{"title":"Ultrasound-assisted DMSO method for rapid starch gel preparation: process and biomedical applications","authors":"Xin Pan, Pei Liu, Hao Wei, Yushan Zhao, Tian Wang, Yejun Zhang, Xinyuan Wang, Xiaofang Hu, Xiaoli Ma, Yi-wei Wang, Sheng Guo, Yuanyuan Wang, Jin-Ao Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166488","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.166488","url":null,"abstract":"Starch gels with precisely controlled viscosity show considerable potential as topical carriers for personalized therapeutic applications. However, conventional gelation processes are often inefficient and difficult to regulate, thereby limiting the effective utilization of the favorable properties of starch gels. To address these limitations, an ultrasound-assisted dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent method was developed to enable one-step gelation of starch derived from medicinal plant sources. This innovative approach produces gels with a wide viscosity range and can stably encapsulate diverse components, including methotrexate, molybdenum disulfide, and composite molybdenum disulfide. In this study, the properties of the starch gel were comprehensively analyzed, and its gelation mechanism was elucidated using grey prediction modeling and molecular dynamics simulations. The results indicate that the combination of DMSO and water enables rapid starch gel formation, with the process exhibiting a positive correlation with the degree of starch substitution. Furthermore, the gel demonstrated high loading capacity and excellent biocompatibility, making it suitable for applications such as psoriasis treatment and modification of hemodialysis membranes. This method not only expands the techniques available for starch gel preparation but also enhances clinical applications and the development of advanced drug delivery systems.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144737650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ultra-high capacity micron-sized truncated octahedral calcium hexacyanoferrate for selective removal of Cs+","authors":"Kang Li , Chenxi Li , Ruixin Ma , Shina Li","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166587","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prussian blue analogs materials have been widely studied in radioactive waste treatment due to its excellent Cs<sup>+</sup> selectivity, but their low mechanical strength and fine particle size significantly limit their further development. Herein, an ultra-large Prussian blue analogs material, calcium hexacyanoferrate (KCaFC-H), with a 4–8 μm truncated octahedral structure is reported, which can be easily separated from aqueous solutions and exhibits a strong affinity for Cs<sup>+</sup>. KCaFC-H possesses an extremely high ion-exchange capacity (<em>q</em><sub>max</sub> = 758.42 mg/g), higher than all previously reported materials, reaching 94.21 % of the theoretical capacity. KCaFC-H removes >99 % of Cs<sup>+</sup> at pH 4–12 (<em>K</em><sub>d</sub> > 1.3 × 10<sup>5</sup> mL/g) and up to 94.66 % even at pH = 2. Furthermore, KCaFC-H maintains a high distribution coefficient in the presence of excess Na<sup>+</sup>, K<sup>+</sup>, Ca<sup>2+</sup>, and Mg<sup>2+</sup>, and this performance is also retained in actual wastewater (<em>K</em><sub>d</sub> > 10<sup>4</sup> mL/g). The high selectivity for Cs<sup>+</sup> is explained from the perspective of binding energy through DFT calculations. The study elucidates the capture mechanism of Cs<sup>+</sup> in the open backbone framework of KCaFC-H, in which complete ion exchange of K<sup>+</sup> dominates the adsorption process, while the synergistic participation of Ca<sup>2+</sup> further enhanced the adsorption capacity. With advantages of convenient synthesis, easy separation, high capacity, and environmental friendliness, KCaFC-H shows great promise as an efficient material for the removal of radioactive nuclides.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"521 ","pages":"Article 166587"},"PeriodicalIF":13.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144719464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yunfeng Li , Xiaoqian Kuang , Le Yu , Li Chen , Xiqian Sun , Hongbao Li , Jing Geng , Renhui Gao , Feitong Chen , Zheng Guo , Xingjiu Huang
{"title":"Fe sites engineering unlocks selective chemiresistive sensing of n-propanol for breath-based lung cancer diagnostics","authors":"Yunfeng Li , Xiaoqian Kuang , Le Yu , Li Chen , Xiqian Sun , Hongbao Li , Jing Geng , Renhui Gao , Feitong Chen , Zheng Guo , Xingjiu Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developing sensitive and cost-effective gas sensors for exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like n-propanol, a potential lung cancer biomarker, is challenging due to their low concentrations and the complex composition of in breath. While metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) like SnO<sub>2</sub> are stable and affordable, their limited sensitivity and poor selectivity hinder reliable sub-ppm VOCs detection. Here, we report a Fe sites-engineered SnO<sub>2</sub> nanoflowers (Fe-SnO<sub>2</sub> NFs) synthesized via self-templated pyrolysis strategy, overcoming limitations by optimizing its structural and electronic properties. Fe sites-engineering boosts surface reactivity and charge transport, enhancing selective n-propanol sensing. The Fe-SnO<sub>2</sub> NFs based sensor exhibits excellent sensing performance, with a response ratio of 1.9 at 5 ppb n-propanol, along with remarkable repeatability and long-term stability. Mechanistic insights indicate that Fe sites function as selective adsorption centers for n-propanol and concurrently boost the adsorption efficiency of neighboring Sn sites. Meanwhile, the hierarchical nanoflower architecture promotes efficient gas diffusion and intensified surface interactions. Moreover, validated using simulated exhaled breath samples, this work establishes Fe-SnO<sub>2</sub> NFs as a transformative platform for non-invasive, point-of-care lung cancer screening, bridging material innovation with clinical diagnostic needs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"521 ","pages":"Article 166508"},"PeriodicalIF":13.