Wide Temperature Range Research Articles

Production and optimization of surfactin produced from locally isolated Bacillus halotolerans grown on agro-industrial wastes and its antimicrobial efficiency

IntroductionOptimal exploitation of the huge amounts of agro-industrial residuals that are produced annually, which endangers the ecosystem and ultimately contributes to climate change, is one of the solutions available to produce value-added compounds.Aim and objectivesThis study aimed at the economic production and optimization of surfactin. Therefore, the production was carried out by the microbial conversion of Potato Peel Waste (PPW) and Frying Oil Waste (FOW) utilizing locally isolated Bacillus halotolerans. Also, investigating its potential application as an antimicrobial agent towards some pathogenic strains.ResultsScreening the bacterial isolates for surfactin production revealed that the strain with the highest yield (49 g/100 g substrate) and efficient oil displacement activity was genetically identified as B. halotolerans. The production process was then optimized utilizing Central Composite Design (CCD) resulting in the amelioration of yield by 11.4% (from 49 to 55.3 g/100 g substrate) and surface tension (ST) by 8.3% (from 36 to 33 mN/m) with a constant level of the critical micelle concentration (CMC) at 125 mg/L. Moreover, the physiochemical characterization studies of the produced surfactin by FTIR, 1H NMR, and LC–MS/MS proved the existence of a cyclic lipopeptide (surfactin). The investigations further showed a strong emulsification affinity for soybean and motor oil (E24 = 50%), as well as the ability to maintain the emulsion stable over a wide pH (4–10) and temperature (10–100 °C) range. Interestingly, surfactin had a broad-spectrum range of inhibition activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, klebsiella pneumonia, and Candida albicans.ConclusionSubsequently, the screening of the isolates and the utilized food-processing wastes along with the extraction technique resulted in a high yield of surfactin characterized by acceptable ST and CMC levels. However, optimization of the cultural conditions to improve the activity and productivity was achieved using Factor-At-A-Time (OFAT) and Central Composite Design (CCD). In contrast, surface activity recorded a maximum level of (33 mN/n) and productivity of 55.3 g/100 g substrate. The optimized surfactin had also the ability to maintain the stability of emulsions over a wide range of pH and temperature. Otherwise, the obtained results proved the promising efficiency of the surfactin against bacterial and fungal pathogens.

Ga2O3/NiO junction barrier Schottky diodes with ultra-low barrier TiN contact

Power Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) face an inherent trade-off between forward conduction loss and reverse blocking capability. This limitation becomes more severe for ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) SBDs due to the large junction field. A high Schottky barrier is usually required to suppress the reverse leakage current at the price of an increased forward voltage drop (VF). This work demonstrates a Ga2O3 junction barrier Schottky (JBS) diode that employs the embedded p-type NiO grids to move the peak electric field away from the Schottky junction, thereby allowing for the use of an ultra-low barrier TiN Schottky contact. This JBS diode concurrently realizes a low VF of 0.91 V (at forward current of 100 A/cm2) and a high breakdown voltage over 1 kV, with the VF being the lowest in all the reported vertical UWBG power diodes. Based on the device characteristics measured up to 200 °C, we further analyze the power loss of this JBS diode across a wide range of operational duty cycles and temperatures, which is found to outperform the TiN/Ga2O3 SBDs or NiO/Ga2O3 PN diodes. These findings underscore the potential of low-barrier UWBG JBS diodes for high-frequency, high-temperature power electronics applications.

Seed physiological traits and environmental factors influence seedling establishment of vegetable soybean (Glycine max L.).

