Distribution Of Active Components Research Articles

Dynamic of mode transition in air surface micro-discharge plasma: reactive species in confined space

Abstract Flexible surface micro-discharge plasma is a non-thermal plasma technique used for treating wounds in a painless way, with significant efficacy for chronic or hard-to-heal wounds. In this study, a confined space was designed to simulate wound conditions, gelatin was used to simulate wound tissue. The distinctions between open and confined spaces were explored, and the effects of temperature, humidity, discharge power, and the gap size within the confined space on the plasma characteristics were analyzed. It was found that, temperature, humidity and discharge power are important factors that affect the concentration distribution of active components and the mode transition between ozone and nitrogen oxides. Compared to open space, the concentration of ozone in confined space was relatively lower, which facilitated the formation of nitrogen oxides. In open space, the discharge was dominated by ozone initially. As temperature, humidity and discharge power increased, nitrogen oxides in the gas-phase products were gradually detected. In confined space, nitrogen oxides can be detected at an early stage and at much higher concentrations than ozone concentration. Furthermore, as the gap of the confined space decreased, the concentration of ozone was observed to decrease while that of nitrate increased, and the rate of this concentration change was further accelerated at higher temperature and higher power. It was shown that ozone concentration decreased from 0.11 µmol to 0.03 µmol and the nitrate concentration increased from 20.5 µmol to 24.5 µmol when the spacing in the confined space was reduced from 5 mm to 1 mm, the temperature of the external discharge was controlled at 40 °C, and the discharge power was 12 W. In summary, this work reveals the formation and transformation mechanisms of active substances in air surface micro-discharge plasma within confined space, providing foundational data for its medical applications.

Geographic variation in secondary metabolites contents and their relationship with soil mineral elements in Pleuropterus multiflorum Thunb. from different regions

Abstract Background Pleuropterus multiflorum Thunb cv. “Heshouwu” (HSW) has been used as a classical material for both medicine and food in China for millennia. Recently, the cultivation region of HSW has shifted from Guangdong to Sichuan, Guizhou, and other regions. The investigation of geographic variation in bioactive metabolite contents and their relationship with soil mineral elements holds academic significance. Objective This study aimed to investigate the variations in the distribution of active components in HSW across diverse planting regions and their relationship with soil mineral elements. Methods A reliable quantitative analysis based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QQQ-MS) was developed to assess the levels of 15 bioactive metabolites in 60 HSW samples collected from 4 distinct regions. A total of 43 soil mineral elements in corresponding 60 soil samples were quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), heatmap analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and random forest (RF) regression were conducted based on the above quantitative data. Results The content of stilbene glycosides displayed a wider range of variation compared with emodin and physcion among different regions. Eight compounds were screened as the differential metabolites in HSW samples from various sources using the supervised OPLS-DA analysis. Among these, 2 important functional compounds including physcion and 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-(6″-O-acetyl)-glucoside (THSG-5) are the most abundant in HSW samples from Deqing, a geographical indicative production region. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that the impact of soil mineral elements on the levels of stilbene glycosides is greater compared to that on anthraquinones. A negative correlation was observed between the levels of elements Na, Zn, Ba, Ti, and 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxysilbene 2-O-glucoside (THSG-1). Conversely, a positive correlation was found between the contents of elements Na, Ce, Ti, and physcion and THSG-5, 2 components that exhibited higher levels in Deqing. Furthermore, an RF algorithm was employed to establish an interrelationship model, effectively forecasting the abundance of the majority of differential metabolites in HSW samples based on the content data of soil mineral elements. Conclusions The variation of stilbene glycosides is wider than emodin and physcion in HSW. The levels of metabolites in HSW samples are influenced by soil mineral elements, with stilbene glycosides being more susceptible to such influences compared to anthraquinones. Specifically, THSG-1 shows a negative association with most soil mineral elements, notably Na, Zn, Ba, and Ti, whereas the content of physcion displays a positive correlation.

