Visible light induced efficient activation of persulfate by a carbon quantum dots (CQDs) modified γ-Fe2O3 catalyst

In this study, a carbon quantum dots modified maghemite catalyst (CQDs@γ-Fe₂O₃) has been synthesized by a one-step solvothermal method for efficient persulfate (PDS) activation under visible light irradiation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS) characterization indicated that the formation of heterojunction structure between CQDs and γ-Fe₂O₃ effectively reduced the catalyst band gap (E_g), favoring the separation rate of electrons and holes, leading to remarkable efficient sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation as compared to the dark-CQDs@γ-Fe₂O₃/PDS and vis-γ-Fe₂O₃/PDS systems. The evolution of dissolved irons also demonstrated that CQDs could accelerate the in-situ reduction of surface-bounded Fe³⁺. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and radical scavenging experiments demonstrated that both OH and SO₄⁻ were generated in the reaction system, while OH was relatively more dominant than SO₄⁻ for SMX degradation. Finally, the reaction mechanism in the vis-CQDs@γ-Fe₂O₃/PDS system was proposed involving an effective and accelerated heterogeneous-homogeneous iron cycle. CQDs would enrich the photo-generated electrons from γ-Fe₂O₃, causing efficient interfacial generation of surface-bond Fe²⁺ and reduction of adsorbed Fe³⁺. This visible light induced iron cycle would eventually lead to effective activation of PDS as well as the efficient degradation of SMX.     

Enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of CeO2@Zn0.5Cd0.5S by facile Ce(IV)/Ce(III) cycle

In this study, CeO₂@Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S heterostructure (Ce@ZCS) is synthesized via a simple two-step hydrothermal method. The effect of CeO₂ loading on the visible-light photoactivity of Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S is mainly investigated. It is found that Ce@ZCS shows a 1.9 times activity as high as ZCS for the MB degradation. The improved activity mainly results from the significant enhanced charge separation by CeO₂, in which the electron transfer is obviously promoted by the facile Ce(IV)/Ce(III) cycle. The excited electrons of ZCS is easy to transfer to CeO₂, thus obviously increasing the charge separation of ZCS. The accepted electrons by CeO₂ may easily be captured by the adsorbed O₂ to form O₂⁻, and then O₂⁻ could combine with H⁺/H₂O to form HO₂, and OH. Finally, O₂⁻, h⁺ and OH are confirmed as the major oxidative species in photocatalytic reaction for Ce@ZCS, and a possible photocatalytic mechanism is proposed. The cheap, efficient Ce@ZCS photocatalyst could be applied for practical waste water treatment.     

Ultrafast O2 activation by copper oxide for 2,4-dichlorophenol degradation: The size-dependent surface reactivity

This study demonstrated interesting ultrafast activation of molecular O₂ by copper oxide (CuO) particles and very rapid elimination of aqueous 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) within reaction time of 30 s. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) characterization indicated that OH, Cu³⁺, ¹O₂ and O₂⁻ were generated in the CuO/O₂ systems, wherein O₂⁻ would be the main reactive species responsible for 2,4-DCP degradation. It was further found that the catalytic ability of CuO for O₂ activation was highly size dependent and nano-CuO was far reactive than micro-CuO. H₂ temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analyses revealed that both the quantity and the reactivity of the surface reaction sites (surface Cu⁺ and O₂) could determine the catalytic ability of CuO affecting efficient Cu⁺-based molecular oxygen activation. Moreover, the O₂ activation ability of CuO would depend on not only the dimension, but also crystalline factors, for example, the exposed facets.     

