Enhancing the stability of Ni Fe-layered double hydroxide nanosheet array for alkaline seawater oxidation by Ce doping

Electrocatalytic hydrogen production from seawater holds enormous promise for clean energy generation.Nevertheless,the direct electrolysis of seawater encounters significant challenges due to poor anodic stability caused by detrimental chlorine chemistry.Herein,we present our recent discovery that the incorporation of Ce into Ni Fe layered double hydroxide nanosheet array on Ni foam(Ce-Ni Fe LDH/NF)emerges as a robust electrocatalyst for seawater oxidation.During the seawater oxidation process,CeO_(2)is generated,effectively repelling Cl^(-)and inhibiting the formation of Cl O-,resulting in a notable enhancement in the oxidation activity and stability of alkaline seawater.The prepared Ce-Ni Fe LDH/NF requires only overpotential of 390 m V to achieve the current density of 1 A cm^(-2),while maintaining long-term stability for 500 h,outperforming the performance of Ni Fe LDH/NF(430 m V,150 h)by a significant margin.This study highlights the effectiveness of a Ce-doping strategy in augmenting the activity and stability of materials based on Ni Fe LDH in seawater electrolysis for oxygen evolution.

Study of the Conversion of Postconsumer Polystyrene on CeO2/HZSM-5 Type Materials

The catalytic conversion of polystyrene (PS) was studied in the presence of the materials type HZSM-5, CeO2, 10% CeO2/HZSM-5 and 20% CeO2/HZSM-5, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nitrogen adsorption at 77K. The catalytic tests were performed via thermogravimetric analysis (TG) at heating rates of 5, 10 and 20˚C min−1 in a temperature range from 30˚C to 900˚C. For the tests, a ratio of 30% by mass of each catalytic material mixed with PS was used and the activation energy of the degradation process was determined by the Vyazovkin method. The obtained results showed that the addition of the catalyst to the PS in general reduced its degradation temperature. The 10% CeO2/HZSM-5 catalyst showed greater efficiency, as it resulted in lower activation energy for PS degradation. Thus, the combination of CeO2 with HZSM-5 resulted in materials with potential for application in the catalytic degradation of polystyrene and the results indicate that the production of a composite material can be a good strategy to generate an increase in catalytic activity and a decrease in energy process activation.

CHARACTERIZATION OF AMPHIPHILIC AND MICROPHASE SEPARATED GRAFT COPOLYMERS Ⅱ SURFACE CHARACTERIZATION AND IN VITRO BLOOD-COMPATIBILITY ASSESSMENT OF POLYSTYRENE-GRAFT-ω-STEARYLPOLY (ETHYLENE OXIDE)

This paper reported the research results concerning the surface characterization ofpolystyrene-graft-w-stearyl poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-g-SPEO) by means of XPS,contactangle measurement and TEM, and its in vitro blood compatibility assessment by measuringthe plasma recalcification time (RT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT). The XPSresults demonstrated that the surface and bulk composition of the PS-g-SPEO graftcopolymers differ remarkably from each other,and that SPEO component was constantlyenriched at the copolymer/air interface. Contact angle studies indicated that the surfacewater wettability can be adjusted effectively by changing the composition of the copolymer.PS-g-SPEO graft copolymers can undergo microphase separation as clearly illustrated byTEM photographs. The relationship between the surface properties of PS-g-SPEO graftcopolymer and its blood compatibility was also discussed.

Synthesis, Purification and Characterization of Amphiphilic and Microphase Separated Graft Copolymer Polystyrene-g-Poly(ethylene oxide)

The present paper covers the poly (ethylene oxide) macromer with vinyl benzyl terminal group (PEO-VB) prepared by deactivation of the alkoxide function of mono-functional 'living' PEO chains with vinyl benzyl chloride (VBC). The obtained macromers were subjected to careful purification and detailed characterization. A new kind of amphiphilic polystyrene-g-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-g-PEO) with both mi-crophase separated and PEO side chains was synthesized from radical copolymerization of PEO-VB macromer with styrene monomer. An improved purification method, referred as 'selective dissolvation', was established for the isolation of graft copolymers from the grafting products, and the purity and yield of the purified copolymers were satisfactory. The well-defined structure of the purified copolymers was confirmed by IR, 1H NMR and GPC. The bulk composition of the graft copolymers was determined by a well-established first derivative UV spectrometry. Various experimental parameters controlling the copolymerization were also studied. The results indicate that the feed ratio of macromer to styrene (M/S) was the most important factor in determining the composition of the copolymers. Thus a series of PS-g-PEO with a wide range of bulk compositions were obtained simply by adjusting the value of M/S. As clearly indicated by transmission electron microscopy, this amphiphilic graft copolymers may readily form microphase separated structures.

