Leaf-like Structures Research Articles

A CC-NB-ARC-LRR Gene Regulates Bract Morphology in Cotton.

Bracts are leaf-like structures in flowering plants. They serve multiple functions such as attracting pollinators, aiding tolerance of abiotic stressors, and conducting photosynthesis. While previous studies extensively examine bract function, the molecular mechanisms underlying bract growth remain unknown. Here, the map-based isolation and characterization of a crucial factor responsible for cotton bract development, identified from a mutant known as frego bract (fg), discovered by Frego in 1945 are presented. This gene, named Ghfg, encodes a CC-NB-ARC-LRR (CNL) family protein. Through analysis of bract form in plants with virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and transgenic plants, this gene is confirmed to be the causal gene under the fg locus. Furthermore, high-resolution single-cell transcriptomic landscape of cotton bracts is generated, which reveals differences related to auxin in proliferating cells from TM-1 and T582; differences in auxin distribution and ROS accumulation are experimentally verified. These findings suggest that GhFG is in a self-activated state in the fg mutant, and its activity leads to ROS accumulation that impacts auxin distribution and transport. Finally, an island cotton variety with the frego bract trait is developed, demonstrating a novel solution for reducing the high impurity rate caused by bract remnants.

Modulating interfacial polymerization by combination of organic phase additives and trimesoyl chloride for preparing high-performance thin-film nanocomposite reverse osmosis membranes

Incorporating hydrophilic nanoparticles into organic phase during interfacial polymerization (IP) to establish covalent bonds with organic phase monomers has proven to be a successful approach for fabricating high-performance thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. However, the effect of covalent bonds number on the membrane structure and properties remains uncertain. Herein, hydrochloric acid doped polyaniline (PANI-HCl) with a small amount of amine groups and inherent polyaniline (PANI-base) nanomaterials with a larger amount of amine groups were prepared as organic phase additives for preparing high-performance TFN RO membranes. The amine groups on the nanoparticles can bond covalently with the acyl chloride groups of trimethyl chloride (TMC), leading to the accumulation of TMCs at organic/aqueous interface and accelerates IP reaction rate, resulting in a thinner, denser polyamide layer with more leaf-like structures and free volume. The water permeance of the PANI-base-RO membrane was improved by 62.5 % from 0.8 to 1.3 Lm−2h−1bar−1, and the NaCl rejection was improved from 97.6 % to 99.4 % compared with the pristine membrane. Overall, this work highlights the beneficial impact of organic phase additives with more amine groups on enhancing the desalination performance of RO membranes, providing valuable insights for the structural design of additives and dispersing medium selection.

Bioinspired copper oxide nanocomposites: harnessing plant extracts for enhanced photocatalytic performance.

This study focuses on developing copper oxide-based nanocomposites using plant extracts for photocatalytic applications. Curcuma amada leaf and Alysicarpus vaginalis leaf extracts were utilized alongside recycled copper precursors to synthesize photocatalysts via a green synthesis approach. Structural characterization through X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of monoclinic CuO with reduced crystallite sizes due to plant extract incorporation. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy identified additional functional groups from the plant extracts, enhancing the material's properties. UV-Vis spectroscopy demonstrated increased light absorption and narrowed bandgaps in the nanocomposites, crucial for efficient photocatalysis under visible light. Morphological studies using FESEM revealed unique leaf-like structures in nanocomposites, indicative of the plant extract's influence on morphology. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue, rhodamine B, Congo red, and reactive blue 171 dyes showed enhanced performance of plant extract-modified CuO compared to without plant extract mediated CuO, attributed to improved charge carrier separation and extended lifetime. The effects of pH, catalyst dosage, and dye concentration on degradation efficiency were systematically investigated, highlighting optimal conditions for each dye type. Radical scavenger studies confirmed the roles of holes and hydroxyl radicals in the degradation process. Kinetic analysis revealed pseudo-second-order kinetics for dye degradation, underscoring the effectiveness of the nanocomposites. Overall, this research provides insights into sustainable photocatalytic materials using plant extracts and recycled copper, showcasing their potential for environmental remediation applications.

