Degradation of 2, 4-dichlorophenol by peroxymonosulfate catalyzed by ZnO/ZnMn2 O4.

In this study, a highly efficient peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator, ZnO/ZnMn2 O4 , was synthesized using a simple one-step hydrothermal method. The resulting bimetallic oxide catalyst demonstrated a homogenous and high-purity composition, showcasing synergistic catalytic activity in activating PMS for degrading 2, 4-dichlorophenol (2, 4-DCP) in aqueous solution. This catalytic performance surpassed that of individual ZnO, Mn2 O3 , and ZnMn2 O4 metal materials. Under the optimized conditions, the removal efficiency of 2, 4-DCP reached approximately 86% within 60 min, and the catalytic ability remained almost constant even after four cycles of recycling. The developed degradation system proved effective in degrading other azo-dye pollutants. Certain inorganic anions such as HPO4 - , HCO3 - , and NO3 - significantly inhibited the degradation of 2, 4-DCP, while Cl- and SO4 2- did not exhibit such interference. Results from electrochemical experiments indicated that the electron transfer ability of ZnO/ZnMn2 O4 surpassed that of individual metals, and electron transfer occurred between ZnO/ZnMn2 O4 and the oxidant. The primary active radicals responsible for degrading 2, 4-DCP were identified as SO4 •- , OH• and O2 •- , generated through the oxidation and reduction of PMS catalyzed by Zn (II) and Mn (III). Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the fresh and used catalysts revealed that the exceptional electron transfer ability of ZnO facilitated the valence transfer of Mn (III) and the transfer of electrons to the catalyst's oxygen surface, thus enhancing the catalytic efficiency. The analysis of radicals and intermediates indicates that the two main pathways for degrading 2, 4-DCP involve hydroxylation and radical attack on its aromatic ring. PRACTITIONER POINTS: A bimetallic ZnO/ZnMn2 O4 catalyst was synthesized and characterized. ZnO/ZnMn2 O4 can synergistically activate PMS to degrade 2, 4-DCP compared with single metal oxide. Three primary active radicals, O2 •- , • OH, and SO4 •- , were generated to promote the degradation. ZnO promoted electron transfer among the three species of Mn to facilitate oxidizing pollutants. Hydroxylation and radical attack on the aromatic ring of 2, 4-DCP are the two degradation pathways.

Quantum digital signature with unidimensional continuous-variable against the measurement angular error.

The continuous-variable quantum digital signature (CV-QDS) scheme relies on the components of quantum key generation protocol (KGP) to negotiate classical signature, which is more compatible with optical fibers. Nevertheless, the measurement angular error of heterodyne detection or homodyne detection will cause security issues when performing KGP in the distribution stage. For that, we propose to utilize unidimensional modulation in KGP components, which only requires to modulate single quadrature and without the process of basis choice. Numerical simulation results show that the security under collective attack, repudiation attack and forgery attack can be guaranteed. We expect that the unidimensional modulation of KGP components could further simplify the implementation of CV-QDS and circumvent the security issues caused by the measurement angular error.

Multiparty quantum anonymous voting with discrete modulated coherent states and an optical frequency comb.

A key challenge for quantum information science is to realize large-scale, precisely controllable, practical systems for multiparty secure communications. Recently, Guidry etal. [Nat. Photonics16, 52 (2022)10.1038/s41566-021-00901-z] have investigated the quantum optics of a Kerr-based optical frequency comb (OFC), which lays out the way for OFC acting as a quantum resource to realize a low-cost and stable multiparty continuous-variable quantum information processing. In this work, we propose a distributed quantum anonymous voting (DQAV) protocol based on discrete modulated coherent states, in which a Kerr-based OFC serves as the resource to generate multi-frequency quantum signals for multiparty voting. We consider both the single-selection and multiple-selection ballot scenarios, and design the phase compensation method for the OFC-based protocol. Voting security is ensured by the basic laws of quantum mechanics, while voting anonymity is achieved by the random assignment of different frequency sources and the homogeneity of the quantum operations taken on the same voting choice. Numerical analysis calculates the secure voting distance over the thermal-lossy channel, showing the advancement of the proposed protocol under multiparty and multivalued voting tasks.

