1
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Eddy L, Luong DX, Beckham JL, Wyss KM, Cooksey TJ, Scotland P, Choi CH, Chen W, Advincula PA, Zhang Z, Mancevski V, Kittrell C, Han Y, Tour JM. Automated Laboratory Kilogram-Scale Graphene Production from Coal. Small Methods 2024; 8:e2301144. [PMID: 38009769 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The flash Joule heating (FJH) method converts many carbon feedstocks into graphene in milliseconds to seconds using an electrical pulse. This opens an opportunity for processing low or negative value resources, such as coal and plastic waste, into high value graphene. Here, a lab-scale automation FJH system that allows the synthesis of 1.1 kg of turbostratic flash graphene from coal-based metallurgical coke (MC) in 1.5 h is demonstrated. The process is based on the automated conversion of 5.7 g of MC per batch using an electrical pulse width modulation system to conduct the bottom-up upcycle of MC into flash graphene. This study then compare this method to two other scalable graphene synthesis techniques by both a life cycle assessment and a technoeconomic assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Eddy
- Applied Physics Graduate Program and Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Duy Xuan Luong
- Applied Physics Graduate Program and Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Universal Matter Inc., Houston, 900 S Loop W Suite 175, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Kevin M Wyss
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Tyler J Cooksey
- Universal Matter Inc., Houston, 900 S Loop W Suite 175, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Phelecia Scotland
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Chi Hun Choi
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Weiyin Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Paul A Advincula
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Zhiyong Zhang
- Universal Matter Inc., Houston, 900 S Loop W Suite 175, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Vladimir Mancevski
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Carter Kittrell
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Yimo Han
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- The NanoCarbon Center and The Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
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2
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McHugh EA, Liopo AV, Mendoza K, Robertson CS, Wu G, Wang Z, Chen W, Beckham JL, Derry PJ, Kent TA, Tour JM. Oxidized Activated Charcoal Nanozymes: Synthesis, and Optimization for In Vitro and In Vivo Bioactivity for Traumatic Brain Injury. Adv Mater 2024; 36:e2211239. [PMID: 36940058 PMCID: PMC10509328 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202211239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Carbon-based superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic nanozymes have recently been employed as promising antioxidant nanotherapeutics due to their distinct properties. The structural features responsible for the efficacy of these nanomaterials as antioxidants are, however, poorly understood. Here, the process-structure-property-performance properties of coconut-derived oxidized activated charcoal (cOAC) nano-SOD mimetics are studied by analyzing how modifications to the nanomaterial's synthesis impact the size, as well as the elemental and electrochemical properties of the particles. These properties are then correlated to the in vitro antioxidant bioactivity of poly(ethylene glycol)-functionalized cOACs (PEG-cOAC). Chemical oxidative treatment methods that afford smaller, more homogeneous cOAC nanoparticles with higher levels of quinone functionalization show enhanced protection against oxidative damage in bEnd.3 murine endothelioma cells. In an in vivo rat model of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and oxidative vascular injury, PEG-cOACs restore cerebral perfusion rapidly to the same extent as the former nanotube-derived PEG-hydrophilic carbon clusters (PEG-HCCs) with a single intravenous injection. These findings provide a deeper understanding of how carbon nanozyme syntheses can be tailored for improved antioxidant bioactivity, and set the stage for translation of medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A McHugh
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Anton V Liopo
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 2121 W. Holcombe Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kimberly Mendoza
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Claudia S Robertson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Gang Wu
- Hematology, Internal Medicine, University of Texas McGovern Medical School-Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Weiyin Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Paul J Derry
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 2121 W. Holcombe Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- EnMed, School of Engineering Medicine, Texas A&M University, 1020 W. Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Thomas A Kent
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 2121 W. Holcombe Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology and Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- NanoCarbon Center and the Welch Institute for Advanced Materials, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
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3
