Construction of viral protein-based hybrid nanomaterials mediated by a macromolecular glue.

A generic strategy to construct virus protein-based hybrid nanomaterials is reported by using a macromolecular glue inspired by mussel adhesion. Commercially available poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PiBMA) modified with dopamine (PiBMAD) is designed as this macromolecular glue, which serves as a universal adhesive material for the construction of multicomponent hybrid nanomaterials. As a proof of concept, gold nanorods (AuNRs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are initially coated with PiBMAD. Subsequently, viral capsid proteins from the Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus (CCMV) assemble around the nano-objects templated by the negative charges of the glue. With virtually unchanged properties of the rods and tubes, the hybrid materials might show improved biocompatibility and can be used in future studies toward cell uptake and delivery.

[Optimization Method and Case Study of Air Pollution Emission Spatial Pattern].

Few of the current methods of improving air quality, including end-pipe treatment, industrial, energy and transportation structure adjustments, are from the viewpoint of the spatial pattern optimization of pollutant emissions. Therefore, based on factors such as natural environment, human health, pollutant transmission capability, and meteorological diffusion conditions, our research group used the threshold approach, natural breaks, spatial erasure, and other methods to define the layout area suitable for atmospheric pollution sources. Based on these results, the emissions pattern was optimized to achieve air quality improvement. Taking Guangdong Province as an example, we examined the application of the emissions pattern optimization of air quality improvement and atmospheric environment zoning. The results indicate that the first class area of environmental air quality accounts for 9% of total province area, the densely populated area accounts for 3%, the sensitive area of the national air quality monitor stations accounts for 15%, the pollutant accumulation area accounts for 22%, and the layout area suitable for atmospheric pollution sources primarily distributed in the west part of the province accounts for 60%. By shifting the non-thermal power industrial sources into those area, the concentration level of PM2.5 will decrease by 4% at the provincial scale and 10% at the city scale. Emissions pattern optimization has become an innovative aided support technology for the continuous improvement of air quality. In practical applications, it can be combined with energy and industrial structure adjustments, pollution control technology enhancements, and cross-regional prevention and control to formulate the most feasible air quality improvement plan.

Revealing unconventional host-guest complexation at nanostructured interface by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Interfacial host-guest complexation offers a versatile way to functionalize nanomaterials. However, the complicated interfacial environment and trace amounts of components present at the interface make the study of interfacial complexation very difficult. Herein, taking the advantages of near-single-molecule level sensitivity and molecular fingerprint of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), we reveal that a cooperative effect between cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) and methyl viologen (MV2+2I-) in aggregating Au NPs originates from the cooperative adsorption of halide counter anions I-, MV2+, and CB[7] on Au NPs surface. Moreover, similar SERS peak shifts in the control experiments using CB[n]s but with smaller cavity sizes suggested the occurrence of the same guest complexations among CB[5], CB[6], and CB[7] with MV2+. Hence, an unconventional exclusive complexation model is proposed between CB[7] and MV2+ on the surface of Au NPs, distinct from the well-known 1:1 inclusion complexation model in aqueous solutions. In summary, new insights into the fundamental understanding of host-guest interactions at nanostructured interfaces were obtained by SERS, which might be useful for applications related to host-guest chemistry in engineered nanomaterials.

[Source Apportionment of Air Pollutants for a Typical Pollution Event in Zhaoqing].

