NaClO4 Solutions Research Articles

X‐Ray Absorption and X‐Ray Emission Spectroscopy Study of a Molybdenum Disulfide Anode in a Sodium‐Ion Half‐Cell

The development of efficient anodes for sodium‐ion batteries requires a deep understanding of the electrochemical processes involved. Herein, X‐ray spectroscopy is used to study changes in the electronic structure of MoS2 nanosheets coupled with few‐layered graphene at early stages of battery life. Working electrode is combined with a sodium plate and a solution of NaClO4 in ethyl carbonate/dimethyl carbonate in a homemade cell having an X‐ray transparent window. X‐ray absorption spectra at the S K‐edge and Mo L3‐edge are recorded using a synchrotron source, X‐ray emission S Kα and Mo Lα spectra are obtained on a laboratory spectrometer for initial powder and electrode material at different potentials of the cell. Analysis of the spectra shows the occupation of the initially empty orbitals of MoS2 by sodium electrons as a result of the interaction of the components of the sodium‐ion half‐cell. Ex situ X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements of a fully discharged electrode material reveal partial transformation of hexagonal MoS2 to disordered tetragonal MoS2 coated with a surface electrolyte interphase layer. The obtained results indicate that coupling MoS2 to graphene prevents the breaking of Mo–S bonds when Na+ ions are first introduced, which may promote stable battery performance.

Preservation Potentials of Siderite in Low‐Temperature Brines Relevant to Mars

AbstractThe scarce carbonate record on the Martian surface is one of the fundamental unsolved issues for paleoclimate and environmental evolution. Whether carbonates first formed and then dissolved due to a transition in global environments or whether Mg–Fe carbonates never extensively formed due to geochemical kinetics thresholds remains unknown. In this study, we experimentally examined the preservation potential of siderite in Mars‐relevant fluids, including ultrapure water, H2O2, NaClO4, NaClO3, NaCl, Na2SO4, NaHCO3, and Na2SiO3 solutions, at 277 K. The effects of the water/rock ratio at WR10 and WR100 on dissolution rates were also investigated. We found that siderite dissolution and subsequent oxidation and hydrolysis of leached Fe did not substantially acidify the solutions. The siderite dissolved relatively rapidly in the chloride and chlorate solutions and slowly in the silica or bicarbonate solutions. In a circum‐neutral to slightly alkaline aqueous environment with oxidative species, the mobility of leached Fe was limited, leading to the formation of goethite or lepidocrocite, which clustered on the siderite surface. The longest lifetime of 1‐mm siderite grains was found in the Na2SiO3 solution at WR100, which was estimated to range from 198 ka to 198 Ma. Water‐limited, silica‐rich, and oxidative aqueous environments benefit siderite preservation on the Martian surface. Our results support that the lack of voluminous siderite on Mars may be primarily due to the inhibition of its formation rather than alteration and dissolution after its presence, consistent with the recent detection of Mg–Fe carbonate at Gale Crater and Jezero Crater.

Coprecipitation of Ce(III) oxide with UO2.

The neutralization of acidic solutions containing U (IV) and Ce (III) at room temperature in glove box atmosphere and in the presence of dithionite results in coprecipitation of these elements as amorphous solid solutions CexU1-xO2±y. The solubilities of the precipitates with different mole fractions (x) of Ce(OH)3 (x = 0.01 or 0.1) were determined in 1 M NaClO4 solutions between pH 2.2 and 12.8 under reducing conditions. The solids were investigated by a variety of methods (chemical analysis, SEM-EDX, XRD, XPS, XAS) to determine the nature of the solid solutions formed, their composition and the valence state of Ce and U. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the oxidation states of the solids both before and after the equilibration as Ce (III) and U (IV). The amorphous coprecipitates reached equilibrium relatively fast (∼1 week). The release of Ce from the coprecipitates was totally dominated by the release of uranium over the whole pH range. The Ce concentrations decrease slightly with the decrease of Ce content in the solid, suggesting that CexU1-xO2±y solids behave thermodynamically as solid solutions. The concentrations of U in equilibrium with the coprecipitate were in excellent agreement with the solubility of UO2(s) under reducing conditions reported in the literature. The conditional solubility product of Ce(OH)3 from the coprecipitate was several orders of magnitude (∼4 in the near neutral pH range and ∼18 in the acidic range) lower than that of pure Ce(OH)3(s). The activities and activity coefficients of Ce(OH)3(s) in the coprecipitate were also estimated. Activity coefficients are much less than 1, indicating that the mixing of Ce(OH)3 with UO2 is highly favorable.