Ca and Sr co-doping induced oxygen vacancies in 3DOM La_(2-x)Sr_(x)Ce_(2-y)CayO_(7-δ)catalysts for boosting low-temperature oxidative coupling of methane

It is urgent to develop catalysts with application potential for oxidative coupling of methane(OCM)at relatively lower temperature.Herein,three-dimensional ordered macro porous(3 DOM)La_(2-x)Sr_(x)Ce_(2-y)CayO_(7-δ)(A_(2)B_(2)O_(7)-type)catalysts with disordered defective cubic fluorite phased structure were successfully prepared by a colloidal crystal template method.3DOM structure promotes the accessibility of the gaseous reactants(O2and CH4)to the active sites.The co-doping of Ca and Sr ions in La_(2-x)Sr_(x)Ce_(2-y)CayO_(7-δ)catalysts improved the formation of oxygen vacancies,thereby leading to increased density of surface-active oxygen species(O_(2)^(-))for the activation of CH4and the formation of C2products(C2H6and C2H4).3DOM La_(2-x)Sr_(x)Ce_(2-y)CayO_(7-δ)catalysts exhibit high catalytic activity for OCM at low temperature.3DOM La1.7Sr0.3Ce1.7Ca0.3O7-δcatalyst with the highest density of O_(2)^(-)species exhibited the highest catalytic activity for low-temperature OCM,i.e.,its CH4conversion,selectivity and yield of C2products at 650℃are 32.2%,66.1%and 21.3%,respectively.The mechanism was proposed that the increase in surface oxygen vacancies induced by the co-doping of Ca and Sr ions boosts the key step of C-H bond breaking and C-C bond coupling in catalyzing low-temperature OCM.It is meaningful for the development of the low-temperature and high-efficient catalysts for OCM reaction in practical application.

Thermal and Thermo-oxidative Degradation of Flame Retardant High Impact Polystyrene with Triphenyl Phosphate and Novolac Epoxy Resin

Thermal and thermo-oxidative decomposition and decomposition kinetics of flame retardant high impact polystyrene （HIPS） with triphenyl phosphate （TPP） and novolac type epoxy resin （NE） were characterized using thermo-gravimetric experiment. And the flammability was determined by limited oxygen indices （LOI）. The LOI results show that TPP and NE had a good synthetic effect on the flame retardancy of HIPS. Compared with pure HIPS, the LOI values of HIPS/NE and HIPS/TPP only increased by about 5%, and the LOI value of HIPS/TPP/NE reached 42.3%, nearly 23% above that of HIPS. All materials showed one main decomposition step, as radical HIPS scission predominated during anaerobic decomposition. TPP increased the activity energy effectively while NE affected the thermal-oxidative degradation more with the help of the char formation. With both TPP and NE, the materials could have a comparable good result of both thermal and thermal-oxidative degradation, which could contribute to their effect on the flame retardancy.

PREPARATION OF Au/SULFONATED POLYSTYRENE CATALYSTS FOR LOW-TEMPERATURE CO OXIDATION

Supported Au catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation were prepared by solvated metal atom impregnation (SMAI) and conventional impregnation (Cl). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigations indicated that the elemental gold in all the samples was in the metallic state, XRD measurements showed that the mean diameters of Au particles prepared by SMAI were smaller than those prepared by Cl with the same gold content. Catalytic tests showed that the SMAI catalyst had higher CO oxidation activity than the CI catalyst with the same compositions. Both SMAI and Cl catalysts exhibited high activity in low temperature CO oxidation. Full CO conversion was obtained at 323-383K.

Leaching of low grade zinc oxide ores in Ida^(2-)-H_2O system

Ida2--H2O system（iminodiacetate aqueous solution） was used to leach a low grade zinc oxide ore for Zn extraction.The effects of leaching time,liquid-solid ratio（L/S）,total concentration of Ida2-（[Ida2-]T）,leaching temperature and pH on Zn leaching recovery and the dissolution of impurities such as Ca,Mg,Cu,Ni,Fe,Pb and Cd were investigated.Results show that Ca,Mg and Fe in ores were hardly dissolved in alkalescent iminodiacetate aqueous solution,while valuable metals such as Cu,Ni,Pb and Cd were partly dissolved into leaching liquor with Zn.The recovery of Zn reaches 76.6% when the ores were leached for 4 h at 70 ℃ by 0.9 mol/L iminodiacetate aqueous solution with pH of 8 and L/S of 5：1.

