Methyl orange degradation enhanced by hydrogen spillover onto platinum nanocatalyst surface

Following a thermal reduction method, platinum nanoparticles were synthesized and stabilized by polyvinylpyrrolidone. The colloidal platinum nanoparticles were stable for more than 3 months. The micrograph analysis unveiled that the colloidal platinum nanoparticles were well dispersed with an average size of 2.53 nm. The sol–gel‐based inverse micelle strategy was applied to synthesize mesoporous iron oxide material. The colloidal platinum nanoparticles were deposited on mesoporous iron oxide through the capillary inclusion method. The small‐angle X‐ray scattering analysis indicated that the dimension of platinum nanoparticles deposited on mesoporous iron oxide (Pt‐Fe₂O₃) was 2.64 nm. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data showed that the binding energy on Pt‐Fe₂O₃ surface decreased owing to mesoporous support–nanoparticle interaction. Both colloidal and deposited platinum nanocatalysts improved the degradation of methyl orange under reduction conditions. The activation energy on the deposited platinum nanocatalyst interface (2.66 kJ mol^?1) was significantly lowered compared with the one on the colloidal platinum nanocatalyst interface (40.63 ± 0.53 kJ mol^?1).     

混凝土板梁的有限条法简化分析

桥梁结构在各种荷载作用下产生的内力和弯矩影响着桥梁的性能.桥梁弯曲、扭转和挠度等过大时会导致结构的破坏,这在结构设计阶段就应加以分析.本文提出一种有限条简化分析方法,可以较好地分析桥梁的挠度、弯曲和扭转变形.通过对一座简支板梁桥模型的分析,与现行有限元方法的分析结果进行了比较.结果表明,本方法能够较好地处理边界条件,只需要很少的输入工作就可以得到正确的分析结果,从而为结构工程师提供了一种用于分析板梁桥在交通荷载作用下行为的有效工具.     

Preparation, characterization, and application of polypropylene-clinoptilolite composites for the selective adsorption of lead from aqueous media

The miscibility, mechanical and morphological properties of mixed Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers prepared from the phospholipid 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and the perfluorinated fatty acid perfluorooctadecanoic acid have been studied as a function of film composition and subphase salinity. It was demonstrated here, for the first time, that the extent of surfactant miscibility in mixed phospholipid-perfluoroacid monolayers, and hence the resulting mechanical properties of the monolayer film, can be controlled by altering the concentration of sodium ions in the underlying subphase. Elevated Na(+) concentrations resulted in lower net attractive interactions between film components, likely through specific ion adsorption to the negatively-charged perfluoroacid, along with decreased film elasticities. These results differ significantly from conventional fatty-acid-carboxylate monolayer systems in which film cohesion is typically enhanced through adsorption of cations to surfactant headgroups. Atomic force microscope images of films deposited onto solid mica substrates revealed that the films deposited from pure water formed multimolecular aggregates of surfactant, which could be attributed to the highly cohesive nature of the films, but the use of salt in the subphase diminished aggregate formation and resulted in the production of homogeneous monolayer films.     

Synthesis and DNA binding studies of Ni(II), Co(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) metal complexes of N1,N5-bis[pyridine-2-methylene]-thiocarbohydrazone Schiff-base ligand

The thiocarbohydrazone Schiff-base ligand with a nitrogen and sulphur donor was synthesized through condensation of pyridine-2-carbaldehyde and thiocarbohydrazide. Schiff-base ligands have the ability to conjugate with metal salts. A series of metal complexes with a general formula [MCl2(H2L)]·nH2O (MNi, Co, Cu and Zn) were synthesized by forming complexes of the N1,N5-bis[pyridine-2-methylene]-thiocarbohydrazone (H2L) Schiff-base ligand. These metal complexes and ligand were characterized by using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy, physicochemical characterization, CHNS and conductivity. The biological activity of the synthesized ligand was investigated by using Escherichia coli DNA as target. The DNA interaction of the synthesized ligand and complexes on E. coli plasmid DNA was investigated in the aqueous medium by UV-Vis spectroscopy and the binding constant (Kb) was calculated. The DNA binding studies showed that the metal complexes had an improved interaction due to trans-geometrical isomers of the complexes than ligand isomers in cis-positions.     

Ionic Liquid–Liquid Extraction and Supported Liquid Membrane Analysis of Lipophilic Wood Extractives from Dissolving-Grade Pulp

In this study, the extraction of lipophilic wood extractives from dissolving pulp samples using ionic liquid–liquid extraction and a two phase hollow fibre supported liquid membrane was investigated. Ionic liquids are capable of dissolving a range of organic and polymeric compounds and are biodegradable, with a negligible vapour pressure. Pulp samples were dissolved in a suitable amount of molten 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride to give 5 % cellulose solution. Pure cellulose was regenerated by adding water and filtered off. The ionic liquid-aqueous filtrate was first extracted for lipophilic extractives using liquid–liquid extraction. Then, a two phase hollow fibre supported liquid membrane extraction of lipophilic extractives was performed to extract the derivatized compounds prior to analysis by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The operational parameters of this sample preparation approach were optimised using sterols and fatty acid methyl esters. The variation of enrichment factors and extraction efficiency with respect to liquid membrane, extraction time, stirring speed and sample pH were observed and used to get the optimal parameters. The approach was used in the analysis of oxygen bleached dissolving pulp samples in which main compounds identified were fatty acids, sterols, fatty alcohols, steroid hydrocarbons and ketones. These compounds were similar to those obtained using molecular solvent extraction method, which indicated the absence of chemical reaction between extractives and ionic liquid used.

