Three-dimensional Network Structure Research Articles

Experimental Study on Rapid Hemostasis Using Peptide Hydrogels.

Uncontrolled hemorrhaging resulting from trauma, surgery, and disease-associated or drug-induced blood disorders can cause significant morbidities and mortalities in civilian and military populations. Self-assembling peptide nanofibers are particularly attractive due to their rapid and efficient hemostasis, biocompatibility, and wound-healing properties. In this study, we designed two types of 12-residue peptides by using a strong fishnet-like peptide sequence and a pro-cell adhesion sequence (Arg-Gly-Asp, RGD). The peptides are HN2-X-Ser-Phe-Cys-Phe-Lys-Phe-Glu-X-Arg-Gly-Asp-OH (where X is Pro or Tyr), which dissolve in deionized (DI) water and form stable and transparent functional hydrogels. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the two peptides self-assemble into nanowebs and nanofibers, forming a fishnet-like and three-dimensional network structure. Circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis demonstrated that the self-assembled peptides mainly adopt a β-sheet structure with β-turn and α-helix as auxiliary assembly growth. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and SEM analysis showed that the cell survival rates were very good, delivering an obvious promotion of cell proliferation of fibroblasts and hepatocytes. Importantly, in vivo hemostasis delivered that the self-assembled peptide nanowebs and nanofibers had a good hemostatic effect on rat saphenous vein and liver bleeding, achieving 38 s faster hemostasis, which was better than commercial "Instantaneous" hemostatic powder. Accoupling the fast hemostasis and effective promotion of liver defect rapid repair, the peptide self-assembly strategy offers a clinically promising treatment option for life-threatening liver bleeding and serves as a renewed impetus for the development of peptide hydrogels as effective hemostatic agents.

Application of a novel polymer cross-linked with magnetite for efficient norfloxacin adsorption at a wide pH range

Nowadays, NOR-containing wastewater has placed huge pressure on global ecology. In this study, a chemically-modified chitosan-based polymer was cross-linked with magnetite to prepare a novel magnetic composite adsorbent named Fe3O4/CS-P(AM-SSS) for norfloxacin (NOR) removal. The preparation conditions were optimized by single factor experiments and response surface methodology. A series of characterization analyses were carried out on the morphology, structure, and properties of Fe3O4/CS-P(AM-SSS), verifying that Fe3O4/CS-P(AM-SSS) was successfully prepared. Batch adsorption experiments showed that NOR was efficiently removed by Fe3O4/CS-P(AM-SSS), with a broad pH applicability of 3–10, short adsorption equilibrium time of 60 min, maximum adsorption capacity of 268.79 mg/g, and high regeneration rate of 86% after eight adsorption-desorption cycles. Due to the three-dimensional network structure and abundant functional groups provided by modified chitosan polymer, the superior adsorption capability of Fe3O4/CS-P(AM-SSS) was achieved through electrostatic interaction, π-π stacking, hydrophobic interaction, and hydrogen bonding. Adsorption process was exothermic and well fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isothermal model. The presence of cations had a slight inhibitory effect on NOR adsorption, while humic acid nearly had no effect. In model swine wastewater, 90.3% NOR was removed by Fe3O4/CS-P(AM-SSS). Therefore, with these superior characteristics, Fe3O4/CS-P(AM-SSS) was expected to be an ideal material for treating NOR-containing wastewater in the future.

Adsorption Behavior and Kinetics of 1,4-Dioxane by Carbon Aerogel.

