Search

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown great potential in the treatment of several inflammatory diseases due to their immunomodulatory ability, which is mediated by exosomes secreted by MSCs (MSC-Exs). The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing globally, but there is currently no long-term effective treatment. As an emerging therapy, MSC-Exs have proven to be effective in alleviating IBD experimentally, and the specific mechanism continues to be explored. The gut microbiota plays an important role in the occurrence and development of IBD, and MSCs and MSC-Exs can effectively regulate gut microbiota in animal models of IBD, but the mechanism involved and whether the outcome can relieve the characteristic dysbiosis necessary to alleviate IBD still needs to be studied. This review provides current evidence on the effective modulation of the gut microbiota by MSC-Exs, offering a basis for further research on the pathogenic mechanism of IBD and MSC-Ex treatments through the improvement of gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting the activity of catalyst, achieving high CO2 conversion and increasing light olefins yield are important in CO2 hydrogenation to olefin. Herein, SiO2 was doped in CuO‐ZnO‐ZrO2 to form multi‐oxides of CuO‐ZnO‐ZrO2‐SiO2 by co‐precipitation method, and the multi‐oxides was mixed with SAPO‐34 molecular sieves mechanically to form a composite catalyst of CuO‐ZnO‐ZrO2‐SiO2/SAPO‐34. Compared with CuO‐ZnO‐ZrO2, doping of SiO2 increases the dispersion and thermal stability of metal oxides, provides more sites for CO2 activated, and delays the aggregation of metal particles at higher temperature. Doped SiO2 can also adsorb the water from hydrogenation process to improve the olefins yield and hinder the formation of CO from reverse water gas shift. Thus, under the condition of reaction temperature at 420 °C, pressure of 3.0 MPa, space velocity of 1800 mL gcat−1 h−1, CO2/H2 (molar ratio) of 1 : 3 and the mass ratio of CuO‐ZnO‐ZrO2‐SiO2 (containing 8 % SiO2) to SAPO‐34 of 1 : 1, the direct CO2 hydrogenation to light olefins on CuO‐ZnO‐ZrO2‐SiO2/SAPO‐34 shows that the conversion of CO2 is 53.9 % and the selectivity of light olefins is 52.9 %, while the CO selectivity is only 13.6 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A series of Ca 8 ZnLa(PO 4) 7 (CZLPO) phosphors doped with Tb3+ and Tb3+, Eu3+ have been synthesized using a high-temperature solid-state method. The XRD pattern verifies that all prepared samples are attributed to whitlockite-type structure of β-Ca 3 (PO 4) 2 with R3c (161) space group. Under 366 nm excitation, the CZLPO: Tb3+, Eu3+ phosphors exhibit a tunable multi-color emission owing to energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+ via a quadrupole-quadrupole interaction mechanism. The emission colors of the phosphors could be modulated from green to red under NUV (366 nm) excitation due to efficient Tb3+→Eu3+ energy transfer. The fluorescence intensity ratio (I 542nm /I 611nm) for the Tb3+→Eu3+ of this material displayed excellent temperature sensing properties between 298 and 498 K. Moreover, it was found that the intensity ratio was unchanged when the temperature was cycled between 298 and 498 K, thus demonstrating the recyclability of this system. These results show that CZLPO: Tb3+, Eu3+ phosphors have potential as high performance multifunctional materials for solid state lighting and temperature sensing applications. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Whitlockite-type Ca 8 ZnLa(PO 4) 7 :Tb3+, Eu3+ phosphors were designed. • Ca 8 ZnLa(PO 4) 7 :Tb3+, Eu3+ phosphors exhibit a tunable multi-color emission. • The energy transfer mechanism from Tb3+ to Eu3+ were investigated. • Ca 8 ZnLa(PO 4) 7 :Tb3+,Eu3+ phosphors display excellent temperature sensing property from 298 K to 498 K. • This work provides an effective and feasible pathway for the exploration of mmultifunctional applications materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of novel red‐emitting Ca8ZnLa1−xEux(PO4)7 phosphors were successfully synthesized using the high‐temperature solid‐state reaction method. The crystal structure, photoluminescence spectra, thermal stability, and quantum efficiency of the phosphors were investigated as a function of Eu3+ concentration. Detailed analysis of their structural properties revealed that all the phosphors could be assigned as whitlockite‐type β‐Ca3(PO4)2 structures. Both the PL emission spectra and decay curves suggest that emission intensity is largely dependent on Eu3+ concentration, with no quenching as the Eu3+ concentration approaches 100%. A dominant red emission band centered at 611 nm indicates that Eu3+ occupies a low symmetry sites within the Ca8ZnLa(PO4)7 host lattice, which was confirm by Judd‐Ofelt theory. Ca8ZnLa1−xEux(PO4)7 phosphors exhibited good color coordinates (0.6516, 0.3480), high color purity (~96.3%), and high quantum efficiency (~78%). Temperature‐dependent emission spectra showed that the phosphors possessed good thermal stability. A white light‐emitting diode (LED) device were fabricated by integrating a mixture of obtained phosphors, commercial green‐emitting and blue‐emitting phosphors into a near‐ultraviolet LED chip. The fabricated white LED device emits glaring white light with high color rendering index (83.9) and proper correlated color temperature (5570 K). These results demonstrate that the Ca8ZnLa1−xEux(PO4)7 phosphors are a promising candidate for solid‐state lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of reddish orange light-emitting NaBaLa 2 (PO 4 ) 3 : Sm 3+ (NBLP:Sm 3+ ) phosphors are designed and synthesized in this work for the first time. The crystal structure of NaBaLa 2 (PO 4 ) 3 (NBLP) has been studied by the Rietveld refinement analysis, which shows that the NBLP belongs to eulytite-type orthophosphate. Luminescence properties of NBLP:Sm 3+ phosphors were investigated in detail, including excitation and emission spectra, concentration quenching, fluorescence decay, Inokuti-Hirayama (I-H) model analysis, etc. The Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates exhibited a shift slightly from reddish-orange (0.5782, 0.4171) to orange (0.5605, 0.4312) with the increase of Sm 3+ concentration. In addition, the NBLP:Sm 3+ phosphor shows good thermal stability and acceptable quantum efficiency. From the obtained results, the prepared phosphor NBLP: Sm 3+ can be demonstrated as a potential orange-red luminescent material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HucMSC-Ex alleviated the inflammatory condition in DSS-induced mouse IBD. • HucMSC-Ex reduced caspase-11/4-induced macrophage pyroptosis. • HucMSC-Ex decreased the activation of p-NF-κB in colitis. • MiR-203a-3p.2 inhibited caspase-4-induced THP-1 macrophage pyroptosis. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a kind of chronic, idiopathic, and recurrent inflammation, associated with dysregulated intestinal mucosal immunity. Caspase (casp) 11/4-induced macrophage pyroptosis contributes to the development of inflammation, while human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-secreted exosomes (hucMSC-Ex) play a reparative role in IBD. The present study focused on the treatment of IBD with hucMSC-Ex and its regulatory mechanism via the casp11/4 pathway. BALB/c mice were used to establish a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model, and hucMSC-Ex was administered intravenously to estimate its therapeutic effect. In vitro, RAW264.7 cells line, THP-1 cells line, and mouse peritoneal macrophages (MPMs) were stimulated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to activate an inflammatory environment of pyroptosis, followed by repairing with hucMSC-Ex. MicroRNA mimics and inhibitors were provided to verify the role of miR-203a-3p.2 from hucMSC-Ex in inflammation. The results were analyzed by Western blot, RT-qPCR、ELISA, and LDH secretion. HucMSC-Ex inhibited the activation of casp11 and reduced the secretion of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and casp11, which relieved macrophage pyroptosis to alleviate murine colitis. A consistent outcome was revealed in the cell experiments, where hucMSC-Ex contributed to a decreased casp11/4 expression, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, as a marker of cell damage. Moreover, miR-203a-3p.2 from hucMSC-Ex functioned as an effective mediator in the interaction with casp4 in THP-1 macrophage pyroptosis. HucMSC-Ex ameliorates colitis through the suppression of casp11/4-induced macrophage pyroptosis, and hucMSC-Ex carrying miR-203a-3p.2 inhibits casp4-induced macrophage pyroptosis in an inflammatory environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarized the possible physiological mechanism by which anthocyanins strengthen the tolerance of plants to drought. Drought stress can induce plant cells to synthesize and accumulate anthocyanins. The photochemical properties, subcellular accumulation sites and spatial distributions in plant organs and tissues of anthocyanins determine their function of strengthening plant tolerance, which is realized by three possible physiological mechanisms: (1) anthocyanins and their chelated metal ions can optimize the osmoregulation ability of the plant cells by directly acting as the osmoregulation substances of the cells, (2) anthocyanins with suitable spatial locations can reduce the photoinhibition of the plants under drought stresses, (3) anthocyanins can effectively maintain and improve the active oxygen-scavenging capacity of the plant cells under drought conditions. Therein, that the anthocyanins enhance the antioxidant capacity of the plant cells under drought stresses is probably the main reason for the anthocyanins to strengthen the drought tolerance of plants. This review could provide a reference for the mechanism research of the drought resistance and the breeding of the drought-resistant cultivars for the plants holding the ability to synthesize and accumulate anthocyanins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The calculation of interfacial properties, such as the surface tension, from the density functional theory suffers from the overestimation of the critical temperature of all classical Helmholtz energy functionals. A Helmholtz energy functional is here proposed, where the long-range density fluctuations leading to the universal critical scaling behavior are accounted for using a renormalization group theory. The appeal of the approach is its simple implementation, where the renormalization is treated in a local density approximation (LDA). The model is almost exact at the critical point. Away from the critical point, the model reduces to the perturbed chain statistical associated fluid theory (PC-SAFT) equation of state. The conventional PC-SAFT pure component parameters are supplemented with a single substance-specific renormalization parameter, which is adjusted to reproduce the bulk phase critical temperature. The surface tension is obtained with excellent agreement to experimental data for some non-polar and moderately polar substances (alkanes, ethers, acetates and aromatic substances) up to the critical point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The perturbed-chain polar statistical associating fluid theory (PCP-SAFT) equation of state is applied to correlate phase equilibria for mixtures of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) with alkanes, with aromatics, and with water over wide temperature and pressure ranges. The binary mixtures of H2S–methane and CO2–methane are studied in detail including vapor–liquid, liquid–liquid and fluid–solid phase equilibria. Very satisfying results were obtained for the binary mixtures as well as for the ternary mixture of H2S–CO2–methane using the (constant) interaction parameters of the binary pairs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The role of various carboxylic acids (substituted/unsubstituted acetic, benzoic and salicylic acids) with various electron donating and/or withdrawing substituents on the Na2WO4/H2WO4-catalysed, biphasic epoxidations of cyclooctene and 1-octene, using H2O2 as terminal oxidant has been investigated. The presence of the different acids in catalytic amounts widely affects the catalytic activity of the above system depending on the nature of their substituents. The results obtained have been discussed in the light of the stereo/electronic effects of these substituents. It has been observed that the added substituted/unsubstituted acetic and benzoic acids generally enhance the rate of the epoxidation while salicylic acids significantly decrease the catalyst activity, under the same conditions, most likely due to the additional deactivating hydroxy moiety. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The development of heterogeneous Fenton catalysts with good performance and stability is a challenge in the field of wastewater treatment. In this work, MgAlFe hydrotalcite-like compounds (MgAlFe-HTLcs) were prepared by solid phase reaction at room temperature and modified via a hydrothermal process. The experimental results showed that MgAlFe-HTLcs had a good layered structure with the same proportion of iron and aluminium, 18 h of crystallisation time and 110°C of crystallisation temperature and the lamellar structure was more uniform by solid grinding. Furthermore, the addition of iron can activate H2O2 more effectively to generate active oxygen which is •OH. The degradation experiments demonstrated that nearly 99.0% degradation efficiency was achieved for 10 mg/L Malachite Green (MG) solution within 60 min at the conditions of 0.10 g·L−1 MgAlFe-HTLcs, 0.10 mol·L-1 H2O2 and a natural pH of 6.3. Total organic carbon (TOC) removal reached 72.2% in a 70 min reaction. BET and XRD were measured to further discuss the stability and durability. Finally, a possible mechanism for the degradation of MG was presumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The adsorption energies of CO 2 on the surface oxygen vacancies of different crystalline In 2 O 3 were calculated using DFT. • The effect of the spatial distributions of two active components on the CO 2 hydrogenation to aromatics was studied. • The acidity of catalyst under different spatial distributions was studied through NH 3 -TPD. In tandem catalysts, not only good synergy between the two active components is required, but also the precise control of the spatial distribution between the two active components of metal oxides and zeolite is crucial for the migration and conversion of reaction intermediates in the direct conversion of CO 2 to hydrocarbons. The correlation between the metal and the acidic site of zeolite has traditionally been simplified as "the closer, the better". However, it should be noted that this principle only holds true for a portion of tandem catalysts. Therefore, this paper studied the effect of different crystalline In 2 O 3 (cubic phase, hexagonal phase, and mixed cubic/hexagonal phase) and sheet HZSM-5 zeolite tandem catalysts on the activity of CO 2 hydrogenation reaction under different spatial distribution. The generalized gradient approximation (GGA) of density functional theory (DFT) were used to simulate the adsorption energy of CO 2 by oxygen vacancy on c-In 2 O 3 (1 1 1) and h-In 2 O 3 (1 0 4) planes, it was found that O v1 