Zinc Salts Research Articles

Electrochemical properties modulation of Zinc oxide nanoparticles

The influence of zinc salts precursors (nitrate, acetate, chloride) on the electroactivity of the synthesised Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) was investigated using Glassy carbon ZnONPs modified electrode (ZnONPs films). The precipitation synthesised ZnONPs ‘s optical, morphological, size and Structural properties were assessed by usual spectroscopical technique. The XRD data confirmed synthesis of The ZnONPs which were predominately Zincite except for the nitrate product (zincite, ZHNH). All the NPs were of smaller size with the highest diameter size of 0.25 μM and lowest 0.066 μM for nitrate and chloride NPs respectively. All had good electroactivity, with rate constants (ks) above 1 × 10−2 indicating fast reversible reactions, values ranged from 0.6152 to 0.7515 for Zn(NO3) and Zn(CH3COO)2 respectively. Excellent opto-electric properties were observed with the nitrate product that had the highest band gaps (∼3.7 eV), DPV current(,7.57 × 10−7 A) ΔEp, diffusion coefficient (De) (3.120 × 10−1(cm2/s (Ariyanta et al., 2022) [5]) and rate constant (0.62 S-1). In addition it had the lowest resistance as indicated by the Rs value (1.13 kΩ) below the bare electrode value lowest Rct (444.77 kΩ) and CPE (3.00 × 10−6 F). For fabrication of sensors and batteries where low resistance and conductivity are essential, ZnONPs using Nitrate is ideal.

An extremely safe and flexible zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitor based on a scalable, thin and high-performance hierarchical structured gel electrolyte

High performance and low cost energy storage electronic equipments, together with flexibility and safety, is a major progress in portable and wearable electronics. Unfortunately, flexible batteries are greatly limited due to their inherent cost and safety drawbacks. Herein, we build an extremely safe and flexible quasi-solid-state zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitor (ZHSC) by a scalable, thin, and high-performance hierarchical gel electrolyte including the electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) matrix, polyacrylamide (PAM) and zinc salt. Benefiting from the unique interface and superior electrochemical performance of the well-designed electrolyte, the flexible ZHSC achieves a high energy density and power density (132.5 Wh kg−1 and 1244.4 W kg−1, respectively), high specific capacity (106.0 mAh/g at 1.0 A/g) and prominent cycling stability (100% capacity retention after 15 000 cycles at 10.0 A/g). More importantly, the quasi-solid-state ZHSC exhibits an extreme safety and a high wearability outperforming traditional flexible batteries and can continuously work in various extreme conditions, such as hammering, burning, washing, cutting, bending and piercing. It is believed that this hierarchical structured gel electrolyte provides a new platform and pave the way for flexible and wearable electronics with high performance and safety.

Exploring the antibacterial action of gliotoxin: Does it induce oxidative stress or protein damage?

The study aimed to investigate the effects of gliotoxin (GTX), a secondary fungal metabolite belonging to the epipolythiodioxopiperazines class, on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. While the cytotoxic mechanism of GTX on eukaryotes is well understood, its interaction with bacteria is not yet fully comprehended. The study discovered that S. epidermidis displayed a higher uptake rate of GTX than E.coli. However, Gram-negative bacteria required higher doses of GTX than Gram-positive bacteria to experience the bactericidal effect, which occurred within 4 h for both types of bacteria. The treatment of bioluminescent sensor E.coli MG1655 pKatG-lux with GTX resulted in oxidative stress. Pre-incubation with the antioxidant Trolox did not increase the GTX inhibitory dose, however, slightly increased the bacterial growth rate comparing to GTX alone. At the same time, we found that GTX inhibitory dose was significantly increased by the pretreatment of bacteria with 2-mercaptoethanol and reduced glutathione. Using another biosensor, E. coli MG1655 pIpbA-lux, we showed that bacteria treated with GTX exhibited heat shock stress. SDS-page electrophoresis demonstrated protein aggregation under the GTX treatment. In addition, we have found that gliotoxin's action on bacteria was significantly inhibited when zinc salt was added to the growth medium.

Can Patients with Wilson's Disease Develop Copper Deficiency?

Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare genetic condition characterized by a copper overload in organs secondary to mutation in ATP7B gene. Lifelong decoppering treatments are the keystone of the treatment but must be regularly adapted to obtain a correct copper balance and could lead to copper deficiency (CD). Study the characteristics of CD in WD patients. CD cases from our cohort of 338 WD patients have been investigated. CD was defined by the association of serum copper, exchangeable copper and urinary copper excretion assays less than two standard deviations from the mean with cytopenia and/or neurological damage of spinal cord origin. A systematic review of literature about cases of CD in WD patient was performed in PubMed database according to PRISMA guidelines. Three WD patients were diagnosed with CD in our cohort. Review of the literature found 17 other patients. Most of the patients had anemia and neutropenia associated with neurological symptoms (especially progressive posterior cord syndrome). All the patients were treated with Zinc salts and the symptoms occurred more than a decade after the initiation of treatment. The adaptation of the treatment allowed a correction of the cytopenia but only a partial improvement of the neurological symptoms. WD patients can develop CD after many years of zinc therapy. Anemia and neutropenia are red flags that should evoke CD.

Synthesis of Bio Nanocatalyst of ZnO Nanoparticles using Ocimum Basilicum Leaves

The aqueous extract of Ocimum basilicum leaves and zinc salts (zinc sulphate) was used as precursors in this investigation to create zinc oxide nanoparticles. ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to characterize the produced nanoparticles. (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Because UV-Vis spectra exhibit absorption peaks in the 350 nm range. DLS analysis prove the nano size for the prepared colloidal of zinc oxide nanoparticles. SEM investigations showed a spherical shape with an average size of (30-80) nm. Analysis of (EDX) showed that elementary analysis was which are 31.8% and oxygen is 21.3%.

Incorporation of metal organic framework into mesoporous silica nanoparticles with high contents

The integration of mesoporous silica materials (MSMs) and metal organic frameworks (MOFs) has garnered significant attention. To date, various strategies have been developed to synthesize MSM-MOF composites. However, it is challenging to synthesize MSM-MOF with high MOF contents (e.g., metal to silica molar ratio above 0.4) and well maintained mesopores. Here, we report a metal oxide conversion strategy for the synthesis of dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (DMSNs)-MOF nanocomposites with a high MOF content, using zinc-based MOFs as examples. By adjusting the amount of zinc salts and the reaction time, DMSN-ZIF-8 can be prepared with a zinc to silicon molar ratio up to 0.4-0.8:1, and the mesopores can be reserved at the zinc to silicon ratio of 0.4. This strategy can be further applied to synthesize DMSN-ZIF-90 nanocomposites. This work has provided a robust strategy for the synthesis of MSM-MOF composites with adjustable compositions and nanostructures.

Influence of Zinc Salt Concentration on Structured ZnO Composition and Morphology

AbstractIn the present work, Zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) and Simonkolleite (Zn5(OH)8Cl22H2O) nanodisks were successfully prepared hydrothermally using zinc chloride as a zinc source salt. The molarity of the zinc salt was varied to investigate its effect on the structure of the synthesized nanostructures. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV‐visible optical transmittance, and photoluminescence were used to characterize the synthesized nanostructures. These results suggest that the morphology of the synthesized nanostructures was significantly influenced by the molarity of zinc chloride. We inferred that increasing zinc salt molarity above 0.01 M leads to a pure simonkolleite nanodisks. In contrast, ZnO NRs were formed at low concentrations.

An amine-functionalized strategy to enhance the CO2 absorption of type III porous liquids

Porous liquids (PLs) is a new material with two seemingly unrelated characteristics: porosity and liquidity. In this study, an amine functionalized strategy was proposed to enhance the CO2 absorption of Type III Porous Liquids. 2-Methylimidazole zinc salt (ZIF-8) modified by tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) was chosen for providing porosities and the 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Bis(trifluoro-methanesulfonyl)-imide ([EMlm][NTf2]) was chosen as sterically hindered solvent, an amine-functionalized type Ⅲ porous liquids were reported. First, amine groups were successfully loaded on the ZIF-8. Then, the effect of amine loading on ZIF-8 was investigated. It was found the 30 TEPA@ZIF-8 nanoparticles were the optimum candidates based on CO2 absorption capacity and micropore analysis. Subsequently, the CO2 absorption capacity of absorbent was studied. 5-30TEPA@ZIF-8/[EMlm][NTf2] had a CO2 absorption capacity of 0.124 mmol g−1, which was 4.43 times higher than 5-0TEPA@ZIF-8/[EMlm][NTf2]. And the corresponding absorption rate increased by 745%. Three kinetics models were used for describing the absorption process, and the result showed the fractional-order kinetic model was the most accurate. Finally, the absorbent had a low heat absorption with a value of −1.38 kJ/mol. The CO2 absorption capacity lost just 4.3% after five cycles. All the results indicate the prepared porous liquids had an application potential in CO2 capture.

