Bio-capped and green synthesis of ZnO/g-C_(3)N_(4) nanocomposites and its improved antibiotic and photocatalytic activities: An exceptional approach towards environmental remediation

In this research study, we have synthesized the bio-capped ZnO/g-C_(3)N_(4) nanocomposites by employing lemon juice(Citrus limon) as a stabilizer and mediator. Fruitfully, lemon juice which contains various acidic functional groups and citric acid has the capability to block the surface of g-C_(3)N_(4) from chemical reactivity and activated the surface of g-C_(3)N_(4) for various reactions. Consequently, the agglomeration behavior and controlled shape of g-C_(3)N_(4) has also been achieved. Our experimental results i.e. XRD,TEM, HRTEM, PL, FS, XPS, and PEC have confirmed that the lemon juice mediated and green g-C_(3)N_(4)(L-CN) have good performances and remarkable visible light photocatalytic activities as compared to the chemically synthesized g-C_(3)N_(4)(CN). Furthermore, the small surface area and low charge separation of g-C_(3)N_(4) is upgraded by coupling with Zn O nanoparticles. It is proved that the coupling of Zn O worked as a facilitator and photoelectron modulator to enhance the charge separation of g-C_(3)N_(4). Compared to pristine lemon-mediated green g-C_(3)N_(4)(L-CN), the most active sample 5Zn O/L-CN showed ~ 5-fold improvement in activities for ciprofloxacin(CIP) and methylene blue(MB) degradation. More specifically,the mineralization process and degradation pathways, and the mineralization process of ciprofloxacin(CIP) and methylene blue(MB) are suggested. Finally, our present novel research work will provide new access to synthesize the eco-friendly and bio-caped green g-C_(3)N_(4)nanomaterials and their employment for pollutants degradation and environmental purification.

Enabling tandem oxidation of benzene to benzenediol over integrated neighboring V-Cu oxides in mesoporous silica

The direct tandem oxidation synthesis of benzenediol from benzene could simplify or even avoid the separation and purification of reaction intermediates, which is promising but challenged because of the further required immediate consecutive activation of intermediate phenol. In this work, a synergistic benzene tandem-oxidation catalyst that V-Cu bimetallic oxides modified nanoporous silica(VCu-NS)was constructed via a facile assembly strategy which involves addictive negative anion citric acid mediating the intercalation of metal-citric acid chelate in mesopore of silica and subsequent thermal calcination inducing dual-metal active site formation. Such a tactic could make amorphous VOxspecies well covered on the surface of mesopore, and ultrafine copper oxide particles surrounded and neighbored by highly dispersed VOxwith strong interplay in mesopore, which was comprehensively confirmed by various characterizations. Benefiting from the unique V-Cu neighboring effect, the desorption of formed phenol over the catalytic site might be restricted therefore easily further activated by the formed reactive oxidative species, 3VCu-NS shows synergetic tandem-oxidation catalytic activities for benzene towards benzenediol with a selectivity of 57%. The result allows optimal 3VCu-NS to be a promising catalyst for benzenediol synthesis from benzene.

Location and size regulation of manganese oxides within mesoporous silica for enhanced antibiotic degradation

Refractory antibiotics in domestic wastewater are hard to be completely eliminated by conventional methods,and then lead to severe environmental contamination and adverse effects on public health.In present work,advanced oxidation processes(AOPs)are adopted to remove the antibiotic of sul-fachloropyridazine(SCP).Nanosized Mn_(2)O_(3) was fabricated on the SBA-15 material to catalytically acti-vate potassium peroxydisulfate(PDS)to generate reactive oxygen radicals of.OH and SO_(4).for SCP degradation.The effects of location and size of Mn_(2)O_(3) were explored through choosing either the as-made or template free SBA-15 as the precursor of substrate.Great influences from the site and size of Mn_(2)O_(3) on the oxidation activity were discovered.It was found that Mn_(2)O_(3) with a large size at the exterior of SBA-15(Mn-tfSBA)was slightly easier to degrade SCP at a low manganese loading of 1.0-2.0 mmol.g;however,complete SCP removal could only be achieved on the catalyst of Mn_(2)O_(3) with a refined size at the interior of SBA-15(Mn-asSBA).Moreover,the SO_(4).species were revealed to be the decisive radicals in the SCP degradation processes.Exploring the as-made mesoporous silica as a support provides a new idea for the further development of environmentally friendly catalysts.