Modulating surface microenvironment based on Ag-adorned CuO flower-liked nanospheres for strengthening C-‍C coupling during CO2RR

Modulating the surface microenvironment is crucial in strengthening CC coupling, leading to increasing selectivity in the production of multi-carbon (C2+) products during CO2 electroreduction. Herein, we have concentrated on investigating how to control the effect of surface distribution of active components of a series of Ag-decorated CuO, denoted as xAg/yCuO. These catalysts with similar chemical elements and morphology are designed, but they exhibit different selectivity in the CO2 electroreduction process. As a result, the Ag particles in 3Ag/CuO aggregates, while the Ag in 2Ag/2CuO and Ag/3CuO is uniformly distributed on the flower-like CuO nanosphere. Besides, 3Ag/CuO has the highest Faraday efficiency (FE) of CO with a value of 30.9 % at 0.8 V vs. RHE, demonstrating rich-Ag catalysts are beneficial to produce CO. 2Ag/2CuO shows excellent FEC2H4 of 51.4 % at -1.2 V vs. RHE due to the highly dispersed distribution of Ag on the flower-like CuO and higher vacancy O. Ag/3CuO exhibits higher FEH2 compared to other catalysts across a wide potential range, and its minimal impedance is attributed to its exceptional performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction. The proposed reaction pathway for the most effective catalysts 2Ag/2CuO, as determined by in-situ attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS), involves the following steps: CO2 →*CO2−→ *COOH → *CO→ *CHO→ *OCHCHO→ *OCHCH2→ C2H4. These findings demonstrate that controlling the surface structure can influence the local environment to enhance the efficiency of CO2 electroreduction.

In-situ prepared dispersed Co and Ni catalysts for heavy oil upgrading: effect of Ni, Co, and acetone on product composition

Over the past decade, much attention has been paid to oil refining using various in-situ catalysts to increase the efficiency of the process. However, the influence of the solvent in the solvent-precursor (metal salt) system on the transformation of oil components has not been studied enough. In this study, acetone was used as an environmentally friendly and cheap solvent for the preparation of catalyst precursors based on Ni and Co. The presence of acetone in the system helps to reduce the amount of introduced metal in 5 times precursors due to the uniform distribution of active components. It has been established that a mixture of Ni in acetone has the most effective catalytic activity for accelerating the process of heavy oil refining. In this experiment, the yield of light fractions increases by 2 times compared to the original oil and reaches 63 wt. %. Using by XRD and SEM were found/determine formation catalytic active Ni9S8, Ni0.96S and Co9S8 with the sulfur-containing components of heavy oil, the content of which decreases by 1.5 wt. %.

Preparation of fibrous ceramic-based catalytic membranes by microwave heating and their structural properties and dust and NO removal characteristics

Different drying methods were used to prepare catalytic membranes for the simultaneous removal of dust and NO to explore their effect on the distribution of active components, with the structural properties, filtration performance, catalytic performance, and working mechanism of the preferred prepared catalytic membrane systematically investigated. The results indicated that microwave drying, in contrast to traditional electric drying with blasting, effectively inhibited the migration of the precursor solution to achieve uniform loading of active components, thus endowing the catalytic membrane with excellent catalytic activity. Meanwhile, the pore structure of the fibrous ceramic substrate was not almost affected by the loaded catalyst and still exhibited high porosity. These characteristics contributed to the development of a catalytic membrane with good filtration and catalytic performance, as well as superior adaptable NO concentration and filtration velocity properties. Therefore, fibrous ceramic-based catalytic membranes prepared using microwave assistance offer considerable application prospects for integrated purification of high-temperature flue gases. Furthermore, the removal of dust and NO was determined to follow the Eley–Rideal reaction mechanism and surface filtration mechanism of the residual dust cake, respectively.

