Trace analysis of Pt (IV) metal ions in roadside soil and water samples by Fe3O4/graphene/polypyrrole nanocomposite as a solid-phase extraction sorbent followed by atomic absorption spectrometry

A novel Fe₃O₄/graphene/polypyrrole nanocomposite has been successfully synthesised via a simple chemical method and applied as a new magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) sorbent for the separation and pre-concentration of trace amounts of Pt (IV) in environmental samples followed by flame atomic absorption spectrometric (FAAS) detection. The nanocomposite has been characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Seven important parameters, affecting the extraction efficiency of Pt (IV), including pH, adsorption time, desorption solvent type and concentration, desorption time, elution volume and sample volume, were investigated. Under the optimised conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 50–1500 μg L^?1 (R = 0.993). The detection limit and pre-concentration factor (PF) for Pt (IV) were found to be 16 μg L^?1 and 112.5, respectively. Under the optimised solid-phase extraction (SPE) conditions, the adsorption isotherm and the adsorption capacity of the nanocomposite for Pt (IV) were studied. Pt (IV) adsorption equilibrium data were fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm and the maximum adsorption capacity of the magnetic sorbent was calculated from the Langmuir isotherm model as 416.7 mg g^?1. The precision of the method was studied as intraday and interday variations. A relative standard deviation percentage (RSD%) value less than 3.0 indicates that the method is precise. Also, the accuracy of the method was tested by the analysis of the standard reference material (NIST SRM 2556) and by recovery measurements on spiked real samples. It was also shown that the optimised method was suitable for the analysis of trace amounts of Pt (IV) in roadside soil, tap water and wastewater samples.     

Well‐Defined Palladium Nanoparticles Supported on Siliceous Mesocellular Foam as Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Oxidation of Water

Herein, we describe the use of Pd nanoparticles immobilized on an amino‐functionalized siliceous mesocellular foam for the catalytic oxidation of H₂O. The Pd nanocatalyst proved to be capable of mediating the four‐electron oxidation of H₂O to O₂, both chemically and photochemically. The Pd nanocatalyst is easy to prepare and shows high chemical stability, low leaching, and recyclability. Together with its promising catalytic activity, these features make the Pd nanocatalyst of potential interest for future sustainable solar‐fuel production.     

粉末压片—X射线荧光光谱法测定土壤中的铜铅锌砷锑钴铬镍等重金属元素

采用粉末压片法制样,使用ZSX PrimusⅡ型X射线荧光光谱仪,对土壤样品中与生命健康和环境污染有直接影响的重金属元素Cu、Pb、Zn、As、Sb、Co、Cr、Ni进行同时测定.选用土壤国家标准物质、以国家标准物质为基体自制校准物质绘制标准曲线,解决了相关标准不足的问题,拓宽了元素测定范围(10~20 000μg/g),重点探讨了As、Sb的测量条件.虽然As、Sb的检出限和准确测定下限较高,但对于土壤质量的评价有重要的参考意义.方法快速、简便、准确.     

极谱法测定地质样品中锡的方法改进

过氧化钠熔融分解样品,热水浸提,试样经铍盐做共沉淀剂,用乙二胺四乙酸(EDTA)消除钙、镁等的影响,在盐酸-氯化铵底液中,用极谱法对锡进行测定,改进并简化了国标方法.对极谱法测定地质样品中锡从熔矿方式、测试温度以及干扰元素的影响及消除等方面进行探讨,并对仪器的工作条件进行优化.锡的方法检出限为10.0μg/g.方法经标准物质验证,测定值与标准值相吻合,并进行不同仪器和方法的对比实验,结果一致,准确度高.方法精密度(RSD,n=12)低于2%.方法效率高、测定结果准确可靠,已应用于大量地质样品的分析中.     

Copper as a Robust and Transparent Electrocatalyst for Water Oxidation

Copper metal is in theory a viable oxidative electrocatalyst based on surface oxidation to Cu^III and/or Cu^IV, but its use in water oxidation has been impeded by anodic corrosion. The in situ formation of an efficient interfacial oxygen‐evolving Cu catalyst from Cu^II in concentrated carbonate solutions is presented. The catalyst necessitates use of dissolved Cu^II and accesses the higher oxidation states prior to decompostion to form an active surface film, which is limited by solution conditions. This observation and restriction led to the exploration of ways to use surface‐protected Cu metal as a robust electrocatalyst for water oxidation. Formation of a compact film of CuO on Cu surface prevents anodic corrosion and results in sustained catalytic water oxidation. The Cu/CuO surface stabilization was also applied to Cu nanowire films, which are transparent and flexible electrocatalysts for water oxidation and are an attractive alternative to ITO‐supported catalysts for photoelectrochemical applications.     