InP quantum dots on g-C3N4 nanosheets to promote molecular oxygen activation under visible light

Largely limited by the high dissociation energy of the OO bond, the photocatalytic molecular oxygen activation is highly challenged, which restrains the application of photocatalytic oxidation technology for atmospheric pollutants removal. Herein, we design and fabricate the InP QDs/g-C₃N₄ compounds. The introduction of InP QDs promotes the charge transfer within the interface resulting in the effective separation of photo-generated carriers. Furthermore, InP QDs greatly facilitates the activation of molecular oxygen and promote the formation of O₂⁻ under visible-light illumination. These conclusions are identified by experimental and calculation results. Hence, NO can be combined with the O₂⁻ to form OONO intermediate to direct conversion into NO₃⁻. As a result, the NO removal ratio of g-C₃N₄ has a onefold increase after InP QDs loaded and the generation of NO₂ is effectively inhibited. This work may provide a strategy to design highly efficient materials for molecular oxygen activation.     

Protein nanoparticles containing Cu(II) and DOX for efficient chemodynamic therapy via self-generation of H2O2

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) refers to generating hydroxyl radical (OH) in tumor sites via hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) catalyzed by transition metal ions in cancer cells under acidic environment. However, H₂O₂ content is not enough for effective CDT, although H₂O₂ content in cancer cells is higher than that of normal cells. Herein, we synthesized DOX@BSA-Cu NPs (nanoparticles) for effective CDT by providing enhanced content of H₂O₂ in cancer cells. The results proved Cu²⁺ in NPs could be reduced to Cu⁺ by glutathione (GSH) and effectively converted H₂O₂ to OH. Moreover, the loaded low-dose doxorubicin (DOX) in the NPs could improve the content of H₂O₂ and resulted in more efficient generation of OH in cancer cells. Thus DOX@BSA-Cu NPs exhibited higher cytotoxicity to cancer cells. This research may provide new ideas for the further studies on more effective Cu(II)-based CDT nanoagents.     

New insight in the O2 activation by nano Fe/Cu bimetals: The synergistic role of Cu(0) and Fe(II)

This study demonstrated that as-synthesized nano Fe/Cu bimetals could achieve significant enhancement in the degradation of diclofenac (DCF), as compared to much slow removal of DCF by Cu(II) or zero valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI), respectively. Further observations on the evolution of O₂ activation process by nano Fe/Cu bimetals was conducted stretching to the preparation phase (started by nZVI/Cu²⁺). Interesting breakpoints were observed with obvious sudden increase in the DCF degradation efficiency and decrease in solution pH, as the original nZVI just consumed up to Fe(II) and Cu(II) appeared again. It suggested that the four-electrons reaction of O₂ and Cu-deposited nZVI would occur to generate water prior to the breakpoints, while Cu(0) and Fe(II) would play most important role in activation of O₂ afterwards. Through the electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis and quenching experiments, OH was identified as the responsible reactive species. Further time-dependent quantifications in the cases of Cu(0)/Fe(II) systems were carried out. It was found that the OH accumulation was positively and linearly correlated with nCu dose, Fe(II) consumption, and Fe(II) dose, respectively. Since either Cu(0) or Fe(II) would be inefficient in activating oxygen to produce OH, a stage-evolution mechanism of O₂ activated by nano Fe/Cu bimetals was proposed involving: (a) Rapid consumption of Fe(0) and release of Fe(II) based on the Cu-Fe galvanic corrosion, (b) adsorption and transformation of O₂ to O₂²⁻ at the nCu surface, and (c) Fe(II)-catalyzed activation of the adsorbed O₂²⁻ to OH.     

High active amorphous Co(OH)2 nanocages as peroxymonosulfate activator for boosting acetaminophen degradation and DFT calculation

Acetaminophen (ACE) is commonly used in analgesic and antipyretic drug, which is hardly removed by traditional wastewater treatment processes. Herein, amorphous Co(OH)₂ nanocages were explored as peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator for efficient degradation of ACE. In the presence of amorphous Co(OH)₂ nanocages, 100% of ACE removal was reached within 2 min with a reaction rate constant k₁ = 3.68 min^?1 at optimum pH 5, which was much better than that of crystalline β-Co(OH)₂ and Co₃O₄. Amorphous materials (disorder atom arrangement) with hollow structures possess large specific surface area, more reactive sites, and abundant vacancies structures, which could efficiently facilitate the catalytic redox reactions. The radicals quenching experiment demonstrated that SO₄^? radicals dominated the ACE degradation rather than OH radicals. The mechanism of ACE degradation was elucidated by the analysis of degradation intermediates and theoretical calculation, indicating that the electrophilic SO₄^? and OH tend to attack the atoms of ACE with high Fukui index (f ^?). Our finding highlights the remarkable advantages of amorphous materials as heterogeneous catalysts in sulfate radicals-based AOPs and sheds new lights on water treatment for the degradation of emerging organic contaminants.     

