Open Linear Polymer Host-Guest Interactions Sensed by Luminescent Silver Nanodots.

The selectivity of the linear polymer chain toward its binding moieties has been considered negligible; thus, a clear demonstration showing the best-fit binding of a linear polymer to its guest counterpart is still unknown. Luminescent poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-stabilized silver nanodots (PAA-AgNDs) have been applied as a turn-on sensor to monitor the interaction between the PAA chain and its binding cations. The binding of cations ions to the PAA chain may cross-link the linear PAA chain via coordination with carboxylate, which increases the rigidity of the polymer chain, retards the nonradiative decay of PAA-AgNDs, and consequently enhances the emission of silver nanodots while inducing a blue-shift of its emission spectrum. For the first time, we have demonstrated that a linear polymer chain can act as an open host to selectively bind to its best-matching cations. Specifically, among Group 2 cations (Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+), calcium ions show the strongest bonding to the PAA polymer chain. Our research suggests that, with extra rigidity, the polymer improves its chemical stability as calcium ions cross-linked the linear polymer. Meanwhile, it has also been demonstrated that luminescent silver nanodots can be excellent probes for the detection of polymer activities with straightforward and simple visualization methods.

An open pore structure of the Orai channel, finally.

Store-operated Orai channels are a primary mechanism for mobilizing Ca2+ signals in both non-excitable cells and excitable cells. The structure of the open channel, vital for understanding the mechanism of channel opening, is incompletely understood. We highlight a new study that unveils the structure of a constitutively active Orai mutant and takes us closer towards understanding the molecular basis of Orai channel activation.

Understanding dissolution characteristics of steel slag for resource recovery.

Steel slags are generally alkaline with a high calcium content and are viewed as a potential feedstock for carbon dioxide sequestration and utilization, mostly through aqueous mineral carbonation routes. For recovery of multiple metals such as Ca, Fe, Mg, and Si, and generation of value-added products by dissolution and precipitation reactions in aqueous media, enhancing the metal selectivity and extraction efficiency are important. However, there is limited understanding of independent parameters that influence these important characteristics. In this work, a systematic attempt was made to correlate these key dissolution characteristics of basic oxygen furnace slag in acidic media with its mineralogical and physical characteristics, the changes in aqueous chemistry, and the role of potential secondary precipitates. The findings from this study substantiate that steel slag is a potential feedstock because of the calcium being mainly present as orthosilicates, which were found to leach congruently without forming a leached layer that might hinder calcium extraction. The leaching of Fe(II) from the slag is the main source of impurity and its slow oxidation-precipitation leads to a pH plateau at the end of the dissolution step. Oxidation-precipitation of Fe(II) is controlled by hydroxyl concentration in the aqueous solution, which necessitates a pH-swing step by addition of a base after dissolution. Use of surface complexing agents, such as sodium molybdate, can significantly reduce iron impurity in the leachate and obtain an iron-rich slag residue for recycle to iron and steel industry.

Kinetics of steel slag dissolution: from experiments to modelling.

Carbon dioxide sequestration via carbonation of steel slags is a promising way of combining two waste products to create value. Understanding the dissolution kinetics of steel slags, which are alkaline and rich in calcium, in acidic media is essential to configure such a process. In this study, we seek to analyse the dissolution mechanism from experimental studies and develop a mathematical model considering the heterogeneous characteristics of slag. We found that the reduction in calcium extraction efficiency with an increase in particle size, which is normally associated with surface passivation or non-uniformity of samples, can be explained by considering the morphological features associated with the distribution of MgO-FeO (RO) phase in the calcium silicate matrix. We present a population balance model and show that the reduction in calcium extraction efficiency in coarse particle fractions is due to increased sporulation of the RO phase. The findings in the study suggest that the leaching of metal ions from slag is controlled by proton-promoted surface dissolution reaction, where the dependence of acid concentration follows the Langmuir-Hinshelwood adsorption isotherm. The model shows good agreement with a large set of parametric studies and demonstrates the importance of considering morphological features, as we progress towards development of a priori dissolution models for multi-mineral oxides and silicates.