Stable Liquid Research Articles

Credit Risk Management and Performance of Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria

This study examined credit management and performance of selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. The time series data was sourced from the audited financial statements of the banks. Non-performing Loans (NPLs), Loan-to-Deposit Ratio (LDR), Liquidity Ratio (LQR), and Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) were used as a proxy of credit management. In contrast, return on equity (ROE) was used to measure performance. The stationarity of the time series was tested using the LLC, IPS, and ADF PP tests. Using the panel regression of fixed effects and random effects techniques, the study found that credit management had a positive and significant effect on MDB performance in MDBs under the reviewed period. From the indicators, the liquidity ratio (LQR) was found to have a positive but insignificant effect on ROE. The findings also revealed that NPL has a positive but insignificant effect on ROE. The study further found that the capital adequacy ratio (CAR) negatively but significantly affected ROE. Loan to deposit ratio (LDR) was found to have a negative and insignificant effect on ROE. The study recommended, among other things, that to maintain a stable liquidity ratio and meet financial obligations, banks should endeavor to operate within the CBN policy minimum requirement of liquidity ratio at 30%, which can be achieved by shortening asset maturity, lengthening liability maturities, and possibly issuing more equity. The findings of this study indicate that effective credit management policies are essential for improving the performance of DMBs in Nigeria. Policymakers should focus on enforcing liquidity and capital adequacy regulations to ensure banks can withstand credit risks without compromising profitability. Also, maintaining non-performing loans within regulatory thresholds is crucial for sustaining asset quality and financial stability in the banking sector.

Host-Guest Interactions of Metal-Organic Framework Enable Highly Conductive Quasi-Solid-State Electrolytes for Li-CO2 Batteries.

High-energy lithium (Li)-based batteries, especially rechargeable Li-CO2 batteries with CO2 fixation capability and high energy density, are desirable for electrified transportation and other applications. However, the challenges of poor stability, low energy efficiency, and leakage of liquid electrolytes hinder the development of Li-CO2 batteries. Herein, a highly conductive and stable metal-organic framework-encapsulated ionic liquid (IL@MOF) electrolyte system is developed for quasi-solid-state Li-CO2 batteries. Benefiting from the host-guest interaction of MOFs with open micromesopores and internal IL, the optimized IL@MOF electrolytes exhibit a high ionic conductivity of 1.03 mS cm-1 and a high transference number of 0.80 at room temperature. The IL@MOF electrolytes also feature a wide electrochemical stability window (4.71 V versus Li+/Li) and a wide working temperature (-60 °C ∼ 150 °C). The IL@MOF electrolytes also enable Li+ and electrons transport in the carbon nanotubes-IL@MOF (CNT-IL@MOF) solid cathodes in quasi-solid-state Li-CO2 batteries, delivering a high specific capacity of 13,978 mAh g-1 (50 mA g-1), a long cycle life of 441 cycles (500 mA g-1 and 1000 mAh g-1), and a wide operation temperature of -60 to 150 °C. The proposed MOF-encapsulated IL electrolyte system presents a powerful strategy for developing high-energy and highly safe quasi-solid-state batteries.

The drivers of liquidity risk in the GCC dual banking sector: the impact of the bank’s business model

Purpose Considering the influence of the bank’s business model, this study aims to explore the drivers of liquidity risk in the dual banking sector of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) using the two new liquidity requirements of Basel III, Net Stable Funding Ratio and Liquidity Coverage Ratio, as indicators of liquidity risk. Design/methodology/approach For 61 GCC banks between 2018 and 2022, this study applies the random effects model with an interaction dummy variable technique. Findings Islamic banks in the GCC region tend to have a significantly lower level of Basel III liquidity requirements, meaning that they are struggling to meet the new Basel III liquidity requirements as they lack an adequate liquidity risk management framework. The liquidity of GCC banks decreases with size; this relationship is linear for conventional GCC banks but not linear for Islamic banks. Finally, the COVID-19 epidemic has exacerbated liquidity risk for GCC banks, with Islamic banks appearing to be the most impacted. The findings are robust to alternative variable selections and estimation techniques. Practical implications The findings provide useful insights to improve liquidity risk management practices in the GCC banking system, especially for Islamic banks. Targeted reforms may be needed to further develop Islamic banks’ liquidity tools and optimize their ability to withstand macroeconomic and systemic shocks. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, no single study considers the new Basel III metrics for bank liquidity or explicitly compares a wide range of liquidity factors for conventional and Islamic banks in the GCC region.

