Transforming lignocellulosic biomass into fuels and chemicals has been intensely studied in recent years. A large amount of work has been dedicated to finding suitable solvent systems, which can ...improve the transformation of biomass into value‐added chemicals. These efforts have been undertaken based on numerous research results that have shown that organic solvents can improve both conversion and selectivity of biomass to platform molecules. We present an overview of these organic solvent effects, which are harnessed in biomass conversion processes, including conversion of biomass to sugars, conversion of sugars to furanic compounds, and production of lignin monomers. A special emphasis is placed on comparing the solvent effects on conversion and product selectivity in water with those in organic solvents while discussing the origins of the differences that arise. We have categorized results as benefiting from two major types of effects: solvent effects on solubility of biomass components including cellulose and lignin and solvent effects on chemical thermodynamics including those affecting reactants, intermediates, products, and/or catalysts. Finally, the challenges of using organic solvents in industrial processes are discussed from the perspective of solvent cost, solvent stability, and solvent safety. We suggest that a holistic view of solvent effects, the mechanistic elucidation of these effects, and the careful consideration of the challenges associated with solvent use could assist researchers in choosing and designing improved solvent systems for targeted biomass conversion processes.
Solvents, how art thou interfering? Biomass‐derived molecules are an attractive resource for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals. However, producing intermediates at high yields and rates has been a major challenge to biorefinery development. Organic solvent effects can dramatically improve conversion rates and product selectivities by influencing solubility or thermodynamics of biomass components. Herein, these effects are discussed.
Composite polyethylene-oxide/garnet electrolytes containing LiTFSI as the lithium salt have a Li+ conductivity σLi > 10−4Scm−1 at 55°C and a low plating/stripping impedance of a dendrite-free ...Li-metal anode; they have been developed for a safe solid-state Li-metal rechargeable battery. Composites consisting of “ceramic-in-polymer” to “polymer-in-ceramic” that are flexible and mechanically robust are fabricated by hot-pressing. Safe pouch cells with a remarkable flexibility have been fabricated. Solid-state LiFePO4|Li batteries with electrolytes of “ceramic-in-polymer” and “polymer-in-ceramic” deliver excellent cycling stability with high discharge capacities (139.1mAhg–1 with capacity retention of 93.6% after 100 cycles) and high capacity retention (103.6% with coulombic efficiency of 100% after 50 cycles) at 0.2C and 55°C. Both kinds of electrolytes can be applied to solid-state lithium batteries.
PEO/garnet composite electrolytes from “ceramic-in-polymer” to “polymer-in-ceramic” are prepared by hot-pressing technology without introducing any solvent. The resultant electrolytes exhibit excellent electrochemical properties and the assembled batteries deliver high cycling stability and stable interface with Li anode, demonstrating a promising strategy for a safe, high-performance and solid-state Lithium batteries. Display omitted
•PEO/garnet electrolyte has a Li+ conductivity σLi > 10−4Scm−1 at 55°C.•The electrolytes are flexible and mechanically robust.•The membrane has a low plating/stripping impedance.•All-solid-state LiFePO4/Li cell has a discharge capacities of 148.6mAhg−1.
An unprecedented cascade dearomative cyclization through hydrogen-bonding-assisted hydride transfer is realized. The aggregate effect of HFIP enables the rapid buildup of polycyclic amines directly ...from phenols and
-aminobenzaldehydes
a cascade dearomatization/rearomatization/dearomatization sequence. This unique transformation addressed the drawbacks of hydride transfer-involved redox-neutral reactions.
Carbocation-initiated cascade 1,5-hydride transfer/cyclization and dimerization reactions were developed to synthesize dihydrodibenzob,eazepine and octahydrodipyrroloquinoline derivatives in high ...yields. These redox-neutral C(sp3)–H functionalization-involving cascade reactions feature transition-metal-free, high atom- and step-economy, and environmental friendliness with water as the sole byproduct.