on c-In 2 O 3 (1 1 1) and O v4 on h-In 2 O 3 (1 0 4) had the strongest adsorption energy for CO 2. In addition, it has been observed that the proximity of the two active components (e.g., during mortar mixing) results in decreased catalytic performance. This is due to the migration of metal In, which neutralizes the acid sites of zeolites and leads to inefficient conversion of methanol reaction intermediates to aromatics. As a result, CO 2 conversion and aromatic selectivity are decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a case of a female infertile patient suffering from embryonic arrest and recurrent implantation failure. The primary objective was to assess the copy number variations (CNVs) and DNA methylation of her embryos. Genetic diagnosis was conducted by whole-exome sequencing and validated through Sanger sequencing. CNV evaluation of two cleavage stage embryos was performed using whole-genome sequencing, while DNA methylation and CNV assessment of two blastocysts were carried out using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. We identified two novel pathogenic frameshift variants in the MEI1 gene (NM_152513.3, c.3002delC, c.2264_2268 + 11delGTGAGGTATGGACCAC) in the proband. These two variants were inherited from her heterozygous parents, consistent with autosomal recessive genetic transmission. Notably, two Day 3 embryos and two Day 6 blastocysts were all aneuploid, with numerous monosomy and trisomy events. Moreover, global methylation levels greatly deviated from the optimized window of 0.25–0.27, measuring 0.344 and 0.168 for the respective blastocysts. This study expands the mutational spectrum of MEI1 and is the first to document both aneuploidy and abnormal methylation levels in embryos from a MEI1-affected female patient presenting with embryonic arrest. Given that females affected by MEI1 mutations might experience either embryonic arrest or monospermic androgenetic hydatidiform moles due to the extrusion of all maternal chromosomes, the genetic makeup of the arrested embryos of MEI1 patients provides important clues for understanding the different disease mechanisms of the two phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pain is one of the most commonly reported symptoms in patients with advanced cancer, but is still less than optimally treated. The effect of traditional Chinese medicine in cancer pain treatment is nowadays getting more and more attention.Objective: To investigate the effect of a coix seed oil injection on cancer pain relief in a cancer center in a tertiary hospital in China.Methods: Patients in the treatment group received a coix seed oil injection for 2 weeks, while patients in the control group received equivalent 0.9% saline. The numeric rating scale was used to assess the pain level. The Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 was used to assess life quality. The adverse drug reactions during the treatment process were observed.Results: Patients in the coix seed treatment group had significantly superior efficacy on pain control over those in the control group. Coix seed therapy significantly improved patients' scores reflecting by the Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) scale. In addition, the occurrence of adverse reactions such as constipation and nausea in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group.Conclusion: The coix seed oil injection effectively reduced the pain level of cancer patients, significantly improved their life quality, and had no obvious adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of water/oil mixtures is extensively required due to the expanding industrial oily wastewater and frequent oil spill accidents, exciting the development of facile and efficient oil/water separation technologies. In this study, corn cob powders (CCPs) coated meshes with underwater superoleophobicity and underoil superhydrophobicity were successfully fabricated by a facile spraying-coating method, which can be used for on-demand immiscible oil/water mixtures separation without any additional chemical treatment. Thus, both separation modes (oil-blocking or water-blocking) in one single device were achieved for selective oil/water separation regardless of the heavy oil or light oil involved in the mixtures. The oil-blocking mode with underwater superoleophobicity allows water in light oil/water mixtures to permeate, while the water-blocking mode with underoil superhydrophobicity letting heavy oil to permeate. In addition, the high separation efficiencies larger than 99.9% for a series of oil/water mixtures were achieved in the single device with the driving-force only its gravity. Moreover, the coated meshes showed robust environmental stability that could be used for the separation of oil and various corrosive mixtures, such as strong acidic, alkaline and salt aqueous solutions. All these features make the coated mesh become an ideal candidate for on-demand separation of various oil/water mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional materials with superwetting property have been extensively used for wastewater treatment. Here, walnut shell powders (WSPs) were accumulated into a layer to separate oil/water mixtures and adsorb organic dyes, avoiding the complex process involved in the fabrication of traditional superhydrophobic or underwater superoleophobic filtering membranes. By making use of the underwater superoleophobicity and low adhesion to oils, the pre-wetted WSPs layer can be used for gravity driven oil/water separation with ultrahigh separation efficiency. Furthermore, the WSPs exhibited excellent adsorption property to the organic dyes including methylene blue, rhodamine B and crystal violet. Finally, the WSPs are agricultural residue to environment, and using it for water remediation not only is a good way to treat water pollution, but also can reduce the pressure to the environment. We believe that such multifunctional material will be an effective approach for separating oil/water separation and adsorbing organic dyes pollution in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Co-catalytic effect of 1 T-MoS 2 greatly enhances the efficiency of photo-Fenton degradation. • The degradation efficiency of MB and RhB both reached 99.8% in 18 min. • The ·OH and visible light have synergistic in the photo-Fenton degradation system. • Density functional theory (DFT) was used to simulate the adsorption energy of H 2 O 2. Right here, flower-like FeMoO 4 @1T-MoS 2 composites were prepared by modifying FeMoO 4 microspheres with two-dimensional lamellar 1T-MoS 2 as co-catalyst, which was used for photo-Fenton catalysis degradation of binary dyes mixed with methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB). Then various parameters affecting the generation of ·OH in the system were investigated. Systematic research shows that the degradation efficiency of MB and RhB can reach 99.8% in 18 min when the Mo/Fe molar ratio of the composite is 1:1. Furthermore, these experiments data were fitted by pseudo-first order kinetics model and pseudo-second order kinetics model. Subsequently the density functional theory (DFT) simulation results showed that FeMoO 4 exhibited excellent adsorption for H 2 O 2 , and the introduction of 1T-MoS 2 played a certain role in the adsorption and activation of H 2 O 2. Finally, the degradation pathways of MB and RhB were proposed to determine intermediates during photo-Fenton process by LC-MS and the reaction mechanism was detailed investigated by quenching experiment of active free radicals. FeMoO 4 @1T-MoS 2 has also excellent stability and highlights the potential and prospect of the composite for dye wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • P-doped graphite carbon nitride can effectively promote charge separation. • TC degradation efficiency is more than 90% in both acidic and neutral conditions. • PCNFV-400 showed high degradation activity for other antibiotics. • PCNFV-400 has good performance in practical applications. An eco-friendly, economical, and stable heterojunction composite phosphorus-doped graphite carbon nitride (P-g-C 3 N 4)/FeVO 4 -X was synthesized by one-pot impregnation precipitation, and its physical and photoelectric properties were characterized, P-g-C 3 N 4 /FeVO 4 -400 demonstrated the best performance. The synergistic effect of P-g-C 3 N 4 and FeVO 4 promotes the prolongation of the photogenerated carrier lifetime while improving the electron-hole separation efficiency. The optimal reaction conditions were obtained by varying initial pH, hydrogen peroxide concentration, catalyst dosage, and tetracycline concentration. Meanwhile, tetracycline degradation was also investigated in complex systems with different anions and cations. The generation of hydrogen peroxide in the reaction process was determined by investigating the changes in hydrogen peroxide content, and its generation mechanism was explored. The results of 5 cycles show that the catalyst has good stability. The results of free radical trapping experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy indicate that the main reactive species in the reaction process are superoxide radicals. Therefore, the possible mechanism of tetracycline degradation by P-g-C 3 N 4 /FeVO 4 -400 was proposed alongside an analysis of the degradation pathway. The study provides a promising and effective way to develop high-performance type-II photocatalysts and paves the way for their practical application in wastewater treatment processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of hydrogels were successfully prepared with low grade palygorskite and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose as raw materials by free radical graft copolymerization method. The morphology, functional groups, crystalline phases and thermal stability of the hydrogels were characterized by SEM, FT‐IR, XRD and TG, respectively. The adsorption properties of hydrogels were tested. The water absorption rate of hydrogel with Jiangsu Xu Yu palygorskite (PGSH), Gansu Linze white grey palygorskite (WPGSH) and Gansu Linze red palygorskite (RPGSH) as raw materials was 1332 g/g, 1204 g/g and 1146 g/g, respectively. The three hydrogels showed excellent adsorption capacity for 100 mg/L methylene blue solution at room temperature, and the maximum adsorption capacities of PGSH, WPGSH and RPGSH were 236.44 mg/g, 227.72 mg/g and 223.01 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption kinetics of methylene blue over hydrogels was a pseudo two stage kinetic equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propane dehydrogenation to propene is an endothermic reaction and CO2 hydrogenation to light olefins is an exothermic reaction. Using the CO2 hydrogenation reaction to consume the hydrogen from the propane dehydrogenation reaction, which is more favorable to propylene formation. A new method for coupling propane and CO2 to propylene is presented. The V–Fe modified KIT-6 was prepared by the ultrasonic-assisted impregnation method and used for coupling reaction of propane with CO2 to propylene. Exploring the relationship between catalytic properties and physicochemical characteristics through several characterization methods. As the appropriate amounts of V and Fe species were introduced into the framework of KIT-6, V–Fe modified KIT-6 performed large specific surface area, a highly ordered mesoporous structure and highly dispersed V and Fe active sites. The catalysis performance of V–Fe modified KIT-6 zeolites for production of propylene by propane dehydrogenation, CO2 hydrogenation and coupling reaction of C3H8 with CO2 was compared. Under the conditions of C3H8/CO2/N2 = 1:4:5, total flow rate = 20 mL/min, the temperature at 580 °C, the reaction pressure at 0.1 MPa, V/Fe molar ratio = 2 and the catalyst mass of 0.2 g, the propane conversion, propylene selectivity and yield are 37.8%, 87.0% and 32.9%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

H-ZSM-5 zeolites are successfully synthesized within 1 h with an organic template free system by the seed-assisted method. The synthetic method not only reduces the production cost of H-ZSM-5 zeolite, but also decreases the environmental pollution produced compared with that of the conventional synthesis process. Characterization by SEM, XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, NH3-TPD, and Py-IR confirms that the H-ZSM-5 product has a high crystallinity and reveals that the rapid synthesis process is in accordance with the seed surface crystallization mechanism. To improve the aromatic selectivity on the H-ZSM-5 zeolite, different concentrations of Mo and Zn catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation and the ion-exchange method. Mo-Zn/H-ZSM-5-SAS-1 h have similar catalytic lifetimes and higher selectivity of paraxylene in aromatic products compared with Mo-Zn/H-ZSM-5-seed in the reaction of methanol to aromatic. However, the catalytic lifetime of 6%Mo/H-ZSM-5-SAS-1 h is shorter than that of the 6%Mo/H-ZSM-5-seed catalyst in methane to benzene reaction under the same reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the relationship between the catalytic performance, crystallite size, and acidity of SAPO-34 zeolites better, a series of SAPO-34 zeolites were prepared by hydrothermal crystallization using palygorskite as silicon and partial aluminum source, and selecting two kinds of triethylamine, morpholine and tetraethylammonium hydroxide as dual templates. The obtained SAPO-34 zeolites were characterized via the methods of XRD, SEM, N2-adsorption–desorption, NH3-TPD, FTIR, XRF, 29Si MAS NMR, 27Al MAS NMR and TG. The properties of the templates affected the crystal growth rate that triethylamine and morpholine can cause a larger crystallite size while tetraethylammonium hydroxide can form small crystallite size particles. The number of acid sites of SAPO-34 zeolites first decreased and then increased with the increase of morpholine. The formation of Si islands can enhance the number of acid sites of SAPO-34 zeolites. The catalytic performance of SAPO-34 zeolites in methanol-to-olefins (MTO) reaction was investigated in a fixed bed reactor. Under reaction conditions, when the reaction temperature was 400 °C, the feed WHSV was 2.0 h−1, the mass of the catalyst was 0.5 g, at atmospheric pressure, the sample with an amount of acid sites of 0.85 mmol g−1 and crystallite size of 0.84 μm exhibited the optimum catalytic performance with methanol conversion at 100%, light olefin selectivity at 97.15% and catalytic lifetime at more than 1050 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ZnIn/HZSM-5 catalyst was prepared by the wetness impregnation method, and the structure of catalyst was characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, H2-TPR, NH3-TPD, XPS, TG, and N2 adsorption–desorption and then investigated in the coupling of propane with CO2 to propylene. It is found that the addition of Zn species is beneficial to the dispersion of In2O3 over HZSM-5, which plays an important role in propene formation, and adjusts the acidity distribution of In/HZSM-5 catalyst, as well as significantly improves the activity of In/HZSM-5 catalyst. The selectivity of propylene is 68.21% in the coupling of propane with CO2 over ZnIn/HZSM-5 catalyst when the time on stream (TOS) is 2 h, reaction temperature is 580 °C, reaction pressure is 0.3 