Biomass-derived porous carbon with single-atomic cobalt toward high-performance aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries at room temperature

Aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries at room temperature hold great potential for next-generation energy storage technology due to their low cost,safety and high energy density.However,slow reaction kinetics and high activation energy at the sulfur cathode pose great challenges for the practical applications.Herein,biomass-derived carbon with single-atomic cobalt sites(MMPC-Co)is synthesized as the cathode in Zn-S batteries.The catalysis of single-atom Co sites greatly promotes the transform of cathode electrolyte interface(CEI)on the cathode surface,while offering accelerated charge transfer rate for high conversion reversibility and large electrochemical surface area(ECSA)for high electrocatalytic current.Furthermore,the rich pore structure not only physically limits sulfur loss,but also accelerates the transport of zinc ions.In addition,the large pore volume of MMPC-Co is able to relieve the stress effect caused by the volume expansion of Zn S during charge/discharge cycles,thereby maintaining the stability of electrode structure.Consequently,the sulfur cathode maintains a high specific capacity of 729.96 m A h g^(-1)after 500 cycles at4 A g^(-1),which is much better than most cathode materials reported in the literature.This work provides new insights into the design and development of room-temperature aqueous Zn-S batteries.

Ingenious liquid-observed vapor exchange (LOVE) NMR method revealing how sugars protect dry protein structure

Recently,Gary et al.published an article elucidating how sugars contribute to the protection of dry protein structure.They utilized an ingenious liquid-observed vapor exchange(LOVE)nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)method,providing valuable insights into the protection mechanism of sugars during the drying process.The details of their study can be found in the article available at https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00692.

Efficient electrooxidation of biomass-derived aldehydes over ultrathin Ni V-layered double hydroxides films

Selective upgrading of C=O bonds to afford carboxylic acid is significant for the petrochemical industry and biomass utilization.Here we declared the efficient electrooxidation of biomass-derived aldehydes family over NiV-layered double hydroxides(LDHs) thin films.Mechanistic studies confirmed the hydroxyl active intermediate(-OH*) generated on the surface of NiV-LDHs films by employing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.By using advanced techniques,e.g.,extended X-ray absorption fine structure and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy,NiV-LDHs films with 2.6 nm could expose larger specific surface area.Taking benzaldehyde as a model,high current density of 200 mA cm^(-2)at 1.8 V vs.RHE,81.1% conversion,77.6% yield of benzoic acid and 90.8% Faradaic efficiency were reached,which was superior to most of previous studies.Theoretical DFT analysis was well matched with experimental findings and documented that NiV-LDHs had high adsorption capacity for the aldehydes to suppress the side reaction,and the aldehydes were oxidized by the electrophilic hydroxyl radicals formed on NiV-LDHs.Our findings offer a universal strategy for the robust upgrading of diverse biomass-derived platform chemicals.

Integration of pore structure modulation and B,N co-doping for enhanced capacitance deionization of biomass-derived carbon

Biomass-derived carbon has demonstrated great potentials as advanced electrode for capacitive deionization(CDI),owing to good electroconductivity,easy availability,intrinsic pores/channels.However,conventional simple pyrolysis of biomass always generates inadequate porosity with limited surface area.Moreover,biomass-derived carbon also suffers from poor wettability and single physical adsorption of ions,resulting in limited desalination performance.Herein,pore structure optimization and element co-doping are integrated on banana peels(BP)-derived carbon to construct hierarchically porous and B,N co-doped carbon with large ions-accessible surface area.A unique expansionactivation(EA)strategy is proposed to modulate the porosity and specific surface area of carbon.Furthermore,B,N co-doping could increase the ions-accessible sites with improved hydrophilicity,and promote ions adsorption.Benefitting from the synergistic effect of hierarchical porosity and B,N co-doping,the resultant electrode manifest enhanced CDI performance for NaCl with large desalination capacity(29.5 mg g^(-1)),high salt adsorption rate(6.2 mg g^(-1)min^(-1)),and versatile adsorption ability for other salts.Density functional theory reveals the enhanced deionization mechanism by pore and B,N co-doping.This work proposes a facile EA strategy for pore structure modulation of biomass-derived carbon,and demonstrates great potentials of integrating pore and heteroatoms-doping on constructing high-performance CDI electrode.