Copper-catalyzed synthesis of oxime ethers from iminoxy radical (CN–O) and maleimides via radical addition

An efficient Cu(II)-catalyzed radical addition of maleimides has been achieved. The identified copper catalyst enables the formation of oxime radicals (N–O) by cleaving the O–H bond in ketoximes, followed by the radical addition to N-substituted maleimides. The oxime radicals (N–O) were detected and confirmed by EPR spectroscopy and variable-temperature ¹H NMR. The simple one-pot reaction realizes the facile preparation of a variety of oxime ether adduct products in moderate to good yields.     

Novel organic magnet derived from pyrazine-fused furazans

The first organic magnet based on a high-nitrogen framework of pyrazine-fused furazans Na(L⁻)(H₂O)₃ was found. A quantum-chemical study of M(L⁻)(H₂O)_n, where M = Li, Na, K, Rb, NH₄, revealed that exchange coupling energy between the neighboring radical anions proved highly sensitive to the motion of one L⁻ relative to another.     

Electro-catazone treatment of an ozone-resistant drug: Effect of sintering temperature on TiO2 nanoflower catalyst on porous Ti gas diffuser anodes

Electrochemical heterogeneous catalytic ozonation (E-catazone) is a promising and advanced oxidation technology that uses a titanium dioxide nanoflower (TiO_2-NF)-coated porous Ti gas diffuser as an anode material. Our previous study has highlighted that the importance of the TiO_2-NF coating layer in enhancing OH production and rapidly degrading O₃-resistant drugs. It is well known that the properties of TiO_2-NF are closely related to its sintering temperature. However, to date, related research has not been conducted in E-catazone systems. Thus, this study evaluated the effect of the sintering temperature on the degradation of the O₃-resistant drug para-chlorobenzoic acid (p-CBA) using both experimental and kinetic modeling and revealed its influence mechanism. The results indicated that the TiO_2-NF sintering temperature could influence p-CBA degradation and OH production. TiO_2-NF prepared at 450 °C showcased the highest p-CBA removal efficiency (98.5% in 5 min) at a rate of 0.82 min⁻¹, and an OH exposure of 8.41 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol L⁻¹ s. Kinetic modeling results and interface characterization data revealed that the sintering temperature could alter the TiO₂ crystallized phase and the content of surface-adsorbed oxygen, thus affecting the two key limiting reactions in the E-catazone process. That is, ≡TiO₂ surface reacted with H₂O to form TiO₂-(OH)₂, which then heterogeneously catalyzed O₃ to form OH. Consequently, E-catazone with a TiO_2-NF anode prepared at 450 °C generated the highest surface reaction rate (5.00 × 10⁻¹ s⁻¹ and 4.00 × 10^-3 L mol^-1 s⁻¹, respectively), owing to its higher anatase content and adsorbed oxygen. Thus, a rapid O₃-TiO₂ reaction was achieved, resulting in an enhanced OH formation and a highly effective p-CBA degradation. Overall, this study provides novel baseline data to improve the application of E-catazone technology.     

Chitosan capped silver nanoparticles: Adsorption and photochemical activities

Chitosan capped silver nanoparticles (Chi-Ag) were prepared using AgNO₃ and sodium borohydride. Chitosan was detected by using ninhydrin test, thermal gravimetric analysis and measurement of relative viscosity. Chi-Ag was used for removal of cadmium (Cd²⁺) at room temperature. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity, and sorption intensity were estimated to be 119.04 mg/g and 1.6, respectively, from Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models. The kinetics of Cd²⁺ adsorption onto Chi-Ag was proceeds through the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Boyd and Elovich models suggest the adsorption and/or coordination of Cd²⁺ with the NH₂ and OH groups of chitosan along with AgNPs proceeds through the film diffusion and chemisorption process. The average viscosity molecular weight of chitosan and Chi-Ag decreased with increased potassium persulfate (K₂S₂O₈) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) concentration. The presence of H₂O₂ and K₂S₂O₈ promoted the hydrolysis of chitosan due to the cleavage of glycosidic bond by generated HO and SO₄^? radicals.     

