Luminescent Carbon Dots for Logic Operations in Two Phases

Basic and higher integrated logic operations have been achieved by using luminescent carbon dots through interactions with metal ions and organic molecules in liquid dispersions as well as in the solid phase. The biphasic simple and complex logic systems could be potentially used for various analytical applications as well as for the detection of important elements in diverse environments.     

bio(oh)-nabh4还原法制备氧化偶氮苯类化合物

以NaOH溶液快速沉淀BiCI3溶液制备了BiO(OH),研究了BiO(OH)对NaBH4还原芳香族硝基化合物的催化性能,考察了NaBH4用量对反应的影响.结果表明,在温和条件下BiO(OH)具有很高的催化活性和选择性.NaBH4和芳香族硝基化合物的摩尔比为1.04:1,在甲醇中室温反应2 h,芳香族硝基化合物主要被还原为氧化偶氮苯类化合物,收率80.4%～96.9%.该催化剂重复使用5次后活性没有明显下降.于120℃再生后,其活性与新制备催化剂相当.     

Reduction of Cr(VI) Assisted by Sol-Gel Generated Electron-Hole Centers

We report an in-situ harvesting technique of electron-hole (e⁻-h⁺) carriers (e.g., the defect electrons in the O^{2 −} matrix and the self-trapped holes, Si–O⁻–Si) generated during sol-gel processing. In the absence of redox species, the e⁻-h⁺ centers created during room temperature sol-gel polycondensation steps are quickly annihilated and deactivated. However, when Cr(VI) ions are pre-dispersed in sol-gel solutions, the ejected electrons can be effectively harvested for the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) ions which are encapsulated in the silica gel matrix. The Cr(VI) ions, the possible intermediate oxidation states of chromium ions such as Cr(V) and/or Cr(IV), and the stable Cr(III)-hole complexes in the sol-gel matrix are investigated using uv-visible spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The chemical stability of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) in sol-gel networks is compared to that in aqueous solutions. The results indicate that the utilization of e⁻-h⁺ carriers generated in the sol-gel can be an effective and selective means for investigating the redox process of Cr(VI) and encapsulating the stable Cr(III) ions in the confined sol-gel environments.     

Energy Transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+/Dy3+/Mn2+ in Ca9Ga(PO4)7 Phosphors: Synthesis,Structure and Tunable Multicolor Luminescent Properties

A series of Ca₉Ga(PO₄)₇:Ce³⁺/Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺ phosphors with tunable color, in which Ce³⁺ acts as the sensitizer, was synthesized. Energy transfer (ET) from Ce³⁺ to Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺ was investigated in detail. Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺ single-doped Ca₉Ga(PO₄)₇ can exhibit green, yellow, and red emission, respectively. Incorporating Ce³⁺ into a Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺ single-doped Ca₉Ga(PO₄)₇ phosphor can remarkably promote the luminous efficiency of the Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺ ions. This enhancement originates from an efficient ET from Ce³⁺ to Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺. The ET was validated by luminescence spectra, decay dynamics, and schematic energy levels. Moreover, the intensity ratio of red emission of Mn²⁺ to violet emission of Ce³⁺ was analyzed based on energy-transfer and lifetime measurements. In Ce³⁺-Tb³⁺, Ce³⁺-Dy³⁺, and Ce³⁺-Mn²⁺ doped Ca₉Ga(PO₄)₇, the emitting color changed from violet to green, yellow, and red, respectively, which indicates the potential use of this new tunable phosphor in UV light-emitting diodes.     

微波溶剂热法制备掺氮石墨烯用于碱性氧还原反应

采用微波处理氧化石墨烯(GO)与乙二醇(EG)、乙二胺(ED)混合液的方法制备氮掺杂石墨烯(NG),使用旋转圆盘电极对NG催化氧还原在碱性溶液中反应进行研究,并考察了不同微波辐射时间、ED与EG之比对反应性能的影响。采用X射线衍射仪(XRD)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、拉曼光谱(Raman)和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)研究了NG催化剂的结构与性质。相比于未掺氮的石墨烯样品,NG表现出更正的起始电位和接近四电子的转移过程。NG中掺杂氮原子的键合方式通过XPS进行表征,结果表明起始电位的高低取决于石墨氮含量。此外,所有表征结果表明总氮含量与氧还原反应性能没有直接关系。     

