Impact of Public Service Quality on the Efficiency of the Water Industry: Evidence from 147 Cities in China

Nowadays, water service marketization has become a global trend, and the quality of public services has gradually become an important factor affecting the input and output of urban water utilities. This paper defines the connotation of service quality at the technical and public aspects innovatively, builds on the service quality system of water utilities, establishes the relationship between the quality and output efficiency model, and studies the impact of service quality on the efficiency of water utilities. Then, based on 147 cities’ water supply data during the 2005–2016 period in China, the data envelopment analysis model and Tobit panel data model were used in the empirical research to measure the efficiency characterized by the quality dimension. The results show that: (1) The service quality of the water industry is reflected in two aspects: technical and publicity. At the technical level, the service quality of the water industry can be represented by the supply capacity of water and infrastructure, and at the public level, by the penetration rate. (2) The overall comprehensive efficiency of urban water utilities in China is in the middle level of 0.5–0.7, the scale efficiency is at a high level of 0.8–1, and the pure technical efficiency is relatively low. The opportunity cost of maintaining service quality in China’s water sector is 5.21% of the potential output. (3) Public service quality is significantly positively correlated with the efficiency of China’s water utilities, and the improvement of service quality will promote the improvement of efficiency

Two Novel Schiff Base Manganese Complexes as Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for CO₂ Reduction and Water Oxidation

One mononuclear Mn(III) complex [MnIIIL(H2O)(MeCN)](ClO4) (1) and one hetero-binuclear complex [(CuIILMnII(H2O)3)(CuIIL)2](ClO4)2·CH3OH (2) have been synthesized with the Schiff base ligand (H2L = N,N′-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamine). Single crystal X-ray structural analysis manifests that the Mn(III) ion in 1 has an octahedral coordination structure, whereas the Mn(II) ion in 2 possesses a trigonal bipyramidal configuration and the Cu(II) ion in 2 is four-coordinated with a square-planar geometry. Electrochimerical catalytic investigation demonstrates that the two complexes can electrochemically catalyze water oxidation and CO2 reduction simultaneously. The coordination environments of the Mn(III), Mn(II), and Cu(II) ions in 1 and 2 were provided by the Schiff base ligand (L) and labile solvent molecules. The coordinately unsaturated environment of the Cu(II) center in 2 can perfectly facilitate the catalytic performance of 2. Complexes 1 and 2 display that the over potentials for water oxidation are 728 mV and 216 mV, faradaic efficiencies (FEs) are 88% and 92%, respectively, as well as the turnover frequency (TOF) values for the catalytic reduction of CO2 to CO are 0.38 s−1 at −1.65 V and 15.97 s−1 at −1.60 V, respectively. Complex 2 shows much better catalytic performance for both water oxidation and CO2 reduction than that of complex 1, which could be owing to a structural reason which is attributed to the synergistic catalytic action of the neighboring Mn(III) and Cu(II) active sites in 2. Complexes 1 and 2 are the first two compounds coordinated with Schiff base ligand for both water oxidation and CO2 reduction. The finding in this work can offer significant inspiration for the future development of electrocatalysis in this area

Impact of Public Service Quality on the Efficiency of the Water Industry: Evidence from 147 Cities in China

Nowadays, water service marketization has become a global trend, and the quality of public services has gradually become an important factor affecting the input and output of urban water utilities. This paper defines the connotation of service quality at the technical and public aspects innovatively, builds on the service quality system of water utilities, establishes the relationship between the quality and output efficiency model, and studies the impact of service quality on the efficiency of water utilities. Then, based on 147 cities’ water supply data during the 2005–2016 period in China, the data envelopment analysis model and Tobit panel data model were used in the empirical research to measure the efficiency characterized by the quality dimension. The results show that: (1) The service quality of the water industry is reflected in two aspects: technical and publicity. At the technical level, the service quality of the water industry can be represented by the supply capacity of water and infrastructure, and at the public level, by the penetration rate. (2) The overall comprehensive efficiency of urban water utilities in China is in the middle level of 0.5–0.7, the scale efficiency is at a high level of 0.8–1, and the pure technical efficiency is relatively low. The opportunity cost of maintaining service quality in China’s water sector is 5.21% of the potential output. (3) Public service quality is significantly positively correlated with the efficiency of China’s water utilities, and the improvement of service quality will promote the improvement of efficiency

Two Novel Schiff Base Manganese Complexes as Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for CO2 Reduction and Water Oxidation

One mononuclear Mn(III) complex [MnIIIL(H2O)(MeCN)](ClO4) (1) and one hetero-binuclear complex [(CuIILMnII(H2O)3)(CuIIL)2](ClO4)2·CH3OH (2) have been synthesized with the Schiff base ligand (H2L = N,N′-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamine). Single crystal X-ray structural analysis manifests that the Mn(III) ion in 1 has an octahedral coordination structure, whereas the Mn(II) ion in 2 possesses a trigonal bipyramidal configuration and the Cu(II) ion in 2 is four-coordinated with a square-planar geometry. Electrochimerical catalytic investigation demonstrates that the two complexes can electrochemically catalyze water oxidation and CO2 reduction simultaneously. The coordination environments of the Mn(III), Mn(II), and Cu(II) ions in 1 and 2 were provided by the Schiff base ligand (L) and labile solvent molecules. The coordinately unsaturated environment of the Cu(II) center in 2 can perfectly facilitate the catalytic performance of 2. Complexes 1 and 2 display that the over potentials for water oxidation are 728 mV and 216 mV, faradaic efficiencies (FEs) are 88% and 92%, respectively, as well as the turnover frequency (TOF) values for the catalytic reduction of CO2 to CO are 0.38 s−1 at −1.65 V and 15.97 s−1 at −1.60 V, respectively. Complex 2 shows much better catalytic performance for both water oxidation and CO2 reduction than that of complex 1, which could be owing to a structural reason which is attributed to the synergistic catalytic action of the neighboring Mn(III) and Cu(II) active sites in 2. Complexes 1 and 2 are the first two compounds coordinated with Schiff base ligand for both water oxidation and CO2 reduction. The finding in this work can offer significant inspiration for the future development of electrocatalysis in this area