Contrarian Design of Versatile MoS-Based Self-Lubrication Film.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS) exhibits excellent lubrication capacity rooted in its layered structure, but it suffers significant structural and functional deterioration due to oxidation in ambient environments, limiting its applications. Concerted efforts are focused on enhancing the antioxidation ability of MoS, but challenges remain. This work conceptualizes and demonstrates a contrarian design of MoS-based film via metal incorporation and oxidation based on consideration of key fundamental principles of thermodynamics, chemistry, and physical mechanics.

Durable Near-Zero Wear Behavior Achieved by Polymer-Based Protic Ionic Liquids on Engineering Steel Surfaces.

Near-zero wear on engineering steel surfaces is a promising solution to extend the service life of mechanical equipment. However, most existing strategies offer only limited low wear under particular conditions and friction pairs. To address this, we design a polymer-based proton ionic liquid (PPILs) lubricant, leveraging the proton exchange between polyethylenimine, which is rich in active nitrogen groups, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate.

Mechanoenzymatic Reactions: Current Applications, Mechanistic Insights, and Future Challenges.

In the context of the escalating shortage of global resources, mechanoenzymology has emerged as a transformative platform for the production of economically viable, high-value products. This innovative method employs mechanical force to drive enzyme-catalyzed reactions, demonstrating significant advantages in terms of green chemistry indicators, catalytic efficiency, and process sustainability. It has proven successful in various fields, including food processing, biopharmaceutical, and biomass resources development.

Sodium Alginate Launches MOF Defective Structures to Rapidly Construct Highly AChE-Like Nanozyme for Neuroprotection.

Organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents cause neurotoxicity through irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), while conventional therapeutic strategies are inadequate to fully restore cholinergic function. Artificial enzymes with AChE-like activity are urgently needed to provide sustainable catalytic capacity to address this limitation. Guided by the acid-base synergistic catalytic mechanism of the ester hydrolysis reaction, the 29-ZIF-8/SA composite with excellent AChE-like activity is successfully constructed by a defect engineering strategy with sodium alginate (SA) as a modulator.

Multifunctional Sponge Enables the High-Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Dyes and Tetracycline through ZnS@BiS@HNTs.

Photocatalytic technology has garnered considerable attention in wastewater treatment, but its application to complex wastewater remains challenged by particle aggregation and the difficulty of separating the catalyst from water. In this study, the heterojunction composite catalyst ZnS@BiS and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are immobilized onto a sponge substrate to enhance photocatalytic performance. SEM, XRD, XPS, FTIR, and UV-Vis analyses are conducted to characterize the morphology and evaluate the organic degradation performance of PPG/HNTs/ZnS@BiS.

Regiodivergent Ligand-Controlled Cobalt-Catalyzed Reductive Hydroxymethylation of Alkynes with Aqueous Formaldehyde.

Allylic alcohols are versatile and essential building blocks in synthetic chemistry, widely used for the preparation of complex molecules, pharmaceuticals, and materials. We report here a regiodivergent reductive hydroxymethylation of terminal alkynes with aqueous formaldehyde to prepare allylic alcohols enabled by visible light photoredox and cobalt dual catalysis. Using readily available, bulk, and cheap aqueous formaldehyde as a simple C1 source, this method allows for the selective production of both linear and branched allylic alcohols in one-step manner.

Superhydrophobic Composite with Photothermal Properties and Abrasive Resistance for Anti-/Deicing.

Materials with superhydrophobic surfaces have the potential for anti-/deicing, but they are plagued by low solar energy and weak mechanical durability. Herein, an encapsulated phase-change microparticle is first designed by integrating photothermal conversion and thermal storage during phase change. The photothermal conversion efficiency of the phase-change microparticles is up to 93.

Hierarchical WO Nanofibers for Ultrasensitive Gas Detection via Pore-Creating and Inner Anchoring Silver Nanoparticles.

Ultrasensitive detection of triethylamine (TEA), a characteristic volatile in seafood, is particularly important for food safety and human health. The preparation of nanosensing materials with special structures is an important step toward high-performance TEA detection. This study introduces a novel method of loading noble metal catalysts onto the inner walls of WO macroporous nanofibers (MNFs) to prepare high-performance TEA sensing materials by using core-shell nanospheres with glucose-coated Ag particles as sacrificial templates.

A novel strategy for simultaneous separation of cis-trans isomers of hydroxy-ε/α/β-sanshools using gradient elution multi-mode two-dimensional liquid-liquid chromatography and theoretical calculations of separation mechanisms.

