Ideal Conversion Research Articles

Enhanced photothermal conversion properties of graphene aerogel surface and its application in oil spill treatment

As an environmentally friendly material, graphene aerogel has been widely studied. The photothermal conversion performance is an important property of graphene aerogel. Graphene aerogels were prepared by hydrothermal reduction method. The factors affecting its surface photothermal conversion properties were explored and graphene aerogels with ideal photothermal conversion properties were obtained. In addition, COMSOL Multiphysics simulation was carried out to further analyze the intrinsic factors affecting the photothermal properties of the materials. The prepared materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectrometry (Raman) to obtain their physicochemical properties. UV–visible-near infrared spectrophotometer and microcomputer-controlled electronic universal testing machine were used to evaluate the light-absorbing capacity and mechanical properties of the materials. The obtained graphene aerogel can be rapidly heated up to higher than 110 °C in 8 s on its surface under simulated sunlight (1000 W·m−2) irradiation. When used for the treatment of oil spill at sea, the prepared graphene aerogel with good photothermal conversion ability can adsorb 105.61 times of its own weight of crude oil and the adsorption rate is as high as 10.56 g·g−1·min−1, which shows a broad application prospect.

Relating Standardized Automated Perimetry Performed with Stimulus Sizes III and V in Eyes With Field Loss due to Glaucoma and NAION.

Standard automated perimetry (SAP) visual field (VF) results are more repeatable using Goldmann stimulus size V (stimV) in eyes with moderate/severe deficits due to glaucoma. There are few reports relating VFs using stimulus size V and III, typically used in the clinic for glaucoma, and none for non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). We hypothesized that we could compare and relate the VFs with both stimuli for glaucoma and NAION. We utilized 1992 same-day pairs of stimIII and stimV SAP VFs using the 24-2 strategy for eyes with glaucoma or NAION. We explored the optimal threshold to censor the raw sensitivities, prior to calculating age-standardized total deviations (TD). We determined the mean and standard deviation of the differences among all TD pairs. We computed a line of best fit to determine closeness to the line of unity. The ideal censoring conversion threshold was 21 dB for stimIII and 24 dB for stimV. The difference between stimV and stimIII censored (0.0 ± 1.9 dB) and uncensored (0.4 ± 2.6 dB) TD pairings strongly correlate with each other (r2 = 0.70, p < 0.001). The line of best fit from these pairings has a slope of 0.92, which is similar to that of the line of unity (m = 1). Censoring plus age correction is a valid method of comparison between stimIII and stimV SAP VFs with moderate to severe VF loss due to optic nerve disorders. StimIII and stimV TDs are interchangeable in clinical practice.

Enhancement of Overall Kinetics by Se-Br Chemistry in Rechargeable Li-S Batteries.

The sluggish kinetics of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries severely impedes the application in extreme conditions. Bridging the sulfur cathode and lithium anode, the electrolyte plays a crucial role in regulating kinetic behaviors of Li-S batteries. Herein, we report a multifunctional electrolyte additive of phenyl selenium bromide (PhSeBr) to simultaneously exert positive influences on both electrodes and the electrolyte. For the cathode, an ideal conversion routine with lower energy barrier can be attained by the redox mediator and homogeneous catalyst derived from PhSeBr, thus improving the reaction kinetics and utilization of sulfur. Meanwhile, the presence of Se-Br bond helps to reconstruct a loose solvation sheath of lithium ions and a robust bilayer SEI with excellent ionic conductivity, which contributes to reducing the de-solvation energy and simultaneously enhancing the interfacial kinetics. The Li-S battery with PhSeBr displays superior long cycling stability with a reversible capacity of 1164.7 mAh g-1 after 300 cycles at 0.5 C rate. And the pouch cell exhibits a maximum capacity of 845.3 mAh and a capacity retention of 94.8 % after 50 cycles. Excellent electrochemical properties are also obtained in extreme conditions of high sulfur loadings and low temperature of -20 °C. This work demonstrates the versatility and practicability of the special additive, striking out an efficient but simple method to design advanced Li-S batteries.

