Trimetallic Oxide Research Articles

Ag2O–Al2O3–ZrO2 Trimetallic Nanocatalyst for High Performance Photodegradation of Nicosulfuron Herbicide

In the present study, Ag2O–Al2O3–ZrO2 based trimetallic oxide nanocatalyst was designed using simple microwave assisted reduction method. It was characterized using various techniques such as Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), electron microscopy [scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM)] and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS). It was utilized for the degradation of nicosulfuron herbicide and the influence of microwave (MW) and UV radiations on the degradation rate was also studied. Maximum of 78% degradation was obtained within 50 min. Scavenging studies showed the major involvement of ·OH and ·O2− radicals in the degradation process. Possible heterostructures (traditional and Z-scheme) with their possible charge transfer were also studied. Nyquist plots and photoluminescence (PL) analysis showed the high charge transfer and lowered recombination in Ag2O–Al2O3–ZrO2. Possible degradation mechanism was also developed using LC–MS. Reusability studies were carried out for consecutive 5 cycles and results indicated the appreciable photocatalytic ability after every repeated cycles.

Development of vertically aligned trimetallic Mg-Ni-Co oxide grass-like nanostructure for high-performance energy storage applications

Direct growth of nanostructured trimetallic oxide on substrate is considered as one of the promising electrode fabrication for high-performance hybrid supercapacitors. Herein, binder-free one-dimensional grass-like nanostructure was constructed on nickel foam by using electrodeposition approach. The admirable enhancement in rate capability was observed by the substitution of Mg and Ni in cobalt oxide crystallite. The prepared nickel cobalt oxide (NCO) and cobalt oxide (CO) electrode exhibited a rate capability of 57% and 58% (2 to 10 A g−1) respectively. Interestingly, the rate capability was increased to 87% by the substitution of Mg and Ni simultaneously. The novel vertically aligned trimetallic Mg-Ni-Co oxide (MNCO) grass-like nanostructure electrode exhibited a high specific capacity of 846 C g−1 at 2 A g−1, retained 97.3% specific capacity and showed an outstanding coulombic efficiency of 99% after 10,000 charge–discharge cycles. Moreover, we assembled hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) device for practical applications by using MNCO and activated carbon (AC) as the positive and negative electrode materials, respectively. HSC device exhibited a high specific capacity of 144 C g−1 at 0.5 A g−1. The high energy density of 31.5 Wh kg−1 and the power density of 7.99 kW kg−1 were achieved. All these interesting and attractive results demonstrate the significance of the vertically aligned electrode material towards practical applications.

A general bottom-up synthesis of CuO-based trimetallic oxide mesocrystal superstructures for efficient catalytic production of trichlorosilane

Mesocrystals, the non-classical crystals with highly ordered nanoparticle superstructures, have shown great potential in many applications because of their newly collective properties. However, there is still a lack of a facile and general synthesis strategy to organize and integrate distinct components into complex mesocrystals, and of reported application for them in industrial catalytic reactions. Herein we report a general bottom-up synthesis of CuO-based trimetallic oxide mesocrystals (denoted as CuO-M1Ox-M2Oy, where M1 and M2 = Zn, In, Fe, Ni, Mn, and Co) using a simple precipitation method followed by a hydrothermal treatment and a topotactic transformation via calcination. When these mesocrystals were used as the catalyst to produce trichlorosilane (TCS) via Si hydrochlorination reaction, they exhibited excellent catalytic performance with much increased Si conversion and TCS selectivity. In particular, the TCS yield was increased 19-fold than that of the catalyst-free process. The latter is the current industrial process. The efficiently catalytic property of these mesocrystals is attributed to the formation of well-defined nanoscale heterointerfaces that can effectively facilitate the charge transfer, and the generation of the compressive and tensile strain on CuO near the interfaces among different metal oxides. The synthetic approach developed here could be applicable to fabricate versatile complicated metal oxide mesocrystals as novel catalysts for various industrial chemical reactions.

