Search

This report presents an investigation into the use of carbon paper electrodes prepared from chitosan-adhered graphene magnetite nanoparticles for the analysis of Cr(VI). The preparation and storage of carbon paper electrodes is a simple process, and these electrodes are easier to replace than electrodes modified by more conventional methods. The electrochemical detection of Cr(VI) using square wave adsorption cathodic dissolution voltammetry (SWAdCSV) with high selectivity and sensitivity, as well as the optimum conditions for the preparation of the electrodes and the electrode parameters affecting the SWAdCSV signal, were the main points of focus of the investigation. Cr(VI) was detected linearly in the range of 4-40 μg L-1 with a detection limit of 2.84 μg L-1. The electrode output precision, calculated as %RSD, was 7.16% (n = 6), and this was the measurement used for the detection of Cr(VI) in standard and test samples with recoveries between 89% and 114%. The results were consistent with those obtained using the standard UV-Vis spectrophotometric method with a paired t-test at 95% confidence level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective enrichment of La(III) by green material as an industrial raw material is of great research interest. In this study, the selective interaction between P and La(III) was utilized, and waste paper (WP) modified with phytic acid (PA) was used to adsorb La(III) from water using a simple one-pot method. The adsorption capacity was 237.23 mg g−1 (30 °C, pH = 5, initial concentration of 200 mg L−1). The equilibrium isotherm fitted the Langmuir isotherm model well. The adsorption equilibrium was reached after 15 min. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, indicating that the adsorption mechanism of the material towards La(III) is single-layer chemisorption. It selectively adsorbed La(III) from four coexisting substances (Pb, Ni, Cu, and Co). After six cycles, the adsorption efficiency of the adsorbent material remained at 60%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing a one-pot Schiff-base condensation approach, the derivative "cholyl hydrazide Schiff base of phenothiazine" (ChHSB-PTZ) based on cholic acid has been synthesized and characterized via standard procedures. ChHSB-PTZ demonstrates exceptional sensitivity towards Sn(II) metal ion detection through fluorescence "turn-off" behavior based on chelation-enhanced fluorescence quenching (CHEQ) even in the presence of various cations and anions. Through modified Stern–Volmer and Stern–Volmer graph analyses, the binding constant (Ka) and limit of detection (LOD) were found to be 2.8 × 1010 M−1 and 2.2 nM, respectively. A 1 : 1 stoichiometry between ChHSB-PTZ and the Sn(II) metal ion was found via Job's plot. Moreover, the distribution of electronic states in the ChHSB-PTZ Schiff base and the sensing mechanism (CHEQ) were clarified through the use of 1H NMR titration spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. ChHSB-PTZ test paper strips are developed as an essential tool to improve the analytical applicability of the device and enable the rapid, accurate, and affordable detection of Sn(II) metal ions in environmental analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water-soluble bromophenoxy-substituted naphthalimide derivative 1 and its copolymer P1 with acrylamide were synthesized and the photophysical properties of their host–guest complexes with cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) were studied. Notably, the host–guest complex CB[8]·1 showed long-lived RTP on filter paper and demonstrated a humidity response, making it suitable for use as an encryption ink. Furthermore, the solid powder of the host–guest complex between P1 and CB[8] exhibited a 4 s afterglow emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is significant to develop low-cost and highly efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) via electrochemical water splitting. Herein, we constructed P-doped NiCo2S4 nanowire arrays on carbon fiber paper (NiCo2S4−xPx/CFP) as a HER electrocatalyst in both acidic and alkaline media. Benefitting from P doping into NiCo2S4, the as-prepared NiCo2S4−xPx/CFP exhibits low HER overpotentials of 80 and 132 mV in acidic and alkaline media at a cathodic current density of 10 mA cm−2, respectively, which are far superior to counterparts of NiCo2S4 nanowire arrays on the carbon fiber paper (NiCo2S4/CFP). Meanwhile, the NiCo2S4−xPx/CFP presents excellent HER stability of 20 hours in acidic and alkaline media. From the results of density functional theory calculations, P doping can not only optimize the hydrogen adsorption energetics on each kind of atomic site of catalysts, but also strengthen the H2O molecule binding ability on the catalyst surface for the alkaline HER and favor kinetics of hydrogen adsorption and H2 formation on the catalyst surface for the acidic HER, eventually improving overall HER performances. The investigation of the HER mechanism modulated by P doping in our work offers novel inspiration to develop highly efficient ternary metal sulfides for the HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document is a contents list for the New Journal of Chemistry, a publication that aims to connect the world with the chemical sciences. It provides information about the articles and papers included in the journal's latest issue. The articles cover a range of topics in chemistry, including the structural basis for Cu(II) metallocycle hexamer formation, photocatalyst-free hydrothiolation of gem-difluoroalkenes with thiols, and the construction of an alkynyl-containing porous polymer for enhanced photocatalytic H2O2 generation. The journal also invests its profits back into the chemistry community. Additionally, the document includes a correction to a previous paper on the effect of electrolyte optimization. [Extracted from the article]

The New Journal of Chemistry, published by The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, contains a variety of research papers on topics such as graphite exfoliation, EPR characterization of N-oxyl radicals, anticancer efficacy, protoplast regeneration, semiconducting carbon nanotubes, and electrochemical sensing. The journal aims to provide new directions in chemistry and offers valuable insights and research findings for library patrons conducting research in these areas. The document is a list of papers published in the journal, covering a range of topics in chemistry and materials science, including pH-responsive nanotheranostics, synthesis of fused molecules, removal of tetracycline from water, and comparison of different species using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. [Extracted from the article]

The document is a contents list for the New Journal of Chemistry, a publication by The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. It features a variety of articles and papers covering topics such as anti-counterfeiting printing, monitoring platinum(IV) complexes, and the removal of uranium from the kidneys. The journal also provides information on training courses and resources for professional development in chemistry. The papers offer valuable insights and advancements in the field, making it a valuable resource for researchers and professionals in chemistry. [Extracted from the article]

