Search

Soft carbons with porous structure have attracted increasing attention as attracting anode active materials for sodium-ion battery. However, the reported anode active materials are plagued by limited capacity and unsatisfying rate performance. Besides, the improvement of electrical conductivity is often performed by post treatment, which is time-consuming and high cost. Herein we report an one-pot fabrication of pitch-derived soft carbon using zinc acetate as hard templates. Zinc acetate can not only play a vital role in constructing hierarchical porous structure but also providing additional sp2 carbon during carbonization, resulting in significantly enhanced sodium-ion storage capacity and improved rate performance. As anode active materials for sodium-ion battery, the as-prepared soft carbon with hierarchical porous structure, rich sp2 carbon and doped N, O heteroatoms, exhibits an impressively high reversible capacity of 293 mAh g−1 at 0.05 A g−1 in sodium-ion half cells, good rate capability of 53 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1, and high capacity retention of 92.2% after 1000 cycles at 1 A g−1. Our strategy affords a facile way to prepare high-quality soft carbon materials as anode active materials for sodium-ion batteries.

The potential coexistence and interaction of bromine and polyamide membranes during membrane-based water treatment prompts us to investigate the effect of bromine on membrane performance. For fully aromatic polyamide membrane NF90 exposed under a mild bromination condition (10 mg/L), bromine incorporation resulted in more negatively charged (-13 vs -25 mV) and hydrophobic (55.2 vs 58.9°) surfaces and narrower pore channels (0.3 vs 0.29 nm). The permeabilities of water and neutral solutes were reduced by 64 and 69-87%, respectively, which was attributed to the decreased effective pore radius and hydrophilicity. NaCl permeability was reduced by 90% as a synergistic result of enhanced size exclusion and charge repulsion. The further exposure (100 and 500 mg/L bromine) resulted in a more hydrophobic surface (61.7 and 65.5°) and the minor further reduction for water and solute permeabilities (1-9%). Compared with chlorine, the different incorporation efficiency and properties (e.g., atomic size, hydrophilicity) of bromine resulted in opposite trends and/or different degrees for the variation of physicochemical properties and filtration performance of membranes. The bromine incorporation, the shift and disappearance of three characteristic bands, and the increased O/N ratio and calcium content indicated the degradation pathways of N-bromination and bromination-promoted hydrolysis under mild bromination conditions (480 mg/L·h). The further ring-bromination occurred after severe bromine exposure (4800-24,000 mg/L·h). The semi-aromatic polyamide membrane NF270 underwent a similar but less significant deteriorated filtration performance compared with NF90, which requires a different explanation.

Developing highly sensitive MOF-based probes for environmental contaminant detection is of much importance and challenging. Here, two new three-dimensional lanthanide metal–organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs), {[Eu(DTA)1.5(H2O)]·H2O}n (Eu-DTA) and [Tb(DTA)(C2O4)0.5(H2O)]n (Tb-DTA) (H2DTA = 2,5-di(1H-imidazol-1-yl)terephthalic acid), are successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal reaction. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrate that the extended π conjugated ligand plays an important role in the coordination mode and topologies. Eu-DTA possesses a 4,6-connected three-dimensional topological structure, while Tb-DTA exhibits a 4,5-connected three-dimensional framework. Interestingly, the rich uncoordinated nitrogen or oxygen atoms in these two structures can be used as Lewis basic sites, showing strong sensitivity to metal ions and solvent molecules. Furthermore, luminescence and sensing studies reveal that Eu-DTA and Tb-DTA can sensitively and simultaneously detect Fe3+ ions and nitrobenzene, which suggests that the two Ln-MOFs are promising bifunctional luminescence sensors. The quenching mechanism for Fe3+ has been discussed in detail.

To alleviate the energy crisis and achieve the transformation of renewable energy sources, developing low-cost, highly efficient and stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts for water splitting has aroused great concern. Here, a facile one-step solvothermal strategy was applied to fabricate amorphous iron–cobalt–molybdenum oxide flakes containing MoSx and sulphate (FCMOS), which reveals a low overpotential of 260 mV to achieve the current density of 10 mA cm−2, together with a lower Tafel slope (47 mV dec−1), large electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) as well as wonderful durability. The excellent OER performance could be attributed to the acceleration of the reaction *OH → *O + *H by MoSx, optimization of the deprotonation of *OOH by sulfate, and the synergistic polymetallic effect.

A new strategy toward constructing a bifunctional catalyst for CO2 cycloaddition has been developed based on post-synthetic modification of CUS-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with ionic porous organic frameworks (POFs) to form MOF@iPOF core–shell hybrid materials. Based on this strategy, two new MOF@iPOF core–shell hybrid materials, Cu3(BTC)2@iPOF-TB-Br− and Cu3(BTC)2@iPOF-TM-Br−, are synthesized for the first time by feasible encapsulation of a Cu3(BTC)2 core within an ionic POF shell. Because of the synergetic role of dual functional sites including CUS as a Lewis acid in the MOFs and the Br− anion as the nucleophile in the ionic POFs, Cu3(BTC)2@iPOF-TB-Br− and Cu3(BTC)2@iPOF-TM-Br− demonstrate excellent catalytic performance for the CO2 cycloaddition under co-catalyst free mild conditions (60 °C, 0.5 MPa CO2, 24 h). Moreover, these core–shell bifunctional catalysts can not only realize the synergy of two functional sites, but also maintain the porosity of hybrid materials for improving the mass transfer rate and catalytic efficiency.

The co-presence of haloacetic acids (HAAs) and Mg2+ in swimming pool waters and the potential interaction among Mg2+, HAAs, and membranes prompted a systematic investigation of membrane performance...

As a model quasi-2D network intercalation electrodes, niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) has gained numerous attention in electrochemical materials because of its structural stability and high safety. Nevertheless, Nb2O5 exhibits the inherent low conductivity of transition metal oxides, which limits the rate of ionic diffusion and charge transfer. To overcome the drawbacks, the nanoscale Nb2O5 can be synthesized to improve electrochemical performance. Here, we prepared the flower-like orthorhombic Nb2O5 (i.e., T-Nb2O5) nanostructures to evaluate the effect of Nb2O5 nanoparticle morphology associated with crystallinity for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) anode. T-Nb2O5-2 displays superior crystallinity, pore structure, capacity, reversibility, and cycling stability. Specifically, T-Nb2O5-2 exhibits the initial charge/discharge capacity of 289 and 525 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C, and after 100 cycles, the capacity is 178.2 mAh g−1 at 1 C when the solvothermal time is 16 h. This study shows that Nb2O5 with good crystallinity can slow down the volume expansion and structural deformation generated during the intercalation–deintercalation of Li-ions. We believe that the specified Nb2O5 presented in this work has great potential as a promising candidate for high-performance LIB anodes.

