Duration Of Irradiation Research Articles

Carbon dots nanoparticles derived from showy Asian grapes (Medinilla speciosa) for free radical scavenger

Carbon dot nanoparticles (CNPs) were synthesized from the peels of showy Asian grapes (Medinilla speciosa) using microwave irradiation for free radical scavenging. The optimal emission and absorption intensities were achieved with a 50-min irradiation duration, at wavelengths of 430 nm and 267 nm, respectively. XRD analysis revealed characteristic peaks at angles of 26.37° and 29.63°. FTIR analysis indicated that antioxidant potential is attributed to hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the CNPs’ surface. TEM images showed diameters ranging from 2 nm to 8 nm. The CNPs exhibited 73.82% antioxidant activity at 5 mg/mL, with an IC50 value of 6.89 ppm, indicating strong antioxidant activity. Additionally, the CNPs demonstrated good storage stability, suggesting potential applications in food supplements and biomedical materials.

The Effects of FR and UVA Irradiation Timing on Multi-Omics of Purple Lettuce in Plant Factories

The synergistic application of far-red (FR) and ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation presents a promising approach for enhancing growth and the enrichment of secondary metabolites in plants. However, prolonged exposure to these combined light qualities imposes significant stress on plants, hindering their development. Therefore, an initial period of FR irradiation to promote plant growth, followed by a subsequent period of UVA irradiation to enhance the accumulation of plant quality, constitutes a viable strategy. Our study, focusing on purple lettuce, aims to elucidate the response mechanisms of the lettuce leaf under standard white light in commercial production, with the addition of different durations of FR and UVA irradiation, and to explore the complex dynamic changes at the multi-omics level. The results indicate that the duration of FR exposure is crucial in determining biomass-related phenotypes such as fresh weight, while the duration of UVA exposure significantly influences the accumulation of phenotypic markers like anthocyanins. At the transcriptional level, the most extensive transcriptional regulation was observed when FR was applied throughout the entire growth period, and UVA was applied eight days before harvest, significantly impacting pathways such as MAPK signaling cascades, plant hormone signal transduction, photosynthetic processes, and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Metabolomic analysis corroborated the transcriptomic findings, with particular emphasis on antioxidant activity, photoprotection, and defense mechanisms. Our comprehensive analysis suggests that short-term UVA irradiation prior to harvest, based on full growth period FR irradiation, is feasible. The combined application of FR and UVA irradiation fine-tunes plant growth, developmental trajectories, and stress responses by modulating light signals, hormonal signals, and secondary metabolic pathways. These findings not only reveal the adaptive mechanisms of plants to fluctuating light environments but also provide a scientific basis for optimizing light management strategies in controlled plant production systems and precision agriculture.

Infrared laser–induced gene expression in single cells characterized by quantitative imaging in Physcomitrium patens

A spatiotemporal understanding of gene function requires the precise control of gene expression in each cell. Here, we use an infrared laser–evoked gene operator (IR-LEGO) system to induce gene expression at the single-cell level in the moss Physcomitrium patens by heating a living cell with an IR laser and thereby activating the heat shock response. We identify the laser irradiation conditions that provide higher inducibility with lower invasiveness by changing the laser power and irradiation duration. Furthermore, we quantitatively characterize the induction profile of the heat shock response using a heat-induced fluorescence reporter system after the IR laser irradiation of single cells under different conditions. Our data indicate that IR laser irradiation with long duration leads to higher inducibility according to increase in the laser power but not vice versa, and that the higher laser power even without conferring apparent damage to the cells decelerates and/or delayed gene induction. We define the temporal shift in expression as a function of onset and duration according to laser power and irradiation duration. This study contributes to the versatile application of IR-LEGO in plants and improves our understanding of heat shock-induced gene expression.

Light-induced transformation of a supramolecular gel to a stronger covalent polymeric gel.

