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It is of great significance to fabricate the Pt-based alloys with high catalytic activity, as well as the robust stability for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). In this work, Pt-Fe alloy nanocrystals with concave nanocube and nanoflower structures are successfully synthesized by a simple one-pot method using polyvinylpyrrolidone and glycine as the dual reductants and dual protecting agents. Remarkably, the Pt-Fe nanoflower nanocrystals showed much higher electrocatalytic activity and stability toward MOR (FAOR), which was almost 9 (10) times greater than that of Pt black and 13 (15) times greater than that of commercial Pt/C catalyst. The excellent electrocatalytic performance is ascribed to the unique nanoflower morphology and bimetallic alloy composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape-controlled nanocrystals, such as nanoflowers, are expected to serve as innovative nanocatalysts with high catalytic activity. It is well-established that these nanocrystals can be readily synthesized with specific shapes using colloidal methods in solutions containing capping agents. However, these capping agents tend to reduce the catalytic activity of nanocatalysts. Therefore, it is imperative to remove these agents without altering the morphology to enhance catalytic efficiency. In this study, we developed a method for eliminating melamine, a common capping agent, from supported Au nanoflowers using water extraction and ultraviolet-ozone treatment. This process significantly enhances the catalytic performance, particularly for alcohol oxidation reactions such as the conversion of 1-phenylethyl alcohol to acetophenone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional metal sulfide (SnS2) gas-sensitive sensing materials still have insufficient surface area and slow response/recovery times. To increase its gas-sensing performance, MoS2 nanoflower was produced hydrothermally and mechanically combined with SnS2 nanoplate. Extensive characterization results show that MoS2 was effectively integrated into SnS2. Four different concentrations of SnS2–MoS2 composites were evaluated for their NO2 gas sensitization capabilities. Among them, SnS2–15% MoS2 at 170 °C demonstrated the greatest response values to NO2, 7.3 for 1 ppm NO2, which is about three times greater than the SnS2 sensor at 170 °C (2.58). The creation of pn junctions following compositing with SnS2 was determined to be the primary reason for the composite's faster recovery time, while the heterojunction allowed for the rapid separation of hole–electron pairs. Because the MoS2 surface has multiple vacancy defects, the adsorption energy of these vacancies is significantly higher than that of other places, resulting in increased NO2 adsorption. Furthermore, MoS2 can serve as active adsorption sites for SnS2 micrometer sheets during gas sensing. This study may help to build new NO2 gas sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium oxides with high theoretical capacity have been regarded as the most auspicious cathodic materials for high‐performance aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) while their practical applications in ZIBs are limited by their low electrical conductivity and collapsible structure‐induced poor cyclability. As an important vanadium oxide, the theoretical capacity of V6O13 can reach 417 mAh g−1 but its actual capacity is low. In this study, V6O13/MXene composite is prepared via a facile one‐step hydrothermal method with the highly conductive MXene as substrate. The resulting V6O13/MXene composite can deliver a maximum capacity of 379.7 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and good rate capability (207 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 10 A g−1). The V6O13/MXene composite also demonstrates outstanding cyclability and can deliver a high capacity of the 194 mAh g−1 with a high capacity retention of 81% after 4800 cycles at 5 A g−1. The enhanced electrochemical performance of the V6O13/MXene over V6O13 is closely related to the decrease of the Rct value at the electrode–electrolyte interface due to the introduction of highly conductive MXene and the flower‐like morphology of the V6O13 on MXene surface which possesses high specific surface area and numerous active sites toward Zn2+ storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has been aimed to synthesise the self-assembled, flower-shaped zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NFs) by using a green synthesis method using the aqueous extract from the peels of Citrus reticulata. Both HR-TEM and Fe-SEM analyses have confirmed the flower-like morphology for the synthesised nanoparticles. The observed zeta potential value of −48.0 mV further indicated its highly stable structure. The X-ray diffractogram of the ZnO NFs showed the characteristic diffraction peaks for the crystalline ZnO without any impurity peak, indicating the complete reduction into nanoparticles and thereby, the formation of pure crystalline ZnO NFs. The antibacterial activity of ZnO NFs was then studied using the standard well diffusion method and demonstrated significant bactericidal effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.048 mg mL−1. Additionally, the ZnO NFs were evaluated for their potential to enhance the shelf life of Gerbera jamesonii flowers when treated with different concentrations in a chitosan-based solution. The ZnO NFs supplemented solution here was found to preserve the freshness of the cut flowers for up to 9.3 ± 0.3 days compared to the 3-day shelf life of the control group. These findings suggest ZnO NFs to have significant antibacterial properties and can effectively extend the shelf life of cut flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the nanocomposite of eggshell membrane is synthesized with ZnO by the chemical bath deposition (CBD) method, and eggshell membrane, which is used as a template, and decomposed. The end product obtained is nanoflowers of zinc oxide (ZnFs). The petals of nanoflowers obtained are of hexagonal cross-section similar to the unit cell structure of zinc oxide. The CBD parameters of temperature, reaction time, and solution pH were varied extensively during this study to obtain optimized parameters for the growth of ZnFs. The obtained nanoflower structure was analyzed using various characterization techniques of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollution of heavy metals in water has caused an important impact on human production and life. In this paper, Birnessite type manganese dioxide nanomate rials were used as new adsorbents to study the adsorption properties of Ib2+ in water. Firstly, the Birnessite MnO2 nanoflowers with the size from 200 nm to 900 nm were prepared by liquid phase synthesis method, and the adsorptive property of the obtained samples was studied by I〉b'+ adsorption experiments. The effects of pH value, ionic strength, material size, adsorption time and initial concentration of Ib2+ were investigated. The adsorption mechanism of PbJ+ was studied with the fitting data of kinetic model and isothermal adsorption curve model. The experimental results showed that the prepared Birnessite MnO2 nanoflowers had excellent adsorption properties for Ib2+ in water with the pH value 5-9, and the maximum adsorption capacity was up to 300 mg • g-1. The Birnessite MnO2 nanoflowers with the smaller size had the larger specific surface area, which caused the better adsorption performance. The Birnessite MnO2 nanoflowers still had about 80% adsorption capacity when the Pb2+ adsorption experiment carried out in high ionic strength solution. The fitting data of ad sorption kinetics and isothermal ad sorption curve show that the adsorption process of Pb2+ by Birnessite MnO2 nanoflowers is mainly the process of uniform coverage by single molecular layer with chemisorption process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Erzincan University Journal of Science & Technology is the property of Erzincan Binali Yildirim Universitesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ABSTRACT The ordered mesoporous ZnO was successfully synthesized using the template method in this article, and Bi ions were etched into ZnO to form two-dimensional nanoflower structures of Bi12ZnO20 with NA3SSA as a guiding agent. The crystal structure, morphology, and optical properties of the photocatalyst were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometer(EDS), and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectrum (UV-vis DRS). Under illumination conditions, the obtained materials exhibited excellent bactericidal ability against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as effective inhibition against fungi. Among them, the bactericidal effect of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to be the most rapid, achieving a sterilization rate of 100% within 30 min of light irradiation. Even after three cycles of antibacterial activity testing, the Bi12ZnO20 material still demonstrated good photocatalytic performance. The nanoflower-shaped materials provide an enhanced fluid adsorption capacity and more active centers for photocatalytic reactions while also improving light absorption capacity, photogenerated electron-hole separation efficiency, and electron transport efficiency. The cytotoxicity assessment of Bi12ZnO20 revealed no significant toxic effects. Therefore, this study presents a nanoflower-shaped material with highly efficient photocatalytic antibacterial properties for applications in production and daily life; it holds significant importance in eliminating harmful bacteria and plays a crucial role in environmental protection.IMPORTANCEThe flower-shaped photocatalytic material Bi12ZnO20, consisting of nanoparticles, was successfully synthesized in this study. Rigorous antibacterial experiments were conducted on various fungi using the material, yielding excellent results. Furthermore, the application of this material for antibacterial treatment of livestock and poultry manure sewage in real-life scenarios demonstrated remarkable efficacy.

