A study on the performance, structure, composition, and release behavior changes of polybutylene adipate terephthalic acid (PBAT) film during food contact.

Polybutylene adipate terephthalic acid (PBAT) is an emerging biodegradable material in food packaging. However, concerns have been raised regarding the potential hazards it could pose to food safety. In this study, the changes of PBAT films during food contact and the release of small molecules were inestigated by a multiscale approach. On a macro-scale, the surface roughness of the films increased with the reduction in the concentration of food simulants and the increase in contact temperatures, especially after immersion in acidic food environments. On a micro-scale, the crystallinity (Xc) and degradation indexes (DI) of the films increased by 5.7-61.2% and 7.8-48.6%, respectively, which led to a decrease in thermal stability. On a scale approaching the molecular level, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DTBP) was detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) with the highest migration content, and the release behavior of 2,4-DTBP was further investigated by migration kinetics. In addition, terephthalic acid (TPA), a hydrolysis product of PBAT, was detected in acidic food environments by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results of this study could provide practical guidance and assistance to promote sustainable development in the field of food packaging.

Continuous preparation and antibacterial mechanisms of biodegradable polylactic acid/nano-zinc oxide/additives antibacterial non-wovens.

Biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA)/nano­zinc oxide (ZnO)/additives non-woven slices were prepared by melt blending method. The effects of antibacterial agent nano-ZnO, antioxidant pentaerythrityl tetrakis-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionate (1010), and chain extender multi-functional epoxy (ADR), on the melt flow rate, mechanical properties, thermal stabilities and micromorphology of the slices were investigated. The melt flow rate decreased from 26.94 g/10 min to 17.76 g/10 min, and the tensile strength increased from 10.518 MPa to 30.427 MPa with the increase of nano-ZnO and additives content. The slices were further spunbonded. The wettability and antibacterial properties of PLA/nano-ZnO/additives antibacterial non-wovens were studied, and the antibacterial action mechanism was clarified. The results showed that the biodegradable PLA/nano-ZnO/additives antibacterial non-wovens were prepared continuously successfully. The prepared non-woven fabrics exhibited good hydrophobicity and antibacterial properties. The mechanism study shows that zinc ion produced by nano-ZnO and photocatalytic reaction make the fabrics have good antibacterial activity at low nano-ZnO content. When nano-ZnO concentration reaches 1.5 wt%, the antibacterial rate against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reaches 98.52 % and 98.13 %, respectively.

Constructing network structures to enhance stability and target deposition of selenium nanoparticles via amphiphilic sodium alginate and alkyl glycosides.

Dietary selenium (Se) supplementation has recently received increasing attention; however, Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) exhibit poor stability and tend to aggregate in aqueous solution. Therefore, enhancing the stability of SeNPs and their effective delivery to plants remain challenging. In this study, sodium alginate (SA) and lysozyme (LZ) were reacted via the wet-heat Maillard reaction (MR) to obtain amphiphilic alginate-based polymers (SA-LZ). Alkyl glycosides (APG) were introduced into SA-LZ to enhance the deposition of SeNPs in leaves. Thus, a renewable and degradable polysaccharide-based material (SA-LZ/APG) loaded with Se formed an amphiphilic alginate-based-based shell with a Se core. Notably, the encapsulation of SeNPs into a polysaccharide base (SA-LZ/APG) increased the stabilization of SeNPs and resulted in orange-red, zero-valent, monoclinic and spherical SeNPs with a mean diameter of approximately 43.0 nm. In addition, SA-LZ/APG-SeNPs reduced the interfacial tension of plant leaves and increased the Se content of plants compared to the blank group. In vitro studies have reported that SA-LZ/APG-SeNPs and SA-LZ-SeNPs have significantly better clearance of DDPH and ABTS than that of APG-SeNPs. Thus, we believe that SA-LZ/APG is a promising smart delivery system that can synergistically enhance the stability of SeNPs in aqueous solutions and improve the bioavailability of Se nutrient solutions.

B ← N coordination bond reinforced dynamic fluorescence of pH-responsive amphiphile alginate aggregates for anti-counterfeiting.