Assessment of Physico-Chemical and Microbial Quality of Sugarcane Juice Sold by Street Vendors in Three Regions of Bangladesh

Sugar cane juice is a popular refreshing drink in most part of Bangladesh. It has great taste and health benefits;also it is available most of the public places at reasonable prices which consumed by road side customers including general public, shopping personals, tourists, students. In our country, street vendors crushing sugarcane between roller crusher and sold without any heat treatment or preservative, also served with or without added ice and lemon juice. The study aimed to identify and compare the physico-chemical and microbial quality of sugarcane juice. The chemical qualities of juices including moisture, PH, ash, total soluble solid, total sugar, reducing sugar and titrable acidity were found slightly different in Mymensingh, Gazipur and Narayangonj areas. The highest and lowest value of moisture, ash, PH, total soluble solids, total sugar, reducing sugar and titrable acidity were found in 84.33% - 79.26% (Gazipur-Mymensingh), 0.57% - 0.04% (Mymensingh-Gazipur), 5.9 - 2.9 (Gazipur-Narayangonj), 17.48% - 4.98% (Mymensingh-Narayangonj), 21.9% - 6.56% (Mymensingh-Gazipur), 3.7 - 2.1 (Gazipur-Mymensingh) and 0.523% - 0.007% (Narayangonj-Gazipur) respectively. For microbiological analysis, the total viable count of sugar cane juice in Mymensingh, Gazipur and Narayangonj were ranged from 0.6 × 105 - 43.6 × 105 cfu/ml, 4.6 × 105 - 21.6 × 105 cfu/ml and 3.6 × 105 - 36.6 × 105 cfu/ml respectively, where the permitted value is 1.0 × 104 cfu/ml, whereas the total coliform count was ranged from 0.4 × 105 - 6.4 × 105 cfu/ml, 0.6 × 105 - 8.4 × 105 cfu/ml and 0.00 - 8.4 × 105 cfu/ml, where the permitted value is 100 cfu/ml and total fungal count was ranged from 5.5 × 105 - 56.5 × 105 cfu/ml, 21.5 × 105 - 54.5 × 105 cfu/ml and 32.5 × 105 - 68.5 × 105 cfu/ml, where the permitted value is 1000 cfu/ml. According to the Gulf standard, the microbiological parameters of all the collected sugar cane juice were out of the permitted standards, so that a serious health outbreak can be caused anytime.

Consumption of sugary beverages,genetic predisposition and the risk of depression:a prospective cohort study

Background The associations between sugary beverages and genetic predisposition to depression risk remain unclear.Aims This study aimed to investigate the associations of sugar-sweetened beverages(SSBs),artificially sweetened beverages(ASBs)and natural juices(NJs)with depression and to assess whether these associations were modified by genetic predisposition.Methods We used data from the UK Biobank of 180599 individuals aged 39-72 years who were depression-free at baseline.Dietary intake of SSBs,ASBs and NJs was accessed by a 24-hour dietary recall between 2009 and 2012.The Polygenic Risk Score for depression was estimated and categorised as low(lowest tertile),intermediate(tertile 2)and high(highest tertile),.Cox proportional hazard and substitution models were conducted to evaluate hazard ratios(HRs)and 95%Cls.Results Over the 12-year follow-up,4915 individuals developed depression.Higher consumption(>2 units/day)of SSBs(HR:1.26,95%CI 1.12 to 1.43)and ASBs(HR:1.40,95%Cl 1.23 to 1.60)were both associated with an increased risk of depression.However,moderate consumption(>0-1 units/day)of NJs was associated with a lower risk of depression(HR:0.89,95%CI 0.83 to 0.95).Furthermore,genetic predisposition did not modify these associations(p interaction>0.05).In substitution models,the HRs for depression risk were 0.94(95%CI 0.89 to 0.99)and 0.89(95%CI 0.85 to 0.94),respectively,when 1 unit/day of SSBs or ASBs was replaced by an equivalent intake of NJs.Conclusions Higher consumption of SSBs and ASBs was associated with an increased risk of depression;in contrast,moderate consumption of NJs was inversely associated with a lower risk of depression.In theory,substituting SSBs and ASBswith NJs would suppose a reduction of depression risk.

