Thermolysis Method Research Articles

A cotton-derived carbon coating by thermolysis method for enhanced mechanical and bio-compatibility of NiTi alloy

To elevate the performance of NiTi alloy in medical devices, carbon coating derived from natural cotton has been successfully deposited onto the alloy surface using a one-step thermolysis method. Natural cotton soaked in copper sulfate was utilized as carbon raw material, and the deposition process was carried out at low vacuum and temperature requirements. The mechanical and bio-compatibility of the coating performance of resulted carbon layer has been studied comprehensively. The uniformity and mechanical properties of the carbon film prepared at 390 °C, with a holding time of 1–2 h, indicate that it should retain the alloy's excellent mechanical properties and superelasticity. Furthermore, the carbon coating improves the corrosion resistance compared to the raw alloy material. Observations of the proliferation and morphology of adhered human umbilical vein endothelial cells confirm the non-toxic effect of the carbon film. Additionally, the application of the carbon film significantly reduces the contact angle and enhances the adsorption of albumin in blood, suggesting that employing carbon films as bio-active layers is a viable approach to enhance the performance of NiTi-based blood implants and components.

Получение порошковых углеродных композитных наноматериалов термическим разложением ароматических карбоксилатов Fe (III)

The article discusses the principal methods for obtaining carbon composite nanomaterials and highlights the thermolysis method as one of them. In order to understand the essence of thermal decomposition processes as a method for synthesis of carbon nanomaterials, aromatic iron(III) carboxylates have been considered. These are iron(III) 8-hydroxyquinolinate, benzoate, salicylate, phthalate, and p-aminobenzoate. The article discusses the procedure for the synthesis of these iron(III) carboxylates under standard conditions in detail. The thermal decomposition process was carried out in two media (air as oxidizing one and argon as neutral one) to compare the obtained products. For a detailed study of the processes of decomposition of iron(III) carboxylates, the thermal analysis methods (TG and DSC) were used on a Netzsch 449 Jupiter synchronous thermal analyzer. In order to study the morphology and composition of the products, X-ray phase analysis, optical and scanning electron microscopy, as well as X-ray fluorescence microanalysis were used. We used a Rigaku Ultima IV X-ray diffractometer and a scanning electron microscope with a Jeol JSM-7001F elemental microanalysis attachment. Based on the obtained results, the expected formulas of the initial iron(III) carboxylates were calculated. The mechanisms of the processes occurring during the thermal decomposition of iron(III) aromatic carboxylates were also proposed. For a more accurate determination of the composition of the synthesized iron(III) carboxylates and a more appropriate description of the processes of thermal decomposition of these salts, the corresponding aromatic carboxylic acids were also subjected to thermal decomposition. The appendix to the article contains the data for a more accurate interpretation of the results and a more detailed description of the thermal decomposition processes.

Термическое разложение бензоатов и аминобензоатов Mn (II), Co (II), Ni (II), Cu (II)

The article discusses the main methods for obtaining carbon composite nanomaterials and highlights the thermolysis method as one of them. To understand the essence of thermal decomposition processes as a synthesis method for carbon nanomaterials, thermolysis of aromatic carboxylates of such elements as manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), and copper(II) was considered. The article thoroughly discusses the synthesis procedure for these metal carboxylates under simple conditions. The thermal decomposition process was carried out in two environments (air as oxidizing one and argon as neutral one) to compare the products obtained. For a detailed study of the decomposition processes of manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), and copper(II) carboxylates, thermal analysis methods (TG and DSC) were used on a Netzsch 449 Jupiter synchronous thermal analyzer. To study the morphology and composition of the products, the methods of X-ray phase analysis, optical and scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray fluorescence microanalysis were used. The devices used were a Rigaku Ultima IV X-ray diffractometer and a scanning electron microscope with a Jeol JSM-7001F. The mechanisms of thermal decomposition of manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), and copper(II) carboxylates were suggested. For a more accurate determination of the composition of the synthesis products of manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), and copper(II) carboxylates and for a more accurate description of the processes of thermal decomposition of these salts, the corresponding aromatic carboxylic acids were also thermally decomposed. The appendix to the article presents thermograms of manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), and copper(II) aromatic carboxylates.

