Prokaryotic diversity and community composition in the surface sediments of the Changjiang River Estuary in summer

Microorganisms are fundamental for the functioning of marine ecosystems and are involved in the decomposition of organic matter, transformation of nutrients and circulation of biologically-important chemicals. Based on the complexity of the natural geographic characteristics of the Changjiang River Estuary, the geographic distribution of sedimentary microorganisms and the causes of this distribution are largely unexplored. In this work, the surface sediment samples from the adjacent sea area of the Changjiang River Estuary were collected. Their prokaryotic diversity was examined by high-throughput sequencing technology, and the environmental factors of the bacterial community were investigated. The results indicated that the distribution of prokaryotic communities in the sediments of the study areas showed obvious spatial heterogeneity. The sampling sequences divided the sample regions into three distinct clusters. Each geographic region had a unique community structure, although Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Desulfobacterota, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota all existed in these three branches. Canonical correspondence analysis demonstrated that prokaryotic diversity and community distribution were significantly correlated with the geographic location of sediment, seawater depth, and in particular, nutrient content(e.g., total phosphorus, total organic carbon and dissolved oxygen). Moreover, it was found for the first time that the metal ions obviously affected the composition and distribution of the prokaryotic community in this area. In general, this work provides new insights into the structural characteristics and driving factors of prokaryotic communities under the background of the ever-changing Changjiang River Estuary.

Green Superhydrophobic Paper with Self-cleaning Properties Prepared via One-step Impregnation

In this study,a green and pollution-free multifunctional superhydrophobic paper-based material was prepared using a simple and efficient dipping method.The superhydrophobic paper with a water contact angle(WCA)of 160°was prepared by attaching micro-and nanocomposite particles,made of stearic acid-modified chitosan and two kinds of titanium dioxide(TiO_(2))nanoparticles of different sizes,to a paper substrate.The surface morphology,elemental composition,and wetting properties of the coatings were examined using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),and contact angle measurements.Additionally,superhydrophobic coatings exhibited good self-cleaning properties,liquid repellency,ease of repair,and antifouling properties in organic solutions.

Decolorization on Indigo Dyeing Wastewater by Laccase from Coriolus versicolor

[ Object] The study aimed to discuss the decolorization on indigo dyeing wastewater by laccase from Coriolus versicolor. [ Method ] Firstly, the effects of temperature, pH, indigo concentration, HBT concentration, laccase dosage on the decolorization of indigo dyeing wastewater by laccase/HBT, and then the synergism of laccase and acid cellulase was analyzed. [Result] Using ABTS as the substrate, the kinetic parame- ters, K,, and Vmax, were 0.318 mmol/L and 0.035 5 mmol/（ L . min） respectively. The decolorization rate of indigo reached 96.5% when the lacca- se acted on indigo for 40 min with HBT as an introducer at temperature 50 ℃, pH =4.5, indigo concentration 100 mg/L, HBT concentration 0.1% and laccase dosage 100 lU/L. Due to the synergism of laccase and acid cellulase during the bio-finishing of blue jeans, the backstaining degree of blue jeans reduced by 85% when the amount of laccase added was 15 000 IU/kg. Menawhile, the synergism of the laccase and acid cellulase de- creased indigo concentration in wastewater by 83.8%. [ Conclusion ] The laccase from Coriolus versicolor had a good prospect in the bio-finishing of blue jeans and the decolorization of indigo dyeing wastewater.

结构色材料用于纺织印染领域的研究进展

结构色是通过微纳米结构与可见光的相互作用产生的颜色,也称为物理色。结构色与化学色的产生机理完全不同,颜色性质也有显著区别,其实质是物体自身的特殊周期性结构与光发生衍射、干涉和散射等物理作用所产生的视觉效果。目前,纺织品着色的主要途径是通过在纤维、纺织物上接枝或施加染料及颜料等有色物质,即化学着色。为了克服传统染料光牢度差及带来的环境问题,人们致力于利用颜色性能优异的结构色替代传统的有机染料应用于纺织印染领域。文中综述了结构色的产生原理、结构生色材料的制备与组装方法,以及国内外最新的用于纺织印染结构生色材料的研究进展。最后对该领域未来的研究方向进行了分析,指出存在的关键问题,以促进结构生色材料在纺织领域的拓展应用。

Adsorption kinetics of platinum group elements onto macromolecular organic matter in seawater

