Monolayer vermiculite membranes for efficient hydrogen isotope separation.

H/D isotope separation faces critical challenges in terms of separation efficiency and cost. This study presents a novel, scalable fabrication of centimeter-scale, defect-free vermiculite monolayer membranes a modified Langmuir-Blodgett method. These membranes demonstrate H/D separation efficiency comparable to monolayer graphene, promising cost-effective applications.

Poor/rich dual electron reaction centers promoting photo-Fenton synergistic removal of organic pollutants: Graphite carbon-modified copper ferrite.

Controlling high recombination of photogenerated carriers and optimizing low cycling of metal valence states are the two key control steps in enhancing photo-Fenton oxidation. To achieve multiscale synergy of photo-Fenton degradation, graphite carbon-modified copper ferrite composites (C/CFO) with poor/rich dual electron reaction centers were synthesized through direct carbonization of Fe/Cu bimetallic organic frameworks. A novel photo-Fenton catalytic system was constructed by irradiating the Fenton reaction with visible light.

Revealing the Mechanism of Converting CO into Methanol by the CuO and Oxygen Vacancy on MgO: Experiments and Density Functional Theory.

Given the great significance of defect and Cu compounds for the reduction of CO as well as the few reaction mechanisms of converting CO into different hydrocarbons, the effects of oxygen vacancies and CuO on the reduction of CO were thoroughly investigated, and possible mechanisms were also proposed. A series of CuO/O-MgO catalysts were synthesized for photothermal catalytic reduction of CO to methanol under visible-light irradiation, among which the 7%CuO/O-MgO composite exhibited the best reduction activity and the yield of methanol was 19.78 μmol·g·h.

FeCu bimetallic metal organic frameworks photo-Fenton synergy efficiently degrades organic pollutants: Structure, properties, and mechanism insight.

The high ion leaching, low photogenerated charge separation efficiency, and slow metal valence cycling of Fe-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have limited their application in the deep treatment of organic pollutants. Herein, FeCu bimetallic MOFs (FeCuBDC) were synthesized using a modified solvothermal method, and a coupled photo-Fenton degradation system was successfully constructed. Degradation performance tests showed that FeCuBDC could efficiently degrade 99.

Core-shell structure of sulphur vacancies-CdS@CuS: Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity based on photoinduced interfacial charge transfer.

To regulate the charge flow of the photocatalyst in photocatalytic hydrogen reactions is highly desirable. In this study, a highly efficient sulphur vacancies-CdS@CuS core-shell heterostructure photocatalyst (denoted CdS-SV@CuS) was developed through the surface modification of CdS-sulphur vacancies (SV) nanoparticles by CuS based on photoinduced interfacial charge transfer (IFCT). This novel photocatalyst with modulated charge transfer was prepared by hydrothermal treatment and subsequent cation-exchange reactions.

Surface oxygen vacancies enriched FeOOH/BiMoO photocatalysis- fenton synergy degradation of organic pollutants.

To achieve rapid separation of photogenerated charges, increase photocatalytic degradation activity, a visible light-driven FeOOH/BiMoO-OVs photocatalyst was designed and successfully fabricated via solvothermal synthesis and calcination. HO was added under visible light irradiation to form a heterogeneous photocatalysis-Fenton synergy system. Using visible light irradiation, 10% FeOOH/BiMoO-OVs had the best degradation activity.

Tuning the Supramolecular Structures of Metal-Free Porphyrin via Surfactant Assisted Self-Assembly to Enhance Photocatalytic Performance.

Metal-free porphyrin with good planarity is beneficial to π-π stack interactions, which promotes electron coupling and the separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers. It is necessary to develop metal-free porphyrin-based photocatalysts and exploit the photocatalytic mechanism. Herein, metal-free porphyrin (5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin, TCPP) was self-assembled through an acid-based neutralization reaction and mixing dual-solvents under surfactants to form different aggregates.

Enhancement of Photocatalytic Activity under Visible Light Irradiation via the AgI@TCNQ Core-Shell Structure.