The New Journal of Chemistry, published by The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, has released a list of papers published in 2024. These papers cover a wide range of topics in the field of chemistry, including photothermal properties of MXenes, pseudomorphic transformation of silica, and adsorption behavior of chloramphenicol. Other papers explore drug abuse detection in hair samples, photocatalytic performance, small-molecule tracer imaging, catalytic studies, colorimetric sensing, and more. These papers offer valuable research and insights in various areas of chemistry. [Extracted from the article]

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the quality of 13 batches of rice and 17 batches of paddy. Differential scanning calorimetry curves, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy and electrochemical curves of 30 batches of rice and paddy were collected, and this paper utilized the quantitative fingerprints evaluated by using the systematic quantitative fingerprinting method, macro qualitative similarity (S m) and macro quantitative similarity (P m) to reflect the internal differences of the samples. A new quality assessment method was explored to quantify the obtained fingerprint profiles and to compare the correlation between the original fingerprints and the quantum fingerprints using a t-test. Using the parameters S m and P m as analysis criteria, hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and the equal-weight integrated evaluation method were used to evaluate the quality of the four analysis methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a contents list for the New Journal of Chemistry, a publication by The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. It provides a list of articles and papers featured in the latest issue of the journal, covering a diverse range of topics in chemistry. Some of the topics include enantioselective insertion of vinyl diazoacetates, building a data science toolbox for designing catalysts, and the synthesis and coordination behavior of a ferrocene phosphinostibine. The document also includes a correction to a previously published paper. [Extracted from the article]

The New Journal of Chemistry is a publication that focuses on the chemical sciences and aims to connect researchers worldwide. The document provided is a contents list for the journal's 2024 edition. It includes papers on various topics such as membrane modification, nanoparticle synthesis, targeted therapy, catalysis, and material properties. Two specific papers are highlighted: one discusses the use of cationic lipids in non-viral gene delivery, while the other explores the confinement of metal-organic framework (MOF) etching-induced hollow structures for enhanced activation of peroxymonosulfate. The journal is published by The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. [Extracted from the article]

High-entropy alloys show broad application prospects in electrocatalysis due to their high catalytic activity, conductivity and structural stability. However, achieving their mild and scalable synthesis still remains a great challenge. This paper reports a strategy for the synthesis of CrFeCoNiRu0.5 high entropy nano-alloy/carbon (termed as CrFeCoNiRu0.5-HENA/C) using a chelate-based ionic liquid. Cr(III), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II) and Ru(III) were coordinated with salicylic acid ionic liquid to form a viscous metal complex solution, followed by low temperature carbonization and subsequent high temperature annealing. The resulting CrFeCoNiRu0.5- HENA/C consists of a three-dimensional carbon framework and CrFeCoNiRu0.5-HENA nanocrystal. The carbon framework offers high ion/electron conductivity and good affinity with NO3- and CO2 due to the presence of hydrophilic oxygen-containing groups and highly electronegative nitrogen atoms. The CrFeCo-NiRu0.5-HENA nanocrystal has a small size of 52.5 x 1.2 nm, good element homogeneity and high crystallinity. Such a unique structure improves the adsorption capacity towards NO3 - and CO2 and the electrocatalytic activity towards the C-N coupling reaction. The CrFeCoNiRu0.5-HENA/C electrocatalyst exhibits a high urea yield of 35.57 x 0.81 mmol gcatalyst -1 h-1 with a high faradaic efficiency of 21.02-0.77%, which is much better than that of multi-component nano-alloys from Cr, Fe, Co, Ni and Ru. This study also provides an approach for the construction of high-entropy nano-alloys in catalysis, sensing and energy storage and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanocatalytic antimicrobial gel responsive to the bacterial infection microenvironment (IME) possessing highly specific antimicrobial properties provides an opportunity to address the bacterial drug resistance. However, the pH conditions and low substrate concentration in the IME limit the catalytic antimicrobial efficiency of these agents, resulting in unsatisfactory performance. The reported transition metal peroxide alleviates endogenous substrate insufficiency due to H2O2 self-supplying properties, but still suffers from difficulties of simple synthesis, long-stem storage and lower intrinsic catalytic efficiency responsive to the IME. In this paper, we report for the first time the use of cerium-manganese bimetallic peroxide nanoparticles (CeMnOx) as a nanocatalyst with high pH responsiveness, H2O2 self-supplying properties, multiple ROS-generating activity and synergistic effect-enhanced cascade catalytic reactions for efficient antimicrobial therapy. CeMnOx achieved more than 95% kill rate at 50 mg mL-1 for E. coli and 100 mg mL-1 for S. aureus, which was superior to those of previously reported works. To further improve the availability, nanoparticle-carrying hydrogels with excellent antimicrobial properties were prepared through in situ gelation, thus adapting to a wider range of antimicrobial application scenarios. Therefore, the in situ molded nanocatalytic antimicrobial gels provide a promising paradigm for efficient treatment of bacterial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epimedium is an essential genus of homologous plants used as medicine and food, which has various pharmacological effects and great utilization value in the market. Currently, research into the quality of Epimedium focuses mainly on species and region identification. However, the harvesting period also influences the quality of Epimedium; this aspect requires further study. In this paper, a systematic method is developed based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint analysis, chemometrics, and network pharmacology methods to compare the quality of Epimedium from two harvest periods. A method is developed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to identify fingerprint peaks. Chemical composition analysis is performed using cluster analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Ultimately, network pharmacology analysis is employed to forecast the potential effects of compounds associated with standard chromatographic peaks. The fingerprint peaks were identified through LC-MS and corroborated with references. Subsequently, chemometric analysis revealed a distinct division between the HPLC fingerprints of samples from the two harvest periods. This was accomplished by employing cluster analysis and OPLS-DA. Additionally, utilizing the variable impact projection (VIP) obtained from OPLS-DA, a total of seven compounds exhibiting quality discrepancies were identified. Lastly, the network pharmacology analysis indicated that compounds corresponding to typical chromatographic peaks demonstrate therapeutic effects on osteoporosis. Moreover, primary bioactive compounds are identified through degree value screening. This approach is powerful for the quality assessment of Epimedium from different harvesting periods and can also be extensively applied for the