Nanocomposites of Tantalum‐Based Pyrochlore and Indium Hydroxide Showing High and Stable Photocatalytic Activities for Overall Water Splitting and Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Nanocomposites of tantalum‐based pyrochlore nanoparticles and indium hydroxide were prepared by a hydrothermal process for UV‐driven photocatalytic reactions including overall water splitting, hydrogen production from photoreforming of methanol, and CO₂ reduction with water to produce CO. The best catalyst was more than 20 times more active than sodium tantalate in overall water splitting and 3 times more active than Degussa P25 TiO₂ in CO₂ reduction. Moreover, the catalyst was very stable while generating stoichiometric products of H₂ (or CO) and O₂ throughout long‐term photocatalytic reactions. After the removal of In(OH)₃, the pyrochlore nanoparticles remained highly active for H₂ production from pure water and aqueous methanol solution. Both experimental studies and density functional theory calculations suggest that the pyrochlore nanoparticles catalyzed the water reduction to produce H₂, whereas In(OH)₃ was the major active component for water oxidation to produce O₂.     

日光辐射光还原合成左旋多巴胺功能化的荧光发射的银纳米簇和铁离子检测

以左旋多巴胺(L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine,DOPA)为稳定剂,采用日光辐射光还原法,合成了强荧光发射的银纳米簇(silver nanoclusters,Ag NCs)。透射电镜分析表明,所合成的Ag NCs表现亚纳米非晶态结构。Ag NCs在可见-近红外波长范围内(400~750 nm)有明显光吸收带,最大荧光激发和发射峰分别为550和630 nm,荧光量子产率为2.3%(相对于罗丹明B)。Ag NCs的荧光强度与合成时的日光辐射时间、DOPA浓度以及pH值等因素有关。进一步优化了合成Ag NCs的条件。基于荧光猝灭原理,所合成的DOPA功能化的Ag NCs能选择性地灵敏响应Fe3+。修饰在Ag NCs表面的配体DOPA能够选择性地结合Fe3+,导致Ag NCs显著聚集,伴随荧光猝灭。Ag NCs具有的较高量子产率和红荧光发射特性,有利于提高Fe3+的分析灵敏度。     

Study of In Situ Formation of Magnesium Hydroxide Whisker via Basic Magnesium Chloride Whisker Regulated by Organic Parcels at Low Temperature

In this work, we demonstrate an in situ phase conversion from basic magnesium chloride（BMC） into magnesium hydroxide whisker by using polar organic solvent at low temperature. The morphology and phase composition of magnesium hydroxide whiskers prepared at different reaction temperature, alkali concentration and organic solvent were analyzed by X-ray diffraction（XRD） and scanning electronic microscope（SEM）. It was found that when one of the organic solvents such as absolute ethyl alcohol, butanol, polyethylene glycol（PEG-400）, acetone, et al. was selected as the template, the precursor BMC can transform into whisker-like magnesium hydroxide through precipitate transformation in low temperature and non-hydrothermal system. It can be reasonably explained that the regulation of Mg^2＋ solubility by those organic solvents and the sustained release of Mg^2＋ dissolution by organic adsorption played a significant role in the formation of magnesium hydroxide whisker via BMC whisker as the precursor.     

A comparative DFT study of Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions adsorption on (100) and (110) surfaces of pyrite: An electrochemical point of view

Pyrite acts as a catalyst in the mineral processing, and the speed of ferric ion reduction and mineral decomposition increases with increasing cathodic points. In this study, the ferric ion interaction on the (100) and (110) surfaces of pyrite was studied using the density functional theory calculations. The analysis of stability, density of states, and electron density were performed to understand the interaction between the ferric ion and pyrite surfaces. The results showed that pyrite surface is chemically active and tends to absorb ferric ion between two surface sulfur atoms. The hyperconjugation between the 3d orbital of ferric ion and the 3p or 3d orbitals of surface atoms provides the conditions for the Fe³⁺ ion adsorption. The molecular orbital (MO) and electron density analyses indicate that the 3p orbitals of S atoms play a more important role in bonds formations relative to the 3d orbitals. The (110) surface is more active, and the adsorption energy is larger than that of surface (100), which is the result of decreased cation coordination and the presence of sulfur at the surface. Subsequently, the interaction of the Fe²⁺ ion, as product of Fe³⁺ ion reduction and its competitor for adsorption, on the surfaces was studied. The Fe^{2 +} ion adsorbs stronger at the surface of (110), and the adsorption energies at (100) and (110) surfaces were obtained as −24 and −47 kcal/mol, respectively. In general, the Fe³⁺ ion is a stronger oxidizing agent than Fe²⁺ on pyrite surfaces.     