1,4-dioxane is a potential carcinogen in water and is difficult to deal with due to its robust cycloether bond and complete miscibility with water. To remove 1,4-dioxane in an economically viable and environmentally friendly way, a series of carbon aerogels were synthesized as adsorbents for 1,4-dioxane. The experiment results showed that adsorption performances were closely related to the preparation conditions of carbon aerogels, such as the molar ratio, heating rate, pyrolysis temperature and residence time, which were carefully controlled. Scanning electron microscope analysis revealed the presence of a three-dimensional porous network structure in carbon aerogels. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis results demonstrated an increase in specific surface area (673.89 m2/g) and total pore volume after carbonization, with an increase in mesoporous porosity and a decrease in microporosity. When considering each variable individually, the highest specific surface area of prepared carbon aerogels was achieved at a pyrolysis temperature of 800 °C, a holding time of 1 h, and a heating rate of 2 °C/min. Under optimal experimental conditions, the adsorption removal of 1,4-dioxane by carbon aerogels exceeded 95%, following quasi-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isothermal adsorption isotherms, indicating that monolayer adsorption on the surface of carbon aerogels occurred. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained was 67.28 mg/g at a temperature of 318 K, which was attributed to the presence of a large proportion of mesopores and abundant micropores simultaneously in carbon aerogels. Furthermore, with the interference of chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene (TCE), the removal efficiency of 1,4-dioxane had no obvious inhibition effect. Regeneration experiments showed that after five continuous cycles, the carbon aerogels still kept a comparable adsorption capacity, which illustrates its potential application in 1,4-dioxane-polluted water purification.

Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis with 3D neural network based on multi-scale attention mechanism.

This paper presents a novel multi-scale attention residual network (MAResNet) for diagnosing patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) by computed tomography (CT) images. First, a three-dimensional (3D) network structure is applied in MAResNet based on the continuity and correlation of nodal features on different slices of CT images. Secondly, MAResNet incorporates the residual module and Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) to reuse the shallow features of CT images and focus on key features to enhance the feature distinguishability of images. In addition, multi-scale inputs can increase the global receptive field of the network, extract the location information of PTB, and capture the local details of nodules. The expression ability of both high-level and low-level semantic information in the network can also be enhanced. The proposed MAResNet shows excellent results, with overall 94% accuracy in PTB classification. MAResNet based on 3D CT images can assist doctors make more accurate diagnosis of PTB and alleviate the burden of manual screening. In the experiment, a called Grad-CAM was employed to enhance the class activation mapping (CAM) technique for analyzing the model's output, which can identify lesions in important parts of the lungs and make transparent decisions.

Enhancement mechanism of glycation with l-arabinose and xylose on texture properties of silver carp mince gel.

Glycation is a green processing technology. Based on our previous studies, glycation with l-arabinose and xylose was beneficial to enhance the texture properties of silver carp mince (SCM) gels. However, the possible enhancement mechanism remained unclear. Therefore, in this study, SCM gels with different types of reducing sugar (glucose, l-arabinose, and xylose) were prepared based on our previous study. The possible mechanism of texture enhancement of SCM gels was analyzed by investigating the changes in water distribution, protein structures, and microstructure in the gel system. The glycation of l-arabinose and xylose enhanced the hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and resilience of SCM gels. Hardness increased from 1883.04 (control group) to 3624.54 (l-arabinose group) and 4348.18 (xylose group). Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) showed that glycation promoted the tight binding of immobilized water to proteins. Raman spectroscopic analysis showed that glycation increased the surface hydrophobicity and promoted the formation of disulfide bonds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that glycation promoted the formation of uniform and dense three-dimensional network structure in SCM gels. In summary, glycation enhanced the binding ability of immobilized water to proteins, improved the surface hydrophobicity, promoted the formation of disulfide bonds, and led to a more uniform and dense gel network structure of proteins, thus enhancing the texture properties of SCM gels. This research provided a theoretical basis for a better understanding of the mechanism of the effect of glycation on the quality of gel products and also provided technical support for the application of l-arabinose and xylose in new functional gel foods. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Functionally responsive hydrogels with salt-alkali sensitivity effectively target soil amelioration