Self-standing star-shaped tri-metallic oxides for pseudocapacitive energy storage electrode materials

Novel star-shaped trimetallic oxides (CuMnCoO4) have been synthesized employing hydrothermal method and favorably compared to the Co3O4 and bimetallic (MnCo2O4) oxides. The star-shaped CuMnCoO4 consisted of bundles of orderly layered and loosely interconnected nanoneedles with a hole in the center; each nanoneedle was composed of single-crystalline nanoparticles. Its distinctive structural features significantly increased the electrochemically active sites and facilitated the mass and charge transports. Furthermore, the three transition metal cations in the trimetallic oxide contributed to the multiple redox reactions. Consequently, CuMnCoO4 exhibited a significantly enhanced capacitance (1,715F g−1 at 1 A g−1) and outstanding cycling stability, compared to those of Co3O4 (742F g−1) and MnCo2O4 (1,305F g−1). Additionally, an asymmetric supercapacitor (AS) (assembled with CuMnCoO4, as the positive electrode, and activated carbon (AC), as the negative electrode) exhibited a high energy density (E) of 40.1 W h kg−1, at a power density (P) of 799 W kg−1, thereby highlighting CuMnCoO4 as a promising candidate for energy storage. This research can also pave the way for the study of new spinel-trimetallic compounds with EES applications.

Advanced Structured of MgO Thin Film for Bio Applications

Extensive efforts to further promoting the Anti-Bacteria and structural properties of thin films to reach reliability and possibility of commercialization, the chemical Tri-metal oxide component was verification as Anti-Bacteria factor in this paper. Pure and mixed thin films of magnesium oxide MgO was prepared by evaporation assisted laser Nedmyum - YAG pulse Nd: YAG laser system, MgO enhanced by adding Ti and Se, at (0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2%) by weight percentage. After that, calcination is done at 400 °C for 30 min. Structural and anti-bacterial growth inspections were performed. Experimental results showed that structural properties have improved significantly with the development of a MgO thin films with tri-metal oxide; Magnesium titanium oxide Mg2TiO4 and Magnesium selenate MgSeO4 phases. Moreover, there has been an enhancement in anti-bacteria properties, which makes these thin films more reliable for protection against bacteria.

Single step and template-free synthesis of Dandelion flower-like core-shell architectures of metal oxide microspheres: Influence of sulfidation on particle morphology & hydrodesulfurization performance

A novel, efficient, and eco-friendly template-free hydrothermal method developed for the synthesis of Dandelion shape trimetallic (Ni, Y, Mo) oxide hollow microspheres decorated with nanosheets is reported. The oxide state material was transformed into a sulfide catalyst without losing of the core-shell structure and was used for the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of the dibenzothiophene. The nanostructured sulfided catalyst exhibited excellent HDS behavior with an initial reaction rate of 42 × 10−8 molDBT.(gcat.s)-1 (at 320 °C and 55 bar hydrogen pressure) as well as outstanding particle morphology stability after the catalytic test, as shown by SEM and HRTEM analysis of the used catalyst. The Dandelion type microspheres containing Ni, Y, and Mo metal oxides with core-shell architecture which after sulfidation could be used as efficient and selective catalysts for the diesel cut industrial hydrodesulfurization. A plausible reaction mechanism also proposed for the formation of Dandelion flower-like hollow sphere oxide catalyst.

Importance of catalyst\u2013photoabsorber interface design configuration on the performance of Mo-doped BiVO4 water splitting photoanodes

