Microfluidic-oriented synthesis of enriched iridium nanodots/carbon architecture for robust electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation

Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)is considered as a promising candidate to achieve ammonia synthesis because of clean electric energy,moderate reaction condition,safe operating process and harmless by-products.However,the chemical inertness of nitrogen and poor activated capacity on catalyst surface usually produce low ammonia yield and faradic efficiency.Herein,the microfluidic technology is proposed to efficiently fabricate enriched iridium nanodots/carbon architecture.Owing to in-situ co-precipitation reaction and microfluidic manipulation,the iridium nanodots/carbon nanomaterials possess small average size,uniform dispersion,high conductivity and abundant active sites,producing good proton activation and rapid electrons transmission and moderate adsorption/desorption capacity.As a result,the as-prepared iridium nanodots/carbon nanomaterials realize large ammonia yield of 28.73 μg h^(-1) cm^(-2) and faradic efficiency of 9.14%in KOH solution.Moreover,the high ammonia yield of 11.21 μg h^(-1) cm^(-2) and faradic efficiency of 24.30%are also achieved in H_(2)SO_(4) solution.The microfluidic method provides a reference for large-scale fabrication of nano-sized catalyst materials,which may accelerate the progress of electrocatalytic NRR in industrialization field.

Preparation of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped ultrathin graphitic carbon via annealing bagasse lignin as potential electrocatalyst towards oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline and acid media

Renewable lignin used for synthesizing materials has been proven to be highly potential in specific electrochemistry.Here,we report a simple method to synthesize nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon nanosheets by using bagasse lignin,denoted as lignin-derived carbon(LC).By adjusting the ratio of nitrogen source and annealing temperature,we obtained the ultrathin graphitic lignin carbon(LC-4-1000)with abundant wrinkles with high surface area of 1208 m2g_1 and large pore volume of 1.40 cm3g_1.In alkaline medium,LC-4-1000 has more positive half-wave potential and nearly current density compared to commercial Pt/C for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR).More importantly,LC-4-1000 also exhibits comparable activity and superior stability for ORR in acid medium due to its high graphitic N ratio and a direct four electron pathway for ORR.This study develops a cost-effective and highly efficient method to prepare biocarbon catalyst for ORR in fuel cells.

Characteristics of Soil Organic Carbon, Total Nitrogen, and C/N Ratio in Chinese Apple Orchards

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen are used as indexes of soil quality assessment and sustainable land use management. At the same time, soil C/N ratio is a sensitive indicator of soil quality and for assessing the carbon and nitrogen nutrition balance of soils. We studied the characteristics of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen by investigating a large number of apple orchards in major apple production areas in China. High apple orchard soil organic carbon content was observed in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Xinjiang, and Yunnan, whereas low content was found in the provinces of Shandong, Henan, Hebei, and Shaanxi, with the values ranging between 6.44 and 7.76 g·kg-1. Similar to soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen content also exhibited obvious differences in the 12 major apple producing provinces. Shandong apple orchard soil had the highest total nitrogen content (1.26 g·kg-1), followed by Beijing (1.23 g·kg-1). No significant difference was noted between these two regions, but their total nitrogen content was significantly higher than the other nine provinces, excluding Yunnan. The soil total nitrogen content for Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Henan, and Gansu was between 0.87 and 1.03 g·kg-1, which was significantly lower than that in Shandong and Beijing, but significantly higher than that in Liaoning, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. Six provinces exhibited apple orchard soil C/N ratio higher than 10, including Heilongjiang (15.42), Xinjiang (13.38), Ningxia (14.45), Liaoning (12.24), Yunnan (11.03), and Gansu (10.63). The soil C/N ratio was below 10 in the remaining six provinces, in which the highest was found in Shaanxi (9.47), followed by Beijing (8.98), Henan (7.99), and Shanxi (7.62), and the lowest was found in Hebei (6.80) and Shandong (6.05). Therefore, the improvement of soil organic carbon should be given more attention to increase the steady growth of soil C/N ratio.

