Increasing pH Value Research Articles

Potential Mechanism of Optimal Tillage Layer Structure for Improving Maize Yield and Enhancing Root Growth in Northeast China

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different tillage structures on soil physical properties, soil chemical properties, maize root morphological and physiological characteristics, and yield. Four tillage structures were designed. Soil tillage plays a prominent role in agricultural sustainability. The different tillage layer structures affected soil physical properties. An enhancement in the optimal tillage layer structure improved soil structure. The MJ tillage layer structure created an improved soil structure by regulating the soil physical properties so that the soil compaction and soil bulk density would be beneficial for crop growth, increase soil water content, and adjust the soil phrase R value and GSSI. Soil nutrients are significantly affected by soil depth, with the exception of available potassium. However, soil nutrients are influenced by different tillage layer structures with soil depth. Soil nutrient responses with depth are different for MJ layer treatment compared with other tillage layer structures. Soil organic matter (SOM) is affected with an increase in depth and is significantly influenced by different tillage layer structures, except at 20–30 cm soil depth. MJ treatment increased by 10–20% compared with other tillage layer structures. In addition, QS treatment enhanced the increased pH value in soil profile compared to others. The root morphology characteristics, including root length, root ProjArea, root SurfArea, root AvgDiam, and root volume, were affected by years, depth, and the tillage layer structures. The MJ tillage layer structure enhanced root growth by improving tillage soil structure and increasing soil air and water compared with other tillage layer treatments. Specifically, the MJ layer structure significantly increased root length and root volume via deep tillage. However, the differences in root physiological properties were not significant among treatments. The root dry weight decreased with an increase in soil depth. Most of the roots were mainly distributed in a 0–40 cm soil layer. The MJ treatment enhanced the increase in root dry weight compared with others by breaking the tillage pan layer. Among the different tillage layer structures, the difference in root dry weight was smaller with an increase in soil depth. Moreover, the MJ treatment significantly improved maize yield compared with others. The yield was increased by 14.2% compared to others under MJ treatment via improvements in the soil environment. In addition, the correlation relationship was different among yield and root morphology traits, root physiology traits, soil nutrients, and soil physical traits. So, our results showed that the MJ tillage layer structure is the best tillage structure for increasing maize yield by enhancing soil nutrients, improving the soil environment and root qualities.

BIOSYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CuO NANOPARTICLES USING DIFFERENT pH

CuO nanoparticles are synthesized from Ferulago angulate leaf extract under different pH values. The structural, morphological, as well as optical properties of the green synthesized CuO NPs are studied. Besides, the functional groups in the Ferulago angulate stabilizer capping the copper nanoparticles were examined using FTIR spectra. The primary factor that led to the first confirmation of CuO NP production was the reaction mixture's color change. A phytochemical test revealed the presence of proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, tannins, and saponins. FTIR spectrum shows a peak at 532.35 cm-1, this may be attributed to CuO's vibrations confirming the presence of copper oxide nanoparticles. XRD analysis shows the presence of crystalline monoclinic cupric oxide (CuO). The morphological study (FESEM) shows different morphology (different shapes and sizes) under different pH values. EDS data shows the O-richness of the prepared CuO NPs extracted from Ferulago angulate [ Schltdl.] BOISS leaf extract shows pure CuO phases. In this investigation, fabricated CuO's estimated energy band gap values were higher than those of bulk CuO. Results show Eg increment with increasing pH values.

Photo-assisted charging supercapacitors of BiOBr via exposed [1 1 0] facets using pH-dependent control by precipitation method

The tetragonal phase with sheet-like nanoparticles of BiOBr successfully synthesized through a facial precipitation method at different pH values, from the initial pH to 7. The increasing pH values influence the crystal growth along [110] orientation, with diminished growth in [001] orientation. By engineering the exposed [110] facets, BiOBr-pH 4 under LED reaches the highest specific capacitance of 209.32F g−1 at 0.5 A/g, which is 1.45 times higher than that in the dark condition.