MPa, C3H6:CO2:N2 = 1:4:5, catalyst mass is 0.2 g, and space velocity is 6000 mL gcat−1 h−1. However, the selectivity of propylene is only 63.33% and 0.25% in the propane dehydrogenation or CO2 hydrogenation reaction, respectively. The ZnIn/HZSM-5 catalyst showed a higher stability with only 0.80% conversion drop after three cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of cow dung briquette • Cow dung briquette (CDB) was prepared by the cold-press briquetting technology. • The co-combustion behavior of cow dung and coal was investigated by a TG-DTG. • The effect of acidified CaO as desulphurizer on the combustion was determined. • Cow dung briquette has lower smokes, higher desulphurization and easier flaming. Transformation of agricultural wastes into biomass energy is a strategy towards the development of alternative energy sources. In this study, the effect of the additives on combustion performance of cow dung briquette was investigated. Cow dung briquette (CDB) was prepared using the cold-press briquetting technology by mixing of coal and cow dung as raw materials, composite of potassium nitrate, manganese dioxide and citric acid as combustion promoter, mixture of calmogastrin and molybdenum as smoking suppressor, sodium humate and red clay as binder and acidified calcium oxide as desulphurizer. The comprehensive combustion characteristic index (S N), the stable burning characteristic index (D W) and the burnout index (C b) of CDB were calculated by thermogravimetric analysis. The desulphurizing property of CDB was examined. When the mass ratio of cow dung to coal is 1:3-4, the mass content of binder, combustion promoter, smoke suppressor and desulphurizer are 17.0%, 6.0%, 4.5% and 6.5%, respectively, the calorific value of CDB is 19.1 MJ/kg, ash content is 29.5%, volatile matter is 13.0% and desulphurization rate can be reached to 70.02%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dehydrogenation of propane to propylene is endothermic reaction will generate hydrogen, while the hydrogenation of CO2 to light olefins is exothermic reaction with hydrogen as reactant. Using the CO2 hydrogenation reaction to consume the hydrogen from the propane dehydrogenation reaction, which is more beneficial to propylene generation. Thus, a promising approach of coupling propane with CO2 to produce propylene was proposed. A simple wetness impregnation method was used to prepare the In/HZSM‐5 composite catalyst for this coupling reaction. It was characterized by means of XRD, SEM, TEM, H2‐TPR, NH3‐TPD, XPS, TG, and N2 isothermal adsorption‐desorption. Effects of indium loading, feed volume ratio of propane to CO2, reaction pressure and temperature on the coupling of propane with CO2 to propylene were investigated in a fixed‐bed reactor. When the mass content of indium is 12%, the feeding volume ratio of propane to CO2 is 1 : 4, the reaction pressure is 0.3 MPa and the reaction temperature is 580 °C, the propylene selectivity is 71.41%, as well as the conversion per pass of propane and CO2 is 17.74% and 5.08%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using ethylene glycol as solvent and PVP as structure-directing agent, CuFe2O4 nanospheres were successfully prepared by solvothermal method. The crystal structure, morphology, magnetic properties, and pore-size distribution of samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, VSM, and BET, respectively. The effects of various preparation factors on the crystal form and morphology of the obtained samples were systematically discussed. The result exhibited that the self-assembled hollow nanospheres with good crystal form and morphology are obtained under the conditions of 0.50 g PVP, 9 mmol NaAc, reaction temperature of 180 °C, and reaction time of 24 h. The catalytic activity of CuFe2O4 hollow nanospheres was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and the possible degradation mechanism and pathway of MB in the CuFe2O4/H2O2 photo-Fenton-like system were proposed. In addition, the properties of CuFe2O4 particles prepared by different methods were compared and analyzed. The sample synthesized by solvothermal method has a large specific surface area and excellent magnetic properties. Furthermore, the increase in the photoelectric response and the conductivity are beneficial to the improvement of catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the generalized stacking fault energies (GSFEs) of {10-11}<11-23> slip system in a wide range of Mg-X (X = Ag, Al, Bi, Ca, Dy, Er, Gd, Ho, Li, Lu, Mn, Nd, Pb, Sc, Sm, Sn, Y, Yb, Zn and Zr) binary alloys has been studied. The doping concentration in the doping plane and the Mg-X system is 12.5 at.% and 1.79 at.%, respectively. Two slip modes (slip mode I and II) were considered. For pure magnesium, these two slip modes are equivalent to each other. However, substituting a solute atom into the magnesium matrix will cause different effects on these two slip modes. Based on the calculated GSFEs, two design maps were constructed to predict solute effects on the behavior of the {10-11}<11-23> dislocations. The design maps suggest that the addition of Ag, Al, Ca, Dy, Er, Gd, Ho, Lu, Nd, Sm, Y, Yb and Zn could facilitate the {10-11}<11-23> dislocations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchically porous P substituted HZSM‐5 (H[P, Al]‐ZSM‐5‐AT‐0.05 M) was successfully synthesized by isomorphous substitution method with introduced P atoms into ZSM‐5 zeolite frameworks followed by alkali treatment. H[P, Al]‐ZSM‐5‐AT‐0.05 M was characterized by XRD, ICP‐OES, SEM, FT‐IR, N2 adsorption‐desorption, NH3‐TPD, XPS, Py‐IR, and TG‐DTA, respectively. The surface area, pore volume, particle size and P/Al (molar ratio) are 328 m2.g−1, 0.23 cm3.g−1, 563 nm and 0.027, respectively. The catalytic performance of H[P, Al]‐ZSM‐5‐AT‐0.05 M in coupling reaction of methanol with 1‐butene was investigated in the fixed‐bed reactor. On the condition of reaction temperature at 500°C under atmosphere pressure, the main product is propylene with the selectivity and yield of 33.7% and 31.0%, respectively. Hydrogen transfer index was calculated to 0.24. Moreover, its diffusion limitation was investigated with the self‐etherification of benzyl alcohol reaction. The value of Thiele modulus (η) and effectiveness factor (ϕ) are 0.08 and 16.9, respectively. The scheme of isomorphously substituted method of introducing P into ZSM‐5 framework and catalytic performance over H[P, Al]‐ZSM‐5 and H[P, Al]‐ZSM‐5‐AT‐0.05 M in coupling methanol with 1‐butene. P substituted HZSM‐5 is treated with NaOH solution to form mesoporous zeolites. The result shows that H[P, Al]‐ZSM‐5‐AT‐0.05 M exhibited higher catalytic stability, higher apparent reaction rate, effectiveness factor and lower content of diffusion limitation in coupling of methanol with 1‐butene to propylene reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure-driven and lower flux of superwetting ultrafiltration membranes in various emulsions separation are long-standing issues and major barriers for their large-scale utilization. Even though currently reported membranes have achieved great success in emulsions separeation, they still suffer from low flux and complex fabrication process resulting from their smaller nanoscale pore size. Herein, utilizition of coconut shell as a novel biomaterial for developing into a layer through the simple smashing, cleaning and stacking procedures, which not only could avoid the complexity of film making process, but also could realize efficient gravity-directed separation of both immiscible oil/water mixtures and water-in-oil emulsions with high flux. Specifically, the layer acted as “water-removing” type filtrate