Transfer Route Research Articles

Robust red-emitting glass phosphors with high color purity achieved through a novel energy transfer pathway in Pr3+/Sm3+ co-activation

For the first time, a series of Pr3+/Sm3+ co-activated Multicomponent Borosilcate glasses were prepared by melt-quench technique with a fixed concentration of Pr3+ ions (0.5 mol%) and varied concentrations of Sm3+ ions (0.1–1 mol%). An energy transfer route is predicted from the spectral overlap diagram of absorption band (Pr3+:3H4→1D2) and emission (Sm3+:4G5/2→6H5/2, 4G5/2→6H7/2) bands of the singly doped glasses. A comprehensive analysis of photoluminescence features imparted by the Pr3+/Sm3+ co-activation in Multicomponent Borosilcate glasses was investigated with 402 and 444 nm excitation wavelengths and confirmed the existence of energy transfer from Pr3+ to Sm3+ ions with red light emission of high color purity (100 %). Decay profiles and colorimetry analysis further revealed that this dazzling red luminescence feature, achieved via novel energy transfer pathways in the as-prepared glasses, could be useful for red emission applications.

Presentation and management outcome of foot drop with tibialis posterior tendon transfer.

Foot drop causes considerable disability. The ankle-dorsiflexion is either weak or lost completely. Additionally, the ankle eversion and toe extensions are also impaired. This results in a high steppage gait while walking. Overall, the gait is awkward; there is greater energy consumption; increased proneness to sustain injury of the forefoot; and more frequent falling during walking. To document the clinical and epidemiological profile of foot drop patients in our population and evaluate the outcome of tibialis posterior (TP) tendon transfer for restoring the lost dorsiflexion in foot drop. The study was carried out at the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine in Islamabad over a period of 7 years. It included patients of all sexes and ages who presented with foot drop and had no contraindications for the procedure of TP tendon transfer. Exclusion criteria were patients who had contraindications for the operation. For instance, paralyzed posterior leg compartment muscles, Achilles tendon contracture, stiff ankle or toes, unstable ankle joint, weak gastrocnemius and scarred skin spanning over the route of planned tendon transfer. Also, patients who had the foot drop as a result of disc prolapses or brain diseases were excluded. Convenience sampling technique was used. The circum-tibial route of TP tendon transfer was employed. Out of 37 patients, 26 (70.27%) were males whereas 11 (29.72%) were females. The mean age was 22.59 ± 8.19 years. Among the underlying causes of foot drop, road traffic accidents constituted the most common cause, found among 20 (54.05%) patients. The share of complications included wound infections in 3 (8.10%) patients and hypertrophic scars in 2 (5.40%) patients. At 1-year postoperative follow-up visits, the outcome was excellent in 8 (21.62%), good in 20 (54.05%) and moderate in 9 (24.31%). The majority of cases of foot drop resulted from road traffic accidents that directly involved the common peroneal nerve. TP tendon transfer through the circumtibial route was found to be an easily executed effective operation which restored good dorsiflexion of the ankle among the majority of patients.

Construction of directional electron transfer from Pt to MoO2-x in macroporous structure for efficient hydrogen oxidation

Hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) as the anode reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cell, usually suffers from the high loading of platinum (Pt) and subsequent CO poisoning especially by using industrial crude hydrogen as fuel. In this work, we propose a directional electron transfer route from Pt to MoO2-x in the macroporous structure to significantly enhance the HOR activity as well as the CO tolerance, which is constructed by interface engineering and defect strategy to anchor highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles onto the three-dimensional MoO2-x-C framework. The optimized 2Pt-MoO2-x-C with 1.02 wt% Pt demonstrates higher HOR peak current density (3.57 mA cm−2) and nearly 25 times higher mass activity than 20 wt% Pt/C. The excellent HOR performance is attributed to the synergistic effect between Pt and MoO2-x species, in which the charge transfer from Pt to MoO2-x improves H2 adsorption ability of Pt and accelerates the activation of H2 due to the reduced hydrogen binding energy of MoO2-x caused by Pt-O construction, leading to the release of H* thereby the enhancement of HOR activity. The construction of three-dimensional macroporous structure enhances the HOR dynamics by promoting the conductivity, mass transfer and the exposure of active sites. Moreover, the formed Mo-OH in Pt-MoO2-x-C can effectively react with CO species to remove the CO poisoning of Pt, endowing the excellent CO tolerance.

