Good Stability Research Articles

Establishment of a mortality risk nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality of sepsis: cohort study from a Chinese single center.

To establish a mortality risk nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality of sepsis patients in the Chinese population. Data were obtained from the medical records of sepsis patients enrolled at the Affiliated Huadu Hospital, Southern Medical University, between 2019 and 2021. A total of 696 sepsis patients were initially included in our research, and 582 cases were finally enrolled after screening and divided into the survival group (n = 400) and the non-survival group (n = 182) according to the incidence of mortality during hospitalization. Twenty-eight potential sepsis-related risk factors for mortality were identified. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to optimize variable selection by running cyclic coordinate descent with k-fold (tenfold in this case) cross-validation. We used binary logistic regression to build a model for predicting mortality from the variables based on LASSO regression selection. Binary logistic regression was used to establish a nomogram based on independent mortality risk factors. To validate the prediction accuracy of the nomogram, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, decision curve analysis (DCA) and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis were employed. Eventually, the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve were used for nomogram calibration. LASSO regression identified a total of ten factors, namely, chronic heart disease (CHD), lymphocyte count (LYMP), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), C reactive protein (CRP), Procalcitonin (PCT), lactic acid, prothrombin time (PT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (Tbil), interleukin-6 (IL6), that were incorporated into the multivariable analysis. Finally, a nomogram including CHD, LYMP, NLR, RDW, lactic acid, PT, CRP, PCT, Tbil, ALT, and IL6 was established by multivariable logistic regression. The ROC curves of the nomogram in the training and validation sets were 0.9836 and 0.9502, respectively. DCA showed that the nomogram could be applied clinically if the risk threshold was between 29.52 and 99.61% in the training set and between 31.32 and 98.49% in the testing set. RCS showed that when the value of independent risk factors from the predicted model exceeded the median, the mortality hazard ratio increased sharply. The results of the Hosmer-Lemeshow test (χ2 = 0.1901, df = 2, p = 0.9091) and the calibration curves of the training and validation sets showed good agreement with the actual results, which indicated good stability of the model. Our nomogram, including CHD, LYMP, NLR, RDW, lactic acid, PT, CRP, PCT, Tbil, ALT, and IL6, exhibits good performance for predicting mortality risk in adult sepsis patients.

Experimental Behavior of Solar Still Using Mixed Oxides Mn-Fe/Silicone Resin Composite as Selective Solar Absorber

In this research, the optical properties of a black pigment of mixed Mn-Fe oxides synthesized by the precipitation method dispersed in silicone resin at different concentrations for use as a solar absorber in a two-slope passive solar still were evaluated. The transmittance of different thicknesses of float glass with 0.1% Fe2O3 was also studied for use as a condenser in the construction of the solar still. Regarding the pigments, the absorbance and spectral emittance were evaluated, the floated. With the above information, both the absorbent surface and the condensers were optimized to propose the best design of the solar still. The novel hybrid material used as a selective coating in the still, which corresponds to 2.3% Mn-Fe mixed oxides, exhibited a high solar absorbance of 91.82% and a relatively low infrared thermal emission of less than 57.22%, as well as good stability to the corrosive and hot environment of the solar still, in addition to great durability over time and in real operating conditions. The float glass with the highest transmittance corresponds to a thickness of 3 mm and an average transmittance of 82.57%. The built prototype was characterized by obtaining the temperature profiles of the absorber and condensers, thermal efficiency, production and water quality. The prototype has a thermal efficiency of 29.6%, requiring only energy from the sun for its operation. The water produced by this device becomes an option for human use and consumption in accordance with current official standards, allowing supply in communities that do not have access to drinking water but have access to seawater or waters with high hardness.

Electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic investigation of Orange G degradation utilizing a novel BHP@Bi2O3 photoanode employing the CCD-RSM experimental design

In this study, we synthesized a bilayer film consisting of BaHPO4 (BHP) and Bi2O3 through the electrodeposition technique. The produced anode was subjected to characterization using cyclic voltammetry to clarify the deposition reactions. Subsequent to this, structural and morphological analyses were conducted utilizing X-ray diffraction alongside scanning electron microscopy, coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Additionally, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy was employed to determine the bandgap energies of both semiconductors. Following an electrochemical characterization using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Mott-Schottky (MS) measurements, the photoanode was employed for the electro-degradation of the anionic dye Orange G (OG), varying key degradation parameters such as current density, pollutant concentration, supporting electrolyte concentration, and pH using the CCD-RSM experimental design method. A degradation efficiency of 98% was achieved within a 20-minute timeframe. Photoelectrocatalytic tests under UV irradiation reduced the degradation time from 20 to 6 min, with a degradation rate of 99%. Additionally, under the same conditions, the BHP@Bi2O3 photoanode exhibited good stability, enduring up to 11 cycles of use.

Alginate functionalized chitosan nanoparticles using multilayer co-axial electro-spraying for ovalbumin controlled release via oral delivery

The current oral vaccine delivery presents numerous challenges due to physiological barriers in the gastrointestinal tract including antigen degradation by enzymes and gastric pH conditions. Contributing to overcome these problems, this work developed non-cross-linked chitosan (CHI) nanoparticles, with/without functionalization with alginate (ALG), using multilayer co-axial electro-spraying method, to orally deliver ovalbumin (OVA), a model antigen. The prepared OVA@CHI and OVA@CHI@ALG nanoparticles possessed spherical shape, uniform size and non-agglomeration, high OVA encapsulation efficiency of above 90 %, and core-shell structure with mean diameters of 276.9 ± 70.7 nm (for OVA@CHI) and 304.3 ± 63.9 nm (for OVA@CHI@ALG), determined via SEM images. The particle hydrodynamic diameters, analyzed by the DLS method, were 313.0 ± 72.4 nm for OVA@CHI and 367.6 ± 83.2 nm for OVA@CHI@ALG, in agreement with the SEM results. Additionally, the material functional group interactions and the polyelectrolyte complex formations were confirmed by FTIR spectra and TGA/DSC thermo-grams, indicating the successful formulation. Subsequently, the OVA@CHI@ALG nanoparticles revealed good stability in acidic environment under the presence of digestive enzymes. The OVA release profiles of OVA@CHI@ALG nanoparticles exhibited limited release in simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2), followed by sustained release in simulated intestinal fluid (pH 6.8) and simulated colonic fluid (pH 7.4) over a 48-h test period. Interestingly, the primary structure of OVA, analyzed by SDS-PAGE analysis, was maintained during the preparation process and after the release test, while the OVA secondary structure, examined by circular dichroism measurement, demonstrated a decrease of α-helix and an increase of β-sheet contents. Finally, the in vitro mucin-binding study indicated a significant adhesive efficiency of 69.21 ± 4.24 % for OVA@CHI and 75.07 ± 2.58 % for OVA@CHI@ALG at pH 7.4. Conclusively, the OVA@CHI@ALG nanoparticles fabricated by tri-axial electro-spraying method could be a promising oral vaccine delivery system for sustained release of OVA.

Carbon-Supported Ru-Ni and Ru-W Catalysts for the Transformation of Hydroxyacetone and Saccharides into Glycol-Derived Primary Amines.

