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Nature Communications May 2024The advancement of contemporary adhesives is often limited by the balancing act between cohesion and interfacial adhesion strength. This study explores an approach to...
The advancement of contemporary adhesives is often limited by the balancing act between cohesion and interfacial adhesion strength. This study explores an approach to overcome this trade-off by utilizing the spontaneous polymerization of a protic ionic liquid-based monomer obtained through the neutralization of 2-acrylamide-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid and hydroxylamine. The initiator-free polymerization process is carried out through a gradual increase in monomer concentration in aqueous solutions caused by solvent evaporation upon heating, which results in the in-situ formation of a tough and thin adhesive layer with a highly entangled polymeric network and an intimate interface contact between the adhesive and substrate. The abundance of internal and external non-covalent interactions also contributes to both cohesion and interfacial adhesion. Consequently, the produced protic poly(ionic liquid)s exhibit considerable adhesion strength on a variety of substrates. This method also allows for the creation of advanced adhesive composites with electrical conductivity or visualized sensing functionality by incorporating commercially available fillers into the ionic liquid adhesive. This study provides a strategy for creating high-performance ionic liquid-based adhesives and highlights the importance of in-situ polymerization for constructing adhesive composites.
PubMed: 38769305
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48561-1 -
International Journal of Nanomedicine 2024In recent years, microfluidic technologies have become mainstream in producing gene therapy nanomedicines (NMeds) following the Covid-19 vaccine; however, extensive...
PURPOSE
In recent years, microfluidic technologies have become mainstream in producing gene therapy nanomedicines (NMeds) following the Covid-19 vaccine; however, extensive optimizations are needed for each NMed type and genetic material. This article strives to improve LNPs for pDNA loading, protection, and delivery, while minimizing toxicity.
METHODS
The microfluidic technique was optimized to form cationic or neutral LNPs to load pDNA. Classical "post-formulation" DNA addition vs "pre" addition in the aqueous phase were compared. All formulations were characterized (size, homogeneity, zeta potential, morphology, weight yield, and stability), then tested for loading efficiency, nuclease protection, toxicity, and cell uptake.
RESULTS
Optimized LNPs formulated with DPPC: Chol:DOTAP 1:1:0.1 molar ratio and 10 µg of DOPE-Rhod, had a size of 160 nm and good homogeneity. The chemico-physical characteristics of cationic LNPs worsened when adding 15 µg/mL of pDNA with the "post" method, while maintaining their characteristics up to 100 µg/mL of pDNA with the "pre" addition remaining stable for 30 days. Interestingly, neutral LNPs formulated with the same method loaded up to 50% of the DNA. Both particles could protect the DNA from nucleases even after one month of storage, and low cell toxicity was found up to 40 µg/mL LNPs. Cell uptake occurred within 2 hours for both formulations with the DNA intact in the cytoplasm, outside of the lysosomes.
CONCLUSION
In this study, the upcoming microfluidic technique was applied to two strategies to generate pDNA-LNPs. Cationic LNPs could load 10x the amount of DNA as the classical approach, while neutral LNPs, which also loaded and protected DNA, showed lower toxicity and good DNA protection. This is a big step forward at minimizing doses and toxicity of LNP-based gene therapy.
Topics: Plasmids; Humans; Cations; DNA; Genetic Therapy; Microfluidics; Particle Size; Nanomedicine; COVID-19; Liposomes; Transfection; Nanoparticles; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19 Vaccines; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated
PubMed: 38766661
DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S457302 -
Food Chemistry: X Jun 2024Bitter substances in functional foods and beverages can act as nutraceuticals, offering potential health benefits. However, their unpleasant sensory impact reduces the...
Bitter substances in functional foods and beverages can act as nutraceuticals, offering potential health benefits. However, their unpleasant sensory impact reduces the consumption of these foods. Consequently, the discovery of bitter masking compounds is crucial for enhancing the intake of bioactive compounds in functional foods and beverages. Bitter taste is mediated by TAS2Rs, a sub-family of G-protein-coupled receptors. TAS2R14 is especially pivotal in the perception of bitterness, as it is one of the most broadly tuned bitter receptors. In this study, allspice was extracted and purified to yield five single compounds based on sensory guided fractionation. The structures of each compound were determined based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS). In a sensory evaluation, compound exhibited bitter masking activity against quinine. Molecular docking analysis revealed that compound could act as an antagonist of the TAS2R14 bitter receptor.
PubMed: 38736983
DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101426 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024To enrich the properties of polylactic acid (PLA)-based composite films and improve the base degradability, in this study, a certain amount of poly(propylene carbonate)...
