Hollow Surface Research Articles

Sandwich-Like MXene@Mn3O4@PPy Hollow Microspheres Synergistically Enabled Ultra-long Cycling Life in Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries.

Manganese-based oxides are be regarded as one of the most promising cathode materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs). A major restriction of manganese-based oxides in practical applications is their unsatisfied structural stability due to the irreversible manganese dissolution. Additionally, the poor electrical conductivity also limits the rate capability. Herein, the sandwich-like MXene@Mn3O4@PPy hollow microspheres are constructed via self-sacrificial template and surface coating method to improve the cycling life of AZIBs. Benefiting from the unique sandwich-like hollow structure and the surface coating of PPy, the MXene@Mn3O4@PPy cathode possesses high electronic/ionic conductivity and satisfied structural stability. The sandwich-like MXene@Mn3O4@PPy hollow microspheres deliver excellent electrochemical performance, including an impressive rate capability and ultra-long cycling life with a capacity of 120 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1 after 9000 cycles. In addition, the systematic ex situ XRD and HRTEM characterizations verify the highly reversible Zn2+ and H+ insertion/desertion in the sandwich-like MXene@Mn3O4@PPy hollow microspheres. This work combines hollow structure design and surface coating method to provide an effective strategy for improving the structural stability of manganese-based oxides in AZIBs.

Microwave pyrolysis of Choerospondias axillaris seeds with their derived biochar for comprehensive utilization of the biomass

Lignocellulosic biomass is a promising resource for producing biofuels with improved properties and has been extensively utilized in microwave pyrolysis. This study explores the use of Choerospondias axillaris seeds for bio-oil production, with the derived biochar serving as both a microwave absorber and in-situ catalyst. The research characterized the biochar including SEM, BET, NH3-TPD, FTIR, etc, and investigated the impact of different heating modes and types of microwave absorbers on the composition and distribution of pyrolysis products. The results demonstrated that the biochar exhibits excellent microwave absorption properties and catalytic performance. The biochar exhibits a dielectric loss tangent of 0.23 and a specific surface area of 154.54 m2·g−1, characterized by a rich hollow porous structure and surface functional groups. It contains metal elements such as Na, K, and Ca, along with Lewis acid sites, making it an excellent microwave absorption catalyst. Furthermore, the study investigated the effects of microwave power and pyrolysis temperature, revealing that optimal conditions of 700 W and 500 °C result in a fast heating rate of 77.7 °C·min−1, a bio-oil yield of 34.5 wt%, and an aromatics relative content of 61.0 %. The stability of the biochar as a microwave absorption catalyst was evaluated through a reuse study, demonstrating its relatively excellent warming characteristics and product distribution even after five cycles. In summary, this paper proposed an innovative method that employs the derived biochar to enhance biomass pyrolysis, thereby achieving the comprehensive and high-value utilization of Choerospondias axillaris seeds and providing a viable pathway for their sustainable development.

Miniaturized broadband high out-of-band rejection bandpass filter based on spoof surface plasmon polaritons with defected ground structure

In this paper, a novel compact bandpass filter (BPF) with a wide out-of-band rejection is proposed. It can achieve broadband characteristics by combining hollow bowtie-type spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) with complementary H-type defected grounded structures (DGSs) through aperture coupling. Compared with the conventional SSPP unit cells, the hollow bowtie-type structure exhibits much better slow-wave characteristics. The introduced slant antenna type port-coupling can produce a very strong high-performance rejection outside the high frequency stopband. Simulation results show that the SSPPs-DGS-based BPF has an excellent band pass characteristics in a broadband range with − 3dB fractional bandwidth of 43.5% at center frequency f0 of 2.04 GHz. The return loss in the passband is better than − 12 dB. Furthermore, because of the multiple transmission zeros generated in upper-stop-band, the designed BPF has an extremely strong out-of-band rejection of -40dB from 1.5 f0 to 4 f0 (f0 is the center frequency). The designed SSPPs-DGS-based BPF is fabricated by conventional printed circuit board (PCB) technology with a compact size of only 0.68λg*0.34λg (λg is the wavelength at the center frequency). The measured results have a good agreement with the simulation ones, which verifies the rationality and feasibility of the design. The miniaturized wideband BPF with broad out-of-band rejection may make it has good application prospect in the new generation microwave communication field.

