High Purity Research Articles

Magnetic 3D macroporous MOF oriented urinary exosome metabolomics for early diagnosis of bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BCa) exhibits the escalating incidence and mortality due to the untimely and inaccurate early diagnosis. Urinary exosome metabolites, carrying critical tumor cell information and directly related to bladder, emerge as promising non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers of BCa. Herein, the magnetic 3D ordered macroporous zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (magMZIF-8) is synthesized and used for efficient urinary exosome isolation. Notably, beyond retaining the single crystals and micropores of conventional ZIF-8, MZIF-8 is further enhanced with highly oriented and ordered macropores (150 nm) and the large specific surface area (973 m2·g–1), which could enable the high purity and yield separation of exosomes via leveraging the combination of size exclusion, affinity, and electrostatic interactions between magMZIF-8 and the surfaces of exosome. Furthermore, the magnetic and hydrophilic properties of magMZIF-8 will further simplify the process and enhance the efficiency of separation. After conditional optimization, a 50 mL of urine is sufficient for exosome metabolomics analysis, and the time for isolating exosomes from 42 urine samples was 2 hours only. Incorporating machine learning algorithms with LC-MS/MS analysis of the metabolic patterns obtained from isolated exosomes, early-stage BCa patients were differentiated from healthy controls, with area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.844–0.9970 in the training set and 0.875-1.00 in the test set, signifying its potential as a reliable diagnostic tool. This study offers a promising approach for the non-invasive and efficient diagnosis of BCa on a large scale via exosome metabolomics.Graphical

Process swing adsorption with selective purge gas recirculation (PSA-SPUR): Adsorption process technology optimised for separation of heavy component from a gas mixture and its design for CO2 capture through Equilibrium Theory analysis

PSA-SPUR (Pressure Swing Adsorption with Selective Purge Gas Recirculation) has been developed aimed at separating the most strongly adsorbing component from a gas mixture at high product purity and recovery. The innovative strategy for designing a Pressure Swing Adsorption system features recycling its purge gas stream exiting the column and mixing it back into the feed. This operation enriches the mixed feed with an elevated fraction of the heavy component during the adsorption step, thus enhancing the PSA’s performance greatly. Reusing the purge gas helps significantly increase the product recovery compared to conventional methods where purge gas is simply discarded or taken as a low-quality product. For theoretical analysis of a PSA-SPUR system, a bespoke Equilibrium Theory model was developed and solved successfully, providing valuable insights into the performance of the PSA-SPUR system designed for capturing CO2 from a flue gas. The study revealed that there exists an optimum extent of purging that maximises the heavy component mole fraction in the mixed feed, leading to the best possible feed throughput of the adsorption system. Furthermore, the effects of the desorption pressure and feed composition on the PSA-SPUR system’s performance were investigated. The results indicate that the CO2 capture PSA-SPUR system using commercial zeolite 13X has excellent potential to achieve very high product purity and recovery, being allowed to operate at moderate vacuum pressures without having to compress the flue gas feed, even when the gas feed contains less than 10 mol% CO2.

Enhanced Purification of Uterine Smooth Muscle Cells from Adenomyosis Using a Novel Dual- Enzyme Digestion Method

Uterine adenomyosis causing attention to the abnormal smooth muscle layer has recently received increasing attention, which has created the need for a method that can efficiently collect high purity uterine smooth muscle cells (USMC) in a laboratory setting. In this study, we explored the composition ratios of the digestion solution to obtain the optimal digestion solution (DM4). Furthermore, we tested the superiority of the two methods of obtaining adenomyotic uterine smooth muscle by comparing DM4 with the conventional tissue adhesion method by growth rate, single-cell RNA sequencing, and purity of fluorescence identification. The results demonstrated that USMCs produced by the DM4 digestion method exhibited significantly higher rates of proliferation and were more effective in generating mature smooth muscle cells of high purity compared to those obtained using tissue adherence methods, which is more inclined to isolate the progenitor cell population. This study presents a reliable method for isolating USMCs and provides a solid foundation for future studies on the etiology and mechanism of adenomyosis.

