Water Alcohol Research Articles

Rapid, efficient, and green analytical technique for determination of fluorotelomer alcohol in water by stir bar sorptive extraction

Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) are one of the major classes of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Due to their potential toxicity, persistence, and ubiquitous presence in the environment, some common PFAS are voluntarily phased out; while FTOHs are used as alternatives to conventional PFAS. FTOHs are precursors of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and therefore they are commonly detected in water matrices, which eventually indicate PFAS contamination in drinking water supplies and thus a potential source of human exposure. Even though studies have been conducted nationwide to evaluate the degree of FTOHs in the water environment, robust monitoring is lacking because of the unavailability of simple and sustainable analytical extraction and detection methods. To fill the gap, we developed and validated a simple, rapid, minimal solvent use, no clean-up, and sensitive method for the determination of FTOHs in water by stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) coupled with thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). Three commonly detected FTOHs (6:2 FTOH, 8:2 FTOH, and 10:2 FTOH) were selected as the model compounds. Factors such as extraction time, stirring speed, solvent composition, salt addition, and pH were investigated to achieve optimal extraction efficiency. This “green chemistry” based extraction provided good sensitivity and precision with low method limits of detection ranging from 2.16 ng/L to 16.7 ng/L and with an extraction recovery ranging 55%–111%. The developed method were tested on tap water, brackish water, and wastewater influent and effluent. 6:2 FTOH and 8:2 FTOH were detected in two wastewater samples at 78.0 and 34.8 ng/L, respectively. This optimized SBSE-TD-GC-MS method will be a valuable alternative to investigate FTOHs in water matrices.

Spontaneous gelation behaviors and mechanism of Ficus awkeotsang Makino pectin

Ficus awkeotsang Makino (jelly fig) can produce edible gels by rubbing its seeds in water at room temperature in which pectin is considered as the main gelling component. However, the spontaneous gelation mechanism of Ficus awkeotsang Makino (jelly fig) pectin (JFSP) is still unclear. This study aimed to reveal the structure, physicochemical properties, and spontaneous gelation behaviors and mechanism of JFSP. JFSP was first obtained by water extraction and alcohol precipitation method, with a pectin yield of 13.25 ± 0.42 % (w/w), weight-average molar mass (Mw) of 111.26 kDa, and methoxylation degree (DM) of 26.8 %. Analysis of monosaccharide compositions showed that JFSP was composed of 87.8 % galactose acid, indicating a high percentage of galacturonic acid blocks. Measurement on the gelling capacity suggested that JFSP gels can be easily formed by simply dispersing the pectin in water at room temperature without adding any co-solutes or metal ions. Gelation force analysis indicated that hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic interactions were the main factors contributing to gel formation. At 1.0 % (w/v) of pectin concentration, JFSP gels exhibited relatively high gel hardness (72.75 ± 1.15 g) and good thermal and freeze-thawing stability. Overall, these findings highlight the potential application of JFSP as a promising commercial pectin resource.

An introductory review on advanced multifunctional materials

This review summarizes the applications of some of the advanced materials. It included the synthesis of several nanoparticles such as metal oxide nanoparticles (e.g., Fe3O4, ZnO, ZrOSO4, MoO3-x, CuO, AgFeO2, Co3O4, CeO2, SiO2, and CuFeO2); metal hydroxide nanosheets (e.g., Zn5(OH)8(NO3)2·2H2O, Zn(OH)(NO3)·H2O, and Zn5(OH)8(NO3)2); metallic nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt); carbon-based nanomaterials (graphene, graphene oxide (GO), graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), and carbon dots (CDs)); biopolymers (cellulose, nanocellulose, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNFs), and chitosan); organic polymers (e.g. covalent-organic frameworks (COFs)); and hybrid materials (e.g. metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)). Most of these materials were applied in several fields such as environmental-based technologies (e.g., water remediation, air purification, gas storage), energy (production of hydrogen, dimethyl ether, solar cells, and supercapacitors), and biomedical sectors (sensing, biosensing, cancer therapy, and drug delivery). They can be used as efficient adsorbents and catalysts to remove emerging contaminants e.g., inorganic (i.e., heavy metals) and organic (e.g., dyes, antibiotics, pesticides, and oils in water via adsorption. They can be also used as catalysts for catalytic degradation reactions such as redox reactions of pollutants. They can be used as filters for air purification by capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They can be used for hydrogen production via water splitting, alcohol oxidation, and hydrolysis of NaBH4. Nanomedicine for some of these materials was also included being an effective agent as an antibacterial, nanocarrier for drug delivery, and probe for biosensing.

