Biofuels for a sustainable future.

Rapid increases of energy consumption and human dependency on fossil fuels have led to the accumulation of greenhouse gases and consequently, climate change. As such, major efforts have been taken to develop, test, and adopt clean renewable fuel alternatives. Production of bioethanol and biodiesel from crops is well developed, while other feedstock resources and processes have also shown high potential to provide efficient and cost-effective alternatives, such as landfill and plastic waste conversion, algal photosynthesis, as well as electrochemical carbon fixation. In addition, the downstream microbial fermentation can be further engineered to not only increase the product yield but also expand the chemical space of biofuels through the rational design and fine-tuning of biosynthetic pathways toward the realization of "designer fuels" and diverse future applications.

Poly(lactic acid) based Pearl Layer Moistureproof Membrane for Flexible Laminated Packaging.

The development of bio-based polymer materials, such as polylactic acid (PLA) -based polymers, is an effective strategy to reduce dependence on petrochemical-based polymers. However, the preparation of bio-based polymers with high barrier properties is a major challenge. To overcome this challenge, a nacreous layer structure with a ' brick and mud ' pattern is mimicked to improve the overall performance of the material. In this paper, Poly (L -lactic acid) (PLLA) and Polypropylene Glycol (PPG) was combined to prepare bio-based polyurethane (PU-PLLA), which is used as the slurry structure of nacreous layer. The bio-based biomimetic composite membrane (PU-PLLA/BN) is then obtained by adding boron nitride (BN, brick structure of pearl layer) to it. The water vapor permeability test results show that the permeability of PU-PLLA material can be reduced by more than 50% by 5 wt.% BN, which is because the addition of BN can increase the length and tortuosity of the gas molecular diffusion path in the composite. Therefore, this pearl-inspired PU-PLLA/BN film has excellent moisture resistance, which opens up a broad road for the practical application of PLLA in flexible laminated packaging.

An Active Bio-Based Food Packaging Material of ZnO@Plant Polyphenols/Cellulose/Polyvinyl Alcohol: DESIGN, Characterization and Application.

Active packaging materials protect food from deterioration and extend its shelf life. In the quest to design intriguing packaging materials, biocomposite ZnO/plant polyphenols/cellulose/polyvinyl alcohol (ZnPCP) was prepared via simple hydrothermal and casting methods. The structure and morphology of the composite were fully analyzed using XRD, FTIR, SEM and XPS. The ZnO particles, plant polyphenols (PPL) and cellulose were found to be dispersed in PVA. All of these components share their unique functions with the composite's properties. This study shows that PPL in the composite not only improves the ZnO dispersivity in PVA as a crosslinker, but also enhances the water barrier of PVA. The ZnO, PPL and cellulose work together, enabling the biocomposite to perform as a good food packaging material with only a 1% dosage of the three components in PVA. The light shielding investigation showed that ZnPCP-10 can block almost 100% of both UV and visible light. The antibacterial activities were evaluated by Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), with 4.4 and 6.3 mm inhibition zones, respectively, being achieved by ZnPCP-10. The enhanced performance and easy degradation enables the biocomposite ZnPCP to be a prospect material in the packaging industry.

Fabrication of ZnO@Plant Polyphenols/Cellulose as Active Food Packaging and Its Enhanced Antibacterial Activity.

To investigate the efficient use of bioresources and bioproducts, plant polyphenol (PPL) was extracted from larch bark and further applied to prepare ZnO@PPL/Cel with cellulose to examine its potential as an active package material. The structure and morphology were fully characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, XPS and Raman spectra. It was found that PPL is able to cover ZnO and form a coating layer. In addition, PPL cross-links with cellulose and makes ZnO distribute evenly on the cellulose fibers. Coating with PPL creates a pinecone-like morphology in ZnO, which is constructed by subunits of 50 nm ZnO slices. The interactions among ZnO, PPL and cellulose have been attributed to hydrogen bonding, which plays an important role in guiding the formation of composites. The antibacterial properties against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were tested by the inhibition zone method. Our composite ZnO@PPL/Cel has superior antibacterial activity compared to ZnO/Cel. The antibacterial mechanism has also been elaborated on. The low cost, simple preparation method and good performance of ZnO@PPL/Cel suggest the potential for it to be applied as active food packaging.

Thermoresponsive Polymers Based on Tertiary Amine Moieties.