Nitrogen-containing molecules are used for the synthesis of polymers, surfactants, agrochemicals, and dyes. In the context of green chemistry, it is important to form such compounds from bioresource. Short-chain primary amines are of interest for the polymer industry, like 2-aminopropanol, 1-aminopropan-2-ol, and 1,2-diaminopropane. These amines can be formed through the amination of oxygenated substrates, preferably in aqueous phase. This is possible with heterogeneous catalysts, however, effective systems that allow reactions under mild conditions are lacking. We report an efficient catalyst Ru-Ni/AC for the reductive amination of hydroxyacetone into 2-aminopropanol. The catalyst has been reused during 3 cycles demonstrating a good stability. As a prospective study, extension to the reactivity of (poly)carbohydrates has been realized. Despite a lesser efficiency, 2-aminopropanol (9 % yield of amines) has been formed from fructose, the first example from a carbohydrate. This was possible using a 7.5 %Ru-36 %WxC/AC catalyst, composition allowing a one-pot retro-aldol cleavage into hydroxyacetone and reductive amination. The transformation of cellulose through sequential reactions with a combination of 30 %W2C/AC and 7.5 %Ru-36 %WxC/AC system gave 2 % of 2-aminopropanol, corresponding to the first example of the formation of this amine from cellulose with heterogeneous catalysts.

Cu-BTC Derived Mesoporous CuS Nanomaterial as Nanozyme for Colorimetric Detection of Glutathione.

In this paper, Cu-BTC derived mesoporous CuS nanomaterial (m-CuS) was synthesized via a two-step process involving carbonization and sulfidation of Cu-BTC for colorimetric glutathione detection. The Cu-BTC was constructed by 1,3,5-benzenetri-carboxylic acid (H3BTC) and Cu2+ ions. The obtained m-CuS showed a large specific surface area (55.751 m2/g), pore volume (0.153 cm3/g), and pore diameter (15.380 nm). In addition, the synthesized m-CuS exhibited high peroxidase-like activity and could catalyze oxidation of the colorless substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine to a blue product. Peroxidase-like activity mechanism studies using terephthalic acid as a fluorescent probe proved that m-CuS assists H2O2 decomposition to reactive oxygen species, which are responsible for TMB oxidation. However, the catalytic activity of m-CuS for the oxidation of TMB by H2O2 could be potently inhibited in the presence of glutathione. Based on this phenomenon, the colorimetric detection of glutathione was demonstrated with good selectivity and high sensitivity. The linear range was 1-20 μM and 20-300 μM with a detection limit of 0.1 μM. The m-CuS showing good stability and robust peroxidase catalytic activity was applied for the detection of glutathione in human urine samples.

Enhancing high-speed CNC milling performance of Ti6Al4V alloy through the application of ZnO-Ag hybrid nanofluids

Abstract This research investigates the performance of high-speed CNC milling operations on Ti6Al4V alloy by employing a novel ZnO-Ag hybrid nanofluid. The study involves the preparation and characterization of nanofluids with varying concentrations of nanoparticles, focusing on thermal conductivity and stability. The machining experiments encompass four critical input parameters: Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) flow rate, cutting speed, nanofluid concentration, and feed rate. Performance evaluation is based on average surface roughness (Ra) and cutting temperature. Key findings include a remarkable 21.05% improvement in thermal conductivity for the ZnO-Ag-based sunflower oil at 0.2% volume concentration compared to 0.05% concentration. The prepared nanofluids exhibit good stability. Moreover, cutting speed and MQL flow rate emerge as significant contributors to Ra, accounting for 35.62% and 34.82%, respectively. Interestingly, MQL flow rate is identified as the most influential factor, surpassing even cutting speed. SEM images for tool wear reveals that the ZnO-Ag based sunflower oil reduced tool wear significantly. In conclusion, the proposed ZnO-Ag-based sunflower oil at 0.2% concentration emerges as the good option for sustainable high-speed machining of Ti6Al4V alloy, showcasing

Wireless Sensor System Based on Organohydrogel Ionic Skin for Physiological Activity Monitoring.

