High Electric Charge Research Articles

Cation-Doped Nanocarbons for Enhanced Perfluoroalkyl Substance Removal: Exotic Bottom-Up Solution Plasma Synthesis and Characterization.

Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are pervasive organic contaminants that are widespread in aquatic environments, posing significant health risks to humans and wildlife. Due to their persistent nature, urgent removal is necessary. Conventional adsorbents are inefficient at removing PFOS and PFOA, highlighting the need for alternative materials. Herein, we present a synthetic method for quaternary ammonium cation-doped carbon nanoparticles (QACNs) using a solution plasma process for the efficient removal of PFOS and PFOA. QACN is formed simultaneously through a one-step discharge of nonequilibrium plasma at the interface of benzene and pyridinium chloride. The resulting material exhibited a high surface electrical charge and enhanced hydrophilicity as well as an amorphous structure of a nonporous nature, involving nanoparticles with an undefined shape. The obtained adsorbent demonstrated high adsorption efficiency and stability, adsorbing 998.45 and 889.37 mg g-1 of PFOS and PFOA, respectively, exceeding the efficiencies of conventional carbon-based adsorbents (80.89-313.15 mg g-1). The adsorption performance was dependent on the adsorbent dosage, pH of the solution, and the coexisting ionic species. Adsorption studies, including adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics, revealed that PFOS and PFOA were chemisorbed to the QACN surface, forming multilayers endothermically and spontaneously. Experimental and computational analyses revealed that adsorption primarily occurs via electronic interactions between the PFAS active sites and the quaternary ammonium group in the carbon framework. The slightly lower adsorption potential of the PFOS and PFOA fluorocarbon chains on the adsorbent was elucidated. Furthermore, the dispersibility of the adsorbent in solution significantly affected the adsorption performance. These findings highlight the potential of the novel synthetic method proposed in this study, offering a pathway for the development of highly effective carbon adsorbents for environmental remediation.

Electro-assisted sorption behavior and mechanism of low-concentration rare earth elements on carbon based materials

With increasing demands for rare earth elements (REEs) in high-tech and futuristic applications, developing efficient methods for recovering low-concentration REEs is necessary. Here, electro-assisted sorption of low-concentration REEs, La(III), Gd(III) and Y(III) (as symbol of light, medium, and heavy REEs) on carbon-based materials, activated carbon (AC), graphene, and graphite by a facile method was reported. Recovery of La(III), Gd(III) and Y(III) could reach ∼100 % under low-concentration condition where the maximum adsorption capacity was up to 342.38 mg/(g·dm2). Variants including applied voltage, electrodes-distance, pH, impurities, and concentration were considered to study the effects on REEs recovery. Interestingly, adsorption capacity and recovery under low voltage were respectively almost 20 and 14 folds than that without voltage, because voltage promoted REEs transfer and strengthened electrostatic interaction between electrodes and REEs. The mechanism for enhancing REEs recovery on carbon-based electrodes was resulted from high electric double layer (EDL) capacitance and low charge transfer resistance. Total desorption of REEs from electrodes could be quickly realized using NH4Cl or HCl solution. Overall, the study gave a new insight of low-concentration REEs recovery using carbon-based materials, and provided an efficient route using electric method with porous materials for REEs recovery.

IMPACT OF CASHLESS POLICY ENFORCEMENT AND NAIRA REDESIGN ON FRESH CATFISH MARKETING IN MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

