Metal Valence State Modulation Strategy to Design Core@shell Hollow Carbon Microspheres@MoSe2/MoOx Multicomponent Composites for Anti-Corrosion and Microwave Absorption.

The exploitation of multicomponent composites (MCCs) has become the main pathway for obtaining advanced microwave absorption materials (MAMs). Herein, a metal valence state modulation strategy is proposed to tune the electromagnetic (EM) parameters and improve microwave absorption performances. Core@shell hollow carbon microspheres@MoSe2 and hollow carbon microspheres@MoSe2/MoOx MCCs with various mixed-valence states content are well-designed and produced by a simple hydrothermal reaction or/and heat treatment process. The results reveal that the thermal treatment of hollow carbon microspheres@MoSe2 in Ar and Ar/H2 leads to the in situ formation of MoOx and multivalence state, respectively, and the enhanced content of Mo4+ in the designed MCCs greatly boosts their impedance matching characteristics, polarization, and conduction loss capacities, which lead to their evidently improved EM wave absorption properties. Amongst, the as-prepared hollow carbon microspheres@MoSe2/MoOx MCCs achieve an effective absorption bandwidth of 5.80 GHz under a matching thickness of 1.97 mm and minimum reflection loss of -21.49 dB. Therefore, this work offers a simple and universal method to fabricate core@shell hollow carbon microspheres@MoSe2/MoOx MCCs, and a novel and feasible metal valence state modulation strategy is proposed to develop high-efficiency MAMs.

Tailoring Fluorescence-Phosphorescence Emission with a Single Nanocavity.

Realizing the dual emission of fluorescence-phosphorescence in a single system is an extremely important topic in the fields of biological imaging, sensing, and information encryption. However, the phosphorescence process is usually in an inherently "dark state" at room temperature due to the involvement of spin-forbidden transition and the rapid non-radiative decay rate of the triplet state. In this work, we achieved luminescent harvesting of the dark phosphorescence processes by coupling singlet-triplet molecular emitters with a rationally designed plasmonic cavity. The achieved Purcell enhancement effect of over 1000-fold allows for overcoming the triplet forbidden transitions, enabling radiation enhancement with selectable emission wavelengths. Spectral results and theoretical simulations indicate that the fluorescence-phosphorescence peak position can be intelligently tailored in a broad range of wavelengths, from visible to near-infrared. Our study sheds new light on plasmonic tailoring of molecular emission behavior, which is crucial for advancing research on plasmon-tailored fluorescence-phosphorescence spectroscopy in optoelectronics and biomedicine.

In Situ Raman Probing of Hot-Electron Transfer at Gold-Graphene Interfaces with Atomic Layer Accuracy.

Plasmonic metals under photoexcitation can generate energetic hot electrons to directly induce chemical reactions. However, the capability and fundamental insights of the transportation of these hot electrons at plasmonic metal-2D material interfaces remain unclear. Herein, hot-electron transfer at Au-graphene interfaces has been in situ studied using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with atomic layer accuracy. Combining in situ SERS studies with density functional theory calculations, it is proved that hot electrons can be injected from plasmonic Au nanoparticles to graphene and directly penetrate graphene to trigger photocatalytic reactions. With increasing graphene layers, the transportation of hot electrons decays rapidly and would be completely blocked after five layers of graphene. Moreover, the transfer of hot electrons can be modulated by applying an external electric field, and the hot-electron transfer efficiency under electrochemical conditions is improved by over three times in the presence of a monolayer of graphene.

Isolation and Cr(VI) reduction characteristics of quinone respiration in Mangrovibacter plantisponsor strain CR1.

A Cr(VI)-reducing Mangrovibacter plantisponsor strain, CR1, was isolated from tannery effluent sludge and had quinone respiration characteristics. Its chromate (CrO4 (2-) ) resistance, quinone respiration characteristics, and Cr(VI) reduction efficiencies were evaluated in detail. Strain CR1 exhibited a high Cr(VI) resistance with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 32 mM in LB medium, and its quinone respiration could occur when an electron donor and strain CR1 both existed in the reaction system. Cr(VI) reduction by strain CR1 was significantly enhanced by a factor of 0.4-4.3 with five different quinone compounds: anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonate, anthraquinone-1-sulfonate, anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQS), anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate, and anthraquinone-1,5-disulfonate. AQS was the best electron shuttle among them, and the greatest enhancement to the Cr(VI) bio-reduction was achieved with 0.96 mM AQS. The correlation between the reaction constant k (mg Cr(VI) g(-1) dry cell weight H(-1) ) and thermodynamic temperature T (K) was expressed as an Arrhenius equation lnk=-7662.9/T+27.931(R2=0.9486); the activation energy Ea was 63.71 kJ mol(-1) , and the pre-exponential factor A was 1.35 × 10(12)  mg Cr(VI) g(-1) dry cell weight H(-1) . During the Cr(VI) reduction process, the pH tended to become neutral, and the oxidation-reduction potential decreased to -440 mV. The efficient reduction of Cr(VI) mediated by a quinone respiration strain shows potential for the rapid anaerobic removal of Cr(VI).