Capsules for Automated Azide-Alkyne Click Reactions.

The development of an automated and reproducible process for copper-mediated click reactions of alkynes and azides into 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole products is described. This method utilizes prepacked capsules that contain all necessary reagents and materials for the reaction and purification processes. The reaction and product isolation steps are fully automated with no further user involvement, resulting in the triazole products in high purity. The effectiveness of capsule-based automated organic synthesis was further demonstrated by sequencing the automated synthesis of organic azides, followed by a second capsule for CuAAC with no intermediate purification.

Controlling the Crystalline Quality and Yield of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes via Floating Catalyst Chemical Vapor Deposition Synthesis

AbstractCarbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized by floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) reactions. The complicated processing parameters that included a precursor solution composition, reaction temperature, flow rate of the carrier gas, weak oxidants, and injection rate of the precursor solution were controlled to synthesize single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) during the reaction process. The effects of the processing parameters were analyzed with respect to the formation of SWCNTs, yield, and the crystallinity in the CNTs structure. The SWCNTs were characterized by the Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. A high reaction temperature, high H2 flow rate, low injection rate of solution precursor, and low concentrations of iron catalysts in the reaction were important factors to improve the crystalline quality of the SWCNTs. The purity of the initial product grown by the standard process was more than 90 wt %, with a yield of 0.5 g/h. The average G/D ratio of the initial product was 178, and it had a distinct RBM peak. HRTEM confirmed that the synthesized SWCNTs had high purity and crystallinity. The SWCNTs could be tunable to meet a particular application by varying the reaction conditions.

Efficient photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B dye by undoped and zinc doped zirconium dioxide NPs

Undoped and Zinc-doped Zirconium Dioxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via the co-precipitation method, employing Zirconium (IV) Oxynitrate hydrate (ZrO2N2·xH2O), Zinc Sulfate (ZnSO4·7H2O), and ammonia solution as precursor materials at room temperature. A comprehensive characterization of the structural, morphological, optical, and catalytic properties of the prepared samples was conducted using various techniques. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis revealed that the synthesized NPs exhibited a tetragonal phase structure, with crystallite sizes decreasing as doping concentration increased. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirmed the spherical shape of the NPs. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) verified the presence of Zr, O, and Zn elements with high purity. Raman spectroscopy corroborated the tetragonal structure of the synthesized ZrO2 NPs. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy studies determined the cutoff wavelengths, while Tauc plot enabled the calculation of band gap energies. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the functional groups present in the synthesized samples. Photoluminescence spectroscopy provided evidence of defects and charge carrier recombination processes. The catalytic efficacy of the synthesized ZrO2 NPs was demonstrated through the degradation of Rhodamine B dye under visible and UV light.

Development and Diagnostic Study of the RF nitrogen Atom Source

With the development of thin film technology, particularly the increasing demand for research on group III nitride materials, the need for N ions has significantly increased. A wider and more efficient RF nitrogen atom source specifically designed for nitride film growth has been developed. To evaluate the nitrogen atom density from the RF nitrogen source, a global model of RF nitrogen gas discharge plasma was created. This model was calibrated by measuring the emission spectrum of RF nitrogen gas discharge, and the relationships between nitrogen atom density and actual working pressure, power, and discharge chamber size were determined. It was found that the nitrogen atom density increases with increasing power and initially increases with pressure before decreasing. Finally, the nitrogen atom density was determined, achieving an 18% nitrogen atom dissociation rate and a nitrogen atom density of 5×1012/cm³ at an RF power of 400 W. This density is significantly higher than that of nitrogen ions, indicating that this is a nitrogen atom source with high purity.