The study examined the impact of Cashless Policy Enforcement and Naira Redesign on Fresh Catfish Production and Marketing in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 100 respondents for the study. Data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and farm budgeting techniques. The result revealed that fresh catfish producers were in their productive age with mean age of 34years. Majority (76%) of the fresh catfish producers were males and 84% married. The average household size and farming experience were 5 persons and 6 years, respectively. The results of the profitability analysis of catfish marketing in the study area before and during the cashless policy enforcement and Naira redesign revealed that before the policy, the catfish producers’ total variable costs and total fixed costs were N1701379 and N665689.22, respectively, making a total cost of N2367068.22. The results further revealed that total revenue of N2659284.66 and a net farm income of N292216.440 were realised. The profitability ratio shows that for every one naira invested, the catfish producers made about 89 kobo. However, the result revealed that, amid the cashless policy enforcement and Naira redesign, the total variable cost and total fixed cost were N827791.66 and N712688.47, respectively, making a total cost of N1540475.13. The results revealed total revenue of N1650800 and a net farm income of N110384.87. The profitability ratio shows that for every one naira invested, the catfish producers made about 92 kobo. The result of the impact of catfish marketing on the income level of the marketers in the study area before and during the cashless policy enforcement and Naira redesign revealed that before the policy, 30%t of the catfish marketers had an income of over N300, 000. However, during the policy, only 26% of the catfish farmer marketers had an income of over N300, 000 and 15% had an income of less than N50, 000. The result of the constraints to catfish marketing before and during the cashless policy enforcement and Naira redesign revealed that before the policy, the most constraints to catfish marketing were high electric charges (12.3%) and lack of credit facilities (9.1%). However, during the policy, the most constraints to catfish marketing were inadequate capital (8.3%), seasonality of commodity (7.8%), high cost of feed (7.4%), high cost of production (7.3%), high cost of labour (7.3%) and low demand of product (7.0%). The study concluded that Catfish production and marketing in the study area was more profitable before the cashless policy enforcement and Naira redesign. The study recommended that provisions for agricultural incentives such as short and long-term loans, with a single digit interest rate for the marketers in order to solve the problem of lack of credit facility. Also, Marketers should form marketing cooperatives to increase their access to credit from financial institutions and hence alleviate the problem of inadequate capital.

Nanoarchitectonics Solution Plasma Polymerization of Amino-Rich Carbon Nanosorbents for Use in Enhanced Fluoride Removal.

Amino-functionalized carbon (NH2C) is an effective adsorbent in removing pollutants from contaminated water because of its high specific surface area and electrical charge. In the conventional preparation method, the introduction of amino groups onto the carbon surface is limited, resulting in low pollutant adsorption. Herein, we present simultaneous carbonization and amination to form NH2C via electrical discharge of nonequilibrium plasma, and the resultant material is applied as an effective adsorbent in fluoride removal. The simultaneous process introduces numerous amino groups into the carbon framework, enhancing the adsorption efficiency. The fluoride adsorption capacity is approximately 121.12 mg g-1, which is several times higher than those reported in previous studies. Furthermore, computational modeling is performed to yield deeper mechanistic insights into the molecular-level adsorption behavior. These data are useful in designing and synthesizing advanced materials for applications in water remediation.

An Einstein-Maxwell interior solution obeying Karmarkar condition

For the Einstein-Maxwell equation system, with perfect fluid in a static and spherically symmetrical spacetime, we report an analytical internal solution which is obtained by imposing the Karmarkar condition, the behaviour of the solution is such that the density and pressures are monotonically decreasing functions while the electric field function is a monotonically increasing function that is adequate to represent compact objects. In particular we have these characteristics for the observational values of mass (1.29 ± 0.05) M⊙ and radius (8.831 ± 0.09) km of the star SMC X-4. We will analyze the two extremes the one of minimum compactness umin = 0.20523 (M = 1.24 M⊙, R = 8.921 km) and the one of maximum compactness umax = 0.22635 (M = 1.34 M⊙, R = 8.741 km), resulting that the electric charge Qumin ∈ [1.5279, 1.8498]1020C and Qumax ∈ [1.6899, 1.9986]1020C respectively, implying that the case with higher compactness has a higher electric charge. Also in a graphic manner, it is shown that the causality condition is satisfied and that the solution is stable against infinitesimal radial adiabatic perturbation and also in regards to the Harrison-Novikov-Zeldovich criteria

Development of hen egg-based protein beverages with high nutritional value.

