Advanced Science
·
2024
·
IF 14.3
Wei Shi,Hui Li,Jing Chen,Yern Chee Ching,Cheng Hock Chuah,Chengsheng Xu,Moran Liu,Jinyong Zhang,Kuan Yong Ching,Yongsheng Liang,Guanglin Li,Wei Tang
Hydrogels present attractive opportunities as flexible sensors due to their soft nature and tunable physicochemical properties. Despite significant advances, practical application of hydrogel-based sensor is limited by the lack of general routes to fabricate materials with combination of mechanical, conductive, and biological properties. Here, a multi-functional hydrogel sensor is reported by in situ polymerizing of acrylamide (AM) with N,N′-bis(acryloyl)cystamine (BA) dynamic crosslinked silver-modified polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles, namely PAM/BA-Ag@PDA. Compared with traditional polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel, the BA-Ag@PDA nanoparticles provide both high-functionality crosslinks and multiple interactions within PAM networks, thereby endowing the optimized PAM/BA-Ag@PDA hydrogel with significantly enhanced tensile/compressive strength (349.80 kPa at 383.57% tensile strain, 263.08 kPa at 90% compressive strain), lower hysteresis (5.2%), improved conductivity (2.51 S m −1 ) and excellent near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered self-healing ability. As a strain sensor, the PAM/BA-Ag@PDA hydrogel shows a good sensitivity (gauge factor of 1.86), rapid response time (138 ms), and high stability. Owing to abundant reactive groups in PDA, the PAM/BA-Ag@PDA hydrogel exhibits inherent tissue adhesiveness and antioxidant, along with a synergistic antibacterial effect by PDA and Ag. Toward practical applications, the PAM/BA-Ag@PDA hydrogel can conformally adhere to skin and monitor subtle activities and large-scale movements with excellent reliability, demonstrating its promising applications as wearable sensors for healthcare.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物医学工程
·
纳米技术
·
传感器与执行器
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Materials Today Communications
·
2021
·
IF 3.383
Bushra Naureen,A.S.M.A. Haseeb,W.J. Basirun,Farina Muhamad
Tissue degeneration due to diseases, accidents, and wars is a worldwide issue. One of the methods used by regenerative medicine (RM) to aid tissue repair is by using a biodegradable tissue engineering scaffold (TES). Different body tissues have variable regeneration abilities, and hence, they require TES with variable degradation rates. This paper focuses on synthesising four polyurethane foam scaffolds (PUFS) with variable degradation rates based on the concentration of incorporated chain extender (CE) poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (P3HB). The polyol employed is poly (propylene fumarate) (PPF) along with aliphatic 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). GPC provided the molecular weight (M n = 455.67 g mol −1 , M w = 587.15 g mol −1 ) and PDI (1.29) of the PPF. FTIR and 1 H and 13 C NMR confirmed the proposed structures (C C, COOR, and NHCOO) of the PUFS. The FESEM images revealed a bimodal pore structure , with random, irregular, interconnected pores (242–340 µm) and discrete void spaces (735–860 µm). The size of PUFS pores and void spaces (PU4 > PU3 > PU2 > PU1) is directly proportional to their respective degradation rates. The TGA/DTA curves show a decrease of an onset thermal decomposition temperature from PU1 to PU4 (267.17 ºC PU1, 267.28 ºC PU2, 256.01 ºC PU3 and 240.72 ºC PU4) due to the respective increase in CE concentration. The results of in-vitro degradation analysis at day 70, revealed significant difference between the weight loss (%) of each group (PU1 = 4.09 ± 0.18%, PU2 = 8.03 ± 0.17%, PU3 = 13.14 ± 0.12% and PU4 = 20.21 ± 0.19%). Thus, PUFS with a higher concentration of P3HB have a faster degradation rate due to the associated P3HB hydrolysable ester/-COOR functional group within the PUFS backbone. The chemical structure , bimodal morphology, and variable degradation rate of these PUFS could be employed for various RM applications.