Facile defect engineering in ZnIn2S4 coupled with carbon dots for rapid diclofenac degradation

Semiconductor-mediated photocatalysis is a promising photochemical process for harvesting inexhaustible solar energy to address the energy crisis and environmental issues. However, the low solar-light response and poor carrier migration are severe drawbacks that limit its practical application. Herein, we propose a convenient pathway for improving electron-hole separation and solar energy utilisation by engineering defective ZnIn₂S₄ with doping of carbon dots. The optimum ZnIn₂S₄/CD200 nanosheet exhibited 100% diclofenac (DCF) degradation within 12 min under visible-light. The estimated photocatalytic efficiency under natural sunlight was 98.2%. Scavenging experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis indicated that the superoxide radical (O₂⁻), photoelectron (e⁻), hole (h⁺) and hydroxyl radical (OH) were the predominant contributions in the ZnIn₂S₄/CD200/DCF/visible light system. Furthermore, ZnIn₂S₄/CD200 exhibited excellent reusability and stability after 4 times recycling. The photodegradation routes mainly involved hydroxylation, decarboxylation, CN bond cleavage, dechlorination, ring closure, and ring-opening. The ecological risk assessment and total organic carbon (TOC) tests exhibited desirable toxicity reduction and mineralization results. These observations not only offer a facile strategy for the construction of defective ZnIn₂S₄, but also pioneer the direct utilisation of natural light for highly efficient environmental remediation.     

Covalent organic frameworks functionalized carbon fiber paper for the capture and detection of hydroxyl radical in the atmosphere

Developing a fast, sensitive and convenient method for the detection of hydroxyl radicals (OH) in the atmosphere could help us know the precursor levels of atmospheric species and control air pollution. In this work, the carbon fiber paper (CFP) functionalizing with a kind of covalent organic frameworks (COFs), formed from 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) and benzidine (BD) (COF(TpBD)), was firstly used a new platform for OH trapping and detection. The COF(TpBD) modified CFP was acted as a filter to impregnate salicylic acid (SA) and a detector to detect 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHBA) which was produced from the reaction between the impregnated SA and OH in the atmosphere. This method provided a linearity for 2,5-DHBA from 5.0 × 10⁻¹⁴ mol/L 1.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol/L with a detection limit of 6.9 × 10⁻¹⁵ mol/L, which is corresponding to the amount of OH from 3.0 × 10⁷ to 6.0 × 10¹¹ molecules/cm³ with the detection limit of 4.1 × 10⁶ molecules/cm³. This COF(TpBD)-CFP platform has been successfully applied for the detection of OH concentration under different conditions of Yangzhou when the sampling time was shortened to 30 min. This work has provided a new method for atmospheric OH detection with excellent sensitivity, simplicity, and high speed.     

Vitamin B3 as a high acid-alkali tolerant peroxidase mimic for colorimetric detection of hydrogen peroxide and glutathione

Small-molecule enzyme mimics as biocatalysts have been extensively applied in diverse colorimetric sensors fabrication. However, excavating potential organic enzyme mimics with high catalytic activity still remains challenging. In this study, the peroxidase mimicking activity of nicotinic acid (VB3) was demonstrated for the first time through chromogenic substrate 3, 3′, 5, 5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) at the existence of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The catalytic activity of VB3 kept more than 80% of its optimum activity in a broad pH range of 3.0–9.0. In addition, the kinetic parameter (Michaelis constant, K_m = 0.037 mM) of VB3 catalysis to H₂O₂ is smaller than natural horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and previously reported peroxidase mimics. The catalytic mechanism of VB3 is mainly attributed to the active species of hydroxyl radical (OH) and partially attributed to the superoxide free radicals (O₂^?). A convenient and sensitive colorimetric method based on VB3-H₂O₂-TMB chromogenic system for H₂O₂ and glutathione detection was fabricated with the linear ranges of 5.0–100.0 μM and 5.0–50.0 μM, respectively. In short, this work will not only bring new enlightenment on the physiological functions and practical applications in the analytical field of VB3, but also provide a new type of structural reference for small-molecule enzyme mimics.     

