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Evaporation power generation (EPG), hailed as a promising clean power generation technology, has garnered significant attention. Nonetheless, achieving consistent and replicable performance of EPG remains a major challenge, hampering its practical application potential. Herein, we present the design of a tri-layered poly-ionic membrane (TL-PIM) inspired by transpiration processes in plants, that can not only continuously output electricity with an average voltage of ∼0.6 V for over 8 consecutive days with a maximum power density of 1.6 µW cm−2, but can also be reused for at least 70 cycles (> 350 h) with a stable voltage, demonstrating superior repeatability over most previous works. The excellent long-lasting and repeatable performance of EPG in the TL-PIM can be attributed to the stable nanochannels constructed by a hydrophilic polymer, 2D nanosheets, and poly-ionic liquids (PILs), where the bromide ions (Br-) in the PILs can shuttle back and forth selectively and efficiently during the power generation and discharge processes. More importantly, the TL-PIM can be integrated linearly to generate electricity within a wide range of temperatures and humidity, even outdoors, showcasing remarkable environmental adaptability. These findings on EPG indicate that the bio-inspired TL-PIM offers a promising venue for continuous and reproducible electricity generation by harnessing thermal energy from moisture, which holds significance for the sustainable utilization of EPG as a renewable energy source in the future. [Display omitted] • A novel three-layer multi-ion membrane inspired by the plant transpiration process is prepared. • Stable nanochannels lead to long-lasting and repeatable evaporation power performance. • The evaporation power generation can continuously supply electricity with 0.6 V for 180 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We synthesized oxygen-incorporated MoS 2 ultrathin nanosheets by oxygen adsorbate. • The CPAF not only acts as a conductive template but also oxygen tank. • MoS 2 nanosheets expose more catalytically active edges grown on the CPAF surface. • The O-MoS 2 -CPAF catalyst exhibited a low onset potential of 0.088 V for HER. Developing highly-efficient and low-cost non-precious metal electrocatalysts toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a promising strategy to solve the environmental pollution problems and energy demands. In this study, we synthesized oxygen-incorporated molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) ultrathin nanosheets with expanded interlayer spacing (∼9.3 Å) induced by oxygen adsorbate, i.e., carbonized porous aromatic framework (CPAF), through a facile hydrothermal method. The CPAF not only acts as a conductive template but also oxygen tank , which enhances the transport of electrons of the MoS 2 -based electrocatalysts and provides oxygen for O-MoS 2 nanosheets. Owing to the high specific surface area, conductive template and oxygen source of CPAF, MoS 2 nanosheets can grow densely and uniformly on the CPAF surface, exposing catalytically active edges effectively. The O-MoS 2 -CPAF catalyst exhibited significantly improved catalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with a low onset potential of 0.088 V, a large current density (10.0 mA cm−2 at 0.17 V), a small Tafel slope of 44 mV per decade as well as excellent stability and device performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysulfides shuttle, although is not the only one, but definitely the most prominent problem which hinders the commercialization of lithium-sulfur cells. Herein, a functionally designed SiO 2 tethered 1-methyl-1-propylpiperidinium chloride (SiO 2 -PPCl) ionic liquid nanoparticle is adopted as a bridgebuilder between the carbon carrier and lithium polysulfides (LPS) to modulate shuttle issues. The SiO 2 -PPCl exerts effective adhesion to both polar LPS and nonpolar carbon carrier material by its special function groups, which make it act as a bridge between them, therefore, the dissolved LPS are prevented from migrating to lithium anode effectively, and the corresponding LPS shuttle is controllable by simply tuning the ratio of SiO 2 -PPCl to sulfur. This strategy is demonstrated in a lithium sulfur suspension flow cell in which the shuttle effect is more serious because large quantity of electrolyte is adopted, and over 1000 cycles is achieved with high coulombic efficiency of 99%. Verified in a laboratory flow cell equipment, the