A new ZrSiO₄@TiO₂ hybrid nanostructure was prepared by a heterogeneous flocculation method. Phytic acid was introduced to modify the surface charging of the components for hybrid assembly. The obtained powder was coated on ceramic tiles and fired at 900 °C to fabricate photocatalytic ceramic. Experimental results show that anatase TiO₂ in the composite powder has high thermal stability until 1 200 °C. ZrSiO₄ matrix prevents the mass transfer of anatase TiO₂ at high temperature and greatly retards the phase transition of anatase to rutile. Besides, the photocatalytic ceramic shows apparent activities for the degradation of methyl orange under ultra-violet irradiation.

CuO nanoparticles were synthesized by using microreactors made of Triton X-100/n-hextnol/ cyclohexane/water W/O microemulsion system. Basic synthesis parameters were determined. The results of thermo gravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA) of the precursor products indicated that the proper calcination temperature was about 500 °C. The nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-visible spectra. It was indicated that the grain size was highly dependent on the ratio of water to surfactant(R). With the R value increasing, the particles size became larger.

Gold (Au) nanoparticles were prepared on Au-film-coated K9 glass and silicon substrates by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering and thermal annealing treatment. The effects of substrate material, annealing temperature, and time on morphologies of Au nanoparticles were investigated, and the formation mechanism of Au nanoparticles was discussed. The experimental results indicate that silicon substrate is more suitable for the formation of Au nanoparticles. On a silicon substrate, Au nanoparticles formed with good spherical shapes at temperature over 700 °C. It was also found by spectral analysis that the field enhancement factor of the island-shaped Au particles was smaller than that of the granular Au particles; the better the spherical shape as well as the smaller the size and spacing of Au particles, the higher the light absorption rate; the absorption peak had a red shift with increasing particle size and spacing.

To alleviate the main limitations of lithium ion diffusion rate and poor electronic conductivity for LiFePO₄ cathode material, it is desirable to synthesize nano-size LiFePO₄ material due to its enhanced electronic and lithium ion transport rates and thus an improved high-rate performance. However, our previous synthesized LiFePO₄ nanorods only exhibited low high-rate and slightly unstable cycle performance. Possible reasons are the poor crystallization and Fe²⁺ oxidation of LiFePO₄ nanorods prepared by hydrothermal method. In this paper, LiFePO₄ nanorods were simply dealt with at 700 °C for 4 h under the protection of Ar and H₂ mixture gas. The electrochemical properties of LiFePO₄/Li cells were investigated by galvanostatic test and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The experimental results indicated that the annealed LiFePO₄ nanorods delivered an excellent cycling stability and obviously improved capacity of 150 mA·h·g⁻¹ at 1C, and even 122 mA·h·g⁻¹ at 5C.

Middle reinforcement content SiCp/Al composites (V _p=30%, 35% and 40%) for precision optical systems applications were fabricated by powder metallurgy technology. The composites were free of porosity and SiC particles distributed uniformly in the composites. The mean linear coefficients of thermal expansion (20–100 °C) of SiCp/Al composites ranged from 11.6×10⁻⁶ to 13.3×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ and decreased with an increase in volume fraction of SiC content. The experimental coefficients of thermal expansion agreed well with predicted values based on Kerner’s model. The Brinell hardness increased from 116 to 147, and the modulus increased from 99 to 112 GPa for the corresponding composites. The tensile strengths were higher than 320 MPa, but no significant increasing trend between tensile strength and SiC content was observed.

GeS₆ chalcogenide amorphous film was deposited on glass substrate via PLD (pulsed laser deposition) technique. The performance and structure of the film was characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy), optical transmission spectra, and Raman spectra, etc. The GeS₆ amorphous film was irradiated by 532 nm linearly polarized light, and its photo-induced darkening was investigated. The results showed that the GeS₆ chalcogenide amorphous film was smooth and compact with uniform thickness and combined with the substrate firmly, and its chemical composition was in consistency with the bulky target. When laser energy was fixed, the transparence of the film declined with the increase of the laser irradiation time. Obvious photo-induced darkening and relaxation phenomenon of the film after laser irradiation were observed in this investigation.

