Dynamically-evolved surface heterojunction in iridium nanocrystals boosting acidic oxygen evolution and overall water splitting

Simultaneously realizing improved activity and stability of acidic oxygen evolution reaction(OER) electrocatalysts is highly promising for developing cost-effective sustainable energy in the splitting of water technique.Herein,we report iridium nanocrystals embedded into 3D conductive clothes(Ir-NCT/CC) as a low iridium electrocatalyst realizing ultrahigh acidic OER activity and robust stability.The well-designed Ir-NCT/CC requires a low overpotential of 202 mV to reach the current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)with a high mass activity of 1754 A g^(-1).Importantly,in acidic overall water splitting,Ir-NCT/CC merely delivers a cell voltage of 1.469 V at a typical current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)and also maintains robust durability under continuous operation.We identify that a low working voltage drives the formation of a highly stable amorphous IrOxactive phase over the surface of Ir nanocrystals(surface heterojunction IrOx/Ir-NCT) during operating conditions,which contributes to an effective and durable OER process.

Effect of Saline Water on Soil Acidity, Alkalinity and Nutrients Leaching in Sandy Loamy Soil in Rwamagana Bella Flower Farm, Rwanda

The necessity to saline and sodic waters is sometimes used for irrigating agricultural activities under certain circumstances, but it is important to note that the use of these waters comes with specific considerations and limitations. One way to decrease undesirable effects of sodic waters on the physical and chemical properties of soils is to apply organic and chemical amendments within the soil. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of saline water on soil acidity, alkalinity and nutrients leaching in sandy loamy soil at Bella flower farm, in Rwamagana District, Rwanda. The water used was from the Muhazi Lake which is classified as Class I (Saline water quality). Column leaching experiments using treated soils were then conducted under saturated conditions. The soil under experimental was first analyzed for its textural classification, soil properties and is classified as sandy loamy soil. The t-test was taken at 1%, 5% and 10% levels of statistical significance compared to control soil. The results indicated that the application of saline water to soils caused an increase in some soil nutrients like increase of Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg2+), Sulphur (S), CN ratio and Sodium (Na+) and decreased soil texture, physical and chemical properties and remained soil nutrients. Consequently, the intensive addition of saline water leachates to soil in PVC pipes led to decreased of soil EC through leaching and a raiser Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP). The rate of saline water application affected the increase accumulation of SAR and Na% in the top soil layers. The study indicated that saline water is an inefficient amendment for sandy soil with saline water irrigation. The study recommends further studies with similar topic with saline water irrigation, as it accentuated the alkalinity levels.

Recent progress of precious-metal-free electrocatalysts for efficient water oxidation in acidic media

The realization of efficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER) is critical to the development of multiple sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies, especially hydrogen production via water electrolysis. To achieve the massive application of hydrogen energy and mass-scale hydrogen production from water splitting drives the pursuit of competent precious-metal-free electrocatalysts in acidic media, where the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) is more facilitated. However, the development of high-efficient and acid-stable OER electrocatalysts, which are robust to function stably at high oxidation potentials in the acidic electrolyte, remains a great challenge. This article contributes a focused, perceptive review of the up-to-date approaches toward this emerging research field. The OER reaction mechanism and fundamental requirements for oxygen evolution electrocatalysts in acid are introduced. Then the progress and new discoveries of precious-metal-free active materials and design concepts with regard to the improvement of the intrinsic OER activity are discussed. Finally, the existing scientific challenges and the outlooks for future research directions to the fabrication of emerging, earth-abundant OER electrocatalysts in acid are pointed out.

The Condensation of Aromatic Aldehydes with Acidic Methylene Compounds in Water

The condensation of aromatic aldehydes with acidic methylene compounds such as malononitrile, methyl cyanoacetate, cyanoacetamide, 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione, bartbituric acid and 2-thiobarbituric acid proceeded very efficiently in water in the presence of triethylbenzylammonium chloride (TEBA) and the products were isolated simply by filtration.