The gram-scale and efficient separation of isomers remains a major bottleneck limiting their further applications. This study presents a method for efficiently separating cis-trans isomers by employing transition metals to selectively recognize CC bonds, combined with gradient elution multi-mode two-dimensional liquid-liquid chromatography. The method was applied to separate cis-trans isomers, including hydroxy-ε-sanshool, hydroxy-α-sanshool, and hydroxy-β-sanshool, from Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim, which vary significantly in content but have similar properties.

Expanding the antimicrobial spectrum of lugdunin: Discovery of multi-cationic derivatives of lugdunin with antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Lugdunin, a newly discovered antibiotic with a unique structure, emerged during a decade-long antibiotic discovery void and is considered a promising lead for combating drug-resistant bacteria. However, its narrow spectrum targeting only Gram-positive bacteria and its structural limitations have hindered its development and clinical application. Herein, inspired by our previous combinatorial modification strategies for lugdunin, we designed and synthesized a series of multi-cationic lugdunin derivatives using a biphenylmethyl modification on the tryptophan indole structure combined with multi-cationic amino acid mutations, aiming to expand its antimicrobial spectrum.

Gas Modulation Induced Ultra-Low Friction and Ultra-Strong Wear Resistance in Atomically Thin MoSe Single Crystals.

Atomically thin films exhibiting ultra-low friction and ultra-strong wear resistance are crucial for overcoming lubrication challenges in micro-nano electromechanical systems (M/NEMS). However, achieving these properties under conventional pressure conditions remains a major challenge. In this study, a novel strategy is presented to further reduce friction and enhance wear resistance by tuning the atmosphere composition.

Enhancing the Output Performance of Tubular Gas-Liquid Mixing Triboelectric Nanogenerator by Bulk Effect.

Gas-liquid two-phase flow-based triboelectric nanogenerators (GL-TENGs) have gained widespread attention due to their ability to convert the kinetic energy of complex flowing fluids into electrical power, but limitation such as relatively low output power density imposed by interfacial effects severely restrict their output performance. Here, a novel tubular bulk effect gas-liquid mixing triboelectric nanogenerator (TBE-GL-TENG) is designed to significantly enhance the output performance of GL-TENGs. The instantaneous output voltage, output current, and transferred charge of 1530 V, 112 µA, and 0.

A novel 3DOM Pt/MeO-SiO catalyst for the catalytic oxidation of VOCs.

In this work, we utilized three-dimensional ordered macroporous (3DOM) SiO and non-noble metal oxides (CeO, CoO and MnO) to confine highly dispersed Pt species. The 3DOM Pt/MeO-SiO catalyst was used for the catalytic oxidation of benzene to evaluate its catalytic activity, long-term thermal stability, sulfur resistance, and water resistance. The results verified that the 3DOM Pt/CeO-SiO catalyst had superior activity ( = 210 °C) and strong sulfur resistance (10 ppm).

Heteroatomic Sites on Carbon: Thermal CO Activation and Transformation by Metal-Free Catalysis.

Due to high thermal stability, the selective cleavage of the CO bond in CO, catalyzed by heterogeneous catalysts, is quite challenging, especially in thermal catalytic areas. For the first time, metal-free active sites for thermal CO activation and transformation are constructed on the nanocarbon surface in this work. The potential H-assisted cleavage of the activated CO bond to produce CO on the metal-free catalyst is predicted and further confirmed by its reduction using silane as a hydrogen resource.

Mechanism of Bonding and Defect Evolution of Deformed SbTe Semiconductors under Temperature Effects.

Recently, the enhanced plasticity of SbTe-based thermoelectric (TE) semiconductors has been expected to promote the device application of precise temperature control and refrigeration. Although it should be attributed to van der Waals (VdW) bonds in the sublattice, which are weak and sensitive to external stimuli such as force and temperature, the evolution mechanism has not yet been fully explored. Moreover, temperature is crucial during the processing and application of TE devices, significantly influencing lattice deformation and structural failure.

Cobalt(0)-Catalyzed Isomerization of Allylamines Promoted by Monodentate Benzofuran Phosphines.

Isomerization of C-C double bonds is an efficient tool for converting bulk olefins into high-value compounds. Herein we describe a newly developed homogeneous cobalt-based system which enables the isomerization of allylamines to enamines with similar activity and selectivity to noble metal catalysts. The catalyst activity was bound to the presence of furan-2-yl substituents of the phosphine ligand, while the selectivity was increased with the number of benzofuran-2-yl groups.

Octopus-Inspired Self-Adaptive Hydrogel Gripper Capable of Manipulating Ultra-Soft Objects.

