Article
Polymer Science
Christopher Hill, Wasiu Abdullahi, Martin Crossman, Peter Charles Griffiths
Summary: This study investigates how the destabilization of particulate dispersions is influenced by oppositely charged polymer-surfactant complexes. The results show that complexes with a charge ratio greater than 1 enhance the destabilization, while complexes with a charge ratio less than 1 do not show adsorption and destabilization. This study highlights the possibility of controlling the interactions between polymer-surfactant complexes and particle surfaces by modulating the charge ratio.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ye Zhou, Jannik Nedergaard Pedersen, Jacob Nedergaard Pedersen, Nykola C. Jones, Soren Vronning Hoffmann, Steen Vang Petersen, Jan Skov Pedersen, Adam Perriman, Renjun Gao, Zheng Guo
Summary: This study focuses on the anionization of a carboxylate-enriched mutant of Bacillus subtilis lipase A (8M) to produce biofluids with enhanced hydrolytic activity. The resulting biofluids show a 2.5-fold increase in activity compared to those based on anionic polymer surfactants. Additionally, the use of anion-type biofluids with Myoglobin (Mb) is evaluated, revealing partial recovery of the active alpha-helix level in the biofluids. These highly active solvent-free liquid enzymes exhibit increased thermal stability and open up new possibilities in solvent-free liquid protein research.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dawoon Lee, Yeonhwa Song, Yongjun Song, Seung Ja Oh, U. Hyeok Choi, Jaekyun Kim
Summary: New ionic-gel polymer electrolytes are designed for all-solid-state supercapacitors with excellent deformability and stability, featuring high ionic conductivity, dielectric constant, and mechanical robustness. These electrolytes aim to provide stable and superior electrochemical performance for foldable electronics.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Oliver S. Hammond, Naomi S. Elstone, James Doutch, Peixun Li, Karen J. Edler
Summary: This study demonstrates that pure and hydrated deep eutectic solvents (DES) can form self-assembled nanostructures similar to the bicontinuous L(3) phase in ionic liquids (ILs). The addition of surfactant AOT in the DES results in the formation of the L(3) sponge phase, characterized using the Teubner-Strey model. The local structure of the DES changes with increasing solvent water content, forming large, turbid lamellar phases and an L-3-to-L-alpha transition. Multi-contrast SANS fittings reveal that the surfactant headgroup region interacts primarily with poorly-soluble Na+ at low water contents and numerically-superior [cholinium](+) at higher water contents. The modified interfacial Gaussian curvature stabilizes the lamellar morphology, allowing for an increase in the bilayer aggregation number.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wentao Lin, Jiapeng Liu, Lichun Xue, Yueqing Li, Haoze Yu, Yongqiang Xiong, Dengjie Chen, Francesco Ciucci, Jing Yu
Summary: In this study, nonflammable and robust composite polymer-polymer electrolytes were successfully fabricated, showing good mechanical properties and high ionic conductivity. These electrolytes exhibit stable Li stripping and plating behavior, making them suitable for high-voltage and high-energy batteries.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
He Yang, Jijian Zhang, Jiale Yao, Danying Zuo, Jing Xu, Hongwei Zhang
Summary: This study develops a gel polymer electrolyte based on a ternary deep eutectic solvent with a low eutectic point, which shows excellent flexibility and satisfactory mechanical properties. The optimized electrolyte exhibits high ionic conductivity at low temperature and significantly improves the energy density and cycling stability of a ZIHS. The assembled flexible device demonstrates outstanding wide-temperature adaptability and tolerance to harsh conditions.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Tianyi Jin, Connor W. Coley, Alfredo Alexander-Katz
Summary: In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the adsorption mechanism of a polymer chain onto a solid surface. The results show that the adsorption is driven by long PEG side chains, and after a short period of side-chain adsorption, the adsorption terminates due to the glassy nature of the backbone. The adsorption can only continue by adding plasticizers, changing the backbone flexibility, or raising the temperature above the glass transition temperature.
Review
Chemistry, Applied
Guillaume Zante, Maria Boltoeva, Abderrazak Masmoudi, Remi Barillon, Dominique Trebouet
Summary: Supported liquid membranes and polymer inclusion membranes are interesting technologies for extraction of metal ions, but face limitations in process lifetime. Recent studies suggest that using ionic liquids could extend the lifetime of these processes.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Mo Zhu, Muhammad Waqas Ishaq, Lianwei Li
Summary: This article summarizes the relationship between the internal motions of macromolecular systems in solutions and the microscopic relaxation and macroscopic rheological behavior, highlighting the importance of theoretical and experimental studies on intrachain dynamics of complex macromolecular systems, and outlining future research directions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Azza Hashim Abbas, Peyman Pourafshary, Wan Rosli Wan Sulaiman, Mohd Zaidi Jaafar, Bemgba B. Nyakuma
Summary: The study investigates the significant loss of surfactants during reservoir flooding and the impact of clay minerals on surfactant performance. Results show that increasing clay mineral composition leads to higher surfactant adsorption, but preflushing with lignin can effectively reduce adsorption.
