Liquid Research Articles

Selective leaching of lithium from mixed spent lithium iron phosphate powder

In recent years, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries have been widely used in the electric vehicle industry. The recycling of spent LFP will be propitious to conserving resources and alleviating the environmental risks it poses. In this study, a selective extraction method for lithium from spent LFP was proposed using nitric acid. Lithium leached into the liquid phase, while P and Fe remained in the leaching residue. Under the conditions of 120°C, HNO3/Li molar ratio of 2, and time of 2h, the leaching efficiency of lithium reached 99.5%, with a selectivity reaching 82.1%. Initially, LFP was decomposed to liberate Li, Fe, and P in the liquid phase. Subsequently, ferrous ions were oxidized to trivalent, high-valent iron ions re-precipitated as FePO4·2H2O. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that the temperature and pH value of the extraction system have significant influence on both the oxidation and reprecipitation steps. An imbalance of Fe/P ratio (<1) in the raw material hinders the selectivity of lithium extraction, and supplementing this portion of Fe can enhance the selectivity to over 90%. Additionally, LiCO3 and anhydrous FePO4 were effectively regenerated from the leachate and residue. This study provides a novel approach for the recycling of spent LFP and probably contributes to the sustainability of the lithium ion battery industry.

Synthesis of uniform spherical silver powder without dispersants in a confined impinging-jet reactor

Sliver powder is the most common and extensively utilized precious metal powder in electronics, primarily for electronic paste. Herein, micron-sized spherical silver powder was synthesized via a liquid phase reduction method employing silver nitrate as the source of silver and ascorbic acid as the reducing agent in a confined impinging jet reactor (CIJR). The impact of the molar ratio between silver nitrate and ascorbic acid, the flow rate, and the temperature on the particle size of silver powder was investigated. The optimal process conditions for silver powder are as follows: maintain a molar ratio of 1:1 and control the feeding rate at 10ml/min while operating at 50 ° C. The confined impinging jet reactor offers enhanced control over reaction conditions during the synthesis of silver powder, surpassing the capabilities of traditional batch reactors. The aforementioned optimized methodology was employed to successfully synthesize uniform and spherical silver powder (with an aspect ratio approaching 1) in the low Reynolds number jet, resulting in an average particle size of d50 = 0.83 μm and a standard deviation of 0.07, without the addition of dispersant. The synthesis method presented here improves the performance of silver powder, simplifies the production process, reduces energy consumption, and minimizes waste generation. These advances yield significant environmental and economic benefits. In the future, with the continuous development and optimization of microreactor technology, this synthesis method is anticipated to play a more prominent role in the commercial-scale production and application of micrometer-sized silver powder.

A Differential Protein Study on Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid at Different Stages of Silicosis.

In this study, by comparing the difference in protein expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid between silicosis patients in different stages and healthy controls, the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis was discussed, and a new idea for the prevention and treatment of pneumoconiosis was provided. The lung lavage fluid was pretreated by 10 K ultrafiltration tube, Agilent 1100 conventional liquid phase separation, strong cation exchange column (SCX) HPLC pre-separation, and C18 reverse phase chromatography desalting purification, and protein was labeled with isotope. GO, KEGG pathway, and PPI analysis of differential proteins were conducted by bioinformatics, and protein types and corresponding signal pathways were obtained. Thermo Q-Exactive mass spectrometry identified 943 proteins. T-test analysis was used to evaluate the different significance of the results, and the different protein of each group was obtained by screening with the Ratio≥1.2 or Ratio≤0.83 and P<0.05. We found that there are 16 kinds of protein throughout the process of silicosis. There are different expressions of protein in stages Ⅲ/control, stages Ⅱ/control, stage Ⅰ/control, stages Ⅲ/ stages Ⅱ, stages Ⅲ/ stage Ⅰ and stages Ⅱ/ stage Ⅰ groups. The results of ontology enrichment analysis of total differential protein genes show that KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of differential protein suggested that there were nine pathways related to silicosis. The main biological changes in the early stage of silicosis are glycolysis or gluconeogenesis, autoimmunity, carbon metabolism, phagocytosis, etc., and microfibril-associated glycoprotein 4 may be involved in the early stage of silicosis. The main biological changes in the late stage of silicosis are autoimmunity, intercellular adhesion, etc. Calcium hippocampus binding protein may participate in the biological changes in the late stage of silicosis. It provides a new idea to understand the pathogenesis of silicosis and also raises new questions for follow-up research.

