Albizzia chinensis(Osbeck)Merr extract YS ameliorates ethanol-induced acute gastric ulcer injury in rats by regulating NRF2 signaling pathway

Background:Around the world,there is a high incidence of gastric ulcers.YS,an extract from the Chinese herb Albizzia chinensis(Osbeck)Merr,has potential therapeutic applications for gastrointestinal diseases.Here we elucidated the protective effect and underlying mechanism of action of YS on gastric ulcer in rats injured by ethanol.Methods:The ethanol-i nduced gastric ulcer rat model was used to assess the protective effect of YS.A pathological examination of gastric tissue was performed by H&E staining.GES-1 cells damaged by hydrogen peroxide were used to simulate oxidative damage in gastric mucosal epithelial cells.Endogenous NRF2 was knocked down using small interfering RNA.Immunoprecipitation was used to detect ubiquitination of NRF2.Co-i mmunoprecipitation was used to detect the NRF2-Keap1 interaction.Results:YS(10 and 30 mg/kg,i.g.)significantly reduced the ulcer index,decreased MDA level,and increased SOD and GSH levels in gastric tissues damaged by ethanol.YS promoted NRF2 translocation from cytoplasm to nucleus and enhanced the NQO1 and HO-1 expression levels in injured rat gastric tissue.In addition,YS regulated NQO1 and HO-1 via NRF2 in H_(2)O_(2)-i nduced oxidative injured GES-1 cells.Further studies on the underlying mechanism indicated that YS reduced the interaction between NRF2 and Keap1 and decreased ubiquitylation of NRF2,thereby increasing its stability and expression of downstream factors.NRF2 knockdown abolished the effect of YS on MDA and SOD in GES-1 cells treated with H_(2)O_(2).Conclusion:YS reduced the NRF2-Keap1 interaction,promoting NRF2 translocation into the nucleus,which increasing the transcription and translation of NQO1 and HO-1 and improved the antioxidant capacity of rat stomach.

Acetic acid-and furfural-based adaptive evolution of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains for improving stress tolerance and lignocellulosic ethanol production

Acetic acid and furfural are known as prevalent inhibitors deriving from pretreatment during lignocellulosic ethanol production.They negatively impact cell growth,glucose uptake and ethanol biosynthesis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains.Development of industrial S.cerevisiae strains with high tolerance towards these inhibitors is thus critical for efficient lignocellulosic ethanol production.In this study,the acetic acid or furfural tolerance of different S.cerevisiae strains could be significantly enhanced after adaptive evolution via serial cultivation for 40 generations under stress conditions.The acetic acid-based adaptive strain SPSC01-TA9 produced 30.5 g·L^(-1)ethanol with a yield of 0.46 g·g^(-1)in the presence of 9 g·L^(-1)acetic acid,while the acetic acid/furfural-based adaptive strain SPSC01-TAF94 produced more ethanol of 36.2 g·L^(-1)with increased yield up to 0.49 g·g^(-1)in the presence of both 9 g·L^(-1)acetic acid and 4 g·L^(-1)furfural.Significant improvements were also observed during non-detoxified corn stover hydrolysate culture by SPSC01-TAF94,which achieved ethanol production and yield of 29.1 g·L^(-1)and 0.49 g·g^(-1),respectively,the growth and fermentation efficiency of acetic acid/furfural-based adaptive strain in hydrolysate was 95%higher than those of wildtype strains,indicating the acetic acid-and furfural-based adaptive evolution strategy could be an effective approach for improving lignocellulosic ethanol production.The adapted strains developed in this study with enhanced tolerance against acetic acid and furfural could be potentially contribute to economically feasible and sustainable lignocellulosic biorefinery.

