Comparison of safety and effectiveness of micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation and "slow cook" diode laser transscleral cyclophotocoagulation in patients with refractory open-angle glaucoma

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study aimed to compare the safety and effectiveness of intraocular pressure reduction between micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation and "slow cook" transscleral cyclophotocoagulation in patients with refractory primary open-angle glaucoma. Methods: We included patients with primary open angle glaucoma with at least 12 months of follow-up. We collected and analyzed data on the preoperative characteristics and postoperative outcomes. The primary outcomes were a reduction of ≥20% of the baseline value (criterion A) and/or intraocular pressure between 6 and 21 mmHg (criterion B). Results: We included 128 eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma. The preoperative mean intraocular pressure was 25.53 ± 6.40 and 35.02 ± 12.57 mmHg in the micropulse- and "slow cook" transscleral cyclophotocoagulation groups, respectively (p<0.001). The mean intraocular pressure was reduced significantly to 14.33 ± 3.40 and 15.37 ± 5.85 mmHg in the micropulse- and "slow cook" transscleral cyclophotocoagulation groups at the last follow-up, respectively (p=0.110). The mean intraocular pressure reduction at 12 months was 11.20 ± 11.46 and 19.65 ± 13.22 mmHg in the micropulse- and "slow cook" transscleral cyclophotocoagulation groups, respectively (p<0.001). The median preoperative logMAR visual acuity was 0.52 ± 0.69 and 1.75 ± 1.04 in the micropulse- and "slow cook" transscleral cyclophotocoagulation groups, respectively (p<0.001). The mean visual acuity variation was −0.10 ± 0.35 and −0.074 ± 0.16 in the micropulse- and "slow cook" transscleral cyclophotocoagulation, respectively (p=0.510). Preoperatively, the mean eye drops were 3.44 ± 1.38 and 2.89 ± 0.68 drugs in the micropulse- and "slow cook" transscleral cyclophotocoagulation groups, respectively (p=0.017), but those were 2.06 ± 1.42 and 1.02 ± 1.46 at the end of the study in the "slow cook" and micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation groups, respectively (p<0.001). The success of criterion A was not significant between both groups. Compared with 11 eyes (17.74%) in the "slow cook" transscleral cyclophotocoagulation group, 19 eyes (28.78%) in the micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation group showed complete success (p=0.171). For criterion B, 28 (42.42%) and 2 eyes (3.22%) showed complete success after micropulse- and "slow cook" transscleral cyclophotocoagulation, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion: Both techniques reduced intraocular pressure effectively.

Sterically-Hindered Derivatives of Pentacene and Octafluoropentacene.

6,13-Diethynylpentacene derivatives with sterically bulky substituents (Tr*, tris(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)methyl groups) appended to the ethynyl moieties at the 6- and 13-positions have been synthesized, as well as derivatives with electron withdrawing fluorine groups on the eight pro-cata positions. These molecules are designed to investigate relationships between steric and electronic effects on the stability of pentacene toward endoperoxide formation via reaction with photosensitized oxygen in solution under conditions of ambient light (i.e., 'laboratory' conditions). It is evident from the study that stabilization through changes to the electronic characteristics of pentacene are more effective than the incorporation of sterically bulky groups at the acetylenic termini. Selected pentacene derivatives have been made into binary, amorphous films with the fullerene derivative PCBM to investigate the stability imparted by substituents against cycloaddition reactions. Overall, the introduction of steric protection through incorporation of Tr* groups is not an efficient strategy for enhancing persistence of pentacenes. Stabilization through fluorination proves successful for extending the lifetime of the pentacene derivatives by an order of magnitude in solution. Notably, the persistence of pentacene derivatives in solution can also be enhanced through the use ethereal solvents stabilized with butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) and/or an increased number of trialkylsilyl groups as substituents.

Single-Shot Multispectral Encoding: Advancing Optical Lithography for Encryption and Spectroscopy.

Most modern optical display and sensing devices utilize a limited number of spectral units within the visible range, based on human color perception. In contrast, the rapid advancement of machine-based pattern recognition and spectral analysis could facilitate the use of multispectral functional units, yet the challenge of creating complex, high-definition, and reproducible patterns with an increasing number of spectral units limits their widespread application. Here, we report a technique for optical lithography that employs a single-shot exposure to reproduce perovskite films with spatially controlled optical band gaps through light-induced compositional modulations. Luminescent patterns are designed to program correlations between spatial and spectral information, covering the entire visible spectral range. Using this platform, we demonstrate multispectral encoding patterns for encryption and multivariate optical converters for dispersive optics-free spectroscopy with high spectral resolution. The fabrication process is conducted at room temperature and can be extended to other material and device platforms.