Investigation on the Low‐Frequency Acoustic Performance of Polymer Matrix Composite With Metallic Hollow Spheres Under Different Acoustic Stack Structures

ABSTRACTIn this study, various polymer matrix composites (melamine and flexible polyurethane) combined with 316 L stainless steel hollow spheres were prepared using the casting method. The acoustic properties of the fabricated materials were evaluated under low‐frequency conditions (100–1700 Hz) using an impedance tube. The results indicate that sound absorption and insulation performance are significantly influenced by the incident surface material within this frequency range. Notably, sound waves entering through the polyurethane stainless steel hollow sphere surface yield optimal absorption performance, achieving a maximum sound absorption coefficient of 0.74 at 400 Hz. Conversely, the melamine foam surface provides the best sound absorption at higher frequencies within this range, reaching a coefficient of 0.43 at 1700 Hz. The findings highlight the effective sound absorption and insulation capabilities of the composite materials.

A Flexible Smart Healthcare Platform Conjugated with Artificial Epidermis Assembled by Three-Dimensionally Conductive MOF Network for Gas and Pressure Sensing

The rising flexible and intelligent electronics greatly facilitate the noninvasive and timely tracking of physiological information in telemedicine healthcare. Meticulously building bionic-sensitive moieties is vital for designing efficient electronic skin with advanced cognitive functionalities to pluralistically capture external stimuli. However, realistic mimesis, both in the skin’s three-dimensional interlocked hierarchical structures and synchronous encoding multistimuli information capacities, remains a challenging yet vital need for simplifying the design of flexible logic circuits. Herein, we construct an artificial epidermal device by in situ growing Cu3(HHTP)2 particles onto the hollow spherical Ti3C2Tx surface, aiming to concurrently emulate the spinous and granular layers of the skin’s epidermis. The bionic Ti3C2Tx@Cu3(HHTP)2 exhibits independent NO2 and pressure response, as well as novel functionalities such as acoustic signature perception and Morse code-encrypted message communication. Ultimately, a wearable alarming system with a mobile application terminal is self-developed by integrating the bimodular senor into flexible printed circuits. This system can assess risk factors related with asthmatic, such as stimulation of external NO2 gas, abnormal expiratory behavior and exertion degrees of fingers, achieving a recognition accuracy of 97.6% as assisted by a machine learning algorithm. Our work provides a feasible routine to develop intelligent multifunctional healthcare equipment for burgeoning transformative telemedicine diagnosis.

Multiple Recycling of Wood–Plastic Recycled Composite (WPRC): Developing a Method to Evaluate the Degree of Degradation of Used WPRC

Wood–plastic recycled composite (WPRC) are composites obtained by heating and mixing the main raw material, wood flour, with thermoplastic resin, containing at least 40% by mass of recycled material in the raw material. In order to promote the multiple-recycling of WPRC to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure the sustainability of resources, three types of WPRC decking materials with different exposure conditions (outdoor-exposed product, unexposed product and product stored in the factory for a long time) and samples after accelerated weathering tests (WPRC and recycled plastics from raw materials) were evaluated and compared by a TG-DTA in order to develop a method for evaluating the degree of degradation of used WPRC. Exothermic behavior with weight loss was observed in the temperature range of 30–500 °C for the WPRC product in two temperature ranges. In order to focus on the change in the first exotherm by oxidative degradation, where the rapid weight loss begins, this paper will focus on the exothermic behavior that develops in the temperature range of 150–300 °C on the lower temperature side. The results obtained are as follows. (1) Initial oxidation temperature (IOT) measurement from DTA behavior suggested that it is possible to evaluate the degree of degradation of WPRC. (2) On the exposed surface of WPRC exposed outdoors for more than 9 years and 8 months, significant decreases in the IOT were observed up to 1 mm from the surface, and a slight decrease in the IOT was observed between 1 and 2 mm from the surface. On the other hand, for the indoor long-term storage of 11 years and 6 months, there were almost no changes in the IOT with respect to the depth from the surface. Regarding the outdoor long-term-exposed WPRC, significant decreases in the IOT were observed not only on the exposed surface but also on the hollow and ribbed surfaces up to a depth of 1 mm from the surfaces. (3) A similar decrease in the IOT with increasing accelerated degradation time was observed for the WPRC and raw recycled plastic samples after accelerated weathering tests as for outdoor exposure. Furthermore, FTIR-ATR spectra also revealed that accelerated degradation caused oxidative degradation of the plastic. Therefore, it is thought that the decrease in the IOT can be used as an indicator to evaluate the degree of degradation of the plastic raw material in WPRC.