Based on observational data for pollutants and meteorology, this study analyzed the pollution episode that occurred during Dec 17th to 23th in 2018 in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province, China. Using the source apportionment model CMAQ-ISAM and the hybrid receptor model, the regional contributions to air pollution were examined. The results showed that low-pressure conditions had an adverse effect on the diffusion of pollutants during this pollution episode in Zhaoqing. Prior to the pollution episode, pollutants were mainly derived from Zhaoqing and Qingyuan, accounting for 19.2% and 10.7% of pollutants, respectively. As well as pollutants from Guangdong Province, long-distance transport of pollutants from Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, and Shaanxi accounted for approximately 64.5% of the total during the non-pollution period. During the polluted episode, major cities in Pearl River Delta and the eastern part of Guangdong Province contributed more pollutants as a surface high-pressure field moved southward. Zhaoqing, Foshan, Dongguan, Guangzhou, and Huizhou contributed 25.5%, 14.8%, 9.8%, 9.5%, and 5.3% of the pollutants, respectively. Cities in the eastern part of Guangdong Province including Heyuan, Meizhou, Shanwei, Jieyang, Shantou, and Chaozhou contributed 13.7% of the total pollutants. In addition, pollutants from Fujian, Jiangxi, and the Yangtze River Delta accounted for approximately 32.9%. Furthermore, pollutants transported under marine influences were one of the main causes of this pollution episode in Zhaoqing.

[Capacity Simulation Method Based on Regional Transfer Matrix and PM2.5 Concentration Target Constraint].

Atmospheric environmental capacity is an important reference in environmental planning. To meet the PM2.5 standard, a new method is proposed to balance the capacity among cities of Guangdong, with screening of the most unfavorable meteorological year and combining it with the regional transportation calculated by the CAMx-PSAT module. Pollutant overloading and capacity scenarios were also calculated. The results showed that, under the constraints of the cities' annual PM2.5 ≤ 35 µg·m-3, the capacities of SO2, NOx, NH3, and PM2.5 in Guangdong were about 6.8×105 tons, 1.35×106 tons, 4.6×105 tons, and 5.1×105 tons, respectively. Based on the benchmark scenario, SO2 emissions in Guangdong were overloaded by 10%, and the emissions of NOx, NH3, and PM2.5 exceeded by 12%, 9%, and 20%, respectively, compared to those of the capacity scenario. Ranked by the number of overloaded species in Guangdong, the cities of Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhongshan, and Qingyuan were on top. When achieving the capacity scenario, the annual PM2.5 concentration in Guangdong was about 30 µg·m-3, which meets the national secondary ambient air quality standard.

[Air Quality Subarea Management:A Case Study of Guangdong Province].

To meet the requirements of regional air quality management (AQM), the Air Quality Subarea Management (AQSM) system was proposed. A case study was conducted for Guangdong Province. By using the method of air quality numerical simulation and satellite remote sensing inversion analysis, the key factors were selected from the meteorological simulation field, the pollutant concentration simulation field, and the satellite image interpretation to form the index system for AQSM. On this basis, a hierarchical cluster analysis method was used to divide Guangdong Province into three types of AQSM:Strict Control Subarea, Continuous Improvement Subarea, and Coordinated Development Subarea. It was shown that the Strict Control Subarea, Continuous Improvement Subarea, and Coordinated Development Subarea in Guangdong Province covered 16.3%, 28.0%, and 55.7%, respectively. The Strict Control Subarea in the Pearl River Delta, Eastern Guangdong, Western Guangdong, and Northern Guangdong accounted for 27.9%, 19.3%, 4.4%, and 12.5%, respectively, and the subarea should implement the most stringent AQM policies to promote air quality improvement. The Continuous Improvement Subarea in the Pearl River Delta, Eastern Guangdong, Western Guangdong, and Northern Guangdong accounted for 34.4%, 15.8%, 7.8%, and 34.5%, respectively, and the subarea should implement relatively strict AQM policies to ensure sustained and stable standards. The Coordinated Development Subarea in the Pearl River Delta, Eastern Guangdong, Western Guangdong, and Northern Guangdong accounted for 37.7%, 64.9%, 87.8%, and 53.0%, respectively, and the subarea could implement more liberal AQM policies to ensure relatively good air quality. In general, the strict AQM policies in Guangdong Province should be mainly concentrated in the Pearl River Delta region, followed by Northern Guangdong, Eastern Guangdong, and Western Guangdong in order.