Dependence of Wheat and Rice Respiration on Tissue Nitrogen and the Corresponding Net Carbon Fixation Efficiency Under Different Rates of Nitrogen Application

To quantitatively address the role of tissue N in crop respiration under various agricultural practices, and to consequently evaluate the impact of synthetic fertilizer N application on biomass production and respiration, and hence net carbon fixation efficiency （Encf）, pot and field experiments were carried out for an annual rotation of a rice-wheat cropping system from 2001 to 2003. The treatments of the pot experiments included fertilizer N application, sowing date and planting density. Different rates of N application were tested in the field experiments. Static opaque chambers were used for sampling the gas. The respiration as CO2 emission was detected by a gas chromatograph. A successive biomass clipping method was employed to determine the crop autotrophic respiration coefficient （Ra）. Results from the pot experiments revealed a linear relationship between Ra and tissue N content as Ra = 4.74N-1.45 （R^2= 0.85, P 〈 0.001）. Measurements and calculations from the field experiments indicated that fertilizer N application promoted not only biomass production but also increased the respiration of crops. A further investigation showed that the increase of carbon loss in terms of respiration owing to fertilizer N application exceeded that of net carbon gain in terms of aboveground biomass when fertilizer N was applied over a certain rate. Consequently, the Encf declined as the N application rate increased.

Effects of different tillage and straw retention practices on soil aggregates and carbon and nitrogen sequestration in soils of the northwestern China

Soil tillage and straw retention in dryland areas may affect the soil aggregates and the distribution of total organic carbon. The aims of this study were to establish how different tillage and straw retention practices affect the soil aggregates and soil organic carbon(SOC) and total nitrogen(TN) contents in the aggregate fractions based on a long-term(approximately 15 years) field experiment in the semi-arid western Loess Plateau, northwestern China. The experiment included four soil treatments, i.e., conventional tillage with straw removed(T), conventional tillage with straw incorporated(TS), no tillage with straw removed(NT) and no tillage with straw retention(NTS), which were arranged in a complete randomized block design. The wet-sieving method was used to separate four size fractions of aggregates, namely, large macroaggregates(LA, >2000 μm), small macroaggregates(SA, 250–2000 μm), microaggregates(MA, 53–250 μm), and silt and clay(SC, <53 μm). Compared to the conventional tillage practices(including T and TS treatments), the percentages of the macroaggregate fractions(LA and SA) under the conservation tillage practices(including NT and NTS treatments) were increased by 41.2%–56.6%, with the NTS treatment having the greatest effect. For soil layers of 0–5, 5–10 and 10–30 cm, values of the mean weight diameter(MWD) under the TS and NTS treatments were 10.68%, 13.83% and 17.65%, respectively. They were 18.45%, 19.15% and 14.12% higher than those under the T treatment, respectively. The maximum contents of the aggregate-associated SOC and TN were detected in the SA fraction, with the greatest effect being observed for the NTS treatment. The SOC and TN contents were significantly higher under the NTS and TS treatments than under the T treatment. Also, the increases in SOC and TN levels were much higher in the straw-retention plots than in the straw-removed plots. The macroaggregates(including LA and SA fractions) were the major pools for SOC and TN, regardless of tillage practices, storing 3.25–6.81 g C/kg soil and 0.34–0.62 g N/kg soil. Based on the above results, we recommend the NTS treatment as the best option to boost soil aggregates and to reinforce carbon and nitrogen sequestration in soils in the semi-arid western Loess Plateau of northwestern China.

Maize straw application as an interlayer improves organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations in the soil profile: A four-year experiment in a saline soil

Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production.Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress.However,the legacy effects of straw added as an interlayer at different rates on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in saline soils still remain inconclusive.Therefore,a four-year (2015–2018) field experiment was conducted with four levels (i.e.,0,6,12and 18 Mg ha~(–1)) of straw returned as an interlayer.Compared with no straw interlayer (CK),straw addition increased SOC concentration by 14–32 and 11–57%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively.The increases in soil TN concentration (8–22 and 6–34%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively) were lower than that for SOC concentration,which led to increased soil C:N ratio in the 20–60 cm soil depth.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–60 cm soil layer with straw addition led to a decrease in stratification ratios (0–20 cm:20–60 cm),which promoted uniform distributions of SOC and TN in the soil profile.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations were associated with soil salinity and moisture regulation and improved sunflower yield.Generally,compared with other treatments,the application of 12 Mg ha~(–1) straw had higher SOC,TN and C:N ratio,and lower soil stratification ratio in the2015–2017 period.The results highlighted that legacy effects of straw application as an interlayer were maintained for at least four years,and demonstrated that deep soil straw application had a great potential for improving subsoil fertility in salt-affected soils.

