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Objective: Cervical cancer screening participation in China remains insufficient, possibly because of embarrassment or discomfort. We assessed knowledge of HPV and its link to cervical cancer, and whether HPV self-sampling might be an acceptable alternative to clinician-based screening, among Sichuan women. Methods: A sample of healthy women undergoing routine physical examinations in 2017 at the West China Hospital, Sichuan University, completed a questionnaire. Results: From 3000 questionnaires distributed, 1810 were completed and analyzed. Only 29.94% of respondents (n = 542) had heard of HPV, among whom 65.75% knew that it caused cervical cancer. Among the 766 (42.32%) who considered that HPV self-sampling for cervical cancer screening was an acceptable option, over 90% thought it would be convenient, private, not embarrassing, and not painful. However, 1044 women (57.68%) did not consider self-sampling acceptable, mainly because the result might not be accurate (85.63%), specimens may have gone bad (83.05%), and they may not perform the test correctly (79.98%). Respondents who believed HPV self-sampling was acceptable were more likely than other respondents to be young, and to have completed at least secondary education. Of the 1810 respondents, 1312 (72.49%) reported that they would be willing to be vaccinated against HPV. Conclusion: Most women in Chengdu lack basic knowledge about HPV. Over 40% of women believed HPV self-sampling for cervical cancer screening was an acceptable option. To increase screening coverage, public health efforts to educate the public about HPV and HPV self-sampling for cervical cancer screening should be strengthened and expanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic porous manganese ferrite nanoparticles (MnxFe3-xO4) with diverse ingredient Mn/Fe mole ratios were synthesized to degrade sulfamethoxazole (SMX) antibiotic residues involving peroxymonosulfate (PMS) dissociation to produce free radical SO4•−, •OH and singlet oxygen 1O2 in the absence of heat and light. With the increase in proportion of manganese, the degradation efficiency of SMX increased from 19 to 70% in 30 min. The removal efficiency of SMX increased following the concentration increase of PMS (from 1 ~ 10 mM). After 60 min, the total organic carbon went down by 20%, and the concentration of NH4+ and NO3− accumulated obviously simultaneously. EPR study and chemical probe method, depending on scavenging revealed that SO4•−, •OH and 1O2 were generated and contributed to the degradation system. Based on the capture of eleven decomposition by-products by LC/MS, two different degradation pathways of SMX were determined, mainly consisting of cleavage of the S–N bond, hydroxylation of benzene and heterocyclic ring, oxidation of amino group and ring-opening cleavage processes. The nanoparticle reuse tests showed that the porous magnetic manganese ferrite nanoparticles could still maintain a high degradation efficiency after five oxidative degradation reactions. The magnetic porous manganese ferrite nanocrystals could activate the PMS to oxidize SMX antibiotic residue without additional energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new adsorbent, Fe 3 O 4 sulfonated magnetic nanoparticle (Fe 3 O 4 -SO 3 H MNP), was developed for heavy metal ions removal from water, which could be effectively separated from the solution owing to the superparamagnetic property. The nanoparticles can be used to remove heavy metal ions due to the additional active site, “sulfo-group”, introduced by the AMPS branches grafted onto the iron oxide. The as-synthesized materials were characterized by SEM, TEM, FT-IR and BET. The FTIR, XPS and Zeta potential were used to describe the adsorption mechanism. The Fe 3 O 4 -SO 3 H MNPs showed rapid removal for Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ with maximum of adsorption capacity of 108. 93 and 80.9 mg/g at 25 °C, respectively. The adsorption isotherms for Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ fitted better with Langmuir than Freundlich models, indicated that the processes of the removal of Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ could follow a kind of similar adsorption manner. The adsorption kinetic was consistent with pseudo-second-order model. Furthermore, the reuse experiments results showed the adsorbent might have potential in treating heavy metal ions pollution in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biocompatible and uniquely defined hydroxyapatite (HAP) adsorption membrane with a sandwich structure was developed for the removal of organic micropollutants for the first time. Both the adsorption and membrane technique were used for the removal of organic micropollutants. The hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of the HAP adsorbent and membrane were tunable by controlling the surface structure of HAP. The adsorption of organic micropollutants on the HAP adsorbent was studied in batch experiments. The adsorption process was fit with the Freundlich model, while the adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model. The HAP membrane could remove organic micropollutants effectively by dynamic adsorption in both aqueous and ethanol solutions. The removal efficiencies of organic micropollutants depended on the solution composition, membrane thickness and hydrophilicity, flow rate, and the initial concentration of organic micropollutants. The adsorption capacities of the HAP membrane with a sandwich structure (membrane thickness was 0.3 mm) were 6700, 6510, 6310, 5960, 5490, 5230, 4980 and 4360 L m −2 for 1-naphthyl amine, 2-naphthol, bisphenol S, propranolol hydrochloride, metolachlor, ethinyl oestradiol, 2,4-dichlorophenol and bisphenol A, respectively, when the initial concentration was 3.0 mg L −1 . The biocompatible HAP adsorption membrane can be easily regenerated by methanol and was thus demonstrated to be a novel concept for the removal of organic micropollutants from both aqueous and organic solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biocompatible and novelly-defined adsorption membrane for rapid removal of fluoride was prepared. Both adsorption and membrane techniques were used in this research. Al(OH) 3 nanoparticles modified hydroxyapatite (Al-HAP) nanowires were developed and made into Al-HAP membrane. The adsorption data of Al-HAP adsorbent could be well described by Freundlich isotherm model while the adsorption kinetic followed pseudo-second-order model. The maximum of adsorption capacity was 93.84 mg/g when the fluoride concentration was 200 mg/L. The adsorption mechanism was anion exchanges and electrostatic interactions. The contribution rates of HAP nanowires and Al(OH) 3 nanoparticles in fluoride removal were 36.70% and 63.30%, respectively. The fixed-bed column test demonstrate that the Al-HAP was biocompatible and in a good stability during the process of water treatment. The fluoride removal abilities of Al-HAP membrane with 0.3 mm thickness could reach 1568 L/m 2 when fluoride concentrations were 5 mg/L. This study indicated that the Al-HAP membrane could be developed into a very viable technology for highly effective removal of fluoride from drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) nanosheet adsorbent with a large surface area, remarkable hydrophilicity and high adsorption capacity, was presented for the removal of cadmium ions (Cd 2+ ) and methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. Adsorption measurements were conducted systematically to study the influences of the contact time, initial concentrations of Cd 2+ and MB, temperature, and pH value. The maximum adsorption capacities of g-C 3 N 4 towards Cd 2+ and MB were 94.4 and 42.1 mg g −1 , respectively, at 318.5 K when the initial concentrations of Cd 2+ and