Rational modulation of electronic structure in PtAuCuNi alloys boosts efficient electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation assisted with energy-saving hydrogen evolution

Compared to conventional electrocatalytic water splitting,electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR)along with hydrogen production is considered a more energy-efficient strategy.Herein,we prepared a type of novel quaternary alloy catalyst(PtAuCuNi@NF)that exhibits excellent activity for EOR(0.215 V at 10 mA cm^(-2))and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)(7 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2)).Experimental results demonstrated that both Cu and Ni modulated the electronic environment around Pt and Au.The electron-rich active center facilitates the rapid adsorption and dissociation of reactants and intermediates for both EOR and HER.Impressively,in the ethanol-assisted overall water splitting(E-OWS),a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)was achieved at 0.28 V.Moreover,an advanced acid-base self-powered system(A-Bsps)that can achieve a self-powered voltage of 0.59 V was assembled.Accordingly,the self-driven hydrogen production with zero external power supply was realized by integrating A-Bsps with the E-OWS equipment.The interesting results can provide a feasible strategy for designing and developing advanced nanoalloy-based materials for clean energy integration and use in various fields.

Local coordination and electronic interactions of Pd/MXene via dual‐atom codoping with superior durability for efficient electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation

Catalyst design relies heavily on electronic metal‐support interactions,but the metal‐support interface with an uncontrollable electronic or coordination environment makes it challenging.Herein,we outline a promising approach for the rational design of catalysts involving heteroatoms as anchors for Pd nanoparticles for ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR)catalysis.The doped B and N atoms from dimethylamine borane(DB)occupy the position of the Ti_(3)C_(2)lattice to anchor the supported Pd nanoparticles.The electrons transfer from the support to B atoms,and then to the metal Pd to form a stable electronic center.A strong electronic interaction can be produced and the d‐band center can be shifted down,driving Pd into the dominant metallic state and making Pd nanoparticles deposit uniformly on the support.As‐obtained Pd/DB–Ti_(3)C_(2)exhibits superior durability to its counterpart(∼14.6%retention)with 91.1%retention after 2000 cycles,placing it among the top single metal anodic catalysts.Further,in situ Raman and density functional theory computations confirm that Pd/DB–Ti_(3)C_(2)is capable of dehydrogenating ethanol at low reaction energies.

Ethanol steam reforming over Ni/ZSM-5 nanosheet for hydrogen production

Compared to reforming reactions using hydrocarbons,ethanol steam reforming(ESR)is a sustainable alternative for hydrogen(H_(2))production since ethanol can be produced sustainably using biomass.This work explores the catalyst design strategies for preparing the Ni supported on ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts to promote ESR.Specifically,two-dimensional ZSM-5 nanosheet and conventional ZSM-5 crystal were used as the catalyst carriers and two synthesis strategies,i.e.,in situ encapsulation and wet impregnation method,were employed to prepare the catalysts.Based on the comparative characterization of the catalysts and comparative catalytic assessments,it was found that the combination of the in situ encapsulation synthesis and the ZSM-5 nanosheet carrier was the effective strategy to develop catalysts for promoting H_(2) production via ESR due to the improved mass transfer(through the 2-D structure of ZSM-5 nanosheet)and formation of confined small Ni nanoparticles(resulted via the in situ encapsulation synthesis).In addition,the resulting ZSM-5 nanosheet supported Ni catalyst also showed high Ni dispersion and high accessibility to Ni sites by the reactants,being able to improve the activity and stability of catalysts and suppress metal sintering and coking during ESR at high reaction temperatures.Thus,the Ni supported on ZSM-5 nanosheet catalyst prepared by encapsulation showed the stable performance with~88% ethanol conversion and~65% H_(2) yield achieved during a 48-h longevity test at 550-C.