A soft processing technology for the extraction of cellulose from plant residues and agri-food wastes

In this study, cellulose was extracted from giant cane (GC), Posidonia oceanica seagrass (PO), coffee silverskin (CS), and brewer's spent grain (BSG) as alternatives to conventional sources of cellulose. The extraction protocol involved three steps: i) hemicellulose and lignin removal through alkaline hydrolysis in a 5% (w/v) NaOH solution (solid-to-liquid ratio = 1:100 g/mL, T = 25 °C, t = 2 h, ω = 300 rpm), ii) removal of organic compounds and ashes through a 95% (v/v) ethanol solution (solid-to-liquid ratio = 1:25 g/mL, T = 25 °C, t = 0.5 h, ω = 500 rpm), and iii) double bleaching in a 1% (w/v) acidic (pH = 4) NaClO2 solution (solid-to-liquid ratio = 1:50 g/mL, T = 90 °C, t = 1.5 h, ω = 500 rpm). Yield, purity, crystallinity degree, and morphology of cellulose extracted through a soft-chemical cascade process were assessed by gravimetric, infrared (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Averaged cellulose extraction yields of 36.4, 38.6, 23.1, and 22.2% for GC, PO, CS, and BSG were obtained, respectively. All cellulose samples had high purity, though lower than the ultra-pure bacterial cellulose, which was due to the slight contamination from unremoved hemicellulose and lignin residues. Cellulose samples exhibited similar chemical features and the typical fibril-like morphology of microcrystalline cellulose (6–13 μm in width). The versatility of the proposed extraction procedure supports the sustainable conversion of low-cost organic biomasses to valuable products with manifold industrial applications (e.g., food packaging).

Optical trapping-induced crystallization promoted by gold and silicon nanoparticles.

This study investigates the promotion of sodium chlorate (NaClO3) crystallization through optical trapping, enhanced by the addition of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs). Using a focused laser beam at the air-solution interface of a saturated NaClO3 solution with AuNPs or SiNPs, the aggregates of these particles were formed at the laser focus, the nucleation and growth of metastable NaClO3 (m-NaClO3) crystals were induced. Continued laser irradiation caused these m-NaClO3 crystals to undergo repeated cycles of growth and dissolution, eventually transitioning to a stable crystal form. Our comparative analysis showed that AuNPs, due to their significant heating due to higher photon absorption efficiency, caused more pronounced size fluctuations in m-NaClO3 crystals compared to the stable behavior observed with SiNPs. Interestingly, the maximum diameter of the m-NaClO3 crystals that appeared during the size fluctuation step was consistent, regardless of nanoparticle type, concentration, or size. The crystallization process was also promoted by using polystyrene nanoparticles, which have minimal heating and electric field enhancement, suggesting that the reduction in activation energy for nucleation at the particle surface is a key factor. These findings provide critical insights into the mechanisms of laser-induced crystallization, emphasizing the roles of plasmonic heating, particle surfaces, and optical forces.

Enhancing Root Canal Therapy with NIR-II Semiconducting Polymer AIEgen and Low-Concentration Sodium Hypochlorite Synergy.

