Utilizing a Photocatalysis Process to Achieve a Cathode with Low Charging Overpotential and High Cycling Durability for a Li-O2 Battery

The practical applications of non-aqueous lithium-oxygen batteries are impeded by large overpotentials and unsatisfactory cycling durability. Reported here is that commonly encountered fatal problems can be efficiently solved by using a carbon- and binder-free electrode of titanium coated with TiO₂ nanotube arrays (TNAs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Ultraviolet irradiation of the TNAs generates positively charged holes, which efficiently decompose Li₂O₂ and Li₂CO₃ during recharging, thereby reducing the overpotential to one that is near the equilibrium potential for Li₂O₂ formation. The AuNPs promote Li₂O₂ formation, resulting in a large discharge capacity. The electrode exhibits excellent stability with about 100 % coulombic efficiency during continuous cycling of up to 200 cycles, which is due to the carbon- and binder-free composition. This work reveals a new strategy towards the development of highly efficient oxygen electrode materials for lithium-oxygen batteries.     

Facile Synthesis of Sub-Nanometric Copper Clusters by Double Confinement Enables Selective Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Methane

Previous density-functional theory (DFT) calculations show that sub-nanometric Cu clusters (i.e., 13 atoms) favorably generate CH₄ from the CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR), but experimental evidence is lacking. Herein, a facile impregnation-calcination route towards Cu clusters, having a diameter of about 1.0 nm with about 10 atoms, was developed by double confinement of carbon defects and micropores. These Cu clusters enable high selectivity for the CO₂RR with a maximum Faraday efficiency of 81.7 % for CH₄. Calculations and experimental results show that the Cu clusters enhance the adsorption of *H and *CO intermediates, thus promoting generation of CH₄ rather than H₂ and CO. The strong interactions between the Cu clusters and defective carbon optimize the electronic structure of the Cu clusters for selectivity and stability towards generation of CH₄. Provided here is the first experimental evidence that sub-nanometric Cu clusters facilitate the production of CH₄ from the CO₂RR.     

Derivatization-free determination of aminoglycosides by CZE–UV in pharmaceutical formulations

Aminoglycosides are a relevant class of antibiotics widely used by medics and veterinaries. There are a variety of reasons that make their determination relevant, such as quality control, environment and food contamination assessment, drug-release studies, among others. The lack of a chromophore makes aminoglycoside spectrophotometric detection particularly challenging, often requiring derivatization. In this work, an indirect detection method, making use of imidazole as a probe, applying CZE was successfully tested. It did not require derivatization, which simplified the sample preparation. Suitable figures of merit were obtained; recoveries between 95 and 105%, adequate repeatability and precision, correlation coefficients (r) above 0.998, and limits of detection (LODs) of 3.2 and 11 mg/L for gentamicin and paromomycin, respectively. As a proof-of-concept, it was also applied in a simple controlled release experiment that was well fitted using the Hill equation.     

三维复合材料CdS@DMSA-GO的原位合成及其光催化性能

通过在石墨烯中引入内消旋-2,3-二巯基琥珀酸(DMSA)构建三维立体结构,原位合成了CdS@DMSA-GO复合材料。实验表明,反应温度对所得材料的结构和性能具有重要的影响。CdS@DMSA-GO-100℃对罗丹明B和刚果红具有最佳的吸附和光催化降解性能,降解效率可达96%以上。自由基捕获实验表明,·O2在催化过程中是主要的活性氧物质。     

五年制专科小学教育专业的教学大纲和教材与小学科学课程标准和教材的对比

对小学科学课程标准与五年制专科小学教育专业“科学·化学”教学大纲中对化学知识内容的要求,以及小学《科学》和高等专科学校《科学·化学》教材中涉及的化学知识内容进行了对比。同时就五年制专科层次小学教育专业化学课程存在的问题进行了讨论,并提出了选择合适的课程教学内容、加强化学实验和化学教材建设、建立理论课程和实验教学新体系模块等建议。     