Longitudinal Distribution Map of the Active Components and Endophytic Fungi in Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels Root and Their Potential Correlations.

The three distinct medicinal parts of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Ang) roots are the head, body, and tail (ARH, ARB, and ART, respectively). How endophytic fungi shape the differences in metabolic components among these parts remains unclear. We quantified the distribution of active components and endophytic fungi along the ARH, ARB, and ART and their relationships. Based on the metabolic components and their abundances detected via non-target metabolism, the different medicinal parts were distinguishable. The largest number of dominant metabolic components was present in ART. The difference between ART and ARH was the greatest, and ARB was in a transitional state. The dominant active molecules in ART highlight their effects in haemodynamics improvement, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and hormone regulation, while ARH and ARB indicated more haemostasis, blood enrichment, neuromodulation, neuroprotection and tranquilisation, hepatoprotection, and antitumour activities than that of ART. The ARHs, ARBs, and ARTs can also be distinguished from each other based on the endophytic fungi at the microbiome level. The most dominant endophytic fungi were distributed in ART; the differences between ART and ARH were the largest, and ARB was in a transition state, which is consistent with the metabolite distributions. Structural equation modelling showed that the endophytic fungi were highly indicative of the metabolic components. Correlation analysis further identified the endophytic fungi significantly positively correlated with important active components, including Condenascus tortuosus, Sodiomyces alcalophilus, and Pleotrichocladium opacum. The bidirectional multivariate interactions between endophytic fungi and the metabolic components shape their spatial variations along the longitudinal direction in the Ang root.

Denitration performance and mechanism of Mn-Ce supported alkali-modified fly ash catalysts for NH3-SCR

Ultrasonic impregnation method was used to prepare Mn-Ce composite catalysts with fly ash and alkali-modified fly ash serving as the catalytic carriers. The effects on the denitration activity and resistance of H2O and SO2 were studied. The structural characteristics of the catalysts were characterized and analyzed by XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, TG, BET, and TPD/TPR. The results revealed that the active components Mn-Ce exhibited interaction, leading to a catalyst surface enriched with Mn4+, Ce3+, and chemisorption oxygen, thereby improving the catalytic activity. Through the alkali modification of fly ash, the structural properties of the carrier were changed, the distribution of active components was more uniform and the optimal loading capacity was increased. Alkali modified fly ash loaded with Mn and Ce had excellent surface acidity, redox characteristics, and abundant chemisorption oxygen, thereby enhancing the “rapid NH3-SCR” reaction. Finally, the catalytic resistance of H2O and SO2 was also excellent.

High‐Efficiency Layer‐by‐Layer All‐Polymer Solar Cell Enabled by Bottom‐Layer Optimization

All‐polymer solar cells (all‐PSCs) have attracted extensive attention for their advantages in long‐term thermal‐ and photostability. However, the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of all‐PSCs still lag behind organic solar cells based on small‐molecular acceptors. The long‐chain entanglement between polymers brings complex morphological problems, which contribute to lower fill factor (FF). Herein, an effective approach is proposed to build the ideal morphology and pseudo‐p–i–n vertical component distribution in all‐polymer active layer by independently casting donor and acceptor films with different solvents. Through the solvent engineering, the layer‐by‐layer device with o‐xylene and carbon disulfide (O‐XY:CS2)‐processed D18 donor layer achieves a PCE of 17.53%, much higher than commonly used solvents (chloroform and chlorobenzene) processed donor layers with PCEs of 16.49 and 16.04%, respectively. In‐depth investigation reveals that outstanding performance of O‐XY:CS2‐processed donor layer device is attributed to mitigated bimolecular recombination, more balanced mobility, and reduced trap density of states, which contribute to the enhancement of short‐current density and FF. Moreover, favorable morphology network also brings prolonged lifetime under continuous light soaking. This work presents a simple and effective way to obtain ideal active layer morphology and construct favorable vertical component distribution through optimizing donor morphology in all‐PSCs.