Intelligent self-healing anti-corrosive coatings with crosslinked conducting polypyrrole hydrogel network

The cross-linked conducting polypyrrole hydrogel (CPH) network is designed for preparing the corrosion-resistant and self-healing epoxy coatings, which are used for the long-term active corrosion control of Mg alloys substrate in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The encapsulated phytic acid (PA) inhibitors are uniformly distributed in the crosslinked CPH network with an encapsulation amount of 16.77%. The inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry test indicates that the releasing rate of the PA inhibitors from the crosslinked CPH network rises with the increased pH values, reflecting their pH-responsive feature. Afterward, the epoxy coatings impregnated with various contents of the CPH network are coated on the Mg alloy surface, and their corrosion resistance and self-healing performances are evaluated using electrochemical and immersion tests. Results indicate that the epoxy coatings with 5 wt% CPH displays the most durable corrosion-resistant and self-healing performances with the highest coating resistance (4.39 × 105 Ω cm2) and charge-transfer resistance (8.28 × 105 Ω cm2) values even after 28 days of immersion. The encapsulated PA inhibitors continuously release to the cracked region in response to the local pH variations and react with Mg2+ ions generated from the active corrosion site. Consequently, an Mg-PA protective layer is formed to suppress further corrosion activities. Both the enhanced inherent barrier effect of epoxy coatings, the pH-responsive release behaviors of the PA inhibitors from crosslinked CPH network and the durable anodic protection effect of CPH are beneficial for improving the anti-corrosive performance of the epoxy coatings. It is believed that this kind of crosslinked CPH network will provide a new strategy for designing highly self-healing and anti-corrosive performance of epoxy coatings for the active corrosion control of other metals.

EFEKTIFITAS PENGGUNAAN CANGKANG KERANG DARAH (Anadara granosa) SEBAGAI FILTER AIR TANAH DI KOTA TARAKAN

Tarakan City has the potential of groundwater for the need for clean water. However, it must be treated first so that its quality meets the standard required among the efforts of filtration by utilizing the waste of Abalone shells (Anadara sp). The purpose of the research was to determine the effectiveness of using Abalone shells (Anadara sp) as a groundwater filter in Tarakan city. The research method used a complete randomized design (RAL) method. The material used Dara Shell (Anadara sp) filter levels of 30cm, 60cm, and 100 cm combined with active charcoal, quartz sand and gravel to determine the best composition. The parameters were tested based on Minister of Health Regulation No. 32 of 2017 (Standard Water Quality for Hygiene Sanitation Requirement): turbidity, colour, pH, temperature, TSS, TDS, nitrate, nitrite, Fe heavy metal and Mn. Research results showed that the filter’s effectively increased pH values by 54% and decreased the concentration of consecutive Mn heavy metals 83%. Level 60 cm filters effectively decrease nitrite, TDS, cloudy and colouration levels by 31%, 44%, 26% and 54%, respectively. While the 30 cm filter level effectively lowers the TSS level by 75%.

Influence of the type of phosphate additive and its concentration on the setting kinetics of CA cement bonded refractory castables with special regard to the resulting pH value

