Hot Alkaline Research Articles

Inhibition mechanism of the radical inhibitors to alkaline degradation of anion exchange membranes

We employed four radical inhibitors to investigate their influences on the degradation of poly (4-vinylbenzyl chloride-styrene) based anion exchange membranes (AEMs) in alkaline solutions. It is found that the presence of the radical inhibitors could effectively restrain the nucleophilic attack of hydroxide ions to the AEMs according to the conductivity measurements, especially the one p-ethyl phenol (PEP), which could significantly protect the AEMs against the attack. More evidences including water uptake, swelling ratio as well as FT-IR analysis further proved this phenomenon by comparison those properties of the membranes before and after the stability test in 8 M KOH at 80 °C for 24 h. According to the 1H NMR spectra, the quaternary ammonium groups of the AEMs were mainly degraded into tertiary amines in the hot alkaline solutions; while in the presence of PEP, this degradation was restrained and the quaternary ammonium groups maintained by reaction with PEP. Fenton test results further indicated that high oxidative stability of the AEMs benefited from the presence of a small amount of PEP, which could reduce the generation of the oxidants. Thus an inhibition reaction mechanism of the radical inhibitors preventing the AEMs from alkaline degradation is proposed.

Studies on the Properties of Raw Flax and Hemp Fibres after Two Step Initial Treatment

The requirements regarding the properties of fibres are closely linked to their further application. The demands for garment and home textile considerably differ from requirements for fibres that are used for technical purposes. This paper presents the results on investigation of raw flax and hemp fibres after their initial treatment with two step method (cold or hot alkaline, enzyme treatment and bleaching as after-treatment). The properties of hemp and flax fibres are evaluated by colorimetric analysis, mechanical testing, and microscopy of the surface of fibres.

Alkali treated Ti3C2Tx MXenes and their dye adsorption performance

To modify the adsorption performance of Ti3C2Tx MXene, we report a facile approach to expand the interlayer spacing of Ti3C2Tx and to tune its surface functional groups by hot alkaline solution treatment. In the treatment, the interlayer spacing of Ti3C2Tx MXene is increased by up to 29% by LiOH, and the surface functional groups are tuned by converting -F to -OH. Among the MXenes, LiOH-Ti3C2Tx and NaOH-Ti3C2Tx can faster adsorb methylene blue (MB) than other MXene adsorbents; NaOH-Ti3C2Tx possesses the highest adsorption capacity (189 mg/g) for MB, which can be ascribed to the cooperation of surface adsorption and intercalation adsorption. The experimental data suggest that the enhanced adsorption toward cationic dyes can be best described by a Langmuir isotherm.

Ether modified poly(ether ether ketone) nonwoven membrane with excellent wettability and stability as a lithium ion battery separator

In this study, poly(ether ether ketone) is first chloromethylated to improve the solubility and is later used for nonwoven membrane fabrication by electrospinning. Finally, the chloromethyl group was converted to the ethyl ether group and dibenzyl ether group in a hot alkaline solution. The abundant polar groups endow the membrane with excellent wettability, reducing the contact angle to 0°. The polymer matrix is crosslinked by dibenzyl ether group, endowing the membrane with excellent stability (insolubility in many solvents, and ultra-low swelling in the electrolyte at 80 °C) and good anti-shrinkage property (0% at 180 °C). The electrospinning-fabricated membrane remains stable until 4.812 V (vs. Li+/Li), meeting the requirement for use in lithium ion batteries. The interwoven structure of the nonwoven membrane effectively gives rise to the high electrolyte uptake of 215.8%. The ionic conductivity of the electrolyte-swelled electrospinning-fabricated membrane is 51% higher than that of the electrolyte-swelled Celgard membrane. As a result, the lithium ion battery with this nonwoven membrane exhibits an enhanced rate performance (up to 42.5% higher than the lithium ion battery with a PP separator) and satisfactory cycling performance.