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144719465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"In situ construction of hierarchical heterostructures on LLMO surfaces for enhanced lithium-ion battery performance","authors":"Guanghua Guo, Xiaosong Zhang, Longhao Cao, Xinliao Peng, Wanli Wei, Meilan Peng, Jin Zhu, Zhiyuan Lin, Yonggao Xia","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166511","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.166511","url":null,"abstract":"Lithium-rich manganese-based layered oxides (LLMO) have emerged as a promising candidate for next-generation lithium-ion battery (LIB) cathodes. However, the practical application in energy storage systems is hindered by structural instability and severe interfacial side reactions. To address the problems, a hierarchical heterostructure consisting of a chemically stable LiMn<sub>0.6</sub>Fe<sub>0.4</sub>PO<sub>4</sub> (LMFP) coating layer and an in-situ formed spinel interphase to stabilize LLMO cathodes. Structural and compositional analysis confirm that the LMFP coating acts as a physical barrier, mitigating electrolyte induced degradation, while the spinel phase provides three-dimensional ion diffusion channels, enhancing Li<sup>+</sup> transport kinetics. The LLMO@LMFP composite exhibits a high reversible capacity of 162.5 mAh·g<sup>−1</sup> at 0.1C, 92.9 % capacity retention after 100 cycles at 1C, and minimal voltage decay (0.2 mV cycle<sup>−1</sup>). This study establishes a materials design strategy that integrates structural stabilization with ion transport optimization, providing a pathway for the development of high-energy, long-lifespan LIB.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144719826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Heterogeneous interfaces constructing endogenous triboelectric effect to enhance output performance of intelligent sensor","authors":"Shengping Li, Xinyu Zhang, Xiyi Li, Yugen Wang, Bilin Zhang, Liangkang Huang, Qiangli Zhao, Jianwei Li","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166523","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.166523","url":null,"abstract":"Piezoelectric sensors have attracted considerable attention due to their great potential in the smart wearable fields. However, their limited piezoelectric performance remains a critical bottleneck hindering their practical application. In this study, the heterogeneous cellular wall is constructed via a gradient fluorinated polyimide (FPI) impregnation strategy based on three-dimensional porous melamine foam (MF). The composite heterogeneous interfaces integrate the triboelectric effect within the porous skeleton, resulting in a synergistic piezoelectric-triboelectric effect and promote the mechanical-electrical conversion ability of the sensor. This coupling effect significantly improves electrical output performance up to 52 V with excellent gas permeability and fast recovery speed (22 ms). Moreover, the composite demonstrates superior sensitivity (1.34 V·kPa<sup>−1</sup>) and exceptional durability (>10,000 cycles) as a pressure sensor, suitable for detecting diverse human activities. In addition, a self-powered smart warning sleeve with signal transmission capabilities was developed by integrating portable MF/FPI sensors with electronic components. This work proposes an innovative strategy for designing advanced and resilient self-powered microelectric devices.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144737590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"High performance lithium anode: Regulation mechanism of transition metals in d and ds region","authors":"Tianyu Zhang, Yuchuan Zhu, Xiting Zhou, Jingling Zhang, Daying Guo, Longyang Zhou, Xi'’an Chen, Shun Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166512","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.166512","url":null,"abstract":"Lithium metal anodes are considered a core component of the next generation of battery systems due to their extremely high theoretical capacity, but issues such as dendrite growth and interface failure severely hinder their practical application. Based on the electronic structure characteristics of transition metals in region d and region ds, this paper systematically reviews the theoretical foundation of transition metal modified lithium anodes. The unfilled d-orbitals of d-region metals optimize the thermodynamic stability of lithium deposition through strong chemisorption, while the fully filled d-orbitals of ds-region metals regulate the kinetic process via lattice constant matching. The study focuses on investigating the in-situ reinforcement mechanism of SEI layers based on d-d orbital hybridization in d-region metals, as well as the spatial guidance strategy for lithium epitaxial growth pathways enabled by three-dimensional biomimetic frameworks with face-centered cubic lattice characteristics of ds-region metals. The three major synergistic regulation mechanisms of alloy buffer layers and transition metal electronic states in metal-organic frameworks highlight the key guiding value of electronic structure theory for interface engineering. Finally, in response to the bottleneck issues of the scarcity of transition metal resources and unclear interfacial dynamic evolution mechanisms, a future research direction that combines multi-scale theoretical calculations with dynamic characterization has been proposed.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"285 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144737647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qi Feng, Hao Liu, Chen Liu, Xiaoyang Zhang, Ke Huang, Xiaohui Liu, Hui Jiang, Xuemei Wang