Enhancement of Overall Kinetics by Se−Br Chemistry in Rechargeable Li−S Batteries

AbstractThe sluggish kinetics of lithium‐sulfur (Li−S) batteries severely impedes the application in extreme conditions. Bridging the sulfur cathode and lithium anode, the electrolyte plays a crucial role in regulating kinetic behaviors of Li−S batteries. Herein, we report a multifunctional electrolyte additive of phenyl selenium bromide (PhSeBr) to simultaneously exert positive influences on both electrodes and the electrolyte. For the cathode, an ideal conversion routine with lower energy barrier can be attained by the redox mediator and homogeneous catalyst derived from PhSeBr, thus improving the reaction kinetics and utilization of sulfur. Meanwhile, the presence of Se−Br bond helps to reconstruct a loose solvation sheath of lithium ions and a robust bilayer SEI with excellent ionic conductivity, which contributes to reducing the de‐solvation energy and simultaneously enhancing the interfacial kinetics. The Li−S battery with PhSeBr displays superior long cycling stability with a reversible capacity of 1164.7 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles at 0.5 C rate. And the pouch cell exhibits a maximum capacity of 845.3 mAh and a capacity retention of 94.8 % after 50 cycles. Excellent electrochemical properties are also obtained in extreme conditions of high sulfur loadings and low temperature of −20 °C. This work demonstrates the versatility and practicability of the special additive, striking out an efficient but simple method to design advanced Li−S batteries.

Preliminary Verification of the PHITS Code Applicability to Conversion Efficiency Calculation of Direct Charge Nuclear Battery

A direct charge nuclear battery, or DCNB, is one of the nuclear batteries based on direct energy conversion and is characterized by exceptional high voltage generation and conversion efficiency higher than other nuclear batteries. For studying potential applications of DCNB, a preliminary estimation of DCNB electrical power and performance is required; hence, conversion efficiency analysis is crucial. For preliminary verification purposes, an ideal DCNB conversion efficiency was calculated under the simplified electron transport model by using the general-purpose Monte Carlo particle transport calculation code PHITS. The result was compared with a reference experimental efficiency for a T-loaded parallel plate DCNB, and the resulting relative error was approximately 12%. Considering the relative error of 20% or less in DCNB conversion efficiency shown by preceding studies, the resulting error was comparable, and it was concluded that the PHITS code is sufficiently applicable to DCNB conversion efficiency analysis.

Measuring the auditory bubble: How mobile music listening affects personal space

Research on mobile music listening (through headphones while on the move) revealed that people use music to create an imaginary space around themselves that cannot be breached by others. This concept recalls the zone around each person called personal space. Thus, the questions posed in this exploratory study were as follows: How does music listening through headphones influence personal space? Is there a difference between air-conduction and bone-conduction headphones? Thirty people (M_age = 34.6, SD_age = 15.4; 11 male, 19 female) took part in the experiment. They were each approached by either a female or male assistant while listening to self-chosen music and were instructed to ask them to stop at two points: firstly, when an ideal conversation distance had been reached, and secondly, when the assistant should not come any closer. The distances between assistant and participant were measured first without music and then randomly while listening through air-conduction or bone-conduction headphones. Results indicate that listening to music influences personal space: when music was listened to through headphones, the ideal conversation distance was smaller, whereas the second distance measurement was only affected by air-conduction headphones. Apart from music, no other factor was found to influence the size of personal space. The findings of the present study reveal that listening to music and even the kind of headphones used have a measurable influence on personal space. The smaller personal distance required when listening to music can be explained by the fact that the listener is distracted from unpleasant situations and can instead focus on something positive.

Highly reflective TiO2 layer on AlN substrate: Enabling high quality laser lighting

Phosphors in glass films (PiFs) is considered ideal conversion materials for laser lighting, but heat dissipation issue is the main challenge limiting its development. Therefore, it is urgent to find more excellent heat dissipation materials. Herein, we proposed to use AlN with high thermal conductivity as the substrate, and innovatively introduced TiO2 coating to improve the interface reflection ability and solve the possible problems of shedding and cracking. After a series of optimizations, the LSN PiG-TiO2-AlN (PTA) color converter obtained a high thermal conductivity of 29W m−1k−1 and a low surface temperature. At an input power of 5.2W, the luminous efficiency can reach 175 lm/W and the relative initial intensity can still be maintained by 95.3% at 200 °C. Benefiting from the extremely strong heat dissipation capacity of the AlN substrate, the LSN PTA color converter maintains its relative luminous intensity at 95 % of the initial intensity after 24 h of continuous illumination, which is the best value recorded so far. In addition, LSN PTA is combined with CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphor to achieve high-quality white light with a CRI of 82.5. The above results indicate that LSN PiG-TiO2-AlN color converters have a promising research prospect in the field of laser lighting.

