Innovative Class Research Articles

Garnet-structure phosphors with ultra-high color purity red emission for potential warm WLED and flexible-transparent displays

Red-emitting phosphors play a pivotal role in the field of lighting technologies. This study introduces an innovative class of Li6SrEu2Sb2O12 garnet-structured phosphors, distinguished by the resistance to concentration quenching. A comprehensive examination of the crystal structure, electronic configuration, and photoluminescence characteristics has been conducted. Notably, the doping Eu3+ ions and their doping concentrations barely affected the crystal structure and morphology, and the band gap slightly decreased as the doping concentration increased. Interestingly, the obtained samples exhibit an ultra-high color purity, good thermal stability (78.60 % at 423 K), and suitable internal photoluminescence quantum yield (44.18 %). Consequently, a phosphor-converted white LED has been successfully fabricated, which boasts an outstanding correlated color temperature of 3271 K. Beyond conventional application, this research also introduces the concept of innovative flexible-transparent displays harnessing the phosphor film. Overall, this work has synthesized a groundbreaking red-emitting phosphor, poised to enhance traditional lighting sources and potentially pave the way for new applications in the field of advanced optical displays.

Optimising structural health monitoring systems: A 2D numerical investigation on impedance matching for FML with integrated sensors

AbstractFibre metal laminates (FML) represent an innovative class of advanced composite materials that integrate the mechanical properties of both metals and fibre‐reinforced composites (FRP). Combining the strength and ductility of metals with the lightweight and high stiffness of FRP and FMLs have emerged as new material compositions for applications in chemical, nuclear, automobile, and aerospace engineering disciplines. Structural health monitoring (SHM) using guided ultrasonic waves (GUW) is the state‐of‐the‐art for non‐destructive testing of thin‐walled structures. When applied to FML, SHM plays a crucial role in monitoring the integrity over time and detecting potential damage such as delamination, fibre breakage, or other structural anomalies. In SHM with GUW, a wave‐field is emitted by actuators. This wave‐field can be affected by damage in the structure, thereby changing its propagation characteristics. Sensors monitor the interaction between damage and GUW, which can be utilized to locate and classify the damage and ascertain the overall health state of the structure. In this study, an advanced integration of measurement hardware, that is, sensors and actuators, within the laminate structure is investigated. Sensor integration into FML allows for improved and more sophisticated monitoring capabilities in comparison to measuring techniques like laser vibrometers, which are limited to measuring displacements on the surface of the structure. However, the integration of sensors and actuators yields the technical difficulty of distorting the wave‐fields and may result in an over‐ or underestimation of the damage. Similar to damage, the distortion of the wave‐field is caused by the changes in acoustic impedance resulting from different material properties. In a previous study, incorporating a functionally graded artificial interphase through acoustic impedance matching between the sensor and host material showed notable and significant outcomes. The current contribution extends the prior graded artificial interphase for an isotropic homogeneous material to an FML structure. This paper presents a comprehensive numerical simulation study on a two‐dimensional model of FML with integrated sensors. The interphases are designed based on impedance matching, which improves signal transmission and reduces disturbing reflections. The conducted investigations hold for several interphase configurations for a wide frequency range. The optimised integration of sensors demonstrates promising results for enhancing the reliability and accuracy of SHM systems. This research serves as a foundation for further experimental validation and the development of advanced sensor‐integrated FML structures with improved monitoring capabilities.

Engineering a Surfactant Trap via Postassembly Modification of an Imine Cage.

Imine self-assembly stands as a potent strategy for the preparation of molecular organic cages. However, challenges persist, such as water insolubility and limited recognition properties due to constraints in the application of specific components during the self-assembly process. In this study, we addressed these limitations by initially employing a locking strategy, followed by a postassembly modification. This sequential approach enables precise control over both the solubility and host-guest properties of an imine-based cage. The resulting structure demonstrates water solubility and exhibits an exceptional capacity to selectively interact with anionic surfactants, inducing their precipitation. Remarkably, each cage precipitates 24 equiv of anionic surfactants even at concentrations much lower than the surfactant's critical micelle concentration (CMC), ensuring their complete removal. Molecular simulations elucidate how anionic surfactants specifically interact with the cage to facilitate aggregation below the surfactant CMC and induce precipitation as a micellar cross-linker. This innovative class of cages paves the way for the advancement of materials tailored for environmental remediation.

