Bi-functional NiFeO/SrTiO S-scheme heterojunction for eminent performance photocatalytic treatment of sewage effluent and electrochemical hydrazine determination.

Devising of materials that afforded dual applicability in decontamination and pollutant detection were still a towering challenge owing to the increasing flux of discharge toxic contaminants over the years. Herein, the NiFeO nanoparticles-loaded on cube-like SrTiO (NiFeO/SrTiO) composite was fabricated by a two-step hydrothermal approach providing remarkable photocatalytic treatment and electrochemical sensing of noxious pollutants in wastewater. The material traits of the fabricated composite were scrutinized by myriad characterization approaches.

SARS-CoV-2 outbreak: role of viral proteins and genomic diversity in virus infection and COVID-19 progression.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); a severe respiratory distress that has emerged from the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, China during December 2019. COVID-19 is currently the major global health problem and the disease has now spread to most countries in the world. COVID-19 has profoundly impacted human health and activities worldwide.

Synergistic effect of dual phase cocatalysts: MoC-MoC quantum dots anchored on g-CN for high-stability photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

The extensive examination of hexagonal molybdenum carbide (β-MoC) as a non-noble cocatalyst in the realm of photocatalytic H evolution is predominantly motivated by its exceptional capacity to adsorb H ions akin to Pt and its advantageous conductivity characteristics. However, the H evolution rate of photocatalysts modified with β-MoC is limited as a result of their comparatively low ability to release H through desorption. Therefore, a facile method was employed to synthesize carbon intercalated dual phase molybdenum carbide (MC@C) quantum dots (ca.

Self-activated superhydrophilic green ZnInS realizing solar-driven overall water splitting: close-to-unity stability for a full daytime.

Engineering an efficient semiconductor to sustainably produce green hydrogen via solar-driven water splitting is one of the cutting-edge strategies for carbon-neutral energy ecosystem. Herein, a superhydrophilic green hollow ZnInS (gZIS) was fabricated to realize unassisted photocatalytic overall water splitting. The hollow hierarchical framework benefits exposure of intrinsically active facets and activates inert basal planes.

The Advances and Utility of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Regional Anesthesia: An Overview of Recent Developments.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in regional anesthesia has brought about transformative changes in acute pain management for surgical procedures. This review explores the evolving landscape of AI and robotics applications in regional anesthesia, outlining their potential benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations. AI-driven pain assessment, real-time guidance for needle placement during nerve blocks, and predictive modeling solutions for nerve blocks have the potential to enhance procedural precision and improve patient outcomes.

Retrospective insights into recent MXene-based catalysts for CO electro/photoreduction: how far have we gone?

The electro/photocatalytic CO reduction reaction (CORR) is a long-term avenue toward synthesizing renewable fuels and value-added chemicals, as well as addressing the global energy crisis and environmental challenges. As a result, current research studies have focused on investigating new materials and implementing numerous fabrication approaches to increase the catalytic performances of electro/photocatalysts toward the CORR. MXenes, also known as 2D transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, are intriguing materials with outstanding traits.

Recent Advances in Defect-Engineered Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution: Perfecting Imperfections.

Switching to renewable, carbon-neutral sources of energy is urgent and critical for climate change mitigation. Despite how hydrogen production by electrolyzing water can enable renewable energy storage, current technologies unfortunately require rare and expensive platinum group metal electrocatalysts, which limit their economic viability. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are low-cost, earth-abundant materials that possess the potential to replace platinum as the hydrogen evolution catalyst for water electrolysis, but so far, pristine TMDs are plagued by poor catalytic performances.

Development of microwave-assisted nitrogen-modified activated carbon for efficient biogas desulfurization: a practical approach.

Removal of HS (hydrogen sulfide) from biogas is anticipated for higher energy conversion of methane (CH), while reducing the detrimental impacts of corroding the metal parts in the plant and its hazardous effect on humans and the environment. The introduction of microwave (MW) heating and nitrogen-modification could generate superior adsorbent features, contributing to high HS removal. Up to date, there is no work reported on the influence of physicochemical characteristics of nitrogen-modified carbon synthesized via MW and conventional heating (TH) methods and their performance in HS removal.

