Search Results (1,379)

Phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) is widely used to passivate undercoordinated ionic defects and regulate the near-surface structure of inverted perovskite solar cells; however, the solvent used for PEAI deposition can also interact with the underlying perovskite and therefore determine the treatment outcome. Here, ethanol (EtOH), isopropanol (IPA), and n-butanol (n-BuOH) were compared as aliphatic alcohol solvents for the PEAI post-treatment of inverted p–i–n solar cells based on a mixed-cation, mixed-halide Cs_0.05(FA_0.95MA_0.05)_0.95Pb(I_0.95Br_0.05)₃ absorber. EtOH caused pronounced surface disturbance and substantially reduced device performance. IPA afforded the highest initial power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.92% but was accompanied by a stronger PbI₂ diffraction signal. In contrast, n-BuOH provided a milder treatment, producing a comparable PCE of 21.83%, a weaker PbI₂ signal, and the highest water contact angle. After dark storage in air at 25 °C and 25% relative humidity for 168 h, the unencapsulated n-BuOH-treated devices retained 82% of their initial PCE, compared with 77% for the Control. These results demonstrate that the PEAI processing solvent is an active component that governs the balance among defect passivation, surface reconstruction, initial efficiency, and short-term storage stability. Full article

Peracetic acid (PAA) activation by macroscopic galvanic materials offers a low-complexity alternative to soluble-metal dosing and engineered nanocatalysts. This study investigates reactive pathways and water-matrix effects during PAA activation by an ordinary steel-copper galvanic cell using Sunset Yellow FCF (SSY) as a model contaminant. Under the reference conditions ([SSY]₀ = 5 mg/L, [PAA]₀ = 0.13 mM, natural initial pH ≈ 4.5, 400 rpm), approximately 95% SSY decolorization was observed within 5 min, and decolorization was near complete within 9 min. PAA alone produced no measurable decrease in SSY concentration during the same experimental period, confirming that direct decolorization by unactivated PAA was negligible under the investigated conditions. Cu/PAA alone produced no measurable decrease in SSY absorbance at 482 nm, demonstrating that copper alone did not appreciably activate PAA under the investigated conditions. When considered together with established Fe-Cu galvanic behavior, this result supports a predominantly cathodic role for copper in the coupled system; however, the extent of any copper-induced enhancement of steel dissolution was not quantified. Strong inhibition by TEMPO and ascorbic acid, combined with weaker responses to tert-butanol and nitrobenzene, was consistent with a major contribution from PAA-derived organic-radical chemistry and argued against freely diffusing HO^• as the dominant oxidant. Br⁻ markedly promoted SSY chromophore disappearance, whereas NO₂⁻, HCO₃⁻, and CO₃²⁻ strongly inhibited the process. Without deliberate pH adjustment, final decolorization was approximately 5.5%, 9%, and 43% in Zamzam water, tap water, and seawater, respectively. Adjustment to pH 3 increased decolorization to approximately 86% in Zamzam water and 61% in tap water, whereas seawater remained strongly inhibitory, with approximately 37–38% decolorization. These percentages quantify the loss of absorbance at 482 nm and do not establish complete molecular degradation or mineralization. The results demonstrate that galvanic PAA activation is governed jointly by Fe-mediated activation, reactive-species chemistry, pH/alkalinity, and non-additive water-matrix effects. Full article

Conducting polymers (CPs) that are structured in very specific shapes have been successfully synthesized via vapor phase chemical oxidative polymerization of monomers with oxidant superstructures as templates. A ternary mixture of iron(III) p-toluenesulfonate hexahydrate (Fe(pts)₃·6H₂O) as the oxidant, n-butanol as the solvent, and cyclohexane as the anti-solvent has been found to form an unstable Ouzo emulsion, leading to the precipitation of the oxidant within emulsion drops into nano-sized particles. Interestingly, the formed oxidant nanoparticles then aggregated spontaneously into specific shapes, forming superstructures. The oxidant superstructures took the shape of micron-scale rods initially, which underwent shape transformation into a few micron-sized plates, and then finally into tens of microns-long nanofibers. These oxidant superstructures (rods, plates, or fibers) have been found to retain their oxidizing properties for the polymerization of various CPs, enabling us to prepare structured CPs in rod, plate, and fiber shapes. Especially, the fiber-shaped oxidant superstructures were used for the synthesis of nanofibrous PEDOT films for supercapacitors. The PEDOT nanofiber film exhibited a specific capacitance of 114.3 F/g, significantly higher than that of the dense PEDOT film (54.2 F/g), with capacitance retention of 73% under rate testing thanks to its electrochemical stability. Furthermore, the PEDOT nanofiber film exhibited lower charge transfer resistance (R_ct) and equivalent series resistance (ESR) compared to the dense film, demonstrating superior charge transfer characteristics at the interface. Full article

While poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based aerogels are promising porous carriers for controlled drug delivery, drying-induced pore collapse generally limits their internal pore accessibility, drug-loading capacity, and release regulation. In this study, duration-controlled tert-butanol (TBA) solvent exchange was developed as a pore-engineering strategy to regulate the structure-performance relationship of PVA/cellulose nanocrystal/Ca²⁺ composite aerogels. This strategy focuses on balancing pore preservation, liquid-accessible pore connectivity, and network densification, instead of simply increasing the total surface area. With an optimized exchange duration, the TBA6 aerogel exhibited a well-preserved porous network. Moreover, its specific surface area and porosity increased from 33.11 to 96.02 m²·g⁻¹ and from 93.93% to 96.03%, respectively. This optimized structure enhanced salicylic acid (SA) loading, elevating the equilibrium adsorption capacity from 40.91 to 61.18 mg·g⁻¹. Release kinetic analysis revealed that the Higuchi constant and the Korsmeyer-Peppas release constant decreased from 18.148 to 12.751 and from 25.070 to 17.283%·h^−1/2, respectively, indicating a slower diffusion-regulated release process. Confocal Raman mapping further confirmed that TBA6 promoted a more homogeneous SA distribution within the aerogel matrix and enabled gradual release from the internal porous network. To sum up, controlling solvent-exchange duration is an effective strategy for tuning pore accessibility and diffusion resistance. This study provides new insight into the design of PVA-based composite aerogels for drug-loading and sustained-release applications. Full article

Solidago canadensis is one of the most destructive invasive plants in China, and current physical and chemical control methods are often costly, inefficient, and ecologically risky, highlighting the urgent demand for green and efficient ecological alternatives. The native vine Humulus scandens exhibits strong allelopathic potential. In this study, allelochemicals from its leaves and stems were extracted using petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and n-hexane. Their allelopathic effects on S. canadensis were systematically evaluated through seed germination, seedling growth, and rhizome propagation assays, combined with widely targeted metabolomics. Leaf extracts showed markedly stronger allelopathic inhibition than stem extracts. Among all fractions, the ethyl acetate extract exerted the most potent suppression on seed germination, significantly reducing germination rate and root elongation in a concentration-dependent manner. At 100 g·L⁻¹, leaf extracts—especially the ethyl acetate phase—significantly decreased belowground fresh weight, rhizome number, and new seedling emergence. The ethyl acetate extract also significantly elevated root antioxidant enzyme activities at 25–100 g·L⁻¹, indicating induced oxidative stress. UPLC-MS/MS-based metabolomics identified 186 differential metabolites among extracts. Ten flavonoids were significantly upregulated in the ethyl acetate extract and were predominantly enriched in the kaempferol aglycone biosynthesis I pathway (MetMap 113) and the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway (ko00941), suggesting that these compounds may play a key role in the observed allelopathic inhibition. Collectively, the ethyl acetate extract of H. scandens leaves effectively suppresses S. canadensis growth by inhibiting seed germination and rhizome tillering and by inducing oxidative stress, probably with the 10 candidate flavonoid metabolites, highlighting its strong potential as a biological control agent against this invasive weed. Full article

The dual-fuel combustion strategy is a promising method to achieve the high-ratio utilization of isopropanol–butanol–ethanol (IBE) in diesel engines. However, how the diesel injection timing affects the combustion and emission characteristics of the diesel/IBE dual-fuel engine has been seldom systematically studied. In this regard, experiments were conducted on a diesel/IBE dual-fuel engine with the engine load fixed at 50% and the engine speed fixed at 1600 rpm, while the co-combustion ratio of IBE to diesel varied from 20.51% to 52.56%. The results show that both the peak in-cylinder pressure and maximum heat release rate increase as the diesel injection timing advances, resulting in the brake thermal efficiency of the diesel/IBE dual-fuel engine increasing. For emissions, CO emissions always decrease as the diesel injection timing advances, while HC emissions increase with the diesel injection timing either delayed or advanced. Furthermore, although the NO₂ emissions first increase and then decrease as the diesel injection timing advances, the NO emissions continue to increase, leading to an overall increase in NO_x emissions. However, whether the diesel injection timing is advanced or delayed, PN emissions are significantly reduced. That is to say, delaying the diesel injection timing can simultaneously reduce NO_x and PN emissions in a diesel/IBE dual-fuel engine. Full article

