The emerging solar desalination by interfacial evaporation shows great potential for alleviating the global freshwater crisis. However, salt deposition on the whole evaporation surface during steam generation leads to a deterioration in the evaporation rate and long‐term stability. Herein, it is demonstrated that a hydrogel‐based 3D structure can serve as an efficient and stable solar evaporator by salt localized crystallization for high‐salinity brine desalination. Under the function of micron‐grade brine transport management and edge‐preferential crystallization promoted by this novel design, this 3D hydrogel evaporator exhibits a superior salt‐resistant property without salt deposition on the photothermal surface even in 20 wt% brine for continuous 24‐h illumination. Moreover, by virtue of the synergistic effect of the promising 3D structure and excellent water transport of hydrogel, the proposed evaporator possesses an excellent evaporation performance achieving 2.07 kg m−2 h−1 on average in a high‐salinity brine (from 10 to 25 wt% NaCl) under 1 sun irradiation, among the best values reported in the literature. With stable and efficient evaporation performance out of high‐salinity brine, this design holds great potential for its applications in sustainable solar desalination.

No abstract

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance was one of serious worldwide problems confused many researchers. To solve this problem, we explored the antibacterial effect of chelerythrine, a natural compound from traditional Chinese medicine and studied its action.MethodsThe contents of chelerythrine from different fractions of Toddalia asiatica (Linn) Lam (T. asiatica) were determined. The anti-bacterial activities of chelerythrine were tested by disc diffusion method (K-B method). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), bacterial extracellular protein leakage and SDS-PAGE analysis were also used to investigate the antibacterial mechanism of chelerythrine.ResultsAnalytic results of High Performance Liquid Chromatography showed that the content of chelerythrine (1.97 mg/g) in the ethyl acetate fraction was the highest, followed by those of methanol fraction and petroleum ether fraction. The in vitro anti-bacterial mechanisms of chelerythrine from T. asiatica were assessed. Chelerythrine showed strong antibacterial activities against Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus (SA), Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and extended spectrum β-lactamase S. aureus (ESBLs-SA). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of chelerythrine on three bacteria were all 0.156 mg/mL. Furthermore, results suggested that the primary anti-bacterial mechanism of chelerythrine may be attributed to its destruction of the channels across the bacterial cell membranes, causing protein leakage to the outside of the cell, and to its inhibition on protein biosynthesis. Images of scanning electron microscope revealed severe morphological changes in chelerythrine-treated bacteria except control, damage of parts of the cell wall and cell membrane as well as the leakage of some substances.ConclusionsChelerythrine isolated from root of Toddalia asiatica (Linn) Lam possesses antibacterial activities through destruction of bacterial cell wall and cell membrance and inhibition of protein biosynthesis.

The properties of low viscosity, hydrophobic magnetic ionic liquids featuring transition and rare earth metal hexafluoroacetylacetonate chelated anions paired with the trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium cation are studied.