New family of type V natural hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents based on thymol-acetamide/acetanilide: Characteristics, intermolecular interactions and applications in liquid–liquid extraction

To develop type V hydrophobic thymol-based Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) with low viscosity for liquid–liquid extraction, this work briefly reviews the thymol-based DESs reported in the literature, along with their various applications, and investigates the potential for DES formation between thymol and new materials. For this purpose, 39 combinations of thymol with different amino acids (5), acids (10), carbohydrates (13), amides (2), alkylammonium halides (4), and other compounds (5) were screened, resulting in the preparation of two new thymol-acetamide and thymol-acetanilide-based DESs. To identify the optimal molar ratios for DES formation, various combinations of thymol with acetamide and acetanilide were prepared, and their abilities to form stable liquids at room temperature, along with their thermal properties, were evaluated. Based on the solid–liquid equilibria (SLE) phase diagrams, it was found that stable liquids at ambient temperature were formed within the composition ranges of xACM = 0.29–0.40 (2.5:1–1.5:1) for THY:ACM and xACN = 0.29–0.33 (2.5:1 – 2:1) for THY:ACN. The mixtures with a molar ratio 2:1 were selected for further study, and their intermolecular interactions, characteristics, and applications in dye extraction were analyzed. FT-IR and NMR analyses were performed to investigate the structure and hydrogen bond formation between the DES components. Additionally, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were conducted to examine the molecular structure and formation mechanisms of these DESs. The results indicated that hydrogen bonds are formed between the hydroxyl group (OH) of thymol and the carbonyl group (CO) of acetamide/acetanilide. Thermodynamic models, including regular solutions, NRTL, and Wilson, were employed to correlate the SLE phase diagrams of the studied mixtures, as determined by the DSC method. The physical properties of the prepared DESs, such as melting point, density, speed of sound, refractive index and viscosity, were measured at different temperatures. Due to their hydrophobic nature, the DESs demonstrated stability in aqueous solutions and thus can be used to extract various analytes from aqueous environments. The obtained solvents were applied for the extraction of methylene blue, methyl orange, and rhodamine B from aqueous solutions, as well as from real textile wastewater samples. Finally, to achieve optimal extraction conditions, the effects of various factors on extraction efficiency were investigated.

Using Hybrid Coating to Fabricate Highly Stable and Expandable Transparent Liquid Marbles.

Liquid marbles (LMs) are microliter-scale droplets coated with hydrophobic solid particles. The particle size and hydrophobicity of the surface coating determine their properties, such as transparency, expandability, and resistance to evaporation and coalescence, one or more of which can be critical to their application as microreactors. This study reports the use of a mixture of two different hydrophobic powders for fabrication of LMs for colorimetric assays: trichloro(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl) silane-linked silica gel (modified silica gel (MSG), particle size: 40-75 μm) and hexamethyldisilazane-linked fumed silica (modified fumed silica (MFS), average aggregate length: 200-300 nm). The hybrid coating mixture (MIX) prepared by mixing these MSG and MFS powders in a ratio of 3:7 (w/w), respectively, contained particles of different sizes as well as different hydrophobicity as the silane linked to MSG is more hydrophobic than the one linked to MFS. LMs fabricated using MIX as the surface coating were characterized and compared to LMs coated with MSG or MFS alone. It was observed that MIX LMs were comparable to the MFS LMs in transparency (higher than the MSG LMs), expandability (more than 20 times their initial volume), and stability against evaporation (for more than 4 h at 78% relative humidity at 26 °C). However, in terms of resistance to coalescence, the MIX LMs showed a resistance comparable to that of MSG LMs, much higher than that of MFS LMs. Further experiments demonstrated that it is the presence of the particles of different sizes (MSG particles are ∼100 times larger than MFS) that improves the resistance to coalescence rather than the higher hydrophobicity of the MSG. Three different colorimetric assays were performed in the MIX LMs, and the results obtained were comparable in accuracy and precision to those obtained in a standard polystyrene microwell plate system. Low quantities of the analytes could be detected and quantified, as evidenced by the limit of detection (alkaline phosphatase (AP): 0.18 μg/mL; bovine serum albumin (BSA): 2.28 μg/mL; and chymotrypsin: 3.69 μM) and limit of quantification (AP: 0.59 μg/mL; BSA: 12.29 μg/mL; and chymotrypsin: 7.59 μM) values. Color intensities in LMs were quantified using a smartphone application, which provides the added benefit of an instrument-free approach. These findings highlight the potential of using LMs stabilized with mixtures of nano- and microparticles as robust, versatile microreactors for portable and sensitive colorimetric assays, paving the way for more accessible and efficient diagnostic tools.

