Detection of Hydrazine at MXene/ZIF-8 Nanocomposite Modified Electrode

ZIF-8 with excellent chemical and physical properties is a promising material for the field of electrochemical sensing.However,the poor electrical conductivity of ZIF-8 severely limits its electrochemical performance.Here,we report a method that can significantly improve the conductivity of ZIF-8 by intercalating Ti₃C₂T_x MXene as a conductive platform.Benefiting from higher conductivity and unique electrocatalytic activity,the obtained MXene/ZIF-8 nanocomposite presented the worthy analytical performance for hydrazine sensing.The successful fabrication of MXene/ZIF-8 holds great promise for the design of electrochemical sensors,and it is a promising material to promote the development of new electrode materials.     

MOF derived Co3O4/N-doped carbon nanotubes hybrids as efficient catalysts for sensitive detection of H2O2 and glucose

Developing enzyme-free sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity for H2O2 and glucose is highly desirable for biological science.Especially,it is attractive to exploit noble-metal-free nanomaterials with large surface area and good conductivity as highly active and selective catalysts for molecular detection in enzyme-free sensors.Herein,we successfully fabricate hollow frameworks of Co3O4/N-doped carbon nanotubes(Co3O4/NCNTs)hybrids by the pyrolysis of metal-organic frameworks followed by calcination in the air.The as-prepared novel hollow Co3O4/NCNTs hybrids exhibit excellent electrochemical performance for H2O2 reduction in neutral solutions and glucose oxidation in alkaline solutions.As sensor electrode,the Co3O4/NCNTs show excellent non-enzymatic sensing ability towards H2O2 response with a sensitivity of 87.40μA(mmol/L)^-1 cm^-2,a linear range of 5.00μmol/L-11.00 mmol/L,and a detection limitation of 1μmol/L in H2O2 detection,and a good glucose detection performance with 5μmol/L.These excellent electrochemical performances endow the hollow Co3O4/NCNTs as promising alternative to enzymes in the biological applications.     

STUDY ON ELECTROOXIDATION OF TRACE CO(Ⅰ) REACTION KINETICS ON Pt/C CATALYST

We have determined experimentally the reaction kinetics of the electrocatalytic oxidation of the trace carbon monoxide on Pt/C catalyst in aqueous sulphuric acid.At the constant potential 0.947V vs.NHE,the overall rate equation may be expressed bywhere y is a parameter relating to the concentration of H3O .Assuming that the rate of the electrocatalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide is controlled by the edectrochemical reaction of the adsorbed CO and adsorbed OH and that t the surface of catalyst is homogeneous,we can obtain a theoretical rate equation which is formally the same as the empirical rate equation.Recently,instruments for monitoring trace toxic gases in atomosphere based on electrochemical principles have been reported The determinable gases may involve CO,SO2H2S,nitrogen oxides,various gaseous paraffins,and so on.This new method raises wide interests for its many cdvantages,for instance,the price is cheap: the operation is simple and it can be used directly to monitor atmospheric toxic gases     

Nitrogen doped carbon catalyzing acetylene conversion to vinyl chloride

Commercial production of vinyl chloride from acetylene relies on the use of HgCl2as the catalyst, which has caused severe environmental problem and threats to human health because of its toxicity. Therefore, it is vital to explore alternative catalysts without mercury. We report here that N-doped carbon can catalyze directly transformation of acetylene to vinyl chloride. Particularly, N-doped high surface area mesoporous carbon exhibits a rather high activity with the acetylene conversion reaching 77% and vinyl chloride selectivity above 98% at a space velocity of 1.0 mL min-1 g-1and 200 ℃. It delivers a stable performance within a test period of 100 h and no obvious deactivation is observed,demonstrating potentials to substitute the notoriously toxic mercuric chloride catalyst.     

Electronic Noses Using Quantitative Artificial Neural Network

The present paper covers a new type of electronic nose (e-nose) with a four-sensor array, which has been applied to detecting gases quantitatively in the presence of interference. This e-nose has adapted fundamental aspects of relative error (RE) in changing quantitative analysis into the artificial neural network (ANN). Thus, both the quantitative and the qualitative requirements for ANN in implementing e-nose can be satisfied. In addition, the e-nose uses only 4 sensors in the sensor array, and can be designed for different usages simply by changing one or two sensor(s). Various gases were tested by this kind of e-nose, including alcohol vapor, CO, iiquefied-petrol-gas and CO2. Satisfactory quantitative results were obtained and no qualitative mistake in prediction was observed for the samples being mixed with interference gases.     

