Fabrication of Cu-Doped CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Catalysts with Different Dimension Pore Structures for CO Catalytic Oxidation

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) applied as catalysts whose catalytic activities are directly affected by their pores size and pores distributions. Herein, two-dimensional Cu-doped CeO₂ (2D@Cu–CeO₂) and three-dimensional Cu-doped CeO₂ (3D@Cu–CeO₂) were prepared by adopting the mesoporous silica SBA-15 and KIT-6 as templates, respectively. Nanometer Cu-doped CeO₂ (nano@Cu–CeO₂) was synthesized by the method of precipitation. All catalysts were evaluated for the catalytic oxidation of CO, and the 3D@Cu–CeO₂ catalyst exhibited the highest catalytic activity (complete conversion temperature T₁₀₀?=?50?°C), which can be ascribed to the three-dimensional porous channel structure, larger specific surface area and abundant active surface oxygen species. In addition, complete conversion of CO had remained the same after 3D@Cu–CeO₂ was observed for 12 h, indicating it has the best catalytic stability for CO.     

Structural determination of a new 2(3 --> 20)abeotaxane with an unusual 13beta-substitution pattern and a new 6/8/6-ring taxane from Taxus cuspidata

A new 2(3 --> 20)abeotaxane with an unusual 13beta-substitution pattern and a new 6/8/6-ring taxane were isolated from the methanol extract of the needles of Taxus cuspidata. The structures were established as 2alpha,7beta-diacetoxy-5alpha,10beta,13beta-trihydroxy-2(3 --> 20)abeotaxa-4(20), 11-dien-9-one (1) and 2alpha,5alpha,7beta,9alpha,13alpha-pentahydroxy-10beta-acetoxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (2) on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectral data and high-resolution FAB-MS analyses.     

Investigation of analytical performance for rapidly synergistic cloud point extraction of trace amounts of copper combined with spectrophotometric determination

In this work, an improved preconcentration method named as rapidly synergistic cloud point extraction (RS-CPE) was established for copper preconcentration and determination. Non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100 (TX-100) was used as extractant. Octanol worked as cloud point revulsant and synergic reagent, which successfully decreased the cloud point temperature (CPT) of TX-100 to realize the room temperature (about 20°C) CPE without heating. The established RS-CPE pretreatment was simple, rapid and effective. Compared with traditional CPE (about 40 min for heating, incubation and cooling), the extraction time of the proposed method was very short (1 min). The improved extraction technique RS-CPE was combined with traditional spectrophotometer to improve the analytical performance and expand the application of spectrophotometric determination. The influence factors relevant to RS-CPE, such as concentrations of TX-100 and octanol, concentration of chelating agent, pH, conditions of phase separation, salt effect, environmental temperature and instrumental conditions, were studied in detail. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) for copper was 0.4 μg L(-1), with sensitivity enhancement factor (EF) of 18. The proposed method was applied to the determination of trace copper in real samples and certified samples with satisfactory analytical results.     

Ultra-sensitive determination of cadmium in rice and water by UV-vis spectrophotometry after single drop microextraction

In this work, a new method based on single drop microextraction (SDME) preconcentration using tetrachloromethane (CCl(4)) as extraction solvent was proposed for the spectrophotometric determination of cadmium in rice and water samples. The influence factors relevant to SDME, such as type and volume of extractant, stirring rate and time, dithizone concentration, pH, drop volume and instrumental conditions were studied systematically. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.5 ng L(-1), with sensitivity enhancement factor (EF) of 128. The different maximum absorption wavelength caused by the different extraction acidity compared with some conventional works and the enhancement effect of acetone (dilution solvent) for the spectrophotometric determination were the two key factors of the high EF and sensitivity. The proposed method was applied to the determination of rice and water samples with satisfactory analytical results. The proposed method was simple, rapid, cost-efficient and sensitive.     

Thermal and burning properties of wood flour-poly(vinyl chloride) composite

The present study deals with the effects of wood flour on thermal and burning properties of wood flour-poly(vinyl chloride) composites (WF-PVC) using thermogravimetric (TG), cone calorimetry (CONE), and pyrolysis?Cgas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py?CGC/MS). TG tests show that an interaction occurred between wood flour and PVC during the thermal degradation of WF-PVC. Wood flour decreased the temperature of onset of decomposition of PVC. However, the char formation could be increased by adding wood flour to PVC. CONE test indicates that wood flour had positive effects on heat release and smoke emission of PVC. Comparing with PVC, WF-PVC reduced average heat release rate and the peak HRR by about 14 and 28%, respectively; smoke production rate was also decreased. The degradation mechanism was studied by Py?CGC/MS. The results show that the volatile pyrolysis products of WF-PVC are very different from PVC. The yields of HCl and aromatic compounds decreased dramatically, and the aliphatic compounds increased by the incorporation of WF.     