A new PERVAPTM membrane to enhance the dehydration of isopropanol by pervaporation

The performance of a new commercial polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membrane (PERVAPTM 4100HF) was investigated and compared with a standard membrane (PERVAPTM 4100) for the dehydration of isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol) with an azeotropic point using pervaporation process. Both membranes were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and contact angle (CA) goniometer. The results showed that the PERVAP™ 4100HF was thinner (1–1.5 μm) and had a lower degree of cross-linking than the PERVAP™ 4100HF (2–3 μm). The effect of the feed water concentration and operating temperature on the membranes separation performance in terms of the permeation flux, separation factor, selectivity, and permeance was investigated. The water permeates in the PERVAP™ 4100HF (∼3350 GPU) was seven times higher than that in PERVAP™ 4100 (∼463 GPU) at 70 °C and for 7 wt.% of water concentration in the feed. The water/isopropanol selectivity of the new membrane under these operating conditions was very high (∼17,000). The total permeation flux of water and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) was increased with the feedwater concentration (0.0690–1.0275 and 0.0079–0.6384 kg/m2.hr) for PERVAP™ 4100HF and PERVAP™ 4100, respectively with feed water concentration increased from 7 to 18 wt.%. The temperature dependence of the pervaporation behaviors was investigated in detail in terms of the Arrhenius activation energy. The effect of the feedwater concentration on the Arrhenius activation energy was also studied to evaluate the mass transfer across the membrane under other operating conditions, such as high temperatures and low feedwater concentrations. The new membrane PERVAP™ 4100HF exhibited the best dehydration properties at water concentrations in the azeotropic region and below, making it possible to pervaporate even at low feedwater concentrations.

Hypoglycemic effect and active ingredients screening of Isodon Japonicus based on network pharmacology and experimental validation

Isodon Japonicus (IJ) has historically been widely used as herbal functional food. To date, there has been no publication regarding the hypoglycemic mechanism of IJ. This study was to study the hypoglycemic ingredients and mechanisms of IJ. The network pharmacology method was used to explore the ingredient-target-pathway relationship. There were 11 hypoglycemic ingredients, 12 hypoglycemic targets, and 130 signaling pathways for IJ on diabetes. To confirm the hypoglycemic impacts, cell tests and animal experiments were jointly carried out. With the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated by water extract (0.06–2.00 g/L) and alcohol extract (0.06–2.00 g/L) of IJ, the cell viability in the water extract group (0.06–2.00 g/L) and the alcohol extract group (0.25–2.00 g/L) showed significant viability compared to that of the model group (P < 0.05), respectively. Animal experiments showed that both the water extract and the alcohol extract of IJ could lower diabetic rats' blood glucose levels compared to the model group (P < 0.05). This study proposed an effective method to explore the potential hypoglycemic ingredients, targets, signaling pathways, and pharmacological effects for IJ on diabetes. This strategy may be useful for other herbs to explore the active ingredients and pharmacological mechanism.

Effect of Water on Direct Radioiodination of Small Molecules/Peptides Using Copper-Mediated Iododeboronation in Water-Alcohol Solvent.

Direct radioiodination of peptides using copper-mediated iododeboronation is a promising radiosynthetic method for solving issues of classical direct radiolabeling, such as toxicity of the organotin precursor (iododestannylation) or formation of radio byproducts (by electrophilic iodination of a tyrosine residue). However, the parameters for optimizing the reaction conditions for various peptides are not completely understood. In particular, considering peptide solubility, the effects of water-containing solvents on labeling efficiency should be thoroughly investigated. Herein, we describe the effect of water on copper-mediated radioiododeboronation and the key factors for ensuring the successful radiolabeling of small molecules and peptides in water-organic solvents. 125I-labeled substrates containing peptides ([125I]m/p-IBTA) were obtained with high radiochemical conversions (RCCs: >95%) using an alcohol solvent, and a decrease in these RCCs was observed with increasing water content in the methanol solvent. Additionally, when using water-methanol solvents, a difference in RCC due to the substituent effect was also observed. However, the RCCs can be improved without the use of other additives by adjusting the copper catalyst and time of the labeling reaction or by utilizing substituent effects. This study contributes to the improvement of the design of boronic peptide precursors and radiolabeling protocols using copper-mediated iododeboronation.