研究领域:
生物材料学
·
再生医学
·
高分子化学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Advanced Membranes
·
2026
·
IF 12.6
Ying Weng,Fan Feng,Hao Yi Peng,Hui Shen Lau,Can Zeng Liang,Mohamad Rezi Abdul Hamid,Wai Fen Yong
Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) are an energy efficient and highly tunable approach to gas separation, achieved by integrating the distinct transport properties of polymers and nanomaterials. However, MMMs commonly face challenges such as trade-off between permeability and selectivity, as well as CO 2 plasticization. In particular, polyimide membranes suffer from low resistance to CO 2 plasticization, typically below 15 bar. In this study, we present a synergistic approach to overcome the permeability-selectivity trade-off, and enhance CO 2 plasticization resistance through the rational engineering of the fractional free volume (FFV) of 6FDA-durene polyimide-based MMMs. A highly permeable aluminum-based metal-organic framework (MOF), Christian-Albrechts-Universität (CAU-10-H) was first incorporated into the 6FDA-durene polyimide matrix to enhance the FFV, thereby improving gas permeability. A small loading of CAU-10-H increased the CO 2 permeability by 98.8% (e.g., from 501 to 996 Barrer), with only a slight decrease in CO 2 /N 2 selectivity (e.g., from 15 to 13.4). Subsequently, sub-nanometer transport control was achieved by introducing amine-based cross-linkers to regulate the expanded polyimide matrix and strengthen the polymer-MOF interface. The optimized 6D/CAU(3):EDA-2h membrane demonstrated a H 2 /CO 2 selectivity of 8.5 while maintaining a high H 2 permeability of 34 Barrer. This represents an 8.5-fold improvement in selectivity compared to the uncross-linked MMM, surpassing the 2008 Robeson upper bound. Furthermore, the membrane demonstrated improved resistance to CO 2 plasticization up to 30 bar and moderate resistance to physical aging, exhibiting a 43% decrease in H 2 permeability over 100 days. These findings highlight the potential of synergistic filler-matrix-cross-linker integration as an effective strategy for advancing MMMs toward next-generation gas separation membranes.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
·
2026
·Vol. 27
·期 12
·5229
·
IF 5.6
Abosede Temitope Olajide,Sasithon Aunsorn,Samuel Abiodun Kehinde,Shang Yazhen,Thammarat Kaewmanee,Sasitorn Chusri
Bacopa monnieri(BM) is a traditional medicinal herb that has been reported to have neuroprotective and cognitive-enhancing properties. In this study, the antioxidant, safety, and neuroprotective properties of BM extract (BME) were assessed in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) model of cognitive impairment. Ethanol was used for extraction, after which the ethanolic extract was profiled to characterize total phenolic and flavonoid content and major bioactive constituents. The assessment of antioxidant activity was done through several in vitro tests (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, NBT, OARC, and metal chelation). Toxicity was assessed inCaenorhabditis elegansusing pharyngeal pumping and food clearance tests. For in vivo evaluation, rats were pre-treated with BME, and then LPS was administered, followed by evaluation of cognitive performance by the Morris water maze and Y-maze test. Phytochemical examination revealed the existence of phenolics and flavonoids, as well as bacoside A components. The extract showed good antioxidant activity, mainly via hydrogen atom transfer and single-electron transfer, suggesting effective radical scavenging and reducing ability, but no metal chelating activity was observed. Toxicity tests demonstrated that lower concentrations of the extract were well tolerated, and higher concentrations resulted in temporary inhibition of feeding behavior, indicating mild, dose-dependent effects. In the LPS-induced rat model, the inflammatory challenge produced significant cognitive deficits relative to normal controls, validating the model. Pre-treatment with BME at 70 mg/kg did not produce statistically significant rescue of any behavioral endpoint compared with the LPS-only group, although small-to-medium effect sizes in the protective direction were observed for several measures. Additionally, BME modulated LPS-induced neuroinflammatory responses by reducing cortical IL-1β, TNF-α, iNOS, and COX-2 levels while enhancing hippocampal AChE and PGE2 activity, suggesting region-specific anti-inflammatory and cholinergic regulatory effects. The most robust positive findings of this study are therefore the phytochemical characterization and the in vitro antioxidant profile of this standardized extract, which support its potential as a candidate for further investigation in inflammation-related cognitive impairment; the in vivo findings are preliminary and warrant confirmation in larger-scale, dose-ranging studies.
