Latest ArticlesIn recent years, the development of wafer-level GaN nanowires photocatalyst loaded onto silicon substrates has progressed rapidly depending on its simplicity of instrumentation, collection and separation from the water. Accordingly, the wafer-level GaN-based nanowires (GaN NWs) photocatalyst can be a fabulous candidate for the application in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (PHER) and provides a novel route to address the environmental and energy crisis. Herein, a range of innovative strategies to improve the performance of GaN NWs photocatalyst are systematically summarized. Then, the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency, the characteristics of GaN NWs system, the cost of the origin material required, as well as the stability, activity and the corrosion resistance to seawater are discussed in detail as some of the essential conditions for advancing its large-scale industry-friendly application. Last but not least, we provide the potential application of this system for splitting seawater to produce hydrogen and point out the direction for overcoming the barriers to future industrial-scale implementation.
Supramolecular prodrug vesicles (H-4⊃B-2@MB) with selective antibacterial activity have been successfully constructed. Specifically, a natural antibiotic prodrug (B-2) with glutathione (GSH)-responsiveness was synthesized. The hydrophobic interaction between B-2 and a novel water-soluble cavitand with deep cavity (H-4) resulted in the formation of a host-guest complex, which further self-assembled into supramolecular vesicles. The formed vesicles could effectively encapsulate the photosensitizer methylene blue (MB), enabling co-delivery of antibiotics and photosensitizers in the presence of GSH. Moreover, upon excitation at 630 nm, the photosensitizers generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), effectively eradicating E. coli through combined chemo-photodynamic therapy. Considering that GSH is predominantly present in Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli, this strategy exhibits substantial potential for selectively inhibiting bacteria characterized by high GSH levels to regulate bacterial colony equilibrium.
Solar interfacial evaporation (SIE), is currently one of the most potential water supply technologies in the remote, insular, and disaster-stricken areas. However, the existence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water deteriorates the distillate quality, threatening human health. Herein, we constructed a carbon-based bimetallic (C/FeCo) photothermal membrane by electrospinning technique. Results illustrated that the membrane can catalytically degrade VOCs during SIE with persulfate (PDS) mediation. PDS, as well as phenol, was mainly reacted on the interface of the photothermal membrane instead of in the bulk solution. The interception efficiency of phenol achieved nearly 100% using the C/FeCo membrane during SIE. Hydroxyl radical (•OH), sulfate radical (SO4•−), superoxide radical (O2•−), and singlet oxygen (1O2) were identified as the main active substances to degrade VOCs. We also conducted SIE experiments using actual river water to evaluate the practical performance of the C/FeCo membrane. This work holds the promise of VOCs interception during SIE and enlarges the application of solar distillation in water/wastewater treatment.
Heterogeneous metal-catalyzed chemical conversions with a recyclable catalyst are very ideal and challenging for sustainable organic synthesis. A new bipyridyl-Mo(Ⅳ)-carbon nitride (CN-K/Mo-Bpy) was prepared by supporting molybdenum complex on C3N4-K and characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, XPS and ICP-OES. Heterogeneous CN–Mo-Bpy catalyst can be applied to the direct amination of nitroarenes and arylboronic acid, thus constructing various valuable diarylamines in high to excellent yields with a wide substrate scope and good functional group tolerance. It is worth noting that this heterogeneous catalyst has high chemical stability and can be recycled for at least five times without reducing its activity.
Conversion-type anode materials are highly desirable for Na-ion batteries (NIBs) due to their high theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, the active materials undergo severe expansion and pulverization during the sodiation, resulting in inferior cycling stability. Herein, a self-supporting three-dimensional (3D) graphene sponge decorated with Fe2O3 nanocubes (rGO@Fe2O3) is constructed. Specifically, the 3D graphene sponge with resilience and high porosity benefits to accommodate the volume expansion of the Fe2O3 nanocubes and facilitates the rapid electrons/ions transport, enabling spatial confinement to achieve outstanding results. Besides, the free-standing rGO@Fe2O3 can be directly used as an electrode without additional binders and conductive additives, which helps to obtain a higher energy density. Based on the total mass of the rGO@Fe2O3 material, the rGO@Fe2O3 anode presents a specific capacity of 859 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g. It also delivers an impressive cycling performance (327 mAh/g after 2000 cycles at 1 A/g) and a superior rate capacity (162 mAh/g at 20 A/g). The coin-type Na3V2(PO4)3@C//rGO@Fe2O3 NIB exhibits an energy density of 265.3 Wh/kg. This unique 3D ionic/electronic conductive network may provide new strategies to design advanced conversion-type anode materials for high-performance NIBs.