Synthesis of Nordstrandite and Nordstrandite-Derived Layered Double Hydroxides of Li and Al: A Comparative Study with the Bayerite Counterpart

The layered double hydroxides (LDHs) of Li and Al can be synthesized from the four polymorphs of Al(OH)₃, namely gibbsite, bayerite, nordstrandite, and doyleite. The crystal structure of this class of compounds depends on the type of the precursor used due to their topotactic reaction mechanism. While the LDHs derived from gibbsite and bayerite yield different crystal structures, the incorporation of Li into nordstrandite was expected to yield new LDH structures different from those derived from gibbsite and bayerite. The structure of nordstrandite derived LDHs were however identical to that derived from the bayerite counterpart. The absence of symmetry in the interlayer of nordstrandite (C₁) makes it unsuitable to accommodate the intercalating anions with different molecular symmetries. To make the interlayer gallery suitable for the anions, the metal hydroxide layers of the nordstrandite translate, transforming nordstrandite to bayerite. The bayerite with site symmetries O_h and C₂ stabilizes the anions in the interlayer by hydrogen bonding. The transformation of nordstrandite to bayerite, when soaked in lithium salt solution is, therefore, a manifestation of the intercalating anions.     

乙醛与新制氢氧化铜反应的条件分析及产物成分探究*

借助手持技术通过电化学方法测定乙醛与新制氢氧化铜反应的电压变化情况,揭示了该反应的本质,通过控制变量的思想探究了NaOH在该反应中所起的作用,并结合相关文献知识和实验对比进一步探究了乙醛与新制氢氧化铜反应产物的成分。     

Mechanistic aspects of magnetic MgAlNi barium-ferrite nanocomposites enhanced adsorptive removal of an anionic dye from aqueous phase

The mechanistic aspects of improved aqueous removal of methyl orange (MO) dyes using high performance novel magnetic MgAlNi barium-ferrite (MgAlNi-BaFe) ternary double layer hydroxide (LDH) nanocomposites is reported in this study. Detailed surface characterization coupled with kinetic, equilibrium, thermodynamics and regeneration studies were undertaken under different operational conditions of temperature (298–318 K), initial concentration (20–100 mg/L), pH (2–6). The kinetic results show that MO sorption was mainly, associated with pseudo-second order and intra-particular diffusion process. The MO adsorption onto the MgAlNi-BaFe nanocomposites suggests a multi-layered sorption process that is endothermic and spontaneous in nature. The MO adsorption mechanism insight taken in cognizance of FTIR, XRD, pKa, zeta potential, the adsorbates surface functional groups and the adsorbate-adsorbent surface charges interactions suggest involvement of hydrogen bonding and n-π interactions, predominantly via physisorption process (ΔG° = −7.406 to −5.69 kJ/mol). The excellent adsorptive performance of the MgAlNi-BaFe adsorbents for removal of MO from water compared with other magnetic LDH nanocomposites was further elucidated via the MgAlNi-BaFe nanomaterials high rates of regeneration and superior performances for three successive desorption-adsorption cycles. This study demonstrates the high potentials of employing MgAlNi-BaFe nanomaterials for removal of dyes from water and wastewater.     

XNBR/LDH nanocomposites: Effect of vulcanization and organic modifier on nanofiller dispersion and strain‐induced crystallization

In elastomer/organo clay nanocomposites, the morphological characteristics, and hence the mechanical properties, of the vulcanizates are strongly influenced by the organic modifier and the vulcanization process. When the elastomer itself undergoes strain‐induced crystallization, both the organic modifier and the dispersed filler particles could significantly influence the crystallization process. These phenomena are very common in case of natural rubber‐based vulcanizates. In this study, the similar effects have been demonstrated with carboxylated nitrile rubber (XNBR) and organically modified layered double hydroxide (O‐LDH)‐based nanocomposites. The effect of size of the organic modifier was obviously visible on the interlayer distance of O‐LDH and also on the morphological reorganization of the dispersed O‐LDH particles during vulcanization process. The strain‐induced crystallization of the XNBR was found to be strongly dependent on the morphological change that occurs during vulcanization process. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2010     

An efficient synthesis of pyrazole chalcones under solvent free conditions at room temperature

An easy,safe,solvent free and effective method for the synthesis of pyrazole-substituted chalcones has been achieved by grinding pyrazole aldehydes and acetophenones in the presence of activated barium hydroxide(C-200) in high yield within short span of time.All reactions were carried out just by grinding the two reactants in the presence of activated barium hydroxide(C-200). Results are also compared with sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide.     

Microwave–assisted synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">submicrometer</Emphasis> GaO(OH) and Ga<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> rods

Submicrometer sized gallium oxide hydroxide (GaO(OH)) and gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) rods have been successfully fabricated on a large scale by refluxing an aqueous solution of Ga(NO₃)₃ and NH₄OH in a simple domestic microwave oven (DMO). The structures, morphologies, compositions and physical properties of the as–synthesized and calcined products have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), selected area energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SAEDS), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. TEM images show that submicrometer sized as–synthesized Ga O(OH) rods have diameters of 0.3–0.5 m and lengths of 3.2–3.5 m. The calcined product consists of submicrometer rods with diameters of 0.4–0.5 m and lengths of 5–5.5 m. XRD, EDX and SAED analysis together indicate that the as–synthesized product has an orthorhombic gallium oxide hydroxide (GaO(OH)) crystal structure, and that the calcined product is rhombohedral Ga₂O₃. A possible mechanism for the formation of submicrometer sized GaO(OH) rods is discussed briefly.