MIL-125-PDI/ZnIn2S4 Inorganic-Organic S-Scheme Heterojunction With Hierarchical Hollow Nanodisc Structure for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution from Antibiotic Wastewater Remediation.

Efficient photocatalytic production of H2 from wastewater is expected to address environmental pollution and energy crises effectively. However, the rapid recombination of photoinduced carriers results in low photoconversion efficiency. At present, inorganic-organic S-scheme heterojunction have become a prominent and promising technology. In this study, an organic ligand modified MIL-125-PDI/ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) inorganic-organic S-scheme heterojunction catalyst is designed. ZIS nanosheets are grown on the disc-shaped MIL-125-PDI surface to form a distinctive hollow nanodiscs with hierarchical structure, giving the material an abundance of surface active sites, an optimized electronic structure, and a spatially separated redox surface. Consequently, the optimal 100MIL-125-PDI250/ZIS exhibited high photocatalytic HER of 508.99 µmol g-1 h-1 in Tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) solution. Meanwhile, the catalyst achieved complete TC-HCl removal and mineralization rate of 66.62% in 4h. Experimental and theoretical calculations corroborate that the staggered band alignment and work function difference between MIL-125-PDI and ZIS induce the formation of a built-in electric field, thus regulating the charge transfer routes and consequently enhancing charge separation efficiency. The possible photocatalytic mechanism is analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and the toxicities of the degradation products are also evaluated. This work presents a green dual-function strategy for H2 production and antibiotic wastewater recycling.

Designing flexible TiO2/SrTiO3/BiOBr recyclable fiber membrane with spatial dual oxidation sites for photocatalytic uranium extraction under visible light

The utilization of nuclear energy generates a substantial volume of wastewater containing uranium, posing a significant threat to both aquatic ecosystems and human health. The current photocatalytic materials utilized for uranium extraction commonly exhibit insufficient redox capabilities, inefficient separation of photogenerated carriers, and challenging recovery. Therefore, recyclable TiO2/SrTiO3/BiOBr (TSB) dual Z-scheme heterojunction fiber membrane materials with dual oxidation sites were successfully synthesized, with advantages of rapid carrier separation and transfer and a broad photo-response range of the dual Z-scheme heterojunctions. Due to the presence of dual oxidation sites, TSB exhibited an exceptional uranium extraction performance, achieving a remarkable 98.9 % extraction rate without the need for sacrificial agents, which was 2.48, 1.79, and 3.34 times of those of ordinary TiO2, SrTiO3, and BiOBr, respectively. The extraction rate of uranium from TSB was 85 % after five cycles. Optical and photoelectric tests revealed that TSB reduced the bandgap width by 0.25 eV compared to that of TiO2, enhanced the fluorescence lifetime by 1.3 ns, lowered the electrical resistance, and higher optical current density, confirming the effective charge transport at the catalyst interfaces. The charge transfer routes in the TSB dual Z-scheme were confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory. The potent oxidizing ·OH generated by TSB played a crucial role in facilitating the conversion of U(VI) into insoluble (UO2)O2·2H2O. In conclusion, this work provides a novel strategy for the design of dual Z-scheme heterojunctions and offers a new method for practical and recoverable uranium extraction.

Construction of a Long-Range Quantitative Fluorescence Sensor for Multiple Amine Vapors by π···π Aggregates of Carborane.

The exploitation of small molecules as fluorescence sensors represents a minimalistic solution toward the sensing of hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Compared with the conventional aggregation-induced emitting sensors, the carborane (Cb)-based sensors have exhibited multiple advantages and improved quantitative fluorescence (QF) sensing abilities toward the gaseous VOCs. However, in the current Cb-based sensors, the localization of a single responsive site toward VOCs remains less focused, which results in a bias in the trace detection and short-range testing windows. In this work, we synthesized two pyrene-alkynylated carboranes (Py-1 and Py-2) and investigated their photophysical properties in different cases. We found that Py-1 and Py-2 in the films were consistently self-assembled through π···π aggregation of pyrenylethynyl moieties. Theoretical modeling showed that the highly emissive π···π aggregates were thermodynamically stable and their responsive sites toward VOCs were localized on the electron-poor phenyl or fluorenyl groups. As a result, the Py-1 and Py-2 films showed remarkable emission-off sensibilities toward NEt3 vapors via a major route of photoinduced electron transfer. The optimized QF sensor Py-2 showed linear emission-off response toward three types of static amine vapors in long concentration ranges (1.78-90 g/m3 at most), and the limit of detection could be lowered to 99 mg/m3 in the in situ sensing.

Multi-Wavelength Excitable Multicolor Upconversion and Ratiometric Luminescence Thermometry of Yb3+/Er3+ Co-Doped NaYGeO4 Microcrystals.

Excitation wavelength controllable lanthanide upconversion allows for real-time manipulation of luminescent color in a composition-fixed material, which has been proven to be conducive to a variety of applications, such as optical anti-counterfeiting and information security. However, current available materials highly rely on the elaborate core-shell structure in order to ensure efficient excitation-dependent energy transfer routes. Herein, multicolor upconversion luminescence in response to both near-infrared I and near-infrared II (NIR-I and NIR-II) excitations is realized in a novel but simple NaYGeO4:Yb3+/Er3+ phosphor. The remarkably enhanced red emission ratio under 1532 nm excitation, compared with that under 980 nm excitation, could be attributed to the Yb3+-mediated cross-relaxation energy transfers. Moreover, multi-wavelength excitable temperature-dependent (295-823 K) upconversion luminescence realizes a ratiometric thermometry relying on the thermally coupled levels (TCLs) of Er3+. Detailed investigations demonstrate that changing excitation wavelength makes little difference for the performances of TCL-based ratiometric thermometry of NaYGeO4:Yb3+/Er3+. These findings gain more insights to manipulate cross-relaxations for excitation controllable upconversion in single activator doped materials and benefit the cognition of the effect of excitation wavelength on ratiometric luminescence thermometry.

Integrated municipal solid waste management using ArcGIS tools: A case of akaki-kality sub-city, addis ababa, ethiopia.

This study aimed to optimize the solid waste collection and transportation system using ArcGIS Network Analyst and location-allocation tools. The generated solid waste was characterized by proximate analysis. The generation rate and composition were determined according to standard methods. The average solid waste generation rates for households, commercial sites, institutions, and recreational places were 0.48kg/c/day, 15.03kg/fac/day, 9.32kg/fac/day, and 22.8kg/fac/day, respectively. The estimated total generation rate of the sub-city is 207,004.03kg/day and 712.13 m3/day as discarded base. Composition analysis revealed that food waste is the major component of municipal solid waste, with estimated weight and volume of 134,696.08kg and 299.46 m3, respectively. Proximate analysis indicated that food and textile wastes have relatively high moisture content and fixed carbon. Candidate pre-collection bin allocations were optimized based on factors such as road network, distribution of solid waste generators, and existing temporary dumping sites, resulting in 1052 potential bin locations. Transfer station allocation was optimized by considering land use-land cover, slope, and geology. Twelve transfer routes and four transport routes were established to efficiently serve the bins and final waste destinations. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that ArcGIS Network Analyst and location-allocation tools can effectively optimize the municipal solid waste collection and transportation system, providing a robust framework for improving waste management efficiency. However, further research is recommended to validate these findings through field application.

Synergistic photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3/g-C3N4/ZnO ternary heterojunction with dual Z-scheme charge transfer towards textile dye degradation

It is clear that a wide range of organic substances, including synthetic textile dyes, have the potential to negatively impact the environment. It is crucial to rationally develop highly effective photocatalysts for the degradation of such type of pollutants. In this regard, a heterostructured photocatalyst comes with enhanced charge separation and extended light absorption ability that improves photocatalytic performance. Therefore, In this study, a Bi2O3/g-C3N4/ZnO (BCNZ) ternary heterojunction photocatalyst was synthesized for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) textile dye.. Thermal polycondensation method was opted to synthesize g-C3N4, while ZnO and Bi2O3 photocatalysts were fabricated using co-precipitation method. Similarly, ternary heterojunction of BCNZ was constructed through co-precipitation method. The ternary heterojunction photocatalyst demonstrated better photodegradation ability due to dual Z-scheme charge transfer route. The dual Z-scheme heterojunction enabled the ternary heterojunction to exhibit enhanced light absorption capabilities with reduced recombination rates as well as enhanced charge separation and migration efficiency (confirmed via transient photocurrent response) that resulted in improved photocatalytic performance. The BCNZ dual Z-scheme photocatalyst displayed 92 % of degradation efficiency which was much higher than that of other (binary and pristine) photocatalysts. Scavenging tests and electron spin resonance spectroscopy revealed the significant role of the •O2−, and •OH radicals in the photodegradation of MB. Furthermore, the reusability test presented good stability and recyclability of the ternary photocatalyst with 80 % degradation efficiency after five catalytic cycles.

Automated ECL Aptasensing Platform from an Intrarticular Radical Annihilation Route for Distinguishing Glioma Stages.

Nowadays, continuous efforts have been devoted to designing stable and high-efficiency electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitters as alternatives for tris(2,2'-bipyridine)-ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+) in medical research. Herein, a novel ECL emitter was obtained by coordinating crystalline covalent triazinyl frameworks (cCTFs) with Ru2+ (termed Ru-cCTFs), which exhibited strong ECL emission by the ligand to metal charge transfer (LMCT) route. After its integration with 4-mercaptopyridine (SH-Py), the resultant SH-Py-Ru-cCTFs achieved 2.3-fold enhancement in the ECL efficiency by employing Ru(bpy)32+ as a standard, which involved a dynamic "intrarticular radical annihilation" ECL pathway. On such foundation, an automated ECL (A-ECL) aptasensor was constructed with an "on-off-on" model and magnetic separation upon linkage of the SH-Py-Ru-cCTFs with streptavidin (SA) magnetic beads (MBs). This automatic assay of miRNA-182 showed a wider linear range from 1.0 to 100.0 fM with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.994, a lower limit of detection (LOD) down to 0.28 fM, and faster operation within 41 min. Impressively, this bioassay facilely distinguished the stages of glioma disease from clinical blood samples with high accuracy. Hence, this research sheds light on how to develop advanced ECL luminophores and an automatic method, showing substantial insights into pathogenesis research of gliomas.

Synergistic Interactions of Bulk Polarization and Built-In Electric Field Inducing 2D/2D S-Scheme Homojunction Toward Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance.

The rational design of S-scheme photocatalysts, achieved by serially integrating two different semiconductors, represents a promising strategy for efficient charge separation and amplified photocatalytic performance, yet it remains a challenge. Herein, ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) and oxygen-doped ZnIn2S4 (O-ZIS) nanosheets are chosen to construct a homojunction catalyst architecture. Theoretical simulations alongside comprehensive in situ and ex situ characterizations confirm that ZIS and O-ZIS with noncentrosymmetric layered structures can generate a polarization-induced bulk-internal electric field (IEF) within the crystal. A robust interface-IEF is also created by the strong interfacial interaction between O-ZIS and ZIS with different work functions. Owing to these features, the O-ZIS/ZIS homojunction adopts an S-scheme directional charge transfer route, wherein photoexcited electrons in ZIS and holes in O-ZIS concurrently migrate to their interface and subsequently recombine. This enables spatial charge separation and provides a high driving force for both reduction and oxidation reactions simultaneously. Consequently, such photocatalyst exhibits an H2 evolution rate up to 142.9µmol h-1 without any cocatalysts, which is 4.6- and 3.4-fold higher than that of pristine ZIS and O-ZIS, respectively. Benzaldehyde is also produced as a value-added oxidation product with a rate of 146.9µmol h-1. This work offers a new perspective on the design of S-scheme systems.

Phosphate modified nanoarchitectonics for promoted photocatalytic singlet oxygen generation and carbamazepine degradation of (0 1 0) facet-exposed BiOCl

1O2 generation over (001) or (010) facet exposed BiOCl (B001 or B010) with/without phosphate modification were studied from the aspects of excitons involved energy transfer route, the O2− oxidation based charge transfer route and the H2O2 oxidation by HClO. Phosphate modification not only enhance charge separation thus result in H2O2 oxidation by HClO to release 1O2 but also weaken excitonic effect in the confined layer of BiOCl accordingly affect 1O2 generation via energy transfer. Considering [001] orientation favors the formation of excitons than that of [010] direction over BiOCl, excitons loss was hardly compensated by the H2O2 oxidation by HClO for 1O2 generation over phosphate modified B001. Nevertheless, limited excitonic effect makes the O2− oxidation by h+ via charge transfer as dominant route for 1O2 yielding over B010, the extra H2O2 oxidation with HClO after phosphate modification significantly enhance 1O2 generation over B010 followed with 2.2 times higher carbamazepine photodegradation activity. The initial attack of CC bond via 1O2 to form epoxide played important roles on carbamazepine degradation. This study demonstrated that the facet-specific phosphate modification of photocatalysts can finely tune reactive 1O2 species for superior pharmaceuticals degradations.

Anion Effect on the CuII-Neocuproine Mediator and Its Electrocatalysts for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Polymeric Chalcogenides of PEDOT-PEDTT and [Ag2(SePh)2]n.

The synthetical methodology for the [Cu(dmp)2]2+/1+ (dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline; neocuproine) complexes has been systematically investigated by using various copper precursors, including CuCl2, Cu(NO3)2, and Cu(ClO4)2. After an anion exchange to trifluoromethanesulfonimide (TFSI), the tetra-coordinated CuII(dmp)2(TFSI)2-Cu(ClO4)2 (7.43%) outperformed the penta-coordinated CuII(dmp)2(TFSI)(NO3)-Cu(NO3)2 (4.30%) and CuII(dmp)2(TFSI)(Cl)-CuCl2. Polymeric chalcogenides, including a conducting copolymeric electrode of PEDOT-PEDTT [PEDOT = poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene); PEDTT = poly(3,4-ethylenedithiothiophene)] and a coordination polymeric electrode of silver bezeneselenolate ([Ag2(SePh)2]n; mithrene), are introduced as the electrocatalysts for [Cu(dmp)2]2+/1+ for the first time. After optimization, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on carbon cloth (CC)/AgSePh-30 (10.18%) showed superior electrocatalytic ability compared to the benchmark CC/Pt (7.43%) due to numerous active sites provided by electron-donating Se atoms, high film roughness, and bottom-up 2D charge transfer routes. The DSSC based on CC/PEDTT-50 (10.38%) also outperformed CC/Pt due to numerous active sites provided by electron-donating S atoms and proper energy band structure. This work sheds light on the future design and synthesis in Cu-complex mediators and functional polymeric chalcogenides for high-performance DSSCs.

Harnessing Oxoammonium Salts for Oxidations in Organic Synthesis and Catalysis: Origins and Applications

The oxoammonium cation has been identified as the true oxidant intermediate in many aerobic oxidations promoted by long‐lived nitroxide radicals. Various oxoammonium salts have been synthesized and utilized to perform these oxidation reactions. In addition to alcohol dehydrogenation and oxidative coupling reactions, new types of reactions involving oxoammonium salts have recently been reported. This concept aims to discuss these oxidations from the perspective of reaction mechanisms, with a focus on progress made since 2019. Beyond the electron transfer route for synthesizing oxoammonium salts, four types of reaction mechanisms are included.

Self‐Confined Construction of Facet Heterojunction with Tunable Band Alignment for Enhanced Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

AbstractAlthough crystal facet engineering is extensively studied in energy and environmental technologies, the in‐depth understanding of intrinsic mechanisms governing crystal facet heterojunctions in tuning band alignments is still limited. Here, novel Bi5O7NO3 crystals exposing tailor {080} facets are synthesized via NH4+‐assisted self‐confined construction. It has been confirmed that NH4+ ions selectively adsorb on the {141} facets, inversely inducing the growth of desired {080} crystal facets, while the tailored {080} facets facilitate the generation of oxygen vacancies. The controllable concentration of oxygen vacancies, influenced by different exposed facets, can optimize the relative positions of Fermi levels and shift the photoelectron transfer route between the {141} and {080}‐OV facets from type‐II to S‐scheme, thus triggering rapid charge transport channels and effectively suppressing electron‐hole recombination. DFT calculation verifies that the energy barrier for the *COOH formation on Bi5O7NO3‐{080}‐OV is the lowest, thereby promoting the generation of CO. The well‐designed Bi5O7NO3 crystals with the optimal {080}/{141} facet ratio exhibit a 3.8‐fold enhancement in photocatalytic CO2 reduction, compared to traditional Bi5O7NO3 dominated by the {141} facets. This work offers new insights into the regulation of band alignments at heterointerfaces and the design of high‐efficiency photocatalysts.

A new biomechanical model of the mammal jaw based on load path analysis.

The primary function of the tetrapod jaw is to transmit jaw muscle forces to bite points. The routes of force transfer in the jaw have never been studied but can be quantified using load paths - the shortest, stiffest routes from regions of force application to support constraints. Here, we use load path analysis to map force transfer from muscle attachments to bite point and jaw joint, and to evaluate how different configurations of trabecular and cortical bone affect load paths. We created three models of the mandible of the Virginia opossum, Didelphis virginiana, each with a cortical bone shell, but with different material properties for the internal spaces: (1) a cortical-trabecular model, in which the interior space is modeled with bulk properties of trabecular bone; (2) a cortical-hollow model, in which trabeculae and mandibular canal are modeled as hollow; and (3) a solid-cortical model, in which the interior is modeled as cortical bone. The models were compared with published in vivo bite force and bone strain data, and the load paths calculated for each model. The trabecular model, which is preferred because it most closely approximates the actual morphology, was best validated by in vivo data. In all three models, the load path was confined to cortical bone, although its route within the cortex varied depending on the material properties of the inner model. Our analysis shows that most of the force is transferred through the cortical, rather than trabecular bone, and highlights the potential of load path analysis for understanding form-function relationships in the skeleton.

Synergetic photocatalytic degradation of the tetracycline antibiotic over S-scheme based BiOBr/CuInS2/WO3 ternary heterojunction photocatalyst

The present research investigated the photodegradation capability of a ternary BiOBr/CuInS2/WO3 heterojunction against the tetracycline (TC) antibiotic. BiOBr/CuInS2/WO3 heterojunction is formed using a straightforward physical mixing method, whereas pure photocatalysts (CuInS2, WO3) were synthesized hydrothermally and BiOBr by a coprecipitation process. The Field Emission Scanning Electron Spectroscopy examination validated the nanorod and nanosheet shape of the fabricated BiOBr-CuInS2-WO3. The photodegradation capabilities of the BiOBr-CuInS2-WO3 heterojunction were superior to those of other pure photocatalysts, and it followed the S-scheme charge transfer route as indicated by the band alignments. After 120 min of light irradiation, the BiOBr/CuInS2/WO3 S-scheme ternary heterojunction obtained a photodegradation rate of 98.9 %, much greater than other pure photocatalysts. According to electron spin resonance investigations and scavenging experiments, the radicals hydroxyl radicals (•OH), hole (h+), superoxide (•O2−) play a significant role in the photodegradation of TC. The ternary heterojunction's improved light absorption, lower recombination rate, and higher photocarrier separation rate were due to the fabrication of S-scheme heterojunction. The ternary BiOBr/CuInS2/WO3 photocatalyst's photodegradation efficacy was consequently enhanced. Investigations for photocatalyst reusability demonstrated its exceptional stability, with a 93.8 % degradation rate after five catalytic cycles.