Preparation of a novel composite electrode based on N-doped TiO_2-coated Na Y zeolite membrane and its photoelectrocatalytic performance

For the first time the preparation of the N-doped TiO_2-coated NaY zeolite membrane(N-doped TiO_2/NaY zeolite membrane) as an electrode material for photoelectrocatalysis has been achieved and reported.The XRD, SEM, UV–vis and XPS techniques were used to characterize the structure of the N-doped TiO_2/NaY zeolite membrane. The results verified that the surface of the N-doped TiO_2/NaY zeolite membrane was coated by TiO_2 nanoparticles of ca. 20 nm size and exhibited a distinct red-shift in the UV–vis spectra compared to N-doped TiO_2. The photoelectrocatalysis performance of the N-doped TiO_2/NaY zeolite membrane electrode was evaluated by phenol degradation. The results revealed it is a promising novel electrode material for application of photoelectrocatalysis in the removal of organic contaminants in waste water.     

Low temperature H2S sensor based on copper oxide/tin dioxide thick film

Nanostructured tin dioxide (SnO2) powders were prepared by a sol-gel dialytic process and and the doping of CuO on it was completed by a deposition-precipitation method. The thick film sensors were fabricated from the CuO/SnO2 polycrystalline powders. Sensing behavior of the sensor was investigated with various gases including CO, H2, NH3, hexane, acetone, ethanol, methanol and H2S in air. The as-synthesized gas sensor had much better response to H2S than to other gases. At the same time, the CuO/SnO2 sensor had enough sensitivity, together with fast response and recovery, to distinguish H2S from those gases at 160 and 210 ℃. Therefore, it might have promising applications in the future.     

A New Model for the Genesis of Natural Gases--Multi-source Overlap, Multi-stage Continuity, Type Controlled by Main Source and Nomenclature by Main Stage (Ⅰ)--Multi-source Overlap and Type Controlled by Main Source

Based on the geochemical studies of natural gases in the past ten years in China, the authors have proposed a new model for their genesis--multi-source overlap, multi-stage continuity, main source-controlling type and nomenclature by the main stage.Multi-source refers to a diversity of material sources involved in the formation of natural gases, including abiogenic and biogenic material sources. In regard to biogenic sources, either oil-generating or coal-generating organic matter would produce gaseous hydrocarbon reservoirs of commercial importance. Generally, natural gases originating from these sources can overlap to form gas reservoirs. Under specific circumstances mantle-source abiogenic gases could overlap biogenic gases to form gas reservoirs. In nature, natural gases predominated by gaseous hydrocarbons may be formed from a single end-member source. However, multi-source overlap is more typical of the genesis of natural gases.     

Graphene aerogel supported Pt-Ni alloy as efficient electrocatalysts for alcohol fuel oxidation

Alcohol fuels oxidation plays a significant role in carbon sustainable cycling and high-performance catalyst with a strong anti-poisoning effect is desired. Herein, Pt-Ni alloy supported on the N-doped graphene aerogel synthesized by simple freeze-drying and annealing was demonstrated to have such catalytic ability for alcohol fuel oxidation. Pt-Ni alloy particles were found uniformly dispersed over the surface of 3D N-doped graphene aerogel. High anti-poisoning ability for CO-like intermediates...     

Thermodynamic Analysis and Experimental Investigation into Nonflame Combustion Technology（NFCT） with Thermal Cyclic Carrier

The utilization of fossil fuels causes serious negative impacts on the environment and human life. To mitigate greenhouse gases and other pollutants, a novel combustion process-the nonflame combustion technology with a thermal cyclic carrier of molten salt is introduced. In this technology, a whole combustion is divided into two steps, i.e. , the section of producing oxide and the section of combustion. In the first step, oxygen is separated from air, and pure N2 is simultaneously formed which is easily recovered. In the other step, the fuels react with lattice oxygen in the oxides formed in the first step, and at the same time, thermal energy, CO2 and H2O vapor are produced. It is noted that the CO2 is easily separated from water vapor and ultimately captured. Theoretically, there are no environmental-unfriendly gases such as CO2, NOx and SO2 discharged in the whole combustion process. Some metal oxides scattered into molten salts play the roles of oxygen carriers in the combustion system, and they can constantly charge and discharge oxygen element from air to fuels during the combustion process. A nonflame combustion system with Li2CO3 K2CO3 Na2SO4 as the molten salt system, CH4 as the fuel and CuO as the catalyst was experimentally investigated. The experimental resuits show that the combustion process proceeded as it was theoretically analyzed, and CO2 with a high volume fraction of 77.0M--95.0M and N2 with a high volume fraction of 91.9%-99.3% were obtained. The high concentration of CO2 is favorable for capturing and storing subsequently. Therefore, the potential of reducing CO2 emissions of this nonflame combustion technology is huge.     