Thermoresponsive polymers exhibiting unique reversible phase transition properties in aqueous solution in response to temperature stimuli have been extensively investigated. In the past two decades, thermoresponsive polymers based on tertiary amine moieties have achieved considerable progress and become an important family of thermoresponsive polymers, including tertiary amine functionalized poly((meth)acrylamide)s, poly((meth)acrylate)s, poly(styrene)s, poly(vinyl alcohol)s, and poly(ethylene oxide)s, which exhibit lower critical solution temperature and/or upper critical solution temperature in water or aliphatic alcohols. Their phase transition behavior can be modulated by the solution pH and CO2 due to the protonation of tertiary amine moieties in acidic condition and deprotonation in alkaline condition and the charged ammonium bicarbonate formed by the tertiary amine moieties and CO2 . The aim of this review is to summarize the recent progress in the thermoresponsive polymers based on tertiary amine moieties.

A Novel Temperature-Dependent Hydrogel Emulsion with Sol/Gel Reversible Phase Transition Behavior Based on Polystyrene-co-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Core-Shell Nanoparticle.

As a kind of temperature-responsive hydrogel, polystyrene-co-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PS-co-PNIPAM/PNIPAM) core-shell nanoparticles prepared by two-step copolymerization are widely studied and used because of their specific structures and properties. Unlike most reports about the steady stability of PS-co-PNIPAM/PNIPAM core-shell nanoparticle hydrogel emulsion, in this work, the PS-co-PNIPAM/PNIPAM core-shell nanoparticle hydrogel emulsion (symbolized as PS/PNIPAM hydrogel emulsion), which is prepared after the second step of synthesis and without washing out a large number of PNIPAM polymer segments, shows a reversible temperature-dependent sol-gel transition characteristic during the temperature range of 34-80 °C. The PS/PNIPAM hydrogel emulsion is a normal solution at room temperature, and it changes from a sol to a gel statue when the temperature approaches up to low critical solution temperature (LCST). As the temperature continues to increase, the gel (core-shell nanoparticles as the crosslinkers and the linear PNIPAM chain as the 3D gel network) of the PS/PNIPAM hydrogel emulsion gradually shrinks and drains linearly. Compared with most crosslinked hydrogels, the hydrogel here can be arbitrarily changed in shape according to use needs, which is convenient for use, transportation, and storage. Here a new route is provided for the preparation of a PS/PNIPAM core-shell hydrogel nanoparticle system, as well as a new supramolecular crosslinking sol-gel system for application in biomedical materials, sensors, biological separation, drug release, macromolecular adsorption, and purification.

A cascade targeting strategy based on modified bacterial vesicles for enhancing cancer immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: As an efficient tumor immunotherapy, PD-1 antibody has been gradually used in clinical tumor treatment, but the low response rate and excessive immune response limit its extensive application. RESULTS: Herein, a therapeutic regime for the reinvigoration and activation of the tumor immune microenvironment is introduced to improve the anti-tumor effect of the PD-1 antibody. To comprehensively improve the effect of the immunotherapy and reduce excessive immune response, a biomimetic cascade targeting nanosystem, siRNA@PLOV, which was fused by photothermal sensitive liposomes (PTSLs) and attenuated Salmonella outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), was administered in the tumor therapy for targeting of tumor tissues and T cells within tumor respectively. The fused PLOVs which not only retained the biological character of the OMVs, but also enhanced the drug loading ability. The results demonstrated that the immunogenicity of OMVs and photothermal effects can obviously increase the infiltration of T cells and the silencing of CD38 can effectively improve the T cell cytotoxicity, especially combining with PD-1 antibody. CONCLUSIONS: Interesting, this study revealed that anti-PD-1 administration on the 5th day after siRNA@PLOV treatment had the best performance in killing tumors compared with other groups. In addition, this new therapeutic regime also presents a novel strategy for inducing "vaccine effects", conclusively highlighting its potential in preventing tumor recurrence and improving prognosis.

Polystyrene@poly(ar-vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium-co-acrylic acid core/shell pH-responsive nanoparticles for active targeting and imaging of cancer cell based on aggregation induced emission.