Continuous fiber-reinforced 2.5D hybrid lattice structures with superior compression performance via self-supporting suspension printing

This paper proposes an innovative class of two-and-a-half dimensional (2.5D) hybrid continuous fiber reinforced lattice structures (CFRLSs) that rationally combine distinct lattice designs to leverage the tensile strength of fibers for achieving superior compression performance. These hybrid structures are fabricated through a self-supporting suspension printing (SSSP) method, which enables the fabrication of suspension structures across substantial gaps through continuous fiber 3D printing (CF-3DP). The compression behavior of the proposed 2.5 D hybrid CFRLSs was optimized by focusing on two key variables in hybridizing the basic lattice along the build direction: composition ratio and distribution strategy. Finite element and analytical models were developed to elucidate their three failure mechanisms and related control strategies. Compared to the conventional single-type structure, i.e., honeycomb design, the proposed hybrid structures show a substantially higher compression performance, with improvements of up to 141.3 % and 330.1 % in specific strength and modulus, respectively, even at a lower density. This hybrid lattice design method based on SSSP opens up new horizons for engineering high-performance CFRLSs with superior compression performance by fully exploiting the design freedom offered by CF-3DP.

Synthesis and Characterization New 1, 2, 4-Triazole Derivative and Its Complexes with Some Transition Metal Ions

An innovative class of ligand compounds using The ions of transition metals (Cr(III), Fe(III), and Ni(II)).The ligand N,N'-(4H-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-diyl)bis(4-methoxybenzamide) was produced by reacting 2,5-di amino-1,2,4-triazole with two moles of methyl 4-methoxybenzoate in the presence of ethanol and a few drops of glacial acetic acid. The recently produced chemicals were studied using a battery of analytical tools, analysis of elements (C, H, and N), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and atomic absorption are some of the techniques that are included. The aforementioned diagnostic procedures led to the formation of ligand-containing octahedral complexes with (Fe and Cr) ions and a square planer complex with nickel.

Electrochemical performance of in-situ electrodeposited spinel-structured high entropy oxides/NiFeCuMoMn-high entropy alloy multiphase electrocatalysts for seawater electrolysis

Seawater electrolysis plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable hydrogen production. High entropy alloys (HEAs), an innovative class of materials, have garnered significant attention for seawater electrolysis research in recent years due to their exceptional mechanical strength, catalytic efficiency, and corrosion resistance properties. This study presents the synthesis of a novel Ni-Fe-Cu-Mo-Mn based high entropy alloy catalyst featuring in-situ grown high entropy oxides (HEOs). This material exhibits HER overpotentials of η10 (Overpotential at 10 mA)=50.5 mV in 1 M KOH solution and η10 = 371 mV in natural seawater with a pH ≈ 8.2, after 50 h of Hydrogen evolution reactio (100 mA·cm−2), the η10 in seawater decreased from 371 mV to 343 mV. Demonstrates some autocatalytic capacity. Analytical results indicated that the HEOs/NFCMM (NiFeCuMoMn) -HEA surface is characterized by a spinel structure. The presence of this spinel-structured HEOs layer on the HEOs/NFCMM-HEA catalyst's surface enhances its ability to adsorb H2O effectively and facilitates the desorption of H* from non-acidic electrolytes, thereby significantly boosting the HER process.

