Ultrathin 2D/2D ZnInS/LaTiO nanosheets with a Z-scheme heterojunction for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Layered lanthanum titanate (LaTiO) perovskite is a good photocatalytic material owing to its high stability, strong redox ability, and non-toxicity. However, its inherent wide bandgap limits its application in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Therefore, combining LaTiO with two-dimensional (2D) narrow-bandgap semiconductors to form 2D/2D layered structures is the preferred strategy to improve its photocatalytic performance.

Oxidation Mechanism and Toxicity Evolution of Linalool, a Typical Indoor Volatile Chemical Product.

Linalool, a high-reactivity volatile chemical product (VCP) commonly found in cleaning products and disinfectants, is increasingly recognized as an emerging contaminant, especially in indoor air. Understanding the gas-phase oxidation mechanism of linalool is crucial for assessing its impact on atmospheric chemistry and human health. Using quantum chemical calculations and computational toxicology simulations, we investigated the atmospheric transformation and toxicity evolution of linalool under low and high NO/HO· levels, representing indoor and outdoor environments.

Novel hollow core-shell ZnCdS@ZnInS/MoS nanocages with Z-scheme heterojunction for enhanced photocatalysis of hydrogen generation.

The development of low-cost and efficient metal sulfide photocatalysts through morphological and structural design is vital to the advancement of the hydrogen economy. However, metal sulfide semiconductor photocatalysts still suffer from low carrier separation and poor solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiencies. Herein, two-dimensional ZnInS nanosheets were grown on ZnCdS hollow nanocages to construct ZnCdS@ZnInS hollow nanocages for the first time.

Low-NO-like Oxidation Pathway Makes a Significant Contribution to Secondary Organic Aerosol in Polluted Urban Air.

Anthropogenic pollutants can greatly mediate formation pathways and chemical compositions of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in urban atmospheres. We investigated the molecular tracers for different types of SOA in PM under varying NO/NO conditions in Guangzhou using source analysis of particle-phase speciated organics obtained from an iodide chemical ionization mass spectrometer with a Filter Inlet for Gases and AEROsols (FIGAERO-I-CIMS). Results show that low-NO-like pathways (when NO/NO < 0.

Particulate organic emissions from incense-burning smoke: Chemical compositions and emission characteristics.

Incense burning is a common practice in Asian cultures, releasing hazardous particulate organics. Inhaling incense smoke can result in adverse health effects, yet the molecular compositions of incense-burning organics have not been well investigated due to the lack of measurement of intermediate-volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs). To elucidate the detailed emission profile of incense-burning particles, we conducted a non-target measurement of organics emitted from incense combustion.

Copper-Catalyzed Radical Enantioselective Synthesis of γ-Butyrolactones with Two Non-vicinal Carbon Stereocenters.

Chiral heterocycles with two or more carbon stereocenters are quite important skeletons in many fields. However, powerful strategies for the construction of such synthetically valuable heterocycles, especially with two or more remote carbon stereocenters, have largely lagged behind. We report here a powerful method for the synthesis of chiral γ-butyrolactones with two non-vicinal carbon stereocenters from readily available chemical feedstocks under mild conditions.

Investigation of partition coefficients and fingerprints of atmospheric gas- and particle-phase intermediate volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds using pixel-based approaches.

Ambient gas- and particle-phase intermediate volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs) of Beijing were analyzed by a thermal desorption comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography quadrupole mass spectrometry (TD-GC × GC-qMS). A pixel-based scheme combing the integration-based approach was applied for partition coefficients estimation and fingerprints identification. Blob-by-blob recognition was firstly utilized to characterize I/SVOCs from the molecular level.

Field observations and quantifications of atmospheric formaldehyde partitioning in gaseous and particulate phases.

Formaldehyde (HCHO) can possibly be taken by atmospheric particles due to its moderate solubility. Although previous model studies have proposed that uptake by particles was a large sink for HCHO, direct observation of HCHO partitioning and estimation of HCHO uptake coefficient (γ) for tropospheric conditions are still limited. In this work, online measurements of gaseous HCHO (HCHO) and particulate HCHO (HCHO) were carried out simultaneously at an urban site in Beijing in winter and spring.

Research on accounting and detection of volatile organic compounds from a typical petroleum refinery in Hebei, North China.

A volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions inventory of the petroleum refinery in Hebei was established. This refinery emits 1859.2 tons of VOCs per year, with wastewater collection and treatment system being the largest emissions source, accounting for 59.

Regioselective Three-Component Synthesis of Vicinal Diamines via 1,2-Diamination of Styrenes.

The vicinal diamine motif plays a significant role in natural products, drug design, and organic synthesis, and development of synthetic methods for the synthesis of diamines is a long-standing interest. Herein, we report a regioselective intermolecular three-component vicinal diamination of styrenes with acetonitrile and azodicarboxylates. The diamination products can be produced in moderate to excellent yields via the Ritter reaction.

Iron-Catalyzed Radical Asymmetric Aminoazidation and Diazidation of Styrenes.

Asymmetric aminoazidation and diazidation of alkenes are straightforward strategies to build value-added chiral nitrogen-containing compounds from feedstock chemicals. They provide direct access to chiral organoazides and complement enantioselective diamination. Despite the advances in non-asymmetric reactions, asymmetric aminoazidation or diazidation based on acyclic systems has not been previously reported.

Source profiles, emission factors and associated contributions to secondary pollution of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from a local petroleum refinery in Shandong.

An in-depth study was conducted to quantify and characterize VOC emissions from a petroleum refinery located in Shandong, China. The VOC emission inventory established in this study showed that storage tanks were the largest emission source, accounting for 56.4% of total emissions, followed by loading operations, wastewater collection and treatment system, process vents, and equipment leaks.

Copper-Catalyzed Enantioselective Radical 1,4-Difunctionalization of 1,3-Enynes.

Chiral allenes are important structural motifs frequently found in natural products, pharmaceuticals, and other organic compounds. Asymmetric 1,4-difunctionalization of 1,3-enynes is a promising strategy to construct axial chirality and produce substituted chiral allenes from achiral substrates. However, the previous state of the art in 1,4-difunctionalization of 1,3-enynes focused on the allenyl anion pathway.

The potential water-food-health nexus in urban China: A comparative study on dietary changes at home and away from home.

In China, urbanization strengthens the water-food-health nexus by driving dietary changes both at home and away from home (AFH). However, few studies have compared the effects of dining location on water footprint generation and/or linked such habits to the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, myocardial infarction, stroke and cancer. Here, household survey data were used to develop a multiple-component urbanization sequence, on which the diet-related water footprint was quantified and the mechanisms under the water-food-health nexus were explored.

Shift from feeding to sustainably nourishing urban China: A crossing-disciplinary methodology for global environment-food-health nexus.

Dietary change is a win-win opportunity to address the nexus of health and the environment. To prevent city dwellers from developing non-communicable diseases, in 2013, China updated the 2000 version of nutrition-based dietary reference intake (DRI) guidelines. However, whether the DRI guidelines have a positive effect on the environment is not well understood.