Traditional Liquid Research Articles

Urea Melt Marbles Developed by Enwrapping Urea Melt Droplets with Superhydrophobic Particles: Preparation, Properties, and Application in Large Urea Granule Production

AbstractUrea melt droplets (UMDs) spontaneously spheronize and form large urea granules after condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces without dust generation. However, they break and coalesce when colliding with each other; moreover, they adhere to the surface and form tails when rolling. These problems limit the practicality of the process using UMDs for large urea granulation directly. Urea melt marbles (UMMs) are introduced to overcome these drawbacks by enwrapping UMDs with superhydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) powder, thus enhancing the elasticity and maintaining the sphericity. A premixing–melting process is developed to obtain UMMs and lower the PTFE powder consumption to half of that required in the traditional liquid marble preparation. The best determined elasticity modulus of UMMs reaches 44.9 ± 3.6 Pa, and the sphericity is 0.9992. No adhering or tailing occurs during rolling granulation. Large urea granules obtained through UMMs meet all requirements for the commercial urea products and exhibit additional advantages of protection against moisture and slow release of fertilizer.

Design and theoretical analysis of a liquid piston hydrogen compressor

Hydrogen is widely considered to be the ultimate energy source and has received significant attention from research institutions. Compressors are widely used as the core device for increasing the volumetric energy density of hydrogen. However, conventional reciprocating compressors have problems, such as complex structure, frequent breakdown and large impact. This paper proposes a liquid piston compressor for hydrogen compression. Firstly, the structure and working principle of the compressor are introduced. The compressor adopts a five-stage compression structure, which is driven by a five-piston radial piston pump, and the corresponding hydraulic control system is designed. Secondly, to reduce the return shock of the compressor, the buffer structure is designed for each stage of compression, and theoretical analysis is performed to obtain the theoretical output flow rate of the compressor and the kinematic characteristics of the inlet and discharge processes. Finally, combined with the AMEsim software, the motion of the compressor piston and the characteristics of pressure change during the entire working process in the compressor are simulated. Results show that the novel multi-stage compressor can achieve stable and continuous hydrogen compression, and the buffer structure of each stage greatly reduces the piston impact on the compressor. Compared with the traditional liquid piston compressor, the proposed compressor solves the problems of unstable operation and reduced compression efficiency caused by leakage and reduces the impact and vibration of the piston and increases the stability and controllability of the compressor operation. The analysis results show that the solution is feasible.

S/MWCNt/LLZO composite electrode with e−/S/Li+ conductive network for all-solid -state Lithium–Sulfur batteries

Traditional liquid lithium-sulfur batteries have two key problems: poor safety and shuttle effect. These two challenges can be overcome by using solid-state electrolytes. But poor ionic and electronic conductivity due to solid/solid contact between the electrode and the electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries (ASSLSBs). Here, we have synthesized Li6.4Ga0.2La3Zr2O12(LLZO) conductive ceramics with high ionic conductivity. LLZO is used as the lithium-ion conductor and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNt) are used as the electronic conductor to form S/MWCNt/LLZO by the thermal diffusion method, resulting in an e−/S/Li+ conductive network. The prepared S/MWCNt/LLZO composite material, composite solid electrolyte, and lithium metal are assembled into ASSLSBs. After 50 cycles, the high capacity of 825 ​mAh·g−1 is maintained with 72.62% capacity retention at 0.2C and 45 ​°C. The higher capacity indicates the success of forming a conductive network that can improve the electrochemical performance of ASSLSBs. At 0.2C, the capacity of the S/MWCNt/LLZO composite cathode remains at 873 ​mAh·g−1 after 60 cycles when the operating temperature is increased to 60 ​°C, indicating good cycle performance.

Crowder and surface effects on self-organization of microtubules

Microtubules are an essential physical building block of cellular systems. They are organized using specific crosslinkers, motors, and influencers of nucleation and growth. With the addition of antiparallel crosslinkers, microtubule self-organization patterns go through a transition from fanlike structures to homogeneous tactoid condensates in vitro. Tactoids are reminiscent of biological mitotic spindles, the cell division machinery. To create these organizations, we previously used polymer crowding agents. Here we study how altering the properties of the crowders, such as type, size, and molecular weight, affects microtubule organization. Comparing simulations with experiments, we observe a scaling law associated with the fanlike patterns in the absence of crosslinkers. Tactoids formed in the presence of crosslinkers show variable length, depending on the crowders. We correlate the subtle differences to filament contour length changes, affected by nucleation and growth rate changes induced by the polymers in solution. Using quantitative image analysis, we deduce that the tactoids differ from traditional liquid crystal organization, as they are limited in width irrespective of crowders and surfaces, and behave as solidlike condensates.