The exploitation of highly active, nonprecious metal bifunctional electrodes to facilitate the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential for water electrolysis to produce hydrogen, but the performances are still unsatisfactory. Herein, a facile strategy was proposed to fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) bimetallic phosphide (NiFeP) nanoflower array on a self-standing assembled MXene nanosheet film (denoted as NiFeP@MXene) as a structurally integrated electrode for overall water splitting. The NiFeP@MXene film with 3D hierarchical nanoflower structures can be directly used as an electrode without traditional polymer binders, which significantly reduces the contact resistance and facilitates the electron transfer at the interface. Meanwhile, an interfacial synergistic coupling is created between the highly conductive MXene film and the bimetallic phosphides, which is favorable for the catalytic activity. Moreover, the addition of Fe improves the intrinsic activity and simultaneously facilitates the formation of 3D flower-like structures with more active sites. Thus, the self-standing NiFeP@MXene electrode demonstrates an excellent bifunctional catalytic activity in the alkaline electrolyte with small overpotentials of 240 and 122 mV to drive 10 mA cm–2 current density for the OER and HER, respectively, along with a superior overall water electrolysis performance compared to the commercial precious IrO2∥Pt/C catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) can be ideally replaced by the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) to achieve efficient hydrogen generation due to the superior thermodynamics. However, the UOR involves a slow 6-electron transfer dynamic, necessitating the utilization of high-performance catalysts to enhance catalytic efficiency. In this work, a bifunctional transition metal-based catalysts, namely, MoO 2 –NiO/NF heterostructure, is effectively synthesized using two-step hydrothermal methods and calcination. Benefiting from the heterogeneous interface, the nanoflower-like structure as well as the electron density redistribution, the MoO 2 –NiO/NF catalyst demonstrates remarkable durability and performance, with an overpotential of 139 mV to achieve 10 mA cm−2 for UOR. In addition, the bifunctional catalyst is used in a two-electrode electrolyzer, where a current density of 10 mA cm−2 is attained at a potential of 1.317 V, which is 261 mV smaller than that of the conventional water splitting system. Based on the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the MoO 2 –NiO/NF heterostructure exhibits a higher density cloud in the vicinity of the Fermi level, revealing that it has faster electron transfer and higher electrical conductivity. Besides, the Mo sites and Ni sites are favorable for adsorption of CO(NH 2) 2 and H 2 O, respectively, which might optimize the reaction intermediates adsorption/desorption for UOR/HER, ultimately leading to the high electrocatalytic performance of MoO 2 –NiO/NF. This research opens a new window for the development of advanced heterojunction electrocatalysts assisted by urea electrocatalysis for cost-effective hydrogen production. Using hydrothermal and calcination techniques, high-performance MoO 2 –NiO/NF nanoflower-like heterostructures for bifunctional urea-assisted water splitting are created. In the HER||UOR two-electrode system, the MoO 2 –NiO/NF heterostructure only required 1.32 V at 10 mA cm−2, which is about 261 mV smaller than that of the traditional water electrolysis. [Display omitted] • Heterostructured nanoflower-like MoO 2 –NiO/NF electrocatalyst is synthesized. • MoO 2 –NiO/NF shows superb activity and stability in urea-assisted water splitting. • The bifunctional catalyst exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic HER/UOR performance. • Heterointerface has fast electron transfer and high electrical conductivity. • Mo and Ni sites are selective for the adsorption of urea and H 2 O molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional titanium carbides (Ti 3 C 2 T x) are part of the novel family of transition metal carbides/nitrides known as MXenes, which exhibit a broad range of photo-electrocatalytic applications. In this study, we present a facile hydrothermal synthesis method for Ti 3 C 2 T x decorated on molybdenum diselenide (MoSe 2) nanoflower composites, serving as an enhanced catalyst for hydrogen (H 2) evolution. Ti 3 C 2 T x , acting as a 2D conductive substrate, facilitates electron transfer, preventing MoSe 2 agglomeration, while MoSe 2 offers abundant active sites. The characterizations of surface analysis, optical properties, morphological nanostructure, and elemental composition performance of Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets, MoSe 2 nanoflowers, and Ti 3 C 2 T x /MoSe 2 nanoflower composites was conducted using FTIR, XRD, UV–Visible spectroscopy, SEM, EDS Mapping, TEM, and XPS techniques. The catalyst with optimal performance, the Ti 3 C 2 T x /MoSe 2 nanoflower composite demonstrates excellent functional properties in the H 2 evolution, showing a lower overpotential of 135 mV and smaller Tafel slope of 72 mV/dec at 10 mA/cm2 compared to Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets and MoSe 2 nanoflowers. The Ti 3 C 2 T x /MoSe 2 nanoflower composite forms heterojunctions to inhibit the rapid recombination rate of photo-induced electrons and holes. In comparison to MoSe 2 nanoflowers and Ti 3 C 2 T x catalysts (where T x = F, and O surface terminations), the optimized Ti 3 C 2 T x /MoSe 2 nanoflower composite exhibits significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity in H 2 production, with a H 2 production rate of 2146 μmolg−1h−1 superior than the Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets (1367 μmolg−1h−1) and MoSe 2 nanoflowers (986 μmolg−1h−1), respectively. Through this design, effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers is achieved, improving the activity of photocatalytic H 2 production and demonstrating the promise of the cocatalyst strategy for photocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the key anode reaction of electrolytic water. To improve the slow OER kinetics, we synthesize nanoflower‐like Co−Fe‐Cr−Mo‐Mn high‐entropy spinel (HES) nanosheets on nickel foam (NF) by one‐step solvothermal method, which exhibit an overpotential (η10) of only 188 mV at 10 mA cm−2, much lower than bimetallic CoFeOx/NF (233 mV), trimetallic CoFeCrOx/NF (211 mV), and tetrametallic CoFeCrMoOx/NF (200 mV). The OER overpotential decreases with the increase of the number of metals, indicating that the formation of HES has a positive effect on the improvement of electrocatalytic performance, since the synergistic effect between different metals enhances the charge transfer rate and decreases reaction barrier. In‐situ Raman spectra demonstrate that the formation of γ‐NiOOH on the HES surface is a crucial active species