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The Bacillus licheniformis strain YX2, a novel nitrobenzene-degrading halophilic bacterium, was isolated from active sludge obtained from a pesticide factory. Strain YX2 can withstand highly acidic and alkaline conditions and high temperatures. Degradation of nitrobenzene (200 mg L −1 ) by YX2 exceeded 70% after 72 h in lysogeny broth medium (pH 4–9). Under optimal degradation conditions (33 °C, pH 7 in LB medium) YX2 degraded 50, 100, 200, and 600 mg L −1 nitrobenzene within 36, 36, 72, and 156 h, respectively. Even in the presence of benzene, phenol or aniline, strain YX2 efficiently degraded nitrobenzene. Furthermore, strain YX2 completely degraded 600 mg L −1 nitrobenzene in 7% NaCl (w/w). Thus, our data show that strain YX2 may have promise for removing nitrobenzene from complex wastewaters with high salinity and variable pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A facile one-pot synthesis of ZnS hollow spheres has been carried out via a chemical transformation induced inside-out Ostwald ripening process from a single source precursor. The size and shell thickness of the ZnS hollow spheres can be controlled by adjusting the reaction temperature and reaction time, respectively. Photoluminescence spectra show a dominant emission peak at 470nm accompanied by several weaker peaks. UV–vis measurement reveals that the obtained ZnS hollow spheres exhibit “hollow effect”. The formation process of ZnS hollow spheres has been discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Anatase titania hollow spheres have been successfully prepared using styrene-acrylic acid copolymer (PSA) latex particles as template, which involves the deposition of inorganic coatings on the surface of PSA latex particles and subsequent removal of the latex particles by calcinations in air. Ti(SO4)2 instead of organometallic titanium was firstly used as precursor for the preparation of titania hollow spheres. The formation of anatase titania was confirmed by XRD analysis and the hollow structure of the samples was revealed by electron microscope. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One-dimensional Sb2S3 and Sb2Se3 crystals with straw-tied-like architectures have been successfully prepared in high yield by a one-pot hydrothermal method using water-soluble potassium antimony tartrate as antimony source. X-ray powder diffraction results and electron diffraction (ED) analysis show that the Sb2S3 wires and Sb2Se3 rods have a preferential growth direction along their c-axis. The peculiarities of the one-dimensional (1-D) growth mechanism are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fe2O3 microcages, with uniform size and diameters of about 620 nm, have been successfully prepared by templating against styrene-acrylic acid (PSA) copolymer latex particles, which involves the deposition of Fe(OH)3 coatings on the surface of latex particles and subsequent removal of the latex particles by calcinations. The cage-like structure of the samples was revealed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the formation of Fe2O3 was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis. The porous shells were constructed with Fe2O3 nanoparticles, and the shell thickness is of 30–60 nm, matching the diameters of the Fe2O3 nanoparticles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

CdS hollow spherical particles with average diameter of 800 and 850 nm have been prepared using core/shell fabrication method with poly-(styrene-acrylic acid) (PSA) latex particles as template. TEM images show that smoothly coated core/shell composite particles have been fabricated by multicycles of coating in optimum concentration of reactants. CdS hollow spheres were obtained after removing the template by dissolving the polymer in the organic solvent, and the wall thickness is about 40–100 nm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes a one-pot surfactant-assisted hydrothermal method for the synthesis of Ag-TiO2 composite hollow structures with high photocatalytic activity. TEM measurement reveals that the sample is composed of hollow spheres and their tube-like aggregates. The surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) plays a key role in the construction of the Ag-TiO2 hollow structures. The Ag-TiO2 hollow structures showed effective photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of methyl orange. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The construction of a bifunctional electrocatalyst with excellent performance and low cost plays a key role in the application prospect of renewable energy. Herein, nickel sulfide/CoFe layered double hydroxide heterostructures on nickel foam (NiS/LDH/NF) have been constructed by using hydrothermal and electro-deposition methods. The amorphous nickel sulfide is deposited on the surface of crystalline LDH mesh-like nanosheets to form a hierarchical flower-like structure. The deposition of amorphous NiS can control the morphology and modulate the electronic structure of NiS/LDH/NF. The obtained NiS/LDH/NF is employed as a bifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting, which can achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at a low voltage of 1.51 V in 1 M KOH. The results show that the high electrocatalytic activity is ascribed to the formation of amorphous NiS/crystalline LDH heterostructure with abundant surface defects and active sites. The synthetic strategy holds a great promise for accelerating the development of hydrogen energy by highly efficient electrocatalytic production of hydrogen. [Display omitted] • Flower-like amorphous NiS/crystalline CoFe LDH heterostructure were constructed. • The morphology of catalyst was controlled by electrodeposition of amorphous NiS. • The hierarchical crystalline/amorphous heterostructure provides abundant active sites. • It can achieve 100 mA cm−2 at 206 mV for HER and 273 mV for OER in 1 M KOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An adaptive switchable coating based on hydrogel was designed. • Thermochromic hydrogel coating can save ∼ 20.3 % of energy consumption. • At T c from 20 °C to 60 °C, net power ranged from 675.0 W·m−2 to − 86.2 W·m−2. • A ∼ 10 °C or 7 °C lower temperature can be achieved compared with reference coatings. In outdoor environments, solar heating in summer leads to the overheating of equipment or buildings while in winter these objects would overcool and would necessitate heating to maintain their suitable operating temperature. Temperature regulation based on cooling and heating accounts for global energy consumption and global greenhouse gas emissions. In this work, a strategy based on a high emittance polymer, thermochromic hydrogel, and black solar absorber was proposed to passively control temperature by regulating solar heating under sunlight. The system can seamlessly transition between "cooling" and "heating" modes based on the critical temperature T c of the thermochromic hydrogel. T c can be adjusted within a range of 25 °C to 45 °C to accommodate diverse temperature control requirements. When the temperature of the coating material stack increased from 20 °C to 60 °C, the heating/cooling power ranged from 675.0 W·m−2 to − 86.2 W·m−2, switching from the "heating" to "cooling" modes, respectively. The designed coating demonstrated a potential energy-saving capability, with approximately 20.3 % reduction in energy consumption compared to conventional coatings. Outdoor experiments revealed that the temperature of the coating remained more stable and was approximately 10 °C or 7 °C lower than that of reference coatings. These results indicated combining solar heating and radiative cooling with thermochromic hydrogels can provide a potential approach to achieving outdoor adaptive temperature control for energy saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cuboid-shaped ZnO hierarchical structures constructed with quasi-single-crystalline ZnO nanosheets were fabricated through a mixed surfactants mediated hydrothermal method. The products were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and ED methods. Room temperature photoluminescence spectrum of the as-obtained ZnO hierarchitectures was recorded showing multiple peaks of visible emissions in blue-green region. The synergetic effect of citrate and surfactants SDBS and OP was believed to play a key role in controlling the construction features of ZnO nanosheets. The ZnO hierarchitectures showed effective photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of methyl orange. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A simple and facile solution route has been developed for phase and morphology controllable synthesis of antimony trioxide (Sb2O3) microcrystals. Orthorhombic phase and cubic phase Sb2O3 microcrystals have been selectively synthesized in high yield. The products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The as-obtained microcrystals exhibited a variety of morphologies and structures, such as microspindles, nanoplates, and octahedra. Several experimental parameters have been investigated to gain morphology control of Sb2O3 microcrystals. Based on the time-dependent experimental results, an aggregation, and recrystallization mechanism was proposed to describe the formation process of these novel microstructures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is considered as an alternative to industrial Haber-Bosch N 2 fixation process. Herein, an iodide ion assisted one-step hydrothermal method was developed to prepare Bi 2 MoO 6 nanosheets with oxygen vacancies (OVs) and low-valent bismuth at the surface. The introduction of OVs makes Bi 2 MoO 6 nanosheets possess rich unsaturated coordination surface atoms, and enhances the conductivity and N 2 adsorption. Low-valent bismuth with 6p orbits reinforces the interaction with N 2 via π back-donation. The high-efficiency adsorption and protonation of N 2 over OVs-Bi 2 MoO 6 catalyst was confirmed by N 2 in-situ DRFTIR spectra and temperature-programmed-desorption. The obtained OVs-Bi 2 MoO 6 nanosheets accomplished a favorable ammonia yield of ∼24.38 μg·mg−1 h −1 and a high Faradaic efficiency of 14.1% at −0.3 V in 0.1 M HCl solution. A feasible OVs assisted π back-donation mechanism was proposed for the enhanced NRR catalytic activity on OVs-Bi 2 MoO 6 catalyst. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• One-step synthesis of N-doped carbon quantum dots hybridized NiFe-LDH of 1.4 nm thickness. • The BET surface area of the products was 226.7 m2 g−1. • The overpotential is 363 mV at large current density of 500 mA cm−2. • NCD@NiFe-LDH shows excellent durability and stability at 1000 mA cm−2. Herein, we have developed a one-step ionothermal accompanied thermolysis strategy based on metal chloride deep eutectic solvent (DES) precursors to synthesize NiFe layered double-hydroxide ultrathin nanosheets hybridized with N-doped carbon quantum dots (NCD@NiFe-LDH). The NCD@NiFe-LDH hybrid shows hierarchical three-dimensional flower-like morphology assembled with ~1.4 nm ultrathin nanosheets possessing higher surface area values and well conductivity. The as-synthesized NCD@NiFe-LDH hybrid exhibits excellent performance for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and just require 363 mV to achieve a higher current density of 500 mA cm−2 compared to the state-of-the-art IrO 2 in 0.1M KOH. Besides, NCD@NiFe-LDH hybrid shows long-term stability and satisfactory durability even at 1000 mA cm−2. Such an excellent OER performance at high current density can be ascribed to the unique porous ultrathin structure with abundant active edges and sites and the synergistic effect of the NCD and NiFe-LDH. The work offers a new way for the design and synthesis of other carbon-hybridized LDH ultrathin nanosheets with unique electrochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CdS nanowires with typical length more than 8μm and width of 30nm on average have been successfully synthesized through Cd(NO3)2 reacting with CS2 and ethylenediamine in microemulsion system of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SBDS). The microstructures of the as-synthesized CdS nanowires were characterized using XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and HRTEM. The possible formation mechanism was discussed. The morphologies of CdS sample strongly depend on the concentration of surfactant in solutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

PANI/CeO 2 /Ni(OH) 2 hierarchical hybrid spheres were successfully prepared by a simple one-step self-assemble reaction. The structure and morphology characterization revealed the hybrid spheres were constructed with self-assembled nanosheets. The formation mechanism of the hierarchical structure was discussed. N 2 adsorption–desorption isotherms showed that the PANI/CeO 2 /Ni(OH) 2 had improved specific surface area. Under optimized conditions, the PANI/CeO 2 /Ni(OH) 2 hierarchical hybrid spheres showed highly electrochemical activity and supercapacitor performance compared with Ni(OH) 2 and CeO 2 /Ni(OH) 2. The max specific capacitance reached to 2556 F g−1. It was still as high as 2130 F g−1 even at the high current density, showing good rate capability. After 1000 cycles continuous charge–discharge process, the hybrid sphere can retain 95.9% of its initial capacitance, indicating good cycle stability. The asymmetric specific capacitance can be of 348 F g−1 and the capacity retention rate can hold 80.4% after 8000 cycles. Such high performance of PANI/CeO 2 /Ni(OH) 2 hybrids may have potential practical application value used in supercapacitors. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Graphene oxide encapsulating NiS 2 electrocatalyst was fabricated by a scalable and facile method. • The liquid precursor benefits surface/interface engineering and formation of tightly coupled interface. • The catalyst exhibits highly enhanced HER and OER catalytic activity and durability. • Excellent performance contributes to its unique architecture and coupled interface. Exploring novel tactic to synthesize transition-metal-based electrocatalysts with high activity is crucial to renewable gaseous fuel production. Herein, a simple and efficient synthesis strategy has been successfully developed to in-situ synthesize unique catalysts via embed a graphene oxide (GO) shell membrane in the core of NiS 2 employing an ionic liquid-like NiCl 2 -malonic acid (IL Ni-MA). The elaborately designed IL Ni-MA liquid favors the in-situ growth of breathing GO shell membrane on the surface of NiS 2 along with the formation of gas channel. The moderate breathing GO shell membrane and tightly coupled interface gain the optimum electrocatalysis hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution performance in 1.0 M KOH. It just demands 57 and 294 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 toward HER and OER, respectively. Moreover, the optimum NiS 2 @GO catalysts can be applied for superior bifunctional catalyst for overall splitting of H 2 O. A cell voltage of 1.52 V and a stable operation for more than 48 h can be gained. The synthetic route may find application in the surface/interfaces engineering of other embedded catalysts toward new energy and environment applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]