Carbonation of Pure Minerals in Portland Cement:Evolution in Products as a Function of Water-to-solid Ratio

Minerals in Portland cement including tricalcium silicate(C_(3)S),β-dicalcium silicate(β-C_(2)S),tricalcium aluminate(C_(3)A),and tetracalcium ferroaluminate(C_(4)AF),show a significantly different activity and product evolution for CO_(2)curing at various water-to-solid ratios.These pure minerals were synthesized and subject to CO_(2)curing in this study to make an in-depth understanding for the carbonation properties of cement-based materials.Results showed that the optimum water-to-solid ratios of C_(3)S,β-C_(2)S,C_(3)A and C_(4)AF were 0.25,0.15,0.30 and 0.40 for carbonation,corresponding to 2 h carbonation degree of 38.5%,38.5%,24.2%,and 21.9%,respectively.The produced calcite duringβ-C_(2)S carbonation decreased as the water-to-solid ratio increased,with an increase in content of metastable CaCO_(3)of vaterite and aragonite.The thermodynamic stability of CaCO_(3)produced during carbonation was C_(3)A>C_(4)AF>β-C_(2)S>C_(3)S.The carbonation degree of Portland cement was predicted based on the results of pure minerals and the composition of cement,and the error of predicted production of CaCO_(3)was only 1.1%,which provides a potential method to predict carbonation properties of systems with a complex mineral composition.

Integration of nitrogen dynamics into the land surface model AVIM.Part 2:baseline data and variation of carbon and nitrogen fluxes in China

The spatiotemporal features of carbon and nitrogen fluxes over China between 1979 and 2015were simulated by the Atmosphere–Vegetation Interaction Model(AVIM).The carbon fluxes of gross primary production and net primary production captured the distribution pattern in China better than MODIS and TRENDY data.The results for nitrogen deposition and biological nitrogen fixation show the good performance of the AVIM simulation compared with the CMIP6 and CABLE data,with a deposition rate>4 g N m-2yr-1in south China.The variation in the gross primary production and net primary production can be up to 300 and 200 g C m-2yr-1in south and southeast China,respectively,and there is a discrepancy between the AVIM and the data from MODIS and TRENDY.This shows the difficulty in simulating the carbon flux in a monsoon climate region and the importance of coupling the nitrogen–carbon fluxes.The standard deviation of nitrogen deposition and biological nitrogen fixation is simulated well by the AVIM and there is a large range in nitrogen deposition of 0.8–1.2 g N m-2yr-1in south China.The climatological mean of the fluxes performs better than the variation in the standard deviation and anomaly and this variation in the carbon–nitrogen flux is the key to decreasing bias in future modeling studies.

Carbon sequestration rate,nitrogen use efficiency and rice yield responses to long-term substitution of chemical fertilizer by organic manure in a rice–rice cropping system