During the hydration of CA cement exists a dormant period, which is responsible for the setting kinetics of CA cement bonded refractory castables. The dormant period is believed to be caused by an Al–O–H passivation layer on the CA cement particles. Recent publications indicate that the dissolution (aging) of the passivation layer is closely connected to the prevailing pH value of the pore solution during setting. The higher the pH value, the faster the dissolution of the passivation layer.As phosphate additives, frequently used as dispersing agent, differ in their pH value when dissolved in water it is reasonable that they change the setting kinetics of CA cement bonded refractory castables. Commonly used sodium polyphosphate (S-PP, special case S-TPP for sodium tripolyphosphate) dispersing agents mainly differ in chain length, and therefore in Na+ and phosphate concentration, with different setting kinetics as a result.To investigate the influence of S-(T)PP on setting kinetics, sonic velocity and pH measurements were conducted on S-(T)PP/citric acid dispersed and CA cement bonded refractory castables during their setting. Different phosphates, differing in portion of Na+ to phosphate and medium chain length of the phosphate molecules, were used in varied concentrations within refractory castables to quantify the shift in setting kinetics and verify the role of the pH value during the hydration of CA cement.It was found that the chain length of the phosphate molecule of S-(T)PP influences the setting kinetics, and especially the length of the dormant period of the hydration of CA cement, in an indistinct way. Minor differences within the Na+ concentration at differing chain length S-(T)PP showed a comparable tendency to influence the hydration kinetics of CA cement as the chain length of the phosphate molecule was varied. However, an increase of the concentration of the applied S-(T)PP, which goes along with a distinctly increased Na+ concentration, resulted in a significant shorter dormant period and correspondingly an accelerated main hydration of CA cement. The corresponding pH value during the dormant period of the hydration of CA cement increased concurrently to the increase of the S-(T)PP and Na+ concentration.It is discussed that this increase of the pH value of the pore solution of the refractory castable results from an increase of the Na+ concentration from the S-(T)PP, while phosphate molecules are precipitated as Ca-phosphate. This indicates that the dissolution of the Al–O–H passivation layer accelerates with an increasing Na+ concentration (equivalent to increasing pH value) in the pore solution. Thereby, the dormant period is shorter and the hydration of CA cement starts earlier.The general tendency that additives of alkaline nature are accelerating the setting kinetics could be linked to the pH value during the dormant period. Therefore, the theory of the pH dependent aging of the Al–O–H passivation layer on CA cement particles was confirmed. As a directly applicable result, S-(T)PP may be used as accelerator (accelerating the CA cement hydration) beside their dispersing effect.

Enhance the oral insulin delivery route using a modified chitosan-based formulation fabricated by microwave

Chitosan (Cs) was subjected to ball milling and subsequently functionalized with Dinitro salicylic acid (Cs-DNS) to enhance the efficacy of oral insulin delivery. The hydrodynamic spherical particle sizes exhibited 33.29 ± 5.08 nm for modified Cs-DNS NPs. Irrespective of insulin entrapment, zeta potential measurements revealed positively charged Cs-DNS NPs (+ 35 ± 3.5 mV). The entrapment performance (EP%) was evaluated in vitro, and insulin release patterns at various pH levels. The EP% for Cs-DNS NPs was 99.3 ± 1.6. Cs- DNS NPs retained a considerable amount of insulin (92 %) in an acidic medium, and significant quantities were released at increasing pH values over time. In vivo investigations, the diabetic rats which taken insulin-incorporated NPs had lower serum glucose levels (SGL) after 3 h to (39.4 ± 0.6 %) for Cs- DNS NPs. For insulin-incorporated Cs- DNS NPs, the bioavailability (BA%) and pharmacological availability (PA%) were 17.5 ± 0.31 % and 8.6 ± 0.8 %, respectively. The assertion above highlights the significance and effectiveness of modified chitosan in promoting insulin delivery, decreasing SGL levels, and guaranteeing safety.

INVESTIGATION OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES OF CLAY-HYDROGEL COMPOSITES

Hydrogels are cross-linked polymeric networks which retain large amounts of water. The hydrogels with response capability to various stimuli such as pH and temperature have received great attention in many fields. In this study, hydrogels were synthesized by free radical solution polymerization through optimization of acrylamide/sodium acrylate mole ratio and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate content. With the addition of sepiolite as filler into the hydrogel network which had highest swelling percent, hydrogel composites were obtained. In the presence of 10 wt% sepiolite, maximum swelling percent was determined as approximately 10600%. Swelling properties of the hydrogel composite including 10 wt% sepiolite was investigated depending on pH, salt effect and temperature. With increasing pH value, swelling percent of the hydrogel composite showed an increase. At high temperatures, the hydrogel composite exhibited higher swelling percent. Swelling tests in 0.1 M NaCl, CaCl2 and FeCl3 solutions revealed that the lowest swelling percent was observed in 0.1 M FeCl3 solution. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses verified successfully preparation of the hydrogel composites. Regular layers of the sepiolite in the hydrogel network which made water diffusion easily were shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) indicated that thermal stability of the hydrogel network was increased with the addition of sepiolite.

