Accelerated kinetics of alkaline hydrogen evolution/oxidation reactions on dispersed ruthenium sites through N and S dual coordination

Efficient,robust and cost-effective electrocatalysts that catalyze hydrogen evolution/oxidation reaction(HER/HOR)in alkaline media are highly demanded.Recently,single-atom catalysts(SACs)have emerged as new promising candidates;however,the rational design of supports and the optimization of coordination environment between supports and metal atoms are challenging.In this work,we successfully fabricate atomically dispersed ruthenium(Ru)species,which are strongly coordinated by N and S dual heteroatoms on holey graphene(RuSA/NSG),as an excellent bifunctional catalyst for HER/HOR.In alkaline media,the developed catalyst exhibits high catalytic performance with a low overpotential of 57.3 mV to drive a current density of 10 mA cm^-1 for HER,and its mass activity is about 5.8 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C and Ru/C catalysts at an overpotential of 100 mV.Similarly,considerable HOR performance of Ru SA/NSG is verified to be superior to Pt/C and Ru/C.Furthermore,X-ray-based spectroscopy measurements and density-functional theory calculations have confirmed that,compared with Ru–N₄,the tailored Ru–N₄–S₂ with nearby S dopants can act as more active centers to greatly accelerate the sluggish HER/HOR kinetics in alkaline media.The present work provides a new atomic-level engineering strategy to modulate catalytic activities of SACs via the coordination design using dual heteroatoms on the carbon support.     

Photocatalytic and antifouling properties of TiO2-based photocatalytic membranes

Photocatalysis has been extensively studied due to its potential ability to avoid the excessive use of chemical reagents and reduce the energy consumption by employing solar energy. Moreover, to alleviate the reduction in the membrane permeation selectivity, separation efficiency, and membrane service life caused by the emerging micro-pollutants and membrane fouling, membrane technology is often coupled with microbial, electrochemical, and catalytic processes. However, although physical/chemical cleaning and membrane module replacement can overcome the inherent limitations caused by membrane fouling and other membrane separation processes, high operating costs limit their practical applications. In this review, common preparation methods for TiO₂ photocatalytic membranes are described in detail, and the main approaches to enhancing their photocatalytic performance are discussed. More importantly, the mechanism of the TiO₂ photocatalytic membrane antifouling process is elucidated, and some applications of photocatalytic membranes in other areas are described. This review systematically outlines future research directions in the field of photocatalytic membrane modification, including metal and non-metal doping, fabrication of heterojunction structures, control over reaction conditions, increase in hydrophilicity, and increase in membrane porosity.     

Constructing novel red-emitting Ba2Y0.8Eu0.2NbO6:Mn4+ phosphors for multi-type luminescent thermometers and high-security anti-counterfeiting films

To date, luminescent materials have been preferably used for non-contact optical thermometers. In this manner, novel red-emitting Ba₂Y_0.8Eu_0.2NbO₆:Mn⁴⁺ (BYEN:Mn⁴⁺) phosphors were designed for multi-type non-contact luminescent thermometers based on the dual-emission states and temperature-dependent lifetime (TDL) models. In the temperature range of 303–483 K, the sensing sensitivities based on the dual-emission states of (⁵D₀→⁷F₂, ²E_g→⁴A_2g) and (⁵D₀→⁷F₁, ²E_g→⁴A_2g) were estimated. Especially, the maximum absolute sensing sensitivity (S_a) was found to be about 0.1558 K^-1 for the BYEN:0.007Mn⁴⁺ phosphor based on the ⁵D₀→⁷F₁ and ²E_g→⁴A_2g positions. This phosphor also exhibited good relative sensing sensitivity (S_r) (0.0186 K^-1) based on the ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ and ²E_g→⁴A_2g states. Besides, the relative sensing sensitivities (S_R) at ⁵D₀→⁷F₁ and ²E_g→⁴A_2g transitions were estimated to be 0.0034 and 0.0194 K^-1, respectively with the help of the TDL technique. In the light of these results, novel red-emitting Ba₂Y_0.8Eu_0.2NbO₆:Mn⁴⁺ phosphors are expected to be a potentially attractive candidate for applications in multi-type luminescent thermometers. Finally, a novel unique polydimethylsiloxane film exhibiting tricolor-luminescent emissions was introduced and further suggested for high-security anti-counterfeiting.     

Enhancement of uranium(VI) biomineralization by Saccharomyces cerevisiae through addition of inorganic phosphorus

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Enhancement of U(VI) biomineralization by Saccharomyces cerevisiae through addition of inorganic phosphorus was studied in this work. The addition...     

Apportionment of wind from water erosion on the hillslopes of China Northern Loess Hilly Area,by the fallout 137Cs technique

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Differences in the net soil loss and apportionment of wind from water erosion on hillslopes were analyzed and evaluated quantitatively through...     