Rapid discovery of natural antioxidants in Hypericum japonicum: Dual roles of the liquid phase mobile phase as extraction and separation solvent

Hypericum japonicum is a traditional folk medicine with various bioactivities such as hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-tumorous. The antioxidant effect of H. japonicum is one of the most prominent effects due to its responsibility for many of its activities. To clarify active natural substance, the antioxidant properties of H. japonicum were preliminarily assessed by ferric reducing–antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD). Then, a straightforward and effective method named online liquid extraction-high performance liquid chromatography combined with ABTS antioxidant assay and mass spectrometry (OLE-HPLC-ABTS/Q-TOF-MS) was developed to swiftly and directly discover the antioxidants in H. japonicum. Using mobile phase as extraction and separation reagent, coupled with online activity analysis and compounds identification by high-resolution MS, the online system enables rapid screening of natural antioxidant bioactives from complex mixture. By using it, a total of 9 compounds including flavonoids and phenolic acids characterized by retention time, precise mass, and fragmentation ions in MS/MS spectra showed antioxidant action. Finally, the antioxidant and SOD activity of main found active compounds were validated by in vitro experiment assay and molecular docking. In summary, these results suggested that H. japonicum could be considered as a potential source of natural antioxidants, and the online integrated system might become a promising candidate for the natural antioxidants discovery in the future.

Spontaneous Molecular Bromine Production in Sea-Salt Aerosols.

Bromine chemistry is responsible for the catalytic ozone destruction in the atmosphere. The heterogeneous reactions of sea-salt aerosols are the main abiotic sources of reactive bromine in the atmosphere. Here, we present a novel mechanism for the activation of bromide ions (Br-) by O2 and H2O in the absence of additional oxidants. The laboratory and theoretical calculation results demonstrated that under dark conditions, Br-, O2 and H3O+ could spontaneously generate Br and HO2 radicals through a proton-electron transfer process at the air-water interface and in the liquid phase. Our results also showed that light and acidity could significantly promote the activation of Br- and the production of Br2. The estimated gaseous Br2 production rate was up to 1.55×1010 molecules cm-2 ⋅ s-1 under light and acidic conditions; these results showed a significant contribution to the atmospheric reactive bromine budget. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during Br- activation could promote the multiphase oxidation of SO2 to produce sulfuric acid, while the increase in acidity had a positive feedback effect on Br- activation. Our findings highlight the crucial role of the proton-electron transfer process in Br2 production; here, H3O+ facilitates the activation of Br- by O2, serves as a significant source of atmospheric reactive bromine and exerts a profound impact on the atmospheric oxidation capacity.

Pathological C‐terminal phosphomimetic substitutions alter the mechanism of liquid–liquid phase separation of TDP‐43 low complexity domain

Pathological C‐terminal phosphomimetic substitutions alter the mechanism of liquid–liquid phase separation of TDP‐43 low complexity domain

Metal-semiconductor-metal UVA photodetector based on TiO2 thin films synthesized via liquid phase deposition method

In this work, titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin film-based metal-semiconductor–metal (MSM) ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) were fabricated on glass substrates via liquid phase deposition (LPD) technique at various deposition time in the range of 3–6 h. Varying deposition time significantly impacted the physical properties of the films. Increasing the deposition time revealed a mixture of clusters and hexagonal-like structures in film’s morphology. The energy band gap of the TiO2 films decreased from 3.30 to 3.09 eV upon increasing the deposition time. Photodetection characteristics were examined by exposing the MSM UV PD to 390 nm UV light with an intensity of 1.6 mW cm−2 and a bias voltage of 5 V. The fabricated PDs implied characteristics of I-V ohmic contact. The optimum photodetection characteristics were achieved for TiO2 film deposited at 6 h which exhibited 36.9 μA maximum photocurrent, 20080.3% sensitivity, 201.80 gain, 225 mA W−1 responsivity, 81.07% external quantum efficiency, 0.276 s response time, and 0.274 s recovery time. The photoelectric properties of the films were strongly affected by the increased grain size and improved crystallinity of the films due to the prolonged deposition time. The optimum film demonstrated its potential to be a promising candidate for UV PD applications.