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Beckham JL, Bradford TS, Ayala-Orozco C, Santos AL, Arnold D, van Venrooy AR, García-López V, Pal R, Tour JM. Distinguishing Molecular Mechanical Action from Photothermal and Photodynamic Behavior. Adv Mater 2024; 36:e2306669. [PMID: 38062893 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202306669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Molecular motors (MM) are molecular machines, or nanomachines, that rotate unidirectionally upon photostimulation and perform mechanical work on their environment. In the last several years, it has been shown that the photomechanical action of MM can be used to permeabilize lipid bilayers, thereby killing cancer cells and pathogenic microorganisms and controlling cell signaling. The work contributes to a growing acknowledgement that the molecular actuation characteristic of these systems is useful for various applications in biology. However, the mechanical effects of molecular motion on biological materials are difficult to disentangle from photodynamic and photothermal action, which are also present when a light-absorbing fluorophore is irradiated with light. Here, an overview of the key methods used by various research groups to distinguish the effects of photomechanical, photodynamic, and photothermal action is provided. It is anticipated that this discussion will be helpful to the community seeking to use MM to develop new and distinctive medical technologies that result from mechanical disruption of biological materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Thomas S Bradford
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Ciceron Ayala-Orozco
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Ana L Santos
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- IdISBA-Fundación de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares, Palma, 07120, Spain
| | - Dallin Arnold
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Alexis R van Venrooy
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Víctor García-López
- Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Robert Pal
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Department of Computer Science, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
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4
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Beckham JL, Tour JM. Molecular motion cools off gold nanoclusters. Nat Mater 2024; 23:170-171. [PMID: 38129575 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-023-01756-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- NanoCarbon Center, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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5
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Santos AL, Liu D, van Venrooy A, Beckham JL, Oliver A, Tegos GP, Tour JM. Nonlethal Molecular Nanomachines Potentiate Antibiotic Activity Against Gram-Negative Bacteria by Increasing Cell Permeability and Attenuating Efflux. ACS Nano 2024; 18:3023-3042. [PMID: 38241477 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c08041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a pressing public health threat. Despite rising resistance, antibiotic development, especially for Gram-negative bacteria, has stagnated. As the traditional antibiotic research and development pipeline struggles to address this growing concern, alternative solutions become imperative. Synthetic molecular nanomachines (MNMs) are molecular structures that rotate unidirectionally in a controlled manner in response to a stimulus, such as light, resulting in a mechanical action that can propel molecules to drill into cell membranes, causing rapid cell death. Due to their broad destructive capabilities, clinical translation of MNMs remains challenging. Hence, here, we explore the ability of nonlethal visible-light-activated MNMs to potentiate conventional antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria. Nonlethal MNMs enhanced the antibacterial activity of various classes of conventional antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria, including those typically effective only against Gram-positive strains, reducing the antibiotic concentration required for bactericidal action. Our study also revealed that MNMs bind to the negatively charged phospholipids of the bacterial inner membrane, leading to permeabilization of the cell envelope and impairment of efflux pump activity following light activation of MNMs. The combined effects of MNMs on membrane permeability and efflux pumps resulted in increased antibiotic accumulation inside the cell, reversing antibiotic resistance and attenuating its development. These results identify nonlethal MNMs as pleiotropic antibiotic enhancers or adjuvants. The combination of MNMs with traditional antibiotics is a promising strategy against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections. This approach can reduce the amount of antibiotics needed and slow down antibiotic resistance development, thereby preserving the effectiveness of our current antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L Santos
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- IdISBA - Fundación de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares, 07120 Palma, Spain
| | - Dongdong Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Alexis van Venrooy
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Antonio Oliver
- IdISBA - Fundación de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares, 07120 Palma, Spain
- Servicio de Microbiologia, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, 07120 Palma, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Av. Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - George P Tegos
- Office of Research, Faxton St. Luke's Healthcare, Mohawk Valley Health System, 1676 Sunset Avenue, Utica, New York 13502, United States
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- NanoCarbon Center and Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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6
