We report a fast and ultrasensitive colorimetric method for the detection of transition metal ions (Fe
, Cu
, Ni
) in a mixture of toluene-acetonitrile using Schiff base functionalized gold ...nanoparticles. We achieved limits of detection for the three metal ions at least two orders of magnitude lower than the EU recommended limits. Finally, our methodology was assessed for the determination of nickel in the organic waste of a relevant industrial reaction.
Understanding central fatigue during motor activities is important in neuroscience and different medical fields. The central mechanisms of motor fatigue are known in depth for isometric muscle ...contractions; however, current knowledge about rhythmic movements and central fatigue is rather scarce. In this study, we explored the role of an executive area (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex DLPFC) in fatigue development during rhythmic movement execution, finger tapping (FT) at the maximal rate, and fatigue after effects on the stability of rhythmic patterns. Participants (n = 19) performed six sets of unresisted FT (with a 3 min rest in‐between). Each set included four interleaved 30 s repetitions of self‐selected (two repetitions) and maximal rate FT (two repetitions) without rest in‐between. Left DLPFC involvement in the task was perturbed by transcranial static magnetic stimulation (tSMS) in two sessions (one real and one sham). Moreover, half of the self‐selected FT repetitions were performed concurrently with a demanding cognitive task, the Stroop test. Compared with sham stimulation, real tSMS stimulation prevented waning in tapping frequency at the maximal rate without affecting perceived levels of fatigue. Participants' engagement in the Stroop test just prior to maximal FT reduced the movement amplitude during this mode of execution. Movement variability at self‐selected rates increased during Stroop execution, especially under fatigue previously induced by maximal FT. Our results indicate cognitive‐motor interactions and a prominent role of the prefrontal cortex in fatigue and the motor control of simple repetitive movement patterns. We suggest the need to approach motor fatigue including cognitive perspectives.
We show the fundamental role of executive areas in fatigue caused by very simple repetitive movements. Fatigue developed less during the maximal frequency of movement production, while the left DLPFC received magnetic stimulation (in right‐handers). The role of cognitive‐motor interaction in fine motor control was also clear when participants engaged in cognitive tasks. At the clinical level, our work reinforces the need to treat fatigue from a comprehensive perspective.
Zinc hybrid supercapacitors (Zn‐HSCs) hold immense potential toward the next‐generation energy storage systems, effectively spanning the divide between conventional lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) and ...supercapacitors. Unfortunately, the energy density of most of Zn‐HSCs has not yet rivalled the levels observed in LIBs. The electrochemical performance of aqueous Zn‐HSCs can be enhanced through the chemical functionalization of graphene‐based cathode materials with thiol moieties as they will be highly suitable for favoring Zn2+ adsorption/desorption. Here, a single‐step reaction is employed to synthesize thiol‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGOSH), incorporating both oxygen functional groups (OFGs) and thiol functionalities, as demonstrated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies. Electrochemical analysis reveals that rGOSH cathodes exhibit a specific capacitance (540 F g−1) and specific capacity (139 mAh g−1) at 0.1 A g−1 as well as long‐term stability, with over 92% capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles, outperforming chemically reduced graphene oxide (CrGO). Notably, rGOSH electrodes displayed an exceptional maximum energy density of 187.6 Wh kg−1 and power density of 48.6 kW kg−1. Overall, this study offers an unprecedented powerful strategy for the design and optimization of cathode materials, paving the way for efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions to meet the increasing demands of modern energy applications.
This work presents a promising strategy for efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions in modern energy applications. Thiol‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGOSH) cathodes significantly enhance the electrochemical performance of rechargeable aqueous zinc hybrid supercapacitors (Zn‐HSCs), achieving an outstanding maximum energy density of 187.6 Wh kg−1 and a power density of 48.6 kW kg−1, surpassing all reported cathode materials for Zn‐HSCs.
Lyda Caldas fue pionera, desde mediados de la década de 1950, en la enseñanza y la práctica profesional del diseño del paisaje en Colombia. El diseño de paisaje realizado para el campus Meléndez, de ...la Universidad del Valle, en Cali, Colombia (1966-1968), es su obra más destacada, tanto por la extensión del proyecto como por la posibilidad que tuvo de llevar a cabo su visión de la disciplina. Se hicieron una caracterización y una valoración de las estrategias de diseño en el campus, mediante una investigación de tipo cualitativo; también, mediante un proceso metodológico que incluyó la recopilación de información planimétrica, fotográfica, testimonial y documental asociada a los diseños originales. El proyecto del campus Meléndez muestra la influencia de los aportes conceptuales y disciplinares del diseño moderno del paisaje, expresados por Trieb (1992), así como el desarrollo de un lenguaje propio, derivado de una adecuación a las condiciones naturales y culturales del sitio.
Carbon-fibre reinforced polymers (CFRPs) present outstanding mechanical performance per unit of mass; however, they also fail in a brittle manner, with little or no warning of their forthcoming ...catastrophic failure. In this study, a ‘brick-and-mortar’ design inspired by the structure of nacre was implemented by automated tape lay-up for the first time with the aim of changing the failure response of CFRPs. Standard procedures and materials already implemented in the aerospace industry have been used to produce bio-inspired CFRPs laminates, providing the first example of bio-inspired concepts scaled-up to industrial level. The effects of the proposed automated manufacturing process on the morphology and tensile properties of the laminates were investigated. A non-linear response was observed when the bio-inspired laminates were subjected to tensile forces. This type of response agrees with those of previous studies on lab-scale manufactured aligned discontinuous CFRPs.