MB were 200 and 20 mg L −1 , respectively. The adsorption kinetics fit a pseudo-second-order model. The high adsorption performance of the g-C 3 N 4 adsorbent can be attributed to the multiple adsorption sites on g-C 3 N 4 , including the π-π conjugate interactions and electrostatic attractions with pollutants in water. In addition, it is significant to achieve high adsorption performance of g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets by efficiently exposing the adsorption sites by adjusting the microstructure surface properties and dispersity in solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novelly-defined adsorption membrane for rapid removal of fluoride from drinking water was prepared. Both zirconium metal-organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) adsorbent and membrane with large specific surface area of 740.28 m 2 /g were used for fluoride removal for the first time. For adsorption technique, fluoride adsorption on Zr-MOFs was studied on a batch mode. The adsorption data could be well described by Langmuir isotherm model while the adsorption kinetic followed pseudo-second-order model. The maximum of adsorption capacity was 102.40 mg/g at pH 7.0 when the initial fluoride concentration was 200 mg/L. The FT-IR and XPS analyses of Zr-MOFs revealed that both surface hydroxyl groups and Zr(IV) active sites played important roles in fluoride adsorption process. The as-prepared Zr-MOFs adsorbent was suitable for practical treatment of drinking water and regeneration by sodium hydroxide solution (3 wt%). For membrane experiments, Zr-MOFs membrane supported on Alumina substrate could remove fluoride efficiently through dynamic filtration. The fluoride removal capability of Zr-MOFs membrane depended on flow rate and initial concentration of fluoride. The fluoride removal abilities of Zr-MOFs membrane with 20 μm thickness could reach 5510, 5173, and 4664 L/m 2 when fluoride concentrations were 5, 8 and 10 mg/L, respectively. This study indicated that Zr-MOFs membrane could be developed into a very viable technology for highly effective removal of fluoride from drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To investigate the contribution of vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF)- D to tumor progression, tumor lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods The expression profiles of VEGF- D in 18 benign, 14 borderline and 87 malignant epithelial ovarian cancers were examined using immunohistochemical ( IHC) staining. Lymphatic vessels were identified using IHC staining on lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor-1 ( LYVE-1), which is a lymph-specific receptor for hyaluronan in identifying lymphatic vessels. The potential correlation among VEGF- D, lymphatic vessel density ( LVD) and clinico-pathological factors of the epithelial ovarian cancer was also analyzed. Results Positive IHC staining of VEGF- D was observed in 17% of benign, 21% of borderline and 80% of malignant epithelial ovarian tumors specimens. In the epithelial ovarian cancer specimens, the LVD was 3.41 ± 2.37 in the VEGF- D negative (17 patients), 5.42 ± 3.49 in the weak (26 patients), 7.22 ± 2.36 in the moderate (27 patients) and 7.35 ± 4.06 in the strong (17 patients) groups, respectively. Additionally, the expression of VEGF- D was positively correlated with LVD (r = 0.415, P < 0.001). The expression level of VEGF- D was significantly higher in lymph node-positive epithelial ovarian cancer than in lymph node-negative patients ( P = 0.009, P < 0.05). The expression of VEGF- D was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and tumor histological differentiation, but not with the patients' age or histology type. Conclusion VEGF- D may play an important role in the process of lymphatic metastasis of epithelial ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel ultralong hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanowires were successfully prepared for fluoride removal for the first time. The fluoride adsorption on the HAP nanowires was studied on a batch mode. The results revealed that the adsorption data could be well described by the Freundlich model, and the adsorption kinetic followed the pseudo-second-order model. The maximum of adsorption capacity was 40.65 mg/g at pH 7.0 when the fluoride concentration is 200 mg/L. The thermodynamic parameters suggested that the adsorption of fluoride was a spontaneous endothermic process. The FT-IR, XPS and Zeta potential analysis revealed that both anion exchange and electrostatic interactions were involved in the adsorption of fluoride. Furthermore, the HAP nanowires were made into HAP membrane through a simple process of suction filtration. Membrane filtration experiments revealed that the fluoride removal capabilities depended on the membrane thickness, flow rate and initial concentration of fluoride. The as-prepared membrane could remove fluoride efficiently through continues filtration. The filtered water amount could reach 350, 192, and 64 L/m 2 when the fluoride concentrations were 4, 5 and 8 ppm, respectively, using the HAP membrane with only 150 μm thickness. The as-synthesized ultralong HAP nanowires were thus demonstrated to be very effective and biocompatible adsorbents for fluoride removal from contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the development of fluorescent sensors to selectively and sensitively detect F− in drinking water has attracted great attention due to the serious harm caused by excessive F− to human bones, kidneys and even DNA. The advantage of a dual emission fluorescent sensor for its fluorescence color change in visualization is well known. In this work, we rationally designed a dual-emitting metal organic framework (MOF) (Eu/Sc)-EBTC, which showed ligand-based emission and Eu3+-based emission and exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity to F− (limit of detection = 16.4 ppb). The sensing mechanism was ascribed to the high affinity between F− and Eu3+ in (Eu/Sc)-EBTC, and was confirmed by PXRD patterns and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Besides, a test strip was made successfully for the practical detection of F−. This study demonstrates the potential of a dual-emission fluorescent MOF sensor for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study aime to investigate the clinical status of opioid free with spontaneous breathing anesthesia in the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis through thoracic sympathectomy under thoracoscopy. Methods A total of 93 patients with palmar hyperhidrosis who underwent elective surgery with general anesthesia were randomly divided into control group (group C) and observation group (group O). In group C, patients were treated with propofol, sufentanil, and cisatracurium. In group O, patients were anesthetized with propofol, dexmedetomidine, and thoracic paravertebral block. The changes of vital signs and blood gas indicators between two groups before anesthesia (T1), at the time of skin incision (T2), after surgery (T3), and leaving the operating room (T4) were observed. The visual analog scale (VAS) of patients immediately after awakening (P1), leaving the operating room (P2), 2 hours (P3), 6 hours (P4), and 24 hours after surgery (P5) were recorded. The occurrence of perioperative anesthesia related complications, postoperative recovery time and patients' satisfaction were also observed. Results There was no case of surgical interruption due to anesthesia or anesthesia methods changing during the perioperative period. And no significant difference in the changes of sedation and pain index was observed between two groups (P > 0.05). However, in group O, the VAS scores were higher at P1 and P4 (P > 0.05), PH was lower, PCO2 and BG were higher at T2 (P < 0.05), and the incidence of perioperative