Professor Lai Yuekun’s team from Fuzhou University has conducted innovative research addressing the urgent demand for strong adhesive hydrogels in fields such as wearable sensors, soft robotics, tissue engineering, and wound dressings. Currently, interface adhesive materials face two major technical challenges: firstly, difficulty in achieving rapid and reversible switching between adhesive and non-adhesive states; secondly, poor adhesion performance in multi-liquid environments. Recently, the team conducted in-depth studies using the CIQTEK scanning electron microscope.   The PANC/T hydrogel was synthesized from acrylamide (AAm), N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), a micellar solution composed of sodium dodecyl sulfate/methyl octadecyl methacrylate/sodium chloride (SDS/OMA/NaCl), and phosphotungstic acid (PTA). Dynamic interactions between PNIPAM chains and SDS enabled on-demand adhesion and separation. Further soaking in Fe³⁺ solution produced the PANC/T-Fe hydrogel, which achieves strong adhesion in various wet environments. This resulted in the development of an intelligent interface adhesive hydrogel with rapid responsiveness, capable of controlled adhesion and separation under different humidity conditions. The research was published in Advanced Functional Materials under the title "Temperature-Mediated Controllable Adhesive Hydrogels with Remarkable Wet Adhesion Properties Based on Dynamic Interchain Interactions."     Synthesis and Structural Characteristics of Controllable Adhesive Hydrogel PANC/T-Fe hydrogel is synthesized by copolymerization of hydrophilic AAm, amphiphilic NIPAM, and hydrophobic OMA. PTA acts as a crosslinker, forming hydrogen bonds with amino groups on polymer chains to establish a stable network. The team discovered that interactions between NIPAM and SDS are critical to the hydrogel’s temperature-sensitive adhesion. At lower temperatures, SDS crystallizes and adheres to PNIPAM chains, hindering adhesive functional groups from interacting with substrates and reducing adhesion. As temperature rises, SDS crystals melt, improving contact between adhesive groups and substrates and significantly increasing adhesion. PTA enhances adhesion at higher temperatures by physically interacting with polymer amino groups; this interaction weakens upon heating, softening the hydrogel and generating more adhesive sites. The dynamic regulation between polymer chains enables reversible, on-demand adhesion.   Figure 1. Hydrogel synthesis and mechanism of reversible wet adhesion.   Temperature Regulation Mechanism of Adhesion Performance Through comparative experiments, the team confirmed that the synergistic effect of NIPAM and the micellar solution is key to the hydrogel’s temperature-sensitive adhesion. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) results indicate the temperature response is unrelated to NIPAM’s Lower Critical Solution Temperature (LCST), but influenced by NIPAM-SDS int...

On June 20, 2025, representatives of the Beijing Physical & Chemistry Testing Technology Society visited CIQTEK. A special seminar on “Innovation and Application of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Technology” was held, along with on-site Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) data testing and comparison. The Beijing Physical & Chemistry Testing Technology Society was established in 1980 as an academic organization voluntarily formed by experts in the analytical testing industry in the Beijing area. Its purpose is to unite and organize professionals in the analytical testing field within Beijing, promoting the development of analytical testing technologies. The society currently has over 1,000 members.   CIQTEK Launched NMR Spectrometer, Impressed Visiting Experts with On-site Performance At the Beijing Spectroscopy Conference held from May 23 to 25, 2025, CIQTEK President Dr. Max He officially announced the new products — the 400 MHz and 600 MHz NMR spectrometers. Although Dr. Max's presentation featured only a few slides on CIQTEK NMR instruments, it sparked considerable interest within the Beijing Physical & Chemistry Testing Technology Society. CIQTEK's emergence as a manufacturer of high-field NMR spectrometers was met with both surprise and excitement. The announcement quickly became a topic of lively discussion, with many experts expressing a strong desire to visit CIQTEK for an in-depth look at the instruments. In response, CIQTEK extended a formal invitation to members of the Beijing Physical & Chemistry Testing Technology Society, including committee members and relevant experts, to visit the company for an on-site evaluation of their NMR research. This marked the Society’s first official delegation visit outside of Beijing.   Group photo of the Beijing Physical & Chemistry Testing Technology Society delegation and the CIQTEK team   On-site Benchmarking: Data Performance, Analysis Speed, and Quantity During the one-day visit, participants engaged in in-depth discussions and hands-on data acquisition. The interaction was highly productive, with both sides delving into technical details and application insights. Numerous questions and suggestions were raised, making the session both interactive and constructive.   Reliable Spectral Data The reliability of spectral data is the primary criterion for evaluating the performance of an NMR spectrometer. Therefore, sensitivity, testing efficiency, and spectral quality were key focuses during this on-site evaluation. During the comparative testing session, two standard samples were prepared for live demonstrations: 0.1% Ethylbenzene — used to evaluate ¹H sensitivity 40% ASTM standard — used to evaluate ¹³C sensitivity   The detailed comparison results are as follows: (1) ¹H sensitivity The test results from other manufacturers are as follows: Brand A: Measured signal-to-noise ratio of 341:1 (sample not s...

Recently, the top international academic journal "Science" published a research paper titled "Fatigue of Li metal anode in solid-state batteries" by Professor Wei Luo from Tongji University, along with Professor Yunhui Huang from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and other collaborators.   This study revealed for the first time the fatigue failure phenomenon of the lithium metal anode in solid-state batteries, unveiled a new fatigue failure mechanism, and proposed novel strategies to inhibit fatigue failure and enhance the performance of solid-state batteries.     In this research, the team utilized the Tungsten Filament SEM from CIQTEK for in-situ SEM fatigue testing and obtained excellent test results.   >> Link to the original paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq6807   Recently, the first author of this paper, Professor Bo Chen from Tongji University, was invited to visit CIQTEK and granted an interview with us.     Professor Bo Chen introduced: "Our research group mainly focuses on two aspects, one being imaging with synchrotron X-rays, and the other involving electron microscopy imaging, as with CIQTEK. The work of our entire research group revolves around the nano- and micro-structures of materials, particularly in the three-dimensional nano- and micro-structures of materials. Therefore, our entire research group can be referred to as the materials nano- and micro-structure research group."   Regarding the paper recently published in "Science," Professor Bo Chen stated: "The paper seized upon a phenomenon that hadn't been extensively considered before, which is the fatigue of lithium metal. Previously, everyone believed that it was electrochemical fatigue generated during charging and discharging processes, but in reality, it also exhibits mechanical fatigue during these processes."   "The primary discovery of this research is that lithium exhibits not only electrochemical fatigue during charging and discharging but also mechanical fatigue manifested during these processes, which combined are the main causes of destruction in the lithium metal of solid-state batteries. The paper further suggests that by alloying lithium metal to enhance its physical properties, the lifespan of solid-state batteries can be improved. This is a groundbreaking finding and quite intriguing."   When designing experiments, the team observed both types of fatigue by installing fatigue devices on the electron microscope. Since the research group only had one electron microscope, to comprehensively observe, they used an in-situ tensile stage developed by Professor Jixue Li at Hangzhou Yuanwei Technology Company. Professor Bo Chen said, "With the help of Professor Li, we jointly created a fatigue tensile-testing device. The mechanical fatigue experiment of lithium metal was conducted by Professor Li using the electron microscope from CIQTEK for in-situ tensile testing....