A Compatible and Efficient Fabrication of Bi-Continuous Nanoporous Copper Films

To cater to the application in various micro/nano devices, this paper reports a compatible and efficient approach combining electrodeposition and dealloying to fabricate bi-continuous nanoporous copper films. In the electrodeposition step, effect of concentration ratio of different ions, pH of the solution and cathode current density on the elementary composition and microscopic morphology of the deposited alloy are systematically investigated, obtaining an optimum condition with good stability and process compatibility. A uniform copper-zinc alloy with its zinc content improved to ~67 at.% is prepared under this condition. A uniform nanoporous copper with an average pore size of 150 nm is fabricated by ultrasonic assisted dealloying whose efficiency is significantly improved compared to free dealloying. This method is promising to be used in the mass production of nanoporous copper films, benefiting researches on various practical applications in micro/nano devices.

Research and Engineering Application of Salt Erosion Resistance of Magnesium Oxychloride Cement Concrete

Aiming at the problem that ordinary cement concrete is subjected to damage in heavy saline soil areas in China, a new type of magnesium oxychloride cement concrete is prepared by using the gelling properties of magnesium oxychloride cement in this study, and the erosion resistance of the synthesized magnesium oxychloride cement concrete in concentrated brine of salt lakes is studied through the full immersion test. The effects of concentrated brine of salt lakes on the macroscopic, microscopic morphology, phase composition and mechanical properties of magnesium oxychloride cement concrete are investigated by means of macro-morphology, erosion depth, SEM, XRD and strength changes. The salt erosion resistance mechanism of magnesium oxychloride cement concrete is revealed. The results demonstrate that under the environment of full immersion in concentrated brine of salt lakes, there is no macroscopic phenomenon of concrete damage due to salt crystallization, and the main phase composition is basically unchanged. The microscopic morphology mostly changes from needle-rod-like to gel-like. Due to the formation of a new 5·1·8 phase on the surface layer and the increase in compactness, its compressive strength has a gradual increase trend. Based on the engineering application of magnesium oxychloride cement concrete, it is further confirmed that magnesium oxychloride cement concrete has excellent salt erosion resistance and good weather resistance, which provides theoretical support for future popularization and application.

Study on the Soft Magnetic Properties of FeSiB/EP Composites by Direct Ink Writing

Fe-based amorphous alloy has excellent soft magnetic properties; traditionally, Fe-based amorphous alloy such as soft magnetic devices was fabricated by insulation enveloping and suppression molding methods. In this process, the aging of organic envelope materials and the crystallization of Fe-based amorphous alloy were usually occurring, accompanying with low magnetic induction and poor mechanical properties. The direct ink writing (DIW) technique can make complex-shaped parts and needs no heating treatment after forming, which can avoid the effect of traditional molding process. In the present study, varying mass fraction FeSiB/EP composite parts were prepared by the DIW technique with the Fe-based amorphous alloy powder and epoxy resin, in which microscopic morphology, magnetic properties, and mechanical properties of FeSiB/EP soft magnetic composites were studied. The results indicate that the slurry with iron powder mass fraction of 92.3, 92.6, and 92.8 wt% has good printing performance and self-support ability, which is suitable for DIW. The density of the printed parts is about 4.317, 4.449, and 4.537 g/cm3, which is almost similar with the iron powder. The tensile strength and elongation of printing parts are significantly improved compared with the pure epoxy resin. From the photos of microscopic morphology of printing parts, it can be seen that FeSiB powders are evenly dispersed in EP, no pores, and defects, with the proportion increasing of powders; the insulation coating thickness decreases; and the magnetic performance improves. The optimal sample is 92.8 wt% FeSiB/EP, in which saturation magnetic induction strength is 137.9759 emu/g and coercivity is 4.6523 A/m.

Facilely Prepared Cl-Doped Graphene as an Efficient Anode for the Electrochemical Catalytic Degradation of Acetaminophen

The application of electrochemical catalytic oxidation in wastewater treatment with powerful Cldoped graphene as an anode has been discussed as a novel approach to degrade acetaminophen effectively. The characteristics of Cl-doped graphene that were related to Cl loading content and microscopic morphology were analyzed by using several instruments, and the defects created by Cl doping were identified. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance detection were proposed to clarify the mechanism underlying the production of active free radicals by Cldopedgraphene. The degradation results indicated that efficiency increased with the percentage of Cl atoms doped into the graphene. The best degradation efficiency of acetaminophen could reach 98% when Cl-GN-12 was used. In the process of electrocatalytic oxidation, O•−2, and active chlorine, as the main active species, persistently attacked acetaminophen into open-ring intermediates, such as 4-chlororesorcinol, and finally into CO2 and H2O.