Ni doped La_(0.6)Sr_(0.4)FeO_(3-δ) symmetrical electrode for solid oxide fuel cells

The conventional Ni cermet anode suffers from severe carbon deposition and sulfur poisoning when fossil fuels are used. Alternative anode materials are desired for high performance hydrocarbon fuel solid oxide fuel cells （SOFCs）. We report the rational design of a very active Ni doped La0.6Sr0.4FeO3‐δ（LSFN） electrode for hydrocarbon fuel SOFCs. Homogeneously dispersed Ni‐Fe alloy nanoparticles were in situ extruded onto the surface of the LSFN particles during the operation of the cell. Sym‐metric SOFC single cells were prepared by impregnating a LSFN precursor solution onto a YSZ （yt‐tria stabilized zirconia） monolithic cell with a subsequent heat treatment. The open circuit voltage of the LSFN symmetric cell reached 1.18 and 1.0 V in humidified C3H8 and CH4 at 750？？, respective‐ly. The peak power densities of the cells were 400 and 230 mW/cm2 in humidified C3H8 and CH4, respectively. The electrode showed good stability in long term testing, which revealed LSFN has good catalytic activity for hydrocarbon fuel oxidation.

Methane Oxidation to Synthesis Gas Using Lattice Oxygen of La_(1-x)Sr_xMO_(3-λ)(M =Fe,Mn) Perovskite Oxides Instead of Molecular Oxygen

In this paper, the partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas using lattice oxygen of La1- SrxMO3-λ (M=Fe, x Mn) perovskite oxides instead of molecular oxygen was investigated. The redox circulation between 11% O2/Ar flow and 11% CH4/He flow at 900℃ shows that methane can be oxidized to CO and H2 with a selectivity of over 90.7% using the lattice oxygen of La1- SrxFeO3-λ (x≤0.2) perovskite oxides in an appropriate reaction condition, while the lost lattice x oxygen can be supplemented by air re-oxidation. It is viable for the lattice oxygen of La1- SrxFeO3-λ (x≤0.2) perovskite x oxides instead of molecular oxygen to react with methane to synthesis gas in the redox mode.

Effect of Nano - Titanium Dioxide with Different Antibiotics against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

The different investigation has been carried out on the biological activities of titanium dioxide nanoparticle but the effect of this nano product on the antibacterial activity of different antibiotics has not been yet demonstrated. In this study the nano size TiO2 is synthesized using citric acid and alpha dextrose and the enhancement effect of TiO2 nanoparticle on the antibacterial activity of different antibiotics was evaluated against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). During the present study, different concentrations of nano-scale TiO2 were tested to find out the best concentration that can have the most effective antibacterial property against the MRSA culture. Disk diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of these antibiotics in the absence and presence of sub inhibitory concentration of TiO2 nano particle. A clinical isolate of MRSA, isolated from Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was used as test strain. In the presence of sub-inhibitory concentration of TiO2 nanoparticle (20 μg/disc) the antibacterial activities of all antibiotics have been increased against test strain with minimum 2 mm to maximum 10mm. The highest increase in inhibitory zone for MRSA was observed against pencillin G and amikacin (each 10 mm). Conversely, in case of nalidixic acid, TiO2 nanoparticle showed a Synergic effect on the antibacterial activity of this antibiotic against test strain. These results signify that the TiO2 nanoparticle potentate the antimicrobial action of beta lactums, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides, macrolids and lincosamides, tetracycline a possible utilization of nano compound in combination effect against MRSA.

Recent progress and future directions of the research on nanoplastic-induced neurotoxicity

Many types of plastic products,including polystyrene,have long been used in commercial and industrial applications.Microplastics and nanoplastics,plastic particles derived from these plastic products,are emerging as environmental pollutants that can pose health risks to a wide variety of living organisms,including humans.However,it is not well understood how microplastics and nanoplastics affect cellular functions and induce stress responses.Humans can be exposed to polystyrene-microplastics and polystyrene-nanoplastics through ingestion,inhalation,or skin contact.Most ingested plastics are excreted from the body,but inhaled plastics may accumulate in the lungs and can even reach the brain via the nose-to-brain route.Small-sized polystyrene-nanoplastics can enter cells by endocytosis,accumulate in the cytoplasm,and cause various cellular stresses,such as inflammation with increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production,oxidative stress with generation of reactive oxygen species,and mitochondrial dysfunction.They induce autophagy activation and autophagosome formation,but autophagic flux may be impaired due to lysosomal dysfunction.Unless permanently exposed to polystyrene-nanoplastics,they can be removed from cells by exocytosis and subsequently restore cellular function.However,neurons are very susceptible to this type of stress,thus even acute exposure can lead to neurodegeneration without recovery.This review focuses specifically on recent advances in research on polystyrene-nanoplastic-induced cytotoxicity and neurotoxicity.Furthermore,in this review,based on mechanistic studies of polystyrene-nanoplastics at the cellular level other than neurons,future directions for overcoming the negative effects of polystyrene-nanoplastics on neurons were suggested.