微波溶剂热法制备掺氮石墨烯用于碱性氧还原反应

采用微波处理氧化石墨烯（GO）与乙二醇（EG）、乙二胺（ED）混合液的方法制备氮掺杂石墨烯（NG）,使用旋转圆盘电极对NG催化氧还原在碱性溶液中反应进行研究,并考察了不同微波辐射时间、ED与EG之比对反应性能的影响。采用X射线衍射仪（XRD）、透射电子显微镜（TEM）、拉曼光谱（Raman）和傅里叶变换红外光谱（FT-IR）研究了NG催化剂的结构与性质。相比于未掺氮的石墨烯样品,NG表现出更正的起始电位和接近四电子的转移过程。NG中掺杂氮原子的键合方式通过XPS进行表征,结果表明起始电位的高低取决于石墨氮含量。此外,所有表征结果表明总氮含量与氧还原反应性能没有直接关系。     

Underestimated Color Centers: Defects as Useful Reducing Agents in Lanthanide‐Activated Luminescent Materials

Inorganic hosts, such as SrB₄O₇ or certain nitrides, intrinsically stabilize Eu²⁺ even when the dopant is an Eu³⁺‐based precursor and reducing conditions are not employed in the synthesis. Although this concept is well known in the synthesis of phosphorescent materials, the mechanistic details are scarcely understood. Herein, we demonstrate that trapped charge carriers, such as color centers, can also act as redox partners to stabilize certain oxidation states of activators. Eu‐activated CsMgCl₃ and CsMgBr₃ are used as examples. Upon doping with EuCl₃ and in the absence of reducing conditions during the synthesis, dominant cyan or green luminescence from Eu²⁺ ions was observed. Photoluminescence spectroscopy at 10 K revealed that the reduction is correlated to color centers localized at defects. Although defects are typically undesired in phosphors, we have shown that their role may be underestimated and they could be used on purpose in the preparation of selected inorganic phosphors.     

单原子催化剂在氧还原反应中的分子级调控

氧还原反应(ORR)在电化学能量存储和转换系统以及精细化学制剂的清洁合成中发挥着重要作用. 然而, ORR过程的动力学极其缓慢, 需要使用铂族贵金属催化剂加快其反应动力学速率. 铂基催化剂的高成本严重阻碍了其大规模的商业化. 由于单原子催化剂(SACs)具有结构明确、 本征活性高和原子效率高的特点, 有望取代昂贵的铂族贵金属催化剂. 迄今, 在进一步提高SACs的ORR活性方面已有大量的研究报道, 包括定制金属中心的配位结构、 丰富金属中心的浓度以及设计衬底的电子结构和孔隙率等. 本文综合评述了近年来SACs在ORR性能以及与ORR相关的H₂O₂生产、 金属-空气电池和低温燃料电池等方面的应用研究进展. 总结了通过引入其它金属或配体来调整孤立金属中心的配位结构、 通过增加金属负载来增加单原子位点的浓度以及通过优化载体的孔隙度来优化催化性能和电子传输等方面的研究进展, 并对SCAs的未来发展方向和面临的挑战提出了展望.     

Study by Optical Spectroscopy of Bismuth Emission in a Nanosecond-Pulsed Discharge Created in Liquid Nitrogen

Time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy of nanosecond-pulsed discharges ignited in liquid nitrogen between two bismuth electrodes is used to determine the main discharge parameters (electron temperature, electron density and optical thickness). Nineteen lines belonging to the Bi I system and seven to the Bi II system could be recorded by directly plunging the optical fibre into the liquid in close vicinity to the discharge. The lack of data for the Stark parameters to evaluate the broadening of the Bi I lines was solved by taking advantage of the time-resolved information supported by each line to determine them. The electron density was found to decrease exponentially from 6.5 ± 1.5 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻³ 200 ns after ignition to 1.0 ± 0.5 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻³ after 1050 ns. The electron temperature was found to be 0.35 eV, close to the value given by Saha’s equation.     

Photocatalysis of Reduction of the Dye Methylene Blue by Bi2S3/CdS Nanocomposites

We have determined the optimal conditions for synthesis of Bi₂S₃/CdS nanocomposites and we have determined their photocatalytic activity in the reaction of reduction of methylene blue as a function of composition. We suggest a possible mechanism for the photocatalytic action of the nanocomposites.     

活性炭负载氢氧化氧铋催化水合肼还原芳香族硝基化合物

采用浸渍法制备了BiO(OH)/C催化剂。催化剂的XRD谱表明,当催化剂中BiO(OH)的质量分数小于10%时,BiO(OH)在活性炭中高度分散。反应温度为75 ℃时,催化剂重复使用7次仍保持较高活性。在5 mL乙醇中以0.05 g 10%（质量分数）BiO(OH)/C,1 mmol芳香族硝基化合物和2 mmol水合肼于75 ℃反应一定的时间,所得芳胺的收率为88%～99%。     

Controllable Synthesis of Few‐Layer Bismuth Subcarbonate by Electrochemical Exfoliation for Enhanced CO2 Reduction Performance