Supermolecular hydrogel ionic skin (i-skin) linked with smartphones has attracted widespread attention in physiological activity detection due to its good stability in complex scenarios. However, the low ionic conductivity, inferior mechanical properties, poor contact adhesion, and insufficient freeze resistance of most used hydrogels limit their practical application in flexible electronics. Herein, a novel multifunctional poly(vinyl alcohol)-based conductive organohydrogel (PCEL5.0%) with a supermolecular structure was constructed by innovatively employing sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na) as reinforcement material, ethylene glycol as antifreeze, and lithium chloride as a water retaining agent. Thanks to the synergistic effect of these components, the PCEL5.0% organohydrogel shows excellent performance in terms of ionic conductivity (1.61 S m-1), mechanical properties (tensile strength of 70.38 kPa and elongation at break of 537.84%), interfacial adhesion (1.06 kPa to pig skin), frost resistance (-50.4 °C), water retention (67.1% at 22% relative humidity), and remoldability. The resultant PCEL5.0%-based i-skin delivers satisfactory sensitivity (GF = 1.38) with fast response (348 ms) and high precision under different deformations and low temperature (-25 °C). Significantly, the wireless sensor system based on the PCEL5.0% organohydrogel i-skin can transmit signals from physiological activities and sign language to a smartphone by Bluetooth technology and dynamically displays the status of these movements. The organohydrogel i-skin shows great potential in diverse fields of physiological activity detection, human-computer interaction, and rehabilitation medicine.

Stacked High‐Entropy Hydroxides Promote Charge Transfer Kinetics for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

AbstractAlthough various kinds of cocatalyst are developed and decorated on the bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) photoanode, its photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting performance is limited owing to severe charge recombination and sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a high‐entropy hydroxide electrocatalyst (FeCoNiMoCrOOH) is constructed as a co‐catalyst deposited on BiVO4 with a good PEC activity and stability in potassium borate buffer, addressing substantial charge recombination and poor surface oxygen evolution reaction of the material. FeCoNiMoCrOOH synthesized by a simple electrodeposition stacking strategy, delivers an overpotential of 172 mV at 10 mA cm−2 with a stability of 600 h under alkaline conditions, representing one of the best performances on high‐entropy‐based catalysts. The FeCoNiMoCrOOH/BiVO4 photoanode shows a photocurrent density of 5.23 mA cm−2 at 1.23 VRHE with 100 h durability in potassium borate buffer. Experimental investigations and theoretical calculations demonstrate that the synergistic effect of Mo and Cr in FeCoNi catalyst effectively decreases the dissolution Fe, Co, and Ni after long‐term operation, increases the charge transfer kinetics, and promotes OER and PEC performances, therefore enhancing the photocorrosion resistance of BiVO4. This work provides a new avenue to design high entropy‐based electrocatalysts boosting solar water splitting activity and stability.

Relating laser powder bed fusion process parameters to (micro)structure and to soft magnetic behaviour in a Fe-based bulk metallic glass

This work aims to establish fundamental processing-(micro)structure-property links in a commercial Fe-based Kuamet6B2 bulk metallic glass (BMG) processed by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). With that purpose, amorphous powders were processed using a pulsed-wave system and a simple meander strategy. The laser power, the scan speed, and the hatch distance were varied over wide intervals within the conduction regime. The processability window leading to samples with good dimensional accuracy and mechanical stability was determined. Within this window, the manufactured samples were crystalline/amorphous composites and the crystalline regions were formed by equiaxed ultrafine and nanograins with random orientations. Processing parameters yielding the densest prints caused severe crystallization while, conversely, parameter sets allowing the material to retain a high amorphous fraction led to significant lack-of-fusion defects and residual cracking along directions perpendicular to crystalline/amorphous interfaces. Comparatively, for a fixed hatch distance, the scanning speed had a stronger effect than the laser power in the resulting amorphous fraction due to its stronger influence on the melt pool size and, in turn, on the corresponding HAZ volume. The saturation magnetization and the coercive field were inversely related to the amorphous fraction. This work allows to derive fundamental guidelines for the successful additive manufacturing of soft magnetic Fe-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF).