Nb2O5 has attracted much attention in various research filed such as hybrid capacitors, photo/electrocatalysis, and especially Li-ion batteries (LIBs) due to stable structure and high safety. Nevertheless, its low electronic conductivity (~ 3×10−6 S cm−1) degrades Li-storage performance that limits the practical use in LIBs. Here, we present a facile method for synthesis of T-Nb2O5 nanospheres/reduced graphene oxide composites by using niobium oxalate and bituminous coal as raw materials via a solvothermal method and subsequent calcination to enhance the conductivity of Nb2O5. In this work, the prepared Nb2O5 particles have excellent crystallinity that can be uniformly distributed onto the surface of the rGO layer to form Nb2O5/rGO composites. The electrochemical properties indicate that Nb2O5/rGO electrodes exhibit outstanding capacity, excellent reversibility, and superior cycle stability compared to other transition metal oxide-based electrodes. Notably, the initial capacities of the Nb2O5/rGO electrode at 0.02 A g−1 are 603 and 1104 mAh g−1, and the capacity still maintained 332 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 A g−1. Our synthetic approach provides a viable route to produce anode materials in a composite form facilitating nanostructured Nb2O5 with rGO exfoliated from bituminous coal for excellent performance in LIBs.

Unique high-capacity MnO2/porous graphitic carbon (MnO2/PGC) composites were fabricated by a mild and efficient in situ precipitation approach using PGC derived from coal tar pitch as the carbonace...

Direct conversion of syngas (CO/H2) into higher alcohols is highly desirable but remains challenging due to the low C2+OH selectivity. Herein, an effective strategy was developed through the combin...

A highly dispersed KNiMo catalyst on Zn-modified MgAl-mixed oxide as a support is prepared by a surfactant-assistance hydrothermal method. The introduction of Zn can decrease the concentration of s...

Heterostructured CoP nanoarray/MoO2 films on Mo foil (CoP–MoO2/MF) were synthesized through a low-temperature phosphorization process using pre-oxidized MF supported cobalt hydroxide-carbonate nanoneedles as the precursor. Such a CoP–MoO2/MF heterostructure exhibits superior HER performance with low overpotentials of 42 mV (alkaline) and 65 mV (acid) to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2, robust stability, large exchange current density and high turnover frequency. The experimental characterization and DFT calculations reveal that the presence of MoO2 leads to an inherent ability to adsorb water and cleave H–O bonds, favoring hydrogen transfer to accelerate the Volmer step. Heterointerfacial charge redistribution provides optimal hydrogen adsorption ability on adjacent P sites to boost the Heyrovsky step and, as a result, the hydrogen adsorption free energy (ΔGH*) can be reduced from 0.08 eV on CoP (011) and −0.78 eV on MoO2 (011) to 0.02 eV on the heterointerface of CoP–MoO2, which significantly improves the HER activity and accelerates the catalytic kinetics. This work highlights the roles of the heterointerface in electrocatalysis and provides an avenue to design electrocatalysts.

A prevalent group of disinfection by-products (DBPs), i.e., haloacetic acids (HAAs), have raised significant public concern due to their high frequency of occurrence, considerable concentrations and potent toxicity. This study investigated the environmental occurrence of HAAs and the corresponding predicted human exposure to two important water matrices where humans are frequently and long-term exposed, i.e., swimming pool waters (SPWs) and drinking waters (DWs), in Shanghai, China. The sum of five HAAs in SPWs was 241 μg L−1 on average (dominated by dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA)), four times as much as its maximum contaminant level (MCL) regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in DWs. The maximum HAA concentration in DWs was 35 μg L−1, with chloroacetic acid (CAA) as the most dominant compound. The higher concentrations (reflected by total organic carbon (TOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and UV254) and more categories (body fluids and personal care products in addition to natural organic matter) of organic contaminants and the higher chlorine in SPWs should be responsible for the differentiated HAA yield and speciation. The qualification rates of samples have been evaluated. The power function models correlating HAAs with multiple water quality parameters were developed with correlation coefficients of 0.614 and 0.798 for SPWs and DWs respectively. These models may provide the preliminary insights on how to minimize HAA formation by grasping the relative importance of each parameter and how to build the framework to predict HAA formation in untreated source water or SPWs subjected to chlorination. The predicted carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of humans exposed to SPWs and DWs with HAAs were within the acceptable levels.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to provide a new classification method by analyzing the relationship between urine color (Ucol) distribution and urine dry chemical parameters based on image digital processing. Furthermore, this study aimed to assess the reliability of Ucol to evaluate the states of body hydration and health.Methods: A cross-sectional study among 525 college students, aged 17–23 years old, of which 59 were men and 466 were women, was conducted. Urine samples were obtained during physical examinations and 524 of them were considered valid, including 87 normal samples and 437 abnormal dry chemistry parameters samples. The urinalysis included both micro- and macro-levels, in which the CIE L*a*b* values and routine urine chemical examination were performed through digital imaging colorimetry and a urine chemical analyzer, respectively.Results: The results showed that L* (53.49 vs. 56.69) in the abnormal urine dry chemistry group was lower than the normal group, while b* (37.39 vs. 33.80) was greater. Urine color can be initially classified based on shade by grouping b*. Abnormal urine dry chemical parameter samples were distributed more in the dark-colored group. Urine dry chemical parameters were closely related to Ucol. Urine specific gravity (USG), protein, urobilinogen, bilirubin, occult blood, ketone body, pH, and the number of abnormal dry chemical parameters were all correlated with Ucol CIE L*a*b*; according to a stepwise regression analysis, it was determined that more than 50% of the variation in the three-color space values came from the urine dry chemical parameters, and the b* value was most affected by USG (standardized coefficient β = 0.734, p < 0.05). Based on a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, Ucol ≥ 4 provided moderate sensitivity and good specificity (AUC = 0.892) for the detection of USG ≥ 1.020.Conclusions: Our findings on the Ucol analysis showed that grouping Ucol based on b* value is an objective, simple, and practical method. At the same time, the results suggested that digital imaging colorimetry for Ucol quantification is a potential method for evaluating body hydration and, potentially, health.

