Search

The pursuit of high-performance piezo-photocatalysts through structural modifications has been a focal point of investigation within the realm of related scientific disciplines. In this study, we successfully designed Er-doped Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 –BaTiO 3 combined with rare earth ion doping and solid solution modification, and the prepared particles exhibited homogeneous grain sizes and optimized concentrations of oxygen vacancies (O V). The synergistic incorporation of O V (accelerator for catalytic reaction) and Er3+ results in an impressive 12-fold enhancement of the piezo-photocatalytic rate when degrading the Rhodamine B dye. The optimal composition 0.96BNT-0.04BT-Er demonstrates outstanding electrochemical properties, including a superior photocurrent response and minimal impedance, highlighting its exceptional performance in piezo-photocatalysis. The fundamental enhancement in catalytic performance can be attributed to the reconfiguration of the band structure of 0.96BNT-0.04BT-Er, which has been meticulously calculated utilizing DRS and VB-XPS and the internal mechanism was explained in detail. This research serves as a source of inspiration for the investigation of solid solutions among piezo-photocatalysts and sheds light on the vital role of band structure in governing catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional nanomaterials are met with the bottleneck problem of difficult recycling and reuse when applied to water treatment. Carbon aerogel with three-dimensional structure can effectively solve the problem of recycling, however, the preparation of efficient and recyclable aerogel catalyst is still an urgent technical problem. Here, an NH 2 -MIL-88B(Fe)/agarose carbon aerogel (MGA-x) was synthesized at different calcination temperatures (x = 100, 150, 200 and 300 °C) and their changes in structures and photo-electrochemical properties were investigated. As a photo-Fenton catalyst, the aerogel could efficiently activate H 2 O 2 to ultrafast degrade mitoxantrone in water. Within 2 min, the removal efficiency of mitoxantrone in the MGA-200/H 2 O 2 /Light system was 97.6%, which was 85.3 times greater than that in the agarose aerogel/H 2 O 2 /Light system. Notably, the aerogel catalyst could be directly recovered and recycled without additional treatments, and the microstructure and degradation performance were maintained even after five cycles, demonstrating excellent sustainability for applications in practical aquatic environment. The primary active radicals involved in the photocatalytic degradation process were • OH, h+ and • O 2 -, which were confirmed through free radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis. Additionally, possible degradation pathways for mitoxantrone were proposed based on the results of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This study presents a photocatalytic aerogel with highly efficient degradation ability along with recycling and reuse capacity, exhibiting great potential for application in the remediation of water pollution. [Display omitted] • NH 2 -MIL-88B(Fe)/agarose carbon aerogel was prepared by low-temperature calcination. • The photo-Fenton reaction of MGA-200 through degrading MTX was studied. • The MGA-200/H 2 O 2 /Light system could ultrafast remove 97.6% of MTX in 2 min. • MGA-200 can be recovered and recycled directly without additional treatment. • A new pathway for the potential degradation of MTX was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the lead-free piezoelectric material Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 (BNT) has been adopted for piezo-catalysis and synergistic catalysis, such as piezo-photocatalysis. Nonetheless, the catalytic effect of single BNT is too weak to degrade multifarious contaminants. Here, BNT and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) composite were prepared and the catalytic performance of BNT was prominently boosted by introducing MWCNTs as the electron capturer. Particularly, the degradation rate of Rhodamine B (RhB, a typical contaminant) could reach 90% within 30 min, with a high rate constant of 0.0805 min−1. The specific degradation pathway of RhB was analyzed. The formation of oxygen vacancies was confirmed by XPS analysis, and the vital role of oxygen vacancies in the separation of photo-generated carriers was elucidated. Meanwhile, the BNT/MWCNTs composites manifested stronger transient current response compared to single BNT under the action of light irradiation and ultrasonic vibration, respectively. According to impedance analysis, the composites exhibited lower carrier transport resistance. Eventually, the mechanism of enhanced piezo-photocatalysis was explained in detail. This study provides an effective route to break the shackle of carrier recombination and speed up the carrier transport in piezo-photocatalytic materials. [Display omitted] • Simple method was used for synthesizing BNT/MWCNTs composite. • Extremely high degradation rate (92.2% within 30 min) via piezo-photocatalysis. • Boosted transient current response with decreased carrier transport resistance. • Complete degradation pathway for RhB was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipids are hydrophobic and amphiphilic molecules involved in diverse functions such as membrane structure, energy metabolism, immunity, and signaling. However, altered intra-cellular lipid levels or composition can lead to metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction, as well as lipotoxicity. Thus, intra-cellular lipid homeostasis is tightly regulated by multiple mechanisms. Since most peripheral cells do not catabolize cholesterol, efflux (extra-cellular transport) of cholesterol is vital for lipid homeostasis. Defective efflux contributes to atherosclerotic plaque development, impaired β-cell insulin secretion, and neuropathology. Of these, defective lipid efflux in macrophages in the arterial walls leading to foam cell and atherosclerotic plaque formation has been the most well studied, likely because a leading global cause of death is cardiovascular disease. Circulating high density lipoprotein particles play critical roles as acceptors of effluxed cellular lipids, suggesting their importance in disease etiology. We review here mechanisms and pathways that modulate lipid efflux, the role of lipid efflux in disease etiology, and therapeutic options aimed at modulating this critical process. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]