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
·
2026
·
IF 6.6
Yunxu Yang,Xiaoxi Huang,Yong Shen Chua,Hooi Ling Lee
Fe–SnO 2 @NiO–NF removed 96.85% CIP within 150 min under solar light. • S-scheme heterojunction promotes charge separation and photocatalytic activity. • 3D NiO–NF support enables easy recovery and abundant active sites. • Over 94% degradation activity was retained after four cycles. • DFT and HPLC–MS reveal charge transfer and CIP degradation pathways. Photocatalysis is effective for antibiotic degradation but limited by poor charge separation and difficult recovery of powder catalysts. In this work, a macroscopic p–n heterojunction photocatalyst (Fe–SnO 2 @NiO–NF) was prepared on pre-oxidized nickel foam through in situ growth and microwave-assisted synthesis. XRD confirmed the coexistence of SnO 2 and NiO phases, while HRTEM and XPS analyses verified the successful construction of the Fe–SnO 2 /NiO heterojunction with intimate interfacial contact and interfacial electronic interaction. UV–vis DRS, PL, TRPL, EIS, and photoelectrochemical measurements demonstrated markedly improved light absorption, charge separation and transfer behavior, with a narrowed band gap of 2.92 eV and a prolonged average carrier lifetime of 1.2226 ns. Owing to the enhanced charge separation and the conductive 3D NiO–NF framework, Fe–SnO 2 @NiO–NF exhibited significantly improved photocatalytic activity for ciprofloxacin degradation under solar irradiation, reaching 96.85% removal within 150 min, while the immobilized catalyst could be readily separated from the aqueous solution. ESR and scavenging test identified •O 2 – and h + as the main reactive species, with •O 2 – playing the dominant role, while HPLC–MS revealed the degradation intermediates and pathways. Band structure analysis and DFT calculations demonstrated that the p–n heterojunction follows an S-scheme charge transfer mechanism, promoting efficient charge separation while preserving strong redox capability. The composite retained over 94% of its initial activity after four cycles, showing excellent stability and recyclability. This study provides a practical way to develop efficient and reusable photocatalysts for antibiotic wastewater treatment. Download: Download high-res image (182KB) Download: Download full-size image
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
FUEL
·
2026
·
IF 7.8
Yunfeng Lei,Huilin Liu,Shunxiang Wang,Fu Ze Ho,Wen Da Oh,Yong Foo Wong,Yongjin Zou,Yong Shen Chua
Hydrazine borane (N 2 H 4 BH 3 ) has been recognized as an attractive hydrogen storage material owing to its high hydrogen capacity of 15.4 wt%. However, the methanolysis of N 2 H 4 BH 3 remains a challenge, as only BH 3 moiety of N 2 H 4 BH 3 can be utilized to produce H 2 . In the present work, we reported an efficient Cu@Ni/MoO 3 core–shell catalyst that is capable of fully utilizing the H atoms on both BH 3 and N 2 H 4 moieties of N 2 H 4 BH 3 via methanolysis, releasing 5.5 equivalents of gas at 50 °C. This study represents the most efficient catalyst for methanolysis of N 2 H 4 BH 3 reported to date. The improved catalytic activity of Cu@Ni/MoO 3 catalyst may be attributed to the collective improvement on the catalyst, which includes increased specific surface area of the catalyst, formation of an electron deficient Cu@Ni catalyst surface induced by MoO 3 and favorable reacting environment involving KOH as a catalyst promoter. The development of low-cost and highly efficient catalysts may encourage the application of N 2 H 4 BH 3 as a promising hydrogen storage material.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization
·
2026
·
IF 3.6
Puah Boon-Peng,Jalil Juriyati,Attiq Ali,Kamisah Yusof,Jamal Jamia Azdina
Dragon fruit ( Hylocereus spp.) is widely cultivated in Southeast Asia and is known for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Despite this potential, dragon fruit peel remains an underutilized by-product, while previous studies have largely focused on antioxidant activity, membrane-stabilizing effects, or enzyme-based anti-inflammatory assays, with limited evidence on cytokine modulation in human macrophages. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of crude extracts and solvent-partitioned fractions from Hylocereus costaricensis (red flesh) and H. undatus (white flesh), and to characterize the phytochemical profiles of the most active fractions. Crude extracts were prepared using 80% ethanol and subsequently fractionated with hexane, ethyl acetate, and butanol. Cytotoxicity was assessed in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-differentiated THP-1 human macrophages using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, while anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated THP-1 macrophages by quantifying interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). All samples demonstrated low cytotoxicity up to 500 µg/mL. The peel hexane fractions showed the most pronounced cytokine suppression, particularly against IL-1β (81–84%) and IL-6 (74–75%), whereas TNF-α inhibition was moderate. Concentration–response studies revealed that the H. undatus peel hexane fraction was the most potent with IC 50 of 5.73 µg/mL and 76.64 µg/mL for IL-1β and IL-6, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) identified β-amyrin and campesterol in both active fractions, while gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detected fatty acids, tocopherols, and triterpenoids. Although H. costaricensis peel contained higher levels of β-amyrin (0.59%) and campesterol (2.83%), H. undatus peel (0.15% β-amyrin; 1.86% campesterol) showed stronger cytokine inhibition, suggesting that multiple lipophilic constituents may contribute to the observed activity. These findings indicate that dragon fruit peel lipophilic fractions are promising sources of cytokine-suppressive constituents and provide analytical support for the valorization of this underutilized by-product as functional food or nutraceutical ingredients.