Photoelectrochemical water splitting is mostly impeded by the slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction. The construction of photoanodes that appreciably enhance the efficiency of this process is of vital technological importance towards solar fuel synthesis. In this work, Mo-modified BiVO4 (Mo:BiVO4), a promising water splitting photoanode, was modified with various oxygen evolution catalysts in two distinct configurations, with the catalysts either deposited on the surface of Mo:BiVO4 or embedded inside a Mo:BiVO4 film. The investigated catalysts included monometallic, bimetallic, and trimetallic oxides with spinel and layered structures, and nickel boride (NixB). In order to follow the influence of the incorporated catalysts and their respective properties, as well as the photoanode architecture on photoelectrochemical water oxidation, the fabricated photoanodes were characterised for their optical, morphological, and structural properties, photoelectrocatalytic activity with respect to evolved oxygen, and recombination rates of the photogenerated charge carriers. The architecture of the catalyst-modified Mo:BiVO4 photoanode was found to play a more decisive role than the nature of the catalyst on the performance of the photoanode in photoelectrocatalytic water oxidation. Differences in the photoelectrocatalytic activity of the various catalyst-modified Mo:BiVO4 photoanodes are attributed to the electronic structure of the materials revealed through differences in the Fermi energy levels. This work thus expands on the current knowledge towards the design of future practical photoanodes for photoelectrocatalytic water oxidation.

Efficient arsenic(III) removal from aqueous solution by a novel nanostructured iron-copper-manganese trimetal oxide

The removal of arsenite [As(III)] has attracted increasing attentions because it is higher toxic and more difficult to be removed from water than arsenate [As(V)]. For efficient As(III) uptake, a nanostructured iron-copper-manganese trimetal oxide (ICM) was therefore synthesized using a simultaneous oxidation and co-precipitation approach at room temperature. The as-prepared ICM exhibits multifunctional properties, which can not only oxidize effectively As(III) but also sorb the produced As(V). The maximal sorption capacity of As(III) reaches up to 131 mg/g under neutral conditions, which outperforms the majority of adsorbents reported in the literature. The As(III) sorption drops gradually as solution pH increases. However, it is not significantly influenced by ionic strength and present anions except for PO 4 3− , implying a relatively high selectivity. The active sorption sites of spent ICM can be easily restored through NaOH solution treatment. The removal of As(III) is a complicated process involving in both oxidation and adsorption, in which inner-sphere surface complexes are formed. The oxidation of As(III) to As(V) is mainly ascribed to the Mn oxide content in composite, whereas the adsorption of formed As(V) is predominately attributed to the Fe oxide and Cu oxide. The ICM might act as a promising alternative to remove arsenic from groundwater and wastewater, due to its good performance, low cost, facile synthesis and high reusability. • A novel nanostructured Fe-Cu-Mn trimetal oxide sorbent was fabricated. • The sorbent has a high sorption capacity for As(V) and As(III). • The sorbent is highly effective for As(III) removal at trace concentration. • As(III) uptake is mainly achieved by adsorption coupled with oxidation. • The spent sorbent can be easily regenerated and repeatedly used.

Preserved crystal phase and morphology: Electrochemical influence of copper and iron co-doped cobalt oxide and its supercapacitor applications

The cation exchange process is an effective method for improving the electrochemical performance of electrodes in supercapacitors. In this study, the cation (Cu) and co-cation (Cu–Fe) exchanges were achieved in the form of a cobalt oxide crystallite using a chemical bath deposition method, followed by high-temperature calcination. Interestingly, the nanoneedle structure of the as-formed Cu–Fe–Co ternary oxide remained unchanged after calcination, with the crystal phase preserved in the cation exchange process. The novel trimetallic oxide delivered a high specific capacity of 737 C g−1 at 1 A g−1. The Cu–Fe–Co ternary oxide electrode exhibited a low fading rate of only 0.000238% per cycle over 4200 charge-discharge cycles. A fabricated hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) delivered a high-energy density of 48 W h kg−1 and a high-power density of 4800 W kg−1. Integration of the HSC device with solar cells successfully illuminated 52 red LEDs, demonstrating the viability of the prepared electrodes for practical and commercial use.