Fluorescence Sensing of Glutathione Based on the In-Situ Growth of Carbon Dots-Manganese Dioxide Nanosheets

Blue fluorescent carbon dots with high purity were synthesized through a one-step hydrothermal method using citric acid and ethylenediamine as raw materials and then purification by column chromatography. In-situ controllable synthesis was used to prepare carbon dots-manganese dioxide (CDs-MnO2) nanosheets, with carbon dots as the seed, potassium permanganate as the manganese source and sodium citrate as the reducing agent. The as-prepared nanosheets were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. It was found that MnO2 can be degraded by Glutathione (GSH) through a redox reaction, which restores the fluorescence of CDs. A new method for determining GSH was constructed using CDs-MnO2 fluorescence sensing. The method is simple and sensitive, with linear ranges of 0.1-5 μM and 10-60 μM, respectively, and a lowest detection limit of 0.034 μM. The method was successfully used for the determination of GSH in human serum, with satisfactory recoveries in the range of 98.9-100.1%.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of (Mg, Cu) Dual-Doped ZnS nanosheets for Solar-Driven water treatment and embedded with PVA polymer membrane for reusability

Photocatalysis uses semiconductor materials to solar energy effectively purify to water by eliminating pollutants. Organic Dye degradation serves as a standard to assess the photocatalytic effects of the materials. In this study Mg, Cu dual-doped ZnS nanosheets were synthesized using the coprecipitation method. The impact of the concentration on the structural, morphology, optical, and degradation efficiency was investigated with XRD, XPS, TEM with EDAX, and UV spectroscopy. The pure ZnS and Zn0.98-xCu0.02MgxS (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02) (ZCM1, ZCM2, ZCM3, and ZCM4) nanosheets, exhibited cubic structure with high phase purity. The average crystalline size was calculated as 1.66, 1.60, 1.45, and 1.47 nm for the ZCM1, ZCM2, ZCM3, and ZCM4 nanosheets, respectively. TEM analysis revealed the presence of crumpled nanosheets. The bandgap of the ZCM1, ZCM2, ZCM3, and ZCM4 nanosheets were 3.99, 3.78, 4.03, and 4.09 eV respectively. This study investigated the photocatalytic activity of crystal violet dye when exposed to natural sunlight irradiation. Notably, ZCM3 nanosheets exhibited a high degradation rate of 99 % over 120 min under sunlight. Furthermore, the proposed dye degradation mechanism, effect of dosage, effect of dye variation, reusability, scavenging activity, and hemolytic activity were comprehensively discussed. The nanosheets embedded with the Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer membrane for reusability.

Synthesis, preclinical assessment, and first-in-human study of [18F]d4-FET for brain tumor imaging.

Tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) is a critical metric in oncologic PET imaging. This study aims to enhance the TBR of [18F]FET in brain tumor imaging by substituting deuterium ("D") for hydrogen ("H"), thereby improving the diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy. [18F]d4-FET was synthesised by two automated radiochemistry modules. Biodistribution studies and imaging efficacy were evaluated in vivo and ex vivo in rodent models, while metabolic stability and radiation dosimetry were assessed in non-human primates. Additionally, preliminary imaging evaluations were carried out in five brain tumor patients: three glioma patients underwent imaging with both [18F]d4-FET and [18F]FET, and two patients with brain metastases were imaged using [18F]d4-FET and [18F]FDG. [18F]d4-FET demonstrated high radiochemical purity and yield. PET/MRIin rodent models demonstrated superior TBR for [18F]d4-FET compared to [18F]FET, and autoradiography showed tumor margins that correlated well with pathological extents. Studies in cynomolgus monkeys indicated comparable in vivo stability and effective dose with [18F]FET. In glioma patients, [18F]d4-FET showed enhanced TBR, while in patients with brain metastases, [18F]d4-FET displayed superior lesion delineation compared to [18F]FDG, especially in smaller metastatic sites. We successfully synthesized the novel PET radiotracer [18F]d4-FET, which retains the advantageous properties of [18F]FET while potentially enhancing TBR for glioma imaging. Preliminary studies indicate excellent stability, efficacy, and sensitivity of [18F]d4-FET, suggesting its potential in clinical evaluations of brain tumors. ChiCTR2400081576, registration date: 2024-03-05, https://www.chictr.org.cn/bin/project/edit?pid=206162.

