Current Development and Challenges of Mixed Matrix Membranes for CO2/CH4 Separation

In the early stage of membrane technology development in gas separation, utilization of polymeric membranes has gained attention due to their robustness and ease of fabrication. However, the performance of polymeric membranes is limited by the trade-off between permeability and selectivity. Meanwhile, inorganic membrane is capable to exhibit great enhancement in separation performance but unfortunately its fabrication process is hard and costly. Thus, development of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by incorporating inorganic fillers into the polymer matrix has become a potential alternative to overcome the limitations of polymeric and inorganic membranes in gas separation. Nevertheless, fabrication of defect-free MMMs with improved separation performance and without compromising the mechanical and thermal stability is extremely difficult and challenging. In the current review paper, various types of inorganic fillers for MMMs fabrication and recent reported efforts to tailor the underlying problems on MMMs fabrication were discussed. The future outlook to advance the performance of MMMs in gas separation especially for CO₂/CH₄ separation was highlighted.     

Anthraquinone Redox Relay for Dye-Sensitized Photo-electrochemical H2O2 Production

Anthraquinone (AQ) redox mediators are introduced to metal-free organic dye sensitized photo-electrochemical cells (DSPECs) for the generation of H₂O₂. Instead of directly reducing O₂ to produce H₂O₂, visible-light-driven AQ reduction occurs in the DSPEC and the following autooxidation with O₂ allows H₂O₂ accumulation and AQ regeneration. In an aqueous electrolyte, under 1 sun conditions, a water-soluble AQ salt is employed with the highest photocurrent of up to 0.4 mA cm⁻² and near-quantitative faradaic efficiency for producing H₂O₂. In a non-aqueous electrolyte, under 1 sun illumination, an organic-soluble AQ is applied and the photocurrent reaches 1.8 mA cm⁻² with faradaic efficiency up to 95 % for H₂O₂ production. This AQ-relay DSPEC exhibits the highest photocurrent so far in non-aqueous electrolytes for H₂O₂ production and excellent acid stability in aqueous electrolytes, thus providing a practical and efficient strategy for visible-light-driven H₂O₂ production.     

相对分子质量对烷基芳基磺酸盐复配体系固液吸附性能的影响

测定了5种平均相对分子质量和相对分子质量(以下简称分子量)分布不同的烷基芳基磺酸盐复配体系的吸附等温线,分别考察了分子量、分子量分布、温度和无机盐对复配体系在油砂/石英砂表面的吸附量的影响。 结果表明,对5种分子量分布复配体系吸附量依次降低的顺序为递增分布、正态分布、反正态分布、递减分布和均匀分布;复配体系在油砂表面的吸附量随着磺酸盐的平均分子量的增大而增大,随温度的升高而降低,随NaCl浓度的增加而增加。另外,在低浓度时,MgCl2、CaCl2和Na2SO4比NaCl对吸附的影响显著。 NaCl对复配体系在油砂表面的吸附影响比对石英砂表面吸附的影响略大。     

Hydrothermal Synthesis of a Crystalline Rutile TiO2 Nanorod Based Network for Efficient Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

One‐dimensional (1D) TiO₂ nanostructures are desirable as photoanodes in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) due to their superior electron‐transport capability. However, making use of the DSSC performance of 1D rutile TiO₂ photoanodes remains challenging, mainly due to the small surface area and consequently low dye loading. Herein, a new type of photoanode with a three‐dimensional (3D) rutile‐nanorod‐based network structure directly grown on fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates was developed by using a facile two‐step hydrothermal process. The resultant photoanode possesses oriented rutile nanorod arrays for fast electron transport as the bottom layer and radially packed rutile head‐caps with an improved large surface area for efficient dye adsorption. The diffuse reflectance spectra showed that with the radially packed top layer, the light‐harvesting efficiency was increased due to an enhanced light‐scattering effect. A combination of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), dark current, and open‐circuit voltage decay (OCVD) analyses confirmed that the electron‐recombiantion rate was reduced on formation of the nanorod‐based 3D network for fast electron transport. As a resut, a light‐to‐electricity conversion efficiency of 6.31 % was achieved with this photoanode in DSSCs, which is comparable to the best DSSC efficiencies that have been reported to date for 1D rutile TiO₂.     

Pyridyl‐Dicarboxylate Tuned Cadmium(II) Complexes and Their Fluorescence Emission Properties

To investigate the effect of organic anions on coordination frameworks, the complexes [Cd(2, 6‐pydc)(bibix)₂(H₂O)₂]_n ( 1 ) and {[Cd₄(2, 5‐pydc)₄(bibix)₄(H₂O)₄](H₂O)₈}_n ( 2 ) were isolated by the reactions of 1‐{4‐[(1H‐benzoimidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]benzyl}‐1H‐benzoimidazole (bibix) and two distinct pyridyl‐dicarboxylates as organic anions with d¹⁰ metal salts. In the resulting structures, bibix adopts different coordination modes affected by the aromatic anions, which have distinct geometric structure and bonding modes. Thus, complex 1 has a 1D chain structure, whereas complex 2 has a 2D architecture. Both complexes 1 and 2 have a strong fluorescence emission, which may be tentatively assigned to metal‐perturbed intraligand interactions.     