Bacterial cell-free metabolites-based zinc oxide nanoparticles for combating skin-causing bacterial infections

Recently, the development of skin barrier depend on wound healing, which is one of the most complicated biological processes. As an alternative to conventional antibiotics, nanoparticles (NPs) have become more utilized generally to attack bacteria. Due to their distinct characteristics, potential microbicidal action, and ability to speed up the wound healing process, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have attracted much attention. Biological techniques can solve the restrictions of both physical and chemical approaches for nanoparticles synthesis. Because it does not require expensive chemicals, high temperatures, or a lot of time, biological synthesis is relatively easy, inexpensive, and environmentally benign. The secondary metabolic extract from Escherichia coli was used in this study to biologically synthesize three distinct quantities of ZnO-NPs, which were then assessed for their effectiveness in wound healing and bacterial infection prevention. The biofabricated ZnO-NPs were fully characterized in terms of particle shape, morphology, and stability against aggregation. Depending on the concentration of the utilized zinc salt, three different samples were fabricated biologically, nominated as ZnO-NPs-1, ZnO-NPs-2, and ZnO-NPs-3. The findings of Uv-vis absorption peaks were obtained at 352 nm, demonstrating the preparation of ZnO-NPs. The results demonstrated the formation of ZnO-NPs with an average particle size of 79.19, 79.83 and 91.57 nm for the three prepared samples (ZnO-NPs-1, ZnO-NPs-2, and ZnO-NPs-3), respectively. Additionally, these samples of ZnO-NPs exhibited zeta potential values around −34.3, −33.7, and −33.4 mV, respectively. Energy dispersive X-ray confirmed the successful formation of ZnO-NPs. It was also observed from the obtained results that, ZnO-NP-3 showed superior antimicrobial potential against selected skin infectious microbes. The effective killing dosage of ZnO-NPs-3 was recorded to be 40 mg/L which can eliminate microbial growth. The dysregulation of skin flora significantly influences the etiology of inflammatory skin disorders.

Cooperative catalysis of carbon supported zinc salts hybrid for efficient conversion of fructose to ethyl lactate

Efficient conversion of biomass sugars to lactate is a great challenge due to the difficulty in regulating the active centers of the catalyst to match the cascade reaction. In this paper, a new process was developed by using a hybrid catalyst composed of two carbon-based catalysts ZnC1 and ZnC2 with different acidic and basic active sites. The catalytic performance of these two catalysts as well as their hybrid with different mixed mass ratio was investigated in fructose conversion to ethyl lactate (EL). Both ZnC1 and ZnC2 could offer abundant medium and strong basic sites, which are effective for the [3 + 3] retro-aldol condensation of fructose to glyceraldehyde (GLA) and 1,3-dihydroxyacetone (DHA), while the H+ protons generated in situ by interaction with the hydroxyl groups in alcohol were responsible for the conversion of GLA and DHA to EL via dehydration, acetalization and rearrangement reactions. For these reasons, the hybrid catalyst afforded EL yield of 78.2% with turnover frequency of 43.4 mmol⋅h−1⋅g−1 and total selectivity of 98.2% reacting in ethanol at 220 °C, which are far higher than the previously reported values. Combined with the catalyst characterization, apparent kinetic modeling and DFT calculation, the catalytic reaction mechanism was clarified. The hybrid catalyst demonstrated good anti-leaching stability, while the deactivation was mainly resulted from coking coverage of the active sites. The research not only helps design and prepare the catalysts with bifunctional acidic and basic sites, but also deepens the insight into the conversion of biomass-derived sugars to value-added chemicals.

Tandem Hydroformylation-Aldol Condensation Reaction Enabled by Zn-MOF-74.