Recent progress in applications of graphene oxide for gas sensing: A review

This paper is a review of the recent progress on gas sensors using graphene oxide (GO). GO is not a new material but its unique features have recently been of interest for gas sensing applications, and not just as an intermediate for reduced graphene oxide (RGO). Graphene and RGO have been well known gas-sensing materials, but GO is also an attractive sensing material that has been well studied these last few years. The functional groups on GO nanosheets play important roles in adsorbing gas molecules, and the electric or optical properties of GO materials change with exposure to certain gases. Addition of metal nanoparticles and metal oxide nanocomposites is an effective way to make GO materials selective and sensitive to analyte gases. In this paper, several applications of GO based sensors are summarized for detection of water vapor, NO₂, H₂, NH₃, H₂S, and organic vapors. Also binding energies of gas molecules onto graphene and the oxygenous functional groups are summarized, and problems and possible solutions are discussed for the GO-based gas sensors.     

Graphdiyne:a Highly Sensitive Material for ppb-Level NO2 Gas Sensing at Room Temperature

Detection of a trace amount of NO2 at room temperature has very important applications in air quality monitoring,protection of human health and medical diagnose.However,the existing NO2 sensors often suffer from low sensitivity when the concentration at the ppb-level.Here,we report a new kind of materials based on graphdiyne(GDY)for highly sensitive detection of ppb-level(ppb:part per billion)NO2 at room temperature.After thermal treatment of the as-prepared GDY at 600℃under argon atmosphere for 2 h(the obtained sample denoted as GDY-600),the prepared sensor with GDY-600 displays excellent sensitivity with a response value of 6.2％towards 250 ppb NO2 at room temperature,which is better than most of reported sensing materials.In addition,the sensor exhibits significantly high selectivity to NO2 against typical interfering gases including CO,CO2,NH3,H2,H2S and toluene.Moreover,the sensor shows remarkable stability after repetitive measurements.The superior sensing performance of GDY-600 can be ascribed to the highly π-conjugated structure with special acetylenic bonds and abundant oxygen-containing functional groups,which are all beneficial for the gas adsorption and redox reaction on the surface.     

Graphene based chemiresistor sensors for the detection of toxic air pollutants: A theoretical overview

The advancements in present world like industrial revolution, transport system, agriculture, food industry, pharmaceutical industry and electricity generation have made our life easy and comfortable in many aspects but they also have deleterious effects on our life. The pollution from industries, household waste, combustion of fossils etc. has introduced many harmful chemicals in air and water which have badly affected the life on our planet. The presence of undesirable gases in air has serious adverse effects on health and quality of life. Therefore, monitoring of these substances becomes important.Graphene based chemiresistor sensor are proved to be promising materials for the detection of toxic air pollutants. This article summarizes the recent progress of Density functional theory (DFT) based studies in the field of graphene based gas sensors. This article discusses the working mechanism of graphene based chemiresistor and also provides the information that how the sensing ability can be enhanced. The information given in the article will help the young researchers in the selection of suitable dopant and nano-clusters for graphene based surfaces to make them more selective and sensitive towards the analytes.     

An Analysis of Exhaust Emission of the Internal Combustion Engine Treated by the Non-Thermal Plasma

Industries’ air pollution causes serious challenges to modern society, among them exhaust gases from internal combustion engines, which are currently one of the main sources. This study proposes a non-thermal plasma (NTP) system for placement in the exhaust system of internal combustion engines to reduce the toxic contaminants (HC, CO, and NO_x) of exhaust gases. This NTP system generates a high-voltage discharge that not only responds to the ion chemical reaction to eliminate NO_x and CO, but that also generates a combustion reaction at the local high temperature of plasma to reduce HC. The NTP system was designed on both the front and rear of the exhaust pipe to analyze the difference of different exhaust flow rates under the specified frequency. The results indicate that the NTP system can greatly reduce toxic contaminants. The NTP reactor placed in the front of exhaust pipe gave HC and CO removal efficiency of about 34.5% and 16.0%, respectively, while the NTP reactor placed in the rear of exhaust pipe gave NO_x removal efficiency of about 41.3%. In addition, the voltage and material directly affect the exhaust gases obviously. In conclusion, the proposed NTP system installed in the exhaust system can significantly reduce air pollutants. These results suggest that applying NTP to the combustion engine should be a useful tool to simultaneously reduce both emissions of NO_x and CO.     