Ethanol changes Nestin-promoter induced neural stem cells to disturb newborn dendritic spine remodeling in the hippocampus of mice

Adolescent binge drinking leads to long-lasting disorders of the adult central nervous system,particularly aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis.In this study,we applied in vivo fluorescent tracing using NestinCreERT2::Rosa26-tdTomato mice and analyzed the endogenous neurogenesis lineage progression of neural stem cells(NSCs)and dendritic spine formation of newborn neurons in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus.We found abnormal orientation of tamoxifen-induced tdTomato+(tdTom^(+))NSCs in adult mice 2 months after treatment with EtOH(5.0 g/kg,i.p.)for 7 consecutive days.EtOH markedly inhibited tdTom^(+)NSCs activation and hippocampal neurogenesis in mouse dentate gyrus from adolescence to adulthood.EtOH(100 mM)also significantly inhibited the proliferation to 39.2%and differentiation of primary NSCs in vitro.Adult mice exposed to EtOH also exhibited marked inhibitions in dendritic spine growth and newborn neuron maturation in the dentate gyrus,which was partially reversed by voluntary running or inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycinenhancer of zeste homolog 2 pathway.In vivo tracing revealed that EtOH induced abnormal orientation of tdTom+NSCs and spatial misposition defects of newborn neurons,thus causing the disturbance of hippocampal neurogenesis and dendritic spine remodeling in mice.

Antibacterial,antioxidant and antiproliferation activities of essential oils and ethanolic extracts from Chinese mugwort(Artemisia vulgaris L.)leaf in Shanxi

Background:Artemisia vulgaris,a medicinal aromatic plant,is widely used as a food item,tonic pharmaceutical,and cosmetic industry additive owing to its antibacterial,antihypertensive,hepatoprotective,antioxidant,and antispasmodic properties.But the effect of different geographic locations on the chemical composition and bioactivities of its extracts is unclear.Methods:Biological activities of essential oils and ethanol extracts of three varieties of Artemisia vulgaris leaves,which are grown in Shanxi province China,were studied.Results:Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the main components of essential oils were terpenes and ketones.Essential oils and ethanol extract of Artemisia vulgaris leaves possessed good antioxidant activities,and their half maximal inhibitory concentrations determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate)assays were 57.0 and 22.9μg/mL,respectively.The essential oils also exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against three foodborne pathogenic bacterial strains.The ethanol extract presented a high anticancer activity against the MGC-803 human gastric cancer cell line.Conclusion:These biological activities were well correlated with the composition of the extract and EOs,which in turn is affected by the genetic composition of Artemisia vulgaris and geographic location and diverse climatic condition under which it is grown.These findings demonstrate the remarkable potential of Artemisia vulgaris as a valuable source of antioxidant,antibacterial,and anticancer agents.

The emerging role of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles to ameliorate hippocampal NLRP3 inflammation induced by binge-like ethanol treatment in adolescence

Our previous studies have reported that activation of the NLRP3(NOD-,LRR-and pyrin domain-containing protein 3)-inflammasome complex in ethanol-treated astrocytes and chronic alcohol-fed mice could be associated with neuroinflammation and brain damage.Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles(MSC-EVs)have been shown to restore the neuroinflammatory response,along with myelin and synaptic structural alterations in the prefrontal cortex,and alleviate cognitive and memory dysfunctions induced by binge-like ethanol treatment in adolescent mice.Considering the therapeutic role of the molecules contained in mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles,the present study analyzed whether the administration of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles isolated from adipose tissue,which inhibited the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome,was capable of reducing hippocampal neuroinflammation in adolescent mice treated with binge drinking.We demonstrated that the administration of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles ameliorated the activation of the hippocampal NLRP3 inflammasome complex and other NLRs inflammasomes(e.g.,pyrin domain-containing 1,caspase recruitment domain-containing 4,and absent in melanoma 2,as well as the alterations in inflammatory genes(interleukin-1β,interleukin-18,inducible nitric oxide synthase,nuclear factor-kappa B,monocyte chemoattractant protein-1,and C–X3–C motif chemokine ligand 1)and miRNAs(miR-21a-5p,miR-146a-5p,and miR-141-5p)induced by binge-like ethanol treatment in adolescent mice.Bioinformatic analysis further revealed the involvement of miR-21a-5p and miR-146a-5p with inflammatory target genes and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways.Taken together,these findings provide novel evidence of the therapeutic potential of MSC-derived EVs to ameliorate the hippocampal neuroinflammatory response associated with NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by binge drinking in adolescence.