Malignant Melanoma With Neuroendocrine Differentiation: A Case Report and Literature Review

BackgroundMelanoma has a wide range of histologic variants and cytomorphologic features that make its diagnosis challenging. Melanoma can also rarely have neuroendocrine markers adding further diagnostic uncertainty particularly given that unrelated tumor types, such as prostate cancer, can also display focal neuroendocrine differentiations.Case presentationOur patient is a 74-year-old Caucasian man found to have a lung mass. Initial biopsy revealed typical microscopic morphology and neuroendocrine differentiation consistent with small cell carcinoma. Despite standard chemoradiation treatment, the patient continued to progress with new metastasis in the brain, liver and bone. Subsequent chest wall biopsy revealed golden-brown pigment associated with melanin. Further tumor immunohistochemistry revealed extensive neuroendocrine differentiation with CD56, synaptophysin, and INSM1, as well as strong immunoreactivity for melanocyte markers including SOX10, S100, PRAME, and MITF, consistent with metastatic melanoma with neuroendocrine differentiation. Genomic testing revealed increased tumor mutational burden and alterations in NF1, BRAF, CDKN2A/B, TERT. The patient was transitioned to checkpoint inhibitor therapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab and had resolution of his intracranial mass and decrease in size of other metastatic lesions.ConclusionOften the combination of anatomic findings such as a lung mass, typical microscopic morphology, and confirmation of neuroendocrine differentiation correctly identifies a patient with small cell carcinoma. However, in a patient who fails to respond to treatment, a broader immunohistochemical workup along with molecular testing with additional tissue may be warranted.

Synthesis of Brominated Alkanes via Heterogeneous Catalytic Distillation over Al2O3/SO42−/ZrO2

Concentrated sulfuric acid is generally used as a catalyst for producing brominated alkanes in traditional methods, but is highly corrosive and difficult to separate. This work reports the preparation of bromopropane from n-propanol based on a reactive distillation strategy combined with alumina-modified sulfated zirconia (Al2O3/SO42−/ZrO2) as a heterogenous catalyst. As expected, under the optimum reaction conditions (110 °C), the yield of bromopropane was 96.18% without side reactions due to the reactive distillation strategy. Meanwhile, the microscopic morphology and performance of Al2O3/SO42−/ZrO2 were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunner–Emmet–Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR), and other characterization methods. The results confirmed that the morphology of zirconia sulfate is effectively regulated by the modification method of alumina, and more edges and angles provide more catalytic acid sites for the reaction. Furthermore, Al2O3/SO42−/ZrO2 exhibited high stability and remarkable reusability due to the strong chemical bond Zr–Al–Zr. This work provides a practical method for the preparation of bromopropane and can be further extended to the preparation of other bromoalkanes.

Effect of Sepiolite-Loaded Fe2O3 on Flame Retardancy of Waterborne Polyurethane

In this study, a kind of inorganic composite flame retardant (Sep@Fe2O3) was prepared by combining solution deposition and calcination methods using sepiolite microfiber material as carrier. This inorganic compound flame retardant was combined with waterborne polyurethane (WPU) through layer-by-layer method to prepare WPU composites. The SEM and EDS, TEM, and XRD were used to characterize the microscopic morphology and crystal structure of WPU composites. Thermogravimetric analysis tests confirmed the good thermal stability of WPU/Sep@Fe2O3 composites; at the temperature of 600°C, the carbon residual percentage of WPU/Sep, WPU/Fe2O3, and WPU/Sep@Fe2O3 composites is 7.3%, 12.2%, and 13.4%, respectively, higher than that of WPU (1.4%). Vertical combustion tests proved better flame-retardant property of WPU/Sep@Fe2O3 composite-coated cotton than noncoated cotton. The microcalorimeter test proved that the PHRR of WPU/Sep@Fe2O3 composites decreased by 61% compared with that of WPU. In addition, after combining with Sep@Fe2O3, the breaking strength of WPU increased by 35%.