Physical properties of tween 20 + di-potassium hydrogen phosphate anhydrous (or tri-potassium phosphate 1,5-hydrate) + water from 288.15 K to 318.15 K

ABSTRACT The present study investigates the characterisation of binary and ternary mixtures involving a surfactant such as Tween 20 and various potassium salts in aqueous solutions. The ternary mixtures can form two distinct immiscible liquid phases. Several physical properties, including refractive index, density, and speed of sound, were measured, and derived properties such as excess molar volume and isentropic compressibility were calculated. The research focuses on the behaviour of aqueous binary and ternary mixtures composed of Tween 20, salts (di-potassium hydrogen phosphate anhydrous and tri-potassium phosphate 1,5-hydrate), and water in their homogeneous phases. It examines the influence of the surfactant and salts and the effect of temperature on these physical properties for homogeneous mixtures. Additionally, the physical properties of the equilibrium phases were determined to cover all the homogeneous zones comprehensively.

Nutrient recovery from source-separated urine via sorption and a comparative investigation on the improvement of the residual liquid quality

Human urine, a highly saline solution rich in plant-available nutrients, leaves behind significant organic matter after nutrient recovery, necessitating additional treatment for environmental protection. While nutrient recovery from human urine is well-documented in the literature, research on the safe handling of the residual liquid phase is notably lacking. This study investigates nutrient recovery from source-separated human urine using clinoptilolite for the ion exchange/adsorption process and evaluates the safe management of the residual liquid through anaerobic granular sludge and a second-stage of sorption. The results indicated that the ion exchange/adsorption process, using an ammonium loading of 15 mg NH4+/g clinoptilolite, removed the majority of nutrients, achieving 82% ammonium removal and 100% phosphorus removal, along with 30% removal of organic matter. The residual liquid phase from the nutrient removal stage was treated separately with anaerobic digestion and a second-stage of sorption for further processing. Results showed that anaerobic processing removed 68%–84% of organic matter, with no additional nitrogen removal observed as expected, and produced 0.20–0.46 L CH4/L urine. The second-stage of sorption removed 59%–62% of organic matter and nearly all nitrogen. Both processes effectively removed organic matter, with sorption also eliminating nitrogen and anaerobic processing potentially generating biogas, making them recommended for improving the quality of the residual liquid phase before final disposal.

Discovery of a new volcanic soil material, "Akahoya," as an adsorbent for bacterial and viral pathogens and its application to environmental purification.

Akahoya is a volcanic soil rich in alumina, primarily deposited in Kyushu, Japan. We have found that Akahoya adsorbs bacteria in the water surrounding cattle grazing areas, suggesting a potential for environmental purification. This study investigated the spectrum of microorganisms adsorbed by Akahoya using a column filled with Akahoya through which a suspension of microorganisms was passed. Shirasu soil, another volcanic soil with a different chemical composition, was used as a control. Akahoya effectively adsorbed a diverse range of microorganisms including Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, spores of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus anthracis, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), murine norovirus, and avian influenza virus (H3N2), whereas Shirasu soil did not adsorb any of the organisms examined. Moreover, bacteria naturally present in river water, such as aerobic bacteria, total coliforms, and Enterobacteriaceae as indicators of river contamination, as well as E. coli added artificially to sterilized river water, were reduced to below the detection limit (<1 CFU/mL) after being passed through Akahoya. Additionally, the number of viable E. coli continued to decrease after contact with Akahoya for 1 month, suggesting bactericidal effects. Notably, the adsorption of E. coli to Akahoya was influenced by the concentration of phosphate and the pH of the suspension due to the interaction between the surface phosphorylation of organisms and Al2O3, the major chemical component of Akahoya. The present results demonstrate the remarkable ability of Akahoya to remove phosphate and microbes, suggesting that Akahoya could be used for water purification processes.IMPORTANCEAlthough a safe and sufficient water supply is essential for the maintenance of hygienic conditions, a major challenge is to develop a comprehensive effective, sustainable, and cost-effective technological approach for the treatment and purification of contaminated water. In this study, we demonstrated that a novel volcanic soil, Akahoya, which has unlimited availability, is a highly effective adsorbent for a wide range of bacterial and viral pathogens, suggesting its potential as a sustainable resource for this purpose. It was suggested that the adsorption of microorganisms on Akahoya was mediated by phosphate groups present on the surface structures of microorganisms, which bind to the alumina component of Akahoya according to the phosphate concentration and pH of the liquid phase. The present findings highlight the exceptional ability of Akahoya to eliminate or reduce phosphate and microorganisms effectively in water purification processes, thus contributing to the development of efficient and sustainable solutions for addressing water pollution challenges.