Novel water/oxygen cycle reaction photo fuel cell for solar conversion and pollutant detection: Based on selective 2-electron collaborative catalysis process

New typed photovoltaic devices, represented by water/oxygen cycle based photo fuel cells (PFCs) as a promising strategy to resolve the fossil energy crisis, have attracted extensive attention for the ideal photo energy conversion and utilization efficiency, spontaneous operation, and miniaturized devices. However, they still have limitations such as low oxygen reduction efficiency and poor stability caused by the complex structure of the cathode. In this work, a synergetic and fast 2-electron water/oxygen cycle reaction based dual-photoelectrode fuel cell (DPFC) is constructed with molecularly imprinted (MI)-CdS/ZnO nanorods (NRs) as photoanode and p-type organic semiconductor polythiophene (pTTh) as photocathode for the first time. The larger self-bias and simple structure endow the device higher open circuit potential (EOCV = 1.07 ± 0.08 V) and ideal output power density (Pmax = 60.5 ± 2.1 μW·cm−2). Attributed to the synergistic reaction effects, the 2-electron water/oxygen cycle is realized by the photocathode-generated H2O2 to serve as shuttle molecule, with outstanding cyclic stability (96 %) in 64 h continuous irradiation. Moreover, a portable self-powered sensor for the typical environmental pollutant atrazine is successfully developed based on this DPFC. A very wide concentration range (0.002 to 50 nM) and a super low detection limit (0.19 pM) is achived via a digital multimeter without the assistance of any signal amplifier. The mechanism, pathway, and active site of the selective reduction process are studied by the attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS). This work has proposed a cheap and regulatable new way to convert and utilize solar energy and provided theoretical guidance for achieving economic power generation and the sensing strategy of self-powered sensors.

Synergistic effects of Pt single atomic site and Cu nanoclusters for catalytic oxidation of methyl mercaptan

Here, we report a catalyst design strategy, which uses hydrotalcite as a precursor to obtaining uniformly loaded nano copper clusters and further load single atom Pt to form a synergistic catalytic effect between precious metals and transition metals and is applied to the catalytic oxidation of CH3SH. The ability of adsorption-activation of molecular oxygen can be enhanced by constructing copper nanoclusters on the surface of metal oxides, and the catalytic oxidation path of methanethiol can be changed from MVK scheme to ER scheme. However, it is still not enough to obtain the ideal methanethiol conversion efficiency. Inspired by the organometallic chemistry of platinum, the element sulfur has a good bonding ability with platinum. We introduced platinum single atoms onto copper nanoclusters. Confirmation of atomically dispersed Pt by spherical aberration corrected electron microscopy and XAFS. Combined with the above characterization and calculation, it can be seen that the introduction of single-atom Pt is conducive to the adsorption of CH3SH, Cu nanoclusters can activate oxygen molecules, and the synergistic effect of the two active sites can significantly improve the catalytic oxidation activity of the catalyst for CH3SH. The oxidation of CH3SH occur via the Langmuir-Hinshelwood scheme (L-H scheme).

A single-arm, multi-center phase II study of tislelizumab combined with lenvatinib and GEMOX as conversion therapy in potentially resectable locally advanced biliary tract cancer (ZSAB-TransGOLP): A primary analysis.

488 Background: We have previously reported that GEMOX combined with lenvatinib and PD-1 antibody (GOLP regimen) showed promising efficacy as first-line treatment for advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), indicating that GOLP regimen may be an ideal conversion therapy for patients (pts) with potentially resectable advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). This phase II trial explored the efficacy and safety of GOLP as conversion therapy in potentially resectable and locally advanced BTC. Methods: Patients with potentially resectable locally advanced BTC were enrolled and received tislelizumab (200mg, Q3W) and lenvatinib (8mg, QD) and GEMOX chemotherapy (Q3W) including gemcitabine 1000mg/m2 on day 1, 8 and oxaliplatin 85mg/m2 on day 1. Tumor responses were evaluated every 9 weeks according to RECIST v1.1, and the resectability was simultaneously discussed by MDT. For pts who were eligible for surgery, capecitabine alone was administered as adjuvant therapy after radical surgery. Pts who was not suitable for surgery continued to the original treatment regimen until progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint was R0 resection rate, and secondary endpoints included ORR, DCR, PFS, OS, CPR, MPR, RFS. Results: From December 2021 to July 2023, 41 pts were enrolled, 21 males and 20 females with a mean age of 57 years. 87.8% pts had iCCA, 7.3% had perihilar bile duct cancer and 4.9% had gallbladder cancer. TNM stage was II, IIIA, IIIB and IIIC for 2.4%, 34.1%, 58.5% and 4.9% of pts respectively. At cut-off date (September 10, 2023), the mean follow-up was 7.7 months, 39 pts completed at least three cycles of conversion therapy and 7 pts still administered with scheduled conversion therapy. The ORR was 43.9% (18/41) and the DCR was 87.8% (36/41). The median duration of therapy before surgery was 2.9 months (95%CI 2.6-4.6), R0 resection rate was 48.8% (20/41), and 2 pts underwent R1 resection. 9.1% (2/22) pts had a pCR and 22.7% (5/22) had an MPR. The most common grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) included neutropenia (31.7%), increased GGT (19.5%), leukopenia (12.2%). No grade 5 AEs occurred. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the high effectiveness and manageable safety of GOLP regimen as conversion therapy for potentially resectable locally advanced BTC. Survival data will continue to be followed up. Clinical trial information: NCT05156788 .