Tempskya hailunensis sp. nov. (Tempskyaceae), a new tree fern with preserved leaf-like structures, from the Cretaceous of the Songliao Basin, Northeast China

A new tree fern of the family Tempskyaceae, Tempskya hailunensis sp. nov., is described herein based on a silicified trunk from the Cretaceous of Hailun City, Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China. The new species is composed of dichotomizing large stems surrounded by a mesh of adventitious roots, petioles, and leaf-like structures, constituting a solid and compact false trunk. The dorsiventral stems contain solenosteles that have long internodes with mostly two leaf traces. The stem cortex consists of a sclerenchymatous outer zone and a parenchymatous inner zone, and the stem pith is divided into a parenchymatous outer zone and a sclerenchymatous inner zone. Wide multicellular scales are attached to the stem epidermis. Leaf-like structures embedded among adventitious roots in the trunk are isobilateral, thick, and without distinct intercellular spaces. Also present are dispersed annuli of sporangia, which are only few cells long and apparently uniseriate. Though it cannot be fully ruled out that these vegetative and fertile remains belong to epiphytes that colonized the Tempskya trunk, the consistent and exclusive occurrence of these particular types of remains makes it likely that they belonged to the Tempskya plant itself. This new species represents only the second fossil record of Tempskya from China, increasing the known diversity of this genus during the Cretaceous both in Asia and globally. Moreover, it provided evidence for recognizing probable leaf structure and growth habit of Tempskya.

Ruscus Species Distributed in Türkiye

Ruscus species are represented by seven species in the world and four of these species (R. aculeatus L., R. hypoglossum L., R. hypophyllum L. and R. colchicus Yeo) grow naturally in the flora of Turkiye. Other Ruscus species (R. hyrcanus Woronow., R. x microglossus Bertol. and R. streptophyllus Yeo) are naturally distributed in different parts of the world. Ruscus species grow between 80 and 100 cm tall. These species have numerous evergreen leaf-like flattened structures, which have photosynthetic capability, on branched stems known as cladodes. The small violet flowers are situated on the center of cladodes. Their orange-red fruits are 5-10 mm in diameter. Ruscus species are perennial plants. In addition to their use as outdoor plants in landscape architecture, these species are mostly used as cut greens for flower arrangements and medicinal purposes, as well as for cosmetic products. Ruscus species are also known as geophytes due to the structure of their storage organs (rhizomes), which are located under the soil surface. In this compilation study, our main aims were to provide information about these species, which grow naturally in Türkiye’s flora and are uncontrollably collected from nature and put on the market, to reveal their potential for evaluation as ornamental plants and to increase awareness about these valuable native species to protect our genetic resources. The distribution regions in nature, various morphological properties and different usage areas of four Ruscus species naturally grown in Türkiye are given in detail.

Effect and mechanism of solution flow rate during interfacial polymerization on morphology and performance of hollow fiber membranes

Interfacial polymerization (IP) using m-phenylenediamine and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) is an essential method for producing thin-film composite (TFC) membranes. Nevertheless, IP is highly sensitive to changes in process parameters, especially the TMC solutions flow rate during inside-out TFC hollow fibers (HF) production. Research on the impact of flow conditions (i.e., laminar vs. turbulent flows) of these organic solutions on the final membrane characteristics and corresponding mechanism is still lacking. This research tested different TMC flow rates (0.1–2 mL/min) to produce inside-out TFC HF. With a TMC flow rate increase, (i) the leaf-like structures of the polyamide (PA) layer decreased in size, (ii) the thickness of the PA layer slightly increased, and (iii) the pure water permeability decreased. However, the elemental composition, chemical bonds, and NaCl rejection remained stable. Different fluid regimes are considered to affect the performance of HF membranes by affecting the heat dissipation process during IP reaction. A TMC flow rate in the laminar flow state (i.e., low flow rates) is recommended for synthesizing HFs. The current research provides new insights into the IP reaction mechanism of HF membrane, thus offering valuable guidance to optimize and produce membrane products with better performance.