Adsorption kinetics of the interaction between Pt, Pd and Rh(defined here as platinum group elements, PGEs)ions and macromolecular organic compounds(MOCs,>10 kDa), including humic acid, carrageenan and bovine serum albumin, and different cutoff fractions of natural organic matter(>1 kDa and >3 kDa) obtained from seawater using centrifugal ultrafiltration devices were investigated. For a given element, all the adsorption kinetics did not reach equilibrium except the interaction between Pt and >1 kDa cutoff, and between Pd and humic acid.For all the tested MOCs, the adsorption kinetics could be divided into two stages, a rapid adsorption process in the first 8 h and the desorption stage after the first 8 h until the equilibrium. The change trend of partition coefficient(log10Kd) values with experiment time was consistent with that of the kinetic curves. However, in the interaction between PGE ions and natural dissolved organic matter(NDOM), an obvious difference in the change trends of log10Kd and kinetic curves was observed. It indicated that the partition behavior of PGE ions interacting with NDOM in seawater was a combined effect of different organic constituents. The adsorption and log10Kd of PGEs in the >1 kDa NDOM fraction were higher and more stable than those in the >3 kDa NDOM fraction. The results also indicated that the 1–3 kDa NDOM may dominate the interaction between PGEs ions and NDOM. Moreover, no kinetic model could perfectly simulate the adsorption process. It indicated that the colloidal struction and morphology of MOCs or NDOM in seawater might be inhomogeneous. Hence, the interaction between PGE ions and organic matter in seawater was a complicated process and needs further research.

Fouling process and anti-fouling mechanisms of dynamic membrane assisted by photocatalytic oxidation under sub-critical fluxes

Membrane fouling is often considered as a hindrance for the application of microfiltration/ultrafiltration(MF/UF) for drinking water production. A novel process of photocatalytic membrane reactor/dynamic membrane(PMR/DM), operating in a continuous mode under sub-critical flux, was proposed for the mitigation of membrane fouling caused by humic acids(HAs) in water. The mechanism of membrane fouling alleviation with synergistic photocatalytic oxidation and dynamic layer isolating effect was comprehensively investigated from the characterization of foulant evolution responsible for the reversible and irreversible fouling. The results showed that the PMR/DM utilized photocatalytic oxidation to enhance the porosity and hydrophilicity of the fouling layer by converting the high molecular weight(MW) and hydrophobic HA molecules with carboxylic functional groups and aromatic structures into low-MW hydrophilic or transphilic fractions, including tryptophan-like or fulvic-like substances. The fouling layer formed in the PMR/DM by combination of photocatalytic oxidation and DM running at a sub-critical flux of 100 L·h^-1·m^-2, was more hydrophilic and more porous, resulting in the lowest trans-membrane pressure(TMP) growth rates, as compared to the processes of ceramic membrane(CM), DM and PMR/CM.Meanwhile, the dynamic layer prevented the foulants, particularly the high-MW hydrophobic fractions,from contacting the primary membrane, which enabled the membrane permeability to be restored easily.

Combustion and Sulfur-fixing Performance of Pulping Black Liquor Coal-water Slurry

The effects of adding pulping black liquor and other additives to coal-water slurry(CWS) on the sulfur-fixing performance of the resultant mixture(pulping black liquor coal-water slurry) were evaluated. The experimental results demonstrated that the ash content of the black liquor coalwater slurry decreased as the addition of pulping black liquor in the mixture increased. Nevertheless, the addition amount should be appropriately selected to ensure that the black liquor coal-water slurry had a moderate calorific value. Addition of black liquor improved the combustion performance of CWS by lowering the ignition point and stabilizing the combustion process; moreover, the sulfur-fixation ratio after combustion increased by 12 to 16 percentage points than that of CWS, and the content of high-melting-point salt in the ash from CWS after adding black liquor was low. The sulfur-fixing ratio of CWS after adding a sulfur-fixing agent was effectively increased by 25 to 30 percenatge points, but with compromise of the fluidity and stability of the CWS; thus, the addition amount of a sulfur-fixing agent should be optimized.

Preparation and Adsorption Properties of Biomass Activated Carbon from Ginger Stems

Biomass activated carbon(BAC)was produced from ginger stems by carbonization and activation presented high specific surface areas and mesoporous structures.The carbonization temperature of the ginger stems were controlled within 500~900℃.The optimal carbonization condition is as follows:carbonization temperature of 700℃,carbonization time of 6 h.The determined optimum activation condition is:temperature of 800℃,activator of KOH and carbonized product/alkali ratio of 1:4(w/w).The carbonization yield,BAC yield and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET)surface area were measured and the adsorption performance of BAC to nitrogen was investigated.The results showed that the nitrogen adsorption isotherm curve was as type I isotherm.It was finally determined that the BET surface area was 660 m2/g under the abovementioned optimal conditions of carbonization and activation.The FESEM analysis indicates that the obtained BAC is of micropore structure.