Design and development of a novel MR finishing method for hollow cylindrical surfaces

ABSTRACT Hollow cylindrical components of longer length are a crucial necessity in industries catering to products like gun barrels, cylinder liners of ship and locomotive engines, pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders, etc. A highly finished inner surface improves resistance to corrosion, wear, and friction. Conventional magnetorheological (MR) finishing techniques typically use axis-based CNC setups, which are limited in their ability to finish longer components (>30 cm) due to the Z-axis tool restriction. In this work, a novel MR finishing method has been designed and developed that is based on the pneumatic cylinder and has extremely high reach for the length of the hollow cylindrical workpiece thereby successfully mitigating the limitation of conventional CNC-based MR finishing techniques. Using mild steel as the material, the new technique achieved a significant reduction in surface roughness, with a minimum average roughness of 0.059 µm after 150 minutes of finishing.

Enhanced light harvesting ability in hollow Pt/TiO2 nanoreactor for boosting tetracycline photodegradation

Utilizing solar energy to decompose tetracycline (TC) is a green strategy to treat wastewater. Herein, a heterogeneous hollow structured TiO2 decorated Pt nanoparticles were successfully designed and synthesized via hard-template approach and photo-deposition process toward TC photodegradation. The Pt nanoparticles loaded on the surface of hollow structured TiO2 can increase the visible light absorption due to the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. Furthermore, owing to the tough electron oscillation of the LSPR excitation, the plasmonic hot holes on the surface of Pt nanoparticles can capture the electrons of TiO2, effectively facilitating the separation of photo-excited charge carriers because of the formation of Schottky junction constructed between Pt and TiO2. Combined the natural merits of shorten conveying path of charge carriers and physical structural stability for hollow structure, the optimal Pt/TiO2 hetero-junction hybrid showed superior photocatalytic activity and durability for TC photodegradation with the degradation efficiency of 93.8 ​% after 30 ​min and the rate constant of 0.09196 min−1 under 300 ​W Xe lamp irradiation. This work displays a heterogeneous hybrids catalyst based on eco-friendly metal and semiconductor materials which can be used in the fields including without limitation TC photodegradation.

Enhanced sensitivity for Aflatoxin B1 detection in food through a h-Zn1Cd5S-based photoelectrochemical aptasensor

Designing photoelectrochemical sensors for detecting ultra-trace amounts of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in complex samples poses a significant challenge. In pursuit of this objective, we engineered hollow-structured ZnCdS (denoted as h-Zn1Cd5S) material and applied an electrodeposition method to introduce Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the surface. This approach resulted in a significant enhancement of the photocurrent response of the photoelectrode, attributed to the synergistic effects of the hollow structure and surface plasmon resonance, thereby underscoring its potential for advanced applications. Utilizing density functional theory, we computed the transfer route and energy band formation of photogenerated electrons. Subsequently, we developed an AFB1 photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor based on the competition mechanism, coupled with aptamer probe technology. This aptasensor allows for the ultra-trace determination of AFB1, exhibiting a remarkable detection limit as low as 1.32 fg/mL and a linear range from 1.0 × 10−2 to 100.0 pg/mL. The PEC aptasensor for AFB1 demonstrates excellent sensitivity and selectivity. When applied to the detection of AFB1 in Tsaoko, wheat, and corn samples, its performance aligns closely with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results, validating its applicability for analyzing real-world samples.

Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns as Mediators of Thrombus Formation on Dialyzer Membrane in Critically Ill Patients.