for the OER. This work demonstrates a simple and efficient synthesis method to prepare nanoflower‐like high‐entropy electrocatalysts for efficient OER electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are numerous studies about on nanoparticle synthesis by reducing metal salts via bio-extracts. Organic@inorganic hybrid nanoflowers (hNFs), are synthesized with expensive molecules such as enzymes, DNA and proteins. There are few studies for synthesis of hybrid nanoflowers via bio-extracts. However, the use of algae extracts as an organic component and studies on potential applications are very few. For the first time, the algae extract obtained from the brown macroalgae Desmarestia menziesii was used as the organic component of hNFs. Effect of medium pH, and algal extract concentration on morphological characteristic of hNFs were evaluated. The dye degradation and antioxidant activities of hNFs synthesized under optimum conditions were determined. hNFs were not synthesized in the acidic conditions of the PBS buffer (pH 5), The synthesis of hNFs was realized with coordination of Cu+2 and algae extract (0.65, 1, and 1.65 mL) in PBS (pH 7.4 and 9). hNFs with ideal flower morphology (size: 16–19 µm) were obtained by using 1.65 mL of extract under pH 7.4 condition. The basic skeletons (C, O, P, Cu), presence of phosphate crystals (PO4−3) and cristalinity of hNFs were determined by EDX, FT-IR and XRD, respectively. Antioxidant activity of hNFs against DPPH were determined depending on concentration (IC50: 950 µg/ mL). The highest catalytic activities of hNFs against methylene blue and brilliant blue dyes were observed at the mediums of pH 7 (69.81%) and pH 5 (75.7%), respectively. Organic@inorganic hNFs were synthesized by using brown macroalgae D. menziesii depending on extract concentration and medium pH. According to our findings, these hNFs are suitable for using as catalyst and antioxidant agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a green process for the synthesis and characterization of hybrid nanoflowers was proposed, wherein Tribulus terrestris L. extract functioned as the organic component and Cu (II), Zn (II) and Co (II) metal ions as the inorganic element during the formation of the nanoflowers. To characterize the synthesized hybrid nanoflowers (hNFs), the morphologies were investigated using SEM, EDX, FT-IR analysis, elemental mapping, and XRD spectroscopy. The cytotoxic effect of hNFs was investigated to test biological activity. A549 cell lines and the MTT staining method were used for the anticancer activity of T. terrestris L. extract and hNFs. Differences in SEM images were observed as the metal content changed. Cytotoxic evaluations have shown that Co nanoflower may be a safer therapeutic alternative than plant extracts and other nanoflowers. It was observed that Zn and Cu hybrid nanoflowers were influential on the cell line up to a specific concentration, but as the concentration increased, they increased cell viability. It was observed that metal hybrid nanoflowers increased the anticancer activity compared to T. terrestris L. extract. These results can contribute to developing adequate new-generation preparations for A549 (lung cancer) problems of nanoflowers synthesized using T. terrestris L. extract. In summary, this study has been conducted for the first time. [Display omitted] • Tribulus terrestris L.-Cu(II), Co(II), Zn(II) hybrid nanoflowers synthesis were carried out. • Characterization was carried out using SEM, EDX, XRD and elemental mapping. • A549 cell lines and the MTT staining method were used for the anticancer activity. • Cytotoxic evaluations have shown that Co nanoflower may be a safer therapeutic alternative than plant extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays an important role in many electrocatalysis-related fields. However, the slow kinetics of the OER seriously hinders energy efficiency. Here, we synthesize flower-like Co–Fe–Cr–Mo medium-entropy spinel (MES) nanosheets on nickel foam (NF) using one-step solvothermal method for the OER. Due to high stability and compositional diversity, the CoFeCrMoOx/NF catalyst exhibits excellent electrocatalytic OER performance with an overpotential of only 196 mV at 10 mA cm–2 in 1.0 M KOH solution, much lower than CoFeCrMnOx/NF, CoFeCrCeOx/NF, CoFeCrSnOx/NF, CoFeCrAlOx/NF, and commercial IrO2 catalysts, reflecting that the formation of flower-like MES has a positive effect on the improvement of OER performance. The introduction of Mo increases active sites, promotes electron transfer, accelerates the adsorption and desorption of the OER intermediates, reduces the energy barrier, and thus improves the performance of the OER. In situ Raman spectra indicate that the surface CoOOH and FeOOH species are important active components for the OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrode materials engineering at the nanoscale is essential to improve the electrochemical performance for next‐generation energy storage devices. Herein, a novel approach of sodium substitution in the tungsten oxide matrix is highligting the enhancement of the pseudocapacitor performance of the electrode in an aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor. The sodium‐substituted tungsten trioxide (NWO) and pristine tungsten oxide (PWO) nanoflowers prepared by a single‐step hydrothermal process has presented. The tetragonal crystal structure and nanoflower morphology has maintained even after Na substitution. The electrochemical properties of PWO and NWO have investigated with three‐electrode setups in 1 M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. The specific capacitance of PWO and NWO exhibits 104 F g−1 and 476 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, respectively. Furthermore, an aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor (AAS) of NWO demonstrates a specific capacitance of 41 F g−1, an energy density of 13 W h kg−1, and a power density of 3750 W kg−1. An excellent stability of AAS has achieved with 100 % capacitance retention from 1000 to 5000 cycles. The sodium substitution significantly enhanced the pseudocapacitive behavior, attributed to enhanced electroactive sites, conductivity, surface area, and chemical stability. It shows the potential of NWO nanoflowers as a promising candidate for next‐generation supercapacitor devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functions of bioimaging and photothermal therapy integrated into a theranostic nanosystem to prove its diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities are desirable. The versatile molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) dots doped with manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoflowers (MoS2@MnO2 NFs) were designed for the dual-modal fluorescence/magnetic resonance (MR) sensing/imaging of intracellular H2O2, as well as thermal/MR imaging-guided photothermal therapy in vivo. The MnO2 nanosheets in MoS2@MnO2 