Critical approaches in the catalytic transformation of sugar isomerization and epimerization after Fischer-History,challenges,and prospects

The transformation of aldose to ketose or common sugars into rare saccharides,including rare ketoses and aldoses,is of great value and interest to the food industry and for saccharidic biomass utilization,medicine,and the synthesis of drugs.Nowadays,high-fructose corn syrup(HFCS)is industrially produced in more than 10 million tons annually using immobilized glucose isomerase.Some low-calorie saccharides such as tagatose and psicose,which are becoming popular sweeteners,have also been produced on a pilot scale in order to replace sucrose and HFCS.However,current catalysts and catalytic processes are still difficult to utilize in biomass conversion and also have strong substrate dependence in producing high-value,rare sugars.Considering the specific reaction properties of saccharides and catalysts,since the pioneering discovery by Fischer,various catalysts and catalytic systems have been discovered or developed in attempts to extend the reaction pathways,improve the reaction efficiency,and to potentially produce commercial products.In this review,we trace the history of sugar isomerization/epimerization reactions and summarize the important breakthroughs for each reaction as well as the difficulties that remain unresolved to date.

Nitrogen-Doped Amorphous Carbon Homojunction from Palmyra Sugar as a Renewable Solar Cell

An a-C/a-C:N junction,which used palmyra sugar as the carbon source and ammonium hydroxide(NH4OH)as the dopant source,was successfully deposited on the ITO glass substrate using the nano-spraying method.The current-voltage relationship of the junction was found to be a Schottky-like contact,and therefore the junction shows the characteristic rectifiers.This means the a-C and a-C:N are semiconductors with different types of conduction.Moreover,the samples showed an increase in current and voltage value when exposed to visible light(bright state)compared to the dark condition,thereby,indicating the creation of electron-hole pairs during the exposure.It was also discovered that the relationship between current and voltage for the a-C/a-C:N junction sample formed a curve that satisfies the rule of the photovoltaic effect when exposed to visible light from a light bulb.The exposure of this sample to direct sunlight at AM 1.5 conditions produced a curve that meets the rules for the emergence of the photovoltaic effect with higher characteristics for the current-voltage relationship.Thus,the a-C/a-C:N junction sample is a solar cell successfully fabricated using a sample method and has a maximum efficiency of 0.0013%.

Transcriptome Sequencing for Sugar and Flavonoid Metabolism in Prunus persica‘Jinxiangyu’

In this study,high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)and RNA-seq transcriptome sequencing were used to study the changes in soluble sugar components and flavonoids in Prunus persica‘Jinxiangyu’at different developmental stages(20–90 d after flowering)and screen the key genes regulating the formation of soluble sugar and flavonoids in the fruits.The results showed that 60–85 d after flowering was the key stage of quality formation of Prunus persica‘Jinxiangyu’,and the content of soluble sugar,soluble solid,fructose,and sucrose in the fruit increased significantly during this period.The sugar content of ripe fruits was mainly fructose and sucrose.The content of kaempferol glycoside was low in the fruit.Quercetin glycoside content was higher in the young fruit stage and decreased with fruit maturity.There were no anthocyanin compounds in the fruit.The expression levels of genes involved in flavonoid metabolism(ANS,DFR,F3H,FLS,4CL1,etc.)were low in the fruit.A total of 181 differentially expressed genes were identified during fruit development to participate in five sugar metabolism pathways,among which the SDH gene had a higher expression level,which continuously rised in the later stage of fruit development.It mainly promoted the accumulation of fructose content in the later stage of fruit development.The expression levels of SPS1,SS,and SS1 genes were continuously up-regulated,which played a key role in sucrose regulation.The higher expression levels of SUS3 and INVA genes in the early stage of fruit development promoted the degradation of sucrose.

Genome-Wide Discovery and Expression Profiling of the SWEET Sugar Transporter Gene Family in Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) under Developmental and Stress Conditions: Structural and Evolutionary Analysis

The SWEET(sugar will eventually be exported transporter)family proteins are a recently identified class of sugar transporters that are essential for various physiological processes.Although the functions of the SWEET proteins have been identified in a number of species,to date,there have been no reports of the functions of the SWEET genes in woodland strawberries(Fragaria vesca).In this study,we identified 15 genes that were highly homolo-gous to the A.thaliana AtSWEET genes and designated them as FvSWEET1–FvSWEET15.We then conducted a structural and evolutionary analysis of these 15 FvSWEET genes.The phylogenetic analysis enabled us to categor-ize the predicted 15 SWEET proteins into four distinct groups.We observed slight variations in the exon‒intron structures of these genes,while the motifs and domain structures remained highly conserved.Additionally,the developmental and biological stress expression profiles of the 15 FvSWEET genes were extracted and analyzed.Finally,WGCNA coexpression network analysis was run to search for possible interacting genes of FvSWEET genes.The results showed that the FvSWEET10 genes interacted with 20 other genes,playing roles in response to bacterial and fungal infections.The outcomes of this study provide insights into the further study of FvSWEET genes and may also aid in the functional characterization of the FvSWEET genes in woodland strawberries.