Two‐dimensional (2D) engineering of materials has been recently explored to enhance the performance of electrocatalysts by reducing their dimensionality and introducing more catalytically active ones. In this work, controllable synthesis of few‐layer bismuth subcarbonate nanosheets has been achieved via an electrochemical exfoliation method. These nanosheets catalyse CO₂ reduction to formate with high faradaic efficiency and high current density at a low overpotential owing to the 2D structure and co‐existence of bismuth subcarbonate and bismuth metal under catalytic turnover conditions. Two underlying fast electron transfer processes revealed by Fourier‐transformed alternating current voltammetry (FTacV) are attributed to CO₂ reduction at bismuth subcarbonate and bismuth metal. FTacV results also suggest that protonation of CO₂^.? is the rate determining step for bismuth catalysed CO₂ reduction.     

A Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution and Oxygen Reduction Reactions in Water

Oxygen reduction and water oxidation are two key processes in fuel cell applications. The oxidation of water to dioxygen is a 4 H⁺/4 e^? process, while oxygen can be fully reduced to water by a 4 e^?/4 H⁺ process or partially reduced by fewer electrons to reactive oxygen species such as H₂O₂ and O₂^?. We demonstrate that a novel manganese corrole complex behaves as a bifunctional catalyst for both the electrocatalytic generation of dioxygen as well as the reduction of dioxygen in aqueous media. Furthermore, our combined kinetic, spectroscopic, and electrochemical study of manganese corroles adsorbed on different electrode materials (down to a submolecular level) reveals mechanistic details of the oxygen evolution and reduction processes.     

Intermetallic Nanocrystals: Seed-Mediated Synthesis and Applications in Electrocatalytic Reduction Reactions

In recent years, intermetallic nanocrystals (IMNCs) have attracted extensive attention in the field of electrocatalysis. However, precise control over the size, shape, composition, structure, and exposed crystal facet of IMNCs seems to be a challenge to the traditional method of high-temperature annealing although these parameters have a significant effect on the electrocatalytic performance. Controllable synthesis of IMNCs by the wet chemistry method in the liquid phase shows great potential compared with the traditional high-temperature annealing method. In this Review, we attempt to summarize the preparation of IMNCs by the seed-mediated synthesis in the liquid phase, as well as their applications in electrocatalytic reduction reactions. Several representative examples are purposely selected for highlighting the huge potential of the seed-mediated synthesis approach in chemical synthesis. Specifically, we personally perceive the seed-mediated synthesis approach as a promising tool in the future for precise control over the size, shape, composition, structure, and exposed crystal facet of IMNCs.     

铂/石墨烯氧还原电催化剂的共还原法制备及表征

使用硼氢化钠共还原法制备40% (w)铂/石墨烯电催化剂用于氧还原反应. 通过循环伏安测试发现, 这种方法制备所得铂/石墨烯催化剂对氧还原反应活性较铂/碳催化剂差, 但稳定性有所提高. 在稳定性测试中,铂/石墨烯电催化性能衰减为50%, 较铂/碳(79%)好. X射线衍射(XRD)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)表征发现在铂/石墨烯催化剂中两者存在明显交互作用, 这可能是阻止石墨烯再堆垛和防止铂颗粒团聚的主要原因. 通过对单电池性能测试也发现铂/石墨烯催化剂更有利于电池长期稳定.     

Kinetics of Conversions of Peroxynitrous Acid in Reactions of Isomerization,Decomposition, and Reduction by Cyclohexane

We have studied the kinetics of decomposition and reduction of peroxynitrous acid HOONO by cyclohexane in aqueous solutions. We used the measured effective rate constants of the reactions to compare the reactivities of the acid in the processes of isomerization, decomposition, and reduction.     

The Role of Ligand Topology in the Decomplexation of Luminescent Lanthanide Complexes by Dipicolinic Acid

In this study, we present the aqueous solution behavior of two luminescent lanthanide antenna complexes (Eu³⁺? 1 , Dy³⁺? 9 ) with different ligand topologies in the presence of dipicolinic acid (DPA, pyridine‐2,6‐dicarboxylic acid). Macrocyclic (1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7‐triacetic acid, DO3A, 9 ) and acyclic (1,4,7‐triazaheptane‐1,1,7,7‐tetraacetic acid, DTTA, 1 ) ligands have been selected to form a ratiometric pair in which Dy³⁺? 9 acts as a reference and Eu³⁺? 1 acts as a probe for the recognition of DPA. The pair of luminescent complexes in water reveals the capability to work as a DPA luminescent sensor. The change of emission intensity of Eu³⁺ indicates the occurrence of a new sensitization path for the lanthanide cation through excitation of DPA. NMR evidence implies the presence of free 1 and mass spectrometry shows the formation of emitting [EuDPA₂]^? as a result of a ligand exchange reaction.