The steel industry produces many byproducts, requiring extensive land for storage and causing significant environmental contamination. Industrial effluents discharged into water bodies negatively impact both aquatic e...The steel industry produces many byproducts, requiring extensive land for storage and causing significant environmental contamination. Industrial effluents discharged into water bodies negatively impact both aquatic ecosystems and human health. To solve this problem, this study synthesized a composite of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and steel slag nanocomposites (SSNC) at a 1:2 mass ratio to create a robust photocatalyst for the treatment of synthetic wastewater. The efficacy of this catalyst in degrading various dye pollutants, including methylene blue (MB), was tested under simulated solar light conditions. Comprehensive analyses were conducted to assess the physical and chemical characteristics, crystalline structure, energy gap, and point of zero charge of the composite. The TiO2-SSNC composite catalyst exhibited excellent stability, with a point of zero charge at 8.342 and an energy gap of 2.4 eV. The degradation process conformed to pseudo-first-order kinetics. Optimization of operational parameters was achieved through the response surface methodology. Reusability tests demonstrated that the TiO2-SSNC composite catalyst effectively degraded up to 93.41% of MB in the suspended mode and 92.03% in the coated mode after five cycles. Additionally, the degradation efficiencies for various dyes were significant, highlighting the potential of the composite for broad applications in industrial wastewater treatment. This study also explored the degradation mechanisms and identified byproducts, establishing a pathway for contaminant breakdown. The cost-benefit analysis revealed a total cost of 0.842 8 USD per cubic meter for each treatment activity, indicating low operational and production costs. These findings underscore the promise of the TiO2-SSNC composite as a cost-effective and efficient alternative for wastewater purification.展开更多
Synergistic interplays involving multiple active centers originating from TiO2 nanotube layers(TNT)and ruthenium(Ru)species comprising of both single atoms(SAs)and nanoparticles(NPs)augment the alkaline hydrogen evolu...Synergistic interplays involving multiple active centers originating from TiO2 nanotube layers(TNT)and ruthenium(Ru)species comprising of both single atoms(SAs)and nanoparticles(NPs)augment the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)by enhancing Volmer kinetics from rapid water dissociation and improving Tafel kinetics from efficient H*desorption.Atomic layer deposition of Ru with 50 process cycles results in a mixture of Ru SAs and 2.8-0.4 nm NPs present on TNT layers,and it emerges with the highest HER activity among all the electrodes synthesized.A detailed study of the Ti and Ru species using different high-resolution techniques confirmed the presence of Ti^(3+)states and the coexistence of Ru SAs and NPs.With insights from literature,the role of Ti^(3+),appropriate work functions of TNT layers and Ru,and the synergistic effect of Ru SAs and Ru NPs in improving the performance of alkaline HER were elaborated and justified.The aforementioned characteristics led to a remarkable performance by having 9mV onset potentials and 33 mV dec^(-1) of Tafel slopes and a higher turnover frequency of 1.72 H2 s^(-1) at 30 mV.Besides,a notable stability from 28 h staircase chronopotentiometric measurements for TNT@Ru surpasses TNT@Pt in comparison.展开更多
In this paper,MCM-41 was synthesized by a soft template technique and MCM-41 supported CuO-CeO2 nano-sized catalysts with different Cu/Ce molar ratios were prepared by a deposition-precipitation method.N2 adsorption,H...In this paper,MCM-41 was synthesized by a soft template technique and MCM-41 supported CuO-CeO2 nano-sized catalysts with different Cu/Ce molar ratios were prepared by a deposition-precipitation method.N2 adsorption,HRTEM-EDS,H2-TPR,XPS characterization,as well as catalytic activity and durability tests for the catalytic combustion of chlorobenzene(CB)were conducted to explore the relationship between the structure and catalytic performance of the catalysts.It is revealed that cuCe(6:1)/MCM-41 has the highest activity and can completely catalyze the degradation of CB at 260℃.The reasons for the high activity of the catalysts are as follows:MCM-41,a type of mesoporous material which has large pore size and large specific surface area,is suitable as a catalyst carrier.The average diameter of nano-sized CuO and CeO2 particles is about 3-5 nm and adding CeO2 improves the dispersion of active component CuO,which are highly and evenly dispersed on the surface of MCM-41.Characterization results also explain why MCM-41 supported CuO-CeO2 with appropriate proportion can highly enhance the catalytic activity.The reason is that CeO2 acting as an oxygen-rich material can improve the mobility of oxygen species through continuous redox between Ce4^+and Ce3^+,and improve the catalytic performance of CuO for CB combustion.Besides,CuCe(6:1)/MCM-41 also displays good durability for CB combustion,both in the humid condition and in the presence of benzene,making it a promising catalytic material for the elimination of chlorinated VOCs.展开更多