High quantum yield polysaccharide-based materials are significative for the dynamic anti-counterfeiting, while that are limited by weak fluorescence. However, natural polysaccharides with weak fluorescence are not suitable for anti-counterfeiting. Herein, alginate derivatives (SA-PBA) exhibiting aggregation-induced emission with high-quantum yields were synthesized by grafting phenylboronic acid (PBA) onto a sodium alginate (SA) chain. As the concentration increases, polymer assembly can be induced to form more compact soft colloidal aggregates, which enhances the fluorescence properties of alginate derivatives by introducing B â† N coordination bonds in the hydrophobic microregions. Interestingly, the clustered aggregates of SA-PBA can be dynamically controlled by pH, realizing the reversible adjustment of fluorescence. The corresponding mechanism is revealed by the combination of coarse-grained simulations and experiments. It is found that SA-PBA uses a hydrophobic driving force and hydrogen bond interaction to self-assemble in an aqueous solution and promote fluorescence emission. Moreover, the fluorescence quantum yield of SA-PBA can reach 14.4 % and can be reversibly altered by tuning soft colloidal microstructures. Therefore, a reversible information encryption system of SA-PBA is developed for anti-counterfeiting. This work shed some light on how to design novel anti-counterfeit materials based on natural polysaccharides and optimize the dynamic fluorescence conditions.

Light-adjusted supramolecular host-guest interfacial recognition for reconfiguring soft colloidal aggregates.

The soft interfacial template-assisted confined self-assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) guiding colloidal aggregates has been extensively investigated by interfacial instability. Whether the macromolecular polymer architectonics possessed stimulus-responsive self-regulated structural controllability more readily implement the morphological diversity of colloidal aggregates. Herein, we in-situ constructed the alginate-modified ß-cyclodextrin/azobenzene-functionalized alkyl chains (Alg-ß-CD/AzoC12) system by supramolecular host-guest interfacial recognition-engineered strategy, in which possessed photo-stimulated responsive structural reconfigurability by modulating assembly/disassembly behaviors between CD and Azo at oil/water interface. The host-guest droplet interfaces acted as soft templates managing interfacial instability by synergistically integrating supra-amphiphilic host-guest polymers with cosurfactants, further constructing various soft supracolloidal aggregates, including soft nanoaggregates, microspheres with tunable degrees of surface roughness. Additionally, the stimuli-altering structural reconfigurability of supramolecular host-guest polymers was regulated by ultraviolet/visible irradiation, endowing soft aggregates with structural diversity. It's highly anticipated that the supramolecular host-guest interfacial recognition self-assembly establishes great bridge between supramolecular host-guest chemistry and colloid interface science.

Covalent Bond Interfacial Recognition of Polysaccharides/Silica Reinforced High Internal Phase Pickering Emulsions for 3D Printing.

Significant challenges remain in designing sufficient viscoelasticity polysaccharide-based high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) as soft materials for 3D printing. Herein, taking advantage of the interfacial covalent bond interaction between modified alginate (Ugi-OA) dissolved in the aqueous phase and aminated silica nanoparticles (ASNs) dispersed in oil, HIPPEs with printability were obtained. Using multitechniques coupling a conventional rheometer with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, the correlation between interfacial recognition coassembly on the molecular scale and the stability of whole bulk HIPPEs on the macroscopic scale can be clarified. The results showed that Ugi-OA/ASNs assemblies (NPSs) were strongly retargeted into the oil-water interface due to the specific Schiff base-binding between ASNs and Ugi-OA, further forming thicker and more rigid interfacial films on the microscopic scale compared with that of the Ugi-OA/SNs (bared silica nanoparticles) system. Meanwhile, flexible polysaccharides also formed a 3D network that suppressed the motion of the droplets and particles in the continuous phase, endowing the emulsion with appropriately viscoelasticity to manufacture a sophisticated "snowflake" architecture. In addition, this study opens a novel pathway for the construction of structured all-liquid systems by introducing an interfacial covalent recognition-mediated coassembly strategy, showing promising applications.

Degradation characteristics of polybutylene adipate terephthalic acid (PBAT) and its effect on soil physicochemical properties: A comparative study with several polyethylene (PE) mulch films.