A polymerizable diacetylene gelator, containing urea and urethane groups, that congeals various non-polar solvents was synthesized. The gelator molecules self-assemble forming non-covalent polymers through intermolecular hydrogen bonding, as evidenced from FT-IR and concentration-dependent 1H NMR spectroscopy. The self-assembly positions the diyne units of adjacent molecules at proximity and in a geometry suitable for their topochemical polymerization. UV irradiation of the gel resulted in topochemical polymerization, transforming the non-covalent polymer to a covalent polymer, in situ, in the gel state. The polymerization was confirmed by characterizing the polydiacetylene (PDA) using UV-Vis and Raman spectroscopy. Time-dependent rheological studies revealed gradual strengthening of the gel with the duration of irradiation, suggesting that the degree of polymerization increases with the duration of irradiation. The PDA formed is a semiconductor, which might be useful for various applications.

Laser power modulation between disturbed and undisturbed material removal regime in laser chemical processing

Laser chemical machining (LCM) is a method for removing material by thermally induced chemical dissolution of self-passivating metals. However, the process window is limited by disrupted material removal due to gas bubble formation and metallic salts and oxides deposition at higher energy input. Since the temperature increases, and therefore gas bubble growth takes time, it is hypothesized that the temporal modulation of laser power can remove the metal homogeneously, i.e., without disrupted material removal, while achieving a higher removal rate. Based on this, the dynamic process behavior of material removal is investigated for the LCM of titanium in phosphoric acid, using a rectangular modulation of the laser power with varying irradiation durations. As a result, however, high-speed videos show that gas bubbles are consistently generated, regardless of the applied laser power and power modulation, although the quantity of bubbles varies with different parameters. Even with short power durations (10 ms), the material deposition occurs after multiple irradiations. When the duration is longer, the material deposition increases in height along the laser scan direction. For the studied process parameters, a Fourier analysis in the spatial domain further indicates the correlation between the material removal frequencies and the modulation frequencies. In conclusion, the laser power modulation cannot prevent the disturbed material removal at high laser powers. Nevertheless, the material deposition can be utilized to generate periodic surface structures with a depth below and above the initial surface.

Photopolymerization enabled in-air highly oleophobic and hydrophilic SiC membranes with improved antifouling performance in oil-in-water emulsion separation

Ceramic membranes with tailored surface wettability have gained increasing attention for improving their separation efficiency and antifouling ability, while most of the previous work focused on the underwater oleophobic behavior. In this work, in-air highly oleophobic and hydrophilic SiC membranes were achieved through the UV irradiation triggered polymerization and controlled crosslinking between oleophobic perfluorodecyl acrylate (TFOA) and hydrophilic methacrylic acid (MAA). These key processing parameters including MAA content, soaking time and irradiation duration were systematically studied through examining the changes in porous microstructure, surface wettability and separation performance in oil-in-water emulsion. Results showed that the flux attenuation rate of SiC membranes can be effectively reduced by regulating the content of hydrophilic components. Due to the alternation of the surface wettability to highly oleophobic in air, the oil droplets can hardly attach on the surface of modified SiC membranes at the beginning of filtration process, and the membrane fouling was significantly slow down yet dominated by the intermediate blocking. Correspondingly, a combined cleaning procedure was proposed to regenerate the fouled SiC membranes. Further, the antifouling ability of modified and original SiC membranes was comparatively studied under the conditions of a fixed permeate volume (15 ml) and various oil concentrations (200 ∼ 1000 ppm) in the separation of oil-in-water emulsion. The advantages of modified SiC membranes become more notable when used for highly concentrated oil–water emulsion as reflected by the slower flux decline and higher stable flux. This work provides a feasible pathway to realize the in-air highly oleophobic and hydrophilic surface on ceramic membranes, and primarily demonstrates the advantages of antifouling ability in oil-in-water emulsion separation.