The long-standing crisis of soil salinization and alkalization poses a significant challenge to global agricultural development. High soil salinity-alkalinity, water dispersion, and nutrient loss present major hurdles to soil improvement. Novel environmentally friendly gels have demonstrated excellent water retention and slow-release capabilities in agricultural enhancement. However, their application for improving saline-alkali soil is both scarce and competitive. This study proposes a new strategy for regulating saline-alkali soil using gel-coated controlled-release soil modifiers (CWR-SRMs), where radical-polymerized gels are embedded on the surface of composite gel beads through spray coating. Characterization and performance analysis reveal that the three-dimensional spatial network structure rich in hydrophilic groups exhibits good thermal stability (first-stage weight loss temperature of 257.7 °C in thermogravimetric analysis) and encapsulation efficiency for fulvic acid‑potassium (FA-K), which can enhance soil quality in saline-alkali environments. The molecular chain relaxation under saline-alkali conditions promotes a synergistic effect of swelling and slow release, endowing it with qualifications as a water reservoir, Ca2+ source unit, and slow-release body. The results of a 6 weeks incubation experiment on 0–20 cm saline-alkaline soil with different application gradients showed that the gradient content had a significant effect on the soil improvement effect. Specifically, the T2 (the dosage accounted for 1 % of soil mass) treatment significantly increases water retention (30 % ~ 90 %), and nutrient levels (30 % ~ 50 %), while significantly decreasing soil sodium colloid content (30 % ~ 60 %) and soil pH (10 % ~ 15 %). Furthermore, PCA analysis indicates that the addition of 1 % CWR-SRMs as amendments can significantly adjust the negative aspects of soil salinity and alkalinity. This highlights the excellent applicability of CWR-SRMs in improving saline-alkali agricultural ecosystems, demonstrating the potential value of novel environmentally friendly gels as an alternative solution for soil challenges persistently affected by adverse salinity and alkalinity.

A strong stability gel foam for water shutoff during oil and gas reservoir development

In view of the short effective period of conventional foam for water shutoff during oil and gas reservoir development, a strong stability gel foam system is proposed in this work. By comparing the foam properties of different foaming systems, the optimized formulation of foam system is “0.3% SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) + 0.4% HPAM (partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide) + 0.3% SD-107 (organic chromium).” At 50 °C and 10 000 mg/l salinities, the volume of foam is basically unchanged after a short time of defoaming and finally remains above 70%, and the drainage half-life can reach 16 days. The polymer and crosslinker form a stable three-dimensional network structure on the Plateau boundary after foaming, which has good viscosity and viscoelasticity. The foam system has excellent temperature and salt resistance. It is appropriate for medium and low temperature shallow reservoirs. The foam system has a good plugging efficiency. It can effectively plug the fracture and improve the sweep volume, which has a good application prospect.

Fabrication of conductive network anemone-like Ni@NC/NCNTs composites towards electromagnetic wave absorption

The structural dimensions of the materials and the design of the components are important factor to optimize the electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption. Herein, Ni nanoparticles and nitrogen-doped carbon-based composites (Ni@NC/NCNTs) were successfully synthesized under high-temperature carbonization by introducing dicyandiamide (DCDA) into flake-assembled flower spherical Ni-based metal-organic framework (Ni-MOF). The influence of the composition and structure of Ni@NC/NCNTs on the absorption properties of EMW are revealed by changing the carbonization temperature. It could be found that the Ni@NC/NCNT-600 composite exhibits a good absorption capacity in the C-band (4–8 GHz). At a filler loading of 30 wt%, its optimal reflection loss (RL) is −34.22 dB at 4.88 GHz. In addition, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4.2 GHz could be obtained at 1.8 mm. And Ni@NC/NCNT-1000 composite also achieve the same bandwidth at thin thicknesses (1.21 mm). The reasonable adjustment of the filler loading and carbonization temperature would effectively improve the permittivity and achieve a good impedance matching. The multiple loss mechanisms make Ni@NC/NCNTs have excellent EMW absorption performance. The optimal RL of Ni@NC/NCNTs-800 composite could reach −56.05 dB at 3.32 mm thickness with 25 wt% filler loading. Therefore, it provides some ideas for developing high-performance carbon-based composites with three-dimensional conductive network structure.

