BiTe nanosheets promoted Pd for ethylene glycol electrooxidation both in the dark and under visible light irradiation.

Ethylene glycol electrooxidation catalyzed by Pd nanoparticles was found to be largely improved by BiTe nanosheets both in the dark and under visible light irradiation.

[Adsorption Performance and Mechanism of Oxytetracycline in Water by KOH Modified Biochar Derived from Corn Straw].

The pollution control of tetracycline antibiotics in the environment has become a hot topic, and biochar adsorption has become an important technology to remove organic pollutants. Pyrolytic biochars (BC400, BC500, and BC600) were prepared from corn straw and then were modified by KOH to obtain KBC400, KBC500, and KBC600. Among them, KBC400 was selected for secondary pyrolysis activation at 400-600℃ to obtain AKBC400, AKBC500, and AKBC600.

Recent progress of Ni-based nanomaterials for the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction at large current density.

The precise design and development of high-performing oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for the production of industrial hydrogen gas through water electrolysis has been a widely studied topic. A profound understanding of the nature of electrocatalytic processes reveals that Ni-based catalysts are highly active toward OER that can stably operate at a high current density for a long period of time. Given the current gap between research and applications in industrial water electrolysis, we have completed a systematic review by constructively discussing the recent progress of Ni-based catalysts for electrocatalytic OER at a large current density, with special focus on the morphology and composition regulation of Ni-based electrocatalysts for achieving extraordinary OER performance.

A Ni(II) Coordination Polymer as a Multifunctional Luminescent Sensor for Detection of UO, CrO, CrO and Nitrofurantoin.

A new Ni coordination polymer [Ni(MIP)(BMIOPE)] () was constructed (BMIOPE = 4,4'-bis(2-methylimidazol-1-yl)diphenyl ether, and HMIP = 5-methylisophthalic acid), possessing two-dimensional (2D) twofold parallel interwoven net structure with a 4∙6 point symbol. Complex has been successfully obtained based on mixed-ligand strategy. The fluorescence titration experiments revealed that complex could act as multifunctional luminescent sensor to simultaneously detect UO, CrO and CrO, and NFT (nitrofurantoin).

Sulfadiazine inhibits hydrogen production during sludge anaerobic fermentation by affecting pyruvate decarboxylation.

The overuse and random discharge of antibiotics can cause serious environmental pollution. Sludge acts as a repository for antibiotics, its anaerobic fermentation process will inevitably be affected. This study investigated the effects of a typical antibiotic contaminant, sulfadiazine (SDZ), on the anaerobic fermentation of sludge for hydrogen production.

Enhanced reductive debromination of decabromodiphenyl ether by organic-attapulgite supported Fe/Pd nanoparticles: Synergetic effect and mechanism.

Effective removal of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from the environment is essential for the ecosystem and human health. Reductive debromination of PBDEs by nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) has become an important technology. However, the agglomeration and low persistence catalytic activity of nZVI particles have become urgent problems to be improved.

Synthesis of PtRu alloy nanofireworks as effective catalysts toward glycerol electro-oxidation in alkaline media.

Electro-oxidation of glycerol is a key anodic reaction in direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFCs). Exploring the cost-effective nanocatalysts for glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) is very important for the development of DAFC, but it is still challenging. In this paper, nanofirework-like PtRu alloy catalyst was successfully synthesized and used for GOR in alkaline medium.

Highly efficient debromination of 4,4'-dibrominated diphenyl ether by organic palygorskite-supported Pd/Fe nanoparticles.

Organic palygorskite (OP)-supported Pd/Fe nanoparticles composite (OP-Pd/Fe) was prepared by stepwise reduction method. The removal capacity of 4,4'-dibrominated diphenyl ether (BDE15) by OP-Pd/Fe was compared with other various materials. For better understanding the possible mechanism, the synthesized and reacted OP-Pd/Fe materials were characterized by TEM, SEM, XRD, and XPS, respectively.

InS nanoparticles coupled to In-MOF nanorods: The structural and electronic modulation for synergetic photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B.

Enhancing photocatalytic performance via electronic modulation have attracted much attention for synergetic photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic pollutant. In this study, a new hetero-structured system is raised, which comprises InS coupled to In-MOF and operates as an efficient photocatalyst for RhB degradation. The formation of hetero-structure and occurred electron modulation of InS/In-MOF hybrid was confirmed by relevant characterizations.

Novel Z-scheme WO/CeO heterojunction for improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

The novel Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst WO/CeO was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. The photocatalytic properties of WO/CeO were evaluated by photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under visible light. The result shows that the 15 wt% WO/CeO composite has the best hydrogen production efficiency of about 0.

Redox response, antibacterial and drug package capacities of chitosan-α-lipoic acid conjugates.

Chitosan-α-lipoic acid (CS-LA) conjugates were prepared by amino reaction. The methotrexate (MTX) was successfully loaded within CS-LA copolymer by the ring-opening polymerizations of disulfide bond under the action of reducing agent. The obtained copolymer was investigated by fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR) analysis.

Photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethazine using a direct Z-Scheme AgI/BiVO photocatalyst: Mineralization activity, degradation pathways and promoted charge separation mechanism.

Z-scheme heterojunction can not only promote the separation of photogenerated carriers, but also retain the strong redox potential of the system, which would greatly improve the photocatalytic performance of catalyst. Herein, a Z-scheme AgI/BiVO heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared by a hydrothermal process combined with in situ coprecipitation process. Multiple techniques were employed to investigate the morphology, composition, chemical and electronic properties of the as-prepared samples.