Design of biocompatible gelatin hydrogels reinforced with magnetite nanoparticles: Effective removal of chromium from water environment

The development of biocompatible adsorbents is vital for environmental remediation to control and reduce pollution and waste accumulation in ecosystems. Biocompatible hydrogels represent an innovative class of materials that are primarily composed of polymer chain units forming their structural framework. They have a high affinity for water molecules. This research thus aims to incorporate iron oxide particles into the gelatin matrix to produce gelatin hydrogel beads to remove hexavalent chromium from an aqueous solution. The synthesized beads, known for their consistent size, low friction, high specific surface area, mechanical stability, and lightweight characteristics, demonstrated their suitability for various industrial applications. The effectiveness of these hydrogels in removing hexavalent chromium ions was confirmed through a thorough analysis using techniques such as FTIR, TGA, SEM, EDX, VSM, and XPS. Batch experiments revealed that the gelatin-based nanocomposite beads exhibited optimal adsorption efficiency under acidic conditions, lower initial concentrations of chromium ions, extended contact time, and elevated temperature (50–60 °C). The composite achieved a maximum removal efficiency of 99% at pH 1, with an adsorbent dose of 0.5 g at 50 °C, and an initial concentration of 50 mg per liter. The use of 0.7 N NaOH in the regeneration process resulted in a commendable 70.5% desorption efficiency, enabling potential reuse and regeneration. Significantly, the desorption efficiency remained consistently high even after four desorption-readsorption cycles, contributing to the economic and environmental sustainability of chromium removal. Additionally, the study determined that the sorption process was feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic. These collective findings suggest that magnetic gelatin hydrogel beads could serve as a cost-effective alternative adsorbent for the efficient removal of chromium ions from aqueous solutions.

Bio-Based Epoxy Vitrimers with Excellent Properties of Self-Healing, Recyclability, and Welding.

The development of more recyclable materials is a key requirement for a transition towards a more circular economy. Thanks to exchange reactions, vitrimer, an attractive alternative for recyclable materials, is an innovative class of polymers that is able to change its topology without decreasing its connectivity. In this work, a bisphenol compound (VP) was prepared from saturated cardanol, i.e., 3-pentadecylphenol and vanillyl alcohol. Then, VP was epoxidized to obtain epoxide (VPGE). Finally, VPGE and citric acid (CA) were polymerized in the presence of catalyst TBD to prepare a fully bio-based vitrimer based on transesterification. The results from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that the VPGE/CA system could be crosslinked at around 163 °C. The cardanol-derived vitrimers had good network rearrangement properties. Meanwhile, because of the dynamic structural elements in the network, the material was endowed with excellent self-healing, welding, and recyclability.

GLP-1R mediates idebenone-reduced blood glucose in mice

GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are an innovative class of drugs with significant therapeutic value for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The GLP-1RAs currently available on the market are biologic macromolecular peptide agents that are expensive to treat and not easy to take orally. Therefore, the development of small molecule GLP-1RAs is becoming one of the most sought-after research targets for hypoglycemic drugs. In this study, we sought to find a potential oral small molecule GLP-1RA and to evaluate its effect on insulin secretion in rat pancreatic β cells and on blood glucose in mice. We downloaded the mRNA expression profiles of GSE102194 and GSE37936 from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Subsequently, the small molecule compound idebenone was screened through the connectivity map database. The results of molecular docking, biolayer interferometry, and cellular thermal shift assay indicated that idebenone could bind potently with GLP-1R. Furthermore, ibebenone elevated intracellular cAMP levels. The radioimmunoassay data showed that idebenone enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion via agonism of GLP-1R. Moreover, the results of oral glucose tolerance tests in C57BL/6, Glp-1r-/-, and hGlp-1r mice demonstrated that the glucose-lowering effects of idebenone were mediated by GLP-1R and that there were no species differences in the agonistic effect of idebenone on GLP-1R. In summary, idebenone reduces blood glucose in mice by promoting insulin release through agonism of GLP-1R, suggesting that idebenone is probably a potential GLP-1RA, which is expected to provide a new therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases such as T2DM.

