Hydrothermal treatment of pearl millet grains:Effects on nutritional composition,antinutrients and flour properties

Pearl millet(Pennisetum glaucum)is one of the major millets with high nutritional properties.This crop exhibits exceptional resilience to drought and high temperatures.However,the processing of pearl millet poses a significant challenge due to its high lipid content,enzyme activity,and presence of antinutrients.Consequently,it becomes imperative to enhance the quality and prolong the shelf life of pearl millet flour by employing suitable technologies.Hydrothermal treatment in the food industry has long been seen as promising due to its potential to reduce microbial load,inactivate enzymes,and improve nutrient retention.This study aims to investigate the effects of hydrothermal treatment on the quality characteristics of pearl millet.The independent variables of the study were soaking temperature(35,45,55℃),soaking time(2,3,4 h),and steaming time(5,10,15 min).Treatment conditions had a statistically significant effect on nutrient retention.Major antinutrients like tannins and phytates were reduced by 0.99% to 5.94% and 0.36% to 6.00%,respectively,after the treatment.Lipase activity decreased significantly up to 10% with the treatment conditions.The findings of this study could potentially encourage the use of pearl millet flour in the production of various food items and promote the application of hydrothermal treatment in the field of food processing.

Cross-upgrading of biomass hydrothermal carbonization and pyrolysis for high quality blast furnace injection fuel production:Physicochemical characteristics and gasification kinetics analysis

The paper proposes a biomass cross-upgrading process that combines hydrothermal carbonization and pyrolysis to produce high-quality blast furnace injection fuel.The results showed that after upgrading,the volatile content of biochar ranged from 16.19%to 45.35%,and the alkali metal content,ash content,and specific surface area were significantly reduced.The optimal route for biochar pro-duction is hydrothermal carbonization-pyrolysis(P-HC),resulting in biochar with a higher calorific value,C=C structure,and increased graphitization degree.The apparent activation energy(E)of the sample ranges from 199.1 to 324.8 kJ/mol,with P-HC having an E of 277.8 kJ/mol,lower than that of raw biomass,primary biochar,and anthracite.This makes P-HC more suitable for blast furnace injection fuel.Additionally,the paper proposes a path for P-HC injection in blast furnaces and calculates potential environmental benefits.P-HC of-fers the highest potential for carbon emission reduction,capable of reducing emissions by 96.04 kg/t when replacing 40wt%coal injec-tion.

In situ Hydrothermal Oxidation of Ternary FeCoNi Alloy Electrode for Overall Water Splitting

Exploring noble metal-free catalyst materials for high efficient electrochemical water splitting to produce hydrogen is strongly desired for renewable energy development.In this article,a novel bifunctional catalytic electrode of insitu-grown type for alkaline water splitting based on FeCoNi alloy substrate has been successfully prepared via a facile one-step hydrothermal oxidation route in an alkaline hydrogen peroxide medium.It shows that the matrix alloy with the atom ratio 4∶3∶3 of Fe∶Co∶Ni can obtain the best catalytic performance when hydrothermally treated at 180℃for 18 h in the solution containing 1.8 M hydrogen peroxide and 3.6 M sodium hydroxide.The as-prepared Fe_(0.4)Co_(0.3)Ni_(0.3)-1.8 electrode exhibits small overpotentials of only 184 and 175 mV at electrolysis current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)for alkaline OER and HER processes,respectively.The overall water splitting at electrolysis current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)can be stably delivered at a low cell voltage of 1.62 V.These characteristics including the large specific surface area,the high surface nickel content,the abundant catalyst species,the balanced distribution between bivalent and trivalent metal ions,and the strong binding of in-situ naturally growed catalytic layer to matrix are responsible for the prominent catalytic performance of the Fe_(0.4)Co_(0.3)Ni_(0.3)-1.8 electrode,which can act as a possible replacement for expensive noble metal-based materials.

