Surface-Polarity-Induced Spatial Charge Separation Boosts Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting on GaN Nanorod Arrays

Photocatalytic overall water splitting has been recognized as a promising approach to convert solar energy into hydrogen. However, most of the photocatalysts suffer from low efficiencies mainly because of poor charge separation. Herein, taking a model semiconductor gallium nitride (GaN) as an example, we uncovered that photogenerated electrons and holes can be spatially separated to the nonpolar and polar surfaces of GaN nanorod arrays, which is presumably ascribed to the different surface band bending induced by the surface polarity. The photogenerated charge separation efficiency of GaN can be enhanced significantly from about 8 % to more than 80 % via co-exposing polar and nonpolar surfaces. Furthermore, spatially assembling reduction and oxidation cocatalysts on the nonpolar and polar surfaces remarkably boosts photocatalytic overall water splitting, with the quantum efficiency increased from 0.9 % for the film photocatalyst to 6.9 % for the nanorod arrays photocatalyst.     

Fast and Selective Semihydrogenation of Alkynes by Palladium Nanoparticles Sandwiched in Metal–Organic Frameworks

The semihydrogenation of alkynes into alkenes rather than alkanes is of great importance in the chemical industry. Unfortunately, state-of-the-art heterogeneous catalysts hardly achieve high turnover frequencies (TOFs) simultaneously with almost full conversion, excellent selectivity, and good stability. Here, we used metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) containing Zr metal nodes (“UiO”) with tunable wettability and electron-withdrawing ability as activity accelerators for the semihydrogenation of alkynes catalyzed by sandwiched palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs). Impressively, the porous hydrophobic UiO support not only leads to an enrichment of phenylacetylene around the Pd NPs but also renders the Pd surfaces more electron-deficient, which leads to a remarkable catalysis performance, including an exceptionally high TOF of 13835 h⁻¹, 100 % phenylacetylene conversion 93.1 % selectivity towards styrene, and no activity decay after successive catalytic cycles. The strategy of using molecularly tailored supports is universal for boosting the selective semihydrogenation of various terminal and internal alkynes.     

Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4): An Interface Enabler for Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries

Solid-state Li metal batteries (SSLMBs) have attracted considerable interests due to their promising energy density as well as high safety. However, the realization of a well-matched Li metal/solid-state electrolyte (SSE) interface remains challenging. Herein, we report g-C₃N₄ as a new interface enabler. We discover that introducing g-C₃N₄ into Li metal can not only convert the Li metal/garnet-type SSE interface from point contact to intimate contact but also greatly enhance the capability to suppress the dendritic Li formation because of the greatly enhanced viscosity, decreased surface tension of molten Li, and the in situ formation of Li₃N at the interface. Thus, the resulting Li-C₃N₄|SSE|Li-C₃N₄ symmetric cell gives a significantly low interfacial resistance of 11 Ω cm² and a high critical current density (CCD) of 1500 μA cm⁻². In contrast, the same symmetric cell configuration with pristine Li metal electrodes has a much larger interfacial resistance (428 Ω cm²) and a much lower CCD (50 μA cm⁻²).     

Stimuli-Responsive Circularly Polarized Organic Ultralong Room Temperature Phosphorescence

Purely organic materials showing room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) and ultralong RTP (OURTP) have recently attracted much attention. However, it is challenging to integrate circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) into RTP/OURTP. Here, we show a strategy to realize CPL-active OURTP (CP-OURTP) by binding an achiral phosphor group directly to the chiral center of an ester chain. Engineering of this flexible chiral chain enables efficient chirality transfer to carbazole aggregates, resulting in strong CP-OURTP with a lifetime of over 0.6 s and dissymmetry factor of 2.3×10⁻³ after the conformation regulation upon photo-activation. The realized CP-OURTP is thus stable at room temperature but can be deactivated quickly at 50 °C to CP-RTP with high CPL stability during the photo-activation/thermal-deactivation cycles. Based on this extraordinary photo/thermal-responsive and highly reversible CP-OURTP/RTP, a CPL-featured lifetime-encrypted combinational logic device has been successfully established.     