Particle-resolved simulation of Fe-based oxygen carrier in chemical looping hydrogen generation

Oxygen carrier capability plays an important role in the performance of chemical looping hydrogen generation (CLHG). In this work, particle-scale simulation of oxygen carriers during the CLHG process is carried out, where the coke deposition effect on pore structures is taken into consideration. Meanwhile, the impacts of porosity and active component distribution of oxygen carriers on the CLHG performance are also analyzed. The results demonstrate that the CLHG performance is sensitive to particle porosity and active component distribution, especially for fuel reactor (FR). The increase of particle porosity can promote the carbon formation rate and hydrogen production rate. The flow direction and the diffusion will lead to the discrepancy of temperature between Egg-shell and Egg-yolk particles.

Mass spectrometry imaging and single-cell transcriptional profiling reveal the tissue-specific regulation of bioactive ingredient biosynthesis in Taxus leaves

Taxus leaves provide the raw industrial materials for taxol, a natural antineoplastic drug widely used in the treatment of various cancers. However, the precise distribution, biosynthesis, and transcriptional regulation of taxoids and other active components in Taxus leaves remain unknown. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–mass spectrometry imaging analysis was used to visualize various secondary metabolites in leaf sections of Taxus mairei, confirming the tissue-specific accumulation of different active metabolites. Single-cell sequencing was used to produce expression profiles of 8846 cells, with a median of 2352 genes per cell. Based on a series of cluster-specific markers, cells were grouped into 15 clusters, suggesting a high degree of cell heterogeneity in T. mairei leaves. Our data were used to create the first Taxus leaf metabolic single-cell atlas and to reveal spatial and temporal expression patterns of several secondary metabolic pathways. According to the cell-type annotation, most taxol biosynthesis genes are expressed mainly in leaf mesophyll cells; phenolic acid and flavonoid biosynthesis genes are highly expressed in leaf epidermal cells (including the stomatal complex and guard cells); and terpenoid and steroid biosynthesis genes are expressed specifically in leaf mesophyll cells. A number of novel and cell-specific transcription factors involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis were identified, including MYB17, WRKY12, WRKY31, ERF13, GT_2, and bHLH46. Our research establishes the transcriptional landscape of major cell types in T. mairei leaves at a single-cell resolution and provides valuable resources for studying the basic principles of cell-type-specific regulation of secondary metabolism.

Study on Treatment of Basic Yellow 28 dye Wastewater by Micro-nano Bubble Ozone Catalytic Oxidation

Mn loaded AC (Mn/AC), Cu loaded AC (Cu/AC), and Fe loaded AC (Fe/AC) catalysts were prepared by the impregnation-calcination method, which can be used to degrade Basic Yellow 28 dyes in simulated printing and dyeing wastewater for catalytic ozonation. The catalyst preparation and reaction conditions were optimized with the degradation efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the absorbance of some organic compounds under 254 nm UV light (UV254) as indicators. The surface structure, specific surface area, and active component distribution of the catalysts were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterization. Results indicated that Mn was the best active component, and a catalyst dosage of 3.5 g/L, an initial pH of 9.4, and an initial temperature of 31.7°C were the best reaction parameters to degrade Basic Yellow 28 dyes. After five recycling experiments, the catalysts could retain a relatively stable catalytic effect. Furthermore, this study can be informative for the sustainable development of future catalysts.

Gradient Concentration Control of Active Components on the Industrial Cs-P/γ-Al2O3 Catalyst

For supported catalysts, it is particularly important to ensure the effective loading of the active component on the support. A new industrial Cs-P/γ-Al2O3 catalyst with controllable distribution of active components was developed and applied to the aldol condensation reaction of methyl propionate and formaldehyde. The distribution of active components was controlled by adjusting the preparation conditions, especially the adsorption time, to form the catalyst with a gradient concentration of active components, which had been confirmed by the EMPA and SEM-EDS characterization. In addition, the kinetic equations including pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order kinetic models as well as isotherm equations based on Freundlich and Langmuir models were used to describe the adsorption process to provide valuable process parameters for industrial production of catalysts.

