Strong Interaction Force Research Articles

Thermal expansion coefficient of nonstoichiometric gadolinium zirconate: First-principles calculations and experimental study

A high thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) is highly desirable for a thermal barrier coating material to prolong the life of the entire coating system. The TECs of Gd2-xZr2+xO7+0.5x (x = 0, ±0.125, ±0.25, ±0.375) have been studied by first-principles calculations and solid-state reactions. Due to the strong bond energy and interatomic interaction force between Zr and O, and Gd3+ having a higher thermal diffusion coefficient and lower solid solubility, the TEC of a material with higher Gd3+ content and lower Zr4+ content is improved. Calculated results show that the highest Gd3+ content (x = −0.375) increases the TEC of Gd2-xZr2+xO7+0.5x from 7.26 × 10−6/K (x = 0.375) to 8.95 × 10−6/K (1500K). The Debye temperature decreases with increasing Gd3+ content. The experimental TEC is highest (11.593 × 10−6/K) at a content of x = −0.375, far exceeding that at x = 0.375 (10.690 × 10−6/K). The experimental results agree well with the calculated results. This work lays a foundation for obtaining rare-earth zirconate materials with outstanding thermal physical properties, and it provides a novel method for their creation.

Efficient water purification using stabilized MXene nanofiltration membrane with controlled interlayer spacings

Nanofiltration membranes made of MXene, a two-dimensional (2D) material, hold great promise for water purification. However, the commercialization of these membranes is hindered by their well-known swelling problem, which reduces their size-sieving performance and service life. To overcome these challenges, this study presents a novel approach by combining positively charged chitosan (CTS) and negatively charged MXene to form CTS-MXene/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes. The use of CTS in the preparation process leads to enhanced mechanical strength and extended service life due to the strong interaction forces between CTS and MXene. The CTS-MXene/PAN membranes have a fixed layer spacing of 14.33 Å, contributing to ultra-high separation efficiency with over 99% rejection of Congo Red (CR) and ultra-high flux of 715.3 L m-2h−1 at 0.4 MPa. Moreover, the membranes exhibit remarkable filtration efficiency for bovine serum albumin under a pressure of 0.5 MPa. The membranes also demonstrate excellent reusability, making them a cost-effective option for water purification. This study not only provides a simple and reproducible strategy for preparing MXene-based membranes but also offers potential for the industrialization of these membranes. The development of CTS-MXene/PAN membranes as a promising approach for nanofiltration membrane development could pave the way for future applications in water purification and other separation processes.

DS-guided deposition of PEDOT onto silk fabrics for rapid photothermal antibacterial and respiratory sensing

Polystyrene sulfonic acid is widely utilized as an effective template for synthesis of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), but the bonding fastness between PEDOT and textiles is unsatisfactory, which easily leads to poor conductivity. In this study, a linear template of dextran sulfate (DS) was covalently grafted onto silk fibers (SF), followed by in-situ deposition of PEDOT onto the silk fabrics, aiming at constructing a functional silk fabric with rapid photothermal antibacterial ability and durable flexible sensing performance. Impressively, the composite fabric of SF-g-DS/PEDOT exhibits excellent photothermal conversion performance and can rise to 80 °C within 1 min of irradiation with the light intensity of 100 mW/cm2, and can kill 99.99% of Escherichia coli (E. coli) on the fabric surface. Benefited from the strong interaction forces between the conductive polymer and silk fibers, the SF-g-DS/PEDOT fabric can still reach 75 °C after 15 times of washing, and achieves a 99.4% bactericidal rate against E. coli. In a relatively weak winter sunlight, the surface temperature of SF-g-DS/PEDOT can also be raised to 45 °C to keep the human body warm. Meanwhile, the excellent conductivity of the deposited PEDOT endows the composite with antistatic performance, accurate flexible strain and respiratory sensing behaviors, companying with encouraging UV resistance. The present work provides a feasible alternative for development of photothermal antibacterial, lightweight warm clothing and smart wearable textiles.