Validation of a Method for Characterization of Ethanol in Water by HS-GC-FID to Serve the Traceability of Halal Measurements

The determination of the ethanol content in food products is of fundamental importance for HALAL certification. In this work, an analytical method for the determination of ethanol in water by headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (HS-GC-FID) has been developed and validated for the use in characterization of ethanol reference materials. The validation study was carried out in the linear calibration range 100 - 1500 mg/kg using the NIST SRM 2900, nominal 95.6%. The studied performance characteristics of the method were the limit of detection, LOD, the limit of quantification LOQ, selectivity, linearity, precision, recovery and bias. The validation results showed that the method is selective, precise, accurate and free from any significant bias. The LOD and LOQ were 1.27 and 3.86 mg/kg respectively and the estimated expanded uncertainty was 2% indicating that the method is fit for the purpose of certification of ethanol in water reference materials.

Comparative Analysis: Trays versus Packed Columns in Pressure-Swing Distillation for the Separation of Tetrahydrofuran, Water and Ethanol Azeotropic Mixture

This paper delves into the comparative study of tray and packed column pressure swing distillation systems, focusing on the separation of a ternary mixture containing ethanol, tetrahydrofuran (THF), and water. The study particularly emphasizes the production of 99.5 w/w% tetrahydrofuran from the downstream product of 1,4-butanediol synthesis via diethyl maleate. Pro/II simulation software is utilized to explore various system configurations, including sieve trays, valve trays, and packed columns. Material and energy balances are performed to ascertain stream compositions and energy demands. The investigation encompasses the effects of column operating pressure on condenser and reboiler temperatures, as well as the implications of utility streams. A rigorous distillation model is employed to compare valve tray, sieve tray, and random packing (utilizing Norton Super Intalox) column designs by varying the number of trays, reflux ratio, and second distillation column pressure. Heat exchangers are integrated into the model, and their areas and utility flow rates are computed and integrated into the economic assessment. Economic analysis, guided by Net Present Value (NPV) calculations over a 20-year span, drives the selection of the most cost-effective design. Results demonstrate that while all designs are energy-efficient, the packed column system emerges as the most economical choice, offering a comprehensive framework for the separation process. Furthermore, optimal design configurations and operating conditions for both tray and packed column systems are outlined, providing valuable insights for industrial applications.

Camalote Grass (Paspalum fasciculatum Willd) as a Sustainable Raw Material for the Production of Lignocellulosic Ethanol

The current trend of replacing a percentage of gasoline with ethanol has promoted the development of new processes for its production from lignocellulosic biomass. This work reports the production of ethanol from the Camalote grass (Paspalum fasciculatum Willd). The lignocellulosic biomass was subjected to acid hydrolysis at 125C and 15 psi with H2SO4 concentrations at 5%, 10%, and 20%, obtaining an average of reducing sugars (pentoses and hexoses) from the hydrolyzed juice with 12.3%, 10%, and 17% Brix, respectively. The sugars were fermented using yeast of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 30C for 48 hours. Finally, the ethanol was distilled at 78C, and the average yields were obtained through analysis of variance with a 95% confidence level. The values indicate that there is a significant difference (p > 0.05), the Tukey study shows that all the % v/v averages are different from each other. For H2SO4 concentration at 5% (10.33 ± 2), H2SO4 at 10% (9.33 ± 1.8), and H2SO4 at 20% (6.33 ± 2). The acidity analysis for the ethanol obtained from each treatment gave a value of 1.8 mg/L of acetic acid in all cases.