Pt-TiO2 Bilayered Hemispherical Nanoshells with Tunable Pt Distribution for Chemically Self-Propelled Colloidal Motors

The control of colloidal motors’ motion is crucial for their practical applications. The modulation of the active component distribution on the motors is one of the effective routes to controlling their motion but still in challenge. Here, Pt-TiO2 bilayered hemispherical nanoshells (BHNSs) with different Pt distributions are designed and fabricated via etching an organic colloidal template and depositing TiO2 and Pt in different angles and sequences. The obtained nanoshells include the BHNSs with complete Pt outer and inner layers (or TiO2/Pt and Pt/TiO2 BHNSs) and the partially bilayered hemispherical nanoshells (P-BHNSs) with incomplete Pt outer and inner layers (or TiO2/Pt and Pt/TiO2 P-BHNSs). All these Pt-TiO2 BHNSs can move, in H2O2-containing solutions, in Pt coating-pushed way, exhibiting Pt distribution-dependent motion modes, speeds, and postures. Typically, the TiO2/Pt (or Pt/TiO2) BHNSs move at the posture of the opening forward (or backward), exhibiting well-directional motion with a relatively low speed, while the TiO2/Pt (or Pt/TiO2) P-BHNSs move at the posture of the opening forward (or backward) with a tilted angle, showing the quasi-circular motion with a relatively high speed. A Pt coating catalysis-induced diffusiophoresis mechanism is proposed, which can well describe the Pt distribution-dependent self-propelled behaviors. This work provides a flexible route for fabricating Pt distribution-tunable nanoshells and deepens our understanding of Pt distribution-dependent chemically self-propelled behaviors.

Insight into the design and construction of Cr substituted Co-based columnar activated coke catalysts for effective and reliable removal of methylbenzene and Hg0 concurrently

An array of CoCr oxides co-modified activated cokes pretreated with HNO3 (XCoyCr1-y/ACs) were synthesized and evaluated for simultaneously effective and credible elimination of methylbenzene (MB) and Hg0. BET, SEM, TEM, EDX, XRD, H2-TPR, in situ DRIFTS and XPS were adopted for exploring the physicochemical characteristics and reaction mechanisms of aforesaid samples. H2-TPR result showed the Cr-doped Co-Cr catalysts excellent reducibility in view of the synergistic effect between CoOx and CrOx. Especially, 6 %Co0.5Cr0.5/AC obtained outstanding performance and prominent stability for MB and Hg0 removal, and it behaved the optimal performance of MB (96.1 %) and Hg0 (88.3 %) at 240 ℃. It could be explained by that the formation of CoCr2O4 spinel entailed more uniform distribution of active components, abundant lattice defects and even the redox cycle of Cr6++Co2+↔Cr3++Co3+, which spawned adequate Co3+ species and active oxygen species. The interaction between MB removal and Hg0 removal was estimated and the presence of Hg0 barely affected MB removal, whereas the existence of MB manifested a distinctly suppressive influence on Hg0 removal, suggesting that MB removal might prevail over Hg0 removal. Meanwhile, the rivalry between MB and Hg0 progressively shifted from adsorption sites to active oxygen species with time. Moreover, the influences of O2, NO, SO2 and H2O on MB and Hg0 simultaneous removal were systematically appraised. Notably, 6 %Co0.5Cr0.5/AC exerted remarkable resistance to SO2 and H2O. Combined with characterizations and experiments, the pathway for the simultaneous removal of MB and Hg0 via adsorption and catalytic oxidation on 6 %Co0.5Cr0.5/AC was summarized. This work could deliver references to the design of advanced catalysts for simultaneous removal of MB and Hg0.

