FeWO_4 nanorods with excellent UV–Visible light photocatalysis

FeWO_4 nanorods were synthesized through a hydrothermal progress with the assistant of L-cysteine. The synthesized FeWO_4 nanorods were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, Raman spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy,energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The optical property, photocatalytic activity and magnetic property of the synthesized FeWO_4 nanorods were investigated. The photodecomposition of Methyl orange for FeWO_4 nanorods depends on the wavelength of the irradiating light. Under ultraviolet-visible light irradiation, FeWO_4 nanorods show higher photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of Methyl orange than that of ultraviolet light irradiation. A possible mechanism of FeWO_4 on the decomposition of Methyl orange was proposed. The value of Néel temperature is lower than that of bulk FeWO_4, which is associated with the size effects and the shape of the synthesized FeWO_4 nanorods.     

Catalysis of organic pollutant photodegradation by metal phthalocyanines immobilized on TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>@SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

A TiO2@SiO2 hybrid support was prepared by the sol-precipitation method using n-octylamine as a template.The photocatalyst manganese phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid (MnPcS) was immobilized on the support to form MnPcS-TiO2@SiO2.X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-Vis DRS) were employed to characterize the catalyst.The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and the catalytic oxidation of o-phenylenediamine (OPDA) under visible light irradiation were used as probe reactions.The mineralization efficiency and the degradation mechanism were evaluated using chemical oxygen demand (COD Cr) assays and electron spin resonance (ESR),respectively.RhB was efficiently degraded by immobilized MnPcS-TiO2@SiO2 under visible light irradiation.Complete decolorization of RhB occurred after 240 min of irradiation and 64.02% COD Cr removal occurred after 24 h of irradiation.ESR results indicated that the oxidation process was dominated by the hydroxyl radical (·OH) and superoxide radical (O-·2) generated in the system.     

Preparation of nano-TiO2/diatomite-based porous ceramics and their photocatalytic kinetics for formaldehyde degradation

Diatomite-based porous ceramics were adopted as carriers to immobilize nano-TiO₂ via a hydrolysis-deposition technique. The thermal degradation of as-prepared composites was investigated using thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, and the phase and microstructure were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that the carriers were encapsulated by nano-TiO₂ with a thickness of 300-450 nm. The main crystalline phase of TiO₂ calcined at 650℃ was anatase, and the average grain size was 8.3 nm. The FT-IR absorption bands at 955.38 cm-1 suggested that new chemical bonds among Ti, O, and Si had formed in the composites. The photocatalytic (PC) activity of the composites was investigated under UV irradiation. Furthermore, the photodegradation kinetics of formaldehyde was investigated using the composites as the cores of an air cleaner. A kinetics study showed that the reaction rate constants of the gas-phase PC reaction of formaldehyde were κ=0.576 mg·m-3·min-1 and K=0.048 m3.     

Synthesis of chain-like MoS2 nanoparticles in W/O reverse microemulsion and application in photocatalysis

Chain-like MoS2assemblies consisting of hexagonal MoS2nanoparticles(20-60 nm) have been successfully synthesized in a Triton X-100/cyclohexane/hexanol/water W/O reverse microemulsion in the presence of(NH 4)2MoS 4 as the molybdenum source and NH2OH·HCl as the reducing agent.The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction(XRD),transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance absorption spectra.The influence of synthetic parameters such as acidity,water/oil ratio(0),aging time and annealing temperature on the formation of MoS2assemblies was investigated.TEM analysis showed that these synthetic factors played important roles in controlling the size of MoS2nanoparticles and the length of the chain-like MoS2assemblies.XRD analysis indicated that the well-crystallized MoS2nanoparticles could be obtained by annealing the precursors at 700 C for2h under a flow of N2atmosphere.In addition,the as-prepared chain-like MoS2nanoparticles exhibited excellent photocatalytic H2activity in Ru(bpy) 3 2+-MoS2-H2A three-component molecular systems under visible light irradiation.     