The unique hollow nanostructures (Ni1-xFex-HP) were fabricated by the template-engaged pyrolysis from amorphous (bi)metal-organic-frameworks with tunable polyhedron-like morphology by various Fe content. Ni1-xFex-HP features as hollow polyhedron with mesoporous wall, consisting of dominant metal/alloy coupled with a small fraction of their oxides and few-layer N-graphene shell (FLNG). Thanks for the structural and compositional feature to strengthen the synergism of Ni, NiO and N-graphene on HER, as well as FeNi alloy, NiFe oxide, and N-graphene on OER, the optimal Ni-HP and Ni0.5Fe0.5-HP octahedron present good bifunctional properties for HER (overpotential of 215 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2, Tafel slope of 133 mV dec−1) and OER (overpotential of 280 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2, Tafel slope of 79 mV dec−1) on glass carbon electrode in 1.0 M alkaline solution. Moreover, the electrocatalytic performance can be further enhanced by directly coating on nickel foam (NF), where the overpotentials of Ni-HP/NF and Ni0.5Fe0.5-HP/NF is only 98 and 220 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2 for HER and OER, respectively. The integrated asymmetrical two-electrode configuration (Ni0.5Fe0.5-HP/NF||Ni-HP/NF) displays low cell voltage of 1.57 V to reach 10 mA cm−2, accompanying with strong durability for overall alkaline water splitting. This work opens up an effectively time-saving strategy using aMOFs with well-defined structure instead of highly crystalline metal-organic frameworks (cMOFs) as precursor to design hollow and nanostructured hybrids for energy conversion.

The variations of microstructure and mechanical properties of the joints with different welding heat input were investigated. As the heat input increased, excessive melting of TA15 alloy facilitated the formation of Ti-Cu compounds at the TA15 interface, increasing the brittleness of the TA15 interface. Moreover, high heat input also caused the HAZ softening by grain coarsening and deteriorated the performance of the joint. However, low heat input was adverse to the complete melting of Cu66V34 alloy and induced the formation of welding pores. It also weakened the strength of the joint. Under optimum welding parameters, (Ti,V) solid solution formed at the titanium interface, replacing Ti-Cu intermetallic compounds (IMCs). Therefore, the joint of sample 2 presented the highest strength (378MPa) and fractured along the HAZ of QCr0.8 alloy due to the HAZ softening resulting from grain coarsening.

Tuning the surface property of Pt based nanocrystals at the atomic level is of vital significance to meet superior electrocatalytic performance criteria. In this work, a new strategy to advance fundamental surface study on Pt based nanocrystals is addressed by implanting foreign metals as “active auxiliaries” onto the surface of Pt based nanocrystals to engineer a stable structured catalyst. Under the guidance of this concept, the Ru component was selected as “active auxiliary” to construct Ru containing Pt3Mn catalysts by doping the isolated Ru atoms (Pt3Mn–Ru) and Ru nanoparticles (Pt3Mn@Ru) onto surface layer of Pt3Mn concave nanocubes (CNCs). Strikingly, the Pt3Mn–Ru CNCs showed the most optimal catalytic activity, durability and CO anti-poisoning ability toward ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR). The specific activity of Pt3Mn–Ru CNCs is 1.32 mA cm−2, which is 1.47 and 3.07 times higher than Pt3Mn@Ru CNCs (0.90 mA cm−2) and pure Pt3Mn CNCs (0.43 mA cm−2). The results of in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments revealed that Pt3Mn–Ru CNCs were more in favor of C C bond cleavage of EG and rapid oxidation/removal of intermediate poisonous COads. Furthermore, the theoretical calculations revealed that the Pt3Mn–Ru CNCs possessed a lower reaction barrier (1.69 eV) for oxidation of COads assisted by adsorbed OHads species, and an energy-favorable position (2.88 A) for reaction between COads and OHads. This work disclosed a new tactics to develop a novel structured catalyst in possession of excellent electrocatalytic performance, which provided a promising methodology for designing Pt-based nanoparticles as efficient fuel cell catalysts.

Nicotinamide (NAM) was evidenced to have the capacity to improve energy metabolism and attenuate oxidative stress during the perinatal period. As there is an association between maternal nutrition and the developmental outcomes of offspring, the aim was to investigate the effect of maternal NAM supplementation on small intestine morphology and some antioxidative parameters of offspring kids. Fifteen multiparous does were paired and allocated into 3 treatments: control (C), postpartum (P, supplemented post-kidding), and entire-perinatal (EP, supplemented from d -21 to 28 around kidding). NAM was drenched to does at 5 g/d and at 0700 h every day. After kidding, the kids were named LC, LP, and LEP, respectively, and fed milk from their mothers until d 28 of life. For the offspring kids, BW and ADG were not affected. The villus height in the duodenum was higher in LP than in LC, and that in the ileum was higher in LEP. The ratio of villus height to crypt depth of intestine was increased in LEP. The serum IgG was tended to elevate by maternal NAM supplementation, and the total antioxidant capacity was decreased in both LP and LEP. The does supplemented with NAM had an improved antioxidative status, and lower level of milk IL-1β was found in EP. The MDA of the mammary tissue was also decreased by NAM. Moreover, the milk metabolomics profile showed that glycerol was decreased while citramalic acid and sucrose were elevated with NAM supplementation. Glycerolipid metabolism, galactose metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism were enriched. Thus, these data indicated that maternal NAM supplementation improved the small intestinal development of offspring kids partially by affecting the antioxidative status and milk metabolites of the does. This knowledge further suggested that the development of a nutritional strategy from prepartum period and milk feeding in early life are important for offspring kids.

Ultrathin nickel-iron carbonate hydroxides nanosheets/sulfides (denoted as NixFeyS/CH) are fabricated by sulfurizing treatment of nickel-iron carbonate hydroxide (NixFeyCH). The partial sulfuration of NiFe carbonate hydroxides by replacing the CO3/OH groups with the S group can well remain the hexagonal morphology, regulate the electronic structure and expose more electrochemical active sites. Benefiting from the ultrathin-layered sheet with mesoporous structure for more available active sites, the strong coupling between metal carbonate hydroxides/sulfides, as well as bimetal synergism for modulation the composition and electronic structure, the optimal NixFeyS/CH exhibits excellent OER catalytic performance, which reaches 20 mA cm−2 at an ultra-small overpotential of 261 mV, lower Tafel slope (103 mV dec−1) and outstanding stability. This work highlights the importance regarding the modulation of composition and electronic structure by the interface coupling and bimetal synergism for boosting OER performance.