Tandem distributing Ni into CaO framework for isothermal integration of CO2 capture and conversion

Calcium Looping Dry Reforming of Methane (CaLDRM) could realize CO2 capture and in-situ valorization into syngas. The key to its success is the availability of a high-performance Ni-CaO based bifunctional material. The addition of promoters generally increases the material performance, but so does the material cost. Here, we tandem distribute Ni in CaO framework for material improvement, thereby lowering the reliance on promoters. Pre-doping of a trace amount of Ni into CaO matrix yields a mesopore-rich CO2 sorbent, which serves as an advantageous support to introduce the major Ni component via impregnation, resulting in highly dispersed active catalytic sites on the sorbent. Results demonstrate that the tandem Ni-CaO bifunctional material (Ni/NiCa) significantly outperforms the ordinary-one (Ni/Ca, without Ni pre-doping) in cyclic CO2 capture-conversion capacity and structural stability. After 10 cycles of isothermal CaLDRM at 650 °C, Ni/NiCa holds about 38 % higher CO2 uptake, 35 % higher CO2 and CH4 conversions as well as better resistance to particle sintering, carbon deposition and Ni oxidation than Ni/Ca. This work provides new insights into the design of low-cost “capture-catalytic” bifunctional materials aided by rational active component distribution.

3D Printing based on Photopolymerization and Photocatalysts: Review and Prospect

Abstract3D printing is a fabrication method that has attracted worldwide attention in recent years, providing a convenient and economical method for the fabrication of 3D structures. With the development of this technology and the reduction of operating costs, the application of 3D printing is greatly expanded. This paper focuses on the application progress of 3D printing in the preparation of photocatalysts. Considering the advantage that photopolymerization‐based 3D printing technology can better control the structure and active component distribution of photocatalytic products, the realization possibility of one‐step digital light processing (DLP) printing photocatalyst products is particularly prospected. In addition, the latest research progress of photocatalytic materials and 3D printing technology is also summarized, and the problems that need to be broken through in the future development of DLP‐3D printing technology are discussed.

Comparative investigation of aerial part and root in Lamiophlomis rotata using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS coupled with chemometrics

Lamiophlomis rotata (Benth.) Kudo ( L. rotata ) belongs to Lamiaceae family, which is an important medicinal plant endemic to Qinghai Tibet Plateau. Traditionally, the whole herb of L. rotata is used for medicine, especially for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in clinical practise. As a result of absolute digging, the plant has a long regeneration cycle after excavation and the damage to plateau grassland ecological environment is difficult to recover. It has been encouraged to use aerial part of the plant with the purpose of protecting environment and maintaning biological diversity. At present, researchers have compared the primary metabolites and iridoids between aerial parts and roots, but there are few reports on the chemical differences and activity comparison of secondary metabolites. In order to characterize the secondary metabolites of different parts, UPLC/Q-Orbitrap-MS was employed to collect data from the extracts of aerial parts and roots, in combination with plant metabolomics technology to screen and quantify differential metabolites. At the same time, network pharmacological analysis with rheumatoid arthritis and immunity as the key words was carried out according to the identification results to clarify the active ingredients of L. rotata in the treatment of RA, so as to speculate the pharmacological effects of aerial parts and roots based on the distribution of active components. A total of 16 potential markers were selected and identified to differentiate two parts. Among them, 8 characteristic flavonoids with similar skeletons were unique in aerial parts, while the other 8 components, including 2 iridoid glycosides and 6 phenylethanoid glycosides, were detected in both aerial parts and roots, but with differentiate contents. Among the predicted 6 active components, there were 5 flavonoids, of which 3 (namely luteolin, apigenin and 2″-acetylastragalin) were still differential metabolites and mainly distributed in the aerial parts. The results revealed that certain flavonoids as potential markers made a distinction between aerial part and root of L. rotata , and were the main active components against RA, which provided a theoretical basis for the aerial parts to replace the whole herbs, and laid a material foundation for further pharmacological research.