Sub-nano resolution fiber-optic static strain sensor using a sideband interrogation technique

We propose a novel sideband interrogation technique with multiplex radio frequency intensity and phase modulation to measure the resonance frequency difference between two optical resonators. Based on this new technique, an ultrahighly sensitive fiber-optic static strain sensor system consisting of a pair of identical fiber Fabry-Perot interferometers is built by incorporating a cross-correlation data processing algorithm. A static strain resolution down to 0.8 nε is demonstrated experimentally, which makes the sensor system a useful tool for geophysical research applications.     

Effects of purification on the diameter separation of metallic single‐walled carbon nanotubes by gel column chromatography

Metallic single‐walled carbon nanotubes (m‐SWCNTs) with excellent conductivity and transparency are considered to be eminent electrode materials. However, it still remains a challenge to separate m‐SWCNTs by their diameters. As reported in this Letter, by effective purification treatment of SWCNTs, we succeeded in achieving diameter separation of m‐SWCNTs using gel column chromatography. TEM and Raman characterizations revealed that metal catalysts and amorphous carbon on tube surfaces were largely reduced, which contributed to the diameter separation of m‐SWCNTs.

     

Electrospinning Preparation of β-Cyclodextrin/Glutaraldehyde Crosslinked PVP Nanofibrous Membranes to Adsorb Dye in Aqueous Solution

The insoluble β-cyclodextrin/glutaraldehyde crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibrous membranes were prepared by electrospinning technique. The membranes were extensively characterized by various techniques including attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（ATR-FTIR）, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and UV-visible absorption to correlate membrane characteristics with their performance. The adsorption ability of the nanofibrous membranes was tested by performing extraction of Methyl orange（MO） dye in water. It was observed that β-cyclodextrin incorporated in polyvinylpyrrolidone provided the characteristics of high adsorption capacity of polyvinylpyrrolidone. Results of sorption experiments show that the nanofibrous membranes exhibited an adsorption rate of more than 95% for MO and the MO absorbent was 39.82 mg to per gram of fl-cyclodextrin glutaraldehyde（β-CDXFM） crosslinked PVP under the optimized experimental conditions.     

A Review of Characteristics of Bio-Oils and Their Utilization as Additives of Asphalts

Transforming waste biomass materials into bio-oils in order to partially substitute petroleum asphalt can reduce environmental pollution and fossil energy consumption and has economic benefits. The characteristics of bio-oils and their utilization as additives of asphalts are the focus of this review. First, physicochemical properties of various bio-oils are characterized. Then, conventional, rheological, and chemical properties of bio-oil modified asphalt binders are synthetically reviewed, as well as road performance of bio-oil modified asphalt mixtures. Finally, performance optimization is discussed for bio-asphalt binders and mixtures. This review indicates that bio-oils are highly complex materials that contain various compounds. Moreover, bio-oils are source-depending materials for which its properties vary with different sources. Most bio-oils have a favorable stimulus upon the low temperature performance of asphalt binders and mixtures but exhibit a negative impact on their high-temperature performance. Moreover, a large amount of oxygen element, oxygen-comprising functional groups, and light components in plant-based bio-oils result in higher sensitivity to ageing of bio-oil modified asphalts. In order to increase the performance of bio-asphalts, most research has been limited to adding additive agents to bio-asphalts; therefore, more reasonable optimization methods need to be proposed. Furthermore, upcoming exploration is also needed to identify reasonable evaluation indicators of bio-oils, modification mechanisms of bio-asphalts, and long-term performance tracking in field applications of bio-asphalts during pavement service life.     

Flexible Amalgam Film Enables Stable Lithium Metal Anodes with High Capacities

Dendrite formation is a critical challenge for the applications of lithium (Li) metal anodes. In this work a new strategy is demonstrated to address this issue by fabricating an Li amalgam film on its surface. This protective film serves as a flexible buffer that affords repeated Li plating/stripping. In symmetric cells, the protected Li electrodes exhibit stable cycling over 750 hours at a high plating current and capacity of 8 mA cm^?2 and 8 mAh cm^?2, respectively. Coupled with high‐loading cathodes (ca. 12 mg cm^?2) such as LiFePO₄ and LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂, the protected hybrid anodes demonstrate significantly improved cell stability, indicating its reliability for practical development of Li metal batteries. Interfacial analyses reveal a unique plating‐alloying synergistic function of the protective film, where Li beneath the film is actively involved in the electrode reactions upon cycling. Lithium amalgams enrich the alloy anode family and provide new perspectives for the rational design of dendrite‐free anodes.