Edamame (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), a specialty soybean prized for its nutritional value and taste, has witnessed a surge in demand within the U.S. However, subpar seedling stands have hindered its production potential, necessitating increased inputs for farmers. This study aims to uncover potential physiological factors contributing to low seedling emergence in edamame. We conducted comprehensive assessments on thirteen prominent edamame genotypes alongside two food-grade and two grain-type soybean genotypes, focusing on germination and emergence speed in both laboratory and field settings. Additionally, we employed single electrical conductivity tests and identified and quantified seed leachate components to distinguish among soybean types. Furthermore, using a LabField™ simulation table, we examined seed emergence across a wide soil temperature range (5°C to 45°C) for edamame and other soybean types. All seeds were produced under the same environmental conditions, harvested in Fall 2020, and stored under uniform conditions to minimize quality variations. Our findings revealed minimal divergence in emergence percentages among the seventeen genotypes, with over 95% germination and emergence in laboratory conditions and over 70% emergence in the field. Nonetheless, edamame genotypes typically exhibited slower germination speeds and higher leachate exudates containing higher soluble sugars and amino acids. Seed size did not significantly impact total emergence but was negatively correlated with germination and emergence speed, although this effect could be mitigated under complex field conditions. Furthermore, this study proposed differences that distinguish edamame from other soybean types regarding ideal and base temperatures, as well as thermal time. The finds offer valuable insights into edamame establishment, potentially paving the way for supporting local edamame production in the U.S.

Achieving ultrahigh energy density and efficiency simultaneously in (Na, K)NbO3-based lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics via a collaborative design

Relaxor ferroelectrics have garnered enormous attention for their great application potential in pulsed power energy-storage capacitors, while simultaneously achieving large recoverable energy density (Wrec) and high efficiency (η) remains a formidable challenge. Through collaboratively controlling multiscale structure via a combination of composition design and processing improvement, polar nanodomains with multiple local symmetries were engineered in ultrafine grains, enabling significantly reduced polarization hysteresis, delayed saturation polarization, maintained high polarization, and enhanced breakdown strength. As a result, an excellent comprehensive energy-storage performance of Wrec ∼11.8 J/cm3 and η ∼88.7 % is achieved in the (Na, K)NbO3-based spark-plasma-sintered lead-free ceramics, together with stable charge-discharge properties of power density ∼176.3 MW/cm3, discharge energy density ∼3.2 J/cm3, and discharge time ∼43 ns over a wide temperature range of 20–140 °C. The studied ceramic demonstrates great advantages in advanced capacitive energy-storage applications.

Isolation and characterization of two phages against emetic Bacillus cereus and their potential applications

AbstractBacillus cereus is a common foodborne pathogen capable of producing cereulide and enterotoxin. Consumption of food contaminated with cereulide can even result in fatality. Bacteriophages are increasingly being utilized as biocontrol agents to combat specific pathogens in a variety of food products. However, there are currently no lytic phages available to target cereulide‐producing B. cereus. This study aims to isolate and characterize two novel phages, DC1 and DC2, and assess their potential for use in food substrates. These two phages possessed the widest host range among the reported lytic phages that target B. cereus. The whole genome analysis demonstrated that DC1 and DC2 belonged to the Tsarbombavirus genus of the Bastillevirinae subfamily, which is part of the Herelleviridae family. The one‐step growth curve analysis revealed that DC1 had a latent period of 30 min and a burst size of approximately 39 PFU (plaque‐forming units) per cell. On the other hand, DC2 exhibited a shorter latent period of 15 min and a larger burst size of 124 PFU per cell. Both phages had a burst period of 30 min. Furthermore, DC1 and DC2 displayed excellent stability within a wide range of pH levels and temperatures. After undergoing a brief phage‐soaking treatment, DC1 and DC2 effectively reduced the bacterial count in spiked food samples. Additionally, they inhibited the formation of biofilms and degraded already‐formed biofilms. Collectively, DC1 and DC2 exhibit great potential as biocontrol agents for the prevention and control of B. cereus contamination in foods.

Quantum scaling for the metal–insulator transition in a two-dimensional electron system

The quantum phase transition observed experimentally in two-dimensional (2D) electron systems has been a subject of theoretical and experimental studies for almost 30 years. We suggest Gaussian approximation to the mean-field theory of the second-order phase transition to explain the experimental data. Our approach explains self-consistently the universal value of the critical exponent 3/2 (found after scaling measured resistivities on both sides of the transition as a function of temperature) as the result of the divergence of the correlation length when the electron density approaches the critical value. We also provide numerical evidence for the stretched exponential temperature dependence of the metallic phase’s resistivities in a wide range of temperatures and show that it leads to correct qualitative results. Finally, we interpret the phase diagram on the density-temperature plane exhibiting the quantum critical point, quantum critical trajectory and two crossover lines. Our research presents a theoretical description of the seminal experimental results.