Capillary force method to improve the green density of binder jet additive manufacturing

This study investigates the impact of capillary adhesion force on the green part density in metal powder binder jetting 3D printing. Gas atomized Co-Cr-Mo, SS316L, and pure Cu powders were used to print various samples. The printed samples were then treated with water, 1-Hexanol, and n-Amyl alcohol vapor for 24 hours to nucleate capillary bridges between particles and shrink samples uniformly. The volume change was calculated for each sample, and up to –3.1 % volume change was observed. The proposed method can be used to improve green part densities directly on printed parts before sintering.

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic alcohol-related disorder that typically presents as uncontrolled drinking and preoccupation with alcohol. A key component of AUD research is using translationally relevant preclinical models. Over the past several decades, a variety of animal models have been used to study AUD. One prominent model of AUD is the chronic intermittent ethanol vapor exposure (CIE) model, which is a well-established approach for inducing alcohol dependence in rodents through repeated cycles of ethanol exposure via inhalation. To model AUD in mice, the CIE exposure is paired with a voluntary two-bottle choice (2BC) of alcohol drinking and water to measure the escalation of alcohol drinking. The 2BC/CIE procedure involves alternating weeks of 2BC drinking and CIE, which repeat until the escalation of alcohol drinking is achieved. In the present study, we outline the procedures for performing 2BC/CIE, including the daily use of the CIE vapor chamber, and provide an example of escalated alcohol drinking in C57BL/6J mice using this approach.

Formulation, characterization of Quercus infectoria (Olivier) emulsions, and in vitro, in vivo evaluation as cosmeceutical formulation.

Pharmacological properties of Quercus infectoria Olivier (galls) have been determined to be astringent, antidiabetic, antipyretic, anti-tremor, local anesthetic, and anti-parkinsonism. The galls of Quercus infectoria have been used for millennia in traditional oriental medicine in Asian nations to treat inflammatory illnesses. The study's objective was to create a Quercus infectoria Olivier gall extract in stable water in oil (w/o) emulsion and to check its effects on the mechanical properties of skin and antiaging effects. The galls were macerated in absolute methanol. Quercus infectoria Olivier gall extract's antioxidant property was evaluated using the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) technique. Stearic acid, cetyl alcohol, KOH, glycerin, and distilled water were used to create the emulsion. The test (with extract) and control (without extract) emulsions were made, respectively, using the same process. Stability tests (color, liquefaction, microscopy, phase separation, and pH) are performed in in vitro, lasted 72 days at four distinct storage temperatures that is 8°C, 25°C, 40°C, and 40°C + 75% RH for both the control and test formulations. By using spectrophotometry, the (SPF) sun protection factors of the two formulations were calculated at various concentrations. Extract from Quercus infectoria underwent phytochemical investigation as well. The results showed that Quercus infectoria Olivier has antioxidant and (SPF) sun protection properties, reduce sebum, increases elasticity and stable emulsion containing 04% Quercus infectoria gall extract which might be used as topical antiaging formulation.

Extraction, Purification, Structural Characteristics, Health Benefits, and Application of the Polysaccharides from Lonicera japonica Thunb.: A Review.

Lonicera japonica Thunb. is a widely distributed plant with ornamental, economic, edible, and medicinal values. L. japonica is a phytoantibiotic with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and a potent therapeutic effect on various infectious diseases. The anti-diabetic, anti-Alzheimer's disease, anti-depression, antioxidative, immunoregulatory, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-gout, and anti-alcohol-addiction effects of L. japonica can also be explained by bioactive polysaccharides isolated from this plant. Several researchers have determined the molecular weight, chemical structure, and monosaccharide composition and ratio of L. japonica polysaccharides by water extraction and alcohol precipitation, enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) and chromatography. This article searched in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Flora of China, Web of Science, PubMed, and CNKI databases within the last 12 years, using "Lonicera. japonica polysaccharides", "Lonicera. japonica Thunb. polysaccharides", and "Honeysuckle polysaccharides" as the key word, systematically reviewed the extraction and purification methods, structural characteristics, structure-activity relationship, and health benefits of L. japonica polysaccharides to provide insights for future studies. Further, we elaborated on the potential applications of L. japonica polysaccharides in the food, medicine, and daily chemical industry, such as using L. japonica as raw material to make lozenges, soy sauce and toothpaste, etc. This review will be a useful reference for the further optimization of functional products developed from L. japonica polysaccharides.

