Multi-functional terahertz metasurface for a vortex beam, multi-channel focusing, polarization conversion, and broadband absorption based on vanadium dioxide.

Although terahertz metasurface devices have been widely studied, thus far, metasurfaces can rarely manipulate both circularly and linearly polarized incident waves. In this paper, taking advantage of the phase transition characteristics of vanadium dioxide ( ), a multi-functional terahertz metasurface for a vortex beam, multi-channel focusing, polarization conversion, and broadband absorption is proposed. When is in the insulating state, a vortex beam is generated at 1.

High-precision zinc isotopic characterization of twenty soil reference materials from China determined by MC-ICP-MS.

Zinc isotopic ratios serve as powerful tools for tracing biochemical cycling of metals at Earth's surface, including the distribution, transportation, and enrichment of zinc (Zn) in soil. To conduct such studies and enable inter-laboratory comparisons, high-precision Zn isotopic measurements require the use of soil reference materials (RMs). However, there have been limited reports on the high-precision Zn isotope ratios of soil RMs thus far.

Quantifying biodegradable organic matter in polluted water on the basis of coulombic yield.

Biodegradable organic matter (BOM) in polluted water plays a key role in various biological purification technologies. The five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) index is often used to determine the amount of BOM. However, standard BOD assays, centering on dissolved oxygen detection, have long testing times and often show severe deviation (error ≥ 15%).

[Study on the content and carbon isotopic composition of water dissolved inorganic carbon from rivers around Xi'an City].

In this study, the content and isotopic compositions of water dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from four typical rivers (Chanhe, Bahe, Laohe and Heihe) around Xi'an City were studied to trace the possible sources of DIC. The results of this study showed that the content of DIC in the four rivers varied from 0.34 to 5.

Kinetics of CH3S(-) reaction with in situ ferrate(VI) in aqueous alkaline solution.

This study introduced a new treatment process named "in situ ferrate(VI) oxidation (IFO)" in which odorous compounds such as CH3S(-) can be quickly degraded by in situ freshly generated ferrate(VI) through electrolysis in aqueous alkaline solution. Two kinetic models to describe the in situ ferrate(VI) generation and its reaction with CH3S(-) were established mathematically by considering three main reaction mechanisms of ferrate(VI) electrochemical generation, ferrate(VI) self-decomposition and CH3S(-) degradation in aqueous strong alkaline solution. The effects of three key factors: (i) NaOH concentration, (ii) applied current density, and (iii) initial CH3S(-) concentration on the performance of the IFO process were investigated by conducting three sets of experiments and the kinetic models were validated by fitting the experimental data.

Mesoporous zinc ferrite: synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic activity with H2O2/visible light.

Mesoporous ZnFe(2)O(4) (meso-ZnFe(2)O(4)) was synthesized by a hydrothermal process in which cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) participates in the reaction to produce nanocrystals. Synthesized ZnFe(2)O(4) was characterized by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The meso-ZnFe(2)O(4) was resulted from the agglomeration of nanoparticles with size of 5-10nm.

[Study on the inhibitory effect of RNA interference on replication of dengue virus].

To investigate the inhibitory effect of RNA interference (RNAi) on dengue virus I (DENV-1) replication. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) against the PreM gene of dengue virus was synthesized and transfected into C6/36 cells with liposome, which was then attacked by DENV-1 virus. The antiviral effect of siRNA was evaluated by cytopathic effect (CPE), the cell survival rate measured by MTT, and virus RNA quantified by real-time RT-PCR.

Comparison of the degradations of diphenamid by homogeneous photolysis and heterogeneous photocatalysis in aqueous solution.

In this work, the homogeneous and heterogeneous degradations of diphenamid (DPA) in aqueous solution were conducted by direct photolysis with UVC (254nm) and by photocatalysis with TiO(2)/UVA (350nm), and the experimental results were compared. It was found that the homogeneous photolysis by UVC irradiation alone was quite efficient to degrade DPA up to 100% after 360min, but was very inefficient to mineralize its intermediates in terms of dissolved organic carbon reduction of only 8%. In contrast, the heterogeneous photocatalysis with TiO(2)/UVA showed relatively a lower degree of DPA degradation (51%), but a higher degree of its mineralization (11%) after 360min.

Effects of key reaction parameters on the reductive dechlorination of chloroform with Pd/Fe0 bimetal in aqueous solution.

In this study, bimetallic Pd/Fe(0) particles were synthesized and employed to reduce chloroform in aqueous solution. The investigation emphasized on the effects of some key reaction parameters including Pd/Fe(0) dosage, pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and presence of anions on the reductive dechlorination reaction. The experimental results showed that high Pd/Fe(0) dosage, low initial pH and low ORP benefited the reductive dechlorination of chloroform.