Gelatin/carboxymethyl chitosan/aloe juice hydrogels with skin-like endurance and quick recovery: Preparation, characterization, and properties

Gelatin-based hydrogels have gained considerable attention due to their resemblance to the extracellular matrix and hydrophilic three-dimensional network structure. Apart from providing an air-permeable and moist environment, these hydrogels optimize the inflammatory microenvironment of the wounds. These properties make gelatin-based hydrogels highly competitive in the field of wound dressings. In this study, a series of composite hydrogels were prepared using gelatin (Gel) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) as primary materials, glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker, and aloe vera juice as an anti-inflammatory component. The properties of the hydrogel, including its rheological properties, microscopic structures, mechanical properties, swelling ratios, thermal stability, antibacterial properties, and biocompatibility, were investigated. The results demonstrate that the gelatin-based hydrogels exhibit good elasticity and rapid self-healing ability. The hydrogels exhibited slight shear behavior, which is advantageous for skin care applications. Furthermore, the inclusion of aloe vera juice into the hydrogel resulted in a dense structure, improved mechanical properties and enhanced swelling ratio. The Gel/CMCh/Aloe hydrogels tolerate a compressive strength similar to that of human skin. Moreover, the hydrogels displayed excellent cytocompatibility with HFF-1 cells, and exhibited antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Lomefloxacin was used as a model drug to study the releasing behavior of the Gel/CMCh/aloe hydrogels. The results showed that the drug was released rapidly at the initial stage, and could continue to be released for 12 h, the maximum releasing rate exceeded 20 %. These findings suggest that the gelatin-based hydrogels hold great promise as effective wound dressings.

Electrical conduction properties of PP-based nanocomposite with high thermal conductivity for HVDC cable insulation

This paper reports on thermal and electrical conduction properties of polypropylene (PP)-based nanocomposite used for high voltage direct current cable insulation. To improve the thermal conductivity of the PP/propylene-based elastomer (PBE) blend (noted as PB), boron nitride (BN) nanosheets with high thermal conductivity are added. The pretreatment process through template method is to obtain a three-dimensional (3D) network structure composed of BN nanosheets (noted as 3DBN). Then the 3DBN is added into the PP/ PBE blend, in which the 3D networks are locally arranged and the other BN nanosheets are randomly dispersed. Thermal conductivity is estimated, while electrical conductivity is measured under electric fields of 5–40 kV mm−1 at various temperatures. Carrier trap distribution is derived from isothermal surface potential decay method. In addition, the microstructure and crystallization characteristics of the nanocomposites are measured. The results show that the thermal conductivity of the PP/PBE blend is improved obviously by the addition of the locally arranged 3DBN, and that of PB-3DBN-10 is increased by 16% compared with that of PB. Deep traps are introduced by the dispersed BN nanosheets and the electrical conduction is reduced, which becomes increasingly evident with the filler content and temperature. It is suggested that the introduction of thermal conductive fillers with a 3D network structure and well-dispersed state can synergistically enhance the thermal conductivity and insulation performances of the PP-based material.

Lightweight aramid nanofibers/carbon nanotubes/MnFe2O4 composite aerogel for highly efficient microwave absorption

With the booming development and wide applications of modern communication technology, wearable devices are becoming more and more popular in our life. Meanwhile, the pollution and radiation of electromagnetic wave (EMW) is becoming increasingly prominent and threating to human health, equipment operation and military security. Multi-component regulation and spatial microstructure design of microwave absorption materials is an effective strategy for solving the pollution and radiation of electromagnetic wave. Herein, aramid nanofibers/carbon nanotubes/MnFe2O4 (ACF) composite aerogel were prepared through the combination of freeze-drying technique and hydrothermal method. Impedance matching of aramid nanofibers/carbon nanotubes aerogel is improved by introducing MnFe2O4 particles, inducing to that EMW is more easily incident into aerogel and then attenuated by microwave absorber. In addition, the three-dimensional networks structure of aerogel can enhance the multiple reflection and scattering, and improve the loss capacity of EMW. ACF05 aerogel exhibits a minimum reflection loss of −64.6 dB at 12.0 GHz and broad effective absorption bandwidth of 5.0 GHz under thickness of 2.1 mm. The excellent microwave absorption (MA) performance of ACF aerogel mainly comes from the synergistic effect of three-dimensional networks structure, impedance matching, dielectric loss and magnetic loss.