Interfacial engineering of holey platinum nanotubes for formic acid electrooxidation boosted water splitting

Both structure and interface engineering are highly effective strategies for enhancing the catalytic activity and selectivity of precious metal nanostructures.In this work,we develop a facile pyrolysis strategy to synthesize the high-quality holey platinum nanotubes(Pt-H-NTs)using nanorods-like Pt^(Ⅱ)-phenanthroline(PT)coordination compound as self-template and self-reduction precursor.Then,an up-bottom strategy is used to further synthesize polyallylamine(PA)modified Pt-H-NTs(Pt-HNTs@PA).PA modification sharply promotes the catalytic activity of Pt-H-NTs for the formic acid electrooxidation reaction(FAEOR)by the direct reaction pathway.Meanwhile,PA modification also elevates the catalytic activity of Pt-H-NTs for the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)by the proton enrichment at electrolyte/electrode interface.Benefiting from the high catalytic activity of Pt-H-NTs@PA for both FAEOR and HER,a two-electrode FAEOR boosted water electrolysis system is fabricated by using Pt-H-NTs@PA as bifunctio nal electrocatalysts.Such FAEOR boosted water electrolysis system only requires the operational voltage of 0.47 V to achieve the high-purity hydrogen production,showing an energy-saving hydrogen production strategy compared to traditional water electrolysis system.

Electrokinetic-mechanism of water and furfural oxidation on pulsed laser-interlaced Cu_(2)O and CoO on nickel foam

The electrocatalytic oxidation of biomass-derived furfural(FF)feedstocks into 2-furoic acid(FA)holds immense industrial potential in optics,cosmetics,polymers,and food.Herein,we fabricated Co O/Ni O/nickel foam(NF)and Cu_(2)O/Ni O/NF electrodes via in situ pulsed laser irradiation in liquids(PLIL)for the bifunctional electrocatalysis of oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and furfural oxidation reaction(FOR),respectively.Simultaneous oxidation of NF surface to NiO and deposition of CoO and/or Cu_(2)O on NF during PLIL offer distinct advantages for enhancing both the OER and FOR.CoO/NiO/NF electrocatalyst provides a consistently low overpotential of~359 m V(OER)at 10 m A/cm^(2),achieving the maximum FA yield(~16.37 m M)with 61.5%selectivity,79.5%carbon balance,and a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of~90.1%during 2 h of FOR at 1.43 V(vs.reversible hydrogen electrode).Mechanistic pathway via in situ electrochemical-Raman spectroscopy on CoO/NiO/NF reveals the involvement of phase transition intermediates(NiOOH and CoOOH)as surface-active centers during electrochemical oxidation.The carbonyl carbon in FF is attacked by hydroxyl groups to form unstable hydrates that subsequently undergo further oxidation to yield FA products.This method holds promise for large-scale applications,enabling simultaneous production of renewable building materials and fuel.

Effects of Drinking Slightly Acidic Electrolytic Water on Growth Performance and Behavior of Broilers

[Objective]The paper was to study the effects of drinking slightly acidic electrolytic water on growth performance and behavior of Rose 308 broilers,and to provide reference for the application of slightly acidic electrolytic water in broiler breeding.[Method]A total of 300 healthy 10-day-old Rose 308 broilers with similar body weight were randomly divided into five groups,three replicates each group,20 broilers each replicate.The broilers in control group were supplied with normal drinking water,and the broilers in experimental groups consumed slightly acidic electrolytic water with 0.3,0.5,0.7,1.0 mg/L residual chlorine,respectively.The test lasted 21 d.[Result]At 10-30 days of age,the water consumption of broilers in 0.7 and 1.0 mg/L electrolytic water groups were increased by 9.27%and 7.67%respectively compared with the control group(M<0.05).The average daily feed intake(ADFI)of broilers in 0.7 and 1.0 mg/L electrolytic water groups were increased compared with the control group(Q0.05).The average daily gain(ADG)of broilers in 0.7 mg/L electrolytic water group was 11.99%lower than that in control group(M<0.05).The feed gain ratio(F/G)of broilers in 0.5 mg/L electrolytic water group was 12.29%lower than that in control group(M<0.05),and the mortality was the lowest in 0.5 mg/L electrolytic water group.The standing,feeding and drinking frequency of broilers in experimental groups were higher than that in control group,and the flapping behavior of broilers in 0.5 mg/L electrolytic water group was the lowest.[Conclusion]Drinking slightly acidic electrolytic water has positive effect on the growth and behavior of broilers.

