Xingfei Zhou

As an important part of global carbon neutrality strategies, carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture, utilization, and storage technologies have emerged as critical solutions for reducing carbon emissions. However, conventional CO₂ applications, including food preservation, industrial synthesis, and enhanced oil recovery, face inherent limitations such as suboptimal gas–liquid mass transfer efficiency and inadequate long-term stability. Recent advancements in CO₂ micro-nanobubbles (CO₂ MNBs) have demonstrated remarkable potential across multidisciplinary domains, owing to their distinctive physicochemical characteristics encompassing elevated internal pressure, augmented specific surface area, exceptional stability, etc. In this review, we try to comprehensively explore the unique physicochemical properties of CO₂ MNBs and their emerging applications, including industrial, agricultural, environmental, and energy fields. Furthermore, we provide a prospective analysis of how these minuscule bubbles can emerge as pivotal in future technological innovations. We also offer novel insights and directions for research and applications across related fields. Finally, we engage in predicting their future development trends as a promising technological pathway for advancing carbon neutrality objectives.

His18 promotes H₂O₂ production in copper-ion mediated hIAPP aggregation.

Metal ions play a critical role in human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) aggregation, which is believed to be closely associated with β-cell death in type II diabetes. In this work, the effect of Al³⁺ on the aggregation of hIAPP (11-28) was studied by several different experimental approaches. Atomic force microscopy measurements showed that Al³⁺ could remarkably inhibit hIAPP(11-28) fibrillogenesis, while Zn²⁺ had a slight promotion effect on peptide aggregation, which was also confirmed by Thioflavin T fluorescence observation. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement indicated that Al ions might form chemical bonds with neighboring atoms and destroy the secondary structures of the protein. Our studies could deepen the understanding of the role of metal ions in the aggregation of amyloid peptides.

The assessment of nanomechanical properties of a single amyloid fibril in a confined space provides important information for understanding the role of fibrils in a cell microenvironment. In this study, the structure and nanomechanical properties of different fibrils formed in water nanofilms on mica surface are carefully investigated by using the new atomic force microscopy imaging mode-peak force quantitative nanomechanics (PF-QNM). We find that two types of fibrils with different morphologies are formed in water nanofilm on mica. The compression elasticities of these two types of fibrils are 3.9±0.9 and 2.5±0.6GPa, respectively. The remarkable difference is possibly due to the structural discrepancy in two types of fibrils.

The dependence of the morphology of interfacial nanobubbles on atomically flat substrates with different wettability ranges was investigated by using PeakForce quantitative nanomechanics. Interfacial nanobubbles were formed and imaged on silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), mica, and highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrates that were partly covered by reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The contact angles and sizes of those nanobubbles were measured under the same conditions. Nanobubbles with the same lateral width exhibited different heights on the different substrates, with the order Si₃N₄≈mica>rGO>HOPG, which is consistent with the trend of the hydrophobicity of the substrates.