Elevating the Photocatalytic Performance of BiOCl by Promoting Light Utilization: From Co doping to the Microreactor

Owing to its unique layered structure, BiOCl demonstrates high photocatalytic activity. However, its wide bandgap hinders the absorption of visible light. Doping modification is an effective method to expand the light absorption edge of photocatalysts by creating a doping energy level within the bandgap. Herein, Co as a variable valence element was used to dope the BiOCl nanosheets through a simple hydrothermal approach. As a result, the absorption edge of Co–BiOCl extends to the visible light region, and the photocatalytic performance was enhanced by 3.02 times. To overcome the shortcoming of photons being consumed easily in the bulk reactor, a planar microreactor was introduced to reduce the attenuation of light and accelerate the mass transfer. By comparison to the bulk reactor, a maximum of 15.3-fold additional activity promotion emerged. This work combines doping modification and reactor improvement to realize highly efficient photocatalysis in practical application

Table1_Determination of hydraulic parameters of non-linear consolidation clay layers by type curve method.docx

The consolidation of clay layers is of great significance for groundwater environmental protection, groundwater storage utilization, and land subsidence. In this study, the governing equation for the excess pore water pressure during the non-linear consolidation process of clay layers under load conditions is obtained based on the one-dimensional non-linear consolidation theory. Analytical solutions are then derived for clay layers with single or double drainage caused by the dissipation of the excess pore water pressure. With these analytical solutions, the groundwater dynamics and deformation of the clay layer are analyzed. Correspondingly, a type curve method is proposed to calculate the hydraulic parameters of the clay layer through laboratory experiments, which verifies the reliability of the analytical solutions. The study results show that the deformation of the clay layer predicted by the non-linear consolidation theory is smaller than that predicted by the linear consolidation theory. The deformation of the clay layer increases with the increase in the thickness of the clay layer, the compressive index, and the overburden load, while it decreases with the increase in the initial void ratio and the initial effective stress. The stable time, at which the consolidation of the clay layer is completed, increases with the increase in the compression index and the thickness of the clay layer, while it decreases with the increase in the initial void ratio, the initial effective stress, and the initial hydraulic conductivity. It does not vary with the load pressure. Conclusively, the deformation prediction based on the non-linear consolidation theory is more accurate and applicable to further load pressures.</p

Video_1_Lateral flow immunoassay strips based on europium(III) chelate microparticle for the rapid and sensitive detection of Trichinella spiralis infection in whole blood samples of pigs.mp4

Trichinellosis is a major food-borne parasitosis caused by ingesting raw or semi-raw meat products from pigs infected with Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis). Although China is the largest consumer of pork in the world, the current diagnostic method of T. spiralis is exclusively performed in a laboratory setting, due to its complexity and laborious procedure. Here, in order to solve the detection problems in the pig breeding industry, a rapid, sensitive, and on-site serological diagnosis method was developed. The novel lateral flow immunoassay strip (ICS) is based on europium(III) chelate microparticle (ECM) to detect T. spiralis-specific IgG antibody in the serum and whole blood samples from pigs. The structure of the blood-filtering pad and the conjugate pad was added to the ICS, allowing for whole blood samples to be detected and enabling on-site deployment. By comparing the detection results of the serum samples and the whole blood samples, the detection limit of this method was evaluated. Thereafter, this method was used to investigate Trichinella infection in Chongqing, Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, and Liaoning provinces of China, and the results were almost consistent with the standard method of artificial digestion. Taking advantage of its user-friendly procedure, short detection time (3 min), and sensitivity, the ECM-ICS could be employed for monitoring the epidemic of Trichinella infection and ensuring meat safety.</p

Controllable Synthesis of Carbon Dots@CaCO₃ Composites: Tunable Morphology, UV Absorption Properties, and Application as an Ultraviolet Absorber

Ultraviolet (UV) absorbers are of vital importance in reducing the damage of UV irradiation to materials, incredibly effective in delaying the life of polymers. However, commercial inorganic UV absorbers tend to generate free radicals that accelerate the decomposition of materials. The carbon dots (CDs) that mineralize CaCO3 to different degrees to prepare excellent UV absorbers with UV absorption properties were proposed in this work. CDs with a negative charge of −3.77 mV and a surface rich in functional groups such as −COOH, −OH, −NH2, and −CO were synthesized by a one-step method to induce the typical rhombic CaCO3 to form other irregular morphologies, including polycrystalline rhombic, flower-like, flower-like with more petals, and smooth spherical shapes. The UV absorption properties of CDs endow CaCO3 with a strong UV absorption capacity at 200–400 nm and the stability of spherical CDs@CaCO3 is higher than that of pure CDs. It shows that spherical CDs@CaCO3 have superior dispersibility, optical stability, high-temperature resistance, and anti-photoaging performance. Finally, to reflect the practical application of CDs@CaCO3, it was compounded with polyurethane (PU). It increases the UV resistance and mechanical properties of PU film, and the application of light conversion film has great potential in agriculture. The development of a new inorganic UV absorber has excellent prospects for application in the field of UV resistance

DataSheet1_Metal-free photo-induced sulfidation of aryl iodide and other chalcogenation.PDF

A photo-induced C-S radical cross-coupling of aryl iodides and disulfides under transition-metal and external photosensitizer free conditions for the synthesis of aryl sulfides at room temperature has been presented, which features mild reaction conditions, broad substrate scope, high efficiency, and good functional group compatibility. The developed methodology could be readily applied to forge C-S bond in the field of pharmaceutical and material science.</p

Synthesis of Carbon Dots with Carbogenic π‑Conjugated Domains for Full-Band UV Shielding

Our skin and materials are constantly exposed to detrimental ultraviolet light (UV) rays from the sun. It is essential to protect our health and the life of materials by intercepting this detrimental high-energy radiation with UV absorbers. Carbon dots (CDs) with low toxicity and low cost have brought a choice for UV absorbers. However, high-efficiency absorption CDs that can achieve absorption in the full ultraviolet region have rarely been reported. Herein, we synthesized a full-band carbon dot ultraviolet absorber by expanding the CD π-conjugation domain. In addition, by encapsulating CDs in a polyurethane (PU) matrix, the absorptivity of the 5 wt % CDs@PU film in the ultraviolet region was 100%, and the transmittance reached 90% in the visible region, successfully protecting the two dyes from photodegradation. The UV shielding efficiency slightly decreased under the accelerated aging experiment of 288 h. Moreover, to remove the ultraviolet light in the light-emitting diode (LED), we applied a layer of the CD film to the surface of the LED lamp, and the results indicated that the UV light was successfully blocked by the CD film without affecting the LED luminescence performance. This study offers a valid method to evolve high-efficiency, nontoxic antiaging materials and healthy lighting devices