In vitro immersion study and characterization of biomimetic bovine hydroxyapatite scaffolds: Influence of calcination temperature (600 and 1000 °C) on apatite formation

This work reports on the properties of natural bovine hydroxyapatite (HAp) scaffolds calcined at temperatures of 600 and 1000 °C and on the effects of apatite formation on these calcined scaffolds during immersion experiments in Hank's Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) from 0 to 28 days. The study systematically identifies different mechanisms that determine the formation of the apatite layer. First, compositional analysis of the scaffolds by inductively couple plasma (ICP) reveals significant differences in macromineral content, which includes calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium. Subsequent X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals the presence of hydroxyapatite in both scaffolds, while the 1000 °C sample has additional β-whitlockite due to the higher calcination temperature. Further investigation by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman analyzes revealed carbonated HAp in the 600 °C scaffolds and characteristic bands of HAp in the 1000 °C scaffolds. Morphological changes during immersion, documented by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images, display leaf-like and cauliflower-like structures in the 600 °C sample and rash-like features leading to leaf-type apatite formation in the 1000 °C sample. High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM) showed elongated crystals in both samples, confirming exclusive HAp presence in the 600 °C sample and the coexistence of HAp and β-whitlockite phases in the 1000 °C sample. After 28 days of immersion, TEM images at 600 °C reveal ordered apatite particles, while the 1000 °C images exhibit random apatite formation, confirmed by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy in TEM (EDS-TEM). In addition, both scaffolds calcined at 600 and 1000 °C showed biocompatibility, as cytotoxicity tests confirmed a remarkable 100 % cell viability, underlining their non-toxicity. The scaffolds calcined at 600 and 1000 °C therefore exhibit high bioactivity and viability, supporting their suitability for bone tissue engineering applications.

Achieving the optimal performance of VO@CoNC anchored on MX/CF through phosphorous-doped induced defects for the fiber-shaped solid-state Zn-ion battery

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are instrumental in advancing sustainable energy storage technologies, primarily due to their affordability and eco-friendliness. However, their further development into fiber-shaped ZIBs (FSZIBs) has been impeded by challenges related to appropriate 1D cathode materials coupled with low conductivity, sluggish kinetics, structural instability, low mass loading, inefficient ion pathways, and lack of flexibility. Herein, an integrated hybrid fiber-shaped cathode electrode (Px–V2O5–x@CoNC@MX/CF) for the FSZIB is developed. The reported electrode design incorporates bimetallic metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived leaf-like CoNC structures, providing active sites and conductive connections for vanadium oxide-based nanofibril structure and the porous MXene-carbon fiber (MX/CF) substrate. Tuning the electronic structure, through phosphorus doping and creating oxygen vacancies, provides the resulting Px–V2O5–x@CoNC@MX/CF electrode with good Zn2+ diffusion ability and stabilizes the vanadium oxide structure, to exhibit exceptional electrochemical performance as cathode for FSZIB. This strategy simultaneously enhances active material growth, prevents structural degradation, and facilitates a highly reversible de/intercalation process of Zn2+ ions. The assembled fiber-shaped solid-state ZIB (FSSZIB) based on Px–V2O5–x@CoNC@MX/CF as the cathode and ZnNS@MX/CF as the anode demonstrates high energy density of 133 mWh/cm3 and power density of 425.2 mW/cm3. Moreover, the FSSZIB exhibits excellent cycling stability, with capacity retention of 79.8 % after 20,000 charge–discharge cycles, demonstrating its long-term durability.

Synergistic Analysis of Hydrothermally Synthesized PANI-GO: MnO2/MoO3 Nanocomposites for Enhanced Structural and Supercapacitor Performance

This study explores the potential of PANI-GO:MnO2/MoO3 nanocomposites as high-performance supercapacitors, addressing the increasing energy storage demands in portable electronics devices. By varying the amount of polyaniline (PANI) alongside a ternary composite of GO/MnO2/MoO3, the present study investigates their combined influence on electrochemical performance. XRD analysis confirmed the hexagonal phase with an average particle size of 19 nm, and FTIR analysis showed the functional groups associated with the title compound. FESEM images demonstrated the leaf-like structures, and the EDAX spectrum confirmed the presence of Mn and Mo elements in the as-prepared samples. Electrochemical analysis showed a maximum capacitance of 596 F/g. The unique blend of graphene, polyaniline, and ternary metal oxides in these nanocomposites holds great promise for advanced supercapacitors. The research aims to understand how different levels of polyaniline impact the overall composition, providing insights into the synergies between these components and their effects on energy storage capabilities.