A highly sensitively “off–on-off” fluorescence probe for detection of aluminum ion and water as well as application in Chinese Baijiu

Developing highly sensitive fluorescent probe for Al3+ and H2O detection is highly desirable, due to aluminum toxicity poses a significant threat to public health. On the other hand, the determination of water content holds immense significance in a wide range of fields such as food processing, pharmaceutical manufacturing. In this paper, a novel acylhydrazone-based fluorescent probe P was successfully synthesized and characterized for the sequential detection of Al3+ and water in alcohols. The probe P exhibited a remarkable “turn-on” response towards Al3+ by emitting yellow fluorescence at 567 nm, with high selectivity and large Stokes shift (147 nm). Meanwhile, the in situ formed P-Al3+ complex demonstrated significant solvatofluorochromic characteristic, which could be utilized as a second probe for detecting water via fluorescence quenching with low detection limit in alcohols (0.008%, methanol; 0.013%, ethanol; 0.013%, isopropanol; 0.037%, n-butanol; vol.%) and acetonitrile (0.072%, vol.%). Moreover, the P-Al3+ complex was able to detect the alcoholic strength of Chinese Baijiu without the interference of other alcohols, providing an excellent recovery rate (100.0–107.0%). Different Chinese Baijius, with various alcoholic strength, could be distinguished by simple test strips. Furthermore, the P-Al3+ complex could also analyze the water content in organic solvents.

IL-6, but not TNF-α, response to alcohol cues and acute consumption associated with neural cue reactivity, craving, and future drinking in binge drinkers

Objective and designPreclinical studies suggest learned immune system responses to alcohol cues and consumption may contribute to alcohol's pharmacodynamic properties and/or Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) pathogenesis. Mechanistically, these immune alterations may be associated with increased craving and alcohol consumption, both acutely and over time. We sought to characterize this relationship in a randomized, counter-balanced, crossover neuroimaging experiment which took place between June 2020–November 2021. MethodsThirty-three binge drinkers (BD) and 31 non-binge, social drinkers (SD), matched for demographic and psychological variables, were exposed to alcohol cues and water cues in two separate 7 T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. Each scan was followed by the Alcohol Taste Test (ATT) of implicit motivation for acute alcohol. Craving measures and blood cytokine levels were collected repeatedly during and after scanning to examine the effects of alcohol cues and alcohol consumption on craving levels, Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and Interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels. A post-experiment one-month prospective measurement of participants’ “real world” drinking behavior was performed to approximate chronic effects. ResultsBD demonstrated significantly higher peak craving and IL-6 levels than SD in response to alcohol cues and relative to water cues. Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (VmPFC) signal change in the alcohol-water contrast positively related to alcohol cue condition craving and IL-6 levels, relative to water cue condition craving and IL-6 levels, in BD only. Additionally, peak craving and IL-6 levels were each independently related to ATT alcohol consumption and the number of drinks consumed in the next month for BD, again after controlling for craving and IL-6 repones to water cues. However, TNF-α release in the alcohol cue condition was not related to craving, neural activation, IL-6 levels, immediate and future alcohol consumption in either group after controlling for water cue condition responses. ConclusionsIn sum, BD show greater craving and IL-6 release in the alcohol cue condition than SD, both of which were associated with prefrontal cue reactivity, immediate alcohol consumption, and future alcohol consumption over the subsequent 30 days. Alcohol associated immune changes and craving effects on drinking behavior may be independent of one another or may be indicative of a common pathway by which immune changes in BD could influence motivation to consume alcohol. Trial registrationClinical Trials NCT04412824.