The Be REAL Framework: Enhancing Relationship-Building Skills for Community Health Workers.

Trust plays an integral part in the effective functioning of public health systems. During the COVID-19 pandemic, distrust of public health fueled vaccine hesitancy and created additional barriers to immunization. Although most Americans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, the percentage of fully immunized adults remains suboptimal. To reach vaccine-hesitant communities, it is vital that public health be worthy of trust. As trusted members of their communities, community health workers (CHWs) can serve as ideal messengers and conversation partners for vaccination decision-making. We developed the Be REAL framework and training materials to prepare CHWs to work with vaccine-hesitant communities nationwide. Through the four steps of "Relate," "Explore," "Assist," and "Leave (the door open)," CHWs were taught to prioritize relationship building as a primary goal. In this shift from focusing on adherence to public health recommendations (e.g., get vaccinated) to building relationships, the value of vaccine uptake is secondary to the quality of the relationship being formed. The Be REAL framework facilitates CHWs harnessing the power they already possess. The goal of the Be REAL framework is to foster true partnership between CHWs and community members, which in turn can help increase trust in the broader public health system beyond adherence to a specific recommendation.

Comment on CdTe solar cell efficiency

Based on computer simulations, it has been reported in October 2023 that conventional cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells can achieve actual air mass 1.5 global (AM 1.5 G) power conversion efficiency up to 35.79% [R. Hosen et al., Journal of Alloys and Metallurgical Systems 4 (2023) 100041]. Since the ideal Shockley-Queisser detailed balance-limiting power conversion efficiency of a 1.5 eV CdTe solar cell is only 32.1% at 25 °C, it is unlikely that an actual, conventional, CdTe solar cell will exceed this efficiency.

Efficient and stable PtFe alloy catalyst for electrocatalytic methanol oxidation with high resistance to CO

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are widely considered to be an ideal green energy conversion device but their widespread applications are limited by the high price of the Pt-based catalysts and the instability in terms of surface CO toxicity in long-term operation. Herein, the PtFe alloy nanoparticles (NPs) with small particle size (∼4.12 nm) supported on carbon black catalysts with different Pt/Fe atomic ratios (Pt1Fe2/C, Pt3Fe4/C, Pt1Fe1/C, and Pt2Fe1/C) are successfully prepared for enhanced anti-CO poisoning during methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The optimal atomic ratio of Pt/Fe for the MOR is 1:2, and the mass activity of Pt1Fe2/C (5.40 A mg−1Pt) is 13.5 times higher than that of conventional commercial Pt/C (Pt/C-JM) (0.40 A mg−1Pt). The introduction of Fe into the Pt lattice forms the PtFe alloy phase, and the electron density of Pt is reduced after forming the PtFe alloy. In-situ Fourier transform infrared results indicate that the addition of oxyphilic metal Fe has reduced the adsorption of reactant molecules on Pt during the MOR. The doping of Fe atoms helps to desorb toxic intermediates and regenerate Pt active sites, promoting the cleavage of C–O bonds with good selectivity of CO2 (58.1%). Moreover, the Pt1Fe2/C catalyst exhibits higher CO tolerance, methanol electrooxidation activity, and long-term stability than other PtxFey/C catalysts.