Superlubricity by polyimide-induced alignment

We have investigated the lubrication alignment behavior of point-plane contact and plane-plane contact between the GCr15 steel and polyimide (PI) friction pair using nematic liquid crystals (LCs) as the lubricant. In this system, rubbing orients the macromolecular PI molecules, and the oriented PI molecules induce alignment of the LC molecules in contact with or close to the oriented PI molecules. The LC molecules are aligned in the wear scar grooves of the PI film, and alignment extends to the GCr15-steel counterpart. Alignment of the LC molecules is correlated with the strong interaction force between the PI and LC molecules, the stable coordination structure of the LCs and GCr15 steel, and the weak interaction between the LC molecules. We performed simulations of the pretilt angle of PI and LCs and discussed the relationship between the pretilt angle and the friction properties. Owing to the small pretilt angle between PI and the LCs, the LC molecules orient almost parallel to the PI material, which is beneficial for superlubricity of this type of friction system.

Contributions of CH4-amine interactions by primary, secondary, and tertiary amines on CO2/CH4 separation efficiency

In designing amine-incorporated adsorbents for CO2/CH4 separation, it is essential to understand the individual effects amine moieties have on the separation of CO2/CH4 mixtures. In this work, primary, secondary, and tertiary amines are moderately grafted on SBA-15 to examine factors affecting adsorption of CO2 and CH4. Materials were characterised by thermogravimetric and elemental analysis, and their performance was measured by volumetric and gravimetric gas adsorption. An amine density of 1.6–1.7 mmol/g in secondary and tertiary amines showed an equivalent CH4 uptake of <0.04 mmol/g at 25 °C, while primary amines adsorbed 0.05 mmol/g, indicating stronger interaction forces with CH4. In terms of selectivity, primary and secondary amines grafted at 1.3–1.4 mmol/g had similar values, unaffected by amine type. Adsorption results cross analysed with DFT simulations indicate similar binding energies for CH4 by both amine moieties, concluding the facilitated access of gas molecules to primary amine moieties is the primary factor dictating degree of adsorption. At an amine density of ∼ 1.7 mmol/g for both primary and secondary amines, an increase in temperature from 25 to 40 °C at a CO2 partial pressure of 40 kPa showed a decrease in CO2/CH4 selectivity of only primary amines. Secondary amines are thus more selective amine moieties at these conditions. Furthermore, in isothermal adsorption–desorption conditions, moderately grafted secondary amines have an equal working capacity to primary amines. Both these qualities support secondary amines at moderate densities as candidates for adsorbent development in CO2/CH4 separations.

Mesoscopic study on effect of electric field and heater characteristics on saturated pool boiling heat transfer

The phase change lattice Boltzmann (LB) model combined with the electric field model is employed to investigate the heat transfer performance of saturated pool boiling. Particular attention is paid to the influence of heater surface wettability and heater length on bubble behaviors, including generation, merging, and fracture during boiling in a uniform electric field. Moreover, the effects of the bubble behavior on heat transfer performance are also investigated. The study results indicate that the enhancement of boiling heat transfer by the electric field is dependent on both the heater length and the wettability. In the case of a hydrophilic surface, when the heater length &lt;inline-formula&gt;&lt;tex-math id="M5"&gt;\begin{document}$L_H^*\leqslant 6.25$\end{document}&lt;/tex-math&gt;&lt;alternatives&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="17-20230341_M5.jpg"/&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="17-20230341_M5.png"/&gt;&lt;/alternatives&gt;&lt;/inline-formula&gt;, the bubble interaction force generated on the heater surface during boiling is weak due to the small size of the heater. Thus the effect of a uniform electric field on the bubble dynamic behaviors is mainly manifested by reducing the bubble size. As a result, the whole boiling phase is suppressed in this case. In the case of &lt;inline-formula&gt;&lt;tex-math id="M6"&gt;\begin{document}$6.25 &lt; L_H^*\leqslant9.375$\end{document}&lt;/tex-math&gt;&lt;alternatives&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="17-20230341_M6.jpg"/&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="17-20230341_M6.png"/&gt;&lt;/alternatives&gt;&lt;/inline-formula&gt;, the uniform electric field enhances the critical heat flux (CHF), and the enhancement degree increases with electric field strength increasing. This can be attributed to the longer heater providing sufficient space for bubble generation, resulting in increased bubble nucleation sites and stronger interaction forces between bubbles. On the other hand, the distance between adjacent bubbles increases with the heater length increasing,thus further contributing to the improved CHF percentage. When &lt;inline-formula&gt;&lt;tex-math id="M7"&gt;\begin{document}$L_H^*&gt;9.375$\end{document}&lt;/tex-math&gt;&lt;alternatives&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="17-20230341_M7.jpg"/&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="17-20230341_M7.png"/&gt;&lt;/alternatives&gt;&lt;/inline-formula&gt;, the rewetting resistance increases with heater length increasing. So the vapor generated in the boiling process is prone to be closely adhered to the heating surface under the action of electric field force, forming a thin layer of vapor on the heater surface. The vapor not only increases the heat transfer thermal resistance between the solid and the fluid but also creates no vortex near the bubble. This is not conducive to the movement of the bubble to the middle of the heater, thereby slowing down the heat mass exchange between the hot fluid on the heating surface and the colder fluid on both sides. As a result, the improved percentage of CHF decreases gradually with the increase in the heater length. In the case of hydrophobic surfaces, the increased percentage of CHF initially increases with heater length increasing and then decreases. However, comparing with the hydrophilic surface, the increase of the heater source length corresponds to the beginning of the decrease of critical heat flux.