Highly stable lead-free perovskite glass for real-time 3D surface temperature measurement across the wide temperature range

3D Optical temperature sensors are highly valuable in various fields such as industry, medicine, and aerospace, as they allow for real-time detection of temperature distribution on surfaces. However, existing temperature sensor materials face challenges in achieving accurate detection across a wide range of temperatures from low to high. To overcome these issues, Cs2Zn1-xEuxBr4 perovskite B2O3–BaF2-Ga2O3 (BBG) borate glass was prepared for non-contact 3D optical temperature sensing. Cs2Zn1-xEuxBr4 perovskite B2O3–BaF2-Ga2O3 (BBG) borate glass improves the stability, thus expanding the temperature measurement range. Utilizing the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) method, based on the 613 nm (Eu3+: 5D0→7F2) and 592 nm (Eu3+: 5D0→7F1) emission bands, a FIR benchmark database was constructed for the entire temperature range from 10 K to 640 K. Temperature calculation equations related to FIR were derived, with a maximal relative sensitivity of 0.08 % K−1 at 180 K. The method for measuring the surface temperature of 3D curved aircraft is based on the rare earth perovskite borate glass. The temperature measured with this method is close to the thermal imaging temperature and has a good temperature measuring effect. The temperature measurement range is wider and more advantageous than previously reported ranges. These results indicate that Cs2Zn1-xEuxBr4-BBG perovskite borate glass temperature sensors have broad application prospects in many applications.

Integration of conventional surface science techniques with surface-sensitive azimuthal and polarization dependent femtosecond-resolved sum frequency generation spectroscopy.

Experimental insight into the elementary processes underlying charge transfer across interfaces has blossomed with the wide-spread availability of ultra-high vacuum (UHV) setups that allow the preparation and characterization of solid surfaces with well-defined molecular adsorbates over a wide range of temperatures. Within the last 15 years, such insights have extended to charge transfer heterostructures containing solids overlain by one or more atomically thin two dimensional materials. Such systems are of wide potential interest both because they appear to offer a path to separate surface reactivity from bulk chemical properties and because some offer completely novel physics, unrealizable in bulk three dimensional solids. Thick layers of molecular adsorbates or heterostructures of 2D materials generally preclude the use of electrons or atoms as probes. However, with linear photon-in/photon-out techniques, it is often challenging to assign the observed optical response to a particular portion of the interface. We and prior workers have demonstrated that by full characterization of the symmetry of the second order nonlinear optical susceptibility, i.e., the χ(2), in sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, this problem can be overcome. Here, we describe an UHV system built to allow conventional UHV sample preparation and characterization, femtosecond and polarization resolved SFG spectroscopy, the azimuthal sample rotation necessary to fully describe χ(2) symmetry, and sufficient stability to allow scanning SFG microscopy. We demonstrate these capabilities in proof-of-principle measurements on CO adsorbed on Pt(111) and on the clean Ag(111) surface. Because this setup allows both full characterization of the nonlinear susceptibility and the temperature control and sample preparation/characterization of conventional UHV setups, we expect it to be of great utility in the investigation of both the basic physics and applications of solid, 2D material heterostructures.

Effects of optically inert ions on up-conversion luminescence and temperature-sensing properties of Y2O2S: Er3+/Yb3+/Tm3+ phosphors

The quenching of luminescence in Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped with Tm3+ presents a dilemma as it substantially diminishes thermometric performance. In this study, Y2O2S: Er3+/Yb3+/Tm3+ phosphors were synthesized using a homogeneous precipitation method combined with a sulfurization process. In addition, three sets of fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) models were designed, which have self-calibration function. The effects of incorporation of Li+ or Li+/Ba2+ on the up-conversion luminescence (UCL) intensity and thermometric performance of the phosphors were systematically studied. The results show that the introduction of Li+ or Li+/Ba2+ co-doping leads to lattice distortion and the formation of oxygen ion vacancies in the lattice, which further accelerates the energy transfer process and mixes the charge transfer states, and ultimately dramatically improves the UCL and thermometric performance. The introduction of Li+ and Li+/Ba2+ co-doping enhanced the UCL of the materials by about 3.7 times and 5.6 times compared to Y2O2S: Er3+/Yb3+/Tm3+. When based on nonthermally coupled levels (NTCLs), the Sr-max of Li+/Ba2+ co-doped sample is 0.080 K−1 at 573 K, which is 87 % higher than that based on TCLs. These findings not only provide a new avenue for improving the UCL and thermometric performance but also provide an accurate self-calibration FIR model over a wide temperature range.

