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Membrane bioreactor (MBR) is an attractive option method for treating azo dye wastewater under extreme conditions. The present study assessed the effect of salinity on the performance of anaerobic MBR in treating azo dye wastewater. Increased salinity showed adverse effects on the decolorization efficiency and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency. The decolorization efficiency decreased from 95.8% to 82.3% and 73.1% with a stepwise increasing of salinity from 0 to 3% and 5%, respectively. The COD removal efficiency decreased from 80.7% to 71.3% when the salinity increased from 0 to 3% and then decreased to 58.6% at 5% salinity. The volatile fatty acids (VFAs) concentration also increased as the salinity increased. Furthermore, increased salinity led to the elevated production of soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which can provide a protective barrier against harsh environments. More serious membrane fouling was observed as the SMP and EPS concentrations increased. The concentration of loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS), tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), and the polysaccharide/protein (PS/PN) ratios in LB-EPS and TB-EPS all increased when the salinity was elevated. The production of SMP and EPS was caused by the generation of PS in response to the saline environment. Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Anaerosporobacter, and Pectinatus were the dominant bacteria, and Lactobacillus and Lactococcus were the decolorization bacteria in the MBR. The lack of halophilic bacteria was the main reason for the decreased decolorization efficiency in the salinity environment.

This paper presents a novel high speed valve (HSV) actuator with low power consumption. The structure design of tapered armature and control method of double duty ratio pulse width modulation (PWM) are proposed in the HSV actuator to improve steady and transient characteristics. The electric-magneto-mechanical model of the HSV actuator is established and investigated by theoretical analysis. Parameters improvement of the HSV actuator is analyzed by the model, and optimized results for a prototype actuator have been obtained. The experimental and simulation curves agree well with the changing trend, and show that the opening time of the HSV actuator is 7.3 ms, the closing time is 20 ms, and power consumption in maintenance stage is 1.35 W, within the stroke of 2.5 mm. Compared with normal driving method, the proposed structure and method have the advantages of opening time reduced by 37%, closing time reduced by 29%, and steady-state power consumption reduced by 93.5%. The proposed structure and method in the HSV actuator are available to meet the driving requirements of both steady and transient performance in fluid control systems better, especially in power shortage or power supply inconvenient engineering.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to report the preparation of a dotted nanowire arrayed by 5 nm sized palladium and nickel composite nanoparticles (denoted as PdxNiy NPs) via a hydrothermal method using NU and PdO·H2O as the starting materials. The samples prepared at the mass ratio of NU to PdO·H2O 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 were, respectively, nominated as catalyst c1, c2 and c3. The chemical compositions of all synthesized catalysts were mainly studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), revealing that metallic Ni was one main component of all prepared catalysts. Surprisingly, the main diffraction peaks appearing in the XRD patterns of all prepared catalysts were assigned to the metallic Ni rather than the metallic Pd. Very interestingly, as indicated by the TEM images, a large number of dotted nanowires arrayed by numerous equidistant 5 nm sized nanoparticles were distinctly exhibited in catalyst c1. More importantly, when being used as electrocatalysts for EOR, all prepared catalysts exhibited an evident electrocatalytic activity towards EOR. In the cyclic voltammetry (CV) test, the peak current density of the forward peak of EOR on catalyst c1 measured at 50 mV s−1 was as high as 56.1 mA cm−2, being almost 9 times higher than that of EOR on catalyst c3 (6.3 mA cm−2). Particularly, the polarized current density of EOR on catalyst c1 at 3600 s, as indicated by the chronoamperometry (CA) experiment, was still maintained to be around 1.47 mA cm−2, a value higher than the latest reported data of 1.3 mA cm−2 (measured on the pure Pd/C electrode). Presenting a novel method to prepare dotted nanowires arranged by 5 nm sized nanoparticles and showing the significant eletrocatalytic activities of the newly prepared dotted nanowires towards EOR were the major contributions of this preliminary work.