Synthesis of rhodamine B amine derivatives with improved light resistance and its application in thermochromic materials

Rhodamine B (RhB) is a widely utilized xanthene dye known for its strong fluorescence, high quantum yield, bright color, and versatility in various applications. However, RhB type dyes face significant limitations due to their susceptibility to photodegradation. Herein, four RhB amine derivatives (RhB-1, RhB-2, RhB-3, and RhB-4) were synthesized to improve the light resistance through functionalization of the 4' position of the carboxyphenyl ring with acrylamide, butylamine, octylamine, and cyclohexanamine, respectively. The mechanism of improving light resistance was analyzed. The results show that the derivatives demonstrated significantly enhanced light resistance compared to RhB, with the ability to form supramolecular structures including dimers and aggregates that protect against UV degradation. Light resistance for RhB-1 was significantly improved with increasing concentration as the photodegradation efficacy drops from 84.8% (1.5×10-5 mol/L) to 10% (2.0×10-4 mol/L), due to the dominant changes from monomers to J-dimers to H-aggregates. When incorporated into three-component thermochromic systems, the derivatives not only improved the light resistance with double duration of UV irradiation but also expanded the range of color change temperatures. This work advances the development of RhB derivatives with superior optical properties and durability, enhancing its applicability in environments requiring prolonged exposure to light.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin Antibiotics using Fe3O4-SiO2-EN@Zn-Al Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocomposites under the COVID-19 pandemic

A novel layered double hydroxide nanocomposite, Fe3O4-SiO2-EN@Zn-Al-LDH, was synthesized and employed as a photocatalyst for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in aqueous solutions. Characterization of the photocatalyst was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) techniques. The results indicated successful synthesis of particle with specific surface area of 28.67 m²/g, pore size of 1.64 nm, and pore volume of 6.58 cm³/g. Optimal degradation of CIP was observed under the following conditions: pH 5, photocatalyst dosage of 0.6 g/L, initial CIP concentration of 25 mg/L, and an irradiation duration of 60 minutes. Comparative experiments demonstrated that incorporating Zn-Al LDH with core-shell nanoparticles (Fe3O4-SiO2-EN) enhanced removal efficiency by 2.5 to 6 times compared to individual materials. The composite exhibited efficient activation under UV, visible light, and solar radiation, resulting in 100% degradation of CIP under UV, 100% under visible light, and 81.4% under solar radiation. Biodegradability, indicated by the BOD5/COD ratio, increased from 0.28 to 0.73 after 120 minutes of photocatalytic oxidation under visible light, with 80.83% COD removal and 74.17% TOC removal. Reactive species generation, such as •OH, •O2-, and h+, was confirmed by introducing scavengers (TBA, BQ, and TEOS) into the reaction medium. The photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite was slightly decreased over 5 consecutive CIP treatment cycles. Toxicity assessment of treated wastewater using E. coli and Daphnia magna bioassays revealed a significant decrease in E. coli growth inhibition rate with prolonged treatment time. The EC50 percentage improved from 1.27% to 97.4% after 4 hours of CIP treatment under visible light. In conclusion, the development of the Fe3O4-SiO2-EN@Zn-Al-LDH presents a noteworthy advancement in photocatalysis for the degradation of CIP in aqueous solutions.

Effect of laser ablation on the conductivity and laser-induced damage threshold of fused silica components

When irradiated by high-power lasers, fused silica optical component can be ablated, which seriously affects their laser-conducing capability and service life. Numerical simulations have been applied to investigate the ablation process, laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT), and propagation loss of fused silica optical component. The depth of the ablation crater increases linearly with the duration of irradiation, while the rate of development in the width of the ablation crater gradually decreases. The LIDT of the front surface of the fused silica optical component will significantly decrease, while the propagation loss of the fused silica component will have a considerable increase when the front surface of fused silica is damaged under laser irradiation. The propagation loss and the LIDT of the fused silica’s front surface are 26.49, 21.19, 20.60, 16.83, and 16.41[Formula: see text]GW/cm2 and 0.41, 1.02, 2.24, 3.46, and 5.31[Formula: see text]dB, respectively, after 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s of ablation. This work provides novel opportunities for investigating the intrinsic mechanism of laser-induced damage to fused silica, and offers guidance for the future development of fused silica optical elements that are highly resistant to laser-induced damage.

