Aquatic interfacial materials that regulate multiphase interactions are pivotal for environmental and energetic applications, yet traditional rigid floaters lack morphological adaptability and integrated flexibility. Inspired by the active buoyancy regulation of Microcystis, we present a floatable and integrated shape-shifting (FISS) hydrogel, combining solid-like robustness with liquid-like adaptability for advanced floating carriers. The in situ formation of amorphous magnesium carbonate (AMC) nanoparticles provides dynamic crosslinking points for the FISS hydrogel, and the incorporation of amino-functionalized hollow microspheres serves a dual role as tunable buoyancy units and secondary crosslinking hubs. This microstructural engineering establishes a thermodynamically stable state of "limited fluidity," allowing the hydrogel to adopt a hydrostatic equilibrium on water surfaces while preventing uncontrolled dissipation. Based on its flexibility and deformability, FISS hydrogel exhibits versatile interfacial functions, including evaporation suppression, pollution shielding, biomimetic underwater gas capture, etc. Through the assembly by interfacial adhesion of FISS hydrogel, the carrier diversity is further demonstrated as an attitude-tunable evaporator and a light-driven flexible detector. This work presents a design strategy for a hydrogel-based floater exhibiting flexibility and integrability, which can extend the application scenarios of hydrogel materials.

Adsorption-based lithium extraction provides a convenient, efficient, and environmentally friendly route for recovering lithium from liquid resources. Among existing materials, aluminum-based adsorbents are the only systems that have achieved industrial-scale deployment; however, they still suffer from insufficient lithium uptake and structural deactivation during long-term dynamic cycles in sulfate-type salt-lake brines. To address these limitations, a dual-modified lithium-aluminum layered double hydroxide (PGLH) was synthesized via microemulsion-assisted coprecipitation.Structural characterization and computational analyses reveal that the intercalation of polycarboxylates within the interlayer galleries, coupled with graphene oxide (GO) surface modification, synergistically reinforces the layered framework and enhances Li[+] selectivity. In gradient-concentration real sulfate-type brines, PGLH delivers a lithium adsorption capacity of 17.8 mg·g[-1]. Sulfate resistance experiments and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated a 260% increase in lithium uptake compared to unmodified adsorbents, along with 96.1% capacity retention after fifty cycles, which is attributed to steric hindrance and electrostatic repulsion that effectively suppress sulfate intercalation. Continuous-flow column tests further verified the material's durability, achieving more than tenfold Li[+] enrichment and reducing the Mg/Li ratio from 2938:1 to 10:1. These findings provide mechanistic insights and design guidelines for developing robust, selective Al-based lithium adsorbents suitable for sulfate-rich brines.

The emergence of novel pharmaceutical formulations requires the establishment of a reliable analytical method that can accurately quantify active ingredients for use in diverse quality control applications. An over-the-counter pharmaceutical combination of phenylephrine hydrochloride (PHE), chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM), and ibuprofen (IBU) is formulated to treat allergy, lessen fever, and relieve congestion. Two efficient and applicable liquid chromatographic methodologies were established, with an emphasis on ecological sustainability while preserving analytical precision and accuracy, in addition system suitability parameters were successfully determined for each method. The first approach involved high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) combined with densitometric quantification, employing silica gel HPTLC 60 F254 aluminum sheets as the stationary phase. The developing system comprised ethyl acetate-methanol-aqueous ammonium hydroxide (8.0:2.0:0.1, by volume), and scanning was carried out at 265.0 nm. The respective resolutions (Rs) were 8.44 and 4.57 for PHE, IBU, and CPM, respectively. The second one is high-performance liquid chromatographic methodology (HPLC), whereas, efficient separation was achieved on a Kromasil 60-5-CN column using isocratic elution of 10.0 mM ammonium acetate buffer and ethanol (50: 50, v/v), adjusted with acetic acid to pH 2.5 at a flow rate of 1.3 mL/min, with DAD quantification at 265.0 nm, with overall run time about 6 min to achieve sufficient separation among the target analytes. The resolutions (Rs) were determined to be 7.62 and 3.21 for PHE, CPM, and IBU, respectively. The investigated approaches' performance was validated in adherence to the guidelines established by the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines, confirming its reliability for analytical application. Limit of detection (LOD) values were determined to be 0.02, 0.01, and 0.22 µg/band for PHE, CPM, and IBU, respectively in HPTLC method, whilst in HPLC-DAD method, LOD values were 0.03, 0.01, and 0.24 µg/mL for PHE, CPM, and IBU, respectively. These approaches can concurrently estimate the cited drugs in their raw forms, as well as their pharmaceutical combination. In addition, HPLC can monitor their dissolution profiles. Moreover, the applicability profile and ecological sustainability of the studied approaches were verified via employing up-to-date evaluation tools, along with comparisons against official and reported methodologies.

