1
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Gabana K, Gehring GA, Zeng X, Ungar G. Quantitative Model of Multiple Crystal Growth Rate Minima in Polymers with Regularly Spaced Substituent Groups. Macromolecules 2024; 57:1667-1676. [PMID: 38435680 PMCID: PMC10902838 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c02432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
A simple theory has been developed to explain quantitatively the multiple crystal growth rate minima observed experimentally in polyethylene brassylates (PEBs), polymers with regularly spaced "chemical defects", in this case, diester groups separated by 11 methylenes. The minima occur at the transitions where the fold length drops from 4 to 3 repeat units and from 3 to 2 units. An analytical rate-equation model was developed with elementary attachment and detachment steps of individual monomer repeat units, also including postattachment stem lengthening (stem conversion). The model produced a good fit to experimental crystallization rate curves for PEBs of three different molecular weights. The fits confirm in a quantitative way that the anomalies are caused by the self-poisoning effect, as proposed in the original experimental report on PEBs, based on the ideas developed in previous studies on long-chain n-alkanes. It is concluded that the rate minima in PEBs are the result of temporary attachment to the growth surface of stems that are too short to be stable yet long enough and close to stability to obstruct productive growth by stems of sufficient length. The results confirm the ubiquitous presence of self-poisoning at the growth front of polymer crystals in general and will help to achieve a better understanding of the complex process of crystallization of polymers. It will also allow the determination of more realistic parameters controlling their lamellar growth kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kutlwano Gabana
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, U.K.
| | - Gillian A. Gehring
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, U.K.
| | - Xiangbing Zeng
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, U.K.
| | - Goran Ungar
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, U.K.
- Shaanxi
International Research Center for Soft Materials, School of Material
Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong
University, Xi’an 710049, China
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2
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Janani H, Marxsen SF, Eck M, Mecking S, Tashiro K, Alamo RG. Polymorphism and Stretch-Induced Transformations of Sustainable Polyethylene-Like Materials. ACS Macro Lett 2024:201-206. [PMID: 38261790 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.3c00639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Herein we demonstrate that polyethylene-like bioderived, biodegradable, and fully recyclable unbranched aliphatic polyesters, such as PE-2,18, develop hexagonal crystal structures upon quenching from the melt to temperatures <∼50 °C and orthorhombic-like packing at higher quenching temperatures or after isothermal crystallization. Both crystal types are layered. While all-trans CH2 packing characterizes the structure of the orthorhombic-like form, there is significant conformational disorder in the staggered long CH2 sequences of the hexagonal crystals. On heating, the hexagonal crystals transform to the orthorhombic type at ∼60 °C via melt recrystallization, but no change is apparent during heating samples with the orthorhombic form up to the melting point (∼95 °C). The hexagonal structure is of interest not only because it develops under very rapid quenching from the melt but also because under uniaxial tensile deformation it undergoes a stretch-induced transformation to the orthorhombic structure. Compared to deformation of orthorhombic specimens that maintain the same crystal type, such transformation results in larger strains and enhanced strain hardening, thus representing a desired toughening mechanism for this type of polyethylene-like materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Janani
- FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - Stephanie F Marxsen
- FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - Marcel Eck
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Stefan Mecking
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Kohji Tashiro
- Aichi Synchrotron Radiation Center, Knowledge Hub Aichi, Minami-Yamaguchi, Seto 489-0965, Japan
| | - Rufina G Alamo
- FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
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3
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Kandola T, Venkatesan S, Zhang J, Lerbakken BT, Von Schulze A, Blanck JF, Wu J, Unruh JR, Berry P, Lange JJ, Box AC, Cook M, Sagui C, Halfmann R. Pathologic polyglutamine aggregation begins with a self-poisoning polymer crystal. eLife 2023; 12:RP86939. [PMID: 37921648 PMCID: PMC10624427 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A long-standing goal of amyloid research has been to characterize the structural basis of the rate-determining nucleating event. However, the ephemeral nature of nucleation has made this goal unachievable with existing biochemistry, structural biology, and computational approaches. Here, we addressed that limitation for polyglutamine (polyQ), a polypeptide sequence that causes Huntington's and other amyloid-associated neurodegenerative diseases when its length exceeds a characteristic threshold. To identify essential features of the polyQ amyloid nucleus, we used a direct intracellular reporter of self-association to quantify frequencies of amyloid appearance as a function of concentration, conformational templates, and rational polyQ sequence permutations. We found that nucleation of pathologically expanded polyQ involves segments of three glutamine (Q) residues at every other position. We demonstrate using molecular simulations that this pattern encodes a four-stranded steric zipper with interdigitated Q side chains. Once formed, the zipper poisoned its own growth by engaging naive polypeptides on orthogonal faces, in a fashion characteristic of polymer crystals with intramolecular nuclei. We further show that self-poisoning can be exploited to block amyloid formation, by genetically oligomerizing polyQ prior to nucleation. By uncovering the physical nature of the rate-limiting event for polyQ aggregation in cells, our findings elucidate the molecular etiology of polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tej Kandola
