Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies have been expected to provide innovative platforms for addressing antibacterial challenges, with potential to even deal with bacterial infections involving ...drug-resistance. The current review summarizes recent progress over the last 3 years in the field of antibacterial nanomaterials with a photothermal conversion effect. We classify these photothermal nanomaterials into four functional categories: carbon-based nanoconjugates of graphene derivatives or carbon nanotubes, noble metal nanomaterials mainly from gold and silver, metallic compound nanocomposites such as copper sulfide and molybdenum sulfide, and polymeric as well as other nanostructures. Different categories can be assembled with each other to enhance the photothermal effects and the antibacterial activities. The review describes their fabrication processes, unique properties, antibacterial modes, and potential healthcare applications.
Nanomaterials and photothermal conversion nanotechnologies have been expected to provide innovative platforms for addressing antibacterial challenges, with potential to even deal with bacterial infections involving drug-resistance.
Janus membranes are an emerging class of materials having opposing properties at an interface. This structure results in selective and often novel transport characteristics. In this Minireview, a ...definition of the Janus membrane, beyond merely asymmetric materials, is introduced and common fabrication strategies are outlined. Also presented are current and potential applications in directional transport, switchable permeation, and performance optimization with detailed mechanisms.
Crossing over: Janus membranes have received widespread interest over the past years. In this Minireview, a special definition of a Janus membrane is proposed and common fabrication methods of such membranes are outlined. Also summarized are the current and potential applications of Janus membranes in directional transport, switchable permeation, and performance optimization.
Metal/covalent-organic framework (MOF/COF) membranes have attracted increasing research interest and have been considered as state-of-the-art platforms applied in various environment- and ...energy-related separation/transportation processes. To break the trade-off between permeability and selectivity to achieve ultimate separation, recent studies have been oriented towards how to design and exploit ultrathin MOF/COF membranes (
i.e.
sub-1 μm-thick). Given great advances made in the past five years, it is valuable to timely and systematically summarize the recent development and shed light on the future trend in this multidisciplinary field. In this review, we first present the advanced strategies in fabricating ultrathin defect-free MOF/COF membranes such as
in situ
growth, contra-diffusion method, layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly, metal-based precursor as the pre-functionalized layer, interface-assisted strategy, and laminated assembly of MOF/COF nanosheets. Then, the recent progress in some emerging applications of ultrathin MOF/COF membranes beyond gas separation is highlighted, including water treatment and seawater desalination, organic solvent nanofiltration, and energy-related separation/transportation (
i.e.
lithium ion separation and proton conductivity). Finally, some unsolved scientific and technical challenges associated with future perspectives in this field are discussed, inspiring the development of next-generation separation membranes.
Ultrathin metal/covalent-organic framework (MOF/COF) membranes have attracted increasing research interest and have been considered as state-of-the-art platforms applied in various environment- and energy-related separation/transportation processes.
Polymerization at the liquid–liquid interface has attracted much attention for synthesizing ultrathin polymer films for molecular sieving. However, it remains a major challenge to conduct this ...process outside the alkane–water interface since it not only suffers water‐caused side reactions but also is limited to water‐soluble monomers. Here, we report the interfacial polymerization at the alkane/ionic liquid interface (IP@AILI) where the ionic liquid acts as the universal solvent for diversified amines to synthesize task‐specific polyamide nanofilms. We propose that IP@AILI occurs when acyl chloride diffuses from the alkane into the ionic liquid instead of being triggered by the diffusion of amines as in the conventional alkane–water system, which is demonstrated by thermodynamic partitioning and kinetic monitoring. The prepared polyamide nanofilms with precisely adjustable pore sizes display unprecedented permeability and selectivity in various separation processes.
Interfacial polymerization at the alkane/ionic liquid interface has been designed. The extendibility, designability, and controllability brought by the ionic liquid replace the instability and low solubility caused by water in conventional polymerization. The polyamide nanofilms synthesized at the new delicate water‐insoluble monomer interfaces possess adjustable pore size and exhibit unprecedented performance in various separation applications.
