Abstract: Solid‐state Li batteries using Na+ superionic conductor type solid electrolyte attracts wide interest because of its safety and high theoretical energy density. The NASCION type solid electrolyte LAGP (Li1.5Al0.5Ge0.5P3O12) shows favorable conductivity as well as good mechanical strength to prevent Li dendrite penetration. However, the instability of LAGP with Li metal remains a great challenge. In this work, an amorphous Ge thin film is sputtered on an LAGP surface, which can not only suppress the reduction reaction of Ge4+ and Li, but also produces intimate contact between the Li metal and the LAGP solid electrolyte. The symmetric cell with the Ge‐coated LAGP solid electrolyte shows superior stability and cycle performance for 100 cycles at 0.1 mA cm−2. A quasi‐solid‐state Li–air battery has also been assembled to further demonstrate this advantage. A stable cycling performance of 30 cycles in ambient air can be obtained. This work helps to achieve a stable and ionic conducting interface in solid‐state Li batteries.

Abstract: The detection of phosphates and their enzymatic hydrolysis is of great importance because of their essential roles in various biological processes and numerous diseases. Compared with individual sensors for detecting one given phosphate at a time, sensor arrays are able to discriminate multiple phosphates simultaneously. Although nanomaterial-based sensor arrays have shown great promise for the discrimination of phosphates, very few of them have been explored for probing phosphates involved enzymatic hydrolysis. To fill this gap, herein we fabricated two-dimensional-metal–organic-framework (2D-MOF)-nanozyme-based sensor arrays by modulating their peroxidase-mimicking activity with various phosphates, including AMP, ADP, ATP, pyrophosphate (PPi), and phosphate (Pi). The sensor arrays were used to successfully discriminate the five phosphates not only in aqueous solutions but also in biological samples. The practical application of the sensor arrays was then validated with blind samples, where 30 unknown sa...

Abstract: Cooperation is a prevalent phenomenon in nature and how it originates and maintains is a fundamental question in ecology. Many efforts have been made to understand cooperation between individuals in the same species, while the mechanisms enabling cooperation between different species are less understood. Here, we investigated under strict in vitro culture conditions if the exchange of carbon and phosphorus is pivotal to the cooperation between the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Rhizophagus irregularis and the phosphate solubilizing bacterium (PSB) Rahnella aquatilis. We observed that fructose exuded by the AMF stimulated the expression of phosphatase genes in the bacterium as well as the rate of phosphatase release into the growth medium by regulating its protein secretory system. The phosphatase activity was subsequently increased, promoting the mineralization of organic phosphorus (i.e., phytate) into inorganic phosphorus, stimulating simultaneously the processes involved in phosphorus uptake by the AMF. Our results demonstrated for the first time that fructose not only is a carbon source, but also plays a role as a signal molecule triggering bacteria-mediated organic phosphorus mineralization processes. These results highlighted the molecular mechanisms by which the hyphal exudates play a role in maintaining the cooperation between AMF and bacteria.

Abstract: The design of an environmentally benign cost-effective adsorbent for superfast removal of phosphate from wastewater is vital but remains a huge challenge. Herein, we have developed a recyclable, low-cost nanostructured bio-adsorbent, poly(ethyleneimine)-graft-alkali lignin loaded with nanoscale lanthanum hydroxide (AL–PEI–La), by a facile fabrication. AL–PEI–La was found to exhibit an excellent adsorption performance toward phosphate ions. For example, 94% of the phosphate ions from 40 mL of a solution containing 50 mg P L−1 phosphate ions was removed in 60 min. Additionally, in a low phosphate concentration wastewater of 2.0 mg P L−1, 95% of phosphate was removed in just 1 min and 99% of phosphate was removed in 15 min and the phosphate concentration dramatically decreased below 50 μg P L−1, which met the standard of eutrophication prevention. The adsorption capacity of AL–PEI–La for phosphate ions was found to be 65.79 mg P g−1, which is 33 times larger than that of lignin. AL–PEI–La shows strong anti-jamming capability in terms of pH value (3.0–9.0) and the co-existing ions of the aqueous solution exhibiting highly selective capacity for phosphate removal. The interactions between surface precipitation and ligand exchange are predominantly responsible for the adsorption process. Importantly, it shows a good reusability and 85.76% of the original adsorption capacity remains after 3 cycles. Thus, the as-designed nanostructured bio-adsorbent with exceptional adsorption effectiveness and efficiency is expected to find extensive applications for remediating the phosphate-contaminated waters.

Abstract: The occurrence of 14 organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers (PFRs) was investigated in 165 composite food samples purchased from the Belgian market and divided into 14 food categories, including fish, crustaceans, mussels, meat, milk, cheese, dessert, food for infants, fats and oils, grains, eggs, potatoes and derived products, other food (stocks), and vegetables. Seven PFRs [namely, tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP), tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP), triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), 2-ethylhexyldiphenyl phosphate (EHDPHP), and tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP)] were detected at concentrations above quantification limits. Fats and oils were the most contaminated category, with a total PFR concentration of 84.4 ng/g of wet weight (ww), followed by grains (36.9 ng/g of ww) and cheese (20.1 ng/g of ww). Our results support the hypothesis that PFR contamination may occur during industrial processing and manipulation of food products (e.g., packaging, canning, drying, etc.). Considering the daily average intake of food for the modal adult Belgian (15-64 years of age), the dietary exposure to sum PFRs was estimated to be ≤7500 ± 1550 ng/day [103 ± 21 ng/kg of body weight (bw)/day]. For individual PFRs, TPHP contributed on average 3400 ng/day (46.6 ng/kg of bw/day), TCIPP 1350 ng/day (18.5 ng/kg of bw/day), and EHDPHP 1090 ng/day (15 ng/kg of bw/day), values that were lower than their corresponding health-based reference doses. The mean dietary exposure mainly originated from grains (39%), followed by fats and oils (21%) and dairy products (20%). No significant differences between the intakes of adult men and women were observed.

Abstract: Although the phosphorus atom is found in a variety of oxidation states, most of the phosphorus-containing molecules of pharmacological importance possess phosphorus in the form of phosphonate or phosphinate functional groups, or in a major oxidation state as a phosphate group. The most common occurrence of phosphorus in drugs is either in prodrugs or in compounds for which the phosphorus atom plays a role in the biological activity, such as in modified nucleotides, in metabolically stable analogues of metabolites bearing phosphate groups, and as bioisosteric analogues of carboxyl groups.

Abstract: In mammals, phosphate balance is maintained by influx and efflux via the intestines, kidneys, bone, and soft tissue, which involves multiple sodium/phosphate (Na+/Pi) cotransporters, as well as reg...

Abstract: Phosphorus (P) in animal manures is an important P pool for P recycling and reclamation In recent years, thermochemical techniques have gained much interests for effective waste treatment and P recycling This study comparatively characterized the transformation of P during two representative thermochemical treatments (pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization, HTC) of four animal manures (swine, chicken, beef, and dairy manures) by combining nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and sequential extraction For both pyrolysis and HTC treatments, degradation of organic phosphate and crystallization of Ca phosphate minerals were observed and were highly dependent on treatment temperature Extensive crystallization of Ca phosphate minerals occurred at temperatures above 450 °C during pyrolysis, compared to the lower temperature (175 and 225 °C) requirements during HTC As a result, P was immobilized in the hydrochars and high temperature pyrochars, and was extracted primarily