Pure K₂Ti₄O₉ whiskers were prepared by KDC (Kneading-Drying-Calcination) method with TiO₂ and K₂CO₃ as raw materials. The influences of TiO₂/K₂CO₃ molar ratio (R _T/K), calcination temperature (T _C) and cooling process on phase composition and morphology of the whiskers were investigated by TG-DSC (thermo gravimetric-differential scanning calorimeter), XRD (X-ray diffraction), and SEM (scanning electron microscope). Pure K₂Ti₄O₉ potassium titanate whiskers with large length-diameter ratio (r) (over 250) can be obtained at R _T/K = 2.9 and T _C = 950 °C.

Composites were prepared with polysulfone through ex-situ toughening technique. The dynamic parameters of cyanate/epoxy resin were studied by differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Microstructual toughening mechanism was studied through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The particle microstructure in interlaminar region of composites toughened through ex-situ toughening technique revealed that a reaction induced phase decomposition and phase inversion happened in the interlaminar region. The thermosetting particles were surrounded by the PS phase, which could significantly improve the delamination resistance of composites. The compression after impact (CAI) can be significantly improved from 180 MPa to 260 MPa by using ex-situ toughening while the mechanical properties are not affected.

Relative contact angle and heat of wetting can be used to provide a measurement of surface wettability of synthetic magnetite. The comparison between synthetic and natural magnetite in terms of surface wettability showed that, using the same kind of wetting liquid, the difference in the relative contact angle was 10° between the concentrate and tailings obtained from reverse flotation of synthetic magnetite, while the difference was more than 20° between the concentrate and tailings obtained from reverse flotation of natural magnetite. As for the concentrate and tailings from reverse flotation of synthetic magnetite with water as wetting liquid, the relative ratio of their wetting heat was 106.21%. In comparison, the relative ratio of wetting heat was 176.59% for concentrate and tailings from reverse flotation of natural magnetite, showing a 70.38% difference.

In order to increase the content of rare-earth oxides in magneto-optical glass and improve the Verdet constant, the rare-earth doped ternary Ga₂O₃-B₂O₃-SiO₂(GBS) system magneto-optical glasses were prepared by the melt quenching technique. The influence of Tb³⁺ and Dy³⁺ ions on the structure of GBS glasses was investigated using FTIR, DSC and Faraday rotations. The experimental results showed that the content of rare-earth oxides in the glasses with the double incorporation of Tb₂O₃ and Dy₂O₃ was higher. The crystallization parameter β achieved the maximum 0.48 with Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺ content of 35mol%. Terbium oxide existed mainly in [TbO₃] units in the glasses and [TbO₄] units were converted into [TbO₃] with increasing Tb₂O₃ content. As Ga³⁺ ion is larger than B³⁺ ion in radius, leading to an increasing of the glass network gap and improvement in the ability of accommodating rare earth ions, Verdet constant increased.

Ni-plated glass beads (GB) was obtained by electroless plating, based on PVC adhesive, Niplated GB/PVC composite was prepared. Temperature insulation, fire retardation and microwave absorption properties were tested, the results showed that the nickel coating was compact and continuous, Ni-plated GB/ PVC composite is a kind of excellent temperature insulated, fire retardate and light-weight material, and especially for microwave absorption well; Reflectivity was lower than ⁻² dB in the frequency range of 11–17 GHz.

Sm₂O₃ containing zinc-borosilicate glass and glass ceramics were prepared by melt quenching method, and the effect of Sm₂O₃ and micro-crystallization on the chemical stability of borosilicate glass was explored. DTA analysis showed that the endothermic peak and exothermic peak of basic glass changed from 635 °C and 834 °C to 630 °C and 828 °C respectively as a result of the doping of Sm₂O₃. XRD analysis showed the promoting effect of Sm₂O₃ on crystallization ability of this glass. The cumulative mass loss of base glass, Sm₂O₃ containing glass, glass ceramic and Sm₂O₃ containing glass ceramic was 0.289, 0.253, 0.329, 0.269 mg/ mm² respectively after 26 days corrosion in alkali solution, and 1.293, 1.290, 0.999, 1.040 mg/mm² respectively in acidic erosion medium. Micro-crystallization decreased and improved the alkali and acid resistance of borosilicate glass respectively, the addition of Sm₂O₃ increased the alkali resistance of base glass and glass ceramics, and the slight effect of Sm₂O₃ on the acid resistance of borosilicate glass was also observed.