Yolk‐Shell‐Structured CuO−ZnO−In2O3 Trimetallic Oxide Mesocrystal Microspheres as an Efficient Catalyst for Trichlorosilane Production

AbstractTrichlorosilane (TCS), the primary chemical feedstock for production of high‐purity Si used in Si‐based solar cells, is currently manufactured industrially via a non‐catalytic hydrochlorination of metallurgical Si. This process generates a huge amount of undesirable silicon tetrachloride (STC) byproduct. Here we report the synthesis of yolk‐shell‐structured CuO−ZnO−In2O3 trimetallic oxide mesocrystal microspheres that can be employed as an efficient catalyst to produce TCS catalytically. The CuO−ZnO−In2O3 microspheres with multiple hetero‐interfaces were prepared using a facile solvothermal reaction followed by calcination. We found that differing from a single CuO mesocrystal, the electronic density on Cu atoms in the CuO phase within CuO−ZnO and CuO−ZnO−In2O3 can be tuned by varying the composition. When used as a catalyst for Si hydrochlorination reaction to produce TCS, CuO−ZnO−In2O3 shows excellent catalytic performance with very high Si conversion and TCS selectivity. Under the same reaction conditions, the TCS yield increased 13 times relative to the catalyst‐free process. This work demonstrates the possibility to decrease the amount of STC needed for the catalytic manufacture of TCS, and provides an approach to the facile synthesis of multi‐component mesocrystal materials with a specific structure.

Investigation of Transition Metal-Based (Mn, Co, Ni, Fe) Trimetallic Oxide Nanoparticles on N-doped Carbon Nanotubes as Bifunctional Catalysts for Zn-Air Batteries

Various transition metal-based bimetallic and trimetallic oxides on N-CNTs were successfully synthesized in a one-pot process. Porous gas diffusion layers (GDLs) were simultaneously impregnated with the catalysts during synthesis, resulting in an efficient and scalable preparation technique for nano-composite air electrodes. NiMnOx/N-CNT, NiFeOx/N-CNT, and (Co,Fe)3O4/N-CNT catalysts were the highest performing bimetallic oxides based on battery rate test results. Therefore, Ni-Co-Fe, Ni-Mn-Fe, and Mn-Co-Fe systems were investigated as combined trimetallic oxide/N-CNT catalysts for Zn-air batteries. Trimetallic oxides on N-CNTs exhibited improved OER activity and comparable ORR activity relative to the bimetallic oxide catalysts in linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) tests. Discharge/charge efficiencies for tri-metallic oxides on N-CNTs calculated from battery rate test measurements at a current density of 20 mA cm−2 were 60.5%, 60.7%, and 60.0% for NCFO/N-CNT, NMFO/N-CNTs and MCFO/N-CNT, respectively. Bifunctional cycling of all trimetallic oxide/N-CNT electrodes at 10 mA cm−2 for 100 h showed excellent stability, particularly the NCFO/N-CNT catalyst. Additionally, the efficiencies for NCFO/N-CNT, NMFO/N-CNT and MCFO/N-CNT samples were 58.5%, 57.9% and 57.2%, respectively, after cycling, which compare favorably with that of Pt-Ru/C (55.3%). Trimetallic oxides on N-CNTs are, therefore, excellent candidates as high performing, non-precious metal catalysts for Zn-air batteries.

Structural, optical and photocatalytic studies of trimetallic oxides nanostructures prepared via wet chemical approach

Multi metal based photocatalyst (CdO-MgO-Fe2O3) was synthesized via wet chemical approach i.e. co-precipitation method. The single transition metal oxides like CdO, MgO and Fe2O3 were also prepared for comparative studies. Structural elucidation of all prepared powder catalysts (CdO, MgO, Fe2O3 and CdO-MgO-Fe2O3) was conducted by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD showed the presence of the MgO (cubic) – Fe2O3 (rhombohedral)– CdO (cubic) phase with an average crystallite size of MgO (9 nm), Fe2O3 (12 nm), CdO (23 nm). FTIR proved the existence of Mg–O, Fe2-O3 and Cd-O by distinctive vibrational bands at 772 cm−1, 581 cm−1 and 480 cm−1 respectively. UV–vis spectral studies showed that the bandgap for CdO-MgO-Fe2O3 nanocomposite was 1.76 eV which made it an efficient photocatalyst for use both in the UV and visible regions. Two probe I–V measurements confirmed the pure semiconducting behavior and possible formation of heterojunction in the CdO-MgO-Fe2O3 nanocomposite. The photocatalytic performance of the CdO-MgO-Fe2O3 nanocomposite with equal metal ion concentration of Mg, Fe and Cd at different pH values was explored by visible light illumination on methylene blue (MB) dye as a standard organic pollutant. The CdO-MgO-Fe2O3 nanocomposite with metal ion ratio 1:1:1 in an alkaline medium showed the maximum photocatalytic performance. The rate constant (kMB) value for the degradation of MB was ∼ 0.0820 min−1. The photocatalytic activity has been improved due to the effective decrease in the recombination rate of charge carriers. The possible mechanism for improvement of the photocatalytic performance using visible light illumination has also been suggested and discussed.