Effect of Thermal Aging on the Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking Susceptibility of Type 310S Stainless Steel

The effect of thermal aging on the intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) susceptibility of Type 310S stainless steel was investigated. Samples were solution-annealed (baseline), sensitized (short-term aging), and thermally-treated (long-term aging) to form Cr-rich M23C6 carbides and sigma (σ) phase precipitate particles, respectively, on the grain boundaries. The thermal-aging heat treatments represent two limiting exposure conditions expected in-service for a fuel cladding in the Canadian Generation IV (supercritical water-cooled reactor) design concept and were considered to better understand the risk factors associated with an in-service IGSCC damage mode. The sensitized treatment exhibited the highest relative degree of sensitization (measured by double loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation testing in 2 M H2SO4 + 0.01 M KSCN) and IGSCC susceptibility (measured by slow strain rate testing [SSRT] in a hot alkaline solution). The relative susceptibility reflects the controlling role played by Cr-depleted zones, which were only observed in the sensitized (short-term aging) material. The relatively large σ phase grain boundary particles in the thermally-treated (long-term aging) material preferentially cracked during SSRT, suggesting an apparent IGSCC susceptibility at the sample surface. However, the absence of Cr-depleted zones in this material prevented IGSCC from occurring, despite preferential cracking in the σ phase grain boundary particles. The dominant fracture mode in the hot alkaline solution was transgranular mixed-mode cracking. The implications of the results are discussed within the context of risk factors associated with an in-service IGSCC susceptibility in supercritical water.

Core-shell structured CsxWO3@ZnO with excellent stability and high performance on near-infrared shielding

Cesium-doped tungsten bronze CsxWO3 (CWO) is a promising candidate for near-infrared (NIR) shielding materials on windows of buildings and automobiles. However, the NIR shielding ability of CWO easily deteriorates in hot humid and alkaline environments, which hinders further applications of CWO. In this paper, we firstly reported a novel core-shell structure of CWO@ZnO, which exhibited high NIR shielding performance with excellent stability. In hot humid environment, CWO@ZnO nanoparticles kept their outstanding NIR shielding ability after 150 days while uncoated CWO nanoparticles showed an evident deterioration in just 1day. Moreover, the CWO@ZnO core-shell structure also exhibits excellent stability in alkaline environment. The good protection of the uniform, continuous and compact ZnO shells played an important role on enhancing the stabilities of CWO nanoparticles. This study provides a novel route for promoting the practical applications of CWO NIR shielding materials.

Unravelling the structure of serum pectin originating from thermally and mechanically processed carrot-based suspensions

The molecular structure of pectin, a cell wall polysaccharide in fruits and vegetables, greatly determines its functionality. Owing to its solubility characteristics, pectin is naturally present in the particle and liquid (serum) phase of plant-based dispersions (e.g. purées) that can influence product functionality. The objective of the present study was to investigate the structure of serum pectin obtained from carrot purées, differently processed by a combination of mechanical tissue disintegration (blending and high pressure homogenization) and heat treatments (high and low temperature). Serum phases, isolated from the purées, were lyophilized and served as the starting material for isolation of the pectic polysaccharides as alcohol insoluble residues. Physico-chemical characterization revealed that different processing combinations of carrot purées can generate serum pectins with specific structural properties. Differences in the molecular weight of carrot serum pectic polysaccharides were observed depending on the sequence of heat and mechanical treatments. Subsequent partitioning of carrot serum pectic polysaccharides into rhamnogalacturonan I (RGI) and homogalacturonan (HG)-rich fractions using hot alkaline and mild acid conditions, respectively, revealed the composition and molecular characteristics of the serum pectin subdomains. The RGI-rich fractions were mainly characterized by high concentrations of neutral sugars (arabinose, galactose, and rhamnose) and exhibited branch-like structures in solution under cryo-SEM. HG-rich fractions, on the other hand, were characterized by highly linear galacturonic acid-rich pectin and exhibited strand-like structures under cryo-SEM. Knowledge of these structural changes can be useful in exploring the functionalities of carrot serum pectic polysaccharides.

Kinetics of dissolution of glass fibre in hot alkaline solution

Kinetics of the dissolution of E-glass fibres in alkaline solutions was investigated. To allow an accurate determination of conversion, glass fibres were immersed individually in the corrosive medium and the diameter change was measured with the use of a scanning electron microscope. Few studies have been reported in the literature on the kinetics of E-glass fibre dissolution or the dissolution of individual fibres. Our experimental results fit well in the zero-order and shrinking cylinder models, suggesting either the diffusion of hydroxide ions through the solution or the glass fibre etching itself was rate-limiting step. The rate constant for the reaction of glass fibre with alkaline solution at 95 °C was found to be between 1.3 × 10−4 and 4.3 × 10−4 g/(m2 s). The reaction order (n) was determined as 0.31–0.49 with respect to the alkaline solution, and the activation energy was 58–79 kJ/mol.