In order to investigate the damage characteristic of ceramic-metal interpenetrating phase composite (IPC) under dynamic loading, uniaxial dynamic compression was performed to characterize the failure of SiC/Al composite with 15% porosity using a modified Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB). High speed photography was used to capture the failure procedure and set up the relationship between deformation and real stress. The deformation control technology was used to obtain collected samples in different deformations under dynamic loading. Micro CT technology was utilized to acquire real damage distribution of these specimens. Moreover, SEM was employed in comparing the damage characteristics in IPC. A summary of the available experimental results showed that IPC without lateral confinement formed double cones. The different features compared with ceramic materials without restraint was shown to be the result of the lateral restraint effect provided by metal phase to ceramics skeleton.

By analyzing the grille mechanical property, tensile strength and creep tests, and the field tests, we investigated the characteristics and the reinforcement principle of multidirectional geogrid, and obtained the effect factors of grid characteristics, load and time curve and the shear stress of grille and sand interface. The reinforcement effect of geogrid in combination of typical project cases was illustrated and the following conclusions were presented. Firstly, multidirectional geogrid has ability to resist structural deformation, node distortion or soil slippage under stress, and can effectively disperse load. Secondly, with the increase of tensile rate, grille intensity increases and the creep value also increases with the increase of load. Thirdly, the frictional resistance balance between horizontal thrust of damaged zone and reinforced soil in stable region can avoid slope failure due to excessive lateral deformation. Fourthly, the multidirectional geogrid is able to withstand the vertical, horizontal and diagonal forces by combing them well with three-dimensional orientation, realizing the purpose of preventing soil erosion and slope reinforcement, which has a wide range of application and development in engineering field.

An orthotropic functionally graded piezoelectric rectangular plate with arbitrarily distributed material properties was studied, which is simply supported and grounded (electrically) on its four lateral edges. The state equations of the functionally graded piezoelectric material were obtained using the state-space approach, and a Peano-Baker series solution was obtained for the coupled electroelastic fields of the functionally graded piezoelectric plate subjected to mechanical and electric loading on its upper and lower surfaces. The influence of different distributions of material properties on the structural response of the plate was studied using the obtained solutions.

The compressive strength of the cement-silica fume blends with 5mass%, 10mass%, 20mass% and 30mass% of silica fume and water to binder ratio of 0.28, 0.32 and 0.36 from three days to ninety days were investigated. The reaction degree of silica fume was calculated from the Q₄ silica tetrahedron, which was used as a probe obtained from 29Si solid state nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. The flat of compressive strength after 28 days disappeared for blended cement with inereasing reaction degree of silica fume. The compressive strength of the blended cement pastes approached that of P.I. cement pastes after 56 days and exceeded that after 90 days. The addition of silica fume and the w/b ratio of blends are both critical to the reaction degree of silica fume. The appropriate addition of silica fume, high silica fume reaction degree and low w/b ratio are beneficial to the compressive strength of the cement-silica fume blends.

We experimentally studied the interaction between pozzolanic material (fly ash) and dehydrated autoclaved aerated concrete (DAAC). The DAAC powder was obtained by grinding aerated concrete waste to particles finer than 75μm and was then heated to temperatures up to 900 °C. New cementitious material was prepared by proportioning fly ash and DAAC, named as AF. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to identify the crystalline phases of DAAC before and after rehydration. The hydration process of AF was analyzed by the heat of hydration and non-evaporable water content (W _n). The experimental results show that the highest reactivity of DAAC can be obtained by calcining the powder at 700 °C and the dehydrated products are mainly β-C₂S and CaO. The cumulative heat of hydration and W _n was found to be strongly dependent on the replacement level of fly ash, increasing the replacement level of fly ash lowered them in AF. The strength contribution rates on pozzolanic effect of fly ash in AF are always negative, showing a contrary tendency of that of cement-fly ash system.

The workability and durability of a type of sustainable concrete made with steel slag powder were investigated. The hydrated products of cement paste with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) alone or with a combined admixture of GGBFS-steel slag powder were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, the mechanism of chemically activated steel slag powder was also studied. The experimental results showed that when steel slag powder was added to concrete, the slumps through the same time were lower. The initial and final setting times were slightly retarded. The dry shrinkages were lower, and the abrasion resistance was better. The chemically activated steel slag powder could improve compressive strengths, resistance to chloride permeation and water permeation, as well as carbonization resistance. XRD patterns indicated that the activators enhanced the formation of calcium silicate hydrate(C-S-H) gel and ettringite (AFt). This research contributes to sustainable disposal of wastes and has the potential to provide several important environmental benefits.