Sulfide precipitation flotation for treatment of acidic mine waste water

Sulfide precipitation flotation of copper iron bearing acidic waste water from a large copper mine and the stimulated waste water were studied. The pH of the waste water was 2.2, with 130 mg/L Cu 2+ and 500 mg/L Fe 3+ (Fe 2+ ). Results show that, when Na 2S was added as precipitating agent, sodium butylxanthate as collector and at pH 2.0, the removal of copper could be as high as 99.7% and the residual copper decreased to 0.2 mg/L, however, almost no iron was removed. When the floated solution was neutralized to pH=8.0, more than 98% iron was precipitated and the residual iron was less than 10 mg/L. In experiment on actual mine effluents, after the use of precipitate flotation technology to recover copper and pH neutralization to precipitate iron, the treated waste water does meet the emission standards for sewage and valuable floating copper graded 37.12%. The chemical calculation and mechanism of solution were also presented.

Esterification by the Plasma Acidic Water:Novel Application of Plasma Acid

This work explores the possibility of plasma acid as acid catalyst in organic reactions. Plasma acidic water was prepared by dielectric barrier discharge and used to catalyze esterification of n-heptanioc acid with ethanol. It is found that the plasma acidic water has a stable and better performance than sulfuric acid, meaning that it is an excellent acid catalyst. The plasma acidic water would be a promising alternative for classic mineral acid as a more environment friendly acid.

A trace of Pt can significantly boost RuO_(2) for acidic water splitting

The development of highly potential electrocatalysts for acidic water electrolysis is particularly desirable for many energy‐related processes.Herein,we demonstrated a versatile strategy to activate and stabilize RuO_(2)‐based electrocatalyst for acidic water splitting by a trace of Pt,where Pt plays an essential role in promoting oxygen evolution reaction(OER),and can simultaneously act as the active site for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).Compared with pure Ru oxide nanosheet assemblies(Ru ONAs),the“5%Pt‐containing”Ru ONAs(5%Pt‐Ru ONAs)achieve much enhanced OER activity in 0.5 and 0.05 mol/L H_(2)SO_(4),with much lower overpotentials of 227 and 234 mV at 10 mA cm^(‒2),respectively.Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that the atomically dispersed Pt incorporating into RuO_(2)lattice is conducive to increasing the concentration of O vacancies,which effectively enhances the interaction with reaction intermediate and thus lowers the energy barrier for the formation of OOH*.Moreover,benefited from the presence of Pt,the formation of RuO_(2)is more achievable when proper annealing is applied.In addition to OER,due to the presence of active Pt,the HER performance of 5%Pt‐Ru ONAs can also be ensured,thereby realizing efficient acidic overall water splitting.Finally,the excellent activity can also be achieved without sacrificing stability.This work highlights an attractive strategy for designing active and stable RuO_(2)‐based electrocatalysts for acidic overall water splitting.

Effects of Exogenous Abscisic Acid and Water Stress on the Growth Response of Subterranean Clover of Different Genotypes

The response of subterranean clover ( Trifolium subterraneum L.) to different abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations (10 -6 , 10 -5 , 10 -4 mol/L) in nutrient solution and to water stress were studied in growth room. Six cultivars of contrasting yield capacity were compared. Plants remained growing in Hoagland solution or pots until at least four full_developed leaves appeared. The ABA was then applied and the fresh weight, leaf number and length of the largest root were measured at 1, 4, 7 and 11 d after ABA treatment. The above parameters were also measured at 15 d under water stress. In all the tested genotypes ABA caused similar reduction in these growth parameters, as well as a significant decrease of leaf water potential which was dependent on ABA concentration. The average growth reduction after 11 d under 10 -4 mol/L ABA coincided with the range of these crops under water stress in pot experiments. On average of the different genotypes, leaf number, area of full_developed leaf and the dry weight per plant decreased by about 50% whereas the root/shoot ratio increased by 80%.The genotype variation and ranking for this treatment were rather similar to the same genotypes in pot experiments. The genotypes, Clare, Nuba and Seaton Park, showed the best results under both control and ABA treated conditions and water stress conditions. The similarity between the response to ABA in nutrient solution and to water stress opens the possibility to use this approach as a way to quantify the drought resistance of subterranean clover genotypes.

Extraction of molybdenum and nickel from roasted Ni-Mo ore by hydrochloric acid leaching, sulphation roasting and water leaching

To extract molybdenum and nickel from the roasted Ni-Mo ore, a process of hydrochloric acid leaching, sulphation roasting and water leaching was investigated. The results showed that this process could get a high leaching rate of Mo and Ni. Under the optimum conditions of hydrochloric acid leaching （roasted Ni-Mo ore leached with 0.219 mL/g hydrochloric acid addition at 65 ℃ for 30 min with a L/S ratio of 3 mL/g）, sulphation roasting （51.9% sulfiaric acid addition, roasting temperature 240 ℃ for 1 h）, followed by leaching with the first stage hydrochloric acid leaching solution at 95 ℃ for 2 h, the leaching rates of Mo and Ni reached 95.8% and 91.3%, respectively.