Overview on Soil Compaction and Sugar Beet Growth

With the advancement of agricultural mechanization,soil compaction has become a serious environmental problem.Soil compaction can increase soil bulk density and firmness,reduce porosity and permeability,and deteriorate soil structure,ultimately inhibit sugar beet growth and reduce both root yield and sugar content.However,few farmers recognize the link between soil compaction and these adverse effects.Soil compaction has a cumulative effect,with significant differences observed in the vertical range of compaction accumulation.The most significant soil compaction occurs in the topsoil of 0-10 cm,and the influence depth can reach 70 cm,but it is small in deep soil,and the inflection point is at a soil depth of 10 cm.The degree of soil compaction is related to soil type,water content,tractor shaft load,tyre type,tyre pressure and operation speed,etc.Therefore,in the production process of sugar beet,it is advisable to avoid high-humidity operations,use low pressure tyres,reduce the number of tractor-units passes over the farmland,and implement agricultural and agronomic measures to minimize soil compaction.These practices will help protect the soil environment and ensure sustainable production of sugar beets.

Composite Panels from the Combination of Rice Husk and Wood Chips with a Natural Resin Based on Tannins Reinforced with Sugar Cane Molasses Intended for Building Insulation: Physico-Mechanical and Thermal Properties

The objective of this work is to develop new biosourced insulating composites from rice husks and wood chips that can be used in the building sector. It appears from the properties of the precursors that rice chips and husks are materials which can have good thermal conductivity and therefore the combination of these precursors could make it possible to obtain panels with good insulating properties. With regard to environmental and climatic constraints, the composite panels formulated at various rates were tested and the physico-mechanical and thermal properties showed that it was essential to add a crosslinker in order to increase certain solicitation. an incorporation rate of 12% to 30% made it possible to obtain panels with low thermal conductivity, a low surface water absorption capacity and which gives the composite good thermal insulation and will find many applications in the construction and real estate sector. Finally, new solutions to improve the fire reaction of the insulation panels are tested which allows to identify suitable solutions for the developed composites. In view of the flame tests, the panels obtained are good and can effectively combat fire safety in public buildings.

Analysis of The Effect of Comprehensive Nursing Intervention on Improving Blood Sugar Levels and Treatment Compliance in Elderly Patients with Diabetes

Objective: To analyze the effect of comprehensive nursing intervention on improving blood glucose levels and treatment compliance in elderly patients with diabetes. Methods: One hundred and forty-eight elderly patients with diabetes were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an observation group, with 74 cases each. The control group received routine nursing intervention and the observation group received comprehensive nursing intervention. The blood sugar levels, treatment compliance, and nursing satisfaction of the two groups of patients before and after intervention were compared. Results: After the intervention, the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (t = 7.729), 2 hours postprandial glucose (PPG) (t = 8.343), and HbA1c (t = 6.929) levels of patients in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.001). The observation group (71/95.95%) had a higher compliance rate than the control group (54/72.97%) (χ^(2)=14.877, P < 0.001). The comprehensive nursing satisfaction rate of the observation group (73/98.65%) was higher than that of the control group (56/75.68%) (χ^(2)=17.451, P < 0.001). Conclusion: In caring for elderly patients with diabetes, comprehensive nursing intervention effectively reduced patients’ blood sugar levels and improved treatment compliance and nursing satisfaction.

Biomass-derived nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon as efficient sulfur host for lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S) battery is a potential energy storage technology with high energy density and low cost. However, the gap between theoretical expectation and practical performance limits its wide implementation. Herein, we report a nitrogen-doped porous carbon derived from biomass pomelo peel as sulfur host material for Li-S batteries. The hierarchical porous architecture and the polar surface introduced by N-doping render a favorable combination of physical and chemical sulfur confinements as well as an expedite electron/ion transfer, thus contributing to a facilitated and stabilized sulfur electrochemistry. As a result, the corresponding sulfur composite electrodes exhibit an ultrahigh initial capacity of 1534.6 mAh g^-1, high coulombic efficiency over 98% upon 300 cycles, and decent rate capability up to 2 C. This work provides an economical and effective strategy for the fabrication of advanced carbonaceous sulfur host material as well as the significant improvement of Li-S battery performance.