Pipe Insertion Technique for Slug Attenuation in a Downwardly Inclined Pipeline

Slug flow is more prevalent in downwardly inclined pipelines and it is important to develop effective and suitable mitigation strategies to reduce its occurrence and enhance stable flow. In this work, the application of pipeline insertion was proposed to reduce slugging in pipeline. A simulation based approach was adopted and a model with smaller pipe sizes of 3.958-inch, 1.995-inch and 6-inch diameter, inserted near the pipeline riser system. The developed model was run for 2 hours to monitor the harsh nature of the slug on the total liquid volume flow, the pressure at the pipeline riser outlet, surge liquid volume and accumulated liquid volume. The result shows a stable liquid production of approximately 3797.08bbl/day and 3798.44bbl/day for the 3.958-inch and 1.995-inch diameter pipe size, while the total liquid flow oscillated between 7366.45bbl/day and 1.917.37bbl/day, and repeated at 0.22 hours. There was a pressure buildup and later steady at 761.978 psia and 762.127 psia for the 3.958-inch and 1.995-inch diameter pipe at the riser base while the 6-inch diameter pipe was fluctuating. Smaller diameter pipe of 3.958-inch and 1.995-inch gave a stable fluid pressure of 725.196 psia at the riser top (outlet) .Therefore, smaller diameter pipe is the best to insert since there was no cyclic fluctuation of pressure at the riser top, which can lead to severe slugging.

Improved Transdermal Delivery of Anti-hypertensive Drug Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers: Statistical Design, Optimization, Depiction and Pharmacokinetic Assessment

Background: The vasoselective calcium-channel blocker lercanidipine hydrochloride (LCH) is poorly absorbed orally (only 10% bioavailability) owing to its low solubility and hepatic metabolism. Because of the LCH's poor solubility and permeability, bioavailability is low and very variable, stable aqueous liquid formulations are challenging to create, and a uniform distribution of the medication is almost impossible to produce. Objective: The purpose of this research was to see whether an approach involving the development of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) might be used to create an effective, innovative oral formulation of LCH. The efficacy of several synthetic and natural liquid lipids was compared using a hot homogenization-ultrasonication strategy. Methods: Following initial improvements with hot homogenization and ultrasonication, the LCHloaded NLCs formulation was fine-tuned by Box-Behnken statistical analysis. The optimal LCHNLCs composition includes the lipid phase (2-4% w/v) of stearic acid and oleic acid, the surfactants poloxamer 188 (1%) and Tween 80(1%), and other ingredients. Results: The optimized NLCs formulation was found to have mean vesicle sizes of 128.72 ± 1.59 nm, polydispersity indices of 0.169 ± 0.06, zeta potentials of -36.81 ± 0.42 mV, and entrapment efficiencies of 79.84 ± 0.11%. The optimized NLCs formulation released much more LCH (88.74 ± 4.62) than the LCH-suspension (36.84 ± 0.37%) in in-vitro drug release experiments lasting up to 24 hours. Ex vivo studies on the ability of LCH-NLCs to pass through the gut showed that drug permeation was much better than it was with plain LCH-solution. The in vivo pharmacodynamic analysis demonstrated that, compared to conventional LCH-suspension, NLCs released LCH more slowly and steadily over a longer time period. Conclusion: These findings provide additional evidence that NLCs have great promise as a drug delivery technology for the treatment of hypertension, just as they show promise as a controlled release formulation for the treatment of LCH.