Bio-electro-Fenton process driven by microbial fuel cell for wastewater treatment.

In this study, we proposed a new concept of utilizing the biological electrons produced from a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to power an E-Fenton process to treat wastewater at neutral pH as a bioelectro-Fenton (Bio-E-Fenton) process. This process can be achieved in a dual-chamber MFC from which electrons were generated via the catalyzation of Shewanella decolorationis S12 in its anaerobic anode chamber and transferred to its aerated cathode chamber equipped with a carbon nanotube (CNT)/gamma-FeOOH composite cathode. In the cathode chamber, the Fenton's reagents including hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and ferrous irons (Fe(2+)) were in situ generated.

Heterogeneous photodegradation of pentachlorophenol and iron cycling with goethite, hematite and oxalate under UVA illumination.

Heterogeneous photodegradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in the goethite (alpha-FeOOH) and hematite (alpha-Fe(2)O(3)) systems with oxalate under UVA illumination was investigated. The PCP degradation, dechlorination and detoxification, in terms of Microtox acute toxicity, were all achieved to the higher efficiency in the hematite suspension than in the goethite suspension. The optimal initial concentration of oxalic acid (C(ox)(0)) for the PCP degradation with goethite and hematite under the experimental conditions was found to be 1.

Elimination of sludge odor by oxidizing sulfur-containing compounds with ferrate(VI).

Sulfur-containing compounds are one kind of odorant found in sewage treatment works, composting plants, refuse storage and transfer, landfill sites, and associated with various industries. In the present research, the reaction kinetics of ferrate(VI) (Fe(VI)O4(-), Fe(VI)) with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), thiosemicarbazide (NH2NHC(S)NH2, TSC), and thiourea dioxide (NH2C(SO2)NH2, TUDO) were studied under alkaline conditions. Stoichiometryof Fe(VI) oxidation with hydrogen sulfide (H2S), TSC, and methyl mercaptan (CH3SH) were determined at neutral and alkaline pH (7.

Microbial fuel cell with an azo-dye-feeding cathode.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were constructed using azo dyes as the cathode oxidants to accept the electrons produced from the respiration of Klebsiella pneumoniae strain L17 in the anode. Experimental results showed that a methyl orange (MO)-feeding MFC produced a comparable performance against that of an air-based one at pH 3.0 and that azo dyes including MO, Orange I, and Orange II could be successfully degraded in such cathodes.

Electrochemical evidences for promoted interfacial reactions: the role of Fe(II) adsorbed onto gamma-Al2O3 and TiO2 in reductive transformation of 2-nitrophenol.

This study was aimed at elucidating the role of adsorbed Fe(II) on minerals in the reductive transformation of 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) by using electrochemical methods. The studies of Fe(ll) adsorption and 2-NP reduction kinetics showed that the identity of minerals such as gamma-Al2O3 and TiO and the solution pH were crucial factors to determine the Fe(ll) adsorption behavior and to influence the rate constant (k) of 2-NP reduction. Furthermore, two electrochemical methods, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectrometry (EIS), were applied to characterize the Fe(II) reactivity with both the mineral-coated and mineral-free electrodes.

Ferrate(VI) enhanced photocatalytic oxidation of pollutants in aqueous TiO2 suspensions.

Background, Aim And Scope: Photocatalytic oxidation using UV irradiation of TiO(2) has been studied extensively and has many potential industrial applications, including the degradation of recalcitrant contaminants in water and wastewater treatment. A limiting factor in the oxidation process is the recombination of conduction band electrons (e(-)(cb)) with electron holes (h(vb)(+)) on the irradiated TiO(2) surface; thus, in aqueous conditions, the presence of an effective electron scavenger will be beneficial to the efficiency of the oxidation process. Ferrate (FeO(4)(2-)) has received much recent attention as a water treatment chemical since it behaves simultaneously as an oxidant and coagulant.

A new concept of desulfurization: the electrochemically driven and green conversion of SO2 to NaHSO4 in aqueous solution.

A new concept of desulfurization was developed by designing a series of electrochemical reactions to drive an SO2 absorption-and-conversion process in aqueous solution, hence the SO2 in gas was eventually converted to a valuable chemical of NaHSO4. A model experiment of chemically substantiating this concept includes two steps: (I) absorption of SO2 gas by aqueous solution and oxidation of the absorbed SO2 to SO4(2-) by air and (II) transformation of the SO4(2-) to NaHSO4. The experiment demonstrated that in Step I, the cathodic reduction of 02 from ambient air scavenged the H+ released due to the SO2 absorption and its further oxidation, which thereby were accelerated.