approach of exploiting polysulfides bridgebuilder to control LPS shuttle manifests its feasibility and offers a new direction to develop lithium-sulfur batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic hydrogen production via water splitting using metal oxide semiconductors has attract great interests because of the two electrons on the kinetics. Pristine Co 3 O 4 was widely studied as efficient photocatalyst, but prefers to produce oxygen due to its lower band-edge positions with regard to water redox potentials. In this work, high efficient photocatalyst basing on non-noble La doped Co 3 O 4 on graphene, i.e. , La x Co 3-x O 4 /G, were first reported and prepared by the microwave hydrothermal synthesis. In this newly developed hybrids, La and Co ions were adsorbed on the surface of graphene (G) and subsequently reacted with ammonia to yield the La x Co 3-x O 4 /G nanohybrid by in-situ chemical deposition methods. The activity for hydrogen generation of the nanohybrid exhibits 2 times higher than undoped Co 3 O 4 /G under visible light irradiation. The H 2 evolution of nanohybrid reaches 6.543 mmol g −1 h −1 when the molar ratio of La/Co is 10% in the nanohybrid. Our experimental results indicate the incorporation of La doped in the Co 3 O 4 crystal lattice not only forms the lattice defects, resulting in provision for capture trap and the separation of electrons and holes, but also changes the band structure to eventually improve the photocatalytic activity under visible light. Therefore, non-noble La is a promising substitute to prepare highly efficient hydrogen photocatalyst and can be extendedly applied to the other metal oxide semiconductors for solar hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new approach for reducing the contour errors in two-dimensional CNC machines is presented in this study. In the approach proposed here, two pre-trained nonlinear autoregressive networks with exogenous inputs (NARX), one for each axis, are used to predict the output position of the machine in the next sampling instant. The contour error in the next instant is then estimated and, based on this, the required compensation terms to be added to the reference input positions to reduce the contour error are determined. In the proposed approach, the compensation terms can be updated through an iteration process which reduces the contour error each time. Simulation experiments applying this approach to linear, circular and parabolic contours show that, even without extensive training of the NARX models, the contour errors can be significantly reduced. Actual experiments conducted on a small two-axis CNC machine confirm the effectiveness of this approach in reducing contour errors for linear, circular, parabolic and a free-form “goggles” contours. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cross-coupled control (CCC) is a well-known approach for directly reducing contour errors on contouring systems instead of the indirect approach of reducing axial following errors. An improvement of this approach, the variable-gain CCC, extends its applicability from just the linear contour to any contour defined by a continuously differentiable function. In this paper, the basic concept underlying CCC is used to develop a generalized CCC (GCCC) approach which can be applied for any free-form contour, including those defined only by a series of (x,y) coordinates similar to the reference inputs to CNC machines. Both computer simulation and actual experimental implementation of GCCC on a small two-axis CNC machine using four contours showed that it can effectively reduce the contour errors resulting from mismatched machine dynamics. For the linear, circular and parabolic contours that CCC can also be applied to, GCCC achieved the same level of contour error reduction. In addition experiments showed that GCCC also achieved similar levels of contour error reductions for free-form contours and for corner tracking. Without the need for a knowledge of the functions of the contours, GCCC is thus most suitable for application to CNC machines in which the contours that are to be generated are defined by a series of reference input axial positions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The model-based Taylor series expansion error compensation (TSEEC) method has been shown to be capable of eliminating contour errors in biaxial CNC machines. However, it has been developed for only linear and circular contours. In this paper, an extension of TSEEC, a generalized TSEEC or