumetric energy density. Herein,this work accentuates i) instead, to demonstrate that the lithium trapping can be mitigated by boosting the solid-state reaction reactivity. As a proof-of-concept, ternary LiFeO2 anodes, whose discharged products contain highly reactive vacancy-rich Fe nanoparticles, can alleviate lithium trapping and enable a remarkable average ICE of ≈92.77%, much higher than binary Fe2 O3 anodes (≈75.19%). Synchrotron-based techniques and theoretical simulations reveal that the solid-state reconversion reaction for Li+ generation between Fe and Li2 O can be effectively promoted by the Fe-vacancy-rich local chemical environment. The superior ICE is further demonstrated by assembled pouch cells. This work proposes a novel paradigm of regulating intrinsic solid-state chemistry to ameliorate electrochemical performance and facilitate industrial applications of various advanced electrode materials.

Co-WO3 composite coating on ferritic stainless steel interconnects

In order to apply Co-WO3 composite coating to SUS 430 steel interconnects for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) interconnects, a combination of electrophoresis and electroplating is used, followed by thermal energy exposure to ambient temperature at 800 ℃ for up to 5 weeks. The thermal growth of the oxide scale displays a tri-layer structure with a Cr2O3 layer in the inner part, a CoWO4 layer in the middle and (Co,Fe)3O4 and Co3O4 layer in the outer part. Co-WO3 coating produces an oxide layer that not only prevents Cr2O3 development and outward transport of Cr species but also enhances the electrical behavior of the surface scale.

Magnetic metal oxide catalysts: Paving the way for enhanced antibiotics degradation in wastewater via peroxymonosulfate activation

The global challenge of removing pharmaceutical pollutants necessitates urgent attention. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been widely researched for this purpose. Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) has gained significant interest due to its ability to generate free radicals and its high efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In this study, various magnetic metal oxides (MMOs) including CoFe2O4 (CoF), CuFe2O4 (CuF), and Fe3O4 (FO) were synthesized, and their performance in activating PMS for the elimination of Cefixime (CFX) was compared with each other. The physicochemical, textural, and structural characteristics of the prepared samples were analyzed using BET, FESEM-EDS, XRD, and VSM techniques. The results revealed that CoF exhibited superior performance in the decontamination of CFX when coupled with PMS, outperforming the other catalysts. CoF also demonstrated higher reusability potential compared to CuF and FO catalysts. These findings indicate that the application of transition metal ions as heterogeneous catalysts exhibit enhanced catalytic activity in PMS decomposition compared to homogeneous forms. Overall, CoF proves to be an effective and promising catalyst for contaminant degradation in water resources when employed in the PMS activation system.