Brominated flame retardants have been widely used in industry. There is a rapid growing public concern for their availabilities in the environment. Advanced oxidation process （AOP） is a promising and efficient techn...Brominated flame retardants have been widely used in industry. There is a rapid growing public concern for their availabilities in the environment. Advanced oxidation process （AOP） is a promising and efficient technology which may be used to remove emerging chemicals such as brominated flame retardants. This study aims at investigating optimal operational conditions for the removal of BDE-209 using nano-scaled titanium（IV） oxide. The residual PBDE congeners after photocatalytical degradation of BDE-209 by TiO2 were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. It was found that the degradability of BDE-209 by TiO2 was attributed to its photocatalytic activity but not the small size of the particles. The half-life of removing BDE-209 by TiO2 was 3.05 days under visible light. Tetra- and penta-BDEs were the major degraded products of BDE-209. Optimum conditions for photocatalytical degradation of BDE-209 was found to be at pH 12 （93% ± 1%）, 5, 10, 20 mg/L （93.0% ± 1.70%, 91.6% ± 3.21%, 91.9% ± 0.952%, respectively）, respectively of humic acid and in the form of anatase/rutile TiO2 （82% ± 3%）. Hence, the efficiency of removing BDE-209 can be maximized while being cost effective at the said operating conditions.展开更多
Si3N4-Si2N2O composites were fabricated with amorphous nano-sized silicon nitride powders by the liquid phase sintering （ LPS ）. The Si2 N2O phase was generated by an in-situ reaction 2 Si3 N4 （ s ） ＋ 1.5 02 （ g...Si3N4-Si2N2O composites were fabricated with amorphous nano-sized silicon nitride powders by the liquid phase sintering （ LPS ）. The Si2 N2O phase was generated by an in-situ reaction 2 Si3 N4 （ s ） ＋ 1.5 02 （ g ） = 3 Si2 N2O （ s ） ＋ N2 （ g ） . The content of Si2 N2 O phase up to 60% in the volume was obtained at a sintering temperature of 1 650℃ and reduced when the sintering temperature increased or decreased, indicating the reaction is reversible. The mass loss, relative density and average grain size increased with increasing the sintering temperature. The average grain size was less than 500 nm when the sintering temperature was below 1 700 ℃. The sintering procedure contains a complex crystallization and a phase transition ： amorphous silicon nitride→equiaxial α- Si3 N4→ equiaxial β- Si3 N4→ rod- like Si2 N2O→ needle- like β- Si3N4 . Small round-shaped β→ Si3 N4 particles were entrapped in the Si2 N2O grains and a high density of staking faults was situated in the middle of Si2 N2O grains at a sintering temperature of 1 650 ℃. The toughness inereased from 3.5 MPa·m^1/2 at 1 600 ℃ to 7.2 MPa· m^1/2 at 1 800 ℃ . The hardness was as high as 21.5 GPa （Vickers） at 1 600 ℃ .展开更多
Nanosized 1 at% Sm^(3+)doped Y_(2)O_(3)powders were prepared by an ultrasound assisted sol-gel method.Y_(2)O_(3):Sm^(3+)powders crystallize in Y_(2)O_(3)pure cubic phase and XRD analysis shows that the as-used agitati...Nanosized 1 at% Sm^(3+)doped Y_(2)O_(3)powders were prepared by an ultrasound assisted sol-gel method.Y_(2)O_(3):Sm^(3+)powders crystallize in Y_(2)O_(3)pure cubic phase and XRD analysis shows that the as-used agitation protocol affects strongly the crystallite’s shape and mean size.The recorded emission spectra under λ_(em)=600 nm exhibit two absorption bands;the first one is assigned to O^(2-)→Sm^(3+)charge transfer state(CTS) with a maximum absorption at 223 nm,and the second is due to intraconfigurational transition 4f^(5)-4f^(5) of Sm^(3+) with a maximum absorption at 407 nm.The 223 and 407 nm transitions are attributed to characteristics intra-configurational transitions of Sm^(3+).All emission spectra are dominated by reddish/orange luminescence located at 606 nm and assigned to ^(4)G_(5/2)→^(6)H_(7/2) transition.It is found that the photoluminescence intensity of samples obtained under excitation at 407 nm is 60 times smaller than that obtained under 223 nm excitation.Decay time measurements of the ^(4)G_(5/2)→^(6)H_(7/2) luminescence transition indicate that decay time of nano-sized powder is significantly shorter than bulk material one.展开更多
Nano-sized titania powders have been prepared by hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate in the droplet of water/OP-7/pentanol/cyclohexane microemulsion system.The effects of ingredient change on the water drop size and par...Nano-sized titania powders have been prepared by hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate in the droplet of water/OP-7/pentanol/cyclohexane microemulsion system.The effects of ingredient change on the water drop size and particle size were investigated.The prepared TiO_2 was in the form of anatase after annealing.TiO_2 was characterized by TG-TGA, FTIR,XRD to measure the transformation temperature,surface adsorption and average size.展开更多
基金supported by the Department of Chemical and Petrochemical Engineering,Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology.