The acidity/alkalinity and structural properties of NiMgAl trimetallic oxides (MMOs) can be effectively modulated by the alkaline-etching process with various etching times, which are further used as a support to prepare KMoS-based catalysts through the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-encapsulated Mo-precursor strategy. The enriched surface anion groups in alkaline-etched MMO affect the textural properties, metal-support interaction, and sulfidation degree of the as-synthesized KMoS-based catalysts. As a result, KMoS-based catalysts using alkaline-etched MMO as supports effectively enhance the reducibility and dispersion of Mo species, which exert a positive influence on higher alcohol synthesis (HAS) performance in CO hydrogenation. A proper balance between acidity/alkalinity and structural properties in K, Mo/MMO-x catalysts can significantly enhance the alcohol selectivity in HAS from 55 to 65% (carbon selectivity). The formation of C2+ alcohols can be boosted by adol condensation with optimal acidic/ba...

The excess emission of ammonia nitrogen is a common issue encountered by many industry wastewater treatment plants, due to the elevated concentrations and toxicities of compounds released from a large number of industries which might inhibit the growth of nitrifying bacteria. In this work, we are aiming at addressing the above issue raised by an industry wastewater treatment plant and elucidating the nitrification inhibitory mechanisms. A straight-forward and reliable method i.e., respirometry, was developed for the characterisation of nitrification inhibition. The pretreatment methods of Fenton and ozone oxidations and iron carbon micro electrolysis have been attempted to reduce the nitrification inhibition and the former two turned out to be effective. The nitrification inhibition rate (NIR) of the wastewater after Fenton oxidation was reduced from 87% to 13.6% with the optimized condition (pH = 3.0, H2O2 dosage of 14.7 mM, Fe2+ dosage of 4.90 mM, and reaction time of 20 min). The optimal parameters for ozonation were: pH = ∼8.2 (original pH of wastewater), reaction time of 25 min (equivalent to an ozone dosage of 381 mg/L), under which the NIR was declined to 12.7%. The nitrification inhibition might be attributed to the presence of compounds with hydrophobic properties, high molecular weight, and aromatic and unsaturated structures in industry wastewater. The coupling use of Fenton-SBR and ozone-SBR achieved NH3-N removal efficiency of 98% and 93%, respectively. The effluent NH3-N finally met with the Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standard (DB31/199-2009).

This study focuses on microstructure and mechanical properties as a function of location in additively manufactured high-strength weathering steel components using gas tungsten arc as the heat source. Variations of microstructure and mechanical properties in various locations are presented and analysed. The as-deposited high-strength weathering steel is composed of columnar grain morphology with proeutectoid ferrite, acicular ferrite, side plate ferrite and a small amount of pearlite microstructure in the top region, equiaxed grains with ferrite and pearlite in the middle region, and columnar grains in the near-substrate region with the microstructure similar to that in the top region. There exist obvious layer bands in the middle region, and the forming mechanism of the bands is addressed. Microhardness measurement and tensile strength testing indicate obvious changes in different regions, depending on location and direction of testing specimens. The microhardness in the middle region is inferior to that in both near-substrate and top regions. The ultimate tensile strengths in the travel and deposition height directions are approximately 553 and 506 MPa, respectively. Different locations exhibit heterogeneous tensile strength and elongation due to various microstructures and boundaries. The results indicate the feasibility to fabricate high-strength weathering steel components with good tensile properties using gas tungsten arc–based additive manufacturing.

A lamellar reverse micelle directed assembly strategy was proposed to integrate NiCo layered hydroxides (NiCoDH) nanodots and NiCo sulfide (NiCoS) nanosheets (NiCoDH/NiCoS) by one-step solvothermal method. The NiCoDH/NiCoS features with an interconnected 3D architecture composed of ultrathin amorphous NiCoS nanosheets (∼1.5 nm), decorated by ultra-small NiCoDH nanodots (2–3 nm). The optimal NiCoDH/NiCoS exhibits a low overpotential of 303 mV at current density of 20 mA cm−2, together with a small Tafel slope of 77.6 mV dec−1, the high Faraday efficiency of about 95% as well as good stability. The excellent OER performance and enhanced stability should be ascribed to the strong interface-coupling of NiCoDH nanodots/NiCoS nanosheets, highly synergistic effect of bimetal Co and Ni, amorphous-like structure to expose more active sites, and interconnected 3D architecture for effective mass transport and structural stability. This work provides a significant insight regarding the strong interface-coupling effect on OER electrocatalysis, and offers a new strategy to design highly efficient OER catalysts.

The development of designing and searching inexpensive electrocatalysts with high activity for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is significant to enable water splitting as a future renewable energy source. Herein, we synthesize a new CoP(MoP)-CoMoO3 heterostructure coated by a N-doped carbon shell [CoP(MoP)-CoMoO3@CN] via thermal decomposition and phosphatizing of the CoMoO4·0.9H2O nanowires encapsulated in N-doped carbon. At 10 mA·cm–2, this CoP(MoP)-CoMoO3@CN nanocomposite exhibits superior electrocatalytic activity at low overpotentials of 296 mV for OER and 198 mV for HER in alkaline media. More importantly, we achieve a current density of 10 mA·cm–2 at 1.55 V by using this CoP(MoP)-CoMoO3@CN as both cathode and anode for overall water splitting. This promising performance could be due to the high activity of CoP(MoP)-CoMoO3 and the good conductivity of the external mesoporous N-carbon shell, which makes the CoP(MoP)-CoMoO3@CN nanowires a competitive alternati...

The instable structure of Pt-based high-indexed facets (HIFs) facile reconstructed is a key obstacle for further practical applications because of its high surface energy and amounts of undercoordinated surface atoms. Herein, a strategy to advance the fundamental surface study on Pt-based HIFs materials is addressed by implanting non-noble metal or nonmetals as “active auxiliaries” into the near-surface of noble metal nanocrystals bounded with HIFs to engineer a stable structured catalyst. Then the Mo/Pt3Mn catalysts serving as proof-of-concept examples are designed and show enhanced catalytic performance of ethylene glycol (EG). According to the electrochemical in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results, the Mo modified Pt3Mn alloys with HIFs promote not only the C–C cleavage of EG but also the direct conversion of COHX to CO2, without the formation of COL poison species. In this case, the Mo/Pt3Mn catalysts show the greatly significant increase of the catalytic activity in copamprison with ...