GTSEEC, is proposed which is capable of compensating for the contour errors of arbitrary two-dimensional contours. A new real-time algorithm is used to estimate the contour error so that GTSEEC can be applied even in cases where the function of the contour is unknown. Simulation results using linear, circular and parabolic contours are presented which show that, with perfect knowledge of the axial dynamics, GTSEEC can perfectly eliminate the contour errors for any contour, even when there is significant mismatch in the axes'' dynamics. Experiments on a small two-axis computer-controlled machine indicate the effectiveness and better performance of GTSEEC in reducing contour errors for free-form contour following tasks when compared with two other leading approaches, the zero phase error tracking control (ZPETC) and cross-coupled control (CCC). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The Au 11 (SG) 7 gold nanoparticles were synthesized successfully. • AIE mechanism of Au 11 (SG) 7 induced by metal ions was explored sufficiently. • The selectivity of Au 11 (SG) 7 for some metal ions was detailed. • The AIE of Au 11 (SG) 7 induced by metal was used for living imaging. Au 11 (SG) 7 gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were synthesized from HAuCl 4 using thiol compounds containing an amino group to serve as both the reducing agent and the ligand. A three-dimensional network structure (...Au-SNH 2 →Mn+⟵H 2 NS-Au...) was formed after the Mn+ (Pb2+, Cd2+, Zn2+ and Ag+) coordinated the gold nanoparticles through the amino group in the thiol ligand, which promoted aurophilicity (...Au...Au...) and induced GNP aggregation and emission. The differences in coordination between the amino group and metal ions resulted in different emission wavelengths (Pb2+, Cd2+, Zn2+ and Ag+: λ ex = 365 nm˜370 nm, λ em = 580, 645, 630 and 565 nm). Aggregation induced emission of amino thiol capped GNPs via coordination of Pb2+ or Cd2+ can be used as a fluorescent sensor of the both metal ions (λ ex = 365 nm, λ em = 580/645 nm) and were used for living bioimaging in vivo and in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three low viscous protic ionic liquids were synthesized for CO 2 absorption. • The ionic liquids with larger basicity show higher CO 2 absorption capacity. • Addition of H 2 O influences greatly the CO 2 absorption performance of [TMGH][Im]. • Different products were obtained in [TMGH][Im] and [TMGH][Im]-H 2 O systems. Protic ionic liquids (PILs) are considered as potential solvents for CO 2 capture due to their simple synthetic routes and unique properties. In this work, three low viscous PILs, tetramethylgunidinium imidazole ([TMGH][Im]), tetramethylgunidinium pyrrole ([TMGH][Pyrr]) and tetramethylgunidinium phenol ([TMGH][PhO]) were synthesized and the effect of anions, temperature, CO 2 partial pressure and water content on CO 2 absorption performance of PILs was also systematically studied. It was found that the PILs with larger basicity show higher CO 2 absorption capacity, and [TMGH][Im] simultaneously shows relatively high absorption rate and CO 2 absorption capacity of 0.154 g CO 2 /g IL at 40 °C, 1 bar. The addition of H 2 O has a positive effect on gravimetric absorption capacity of CO 2 at the range of 0–20 wt% H 2 O, and the highest capacity of 0.186 g CO 2 /g IL was achieved as the water content was 7 wt%. In situ FTIR, 13C NMR and theoretical calculations verified that more stable bicarbonate are produced during CO 2 absorption by [TMGH][Im]-H 2 O system. However, neat [TMGH][Im] can react with CO 2 to form the reversible carbamate, leading to excellent recyclability after four absorption-desorption cycles. The results implied that neat [TMGH][Im] shows great potentials in CO 2 absorption applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A large number of NH 3 emissions from industries, such as ammonia plant purge gas, tail gases of urea plants and ammonium molybdate plants, inevitably cause serious air pollution problems, such as fog and haze, which has raised extensive attentions worldwide. However, the commercial methods, like water scrubbing and acid scrubbing, substantially transfer the NH 3 pollute from gas phase to liquid or solid phase, which does not mean total elimination. How to realize efficiently separate and recover NH 3 form NH 3 -containing gas mixtures is still a great challenge. In order to develop efficient absorbents for NH 3 removal, a series of metal (copper (Cu), stannum (Sn), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), ferrum (Fe)) ionic liquids (MILs) were synthesized, and their physicochemical properties and NH 3 absorption performance were systematically investigated. The results implied that the incorporation of metal center into ILs has a great effect on NH 3 absorption. Among the investigated MILs, bis(1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium) copper tetrachloride salt ([Bmim] 2 [CuCl 4 ]) and bis(1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium) stannum tetrachloride salt ([Bmim] 2 [SnCl 4 ]) show excellent NH 3 absorption capacities up to 0.172 gNH 3 ·gIL−1 and 0.106 gNH 3 ·gIL−1, respectively, which are far more than most of the conventional ILs. Moreover, the high selectivity for NH 3 /N 2 , NH 3 /CO 2 and NH 3 /O 2 of [Bmim] 2 [CuCl 4 ] and [Bmim] 2 [SnCl 4 ] indicated that these MILs can selectively separate NH 3 from NH 3 -containing gases. The absorption mechanism was further studied using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and quantitative chemical calculations. It was demonstrated that the chemical complexation between [Bmim] 2 [CuCl 4 ] and NH 3 plays a dominant role in NH 3 absorption, but the stronger hydrogen bonding between [Bmim] 2 [SnCl 4 ] and NH 3 enhances the absorption performance. In addition, [Bmim] 2 [SnCl 4 ] can keep good stability after five absorption and desorption cycles, implying this MIL shows great potentials as an efficient and reversible absorbent for NH 3 capture applications. Graphical abstract Novel metal chloride anion-based ionic liquids have been designed for efficient separation of NH 3 , and both high NH 3 absorption capacity and excellent recyclability were simultaneously achieved by stannum ionic liquids [Bmim] 2 [SnCl 4 ]. Image Highlights • The incorporation of metal center into ILs can obviously enhance NH 3 absorption capacity in metal ionic liquids (MILs). • [Bmim] 2 [CuCl 4 ] and [Bmim] 2 [SnCl 4 ] have higher NH 3 capacity and NH 3 selectivity towards other gases. • The chemical complexation plays a dominant role in NH 3 absorption in [Bmim] 2 [CuCl 4 ], resulting in its irreversibility. • NH 3 absorption occurs in [Bmim] 2 [SnCl 4 ] through the strong hydrogen bonding, therefore showing great recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In electrochemical devices, the reduction of dissolved oxygen in electrolyte can achieve on-site production of hydrogen peroxide. The industrial viability of the process strongly depends on cathode electrocatalyst. However, current catalysts rely on rare, noble metals and their composite. Thus, it remains a great challenge of cost-effective catalyst with both high activity and selectivity. Herein, we made use of extremely low-cost fungi residue biomass, developing a multi-non-precious metal doped carbon catalyst (named as FRC) for H 2 O 2 electrogeneration by facile in-situ synthesis. The one-step prepared FRC balances the performance of different metal oxides and exhibits not only high activity but also high selectivity at a spacious potential range. Specifically, the current density for ring reaches 0.45 mA cm −2 at −0.5 V (vs SCE). Besides, the selectivity achieves 98% and remain above 91% in wide potential range (−0.7 ∼ −0.3 V), which exceeds almost all metal contained carbon materials to our knowledge. As the first study of fungi residue towards H 2 O 2 electrogeneration, this novel approach provides a highly promising and low cost electrocatalyst for real production, moreover, exploring a new direction for H 2 O 2 electrocatalyst development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve the goals of "carbon peak and carbon neutrality" and sustainable development, we propose "Three-Dimensional Environment-Friendly" materials to balance the urgent need for the development of clean energy and the reduction of secondary environmental pollution during adsorbent preparation. In this study, three novel chitosan adsorbents (CMNSC-Leu , CMNSC-Pro , CMNSC-Phe) for uranium adsorption were designed on the basis of molecular level and successfully synthesized with three different amino acids (leucine, proline, phenylalanine) through amidation reaction in an aqueous environment using a sustainable green chitosan material. The uranium adsorption capacity of the three adsorbents was evaluated by batch adsorption, selectivity and recyclability studies. The adsorption reaction conformed to the pseudo-second-order model and was a spontaneous endothermic reaction. In particular, the maximum adsorption capacity of CMNSC-Pro for