The tandem hydroformylation-aldol condensation (tandem HF-AC) reaction offers an efficient synthetic route to the synthesis of industrially relevant products. The addition of Zn-MOF-74 to the cobalt-catalyzed hydroformylation of 1-hexene enables tandem HF-AC under milder pressure and temperature conditions than the aldox process, where zinc salts are added to cobalt-catalyzed hydroformylation reactions to promote aldol condensation. The yield of the aldol condensation products increases by up to 17 times that of the homogeneous reaction without MOF and up to 5 times compared to the aldox catalytic system. Both Co2(CO)8 and Zn-MOF-74 are required to significantly enhance the activity of the catalytic system. Density functional theory simulations and Fourier-transform infrared experiments show that heptanal, the product of hydroformylation, adsorbs on the open metal site (OMS) of Zn-MOF-74, thereby increasing the electrophilic character of the carbonyl carbon atom and facilitating the condensation.

Biogeochemical and physiological adaptability of winter wheat (Triticum L.) under the influence of heavy metals in the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

In recent decades, the main objects of biogeochemical research have become the territories of agroecosystems, industrial cities and adjacent agricultural lands. The problem of environmental pollution with pollutants, chemical compounds of microelement composition is one of the most important problems of environmental safety. At present, modern studies of scientists consider toxic heavy metals as the most dangerous pollutants of soil, water and plant products of agriculture. In addition, the most active agents of pollution are their mobile chemical forms, which are able to pass from solid phases into soil and water solutions and be absorbed by plants and other organisms. Cereal crops have the ability to absorb nutrients both through the root system and the leaf apparatus, the surface of the stem. Also, trace elements are involved in many physiological and biochemical processes in plants, including acceleration of development, flowering, fertilization and fruiting, metabolism, etc. Quantitative characteristics of the migration of heavy metals from soil to plants during 2022 were evaluated for the studied territories of the Forest Steppe of Ukraine, in particular in Kyiv and Vinnytsia regions. Complex studies were carried out to determine the influence of Zn2+ and Cu2+ on phytocomponents of ecosystems. At the same time, data were obtained on the effect of zinc and copper salts on seed germination and growth of winter wheat seedlings. It is shown that, depending on the concentration of salts, there is a different effect on seed germination. As you know, heavy metals have a mutagenic, toxic effect and affect the intensity of biochemical processes. The authors established that according to the ecotoxicological criterion of bioaccumulation in the «soil — plant» system, the studied trace elements can be arranged in the following order: Cu2+ > Zn2+. Based on the results of experimental and theoretical research, a comparative analysis of the accumulation of heavy metals in the organs of Triticum aestivum (vulgare) L. (common wheat) is presented. According to the results of field experience, differences in the distribution of Zn 2+ and Cu 2+ in the organs of winter wheat have been established, grown on typical chernozem and gray podzolized soils. It was found that the main barrier function of the inactivation of the investigated heavy metals is performed by the roots of plants.

Suberic Acid-Based Supramolecular Metallogels of Ni(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) for Anti-Pathogenic Activity and Semiconducting Diode Fabrication

The importance of three synthesized metallogels of suberic acid distinctly with nickel, zinc, and cadmium acetate salts has been uncovered. For the creation of these soft materials, N,N'-dimethyl formamide was utilized as a source of the trapped solvent. The synthesized metallogels display intriguing viscoelasticity, and the interpretation of experimental parameters obtained from rheological results advocates the gel behavior. Microstructural analysis combined with energy-dispersive X-ray confirms the occurrence of individual gel-developing constituents as observed in different hierarchical microstructural patterns. Significant variations in microstructural arrangements with diverse extent of supramolecular non-covalent patterns inside gel networks were perceived through field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analyses. Fourier transform infrared and electrospray ionization-mass spectral analyses and powder X-ray diffraction analysis of metallogel samples of different gel-establishing ingredients help to investigate the possible supramolecular interactions dictating the metallogel scaffolds. Thermogravimetric analysis of xerogel samples was collected from the synthesized metallogels to understand the thermal stability. These gel materials were characterized by their potential antibacterial efficiency. The potency of metallogels against selective Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was visualized via a spectrophotometer. Human pathogens like Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 109), Salmonella typhi (MTCC 733), Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus (MTCC 1272), Lactobacillus fermentum (NCDO 955), and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 96) are employed in this study. Apart from the biological significance, our metallogels demonstrate as incredible diode performance of fabricated semiconducting systems, which exhibit a considerable amount of non-linearity demonstrating a non-ohmic conduction mechanism at room temperature in dark conditions. Device fabrication was achieved from these metallogels employing the sandwich model with indium tin oxide-coated glass substrates/metallogel/Al structure.