This prospective study investigated the relationship between inflammation, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and thrombus formation on dialyzer membranes in critically ill patients undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT) from July 2020 to August 2022, identifying mechanisms and interventions to prevent clotting. The patients were divided into two groups: inflammatory (n = 56, serum C-reactive protein >10 mg/dl) and noninflammatory control (n = 45, serum C-reactive protein <5 mg/dl). Cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) levels, high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), histone H3, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the lumen of the hollow fiber membrane of the dialyzer were quantified. Immunostaining assessed leukocytes, fibrin fibers, and platelet thrombi on the luminal surface of the hollow fiber membrane. The inflammatory group, compared to controls, exhibited elevated cell-free DNA, HMGB1, and MPO levels, although histone H3 remained unchanged. Damage-associated molecular patterns increased with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) severity. Immunostaining in the inflammatory group revealed leukocytes, amorphous nuclei, neutrophil extracellular trap-like structures, fibrin fibers, and platelet thrombi on the hollow fiber membrane's luminal surface. Elevated DAMP levels in severely inflamed patients' dialyzer membranes, correlating with DIC severity, indicate a link between inflammation, coagulation activation, and dialyzer clotting. Research into thrombus prevention in RRT for DIC-affected critically ill patients is warranted.

Effect of hollow glass microspheres surface modification on the compressive strength of syntactic foams

Polymer matrix syntactic foams made of hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) and epoxy resin are widely used in underwater vehicles providing buoyancy due to their advantages of low density and high mechanical strength. When HGMs is strong enough, surface modification of HGMs is an effective method to improve the compressive strength of syntactic foams. However, the effects of different surface modifiers on the physical properties of HGMs and the compressive strength of syntactic foams have rarely been systematically studied. It is of great significance to enhance the interfacial strength of syntactic foams. Herein, the T40 HGMs was treated by different modifiers (HCl, NaOH, Li2SiO3, Me3SiONa, KH550, KH560, KH570, and Volan), physical properties of modified HGMs were studied, including true density, angle of repose, isostatic compressive strength, specific surface area, and contact angle. Furthermore, the effects of modified HGMs on the compressive strength of syntactic foams were also studied. The results showed that the compressive strength depend largely on the interface bonding between HGMs and resin matrix. This work can provide some references for mechanical property reinforcement of syntactic foams with high filling ratio and plenty of interface zones.

Transformation of peat deposits and carbon accumulation in post-pyrogenic raised bogs within the taiga zone of West Siberia

The aim of the study was to assess of the transformation of the hydrologic and physical properties of peat deposits and peat accumulation rates in the post-pyrogenic sites of drained fens in the taiga zone of West Siberia. Location and time of the study. Field studies were conducted in 2022 on the Bakchar fen (drained for forestry, seven plots) and Ust-Bakchar fen (drained for peat extraction, three plots) located in the Tomsk region. Methods. Peat sampling was carried out from two boreholes at each plot in the hollow and the hummock. The sampling increment was 5 cm; the total depth was 45–90 cm. Peat samples were taken at nine subsites by the envelope method on each plot in 0–30 cm layer by 10 cm increment for water content determination in laboratory. Laboratory study of peat characteristics was carried out using the following methods: water and ash content measurements (GOST 11306-2013, GOST 11306-2013), estimation of peat decomposition and humification degree, botanical composition (GOST 28245-89), as well as measuring peat bulk density. Carbon stocks in the upper layer of peat deposits was estimated using the values of peat ash content and density. Results. The peat deposit of the upper layers was formed mainly by sphagnum peat with Sphagnum fuscum plant residues predominating. The differences between hollows and hummocks in their peat properties were manifested to a depth of 5–15 cm from the surface of depressions. The burnout of the hollows led to the changes of all peat properties to a depth of 10–15 cm: the changes were more pronounced in ash content, which was 1.5–9 times higher in the 0–5 cm layer as compared with the unburned site. The changes in peat properties on positive relief forms, i.e. moss hummocks, was less evident in the upper 0–5 cm layer, but reached a greater depth of 30 cm. The change was revealed mainly as an increase in peat ash content due to the migration of ash elements from the surface of burnt hollows and as an increase in bulk density due to subsidence of moss hummocks with the died-off sphagnum moss. Although the average water content in postpyrogenic and unburned sites was the same, amounting to 90–91% in the 0–30 cm layer, some difference was observed between the microrelief forms. The post-pyrogenic site in the Bakchar fen was characterized by water content decrease in hollows and hummocks, the maximum values being observed at an altitude near the average surface. In the Ust-Bakchar fen, water content was found to decrease from hollows to hummocks. In the Bakchar fen, 30 years after the fire peat accumulation occurred only on positive microrelief forms, where the 35 cm thick layer formed after the fire. Taking into account the microrelief heterogeneity, carbon accumulation over the post-fire period was estimated as 1.9 kg C/m2 or 60 g C/m2 per year. Peat accumulation seemed much slower in the Ust-Bakchar fen and was apparently absent on most of the surface. The average rate was estimated as 7 g C/m2 per year. Conclusions. The study found fen hollows to be most prone to burnout. The consequences of the fire manifest themselves in the drying of the upper layer of the peat deposit, thus preventing intensive overgrowth by sphagnum mosses 6–8 years after the fire. At the drained for forestry site in the Bakchar fen, 30 years after the fire the peat accumulation rate on moss hummocks was comparable to the rate in the unburned areas.

