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Although both protein arginine methylation (PRMT) and jasmonate (JA) signaling are crucial for regulating plant development, the relationship between these processes in the control of spikelet development remains unclear. In this study, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 technology to generate two OsPRMT6a loss-of-function mutants that exhibit various abnormal spikelet structures. Interestingly, we found that OsPRMT6a can methylate arginine residues in JA signal repressors OsJAZ1 and OsJAZ7. We showed that arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 enhances the binding affinity of OsJAZ1 with the JA receptors OsCOI1a and OsCOI1b in the presence of JAs, thereby promoting the ubiquitination of OsJAZ1 by the SCFOsCOI1a/OsCOI1b complex and degradation via the 26S proteasome. This process ultimately releases OsMYC2, a core transcriptional regulator in the JA signaling pathway, to activate or repress JA-responsive genes, thereby maintaining normal plant (spikelet) development. However, in the osprmt6a-1 mutant, reduced arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 impaires the interaction between OsJAZ1 and OsCOI1a/OsCOI1b in the presence of JAs. As a result, OsJAZ1 proteins become more stable, repressing JA responses, thus causing the formation of abnormal spikelet structures. Moreover, we discovered that JA signaling reduces the OsPRMT6a mRNA level in an OsMYC2-dependent manner, thereby establishing a negative feedback loop to balance JA signaling. We further found that OsPRMT6a-mediated arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 likely serves as a switch to tune JA signaling to maintain normal spikelet development under harsh environmental conditions such as high temperatures. Collectively, our study establishes a direct molecular link between arginine methylation and JA signaling in rice. This study shows that arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 by OsPRMT6a enhances its binding affinity with OsCOI1a/OsCOI1b, thus promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of OsJAZ1 and, ultimately, jasmonate (JA) responses. In the osprmt6a-1 mutant, the absence of OsJAZ1 arginine methylation results in stabilization of OsJAZ1 proteins, thus repressing JA responses and ultimately leading to abnormal spikelet structures. In addition, JA signaling reduces the OsPRMT6a mRNA level, establishing a negative feedback loop to balance JA signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting environmental contaminants is crucial for protecting ecosystems and human health. While traditional carbon dot (CD) fluorescent probes are versatile, they may suffer from limitations like fluctuations in signal intensity, leading to detection inaccuracies. In contrast, ratiometric fluorescent probes, designed with internal self-calibration mechanisms, offer enhanced sensitivity and reliability. This review focuses on the design and applications of ratiometric fluorescent probes based on CDs for environmental monitoring. Our discussion covers construction strategies, ratiometric fluorescence principles, and applications in detecting various environmental contaminants, including organic pollutants, heavy metal ions, and other substances. We also explore associated advantages and challenges and provide insights into potential solutions and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the relationship between macrosomia and amino acids in maternal and cord sera. Methods: In the case-control study, 78 pairs of mothers and newborns were recruited from December 2016 to November 2019. Participants were divided into the macrosomia group (BW ≥ 4000 g, n = 39) and the control group (BW between 2500 g and 3999 g, n = 39) according to the birth weight (BW) of newborns. Maternal vein blood samples were collected before delivery and cord vein blood samples were collected after birth. The levels of amino acids in maternal and cord sera were measured by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in the year 2021. The difference in amino acid levels in maternal and cord sera between the two groups was compared, and the contribution of each amino acid to the difference between the two groups was analyzed. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to test the relationship between macrosomia and amino acids. Results: In maternal serum during the antepartum, the levels of asparagine, glutamine, methionine, alanine, and threonine in the macrosomia group were higher but arginine was lower than that in the control group (p < 0.05). In cord serum, the levels of lysine, histidine, phenylalanine, arginine, tryptophan, valine, isoleucine, glutamate, tyrosine, and total essential amino acid (EAA) in the macrosomia group were lower while glutamine was higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). The ratios of EAA, valine, threonine, methionine, tryptophan, and alanine in maternal serum to those in cord serum were higher, while the ratio of glutamine was lower in the macrosomia group (p < 0.05). Arginine and threonine in maternal serum and glutamate, glutamine, and histidine in cord serum were associated with macrosomia (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Most of the amino acid levels in the maternal sera of the macrosomia group are higher than those in the control group, while most of the amino acids' levels in the cord sera of the macrosomia group are lower than those in the control group. The ratios of some amino acids in maternal serum to those in cord serum were different between the two groups. Arginine and threonine in maternal serum and glutamate, glutamine, and histidine in cord serum are closely related to macrosomia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photo‐rechargeable supercapacitor enables the self‐powering of flexible wearable electronics. However, flexible wearable electronics require supercapacitors not only with excellent flexibility but also with high energy density. P‐diaminoazobenzene (P‐Azo) as a new type of organic electrode material with NN is directly connected to the benzene ring and forms a large π‐conjugated system, which makes it have a lower lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level, is beneficial to transfer of electrons, and increases the conductivity of organic molecules. In addition, NN can realize the transfer of two electrons, which makes P‐Azo have a higher energy density. Asymmetric flexible supercapacitors are fabricated by assembling P‐Azo, activated carbon, and an adhesive electrolyte, with 425.2 mW h cm−2 (55.19 Wh kg−1) energy density at a power density of 80 mW cm−2 (10.38 W kg−1), and 90.7% capacitance retention after 80 000 cycles of bending. In this work, supercapacitors and perovskite submodules are coupled to prepare a photo‐rechargeable supercapacitor to achieve a 7% overall energy‐conversion efficiency. Therefore, this supercapacitor paves a practical route for powering future wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computers, televisions, and smartphones are revolutionized by the invention of InGaN blue light‐emitting diode (LED) backlighting. Yet, continual exposure to the intense blue LED emission from these modern displays can cause insomnia and mood disorders. Developing "human‐centric" backlighting that uses a violet‐emitting LED chip and a trichromatic phosphor mixture to generate color images is one approach that addresses this problem. The challenge is finding a blue‐emitting phosphor that possesses a sufficiently small Stokes' shift to efficiently down‐convert violet LED light and produce a narrow blue emission. This work reports a new oxynitride phosphor that meets this demand. K3AlP3O9N:Eu2+ exhibits an unexpectedly narrow (45 nm, 2206 cm−1), thermally robust, and efficient blue photoluminescence upon violet excitation. Computational modeling and temperature‐dependent optical property measurements reveal that the narrow emission arises from a rare combination of preferential excitation and site‐selective quenching. The resulting chromaticity coordinates of K3AlP3O9N:Eu2+ lie closer to the vertex of the Rec. 2020 than a blue LED chip and provides access to ≈10% more colors than a commercial tablet when combined with commercial red‐ and green‐emitting phosphors. Alongside the wide gamut, tuning the emission from the violet LED and phosphor blend can reduce blue light emissions to produce next‐generation, human‐centric displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of photoacoustic laser streaming has opened up a new avenue to manipulate and drive fluids with light, but the necessity of an in situ "launch pad" has limited its utility in real‐world microfluidic applications due to both the size constraint and the complexity of fabrication. Here, it is demonstrated that 1) a versatile microfluidic pump can be materialized by using laser streaming from an optical fiber, and 2) laser streaming can be generated from a flat metal surface without any fabrication process. In the latter case, by focusing laser on the tip of a sewing needle tip, the needle can be turned into a micropump with controllable flow direction. Additionally, high‐speed imaging of the fluid motion and computational fluid dynamics simulations to confirm the photoacoustic principle of laser streaming are employed, and it is revealed that the streaming direction is determined by the direction of strongest intensity in the divergent ultrasound wavefront. Finally, the potential of laser streaming for microfluidic and optofluidic applications is demonstrated by successfully driving fluid inside a capillary tube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photorechargeable supercapacitors are perfect energy storage devices, particularly for solar cells that output electricity only during sunshine hours. The lower energy density of supercapacitors is due to fewer redox‐active sites, poor electrolyte accessibility at the electrodes, and charge loss during charge transfer from solar cells to the supercapacitor. Here, an electrolyte‐accessible organic–inorganic hybrid electrode with synergistic pseudocapacitance of Ti3C2Tx and high theoretical specific capacity CO active centers to enhance the energy density of the supercapacitor is proposed. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the covalent cross‐linking of organic molecules changes the charge density redistribution of Ti3C2Tx, enhances ion absorption and storage, and increases the energy density of the supercapacitors. Based on these DFT calculation results, hybrid electrodes are successfully prepared using p‐phenylene diisocyanate to covalently cross‐link pseudocapacitors Ti3C2Tx with anthraquinone such as 1‐hydroxyanthraquinone (HA) or 1‐amino‐4‐bromoanthraquinone‐2‐sodium sulfonate (ABS). The Ti3C2Tx‐HA hybrid electrodes exhibit high areal specific capacity (2532.5 mF cm−2), excellent ion absorption storage capability, and long‐term stability. The asymmetric supercapacitor yields a decent area specific capacity (1686.72 mF cm−2 at 0.25 mA cm−2) and energy density (599.72 mWh cm−2 at a power density of 200 mW cm−2). These high‐energy‐density supercapacitors are coupled with perovskite solar cells to prepare photorechargeable supercapacitors with fast energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Streptococcus suis is an emerging zoonotic agent. Its natural habitat is the tonsils, which are the main portals of S. suis entry into the bloodstream of pigs. The remarkable variability of the bacteria and complex pathogenic mechanisms make the development of a vaccine a difficult task.Method: Five conserved virulence factors involved in critical events of S. suis pathogenesis were combined and used as an intranasal vaccine (V5). The effect of V5 was investigated with intranasal and systemic challenge models.Results: V5 induced antibody and T-cell responses at the mucosal site and systemically. The immunity promoted clearance of S. suis from the nasopharynx independent of S. suis serotypes and reduced lethality after systemic challenge with S. suis serotype 2. Moreover, mice that survived sepsis from intravenous infection developed meningitis, whereas none of these mice showed neuropathological symptoms after V5 receipt.Conclusion: Intranasal immunization with multiple conserved virulence factors decreases S. suis colonization at the nasopharynx across serotypes and inhibits the dissemination of the bacteria in the host. The protective mucosal immunity effects would potentially reduce the S. suis reservoir and prevent S. suis disease in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas sensors based on noble metal/metal oxide are applied extensively, and show a relatively high response to carbon monoxide at inferior operating temperature. In this paper, a carbon monoxide sensor based on Pt decorated SnO2 nanoparticles is obtained by a hydrothermal method. Abundant characterization methods are used to analyze the structure, morphology, chemical state and specific surface area of the as-prepared compounds. The pure SnO2 sensor exhibits inferior operating temperature and low response for the detection of carbon monoxide. In contrast, the observed response of the sensor with the as-synthesized 1.5 mol% Pt decorated SnO2 is up to 610.45 at a low operating temperature of 80 °C, and the response value is about three times higher than that of SnO2 sensor. The significantly improved performance is thoroughly explained in terms of the adsorption-desorption mechanism, and the chemical sensitization and electronic sensitization of Pt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, a Ni(OH)2@Ni foam binder‐free electrode was obtained through the corrosion of Ni foam with ultrapure water under hydrothermal conditions. The structure, morphology, and surface chemical states of the obtained Ni(OH)2@Ni foam were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The chemical formation mechanism is discussed. In addition, it was found that the loading amount and morphology of the deposited Ni(OH)2 depend largely on the corrosion time. Furthermore, electrodes corroded for different times were then directly used as working electrodes to investigate the areal and specific capacitances of the deposited Ni(OH)2 by using cyclic voltammetry, through which a relationship between the corrosion time, loading amount, morphology, and final capacitance is built up. The electrode with the highest areal capacitance was further studied with cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge−discharge