Electrochemical water splitting is a promising way for the sustainable production of hydrogen, but the efficiency of the overall water-splitting reaction largely depends on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) because of its sluggish kinetics. Herein, a series of hierarchical ZnCo2 O4 /Co3 O4 /NC-CNT (NC-CNT=nitrogen-rich carbon nanotube) mesoporous dodecahedrons grafted to carbon nanotubes have been synthesized from ZnCo bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZnCo-ZIFs) through sequential pyrolysis in nitrogen and mild oxidation in air. The simultaneous modulation of oxygen vacancies, composition, and hierarchical mesoporous architecture remarkably enhanced their electronic conduction and the amount and reactivity of accessible actives; thus boosting their intrinsic activity in the OER. The optimal ZnCo2 O4 /Co3 O4 /NC-CNT-700 sample exhibited a large current density of 50 mA cm-2 at a potential of 1.65 V, a small Tafel slope of 88.5 mV dec-1 , and superior stability in alkaline media. This work should provide a facile strategy for the rational design of advanced OER catalysts by simultaneous engineering of oxygen vacancies and composition.

Lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) is one of the leading electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries, and its usage has increased tremendously in the past few years. Little is known, however, about its potential environmental and biological impacts. In order to improve our understanding of the cytotoxicity of LiPF6 and the specific cellular response mechanisms to it, we performed a genome-wide screen using a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) deletion mutant collection and identified 75 gene deletion mutants that showed LiPF6 sensitivity. Among these, genes associated with mitochondria showed the most enrichment. We also found that LiPF6 is more toxic to yeast than lithium chloride (LiCl) or sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF6). Physiological analysis showed that a high concentration of LiPF6 caused mitochondrial damage, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and ATP content changes. Compared with the results of previous genome-wide screening for LiCl-sensitive mutants, we found that oxidative phosphorylation-related mutants were specifically hypersensitive to LiPF6. In these deletion mutants, LiPF6 treatment resulted in higher ROS production and reduced ATP levels, suggesting that oxidative phosphorylation-related genes were important for counteracting LiPF6-induced toxicity. Taken together, our results identified genes specifically involved in LiPF6-modulated toxicity, and demonstrated that oxidative stress and ATP imbalance maybe the driving factors in governing LiPF6-induced toxicity.

Porous organic frameworks (POFs) catalysts with a combination of the well-developed porosity and highly dispersed of active sites hold promise for boosting catalyst activity and selectivity. Among their many synthetic methods, one-step knitting strategies have gained superiority and potential for development. Here, two copper porphyrin based microporous polymers (SC-Cu and FC-Cu) were directly synthesized through Scholl coupling reaction and Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction respectively, which possess high surface area and efficient catalytic performance for styrene oxidation. Moreover, the hierarchical pores of SC-Cu gave it a unique catalytic performance with various olefins with excellent conversion rate. The insight achieved by this systematic analysis will contribute to the rational design of other POFs catalysts and widening extent of applications.

Adopting an impregnation strategy, the homogeneous and efficient pore-creating are simultaneously achieved by one-pot KOH activation making full use of the swelling feature of hydrophilic soybean protein gels in alkaline solution. N, O co-doped porous carbons (NOPCs) have been fabricated using soybean meal as carbon, nitrogen and oxygen sources for an abundance of protein with a smaller amount of corrosive KOH. The as-obtained NOPCs exhibit advantageous characteristics for electrochemical energy storage including unique honeycomb-like morphology with interconnected carbon frameworks, high specific surface area, hierarchical porosity and controllable surface chemistry, which provides a large number of favorable nanochannels with suitable surface property for fast electrolyte diffusion and efficient electron transfer in the carbon networks. When tested as supercapacitor electrodes with symmetric configuration in 3 M KOH electrolyte, the NOPC-700 electrode prepared at 700 °C with a KOH/soybean meal mass ratio of 0.25 presents a high specific capacitance (330 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1), remarkable cycling stability (94.6% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles at 2.5 A g−1), and superior rate capability (270 F g−1 at 5 A g−1). Furthermore, the NOPC-700//NOPC-700 supercapacitor delivers a maximum energy density of 8.4 Wh kg−1. The coordination between protein-rich soybean meal and one-pot KOH activation plays an important role in efficiently synthesizing porous carbons with robust energy storage performance for supercapacitors.

Improving the C2+ alcohols selectivity is highly desirable for higher alcohols synthesis in CO hydrogenation. Herein, an effective method was developed for Mo-based supported catalysts by the combination of tungsten-doping and surfactant-assisted hydrothermal strategy. The tungsten-doping enhanced the interaction between Ni and W/Mo metal species to form more of the Ni-MoW-S phase with tunable slab size and stacking layers, and thus promoted the chain growth of alcohol to form a greater amount of higher alcohols in CO hydrogenation. The optimal K,Ni–Mo0.75W0.25/MMO-S exhibited a dominant double-layer structure (∼39.0%) and highly synergetic effects between Ni and W/Mo species, resulting in the highest total alcohol selectivity (76.1%) and in higher alcohols selectivity. This work provides a new route for tuning the morphology of MoS2/WS2 and synergetic effects between Ni and W/Mo species in supported catalysts to improve the selectivity of higher alcohols.

The objective of this study was to evaluate alterations in serum metabolites of transition dairy cows affected by biotin (BIO) and nicotinamide (NAM) supplementation. A total of 40 multiparous Holsteins were paired and assigned randomly within a block to one of the following four treatments: control (T0), 30 mg/day BIO (TB), 45 g/day NAM (TN), and 30 mg/day BIO + 45 g/day NAM (TB+N). Supplemental BIO and NAM were drenched on cows from 14 days before the expected calving date. Gas chromatography time-of-flight/mass spectrometry was used to analyze serum samples collected from eight cows in every groups at 14 days after calving. In comparison to T0, TB, TN, and TB+N had higher serum glucose concentrations, while non-esterified fatty acid in TN and TB+N and triglyceride in TB+N were lower. Adenosine 5′-triphosphate was significantly increased in TB+N. Both TN and TB+N had higher glutathione and lower reactive oxygen species. Moreover, TB significantly increased inosine and guanosine concentrations, decreased...