Silver-coated hollow fiber surface plasmon resonance sensor for glucose detection with enhanced limit of detection.

A fiber-optic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor based on a silver-coated hollow fiber (HF) structure for glucose detection is presented. The sensor surface was immobilized with 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (PMBA) acting as a glucose recognition monolayer. Then, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) modified with 2-aminoethanethiol (2-AET) and PMBA were introduced onto the sensor surface after glucose was captured to enhance the wavelength shift of the SPR phenomenon excited by the light transmitted in the wall of the HF sensor. Instead of the conventional one-step sensitization pretreatment commonly used in the deposition process of silver films for fiber-optic SPR sensors, a sensitization-activation two-step activation method was adopted in the fabrication of the proposed sensor. Experiments for glucose detection were performed on the fabricated sensors in the concentration range of 1 nM-1 mM. Results showed that the sensor fabricated by the two-step activation method has a much larger shift of resonance wavelength than the sensor fabricated using the one-step sensitization method. The resonance wavelength shift was found to be linear to the logarithm of the concentration in the range of 1 nM-1 mM. The sensor achieved a limit of detection (LOD) of as low as 1 nM, which is at least an order of magnitude lower than that of other fiber-optic sensors for glucose detection reported previously. The presented HF glucose sensor has the potential for biosensing applications and provides a large reference value in the study of optical fiber SPR sensors for biosensing.

Physicochemical Characteristics and Dyeing Properties of Novel Cellulosic Fibers Derived from Sustainable Agricultural Waste

Development of new innovative sustainable fibres from agricultural waste are in great demand these days. For the expansion of these fibres at commercial level, understanding about physicochemical properties of these fibres and specifically their dyeing behavior is essential. In this consequence, in the present study, a natural lignin-cellulosic fibers were extracted by a simplistic route, from lotus silk. The fibers were turn in to yarn by hand twisting and then natural as well as chemical dyeing was performed by the standard dyeing method established for cotton dyeing. Natural henna dye, C.I Reactive blue and indigo dye was used in the present study. Physico chemical properties and dyeing mechanism of the prepared fibers were studied and analyzed in detail in comparison with cotton cellulosic fibres. The lotus fibers were described for their organic construction and morphology by FT-IR spectroscopy and Scanning Electronic Microscopy respectively. Tensile strength, moisture regain and elongation percentage at break were also evaluated. The outcomes revealed that lotus fibers are cellulosic in nature same as cotton but with higher moisture absorption and lower crystallinity as compared to cotton fibers. Lotus fibers revealed higher color strength and color co-ordinates when compared to cotton fibers dyeing. Hollow and irregular fiber surface of lotus fibers along with higher moisture absorption and low crystallinity are the major reasons for higher chemical reactivity and absorption of dyes. The tensile strength and elongation observed in lotus fibers are suitable to be used these fibers in textile products. Lotus fibres from the agricultural waste can be a new source of sustainable textile products for future applications.