An Unusual Case of Mixed Superficial and Adenoid Basal Cell Carcinoma in a 57-year-old Filipino Female

Introduction: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cutaneous malignancy worldwide often occurring in sun-exposed areas. While the nodular variant accounts for the majority of cases, the adenoid type is extremely rare, comprising about 1.3% of all BCCs. Contrary to the typical presentation of BCC, adenoid BCC features a large sized lesion and a tendency to involve non-sun exposed areas such as the trunk. This case study presents a unique form of mixed superficial and adenoid BCC in a 57-year-old Filipino female. Case Report: A 57-year-old female presented with a 2-year history of a slowly enlarging bluish-black plaque with rolled borders on the left flank with noted bleeding, pain, and pruritus. Dermoscopy revealed arborizing vessels, leaf-like structures, blue gray globules, and white streaks, consistent with BCC. Histopathology showed a diagnosis of a superficial and adenoid type of BCC. Conclusion: Encounters with unusual forms of cutaneous carcinoma may arise in dermatologic practice. Dermoscopy serves as a powerful tool in identifying suspicious lesions and a pre-operative biopsy is done to correlate with the clinical diagnosis. Hence, the dermatologist will be able to decide the appropriate treatment option based on the clinical presentation and histopathologic type.

Transcriptome analysis of foxtail millet inflorescence tissue in response to Sclerospora graminicola infection

Floral reversion caused by Sclerospora graminicola infection seriously affects development and grain formation of floral organs in foxtail millet. Herein, we observed morphological changes to infected panicles from stamen and pistil differentiation to flowering stages, and used RNA sequencing and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to analyse the key genes and pathways involved in interactions between foxtail millet and S. graminicola. All floral organs of infected panicles, including glume, lemma and palea, transformed into leaf-like structures, leading to malformed inflorescence. Transcriptome analysis showed that S. graminicola infection regulated host physiology and hormone metabolism, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly enriched in disease resistance responses involving plant hormone metabolism, peroxidase activity and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways. Subsequently, 8 % of identified DEGs were predicted to be transcription factors, including bHLH and WRKY members related to biotic stress. Plant physiological measurements showed that infection and stress caused by S. graminicola led to changes in antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and peroxidase, and defence hormones jasmonic acid, salicylic acid and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid in foxtail millet. WGCNA identified 17 hub genes in four key modules (black, magenta, green and turquoise) including a MYB domain protein (Si2g07390), an ethylene-responsive transcription factor ERF094 (Si8g10010) and an NAC domain protein (Si5g40460). The results indicate that transcriptional expression, hormones and oxidation-reduction participate in inflorescence reversion in foxtail millet caused by S. graminicola.

One step hydrothermal preparation of leaf-like CuInS2 micro-nano structures on three-dimensional flexible substrate to enhance photothermal catalytic activity

One potential sustainable energy conversion technique is the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 by semiconductors. However, insufficient active sites and low utilization efficiency of solar energy lead to the unsatisfactory effect of photothermal catalytic reduction of CO2. Thus, in this study, leaf-like CuInS2 micro-nano structures are prepared on three-dimensional flexible substrate by one-step hydrothermal method to improve the photothermal CO2 reduction efficiency. Among them, the preparation process of hydrothermal method is simple, energy-saving and efficient. In addition, micro-nano structures can not only provide more active sites for photocatalysts due to their large specific surface area, but also form more pores that can promote electron transfer efficiency. Meanwhile, the introduction of sulfur vacancy can promote the separation of photogenerated carriers and improve the adsorption capacity of CO2. As a result, the yields of CO2 reduction to CO and CH4 by leaf-like CuInS2 micro-nano structures were 1285.2 μmol/m2/h and 231.4 μmol/m2/h, respectively, under the synergistic action of photothermal. At present, there are few reports about the preparation of CuInS2 micro-nano structures in flexible stainless steel mesh, which also provides a new idea for the design of efficient photothermal cocatalysts.