Defect engineering build organic-inorganic composite electrolytes with stable electrochemical window and interface for all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries

In this study, Na1+xAlxTi2-x(PO4)3 (NATP) with oxygen vacancies was synthesized using a high-temperature solid-phase method. Then, NATP and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) were combined to form NATP-PAN composite solid-state electrolytes. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses demonstrated the presence of oxygen defects in NATP. Al3+ doping created oxygen vacancies in NATP, which decreased the activation energy for Li+ ions transport; this increased the mobility of Li+ ions in the material, broadening the electrochemical window of the electrolyte. The Na1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3-PAN solid-state electrolytes achieved an excellent ionic conductivity of 4.51 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 20 °C and a wide electrochemical stability window of 5.2 V (vs. Li+/Li). Na1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3-PAN composite electrolyte was used to assemble a Li||Li symmetric half-cell, which exhibited good interface stability and an overpotential of approximately ±60 mV at a current density of 0.25 mA cm−2. Furthermore, Li׀Na1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3-PAN׀LiFePO4 was assembled into an all-solid-state lithium metal battery, which exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, with the initial discharge capacity of 255.0 mA h g−1 at 0.1 C. After 100 cycles, the discharge capacity was maintained at 229.6 mA h g−1, and the capacity retention rate was 90.0 %. Increasing dopant concentration, the oxygen defect concentration is increasing, which plays a crucial role in the ionic conductivity as well as the interface stability.

Pickering emulsions stabilized by essential oil-tannin-chitosan particles: Microstructure, stability, antibacterial activity, and antioxidant activity

In this study, four different types of essential oil monomer and tannic acid were used to prepare different kinds of essential oil-tannin particles. As well as encapsulating the chemically labile essential oils, these particles could also be used as Pickering emulsifiers to prepare oil-in-water emulsions. These emulsions were co-stabilized using the essential oil-tannin particles in combination with chitosan. The resulting Pickering emulsions were shown to have good storage stability, viscoelastic properties, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial activity. The emulsions co-stabilized by cinnamaldehyde-tannin and chitosan had the smallest particle size and largest shear viscosity, shear modulus, and physical stability. An in vitro digestion study showed that the cinnamaldehyde encapsulated within these emulsions also had a relatively high bioaccessibility. Considerable differences were observed in the stabilities of emulsions prepared with different oil phase volume fractions. The more concentrated emulsions did not exhibit phase separation after 30 days storage, which was attributed to the fact that the close packing of the oil droplets prevented their movement. This study shows that essential oil-polyphenol particles can be used as multifunctional ingredients, such as antioxidants, antimicrobial agents, and emulsifiers.

Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Based on Coffee Husks Embedded on Mesoporous Silica for the Sensing of Acetaminophen

AbstractIn the present work, a green method improved by surface response methodology (SRM) has been used for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) from coffee husks extract, in which Santa Barbara‐15 (SBA‐15) mesoporous silica has been embedded. The composite formed has been drop coated on bare glassy carbon electrode and the resulting sensor (ZnONPs/SBA‐15/GCE) was used for the sensing of acetaminophen (ACT). Reaction factors such as pH, incubation time and precursor concentration were optimized during nanoparticles synthesis using SRM. The synthesized nanoparticles and the composite were characterized by ultraviolet‐visible spectrophotometry (UV‐Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX/EDX‐mapping) analysis, thermogravimetry analysis/differential thermogravimetry (TGA/DTG), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), showing the good elaboration of ZnONPs/SBA‐15/GCE. After optimization of parameters susceptible to affect the detection limit of ACT, the calibration curve was plotted from 4 μM to 32 μM, showing good linear response with a detection limit of 0.11 μM. The developed sensor shows good sensitivity, reproducibility, repeatability and storage stability at room temperature and was successfully applied for the determination of ACT in pharmaceutical sample.

Bi Nanospheres Embedded in N-Doped Carbon Nanowires Facilitate Ultrafast and Ultrastable Sodium Storage.

