Few-layered MoS_(2)anchored on 2D porous C_(3)N_(4)nanosheets for Ptfree photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The Pt-free photocatalytic hydrogen evolution(PHE)has been the focus in the photocatalytic field.The catalytic system with the large accessible surface and good mass-transfer ability,as well as the intimate combination of co-catalyst with semiconductor is promising for the promotion of the application.Here,we have reported the design of the two-dimensional(2D)porous C_(3)N_(4)nanosheets(PCN NS)intimately combined with few-layered MoS_(2)for the high-effective Pt-free PHE.The PCN NS were synthesized based on peeling the melamine–cyanuric acid precursor(MC precursor)by the triphenylphosphine(TP)molecular followed by the calcination,mainly due to the matched size of the(100)plane distance of the precursor(0.8 nm)and the height of TP molecular.The porous structure is favorable for the mass-transfer and the 2D structure having large accessible surface,both of which are positive to promote the photocatalytic ability.The few-layered MoS_(2)are grown on PCN to give 2D MoS_(2)/PCN composites based on anchoring phosphomolybdic acid(PMo_(12))cluster on polyetherimide(PEI)-modified PCN followed by the vulcanization.The few-layered MoS_(2)have abundant edge active sites,and its intimate combination with porous PCN NS is favorable for the faster transfer and separation of the electrons.The characterization together with the advantage of 2D porous structure can largely promote the photocatalytic ability.The MoS_(2)/PCN showed good PHE activity with the high hydrogen production activity of 4,270.8μmol·h^(−1)·g^(−1)under the simulated sunlight condition(AM1.5),which was 7.9 times of the corresponding MoS_(2)/bulk C_(3)N_(4)and 12.7 times of the 1 wt.%Pt/bulk C_(3)N_(4).The study is potentially meaningful for the synthesis of PCN-based catalytic systems.

Thermo-controlled,self-released smart wood tailored by nanotechnology for fast clean-up of highly viscous liquids

Designing highly porous materials is of great importance for liquid separation,water purification,and disinfection,such as spill oil cleaning and recycling,seawater desalting,and oil/water separation.However,a remaining challenge is to produce porous materials with the characteristics of fast absorption,continuous directional transport,and self-release of viscous liquid.Herein,a functional cellulosic composite is reported by the chemical treatment and functionalization of wood resulting in a smart wood that can thermally selfrelease and separate high viscosity oil.The smart wood has a high absorption speed of 1398 mL/(m_(2)·s)(ethylene glycol)and a maximum absorption capacity of 47.2 g/g(chloroform)due to its intrinsic vertical micro/nanoscale channel structure,low tortuosity,and high porosity.Moreover,the switchable wettability is achieved by the surface coating of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)on the porous wood,which enables the collection and removal of oil from the oil/water mixture.The high viscosity oil can be automatically released due to the passive oil release at room temperature.The release capacity of the smart wood remains above 91%after 15 cyclic tests.We envision that this functional smart wood could be extended to a wide range of applications in smart hydrogels,microfluidics,artificial drug release,and environmental restoration.

In-Situ Chemosynthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles to Endow Wood with Antibacterial and UV-Resistance Properties

Hybrid wood materials have attracted considerable attention because they have combined advantages of both wood and inorganic compounds. This work investigated the microstructural morphology, thermal stability, ultraviolet（UV） stability, and antibacterial property of composites made from wood/ZnO hybrid materials through a facile in-situ chemosynthesis methods. The X-ray diffraction（XRD） and thermogravimetric analysis（TGA） results indicated that the synthesized ZnO particles had an average grain size of about 10.8 nm. The scanning electron microscopy（SEM） observations showed that ZnO nanoflowers self-assembled with nanosheets were presented in wood cell lumens and increased with increasing Zn^（2＋）concentrations. ZnO nanoparticles were also generated in the wood cell wall, which was confirmed by the results of energy-dispersive spectroscopy（EDS）. The TGA tests also indicated that the thermal stability of wood/ZnO hybrid materials was improved after the formation of ZnO inorganic particles. Finally, the results of antibacterial efficacy tests and UV resistance tests revealed that ZnO nanoparticles showed a promising future as antimicrobial agents against Escherichia coli（E.coli） and UV resistance agents for wood protection.