Discovery and characterization of a new hydrothermal field at 2°N on the slow-spreading Carlsberg Ridge

A new hydrothermal field(Tianshi)was discovered on the rift valley wall through plume anomaly surveys and geological work conducted in 2012 and 2018 between 2°35′N and 2°43′N of the slow-spreading Carlsberg Ridge(CR).Here,the results of two expeditions conducted to detect and characterize the new hydrothermal field are reported.Mineralogical and geochemical data,as well as 14 C ages of a sediment core collected near the field are presented to reveal the hydrothermal history.Results show that the Tianshi field is a basalt-hosted hydrothermal system.Geochemical data of the sediments collected near the field indicate a strong hydrothermal contribution,and hydrothermal Fe and Cu fluxes range from 30 to 155 mg/(cm^(2)·ka)and 0.59 to 11.49 mg/(cm^(2)·ka),respectively.Temporal variations in the fluxes of hydrothermal Fe indicate that there have been at least three amplified hydrothermal venting events(H 1,H 2,and H 3)in the Tianshi field over the last 35.2 ka,in 28.6-35.2 ka BP,22.0-27.6 ka BP,and 1.2-11.4 ka BP,respectively.Hydrothermal event H 2 was driven by an increased magmatic production associated with sea level fall during the Last Glacial Maximum,while event H 3 was promoted by tectonic activity associated with a rapid sea level rise.This study further verified the role of sea level change in modulating hydrothermal activity on mid-ocean ridges.

Episodic hydrothermal alteration on Middle Permian carbonate reservoirs and its geological significance in southwestern Sichuan Basin,SW China

To analyze the episodic alteration of Middle Permian carbonate reservoirs by complex hydrothermal fluid in southwestern Sichuan Basin,petrology,geochemistry,fluid inclusion and U-Pb dating researches are conducted.The fractures and vugs of Middle Permian Qixia–Maokou formations are filled with multi-stage medium-coarse saddle dolomites and associated hydrothermal minerals,which indicates that the early limestone/dolomite episodic alteration was caused by the large-scale,high-temperature,deep magnesium-rich brine along flowing channels such as basement faults or associated fractures under the tectonic compression and napping during the Indosinian.The time of magnesium-rich hydrothermal activity was from the Middle Triassic to the Late Triassic.The siliceous and calcite fillings were triggered by hydrothermal alteration in the Middle and Late Yanshanian Movement and Himalayan Movement.Hydrothermal dolomitization is controlled by fault,hydrothermal property,flowing channel and surrounding rock lithology,which occur as equilibrium effect of porosity and permeability.The thick massive grainstone/dolomites were mainly altered by modification such as hydrothermal dolomitization/recrystallization,brecciation and fracture-vugs filling.Early thin-medium packstones were mainly altered by dissolution and infilling of fracturing,bedding dolomitization,dissolution and associated mineral fillings.The dissolved vugs and fractures are the main reservoir space under hydrothermal conditions,and the connection of dissolved vugs and network fractures is favorable for forming high-quality dolomite reservoir.Hydrothermal dolomite reservoirs are developed within a range of 1 km near faults,with a thickness of 30–60 m.Hydrothermal dolomite reservoirs with local connected pore/vugs and fractures have exploration potential.

Effects of Ti-and Mg-bearing minerals on hydrothermal formation of hydroandradite

The effects of Ti-and Mg-bearing minerals on the crystal structure,morphology,particle size distribution,and formation mechanism of efficient desilication product of hydroandradite(HA)during hydrothermal conversion in a synthetic sodium aluminate solution were investigated via X-ray diffractometer,scanning electron microscope and particle size analyzer.During HA formation,anatase,rutile,and periclase dissolved in sodium aluminate solution engage in ion substitution reactions between Ti4+and Si4+,and between Mg^(2+)and Ca^(2+),respectively.However,dissolved hydromagnesite cannot enter into the HA.The content of HA after the hydrothermal reactions changes slightly with the increase of anatase and periclase contents,but it notably decreases with increased quantities of rutile and hydromagnesite.Ti-bearing minerals reduce the particle size and enhance the specific surface area of HA,whereas Mg-bearing minerals exert the opposite effect.The morphology of HA with Ti-and Mg-bearing minerals changes from spherical particles to flocculent structure and hexagonal plate-like particles.

Hydrothermal hydrogenation/deoxygenation of palmitic acid to alkanes over Ni/activated carbon catalyst

To produce paraffin from hydrogenation/deoxygenation of palmitic acid,model compound of bio-oil obtained by hydrothermal liquefaction(HTL)of microalgae has been an attractive focus in recent years.In order to avoid energy-intensive separation process of water and bio-oil,it is of importance that deoxygenation upgrading of fatty acids under hydrothermal conditions similar to HTL process.Herein,it is the first time to explore the application of activated carbon(AC)-supported non-noble-metal catalysts,such as Ni,Co,and Mo,and so on,in the hydrothermal hydrogenation/deoxygenation of long-chain fatty acids,and the obtained Ni/AC-H(the Ni/AC was further H_(2)pre-reduced)is one of the best catalysts.In addition,it is found that the catalytic activity can be further improved by H_(2)pre-reduction of catalyst.Characterization results that are more low valences of nickel and oxygen vacancy can be obtained after H_(2)pre-reduction,thus significant promoting the deoxygenation especially the decarbonylation pathway of fatty acids.The total alkanes yield can reaches 95.9%at optimal conditions(280℃,360 min).This work confirmed that the low-priced AC-supported non-noble-metal catalysts have great potential compared with the noble-metal catalyst,in hydrothermal upgrading of bio-oil.