EPR of gamma irradiation induced radicals in NaHCO3, CsHCO3 and Na2CO3

In this study gamma irradiated NaHCO₃, CsHCO₃ and Na₂CO₃ were investigated at room temperature. The radicals induced by gamma irradiation in NaHCO₃ were found to be CO⁻₃, HCO₃ and CO⁻₂; in CsHCO₃ the species were attributed to HCO₃; and in Na₂CO₃ to CO⁻₃ and CO⁻₂ radicals. The hyperfine parameters for the hydrogen in HCO₃, and the ¹³C nucleus in CO⁻₂ radical have been determined. The results were compared with literature data for similar compounds and the EPR properties of the CO⁻₂ radical were discussed.     

Efficient decomposition of sulfamethoxazole in a novel neutral Fered-Fenton like/oxalate system based on effective heterogeneous-homogeneous iron cycle

In this study, efficient sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation was demonstrated in a novel neutral Fered-Fenton like/oxalate (electro-Fe²⁺/PDS/Ox, Fered-FL/Ox) system adopting pre-anodized Ti@TiO₂ cathode. Optimization of operational parameters was conducted and the whole reaction mechanism based on the critical solid-liquid interfacial reactions was explored. An efficient neutral heterogeneous-homogenous iron cycle would exist in the Fered-FL/Ox system, depending on the formation of specific COTi bonds through the inner sphere surface complex (ISSC) of Fe(C₂O₄)₃³⁻. It would induce ultrafast electron transfer from the cathode to the Fe^III core, effectively accelerating the neutral Fenton-like reactions and complete mineralization of SMX with relative low dosage of ferrous catalyst and applied voltage. The result of this study is expected to supply a good alternative in treating complex neutral industrial wastewaters     

Graphdiyne as a novel nonactive anode for wastewater treatment: A theoretical study

Electrochemical oxidation of water to produce highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (OH) is the dominant factor that accounts for the organic compounds removal efficiency in water treatment. As an emerging carbon-based material, the investigation of electrocatalytic of water to produce OH on Graphdiyne (GDY) anode is firstly evaluated by using first-principles calculations. The theoretical calculation results demonstrated that the GDY anode owns a large oxygen evolution reaction (OER) overpotential (η^OER = 1.95 V) and a weak sorptive ability towards oxygen evolution intermediates (HO*, not OH). The high Gibbs energy change of HO* (3.18 eV) on GDY anode makes the selective production of OH (ΔG = 2.4 eV) thermodynamically favorable. The investigation comprises the understanding of the relationship between OER to electrochemical advanced oxidation process (EAOP), and give a proof-of-concept of finding the novel and robust environmental EAOP anode at quantum chemistry level.     

Effects of exogenic chloride on oxidative degradation of chlorinated azo dye by UV-activated peroxodisulfate

Recently, the degradation of organic compounds in saline dye wastewater by sulfate radicals (SO₄⁻)-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have attracted much attention. However, previous studies on these systems have selected non-chlorinated dyes as model compounds, and little is known about the transformation of chlorinated dyes in such systems. In this study, acid yellow 17 (AY-17) was selected as a model of chlorinated contaminants, and the degradation kinetics and evolution of oxidation byproducts were investigated in the UV/PDS system. AY-17 can be efficiently degraded (over 98% decolorization) under 90 min irradiation at pH 2.0–3.0, and the reaction follows pseudo-first order kinetics. Cl^‒ accelerated the degradation of AY-17, but simultaneously led to an undesirable increase of absorbable organic halogen (AOX). Several chlorinated byproducts were identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) in the UV/PDS system. It indicates that endogenic chlorine and exogenic Cl^– reacted with SO₄⁻ to form chloride radicals, which are involved in the dechlorination and rechlorination of AY-17 and intermediates. The possible degradation mechanisms of AY-17 photooxidative degradation are proposed. This work provides valuable information for further studies on the role of exogenic chloride in the degradation of chlorinated azo dyes and the kinetic parameters in the PDS-based oxidation process.     