Ge nanoparticles uniformly immobilized on 3D interconnected porous graphene frameworks as anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Germanium(Ge), an alloy-type anode material for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs), possesses many advantages such as high theoretical capacity and decent electrical conductivity. Nevertheless, its application is restricted by tremendous volume variation and tardy reaction kinetic during discharge/charge process.In this paper, the Ge/3DPG composites with Ge nanoparticles uniformly dispersed in 3D interconnected porous graphene(3DPG) skeleton are successfully prepared using a template-assisted in-situ reduction method. The unique 3D interconnected porous graphene can not only enhance the electronic conductivity and reaction kinetics of the materials, but also provide sufficient buffer space to effectively mitigate the volume expansion during cycling and strengthen the structural integrity. Moreover, the small-sized Ge nanoparticles in close conjunction with the 3D graphene can boost the surface-controlled reaction of the electrode, which contributes to a fast charge–discharge rate capability. The Ge/3DPG composite with optimized Ge/graphene mass ratio delivers high reversible specific capacity(1102 mAh g^(-1) after 100 cycles at 0.2 C), outstanding rate capability(494 mAh g^(-1) at 5 C), and admirable cycling stability(85.3% of capacity retention after 250 cycles at 0.5 C). This work provides a significant inspiration for the design and fabrication of advanced Ge-based anode materials for next-generation highperformance LIBs.

Superhigh selective capture of volatile organic compounds exploiting cigarette butts-derived engineering carbonaceous adsorbent

Herein,we develop cost-efficient superhigh-performance of engineering carbonaceous adsorbent from cigarette butts using combined wet-impregnated and re-dispersed method of KOH,which optimizes the implant approach of activator,breaking the restriction of selective capture of toluene using traditional activated carbon.The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET)surface area and pore volume of targeted adsorbent can attain 3088 m^(2)·g^(-1) and 1.61 cm^(3)·g^(-1),respectively,by optimizing the temperaturedependent synthetic factor effect of the adsorbent.The adsorption capacity of resultant adsorbent for presenting volatile benzene and toluene shows a positive correlation with increasing carbonization temperature of carbon precursor.Besides,we demonstrated the unsmoked and smoked butts derived adsorbents afford feeble difference in saturated adsorbed capacity of volatile organic compounds(VOCs).The highest adsorption capacity of sample CF-800 for benzene and toluene in CF group is as high as 1268.1 and 1181.6 mg·g^(-1) respectively,slightly higher than that of sample UF-800,but far outperforming reported other adsorbents.The predicted adsorption selectivity of CF-800 and UF-800 for C_(7)H_(8)/H_(2)O(g)using the DIH(difference of isosteric heats)equation reach up to ca.3800 and 7500 respectively,indicating the weak adsorbability of water vapor on the developed adsorbent and greater superiority of the smoked butts derived adsorbents in selective capture of VOCs at low relative humidity in the competitive adsorption process for practical mixed VOCs.

Superb VOCs capture engineering carbon adsorbent derived from shaddock peel owning uncompromising thermal-stability and adsorption property

High applied thermal-stability and superior structural property for activated carbon adsorbent are extremely promising,which also is the determining short slab in volatile organic compounds(VOCs)adsorption applications.Herein,we develop the outstanding engineering carbon adsorbents from waste shaddock peel which affords greatly-enhanced thermal-stability and super structural property(S_(Lang)=4962.6 m2·g^(-1),Vmicro=1.67 cm^(3)·g^(-1)).Such character endows the obtained adsorbent with ultrahigh adsorption capture performance of VOCs specific to benzene(16.58 mmol·g^(-1))and toluene(15.50 mmol·g^(-1),far beyond traditional zeolite and activated carbon even MOFs materials.The structural expression characters were accurately correlated with excellent adsorption efficiency of VOCs by studying synthetic factor-controlling comparative samples.Ulteriorly,adsorption selectivity prediction at different relative humidity was demonstrated through DIH(difference of the isosteric heats),exceedingly highlighting great superiority(nearly sixfold)in selective adsorption of toluene compared to volatile benzene.Our findings provide the possibility for practical industrial application and fabrication of waste biomass-derived outstanding biochar adsorbent in the environmental treatment of threatening VOCs pollutants.

绿色船舶引领‘Chem+’复合型创新人才培养的探索与实践

江苏科技大学面向海洋强国战略和船舶绿色发展需求,构建了以化学为核心的‘Chem+’学科专业群,以立德树人为根本,以培养绿色船舶领域迫切需要的复合型创新人才为目标,通过学科交叉、多元协同、船魂引领,重构‘Chem+’人才培养体系,开设"走向深蓝"系列金课,着重培养学生的绿色理念、创新能力和行业素养,实现知识传授、能力培养、价值塑造深度融合,形成鲜明的船舶与海洋办学特色。‘Chem+’学科专业建设和复合型创新人才培养成效显著,形成了系列化经验,相关成果对应用化学专业特色建设和新工科改造发挥了示范和引领作用。

Chrysanthemum indicum linné extracts attenuate the mitogenic effect of epinephrine on human HCC cells