By-product distribution and cytotoxicity assessment of ZnO-assisted photocatalytic degradation of reactive blue 250 dye

This research examined the effectiveness and feasibility of utilizing ultraviolet (UV) assisted photo-catalysis to treat wastewater effluents from textile production containing reactive blue 250 (RB 250) dye. Molecular oxygen and active species like O2•−, HO2•, H2O2 and •OH play crucial roles in the degradation process. Additionally, the degradation of dyes is influenced by several factors, including dye concentration, duration of UV irradiation, pH levels, concentration of H2O2, and the catalyst. The concentration of H2O2 and catalyst dose for the decolorization was studied at 0.6 mL and 0.5 g respectively. The discoloration was higher at low dye concentration, high H2O2 concentration, acidic conditions and high catalyst concentration. The maximum degradation (97 %) of RB 250 dye was obtained in the presence of zinc oxide nanoparticles within 90 min. The extent of decolorization of the dye was determined by UV–Vis spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to analyze the changes in functionalities after degradation. The disappearance of characteristic peaks associated with specific groups within the dye molecule confirmed the extensive degradation of RB 250 dye. LCMS analysis was conducted to examine the intermediates and a mechanistic degradation pathway was subsequently proposed. The cytotoxicity of the irradiated dye samples was evaluated through a hemolytic test both pre and post-treatment. The findings suggest that the UV/H2O2/ZnO treatment represents a promising approach for effectively degrading RB 250 dye.

Effects of Far-Infrared Rays Emitted from Loess Bio-Balls on Lymphatic Circulation and Reduction of Inflammatory Fluids.

Background: FIR therapy is used in various medical settings to treat diseases associated with inflammation and edema. Unlike conventional FIR lamp therapy, this study investigated how body fluids change depending on the intensity and duration of FIR irradiation to the whole body. Method: Subjects in group A (n = 27) were exposed to FIR emitted from a loess bio-ball mat set at 40 °C for 30 min, and subjects in group B (n = 27) were exposed to FIR emitted from a loess bio-ball mat set at 30 °C for 7 h during sleep. Changes in bioimpedance parameters and fluid-related values were measured using a body fluid analyzer before and after exposure to FIR. Results: Changes in bioimpedance parameters associated with inflammatory fluids were quantitatively confirmed. In group A, there was a minimal change in fluid-related measurements. However, significant changes in bioimpedance parameters associated with inflammatory fluids were observed in group B exposure to FIR for 7 h during sleep. Conclusions: FIR emitted from loess bio-balls activates biological tissues and lymphatic circulation, gradually reducing the levels of inflammatory fluids over time.

Optimizing Electron‐Beam Photothermal Pyrolysis Parameters for Enhanced Molecular Biodegradability of Polyvinyl Chloride Plastics

AbstractPolyvinyl chloride (PVC), a synthetic plastic notable for harmful emissions during deterioration, has potential to be molecularly adjusted by photo‐oxidative ultraviolet degradation. This research investigates the influence of electron beam irradiation and near‐infrared photothermal treatment utilizing gold nanoparticles to establish the optimized molecular weight and beam time exposure for biodegradable PVC properties while maintaining a minimum tensile strength as measured through the ratio of peak tension force by cross sectional area. PVC powder samples with number‐average molecular weights ranging from 20.0 to 90.0 kDa and varying exposure times of a 100 kGy electron beam from 80 to 115 ms are employed for the study. Outcomes from PVC irradiation reveal the optimal parameters for inducing biodegradability in samples: an e‐beam exposure duration of 95 ms applied to PVC powder with a sample molecular weight of 20.0 kDa. Analysis of the ratio of number average molecular weight and weight average molecular weight demonstrates that shorter irradiation durations result in lower molecular weights and molecular weight is directly proportional to Tg and crystallinity. Future work aims to scale up the procedure to industrial applications and investigate the treatment's applicability to a variety of thermoplastics.