Antifungal activity of magnetically separable Fe3O4/ZnO/AgBr nanocomposites prepared by a facile microwave-assisted method

In the present work, magnetically separable Fe-₃O₄/ZnO/AgBr nanocomposites with different weight ratios of Fe₃O₄ to ZnO/AgBr were prepared by a facile microwave-assisted method. The resultant samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, energy dispersive analysis of X-rays（EDX）, and vibrating sample magnetometery（VSM）. Antifungal activity of the as-prepared samples was evaluated against Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium oxysporum as two phytopathogenic fungi. Among the nanocomposites, the sample with 1:8 weight ratio of Fe₃O₄ to ZnO/AgBr was selected as the best nanocomposite. This nanocomposite inactivates Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium oxysporum at 120 and 60 min, respectively. Moreover, it was observed that the microwave irradiation time has considerable influence on the antifungal activity and the sample prepared by irradiation for 10 min showed the best activity. Moreover, the nanocomposite without any thermal treatment displayed the superior activity.     

Facile and environment friendly synthesis of hierarchical BiOCl flowery microspheres with remarkable photocatalytic properties

A facile and environment friendly approach to synthesis of unique hierarchical BiOC1 flowery micro- spheres （FMs） using a biodegradable surfactant polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） was reported herein for the first time. Com- pared to the BiOC1 nanosheets synthesized in the absence of PVA, hierarchical BLOC1 FMs consist of large amounts of interwoven polycrystalline nanosheets that assemble into a porous flowery structure. The formation mechanism of the hierarchical BiOC1 FMs was also proposed, whereby PVA was believed to play a key role in the crystal growth and the formation of the final microstructures. Compared with TiO2- P25 and BiOC1 nanosheets, hierarchical BiOC1 FMs dis- played remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity, and 20 mg of BiOC1 FMs could completely degrade 50 mL of methyl orange solution （20 rag/L） within 30 min under UV- light irradiation. According to the comprehensive analysis, it can be concluded that the larger specific surface area, porosity, suitable band gap, and the enhanced light absorp- tion capacity may contribute to the remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity. This facile and green approach to fabricating hierarchical BiOC1 FMs would give vital clues to develop new route for synthesizing other hierarchical structured materials.     

Fabrication and photoluminescence of GaN nanowires prepared by ammoniating GaeO3/BN films on Si substrate

GaN nanowires were successfully prepared on Si（111） substrate through ammoniating Ga203/BN films deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering system. The synthesized nanowires were confirmed as hexagonal wurtzite GaN by X-ray diffraction, selected-area electron diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectra. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the grown GaN nanowires have a smooth and clean surface with diameters ranging from 40 to 160 nm and lengths typically up to several tens of micrometers. The representative photoluminescence spectrum at room temperature exhibited a strong UV light emission band centered at 363 nm and a relative weak purple light emission peak at 422 nm. The growth mechanism is discussed briefly.     

Conservation of weathered historic sandstone with biomimetic apatite

The conservation of weathered historic sandstone with apatite was studied.Based on the growth mechanism of bone,calcium and phosphorus were introduced into weathered sandstone and then mineralized at room temperature.The conservation efficiency was investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),selected area electron diffraction(SAED),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and compressive strength,capillary water uptake,water vapor permeability and weather resistance tests.The SEM,EDX,TEM,SAED and XRD results showed that the produced hydroxyapatite could reunite the weathered stone blocks and provide sufficient reinforcement to hold them together.The results of the various tests indicated that the compressive strength and weather resistance of the treated samples was improved significantly.In addition,because of the porous nature of apatite,the water vapor permeability of the treated stone was not affected and its breathability was maintained.     

pH值对β-MnO2颗粒光催化去除银离子的影响

The presence of silver ions (Ag(I)) in wastewater has a detrimental effect on living organisms. Removal of soluble silver, especially at low concentrations, is challenging. This paper presents the use of β-MnO₂ particles as a photocatalyst to remove Ag(I) ions selectively from aqueous solution at various pH levels. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS) were employed to determine the removal efficiency and to characterize the deposition of silver onto the surface of β-MnO₂ particles. The optimum pH for the removal of Ag(I) ions was at pH 4 with 99% removal efficiency under 1 h of visible light irradiation. This phenomenon can be attributed to the electrostatic attraction between β-MnO₂ particles and Ag(I) ions as well as the suppression of electron–hole recombination in the presence of H+ ions.     

Does noble metal modification improve the photocatalytic activity of BiOCl?