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION
·
2026
·
IF 6.2
Wei Jie Wang,Raihana Bahru,Xu Long,Qiang Jia,Kim Shyong Siow
Quantitative SEM and image analysis quantify porosity and neck evolution. • EDS mapping confirms uniform CeO₂ nanoparticle dispersion in Ag matrix. • CeO₂ pinning suppresses pore coalescence and grain boundary migration. • Interfacial connection ratio is statistically improved by 1–3 wt% CeO₂. • Aging and shock tests link microstructure stability to fracture behavior. Sintered silver (Ag) die-attach technology is widely used in high-temperature wide-bandgap semiconductor packaging due to its high melting point and robust mechanical properties. However, pressureless sintered Ag joints suffer from porosity evolution and crack propagation under cyclic thermo-mechanical loading. In this work, cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) nanoparticles (0–5 wt%) were introduced to regulate microstructural stability and fracture behavior. Microstructural characterization revealed that moderate CeO 2 addition (1–3 wt%) significantly increased joint densification and suppressed grain coarsening. Quantitative SEM analysis with image-based porosity mapping, sinter neck thickness measurement, and EDS elemental mapping revealed suppressed pore coalescence, stabilized neck morphology, and enhanced interfacial connection ratio in CeO 2 -modified joints. The 1 wt% CeO 2 -modified joints exhibited superior resistance to coarsening after 1000 h thermal aging at 250 °C. This stability is attributed to Zener pinning by the CeO 2 phase, which inhibited Ag grain growth and vacancy coalescence. Thermal shock testing (−60 °C to 150 °C) showed a fracture mode transition from edge delamination in pure Ag joints to distributed microcracking in CeO 2 -modified joints, resulting in extended fatigue life. These results demonstrate that CeO 2 nanoparticle doping effectively enhances microstructural stability and thermomechanical reliability in pressureless sintered Ag interconnects.
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2026
·
IF 12.5
Hui Shen Lau,Fan Feng,Qiubo Chen,Xue-Li Cao,Shi-Peng Sun,Wai Fen Yong
First report of TamiSolve® NxG as green solvent for accelerated synthesis of PIM-1. • PIM-1 backbone architected via in situ fusion process with water-synthesized MOFs. • Polymer-nano fused membrane delivered enhanced CO 2 separation and aging resistance. • Economic study confirmed financial gains of TamiSolve® NxG in polymer synthesis. Membrane-based CO 2 separation offers lower-energy alternative to conventional amine scrubbing but remains constrained by permeability-selectivity trade-off, physical aging, and the environmental impact of deleterious fabrication solvents. The lack of sustainable polymer synthesis strategies and limited evaluation of economic feasibility hinder large-scale deployment of next-generation membranes. Here, we report an environmentally responsible synthesis of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) using the greener solvent TamiSolve® NxG under accelerated synthesis conditions (2 h, 80 °C), replacing conventional hazardous solvents. To enhance structural stability and mitigate physical aging, a polymer-nano fused (PNF) architecture was developed through direct in situ anchoring of aqueous-synthesized Zr-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into the polymer backbone via one-step condensation polymerization. Spectroscopic analysis confirms the formation of covalent diarylamine-like linkages, enabling controlled branching and restricted chain mobility. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and molecular dynamics simulations reveal finely tuned fractional free volume and enhanced nanoscale uniformity. The PNF membranes demonstrate enhanced CO 2 separation performance with sustained stability over 365 days, addressing a key barrier to industrial implementation. Preliminary economic assessment shows TamiSolve® NxG is a cost-competitive and lower-toxicity solvents, supporting safer membrane manufacturing. We envisage this work establishing a one-pot architecture as a viable pathway to sustainable, high-performance CO 2 separation membranes. Download: Download high-res image (395KB) Download: Download full-size image
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Applied Food Research
·
2026
·
IF 5.4
Pingping Gao,Xiaoyun Chen,Ruizhi Yang,Fang Tian,Qiaoling Zhao,Isabel Lim Fong,Soottawat Benjakul,Yadong Zhao