Cu-Zn isotope compositions of hydrothermal sediments from the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge:implications to the sediment formation and mineral exploration

Six hydrothermal sediment samples were collected from the Xunmei and Tongguan hydrothermal fields along the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge during the China Ocean Cruise DY46 in 2017.Sulfides and oxides in the samples were separated,and Cu and Zn isotope compositions were analyzed.Results show that the ranges ofδ^(65)Cu values of the bulk sediments,sulfides,and oxides were 0.36‰-2.46‰,-0.21‰-1.10‰,and 0.68‰-1.52‰,respectively.Theδ^(65)Cu values of sulfides in four samples(46II-14,46II-30,46III-06,and 46II-09)were relatively low(-0.21‰-0.50‰),corresponding to theδ^(65)Cu values of sulfides from inactive old hydrothermal chimneys in northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge(n MAR),suggesting that the sulfides in the sediments were originated from collapsed dead chimney mainly.While theδ^(65)Cu values of the other two samples(46III-02 and 46III-08)were relatively high(1.10‰-0.96‰),corresponding to theδ^(65)Cu values for active hydrothermal chimneys sulfides in n MAR,which indicated that the sulfides in these two samples might mainly come from sulfide particles settled from active hydrothermal plume.Because of the high density of sulfide particles,they tended to settle near the hydrothermal vents first.Therefore,highδ^(65)Cu values of sulfides in 46III-02 and 46III-08 implied that undiscovered active hydrothermal vents near the sampling positions of 46III-02 in the Xunmei hydrothermal field and 46III-08 in the Tongguan hydrothermal field.Theδ^(66)Zn values of hydrothermal sediments and sulfides ranged 0.11‰-0.43‰and 0.29‰-0.67‰,respectively.In the four samples from the Xunmei hydrothermal field,a positive correlation was found between the distance of the sampling position from sulfide mineralized spot and the Zn isotopic ratio,showing that the greater the distance from the mineralized spot,the heavier the Zn isotope composition as seen in two samples(46II-30 and 46II-14)of the Xunmei-3 spot.This result aligned with the findings of Wilkinson et al.(2005)and Baumgartner et al.(2023),suggesting that the lower the Zn isotope composition,the closer it is to the hydrothermal vent.However,in the Xunmei hydrothermal field,the Zn isotope composition in the other two samples(46III-02and 46III-06)showed the opposite trend.This indicated that there might be an active hydrothermal vent near the sampling location of sample 46III-02.This observation aligned with the Cu isotope analysis results.This study showed that Cu-Zn isotopes are good indicators for understanding the formation mechanisms of hydrothermal sediments and for locating active hydrothermal vents.

Multi-Component Resource Recycling from Waste Light-Emitting Diode Under Hydrothermal Condition:Plastic Package Degradation,Speciation of Nano-TiO_(2),and Environmental Impact Assessment

Light emitting diodes(LEDs)have accounted for most of the lighting market as the technology matures and costs continue to reduce.As a new type of e-waste,LED is a double-edged sword,as it contains not only precious and rare metals but also organic packaging materials.In previous studies,LED recycling focused on recovering precious and strategic metals while ignoring harmful substances such as organic packaging materials.Unlike crushing and other traditional methods,hydrothermal treatment can provide an environment-friendly process for decomposing packaging materials.This work developed a closed reaction vessel,where the degradation rate of plastic polyphthalamide(PPA)was close to 100%,with nano-TiO_(2)encapsulated in plastic PPA being efficiently recovered,while metals contained in LED were also recycled efficiently.Besides,the role of water in plastic PPA degradation that has been overlooked in current studies was explored and speculated in detail in this work.Environmental impact assessment revealed that the proposed recycling route for waste LED could significantly reduce the overall environmental impact compared to the currently published processes.Especially the developed method could reduce more than half the impact of global warming.Furthermore,this research provides a theoretical basis and a promising method for recycling other plastic-packaged e-waste devices,such as integrated circuits.

