Boron Nitride Nanosheets Strengthened PVA/Borax Hydrogels with Highly Efficient Self-Healing and Rapid pH-Driven Shape Memory Effect

Self-healing hydrogels often possess poor mechanical properties which largely limits their applications in many fields. In this work, boron nitride nanosheets are introduced into a network of the poly(vinyl alcohol)/borax (PVA/borax) hydrogels to enhance the mechanical properties of the hydrogel without compromising the self-healing abilities. The obtained hydrogels exhibit excellent mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 0.410 ± 0.007 MPa, an elongation at break of 1712%, a Young's Modulus of 0.860 ± 0.023 MPa, and a toughness of 3.860 ± 0.075 MJ m⁻³. In addition, the self-healing efficiency of the hydrogels is higher than 90% within 10 min at room temperature. Benefiting from the excellent self-healing properties, the shapeability of the hydrogel fragments is observed using different molds. In addition, the hydrogels display rapid pH-driven shape memory effects and can recover to their original shape within 260 s. Overall, this work provides a new approach to hydrogels with integrated excellent mechanical properties, self-healing abilities, and rapid pH-driven shape memory effects.     

Excellent Polyimide Dielectrics Containing Conjugated ACAT for High-Temperature Polymer Film Capacitor

In order to meet the requirements of polymer dielectric materials for high thermal stability and excellent dielectric properties in the application of high-temperature film capacitors, a series of polyimide (PI) films are fabricated by introducing a self-synthesized aniline trimer (ACAT) with a conjugated structure in this work. Since the conjugated ACAT in the main chains of PI improves the electron polarization and carrier mobility of the PI molecular chains, the dielectric constant of the ACAT-PI films is greatly enhanced (4.4–7.4). Meanwhile, the dissipation factor does not increase apparently (0.002–0.013). The dielectric properties are stable even when the temperature is up to 200 °C, the thermal degradation temperature is as high as 450 °C, and the mechanical properties are also excellent (70–105 MPa). Among all the films, the PI film with 5 mol% ACAT exhibits the maximal energy density of 3.6 J cm⁻³ under the field of 426 kV mm⁻¹, the high tensile strength (90 MPa) and the excellent thermal stability (T_d5 = 515 °C). The work paves the way to prepare high-temperature polymer dielectric film materials with high energy storage density.     

PPV Nanotube Sensor Arrays for Explosives Identification by Excitation Wavelength Regulation

The development of sensitive materials for standard and improvised explosives is greatly significant to homeland security. In this paper, the phosphotungstate (NaPT) doped polyphenylene vinylene (PPV) nanotube arrays (NTAs), with excellent optical response, chemical stability, and larger specific surface area, are successfully fabricated by means of the “precursor film” infiltration method. The efficient charge carriers' separation of PPV NTAs can be achieved by doping NaPT to realize the photoelectric detection of explosive vapors. In addition, the identification of six explosives, including ammonium nitrate (AN), dinitrotoluence (DNT), picric acid (PA), p-nitrotoluene (PNT), triacetone triperoxide (TATP), and trinitrotoluene (TNT), can also be realized through the fingerprint atlas. Moreover, the adsorption energy and excited oscillator intensity has also been employed to explain the interaction between NaPT doped PPV nanotube arrays and various explosive molecules. Obviously, the NaPT doped PPV developed has the potential to be used as an explosive sensor.     

PAN/FPU Composite Nanofiber Membrane with Superhydrophobic and Superoleophobic Surface as a Filter Element for High-Efficiency Protective Masks

Recently, because of the outbreak of COVID-19, the demand for various types of filter elements in protective materials has increased globally. Furthermore, new requirements for the filtration performance of PM2.5 liquid (oil) particles have been put forward. In this work, Superhydrophobic and superoleophobic composite nanofibers with excellent filtration capacity for oil and salt particles are developed through the modification of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) by fluoro-polyurethane (FPU) doping. The results show that the PAN/FPU composite nanofibers doped with 9 wt% FPU has a uniform fiber morphology with a diameter of 240 ± 30 nm. Compared to the pure PAN nanofibers, the water-based contact angle of PAN/FPU increases from 90 ± 5° to 151 ± 5°, and the oil-based contact angle increases from 58 ± 2° to 152 ± 3°. Importantly, at a high flow rate of 95 L min⁻¹, the filtration efficiency of the PAN/FPU nanofiber membrane for 0.3 µm oil particles increases from 92 ± 1% to 99.2 ± 0.1%. After cyclic loading, the filtration efficiency of 0.3 µm oil particles remains above 98%. Meanwhile, the filtration efficiency for 0.3 µm salt particles remains at 98.23 ± 0.1%. The PAN/FPU nanofiber membrane developed in this work is effective in applications and has good market prospects as a protective filtration material.     

Preparation and Bioactivity of Iridium(III) Phenanthroline Complexes with Halide Ions and Pyridine Leaving Groups

A series of half-sandwich structural iridium(III) phenanthroline (Phen) complexes with halide ions (Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻) and pyridine leaving groups ([(η⁵-Cp^X)Ir(Phen)Z](PF₆)_n, Cp^x: electron-rich cyclopentadienyl group, Z: leaving group) have been prepared. Target complexes, especially the Cp^xbiph (biphenyl-substituted cyclopentadienyl)-based one, showed favourable anticancer activity against human lung cancer (A549) cells; the best one ( Ir8 ) was almost five times that of cisplatin under the same conditions. Compared with complexes involving halide ion leaving groups, the pyridine-based one did not display hydrolysis but effectively caused lysosomal damage, leading to accumulation in the cytosol, inducing an increase in the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species and apoptosis; this indicated an anticancer mechanism of oxidation. Additionally, these complexes could bind to serum albumin through a static quenching mechanism. The data highlight the potential value of half-sandwich iridium(III) phenanthroline complexes as anticancer drugs.     

Controllable synthesis of pure monodispersed zirconia nanopowders with tetragonal phase

Nanopowders of pure zirconia have been synthesized using citric acid (CA)-assisted lamellar liquid crystal template method. The microstructure of the zirconia powder prepared at the different mole ratios of CA to zirconium oxynitrate (ZN) was characterized by FT-IR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser particle size analyzer, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) methods. The phase structure of the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/C₁₀H₂₁OH/H₂O system before and after adding mixing solution CA and ZN was determined by POM (Polarizing Optical Microscope). The results show that lamellar structure of the SDS/C₁₀H₂₁OH/H₂O system after adding mixing solution CA and ZN is stable. The presence of CA inhibits agglomeration and growth of zirconia particle. The crystallite size of zirconia powders decreases and agglomerates lowly with addition of CA. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FI-IR) analyses reveal that the structure of chelating organic complex is maintained in zirconia structure at high-temperature calcination to cause oxygen vacancies which stabilizes the tetragonal phase of zirconia. The zirconia powders remained the single metastable tetragonal phase at the molar ratios of CA to ZN ranging from 1:3 to 5:1. The crystallite size of zirconia with spherical morphology varied from 32.2 to 20.1 nm with the increase of the molar ratio of CA to ZN in the range of 1:3 to 5:1.     

Effects of micro-sized mullite on cristobalite crystallization and properties of silica-based ceramic cores

Silica-based ceramic cores are extensively used in investment casting process, during which they must exhibit sufficient flexural strength and deformation resistance. In this study, micro-sized mullite was used as an additive to silica-based ceramic cores to optimize their high temperature properties. To investigate the effects of micro-sized mullite on cristobalite crystallization, mechanical and thermal properties of silica-based ceramic cores, ceramic cores with different amounts of micro-sized mullite were fabricated. The XRD results showed that additional micro-sized mullite diminished the crystallization of cristobalite at high temperatures, primarily caused by the mullite related compressive stresses on the surface regions of fused silica particles. Three-point bending tests and SEM results showed that micro-sized mullite had a more significant effect on the flexural strength of ceramic cores compared with conventional additives. Particularly, the fracture mechanism of silica-based ceramic cores had been changed from intergranular fracture into a mixed fracture consisting of both intergranular and transgranular fracture. The mechanical and thermal properties of ceramic cores were all reduced slightly as the mullite content exceed 4.6 wt%. Hence, to optimize the properties of silica-based ceramic cores, the micro-sized mullite content should not exceed 4.6 wt%.     

Adsorption Mechanism and Electrochemical Properties of Methyl Blue onto Magnetic CoxCu(1–x)Fe2O4 Nanoparticles Prepared via an Alcohol Solution of Nitrate Combustion and Calcination Process

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials - Magnetic CoxCu(1–x)Fe2O4 nanoparticles were prepared via an alcohol solution of nitrate combustion and calcination process....     

Correction to: Bismuth Yttrium Oxide (Bi3YO6), A New Electrode Material For Asymmetric Aqueous Supercapacitors

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials - The original version of this article unfortunately contained mistakes. In line 9 of the abstract, 5% should read as 2%. The...     

2010年至2019年中国国家自然科学基金资助中国盐湖研究项目分析

国家自然科学基金对学科发展具有扶持、引导作用, 其资助情况能反映出学科发展态势、研究前沿和热点。以2010—2019年国家自然科学基金对盐湖研究的资助项目数据为分析对象, 利用EXCEL、R Studio、VOSviewer等软件对资助年度、资助金额、依托单位、资助类别、项目名称、关键词等内容进行统计分析, 揭示了国家自然科学基金对盐湖基础研究的资助力度、趋势、研究团队分布, 发现当前盐湖热点研究方向包括盐湖相化学与溶液化学、盐湖资源分离与利用技术、盐湖资源综合利用技术、盐湖成盐规律与机制、盐湖锂资源利用技术、盐湖化学性质研究。