quality control of other herbal materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensitive detection of toxic substances in drinking water is always a difficult problem in electrochemical applications. This paper presents a new electrode enhanced with nanomaterials for the sensitive detection of nitrobenzene (NB). A bimetallic Cu5Zn8 alloy was created using the copper-zeolitic imidazole framework (Cu/ZIF-8). Based on this, we synthesized a Cu5Zn8@SiO2/nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) composite. The experimental results showed that the Cu5Zn8@SiO2/NC composite has good conductivity and electron transfer ability, which was conducive to the reduction of NB. The fabricated Cu5Zn8@SiO2/NC electrode has a wide linear range with a low detection limit for the reduction of NB. At the same time, it has better anti-interference ability and reproducibility. Additionally, with good recoveries, Cu5Zn8@SiO2/NC was successfully used to monitor NB in tap water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document is a contents list for the New Journal of Chemistry, a publication by The Royal Society of Chemistry. It features papers on various topics such as boron nitride-carbon composites, organic/inorganic artificial bones, and metal-organic frameworks. The journal aims to connect the world with the chemical sciences. The document also includes corrections to previous publications. [Extracted from the article]

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have unique potential in the field of gas sensing due to their ultra-high specific surface area and abundant mesoporous structure. In this paper, a mesoporous Co3O4 hollow polyhedron structure with high specific surface area (141.6 m2 g−1) was synthesized by annealing at the optimum temperature. The gas response of the mesoporous Co3O4 hollow polyhedron structure to volatile organic compounds such as xylene, ethanol, methanol and acetone was systematically tested. The experimental results show that the mesoporous Co3O4 hollow polyhedron structure has the highest sensitivity (21.33) and excellent stability for xylene gas, and the detection limit is low (1 ppm). The excellent sensing performance benefits from large surface area, high oxygen defect concentration and mesoporous structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) composited on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) can generate valuable materials (MNP/MOF) possessing good physical, chemical, and biological properties. The preparation of novel MNP/MOF followed by exploration of their applications has inspired great investigational enthusiasm. In this paper, Ni, Co and Ni–Co bimetallic MNP/MOF catalysts derived from MOFs were prepared by controlled pyrolysis, and then characterized by TGA, FTIR, XRD, BET, SEM, XPS and H2-TPD, which showed that pyrolysis under H2 (reported typically under an inert atmosphere) and the addition of Co to Ni–MOF could form Ni–Co alloy MOFs with not only a relatively complete MOFs structure but good dispersion of metal nanoparticles. In order to disclose their potential for utilization, specifically, the activity tests of the prepared novel MNP/MOF materials were conducted on the hydrogenation of toluene towards methylcyclohexane. The results confirmed that the Ni1Co2/MOF-325 catalyst obtained by pyrolysis of Ni1Co2–MOF under H2 at 325 °C had high activity and good stability for the hydrogenation of toluene, showing excellent prospect as a hydrogenation catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of catalysts supported by polyoxometalates (POMs) with green oxidative desulfurization activity is an important research topic in oil refining. In this paper, a nano-sized H-β zeolite support was modified by tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT) to form a microporous–mesoporous structure. On this basis, the modified H-β zeolite was used as a support to load POMs with different structures. The characterization results of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N2 adsorption–desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy showed that POMs had been successfully loaded onto the support, and the skeleton structures of POMs and zeolites were maintained. The introduction of POMs significantly improved the ODS performance of bulky organic sulfides, especially benzothiophene (BT). The order of catalytic oxidative desulfurization activity of POMs with different structures was: Keggin > Sandwich ≈ Anderson > monovacant Dawson > Dawson > MoO3. Under the optimum reaction conditions: T = 50 °C, t = 1 h, moil : mcatalyst = 35 : 1, and n(O) : n(S) = 13 : 1, the oxidation conversion of BT and dibenzothiophene over the catalyst supported by phosphotungstic acid (HPW) reached 99.9%. The role of titanium active species, peroxide polyoxometalate, and titanium–silicon composite oxides in improving the oxidative removal of organic sulfides was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the NO donor trans-(Cl,Cl)-[Ru(FT)Cl2(NO)]Cl (Ru–NO) was incorporated in a Pluronic F127 (PL)–chitosan (CS) biocompatible hydrogel. Two concentrations were achieved (520 and 13 μg g−1), resulting in hydrogels with sol–gel transition temperatures of around 36–38 °C, according to rheological studies. The presence of the Ru–NO complex did not significantly modify the thermal (DSC) and morphological (AFM) characteristics of the gels. For Ru–NO-embedded hydrogels, nitric oxide photorelease was evidenced at 400 nm. The quantum yield of photorelease was independent of the temperature at which the gel was maintained (25, 31, or 37 °C) and was found to be ca. 0.015. EPR as well as measurements using an electrochemical NO sensor also confirmed NO release upon light irradiation at 400 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present in this paper the stability of SWCNT hybrid systems with Py molecules. vdW type interactions are therefore the main interaction mechanism between encapsulated molecules and nanotubes, and the simplest model to describe these interactions is the Lennard-Jones potential. We have therefore performed energy minimization calculations on hybrid SWCNTs in a very wide range of diameters and of all chirality using the Lennard-Jones potential. The structure of the carbon nanotube is obtained from the winding of graphene on itself to form a hollow cylinder described by the pair of integers (n, m) entirely determining its structural characteristics, while the optimization of the geometry of the Py molecule is obtained by SIESTA using the exchange–correlation functional LDA. After minimisation, an approach that combines density functional theory, molecular mechanics, bond polarizability model, and spectral moment's method has been used to compute Raman spectra. Two types of vibration modes of SWCNTs attract our attention. Initially, the modifications of the modes of Py after encapsulation will be analyzed. In the following discussion, we examine how the vibrational properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are affected by encapsulation, specifically in relation to the RBM and tangential modes. Our analysis of the Raman active modes supports the notion that the structural integrity of the SWCNTs remains intact and indicates the occurrence of a charge transfer between the Py molecules and SWCNTs. This charge transfer depends on the geometric position of Py in the SWCNT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the precursors of the target product were prepared using a simple solvothermal method. After pyrolysis of the precursors, a three-dimensional Fe/CuFe2O4@C (referred to as FCC) nanomaterial with a relief texture was successfully prepared, which was employed as a novel catalyst material for activated persulfate (referred to as PS) degradation, tetracycline (referred to as TC), in wastewater. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that Fe(III) and Cu(II) served as the primary active metal ions, while the formation of a surface carbon shell positively influenced electron transfer during catalytic degradation. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to assess the efficiency of FCC nanocatalysts in degrading TC under various conditions. The results demonstrated that the degradation rate of TC in the 100 min range was about 96% at concentrations of 0.2 g L−1 FCC and 1 mmol L−1 persulfate and pH 7. Quenching experiment results and EPR results consistently indicated that both free radical and non-radical pathways involved in TC degradation by FCC nanomaterials, and sulfate radicals, hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals and singlet oxygen were identified to be the main active substances. The degradation intermediates were analyzed by liquid mass spectrometry and toxicology. FCC, as a catalyst exhibiting high catalytic activity, demonstrates superior performance in the activated persulfate degradation of TC. The environmental risk associated with the degradation of intermediate products is significantly lower than that of TC itself. FCC holds significant potential for the degradation of antibiotics in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the photodegradation of the Rh 6G dye using a g-C3N4 (g-CN) nanosheet photocatalyst under UV light irradiation. The g-C3N4 nanosheets were synthesized using a simple pyrolysis method at 450 °C for 3 h at a heating rate of 2 °C min−1. Their structural phase, functional groups, surface area, optical properties, elemental composition, and morphology were investigated via XRD, BET, UV-vis, photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and SEM microscopy. The tri-s-triazine structure of g-C3N4 was confirmed and the crystal size was calculated to be 5 nm. g-C3N4 displayed a nanosheet morphology with a BET surface area of 8 m2 g−1. C–N stretching and s-triazine units were observed in the FTIR spectrum. The photoluminescence (PL) emission maximum at 432 nm provided band edge emission related to a band gap of 2.9 eV, and the PL lifetime was 7.6 ns, which is reasonably high for photocatalytic application. Through the C1s XPS spectrum, sp2-hybridized carbon linkages of N–C＝N in the aromatic skeleton rings, such as triazine or heptazine rings, of g-C3N4 were found. The photocatalytic characteristics of g-C3N4 were studied with the Rh-6G dye using UV light illumination. Initially, the Rh-6G dye concentration and catalyst (g-C3N4) loading were optimized for the best dye degradation at 0.01 mmol and 50 mg, respectively. The maximum efficiency of g-C3N4 was 99.6% degradation of the Rh-6G dye in 300 minutes. Lower charge-transfer resistance was found to be the reason for the enhanced photodegradation activity. The most dominant reactive species that participated in the light-activated reaction were superoxide radicals. The influence of pH on photodegradation was studied and the photocatalyst was found to perform better in an acidic pH range. In addition, g-C3N4 was structurally stable, highly recyclable, and, therefore, could be reused in many cycles of photocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on the development of an 'off–on' fluorescent probe for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and mercury ions (Hg2+) using an in situ synthesized carbon quantum dot and gum Arabic silver nanoparticle composite (CQDs@GA-Ag NPs). Electron microscopy measurement clearly shows that CQDs are attached to the surface of the GA-Ag NPs. The fluorescence intensity of the CQDs was dramatically quenched in the synthesized nanocomposite via the inner filter effect (IFE) mechanism. After adding H2O2 to the nanocomposite system, the Ag NPs got oxidized leading to the formation of Ag+ ions, and the CQDs regained their photoluminescence (PL) property. This facilitates the detection of H2O2 with an extremely low detection limit of 1.02 μM. Furthermore, the as-developed nanocomposite was also tested for the detection of Hg2+ ions, obtaining a remarkably low detection limit of 1.82 μM. The developed probe was extremely selective over a wide range of interfering ions and substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their high electronegativity and small atomic radius without undesirable steric hindrance, the incorporation of fluorine atoms onto a conjugated backbone has been proven to be a very effective way to tune the energy levels of organic semiconductors. In this paper, 5-fluorobenzo[c][1,2,5]thiadizole was adopted as the electron-deficient unit, thiophene and alkylthiophene as donor units, and further, thiophene and EDOT were taken as peripheral donor units, and one D–A–D and two D–π–A–π′–D fluorinated electrochromic polymer precursors were successfully synthesized via a Stille coupling reaction, namely F-BT, F-BT-Th, and F-BT-EDOT. Due to the elongation of the π-conjugated systems of precursors with the stronger electron-donating ability of the EDOT unit, the oxidation potential of the F-BT-EDOT precursor was further reduced to 0.56 V vs. Ag/AgCl accompanied by red-shifted electronic spectra. As-electropolymerized P(F-BT-EDOT) also showed favorable redox activity and excellent redox stability (<2.33% electroactivity loss after 1000 cycles). At the same time, the optical band gap of P(F-BT-EDOT) (1.37 eV) is much lower than that of P(F-BT-Th) and P(F-BT) (1.62 eV), and a stable reversible electrochromic change from dark green to dark blue was achieved with a fast response time. In the near-infrared region, P(F-BT-EDOT) shows intriguing overall electrochromic performance with a high optical contrast of up to 33% and a coloration efficiency of 196.3 cm2 C−1 at 1100 nm. It can be seen that the introduction of a strong electron-donor EDOT unit could bring about a new breakthrough in the electrochromic performance of 5-fluorobenzo[c][1,2,5]thiadizole-based fluorinated D–A polymers and enhancement in their stability, and it is expected to be applied in near-infrared electrochromic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal ions have a serious effect on humans and the ecosystem. Molecular sieves have attracted significant attention in heavy metal ion adsorption with distinct microporosity and uniform pore size. In this paper, we successfully synthesized nano-sized NaA molecular sieves in the presence of an organic templating agent while aluminum isopropoxide and silica sol were used as the aluminum and silica sources. To synthesize molecular sieves of the ideal size, the anionic cation concentration and templating agent were adjusted. The findings of Cu(II) and Pb(II) adsorption on NaA molecular sieves showed that under the ideal conditions of adsorption time at 90 minutes, pH = 5, adsorption temperature at 25 °C, and starting adsorbent concentration at 100 mg g−1, the optimal adsorbing capacity could reach 230 mg g−1 and 600 mg g−1, respectively. Isotherm, kinetic, thermodynamic and reusability studies of heavy metal ion adsorption on NaA molecular sieves were carried out to investigate the adsorption kinetics. This work provides a new avenue to regulate the particle sizes of molecular sieves to enhance the adsorption capacity of heavy metal ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigated the role of excited-state hydrogen bonding in the photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) utilizing