Adaptive robust force control of an underactuated walking lower limb hydraulic exoskeleton

This paper presents an adaptive robust interaction force control algorithm for an underactuated walking lower limb hydraulic exoskeleton. In order to deal with the problem of passive joints (less of control inputs), holonomic constraints from the wearer are considered in system dynamics, which help transform the underactuated exoskeleton dynamics into fully actuated dynamics in Cartesian space. Based on the established dynamic model, adaptive robust interaction force controllers are presented both for the phase of double leg support and single leg support to effectively deal with multiple walking phases, negative effect of high-order nonlinearities of hydraulic systems as well as various model uncertainties and external disturbances. An additional torque allocation method is proposed to deal with the over-actuated characteristic in double leg support phase. Comparative simulations are carried out. The results demonstrate that the proposed force controller can achieve precision and strong robust interaction force control performance to load change and variation of the human trajectory.

Potential-Dependent Adhesion Forces between dsDNA and Electroactive Surfaces

A promising approach to regulating the interactions between polyelectrolytes and materials is the use of electroactive surfaces that can change their charge state. However, common electroactive groups are too unstable to be practical for this purpose. Here we have performed a single molecule force spectroscopy study of the interactions between dsDNA and an 1,1'-biferrocenylene (BFD = bis(fulvalene)diiron)-terminated self-assembled monolayer surface that allows us to reversibly change the charge state. We found that the interaction force between DNA and the surface is correlated to the oxidation state of the BFD groups, which is conveniently controlled by the electrochemical potentials. We discovered that the electroactive SAM produces much stronger interaction forces than its nonelectroactive counterpart. A model based on the Grahame equation was able to quantitatively reproduce the experimentally observed relation between the applied potentials and adhesion forces. Our electroactive surface provides a model system for quantitative studies of the interactions between polyelectrolyte and charged surfaces in liquid. These insights may enable new opportunities for actively manipulating the binding, orientations, and conformations of polyelectrolytes for biosensing, nanomotors, and other applications.

Physical Mechanisms of Intermolecular Interactions and Cross-Space Charge Transfer in Two-Photon BDBT-TCNB Co-Crystals.