Biomass-derived porous carbon materials for advanced lithium sulfur batteries

Biomass, as the most widely used carbon sources, is the main ingredient in the formation of fossil fuels. Biomass-derived novel carbons(BDNCs) have attracted much attention because of its adjustable physical/chemical properties, environmentally friendliness, and considerable economic value. Nature contributes to the biomass with bizarre microstructures with micropores, mesopores or hierarchical pores.Currently, it has been confirmed that biomass has great potential applications in energy storage devices,especially in lithium-sulfur(Li–S) batteries. In this article, the synthesis and function of BDNCs for Li–S batteries are presented, and the electrochemical effects of structural diversity, porosity and surface heteroatom doping of the carbons in Li-S batteries are discussed. In addition, the economic benefits, new trends and challenges are also proposed for further design excellent BDNCs for Li–S batteries.

In situ construction of Co/N/C-based heterojunction on biomass-derived hierarchical porous carbon with stable active sites using a Co-N protective strategy for high-efficiency ORR,OER and HER trifunctional electrocatalysts

The facile designs and fabrication of noble metal-free electrocatalysts are highly required to achieve multifunctional catalytic activity with excellent stability in Zn-air batteries,fuel cells and water splitting systems.Herein,a heterostructure engineering is applied to construct the high performance Co,Ncontaining carbon-based multifunctional electrocatalysts with the feature of isotype(i.e.n-n type Co_(2)N_(0.67)-BHPC)and anisotype(i.e.p-n type Co_(2)O_(3)-BHPC)heterojunctions for ORR,OER and HER.The nn type Co_(2)N_(0.67)-BHPC,in which biomass(e.g.mushroom)-derived hierarchical porous carbon(BHPC)incorporated with nonstoichiometric active species Co_(2)N_(0.67),is fabricated by using an in situ protective strategy of macrocyclic central Co-N_(4) from CoTPP(5,10,15,20-tetrakis(phenyl)porphyrinato cobalt)precursor through the intermolecularπ-πinteractions between CoTPP and its metal-free analogue H_(2) TPP.Meanwhile,an unprotected strategy of macrocyclic central Co-N_(4) from CoTPP can afford the anisotype Co_(2)O_(3)-BHPC p-n heterojunction.The as-prepared n-n type Co_(2)N_(0.67)-BHPC heterojunction exhibited a higher density of Co-based active sites with outstanding stability and more efficient charge transfer at the isotype heterojunction interface in comparison with p-n type Co_(2)O_(3)-BHPC heterojunction.Consequently,for ORR,Co_(2)N_(0.67)-BHPC exhibits the more positive onset and half-wave potentials of 0.93 and 0.86 V vs.RHE,respectively,superior to those of the commercial 20 wt%Pt/C and most of Cobased catalysts reported so far.To drive a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2),Co_(2)N_(0.67)-BHPC also shows the lower overpotentials of 0.34 and 0.21 V vs.RHE for OER and HER,respectively.Furthermore,the Zn-air battery equipped with Co_(2)N_(0.67)-BHPC displays higher maximum power density(109 mW cm^(-2))and charge-discharge cycle stability.Interestingly,the anisotype heterojunction Co_(2)O_(3)-BHPC as trifunctional electrocatalyst reveals evidently photoelectrochemical enhancement compared with the photostable Co_(2)N_(0.67)-BHPC.That is to say,isotype heterojunction material(n-n type Co^(2)N_(0.67)-BHPC)is equipped with better electrocatalytic performance than anisotype one(p-n type Co_(2)O_(3)-BHPC),but the opposite is true in photoelectrochemical catalysis.Meanwhile,the possible mechanism is proposed based on the energy band structures of the Co_(2)N_(0.67)-BHPC and Co_(2)O_(3)-BHPC and the cocatalyst effects.The present work provides much more possibilities to tune the electrocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of catalysts through a facile combination of heterostructure engineering protocol and macrocyclic central metal protective strategy.