A method was developed to make a quantitative analysis of the microstructure of asphalt modified with styrene-butadiene-styrene block (SBS) copolymer. Moreover, both mixed and branched SBS were employed in the preparation of modified asphalt. By sampling specimens from the top, middle, and bottom, a number of microscope slides were made and 400 times micro images were gained. Binarized with the software of MATLAB, the images then went to the process of distribution test, when four typical distributions were employed to investigate the distribution of modifier spread in asphalt. The distribution characteristic and its parameter were both found. The results show that asphalt phase clearly obeys Poisson distribution, and its parameter, λ, is bond up with the condition SBS performs in. Based on this parameter, indexes can be set up to evaluate the structure of the mixture and its performance as well. Compared with that modified with mixed SBS, the asphalt modified with branched SBS has better performance but worse stability, for it is easier to segregate.

Four-point flexural fatigue test for Gussasphalt mixture specimen was carried out at a straincontrolled mode system. The results showed that the development of the tested stiffness modulus and phase angle of the mixtures with increasing load cycles exhibited three periods, initial generation, slow development and failure period. The fatigue crack generation zone formed in the third period, in which the macro mechanical properties were significantly decreased. Moreover, we also analyzed the effects of asphalt content and mixing temperature on the fatigue life of the mixture. The results showed that the first period when the specimen’s initial stiffness modulus was reduced to 80% accounted for 5%–10% of the total fatigue life; the second period in which the reduction became slow and demonstrated a liner relationship with load cycles occupied 70%–85% of the fatigue life; and the third period was about 5%–10%. The results indicated that the lower the mixing temperature, the longer the fatigue life of Gussasphalt mixture. Besides, the increasing of asphalt content has a minor effect on the fatigue life of Gussasphalt mixture

Two kinds of CACs with different monocalcium aluminate (CA) contents were used in the PC/CAC (PAC) mixtures. Effects of CA and CACs on the properties of PAC were analyzed by setting times and the compressive strength tests, and also by means of calorimetry, XRD, DTA-TG and ESEM. The experimental results show that the compressive strength of the PAC mortars decreases with increasing content of CAC while it declines sharply with a higher content of CA in CAC. Compared with neat PC paste, the content of calcium hydroxide in hydrates of PAC paste decreases significantly, and the hydration time of PC is prominently prolonged. Additionally, the higher the content of CA in CAC, the more obviously the hydration of PC is delayed, confirming that the CA phase in CAC plays an important role in the delay of PC hydration.

The effects of two types of superplasticizers on the properties of CSA cement pastes during early hydration were studied. The influences of two types of superplasticizers on the properties of cement pastes, including the normal consistency, setting time, fluidity, and compressive strength, were investigated by using various methods. The hydration products of the cement pastes cured for 1 day and 3 days were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the PCE type superplasticizer retards the early age hydration while the FDN type superplasticizer accelerates the early age hydration of the CSA cement. Both types of superplasticizers have no influence on the further hydration of CSA cement, confirmed by the calorimeter tests as well. The ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements were used to probe the influence of two types of superplasticizers on the hydration of CSA cement pastes at a high water-cement ratio (0.45). The results show that the PCE type superplasticizer retards the early age hydration of the CSA cement while the FDN type superplasticizer has little influence on the early age hydration of the CSA cement.

To improve the combination of cement matrix and waste tire rubber particles in concrete, the rubber particles were treated with acrylic acid (ACA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) for grafting hydrophilic groups on their surfaces. The X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and surface contact angle were used to characterize the hydrophilicity and surface functional group of rubber particles. The effect of rubber particle modification on fresh/hardened properties of rubberized concrete was studied. The experimental results show that the contact angle between rubber particle surface and water decreases when rubber particle is modified. Compared with the unmodified rubberized concrete(RC), the unit weight of modified rubberized concrete(MRC) changes slightly. However, the slump, air-entrainment, compressive strength, flexural strength, and impact performance of MRC are obviously improved. Under good condition of slump, the water-cement ratio of the MRC can be reduced from 0.4 to 0.38. And the compressive strength and flexural strength of the MRC(10% rubber particle content) can be increased by 25.9% and 26.4%, respectively.