processes, as well as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The as‐prepared Ni(OH)2@Ni foam is a typical pseudocapacitance electrode. At a high current density of 5 mA cm−2, the electrode exhibits an areal capacitance of 0.863 F cm−2. For the deposited Ni(OH)2, its specific capacitance reaches 693 F g−1 at a current density of 4 A g−1. After 3000 charge−discharge cycles at a current density as high as 10 A g−1 (12.5 mA cm−2), the areal capacitance retains 77.3 % of its initial value. The findings in this work could be meaningful for the corrosion preparation of related electrodes and the design of binder‐free electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light‐emitting diode (LED)‐driven displays create colored images by down‐converting an intense blue LED signal to longer wavelengths using inorganic phosphors. Unfortunately, overexposure to this blue LED emission throughout the course of a day has been linked to insomnia and mood disorders. “Human‐centric” lighting can alleviate this problem by transitioning to safe violet LED driven devices and utilizing a trichromatic phosphor mixture. For further details see article number 2202689 by Jakoah Brgoch and co‐workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ab initio calculations, human-centric lighting, melatonin suppression, phosphorous oxynitride, violet-excitation "Human-centric" lighting can alleviate this problem by transitioning to safe violet LED driven devices and utilizing a trichromatic phosphor mixture. Keywords: ab initio calculations; human-centric lighting; melatonin suppression; phosphorous oxynitride; violet-excitation EN ab initio calculations human-centric lighting melatonin suppression phosphorous oxynitride violet-excitation 1 1 1 04/20/23 20230415 NES 230415 Light-emitting diode (LED)-driven displays create colored images by down-converting an intense blue LED signal to longer wavelengths using inorganic phosphors. [Extracted from the article]

Beta-manganese dioxide (β-MnO) microrods were hydrothermally synthesized from ammonium persulfate [(NH)SO] solution using manganese sulfate (MnSO) as reductant at 180 °C for 3 h. The characterizations, including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, showed that the crystallinity and morphology of the as-synthesized samples were well-defined β-MnO microrods with the diameters of about 100 nm and lengths of about 2-4 μm. To explore the optimal degradation conditions, the as-synthesized β-MnO microrods were employed into the degradation of methyl orange dye solution with the concentration of 20 mg/L in the presence of H with pH values equalling 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 7.0, respectively. The results indicate that the degradation efficiency could reach 98% after 9 min at the pH value of 1.0 or 2.0. Also, the lower the pH value, the higher the degradation efficiency. Based on these experimental results, a proper mechanism of the degradation process of methyl orange is proposed and the rationality of the mechanism is further investigated through the scientific control tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anatase–rutile mixed-phase TiO2 is proved to have better photocatalytic activity than pure anatase TiO2, but the preparation of the mixed-phase TiO2 usually needs thermal treatments at more than 500 °C. In this study, we present a one-step nonaqueous sol–gel route to form mixed-phase TiO2 at relatively low temperatures from 160 to 220 °C. The structure, morphology and surface chemical state were examined with X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The influence of the preparation temperature on the structural characteristics including grain size and phase content were investigated using the Rietveld refinement. Through TEM, the evolution from sphere-like anatase nanoparticle to hexagonal rutile single-crystal was investigated. The photocatalytic activities of the obtained anatase and anatase-rutile TiO2 were evaluated by degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light, and a distinct enhanced activity was observed. Through the UV-vis spectrum and mass spectrum, the pathway of RhB degradation caused by the mixed-phase TiO2 with visible light was studied. At the same time, the mechanism of the enhanced photocatalytic properties was presented. The mechanisms were verified with UV-vis measurements. It is believed that the obtained mixed-phase TiO2 is one promising candidate for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional macro/mesoporous CoO-CeO was prepared via a facile self-sustained decomposition of metal-organic complexes. Porous CoO-CeO was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy/transmission electron microscopy imaging, N adsorption/desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to examine the morphology and microstructure to find out