Percolating coordinated ion transport cells in polymer electrolytes to realize room-temperature solid-state lithium metal batteries

Polymer electrolytes, notable for their good mechanical properties, superior processability, and high electrochemical stability, are promising for high-energy-density lithium metal batteries. However, the ionic conduction of polymer electrolytes is seriously constrained by either the entanglement of polymer chains or binding of anions, particularly at ambient temperatures, making their practical application impossible. Herein, we employ a high-salt-concentration strategy with poly(vinylene carbonate) to construct a percolating network by linking coordinated ion transport cells. The cells, consisting of lithium-ion at the core surrounded by coordinated poly(vinylene carbonate), N,N-dimethylformamide, or incompletely bonded bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, ensure an efficient coordination and de-coordination process for ion transport. Thus, a high rate of Li+ transport is realized, achieving an ionic conductivity of 0.82 mS cm−1 at 30 °C. Consequently, the formulated solid-state lithium metal batteries with the poly(vinylene carbonate) electrolyte enable superior stability in cycling under a wide temperature range (0–60 °C), high working voltage (4.5 V), and high mass load (>10 mg cm−2). This simple strategy for creating an ion-percolating network by linking coordinated ion transport cells not only offers new insights into understanding the mechanism for ion transport in polymer electrolytes but also paves the way for the application of solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Temperature-induced wear micro-mechanism transition in additively deposited nickel alloys with different solid lubricants

Additive manufacturing of self-lubricating alloys plays a crucial role in the production of complex wear-resistant components and in expanding repair capabilities, especially for intricate wear parts with low tolerances (e.g. with cooling channels). Herein, we report a novel approach providing nickel-based alloy with an excellent tribological performance in dry sliding contacts. Laser-deposited self-lubricating nickel alloys, infused with anti-wear additives of molybdenum disulfide, nickel sulfide, copper sulfide, or bismuth sulfide, were subjected to dry sliding wear tests against an alumina ball counterbody at a temperature range of up to 800 °C. The self-lubricating alloys exhibited a significant decline in friction (43 %) and wear (45 %) at room temperature, 400 °C (friction 40 %, wear rate 55 %), and 600 °C (MoS2-based, friction 58 %, wear rate 75 %). The MoS2-based alloy coating demonstrated excellent performance characteristics up to 800 °C (friction coefficient ⁓0.25, wear rate 11 × 10−6 mm3 N−1 m−1) due to the formation of a ‘glazed’ tribolayer. Wear mapping allowed to identification of a critical condition for self-lubricating alloys where positive transitions in wear mechanisms led to a synergistic lubrication mode involving the formation of tribologically induced new lubricious phases such as silver molybdate or nickel-bismuth intermetallic. This work provides a comparative evaluation of the micromechanisms, surface transitions, and tribochemistry of solid lubricants at a wide temperature range and a variety of applications.

Enhanced permittivity of Lu-doped SrTiO3 ceramics sintered in air atmosphere through defect chemistry

A series of Sr1‒1.5xLuxTiO3 (x = 0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.015, and 0.02) ceramics was sintered under an air atmosphere through the solid-state reaction method. The results show that doping with Lu3+ considerably enhances material permittivity. The ceramic with x = 0.01 exhibits a colossal permittivity (CP) of ∼101000 with a tanδ of ∼0.16 at a frequency of 1 kHz, demonstrating enhanced stability over a wide temperature (30 to 300 °C) and frequency (102 to 106 Hz) range. Based on the analysis of dielectric relaxation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the universal dielectric response law, the CP effect is primarily due to the formation of defect dipoles, which are correlated with the presence of oxygen vacancies, such as Ti3+ Ti3+, , Ti3+, and Ti3+. These defect dipoles serve to pin electrons, limiting long-range transitions, and enhancing local polarization. Doping with Lu3+ also induces a secondary Lu2Ti2O7 phase, which are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results generated in this study can inform the development and application of new CP materials based on SrTiO3.