NFs acted as an H2O2-mediated initiator, exhibiting fluorescence recovery and Mn2+-related MR signal enhancement through specific H2O2-induced MnO2 sheet degradation. Under the optimal experimental conditions, a dual-modal fluorescence/MR sensor was used to quantitatively detect and image H2O2 and intracellular H2O2, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.09 μM. Simultaneously, thermal-responsive MoS2@MnO2 NFs showed robust photothermal cytotoxicity toward cancer cells upon near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, allowing it to serve as a therapeutic drug for thermal/MR imaging-guided photothermal therapy in vivo. This integrated theranostic nanosystem demonstrated its power for multimodal bioimaging and enhanced therapeutic therapy while reducing biotoxicity in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coupling hydroxides with highly conductive materials has become an effective means to solve their conductivity and stability issues in supercapacitors. Herein, a nanoflower nickel–vanadium layered double hydroxide/graphdiyne (NiV-LDHs/GDY) compound was obtained via a two-step strategy which corrected the shortcomings of poor electrical conductivity and stability of nanoflower NiV-LDHs. The nanoflower NiV-LDHs/GDY occupies a preferable mass-specific capacitance of 1397 F g–1 (1 A g–1), rate performance of 70.01% (20 A g–1), and durability of 100.00% after 5000 cycles compared to NiV-LDHs. In addition, the NiV-LDHs/GDY//AC ASC reveals a corresponding energy density of 35.42 Wh kg–1 (at a power density of 2602.43 W kg–1), and the corresponding energy storage capacity still stays at 80.52% after 6000 cycles. The performance improvement is mainly attributed to the introduction of GDY, which improves the pore structure and charge transfer capacity of NiV-LDHs. Hence, such considerable results suggest that nanoflower NiV-LDHs/GDY could be potential candidate materials for energy storage equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supported anisotropic bimetallic nanocrystals are attractive owing to their potential for novel catalytic applications. Au–Pd nanocrystals are expected to have higher catalytic activity for alcohol oxidation than Au nanocrystals. However, only a few studies have reported the application of anisotropic Au–Pd nanocrystals as alcohol-oxidation nanocatalysts. Support materials such as Al2O3 and Fe2O3 influence the catalytic activity of spherical Au nanoparticles. Thus, optimization of the support is expected to improve the catalytic activity of anisotropic Au–Pd nanocrystals. Herein, we report the synthesis and catalytic performances of Al2O3- and Fe2O3-supported Au and Au–Pd nanoflowers. Au99–Pd1 NFs supported on Fe2O3 exhibited the highest catalytic activity for 1-phenylethyl alcohol oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Modern Food Science & Technology is the property of Editorial Office of Modern Food Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Implementing nanosized materials (1–100 nm) are considered to be effective approaches in addressing the issue of liquid waste pollution. Herein, ZnO-carbon quantum dots (ZnO-Cdots) were conducted by three-steps hydrothermal synthesis and the structural characterization is confirmed by the physical properties measurement, while, photodegradation activity of ZnO-Cdots compared to the prepared ZnO nanoflower has been investigated using UV–visible absorbance spectroscopy and its effect on organic pollutant removal from aqueous. The obtained ZnO-Cdots composites showed a superior performance in photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and specific antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S.A) and Eschericia coli (E.coli) compared to the prepared ZnO nanoflower. The findings of this research of ZnO-Cdots show great potential in treating liquid waste pollution, and can be considered as a promising antibacterial agent for Staphylococcus aureus (S.A) and Eschericia coli (E.coli).

In this study, we designed aptamer-based self-assemblies for the delivery of quinine. Two different architectures were designed by hybridizing quinine binding aptamers and aptamers targeting Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH): nanotrains and nanoflowers. Nanotrains consisted in controlled assembly of quinine binding aptamers through base-pairing linkers. Nanoflowers were larger assemblies obtained by Rolling Cycle Amplification of a quinine binding aptamer template. Self-assembly was confirmed by PAGE, AFM and cryoSEM. The nanotrains preserved their affinity for quinine and exhibited a higher drug selectivity than nanoflowers. Both demonstrated serum stability, hemocompatibility, low cytotoxicity or caspase activity but nanotrains were better tolerated than nanoflowers in the presence of quinine. Flanked with locomotive aptamers, the nanotrains maintained their targeting ability to the protein PfLDH as analyzed by EMSA and SPR experiments. To summarize, nanoflowers were large assemblies with high drug loading ability, but their gelating and aggregating properties prevent from precise characterization and impaired the cell viability in the presence of quinine. On the other hand, nanotrains were assembled in a selective way. They retain their affinity and specificity for the drug quinine, and their safety profile as well as their targeting ability hold promise for their use as drug delivery systems.

The U.S. Department of Energy has listed levulinic acid (LA) as one of the top 12 compounds derived from biomass. LA has gained much attention owing to its conversion into enantiopure 4-aminopentanoic acid through an amination reaction. Herein, we developed a coupled-enzyme recyclable cascade employing two transaminases (TAs) for the synthesis of (S)-4-aminopentanoic acid. TAs were first utilized to convert LA into (S)-4-aminopentanoic acid using (S)-α-Methylbenzylamine [(S)-α-MBA] as an amino donor. The deaminated (S)-α-MBA i.e., acetophenone was recycled back using a second TAs while using isopropyl amine (IPA) amino donor to generate easily removable acetone. Enzymatic reactions were carried out using different systems, with conversions ranging from 30% to 80%. Furthermore, the hybrid nanoflowers (HNF) of the fusion protein were constructed which afforded complete biocatalytic conversion of LA to the desired (S)-4-aminopentanoic acid. The created HNF demonstrated storage stability for over a month and can be reused for up to 7 sequential cycles. A preparative scale reaction (100 mL) achieved the complete conversion with an isolated yield of 62%. Furthermore, the applicability of this recycling system was tested with different β-keto ester substrates, wherein 18%–48% of corresponding β-amino acids were synthesized. Finally, this recycling system was applied for the biosynthesis of pharmaceutical important drug sitagliptin intermediate ((R)-3-amino-4-(2,4,5-triflurophenyl) butanoic acid) with an excellent conversion 82%.