{"title":"Biomineralized flexible metal nanofilms with surface plasmon resonance for adhesion of heterogeneous materials","authors":"Qi Feng, Hao Liu, Chen Liu, Xiaoyang Zhang, Ke Huang, Xiaohui Liu, Hui Jiang, Xuemei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166476","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.166476","url":null,"abstract":"Flexible substrates with metal deposition layers are widely used in the fabrication of wearable devices. However, metal deposition processes are often complex and unsatisfactory due to the multifaceted interplay between deposition conditions and substrate properties. Therefore, it is crucial to find a convenient and effective method to improve the bonding between flexible substrates and metal interfaces. In this study, a phase transition protein-induced gold mineralization strategy is proposed to enhance the metal-substate interactions by facilitating gold deposition onto flexible substrates adhered with phase transition proteins. The self-assembly and conformational adaptation of phase transition proteins (including lactalbumin, lysozyme, and bovine serum albumin) driven by disulfide bond cleavage, provide abundant binding sites and stabilize the structure, enabling the reliable mineralization of gold ions on flexible substrates. The resulting gold-modified flexible substrates maintain the inherent flexibility of the original materials while manifesting excellent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties, reproducibility, and mechanical durability, exhibiting compatibility with various substrates, which can be applied for the detection of methotrexate in urine with a wide range from 10<sup>−8</sup> to 10<sup>−3</sup> M. This research provides a biomimetic approach to optimize metal adhesion on flexible materials and contributes to the development of biocompatible and stable metal-coated flexible materials.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"216 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144737682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xuan Wang, Jing Kong, Runhua Zhang, Mingzhi Wang, Jinzhen Cao
{"title":"Tailoring polyester crosslinking networks for multifunctional wood composites","authors":"Xuan Wang, Jing Kong, Runhua Zhang, Mingzhi Wang, Jinzhen Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wood is a natural biomaterial and plays an important role in global carbon neutralization. To optimize its application, wood modification is needed to overcome drawbacks in dimensional stability, absolute strength, and microbial resistance. The in-situ polyesterification of citric acid and sorbitol (SorCA) in wood is a green and effective method to improve its properties; however, different polyester crosslinking networks have significant and complex effects. By adjusting the monomer ratio, the polyester structure varies from linear to highly crosslinked, altering multiscale interactions with wood components. High crosslinking density polyesters form in cellulose amorphous regions, where chemical bonds and intermolecular forces induce a more ordered cellulose chain arrangement. This enhances water resistance, with mechanical performance improvements including a 138.6 % increase in modulus of elasticity, a 14.7 % increase in modulus of rupture, and a 110.7 % increase in compressive strength, expanding the potential for structural applications. In contrast, linear polyesters enable ether bonding with lignin, forming compact networks via lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) interactions. This suppresses wood's dimensional changes in humid conditions, offering ideal moisture stability. Moreover, the linear flexible network alleviates the toughness loss caused by rigid polyesters. The synergy between cellulose structural optimization and polyester crosslinking network reinforcement reconstructs wood's nanoscale ultrastructure, enabling performance-tailored composites. By unveiling the “structure–property” response mechanism of wood polyesterification, this study proposes new strategies for high-performance, sustainable wood composite development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"521 ","pages":"Article 166562"},"PeriodicalIF":13.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144719665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohit Pathak, Olga Sacco, Antonietta Mancuso, Vincenzo Vaiano, M. Carmen Hidalgo, Patrizia Iannece, Vincenzo Venditto, Chritophe Daniel
{"title":"Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in water by g-C3N4/N-TiO2/Y1.97SiO5:Ce0.03 heterostructure","authors":"Mohit Pathak, Olga Sacco, Antonietta Mancuso, Vincenzo Vaiano, M. Carmen Hidalgo, Patrizia Iannece, Vincenzo Venditto, Chritophe Daniel","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2025.166559","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.166559","url":null,"abstract":"A novel ternary heterostructure based on g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/N-TiO<sub>2</sub>/Y<sub>1.97</sub>SiO<sub>5</sub>:Ce<sub>0.03</sub> was synthesized via thermal treatment and evaluated for the photocatalytic degradation of two antibiotic pollutants, chloramphenicol (CAP) and vancomycin (VAN), in aqueous solution. The composite was designed to function as a photoactive platform, in which Ce<sup>3+</sup>-doped Y₂SiO₅ acts as an internal light converter, emitting at ~430 nm upon UV excitation (365 nm) to enhance activation of the g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/N-TiO<sub>2</sub> interface. Structural and morphological characterizations (WAXD, FTIR, XPS, TEM) confirmed the formation of a well-integrated heterostructure with strong interfacial interactions. The photocatalyst achieved near-complete removal of CAP (99.7 %) and VAN (100 %) under UV light, and also showed high efficiency under simulated solar irradiation and in real water matrices. These results demonstrate the synergistic light-conversion and charge-transfer properties of the composite, underscoring its potential as a sustainable and scalable solution for antibiotic pollutant removal in water treatment applications.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144737586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}