Despite significant efforts to eliminate bacterial biofilm within root canals, achieving effective disinfection remains challenging due to the complex anatomy and limitations of disinfectants. In this study, a second near-infrared (NIR-II) semiconducting polymer with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties, named PIDT-TBT, is deliberately designed and synthesized. This proposes an AIE luminogen-based sterilization strategy in synergy with a low concentration of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO). Water-dispersible PIDT-TBT nanoparticles (NPs) are prepared, demonstrating good biocompatibility, as well as photothermal and photodynamic properties. Subsequent antibacterial tests show that PIDT-TBT NPs exhibit excellent bactericidal effects against three bacterial strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, and Enterococcus faecalis, upon 808nm laser irradiation. In synergy with a low concentration of NaClO (0.5%) solution, PIDT-TBT NPs significantly improves the outcome of root canal treatment under 808nm laser irradiation in a human extracted tooth root canal infection model. Additionally, it is found that PIDT-TBT NPs combine with a low concentration of NaClO solution could safely dissolve dentin debris and further increase the efficiency of root canal preparation by altering the elemental composition of the inner root canal wall.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Investigation of Freezing Point Depression in NaClO4 Electrolyte Solution by CaCl2.

The development of inorganic antifreeze electrolytes is of paramount importance for the application of sodium-ion batteries under low-temperature conditions. However, there is little reported about their molecular mechanism for lowering the freezing point of electrolytes. Therefore, this study explores the mechanism by which CaCl2 lowers the freezing point of the NaClO4 electrolyte. Hexagonal ice (ice Ih) was used as the ice seed, and CaCl2 was selected as the antifreeze agent. The coexistence system of ice and solution was constructed to simulate the freezing process. It was found that there is ion rejection at the ice layer, with ions predominantly distributed in the solution. Over time, ions form an ion adsorption layer at the ice-solution interface. The radial distribution function (RDF) and spatial distribution function (SDF) of Na+, ClO4-, Ca2+, and Cl- revealed that ions form the first solvation shells with water molecules. The interaction energy between ions and water molecules is greater than that between ice nuclei and water. Therefore, ions are better able to maintain the stability of their solvation shells and inhibit the growth of ice Ih through a mechanism of competition for water molecules. Furthermore, the dissolution free energy of Na+ and Ca2+ in the aqueous phase was studied. The results indicated that Ca2+ has a stronger affinity for water molecules than Na+, making it more competitive in competing for water with ice Ih. Therefore, CaCl2 in NaClO4 solution can reduce the freezing point. This work provides a molecular-level understanding of how CaCl2 reduces the freezing point of NaClO4 solution, which is beneficial for designing strategies for low-temperature electrolytes.

On the Thermal Stability of Selected Electrode Materials and Electrolytes for Na-Ion Batteries

Sodium-ion batteries are a technology rapidly approaching widespread adoption, so studying the thermal stability and safety of their components is a pressing issue. In this work, we employed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and ex situ powder X-ray diffraction to study the thermal stability of several types of sodium-ion electrolytes (NaClO4 and NaPF6 solutions in PC, EC, DEC, and their mixtures) and various cathode and anode materials (Na3V2(PO4)3, Na3(VO)2(PO4)2F, β-NaVP2O7, and hard carbon) in combination with electrolytes. The obtained results indicate, first, the satisfactory thermal stability of liquid Na-ion electrolytes, which start to decompose only at 270~300 °C. Second, we observed that charged vanadium-based polyanionic cathodes, which appear to be very stable in the “dry” state, demonstrate an increase in decomposition enthalpy and a shift of the DSC peaks to lower temperatures when in contact with 1 M NaPF6 in the EC:DEC solution. However, the greatest thermal effect from the “electrode–electrolyte” interaction is demonstrated by the anode material: the heat of decomposition of the soaked electrode in the charged state is almost 40% higher than the sum of the decomposition enthalpies of the electrolyte and dry electrode separately.