In this study, emulsion-templated oleogels (emulsion gels) were prepared through simply heating Pickering emulsions composed of carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibrils (CM-CN) and lemon essential oil (LEO). Based on Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and microstructural characterizations, a dual-crosslinking mechanism is proposed: thermal treatment is hypothesized to induce esterification between the carboxyl groups of CM-CN and the aldehyde groups of LEO, supplemented by enhanced multiple hydrogen-bonding interactions. The prepared emulsion gels exhibited a dense network microstructure with quantitatively improved physical properties. Under optimized conditions (80°C, O/W ratio of 1:5), the emulsion gels achieved a maximum hardness of 107.66 g and a chewiness of 54.99 g. Dynamic rheological measurements confirmed a robust solid-like behavior with the storage modulus (G') consistently dominating the loss modulus (G''). Furthermore, low-field NMR analysis indicated a significant reduction in transverse relaxation time (T 2 ), reflecting restricted water mobility and excellent water-holding capacity, while the resulting aerogels demonstrated a compressive strength of up to 0.1121 MPa. This study presents a facile, catalyst-free heating strategy to fabricate emulsion gels using Pickering emulsion templates, offering a highly promising alternative to saturated and trans fats in the food industry.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
DESALINATION
·
2025
·
IF 9.8
Bing Gao,Zhi Liu,Soon Huat Tan,Jianghui Zhao,Yingfeng Wang,Siew Chun Low
Harnessing solar energy for water vaporization offers a sustainable approach to address global freshwater scarcity. However, existing photothermal nanoweb systems often exhibit trade-offs between evaporation performance, contaminant removal, and resistance to microbial fouling, limiting their practical deployment. In this study, a multifunctional carbon nanoweb engineered via scalable electrospinning and carbonization demonstrates the simultaneous achievement of high solar-driven water evaporation, selective dye adsorption, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The nanoweb exhibits an outstanding methyl orange adsorption capacity of 1202.04 mg·g −1 , effectively localizing pollutants and maintaining stable vapor transport. Optimized photothermal conversion achieves a solar-to-vapor efficiency of 95.25 % with an evaporation rate of 1.58 kg·m −2 ·h −1 under one-sun irradiation, enabling clean water production of 10.18 kg·m −2 ·day −1 from dye-contaminated water (50 mg·L −1 ) under outdoor conditions. Performance remains stable over extended operation with actual wastewater. Under saline conditions, the system facilitates effective desalination, yielding ion-free condensate while sustaining evaporation rates comparable to deionized water. In parallel, embedded metallic nanoparticles impart potent antimicrobial functionality, achieving inhibition efficiencies of 98.38 % against Escherichia coli and 97.38 % against Staphylococcus aureus through synergistic oxidative and contact-based mechanisms. The integration of high-efficiency evaporation, selective pollutant removal, and microbial resistance into a single solar-responsive nanoweb represents a distinctive advancement in photothermal water treatment platforms, offering scalable and multifunctional solutions for decentralized, off-grid clean water production.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
·
2024
·Vol. 31
·期 11
·16940-16957
·
IF 0
Lyu Shiqi,Abidin Zurina Zainal,Yaw Thomas Choong Shean,Resul Mohamad Faiz Mukhtar Gunam
The applications of polysulfides derived from natural plant oil and sulfur via the inverse vulcanization in the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions suffered from their low porosity and scarce surface functionality because of their hydrophobic surfaces and bulk characteristics. In this study, polysulfides from sulfur and palm oil (PSPs) with significantly enhanced porosity (13.7–24.1 m 2 /g) and surface oxygen-containing functional groups (6.9–8.6 wt.%) were synthesized with the optimization of process conditions including reaction time, temperature, and mass ratios of sulfur/palm oil/NaCl/sodium citrate. PSPs were applied as sorbents to remove heavy metals present in aqueous solutions. The integration of porosity and oxygen modification allowed a fast kinetic (4.0 h) and enhanced maximum sorption capacities for Pb(II) (218.5 mg/g), Cu(II) (74.8 mg/g), and Cr(III) (68.4 mg/g) at pH 5.0 and T 298 K comparing with polysulfides made without NaCl/sodium citrate. The sorption behaviors of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Cr(III) on PSPs were highly dependent on the solution pH values and ionic strength. The sorption presented excellent anti-interference capability for the coexisting cations and anions. The sorption processes were endothermic and spontaneous. This work would guide the preparation of porous polysulfides with surface modification as efficient sorbents to remediate heavy metals from aqueous solutions.
研究领域:
环境科学
·
材料科学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）