In this article, we present the structural and magnetic studies of pristine SmFeO3 nanocrystalline ceramic samples as sintered at temperature 850 °C and 1000 °C. X-ray powder diffraction data confirm the existence of single-phase nature with orthorhombic (Pbnm) structure of the samples. The SEM image reveals spherical particles with a size range of 60–130 nm for SFO-850 and SFO-1000 samples. X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies on Fe L3,2 and O K-edges of SmFeO3 sample revealed the homo-valence state of Fe in these materials. From magnetization studies it has been observed the materials exhibit ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic (canted spin structure) sub-lattices, which results strong magnetic anisotropy in the system.

Qijian mixture, a new traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula comprising of Astragalus membranaceus , Ramulus euonymi , Coptis chinensis and Pueraria lobata , was designed to ameliorate the type 2 diabetes (T2D), and its safety and efficacy were evaluated in the research by metabonomics, gut microbiota and system pharmacology. To study the hypoglycemic effect of Qijian mixture, male KKay mice (28–30 g, 8–9 week) and C57/BL6 mice (18–19 g, 8–9 week) were used. Thirty KKay diabetic mice were randomly distributed into 5 groups, abbreviated as Model group (Model), Low Qijian Mixture group (QJM(L)), High Qijian Mixture group (QJM(H)), Chinese Medicine (Gegen Qinlian Decoction) Positive group (GGQL), and Western Medicine (Metformin hydrochloride) Positive group (Metformin). C57/BL6 was considered as the healthy control group (Control). Moreover, a system pharmacology approach was utilized to assess the physiological targets involved in the action of Qijian mixture. There was no adverse drug reaction of Qijian mixture in the acute toxicity study and HE result, and, compared with Model group, Qijian mixture could modulate blood glycemic level safely and effectively. Qijian Mixture was lesser effective than metformin hydrochloride; however, both showed similar hypoglycemic trend. Based on 1 H NMR based metabonomics study, the profoundly altered metabolites in Qijian mixture treatment group were identified. Qijian mixture-related 55 proteins and 4 signaling pathways, including galactose metabolism, valine, leucine and isoleucine degradation metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis metabolism and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism pathways, were explored. The PCoA analysis of gut microbiota revealed that Qijian mixture treatment profoundly enriched bacteroidetes. In addition, the system pharmacology paradigm revealed that Qijian mixture acted through TP53, AKT1 and PPARA proteins. It was concluded that Qijian mixture effectively alleviated T2D, and this effect was linked with the altered features of the metabolite profiles and the gut microbiota.

Background Decitabine is widely used in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in elderly patients. Low-dose Vitamin C has also been indicated to induce DNA demethylation at the cellular level. However, little is known whether low-dose Vitamin C has a synergistic effect with decitabine in clinic. Methods The effect of combined low-dose Vitamin C and decitabine on cell proliferation, the cell cycle, apoptosis and the expression level and activity of TET2 was investigated in HL60 and NB4 human leukemic cells. Additionally, we analyzed the clinical outcomes of 73 elderly AML patients who received A-DCAG (intravenous Vitamin C [IVC] plus DCAG [ n = 39]) or DCAG ( n = 34) treatment. Results We found that low-dose Vitamin C and decitabine has a synergistic efficacy on proliferation, apoptosis, TET2 expression and activity, compared to drug–alone treatment in HL60 and NB4 cell lines in vitro . In clinic, feasibility and safety evaluations revealed that patients who received A-DCAG regimen have a higher complete remission (CR) rate than those who received the DCAG regimen (79.92% vs. 44.11%; P = 0.004) after one cycle of chemotherapy. The median overall survival (OS) was better in the A-DCAG group compared with the DCAG group (15.3 months vs. 9.3 months, P = 0.039). Patients with adverse cytogenetics did benefit from CR. There was no clinically significant additional toxicity observed with the addition of IVC. Conclusion On the basis of these results, the addition of IVC at low doses to DCAG appeared to improve CR and prolong OS, compared with DCAG, in elderly patients with AML.

Despite intense research in the past decades, the lack of high-performance catalysts for fuel cell reactions remains a challenge in realizing fuel cell applications. Herein, we report a novel hybrid nanomaterial of platinum-nickel hydroxide-nanotubes (Pt/Ni(OH)2/CNTs) for improving electrocatalytic performance in alkaline environments. Ni(OH)2 was directly grown on functionalized nanotubes and then, Pt nanoparticles were in situ immobilized by the microwave synthesis method. Due to electronic and synergistic effects, 10 : 2-Pt/Ni(OH)2/N-CNT catalyst exhibited 2.77 times specific activity and 6.27 times mass activity toward methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), which were higher than those of commercial Pt/C in alkaline solution. The CO-stripping experiments and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) further demonstrated that Ni(OH)2 could promote oxidation removal of carbonaceous poison for MOR via accelerating water dissociation: (i) Ni(OH)2 acted on an H2O molecule, leading to the formation of OHad; (ii) OHad oxidized the intermediate COad to CO2. Furthermore, the 10 : 2-Pt/Ni(OH)2/N-CNT catalyst also exhibited 2.07 times specific activity and 1.67 times mass activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which were higher than those of commercial Pt/C in alkaline solution and Pt/N-CNT catalysts. Thus, the preparation of this hybrid nanomaterial provides a new direction for catalyst performance optimization towards next-generation fuel cells in alkaline environments.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute a large, diverse group of organic compounds that commonly have detrimental biological effects that pose a great environmental threat. Hence, development of isolation and culture techniques for PAH-degrading bacteria is necessary. In this study, a variety of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria were enriched and isolated using an in situ soil substrate membrane system (SSMS) and a traditional cultivation method with phenanthrene as the sole carbon source. In the traditional method, the major species of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria found was Pseudomonas (Gammaproteobacteria). By contrast, the major phenanthrene-degrading bacteria observed using SSMS were Sphingomonas (Alphaproteobacteria). Phenanthrene utilization by bacteria with SSMS was higher than traditional cultivation method. High throughput functional microarray, Geochip, and polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis were used to characterize the response of soil bacterial communities upon addition of phenanthrene. Results indicated that members of the class Alphaproteobacteria were the dominant bacteria in phenanthrene-contaminated soils, and their characteristic phenanthrene-degrading genes have important role in degradation of contaminants. Sphingomonas was isolated using SSMS and found to be capable of adapting to nutrient-poor environments by utilizing a variety of substrates. The SSMS method is more suitable for the growth of Sphingomonas in simulated environmental conditions.