Doubly charged pH-responsive core/shell hydrogel nanoparticles with green fluorescence were prepared and were shown to be viable bioprobes for active targeting tumor tissue and imaging of cancer cells. Via emulsionfree copolymerization hydrogel nanoparticles as VANPs were prepared, the core of which was polystyrene (Ps) and the shell was comprised of strongly positive electrolyte (ar-vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium (VBTAC) with weak negative electrolyte acrylic acid (AA). Through conventional amidation, the shell was conjugated with cell-specific folic acid (FA), denoted as VANPs-FA. Then, negatively charged sulfonated 9,10-distyrylanthracene derivatives (SDSA) based on aggregation induced emission (AIE), was binding tightly to positively charged VBTAC of VANPs-FA shell. The prepared double charged fluorescent core/shell hydrogel nanoparticles abbreviated as VANPs-FS, showed excitation/emission wavelengths at ~420/528 nm. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements were performed to determine the size and surficial zeta potential of VANPs-FS. Under proper ratio of VBTAC to AA, the VANPs-FS was stable (~ 64.63 nm, -20.2 mV) at high pH (> 7), started to aggregate (~ 683.0 nm, -3.2 mV) at pH around 6, and can redispers at low pH (< 5). The MTT analysis proved that VANPs-FS had good biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity. The targeting effectiveness of VANPs-FS was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Graphical abstract Detailed synthetic route of VANPs-FS (top) and schematic cancer tumor-target aggregation of pH-sensitive VANPs-FS with enhanced retention and rapid cancer cell imaging (bottom).

Melanocortin 1 Receptor Targeted Imaging of Melanoma With Gold Nanocages and Positron Emission Tomography.

PURPOSE: Melanoma is a lethal skin cancer with unmet clinical needs for targeted imaging and therapy. Nanoscale materials conjugated with targeting components have shown great potential to improve tumor delivery efficiency while minimizing undesirable side effects in vivo. Herein, we proposed to develop targeted nanoparticles for melanoma theranostics. METHOD: In this work, gold nanocages (AuNCs) were conjugated with α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) peptide and radiolabeled with 64Cu for melanocortin 1 receptor-(MC1R) targeted positron emission tomography (PET) in a mouse B16/F10 melanoma model. RESULTS: Their controlled synthesis and surface chemistry enabled well-defined structure and radiolabeling efficiency. In vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation demonstrated comparable organ distribution between the targeted and nontargeted AuNCs. However, micro-PET/computed tomography (CT) imaging demonstrated specific and improved tumor accumulation via MC1R-mediated delivery. By increasing the coverage density of α-MSH peptide on AuNCs, the tumor delivery efficiency was improved. CONCLUSION: The controlled synthesis, sensitive PET imaging, and optimal tumor targeting suggested the potential of targeted AuNCs for melanoma theranostics.

Novel nanosystem to enhance the antitumor activity of lapatinib in breast cancer treatment: Therapeutic efficacy evaluation.

The present study was performed to investigate the therapeutic performance of polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles towards the delivery of lapatinib (LPT) in breast cancers. We have successfully developed the lapatinib-loaded polymer-lipid hybrid nanosystem and showed its therapeutic potential in in vitro and in vivo models of breast cancer. The nanoformulations consisted of a polymeric core (poly[lactide-co-glycolide]-D-a-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate [PLGA-TPGS]), which was then enveloped by a PEGylated lipid layer (DSPE-PEG) (PLPT) to maintain the structural integrity. The PLPT formulation controlled the drug release in pH 7.4 conditions and accelerated the release at pH 5.5 conditions. The PLPT showed a remarkable cellular internalization and efficiently killed the MCF-7 cancer cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, LPT-loaded nanoparticles effectively induced apoptosis of cancer cells than compared to free LPT. Pharmacokinetic data suggested that nanoparticles could significantly enhance the blood circulation time of LPT by reducing the uptake by a reticuloendothelial system (RES). The prolonged blood circulation of PLPT could allow the preferential accumulation of drug in the tumor tissues. Importantly, PLPT significantly reduced the tumor burden of cancerous mice and effectively controlled the tumor cell proliferation. TUNEL assay further showed a greater apoptosis of tumor tissues in the PLPT treated mice group. Our results suggest that the use of a hybrid system may allow a decrease in the dosage regimen without the loss of therapeutic effect. Overall, lapatinib-loaded hybrid nanoparticles hold great potential for achieving an optimal therapeutic effect in breast cancer treatment. The present anticancer drug delivery system could be potentially applied for the treatment of other cancers.