Hydrothermal alteration of the surface volcanic rocks at the Acoculco geothermal field,Mexico:a multi-parametric approach

The studies on hydrothermal alteration-induced eff ects in surface and subsurface rocks provide useful information in the characterization and exploitation of a geothermal reservoir.Generally,these studies are based on traditional,and reliable methods like petrography(primary and secondary minerals,and grade of alteration),and geochemistry(mobility of elements,changes in mass and concentration of elements,and fluid inclusions).Recently,apart from these established methods,some methods based on the geochemical(Chemical Index of Alteration,CIA;Weathering Index of Parkar,WIP;Loss on Ignition,LOI;and Sulfur,S)and rock magnetic properties(magnetic susceptibility,χlf;and percentage frequency-dependent susceptibility,χfd%)are also being applied in the identification of whether a rock is an altered or a fresh one.The Acoculco Geothermal Field(AGF),Mexico,is characterized by high temperature and very low permeability,and it is considered a promissory Enhanced Geothermal System.The following changes are observed in the rocks as a result of an increase in hydrothermal alteration:(1)an increase in CIA,LOI,and S values,and a decrease in WIP;(2)an increase in quartz and quartz polymorph minerals(silicification),and clay minerals(argillization);and(3)decrease inχlf values.At AGF,the most altered surface acid rocks are characterized by entirely quartz and its polymorphs,and clay minerals.The present study also indicates the applicability of the binary plots of major elements(felsic vs mafic component)and rock magnetic parameters(χlf vs.χfd%).The rock withχfd%value of 2-10 andχlf value<0.5×10^(-6)m^(3) kg^(-1)indicate the presence of single domain and stable single domain grains,which in turn suggests that it is an altered rock.These methods are simple to apply,rapid,reliable,and have the potential to become eff ective tools for the identifi cation of hydrothermally altered rocks during the initial stage of geothermal exploration.

Characterization of Hydroxyapatite Extracted from Crab Shell Using the Hydrothermal Method with Varying Holding Times

Hydroxyapatite(HA)is a bio ceramic commonly utilized in bone tissue engineering due to its bioactive and osteoconductive properties.Crab shells are usually disregarded as waste material despite their significant CaCO_(3) content,and have not been widely utilized in the synthesis of HA.This study aims to synthesize and analyze HA derived from crab shells using the hydrothermal method with different durations of holding time.This study utilized precipitated calcium carbonate(PCC)derived from crab shells.With a hydrothermal reactor set at 160℃ and varying holding times of 14(HA_14),16(HA_16),and 18(HA_18)h,a PCC and(NH4)2HPO4 mixture was used to synthesize HA.The synthesis results were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),and X-ray diffraction(XRD)tests.This study has accomplished the synthesis of HA from crab shells.Nonetheless,the final product of synthesis still contained CaCO_(3) as an impurity.The prolonged hydrothermal holding time of 14 to 18 h resulted in a reduction of impurities while increasing the percentage of crystal weight and crystallite size of HA.Specimen CH_18 is the best-quality product generated in this study.This specimen produced HA with the highest percentage of crystal weight and crystallite size compared to the other specimens.Furthermore,specimen CH_18 exhibited the lowest concentration of impurities.The Ca/P ratio in this specimen was also the closest to 1.67.The Ca/P ratio,crystallite size,and crystal weight percentage of this specimen are 1.54,19.06 nm,and 99.1%,respectively.

Conditions for the enrichment of karst hydrothermal resources in Bohai Bay Basin

Drilling for karst hydrothermal resources in eastern China has posed challenges,including disparities between the temperature and yield of geothermal water.It is evident that relying solely on geothermal anomalies or indications of karst reservoirs is inadequate for the exploration of karst hydrothermal resources.This study seeks to elucidate the cause of geothermal sweet spots by analyzing the interplay between geothermal anomalies and karst reservoirs and the underlying geological conditions for karst hydrothermal enrichment.Key findings include:(1)the Bohai Bay Basin has been geologically favorable for the development of karst hydrothermal resources since the Mesozoic era;(2)the karst hydrothermal enrichment varies significantly between the basin’s margin and its interior.On the basin margin,the enrichment is largely driven by groundwater activity and faults,particularly where faults facilitate the upwelling of geothermal water.In contrast,within the basin’s interior,karst hydrothermal resources are predominantly influenced by buried hills and are especially enriched in areas facilitating the discharge of deep geothermal waters.