First Report of Rosa roxburghii Rot Disease Caused by Fusarium annulatum in China.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt is a rosaceous shrub originating from southwest China (Fu et al. 2020). From September to October 2022, R. roxburghii rot occurred in Guizhou Province, China, within a major R. roxburghii production area covering from 5 ha to 50 ha, with an incidence rate of 10 to 15%. Symptoms manifested as black and brown lesions on the fruit surface, which were concave, soft, foul-smelling, and surrounded by grayish-brown tissue. Three infected R. roxburghii shrubs were randomly collected from each household, placed in transparent plastic bags, and pathogen isolation was conducted in a laboratory. Infected R. roxburghii fruits were surface-sterilized with 0.5% NaOCl for 2 min, rinsed five times with sterile water, and dried. Symptomatic tissues from the margin between necrotic and healthy tissues were cut into 5 × 5 mm pieces, placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 28ºC in the dark for 5 days. Hyphal tips of fungi growing from the samples were transferred onto new PDA plates and incubated until they produced conidia. A total of five fungal isolates with similar morphological characteristics were obtained. The colony obtained by single-spore purification was light purple to dark purple with abundant aerial mycelium. Macroconidia were relatively slender with a curve and zero to three septate. Microconidia appeared obovoid to pyriform, with sizes of 5.2 to 17.2 × 2.1 to 3.3 μm (n = 50). The morphological characteristics were consistent with Fusarium annulatum (Yilmaz et al. 2021). Genomic DNA of two representative isolates (Zhaochanglin 1621 and 1622) was extracted using the DN14 cetyltrimethylammonium bromide rapid plant genome extraction kit (Aidlab Biotechnologies Co., Ltd, Beijing). The TEF1 and RPB2 gene were amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction using primers EF1-983F/EF1-2218R (Rehner et al, 2005), bRPB2-6F/bRPB2-7.1R (Matheny et al, 2002), respectively. All sequences were deposited in GenBank (TEF1, PP236860, PP236861; RPB2, PP767864, PP767865). BLAST searches of the TEF1, and RPB2 sequences revealed the TEF1 sequences had 99.89% (937/938 bp) identity with F. annulatum isolate CBS 258.54; and the RPB2 sequences had 99.86% (737/738 bp) identity to isolate CBS 267.93. In the phylogenetic tree, the isolates (Zhaochanglin 1621 and 1622) clustered with the representative strains of F. annulatum. The morphology and multi-gene phylogenetic analysis indicated that is the isolates were F. annulatum. To complete Koch's postulates, five mature, healthy R. roxburghii fruits were surface disinfected with 1% NaClO solution for 1 min, rinsed with sterile water, and dried at 25℃ for 30 min. A conidial suspension (106 spores/ml) collected from two isolates (Zhaochanglin 1621 and 1622) was sprayed onto R. roxburghii fruits, and the control treatments were sprayed with sterile distilled water. All R. roxburghii fruits were incubated at 25 ºC with 80% relative humidity. The experiment had five replicates. After 7 days of incubation, all the inoculated fruits showed similar symptoms to those initially observed on the originally infected plants. The same pathogen was reisolated and identified by morphological character ization and molecular analysis, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Thus, the pathogen causing rot of R. roxburghii was determined to be F. annulatum (H. Zhang et al, 2024). To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. annulatum causing R. roxburghii rot disease in China. F.annulatum has a wide range of hosts and has been reported to infect a wide range of crops, fruits, and vegetables (Bacon and Nelson 1994). This study lays a foundation for further study and developing disease control methods and the improvement of the economic benefits of R. roxburghii.

In Situ Formation of Ultrathin Composite Shell with Strong Water Resistance on the Surface of K2SiF6:Mn4+ via NaClO Treatment

AbstractSolving the problem of poor weather resistance of Mn4+‐doped fluoride phosphors is pivotal for their application in white‐light‐emitting diodes (WLEDs). This study introduces a one‐step synthesis strategy for the phosphor T‐KSF:Mn (KSF:M = K2SiF6:Mn4+ and T = surface‐treated with NaClO) that involves the use of a NaClO solution as a treatment agent to augment the water resistance of this phosphor. The results of transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction tomography, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, analyses reveal the formation of an ultrathin composite shell (<5 nm) comprising K2SiF6 and KNaSiF6 on the surface of T‐KSF:Mn. The fluorescence intensity of the treated phosphor is 1.09 times that of the untreated phosphor, and its internal quantum efficiency reaches 82.72%. Even after 60 days of testing in a harsh hydrolysis environment, the fluorescence intensity of T‐KSF:Mn remains at 86.24%. At 150 and 200 °C, the integrated fluorescence intensity of T‐KSF:Mn surge to 256.84% and 292.29% of its initial value at 30 °C, respectively, demonstrating a substantial negative thermal quenching (NTQ) effect. Furthermore, the results of aging tests conducted at 85 °C and 85% relative humidity substantiate the effectiveness of the aforementioned strategy in considerably enhancing WLED stability under practical conditions.