Covalent Organic Frameworks for Electrocatalysis: Design, Applications, and Perspectives.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an innovative class of crystalline porous polymers composed of light elements such as C, N, O, etc., linked by covalent bonds. The distinctive properties of COFs, including designable building blocks, large specific surface area, tunable pore size, abundant active sites, and remarkable stability, have led their widespread applications in electrocatalysis. In recent years, COF-based electrocatalysts have made remarkable progress in various electrocatalytic fields, including the hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, nitrogen reduction reaction, nitrate reduction reaction, and carbon dioxide reduction reaction. This review begins with an introduction to the design and synthesis strategies employed for COF-based electrocatalysts. These strategies include heteroatom doping, metalation of COF and building monomers, encapsulation of active sites within COF pores, and the development of COF-based derived materials. Subsequently, a systematic overview of the recent advancements in the application of COF-based catalysts in electrocatalysis is presented. Finally, the review discusses the main challenges and outlines possible avenues for the future development of COF-based electrocatalysts.

The Renoprotective Mechanisms of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors (SGLT2i)-A Narrative Review.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a noncommunicable condition that has become a major healthcare burden across the globe, often underdiagnosed and associated with low awareness. The main cause that leads to the development of renal impairment is diabetes mellitus and, in contrast to other chronic complications such as retinopathy or neuropathy, it has been suggested that intensive glycemic control is not sufficient in preventing the development of diabetic kidney disease. Nevertheless, a novel class of antidiabetic agents, the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), have shown multiple renoprotective properties that range from metabolic and hemodynamic to direct renal effects, with a major impact on reducing the risk of occurrence and progression of CKD. Thus, this review aims to summarize current knowledge regarding the renoprotective mechanisms of SGLT2i and to offer a new perspective on this innovative class of antihyperglycemic drugs with proven pleiotropic beneficial effects that, after decades of no significant progress in the prevention and in delaying the decline of renal function, start a new era in the management of patients with CKD.

Recent Advances of Bimetallic-Metal Organic Frameworks: Preparation, Properties, and Fluorescence-Based Biochemical Sensing Applications.

Bimetallic-metal organic frameworks (BiM-MOFs) or bimetallic organic frameworks represent an innovative and promising class of porous materials, distinguished from traditional monometallic MOFs by their incorporation of two metal ions alongside organic linkers. BiM-MOFs, with their unique crystal structure, physicochemical properties, and composition, demonstrate distinct advantages in the realm of biochemical sensing applications, displaying improvements in optical properties, stability, selectivity, and sensitivity. This comprehensive review explores into recent advancements in leveraging BiM-MOFs for fluorescence-based biochemical sensing, providing insights into their design, synthesis, and practical applications in both chemical and biological sensing. Emphasizing fluorescence emission as a transduction mechanism, the review aims to guide researchers in maximizing the potential of BiM-MOFs across a broader spectrum of investigations. Furthermore, it explores prospective research directions and addresses challenges, offering valuable perspectives on the evolving landscape of fluorescence-based probes rooted in BiM-MOFs.

Mechanical Analysis and Simulation of Wood Textile Composites

Wood Textile Composites (WTCs) represent a new and innovative class of materials in the field of natural fiber composites. Consisting of fabrics made from willow wood strips (Salix americana) and polypropylene (PP), this material appears to be particularly suitable for structural applications in lightweight construction. Since the threads of the fabric are significantly oversized compared to classic carbon or glass rovings, fundamental knowledge of the mechanical properties of the material is required. The aim of this study was to investigate whether WTCs exhibit classic behavior in terms of fiber composite theory and to classify them in relation to comparable composite materials. It was shown that WTCs meet all the necessary conditions for fiber-reinforced composites in tensile, bending, and compression tests and can be classified as natural-fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites. In addition, it was investigated whether delamination between the fiber and matrix can be simulated by using experimentally determined mechanical data as input. Using finite element analysis (FEA), it was shown that the shear stress components of a stress tensor in the area of the interface between the fiber and matrix are responsible for delamination in the composite material. It was also shown that the resistance to shear stress depends on the geometric conditions of the reinforcing fabric.

