Application of organic electrode materials in rechargeable batteries has attracted great interest because such materials contain abundant carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen elements. However, organic ...electrodes are highly soluble in organic electrolytes. An organic electrode of 2,3,5,6‐tetraphthalimido‐1,4‐benzoquinone (TPB) is reported in which rigid groups coordinate to a molecular benzoquinone skeleton. The material is insoluble in aprotic electrolyte, and demonstrates a high capacity retention of 91.4 % (204 mA h g−1) over 100 cycles at 0.2 C. The extended π‐conjugation of the material contributes to enhancement of the electrochemical performance (155 mA h g−1 at 10 C). Moreover, density functional theory calculations suggest that favorable synergistic reactions between multiple carbonyl groups and lithium ions can enhance the initial lithium ion intercalation potential. The described approach may provide a novel entry to next‐generation organic electrode materials with relevance to lithium‐ion batteries.
The benzoquinone derivative 2,3,5,6‐tetraphthalimido‐1,4‐benzoquinone comprises four rigid aromatic groups with an extended π‐conjugated system. Consequently, the compound is insoluble and it has a low‐energy lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. The material demonstrates high electrochemical performance when employed as a cathode in rechargeable lithium‐ion batteries.
Anti-Ice Coating Inspired by Ice Skating Chen, Jing; Luo, Zhiqiang; Fan, Qinrui ...
Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)
10, Številka:
22
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Accumulation of ice to surfaces brings dangerous and costly problems to our daily life. In this paper, an anti‐ice coating inspired by ice skating is reported. Hyaluronic acid is used in the anti‐ice ...coating to form aqueous lubricating layer benefitting from its high water absorbing property. Dopamine, the main component of the mussel adhesive protein, is introduced to anchor the hyaluronic acid to the solid surfaces to render the coating applicable to all types of solid surfaces. At the same time it serves as the crosslinking agent for hyaluronic acid, thus the thickness of the water collecting film could be easily varied. Ice adhesion strength on surfaces coated with such kind of coating could be more than one order of magnitude lower than that of uncoated ones. The results indicate that this anti‐ice coating with the aqueous lubricating layer has great potential for fighting against icing problems.
An anti‐ice coating with an aqueous lubricating layer, inspired by ice skating, combines the remarkable lubrication capability of hyaluronic acid (HA) with the excellent adhesive property of dopamine. The anti‐ice coating shows lower ice adhesion, which can apply to all types of solid surfaces and the thickness of the water collecting film could be easily varied.
Quinones, which are ubiquitous in nature, can act as sustainable and green electrode materials but face dissolution in organic electrolytes, resulting in fast fading of capacity and short cycle life. ...We report that quinone electrodes, especially calix4quinone (C4Q) in rechargeable metal zinc batteries coupled with a cation-selective membrane using an aqueous electrolyte, exhibit a high capacity of 335 mA h g
with an energy efficiency of 93% at 20 mA g
and a long life of 1000 cycles with a capacity retention of 87% at 500 mA g
. The pouch zinc batteries with a respective depth of discharge of 89% (C4Q) and 49% (zinc anode) can deliver an energy density of 220 Wh kg
by mass of both a C4Q cathode and a theoretical Zn anode. We also develop an electrostatic potential computing method to demonstrate that carbonyl groups are active centers of electrochemistry. Moreover, the structural evolution and dissolution behavior of active materials during discharge and charge processes are investigated by operando spectral techniques such as IR, Raman, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopies. Our results show that batteries using quinone cathodes and metal anodes in aqueous electrolyte are reliable approaches for mass energy storage.
Carthamus tinctorius L. is widely used in traditional Chinese medicines for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. However, our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms supporting its ...clinical application still lags behind. In this study, a systems pharmacology approach integrating drug-likeness evaluation, oral bioavailability prediction, target exploration, GO enrichment analysis, KEGG pathway performance and network construction was adopted to explore its therapeutic mechanism. A total of 21 active ingredients contained in Carthamus tinctorius L. and 113 major proteins were screened out as effective players in the treatment of cardiovascular disease through some related pathways. And the association among the active ingredients, major hubs and main pathways was investigated, implying the potential biological progression of Carthamus tinctorius L. acting on cardiovascular disease. Importantly, the majority of hubs and pathways were found to be highly related with platelet activation process. Core genes that can be regulated by Carthamus tinctorius L. in platelet activation pathway were PRKACA, PIK3R1, MAPK1, PPP1CC, PIK3CA and SYK, and they may play a central role in suppressing platelet aggregation. The systems pharmacology approach used in this study may provide a feasible tool to clarify the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicines and further develop their therapeutic potentials.