Co-crystal materials formed by stacking different molecules with weak interactions are a hot research topic. In this work, we theoretically investigate the intermolecular interactions and charge transfer properties of the supramolecular BDBT-TCNB co-crystal (BTC). The π-π bonds, hydrogen bonds, and S-N bonds in the BTC bind the BDBT and TCNB molecules together to form a highly ordered co-crystal and lead to the co-crystal’s excellent two-photon absorption (TPA) properties. The intermolecular interactions of the BTC are discussed in detail by the independent gradient model based on Hirshfeld partition (IGMH), atoms in molecules (AIM), electrostatic overlay diagram, and symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) energy decomposition; it is found that there is a strong interaction force along the stacking direction. The charge transfer properties of the one-photon absorption (OPA) and TPA of the BTC were investigated by charge density difference (CDD) and transition density matrix (TDM). It is found that the dominant charge transfer mode is the cross-space charge transfer along the stacking direction. Therefore, strong intermolecular interactions will promote intermolecular cross-space charge transfer. This work is of great significance for the design of organic optoelectronic supramolecular materials.

Engineering a Feruloyl-Coenzyme A Synthase for Bioconversion of Phenylpropanoid Acids into High-Value Aromatic Aldehydes.

Aromatic aldehydes find extensive applications in food, perfume, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. However, a limited natural enzyme selectivity has become the bottleneck of bioconversion of aromatic aldehydes from natural phenylpropanoid acids. Here, based on the original structure of feruloyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase (FCS) from Streptomyces sp. V-1, we engineered five substrate-binding domains to match specific phenylpropanoid acids. FcsCIAE407A/K483L, FcsMAE407R/I481R/K483R, FcsHAE407K/I481K/K483I, FcsCAE407R/I481R/K483T, and FcsFAE407R/I481K/K483R showed 9.96-, 10.58-, 4.25-, 6.49-, and 8.71-fold enhanced catalytic efficiency for degrading CoA thioesters of cinnamic acid, 4-methoxycinnamic acid, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulation illustrated that novel substrate-binding domains formed strong interaction forces with substrates' methoxy/hydroxyl group and provided hydrophobic/alkaline catalytic surfaces. Five recombinant E. coli with FCS mutants were constructed with the maximum benzaldehyde, p-anisaldehyde, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, protocatechualdehyde, and vanillin productivity of 6.2 ± 0.3, 5.1 ± 0.23, 4.1 ± 0.25, 7.1 ± 0.3, and 8.7 ± 0.2 mM/h, respectively. Hence, our study provided novel and efficient enzymes for the bioconversion of phenylpropanoid acids into aromatic aldehydes.

Robust Artificial Interphases Constructed by a Versatile Protein-Based Binder for High-Voltage Na-Ion Battery Cathodes.

The multiple issues of unstable electrode/electrolyte interphases, sluggish reaction kinetics, and transition-metal (TM) dissolution have long greatly affected the rate and cycling performance of cathode materials for Na-ion batteries. Herein, a multifunctional protein-based binder, sericin protein/poly(acrylic acid) (SP/PAA), is developed, which shows intriguing physiochemical properties to address these issues. The highly hydrophilic nature and strong H-bond interaction between crosslinking SP and PAA leads to a uniform coating of the binder layer, which serves as an artificial interphase on the high-voltage Na4 Mn2 Fe(PO4 )2 P2 O7 cathode material (NMFPP). Through systematic experiments and theoretical calculations, it is shown that the SP/PAA binder is electrochemically stable at high voltages and possesses increased ionic conductivity due to the interaction between sericin and electrolyte anion ClO4 - , which can provide additional sodium-migration paths with greatly reduced energy barriers. Besides, the strong interaction force between the binder and the NMFPP can effectively protect the cathode from electrolyte corrosion, suppress Mn-dissolution, stabilize crystal structure, and ensure electrode integrity during cycling. Benefiting from these merits, the SP/PAA-based NMFPP electrode displays enhanced rate and cycling performance. Of note, the universality of the SP/PAA binder is further confirmed on Na3 V2 (PO4 )2 F3 . It is believed that the versatile protein-based binder is enlightening for the development of high-performance batteries.