Extraction methods and food uses of a natural red colorant from dye sorghum.

The interest in stable natural colorants for food applications continues to grow. A red pigment extracted from the leaf sheaths of a sorghum variety (Sorghum bicolor) with a high content of apigeninidin is widely used as a biocolorant in processed foods in West Africa. This study compared the colour and anthocyanin composition from traditional extraction methods to determine options for improvement and use of the red biocolorant from dye sorghum in the food sector. Sorghum biocolorant was commonly applied in fermented and heated foods. Traditional extraction methods predominantly differed in two aspects, namely the use of an alkaline rock salt (locally known as kanwu) and the temperature of the extraction water. Cool extraction using the alkaline ingredient was more efficient than hot alkaline and hot aqueous extractions in extracting anthocyanins. The apigeninidin content was three times higher in the cool and hot alkaline extracts than in the aqueous extract. Cool and hot alkaline extractions at pH 8-9 were the most efficient methods for extracting apigeninidin from dye sorghum leaf sheaths. Broader use of the sorghum biocolorant in foods requires further research on its effects on nutrient bioavailability and antioxidant activity. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparison of Pretreatment Methods on Vetiver Leaves for Efficient Processes of Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation by Neurospora sp.

Lignocellulosic biomass is a potential raw material for bioethanol production. Neurospora sp. can be used to convert lignocellulosic biomass into bioethanol because of its ability to perform simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. However, lignin content, degree of polymerization, and crystallinity of cellulose contained in lignocellulosic biomass can inhibit cellulosic-biomass digestion by Neurospora sp, so that a suitable pretreatment method of lignocellulosic biomass is needed. The focus of this research was to investigate the suitable pretreatment method for vetiver leaves (Vetiveria zizanioides L. Nash) used as a raw material producing bioethanol in the process of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) by Neurospora sp.. Vetiver plants obtained from Garut are deliberately cultivated to produce essential oils extracted from the roots of this plant. Since the vetiver leaves do not contain oil, some of harvested leaves are usually used for crafts and cattle feed, and the rest are burned. This study intended to look at other potential of vetiver leaves as a source of renewable energy. Pretreatments of the vetiver leaves were conducted using hot water, dilute acid, alkaline & dilute acid, and alkaline peroxide, in which each method was accompanied by thermal treatment. The results showed that the alkaline peroxide treatment is a suitable for vetiver leaves as indicated by the increase of cellulose content up to 65.1%, while the contents of hot water soluble, hemicellulose, lignin, and ash are 8.7%, 18.3%, 6.8%, and 1.1%, respectively. Using this pretreatment method, the vetiver leaves can be converted into bioethanol by SSF process using Neurospora sp. with a concentration of bioethanol of 6.7 g/L operated at room temperature.

Eugenol Nanoemulsion Stabilized with Zein and Sodium Caseinate by Self-Assembly.

Eugenol-loaded nanoemulsion by zein and sodium caseinate (NaCas) was prepared without using specific equipment or organic solvents. The deprotonated eugenol in hot alkaline was added to NaCas/zein mixtures with different mass ratios at pH 11.5 and then neutralized to pH 7.0. The nanoemulsions showed a well-defined diameter (around 109-139 nm) and a negative surface potential (from -28.5 to -35.8 mV) with spherical morphology. The entrapment efficiency (EE) of 1% (v/v) eugenol reached 84.24% by 2% (m/v) NaCas/zein at a mass ratio of 1:1. This formulation also showed the narrowest size distribution and extraordinary stability during ambient storage (22 °C) up to 30 days and retained good redispersibility after spray- or freeze-drying. The current study showed a promising clean and low-cost strategy to deliver lipophilic compounds containing the hydroxyl group.