Plastic materials are widely used in food packaging applications; however, there is increased concern because of the possible release of undesirable components into foodstuffs. Migration of plastic ...constituents not only has the potential to affect product quality but also constitutes a risk to consumer health. In order to check the safety of food contact materials, analytical methodologies to identify potential migrants are required. In the first part of this work, a GC/MS screening method was developed for the identification of components from plastic packaging materials including intentionally and “non-intentionally added substances” (NIAS) as potential migrants. In the second part of this study, the presence of seven compounds (bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC), benzophenone (BP)) previously identified in packaging materials were investigated in food products (corn and potatoes snacks, cookies, and cakes). For this purpose, a suitable extraction method was developed and quantification was performed using GC-MS. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, recovery, repeatability, and limits of detection and quantification. The spiked recoveries varied between 82.7 and 116.1%, and relative standard deviation (RSD) was in the range of 2.22–15.9%. The plasticizer ATBC was the most detected compound (94% samples), followed by DEP (65%), DEHP (47%), BP (44%), DBP (35%), DIBP (21%), and BHT (12%). Regarding phthalates, DEP and DEHP were the most frequently detected compounds in concentrations up to 1.44 μg g
−1
. In some samples, only DBP exceeded the European SML of 0.3 mg kg
−1
established in Regulation 10/2011.
Graphical abstract
Chemical migration from plastic packaging into food
Palladium nanoparticles (NPs) have received tremendous attention over the years due to their high catalytic activity for various chemical reactions. However, unlike other noble metal nanoparticles ...such as Au and Ag NPs, they exhibit poor plasmonic properties with broad extinction spectra and less scattering efficiency, and thus limiting their applications in the field of plasmonics. Therefore, it has been challenging to integrate tunable and strong plasmonic properties into catalytic Pd nanoparticles. Here we show that plasmonic Au@Pd nanorods (NRs) with relatively narrow and remarkably tunable optical responses in the NIR region can be obtained by directional growth of Pd on penta-twinned Au NR seeds. We found the presence of bromide ions facilitates the stabilization of facets for the directional growth of Pd shell to obtain Au@Pd nanorods (NR) with controlled length scales. Interestingly, it turns out the Au NR supported Pd NRs exhibit much narrow extinction compared to pure Pd NRs, which makes them suitable for plasmonic sensing applications. Moreover, these nanostructures display, to the best of our knowledge, one of the highest ensemble refractive index sensitivity values reported to date (1067 nm per refractive index unit, RIU). Additionally, we showed the application of such plasmonic Au@Pd NRs for localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based sensing of hydrogen both in solution as well as on substrate. Finally, we demonstrate the integration of excellent plasmonic properties in catalytic palladium enables the in situ monitoring of a reaction progress by surface-enhanced Raman scattering. We postulate the proposed approach to boost the plasmonic properties of Pd nanoparticles will ignite the design of complex shaped plasmonic Pd NPs to be used in various plasmonic applications such as sensing and in situ monitoring of various chemical reactions.
A novel hybrid plasmonic platform based on the synergetic combination of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) thin film with Au nanoparticle (NPs) assemblies, noted as Au@MIP, was developed for ...surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy recognition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). While the MIP trapped the PAH close to the Au surface, the plasmonic NPs enhanced the molecule’s Raman signal. The Au@MIP fabrication comprises a two-step procedure, first, the layer-by-layer deposition of Au NPs on glass and their further coating with a uniform MIP thin film. Profilometry analysis demonstrated that the thickness and homogeneity of the MIP film could be finely tailored by tuning different parameters such as prepolymerization time or spin-coating rate. Two different PAH molecules, pyrene or fluoranthene, were used as templates for the fabrication of pyrene- or fluoranthene-based Au@MIP substrates. The use of pyrene or fluoranthene, as the template molecule to fabricate the Au@MIP thin films, enabled its ultradetection in the nM regime with a 100-fold improvement compared with the nonimprinted plasmonic sensors (Au@NIPs). The SERS data analysis allowed to estimate the binding constant of the template molecule to the MIP. The selectivity of both pyrene- and fluoranthene-based Au@MIPs was analyzed against three PAHs of different sizes. The results displayed the important role of the template molecule used for the Au@MIPs fabrication in the selectivity of the system. Finally, the practical applicability of pyrene-based Au@MIPs was shown by performing the detection of pyrene in two real samples: creek water and seawater. The design and optimization of this type of plasmonic platform will pave the way for the detection of other relevant (bio)molecules in a broad range of fields such as environmental control, food safety, or biomedicine.
Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are promising energy storage systems due to high energy density, low-cost, and abundant availability of zinc as a raw material. However, the greatest challenge in ZIBs ...research is lack of suitable cathode materials that can reversibly intercalate Zn2+ ions. 2D layered materials, especially MoS2 -based, attract tremendous interest due to large surface area and ability to intercalate/deintercalate ions. Unfortunately, pristine MoS2 obtained by traditional protocols such as chemical exfoliation or hydrothermal/solvothermal methods exhibits limited electronic conductivity and poor chemical stability upon charge/discharge cycling. Here, a novel molecular strategy to boost the electrochemical performance of MoS2 cathode materials for aqueous ZIBs is reported. The use of dithiolated conjugated molecular pillars, that is, 4,4'-biphenyldithiols, enables to heal defects and crosslink the MoS2 nanosheets, yielding covalently bridged networks (MoS2 -SH2) with improved ionic and electronic conductivity and electrochemical performance. In particular, MoS2 -SH2 electrodes display high specific capacity of 271.3 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 , high energy density of 279 Wh kg-1 , and high power density of 12.3 kW kg-1 . With its outstanding rate capability (capacity of 148.1 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1 ) and stability (capacity of 179 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles), MoS2 -SH2 electrodes outperform other MoS2 -based electrodes in ZIBs.
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