Molecular Ferroelectric Crystals with Superior Pyroelectricity, Plasticity, and Recyclability.

The pyroelectric effect is used in a wide range of applications such as infrared (IR) detection and thermal energy harvesting, which require the pyroelectric materials to simultaneously have a high pyroelectric coefficient and a low dielectric constant for high figures of merit. However, in conventional proper ferroelectrics, the positive correlation between the pyroelectric coefficient and the dielectric constant imposes an insurmountable challenge in upgrading the figures of merit. Here, we explored superior pyroelectricity in [(CH3)4N][FeCl4] (TMA-FC) and [(CH3)4N][FeCl3Br] (TMA-FCB) molecular ferroelectric plastic crystals, which could decouple this positive correlation due to the nature of improper polarization behavior. Therefore, TMA-FC and TMA-FCB derive a high pyroelectric coefficient and a low dielectric constant simultaneously, yielding record-high figures of merit around room temperature. Furthermore, the favorable plasticity enables ferroelectric crystals to attach surfaces with different shapes for device design and integration. More interestingly, the molecular ferroelectrics could be softened and reshaped at elevated temperatures without decay in pyroelectricity, making them recyclable for cost savings and e-waste reduction. Combined with the facile fabrication process, the findings of this work would open avenues for employing molecular ferroelectric plastic crystals in the manufacture of high-performance pyroelectric devices.

Improving Flavonoid Accumulation of Bioreactor-Cultured Adventitious Roots in Oplopanax elatus Using Yeast Extract.

Oplopanax elatus is an endangered medicinal plant, and adventitious root (AR) culture is an effective way to obtain its raw materials. Yeast extract (YE) is a lower-price elicitor and can efficiently promote metabolite synthesis. In this study, the bioreactor-cultured O. elatus ARs were treated with YE in a suspension culture system to investigate the elicitation effect of YE on flavonoid accumulation, serving for further industrial production. Among YE concentrations (25-250 mg/L), 100 mg/L YE was the most suitable for increasing the flavonoid accumulation. The ARs with various ages (35-, 40-, and 45-day-old) responded differently to YE stimulation, where the highest flavonoid accumulation was found when 35-day-old ARs were treated with 100 mg/L YE. After YE treatment, the flavonoid content increased, peaked at 4 days, and then decreased. By comparison, the flavonoid content and antioxidant activities in the YE group were obviously higher than those in the control. Subsequently, the flavonoids of ARs were extracted by flash extraction, where the optimized extraction process was: 63% ethanol, 69 s of extraction time, and a 57 mL/g liquid-material ratio. The findings provide a reference for the further industrial production of flavonoid-enriched O. elatus ARs, and the cultured ARs have potential application for the future production of products.

Excellent Stability in Polyetherimide/SiO2 Nanocomposites with Ultrahigh Energy Density and Discharge Efficiency at High Temperature.

Polymer dielectrics with excellent thermal stability are the essential core material for thin film capacitors applied in a harsh-environment. However, the dielectric and mechanical properties of polymers are commonly deteriorated with temperature rising. Herein, polyetherimide (PEI)-based nanocomposites contained with SiO2 nanoparticles (SiO2 -NPs) are fabricated by a solution casting method. It is found that the introduction of SiO2 -NPs decreases the electric conductivity and significantly enhances the breakdown strength of the nanocomposites, especially under high temperatures. As a result, the 5 vol% PEI/SiO2 -NPs nanocomposite film displays a superior dielectric energy storage performance, e.g., a discharged energy density of 6.30 J cm-3 and a charge-discharge efficiency of 90.5% measured at 620 MV m-1 and 150 °C. In situ scanning Kelvin probe microscopy characterization indicates that the charge carriers can be trapped in the interfacial regions between the polymer matrix and the SiO2 -NPs till the temperature reaches as high as 150 °C. This work demonstrates an effective strategy to fabricate high-temperature dielectric polymer nanocomposites by embedding inorganic nanoparticles and provides a method for directly detecting charge behavior at the nanoscale inside the matrix.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Oplopanax elatus Nakai Adventitious Roots Extract by Regulating CYP450 and PPAR Signaling Pathway.

O. elatus Nakai is a traditional medicine that has been confirmed to exert effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions, and is used for the treatment of different disorders. However, its potential beneficial effects on drug induced hepatotoxicity and relevant molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the protective effect and further elucidated the mechanisms of action of O. elatus on liver protection. O. elatus chlorogenic acids-enriched fraction (OEB), which included chlorogenic acid and isochlorogenic acid A, were identified by HPLC-MS/MS. OEB was administrated orally daily for seven consecutive days, followed by a single intraperitoneal injection of an overdose of APAP after the final OEB administration. The effects of OEB on immune cells in mice liver were analyzed using flow cytometry. APAP metabolite content in serum was detected using HPLC-MS/MS in order to investigate whether OEB affects CYP450 activities. The intestinal content samples were processed for 16 s microbiota sequencing. Results demonstrated that OEB decreased alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase contents, affected the metabolism of APAP, and decreased the concentrates of APAP, APAP-CYS and APAP-NAC by inhibiting CYP2E1 and CYP3A11 activity. Furthermore, OEB pretreatment regulated lipid metabolism by affecting the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling pathway in mice and also increased the abundance of Akkermansia and Parabacteroides. This study indicated that OEB is a potential drug candidate for treating hepatotoxicity because of its ability to affect drug metabolism and regulate lipid metabolism.