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
- The Open UniversityMilton KeynesUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Jiahui Zhang
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State UniversityRaleighUnited States
| | | | | | | | - Jianzheng Wu
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityUnited States
| | - Jay R Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Paula Berry
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Jeffrey J Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Andrew C Box
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Malcolm Cook
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Celeste Sagui
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State UniversityRaleighUnited States
| | - Randal Halfmann
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
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4
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Kandola T, Venkatesan S, Zhang J, Lerbakken B, Schulze AV, Blanck JF, Wu J, Unruh J, Berry P, Lange JJ, Box A, Cook M, Sagui C, Halfmann R. Pathologic polyglutamine aggregation begins with a self-poisoning polymer crystal. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.20.533418. [PMID: 36993401 PMCID: PMC10055281 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.20.533418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
A long-standing goal of amyloid research has been to characterize the structural basis of the rate-determining nucleating event. However, the ephemeral nature of nucleation has made this goal unachievable with existing biochemistry, structural biology, and computational approaches. Here, we addressed that limitation for polyglutamine (polyQ), a polypeptide sequence that causes Huntington's and other amyloid-associated neurodegenerative diseases when its length exceeds a characteristic threshold. To identify essential features of the polyQ amyloid nucleus, we used a direct intracellular reporter of self-association to quantify frequencies of amyloid appearance as a function of concentration, conformational templates, and rational polyQ sequence permutations. We found that nucleation of pathologically expanded polyQ involves segments of three glutamine (Q) residues at every other position. We demonstrate using molecular simulations that this pattern encodes a four-stranded steric zipper with interdigitated Q side chains. Once formed, the zipper poisoned its own growth by engaging naive polypeptides on orthogonal faces, in a fashion characteristic of polymer crystals with intramolecular nuclei. We further show that self-poisoning can be exploited to block amyloid formation, by genetically oligomerizing polyQ prior to nucleation. By uncovering the physical nature of the rate-limiting event for polyQ aggregation in cells, our findings elucidate the molecular etiology of polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tej Kandola
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- The Open University, Milton Keyes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | | | - Jiahui Zhang
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | | | - Alex Von Schulze
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jillian F Blanck
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jianzheng Wu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Paula Berry
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Andrew Box
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Malcolm Cook
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Celeste Sagui
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Randal Halfmann
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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5
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Yu Y, Zheng Y, Liang J, Sun X, Cao Y, Pan P, Wei Z. Temperature-Dependent Polymorphic Crystallization and Crystalline Structure of Unsaturated Polyesters Derived from cis-2-Butene-1,4-diol. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yu
- Department of Polymer Science and Materials, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian116024, China
- College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Dalian University, Dalian116622, China
| | - Ying Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou310027, China
- Institute of Zhejiang University-Quzhou, 78 Jiuhua Boulevard North, Quzhou324000, China
| | - Junhao Liang
- Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology (AISMST), School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, 510640Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoli Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing100029, China
| | - Yan Cao
- Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology (AISMST), School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, 510640Guangzhou, China
| | - Pengju Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou310027, China
- Institute of Zhejiang University-Quzhou, 78 Jiuhua Boulevard North, Quzhou324000, China
| | - Zhiyong Wei
- Department of Polymer Science and Materials, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian116024, China
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6
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Zhang X, Buzinkai J, Quinn E, Rhoades A. Key Insights into the Differences between Bimodal Crystallization Kinetics of Polyamide 66 and Polyamide 6. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoshi Zhang
- School of Engineering, Penn State Behrend, Erie, Pennsylvania16563, United States
| | | | - Evan Quinn
- School of Engineering, Penn State Behrend, Erie, Pennsylvania16563, United States
| | - Alicyn Rhoades
- School of Engineering, Penn State Behrend, Erie, Pennsylvania16563, United States
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7
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Marxsen SF, Song D, Zhang X, Flores I, Fernández J, Sarasua JR, Müller AJ, Alamo RG. Crystallization Rate Minima of Poly(ethylene brassylate) at Temperatures Transitioning between Quantized Crystal Thicknesses. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie F. Marxsen
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer St., Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - Daokun Song
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer St., Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - Xiaoshi Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer St., Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - Irma Flores
- POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 3, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Jorge Fernández
- POLIMERBIO SL, Paseo Miramón 170, Planta 3, Lab. B05, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - José Ramón Sarasua
- Department of Mining-Metallurgy Engineering and Materials Science, POLYMAT, Faculty of Engineering in Bilbao, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Plaza Torres Quevedo 1, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Alejandro J. Müller
- POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 3, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Plaza Euskadi 5, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Rufina G. Alamo
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer St., Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
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8
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Zhang X, Gohn A, Mendis G, Buzinkai JF, Weigand SJ, Rhoades AM. Probing Three Distinct Crystal Polymorphs of Melt-Crystallized Polyamide 6 by an Integrated Fast Scanning Calorimetry Chip System. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoshi Zhang
- School of Engineering, Penn State Behrend, Erie, Pennsylvania 16563, United States
| | - Anne Gohn
- School of Engineering, Penn State Behrend, Erie, Pennsylvania 16563, United States
| | - Gamini Mendis
- School of Engineering, Penn State Behrend, Erie, Pennsylvania 16563, United States
| | | | - Steven J. Weigand
- DND-CAT Synchrotron Research Center, Northwestern University, APS/ANL Building 432-A004, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Alicyn M. Rhoades
- School of Engineering, Penn State Behrend, Erie, Pennsylvania 16563, United States
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9
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Marxsen SF, Häußler M, Mecking S, Alamo RG. Crystallization of Long-Spaced Precision Polyacetals III: Polymorphism and Crystallization Kinetics of Even Polyacetals Spaced by 6 to 26 Methylenes. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:1560. [PMID: 34067999 PMCID: PMC8152236 DOI: 10.3390/polym13101560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper we extend the study of polymorphism and crystallization kinetics of aliphatic polyacetals to include shorter (PA-6) and longer (PA-26) methylene lengths in a series of even long-spaced systems. On a deep quenching to 0 °C, the longest even polyacetals, PA-18 and PA-26, develop mesomorphic-like disordered structures which, on heating, transform progressively to hexagonal, Form I, and Form II crystallites. Shorter polyacetals, such as PA-6 and PA-12 cannot bypass the formation of Form I. In these systems a mixture of this form and disordered structures develops even under fast deep quenching. A prediction from melting points that Form II will not develop in polyacetals with eight or fewer methylene groups between consecutive acetals was further corroborated with data for PA-6. The temperature coefficient of the overall crystallization rate of the two highest temperature polymorphs, Form I and Form II, was analyzed from the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) peak crystallization times. The crystallization rate of Form II shows a deep inversion at temperatures approaching the polymorphic transition region from above. The new data on PA-26 confirm that at the minimum rate the heat of fusion is so low that crystallization becomes basically extinguished. The rate inversion and dramatic drop in the heat of fusion irrespective of crystallization time are associated with a competition in nucleation between Forms I and II. The latter is due to large differences in nucleation barriers between these two phases. As PA-6 does not develop Form II, the rate data of this polyacetal display a continuous temperature gradient. The data of the extended polyacetal series demonstrate the important role of methylene sequence length on polymorphism and crystallization kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie F. Marxsen
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer St, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA;
| | - Manuel Häußler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany; (M.H.); (S.M.)
| | - Stefan Mecking
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany; (M.H.); (S.M.)
| | - Rufina G. Alamo
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer St, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA;
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10
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Abstract
Nucleation plays a vital role in polymer crystallization, in which chain connectivity and thus the multiple length and time scales make crystal nucleation of polymer chains an interesting but complex subject. Though the topic has been intensively studied in the past decades, there are still many open questions to answer. The final properties of semicrystalline polymer materials are affected by all of the following: the starting melt, paths of nucleation, organization of lamellar crystals and evolution of the final crystalline structures. In this viewpoint, we attempt to discuss some of the remaining open questions and corresponding concepts: non-equilibrated polymers, self-induced nucleation, microscopic kinetics of different processes, metastability of polymer lamellar crystals, hierarchical order and cooperativity involved in nucleation, etc. Addressing these open questions through a combination of novel concepts, new theories and advanced approaches provides a deeper understanding of the multifaceted process of crystal nucleation of polymers.
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11
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Zhang S, Wang Z, Guo B, Xu J. Secondary nucleation in polymer crystallization: A kinetic view. POLYMER CRYSTALLIZATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pcr2.10173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Zhang
- Advanced Materials Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering Tsinghua University Beijing China
| | - Zhiqi Wang
- Advanced Materials Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering Tsinghua University Beijing China
| | - Baohua Guo
- Advanced Materials Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering Tsinghua University Beijing China
| | - Jun Xu
- Advanced Materials Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering Tsinghua University Beijing China
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