Dynamic impact analysis of solution droplets in frost-free air-source heat pumps: Transition from droplets to liquid film

This study investigates the dynamic propagation of solution droplets in frost-free air source heat pump systems, focusing on calcium chloride and ethylene glycol solutions. The research examines three key stages: droplet impact on a surface, collision with stationary droplets, and impact on a stabilized liquid film. Key findings include that increased surface contact angle and solution concentration inhibit droplet spreading, while higher impact velocity enhances it. Droplet retraction is influenced by surface tension and adhesion, with calcium chloride droplets showing variable retraction and ethylene glycol droplets consistently retracting less as concentration increases. Collisions with stationary droplets lead to behaviors such as merging, spreading, and rebound, with higher velocity accelerating these processes. In the final impact stage, a stable liquid film formation results in crown sputtering and oscillation, where sputtering height is inversely related to concentration but increases with impact velocity. These insights contribute to optimizing droplet management in air treatment systems.

A novel quantitative method for the determination of 10B-carrier boronophenylalanine in rat plasma by UHPLC-MS/MS and comparison with ICP-MS

L-Boronophenylalanine (BPA), a widely used 10B carrier for clinical boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), was quantified in rat plasma through a simple, effective and stable ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method. Chromatographic separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.8 μm) column with the mobile phase of 0.5 % formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile. For the detector, the m/z ion pairs used for quantification were 209.1→120.1 for BPA and 210.1→120.1 for internal standard in a positive mode by electrospray ionization (ESI) using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The method is specific and robust with rare affection by endogenous substances in the matrix. A good linear relationship was observed over 80–80000 ng/mL (r2 = 0.9993). The values of inter- and intra-day accuracy and precision were within the acceptance criteria of ±15 %. BPA was found to be stable under different experimental conditions. This developed method was successfully applied on a pharmacokinetic experiment on Sprague-Dawley rats (intravenous injection, 125 mg/kg) and a comparation between UHPLC-MS/MS and ICP-MS for BPA was carried out.

Elevated Circulating Levels of Gut Microbe-Derived Trimethylamine N-Oxide Are Associated with Systemic Sclerosis.

Background/Objectives: Alterations in fecal microbial communities in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are common, but the clinical significance of this observation is poorly understood. Gut microbial production of trimethylamine (TMA), and its conversion by the host to trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), has clinical and mechanistic links to cardiovascular and renal diseases. Direct provision of TMAO has been shown to promote fibrosis and vascular injury, hallmarks of SSc. We sought to determine levels of TMAO and related metabolites in SSc patients and investigate associations between the metabolite levels with disease features. Methods: This is an observational case:control study. Adults with SSc (n = 200) and non-SSc controls (n = 400) were matched for age, sex, indices of renal function, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. Serum TMAO, choline, betaine, carnitine, γ-butyrobetaine, and crotonobetaine were measured using stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Median TMAO concentration was higher (p = 0.020) in SSc patients (3.31 [interquartile range 2.18, 5.23] µM) relative to controls (2.85 [IQR 1.88, 4.54] µM). TMAO was highest among obese and male SSc participants compared to all other groups. Following adjustment for sex, BMI, age, race, and eGFR in a quantile regression model, elevated TMAO levels remained associated with SSc at each quantile of TMAO. Conclusions: Patients with SSc have increased circulating levels of TMAO independent of comorbidities including age, sex, renal function, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. As a potentially modifiable factor, further studies examining the link between TMAO and SSc disease severity and course are warranted.

Numerical evidence for the existence of three different stable liquid water structures as indicated by local order parameter.

