Engineering topics
Liu, Jie
Publications and source records attributed to Liu, Jie.
Continuous liquid-phase synthesis of nickel phosphide nanoparticles in a helically coiled tube reactor
The continuous liquid phase synthesis of nickel phosphide (Ni 2 P) nanoparticles was studied in a helically coiled tube (HCT) reactor both in single-phase and two-phase slug flows. The reactants were nickel acetylacetonate and tri-n-octylphosphine (TOP) in a 1-octadecane solvent. For the single-phase mode, various parameters such as reaction temperature, residence time, TOP concentration, and P/Ni ratio were studied. It was found that lower temperatures of 320 and 340 °C resulted in the formation of mixed Ni 12 P 5 and Ni 2 P phases, while a higher temperature of 360 °C gave mostly Ni 2 P, with particle sizes increasing from 28 to 42 nm. Upon varying the contact time between 88 and 340 s at 360 °C, a likely sequence of reaction involved an amorphous phase that was transformed in parallel to Ni, Ni 12 P 5 , and Ni 2 P. When the flow in the HCT was changed to a two-phase slug flow by using N 2 to split the continuous liquid phase into small liquid columns, the product was nearly 100% Ni 2 P and the particle size was as small as 3–4 nm. This was attributed to the enhanced mass transfer in the small liquid columns of the slug flow that led to higher reaction rates. Finally, it is highlighted that the HCT operated in a slug flow is an efficient and continuous method for the fabrication of nanoparticles.
RNA‐Seq analysis revealed the molecular mechanisms of photobiomodulation effect on human fibroblasts
Abstract Background The photobiomodulation (PBM) effect has been applied to various clinical therapy for a long time. However, the mechanism related to the PBM effect in terms of wavelengths has been lack of in‐depth study, except that ultraviolet radiation has attracted much attention due to its strong cell‐killing effect. Purpose To clarify the principle behind PBM and the main mechanism of improvement. Methods To carry on this study, we created light equipment using three LED chips, which emit 390 nm ultraviolet radiation, 415 nm blue light and 660 nm red light, respectively. We choose human fibroblasts (HF) to be irradiated by three different wavelengths for PBM test. In this study, we used cell counting kit (CCK‐8) test to show the cell proliferation roughly and reported on a systematic RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) analysis at transcriptional expression levels from HF, which accepted PBM of different wavelengths of light. Results We found that 415 nm blue light inhibited cell proliferation and 660 nm red light stimulated cell proliferation while 390 nm ultraviolet radiation has little influence on cell proliferation. Furthermore, RNA‐seq results showed that CSF1R, PPP3CC, ITGAL, ITGAM, IL2RB, and several other differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are involved in the cell proliferation. Relative DEGs values for matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) gene family have shown a great difference in blue and red light radiation especially on MMP25, MMP9, MMP21, and MMP13. Conclusion Taken together, the results provide a valuable resource to describe the variation of HFs under PBM of different light at gene level.
Enhanced hydrogen absorption kinetics by introducing fine eutectic and long-period stacking ordered structure in ternary eutectic Mg–Ni–Y alloy
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Monolignol Benzoates Incorporate into the Lignin of Transgenic Populus trichocarpa Depleted in C3H and C4H
Lignin, an abundant renewable aromatic biopolymer, is an essential macromolecule in terrestrial vascular plants. Genetic modifications affecting monolignol biosynthesis, which produces lignin monomers, alter the metabolic flux through the pathway and are becoming increasingly explored for improving the lignin and biomass quality and for producing high-value commodity chemical feedstocks. Benzoate (BA) conjugates are important metabolites in plants that have not been adequately characterized as components of the lignin structure. In addition to finding trace levels of BA conjugates in wild-type (WT) Populus trichocarpa, these become significantly augmented in strategic triple transgenics. Genes for three key cytochrome P450 enzymes, two 4-hydroxylases (PtrC4H1 and PtrC4H2), and one 3-hydroxylase (PtrC3H3), were downregulated to produce the transgenic plants in which monolignol benzoate (ML-BA) conjugates were incorporated into their lignin at a level some 16-fold higher than in WT. The co-downregulation of PtrC4H1/PtrC4H2/PtrC3H3 genes may cause a rerouting or modification of the pathway due to the interaction of the benzoate biosynthetic pathway with the conventional pathway for monolignol biosynthesis. The total lignin content in the transgenics was decreased by 50%, and the lignin H-unit level was elevated some 70-fold. The wood from the transgenic trees showed reduced recalcitrance toward enzymatic saccharification, which has value for the conversion of plant biomass to bioenergy.
Method of synthesizing small-diameter carbon nanotubes with electron field emission properties
Carbon nanotube material having an outer diameter less than 10 nm and a number of walls less than ten are disclosed. Also disclosed are an electron field emission device including a substrate, an optionally layer of adhesion-promoting layer, and a layer of electron field emission material. The electron field emission material includes a carbon nanotube having a number of concentric graphene shells per tube of from two to ten, an outer diameter from 2 to 8 nm, and a nanotube length greater than 0.1 microns. One method to fabricate carbon nanotubes includes the steps of (a) producing a catalyst containing Fe and Mo supported on MgO powder, (b) using a mixture of hydrogen and carbon containing gas as precursors, and (c) heating the catalyst to a temperature above 950.degree. C. to produce a carbon nanotube. Another method of fabricating an electron field emission cathode includes the steps of (a) synthesizing electron field emission materials containing carbon nanotubes with a number of concentric graphene shells per tube from two to ten, an outer diameter of from 2 to 8 nm, and a length greater than 0.1 microns, (b) dispersing the electron field emission material in a suitable solvent, (c) depositing the electron field emission materials onto a substrate, and (d) annealing the substrate.