the cause. CoO-CeO with the 3D hierarchical porous structure consisting of nanoparticles is a coral-like shape with a size of tens of micrometers and exhibits the hierarchically porous morphology, in which the walls of the macropores contain smaller mesopores. The catalytic performance of the porous CoO-CeO for CO oxidation has been studied. Among the obtained catalysts, the porous CoO-CeO with 20 wt% Co exhibits the best catalytic activity and the 50 % CO conversion can be reached at 74 °C. The presence of transition metal element Co can promote the production of oxygen vacancies and improve oxygen mobility, which result in enhancing the oxygen-storage capacity of porous CoO-CeO and its catalytic performance for CO conversion. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO quantum dots (QDs), a few nanometers in size, were synthesized by a sol–gel method using different solvents (methanol, ethanol and hexanol). The structural, morphological and photoluminescent properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence spectrometry, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The results indicated that ZnO QDs with good dispersion, ranging in size from 3.3 nm to 7.7 nm, could be controlled easily by the solvents. The ZnO QDs exhibited strong visible emission from green to orange. The reasons for the change in emission color are believed to be the quantum size effect and the change in defect concentration due to the different solvents used in their preparation. A possible mechanism for the photoluminescence of ZnO QDs is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new high performance fluorescence assay for detection of Ag+ based on CdS quantum dots (QDs) using L-Aspartic acid (L-Asp) as a stabilizer was proposed in this work. The CdS quantum dots conjugation with L-Aspartic acid (L-Asp@CdS QDs) were successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal process. The QDs have a fluorescence emission band maximum at 595 nm with a quantum yield of 11%. The obtained CdS QDs exhibit a particle size of 1.63 ± 0.28 nm and look like quantum dot flowers. Basically, the fluorescence intensity of L-Asp@CdS QDs can be enhanced only upon addition of Ag+ and a redshift in the fluorescence spectrum was observed. Under optimum conditions, the fluorescence enhancement of L-Asp@CdS QDs appeared to exhibit a good linear relationship in between 100–7000 nM (R2 = 0.9945) with the Ag+ concentration, with a detection limit of 39 nM. The results indicated that the L-Asp@CdS QDs were well used in detection for Ag+ as fluorescence probe in aqueous solution with high sensitivity and selectivity. Moreover, the sensing system has been applied in detection Ag+ in real water samples. The recovery test results were 98.6%~113%, and relative standard deviation (n = 5) is less than 3.6%, which was satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thioglycolic acid-functionalized ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) as a colorimetric nanoprobe were prepared and applied to the determination of cobalt(II) and iron(III). Test strips were obtained by a dipping-drying process. On exposure to Co(II), they undergo a color change from white to brown, and on exposure to Fe(III) from white to pink. The limits of detection (LOD) are 2.6 mg L−1 for Co(II) and 2.2 mg L−1 for Fe(III). Test strips introduce a low-cost, portable, rapid and convenient tool for determination of Co(II) and Fe(III). In addition, two other analytical methods have been studied for detection of Co(II) and Fe(III) at low concentration. The first is UV-vis spectrometry which has a LOD as low as 0.14 mg L−1 for Co(II) (at 412 nm) and 0.12 mg L−1 for Fe(III) (at 400 nm). The second is dynamic light scattering (DLS) with a LOD of 3.0 μg L−1 for Co(II) and 2.5 μg L−1 for Fe(III). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluorescence intensity of N, S co-doped graphene quantum dots (N, S-GQDs) can be quenched by Fe3+ and Hg2+. Density functional theory (DFT) simulation and experimental studies indicate that the fluorescence quenching mechanisms for Fe3+ and Hg2+ detection are mainly attributed to the inner filter effect (IFE) and dynamic quenching process, respectively. The electronegativity difference between C and doped atoms (N, S) in favor to introduce negative charge sites on the surface of N, S-GQDs leads to charge redistribution. Those negative charge sites facilitate the adsorption of cations on the N, S-GQDs' surface. Atomic population analysis results show that some charge transfer from Fe3+ and Hg2+ to N, S-GQDs, which relate to the fluorescent quenching of N, S-GQDs. In addition, negative adsorption energy indicates the adsorption of Hg2+ and Fe2+ is energetically favorable, which also contributes to the adsorption of quencher ions. Blue fluorescent N, S-GQDs were synthesized by a facile