Combined application of chemical fertilizers with organic amendments was recommended as a strategy for improving yield,soil carbon storage,and nutrient use efficiency.However,how the long-term substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic manure affects rice yield,carbon sequestration rate(CSR),and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE)while ensuring environmental safety remains unclear.This study assessed the long-term effect of substituting chemical fertilizer with organic manure on rice yield,CSR,and NUE.It also determined the optimum substitution ratio in the acidic soil of southern China.The treatments were:(i)NPK0,unfertilized control;(ii)NPK1,100%chemical nitrogen,phosphorus,and potassium fertilizer;(iii)NPKM1,70%chemical NPK fertilizer and 30%organic manure;(iv)NPKM2,50%chemical NPK fertilizer and 50%organic manure;and(v)NPKM3,30%chemical NPK fertilizer and 70%organic manure.Milk vetch and pig manure were sources of manure for early and late rice seasons,respectively.The result showed that SOC content was higher in NPKM1,NPKM2,and NPKM3 treatments than in NPK0 and NPK1 treatments.The carbon sequestration rate increased by 140,160,and 280%under NPKM1,NPKM2,and NPKM3 treatments,respectively,compared to NPK1 treatment.Grain yield was 86.1,93.1,93.6,and 96.5%higher under NPK1,NPKM1,NPKM2,and NPKM3 treatments,respectively,compared to NPK0 treatment.The NUE in NPKM1,NPKM2,and NPKM3 treatments was higher as compared to NPK1 treatment for both rice seasons.Redundancy analysis revealed close positive relationships of CSR with C input,total N,soil C:N ratio,catalase,and humic acids,whereas NUE was closely related to grain yield,grain N content,and phenol oxidase.Furthermore,CSR and NUE negatively correlated with humin acid and soil C:P and N:P ratios.The technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS)showed that NPKM3 treatment was the optimum strategy for improving CSR and NUE.Therefore,substituting 70%of chemical fertilizer with organic manure could be the best management option for increasing CSR and NUE in the paddy fields of southern China.

The relationship between the high-frequency performance of supercapacitors and the type of doped nitrogen in the carbon electrode

Nitrogen doping has been widely used to improve the performance of carbon electrodes in supercapacitors,particularly in terms of their high-frequency response.However,the charge storage and electrolyte ion response mechanisms of different nitrogen dopants at high frequencies are still unclear.In this study,melamine foam carbons with different configurations of surfacedoped N were formed by gradient carbonization,and the effects of the configurations on the high-frequency response behavior of the supercapacitors were analyzed.Using a combination of experiments and first-principle calculations,we found that pyrrolic N,characterized by a higher adsorption energy,increases the charge storage capacity of the electrode at high frequencies.On the other hand,graphitic N,with a lower adsorption energy,increases the speed of ion response.We propose the use of adsorption energy as a practical descriptor for electrode/electrolyte design in high-frequency applications,offering a more universal approach for improving the performance of N-doped carbon materials in supercapacitors.

Effects of nitrogen deposition on the carbon budget and water stress in Central Asia under climate change

Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen(N)plays a significant role in shaping the structure and functioning of various terrestrial ecosystems worldwide.However,the magnitude of N deposition on grassland ecosystems in Central Asia still remains highly uncertain.In this study,a multi-data approach was adopted to analyze the distribution and amplitude of N deposition effects in Central Asia from 1979 to 2014 using a process-based denitrification decomposition(DNDC)model.Results showed that total vegetation carbon(C)in Central Asia was 0.35(±0.09)Pg C/a and the averaged water stress index(WSI)was 0.20(±0.02)for the whole area.Increasing N deposition led to an increase in the vegetation C of 65.56(±83.03)Tg C and slightly decreased water stress in Central Asia.Findings of this study will expand both our understanding and predictive capacity of C characteristics under future increases in N deposition,and also serve as a valuable reference for decision-making regarding water resources management and climate change mitigation in arid and semi-arid areas globally.

Enhanced stability of nitrogen-doped carbon-supported palladium catalyst for oxidative carbonylation of phenol

Enhancing the stability of supported noble metal catalysts emerges is a major challenge in both science and industry.Herein,a heterogeneous Pd catalyst(Pd/NCF)was prepared by supporting Pd ultrafine metal nanoparticles(NPs)on nitrogen-doped carbon;synthesized by using F127 as a stabilizer,as well as chitosan as a carbon and nitrogen source.The Pd/NCF catalyst was efficient and recyclable for oxidative carbonylation of phenol to diphenyl carbonate,exhibiting higher stability than Pd/NC prepared without F127 addition.The hydrogen bond between chitosan(CTS)and F127 was enhanced by F127,which anchored the N in the free amino group,increasing the N content of the carbon material and ensuring that the support could provide sufficient N sites for the deposition of Pd NPs.This process helped to improve metal dispersion.The increased metal-support interaction,which limits the leaching and coarsening of Pd NPs,improves the stability of the Pd/NCF catalyst.Furthermore,density functional theory calculations indicated that pyridine N stabilized the Pd^(2+)species,significantly inhibiting the loss of Pd^(2+)in Pd/NCF during the reaction process.This work provides a promising avenue towards enhancing the stability of nitrogen-doped carbon-supported metal catalysts.

