Adsorption removal of thiocyanate from aqueous solution by calcined hydrotalcite

A hydrotalcite with Mg/AI molar ratio 2 was prepared by co-precipitation method and was characterized by XRD, TG/DTA, Zeta potential and BET surface area. The hydrotalcite was calcined at 500℃, with the dehydration from interlayer, the dehydroxilation from the brucite-like layer and the decomposition of carbonate successively, transformed into the mixed oxide type. The removal of thiocyanate from aqueous solution by using the original hydrotalcite and calcined hydrotalcite （HTC-500） was investigated. The results showed that the thiocyanate adsorption capacity of calcined hydrotalcite was much higher than that of the original form. Calcined hydrotalcite was particularly effective at removing thiocyanate, and that the effective range of pH for the thiocyanate removal are between 5.5-10.0. The experimental data of thiocyanate removal fit nicely with Langmuir isotherm, and the saturated adsorption uptake was 96.2 mg SCN-/g HTC-500. The adsorption of thiocyanate by calcined hydrotalcite follows first-order kinetics. And the intercalation to the structure recovery for calcined hydrotalcite. But the presence of additional anions could affect the adsorption behavior of thiocyanate.

Acidichromism in the LB film of bolaform Schiff base

A bolaform （BNC10） and single-headed （HNOA） amphiphilic Schiff bases containing naphthyl group were designed and their Langmuir-Blodgett films were investigated. It was found that both the LB films show acidichromism, i.e. a reversible color change upon alternatively exposing the films to HC1 and NH3 gases, respectively. It was further found that the bolaform Schiff bases film could trap NH3 gas during the acidichromic process.

Fabrication of a 256-bits organic memory by soft x-ray lithography

This paper reports a procedure of soft x-ray lithography for the fabrication of an organic crossbar structure. Electron beam lithography is employed to fabricate the mask for soft x-ray lithography, with direct writing technology to the lithograph positive resist and polymethyl methacrylate on the polyimide film. Then Au is electroplated on the polyimide film. Hard contact mode exposure is used in x-ray lithography to transfer the graph from the mask to the wafer. The 256-bits organic memory is achieved with the critical dimension of 250 nm.

In situ Observation of the Photochromism in the Langmuir Monolayer of a Non-typical Amphiphilic Spiropyran Derivative at the Air/Water Interface

In situ photochromic process in the monolayer of a photochromic spiropyran derivative without long alkyl chain, was investigated. The photochromism at the air/water interface under different surface pressures was studied by surface pressure area isotherms, surface pressure time curves, area time curves and Brewster angle microscopy. Both forms of the compound were found to form monolayers at the air/water interface although it does not have long alkyl chain. A large area expansion in the monolayer corresponding to a zero th order reaction was found at the initial stage of the UV light irradiation. A series of dynamic investigations revealed that at high pressure after phase transition in the monolayer, the surface pressure changes greatly under alternative irradiation of UV and visible light. An obvious morphological change accompanying with the photochromism was observed in situ .

Multifunctional silver film with superhydrophobic and antibacterial properties

Material properties are strongly dependent on material structure. The large diversity and complexity of material structures provide significant opportunities to improve the properties of the materials, expanding their applications. Here, we discuss the fabrication of a multifunctional silver film prepared by controlling the nucleation and growth of silver particles. Silver films with high hydrophobicity and antibacterial activity were fabricated by adopting an electrochemical approach. The dependence of the hydrophobic and antibacterial properties on the size and shape of the silver particles was first investigated. Small-sized silver particles exhibited a high antibacterial rate, while a porous silver film composed of dendritic particles showed a significant hydrophobic activity. By regulating the reaction time, current density, and silver salt concentration, a silver film with a contact angle of 150.9° and an antibacterial rate of 54.7% was synthesized. This study demonstrates that finding a compromise between different material structures is a suitable wav to fabricate multifunctional devices.

Separation of hydrophobic gold nanoparticles less than 10 nm by electrophoresis

An electrophoresis device was used to separate hydrophobic gold nanoparticles with particle size less than 10 nm dispersed in organic solvent. Image of transmission electron microscope (TEM) and UV-Vis spectra showed that the particles in the vicinity of cathode have a smaller mean diameter than those near the anode. This result indicates that the nanogolds in chloroform bring a positive charge in oppo-sition to what is predicted by Coehn rule, and provides an electrophrosis method for separating hydrophobic nanogold particles of different sizes.

DAR Assisted Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Aromatic Compounds

A facile DAR (diphenylamine-4-diazonium-formaldehyde resin) assisted layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of ultrathin organic film of aromatic compounds has been investigated. The multilayer of pyrene or anthracene was fabricated through simple dipping of the glass slide into the mixed solution of DAR with the target compounds. In this method,DAR acted as an assistant compound to help the assembling of the aromatic compounds. Such a convenient deposition method not only reserves the advantages of the traditional LbL technique but also simplifies the technique and extends the effectiveness of LbL technique to small molecules without any charge.