Chinese steamed bread (CSB) is an important fermented wheat product, but controlled strategies for modulating its volatile profile remain limited. This study evaluated defined composite sourdoughs comprising Wickerhamomyces anomalus CRFSZY16 or Kluyveromyces marxianus FYY7 in combination with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SDgsM3 for CSB production using the direct fermentation method (DFM) and the refrigerated sponge-dough method (RSDM). Technological stress tolerance, preliminary safety-related phenotypes, acidification capacity, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), multivariate profiles, and specific volume were assessed. SDgsM3 showed dough-relevant stress tolerance and rapid acidification, while both yeasts tolerated moderate fermentation stresses. Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-TQ-MS) revealed stage-dependent remodeling of volatile profiles from mature sourdough to fully proofed main dough and final CSB. RSDM selectively modified representative alcohols, aldehydes, furans, ketones, and esters rather than uniformly increasing all VOCs. In the final CSB, the K. marxianus-based RSDM system showed relatively higher levels of 3-methyl-1-butanol, whereas the W. anomalus-based RSDM system showed relatively higher levels of hexanal, nonanal, 1-hexanol, and 2-pentylfuran. Composite sourdough treatments also yielded specific volumes of 2.56–2.66 mL/g versus 2.44 mL/g for the commercial yeast control. These findings demonstrate strain- and process-dependent modulation of CSB volatile profiles and support flavor-oriented composite sourdough design. Full article

As fossil fuels are being replaced by lower-carbon alternatives, the EU renewable energy directives RED II/III mandate increases in the proportion of advanced biofuels within liquid fuels, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over first-generation biofuels. It is crucial to study how these fuels affect engine performance to ensure they also meet emissions standards of relevance to air quality. Advanced biofuels, mainly from lignocellulosic feedstocks, are promising options. This work tested model butanolysis-derived blends using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as the base fuel, due to its lower carbon footprint, favourable combustion properties, and potential to replace diesel without engine modifications, along with ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD). Physical properties such as density and flash point were tested on the butyl-based biofuel blends. The measured densities fell between those of pure HVO and ULSD, while the measured flash points exceeded the minimum standards required for fuels. This study examines the use of such blends with a EU Stage V emission compliant Yanmar L100V compression ignition (CI) engine as part of a generator set, using model butanolysis biofuel mixtures blended with HVO at various ratios. A CI engine was chosen because generators, off-road machinery, heavy-duty vehicles, and marine vessels will continue to rely on CI engines for the foreseeable future. Ignition delays (IDs), brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), gaseous and particulate matter (PM_2.5) emissions were determined. Gaseous emissions were measured with a Horiba MEXA7100D, and PM_2.5 was collected on filters for gravimetric analysis. All blends, including pure HVO, had shorter IDs than diesel. Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and total hydrocarbons (THC) decreased compared to diesel. PM_2.5 levels dropped with the additions of advanced biofuels relative to pure HVO and ULSD. CO emission factors were below EU Stage V limits, but slight exceedances occurred for THC and NOx. Full article

To improve regeneration performance and shorten desorption time in amine-based CO₂ capture, this study proposes an integrated “blended-amine solvent and microwave regeneration” process. Triethylenetetramine (TETA) was used as the primary absorbent and blended with diethanolamine (DEA) and 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP). Response Surface Methodology (RSM, Box–Behnken design) was employed to establish formulation–performance relationships, and an entropy-weighted TOPSIS method was further applied for multi-objective evaluation and optimization. The optimal formulation consisted of TETA, DEA, and AMP at a mass ratio of 6:1:2. Under the optimized conditions (20 wt% aqueous solvent, 30 °C absorption, 95 °C microwave regeneration), the solvent achieved an absorption capacity of 1.0 mol CO₂·mol⁻¹ amine with a CO₂ recovery of 93.56%. Compared with conventional heating, microwave regeneration markedly accelerated CO₂ desorption, reducing regeneration time from 30 min to 4 min. The estimated total regeneration energy was approximately 2.4 GJ·t⁻¹ CO₂ under microwave heating for the optimized blend. In addition, among the water/n-butanol formulations tested, the fully aqueous system showed the best overall absorption–regeneration performance. Overall, the data-driven solvent design coupled with microwave regeneration offers a practical route toward more efficient CO₂ capture processes. Full article