hypertension and tachycardia was higher (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant difference in postoperative recovery time and patient's satisfaction between these two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion The implementation of opioid free with spontaneous breathing anesthesia strategy in day surgery for palmar hyperhidrosis is safe and feasible but the application of this strategy has no significant advantages in clinical practice of day surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is a major cause of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cervical cancer. We investigated the prevalence of HR-HPV infection and distribution of viral genotypes among women in this area.Methods: Women in Sichuan older than 20 years were screened for cervical cancer between January 2015 and December 2016 using liquid-based cytology testing and a flow cytometry-fluorescence hybridization test for HPV-DNA. Frequency tables were evaluated using the chi-squared test (χ2).Results: Of the 17,319 women aged 20-85 years who participated in the study, Overall prevalence of HR-HPV infection was 12.6% (2178/17,319). The most prevalent viral type was HPV-52, which was present in 2.5% of individuals, followed by HPV-53 (1.6%), HPV-58 (1.5%), HPV-16 (1.1%), HPV-56 (0.9%), HPV-39 (0.8%). In HSIL, the five most common HR-HPV types were HPV52, 16, 58, 33 and 56. HPV16/18 in HSIL only makes up 25.9% of HSIL, whereas HPV31/33/45/52/58 make up 56.8%. Overall HR-HPV prevalence among women older than 65 years was 15.2%, significantly higher than the prevalence in other age groups (P < 0.05). Infection with dual or multiple HR-HPV types was associated with greater risk of abnormal cytology.Conclusion: Overall HR-HPV prevalence in Sichuan is as high as in large cities in China. The HR-HPV types 52, 16, 58, 33 and 56 predominated in this sample of HSIL women primarily from the banking and public sector in Sichuan. High prevalence among women older than 65 years needed pay attention to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since most cervical cancer cases are caused by persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection, knowledge of HPV among women is essential for the prevent of cervical cancer. This study was aimed to assess knowledge among women in western China about HPV and its association with cervical cancer, and to assess their acceptance of HPV vaccination.Methods: A sample of healthy women undergoing routine physical examinations in the Health Management Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan University between January and December 2014 completed a questionnaire.Results: A total of 1300 questionnaires were distributed, and 1109 were completed and analyzed. Only 28.85% of respondents (n = 320) had heard of HPV; among this subgroup, only half (53.44%) knew that it causes cervical cancer, only 26 (8.13%) correctly answered all questions about HPV. Multivariate analysis showed that respondents who had heard of HPV were more likely than other respondents to have a family history of any cancer, to undergo regular Pap tests and to have completed at least secondary education. Half of all respondents (51.22%) reported that they would be willing to be vaccinated against HPV.Conclusion: Although most women in western China lack basic knowledge about HPV, at least half are willing to take the HPV vaccine. Public health efforts to educate the public about HPV and its connection to cervical cancer should be strengthened and expanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous helical carbon fibers were fabricated by the bio-inspired process, which show much higher adsorption capacity for sulfamethoxazole than that of single carbon material or carbon-based composite. It is found that the ultrahigh specific surface area, narrow pore size range and helical structure of carbon fibers are responsible for its good performance. Helical carbon fibers (HCFs) are a new kind of fascinating carbon material, and have caused much attention for their distinctive features, diversified novel properties, and applications. However, the application of HCFs still faces a series of barriers, especially in the repetitive preparation of HCFs. In this paper, we initially report the synthesis of the HCFs with ultrahigh specific surface area (3089 m2 g−1) by a bio-template process using the high purified spiral vessels (SVs) as the template. The helical structure with the ultrahigh specific surface area can efficaciously shorten the pathway for antibiotics diffusion, and the high content of nanopores (1 to 3 nm) not only guarantees the accessibility of the surface for antibiotics storage but also easily provides approachable channels for antibiotics transmission. The highest adsorption capacity for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is 1091 mg/g at pH 6.0 ± 0.1 with a stable temperature of 20 °C when the initial SMX concentration is 80 mg/L. This study motivates a new bio-inspired design for preparing the high purified HCFs with a simple bio-template method. The results show that the porous HCFs are a new kind of ultrahigh adsorption material for the removal of SMX in aqueous solution and can be used in new technological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MnO 2 /GO nano-hybrids were fabricated under mild conditions. • More than 91% norfloxacin was degraded within 20 min. • The mineralization rates of norfloxacin could reach to 76%. • Possible degradation pathways were proposed. In this work, 1D MnO 2 nano-needles were prepared and grown on the graphene oxide (GO) nano-sheets successfully. The morphology and structure of materials were explored. The MnO 2 nano-needles with a length of 200–400 nm were distributed uniformly on the GO nano-sheets. As a result of GO substrate, the MnO 2 /GO nano-hybrids (MnO 2 /GO) have the much larger surface area and more surface oxygen-containing functional groups than MnO 2 nano-needles, which are beneficial for enrichment and degradation of the norfloxacin (NOR). Results showed that more than 80% NOR was degraded within 20 min at the dose of 10 mM PMS and 0.8 g/L catalysts. Moreover, the optimal pH in MnO 2 /PMS and MnO 2 /GO/PMS system were both acidic condition. Furthermore, the mechanism of PMS activation by MnO 2 /GO was investigated through radical identification using quenching experiments and EPR techniques. According to this, the HSO 5 − of PMS reacted with Mn (IV)/Mn(III) to form a redox loop, and GO played an important role in the degradation process. Finally, the transformation intermediates of NOR were identified and four probable degradation pathways were speculated. This work would provide a potential contribution towards NOR removal in the environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe3O4 nanospheres (Fe3O4-S) synthesized via a facile one-pot solvothermal method were used for H2O2 activation and tetracycline (TC) elimination from aqueous solutions. It can be found that more than 80% of TC was degraded in the Fe3O4-S/H2O2 system. Besides, batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of different parameters such as catalyst dosages, H2O2 concentration, pH values and temperature on the degradation of TC, and these experimental results were also described by the pseudo-first-order model. Radical quenching experiments and an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique revealed that ˙OH and ˙O2−/˙HO2 were involved and ˙OH generated on the surface of Fe3O4-S played a main role in TC degradation. The XPS observations demonstrated that the surface FeII participated in the H2O2 activation through the redox reactions. Moreover, thirteen intermediate products were monitored by the LC–MS and possible degradation pathways of TC were accordingly proposed. The Fe3O4-S catalyst exhibited good reusability and the catalytic