Synthesis of Ag(I)@Fum−Pr−Pyr−Benzimidazole and Its Optical and Catalytic Activities in Click Reactions

AbstractA hydrophilic fumed silica was used as a support and modified by benzimidazole scaffold, which can be chelate with silver as a highly selective and sensitive receptor to the successive detection of Ag+ ion. Fluorescence properties of Fum−Pr−Pyr−Benzimidazole were verified by the addition of various cations in an aqueous medium, and its high selectivity and sensitivity toward Ag+ ion was observed. Silver ion was placed onto the Fumed‐SiO2 to prepare Ag(I) @Fum−Pr−Pyr−Benzimidazole catalyst using in click chemistry. A number of characterization analyses were used, including FT‐IR, SEM, BET, and EDX, to prove that the Pr‐Pyr‐Benzimidazole and Ag (I) were homogeneously distributed on the fumed‐silica. EDX and SEM analysis were used to characterize the active component distribution.

Facile preparation of nanosized copper sulfide functionalized macroporous skeleton for efficient vapor-phase mercury sequestration

The critical challenge to achieve cost-effective elemental mercury (Hg0) capture from coal combustion flue gas by using mineral sulfides lies in developing a facile method to realize their fixed-bed application, which hence exhausts the adsorption capacity of mineral sulfides and optimize their economic-sustainability. In this work, a feasible and facile synthesis procedure based on a one-step cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) assisted precipitation procedure was proposed to overcome this challenge. During this process, the CTAB played a crucial role to effectively confine the particle size of copper sulfide (CuS) in nanoscale and stably anchor it over the macroporous polyurethane foam (PUF) skeleton. The macropore-enriched CuS/PUF as synthesized was merited for its high throughput morphology, nanoscale particle size of CuS, homogeneous distribution of active components, and multiform surface sulfur ligands, which is promising to be used in a fixed-bed scenario to achieve efficient Hg0 sequestration. These benefits co-derived an excellent Hg0 sorbent with extremely high uptake capacity and adsorption rate (265.6 mg g−1 and 2.16 mg g−1 min−1), exceeding those of other mineral sulfides and traditional activated carbons as reported in previous studies by folds, even by magnitudes. With such an outstanding Hg0 sequestration performance and a macroporous structure, it can be reasonably concluded that the CuS/PUF will be a potential sorbent to be adopted in a fixed-bed scenario, which optimizes the cost-effectiveness of mineral sulfide based sorbents and extend their application flexibility for the Hg0 adsorption from coal combustion flue gas.

Investigation into the content change and distribution of active components in Cordyceps sinensis with growth cycle by direct TOF-SIMS detection

Analyzing the content of active components in Chinese medicines is crucial to evaluate their medicinal value and further promote the development of pharmaceutical technology. In this work, Cordyceps sinensis, a precious Chinese medicine, was characterized by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) to measure the content change of amino acids, nucleosides, mannitol and ergosterol with its growth cycle. Direct and sensitive detection of these active components in Cordyceps sinensis was realized by TOF-SIMS without tedious pretreatment process, such as repeated extraction and purification. Due to complex metabolic regulation, amino acids, nucleosides, mannitol and ergosterol showed different changing trends with growth cycle of Cordyceps sinensis. We found that the changing trend of the same active substance in different parts of Cordyceps sinensis varied dramatically. For instance, with the growth cycle of Cordyceps sinensis, the content of mannitol maintained steady growth in the stroma, while fell first and rose later in the worm body. In some growth stage, the content of mannitol in the worm body was about 10 times higher than that in the stroma. We provided a systematically analytical method and rich data base for further research of the extraction of active components and artificial cultivation of Cordyceps sinensis in this study. Meanwhile, TOF-SIMS is verified to be a sensitive, efficient and convenient method to characterize active components in traditional Chinese medicines.