Despite the significant progress in the preparation of hollow structures, it is a challenge to build high-quality complex hollow structures with controllable morphology, particularly for multicomponent materials. Herein, a facile strategy was first developed to tune the morphology of coordinated transition bimetal complexes via controlling the growth rates of {111} and {100} facets using sulfur as a morphological modulator and template-engaged pyrolysis to form a unique hollow polyhedron (S–FeNi@NC). By virtue of the structural and compositional features, the optimized S–FeNi@NC hollow cuboctahedron shows excellent activities with a remarkably small overpotential of 272 mV to reach 20 mA cm−2, a lower Tafel slope with 84 mA dec−1, and an excellent durability without degradation after 5000 CV cycles toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an alkaline medium. The strategy developed here provides a new path to prepare hollow transition metal hybrids with a tunable polyhedral structure for catalysis and energy conversion.

CFx/SiO2 composites with different SiO2 sources have been synthesized as cathode materials for primary lithium batteries. The effect of modification with different SiO2 sources on the performance of CFx has been investigated with FT-IR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), BET, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical measurements (galvanostatic discharge, EIS). Based on the FT-IR and XPS analyses, it is confirmed that semi-ionic C–F has existed in SiO2 modified CFx and the F/C has decreased which may be caused by the reaction between SiO2 and CF2. The BET illustrated that the surface area of SiO2 modified CFx was extremely larger than that of pristine CFx. Furthermore, electrochemical measurements displayed an enhancement in the discharge capacity and plateau of the CFx/SiO2 composites, as well as an improvement in their power density and energy density. In particular the CFx–mSiO2 exhibits a discharge capacity of 587 mA h g−1, with a plateau of 2.28 V at a current density of 5C, accompanied by a maximum power density of 9689 W kg−1 and about three times higher energy density than that of pristine CFx.

A hierarchically-structured nylon 6 (PA6) nanofiber membrane decorated with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) was fabricated by electrospinning and impregnation methods. The as-fabricated hierar-chically-structured Ag/PA6 nanofiber membrane (HS-Ag/PA6 NM) exhibits a morphology in which Ag NPs are deposited on the surfaces of both thick fibers and thin fibers. The content and size of the Ag NPs can be controlled by varying the concentration of the silver colloid solution. Compared with the non-hierarchically-structured Ag/PA6 nanofiber membrane, HS-Ag/PA6 NM has a higher spe-cific surface area and exhibits a higher degradation rate for methylene blue of 81.8%-98.1% within 2 h. HS-Ag/PA6 NM can be easily recycled and exhibits good reusability. It retains a degradation rate for methylene blue of 83.5% after five consecutive cycles. The hierarchically-structured nano-fiber membrane is therefore a potential nanocatalyst.

The cadmium (Cd) tolerance of 21 Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) were investigated in this study by evaluating the process of seed germination on exposure to excess Cd. Excess Cd resulted in the significant growth inhibition, particularly of root growth. The relation between Cd concentrations and inhibition rate of root or shoot elongation can be well described by a logarithmic equation. The maximum values of IC50 (Cd concentration when the root or shoot elongation decreased to 50% compared with control) were observed in root and shoot of ‘IdyII’, whereas the minimums showed in ‘Nioudachi’ and ‘Harukaze’. Cadmium dramatically inhibited the seed germination of 21 cultivars. By comparison of physiological parameters including the absolute and relative value of root and shoot length, germination rate, germination energy, germination index and vigor index, all the tested cultivars exhibited variation when exposed to the same strength of Cd stress. In addition, the values of evaluation index, subordinate function were used to evaluate the Cd tolerance among cultivars treated with excess Cd. As a result, cultivar ‘IdyII’ was identified to be most tolerant to Cd stress, cultivar ‘Tachiwase’ was the most sensitive one. Cluster analysis indicated that 21 cultivars of Italian ryegrass can be classified into four groups, Cd-tolerant, moderate Cd-tolerant, low Cd-tolerant and Cd-sensitive groups. The results will be basic information for cultivating forage crops used as bioenergy crops in Cd polluted environments.

A hierarchically Ag/nylon 6 tree-like nanofiber membrane (Ag/PA6 TLNM) was fabricated by adding tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) and silver nitrate (AgNO3) into spinning solution via one-step electrospinning. TBAC presented in PA6/formic acid (HCOOH) spinning solution was able to cause the formation of a tree-like structure due to its space steric structure and the increasing of solution conductivity. Electrospinning solvent acted as a reducing agent for in situ conversion of AgNO3 into silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) during the solution preparation. SEM, TEM, FT-IR XPS and XRD confirmed that Ag NPs were doped in the prepared nanofiber membrane successfully and the mechanical properties, pore size distribution and hydrophilicity of the membranes were investigated. The results showed that the tree-like structure improved the mechanical properties and hydrophilicity of the membrane while ensuring high specific surface area and small pore size. And the Ag/PA6 TLNM showed superior antibacterial properties against both E. coli and S. aureus compared with common Ag/PA6 nanofiber membranes (Ag/PA6 NMs). All of the results show that the Ag/PA6 TLNM would have potential applications in water purification.

High amounts of antibiotics, used in animal farms for the prevention of diseases, are released back into the natural environment with a possible risk of chronic toxicity to other organisms and the development of antibiotic-resistant genes. The antibiotics, including sulfonamides and β-lactams, detected in swine wastewater were between 99.2 and 339.3 μg/L. The typical on-site swine wastewater treatment process turned out to be inadequate, reflected by the high conventional contaminant and antibiotic residuals even under a long hydraulic residence time (HRT, around 2–3 months). The lab-scale combined anaerobic and aerobic biological process showed that anaerobic digestion was mainly responsible for chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction and aerobic biodegradation contributed significantly to antibiotic removal, with overall removal efficiencies of 95% for COD and 92% for antibiotics under a short HRT of 3.3 days. The removal of selected antibiotics could be a combined result of biodegradation, the balance between adsorption and desorption, and the transformation between antibiotic metabolites and their parent antibiotics. The current work provides valuable insights into the appropriate selection and optimisation of biological processes for the treatment of typical wastewater with high COD and trace antibiotics.