Skeletonema cf. costatum biogenic silica production rate determinated by PDMPO method

Diatoms are the only ecological phytoplankton that require silicic acid for growth. They are also the dominant contributor of ocean’s total primary productivity. Generation and circulation with silica walls, which the siliceous organisms form, is an important component of the marine biological pump. It is crucial to the study of the operational mechanisms of biological pump with different sea areas. Moreover, it is the key link to the study of global silicon cycle. This paper introduces the basic mechanism of the formation of diatom silica walls and a new way of researching silicic acid metabolism, namely the 2-(4-pyridyl)-5-((4-(2-dimethylaminoethylaminocarbamoyl)- methoxy)phenyl)oxazole (PDMPO) dyeing method. Under a fluorescence microscope after excitation with bright green fluorescence, it can combine with silicic acid to form a complex into the Si deposition within diatom cells. The advantage of this method is that it can monitor the metabolism of silicate after adding PDMPO. For experimentation and sample collection in each of the specified time points, samples were determinated through the unutilized silicic acid, silica dissoluble intracellular and Si deposition within diatom cells, not only using hot alkaline digestions method but also PDMPO dyeing method. Results showed a good linear relationship between PDMPO fluorescent value and biogenic silica concentration. It was also indicated that PDMPO had no deleterious impact on Skeletonema cf. costatum growth for 34 h and was useful for tracking newly-deposited biogenic silica in diatoms’ frustules.

Ionic crosslinking of imidazolium functionalized poly(aryl ether ketone) by sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) for anion exchange membranes.

Two N3-substituted imidazoles 1,2-dimethylimidazole and 1-butyl-2-methylimidazole were chosen to functionalize poly(aryl ether ketone), respectively. The generated imidazolium cations could electrostatically react with sulfonate ions of the sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) forming the ionic crosslinking structure of the membranes. The changes in crosslinking degree and the alkyl chain-length on N3 site of the imidazoliums could highly affect the properties of the anion exchange membranes (AEMs). The AEMs functionalized by 1-butyl-2-methylimidazole exhibited superior properties compared to those functionalized by 1,2-dimethylimidazole according to the tolerance tests of the AEMs towards hot alkaline solutions. After exposed to 1M KOH at 80°C for 200h, the 1-butyl-2-methylimidazole modified AEMs maintained the ion exchange capacity of above 85%, the conductivity of about 70%, and the tensile stress at break of around 80%, respectively. The hydrophile-lipophile balance of the polymer membranes was calculated and proposed to better understand the correlation between structures and properties of the AEMs. The degradation of the imidazolium functional groups of the AEMs under the attack of hydroxide ions was evidenced by FT-IR analysis.

Examining Free Jump Parameters under the Effect of Two Vertical Overlapping Gates (TVOG)

The effect of Solid State Fermentation (SSF) on Chitosan production by A. niger was investigated. A. niger BBRC 20004 from Biochemical and Bioenvironmental Research Centre of Sharif University of Technology (Tehran, Iran), was grown on corn residue. Chitosan was extracted from the fungal mycelia using hot alkaline and acid treatment. A. niger was incubated for 12 days on corn residue with moisture content of 35 % and 1.12 % of nitrogen. The Chitosan was obtained and 10.9 g/kg of Urea dry residue was added in various amounts to the medium in order to evaluate the effect of the nitrogen concentration in the production of Chitosan. The highest amount of Chitosan obtained by 6.5 g of urea after 12 days of incubation was 16.15 g/kg.

Geothermal activity and hydrothermal mineral deposits at southern Lake Bogoria, Kenya Rift Valley: Impact of lake level changes

Lake Bogoria, a saline alkaline closed-lake in a drainage basin of Neogene volcanic rocks in the central Kenya Rift, is fed partly by ∼200 hot alkaline springs located in three groups along its margins. Hot springs along the midwest shoreline (Loburu, Chemurkeu) and their travertine deposits have been studied, but little is known about the geothermal activity at southern Lake Bogoria. Observations, field measurements and analyses (geochemical and mineralogical) of the spring waters and deposits, spanning three decades, show that the southern spring waters are more saline, the hydrothermal alteration there is more intense, and that most hot spring deposits are siliceous.Geothermal activity at southern Lake Bogoria (Ng'wasis, Koibobei, Losaramat) includes littoral boiling springs and geysers, with fumaroles at slightly higher elevations. Modern spring deposits are ephemeral sodium carbonates, opal-A crusts and silica gels. Local fossil spring deposits include diatomaceous silica-cemented conglomerates that formed subaqueously when the lake was then dilute and higher than today, and outlying calcite tufa deposits. In contrast, mineral deposits around neighbouring fumarole vents and sites of hydrothermal alteration include clays (kaolinite), sulfate minerals (jarosite, alunite), and Fe-oxyhydroxides linked to rising acidic fluids. When lake level falls, the zone of acidity moves downwards and may overprint older alkaline spring deposits. In contrast, rising lake level leads to lake water dilution and vents in the lower parts of the acidic zone may become dilute alkaline springs. The new evidence at Lake Bogoria shows the potential for using the mineralogy of geothermal sediments to indicate former changes in lake level.