Component-controlled synthesis of PdxSny nanocrystals on carbon nanotubes as advanced electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction.

Pd-based bimetallic or multimetallic nanocrystals are considered to be potential electrocatalysts for cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells. Although much advance has been made, the synthesis of component-controlled Pd-Sn alloy nanocrystals or corresponding nanohybrids is still challenging, and the electrocatalytic ORR properties are not fully explored. Herein, component-controlled synthesis of PdxSny nanocrystals (including Pd3Sn, Pd2Sn, Pd3Sn2, and PdSn) has been realized, which are in situ grown or deposited on pre-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to form well-coupled nanohybrids (NHs) by a facile one-pot non-hydrolytic system thermolysis method. In alkaline media, all the resultant PdxSny/CNTs NHs are effective at catalyzing ORR. Among them, the Pd3Sn/CNTs NHs exhibit the best catalytic activity with the half-wave potential of 0.85 V (vs. RHE), good cyclic stability, and excellent methanol-tolerant capability due to the suited Pd-Sn alloy component and its strong interaction or efficient electronic coupling with CNTs. This work is conducive to the advancement of Pd-based nanoalloy catalysts by combining component engineering and a hybridization strategy and promoting their application in clean energy devices.

Pembuatan Karbon Aktif Bambu dengan Metode Termolisis dan Karakterisasinya

This study aims to determine the manufacture of bamboo activated carbon by the thermolysis method and to know how to characterize bamboo activated carbon after being activated by the thermolysis method and using an activating agent. The method used in this research is the experimental method. Bamboo is carbonized at 350°-400°C and immersed in a 20% phosphoric acid solution. Activated carbon was characterized by Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microsope-Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometric (SEM-EDX). Characterization with XRD showed that the 2θ angle of the bamboo carbon after activation was 24°, 37.5°, and 44°. Characterization with FTIR showed that the functional groups detected on activated carbon were O-H, C-H alkane groups, C=O, C=C, C-C , and C-O. Characterization by SEM showed that the activated carbon from the shoots had a neat looking surface. EDX analysis showed that the elemental content of carbon electrodes colored by carbon elements was 78.38%.

Highly selective and sensitive biological probe for cysteine detection based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer between lanthanide oxysulfide nanoparticles and Au nanoparticles

Biothiols are biologically important targets because their transport and metabolism are closely related to the activities of many proteins and biological enzymes. In this paper, a kind of biological probe based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer between lanthanide oxysulfide and gold nanoparticles was developed for the detection of cysteine. Ln2O2S:Tb3+ and Ln2O2S:Eu3+ nanoparticles were prepared by a thermolysis method. The as-prepared fluorescent nanoparticles were modified by polyethylenimine ligand exchange to increase their hydrophilicity. Then, Au nanoparticles were added to form fluorescence resonance energy transfer systems in which Au NPs and La2O2S:Ln3+ act as the acceptor and donor, respectively. Among the Ln2O2S:Tb3+ and Ln2O2S:Eu3+ systems, the cysteine content and fluorescence intensity showed good proportional proportionality, with detection limits of 6.75 nM and 14.09 nM in the range of 50∼1500 nM, respectively. The results of anti-interference experiments showed that this biological probe is highly selective for cysteine detection.

Recovery of carbon fibers from carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy-isophorone diamine composites via step thermolysis

Thermosetting composites are widely used in various industries owing to their excellent mechanical properties, dimensional stability, and convenient formability. However, once cured with epoxy resin, the separation of thermosetting composites from carbon fibers is challenging. Industrial waste resulting from end-of-service-life carbon fiber-reinforced thermosetting plastic (CFRP) is a significant environmental problem. Thus, eco-friendly and economic processes must be developed to increase resource efficiency by converting waste CFRP into reusable materials. This study aims to find the optimal conditions for the recovery of recycled carbon fiber (r-CF) from thermoset CFRP manufactured using epoxy (EP) and isophorone diamine (IPDA). A multi-step thermolysis method using superheated steam and air was proposed. We confirmed that an oxidizing atmosphere is required to recover clean r-CF without char. The mechanical strength of the recovered r-CF was dependent on the pyrolysis temperature and time, which was due to an increase in defects from the oxidative decomposition of the r-CF surface. Finally, the recovery rate was 95%, and the tensile strength of the recycled carbon fiber was 80% higher than that of virgin carbon fiber.