Effects of fulvic acid and humic acid on aluminum speciation in drinking water

This article focused on the influences of fulvic acid and humic acid on aluminum speciation in drinking water. Factors including the concentration of residual chlorine and pH value had been concerned. Aluminum species investigated in the experiments included inorganic mononuclear, organic mononuclear, mononuclear, polymer, soluble, and suspended forms. It was found that the effects of fulvic acid and humic acid on aluminum speciation depended mainly on their molecular weight. Fulvic acid with molecular weight less than 5000 Dalton had little influence on aluminum speciation; while fulvic acid with molecular weight larger than 5000 Dalton and humic acid would increase the concentration of soluble aluminum significantly even at concentration below 0.5 mg/L （calculated as TOC）. Aluminum species, in the present of fulvic acid with molecular weight larger than 5000 Dalton and humic acid, were more stable than that in the present of fluvic acid with molecular mass less than 5000 Dalton, and varied little with reaction time. Within pH range 6.5-7.5, soluble aluminum increased notably in water with organic matter. As the concentration of residual chlorine increased, the effects of fulvic acid and humic acid became weak. The reactions between humic acid, fulvic acid with large molecular weight, and aluminum were considered to be a multi-dentate coordination process. With the consideration of aluminum bioavailability, reducing the concentration of fulvic acid and humic acid and keeping the pH value among 6.5-7.5 were recommended during drinking water treatment.

Synergistic Ru/RuO_(2) heterojunctions stabilized by carbon coating as efficient and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts for acidic overall water splitting

The development of highly active and stable acidic water oxidation electrocatalysts is of great significant for promoting the industrial application of proton exchange membrane electrolyzers.Ru-based catalysts have broad application prospects in acidic water oxidation,but their limitations in stability and activity hinder their further application.Herein,a nitrogen-doped carbon(NC)coated porous Ru/RuO_(2) heterojunctional hollow sphere(Ru/RuO_(2)/NC)is designed as high-active and stable bifunctional electrocatalyst for acidic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).In synthesis,the key is to use mesoporous polydopamine spheres as a template for forming hollow spheres,a source of NC coating and a reducing agent for forming Ru/RuO_(2) heterojunction.The Ru/RuO_(2) heterojunction adjusts the electronic structure of Ru active sites,optimizing the adsorption of intermediate species.Furthermore,the NC coating and the interaction between NC and Ru/RuO_(2) effectively prevent Ru from over-oxidation and dissolution.The porous hollow structure provides more exposed active sites and promotes mass transfer.Impressively,Ru/RuO_(2)/NC exhibits outstanding OER and HER performance with low overpotentials of 211 and 32 mV at 10 mA·cm^(−2),respectively,and shows excellent stability.The acid water splitting electrolyzer,based on the bifunctional Ru/RuO_(2)/NC,requires low cell voltages of 1.46 and 1.76 V at 10 and 100 mA·cm^(−2),respectively,with good stability for over 100 h operation,surpassing Pt/C||RuO_(2) and most of the reported catalysts.

Preparation and Catalytic Application of Novel Water Tolerant Solid Acid Catalysts of Zirconium Sulfate/HZSM-5

Esterification of acrylic acid（AA） to produce AA esters has widespread application in the chemical industry. A series of water tolerant solid acid catalysts was prepared, and characterized by XRD, nitrogen adsorption, TGA-DTA, XPS, and ammonia adsorption FTIR. The effects of Si/Al ratio, zirconium sulfate（ZS） loading on HZSM-5 and calcination temperature on the esterification were investigated. When 20% （mass fraction） ZS is loaded on HZSM-5, the conversion of AA reaches 100%. XRD analysis indicates that ZS is highly dispersed on HZSM-5 because no crystalline structure assigned to ZS is found. Catalytic activity and hydrophobicity of ZS supported on HZSM-5 are higher compared with those of parent ZS or HZSM-5. Results show that this kind of novel catalysts is an efficient water tolerant solid acid catalyst for esterification reactions.