Towards a new avenue for rapid synthesis of electrocatalytic electrodes via laser-induced hydrothermal reaction for water splitting

Electrochemical production of hydrogen from water requires the development ofelectrocatalysts that are active,stable,and low-cost for water splitting.To address these challenges,researchers are increasingly exploring binder-free electrocatalytic integratedelectrodes (IEs) as an alternative to conventional powder-based electrode preparation methods,for the former is highly desirable to improve the catalytic activity and long-term stability for large-scale applications of electrocatalysts.Herein,we demonstrate a laser-inducedhydrothermal reaction (LIHR) technique to grow NiMoO4nanosheets on nickel foam,which is then calcined under H2/Ar mixed gases to prepare the IE IE-NiMo-LR.This electrode exhibits superior hydrogen evolution reaction performance,requiring overpotentials of 59,116 and143 mV to achieve current densities of 100,500 and 1000 mA·cm-2.During the 350 h chronopotentiometry test at current densities of 100 and 500 m A·cm-2,the overpotentialremains essentially unchanged.In addition,NiFe-layered double hydroxide grown on Ni foam is also fabricated with the same LIHR method and coupled with IE-NiMo-IR to achieve water splitting.This combination exhibits excellent durability under industrial current density.The energy consumption and production efficiency of the LIHR method are systematicallycompared with the conventional hydrothermal method.The LIHR method significantly improves the production rate by over 19 times,while consuming only 27.78%of the total energy required by conventional hydrothermal methods to achieve the same production.

A Comparison of Hydrothermal Aging, SO2 and Propene Poisoning Effects on NH3-SCR over Cu-ZSM-5 and Cu-SAPO-34 Catalysts

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of hydrothermal aging, propene and SO2 poisoning on the ammonia-selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) performance of both Cu-SAPO-34 and Cu-ZSM-5. The catalytic activities of fresh, aged and poisoned samples were tested in ammonia-selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) of NOx conditions. The XRD, TG and N2-desorption results showed that the structures of the Cu-SAPO-34 and Cu-ZSM-5 remained intact after 750˚C hydrothermally aged, SO2 and propene poisoned. After hydrothermal aging at 750˚C for 12 h, the NO reduction performance of Cu-ZSM-5 was significantly reduced at lower temperatures, while that of Cu-SAPO-34 was less affected. Moreover, Cu-SAPO-34 catalyst showed high NO conversion with SO2 or propene compared to Cu-ZSM-5. However, Cu-ZSM-5 showed a larger drop in catalytic activity with SO2 or propene compared to Cu-SAPO-34 catalyst. The H2-TPR results showed that Cu2 ions could be reduced to Cu and Cu0 for Cu-ZSM-5, while no significant transformation of copper species was observed for Cu-SAPO-34. Meanwhile, the UV-vis DRS results showed that CuO species were formed in Cu-ZSM-5, while little changes were observed for the Cu-SAPO-34. Cu-SAPO-34 showed high sulfur and hydrocarbon poison resistance compared to Cu-ZSM-5. In summary, Cu-SAPO-34 with small-pore zeolite showed higher hydrothermal stability and better hydrocarbon and sulfur poison resistant than Cu-ZSM-5 with medium-pore.

Conversion of ferric oxide to magnetite by hydrothermal reduction in Bayer digestion process

Digesting aluminum-bearing minerals and converting ferric oxide to magnetite simultaneously in Bayer digestion process is crucially important to deal with high-iron diasporic bauxite economically for alumina production.The reaction behaviors of hydrothermal reduction of ferric oxide in alkali solution were studied by both thermodynamic calculation and experimental investigation.The thermodynamic calculation indicates that Fe3O4 can be formed by the conversion of Fe2O3 at proper redox potentials in alkaline solution.The experimental results show that the formation ratio of Fe3O4 either through the reaction of Fe and Fe2O3 or through the reaction of Fe and H2O in alkaline aqueous solution increases remarkably with raising the temperature and alkali concentration,suggesting that Fe（OH）3- and Fe（OH）4- form by dissolving Fe and Fe2O3,respectively,in alkaline aqueous solution and further react to form Fe3O4.Moreover,aluminate ions have little influence on the hydrothermal reduction of Fe2O3 in alkaline aqueous solution,and converting iron minerals to magnetite can be realized in the Bayer digestion process of diasporic bauxite.

