Areas Of Low Activity Research Articles

Porous liquids assisted in-situ generated Co-LDH@MOF heterostructure with abundant defects for flame retardant and mechanical enhancement in polyurea composites

Preventing aggregation and inducing homogeneous dispersion of flame retardant nanofillers is critical to enhance the fire safety and mechanical properties of nanocomposites. Although chemical modifications are commonly used to improve the filler’s compatibility with the polymer chain, such methods are often cumbersome and limited. Herein, porous liquids (PLs) with flame retardant function were constructed in which porous defect-Co-LDH@ZIF-67 (d-LDH@ZIF) heterostructure particles were converted into liquid materials by electrostatic interaction with a large-volume solvent. This is also the first report of PLs in the field of flame retardant. Specifically, the d-LDH@ZIF heterostructure was designed by defect engineering and in situ growth strategy to compensate for the low catalytic activity and specific surface area of Co-LDH, and to serve as a rigid porous framework for PLs. Numerous cobalt/oxygen vacancies and lattice defects in the d-LDH@ZIF heterostructure have also been proven to confer higher flame retardancy relative to Co-LDH. d-LDH@ZIF porous liquids (PLs-d-L@Z) presents favorable liquid characteristics and achieves a monodisperse state in the polyurea matrix. The limiting oxygen index of polyurea composites blended with 20 wt% PLs-d-L@Z (3 wt% d-LDH@ZIF content) can be increased to 24.2 % and pass the V-0 rating in the UL-94 test. Moreover, the peak of heat release rate, total heat release, and total smoke production are reduced by around 40.4, 27.0, and 39.9 %, respectively, compared to neat polyurea. Emphatically, the PLs-modified polyurea composites exhibit significantly improved mechanical and impact resistance properties, as well as favorable chemical resistance. This strategy of liquefying solid flame retardant fillers will open an avenue to the design of functional nanomaterials for fire safety and other potential applications.

Enhancing strategic deployment of baiting transects for invasive species control – a case study for feral pig baiting in north-eastern Australia

Context Baits are used to deliver lethal or other substances in wildlife management programs across the globe. Successful baiting campaigns are contingent upon the availability of baits to target animals. Bait density is often increased in an attempt to improve bait encounter probabilities. However, this comes with a concomitant increase in cost and may result in significant bait wastage if deployed in areas of low target species activity. Aims The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and cost of different bait transect methods in intersecting home and core ranges of feral pigs as a case study to determine optimal spacing and placement of baiting transects. Methods The authors simulated a variety of systematically spaced aerial transects, watercourse-aligned aerial transects and ground transects along property boundaries and farm tracks, and compared them with home and core ranges of feral pigs, at two study sites in Queensland, Australia. Transect effectiveness at intersecting pig ranges was determined through beta-regression and estimated marginal means (emmeans); efficiency was considered as emmeans per unit of transect length. Key results The study found that systematically spaced aerial transects at 4 km intervals were the most efficient means of intersecting both home and core ranges of feral pigs. Additionally, no alternate transect method, either aerial or ground, provided significantly greater effectiveness at intersecting feral pig home and core ranges at these study sites. Ground transects along farm tracks and property boundaries were also between 113% and 192% more expensive than aerial transects at 4 km spaced intervals for either fixed-wing or rotary aircraft. Conclusion Systematically spaced aerial transects at 4 km intervals are among the most effective and are the most efficient means of intersecting feral pig ranges at the study sites examined. Implications Our methodology offers a blueprint for both vaccination and toxin baiting programs to assess and compare bait transect placements. More specifically for feral pig control, aerial transects with 4 km systematic spacing provide an effective and efficient means for intersecting feral pig ranges. Furthermore, additional data on bait encounter and interaction probabilities are required to determine transect effectiveness at bait uptake by the target species.

Porous Ni Electrodes for Hydrogen Production from Water Electrolysis

Hydrogen has been seen as one of the most valuable options regarding renewable energy storage and conversion. However, its production is still mostly based on fossil fuels, in part because of the high cost of alternative production routes, as is the case of water electrolysis for example. This fact is explained by the energy consumed during the process of hydrogen evolution from water. Nevertheless, the research on water electrolysis is justifiable by the advantages that the process offers, as high produced hydrogen purity, possible association with other renewable energy sources such as solar, hydro and wind power generation, no CO2 emissions during the evolution, simplicity of the process, as so many others. With the purpose of increasing the hydrogen-producing device (electrolysers) performance, great scientific efforts have been directed to the electrodes base materials and their surface technology. In this way, the present work propose powder metallurgy based processes as production routes of nickel porous electrodes, i.e., relatively low cost and high active superficial area electrodes for hydrogen production.