Physical stability is a prerequisite for any emulsion-based beverage. This study aimed to optimize beverage emulsion (BE) rich in whole egg, whey protein isolate (WPI), and soyabean oil in the presence of polygalactose derivative as adsorbing hydrocolloids (AH) and partially hydrolyzed starch as non-adsorbing hydrocolloids (NAH). All formulations were optimized for stability, particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential (ζ). A central composite design was applied to investigate the impact of WPI concentration, hydrocolloid concentration, oil volume, and pH as independent factors on particle size, PDI, and ζ of emulsions. The optimum conditions were met upon formulating BE with 1 whole egg, 9.28g WPI, 11.24g AH, 5.58mL oil at pH 7. Two optimal formulations were obtained for BE stabilized with NAH at pH 3 and 7, at which droplets had the highest electrical charge. Noting that, less amount of NAH (7.5g) was required at pH 3 than at pH 7 (13.56g). Oil content (3mL) and WPI concentration (16g) for both NAH formulations were similar. The size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential of AH-stabilized emulsion were 762nm, 0.69, and - 32.05mV, respectively, while for NAH emulsion, they were 150.02nm, 0.40, and - 28.53mV at pH 7; and 248.39nm, 0.41, and 27.1mV at pH 3, respectively. No conspicuous gravitational separation was observed after 20days of storage at 4°C. Hence, both hydrocolloids are appropriate to stabilize protein-enriched BE at neutral pH; however, physical stability was also achieved at acidic pH for NAH-stabilized emulsions.

Search for magnetic monopoles and stable particles with high electric charges in s\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\sqrt{s} $$\\end{document} = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

We present a search for magnetic monopoles and high-electric-charge objects using LHC Run 2 s\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\sqrt{s} $$\\end{document} = 13 TeV proton-proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector. A total integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1 was collected by a specialized trigger. No highly ionizing particle candidate was observed. Considering the Drell-Yan and photon-fusion pair production mechanisms as benchmark models, cross-section upper limits are presented for spin-0 and spin-1/2 magnetic monopoles of magnetic charge 1gD and 2gD and for high-electric-charge objects of electric charge 20 ≤ |z| ≤ 100, for masses between 200 GeV and 4000 GeV. The search improves by approximately a factor of three the previous cross-section limits on the Drell-Yan production of magnetic monopoles and high-electric charge objects. Also, the first ATLAS limits on the photon-fusion pair production mechanism of magnetic monopoles and high-electric-charge objects are obtained.

In-situ charge reduction of electrospray plumes by unipolar corona ions

Obtaining uniformly-sized microparticles by electrospray drying poses challenges due to the high electric charge of the droplets, which often leads to Coulombic fissions, short lifetimes, and charge buildup on the collection. In this study, we have conducted numerical simulations to investigate the use of unipolar ions for achieving extensive droplet discharging in electrosprays, aiming to prevent Coulombic fissions and attain high efficiency in extracting the electrically discharged aerosol. Our mathematical model incorporates Lagrangian tracking of the droplets, their evaporation till forming a solid residue, Coulomb fission, Eulerian descriptions of ion and progeny droplet transports, and droplet discharge kinetics through ion capture. We have identified an effective system configuration comprising coaxially a capillary electrode supporting the Taylor cone, a nearby ring electrode, and an Earth-grounded plate with a central orifice emitting ions. The electrode potentials are selected to sustain the Taylor cone. Air flows coaxially with the electrospray, passing through the ring hole, and exiting the system through a circular slit in the plate. We have simulated two electrospray systems with identical droplet size distributions but different volatilities of the solvents (acetone and methanol). In these systems, the ion cloud rapidly expands from the plate orifice, driven by strong electrical self-repulsion, subsequently flooding the entire spray while traveling towards the ring. The droplets are electrostatically repelled from the ring and are encouraged by the airflow to pass through the ring hole. Most of the droplets are discharged downstream of the ring, before they undergo their first Coulomb fission. Importantly, when the ring is thin and short, it attracts the majority of excess ions. The remaining ions pass through the ring towards the Taylor cone, but are intercepted by the spray, thus preserving the cone stability. Consequently, our simulations demonstrate that the configuration with axial symmetry comprising a ring and an orifice plate between the spraying and corona tips is a robust strategy to obtain stable and efficient in-situ discharging and extraction of electrospray plumes.