Objective: To investigate the stimulatory effect of epinephrine(Epi) and the antagonistic effect of Chrysanthemum indicum Linné extracts (CILE) on Epi-induced growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) cells. Methods: The stimulatory effect of Epi and inhibitory effect of CILE on the growth of HepG2 and MHCC97H cells were investigated using a proliferation assay in correlation with βadrenergic receptor(β 2-AR) blockade, a MEK1/MEK2 inhibitor, and assessment of MAPK/ERK1/2 intracellular activity. Results: Epi transiently activated MAPK/ERK1/2 in HepG2 and MHCC97H cells, resulting in a burst of growth. The effect of Epi was significantly attenuated by ICI 118551 and U0126. CILE exhibited a dose-dependent attenuation of the stimulatory effect of Epi on the growth of both cell lines and inhibited the Epi-induced activation of MAPK/ERK1/2. Conclusion: Epi, mimicking a mitogen, stimulated the growth of HepG2 and MHCC97H cells, and CILE was effective in attenuating this effect of Epi on tumor cells by inhibiting the β2-AR-mediated activation of MAPK/ERK1/2.

Isolation and characterization of cancer stem-like cells from MHCC97H Cell Lines

Objective:To identify and isolate CD133 positive cancer stem-like cells (CD133+ cells) from the highly invasive human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line(MHCC97H),and examine their potential for clonogenicity and tumorigenicity. Methods:CD133+ and CD133-cells were isolated from MHCC97H cell line by magnetic bead cell sorting(MACS),and the potentials of CD133+ cells for colony formation and tumorigenicity were evaluated by soft agar cloning and tumor formation following nude mice inoculation. Results:CD133+ cells represent a minority(0.5-2.0%) of the tumor cell population with a greater colony-forming efficiency and greater tumor production ability. The colony-forming efficiency of CD133+ cells in soft agar was significantly higher than CD133-cells(36.8±1.4 vs 12.9±0.8,P <0.05). After 6 weeks,3/5 mice inoculated with 1 × 103 CD133+ cells,4/5 with 1 × 104 CD133+ cells and 5/5 with 1 × 105 CD133+ cells developed detectable tumors at the injection site,while only one tumor was found in mice treated with same numbers of CD133-cells. Conclusion:CD133 may be a hallmark of liver cancer stem cells (CSC) in human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),because the CD133+ cells identified and isolated with anti-CD133 labeled magnetic beads from MHCC97H cell line exhibit high potentials for clonogenicity and tumorigenicity. These CD133+ cells might contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis,as well as the growth and recurrence of human HCC,and therefore may be a useful target for anti-cancer therapy.

High N-doped hierarchical porous carbon networks with expanded interlayers for efficient sodium storage

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been attracting considerable attention as a promising candidate for large-scale energy storage because of the abundance and low-cost of sodium resources. However, lack of appropriate anode materials impedes further applications. Herein, a novel self-template strategy is designed to synthesize uniform flowerlike N-doped hierarchical porous carbon networks (NHPCN) with high content of N (15.31 at.%) assembled by ultrathin nanosheets via a self-synthesized single precursor and subsequent thermal annealing. Relying on the synergetic coordination of benzimidazole and 2-methylimidazole with metal ions to produce a flowerlike network, a self-formed single precursor can be harvested. Due to the structural and compositional advantages, including the high N doping, the expanded interlayer spacing, the ultrathin two-dimensional nano-sized subunits, and the three-dimensional porous network structure, these unique NHPCN flowers deliver ultrahigh reversible capacities of 453.7 mAh·g^−1 at 0.1 A·g^−1 and 242.5 mAh·g^−1 at 1 A·g^−1 for 2,500 cycles with exceptional rate capability of 5 A·g^−1 with reversible capacities of 201.2 mAh·g^−1. The greatly improved sodium storage performance of NHPCN confirms the importance of reasonable engineering and synthesis of hierarchical carbon with unique structures.

The Upper Ordovician Microfossil Assemblages from the Pagoda Formation in Zigui, Hubei Province

The Pagoda Formation is a lithologically and biologically distinctive unit among the Upper Ordovician. The strata are characterized by a nodular limestone, which yields fossil assemblages of high diversity. Conodonts of 14 genera 20 species(6 undetermined species) and ostracods of 14 genera 26 species(16 undetermined species) are identified. In addition, spherical radiolarians and minute-walled foraminifers were first reported from this formation in South China. The conodont assemblage is attributed to the Hamarous europaeus Zone, which indicates the Early Katian Age. The conodont HDS biofacies, along with thin-shelled ostracods, spherical radiolarians and foraminifers, suggest relatively deep and quiet water depositional environment. Accordingly, these fossil materials not only enrich the diversity of the Pagoda biota, but also provide evidence for discussion of depositional environments and stratigraphic correlations for the Pagoda Formation.

