Chemico-biological conversion of carbon dioxide

The unabated carbon dioxide(CO_(2))emission into the atmosphere has exacerbated global climate change,resulting in extreme weather events,biodiversity loss,and an intensified greenhouse effect.To address these challenges and work toward carbon(C)neutrality and reduced CO_(2)emissions,the capture and utilization of CO_(2)have become imperative in both scientific research and industry.One cutting-edge approach to achieving efficient catalytic performance involves integrating green bioconversion and chemical conversion.This innovative strategy offers several advantages,including environmental friendliness,high efficiency,and multi-selectivity.This study provides a comprehensive review of existing technical routes for carbon sequestration(CS)and introduces two novel CS pathways:the electrochemicalbiological hybrid and artificial photosynthesis systems.It also thoroughly examines the synthesis of valuable Cnproducts from the two CS systems employing different catalysts and biocatalysts.As both systems heavily rely on electron transfer,direct and mediated electron transfer has been discussed and summarized in detail.Additionally,this study explores the conditions suitable for different catalysts and assesses the strengths and weaknesses of biocatalysts.We also explored the biocompatibility of the electrode materials and developed novel materials.These materials were specifically engineered to combine with enzymes or microbial cells to solve the biocompatibility problem,while improving the electron transfer efficiency of both.Furthermore,this review summarizes the relevant systems developed in recent years for manufacturing different products,along with their respective production efficiencies,providing a solid database for development in this direction.The novel chemical-biological combination proposed herein holds great promise for the future conversion of CO_(2)into advanced organic compounds.Additionally,it offers exciting prospects for utilizing CO_(2)in synthesizing a wide range of industrial products.Ultimately,the present study provides a unique perspective for achieving the vital goals of“peak shaving”and C-neutrality,contributing significantly to our collective efforts to combat climate change and its associated challenges.

Exploring the relationship between ambient sulfur dioxide and semen quality parameters:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To investigate the relationship between ambient sulfur dioxide(SO2)exposure and semen quality parameters.Methods:A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies investigating the association between SO2 exposure and semen quality parameters.This search encompassed the timeframe from January 2000 to May 2023 and included electronic databases such as Web of Science,Google Scholar,PubMed,Cochrane,and Scopus.Pooled effect estimates with 95%confidence intervals(CI)were calculated using percent changes(PC).The meta-analysis included seven studies with 6711 participants and 15087 semen samples.Results:The results revealed a significant negative association between ambient SO2 exposure and certain semen quality parameters.In particular,SO2 exposure was associated with a significant decrease in progressive motility(PC=0.032;95%CI:-0.063 to-0.001;P=0.044)and sperm concentration(PC=-0.020;95%CI:-0.036 to-0.005;P=0.012).However,no statistically significant associations were observed for total sperm count(PC=-0.038;95%CI:-0.079 to 0.003;P=0.070),seminal fluid volume(PC=-0.009;95%CI:-0.048 to-0.030;P=0.662)and sperm motility(PC=-0.17;95%CI:-0.363 to 0.022;P=0.830).In addition,the results of the subgroup analysis revealed specific variables that were associated with the decrease in relevant sperm parameters.Conclusions:This systematic review and meta-analysis provides compelling evidence supporting a consistent negative association between exposure to ambient SO2 and semen quality parameters.

Effects of drip and flood irrigation on carbon dioxide exchange and crop growth in the maize ecosystem in the Hetao Irrigation District,China