     

UV/visible spectroscopic analysis of CO<Superscript>3+</Superscript> and CO<Superscript>2+</Superscript> during the dissolution of cobalt from mixed Co-Cu oxidized ores

The leaching of cobalt from four-mixed Co-Cu oxidized ores containing cobalt at levels ranging from 0.5wt% to 34wt% was studied and the results has been reported. Conventional dissolution of these oxidized Co-Cu ores with diluted H₂SO₄ and SO₂ as a reducing agent resulted in a substantial improvement in the solution based recovery of cobalt. UV/visible spectroscopic analysis of the leached solutions indicated that the increased cobalt content in the solution was a result of flushing the acidified cobalt leaching solution with SO₂. Furthermore, UV/visible spectroscopy confirmed that as SO₂ was flushed into the acidified leaching solution, Co³⁺ bearing minerals were reduced to the readily soluble Co²⁺ bearing minerals, and this resulted in the increase of total cobalt in the collected solution. The mechanism of the reduction of Co³⁺ to Co²⁺ bearing minerals when SO₂ is flushed during the leaching of mixed Co-Cu oxidized ores, including the stability trends of Co³⁺, Co²⁺, and Cu²⁺ complexes, as shown by their UV/visible spectra, are also discussed.     

TiO2-based Photocatalysis: Toward Visible Light-Responsive Photocatalysts Through Doping and Fabrication of Carbon-Based Nanocomposites

Elimination of toxic organic compounds from wastewater and provision of safe, clean, and cheap water to communities is currently one of the most important global topics in water-pollution control. TiO₂ has emerged as one of the most fascinating material in the modern era due to its potential catalytic properties. In spite of extensive efforts to apply TiO₂ for environmental remediation, photocatalytic activity in the visible region has remained quite low hence the need to fabricate highly photoactive catalysts through modification of TiO₂ and to apply them for water remediation using the abundantly available solar radiation.

Carbon materials are promising candidates for application as functional materials due to their superior physico-chemical properties. This has prompted investigations into their possible application in environmental clean-up. Nanocomposite assemblies composed of different types and proportions of carbon based materials (i.e., carbon nanotubes, graphene, fullerenes, activated carbon, carbon nanofibers) and TiO₂ have also found widespread applicability in water decontamination studies using UV or visible light. This article surveys the literature and highlights recent progress in the development of TiO₂ and nanocarbon/TiO₂ photocatalysts for water decontamination. The nitty-gritties, on-going challenges, areas of controversy, “hotspots” and possible new directions are outlined in this article.     

Ionic Liquid-Based Extraction of Fatty Acids from Blue-Green Algal Cells Enhanced by Direct Transesterification and Determination Using GC × GC-TOFMS

Blue-green algae commonly referred to as cyanobacteria are known to grow in freshwater bodies when they are provided with suitable growth conditions such as nutrients, temperature and light. Algae biomass is known to contain a large amount of lipids, such as saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. In this study, fatty acids from algal cells were extracted using a newly developed extraction protocol using ionic liquid enhanced by direct transesterification at an elevated temperature. The identification and quantification of fatty acids was performed using gas chromatography coupled to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (GC × GC-TOFMS). The extracted fatty acids were dominated by those with carbon chain of C16 and C18; [i.e. 7-hexadecenoic acid (C16:1) and hexadecanoic acid (C16:0) for C16, whereas C18 includes γ-linolenic acid (γ-C18:3); linoleic acid (C18:2); linolenic acid (C18:3); 6,9,12,15-octadecatetraenoic acid (C18:4); oleic acid (C18:1) and octadecanoic acid (C18:0)]. The obtained fatty acid composition was then compared with that obtained by organic solvent extraction using a mixture of chloroform and methanol. Statistical evaluation was performed using one-way ANOVA and found that there was no statistically significant difference (P = 0.908) between the two extraction methods, a finding which indicates the usefulness of ionic liquid as a solvent to replace volatile organic solvent to minimize environmental pollution.     

Ultra-Permeable Dual-Mechanism-Driven Graphene Oxide Framework Membranes for Precision Ion Separations

Two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) membranes are gaining popularity as a promising means to address global water scarcity. However, current GO membranes fail to sufficiently exclude angstrom-sized ions from solution. Herein, a de novo “posterior” interfacial polymerization (p-IP) strategy is reported to construct a tailor-made polyamide (PA) network in situ in an ultrathin GO membrane to strengthen size exclusion while imparting a positively charged membrane surface to repel metal ions. The electrostatic repulsion toward metal ions, coupled with the reinforced size exclusion, synergistically drives the high-efficiency metal ion separation through the synthesized positively charged GO framework (PC-GOF) membrane. This dual-mechanism-driven PC-GOF membrane exhibits superior metal ion rejection, anti-fouling ability, good operational stability, and ultra-high permeance (five times that of pristine GO membranes), enabling a sound step towards a sustainable water-energy-food nexus.