Study on the catalytic degradation of Acid Orange 7 and the potential mechanism by ferrous-percarbonate.

Factors affecting the degradation of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) were evaluated and optimized when ferrous was used to catalyze percarbonate in the present study. The optimized conditions included the initial pH values ranging from 3 to 11 for AO7 solution, the initial level of AO7, sodium percarbonate (SPC), and Fe2+ . Some ions and natural organic materials, which commonly exist in natural water, were also tested to evaluate their potential impacts on the degradation of AO7. The degradation efficiency of AO7 was up to 95% under the optimized test conditions, where the ferrous/percarbonate/AO7 molar ratio was 15/10/1 in the 0.285 mmol/l AO7 aqueous solution. The presence of Cl- , SO4 2- , NO3 - , Na+ , and Mg2+ did not affect the removal of AO7. The addition of HCO3 - significantly inhibited its removal, even when the concentration of HCO3 - was low to 0.6 mmol/l. A slight inhibition effect was observed when the added concentration of humic acid ranged from 0.5 to 5 mg/l, whereas the residue of AO7 was significantly enhanced when the level of humic acid was continually increased from 50 to 100 mg/l. Hydroxyl radicals (•OH) were the main reactive intermediates controlling the oxidation of AO7 in the present Fe2+ /SPC system. The produced intermediates through the degradation of AO7 were identified to include 2-coumaranone, 2-naphthol, phthalic acid, phthalimide, N-methylnaphthylamine, and 2-methylphenol. The proposed degradation pathways are consistent with the radical formation and the identified intermediates. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The ferrous/percarbonate system can remove 95% of AO7 under the optimized conditions. AO7 removal was inhibited by adding HCO3 - and humic acid, but not affected by Cl- , SO4 2- , NO3 - , Na+ , and Mg2+ . Hydroxylation, ring opening, and mineralization driven by the generated hydroxyl radicals were derived as the major processes for degrading AO7.

High-Rate Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution with Orbital Angular Momentum Multiplexing.

The secret key rate is one of the main obstacles to the practical application of continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD). In this paper, we propose a multiplexing scheme to increase the secret key rate of the CVQKD system with orbital angular momentum (OAM). The propagation characteristics of a typical vortex beam, involving the Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beam, are analyzed in an atmospheric channel for the Kolmogorov turbulence model. Discrete modulation is utilized to extend the maximal transmission distance. We show the effect of the transmittance of the beam over the turbulent channel on the secret key rate and the transmission distance. Numerical simulations indicate that the OAM multiplexing scheme can improve the performance of the CVQKD system and hence has potential use for practical high-rate quantum communications.

The temporal distribution, source and potential toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a sediment core from an urban lake in Wuhan, China.

The urban lakes in China, especially those with relatively small areas and closed watersheds, have suffered from serious pollution and are at a high risk of eutrophication due to the small amount of concern given to them. The temporal distribution profile, source apportionment and potential toxicity of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs (APAHs) in a sediment core from an urban shallow lake with the above specifications, in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China, were investigated in the present study. Parent PAHs, especially 4-6 ring ones, were dominant in the sediment core. The vertical profiles of 16 anthropogenic US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) priority PAHs increased from a depth of 50 cm to 30 cm, then slightly decreased to the surface. However, biogenic perylene content decreased from bottom to surface. Most of the APAHs increased in concentration from bottom to surface. Source apportionment of EPA PAHs indicated the pyrogenic source was dominant in the sediment core. The domestic combustion of bituminous coal, coal tar and biomass can be identified as the main factors responsible for this. Toxicity assessment of selected parent PAHs demonstrated that benzo(a)pyrene accounted for the largest part of the toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ), and PAHs in the studied area possibly imposed adverse biological effects, especially for benthic organisms. Therefore, action should be taken to prevent an increase in the contamination from PAHs in the studied area, as well as in similar urban lakes in China, based on the specificity of individual watersheds.