Drip irrigation and flood irrigation are major irrigation methods for maize crops in the Hetao Irrigation District,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China.This research delves into the effects of these irrigation methods on carbon dioxide(CO_(2))exchange and crop growth in this region.The experimental site was divided into drip and flood irrigation zones.The irrigation schedules of this study aligned with the local commonly used irrigation schedule.We employed a developed chamber system to measure the diurnal CO_(2)exchange of maize plants during various growth stages under both drip and flood irrigation methods.From May to September in 2020 and 2021,two sets of repeated experiments were conducted.In each experiment,a total of nine measurements of CO_(2)exchange were performed to obtain carbon exchange data at different growth stages of maize crop.During each CO_(2)exchange measurement event,CO_(2)flux data were collected every two hours over a day-long period to capture the diurnal variations in CO_(2)exchange.During each CO_(2)exchange measurement event,the biological parameters(aboveground biomass and crop growth rate)of maize and environmental parameters(including air humidity,air temperature,precipitation,soil water content,and photosynthetically active radiation)were measured.The results indicated a V-shaped trend in net ecosystem CO_(2)exchange in daytime,reducing slowly at night,while the net assimilation rate(net primary productivity)exhibited a contrasting trend.Notably,compared with flood irrigation,drip irrigation demonstrated significantly higher average daily soil CO_(2)emission and greater average daily CO_(2)absorption by maize plants.Consequently,within the maize ecosystem,drip irrigation appeared more conducive to absorbing atmospheric CO_(2).Furthermore,drip irrigation demonstrated a faster crop growth rate and increased aboveground biomass compared with flood irrigation.A strong linear relationship existed between leaf area index and light utilization efficiency,irrespective of the irrigation method.Notably,drip irrigation displayed superior light use efficiency compared with flood irrigation.The final yield results corroborated these findings,indicating that drip irrigation yielded higher harvest index and overall yield than flood irrigation.The results of this study provide a basis for the selection of optimal irrigation methods commonly used in the Hetao Irrigation District.This research also serves as a reference for future irrigation studies that consider measurements of both carbon emissions and yield simultaneously.

Effect of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on Growth and Biomass Accumulation in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

The use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO2) is gaining interest in agriculture because of their impact on many aspects of plant growth. The present study examines the effects of nTiO2 (5 nm and 10 nm) applied to seeds and the seedlings as a foliar application on various aspects of growth characteristics and biomass accumulation in lettuce (Lactuca sativa, cv. Grand Rapids). Application of 10 nm nTiO2 to seeds through imbibition resulted in a significant reduction in shoot biomass accumulation while 5 nm nTiO2 did not affect the biomass accumulation in lettuce. The application of 10 nm nTiO2 reduced the fresh shoot biomass accumulation by about 18% compared to the control plants. Other growth characteristics such as shoot dry biomass, root fresh and dry biomass, plant height, and leaf area were not affected by the application of both 5 nm and 10 nm nTiO2. In addition, foliar application of these nanoparticles to the lettuce seedlings did not have a significant effect on most of the growth parameters examined, and the increasing concentration ranging from 5 nm/L to 400 mg/L did not produce a consistent response in lettuce. Thus, nTiO2 application to lettuce seeds had a notable negative impact on shoot growth while foliar application did not have a significant effect on many plant growth characteristics. However, foliar applications produced some symptoms of toxicity to the foliage in the form of necrotic or chlorotic patches on the leaves, which were more pronounced with increasing concentrations of both 5 nm and 10 nm nTiO2. However, these symptoms were apparent at a concentration as low as 50 mg/L of nTiO2. Thus, foliar application of nTiO2 may not have a significant impact on many of the growth characteristics in lettuce, but it can result in foliar toxicity.

Copper slag assisted coke reduction of phosphogypsum for sulphur dioxide preparation