Outbreak of methanol-induced optic neuropathy in early COVID-19 era;effectiveness of erythropoietin and methylprednisolone therapy

BACKGROUND Methanol is a highly toxic,non-potable alcohol.Outbreaks of methanol toxicity occur due to its fraudulent addition to alcoholic beverages as a cheaper substitute for ethanol.Recently,alongside the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,rumors circulated on social media that consuming alcohol can prevent or cure the virus,leading to a COVID-19 and methanol-induced optic neuropathy(MON)syndemic.AIM To investigate the impact of erythropoietin(EPO)on the outcomes of patients diagnosed with MON.METHODS In this prospective study,105 patients presenting with acute bilateral visual loss secondary to methanol intoxication were enrolled from March to May 2020 at Farabi Eye Hospital.A comprehensive ocular examination was conducted for all participants.Recombinant human EPO and methylprednisolone were administered intravenously to all patients for three consecutive days.RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 39.9 years(±12.6).Ninety-four patients were male and eleven were female.The mean pre-treatment best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)improved from 2.0±0.86 to 1.39±0.69 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution post-treatment(P<0.001),with significant improvement observed in all age categories and genders(P<0.001).Visual acuity improvement was also significant regardless of whether the patient presented before or after 72 h(P<0.001),and the post-treatment BCVA remained significant at all monthly follow-up visits(P<0.001).CONCLUSION EPO and methylprednisolone therapy have been shown to be effective in improving visual outcomes in patients with MON when administrated within the first month of exposure.Public awareness efforts are necessary to prevent further outbreaks of methanol toxicity in the current COVID-19 era.

Acetic acid-assisted mild dealloying of fine CuPd nanoalloys achieving compressive strain toward high-efficiency oxygen reduction and ethanol oxidation electrocatalysis

Dealloying by which the transition metal is partially or completely leached from an alloy precursor is an effective way to optimize the fundamental effects for further enhancing the electrocatalysis of a catalyst.Herein,to address the deficiencies associated with the commonly used dealloying methods,for example,electrochemical and sulfuric acid/nitric acid treatment,we report an acetic acid-assisted mild strategy to dealloy Cu atoms from the outer surface layers of CuPd alloy nanoparticles to achieve high-efficiency electrocatalysis for oxygen reduction and ethanol oxidation in an alkaline electrolyte.The leaching of Cu atoms by acetic acid exerts an additional compressive strain effect on the surface layers and exposes more active Pd atoms,which is beneficial for boosting the catalytic performance of a dealloyed catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and the ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR).In particular,for ORR,the CuPd nanoparticles with a Pd/Cu molar ratio of 2:1 after acetic dealloying show a half-wave potential of 0.912 V(vs.RHE)and a mass activity of 0.213 AmgPd^(-1) at 0.9 V,respectively,while for EOR,the same dealloyed sample has a mass activity and a specific activity of 8.4 Amg^(-1) and 8.23 mA cm^(-2),respectively,much better than their dealloyed counterparts at other temperatures and commercial Pd/C as well as a Pt/C catalyst.

Study on Optimization of Ethanol Reflux Extraction of Phenolic Acids from Salvia miltiorrhiza

The extraction technology of phenolic acid compounds from Salvia miltiorrhiza by ethanol reflux was studied. In this experiment, salvianolic acid B standard was used to make the standard curve. Single factor experiment and orthogonal experiment were used to study the extraction of different ethanol concentrations, reflux times and material-to-liquid ratios. The OD value of salvianolic acid compounds was measured with a spectrophotometer. The extraction rate of phenolic acid compounds under different extraction conditions was calculated through a regression equation, so as to obtain the optimal conditions for the ethanol reflux extraction process of Salvia miltiorrhiza. The experimental data can provide a reference for the ethanol reflux extraction process of salvianolic acids in the industry. According to the experiment, the extraction rate of phenolic acids in Salvia miltiorrhiza was the highest when the ethanol concentration was 60%, the reflux time was 1.5 hours, and the ratio of material-to-liquid was 1:10.