Noble metal-surface-deposited BiOCl photocatalysts were prepared through photo-deposition and used for photodecomposition of Rhodamine B(RhB).The received materials were characterised using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy(XPS),UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(UV-vis DRS),and X-ray diffraction(XRD) to understand the influence of surface deposited noble metals.The results showed that the noble metal species on the surface of BiOCl are in metallic state,which also brought about enhanced light absorption in broad UV-vis region due to plasmonic effects induced by the surfacedeposited noble metal species.All the samples showed good activity in photodecomposition of RhB under UV-light irradiation,but only Ag/BiOCl was more active than bulk BiOCl.The mechanism of the different reactivity of these noble-metal modified BiOCl was tentatively proposed based on the band structure and the interactions between noble metals and the BiOCl.     

Improved acetone sensing properties of flat sensors based on Co-SnO2 composite nanofibers

Co-SnO2 composite nanofibers were synthesized by an electrospinning method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Gas sensors were fabricated by spinning these nanofibers onto flat ceramic substrates, which had signal electrodes and heaters on their top and bottom surfaces, respectively. Compared with sensors loaded with pure SnO2 nanofibers, the Co-SnO2 nanofiber sensors exhibited improved acetone sensing properties with high selectivity and rapid response and recovery times. The response was 33 when the sensors were exposed to 100 μL/L acetone at 330°C, and the corresponding response with 100 μL/L of ethanol was only 6. The response and recovery times to acetone were about 5 and 8 s, respectively. These results indicate Co-SnO2 composite nanofibers are good candidates for fabrication of high performance acetone sensors for practical application.     

Structure and composition-dependent optical properties of (PbxSr1-x)TiO3 (x=0.4, 0.6) nanotube arrays

Lead strontium titanate(Pb_xSr_(1-x))TiO_3(x=0.4,0.6) nanotubes were synthesized by sol-gel template method via spin coating.The structures and morphology of the as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometry.scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to determine the chemical composition of the sample and the valence state of elements.Raman spectroscopy of the as-prepared(Pb_xSr_(1-x))TiO_3(x=0.4,0.6) nanotubes at room temp...     

Effects of PSMA and experimental conditions on the morphologies of BaCO3 whiskers

BaCO3 whiskers exhibiting different morphologies were fabricated by a simple precipitation reaction of barium chloride with sodium carbonate in the absence and presence of poly-（styrene-alt-maleic acid） （PSMA） as a crystal growth modifier at room temperature. The as-prepared products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The influences of experimental parameters on the size and morphology of BaCO3 whiskers were investigated and discussed. It was found that the as-prepared BaCO3 whiskers are single crystals with diameter ranging from 100 to 300 nm, and grow along the crystallographic a-axis or [ 100] direction. BaCO3 whiskers with different morphologies, such as branching and dendritic structure, can be obtained depending on the experimental conditions. With increasing PSMA concentration, the diameter of BaCO3 whiskers decreases.     

Effect of storage conditions on long-term stability of Ag nanoparticles formed via green synthesis

Spherical Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) with a diameter of 20 nm or smaller were biologically synthesized using algae Parachlorella kessleri. The effect of storage conditions on the long-term stability of AgNPs was investigated. UV/Vis spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering measurements revealed that the long-term stability of AgNPs was influenced by light and temperature conditions. The most significant loss of stability was observed for the AgNPs stored in daylight at room temperature. The AgNPs stored under these conditions began to lose their stability after approximately 30 d; after 100 d, a substantial amount of agglomerated particles settled to the bottom of the Erlenmeyer flask. The AgNPs stored in the dark at room temperature exhibited better long-term stability. Weak particle agglomeration began at approximately the 100th day. The AgNPs stored in the dark at about 5℃ exhibited the best long-term stability; the AgNPs stored under such conditions remained spherical, with a narrow size distribution, and stable (no agglomeration) even after 6 months. Zeta-potential measurements confirmed better dispersity and stability of AgNPs stored under these conditions.     

Synthesis and characterization of BiFeO_3 nanotube arrays and Y-junction BiFeO_3 nanotubes

Multiferroic BiFeO3 (BFO) nanotube arrays (～100 nm in diameter and ～50 μm in length) were synthesized by the sol-gel method utilizing the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane technique. The micro-structure and chemical components of the BFO nanotubes were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). The BFO nanotubes exhibited polycrystalline microstructures. The novel Y-junction BFO nano-tubes were simultaneously f...     

