Direct dry mixing activation method is a simple and effective method used to prepare porous biochar, which can be used for the resourceful utilization of pharmaceutical sludge. This work provides extensive information on the use of biochar derived from pharmaceutical sludge for the removal of TC from hospital and pharmaceutical production wastewater.In order to cope with the problem of insufficient lithium metal reserves, sodium ion batteries (SIBs) are proposed and extensively studied for the next-generation batteries. In our work, hierarchical NiCo2Se4 nanoneedles/nanosheets are deposited on the skeleton of N-doped three dimensional porous graphene (NPG) by a convenient solvothermal method and subsequent gas-phase selenization process. Compared with NiCo2Se4 powder, the optimized NiCo2Se4/N-doped porous graphene composite (denoted as NCS@NPG) as self-supporting anode exhibits the excellent electrode activity for SIBs, with a specific capacity of 500 mAh/g and 257 mAh/g at a current density of 0.2 A/g and 6.4 A/g, respectively. The high specific capacity as well as rate capacity can be attributed to the three-dimensional graphene skeleton with high electrical conductivity and pore structure, which provides convenient ion and electron transmission channels.A versatile hydrogen gas sensor is fabricated using Pd@ZnO core-shell nanoparticles (CSNPs), which were synthesized through a hydrothermal route. Effect of oxidation behavior of Pd core to hydrogen sensing is also investigated for Pd@ZnO CSNPs. Accordingly, Pd@ZnO-2 sensor (core-shell sample was calcined in argon) demonstrates the best performance with respect to Pd@ZnO-1 (core-shell sample was calcined in air) and pure ZnO. It shows a much higher response (R = Ra/Rg = 22) than those of Pd@ZnO-1 (12) and pure ZnO (7) sensors with faster response and recovery times (1.4 and 7.8 min) to 100 ppm hydrogen at 350 °C. In addition, Pd@ZnO-2 sensor owns high selectivity to hydrogen among interfering target gases. Improvement can be attributed to the high content of metallic Pd0 species in CSNPs as calcined in argon. Thereby, a higher Pd metallic content (77%) still remains in Pd@ZnO-2 compared to Pd@ZnO-1 (56%), which in turn modulates the resistance of sensors as exposed to air and target gas, thus enhancing gas sensing activity. High BET surface area of core-shell materials provides plenty of active sites for accelerating the sensing reactions as well.Drug delivery systems such as microspheres have shown potential in releasing biologicals effectively for tissue engineering applications. Microfluidic systems are especially attractive for generating microspheres as they produce microspheres of controlled-size and in low volumes, using micro-emulsion processes. However, the flow rate dependency on the encapsulation of molecules at a microscale is poorly understood. In particular, the flow rate and pressure parameters might influence the droplet formation and drug encapsulation efficiency. We evaluated the parameters within a two-reagent flow focusing microfluidic chip under continuous formation of hydrogel particles using a flourinated oil and an ionic crosslinkable alginate hydrogel. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran sulfate (FITC-dextran sulfate MW 40 kDa) was used to evaluate the variation of the encapsulation efficiency with the flow parameters, optimizing droplets and microsphere formation. The ideal flow rates allowing for maximum encapsulation efficiency, were utilised to form bioactive microspheres by delivering transforming growth factor beta-3 (TGFβ-3) in cell culture media. Finally, we evaluated the potential of microfluidic-formed microspheres to be included within biological environments. The biocompatibility of the microspheres was tested over 28 days using adult human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The release profile of the growth factors from microspheres showed a sustained release in media, after an initial burst, up to 30 days. The metabolic activity of the cells cultured in the presence of the microspheres was similar to controls, supporting the biocompatibility of this approach. The fine-tuned parameters for alginate hydrogel to form microspheres have potential in encapsulating and preserving functional structure of bioactive agents for future tissue engineering applications.
  The simulation of rough particle surface is important to understand and control the interface behavior of particles in colloidal systems. Literature analysis suggested a lack of information for an accurate model simulating the interfacial interaction between two rough particles. It is hypothesized that the total interfacial energy developed between two rough particles would depend on the surface morphologies of particles, and it could be predicted if a mathematical model to represent the interaction of two rough particles were created accurately.
 
  In this study, mathematical models were developed to determine the interfacial energy created between two particles according to the XDLVO theory by considering the rippled particle theory and surface element integral (SEI) method. Three different scenarios of particle interactions were assumed in the simulation. The present study provides deep insights into particle interactions via considering aspect ratio, size, and surface roughness of two particles in colloiticles by increasing the particle size.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/s-gsk1349572.html  The asperity ratio was more effective than the asperity number in controlling the interfacial energy between two particles. The results of this study could be used for foreseeing the interaction of rough particles, which has a significant application in particle coagulation or dispersion in colloidal systems.Alkyl phosphates were extensively used in liquid-liquid extraction of lanthanides and actinides, but to a lesser extent for alkali and alkaline earth metals. The high amount of alkyl phosphate, which is usually used in the organic layer (>40 wt%), is not favoured due to its corrosive effect and toxicity. In the present work, diluted chloroform solutions (20.0 mM) of tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP), tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphates (TRIS) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (BIS) were investigated for their extraction of Li, Na, K, Mg and Ca ions. The extraction experiments were conducted on 7.0 M HNO3 aqueous solutions containing 60.0 mM of metal ions in binary (Li+ and Mg2+), ternary (Li+, Na+ and K+) and quinary (Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+) mixtures. The Li+ selectivity over Mg2+ was very high in the binary system. Remarkably, increasing HNO3 concentration in the aqueous layer had opposing effect on the extraction of Li+ (positive) and Mg2+ (negative). However, the selectivity for Li+ became less dramatic in the case of ternary and quinary system, though the selectivity varied with initial metal concentrations.