Self-Assembly Approach Towards MoS2-Embedded Hierarchical Porous Carbons for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Transition metal-based nanoparticle-embedded carbon materials have received increasing attention for constructing next-generation electrochemical catalysts for energy storage and conversion. However, designing hybrid carbon materials with controllable hierarchical micro/mesoporous structures, excellent dispersion of metal nanoparticles, and multiple heteroatom-doping remains challenging. Here, a novel pyridinium-containing ionic hypercrosslinked micellar frameworks (IHMFs) prepared from the core–shell unimicelle of s-poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-b-poly(4-bromomethyl) styrene (s-PtBA-b-PBMS) and linear poly(4-vinylpyridine) were used as self-sacrificial templates for confined growth of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) inside cationic IHMFs through electrostatic interaction. After pyrolysis, MoS₂-anchored nitrogen-doped porous carbons possessing tunable hierarchical micro/mesoporous structures and favorable distributions of MoS₂ nanoparticles exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction as well as small Tafel slope of 66.7 mV dec⁻¹, low onset potential, and excellent cycling stability under acidic condition. Crucially, hierarchical micro/mesoporous structure and high surface area could boost their catalytic hydrogen evolution performance. This approach provides a novel route for preparation of micro/mesoporous hybrid carbon materials with confined transition metal nanoparticles for electrochemical energy conversion.     

Highly efficient oxidation of 2-imidazoline-5-carboxylic derivatives to imidazole-5-carboxylic derivatives by dioxygen

A highly efficient and environmental-benign oxidation by dioxygen (or air) as the sole oxidant was first applied for the conversion of 2-imidazoline-5-carboxylic derivatives to imidazole-5-carboxylic derivatives in very good and excellent yields. The substituent effect on 2-imidazoline ring was investigated. This protocol was also suitable for the synthesis of 2-imidazoles in relatively large scale.     

Friedel–Crafts alkylation between chalcone epoxides and heteroarenes induced by triarylaminium salt

Triarylaminium salt was disclosed as a highly efficient nonmetallic initiator for the Friedel–Crafts reaction between chalcone epoxides and heteroarenes to construct a series of complex β-heteroaryl α-ketols in mild conditions and with good yields. Chalcone epoxides were presented as valuable halogen-free pre-electrophile in Friedel–Crafts alkylation through the formation of the stabilized benzylic cation intermediates. A plausible radical cation chain mechanism was also proposed.     

Low-phosporous nickel-coated carbon microcoils: Controlling microstructure through an electroless plating process

Carbon microcoils (CMCs) have been coated with a nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) film using an electroless plating process, with sodium hypophosphite as a reducing agent in an alkaline bath. CMC composites have potential applications as microwave absorption materials. The morphology, elemental composition and phases in the coating layer of the CMCs and Ni-coated CMCs were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The effects of process parameters such as pH, temperature and coating time of the plating bath on the phosphorus content and deposition rate of the electroless Ni-P coating were studied. The results revealed that a continuous, uniform and low-phosphorous nickel coating was deposited on the surface of the CMCs for 20 min at pH 9.0, plating bath temperature 70 °C. The as-deposited coatings with approximately 4.5 wt.% phosphorus were found to consist of a mix of nano- and microcrystalline phases. The mean particle size of Ni-P nanoparticles on the outer surface of the CMCs was around 11.9 nm. The deposition rate was found to moderately increase with increasing pH, whereas, the phosphorous content of the deposit exhibited a significant decrease. Moreover, the material of the coating underwent a phase transition between an amorphous and a crystalline structure. The thickness of the deposit and the deposition rate may be controlled through careful variation of the coating time and plating bath temperature.     

Thermal Behavior of Polypropylene-g-glycidyl Methacrylate Prepared by Melt Grafting

The thermal behaviors of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-grafted polypropylene (PP) (PP-g-GMA) with two different grafting degrees, namely, GPP1 and GPP2, were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and thermogravimetrical analysis (TGA). DSC results suggested that the GMA grafted PP exhibited higher crystallization temperature T_c, higher melting temperature T_m, and higher crystallinity compared with the neat PP. The isothermal crystallization kinetics was analyzed with the Avrami equation and the total crystallization activation energy was calculated. It was concluded that the crystallization processes of PP and the grafted PP were controlled by nucleation and the values of the crystallization activation energy of PP and the grafted PP were almost identical. POM results suggested that the GMA grafted PP exhibited smaller spherulites size compared with the neat PP. WAXD patterns indicated that the neat PP encouraged the formation of γ phase, compared with the grafted PP, during the crystallization process. DMA results showed that melt grafting did not induce a clear effect on the γ-transition and β-transition of the amorphous phase but resulted in a decrease in mobility of the PP chains in the crystals. TGA curves suggested that the melt grafting slightly improved the thermal stability of PP.     

Preparation and Antibacterial Function of Quaternary Ammonium Salts Grafted Cellulose Fiber Initiated by Fe2 +-H2O2 Redox

The surface contact disinfecting technique is a newly developed method for water sterilization. In this paper, the grafted quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) antibacterial fibers were prepared and designed to apply for the surface contact disinfecting process in water treatment. The antibacterial fibers were directly prepared by grafting methacryloxylethyl benzyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DMAE-BC) onto cellulose fiber using thiocarbonate-H₂O₂ redox system. All kinds of factors in the grafting reactions, such as reaction time, reaction temperature, monomer concentration, initiator concentration, which influence the percentage of grafting, were studied and optimized. The modified cellulose fibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope(SEM). The effects of the percentage of grafting of the grafted cellulose fibers on bactericidal activity were also studied. The spread plate method was used to characterize the bactericidal activity. The disinfection process was further investigated by directly observing the morphology of the bacterial cells adsorbed on the antibacterial fibers with SEM and measuring extracelluar total protein concentration in suspension. The poly(DMAE-BC)-grafted cellulose ?ber was found to exhibit particularly high activity against E.coli.