Local high concentration alkali field accelerated silicon hydrolysis for hydrogen production

Silicon is considered as a promising portable hydrolytic hydrogen production material due to its abundant raw materials, high theoretical capacity (1600 mL/g) and facile storage. However, the low hydrolysis activity and slow hydrolysis rate of silicon hinder its practical application. To address this issue, we introduced CaH2 to form Si-based composites via a flexible ball milling method. The above composites showed ideal yield (1216 mL/g in 10 min), reaction conversion (95.5%) and fast hydrolysis kinetics (225 mL/(s·g)) in deionized water, which is one of the best hydrolysis performances of Si-based composites so far. The hydrolytic process can be divided into two steps: the splitting hydrolysis of CaH2 and the continuous hydrolysis of Si. Combining the dynamic in-situ structural analysis with the analogue simulation, it can be confirmed that the formation of local high concentration alkali field is the key to promote the complete hydrolysis and achieve high yield and fast kinetics of the composites. The existence of lattice defects was proved and the adsorption of Si to hydroxide ion was proved by theoretical calculation. Our work provided a novel idea for the theoretical design of hydrolytic hydrogen production compounds and promoted the practical application of low cost and portable hydrolytic hydrogen production materials.

Economic and Environmental Competitiveness of Ethane-Based Technologies for Vinyl Chloride Synthesis.

The synthesis of the vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), employed to manufacture poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) plastic, primarily relies on oil-derived ethylene, resulting in high costs and carbon footprint. Natural gas-derived ethane in VCM synthesis has long been considered a transformative feedstock to lower emissions and expenses. In this work, we evaluate the environmental potential and economics of recently developed catalytic ethane chlorination technologies for VCM synthesis. We consider the ethylene-based business-as-usual (BAU) route and two different ethane-based processes evaluated at their current development level and their full potential, i.e., ideal conversion and selectivity. All routes are assessed under two temporal scenarios: present (2020) and prospective (2050). Combining process simulation and life cycle assessment (LCA), we find that catalytic ethane chlorination technologies can lower the production cost by 32% at their current development state and by 56% when considering their full potential. Though environmentally disadvantageous in the 2020 scenario, they emerge as more sustainable alternatives to the BAU in the 2050 scenario, reducing the carbon footprint of VCM synthesis by up to 26% at their current state and up to 58% at their full potential. Going beyond VCM synthesis, our results highlight prospective LCA as a powerful tool for assessing the true environmental implications of emerging technologies under more decarbonized future energy scenarios.

Hasan Minhaj’s Spontaneous Conversational Humor in Patriot Act

Grice's maxim of conversation becomes the main condition for a complete and ideal conversation. Spontaneous conversational humor is used in communicating with others, in light conversations with relatives, and in a broader public space, such as television shows and radio broadcasts. This linguistic phenomenon is often used as a speaker strategy in criticizing an action of an individual that is distorted but narrated in the form of humor that invites the audience's laughter. The researcher analysed Hasan Minhaj’s and his audience's spontaneous conversational humor in this study. Methodologically, the researcher adopted Grice's pragmatics study on the Theory of Cooperative Principle (1975), which aimed to make conversations cooperative. The researcher collected the data from Hasan Minhaj and his audience's utterances from September 2, 2019, to November 11, 2019. 21 data in the form of spoken transcripts containing spontaneous conversational humor, analysed by Martin's theory of spontaneous humor categorization (2007), which also contained non-observances (floating) based on the principle of conversation proposed by Grice (1975). The results showed that Hasan Minhaj deliberately and spontaneously expressed humorous conversations on his TV show "Patriot Act", which flouted the cooperative principle in conversation (Grice, 1975). The spontaneous conversational humor outlined by Hasan Minhaj in a broad outline showed that it aimed to criticize and comment on government policies that had violated the rights of the citizens. This study significantly contributed to expanding spontaneous conversational humor studies in linguistics.

Uncovering the solid-phase conversion mechanism via a new range of organosulfur polymer composite cathodes for lithium-sulfur batteries