Wide working temperature range and large electrocaloric effect in BaTiO3 based ceramics achieved by regulating phase boundaries through a compensatory ion co-doping strategy

Electrocaloric refrigeration shows the merits of environmental safeguarding, large efficiency, easy combination, and miniaturization as a novel solid-state refrigeration technique. In this paper, Sn4+ is doped into the B site of BLNT ceramics. By adjusting the doping content, the T-C phase transition peak was successfully shifted to room temperature and promoted the formation of relaxor ferroelectrics, resulting in a wider operating temperature range (Tspan) and improved adiabatic temperature change (ΔT). A comprehensive study was conducted on the crystal structure, surface morphology, dielectric properties, ferroelectricity, and electrical properties of BLNTS ceramics with varying levels of Sn4+ doping. Wherein, when the doping amount is 5Sn, a maximum adiabatic temperature change value (ΔTmax) of 1.14 K was obtained, and the temperature span (Tspan) reached 45 °C (Tspan is defined as ΔT ≥ 80 % ΔTmax). This work proposes a high-performance environmentally friendly electrocaloric effect (ECE) material suitable for solid-state cooling applications.

Wide Temperature Range Modeling of Implanted Resistors Based on 4H-SiC CMOS Process

Wide Temperature Range Modeling of Implanted Resistors Based on 4H-SiC CMOS Process

Aromatic phase change microspheres constructed nanocomposite films for fluorine-free self-cleaning, absorption-dominated EMI shielding, and high-temperature thermal camouflage

The combination of high shielding effectiveness and excellent thermal insulation is highly attractive for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials, yet remains challenging in the absence of thermal stability and self-cleaning effect. Here, poly(arylene ether nitrile) (PEN), an aromatic super engineering polymer, is synthesized and one-step self-assembled into phase-changeable microspheres in an oil-in-water microemulsion system, synchronously settling thermal lability and leakproof of conventional phase change materials. Pre-functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes are subsequently immobilized on PEN-based phase change microspheres for EMI shielding and thermal camouflage compartments. The resultant compartments are integrated into macroscopical nanocomposite films with segregated structures via hot-compressing densification. Due to the 3D interconnected cavities, the shielding effectiveness of the PEN-based nanocomposite film is strikingly up to 43 dB with an excellent absorption coefficient of 0.99. Meanwhile, the nanocomposite film exhibits outstanding thermal camouflage throughout a wide temperature range of 80 to 200 °C at a low thickness of ∼1.5 mm. Interestingly, superb fluorine-free self-cleaning is endowed with its inherent hydrophobic surface (contact angle up to 148.6°) overlaid with micropapillaes. Our work sheds light on such application integration of fluorine-free self-cleaning, absorption-dominated EMI shielding, and high-temperature thermal camouflage.

Heat capacities of active pharmaceutical ingredients nifedipine, griseofulvin, probucol and 5,5-diphenylhydantoin

The isobaric condensed-phase heat capacities of selected pharmaceutical active ingredients (APIs), namely nifedipine (CAS RN: 21829-25-4), griseofulvin (CAS RN: 126-07-8), probucol (CAS RN: 23288-49-5) and 5,5-diphenylhydantoin (CAS RN: 57-41-0), were determined over a wide temperature range starting from 2 K by combination of relaxation (heat pulse) calorimetry, Tian-Calvet calorimetry and power-compensated differential scanning calorimetry. Heat capacity measurements were taken for clearly specified polymorphs, a liquid phase (including subcooled liquid) and a glassy amorphous phase, if feasible. For 5,5-diphenylhydantoin, a heat capacity anomaly was detected in the temperature range 160 to 190 K and interpreted based on additional calorimetric and temperature-variable crystallographic measurements as a sequence of two phase transitions, which are reported for the first time in this work. Based on the determined phase behavior and heat capacity data from near 0 K, standard thermodynamic functions for crystalline and liquid phases were calculated for all APIs studied. This work significantly extends the availability of reliable heat capacity data and related thermodynamic properties for APIs required for modeling their solubility and other applications involving thermodynamic modeling.