Effect of long-term service on the precipitates in P92 steel

The precipitates in P92 steel after long-term service in an ultra-supercritical unit were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and were found to mainly consist of M₂₃C₆ carbides, Laves phase, and MX carbonitrides. No Z-phase was observed. M₂₃C₆ carbides and Laves phase were found not only on prior austenite grain boundaries, martensite lath boundaries, and subgrain boundaries but also in lath interiors, where two types of MX carbonitrides—Nb-rich and V-rich particles—were also observed but the “winged” complexes were hardly found. Each kind of precipitate within the martensite laths exhibited multifarious morphologies, suggesting that a morphological change of precipitates occurred during long-term service. The M₂₃C₆ carbides and Laves phase coarsened substantially, and the latter grew faster than the former. However, MX carbonitrides exhibited a relatively low coarsening rate. The effect of the evolution of the precipitate phases on the creep rupture strength of P92 steel was discussed.     

Preparation of pH-responsive ceramic composite membranes by grafting acrylic acid onto α-alumina membranes

A pH-responsive ceramic composite membrane was prepared by chemical graft polymerization of acrylic acid （AA） onto the KH-570 modified （x-alumina membrane. The influence of monomer concentration on the gating characteristics of the pH-responsive membrane was investigated. The FT-IR spectrum, contact angle and water filtration rate of the membrane were measured. The monomer concentration was found to have a remarkable effect on the pH-response coefficient and the water filtration rate. In addition, the grafted membrane exhibited fast and reversible response to the pH change in the external solution.     

Effect of TiO_2 nanoparticles on hydrogen evolution reaction activity of Ni coatings

The electrocatalytic activity of electrodeposited Ni and Ni–TiO_2 coatings with regard to the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) was investigated. The Ni coatings were electrodeposited from an acid chloride bath at different current densities, and their HER activities were examined in a 1.0-mol·L~(-1) KOH medium. The variations in the HER activity of the Ni coatings with changes in surface morphology and composition were examined via the electrochemical dissolution and incorporation of nanoparticles. Electrochemical analysis methods were used to monitor the HER activity of the test electrodes; this activity was confirmed via the quantification of gases that evolved during the analysis. The obtained results demonstrated that the Ni–TiO_2 nanocomposite test electrode exhibited maximum activity toward the alkaline HER. The surface appearance, composition, and the phase structure of all developed coatings were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS), and X-ray diffraction(XRD), respectively. The improvement in the electrocatalytic activity of Ni–TiO_2 nanocomposite coating toward HER was attributed to the variation in surface morphology and increased number of active sites.     

Effect of rolling technologies on the properties of Pb?0.06wt%Ca?1.2wt%Sn alloy anodes during copper electrowinning

The objective of this work was to study the effect of different rolling technologies on the properties of Pb?0.06wt%Ca?1.2wt%Sn anodes during copper electrowinning and to determine the relationship between the properties of the anodes and rolling techniques during copper electrowinning. The anode process was investigated via anodic polarization curves, cyclic voltammetry curves, electrochemical impedance spectra, and corrosion tests. The microscopic morphology and phase composition of the anodic oxide layers were observed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. Observable variations in the electrocatalytic activity and reaction kinetics of anodes during electrowinning indicated that the electrochemical behavior of the anodes was strongly affected by the rolling technology. An increase in the rolling number tended to decrease the oxygen evolution overpotential and the corrosion rate of the anodes. These trends are contrary to that of the apparent exchange current density. Furthermore, the intensities of diffraction peaks associated with Pb O, Pb Ox, and α-Pb O2 tended to increase with increasing rolling number. In addition, the rolled anodes exhibited a more uniform microstructure. Compared with one-way rolled anodes, the eight-time cross rolled anodes exhibited better electrocatalytic activity and improved corrosion resistance.     

Ethylene glycol-assisted synthesis,photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties of BiOI microflowers

Hierarchical bismuth oxyiodide （BiOI） micro- flower photocatalysts were synthesized by hydrolysis at room temperature. The concentration of ethylene glycol modulated the resulting BiOI morphology. The morphology, elemental composition, crystal phase structre, and absorption properties of the BiOI samples were characterized. Under visible light irradiation （λ 〉 400 nm）, BiOI （S10） with a microflower morphology exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methyl orange. The corresponding apparent pseudo-first-order rate constant was 0.826 h^-1. The trend in photocatalytic activities of the prepared BiOI samples coincided with the trend in their photocurrents. A strategy for preparing hierarchical BiOI microflowers with good visible light- induced photocatalytic activity is provided.