Mechanistic investigation of direct photodegradation of chloroquine phosphate under simulated sunlight

Chloroquine phosphate (CQ) is an antiviral drug for Coronavirus Disease 2019 and an old drug for treatment of malaria, which has been detected in natural waters. Despite its prevalence, the environmental fate of CQ remains unclear. In this study, the direct photodegradation of CQ under simulated sunlight was investigated. The effect of various parameters such as pH, initial concentration and environmental matrix were examined. The photodegradation quantum yield of CQ (4.5 × 10−5−0.025) increased with the increasing pH value in the range of 6.0–10.0. The electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry and quenching experiments verified that the direct photodegradation of CQ was primarily associated with excited triplet states of CQ (3CQ*). The common ions had negligible effect and humic substances exhibited a negative effect on CQ photodegradation. The photoproducts were identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry and the photodegradation pathway of CQ was proposed. The direct photodegradation of CQ involved the cleavage of the C–Cl bond and substitution of the hydroxyl group, followed by further oxidation to yield carboxylic products. The photodegradation processes were further confirmed by the density functional theory (DFT) computation for the energy barrier of CQ dichlorination. The findings contribute to the assessment of the ecological risk associated with the overuse of Coronavirus drugs during global public health emergencies.

Remediation of lead (II) ions from aqueous solution using composites of iron oxide nanoparticles immobilized on microcrystalline cellulose

AbstractMagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles immobilized on microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) are studied for the adsorption of Pb(II) ions from an aqueous solution. Composites of iron oxide and MCC were synthesized with a 5%–20% loading of iron (w/w%). The effect of pH, concentration, and contact time was studied. The adsorption isotherms were fitted to nonlinear Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D‐R) isotherms, and kinetics were studied for pseudo‐first and second‐order kinetic fit models. Adsorption of Pb(II) ions increased with increasing pH value up to 5. Maximum adsorption of Pb(II) was observed up to 299.91 mg−1 in D‐R equilibrium for onto MCC‐Iron oxide composite for composite with iron loading of 20% at pH 5.

Metal-immobilizing Pseudomonas taiwanensis WRS8 reduces heavy metal accumulation in Coriandrum sativum by changing the metal immobilization-related bacterial population abundances.

Metal-immobilizing bacteria play a critical role in metal accumulation in vegetables. However, little is known concerning the mechanisms involved in bacteria-induced reduced metal availability and uptake in vegetables. In this study, the impacts of metal-immobilizing Pseudomonas taiwanensis WRS8 on the plant biomass, Cd and Pb availability and uptake in two coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) cultivars, and bacterial community structure were investigated in the polluted soil. Strain WRS8 increased the biomass of two coriander cultivars by 25-48% and reduced Cd and Pb contents in the edible tissues by 40-59% and available Cd and Pb contents in the rhizosphere soils by 11.1-15.2%, compared with the controls. Strain WRS8 significantly increased the pH values and relative abundances of the dominant populations of Sphingomonas, Pseudomonas, Gaiellales, Streptomyces, Frankiales, Bradyrhizobium, and Luteimonas, while strain WRS8 significantly decreased the relative abundances of the dominant populations of Gemmatimonadaceae, Nitrospira, Haliangium, Paenibacillus, Massilia, Bryobacter, and Rokubacteriales and the rare bacterial populations of Enterorhabdus, Roseburia, Luteibacter, and Planifilum in the rhizosphere soils, compared with the controls. Significantly negative correlations were observed between the available metal concentrations and the abundances of Pseudomonas, Luteimonas, Frankiales, and Planifilum. These results implied that strain WRS8 could affect the abundances of the dominant and rare bacterial populations involved in metal immobilization, resulting in increased pH values and decreased metal availability and uptake in the vegetables in the contaminated soil.