49‐2: Invited Paper: High Performance Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Technology Development

Cholesteric liquid crystal (ChLC) is a reflective display technology that utilizes ambient light sources to display images, eliminating the need for a backlight. With its bistable characteristics, ChLC displays only require voltage supply during screen updates, resulting in significant energy savings. To cater to various application scenarios, we have developed ChLC reflective displays with different functionalities and sizes. The 7.9‐ inch passive matrix ChLC reflective display offers features such as full‐color capability, wide viewing angles, and fast refreshing rate, making it suitable for electronic book applications. The 24.5‐ inch and 13.3‐inch displays are respectively the largest passive matrix ChLC reflective display and active matrix ChLC reflective display in the world. They incorporate wide temperature range materials and high contrast ratio driving methods, making them highly suitable for outdoor public information display applications.

Microwave complex conductivity measurement of superconducting very thin FeSe1−xTex films (x = 0 - 0.5)

Abstract In order to measure the complex conductivity of superconducting films much thinner than the penetration depth, for wide temperature range including the vicinity of T c, we developed a novel cavity pertubation technique utilizing microwave electric fields parallel to the film surface. By applying this newly developed technique to FeSe1−x Te x films, we found changes in the temperature dependence of the superfluid density and the quasiparticle scattering rate at the nematic boundary, which is in agreement with the results already obtained in the measurement in microwave magnetic field at lower temperatures. These changes in the nematic boundary suggests a variation in the superconducting gap structure between samples in the nematic and non-nematic phases.

A 275 pW, 0.5 V supply insensitive gate-leakage based current/voltage reference circuit for a wide temperature range of −55 to 100 °C without using amplifiers and resistors

The paper presents a 0.5 V, ultra-low power current, and voltage reference circuit in a single block, giving reference values of 90.7 pA and 288 mV. The proposed block uses proper addition of CTAT and PTAT curves, resulting in an excellent temperature coefficient of 15.2 ppm/°C and 36.8 ppm/°C for compensated current and voltage values, respectively, at a nominal supply of 0.5 V for a wide temperature range of −55 °C to 100 °C. Usage of gate leakage transistors in place of resistors helps in reducing the power and area of the circuit to 0.087 mm2. The circuit is implemented in 90 nm technology and operates effectively across a wide voltage range of 0.5 V–2.6 V with a supply sensitivity of 0.028 %/V and 0.154 %/V for current and voltage reference, respectively. The entire circuit takes a power of 275.26 pW at nominal conditions.

Characteristics of a novel acid-resistant phenol-degrading bacterium Acinetobacter pittii Hly3: Adaptability, kinetics, degradation pathway and long-term performance

The high concentration of phenol in wastewater significantly restrains bioremediation efficiency; intricate environmental conditions further increase the difficulty, constraining further application. In this work, a novel phenol-degrading Acinetobacter pittii Hly3, was isolated and its ability to degrade phenol, environmental adaptability, kinetics and application potential were studied. Strain Hly3 possessed a strong capability on the degradation of phenol (1700 mg L−1 in 56 h) and could remove phenol at a wide range of pH, temperature, and NaCl concentrations, as well as the tolerance of metal ions. Particularly, the Hly3 showed stable cyclic performance. Mass balance and stoichiometric analysis revealed 0.7935 g g−1 conversions of phenol to biomass. Simultaneously, the growth and phenol degradation aligned well with the Haldane model. The degradation pathway demonstrated that phenol hydroxylase (PH) and 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) were the key enzymes for phenol degradation. In addition, seed germination indicated that the degradation of phenol by Hly3 was an effective detoxification process, which reduced the biological accumulation of phenol in mung bean plants. Therefore, the highly tolerant strain Hly3 could be utilized to treat high-phenol wastewater in high-salt and acidic environments and this study has enriched the knowledge related to Acinetobacter pittii in managing phenol-contaminated environments.