Cr-poisoning under open-circuit condition in LaNi_(0.6)Fe_(0.4)O_(3-δ)-based nano composite cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells prepared by infiltration process

LaNi（0.6）Fe（0.4）O（3-δ） （LNF） powders were synthesized by the glycine-nitrate process and LNF-gadolinium-doped ceria （GDC） nanocomposite cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells （SOFCs） were fabricated by infiltration from LNF porous backbones. Electrochemical properties and Cr-poisoning behavior of LNF-GDC cathodes were studied. Single phase perovskite LNF could be obtained at the glycine to nitrate molar ratio of 1：1. The polarization resistance of the LNF-GDC nanocomposite cathode was significantly decreased in comparison with the LNF. This phenomenon was associated with enhanced catalytic activity and enlarged triple-phase boundary （TPB） length by GDC nano particles. In addition, the nanocomposite cathode showed good Cr tolerance under open circuit condition. The LNF-GDC nanocomposite cathodes were expected for use as a potential cathode in intermediate- temperature solid oxide fuel cells （IT-SOFC）.

Enhancing superconductivity of ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7-δ films by capping non-superconducting oxides

In this study, we have explored the ways to fabricate and optimize high-quality ultrathin YBa2 Cu3 O7-δ(YBCO) films grown on single-crystal(001) SrTiO3 substrates. Nearly atomic-flat YBCO films are obtained by pulsed laser deposition.Our result shows that the termination of SrTiO3 has only a negligible effect on the properties of YBCO. In contrast, we found that capping a non-superconducting oxide layer can generally enhance the superconductivity of YBCO. PrBa2 Cu3 O7,La2 CuO4, LaMnO3, SrTiO3, and LaAlO3 have been examined as capping layers, and the minimum thickness of superconducting YBCO with capping is ~ 2 unit cells–3 unit cells. This result might be useful in constructing good-performance YBCO-based field effect devices.

Permeation Characteristics of Light Hydrocarbons Through Poly（amide-6-β-ethylene oxide） Multilayer Composite Membranes

In this paper, poly(amide-6-β-ethylene oxide) (PEBA1657) copolymer was used to prepare multilayer polyetherimide (PEI)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/PEBA1657/PDMS composite membranes by dip-coating method. Permeation behaviors of ethylene, ethane, propylene, propane, n-butane, methane and nitrogen through the multilayer composite membranes were investigated over a range of operating temperature and pressure. The permeances of light hydrocarbons through PEI/PDMS/PEBA1657/PDMS composite membranes increase with their increasing condensability, and the olefins are more permeable than their corresponding paraffins. For light hydrocarbons, the gas permeances increase significantly as temperature increasing. When the transmembrane pressure difference increases, the gas permeance increases moderately due to plasticization effect, while their apparent activation energies for permeation decrease.

LSM-infiltrated LSCF cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells

Mixed ionic-electronic conductors in the family of LaxSr1-xCoyFe1-y O3-δ have been widely studied as cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells （SOFCs）. However, the long-term stability was a concern. Here we report our findings on the effect of a thin film coating of La0.85Sr0.15MnO3-δ （LSM） on the performance of a porous La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Feo.8O3-δ（LSCF） cathode. When the thicknesses of the LSM coatings are appropriate, an LSM-coated LSCF electrode showed better stability and lower polarization （or higher activity） than the blank LSCF cathode without LSM infiltration. An anode-supported cell with an LSM-infiltrated LSCF cathode demonstrated at 825 ℃ a peak power density of -1.07 W/cm2, about 24% higher than that of the same cell without LSM infiltration （-0.86 W/cm2）. Further, the LSM coating enhanced the stability of the electrode; there was little degradation in performance for the cell with an LSM-infiltrated LSCF cathode during 100 h operation.