Atomic-scale insights into phase transitions and structural dynamics of crystals in liquids are fundamental for understanding chemical, physical, and biological processes. Liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (LP-TEM) integrates diffraction, imaging, and spectroscopy and has opened new opportunities to study nanoscale materials in liquid environments. Yet, atomic-scale electron crystallographic analysis of crystals in liquids remains elusive. Here, we establish sub-Ångström liquid-phase three-dimensional electron diffraction (LP-3D ED) for capturing phase transformation and determining atomic crystal structures in situ by exploiting nanochannel liquid cells. The well-defined and ultrathin liquid layers confined within the nanochannels enable the acquisition of 3D ED data at 0.80 Å resolution from organic molecular crystals in liquids at room temperature. Using LP-3D ED combined with liquid flow control, we observe the β-to-α phase transformation of glycine and in situ crystallization of a novel hydrated aluminum-glycine phase in aqueous solution in the nanochannels. We demonstrate ab initio crystal structure determination at sub-Ångström resolution by LP-3D ED, and identify a novel hexanuclear aluminum-hydroxide-glycine cluster in the in situ formed aluminum-glycine phase. This work demonstrates the capability of LP-3D ED to probe structural evolution and to reveal solvated crystal structures of nano- and microcrystals directly in liquid environments.

The surface of Mars once hosted flowing liquid water and a warmer climate than today, with past water-rock interactions recorded by the carbonate deposits found on its surface. Here, we analyze the depositional setting of the Margin unit, a major magnesium-carbonate deposit near the fluvial inlet to Jezero crater using ground penetrating radar data collected by the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover Radar Imager for Mars Subsurface Experiment (RIMFAX) instrument. We report soundings from more than 35 m belowground, ~1.75 times deeper than other Jezero geologic units explored to date. We identify numerous subsurface features and submeter to hundred-meter scale layering across an ~6.1-km rover traverse. We infer that subsurface reflectors are consistent with buried fluvial features and deltaic foresets, which have experienced multiple erosional-depositional episodes. This work illuminates a well-preserved paleolandscape wherein a deltaic environment developed prior to the formation of the Jezero Western Delta, as early as the Noachian (~4.2 to 3.7 billion years ago).

In recent years, a significant number of waste photovoltaic panels have reached the end-of-life stage, making the recovery of aluminum from waste crystalline silicon solar cells (WCSSC) highly important. This study proposes an environmentally friendly method for removing aluminum from WCSSC in waste photovoltaic panels using phosphoric acid. The effects of various influencing factors on the aluminum removal efficiency (EAl) from WCSSC via phosphoric acid treatment were systematically investigated through single-factor experiments and orthogonal tests. Furthermore, hydrogen aluminum phosphate hydrate (APH) was prepared by adjusting the P/Al molar ratio of the reaction filtrate with aluminum hydroxide. Single-factor experiment results indicate that as the reaction temperature increases, the time required for EAl to reach its maximum value decreases; specifically, EAl peaks at 98.11% at 90 °C within 6 min. Orthogonal test results show that the order of factors influencing EAl is as follows: temperature > the concentration of H3PO4 > particle size > stirring speed > liquid-solid ratio. Thermodynamic analysis reveals that EAl increases sharply in multiples when the temperature exceeds 45 °C. Kinetics studies demonstrate that at reaction temperatures of 60 °C, 75 °C, and 90 °C, the dissolution process is dominated by different control mechanisms: chemical reaction control at 60 °C, diffusion control or diffusion control through the product film at 75°C-90 °C, respectively. APH was successfully prepared under the conditions with a P/Al molar ratio of 2.94:1, a roasting temperature of 300 °C, and a roasting duration of 2h. This study offers a feasible approach for recycling crystalline silicon solar cells from waste photovoltaic panels.

High-entropy materials promise exceptional structural stability and tunable chemistry, yet their application in aluminum batteries (ABs) remains hampered by sluggish ion transport and poorly understood entropy and defect interactions. Here, we combine the high-entropy strategy with the layered double hydroxide (LDH) concept to design a two-dimensional (2D) high-entropy hexagonal material with engineered oxygen vacancies (VO-HEH) to directly tackle these bottlenecks in Al storage. Entropy-driven elemental diversity induces strong orbital hybridization between metals of disparate electronegativity, creating a delocalized electronic environment that accelerates charge transfer. The oxygen vacancies (VO) formed in parallel are demonstrated to suppress coulombic interaction and open rapid migration channels, thereby overcoming the intrinsic kinetic barriers of Al[3+] insertion. The VO-HEH cathode delivers improved capacity (177 mAh g[-1] at 0.5 A g[-1]) and enhanced cycling stability (102 mAh g[-1] over 1400 cycles at 3.0 A g[-1]) enabled by the synergistic effects of entropy stabilization, defect regulation, and multi-electron redox. This work presents a well-designed single-phase high-entropy cathode and elucidates how entropy and defect effects modulate the electronic structure and govern the electrochemical behavior of ABs.