performance of it did not show any significant decrease even after five trials. It was worth noting that the optimal pH for TC degradation was expanded to neutral pH conditions by using the Fe3O4-S/H2O2 system. Additionally, Fe3O4-S was easily separated from the reaction solutions by virtue of its magnetism (66.8 emu g−1), which is beneficial for reuse of the catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fenton system is one of the most popular methods to eliminate antibiotics and dyes in aquatic environment. However, the existed Fenton system is limited by various factors such as potential second pollution and narrow pH range. In this study, we report that the bottlenecks for high strength antibiotics and dyes wastewater treatment at a wide pH range can be well tackled by the nanoscale "yarn ball"-like Mo/W-containing heteropoly blue (HPB) catalyst Mg 2 Ti 6 Mo 23 O 119 SiW 12 (1). This novel catalyst displayed extremely efficient elimination for several typical organic contaminants such as malachite green (MG), tetracycline (TC) and methyl orange (MO). Compared with other materials reported in previous papers, the catalytic performance of 1 in degradation of the organic contaminants of high concentrations increased several times. More than 90% of antibiotics and dyes are degraded within 60 min. Electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments and UV–vis spectra confirmed that the catalytic mechanisms of 1 could mainly ascribe to the 1 /H 2 O 2 process and the possible photocatalytic oxidation of adsorbed H 2 O by holes (h+) in the valence band (VB) of 1 surface generated · OH for extremely efficient degradation of organic contaminants. This work widens the optimal pH values up to neutral condition and it's significant for the expansion of the heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst family and its application in the field of water treatment. Image 1 • A HPB Fenton-like catalyst for degradation of antibiotics and dyes. • More than 90% of antibiotics and dyes are degraded within 60 min. • Widening the optimal pH values up to neutral condition. • Expanding the Fenton-like catalyst family and its application in the field of water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newly few-layered boron nitride (BN-550) nanosheets were developed by a low-temperature synthesis method, which was used to rapidly and efficiently adsorb lead ions (Pb2+). The samples were characterized by using XRD, FT-IR, EELS, SEM, TEM, AFM and XPS, revealing that it possessed the large specific surface area (696 m2 g−1), ultrathin sheet structure (1.2 nm thickness), and abundant chemical bonds as multiple adsorption sites. The adsorption properties showed that higher adsorption capacity (845 mg g−1) for lead ions and less equilibrium time (15 min) than many adsorbents reported at present. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of BN-550 belonged to the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir model, respectively. The easy recyclability and stability of BN-550 were verified by the experiments regeneration and pH. Interference experiments indicated that the adsorbents were strong affinity for Pb2+ under the interference of other heavy metal ions such as Ni2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+ ions (their adsorbing capacity individually are 201, 402, and 312 mg g−1). The XPS and FT-IR analysis revealed that the excellent adsorption performances for Pb2+ attributed to the chemical binding reactions with the numerous surface functional groups, such as the strong B-O-Pb interactions and -NH2···Pb complex. The threshold value of Pb2+ removal on BN-550 nanosheets was 1080 mL g−1 when Pb2+ concentration was 50 mg L−1 in adsorption column. The unique characteristics render ultrathin nanosheets highly promising as an ideal candidate for the removal of lead ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Consumption of water having excessive arsenic (As) contamination can cause adverse health effects on human beings. In this study, novel ultra-large zirconium oxide (ZrO 2) nanosheets were successfully synthesized using graphene oxide (GO) templates and their adsorption-ability was studied for arsenite (As(III)). Owing to higher values of surface area, numbers of available hydroxyl groups and strong chemisorption binding affinity towards As(III), the synthesized novel ultra-large ZrO 2 nanosheets showed high adsorption-ability for As(III) over a wide pH range. Experimental results demonstrated that the maximum adsorption-ability of the ZrO 2 nanosheets for As(III) reached to 74.9 mg/g at pH 6. BET, zeta potential, effect of initial pH, FTIR and XPS have been used to analyze the As(III) adsorption process on the ZrO 2 nanosheets. The experiments for effects of co-existing ions indicated that ZrO 2 nanosheets possessed good anti-interference ability towards co-existing ions. Furthermore, the ZrO 2 nanosheets demonstrated very fast and excellent treatment of simulated real As(III) polluted water, consequently the effluent concentration met the standard regulated by World Health Organization. This study suggested that the as-prepared ZrO 2 nanosheets could be potentially applied in practical drinking water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Industrial waste, urban sewage and aquaculture have led to severely increased grades of environment pollutants such as dyes, pesticides and fertilizer. The use of technologies for purifying contaminated waters can be difficult and toxic due to the anti-photolysis, anti-oxidation and anti-bio-oxidation characteristics of organic pollutants, and there is therefore a significant need for new approaches. Here, we report methods of Fenton oxidation and EDTA-Fe(III) Fenton-like oxidation which can be used to degrade malachite green (MG: a dye and antibiotic-like substance) from contaminated water. Compared with the degradation rate (59.34%) of the Fe(III)/H 2 O 2 Fenton process, the EDTA-Fe(III) Fenton-like oxidation got a better degradation rate (92.7%) at neutral pH conditions. By conducting a series of parallel controlled experiments (changing parameters such as the reactant concentration, temperature, and pH), we report the relationships between the degradation effect and different parameters, and we fitted their pseudo first order kinetic curves. Furthermore, we repeated to adjustment of the concentrations of MG in solutions to test the cycle performance and catalytic activities of EDTA-Fe(III)/H 2 O 2 system and it showed good repeatability in the first five rounds and all of them keep the degradation efficiencies greater than 80%. By conducting comparative spin-trapping electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments, we showed indirectly that the OH contributes to the degradation of MG. Additionally, the results of the EPR experiments showed that EDTA contributes to the generation of OH in the EDTA-Fe(III)/H 2 O 2 Fenton-like system. By conducting total organic carbon (TOC) analysis experiments, we found that EDTA was also oxidized to some extent during the degradation of MG. In all, the findings of this work widen the range of the optimal pH values up to neutral condition for degradation of MG by use of EDTA-Fe(III) Fenton-like system. And this system could be used as one approach for the degradation of organic pollutants at neutral conditions and provide some initial information regarding EDTA-Fe(III) Fenton-like oxidations. It's significant for the expansion of the homogenous Fenton-like family and its application in the field of water treatment. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • The feasibility of the Fenton-like system for MG degradation at neutral condition. • Self-degradation possibility of EDTA in EDTA-Fe(III)/H 2 O 2 Fenton-like system. • EDTA was contributed to the generation of OH in the Fenton-like oxidation. • The mechanisms of EDTA-Fe(III)/H 2 O 2 Fenton-like oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing exposure to arsenic (As) contaminated ground water has become a global health hazard to humanity. Suitable adsorbent for As removal from water, especially for As(III) than As(V), is an urgent but still a challenging task. In this study, waste orange peel (OP) was modified with magnetic nanoparticles followed by calcination as a novel adsorbent and investigated for instantaneous oxidation and adsorption of As(III) from aqueous solutions. The batch adsorption experimental results showed that calcined magnetic orange peel composites (CMOPC) exhibited superior As(III) adsorption capacity (10.3 mg/g) as compared to similar cost effective adsorbents due to its high surface area, large pore size and greater numbers of active sites on its surface. The adsorption equilibrium data obeyed Langmuir model, and kinetic data was well described by the pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption mechanisms for As(III) might be involved ligand exchange of the hydroxyl in CMOPC to form Fe-O-As(III), and partial As(III) oxidation to As(V) followed by instantaneous adsorption on surface of CMOPC. The developed adsorbent has also demonstrated good anti-interference ability to co-existing ions, admirable regeneration ability and pronounced capacity in treating simulated real As(III) contaminated water. This study revealed that waste orange peel, after simple treatment could be used as a potential adsorbent for As(III) from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new uniform-sized CeCO 3 OH nanosphere adsorbent was developed, and tested to establish its efficiency, using kinetic and thermodynamic studies, for fluoride removal. The results demonstrated that the CeCO 3 OH nanospheres exhibited much high adsorption capacities for fluoride anions due to electrostatic interactions and exchange of the carbonate and hydroxyl groups on the adsorbent surface with fluoride anions. Adsorption kinetics was fitted well by the pseudo-second-order model as compared to a pseudo-first-order rate expression, and adsorption isotherm data were well described by Langmuir model with max adsorption capacity of 45 mg/g at pH 7.0. Thermodynamic examination demonstrated that fluoride adsorption on the CeCO 3 OH nanospheres was reasonably endothermic and spontaneous. Moreover, the CeCO 3 OH nanospheres have less influence on adsorption of F − by pH and co-exiting ions, such as SO 4 2− , Cl − , HCO 3 − , CO 3 2− , NO 3 − and PO 4 3− , and the adsorption efficiency is very high at the low initial fluoride concentrations in the basis of the equilibrium adsorption capacities. This study indicated that the CeCO 3 OH nanospheres could be developed into a very viable technology for highly effective removal of fluoride from drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel adsorbent, hydroxyl aluminum oxalate (HAO), for the high efficient removal of fluoride from aqueous solution was successfully synthesized. The adsorbent was characterized and its performance in fluoride (F − ) removal was evaluated for the first time. Kinetic data reveal that the F − adsorption is rapid in the beginning followed by a slower adsorption process; 75.9% adsorption can be achieved within 1 min and only 16% additional removal occurred in the following 239 min. The F − adsorption kinetics was well described by the pseudo second-order kinetic model. The calculated adsorption capacity of this adsorbent for F − by Langmuir model was 400 mg g −1 at pH 6.5, which is one of the highest capabilities of today’s materials. The thermodynamic parameters calculated from the temperature-dependent isotherms indicate that the adsorption reaction of F − on the HAO is a spontaneous process. The FT-IR spectra of HAO before and after adsorbing F − show adsorption mechanism should be hydroxyl and oxalate interchange with F − . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel nanoconfinement regulation La-Mg LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T X (T = O, OH) was prepared for the first time. • La-Mg LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T X improved the aggregation of La-Mg LDH and effectively increased the active site. • La-Mg LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T X was made into a membrane which had a good defluorination performance. • Fluoride ions were more easily confined at the interface of La-Mg LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T X. The present study utilized a nanoconfinement-regulated La-Mg LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T X (T = O, OH) adsorbent to achieve efficient fluoride removal. The modified adsorbent effectively increased the surface area and active sites of the material through controlled intercalation of La-Mg LDH into the Ti 3 C 2 T X gaps. The La-Mg LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T X composite was found to exhibit superior suitability for pseudo-second-order kinetics and conformed well to the Langmuir model. Under initial conditions of a fluoride ion concentration of 200 mg/L, pH 7, and a temperature of 298 K, the adsorption capacity was determined to be 139.860 mg/g. The adsorption of fluoride was primarily governed by electrostatic interactions and anion exchange processes. The La-Mg LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T X adsorbent with nanoconfinement regulation had the best adsorption effect on fluoride ions, and fluoride ions were more inclined to be adsorbed at the interface of La-Mg LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T X. Furthermore, facile fabrication of La-Mg LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T X membrane was achievable. Membrane filtration experiments demonstrated that the defluorination efficiency was significantly influenced by the thickness of membrane, water velocity, and solution pH. The membrane processing capacity was 11526 L/m3 when the membrane thickness was 9 mm and the flow rate was 10 mL/min. The present study offers novel insights into the development of defluorinated materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-radical oxidation pathways in the Fenton-like process have a superior catalytic activity for the selective degradation of organic contaminants under complicated water matrices. Whereas the synthesis of high-performance catalysts and research on reaction mechanisms are unsatisfactory. Herein, it was the first report on copper-cobalt selenide (CuCoSe) that was well-prepared to activate hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) for non-radical species generation. The optimized CuCoSe+H 2 O 2 system achieved excellent removal of chlortetracycline (CTC) in 10 min at neutral pH along with pleasing reusability and stability. Moreover, it exhibited great anti-interference capacity to inorganic anions and natural organic matters even in actual applications. Multi-surveys verified that singlet oxygen (1O 2) was the dominant active species in this reaction and electron transfer on the surface-bound of CuCoSe and H 2 O 2 likewise played an important role in direct CTC oxidation. Where the synergetic metals of Cu and Co accounted for the active sites, and the introduced Se atoms accelerated the circulation efficiency of Co3+/Co2+, Cu2+/Cu+ and Cu2+/Co2+. Simultaneously, the produced Se/O vacancies further facilitated electron mediation to enhance non-radical behaviors. With the aid of intermediate identification and theoretical calculation, the degradation pathways of CTC were proposed. And the predicted ecotoxicity indicated a decrease in underlying environmental risk. [Display omitted] • Selenization creates hollow microstructures as well as Se/O vacancies in CuCoSe. • 1O 2 and electron transfer co-dominate the non-radical Fenton-like reaction. • The