Co-cultured adventitious roots of Echinacea pallida and Echinacea purpurea inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation via MAPK pathway in mouse peritoneal macrophages.

Objective: In order to elucidate the biological activity of the co-cultured adventitious roots (ARs) of Echinacea pallida and Echinacea purpurea and provide theoretical basis for its application, and the anti-inflammatory activities and potential mechanisms of co-cultured ARs were studied. Methods: The experimental materials were obtained by bioreactor co-culture technology and used in the activity research. In this study, mouse macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used as in vitro model. Different concentrations of AR extract (50-400 g/mL) were used to treat cells. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines was determined using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, and the inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa B-α levels were determined by the Western blot analysis. Results: In the co-cultured ARs, total flavonoids and total caffeic acid were determined, and the contents of both bioactive compounds were significantly higher than those ARs from the single-species culture. Compared with the control group, the large amount of pro-inflammatory mediators was released after LPS stimulation. However, in the extract groups with different concentrations (25, 50, and 100 g/mL), the production of these pro-inflammatory mediators was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the levels of phosphorylation of MAPK proteins, including p-p38, p-c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p-extracellular regulated protein kinases were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in the extract groups, revealing that the AR extract probably involved in regulating the MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusion: Collectively, our findings suggested that the co-cultured ARs of E. pallida and E. purpurea can inhibit production of pro-inflammatory mediators in mouse peritoneal macrophages and possess the anti-inflammatory effect by regulating MAPK signaling pathways.

Carbon nanotube powders as electrode modifier to enhance the activity of anodic biofilm in microbial fuel cells.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) is a promising electrode material and has been used as an anode modifier in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this study, a new method of simultaneously adding CNT powders and Geobacter sulfurreducens into the anode chamber of a MFC was used, aiming to form a composite biofilm on the anode. The performance of MFCs such as startup time and steady-state power generation was investigated under conditions of different CNT powders dosages. Results showed that both the startup time and the anodic resistance were reduced. The optimal dosage of CNT powders pre-treated by acid was 4 mg/mL for the anode chamber with an effective volume of 25 mL. The anodic resistance and output voltage of the MFC with CNT powders addition were maintained around 180 Ω and 650 mV during 40 days operation, while those of the MFC without CNT powders addition increased from 250 Ω to 540 Ω and decreased from 630 mV to 540 mV, respectively, demonstrating that adding CNT powders helped stabilize the anodic resistance, thus the internal resistance and power generation during long-term operation. Based on cyclic voltammogram, the electrochemical activity of anodic biofilm was enhanced by adding CNT powders, though no significant increase of the biomass in anodic biofilm was detected by phospholipids analysis. There was no remarkable change of ohmic resistance with an addition of CNT powders revealed by current interrupt method, which indicated that the rate of mass transfer might be promoted by the presence of CNT powders.

[Characteristic in electricity-generation and wastewater-treatment by the two-cylinder microbial fuel cells].

A two-cylinder MFC, which is of new configuration, was constructed to study its power generation and waste water treatment performance. When the graphite granule was used in anode as packing material, the internal resistance was 38.9 Omega. The anodic resistance, ohmic resistance and the cathodic resistance were 5.1, 14.1 and 18.7 Omega respectively. The maximal power density was 6,253 mW/m3. When the concentration of COD was higher than 1,000 mg/L, the removal load was 1.6 kg/(m3 x d) and the columbic efficient was 10%-12%. When the graphite granule with the diameter of 6 mm, the graphite granule with the diameter of 3 mm, carbon felt and the improved carbon felt were used as anode packing materials, the MFCs' resistances were 47, 39, 28 and 33 Omega and the stabilization cycles were 20, 18, 11 and 18 d, respectively. Considering steadily performance, the improved carbon felt and the graphite granule with diameter of 3 mm are more suitable as anode packing material.

[Electricity generation by the microbial fuel cells using carbon nanotube as the anode].

The characteristic of anode plays an important role in the performance of the microbial fuel cell (MFC). Thus, carbon nanotube (CN), flexible graphite (FG) and activated carbon (AC) were used as anode material in this study, and the performances of three MFCs (CN-MFC, FG-MFC and AC-MFC) were studied. The results show that CN is a kind of suitable material to be used as anode in the MFC. The maximal power densities of CN-MFC, FG-MFC and AC-MFC are 402,354 and 274 mW/m2, respectively. The CN-MFC shows a higher power density and coulombic efficiency compared with FG-MFC and AC-MFC. The CN-anode can reduce the internal resistance obviously. The internal resistances of CN-MFC, AC-MFC and FG-MFC are 263, 301 and 381 omega, respectively. The protein contents on the CN-anode, AC-anode and FG-anode are 149, 132 and 92 microg/cm2 after stable operation, and there is a positive relation between the protein content and internal resistance. The conductivity of the three types of MFCs from high to low was FG-MFC, CN-MFC and AC-MFC, which was accordant with the ohmic resistance. The stable times of CN-MFC, FG-MFC and AC-MFC, which were needed to measure the internal resistances, were 1800, 1200 and 300 s respectively.

[Electricity generation using the packing-type microbial fuel cells].

The packing-type microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were constructed using the granular graphite and the carbon felt as packing materials. The start-up time of the packing-type MFC was about 1 d, which was lower than that of the flat-type MFC. The maximal power density (Pm) of the MFC with carbon felt as packing material was 1502 mW/m2 (37.6 W/m3), which was higher than that with granular graphite as packing material. The carbon felt and carbon paper were sintered together to enhance the electric conductivity. Compared with the flat-type MFC, the area-specific resistance of the packing-type MFC decreased from 0.071 omega x m2 to 0.051 omega x m2, the maximal current density increased from 3000 mA to 8000 mA, the Pm increased from 1100 mW/m2 (27.5 W/m3) to 2426 mW/m2 (60.7 W/m3) and the potentials of anode decreased about 100 mV. The flow rate affected the power generation of the MFC. When the flow rate was lower than 1 mL/min, the Pm dropped with the flux decreasing. The packing-type MFC was operated for over 30 and the coulomb efficiency was about 10.6%.

[Effect of the initial anode potential on electricity generation in microbial fuel cell].

The initial anode potential of the microbial fuel cell (MFC) was changed by additional circuit in the anode chamber, and the influence of the initial anode potential on the electricigens was studied. When the initial anode potential was 350 mV (vs Hg/Hg2 Cl2), the growth of microorganisms was much slower than that of the microorganisms which grew on the anode with an initial potential of -200 mV or 200 mV (vs Hg/Hg2 Cl2). After stable electricity generation, the anode resistances of the three MFCs, which had initial anode potentials of 350 mV, 200 mV and -200 mV respectively, were 71 Omega, 43 Omega and 80 Omega. The community structures in MFCs, before and after the electricity generation, were also studied by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Clostridium sticklandii, Pseudomonas mendocina and Paenibacillus taejonensis were the three most enriched strains on the anode.

[Composition and measurement of the apparent internal resistance in microbial fuel cell].

The electrochemical limitations on the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are mainly due to the internal resistance. The total resistance in the MFC was expressed as the apparent internal resistance (R(i)) which was partitioned into ohmic resistance (R(omega)) and non-ohmic resistance (R(n)), referring to the equivalent circuit of the MFC. In the one-chamber MFC, R(i) and R(omega) were measured using the steady discharging method and the current interrupt method, and they were 289 omega and 99 omega, respectively. The maximal power density was 241 mW/m2 when the external resistance equaled to the apparent internal resistance. The stabilization time of 60 s was enough to remove the influence of the capacitors in the steady discharging method. When the MFC was in the activation overpotential area, the ohmic overpotential area and the concentration overpotential area respectively, R(n) accounted for 93%, 66% and 75% in R(i). The ratio of R(n) to R(i) was the lowest when power output of the one-chamber MFC reached its highest value. Decreasing R(n) and R(omega) is the key to one-chamber MFC's output increasing.

Composition and distribution of internal resistance in three types of microbial fuel cells.

High internal resistance is a key problem limiting the power output of the microbial fuel cell (MFC). Therefore, more knowledge about the internal resistance is essential to enhance the performance of the MFC. However, different methods are used to determine the internal resistance, which makes the comparison difficult. In this study, three different types of MFCs were constructed to study the composition and distribution of internal resistance. The internal resistance (R(i)) is partitioned into anodic resistance (R(a)), cathodic resistance (R(c)), and ohmic resistance (R(Omega)) according to their origin and the design of the MFCs. These three resistances were then evaluated by the "current interrupt" method and the "steady discharging" method based on the proposed equivalent circuits for MFCs. In MFC-A, MFC-B, and MFC-C, the R(i) values were 3.17, 0.35, and 0.076 Omega m(2), the R(Omega) values were 2.65, 0.085, and 0.008 Omega m(2), the R(a) values were 0.055, 0.115, and 0.034 Omega m(2), and the R(c) values were 0.466, 0.15, and 0.033 Omega m(2), respectively. For MFC-B and MFC-C, the remarkable decrease in R(i) compared with the two-chamber MFC was mainly ascribed to the decline in R(Omega) and R(c). In MFC-C, the membrane electrodes' assembly lowered the ohmic resistance and facilitated the mass transport through the anode and cathode electrodes, resulting in the lowest R(i) among the three types.