Особенности термолиза ароматических карбоксилатов Cr (III)

The article discusses the main methods for obtaining carbon composite nanomaterials and highlights the thermolysis method as one of the main methods. To understand the essence of thermal decomposition processes as a method for synthesis of carbon nanomaterials, chromium (III) aromatic carboxylates have been considered. These are chromium (III) 8-hydroxyquinolinate, benzoate, salicylate, phthalate, and p-aminobenzoate. The article thoroughly discusses the procedure for the synthesis of these chromium (III) carboxylates from the most common inorganic chromium (III) salts under simple conditions. The thermal decomposition process was carried out in two environments (in oxidizing air and neutral argon), the obtained products were compared. For a detailed study of the processes of decomposition of chromium (III) carboxylates, thermal analysis methods (TG and DSC) were used on a Netzsch 449 Jupiter synchronous thermal analyzer. To study the morphology and composition of the products, the methods of X-ray phase analysis, optical and scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray fluorescence microanalysis were used. We used a Rigaku Ultima IV X-ray diffractometer and a scanning electron microscope with a Jeol JSM-7001F elemental microanalysis attachment. On the basis of the obtained results, the estimated formulas of the initial chromium (III) carboxylates were calculated. The mechanisms of the processes occurring during the thermal decomposition of chromium (III) aromatic carboxylates were also proposed. For a more accurate determination of the composition of the synthesized chromium (III) carboxylates and a more accurate description of the processes of thermal decomposition of these salts, the corresponding aromatic carboxylic acids were also subjected to thermal decomposition. The appendix to the article contains all the obtained data for a more accurate interpretation of the results and a more detailed description of the thermal decomposition processes.

Surface modification of WO3 nanoparticles with Pt and Ru for VOCs sensors

• WO3 nanoparticles were fabricated by the thermolysis method, Pt and Ru as the active catalysts are loaded with the wet impregnation method. • The Pt/Ru-WO3 indicated the significant enhanced for sensitive response to acetone. • The power-law response to oxygen was observed. Ru is dominated by electron sensitization, while a major for Pt is reflected in its catalytic sensitization. • This study provides beneficial information and insights into the sensitization mechanism of bimetallic nanoparticles on MOS materials. The production of a large number of metal oxide semiconductor materials is more for design needs, while theoretical exploration is relatively less concerned. In this work, WO 3 nanoparticles were prepared by the tungstic acid thermolysis method, and the catalysts of Pt and Ru were loaded on the surface of nanoparticles with a wet impregnation method. As expected, the sensitive responses were enhanced significantly with the additional loading of Pt, which revealed that bimetallic loading could achieve better properties with a smaller loaded amount than single metal. According to the power-law response to oxygen and H 2 -TPR results, the sensitization mechanism of noble metals loaded WO 3 to acetone as the typical VOCs was investigated. The results showed that the sensing processes were dominated by oxygen adsorption behavior and there was no difference with the loading of Ru. Furthermore, the power-law coefficient n became smaller with Pt loading. It is proposed that oxygen adsorbates on the surface become more active due to Pt. We would like to propose further a perspective, i.e., polymetallic loading that utilizes the properties of different metals to achieve synergism. In this work, WO 3 nanoparticles were prepared by the tungstic acid thermolysis method, and the catalysts of Pt and Ru were loaded on the surface of nanoparticles with a wet impregnation method. Sensor devices were fabricated by the screen-printing technique, and the schematic drawing of sensor structure and a photograph of MOS sensor device were presented in graphical abstracts. The powders were mixed with prepared organic solutions and adhesive to obtain a printable paste, which was deposited on an aluminum substrate with interdigitated Au microelectrodes on the front side and Pt microheater on the backside. As expected, the sensitive response was enhanced significantly with the additional loading of Pt, which revealed that bimetallic loading could achieve better properties with a smaller loaded amount than single metals. The results showed that the sensing processes were dominated by oxygen adsorption behavior and there was no difference with the loading of Ru. Furthermore, the power-law coefficient n became smaller with Pt loading. It is proposed that oxygen adsorbates on the surface become more active due to Pt. We demonstrated that the sensing mechanism of the Ru-WO 3 and Pt/Ru-WO 3 sensors is not identical, and Ru is dominated by electron sensitization, while a major for Pt is reflected in its catalytic sensitization. Loaded metals combine with WO 3 to form a heterojunction layer, which enhances the ability of sensitive materials to regulate electrons. The catalytic activity of both metals was enhanced due to the synergistic effect of the bimetals. Consequently, this study provides beneficial information and insights into the sensitization mechanism of bimetallic nanoparticles on MOS materials, which can help us to tune further the bimetallic composition and catalytic activity for specific applications and pave the way for polymetallic loading studies.