Research on the Spatiotemporal Dynamic Relationship between Human Activity Intensity and Ecosystem Service Value in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

The Three Gorges Dam project and other human activities, including regional urbanization and industrialization, have had a substantial influence on the biological environment of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA). They have changed the surface land use pattern, disrupted ecosystem structure and function, and influenced changes in the value of ecosystem services. The human activity intensity (HAI) assessment model, the ecosystem services value (ESV) assessment model, and the bivariate spatial autocorrelation model were used based on the spatiotemporal evolution data of towns along the Yangtze River in the TGRA in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. At the same time, the spatiotemporal impact of the HAI on land use patterns was evaluated and the magnitude of the spatiotemporal influences on the ESV was investigated. The findings demonstrate the following: (1) The TGRA’s higher reaches are occupied by forested land, while the middle and lower portions are characterized by agricultural land. Land change in the reservoir region has mostly featured transitions between wooded land, agricultural land, grassland, and building land during the last 25 years. Because of differences in natural geography and administrative divisions, the intensity of human activity in the TGRA changes throughout the Yangtze River, with higher intensity in Chongqing and lower intensity in Hubei. By comparing the ESV and the HAI and validating with Moran scatter plots, it was determined that there is a negative relationship between the value of ecosystem services and the intensity of human activities. (2) The ESV rose from CNY 1017.16 × 108 in 1995 to CNY 1052.73 × 108 in 2020, suggesting that the policies of converting farmland back into forests, eliminating outdated production capacity, and developing green industries, among other ecological conservation measures, are effective. (3) In the research area, the effect coefficient of HAI on ESV ranges from −0.02 to −0.032 to −0.031. This coefficient represents the correlation between the HAI and ESV and can preliminarily judge the change in the degree of correlation between the HAI and ESV. The increase in HAI leads to a decrease in the value of ecosystem services, and there is a clear negative spatial correlation between the two. The low human activity area and low ecosystem service value area in the Chongqing section have been transformed into a high ecosystem service value area through years of returning farmland to forest and ecological management measures for sustainable development.

Boosting the performances of protonic solid oxide fuel cells for co-production of propylene and electricity from propane by integrating thermo- and electro- catalysis

Protonic solid oxide fuel cells (p-SOFC) integrated with clean thermal energy sources are promising platforms for decarbonized chemical production in addition to power generation, such as on-purpose propylene production from propane dehydrogenation (PDH). The catalytic performance of the conventional nickel-cermet-based anode materials in p-SOFC for propane conversion is restrained by their low active surface area and proneness to coking. In this work, by integration of a highly efficient industry-relevant thermal catalyst PtGa/ZSM-5 for PDH reaction, we demonstrate that both the electrochemical and catalytic performance of the propane-fueled p-SOFC can be effectively enhanced. The PtGa catalyst integrated p-SOFC exhibits a peak power density of 93 mW cm−2 at 600 °C, which is greater by about 100% and 50% than that without catalyst or with a perovskite-based (Pr0.3Sr0.7)0.9Ni0.1Ti0.9O3 (PSNT) catalyst layer, respectively. The PDH activity and olefin selectivity of the PtGa catalyst is also significantly higher than that of the PSNT catalyst. In addition, much improved coke tolerance and propylene selectivity (over 90%) compared to the catalyst-free Ni-cermet anode materials were achieved by integrating the industrial catalyst layer. The propane conversion can be further improved by an applied current density, whereas the olefin selectivity is almost unaltered. The excellent performance of the PtGa catalyst integrated p-SOFC is attributed to the high surface area, intrinsically high catalytic activity, selectivity, and anti-coking properties of the catalytic layer for propane conversion. This work provides a general approach and a case study for boosting the performances of p-SOFCs in chemical production by integrating thermo- and electro- catalysis.