Sustained release of salicylic acid from ethyl cellulose microspheres fabricated using quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method

Delivery of drugs using micro-sized particles is an efficient tool. Using ethyl cellulose (EC) as a polymer and the quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion (QESD) method paves the way for the utilization of a cost-effective polymer and an efficient fabrication method. Poly(vinyl alcohol) in water was used as an external phase while EC and Salicylic acid (SA) were dissolved in dichloromethane as an internal phase. SA is known to inhibit prostaglandins and have an anti-inflammatory effect. Furthermore, it inhibits the formation of bacterial biofilm on surfaces. Microparticles of several variations were successfully fabricated using the QESD method in an efficient time frame. These microparticles ranged in size from 5 to 40 μm for these formulations. Characterization results substantiated the selection of materials used for fabrication. Cytotoxicity showed that these fabrications were biocompatible and did not inhibit cell proliferation. In vitro drug release studies showed that the fabricated EC microparticles were able to sustainably release the drugs contained within them over a 96-h time period, with most of the drug being released after 48 h. This release never exceeded 63% of the total drug content. PEG addition in the fabrication process of formulation ECPSA eliminated burst release, resulting in a sustained release pattern over 48 h, reaching saturation by day 5. While entrapment was dependent on the polymer content, increasing drug content did not significantly affect drug release. Behavioral studies evaluated the microspheres, revealing different kinetic models, including Higuchi in ECSA2 and Korsmeyer-Peppas in ECSA3, ECSA5, ECSA6, and ECPSA, with varying diffusion mechanisms. Future fabrications can be made to increase the porousness of the spheres to increase drug release from the microparticles. Also, drug release studies can be conducted over longer periods of time, and with near-infrared light (NIR) to observe the changes in drug release between the fabrications.

Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics reveal Dendrobium huoshanense polysaccharide effects and potential mechanism of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine -induced damage in GES-1cells.

Dendrobium huoshanense C. Z. Tang et S. J. Cheng is an important edible medicinal plant that thickens the stomach and intestines, and its active ingredient, polysaccharide, can have anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, and antitumor effects. However, the gastroprotective effects and potential mechanisms of Dendrobium huoshanense polysaccharides (DHP) remain unclear. An N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) induced human gastric mucosal epithelial cells (GES-1) damage model was used in this research, aiming to investigate whether DHP has a protective effect on MNNG-induced GES-1cell injury and its underlying mechanism based on the combination of multiple methods. DHP was extracted using water extraction and alcohol precipitation methods, and the proteins were removed using the Sevag method. The morphology was observed using scanning electron microscopy. A MNNG-induced GES-1cell damage model was developed. Cell viability and proliferation of the experimental cells were investigated using a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Cell nuclear morphology was detected using the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33342. Cell scratch wounds and migration were detected using a Transwell chamber. The expression levels of apoptosis proteins (Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3) in the experimental cells were detected by Western blotting. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) was performed to investigate the potential mechanism of action of DHP. The CCK-8 kit analysis showed that DHP increased GES-1cell viability and ameliorated GES-1cell injury by MNNG. In addition, scratch assay and Transwell chambers results suggested that DHP improved the MNNG-induced motility and migration ability of GES-1cells. Likewise, the results of the apoptotic protein assay indicated that DHP had a protective effect against gastric mucosal epithelial cell injury. To further investigate the potential mechanism of action of DHP, we analyzed the metabolite differences between GES-1cells, GES-1cells with MNNG-induced injury, and DHP+MMNG-treated cells using UHPLC-HRMS. The results indicated that DHP upregulated 1-methylnicotinamide, famotidine, N4-acetylsulfamethoxazole, acetyl-L-carnitine, choline and cer (d18:1/19:0) metabolites and significantly down-regulated 6-O-desmethyldonepezil, valet hamate, L-cystine, propoxur, and oleic acid. DHP may protect against gastric mucosal cell injury through nicotinamide and energy metabolism-related pathways. This research may provide a useful reference for further in-depth studies on the treatment of gastric cancer, precancerous lesions, and other gastric diseases.