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Advincula PA, Meng W, Eddy LJ, Scotland PZ, Beckham JL, Nagarajaiah S, Tour JM. Replacement of Concrete Aggregates with Coal-Derived Flash Graphene. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2024; 16:1474-1481. [PMID: 38158378 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c15156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Each year, the growth of cities across developing economies in Asia, Africa, and Latin America drives demand for concrete to house and serve their burgeoning populations. Since 1950, the number of people living in urban areas has quadrupled to 4.2 billion, with another predicted 2.5 billion expected to join them in the next three decades. The largest component of concrete by volume is aggregates, such as sand and rocks, with sand as the most mined material in the world. However, the extraction rate of sand currently exceeds its natural replenishment rate, meaning that a global concrete-suitable sand shortage is extremely likely. As such, replacements for fine aggregates, such as sand, are in demand. Here, flash Joule heating (FJH) is used to convert coal-derived metallurgical coke (MC) into flash graphene aggregate (FGA), a blend of MC-derived flash graphene (MCFG), which mimics a natural aggregate (NA) in size. While graphene and graphene oxide have previously been used as reinforcing additives to concrete, in this contribution, FGA is used as a total aggregate replacement for NA, resulting in 25% lighter concrete with increases in toughness, peak strain, and specific compressive strength of 32, 33, and 21%, respectively, with a small reduction in specific Young's modulus of 11%. FJH can potentially enable the replacement of fine NA with FGA, resulting in lighter, stronger concrete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Advincula
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Wei Meng
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Lucas J Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Phelecia Z Scotland
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Satish Nagarajaiah
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street,Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
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7
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Wyss KM, Silva KJ, Bets KV, Algozeeb WA, Kittrell C, Teng CH, Choi CH, Chen W, Beckham JL, Yakobson BI, Tour JM. Synthesis of Clean Hydrogen Gas from Waste Plastic at Zero Net Cost. Adv Mater 2023; 35:e2306763. [PMID: 37694496 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202306763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen gas (H2 ) is the primary storable fuel for pollution-free energy production, with over 90 million tonnes used globally per year. More than 95% of H2 is synthesized through metal-catalyzed steam methane reforming that produces 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) per tonne H2 . "Green H2 " from water electrolysis using renewable energy evolves no CO2 , but costs 2-3× more, making it presently economically unviable. Here catalyst-free conversion of waste plastic into clean H2 along with high purity graphene is reported. The scalable procedure evolves no CO2 when deconstructing polyolefins and produces H2 in purities up to 94% at high mass yields. The sale of graphene byproduct at just 5% of its current value yields H2 production at a negative cost. Life-cycle assessment demonstrates a 39-84% reduction in emissions compared to other H2 production methods, suggesting the flash H2 process to be an economically viable, clean H2 production route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Wyss
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Karla J Silva
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Ksenia V Bets
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Wala A Algozeeb
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Carter Kittrell
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Carolyn H Teng
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Chi Hun Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Weiyin Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Boris I Yakobson
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
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8
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Beckham JL, van Venrooy AR, Kim S, Li G, Li B, Duret G, Arnold D, Zhao X, Li JT, Santos AL, Chaudhry G, Liu D, Robinson JT, Tour JM. Molecular machines stimulate intercellular calcium waves and cause muscle contraction. Nat Nanotechnol 2023; 18:1051-1059. [PMID: 37430037 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01436-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Intercellular calcium waves (ICW) are complex signalling phenomena that control many essential biological activities, including smooth muscle contraction, vesicle secretion, gene expression and changes in neuronal excitability. Accordingly, the remote stimulation of ICW could result in versatile biomodulation and therapeutic strategies. Here we demonstrate that light-activated molecular machines (MM)-molecules that perform mechanical work on the molecular scale-can remotely stimulate ICW. MM consist of a polycyclic rotor and stator that rotate around a central alkene when activated with visible light. Live-cell calcium-tracking and pharmacological experiments reveal that MM-induced ICW are driven by the activation of inositol-triphosphate-mediated signalling pathways by unidirectional, fast-rotating MM. Our data suggest that MM-induced ICW can control muscle contraction in vitro in cardiomyocytes and animal behaviour in vivo in Hydra vulgaris. This work demonstrates a strategy for directly controlling cell signalling and downstream biological function using molecular-scale devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Soonyoung Kim
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bowen Li
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Guillaume Duret
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dallin Arnold
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xuan Zhao
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John T Li
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ana L Santos
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- IdISBA-Fundación de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares, Palma, Spain
| | | | - Dongdong Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jacob T Robinson
- Department of Bioengineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center and Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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9