Heterogeneous Reactions between Starch and AKD under Solvent-free Conditions

Oxidized starch powder and cationic starch solution were reacted with alkyl ketene dimer(AKD) under heterogeneous conditions at 70℃ for 12 h.The AKD molecules reacted with starch hydroxyl groups to form β-keto ester linkages under the above conditions.The reaction products were separated into CHCl_3-soluble and CHCl_3-insoluble fractions.FT-IR spectroscopy,SEM,Xray diffraction,and TG-DTA analyses of the CHCl_3-insoluble fraction indicated that β-keto ester substituents were introduced to hydroxyl groups on the starch surfaces.The results indicated that hydrogen bonds between the starch molecules were disrupted under heterogeneous conditions upon heating.The activity and accessibility of hydroxyl groups were enhanced,as a result of which β-keto ester bonds were produced between AKD and starch.Based on these results,we speculate that the β-keto esters which existed in the sheets sized by AKD emulsions were generated by the reaction between AKD and starch.

Preparation and Characterization of Nanocrystalline Cellulose/Poly(lactic acid) Composite Membranes

Nanocrystalline cellulose(NCC)/poly(lactic acid)(PLLA) composite membranes were prepared by the solution casting method.Physical and chemical modifications were performed to improve the compatibility of NCC and PLLA.The results indicated that the NCC dispersibility of the composite membranes with chemical modification were superior to that of the composite membranes with physical modification.Moreover,the chemical modification NCC not only had a large effect on the nucleation and growth of the crystals,but also affected the crystal forms of PLLA.This was because chemical reactions took place between the silicone of silane coupling agent(KH-570) and the hydroxyl groups of NCC during blending.The chemical modification NCC could be dispersed stably in the PLLA matrix,and it played the role of a nucleating agent.

Characterization and Comparison of Cellulose Extraction from Ginger Stalk by Two Different Chemical Treatments

Agricultural residues are important renewable biomass resources that have not received much research attention. Ginger stalk is a major agricultural waste in China.The extraction of cellulose from ginger stalk would convert this waste into a high value-added product and, simultaneously, contribute to environmental protection. This research studied the characteristics of cellulose extracted from ginger stalk by two different treatments:(i) potassium hydroxide(KOH) treatment and(ii) nitric acid-ethanol(NAE) treatment. The optimal condition for the KOH treatment was obtained, it was at 1∶30 solidto-liquid ratio(SLR) for 5 h extraction time with 14 wt% KOH. The optimal condition for the NAE treatment was as follows: 1∶40 SLR, 4 h extraction time, and a reaction temperature of 90℃. However, the cellulose obtained by NAE treatment was severely degraded than that by KOH treatment. The Fourier-transform infrared(FT-IR) spectroscopy analyses revealed that both treatments successfully dissolved the lignin and hemicellulose. Two treatments showed a higher cellulose yield, and the extracted cellulose had more crystal structure.

Controllable synthesis of novel nanoporous manganese oxide catalysts for the direct synthesis of imines from alcohols and amines

A novel template-free oxalate route was applied to synthesize different mesoporous manganese oxides(amorphous manganese oxide(AMO),Mn5 O8,Mn3 O4,Mn O2)in the narrow temperature range from 350°C to 400°C by controlling the calcination conditions,which were employed as the efficient catalysts for the oxidative coupling of alcohols with amines to imines.The chemical and structural properties of the manganese oxides were characterized by the methods of thermogravimetry analysis and heat flow(TG-DSC),X-ray diffraction(XRD),nitrogen sorption,scanning electron microscope(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),H2 temperature-programmed reduction(H2-TPR),and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry(ICP-OES)techniques.The structures of different manganese oxides were confirmed by characterization.The M-350(AMO)presented the maximum surface area,amorphous nature,the lowest reduction temperature,the higher(Mn3++Mn4+)/Mn2+ratio,and the higher adsorbed oxygen species compared to other samples.Among the catalysts,M-350 showed the best catalytic performance using air as an oxidant,and the conversion of benzyl alcohol(BA)and the selectivity of N-benzylideneaniline(NBA)reached as high as 100%and 97.1%respectively at the lower reaction temperature(80°C)for 1 h.M-350 had also the highest TOF value(0.0100 mmol·mg-1·h-1)compared to the other manganese oxide catalysts.The catalyst was reusable and gave 95.8%conversion after 5 reuse tests,the XRD pattern of the reactivated M-350 did not show any obvious change.Lattice oxygen mobility and(Mn3++Mn4+)/Mn2+ratio were found to play the important roles in the catalytic activity of aerobic reactions.

Highly selective oxidation of amines to imines by Mn2O3 catalyst under eco-friendly conditions

Enhancing the selectivity of imines for the oxidative self-coupling of primary amines was found to be challenging in the heterogeneous catalysis.Three different manganese oxides(M-3,M-4,M-5) were synthesized by controlling the calcination temperature using a simple template-free oxalate route.The prepared manganese oxides were systematically characterized using XRD,N2 sorption,SEM,TEM,XPS,H2-TPR techniques.M-4 gave 96.2% selectivity of imine at 100% conversion of benzylamine,which was far more superior than other existing protocols.Mn^3+/Mn^4+ ratio was found to affect the selectivity of the imines.The probable reaction pathway for amines oxidation catalyzed by manganese oxides was proposed for the first time.