uranium was 462.7 mg·g−1 at C 0 = 100 ppm. In addition, CMNSC-Pro showed better selectivity and good reusability. DFT calculation and IRI diagram were applied in this work to analyze the unique structure and adsorption process of CMNSC-Pro from the perspective of structure. Uranium was adsorbed by CMNSC-Pro via coordination, electrostatic interaction, and intraparticle diffusion. This work provided a new idea for the structural design and construction of new high-efficiency biomass adsorbents. [Display omitted] • Green and sustainable biomass chitosan as raw material • Bis-substituted chitosan was achieved by amidation reaction in aqueous. • Adsorbents could adsorb up to 462.7 mg·g−1 for uranium at 100 ppm. • Coordination mechanism in CMNSC-Pro: UO 2 2+ coordinated by O C in CNO and COOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel electrode of titanium substrate coated with mixed metal oxides of SnO2, Sb2O3, Nb2O5 and PbO2 was successfully prepared using thermal decomposition and electrodeposition. The surface morphology and the structure of the prepared thin film were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Experimental results showed that the structure of the prepared electrode might be described as a Ti/SnO2–Sb2O3–Nb2O5/PbO2 thin film and its surface was mainly comprised pyramidal-shape β-PbO2 crystals. The modified electrode had higher oxygen evolution potential than that of other PbO2 modified electrodes. Electrocatalytic oxidation of phenol in aqueous solution was studied to evaluate the potential applications of this electrode in environmental science. The phenol removal efficiency in an artificial wastewater containing 0.50g/L phenol could reach 78.6% at 20°C and pH 7.0 with an applied electricity density of 20mA/cm2 and treatment time of 120min. When 21.3g/L chloride was added to this wastewater, the removal efficiency could reach to 97.2%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Silicon monoxide (SiO), which has been verified as a potential anode material, can improve the energy density of Li-ion batteries (LIBs). These LIBs are crucial for the advancement of electric vehicles. However, the commercial application of SiO is severely limited due to poor initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE). In this study, we present a novel concept to enhance the ICE of silicon oxide-based anodes by collaboratively leveraging two distinct reaction theories: disproportionation reaction and the reaction between acidic oxide and alkali. Based on this concept, we utilize a chemical disproportionation-driven Li metal-free prelithiation method, enabling the in-situ growth of microcrystalline silicon and lithium silicate within amorphous silicon oxide, which bears a striking resemblance to pitaya seeds. This reaction yields unique lithium silicate and nano/micro-structured silicon surrounded by SiO (Si–SiO–Li x SiO y multicomponents, PD-SiO). This can be demonstrated via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The reaction product, PD-SiO, exhibits remarkable properties, including high ICE (82.5 %), high charging capacity (1419 mAh g–1), and highly stable cycling performance (94.6 % capacity retention after 200 cycles at 0.5 A g–1). This study offers a new approach to enhance the initial Coulombic efficiency of silicon monoxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the alkylation of isobutane and butene, catalyzed by sulfuric acid in the presence of the fluoride–containing ionic liquids [Bmim][PF 6 ] and [Bmim][SbF 6 ], was investigated. The use of the binary mixture catalysts brought to a higher C 8 selectivity and longer catalyst lifetime, compared with the results obtained when working with sulfuric acid only. This was attributed to the formation of new species when [Bmim][PF 6 ] or [Bmim][SbF 6 ] are added to sulfuric acid. The acidolysis of [Bmim][PF 6 ] and [Bmim][SbF 6 ] was accompanied by the release of hydrogen fluoride (HF) and the decomposition of anions to [PF 6−x−2y (HSO 4 ) x (SO 4 ) y ] − and [SbF 6−x−2y (HSO 4 ) x (SO 4 ) y ] − , respectively. The presence of these new species after acidolysis was measured and confirmed by ion chromatography, 1 H–Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), 19 F–NMR and 31 P–NMR. The production of HF and the complexation of anions and carbenium ions both play an important role in stabilizing the carbenium ion and improving the catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MD simulations of electrokinetic nanoconfined ionic liquids flow were