Effect of Chitosan as Active Bio-colloidal Constituent on the Diffusion of Dyes in Agarose Hydrogel.

Agarose hydrogel was enriched by chitosan as an active substance for the interactions with dyes. Direct blue 1, Sirius red F3B, and Reactive blue 49 were chosen as representative dyes for the study of the effect of their interaction with chitosan on their diffusion in hydrogel. Effective diffusion coefficients were determined and compared with the value obtained for pure agarose hydrogel. Simultaneously, sorption experiments were realized. The sorption ability of enriched hydrogel was several times higher in comparison with pure agarose hydrogel. Determined diffusion coefficients decreased with the addition of chitosan. Their values included the effects of hydrogel pore structure and interactions between chitosan and dyes. Diffusion experiments were realized at pH 3, 7, and 11. The effect of pH on the diffusivity of dyes in pure agarose hydrogel was negligible. Effective diffusion coefficients obtained for hydrogels enriched by chitosan increased gradually with increasing pH value. Electrostatic interactions between amino group of chitosan and sulfonic group of dyes resulted in the formation of zones with a sharp boundary between coloured and transparent hydrogel (mainly at lower pH values). A concentration jump was observed at a given distance from the interface between hydrogel and the donor dye solution.

Phosphate Adsorption on Cerium/Terephthalic Acid Metal-Organic Frameworks (Ce-MOF) Driven by Effective Electrostatic Attraction and Ligand Exchange in a Wide pH Range.

Eutrophication has posed a threat to aquatic ecosystems, so it's urgent to remove excessive phosphate from water. In this study, we developed an adsorbent material, cerium/terephthalic-acid metal-organic-frameworks (Ce-MOF), to remove phosphate from different water systems. The optimal Ce-MOF presented a maximum phosphate adsorption capacity of 377.2 mg/g, approximately 3.7 times higher than that of the commercial phosphate adsorbent (Phoslock: 101.6 mg/g). Experimental and computational analysis suggested that pH dominated the adsorption process. The main forces driving the adsorption process changed from the synergistic effect of electrostatic attraction and ligand exchange at lower pH to only ligand exchange at the increased pH values. Hence, the Ce-MOF is applicable for phosphate adsorption in a wide pH range. Impressively, the adsorbent remained an excellent phosphate adsorption performance in the real water containing various interfering ions and organic matters, indicating the potential of Ce-MOF for the practical use to solve the water eutrophication issue.

Adsorption of bovine serum albumin on a mixed-mode resin - influence of salts and the pH value

The separation and purification of proteins is often carried out by chromatography. Mixed-mode adsorbents are interesting as they may combine favorable features of different chromatographic methods, such as ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). Systematic experimental studies and models of adsorption isotherms of proteins on mixed-mode resins covering a wide range of parameters are still rare, which hampers both the scientific analysis of the complex processes that occur upon the adsorption of proteins on these resins as well as the practical separation design. Therefore, such studies were carried out in the present work for a model system: the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the mixed-mode resin Toyopearl MX-Trp-650M, which combines features of IEC and HIC resins. Adsorption isotherms were measured using sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, ammonium chloride, and ammonium sulfate at ionic strengths up to 3000 mM and for pH 4.0, 4.7, and 7.0 at 25 ^circC. In the studied pH ranges, BSA exhibits strongly varying net charges and undergoes a conformational change. At pH 4.0 and 4.7, an exponential decay of the BSA adsorption with increasing ionic strength was found at ionic strengths up to approximately 1000 mM, while a rather linear increase was observed at higher ionic strengths for all studied salts; for all salts and ionic strengths, decreasing adsorption with increasing pH value was found. Moreover, a mathematical model was developed, which enables the prediction of equilibrium adsorption isotherms of BSA on Toyopearl MX-Trp-650M for any ionic strength of the studied salts.