Ce_xTi_(1-x)O_2 Mixed Oxides Supported CuO Catalyst for NO Reduction by CO

Ce x Ti 1- x O 2 mixed oxides of different mole ratios ( x =0, 0.1, 0.2～0.9, 1.0) were prepared by co precipitation of TiCl 4 with Ce(NO 3) 3 and then loaded with different amounts of CuO. The effects of CuO on NO+CO reaction were investigated, and the structure and reductive properties of various CuO/Ce x Ti 1- x O 2 were characterized by the methodologies of BET, TPR and XRD. The results show that different Ce/Ti mole ratios and calcination temperatures induce changes of structure and reductive properties of the Ce x Ti 1- x O 2 mixed oxides. When x =0.1～0.5, amorphous CeTi 2O 6 phase mainly forms at 650 ℃ compared to the formation of CeTi 2O 6 which crystallizes at 800 ℃. When x >0.6, some TiO 2 enters the CeO 2 lattice and a CeO 2 TiO 2 solid solution is formed. The activity of 6%CuO/Ce x Ti 1- x O 2 calcined at 650 ℃ is largely affected by the x values, which is the highest when x =0.3, 0.4 and 0.9. The NO conversion reaches 70% at a reaction temperature of 150 ℃. By comparison, the x values have little effect on the activity of 6%CuO/Ce x Ti 1- x O 2 calcined at 800 ℃ . There are strong interactions between CuO and CeTi 2O 6, i.e., formation of the CeTi 2O 6 phase shifts the CuO reduction peak temperature from 380 to 200 ℃, and CuO, in turn, shifts the CeTi 2O 6 reduction peak temperature from 600 to 300 ℃.

Synthesis of La_(0.9)Sr_(0.1)Ga_(0.8)Mg_(0.2)O_(3-δ) Powder for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell by a Nitrate-Citrate Combustion Route

A nitrate-citrate combustion route to synthesize La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-σ powder for solid oxide fuel cell application was presented. This route is based on the gelling of nitrate solutions by the addition of citric acid and ammonium hydroxide, followed by an intense combustion process due to an exothermic redox reaction between nitrate and citrate ions. The optimum technical parameters are that the pH value is 5, and the molar ratio of citric acid to the total metallic ion is 1.5:1. X-ray diffraction characterization of calcined gel shows that pure phase was synthesized after calcination at 1400℃for 10 h, and the TEM result shovvs the calcined powder with average particle size is about 150 nm. The grain resistance contributes to the total resistance of sintered peliet below 500℃. The conductivity of the sintered peliet at 800℃ was 0.07 S-1·cm-1 higher than the conductivity of YSZ (0.05 S-1·cm-1 at 800℃)

石墨烯-聚苯乙烯复合材料的制备及阻燃性能研究

采用溶液共混法制备了石墨烯-聚苯乙烯复合材料,通过XRD、SEM、FT-IR、力学性能测试、热失重分析、导热系数及THR分析等手段,研究了复合材料中氧化石墨烯(GO)的质量分数对复合材料物相结构、微观形貌、力学性能、热性能和阻燃性能的影响。结果表明,聚苯乙烯吸附在GO表面,GO与聚苯乙烯复合后增大了表面粗糙度,复合后没有改变聚合物的链结构。适量GO的掺杂改善了石墨烯-聚苯乙烯复合材料的力学性能,PG-6%的复合材料的拉伸强度、断裂延伸率、弹性模量均达到最大值,分别为38.8 MPa、10.37%和1505 MPa,相比纯PS分别提高了26.38%、8.06%和31.90%。复合材料的导热系数和热扩散系数均随GO占比的增大而先增大后降低,PG-6%复合材料的导热系数和热扩散系数达到最大值,分别为0.170 W/(m·K)和0.171 mm^(2)/s。适量GO的添加改善了复合材料的阻燃性能,使点燃难度增加,放热率降低,PG-6%的复合材料的阻燃性能最优,FPI最高为0.386。

The Dissolution of the Cellulose in the N - ethylmorpholine - N - oxide (NMMO) - Water System with Hydrothermolysis

Tbe N - methylmorpholine - N - oxide (NMMO) - water solvent was used to dissolve the cellulose that was achieved by means of hydrothermolysis. Sample B, RS and WS used here were made from beech, rice straw and wheat straw respectively. They could be completely dissolved in the NMMO - water system. A commercial a - cellulose was employed in the comparative experiment. The entire dissolving process was Investigated. At a given temperature, the vacuum condition applied to the mixture of the cellulose and NMMO - water was very important in order to accelerate the dissolution of cellulose and shorten the dissolving period. After dissolution, degree of polymerization (DP) of all samples was measured by viscometry. Longer dissolving time and higher temperature could cause the degradation of the dissolved cellulose. N- propyl gallate could prevent the degradation of cellulose during the process of dissolution.