Dandan Yuan

Biomolecular condensates are dynamic liquid droplets through intracellular liquid-liquid phase separation that function as membraneless organelles, which are highly involved in various complex cellular processes and functions. Artificial analogs formed via similar pathways that can be integrated with biological complexity and advanced functions have received tremendous research interest in the field of synthetic biology. The coacervate droplet-based compartments can partition and concentrate a wide range of solutes, which are regarded as attractive candidates for mimicking phase-separation behaviors and biophysical features of biomolecular condensates. The use of peptide-based materials as phase-separating components has advantages such as the diversity of amino acid residues and customized sequence design, which allows for programming their phase-separation behaviors and the physicochemical properties of the resulting compartments. In this Perspective, we highlight the recent advancements in the design and construction of biomimicry condensates from synthetic peptides relevant to intracellular phase-separating protein, with specific reference to their molecular design, self-assembly via phase separation, and biorelated applications, to envisage the use of peptide-based droplets as emerging biomedical delivery vehicles.

For an increasing implementation of the low-temperature transportation in oilfield, it is urgent priority initially to study the physical and chemical properties to provide the vital technical support for the low-temperature transport of the polymer flooding. In this paper, the rheological behavior of polymer-containing fluid produced from the Daqing polymer flood were first studied for an adaptation of transportation under the oil’s freezing point temperature. The experiments progressed with different temperature, shear rate, water content and polymer concentration which have great impacts on the viscosity of the fluids produced aiming to find the phase transportation point for the application of the low-temperature transportation. It was displayed that a significant discontinuity in the viscosity occurs at some range of water content. Before the phase transition point, presented in W/O (water-in-oil) emulsion, the viscosity was lifted with the increase of the water content while after the phase transition point, forming the O/W (oil-in-water) type emulsion, the viscosity was dropped with an increase of water content. The phase transition points strongly depend on the polymer concentration in the fluids Produced. It was demonstrated that the phase transition points of polymer-containing fluids were 65%, 70%, 50%, 50% and 50%, corresponding to the polymer concentrations of 315mg/L, 503mg/L, 708mg/L, 920mg/L and 1053mg/L, respectively. The characteristics are attributed to the viscous polymer. The fluidity of the fluid produced was decreased with the increase of polymer concentration.

Alkaline-earth-carbonate-included molten salts sustain continuous CO ₂ capture and electrochemical conversion.

Background: Improved mycelial pellet with superior decolorization ability and reusability was firstly cultivated and coupled with activated carbon for enhancement of dyecontaining wastewater adsorption, which was named MP-AC. Methodology: Depending on several parameters such as pellet size and dry/wet ratio, the optimum amount of activated carbon powder was determined as 0.015 g·mL-1 spore suspension, and the mycelial pellet contained the certain amount of activated carbon powder named as MP-AC-5. The microscope and SEM images clearly described the activated carbon powder wrapped in the net of pellet unevenly without destroying the structure. By comparing with single mycelial pellets (SMP) under different condition, the decolorization ability of MP-AC-5 was investigated and the results showed that MP-AC-5 (1.0g) had higher decolorization efficiency and better reusability than SMP (1.5g) under different pH and dyeconcentrations. Conclusion: The pseudo-second order kinetic model was able to describe the biosorption equilibrium of Eriochrome black T (EBT) onto the MP-AC-5 with a high determination coefficient (R2 > 0.999) and the Langmuir isotherm model was able to describe the biosorption equilibrium of Eriochrome black T (EBT) onto the MP-AC-5.

This work reports the simultaneous production of CO and H₂ with a broadened H₂/CO ratio range.

The process of molten salt CO₂ capture and electrochemical conversion provides us with a new way to close the present carbon cycle and mitigate global climate change by transforming the greenhouse gas CO₂ into carbonaceous fuels or chemicals. In this paper, carbon spheres and carbon nanotubes that can be used as a societal resource to serve mankind are synthesized from CO₂ in diverse electrolyte composites with inexpensive metallic electrodes. Carbon products, subsequent to electrolysis, are characterized by EDS, SEM, TEM, Raman, TGA, FTIR, BET and XRD to reveal the elemental composition and morphological and structural features. The results demonstrate that Li–Ca–Na and Li–Ca–K carbonate electrolytes favor carbon sphere formation rather than carbon nanotube formation, and in particular, K₂CO₃ shows enhanced interference with carbon nanotube growth. In contrast, Li–Ca–Ba and Li–Ba carbonate composites present an increase in the carbon nanotube fraction. Additionally, CNTs generated from Li–K, Li–Ba and Li–Ca–Ba present a different diameter. In this way, the CO₂-derived carbon products of carbon spheres and carbon nanotubes could be alternatively synthesized through the appropriate regulation of the electrolyte composition.

Ambient CO ₂ is readily split into zerovalent carbon at diverse electrolytes.