Sugars in peach fruit: a breeding perspective

The last decade has been characterized by a decrease in peach(Prunus persica)fruit consumption in many countries,foremost due to unsatisfactory quality.The sugar content is one of the most important quality traits perceived by consumers,and the development of novel peach cultivars with sugar-enhanced content is a primary objective of breeding programs to revert the market inertia.Nevertheless,the progress reachable through classical phenotypic selection is limited by the narrow genetic bases of peach breeding material and by the complex quantitative nature of the trait,which is deeply affected by environmental conditions and agronomical management.The development of molecular markers applicable in MAS or MAB has become an essential strategy to boost the selection efficiency.Despite the enormous advances in‘omics’sciences,providing powerful tools for plant genotyping,the identification of the genetic bases of sugar-related traits is hindered by the lack of adequate phenotyping methods that are able to address strong within-plant variability.This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of the metabolic pathways and physiological mechanisms regulating sugar accumulation in peach fruit,the main advances in phenotyping approaches and genetic background,and finally addressing new research priorities and prospective for breeders.

In-situ growth of ZnS/FeS heterojunctions on biomass-derived porous carbon for efficient oxygen reduction reaction

It is an urgent task to develop highly efficient non-noble metal electrocatalysts in the direction of ORR,but still a huge and long-term challenge.Herein,an efficient one-step pyrolysis of Sichuan pepper powder,2,2-bipyridine,FeCl3,Na SCN,and ZnCl2 at 900℃ provides the FeS/ZnS@N,S-C-900 hybrid catalyst.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM)images and Mott-Schottky curves clearly reveal the in-situ constructed abundant FeS/ZnS-based p-n junctions dispersed on the biomass-derived porous carbon surface of FeS/ZnS@N,S-C-900.The as-prepared FeS/ZnS@N,S-C-900 hybrid exhibits superior ORR performance in comparison with Pt/C in 0.1 M KOH with high onset(Eonset)and half-wave potentials(E1/2)of 1.00 and 0.880 V vs.RHE,large limiting current density(JL)of 5.60 mA cm-2,and robust durability and methanol tolerance.Impressively,upon the light irradiation,FeS/ZnS@N,S-C-900 produces a photocurrent as high as ca.0.3μA cm-2,resulting in further improvement over Eonset,E1/2,and JLof FeS/ZnS@N,S-C-900 to1.10 V vs.RHE,0.885 V vs.RHE,and 6.02 mA cm-2.Experiment in combination with theoretical calculations demonstrate the significant effect of FeS/ZnS heterojunction on the enhanced ORR catalytic activity of FeS/ZnS@N,S-C-900.This work is useful for the development of advanced heterojunction-based ORR catalysts for various energy conversion devices.

Biomass-derived Porous Carbon Materials for Supercapacitor Electrodes:A Review

The development of renewable,cost-efficient,and environmentally friendly electrode materials with excellent performance is urgently needed for improving supercapacitors(SCs).Recently,biomass-derived porous carbons(BPCs)have received increasing attention due to their excellent physical and chemical properties,widespread availability,and low production cost.In this review,the progress in preparing BPCs and the properties of prepared BPCs are presented and discussed.In addition,the applications of BPCs as electrode materials for supercapacitors are also summarized.More importantly,the pore structure and surface properties of BPCs are all determining factors to improve electrochemical performance.Moreover,a high energy density and power density can be pursued by using composites based on BPCs as electrode materials,of which combining transition metallic oxide with BPCs is one of the most attractive selections.Therefore,rational design of BPCs with respect to the supercapacitor's performance should be conducted in the future.

Proline and soluble sugars accumulation in three pepper species(Capsicum spp) in response to water stress imposed at different stages of growth

Drought is a major production constraint for major fruits and vegetable crops in the tropics. This study was conducted to in- vestigate the effect of limited water supply at three growth stages （vegetative, flowering and fruiting） on the accumulation of proline and soluble sugars in three pepper species. Seeds of the three pepper species, Capsicum chinense Jacq., C. annuum L. and C. frutescens L. were raised in a nursery and the seedlings were transplanted into seventy two plastic pots arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates, 25 days after planting. Four water treatments, 200 mL of water supplied twice daily （W1）, once in every three days （W2）, once in every five days （W3）, and zero water supplied throughout growing period （W0） were imposed at three vegetative, flowering, and fruiting growth stages. Data were collected on relative water content, free proline and total soluble sugar. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and means were separated using Duncan＇s multiple range test. Results show that the concentration ofproline and soluble sugar in leaves of the three pepper species were found to be remarkable at the different stages of growth in the stressed plants.