Amidation-Dominated Re-Assembly Strategy for Single-Atom Design/Nano-Engineering: Constructing Ni/S/C Nanotubes with Fast and Stable K-Storage

An amidation-dominated re-assembly strategy is developed to prepare uniform single atom Ni/S/C nanotubes. In this re-assembly process, a single-atom design and nano-structured engineering are realized simultaneously. Both the NiO₅ single-atom active centers and nanotube framework endow the Ni/S/C ternary composite with accelerated reaction kinetics for potassium-ion storage. Theoretical calculations and electrochemical studies prove that the atomically dispersed Ni could enhance the convention kinetics and decrease the decomposition energy barrier of the chemically-absorbed small-molecule sulfur in Ni/S/C nanotubes, thus lowering the electrode reaction overpotential and resistance remarkably. The mechanically stable nanotube framework could well accommodate the volume variation during potassiation/depotassiation process. As a result, a high K-storage capacity of 608 mAh g⁻¹ at 100 mA g⁻¹ and stable cycling capacity of 330.6 mAh g⁻¹ at 1000 mA g⁻¹ after 500 cycles are achieved.     

环境科学与工程专业物理化学课程教与学的探讨

物理化学的学习前提是具有良好的高等数学知识基础及较强的逻辑推理能力,因此物理化学普遍被视为最难学的化学学科。本文紧扣金课标准,以环境科学与工程类专业学生为授课对象,基于近年来作者在物理化学教学内容和方法方面的探索,分析物理化学中的教与学中存在的问题及解决方法。     

UV-light irradiation preparation of soybean residue-based hydrogel composite from inorganic/organic hybrids for degradable slow-release N-fertilizer

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Biomass waste, which was the by-product generated along with the production of food, was transformed into high-value constituent in slow-release fertilizers....     

Methanol synthesis from CO2: a DFT investigation on Zn-promoted Cu catalyst

Research on Chemical Intermediates - The reaction steps during methanol synthesis from CO2/H2 are influenced by the type of catalysts such as pure Cu and Zn-decorated Cu. In this study, density...     

化学计量学二阶校正方法结合高效液相色谱用于蜂蜜中10种酚酸类物质的快速定量分析

利用化学计量学二阶校正方法结合高效液相色谱对枣花蜜中10种酚酸类物质的快速定量分析进行了研究。首先通过验证样本研究了所建立模型的准确性。结果显示：10种酚酸类物质的线性相关系数（R）为0.9982~0.9999,平均回收率为97.6%~101.1%,说明所建立的模型稳定可靠。其次,通过模拟蜂蜜试验,确定了固相萃取柱的种类及操作条件（HLB柱,酸化水淋洗,甲醇洗脱）。最后,利用模拟蜂蜜得到的最优条件结合化学计量学二阶校正方法,测定了枣花蜜中10种酚酸类物质的含量,并测得其加标回收率为62.1%~93.8%,考虑到目标分析物的种类较多,且蜂蜜基质极为复杂,该结果基本满足要求。另外,还利用统计与品质因子验证了试验方法的可靠性,结果令人满意。该方法具有简单、快速等优点,可用于复杂基质中多种目标分析物的同时定量分析。     

The Promotion Effect of NaCl on the Conversion of Xylose to Furfural†

Summary of main observation and conclusion In this work,the promotion effect of NaCl on the conversion of xylose to furfural in H2O was studied.it was found that xylose conversion and furfural yield increased with NaCl concentration.NaCl decreased the pH of the solution providing H+ for the acid catalytic dehydration of xylose.The formation of oligomers was determined by GPC and ESI-MS in the initial stage of reaction,especially at low temperature.Excess NaCl promoted the formation of humins in the late stage of the reaction.NaCl could also change the decomposition route of formic acid.Meanwhile,NaCl had the ability of phase separation.Combining these effects with organic solvent during the reaction could inhibit the formation of humins and increase the yield of furfural.In NaCl-H2O-THF biphasic system without other catalyst,the optimal furfural yield of 76.7% and selectivity of 77.6% were achieved at 463 K in 2 h.