Application of inductance in the field of liquid level sensors

Aiming at the application limitations of traditional inactive liquid level sensors (mainly ultrasonic and light waves), In this article, the relationship between inductance and medium is quantified in specific application scenarios, which can implement the functions of traditional liquid level sensors and solve different The influence of liquid composition and state on data, this research expands the application fields of liquid level sensors.

Luminescent Liquid Crystals Based on Carbonized Polymer Dots and Their Polarized Luminescence Application.

Traditional luminescent liquid crystals (LLCs) suffer from fluorescence quenching caused by aggregation, which greatly limits their further application. In this work, a kind of novel LLCs (named carbonized polymer dot liquid crystals (CPD-LCs)) are designed and successfully synthesized through grafting the rod-shaped liquid crystal (LC) molecules of 4'-cyano-4-(4″-bromohexyloxy) biphenyl on the surface of CPDs. The peripheral LC molecules not only increase the distance between different CPDs to prevent them from aggregating and reduce intermolecular energy resonance transfer but also make this LLC have an ordered arrangement. Thus, the obtained CPD-LCs show good LC property and excellent high luminous efficiency with an absolute photoluminescence quantum yield of 14.52% in the aggregated state. Furthermore, this kind of CPD-LC is used to fabricate linearly polarized devices. The resultant linearly polarized dichroic ratio (N) and polarization ratio (ρ) are 2.59 and 0.44, respectively. Clearly, this type of CPD-LC shows promising applications for optical devices.

Phase-Inversion Polymer Composite Separators for Printable Lithium-Ion Batteries

Separators isolate the anode and cathode electrodes in Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and play a critical role in facilitating ion transport while enabling safe battery operation. Commercial polyolefin separators made of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) are used widely in traditional liquid electrolyte Li-ion batteries. However, these materials have limited thermal stability and are not compatible with additive manufacturing approaches for fabrication of new battery electrode architectures [1]. Researchers have investigated phase-inversion composite separators as a means to solve these problems, but there is limited data available on the relative effects of material composition and processing conditions on final separator morphology and performance. In our work, we analyze the effects of solvents, inorganic additives and phase inversion processing conditions on the separator’s ionic conductivity, rate capability, and mechanical integrity. Silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), and glass particles are used as inorganic additives in varying combinations and ratios in a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer matrix. The PVDF concentration in our solvent solution is varied to understand the impact of solution viscosity on the phase inversion process and resultant mechanical performance of our separators. Through this study we begin to elucidate relationships between processing conditions, material composition and electrochemical and mechanical performance to facilitate further development of alternative Li-ion battery separators that are compatible with additive manufacturing.[1] Cobb, C. L.; Ho, C. C. Electrochem. Soc. Interface 2016, 25 (1), 75–78. Acknowledgement This work was funded in part by a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award under grant number D19AP00038. The views, opinions, and/or findings expressed are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official views or policies of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.

Recent Advances and Perspectives on the Polymer Electrolytes for Sodium/Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Owing to the low cost of sodium/potassium resources and similar electrochemical properties of Na+ /K+ to Li+ , sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) are regarded as promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in large-scale energy storage field. However, traditional organic liquid electrolytes bestow SIBs/KIBs with serious safety concerns. In contrast, quasi-/solid-phase electrolytes including polymer electrolytes (PEs) and inorganic solid electrolytes (ISEs) show great superiority of high safety. However, the poor processibility and relatively low ionic conductivity of Na+ and K+ ions limit the further practical applications of ISEs. PEs combine some merits of both liquid-phase electrolytes and ISEs, and present great potentials in next-generation energy storage systems. Considerable efforts have been devoted to improving their overall properties. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of an in-depth and comprehensive review to get insights into mechanisms and corresponding design strategies of PEs. Herein, the advantages of different electrolytes, particularly PEs are first minutely reviewed, and the mechanism of PEs for Na+ /K+ ion transfer is summarized. Then, representative researches and recent progresses of SIBs/KIBs based on PEs are presented. Finally, some suggestions and perspectives are put forward to provide some possible directions for the follow-up researches.

