Novel porous heteroatom-doped biomass activated carbon nanoflakes for efficient solid-state symmetric supercapacitor devices

A state-of-the-art review on biomass-derived carbon materials for supercapacitor applications: From precursor selection to design optimization

Biomass-derived carbon materials have the characteristics of a wide range of precursor sources, controllable carbon nano-dimension, large specific surface area and abundant heteroatoms doping. At present, biomass-derived carbon materials have been widely used in electrochemical energy storage devices, especially the research and development of biomass-derived carbon materials for supercapacitors has become mature and in-depth. Therefore, it is of importance to summarize the advanced technologies and strategies for optimizing biomass-derived carbon materials for supercapacitors, which will effectively promote the further development of high-performance supercapacitors. In this review, the recent research progress of biomass-derived carbon materials is provided in detail, including the selection of biomass precursors, the design of carbon nano-dimension and the theory of heteroatom doping. Besides, the preparation methods of biomass-derived carbon materials and the related processes of optimizing the electrochemical performance are also summarized. This review ends with the perspectives for future research directions and challenges in the field of biomass-derived carbon materials for electrochemical applications. This review aims to provide helpful reference information for the nano-dimensional design and electrochemical performance optimization of biomass-derived carbon materials for the practical application of supercapacitors.

Investigation of TiO2 nanoparticle interactions in the fibroblast NIH-3T3 cells via liquid-mode atomic force microscope

Long before we recognized how significant they were, nanoparticles were already all around in the environment. Since then, an extensive number of synthetic nanoparticles have been engineered to improve our quality of life through rigorous scientific research on their uses in practically every industry, including semiconductor devices, food, medicine, and agriculture. The extensive usage of nanoparticles in commodities that come into proximity with human skin and internal organs through medicine has raised significant concerns over the years. TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) are widely employed in a wide range of industries, such as cosmetics and food packaging. The interaction and internalization of TiO2 NPs in living cells have been studied by the scientific community for many years. In the present study, we investigated the cell viability, nanomechanical characteristics, and fluorescence response of NIH-3T3 cells treated with sterile DMEM TiO2 nanoparticle solution using a liquid-mode atomic force microscope and a fluorescence microscope. Two different sorts of response systems have been observed in the cells depending on the size of the NPs. TiO2 nanoparticles smaller than 100 nm support its initial stages cell viability, and cells internalize and metabolize NPs. In contrast, bigger TiO2 NPs (> 100 nm) are not completely metabolized and cannot impair cell survival. Furthermore, bigger NPs above 100 nm could not be digested by the cells, therefore hindering cell development, whereas below 100 nm TiO2 stimulated uncontrolled cell growth akin to cancerous type cells. The cytoskeleton softens as a result of particle internalization, as seen by the nanomechanical characteristics of the nanoparticle treated cells. According to our investigations, TiO2 smaller than 100 nm facilitates unintended cancer cell proliferation, whereas larger NPs ultimately suppress cell growth. Before being incorporated into commercial products, similar effects or repercussions that could result from employing different NPs should be carefully examined.