Wastewater contains various high-risk trace organic pollutants, such as antibiotics and endocrine disruptors, which seriously restrict wastewater reuse. Cyclodextrin-based functional materials show great potential in the removal of trace pollutants because of their adsorption catalytic synergy. Clarifying the synergistic mechanism of cyclodextrin in oxidation is the key issue in confined catalytic oxidation process design. In this work, we fabricated a BiOIO3@BiOBr/β-CD heterojunction photocatalyst to study the synergistic mechanism of cyclodextrin in the photocatalytic oxidation process. The synergistic mechanism of cyclodextrin was investigated by combining radical chemistry, electrochemistry, spectroscopy, and time-dependent density functional theory. Results showed that the excited intermediate free radicals played an important role in promoting the photocatalytic degradation process. The heterojunction photocatalyst loaded with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) at the electronic end (C[Cat.] = 0.2 mg/mL) removed about 97% of bisphenol A (BPA) within 30 min, and the first-order kinetic constant (kCDBIB = 0.112 min−1) was about twice that of the unloaded β-CD (kBIB = 0.057 min−1). Cyclodextrin loading improved the photocatalytic performance of the heterojunction and stimulated the intermediate to increase the free radical yield and regulate the reaction path.
Hydrocarbons (HCs), as major poisoning substances, have a crucial influence on NH3-SCR catalysts. In this work, the effects of C3H6 on fresh and hydrothermally aged Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts with different copper contents were investigated. All catalysts suffered a deactivation above 250 ℃, especially between 300-400 ℃, which was mainly related to the reaction between NH3 and C3H6. However, the hydrothermally aged and the high-copper-loaded Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts could achieve a recovery of NH3-SCR performance at high temperatures. Such activity recovery was attributed to the oxidation of C3H6 by CuxOy species, which therefore inhibited the reaction between NH3 and C3H6. As a result, more NH3 could be available for the NH3-SCR reaction and the Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts could maintain a good catalytic activity. Based on these findings, we proposed that high loaded Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts with a little CuOx formed are preferred for application.
Oral ulcers are a common ulcerative injury that occurs in the oral mucosa. When occurring, they can cause mucosal pain and affect eating and communication. The oral cavity, characterized by its moist environment and constant movement of the lips and tongue, presents challenges for conventional drug delivery systems due to its suboptimal adhesion. Therefore, there is a need for the development of adhesive materials specifically designed for use within the oral cavity. In this research, a sticky coacervate incorporating tea polyphenols (TP) was formulated based on the adhesive properties observed in sandcastle worms. The coacervate is composed of Pluronic F68 (F68) and TP, synthesized through the coacervation reaction. The F68-TP coacervates are attached to porcine skin easily. It also reduces bacterial viability and has the ability to clear reactive oxygen species. In animal ulcer models, these coacervates demonstrate anti-inflammatory effects and enhance collagen and muscle fiber synthesis. Overall, these adhesive coacervates with antioxidative and antibacterial properties hold potential as a therapeutic option for oral ulcers in the oral cavity.
Improper abuse of roxarsone (ROX) in industrial production leads to harmful effects on water, soil, food, and living creatures. It is significant to detect its concentration in the environment and biosystem. Herein, two aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active fluorescence probes, TPE-TPE and TPE-TPE-CN, are successfully synthesized via a sulfur(Ⅵ) fluoride exchange (SuFEx) click reaction and first employed to detect ROX in the environment and living 3T3 cells. These two probes can selectively detect ROX in water due to the synergistic effect of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the probes and ROX. The detection limit of TPE-TPE and TPE-TPE-CN is 0.154 and 0.385 µmol/L, respectively, much lower than the safety concentration stipulated by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, with the aid of a color discrimination application in a smartphone, these two probes can also detect ROX in real samples (such as water, soil, and cabbage), demonstrating their excellent potential for monitoring ROX in a practical environment.
Bacterial infections have always been a major threat to human health. Skin wounds are frequently exposed to the external environment, and they may become contaminated by bacteria derived from the surrounding skin, the local environment, and the patient's own endogenous sources. Contaminated wounds may enter a state of chronic inflammation that impedes healing. Urgent development of antibacterial wound dressings capable of effectively combating bacteria and overcoming resistance is necessary. Nanotechnology and nanomaterials present promising potential as innovative strategies for antimicrobial wound dressings, owing to their robust antibacterial characteristics and the inherent advantage of avoiding antibiotic resistance. Therefore, this review provides a concise overview of the antimicrobial mechanisms exhibited by low-dimensional nanomaterials. It further categorizes common low-dimensional antimicrobial nanomaterials into zero-dimensional (0D), one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials based on their structural characteristics, and gives a detailed compendium of the latest research advances and applications of different low-dimensional antimicrobial nanomaterials in wound healing, which could be helpful for the development of more effective wound dressings.
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