Studies on the Rapid and Simple DNA Extraction Method, Antibacterial Activity and Enzyme Activity Involved in Plant Biomass Conversion by Cookeina sulcipes and C. tricholoma (Cup Fungi)

Cookeina sulcipes and C. tricholoma are a cup fungi (Ascomycota) collected in Saraburi, Thailand. The fungi have been isolated, cultured and confirmed as respective species. For morphology, both Cookeina sp. are white mycelium and the growth rate on potato dextrose agar (PDA) result present C. sulcipes is faster than C. tricholoma. The molecular characterization from a rapid and simple DNA extraction method that is modified based on thermolysis method, The DNA extraction is finish in thirty minutes and efficiency to continuous with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification to fungi species level identification. The DNA sequence from internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene regions by universal primer pairs ITS5/ITS4 is effective to confirm Cookeina species level that C. sulcipes has 616 bp and C. tricholoma has 570 bp. Including, DNA sequence of large subunit (LSU) gene regions by universal primer pairs LROR/LR5 is generate that C. sulcipes has 912 bp and C. tricholoma has 906 bp. The cultures are screened for antibacterial activity by agar plug diffusion method and found that both isolates have been no activity against test strains (Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Kocuria rhizophila (Micrococcus luteus), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis). In a preliminary screening test of enzymes involved in plant biomass breakdown by agar plate method, both Cookeina sp. show cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymatic activity, and manganese peroxidase (MnP) productivity. In contrast, only C. sulcipes had additional laccase activity. Neither isolate generate pectinolytic and lignin peroxidase (LiP) activities. Thus, Cookeina spp. proved the potentiality to break down lignocelluloses.

Design and construction of core-shelled Co3O4-CoFe2O4 heterojunction for highly sensitive and selective detection of ammonia

In this study, the fabrication process and the gas sensing performance toward ammonia of core-shelled Co3O4-CoFe2O4 heterojunction composites with the abundant mesoporous structures were presented detailedly. The hierarchical Co3O4-CoFe2O4 was prepared by using Fe-Co glycerate as a precursor combined with a subsequent thermolysis method. The well-designed core-shelled heterojunction architecture was investigated through SEM and TEM. Apparently, the internal and external structure of the glycerate-derived sensing materials can be efficiently regulated by adjusting the molar ratio of the Fe and Co in the precursor. It was worth pointing out that the core-shelled heterojunction structure possessed a large specific surface area (198.6 m2/g), which not only can provide more active sites in both interior and exterior of the composites sphere, but also accelerate absorption-penetration efficiency of gas molecules. Compared with other prepared nanoparticles and hollow spheres, the sensor fabricated by Co3O4-CoFe2O4 with a core–shell structure revealed the best sensing characteristics, and the response toward 100 ppm ammonia at 220 °C was as high as 35. Moreover, it also showed excellent selectivity and long-term stability. These admirable advancements can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of unique core–shell architecture and p-p heterojunction. This work may offer a promising strategy to realize the practical application of Co3O4-CoFe2O4 p-p heterojunction in ammonia detection.

One-Step RT-qPCR for Viral RNA Detection Using Digital Analysis.