Article
Thermodynamics
Jana Zimmermann, Sabine Enders, Michael Fischlschweiger
Summary: This study presents a novel multiscale modeling approach based on thermomechanics to accurately predict gas solubility in semicrystalline polymers. The approach considers factors such as temperature, pressure, and polyethylene grade, and incorporates a mechanical homogenization method to consider the semicrystalline morphology and obtain local mechanical material information. Experimental results show good agreement between the model predictions and actual data, with a relative error below 3%.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING DATA
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Petr Sedlak, Dinara Sobola, Adam Gajdos, Rashid Dallaev, Alois Nebojsa, Petr Kubersky
Summary: The thermal treatment conditions of solid polymer electrolyte were studied to investigate their impact on the surface morphology, phase composition, and chemical composition of an imidazolium ionic-liquid-based electrolyte. The results showed that varying crystallinity was achieved by depositing a thoroughly mixed blend of polymer matrix, ionic liquid, and solvent on a ceramic substrate and keeping it at a certain temperature for a specific time. The morphology of the electrolytes mainly consisted of spherulites with the average diameter increasing with solvent evaporation rate.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Peter A. Johnson, Sara Menegatti, Adam C. Chambers, Dominic Alibhai, Tracey J. Collard, Ann C. Williams, Hagan Bayley, Adam W. Perriman
Summary: This study describes the development of a high-throughput bioprinted colorectal cancer (CRC) spheroid platform that is highly automated and provides rich information content, with low cell number requirement. By using a hydrogel bioink with a compressive Young's modulus similar to that of colonic tissue, spheroids from various CRC cell lines can grow exponentially. The study also found that bioprinted CRC spheroids exhibit higher levels of chemoresistance compared to cell monolayers.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ning Gao, Stephen Mann
Summary: Complex coacervate microdroplets derived from associative phase separation have shown great potential in constructing membraneless protocells. However, the lack of an enclosing membrane limits their functionality. In this Account, we present chemical strategies for the membranization of coacervate microdroplets and discuss their potential applications as functional materials. We hope that this Account will inspire further research and development in this field.
ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Charles de Kergariou, Frederic Demoly, Adam Perriman, Antoine Le Duigou, Fabrizio Scarpa
Summary: 4D printing technology enables the rapid development of multifunctional structures by combining smart materials, stimuli, and additive manufacturing. Hygromorphs, a type of smart material, exhibit properties and morphing capabilities that are dependent on humidity. However, a comprehensive design process for producing hygromorphs using multiple 4D printing techniques is currently unavailable.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qi-Zhi Zhong, Joseph J. J. Richardson, Yuan Tian, Haijiang Tian, Jiwei Cui, Stephen Mann, Frank Caruso
Summary: Metal-quinone networks (MQNs) have been developed as structurally tunable, universally adhesive, hydrophilic, and pH-degradable materials by coordinating metal ions with quinones through metal-acetylacetone coordination bonds. MQNs exhibit bidirectional pH-responsive disassembly and can be assembled into various forms such as particles, tubes, capsules, and films. Leveraging the tunable release ability of MQNs and the medicinal properties of quinones, MQN prodrugs with high drug loading are engineered for anti-cancer therapy and inhibition of the main protease in the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Jennifer C. Brookes, Eleanor R. Gray, Colleen N. Loynachan, Michelle J. Gut, Benjamin S. Miller, Alex P. S. Brogan, Rachel A. McKendry
Summary: Protein-protein interactions are crucial for life processes. This study used qualitative and quantitative experimental and computational approaches to investigate the contribution of entropy and enthalpy in nanobodies binding to HIV-1 capsid protein p24. The results showed that differences in entropy between amino acids and water molecules can cause orders of magnitude differences in affinity.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Suk Woo Kang, James Antoney, David W. Lupton, Robert Speight, Colin Scott, Colin J. Jackson
Summary: Asymmetric reduction by ene-reductases has been extensively studied, with the Old Yellow Enzyme (OYE) family being the most researched. However, the limited substrate range and stereocomplementary pairs of current ene-reductases necessitate the development of a complementary class. Flavin/deazaflavin oxidoreductases (FDORs) that use F-420 as a cofactor have gained attention due to their stereocomplementarity with OYEs. In this study, the activity of eight FDOR-B enzymes was investigated, comparing their specific activity, kinetic properties, and stereoselectivity with FDOR-A enzymes and OYE family.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Charles de Kergariou, Antoine Le Duigou, Adam Perriman, Fabrizio Scarpa
Summary: This work explores the design space of bio-based and humidity-triggered 4D printed shape-changing biocomposites through fabrication, modelling, and testing. The aim is to enhance the understanding of control actuation through printing path tailoring and unlock new applications for biomaterials and autonomous actuator design. The composites, made of flax yarns and polylactic acid matrix filaments, demonstrate moisture-induced actuation. Different composite architectures, including cross-ply configurations, are developed to achieve the desired actuation curvature. A finite element model is used to capture the complexity of the printed hygromorphs.
