g-C3N4/Pt/BiVO4 nanocomposites for highly efficient visible-light photocatalytic removal of contaminants and hydrogen generation.

Inspired by natural photosynthesis, artificial heterojunction photocatalysts have been extensively studied. Herein, a novel ternary graphitic carbon nitride/platinum/bismuth vanadate (g-C3N4/Pt/BiVO4) photocatalytic system was successfully synthesized, where Pt/BiVO4 nanosheet is anchored on the surface of layered g-C3N4, as evidenced by structural observations. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy are carried out to identify the position of the conduction band and valence band. A Z-scheme is used to interpret the superior photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4/Pt/BiVO4 and further verified by the capture of free radicals and terephthalic acid photoluminescence experiments. Compared with the g-C3N4/BiVO4 binary system, the Z-scheme g-C3N4/Pt/BiVO4 photocatalyst not only possesses enhanced carrier separation efficiency but also maintains sufficient redox properties, thus inducing superior photocatalytic activity. More importantly, the novel Z-scheme photocatalyst exhibits excellent recycle stability, which could provide inspiration for the rational design of efficient and practical photocatalysts for environmental pollution treatment. The ternary photocatalyst also exhibits significantly enhanced visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production performance.

Al-based metal organic framework derived self-assembled carbon nanosheets as innovative anodes for Li- and Na-ion batteries.

Functional modification and structural design of carbon electrode materials are considered as a cost-effective method to improve their electrochemical performance. In this study, a solvothermal method is applied to realize self-assembly of the metal-organic framework. After simple carbonization and acid treatment, carbon nanosheets with 2D adjustable defective sub-units are successfully prepared for the first time. It is found that carbonization temperature has a significant effect on the carbon skeleton structure. The optimal nanostructures with large specific surface area and appropriate pore size distribution make self-assembled carbon nanosheets having excellent Li/Na-ion storage properties. In addition, the adjustable carbon skeleton structure can effectively avoid irreversible damage when charge-discharge cycles. For Li-ion batteries, a specific capacity of 825 mAh g-1 is achieved after 100 cycles at 100 mA g-1, while for Na-ion batteries a specific capacity of 193 mAh g-1 is observed after 100 cycles at 100 mA g-1. Moreover, for Na-ion batteries, even at a high rate of 1000 mA g-1 the material delivers a specific capacity of 109.5 mAh g-1 after 3500 cycles.

Polyvinyl Alcohol/Graphene Oxide Interlayer for Enhancing Adhesive Performance of HA Coating on C/C Composites Prepared by Hydrothermal Electrodeposition/Hydrothermal Treatment.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings directly deposited by hydrothermal electrochemical technology (HET) onto carbon/carbon (C/C) composites exhibited a catastrophic failure occurring at the interface of the HA and C/C. To overcome this problem, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/graphene oxide (GO) interlayer (P/G interlayer) was applied on the (NH4)2S2O8-pretreated C/C substrate (named P/G-C/C) by using a dipping method. Subsequently, a calcium phosphate coating was deposited on P/G-C/C, shortened as M-P/G-C/C, by HET, and then converted into HA coating (abbreviated as HA-P/G-C/C) through posthydrothermal treatment. For comparison, HA coating was prepared onto C/C without a P/G interlayer through the same process, which was denoted as HA-C/C. The composition, microstructure, and morphology of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectra, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The adhesive performance of the coatings on C/C was measured by a scratch test. Finally, an in vitro bioactivity of the coatings was evaluated in a simulated body fluid solution at 37 °C. Results showed no apparent differences in the morphology and phase of the posttreated coatings, both of which are composed of a dense structure containing needle-like HA crystals. However, the HA-P/G-C/C sample possessed a higher Ca/P ratio and denser interface, thereby exhibiting higher adhesive performance and better bioactivity. The adhesive strength of the HA-P/G coating was observed at a critical load of 41.04 N, which increased by 29.3% relative to the HA coating. Moreover, the failure site was on the HA-P/G coating rather than at the interface. The enhanced adhesive performance was ascribed to the PVA/GO-repairing pits on C/C and PVA and GO toughening effects on the HA coating. In vitro and in vivo tests revealed no statistical significance for the two HA-coated C/C samples, although the HA-P/G coating exhibited better bioactivity, inducing the growth of bonelike apatite than the HA coating.