Correlation and Pathway Analysis of the Carbon,Nitrogen,and Phosphorus in Soil-Microorganism-Plant with Main Quality Components of Tea(Camellia sinensis)

The contents of carbon(C),nitrogen(N),and phosphorus(P)in soil-microorganisms-plant significantly affect tea quality by altering the main quality components of tea,such as tea polyphenols,amino acids,and caffeine.However,few studies have quantified the effects of these factors on the main quality components of tea.The study aimed to explore the interactions of C,N,and P in soil-microorganisms-plants and the effects of these factors on the main quality components of tea by using the path analysis method.The results indicated that(1)The contents of C,N,and P in soil,microorganisms,and tea plants were highly correlated and collinear,and showed significant correlations with the main quality components of tea.(2)Optimal regression equations were established to esti-mate tea polyphenol,amino acid,catechin,caffeine,and water extract content based on C,N,and P contents in soil,microorganisms,and tea plants(R^(2)=0.923,0.726,0.954,0.848,and 0.883,respectively).(3)Pathway analysis showed that microbial biomass phosphorus(MBP),root phosphorus,branch nitrogen,and microbial biomass carbon(MBC)were the largest direct impact factors on tea polyphenol,catechin,water extracts,amino acid,and caffeine content,respectively.Leaf carbon,root phosphorus,and leaf nitrogen were the largest indirect impact factors on tea polyphenol,catechin,and water extract content,respectively.Leaf carbon indirectly affected tea polyphenol content mainly by altering MBP content.Root phosphorus indirectly affected catechin content mainly by altering soil organic carbon content.Leaf nitrogen indirectly affected water extract content mainly by altering branch nitrogen content.The research results provide the scientific basis for reasonable fertilization in tea gardens and tea quality improvement.

Elucidating the role of embedding dispersed cobalt sites in nitrogen-doped carbon frameworks in Si-based anodes for stable and superior storage

Unsatisfactory conductivity and volume effects have hindered the commercial application of siliconbased materials as advanced anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Herein, nitrogen doped carbon silicon matrix composite with atomically dispersed Co sites(Si/Co-N-C) is obtained via the design of the frame structure loaded with nano-components and the multi-element hybrid strategy. Co atoms are uniformly fixed to the N-C frame and tightly packed with nanoscale silicon particles as an activation and protection building block. The mechanism of the N-C framework of loaded metal Co in the Si alloying process is revealed by electrochemical kinetic analysis and ex situ characterization tests.Impressively, the nitrogen-doped Co site activates the intercalation of the outer carbon matrix to supplement the additional capacity. The Co nanoparticles with high conductivity and support enhance the conductivity and structural stability of the composite, accelerating the Li^(+)/Na^(+) diffusion kinetics. Density functional theory(DFT) calculation confirms that the hetero-structure Si/Co-N-C adjusts the electronic structure to obtain good lithium-ion adsorption energy, reduces the Li^(+)/Na^(+) migration energy barrier.This work provides meaningful guidance for the development of high-performance metal/non-metal modified anode materials.

High-performance SSZ-13 membranes prepared using ball-milled nanosized seeds for carbon dioxide and nitrogen separations from methane

SSZ-13 membranes with high separation performances were prepared using ball-milled nanosized seeds by once hydrothermal synthesis.Separation performances of SSZ-13 membranes in CO2/CH4 and N2/CH4 mixtures were enhanced after synthesis modification.Single-gas permeances of CO2,N2 and CH4 and ideal selectivities were recorded through SSZ-13 membranes.The effects of temperature,pressure,feed flow rate and humidity on separation performance of the membranes were discussed.Three membranes prepared after synthesis modifications had an average CO2 permeance of 1.16×10-6 mol·(m2·s·Pa)-1(equal to 3554 GPU)with an average CO2/CH4 selectivity of 213 in a 50 vol%/50 vol%CO2/CH4 mixture.It suggests that membrane synthesis has a good reproducible.The membrane also displayed a N2 permeance of 1.07×10-7 mol·(m2·s·Pa)-1(equal to 320 GPU)with a N2/CH4 selectivity of 13 for a 50 vol%/50 vol%N2/CH4 mixture.SSZ-13 membrane displayed stable and good separation performance in the wet CO2/CH4 mixture for a long test period over 100 h at 348 K.The current SSZ-13 membranes show great potentials for the simultaneous removals of CO2 and N2 in natural gas purification as a facile process suitable for industrial application.