The conventional (i.e., aerobic biodegradation) and advanced (i.e., Fenton oxidation) treatment methods with implementation potentials were in parallel investigated for the treatment of industrial wastewater rich in organic phosphorus (Org.-P, dominated by triethyl phosphate (TEP)). Fenton effectively reduced Org.-P from 58 to 5 mg/L under the optimal reaction conditions of 20 mM H2O2, 14 mM Fe2+, pH 3.0, 120 mins' reaction time and the continuous dosing method (N = 4), following the first order kinetic model with a reaction rate constant of 0.07 min−1. Nevertheless, the pretreatment prior to Fenton reaction (e.g., desalination) is recommended since high salinity significantly hindered TEP degradation, possibly due to the formation of Fe-Cl complexation and its scavenging effect to ∙OH. The Org.-P mineralization rate of ~98% was achieved by aerobic biodegradation. The excellent performance was maintained up to a salinity of 4.6% (w/w), higher than which the mineralization was seriously deteriorated. The high salinity could inhibit the microbial growth. This property might be responsible for the insufficient Org.-P removal during the on-site wastewater biological treatment. The Org.-P and COD concentrations were 6 and 405 mg/L respectively after the realistic wastewater treatment by biodegradation and coagulation, which meets with the municipal sewer discharge standard (GB/T 31962-2015).

An analytical method has been developed and validated for the determination of six estrogens and estrogen mimics, namely estriol (E3), bisphenol A (BPA), 17β-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), ethynyl estradiol (EE2) and dienestrol (DIE), with frequent occurrence in the natural environment. Solid phase extraction coupled with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS) using electrospray ionization (ESI) in a negative mode was applied to concentration, identification, and quantification of estrogens and estrogen mimics. The SPE conditions were optimized as the selection of C18 as cartridges and MeOH as an eluent, and the control of solution pH at 9.0. The method was validated by satisfactory recoveries (80–130%) and intra-day and inter-day precision ( 0.996). The limits of detection (LODs) for six target estrogenic compounds ranged between 2.5 and 19.2 ng/L. The effects of matrix background on the determination were evaluated in terms of LODs, LOQs, analyte recovery, and slopes of calibration curves in five different water matrices. Matrix effects by tap water were negligible. However, both matrix suppression and enhancement (i.e., E3, E1, DIE) were observed in surface water and wastewater. The positive correlation between LODs and TOC in various water matrices indicated the negative effect of organic pollutants on the method sensitivity. The sum of target estrogenic compounds in environmental samples were within 17–9462 ng/L.

Dairy ruminants are often in negative energy balance, primarily in the postpartum period, resulting in many metabolic disorders and economic losses. Improving energy efficiency during the peripartum period is urgently important. It has been previously highlighted that nicotinamide (NAM) supplementation during the peripartum period could benefit energy balance, while the underlying metabolic alterations and differences between postpartum NAM supplementation and peripartum NAM supplementation have not been extensively studied. This study attempted to elucidate the effects of NAM supplementation during the postpartum and peripartum periods on rumen fermentation, liver mitochondrial respiratory chain status, lipid metabolism, oxidative status, and liver metabolite profile of does. Fifteen multiparous does with similarity were paired and allocated to 3 groups (n = 5): control (C, no NAM supplementation), postpartum supplementation (P, NAM supplemented from d 1 to 28 after kidding), and entire-peripartum supplementation (EP, NAM supplemented from d -2 1 to 28 around kidding). Does were drenched with NAM at 5 g/d and subsequently slaughtered on d 28. The ruminal proportion of acetic acid tended to decrease, and propionic acid and valeric acid were increased in P and EP. The does in P and EP had a decreased acetic acid to propionic acid ratio. Does in EP had higher liver mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. The activity of liver complex Ⅱ was elevated in P and EP, and NAM supplementation tended to increase ATP production. Liver metabolomics and tissue biochemical analyses demonstrated that TG synthesis was decreased in abdominal adipose tissue by NAM supplementation. In the liver, the decomposition and synthesis of TG were both promoted, and amino acid metabolism was enriched by NAM supplementation. Moreover, the oxidative status of the blood and liver was improved by NAM supplementation, and NAM supplementation during the postpartum period was more effective but did not appear to be sufficient to cope with the metabolites of oxidative phosphorylation. Overall, these data suggested that NAM supplementation during postpartum and entire peripartum periods favored the rumen fermentation pattern to propionic acid-type and improved liver energy efficiency with benefited lipid metabolism. Supplementing NAM starting in the prepartum period is necessary for better oxidative status and energy metabolism in the peripartum period.

The direct determination Mn2+ using carboxymethyl chitosan crosslinked with cyclodextrin containing hydrogen-bonded N C QDs (N C QD/CCSCD nanocomposites). The probable mechanism of the N C QD/CCSCD nanocomposites' fluorescence was quenched by Mn2+ could be interpreted as acyclic crown ether chelation. Mn2+ induced the N C QD/CCSCD clusters assembly to form large aggregates, which resulted in aggregation-caused quenching. The linear detection (I = 479.93–15.94C (R2 = 0.9954)) can be established at Mn2+ concentrations from 0 to 21.11 × 10−6 mol/L. Common metal ions, except iron and magnesium, showed minimal effect on detection. It could satisfy the standard range of Mn2+ in actual water samples. The method which using chelating assembly mechanism to build a novel sensor would provide a new model for the application of polymer materials in this field, but the precise assembly of polymer is an unsolved challenge.

Conventional MnOX nanostructure/hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) composites meet two problems: non–optimized mass loading and poor rate capability. Here we present a judicious design of MnOX–modified corrugated carton–derived HPCs by depositing MnOX nanostructures in the mesopores of HPCs. Using a synergy of gas pore formation and KOH etching, mesopore–rich HPCs with a high aspect ratio suitable for the efficient loading of MnOX are synthesized. The Mn catalysis–induced graphitization process achieved by hydrothermal carbonization yields the MnOX–modified corrugated carton–derived HPCs (CBPC–2–800@MnOX) with ultrafast kinetics behaviour. Even at an extremely low loading of MnOX, the CBPC–2–800@MnOX electrodes exhibit a higher gravimetric capacitance (302 F g−1 at 0.05 A g−1), better rate performance (capacitance retention of 87.4% from 0.05 to 5 A g−1), higher energy/power density (8.4 W h kg−1 at 1000 W kg−1) and longer cycle life (98.8% capacitance retained after 5000 charge/discharge cycles at 2.5 A g−1) than those of pure HPC electrodes. The novel MnOX–modified biomass–derived HPCs with efficient mass loading and outstanding rate capability are concluded to be promising electrode materials for high–performance symmetric supercapacitors.