Cross-protective effect of acid adaptation on ethanol tolerance in Salmonella Enteritidis

Cross protection can undermine the effectiveness of control measures on foodborne pathogens,and therefore brings major implications for food safety.In this work,the capacity of Salmonella Enteritidis to mount ethanol tolerance following acid adaptation was characterized by analysis of cell viability and cell membrane property.It was observed that preadaptation to pH 4.5 significantly(P<0.05)increased the tolerance of log-phase cells to ethanol;in contrast,stationary-phase cells displayed reduced ethanol tolerance after acid adaptation.However,acid adaptation did not cause cell leakage and morphological change in both log-phase and stationary-phase S.Enteritidis.Fatty acid analysis further revealed that the amount of C_(14:0),C_(17:0 cyclo) and C_(19:0 cyclo) fatty acids was increased,while that of C_(16:1ω7c) and C_(18:1ω7c) fatty acids was decreased,respectively,in response to acid adaptation,regardless of bacterial growth phase.Notably,acid adaptation significantly(P<0.05)increased the proportion of C_(16:0) fatty acid in log-phase cells,but this effect did not occur in stationary-phase cells.Moreover,exogenous addition of C_(16:0) fatty acid to stationary-phase acid-adapted cultures was able to enhance bacterial ethanol tolerance.Taken together,C_(16:0) fatty acid is involved in the growth-phase-dependent protective effect of acid adaptation on ethanol tolerance in S.Enteritidis.

Fecal metabolomics reveals the positive effect of ethanol extract of propolis on T2DM mice

A large number of studies have shown that propolis has positive effects in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).However,there are have only been a few reports that are based on an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)analysis of the fecal metabolomics of ethanol extract of propolis(EEP)in the treatment of T2DM.The present investigation was designed to screen potential biomarkers of T2DM by the metabonomic method and to explain the possible anti-diabetes mechanism of EEP according to the changes in the biomarkers.The results showed that EEP improved the body weight(BW)of T2DM mice,lowered blood sugar levels,and significantly restored blood biochemical indicators related to T2DM,such as fasting insulin(FINS),homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR),aspartate transaminase(AST),and alanine aminotransferase(ALT).Liver pathology showed that EEP reversed liver damage caused by T2DM.Metabolomics data identified 27 potential biomarkers in fecal samples.EEP effectively regulated the dysfunction in the metabolic pathways of glycerophospholipids,sphingolipids,riboflavins,and sterol lipids caused by T2DM.In summary,our research results revealed positive effects of EEP in the treatment of T2DM and provided potential candidate markers for further research and in the clinical treatment of T2DM.

Molybdenum tailored Co^(0)/Co^(2+)active pairs on a perovskite-type oxide for direct ethanol synthesis from syngas

Selective synthesis of ethanol from syngas under the Co-based catalysts is still challenging due to the hard of regulating the active site Co^(0) and Co^(2+)ratio.In this work,a series of CaTi_(0.9-x)Co_(x)Mo_(0.1)O_(3)(x=0,0.1-0.4)and CaTi_(0.7)Co_(0.3)O_(3) catalysts were prepared by using citric acid complexation method to promote the synthesis of ethanol.It was found that Mo species in the perovskite lattice can regulate the Co^(0) and Co^(2+)ratio through the domain-limiting effect of perovskite and the degree of Co reduction could be adjusted by changing the Co/Mo molar ratio.Among these investigated catalysts,the total selectivity of alcohols over the catalyst with the optimal Co/Mo ratio CaTi_(0.6)Co_(0.3)Mo_(0.1)O_(3) reached 39.1%,with ethanol accounting for 74.7%,which was ascribed to the moderate and tightly bound ratio of dissociative to non-dissociative adsorption sites on the surface and the balance of CH_(x)-CH_(y) coupling and C^(O) insertion.