Trimetallic Mn‐Fe‐Ni Oxide Nanoparticles Supported on Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes as High‐Performance Bifunctional ORR/OER Electrocatalyst in Alkaline Media

AbstractDiscovering precious metal‐free electrocatalysts exhibiting high activity and stability toward both the oxygen reduction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution (OER) reactions remains one of the main challenges for the development of reversible oxygen electrodes in rechargeable metal–air batteries and reversible electrolyzer/fuel cell systems. Herein, a highly active OER catalyst, Fe0.3Ni0.7OX supported on oxygen‐functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes, is substantially activated into a bifunctional ORR/OER catalyst by means of additional incorporation of MnOX. The carbon nanotube‐supported trimetallic (Mn‐Ni‐Fe) oxide catalyst achieves remarkably low ORR and OER overpotentials with a low reversible ORR/OER overvoltage of only 0.73 V, as well as selective reduction of O2 predominantly to OH−. It is shown by means of rotating disk electrode and rotating ring disk electrode voltammetry that the combination of earth‐abundant transition metal oxides leads to strong synergistic interactions modulating catalytic activity. The applicability of the prepared catalyst for reversible ORR/OER electrocatalysis is evaluated by means of a four‐electrode configuration cell assembly comprising an integrated two‐layer bifunctional ORR/OER electrode system with the individual layers dedicated for the ORR and the OER to prevent deactivation of the ORR activity as commonly observed in single‐layer bifunctional ORR/OER electrodes after OER polarization.

Efficient removal of As(III) via simultaneous oxidation and adsorption by magnetic sulfur-doped Fe-Cu-Y trimetal oxide nanoparticles

A novel magnetic sulfur-doped Fe–Cu–Y trimetal oxide (MST) nanomaterial was successfully synthesized by a chemical coprecipitation method to remove As(III) via simultaneous oxidation and adsorption and then characterized by BET, VSM, FESEM, XPS, and FTIR techniques. The effect of solution initial pH on the adsorption of As(III), and the adsorption kinetics and isotherm were investigated in detail. The results indicated that the MST nanoparticles exhibited an excellent performance for As(III) removal in a pH range of 7–10 and were easily separated from aqueous solution with a magnet. The maximum removal capability for As(III) reached 202.0 mg/g at pH 7.0. The adsorption of As(III) was well fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model, respectively. The investigation of mechanism revealed that As(III) could be oxidized to As(V) by O2− and OH free radicals, generated via the dissolved O2 obtaining an electron from Cu(I) on the surface of the adsorbent and Fenton/Fenton-like reaction, respectively. Meanwhile, the produced As(V) was adsorbed onto the surface of the nanoparticles through the electrostatic attraction or diffusion. The adsorbed As(V) further interacted with –OH groups via ion exchange or with Y(III) on the surface of the adsorbent to form a precipitate. Therefore, the MST nanoparticles are promising for the removal of arsenic from water.