PH-induced wurtzite-zinc blende heterogeneous phase formation, optical properties tuning and thermal stability improvement of green synthesized CdS nanoparticles

This is the first paper to report on the pH response to heterogeneous wurtzite/zinc blende phase transformation, optical tunability and thermal stability advancement of the CdS nanoparticles synthesized via co-precipitation, followed by subsequent thermal treatment at a desired annealing temperature of 320 °C, while the solution pH was varied during CdS synthesis by adjusting the ammonium salt concentration. The surface morphology, crystalline structure, functional groups, optical properties and thermal stability of CdS were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–visible spectrophotometer, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. The results show that a dominant sharp band occurs in the FTIR spectra, which authenticates the presence of Cd–S bonds. XRD results reveal that as the pH declines, CdS in the initial cubic phase has gradually transformed into a heterogeneous phase with the coexistence of cubic and hexagonal structures. As observed from the SEM images, the CdS nanoparticles display a homogeneous, smooth and spherically shaped morphology. Optical absorption characterized by UV–visible spectrophotometry denotes that the band gap decreases proportionally with pH, which could be attributed to the formation of larger grain sizes from the aggregation of many small nanocrystallites. TGA and DSC analyses demonstrate an improvement in the thermal stability of CdS with increasing pH values. Consequently, the present findings dictate that pH tunability could be a valuable approach to procuring the desired properties for the respective applications of CdS in diverse fields.

PH-Effect in the Fabrication of ZnO Nanostructured Thin Films by Chemical Bath Deposition for Increasing the Efficiency of Solar Cells.

In this study, the impact of pH on the production of ZnO nanostructured thin films using chemical bath deposition was investigated for the purpose of enhancing the efficiency of solar cells. The ZnO films were directly deposited onto glass substrates at various pH levels during the synthesis process. The results indicate that the crystallinity and overall quality of the material were not affected by the pH solution, as observed through X-ray diffraction patterns. However, scanning electron microscopy revealed that surface morphology improved with increasing pH values, leading to changes in the size of the nanoflowers between pH 9 and 11 values. Furthermore, the ZnO nanostructured thin films synthesized at pH levels of 9, 10, and 11 were utilized in the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells. The ZnO films synthesized at pH 11 exhibited superior characteristics in short-circuit current density and open-circuit photo-voltage compared with those produced at lower pH values.

Evaluation of fermentation progress during storage of millet stovers silage based on pH-indicators

This study aimed at evaluating the fermention levels of pearl millet [Pennisetum Glaucum (L.) R. Br] stovers silage during storage based on pH evolution. A completely randomized experimental design in a 6×2×2 factorial scheme with three replications for each treatment was used to evaluate three factors (6 cultivars, 2 different cutting stages, and with or without salt addition to the cultivars). The silages were prepared in plastic bags and stored for 60 days at room temperature. The results revealed that the pH values of the treatments were significantly (P < 0.05) higher on the first day than in the other periods and a rapid drop in pH, with significant differences (P < 0.05), to levels below 4 was obtained on the third day of storage for the majority of local Sadoré and Siaka Millet silages (Niger). Four types of pH evolution were recorded and the variation was statistical significant among cultivars. Also, analysis of the relationships between pH, chemical composition parameters and In Vitro Digestibiliy of Organic Matter (IVDOM) showed that increasing pH values were associated with increasing Dry Matter content of stovers before silage (DM_BE), Dry Matter content of silages (DM_S), Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL) values and decreasing Crude Protein (CP), Metabolizable Energy (ME), IVOMD, and Ash values. However, the pH values obtained for all silages showed that all the millet stovers used were suitable for silage. At the maturity stage, it is thus possible to use the grain for human consumption and to ensile the stovers for animal feed. This study also shows that monitoring the pH in the silo makes it possible to evaluate the quality of the fermentations to avoid losses on the farms.