Mechanical and fracture characteristics of weak microwave-absorbing sandstone under microwave irradiation: influence of pore water

Microwave radiation is an effective method to weaken the strength of hard rock, but this weakening effect is not obvious enough for weak microwave-absorbing rocks. This work focuses on the role of water in amplifying the effect of microwaves on weak microwave-absorbing rocks, by examining the bursting characteristics of the rocks as well as their physical and mechanical properties before blasting. The experimental results show that when subjected to microwave irradiation, and the time taken for this bursting decreases with higher microwave power. In addition, the surface temperature of saturated sandstone gradually rises with increased irradiation power and duration. Under high microwave power, the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of heated saturated sandstone notably decreases within the same irradiation duration. When the microwave power is low, the UCS of saturated sandstone remains relatively unchanged over time. The UCS of dry sandstone exhibits no significant alteration under identical irradiation power and duration. In conclusion, sandstone shows no significant change in its physical and mechanical properties during brief exposure to low-power microwave irradiation in its dry state. As water within the sandstone undergoes a phase transition from liquid to gas due to microwave irradiation, the resulting steam pressure causes the sandstone to rupture.

Optimizing near infrared laser irradiation and photosensitizer accumulation period for indocyanine green-mediated photodynamic therapy in breast cancer xenografts: a focus on treatment and characterization.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising cancer treatment approach. Indocyanine green (ICG) is a water-soluble tricarbocyanine dye with a peak absorption wavelength of around 800nm and possesses the capacity to produce reactive oxygen species. FTIR spectroscopy is rarely used and offers insights into molecular changes in cancer studies. MCF-7 cells were injected into Nude mouse. Once the tumor had grown to a size of 3-4mm, mice were randomized into the 12 PDT groups. After each mouse received 5mg/kg of ICG, they were photo-irradiated with a diode laser emitting light at 809nm, followed by waiting intervals of 0, 30, 60, and 90min. Laser irradiation parameters were 150, 250, 500 mW/cm2 and irradiation duration was 1200s. The tumor size was measured every day for four days. The FTIR spectroscopy was used to perform spectral analysis on tumor tissue samples. Four distinct regions (3600-2800cm-1, 1750-1550cm-1, 1540-1450cm-1, and 1700-1100cm-1) were analyzed, and Hierarchical Cluster study was carried out. A decrease in tumor volume was observed with all PDT applications, except, increases in tumor volume was observed at 150mW 90-minute group. PDT administered after 90min revealed variations in 150mW and 250mW laser powers in the 3600cm-1-2800cm-1 range. The 250mW and 500mW applications resulted in a considerable reduction in fibroadenoma and carcinoma tissues, according to an analysis comparing the A1695 / A1635 ratio. It is proposed that the ideal treatments for further investigation have a power output of 250 mW.

Mechanical properties and damage constitutive relationship of microwave irradiation of granite under uniaxial compression

Microwaves have great potential to increase the efficiency of hard rock breakage during mechanical excavation in engineering. This study conducted uniaxial compression tests on granite specimens after microwave irradiation at 4.85 kW. The results demonstrated a linear decrease in uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus correlating with increasing irradiation durations. Acoustic emission data indicated increased normalized crack closure stress and decreased normalized crack initiation and damage stress, suggesting complex crack propagation and evolution patterns under microwave influence. 3D Digital Image Correlation revealed that as heating time increased, the macrocrack leading to specimen failure shifted from being load-dominated to involving both load and microwave-induced thermal cracks. A simple four-parameter damage constitutive model for granite (a 1, r 1 , a 2, and r 2) effectively described the damage evolution under the coupling effect of microwave and uniaxial load. The model accurately characterized the complete stress–strain curves, including both microcrack compaction and post-peak stages, revealing that initial damage escalates with longer heating, though the progression rate decreases.