Structures of liquid water are controversial not only in supercooled polyamorphism but also in stable bulk liquids in the high temperature and pressure range. Several experimental studies in bulk liquid have assumed the existence of three different liquid water structures. If indeed the three liquid water structures are different, they should be clearly distinguished by some measure other than density that characterizes the difference in structural order. In this study, whether the three different bulk liquid water structures are real or not is numerically verified based on molecular simulations using a reliable water molecular model. Since these liquid water structures have been suggested to be related to three different crystal structures (i.e., ice Ih, III, and V), liquid structures are sampled from the vicinity of the ice Ih-liquid coexistence point, the ice III-V-liquid triple point, and the ice V-VI-liquid triple point, respectively. An attempt is made to introduce local order parameters (LOPs) as an indicator to distinguish these structures. A fast and exhaustive LOP search is performed by the molecular assembly structure learning package for Identifying order parameters. The selected LOP distinguishes the molecular structures of three different stable liquid waters with high accuracy, providing numerical evidence that these structural orders differ from each other. Furthermore, regions of the liquid water structures are drawn on a phase diagram using the LOP, demonstrating their consistency with experimental studies.

Rigidity‐Driven Structural Isomers in the NaCl–Ga2S3 System: Implications for Energy Storage

Alternative energy sources require the search for innovative materials with promising functionalities. Systems with unusual chemical properties represent an insufficiently explored domain, concealing unexpected features. Using diffraction and Raman spectroscopy over a wide temperature range, supported by first‐principles simulations, a rare phenomenon is unveiled: phase‐dependent chemical interactions between binary components in the NaCl–Ga2S3 system. In this unique occurrence, previously intact binary crystalline species transform upon melting into mixed liquid structural isomers, forming bonds with new partners. The chemical combinatorics appears to be fully reversible for stable crystals and liquids. Despite this, rapidly frozen glasses out of thermodynamic equilibrium remain in a metastable isomeric state, offering remarkable properties, particularly a high room‐temperature Na+ conductivity, comparable to the best sodium halide superionic conductors and therefore encouraging for sodium solid‐state batteries and energy applications. A rigidity paradigm is responsible for the observed phenomenon, as the extremely constrained Ga2S3 crystal lattice does not survive viscous flow, breaking up at a short‐range level. The removal of rigidity constraints and dense packing leads to a significant increase in empty space, which is the origin of high sodium diffusivity. Broadly, the rigidity‐driven structural isomerism opens up an inspiring path to the discovery of atypical materials.

Optimization of Velocity String Drainage and Gas Recovery Process for Sour Gas Wells in Jingbian Gas Field

Abstract In view of the gradual attenuation of gas well energy during the development of Jingbian gas field, the liquid carrying effect of some gas wells with small gas production becomes worse, the drainage effect of 60 % gas wells is not ideal, and the H2S content of the lower paleo-sulfur gas wells is high, the salinity is high, there is a certain corrosion, and most of the drainage measures cannot be implemented. The optimization of sulfur-resistant velocity string was carried out from the aspects of velocity string size and pipe material, and the appropriate pipe diameter and pipe material were selected. A new type of broken disc speed string plug was developed, which successfully solved the problem that the existing plug could not be broken or returned after construction. The field application results show that compared with the 27/8 “ string, the liquid carrying flow rate is reduced by 82 %. After 2.5 years of service, the anti-corrosion performance of the pipe is good. The cumulative increase of the well is 445.4 thousand cubic meters, and the effective rate of the measures is 97.45 %. The stable and continuous liquid carrying of the gas well is realized, which has a good application effect. It has certain reference significance for the implementation of the drainage gas recovery technology of the velocity string in the lower ancient sulfur gas well.