Different Methods of Preparation, Evaluation and Comparison of One Traditional Oral Liquid Formulation for Potential Antihyperlipidemic Activity in Hyperlipidemic Wistar Rats

Kashayam are unique Ayurvedic Formulation, most of them Polyherbal oral dosage form, used as a medicinal rationale. One of them Kokilaksha Kashayam, Quality of Kokilaksha Kashayam depends only on quality of starting materials, processing of ingredients, meticulous crushing, heating cycle.In traditional system of medicine like Ayurveda, Kokilaksha Kashayam is one of the traditional Indian medicine which is a polyherbal preparation treated with plant extract. It is generally used in the treatments of disorders related to Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic,heart, cancer etc. however detailed characterization studies after preparation & comparison with marketed formulation are significant which can express authenticity of the product. Here the research work deals with the preparation of Kokilaksha Kashayam as per the procedure mentioned in the Ayurvedic text and modern method of preparation. Prepared Kokilaksha Kashayam was characterized and identified by different Analytical techniques, then evaluate preclinical pharmacological studies and also compared with Marketed formulations. Special steps concerned in the preparation of Kokilaksha Kashayam include Upakara (Preparation), Jaran (Heating & Stirring), Shoshan (Purification), Dravyaguna parlksa (Pharmacological experiments), tulana parlksa (comparison Study) by traditional or conventional as well as modern methods of preparation. These products obtained from Jaran (Heating & Stirring), Shoshan (Purification) by water extraction (Decoction process) and marketable sample were analyzed for quality control checks, the parameters mentioned in Ayurvedic texts as well as in modern techniques of evaluation, and pre-clinical pharmacological studies such as Assay of lipid per- oxidation, Hypolipidemic Activity etc were done to find out nature and form of the prepared formulation. Analyzed the in-vitro with in-vivo Anti-hyperlipidemic activity, bio-accessibility of Kokilaksha Kashayam were also determined. The Study reveals that the prepared Kokilaksha Kashayam-T and Kokilaksha Kashayam-M was shown the antioxidant activity was expanded in focus subordinate way. Kokilaksha Kashayam -T and Kokilaksha Kashayam-M repressed the ferrous sulfate prompted lipid per-oxidation in a measurements subordinate way and demonstrated inhibitory focus (IC50) esteem 166.173 and 170.284 µg/ml individually observed from graphical representation. By Oral Administration of Kokilaksha Kashayam-T and Kokilaksha Kashayam-M for nine weeks at the measurement of 2 ml/kg fundamentally decreased serum cholesterol, serum LDL and serum triglycerides while indicated critical ascent in serum HDL when contrasted with high fat eating routine encouraged control gathering. Marketed Kokilaksha Kashayam additionally demonstrated critical decline in serum cholesterol, serum LDL, serum triglycerides and indicated noteworthy ascent in serum HDL. Atorvastatin (1.2 mg/kg, p.o.) was utilized as standard antihyperlipidemic drug.The Study confirmed prepared two kinds of Kokilaksha Kashayam as Kokilaksha Kashayam-T and Kokilaksha Kashayam-M and Compared with Marketed Formulation indicated noteworthy decrease in atherogenic record when contrasted with high fat eating routine bolstered control amass which emphatically underpins antiatherosclerotic property of Kokilaksha Kashayam. Hence, it is concluded that Kokilaksha Kashayam can be very useful as cardiac disorder and extending the freshly prepared more active than Marketed formulation.

Applying eco‐friendly micellar liquid chromatography for the simultaneous determination of two ternary mixtures utilized for cold treatment using monolithic column

AbstractRapid, isocratic, and sensitive micellar liquid chromatographic methods were developed successfully for the analysis of two ternary mixtures: phenylephrine hydrochloride (PHE), ibuprofen (IBU) and chlorpheniramine maleate (CP) (mixture I), and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (PSE), IBU and CP (mixture II) in their synthetic mixtures and pharmaceutical dosage forms. Analytical separation was achieved in 7 min using monolithic column adopting UV detector at 233 and 218 nm for mixture I and II, respectively. For both mixtures, a micellar mobile phase solution composed of 0.15 M sodium dodecyl sulphate, 15% n‐propanol, and 0.3% triethylamine adjusted to pH 4.0 by 0.02 M phosphoric acid was utilized applying a flow rate of 1.2 ml/min. The methods were fully validated in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The proposed methods were linear in the range of 0.5–20.0 μg/ml for PHE and 10.0–400.0 μg/ml for IBU, and CP 0.25–8.0 μg/ml (mixture I) and in the range of 3.0–60.0 μg/ml for PSE and 20.0–400.0 μg/ml for IBU, and CP 0.2–4.0 μg/ml (mixture II) and methanol was utilized as diluting solvent. Furthermore, the proposed methods exhibited good accuracy and repeatability (R.S.D. < 2.0%). The limits of detection were 0.07 (PHE), 1.85 (IBU), 0.04 (CP) for mixture I and were 0.41 (PSE), 2.37 (IBU), 0.02 (CP) for mixture II. The limits of quantitation were 0.22 (PHE), 5.61 (IBU), 0.12 (CP) for mixture I and were 1.24 (PSE), 7.17 (IBU), 0.07 (CP) for mixture II, respectively. The new chromatographic method could successfully substitute traditional hazardous liquid chromatographic methods for the separation of the provided polar compounds consuming lower percent of environmentally toxic organic solvents.