Enhanced synchronous photocatalytic 4-chlorophenol degradation and Cr(VI) reduction by novel magnetic separable visible-light-driven Z-scheme CoFeO/P-doped BiOBr heterojunction nanocomposites.

The co-existence of organic contaminants and heavy metals including 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and Cr(VI) in aquatic system have become a challenging task in the wastewater treatment. Herein, the synchronous photocatalytic decomposition of 4-CP and Cr(VI) over new Z-scheme CoFeO/P-BiOBr heterojunction nanocomposites were revealed. In this work, the nanocomposites were successfully developed via a surfactant-free hydrothermal method.

Uncovering the multifaceted roles of nitrogen defects in graphitic carbon nitride for selective photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction: a density functional theory study.

Surface defect engineering on the nanoscale has attracted extensive research attention lately; however, its role in modulating the properties and catalytic performance of a semiconducting material has not been comprehensively covered. Here, we systematically unraveled the effect of defect engineering towards textural, electronic and optical properties of graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN), as well as its photocatalytic mechanism of CO reduction using first-principle calculations by density functional theory through the introduction of various defect sites. Among the five unique atoms in g-CN, the vacancy site was found to be the most feasible at the two-coordinated nitrogen, N2.

Red Phosphorus: An Up-and-Coming Photocatalyst on the Horizon for Sustainable Energy Development and Environmental Remediation.

Photocatalysis is a perennial solution that promises to resolve deep-rooted challenges related to environmental pollution and energy deficit through harvesting the inexhaustible and renewable solar energy. To date, a cornucopia of photocatalytic materials has been investigated with the research wave presently steered by the development of novel, affordable, and effective metal-free semiconductors with fascinating physicochemical and semiconducting characteristics. Coincidentally, the recently emerged red phosphorus (RP) semiconductor finds itself fitting perfectly into this category ascribed to its earth abundant, low-cost, and metal-free nature.

A review on dry-based and wet-based catalytic sulphur dioxide (SO) reduction technologies.

While sulphur dioxide (SO) is known for its toxicity, numerous effective countermeasures were innovated to alleviate its hazards towards the environment. In particular, catalytic reduction is favoured for its potential in converting SO into harmless, yet marketable product, such as elemental sulphur. Therefore, current review summarises the critical findings in catalytic SO reduction, emphasising on both dry- and wet-based technology.

Ameliorating Cu reduction in microbial fuel cell with Z-scheme BiFeO decorated on flower-like ZnO composite photocathode.

BiFeO nanoparticle decorated on flower-like ZnO (BiFeO/ZnO) was fabricated through a facile hydrothermal-reflux combined method. This material was utilized as a composite photocathode for the first time in microbial fuel cell (MFC) to reduce the copper ion (Cu) and power generation concomitantly. The resultant BiFeO/ZnO-based MFC displayed distinct photoelectrocatalytic activities when different weight percentages (wt%) BiFeO were used.

Physical and Chemical Activation of Graphene-Derived Porous Nanomaterials for Post-Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture.

Activation is commonly used to improve the surface and porosity of different kinds of carbon nanomaterials: activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon black. In this study, both physical and chemical activations are applied to graphene oxide by using CO and KOH-based approaches, respectively. The structural and the chemical properties of the prepared activated graphene are deeply characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry and nitrogen adsorption.

Point-Defect Engineering: Leveraging Imperfections in Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C N ) Photocatalysts toward Artificial Photosynthesis.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C N ) is a kind of ideal metal-free photocatalysts for artificial photosynthesis. At present, pristine g-C N suffers from small specific surface area, poor light absorption at longer wavelengths, low charge migration rate, and a high recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, which significantly limit its performance. Among a myriad of modification strategies, point-defect engineering, namely tunable vacancies and dopant introduction, is capable of harnessing the superb structural, textural, optical, and electronic properties of g-C N to acquire an ameliorated photocatalytic activity.

An investigation on the relationship between physicochemical characteristics of alumina-supported cobalt catalyst and its performance in dry reforming of methane.