Reusable enzyme carriers are valuable for proteomic workflows, yet many supports are expensive or lack robustness. This study describes the covalent immobilization of recombinant trypsin on micrometer-sized corundum particles and assesses their performance in protein digestion and antibody analysis. The corundum surface was cleaned with potassium hydroxide, silanized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and activated with glutaraldehyde. Recombinant trypsin was then attached, and the resulting imines were reduced with sodium cyanoborohydride. Aromatic amino acid analysis (AAAA) estimated an enzyme loading of approximately 1 µg/mg. Non-specific adsorption of human plasma proteins was suppressed by blocking residual aldehydes with a Tris-glycine-lysine buffer. Compared with free trypsin, immobilization shifted the temperature optimum from 50 to 60 °C and greatly improved stability in 1 M guanidinium hydrochloride. Activity remained above 80% across several reuse cycles, and storage at 4 °C preserved functionality for weeks. When applied to digesting the NISTmAb, immobilized trypsin provided peptide yields and sequence coverage comparable to soluble enzyme and outperformed it at elevated temperatures. MALDI-TOF MS analysis of Herceptin digests yielded fingerprint spectra that correctly identified the antibody and achieved >60% sequence coverage. The combination of low cost, robustness and analytical performance makes corundum-immobilized trypsin an attractive option for research and routine proteomic workflows.

Illite, a prevalent clay mineral found in hydrated bauxite ore, decreases the aluminum-to-silicon ratio (Al < 7) while inducing competitive crystallization between sodium and potassium during the leaching process, thereby reducing the leaching efficiency of aluminum oxide. Consequently, illite-type bauxite ores are typically subjected to desiliconization prior to undergoing Bayer process leaching. However, this conventional desiliconization exhibits limited efficacy in illite removal and requires further refinement. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes the 'calcification-potassium alkali'(CPA) process, which substitutes KOH for NaOH in a simulated Bayer process targeting illite. This strategy alleviates sodium-potassium competition and facilitates the complete utilization of elements to synthesize potassium aluminosilicate. Furthermore, calcium oxide is partially incorporated to purify the mother liquor. Experimental investigations were conducted to evaluate leaching performance under varying conditions, leading to the determination of optimal parameters: a temperature of 280 °C, a calcium-silicon ratio of 0.2, a liquid-solid ratio of 5:1, a K2O concentration of 200 g/L, and a reaction duration of 60 min. Under these conditions, the illite conversion rate reached 98.65%, with the effective K2O and SiO2 contents in the product measured at 21.73% and 27.17%, corresponding to 89.38% and 86.54% of the total K2O and SiO2, respectively. Moreover, these parameters satisfy the national standards for organic-inorganic compound fertilizers, enabling subsequent production of mineral potassium-silicon fertilizers. Further leaching experiments on illite-type hydrated bauxite demonstrated efficient aluminum extraction, achieving a leaching rate of 73.82%, while effecting a phase transformation of the aluminum-silicon mineral from hydrated sodium aluminum silicate (Na2O·Al2O3·1.7SiO2·nH2O), typical of the traditional Bayer process, to potassium aluminum silicate (K2O·Al2O3·SiO2). This transformation can be utilized to prepare mineral potassium silicate fertilizers, which supply essential nutrients to plants and promote environmentally sustainable practices within both metallurgical and agricultural industries.

Gibbsite (α-Al(OH)3, sometimes designated as γ-Al(OH)3) plays a crucial role in the chemistry of aluminum in the environment and industry, yet its crystallization behavior under multianionic conditions is not well understood. In this study, we investigate how six common anions─fluoride (F-), chloride (Cl-), bromide (Br-), nitrate (NO3-), sulfate (SO42-), and phosphate (PO43-)─influence the mineralization, structure, and morphology of gibbsite at room temperature. The results show that PO43-, SO42-, and F- strongly inhibit gibbsite formation, stabilizing amorphous or alternative crystalline phases such as nordstrandite and cryolite. On the contrary, Cl-, Br-, and NO3- allow partial to complete crystallization of gibbsite without significant morphological changes. Solid-state 27Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance provides crucial insight into aluminum coordination environments in both crystalline and amorphous phases, distinguishing between octahedral, pentahedral, and tetrahedral Al species. The density functional theory calculations reveal a direct correlation between the Al-X bond strength and the inhibition of crystallization, following the order: PO43- > SO42- > F- > NO3- > Cl- > Br-. These findings offer molecular-scale insights into anion-specific effects on aluminum hydroxide nucleation and transformation, improving the understanding of gibbsite formation and aluminum cycling in soils, phosphate retention, contaminant immobilization, and waste treatment strategies in nuclear and industrial settings. These insights can also guide the controlled synthesis of aluminum hydroxide materials with tailored crystallinity and morphology via liquid-assisted methods.