Beta-Glucan Particles as Vaccine Adjuvant Carriers.

Glucan particles (GPs) are spherical hollow particles derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell walls and mainly consist of β-1, 3-D-glucans. The inner hollow cavity of glucan particles can be loaded with different compounds, including protein antigens, and delivered to macrophages and dendritic cells. Moreover, the GP delivery system possesses β-glucan's intrinsic immunostimulatory properties. Therefore, GPs serve as both an antigen-presenting cell-targeted delivery system and an adjuvant.Here, we describe the production of GPs from S. cerevisiae using hot alkaline and solvent extraction and characterization of these particles for morphology, particle density, and hydrodynamic volume. A detailed protocol for loading and entrapping a model antigen, ovalbumin (OVA), into these particles using yeast RNA is presented. Similar methods are used to load pathogen-specific antigens (peptides, proteins, soluble extracts) which then can be tested in in vivo vaccination models.

Biological properties of water-soluble polysaccharides and hemicelluloses from almond gum

The aim of this work was to investigate the biological activities of almond gum polysaccharides (AGP) and almond gum hemicelluloses (AGH). Almond gum was first fractionated into AGP and AGH using hot water and alkaline solution, respectively. The antioxidant activities of both extracted polymers revealed interesting free radical scavenging activities through DPPH test (IC50 AGP=4mg/mL, IC50 AGH=6mg/mL), 2,2′-azinobis[3-ethylbenzthiazoline]-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity test (% inhibition ABTS=40.53±1.99% and 87.14±1% for AGP and AGH, respectively), reducing power capacity (RPAGP=20mg/mL, RPAGH=1.1mg/mL), and β-carotene bleaching inhibition (IC50AGP=18.5mg/mL, IC50AGH 0.8mg/mL). Antibacterial activities of both polymers were tested against pathogenic strains showing interesting growth inhibition. Moreover, AGP and AGH were also efficient to inhibit ACE; the angiotensin converting enzyme (at 1mg/mL, the ACE inhibitory activity was 75.81±1.53% and 90.86±2.47%, respectively). The results obtained in this study demonstrate the attractive biological properties of fractions obtained from almond gum and their potential to be used in numerous food and non-food applications.

Phytopathogenic Bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum Cryptic Plasmids Distribution

The aim was to study the Pectobacterium carotovorum plasmids spectra, cryptic plasmids distribution and general characteristics. Plasmid spectra of 54 strains of different origins were studied. Standard hot alkaline Kado and Liu method was used to isolate plasmids DNA [Kado C.J., Liu S.-T. Rapid procedure for detection and isolation of large and small plasmids. J. Bacteriol. 1981; 145 (3): 1365–1373]. It was found that 16 strains contained plasmids of various sizes. Isolated plasmids belonged to four discrete size classes: 2.5 – 6.8, 9.8 – 16.7, 47.7 – 64.5 and 129 kb. Approximately 50 % of the isolated P. carotovorum plasmids belonged to the second discrete size class with a size of 8.7 – 10.4 kb. Four large 129 kb P. carotovorum plasmids had unique primary DNA sequence according to results of restriction analysis. Pectobacteria plasmids isolation results correlate with data obtained earlier that 30 % of strains contained plasmids [Tovkach FI. [Isolation and preliminary characterization of cryptic plasmids from Erwinia carotovora]. Microbiology. 2001; 70 (6): 804–810. Russian]. Strains` plasmid maintenance was associated with environmental and ecological niches where bacteria persisted. These extrachromosomal DNAs may present silent "selfsh", and probably prophage, replicons.