Utilizing a defective MgO layer for engineering multifunctional Co-MOF hybrid materials with tailored leaf-like and polyhedral structures for optimal electrochemical and photocatalytic activities

The hybridization of metal-organic framework (MOF) with inorganic layers would lead to the discovery of novel hybrid materials that can provide a compelling strategy for enhancing its photocatalytic and electrochemical response. In the present study, a highly efficient multifunctional hybrid material was developed by exploiting the defective layer formed on AZ31 Mg alloy through plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) as a nucleation and growth site for Co-MOF. The concentrations of the organic linker 2-Methylimidazole (2,MIm) and cobalt nitrate as a source of Co2+ ions were varied to control the growth of the obtained Co-MOF. Lower concentrations of the 2, MIm ligand favored the formation of leaf-like MOF structures through an anisotropic, two-dimensional growth, while higher concentrations led to rapid, isotropic nucleation and the creation of polyhedral Co-MOF structures. The sample characterized by polyhedral Co-MOF structures exhibited superior electrochemical stability, with the lowest corrosion current density (3.11 ​× ​10−9 A/cm2) and the highest top layer resistance (2.34 ​× ​106 ​Ω ​cm2), and demonstrated outstanding photocatalytic efficiency, achieving a remarkable 99.98 ​% degradation of methylene blue, an organic pollutant, in model wastewater. To assess the active adsorption sites of the Co-MOF, density functional theory (DFT) was utilized. This study explores the changes in morphologies of the coatings of Co-MOF with the change of solution concentration to form coatings with enhanced properties on the metallic substrate, which could establish the groundwork for the development of next-generation multifunctional frameworks with diverse applications.

Carbon nanotubes regulated polyamide membrane by intercalation to improve the organic solvent nanofiltration performance

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are considered as promising materials for enhancing thin-film composite (TFC) membranes by introducing an intermediate layer. However, the specific function of the CNT intermediate layer in the formation of the selective polyamide (PA) layer using interfacial polymerization (IP) remains unclear. Consequently, in this study, a network of CNT was applied as a coating on a polyketone (PK) substrate to control its surface characteristics and act as an intermediate layer for PA formation. By adjusting the amount of CNT, the PK surface became less hydrophilic and had smaller surface pores. The CNT intermediate layer facilitated PA formation by expediting the release of IP monomers, reducing the interaction between PK and the monomers. Nevertheless, excessive CNT loading could lead to the retreat of large leaf-like structures, which are essential for achieving high performance in organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN). OSN tests revealed that the optimal TFC-0.5 membrane displayed a methanol permeance of 5.34 L m−2 h−1/bar with an extremely low molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of 170–180 g/mol. This result was attributed to the reduced PA intrusion, enlarged PA filtration area, and the gutter layer effect brought about by the CNT intermediate layer.

First report of a 'Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia'-related strain associated with faba bean phyllody symptoms in India.