Geological carbon storage is a key strategy for reducing CO₂ emissions by capturing CO₂ from large point sources and injecting it into deep saline aquifers or depleted oil and gas reservoirs. The effectiveness of this process depends critically on the petrophysical properties of the storage formation. In carbonate rocks, CO₂-fluid interactions can lead to dissolution or precipitation, significantly altering porosity and permeability. This study investigates the impact of CO₂-carbonate interactions using high-resolution microCT imaging. Outcrop samples of Indiana Limestone and Silurian Dolomite were exposed to carbonated water (CW) and supercritical CO₂ (SCO₂) for 14 and 28 days under controlled conditions. MicroCT scans revealed marked differences in pore structure evolution. Indiana Limestone, composed primarily of calcite, showed significant pore enlargement and enhanced connectivity, especially within the first 14 days, with greater reactivity under CW conditions. Silurian Dolomite exhibited more heterogeneous and spatially constrained reactivity. Quantitative imaging analyses confirmed that dissolution was more pronounced in liquid phase, suggesting carbonic acid as a key agent in matrix degradation. The results highlight a non-linear porosity evolution trend, indicating early-stage dissolution followed by a stabilization. These findings emphasize the role of mineralogy, fluid phase, and exposure duration in governing CO₂-induced alterations in carbonate rocks.

Valorization of solid waste substrates has become an essential part of society's effort to achieve sustainability and carbon neutrality. Consequently, gasification has become a widely adopted methodology to process conventional and renewable carbonaceous feedstock into gas and liquid products in conjunction with the underutilized and prevalent waste resources. Therefore, in the current investigation, a comprehensive set of steam gasification experiments is performed for three genetically different solid waste materials, i. dolochar - an iron ore industry waste, ii. coconut waste - biomass material, and iii. petcoke - refinery waste, in a bench-scale fluidized-bed gasifier. During the detailed investigation, dolochar showed gasification reactivity and the feasibility of utilizing its carbon value to form valuable gaseous products in the form of syngas. Moreover, there was an increase in the energy value of the dolochar product gas when it was gasified with biomass and petcoke samples under identical conditions. Specifically, the carbon conversion and cold gas efficiencies significantly improved from 31.2% to 57.6% and 47.1% to 88.5% when mixed with the coconut-based biomass waste sample, with the highest H2content achieving 32.7% in N2-mix. However, there was a major change in CO2concentration when DC was co-gasified with PC, showing an increase in concentration from 10.4% to 18.8%; CH4and CO contents in the mix-N2were also highest in this case at 8.8% and 15.2%, respectively. Furthermore, various analytical methods were applied to decipher the change in the physicochemical properties.

Microbial activity plays a significant role in subsurface hydrogen behavior, with implications for underground storage and natural hydrogen systems. This study examines how microbial processes influence the wettability and solid-liquid interfacial characteristics of key subsurface minerals, calcite, dolomite, quartz, and gypsum, in hydrogen-brine-rock systems under realistic subsurface conditions. Wettability directly affects hydrogen distribution, flow dynamics, and trapping, making it a critical factor for both storage and natural recovery applications. Experiments were conducted under high-pressure, high-temperature conditions, with SEM/EDS analysis used to characterize interfacial modifications and mineral surface changes across three scenarios: clean, organic acid-aged, and microbial-aged. Microbial aging consistently increased mineral hydrophilicity, reducing advancing contact angles, such as from 57° (clean) to 40° (microbial-aged) on calcite at 50 °C and 8 MPa. Similar trends were observed for dolomite, with smaller changes for quartz and gypsum. Microbial biofilms were most prominent on calcite and dolomite surfaces, accompanied by decreases in brine pH (e.g., from 7.4 to 5.2 for calcite). These results reveal how microbial processes reshape mineral properties and hydrogen behavior in the subsurface. This study provides critical insights into microbial-mineral interactions, offering valuable guidance for optimizing hydrogen storage and natural hydrogen recovery systems.