The degradation process of different types of mulch in agriculture and its effect on soil ecosystem should be considered comprehensively. To this end, the changes in performance, structure, morphology, and composition of PBAT film during the degradation process were examined through a multiscale approach in comparison with several PE films and their effects on the soil physicochemical properties were investigated. At the macroscopic scale, the load and elongation of all films decreased with increasing ages and depths. At the microscopic scale, the stretching vibration peak intensity (SVPI) for PBAT and PE films decreased by 48.8 âˆ¼ 60.2% and 9.3 âˆ¼ 38.6%, respectively. The crystallinity index (CI) increased by 67.3 âˆ¼ 209.6% and 15.6 âˆ¼ 21.8%, respectively. At the molecules scale, terephthalic acid (TPA) was detected in localized soil with PBAT mulch after 180 d. In short, the degradation characteristics of PE films were depended on their thickness and density. The PBAT film exhibited the highest degree of degradation. Simultaneously, the soil physicochemical properties such as soil aggregates, microbial biomass and pH were affected by the changes of film structure and components during the degradation process. This work has practical implications for the sustainable development of agriculture.

Light-dimerization telechelic alginate-based amphiphiles reinforced Pickering emulsion for 3D printing.

Functional Pickering emulsions that depend on the interparticle interactions hold promise for building template materials. A novel coumarin-grafting alginate-based amphiphilic telechelic macromolecules (ATMs) undergoing photo-dimerization enhanced particle-particle interactions and changed the self-assembly behavior in solutions. The influence of self-organization of polymeric particles on the droplet size, microtopography, interfacial adsorption and viscoelasticity of Pickering emulsions were further determined by multi-scale methodology. Results showed that stronger attractive interparticle interactions of ATMs (post-UV) endowed Pickering emulsion with small droplet size (16.8 µm), low interfacial tension (9.31 mN/m), thick interfacial film, high interfacial viscoelasticity and adsorption mass, and well stability. The high yield stress, outstanding extrudability (n1 < 1), high structure maintainability, and well shape retention ability, makes them ideal inks for direct 3D printing without any additions. The ATMs provides an increased capacity to produce stable Pickering emulsions with tailoring their interfacial performances and, providing a platform for fabricating and developing alginate-based Pickering emulsion-templated materials.

Tuning interfacial microstructure of alginate-based amphiphile by dynamic bonding for stabilizing Pickering emulsion.

Polysaccharide-based soft colloidal particles mediated by the dynamic bonding-engineered interfacial self-assembly can regulate the properties of oil-water interfacial films, availing the stability of emulsions under a wide pH range. The amphiphilic phenylboronic alginate soft colloidal particles (Alg-PBA) were designed to stabilize pH-responsive Pickering emulsions (PEs). Combining stability analysis with quartz crystal microbalance and dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), the microstructure and viscoelasticity of Alg-PBA at the oil-water interface were determined. The results showed that PEs stabilized by Alg-PBA due to a thicker and stronger viscoelastic interface film induced by BO bonds and hydrogen bonds. The structure-function relationship of the Alg-PBA emulsifier driven by dynamic bonds was further elaborated at multiple scales by laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Meanwhile, the microstructure of aerogels templated by emulsion could be tuned by adjusting dynamic bonds, which provides a new idea for polysaccharide soft material engineering.

Coexistence of aggregates and flat states of hydrophobically modified sodium alginate at an oil/water interface: A molecular dynamics study.

Hydrophobically modified sodium alginate stabilizes benzene in water emulsions. The stability of the emulsion is related to the interface properties at the mesoscopic scale, but the details of the polymer adsorption, conformation and organization at oil/water interfaces at the microscopic scale remain largely elusive. In this study, hydrophobically modified sodium alginate was used as a representative of amphiphilic polymers for prediction of distribution of HMSA at the oil/water interface by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation. The result showed that driven by the interaction energy between the hydrophobic segment and benzene, HMSA will actively accumulate at the oil/water interface. The HMSA molecules parallel to the oil/water interface prevent the hydrophobic segments in the micelles from approaching the oil/water interface, so that the micelles can exist stably by steric hindrance. This study would be helpful to understand the aggregation behavior of amphiphilic polymers at the oil/water interface, these results can have applications in diverse sectors such as drug, food industry, where polymers are used to stabilize emulsions.

Altered microbiota profile in seminal vesicles of men presenting with refractory hematospermia.