“Water-in-salt” super concentrated electrolyte clusters are “micelles”

Water-in-salt electrolytes are super concentrated mixtures of salt and water with molal concentration exceeding 20 m. Previous microscopic measurements revealed the presence of clusters. We hypothesize that these clusters are “micelles” because salts contain large “amphiphilic” anions. For verifying this hypothesis, we study bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) within a wide concentration range from 0.1 molal up to 21 molal. We measure conductivity and sound speed. Both methods yield the same value of CMC: 5 m (≈2.9 Molar). Sound speed measurement indicates a decline of the solvating number from 14.2 to below 2 at highest concentration. Assuming micelle diameter as 2 nm, we calculated number of TFSI- anions in a single micelle as 17. Some of them could be neutralized by ion-pairing with Li ions. Nevertheless, the high electric charge causes internal stress that competes with “hydrophobic effect” and shifts the CMC value. Strong DLVO electrostatic repulsion between separate micelles prevents formation of super-micelles and gels at high concentrations, keeping the solution in liquid state.

Effects of exposure to carbon nanomaterials on soil microbial communities: A global meta‐analysis

AbstractCarbon nanomaterials (CNMs) are extensively employed in diverse fields and will inevitably be discharged into the soil to affect the soil microbial community. Numerous related studies have investigated the effects of exposure to CNMs on soil microbial communities, yet a consensus on their effects still needs to be discovered. This study conducted a global meta‐analysis by synthesizing 474 pairs of experiments from 20 screened publications in the literature from 2000 to 2022. The findings indicate that: exposure to CNMs significantly reduced microbial biomass carbon (MBC) by 17.02% and increased soil Shannon index by 2.63% (p < 0.05), which had no significant effect on soil microbial community composition and only reduced the proportion of Proteobacteria by 6.83%. The type of CNMs was one of the important influencing factors. The exposure to multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) significantly reduced the soil MBC (p < 0.05). It reduced the proportion of Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria in soil, which had less effect on soil microbial diversity and was more suitable as a crop growth promoter. The exposure of single‐walled carbon nanotubes exhibited a comparable impact on soil microbial biomass as MWCNTs while significantly increasing soil microbial diversity. The exposure of fullerene (C60) had no significant effect on soil microbial biomass but significantly decreased microbial diversity (p < 0.05). In addition, soil pH, CNMs exposure dose, and exposure time significantly affect the effects of CNMs (p < 0.05). This research recommends that CNMs be used in high pH soil with high electrical charge intensity while avoiding exposure doses exceeding 1000 mg/kg and limiting exposure time to 50–100 days to minimize long‐term exposure effects on the soil. MWCNTs are less toxic to microbial communities compared with the other CNMs and are more suitable as crop growth promoters. In conclusion, CNMs show great potential for promoting agricultural production.

“Tip effect” of hexagram-like Co-doped MoC heterostructure for hydrogen evolution reaction

It is urgent to develop an efficient and durable transition metal based electrocatalyst to overcome the slow water dissociation kinetics of the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Thus, a novel hexagram-like porous N-doped Co/MoC Mott–Schottky electrocatalyst (Co/MoC@NC) derived from Zn/Co ZIF-L doped with phosphomolybdic acid hydrate (POM) was developed for alkaline HER. The abundant Mott–Schottky interfacial heterostructures provided sufficient active sites, which accelerated electron and mass transport. DFT calculations indicated that Co/MoC Mott–Schottky heterostructure accelerated water adsorption and dissociation. COMSOL simulations showed that the “tip effect” of hexagram-like structures provided a localized field with high electric charges. The resulting H+-rich tip surface promoted alkaline reaction kinetics to improve HER performance. The Co/MoC@NC catalyst exhibited an excellent HER performance with a low overpotential of 80.6 mV at a current density of −10 mA/cm2 in 1 M KOH.