Phosphorus (P) has an important role in eutrophication and it is essential to explore the processes and mechanisms of P mobility in natural waters. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to simulate the SW system (sediment and water) and SAW system (sediment, algae and water) under four hydrodynamic intensity conditions (static control, 50 rpm, 125 rpm and 200 rpm treatments), to investigate P mobility. Results in SW system showed that, sediment was an important source of P for overlying water, and the released total P (TP) increased with stronger hydrodynamic intensity, when P associated with metal pools (redox-sensitive P [BD-P] and meta-oxides bound P [NaOH-P]) were the most unstable and easier to migrate into the overlying water. Stronger hydrodynamic disturbances could enhance the processes including sediment resuspension, dissolution of particles, and release of P, when P mobility had a close relationship with redox conditions near sediment-water interface (SWI). Therefore, the release of TP, BD-P and NaOH-P from sediment increased and decreased in the control and 50-200 rpm treatments over time. In SAW system, the release of TP significantly increased from sediment comparing to SW system, and the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa could selectively enhance the release of BD-P, NaOH-P, and organic P (OP). Meanwhile, the released P from sediment was quickly accumulated by algal cells. The maximum accumulation ability of P by cells, the highest photosynthetic efficiency and the best growth of M. aeruginosa were observed in 125 rpm treatment. But with excessively strong hydrodynamic intensity (200 rpm treatment), the accumulation ability of P and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) of M. aeruginosa was suppressed, which might hinder algal utilization of P and inhibit algal growth. Overall, our findings demonstrated the patterns of P mobility in natural ecosystems and could contribute to the understanding of P cycling.

For the first time, cotton fiber-shaped Cu2O nanoparticles were prepared onto the surface of a commercial copper (Cu) foil via a very simple immersion method at room temperature in which the soaking solution only contained CuSO4, Na2S2O3, and a very little amount of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoroacetate. In this work, the current collectors prepared using 1 mM, 2 mM, and 3 mM Na2S2O3 were, respectively, nominated as current collectors a, b, and c. Interestingly, a cotton fiber-shaped spatial network structure assembled by a large number of 10-nm-sized nanoparticles was presented on the surface of current collector b. The initial discharge capacity (DC) at 0.1 A g−1 of electrode b, namely, the graphite electrode assembled using current collector b, was as high as 467 mAh g−1, almost 1.65 times larger than that of the conventional graphite electrode. Particularly, at 0.5 A g−1 after 10 cycles, the DC value of electrode b (105 mAh g−1) was still about 1.8 times higher than that of the conventional graphite electrode (59 mAh g−1). An immersion method for preparing Cu2O-modified Cu foil at room temperature is developed in this work, which is very meaningful to the development of the Cu foil-based commercial graphite electrode, since no additional energy consumptions and no variations of the electrode preparation process are required.

The aim of the study was to verify the effect of bioaugmentation by the bacterial consortium YS with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) in a soil slurry. The bacterial consortium YS was enriched from a petroleum-polluted soil using pyrene as sole carbon resource. After 3 weeks, the degradation rate of phenanthrene in CK increased from 22.58% to 55.23 and 78.21% in bioaugmentation (B) and HPCD + bioaugmentation (MB) respectively. The degradation rate of pyrene in CK increased from 17.33% to 51.10% and 60.32% in B and MB respectively in the slurry. The augmented YS persisted in the slurry as monitored by 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and outcompeted some indigenous bacteria. Enhanced polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degradation was observed in the addition of HPCD due to the enhanced bioavailability of phenanthrene and pyrene. Additionally, the amount of PAH-degrading bacteria and enzymatic activity in bioaugmentation with HPCD were higher than that in the CK group. The results indicated that bioaugmentation with a bacterial consortium and HPCD is an environmentally friendly method for the bioremediation of PAH-polluted soil.

Sludge-based activated carbons (SACs) prepared from sewage sludge and corn straw, were modified by ferric nitrate, and the unmodified SAC and modified SAC were used as the adsorbing agent to treat the landfill leachate, the elimination capacity for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and organic matter in leachate were studied. Based on this, the physicochemical properties of SACs and the components changes in leachate were analyzed and characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy. The results showed that under optimal experimental conditions, the elimination capacities of SAC372 for COD, biological oxygen demand over 5 days, and NH4+–N in the leachate were 81.58%, 54.73%, and 69.08%, respectively; while the adsorption capacities of modified SAC for these three substances were 86.25%, 63.51%, and 79.15%, respectively. The ferric nitrate modification improved the ability of SAC to eliminate COD and organic matter from leachate slightly, and made the adsorption occurred easily. The adsorption process of unmodified SAC was dominated by multi-layer adsorption, while the adsorption process of modified SAC was dominated by monolayer adsorption. The mass fraction of Fe (2p) in modified SAC remarkably increased, from 0.70% to 26.01%, organic functional groups certain phase of Fe oxides with different valence states were generated in SAC, which provided a substrate for iron–carbon micro electrolysis. After adsorbed by unmodified SAC and modified SAC adsorption, the total fluorescence intensity of in the leachate increased by 17.01% and 116.84%, respectively. Both two SACs could decompose the humic acid-like substances into aromatic protein organic compounds, and modified SAC could further decompose the soluble microbial byproduct-like substances.