Myrothecoside,a Novel Glycosylated Polyketide from the Terrestrial Fungus Myrothecium sp. GS‐17

Based on the chemical analysis and targeted bioactivity screening, a new polyketide glycoside, myrothecoside, was isolated from a terrestrial halotolerant fungus, Myrothecium sp. GS‐17. The structure of myrothecoside was elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis including 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR (¹H,¹H‐COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY) experiments, combined with mass spectroscopic data and physicochemical properties. This compound exhibited weak cytotoxicity against human leukemia (HL‐60) cancer cell with an IG₅₀ value of 63.61 μm , and also antifungal activities against plant pathogenic fungi Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum using standard agar diffusion tests at 20 μg/disk.     

Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Novel Substituted Purine Derivatives

A series of novel N‐substituted‐2‐(6‐morpholino‐9H‐purin‐9‐yl)acetamide and 4‐(9‐((5‐substituted‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole/thiadiazole‐2‐yl)methyl)‐9H‐purin‐6‐yl)‐morpholine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated their antibacterial activities against rice bacterial leaf blight and tobacco bacterial wilt caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and Ralstonia solanacearum (R. solanacearum) via the turbidimeter test in vitro. Antibacterial bioassay indicated that most compounds demonstrated good inhibitory effect against Xoo and R. solanacearum. Especially, compound 6a demonstrated the best inhibitory effect against Xoo with half‐maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀) value of 8.39 μg/mL, which was even better than those of commercial agents Bismerthiazol and Thiodiazole copper. The synthesized purine derivatives containing amide and 1,3,4‐oxadiazole/thiadiazole moieties exhibited excellent antibacterial activities against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and R. solanacearum in vitro.     

Recovery and separation of erythromycin from industrial wastewater by imprinted magnetic nanoparticles that exploit β‐cyclodextrin as the functional monomer

A type of surface imprinting over magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles utilizing erythromycin‐A as a template for use in the separation and recovery of erythromycin was developed and investigated. As the intermolecular forces play a key role in the performance of imprinted materials, differential scanning calorimetry, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy was employed to evaluate the interactions between erythromycin and the functional monomer β‐cyclodextrin. To synthesize the surface imprinted polymers, magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, the core materials, were modified with a free radical initiator to initialize polymerization in a “grafting from” manner. Then using acryloyl‐modified β‐cyclodextrin as the functional monomer and ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate as the cross‐linker, thin erythromycin‐imprinted films were fabricated by the radical‐induced graft copolymerization of monomers on the surface of the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Selectivity experiments showed that the erythromycin‐A‐imprinted materials had recognition ability toward erythromycin derivatives. Finally, these magnetic molecularly imprinted particles were successfully used for the separation and enrichment of erythromycin from the mother liquor. The recovery, detected by high‐performance liquid chromatography and differential pulse voltammetry, approached 97%. The combination of the specific selectivity of the imprinted material and the magnetic separation provided a powerful tool that is simple, flexible, and selective for the separation and recovery of erythromycin.     

Developments in high‐speed countercurrent chromatography and its applications in the separation of terpenoids and saponins

High‐speed countercurrent chromatography is a liquid–liquid separation chromatographic technique, which has the unique feature of eliminating irreversible adsorption using liquid support medium, and is widely used in research and development of traditional Chinese medicine, biochemistry, food, environment analysis, and so on. In this review, some new developments of countercurrent chromatography, for instance cross‐axis countercurrent chromatography, dual countercurrent chromatography, foam countercurrent chromatography, and pH‐zone‐refining countercurrent chromatography are presented. Furthermore, the research and progress in high‐speed countercurrent chromatography techniques and its application in the separation and purification of terpenoids and saponins are reviewed.     

Synthesis,Structures, and Photocatalytic Properties of Zinc(II) and Cobalt(II) Supramolecular Complexes Constructed with Flexible Bis(thiabendazole) and Dicarboxylate Linkers

Three coordination complexes, namely, [Zn(btbp)(3‐npa)]_n ( 1 ), [Co(btbh)(3‐npa)]_n ( 2 ), and {[Co(btbb)(5‐nipa)(H₂O)] · H₂O}_n ( 3 ) (btbp = 1,3‐bis(thiabendazole)propane, btbh = 1,6‐bis(thiabendazole)hexane, btbb = 1,4‐bis(thiabendazole)butane, 3‐H₂npa = 3‐nitrophthalic acid and 5‐H₂nipa = 5‐nitroisophthalic acid) were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods as well as by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Complex 1 features a fascinating meso‐helical chain, which is further extended into a 2D supramolecular framework involving π ··· π stacking interactions. Complexes 2 and 3 show dinuclear structures. Complex 2 is further connected through C–H ··· O hydrogen bonding interactions to afford a 2D supramolecular layer, whereas complex 3 is further extended to a rare 2‐nodal (3,4)‐connected supramolecular sheet with a point symbol of {3.4².5.6.7}₂{3.8²} by O–H ··· O hydrogen bonding interactions. The electrochemical behaviors of the two cobalt complexes 2 and 3 were reported. Moreover, the luminescent properties for 1 and the photocatalytic properties for the complexes were investigated.