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Wyss KM, Li JT, Advincula PA, Bets KV, Chen W, Eddy L, Silva KJ, Beckham JL, Chen J, Meng W, Deng B, Nagarajaiah S, Yakobson BI, Tour JM. Upcycling of Waste Plastic into Hybrid Carbon Nanomaterials. Adv Mater 2023; 35:e2209621. [PMID: 36694364 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202209621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Graphitic 1D and hybrid nanomaterials represent a powerful solution in composite and electronic applications due to exceptional properties, but large-scale synthesis of hybrid materials has yet to be realized. Here, a rapid, scalable method to produce graphitic 1D materials from polymers using flash Joule heating (FJH) is reported. This avoids lengthy chemical vapor deposition and uses no solvent or water. The flash 1D materials (F1DM), synthesized using a variety of earth-abundant catalysts, have controllable diameters and morphologies by parameter tuning. Furthermore, the process can be modified to form hybrid materials, with F1DM bonded to turbostratic graphene. In nanocomposites, F1DM outperform commercially available carbon nanotubes. Compared to current 1D material synthetic strategies using life cycle assessment, FJH synthesis represents an 86-92% decrease in cumulative energy demand and 92-94% decrease in global-warming potential. This work suggests that FJH affords a cost-effective and sustainable route to upcycle waste plastic into valuable 1D and hybrid nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Wyss
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - John T Li
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Paul A Advincula
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Ksenia V Bets
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Weiyin Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Lucas Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Applied Physics Graduate Program, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Karla J Silva
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jinhang Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Wei Meng
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Bing Deng
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Satish Nagarajaiah
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Welch Institute for Advanced Materials, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Boris I Yakobson
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Welch Institute for Advanced Materials, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Welch Institute for Advanced Materials, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
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10
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Santos AL, Beckham JL, Liu D, Li G, van Venrooy A, Oliver A, Tegos GP, Tour JM. Visible-Light-Activated Molecular Machines Kill Fungi by Necrosis Following Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Calcium Overload. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2023; 10:e2205781. [PMID: 36715588 PMCID: PMC10074111 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202205781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections are a growing public health threat. As fungi become increasingly resistant to existing drugs, new antifungals are urgently needed. Here, it is reported that 405-nm-visible-light-activated synthetic molecular machines (MMs) eliminate planktonic and biofilm fungal populations more effectively than conventional antifungals without resistance development. Mechanism-of-action studies show that MMs bind to fungal mitochondrial phospholipids. Upon visible light activation, rapid unidirectional drilling of MMs at ≈3 million cycles per second (MHz) results in mitochondrial dysfunction, calcium overload, and ultimately necrosis. Besides their direct antifungal effect, MMs synergize with conventional antifungals by impairing the activity of energy-dependent efflux pumps. Finally, MMs potentiate standard antifungals both in vivo and in an ex vivo porcine model of onychomycosis, reducing the fungal burden associated with infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L. Santos
- Department of ChemistryRice UniversityHoustonTX77005USA
- IdISBA – Fundación de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas BalearesPalma07120Spain
| | | | - Dongdong Liu
- Department of ChemistryRice UniversityHoustonTX77005USA
| | - Gang Li
- Department of ChemistryRice UniversityHoustonTX77005USA
| | | | - Antonio Oliver
- IdISBA – Fundación de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas BalearesPalma07120Spain
- Servicio de MicrobiologiaHospital Universitari Son EspasesPalma07120Spain
| | - George P. Tegos
- Office of ResearchReading HospitalTower Health, 420 S. Fifth AvenueWest ReadingPA19611USA
| | - James M. Tour
- Department of ChemistryRice UniversityHoustonTX77005USA
- Smalley‐Curl InstituteRice UniversityHoustonTX77005USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineeringRice UniversityHoustonTX77005USA
- NanoCarbon Center and the Welch Institute for Advanced MaterialsRice UniversityHoustonTX77005USA
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11
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Advincula PA, Beckham JL, Choi CH, Chen W, Han Y, Kosynkin DV, Lathem A, Mayoral A, Yacaman MJ, Tour JM. Tunable Hybridized Morphologies Obtained through Flash Joule Heating of Carbon Nanotubes. ACS Nano 2023; 17:2506-2516. [PMID: 36693241 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c10125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Hybrid carbon nanomaterials, such as those that incorporate carbon nanotubes into graphene sheets, have been found to display interesting mechanical and electrical properties because of their covalent bonding and π-π stacking domains. However, synthesis of these hybrid materials is limited by the high energetic cost of techniques like chemical vapor deposition. Here, we demonstrate the solvent- and gas-free synthesis of a 2D carbon nanotube/graphene network through flash Joule heating of pristine carbon nanotubes. The relative proportion of each morphology in the hybrid material can be tuned by varying the pulse time, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and microscopy. Triboindentation of epoxy composites made with the hybrid material shows increases of 162% and 64% to the hardness and Young's modulus, respectively, compared with the neat epoxy. These results demonstrate that flash Joule heating can be used to inexpensively convert carbon nanotubes into a hybrid network of nanotubes and graphene for use as an effective reinforcing additive in epoxy composites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Alvaro Mayoral