synergism between Cu and Co species is linked to the activation of H 2 O 2. • Surface-bound defects promote electron mediation for the direct oxidation of CTC. • CuCoSe+H 2 O 2 achieves superior CTC elimination in complicated water matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hierarchical Fe 3 O 4 /Co 3 S 4 nanosheets were prepared via one step phase transformation. • Fe 3 O 4 /Co 3 S 4 /PMS system achieved a great degradation on 200 mg/L of RhB. • SO 4 •− was the dominated reactive oxygen species in this Fenton-like process. • The introduction of S promoted the electron cycle of Co3+/Co2+ and Fe3+/Fe2+. • Fukui function based DFT did help to precisely predict the radical reactive sites on RhB. Fenton-like catalysts have usually superior catalytic activities, however, some drawbacks of ion leaching and difficult-to-recovery limit their applications. In this work, a hierarchical porous Fe 3 O 4 /Co 3 S 4 catalyst was fabricated via a simple phase change reaction to overcome these shortcomings. The introduced iron cooperates with cobalt achieving high-efficiency activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to eliminate Rhodamine B (RhB). The results showed that 0.05 g/L Fe 3 O 4 /Co 3 S 4 and 1 mM PMS could quickly remove 100% of 200 mg/L RhB within 20 min, and the removal rate of RhB remained above 82% after 5 cycles. Moreover, the as-prepared Fe 3 O 4 /Co 3 S 4 possessed a great magnetic separation capacity and good stability of low metal leaching dose. Radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques proved that sulfate radicals (SO 4 •−) were the dominant reactive oxygen species responding for RhB degradation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) pointed out that the synergism of sulfur promoted the cycling of Co3+/Co2+ and Fe3+/Fe2+, boosting the electron transfer between Fe 3 O 4 /Co 3 S 4 and PMS. Moreover, the degradation pathways of RhB were deduced by combining liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The toxicities of RhB and its intermediates were evaluated as well, which provided significant assistance in the exploration of their ecological risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fe-ISAs@CN is effective in a wide range of pH. • More than 90% SDZ have been degraded within 30 min. • Good degradation effect could be maintained after several cycles. • Possible degradation pathways have been proposed. The use of single-atom iron catalysts in heterogeneous Fenton-like reactions has demonstrated tremendous potential for antibiotic wastewater treatment. In this study, single-atom iron fixed on nitrogen-doped porous carbon materials (Fe-ISAs@CN) was synthesised using a metal organic framework (MOF) as a precursor. Fe-ISAs@CN was applied as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst to activate H 2 O 2 for the degradation of sulfadiazine (SDZ) in an aqueous solution. The physical and chemical properties of Fe-ISAs@CN were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements. The results of our degradation experiments indicated that Fe-ISAs@CN exhibited remarkable activity and stability for the degradation of SDZ over a wide pH range; even after five cycles, Fe-ISAs@CN retained a high catalytic efficiency (>80%). The 5,5-dimethyl-1-oxaporphyrin- n -oxide (DMPO)-X signal captured by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy indicated that a large amount of hydroxyl radicals (OH) was produced in the reaction system. Quench tests indicated that the OH was the main active substance in the degradation of SDZ. The degradation products of the reaction were analysed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS), and possible degradation pathways for the SDZ degradation were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Highly active surface exposed CoFe 2 O 4 catalyst was successfully prepared. • The degradation rate of DC was extremely fast in the first 2 min. • CoFe 2 O 4 /H 2 O 2 system widened pH application limit to the neutral condition. • The prepared CoFe 2 O 4 with high stability can be easily recycled and reused. • Probable transformation pathways of DC degradation were clarified. Heterogeneous Fenton technology is considered to be an effective method to solve the issues of antibiotic pollutants. In this study, a highly active surface exposed CoFe 2 O 4 catalyst was fabricated to activate hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) to degrade aqueous doxycycline (DC). Batch experiments investigated the influence of different factors such as CoFe 2 O 4 dosage, H 2 O 2 dosage, contaminant concentration and pH on DC elimination. Remarkably, the results showed that 1.2 g/L CoFe 2 O 4 with 10 mM H 2 O 2 could quickly remove 92% DC of 20 ppm under neutral pH conditions in 10 min, and after 5 cycles, the removal of DC still remained above 85%. DMPO-X signals captured by EPR illustrated abundant hydroxyl radicals (OH) were produced in the surface CoFe 2 O 4 /H 2 O 2 system swiftly and that was the dominant active oxygen species in the degradation of DC. The valence changes of Co3+/Co2+ and Fe3+/Fe2+ appeared on the surface of CoFe 2 O 4 provided many electrons to participate in the process of activating H 2 O 2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation was conducted to reveal preferable sites of different atoms on DC for radicals attacking. Combined with LC-MS analysis, two possible degradation pathways were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fe 3 O 4 -X are synthesized with modification of different charge groups for chemical environment regulation. • The TC degradation efficiency of the Fe 3 O 4 -COOH/PMS system is 93%. • The Fe 3 O 4 -COOH/PMS system converts more Fe2+ to Fe3+ than the Fe 3 O 4 -NH 2 system. • The interaction between Fe 3 O 4 -X and PMS is simulated by DFT calculation to prove the mechanism. Iron-mediated activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) had long been of great interest for the effective oxidation of micropollutants. However, how the chemical environment of iron oxides influence active species formation in heterogeneous Fenton processes was poorly understood. Herein, Fe 3 O 4 -X nanospheres (X = –NH 2 , –COOH) were synthesized for coordination chemical environment regulation. The DFT calculation showed the models of Fe 3 O 4 -X modified by –NH 2 and –COOH in four-coordination and six-coordination environments. Among them, Fe 3 O 4 -COOH in four-coordination environment had the lowest formation energy and highest adsorption energy combined with PMS, with a most stable system. In the adsorption model of four-coordination Fe 3 O 4 -COOH, the d-orbitals and s-orbitals energy levels of Fe atoms underwent drastic changes compared with those before adsorption, H atoms on the carboxyl group and O atoms on the PMS formed a new HO– that attached to Fe atoms, with a strong coupling between them. The simulation results confirmed the proposed activation mechanism of Fe 3 O 4 -COOH activating PMS to generate SO 4 ·- and HO–, and then partial SO 4 ·- reacted with HO– to generate ·OH, and finally the two radicals attacked tetracycline (TC) together. In Fe 3 O 4 -COOH/PMS system, Fe 3 O 4 -COOH/PMS system can convert more Fe2+ into Fe3+, which also means that more Fe2+ reacts with PMS to produce Fe3+ and SO 4 ·-. The TC degradation efficiency of the Fe 3 O 4 -COOH/PMS system was 93%, higher than that of the Fe 3 O 4 -NH 2 /PMS system after 30 min of reaction. Consequently, this work contributes to the mechanistic insight into active species regulation during Fenton-like processes by manipulating surface groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removing heavy metals from aqueous solutions has drawn more and more attentions these years because of their serious global health challenge to human society. To develop an adsorbent with low-cost and