To enrich the properties of polylactic acid (PLA)-based composite films and improve the base degradability, in this study, a certain amount of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) was added to PLA-based composite films, and PLA/PPC-based composite films were prepared by melt blending and hot-press molding. The effects of the introduction of PPC on the composite films were analyzed through in-depth studies on mechanical properties, water vapor and oxygen transmission rates, thermal analysis, compost degradability, and bacterial inhibition properties of the composite films. When the introduction ratio coefficient of PPC was 30%, the tensile strength of the composite film increased by 19.68%, the water vapor transmission coefficient decreased by 14.43%, and the oxygen transmission coefficient decreased by 18.31% compared to that of the composite film without PPC, the cold crystallization temperature of the composite film increased gradually from 96.9 °C to 104.8 °C, and PPC improved the crystallization ability of composite film. The degradation rate of the composite film with PPC increased significantly compared to the previous one, and the degradation rate increased with the increase in the PPC content. The degradation rate was 49.85% and 46.22% faster on average than that of the composite film without PPC when the degradation was carried out over 40 and 80 days; the composite film had certain inhibition, and the maximum diameter of the inhibition circle was 2.42 cm. This study provides a strategy for the development of PLA-based biodegradable laminates, which can promote the application of PLA-based laminates in food packaging.
Topics: Polyesters; Tensile Strength; Polypropylenes; Food Packaging; Steam; Polymers; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Temperature; Propane
PubMed: 38731949
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094730 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectroscopy (GC-IMS) was used to analyze the volatile components in dried of different drying methods, including hot air drying (HAD),...
Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectroscopy (GC-IMS) was used to analyze the volatile components in dried of different drying methods, including hot air drying (HAD), heat pump drying (HPD), heated freeze-drying (HFD), and unheated freeze-drying (UFD). A total of 116 signal peaks corresponding to 96 volatile compounds were identified, including 25 esters, 24 aldehydes, 23 alcohols, 13 ketones, 10 heterocyclic compounds, 8 carboxylic acids, 7 terpenes, 3 sulfur-containing compounds, 2 nitrogen-containing compounds, and 1 aromatic hydrocarbon. The total content of volatile compounds in dried by the four methods, from highest to lowest, was as follows: HAD, HPD, HFD, and UFD. The main volatile compounds included carboxylic acids, alcohols, esters, and aldehydes. Comparing the peak intensities of volatile compounds in dried using different drying methods, it was found that the synthesis of esters, aldehydes, and terpenes increased under hot drying methods such as HAD and HPD, while the synthesis of compounds containing sulfur and nitrogen increased under freeze-drying methods such as HFD and UFD. Nine common key characteristic flavor compounds of dried were screened using relative odor activity values (ROAV > 1), including ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, acetic acid, 2-methylbutanal, propanal, methyl 2-propenyl sulfate, trimethylamine, 3-octanone, acetaldehide, and thiophene. In the odor description of volatile compounds with ROAV > 0.1, it was found that important flavor components such as trimethylamine, 3-octanone, ()-2-octenal, and dimethyl disulfide are related to the aroma of seafood. Their ROAV order is HFD > UFD > HPD > HAD, indicating that using the HFD method have the strongest seafood flavor. The research findings provide theoretical guidance for selecting drying methods and refining the processing of .
PubMed: 38731693
DOI: 10.3390/foods13091322 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024In this article, ABA triblock copolymer (tri-BCP) thermoplastic elastomers with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) middle block and polyzwitterionic poly(4-vinylpyridine)...
In this article, ABA triblock copolymer (tri-BCP) thermoplastic elastomers with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) middle block and polyzwitterionic poly(4-vinylpyridine) propane-1-sulfonate (PVPS) outer blocks were synthesized. The PVPSPEOPVPS tri-BCPs were doped with lithium bis-(trifluoromethane-sulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) and used as solid polyelectrolytes (SPEs). The thermal properties and microphase separation behavior of the tri-BCP/LiTFSI hybrids were studied. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) results revealed that all tri-BCPs formed asymmetric lamellar structures in the range of PVPS volume fractions from 12.9% to 26.1%. The microphase separation strength was enhanced with increasing the PVPS fraction () but was weakened as the doping ratio increased, which affected the thermal properties of the hybrids, such as melting temperature and glass transition temperature, to some extent. As compared with the PEO/LiTFSI hybrids, the PVPSPEOPVPS/LiTFSI hybrids could achieve both higher modulus and higher ionic conductivity, which were attributed to the physical crosslinking and the assistance in dissociation of Li ions by the PVPS blocks, respectively. On the basis of excellent electrical and mechanical performances, the PVPSPEOPVPS/LiTFSI hybrids can potentially be used as solid electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries.
PubMed: 38730953
DOI: 10.3390/ma17092145 -
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024A series of quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salts were applied as zeolite growth modifiers in the synthesis of hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite. The results showed that the...