Interconnected hollow metal–organic framework network towards excellent proton transfer for proton exchange membrane

Interconnected hollow metal–organic framework (MOF) network (GO@HZIF-8) was designed as an efficient proton transfer accelerator in Nafion membrane. GO@HZIF-8 was constructed by in situ synthesis of ZIF-8 onto graphene oxide (GO) and succedent etching with tannic acid (TA). The hollow construction and surface TA functionalization of hollow ZIF-8 (HZIF-8) bestowed composite membrane with superior water retention. This was highly beneficial to the rapid proton transfer. Besides, the hollow construction could effectively reduce the proton transfer resistance onto GO@HZIF-8. More importantly, the interconnective architecture between HZIF-8 by the tethering function of GO and the interfacial hydrogen bond interaction between GO@HZIF-8 and Nafion resulted in connective proton transfer routes at GO@HZIF-8 surfaces and GO@HZIF-8/Nafion interfaces. These dramatically accelerated the proton transfer of GO@HZIF-8/Nafion composite membrane, enabling a considerable proton conductivity (PC) of 0.301 S cm−1 under 90 °C, 95 % RH, ∼1.33-fold greater than that of the pure Nafion membrane (RN). Moreover, the composite membrane exhibited a peak power density of 45.8 mW cm−2, ∼1.22-fold higher than that of RN. These results menifest that constructing hollow MOF network possesses grand prospect in the construction of high performance proton exchange membranes (PEMs).

Hypothetical proposal for the course of retinal blood vessels in the posterior pole—description and its clinical implications

Background: Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) is the second-most common retinal vascular disorder. Arteriosclerotic changes at the site of obstruction and hemodynamic turbulence within the vessels are considered risk factors. Overcrossing of the vein by an artery has traditionally been considered to increase the risk of BRVO. Recent studies using optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography have suggested a higher prevalence of vein-over-artery crossings in this disease. Nevertheless, uncertainty persists as to why some patients, even those with the same disease duration, have varying degrees of venous dilation and develop sufficient collaterals, while others develop substantial ischemia and its sequelae.&#x0D; Hypothesis: Herein, it is hypothesized that because retinal blood vessels are transparent, tubular, and collapsible conduits coursing over a hollow spherical surface, the changes related to AV crossings over the entire course of a vessel, rather than at any single isolated crossing, could contribute to the risk, natural progression, and outcomes of BRVO. The study analyzed color fundus photographs from two image datasets. The first dataset comprised 100 randomly selected images from the author’s own collection at the Rajendra Prasad Center for Ophthalmic Sciences. The second dataset comprised 100 images from the MESSIDOR database; three images were excluded owing to poor focus. Using 394 observations from 197 retinal photographs, four distinct patterns of AV crossing along the course of blood vessels were recognized: (A and B) wicker basket, (C) straight, (D) widely spaced, and (E) indeterminate. The percentages of tight wicker, loose wicker, straight, widely spaced, and indeterminate patterns in the two image sets were 19% (38/200) and 16.5% (32/194), 22.5% (45/200) and 27.8% (54/194), 16.5% (33/200) and 15.5% (30/194), 22.5% (45/200) and 28.4% (55/194), and 19.5% (39/200) and 11.9% (23/194), respectively. Hence, the wicker basket pattern was the most common AV crossing pattern in both image sets.&#x0D; Conclusions: The wicker basket pattern may provide structural stability and aid in maintaining pressure gradients within the retinal vascular bed. This observation of variable AV relationships at consecutive crossings may improve our understanding of the pathogenesis, natural history, and outcomes of BRVO. Future longitudinal studies including patients at risk of BRVO, or retrospective analyses of patients with BRVO who had ophthalmic examinations and archived fundus images before the vascular event, should verify the relevance of these observed vascular patterns.