Fast and efficient cleanup of crude oil spills is still a global challenge because most of the crude oils are highly viscous and lowly fluid. Herein, a kind of polydimethylsiloxane‐decorated wood ...carbon sponges (PDMS@WCS) with desirable compressibility and hydrophobicity for the fast adsorption and enhanced recovery of crude oil via the promotion of Joule‐heating and photothermal effect is reported. Moreover, the PDMS@WCS can be compressed and released at a constant strain of 50% for over times without structural damage due to the protection of PDMS coating. Thus, the adsorbed crude oil can be facilely excluded from PDMS@WCS under external pressure to show enhanced recovery.
Compressible and hydrophobic wood carbon sponges are elegantly fabricated from natural balsa woods and applied for the rapid recovery of high viscosity crude oil via the promotion of Joule‐heating and photothermal effect. Moreover, they possess a vertical porous structure inherited from natural wood that can greatly reduce the transport path of crude oil and increase the oil adsorption rate.
A dipolarizing flux bundle (DFB) is a small magnetotail flux tube (typically < ~3 RE in XGSM and YGSM) with a significantly more dipolar magnetic field than its background. Dipolarizing flux bundles ...typically propagate earthward at a high speed from the near‐Earth reconnection region. Knowledge of a DFB's flux transport properties leads to better understanding of near‐Earth (X = −6 to −30 RE) magnetotail flux transport and thus conversion of magnetic energy to kinetic and thermal plasma energy following magnetic reconnection. We explore DFB properties with a statistical study using data from the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission. To establish the importance of DFB flux transport, we compare it with transport by bursty bulk flows (BBFs) that typically envelop DFBs. Because DFBs coexist with flow bursts inside BBFs, they contribute >65% of BBF flux transport, even though they last only ~30% as long as BBFs. The rate of DFB flux transport increases with proximity to Earth and to the premidnight sector, as well as with geomagnetic activity and distance from the neutral sheet. Under the latter two conditions, the total flux transport by a typical DFB also increases. Dipolarizing flux bundles appear more often during increased geomagnetic activity. Since BBFs have been previously shown to be the major flux transporters in the tail, we conclude that DFBs are the dominant drivers of this transport. The occurrence rate of DFBs as a function of location and geomagnetic activity informs us about processes that shape global convection and energy conversion.
Key Points
Dipolarizing flux bundles are the major flux carrier of bursty bulk flows
DFBs transport flux faster closer to Earth and in tail's premidnight sector
DFBs transport more flux during higher substorm activity
Janus membranes (JMs) with opposite wettability have brought about new opportunities to tackle the challenging issues encountered in oil/water separation. However, these achievements suffer from ...empirical availability for the separation of oil-in-water emulsions, lacking a controllable way to tune the synergistic effect of asymmetric configurations, which is the “inner” driving force for practical performance. Herein, the role of the asymmetric configuration is theoretically and experimentally demonstrated in the Janus structural design, membrane fabrication, and separation performance for oil-in-water emulsions. These significant insights are particularly gained by analyzing Young–Laplace capillary pressures, measuring the adhesive forces between the oil and membrane surface, and monitoring the demulsification and oil transportation processes. Fluorescence imaging has been used to in situ visualize the separation process and then a mechanism is firstly proposed as demulsification followed by rapid unidirectional oil transportation for surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions. The two successive processes are strongly governed by the controllable asymmetric configuration of the JMs. An efficient oil separation can, therefore, be achieved from surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions with a wide size distribution (from nanometers to microns) by optimizing these two stages via tuning the hydrophilic/hydrophobic configuration and surface charge property of the JMs. Therefore, this work is expected to yield a design principle and guideline for developing JMs with applicability in the practical separation of oil-in-water emulsions.
