Pickering emulsion-embedded hierarchical solid-liquid hydrogel spheres for static and flow photocatalysis.

Pickering emulsion-based photocatalysis is considered to be a promising system due to its large active surface area and water/oil spatial separation capability for enrichment of substrates and products. In this work, a novel hierarchical structure composed of calcium alginate gel sphere wrapped ionic liquid-in-water Pickering emulsion with TiO2 in the water phase, which are stabilized by graphene oxide, is prepared via a facile one-step emulsion gelation method. Such subtle combination of Pickering emulsion, hydrogel and TiO2 with a multi-stage solid-liquid assemblage structure shows enhanced degradation activity of 2-naphthol into small molecular alkanes under simulated solar irradiation. The photodegradation activity is attributed to the ionic liquid as adsorption medium for 2-naphthol, and the high-efficient charge separation at graphene oxide/TiO2 interface superior to that of pure TiO2. More importantly, the as-prepared millimeter-sized assembled gel spheres can be directly used as the column filler to construct continuous flow photocatalytic system, maintaining the promising performance in removing pollutants from water with ~100% remove ability of 2-naphthol on stream. A charge transfer mechanism of the photocatalyst is proposed, i.e. photogenerated charges are separated in TiO2/graphene oxide p-n heterostructure at the interface of Pickering emulsion droplets.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors after comprehensive therapy.

BACKGROUND: Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors (PHNETs), a group of neuroendocrine neoplasms, are extremely rare. There are only few case reports about PHNETs in the literature. The lack of large samples and multicenter research results in poor diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. AIM: To discuss the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of PHNETs and risk factors related to survival. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data, imaging features, immunohistochemistry data, and treatment efficacy of 40 patients who were pathologically diagnosed with PHNETs and admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 1, 2014 to November 15, 2019. Finally, survival analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for survival. RESULTS: The main symptoms and signs included intermittent abdominal pain (19 patients, 47.5%) and bloating (8 patients, 20.0%). The positive rates of tested tumor markers were recorded as follows: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) (6 patients, 15.0%), CA72-4 (3 patients, 7.5%), carcinoembryonic antigen (7 patients, 17.5%), and alpha-fetoprotein (6 patients, 15.0%). Immunohistochemical staining results showed positivity for Syn in 38 (97.4%) of 39 patients, for chromogranin A in 17 (65.4%) of 26 patients, for CD56 in 35 (94.6%) of 37 patients, for AE1/AE3 in 28 (87.5%) of 32 patients, and for Ki-67 in all 40 (100.0%) patients. The overall survival rate was significantly related to the tumor grade, AE1/AE3, and Ki-67. No significant correlation was found between other parameters (age, gender, tumor number, tumor size, metastasis, and treatment) and overall survival. CONCLUSION: Higher grade, negative AE1/AE3, and higher Ki-67 are associated with a worse survival rate. Kinds of treatment and other parameters have no significant influence on overall survival.

Magnetic-Responsive Janus Nanosheets with Catalytic Properties.

In this article, we describe a method to fabricate magnetic-responsive Janus nanosheets with catalytic properties via the surface protection method. Fe3O4 nanoparticles and PW12O403--based ionic liquid are located on the two opposite sides of the Janus nanosheets, respectively. The Janus nanosheets are characterized by Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and ζ-potential analyses. They are used as recyclable catalysts to the esterification reaction of methanol and oleic acid for their magnetic-responsive and catalytic properties. The esterification ratio is up to 80% and there is nearly no change when Fe3O4 nanoparticles/PW12O403--based ionic liquid composite nanosheets were recycled four times.

Reduced graphene oxide-supported methylene blue nanocomposite as a glucose oxidase-mimetic for electrochemical glucose sensing.

In this paper, a hybrid nanocomposite (MB-rGO) was synthesized based on the π-π stacking interactions between methylene blue (MB) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The as-synthesized nanocomposite was characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, UV-vis and XPS spectra. UV-vis spectroscopy and electrochemical tests suggested the MB-rGO modified on the electrode exhibited glucose oxidase-mimetic catalytic activity towards glucose, and displayed excellent electrocatalytic performance for electrochemical detection of glucose with a wide linear range from 1.04 to 17.44 mM, a low detection limit of 45.8 µM and a large sensitivity of 13.08 µA mM-1 cm-2. The proposed glucose sensor also showed high stability, reproducibility and good abilities of anti-interference to dopamine, ascorbic acid and uric acid. Moreover, the modified electrode was used to determine glucose concentration in human blood serum samples with satisfactory results.

Phosphomolybdic acid-responsive Pickering emulsions stabilized by ionic liquid functionalized Janus nanosheets.

A type of ionic liquid functionalized high-aspect-ratio Janus SiO2 nanosheets (IL-Janus nanosheets), which possesses a side terminated by imidazolin salt groups and the opposite side terminated by phenyl groups, was prepared and its emulsification performance was investigated. The surface wettability of ionic liquid functionalized side could be tailored via simple anion exchanging, giving the amphiphilic or totally hydrophobic Janus nanosheets. The influence of several parameters including surface wettability, particle concentration, oil composition, oil-water ratio as well as initial location of the nanosheets on the stability, morphology and type of the Pickering emulsions (O/W or W/O) stabilized by the amphiphilic IL-Janus nanosheets was evaluated. The research results revealed that average emulsion droplets size was decreased with increase of nanosheets concentration below a concentration value but had almost no change beyond the concentration; catastrophic phase inversion phenomenon occurred by varying volume fraction of water phase in the oil-water systems, and transitional phase inversion could be achieved by in-situ exchanging Cl- anion of the IL-Janus nanosheets with phosphomolybdate H2PMo12O40-. The responsiveness of Pickering emulsions towards phosphomolybdic acid is resulted from irreversible anion exchanging of Cl- by H2PMo12O40- and the variation of surface wettability of the nanosheets.