Rose Bengal as a catalyst, through a combined experimental and theoretical approach. Experiments validated the successful conversion of CO2 to CO in a homogeneous aqueous solution system under light irradiation, without additional photosensitizers or sacrificial agents. Theoretically, the DFT/TDDFT calculations modeled the catalyst-reactants as a hydrogen-bonded complex (HBC), understanding the energy, hydrogen, and electron transfer mechanisms induced by excited-state hydrogen bonding. Combining the photophysical and photochemical insights revealed the complete catalytic cycle, identifying the water oxidation process as the rate-limiting step in the entire photocatalytic CO2RR process. Experimental and computational results provide molecular-level insights into the structure–activity relationships. This work enhances comprehension of the pivotal role of excited-state hydrogen bonding and holds significant reference value for enhancing the conversion efficiency in the photocatalytic CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral surfaces are an object of interest due to their application in catalysis, separation and sensors. Such surfaces can exhibit chirality on the molecular or supramolecular level. Previously, we have studied the thermodynamic features of adsorption on non-porous surfaces with supramolecular chirality. However, for their application in enantiomer separation, enantioselectivity and capacity should be greater. Porous adsorbents are promising for this purpose. In this work, the enantioselectivity of copper borophosphate LiCu2[BP2O8(OH)2] was studied. This zeotype material was obtained by hydrothermal synthesis without any source of chirality. Supramolecular chirality was achieved by spontaneous symmetry breaking via Viedma ripening. XRD and SEM were used to prove the synthesis accuracy. Enantioselectivity during adsorption was studied using the adsorption isotherms of α-pinene and limonene enantiomer analysis. The experimental isotherms were approximated by Langmuir, Dubinin–Radushkevich, Freundlich and Fowler–Guggenheim equations. The t-test was used to prove the reliability of the differences in enantiomer adsorption. The isosteric heats of adsorption were calculated from the adsorption isotherms. The data obtained have shown the ability of the LiCu2[BP2O8(OH)2] surface to recognize both α-pinene and limonene enantiomers. The molecules of α-pinenes adsorbed without pores, with the maximum enantioselectivity coefficient of 1.23 at 80 °C. Limonene molecules adsorbed in pore volume as single molecules or 1D chains. This phenomenon was proved by analysis of isosteric heats. The enantioselectivity of copper borophosphate to limonenes and α-pinenes was similar. The ability of pores with supramolecular chirality (and without molecular chirality) to recognize enantiomers was discovered in this paper for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolites are a class of catalysts with specific pore structures as well as different pore sizes, which are now widely used in various shape-selective catalytic reactions. In this paper, a uniform micro/mesoporous core–shell composite HZSM-@MCM-41 comprising zeolite was successfully prepared by coating mesoporous MCM-41 shells on nanosized ZSM-5 cores using a two-step hydrothermal method. Nanoscale ZSM-5 cores with different acidity were successfully prepared by changing the Si/Al of the initial solution of pristine ZSM-5, and three different thicknesses of MCM-41 shell layers were easily encapsulated on the surface of ZSM-5 with different acidity by varying the amount of silicon source added in the secondary hydrothermal crystallization process. The synthesized series of micro-mesoporous core–shell catalysts were also applied to the catalytic fast pyrolysis in lignin. In the catalytic fast pyrolysis of lignin, the mesoporous structure promoted the transition of biomass pyrolysis intermediate to liquid products, and the acidity of the HZSM-5 core facilitated their catalytic transformation to aromatic hydrocarbons. Among all the tested catalysts, the HZ@M-80-ll catalyst with an internal Si/Al = 80 and MCM-41 shell thickness of ∼25 nm exhibited the highest production of light aromatics and phenols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of drug-resistant bacteria and infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pose a serious challenge to global healthcare. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is becoming a highly effective antimicrobial method. Compared with near infrared I (NIR-I), near infrared II (NIR-II) has deeper penetration depth, less light scattering and higher maximum permissible exposure (MPE). The selection of a photothermal agent (PTA) and laser parameters is important. Three kinds of MXenes, Nb2C, Ti3C2 and V2C, were prepared in this paper, and the extinction coefficient and photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of NIR-I and NIR-II were compared. The extinction coefficient of Ti3C2 (26.23 L g−1 cm−1) at 808 nm was greater than those of Nb2C (24.38 L g−1 cm−1) and V2C (19.43 L g−1 cm−1). However, V2C had a higher temperature than Nb2C at 808 nm due to its high PCE (49.26%). Nb2C had a higher extinction coefficient (24.99 L g−1 cm−1) and PCE (45.55%) at 1064 nm, resulting in the highest temperature change. High extinction coefficient and high PCE are the two important factors for an excellent PTA. To reduce laser power used in the treatment, NIR-II laser and a gelation strategy for MXenes were used. The prepared Nb2C/Gel could be rapidly heated to 62 °C at a laser power of 0.112 W (lower than MPE), and the sterilization rate for MRSA was 92.48%. A NIH-3T3 cell activity study showed that the prepared Nb2C had good biocompatibility. Nb2C/Gel has excellent antibacterial properties and it is expected that a rapid, efficient and safe biological antimicrobial strategy against bacterial infections can be established using Nb2C/Gel, especially for drug-resistant bacterial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, flame retardant composites were prepared by incorporating three flame retardants (FRs), including triphenyl phosphate (TPP), polysiloxane (PSQ) and phosphite functionalized polysiloxane (PPSQ), respectively into a polylactic acid (s/PLLA) matrix. The results indicated that the ultimate oxygen index increased from 20.6% (s/PLLA) to 22.5% (s/PLLA/TPP), 21.1% (s/PLLA/PSQ), and 23.3% (s/PLLA/PPSQ). The composites exhibited a decrease in peak heat release rate (pHRR) and prolonged peak time according to the cone calorimetry analysis. s/PLLA/PPSQ possessed the highest residual carbon content and the densest char residue with finest and smallest pores, indicating excellent flame-retardant performance. The crystallization behavior analysis revealed that the three FRs resulted in an increased crystallization rate and crystallinity. Notably, the crystallinity of s/PLLA/PPSQ increased from 25.8% in s/PLLA to 37.3%. Additionally, PSQ and PPSQ effectively enhanced the mechanical properties of composite materials. Compared to s/PLLA, the tensile strength of s/PLLA/PSQ and s/PLLA/PPSQ increased by 11.5% and 31.3% respectively, and storage modulus increased by 50.0% and 14.6%. This research demonstrated that among the three additives, PPSQ can effectively provide both flame retardancy and mechanical properties to the s/PLLA matrix, resulting in the composite with the best comprehensive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a contents list for the New Journal of Chemistry, providing a summary of papers published in 2024. The journal covers a wide range of topics in the chemical sciences, including selenium compounds as antiviral agents, guanidinium-terminated gold nanoparticles for protein delivery, and the synthesis of macroporous nanocarbon for sodium ion batteries. The journal aims to connect the global chemistry community and reinvest profits into the field. Additionally, the document includes an expression of concern and a correction for previous articles. [Extracted from the article]