A New Zinc Salt Chemistry for Aqueous Zinc-Metal Batteries.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are promising energy storage solutions with low cost and superior safety, but they suffer from chemical and electrochemical degradations closely related to the electrolyte. Here, a new zinc salt design and a drop-in solution for long cycle-life aqueous ZIBs are reported. The salt Zn(BBI)2 with a rationally designed anion group, N-(benzenesulfonyl)benzenesulfonamide (BBI- ), has a special amphiphilic molecular structure, which combines the benefits of hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups to properly tune the solubility and interfacial condition. This new zinc salt does not contain fluorine and is synthesized via a high-yield and low-cost method. It is shown that 1m Zn(BBI)2 aqueous electrolyte with a widened cathodic stability window effectively stabilizes Zn metal/H2 O interface, mitigates chemical and electrochemical degradations, and enables both symmetric and full cells using azinc-metal electrode.

Blood Based Biomarkers of Central Nervous System Involvement in Wilson's Disease.

Wilson's disease (WD) is an inherited disorder of copper metabolism with clinical symptoms related to pathological copper accumulation, which are mainly hepatic and/or neuropsychiatric. The disease is potentially treatable with pharmacological agents (chelators or zinc salts). As such, key factors for a favorable treatment outcome are early diagnosis and anti-copper treatment initiation as well as appropriate treatment monitoring for safety and efficacy. Despite the generally favorable outcome in most treated patients, almost 10% of the general population of WD patients and about 25% of patients in the group with initial neurological phenotype of disease experience early neurological deterioration. In almost 50% of patients with neurological symptoms, the symptoms persist. A search for new treatment modalities (e.g., gene therapy, molybdenum salts) aims to prevent early neurological deterioration as well as improve treatment outcomes. In addition to evaluating the clinical signs and symptoms of the disease, serum biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment monitoring are very important for WD management. Sensitive serum biomarkers of copper metabolism and liver injury are well described. However, there is a need to establish blood-based biomarkers of central nervous system (CNS) injury to help identify patients at risk of early neurological deterioration and aid in their monitoring. Based on the available literature and studies of WD patients, the authors reviewed serum biomarkers of CNS involvement in WD, as well as their potential clinical significance.

Heterointerface construction for permalloy microparticles through the surface modification of bilayer metallic organic frameworks: Toward microwave absorption enhancement

Reasonable heterointerface modification can effectively regulate and enhance the microwave absorption of electromagnetic materials. The surface of magnetic permalloy (PM) microparticles is modified herein by coating double-layer metal organic frameworks (MOF), which are composed of a 2-methylimidazole cobalt salt (ZIF-67) layer and a 2-methylimidazole zinc salt (ZIF-8) layer. A stable heterointerface structure with cobalt/carbon (Co/C) and zinc/carbon (Zn/C) layers is formed on the surface of PM microparticles after pyrolysis. These particles include two types of composite particles of PM solely encapsulated by ZIF-67 or ZIF-8, PM@ZIF67 and PM@ZIF8, respectively, and two types of composite PM particles with a double-layered MOF outer shell structure obtained by exchanging the coating sequence (PM@ZIF8@ZIF67 and PM@ZIF67@ZIF8). Furthermore, the thermal decomposition temperature has a significant impact on the surface morphology and magnetic properties of the composite particles. After pyrolyzing at 500 °C, the PM@ZIF67@ZIF8 samples exhibit the highest microwave absorption performance among these samples. Specifically, the minimum reflection loss and effective absorption bandwidth of PM@ZIF67@ZIF8 after pyrolyzing at 500 °C can reach −47.3 dB at a matching thickness of 3.8 mm and 5.3 GHz at a matching thickness of 2.5 mm, respectively. A heterointerface with an electrical field orientation is created in the PM@ZIF67@ZIF8 particles, which effectively enhances the interface polarization and dipole polarization. Furthermore, the formation of a three-dimensional carbon network after pyrolysis is also useful for optimizing impedance matching and enhancing magneto-electric synergism.