Caste, religion and the labor force participation of women: evidence from India

This study examines the origins and evolution of labor force participation rate differences between women from different ethnic groups in India. The data comes from the Indian National Sample Survey covering the period from 1983 to 2012. I use parametric and semi-parametric methods to study inter-group participation gaps and find that the caste gap has been narrowing over time, while the religion gap remains high. I find that Muslim women’s concentration in areas of low economic activity is the main driver of their low LFPR. I also test the role of culture in explaining inter-group gaps, using the India Human Development Survey. There has been a general fall in female participation in the labor market globally in recent years. These methods could advantageously be applied to data from other countries to investigate the employment and livelihood opportunities of women in other multi-ethnic contexts and regions.

Electrochemical sensor based on MOF derived LaFexNi(1-x)O3 using carbon spheres as the template for simultaneous determination of p-aminophenol and paracetamol

Using metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as the precursor and carbon spheres as the template, LaFexNi(1-x)O3 (x = 1, 0.8, 0.6, 0.4, 0.2, 0) perovskite-type oxides were synthesized. The structure, morphology and valence state of as-prepared perovskite-type oxides were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance techniques were used to study the effect of Ni-doping ratios on the electrocatalytic performance of perovskite. The differential pulse voltammetry was used to measure the content of p-aminophenol (PAP) and paracetamol (PAT) through the LaFe0.6Ni0.4O3 modified glassy carbon electrode. The experiment shows that among LaFexNi(1-x)O3 (x = 1, 0.8, 0.6, 0.4, 0.2, 0) perovskite-type oxides, LaFe0.6Ni0.4O3 was best electrode material due to its low charge transfer resistance and high electrochemical active surface area. The linear ranges of PAP and PAT were both 1.0–100.0 μM under optimized conditions, while the detection limits were 0.111 and 0.162 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. The practicality of the suggested sensor was explored through the simultaneous detection of PAP and PAT in real samples, and satisfactory findings in acetaminophen pills were obtained.

Evaluation of thermal plasma-synthesized cobalt boride nanoparticles as efficient water-splitting catalysts

Herein, cobalt boride nanoparticles are synthesized using the thermal plasma process and investigated in their performance as electrocatalysts for water splitting. The products show efficient electrocatalyst performance for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline electrolyte (1 M KOH). The size distribution of the products, CoB and Co2B, is between 5 and 15 nm, which is decreased by reducing the flow rate of plasma-forming gas. The results reveal that the size of the particles could be controlled by changing the flow rate of the plasma-forming gas. Furthermore, the cobalt boride nanoparticles with high crystallinity could be synthesized through a one-step process without the post-treatment process. The products achieve an overpotential of 355 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm2 and a Tafel slope of 49 mV/dec in the OER measurement, and their performance is more efficient than that of the cobalt-based catalysts reported to date. In contrast, the products exhibit a relatively high Tafel slope of 92 mV/dec and a low active surface area of 1.2 mF/cm2 in the HER measurement. However, their long-term stable performance is maintained for OER and HER at ± 10 mA/cm2 for 40 h. Thus, cobalt boride nanoparticles are a promising material for the anode of water-splitting electrodes.

A genome-wide map of DNA replication at single-molecule resolution in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum replicates via schizogony: an unusual type of cell cycle involving asynchronous replication of multiple nuclei within the same cytoplasm. Here, we present the first comprehensive study of DNA replication origin specification and activation during Plasmodium schizogony. Potential replication origins were abundant, with ORC1-binding sites detected every ∼800 bp. In this extremely A/T-biased genome, the sites were biased towards areas of higher G/C content, and contained no specific sequence motif. Origin activation was then measured at single-molecule resolution using newly developed DNAscent technology: a powerful method of detecting replication fork movement via base analogues in DNA sequenced on the Oxford Nanopore platform. Unusually, origins were preferentially activated in areas of low transcriptional activity, and replication forks also moved fastest through lowly transcribed genes. This contrasts with the way that origin activation is organised in other systems, such as human cells, and suggests that P. falciparum has evolved its S-phase specifically to minimise conflicts between transcription and origin firing. This may be particularly important to maximise the efficiency and accuracy of schizogony, with its multiple rounds of DNA replication and its absence of canonical cell-cycle checkpoints.