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), University of Zaragoza, 12 Calle de Pedro Cerbuna, 50009Zaragoza, Spain
- Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Mariano Esquillor Edificio I+D, 50018ZaragozaSpain
- Center for High-Resolution Electron Microscopy (ChEM), School of Physical Science and Technology, ShangaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Pudong, Shangai201210, China
| | - Miguel Jose Yacaman
- Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science, Center for Materials Interfaces in Research and Applications, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona86011, United States
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12
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Chen W, Salvatierra RV, Li JT, Kittrell C, Beckham JL, Wyss KM, La N, Savas PE, Ge C, Advincula PA, Scotland P, Eddy L, Deng B, Yuan Z, Tour JM. Flash Recycling of Graphite Anodes. Adv Mater 2023; 35:e2207303. [PMID: 36462512 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202207303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The ever-increasing production of commercial lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) will result in a staggering accumulation of waste when they reach their end of life. A closed-loop solution, with effective recycling of spent LIBs, will lessen both the environmental impacts and economic cost of their use. Presently, <5% of spent LIBs are recycled and the regeneration of graphite anodes has, unfortunately, been mostly overlooked despite the considerable cost of battery-grade graphite. Here, an ultrafast flash recycling method to regenerate the graphite anode is developed and valuable battery metal resources are recovered. Selective Joule heating is applied for only seconds to efficiently decompose the resistive impurities. The generated inorganic salts, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese, can be easily recollected from the flashed anode waste using diluted acid, specifically 0.1 m HCl. The flash-recycled anode preserves the graphite structure and is coated with a solid-electrolyte-interphase-derived carbon shell, contributing to high initial specific capacity, superior rate performance, and cycling stability, when compared to anode materials recycled using a high-temperature-calcination method. Life-cycle-analysis relative to current graphite production and recycling methods indicate that flash recycling can significantly reduce the total energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission while turning anode recycling into an economically advantageous process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyin Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | | | - John Tianci Li
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Carter Kittrell
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Kevin M Wyss
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Nghi La
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Paul E Savas
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Chang Ge
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute and Applied Physics Program, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Paul A Advincula
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Phelecia Scotland
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Lucas Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute and Applied Physics Program, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Bing Deng
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Zhe Yuan
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center and the Welch Institute for Advanced Materials, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
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13
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Saadi M, Advincula PA, Thakur MSH, Khater AZ, Saad S, Shayesteh Zeraati A, Nabil SK, Zinke A, Roy S, Lou M, Bheemasetti SN, Bari MAA, Zheng Y, Beckham JL, Gadhamshetty V, Vashisth A, Kibria MG, Tour JM, Ajayan PM, Rahman MM. Sustainable valorization of asphaltenes via flash joule heating. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eadd3555. [PMID: 36399576 PMCID: PMC9674293 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add3555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The refining process of petroleum crude oil generates asphaltenes, which poses complicated problems during the production of cleaner fuels. Following refining, asphaltenes are typically combusted for reuse as fuel or discarded into tailing ponds and landfills, leading to economic and environmental disruption. Here, we show that low-value asphaltenes can be converted into a high-value carbon allotrope, asphaltene-derived flash graphene (AFG), via the flash joule heating (FJH) process. After successful conversion, we develop nanocomposites by dispersing AFG into a polymer effectively, which have superior mechanical, thermal, and corrosion-resistant properties compared to the bare polymer. In addition, the life cycle and technoeconomic analysis show that the FJH process leads to reduced environmental impact compared to the traditional processing of asphaltene and lower production cost compared to other FJH precursors. Thus, our work suggests an alternative pathway to the existing asphaltene processing that directs toward a higher value stream while sequestering downstream emissions from the processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- M.A.S.R. Saadi
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | | | | | - Ali Zein Khater
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Shabab Saad
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Ali Shayesteh Zeraati
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Shariful Kibria Nabil
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Aasha Zinke
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Soumyabrata Roy
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Minghe Lou
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Sravani N. Bheemasetti
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701, USA