Divalent tin activator for Nd3+/Yb3+ emission in lanthanum borate glass and its impact on inter-ionic phenomena and thermometry

The co-existence of divalent tin activator and Nd3+/Yb3+ rare earths in the borate glasses were utilized and examined to achieve the effective enhancement of the useful near-infrared emission in the wide spectral region. The UV Sn2+ excitation is extremely relevant for the effectiveness of both (Nd,Yb) near-infrared emission, however, Sn-Nd energy transfer efficiency is particularly prominent. The different advantageous inter-ionic phenomena made it possible to explore the diverse energy transfer routes leading to the population of the relevant ytterbium and neodymium excited states. Consequently, adequate multi-model temperature sensing can be proposed and verified considering single-doped and co-doped borate glass systems. The dissimilar effect of temperature on the complementary Sn2+, Nd3+ and Yb3+ optical transitions was investigated in detail. Employing the temperature-dependent spectra of optically active ions, high values of temperature relative sensitivity (1.3 % K−1) were estimated especially in the physiological range (30 – 75 ⁰C).

Boosting O2 activation by internal electric field regulation in vacancy-enhanced S-scheme heterojunction for efficient degradation of bisphenol A

The photocatalytic molecular oxygen (O2) activation is hindered by the weak O2 adsorption capacity and obstacles to electron transfer. Herein, a vacancy-enhanced BiOI/g-C3N4 S-scheme heterojunction was designed to enhance the O2 adsorption capacity and accelerate electron transfer in water treatment. The density functional theory calculation (DFT), in-situ irradiation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra and experiments demonstrate that the S-scheme charge transfer mechanism. And the introduction of N vacancies in g-C3N4 can adjust the electronic structure, strengthen the internal electric field in S-scheme heterojunction, thereby broadening the light response range and further improving the separation rate of photoinduced electron-hole pairs. Besides, the presence of N vacancies can function as the active sites for the adsorption of O2 and facilitate the capture of electrons, promoting the generation of superoxide radicals (•O2−). Thanks to the synergistic effect of the S-type charge transfer route with N vacancies in g-C3N4, degradation rate of bisphenol A (BPA) for BCN-680 increases to 0.0433 min−1, which is 1.86 and 10.56 times higher than BiOI and CN-680. This work presents a valuable method for O2 activation through designing the S-scheme heterojunction with abundant active sites by vacancy construction.

Hot Electrons Induced by Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance in Ag/g-C3N4 Schottky Junction for Photothermal Catalytic CO2 Reduction.

Converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into high-value-added chemicals using solar energy is a promising approach to reducing carbon dioxide emissions; however, single photocatalysts suffer from quick the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and poor photoredox ability. Herein, silver (Ag) nanoparticles featuring with localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) are combined with g-C3N4 to form a Schottky junction for photothermal catalytic CO2 reduction. The Ag/g-C3N4 exhibits higher photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity under UV-vis light; the CH4 and CO evolution rates are 10.44 and 88.79 µmol·h-1·g-1, respectively. Enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction performances are attributed to efficient hot electron transfer in the Ag/g-C3N4 Schottky junction. LSPR-induced hot electrons from Ag nanoparticles improve the local reaction temperature and promote the separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The charge carrier transfer route was investigated by in situ irradiated X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D-FDTD) method verified the strong electromagnetic field at the interface between Ag and g-C3N4. The photothermal catalytic CO2 reduction pathway of Ag/g-C3N4 was investigated using in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra (DRIFTS). This study examines hot electron transfer in the Ag/g-C3N4 Schottky junction and provides a feasible way to design a plasmonic metal/polymer semiconductor Schottky junction for photothermal catalytic CO2 reduction.