This study deals with the development of alumina-supported cobalt (Co/AlO) catalysts with remarkable performance in dry reforming of methane (DRM) and least carbon deposition. The influence of Co content, calcination, and reduction temperatures on the physicochemical attributes and catalyst activity of the developed catalysts was extensively studied. For this purpose, several characterization techniques including ICP-MS, H pulse chemisorption, HRTEM, H-TPR, N adsorption desorption, and TGA were implemented, and the properties of the developed catalysts were carefully analyzed.

Characterization of titanium oxide optical band gap produced from leachate sludge treatment with titanium tetrachloride.

This study investigated the coagulation performance of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl) for leachate treatment and preparation of titanium oxide (TiO) from generated sludge through calcination process at different temperatures and times. TiCl with chitosan as coagulant aid employed to perform coagulation process on Alor Ponhsu Landfill leachate. Further calcination process was done to synthesize TiO from produced sludge for photocatalytic applications.

Hydrochar production from high-ash low-lipid microalgal biomass via hydrothermal carbonization: Effects of operational parameters and products characterization.

This study aims to produce hydrochar from high-ash low-lipid Chlorella vulgaris biomass via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process. The effects of hydrothermal temperature and retention time with respect to the physicochemical properties of hydrochar were studied in the range of 180-250 °C and 0.5-4 h, respectively.

From 2D Graphene Nanosheets to 3D Graphene-based Macrostructures.

The combination of exceptional functionalities offered by 3D graphene-based macrostructures (GBMs) has attracted tremendous interest. 2D graphene nanosheets have a high chemical stability, high surface area and customizable porosity, which was extensively researched for a variety of applications including CO adsorption, water treatment, batteries, sensors, catalysis, etc. Recently, 3D GBMs have been successfully achieved through few approaches, including direct and non-direct self-assembly methods.

CO reforming of methane to syngas over multi-walled carbon nanotube supported Ni-Ce nanoparticles: effect of different synthesis methods.

Several multi-walled carbon nanotubes supported Ni-Ce catalysts were synthesized, and their performance in carbon dioxide reforming of methane (CDRM) for syngas production was evaluated. The attachment of Ni-Ce nanoparticles to the functionalized carbon nanotube (fCNT) support was carried out using four synthesis routes, i.e.

Rational Design of Carbon-Based 2D Nanostructures for Enhanced Photocatalytic CO Reduction: A Dimensionality Perspective.

Photocatalytic CO reduction is a revolutionary approach to solve imminent energy and environmental issues by replicating the ingenuity of nature. The past decade has witnessed an impetus in the rise of two-dimensional (2D) structure materials as advanced nanomaterials to boost photocatalytic activities. In particular, the use of 2D carbon-based materials is deemed as highly favorable, not only as a green material choice, but also due to their exceptional physicochemical and electrical properties.

Topotactic Transformation of Bismuth Oxybromide into Bismuth Tungstate: Bandgap Modulation of Single-Crystalline {001}-Faceted Nanosheets for Enhanced Photocatalytic CO Reduction.

The photocatalytic conversion of CO to energy-rich CH solar fuel is an ideal strategy for future energy generation as it can resolve global warming and the imminent energy crisis concurrently. However, the efficiency of this technology is unavoidably hampered by the ineffective generation and utilization of photoinduced charge carriers. In this contribution, we report a facile topotactic transformation approach where {001}-faceted BiOBr nanosheets (BOB-NS) were employed as the starting material for the formation of single-crystalline ultrathin BiWO nanosheets (BWO-NS).

Z-Scheme Photocatalytic Systems for Carbon Dioxide Reduction: Where Are We Now?

Transforming CO into fuels by utilizing sunlight is promising to synchronously overcome global warming and energy-supply issues. It is crucial to design efficient photocatalysts with intriguing features such as robust light-harvesting ability, strong redox potential, high charge-separation, and excellent durability. Hitherto, a single-component photocatalyst is incapable to simultaneously meet all these criteria.

Enhancement of CO adsorption on biochar sorbent modified by metal incorporation.

This work is scrutinizing the development of metallized biochar as a low-cost bio-sorbent for low temperature CO capture with high adsorption capacity. Accordingly, single-step pyrolysis process was carried out in order to synthesize biochar from rambutan peel (RP) at different temperatures. The biochar product was then subjected to wet impregnation with several magnesium salts including magnesium nitrate, magnesium sulphate, magnesium chloride and magnesium acetate which then subsequently heat-treated with N.