Nanometer‐Scale Water‐ and Proton‐Diffusion Heterogeneities across Water Channels in Polymer Electrolyte Membranes

Nafion, the most widely used polymer for electrolyte membranes (PEMs) in fuel cells, consists of a fluorocarbon backbone and acidic groups that, upon hydration, swell to form percolated channels through which water and ions diffuse. Although the effects of the channel structures and the acidic groups on water/ion transport have been studied before, the surface chemistry or the spatially heterogeneous diffusivity across water channels has never been shown to directly influence water/ion transport. By the use of molecular spin probes that are selectively partitioned into heterogeneous regions of the PEM and Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization relaxometry, this study reveals that both water and proton diffusivity are significantly faster near the fluorocarbon and the acidic groups lining the water channels than within the water channels. The concept that surface chemistry at the (sub)nanometer scale dictates water and proton diffusivity invokes a new design principle for PEMs.     

Unusual Ultra‐Hydrophilic,Porous Carbon Cuboids for Atmospheric‐Water Capture

There is significant interest in high‐performance materials that can directly and efficiently capture water vapor, particularly from air. Herein, we report a class of novel porous carbon cuboids with unusual ultra‐hydrophilic properties, over which the synergistic effects between surface heterogeneity and micropore architecture is maximized, leading to the best atmospheric water‐capture performance among porous carbons to date, with a water capacity of up to 9.82 mmol g^?1 at P/P₀=0.2 and 25 °C (20 % relative humidity or 6000 ppm). Benefiting from properties, such as defined morphology, narrow pore size distribution, and high heterogeneity, this series of functional carbons may serve as model materials for fundamental research on carbon chemistry and the advance of new types of materials for water‐vapor capture as well as other applications requiring combined highly hydrophilic surface chemistry, developed hierarchical porosity, and excellent stability.     

Non‐Invasive Salivary Electrochemical Quantification of Paraquat Poisoning Using Boron Doped Diamond Electrode

The present work describes the first electrochemical method for quantifying paraquat herbicide poisoning in human saliva samples. Paraquat shows two couples of well‐defined peaks in aqueous solution using a boron doped diamond (BDD) electrode. By using square wave voltammetry (SWV) technique under optimum experimental conditions, a linear analytical curve was obtained for paraquat concentrations ranging from 0.800 to 167 µmol L^?1, with a detection limit of 70 nmol L^?1. This method was applied to quantify paraquat spikes in human saliva samples and in two different water samples (tap and river). The recovery values obtained ranged from 83.0 to 104 % and 99.1 to 105 %, respectively, which highlight the accuracy of the proposed method.     

Comparison of copolymer emulsions of fluorine and siloxane‐containing acrylates with core–shell structure for water‐repellent cotton fabrics coatings

This paper described the synthesis of copolymer emulsions of fluorine and siloxane‐containing acrylates for water‐repellent cotton fabrics coatings. Chemical composition, morphology structure, and properties of the latex copolymers were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Effects of water‐repellent functional monomers (R_f) on surface morphology, water contact angle, and water‐repellent properties of the coated fabric surface were also studied. The results indicated that R_f greatly influenced molecular mass distribution of the latex copolymers, the molecular aggregation states and orientation of R_f on the coated fabric surface, and water‐repellency of coated cotton fabrics. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interface Engineering of a CoOx/Ta3N5 Photocatalyst for Unprecedented Water Oxidation Performance under Visible‐Light‐Irradiation

Cocatalysts have been extensively used to promote water oxidation efficiency in solar‐to‐chemical energy conversion, but the influence of interface compatibility between semiconductor and cocatalyst has been rarely addressed. Here we demonstrate a feasible strategy of interface wettability modification to enhance water oxidation efficiency of the state‐of‐the‐art CoO_x/Ta₃N₅ system. When the hydrophobic feature of a Ta₃N₅ semiconductor was modulated to a hydrophilic one by in situ or ex situ surface coating with a magnesia nanolayer (2–5 nm), the interfacial contact between the hydrophilic CoO_x cocatalyst and the modified hydrophilic Ta₃N₅ semiconductor was greatly improved. Consequently, the visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic oxygen evolution rate of the resulting CoO_x/MgO(in)–Ta₃N₅ photocatalyst is ca. 23 times that of the pristine Ta₃N₅ sample, with a new record (11.3 %) of apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) under 500–600 nm illumination.