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) are considered as the ideal candidates for the next generation of electrochemical energy storage devices. The major challenges of anode lie in poor cycling stability and the sluggish kinetics attributed to the inherent large Na+ size. In this work, Bi nanosphere encapsulated in N-doped carbon nanowires (Bi@N-C) is assembled by facile electrospinning and carbonization. N-doped carbon mitigates the structure stress/strain during alloying/dealloying, optimizes the ionic/electronic diffusion, and provides fast electron transfer and structural stability. Due to the excellent structure, Bi@N-C shows excellent Na storage performance in SIBs in terms of good cycling stability and rate capacity in half cells and full cells. The fundamental mechanism of the outstanding electrochemical performance of Bi@N-C has been demonstrated through synchrotron in-situ XRD, atomic force microscopy, ex-situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Importantly, a deeper understanding of the underlying reasons of the performance improvement is elucidated, which is vital for providing the theoretical basis for application of SIBs.

EARLY TO MID-TERM OUTCOMES OF THE CUSTOM-MADE 3D-PRINTED TRIFLANGE ACETABULAR COMPONENT (AMACE) IN COMPLEX REVISION HIP ARTHROPLASTY: LARGEST UK STUDY REPORTING THE COMBINED EXPERIENCE OF TWO TERTIARY REVISION CENTRES

Different techniques have been described to address massive bone loss of the acetabulum in revision hip surgery. aMace has gained popularity as it provides customization aiming to restore hip centre and provide good initial stability in cases of large non-contained defects. It takes into account quality of host bone. Its porous defect filling scaffold provides an excellent surface for osteointegration.Our aim was to assess the short and mid-term outcomes of patients who underwent revision surgery using aMace system.Ethical approval was obtained. A retrospective study included all patients who had aMace between June 2013 and October 2022 allowing for a minimum of 12-months follow-up. Patients’ demographics, indication, bone-loss severity, reconstruction details, re-operation, complications, mortality, pain and function were assessed.52 cases were performed by 13 surgeons with median 51 months follow-up. Median age was 72.7 years. 86.5% were female. Average BMI was 25.3. Average ASA grade was 3.65% were classified as Paprosky IIIB and 32% were IIIA.73% were found to have poor bone quality on CT. Main indication for aMace was massive bone loss/discontinuity secondary to aseptic loosening in 88.5%.77% underwent single-stage revision. 53.8% had 2 or more previous revisions. 71% underwent stem revision in the same setting. 77% received a dual mobility bearing.Re-operation rate was 5.7% for instability and femoral PPF. LLD was reported in 9.6%.Permanent Sciatic nerve palsy occurred in 3.8% of the cases.30-days mortality was 1.9%.Statistically significant post-op improvements in pain and mobility were reported (p<0.001). None of the acetabular components have been revised.Our study shows satisfactory surgical outcomes with a relatively low complication rate and significant pain and mobility improvements in the early to mid-term stages.We recommend these costly cases to be done in highly specialist centres adopting MDT approach.

Synthesis and characterization of CuxCd1‐xS nanocrystals into functionalized nitrile butadiene rubber matrix