BACKGROUND: Currently, no recognized evidence is known about the bacterial communities found within seminal vesicles (SV) of men presenting with refractory hematospermia. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifteen male patients with refractory hematospermia or anejaculation were enrolled, and 15 SV-Infection (SV-In) samples from SV with hemorrhage and/or stones, 11 SV-Control (SV-C) samples from SV with non-infection, and 14 Urine (Urine) samples from posterior urethra were obtained via transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy. Then the high-throughput 16 S rRNA gene sequencing method was performed to characterize the microbiota profile. Finally, a total of 1535 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found, 1295 OTUs were shared across three groups, 7 OTUs, 45 OTUs, and 48 OTUs were unique to SV-C group, SV-In group, and Urine group, respectively. The 5 top bacterial phyla (mean relative abundance) in all samples were Firmicutes (52.08%), Bacteroidetes (21.69%), Proteobacteria (12.72%), Actinobacteria (9.64%), and Fusobacteria (1.62%), the 5 top bacterial genera in all samples were Bacteroides (9.13%), Lactobacillus (5.38%), Bifidobacterium (5.35%), Faecalibacterium (5.10%), and Allobaculum (3.34%), of which Bifidobacterium had the highest level in SV-C samples and had a significant difference (P < 0.05) across all groups. Differential analysis showed genera Leuconostoc and LachnospiraceaeFCS020group were identified as biomarkers in the SV-In microbiota. CONCLUSION: Altered microbiota composition in seminal vesicles is related to refractory hematospermia in men, and the distribution of genus Leuconostoc or LachnospiraceaeFCS020group within seminal vesicles may interact with hematospermia. This study provides clues for the diagnosis and treatment of this urologic disorder.

Relaxin-2 Prevents Erectile Dysfunction by Cavernous Nerve, Endothelial and Histopathological Protection Effects in Rats with Bilateral Cavernous Nerve Injury.

PURPOSE: Cavernous nerve injury induced erectile dysfunction (ED) is a refractory complication with high incidence in person under radical prostatectomy. Studies have shown that relaxin-2 (RLX-2) plays a vital role of endothelial protection, vasodilation, anti-fibrosis and neuroprotection in a variety of diseases. However, whether penile cavernous erection can benefit from RLX-2 remains unknown. The purpose of the experiment was to explore the effects of RLX-2 on ED in the rat suffering with bilateral cavernous nerve injury (BCNI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rats were divided into three groups: Sham group was underwent sham operation, BCNI+RLX group or BCNI group was underwent bilateral cavernous nerve crush and then randomly treated with RLX-2 (0.4 mg/kg/d) or saline by continuous administration using a subcutaneously implanted micro pump for 4 weeks respectively. Then, erectile function was evaluated by electrical stimulation of cavernous nerves. Cavernous nerves and penile tissues and were collected for histological evaluation. RESULTS: Erectile function of rats with BCNI was partially improved after RLX-2 treatment. The BCNI group had lower expression of relaxin family peptide receptor (RXFP) 1, p-AKT/AKT, p-eNOS/eNOS ratios than sham operation rats, but RLX-2 could partially reversed these changes. Histologically, the BCNI+RLX group had a significant effect on preservation of neurofilament, neuronal glial antigen 2 of penile tissue and nNOS of cavernous nerves when compared with BCNI group. RLX-2 could inhibited the lever of BCNI induced corporal fibrosis and apoptosis via regulating TGFß1-Smad2/3-CTGF pathway and the expression of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, caspase3. CONCLUSIONS: RLX-2 could improve erectile function of BCNI rats by protecting cavernous nerve and endothelial function and suppressing corporal fibrosis and apoptosis via RXFP1 and AKT/eNOS pathway. Our findings may provide a promising treatment for refractory BCNI induced ED.

SPP1 mRNA determination based on molecular beacon for the recurrence prognosis of bladder cancer.

Background: Bladder cancer (BC) has attracted significant attention on account of its recurrence as well as mortality. Tumor recurrence plays a significant role in cancer patients' individual treatment. Secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) has been recognized as a potential target for treating BC and served as a useful biomarker for prognosis; it is commonly tested by immunohistochemistry (IHC). However, this conventional method has the disadvantage of being time-consuming and costly. This study aimed to develop a molecular beacon (MB) for the detection of SPP1 messenger RNA (mRNA) for the recurrence prognosis of BC. Methods: An MB was constructed and applied to image SPP1 mRNA level at both molecular and cellular level. The fluorescence spectra were recorded with a fluorescence spectrophotometer. The effect of SPP1 MB toward the cell viability was performed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays. The SPP1 mRNA expression level was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cancer cells and tissues were analyzed with confocal fluorescence imaging. Correlation, sensitivity, and specificity parameters were calculated. Results: It was demonstrated that both cancer cells and BC tissues expressed high signal which reflected the expression of SPP1. In addition, 42 cases were detected by MB and divided into two groups according to the fluorescence intensity. The results further suggested that highly expressed SPP1 could predict early tumor recurrence in BC. Conclusions: The SPP1 MB could be applied as an appropriate approach to predict BC recurrence and patients' prognosis.