Intrinsic Peroxidase-like Activity of Porous CuO Micro-/nanostructures with Clean Surface

Porous CuO micro-/nanostructures with clean surface,prepared through Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3) precursor followed by calcination in air,were proven to be an effective peroxidase mimic.They can quickly catalyze oxidation of the peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine(TMB)in the presence of H_(2)O_(2),producing a blue color.The obtained porous CuO micro-/nanostructure have potential application in wastewater treatment.The apparent steady-state kinetic parameter was studied with TMB as the substrate.In addition,the potential application of the porous CuO in wastewater treatment was demonstrated with phenol-containing water as an example.Such investigation not only confirms the intrinsic peroxidase-like activity of micro-/nanostructured CuO,but also suggests its potential application in wastewater treatment.

Strategies to improve electrochemical performances of pristine metal‐organic frameworks‐based electrodes for lithium/sodium‐ion batteries

Metal‐organic frameworks(MOFs)have attracted considerable attention as promising next‐generation active electrode materials for lithium‐ion batteries(LIBs)or sodium‐ion batteries(SIBs)because of ultrahigh specific surface area,uniformly distributed pores,and tunable structure.However,there are some disadvantages inevitably far from meeting commercial requirements,such as low conductivity,inconvenient electron transmission,and unsatisfactory circulation stability.In this review,a comprehensive summary of MOFs‐based electrode materials is presented and discussed.First,the general Li^(^(+))/Na^(+)storage mechanism in MOFs‐based electrode materials,including conversion‐and insertion‐type reactions,are summarized with details of active inorganic/organic ligands.Second,MOFs as anode materials for LIBs/SIBs are emphasized and improved on the electrochemical performances.Furthermore,very few research literature on MOFs‐based cathode materials is also discussed.Finally,opinions and prospects on the current challenge of MOFs‐based electrode materials are provided for future research directions.

Upper Darriwilian(Middle Ordovician) Radiolarians and Ostracods from the Hulo Formation, Zhejiang Provicnce, South China

Considerable research has been done on the Ordovician marine fossils from South China, including macrofossils such as brachiopods, graptolites, bivalves, trilobites, some microfossils like conodonts and acritarches. However, radiolarians and ostracods that are also important constituents of the Ordovician marine ecosystem have been paid little attention in this region. In this study, ten radiolarians species belonging to four genera and sixteen ostracods species grouped into nine genera were found from the Hulo Formation at the Hengdu Section of the Jiangshan District, western Zhejiang Province, South China. The fossil-bearing strata belong to the graptolite Pterograptus elegans Zone which indicates the Late Darriwilian Age. This radiolarian fauna is the first record of the Middle Ordovician radiolarian body fossils and also the earliest Ordovician radiolarian fauna reported from South China. The occurrence of Beothuka in this fauna extends the stratigraphic range of the genus to the Upper Darriwilian. Reviews of previous literatures suggest that the diversity of Beothuka was greater during the Early Ordovician, and then declined gradually from the Early Ordovician to the Middle Ordovician before its extinction. The co-occurring ostracod fauna belongs to a shallow-water ecotype. This is contrary to the host lithofacies of the ostracod fauna which represent a deep-water environment. Therefore, these ostacods may have been transported from the shallow-water environment, most likely from the Yangtze carbonate platform. If this conjecture is the truth, then the Jiangshan District was near the shallow-water carbonate platform and received its sediments during the Darriwilian. It is still essential to do more work in the future to better understand the ecology of the Ordovician ostracod fanuas and their role in the sedimentary system of South China.

Preparation and lithium storage performances of g-C_(3)N_(4)/Si nanocomposites as anode materials for lithium-ion battery

As the anode material of lithium-ion battery,silicon-based materials have a high theoretical capacity,but their volume changes greatly in the charging and discharging process.To ameliorate the volume expansion issue of silicobased anode materials,g-C_(3)N_(4)/Si nanocomposites are prepared by using the magnesium thermal reduction technique.It is well known that g-C_(3)N_(4)/Si nanocomposites can not only improve the electronic transmission ability,but also ameliorate the physical properties of the material for adapting the stress and strain caused by the volume expansion of silicon in the lithiation and delithiation process.When g-C_(3)N_(4)/Si electrode is evaluated,the initial discharge capacity of g-C_(3)N_(4)/Si nanocomposites is as high as 1033.3 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g,and its reversible capacity is maintained at 548 mAh/g after 400 cycles.Meanwhile,the improved rate capability is achieved with a relatively high reversible specific capacity of 218 mAh/g at 2.0 A/g.The superior lithium storage performances benefit from the unique g-C_(3)N_(4)/Si nanostructure,which improves electroconductivity,reduces volume expansion,and accelerates lithiumion transmission compared to pure silicon.