In this paper, a AgI@TCNQ photocatalyst with a core-shell structure was reported. A two-dimensional TCNQ (7,7,8,8-Tetracyanoquinodimethane) nanosheet, with a π-π conjugate structure, was used as a shell layer to realize the flexible coating on the surface of AgI nanoparticles. These special core-shell structure composites solve the key problems of the small interface of the bulk composites and the lesser charge transfer paths, which could accelerate the migration of photogenerated carriers.

Three-Dimensional Structure of PANI/CdS NRs-SiO₂ Hydrogel for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution with High Activity and Stability.

Three-dimensional PANI/CdSNRs-SiO₂ hydrogel (CdS NRs-PANI-SiO₂) was synthesized by loading polyaniline (PANI) onto the semiconductor CdS nanorods (NRs) surface and loading the binary complex on SiO₂ gel. The structure, optical properties, and electrochemical properties of the composite were studied in detail. The hydrogen production amount of CdS NRs-PANI (3%)-SiO₂ (20%) increased in comparison with CdS NRs and reached 43.

Facile Fabrication of 3D Graphene⁻Silica Hydrogel Composite for Enhanced Removal of Mercury Ions.

Adsorption is a highly promising and widely used approach to remove Hg(II) ions from contaminated water. The key to this technology is exploring the effective adsorbent. The three-dimensional (3D) graphene as reduced graphene oxide hydrogel (rGH)-encapsulated silica gel (SG-PEI/rGH) was prepared by a moderate chemical reduction strategy using ascorbic acid.

The Supramolecular Organogel Formed by Self-Assembly of Ursolic Acid Appended with Aromatic Rings.

Ursolic acid (UA) as a natural ursane-triterpenoid has rich pharmacological activities. We have found that it possesses aggregation properties and could self-assemble into organogels. Based on the aggregation property of ursolic acid in suitable solvents, its derivative appended with aromatic rings by amide groups was synthesized.

Facile synthesis of an Ag@AgBr nanoparticle-decorated KNbO photocatalyst with improved photocatalytic properties.

An Ag@AgBr nanoparticle-decorated KNbO (Ag@AgBr/KNbO) photocatalyst was prepared the oil-in-water self-assembly method. The Ag@AgBr nanoparticles, with average diameters of 20 nm, were uniformly deposited on the KNbO surface. The as-prepared Ag@AgBr/KNbO composites exhibited high visible light absorption, high photocurrent intensity, and high charge transfer efficiency, thus enhancing the photocatalytic performance for methyl-blue (MB) dye degradation.

A separation-free 3D network ZnO/rGO-rGH hydrogel: adsorption enriched photocatalysis for environmental applications.

This study describes the encapsulation of ZnO by reduced graphene oxide to form a composite (ZnO/rGO) that can be incorporated into graphene to form hydrogels (ZnO/rGO-rGH) with three-dimensional (3D) network structures. The unique surface adsorption characteristics of graphene make ZnO/rGO-rGH materials have the ability of fast adsorption and desorption. Meanwhile, the combination of graphene and ZnO nanoparticles can promote the separation efficiency of electrons and holes and improve the photocatalytic activity.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity toward Organic Pollutants Degradation and Mechanism Insight of Novel CQDs/Bi₂O₂CO₃ Composite.

Novel carbon quantum dots (CQDs) modified with Bi₂O₂CO₃ (CQDs/Bi₂O₂CO₃) were prepared using a simple dynamic-adsorption precipitation method. X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to test the material composition, structure, and band structures of the as-prepared samples. Methylene blue (MB) and colorless phenol, as target organic pollutants, were used to evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the CQDs/Bi₂O₂CO₃ hybrid materials under visible light irradiation.

AgPO@UMOFNs Core-Shell Structure: Two-Dimensional MOFs Promoted Photoinduced Charge Separation and Photocatalysis.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a new type of functional material that is self-assembled by metal ions and organic ligands. In this paper, a bimetal-organic framework was synthesized and stripped into two-dimensional nanosheets structure via an ultrasonic method. We coated the UMOFNs (ultrathinning MOFs into two-dimensional nanosheets) on AgPO nanoparticles to obtain AgPO@UMOFNs core-shell photocatalysts.

Surface Decoration of ZnWO₄ Nanorods with Cu₂O Nanoparticles to Build Heterostructure with Enhanced Photocatalysis.