Fabrication of nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide/tricobalt tetraoxide composite aerogels with high efficiency, broadband microwave absorption, and good compression recovery performance

The fabrication of advanced graphene-based microwave absorbing materials with thin thickness, wide bandwidth, strong absorption strength, and low filling ratio remains a huge challenge. In this paper, nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide/tricobalt tetraoxide (NRGO/Co3O4) composite aerogels were synthesized by a three-step method of solvothermal reaction, high-temperature calcination, and hydrothermal self-assembly. The results showed that the attained NRGO/Co3O4 composite aerogels had a unique three-dimensional porous network structure, extremely low bulk density, and good compression recovery. Furthermore, the effect of the addition amounts of flower-like Co3O4 on the complex dielectric constant and microwave absorption properties of NRGO/Co3O4 composite aerogels was investigated. When the addition amount of Co3O4 was equal to 15 mg, the prepared binary composite aerogel showed the strongest absorption strength of –62.78 dB and a wide absorption bandwidth of 5.5 GHz at a thin thickness of 2.13 mm and a low filling ratio of 15 wt.%. It was worth noting that the maximum absorption bandwidth could reach 6.32 GHz (11.68–18 GHz, spanning the entire Ku-band) at a thickness of 2.24 mm. In addition, the possible microwave absorption mechanism of NRGO/Co3O4 composite aerogels was also proposed. Therefore, this paper will provide a new and simple strategy for preparing RGO-based porous nanocomposites as lightweight, efficient, and broadband microwave absorbers.

Construction of gelatin/alginate hydrogels doped hemicyanine derivatives for photodynamic antibacterial application

Hydrogel systems based on natural polymer materials have provided alternative opportunities for preparing antimicrobial dressings. A composite antibacterial hydrogel system containing gelatin (Gel), alginate (Alg) and hemicyanine derivatives with different chain lengths (C3, C6 and C10) was constructed. The composite hydrogels have excellent swelling ability and low degradability due to the classical three-dimensional network structure. Because of the photosensitization ability of C3, C6 and C10, hydrogels containing these molecules can also effectively produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) under light. Importantly, the hydrogel containing C3 molecules that have higher spatial extension structure and shorter alkyl chain than C6 and C10 shows better photo-responsive antibacterial effect against drug-resistant Escherichia coli. The bacterial killing activity of the composite hydrogel system could be regulated by changing the alkyl chain length of the photosensitizers. This effective and photo-responsive composite hydrogel system is expected to be used for bacteria-infected wound repair and promoting wound healing.

Highly sensitive flexible SERS substrates with a sandwich structure for rapid detection of trace pesticide residues

Compared to rigid surface-enhanced Raman scatting (SERS) substrates, flexible SERS substrates offer significant advantages for the detection of pesticide residues on vegetable and fruit surfaces, primarily due to their convenient sampling process and shorter detection times. However, for paper-based SERS substrates, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are easy to form ineffective dispersion in the three-dimensional network structure of paper, resulting in unsatisfactory SERS enhancement. To address this challenge and achieve high-performance flexible SERS substrates, a novel sandwich structure is proposed. Specifically, AuNPs are aggregated on expanded graphite (EG) through a chemical enhancement process facilitated by LiCl. EG is found to improve the adsorption capacity of targeted molecules while preventing signal attenuation caused by filter papers. By employing an aggregating agent at specific concentrations, it is possible to significantly increase the amounts of hot spots to provide a more pronounced enhancement effect. Furthermore, the developed flexible SERS substrates are applied to qualitatively and quantitatively detect pesticide residues, including Thiram, Nitrofural and Dinotefuran. The flexible SERS substrates demonstrate high accuracy and robustness, making them easily storable and suitable for practical applications.