material with excellent underwater superoleophobicity, exhibiting high efficiency for various immiscible oil/water mixtures separation and larger oil intrusion pressure. More importantly, the layer could also serve as adsorbent material with underoil superhydrophilicity, achieving gravity-directed kinds of water-in-oil emulsions separation with high separation efficiency (above 99.99%) and higher flux (above 1620 L/m 2 h), even when their pore sizes are larger than that of emulsified droplets. We deeply believe that this study would open up a new strategy for both immiscible oil/water mixtures and water-in-oil emulsions separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovery of novel multifunctional fluorescent materials are of great concern to the development of disciplinary crossing and integration. In this work, we prepared a broad-band Eu 3+ -activated Lu 2 MoO 6 multifunctional material for potential warm white light-emitting diodes ( w -LEDs) and temperature sensor applications. Lu 1.9 MoO 6 :0.1Eu 3+ phosphor was synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reaction method, and the structure characterization was investigated for the first time. The excitation spectrum of this phosphor exhibits the intense broad band ranging from 250 nm to 440 nm assigned to the O 2− -Mo 6+ charge transfer band (CTB) transition, and a strong red emission centered at 610 nm corresponding to the 5 D 0  →  7 F 2 transition of Eu 3+ ions were detected under 365 nm excitation. Importantly, warm white light composite material was hybridized via blending commercial green, blue and the present red phosphors, which under 365 nm excitation exhibited a high color rendering index (CRI) of 78 at a correlated color temperature of 4271 K with CIE coordinates of x = 0.351, y = 0.308. Furthermore, a strong temperature sensitization phenomenon was found, where the results show that the emission intensities and chromaticity coordinates are sensitive to the temperature, which can provide guidance for the potential application in temperature sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of oil/water mixtures under acidic, alkaline and salty conditions remains a great challenge. Facile, low-cost and easily scale-up processes for the fabrication functional materials to effective oil/water separation under harsh environment are urgently desired. Herein, a superhydrophobic diatomite coating was successfully fabricated by a facile one-step spray-coating process for the gravity driven separation of oil/water mixtures in strong acidic, alkaline and salty environments. In addition, the as-prepared superhydrophobic diatomite-coated meshes can separate a series of oil/ water mixtures with separation efficiency up to 99.8%. Moreover, the as-prepared coated mesh still maintained a separation efficiency exceeding 99.5% and stable recyclability after 40 separation cycles. Meanwhile, the electrochemical corrosion test results indicated that the superhydrophobic coating maintained excellent chemical stability and corrosion resistant effect in 3.5 wt% NaCl solutions. Therefore, our work provides a facile method to fabricate the superhydrophobic diatomite coatings with outstanding anti-corrosive property that can be used for removal oils from harsh environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feral eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) breeding relies heavily on the parthenocarpic trait, so facultative parthenocarpy is a definite advantage. The molecular mechanism of facultative parthenogenesis, however, remains uncertain. To better understand the genetic regulators of this trait in eggplant, we compared the transcriptome and metabolome of the nonpollinated buds/flowers/fruits of the parthenocarpic (D6) and nonparthenocarpic (JDX8) lines at 3 days before flowering (DBF3), on the day of flowering (DOF), and 5 days after flowering (DAF5). ABA-, GA-, ZR-, and CTK-related genes, as well as ethelye-responsive and auxin-responsive genes, were significantly different between JDX8 and D6, as determined by a transcriptome comparison. ZR-related genes exhibited significant variations in expression between JDX8 and D6 at the DAF5 stage, while other hormone-related genes exhibited substantial expression differences at the DOF and DAF5 phases. K-means clustering and functional analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) demonstrated that JDX8 and D6 exhibited substantial changes in pathway-related genes, such as those involved in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, plant hormone signal transduction, and carbon metabolism. Twenty-five MADS-box transcription factor family genes were also differentially expressed between JDX8 and D6, and additional transcription factor families, such as MYB, bHLH, and WRKY, may potentially be possible regulators of eggplant parthenogenesis. Phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and free fatty acids were considerably upregulated in D6 strains at the DOF stage, whereas flavonoids were the most significantly upregulated metabolites in D6 at the DAF5 stage, as shown by comparative metabolome analysis. Similarly, the major structural genes associated with flavonoid metabolism were highly upregulated in D6 at the DAF5 stage. These findings indicate that eggplant parthenocarpy is a feature that is controlled by the hormone signalling system, transcription factor regulation, flavonoid metabolism, and lipid metabolism. This work provides detailed molecular pathways and possible regulators for eggplant parthenocarpy research, which is advantageous for the breeding of parthenocarpic lines. • The transcriptome and metabolome of the nonpollinated buds/flowers/fruits were analyzed. • Plant hormone-related genes expresses differently between parthenocarpic and nonparthenocarpic lines at different stages. • Energy metabolism and cell replication were activated in parthenocarpic strain. • Parthenocarpy was controlled by the hormone signal system, transcription factor regulation, and second metabolisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the α-Fe 2 O 3 /MIL-53(Fe) composite was successfully designed and developed through a solvothermal method as a photo-Fenton catalyst and for the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl). The results show that the prepared composite exhibits superb performance for the degradation of TC-HCl ascribing to the synergistic effect between MIL-53(Fe) and α-Fe 2 O 3. And the formation of heterojunction structure is beneficial to reducing the band gap, enhancing the absorption of visible light, and improving the separation and transportation of photo-induced carriers. Moreover, this heterojunction structure can be formed without annealing treatment. The effects of pH, H 2 O 2 consumption and catalyst dosage on the degradation of TC-HCl are also investigated. The optimum conditions for target pollutant degradation were investigated according to the response surface methodology (RSM) result based on a central composite design (CCD). A possible mechanism of degradation of TC-HCl is proposed according to the main active radical that existed in the reaction process. This work provides a novelty perspective and in-depth and independent insight for the photo-Fenton mechanism of heterojunction structure modified MOFs material. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diatomite coated mesh showing switchable wettability has been successfully fabricated via a spray-coating process. The switchable mesh allows separating various oil-water mixtures in one single device. The diatomite coated mesh operates in water-removing mode to permeate water in typical light oil-water mixtures. Moreover, the mesh can rapidly switch to oil-removing mode to permeate heavy oil in the heavy oil-water mixtures. Reversible transition between water-removing and oil-removing mode can be realized simply by prewetting the coated mesh with water and corresponding heavy oils alternately. In addition, the switchable mesh showed high separation efficiencies above 99.2% for a series of light or heavy oil-water mixtures. Furthermore, the as-prepared coated mesh can separate oils from harsh conditions, such as strong acidic, alkaline, hyperhaline solutions and hot water. Besides, we demonstrated the methyl blue adsorption performance with the diatomite at room temperature, showing excellent adsorption capacity for water remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prepared ZnZr 7 O/HZ-1.5NH 4 F tandem catalyst with high catalytic activity for the direct conversion of CO 2 hydrogenation to aromatics by combining theoretical calculations and experiments. [Display omitted] • It was simulated that the (0 1 0) plane of the sheet HZSM-5 had the strongest adsorption capacity for CH 3 O* and CHOO*. • We prepared catalysts with high catalytic activity and stability by combining theoretical calculations and experiments. • The thickness can be precisely adjusted to prepare a series of sheet HZSM-5 by adding urea and NH 4 F. • Urea inhibits the generation of defective sites in HZSM-5, while NH 4 F promotes the generation of defective sites. • The thickness of the sheet HZSM-5 is also a factor affecting the catalytic activity. The adsorption properties of CH 3 O* and CHOO* adsorbed on the three crystal planes (0 0 1, 0 1 0, 1 0 1) of HZSM-5 were simulated by the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) of density functional theory (DFT), it was found that the (0 1 0) plane corresponding to the b-axis of the sheet HZSM-5 had the strongest adsorption energy for CH 3 O* and CHOO*. Therefore, we successfully synthesized sheet HZSM-5 with different thicknesses by adding the inhibitor (urea) and mineralizer (F−) to the synthesis system based on the theoretical calculations. The physicochemical properties of HZSM-5 were investigated by the characterization methods of SEM, TEM, Py-IR, OH-IR, CO 2 -TPD and so on. The results showed the thickness of HZSM-5 can be precisely adjusted by adding urea and NH 4 F and changing the ratio of urea/NH 4 F or TPAOH/NH 4 F. Then, the sheet HZSM-5 and ZnZr 7 O were connected in tandem to investigate the reaction conditions and catalytic performance for the direct conversion of CO 2 hydrogenation to aromatics. It was found that the HZ-1.5NH 4 F had a large specific surface area, suitable B acid content and more defect sites. These advantages resulted in a high aromatic selectivity of 77.5% and CO 2 conversion of 17.6% over ZnZr 7 O/HZ-1.5NH 4 F. Meanwhile, it exhibits stable performance and no significant deactivation after 80 h of operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The H-ZSM-5 with different morphologies were rationally designed and the synthesis mechanism was illustrated. • Physical mixture of H-ZSM-5 and In 2 O 3 , Cu-Zn-Al and ZnZrO were used to CO 2 hydrogenation to aromatics. • The fewer intermediates were observed on the Cu/ZnO/Al 2 O 3 -sheetZ5 and In 2 O 3 -sheetZ5 in In-situ DRIFTS spectra. • The ZnZr 7 O(5 0 0)-sheet-Z5 showed the best catalytic performance of BTX, the high selectivity of p-xylene was achieved over the ZnZr 7 O(5 0 0)-chainZ5. • Enhanced CO 2 conversion by ZnZr 7 O(5 0 0)-sheet-Z5 catalysts at suitable calcination temperature and oxygen vacancy concentration. The efficient that to concert CO 2 into high value-added chemicals is a promising and potential strategy to reduce the consumption of petroleum resources, especially as an alternative route to MTA, where direct conversion of aromatics can be achieved through CO 2 hydrogenation. Herein, a series of metal oxides (In 2 O 3 , Cu-Zn-Al and ZnZr x O with different Zr/Zn and calcined at different temperatures) and different morphologies of spherical, hollow, sheet, and chain HZSM-5 were rationally designed, and then connected with metal oxides and HZSM-5 in tandem to investigate the reaction conditions and catalytic performance for the direct conversion that from CO 2 hydrogenation to aromatics, the reaction mechanism was investigated using In-situ DRIFTS. Furthermore, due to the synergy between the respective excellent properties of HZSM-5 zeolites and metal oxides, the selectivity of aromatic up to 75.7% and conversion of CO 2 was 14.5% over ZnZr 7 O(5 0 0)-sheet HZSM-5 tandem catalyst, while achieving high selectivity of 64.1% for BTX. Moreover, high selectivity of the target product to xylene was achieved over the ZnZr 7 O(5 0 0)-chain HZSM-5 tandem catalyst due to the fact that the molecular kinetic radius of p-xylene was close to the b-axis pore radius of HZSM-5, and an appropriate increase in the b-axis length was beneficial to improve the selectivity of p-xylene, which opened up a broad path for the design of catalysts for CO 2 hydrogenation to aromatics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shipping crude oil increases the potential pollution impact on the marine environment of China. To evaluate the spills of imported crude oil, the development of a technique to rapidly and accurately confirm the responsibility of the wreckers is vital. In this study, gas chromatography/stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IrMS) was used to analyze the stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) ofn-alkanes (n-C10∼n-C32) in seven crude oils. It was difficult to distinguish Kuwait (K3#) oil samples from United Arab Emirates (U5#) samples, Saudi Arabia (S7#) from Iraq (I8#) samples, and Malaysia (M6#) from Venezuela (V2#) samples using the distribution of the δ13C values and PCA. The combination of the δ13C and the diagnostic ratio (DR) distinguished these crude oils more clearly than using the δ13C or DR alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, micro-spherical β-NiOOH/FeMoO 4 with multiple active sites was prepared by one-step solvothermal method and its performance in the photo-Fenton system was investigated. The results indicate that highest degradation efficiency of methylene blue (MB) was obtained when the molar ratio of nickel to iron was 1:2.5. In addition, composites were assessed for its degradation performance for MB by adjusting the concentration of H 2 O 2 , pH and catalyst dosage. The pseudo-first-order kinetic rate constant of MB degradation in β-NiOOH/FeMoO 4 catalyzed photo-Fenton system was 0.234 min−1 about 5 folds that of pristine FeMoO 4 micro-sphere. The degradation mechanism of MB was deduced by active species quenching experiments and technology of coumarin fluorescent probe. And its degradation pathway was proposed by LC-MS identifying reaction intermediates produced during photo-Fenton catalysis. Recycling tests have confirmed excellent stability of β-NiOOH/FeMoO 4 composite. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the β-NiOOH/FeMoO 4 composite is a promising heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst. [Display omitted] • Microspheres with special particle accumulation surface structure were prepared. • The doped of Fe enables NiOOH to crystallize stable into β phase. • The degradation efficiency of MB can reach 99.5% in 18 min. • The generation potential of ·OH was indirectly determined by the coumarin fluorescence probing technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1% Zn Z8 (SAC)/Z5 catalyst prepared by steam-assisted crystallization method with ZIF-8 as sacrificial template and Zn source shows high BTX selectivity (69.8%) and excellent stability in MTA reaction. [Display omitted] • The Zn modified HZSM-5 zeolite was prepared by using ZIF-8 as sacrificial template and Zn source. • The steam-assisted crystallization method is the key to the preparation of high crystallinity nano-hierarchical pore structure Zn/Z5 catalyst. • The grain size, physical properties and acidity distribution of Zn/Z5 can be adjusted by controlling the addition amount of ZIF-8. • Appropriate acid distribution, smaller particle size, larger specific surface area and abundant mesoporous structure are the keys to obtaining higher BTX selectivity and excellent stability. Methanol to aromatics (MTA) is an effective way to produce aromatics by non-petroleum route. The acidity and structure of zeolite catalysts are the key to aromatics yield and stability of catalysts in MTA reaction. Here, Zn-modified HZSM-5 catalysts were prepared by physical mixing method (PM), in-situ hydrothermal synthesis method (SH) and steam-assisted crystallization method (SAC) using ZIF-8 as sacrificial template and Zn source. XRD, SEM, TEM, N 2 adsorption-desorption, ICP-OES, NH 3 -TPD, Py-IR, XPS, H 2 -TPR, TG characterization methods were used to investigate the physical and chemical properties of the catalysts. The influence of preparation methods of catalysts, the addition amount of ZIF-8, different Zn sources and reaction conditions on the products distribution in MTA reaction were investigated. The results showed that the crystallinity of Zn Z8 (SAC)/Z5 catalyst was improved and the hierarchical pore structure was obtained successfully after introduced ZIF-8 by steam-assisted crystallization method. Among them, Zn Z8 mainly exists as ZnOH+ species, which improved the utilization rate of Zn atoms and more L acid sites and moderate acid concentration were formed. The addition amount of ZIF-8 can affect the crystalline size, pore structure and the concentration of ZnOH+ species of Zn Z8 (SAC)/Z5. An appropriate ratio of B/L acid concentration was formed when adding an appropriate amount of ZIF-8. Compared with the traditional Z5 catalyst modified with Zn(NO 3) 2 as Zn source (1% Zn ZN (SAC)/Z5), there are smaller particle size, larger specific surface area and mesopore volume as well as suitable acid distribution in 1% Zn Z8 (SAC)/Z5 catalyst. The preparation method of catalyst, the addition amount of ZIF-8, different Zn sources and reaction conditions have a significant effect on the selectivity of BTX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The right amount of cobalt ions could induce the formation of Fe 1-x S. • 100 mL orange II solution (30 mg/L) was degraded to 99.9% within 15 min. • OH and h+ played an important role in the photo-Fenton-like process. • FeS 2 -Fe 1-x S exhibited excellent stability and high catalytic degradation activity for other dyes. It is a challenge to develop heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts with excellent performance and stability in the field of wastewater treatment. In this work, the FeS 2 -Fe 1-x S heterostructure catalyst was prepared by solvothermal method through adding cobalt element to change the particle nucleation process and inhibit the transformation process of pyrrhotite (Fe 1-x S) phase to pyrite (FeS 2) phase. Then, a series of experiments were devised to clarify the catalytic activity of FeS 2 -Fe 1-x S heterostructure. The degradation experiments exhibited that 99.9% degradation efficiency was achieved for 30 mg/L orange II solution within 15 min at the conditions of 0.2 g/L FeS 2 -Fe 1-x S, 2 mM H 2 O 2 and pH = 3.0. In addition, the reusability of the FeS 2 -Fe 1-x S catalyst was also investigated and the result displayed that degradation efficiency of orange II can reach 95.2% after eight cycles. The degradation of orange II was enhanced by Fenton reaction between FeS 2 -Fe 1-x S and dissolved oxygen, which could smoothly release Fe2+ and Fe3+ for the activation of H 2 O 2 to produce more hydroxyl radicals. Finally, the degradation pathway of orange II was proposed by detecting intermediates produced in FeS 2 -Fe 1-x S/H 2 O 2 photo-Fenton-like system by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In short, FeS 2 -Fe 1-x S is a promising catalyst for removing the organic pollutants from solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Orange II degradation efficiency attained to 98.9% within 15 min. • OH played an important role in the Cu 2 O(SO 4)-Fe9/H 2 O 2 Fenton-like process. • The degradation rate constant of Cu 2 O(SO 4)-Fe9 is 9.33 and 4.07 times of Cu 2 O(SO 4) and α-Fe 2 O 3 , respectively. • Orange II degradation is conducted through destruction of conjugated structures and mineralization. Hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3), as one of Fenton reagents, is widely investigated for the treatment of wastewater in the field of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Considering the fast charge carrier recombination of hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3), we have successfully synthesized a novel and high active heterogeneous Fenton catalyst α-Fe 2 O 3 /Cu 2 O(SO 4) for the degradation of organic pollutants. The results show that the as-obtained Cu 2 O(SO 4)-Fe9 composite exhibits excellent degradation properties of Orange II. 98.9% degradation rate was achieved for 100 mL of 50 mg/L Orange II solution in the condition of 0.3 g/L Cu 2 O(SO 4)-Fe9 catalyst, 3 mM H 2 O 2 and pH = 3.5. The degradation rate constants of Cu 2 O(SO 4)-Fe9 in the photo-Fenton-like system are 9.33 and 4.07 times of Cu 2 O(SO 4) and α-Fe 2 O 3 , respectively. In addition, the mechanism and pathway for the degradation of Orange II were proposed. The scheme of combining copper-based oxysulfate Cu 2 O(SO 4) with hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3) could improve the efficiency of charge carrier separation, which will further enhance the catalytic activity and expand its application in water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elemental doping has been proven to be an effective strategy for increasing the catalytic activity and structural stability of Fenton catalysts. Therefore, this work reports that Mn-doped FeS 2 /Fe 2 O 3 (Mn 3 O 4 –FeS 2 /Fe 2 O 3) has excellent catalytic performance for the degradation of Orange II under simulated solar energy. Degradation experiment results showed that the sample with a manganese-iron molar ratio of 1:2 exhibited higher activity than others. The degradation rate of 20 mg/L OII reached 99.0% in 18 min under the conditions of 0.3 g/L Mn 3 O 4 –FeS 2 /Fe 2 O 3 , 5 mM H 2 O 2 and pH = 2.8. In addition to, the Mn 3 O 4 –FeS 2 /Fe 2 O 3 catalyst shows good reusability for Orange II and high activity for other dyes (MB, MG, Rh B and MO) under optimal conditions. Degradation mechanism study indicated that the heterogeneous Fenton reaction was promoted by retarding the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers and accelerating the cycle between Fe3+/Mn2+ and Fe2+/Mn3+, which improved photo-Fenton-like catalytic performance, resulting in the enhanced degradation of organic pollutant. Finally, a possible degradation pathway was proposed according to the results of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In short, the catalyst has potential application value in wastewater treatment. • The degradation of Orange II by Mn 3 O 4 –FeS 2 /Fe 2 O 3 attained to 99.0% in 18 min. • Both.•OH and •O 2 − played important roles in the degradation process. • The photo-Fenton-like catalytic performance of the Mn 3 O 4 –FeS 2 /Fe 2 O 3 catalyst was enhanced. • The catalyst maintained excellent reusability for Orange II and high activity for other dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]