- Two-Dimensional Materials for Biofilm Engineering Science and Technology (2D-BEST) Center, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD 57701, USA
| | - Md Abdullah Al Bari
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Yiwen Zheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jacob L. Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Venkataramana Gadhamshetty
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701, USA
- Two-Dimensional Materials for Biofilm Engineering Science and Technology (2D-BEST) Center, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD 57701, USA
| | - Aniruddh Vashisth
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Md Golam Kibria
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - James M. Tour
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Pulickel M. Ajayan
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Muhammad M. Rahman
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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14
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Chen W, Salvatierra RV, Li JT, Luong DX, Beckham JL, Li VD, La N, Xu J, Tour JM. Brushed Metals for Rechargeable Metal Batteries. Adv Mater 2022; 34:e2202668. [PMID: 35709635 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202202668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Battery designs are swiftly changing from metal-ion to rechargeable metal batteries. Theoretically, metals can deliver maximum anode capacity and enable cells with improved energy density. In practice, these advantages are only possible if the parasitic surface reactions associated with metal anodes are controlled. These undesirable surface reactions are responsible for many troublesome issues, like dendrite formation and accelerated consumption of active materials, which leads to anodes with low cycle life or even battery runaway. Here, a facile and solvent-free brushing method is reported to convert powders into films atop Li and Na metal foils. Benefiting from the reactivity of Li metal with these powder films, surface energy can be effectively tuned, thereby preventing parasitic reaction. In-operando study of P2 S5 -modified Li anodes in liquid electrolyte cells reveals a smoother electrode contour and more uniform metal electrodeposition and dissolution behavior. The P2 S5 -modified Li anodes sustain ultralow polarization in symmetric cell for >4000 h, ≈8× longer than bare Li anodes. The capacity retention is ≈70% higher when P2 S5 -modified Li anodes are paired with a practical LiFePO4 cathode (≈3.2 mAh cm-2 ) after 340 cycles. Brush coating opens a promising avenue to fabricate large-scale artificial solid-electrolyte-interphase directly on metals without the need for organic solvent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyin Chen
- Chemistry Department, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | | | - John T Li
- Chemistry Department, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Duy X Luong
- Chemistry Department, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Chemistry Department, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Victor D Li
- Chemistry Department, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Nghi La
- Chemistry Department, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jianan Xu
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - James M Tour
- Chemistry Department, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center and the Welch Institute for Advanced Materials, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
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15
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Santos AL, Liu D, Reed AK, Wyderka AM, van Venrooy A, Li JT, Li VD, Misiura M, Samoylova O, Beckham JL, Ayala-Orozco C, Kolomeisky AB, Alemany LB, Oliver A, Tegos GP, Tour JM. Light-activated molecular machines are fast-acting broad-spectrum antibacterials that target the membrane. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabm2055. [PMID: 35648847 PMCID: PMC9159576 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm2055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The increasing occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the dwindling antibiotic research and development pipeline have created a pressing global health crisis. Here, we report the discovery of a distinctive antibacterial therapy that uses visible (405 nanometers) light-activated synthetic molecular machines (MMs) to kill Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, in minutes, vastly outpacing conventional antibiotics. MMs also rapidly eliminate persister cells and established bacterial biofilms. The antibacterial mode of action of MMs involves physical disruption of the membrane. In addition, by permeabilizing the membrane, MMs at sublethal doses potentiate the action of conventional antibiotics. Repeated exposure to antibacterial MMs is not accompanied by resistance development. Finally, therapeutic doses of MMs mitigate mortality associated with bacterial infection in an in vivo model of burn wound infection. Visible light-activated MMs represent an unconventional antibacterial mode of action by mechanical disruption at the molecular scale, not existent in nature and to which resistance development is unlikely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L. Santos
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- IdISBA–Fundación de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares, Palma, Spain
| | - Dongdong Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Anna K. Reed
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Aaron M. Wyderka
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | | | - John T. Li
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Victor D. Li
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Mikita Misiura
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Olga Samoylova
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Jacob L. Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | | | | | - Lawrence B. Alemany
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Shared Equipment Authority, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Antonio Oliver
