Separating microplastics (MPs) from environmental samples is challenging, but necessary to determine their prevalence. Current methods are not standardized across sample type, and it unclear how well they recover smaller sized MPs. In response, we developed a method that extracts plastics magnetically, taking advantage of hydrophobic surface magnetize the plastics. We created Fe nanoparticles bind plastic, allowing magnetic recovery. With this principle applied simple method, recovered 92%...

Observing microplastics in manipulative experiments is of paramount importance for understanding the fate environment, organisms, and food webs. Labeling with fluorescent dyes a useful tool laboratory tracking microplastics. However, literature using fluorescence-based detection heavily biased toward use polystyrene polyethylene microspheres, potentially due to their commercial availability. Consequently, much less understood about nonspherical morphologies other types plastics common...

In spite of the huge research interest, ionic polymers could not have been synthesized in vapor phase because monomers contain nonvolatile salts, preventing from vaporization. Here, we suggest a new, one-step synthetic pathway to form series cross-linked (CIPs) via initiated chemical deposition (iCVD). 2-(Dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and 4-vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) are introduced into iCVD reactor copolymer film. Simultaneously course process, tertiary amine DMAEMA benzylic VBC...

Abstract Despite the importance of sperm DNA to human reproduction, currently no method exists assess individual quality prior clinical selection. Traditionally, skilled clinicians select based on a variety morphological and motility criteria, but without direct knowledge their cargo. Here, we show how deep convolutional neural network can be trained collection ~1000 cells known quality, predict from brightfield images alone. Our results demonstrate moderate correlation (bivariate ~0.43)...

In molecular separation using membranes, enhanced parameters, such as an increased flux and selectivity, are required for efficiency. Additionally, in solvents, solvent resistance is critical preventing solvent-induced damage. However, most membranes lack resistances to specific harsh simultaneously enhancing selectivity performance, which exhibit a trade-off relationship, challenging. this study, high-performance solvent-resistant polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane fabricated via chemical...

A robust superhydrophobic fabric was achieved by depositing a stacked polymer film composed of poly(1,3,5,7-tetravinyl-1,3,5,7-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane) (p(V4D4)) layer and poly(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecylacrylate) (p(PFDA)) layer. The deposited initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD), solventless process that allows conformal coating the on various micro-structured substrates. two polymeric layers most likely formed covalent bonding at their interface, thus characterized both strong...

Microfibers, characterized as small fibers shed from textiles that are less than 5 mm in size, a prominent contaminant the environment. Thus, it is important we have methods to accurately quantify and characterize them, including water, sediment, wildlife, seafood, drinking water samples. Unfortunately, their size presence of different dyes on microfibers themselves cause difficulties identification via conventional spectroscopic total attenuated resonance-Fourier transform infrared Raman....

Over the past decade, homogeneous mixing in microfluidic devices has been a critical challenge, because of inherently low flow rates channels. Although several mixer designs have suggested to achieve efficient mixing, most them involve intricate structures requiring series laborious fabrication processes. Operation at high can greatly enhance by induction turbulence, but that resist such pressure drop induce turbulence channels are difficult fabricate, especially for commonly used...

We show an accessory-free smartphone-based imaging method applicable to different lighting conditions and correct for differences in phone models.

Accurate detection and analysis of traces persistent organic pollutants in water is important many areas, including environmental monitoring food quality control, due to their long stability potential bioaccumulation. While conventional requires expensive equipment, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has demonstrated great for accurate these contaminants. However, SERS analytical difficulties, such as spectral preprocessing, denoising, substrate-based variation, have hindered...

Detection of microplastics from water is crucial for various reasons, such as food safety monitoring, monitoring the fate and transport microplastics, development preventive measures their occurrence. Currently, are detected by isolating them using filtration, separation centrifugation, or membrane subsequently followed analysis well-established analytical methods, Raman spectroscopy. However, due to variability in shape, color, size, density, isolation conventional methods mentioned above...

Liquid organic hydrogen carrier is a promising option for the transport and storage of as clean energy source. This study examines stability behavior drops immobilized on substrate during an interfacial hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) at drop surface its surrounding aqueous solution. Hydrogen microbubbles form within rise to apex. The growth rate in-drop bubble increases with concentration reactant in medium. remains stable till buoyancy acting large enough overcome capillary force...

Exquisite surface wettability control of separation system is required to achieve liquids with low tension difference. Here, we demonstrate a series surface-energy-controlled homogeneous copolymer films the polyester fabric, utilizing vapor-phase process, termed as initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). The consist hydrophobic polymer, poly(2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-2,4,6,8-tetravinylcyclotetrasiloxane), pV4D4, and hydrophilic poly(4-vinylpyridine), p4VP. Because mixing two or more components...

Economical fabrication of waterproof/breathable substrates has many potential applications such as clothing or improved medical dressing. In this work, a facile and reproducible method was developed to render the Janus property arbitrary porous substrates. First, hydrophobic surface obtained by depositing fluoropolymer, poly(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-heptadecafluorodecyl methacrylate) (PHFDMA), on various polyester fabric, nylon mesh, filter paper. With one-step vapor-phase...

Abstract Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is a popular form of in vitro fertilization, where single are selected by clinician and injected into an egg. Whereas clinicians employ general morphology‐based guidelines to select the healthiest‐looking sperm, it remains unclear what extent individual sperm's physical parameters correlate with quality internal DNA cargo—a measurement that cannot be obtained without first damaging sperm. Herein, single‐cell fragmentation index (DFI) assay...

Along with the expansion of microfluidics into many areas applications such as sensors, microreactors and analytical tools, other materials besides poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) have been suggested poly(imide) (PI) or poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). However, sealing methods for these are not reliable in that specific to substrate materials. Here, we report a novel robust doubly cross-linked nano-adhesive (DCNA) bonding various heterogeneous substrates. By depositing 200 nm...

The adhesion of electrodeposited metal film to polymeric circuit board substrate is one the key elements successful miniaturization electronic devices. However, as size pattern continuously decreases, a novel method urgently required increase on substrate, especially smooth surface, which critical decrease minimum feature pattern. In this research, we developed an promoter layer by depositing chelating poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) onto various organic and inorganic substrates via initiated...

Trail polymerization enables a significant enhancement of the DhITACT system. DhITACT-Trail (DNA hydrogel formation by isothermal amplification complementary targets trail polymerization) offers robust diagnosis target RNA strands in pseudo-serum specimen. This system requires minimum liquid handling as compared to conventional analysis. In addition, definitive diagnostic result can be achieved within 30 min an optical detection. As service our authors and readers, this journal provides...

A stretchable moisture-driven power generator (MPG) composed of carbon nanotubes on an electrospun mat is demonstrated. The MPG generated can generate a peak 320 nW and shows reliable operation even at 60% applied strain.

Here, we demonstrate a simple method to systematically control the responsive self-bending behavior of Janus hydrogel microstrips consisting polymeric bilayer with high modulus contrast. The could be easily fabricated by micromolding technique combined an initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) coating, providing flexibility in controlling physical and properties microstrips. microstrip is composed soft, pH-responsive polymer layer laminated highly cross-linked, rigid thin film,...