Morphological design of PDVB‐based particles

AbstractPolymeric microspheres with complex architectures find application as stationary phases for size exclusion separation, solid supports for surface reactions, catalysis, and delivery systems. The microparticles are commonly made from divinylbenzene by precipitation polymerization or template swelling. Upon combining both methods and applying photopolymerization, we discovered new morphological features that are not solely explicable by the individual processes. Firstly, three types of templates were synthesized by precipitation polymerization: noncrosslinked, slightly crosslinked, and slightly crosslinked with noncrosslinked polystyrene fractions. All template types were swollen with divinylbenzene, which was polymerized by photoinitiation, followed by template extraction. Changes in particle size were tracked by light microscopy, while SEM revealed submicron features like hollow cores, toluene‐insoluble walls, and surface grooves from the collapse upon drying of the toluene‐swollen corona. Our investigations indicated that the corona results from chain transfer and crosslinking of the template during photoinitiation. Higher precrosslinking of the template reduced the core cavity volume of the extracted particle, while more mobile polystyrene chains led to larger cavities. These architectures are promising model systems for fundamental studies of particle interactions, aggregation, and structure formation in the field of colloidal physics.

Near-infrared light-mediated CuS@Rutin nanocomposites for the PTT/PDT synergistic treatment in bacterial infections

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) and heat-based photothermal therapy (PTT) have garnered significant attention for their non-resistant and minimally invasive characteristics in the treatment of bacterial infections. However, the excessive generation of ROS during treatment can lead to persistent levels of oxidative stress, causing irreversible damage to surrounding tissues. In this study, we successfully synthesized a multifunctional nanocomposite consisting of hollow interior and porous surface nanostructured copper sulfide (Nano CuS) loaded with Rutin, a compound known for its ROS scavenging properties. This nanocomposite effectively eliminates bacteria through PDT and PTT in the initial stage, while simultaneously releasing Rutin to clear ROS at the site of inflammation. This dual therapeutic approach provides antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, making it a promising strategy for combating bacterial infections. Overall, our synthesized nanomaterial demonstrates excellent efficacy in antibacterial and anti-inflammatory applications, offering new insights for future developments in infection treatments.

Bi2Se3/SnSe heterojunction on flexible Ti foil for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting

Here, Bi2Se3 thin film was deposited on SnSe through r.f. magnetron sputtering system and investigated the photoelectrochemical (PEC) characteristics. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed the hollow nanorod's surface of SnSe thin film whereas nanoflake surface was seen for Bi2Se3 decorated SnSe. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra confirmed the formation of rhombohedral Bi2Se3 and orthorhombic SnSe phase. Electronic properties of heterojunction were also studied using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The PEC measurements demonstrate that the Bi2Se3/SnSe/Ti heterostructure exhibits enhanced photocatalytic performance with an obtained photocurrent density of 147.3 µA/cm2 which was found more than 2 times that of pristine SnSe/Ti in 0.5 M Na2SO4 aqueous electrolyte under AM 1.5 G solar radiation.

Enhancement of the critical heat flux for downward-facing saturated pool boiling on the reticular hollow shell structure surfaces

In-vessel retention (IVR) technology was currently an effective strategy for retaining molten materials in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) when the nuclear power plants occurred severe accident, further ensuring the integrity of RPV. The effectiveness of IVR depended on the critical heat flux (CHF) of external reactor vessel cooling (ERVC). A novel type of reticular hollow shell structure (RHS) was designed to meet this need. Five RHS surfaces were designed and the pool boiling heat transfer performance were investigated in saturated deionized water, the experimental inclination angles were 5°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°. The boiling heat transfer coefficient (BHTC) and CHF were measured by steady-state heating and transient quenching methods. The experiment results showed that the CHF increased with the increase of inclination angles, and the CHF of all RHS surfaces were significantly enhanced compared with the plain surface. The maximum CHF value and the maximum CHF enhancement exhibited on surface 4, with a maximum CHF of 2992.2 kW/m2.When the inclination angle was 30°, the maximum CHF could reach 2338.6 kW/m2, which was 160.3% enhancement over the plain surface. Surface 1 and surface 3 had better BHTCs, and the maximum values were 178.3 kW/(m2·K) and 126.8 kW/(m2·K), respectively, which were much better than other structured surfaces. The RHS could form a gas–liquid conversion system, which was composed of cavities and alternating channels to increase the surface nucleation sitesand accelerate the circulation of cooling water, thus obtained the high CHF and high BHTC characteristics. RHS provided a large enough CHF margin to ensure that the RPV was continuously cooled and its integrity was maintained. Finally, the behavior of bubbles generation, coalescence, sliding and detachment in reticular hollow shell structure were systematically analyzed.