This study examined the effects of different levels of linguistic proficiency on the development of pragmatically appropriate requests in L2 Chinese in a study abroad context. The participants were ...31 American learners of Chinese studying in China. Fifteen learners came from intermediate level classes (Intermediate group) and the remaining 16 from advanced level classes (Advanced group). The participants completed a Computerized Oral Discourse Completion Test (CODCT) at the beginning and toward the end of their sojourn. The participants' oral request production was analyzed in terms of appropriateness rating, planning time, and speech rate. The results showed that the Intermediate and Advanced groups made comparable gains in appropriateness rating, that neither group reduced planning time, and that only the Advanced group gained in speech rate. The Intermediate and Advanced groups showed similar patterns of change in their production of alerters, head act forms (i.e., request strategies), internal modification, and external modification.
Animal oviducts and human Fallopian tubes are a part of the female reproductive tract that hosts fertilization and pre-implantation development of the embryo. With an increasing understanding of ...roles of the oviduct at the cellular and molecular levels, current research signifies the importance of the oviduct on naturally conceived fertilization and pre-implantation embryo development. This review highlights the physiological conditions within the oviduct during fertilization, environmental regulation, oviductal fluid composition and its role in protecting embryos and supplying nutrients. Finally, the review compares different aspects of naturally occurring fertilization and assisted reproductive technology (ART)-achieved fertilization and embryo development, giving insight into potential areas for improvement in this technology.
The hydride transfer involved redox-neutral cascade cyclization has been developed to construct the spirocyclic bisoxindoles featuring a 3,4-fused oxindole moiety from rationally designed ...C4-amine-substituted isatins, affording the diverse tricyclic 3,4-fused oxindoles with three consecutive chiral centers in good yields and excellent diastereoselectivities (>20:1).
This study examined the effects of input‐based practice on developing accurate and speedy requests in second‐language Chinese. Thirty learners from intermediate‐level Chinese classes were assigned to ...an intensive training group (IT), a regular training group (RT), and a control group. The IT and the RT groups practiced using four Chinese request‐making forms via computerized structured input activities over 2 consecutive days. During this time, the IT group practiced using the request‐making forms twice as much as the RT group. The control group did not practice. The results show that the input‐based practice was effective in promoting accuracy in an Oral Discourse Completion Task and in enhancing speed in a Pragmatic Listening Judgment Task. No other effects of practice were observed.
Selective and economic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass components to bio‐based fuels and chemicals is the major goal of biorefineries, but low yields and selectivity for fuel precursors such as ...sugars, furanics, and lignin‐derived monomers pose significant disadvantages in process economics. In this Minireview we summarize the existing protection strategies used in biomass chemocatalytic conversion processes and focus the discussions on the mechanisms, challenges, and opportunities of each strategy. We introduce a concept of using analogous methods to manipulate biomass catalytic conversion pathways during the upgrading of carbohydrates to fuels and chemicals. This Minireview may provide new insights into the development of selective biorefining processes from a different perspective, expanding the options for selective conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals.
Catalytic conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals is fraught with low selectivity. This Minireview provides an overview of the physical and chemical protection strategies used to improve selectivity in biomass conversion and describes the potential of using protection chemistry to manipulate catalytic pathways.
4D printed products can change shape under external stimulation, and the deformation design of material and structure is directly built into the material, which simplifies the manufacturing process ...from design concept to physical object and allows the object to be automatically assembled and conformed, realizing the integration of product design, manufacturing, and assembly. In recent years, 4D printing technology has also received widespread attention in the smart textile industry. This paper aims to promote the diversified and efficient development of the smart textile industry and expand the scope of the application of additive manufacturing technology. First, the evolution of 4D printing and its intrinsic relationship with 3D printing are examined. Then, the types of 4D printing smart textile technologies and their characteristics are presented, and the influence of relevant parameters of each type of technology on the molding quality, deformation mechanism, and driving performance of printed models is discussed. Materials for 4D printing of smart textiles are further described, including shape memory materials, hydrogels, and elastic liquid crystals. To adapt to the specific properties of textile applications, 4D printing technology has developed from the structural level of textiles to create smart textiles with adjustable shapes, properties, or functions. Then, the applications of 4D printed smart textiles in different fields are summarized. Finally, some problems currently faced by 4D printed smart textiles are discussed, and their prospects are projected.
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