Heterogeneous photodegradation of pentachlorophenol with maghemite and oxalate under UV illumination.

The degradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in a heterogeneous system with maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) and oxalate under UV illumination was investigated in this study. The results of adsorption experiments demonstrated competitive adsorption between PCP and oxalic acid on the surface of gamma-Fe2O3. The results of photodegradation experiments showed that the rate of PCP degradation strongly relied on the oxalic acid concentration and that an optimal tested initial concentration of oxalic acid (Cox(0)) of 0.

Degradation of n-butyl benzyl phthalate using TiO2/UV.

n-Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) has been classified as endocrine disrupting compound and priority pollutant. Effects of TiO(2) dosage, pH, initial BBP concentration and co-existing substances on the degradation of BBP by TiO(2)/UV process were investigated. The optimal TiO(2) dosage and pH value for the BBP degradation were 2.

Effects of dissolved oxygen, pH, and anions on the 2,3-dichlorophenol degradation by photocatalytic reaction with anodic TiO(2) nanotube films.

In this study, the highly-ordered TiO(2) nanotube (TNT) arrays on titanium sheets were prepared by an anodic oxidation method. Under UV illumination, the TNT films demonstrated the higher photocatalytic activity in terms of 2,3-dichlorophenol (2,3-DCP) degradation in aqueous solution than the conventional TiO(2) thin films prepared by a sol-gel method. The effects of dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH on the photocatalytic degradation of 2,3-DCP were investigated.

Effects of structure of anodic TiO(2) nanotube arrays on photocatalytic activity for the degradation of 2,3-dichlorophenol in aqueous solution.

In this study titanium dioxide nanotube (TNT) arrays were prepared by an anodic oxidation process with post-calcination. The morphology and structure of the TNT films were studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Photocatalytic activity of the TNT films was evaluated in terms of the degradation of 2,3-dichlorophenol in aqueous solution under UV light irradiation.

AgNO3-lnduced photocatalytic degradation of odorous methyl mercaptan in gaseous phase: mechanism of chemisorption and photocatalytic reaction.

In this study, AgNO3 films prepared by a simple dip-coating method were used to remove gaseous methyl mercaptan (CH3SH) for odor control. The AgNO3 films were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry(SEM/EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) before and after the reaction, and as- obtained products were identified by means of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and ion chromatography. The experiments demonstrated that the AgNO3 film can induce a quick chemisorption of gaseous CH3SH to form AgSCH3 and other intermediate products such as alpha-Ag2S, Ag4S2, and AgSH on its surface.

Reaction pathways of dimethyl phthalate degradation in TiO2-UV-O2 and TiO2-UV-Fe(VI) systems.

The photocatalytic degradation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in aqueous TiO2 suspension under UV illumination has been investigated using oxygen (O2) and ferrate (Fe(VI)) as electron acceptors. The experiments demonstrated that Fe(VI) was a more effective electron acceptor than O2 for scavenging the conduction band electrons from the surface of the catalyst. Some major intermediate products from DMP degradation were identified by HPLC and GC/MS analyses.

Effects of peptizing conditions on nanometer properties and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 hydrosols prepared by H2TiO3.

TiO2 hydrosols were prepared from metatitanic acid (H2TiO3) by chemical precipitation-peptization method under various peptizing conditions. The effects of peptizing conditions on nanosized properties and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 hydrosols were investigated. The crystal structure, crystallinity, particle size distribution, and transparency (T%) of as-obtained hydrosols were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, light-scattering size analyzer, and UV-vis transmittance spectra.

Aqueous oxidation of dimethyl phthalate in a Fe(VI)-TiO(2)-UV reaction system.

The application of a combined ferrate-photocatalysis process for the aqueous degradation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) has been studied. The behaviour of the Fe(VI)-TiO(2)-UV process at pH 9 in the presence and absence of dissolved oxygen (DO) has been compared and significant differences have been found. In comparative tests under N(2) and O(2) bubbling, the chemical reduction rate of ferrate as conduction band electron acceptor was similar, but the resulting degradation of DMP was substantially lower in the presence of oxygen.

[An analysis on genetic characteristics of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of type B influenza viruses in Guangzhou in 2006].

To understand the genetic characteristics of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) of type B influenza viruses in Guangzhou in 2006, three virus strains from etiology surveillance and seven strains from outbreaks were investigated. Genome RNAs of type B influenza viruses were extracted and reverse-transcripted into cDNAs using random primers. The whole-length DNA of HA and NA were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloned into T-A plasmid and sequenced, and analyzed phylogenetically by DNAstar software.