The surface of ZnWO₄ nanorods was decorated with Cu₂O nanoparticles (Cu₂O/ZnWO₄) prepared through a precipitation method. The Cu₂O nanoparticles were tightly deposited on the ZnWO₄ surface and had average diameters of 20 nm. The nanoparticles not only promoted the absorption and utilization of visible light but also facilitated the separation of photogenerated charge carriers.

Highly ordered TiO nanotube arrays wrapped with g-CN nanoparticles for efficient charge separation and increased photoelectrocatalytic degradation of phenol.

Novel graphitic carbon nitride nanoparticles (NPs)-wrapped TiO nanotube arrays (NTAs) (g-CN/TiO) were fabricated by a two-step method including an electrochemical anodization technique followed by impregnation under vacuum using urea as precursor. The as-prepared photoelectrode exhibited outstanding photoelectric properties and excellent photelectrocatalytic (PEC) performance for the degradation of phenol under stimulated solar light, which was due to the enhanced light absorption property and improved charge separation efficiency. The introduction of g-CN NPs strongly decreased the charge transfer resistance and boosted the charge separation efficiency of TiO.

Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants over Flower-Like Bi₂O₂CO₃ Dotted with Ag@AgBr.

A facile and feasible oil-in-water self-assembly approach was developed to synthesize flower-like Ag@AgBr/Bi₂O₂CO₃ micro-composites. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated through methylene blue degradation under visible light irradiation. Compared to Bi₂O₂CO₃, flower-like Ag@AgBr/Bi₂O₂CO₃ micro-composites show enhanced photocatalytic activities.

Oil-in-Water Self-Assembled Synthesis of Ag@AgCl Nano-Particles on Flower-like Bi₂O₂CO₃ with Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Activity.

In this work, a series of novel flower-like Ag@AgCl/Bi₂O₂CO₃ were prepared by simple and feasible oil-in-water self-assembly processes. The phase structures of as-prepared samples were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), . The characterization results indicated that the presence of Ag@AgCl did not affect the crystal structure, but exerted a great influence on the photocatalytic activity of Bi₂O₂CO₃ and enhanced the absorption band of pure Bi₂O₂CO₃.

Novel Cu₂O quantum dots coupled flower-like BiOBr for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminant.

Here we report a highly efficient novel photocatalyst consisting of Cu2O quantum dots (QDs) incorporated into three-dimensional (3D) flower-like hierarchical BiOBr (hereafter designated QDs-Cu2O/BiOBr), which were synthesized via a simple reductive solution chemistry route and applied to decontaminate the hazardous wastewater containing phenol and organic dyes. The deposition of Cu2O QDs onto the surface of the BiOBr was confirmed by structure and composition characterizations. The QDs-Cu2O/BiOBr composites exhibited superior activity for organic contaminant degradation under visible light and 3 wt% QDs-Cu2O/BiOBr composite showed the highest degrade rate for phenol and methylene blue (MB), which was 11.

A two-phase procedure for QTL mapping with regression models.

It is typical in QTL mapping experiments that the number of markers under investigation is large. This poses a challenge to commonly used regression models since the number of feature variables is usually much larger than the sample size, especially, when epistasis effects are to be considered. The greedy nature of the conventional stepwise procedures is well known and is even more conspicuous in such cases.

Assessment of bone quality using finite element analysis based upon micro-CT images.

Background: To evaluate the feasibility of a micro-image based finite element model to determine the efficacy of sequential treatments on the bone quality in a rat osteoporosis model.

Methods: Rat osteoporosis and treated osteoporosis models were established with the bone loss, restore and maintain concept. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study.

An additional reference axis for determining rotational alignment of the femoral component in total knee arthroplasty.

No studies have examined the trochlear line connecting the most anterior projections of the lateral and medial femoral condyles in relation to the surgical epicondylar axis. To determine if the trochlear line is more consistent relative to the transepicondylar axis than the posterior condylar axis and the Whiteside's line, the angles between the surgical epicondylar axis and each of the 3 axes in 50 knees of cadavers were measured using computed tomography scans. The results showed that the variability in the trochlear line for referencing the transepicondylar axis was comparable to those of the Whiteside line and the posterior condylar axis.