A key factor in monitoring cannabis consumption trends through wastewater analysis: Partitioning of THC[sbnd]COOH between the liquid and solid phase of influent wastewater

Current wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) studies are predominantly focused on the analysis of urinary biomarkers present in the liquid phase of influent wastewater (IWW). This approach systematically underestimates less polar metabolites, such as cannabis biomarkers. These biomarkers can potentially sorb to and desorb from suspended particulate matter (SPM) present in IWW. This study investigates the bidirectional partitioning of THCCOOH between the liquid phase and SPM of IWW by performing multiple sorption experiments using THCCOOH-D9 as a surrogate due to the unavailability of blank SPM and blank IWW. In addition, this study involves the analysis of IWW collected from eight wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) (n = 56) across four European countries, where raw IWW, the liquid phase and SPM were separately analysed to identify potential trends in the fraction of THCCOOH in the SPM between and withing the examined locations. Based on the performed sorption experiments, bidirectional partitioning of THCCOOH between the liquid phase and SPM was noted, showing partition between both phases when only one of the two phases was spiked. It was illustrated that the concentration of SPM had a notable influence on the THCCOOH partitioning between both phases. In addition to the inter location variability (average THCCOOH present in the SPM ranged 31–59 %), a substantial intra location variation was also observed, e.g., in one location ranged 17–58 %. While the determination of a correction factor for the amount of THCCOOH present in SPM would be ideal, this is challenging, since the amount of SPM is not fixed in all IWW samples. Although SPM has influence on the THCCOOH partition, no correlation (p value Spearman correlation = 0.3160) was observed between the SPM concentration and the fraction of THCCOOH in the solid phase. Moreover, the collection of homogenized samples is difficult, and the time required to reach an equilibration in partitioning of THCCOOH between both IWW phases remains unclear. Due to i) the large inter-and intra-location variation of THCCOOH present in the SPM, ii) the variability in SPM concentration in IWW samples, and iii) the time required to reach a partitioning equilibration, an analytical procedure based on liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) that considers both the liquid phase and SPM of IWW is recommended to reduce the overall uncertainty for THCCOOH measurement in IWW. It was illustrated that this extraction method is capable to recover the total concentration of THCCOOH in both phases.

Phenomenological Study of the Atomization Process in Pre‐Filming Nozzles Typically Used for Steel Atomization

Liquid steel atomization using close‐coupled nozzles is highly dependent on the relationship between momentum flux ratio, gas–liquid ratio, aspiration pressure, and operating pressure of inert gases. A strong correlation between these parameters and the final powder must be assumed. Understanding these parameters, their influence on the process, and their interactions with each other is indispensable for efficient powder production. In particular, the industrial application of close‐coupled atomization nozzles, which develop a thin pre‐film on the nozzle tip, is not yet fully understood. A model experiment is presented to investigate interactions between the flow conditions of the gaseous and liquid phases, focusing on recirculation phenomena inside the atomization zone. The experiments show the influence of liquid and gas flow conditions on the spray geometry and the liquid core length, as well as the strong dependence of the liquid mass flux on the gas flow. The aspiration pressure below the liquid nozzle is sensitive to gas pressure and has a major influence on the development of the liquid core and the pre‐film, as it increases the liquid mass flux. For practical application, the results confirm an optimal operating point of interacting system parameters, which leads to high‐quality atomization with minimal use of resources.

Advances in Liquid-Phase Assembly of Clusters into Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

Insight into the behaviors of molecules in confined space is highly desired for the deep understanding of the mechanism of chemical reactions in a microenvironment. Yet the direct access of molecular evolutions at atomic resolution in nanoconfinements is still challenging. Among various guests, atomically precise clusters with well-defined structures are better suited for monitoring the chemical and physical processes in nanochannels because of their visibility under electron microscopy and identical structures that ensure homogeneous interactions. Developing an efficient method for assembling clusters into a confined space is essential for advancing mechanisms of these processes. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of the assembly of clusters into single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in the liquid phase. We begin with the introduction of assembling methodologies, followed by a discussion of mechanisms of confined assembly in liquids. The host-guest interactions between clusters and nanotubes and the molecular reactions in nanochannels revealed by transmission electron microscopy are unveiled, and the cluster@SWCNT heterostructure-based emerging applications are highlighted. At the end, we discuss the challenges and opportunities and expound our outlook in this field.