The sulfur cathodes operating via solid phase conversion of sulfur have natural advantages in suppressing polysulfide dissolution and lowering the electrolyte dosage, and thus realizing significant improvements in both cycle life and energy density. To realize an ideal solid-phase conversion of sulfur, a deep understanding of the regulation path of reaction mechanism and a corresponding intentional material and/or cathode design are highly essential. Herein, via covalently fixing of sulfur onto the triallyl isocyanurate, a series of S-triallyl isocyanurate organosulfur polymer composites (STIs) are developed. Relationship between the structure and the electrochemical conversion behavior of STIs is systematically investigated. It is found that the structure of STIs varies with the synthetic temperature, and correspondingly the electrochemical redox of sulfur can be controlled from conventional “solid–liquid–solid” conversion to the “solid–solid” one. Among the STI series, the STI-5 composite realizes an ideal solid-phase conversion and demonstrates great potential for building a Li–S battery with high-energy density and long-cycle-life: it realizes stable cycling over 1000 cycles in carbonate electrolyte, with a degradation rate of 0.053% per cycle; the corresponding pouch cell shows almost no capacity decay for 125 cycles under the conditions of high sulfur loading (4.5 mg cm−2) and lean electrolyte (8 μL mgs−1). In addition, the tailoring strategy of STI can also apply to other precursors with allyl functional groups to develop new organosulfur polymers for “solid–solid” sulfur cathodes. The vulcanized triallyl phosphate (STP) and triallylamine (STA) both show great lithium storage potential. This strategy successfully develops a new family of organosulfur polymers as cathodes for Li–S batteries via solid-phase conversion of sulfur, and brings insights to the mechanism study in Li–S batteries.

SINGLE AXIS SOLAR TRACKING SYSTEM

In this study, the layout and implementation of a PV converter panel solar tracking system are discussed. Generally, the amount of solar radiation and the ambient temperature will affect the electricity production of photovoltaic panels. As they will create their most electricity when the amount of solar radiation they receive is at its highest, PVs should be controlled to keep them always perpendicular to the sun. The proposed single-axis solar tracking system offers an ideal solar energy conversion process by correctly aligning the photovoltaic panels with the actual location of the sun. The experiment's mechanism depends on a DC motor that intelligently moves the prototype in response to input from an LDR sensor using a fuzzy logic controller. An experimental study was carried out to study the performance of the solar tracking system. There is a 47% increase in strength between the design system and the fixed system.

NIR-triggerable self-assembly multifunctional nanocarriers to enhance the tumor penetration and photothermal therapy efficiency for castration-resistant prostate cancer

Great challenges still remain in the management of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) based on traditional treatments, and the rapid development of nanotechnology may find a breakthrough. Herein, a novel type of multifunctional self-assembly magnetic nanocarriers (IR780-MNCs) containing iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) and IR780 iodide was synthesized by an optimized process. With a hydrodynamic diameter of 122 nm, a surface charge of –28.5 mV and the drug loading efficiency of 89.6%, IR780-MNCs have increased cellular uptake efficiency, long-term stability, ideal photothermal conversion ability and excellent superparamagnetic behavior. The in vitro study indicated that IR780-MNCs have excellent biocompatibility and could induce significant cell apoptosis under the 808 nm laser irradiation. The in vivo study showed that IR780-MNCs highly accumulated at the tumor area could reduce the tumor volume of tumor-bearing mice by 88.5% under the 808 nm laser irradiation, but minimal damage to surrounding normal tissues. Since IR780-MNCs encapsulated a large number of 10 nm homogeneous spherical Fe3O4 NPs, which can be used as T2 contrast agent, the best window for photothermal therapy can be determined through MRI. In conclusion, IR780-MNCs have initially showed excellent antitumor effect and biosafety in the treatment of CRPC. This work provides novel insights into the precise treatment of CRPC by using a safe nanoplatform based on the multifunctional nanocarriers.

Intensification of the reverse water–gas shift process using a countercurrent chemical looping regenerative reactor

Chemical reactions have thermodynamic limits on species conversion which can negatively impact process design. Unconverted feedstock often needs to be separated and recycled, increasing energy demand, process complexity and cost. Just as is the case for heat exchangers, countercurrent reactor systems can improve the thermodynamic limits on species exchange and conversion. This work describes and demonstrates a countercurrent redox reactor system, which can be realised in a packed-bed chemical-looping reactor by storing the favourable oxygen chemical potential inclines using the unique properties of non-stoichiometric oxides. The concept is analogous to a regenerative heat exchanger, but for oxygen exchange and storage, and so we use the term regenerative reactor. We apply this approach to the reverse water–gas shift reaction, which is a critical step in the processing of synthetic e-fuels. The concept is modelled and experimentally validated via a lab-scale demonstration performed with CeO2 at 1073 K, which resulted in a CO2-to-CO molar conversion of 88 %, compared to a thermodynamic limit of 58 % for the conventional process at the same conditions. The modelling results indicate that the ideal thermodynamic conversion can be approximately doubled via this method. Furthermore, the CO is formed separately from the H2 flow, allowing for the syngas composition to be finely tuned for downstream processing.