Reaction behaviour of Al_2O_3 and SiO_2 in high alumina coal fly ash during alkali hydrothermal process

The reaction behaviours of A1203 and SiO2 in high alumina coal fly ash under various alkali hydrothermal conditions were studied. The means of XRD, XRF, FTIR and SEM were used to measure the mineral phase and morphology of the solid samples obtained by different alkali hydrothermal treatments as well as the leaching ratio of SiO2 to A1203 in alkali solution. The results showed that with the increase of the hydrothermal treating temperature from 75 to 160 ~C, phillipsite-Na, zeolite A, zeolite P, and hydroxysodalite were produced sequentially while the mullite and corundum phase still remained. Zeolite P was massively formed at low-alkali concentration and the hydroxysodalite was predominantly obtained at high-alkali concentration. By the dissolution of aluminosilicate glass and the formation of zeolites together, the leaching efficiency of SiO2 can reach 42.13% with the mass ratio of A1203/SIO2 up to 2.19：1.

Characterization of ZnSe microspheres synthesized under different hydrothermal conditions

ZnSe microspheres were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method under mild conditions using aqueous zinc nitrate and sodium selenite as raw materials. The effects of hydrothermal temperature, reaction time, concentration of NaOH and amount of hydrazine hydrate on the phase structure, morphology and size of final products were carefully investigated. The phase structures, morphologies and optical properties of the final products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. ZnSe microspheres assembled by average size (about 20 nm) nanocrystals were prepared using 20 mL of 1 mol/L NaOH solution and 10 mL of hydrazine hydrate at 180 °C for 4 h. The results show that the products obtained at low hydrothermal temperature and short reaction time have poor crystallinity and contain impurity phases. The appropriate NaOH concentration and amount of hydrazine hydrate ensure to obtain pure ZnSe with spherical morphology and better luminescence property.

Integrated process of large-scale and size-controlled SnO_2 nanoparticles by hydrothermal method

SnO2 nanoparticles with the average particle size of 5-30 nm were synthesized using SnCl4·5H2O as the precursor and NH3·H2O as the mineralizing agent by hydrothermal method.In the case of 1 kg/batch production,the effects of synthesis conditions including solution concentration,reaction temperature,pressure,time and pH value on the grain size,particle morphology and crystal structure of SnO2 were systematically studied.The particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD） and transmission electron microscopy（TEM）.The results show that,the particle size can be well controlled in the range of 5-30 nm by adjusting the processing parameters such as reaction temperature and time when the crystal structure and particle morphology remain unchanged.The previous reports,the unusual dependences of the grain size of SnO2 on reaction temperature and time were found.The mechanism for such abnormal grain growth behavior was tentatively elucidated.

Hydrothermal synthesis, characterization and optical properties of La_2Sn_2O_7:Eu^(3+) micro-octahedra

Pyrochlore structure La2Sn2O7：Eu3＋ microcrystals with uniform octahedron shape were successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal route at 180 °C for 36 h. The crystal structure, particle size, morphologies, and optical properties of the as-synthesized products were investigated by XRD, TEM, SEM, EDS, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy and PL. The effects of pH of precursor solution, precursor concentration, reaction temperature, and time were investigated. The results reveal that pH of the precursor solution not only plays an important role in determining the phase of the as-synthesized products, but also has a significant influence on the morphologies of the samples. High-quality and uniform octahedrons with an average size of about 700 nm could be easily obtained at the pH value of 12. The possible formation mechanism of octahedral-like La2Sn2O7：Eu3＋ microcrystals was briefly proposed. The photoluminescence spectra show that La2Sn2O7：Eu3＋ micro-octahedra display stronger emission in the range of 582-592 nm compared with the samples with other shapes.

Hydrothermal synthesis of silver nanoparticles in Arabic gum aqueous solutions

Finely divided silver nanoparticles were synthesized via the hydrothermal method. Arabic gum （AG） was used as both the reductant and steric stabilizer without any other surfactant. By adjusting the reaction temperature, mass ratio of AG to AgNO3, and reaction time, silver nanoparticles with different morphological characteristics could be obtained. The products were characterized by UV-Vis, FTIR, TEM, SEM, and XRD measurements. It was found that temperature and AG played an important role in the synthesis of mono-disperse silver nanoparticles. Well dispersed and quasispherical silver nanoparticles were obtained under the optimal synthesis conditions of 10 mmol/L AgNO3, m（AG）/m（AgN03）= l：1, 160 ℃ and 3 h.