•The novel natural κ-Carrageenan is synthesized by substitution reactions.•Microfluidic electrospray technology is employed to prepare microparticles.•The microparticles are used to load and ...sustainedly release bioactive drugs.•Drugs loaded microparticles are used to promoted regeneration in chronic wounds.
When organs, especially external organs are injured, pathogens and excessive water loss can threaten the wound healing process and cause local irreversible tissue damage. Here, novel natural κ-Carrageenan microparticles (MPs) able to deliver bioactive proteins and small molecules to the wound surface for promoted regeneration were developed using microfluidic electrospray. The side chains of κ-Carrageenan were modified with methacrylate pendant groups to make the monomer photonic cross-linkable. By changing the concentration of methacrylated-κ-Carrageenan, different porosities of MPs with controllable drug loading were achieved. The size of the MPs can also be tailored by adjusting the voltage of the applied electric field. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and antimicrobial peptides Eumenitin were co-loaded into the microparticles (VEGF-Eumenitin-MPs) and released sustainedly in phosphate-buffered saline. The VEGF-Eumenitin-MPs had high biocompatibility and intensive antibacterial activities for bacteria. Furthermore, the antibacterial and angiogenetic properties of the VEGF-Eumenitin-MPs were demonstrated in a infectious wound model and the chronic wound healing process was significantly enhanced in vivo. Therefore, the developed porous MPs with sustained drug release properties have the potential to serve as a platform to deliver bioactive proteins and small molecules to the wound surface for promoted regeneration.
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► We examine the goal patterns of Singapore secondary students. ► Four clusters emerged: Diffuse, Moderate Mastery, Success Oriented, and Approach. ► The Approach goal profile is most beneficial for ...learning. ► The Diffuse and Success Oriented profiles are related to negative affective outcomes.
This study investigated how achievement goals are combined to affect students’ learning. We used a multiple goals perspective, based on mastery (i.e., mastery approach) and performance (including both approach and avoidance components) goals, to examine the achievement goal patterns of 1697 Singapore Secondary 3 students in their math study. Four types of goal clusters emerged from latent class cluster analyses: Diffuse (moderate multiple), Moderate Mastery (moderate mastery/low performance approach and avoidance), Success Oriented (moderate mastery/high performance approach and avoidance), and Approach (high mastery and performance approach/low performance avoidance). Analyses of covariance were conducted to compare these four clusters on eleven cognitive, behavioral, and affective learning outcomes. In general, students in the Success Oriented and Approach groups were higher on self-efficacy, subjective task values, class engagement, homework engagement, time management, and meta-cognitive self-regulation than those in the other two groups. In addition, students in the Approach and Moderate Mastery groups were more likely to make effort when encountering difficulties in learning math, showed lower test anxiety, lower negative affect, and achieved higher scores in math than students in the other two groups. These findings suggest that the goal profile with high mastery and performance approach goals combined with low performance avoidance goals is most beneficial for learning, whereas high performance approach goals, when associated with performance avoidance goals, have some negative effects on affective outcomes. The patterns help to refine distinctions in performance goals, and are discussed in the context of academic achievement in Singapore.
Implantable ultrasonic energy harvesters that scavenge wireless mechanic energy from ultrasound own remarkable potential in advanced medical protocols for neuroprosthetics, wireless power, biosensor, ...etc. The main challenge for this kind of device is to achieve high‐efficiency energy conversion in a weak ultrasonic pressure field. Here, a multilayered piezoelectret with strain enhanced piezoelectricity by introducing a parallel‐connected air hole array in an interdielectric layer sandwiched between a pair of electrets for an efficient ultrasonic energy harvester is presented. This device delivers a remarkable peak output power around 13.13 mW and short‐circuits current around 2.2 mA when implanted into tissues at 5~10 mm under an ultrasonic probe setup at 25 mW cm−2, which is higher than the required power threshold of bioelectronic devices and current threshold of nerve stimulation. Furthermore, the feasibility of supplying power to implantable bioelectronics and working as neuroproteins for peripheral nerve stimulation are both demonstrated. It is anticipated that this highly efficient, easily fabricated, and biocompatible device will potentially enable applications for multifunctional and advanced implantable bioelectronics in the next generation of diagnosis and therapy.
An ultrathin (≈75 µm) hybrid piezoelectret with high strain enhanced piezoelectricity (d33 up to 4680 pC N−1) is developed and first used as a new‐type high‐efficiency ultrasonic energy harvester, which is bifunctional for supplying power to implantable devices or working as neuroprosthetics for peripheral nerve stimulation.