Activation of persulfate by green nano-zero-valent iron-loaded biochar for the removal of p-nitrophenol: Performance, mechanism and variables effects

In this study, with the green tea extraction solution as a reducing agent and green tea residues as a raw material of biochar, green nano zero-valent iron biochar (G-nZVI-BC) was prepared with the green synthesis method and then combined with potassium persulfate to degrade p-nitrophenol in water. Compared with zero-valent iron-loaded biochar (C-nZVI-BC) prepared by the traditional chemical liquid phase synthesis method, G-nZVI-BC containing tea polyphenols further improved dispersibility of Fe0 on biochar, prevented nZVI agglomeration on BC, and promoted PNP degradation. The system constructed by G-nZVI-BC/PDS showed the high oxidation resistance than the C-nZVI-BC/PDS system, thus endowing the synthesis material with long-term reactivity. Both the radical pathway and non-radical pathways contributed to catalytic degradation and free radicals played a key role. The G-nZVI-BC/PDS system realized the good removal effect on PNP in the pH range of 3.06–9.23. The reusability of G-nZVI-BC and the PNP removal effect in water body conditions indicated that G-nZVI-BC had a good application prospect in the field of water treatment.

Herbal Recipes, Drug Indications and Sustainability Potential of Traditional Oral Liquid Formulations in Ogbomoso, Nigeria

Confirmation of identity, along with determination of the quality and purity of herbal drug is an important step towards ensuring its safety and efficacy. This study therefore sought to document the botanical constituents and drug indications of traditional oral liquid herbal formulations (TOLHFs) manufactured in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. It also examined the conservation status of the medicinal plants so used alongside the cultivation efforts being made by the drug manufacturers in order to provide information on whether continual exploitation of the plants for TOLHFs is sustainable. Through a questionnaire, 14 traditional herbal medical practitioners (THMPs)provided information on the recipes of their products, the sources of their raw material herbs, and types of health conditions treated or managed with the drugs. Sustainability potential of the drugs was quantified as relative percentage of the three choices of sources of raw material herbs available to the manufacturers in conjunction with the conservation status of the plant species as recorded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).Fifty-seven medicinal plant species (in 34 angiosperm families) were used to formulate 71 herbal recipes that are indicated for treating 14 different health conditions.

Modeling Lithium Transport and Electrodeposition in Ionic-Liquid Based Electrolytes

Purely ionic electrolytes—wherein ionic liquids replace neutral solvents—have been proposed to improve lithium-ion-battery performance, on the basis that the unique microscopic characteristics of polarized ionic-liquid/electrode interfaces may improve the selectivity and kinetics of interfacial lithium-exchange reactions. Here we model a “three-ion” ionic-liquid electrolyte, composed of a traditional ionic liquid and a lithium salt with a common anion. Newman's concentrated-solution theory is extended to account for space charging and chemomechanical coupling. We simulate electrolytes in equilibrium and under steady currents. We find that the local conductivity and lithium transference number in the diffuse double layers near interfaces differ considerably from their bulk values. The mechanical coupling causes ion size to play a crucial role in the interface's electrical response. Interfacial kinetics and surface charge on the electrodes both affect the apparent transport properties of purely ionic electrolytes near interfaces. Larger ionic-liquid cations and anions may facilitate interfacial lithium-exchange kinetics.

Comparison of Nicotine Dependence and Biomarker Levels among Traditional Cigarette, Heat-Not-Burn Cigarette, and Liquid E-Cigarette Users: Results from the Think Study.

