Cobalt-aluminum spinel supported on modified γ-alumina for peroxymonosulfate activation: Si-Al ratio of support to optimize performance and reusability.

The development of cobalt-based supported catalysts with high PMS catalytic activity and stability by adjusting the composition of the support is highly desirable yet remains scarce. In the work, a series of catalysts (CoAlO/AlO-xSiO) were prepared by impregnation and high-temperature calcination using AlO-xSiO with a low Si-Al ratio as the support. Measurement techniques such as XRD, XPS, UV-DRS, FTIR, BET, SEM and HRTEM were used to characterize textural and chemical properties (ratio of Co/Co, specific surface area, pore size, pore volume, etc.

Long-acting CoAlO spinel catalyst developed on activated alumina pellets by facile synthesis to activate peroxymonosulfate: Controllable cobalt leaching and environmental adaptability.

A novel composite catalyst prepared by fixing cobalt aluminate (CoAlO) spinel on formed alumina carrier by impregnation-calcination route is reported, which can be used to efficiently activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade p-nitrophenol (PNP). The internal laws of phase composition and preparation conditions are explored in detail, and the results show that the introduction of additional aluminum ions in the preparation process changes the coordination environment and the electronic state of cobalt ions, which leads to the transformation of spinel/inverted spinel in the composition, and further affects the activity and stability of the catalyst. The selected CoAl-Aaps-600 catalyst has high CoAlO content, showing good cycle performance and low cobalt leaching, and has great catalytic degradation performance at different temperatures and a wide pH range.

BiOCl/TiO/diatomite composites with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B.

A BiOCl/TiO/diatomite (BTD) composite was synthesized via a modified sol-gel method and precipitation/calcination method for application as a photocatalyst and shows promise for degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater upon visible-light irradiation. In the composite, diatomite was used as a carrier to support a layer of titanium dioxide (TiO) nanoparticles and bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) nanosheets. The results show that TiO nanoparticles and BiOCl nanosheets uniformly cover the surface of diatomite and bring TiO and BiOCl into close proximity.

Metal organic frameworks derived cobalt sulfide/reduced graphene oxide composites with fast reaction kinetic and excellent structural stability for sodium storage.

We report a metal-organic framework-derived CoS nanoflakes on reduced graphene oxide sheet composites as an advanced sodium-ion battery anode. Using a galvanostatic intermittent titration technique, we reveal that the sodium diffusion coefficient of the composite is higher than that of its counterpart. Ex-situ scanning electron microscopy images suggest the excellent mechanical stability of CoS nanoflakes on the reduced graphene oxide sheet electrode during cycling, thereby facilitating cyclic stability.

Synthesis of a MnO/FeO/diatomite nanocomposite as an efficient heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for methylene blue degradation.

Heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts with the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS), which offer the advantages of fast reaction rate, wide functional pH range and cost efficiency, have attracted great interest in wastewater treatment. In this study, a novel magnetic MnO/FeO/diatomite nanocomposite is synthesized and then used as heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst to degrade the organic pollutant methylene blue (MB) with the activation of PMS. The characterization results show that the FeO nanoparticles and nanoflower-like MnO are evenly distributed layer-by-layer on the surface of diatomite, which can be readily magnetically separated from the solution.

Fabrication of novel sandwich nanocomposite as an efficient and regenerable adsorbent for methylene blue and Pb (II) ion removal.

An adsorbent, which is easy to be separated and reused after adsorption, is very important for the removal of pollutants in aqueous solution. Hence, a novel nanofibrous sandwich structured adsorbent of silica nanofiber/magnetite nanoparticles/porous silica (SNF/MNP/PS) was designed and synthesized for the first time. The magnetite nanoparticles with diameter less than 10 nm were evenly distributed on the surface of silica nanofiber, which was subsequently fully covered by a layer of porous silica.

Carbon-coated cobalt oxide porous spheres with improved kinetics and good structural stability for long-life lithium-ion batteries.

Current anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) mainly suffer from poor electronic conductivity and large volume expansion upon cycling. Improving kinetics and designing good morphology structural stability of electrode materials can effectively enhance the lithium storage performances of LIBs. In this study, we successfully synthesized hierarchical carbon-coated cobalt oxide (C@CoO) porous spheres with improved kinetics and good structural stability, which were investigated by ex situ electrochemical impedance spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction.

Carbon sphere@CoS yolk-shell structure with good morphology stability for improved lithium storage performance.

The poor electronic conductivity and huge volume expansion of cobalt sulfides upon cycling would lead to their poor electrochemical performances for Lithium-ion batteries. Here, we rationally design a yolk-shell carbon sphere@CoS (C@CS) composite, which demonstrates improved kinetics and excellent morphology stability during cycling. This structure can keep CoS shell from collapse and aggregation.

Highly efficient fluoride adsorption from aqueous solution by nepheline prepared from kaolinite through alkali-hydrothermal process.

A direct alkali-hydrothermal induced transformation process was adopted to prepare nepheline from raw kaolinite (shortened form RK in this paper) and NaOH solution in this paper. Structure and morphology characterizations of the synthetic product showed that the nepheline possessed high degree of crystallinity and uniform surface morphology. Specific surface area of nepheline is 18 m/g, with a point of zero charge at around pH 5.

Degradation and Mineralization of Benzohydroxamic Acid by Synthesized Mesoporous La/TiO₂.

Rare earth element La-doped TiO₂ (La/TiO₂) was synthesized by the sol-gel method. Benzohydroxamic acid was used as the objective pollutant to investigate the photocatalytic activity of La/TiO₂. The physicochemical properties of the prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, specific surface area and porosity, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.