Nowadays, the development and utilization of clean energy are becoming increasingly urgent. Among them, methanol is a new, clean, and efficient energy source. Therefore, more and more studies are focusing on methanol anodic oxidation (MOR). In this work, nanoflower and hollow spherical NiO was synthesized by a simply hydrothermal method and then modified by Co ion, NiS2 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The optimal Co/NiO(f)/NiS2−CNT exhibits flower‐like morphology with a larger specific surface area, enlarged electrochemically active surface area and higher conductivity, which improve the electron transfer ability and electrocatalytic activity compared with pure NiO(f), NiO(f)/NiS2, NiO(f)/NiS2−CNT and hollow spherical Co/NiO(hs)/NiS2−CNT. The current density is ultrahigh of 203.46 mA ⋅ cm−2 at 0.8 V, which is 36 times higher than pure NiO(f) and almost 2 times higher than Co/NiO(hs)/NiS2−CNT. Therefore, this work offers a highly efficient and stable NiO based catalyst for methanol oxidation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that heavy metal containing nanomaterials can easily prevent the formation of microbial cultures. The emergence of new generation epidemic diseases in the last 2 years has increased the importance of both personal and environmental hygiene. For this reason, in addition to preventing the spread of diseases, studies on alternative disinfectant substances are also carried out. In this study, the antibacterial activity of nanoflower and nanocube, which are easily synthesized and nanoparticle species containing iron, were compared. The antioxidant abilities of new synthesized NF@FeO(OH) and NC@α-Fe2O3 were tested by DPPH scavenging activity assay. The highest DPPH inhibition was achieved with NC@α-Fe2O3 as 71.30% at 200 mg/L. NF@FeO(OH) and NC@α-Fe2O3 demonstrated excellent DNA cleavage ability. The antimicrobial capabilities of NF@FeO(OH) and NC@α-Fe2O3 were analyzed with micro dilution procedure. In 500 mg/L, the antimicrobial activity was 100%. In addition to these, the biofilm inhibition of NF@FeO(OH) and NC@α-Fe2O3 were investigated against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa and it was found that they showed significant antibiofilm inhibition. It is suggested that additional studies can be continued to be developed and used as an antibacterial according to the results of the nanoparticles after various toxicological test systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Herein, we have advanced a green process for the synthesis and characterization of hybrid nanoflowers using saffron extract, crocin and safranal which were involved as organic components in the creating formation of the nanoflowers, and Cu+2 ions which were involved as the inorganic component. The antimicrobial activities of saffron extract, crocin, safranal, and their Nfs were tested against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Candida albicans ATCC 1023, and the percentages of inhibition were calculated by minimum inhibitory concentration as well. The activities of nanoflowers were highly effective against all microorganisms than the saffron extract and its components, while only the crocin and crocin nanoflowers were ineffective against C. albicans. Similarly, 2,2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl scavenging and catalytic activities of the nanoflowers were found to be more active than extracts and components. In the study, successful synthesis with saffron and its active components showed that they are promising antimicrobial and antioxidant agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SmMn2O5 catalyst is considered as an excellent substitute for noble-metal and transition-metal oxide catalysts due to its unique crystal structure. In order to further improve its catalytic activity for acetone degradation, SmMn2O5 nanocatalysts with four morphologies were synthesized by the hydrothermal method by adjusting the type of manganese source reagent, the content of mineralizing agent, and hydrothermal temperature. Among them, the SMO-NF catalyst prepared with Mn-(NO3)2 as the manganese source, 10 mL of NaOH, and a hydrothermal temperature of 220 °C has a special flower morphology and can achieve 100% acetone conversion at 118 °C. Because of its thin and large "petal" morphology providing active sites and oxygen vacancies, the excellent catalytic performance of the SMO-NF catalyst is an important breakthrough in the field of acetone degradation. In addition, the highly stable crystalline phase, abundant surface reactive oxygen species, and excellent reducibility of the SMO-NF catalyst also lay the foundation for its high catalytic activity, water resistance, and stability. The SMO-NS catalyst with a spherical morphology can completely degrade acetone at 136 °C, and its activity is better than that of the SMO-CP catalyst prepared by the coprecipitation method and Pt/TiO2 catalysts. The relationship between the formation process of SmMn2O5 nanocatalysts with special morphology and its catalytic activity is discussed as well. The successful synthesis of the SMO-NF catalyst also opens up a way for the synthesis of the special morphology of acetone degradation nanocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐quality friction and wear resistances are very important for epoxy resin (EP) when serving as construction and coating materials. Herein, in this study, a series of nickel phyllosilicate (NiPS) nanoflowers filled EP were fabricated, and then their mechanical responses, hydrophilicity and tribological properties under wet sliding were examined thoroughly. Results showed that the compressive strength of as‐prepared nanocomposites increased first and then decreased, achieving a maximum value of 280.05 MPa at 5% filler, while the elastic modulus, hardness and hydrophilicity were all improved monotonously with elevated filler content. The presence of NiPS nanoflowers enhanced the wet‐lubricated tribological properties considerably. Both the average friction coefficient and wear rate presented similar anti‐parabolic change trends with the lowest values of 0.166 and 0.82 × 10−6 mm3/Nm obtained at 5% and 3%, which were 25.6% and 20.9% lower than pure EP, respectively. Further investigations confirmed that a relatively high applied load and sliding speed also promoted improved water‐lubricated tribological properties, suggesting a giant potential for the resulting EP nanocomposites to work safely as instrumental components under harsh conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn silk extracts synthesized with ethanol (CSeth) and water (CSwtr) media were used for the first time in the green synthesis of hybrid copper nanoflower (Cu-hNF) structures. Moreover, the effects of extraction volume as an organic compound and different pH values on Cu-hNF synthesis performance and morphology were investigated. The morphologies of Cu-hNFs were evaluated using field emission scanning electron microscopy images (FE-SEM). Functional groups in corn silk extracts that play active role in Cu-hNF synthesis, as well as the elemental skeleton and crystallinity of Cu-hNFs, were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and energy-dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, respectively. As a result, it was found that corn silk extracts are suitable organic compound for the synthesis of Cu-hNF structures and that the pH and the amount of extract are crucial for the success of Cu-hNF