Effect of iron oxidation state on the catalytic performance of Fe/C in liquid phase flow hydrogenation of 2-butyne-1,4-diol

Cis-2-butene-1,4-diol and 1,4-butanediol are crucial precursors in producing bioplastics and biodegradable plastics. Moreover, cis-2-butene-1,4-diol is used in the production of vitamins A and B6, fungicides and insecticides. On an industrial scale, they are produced by hydrogenation of 2-butyne-1,4-diol with Ni Raney as catalyst at > 160 °C and > 15 MPa. Herein, the effect of mesoporous carbon, iron loading (2, 6, 10 and 14 wt%), and metal oxidation state on the activity and selectivity of iron catalysts in the liquid phase continuous flow 2-butyne-1,4-diol hydrogenation at mild conditions (at temperature range 10–65 °C and pressure range 1–20 bar) was performed. Catalytic investigations supported by statistical modeling and physicochemical characterization (TPR, H2-TPD, physisorption, TEM, XPS, and Mössbauer spectroscopy), showed that the activity of the Fe/C can be determined by the presence of functional groups in mesoporous support which are responsible for high metal dispersion and strong metal-support interaction, which boosts the catalytic activity of iron catalysts. Additionally, the formation of metastable iron carbides which are active in hydrogenation cannot be excluded. All of the catalysts showed 100% selectivity toward cis-2-butene-1,4-diol at the lowest temperature. However, the best compromise between selectivity and activity (TOF=336 h−1) was achieved with 2 wt% Fe at 1 bar and 25 °C.

Pressure-tuning of α-RuCl3 towards a quantum spin liquid

The layered material α-RuCl3 is a promising candidate to realize the Kitaev quantum spin liquid (QSL) state. However, at ambient pressure, deviations from the perfect Kitaev geometry prevent the existence of the QSL state at low temperatures. Here we present the discovery of a pressure-induced high-symmetry phase in α-RuCl3, which creates close to ideal conditions for the emergence of a QSL. Employing a novel approach based on Bragg and diffuse scattering of synchrotron radiation, we reveal a pressure-induced reorganization of the RuCl3-layers. Most importantly, this reorganization affects the structure of the layers themselves, which acquire a high trigonal symmetry. For this trigonal phase the largest ratio between the Kitaev (K) and the Heisenberg exchange (J) ever encountered is found: K/J = 124. Additionally, we demonstrate that this phase can also be stabilized by a slight biaxial pressure. This not only resolves the conflicting reports of low-temperature structures in the literature, but also facilitates the investigation of the high-symmetry phase and its potential QSL using a range of experimental techniques.

Highly efficient direct air capture using solid–liquid phase separation in aqueous diamine solution as sorbent

Abstract To reduce climate change, absorbing CO2 directly from the air (DAC) with high-efficient CO2 absorption, low-cost, and environmentally friendly system has been attracted much attention for several decades. In this work, a series of aqueous diamine solutions was examined for 400ppm CO2 absorption at ambient temperature. The absorbents exhibited CO2 absorption with molar ratio of 1 molCO2/molamine, and aqueous isophorone diamine (IPDA) in particular showed &amp;gt;99% CO2 removal even under a 500 mL min−1 flow of 400ppm CO2-N2 with the contact rate of 13,761.5 h−1 between CO2 and IPDA aqueous solution and the CO2 absorption rate of 4.46 mmol/L·min. A precipitate of carbamic acid of IPDA was formed by reaction with CO2, and the CO2 removal efficiency was enhanced by increasing the solution viscosity by the formation of this precipitate. The CO2 was absorbed in aqueous IPDA solution as carbamic acid of IPDA and bicarbonate/carbonate species, and the absorbed CO2 could desorb by heating under O2-containing gas flow, which indicates our system is applicable to the CO2 condensation for a plant growth. This work provides a fundamental information to establishing a solid–liquid phase change system with a high-efficient and environmentally friendly DAC system using aqueous solvent.

Selection of internal design of crystallizer sleeves for continuous casting of 200 mm billets