Vicia faba L. commonly known as broad bean or faba bean is one of the most widely grown protein rich legume crops. Out of more than 50 faba bean-producing countries, about 90% production is concentrated in the Asian, European Union (EU), and African region (FAO, 2020). Owing to its high nutritional value, both the fresh pods and dry seeds are consumed. During March 2022, some plants with little leaf and phyllody symptoms such as leaf-like floral structures were observed in the experimental fields of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi (Fig. 1 a, b, c). The twig samples were collected from two individual symptomatic and one from asymptomatic plant. DNA was extracted using CTAB (cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide) method (Ahrens and Seemüller, 1992; Marzachi et al. 1998) and examined for the association of phytoplasma through nested PCR using the universal primers P1/P7 and R16F2n/R16R2 targeting the 16SrRNA gene (Deng and Hiruki 1991; Gundersen and Lee 1996) and the other set of primers secAfor1/secArev3 and secAfor2/secArev3 targeting secA gene (Hodgetts et al. 2008). The DNA from symptomatic plants resulted the amplicons of 1200bp and 840bp specific to 16S rRNA and secA gene respectively. The gel purified PCR products were cloned into pGEM®-T Easy Vector system (Promega) and outsourced for Sanger sequencing at Agri Genome Labs, Kerala, India. The resultant 16S rRNA sequences (GenBank Acc. No. OP978231, OP978232) and secA sequences (ON715392 and ON715393) were examined through NCBI BLASTn analysis. The 16S rRNA sequences of the V. faba strains shared a minimum of 99.85% similarity with the phytoplasma strain causing little leaf and phyllody disease of sesame in India (MW622017) and a maximum of 100% sequence identity with the Vigna radiata phyllody and necrosis phytoplasma strain of Jodhpur (OP935760) India, whereas the secA gene sequences showed 100% identity with Tephrosia purpurea witches'-broom phytoplasma (MW603929) from China and a minimum of 91.14% similarity with 'Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia' (MW020541) from India. The pairwise comparison results were completely in support of the corresponding phylogenetic sequence analysis results of 16SrRNA and secA gene sequences of faba bean strains in comparison with other strains retrieved from GenBank database, wherein the faba bean strains got clustered with 16SrII-D subgroup related strains (Fig. 2 a and b). Virtual RFLP analysis through iPhyClassifer tool through in silico digestion of R16F2n/R2 region of 16S rRNA gene of the faba bean strain using 17 restriction endonuclease enzymes resulted in the RFLP profiles similar to that of the profile of phytoplasma subgroup 16SrII-D (Y10097: papaya yellow crinkle) used as reference strain with a similarity coefficient value of 1.0. All the results of this investigation confirmed the association of 'Candidatus phytoplasma aurantifolia' (16SrII-D) with the diseased faba bean plants in this study. Previous reports of phytoplasma infecting faba bean include a group 16SrIII strain detected in Spain in 2004 (Castro and Romero), a subgroup 16SrII-D strain detected in Sudan in 2012 (Alfaro-Fernandez et al.), a group 16SrII strain detected in Saudi Arabia in 2014 (Al-Saleh and Amer), and subgroup 16SrIII-J strains detected in Egypt in 2014 (Hamed et al.) and in Peru in 2021 (Torres-Suarez et al.). To the best of our knowledge, these findings, document the first report of the association of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia' (subgroup 16SrII-D) with faba bean plants in India. This report necessitates further research on the status of distribution of this phytoplasma strain in other locations and hosts in the country so as to develop possible strategies to contain its further spread and management of the disease.

Regulation of micro-structure and surface property of SWRO membrane via introducing albumin into polyamide layer for improving permselectivity

The concerned trade-off effect between water permeability and permselectivity hinders further improvement of the performance based on dense polymeric membranes. Here, seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes with higher water-salt permselectivity and water permeability were prepared by introducing albumin concentrated and crystallized from chicken egg white (EW) into aqueous solution before interfacial polymerization (IP) to regulate the micro-structure and surface property of the aromatic polyamide layers. Due to the hydrophilic nature and its multi-functional groups, EW albumin could disperse homogeneously in aqueous solution during the interfacial polymerization process. The deposited EW albumin on polysulfone (PSf) substrate could also increase the surface charge as well as its hydrophilicity. Due to the higher and more vertical leaf-like structures, together with the rougher surfaces and more hydrophilic surface, the water flux of db-0.1 membrane increased by 21.29 % compared to the original db-0 membrane, which reached 49.66 L·m−2·h−1. Meanwhile, because of the higher cross-linking degree and the more negatively charged property, db-0.1 membrane which exhibited the best water permeability also showed the best NaCl rejection of 99.66 %. It provides new sights on simultaneous regulation of micro-structure and surface property of SWRO membranes for improving water permeability and permselectivity via a facile incorporation procedure.

Mechanism for regulation of a forward osmosis membrane by the SA/UiO-66-NH2 composite interlayer and the resulting lithium ion concentration performance

The traditional thin-film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membrane has problems such as poor water permeability and low lithium concentration selectivity because the separation layer is too thick and has many defect pores. In this study, a thin and dense separation layer was obtained by constructing a sodium alginate (SA)/UiO-66-NH2 interlayer to control the attachment amount and diffusion rate of m-phenylenediamine (MPD), which enhanced the performance of the membrane. This paper studies the effect and mechanism of the interlayer on the structure and separation performance of the FO membrane, and explores the lithium ion concentration performance of the interlayer membrane. According to the results, based on the strong interaction between the interlayer and MPD, the equilibrium concentration of MPD available for interfacial polymerization was increased and the diffusion rate of MPD was slowed, resulting in the generation of a thin and dense separation layer. Since the interlayer restricted the escape of bubbles formed in the interfacial polymerization, the separation layer showed a leaf-like structure with increased filtration area and water storage space. Due to the reduced thickness of the separation layer and its leaf-like structures, the water flux increased significantly, and the water flux of the interlayer membrane was 47.9% greater than that of the original membrane. Drawing upon the heightened density of the separation layer and secondary separation of the interlayer, the reverse solute flux was lowered by 37.4%. The interlayer membrane exhibited efficient Li+ rejection (R>93%) and the concentration ratio of Li+ was close to its theoretical concentration ratio at 1.46 ± 0.03.