Open-shell Poly(3,4-dioxythiophene) Radical for Highly Efficient Photothermal Conversion.

Open-shell organic radical semiconductor materials have received increasing attention in recent years due to their distinctive properties compared to the traditional materials with closed-shell singlet ground state. However, their poor chemical and photothermal stability in ambient conditions remains a significant challenge, primarily owing to their high reactivity with oxygen. Herein, a novel open-shell poly(3,4-dioxythiophene) radical PTTO2 is designed and readily synthesized for the first time using low-cost raw material via a straightforward BBr3-demethylation of the copolymer PTTOMe2 precursor. The open-shell character of PTTO2 is carefully studied and confirmed via the signal-silent 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum, highly enhanced electron spin resonance signal compared with PTTOMe2, as well as the ultra-wide ultraviolet-visible-near nfraredUV-vis-NIR absorption and other technologies. Interestingly, the powder of PTTO2 exhibits an extraordinary absorption range spanning from 300 to 2500 nm and can reach 274 °C under the irradiation of 1.2 W cm-2, substantially higher than the 108 °C achieved by PTTOMe2. The low-cost PTTO2 stands as one of the best photothermal conversion materials among the pure organic photothermal materials and provides a new scaffold for the design of stable non-doped open-shell polymers.

FS-iTFET: advancing tunnel FET technology with Schottky-inductive source and GAA design.

In this paper, we introduce a novel Forkshape nanosheet Inductive Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor (FS-iTFET) featuring a Gate-All-Around structure and a full-line tunneling heterojunction channel. The overlapping gate and source contact regions create a strong and uniform electric field in the channel. Furthermore, the metal-semiconductor Schottky junction in the intrinsic source region induces the required carriers without the need for doping. This innovative design achieves both a steeper subthreshold swing (SS) and a higher ON-state current (ION). Using calibration-based simulations with Sentaurus TCAD, we compare the performance of three newly designed device structures: the conventional Nanosheet Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor (NS-TFET), the Nanosheet Line-tunneling TFET (NS-LTFET), and the proposed FS-iTFET. Simulation results show that, compared to the traditional NS-TFET, the NS-LTFET with its full line-tunneling structure improves the average subthreshold swing (SSAVG) by 19.2%. More significantly, the FS-iTFET, utilizing the Schottky-inductive source, further improves the SSAVG by 49% and achieves a superior ION/IOFF ratio. Additionally, we explore the impact of Trap-Assisted Tunneling on the performance of the three different integrations. The FS-iTFET consistently demonstrates superior performance across various metrics, highlighting its potential in advancing tunnel field-effect transistor technology.

Elucidating Synergies of Single-Atom Catalysts in a Model Thin Film Photoelectrocatalyst to Maximize Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Realization of the full potential of single-atom photoelectrocatalysts in sustainable energy generation requires careful consideration of the design of the host material. Here, a comprehensive methodology for the rational design of photoelectrocatalysts using anodic titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanofilm as a model platform is presented. The properties of these nanofilms are precisely engineered to elucidate synergies across structural, chemical, optoelectronic, and electrochemical properties to maximize the efficiency of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). These findings clearly demonstrate that thicker TiO2 nanofilms in anatase phase with pits on the surface can accommodate single-atom platinum catalysts in an optimal configuration to increase HER performance. It is also evident that the electrolyte temperature can further enhance HER output through thermochemical effect. A judicious design incorporating all these factors into one system gives rise to a ten-fold HER enhancement. However, the reusability of the host photoelectrocatalyst is limited by the leaching of the Pt atom, worsening HER. Density-functional theory calculations have provided insights into the mechanism underlying the experimental observations in terms of moderate hydrogen adsorption and enhanced gas generation. This improved understanding of the critical factors determining HER performance in a model photoelectrocatalyst paves the way for future advances in scalable and translatable photoelectrocatalyst technologies.