MATERIALS & DESIGN
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Omar Rifaie-Graham, Jonathan Yeow, Adrian Najer, Richard Wang, Rujie Sun, Kun Zhou, Tristan N. Dell, Christopher Adrianus, Chalaisorn Thanapongpibul, Mohamed Chami, Stephen Mann, Javier Read de Alaniz, Molly M. Stevens
Summary: This study describes a non-equilibrium nanosystem that utilizes light-gated chemical communication, controllable feedback, and macroscopic oscillations. The system allows for communication between nanoreactors and induces chemical mechanical oscillations in a hydrogel using feedback loops.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ali Heidari, Oya I. I. Sentuerk, Shuo Yang, Alex Joesaar, Pierangelo Gobbo, Stephen Mann, Tom F. A. de Greef, Seraphine V. V. Wegner
Summary: The authors developed a method to control the communication between sender-receiver pairs in a synthetic cell community through red and blue light illumination. They used photoswitchable membrane adhesion to self-assemble sender and receiver cells into different multicellular structures under red and blue light, allowing specific communication without interference. This work demonstrates the potential for designing orthogonal chemical communication networks in diverse synthetic cell communities.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hannah Taylor, Ning Gao, Stephen Mann
Summary: We fabricate Janus-like calcium alginate hydrogel microspheres with spatially segregated populations using microfluidics. These microspheres serve as integrated platforms for domain-mediated chemical communication and programmable protocell-matrix dynamics. Our results offer new possibilities for the design and construction of spatially organized cytomimetic consortia capable of endogenous chemical processing and protocell-environment interactivity.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thomas R. Harrison, Vijai Kumar Gupta, Parvez Alam, Adam Willis Perriman, Fabrizio Scarpa, Vijay Kumar Thakur
Summary: The recognition of the harm caused by conventional and fossil-based materials, particularly single-use and non-biodegradable plastics, is increasing. Therefore, addressing climate change and plastic waste pollution requires a more responsible approach to sourcing raw materials and using less destructive end-of-life pathways. This review assesses recent studies on manure-based cellulose materials, examining their material characteristics and implications for sustainability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yanwen Zhang, Zefeng Wang, Mei Li, Can Xu, Ning Gao, Zhuping Yin, Kemin Wang, Stephen Mann, Jianbo Liu
Summary: The design and construction of synthetic protocells capable of stimuli response and homeostatic regulation is an important challenge for synthetic protobiology. In this study, we demonstrate a reconfigurable model protocell based on osmotic reconfiguration of lipid-coated coacervate droplets into multicompartmentalized coacervate vesicles that can exhibit hypotonic stress-induced volume response and enhance enzyme reactions. The increased nitric oxide (NO) within the swollen vesicles can induce blood vessel vasodilation, showing potential applications in biomedicine, cellular diagnostics, and bioengineering.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chengying Yin, Xingyu Jiang, Stephen Mann, Liangfei Tian, Bruce W. Drinkwater
Summary: The high throughput deposition of microscale objects with precise spatial arrangement is crucial in microfabrication technology. The utilization of dynamic acoustic fields offers a contactless approach to real-time reconfigurable miniaturized systems, with potential applications in various fields. This article discusses the physical interactions of microscale objects in an acoustic pressure field, the fabrication of acoustic trapping devices, methods to tune the spatial arrangement, and potential applications in different disciplines.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhijun Xu, Jiarui Qi, Shengliang Wang, Xiaoman Liu, Mei Li, Stephen Mann, Xin Huang
Summary: The researchers achieved sustainable hydrogen production for over 200 days by coating algal cells with an ultra-thin Fe(III)-doped polypyrrole inner layer and an outer exoskeleton of CaCO3. This cellular bionic approach enhances green hydrogen production under environmentally benign conditions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhuping Yin, Ning Gao, Can Xu, Mei Li, Stephen Mann
Summary: This article describes a self-driven, endosymbiotic-like pathway where proteinosomes are captured within membranized alginate/silk fibroin coacervate vesicles by guest-mediated reconfiguration. The interchange of coacervate vesicle and droplet morphologies through proteinosome-mediated activity produces discrete nested communities with integrated catalytic activity and selective disintegration.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)