Mg matrix composites with SiC particles ranging from 5vol%–25vol% were prepared using stirring casting method. Die casting, squeezing casting, and extrusion were applied for inhibiting or eliminating the defects such as gas porosity and shrinkage void. Through die casting and squeezing casting, most of the defects in Mg matrix composites could be eliminated, but the mechanical properties were improved limitedly. On the other hand, after hot extrusion, not only most of the defects of as-cast composites ingots were eliminated, but also the mechanical properties were improved markedly. With the addition of SiC, the tensile strength, yield strength and elastic modulus of as extrusion SiCp/AZ61 composites increased remarkably, and the elongation decreased obviously.

In order to explore an effective way to shorten treatment time and enhance the quality of treatment coating, AC micro-arc oxidation was conducted to treat the surface of AZ31B deformation magnesium alloy in KF+KOH treatment solution. The influences of micro-arc oxidation parameters such as concentration of KF, concentration of KOH, output voltage of booster, temperature of treatment solution, and treatment time on treatment coating thickness were raveled out under different conditions. The structure and composition of treatment coating were determined, the growth mechanism of treatment coating was discussed, and the quick surface treatment technology for compact treatment coating with maximum thickness was developed. The experimental results show that: A maximum 33 μm-thick compact treatment coating, consisting of MgF₂ and MgO mainly, can be formed on AZ31B in 112s under the conditions of 1 132 g/L KF, 382 g/L KOH, 66 V for output voltage of booster and 34 °C of treatment solution which were optimized by a genetic algorithm from the model established by artificial neural networks. There are no “crater-shaped” pores in this treatment coating as the heat shock resulting from the smooth variation of AC sinusoidal voltage is far smaller than that of the rigidly varied DC or pulse current. The treatment time is only one sixth of that adopted in the other surface treatment technology at best, principally for the reason that the coating can always grow irrespective of the electric potential of AZ31B. This investigation lays a firm foundation for the extensive application of magnesium alloy.

Total strain controlled cyclic test was performed on 316LN under uniaxial loadings. Through the partitioning of hysteresis loops, the evolution of two components of cyclic flow stress, the internal and effective stresses, was reported. The former one determines the cyclic stress response. Based on the transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observation on specimens loaded with scheduled cycles, it is found that planar dislocation structures prevail during the entire cyclic process at low strain amplitude, while a remarkable dislocation rearrangement from planar structures to heterogeneous spatial distributions is companied by a cyclic softening behavior at high strain amplitude. The competition between the evolution of the intergranular and the intragranular components of the internal stress caused by the transition of slip mode induces the cyclic hardening and softening at high strain levels. The intergranular internal stress represents the most part of the internal stress at low strain level.

The laser bonding technology between the Zr₄₁Ti₁₄Cu₁₂Ni₁₀Be₂₃ bulk metallic glass and zirconium metal was investigated under welding parameters of 1.3 kW and 7 m/min. The welded bead, microstructure, and micro-hardness of the welded joint were examined by Keyence, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Vickers hardness, respectively. The experimental results showed that the Zr₄₁Ti₁₄Cu₁₂Ni₁₀Be₂ bulk metallic glass and zirconium metal were successfully bonded together. The Zr₄₁Ti₁₄Cu₁₂Ni₁₀Be₂ in the base material zone maintained amorphous structure, and the welding fusion zone kept the hardness as high as as-received BMG. Therefore, the laser welding technology can be used to achieve successful bonding of bulk metallic glasses and crystallization metal.

This study aimed to improve the hydraulic potential properties of the slag. Therefore, a method of dynamic hydrothermal synthesis was applied to synthesize calcium silicate hydrate. The phases and nanostructures were characterized by XRD, FTIR, TEM, and BET nitrogen adsorption. The influence of alkalinity of steel slag on its structures and properties was discussed. The experimental results show that, the main product is amorphous calcium silicate hydrate gel with flocculent or fibrous pattern with a BET specific surface area up to 77 m²/g and pore volume of 0.34 mL/g. Compared with low alkalinity steel slag, calcium silicate hydrate synthesized from higher alkalinity steel slag is prone to transform to tobermorite structure.