文摘The steel industry produces many byproducts, requiring extensive land for storage and causing significant environmental contamination. Industrial effluents discharged into water bodies negatively impact both aquatic ecosystems and human health. To solve this problem, this study synthesized a composite of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and steel slag nanocomposites (SSNC) at a 1:2 mass ratio to create a robust photocatalyst for the treatment of synthetic wastewater. The efficacy of this catalyst in degrading various dye pollutants, including methylene blue (MB), was tested under simulated solar light conditions. Comprehensive analyses were conducted to assess the physical and chemical characteristics, crystalline structure, energy gap, and point of zero charge of the composite. The TiO2-SSNC composite catalyst exhibited excellent stability, with a point of zero charge at 8.342 and an energy gap of 2.4 eV. The degradation process conformed to pseudo-first-order kinetics. Optimization of operational parameters was achieved through the response surface methodology. Reusability tests demonstrated that the TiO2-SSNC composite catalyst effectively degraded up to 93.41% of MB in the suspended mode and 92.03% in the coated mode after five cycles. Additionally, the degradation efficiencies for various dyes were significant, highlighting the potential of the composite for broad applications in industrial wastewater treatment. This study also explored the degradation mechanisms and identified byproducts, establishing a pathway for contaminant breakdown. The cost-benefit analysis revealed a total cost of 0.842 8 USD per cubic meter for each treatment activity, indicating low operational and production costs. These findings underscore the promise of the TiO2-SSNC composite as a cost-effective and efficient alternative for wastewater purification.
基金support from the European Union Horizon 2020 program(project HERMES,nr.952184)the Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic for supporting CEMNAT(LM2023037)+1 种基金Czech-NanoLab(LM2023051)infrastructures for providing ALD,SEM,EDX,XPS,TEM,and XRDCzech Science Foundation(project 23-08019X,EXPRO).
文摘Synergistic interplays involving multiple active centers originating from TiO2 nanotube layers(TNT)and ruthenium(Ru)species comprising of both single atoms(SAs)and nanoparticles(NPs)augment the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)by enhancing Volmer kinetics from rapid water dissociation and improving Tafel kinetics from efficient H*desorption.Atomic layer deposition of Ru with 50 process cycles results in a mixture of Ru SAs and 2.8-0.4 nm NPs present on TNT layers,and it emerges with the highest HER activity among all the electrodes synthesized.A detailed study of the Ti and Ru species using different high-resolution techniques confirmed the presence of Ti^(3+)states and the coexistence of Ru SAs and NPs.With insights from literature,the role of Ti^(3+),appropriate work functions of TNT layers and Ru,and the synergistic effect of Ru SAs and Ru NPs in improving the performance of alkaline HER were elaborated and justified.The aforementioned characteristics led to a remarkable performance by having 9mV onset potentials and 33 mV dec^(-1) of Tafel slopes and a higher turnover frequency of 1.72 H2 s^(-1) at 30 mV.Besides,a notable stability from 28 h staircase chronopotentiometric measurements for TNT@Ru surpasses TNT@Pt in comparison.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21577094)Zhejiang Public Welfare Technology Research Project(LGG19B070003)the Foundation of Science and Technology of Shaoxing City(2018C10019)。
文摘In this paper,MCM-41 was synthesized by a soft template technique and MCM-41 supported CuO-CeO2 nano-sized catalysts with different Cu/Ce molar ratios were prepared by a deposition-precipitation method.N2 adsorption,HRTEM-EDS,H2-TPR,XPS characterization,as well as catalytic activity and durability tests for the catalytic combustion of chlorobenzene(CB)were conducted to explore the relationship between the structure and catalytic performance of the catalysts.It is revealed that cuCe(6:1)/MCM-41 has the highest activity and can completely catalyze the degradation of CB at 260℃.The reasons for the high activity of the catalysts are as follows:MCM-41,a type of mesoporous material which has large pore size and large specific surface area,is suitable as a catalyst carrier.The average diameter of nano-sized CuO and CeO2 particles is about 3-5 nm and adding CeO2 improves the dispersion of active component CuO,which are highly and evenly dispersed on the surface of MCM-41.Characterization results also explain why MCM-41 supported CuO-CeO2 with appropriate proportion can highly enhance the catalytic activity.The reason is that CeO2 acting as an oxygen-rich material can improve the mobility of oxygen species through continuous redox between Ce4^+and Ce3^+,and improve the catalytic performance of CuO for CB combustion.Besides,CuCe(6:1)/MCM-41 also displays good durability for CB combustion,both in the humid condition and in the presence of benzene,making it a promising catalytic material for the elimination of chlorinated VOCs.