Nanostructured Pt@RuO_(x) catalyst for boosting overall acidic seawater splitting

In the domain of acidic water splitting,designing bifunctional catalysts that marry high activity with enduring stability is a formidable challenge.Herein,we have constructed platinum-containing ruthenium oxide nanoparticles(Pt@RuO_(x)NPs)to achieve excellent overall water splitting performance in acidic electrolytes.Pt@RuO_(x)NPs demonstrate exceptional catalytic activity for both the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)in acidic seawater,requiring overpotentials of only 20 and 157 mV,respectively to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2).Furthermore,in 0.5 M H_(2)SO_(4),this catalyst exhibits high HER(19 mV)and OER(236 mV)catalytic activities.The two-electrode water splitting system composed of bifunctional Pt@RuO_(x)NPs requires cell voltages of only 1.442 and 1.465 V to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)in acidic seawater and 0.5 M H_(2)SO_(4).Remarkably,this catalyst displays remarkable stability in the water splitting process.It is shown that the introduction of Pt could augment oxygen vacancies and enhance catalytic activity significantly.The synergy between Pt and Ru further contributes to the improved performance.Additionally,we have observed that acidic seawater holds distinct advantages for acidic water splitting,along with a thorough exploration of the relationship between Cl^(-)concentration and catalytic performance.This study not only provides a strategy to improve the catalytic activity and stability of ruthenium-based catalysts for water splitting in acidic environments,but also unveils the promoting effect of Cl^(-)on the catalytic activity in acidic water splitting.

Effects of high-pressure activated slightly acidic electrolyzed water on cleaning and sterilization of pig transfer vehicles

The establishment of biosafety system is of enormous importance to the livestock and poultry production in terms of mitigating the transmission of diseases and implementing regional prevention and control measures.However,the current sterilization technology presents several drawbacks,including time-consuming procedures,chemical residues,and challenges in treating the sewage after rinsing.In this study,a novel cleaning and sterilization method that combines slightly acidic electrolyzed water and high pressure water-jet was developed.An orthogonal test was conducted to examine the correlation between high-pressure conditions and the various non-structural parameters on the efficacy of sterilization rate.In a field test,the effectiveness of the technology in cleaning pig transfer vehicles was evaluated by the total plate count and variations of community composition.The findings revealed that the combination of process parameters,including an available chlorine concentration of 200 mg/L,rinsing pressure of 170 bar,rinsing duration of 10 s,and residence time of 15 min,resulted in a removal rate of colony concentration on the surface of pig transfer vehicles of(96.50±0.91)%.Moreover,it was demonstrated to effectively inhibit a variety of pathogenic bacteria.The innovative cleaning system has the potential to replace traditional methods and reduces pollution while saving time and labor.It introduces a novel approach for sterilization of transportation in livestock and poultry farms as well as the biosafety construction of the animal husbandry.

Occurrence of Haloacetic Acids in Drinking Water in Certain Cities of China

Objective Since haloacetic acids (HAAs), which are nonvolatile and of high carcinogenic risk, are common species of chlorinated disinfection by-products(DBPs) in drinking water, and little has been known in China, it is necessary to make a survey about the kinds and levels of HAAs in drinking water of the nation. Method HAAs were analyzed using gas chromatography with electron capture detector(GC/ECD) and relatively complex pretreatment process of sample was applied. Five main cities in different areas of China were chosen in the survey. Results Studies showed that the main species of HAAs in drinking water in China were DCAA and TCAA, ranging from 0.4 礸/L to 12.85 礸/L and from 0.56 礸/L to 10.98 礸/L, respectively. MBAA and DBAA were also detected in one city, ranging from 2.20 礸/L to 4.95 礸/L and 1.10 礸/L to 2.81 礸/L, respectively. Therefore, the contents of HAAs varied, usually no more than 25 礸/L. Based on the acquired data to date, it is known that the concentrations of HAAs in drinking water in China were surely under the limits of Sanitary Standard for Drinking Water Quality (China, 2001). Conclusion A wider survey of HAAs in drinking water should be conducted throughout the nation to get adequate data and information, the ultimate aim of which is to control HAAs pollution and keep the balance between microbiological safety insurance and chemical risk control, minimize the formation of DBPs and ensure the safety of water supply at the same time.

Highly efficient synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones catalyzed by heteropoly acids in water

Heteropoly acids efficiently catalyzed the cyclocondensation reaction of anthranilamide with aldehydes in water at ambient temperature and afforded the corresponding 2,3-dihydro-4（1H）-quinazolinones compounds in good to excellent yields.This method provides mild reaction conditions and clean reaction profiles,using a small quantity of catalyst and a simple workup procedure.