The synthesis and characterization of a new class of cementitious composites filled with polymer emulsions were investigated, and their superior mechanical strength and durability properties compared to composites devoid of fillers were reported. Polymer emulsions were utilized to mechanically reinforce the composite and bridge the cement, fly ash, aggregate and fibers. The results reveal that the epoxy emulsion and poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) emulsion markedly enhance the mechanical and durability properties of cemetitious composites. The fibers can be pulled out in the form of slip-hardening and the abrasion phenomenon can be observed clearly on the surface of the fibers. The hydration extent of cement is higher than that of the pristine composites. The polymer modified cementitious composites designed on micromechanics, have flexibility and plasticity which could be applied for a novel form of multifunctional materials with a range of pipeline coatings applications.

Microstructural characterization and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg-8Sn-1Al-1Zn-xCu (x=0wt%, 1wt%, 1.5wt% and 2.0wt%) alloys were studied by OM, Pandat software, XRD, SEM, DSC and a standard universal testing machine. The experimental results indicate that adding Cu to TAZ811 alloy leads to the formation of the AlMgCu and Cu₃Sn phases. Tensile tests indicate that yield strength increases firstly and then decreases with increasing Cu content. The alloy with the addition of 1.5wt% Cu exhibits optimal mechanical properties among the studied alloys. The improved mechanical properties can be ascribed to the second phase strengthening and fine-grain strengthening mechanisms resulting from the more dispersed second phases and smaller grain size, respectively. The decrease in ultimate tensile strength and elongation of TAZ811-2.0wt% Cu alloy at room temperature is ascribed to the formation of continuous AlMgCu and coarse Mg₂Sn phases in the liquid state.

Niobium carbide coating was produced by thermal-reactive diffusion technique on AISI 52100 steel in salt bath at 1 123 K, 1 173 K, and 1 223 K for 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours. The salt consisted of borax, sodium fluoride, boron carbide, and niobium pentoxide. The presence of N_bC phase on the steel surface was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Microscopic observation showed that niobium carbide coating formed on the substrate was smooth and compact. There was a distinct and flat interface between the coating and substrate. The micro-hardness of niobium carbide coating was 2892±145HV. The thickness of coating ranged from 1.6 μm to 14μm. The forming kinetics of niobium carbide coating was revealed. Moreover, a contour diagram derived from experimental data was graphed for correct selection of process parameters. Some mathematical equations were built for predicting the coating thickness with predetermined processing temperature and time. The results showed that these mathematical equations are very practical as well as the kinetics equation.

In high sour gas reservoir drilling process, it happens occasionally that high-strength drill pipe suffers brittle fracture failure due to stress corrosion cracking, and poses serious hazard to drilling safety. To solve this problem, this paper studied the stress corrosion cracking mechanism and influencing factors of highstrength drill pipe in sour environment with hydrogen permeation experiments and tensile tests. We simulated practical conditions in laboratory and evaluated the stress corrosion cracking performance of the high-strength drill pipe under conditions of high stress level. For the problems occurring in use of high-strength drill pipe on site, the paper proposed a technical measure for slower stress corrosion cracking.

Citric acid modified cellulose waste (CMCW) was prepared via esterification and used as a low-cost biosorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The effects of biosorbent concentration, initial pH of MB solution, biosorption temperature, contact time, and initial MB concentration on the biosorption of MB were investigated using batch biosorption technique under static conditions. The experimental results showed that CMCW exhibited excellent biosorption characteristics for MB. The maximum biosorption capacity of MB was up to 214.5 mg/g at an adsorption temperature of 293 K. The removal rate of MB onto CMCW reached the maximum at pH>4 and the biosorption reached an equilibrium at about 50 min. The kinetic data can be described well with the pseudo-second-order model and the isotherm data was found to fit the Langmuir isotherm with a monolayer adsorption capacity of 211.42 mg/g. The biosorption appears to be controlled by chemisorption and may be involved in surface adsorption and pore diffusion during the whole biosorption process.

The novel hydrogels-grafted IKVAV poly (lactide-co-ethylene oxide-co-fumarate) (PLEOF) hydrogels (GIPHs) were developed. The rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) were employed, and the cell vitality and apoptosis assays were carried out to evaluate the cytocomptibility of GIPHs. Our data demonstrated that the influence of GIPHs on the proliferation of BMMSCs was in a concentration and time dependent manner. The proliferative ability of BMMSCs in GIPHs-treated group (100 μg/mL) after 72 h presented a maximum response which was 30.1% more than that of control group. The numbers of apoptotic cells in GIPHs-treated group (100 μg/mL) were just as much as that of control group after 24 h treatment. The GIPHs are able to provide an appropriate environment for BMMSCs survival and proliferation.

