By introducing the incorporation of polyaniline and fluorinated alkyl silane to the cotton fabric via a facile vapor phase deposition process, the fabric surface possessed superhydrophobicity with the water contact angle of 156° and superoleophilicity with the oil contact angle of 0°. The as-prepared fabric can be applied as effective materials for the separation of water and oil mixture with separation efficiency as high as 97.8%. Compared with other materials for oil/water separation, the reported process was simple, time-saving, and repeatable for at least 30 times. Moreover, the obtained fabric kept stable superhydrophobicity and high separation efficiency under extreme environment conditions of high temperature, high humidity, strong acidic or alkaline solutions, and mechanical forces. Therefore, this reported fabric has the advantages of scalable fabrication, high separation efficiency, stable recyclability, and excellent durability, exhibiting the strong potential for industrial production.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

A simple vapor-phase deposition process has been developed to fabricate a superhydrophobic and superoleophilic sponge using ordinary commercial polyurethane sponges. The simultaneous properties of superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity enable the sponge to float on the water surface and selectively absorb oil from water. Its uptake capacities of different oils (motor oil, lubricating oil, pump oil, silicone oil, and soybean oil) in the oil–water mixtures were all above 20 g/g. The absorbed oil could be collected by squeezing the sponge, and the recovered sponge could be reused in oil–water separation for many cycles while still maintaining a high capacity. This is helpful for realizing the proper disposal of the oil and avoiding secondary pollution. A similar experiment was performed using the as-prepared sponge to remove petroleum from contaminated water. The results suggest that our material might find practical applications in the cleanup of oil spills and the removal of organic pollutants from water surfaces.

A wide range of nanoparticles (NPs) have been found to generate free radicals in biological systems. Hence, it is hypothesized that free radical generation may play a key role in the mechanism of nanomaterial toxicity in vivo. However, the main physicochemical basis for the free radical generation particularly in the biomicroenvironment has not yet been fully established. In this study, we performed comprehensive spectroscopic techniques to probe the physicochemical origin of free radical generation induced by iron oxide nanoparticles in biomicroenvironment. We demonstrated that α-Fe2O3 and γ-Fe2O3 NPs induced hydroxyl radical (•OH) via homogeneous and heterogeneous Fenton process, depending on the biological microenvironment of pH and reducing agent presence. The physicochemical structures such as chemical states of oxygen and iron on nanosurface are the key factors in the homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic reactions. A noteworthy finding was that in situ surface reduction of Fe2O3 NPs occurred in the presence of a physiological amount of biological reducing agents (l-cysteine or NADPH), which could enhance and even reverse the capacity of •OH generation by α-Fe2O3 and γ-Fe2O3 NPs under low pH 1.2 condition. The present study demonstrates that exploration of the physicochemical basis at the nanobio interface in biomicroenvironments may help to understand the mechanism of nanotoxicity and guide safe design of nanomaterials for biomedical application

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a common complication that leads to long-term cognitive impairments and increased mortality in sepsis survivors. The mechanisms underlying this complication remain unclear and an effective intervention is lacking. Accumulating evidence suggests the nucleotide-binding domain-like receptor protein3 (NLRP3)/caspase-1 pathway is involved in several neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, we hypothesized that the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway is involved in NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis, maturation and release of inflammatory cytokines, and cognitive deficits in SAE. We used the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 and the caspase-1 inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CMK to study the role of the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway in pyroptosis and cognitive deficits in a mouse model of SAE. Mice were randomly assigned to one of six groups: sham+saline, sham+MCC950, sham+Ac-YVAD-CMK, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)+saline, CLP+MCC950, and CLP+Ac-YVAD-CMK. Surviving mice underwent behavioral tests or had hippocampal tissues collected for histochemical analysis and biochemical assays. Our results show that CLP-induced hippocampus-dependent memory deficits are accompanied by increased NLRP3 and caspase-1 positive cells, and augmented protein levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, gasdermin-D, and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus. In addition, administration of MCC950 or Ac-YVAD-CMK rescues cognitive deficits and ameliorates increased hippocampal NLRP3-mediated neuronal pyroptosis and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Our results suggest that the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway-induced pyroptosis mediates cognitive deficits in a mouse model of SAE.

With the aim of creating superoleophobic surfaces on engineering materials and understanding the influences of surface structures on the oleophobicity, we develop a convenient route to achieve superoleophobic surfaces on aluminum substrates using simple etching and surface fluorination. The liquid repellency of the textured surface is demonstrated by visible experimental results and contact angle measurements. Etching conditions, such as the etching time and etching procedure, play critical roles in establishing the oleophobicity. The micrometre-scale structures are essential for achieving the composite interface with low surface tension liquids, and the nanoscale structures formed in the treatment with boiling water lead to a decrease of contact angle hysteresis, bringing about an enhancement of superoleophobicity.