performed. • The perpendicular configuration of cation at the silica surface was identified. • Modulating mechanism of external stimuli on electrokinetic flow of ionic liquids. • Developed quantitative relation between streaming current and external stimuli. The electrokinetic flow of ionic liquids (ILs) is widely used in electrochemical engineering applications. Herein, flow behavior and controlling mechanism of ILs driven by electrical field were investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. During the flow process, the cations prefer to allocate at the interface in a perpendicular configuration, while the anions tend to distribute randomly. In the interface region, the perpendicular cations and accumulated ILs would significantly enhance the local viscosity of ILs, which dominates the velocity distribution and total flux of the electrokinetic flow of confined ILs. Compared with the pressure and surface charging density, the nanochannel size would induce a larger impact on the average velocity, total flux, and streaming current of the electrokinetic flow of confined ILs. These quantitative results on the electrokinetic flow are crucial for the rational design of ILs-based devices or other chemical engineering processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) are considered as a kind of toxic chemicals that pose a serious danger to the survival of animals and humans. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop an efficient and rapid method for detecting nitroaromatic explosives. Up to now, fluorescence metal-organic framework (MOF) has been widely used to detect NACs in environmental pollutants because of their many active sites and bare functional groups. In this work, we have synthesized a cationic Zn-based MOF (called F1) based on bis-(imidazole) ligands with the formula of [Zn 3 (TIAB) 2 (IMDC) 2 ]·(NO 3) 2 ·(DMF) 2 ·(H 2 O) 2 (TIAB = [(1,2,4,5-tetra(1H-imidazole-1-yl)benzene)], IMDC = 4,5-imidazoledicarboxylic acid, DMF = N,N-Dimethylformamide). Crystal structure analysis reveals that F1 possesses a three-dimensional (3D) framework with (4,8)-coordinated network. TIAB linkers connect the Zn(II) atoms to construct a 2D network, the deprotonation of the hydroxyl groups on the two carboxyl groups of the IMDC ligand, and the protonated IMDC2− dangling fills the channel connected to two Zn1 atoms and one Zn2 atom, which are further connected TIAB ligands to form a 3D cationic framework. The results reveal that, compared with nitro aliphatic and aromatic compounds, the solvent-free F1 is highly sensitive and has excellent selectivity for nitroaromatic explosives, especially for 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP). The quenching efficiency of TNP is as high as 91.67% (K sv = 56760 M−1, LOD = 0.78 μM). The solvent-free F1 can be reused at least five times, and the response time to TNP is less than 30 s. The sensing and detection mechanisms of the solvent-free F1 to various NACs have been studied in detail. Finally, the response of solvent-free F1 to a variety of NACs was analyzed by density functional theory. [Display omitted] • A cationic Zn-based MOF shows good selectivity and sensitivity to nitroaromatic compounds. • Distinguish between nitroaromatic and nitro aliphatic compounds. • F1 can quickly detect TNP within 30 s and cycle five times to maintain the stability of the structure. • Reveal a variety of detection mechanisms through experiments and theoretical calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that lncRNA PLAC2 can inhibit glioma. This study explored the function of PLAC2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our data showed that PLAC2 expression in HCC was not affect by HCV and HBV infection, while PLAC2 levels were significantly lower in HCC tissues comparing to non-cancer tissues. Low PLAC2 levels in HCC tissues were associated with low overall 5-year survival rate. P53 mRNA was also downregulated in HCC and positively correlated with PLAC2. PLAC2 overexpression caused upregulated p53 and increase cancer cell apoptosis. P53 overexpression failed to affect PLAC2. In addition, p53 silencing reduced the effects of PLAC2 overexpression. Therefore, PLAC2 upregulated p53 to mediate cancer cell apoptosis. • This study was performed to investigate the involvement of PLAC2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). • PLAC2 was downregulated in HCC. • Overexpression of PLAC2 may induce HCC cell apoptosis by upregulating p53. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]