Bionic Aerogel with a Lotus Leaf-like Structure for Efficient Oil-Water Separation and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding.

Increasing pollution from industrial wastewater containing oils or organic solvents poses a serious threat to both the environment and human health. Compared to complex chemical modifications, bionic aerogels with intrinsic hydrophobic properties exhibit better durability and are considered as ideal adsorbents for oil-water separation. However, the construction of biomimetic three-dimensional (3D) structures by simple methods is still a great challenge. Here, we prepared biomimetic superhydrophobic aerogels with lotus leaf-like structures by growing carbon coatings on Al2O3 nanorod-carbon nanotube hybrid backbones. Thanks to its multicomponent synergy and unique structure, this fascinating aerogel can be directly obtained through a simple conventional sol-gel and carbonization process. The aerogels exhibit excellent oil-water separation (22 g·g-1), recyclability (over 10 cycles) and dye adsorption properties (186.2 mg·g-1 for methylene blue). In addition, benefiting from the conductive porous structure, the aerogels also demonstrate outstanding electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities (~40 dB in X-band). This work presents fresh insights for the preparation of multifunctional biomimetic aerogels.

Superhydrophobic ceramic coatings with lotus leaf-like hierarchical surface structures deposited via suspension plasma spray process

In this work, superhydrophobic yttria-stabilized zirconia coatings were deposited via the suspension plasma spray process using a new water-based suspension. The new water-based suspension was prepared with the addition of surfactant, which showed a much lower surface tension than the conventional water-based suspension, and meanwhile was much cheaper and safer, and more environmentally friendly than the ethanol-based suspension. The coatings exhibited lotus leaf-like hierarchical surface structures of micron-sized protuberances with superimposed nanometer-sized splats/particles. After chemical modification, the coatings showed excellent water repellency with a water contact angle of ∼157°, a roll-off angle of ∼5°, and complete droplet rebound behaviors. The ethanol-based suspension and conventional water-based suspension were also prepared and used for coating deposition. Comprehensive characterizations of the suspension properties (surface tension, viscosity, atomization behaviors), surface structures, and wetting behaviors of different coatings were conducted for comparative investigation. The formation mechanism of different surface structures was elaborated by investigating the properties of suspensions and plasma gas flow, the aerodynamic breakup behaviors of suspensions, and the motion of impinging particles. The different wetting behaviors of coatings were correlated with the surface structures and wetting states. The study provides a rapid and cost-effective way to deposit hierarchically-structured superhydrophobic ceramic coatings via the water-based suspension plasma spray process.

Enhancing solar energy harvest by Cu2S/CuCl heteroarrays with enriched sulfur vacancies for photo-rechargeable pseudocapacitors

The use of broadband light energy is important for enhancing photoenergy conversion. However, bifunctional materials that can efficiently harvest solar energy to assist electrochemical energy storage are difficult to prepare. Herein, copper foam (CF)-supported cuprous sulfide (Cu2S) heteroarrays (CS HAs) with enriched sulfur (S) vacancies (VS) were designed for photo-rechargeable pseudocapacitors. A direct hydrothermal sulfurization of CF first resulted in the growth of CS HAs with leaf-like heterostructures. Subsequent partial oxidation of S2− in FeCl3 aqueous solution enriched the VS within the leaf-like structures. In addition, CuCl and Cu2O were formed from Cu2S during FeCl3 treatment to derive a bifunctional photoelectrode with ternary components, thus further broadening the light absorption region. Thus, the optimal CS HAs have demonstrated areal capacitances of 1440−1048 mF cm−2 with the assistance of the photoelectric/thermal effects of light energy, delivering remarkable photoenhancements of 25%–35%. The asymmetrical pseudocapacitors fabricated from the optimal photoelectrodes delivered a high areal capacitance of 670 mF cm−2 after 6000 cycles, suggesting a promising application in transparent light-driven energy devices.