Immobilization of heparin on biomaterials surface has been proven to be an effective strategy for preventing thrombus formation. However, the procedures of most immobilization methods (physical adsorption, covalent linkage, electrostatic interaction) are complicated and time-consuming. In the present study, heparin with various concentrations immobilized on a titanium (Ti) substrate via polydopamine layer for improving blood compatibility was investigated. Water contact angle measurement showed that the immobilization of heparin resulted in an increase of the hydrophilicity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Toluidine Blue O (TBO) tests displayed that the heparin molecules were successfully immobilized on Ti surface. The evaluations of blood compatibility (hemolysis rate, APTT, platelet adhesion and activation, fibrinogen conformational change) showed that the immobilization of heparin decreased hemolysis rate, prolonged blood coagulation time, reduced platelets adhesion and activation, and induced less fibrinogen conformational change. Moreover, a significant inhibition of blood coagulation and platelet adhesion was obtained when the heparin concentration was higher than 5 mg/mL, indicating that only with a certain surface densities could heparin perform its anticoagulant properties well. The results suggest that the immobilization of heparin via polydopamine layer can confer excellent antithrombotic properties, and the heparin immobilization method via polydopamine layer provides an alternative approach for other biomolecules immobilization on biomaterials surface. Thus it is envisaged that this method will be potentially useful for the surface modification of blood-contacting biomaterials.

The purpose of the present study was to synthesize a new composites scaffold containing poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) modified hydroxyapatite/(poly (L-lactic acid)) (PBLG-g-HA/PLLA) and to investigate their in vitro behaviour on bone mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs). The results demonstrated that BMSC proliferation was significantly increased on PBLG-g-HA/PLLA scaffolds after 3 and 7 days post seeding when compared to PLLA and HA/PLLA scaffolds. The in vitro osteogenic differentiation also favoured the composite PBLG-g-HA/PLLA scaffolds when compared to controls by significantly increasing Runx2, ALP or osteocalcin mRNA expression as assessed by real-time PCR. The results illustrate the potential of PBLG-g-HA/ PLLA scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications. And the in vivo testing further confirms the PBLG-g-HA/PLLA scaffolds’ potentioal for healing critical bone defects.

A novel fluorescent probe 9-(4-(1,2-diamine)benzene-N¹-phenyl)acridine (DABPA) was synthesized for the detection of nitric oxide (NO) and characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR and EI-MS spectroscopy. Based on a photoelectron transfer mechanism, the fluorescence intensities of DABPA were investigated with the different concentrations of NO. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the fluorescence intensity of DABPA had a good linear relationship (R ²=0.9977) with NO concentration in the range from 1×10⁻⁷ to 1.5×10⁻⁶ mol/L with a detection limit of 1×10⁻⁸ mol/L. The cytotoxicity induced by DABPA was evaluated by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay for biological application. Furthermore, the probe DABPA had also been successfully applied to real-time image NO produced in PC12 cells in the presence of L-arginine.

The water-soluble conjugated polyelectrolyte, poly[3-(1′-ethyloxy-2′-N-methylimidazole) thiophene] (PEOIMT), was prepared. Its photophysical and electrochemical properties, and response characteristics to the external condition (e g, temperature response, solvent response and pH response), were investigated. The results show the PEOIMT belongs to the organic semiconductor. The interaction between the PEOIMT and the bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated using UV-vis spectroscopy. It was found that the PEOIMT could interact with the BSA. The PEOIMT can be used as a biosensor to detect the BSA.

The distributed optical fiber sensing technology was used to investigate the fracture behavior of the Epoxy Asphalt Mixture. The spatial distribution and variation of the strain development with crack propagation were acquired using the brillouin optical time-domain reflectometer through the loading experiments of the composite beam structure. In addition, a finite element model of the composite beam structure was developed to analyze the mechanical responses of the epoxy asphalt mixture using the extended finite element method. The experimental results show that the development of crack propagation becomes instable with the increase of the load, and larger loads will generate deeper cracks. Moreover, the numerical results show that the mechanical response of the crack tip changes with the crack propagation, and the worst areas that subjected to crack damage are located on both sides of the composite beam structure.