Nano-TiO2/TiN Systems for Electrocatalysis: Mapping the Changes in Energy Band Diagram across the Semiconductor|Current Collector Interface and the Study of Effects of TiO2 Electrochemical Reduction Using UV Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

TiO2 is the most widely used material in photoelectrocatalytic systems. A key parameter to understand its efficacy in such systems is the band bending in the semiconductor layer. In this regard, knowledge on the band energetics at the semiconductor/current collector interface, especially for a nanosemiconductor electrode, is extremely vital as it will directly impact any charge transfer processes at its interface with the electrolyte. Since direct investigation of interfacial electronic features without compromising its structure is difficult, only seldom are attempts made to study the semiconductor/current collector interface specifically. This work utilizes ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) to determine the valence band maximum (EVBM) and Fermi level (EF) at different depths in a nano-TiO2/TiN thin-film system reached using an Ar gas-clustered ion beam (GCIB). By combining UPS with GCIB depth profiling, we report an innovative approach for truly mapping the energy band structure across a nanosemiconductor/current collector interface. By coupling it with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), correlations among chemistry, chemical bonding, and electronic properties for the nano-TiO2/TiN interface could also be studied. The effects of TiO2 in situ electrochemical reduction in aqueous electrolytes are also investigated where UPS confirmed a decrease in the semiconductor work function (WF) and an associated increase in n-type Ti3+ centers of nano-TiO2 electrodes post use in a 0.2 M potassium chloride solution. We report the use of UPS to precisely determine the energy band diagrams for a nano-TiO2/TiN thin-film interface and confirm the increase in TiO2 n-type dopant concentrations during electrocatalysis, promoting a much more comprehensive and intuitive understanding of the TiO2 activation mechanism by proton intercalation and therefore further optimizing the design process of efficient photocatalytic materials for solar conversion.

PI gain tuning for pressure-based MFCs with Gaussian mixture model.

A vast number of mass flow controllers (MFCs) are used in semiconductor industry. For the stable supply, an efficient production method of MFC is required. The gain tuning of the proportional-integral (PI) control to realize a setting flow rate is essential for efficient mass production. The gains are tuned to meet the specifications required for evaluation indices of response time and overshoot amount in a step response waveform. The tuning is complicated especially for the case of pressure-based MFCs. In this paper, we propose a simple method for the PI gain tuning using the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and the direct inverse analysis applicable to the pressure-based MFCs' production. The relationship between the gains and evaluation indices for a standard unit of the MFC is modeled as the GMM. The direct inverse analysis calculates the difference between the standard and a test unit. Under the assumption that the difference can be compensated by a simple shift, gains likely to meet the specifications for the test unit are searched. We applied the method to seven test units. The result showed that the gains of all the test units were tuned within only a few iterations whose numbers were much less than the conventional manual tuning method, and there was no untunable unit.

Exploring Doping Mechanisms and Modulating Carrier Concentration in Copper Iodide: Applications in Thermoelectric Materials.

Due to its small hole-effective mass, flexibility, and transparency, copper iodide (CuI) has emerged as a promising p-type alternative to the predominantly used n-type metal oxide semiconductors. However, the lack of effective doping methods hinders the utility of CuI in various applications. Sulfur (S)-doping through liquid iodination is previously reported to significantly enhance electrical conductivity up to 511 S cm-1. In this paper, the underlying doping mechanism with various S-dopants is explored, and suggested a method for controlling electrical conductivity, which is important to various applications, especially thermoelectric (TE) materials. Subsequently, electric and TE properties are systematically controlled by adjusting the carrier concentration from 3.0 × 1019 to 4.5 × 1020 cm-3, and accurately measured thermal conductivity with respect to carrier concentration and film thickness. Sulfur-doped CuI (CuI:S) thin films exhibited a maximum power factor of 5.76 µW cm-1 K-2 at a carrier concentration of 1.3 × 1020 cm-3, and a TE figure of merit (ZT) of 0.25. Furthermore, a transparent and flexible TE power generator is developed, with an impressive output power density of 43 nW cm-2 at a temperature differential of 30 K. Mechanical durability tests validated the potential of CuI:S films in transparent and flexible TE applications.

On the importance of crystal structures for organic thin film transistors.