Regulating interfacial morphology and charge-carrier utilization of Ti3C2 modified all-sulfide CdS/ZnIn2S4 S-scheme heterojunctions for effective photocatalytic H2 evolution

The separation efficiency of electrons and holes and the enhancement of the surface reductive reaction in the metal sulfide semiconductor photocatalysts are important factors in boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution from water. The control of both interface morphology and the charge–carrier utilization of metal sulfide-based photocatalysts can effectively improve the separation efficiency of electrons and holes and increase the surface reaction active sites, which are considered to be effective methods to improve the photocatalytic activity of semiconductors. Here, the Ti3C2 (Mxene) modified all-sulfide 2D/2D S-scheme heterojunction Ti3C2/ ZnIn2S4(ZIS)/CdS composite material was firstly synthesized by a two-step solvothermal method. The formation of all-sulfide S-scheme heterojunction improves the efficiency of electron-hole separation. The intimate 2D/2D van der Waals structure provides a strong interaction force and a large contact area to enhance charge transfer. The addition of 2D Ti3C2 forms the accumulation layer, reducing the recombination of electrons and holes. Under the synergistic promotion, the highest hydrogen production of the prepared Ti3C2/ZIS/CdS composite photocatalyst could reach 8.93 mmol/h/g. This work not only enriches the photocatalytic systems through integrating the ohmic junction and the 2D/2D all-sulfide S-scheme heterojunction, but also provides a satisfactory design strategy for engineering interfacial morphology and charge-carrier utilization.

Exploiting the Balance Between Conductivity and Adsorption Capacity/Redox Electrocatalytic Ability In MIL-Based Porous Crystalline Materials for the Electrochemical Response

MIL-53(Fe), MIL-101(Cr), and MIL-53(Al) were successfully prepared and selected as promising modifying materials on electrode surface. With the difference in porous textural parameters and metal nodes, the physical characteristics, electrochemical behaviors, and performances towards chloramphenicol (CAP) detecting at each modified electrode were systematically evaluated through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurements. Results pointed out that both MIL-53(Fe)/SPE and MIL-101(Cr)/SPE exhibited excellent electrochemical performance through the enhancement of the EASA value, electrocatalytic ability, adsorption capacity (Γ), diffusion ability, and interaction with the CAP molecules, promising to be great materials in fabricating electrode. In which, MIL-101(Cr)/SPE with a huge BET, large pore volume, and good redox electrocatalytic ability of Cr3+ metal nodes significantly enhanced electrochemical response of CAP, despite it was still limited by poor adsorption capacity and diffusion due to the strong water-molecule interaction force of the Cr3+ centers and steric effect of the cramped microporous system. While, MIL-53(Fe) with a much smaller specific surface area and pore volume, it still showed good electrocatalytic activity of Fe3+ ions, along with high interact-ability and large adsorption capacity with CAP through hydrogen bonding and weak interaction force with water. In contrast, MIL-53(Al)/SPE showed poor electrochemical performance due to weak electron conductivity and the lack of electrocatalytic active sites. Obviously, in addition to conductivity, the merits of high adsorption capacity and excellent electrocatalytic activity of unsaturated metal centers need to be maximumly taken advantage of. A perfect balance in terms of the conductivity and adsorption capacity, as well as the electrocatalytic ability in MIL materials still needs to be further preferred in electrochemical sensors.

Regular rhombic crystals of Zn(II) complex derived from aromatic nitrile substituted 8-hydroxyquinoline via interface reaction

In this paper, regular rhombic crystals have been synthesized from 8-hydroxyquinoline derivative coordinated with Zn2+ ions via interface reaction. The size of the crystal can be controlled by the concentration of the ligand solution according to the results of scanning electron microscope. The rhombic crystal has a red-shifted absorption band by comparison with the benzonitrile substituted 8-hydroxyquinoline ligand and shows orange emission. Many lamellas have been found in the synthesized crystal, which are stacked regularly to form the flake-type crystal due to the strong interaction forces induced by nitrile groups on the surface of the lamella.