Middle-phase (Winsor III) microemulsion flooding is a promising technique for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). However, the presence of natural polar components in crude oil and varying reservoir salinity complicate the formulation of optimal microemulsion systems. This study experimentally investigates the effects of salinity and organic acids (lauric acid and caprylic acid) on the phase behavior of a microemulsion system composed of sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS), n-butanol, and different oils. Phase behavior experiments revealed that the optimal salinity window for middle-phase formation increases with the carbon number of the oil phase, expanding from 3–6.6 to 4–8.5 and 6–11.8 g/100 mL for octane, decane, and dodecane, respectively. The addition of polar acids was found to narrow this optimal salinity range; in particular, for decane, an increase in lauric acid concentration from 0.1% to 0.9% narrowed the salinity window from 4–8 to 4–6 g/100 mL, making the microemulsion systems more sensitive to salinity changes. Subsequent core flooding experiments demonstrated that the presence of polar components enhances the ultimate oil recovery, with higher acid concentrations leading to faster production rates. Furthermore, the EOR performance was shown to be highly dependent on salinity, peaking within the optimal salinity range that promotes a stable Winsor III microemulsion, leading to an ultimate recovery as high as 68.8%. These findings provide crucial insights for designing robust surfactant formulations for EOR in reservoirs containing polar crude oils. Full article

Reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) enhances engine performance while mitigating the diesel soot–NO_x tradeoff. In this work, natural gas (NG) RCCI combustion was investigated on a heavy-duty single-cylinder research engine with three different pilot fuels: diesel, an 80/20 (% v/v) blend of n-butanol and diesel (80B20D), and dipropyl oxymethylene ether (P1P). The experiments were performed at a constant speed of 1339 rev/min, a fixed load (IMEP_g = 5 bar), and 1.5 bar boost pressure. Initially, NG RCCI combustion was studied under identical operating conditions, and subsequently with constant combustion phasing (CA50) for all pilot fuel–NG combinations for a levelized comparison. The results revealed that CA50 profoundly impacted the efficiency and unburned hydrocarbon (HC) emissions for all pilot fuels. Maintaining an optimal CA50 of 363 ± 1 CAD, high fuel conversion efficiencies (~40%) and HC emission reductions (~38–49%) were achieved across pilot fuels. The pilot fuel reactivity significantly affected combustion and emissions. The apparent heat release histories transformed from a two-stage to a single-stage Gaussian profile at a much-retarded start of injection (SOI~30 bTDC) for 80B20D-NG compared to diesel–NG and P1P-NG (40 bTDC), leading to significantly lower NO_x emissions. More advanced SOIs and lower NO_x emissions were possible with diesel–NG and P1P-NG compared to 80B20D-NG. Full article

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide, affecting 37–52% of the population and potentially progressing to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Effective treatments remain limited, making nutraceuticals such as flavonoids promising therapeutic alternatives. Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) (OFI) has demonstrated beneficial effects against MAFLD, although its active compounds remain unclear. In this study, the complexity of the OFI sample was addressed through fractionation by sequential exhaustive extraction (SEE), resulting in six fractions enriched with different compound families, and metabolic markers related to steatosis were evaluated. Butanol (BT), ethanol (ET), and water (WA) extracts reduced lipid accumulation by 18–21%. BT and WA fractions also improved glucose uptake and decreased ketone body and reactive oxygen species production. UPLC-MS analysis showed that the WA extract was rich in piscidic acid and exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, whereas the BT displayed the strongest antisteatotic effect. Glycosylated flavonoids, representing 78% of the BT, were the predominant compounds. Isorhamnetin-glucosyl-rhamnosyl-rhamnoside and isorhamnetin-glucosyl-pentoside were inversely associated with triglyceride release, oxidative stress, and ketone body production. These findings identify isorhamnetin derivatives as key bioactive compounds underlying OFI’s beneficial effects against hepatic steatosis. Full article