Historically, knowledge of the molecular packing within the crystal structures of organic semiconductors has been instrumental in understanding their solid-state electronic properties. Nowadays, crystal structures are thus becoming increasingly important for enabling engineering properties, understanding polymorphism in bulk and in thin films, exploring dynamics and elucidating phase-transition mechanisms. This review article introduces the most salient and recent results of the field.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties and Photoinduced Crystallization of TiO2-Fe2O3 Inverse Opals Fabricated by Atomic Layer Deposition.

The use of solar energy for photocatalysis holds great potential for sustainable pollution reduction. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a benchmark material, effective under ultraviolet light but limited in visible light utilization, restricting its application in solar-driven photocatalysis. Previous studies have shown that semiconductor heterojunctions and nanostructuring can broaden the TiO2's photocatalytic spectral range. Semiconductor heterojunctions are interfaces formed between two different semiconductor materials that can be engineered. Especially, type II heterojunctions facilitate charge separation, and they can be obtained by combining TiO2 with, for example, iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3). Nanostructuring in the form of 3D inverse opals (IOs) demonstrated increased TiO2 light absorption efficiency of the material, by tailoring light-matter interactions through their photonic crystal structure and specifically their photonic stopband, which can give rise to a slow photon effect. Such effect is hypothesized to enhance the generation of free charges. This work focuses on the above-described effects simultaneously, through the synthesis of TiO2-Fe2O3 IOs via multilayer atomic layer deposition (ALD) and the characterization of their photocatalytic activities. Our results reveal that the complete functionalization of TiO2 IOs with Fe2O3 increases the photocatalytic activity through the slow photon effect and semiconductor heterojunction formation. We systematically explore the influence of Fe2O3 thickness on photocatalytic performance, and a maximum photocatalytic rate constant of 1.38 ± 0.09 h-1 is observed for a 252 nm template TiO2-Fe2O3 bilayer IO consisting of 16 nm TiO2 and 2 nm Fe2O3. Further tailoring the performance by overcoating with additional TiO2 layers enhances photoinduced crystallization and tunes photocatalytic properties. These findings highlight the potential of TiO2-Fe2O3 IOs for efficient water pollutant removal and the importance of precise nanostructuring and heterojunction engineering in advancing photocatalytic technologies.

Strategic Design and Mechanistic Understanding of Vacancy-Filling Heusler Thermoelectric Semiconductors.

Doping narrow-gap semiconductors is a well-established approach for designing efficient thermoelectric materials. Semiconducting half-Heusler (HH) and full-Heusler (FH) compounds have garnered significant interest within the thermoelectric field, yet the number of exceptional candidates remains relatively small. It is recently shown that the vacancy-filling approach is a viable strategy for expanding the Heusler family. Here, a range of near-semiconducting Heuslers, TiFexCuySb, creating a composition continuum that adheres to the Slater-Pauling electron counting rule are theoretically designed and experimentally synthesized. The stochastic and incomplete occupation of vacancy sites within these materials imparts continuously changing electrical conductivities, ranging from a good semiconductor with low carrier concentration in the endpoint TiFe0.67Cu0.33Sb to a heavily doped p-type semiconductor with a stoichiometry of TiFe1.00Cu0.20Sb. The optimal thermoelectric performance is experimentally observed in the intermediate compound TiFe0.80Cu0.28Sb, achieving a peak figure of merit of 0.87 at 923 K. These findings demonstrate that vacancy-filling Heusler compounds offer substantial opportunities for developing advanced thermoelectric materials.

Chemically Tailored Growth of 2D Semiconductors via Hybrid Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are an exciting platform for excitonic physics and next-generation electronics, creating a strong demand to understand their growth, doping, and heterostructures. Despite significant progress in solid-source (SS-) and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), further optimization is necessary to grow highly crystalline 2D TMDCs with controlled doping. Here, we report a hybrid MOCVD growth method that combines liquid-phase metal precursor deposition and vapor-phase organo-chalcogen delivery to leverage the advantages of both MOCVD and SS-CVD. Using our hybrid approach, we demonstrate WS2 growth with tunable morphologies─from separated single-crystal domains to continuous monolayer films─on a variety of substrates, including sapphire, SiO2, and Au. These WS2 films exhibit narrow neutral exciton photoluminescence line widths down to 27-28 meV and room-temperature mobility up to 34-36 cm2 V-1 s-1. Through simple modifications to the liquid precursor composition, we demonstrate the growth of V-doped WS2, MoxW1-xS2 alloys, and in-plane WS2-MoS2 heterostructures. This work presents an efficient approach for addressing a variety of TMDC synthesis needs on a laboratory scale.