A novel peptidoglycan isolated from Semiaquilegia adoxoides inhibits Aβ42 production via activating autophagy

The accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) containing senile plaques is one of the key histopathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increasing evidences demonstrated the important role of autophagy in Aβ clearance. Recent studies implied that extracts from Semiaquilegia adoxoides (DC.) Makino could ameliorate the memory of D-galactose induced aging mice. However, the bioactive substance and underlying mechanism remains unknown. Thus, the present study sought to explore the effects of a novel homogenous peptidoglycan on Aβ42 secretion and the underlying mechanism. Briefly, we extracted a novel peptidoglycan named SA02C using hot water extraction and alcohol precipitation with the Mw of 13.72 kDa. SA02C contains 73.33% carbohydrate and 27.83% protein. The structure characterization revealed that its glycan part might mainly composed of galacturonic acid with minor rhamnose in backbone, and branched with glucose, galactose, arabinose, xylose and galacturonic acid. The protein or peptide moiety in SA02C was bonded to the polysaccharide via threonine. Bioactivities test showed that SA02C could reduce Aβ42 production in a dose dependent manner with no obvious cytotoxicity. Mechanism study demonstrated that SA02C could modulate APP processing by upregulating the expression of ADAM10, sAPPα and downregulating BACE1, sAPPβ. Furthermore, SA02C also could stimulate autophagy by promoting the expression of the markers of autophagy such as LC3B and ATG5, resulting in the promotion of Aβ42 phagocytosis.

Activity-based directed evolution of a membrane editor in mammalian cells.

Cellular membranes contain numerous lipid species, and efforts to understand the biological functions of individual lipids have been stymied by a lack of approaches for controlled modulation of membrane composition in situ. Here we present a strategy for editing phospholipids, the most abundant lipids in biological membranes. Our membrane editor is based on a bacterial phospholipase D (PLD), which exchanges phospholipid head groups through hydrolysis or transphosphatidylation of phosphatidylcholine with water or exogenous alcohols. Exploiting activity-dependent directed enzyme evolution in mammalian cells, we have developed and structurally characterized a family of 'superPLDs' with up to a 100-fold enhancement in intracellular activity. We demonstrate the utility of superPLDs for both optogenetics-enabled editing of phospholipids within specific organelle membranes in live cells and biocatalytic synthesis of natural and unnatural designer phospholipids in vitro. Beyond the superPLDs, activity-based directed enzyme evolution in mammalian cells is a generalizable approach to engineer additional chemoenzymatic biomolecule editors.

Dependence of Slippery and Elastic Properties of Thin Polymer Films on the Grafted Flexible Sidechain Amount

In modern life, people face a wide number of sticky problems when adhesion is highly undesirable: water and dirt stick to clothes, useful materials stick to the walls of their containers and cannot be fully used, water sticking and freezing on airplane wings affects handling and can be dangerous, biological liquids can stick and form clots inside medical devices threatening patients' lives, etc. Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs) with pressure stable omniphobicity could help to solve these issues. Lubricant depletion from porous surface and subsequent degradation of omniphobic properties is the major problem for SLIPS. It could be resolved by attaching flexible, liquid-like sidechains to the polymer matrix. Understanding the relationship between the structure of such polymer films and wetting effects is therefore of great importance. The present work is devoted to the study of droplet pinning on crosslinked polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer films with varied amounts of attached flexible PDMS sidechains and clarification of the relationship between slippery and viscoelastic properties of the films. An one-stage approach to the synthesis of such slippery coatings on smooth and porous substrates in "eco-friendly" pressurized CO2 solutions is proposed. Pinning force and Young's modulus (E) of the films on silicon substrates with variation of the grafted sidechains amount (x) are measured. The non-monotonic dependence of the pinning force on the amount of sidechains is obtained: the pinning force decreases at small x values (region I) and starts to increase at higher x (region II). The effects of the grafted sidechains amount, as well as matrix softening, are discussed for each case. It is demonstrated that the proposed method of film synthesis allows one to obtain thin, uniform coatings on fabrics without gluing the fibers. Such coatings with an optimal amount of PDMS sidechains demonstrate decreased sliding angles for droplets of water and aqueous alcohol solutions, as compared to PDMS coatings without grafted sidechains. The proposed technique may be of interest for deposition of coatings on porous surfaces having a complex morphology, such as textiles, aerogels, porous electrodes, etc.

Protective Effect of Anoectochilus formosanus Polysaccharide against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression in BALB/c Mice.

