Promoting interactions between cognitive science and large language models

Large language models(LLMs)have made unprecedented progress,demonstrating human-like language proficiency and an extraordinary ability to encode complex knowledge.The emergence of high-level cognitive capabilities in LLMs,such as in-context learning and complex reasoning,suggests a path toward the realization of artificial general intelligence(AGI).However,we lack scientific theories and tools to assess and interpret such an emergence of the advanced intelligence of LLMs.Artificial intelligence(AI)has been extensively applied in various areas of fundamental science to accelerate scientific research.

Enhanced formation of trihalomethane disinfection byproducts from halobenzoquinones under combined UV/chlorine conditions

Halobenzoquinones(HBQs)are highly toxic disinfection byproducts(DBPs)and are also precursors of other DBPs such as trihalomethanes(THMs).The formation of THMs from HBQs during chlorine-only and UV/chlorine processes with or without bromide was investigated experimentally.Density functional theory(DFT)reactivity descriptors were also applied to predict the nucleophilic/electrophilic reactive sites on HBQs and intermediates.The results were combined to explain the different behaviors of 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone(2,6-DCBQ)and tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone(TCBQ)and to propose mechanism for the promoting roles of UV and hydroxylation of HBQs in THMs formation.Under UV/chlorine,UV significantly enhanced THMs formation from 2,6-DCBQ compared to chlorine-only,mainly due to the production of OH-DCBQ^(*).Excited 2,6-DCBQ^(*)by UV benefited nucleophilic hydrolysis to produce OH-DCBQ^(*),which favored electrophilic attack by chlorine,thereby inducing more THMs formation.UV/chlorine modestly promoted THMs formation from TCBQ compared to chlorine-only.Hydroxylation of TCBQ and UV irradiation were both important in promoting THMs formation due to the high electrophilic property of OH-TCBQ and TCBQ^(*).Meanwhile,hydroxylation of HBQs and CHCl3 formation were enhanced at higher pH.This work suggested that enhanced formation of THMs from HBQs should be considered in the application of combined UV and chlorine processes.

Fabrication of niobium doped titanate nanoflakes with enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity for efficient ibuprofen degradation

In this study,a novel class of niobium(Nb) doped titanate nanoflakes(TNFs) are fabricated through a onestep hydrothermal method.Nb doping affects the curving of titanate nanosheet,leading to the formation of nanoflake structure.In addition,Nb5+ filled in the interlayers of [TiO6] alters the light adsorption property of pristine titanate.The band gap of Nb-TNFs is narrowed to 2.85 eV,while neat titanate nano tubes(TNTs) is 3.4 eV.The enhanced visible light adsorption significantly enhances the visible-lightdriven activity of Nb-TNFs for ibuprofen(IBP) degradation.The pseudo-first order kinetics constant for Nb-TNFs is calculated to be 1.04 h^-1,while no obvious removal is observed for TNTs.Photo-generated holes(h^+) and hydroxyl radicals(·OH) are responsible for IBP degradation.The photocatalytic activity of Nb-TNFs depends on pH condition,and the optimal pH value is found to be 5.In addition,Nb-TNFs exhibited superior photo-stability during the reuse cycles.The results demonstrated Nb-TNFs are very promising in photocatalytic water purification.