Spectral characterization,electrochemical, antimicrobial and cytotoxic studies on new metal(II) complexes containing N2O4 donor hexadentate Schiff base ligand

We report the biological activity of the new Schiff base ligand H₂L (H₂L = 6,6′-((1E,11E)-5,8-dioxa-2,11-diazadodeca-1,11-diene-1,12-diyl)bis(2,4-dichlorophenol)), its derived metal(II) complexes [Cu(L)] (1), [Co(L)] (2), [Ni(L)] (3) and [Zn(L)] (4), along with their structural characterizations by using various analytical and spectroscopic techniques. Electrochemical investigations showed that all of these Cu(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes were reversibly reducible. Although the change of the number of unpaired electrons are different of the metal cations, they have an effect on the redox potentials of the Co(II)/(I), Ni(II)/(I) and Cu(II)/(I) couples. The ¹H NMR and FTIR data concluded that the Schiff base ligand H₂L acts as a hexadentate ligand coordinating with metal(II) ions through the oxygen atoms of the (COC), phenolic (COH) groups and nitrogen atom of the azomethine (CHN) group. UV-Visible absorption spectra studies clearly revealed the octahedral geometry of the prepared metal(II) complexes. Complexes 1 and 4 were found to be efficient in bringing about antimicrobial activities. The proposed mechanism of their antimicrobial activities has been discussed. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed the remarkable cytotoxicity of complex 1 (IC50 = 17 ± 1.3 μg/mL) on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells than Schiff base ligand H₂L and complexes 2–4. Moreover, AO/EB staining assay revealed cell death due to apoptosis in MCF-7 cells and the generation of ROS by the Schiff base ligand H₂L and its derived metal(II) complexes 1–4 may be a possible cause for their cytotoxic activity.     

Glycidyl ether of naturally occurring sesamol in the synthesis of mussel-inspired polymers

The objective of this work is to synthesize the mussel-mimicking ionic polymers bearing electron-rich 1,3,4-triphenoxy motifs of naturally occurring sesamol [3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenol] I. To our knowledge, the work would represent, for the first time, the ring-opening reaction of epoxide built upon the triphenoxy motifs of hydroxyhydroquinone. Sesamol I upon O-alkylation using epibromohydrin has been converted to its epoxy monomer II in 77% yield. Monomer II under ring-opening polymerization using basic Bu₄NOH and Bu₄NF as well as by Lewis acid initiator/catalyst MePh₃PBr/ⁱBu₃Al led to polyether III in 80–99% yields. Monomer II and allyl glycidyl ether (i.e. allyl 2,3-epoxypropyl ether) IV upon polymerization gave random copolymer V of number average molar mass of 9570 g mol⁻¹, which upon thiol-ene reaction with HSCH₂CH₂NH₃⁺Cl⁻ and HSCH₂CO₂H afforded cationic (^^^NH₃⁺) VI and anionic (^^^CO₂⁻) VII copolymers, respectively. For facile deprotection, the methylenedioxy (OCH₂O) motifs in VI was activated by its conversion to labile acetoxymethylenedioxy [OCH(OAc)O] unit to obtain VIII in 80% yields. The pendant allyl groups in VIII upon elaboration via thiol-ene reaction using cysteamine hydrochloride and subsequent hydrolysis of [OCH(OAc)O] under a mild condition led to a mussel-inspired cationic copolymer IX (78%) having catechol motifs-embedded pendants of 3,4-dihydroxyphenoxy groups.