Leakage Proof, Flame-Retardant, and Electromagnetic Shield Wood Morphology Genetic Composite Phase Change Materials for Solar Thermal Energy Harvesting

HighlightsAn innovative class of versatile form-stable composite phase change materials (CPCMs) was fruitfully exploited, featuring MXene/phytic acid hybrid depositing on non-carbonized wood as a robust support.The wood-based CPCMs showcase enhanced thermal conductivity of 0.82 W m−1 K−1 (4.6 times than polyethylene glycol) as well as high latent heat of 135.5 kJ kg−1 (91.5% encapsulation) with thermal durability and stability throughout at least 200 heating and cooling cycles.The wood-based CPCMs have good solar-thermal-electricity conversion, flame-retardant, and electromagnetic shielding properties.

Nozzle Innovations That Improve Capacity and Capabilities of Multimaterial Additive Manufacturing.

Multimaterial additive manufacturing incorporates multiple species within a single 3D-printed object to enhance its material properties and functionality. This technology could play a key role in distributed manufacturing. However, conventional layer-by-layer construction methods must operate at low volumetric throughputs to maintain fine feature resolution. One approach to overcome this challenge and increase production capacity is to structure multimaterial components in the printhead prior to deposition. Here we survey four classes of multimaterial nozzle innovations, nozzle arrays, coextruders, static mixers, and advective assemblers, designed for this purpose. Additionally, each design offers unique capabilities that provide benefits associated with accessible architectures, interfacial adhesion, material properties, and even living-cell viability. Accessing these benefits requires trade-offs, which may be mitigated with future investigation. Leveraging decades of research and development of multiphase extrusion equipment can help us engineer the next generation of 3D-printing nozzles and expand the capabilities and practical reach of multimaterial additive manufacturing.

Quantitative analysis of therapeutic peptides by CZE using multiple sample injection in hydrodynamically closed separation system.

Therapeutic peptides have emerged as an innovative and promising class of therapeutic compounds in modern medicine. Synthetic peptide analogs triptorelin and lanreotide are known for their pronounced clinical versatility and potency. In this study, we present the development and validation of novel methods based on capillary zone electrophoresis performed in hydrodynamically closed system (HCS) and paired with ultraviolet detection and repeated injection sample introduction. To the best of our knowledge, we developed the first capillary electrophoresis-based method for the determination of lanreotide, and concurrently, the first HCS method for the determination of triptorelin. Maximal separation efficiency and signal intensity were achieved using background electrolytes composed of 50mM formic acid with the addition of 0.05% (v/v) methyl-hydroxyethyl cellulose. The proposed methods exhibit favorable performance characteristics, namely, calibration curve (r2 exceeding 0.99), low limits of detection (0.25µg/mL in a water matrix and 0.5µg/mL in synthetic urine), acceptable precision (relative standard deviation ranging from 2.2% to 9.6% for intraday repeatability and between 5.2% and 14.9% for interday reproducibility), and accuracy (relative errors falling within the 91.1%-107.8% range). The method for triptorelin determination was then used for its quantification in a commercially available drug dosage form (powder for injection) and in spiked synthetic urine samples. The developed methods were also evaluated according to the novel blue applicability grade index, revealing their superior applicability. The results collectively point out the potential of the proposed methods for both quality control and clinical investigations.