- IdISBA–Fundación de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares, Palma, Spain
- Servicio de Microbiologia, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Palma, Spain
| | - George P. Tegos
- Office of Research, Reading Hospital, Tower Health, 420 S. Fifth Avenue, West Reading, PA 19611, USA
| | - James M. Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- NanoCarbon Center and the Welch Institute for Advanced Materials, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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16
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Abstract
High surface area varieties of graphene have captured significant attention, allowing for improved performance in a variety of applications. However, there are challenges facing the use of graphene in these applications since it is expensive and difficult to synthesize in bulk. Here, we leverage the capabilities of flash Joule heating to synthesize holey and wrinkled flash graphene (HWFG) in seconds from mixed plastic waste feedstocks, using in situ salt decomposition to produce and stabilize pore formation during the reaction. Surface areas as high as 874 m2 g-1 are obtained, with characteristics of micro-, meso-, and macroporosities. Raman spectroscopy confirms the wrinkled and turbostratic nature of the HWFG. We demonstrate HWFG applications in its use as a metal-free hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalyst, with excellent stability, competitive overpotential, and Tafel slope; in a Li-metal battery anode allowing for stable and high discharge rates; and in a material with high gas adsorption. This represents an upcycle of mixed plastic waste, thereby affording a valuable route to address this pressing environmental pollutant concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Wyss
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Weiyin Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Paul E Savas
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, Welch Institute for Advanced Materials, Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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17
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Chen W, Ge C, Li JT, Beckham JL, Yuan Z, Wyss KM, Advincula PA, Eddy L, Kittrell C, Chen J, Luong DX, Carter RA, Tour JM. Heteroatom-Doped Flash Graphene. ACS Nano 2022; 16:6646-6656. [PMID: 35320673 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c01136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Heteroatom doping can effectively tailor the local structures and electronic states of intrinsic two-dimensional materials, and endow them with modified optical, electrical, and mechanical properties. Recent studies have shown the feasibility of preparing doped graphene from graphene oxide and its derivatives via some post-treatments, including solid-state and solvothermal methods, but they require reactive and harsh reagents. However, direct synthesis of various heteroatom-doped graphene in larger quantities and high purity through bottom-up methods remains challenging. Here, we report catalyst-free and solvent-free direct synthesis of graphene doped with various heteroatoms in bulk via flash Joule heating (FJH). Seven types of heteroatom-doped flash graphene (FG) are synthesized through millisecond flashing, including single-element-doped FG (boron, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur), two-element-co-doped FG (boron and nitrogen), as well as three-element-co-doped FG (boron, nitrogen, and sulfur). A variety of low-cost dopants, such as elements, oxides, and organic compounds are used. The graphene quality of heteroatom-doped FG is high, and similar to intrinsic FG, the material exhibits turbostraticity, increased interlayer spacing, and superior dispersibility. Electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction of different heteroatom-doped FG is tested, and sulfur-doped FG shows the best performance. Lithium metal battery tests demonstrate that nitrogen-doped FG exhibits a smaller nucleation overpotential compared to Cu or undoped FG. The electrical energy cost for the synthesis of heteroatom-doped FG synthesis is only 1.2 to 10.7 kJ g-1, which could render the FJH method suitable for low-cost mass production of heteroatom-doped graphene.
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18
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Beckham JL, Wyss KM, Xie Y, McHugh EA, Li JT, Advincula PA, Chen W, Lin J, Tour JM. Machine Learning Guided Synthesis of Flash Graphene. Adv Mater 2022; 34:e2106506. [PMID: 35064973 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202106506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Advances in nanoscience have enabled the synthesis of nanomaterials, such as graphene, from low-value or waste materials through flash Joule heating. Though this capability is promising, the complex and entangled variables that govern nanocrystal formation in the Joule heating process remain poorly understood. In this work, machine learning (ML) models are constructed to explore the factors that drive the transformation of amorphous carbon into graphene nanocrystals during flash Joule heating. An XGBoost regression model of crystallinity achieves an r2 score of 0.8051 ± 0.054. Feature importance assays and decision trees extracted from these models reveal key considerations in the selection of starting materials and the role of stochastic current fluctuations in flash Joule heating synthesis. Furthermore, partial dependence analyses demonstrate the importance of charge and current density as predictors of crystallinity, implying a progression from reaction-limited to diffusion-limited kinetics as flash Joule heating parameters change. Finally, a practical application of the ML models is shown by using Bayesian meta-learning algorithms to automatically improve bulk crystallinity over many Joule heating reactions. These results illustrate the power of ML as a tool to analyze complex nanomanufacturing processes and enable the synthesis of 2D crystals with desirable properties by flash Joule heating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Kevin M Wyss
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Yunchao Xie