A series of quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salts were applied as zeolite growth modifiers in the synthesis of hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite. The results showed that the use of methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (MTBBP) could yield nano-sized hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite with a "rice crust" morphology feature, which demonstrates a better catalytic performance than other disinfect candidates. It was confirmed that the addition of MTBBP did not cause discernable adverse effects on the microstructures or acidities of ZSM-5, but it led to the creation of abundant meso- to marco- pores as a result of aligned tiny particle aggregations. Moreover, the generation of the special morphology was believed to be a result of the coordination and competition between MTBBP and Na cations. The as-synthesized hierarchical zeolite was loaded with Zn and utilized in the propane aromatization reaction, which displayed a prolonged lifetime (1430 min vs. 290 min compared with conventional ZSM-5) and an enhanced total turnover number that is four folds of the traditional one, owing to the attenuated hydride transfer reaction and slow coking rate. This work provides a new method to alter the morphological properties of zeolites with low-cost disinfectants, which is of great potential for industrial applications.
PubMed: 38727396
DOI: 10.3390/nano14090802 -
RSC Advances May 2024The alkane cracking mechanism has been a subject of intense scrutiny, with carbonium and free radical mechanisms being two well-established pathways which correlate to...
The alkane cracking mechanism has been a subject of intense scrutiny, with carbonium and free radical mechanisms being two well-established pathways which correlate to solid acid catalysis and thermal cracking, respectively. However, despite an understanding of these two mechanisms, certain intricacies remain unexplored, especially when it comes to alternative reaction routes over solid base materials. This gap in the knowledge hinders optimization of the desired product selectivity of alkane cracking processes. In this work, solid superbases were first prepared by impregnation of NaNO on MgO. The Na/MgO catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, XPS and CO-TPD techniques. To investigate the role of solid base materials, propane cracking was conducted over MgO and Na/MgO. SiO was chosen as a representative of thermal cracking. Na/MgO showed better selectivity for light olefins than MgO or SiO. Ethylene and light olefin selectivity could reach about 65.8% and 91.7%, respectively. Meanwhile, in terms of Na/MgO, the ratio of ethylene selectivity and propylene selectivity is greater than 2, exhibiting the advantage of selectivity for ethylene, which is obviously different from MgO and SiO. Propane cracking over Na/MgO with different loading amounts of NaNO was investigated further. The conversion rates of the samples presented a "volcano curve" with increasing Na content. Furthermore, DFT calculation showed that the base-catalyzed process of the propane cracking reaction follows a carbanion mechanism. The better product distribution and stronger surface base sites can be ascribed to charge transfer arising from the loading of NaNO.
PubMed: 38720976
DOI: 10.1039/d4ra00878b -
Science Advances May 2024Gas and propane stoves emit nitrogen dioxide (NO) pollution indoors, but the exposures of different U.S. demographic groups are unknown. We estimate NO exposure and...
Gas and propane stoves emit nitrogen dioxide (NO) pollution indoors, but the exposures of different U.S. demographic groups are unknown. We estimate NO exposure and health consequences using emissions and concentration measurements from >100 homes, a room-specific indoor air quality model, epidemiological risk parameters, and statistical sampling of housing characteristics and occupant behavior. Gas and propane stoves increase long-term NO exposure 4.0 parts per billion volume on average across the United States, 75% of the World Health Organization's exposure guideline. This increased exposure likely causes ~50,000 cases of current pediatric asthma from long-term NO exposure alone. Short-term NO exposure from typical gas stove use frequently exceeds both World Health Organization and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency benchmarks. People living in residences <800 ft in size incur four times more long-term NO exposure than people in residences >3000 ft in size; American Indian/Alaska Native and Black and Hispanic/Latino households incur 60 and 20% more NO exposure, respectively, than the national average.
Topics: Nitrogen Dioxide; Humans; United States; Air Pollution, Indoor; Propane; Environmental Exposure; Housing; Cooking; Air Pollutants
PubMed: 38701214
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm8680 -
Chemical Science May 2024The adsorptive separation of ternary propyne (CH)/propylene (CH)/propane (CH) mixtures is of significant importance due to its energy efficiency. However, achieving this...
The adsorptive separation of ternary propyne (CH)/propylene (CH)/propane (CH) mixtures is of significant importance due to its energy efficiency. However, achieving this process using an adsorbent has not yet been accomplished. To tackle such a challenge, herein, we present a novel approach of fine-regulation of the gradient of gate-opening in soft nanoporous crystals. Through node substitution, an exclusive gate-opening to CH (17.1 kPa) in NTU-65-FeZr has been tailored into a sequential response of CH (1.6 kPa), CH (19.4 kPa), and finally CH (57.2 kPa) in NTU-65-CoTi, of which the gradient framework changes have been validated by powder X-ray diffractions and modeling calculations. Such a significant breakthrough enables NTU-65-CoTi to sieve the ternary mixtures of CH/CH/CH under ambient conditions, particularly, highly pure CH (99.9%) and CH (99.5%) can be obtained from the vacuum PSA scheme. In addition, the fully reversible structural change ensures no loss in performance during the cycling dynamic separations. Moving forward, regulating gradient gate-opening can be conveniently extended to other families of soft nanoporous crystals, making it a powerful tool to optimize these materials for more complex applications.
PubMed: 38699248
DOI: 10.1039/d3sc05489f