Diblock copolymers composed of a side-chain liquid crystalline azobenzene-containing polymethacrylate and poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PAzoMA-b-PtBA) were prepared using atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). After subsequent selective hydrolysis of PtBA yielding poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), amphiphilic diblock copolymers of PAzoMA-b-PAA were obtained. Aggregation of either PAzoMA or PAA block occurs in solvents selective for one of the blocks. Adding water into dioxane solution of PAzoMA-b-PAA forms micellar aggregates due to the hydrophobic PAzoMA block. Under alternating UV and visible light illumination, reversible changes in micellar aggregates, for both core−shell micelles and vesicles, took place as a result of the reversible trans−cis photoisomerization of azobenzene mesogens in PAzoMA.

The exhausted graphite from spent Li-ion batteries is recycled and reused as a favorable anode for Na/K-ion batteries, and the insights into structural de-/intercalation model are realized.

A full characterization of lipid components is critical for selecting the most suitable microalgae and for downstream processing for biofuel production. This study demonstrates extraction, quantification, and diversity of lipid components from two microalgae of different types. For total lipid quantification, three extraction methods were compared and the method of pre-drying, dry ice-assisted grinding, and sequential solvent extraction gave the highest total lipid recovery. For lipid class composition determination, the photosynthetic Nannochloropsis contained 37.0% polar lipids, 41.1% triacylglycerols, and 12.5% unsaponifiable matter, whereas, the heterotrophic Schizochytrium had much less polar lipids and unsaponifiable matter. Further separation and quantification showed that Nannochloropsis contained more glycolipids (37.1% of total polar lipids) than that in Schizochytrium (14.3%), while Schizochytrium contained much more phospholipids (85.7%) than that in Nannochloropsis (44.7%). The major components in unsaponifiable matter of Nannochloropsis were hydrocarbon and cholesterol (55.8 and 37.7% of the total GC quantifiable matter), which only accounted for 29.3% of total unsaponifiable matter. For Schizochytrium, 15.4% squalene, 28.9% cholesterol, and 43.2% stigmasta-4,7,22-trien-3-ol were found in its GC quantifiable matter, and the total quantified hydrocarbon and sterols accounted for 50.5% of unsaponifiable matter. The lipid compositions of the two types of microalgae are very different, therefore, processing performance, such as lipid extraction and conversion to biodiesel may be different. Similar lipid characterization for other biofuel types of microalgae needs to be made to ensure optimal biofuel processing and fuel quality.

Although sodium ion batteries (SIBs) possess many beneficial features, their rate performance, cycling stability, and safety need improvement for commercial applications. Based on the mechanisms of the sodium ions storage in carbon materials, herein we present a multiple active sites decorated amorphous carbon (MAC) with rich structural defects and heteroatom doping as an anode material for SIBs. The full utilization of fast bonding–debonding processes between the active sites and sodium ions could bring a capacitive strategy to achieve superior sodium storage properties. Consequently, after materials characterization and electrochemical evaluation, the as‐prepared electrode could deliver high rate and long‐life performance. This active‐site‐related design could be extended to other types of electrode materials, thereby contributing to future practical SIB applications.