A cell-targeted chemotherapeutic nanomedicine strategy for oral squamous cell carcinoma therapy.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) or cancers of oral cavity is one of the most common cancers worldwide with high rate of mortality and morbidity. At present, chemotherapy is one of the most effective treatments; however it often fails to meet the requirements in the clinical therapy. In the present study, we have successfully formulated ligand-decorated cancer-targeted CDDP-loaded PLGA-PEG/NR7 nanoparticles and demonstrated the feasibility of using NR7 peptide for targeted delivery, rapid intracellular uptake, and enhanced cytotoxic effect in receptor-overexpressed OSCC cancer cells. RESULTS: Nanosized particles were formed and sustained release patterns were observed for PLGA/NR7 nanoparticles. Significantly higher cellular uptake was observed in HN6 OSCC cancer cells and superior anticancer effects are observed from the optimized targeted nanoparticles. Furthermore, Live/Dead assay showed a higher extent of red fluorescence was observed for the cells exposed with PLGA/NR7 than compared with non-targeted PLGA NP. The presence of the NR7-targeting moiety on the surface of PLGA carriers could allow the specific receptor-mediated internalization, enhanced cellular uptake, and higher cell killing potency. Especially, PLGA/NR7 NP exhibited a superior apoptosis effect in HN6 cancer cells with around ~45 % (early and late apoptotic stage) and ~59 % after 24 and 48 h incubation, respectively. It is apparent that the actively targeted micelles will deliver more anticancer agent to cancer cell than non-targeted one. CONCLUSION: Altogether, our results show the feasibility and promise of a cell-targeted anticancer nanomedicine strategy that can be effective for the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma. The present work might be of great importance to the further exploration of the potential application of PLGA/NR7 in the clinically relevant animal models.

Toward well-defined colloidal particles: Efficient fractionation of lignin by a multi-solvent strategy.

Colloidal lignin particles (CLPs) have sparked various intriguing insights toward bio-polymeric materials and triggered many lignin-featured innovative applications. Here, we report a multi-solvent sequential fractionation methodology integrating green solvents of acetone, 1-butanol, and ethanol to fractionate industrial lignin for CLPs fabrication. Through a rationally designed fractionation strategy, multigrade lignin fractions with variable hydroxyl group contents, molecular weights, and high purity were obtained without altering their original chemical structures. CLPs with well-defined morphology, narrow size distribution, excellent thermal stability, and long-term colloidal stability can be obtained by rational selection of lignin fractions. We further elucidated that trace elements (S, N) were reorganized onto the near-surface area of CLPs from lignin fractions during the formation process in the form of -SO42- and -NH2. This work provides a sustainable and efficient strategy for refining industrial lignin into high-quality fractions and an in-depth insight into the CLPs formation process, holding great promise for enriching the existing libraries of colloidal materials.

Integration of a Cas12a-mediated DNAzyme actuator with efficient RNA extraction for ultrasensitive colorimetric detection of viral RNA.

Developing highly sensitive and specific on-site tests is imperative to strengthen preparedness against future emerging infectious diseases. Here, we describe the construction of a Cas12a-mediated DNAzyme actuator capable of converting the recognition of a specific DNA sequence into an amplified colorimetric signal. To address viral RNA extraction challenges for on-site applications, we developed a rapid and efficient method capable of lysing the viral particles, preserving the released viral RNA, and concentrating the viral RNA. Integration of the DNAzyme actuator with the viral RNA extraction method and loop-mediated isothermal amplification enables a streamlined colorimetric assay for highly sensitive colorimetric detection of respiratory RNA viruses in gargle and saliva. This assay can detect as few as 83 viral particles/100 µL in gargle and 166 viral particles/100 µL in saliva. The entire assay, from sample processing to visual detection, was completed within 1 h at a single controlled temperature. We validated the assay by detecting SARS-CoV-2 in 207 gargle and saliva samples, achieving a clinical sensitivity of 96.3 % and specificity of 100%. The assay is adaptable for detecting specific nucleic acid sequences in other pathogens and is suitable for resource-limited settings.