Hydrogen bonding-orientated selectivity of phosphate adsorption by imine-functionalized adsorbent

• N C@CMPS was successfully grafted with imine group. • imine group can distinguish protonated phosphate from deprotonated competing anions. • imine group has stronger interaction force toward P(V) than that of amine group. • P(V) adsorption on N C@CMPS is slightly exothermic. • N C@CMPS can be repeatedly used for P(V) adsorption. The development of phosphate-selective adsorbents is essential for addressing eutrophication-associated problems and issues about lack of phosphorus resources. In this study an imine-functionalized adsorbent (N C@CMPS) was synthesized for this purpose; briefly, the commercially available precursor, chloromethylated polystyrene adsorbent (CMPS), was grafted with ethylenediamine (EDA) to yield the intermediate (EDA@CMPS), which was subsequently subjected to synchronous elimination to yield the product with imine functional group (N C@CMPS). Spectroscopic analyses and macroscopic experiments were then employed to evaluate the as-prepared adsorbent. As compared with CMPS, EDA@CMPS, and two commercial amine-based adsorbents, N C@CMPS exhibited much higher adsorption capacity and selectivity toward phosphate [P(V)]; such improvement can be primarily attributed to the imine group of N C@CMPS and their difference in the acid-base property. The imine group, acting as the recognition unit to distinguish P(V) from background anions, can solely serve as H-bond acceptors and exclusively interact with the protonated P(V) species (H 2 PO 4 - and HPO 4 2- , H-bond donors) under neutral pH but not with the deprotonated anions such as Cl - , NO 3 – , and SO 4 2- . the thermodynamic parameters confirm the spontaneous and slightly exothermic nature of P(V) adsorption on N C@CMPS, according with the domination of hydrogen bonding interactions. N C@CMPS also exhibited very broad applicability for P(V) adsorption over a wide range of pH (3 ∼ 10). Furthermore, the exhausted N C@CMPS can be efficiently regenerated with the combination of dilute NaOH solution and dilute HNO 3 solution for repeated use.

The Effects of Vetiver Grass (Vetiver Zizanodes L.) on Soil Fertility Enhancement, Soil Water Conservation, Carbon Sequestration and Essential oil Productions A: Review

Genotype x environment (GxE) interaction and yield-stability analysis is an imperative in measur­ing varietal stability and suitability for cultivation over seasons and ecological zones. Developing high performing and stable genotypes across different locations is of most importance to plant breeders. This study was conducted using 84 hybrid lines to identify the most stable and high yielding genotypes. To gain these objective, multiple-environmental trials (MET) was undertaken annually across locations. AMMI model has shown that the largest proportion of the total variation in grain yield was attributed to environments and somehow to genotypes. GGE bi-plot analysis also visualized the winner genotype at each area and to identify high yielding and stable genotypes. The genotype with the high yield in SR is G66, and in KB G27, G10, G79, in SH G25, G78, G86 and G68 while, in SR the best genotypes is G66. The other vertex genotypes (G1, G32, G51, 71 and G26 are poorest in all environments. Environments, AM and SH exerted strong interaction forces while the rest two did less. On the other hand, the genotypes near the origin are not sensitive to environmental interaction and those distant from the origins are sensitive and have large interaction. Hence, G1, G5, G66, G71, G18, G10 and G25 had more responsive since they were far away from the origin whereas the genotypes G54, G29, G23, G4, G9, G5, G43, G13 and G7 were close to the origin and hence they were less sensitive to environmental interactive forces while genotypes G38, G11, G45 and G76 were the most closest to the origin and hence had almost no interaction forces. Generally, G74 can be recommended for specific adaptation whereas G2 and G16 relatively for broader adaptation. Keywords: AMMI; GEI; genotype; environment; model; stability , GGE biplot DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/13-5-04 Publication date: March 31 st 2021

Activating and optimizing the MoS2@MoO3 S-scheme heterojunction catalyst through interface engineering to form a sulfur-rich surface for photocatalyst hydrogen evolution

As a crucial part of artificial photosynthesis, the design of the catalyst is important essential. Among them, the interface engineering between semiconductors and the construction of surface-active sites play a vital role in generating and transporting light-excited electrons, which can ultimately accelerate water decomposition. Therefore, the MoS2@MoO3 step (S)-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared by in-situ partial sulfidation. The excellent interface engineering of MoS2@MoO3 nanomaterials achieves a high surface reaction rate. The in-situ vulcanization strategy gradually corrodes from the outside to the inside. The introduction of sulfur atoms can replace oxygen atoms to build a sulfur-rich surface and generate molybdenum sulfide. The amount of thioacetamide is adjusted to control vulcanization and optimizing the experimental conditions, the best hydrogen production rate is 12416.8 µmol h−1 g−1. An in-situ irradiation XPS experiments and DFT calculations provide a deeper understanding of the S-scheme electron transport mechanism in MoS2@MoO3. MoS2@MoO3 interface interaction has penetrating electron channels and a strong interface interaction force, which effectively promotes the charge transfer between interfaces. This gradual surface vulcanization strategy provides new ideas for introducing synergistic surface-active sites and optimizing interface engineering photocatalyst projects.