Octopuses, due to their flexible arms, marvelous adaptability, and powerful suckers, are able to effortlessly grasp and disengage various objects in the marine surrounding without causing devastation. However, manipulating delicate objects such as soft and fragile foods underwater require gentle contact and stable adhesion, which poses a serious challenge to now available soft grippers. Inspired by the sucker infundibulum structure and flexible tentacles of octopus, herein we developed a hydraulically actuated hydrogel soft gripper with adaptive maneuverability by coupling multiple hydrogen bond-mediated supramolecular hydrogels and vat polymerization three-dimensional printing, in which hydrogel bionic sucker is composed of a tunable curvature membrane, a negative pressure cavity, and a pneumatic chamber.

Synthesis of NiO/BiO composite nanosheets and their photocatalytic CO reduction performance.

The development of catalysts for photocatalytic reduction of CO is of great significance for addressing the excessive emission of CO. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of NiO/BiO composite nanoflakes and used them for photocatalytic CO reduction. Among them, Ni/Bi-30 exhibits the best CO reduction activity with a CO generation rate of 10.

Interfacial Interaction Modulated Radiation Defects for Self-Charging Persistent Mechanoluminescence.

Self-charging persistent mechanoluminescence (SC-PML) is of particular interest for stress sensing/visualization applications, as it not only notably extends the time window available for stress observation, but also avoids the pre-charging with great convenience. However, the intrinsic physical principles of the SC-PML are still unclear. Herein, a phosphor SrLiMg(PO): Dy with an initially clean trap structure is reported to exhibit repeatable SC-PML up to 30 s when incorporated into a flexible polydimethylsiloxane.

Comparative Study on Different Clay Minerals for Costabilizing Antibacterial Pickering Emulsions with Sapindus Mukorossi against and ESBL.

Green Pickering emulsions were costabilized by different natural clay minerals and () for the encapsulation of carvacrol in this study, and the effect of the types of clay minerals on the emulsion stability and antibacterial activity of Pickering emulsions was studied, while the stability mechanism and surface/interfacial interaction of Pickering emulsions were revealed. The results suggested that the synergistic effect among the continuous-phase polymer, clay mineral, and organic substances derived from was the predominant stabilization mechanism of Pickering emulsions, which formed a hybrid rigid shell on the oil-in-water interface. Meanwhile, Pickering emulsions presented excellent antibacterial activities against () and extended-spectrum β-lactamases of (ESBL).

Friction dynamics: displacement fluctuations during sliding friction.

We have investigated the fluctuations (noise) in the positions of rectangular blocks, made from rubber or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), sliding on various substrates under constant driving forces. For all systems the power spectra of the noise exhibit large low-frequency regions with power laws, , with the exponents between 4 and 5. The experimental results are compared to simulations and analytical predictions using three models of interfacial interaction: a spring-block model, an asperity-force model, and a wear-particle model.

Recent preparation and applications of chiral pillar[5]arene-based functional materials.

Pillar[5]arenes were first synthesized and reported in 2008 by Ogoshi Due to their rigid cavity structures, rich host-guest interactions and ease of functionalization, pillar[5]arenes have garnered considerable attention in the fields of supramolecular chemistry, material science and stereochemistry. However, they face significant challenges in obtaining stable enantiomers due to the presence of rotational single bonds within the cavity structure, which leads to a high predisposition for racemization. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the synthesis of pillar[5]arene-based macrocyclic chiral materials and their applications over the past decade, including circularly polarized luminescent materials, chirality memory materials, chiral organic nanotube materials, and chiral molecular recognition and separation.

Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly for the Synthesis of Multi-Responsive Micelles Hydrogel and its Versatile Applications.

Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) is well-known for its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and widely studied as thermo-responsive micelles for various applications. However, the synthesis of micelles with precise structures often involves complex process. Herein, we developed a novel multi-responsive micelles hydrogel GBN, which was prepared by combining the polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)-poly (glycerol methacrylate) (PGMA-PNIPAM) and B─O crosslinking the micelles.

Natural and crystal bundles disaggregated palygorskite in young broilers: A comparison study.

Objective: : This study aimed to compare the effects of natural palygorskite (Nat-Pal) and crystal bundles disaggregated palygorskite (Dis-Pal) supplementation on the growth performance, intestinal health, and digestive function of young broilers.

Methods: : A total of 400 male Arbor Acres broilers (one-day-old) were randomly assigned to five experimental groups with eight replicates over a 14-day experimental period. Chicks were fed a basal diet (Control group), the basal diet supplemented with 10 g/kg Nat-Pal or 2.

Deicing Mechanisms of Two-Phase Skeleton/Gel Composites with Tunable Surface Moduli.

Developing durable ice-phobic materials is essential for minimizing ice-related hazards in aerospace, transportation, and energy infrastructure systems. In this study, two types of porous skeleton-gel composites with distinct surface moduli were fabricated, i.e.