Crystals of New Ferric Acid Phosphate, Fe 3 H 3 (PO 4 ) 4 ·6H 2 O, Performed by Inorganic Sol-Gel Process

Crystals of Fe₃H₃(PO₄)₄·6H₂O are obtained at room temperature and 50 °C from phosphate gel prepared by evaporation of H₃PO₄ and FeX₃ (X = NO₃ ^-, Cl^-). Optimal experimental conditions of crystal formation are defined. X-ray powder diffraction, IR absorption spectroscopy and TGA analysis are undertaken to investigate the effect of starting solution compositions on the nature and the growth of crystals.Formulation of synthesised phosphate is proposed on the basis of the composition comparison with the iron phosphate compounds formerly studied. A relation between OH group, phosphorus (or phosphate) and iron contents of the examined phosphates is found. The unit cell parameters are obtained from powder X-ray diffraction data. It is hexagonal with unit cell dimensions a = 9.114(7) Å, c = 16.715(3) Å and V = 1202.62 ų. The BET surface area of this phosphate is measured and a value of 5.0 m²/g is obtained.     

Preparation of Silica/Poly(tert‐butylmethacrylate) Core/Shell Nanocomposite Latex Particles

Nanocomposite latex particles, with a silica nanoparticle as core and crosslinked poly(tert‐butylmethacrylate) as shell, were prepared in this work. Silica nanoparticles were first synthesized by a sol‐gel process, and then modified by 3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (MPS) to graft C?C groups on their surfaces. The MPS‐modified silica nanoparticles were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, and ²⁹Si NMR and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy; the results showed that the C?C groups were successfully grafted on the surface of the silica nanoparticles and the grafted substance was mostly the oligomer formed by the hydrolysis and condensation reaction of MPS. Silica/poly(tert‐butylmethacrylate) core/shell nanocomposite latex particles were prepared via seed emulsion polymerization using the MPS‐modified silica nanoparticle as seed, tert‐butylmethacrylate as monomer and ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker. Their core/shell nanocomposite structure and chemical composition were characterized by means of TEM and FTIR, respectively, and the results indicated that silica/poly(tert‐butylmethacrylate) core/shell nanocomposite latex particles were obtained.     

单一阴离子交换柱同时分离有机酸和无机阴阳离子

研究了用乙二胺四乙酸（ＥＤＴＡ）作淋洗液时，性质迥异的有机酸、无机阴离子和碱土金属离子（Ｃａ＾２＋、Ｍｇ＾２＋）在同一阴离子交换柱上的同时分离以及保留机理，结果表明，在离子交换机理之外，非离子交换机理对有机酸及钙镁的ＥＤＴＡ络阴郭的保留行为起一定的辅助作用，９种有机酸和无机阴阳离子在１０ｍｉｎ内得到了较好的分离。各离子的电导检测灵敏度在１０＾－９至１０＾－１１ｍｏｌ，能满足环境和食吕分析的要求。     

Nature and philosophy of thermal processes in minerals and inorganic materials

Solid-state thermal processes have their own specificity, distinguishing them from the processes in gases and liquids. This specificity includes, among others, their limited reversibility and the limited or modified role of chemical affinity as the main driving force indicating the direction of real solid-state processes. The consequency is the formation of metastable compounds or phases during heating, as intermediate steps towards the state of thermodynamic equilibrium. They are a results of the particular properties of the rigid internal structure of minerals and materials as the thermal reaction medium. The peculiarities of thermal reactions of solids are presented on the example of those of oxides (silicates and borates) with polymeric structures. The significance of crystal-chemical factors for the prediction or explanation of the course of high-temperature processes, as complementing the thermodynamic factors, is discussed.Dedicated to Dr. Robert Mackenzie on the occasion of his 75th birthdayThis work was supported by grant P040703406 from the National Committee of Scientific Research of Poland.     

纳米生物无机界面的构筑与循环肿瘤细胞分离

纳米生物无机界面的研究是无机化学学科新兴的前沿领域之一。纳米结构的无机材料在仿生界面、细胞界面、生物检测界面等领域扮演着越来越重要的角色。近几年来,无机纳米结构被尝试用于痕量循环肿瘤细胞(Circulating Tumor Cells,CTCs)分离的基础探索研究中,并展现出非常吸引人的应用前景。痕量CTCs的高效分离对于癌症早期检测、术后监测及生物学研究等具有重要的意义。本文主要综述纳米生物无机界面在CTCs分离中的应用,详细介绍其发展现状,并对未来做一展望。