Carbon emission reduction analysis of CHP system driven by biogas based on emission factors

The cogeneration system of heat, power, and biogas (CHPB) driven by renewable energy provides an effective solution for carbon emission reduction in rural China. Starting from fully meeting the energy demand of 17 new rural residential households in Lanzhou, considering the annual dynamic local climate change, energy consumption characteristics, and environment parameters, a model of environmental benefit index for the CHPB system is constructed. The concept of emission factor is used to quantitatively analyze the environmental benefits of the system. The equivalent CO2 emission factor is defined to connect emissions with energy output, evaluating the environment-friendly potential of energy supply system. Compared with the conventional systems of independent power and thermal generation, the year-round characteristics of CO2 emission and emission structure chart of the proposed system are analyzed. The results show that the total CO2 emission and the average equivalent CO2 emission factors of the conventional and CHPB system are 85.45t, 1.53 kg/kWh, and 308.46t, 0.22 kg/kWh, respectively. The maximum CO2 emission reduction ratio of the CHPB system is 113.47%. Anaerobic digestion technology is employed to consume biomass feedstock, which reduced CH4 emission (equivalent to 86.36t of CO2 emission reduction). Five typical cities were selected to study the regional adaptability of the system and analyze environmental benefits. The results indicate that the CHPB system has the best environmental performance in Guangzhou, where the average CO2 emission reduction rate is 103.52%

Multiscale Structural Characterization of a Smectic Liquid Crystalline Elastomer upon Mechanical Deformation Using Neutron Scattering

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) exhibit unique shape memory behavior due to the combination of liquid crystalline orientation and rubber elasticity. Multiscale structural characterization of these materials upon deformation is crucial to understanding their structure–property relationships. In this work, the structure evolution of an epoxy-based, main-chain LCE with deuterated flexible spacers upon uniaxial mechanical deformation is investigated at different length scales. Wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS/SAXS) reveal the presence of smectic polymorphism and rotations of the smectic domains upon mechanical stretching, which is also confirmed by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Importantly, the selective deuteration enables an improved neutron scattering contrast between the smectic and amorphous domains. SANS patterns of the deformed, deuterated LCE exhibit strong scattering streaks that are not observed in SAXS or SANS of hydrogenated LCE, indicating the presence of highly aligned amorphous domains. The macroscopic orientation also results in the formation of structures in the micrometer scale revealed by the ultrasmall-angle neutron scattering (USANS) experiment

Liquid Crystalline Elastomers with Tailorable Actuation Performance Based on Orthogonal Click Chemistries

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are excellent candidates for actuators and soft robotics owing to their exceptional properties. Their actuation relies on the precise control of the liquid crystalline orientation within the elastomeric network during synthesis. Current two-stage synthesis methods, which involve consecutive thiol-acrylate addition (or amine-acrylate addition), mechanical stretching, and free-radical polymerization of residual acrylate, typically suffer from extended reaction times and oxygen inhibition caused by the homopolymerization of acrylate. Here, we present a systematic examination of LCEs based on thiol click chemistries and introduce a novel approach to the design of LCEs using orthogonal radical-mediated thiol-ene and base-catalyzed thiol-epoxy click chemistries. This newly developed one-pot, two-stage strategy overcomes the limitations associated with acrylate-based chemistry. By changing the sequence and relative ratio of the click reactions, we successfully prepare LCEs with tailorable thermal properties and actuation performance, providing enhanced design flexibility compared with the conventional LCE chemistries. Using this strategy, we demonstrate the preparation of LCE actuators capable of showing intricate and reversible shape changes. This study highlights the use of orthogonal click chemistries as an efficient approach to the design and fabrication of LCEs

Liquid Crystalline Elastomers with Tailorable Actuation Performance Based on Orthogonal Click Chemistries

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are excellent candidates for actuators and soft robotics owing to their exceptional properties. Their actuation relies on the precise control of the liquid crystalline orientation within the elastomeric network during synthesis. Current two-stage synthesis methods, which involve consecutive thiol-acrylate addition (or amine-acrylate addition), mechanical stretching, and free-radical polymerization of residual acrylate, typically suffer from extended reaction times and oxygen inhibition caused by the homopolymerization of acrylate. Here, we present a systematic examination of LCEs based on thiol click chemistries and introduce a novel approach to the design of LCEs using orthogonal radical-mediated thiol-ene and base-catalyzed thiol-epoxy click chemistries. This newly developed one-pot, two-stage strategy overcomes the limitations associated with acrylate-based chemistry. By changing the sequence and relative ratio of the click reactions, we successfully prepare LCEs with tailorable thermal properties and actuation performance, providing enhanced design flexibility compared with the conventional LCE chemistries. Using this strategy, we demonstrate the preparation of LCE actuators capable of showing intricate and reversible shape changes. This study highlights the use of orthogonal click chemistries as an efficient approach to the design and fabrication of LCEs