Echinophora sibthorpiana Guss. (Apiaceae) is an aromatic plant of considerable ethnobotanical significance, traditionally employed as a flavouring and preservative agent in food and valued for its medicinal properties across the Eastern Mediterranean region, yet its non-volatile phytochemistry and biosafety profile remain insufficiently characterized. In the present study, the n-butanol fraction of the 80% methanolic extract of the aerial parts of E. sibthorpiana was fractionated using chromatographic methods and the structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by 1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopy and HR-ESI-MS. The distribution of Echinophora metabolites isolated by our group across six species in Türkiye was assessed by LC-qTOF-MS. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated by CUPRAC, FRAP, and TEAC assays; DNA-protective activity by the pBR322 plasmid model; genotoxic and antigenotoxic potential in the Drosophila melanogaster wing SMART assay. Four secondary metabolites, known as vicenin-2 (1), rutin (2), isoquercitrin (3) and betulalbuside A (4), were isolated and reported from E. sibthorpiana for the first time. Notably, the C-glycoside flavone vicenin-2 and the acyclic monoterpene glucoside betulalbuside A also represent the first isolation of these compounds from the genus Echinophora. LC-qTOF-MS profiling identified widely distributed flavonoid constituents together with more restricted metabolites that may have chemotaxonomic relevance. The n-BuOH fraction and the flavonol glycosides rutin and isoquercitrin exhibited the highest antioxidant and DNA-protective activities. None of the tested samples displayed genotoxic activity, while all showed antigenotoxic effects against ethyl methanesulfonate-induced DNA damage, with total spot frequency inhibition ranging from 47% to 83%. Overall, these findings provide a first comprehensive characterization of the non-volatile phytochemistry and biosafety profile of E. sibthorpiana and support the further investigation of its constituents as safe antioxidant and chemopreventive agents with potential nutraceutical applications. Full article

This study investigates the degradation behavior of decommissioned wind turbine blade composites in organic fluid systems, with particular focus on the subcritical acetic acid route. Supercritical acetone and supercritical n-butanol were used as screening media, while retired-blade glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites and laboratory-prepared glass fiber/epoxy composites were used to compare resin removal and fiber recovery behavior. The screening results showed that supercritical acetone and supercritical n-butanol caused partial matrix degradation but left visible organic residues on recovered fibers, whereas subcritical acetic acid produced cleaner fiber surfaces under lower-pressure conditions. The effects of temperature and reaction time were then analyzed in the subcritical acetic acid system. At 280 °C for 60 min, the epoxy resin degradation rate reached 99.81%, and the recovered glass fibers retained 96.49% of their tensile strength. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis indicated that the liquid products mainly contained phenols, esters, and other oxygenated organics, with bisphenol A derivatives as representative components. These products suggest a coupled degradation process involving epoxy network swelling, bond cleavage, fragment release, and secondary acetylation in acetic acid. The boiling-point difference between acetic acid and the main degradation products, together with the product distribution obtained after recovered-acid addition, indicates the potential of acetic acid reuse. These findings support subcritical acetic acid as a promising medium for resin removal and glass-fiber recovery from decommissioned wind turbine blade composites. Full article

Quinoa leaf spot is an important fungal disease that limits quinoa yield and quality. This study aimed to evaluate the pathogenicity of isolates associated with quinoa leaf spot in Qinghai, China, and to screen multifunctional biocontrol bacteria with potential for further development. Pathogenicity assays conducted on healthy quinoa leaves showed that isolates Alternaria alternata AF15 and A. tenuissima AF18 induced typical leaf spot symptoms. The corresponding fungi were successfully re-isolated from the resulting lesions, confirming the pathogenicity of both isolates. Two highly effective biocontrol bacteria, Serratia liquefaciens CB82 and Bacillus velezensis CB316, were subsequently selected through dual-culture assays. Their maximum inhibition rates against the two fungal pathogens reached 56.00% and 57.00%, respectively. Both biocontrol strains exhibited broad adaptability to different temperatures, pH, and NaCl conditions, produced protease, amylase, and cellulase, and showed phosphate-solubilizing activity. Metabolite extraction and fractionation revealed that the antifungal substances were predominantly enriched in the n-butanol fractions, which caused severe shrinkage, surface roughening, breakage, and deformation of the pathogen hyphae. In addition, both strains exhibited strong biofilm-forming capacity and successfully colonized quinoa leaves. Their culturable populations peaked on day 3 after inoculation, reaching 5.58 × 10⁷ and 6.06 × 10⁷ CFU/mL, respectively. In seed germination pouch assays, the bacterial suspensions promoted quinoa root elongation, whereas the fermentation broths increased seedling biomass accumulation in pot experiments. Overall, this study confirmed the pathogenicity of fungal isolates associated with quinoa leaf spot in Qinghai, China, identified two promising biocontrol bacterial strains, and preliminarily characterized their antifungal substances. These findings provide valuable microbial resources and a research basis for the future development of biological control strategies against quinoa leaf spot. Full article