The rapid detection of viruses is becoming increasingly important to prevent widespread infections. However, virus detection via reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is time-consuming, as it involves independent nucleic acid extraction and complementary DNA synthesis. This process limits the potential for rapid diagnosis and mass analysis, which are necessary to curtail viral spread. In this study, a simple and rapid thermolysis method was developed to circumvent the need for extraction and purification of viral RNA. The developed protocol was applied to one-chip digital PCR (OCdPCR), which allowed thermolysis, RT, and digital PCR in a single unit comprising 20,000 chambers of sub-nanoliter volume. Two viruses such as tobacco mosaic virus and cucumber mosaic virus were tested as model viral particles. First, the temperature, exposure time, and template concentration were optimized against tobacco mosaic viral particles, and the most efficient conditions were identified as 85°C, 5 min, and 0.01 μg/nL with a cycle threshold of approximately 33. Finally, the OCdPCR analysis yielded 1,130.2 copies/µL using 10−2 μg/nL of viral particles in a 30 min thermolysis-RT reaction at 70°C. This novel protocol shows promise as a quick, accurate, and precise method for large-scale viral analysis in the future.

Synthesis and structural analysis of beta cobalt hydroxide (ß-CoOH) nanosheets derived from ZIF 67 metal-organic framework

In the present work, a facile synthesis of beta-cobalt hydroxide (ß-CoOH) nanosheets from ZIF-67 structure using thermolysis method has been described. The cobalt hydroxide nanosheets grown on carbon cloth would be highly benificial for wide-ranging applications including catalysis and batteries. The XRD studies show that the crystallite sizes are below 100 nanometers for both the ZIF structure and the derived CoOH. The compositional analysis shows that cobalt contributed more to the weight percentage. FESEM images reveal that cobalt nanosheets were grown on the carbon fiber. Also, the TEM images show that nanosheets morphology has been exhibited on the surface of carbon cloth because of the CoOH coating. Further, the chemical composition and purity of the (ß-CoOH) nanosheets on CC were perceived using EDX and XPS analyses.

Copper (II) Heterocyclic Thiosemicarbazone Complexes as Single-Source Precursors for the Preparation of Cu9S5 Nanoparticles: Application in Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue

In this study, two copper(II) complexes, [Cu(C6H8N3S2)2]Cl2 (1) and [Cu(C7H10N3S2)2]Cl2·H2O (2), were synthesized from 2-(thiophen-2-ylmethylene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide (L1H) and 2-(1-(thiophen-2-yl)ethylidene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide (L2H) respectively and characterized using various spectroscopic techniques and elemental analyses. The as-prepared complexes were used as single-source precursors for the synthesis of oleylamine-capped (OLA@CuxSy), hexadecylamine-capped (HDA@CuxSy), and dodecylamine-capped (DDA@CuxSy) copper sulphide nanoparticles (NPs) via the thermolysis method at 190 °C and 230 °C and then characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (p-XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The p-XRD diffraction patterns confirmed the formation of crystalline rhombohedral digenite Cu9S5 with the space group R-3m. The TEM images showed the formation of nanoparticles of various shapes including hexagonal, rectangular, cubic, truncated-triangular, and irregularly shaped Cu9S5 nanomaterials. The SEM results showed aggregates and clusters as well as the presence of pores on the surfaces of nanoparticles synthesized at 190 °C. The UV-visible spectroscopy revealed a general blue shift observed in the absorption band edge of the copper sulphide NPs, as compared to bulk CuxSy, with energy band gaps ranging from 2.52 to 3.00 eV. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed the elemental composition of the Cu9S5 nanoparticles. The nanoparticles obtained at 190 °C and 230 °C were used as catalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation. Degradation rates varying from 47.1% to 80.0% were obtained after 90 min of exposure time using only 10 mg of the catalyst, indicating that Cu9S5 nanoparticles have potential in the degradation of organic pollutants (dyes).

General synthesis strategy of ZrO2 nanofilms with few-atom layered thickness for boosting triethylamine detection.