Racial disparities in receipt of radiation and brachytherapy in cervical cancer patients: Do they exist in a SEER-Medicare population?

ObjectivesTo evaluate if race is associated with disparities in receipt of radiation (RT) and outcomes for Medicare patients with cervical cancer who are candidates for primary radiation-chemotherapy. MethodsThis SEER-Medicare retrospective study included White and Black patients with stage IB1 through IVA squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma diagnosed 2000–2017 who were candidates for primary radiation-chemotherapy. Receipt of treatment by race and associated cancer specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes were analyzed using frequency distributions, chi squared, log rank, multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models, and multivariable logistic models. Results1038 patients (84.9 % White and 15.1 % Black) were included. 825 (79.5 %) received RT, and 601 (57.9 %) received brachytherapy (BT). Blacks were more likely to undergo RT than Whites (86.0 % vs. 78.3 %, p = 0.028) and had similar rates of BT (58.0 % vs. 57.9 %, p = 0.986). Median RT duration was 64.0 days (IQR 52.0, 75.0), and 276 (33.5 %) completed treatment in ≤ 56 days, with no differences by race (p = 0.488, 0.303, respectively). BT was more frequently provided at larger hospitals, National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers, and teaching hospitals. When adjusted for covariates, no significant differences in RT, BT, or RT duration by race were identified. Median unadjusted OS was 3.58 years (95 % CI 2.92, 4.42) for White patients and 2.50 years (95 % CI 2.0, 5.25) for Black patients, with no differences in OS (HR 0.93, 95 % CI 0.75, 1.13) or CSS (HR 1.13, 95 %CI 0.86, 1.43). ConclusionsBlack Medicare patients with cervical cancer had greater receipt of RT than White patients, similar rates of BT, and no difference in survival.

Impact of Temperature, Irradiation Duration on Performance of Organic/Ru-Dye/Inorganic Solar Cells

This study investigates the impact of ambient conditions on the performance of P3HT/Ru-dye/nc-TiO2 solar cells (TLSCs). It has been found that the increase of temperature and irradiation duration affect on the parameters of TLSCs. When the temperature was increased from 293 k to 393 k , the short circuit current density (Jsc ) and open circuit voltgae (Voc) decrease from 2.2 to 1.7 mA/cm2 and 0.7 V to 0.5 V respectively. That is attributed to the effect of high temperature on recombination of photo-generated charges and reduction of shunt resistance (Rsh ) in the TLSC. Moreover, we also present the effect of irradiation duration on performance of the TLSCs. The measurement reveals that Jsc decreased by 0.5 mA/cm2 while Voc decreased by ~ 0.18 V during 4800 s illumination. This decrease suggests the filling of traps or defects at the interface with photo-genertated charges. Finally, the maximum output power of TLSCs dropped by almost half within 6 days during a 20-day test because of affecting atmosphere moisture on the interface properties between dye/ nc-TiO2 and P3HT.

Sequential induction of ferroptosis and pyroptosis in cancer cells by lipid droplet-targeting AIE theranostics

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) theranostics has received considerable attention because of its potential applications in bioimaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Herein, we report a series of phthalimide-based AIEgens that are selectively localized in lipid droplets (LDs) in cancer cells and simultaneously generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) under light irradiation. The enhanced photostability resulting from the AIE properties of LPSP2 enabled the long-term tracking of LDs during ferroptotic cell death triggered by LPSP2 under PDT conditions. As the irradiation time increased, the lipid peroxides generated by LPSP2 were transported from the LDs to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where oxidative stress activates NLRP3, leading to pyroptotic cell death. The spatiotemporal control of lipid peroxidation achieved by LPSP2 revealed sequential activation of ferroptosis followed by pyroptosis, depending on the irradiation duration. Our research demonstrates novel LD-targeted theranostics with unprecedented induction of ferroptotic and pyroptotic cell death under PDT, which will enrich our understanding of cancer cell death mechanisms toward a more efficient therapeutic strategy.