The reduction of phosphogypsum(PG)to lime slag and SO_(2)using coke can effectively alleviate the environmental problems caused by PG.However,the PG decomposition temperature remains high and the product yield remains poor.By adding additives,the decomposition temperature can be further reduced and PG decomposition rate and product yield can be improved.However,the use of current additives such as Fe_(2)O_(3)and SiO_(2)brings the problem of increasing economic cost.Therefore,it is proposed to use solid waste copper slag(CS)as a new additive to reduce PG to prepare SO2,which can reduce the cost and meet the environmental benefits at the same time.The effects of proportion,temperature and thermostatic time on PG decomposition are investigated by experimental and kinetic analysis combined with FactSage thermodynamic calculations to optimize the roasting conditions.Finally,the reaction mechanism is proposed.It is found that adding CS to the coke and PG system can increase the rate of PG decomposition and SO_(2)yield while lowering the PG decomposition temperature.For example,when the CS/PG mass ratio increases from 0 to 1,PG decomposition rate increases from 83.38%to 99.35%,SO_(2)yield increases from 78.62%to 96.81%,and PG decomposition temperature decreases from 992.4℃to 949.6℃.The optimal reaction parameters are CS/PG mass ratio of 1,Coke/PG mass ratio of 0.06 at 1100℃for 20 min with 99.35%PG decomposition rate and 96.81%SO_(2) yield.The process proceeds according to the following reactions:2CaSO_(4)+ 0.7C + 0.8Fe_(2)SiO_(4)→0.8Ca_(2)SiO_(4)+ 0.2Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5)+ 0.4Fe_(3)O_(4)+2SO_(2)+ 0.7CO_(2)Finally,a process for decomposing PG with coke and CS is proposed.

Carbon dioxide enrichment affected flower numbers transiently and increased successful post-pollination development stably but without altering final acorn production in mature pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.)

Acorn production in oak(Quercus spp.)shows considerable inter-annual variation,known as masting,which provides a natural defence against seed predators but a highly-variable supply of acorns for uses such as in commercial tree planting each year.Anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases have been very widely reported to influence plant growth and seed or fruit size and quantity via the‘fertilisation effect’that leads to enhanced photosynthesis.To examine if acorn production in mature woodland communities will be affected by further increase in CO_(2),the contents of litter traps from a Free Air Carbon Enrichment(FACE)experiment in deciduous woodland in central England were analysed for numbers of flowers and acorns of pedunculate oak(Quercus robur L.)at different stages of development and their predation levels under ambient and elevated CO_(2) concentrations.Inter-annual variation in acorn numbers was considerable and cyclical between 2015 and 2021,with the greatest numbers of mature acorns in 2015,2017 and 2020 but almost none in 2018.The numbers of flowers,enlarged cups,immature acorns,empty acorn cups,and galls in the litter traps also varied amongst years;comparatively high numbers of enlarged cups were recorded in 2018,suggesting Q.robur at this site is a fruit maturation masting species(i.e.,the extent of abortion of pollinated flowers during acorn development affects mature acorn numbers greatly).Raising the atmospheric CO_(2) concentration by 150μL L^(−1),from early 2017,increased the numbers of immature acorns,and all acorn evidence(empty cups+immature acorns+mature acorns)detected in the litter traps compared to ambient controls by 2021,but did not consistently affect the numbers of flowers,enlarged cups,empty cups,or mature acorns.The number of flowers in the elevated CO_(2) plots’litter traps was greater in 2018 than 2017,one year after CO_(2) enrichment began,whereas numbers declined in ambient plots.Enrichment with CO_(2) also increased the number of oak knopper galls(Andricus quercuscalicis Burgsdorf).We conclude that elevated CO_(2) increased the occurrence of acorns developing from flowers,but the putative benefit to mature acorn numbers may have been hidden by excessive pre-and/or post-dispersal predation.There was no evidence that elevated CO_(2) altered masting behaviour.

CAS-ESM2.0 Dataset for the Carbon Dioxide Removal Model Intercomparison Project(CDRMIP)

Understanding the response of the Earth system to varying concentrations of carbon dioxide(CO_(2))is critical for projecting possible future climate change and for providing insight into mitigation and adaptation strategies in the near future.In this study,we generate a dataset by conducting an experiment involving carbon dioxide removal(CDR)—a potential way to suppress global warming—using the Chinese Academy of Sciences Earth System Model version 2.0(CASESM2.0).A preliminary evaluation is provided.The model is integrated from 200–340 years as a 1%yr^(−1) CO_(2) concentration increase experiment,and then to~478 years as a carbon dioxide removal experiment until CO_(2) returns to its original value.Finally,another 80 years is integrated in which CO_(2) is kept constant.Changes in the 2-m temperature,precipitation,sea surface temperature,ocean temperature,Atlantic meridional overturning circulation(AMOC),and sea surface height are all analyzed.In the ramp-up period,the global mean 2-m temperature and precipitation both increase while the AMOC weakens.Values of all the above variables change in the opposite direction in the ramp-down period,with a delayed peak relative to the CO_(2) peak.After CO_(2) returns to its original value,the global mean 2-m temperature is still~1 K higher than in the original state,and precipitation is~0.07 mm d^(–1) higher.At the end of the simulation,there is a~0.5°C increase in ocean temperature and a 1 Sv weakening of the AMOC.Our model simulation produces similar results to those of comparable experiments previously reported in the literature.