Electric field activated ON/OFF surface charge polarization of transparent filter media for high-efficiency PM2.5 filtration

It is a cruel reality that the air we breathe has become an invisible but leading danger in terms of public health and the environment. Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM), and indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is particularly harmful to urban residents among the different airborne pollutants. So far, different types of polymers has been widely used to fabricate filter media for clean air. Most of the developed filter are non-transparent not suitable for window. Moreover, the PMs concentration depends on different factors and fluctuates day-to-week and seasonally. Most present development air filter are non-transparent not suitable for window and single functional by their construction, high fiber diameter and large thickness. Therefore, to meet demands, we introduced a transparent advanced air filters with multi-functionality, such as in situ switch based tuning filtration efficiency, VOC adsorption capability and antibacterial properties. We have rationally designed an electric field activated ON/OFF surface charge polarization air filter composed of nanofiber/nets nanoarchitectured networks with 80% optical transparency. The electric field activated nanofiber/nets filter enhanced PM2.5 filtering efficiency from 61% to more than 95% at a low poling voltage of 0.2 kV. More importantly, here the low voltage is adequate to cause a high electric field (MV m−1) and surface charges can form on the fiber surface. In addition, due to the presence of chitosan in nanofiber/nanonet structure the filter can effectively adsorb gases such as ammonia, triethylamine, and formaldehyde and possessed anti-bacterial behaviour for P. aeruginosa and S.aureus. The approach introduced in this work has the potential to filter PMs under extremely hazardous air conditions and can reduce power consumption by turning off the power during low hazardous conditions.

Chemical Vapor Deposition and High-Resolution Patterning of a Highly Conductive Two-Dimensional Coordination Polymer Film.

Crystalline coordination polymers with high electrical conductivities and charge carrier mobilities might open new opportunities for electronic devices. However, current solvent-based synthesis methods hinder compatibility with microfabrication standards. Here, we describe a solvent-free chemical vapor deposition method to prepare high-quality films of the two-dimensional conjugated coordination polymer Cu-BHT (BHT = benzenehexanothiolate). This approach involves the conversion of a metal oxide precursor into Cu-BHT nanofilms with a controllable thickness (20-85 nm) and low roughness (<10 nm) through exposure to the vaporized organic linker. Moreover, the restricted metal ion mobility during the vapor-solid reaction enables high-resolution patterning via both bottom-up lithography, including the fabrication of micron-sized Hall bar and electrode patterns to accurately evaluate the conductivity and mobility values of the Cu-BHT films.

Characteristics of Anodic Dissolution for Al-Cu Alloys in EmImCl-AlCl3 Ionic Liquid

To produce high-purity Al from Al–Cu alloys, the dissolution behaviors of various Al–Cu binary alloy anodes in EmImCl–AlCl3 ionic liquid have been investigated at 323 K. In the constant potential electrolysis of the Al–5.0Cu casting alloy and cold-rolled plate at 0.3 V, Al atoms in the matrix phase were preferentially dissolved followed by the formation of Al2Cu surface species. The dissolution of both Al2Cu and Al in the alloy matrix occurred during electrolysis at 0.8 and 1.2 V. Moreover, a Cu-rich layer derived from Al2Cu was formed on the cold-rolled plate surface at a potential of 0.8 V and high electric charge densities. From the results, potential dependence of the anodic dissolution of the Al−Cu alloys in the ionic liquid was clarified.