Non-thermal plasma coupled with MOF-74 derived Mn-Co-Ni-O porous composite oxide for toluene efficient degradation

A novel strategy for removal of toluene by non-thermal plasma (NTP) coupled with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) derived catalyst was proposed in this work. The MOF-derived porous trimetallic oxide catalyst (MnCoNiOx, MCNO) was prepared by simple pyrolysis of a MOF-74(Mn-Co-Ni) precursor. We found that the MCNO material can well synergy with NTP in total decomposition of toluene owing to its high specific surface area, regular porous structure and excellent reducibility, which endow superior catalytic activity and CO2 selectivity of NTP-MCNO system compared to that of NTP-MnOx, NTP-CoOx and NTP-NiOx. For instance, the toluene degradation efficiency can reach up to 75.7% in NTP-MCNO system with a low specific input energy of 101 J/L, much higher than that of NTP-MnOx (59.3%), NTP-CoOx (70.9%), NTP-NiOx (65.0%) and NTP alone (42.9%). Moreover, the formed ozone (O3) can be well-controlled by the NTP-MCNO system due to the spinel-type oxides (MCNO) derived from MOF could generate more open-formwork structure and improve the mobility of oxygen. The results of this work would shed light on rational design and preparation of spinel-type oxides for oxidation applications, which provides guidance for further improvement of plasma-catalysis system.

Enhancement of H2O2 decomposition by the synergistic effect on CuO-MnFe2O4 nanoparticles for sulfamethoxazole degradation over a wide pH range

Advanced treatment of micro-polluted water is a hot research topic at present. The construction of transition metal oxide-based Fenton-like reaction can effectively remove antibiotics from micro-polluted water. Magnetic CuO-MnFe2O4 nanoparticles, a type of nontoxic trimetallic transition metal oxides, is a promising heterogeneous catalyst for H2O2 activation over a wide pH range. In this study, the activation of H2O2 by CuO-MnFe2O4 nanoparticles is evaluated using sulfamethoxazole as a model reactant. The as-prepared CuO-MnFe2O4 nanoparticles exhibited excellent capability for sulfamethoxazole degradation over a wide pH range. Under the optimal conditions (0.5 g/L catalyst, 10 mM H2O2 and 5 mg/L SMX), 99.2% removal efficiency and 58.5% TOC removal were achieved within 30 minutes. According to quenching experiments and ESR analysis, ·O2 −/·OH/1O2 were generated in CuO-MnFe2O4/H2O2 system, ·OH and 1O2 were main active species. XPS analysis indicated that there existed a synergistic effect between CuO and MnFe2O4, while the generated 1O2 were probably derived from lattice oxygen and hydroxylate oxygen in CuO-MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. The CuO-MnFe2O4 nanoparticles are effective, environmental friendliness and low-cost catalysts for H2O2 activation over a wide pH range. These features make CuO-MnFe2O4 nanoparticles be a promising heterogeneous catalyst in Fenton-like reaction to process sulfamethoxazole in micro-polluted water.

Synthesis of Cost-effective Trimetallic Oxide Nanocatalysts for the Reduction of Nitroarenes in Presence of NaBH4 in an Aqueous Medium

Background: To prevent the environmental pollution, the release of the carcinogenic reagents like nitroarenes, especially nitrobenzene must be reduced or to find a way to convert these hazardous materials into less harmful material. For the reduction of nitroarenes, various types of catalysts such as metal nanoparticles (mainly coinage and group VIII) and platinum group metals were used. The chemo/homo selectivity of the reduction of nitroarenes was tested mainly in an organic solvent medium. Method: Trimetallic oxide nanocatalysts were prepared chemically and characterized via Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy FTIR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and solid UV studies. A series of nitroarenes were subjected to get their amine analogues using the NaBH4 in an aqueous medium using the synthesized catalysts. The completion of the reduction process was confirmed by the spectroscopic analysis. Results: The average crystallite of the trimetallic oxide nanocatalysts was found to be 14-32nm. The reductions were selective (homo/chemo) and kinetics followed the Lindemann-Hinshelwood pseudofirst order kinetics with the rate constant in the order of 10-3 s-1. Hydroxylamine intermediate was found to be formed in the reduction procedure. Conclusion: The catalysts showed promising for the selectivity (homo/chemo). The reduction processes were less time consuming e.g. nitrobenzene took 10 mins and a series of nitroanilines required 35-40 s for the reduction. In short, the trimetallic nano-oxide catalysts possess fast reaction process, cost-effective, easy to handle, reusable and hence could be promising for industrial waste treatment.