Lignin-based microporous materials as selective adsorbents for carbon dioxide separation.

Suitable solid adsorbents are demanded for carbon capture and storage (CCS) processes. In this work, a novel microporous polymer is developed by hypercrosslinking of organosolv lignin, which is a renewable resource. Reaction with formaldehyde dimethyl acetal (FDA) via Friedel-Crafts reaction gives microporous networks, with moderate capacity of carbon dioxide but excellent selectivity towards CO2 /N2 mixture as predicted on the basis of ideal adsorption-solution theory (IAST). Pyrolysis of pure organosolv lignin results in microporous carbon powders, while pyrolysis of hypercrosslinked organosolv lignin yields shape-persistent materials with increased CO2 capacity while maintaining very good selectivity.

[Study on syndrome quantification, differentiation and classification of traditional Chinese medicine with data envelopment analysis].

To raise the syndrome sequence quantification, differentiation and classification algorithm based on data envelopment analysis for solving the modeling issue of syndrome differentiation and classification of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This algorithm has three steps: first, in order to obtain basic units for explaining pathogenesis, and establish a syndrome collection on this basis mechanisms of syndrome differentiation and classification were analyzed and classified according to TCM theory, mechanisms of syndrome differentiation and classification were analyzed and classified according to TCM theory; second, regularity and syndromes of corresponding prescriptions were sought according to the incidence and development progress of syndromes, and mathematical tools of data envelopment analysis were used to calculate state data of syndromes in each stage and obtain quantitative syndrome sequence; finally, syndrome sequence was taken as the measurement standard to quantify candidate syndromes and diagnostic information, and the similarity was calculated to obtain the matching degree between diagnostic information and candidate syndromes, so as to complete the syndrome differentiation and classification calculation. According to the results of model-based reasoning, the algorithm could indicate the regularity implied in prescription materials, and grasp the dynamic process of syndromes in an all-round way, and its results were verified through calculation and analysis on clinical cases. At least, it provides an idea for quantitative modeling of TCM.

Synthesis of 4-vinylpyridine-divinylbenzene copolymer adsorbents for microwave-assisted desorption of benzene.

Reports on the development of polymer adsorbents for microwave-assisted desorption of nonpolar volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are rare. In this study, we synthesized macroporous polymeric adsorbents with hydrophilic methyl pyridinium units for microwave-assisted desorption of nonpolar VOCs. The benzene adsorption and desorption properties of the adsorbents were investigated under both dry and humid conditions. Under humid conditions, as the content of the hydrophilic methyl pyridinium units in the adsorbents increased from 0 to 20%, the adsorption capacity of benzene decreased from about 21 to 7 mg/g, while the desorption efficiency of benzene increased significantly from 48 to 87%. The maximum concentration of desorbate also increased significantly as the content of the hydrophilic units was increased under humid conditions. We attributed the enhanced desorption efficiency mainly to more adsorbed moisture, which indirectly allowed heating of the polymer adsorbents to higher temperatures upon irradiation with 600 W microwaves.

Front-side illuminated CdS/CdSe quantum dots co-sensitized solar cells based on TiO2 nanotube arrays.

We fabricated a front-side illuminated CdS/CdSe quantum dots co-sensitized solar cell based on TiO(2) nanotube arrays. The freestanding TiO(2) nanotube arrays were first detached from anodic oxidized Ti foils and then transferred to the fluorine-doped tin oxide to form photoanodes. An opaque Cu(2)S with high electrochemical activity was used as the counter electrode. A photovoltaic conversion efficiency as high as 3.01% under one sun illumination has been achieved after optimizing the deposition time of CdSe quantum dots and the length of the TiO(2) nanotube arrays. It is observed that the power conversion efficiency of quantum dots sensitized solar cells from the front-side illumination mode (3.01%) is much higher than that of the back-side illumination mode (1.32%) owing to the poor catalytic activity of Pt to polysulfide electrolytes and light absorption by the electrolytes for the latter.

Study on the effect of measuring methods on incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells by home-made setup.

An experimental setup is built for the measurement of monochromatic incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) of solar cells. With this setup, three kinds of IPCE measuring methods as well as the convenient switching between them are achieved. The setup can also measure the response time and waveform of the short-circuit current of solar cell. Using this setup, IPCE results of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are determined and compared under different illumination conditions with each method. It is found that the IPCE values measured by AC method involving the lock-in technique are sincerely influenced by modulation frequency and bias illumination. Measurements of the response time and waveform of short-circuit current have revealed that this effect can be explained by the slow response of DSCs. To get accurate IPCE values by this method, the measurement should be carried out with a low modulation frequency and under bias illumination. The IPCE values measured by DC method under the bias light illumination will be disturbed since the short-circuit current increased with time continuously due to the temperature rise of DSC. Therefore, temperature control of DSC is considered necessary for IPCE measurement especially in DC method with bias light illumination. Additionally, high bias light intensity (>2 sun) is found to decrease the IPCE values due to the ion transport limitation of the electrolyte.