Semiconductor Effect from Pd(II) Porphyrin Metal to Its Ligand in Photocatalytic N-Dealkylation.

In this work, four saddled Pd(II) porphyrins were developed as photocatalyst for N-dealkylation of triethyl Rhodamine (TER) under visible light, and their catalytic ability was found to be negatively related to the out-of-plane of their macrocycles. Two important relationships involving the metalloporphyrins as catalyst were revealed: (1) a photoexcitative semiconductor effect between the 4dx2-ᵧ2(Pd) and a2u(π) orbitals of Pd(II) porphyrin on the dealkylation. (2) a domino process from strap length, ring geometry, core deformation, d-π gap variation, to photocatalytic activity. Two revelations imply a unidirectional electron transfer route from axial ligand, to central metal, to porphyrin ring based on photoexcitation and guide the design and development of complex photocatalysts, and their revelation is attributed to the acquisition of a series of Pd(II) porphyrins with continuous ring distortion. The findings help to understand the photocatalytic single electron transfer (SET)-first mechanism based on metallic complex.

Comprehensive Review of Synthesis, Optical Properties and Applications of Heteroarylphosphonates and Their Derivatives.

This review focuses on optical properties of compounds in which at least one phosphonate group is directly attached to a heteroaromatic ring. Additionally, the synthesis and other applications of these compounds are addressed in this work. The influence of the phosphonate substituent on the properties of the described compounds is discussed and compared with other non-phosphorus substituents, with particular attention given to photophysical properties, such as UV-Vis absorption and emission, fluorescence quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime. Considering the presence of heteroatom, the collected material was divided into two parts, and a review of the literature of the last thirty years on heteroaryl phosphonates containing sulfur and nitrogen atoms in the aromatic ring was conducted.

Mechanical Tuning of Fluorescence Lifetime and Bandgap in an Elastically Flexible Molecular Semiconductor Crystal.

Despite having superior transport properties, lack of mechanical flexibility is a major drawback of crystalline molecular semiconductors as compared to their polymer analogues. Here single crystals of an organic semiconductor are reported that are not only flexible but exhibit systematic tuning of bandgaps, fluorescence lifetime, and emission wavelengths upon elastically bending. Spatially resolved fluorescence lifetime imaging and confocal fluorescence microscopy reveals systematic trends in the lifetime decay across the bent crystal region along with shifts in the emission wavelength. From the outer arc to the inner arc of the bent crystal, a significant decrease in the lifetime of ≈1.9 ns is observed, with a gradual bathochromic shift of ≈10 nm in the emission wavelength. For the crystal having a bandgap of 2.73 eV, the directional stress arising from bending leads to molecular reorientation effects and variations in the extent of intermolecular interactions- which are correlated to the lowering of bandgap and the evolution of the projected density of states. The systematic changes in the interactions quantified using electron density topological analysis in the compressed inner arc and elongated outer arc region are correlated to the non-radiative decay processes, thus rationalizing the tuning of fluorescence lifetime.

Photonic deep residual time-delay reservoir computing.

Time-delay reservoir computing (TDRC) represents a simplified variant of recurrent neural networks, employing a nonlinear node with a feedback mechanism to construct virtual nodes. The capabilities of TDRC can be enhanced by transitioning to a deep architecture. In this work, we propose a novel photonic deep residual TDRC (DR-TDRC) with augmented capabilities. The additional time delay added to the residual structure enables DR-TDRC superior to traditional deep structures across various benchmark tasks, especially in memory capability and almost an order of magnitude improvement in nonlinear channel equalization. Additionally, a specifically designed clipping algorithm is utilized to counteract the damage of redundant layers in deep structures, enabling the extension of the deep TDRC to dozens rather than just a few layers, with higher performance. We experimentally demonstrate the proof-of-concept with a 4-layer DR-TDRC containing 960 interrelated neurons (240 neurons per layer), based on four injection-locked distributed feedback lasers. We confirm the potential for scalable deep RC with elevated performance. Our results provide a feasible approach for expanding deep photonic computing to satisfy the boosting demand for artificial intelligence.

Photobiomodulation with laser and led on mesenchymal stem cells viability and wound closure in vitro.

Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into specific cell lineages in the tissue repair process. Photobiomodulation with laser and LED is used to treat several comorbidities, can interfere in cell proliferation and viability, in addition to promoting responses related to the physical parameters adopted. Evaluate and compare the effects of laser and LED on mesenchymal cells, with different energy doses and different wavelengths, in addition to viability and wound closure. Mesenchymal stem cells derived from human adipocytes were irradiated with laser (energy of 0.5 J, 2 J and 4 J, wavelength of 660 nm and 830 nm), and LED (energy of 0.5 J, 2 J and 4 J, where lengths are 630 nm and 850 nm). The wound closure process was evaluated through monitoring the reduction of the lesion area in vitro. Viability was determined by analysis with Hoechst and Propidium Iodide markers, and quantification of viable and non-viable cells respectively Data distributions were analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Homogeneity was analyzed using Levene's test. The comparison between the parameters used was analyzed using the Two-way ANOVA test. The T test was applied to data relating to viability and lesion area. For LED photobiomodulation, only the 630 nm wavelength obtained a significant result in 24, 48 and 72 h (p = 0,027; p = 0,024; p = 0,009). The results related to the in vitro wound closure test indicate that both photobiomodulation with laser and LED demonstrated significant results considering the time it takes to approach the edges (p < 0.05). Considering the in vitro experimental conditions of the study, it is possible to conclude that the physical parameters of photobiomodulation, such as energy and wavelength, with laser or LED in mesenchymal stem cells, can play a potential role in cell viability and wound closure.

Fabrication of Ag-doped BiOF-reduced graphene oxide composites for photocatalytic elimination of organic dyes.

Bismuth oxyfluoride (BiOF) is an emerging class of material with notable chemical stability, unique layered structure and striking energy band structure. Bi-based semiconductor materials and reduced graphene oxides (rGOs) have attracted considerable attention due to their broad spectrum of potential applications. Herein, we successfully synthesised an efficient photocatalyst comprising BiOF-rGO nanocomposites with embedded Ag nanoparticles using a simple hydrothermal method. The synthesised nanocomposites were characterised through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy. The XRD results indicated the crystalline structures of the BiOF, Ag-doped BiOF and Ag-doped BiOF-rGO composites. Photocatalytic activity assessments focused on the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes under UV-light and sunlight irradiation. The Ag-doped BiOF-rGO composite exhibited significantly enhanced degradation efficiency, achieving 61.81 % and 74.25 % degradation of MB and MO, respectively, after 300 min under UV-light irradiation. On the contrary, pure BiOF demonstrated only 17.63 % and 48.29 % degradation for MB and MO, respectively, under similar conditions. Furthermore, under sunlight irradiation, the Ag-doped BiOF-rGO composite exhibited an MB removal efficiency of 43.87 % after 300 min, whereas pure BiOF showed only 27.47 % under identical conditions. These results underscore the potential of Ag-doped BiOF-rGO composites as highly efficient and adaptable photocatalysts for the photodegradation of organic dyes in industrial wastewater.

Rejection of PFAS and priority co-contaminants in semiconductor fabrication wastewater by nanofiltration membranes.

Use of high-pressure membranes is an effective means for removal of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that is less sensitive than adsorption processes to variable water quality and specific PFAS structure. This study evaluated the use of nanofiltration (NF) membranes for the removal of PFAS and industry relevant co-contaminants in semiconductor fabrication (fab) wastewater. Initial experiments using a flat sheet filtration cell determined that the NF90 (tight NF) membrane provided superior performance compared to the NF270 (loose NF) membrane, with NF90 rejection values exceeding 97 % for all PFAS evaluated, including the ultrashort trifluoromethane sulfonic acid (TFMS). Cationic fab co-contaminants diaryliodonium (DIA), triphenylsulfonium (TPS), and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) were not as highly rejected as anionic PFAS likely due to electrostatic effects. A spiral wound NF90 module was then used in a pilot system to treat a lab solution containing PFAS and co-contaminants and fab wastewater effluent. Treatment of the fab wastewater, containing high concentrations of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), including trifluoroacetic acid (TFA: 96,413 ng/L), perfluoropropanoic acid (PFPrA: 11,796 ng/L), and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA: 504 ng/L), resulted in ≥92 % rejection of all PFAS while achieving 90 % water recovery in a semi-batch configuration. These findings demonstrate nanofiltration as a promising technology option for incorporation in treatment trains targeting PFAS removal from wastewater matrices.