CO2 Electroreduction in Ionic Liquids: A Review

The increasing emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂) caused by the unrestrained consumption of fossil fuels in recent hundreds of years, has caused global environmental and social problems. Meanwhile, CO₂ is a cheap, abundant and renewable C1‐feedstock, which can be converted into alcohols, ethers, acids and other value‐added chemicals. Compared with the thermal reactions, electrochemical reduction of CO₂ is more attractive because of its advantages by using the seasonal, geographical and intermittent energy (tide, wind and solar) under mild conditions. In recent years, taking ionic liquids (ILs) as electrolytes in the CO₂ electrochemical reduction reaction has been paid much more attention due to the advantages of lowering the overpotential of CO₂ electroreduction and improving the Faradaic efficiency. In this paper, we summarized the recent progresses of electrochemical reduction of CO₂ in ILs electrolytes, and analyzed the reaction mechanism of CO₂ reaction in the electrode‐electrolyte interface region by experimental and simulation methods. Finally, the research which needs to be highlighted in this area was proposed.     

Novel Simultaneous Determination of Calcium and Magnesium Based on Flow Injection Gradient Titration

A novel approach based on flow injection gradient titration is proposed for the simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of Ca and Mg based on parameters of a single signal. Two reagents, calmagite and EDTA, are used to perform the determinations. Calmagite is introduced into a sample to form complexes with the analytes and the solutions are introduced into the holding coil of a sequential injection system in the sequence: carrier, air, sample, EDTA, and sample. In the system, EDTA replaces calmagite to form more stable complexes in turn with Ca and Mg. Next, the flow is reversed and the mixture is directed to the detector where the signal is measured at 680?nm. The signal consists of two parts: a short plateau (the signal for the sum of absorbance of complexes of Ca and Mg with calmagite) and a peak (the signal corresponding to titration of both complexes using EDTA). The absorbance values measured at the plateau and appropriately measured peak width were applied to determine analytes using two-component calibration. The method was verified for the determination of analytes in synthetic samples and in a certified reference material of surface water. Using the developed method, Mg and Ca were determined within the concentration ranges of 0.5–5.0 and 1.0–10.0?mg?L^?1, with precision better than 2.2 and 4.2% (relative standard deviation) and accuracy of 7.0 and 6.8% (relative error). The detection limits were 0.1 and 0.3?mg?L^?1 for Mg and Ca, respectively. The method was applied to analysis of mineral water samples.     

Application of image analysis technique for the determination of thiophanate methyl by thin-layer chromatography

A simple and convenient thin-layer chromatography (TLC) method combined with image analysis technique was developed to determine thiophanate methyl. The detection of pesticide was based on iodine–azide reaction. Digital images of TLC plate chromatograms were analysed using TLSee software, and quantitative analysis was conducted. The linearity (0.3–3.0 µg per spot), sensitivity, accuracy and precision of the system were investigated.     

Block–Stereoblock Copolymers of Poly(ϵ‐Caprolactone) and Poly(Lactic Acid)

A magnesium complex of the type {ONNN}Mg‐HMDS wherein {ONNN} is a sequential tetradentate monoanionic ligand is introduced. In the presence of an alcohol initiator this complex catalyzes the living and immortal homopolymerization of the lactide enantiomers and ?‐caprolactone at room‐temperature with exceptionally high activities, as well as the precise block copolymerization of these monomers in a one‐pot synthesis by sequential monomer addition. Copolymers of unprecedented microstructures such as the PCL‐b‐PLLA‐b‐PDLA and PDLA‐b‐PLLA‐b‐PCL‐b‐PLLA‐b‐PDLA block–stereoblock microstructures that feature unique thermal properties are readily accessed.     

Atomic Layer Deposition of the Metal Pyrites FeS2, CoS2, and NiS2

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of the pyrite‐type metal disulfides FeS₂, CoS₂, and NiS₂ is reported for the first time. The deposition processes use iron, cobalt, and nickel amidinate compounds as the corresponding metal precursors and the H₂S plasma as the sulfur source. All the processes are demonstrated to follow ideal self‐limiting ALD growth behavior to produce fairly pure, smooth, well‐crystallized, stoichiometric pyrite FeS₂, CoS₂, and NiS₂ films. By these processes, the FeS₂, CoS₂, and NiS₂ films can also be uniformly and conformally deposited into deep narrow trenches with aspect ratios as high as 10:1, which thereby highlights the broad and promising applicability of these ALD processes for conformal film coatings on complex high‐aspect‐ratio 3D architectures in general.     

Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Diboranes by Diborane Metathesis

Reactions of readily accessible magnesium‐centered pinacolatoboryl nucleophiles with [(Ph₂B)₂O] result in B?O bond activation of the diphenylborinic anhydride. Although [pinBBPh₂] is apparently generated when the nucleophilic boron unit is derived in situ from a magnesium diboranate, it cannot be isolated owing to its onward derivatization by a further {Bpin}^? equivalent. A reaction with a terminal magnesium boryl species similarly provides a boryloxide byproduct. In this case, however, the unsymmetrical B(sp²)?B(sp³) diborane may be intercepted as its DMAP adduct.     

A Universal Organic Cathode for Ultrafast Lithium and Multivalent Metal Batteries

Low‐cost multivalent battery chemistries (Mg²⁺, Al³⁺) have been extensively investigated for large‐scale energy storage applications. However, their commercialization is plagued by the poor power density and cycle life of cathodes. A universal polyimides@CNT (PI@CNT) cathode is now presented that can reversibly store various cations with different valences (Li⁺, Mg²⁺, Al³⁺) at an extremely fast rate. The ion‐coordination charge storage mechanism of PI@CNT is systemically investigated. Full cells using PI@CNT cathodes and corresponding metal anodes exhibit long cycle life (>10000 cycles), fast kinetics (>20 C), and wide operating temperature range (?40 to 50 °C), making the low‐cost industrial polyimides universal cathodes for different multivalent metal batteries. The stable ion‐coordinated mechanism opens a new foundation for the development of high‐energy and high‐power multivalent batteries.     

Sodium alginate/magnesium oxide nanocomposite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

A simple 2‐step method, consisting of film casting and polyvinyl alcohol leaching, is proposed to prepare magnesium oxide (MO) nanoparticle‐reinforced sodium alginate scaffolds with right properties for bone tissue engineering. The cytocompatibility of the as‐prepared scaffolds was also evaluated using the 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium‐bromide yellow tetrazole assay test, wherein chondrocyte cells had been considered as target cells. According to the results, the ensuing sodium alginate nanocomposites, containing 4‐wt% MO nanoparticles, demonstrated the highest physical and mechanical properties after leaching step. The Young modulus of sodium alginate/4‐wt% MO was improved about 44%, in comparison with that of the pure alginate sample. Furthermore, incorporating MO nanoparticles up to 4 wt% controlled the liquid uptake capacity of scaffolds vis‐à‐vis the resultant pure sodium alginate sample. Moreover, with increasing the nanoparticle content, the antibacterial properties of scaffolds enhanced, but their degradation rates under in vitro conditions tapered off. With the introduction of 3‐ and 4‐wt% MO, the average diameter of the bacterial zone of the scaffold samples reduced to less than 10 mm², suggesting an insensitive antimicrobial performance, compared with the pure sodium alginate and the samples with 1‐ and 2‐wt% MO content, which exhibit antimicrobial sensitivity. 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium‐bromide assay test also revealed the cultivated chondrocyte cells on the 4‐wt% MO nanoparticle‐reinforced scaffold possessed better interaction as well as appropriate cell attachment and proliferation than the pristine sodium alginate sample.     

Influence of different substrates on ZnO nanorod arrays properties

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays were grown on different substrates by hydrothermal method. The crystallinity of ZnO nanorod was regularly investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to examine morphology of the ZnO nanorods. The results indicate that the nanorods grow along [002] orientation. SEM and TEM images and XRD patterns show that the growth of ZnO nanorods on graphene/Quartz substrate is better than the other substrates due to the number and size of the nanorods which are highly affected through the properties of ZnO seed layers and it has lower defects than the other substrates. PL spectra ZnO would have a higher concentration of oxygen vacancy.