Simultaneous Degradation, Dehalogenation, and Detoxification of Halogenated Antibiotics by Carbon Dioxide Radical Anions

Despite the extensive application of advanced oxidation processes(AOPs)in water treatment,the efficiency of AOPs in eliminating various emerging contaminants such as halogenated antibiotics is constrained by a number of factors.Halogen moieties exhibit strong resistance to oxidative radicals,affecting the dehalogenation and detoxification efficiencies.To address these limitations of AOPs,advanced reduction processes(ARPs)have been proposed.Herein,a novel nucleophilic reductant—namely,the carbon dioxide radical anion(CO_(2)^(·-))—is introduced for the simultaneous degradation,dehalogenation,and detoxification of florfenicol(FF),a typical halogenated antibiotic.The results demonstrate that FF is completely eliminated by CO_(2)^(·-),with approximately 100%of Cland 46%of Freleased after 120 min of treatment.Simultaneous detoxification is observed,which exhibits a linear response to the release of free inorganic halogen ions(R^(2)=0.97,p<0.01).The formation of halogen-free products is the primary reason for the superior detoxification performance of this method,in comparison with conventional hydroxyl-radical-based AOPs.Products identification and density functional theory(DFT)calculations reveal the underlying dehalogenation mechanism,in which the chlorine moiety of FF is more susceptible than other moieties to nucleophilic attack by CO_(2)^(·-).Moreover,CO_(2)^(·-)-based ARPs exhibit superior dehalogenation efficiencies(>75%)in degrading a series of halogenated antibiotics,including chloramphenicol(CAP),thiamphenicol(THA),diclofenac(DLF),triclosan(TCS),and ciprofloxacin(CIP).The system shows high tolerance to the pH of the solution and the presence of natural water constituents,and demonstrates an excellent degradation performance in actual groundwater,indicating the strong application potential of CO_(2)^(·-)-based ARPs in real life.Overall,this study elucidates the feasibility of CO_(2)^(·-)for the simultaneous degradation,dehalogenation,and detoxification of halogenated antibiotics and provides a promising method for their regulation during water or wastewater treatment.

Size Effect on the Radiation Stability Silicon Dioxide Sphere Particles

The effect of protons(E = 100 keV,F = 5×10^(15) cm^(-2)) exposure on the diffuse reflectance spectra of the SiO_(2 )with different size particles in wavelength range from 250 to 2500 nm have been investigated.Particles were nanosphere,submicrosphere,microsphere and submacrosphere,as well as solid micro-and nanocrystals.The synthesis of the particles was carried out by the formation of silica shells and dissolution of the polystyrene core particles.The surface morphology,surface area and crystal structure of the particles have been investigated.When evaluating the changes of the solar absorptance,it was found that the radiation stability of the micro-and submacro-hollow particles is higher than that of the other nanostructured particles,except for solid microcrystals.The low radiation stability of the hollow microparticles is due to the large void inside the hollow particles where radiation defects are not formed.