This study aimed to compare Korean smokers’ smoking-related biomarker levels by tobacco product type, including heat-not-burn cigarettes (HNBC), liquid e-cigarettes (EC), and traditional cigarettes (TC). Nicotine dependence levels were evaluated in Korean adult study participants including TC-, EC-, HNBC-only users and nonsmokers (n = 1586) from March 2019 to July 2019 in Seoul and Cheonan/Asan South Korea using the Fagerström Test Score. Additionally, urine samples (n = 832) were collected for the measurement of urinary nicotine, cotinine, OH-cotinine, NNAL(4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol), CYMA(N-acetyl-S-(2-cyanoehtyl)-L-cysteine), or CEMA (2-cyanoethylmercapturic acid) using LC–MS/MS. The median(interquartile range) nicotine dependence level was not different among the three types of smokers, being 3.0 (2.0–5.0) for TC- (n = 726), 3.0 (1.0–4.0) for EC- (n = 316), and 3.0 (2.0–4.0) for HNBC- (n = 377) only users. HNBC-only users presented similar biomarker levels compared to TC-only users, except for NNAL (HNBC: 14.5 (4.0–58.8) pg/mL, TC: 32.0 (4.0–69.6) pg/mL; p = 0.0106) and CEMA (HNBC: 60.4 (10.0–232.0) ng/mL, TC: 166.1 (25.3–532.1) ng/mL; p = 0.0007). TC and HNBC users showed increased urinary cotinine levels as early as the time after the first smoke of the day. EC users’ biomarker levels were possibly lower than TC or HNBC users’ but higher than those of non-smokers.

X-ray Nanoimaging of Crystal Defects in Single Grains of Solid-State Electrolyte Li7-3xAlxLa3Zr2O12.

All-solid-state lithium batteries promise significant improvements in energy density and safety over traditional liquid electrolyte batteries. The Al-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) solid-state electrolyte shows excellent potential given its high ionic conductivity and good thermal, chemical, and electrochemical stability. Nevertheless, further improvements on electrochemical and mechanical properties of LLZO call for an in-depth understanding of its local microstructure. Here, we employ Bragg coherent diffractive imaging to investigate the atomic displacements inside single grains of LLZO with various Al-doping concentrations, resulting in cubic, tetragonal, and cubic-tetragonal mixed structures. We observe coexisting domains of different crystallographic orientations in the tetragonal structure. We further show that Al doping leads to crystal defects such as dislocations and phase boundaries in the mixed- and cubic-phase grain. This study addresses the effect of Al doping on the nanoscale structure within individual grains of LLZO, which is informative for the future development of solid-state batteries.

A Gas-Phase Migration Strategy to Synthesize Atomically Dispersed Mn-N-C Catalysts for Zn-Air Batteries.

Mn and N codoped carbon materials are proposed as one of the most promising catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) but still confront a lot of challenges to replace Pt. Herein, a novel gas-phase migration strategy is developed for the scale synthesis of atomically dispersed Mn and N codoped carbon materials (g-SA-Mn) as highly effective ORR catalysts. Porous zeolitic imidazolate frameworks serve as the appropriate support for the trapping and anchoring of Mn-containing gaseous species and the synchronous high-temperature pyrolysis process results in the generation of atomically dispersed Mn-Nx active sites. Compared to the traditional liquid phase synthesis method, this unique strategy significantly increases the Mn loading and enables homogeneous dispersion of Mn atoms to promote the exposure of Mn-Nx active sites. The developed g-SA-Mn-900 catalyst exhibits excellent ORR performance in the alkaline media, including a high half-wave potential (0.90 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode), satisfactory durability, and good catalytic selectivity. In the practical application, the Zn-air battery assembled with g-SA-Mn-900 catalysts shows high power density and prominent durability during the discharge process, outperforming the commercial Pt/C benchmark. Such a gas-phase synthetic methodology offers an appealing and instructive guide for the logical synthesis of atomically dispersed catalysts.

Gelation of organic liquid electrolyte to achieve superior sodium-ion full-cells

The irreversible consumption of active sodium in sodium-ion full-cells (SIFCs) becomes particularly serious due to the existence of unavoidable interface or side reaction, which has become the key to restrict the development of high-performance sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Interface design and electrolyte optimization have been proved to be effective strategies to improve or solve this problem. In this work, on the basis of traditional organic liquid electrolytes, a novel gel polymer electrolyte with high ionic conductivity (1.13 × 10-3 S cm−1) and wide electrochemical stability window (~4.7 V) was designed and synthesized using bacterial cellulose film as precursor. Compared with the liquid electrolyte, the obtained electrolyte can endow better sodium storage performance in both half- and full-cells. When coupled with sodium hexacyanoferrate cathode and hard carbon anode, a capacity of 94.2 mA h g−1 can be obtained with a capacity retention of 75% after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1, while those of with conventional liquid electrolyte can deliver a capacity of 99.0 mA h g−1 but only accompany 58% capacity retention under the same conditions. Significantly, when the current density increases to 800 mA g−1, their capacity difference reaches 23.4 mA h g−1.