Sustainable Biological Production and Innovative Purification of the 1,3-Propanediol from Glycerol Fermentation Broth via Resin Adsorption

The study focuses on enhancing the production and purification of 1,3-Propanediol (1,3-PDO), a versatile compound used across various industries. Conventionally, 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) has been derived from petroleum-based feedstocks through chemical processes, which pose significant cost and environmental concerns. This has prompted the exploration of sustainable biological production methods using microorganisms to ferment glycerol, the main by-product of palm oil transesterification in biodiesel production. However, downstream purification remains complex and inefficient. To address this, our study introduces a novel and economically viable purification strategy for 1,3-PDO derived from a semi-industrial fermentation broth. The purification process involves pre-treatment steps: centrifugation, flocculation with chitosan, decolorization with activated charcoal, and broth concentration via rotary evaporation. These steps resulted in a transparent broth with a minimal 6% loss of 1,3-PDO. Various resin types, including Sulfonated Styrene Divinylbenzene (S-SDVB) and Styrene Divinylbenzene (SDVB) ion exchange resins in different ionic forms in addition to silica gel resin, were evaluated for their effectiveness in separating 1,3-PDO in terms of recovery and purity. A key aspect of our study is the detailed investigation of the equilibrium adsorption characteristics of SDVB and S-SDVB resins, each with different ion forms. This analysis provides insights into how resin modifications affect the separation process, aiming for higher yields and purities of 1,3-PDO. The findings revealed that the Langmuir adsorption isotherm fits experimental data. Column chromatography experiments showed SDVB resins' deficiencies in separating 1,3-PDO from other components, while silica gel resin achieved a recovery rate exceeding 96% purity and approximately 80% overall recovery. Notably, the Ca2+ form of S-SDVB resin achieved high recovery (95-100%) and purity (91-93%) in both synthetic and real fermentation broths, addressing biodiesel challenges and proposing a solution for large-scale microbial 1,3-PDO production.

On the product phases and the reaction kinetics of carbothermic reduction of UO2+C at relatively low temperatures

The synthesis of UC using carbothermic reduction of UO2 and C mixtures has been well studied at high temperatures. However, the product phase behavior of carbothermic reduction at low temperatures (≤1773 K) is not well studied. Such a study is important as low temperatures permit single phase UC synthesis without forming secondary higher carbides, and it further supports the knowledge base of the process that needs to be used for transuranic elements such as plutonium that have high vapor pressures at elevated temperatures. Therefore, a low temperature carbothermic reduction of two different C/UO2 molar ratios under inert and reducing environments have been studied here. Two different sample holding crucibles, alumina (Al2O3) and graphite, were also used here to differentiate the hypostoichiometric (UC1-a) and oxygen dissolved (UC1-xOx) uranium monocarbide phases adding more details on the two systems. Also, the reaction kinetics involved in the formation of UC via the carbothermic reduction of UO2+C using product phases instead of evolved gases such as carbon monoxide is reported here. Under inert atmospheres but with significant oxygen partial pressures, the low temperature carbothermic reduction of UO2+C produced up to 90 wt.% UC1-xOx type oxycarbides as was confirmed by Xray powder diffraction. Reducing Ar-4%H2 environments at these temperatures were not successful in synthesizing UC as it reduces the amount of C required for the carbothermic reduction, leaving UC phase at a non-equilibrium state. Inert atmospheres with low or negligible oxygen partial pressures on the other hand produced near stoichiometric UC at high phase purity, especially at 1673 – 1773 K temperature range. An activation energy of 377±75 kJmol-1 was also calculated using product phase concentrations of the carbothermic reduction of UO2+C under these inert Ar(g) atmospheres.

