This work reports on a simple and general strategy for continuous fabrication of self-propelled micromotors with photocatalytic metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for enhanced synergistic degradation of organic contaminants. With emulsion microdroplets from microfluidics as templates, uniform porous micromotors decorated with Fe3O4@Ag nanoparticles (Fe3O4@AgNPs) at the bottom and zeolitic imidazolate framework-8@ZnO nanoparticles (ZIF-8@ZnONPs) on the surface can be synthesized. The spatial location of ZIF-8@ZnONPs and Fe3O4@AgNPs in micromotors is accurately controlled in one step via their directional migration in the confined microspace of emulsion droplets driven by interfacial energy and magnetic field. The nanoengines Fe3O4@AgNPs enable asymmetric decomposition of H2O2 for bubble-propelled motion and easy magnetic recycling of the micromotor. The porous structures of micromotors provide a large surface area, benefiting decoration of Fe3O4@AgNPs and their contact with H2O2 for promoting bubble generation and reduced micromotor weight for promoting bubble-propelled motion. The nanophotocatalysts ZIF-8@ZnONPs allow enrichment of organic contaminant molecules via adsorption for efficient photocatalytic degradation. With synergistic coupling of the photocatalysis of ZIF-8@ZnONPs and advanced oxidation of the H2O2/UV system, the micromotors with bubble-propelled motion for improved mixing can achieve enhanced degradation of organic contaminants via dual synergistic degradation mechanisms. As highlighted by degradation of rhodamine B, the micromotors exhibit the highest degradation performance as compared to control groups with a single degradation mechanism and with dual degradation mechanisms but without self-propelled motion. This simple fabrication strategy is general and can be flexibly extended to other MOF materials, which may open up new avenues for developing advanced MOF-integrated micromotors for myriad applications.
BackgroundCongenital scoliosis (CS) may lead to more serious pulmonary complications compared with idiopathic scoliosis after spinal fusion surgery. However, little has been reported about postoperative pulmonary complication events in patients with CS after spinal fusion surgery.ObjectiveTo investigate the incidence of and predictive factors of postoperative pulmonary complications following posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion surgery for the treatment of CS.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the records of 174 patients with CS (128 females and 46 males, mean age 16.4 years) treated with posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion surgery between January 2012 and April 2017. We extracted demographic, medical history, and clinical data, and investigated the major predictive factors for postoperative pulmonary complications by logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic curves analyses.ResultsA total of 26 (14.9%) patients developed postoperative pulmonary complications, consisting of pleural effusion (10.9%), pneumonia (6.9%), pneumothorax (1.1%), atelectasis (2.3%), hypoxemia (6.3%), and respiratory failure (1.1%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the predictive factors for postoperative pulmonary complications were age > 18.1 years (P = 0.039), a Cobb angle of > 77° (P = 0.011), operation time of > 430 min (P = 0.032), and blood transfusion volume > 1500 ml (P = 0.015).ConclusionsPostoperative pulmonary complications are among the main complications following posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion surgery in patients with CS. Such patients aged >18.1 years, with Cobb angles > 77°, operation times > 430 min, and/or blood transfusion volume of > 1500 ml may be more likely to develop postoperative pulmonary complications.
Ge nanocrystals randomly dispersed in amorphous silica films were prepared by magnetron cosputtering and postannealing to investigate the polarization characteristics of Raman scattering from the Ge nanocrystals. Two acoustic vibrational modes observed in the low-frequency Raman spectra were shown by theoretical calculation based on the isotropic continuum elasticity theory to be the torsional modes activated by elastic anisotropy and the nonspherical shape of the Ge nanocrystals. Enhanced depolarized scattering was also observed from the optical phonons of the Ge nanocrystals.
Optical interference is known to alter the intensity of Raman scattering signals. Its effect on enhanced Raman scattering from embedded indium tin oxide (ITO) nano-island arrays prepared by pulsed laser deposition of ITO films with different thicknesses on Si templates with nano-scale roughness are studied. Optical self-interference of the incident, scattered, and emitted light is observed to modulate the intensity and shape of the Raman signals as well as fluorescence background. The fluctuations in the Raman signals and fluorescence background can be explained by a theoretical model considering multiple reflections at the surface and interface. This interference effect must be taken into account in the investigation of enhanced Raman scattering from ITO.
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