Absolute removal of ciprofloxacin and its degraded byproducts in aqueous solution using an efficient electrochemical oxidation process coupled with adsorption treatment technique

Pharmaceutical-based contaminants are the major reasons for morbidity and mortality in aquatic animals and lead to several side effects and diseases in human community. Availability of proper, efficient, and cost-effective treatment technologies is still scarce. In this study, an efficient combined treatment technique (electrochemical oxidation and adsorption processes) was developed for the complete detoxification of most commonly used antibiotic, ciprofloxacin in aqueous solution. Electrochemical degradation of ciprofloxacin was performed using titanium-based tri-metal oxide mesh type anode, and the effective oxidative potential, electrolysis time, and pH for the degradation of ciprofloxacin were thoroughly evaluated. Sulfate, fluoride ions and toxic byproducts generated during electrochemical oxidation of ciprofloxacin were subsequently removed through a simple adsorption treatment using activated charcoal for 90 min. Further, the toxicity of the treated water was assessed with the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans species at different time intervals by observing the expressions of important stress-responsive genes viz., sod-3, hsp-16.2, ctl-1,2,3 and gst-4. The results exhibited that the combined process of electrochemical oxidation and adsorption treatment is simple, low-cost as well as effective to eliminate ciprofloxacin and its toxic byproducts in aqueous solution.

Novel nanostructured Fe-Cu-Al trimetal oxide for enhanced antimony(V) removal: synthesis, characterization and performance.

Given the adverse health effects of antimony (Sb), there is an increased focus on developing methods to remove this toxic metal from contaminated water bodies. To effectively remove Sb(V), a new nanostructured Fe-Cu-Al trimetal oxide was fabricated using co-precipitation method at ambient temperature. The Fe-Cu-Al trimetal oxide was very effective at removing Sb(V) from water; it had a maximal adsorption capacity of 169.1 mg/g at pH 7.0, a capacity that was competitive with most other reported adsorbents. The obtained amorphous oxide had a high pH point of zero charge (pHpzc = 8.8) and good adsorption Sb(V) efficiency over a wide pH range (4.0-8.0). Sb(V) uptake was achieved mainly through an ion-exchange reaction between Sb(V) ions and hydroxyl groups on the surface of the oxide. Given its good removal performance, high selectivity, and simple synthesis, this novel Fe-Cu-Al trimetal oxide offers a promising alternate for removing antimony contamination from aquatic environments.

Alkaline-Etched NiMgAl Trimetallic Oxide-Supported KMoS-Based Catalysts for Boosting Higher Alcohol Selectivity in CO Hydrogenation.

The acidity/alkalinity and structural properties of NiMgAl trimetallic oxides (MMOs) can be effectively modulated by the alkaline-etching process with various etching times, which are further used as a support to prepare KMoS-based catalysts through the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-encapsulated Mo-precursor strategy. The enriched surface anion groups in alkaline-etched MMO affect the textural properties, metal-support interaction, and sulfidation degree of the as-synthesized KMoS-based catalysts. As a result, KMoS-based catalysts using alkaline-etched MMO as supports effectively enhance the reducibility and dispersion of Mo species, which exert a positive influence on higher alcohol synthesis (HAS) performance in CO hydrogenation. A proper balance between acidity/alkalinity and structural properties in K, Mo/MMO- x catalysts can significantly enhance the alcohol selectivity in HAS from 55 to 65% (carbon selectivity). The formation of C2+ alcohols can be boosted by adol condensation with optimal acidic/basic properties via suppressing the acidity and increasing the amount of basic sites. The alkaline-etching process also significantly improves the space time yield of C2+ alcohols over unit mass of molybdenum.