证据推理:开启化学之门的重要方式*——以“氧气的性质和用途”为例

基于证据推理的教学是回应化学史、指向未来、面向现在的教学。以“氧气的性质和用途”的教学实践为例,说明了基于证据推理的教学的重要性:可以帮助学生夯实化学基础知识,掌握必备基本技能;形成基本化学观念,初步认识物质世界;掌握科学思维方式,科学分析解决问题,从而帮助学生开启化学之门。     

微信平台辅助的农科有机化学实验课混合式教学实践

利用微信公众平台和移动网络辅助教学的优点,改革农科院校中非化学专业公共基础有机化学实验课传统教学模式,构建了“课前翻转教学,课中解惑内化,课后巩固提高”的三段混合式新型教学模式,并对此类教学模式的构建原则,特色微信公众平台建设、应用情况及注意事项进行实践研究。     

Bridging Small Molecules to Conjugated Polymers: Efficient Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence with a Methyl‐Substituted Phenylene Linker

Based on a “TADF + Linker” strategy (TADF=thermally activated delayed fluorescence), demonstrated here is the successful construction of conjugated polymers that allow highly efficient delayed fluorescence. Small molecular TADF blocks are linked together using a methyl‐substituted phenylene linker to form polymers. With the growing number of methyl groups on the phenylene, the energy level of the local excited triplet state (³LE_b) from the delocalized polymer backbone gradually increases, and finally surpasses the charge‐transfer triplet state (³CT). As a result, the diminished delayed fluorescence can be recovered for the tetramethyl phenylene containing polymer, revealing a record‐high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 23.5 % (68.8 cd A^?1, 60.0 lm W^?1) and Commission Internationale de l′Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.25, 0.52). Combined with an orange‐red TADF emitter, a bright white electroluminescence is also obtained with a peak EQE of 20.9 % (61.1 cd A^?1, 56.4 lm W^?1) and CIE coordinates of (0.36, 0.51).     

Covalent Organic Framework for Improving Near‐Infrared Light Induced Fluorescence Imaging through Two‐Photon Induction

Fluorescent materials exhibiting two‐photon induction (TPI) are used for nonlinear optics, bioimaging, and phototherapy. Polymerizations of molecular chromophores to form π‐conjugated structures were hindered by the lack of long‐range ordering in the structure and strong π–π stacking between the chromophores. Reported here is the rational design of a benzothiadiazole‐based covalent organic framework (COF) for promoting TPI and obtaining efficient two‐photon induced fluorescence emissions. Characterization and spectroscopic data revealed that the enhancement in TPI performance is attributed to the donor‐π‐acceptor‐π‐donor configuration and regular intervals of the chromophores, the large π‐conjugation domain, and the long‐range order of COF crystals. The crystalline structure of TPI‐COF attenuates the π–π stacking interactions between the layers, and overcomes aggregation‐caused emission quenching of the chromophores for improving near‐infrared two‐photon induced fluorescence imaging.     

Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation from CdTe Photoanodes Annealed with CdCl2

Most CdTe photoanodes and photocathodes show positive and negative photocurrent onset potentials for water oxidation and reduction, respectively, and are thus unable to drive photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting without external applied biases. Herein, the activity of a CdTe photoanode having an internal p‐n junction during PEC water oxidation was enhanced by applying a CdCl₂ annealing treatment together with surface modifications. The resulting CdTe photoanode generated photocurrents of 1.8 and 5.4 mA cm^?2 at 0.6 and 1.2 V_RHE, respectively, with a photoanodic current onset potential of 0.22 V_RHE under simulated sunlight (AM 1.5G). The CdCl₂ annealing increased the grain sizes and lowered the density of grain boundaries, allowing more efficient charge separation. Consequently, a two‐electrode tandem PEC cell comprising a CdTe‐based photoanode and photocathode split water without any external bias at a solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion efficiency of 0.51 % at the beginning of the reaction.