ZrO2, a traditional inert transition metal oxide (TMO), can be prepared into ZrO2 nanofilms (NFs) with a single-layer thickness of only 2.5 nm through the generally applicable two-dimensional TMO synthesis strategy reported by us, and has displayed remarkable sensitivity and selectivity properties for triethylamine gas detection.

Testing the Efficacy of the Synthesis of Iron Antimony Sulfide Powders from Single Source Precursors

The antimony-iron sulfide system in general does not produce alloys below 540 °C from traditional solid-state methods. However, single source precursors have been known to produce unexpected products that arise from kinetically trapped polymorphs. In this paper, we test the efficacy of this approach toward the Fe-Sb-S system. Antimony and iron diethyldithiocarbamate complexes of the form Sb[S2CN(Et2)]3 (1) and Fe[S2CN(Et2)]3 (2) were synthesised, characterised, and used as single-source precursors for the preparation of Sb2S3, FexSy, and mixed iron antimony sulfide Sb2(1−x)Fe2xS3 (0 ≥ x ≥ 1) powders using the solvent-less thermolysis method at different temperatures ranging from 300 to 475 °C. The effect of different mole fractions of the iron precursor was evaluated on morphology, shape, and optical and magnetic properties of Sb2(1−x)Fe2xS3 (0 ≥ x ≥ 1). The obtained powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, magnetometer measurement, and UV/vis/NIR spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that the crystalline structure, morphology, and elemental composition of the samples changed with the mole fraction of the precursor. There was significant phase separation between Sb and Fe sulfides noted from EDX spectroscopic mapping, yet an optoelectronic study monitoring the direct band gap energy of antimony sulfide shows that the band gap energy increases as a function of Fe content, which suggests limited alloying is possible from the single source route.

First Report of Grammothele lineata Causing Stem Rot of Areca catechu in Hainan Province, China.

Areca catechu L. (areca) belongs to the Arecaceae family, which is composed of 181 genera and 2,600 species (Christenhusz and Byng 2016), is cultivated extensively in Southern and Southeastern Asia (Peng et al. 2015). Areca has a long history for its important economic and medicinal benefits and is one of the most important commercial crops in Hainan province, China. In recent years, root rot and stem rot diseases have occurred, causing areca plants to wither and even die. The serious symptoms mainly appeared in the Hainan province (Li et al. 2006). In March 2018, the rotten tissues of the diseased plants were observed to become brittle, brown, and even black from the stem base to the root; the outer leaves turned yellow, dry, and dropping in areca plantations of Qionghai county. The disease can spread from individual plants to the whole plantation in one to two years, with the characteristics of large-scale occurrence and rapid transmission, causing huge economic losses. Diseased tissues (5 × 5 mm) were disinfected with 75% ethanol for 30 s, 1% HgCl2 for 1 min, washed in sterile water, placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and incubated at 28°C (Gao et al. 2019). Pure isolates were obtained by transferring the mycelium around the diseased tissues to PDA several times. The colonies were white and cottony after culturing for 7 days. The reverse side of the colony was yellowish white. Basidiospores were hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, 1.7-1.8 x 1.6-1.7 μm (n=30) in size and circular or ellipse in shape, in addition to a dimitic hyphal system (Das et al. 2017). For molecular identification, the genomic DNA of the isolate was extracted using the thermolysis method (Zhang et al. 2010). The ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified using the primer pairs ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), and the amplified DNA fragments were sequenced. The obtained ITS sequence (GenBank accession No. MW534416) had 99.36% identity with the reference sequence (GenBank accession No. KX013157) of Grammothele lineata Berk. & M.A. Curtis. A phylogenetic tree was constructed with software MEGA7 using the neighbor-joining method, showing that the isolate was grouped in the same clade as G. lineata. To fulfil Koch's postulates, a pathogenicity test was performed using the stems of 6-month-old healthy areca seedlings. Stem surfaces were sterilized with 70% ethanol for 30 s, rinsed three times with sterile water, and gently stabbed with a sterile needle, and then inoculated with a 1-cm-diameter colonized PDA disk from a 7-day culture on wounds, moistened with wet cotton, and wrapped with a fresh plastic wrap. Plants inoculated with sterile PDA medium plugs were used as a control. The inoculation assay was carried out twice, with five plants in both control and treatment in each test. After 20 days, the stems of the plants inoculated with the pathogen exhibited rotten symptoms, and the leaves began to become yellow and shrunken, while the control plants had only the surface of the stems discolored slightly and the inner tissue was undamaged. The fungus was re-isolated from the infected stems. Based on the morphological observations and ITS sequence analysis, the isolate was identified as G. lineata. As far as we know, this is the first report of G. lineata causing the stem rot of areca in China.