Effects of tree size and organ age on variations in carbon,nitrogen,and phosphorus stoichiometry in Pinus koraiensis

Carbon(C),nitrogen(N),and phosphorus(P)are of fundamental importance for growth and nutrient dynamics within plant organs and deserve more attention at regional to global scales.However,our knowledge of how these nutrients vary with tree size,organ age,or root order at the individual level remains limited.We determined C,N,and P contents and their stoichiometric ratios(i.e.,nutrient traits)in needles,branches,and fine roots at different organ ages(0-3-year-old needles and branches)and root orders(1st-4th order roots)from 64 Pinus koraiensis of varying size(Diameter at breast height ranged from 0.3 to 100 cm)in northeast China.Soil factors were also measured.The results show that nutrient traits were regulated by tree size,organ age,or root order rather than soil factors.At a whole-plant level,nutrient traits decreased in needles and fine roots but increased in branches with tree size.At the organ level,age or root order had a negative effect on C,N,and P and a positive effect on stoichiometric ratios.Our results demonstrate that nutrient variations are closely related to organ-specific functions and ecophysiological processes at an individual level.It is suggested that the nutrient acquisition strategy by younger trees and organ fractions with higher nutrient content is for survival.Conversely,nutrient storage strategy in older trees and organ fractions are mainly for steady growth.Our results clarified the nutrient utilization strategies during tree and organ ontogeny and suggest that tree size and organ age or root order should be simultaneously considered to understand the complexities of nutrient variations.

Optimization of denitrifying phosphorus removal in a predenitrification anaerobic/anoxic/post-aeration+nitrification sequence batch reactor(pre-A_(2)NSBR)system:Nitrate recycling,carbon/nitrogen ratio and carbon source type

Because the efficiency of biological nutrient removal is always limited by the deficient carbon source for the low carbon/nitrogen(C/N)ratio in real domestic sewage,the denitrifying phosphorus removal(DNPR)was developed as a simple and efficient method to remove nitrogen and phosphorous.In addition,this method has the advantage of saving aeration energy while reducing the sludge production.In this context,a pre-denitrification anaerobic/anoxic/post-aeration+nitrification sequence batch reactor(pre-A_(2)NSBR)system,which could also reduce high ammonia effluent concentration in the traditional two-sludge DNPR process,is proposed in this work.The pre-A_(2)NSBR process was mainly composed of a DNPR SBR and a nitrifying SBR,operating as alternating anaerobic/anoxic/post-aeration+nitrification sequence.Herein,the long-term performance of different nitrate recycling ratios(0-300%)and C/N ratios(2.5-8.8),carbon source type,and functional microbial community were studied.The results showed that the removal efficiency of total inorganic nitrogen(TIN,including NH4^(+)-N,NO_(2)^(-)-N,and NO_(3)^(-)-N)gradually increased with the nitrate recycling ratios,and the system reached the highest DNPR efficiency of 94.45% at the nitrate recycling ratio of 300%.The optimum C/N ratio was around 3.9-7.3 with a nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency of 80.15%and 93.57%,respectively.The acetate was proved to be a high-quality carbon source for DNPR process.The results of fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH)analysis indicated that nitrifiers and phosphorus accumulating organisms(PAOs)were accumulated with a proportion of 19.41%and 26.48%,respectively.