Research on oil well production analysis based on long-term slow-release tracer

Abstract Downhole monitoring the production profile is crucial for the development of oil and gas reservoirs. Currently, the commonly methods for monitoring the production profile include logging tools and using tracer monitoring. The tracer monitoring method is more popular in oil field operations due to its wide applicability, simple process, low cost, low risk, and long monitoring time. However, compared to traditional logging tool monitoring methods, tracer monitoring has drawbacks such as data lag, difficulty in downhole installation, and unstable long-term effects. Bohai Oilfield has developed a new type of solid tracer and solved the problem of downhole installation by improving the structure of the downhole screen tube. This tracer uses polymer material as the skeleton. After entering the designated position, the internal tracer can slowly diffuse into the solvent through the pores in the skeleton, achieving slow release and long-term monitoring of the production profile of the oil well. In 2023, this new type was first applied in the D6 well in Bohai Sea, and a half month stable production stage liquid production profile was obtained through sampling. The monitoring results showed that: (1) Solid slow-release tracer monitoring technology can continuously obtain production layer information in complex environments and can be used for short-term rapid water exploration and long-term water production monitoring, identifying water breakthrough time and main water breakthrough location, (2) The distance between water injection well and D6 production wells is small, and the water injection volume in the injection wells is large. The tracer monitoring results show that there is a certain degree of water flooding in all 6 sections of each test layer, (3) The first test layer is the main liquid production section, the first and sixth test layers are the main oil production sections, and the first and second test layers are the main water production sections. The research results can determine the oil and water production situation of each section of oil well, identify the water breakthrough time and water outlet position, and provide a basis for the next development adjustment.

Nanoscale inhomogeneities in undercooled benzoic acid: A molecular dynamics study

The dynamics of undercooled organic liquids is very complex and still far from being fully understood. A major problem is the lack of general algorithms to recognize nanoscale inhomogeneities that exploit different inner structures with respect to the bulk liquid. We show that a geometry-independent energy criterion, coupled with the requirement that the cluster must survive for times longer than thermal fluctuations, can be consistently used to individuate persistent and recognizable (meta)stable inhomogeneities or, possibly, subcritical clusters in benzoic acid. The algorithm applies to all organic liquids, regardless of their ability to form hydrogen bonds. We show that undercooled benzoic acid becomes granular with respect to the thermodynamically stable liquid, hosting medium size inhomogeneities composed of up to 17 molecules for durations on the order of hundreds of picoseconds. These correlate with the predicted increase of density and viscosity upon undercooling. Most important, the inner structure of these inhomogeneities is intermediate between the liquid and the crystal. Stacking interactions, analogue to those present in the crystal, begin to develop in the largest persistent clusters. The pros and cons of the method are discussed in the context of non-classical nucleation theories.

Evaluating the potential of stabilised betacyanins from fermented red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) drink: Sustainable colouration and antioxidant enhancement of stirred yoghurt

Nowadays, the wide use of synthetic food colourant, Allura Red has elevated negative perceptions among consumers. As food industry players strive towards satisfying consumers’ demands, exploring new sustainable natural colourants with multifunctional properties (like betacyanins) has emerged as a novel concept. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of a functional fruit drink, Improved-FRDFD-dH2O [contained betacyanins of fermented red dragon fruit drink stabilised by 0.4 % xanthan gum and 0.5 % carboxymethyl cellulose hydrocolloid mixture solution and 0.2 % citric acid] to serve as a sustainable and stable functional liquid colourant in yoghurt. The 8-week refrigerated storage study revealed the betacyanins content in the yoghurt added with E162 experienced the lowest stabilities in terms of betacyanins content (>30 % degradation), viscosity (>15 % reduction), pH, LAB viability and antioxidant activity. In contrast, the Improved-FRDFD-dH2O was able to maintain the yoghurt's viscosity, syneresis, pH and LAB viability without any significant change. The betacyanins of Improved-FRDFD-dH2O had excellent stability in the yoghurt (<5 % degradation), showing only a minimal difference (ΔE<1.5) in total colour changes and being able to retain >86 % of the initial antioxidant activity by the end of storage. These findings support the Improved-FRDFD-dH2O as a sustainable functional colourant with antioxidant properties for producing beneficial yoghurt.

