Bioinspired Organic Porous Coupling Agent for Enhancement of Nanoparticle Dispersion and Interfacial Strength

Composite materials have significantly advanced with the integration of inorganic nanoparticles as fillers in polymers. Achieving fine dispersion of these nanoparticles within the composites, however, remains a challenge. This study presents a novel solution inspired by the natural structure of Xanthium. We have developed a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM)-based porous coupling agent, named PCA. PCA’s rigid backbone structure enhances interfacial interactions through a unique intermolecular interlocking mechanism. This approach notably improves the dispersion of SiO2 nanoparticles in various organic solvents and low-polarity polymers. Significantly, PCA-modified SiO2 nanoparticles embedded in polyisoprene rubber showed enhanced mechanical properties. The Young’s modulus increases to 30.7 MPa, compared to 5.4 MPa in hexadecyltrimethoxysilane-modified nanoparticles. Further analysis shows that PCA-modified composites not only become stiffer but also gain strength and ductility. This research demonstrates a novel biomimetic strategy for enhancing interfacial interactions in composites, potentially leading to stronger, more versatile composite materials

The distribution of Ka, Ks and Ka/Ks.

<p>(A) Using the gNG method. (B) Using the MYN method. (C) Using the Maximum Likelihood method. Note: Ka/Ks were specified as zero if both Ka and Ks were zero (5247 genes).</p

In Vivo Oxidative Stress Monitoring Through Intracellular Hydroxyl Radicals Detection by Recyclable Upconversion Nanoprobes

Oxidative stress, as an essential cause to many diseases via irreversible biomolecule oxidation, can be induced by casual-contacted nanomaterials, which can generate hydroxyl radical (<b>•</b>OH) due to their active surface capacity. Herein, we report a novel upconversion nanoprobe for ratiometric <b>•</b>OH detection and monitoring titanium oxide nanomaterial-induced oxidative stress. Unlike previously developed nanoprobes, the <b>•</b>OH-responsive acceptor in these nanoprobes can be rapidly prepared and easily recycled. With a detection limit of ∼2 nM and a broad linear range of 4 nM–16 μM, the nanoprobe is suitable for both in vitro and in vivo applications. The facile preparation and recyclable strategy provide a new method for developing novel nanoprobes that can directly detect hazardous molecules in biological samples and systems

The number of each type of substitutions in the proteins encoded by the PSGs.

<p>The number of each type of substitutions in the proteins encoded by the PSGs.</p

Number of nonsynonymous sites and new synonymous sites of chromosome 1 between <i>indica</i> and temperate <i>japonica</i>.

<p>¹Number of nonsynonymous sites (PSSs) shared by sequence and SNP analyses.</p><p>²Number of new nonsynonymous sites found between <i>indica</i> and temperate <i>japonica</i></p><p>³Number of new synonymous sites found between <i>indica</i> and temperate <i>japonica</i></p><p>⁴The probability of synonymous site occurred in NSSGs.</p><p>Number of nonsynonymous sites and new synonymous sites of chromosome 1 between <i>indica</i> and temperate <i>japonica</i>.</p

The PSGs of known function.

<p>*reference</p><p>The PSGs of known function.</p

The distribution of the PSGs along rice chromosomes.

<p>(A) The distribution of the PSGs along the chromosomes. ‘+’ indicates the positions of the genes on the chromosomes. (B) The numbers of the PSGs (bars) and the ratios of PSGs (lines) to total genes in each chromosome.</p

The distribution of the percent identity between the possible orthologs.

<p>The most similar proteins between 93–11 and Nipponbare were selected with BLAST, and 30995 pairs of proteins were obtained; each pair was analyzed via ClustalW 2 to obtain the percent identity.</p

The distribution of NSSGs and outliers along Fst values between <i>indica</i> and temperate <i>japonica</i>, and the distribution of outliers along Fst values between Or-It and Or-IIIt.

<p>¹Only the PSS with highest Fst was considered for some PSGs with more than one PSS.</p><p>²The number of the PSSs used to analyze <i>O</i>. <i>rufipogon</i> is 1354, including some of the PSSs from the PSGs with a synonymous site.</p><p>The distribution of NSSGs and outliers along Fst values between <i>indica</i> and temperate <i>japonica</i>, and the distribution of outliers along Fst values between Or-It and Or-IIIt.</p

The distribution of the numbers of non-synonymous substitutions in NSSGs.

<p>The distribution of the numbers of non-synonymous substitutions in NSSGs.</p