Experimental investigation on pyrolysis products and pore structure characteristics of organic-rich shale heated by supercritical carbon dioxide

The efficient pyrolysis and conversion of organic matter in organic-rich shale,as well as the effective recovery of pyrolysis shale oil and gas,play a vital role in alleviating energy pressure.The state of carbon dioxide(CO_(2))in the pyrolysis environment of shale reservoirs is the supercritical state.Its unique supercritical fluid properties not only effectively heat organic matter,displace pyrolysis products and change shale pore structure,but also achieve carbon storage to a certain extent.Shale samples were made into powder and three sizes of cores,and nitrogen(N_(2))and supercritical carbon dioxide(ScCO_(2))pyrolysis experiments were performed at different final pyrolysis temperatures.The properties and mineral characteristics of the pyrolysis products were studied based on gas chromatography analysis,Xray diffraction tests,and mass spectrometry analysis.Besides,the pore structure characteristics at different regions of cores before and after pyrolysis were analyzed using N_(2) adsorption tests to clarify the impact of fracturing degree on the pyrolysis effect.The results indicate that the optimal pyrolysis temperature of Longkou shale is about 430℃.Compared with N_(2),the oil yield of ScCO_(2) pyrolysis is higher.The pyrolysis oil obtained by ScCO_(2) extraction has more intermediate fractions and higher relative molecular weight.The ScCO_(2) can effectively improve the pore diameter of shale and its effect is better than that of N_(2).The micropores are produced in shale after pyrolysis,and the macropores only are generated in ScCO_(2) pyrolysis environments with temperatures greater than 430℃.The pore structure has different development characteristics at different pyrolysis temperatures,which are mainly affected by the pressure holding of volatile matter and products blocking.Compared to the surface of the core,the pore development effect inside the core is better.With the decrease in core size,the pore diameter,specific surface area,and pore volume of cores all increase after pyrolysis.

The AVO Effect of Formation Pressure on Time-Lapse Seismic Monitoring in Marine Carbon Dioxide Storage

The phase change of CO_(2) has a significant bearing on the siting, injection, and monitoring of storage. The phase state of CO_(2) is closely related to pressure. In the process of seismic exploration, the information of formation pressure can be response in the seismic data. Therefore, it is possible to monitor the formation pressure using time-lapse seismic method. Apart from formation pressure, the information of porosity and CO_(2) saturation can be reflected in the seismic data. Here, based on the actual situation of the work area, a rockphysical model is proposed to address the feasibility of time-lapse seismic monitoring during CO_(2) storage in the anisotropic formation. The model takes into account the formation pressure, variety minerals composition, fracture, fluid inhomogeneous distribution, and anisotropy caused by horizontal layering of rock layers(or oriented alignment of minerals). From the proposed rockphysical model and the well-logging, cores and geological data at the target layer, the variation of P-wave and S-wave velocity with formation pressure after CO_(2) injection is calculated. And so are the effects of porosity and CO_(2) saturation. Finally, from anisotropic exact reflection coefficient equation, the reflection coefficients under different formation pressures are calculated. It is proved that the reflection coefficient varies with pressure. Compared with CO_(2) saturation, the pressure has a greater effect on the reflection coefficient. Through the convolution model, the seismic record is calculated. The seismic record shows the difference with different formation pressure. At present, in the marine CO_(2) sequestration monitoring domain, there is no study involving the effect of formation pressure changes on seismic records in seafloor anisotropic formation. This study can provide a basis for the inversion of reservoir parameters in anisotropic seafloor CO_(2) reservoirs.

Simulation Modelling and Techno-Economics of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Recompression Closed Brayton Cycle

In recent years, there has been global interest in meeting targets relating to energy affordability and security while taking into account greenhouse gas emissions. This has heightened major interest in potential investigations into the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles. Climate change mitigation is the ultimate driver for this increased interest;other relevant issues include the potential for high cycle efficiency and a circular economy. In this study, a 25 MWe recompression closed Brayton cycle (RCBC) has been assessed, and sCO2 has been proposed as the working fluid for the power plant. The methodology used in this research work comprises thermodynamic and techno-economic analysis for the prospective commercialization of this sCO2 power cycle. An evaluated estimation of capital expenditure, operational expenditure, and cost of electricity has been considered in this study. The ASPEN Plus simulation results have been compared with theoretical and mathematical calculations to assess the performance of the compressors, turbine, and heat exchangers. The results thus reveal that the cycle efficiency for this prospective sCO2 recompression closed Brayton cycle increases (39% - 53.6%) as the temperature progressively increases from 550˚C to 900˚C. Data from the Aspen simulation model was used to aid the cost function calculations to estimate the total capital investment cost of the plant. Also, the techno-economic results have shown less cost for purchasing equipment due to fewer components being required for the cycle configuration as compared to the conventional steam power plant.