Enabling high-efficiency ethanol oxidation on NiFe-LDH via deprotonation promotion and absorption inhibition

Nucleophile oxidation reaction(NOR), represented by ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR), is a promising pathway to replace oxygen evolution reaction(OER). EOR can effectively reduce the driving voltage of hydrogen production in direct water splitting. In this work, large current and high efficiency of EOR on a Ni, Fe layered double hydroxide(NiFe-LDH) catalyst were simultaneously achieved by a facile fluorination strategy. F in NiFe-LDH can reduce the activation energy of the dehydrogenation reaction, thus promoting the deprotonation process of NiFe-LDH to achieve a lower EOR onset potential. It also weakens the absorption of OH-and nucleophile electrooxidation products on the surface of NiFe-LDH at a higher potential, achieving a high current density and EOR selectivity, according to density functional theory calculations. Based on our experiment results, the optimized fluorinated NiFe-LDH catalyst achieves a low potential of 1.386 V to deliver a 10 mA cm^(-2)EOR. Moreover, the Faraday efficiency is greater than 95%, with a current density ranging from 10 to 250 mA cm^(-2). This work provides a promising pathway for an efficient and cost-effective NOR catalyst design for economic hydrogen production.

Loading CuO on the surface of MgO with low-coordination basic O^(2-)sites for effective enhanced CO_(2) capture and photothermal synergistic catalytic reduction of CO_(2) to ethanol

The higher capacity of CO_(2)adsorption on the surface of magnesium oxide(MgO)with low-coordination O^(2-)sites would effectively enhance the catalytic reduction of CO_(2).Herein,a series of copper oxide(CuO)and MgO composites with different mass ratios have been prepared by hydrothermal method and used for photothermal synergistic catalytic reduction of CO_(2)to ethanol.The catalyst with CuO mass ratio of 1.6% shows the best yield(15.17μmol·g^(-1)·h^(-1))under 3 h Xenon lamp illumination.The improved performance is attributable to the loose nano-sheet structure,uniform dispersion of active sites,the increased specific surface area,medium-strength basicity,the high separation efficiency of electrons and holes,and the formation of Mg-O-Cu species.The synthesized CuO and MgO composites with loose nano-sheet structure facilitate the diffusion of reactants CO_(2),so an excellent CO_(2)adsorption performance can be obtained.Meanwhile,the introduction of CuO in the form of bivalence provides higher specific surface area and porosity,thus obtaining more active sites.More importantly,the Mg-O-Cu species make the donation of electrons from MgO to CO_(2)easier,resulting in the breaking of the old Mg-O bond and the formation of C-O bond,thus promoting the adsorption and conversion of CO_(2)to ethanol.

Rh-Cu alloy nano-dendrites with enhanced electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation activity

The application of direct ethanol fuel cell(DEFC)has been bottlenecked by the sluggish ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR).Efficient electrocatalysts for the C-C bond cleavage are essential to promote EOR with high efficiency and C1 selectivity.Here,we prepared Rh-Cu alloy nano-dendrites(RhCu NDs)with abundant surface steps through controlled co-reduction,which exhibited significantly enhanced activity and C1 selectivity(0.47 m A cm_((ECSA))^(-2),472.4 mA mg_(Rh)^(-1),and 38.9%)than Rh NDs(0.32 mA cm((ECSA))-2,322.1 mA mgRh-1,and 21.4%)and commercially available Rh/C(0.18 mA cm_((ECSA))^(-2),265.4 mA mg_(Rh)^(-1),and 14.9%).Theoretical calculations and CO-stripping experiments revealed that alloying with Cu could modulate the surface electronic structures of Rh to resist CO-poisoning while strengthening ethanol adsorption.In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)indicated that the surface steps on RhCu NDs further promoted the C-C bond cleavage to increase the C1 selectivity.Therefore,optimizing the surface geometric and electronic structures of nanocrystals by rational composition and morphology control can provide a promising strategy for developing practical DEFC devices.