synthesis. In addition, different volumes of extract and different pH values resulted in a different arrangement of petals in the nanoflower structure and thus a change in the overall morphological structure of Cu-hNF. The effects of Cu-hNFs with different morphologies on antioxidant, peroxidase, and antimicrobial activities were investigated and the relationship between morphology and activity was evaluated. The antioxidant and peroxidase-like activities of Cu-hNF structures synthesized with CSwtr extract were higher than Cu-hNF synthesized using CSeth extract. In terms of antimicrobial activity, it was found that MIC concentrations for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were different depending on the type of extract for the synthesis. Accordingly, it has been determined that the biological activities of the synthesized Cu-hNF structures may vary depending on the differences in morphology. It has been concluded that Cu-hNF can be synthesized in a controlled manner with the parameters studied (type of solvent, volume of extract, pH) for the intended use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium-based hydrotalcite materials have attracted much attention in supercapacitor electrodes due to their polyvalent properties. Nevertheless, the weak electrical conductivity of hydrotalcite limits its further development. In order to overcome this problem, nanoflowers P-NiV-LDHs-8 and Se-NiV-LDHs-1 were obtained by ingenious modification on the surface of nanoflower microlamellae of NiV-LDHs. Compared with Se-NiV-LDHs-x (x = 0.5, 2), P-NiV-LDHs-x (x = 4, 12), NiV-LDHs, Ni2P, and NiSe2, nanoflowers P-NiV-LDHs-8 and Se-NiV-LDHs-1 have better mass-specific capacity and corresponding rate performances. The self-assembled P-NiV-LDHs-8//AC and Se-NiV-LDHs-1//AC (AC = activated carbon) soft package devices have relatively superior energy density and power density. Moreover, the specific capacitance retention also maintains a relatively impressive level. It is proven that the interfacial modification has a positive effect on the energy storage performance of NiV-LDHs from the perspectives of phosphating and selenizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterostructure construction and heteroatom doping are powerful strategies for enhancing the electrolytic efficiency of electrocatalysts for overall water splitting. Herein, we present a P-doped MoS2/Ni3S2 electrocatalyst on nickel foam (NF) prepared using a one-step hydrothermal method. The optimized P[0.9mM]-MoS2/Ni3S2@NF exhibits a cluster nanoflower-like morphology, which promotes the synergistic electrocatalytic effect of the heterostructures with abundant active centers, resulting in high catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolyte. The electrode exhibits low overpotentials and Tafel slopes for the HER and OER. In addition, the catalyst electrode used in a two-electrode system for overall water splitting requires an ultralow voltage of 1.42 V at 10 mA·cm−2 and shows no obvious increase in current within 35 h, indicating excellent stability. Therefore, the combination of P doping and the heterostructure suggests a novel path to formulate high-performance electrocatalysts for overall water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is one of the most widely distributed enzymes among plants, animals, and microorganisms, and it has an enormous ability to capture carbon dioxide (CO2). However, the real‐time application of CA is still a challenge due to its low operational stability, its difficulty in recovery from the reaction medium, and its poor durability. RESULTS: The synthesis of insoluble protein inorganic hybrid structures at nanoscale was proven as quite useful to catalyze enzymatic biotransformation. Here, CA nanoflowers (CANF) were synthesized with the self‐assembly of metal phosphate and CA. The synthesis of CANF was performed using 0.2 mg mL−1 protein and 2.0 mM CuSO4 at 4 °C under mild shaking conditions. The CANF exhibited optimum activity at pH 7.5 and a temperature of 40°C. The synthesized CANF were used for CO2 conversion under optimized conditions and their kinetic parameters were studied using p‐NPA hydrolysis. The Vmax and Km of CANF were 185.18 μmol min−1 mL−1 and 4.72 mM, compared with those of free CA, 166.66 μmol min−1 mL−1 and 5.12 mM, respectively. The stability of CANF has improved remarkably. The CANF made of metal ions and protein showed higher stability and enzyme activity than free enzymes. Furthermore, the CANF showed good reusability due to their mechanical properties and monodispersity. The production of CaCO3 by CANF was 1.71‐fold higher than that by free CA. CONCLUSION: The newly formed CANF showed flower‐like morphology with good catalytic activity. This study demonstrated that CANF technology has a bright future in the conversion of CO2 into CaCO3. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MoS2 nanoflowers are favored for their potential in the production of elemental sulfur due to abundant surface area and good catalytic performance for reducing SO2. A novel synthetic strategy of porous Al2O3 supported on the MoS2 with nanoflower structure was proposed. The effects of preparation concentration, calcination atmosphere, and Al2O3 contents on the growth of catalysts with nanoflower structure were systematically studied via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Brunauer—Emmett—Teller (BET). The surface area was increased to 295.502 m2/g and the amount of Lewis acid on the surface of the Al2O3/MoS2 catalyst was increased by adjusting the ratio of Al/Mo. The porous and nanoflower structures of Al2O3/MoS2 catalysts promoted the sulfur selectivity without inhibiting the catalytic performance of MoS2. The conversion of SO2 and the selectivity of sulfur were 100% and 92% after 100 h life evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower-like nanomaterials have received great attention due to their large surface area, enhanced charge transfer, and 3D structure, all of which contribute to their applications in drug delivery, cell imaging, biosensors, and other biomedical applications. Two core–shell-structured Si-based Ni composite nanoflowers (Si@NiOOH and Si@Ni) were prepared as NO donors using a modified chemical bath deposition method and thermal reduction. The Si-based Ni composite nanoflowers showed low cytotoxicity toward mouse embryonic fibroblasts when applied at concentrations of up to 2 mg·mL–1. NO-loaded Si@NiOOH and Si@Ni (NO⊂Si@NiOOH and NO⊂Si@Ni, respectively) were obtained by charging Si@NiOOH and Si@Ni with NO at 10 atm for 72 h. The NO storage/release profiles of these materials were then compared via electrochemiluminescence analysis. NO⊂Si@Ni released 0.07 μmol·mg–1 NO over 1.1 h in phosphate-buffered saline at 37 °C, thereby demonstrating that it can fully satisfy the requirements for clinical usage. Furthermore, these nanoflowers presented a composition-dependent NO-delivery ability and excellent antibacterial activities toward Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Our study on the NO-delivery capability of bioactive Ni composite nanoflowers can improve the potency of NO donors available for therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of catalysts is one of the most effective methods in the oil refining, chemical, medical, environmental protection, and other industries. In this work, carbon dots (CDs) were selected as an initiator and doped into the main catalyst, Zn0.2Cd0.8S, and a novel Zn0.2Cd0.8S@CD composite catalyst with a nanoflower structure was successfully obtained. The synthesized composites (Zn0.2Cd0.8S@CDs) were characterized by means of SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR, XPS, and UV-Vis DRS. Transient photocurrent response and Nyquist curve analysis further proved that the carrier separation efficiency of the composite catalyst was significantly improved. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of Zn0.2Cd0.8S@CDs for rhodamine B removal from aqueous solution was tested under visible-light irradiation. When the amount of Zn0.2Cd0.8S@CDs composite catalyst reached 50 mg, the degradation rate of rhodamine B was 79.35%. Finally, the photocatalytic degradation mechanism of the Zn0.2Cd0.8S@CDs complex was studied. CD doping enhances the adsorption capacity of Zn0.2Cd0.8S@CDs composite catalysts due to the increase in surface area, effectively inducing charge delocalization and enhancing the photocatalytic capacity. Zn0.2Cd0.8S@CDs composites with low cost and high carrier separation efficiency have broad application prospects in the photocatalytic degradation of dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is essential to design high-efficiency, stable, and inexpensive electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). We fabricate a hybrid system of perovskite LaCoO3 with spinel NiCo2O4 denoted LaCoO3/NiCo2O4 via an in situ hydrothermal process. In situ incorporation of LaCoO3 nanoparticles on the NiCo2O4 nanoflower surface is confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. Benefiting from the interface engineering, the obtained LaCoO3/NiCo2O4 hybrid nanoflowers exhibit the lowest overpotential of 353 at a current density of 10 mA/cm2 and a small Tafel slope of 59 mV/dec in alkaline media compared with pristine LaCoO3 (401 mV, 116 mV/dec) and NiCo2O4 (386 mV, 73 mV/dec). The optimized sample possesses a higher electrochemical surface of 111.45 cm2 than LaCoO3 perovskite (35.37 cm2) and NiCo2O4 spinel oxide (61.37 cm2) structures. The enhanced OER performance of the LaCoO3/NiCo2O4 composite structure is due to the accumulation of LaCoO3 nanoparticles over NiCo2O4 petals, which introduces a substantial number of electrochemically active sites for the catalysis process to promote charge and mass transport. In addition to this, LaCoO3/NiCo2O4 exhibits long-term stability over 20 h. Thus, it is believed that the excellent OER activity of the LaCoO3/NiCo2O4 composite structure is associated with strong interaction between LaCoO3 and NiCo2O4 as well as a large surface area and a unique flower structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dye wastewater consists of high solids concentrations, heavy metals, minor contaminants, dissolved chemical oxygen demand, and microorganisms. Nanoflowers are nanoparticles that resemble flowers when viewed at a microscopic level. Inorganic metal oxide nanoflowers have been discovered to be a potential source for overcoming this situation. Their flower-like features give them a higher surface area to volume ratio and porosity structure, which can absorb a significant amount of dye. The metal oxide nanoflower synthesized from different synthesis methods is used to compare which one is cost-effective and capable of generating a large scale of nanoflower. This review has demonstrated outstanding dye removal efficiency by applying inorganic nanoflowers to dye removal. Since both adsorption and photocatalytic reactions enhance the dye degradation process, complete dye degradation could be achieved. Meanwhile, the inorganic metal oxide nanoflowers' exemplary reusability characteristics with negligible performance drop further prove that this approach is highly sustainable and may help to save costs. This review has proven the momentum of obtaining high dye removal efficiency in wastewater treatment to conclude that the metal oxide nanoflower study is worth researching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium-sulfur (Na−S) batteries are promising energy storage devices for large-scale applications due to their high-energy-density and abundant material reserve. However, the practical implementation of room temperature (RT) Na−S batteries faces challenges, including low-energy-density and limited lifespan, particularly attributed to the properties of sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN). In this study, we address these challenges by introducing tellurium doping into SPAN nanoflowers, enhancing their performance for Na−S batteries. The resulting material exhibits high sulfur loading as well as superior electron and ion transport properties, leading to enhanced redox kinetics and improved battery performance. The tellurium-doped SPAN nanoflower electrode delivers an exceptional composite capacity of 700 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and demonstrates stable cycling over 2400 cycles with minimal capacity fade (0.01 % average fading rate). Even under challenging conditions (24.0 mg cm−2, E/S=5 mg μL S −1, N/P=2.1), the Na−S battery achieves a high areal capacity of 16.1 mAh cm−2, resulting in an impressive energy density of 340.9 Wh kg–1 based on cathode and anode. This work presents a promising approach to designing high-energy-density, long-lifespan RT Na−S batteries, with potential applications for other metal-sulfur battery systems. [Display omitted] • The synergy of Te-doping and nanoflower enables SPAN-based cathode with superior kinetics and high capacity. • Sulfur cathode exhibits ultrahigh specific capacities and remarkable long-lifespan in Na−S batteries. • Na-S cell delivers an ultrahigh areal capacity of 16.1 mAh cm−2 and a calculated energy density of 340.9 Wh kg−1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a common malignant bone tumor in adolescents, osteosarcoma (OS) possesses a very poor prognosis and lacks effective treatments. In this study, we developed a multifunctional nanotherapeutic agent (WSe 2 /AIPH/GOx) that can combine photothermal therapy (PTT) /thermodynamic therapy (TDT) /starvation therapy (ST) against OS. The prepared WSe 2 /AIPH/GOx exhibited a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 37.3% under 808 nm near-infrared laser irradiation, which could effectively eliminate tumor cells. In addition, the local high temperature caused by photothermal heat induces the rapid release and decomposition of AIPH, generating oxygen-independent alkyl radicals that promote tumor cell death in the hypoxic microenvironment. More importantly, the introduction of GOx depletes glucose to starve tumor cells on the one hand, and on the other hand can indirectly increase the thermal sensitivity of cells. In vivo experiments have demonstrated that WSe 2 /AIPH/GOx can effectively inhibit tumor growth in mice due to the combined effects of multiple therapies. Overall, this work provides an effective strategy for potential osteosarcoma treatment based on combination therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy oils induced water pollutions are difficult to be eliminated due to the oils located under water. Herein, we fabricated superhydrophobic cellulose film with nanoflower structures via a Facile method to eliminate heavy oil from water. Cellulose films were in-situ modified with Fe2O3 and stearic acid (STA) for superhydrophobic modification. The corresponding superhydrophobic cellulose/Fe2O3-STA film has water contact angle of 155.5° and sliding angle of 5.5°, and