Experiment and numerical simulation on the fine particle migration behaviors for the collection efficiency enhancement of a wire-plate electrostatic precipitator in pig house

In this paper, an integrated numerical model is presented and validated to investigate the particle charging and migration behaviors in a wire-plate electrostatic precipitator (ESP) for the collection efficiency (η) enhancement of the ESP in the piggery. Calculations of the RNG k-ε model, corona model, and particle tracking model are coupled in our model by utilizing MATLAB and COMSOL Multiphysics. This model is used to investigate the influence of various factors, such as the particle diameter (dp), flow velocity (u), and applied voltage (V), on the performance of ESP. Simultaneously, a visual experimental platform for PM2.5 migration is established for verification. The calculated results show that the predicted values of potential distribution, u distribution, and η are in good agreement with the previously reported experimental data. Moreover, the calculated results indicate that two elliptical shapes are produced by a relatively high electric potential and space charge density in the surrounding of the discharge corona wires. Furthermore, η first decreases with the increase of dp, remains unchanged in the range of 0.1–1.0 μm, and then increases until became constant in the range of 1.0–10 μm, revealing the interaction between diffusion charging, electric field charge, and fluid drag. In addition, the experimental and calculation results indicate that the η of PM2.5 increases with the decrease of u and increase of V. Notably, η of 2.0 μm is 100% at u = 1 m/s, V = 50 kV. Therefore, both the migration behavior solution method and the rules of η dependence on PM2.5 provide a scientific parameter control method for improving the air quality in pig house.

Intense electric field effects on microtubules

Microtubules (MTs) are indispensable for numerous vital cellular activities such as cell division, cell function, intracellular transport, etc. Therefore, anomalies in these can give molecular diseases for example, Alzheimer and Parkinson¯s diseases. These components of the cytoskeleton are composed of tubulin protein, which has an exceptionally high structural electric charge and dipole moment. Consequently, it is probable that microtubules could be a susceptible target to electric field through which one could modulate the function of biological systems.

Influence of Potassium-Based Alkaline Electrolyzed Water on Hydration Process and the Properties of Cement-Based Materials with Fly Ash

Alkaline electrolyzed water, a kind of clean green water with excellent characteristics such as high activity, strong alkalinity, high ion penetrating ability, electrical charge, and good molecule adsorption, was significant to the resource utilization of industrial fly ash waste. This paper studies highly active potassium-based alkaline electrolyzed water’s impact, compared with ordinary water, on the cement hydration process using microstructural methods such as a hydration heat test, differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image analysis. Fly ash cement-based materials were first prepared with alkaline electrolyzed water as the mixing water. The alkaline electrolyzed water’s influence on fly ash paste workability and the mechanical properties of fly ash mortar for varying fly ash proportions were ratified. Then alkaline electrolyzed water with the best pH value was selected to prepare fly ash concrete, and its durability was studied. The test results showed that it is feasible to increase the utilization rate of fly ash by using alkaline electrolyzed water. Furthermore, it promoted the process of cement hydration, increased the rate of the hydration reaction, and the promotion effect increased with the increase in pH value of the alkaline electrolyzed water, and also promoted the effective decomposition of the vitreous shell of fly ash to stimulate its early activity. Concurrent tests with ordinary water paste showed that the water requirement for normal consistency and setting time with alkaline electrolyzed water paste were significantly less. Alkaline electrolyzed water also solved the problem related to the low early strength of fly ash mortar. Furthermore, using alkaline electrolyzed water with an optimum pH value of 11.5 to prepare fly ash concrete effectively reduced concrete’s carbonation depth and carbonation rate and lessened the chloride ion migration coefficient.