Comparative Studies on [B(HFIP)4]-Based Electrolytes with Mono- and Divalent Cations

The development of electrolyte materials that are compatible with reductive metals is an urgent requirement for realizing high-energy-density rechargeable batteries utilizing metallic negative electrodes. Due to successive changes and regeneration of the morphology and fresh metals, respectively, upon repeated cycling of the metallic electrodes, the electrolytes should possess sufficient (electro)chemical stabilities against such electrodes. Weakly coordinating anion (WCA)-based electrolytes, which were first proposed for lithium-based battery applications in 1995, have attracted significant attention, especially in recent years, owing to their successful application in magnesium and calcium metal batteries. Inspired by these studies, WCA-based electrolytes have been reimported into lithium- and sodium-ion battery chemistry. In this study, we conducted comprehensive comparative studies on the representative WCA-based electrolytes incorporating tetrakis(hexafluoro-iso-propoxyl)borate ([B(HFIP)4]−) anions as a model system to understand the effect of valency of paired cation species on transport properties and electrochemical characteristics. As revealed by X-ray crystallography, the monovalent lithium and sodium salts were obtained as adducts, where the anion participated in cation coordination along with a single solvent molecule, whereas divalent magnesium, calcium, and zinc salts formed fully isolated solvates with the divalent cations being coordinated by solvents alone. Such valency-dependent differences in the dissociation states would affect the solution properties, as the divalent electrolytes exhibited greater conductivities than their monovalent counterparts, even though the same number of charged species was present in the respective solutions. The electrochemical metal deposition/dissolution studies combined with morphological and subsequent elemental analysis on the deposits suggested the specific favorable combination of magnesium cations and [B(HFIP)4]− anion in ethereal solutions. The modest surface reactivity of the deposited macrocrystalline magnesium, moderate reductive nature of the magnesium metal, and well-balanced mutual interactions among the components may have jointly contributed to such outstanding performance.

N-doped carbon hollow sphere reservoirs containing Zn2+-mercaptobenzoxazole with pH-responsive function to fabricate a high-performance corrosion protective epoxy coating for aluminum alloy

In this article, a core/shell structure based on zinc salt of 2-mercaptobenzoxazole (Zn.MBO) and N-doped carbon hollow sphere (NCHS) was synthesized and characterized. The active corrosion protection performance of the encapsulated Zn.MBO in NCHS (Zn.MBO@NCHS) was assessed on bare and epoxy-coated AA2024. The MBO and zinc cation release from the capsules was analyzed at different pHs. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results proved that, in the presence of Zn.MBO@NCHS, the corrosion resistance of the scratched coated samples after 72 h immersion was significantly higher than the rest of samples indicating its active inhibitive function.

Protic amine/acid mixtures as solvents for the extraction of aqueous zinc salts: A mechanistic study

Mixtures based on trihexylamine and cyclic carboxylic acids (aromatic and non-aromatic) were used as solvents for the extraction of zinc salts from aqueous phases via liquid–liquid extractions. The anions of the zinc salts were chosen to represent a range of kosmo-/chaotropic characters, and their influence on the extractions was observed. The extraction studies were supplemented by investigation of local liquid structure through small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). The results indicate that extraction is strongly influenced by the Hofmeister effect, but the local liquid structure appears insensitive to anion kosmo-/chaotropic character. In contrast to similar extraction studies, the strength of the Hofmeister effect did not change according to the composition of the mixtures.

Synthesis of hierarchically porous carbon materials by zinc salts-assisted carbonization of biomass and organic solid wastes

Hierarchically porous carbons (HPCs) with multimodal pores have attracted considerable attention due to their unique physical and chemical properties and various application potentials in heterogeneous catalysis, environmental treatment, and energy storage and conversion. Herein, we report a general and simple zinc salts-assisted method for the synthesis of HPCs with varied porosity and chemical functionalities by the direct carbonization of diverse biomass and wastes. During the carbonization, zinc salts are thermally decomposed into nanoparticles that serve as in-situ templates to introduce nanopores in carbons. The prepared HPCs exhibit high specific surface areas (up to 2432 m2 g−1), large pore volumes (up to 4.30 cm3 g−1), and broad pore size distributions. Moreover, the zinc salts can be recovered and recycled, supporting the sustainable production of HPCs on large scale. The prepared HPCs-supported catalysts with atomically dispersed metal sites exhibit promising electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction.