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One-dimensional nanomaterials including cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and gold nanorods (GNRs) are widely used in optical materials due to their respective inherent features: birefringence with accompanying light retardation and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Herein, we successfully combine these properties of both nanorods to generate synergistic and readily tunable structural colors in hybrid composite polymer films. CNCs and GNRs are embedded either in the same or in separate films after unidirectional alignment in dynamic hydrogels. By synergistically leveraging CNCs and GNRs with diverse amounts in hybrid films or stacked separate films, wide-ranging structural colors are obtained, far beyond those from films solely with aligned CNCs or GNRs. Higher GNR contents enhance light absorption at 520 nm with promoted magenta colors, while more CNCs affect the overall phase retardation with light absorption between 400 and 700 nm between crossed polarizers. Moreover, adjusting the angles between films solely with CNCs or GNRs via a stacking/rotating technique successively manipulates colors with flexible film combinations. By rotating the films with aligned GNRs (0–180°), light absorption can traverse from ∼500 to 650 nm. Thus, tuning the adjustable synergism of birefringence of CNCs and SPR of GNRs provides great potential for structural colors, which enlightens inspirations for designing functional optical materials.

Enrichment culturing of sludge taken from an industrial wastewater treatment pond led to the identification of a bacterium (Klebsiella jilinsis H. Zhang) that degrades chlorimuron-ethyl with high efficiency. Klebsiella jilinsis strain 2N3 grows with chlorimuron-ethyl as the sole nitrogen source at the optimal temperature range of 30-35 degrees C and pH values between 6.0-7.0. In liquid medium, the degradation activity was further induced by chlorimuron-ethyl. Degradation rates followed the pesticide degradation kinetic equation at concentrations between 20 and 200 mg L(-1). Using initial concentrations of 20 and 100 mg L(-1), the degradation rates of chlorimuron-ethyl were 83.5 % and 92.5 % in 12 hours, respectively. At an initial concentration higher than 200 mg L(-1), the degradation rate decreased slightly as the concentration increased. The 2N3 strain also degraded the sulfonylurea herbicides ethametsulfuron, metsulfuron-methyl, nicosulfuron, rimsulfuron, and tribenuron-methyl. This study provides scientific evidence and support for the application of K. jilinsis in bioremediation to reduce environmental pollution.

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Functional polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted intense interest because of their broad applications. However, most of them focused on characteristics, behaviors, properties, or functionalities of the NPs, while neglecting the interaction between NPs and solvents and thus the influence of solvents on the physical−chemical properties of NPs. In this paper, NPs based on cellulose 10-undecenoyl ester with total substitution of hydroxyl groups by undecenoyl moieties were prepared in various organic dispersants via nanoprecipitation. These NPs were further surface-modified with diverse functionalities via thiol−ene reactions on the terminal vinyl groups of undecenoyl moieties. The swelling behaviors of the resultant surface-modified NPs were systematically investigated via adding corresponding swelling solvents to the dispersions, fitting the swelling modes to different types of functions, and analyzing the factors influencing the swelling processes. It is concluded that different interactions including hydrogen bond interaction between swelling solvents and surface-modified outer layers as well as nonmodified interior parts of NPs are essential for different swelling trends. The swelling extents and tolerant capacities for swelling solvents in dispersant could be affected by the characters of dispersants, the surface functionalities of NPs, and the interaction between them. Thus, our investigation provides a general understanding of the swelling behaviors of surface-modified solvent-responsive NPs derived from polymeric cellulose derivatives.