Comparing tensile, bending and interlaminar shear performance of GFRP composites fabricated using recovered and virgin glass fibers: Optimization of the microwave assisted chemical recycling technique

AbstractGlobal glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) recycling provides an effective solution to the end‐of‐life wastes and industrial scrap, by which we can construct a closed‐loop system that reduces environmental impact while increasing sustainability. This study reports the tensile, flexural and shear properties of GFRP composites fabricated from reclaimed fibers from the waste GFRP. A hybrid recycling technique that is, microwave assisted chemical recycling has been used for recovering the glass fiber fabrics. The quantity of solvents (a mixture of 30% H2O2 and CH3COOH in 1:1 ratio) required (in mL/g) for degrading the polymer is optimized with respect to the amount of microwave irradiation time. The microwave irradiation duration was varied at constant power of 900 W for optimizing the quantity of solvent used. SEM analysis of both virgin and reclaimed fiber surfaces indicate an almost complete degradation of polymer from the waste composites. RGFE laminates, fabricated from reclaimed glass fiber fabrics, exhibited marginally higher tensile strength (7%–8%) and significant lower tensile modulus (~29%). On the other hand, RGFE composites demonstrated a greater strain to failure of ~44% compared to VGFE composites during tensile testing, consequently leading to a subsequent increase in tensile toughness by ~28%. The ILSS values obtained from SBS tests and storage modulus and loss factor curves from DMA tests showed almost similar values. SEM studies revealed the probable causes of failures of the samples for tensile and flexural tests.Highlights Hybrid recycling technique using microwave irradiation is optimized. Amount of solvent used is optimized by varying the irradiation times. Tensile and flexural strengths exhibit a marginal increase of 7%–8%. Significant rise in strain at failure by 44% and tensile toughness by 28%. Fractography studies have been performed for analyzing failures.

Deep near infrared light-excited stable synergistic photodynamic and photothermal therapies based on P-IR890 nano-photosensitizer constructed via a non-cyanine dye

The cyanine dyes represented by IR780 can achieve synergistic photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) under the stimulation of near-infrared (NIR) light (commonly 808 nm). Unfortunately, the stability of NIR-excited cyanine dyes is not satisfactory. These cyanine dyes can be attacked by self-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) during PDT processes, resulting in structural damage and rapid degradation, which is fatal for phototherapy. To address this issue, a novel non-cyanine dye (IR890) was elaborately designed and synthesized by our team. The maximum absorption wavelength of IR890 was located in the deep NIR region (ca. 890 nm), which was beneficial for further improving tissue penetration depth. Importantly, IR890 exhibited good stability when continuously illuminated by deep NIR light. To improve the hydrophilicity and biocompatibility, the hydrophobic IR890 dye was grafted onto the side chain of hydrophilic polymer (POEGMA-b-PGMA-g-CCH) via click chemistry. Then, the synthesized POEGMA-b-PGMA-g-IR890 amphiphilic polymer was utilized to prepare P-IR890 nano-photosensitizer via self-assembly method. Under irradiation with deep NIR light (850 nm, 0.5 W/cm2, 10 min), the dye degradation rate of P-IR890 was less than 5%. However, IR780 was almost completely degraded with the same light output power density and irradiation duration. In addition, P-IR890 could stably generate a large number of ROS and heat at the same time. It was rarely reported that the stable synergistic combination therapy of PDT and PTT could be efficiently performed by a single photosensitizer via irradiation with deep NIR light. P-IR890 exhibited favorable anti-tumor outcomes through apoptosis pathway. Therefore, the P-IR890 could provide a new insight into the design of photosensitizers and new opportunities for synergistic combination therapy of PDT and PTT.