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Emily A McHugh
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - John Tianci Li
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Paul A Advincula
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Weiyin Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jian Lin
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, Welch Institute for Advanced Materials, Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Department of Computer Science, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 222, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
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19
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Webster IJ, Beckham JL, Johnson ND, Duncan MA. Photochemical Synthesis and Spectroscopy of Covalent PAH Dimers. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:1144-1157. [PMID: 35152698 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c10606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Laser photochemistry of pressed-pellet samples of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) produces covalently bonded dimers and some higher polymers. This chemistry was discovered initially via laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry experiments, which produced masses (m/z) of 2M-2 and 2M-4 (where M is the monomer parent mass). Dimers are believed to be formed from photochemical dehydrogenation and radical polymerization chemistry in the desorption plume. Replication of these ablation conditions at higher throughput allowed PAH dimers of pyrene, perylene, and coronene to be produced and collected in milligram quantities. Differential sublimation provided purification of the dimers and elimination of residual monomers. The purified dimers were investigated with UV-visible, IR, and Raman spectroscopy, complemented by computational studies using density functional theory at the CAM-B3LYP/def2-TZV level. Calculations and predicted spectra were calibrated by comparison with the corresponding monomers and used to determine the lowest energy dimer structures. Infrared and Raman spectroscopy provided few distinctive signatures, but UV-visible spectra detected new transitions for each dimer. The comparison of simulated and experimental spectra allows determination of the most prevalent structures for the PAH dimers. The work presented here provides interesting insights into the spectroscopy of extended aromatic systems and a new strategy for the photochemical synthesis of large PAH dimers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian J Webster
- Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2556, Georgia
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2556, Georgia
| | - Natalie D Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2556, Georgia
| | - Michael A Duncan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2556, Georgia
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20
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Chen W, Li JT, Wang Z, Algozeeb WA, Luong DX, Kittrell C, McHugh EA, Advincula PA, Wyss KM, Beckham JL, Stanford MG, Jiang B, Tour JM. Ultrafast and Controllable Phase Evolution by Flash Joule Heating. ACS Nano 2021; 15:11158-11167. [PMID: 34138536 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c03536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Flash Joule heating (FJH), an advanced material synthesis technique, has been used for the production of high-quality carbon materials. Direct current discharge through the precursors by large capacitors has successfully converted carbon-based starting materials into bulk quantities of turbostratic graphene by the FJH process. However, the formation of other carbon allotropes, such as nanodiamonds and concentric carbon materials, as well as the covalent functionalization of different carbon allotropes by the FJH process, remains challenging. Here, we report the solvent-free FJH synthesis of three different fluorinated carbon allotropes: fluorinated nanodiamonds, fluorinated turbostratic graphene, and fluorinated concentric carbon. This is done by millisecond flashing of organic fluorine compounds and fluoride precursors. Spectroscopic analysis confirms the modification of the electronic states and the existence of various short-range and long-range orders in the different fluorinated carbon allotropes. The flash-time-dependent relationship is further demonstrated to control the phase evolution and product compositions.
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Beckham JL, Li JT, Stanford MG, Chen W, McHugh EA, Advincula PA, Wyss KM, Chyan Y, Boldman WL, Rack PD, Tour JM. High-Resolution Laser-Induced Graphene from Photoresist. ACS Nano 2021; 15:8976-8983. [PMID: 33900723 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c01843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The fabrication of patterned graphene electronics at high resolution is an important challenge for many applications in microelectronics. Here, we demonstrate the conversion of positive photoresist (PR), commonly employed in the commercial manufacture of consumer electronics, into laser-induced graphene (LIG). Sequential lasing converts the PR photopolymer first into amorphous carbon, then to photoresist-derived LIG (PR-LIG). The resulting material possesses good conductivity and is easily doped with metal or other additives for additional functionality. Furthermore, photolithographic exposure of PR prior to lasing enables the generation of PR-LIG patterns small enough to be invisible to the naked eye. By exploiting PR as a photopatternable LIG precursor, PR-LIG can be synthesized with a spatial resolution of ∼10 μm, up to 15 times smaller than conventional LIG patterning methods. The patterning of these small PR-LIG features could offer a powerful and broadly accessible strategy for the fabrication of microscale LIG-derived nanocomposites for on-chip devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Walker L Boldman
- Department of Materials Sciences, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Philip D Rack
- Department of Materials Sciences, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
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