[Analysis of clinical features and early warning indicators of death from hand, foot and mouth disease in Shandong province].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the clinical features of death from hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) and to explore the early warning index of HFMD death. METHODS: A total of 41 HFMD death cases were collected as case group in Shandong province between 2009 and 2011, and another 123 serious HFMD cases were selected as control group according to the similar gender, place of origin and hospital level, with the ratio at 1:3. We investigated the general situation, clinical treatment, past medical history, clinical symptoms and signs of the ill children, and applied the conditional logistic regression to explore early warning index of HFMD death. RESULTS: The rate of patients who had symptoms in nervous system, digestive system, circulatory system and respiratory system were separately 90.2% (37/41), 58.5% (24/41), 53.7% (22/41) and 90.2% (37/41) in case group; and the proportions were 44.7% (55/123), 13.8% (17/123), 10.6% (13/123) and 12.2% (15/123) respectively in control group. The difference between the two groups showed statistical significance (χ(2) = 25.881, 32.791, 34.011, 86.505, P < 0.05). In case group, 37 patients had neurogenic pulmonary edema, 26 patients got encephalitis, 15 patients had respiratory and circulatory failure, 7 patients got pulmonary hemorrhage, 4 patients had multiple organ failure, 4 patients got myocarditis and 1 patient had cerebral hernia. According to multi-factor logistic regression analysis, the early warning indicators of HFMD death included neck resistance (case group: 34.1% (14/41), control group: 4.1% (5/123); OR = 7.145, 95%CI: 1.748 - 29.204), vomiting (case group: 58.5% (24/41), control group: 13.8% (17/123); OR = 5.632, 95%CI: 1.793 - 17.685) and increase of heart rate (case group: 53.7% (22/41), control group: 10.6% (14/123), OR = 6.370, 95%CI: 1.517 - 26.743). CONCLUSION: In the process of clinical treatment and care, we should interfere the serious HFMD patients with neck resistance, vomiting and increase of heart rate, and thereby reduce the death from HFMD.

Pickering emulgels reinforced with host-guest supramolecular inclusion complexes for high fidelity direct ink writing.

Direct ink writing (DIW) of Pickering emulsions offers great potential for constructing on-demand objects. However, the rheological properties of fluid emulsions greatly undermines the shape fidelity and structural integrity of 3D-printed structures. We solve here these challenges and realize a new route towards complex constructs for actual deployment. A dynamic, supramolecular host-guest hydrogel based on poly(ethylene glycol) and α-cyclodextrin was synthesized in the continuous phase of cellulose nanocrystal-stabilized Pickering emulsions. The storage modulus of the obtained emulgels could reach up to ∼113 kPa, while being shear thinning and yielding precise printability. Diverse complex architectures were possible with high shape fidelity and structural integrity. The printed objects, for example a double-wall cylinder with 75 layers, demonstrated excellent dimensional stability (shrinkage of 7 ± 2% after freeze-drying). With the merits of a simple fabrication process and the high biocompatibility of all the components, the concept of dynamic supramolecular hydrogel-reinforced emulgels represent a potentially versatile route to construct new materials and structures VIA DIW for use in bioproducts and biomedical devices.

Factors Associated With Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Among Chinese Students Aged 6-14 Years.

Aims: We employed machine-learning methods to explore data from a large survey on students, with the goal of identifying and validating a thrifty panel of important factors associated with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). Methods: Cross-sectional cluster sampling was performed for a survey of students aged 6-14 years who attended primary or junior high school in Beijing within January, 2022. Data were collected via electronic questionnaires. Statistical analyses were completed using the PyCharm (Edition 2018.1 x64) and Python (Version 3.7.6). Results: Data from 11,308 students (5,527 girls and 5,781 boys) were analyzed, and 909 of them had LRTI with the prevalence of 8.01%. After a comprehensive evaluation, the Gaussian naive Bayes (gNB) algorithm outperformed the other machine-learning algorithms. The gNB algorithm had accuracy of 0.856, precision of 0.140, recall of 0.165, F1 score of 0.151, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.652. Using the optimal gNB algorithm, top five important factors, including age, rhinitis, sitting time, dental caries, and food or drug allergy, had decent prediction performance. In addition, the top five factors had prediction performance comparable to all factors modeled. For example, under the sequential deep-learning model, the accuracy and loss were separately gauged at 92.26 and 25.62% when incorporating the top five factors, and 92.22 and 25.52% when incorporating all factors. Conclusions: Our findings showed the top five important factors modeled by gNB algorithm can sufficiently represent all involved factors in predicting LRTI risk among Chinese students aged 6-14 years.