Graphene Based Electrochemical Sensors and Biosensors: A Review

Graphene, emerging as a true 2‐dimensional material, has received increasing attention due to its unique physicochemical properties (high surface area, excellent conductivity, high mechanical strength, and ease of functionalization and mass production). This article selectively reviews recent advances in graphene‐based electrochemical sensors and biosensors. In particular, graphene for direct electrochemistry of enzyme, its electrocatalytic activity toward small biomolecules (hydrogen peroxide, NADH, dopamine, etc.), and graphene‐based enzyme biosensors have been summarized in more detail; Graphene‐based DNA sensing and environmental analysis have been discussed. Future perspectives in this rapidly developing field are also discussed.     

Synthesis of LaFeO<Subscript>3</Subscript> catalytic materials and their sensing properties

LaFeO₃ is a p-type semiconductor catalytic material of perovskite structure (ABO₃). Its magnetic and photocatalytic properties have been widely investigated, but the gas sensing properties are seldom reported, especially for toxic and noxious gases of NO₂ and CO. The nanocomposites of LaFeO₃ and LaFe_1−x Mg _x O₃ (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06) were prepared by various methods of the wet chemical process and their exact composition, crystal structures, grain sizes, specific surfaces, morphology and the electronic interaction between components were characterized by EDX, XRD, BET, SEM and XPS analysis. The sensors based on these nanocomposites have been fabricated to examine the sensing responses to gases, and the results show that these sensors exhibited high response to both oxidizing gas (NO₂) and reducing gas (CO), and the response was greatly enhanced by the surface modification of MgO. The additive method, amount of additives, and their effects on the LaFeO₃ structure and gas response have been analyzed and discussed by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analysis.     

Sodium/lithium 3d transition metalates for chemisorption of gaseous pollutants: a review

Sodium/lithium transition metalates have found tremendous potential as cathode materials for Na/Li batteries. These metalates have acid-base and redox characteristics, which could be utilized for the chemisorption of gaseous pollutants. Their use was focused mainly on CO₂ gas chemisorption at elevated temperatures. In recent years, these materials have found interesting applications in the chemisorption of CO, NO, SO₂, and H₂S gases. Some of these alkali ceramics have shown tremendous potential for the wet-oxidative removal of acidic gases, even in ambient conditions. The review presents an up-to-date account of alkali ceramics of 3d transition metals for the chemisorption of toxic gases, including CO₂, CO, NO, SO₂, and H₂S. To the best of our knowledge, Na/Li 3d transition metalates have never been reviewed in the context of air decontamination, which needs to be presented to the readers for air purification applications.     

Electrochemically exfoliating graphite into N-doped graphene and its use as a high efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

N-doped graphene has been extensively explored because of their intriguing properties. However, most of the conventional heat-processed N-doped graphene (HNG) suffer from the poor hydrophilic property and low electric conductivity when using electrode materials. Herein, we present a facile solution-processed strategy to fabricate N-doped graphene through electrochemical exfoliation of graphite in inorganic electrolyte solution. The resulting electrochemically exfoliated N-doped graphene (ENG) has high level of nitrogen (7.9 at.%) and oxygen (16.5 at.%), moreover, excellent electric conductivity (19 s cm^?1). As a binder-free electrode material for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), ENG exhibits much better electroactivity than HNG and electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EG), moreover, much better methanol tolerance and long-term durability than that commercial Pt/C catalyst. The results provide new sights into scalable production of noble metal-free catalyst towards ORR.     

Fast response speed of mechanically exfoliated MoS2 modified by PbS in detecting NO2

MoS₂, acting as a promising gas sensing material, has shown huge potential in monitoring of toxic and harmful gases at room temperature. However, MoS₂-based gas sensors still suffer from poor gas sensing performance such as poor sensitivity, long response time. Constructing the heterostructure is an effective approach to improve gas-sensing performance of MoS₂. Herein, PbS@MoS₂ composites synthesized by mechanical exfoliation combining with wet-chemical precipitation are used to investigate its performance in detecting NO₂ at room temperature. The response value of PbS@MoS₂ gas sensor against NO₂ is significantly improved compared with the pure MoS₂ gas sensor. At the same time, the modification with PbS also accelerates the response speed of MoS₂, and the response time is almost reduced by two orders of magnitude, from hundreds of seconds to less than ten seconds. The enhanced response value and fast response time are mainly benefited from the modulation effect of NO₂ to PbS@MoS₂ heterostructure and the mechanically exfoliated MoS₂ surface with few defects. This work can be expected to provide useful guidance for designing composite materials with excellent gas sensing properties.