AbstractIntroductionPolymetallic sulfides and heterostructures like CdIn2S4, CdZnS2, CuxS‐NiySz, Cu2CoSnS4, CoNi2S4, Zn0.76Co0.24S have been fabricated with various shapes and forms for new applications. Ternary copper cadmium sulfides (CuCdS2) are a p‐type semiconductor with a direct band gap of about 2.4 eV forms very good nanocrystals like copper sulfide could be potentially applied to optical and electronic applications. Knowing that the SILAR synthesis, optical, paramagnetic, dielectric properties, and annealing of copper cadmium sulfides have not been sufficiently investigated, they are extensively analyzed and studied in the present work.ObjectivesCuxCd1−xS (x = 0, 0.5, and 1) nanoparticles have been synthesized on the base of functionalized nitrile butadiene rubber by SILAR method and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, x‐ray diffractometer, UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Effects of cycles, reaction time, and precursor concentration on the particle size, crystal growth and structure, bandgap energy, dielectric and paramagnetic properties, elemental composition, and morphology were investigated.MethodsThe synthesis of CuxCd1−xS nanocrystals was carried out into the obtained functional polymer matrix by SİLAR method. The functional polymer (FNBR) is a dark brown powder which contains ‐PO(OH)2 and ‐OPO(OH)2 functional groups and does not dissolve in organic and inorganic solvents, can be used as a very good stabilizer of nanostructures. The synthesis of CuxCd1−xS/FNBR nanocompsite was carried out in 3, 5, and 15 cycles.Results and discussionIn the process of ternary sulfide formation, the nucleation rate of CdS was high at the beginning of the reaction, while the growth rate and stability of CuS were high in the later course of the reaction. The average crystallite size of the nancrystallites has been increased from 1.13 nm to 7.39 nm by the increasing of the number of cycles from 5 to 15, respectively. It is explained by the inclusion of copper in the composition and getting more stable material. Copper cadmium sulfide nanostructures demonstrate wide band gap energy (~3.7 eV) in this work which is explained by the formation of nanosized particles in a limited volume of FNBR matrix.ConclusionsThe synthesis of CuxCd1‐xS nanocrystals was carried out into the obtained functional polymer matrix by SİLAR method. Strong diffraction peaks corresponding to cubic CdS are found with low SILAR cycles. SEM images of CuxCd1−xS/FNBR nanocomposite show that the atomic percentage of Cu and Cd into the ternary sulfide is 20.19% and 0.61%, respectively. It is explained by the inclusion of copper in the composition and getting more stable material with low solubility products (Ksp) which is in good agreement with XRD results. The calculated band gaps are higher than that of bulk CdS, CuS, and CuCdS2. Larger band gap is usually reported for defects or structural disorders, which is in good agreement with XRD and Raman results.

Tunable optoelectronic performances of fluorinated benzene-EDOT based hybrid electrochromic polymers

Due to its high electronegativity and small atomic radius without undesirable steric hindrance, the incorporation of fluorine atoms into the benzene unit which started from the commercially available compounds is a feasible way to tune the energy levels of polymers, and its electrochromic application is expected to achieve a new breakthrough. Herein, in this paper, benzene units with different fluorine atom numbers were selected as the core and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) as the terminal unit, three fluorinated electrochromic precursors (FPh-EDOT, 2FPh-EDOT, and 4FPh-EDOT) were designed and synthesized by Stille coupling reaction, and the corresponding fluorinated π-conjugated electrochromic polymers (P(FPh-EDOT), P(2Ph-EDOT), and P(4FPh-EDOT)) were prepared by electrochemical polymerization method. The effects of different fluorinated benzene units on the photophysics, electrochemistry, and electrochromic properties of precursors and polymers were systematically investigated, and the structure-property relationship was further revealed. All of them have low initial oxidation potentials {FPh-EDOT (0.65 V), 2FPh-EDOT (0.72 V), and 4FPh-EDOT (0.70 V)}, which makes it easy to obtain high-quality new fluorinated polymers at low polymerization potential. With the increase of the number of F atoms, the UV–vis absorption spectra and emission spectra of fluorinated monomer firstly red-shifted and then blue-shifted. The corresponding fluorinated polymers have good electrochemical activity and stability (the P(2Ph-EDOT) activity remained 82.7% after 500 cycles), making it possible to realize their electrochromic devices. All these three fluorinated polymers show obvious color change from the neutral state to the fully oxidized state (P(FPh-EDOT) changes from brown to grayish blue, P(2FPh-EDOT) changes from brown to gray, and P(4FPh-EDOT) changes from dark blue to light blue). The kinetic study further shows that all of them have distinguish electrochromic properties with good optical stability, very short response time (0.9 s for P(2FPh-EDOT) at 700 nm), and favorable coloration efficiency (130.7 cm2 C−1 for P(FPh-EDOT) at 503 nm). Overall, all these three fluorinated polymers have low optical band gap, good redox stability and electrochromic properties, are very promising electrochromic materials, which is worthy for the further research and development.