Liquid Crystalline Elastomers with Tailorable Actuation Performance Based on Orthogonal Click Chemistries

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are excellent candidates for actuators and soft robotics owing to their exceptional properties. Their actuation relies on the precise control of the liquid crystalline orientation within the elastomeric network during synthesis. Current two-stage synthesis methods, which involve consecutive thiol-acrylate addition (or amine-acrylate addition), mechanical stretching, and free-radical polymerization of residual acrylate, typically suffer from extended reaction times and oxygen inhibition caused by the homopolymerization of acrylate. Here, we present a systematic examination of LCEs based on thiol click chemistries and introduce a novel approach to the design of LCEs using orthogonal radical-mediated thiol-ene and base-catalyzed thiol-epoxy click chemistries. This newly developed one-pot, two-stage strategy overcomes the limitations associated with acrylate-based chemistry. By changing the sequence and relative ratio of the click reactions, we successfully prepare LCEs with tailorable thermal properties and actuation performance, providing enhanced design flexibility compared with the conventional LCE chemistries. Using this strategy, we demonstrate the preparation of LCE actuators capable of showing intricate and reversible shape changes. This study highlights the use of orthogonal click chemistries as an efficient approach to the design and fabrication of LCEs

Hepatic Stellate Cell–Targeted Delivery of Hepatocyte Growth Factor Transgene via Bile Duct Infusion Enhances Its Expression at Fibrotic Foci to Regress Dimethylnitrosamine-Induced Liver Fibrosis

Liver fibrosis generates fibrotic foci with abundant activated hepatic stellate cells and excessive collagen deposition juxtaposed with healthy regions. Targeted delivery of antifibrotic therapeutics to hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) might improve treatment outcomes and reduce adverse effects on healthy tissue. We delivered the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene specifically to activated hepatic stellate cells in fibrotic liver using vitamin A–coupled liposomes by retrograde intrabiliary infusion to bypass capillarized hepatic sinusoids. The antifibrotic effects of DsRed2-HGF vector encapsulated within vitamin A–coupled liposomes were validated by decreases in fibrotic markers in vitro. Fibrotic cultures transfected with the targeted transgene showed a significant decrease in fibrotic markers such as transforming growth factor-β1. In rats, dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrosis is manifested by an increase in collagen deposition and severe defenestration of sinusoidal endothelial cells. The HSC-targeted transgene, administered via retrograde intrabiliary infusion in fibrotic rats, successfully reduced liver fibrosis markers alpha-smooth muscle actin and collagen, accompanied by an increase in the expression of DsRed2-HGF near the fibrotic foci. Thus, targeted delivery of HGF gene to hepatic stellate cells increased the transgene expression at the fibrotic foci and strongly enhanced its antifibrotic effects.Singapore-MIT Alliance Computational and Systems Biology Flagship Project (Grant C-382-641-001-091

Liquid Crystalline Elastomers with Tailorable Actuation Performance Based on Orthogonal Click Chemistries

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are excellent candidates for actuators and soft robotics owing to their exceptional properties. Their actuation relies on the precise control of the liquid crystalline orientation within the elastomeric network during synthesis. Current two-stage synthesis methods, which involve consecutive thiol-acrylate addition (or amine-acrylate addition), mechanical stretching, and free-radical polymerization of residual acrylate, typically suffer from extended reaction times and oxygen inhibition caused by the homopolymerization of acrylate. Here, we present a systematic examination of LCEs based on thiol click chemistries and introduce a novel approach to the design of LCEs using orthogonal radical-mediated thiol-ene and base-catalyzed thiol-epoxy click chemistries. This newly developed one-pot, two-stage strategy overcomes the limitations associated with acrylate-based chemistry. By changing the sequence and relative ratio of the click reactions, we successfully prepare LCEs with tailorable thermal properties and actuation performance, providing enhanced design flexibility compared with the conventional LCE chemistries. Using this strategy, we demonstrate the preparation of LCE actuators capable of showing intricate and reversible shape changes. This study highlights the use of orthogonal click chemistries as an efficient approach to the design and fabrication of LCEs