Flower color modification through co-overexpression of the VtF3′5′H and RhNHX genes in Rosa hybrida

Roses (Rosa hybrida) are a highly merchandised flower but lack blue varieties. Overexpression of the flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase (F3′5′H) gene can increase the accumulation of blue pigment (delphinidin anthocyanin). However, sometimes the effect of F3′5′H gene alone is inadequate for producing blue flowers. Furthermore, the internal environment of the cell, such as an increase in pH, can also help the conversion of anthocyanins to blue pigments. Nonetheless, genetic engineering methods can simultaneously introduce multiple genes at the same time to regulate the development of blue pigments to achieve the ultimate breeding goal of producing blue color in roses. In the present study, to simultaneously adjust the accumulation of delphinidin and vacuolar pH, we introduced the Viola tricolor flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase (VtF3′5′H) and Rosa hybrida Na+/H+ exchanger (RhNHX) genes into the white rose line “KR056002” using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) results showed that the heterologous genes in the transgenic lines were highly expressed in petals and leaves, and simultaneously promoted the expression of related anthocyanin synthesis structural genes. Obvious color changes were observed in both petals and young leaves, especially when petals changed from white to red-purple. The formation of delphinidin was not detected in the petals of control plants, whereas the petals of transgenic lines had higher delphinidin content (135–214 μg/l) and increased pH value (0.45–0.53) compared with those of control plants.

Synthesis of Ag3PO4/Ag4P2O7 by microwave-hydrothermal method for enhanced UV–visible photocatalytic performance

Ag3PO4/Ag4P2O7 photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by microwave-hydrothermal method. Tuning the properties of photocatalysts was achieved using different amount of acetic acid (CH3COOH) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to adjust pH value of precursor solution (pH = 4, 7, 10 and 12). The crystal structure, morphology and optical property of samples were characterized and explained. The photocatalytic activity of sample was determined by degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) under a wavelength range of 350–700 nm irradiation. The results demonstrated that the change in shape of particles was not observed whereas the average particle size was decreased with increasing pH value because of the high hydroxide ions (OH−). The sample synthesized in the solution with the pH of 10 exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance and stability because of the highest surface area and the present of Ag4P2O7 on the surface of particles. The highest photodegradation efficiency was 99.34 and 96.12% by degrading RhB and MO, respectively. The enhancement of photocatalytic performance of Ag3PO4/Ag4P2O7 was discussed. The active species trapping experiments showed that the h+ was the main active species to decompose the dye molecules.

Feasibility of a Heterogeneous Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron Fenton-like Process for the Removal of Glyphosate from Water

Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide, and it is an important environmental pollutant that can have adverse effects on human health. Therefore, remediation and reclamation of contaminated streams and aqueous environments polluted by glyphosate is currently a worldwide priority. Here, we show that the heterogeneous nZVI-Fenton process (nZVI + H2O2; nZVI: nanoscale zero-valent iron) can achieve the effective removal of glyphosate under different operational conditions. Removal of glyphosate can also take place in the presence of excess nZVI, without H2O2, but the high amount of nZVI needed to remove glyphosate from water matrices on its own would make the process very costly. Glyphosate removal via nZVI--Fenton was investigated in the pH range of 3-6, with different H2O2 concentrations and nZVI loadings. We observed significant removal of glyphosate at pH values of 3 and 4; however, due to a loss in efficiency of Fenton systems with increasing pH values, glyphosate removal was no longer effective at pH values of 5 or 6. Glyphosate removal also occurred at pH values of 3 and 4 in tap water, despite the occurrence of several potentially interfering inorganic ions. Relatively low reagent costs, a limited increase in water conductivity (mostly due to pH adjustments before and after treatment), and low iron leaching make nZVI-Fenton treatment at pH 4 a promising technique for eliminating glyphosate from environmental aqueous matrices.