Optimization of mass transfer-enhanced chlorine-resistant crosslinked PVA composite membranes for pervaporation desalination

Pervaporation (PV) is characterised by good hydrophilicity and antifouling properties. However, it is still unavoidable to need cleaning during long-term operation. Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) is a commonly used purifying agent for organic pollutants, but it may cause damage to the polymer membrane. In this study, a grafting method was proposed to enhance the chlorine resistance and water permeability of membrane composite polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) pervaporation membrane. Modified PVA (SPVA) was prepared by grafting 5-sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) to improve the hydrophilicity of the membrane using the sulfonic acid group on SSA. SPVA-FA/PTFE composite membranes were prepared by using perfluoroglutaric acid (PFGA) as crosslinking agent to improve the chlorine resistance of the membranes by utilising the C-F chain contained therein. The water flux was 120.38 ± 1.72 kg/(m2·h), which was 84.2 % higher than that before grafting, when tested at 70 °C and 3.5 wt% NaCl. The chlorine resistance of SPVA-PFGA/PTFE composite membrane was tested in 2000 ppm (pH = 12) NaClO solution for 480 h, and the salt rejection remained above 99.93 %. When desalinating 20 wt% NaCl at 70 °C, the water flux of SPVA-PFGA/PTFE membrane is 51.95 ± 0.6 kg/(m2·h), which has the potential to treat high concentration brine.

Effective Liquid Electrolytes for Enabling Room‐Temperature Sodium–Sulfur Batteries

AbstractGlyme‐based electrolytes for sodium‐sulfur (Na–S) batteries are proposed for advanced cell configuration. Solutions of NaClO4 or NaCF3SO3 in tetraglyme are investigated in terms of thermal stability, ionic conductivity, Na+‐transference number, electrochemical stability, stripping‐deposition ability, and chemical stability in Na‐cells. Subsequently, versions of the electrolytes doped with fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) are prepared using 0.5, 1, 2, or 3% additive weight concentrations, and evaluated by adopting the same approach used for the bare solutions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provides morphological details of the passivation layer formed on the Na electrodes, while X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) sheds light on its composition. The most relevant achievement of the FEC‐added electrolyte is the suppression of the polysulfide shuttle in Na–S cells using a cathode with 70 wt.% of sulfur in the composite. This result appears even more notable considering the low amount of the additive requested for enabling the reversible cell operation. The solutions using 1% of FEC show the best compromise between cell performance and stability. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) displays the potential region related to the FEC electrochemical process responsible for Na–S cell operation. The understanding of the electrolyte features enables additional cycling tests using sulfur cathode with an optimized current collector, increased specific capacity, and coulombic efficiency.

Effects of ultrasound-assisted plasma-activated water washing on the inhibition of natural microorganisms on fresh-cut celery and celery quality properties.

The effects of ultrasound (US)-assisted plasma-activated water (PAW) washing (UP) on the growth of indigenous bacteria, quality properties, and microbiome of fresh-cut Apium graveolens (celery) were investigated. Among the tested treatments (UP, NaClO solution, US alone, and PAW alone), UP was the most effective in decontaminating fresh-cut celery and inhibiting the growth of natural bacteria in the celery during storage at 4 and 10°C. No significant differences were observed in the firmness, color, or sensory properties between untreated and UP-treated fresh-cut celery during storage. The proportion of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria on UP-treated fresh-cut celery decreased after storage at 4°C for 3days, confirming the influence of UP treatment on the celery microbiome. The UP treatment induced alterations in the microbial composition of celery. These results demonstrate the potential utility of UP treatment as a novel microbial decontamination process for the preparation of fresh-cut celery products.