As a significant reactive oxygen species (ROS), hypochlorous acid (HClO) plays a key role in the human immune system, ensuring the normal function of the organism. However, abnormal HClO levels have been linked to immune system disorders, neurodegenerative damage, and cancer. Therefore, rapid, and sensitive monitoring of HClO is important for the diagnosis of certain diseases. Here, we designed a probe XL for the detection of HClO in living cells, which is a mixture of phenothiazine and semi-cyanine. The probe XL is highly sensitive, selective and has an ultra-fast (<10 seconds) response to HClO in solution. The detection limit of probe XL for HClO was as low as 31 nM, and we also successfully used the test paper prepared with probe XL for the colorimetric fluorescence detection of HClO in real water samples. In addition, probe XL showed good response to both endogenous and exogenous HClO in cells. Finally, we successfully used probe XL for imaging HClO in zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal sulfides have attracted much attention due to their excellent electrochemical properties. However, their preparation process often requires multiple steps to be completed, which poses difficulties for their application. In this paper, a NiCo2S4(NCS)@NiCo-LDH material was successfully prepared as the cathode material for the prepared supercapacitor by a one-step hydrothermal method using a MOF as a sacrificial template. The electrode material exhibits good electrochemical performance due to the regular microstructure with abundant active sites. The electrode material exhibits a specific capacitance as high as 4191.25 mF cm−2 in the three-electrode system at a current density of 2 mA cm−2. This is much higher than the sum of the capacitances of the NiCo2S4 and NiCo-LDH materials. To further validate its practical application, it was assembled with an activated carbon negative electrode to prepare a high-performance supercapacitor with a scalable voltage window of up to 1.6 V. The device was able to maintain 90% capacity retention after 5000 cycles and showed excellent performance. This work provides a new way to design and fabricate electrode materials with high performance and lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, three-dimensional TiO2 nanoflowers (NFs) were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method, and Ag3PO4 was grown in situ following alkali treatment to design and synthesize a Ag3PO4/OH/TiO2 catalyst with excellent photocatalytic activity under visible light. The test results show that the photocatalytic degradation performance of TiO2 NFs after alkali treatment and Ag3PO4 loading is significantly improved. This is because the alkali treatment and the introduction of Ag3PO4 can provide a large amount of –OH, which can be converted to ˙OH under UV irradiation, followed by an increase in the number of active radicals to enhance the photocatalytic degradation performance. Meanwhile, the introduction of Ag3PO4 can effectively improve the light absorption ability of the photocatalyst. Moreover, the in situ growth of Ag3PO4 on TiO2 NFs can construct a high-quality Ag3PO4/TiO2 heterojunction to promote the charge separation and transport. Therefore, the degradation rate of Ag3PO4/OH/TiO2 can reach 90% after 30 min for degrading 3 mg L−1 RhB under visible light. The Ag3PO4/OH/TiO2 photocatalyst designed in the present work provides a new tool for the degradation of organic dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, two D–π–A structured self-assembly monolayers (SAMs: FNE29 and DT-1) are self-assembled onto the indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates as hole-transport layers (HTLs) for inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Due to the presence of a terminal –COOH group, the SAMs can be adsorbed onto the surface of the ITO substrate through the covalent self-assembly. The employed FNE29 and DT-1 SAMs differ in the π bridge (linker); the FNE29 SAM has a hexyl-substituent terthiophene while the DT-1 SAM contains dithienopyrrolobenzotriazole as the linkers, respectively. Upon the self-assembly of ITO with the SAMs, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) is enhanced from 9.36% for the control device to 16.75% for the FNE29 modified device and further to 20.65% for the DT-1 modified PSCs. As the D–π–A structured SAMs with a large fused π bridge as a linker is beneficial for hole transfer, the self-assembly of DT-1 achieves a higher PCE with an improved fill factor. Moreover, due to the good hydrophobic characteristics of the SAMs, the inverted PSC devices self-assembled with these two molecules display good stability, maintaining over 80% of the original PCE after storage in air (relative humidity of 20–30%) for ∼1000 h without encapsulation. In addition, the FNE29 and DT-1 based devices also show good photostability after operating for 1000 h. These results indicate that the D–π–A structured SAMs with large conjugated fused π bridges as linkers have obvious advantages as the HTLs for inverted PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature, PDIs have been shown to demonstrate extensive applications in the area of organic electronics due to their ability to act as n-type semiconductors. PDIs have been applied in a wide range of electronic devices, including energy storage devices. To fit in these applications, we have modified the valine-terminated PDI core by substituting groups, viz. phenoxy, 4-methoxy phenoxy, and 3,4-dimethoxy phenoxy groups, at bay positions to fine-tune their HOMO-LUMO levels. In this paper, a series of conjugation-extended 1,7-, 1,6- and 1,6,7-regioisomers of Val-PDIs were synthesized, and 1,6,7-PDIs were removed by utilizing the Soxhlet extraction technique used for the first time. The 1,7- and 1,6-PDIs were separated by repeated crystallization and their structural characterization was performed using FTIR, ¹H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. Further, the structures of as-synthesized PDIs were optimized by DFT calculations using the B3LYP approach with a 6-31+G(d,p) basis set, and the electronic transitions were visualized by analyzing natural transition orbitals (NTO). The photophysical properties of the highly soluble bay-substituted PDIs were evaluated using UV-Visible and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques in organic solvents ranging from non-polar to polar. Furthermore, their relative polarities in the ground vs. excited state were determined by employing the Lippert-Mataga relations. The electrochemical investigations of PDIs were done using cyclic voltammetry to evaluate their redox behavior. In addition to their unique structural relationship, 1,7- and 1,6-regioisomers revealed intriguing optoelectronic properties. Finally, symmetric supercapacitors (SSCs) were developed by exploiting the regioisomerically pure 1,7- and 1,6-disubstituted PDIs as electrode materials. The as-fabricated PDIs/GF electrodes were optimized in a two-electrode SC device given their electrochemical performance. Two of the PDIs, viz. M1 and D1, demonstrated good results of specific capacitances, i.e. 59.41 and 23.60 Fg-1 respectively, in