It was found, for the first time, that the pyrolysis products of potassium ferrocyanide (K4[Fe(CN)6]) could significantly promote the electrocatalytic activity of the PdO based palladium iron composite catalyst towards ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). In this work, huge carbon spheres (abbreviated as HCSs) were prepared firstly via a pyrolysis method using glucose and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate as the starting materials. Secondly, PdO based palladium iron composites supported on HCSs (noted as PdO–Pd–Fe/HCSs) were successfully fabricated through a pyrolysis procedure employing PdO·H2O, HCSs and K4[Fe(CN)6] as the initial materials. When preparing PdO–Pd–Fe/HCSs, four different amounts of K4[Fe(CN)6] were respectively added in the preparation system producing four kinds of samples. The sample prepared in the absence of K4[Fe(CN)6] was nominated as sample b-0. And the samples prepared in the presence of 5, 10 and 20 mg K4[Fe(CN)6] were, respectively, labeled as sample b-5, b-10 and b-20. It was indicated by the XRD and XPS patterns that the metallic Pd particles were the main crystalline materials of above four samples. SEM images of all synthesized samples substantially demonstrated that the added amount of K4[Fe(CN)6] was a pivotal factor which could significantly affect the morphologies of the prepared samples. For sample b-0, besides some nanoparticles with a size close to 30 nm, a larger number of pores were created on the surface of the HCSs producing a honeycomb-shaped surface. Interestingly, aniseed shaped particles, cauliflower-like particles and irregular particles with a diameter more than 150 nm were, respectively, anchored on the HCSs surface of sample b-5, b-10 and b-20. Most of all, as indicated by CV and CA measurements, all the samples prepared in the presence of K4[Fe(CN)6] delivered much better electrocatalytic activities towards EOR when compared to the sample prepared with no addition of K4[Fe(CN)6]. For example, in the CV curves, the peak current density of the peak appearing in the positive potential scanning (peak f) for EOR on sample b-10 was nearly 6.4 times greater than that on sample b-0 (16.6 mA cm−2 vs. 2.6 mA cm−2). The significantly decreased charge transfer resistance and the remarkably enlarged electrochemical surface area were analyzed to be the main reasons for sample b-10 to exhibit the best electrocatalytic performance among all prepared samples. In general, a novel electrocatalyst consisting of PdO, Pd and the pyrolysis products of K4[Fe(CN)6] for EOR was developed in this work, which, due to its very lower preparation cost and its satisfied electrocatalytic activity towards EOR, was very helpful to the development of Pd-based EOR electrocatalyst.

Frequent outbreaks of harmful algal blooms (HABs) represent one of the most serious outcomes of eutrophication, and light radiation plays a critical role in the succession of species. Therefore, a better understanding of the impact of light radiation is essential for mitigating HABs. In this study, Chlorella pyrenoidosa and non-toxic and toxic Microcystis aeruginosa were mono-cultured and co-cultured to explore algal responses under different nutrient regimes. Comparisons were made according to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), UV-B radiation exerted oxidative stresses, and negative effects on the photosynthesis and growth of three species under normal growth conditions, and algal adaptive responses included extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production, the regulation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, photosynthetic pigments synthesis, etc. Three species had strain-specific responses to UV-B radiation and toxic M. aeruginosa was more tolerant and showed a higher adaptation capability to UV-B in the mono-cultures, including the lower sensitivity and better self-repair efficiency. In addition to stable μmax in PAR ad UV-B treatments, higher EPS production and enhanced production of photosynthetic pigments under UV-B radiation, toxic M. aeruginosa showed a better recovery of its photosynthetic efficiency. Nutrient enrichment alleviated the negative effects of UV-B radiation on three species, and the growth of toxic M. aeruginosa was comparable between PAR and UV-B treatment. In the co-cultures with nutrient enrichment, M. aeruginosa gradually outcompeted C. pyrenoidosa in the PAR treatment and UV-B treatment enhanced the growth advantages of M. aeruginosa, when toxic M. aeruginosa showed a greater competitiveness. Overall, our study indicated the adaptation of typical algal species to ambient UV-B radiation and the stronger competitive ability of toxic M. aeruginosa in the UV-radiated waters with severer eutrophication.

In order to disposal the herb residue of Chinese medicine which is easy to decay and harmful to the environment. The residue of lemon grass after extraction (distilled lemon grass, DLG), as an herb...

For the first time, a hawthorn sherry ball shaped Pd-based composite catalyst for EOR was prepared via an ionic liquid-present two-step hydrothermal method in this work. In the first hydrothermal step, micron-scale solid carbon spheres (MSCS) were fabricated in the presence of glucose, an ionic liquid of 1-butyl-3-methyl tetrafluoroboric acid and one kind of surfactant. And in the second hydrothermal process, sesame like Pd particles were immobilized on the surface of MSCS forming a hawthorn sherry ball shaped Pd-based composite catalyst (denoted as Pd/MSCS) using PdO as the source of Pd. In the course of preparing MSCS, four kinds of surfactants were respectively employed desiring to study the influence of surfactant type on the physicochemical properties of the produced samples. The prepared MSCS and Pd/MSCS were examined majorly by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was addressed by SEM images that in the presence of SDS and EDTA, hawthorn sherry ball shaped Pd-based composite catalysts were successfully prepared. XRD and XPS analysis substantially documented that metallic palladium was the main component of the synthesized Pd/MSCS catalysts. The electrocatalytic abilities of the Pd/MSCS catalysts for EOR were examined in 1 M C2H5OH alkaline solution mainly utilizing cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA), illustrating that all produced Pd/MSCS catalysts had an electrocatalytic activity towards EOR, and the forward peak current density of EOR on the catalyst of Pd/MSCS (prepared in the presence of SDS) was 7 times larger, along with 60 mV decrease in the onset potential of EOR, than that on the Pd/MSCS (prepared with CATB) catalyst. Summarily, a very cost-effective and facile method for fabricating hawthorn sherry ball shaped Pd-based composite catalysts towards EOR was created in this work, which was very meaningful not only to the further development of EOR catalysts but also to the exploration of micron-devices.

Toxic dioxin or/and dioxin-like compounds could be naturally formed from the reaction of halophenols on Fe

The disposal and use of natural algae have recently been the subject of great interest, due to increasing concern for environmental protection and resource utilization. In this paper, a mini review of recent research on the pyrolysis of natural algae, especially the algae from water blooms, is presented. The chemical compositions of the natural algae are summarized, and the pyrolysis properties of different compositions are reviewed. Non-catalytic, catalytic, and integrated catalytic processes are reviewed. Different ideas and methods for the production of bio-fuel or chemicals are discussed. Apparently, deoxygenation and denitrogenation are highly necessary for algae-based bio-fuel and catalysts play an important role in these processes. In addition, the integrated catalytic process, which involves catalysis and other operation conditions aside from the thermal treatment under inert atmosphere, shows potential for the valorization of algae-based bio-oil. Based on the recent concept and progress, the research gaps are discussed, followed by the challenges and proposals to achieve high-value utilization of the natural algae.

Biodegradable plastics attract public attention as promising substitutes for traditional nondegradable plastics which have caused the serious white pollution problem due to their persistence. However, even for biodegradable plastics, natual conditions for the rapid and complete degradation are rare. Even more serious is that biodegradable plastics might be disintegrated into microplastics more rapidly than tranditional plastics, emerging as another threat to the environment. Similar to traditional microplastics, biodegradable microplastics could adsorb many pollutants by various physicochemical effects and release additives. Biodegradable microplastics have been confirmed to be toxic to the organisms as particle matter and the vector as pollutants. Under some conditions, biodegradable microplastics may pose more severe negative impacts on the organisms. With the fierely increasing trend to replace the nondegradable plastic commodities with biodegradable ones, it is necessary to evaluate whether biodegradable plastics and the generated microplastics would alleviate plastic pollution or induce greater ecological impacts.

Phosphorus (P) plays an important role in eutrophication and algal adaptation to environmental stresses; therefore, a better understanding of the impact of P is essential to control cyanobacterial bloom. In this study, Microcystis aeruginosa was treated with 5-h of ambient irradiation in the culture medium with different availability of dissolved organic P (DOP) and dissolved organic matter (DOM), to explore algal responses. Compared to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), ambient UV-A and UV-B radiation exerted oxidative stresses and had inhibitive effects on the growth and photosynthesis of M. aeruginosa in DOP-rich medium. However, M. aeruginosa had a strong adaptation capability and the negative effects of UV radiation were eliminated with DOM addition (5 mg L− 1 humic acid [HA]). Combining dissolved inorganic P (DIP) and DOP contents in the culture medium, adaptation of M. aeruginosa to UV radiation in the DOP-rich waters could be mainly achieved through the hydrolysis of DOP and metabolism of DIP, and the DOP utilization behaviors of M. aeruginosa greatly affected its UV adaptation capability. In DOP-rich medium without DOM, APase inactivation after UV radiation negatively affected DOP utilization by M. aeruginosa, and algal P demand for UV adaptation could not be fully met. DOM could act as an antioxidant and greatly decreased APase inactivation after UV radiation, when M. aeruginosa utilized DOP faster to produce more DIP and to increase algal carotenoid, phycocyanin production and its superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the DOP-rich medium, resulting in a strong UV adaptation capability. Consequently, M. aeruginosa showed the lowest adaptation capability to UV radiation in the DOP-free medium. Overall, our findings indicated the close relationship of algal DOP utilization and its adaptation to ambient UV radiation of typical cyanobacteria in DIP-limited and DOP-enriched natural waters.

For the first time, erect and flaky particles of tin oxides (SnO2), as anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), were prepared by a calcination method using dioctyltin oxide as the starting material. The samples calcined at 300, 500 and 700 °C under the air conditions were nominated as sample a, b and c, respectively. And the sample calcined at 500 °C under the N2 atmosphere was labeled as sample b1. The obtained XRD patterns strongly indicated that tin oxides were the main components of all prepared samples. Also, in all synthesized samples, erect and flaky particles were distinctly observed by SEM. More importantly, the initial discharge capacities of sample a, b, c and b1 at 100 mA g-1, revealed by the galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements, were 829, 885, 815 and 729 mAh g-1, respectively. And after 20 cycles, besides sample a, the discharge capacities at 100 mA g-1 of sample b, c and b1 were all higher than 300 mAh g-1, showing acceptable electrochemical performance. A novel way, i.e., calcining the Sn-contained organic substance of dioctyltin oxide to prepare tin oxides anode materials for LIBs, was developed in this preliminary work, which has opened up a new avenue for producing metal oxides based anode materials for LIBs.

To obtain a bacterial consortium that can degrade azo dyes effectively, a bacterial consortium was enriched that can degrade Metanil yellow effectively. After 6 h, 96.25% Metanil yellow was degraded under static conditions by the bacterial consortium, which was mainly composed of Pseudomonas, Lysinibacillus, Lactococcus, and Dysgonomonas. In particular, Pseudomonas played a main role in the decolorization process. Co-substrate increased the decolorization rate, and yeast powder, peptone, and urea demonstrated excellent effects. The optimal pH value and salinity for the decolorization of azo dyes is 4–7 and 1% salinity respectively. The bacterial consortium can directly degrade many azo dyes, such as direct fast black G and acid brilliant scarlet GR. Azo reductase activity, laccase activity, and lignin peroxidase activity were estimated as the key reductase for decolorization, and Metanil yellow can be degraded into less toxic degradation products through synergistic effects. The degradation pathway of Metanil yellow was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, which demonstrated that Metanil yellow was cleaved at the azo bond, producing p-aminodiphenylamine and diphenylamine. These findings improved our knowledge of azo-dye-decolorizing microbial resources and provided efficient candidates for the treatment of dye-polluted wastewaters.

Graphitic carbon nitride (CN), as a non-metal material, has emerged as a promising photocatalyst to address environmental issues with the favorable band gap and chemical stability. The porous oxygen-doped CN nanosheets (CNO) were synthesized by an ecofriendly and efficient self-assembled approach using a sole urea as the precursor. The CNO photocatalysts were derived from the hydrogen-bonded cyanuric acid-urea supramolecular complex, which were obtained by pretreatment of urea at high temperature and pressure. The homogeneous supramolecular assembly was advantageous to the formation of uniform porous and oxygen-doped CN nanosheets. The formation process of the supramolecular intermediate and the CNO nanosheets were investigated. Moreover, doping amount of O in CNO could be controlled by the time of the high-pressure thermal polymerization of urea. The characterization results shown that the O atoms were successfully doped into the framework of CN by substitution the N atoms to form the C-O structures. The obtained CNO photocatalysts demonstrated the excellent visible-light photocatalytic performances for sulfamerazine (SMR) degradation, which was ascribed to synergistic interaction of porous structure and O doping. The degradation intermediates of SMR were identified and the degradation pathway were also proposed. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations proved that O doping changed the electronic structure of CN, resulting in more easier to activate O

The sludge-based activated carbons (SACs) were prepared by sewage sludge and corn straw and modified by ferric nitrate. The H2S removal performance and the desulfurization mechanism of the modified SAC were studied. Results showed that breakthrough sulfur capacity and saturation sulfur capacity of the SAC prepared by recommended modification were 27.209 mg/g and 48.098 mg/g, which were as 4.68 times and 7.02 times larger as those before modification, respectively. Additionally, results showed that the desulfurization products of unmodified SAC were mainly sulfur, while that of modified SAC were mainly sulfate. These results indicated that ferric nitrate modification changed the way of hydrogen sulfide removal by SAC: the desulfurization process of unmodified SAC can be expressed as S2- → S0 → S4+ → S6+, and the oxidative active component was dominated by O*, while that of modified SAC can be expressed as S2- → S0 → S6+, and the oxidative active components are both Fe3+ and O*.

Increased temperature, salinity and alkalinity restrict the biodecolorization rate of textile wastewater. In the present study, the halophilic alkalithermophilic bacterial consortium ZSY, which can decolorize azo dyes under 10% salinity, pH 10 and 50 °C, was enriched. It can decolorize Metanil Yellow G (MYG) under a wide range of pH values (8-10), temperatures (40-50 °C), dye concentrations (100-400 mg/L) and salinity levels (1%-10%). Laccase (Lac), lignin peroxidase (Lip), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dichlorophenol indophenol reductase (NADH-DCIP) and azoreductase are involved in the decolorization process. A decolorization pathway of MYG was proposed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The toxicity of MYG decreased after decolorization by ZSY consortium. A metagenomic sequencing approach was subsequently applied to identify the functional genes involved in decolorization. Overall, this halophilic alkalithermophilic bacterial consortium could be a promising candidate for the treatment of textile wastewater in environments with increased temperature, salinity and alkalinity.

Textile wastewater is characterized by high salinity and high temperature, and azo dye decolorization by mixed cultures under extreme salinity and thermophilic environments has received little attention. High salinity and temperature inhibit the biodecolorization efficiency in textile wastewater. In the present study, a halo-thermophilic bacterial consortium (HT1) that can decolorize azo dye at 10% salinity and 50 °C was enriched. Bacillus was the dominant genus, and this genus may play a key role in the decolorization process. HT1 can decolorize metanil yellow G (MYG) at a wide range of pH values (6–8), temperatures (40–60 °C), dye concentrations (100–200 mg/L) and salinities (1–15%). Laccase, manganese peroxidase, lignin peroxidase and azoreductase are involved in the decolorization process of MYG. In addition, the decolorization pathway of MYG was proposed based on GC-MS and FTIR results. The toxicity of MYG decreased after decolorization by HT1. A metagenomic sequencing approach was applied to identify the functional genes involved in degradation. Overall, this halo-thermophilic bacterial consortium could be a promising candidate for the treatment of textile wastewater under elevated temperature and salinity conditions.

Effect of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) on the bioavailability and biodegradation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pyrene (PYR) and benzo[α]pyrene (BaP) in spiked soils was inve...

For the first time, the preparation of leaf-like α-Fe2O3 micron-particles via a pyrolysis method using potassium ferricyanide (K3[Fe(CN)6]) as the precursor was reported in this work. The characterizations of the synthesized samples were mainly conducted by using XRD, XPS and SEM. The existence of α-Fe2O3 in the final samples was effectively demonstrated by the XRD patterns and XPS spectra, and the SEM images indicated that the micron-particles with leaf-like crystal morphology as the main components were observed in sample b, and instead, more micron-particles with cubic crystal morphology were displayed in sample a. The electrochemical performances of the prepared samples as anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) were principally evaluated by using CV, galvanostatic charge-discharge tests and EIS. The results of electrochemical measurements demonstrated that at the current density of 100 mA g−1, the initial specific capacity of sample b was about 741 mAh g−1, much larger than that of sample a (564 mAh g−1). More importantly, after 10 cycles, at the current density of 500 mA g−1, the capacity of sample b was maintained as high as 317 mAh g−1, significantly larger than that of sample a (244 mAh g−1).

For the first time, a novel composite catalyst, namely, a multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) supported palladium and lead catalyst (denoted as PdxPby/MWCNTs), was prepared through a hydrothermal method using PdO, PbO and MWCNTs as the starting materials. The electrocatalytic activities of the resultant catalysts towards EOR in 1M KOH were examined mainly by using CV, CA and EIS. The electrochemical measurement results indicated that the peak current of EOR in the forward potential scan on the catalyst of Pd1Pb1/MWCNTs was almost 9 times larger, plus about 100 mV decrease in the onset potential value of EOR, than that on the Pb-free catalyst. A very simple, cost-effective and scalable way to synthesize Pd and Pb composite electrocatalyst for EOR was presented in this work, which was very meaningful to the further commercialization of EOR.

A cyclic voltammetry (CV) method employing a solution containing H2SO4, aniline and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as the electrolyte solution was utilized to prepare a SDS-doped polyaniline (PANI) film onto the surface of the commercial aluminum (Al) foil at room temperature generating a novel current collector of SDS-PANI coated Al (denoted as SP/Al). The SDS-doped PANI films prepared in the presence of 2 mM, 5 mM and 10 mM SDS were, respectively, nominated as film SP-2, SP-5 and SP-10. As shown by the SEM images, many irregular particles covered with numerous protuberances were prepared in the absence of SDS, and very interestingly, in the presence of SDS, leaf stalk-shaped particles were fabricated on the surface of the commercial Al foil. As indicated by XRD and FTIR results, the main component of the leaf stalk-shaped particles was PANI. Most important of all, the initial discharge capacities of the commercial LiFePO4 (abbreviated as LFP) on the novel current collectors of SP/Al at 0.2 C were all remarkably higher than that of LFP on the commercial Al foil. Particularly, even at 5 C after 10 cycles, the average discharge capacity of LFP on SP-5/Al (65 mA h g−1) was still about 30% larger than that on the traditional Al foil (50 mA h g−1). Presenting the fact, that using the SDS-doped PANI film coated Al foil to replace the conventional Al foil was a feasible way to promote the electrochemical performance of LFP, is the main dedication of this preliminary work.

The bacterial community composition using a consortium (CON) with or without methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MCD), used to bioremediate the pyrene-contaminated soil was evaluated through stable-isotope prob...

The metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in polluted soil is limited by low contaminant bioaccessibility and low degradation by bacteria. A bacterial consortium that degraded 76 per cent of pyrene within 10 days was enriched from a contaminated soil. Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) enhanced the rate of degradation by the consortium. The bacterial consortium was used to bioremediate PAH-contaminated soil (pyrene and benzo[α]pyrene) in the presence or absence of HPCD. Enhanced PAH mineralization was observed after 10 weeks, particularly in the presence of HPCD, which increased the bioavailability of PAHs. Illumina sequencing was performed to analyze the changes in the bacterial communities. The dominant genus was Burkholderia in all treated soils. Importantly, the inoculated bacteria cannot compete with native bacteria and will therefore not invade the community. The significantly stimulated genera were Burkholderia, Nitratireductor, Nevskia and Sulfuritalea. These results suggest that the combination of bacteria with HPCD can enhance the bioremediation of PAH-contaminated soil.

For the first time, carbon nanodots were prepared from NaOH-boiled graphene. And, a novel catalyst that contained PdO and carbon nanodots (denoted as PdO/CND) was fabricated in this work. In this work, 0.5 M and 1.5 M NaOH solutions were respectively employed with an intention to study the influence of NaOH concentration on the electrocatalytic activity of the obtained catalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). The obtained samples were thoroughly characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). The results indicated that the intensities of the diffraction peaks for graphene were significantly promoted with increasing the NaOH concentration and carbon nanodots with an average particle size less than 4 nm were fabricated by this developed boiling–grinding–ultrasonication (BGU) method. The electrocatalytic performances of the obtained PdO/CND catalysts for EOR were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA). And the consequences strongly demonstrated that PdO/CND prepared from 0.5 M NaOH-boiled graphene showed the best electrocatalytic activity towards EOR among all the prepared catalysts. Developing a very facile method for producing carbon nanodots as well as a novel composite catalyst that contained PdO and carbon nanodots for EOR was the main contribution of this work.

For the first time, a hybrid carbon material consisting of micron-sized carbon spheres and graphene (denoted as MS-GR) was prepared via a hydrothermal method. In this work, micron-sized carbon spheres were prepared using glucose and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate as the starting materials through a hydrothermal method, and graphene was employed as purchased. One-pot and two-step hydrothermal methods were respectively employed to prepare MS-GR, and in each preparation method, three different amounts of graphene were added in the preparation system while maintaining the added amounts of other reagents identical for each prepared catalyst. As a result, six kinds of hybrid carbon materials were fabricated in this work. Next, MS-GR supported palladium composite catalysts were fabricated through a hydrothermal method using PdO·H2O as the palladium source. Metallic Pd particles, metallic Pd particles along with PdO were indicated by XRD patterns to be the main substances of the one-pot and two-step hydrothermally prepared MS-GR supported catalysts, respectively. As presented by the SEM images, micron-sized carbon spheres and individual graphene sheets as well as the small particles were exhibited clearly in all prepared catalysts, suggesting that all the resultant catalysts were a composite material. Most importantly, as indicated by the CV and CA curves, all synthesized catalysts showed obvious electrocatalytic activities for EOR. In particular, the peak current density of peak f for EOR in the CV curves on catalyst t-4 was as high as 29.1 mA cm-2, significantly larger than the previously reported values. And the current density of EOR measured by CA test on catalyst t-4 was retained as high as 2.83 mA cm-2 after 600 s, showing an excellent electrocatalytic durability. In this work, a carbon material constructed by micron-sized carbon spheres and graphene as well as a novel MS-GR supported Pd catalyst was developed for the first time, which was very helpful to the final commercialization of a Pd-based EOR electrocatalyst due to the greatly reduced the preparation cost and the facile preparation procedure.

For the first time, K and Fe co-doped Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) was prepared using potassium ferricyanide as the dopant by a sol-gel assisted solid state method. To simplify, the effect of Fe to Ti atomic ratio on the properties of the prepared materials was mainly investigated. The characteristics of the obtained samples were mainly analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic charge-discharge tests. The XRD patterns strongly demonstrated the formation of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) though some impurities like TiO 2 were formed in the final products, and the SEM images indicated that smaller and regular particles with an average size of about 350 nm could be prepared when the Fe to Ti atomic ratio was 0.5% (sample c ). The results of electrochemical measurements revealed that sample c delivered a high specific capacity of 168 mA h g −1 after 20 cycles at 0.2 C rate, which was significantly larger than that of the pristine LTO (83.5 mA h g −1 ) prepared by the same method. This work was believed to have developed a novel way to produce K and Fe co-doped LTO, which was very beneficial to the development of LTO.

For the first time, the preparation and characterization of a novel anode material Li2NiFe2O4 are reported in this work. The preparation of Li2NiFe2O4 is conducted under the air conditions by using a subsection calcination method. The influence of annealing periods on the properties of the resultant materials is thoroughly explored. The characteristics of the materials are mainly examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results of the XRD patterns effectively demonstrate the formation of crystalline Li2NiFe2O4, and the SEM images indicate that particles with octahedron crystal morphology are prepared and the 9 h-annealed sample has the smallest particle size among all the prepared samples. The results of electrochemical measurements reveal that 9 h-calcined sample delivers a high specific capacity of 203 mAh g−1 after 20 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1. The successful preparation of Li2NiFe2O4 is believed to be able to trigger the research work concerning the novel group of Li2MFe2O4 materials.