Rapid in-situ analysis of phthalates in face masks by desorption corona beam ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Phthalates (PAEs) are known as endocrine disruptors that can have adverse effects on human hormonal balance and development. Due to PAEs being semi-volatile chemical compounds, they can sustainably emit from the surfaces of objects containing PAEs. Face masks are commonly used to safeguard human health especially during periods of high prevalence of infectious diseases. As masks come into direct contact with the human respiratory system, PAEs from masks will enter the human body directly from the respiratory system thus potentially threatening human health. In this study, the desorption corona beam ionization (DCBI)-MS/MS method for the rapid in-situ detection of PAEs in face masks was established, which could perform ultra-fast, high-throughput identification and quantitative analysis on 13 kinds of PAEs, and the limits of detection (LODs) were 0.7 μg m−2 for DAP, BBP, DBP, DPP, DHXP, DEHP, DINP and DDP, 1.4 μg m−2 for DMEP, DEP, DPhP, DBEP and DNOP. Compared with the traditional liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, this study shows that the DCBI-MS/MS method has the following advantages: 1) short analysis time, less than 1 min; 2) small solvent consumption, less than 10 μL; 3) the PAEs in face masks can be quickly in-situ screened.

Homogenous Liquid–Liquid Extraction of Au(III) from Acidic Medium by Ionic Liquid Thermomorphic Systems

Two ionic liquid (IL) thermomorphic systems were designed. The thermoregulated property exhibited by the IL systems was utilized for the recovery of Au(III) from acidic medium. The cloud point order of the two ILs was proposed and evidenced via a combination of experimental measurements and quantum chemical calculations. The impacts of salt ions and acid on the thermomorphic phase behavior of the IL–H₂O binary mixture system were investigated. After comprehensive comparison, a systematic study of Au(III) extraction by the [Suc][Tf₂N]₂ (succinyl bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) system was carried out because of its outstanding hydrophobicity and extraction ability. Then, a comparison between traditional liquid–liquid extraction (TLLE) and homogeneous liquid–liquid extraction (HLLE) was made during the process of optimization of various extraction parameters. In addition, the anion-exchange mechanism in the extraction process was revealed. The thermoregulated [Suc][Tf₂N]₂ system presented an excellent selectivity for Au(III) in a solution of coexisting multimetallic ions. Finally, Au(III) was almost completely stripped from the loaded IL phase by oxalic acid. The extraction efficiency of Au(III) using regenerated IL still maintains a surprising stability after five turns of cycling experiments. Hence, the dicationic IL [Suc][Tf₂N]₂ was regarded as a potential extractant for the recovery of gold.

A new Leuconostoc citreum strain discovered in the traditional sweet potato sour liquid fermentation as a novel bioflocculant for highly efficient starch production

Sour liquid fermentation is commonly used in the sedimentation process of traditional starch production, where bacteria play a critical role in starch flocculation. In this study, the dynamic changes of bacterial compositions during sweet potato sour liquid (SPSL) fermentation were profiled using the single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing, unveiling that Leuconostoc citreum, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Lactococcus lactis, and Lactobacillus plantarum were the dominant microorganisms in the process, and Leuconostoc citreum exhibited a strong positive correlation with starch flocculation rate (FR). In total, 75 lactic acid bacterial (LAB) strains were isolated from the SPSL, but only 7 of them caused starch flocculation. For the first time, Leuconostoc citreum strains were reported with excellent starch-flocculating abilities (up to 55.56% FR in 20 min), which might be attributed to their ability to connect starch granules through the cell surface to form large aggregation. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the bacterial dynamics in SPSL fermentation at the species level. A starch flocculation yield of 93.63% was achieved within 1 h by using the newly discovered Leuconostoc citreum SJ-57. The time required for total starch sedimentation was reduced from 10 h to 4 h, compared with the traditional process. These results suggest that this novel bioflocculant is more suitable for modernizing the traditional SPSL fermentation process and achieving rapid and highly efficient starch sedimentation.