Utility of vector flow mapping technology in quantitative assessment of carotid wall shear stress in hypertensive patients: A preliminary study.

Background: Blood flowing in the arterial lumen acts on the surface of the vessel wall to form wall shear stress (WSS). To date, there has been limited research on the utility of non-invasive technology in the accurate quantification of carotid WSS in patients with hypertension (HP). Objective: The present study aimed to explore the usage of vascular vector flow mapping (VFM) in the quantitative assessment of carotid WSS in hypertensive patients at an early stage and to validate its clinical utility. Methods: A total of 50 individuals confirmed without carotid plaques were grouped into a HP group (n = 25) and a control (CON) group (n = 25) according to blood pressure. An ALOKA LISENDO 880 Color Doppler Ultrasound with a L441 3-15 MHZ probe was used to obtain a longitudinal section scan to determine the regions of interests (ROIs) of the common carotid artery. VFM-based WSS measurements were obtained by selecting the ROI with optimal image quality from three full cardiac cycles. WSS-derived measurements, including WSSmax, WSSmin, and WSSmean, were analyzed and compared between the HP and CON groups. In addition, the correlations between WSS-derived measurements and the carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) were also analyzed. Results: There were significant statistical differences in WSSmax and WSSmean between patients in the HP and CON groups. Specifically, the HP group had significantly decreased WSSmax and WSSmean compared to the CON group (WSSmax: 1.781 ± 0.305 Pa vs. 2.286 ± 0.257 Pa; WSSmean: 1.276 ± 0.333 Pa vs. 1.599 ± 0.293 Pa, both p < 0.001). However, there was no statistical difference in WSSmin between the groups (0.79 ± 0.36 vs. 0.99 ± 0.42, p = 0.080). Additionally, Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that the WSS-derived parameters were negatively correlated with the IMT (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Vascular VFM technology shows promising results in the quantitative assessment of difference in hemodynamics of the vascular flow field between patients with HP and normal controls. Difference in WSS may serve as a potential predictor for the development of arteriosclerosis risks.

Therapeutic strategies for retention of cranioplasty titanium mesh after mesh exposure.

BACKGROUND: Titanium mesh exposure after cranioplasty is a possible complication and is usually managed by mesh removal and flap transfer, but the advantages of the rigid prosthesis are then lost. This study aimed to present our experience with negative pressure wound therapy combined with soft tissue dilation for retaining the titanium mesh in patients with mesh exposure after cranioplasty. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients treated between 01/2016 and 05/2019 at the Jiangyin Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University School of Medicine. The wound was cleaned, and a cystic space was created for the tissue dilator, which was used with a self-designed negative pressure dressing. After the target dilation was achieved, the repair was conducted while retaining the titanium mesh. RESULTS: Eight patients were included (seven males and one female; 53.6 ± 8.8 (range, 43-65) years of age). The exposed mesh area ranged from 1 × 1 to 4 × 5.5 cm. The thinning scalp area around the exposed mesh ranged from 3.6 × 3.8 to 4 × 5.5 cm. Five patients had positive wound cultures and received sensitive antibiotics. The dilator embedding time was 20-28 days. The time of negative pressure wound therapy was 25-33 days. The hospital stay was 30-41 days. Primary wound healing was achieved in all eight patients. There were no signs of recurrence after 6-18 months of follow-up. The cranial CT scans were unremarkable. CONCLUSIONS: Negative pressure wound therapy combined with soft tissue dilation for exposed titanium mesh after cranioplasty might help retain the titanium mesh.

Depletion stabilization of emulsions based on bacterial cellulose/carboxymethyl chitosan complexes.