Ammonia pools in zeolites for direct fabrication of catalytic centers

Reduction process is a key step to fabricate metal-zeolite catalysts in catalytic synthesis. However, because of the strong interaction force, metal oxides in zeolites are very difficult to be reduced. Existing reduction technologies are always energy-intensive, and inevitably cause the agglomeration of metallic particles in metal-zeolite catalysts or destroy zeolite structure in severe cases. Herein, we disclose that zeolites after ion exchange of ammonium have an interesting and unexpected self-reducing feature. It can accurately control the reduction of metal-zeolite catalysts, via in situ ammonia production from ‘ammonia pools’, meanwhile, restrains the growth of the size of metals. Such new and reliable ammonia pool effect is not influenced by topological structures of zeolites, and works well on reducible metals. The ammonia pool effect is ultimately attributed to an atmosphere-confined self-regulation mechanism. This methodology will significantly promote the fabrication for metal-zeolite catalysts, and further facilitate design and development of low-cost and high-activity catalysts.

Synthesis of BiOCl/Bi3NbO7 heterojunction by in-situ chemical etching with enhanced photocatalytic performance for the degradation of organic pollutants

The construction of heterojunction is an effective strategy for the design of novel photocatalysts. In this study, the heterojunction of BiOCl/Bi3NbO7 for the photodegradation of organic pollutants was successfully fabricated through the in-situ chemical etching. The obtained photocatalysts were characterized via various characterization techniques. The results showed that the size and morphology of the composite material could be adjusted by the reaction time. Besides, enlarging the specific surface area of the composites can effectively increase the adsorption of organic compounds. In-situ chemical etching can not only reduce the size of Bi3NbO7 particles and the photogenerated carrier transport distance but also make BiOCl/Bi3NbO7 have a tight linkage interface and strong interaction force, which can effectively separate electron-hole pairs. Compared with pure Bi3NbO7 or BiOCl, BiOCl/Bi3NbO7 heterostructures exhibited better photocatalytic performance for the photodegradation of typical antibiotics and dyes. B/BN-160 can almost completely degrade CIP in 120 min and 50 mg· L -1 of RhB in 50 min. This work provides a novel idea for the preparation of photocatalysts and promotes their applications in the industry.

Genotype by Environment Interaction and Stability Analysis in Ethiopian Mustard (Brassica Carinata A Braun) Using AMMI Biplot and Stability Parameters

The objective of this study was to evaluate genotype by environment interaction and yield stability in multi environmental locations in Ethiopia. Ten Ethiopian mustard genotypes along with one local check and one standard check were evaluated for seed yield at four locations namely, Holeta, Debrezeit, Asasa and Arsi Negelle during the growing season of 2020/2021. The experimental design was randomized complete block design with four replication. Analysis of variance, Ammi biplot and stability parameters were applied for evaluation of genotype by environment interaction and stability. The analysis of variance showed significant differences (P<0.05) among genotypes, locations and GXE interaction for yield. One of the most widely used models to analyses genotype-by-environment data is the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model. The AMMI1 biplot showed that genotypes G7, G5, and G8 are less affected by the interaction of genotypes and environmental changes and genotypes G1, G7, G8 and G11 are stable genotypes across locations. The AMMI2 biplot indicates that environments E4 and E3 do not exerted strong interaction forces, while strong interactions forces was observed for E1 and E2. AMMI2 also revealed that genotypes G6, G10, G7, G2, G1 and G5 are less affected by the environmental change whereas the remains are more responsive to environmental change.