Selective and Efficient Removal of Fluoride from Water: In Situ Engineered Amyloid Fibril/ZrO2 Hybrid Membranes.

We report a new strategy for efficient removal of F- from contaminated water streams, and it relies on carbon hybrid membranes made of amyloid fibril/ZrO2 nanoparticles (<10 nm). These membranes exhibit superior selectivity for F- against various competitive ions, with a distribution coefficient (Kd ) as high as 6820 mL g-1 , exceeding commercial ion-exchange resins (IRA-900) by 180 times and outdoing the performance of most commercial carbon-activated aluminum membranes. At both low and high (ca. 200 mg L-1 ) F- concentrations, the membrane efficiency exceeds 99.5 % removal. For real untreated municipal tap water (ca. 2.8 mg L-1 ) under continuous operating mode, data indicates that about 1750 kg water m-2 membrane can be treated while maintaining drinking water quality, and the saturated membranes can be regenerated and reused several times without decrease in performance. This technology is promising for mitigating the problem of fluoride water contamination worldwide.

A Lactoglobulin-Composite Self-Healing Coating for Mg Alloys.

Corrosion issue is one of the most crucial bottlenecks for extensive employment of Mg alloys, in particular under harsh engineering conditions. Differing from traditional approaches, a self-healing protective coating composed of lactoglobulin is proposed herein to offer sustainable protection to the underlying Mg parts. Corrosion resistance, evaluated by electrochemical measurements and hydrogen evolution tests, indicates that the lactoglobulin composite film exhibits nobler corrosion potential (-1.28 VSCE), smaller corrosion current density (8.4 × 10-6 A/cm2), and lower average corrosion rate (∼0.03 mm/y) than those of its bare counterparts. Moreover, the pre-made cracks in the film were evidently self-healed within 24 h of exposure to corrosive media. The proposed self-healing lactoglobulin composite film provides opportunities to tackle the corrosion challenges of Mg alloys.

High degradation rate of Fe-20Mn-based bio-alloys by accumulative cryo-rolling and annealing.

A new strategy of accumulative cryo-rolling (ACR) at liquid nitrogen temperature and annealing was performed to improve degradation rate of Fe-Mn-based implants. Differing from as-cast and ACRed Fe-Mn-based alloys with single-phase austenite, ACRed-annealed sample mainly consists of austenite and non-equilibrium Fe5C2 precipitate. ACR-annealed sample shows a degradation rate of 0.0388mA·cm-2, which is 4.6 times higher than as-cast alloy. Pitting corrosion plays a dominant role in both as-cast and ACRed samples. Conversely, some micro-batteries are prone to form among different phase interfaces for ACR-annealed sample, resulting in general corrosion. It reveals that phase optimization is a possible strategy to achieve bio-Fe implants.

Reduced Graphene Oxide-Based Silver Nanoparticle-Containing Composite Hydrogel as Highly Efficient Dye Catalysts for Wastewater Treatment.

New reduced graphene oxide-based silver nanoparticle-containing composite hydrogels were successfully prepared in situ through the simultaneous reduction of GO and noble metal precursors within the GO gel matrix. The as-formed hydrogels are composed of a network structure of cross-linked nanosheets. The reported method is based on the in situ co-reduction of GO and silver acetate within the hydrogel matrix to form RGO-based composite gel. The stabilization of silver nanoparticles was also achieved simultaneously within the gel composite system. The as-formed silver nanoparticles were found to be homogeneously and uniformly dispersed on the surface of the RGO nanosheets within the composite gel. More importantly, this RGO-based silver nanoparticle-containing composite hydrogel matrix acts as a potential catalyst for removing organic dye pollutants from an aqueous environment. Interestingly, the as-prepared catalytic composite matrix structure can be conveniently separated from an aqueous environment after the reaction, suggesting the potentially large-scale applications of the reduced graphene oxide-based nanoparticle-containing composite hydrogels for organic dye removal and wastewater treatment.

Preparation, mechanical and degradation properties of Mg-Y-based microwire.

Mg-Y-based microwire which offers high strength in combination of low degradation rate has been prepared for the first time by a modified melt extraction technique. A circular Mg-Y-based microwire is achieved with an extraction rate of 40m/s, which is composed of Mg matrix and an amorphous phase, and exhibits higher basal texture than that of as-cast sample. The outstanding tensile strength accompanying with an acceptable elongation is obtained with an extraction rate of 40m/s. The improved strength is mainly attributed to high solid solution strengthening, fine grain and the presence of an amorphous phase. In addition, the reduction of secondary phase and homogenous microstructure after melt extraction eliminate both pitting corrosion and micro-galvanic corrosion. A low degradation rate of 0.366mm/y is attained in a simulated body fluid, which is less than 1/10 of that of as-cast sample. These excellent mechanical properties and low degradation rate provide some prerequisites to develop bio-Mg implants. It reveals that this modified extraction technique is one of effective approaches to prepare microwire, which can be directly used for Mg-based stent self-assembly.

Degradation behavior of Mg-based biomaterials containing different long-period stacking ordered phases.