Mass transfer enhancement for simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification by a venturi reactor

Interphase mass transfer is acknowledged as the rate-limiting step of simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification by wet oxidation. For this issue, this study established a venturi reactor to facilitate interphase mass transfer between flue gas and absorbent (NaClO2 solution), and to improve the efficiency of simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification. The effects of flow rate of jet, NaClO2 concentration, initial pH of solution, SO2 and NO volume concentration on the efficiency of desulfurization and denitrification were investigated. The results showed that SO2 can be completely removed at all experimental conditions. The denitrification efficiency decreased as jet flow rate increased from 8.38 L/ min to 12.87 L/min. The denitrification efficiency and overall mass transfer coefficient increased as the NaClO2 concentration increased from 0.01 wt% to 0.025 wt%. When the pH of the absorbent decreased from 9 to 3, the denitrification efficiency was improved significantly. An increasing SO2 volume concentration promoted NO removal efficiency, while SO2 and NO competed to inhibit denitrification at NaClO2 deficiency. The denitrification efficiency firstly increased and then decreased, with an increasing NO volume concentration from 500 to 1700 ppm. This study provides an important theoretical basis for the industrial application of simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification in venturi reactors.

How valinomycin transports water across the bilayer: effect of the cation in the electrolyte

Surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) was employed to investigate the structure of the interfacial water in the 1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPhPC)/valinomycin floating bilayer on the gold surface in two electrolytes with different cations, KClO4 and NaClO4. The SEIRAS studies indicate that interfacial water adopts different structures in the bilayer with different cations. The structure of interfacial water in the DPhPC/valinomycin bilayer in the NaClO4 solution is similar to water in the DPhPC bilayer (without valinomycin), while the structure of water in the bilayer in the KClO4 solution has a high amount of disordered hydrogen bond network. The results of the present study confirm that valinomycin selectively transports K+ across the lipid bilayer as an ion pair and that the ion pair is bonded to residual water that is released into the submembrane region.

Preparation of Antioxidant and Antifouling Ultrafiltration Membrane by Co-blending Eugenol with Polyethylene Glycol-Modified Polyvinylidene Fluoride

Polyvinylidene fluoride-graft-polyethylene glycol methyl acrylate (PVDF-g-PEGMA) was prepared by grafting PEGMA onto PVDF using a homogeneous irradiation grafting method. After incorporating various concentrations of eugenol, a natural antioxidant component of clove oil, the membranes were fabricated through non-solvent induced phase separation. The results indicated that the addition of eugenol did not alter the inherent properties of the membrane but slightly reduced the pore size and water flux. The cyclic flux test showed that eugenol did not compromise the anti-fouling performance of the membrane, with the flux recovery ratio exceeding 93%. The antioxidant performance test revealed that eugenol enhanced the membrane’s capacity to remove free radicals and imparted oxidation resistance in NaClO solution, making the modified membrane suitable for use in oxidizing environments. This study successfully demonstrated a simple method to prepare a bifunctional membrane with anti-fouling and antioxidant properties, potentially extending its service life and applicability in oxidative contexts.

First Report of Cytospora ailanthicola Causing Canker on cherry blossom (Cerasus serrulata) in China.