Hierarchically structured V2O3/C microspheres: Synthesis, characterization, and their electrochemical properties

The V2O3/C composites have been successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal thermolysis method, employing vanadyl hydroxide as precursor and different carboxylic acids as both a carbon source and reducing agents. The morphology, structure, and composition of the obtained V2O3/C composites were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, physical sorption, thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass-spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The as-prepared V2O3/C composites consist of hierarchically structured microspheres, either with core-shell or solid architecture depending on the used carboxylic acid. When used as anode for lithium-ion batteries, the V2O3/C spheres deliver very good electrochemical performance with high specific capacity, great cyclic stability, and high rate capability. The large capacitive current contribution favors superior lithium storage kinetics compared to more compact chunk-shaped V2O3/C materials. In particular, the composite prepared with tartaric acid exhibits a high reversible capacity of 454 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1.

One pot synthesis of luminescent Mn doped ZnSe nanoparticles and its silica based water dispersible formulation for targeted delivery of doxorubicin

The manganese doped zinc selenide nanoparticles (ZnSe:Mn NPs) were synthesized by thermolysis method using oleic acid and oleylamine as a capping agent, 1-octadecene as solvent. Coating of mesoporous silica was done on ZnSe:Mn (ZnSe:Mn@mSilica) which was further functionalized with amine functional groups by treating with (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane. Further pegylation was done to achieve water dispersibility by conjugating carboxyl groups of poly(ethylene glycol) diacid with the amine groups. These pegylated NPs were subsequently treated with ethylenediamine followed by acrylic acid. Conjugation of tris-(hydroxymethyl-aminomethan) was performed by Michael-type addition reaction to afford ZnSe:Mn@mSilica-PEG-Tris-OH. These TRIS functionalized NPs exhibited broad emission ranging from 590-620 nm that is an indicative for their suitability in diagnosis and monitoring progress of cancer treatment. To explore the usefulness of increased surface area because of mesoporosity, doxorubicin was loaded on ZnSe:Mn@mSilica-PEG-Tris-OH NPs through silyl ether linkage and evaluated for cytotoxicity against WEHI-164 mouse fibrosarcoma and RAJI human hematopoietic origin cancer cell lines. A decrease in 12 % of cell viability of WEHI-164 cells while 30% decrease in RAJI cell lines (IC 50 ≈ 45 nM) were observed. This shows that our formulation has more cytotoxic in RAJI cancer cell lines than that of WEHI-164 cancer cells. These results revealed that the formulation has potential for the application in drug delivery and diagnosis in chemotherapeutics.

Emissive Platforms Employing NaYF4‐based Upconverting Nanoparticles and Mesoporous Metal Oxide Thin Films

AbstractWe present the design and synthesis of a novel optically transparent platform based on the combination of NaYF4: Er3+, Yb3+ upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) and mesoporous metal oxide thin films (MOTFs). The UCNP were obtained by the thermolysis method and were deposited onto a glass substrate by spin coating. The MOTFs (TiO2, ZrO2 and SiO2), prepared by the combination of the sol‐gel approach and the self‐assembly of surfactants, were subsequently deposited on top of the particles giving rise to an ultrathin composite. The characterization of the obtained composite films indicates that they blend the properties of both starting materials: they exhibit upconverting properties, as they are capable of emitting visible light when irradiated in the NIR region, and the MOTFs deposited on top provide an ordered array of mesopores with highly accessible porosity. As the UCNPs emission properties depend on their surrounding temperature, the composite films were tested for temperature sensing applications, using both emission intensity and lifetimes of different signals, with promising results.