Highly scalable and robust ribbon-like coordination polymer as green catalyst for Hantzsch condensation in synthesis of DHPs and bioactive drug molecule

Ribbon-like coordination polymers (CP) represents a highly unexplored innovative class of metal-coordination network. Herein, we have developed a highly scalable and chemically robust (pH = 3–10 stable) ribbon-like CP [{Cu(Pim)(L)(H2O)·H2O}]n(1) following a complete environment-friendly green synthesis route. Considering the presence of surface flanked labile coordinated water molecules and their appealing correlation with one-dimensional structural characteristics, such sort of ribbon-like CP was explored for the first time as excellent heterogeneous surface catalyst for largely unexplored three-component Hantzsch condensation for synthesis of different classes of dihydropyridine (DHP). Moreover, 1 is employed to synthesize bio-responsive drug ‘Ethidine’ (possessing high anti-oxidant and anticarcinogenic properties) characterized with Single Crystal X-ray Diffraction (SCXRD) analysis. Several DHP-based products are also analysed through in-depth SCXRD analysis. This report inaugurates the usage of a Cu(II) based ribbon-like CPs as heterogeneous surface catalyst following environmentally benign manner for synthesis of bioactive DHPs and Drugs.

Exploring ZnFeSnO4 double spinel: A thorough investigation of mechanical, dynamical, magneto-electronic properties and lattice thermal conductivity

Double spinel materials ABB'O4 emerge as an innovative class of oxides with promising technological applications. First-principles calculations are employed to explore the fundamental properties of the double spinel ZnFeSnO4. Its elasticity and dynamic stability are investigated using the pseudo-potential plane wave (PP-PW) method, while the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) approach is used to study its electronic and magnetic properties. The results reveal favorable thermodynamic stability, mechanical robustness, and dynamical stability for ZnFeSnO4. Analysis using GGA + U (U = 6 eV) in the FP-LAPW framework predicts half-metallic ferromagnetism, a highly desirable characteristic for spintronic applications due to its potential spin-polarized currents. However, the use of the mBJ functional results in semiconducting character with bandgaps of 1.813 eV, and 1.524 eV for spin-up and spin-down, respectively. Hence, the outcomes of the computations pertaining to the electronic characteristics are contingent upon the selection of the exchange-correlation functional. Furthermore, the calculated low lattice thermal conductivity of ZnFeSnO4 indicates its potential suitability for thermoelectric applications.

Interatomic Potential For Carbon Based Quantum‐Technology Applications

AbstractTo optimize parameters for laser processing of quantum‐technology relevant materials, such as diamond, precise atomistic simulations of the light‐matter interaction on large scales (on the order of atoms) are essential. Classical empirical interatomic potentials are commonly employed for simulating such a large number of atoms, however they fail to accurately capture all relevant effects of light‐matter interaction. Conversely, ab initio methods like Density Functional Theory (DFT) can effectively incorporate quantum properties arising from photon excitations, but their applicability is limited to small systems containing at most approximately atoms. Consequently, bridging the gap between achieving DFT precision and handling millions of atoms necessitates the development of innovative classes of interatomic potentials. In this paper, the construction of a highly accurate interatomic potential for diamond is presented, derived from an extensive dataset of DFT calculations. The parameters of the interatomic potential depend on the electronic temperature (). The findings demonstrate that this newly developed interatomic potential can aptly describe the laser processing of diamond for nanophotonic applications, achieving accuracy comparable to ab initio methods for large systems.

Reprint of: Robust inference on correlation under general heterogeneity

Considerable evidence in past research shows size distortion in standard tests for zero autocorrelation or zero cross-correlation when time series are not independent identically distributed random variables, pointing to the need for more robust procedures. Recent tests for serial correlation and cross-correlation in Dalla, Giraitis, and Phillips (2022) provide a more robust approach, allowing for heteroskedasticity and dependence in uncorrelated data under restrictions that require a smooth, slowly-evolving deterministic heteroskedasticity process. The present work removes those restrictions and validates the robust testing methodology for a wider class of innovations and regression residuals allowing for heteroscedastic uncorrelated and non-stationary data settings. The updated analysis given here enables more extensive use of the methodology in practical applications. Monte Carlo experiments confirm excellent finite sample performance of the robust test procedures even for extremely complex white noise processes. The empirical examples show that use of robust testing methods can materially reduce spurious evidence of correlations found by standard testing procedures.