Porous Collagen Sponge Loaded with Large Efficacy-Potentiated Exosome-Mimicking Nanovesicles for Diabetic Skin Wound Healing.

Diabetic skin wounds are difficult to heal quickly due to insufficient angiogenesis and prolonged inflammation, which is an urgent clinical problem. To address this clinical problem, it becomes imperative to develop a dressing that can promote revascularization and reduce inflammation during diabetic skin healing. Herein, a multifunctional collagen dressing (CTM) was constructed by loading large efficacy-potentiated exosome-mimicking nanovesicles (L-Meseomes) into a porous collagen sponge with transglutaminase (TGase). L-Meseomes were constructed in previous research with the function of promoting cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis and inhibiting inflammation. CTM has a three-dimensional porous network structure with good biocompatibility, swelling properties, and degradability and could release L-Meseome slowly. In vitro experiments showed that CTM could promote the proliferation of fibroblasts and the polarization of macrophages to the anti-inflammatory phenotype. For in vivo experiments, on the 21st day after surgery, the wound healing rates of the control and CTM were 83.026 ± 4.17% and 93.12 ± 2.16%, respectively; the epidermal maturation and dermal differentiation scores in CTM were approximately four times that of the control group, and the skin epidermal thickness of the CTM group was approximately 20 μm, which was closest to that of normal rats. CTM could significantly improve wound healing in diabetic rats by promoting anti-inflammation, angiogenesis, epidermal recovery, and dermal collagen deposition. In summary, the multifunctional collagen dressing CTM could significantly promote the healing of diabetic skin wounds, which provides a new strategy for diabetic wound healing in the clinic.

Comparison of the filtration performance of konjac glucomannan-based aerogel and cellulose acetate

Abstract Konjac glucomannan (KGM)-based aerogel was used as filtration material to compare filtration performance with conventional cellulose acetate (CA). KGM-based aerogel showed a three-dimensional network structure and higher specific surface area and porosity, providing a longer channel and larger adsorption interface for smoke stream and promoting the multidirectional interception for particulate matters (PMs), which was superior to the parallel fiber structure of CA. The smoke analyzer based on leaf burning was utilized to detect the filtration performance. KGM-based aerogel was significantly better than CA for total PMs, nicotine, and tar interception, with an increase of 11.6%, 22.4%, and 10.3%, respectively.

A novel cobalt-based coordination polymer for rapid degradation of organic dyes in water by visible light assistance

It is crucial to construct an effective photocatalyst for the removal of dyes from aqueous environments. In the present work, a novel cobalt-based coordination polymer was synthesized and characterized with the molecular formula [Co(ipa)(ptt)]n (Co-CP), (ipa = isophthalic acid, ptt = 5-(4-Pyridyl)-1H-tetrazole). In Co-CP, each cobalt ion is in a six-coordination mode and is connected to two adjacent ligands to form a three-dimensional network structure. Furthermore, Co-CP excellent degradation properties and can effectively degrade methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (Rh B) under visible light with degradation efficiencies of 84.3 % and 94.6 %, respectively. Additionally, its PXRD patterns and FTIR spectra remained consistent with the original complex after three cycles, which proved that it was very stable, and there was no significant decrease in degradation ability after three cycling cycles, indicating its excellent reusability. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism was subsequently rationalized through free radical trapping experiments and analysis the energy band structure of Co-CP.

Effect of Fiber Content on Mechanical Properties of Fiber-Reinforced CGF All-Solid-Waste Binder-Solidified Soil.