Effects of intensive agricultural landscapes on farmland use by medium and large mammals in Japan

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the effects of landscape differences associated with intensive agricultural activities on farmland use by medium and large mammals in Japan. We compared the species diversity of mammals that used farmland within three regions with different agricultural activity levels, and analyzed the relationship between the occurrences and escape responses of mammals in the farmland and surrounding landscape. We used spotlight count in intensive (high agricultural activity), intermediate (moderate agricultural activity), and non-intensive (low agricultural activity) areas. We observed 271 and 199 occurrences of mammals in spring and autumn 2021, respectively. Seasonal changes in mammals occurrence were due to a decrease in the number of raccoon dogs observed. Species richness tended to be lower in intensive agricultural areas than in other areas, suggesting that intensive agricultural landscapes negatively affect the community structure of medium and large mammals. Generalized additive models showed that the effects of the surrounding landscape on the occurrences and escape responses of raccoon dogs, red foxes, and cats differed among species. Only raccoon dogs were negatively affected by the surrounding farmland, suggesting high sensitivity to agricultural activities. Our results have important implications for the management of ecosystems in Japanese agricultural areas.

Low Energy, Non-Cortical, Graphene Nanoribbon-Based STDP Plastic Synapses

The realization of energy efficient, low area, and fast processing neuron and synapse circuits is of prime importance for unleashing neuromorphic computing full potential. In this paper, we introduce a graphene-based synapse, which can emulate Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP) and Short/Long Term Plasticity (STP/LTP) with variable signal amplitude and temporal dynamics. The synapse operation is validated by means of SPICE simulations, and its synaptic modulation ability is showcased through reinforcement learning within a Spiking Neural Network for robotic navigation with obstacles avoidance. Besides its functional versatility, the proposed graphene-based synapse can potentially occupy low active area ($ \approx 170{\kern 1pt} {\mathrm{n}}{{\mathrm{m}}^2}$≈170nm2) and operate at low voltage ($200{\kern 1pt} {\mathrm{mV}}$200 mV ). When compared with a biological brain synapse, its energy consumption per spike for a weight update operation ($0.5{\kern 1pt} {\mathrm{fJ}}$0.5 fJ ) is $20 \times $20× lower, while the processing speed is increased by six orders of magnitude. Such properties are essential desiderata for the realization of large scale neuromorphic systems, making the proposed graphene-based synapse an outstanding candidate for this purpose.

Vanadium redox flow batteries using new mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon coated graphite felt electrode

New and economical mesoporous nitrogen (N)-doped carbon structure is prepared using sodium citrate (SC) and urea precursors and then doped onto graphite felt (GF) electrode (SC/U-GF). The catalytic properties of SC/U-GF electrode are compared with those of pristine GF and SC-GF electrodes. When a large amount of mesoporous N-doped carbon is doped onto GF, the catalytic activity of SC/U-GF for improving the reactivity and reversibility of VO2+/VO2+ and V2+/V3+ redox reactions is excellent, and its proper mesoporous structure promotes the mass transfer of vanadium ions. This is proved by measuring its low charge transfer resistance and high active area. When VRFB single cell using SC/U-GF is tested, its energy efficiency (EE) is 80.2 % at 120 mA cm−2, which is 7.8 and 3.1 % better than VRFBs using pristine GF (72.4 %) and SC-GF (77.1 %). Even in a high current density (200 mA cm−2), its EE (71.6 %) is better than VRFBs using pristine GF (59.9 %) and SC-GF (66.4 %). Additionally, EE of VRFBs using SC-GF and SC/U-GF is well maintained (95.6 and 99.6 % preservation after 300 cycles). Based on that, it is obvious that SC/U-GF electrode strongly affects the enhancements in performance and stability of VRFB.

Pfaffia glomerata is a hyperaccumulator candidate: Cd and Zn tolerance, absorption, transfer, and distribution

Pfaffia glomerata is a candidate for phytoremediation due to its high biomass and high bioaccumulation efficiency of multiple heavy metals. It is essential to further evaluate its tolerance, absorption, transfer, and distribution to multiple heavy metals. In the current study, we evaluated the tolerance, absorption, transfer, and distribution of P. glomerata in a Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn combined-contaminated environment by two hydroponic experiments. The results demonstrated that P. glomerata was not affected by Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn exposure, except for the 50 μM Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn treatment, which significantly decreased the stem biomass. In a single Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn exposure, the root of P. glomerata absorbed Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn in the order of Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu. Almost all Pb and Cu accumulated in the plant roots and were hardly transferred to the aboveground parts. Therefore, the order of total Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn extraction of a single plant in multiple Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn exposures at the same concentration was Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) of Cd and Zn in roots, stems, and leaves increased with the concentration of Cd and Zn in the solution, and was > 1. In contrast with Cd and Zn, the BCFs of Cu and Pb in the stems and leaves were < 1. The element distribution of Pb, Cu, Zn, and Mn in the stem of P. glomerata was dispersed, indicating that the stem of P. glomerata does not have a detoxification mechanism for distributing metals to the area of low biological activity. The total amount of tartaric acid, critic acid, and DOC secreted by P. glomerata roots decreased with the increase in Cd/Pb/Cu/Zn exposure. However, further investigation is needed to unravel the interaction between the LMWOAs secreted by the root of P. glomerata and heavy metals.