Angiogenesis and neurogenesis play irreplaceable roles in bone repair. Although biomaterial implantation that mimics native skeletal tissue is extensively studied, the nerve-vascular network ...reconstruction is neglected in the design of biomaterials. Our goal here is to establish a periosteum-simulating bilayer hydrogel and explore the efficiency of bone repair via enhancement of angiogenesis and neurogenesis. In this contribution, we designed a bilayer hydrogel platform incorporated with magnesium-ion-modified black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets for promoting neuro-vascularized bone regeneration. Specifically, we incorporated magnesium-ion-modified black phosphorus (BP@Mg) nanosheets into gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel to prepare the upper hydrogel, whereas the bottom hydrogel was designed as a double-network hydrogel system, consisting of two interpenetrating polymer networks composed of GelMA, PEGDA, and β-TCP nanocrystals. The magnesium ion modification process was developed to enhance BP nanosheet stability and provide a sustained release platform for bioactive ions. Our results demonstrated that the upper layer of hydrogel provided a bionic periosteal structure, which significantly facilitated angiogenesis via induction of endothelial cell migration and presented multiple advantages for the upregulation of nerve-related protein expression in neural stem cells (NSCs). Moreover, the bottom layer of the hydrogel significantly promoted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) activity and osteogenic differentiation. We next employed the bilayer hydrogel structure to correct rat skull defects. Based on our radiological and histological examinations, the bilayer hydrogel scaffolds markedly enhanced early vascularization and neurogenesis, which prompted eventual bone regeneration and remodeling. Our current strategy paves way for designing nerve-vascular network biomaterials for bone regeneration.
A schematic diagram of the bilayer hydrogel scaffold for vascularization, neurogenesis, and bone regeneration. The upper (GelMA-BP@Mg) hydrogel served as a periosteal repair layer, while the bottom layer (GelMA-PEG/β-TCP) hydrogel served as a bone repair layer. Together, they accelerated the formation of a periosteal nerve-vascular network that enhanced bone regeneration. Display omitted
•Developing a periosteum-simulating bilayer hydrogel to improve the efficiency of neuro-vascularized bone repair.•A magnesium-ion-modified black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets incorporated hydrogel platform was designed.•Designing nerve-vascular network biomaterials for bone regeneration.
Hu (
), referred to as "Fu-Pen-Zi" in Chinese, has great medicinal and dietary values since ancient times. The dried fruits of
have been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the ...treatment of kidney enuresis and urinary frequency for centuries. According to current findings,
has been reported to contain a variety of chemical constituents, mostly triterpenoids, diterpenoids, flavonoids, and organic acids. These compounds have been demonstrated to be the major bioactive components responsible for pharmacological effects such as anticomplementary, anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory functions. Therefore, this review focused on the up-to-date published data of the literature about
and comprehensively summarized its phytochemistry, pharmacology, quality control, and toxicity to provide a beneficial support to its further investigations and applications in medicines and foods.
•The proposed patches are based on the derivatives of fish and crabs.•The acellular fish skin present porous surface for drug loading.•The patch owns brilliant biocompatibility, antibacterial and ...angiogenesis capability.•The proposed patches show effect on accelerating wound healing.
Natural biomaterials have been widely applied in wound treatment. Hotspots in this area are focused on reducing their immunogenicity and improving their therapeutic effect. In this work, we present a novel aquaculture derived hybrid skin patch based on acellular fish skin (AFS) and chitosan (CS) for wound healing. Such functional patch was simply constructed by infiltrating the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-loaded CS pregel into the porous scaffold of the AFS. As the natural molecules and structure of fish skin are well-retained during the synthesis processes, the final patch presented brilliant tensile property, water-absorption property, good biocompatibility and low immunogenicity. In addition, the integrated CS and VEGF endow the patch with antibacterial and angiogenesis capability respectively for promoting tissue growth and wound healing. Thus, in a full-thickness wound rat model, the hybrid patch has been demonstrated with dramatic therapeutic efficacy in inhibiting inflammatory, accelerating angiogenesis, collagen deposition, and tissue generation during the wound repair procedure. These features imply the practical value of this multifunctional aquaculture derived hybrid skin patch in clinical wound management.
A novel aquaculture derived hybrid skin patch based on acellular fish skin (AFS) and chitosan (CS) for wound healing was presented. Such functional patch was simply constructed by infiltrating the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-loaded CS pregel into the porous scaffold of the AFS. The resultant patch owns brilliant tensile property, water-absorption property, good biocompatibility, antibacterial and angiogenesis capability. It is demonstrated that patches show effect on accelerating wound healing. Display omitted
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