the SSC devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method using gum arabic (GA) and tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl aminomethane (tris) as precursors. The resultant NCDs show uniform size distribution and stable optical performance. Then a fluorescent signal quenching probe based on NCDs was proposed for the quantitative detection of mercury ions (Hg2+). The developed fluorescent nanoprobe based on NCDs demonstrated a good linear relationship in the range of 10 to 120 μM (R² = 0.99265) for toxic mercury(II), with a detection limit of 4.87 μM. Additionally, the present assay system could be efficiently used for the detection of Hg2+ in real water samples with a satisfactory recovery rate (96.11-104.04%). The metal-free NCDs, which exhibited little cytotoxicity, were successfully applied to in vitro fluorescence imaging of human triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, achieving visualization of Hg2+ in cells. With good water solubility and biocompatibility, the nitrogen-doped carbon dots synthesized by this economical and ecologically friendly process are suitable for use in analytical testing and biological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is crucial to develop high-performance catalysts for the degradation of antibiotic pollutants. In this paper, we reported an inverse opal Mn-doped WO3 (IO Mn–WO3) catalyst to effectively activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of levofloxacin (LVX) under visible light irradiation. The degradation efficiency of this novel photo-Fenton-like system could reach almost 100% for LVX. The catalyst showed good recyclability and stability within five cycles. In addition, the possible degradation pathways, the main reactive oxygen species and the degradation mechanism were systematically investigated in this work. ˙O2− and 1O2 were identified as the main reactive oxygen species in the degradation system. Mn doping can initiate PMS activation and improve charge transfer efficiency, WO3 can promote the reduction of Mn species to make the reaction in the system occur continuously, an inverse opal structure can further enhance light absorption and increase the contact area between the catalyst and the pollutant. This work integrated the Fenton-like catalytic effect and the photocatalytic effect into the designed catalyst for PMS activation and antibiotic degradation, which developed a feasible strategy to improve the degradation performance of Mn-based materials for environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document is a contents list for the New Journal of Chemistry, providing a range of research topics for library patrons interested in chemistry. It includes articles on the transformation of CO2, mechanochromic photoluminescence, nanocellulose-based electrocatalysts, bone formation rate prediction, and the synthesis of halogenated benzimidazolyl-C nucleosides. The journal also covers industrial chemistry, material innovations, and interdisciplinary features. Additionally, the document includes a retraction notice for a previous paper. [Extracted from the article]

In this study, our aim was to synthesize Gd–Ni doped M-type calcium hexaferrites using a solid-state reaction method. The chemical composition of the synthesized material was Ca1−xGdxFe12−yNiyO19, (0.00 ≤ x, y ≤ 0.07). This study focused on examining the impact of low concentrations of Gd3+ and Ni2+ ions in the formula. The M-type hexagonal structure was confirmed with high certainty using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, a minor impurity phase, α-Fe2O3, was detected. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis focused on examining the surface morphology of the sample, and the obtained images revealed the presence of anticipated grain sizes ranging from 0.80 to 1.06 μm. This study employed energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to validate the elemental composition and oxidation states of the constituent elements. A vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and theoretical calculations are used to determine crucial parameters, including remanent magnetization (Mr), coercivity (Hc), saturation magnetization (Ms), squareness ratio (Mr/Ms ≤ 0.5), magneton number (μB), and magneto-crystalline anisotropy constant (Ka). Examination of these parameters contributes to a deeper understanding of the magnetic properties under investigation. This paper presents an analysis of the obtained samples, highlighting their remarkable suitability for applications in high-frequency devices and high-density recording media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the synthesis of a Mn2+ and Pr3+ co-doped Zn2GeO4 optical probe by introducing boron-doped and histidine- and serine-functionalized graphene quantum dots (BHS-GQD) to Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4. The resulting Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4-BHS-GQD have a rod-like nanostructure, with rods that have an average length of 378 ± 1.8 nm and a width of 11 ± 0.8 nm, where the rods self-assemble into nanorod bundles. The Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4-BHS-GQD can produce a strong green fluorescence emission under the excitation of 254 nm ultraviolet light. The fluorescence emission strongly depends on the pH and ambient temperature. Increases of pH in the ranges 3.0–5.8 and 6.8–8.0 bring a slow increase in the fluorescence intensity. However, a sudden leap in the fluorescence intensity appears at pH values between 5.8 and 6.8, indicating good pH-switching properties. These properties should be attributed to the acid–base substitution reaction that occurs at the interface between the Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4-BHS-GQD and the aqueous solution. At a relatively low pH value, the H+ ions in the aqueous solution can replace the GeO44− ions in the Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4-BHS-GQD to form weakly acidic species, H4GeO4, leading to the reduction in the peak fluorescence intensity. In addition, the study reveals that an increase of the temperature between 20 and 80 °C causes a linear decrease in the peak fluorescence intensity and that this fluorescence intensity change exhibits an excellent reversibility when the temperature is varied. The Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4-BHS-GQD have been satisfactorily used as an optical probe for sensing pH and temperature and for encrypting information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Journal of Chemistry, published by The Royal Society of Chemistry, has released its latest issue which includes a variety of articles covering different topics in the field of chemistry. The papers discuss recent progress in areas such as nitrogen-heterocycles, chemisorption of gases, photoactive derivatives, and potential applications of nanoribbons. The journal aims to connect the global community with the chemical sciences and provides scientific insights and advancements in various fields of study. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, we present a novel approach for the preparation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) through the radiolytical reduction of commercial graphene oxide (GO). The method is highly efficient and environmentally friendly compared to other synthetic routes. We conducted a detailed study on the influence of absorbed doses during the synthesis process. The reduction process for the production of rGO is induced by the radiolysis of water at ambient temperature and pressure, confirmed using several sophisticated techniques. Our results demonstrate the efficiency of the radiolytical process compared to conventional methods of GO reduction. The C/O ratio increased from 3.3 (GO) to 11.2 (rGO), surpassing those of other reduction methods. Additionally, the intensity ratio of D and G bands (ID/IG) increased for rGO due to an increase in order by reduction, implying the restoration of π-conjugation. Furthermore, the thermal stability of GO improved upon irradiation. Electrochemical measurements finally showed that our rGO exhibited a specific capacitance of 229.3 F g−1, indicating its high potential as a candidate for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of water pollution has become increasingly serious, posing a great threat to human health. Among the various water pollutants, a significant one is dyes, which have strong toxicity and carcinogenicity and seriously pollute water bodies, thus further posing a great threat to the health of aquatic life, animals, plants and human beings. However, dyes are widely used in textile, paper, and printing industries, and thus it is difficult to prevent their discharge into water bodies during the production process. Therefore, it is necessary to develop efficient methods to remove dyes from process wastewater as much as possible for wastewater purification. In this regard, the adsorption method has become one of the most effective methods to remove dyes because of its simple process and low cost. In this study, we prepared a biomimetic seaweed absorbable membrane (BSAM). This membrane has a unique porous structure and can adsorb dye molecules. After testing, the highest removal rate of methylene blue dye reached 97.72%. This type of membrane looks like seaweed, can curl when dry, is easy to disperse in water, and has excellent water solubility. In addition, because of its hydrophilicity, it exhibits good separation efficiency in the separation of water-in-oil emulsions. Thus, this membrane has certain application potential in the treatment of dye wastewater and dye-containing oil water in special processes on ships and in oil fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document is a contents list of the New Journal of Chemistry, published on March 14, 2024. It includes a variety of articles and papers on topics such as SARS-CoV-2 detection, synthesis of branched bottlebrushes, glycosyl sulfonation, catalytic behavior, and more. The journal, published by The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, aims to explore new directions in chemistry. The document provides a comprehensive overview of the articles included in the journal issue, which cover a wide range of topics and provide valuable research and insights in their respective fields. [Extracted from the article]

Na3(VOPO4)2F (NVOPF) is an ideal cathode for high-energy-density sodium ion batteries (SIBs), due to its impressive output voltage and stable structure. However, the high production costs and complex operation processes associated with conventional synthetic methods impede its commercial applications. Herein, a simple but efficient method for large-scale low-cost synthesis of NVOPF at low temperatures is proposed. The optimal sample obtained at a suitable pH delivers a high discharge capacity of 119.6 mA h g−1 at 0.2C and remarkable cycling performance with a decay rate of merely 0.0043% per cycle over 1400 cycles at 1C. Coin-type full cells composed of NVOPF and commercial hard carbon achieve a distinguished energy density of 426.2 W h kg−1 calculated based on the cathode material. Most importantly, 2.1 A h soft-pack batteries with 100 mm in length and 60 mm in width were assembled based on the as-synthesized kilogram-scale NVOPF, which can stably cycle at 1C for 400 cycles with a capacity retention of 93.2% and an average coulombic efficiency of 99.96%. Moreover, the soft-pack battery exhibits fascinating performance in a wide temperature range, including superior rate capability at −20 °C (86.4% at 5C compared to 1C) as well as stable cycling performance at 50 °C (72.5% capacity retention after 400 cycles at 1C). This paper proposes a low-temperature co-precipitation method for synthesizing NVOPF, which significantly reduces the cost of production and contributes a solution for the industrial-scale production of NVOPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) are regarded as a promising hydrogen storage and transportation technology. However, problems of incomplete dehydrogenation and the high dehydrogenation catalyst costs have hindered the development and application of this technology. Therefore, the research and development of a dehydrogenation catalyst with low cost and high reactivity have become the focus of current research in this field. In this paper, we report on a dehydrogenation catalyst with low noble metal loading prepared using amino silane coupling agent. The catalyst showed excellent catalytic performance on dodecahydro-N-ethylcarbazole (12H-NECZ). At 473 K, the hydrogen release of 0.3% Pd–NH2(1) catalyst prepared by the amino modification method is 4.44 wt%, which is 2.1 times that of Pd catalyst prepared using the traditional impregnation method. The amino-modified catalysts with increasing Pd loading of 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0 wt% displayed hydrogen release of 4.96, 5.14 and 5.21 wt%, respectively. The characterization of amnio-modified Pd catalysts showed that Pd was uniformly distributed on the SiO2 support, and the Pd particle size of the 0.3% Pd–NH2(1) catalyst was only 1.6 nm. The reaction kinetic parameters of two catalysts in the 12H-NECZ dehydrogenation were calculated, and the results indicated that the activation energy of the rate-limiting step (4H-NECZ to NECZ) in dehydrogenation was reduced with amnio-modified catalysts compared to impregnated catalysts. By analyzing the relationship between the Pd particle size and turnover frequency (TOF), the optimal Pd particle size in the overall dehydrogenation reaction and each step of the 12H-NECZ dehydrogenation was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pickering emulsions are considered as promising chemical oil repellents in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In this paper, an amphiphilic block copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(dopamine methacrylamide) (mPEG–PDMA, abbreviated as mp) containing catechol adhesion groups was synthesized. The surface modification of A200 and SBA-15 nanoparticles was carried out using the strategy of dip-coating with mp solution, and the emulsification properties of the two modified particles and their stability were comparatively investigated. The results showed that both modified particles could achieve excellent emulsification performance. The best emulsification effect was achieved when the concentration of A200-mp and SBA-15-mp particles was 2.5 mg mL−1 and the oil phase volume fraction was 0.5. The emulsions stabilized by SBA-15-mp tended to be invertible when the volume fraction of the oil phase was 0.7 or pH = 2–3 or when NaCl was added, and O/W emulsions could be inverted into W/O types. Interestingly, the emulsions stabilized by A200-mp particles showed good acid resistance, alkali resistance, high salt resistance, multiple oil phase applicability and centrifugal shear stability. In the simulated rock permeation experiments, the emulsions prepared using A200-mp particles could stably permeate in the silica sand column without an obvious chromatographic separation effect, which is promising for application in tertiary oil recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]