Visible-light-induced self-propelled nanobots against nanoplastics.

The accumulation of plastic debris in aquatic organisms has raised serious concerns about the potential health implications of their incorporation into the food chain. However, conventional water remediation techniques are incapable of effectively removing nanoplastics (NPs) smaller than 200 nm, which can have harmful effect on animal and human health. Herein, we demonstrate the "on-the-fly" capture of NPs through their enlargement (approximately 4,100 times) using self-propelled nanobots composed of a metal-organic framework.

Covalent Scrambling in Porous Polyarylthioethers through a Stepwise S Ar for Tunable Bandgap and Porosity.

Porous poly(aryl thioether)s offer stability and electronic tunability by robust sulfur-aryl conjugated architecture, but synthetic access is hindered due to limited control over the nucleophilic nature of sulfides and the air sensitivity of aromatic thiols. Here, we report a simple, one-pot, inexpensive, regioselective synthesis of highly porous poly(aryl thioether)s through polycondensation of perfluoroaromatic compounds with sodium sulfide. The unprecedented temperature-dependent para-directing formation of thioether linkages leads to a stepwise transition of the polymer extension into a network, thereby allowing fine control of the porosity and optical band gaps.

Doped and immobilized titanium dioxide photocatalysts as a potential source of nitrosamine formation.

Immobilized and visible-light-active titanium dioxide (TiO) is widely used for water treatment. However, the accelerated generation of degradation byproducts is a potential risk of TiO-based photocatalysis. This study aimed to investigate the structural effect of engineered TiO samples on the formation of major nitrosamines during photocatalysis.

Optimization of coagulation and sedimentation conditions by turbidity measurement for nano- and microplastic removal.

Plastic pollution has emerged as a potential threat to drinking water quality. Coagulation and sedimentation processes are suggested to be an effective way of removing small plastic particles from water. However, a conventional jar test consumes a large volume of plastic specimens, producing secondary wastes and hindering a quick optimization of the treatment processes for nano/microplastic removal.

Changes in levels of N-nitrosamine formed from amine-containing compounds during chloramination via photocatalytic pretreatment with immobilized TiO: Effect of source water and pH.

We investigated the effectiveness of photocatalytic pretreatment (PCP) of precursors in minimizing the formation potentials (FPs) of carcinogenic nitrosamines, including N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), and N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA), during water chloramination. A steel mesh substrate with immobilized TiO was highly efficient at mitigating nitrosamine formation and removing targeted precursors such as ranitidine, nizatidine, trimebutine, triethanolamine, and metoclopramide. Compared to UVC/HO, PCP under UVA irradiation (intensity of 0.

Quantitative evaluation of the antibacterial factors of ZnO nanorod arrays under dark conditions: Physical and chemical effects on Escherichia coli inactivation.

Although zinc oxide nanorod (ZnO NR) arrays are a nanomaterial that offers efficient bactericidal activity, they have not been systematically evaluated to quantitatively investigate their disinfection mechanism under dark conditions. In this study, ZnO NR arrays of different lengths (0.5-4 μm) were uniformly grown via hydrothermal synthesis.

Processing nanoporous organic polymers in liquid amines.

Rigid network structures of nanoporous organic polymers provide high porosity, which is beneficial for applications such as gas sorption, gas separation, heterogeneous (photo)catalysis, sensing, and (opto)electronics. However, the network structures are practically insoluble. Thus, the processing of nanoporous polymers into nanoparticles or films remains challenging.

Asymmetric Covalent Triazine Framework for Enhanced Visible-Light Photoredox Catalysis via Energy Transfer Cascade.

Complex multiple-component semiconductor photocatalysts can be constructed that display enhanced catalytic efficiency via multiple charge and energy transfer, mimicking photosystems in nature. In contrast, the efficiency of single-component semiconductor photocatalysts is usually limited due to the fast recombination of the photogenerated excitons. Here, we report the design of an asymmetric covalent triazine framework as an efficient organic single-component semiconductor photocatalyst.

Highly Efficient Catalytic Cyclic Carbonate Formation by Pyridyl Salicylimines.

Cyclic carbonates as industrial commodities offer a viable nonredox carbon dioxide fixation, and suitable heterogeneous catalysts are vital for their widespread implementation. Here, we report a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for CO addition to epoxides based on a newly identified active catalytic pocket consisting of pyridine, imine, and phenol moieties. The polymeric, metal-free catalyst derived from this active site converts less-reactive styrene oxide under atmospheric pressure in quantitative yield and selectivity to the corresponding carbonate.

CO -Triggered Switchable Hydrophilicity of a Heterogeneous Conjugated Polymer Photocatalyst for Enhanced Catalytic Activity in Water.

Water compatibility for heterogeneous photocatalysts has been pursued for energy and environmental applications. However, there exists a trade-off between hydrophilicity and recyclability of the photocatalyst. Herein, we report a conjugated polymer photocatalyst with tertiary amine terminals that reversibly binds CO in water, thereby generating switchable hydrophilicity.

Carbon Dioxide Capture Adsorbents: Chemistry and Methods.

Excess carbon dioxide (CO ) emissions and their inevitable consequences continue to stimulate hard debate and awareness in both academic and public spaces, despite the widespread lack of understanding on what really is needed to capture and store the unwanted CO . Of the entire carbon capture and storage (CCS) operation, capture is the most costly process, consisting of nearly 70 % of the price tag. In this tutorial review, CO capture science and technology based on adsorbents are described and evaluated in the context of chemistry and methods, after briefly introducing the current status of CO emissions.

Charge-specific size-dependent separation of water-soluble organic molecules by fluorinated nanoporous networks.

Molecular architecture in nanoscale spaces can lead to selective chemical interactions and separation of species with similar sizes and functionality. Substrate specific sorbent chemistry is well known through highly crystalline ordered structures such as zeolites, metal organic frameworks and widely available nanoporous carbons. Size and charge-dependent separation of aqueous molecular contaminants, on the contrary, have not been adequately developed.