Long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases play an essential role in the development of magnesium alloys because they have a direct effect on mechanical and corrosion properties of the alloys. The LPSO structures are mostly divided to 18R and 14H. However, to date there are no consistent opinions about their degradation properties although both of them can improve mechanical properties. Herein we have successfully obtained two LPSO phases separately in the same Mg-Dy-Zn system and comparatively investigated the effect of different LPSO phases on degradation behavior in 0.9 wt.% NaCl solution. Our results demonstrate that a fine metastable 14H-LPSO phase in grain interior is more effective to improve corrosion resistance due to the presence of a homogeneous oxidation film and rapid film remediation ability. The outstanding corrosion resistant Mg-Dy-Zn based alloys with a metastable 14H-LPSO phase, coupled with low toxicity of alloying elements, are highly desirable in the design of novel Mg-based biomaterials, opening up a new avenue in the area of bio-Mg.

Microstructures, aging behaviour and mechanical properties in hydrogen and chloride media of backward extruded Mg-Y based biomaterials.

Microstructures, aging behaviour from room temperature to 300 °C and mechanical properties in different media of backward extruded (BE) Mg-Y based biomaterial have been investigated. The results reveal that BE-Mg-Y based alloy is mainly composed of polygon-shaped grains and fine precipitates. The results of aging response show that BE-Mg-Y based alloy exhibits remarkable age hardening behaviour when the aging temperature is 200 °C and higher. The high mechanical properties of aged BE-Mg-Y based alloy are mostly associated with fine microstructure, solid solution strengthening and the existence of homogeneous precipitates. The hydrogen embrittlement dependence on the aging time is confirmed in BE-Mg-Y based alloy. Additionally, the strength and elongation of BE-Mg-Y based alloy are significantly influenced by the ion concentration in media. These results offer some implications for understanding the reduced strength of Mg based implants in body environment. It is demonstrated that the temporary high mechanical strength in air of BE-Mg-Y based biomaterials is insufficient to evaluate the in vivo mechanical integrity.

Degradable magnesium-based implant materials with anti-inflammatory activity.

The objective of this study was to prepare a new biodegradable Mg-based biomaterial, which provides good mechanical integrity in combination with anti-inflammatory function during the degradation process. The silver element was used, because it improved the mechanical properties as an effective grain refiner and it is also treated as a potential anti-inflammatory core. The new degradable Mg-Zn-Ag biomaterial was prepared by zone solidification technology and extrusion. The mechanical properties were mostly enhanced by fine grain strengthening. In addition, the alloys exhibited good cytocompatibility. The anti-inflammatory function of degradation products was identified by both interleukin-1α and nitric oxide modes. The anti-inflammatory impact was significantly associated with the concentration of silver ion. It was demonstrated that Mg-Zn-Ag system was a potential metallic stent with anti-inflammatory function, which can reduce the long-term dependence of anti-inflammatory drug after coronary stent implantation.

Influence of biocorrosion on microstructure and mechanical properties of deformed Mg-Y-Er-Zn biomaterial containing 18R-LPSO phase.

The microstructure and mechanical properties of as-extruded Mg-8Y-1Er-2Zn (wt%) alloy containing long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase are comparatively investigated before and after corrosion in a simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37°C. The as-extruded alloy consists of a long strip-like 18R-LPSO phase and some fine lamellae grains formed by primary recrystallization during the extrusion process. The hydrogen evolution volume per day fluctuates between 0.21 and 0.32ml/cm(2) in the immersion test for 240h, and the corresponding corrosion rate is calculated as 0.568mm/y. The corrosion product is determined as Mg(OH)2, whilst a Ca(H2PO4)2 compound is also observed on the surface of the samples. The corrosion site preferentially occurs at the interface between LPSO phase and Mg matrix. Before immersing, the tensile yield strength (TYS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation of the alloy are 275MPa, 359MPa, and 19%, respectively. More attractively, these mechanical properties can be maintained even after immersing in SBF for 240h (TYS, UTS and elongation are 216MPa, 286MPa and 6.8%, respectively) because of the existence of high anti-corrosion LPSO phase.

Effects of backward extrusion on mechanical and degradation properties of Mg-Zn biomaterial.

Backward extrusion was used to improve the properties of Mg-based biomaterials. The microstructures, mechanical performance and corrosion properties of as-cast and backward extruded Mg-xZn (x=0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, wt.%) alloys were investigated. The secondary dendrite arm spacing of as-cast Mg-xZn alloys and the grain size of backward extruded Mg-xZn alloys were decreased with the increment of Zn content. Meanwhile, both strength and elongation were improved by backward extruded treatment. With increasing Zn addition, the corrosion properties of both as-cast and backward extruded Mg-xZn alloys were decreased. However, the corrosion performance of backward extruded sample was improved obviously compared to the corresponding as-cast one. More importantly, the degradation rate of the backward extruded alloy was stable, which was mainly associated with the fine second precipitates and the homogeneous microstructure. It was demonstrated that backward extrusion was an effective approach to manufacture high performance Mg-based biomaterials.

Preparation and properties of high purity Mg-Y biomaterials.

An effective zone solidification method has been found to prepare high purity Mg-Y biomaterials. The corrosion and mechanical properties of the purified middle region are improved remarkably compared with common casting method. The average gain size and secondary dendrite space decrease from the top layer to the bottom layer of the ingot. The oxides, defects and precipitates are mainly enriched in the top layer of the ingot under the impulsion of high thermal gradient. These results are in agreement with that simulated by finite elemental method using FLOW-3D software. It is confirmed that the mode of scallop symmetric solidification attributes to the purifying process. This zone solidification method not only contributes to high purity Mg-based biomaterials, but also provides a new approach to prepare high performance Mg alloys.