The crystallizer is the most critical and most important functional unit of a continuous casting machine (hereinafter referred to as CCM). It is the main technological unit of the CCM, an assembly for removing heat during the solidification of the solidifying metal and the formation of the ingot. The main requirement for the crystallizer is to provide maximum heat removal from the solidifying steel to the cooling water, and to obtain a strong ingot shell with a good surface at the outlet of the crystallizer, which would not be destroyed by the heat of the liquid phase and the ferrostatic pressure. During the reconstruction of the CCM by the contractor company, drawings of crystallizers and crystallizer sleeves with a double‑cone internal geometry for casting 200 mm continuous cast billets were developed. The 200 mm continuous cast billet is a billet for the production of hot‑rolled seamless steel pipes. During the operation of the crystallizer sleeves with a double‑cone internal geometry, an accelerated wear of the protective coating in the lower part of the sleeve was noted, as well as an increased rejection of hot‑rolled pipes due to defects on the outer surface of the pipes. In order to identify the cause of the defect formation, complex metallographic studies of the outer surface of the pipes were carried out. As a result of the metallographic study, surface defects classified as steel mill scale on the outer surface of the pipes were identified. To minimize the “steel mill scale” defect and reduce the wear of the protective coating of the crystallizer sleeves, work was carried out to select the optimal conditions for the crystallization of the continuous cast billet: the use of crystallizer sleeves with a three‑cone internal geometry compared to a double‑cone was investigated; maintaining the temperature difference of the water at the inlet and outlet of the crystallizer within specified limits (ΔT) was tested. It was found that the use of a crystallizer sleeve with a three‑cone internal geometry for casting 200 mm billets and the stable behavior of the ΔT parameter made it possible to ensure the required quality of the surface of seamless pipes, reduce the wear of the protective coating of the crystallizer sleeves and increase the productivity of the CCM.

Large-energy operation of an Er-doped fiber laser with ZrGeTe4 saturable absorber

ZrGeTe4 as a layered semiconductor material with good stability and optoelectronic properties, and excellent saturable absorption characteristics, but its application in fiber lasers is still insufficient. In order to explore its application in fiber lasers, we prepared ZrGeTe4-PVA thin film by liquid phase exfoliation and performed a series of characterizations. A modulation depth of 13.15 %, a non-saturated loss of 6.4 %, and a saturation intensity of 5.5 MW/cm2 were obtained. Then used the ZrGeTe4-PVA thin film as the saturable absorber (SA) in an Er-doped fiber laser (EDFL), the large-energy operation could be realized. In the case of a cavity length of 234 m, when the pump power was increased to 1229 mW, a maximum single pulse energy of about 32.72 nJ was achieved, with a repetition frequency of 859 kHz. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest single-pulse energy achieved in an EDFL based on ZrGeTe4-SA. This experiment shows that the ZrGeTe4 is a promising two-dimensional (2D) material with good nonlinear absorption properties, proving that it is a promising pulse modulation of SA and laying a foundation for its subsequent study in fiber lasers.

Metastable Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation and Aging Lead to Strong Processing Path Dependence in Mini‐Spidroin Solutions

AbstractRecombinant silk proteins provide a route toward sustainable and biocompatible materials. For making such materials, the assembly process from dilute protein into a functional material is central. The assembly mechanism in engineered materials is by necessity different from the natural ones—this poses challenges but also opens opportunities for scaling up and for developing novel properties. The phase behavior of a mini‐spidroin, NT‐2Rep‐CT is studied, which is a widely studied variant of recombinant silk. NT‐2Rep‐CT can be triggered to assemble by lowering the pH, but even at high pH—considered as storage conditions—it can be in various states, such as forming condensates, clusters, gels, and soluble protein. It is shown how its assembly phases evolve through both metastable and dynamically arrested states. The observed behavior of silk protein solutions is highly complex, and elements thereof from phase diagrams associated with polymers, colloidal systems, and globular proteins are found. Based on the characterization of cluster formation and structural intermediates, a minimalist phase diagram is proposed for NT‐2Rep‐CT and argues that the understanding and insight into silk assembly via its phase behavior, and especially the arrested states, is central for designing recombinant silk proteins and their processing for materials applications.

Accurate identification of salt domes using deep learning techniques: Transformers, generative artificial intelligence and liquid state machines

AbstractAcross various global regions abundant in oil and natural gas reserves, the presence of substantial sub‐surface salt deposits holds significant relevance. Accurate identification of salt domes becomes crucial for enterprises engaged in oil and gas exploration. Our research introduces a precise method for the automatic detection of salt domes, leveraging advanced deep learning architectures such as U‐net, transformers, artificial intelligence generative models and liquid state machines. In comparison with state‐of‐the‐art techniques, our model demonstrates superior performance, achieving a stable and validated intersection over the union metric, indicating high accuracy and robustness. Furthermore, the Dice similarity coefficient attaining underscores the model's proficiency in closely aligning with ground truth across diverse scenarios. This evaluation, conducted on 1000 seismic images, reveals that our proposed architecture is not only comparable but often surpasses existing segmentation models in effectiveness and reliability.