A Novel Bi2MoO6/ZIF-8 Composite for Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity.

A series of novel Bi2MoO6/zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) photocatalysts have been successfully fabricated through a facile self-assembly process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis spectrophotometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterized pure Bi2MoO6, pure ZIF-8, and a series of Bi2MoO6/ZIF-8 composites. The result indicated that, when compared with pure Bi2MoO6, the composite of Bi2MoO6/ZIF-8 exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light. Moreover, the Bi2MoO6/ZIF-8-3 composite (the molar ratio of Bi2MoO6 to 2-MI is 3:3) has optimum photocatalytic performance because of the suitable amount of ZIF-8 decorated on the flower-like Bi2MoO6. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is probably due to the introduction of ZIF-8, which will promote the separation of electron-hole pair and the surface morphology. Benefitting from the diversity of the MOF species (ZIF-8 is one of them), this composing strategy of Bi2MoO6/MOF composite would provide new insight into the design of highly efficient visible light photocatalysts.

Enhanced Visible Light Driven Photocatalytic Behavior of BiFeO3/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites.

BiFeO3/Reduced Graphene Oxide (BFO/RGO) composites have been fabricated by a simple hydrothermal method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis reveal that graphene oxide was reduced in hydrothermal process and BFO/RGO composites were successfully synthesized. UV-visible absorption and photoluminescence properties show that the introduction of RGO can effectively reduce the recombination of photogenerated electron and hole pairs. Compared to the pristine BFO, the photocatalytic performance of BiFeO3 Graphene Oxide (BGO) composites is enhanced for the degradation of Methylene blue (MB) solution under visible light irradiation, and the result shows that the optimal amount of Graphene Oxide (GO) in the composites is 60 mg (BGO60). The excellent photocatalytic performance is mainly ascribed to improved light absorption, increased reactive sites, and the low recombination rate of electron-hole pairs. This work can provide more insights into designing advanced photocatalysts for wastewater treatment and environmental protection.

Conducting polymer-coated MIL-101/S composite with scale-like shell structure for improving Li-S batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are regarded as a promising energy storage system. However, they are plagued by rapid capacity decay, low coulombic efficiency, a severe shuttle effect and low sulfur loading in cathodes. To address these problems, effective carriers are highly demanded to encapsulate sulfur in order to extend the cycle life. Herein, we introduced a doped-PEDOT:PSS-coated MIL-101/S multi-core-shell structured composite. The unique structure of MIL-101, large specific area and conductive shell ensure high dispersion of sulfur in the composite and minimize the loss of polysulfides to the electrolyte. The doped-PEDOT:PSS-coated sulfur electrodes exhibited an increase in initial capacity and an improvement in rate characteristics. After 192 cycles at the current density of 0.1C, a doped-PEDOT:PSS-coated MIL-101/S electrode maintained a capacity of 606.62 mA h g-1, while the MIL-101/S@PEDOT:PSS electrode delivered a capacity of 456.69 mA h g-1. The EIS measurement revealed that the surface modification with the conducting polymer provided a lower resistance to the sulfur electrode, which resulted in better electrochemical behaviors in Li-S battery applications. Test results indicate that the MIL-101/S@doped-PEDOT:PSS is a promising host material for the sulfur cathode in the lithium-sulfur battery applications.

Strong bonding strength between HA and (NH4)2S2O8-treated carbon/carbon composite by hydrothermal treatment and induction heating.

Carbon/carbon composite with hydroxyapatite (HA) coating is an attractive material in the dental and orthopedic fields, but the reported bonding strength between them was very poor. In this study, a compact crystalline HA coating on (NH(4))(2)S(2)O(8)-treated C/C substrate about 10 microm in width was obtained by hydrothermal treatment and induction heating. The microstructure, composition and morphologies of the as-prepared coatings were identified by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. A strong shear strength averaging 74.2 MPa between C/C substrate and HA was achieved and adhesion failures were observed more frequently than cohesion failures. The coating adhesion measured using a scratch test was 23 N and the reasons for this are discussed.