Enhanced electro-activity of nickel phosphide by pre-treatment for efficient hydrogen sulfide elimination

Electrochemical sulfide oxidation is a promising approach for sulfide removal from wastewater or biogas due to low energy and chemical consumption. In this work, nickel phosphide was facilely electrodeposited on stainless steel (SS/Ni-P) and comprehensively evaluated as anode catalyst for sulfide oxidation. Electrochemical property analysis suggested that SS/Ni-P had low polarization resistance (109.10 Ω) and high electrochemical active surface area (Cdl = 1.3 mF/cm2). The sulfide removal efficiency of SS/Ni-P achieved 95.00 ± 3.55 % at 1.42 V vs RHE within 48 h, which was 2.60 times and 3.62 times of that by SS/Ni and SS anodes, respectively. The first order kinetic rate constant of SS/Ni-P for sulfide removal was 0.0315 ± 0.0061 h-1, superior than that of the reported single nickel atom based catalyst with stainless steel substrate. Pre-treating SS/Ni-P under a constant external potential for 10 s further improved the electroactivity on sulfide oxidation due to the enhancement of the electrochemical active surface area by 46.56%. Further analysis of the chemical state changes during the sulfide oxidation process revealed that the Ni from Ni-P was the real active center, which formed Ni-S precursors to promote polysulfide formation. This work provided a highly efficient sulfide oxidation anode material for sulfide containing wastewater and biogas treatment.

Nanostructured carbon as highly efficient and stable anodes for ethylene production and power generation in protonic ceramic electrochemical cells

Protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (PCECs) have the potential in reducing the energy input and carbon emissions in ethylene production from ethane dehydrogenation. The performance of conventional perovskite-based anode materials for ethane conversion in PCECs is limited by their low active surface area and proneness to coke deposition. In this work, for the first time, we demonstrate the use of aligned carbon nanotube forests (CNTFs) as a novel anode material for an ethane fueled PCEC to co-produce ethylene and electricity. The CNTF electrode was grown on the electrolyte by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Highly dispersed iron carbide nanoparticles are formed in situ on the CNTFs during the CVD process, acting as highly active catalysts for ethane dehydrogenation. The novel PCECs show superior catalytic and electrochemical performances to that using conventional perovskite-based anodes. The cell also exhibits excellent durability and anti-coking abilities within 100 h test. This work showcases the promising application of nanostructured carbon, a new class of non-perovskite materials, as the multifunctional electrode materials for PCECs.

Periodic porous 3D boron-doped diamond electrode for enhanced perfluorooctanoic acid degradation

Using diamond anodes for electrochemical removal of recalcitrant perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) pollutants has become an important strategy in recent research. However, the electrolysis removal efficiency of PFOA is still plagued by low electrochemical active surface area (EASA) and mass transfer limitation of conventional flat-plate diamond anodes. Herein, the periodic porous boron-doped diamond (PP-BDD) anodes were successfully prepared by 3D printing combined with hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (HF-CVD) technologies. The prepared PP-BDD anode achieves a higher PFOA kinetics (kapp = 0.022 min−1, the normalized rate constant is 6.6 m s−1) compared with the conventional 2D-BDD anode (kapp = 0.006 min−1, the normalized rate constant is 1.8 m s−1) at the applied density of 20 mA cm−2. The calculated mass transfer coefficient km of PFOA towards PP-BDD (2.6 × 10−5 m s−1) is about 6.1 times higher than that of 2D-BDD (0.42 × 10−5 m s−1), and the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurement verifies that PP-BDD produces more •OH and SO4•− radicals during the electrolysis process versus 2D-BDD. The unique periodic pore structure enables PP-BDD higher EASA than 2D-BDD and increases the mass transfer efficiency. Consequently, the number of electrolyte and PFOA molecule accessible diamond anode surface is increased. This work provides valuable guidance for the deterministic design of periodic pore structure-based BDD electrodes for efficient electrochemical oxidation (EO) of refractory pollutants.