Porous fibrous bacterial cellulose/La(OH)3 membrane for superior phosphate removal from water.

Lanthanum (La)-based nanoparticles (NPs) are promising candidates for phosphate removal owing to their inherently high affinity towards phosphate. However, significant challenges remain to be addressed before their practical deployment, especially the problems associated with their aggregation. Herein, we fabricated a high-efficient sorbent for phosphate removal through in-situ synthesizing La(OH)3 NPs on a natural support, bacterial cellulose (BC), which is pre-modified with polyethyleneimine. The resultant La(OH)3 NPs-immobilized BC with different La contents (BPLa-X) exhibited a highly fibrous porous structure, in which BPLa-3 was selected for further phosphate adsorption studies. BPLa-3 demonstrated a high adsorption capacity of 125.5 mg P g-1, and high adsorption selectivity due to the large surface area and abundant exposed active adsorption sites for phosphate. Additionally, BPLa-3 also displayed high reusability and still possessed high adsorption capacity after four consecutive cycles of adsorption-desorption. Therefore, the present adsorbent is believed to be a promising candidate for practical phosphate removal.

Sustainable preparation of cellulose nanofibrils via choline chloride-citric acid deep eutectic solvent pretreatment combined with high-pressure homogenization.

Developing green and simple methods for the preparation of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) is of great significance. Herein, a green deep eutectic solvent (DES) system based on choline chloride (ChCl) and citric acid (CA) is employed to pretreat cellulose fibers for the preparation of CNFs. The effect of the pretreatment temperature on the chemo-physical properties of the CNFs is comprehensively investigated. A high CNFs yield of up to 84.19% can be achieved under optimized conditions. The optimal CNFs show a narrow diameter distribution and length up to several microns, high crystallinity and thermal stability, as well as excellent dispersibility in water. Furthermore, semi-transparent and flexible cellulose nanopaper (CNP) was fabricated through a facile vacuum filtration process. The optimal CNP shows high tensile strength (175.15 MPa) and toughness (7.51 MJ/m3). Therefore, this work provides a sustainable and facile approach to fabricate CNFs and CNP, which can be potentially used for various high-tech applications.

Ultrastructural change in lignocellulosic biomass during hydrothermal pretreatment.

In recent years, visualization and characterization of lignocellulose at different scales elucidate the modifications of its ultrastructural and chemical features during hydrothermal pretreatment which include degradation and dissolving of hemicelluloses, swelling and partial hydrolysis of cellulose, melting and redepositing a part of lignin in the surface. As a result, cell walls are swollen, deformed and de-laminated from the adjacent layer, lead to a range of revealed droplets that appear on and within cell walls. Moreover, the certain extent morphological changes significantly promote the downstream processing steps, especially for enzymatic hydrolysis and anaerobic fermentation to bioethanol by increasing the contact area with enzymes. However, the formation of pseudo-lignin hinders the accessibility of cellulase to cellulose, which decreases the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis. This review is intended to bridge the gap between the microstructure studies and value-added applications of lignocellulose while inspiring more research prospects to enhance the hydrothermal pretreatment process.

Fabrication of dually N/S-doped carbon from biomass lignin: Porous architecture and high-rate performance as supercapacitor.

The lignin amine (LA) was exploited to prepare dually N/S-doped carbon (NSC), which was endowed with intriguing porous structure by Fe3O4 template. N and S elements, originating from LA, are doped into the materials. NSC possesses diverse-scale 3D pores. The macropores are made by Fe3O4, which facilitate to produce meso and micro pores on their walls by KOH activation. The sample prepared at 700 °C (NSC-700) is found to have the largest specific surface area (1199 cm2 g-1) and specific capacity (241 F g-1 at current density of 1 A g-1). Its capacity is 260% as high as that of lignin amine carbon (LAC) prepared without adding Fe3O4. Excellent rate performance is unraveled because of possessing 82% specific capacity at 20 A g-1 and 27.2 Wh kg-1 energy density at 10000 W kg-1 power density. Moreover, the specific capacity maintains 95.0% after 3000 cycles, indicating good electrochemical stability. The good electrical performance of NSC-700 is attributed to its interesting electronic properties that are induced by special pore structure. Because of having merits such as high rate performance, long life, large specific capacity and low cost, our NSC is anticipated to be a promising capacitor as electrode material.