In this study, Anoectochilus formosanus polysaccharide (AFP) was acquired a via water extraction and alcohol precipitation method. The immunoregulatory activity of AFP was first evaluated on cyclophosphamide (Cy)-treated mice. Galacturonic acid, glucose and galactose were confirmed to be the main components of AFP. AFP demonstrated the ability to stimulate the production of TNF-α and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Not surprisingly, the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway by AFP was validated via Western blot analysis. Furthermore, AFP could alleviate Cy-induced immunosuppression, and significantly enhance the immunity of mice via increasing the thymus index and body weight, stimulating the production of cytokines (IgA, IgG, SIgA, IL-2, IL-6 and IFN-γ). The improvement in the intestinal morphology of immunosuppressed mice showed that AFP could alleviate Cy-induced immune toxicity. These results have raised the possibility that AFP may act as a natural immunomodulator. Overall, the study of AFP was innovative and of great significance for AFP's further application and utilization.

Solvent-dependent structural and electrochemical properties of zinc cobaltite via a self-assembled mechanism for battery-type supercapacitors

This paper reports the influence of the solvent’s properties on the growth mechanism of zinc cobaltite (ZnCo2O4) microstructures and their surface morphologies. We observed that the ZnCo2O4 microstructures (ZCO) offer a large number of interacting sites due to the solvent variation, influencing the phase purity and high crystallinity of the ZnCo2O4, which strongly affects its electrochemical conductivity. ZCO crystals were synthesized separately in water, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol solvent at 180 °C for 12 h, governing the formation of 2D sheet-like morphology in water (ZCO-DIW), 3D flower-like and peanut-like morphologies in ethanol (ZCO-ETH), and isopropyl alcohol (ZCO-IPA), respectively. The successful formation of ZCO morphologies was confirmed through high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Concerning the solvent variation, the specific surface area of the three ZCO electrodes varies in ascending order as ZCO-DIW (23.78 m2 g−1) < ZCO-IPA (27.19 m2 g−1) < ZCO-ETH (37.19 m2 g−1). We also proposed a model for this solvent-dependent formation mechanism of three ZCO electrodes via the self-assembly process. The electrochemical performance of the ZCO electrodes exhibits excellent battery-type behavior with a specific capacity of 98.89 mAh g−1 (for ZCO-ETH) owing to the highly porous flower-like morphology. These results revealed a simple and cost-effective synthesis strategy to fabricate micro/nano-structure with diverse morphology for a wide range of interfacial applications.

Theoretical Two Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy of Aqueous Solutions of tert-Butyl Alcohol: Variation of the Dynamics of Spectral Diffusion along the Percolation Transition.

Binary mixtures of water and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) are known to exhibit the so-called percolation transition where small clusters of TBA molecules span into large aggregates beyond a threshold concentration of the alcohol. In the present study, we have investigated the linear and two-dimensional infrared spectral features of aqueous solutions of TBA for varying concentration of the alcohol along the percolation transition. The percolation transition is characterized through calculations of intermolecular radial distribution functions and average size of the largest cluster of TBA molecules. It is found that, with variation of alcohol concentration, the radial distribution functions of the central carbon atoms of TBA molecules show a nonmonotonic change in the height of the first peak and also the size of the largest cluster of TBA molecules show a jump in the increase of its size for TBA mole fraction between 0.04 and 0.06 corresponding to a transition from smaller clusters to larger spanning aggregates. However, it is found that the linear infrared spectrum of water does not exhibit any noticeable changes on variation of TBA concentration along the percolation transition. Subsequently, two-dimensional infrared (2DIR) spectra and vibrational frequency time correlation function of water are calculated for all the TBA-water solutions considered in this study. The spectral diffusion of water calculated from 2DIR is found to slow down with increase of the TBA concentration. The time scales of spectral diffusion of water, as characterized by the relaxation of frequency time correlation function, 2DIR metric of central line slope, and also the hydrogen bond time correlation functions, are found to exhibit a noticeable jump along the percolation transition. The hydrophilic group of TBA is found to retard the water dynamics more effectively than the hydrophobic groups. Also, the jump in the dynamical slowdown along the percolation transition is found to be more significant for water molecules at the hydrophilic sites.