Attapulgite grafted with polystyrene via a simultaneous reverse and normal initiation atom transfer radical polymerization

The surface grafting of attapulgite (ATP) with polystyrene (PS) was established via a simultaneous reverse and normal initiation atom transfer radical polymerization (SR&NIATRP). 4‐(chloromethyl)phenyltrimethoxysilane (CMPTMS) chemical bounded on the surface of ATP (ATP‐Cl, Cl‐I) was prepared via one‐step self‐assembly. SR&NI ATRP of styrene was conducted using CuCl₂ complex tris(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl)amine (Me₆‐TREN) as the catalytic system, initiated by 2,2‐azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) and ATP‐Cl. FT‐IR, XRD, XPS, TGA and TEM data were consistent with the grafting of benzyl chloride groups and PS chains on ATP surface. The controllability of polymerization was investigated by the kinetics behavior under different molar ratio of AIBN and CuCl₂. The obtained polymer possessed a uniform distribution of molecular weights with a lower polydispersity index of 1.2～1.4. The relationship between polymerization on the surface of ATP and in solution was discussed in detail based on TGA data of hybrid particles and GPC trace of free polymer in solution. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 1508–1516     

Degradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) in aqueous solution by mFe/Cu-air-PS system

In this study, batch experiments were conducted to investigate the performance of microscale Fe/Cu bimetallic particles-air-persulfate system (mFe/Cu-air-PS) for p-nitrophenol (PNP) treatment in aqueous solution. The results indicate that toxic and refractory PNP in aqueous solution could be decomposed effectively and transformed into lower toxicity intermediates.     

Precipitated droplets in-situ cross-linking polymerization and its applications

A novel, green and effective approach to fabricate uniform functional spherical polymer particles remains a huge challenge. Herein, we present a novel one-pot approach superior to traditional precipitation polymerization, called precipitated droplets in-situ cross-linking (PDIC) polymerization, by which uniform particles are fabricated on large scale without any toxic organic solvents or stabilizers. With this approach, functional spherical polymer particles can be fabricated continuously only relying on gravity, and the preparation process is thus super-fast. For example, polyacrylic acid (PAA) hydrogel particles with ultra-high adsorption capacity are fabricated within only 60 s. Moreover, we have successfully fabricated different functional hydrogel particles, including anticoagulant, reinforced and bactericidal particles, based on the monomers of 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS), acrylamide (AM) and [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (DMC), respectively. This approach has several advantages: (i) the technology is green; (ii) the size and porosity of the particles can be well-controlled; (iii) various functional spherical hydrogel particles can be fabricated by using corresponding monomers. More importantly, this approach fits the commercialization of functional hydrogel particles on demand.     

A corresponding-state approach to quark-cluster matter

The state of super-dense matter is essential for us to understand the nature of pulsars; however, non- perturbative quantum chromodynamics makes it very difficult to make direct calculations of the state of cold matter at realistic baryon number densities inside compact stars. Nevertheless, from an observational point of view, it is conjectured that pulsars could be made up of quark clusters since the strong coupling between quarks might render the quarks to be grouped in clusters. In this paper, we attempt to find an equation of state of condensed quark-cluster matter in a phenomenological way. Supposing that the quark-clusters could be analogized to inert gases, we apply here the corresponding-state approach to derive the equation of state of quark-cluster matter, as was similarly demonstrated for nuclear and neutron-star matter in the 1970s. According to the calculations that we have presented, the quark-cluster stars, which are composed of quark-cluster matter, could have a high maximum mass that is consistent with observations and, in turn, further observations of pulsar mass could also place a constraint on the properties of quark-cluster matter. We will also briefly discuss the melting heat during the solid-liquid phase conversion and its related astrophysical consequences.     

Adsorption of Eu(III) on titanate nanotubes studied by a combination of batch and EXAFS technique

The effects of pH,contact time and natural organic ligands on radionuclide Eu(Ⅲ) adsorption and mechanism on titanate nanotubes(TNTs) are studied by a combination of batch and extended X-ray absorption fine structure(EXAFS) techniques.Macroscopic measurements show that the adsorption is ionic strength dependent at pH < 6.0,but ionic strength independent at pH > 6.0.The presence of humic acid(HA) /fulvic acid(FA) increases Eu(Ⅲ) adsorption on TNTs at low pH,but reduces Eu(Ⅲ) adsorption at high pH.The results of EXAFS analysis indicate that Eu(Ⅲ) adsorption on TNTs is dominated by outer-sphere surface complexation at pH < 6.0,whereas by inner-sphere surface complexation at pH > 6.0.At pH < 6.0,Eu(Ⅲ) consists of ～ 9 O atoms at REu?O ≈ 2.40  in the first coordination sphere,and a decrease in NEu-O with increasing pH indicates the introduction of more asymmetry in the first sphere of adsorbed Eu(Ⅲ).At long contact time or high pH values,the Eu(Ⅲ) consists of ～2 Eu at REu-Eu ≈ 3.60  and ～ 1 Ti at REu-Ti ≈ 4.40 ,indicating the formation of inner-sphere surface complexation,surface precipitation or surface polymers.Surface adsorbed HA/FA on TNTs modifies the species of adsorbed Eu(Ⅲ) as well as the local atomic structures of adsorbed Eu(Ⅲ) on HA/FA-TNT hybrids.Adsorbed Eu(Ⅲ) on HA/FA-TNT hybrids forms both ligand-bridging ternary surface complexes(Eu-HA/FA-TNTs) as well as surface complexes in which Eu(Ⅲ) remains directly bound to TNT surface hydroxyl groups(i.e.,binary Eu-TNTs or Eu-bridging ternary surface complexes(HA/FA-Eu-TNTs)).The findings in this work are important to describe Eu(Ⅲ) interaction with nanomaterials at molecular level and will help to improve the understanding of Eu(Ⅲ) physicochemical behavior in the natural environment.     

Numerical simulation of indoor suspension particles based on v-f model

This paper presents a new algorithm for the prediction of indoor suspension particle dispersion based on a v²-f model. In order to handle the near-wall turbulence anisotropy properly, which is significant in the dispersion of fine particles, the particle eddy diffusivity is calculated using different formulae among regions of the turbulent core and in the vicinity of walls. The new algorithm is validated by several cases performed in two ventilated rooms with various air distribution patterns. The simulation results reveal that v²-f nonlinear turbulence model combined with a particle convective equation gives satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. It is generally found that the dynamic equation combined with the v²-f model can properly handle low Reynolds number (LRN) flows which are usually encountered in indoor air flows and fine particle dispersion.