Solubility of iron(Ⅲ) and nickel(Ⅱ) acetylacetonates in supercritical carbon dioxide

As a common precursor for supercritical CO_(2)(scCO_(2))deposition techniques,solubility data of organometallic complexes in scCO_(2)is crucial for the preparation of nanocomposites.Recently,metal acetylacetonates have shown great potential for the preparation of single-atom catalytic materials.In this study,the solubilities of iron(Ⅲ)acetylacetonate(Fe(acac)3)and nickel(Ⅱ)acetylacetonate(Ni(acac)2)were measured at the temperature from 313.15 to 333.15 K and in the pressure range of 9.5–25.2 MPa to accumulate new solubility data.Solubility was measured using a static weight loss method.The semi-empirical models proposed by Chrastil and Sung et al.were used to correlate the solubility data of Fe(acac)3 and Ni(acac)2.The equations obtained can be used to predict the solubility of the same system in the experimental range.

Co-doping of Iron and Cerium in Titanium Dioxide: Observation of a Cooperative Effect

The co-doping of iron and cerium into TiO2 was studied by means of X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, UV Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, when separately doping via the sol-gel method, iron was introduced in the fralnework of anatase TiO2 whereas cerium was not; interestingly, both iron and cerium were introduced in tile framework when co-doping by the sol-gel method. The co-doped TiO2 behaves much more intense surface hydroxyl concentration than the separately-doped and pure TiO2. This observation demonstrates for the first time a cooperative effect in the co-doping of transitional metals in the framework of TiO2.

Behavior of titanium dioxide in alumina carbothermic reduction-chlorination process in vacuum

Behaviors of TiO2 in the alumina carbothermic reduction and chlorination process in vacuum at different temperatures were investigated experimentally by means of XRD,SEM and EDS.In the preparation of materials,the molar ratio of Al2O3 to C was 1：4,and 10% TiO2 and excess AlCl3 were added.The results show that TiC is produced by C and TiO2 after TiO2 transforms from anatase into rutile gradually.In the temperature range of 1 763？1 783 K,the compounds of Ti and Al are not found in slags and condensate.The purity of aluminum reaches 98.35%,and TiO2 does not participate in alumina carbothermic reduction process and chlorination process in vacuum.

Experimental studies on photocatalytic oxidation of nitric oxides using titanium dioxide

In order to remove nitric oxides （NO） from flue gas, experimental studies on the photocatalytic oxidation （PCO） of NO are carried out in an efficient laboratory-scale reactor. Nano-sized TiO2 particles loading on quartz sand are prepared and used as the photocatalyst. Effects of several key operating parameters on NO conversion are investigated, including operating temperature, NO inlet concentration, oxygen percentage, relative humidity and residence time. The results illustrate that the NO inlet concentration, the oxygen percentage and the relative humidity play an important role in the oxidation of NO. A lower NO inlet concentration and a higher oxygen percentage result in a higher NO conversion efficiency. When the relative humidity is 8%, the maximum value of NO conversion efficiency is achieved. In addition, the operating temperature and the residence time have a little effect on the conversion efficiency of NO.

Optimization of Supercritical Carbon dioxide Extraction of Ginger Essential Oil by Response Surface Method

[Objective] Ginger essential oil （GEO） is widely used in food production and medical field in recent years due to its prominent biological functions, and this study was conducted to obtain high-quality and high-purity ginger essential oil from the fresh ginger. [Method] GEO was extracted from ginger roots by supercritical fluid extraction （SFE） method. The effects of flow rate of CO2, mesh size of ginger powder and volume of entrainer were investigated by single-factor experiments and response surface method. The content and extraction rate of 6-gingerol represented the extraction index of GEO. [Result] The conditions were optimized as follows： flow rate of CO2 at 25 L/h, mesh size of ginger power of 80 mesh, and volume of anhydrous ethanol as entrainer of 92.46 ml. The optimal extraction rate of 6-gingerol was 3.21%, which was predicted by RSM. [Conclusion] The optimal process of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of ginger essential oil was identified by singlefactor experiments and response surface method. The present study provides a satisfactory method for purifying GEO from ginger for industrial purpose.