high-efficiency for removal of heavy metals (HMs), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) polymers crosslinked with rigid aromatic groups were prepared and used for lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) removal for the first time. The negatively charged β-CD polymers with large BET surface area were suitable to be used in HMs adsorption. The adsorption process completed in 5 min was well fit by Freundlich isotherm model and pseudo-second-order model. The intraparticle diffusion model was also appropriate to describe the adsorption of Pb, Cu and Cd on β-CD polymer. The maximum of adsorption capacities at 25 °C for Pb, Cu and Cd were 196.42, 164.43 and 136.43 mg/g when the initial concentration was 200 mg/L. The HMs adsorption process on the surface of β-CD polymer was an endothermic and spontaneous process. Both of the electrostatic interaction and distribution of Pb, Cu and Cd species influenced the adsorption process at different pH values. The order of removal efficiencies in multi-component adsorption for the three metal ions were Pb > Cu > Cd. The adsorption mechanisms were H + ions on hydroxyl groups exchanged with heavy metal ions and electrostatic interactions. This study indicated that β-CD polymers could be developed into effective adsorbents for rapid removal of heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of easy aggregation of copper oxides in environmental remediation, it is an effective method to confine copper oxides to suitable substrates. Herein, we design a novel Cu 2 O/Cu@MXene composite with a nanoconfinement structure, and it can effectively activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to produce .OH for degradation tetracycline (TC). Results indicated that the MXene with extraordinary multilayer structure and surface negativity could fix the Cu 2 O/Cu nanoparticles in the layer spaces and suppress the agglomeration of nanoparticles. The removal efficiency of TC reached 99.14 % within 30 min, and the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetic constant was 0.1505 min−1, which was 3.2 times that of Cu 2 O/Cu alone. The outstanding catalytic performance attributed that the MXene based on Cu 2 O/Cu@MXene could promote the adsorption of TC and electron transmittal between Cu 2 O/Cu nanoparticles. Furthermore, the degradation efficiency of TC was still over 82 % after five cycles. In addition, based on the degradation intermediates provided by LC-MS, two specific degradation pathways were proposed. This study provides a new reference for suppressing the agglomeration of nanoparticles, and broadens the application of MXene materials in the field of environmental remediation. [Display omitted] • A Cu 2 O/Cu@MXene composite with nanoconfinement structure was prepared. • Nanoconfinement promotes electron transmittal between Cu 2 O/Cu nanoparticles. • The Cu 2 O/Cu@MXene/PMS system degrades 99.14 % TC within 30 min. • . OH was the dominant reactive species in Cu 2 O/Cu@MXene/PMS system. • The possible degradation pathways and intermediates were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Preassembly strategy was adopted to anchor single atoms (SAs) on carbon nitride layers. • These SAs materials exhibit enhanced activity in H 2 O 2 and PMS Fenton-like catalysis. • Intermediates investigation and computational calculation support the ecotoxicity decrease. • The gram-scaled production of SAs materials meets the requirement of industrial catalysis. Here we describe a pyrolyzing coordinated polymer (PCP) preassembly strategy with broad generality to anchor various single atoms (SAs, e.g., Cu, Fe, Co and Mn) on carbon nitride (CN) layers and demonstrate their versatilities in H 2 O 2 and PMS Fenton-like catalysis. As a demonstration of the notion, the Cu single atoms anchored on CN (denoted as SA-Cu-CN) was selected as a model material for water purification and mechanism elucidation. The Fenton-like activity of SA-Cu-CN for doxycycline (DOC) degradation can reach one to two orders of magnitude higher than that of the control materials. Reactive species involving ⋅OH and SO 4 ⋅− are suggested to be the critical oxidants for the degradation of organic pollutants. LC-MS analysis and software calculation confirmed that the contaminant was finally transformed to nontoxic byproducts. This discovery is believed to open an avenue for quickly designing versatile heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts and promoting their wide environmental applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report a defect-engineered WO 3−x @MoS 2 hollow tube that exhibits not only enhanced Fenton-like activity but also improved photoactivity in a wide range of pH as a versatile platform for water purification. Its successful performance was achieved by tuning oxygen defect and band position and investigated using tetracycline degradation and E. coli inactivation experiments as concept demonstration. The activity of WO 3−x @MoS 2 can reach one to two orders of magnitude higher than that of other materials used in this work and the ecotoxicity of intermediates was largely reduced. It exhibits an intrinsic radical character for H 2 O 2 decomposition under dark condition and an efficient photon utilization under visible light irradiation, which is clearly different from the conventional photocatalysts and Fenton reagents. The present strategy of combing the dark Fenton-like and photocatalytic activities extends the applications of the conventional photocatalysts and should be an efficient way of energy utilization. [Display omitted] • Defect-engineered WO 3−x @MoS 2 hollow tube with improved activities was prepared. • Electric field rearrangement and band alignment enhance the photon utilization. • Intrinsic radical character and high carrier separation lead to H 2 O 2 and O 2 reduction. • It exhibits versatilities for (photo-)Fenton-like catalysis in a wide range of pH. • Intermediates identification and software calculation confirm the ecotoxicity decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel environment friendly adsorbent, micro–nano hierarchical structured flower-like MgO/MgCO 3 (MHS-MgO/MgCO 3 ), was developed for fluoride removal from water. The adsorbent was characterized and its defluoridation properties were investigated. Adsorption kinetics fitted well the pseudo-second-order model. Kinetic data revealed that the fluoride adsorption was rapid, more than 83–90% of fluoride could be removed within 30 min, and the adsorption equilibrium was achieved in the following 4 h. The fluoride adsorption isotherm was well described by Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity was about 300 mg/g at pH = 7. Moreover, this adsorbent possessed a very wide available pH range of 5–11, and the fluoride removal efficiencies even reached up to 86.2%, 83.2% and 76.5% at pH = 11 for initial fluoride concentrations of 10, 20 and 30 mg/L, respectively. The effects of co-existing anions indicated that the anions had less effect on adsorption of fluoride except phosphate. In addition, the adsorption mechanism analysis revealed that the wide available pH range toward fluoride was mainly resulted from the exchange of the carbonate and hydroxyl groups on the surface of the MHS-MgO/MgCO 3 with fluoride anions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hollow amorphous Co/C composites were prepared via one-step solvothermal method. • Co/C-3 + H 2 O 2 system achieved great OTC degradation under complicated water matrices. • 1O 2 converted from ·O 2 – was the dominated ROS in this Fenton-like process. • The electron cycle of ≡Co2+/3+-O-C/H played a vital effect on the generation of 1O 2. Singlet oxygen (1O 2) is an electrophilic species that has great selectivity for breaking down electron-rich refractory organic pollutants. However, in most cases, 1O 2 plays a minor