Cherry blossom (Cerasus serrulata) is a plant with important garden applications. It is a newly introduced exotic plants in the Arar region of Xinjiang, China (40°41'18.19″N,81°43'50.55″E). In October 2022, it was discovered that about 30% of cherry blossoms had a canker disease. The leaves of the sick branches were dired, the branches themselves were damaged, with dark brown color inside. Orange-yellow conidia horns were produced in humid condition. Samples were collected from fifteen trees exhibiting notable symptoms. The diseased junctions of the infected shoots were chopped into small pieces and subjected to surface sterilization by using 70% ethanol for 30s, 1% NaClO solution for one minute, and sterile distilled water three times (Chen et al. 2016). The representative strain YINGHUA-1 was chosen for identification by molecular biology and morphology. After five days of incubation at 26℃ on PDA media, colonies of white fluffy mycelium were produced from the YINGHUA-1 strain. After 25 days of PDA culture, the production of pycnidia was first observed, circular, black. The pycnidia began to produce conidia at 30 days. The conidia was translucent without septum, with a slightly curved single cell and smooth surface. Pycnidia was spherical and flat, with a single black aperture at the top that resembles a nearly round hole, the chamber was made up of several tiny chambers separated by a shared wall, and its diameter ranges from 900-1900 µm. The size of the conidium was 3.7-6.6×1.1-1.9 μm (n=20). The intrinsic transcriptional spacer (ITS), transcriptional elongation factor (tef-1α), and β-tubulin (tub2) gene moieties of rDNA were sequenced using ITS1/ITS4, EF1-728F/EF1-986R, and Bt2a/Bt2b primers, respectively(Zhang et al. 2014). The amplified sequences of ITS region (Accession No. OR855907), tub2 (Accession No. OR865863) and tef-1α (Accession No. OR865864) were deposited in the GenBank. BLAST searches of the sequences revealed 99.59% identity (474/476 bp) of the ITS sequence, 98.63% identity (216/219 bp) of the tef-1α sequence, and 98.55% identity of the tub2 sequence (339/344 bp) with C. ailanthicola CFCC59446 (accessions OR826163, OR832040, and OR832062, respectively.) Phylogenetic analyses were performed with Iqtree v.1.6.12 for maximum likelihood (ML). Confidence levels for the nodes were determined using 1000 replicates of bootstrapping methods. Based on phylogenetic analysis and morphological characteristics, the pathogen was identified as C. ailanthicola. The pathogenicity of C. ailanthicola was confirmed by inoculation of 1-year-old shoots (5 replicates of this experiment). After 7 days, symptoms of inner bark discoloration were visible on xylem of branches and the same fungus was re-isolated from the inoculated shoots, with no lesions on the control shoots. C. ailanthicola is only known from a single host plant, Ailanthus altissima,in China (Fan et al.2020). As far as we know, this is the first report of C. ailanthicola harmings C. serrulata in China.

Direct laser patterning of ruthenium below the optical diffraction limit

We describe a method that can be used to produce ruthenium/ruthenium oxide patterns starting from a ruthenium thin film. The method is based on highly localized oxidation of a small surface area of a ruthenium film by means of exposure to a pulsed laser under ambient conditions. Laser exposure is followed by dissolution of the un-exposed ruthenium in a NaClO solution, which leaves the conductive, partially oxidized ruthenium area on the substrate. Spatially selective oxidation, material removal, and, by implication, patterning, are, therefore, achieved without the need for a photoresist layer. Varying the exposure laser parameters, such as fluence, focus diameter, and repetition rate, allows us to optimize the process. In particular, it enables us to obtain circular Ru/RuO2 islands with a sub-diffraction-limited diameter of about 500 nm, for laser exposure times as short as 50 ms. The capability to obtain such small islands suggests that heat-diffusion is not a limiting factor to pattern Ru by laser heating on a (sub-)micron scale. In fact, heat diffusion helps in that it limits the area where a sufficiently high temperature is reached and maintained for a sufficiently long time for oxidation to occur. Our method provides an easy way to produce metallic Ru/RuO2 (sub-)micron structures and has possible applications in semiconductor manufacturing.

First Report of Brown Rot Caused by Porogramme epimiltina on Gastrodia elata in China.

Gastrodia elata Blume is a valuable medicinal plant in China with great significance in medicine (Li et al. 2023). From 2022 to 2023, G. elata tuber rot occurred in about 50 households in the main cultivation areas of G. elata (27°39' N, 104°16' E) in Yiliang County, Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, southwest China. The planting area of G. elata was 776 ha, and the incidence rate was 10%. Symptoms present as light brown lesions on the surface of the tuber, sunken, soft and foul-smelling. Infected G. elata tubers were randomly collected from each household, packed into transparent plastic bags, and strains were isolated in the laboratory as follows. The tubers of 15 infected G. elata tubers were surface-sterilized with 0.5% NaOCl for 2 min, rinsed five times with sterile water, and dried. Symptomatic tissues from the margin between necrotic and healthy tissues were cut into 5 × 5 mm pieces, placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 28 ºC in the dark for 3 days. Hyphal tips of fungi growing from the samples were transferred onto new PDA plates and incubated until they produced conidia. Two fungal strains (Charliezhao 425 and 433) with the same morphological characteristics were obtained from the samples. Colonies were whitish and grew rapidly, irregularly turning pale orange at the edge or center of the mycelium pad on a two-week-old petri dish, and finally dark red，spore oval to spherical, 2.7 to 5.3 × 2.3 to 3.5 μm (n=50). The morphological characteristics of the isolates resembled Porogramme epimiltina (Mao et al. 2023; Kubayashi et al. 2001). Genomic DNA of two representative isolates (Charliezhao 425 and 433) was extracted using the DN14 cetyltrimethylammonium bromide rapid plant genome extraction kit (Aidlab Biotechnologies Co., Ltd, Beijing). The ITS and TEF1 genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction using the primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and EF1-983F/EF1-2218R (Rehner et al, 2005), respectively. All sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession no. OR905803, OR905804 for ITS, OR939812, OR939813 for TEF1). A BLASTN homology search with the ITS nucleotide sequences showed that they had 98.99 to 99.15% identity with P. epimiltina isolate OP997539 (588/594 bp) and isolate OP997539 (584/589 bp), respectively; and the TEF1 sequences had 95.41 to 95.59% % identity to isolates OP556566 (540/565 bp) and isolate OP556566 (542/567 bp), respectively. To complete Koch's hypothesis, the surfaces of 5 mature and healthy G. elata tubers were disinfected with 1% NaClO solution for 1 minute, rinsed with sterile water 5 times, and dried at 25 ℃ for 30 minutes. Conidial suspensions (106 spores/ml) were collected from two isolates (Charliezhao 425 and 433) and sprayed on G. elata tuber, and the control treated with distilled water. All G. elata tubers were incubated at 25℃ with 80% relative humidity. The experiment had three replicates. After 7 days of culture, there were obvious rotten and smelly on the inoculated tubers. No symptoms were observed in the control groups. The pathogen was re-isolated from all inoculated birch tubers and confirmed as P. epimiltina by morphological and molecular analysis, which fulfilled Koch's hypothesis. Gastrodia elata is a valuable and extensively used herbal Traditional Chinese Medicine with a wide range of clinical applications. As far as we know, this is the first report of P. epimiltina causing brown rot of G. elata in China.

Fused Azulenyl Squaraine Derivatives Improve Phototheranostics in the Second Near‐Infrared Window by Concentrating Excited State Energy on Non‐Radiative Decay Pathways

AbstractThe second near‐infrared (NIR‐II) theranostics offer new opportunities for precise disease phototheranostic due to the enhanced tissue penetration and higher maximum permissible exposure of NIR‐II light. However, traditional regimens lacking effective NIR‐II absorption and uncontrollable excited‐state energy decay pathways often result in insufficient theranostic outcomes. Herein a phototheranostic nano‐agent (PS‐1 NPs) based on azulenyl squaraine derivatives with a strong NIR‐II absorption band centered at 1092 nm is reported, allowing almost all absorbed excitation energy to dissipate through non‐radiative decay pathways, leading to high photothermal conversion efficiency (90.98 %) and strong photoacoustic response. Both in vitro and in vivo photoacoustic/photothermal therapy results demonstrate enhanced deep tissue cancer theranostic performance of PS‐1 NPs. Even in the 5 mm deep‐seated tumor model, PS‐1 NPs demonstrated a satisfactory anti‐tumor effect in photoacoustic imaging‐guided photothermal therapy. Moreover, for the human extracted tooth root canal infection model, the synergistic outcomes of the photothermal effect of PS‐1 NPs and 0.5 % NaClO solution resulted in therapeutic efficacy comparable to the clinical gold standard irrigation agent 5.25 % NaClO, opening up possibilities for the expansion of NIR‐II theranostic agents in oral medicine.