The regulation of the magnitude of the depletion effect is necessary for accurately predicting and explaining the emulsion stabilization mechanism. Herein, the bacterial cellulose/carboxymethyl chitosan (BC/CCS) complexes with tunable assembled behaviors were prepared and designed via electrostatic interaction. Specially, the emulsions stabilized by BC/CCS complexes exhibited excellent stability as compared with that stabilized by BC polymers alone. At pH 9.6, BC/CCS complexes in the continuous phase induced long-range depletion-stabilization effect to stabilize emulsions. Additionally, the magnitude of depletion effect of BC/CCS complexes could be improved by increasing BC concentration, and effectively stabilized emulsions. Furthermore, with the decrease to pH 7.0, the interfacial adsorption layers at the oil-water interface prevented oil droplets from agglomerating, but did not show better emulsion stability. These results clarified that the magnitude of the depletion effect could be controlled by altering BC-based complexes particles, which would be useful for the applications of emulsions in numerous fields.

Deciphering the myth of icariin and synthetic derivatives in improving erectile function from a molecular biology perspective: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Although epimedium herb (EH) has been widely used in ancient Chinese medicine to enhance sexual activity, its pharmacological mechanism is not clear. Modern studies have shown that epimedium herb is rich in icariin (ICA, a flavonoid compound), and 91.2% of icariin is converted to icariside II (ICA II) by hydrolytic enzymes in intestinal bacteria after oral administration. YS-10 is a synthetic derivative of icariside II. The aim of this review was to summarize the contemporary evidence regarding the pharmacokinetics, therapeutic properties, and molecular biological mechanisms of ICA and some ICA derivatives for erectile dysfunction therapy. Methods: A detailed search was conducted in the PubMed database using keywords and phrases, such as "icariin" AND "erectile dysfunction", "icariside II" AND "erectile dysfunction". The publication time is limited to last 20 years. Articles had to be published in peer reviewed journals. Key Content and Findings: ICA and its some derivatives showed the specific inhibition on phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) and the promotion of testosterone synthesis. In addition, by regulating various reliable evidence of signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT, TGFß1/Smad2, p38/MAPK, Wnt and secretion of various cytokines, ICA and ICA derivatives can activate endogenous stem cells (ESCs) leading to endothelial cell and smooth muscle cell proliferation, nerve regeneration and fibrosis inhibition, repair pathological changes in penile tissue and improve erectile function. Conclusions: ICA and some of its derivatives could be a potential treatment for restoring spontaneous erections. In addition ICA and his derivatives may also be valuable as a regenerative medicine approach for other diseases, but more clinical and basic researches with high quality and large samples are recommended.

Tuning self-assembly of amphiphilic sodium alginate-decorated selenium nanoparticle surfactants for antioxidant Pickering emulsion.

Delivering effectively zero-valent selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and develop its functions in more fields is still a challenge. Herein, a novel template for the preparation and stabilization of SeNP-based surfactants was developed, amphiphilic sodium alginate (APSA), which can self-assemble into micelles in an aqueous solution. Primarily, physicochemical properties of SeNPs stabilized by APSA with different molecular weights were compared and the interaction mechanism of APSA/SeNPs was investigated. Moreover, a functional Pickering emulsion (PE) was presented using the SeNP-based surfactants. Results showed that high molecular weight-stabilized SeNPs had small particle size (54.72 nm) and great stability due to the hydrogen bonding between Se atoms and APSA. The "soft" particle-decorated SeNPs with interface activity formed a dense interfacial layer on the oil-water interface, which exhibited excellent antioxidant properties. The contents of lipid hydrogen peroxide (LH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly reduced by 88.7% and 63.4%. Overall, SeNPs stabilized by APSA have great application potential as an emulsifier and antioxidant in industrial field.

Stability and photo demulsification of oil-in-seawater Pickering emulsion based on Fe3+ induced amphiphilic alginate.

The oil/water separation of oil-in-seawater emulsion plays an important role in resource recovery and ecological environment restoration. In this work, oil-in-seawater Pickering emulsion in seawater with high salinity was stabilized by Fe3+ ions and amphiphilic alginate (AM-Alg), subsequently destabilized by UV light for efficient oil/water separation. Initially, AM-Alg exhibited high viscoelasticity at the oil-water interface, which was confirmed by Quartz crystal microbalance. The addition of Fe3+ caused the aggregation of AM-Alg at the oil-water interface and improved the formation of the three-dimensional interpenetrating network structure. When Fe3+ was at 0.1 mol/dm3, the oil-in-seawater Pickering emulsion had the best stability, and also the fastest demulsification speed under UV light. Moreover, the photochemical redox reaction rate and the conversion rate of Fe3+ were the highest. This photo demulsification technology is expected to become a new method of dealing with marine oil spills.