Combining Dual Fluidized Bed and High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor for Co-Producing Hydrogen and Synthetic Natural Gas by Biomass Gasification

Biomass gasification to produce burnable gas now attracts an increasing interest for production flexibility in the renewable energy system. However, the biomass gasification technology using dual fluidized bed which is most suitable for burnable gas production still encounters problems of low production efficiency and high production cost. Here, we proposed a large-scale biomass gasification system to combine dual fluidized bed and high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR) for co-production of hydrogen and synthetic natural gas (SNG). The design of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor biomass gasification (HTR-BiGas) consists of one steam supply module to heat inlet steam of the gasifier by HTR and ten biomass gasification modules to co-produce 2000 MWth hydrogen and SNG by gasifying the unpretreated biomass. Software for calculating the mass and energy balances of biomass gasification was developed and validated by the experiment results on the Gothenburg biomass gasification plant. The preliminary economic evaluation showed that HTR-BiGas and the other two designs, electric auxiliary heating and increasing recirculated product gas, are economically comparative with present mainstream production techniques and the imported natural gas in China. HTR-BiGas is the best, with production costs of hydrogen and SNG around 1.6 $/kg and 0.43 $/Nm3, respectively. These designs mainly benefit from proper production efficiencies with low fuel-related costs. Compared with HTR-BiGas, electric auxiliary heating is hurt by the higher electric charge and the shortcoming of increasing recirculated product gas is its lower total production. Future works to improve the efficiency and economy of HTR-BiGas and to construct related facilities are introduced.

Effect of DNA Flexibility on Complex Formation of a Cationic Nanoparticle with Double-Stranded DNA.

We present extensive molecular dynamics simulations of a cationic nanoparticle and a double-stranded DNA molecule to discuss the effect of DNA flexibility on the complex formation of a cationic nanoparticle with double-stranded DNA. Martini coarse-grained models were employed to describe double-stranded DNA molecules with two different flexibilities and cationic nanoparticles with three different electric charges. As the electric charge of a cationic nanoparticle increases, the degree of DNA bending increases, eventually leading to the wrapping of DNA around the nanoparticle at high electric charges. However, a small increase in the persistence length of DNA by 10 nm requires a cationic nanoparticle with a markedly increased electric charge to bend and wrap DNA around. Thus, a more flexible DNA molecule bends and wraps around a cationic nanoparticle with an intermediate electric charge, whereas a less flexible DNA molecule binds to a nanoparticle with the same electric charge without notable bending. This work provides solid evidence that a small difference in DNA flexibility (as small as 10 nm in persistence length) has a substantial influence on the complex formation of DNA with proteins from a biological perspective and suggests that the variation of sequence-dependent DNA flexibility can be utilized in DNA nanotechnology as a new tool to manipulate the structure of DNA molecules mediated by nanoparticle binding.

Synthesis of Nanocomposites based on Mesoporous Aluminosilicate and Polyethyleneimine (PEI) for siRNA Delivery: Potential Usefulness of the Synergistic Effect of Al3+ Ion and PEI on the siRNA Delivery Efficiency for Diseases Treatment

Several nanocomposites based on Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSN), aluminum ions, and Polyethyleneimine (PEI) were synthesized by the combination of the sol-gel and post-synthesis methods. These nanocomposites were mainly composed of MSN with the leading of Al and PEI species alone or in combination. The Al-MSN, MSN-PEI, and Al-MSN/PEI samples were characterized by using FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, zeta potential, and nitrogen physisorption techniques. The potential of their RNA delivery was investigated by loading and releasing the siRNA in the phosphate buffer. The obtained results showed that the loading capacity of each sample is directly related to its zeta potential. The Al-MSN/PEI sample showed the highest siRNA adsorption capacity due to possessing the highest zeta potential resulted in the presence of the high electric charge of Al3+ and the cationic nature of PEI. Under the optimized conditions, the Al-MSN/PEI sample showed the amount of 47.19 µg adsorption of siRNA for 1.0 mg of Al-MSN/PEI. The results of releasing siRNA exhibited the yields of 12, 20.4, 29.6, and 36.0 % for MSN, MSN-PEI, Al-MSN, and Al-MSN/PEI, respectively at room temperature for 120 min.