Simple enzymatic depolymerization process based on rapid ball milling pretreatment for high-crystalline polyethylene terephthalate fibers

The high crystallinity (30 %–50 %) of discarded polyester textile waste limits the industrialization of its clean enzymatic depolymerization. In this study, a simple process based on ball milling pretreatment was developed to achieve effective enzymatic hydrolysis of high-crystalline polyester fiber. Ball milling was selected for its short, mild, and chemical-free process, which achieved a remarkable 23.8-fold (60.9 %) increase in terephthalic acid (TPA) yield from waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) degradation, along with high TPA purity in the released soluble compounds. Just 30 min of ball milling at room temperature induced polyester amorphization, resulting in polyester with 12 % lower crystallinity compared with untreated polyester (51 %), while simultaneously increasing the surface roughness of polyester, thereby enhancing the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis. The simple process for effective enzymatic-depolymerization of waste polyester fiber developed in this study has potential industrial applications

Efficient enzyme-free isolation of brain-derived extracellular vesicles.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have gained significant attention as pathology mediators and potential diagnostic tools for neurodegenerative diseases. However, isolation of brain-derived EVs (BDEVs) from tissue remains challenging, often involving enzymatic digestion steps that may compromise the integrity of EV proteins and overall functionality. Here, we describe that collagenase digestion, commonly used for BDEV isolation, produces undesired protein cleavage of EV-associated proteins in brain tissue homogenates and cell-derived EVs. In order to avoid this effect, we studied the possibility of isolating BDEVs with a reduced amount of collagenase or without any protease. Characterization of the isolated BDEVs from mouse and human samples (both female and male) revealed their characteristic morphology and size distribution with both approaches. However, we show that even minor enzymatic digestion induces 'artificial' proteolytic processing in key BDEV markers, such as Flotillin-1, CD81, and the cellular prion protein (PrPC), whereas avoiding enzymatic treatment completely preserves their integrity. We found no major differences in mRNA and protein content between non-enzymatically and enzymatically isolated BDEVs, suggesting that the same BDEV populations are purified with both approaches. Intriguingly, the lack of Golgi marker GM130 signal, often referred to as contamination indicator (or negative marker) in EV preparations, seems to result from enzymatic digestion rather than from its actual absence in BDEV samples. Overall, we show that non-enzymatic isolation of EVs from brain tissue is possible and avoids artificial pruning of proteins while achieving an overall high BDEV yield and purity. This protocol will help to understand the functions of BDEV and their associated proteins in a near-physiological setting, thus opening new research approaches.

Cr3+-doped garnet-type Ca3Al2Ge3O12 phosphors with high color purity and high quantum yield for plant growth lighting

Cr3+-doped garnet-type Ca3Al2Ge3O12 phosphors with high color purity and high quantum yield for plant growth lighting

Bright Blue-Light emitting cobalt doped CuS quantum dots: Photophysical studies and selective sensing application of ferric ion

Surface-functionalized quantum dots (QDs) have garnered significant attention in recent years for a variety of applications, including LEDs, photovoltaics, sensing, bioimaging and biomedical domains due to their distinct optical features such as strong photoluminescence behavior, high quantum yields etc. However, formation of nontoxic QDs is very challenging for the researchers because of their lower optical properties as compared to Cd based QDs. The phenomenon of doping in semiconductor QDs is an effective way to achieve high opto-electrical properties in the host QDs. We have presented a low temperature colloidal synthesis of CuS QDs using cobalt (Co2+) as a doping agent with an exceptional stability at room temperature for 30 days. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of Co2+-doped CuS QDs exhibit a deep-blue emission at 420 nm resulting in excellent optical property with an improvement of photoluminescence quantum yield. Due to remarkable CIE chromaticity coordinates, good CCT values, and high colour purity, the synthesized Co2+-doped CuS QDs could be used extensively in LEDs and prove to be useful as blue phosphors. The synthesized Co2+-doped CuS QDs also act as a fluorescence probe in the detection of ferric ion (Fe3+) with high sensitivity, good selectivity, a low limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ), of (4.99 ± 0.12) μM and (16.67 ± 0.40) μM, respectively.

An efficient SiO2:Ce porous nanophosphor with high color purity to fulfil the cyan emission gap of field emission displays (FEDs)

An efficient SiO2:Ce porous nanophosphor with high color purity to fulfil the cyan emission gap of field emission displays (FEDs)

Inertial and Deterministic Lateral Displacement Integrated Microfluidic Chips for Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Analysis.