Stable hierarchical ionic liquid nanochannels for highly efficient CO2 adsorption, separation and conversion

Constructing stable nanochannels and nanoconfined environments for ionic liquids holds significant application value in gas separation, ion channels, and related fields. The functional polyionic liquid synthesized in this study exhibits a controllable assembly structure and demonstrates liquid crystal properties. Through heating and water treatment, the polyionic liquids crosslink to form multi-hierarchical nanopores, including sub-nanochannels with pore sizes similar to CO2, without the need for a catalyst. The specific surface area and pore size of the polyionic liquid network (PILC) were adjusted by regulating the self-assembly of polyionic liquids in water. The unique PILC, combining ionic liquid nanopores and liquid crystal structure properties, shows high CO2 adsorption performance and excellent CO2/N2 selectivities, surpassing commonly reported ionic liquid porous materials. Furthermore, PILC-2 exhibits good catalytic performance for CO2 cycloaddition, and its catalytic activity and selectivity did not significantly decrease after five cycles. This study successfully introduces hierarchical ionic liquid nanochannels into porous networks without involving any inorganic ordered nanomaterials. This provides a simple and effective approach for the highly selective adsorption and separation of CO2, as well as for the preparation of catalytic materials.

Functional Group-Driven Competing Mechanism in Electrochemical Reaction and Adsorption/Desorption Processes toward High-Capacity Aluminum-Porphyrin Batteries.

Nonaqueous organic aluminum batteries are considered as promising high-safety energy storage devices due to stable ionic liquid electrolytes and Al metals. However, the stability and capacity of organic positive electrodes are limited by their inherent high solubility and low active organic molecules. To address such issues, here porphyrin compounds with rigid molecular structures present stable and reversible capability in electrochemically storing AlCl2 +. Comparison between the porphyrin molecules with electron-donating groups (TPP-EDG) and with electron-withdrawing groups (TPP-EWG) suggests that EDG is responsible for increasing both highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels, resulting in decreased redox potentials. On the other hand, EWG is associated with decreasing both HOMO and LUMO energy levels, leading to promoted redox potentials. EDG and EWG play critical roles in regulating electron density of porphyrin π bond and electrochemical energy storage kinetics behavior. The competitive mechanism between electrochemical redox reaction and de/adsorption processes suggests that TPP-OCH3 delivers the highest specific capacity ~171.8 mAh g-1, approaching a record in the organic Al batteries.

Functional Group‐Driven Competing Mechanism in Electrochemical Reaction and Adsorption/Desorption Processes toward High‐Capacity Aluminum‐Porphyrin Batteries

AbstractNonaqueous organic aluminum batteries are considered as promising high‐safety energy storage devices due to stable ionic liquid electrolytes and Al metals. However, the stability and capacity of organic positive electrodes are limited by their inherent high solubility and low active organic molecules. To address such issues, here porphyrin compounds with rigid molecular structures present stable and reversible capability in electrochemically storing AlCl2+. Comparison between the porphyrin molecules with electron‐donating groups (TPP‐EDG) and with electron‐withdrawing groups (TPP‐EWG) suggests that EDG is responsible for increasing both highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels, resulting in decreased redox potentials. On the other hand, EWG is associated with decreasing both HOMO and LUMO energy levels, leading to promoted redox potentials. EDG and EWG play critical roles in regulating electron density of porphyrin π bond and electrochemical energy storage kinetics behavior. The competitive mechanism between electrochemical redox reaction and de/adsorption processes suggests that TPP‐OCH3 delivers the highest specific capacity ~171.8 mAh g−1, approaching a record in the organic Al batteries.

Effect of Triterpenoid Saponins as Foaming Agent on Mechanical Properties of Geopolymer Foam Concrete.

Geopolymer foam concrete (GFC), an emerging thermal insulation material known for its environmentally friendly and low-carbon attributes, has gained prominence for its use in bolstering building energy efficiency. A critical challenge in GFC production is foam destabilization by the alkaline environment in which foam is supersaturated with salt. In this study, GFC was prepared by using triterpene saponin (TS), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as blowing agents, with fly ash as the precursor and calcium carbide slag (CA) combined with Glauber's salt (GS, Na2SO4 ≥ 99%) as the activator. The effect of GFC on mechanical properties was analyzed by examining its fluidity, pore structure, dry density, and compressive strength. The results show that TS has a stable liquid film capable of adapting to the adverse effects of salt supersaturation and alkaline environments. TS is highly stable in the GFC matrix, and so the corresponding pore size is small, and the connectivity is low in the hardened GFC. In addition, the hydration products of GFC exhibit different morphologies depending on the surfactant used. TS has better water retention due to hydrogen bonding, which facilitates the hydration process.