Synchronous synthesis of electro-exfoliated/oxidized binder-free expanded graphite paper at low potential for solid-state capacitor

Expanded graphite paper has been applicable to capacitors favorably. However, due to its low electrochemical active area, this paper-type capacitive material usually needs to be further treated. In this paper, electro-exfoliation and electro-oxidation strategies are combined in one-step under low potential. The modified material has both porous structure and functional groups, which improves the electrochemical properties of the electrode obviously. The energy density and capacity retention rate of assembled solid-state capacitor can reach 13.6 mAh g−1 at 0.5A g−1 and 79.5% after cycling 5000 times, respectively. The potential of this synthetic strategy is further demonstrated by electrodepositing process.

Increasing the Effective Area of Small‐Sized CIGS Modules by Printed Ag Front Contacts

Despite the high‐efficiency potential of the Cu(In1−x Ga x )Se2 (CIGS) technology, its global market share is still relatively small. One reason for that is the comparatively low active module area caused by small cell widths and therefore the resulting amount of scribing lines for monolithic interconnection. This results in significant losses from cell‐to‐module level. One approach to overcome this issue is the application of front contacts. Throughout this study, the electrical performance of small‐sized CIGS modules with cell widths of w c = 4 mm, w c = 7 mm, and w c = 17 mm with and without front side metallization is evaluated. A low‐temperature curing Ag paste is applied onto those different CIGS module designs by flatbed screen printing and parallel dispensing. The application of Ag‐electrodes obtains a significant increase in module power of ΔP mmp,rel. = +18% for 4 mm cell widths compared to grid‐free CIGS modules. Furthermore, the homogeneous electrode shape of dispensed structures enables broad cells of w c = 17 mm in small‐sized CIGS modules. As a result, the module performance increases by ΔP mmp,rel. = +25% compared to screen‐printed Ag‐electrodes, demonstrating the great potential of the dispensing approach for the CIGS technology and potentially other thin‐film technologies.

Buoyant titanium dioxide (TiO2) as high performance photocatalyst and peroxide activator: A critical review on fabrication, mechanism and application

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalyst is widely used in wastewater treatment. The favourable attributes of TiO2 such as chemically stability, cost-effectiveness, low toxicity to humans and high catalytic activity have received extensive attention from researchers seeking to design better materials. Nevertheless, one of the drawbacks of TiO2 photocatalyst is the powder form which is capable of reducing its performance. This phenomenon is attributed to the low active surface area, decreased light absorption and limited contact area with the pollutants in an aqueous system. Therefore, researchers have developed new ideas by immobilising potential catalysts onto a buoyant substrate to design an effective buoyant photocatalyst. This review aims to discuss the crucial properties of the buoyant substrates and promote the benefits of designing the ideal TiO2-based buoyant photocatalysts. Moreover, several vital parameters have been underlined in the fabrication methods to ensure high stability and durability of the buoyant photocatalysts during the photocatalysis process. Additionally, the activation methods of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), persulfate (PS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the photodegradation of pollutants are also highlighted in this review paper. The good reusability of the synthesised buoyant photocatalysts is proven as a good indicator of their stability. Furthermore, this review article suggests potential guidelines for the researchers in the fabrication of the TiO2-based buoyant photocatalysts for wastewater treatment applications in the future.

Amyloid-Templated Palladium Nanoparticles for Water Purification by Electroreduction.

Electrocatalysis offers great promise for water purification but is limited by low active area and high uncontrollability of electrocatalysts. To overcome these constraints, we propose hybrid bulk electrodes by synthesizing and binding a Pd nanocatalyst (nano‐Pd) to the electrodes via amyloid fibrils (AFs). The AFs template is effective for controlling the nucleation, growth, and assembly of nano‐Pd on the electrode. In addition, the three‐dimensional hierarchically porous nanostructure of AFs is beneficial for loading high‐density nano‐Pd with a large active area. The novel hybrid cathodes exhibit superior electroreduction performance for the detoxification of hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), 4‐chlorophenol, and trichloroacetic acid in wastewater and drinking water. This study provides a proof‐of‐concept design of an AFs‐templated nano‐Pd‐based hybrid electrode, which constitutes a paradigm shift in electrocatalytic water purification, and broadens the horizon of its potential engineered applications.