基金support from the Area of Excellence (CityU MERIT) Scheme,Hong Kong Research Grants Council is gratefully acknowledged
文摘Brominated flame retardants have been widely used in industry. There is a rapid growing public concern for their availabilities in the environment. Advanced oxidation process （AOP） is a promising and efficient technology which may be used to remove emerging chemicals such as brominated flame retardants. This study aims at investigating optimal operational conditions for the removal of BDE-209 using nano-scaled titanium（IV） oxide. The residual PBDE congeners after photocatalytical degradation of BDE-209 by TiO2 were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. It was found that the degradability of BDE-209 by TiO2 was attributed to its photocatalytic activity but not the small size of the particles. The half-life of removing BDE-209 by TiO2 was 3.05 days under visible light. Tetra- and penta-BDEs were the major degraded products of BDE-209. Optimum conditions for photocatalytical degradation of BDE-209 was found to be at pH 12 （93% ± 1%）, 5, 10, 20 mg/L （93.0% ± 1.70%, 91.6% ± 3.21%, 91.9% ± 0.952%, respectively）, respectively of humic acid and in the form of anatase/rutile TiO2 （82% ± 3%）. Hence, the efficiency of removing BDE-209 can be maximized while being cost effective at the said operating conditions.
基金Funded by the National Science Foundation of China ( No.50375037)
文摘Si3N4-Si2N2O composites were fabricated with amorphous nano-sized silicon nitride powders by the liquid phase sintering （ LPS ）. The Si2 N2O phase was generated by an in-situ reaction 2 Si3 N4 （ s ） ＋ 1.5 02 （ g ） = 3 Si2 N2O （ s ） ＋ N2 （ g ） . The content of Si2 N2 O phase up to 60% in the volume was obtained at a sintering temperature of 1 650℃ and reduced when the sintering temperature increased or decreased, indicating the reaction is reversible. The mass loss, relative density and average grain size increased with increasing the sintering temperature. The average grain size was less than 500 nm when the sintering temperature was below 1 700 ℃. The sintering procedure contains a complex crystallization and a phase transition ： amorphous silicon nitride→equiaxial α- Si3 N4→ equiaxial β- Si3 N4→ rod- like Si2 N2O→ needle- like β- Si3N4 . Small round-shaped β→ Si3 N4 particles were entrapped in the Si2 N2O grains and a high density of staking faults was situated in the middle of Si2 N2O grains at a sintering temperature of 1 650 ℃. The toughness inereased from 3.5 MPa·m^1/2 at 1 600 ℃ to 7.2 MPa· m^1/2 at 1 800 ℃ . The hardness was as high as 21.5 GPa （Vickers） at 1 600 ℃ .
基金supported by Nuclear Research Center of Algiers(CRNA),Department of Laser,Luminescence Laboratory。
文摘Nanosized 1 at% Sm^(3+)doped Y_(2)O_(3)powders were prepared by an ultrasound assisted sol-gel method.Y_(2)O_(3):Sm^(3+)powders crystallize in Y_(2)O_(3)pure cubic phase and XRD analysis shows that the as-used agitation protocol affects strongly the crystallite’s shape and mean size.The recorded emission spectra under λ_(em)=600 nm exhibit two absorption bands;the first one is assigned to O^(2-)→Sm^(3+)charge transfer state(CTS) with a maximum absorption at 223 nm,and the second is due to intraconfigurational transition 4f^(5)-4f^(5) of Sm^(3+) with a maximum absorption at 407 nm.The 223 and 407 nm transitions are attributed to characteristics intra-configurational transitions of Sm^(3+).All emission spectra are dominated by reddish/orange luminescence located at 606 nm and assigned to ^(4)G_(5/2)→^(6)H_(7/2) transition.It is found that the photoluminescence intensity of samples obtained under excitation at 407 nm is 60 times smaller than that obtained under 223 nm excitation.Decay time measurements of the ^(4)G_(5/2)→^(6)H_(7/2) luminescence transition indicate that decay time of nano-sized powder is significantly shorter than bulk material one.
文摘Nano-sized titania powders have been prepared by hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate in the droplet of water/OP-7/pentanol/cyclohexane microemulsion system.The effects of ingredient change on the water drop size and particle size were investigated.The prepared TiO_2 was in the form of anatase after annealing.TiO_2 was characterized by TG-TGA, FTIR,XRD to measure the transformation temperature,surface adsorption and average size.