Effects of soil nitrate:ammonium ratio on plant carbon:nitrogen ratio and growth rate of Artemisia sphaerocephala seedlings

Can soil nitrate： ammonium ratios influence plant carbon： nitrogen ratios of the early succession plant？ Can plant carbon： nitrogen ratios limit the plant growth in early succession？ To address these two questions, we performed a two-factor （soil nitrate： ammonium ratio and plant density） randomized block design and a uniform-precision rotatable central composite design pot experiments to examine the relationships between soil nitrate： ammonium ratios, the carbon： nitrogen ratios and growth rate of Artemisia sphaerocephala seedlings. Under adequate nutrient status, both soil nitrate： ammonium ratios and plant density influenced the carbon： nitrogen ratios and growth rate of A. sphaerocephala seedlings. Under the lower soil nitrate： ammonium ratios, with the increase of soil nitrate： ammonium ratios, the growth rates of plant height and shoot biomass of A. sphaerocephala seedlings decreased significantly; with the increase of plant carbon： nitrogen ratios, the growth rates of shoot biomass of A. sphaerocephala seedlings decreased significantly. Soil nitrate： ammonium ratios affected the carbon： nitrogen ratios of A. sphaerocephala seedlings by plant nitrogen but not by plant carbon. Thus, soil nitrate： ammonium ratios influenced the carbon： nitrogen ratios of A. sphaerocephala seedlings, and hence influenced its growth rates. Our results suggest that under adequate nutrient environment, soil nitrate： ammonium ratios can be a limiting factor for the growth of the early succession plant.

Study on Preparation of Nitrogen-Doped Hierarchically Porous and High-Performance Carbon Materials from Seaweed Biomass

Use Enteromorpha clathrate as a carbon and nitrogen precursor could obtain the N-doped porous carbon mate-rials by two-step pyrolysis.In this paper,the exogenous nitrogen(urea,melamine)and activating agents(KOH,ZnCl_(2))were employed for the production of higher-performance carbon materials from seaweed biomass.SEM,BET,FTIR,XRD,XPS,Raman and ultimate analyses were carried out to investigate the morpho-structural and elemental peculiarities of the carbonaceous materials.Moreover,cyclic voltammetry(CV),galvanostatic charge-discharge(GCD)and cyclic charge-discharge tests were carried out to examine the electrochemical properties of the samples.The results showed that electrochemical performance of the carbonaceous materials improved by adding the appropriate nitrogen sources.This improvement was observed under either condition,when the nitro-gen source and activating agent were melamine and ZnCl_(2) or urea and KOH,respectively.Specifically,under the condition with KOH as the activator,the nitrogen content of carbon material without exogenous nitrogen was initially 1.46%.After the addition of urea or melamine,the nitrogen content increased to 4.86%and 6.18%,respectively.Under the condition with ZnCl_(2) as the activator,and without exogenous nitrogen,the nitrogen con-tent of carbon materials was initially 3.75%.However,after adding urea or melamine,the nitrogen content increased to 12.11%and 14.76%,respectively.The carbonaceous materials(prepared from urea/KOH and mel-amine/ZnCl_(2))showed excellent gravimetric capacitances of 172 and 151.5 F/g at 1A/g.Moreover,at a current density of 5 A/g,their specific capacitance retention rate reached 78.3%and 82.6%respectively after 1000 cycles.

Cooperation of nitrogen-doping and catalysis to improve the Li-ion storage performance of lignin-based hard carbon

Hard carbon draws great interests as anode material in lithium ion batteries （LIBs） due to its high the- oretical capacity, high rate capability and abundance of its precursors. Herein we firstly synthesize the lignin-melamine resins by grafting melamine onto lignin. Afterwards, nitrogen doped hard carbon is pre- pared by the pyrolysis of lignin-melamine resins with the aid of catalyst （Ni（NO_3）2·6H_2O） at 1000 ℃. Compared with the samples without nitrogen-doping and catalysis, as-prepared nitrogen doped hard car- bon exhibits higher reversible capacity （345 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 ）, higher rate capability （145 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1） and excellent cycling stability. The superior electrochemical performance is ascribed to the synergistic effect of nitrogen doping, graphitic structure and amorphous structure. Among them, nitro- gen doping could create the vacancies around the nitrogen sites, which enhance the reactivity and the electronic conductivity of materials. Additionally, graphitic structure also enhances the electronic con- ductivity of materials, thus improving the electrochemical performance of hard carbon. It is worthwhile that Iignin, renewable and abundant biopolymer, is converted to hard carbon with good electrochemical performance, which realizes the high value utilization of lignin.