Specific Formation Behavior of Crystalline TiO2 Mesoporous Films during Anodizing in Hot Alkaline Glycerol Electrolytes

Recently, we reported the formation of TiO2 mesoporous films by anodizing titanium in hot phosphate/glycerol electrolytes [1-3]. The resultant films showed interesting features, for example: (i) the pore size was as small as ~10 nm leading to a high surface area and did not change linearly with the formation voltage; and (ii) formation of the films at an 20 V generated the crystalline anatase phase without the requirement of post-annealing, whereas as prepared films anodized in the electrolytes containing fluorides were usually amorphous. However, the details of formation behavior of the crystalline TiO2mesoporous films have yet to be revealed. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the growth process of the films during the anodizing in hot alkaline glycerol electrolytes containing phosphate by cyclic voltammetry and changing electrolyte anion species. The specimens were 99.5% pure titanium plates, which were electropolished in 1.0 mol dm-3 NaCl/ethylene glycol solution. The electropolished specimens were anodized in stirred glycerol electrolytes containing selected amounts of phosphate such as K2HPO4 and K3PO4 and/or NOH, and 0.03 wt% H2O at 433 K. Anodizing by cyclic voltammograms (CVs) was performed using a three-electrode system with a platinum foil as a counter electrode and a platinum wire as a reference electrode. The potential sweep rate and stirring rate were 30 mV s-1and 330 rpm, respectively. Anodizing at constant voltage of 20 V was performed using a two-electrode system with the platinum foil as the counter electrode. Fig. 1 shows the CVs of titanium at the first cycle in the hot glycerol electrolyte containing 0.6 mol dm-3 K3PO4 + 0.2 mol dm-3 K2HPO4 (Fig. 1a), together with that in the ethylene glycol electrolyte containing fluoride (Fig. 1b). In the case of the anodizing in the electrolyte containing the phosphates, the current density became almost constant at potentials higher than 2 V vs Pt. Similar constant currents were obtained even during the negative sweep of the potential, whereas the current density decreased during the negative sweep in the electrolyte containing fluoride. This result suggested that the ionic transport in the barrier layer under the high electric field was not a rate-determining step during the anodizing in the hot phosphate/glycerol electrolyte. The Cottrell plot during anodizing in the phosphate/glycerol electrolyte at 3 V vs Pt reveals a linear correlation between the reciprocal of the current density and the square root of anodizing time. Thus, the anodizing process is diffusion-controlled. In addition, the limiting current became smaller with decreasing basicity of the electrolyte, implying some basic species, such as OH-, should be diffusing ones to grow the anodic TiO2films during anodizing in the hot phosphate/glycerol electrolyte. The crystallinity of the films anodizing the electrolyte containing phosphate or not was investigated by XRD. The results suggested that a small amount of the phosphate contained the anodic films may have important roles to crystallize during anodizing.

Dual pH-Mediated Mechanized Hollow Zirconia Nanospheres.

We demonstrate for the first time how to assemble mechanized hollow zirconia nanospheres (MHzNs), consisting of hollow mesoporous zirconia nanospheres (HMZNs) as nanoscaffolds and supramolecular switches anchored on the exterior surface of HMZNs. The remarkable advantage of substitution of HMZNs for conventional mesoporous silica nanoscaffolds is that HMZNs can suffer the hot alkaline reaction environment, which provides a novel strategy for functionalization and thus achieve dual pH-mediated controlled release functions by simple and practicable assembly procedure. Under neutral solution, cucurbituril[7] (CB[7]) macrocycles complexed with propanone bis(2-aminoethyl)ketal (PBAEK) to form [2]pseudorotaxanes as supramolecular switches, blocking the pore orifices and preventing the undesirable leakage of cargoes. When solution pH was adjusted to alkaline range, CB[7] macrocycles, acting as caps, disassociated from PBAEK stalks and opened the switches due to the dramatic decrease of ion-dipole interactions. While under acidic conditions, PBAEK stalks were broken on account of the cleavage of ketal groups, resulting in the collapse of supramolecular switches and subsequent release of encapsulated cargoes. MHzNs owning dual pH-mediated controlled release characteristic are expected to apply in many fields. In this work, the feasibility of doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded MHzNs as targeted drug delivery systems was evaluated. In vitro cellular studies demonstrate that DOX-loaded MHzNs can be easily taken up by SMMC-7721 cells, can rapidly release DOX intracellularly, and can enhance cytotoxicity against tumor cells, proving their potential for chemotherapy.