role in the Fenton-like process due to its low yield, the contributions of which are usually covered by free radicals. Here, we provide the first report on a type of hollow amorphous Co/C composites prepared for the efficient generation of 1O 2 to degrade oxytetracycline (OTC) selectively in the Fenton-like system. The optimized Co/C samples (Co/C-3) obtained the best degradation performance of OTC near to 100% under neutral conditions, along with satisfactory reusability and stability. Additionally, it exhibited a high anti-interference capacity for inorganic anions and natural organic matter s in the different water qualities. XPS spectrum revealed that the electron cycle of ≡Co2+-O-C/H and ≡Co3+-O-C/H played a vital effect on the formation of 1O 2. Quenching experiments and EPR testing further verified that 1O 2 converted from ·O 2 – was the dominant oxidative species, and no hydroxyl radical (·OH) appeared in this reaction. Moreover, the results of the Fukui function and T.E.S.T (Toxicity Estimation Software Tool) analysis provided significant assistance in the exploration of degradation pathways and ecological risks of OTC and its intermediates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CuO particles were encapsulated by an irregular polyhedral carbon framework (CuO@C). • Synthesis of the stable and recyclable CuO@C was via a one-pot polymerization method. • CuO@C exhibited an excellent performance in the activation of peroxymonosulfate. • Tetracycline elimination was completely achieved within 40 min. • The reaction mechanism and catalytic cycle were investigated. CuO particles encapsulated by an irregular polyhedral carbon framework (CuO@C) were prepared via a one-pot polymerization method. The prepared CuO@C exhibited a highly enhanced performance in the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). Our results indicated that the rate constant of tetracycline (TC) degradation was significantly increased by more than 85%, i.e., from 0.021 to 0.147 min−1, compared with the corresponding value for the bare CuO. TC elimination was completely achieved within 40 min, with the mineralization rate reaching 75.3% in 1 h. In addition, the CuO@C/PMS system exhibited an excellent performance in complex water matrixes containing various inorganic ions. Based on the use of scavengers and spin-trapping electron paramagnetic resonance technology, reactive species including OH, SO 4 −, and 1O 2 were proposed to be the main oxidants of the CuO@C/PMS system, and the possible intermediates were also fully investigated. Moreover, a catalytic cycle involving Cu+/Cu2+/Cu3+ was proposed. It was also demonstrated that the highly stable CuO@C can be easily recycled and reused. The present study therefore embodies the conceptual design of an excellent catalyst with a persistent stability for the activation of PMS, which may serve as a versatile platform for wider environmental applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel magnetic porous carbon coated iron manganese oxides (MnFeO@C) was fabricated. • The carbon film was beneficial to adsorption of bisphenol A and flow of electrons. • BPA was effectively degraded in a broad pH range (3.0–10.0) by MnFeO@C/PMS system. • Over 95% of BPA was degraded in 30 min and exhibited recycle stability. Developing highly-effective catalysts through a facile method for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade recalcitrant pollutants is highly desirable. In this work, porous carbon-coated iron-manganese oxides (MnFeO@C) was facilely synthesized. The porous carbon film on the surface of MnFeO@C was beneficial to adsorption of bisphenol A (BPA) and flow of electrons. The catalytic degradation performance toward BPA was significantly improved with the increase of surface roughness and porosity of MnFeO@C after calcination. In particular, MnFeO@C derived at 300 °C (MnFeO@C-300) exhibited the highest degradation rate benefiting from the existence of Mn 2 O 3. More than 95% BPA could be removed in 30 min by MnFeO@C-300/PMS system and remained efficient in a wide pH range from 3.0 to 10.0, especially in alkaline conditions. The intermediates of BPA degradation were identified and the degradation pathways involved hydroxyl oxidation and benzene ring-opening were proposed based on GC–MS results. The removal rate of BPA can maintain more than 80% following five cycles. Thus, the as-prepared MnFeO@C-300 composites are available to serve as efficient and eco-friendly catalysts for advanced catalytic oxidation of recalcitrant pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel catalyst CoFe-ONSs were prepared to activate H 2 O 2 for TC degradation. • 83.5% of TC could be removed at neutral conditions by CoFe-ONSs/H 2 O 2 system. • Hydroxyl (OH) radicals were responsible for TC degradation. • Catalytic mechanism was comprehensively discussed. • Intermediate compounds and possible transformation pathways were proved. Ultrathin iron-cobalt oxide nanosheets (CoFe-ONSs) synthesized via a facile one-step routine by using NaBH 4 as the reductant were used for H 2 O 2 activation and tetracycline (TC) elimination. The CoFe-ONSs realized 83.5% removal of TC under the neutral conditions after 50 min with 0.3 g/L catalyst, 20 mM H 2 O 2 and 50 mg/L TC. The effects of catalyst dosage, H 2 O 2 concentration, initial pH, temperature, initial TC concentration, anions and water sources on TC degradation were studied. Hydroxyl (OH) radicals were the main active species in the entire reaction, which was demonstrated by quenching experiments, fluorescence detection and the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technology. Additionally, the redox cycles of FeII/FeIII and CoII/CoIII were participated in OH generation. What's more, the plausible degradation pathways were put forward followed with detected intermediates. The CoFe-ONSs displayed negligible iron ions leaching and held high TC elimination performance even after five trials. Therefore, the CoFe-ONSs may expand the heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts family and display great potential in eliminating antibiotic contaminants from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• UiO-66-NH 2 can effectively remove norfloxacin in water. • UiO-66-NH 2 can remove norfloxacin well in the neutral pH range. • The NH 2 and Zr O bonds play important role for norfloxacin removal. • Various adsorption mechanisms for norfloxacin removal are explored. Antibiotics abuse has been a significant threat to the environment and human health. In this study, we successfully synthesized highly stable amino-functionalized Zr-based metal–organic frameworks (UiO-66-NH 2) and studied the adsorption behaviors of norfloxacin (NOR) in water. The adsorption capacities of UiO-66-NH 2 reached a maximum of 222.5 mg/g for NOR, which were considerably higher than that of most reported adsorbents. Moreover, the equilibrium time (6 h) was less than that of several previously reported adsorbents. Ionic-strength-influenced experiments showed that NaCl and CaCl 2 aqueous solutions could improve the removal efficiency of NOR. The presence of humic acid could barely affect the adsorption amount. At a concentration of 10 mg/L, the highest partition coefficient of 20.9 mg/g/µM was obtained, and the removal rate of NOR was as high as 91.6%, implying that UiO-66-NH 2 offered considerable adsorption performance at a low concentration of NOR. In addition, UiO-66-NH 2 exhibited good regeneration efficiency, thus offering the possibility to remove norfloxacin from sewage. Finally, several credible adsorption mechanisms were proposed. The results will aid us to comprehend the surface interaction between organic micropollutants and UiO-66-NH 2 and prefigure the potential of UiO-66-NH 2 as a novel adsorbent for the removal of NOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]