can maintains its superhydrophobicity when it is immersed in water. The film exists excellent self-cleaning property, and the dusts on the film could be easily swept away by running water drops. The film was further applied to separate heavy oil/water mixture with separation efficiency of 99.37 %, and the separation efficiency was maintained after 20 separation cycles as well. The film can also be utilized to absorb small heavy oil drops under water. Thus, we not only develop a simple way to produce superhydrophobic cellulose based films, but also provide superhydrophobic materials to solve water pollution caused by heavy oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with dopamine based nanoflower (Dop/CuNf) (Cu = copper) through a facile approach for sonocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. The formation of Dop/CuNf was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier-transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), and energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDX). The sonocatalytic activity of Dop/CuNf was determined in the degradation of Methylene blue (MB) in aqueous environments by the UV-vis analysis method. The influence of several operational factors like irradiation time, catalyst dosage, H2O2 concentration and initial concentration of MB were evaluated using ultrasound (US) irradiation. The achieved results illustrated that apparent rate constant values (kapp) and the half-life (t1/2) of the sonocatalytic degradation of MB dye (40 mg/L) using Dop/CuNf (1.2 mg) and H2O2 (5 mM) within 20 min were 0.104 min–1 and 6.665 min–1, respectively. According to these data, sonocatalytic technique delivers significant results as cost-effective and environment sensitive method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhodamine B is an important dye pollutant that needs to be removed. Researchers have been interested in developing and implementing various nanomaterials to degrade Rhodamine B from water. Birnessite-MnO2 nanomaterial with a two dimensional layered structure has been widely used in degrading rhodamine B. In this paper, birnessite-MnO2 nanoflowers were synthesized by self-decomposition reaction of potassium permanganate in 90 ℃ under acidic condition. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Sodium oleate was added to synthesize the samples with different size and the mechanism is also discussed. As the amount of sodium oleat increasing, the size of the sample obtained was smaller. The size of the as-prepared samples ranged from 50 to 800 nm. The degradation Rhodamine B property of the samples obtained was discussed. The samples synthesized were used to degrade Rhodamine B in acidic condition without light source added. The size of the sample and pH value were discussed to evaluate degradation property of the birnessite-MnO2 nanoflower. The results show that the smaller the sample size, the better the degradation performance. When pH value was below 4, the birnessite-MnO2 nanoflower had the best degradation property, and the degradation rate of Rhodamine B could reach 92.4%. After five cycles of degradation, the RhB degradation was above 85%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low conductivity of many traditional metal-organic-framework (MOF)-based electrode limits their developments in the field of electrochemical energy storage and still of great challenge. The controllable preparation of various kinds of nanomaterials using thiol-functionalized MOF shows great prospects. In this work, a thiol-functionalized metal-organic framework sheet structure (Co-MOF/NF) on nickel foam was successfully prepared by in situ interfacial growth synthesis, which was transformed into its derivatives S-doped β-Co(OH) 2 nanoflowers Co-x/NF (x = 1, 2 and 6) in different concentrations of KOH solutions through ion etching/exchange reaction. The pristine thiol-functionalized Co-MOF/NF and its derivatives Co-x/NF (x = 1, 2 and 6) nanoflower-like arrays could be used as positive electrode materials for effective supercapacitors. Among them, the transformation of the nanoflower-like Co-1/NF electrode exhibits excellent electrochemical properties with high areal capacitance (1925 ± 23 mF/cm 2 at 1 mA/cm 2 ), good rate performance, excellent conductivity and decent cycling stability. The Co-1//AC ASC device provides a high energy density of 0.176 mWh/cm 2 (92.6 Wh/kg) at a power density of 0.745 mW/cm 2 (392.1 W/kg). And this Co-1//AC ASC device exhibits a good cycling stability and practical application in energy storage field. This study provides a new strategy for the pristine thiol-functionalized MOF and its conversion nanostructures for energy storage applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as promising candidates for energy storage applications due to the abundance and low cost of sodium. However, the larger radius of sodium ions limits their diffusion kinetics within electrode materials and contributes to electrode volume expansion. Here, we successfully synthesized porous titanium carbide (TiC) nanoflowers through chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The TiC nanoflowers exhibit exceptional electrochemical performance as SIB anodes, with their porous structure enhancing the conductivity, mechanical stability, and Na-ion diffusion. The TiC nanoflowers demonstrate a high reversible specific capacity of 73.5 mAh g -1 at 1 A g -1 after 2500 cycles, corresponding to an impressive capacity retention of 80.81%. Additionally, we developed a full sodium-ion cell utilizing TiC nanoflowers as the anode and Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 as the cathode, which demonstrates a substantial reversible capacity and outstanding cycling stability. Our work presents a promising strategy for synthesizing nanostructured TiC materials as anode electrodes for SIBs.

Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 is a promising high-voltage cathode for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) and organic sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, the poor rate capability, specific capacity, and cycling stability severely hamper it from further development. In this work, Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 (NVP) with vanadium nitride (VN) quantum dots encapsulated by nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) nanoflowers (NVP/VN@NC) are manufactured as cathode using in situ nitridation, carbon coating, and structural adjustment. The outer NC layer increases the higher electronic conductivity of NVP. Furthermore, VN quantum dots with high theoretical capacity not only improve the specific capacity of pristine NVP, but also serve as abundant "pins" between NVP and NC to strengthen the stability of NVP/VN@NC heterostructure. For Zn-ion storage, these essential characteristics allow NVP/VN@NC to attain a high reversible capacity of 135.4 mAh g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 , and a capacity retention of 91% after 2000 cycles at 5 A g -1 . Meanwhile, NVP/VN@NC also demonstrates to be a stable cathode material for SIBs, which can reach a high reversible capacity of 124.5 mAh g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 , and maintain 92% of initial capacity after 11000 cycles at 5 A g -1 . This work presents a feasible path to create innovative high-voltage cathodes with excellent reaction kinetics and structural stability., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)