The thiolated chitosan: Synthesis, gelling and antibacterial capability.

Chitosan-1-(mercaptomethyl)-cyclopropane acetic acid (CS-MCA) copolymer was synthesized by amino linkage. The obtained copolymer was characterized by FTIR, H NMR, XRD, TGA and SEM. Porous and reticulate morphologies were found on the CS-MCA surface.

Comparison of the physicochemical, rheological, and morphologic properties of chitosan from four insects.

The present work aimed to compare the physicochemical, rheological, and morphologic properties of chitosan extracted from cicada slough, silkworm chrysalis, mealworm, grasshopper and shrimp shells. The physicochemical properties including solubility, fat binding capacity, water binding capacity, ash, viscosity average molecular weight and moisture content of them were determined. The characterization results showed that insect chitosan was quite different from shrimp shell chitosan including thermal stability, rheological characteristics and surface morphology.

Synergistic effect and degradation mechanism on Fe-Ni/CNTs for removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol in aqueous solution.

Fe-Ni bimetallic nanoparticles supported on CNTs (Fe-Ni/CNTs) were synthesized, characterized, and applied for removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in aqueous solution. The removal performance was enhanced drastically on Fe-Ni/CNTs with respect to monometallic Fe/CNTs. The synergistic effect between Fe-Ni nanoparticles and CNTs has been studied in detail.

Screening of antimicrobials in animal-derived foods with desorption corona beam ionization (DCBI) mass spectrometry.

The relatively new technique, desorption corona beam ionization (DCBI), was coupled with an ion-trap mass spectrometer for the rapid detection of 10 antimicrobials in animal-derived food. Under positive ion mode, 10 common antimicrobials were identified without prior sample preparation. With simple pre-treatment, semi-quantification based on peak area was achieved.

Binding mechanism of five typical sweeteners with bovine serum albumin.

In this work, the interactions between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and five sweeteners including aspartame (APM), acesulfame (AK), sucralose (TGS), sodium cyclamate (SC), and rebaudioside-A (REB-A) have been studied by multispectroscopic techniques, and molecular simulation in order to provide much useful information for the application of new and safer artificial sweeteners. Fluorescence quenching assays indicated that the formation of complexes between sweeteners and BSA mainly induced the fluorescence quenching of protein and the binding site number were about 1 indicting that there is one mainly binding site of APM, AK, TGS, SC, or REB-A in domain of BSA with relatively weak interactions. Molecular modeling results indicated that hydrogen bonding interactions were the mainly binding forces of sweeteners with BSA.

Adsorption behavior of Ni(II) onto activated carbons from hide waste and high-pressure steaming hide waste.

This work reports the preparation and adsorption of Ni(II) via activated carbons which produced from hide waste (HWAC) and high-pressure steaming hide waste (HWSAC) with potassium silicate as the activating agent. The best preparation condition for HWAC and HWSAC was the activation temperature of 700 °C using an impregnation ratio of 2:1. Both of them were characterized by N adsorption/desorption isotherms, SEM and FT-IR spectra.

Impact of the alkyl chain length on binding of imidazolium-based ionic liquids to bovine serum albumin.

The effects of six imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) with different alkyl chain length ([CMim]Cl, n=2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) on the structure and functions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied by multi-spectral methods and molecular docking. ILs with the longer alkyl chain length have the stronger binding interaction with BSA and the greater conformational damage to protein. The effects of ILs on the functional properties of BSA were further studied by the determination of non-enzyme esterase activity, β-fibrosis and other properties of BSA.

Coupling laser desorption with corona beam ionization for ambient mass spectrometric analysis of solution and powder samples.

An infrared (940nm) laser desorption coupled with corona beam ionization (LD-CBI) technique was developed for expanding the application of the ambient mass spectrometry (AMS). A black ceramic sample plate was employed to facilitate the non-resonance absorption of laser energy. Solution and powder samples were immobilized in the shallow depression on ceramic plate and desorbed precisely since there was not gas disturbing.

Probing deep into the binding mechanisms of folic acid with α-amylase, pepsin and trypsin: An experimental and computational study.

The inhibitions of folic acid (FA) towards three digestive enzymes, including α-amylase, pepsin and trypsin, were examined. The results showed that FA was able to reduce the enzymatic activity of α-amylase, pepsin, and trypsin by the formation of FA-enzyme complexes. The fluorescence spectral data indicated that the binding of FA with α-amylase, pepsin and trypsin resulted in strong fluorescence quenching of Tyr and Trp residues by hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions.

The interaction of perfluorooctane sulfonate with hemoglobin: Influence on protein stability.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is among the most prominent xenobiotics contaminants in human blood. To evaluate the toxicity of PFOS at the protein level, the influences of PFOS on the stability and conformation of hemoglobin (Hb) has been investigated by circular dichroism (CD), UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopic methods and molecular modeling. CD spectral data indicated that the binding process of PFOS with Hb induced the relatively large changes in secondary structure of protein.

Photodegradation of 4-methylphenol on palladium phthalocyaninesulfonate functionalized mesopolymer under visible light irradiation.

A versatile photocatalyst has been prepared by grafting palladium phthalocyaninesulfonate (PdPcS) onto the FDU-14 mesopolymer with 3-D cubic mesostructure (FDU-14-PdPcS) via multi-step chemical modification processes. The FDU-14-PdPcS was characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) techniques. In the photodegradation studies of 4-methylphenol, the FDU-14-PdPcS catalyst exhibited excellent visible light photocatalytic activity and reusability in the present of H(2)O(2).