Significant enhancement of piezoelectric photocatalytic activity in Mn-doped BiFeO3

Ultrasonic vibration and light irradiation can be used together to slow down the rapid recombination of light-induced charges during the catalytic process. One way to enhance the catalytic performance is by introducing different elements into the structure. In this study, pure bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) and manganese (Mn)-doped bismuth ferrite (BFMO) nanomaterials were successfully synthesized by electrostatic spinning. These materials were then tested for their ability to degrade rhodamine B (RhB). The best-performing material was BiFe0.85Mn0.15O3, which achieved almost complete removal of RhB within 100minutes. The degradation rate of this material was 3.3 times higher than that of pristine BiFeO3. This enhanced catalytic activity can be attributed to the wider range of light absorption and the synergistic enhancement of the piezoelectric response, which promotes the movement of free carriers. In addition, the synthesized catalysts have good stability and reusability, with little metal leaching after multiple uses. Free radical scavenging experiments tests showed that ·OH and holes are the main active species in the catalytic process. This work paves a new approach for creating highly efficient piezoelectric catalysts and expands the application of BiFeO3-based materials for wastewater purification.

Supported tetra-atom clusters on g-CN as catalysts for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to formate: A computational study

Single-cluster catalysts (SCCs) have emerged as highly efficient catalysts for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), providing a promising avenue to solve the carbon dilemma. Based on density functional theory calculations, we systematically investigated the capability of 12 tetra-atom transitional-metal clusters anchored on g-CN (TM4@g-CN) for CO2RR and found that all clusters have good stability on the substrate. Notably, the charge variation of the top metal atom (TM4) of six SCCs is close to zero which makes them readily donate electrons to the adsorbate CO2 and subsequent reaction intermediates. Our results demonstrate that CO2 can be efficiently reduced to HCOOH on Ni4, Cu4, and Au4@g-CN with low limiting potentials of −0.21, −0.22, and −0.19 V, respectively, outperforming the corresponding single-atom counterparts. Both ΔG(∗CO2) and ΔG(∗OCHO/∗COOH) exhibit a volcano relationship with the reaction activity, and the TM4 serves as electron reservoirs throughout the entire reaction process. This work offers valuable insights for the advancement of cost-effective supported single cluster catalysts.

Novel magnetic N-doped biochar derived from sugarcane bagasse and red mud for effective adsorption of tetracycline hydrochloride

In this work, with sugarcane bagasse (SB) and red mud (RM) as raw materials, magnetic nitrogen (N)-doped biochar (MNSB) was synthesized by a facile one-pot pyrolysis method and then applied as an efficient adsorbent to remove tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) from wastewater. The results of SEM, EDS, VSM, BET, FT-IR, and XPS demonstrated that the synthesized MNSB adsorbent had a large specific surface area, excellent superparamagnetic properties, and rich mesopore pore structures. The batch adsorption experiments revealed that the TC-HCl could be removed 96.3% with the optimal adsorption conditions: MNSB dosage of 0.25g/L, initial pH of 6.58, TC-HCl initial concentration of 20mg/L, and adsorption temperature of 30oC. The analysis of adsorption kinetics and isotherms showed that the adsorption process was mainly controlled by chemisorption, and the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of TC-HCl on MNSB was 143.9mg/g. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the excellent adsorption process of MNSB for TC-HCl was mainly contributed by pore filling, π–π interaction, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic attraction. The recycling and settlement experiments demonstrated that MNSB had good stability and settleability. This study successfully opened new prospects that utilizing RM and SB to prepare a low-cost adsorbent to remove TC-HCl from water.