Preparation, Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Fe, La Co-doped Nanometer Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysts

A series of photocatalysts of un-doped, single-doped and co-doped nanometer titanium diox- ide （TiO2） have been successfully prepared by template method using Fe（NO3）3.9H2O, La（NO3）3.6H2O, and tetrabutyl titanate as precursors and glucan as template. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and N2 adsorption-desorption measurement were employed to characterize the morphology, crystal structure and surface structure of the samples. The photo-absorbance of the obtained catalysts was measured by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, and the photocatalytic activities of the prepared samples under UV and visible light were estimated by measuring the degradation rate of methyl orange in an aqueous solution. The characterizations indicated that the prepared photocatalysts consisted of anatase phase and possessed high surface area of ca. 163-176 m2/g. It was shown that the Fe and La co-doped nano-TiO2 could be activated by visible light and could thus be used as an effective catalyst in photo-oxidation reactions. The synergistic effect of Fe and La co-doping played an important role in improving the photocatalytic activity. In addition, the possibility of cyclic usage of co-doped nano-TiO2 was also confirmed, the photocatalytic activity of codoped nano-TiO2 remained above 89.6% of the fresh sample after being used four times.

Preparation, Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Lanthanum Doped Mesoporous Titanium Dioxide

Lanthanum doped mesoporous titanium dioxide photocatalysts with different La content were synthesized by template method using tetrabutyltitanate （Ti（OC4H9）4） as precursor and Pluronic P123 as template. The catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric dif ferential thermal analysis, N2 adsorption-desorption measurements, X-ray diffraction, and UV-Vis adsorption spectroscopy. The effect of La3＋ doping concentration from 0.1% to 1% on the photocatalytic activity of mesoporous TiO2 was investigated. The characterizations indicated that the photocatalysts possessed a homogeneous pore diameter of about 10 nm with high surface area of 165 m2/g. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements in- dicated the presence of C in the doped samples in addition to La. Compared with pure mesoporous TiO2, the La-doped samples extended the photoabsorption edge into the visible light region. The results of phenol photodecomposition showed that La-doped mesoporous TiO2 exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than pure mesoporous TiO2 under UV and visible light irradiation.

Effects of Selenium Dioxide on Apoptosis, Bcl-2 and P53 Expression, Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species and Calcium Level in Three Human Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Objective: To evaluate the anti-tumor effects of SeO2 and its mechanisms on three human lung cancer cell lines. Methods: Three lung cancer cells A549, GLC-82 and PG were treated with 3-30 μmol/L SeO2. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis, and analyze the changes of expression of p53 and Bcl-2, as well as ROS and Ca2+ level within cells. Results:SeO2 markedly inhibited cell proliferation and viability, and prompted apoptosis after 48 h treatment. SeO2 at 10 μmol/L induced 47.8% apoptosis in A549 cells, 40.8% in GLC-82 cells, 18.2% in PG cells. SeO2 at 30 μmol/L induced 37.8% apoposis in PG cells,but did not increase apoptotic raes in other two cells. SeO2 could down-regulate the mean fluorescent intensity of Bcl-2 from 65.8 to 9.6 in A549, but not in GLC-82 and in PG cells, up-regulate wild type p53 level in all three cells. SeO2 decreased the ROS and Ca2+ level markedly within three tested cells. Conclusion: SeO2 showed anti-tumor effect via apoptosis pathway in three lung cancer cell lines. The decrease of ROS and Ca2+ level within cells as well as regulation of Bcl-2 and p53 expression may play important roles in above apoptotic procedure.