With the aim of efficiently sorting rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood and minimizing damage to CTCs during isolation, we constructed an inertia-assisted single-cell focusing generator (I-SCF) and a water droplet deterministic lateral displacement cell sorting (D-DLD) microfluidic system (IDIC) based on different sizes, the device is initially sorted by a continuous fluid swing and Dean flow-assisted helical micromixers, then flows through a droplet shaped DLD region, enabling single-cell focused sequencing and precise separation, improving cell separation efficiency (>95%) and purity, while ensuring a high single cells survival rate of more than 98.6%. Subsequently, breast cancer cell lines were run through our chip, and then the downstream epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process induced by TGF-β was detected, and the levels of three proteins, EpCAM, PD-L1, and N-cadherin, were analyzed to establish the relationship between PD-L1 and the EMT process. Compared with other analytical techniques such as the filtration method, the enrichment method and immunoaffinity capture methods, this method not only ensures the separation efficiency and purity, but also ensures the cell activity, and avoids missing the different results caused by the heterogeneity of CTCs due to the isolation of high purity (84.01%). The device has a high throughput processing capacity (5 mL of diluted whole blood/∼2.8 h). By using the chip, we can more easily and conveniently predict tumor stage and carry out cancer prevention and treatment in advance, and it is expected to be further developed into a clinical liquid biopsy technology in the future.

A Systematic Search of Distant Superclusters with the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey

Superclusters, encompassing environments across a wide range of overdensities, can be regarded as unique laboratories for studying galaxy evolution. Although numerous supercluster catalogs have been published, none of them goes beyond redshift z = 0.7. In this work, we adopt a physically motivated supercluster definition, requiring that superclusters should eventually collapse even in the presence of dark energy. Applying a friends-of-friends (FoF) algorithm to the CAMIRA cluster sample constructed using the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam survey data, we have conducted the first systematic search for superclusters at z = 0.5–1.0 and identified 673 supercluster candidates over an area of 1027 deg2. The FoF algorithm is calibrated by evolving N-body simulations to the far future to ensure high purity. We found that these high-z superclusters are mainly composed of two to four clusters, suggesting the limit of gravitationally bound structures in the younger Universe. In addition, we studied the properties of the clusters and brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) residing in different large-scale environments. We found that clusters associated with superclusters are typically richer, but no apparent dependence of the BCG properties on large-scale structures is found. We also compared the abundance of observed superclusters with mock superclusters extracted from halo light cones, finding that photometric redshift uncertainty is a limiting factor in the performance of superclusters detection.

Membrane reformer technology for sustainable hydrogen production from hydrocarbon feedstocks

Hydrogen (H2) is receiving growing interest as a clean energy carrier as the world’s energy system transitions towards net zero. Today, H2 is primarily produced from hydrocarbons using the steam methane reforming (SMR) process. This well-established method converts methane-rich gas into syngas, which is further treated with steam to increase H2 yield via the water-gas-shift (WGS) process. However, this conventional route results in high carbon intensity of 10 tons CO2/ton of H2. Therefore, there is a growing need for sustainable H2 production technologies that utilize existing fossil energy sources and infrastructure while minimizing carbon emissions and costs.Membrane reactors (MR) are a promising technology for sustainable H2 production from hydrocarbons. A H2-selective palladium-alloy (Pd–Au) membrane is integrated within the catalyst bed, creating a system where H2 production and separation occur simultaneously in a single unit. This integration offers several advantages over the conventional system; process intensification allows thermodynamic equilibrium conversion limitations to be overcome while producing high purity (>99%) H2 at milder operating temperatures of ∼550 °C compared to 800–1000 °C in conventional packed bed reactors. Downstream processes such as WGS reactors and pressure swing adsorption are eliminated, resulting in reduced capital and operating costs. Moreover, the by-product stream remains pressurized at 25–40 bar and contains CO2 at concentrations above 60%, enabling CO2 capture at reduced cost.