Switchable materials play an invaluable role in signal processing and encryption of smart devices. The development of multifunctional materials that exhibit switching characteristics in multiple ...physical channels has attracted widespread attention. Now, two chiral thermochromic ferroelastic crystals (S‐CTA)2CuCl4 and (R‐CTA)2CuCl4 (CTA=3‐chloro‐2‐hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium) have been prepared with switchable properties in dielectricity, conductivity, second harmonic generation (SHG), piezoelectricity, ferroelasticity, chiral, and thermochromic properties. Compared with traditional phase‐transition materials with switching features, thermochromism brings additional spectral encryption possibilities for future information processing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first chiral thermochromic ferroelastic that exhibits switching properties in seven physical channels. This work is expected to promote further exploration of multifunctional molecular switchable materials.
Seven switches: A pair of chiral thermochromic ferroelastics (R‐CTA)2CuCl4 and (S‐CTA)2CuCl4 (CTA=3‐chloro‐2‐hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium) exhibit switching properties in seven physical channels of dielectricity, conductivity, SHG, piezoelectric, ferroelastic, chiral, and thermochromic properties.
Producing affordable freshwater has been considered as a great societal challenge, and most conventional desalination technologies are usually accompanied with large energy consumption and thus ...struggle with the trade‐off between water and energy, i.e., the water–energy nexus. In recent decades, the fast development of state‐of‐the‐art photothermal materials has injected new vitality into the field of freshwater production, which can effectively harness abundant and clean solar energy via the photothermal effect to fulfill the blue dream of low‐energy water purification/harvesting, so as to reconcile the water–energy nexus. Driven by the opportunities offered by photothermal materials, tremendous effort has been made to exploit diverse photothermal‐assisted water purification/harvesting technologies. At this stage, it is imperative and important to review the recent progress and shed light on the future trend in this multidisciplinary field. Here, a brief introduction of the fundamental mechanism and design principle of photothermal materials is presented, and the emerging photothermal applications such as photothermal‐assisted water evaporation, photothermal‐assisted membrane distillation, photothermal‐assisted crude oil cleanup, photothermal‐enhanced photocatalysis, and photothermal‐assisted water harvesting from air are summarized. Finally, the unsolved challenges and future perspectives in this field are emphasized. It is envisioned that this work will help arouse future research efforts to boost the development of solar‐driven low‐energy water purification/harvesting.
As a promising candidate to reconcile the water–energy nexus, solar‐driven low‐energy water purification/harvesting technologies have attracted increased attention. The latest progress, challenges, and prospective of engineering solar‐driven photothermal materials/devices and their potential applications are discussed, stimulating new thinking on the exploration of advanced technologies to fulfill the blue dream of low‐energy water purification/harvesting.
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•Production and functions of Cys in biological systems were introduced.•Recent development of bioanalytical probes for Cys detection was reviewed.•Sensing mechanisms in designing of ...Cys-specific probes were highlighted.•Performance of probes in the discrimination and detection of Cys were discussed.•Challenges and research perspectives for the development of bioanalytical probes for Cys detection were outlined.
Cysteine (Cys), one of three endogenous biothiols, is involved in a variety of biological processes, such as protein and peptide biosynthesis, enzyme active sites and cofactors, and redox balance regulations. An imbalance in the measured levels of Cys, against normative levels of Cys, is implicated in a series of human diseases, so that Cys has been recognized as one of the most important biomarkers in early diagnosis and treatment as well as the monitoring of the stage of diseases. Rapid and accurate quantification of Cys within complex biological systems enables in the advance of future personalized diagnostics and therapies. In the past few years, many Cys-responsive luminescence probes have been developed for the quantitative detection of Cys; studies where the full prepared probe is validifed by investigations in vitro and in vivo. In this review, advances in the development of Cys-responsive luminescence probes, including molecular probes and nanoprobes, are included and discussed in sections corresponding to their response mechanisms. The structure of molecular probes are included; performances of various bioanalytical probes in Cys detection are compared in aspects of excitation/emission wavelengths, detection limits and dynamic ranges, as well as experimental conditions for practical applications. Current challenges and future research directions for designing and preparing new Cys-selective probes are proposed.
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