In order to realize the resource utilization of solid waste and improve the tensile strength and toughness of soil, CCR-GGBS-FA all-solid-waste binder (CGF) composed of general industrial solid waste calcium carbide residue (CCR), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and fly ash (FA) was used instead of cement and combined with polypropylene fiber to strengthen the silty soil taken from Dongying City, China. An unconfined compressive strength test (UCS test) and a uniaxial tensile test (UT test) were carried out on 10 groups of samples with five different fiber contents to uncover the effect of fiber content on tensile and compressive properties, and the reinforcement mechanism was studied using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test. The test results show that the unconfined compressive strength, the uniaxial tensile strength, the deformation modulus, the tensile modulus, the fracture energy and the residual strength of fiber-reinforced CGF-solidified soil are significantly improved compared with nonfiber-solidified soil. The compressive strength and the tensile strength of polypropylene-fiber-reinforced CGF-solidified soil reach the maximum value when the fiber content is 0.25%, as the unconfined compressive strength and the tensile strength are 3985.7 kPa and 905.9 kPa, respectively, which are 116.60% and 186.16% higher than those of nonfiber-solidified soil, respectively. The macro-micro tests identify that the hydration products generated by CGF improve the compactness through gelling and filling in solidified soil, and the fiber enhances the resistance to deformation by bridging and forming a three-dimensional network structure. The addition of fiber effectively improves the toughness and stiffness of solidified soil and makes the failure mode of CGF-solidified soil transition from typical brittle failure to plastic failure. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the application of fiber-reinforced CGF-solidified soil in practical engineering.

Multifunction-balanced porous carbon and its application in sulfur-loading host and separator modification for lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium–sulfur batteries have been researched extensively because of their high energy density and low price. However, the poor conductivity of sulfur, the shuttle effect of polysulfide, the slow redox kinetics of sulfur species, and the significant volume expansion and contraction during charging and discharging have hindered the commercial application of lithium–sulfur batteries. In this study, a simple, scalable, and cost-effective strategy was developed to control the balance of the porosity, specific surface area, graphitization, heteroatom co-doping, and polar-polar interactions of a biomass carbon source. With this strategy, multifunctional porous carbon materials with three-dimensional network structures were prepared to serve as sulfur-loading hosts with high specific surface area, strong adsorption activity, and good conductivity. Moreover, the optimal porous carbon material was directly coated on a commercial separator, and the modified separator was found to further improve the electrochemical performance of a lithium–sulfur battery. As a result, for the battery with GPCS-3 as cathode electrode and modified separator as separator, the initial discharge capacity at 1.0C is 926.2 mAh g−1. After 300 cycles, the discharge capacity is 712.7 mAh g−1, and the average capacity decay is only 0.077 % per cycle. Since the three-dimensional network structure material exhibits good performance as a sulfur-loading host as well as the ability to effectively modify a separator, this study provides a valuable strategy for the fabrication of high energy density lithium–sulfur batteries.

The three-dimensional culture of L929 and C2C12 cells based on SPI-SA interpenetrating network hydrogel scaffold with excellent mechanical properties.

Cell-cultured meat, which is obtained by adsorbing cells on the three-dimensional scaffold, is considered a potential solution to animal welfare issues. Edible and safe cell-cultured meat scaffolds are a key part of its research. Soy protein isolate (SPI) hydrogel has a three-dimensional network structure and has been studied for L929 cell culture because of its non-toxicity and biocompatibility. However, the toughness and mechanical properties of SPI hydrogel are not enough to bear the requirements of cell cultivation. In this paper, sodium alginate (SA) was added to SPI hydrogel, and the interpenetrating network (IPN) technology was used to construct SPI-SA IPN hydrogel by transglutaminase and Ca2+ double crosslinking method. SPI-SA IPN hydrogel has excellent mechanical properties, structural stability and biodegradable performance than SPI hydrogel. The bio-compatibility and degradability of L929 and C2C12 cells on SPI-SA IPN hydrogel were studied by cytotoxicity, trypan blue and living/dead cell staining, and the growth law of the hydrogel as a scaffold for cell culture was analyzed. The results showed that L929/C2C12 cells can proliferate normally and adhere in hydrogel and have good bio-compatibility. L929 cells with size about 20-50µm have better adhesion and growth abilities on SPI-SA IPN hydrogel than C2C12 cells with 100-300µm. Therefore, the SPI-SA IPN hydrogel is non-toxic and supports the growth of cells in the pores of the material. This study provides a reference for the application of SPI-SA IPN hydrogels in vitro cell growth.