one-pot hydrothermal treatment. Fluorescent lifetime and UV-vis measurements further validate the fluorescent quenching mechanism is related to the electron transfer dynamic quenching and IFE quenching. The as-synthesized N, S-GQDs were applied as a fluorescent probe for Fe3+ and Hg2+ detection. Results indicate that N, S-GQDs have good sensitivity and selectivity on Fe3+ and Hg2+ with a detection limit as low as 2.88 and 0.27 nM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citric acid capped CdS quantum dots (CA-CdS QDs), a new assembled fluorescent probe for copper ions (Cu2+), was synthesized successfully by a simple hydrothermal method. In this work, the fluorescence sensor for the detection of heavy and transition metal (HTM) ions has been extensively studied in aqueous solution. The results of the present study indicate that the obtained CA-CdS QDs could detect Cu2+ with high sensitivity and selectivity. It found that the existence of Cu2+ has a significant fluorescence quenching with a large red shifted (from greenish-yellow to yellowish-orange), but not in the presence of 17 other HTM ions. As a result, Cu2S, the energy level below the CdS conduction band, could be formed at the surface of the CA-CdS QDs and leads to the quenching of fluorescence of CA-CdS QDs. Under optimal conditions, the copper ions detection range using the synthesized fluorescence sensor was 1.0 × 10‒8 M to 5.0 × 10‒5 M and the limit of detection (LOD) is 9.2 × 10‒9 M. Besides, the as-synthesized CA-CdS QDs sensor exhibited good selectivity toward Cu2+ relative to other common metal ions. Thus, the CA-CdS QDs has potential applications for detecting Cu2+ in real water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pd-functionalized one-dimensional (1D) SnO2 nanostructures were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method and shaddock peels were used as bio-templates to induce a 1D-fiber-like morphology into the gas sensing materials. The gas-sensing performances of sensors based on different ratios of Pd-functionalized SnO2 composites were measured. All results indicate that the sensor based on 5 mol % Pd-functionalized SnO2 composites exhibited significantly enhanced gas-sensing performances toward butane. With regard to pure SnO2, enhanced levels of gas response and selectivity were observed. With 5 mol % Pd-functionalized SnO2 composites, detection limits as low as 10 ppm with responses of 1.38 ± 0.26 were attained. Additionally, the sensor exhibited rapid response/recovery times (3.20/6.28 s) at 3000 ppm butane, good repeatability and long-term stability, demonstrating their potential in practical applications. The excellent gas-sensing performances are attributed to the unique one-dimensional morphology and the large internal surface area of sensing materials afforded using bio-templates, which provide more active sites for the reaction between butane molecules and adsorbed oxygen ions. The catalysis and "spillover effect" of Pd nanoparticles also play an important role in the sensing of butane gas as further discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The front cover artwork is provided by Mr. Xu Liu and Prof. Yude Wang from Yunnan University (Kunming, P.R. China). The image shows the green corrosion route from water and Ni foam to a Ni(OH)2@Ni foam binder‐free supercapacitor electrode. Read the full text of the Article at 10.1002/celc.201701094. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The g-C3N4-coupling TiO2 photocatalysts with controllable particle size as well as the interface contact were prepared by a general nonaqueous sol-gel method. The structural and morphological features of g-C3N4/TiO2 were investigated through the X-ray diffraction, Fourier transformed infrared spectra, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. It is found the TiO2 nanoparticles with a size of 7.3 ± 1.6 nm are uniformly anchored on the surface of the g-C3N4 nanosheets in isolation. The photocatalytic properties of as-prepared g-C3N4/TiO2 were tested by degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light, and an enhanced activity is observed. The mechanism of the enhanced activity was further investigated through N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, UV-vis spectra, photoluminescence spectra, photoelectrochemical measurements, radical trapping experiments and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Furthermore, the photocatalytic performances of obtained g-C3N4/TiO2 under sunlight were also evaluated in aspects of degradation efficiency and stability. The results indicate that the obtained g-C3N4/TiO2 is one promising photocatalyst for practical applications. The study of as-prepared g-C3N4/TiO2 also implies that the present method could be a general route of g-C3N4-coupling photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]