Performance of a fixed-bed biofilm reactor with microbubble aeration in aerobic wastewater treatment.

Microbubble aeration is supposed to be highly efficient for oxygen supply in aerobic wastewater treatment. In the present study, the performance of a fixed-bed biofilm reactor microbubble-aerated using a Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membrane system was investigated when treating synthetic municipal wastewater. The biofilm formation on the carriers was enhanced with microbubble aeration due to the strong adhesion of microbubbles to the solid surface. The dissolved oxygen concentration, the removals of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrogen, and the oxygen utilization efficiency were influenced by the organic loading rate at a certain oxygen supply capacity. The relatively optimal organic loading rate was determined as 0.82 kgCOD/(m(3)d) when the oxygen supply capacity was 0.93 kgO(2)/(m(3)d), where COD and ammonia removal efficiencies were 91.7% and 53.9%, respectively. The corresponding SPG membrane area-based COD removal capacity was 6.88 kgCOD/(m(2)d). The oxygen utilization efficiency of microbubble aeration was obviously higher compared to conventional bubble aeration. The simultaneous nitrification and denitrification occurred in the biofilm reactor and the total nitrogen removal efficiency of 50.4% was achieved under these conditions. In addition, the increase in air supply capacity of the SPG membrane system was suggested to improve its energy utilization efficiency.

Enhanced electrochemical oxidation of Acid Red 3R wastewater with iron phosphomolybdate supported catalyst.

Electrochemical oxidation of Acid Red 3R (AR3R) was investigated with the new catalyst of iron phosphomolybdate (FePMo12) supported on modified molecular sieves type 4 Å (4A) as packing materials in the reactor. The results of the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction indicated that the heteropolyanion had a Keggin structure. The optimal conditions for decolorization of simulated AR3R wastewater were as follows: current density 35 mA/cm², initial pH 4.0, airflow 0.08 m³/hour and inter-electrode distance 3.0 cm. With the addition of NaCl to the system, the decolorization efficiency increased. But Na2SO4had a negative effect on the decolorization efficiency, which was attributed to the negative salt effect. The degradation mechanisms of AR3R were also discussed in detail.

Study the biocatalyzing effect and mechanism of cellulose acetate immobilized redox mediators technology (CE-RM) on nitrite denitrification.

The biocatalyzing effect of a novel cellulose acetate immobilized redox mediators technology (CE-RM) on nitrite denitrification process was studied with anthraquinone, 1,8-dichloroanthraquinone, 1,5-dichloroanthraquinone and 1,4,5,8-tetrachloroanthraquinone. The results showed that the immobilized 1,4,5,8-tetrachloroanthraquinone presented the best biocatalyzed effect which increased nitrite denitrification rate to 2.3-fold with 12 mmol/L 1,4,5,8-tetrachloroanthraquinone. The unequal biocatalyzing effect was due to the quantity and position of -Cl substituent in anthraquinone-structure. Moreover, the nitrite denitrification rate was increased with the oxidation reduction potential (ORP) values becoming more negative during the biocatalyzing process. The stabilized ORP value with 12 mmol/L immobilized 1,4,5,8-tetrachloroanthraquinone were 81 mV lower than the control. At the same time, the more OH(-) was produced with the higher nitrite removal rate achieved in the nitrite denitrification process. In addition, a positive linear correlation was found between the nitrite removal reaction constants k [gNO2(-)-N/(gVSS d)] and immobilized 1,4,5,8-tetrachloroanthraquinone concentration (C1,4,5,8-tetrachloroanthraquinone), which was k = 1.8443 C1,4,5,8-tetrachloroanthraquinone + 33.75(R(2) = 0.9411). The initial nitrite concentration of 179 mgNO2(-)-N/L resulted in the maximum nitrite removal rate, which was 6.526[gNO2(-)-N/(gVSS d)]. These results show that the application of cellulose acetate immobilized redox mediators (CE-RM) can be valuable for increasing nitrite denitrification rate.

Effect of NaCl and Na2SO4 on the biodecolourization of K-2BP by Halomonas sp. GYW.

In this paper, the effect of NaCl and Na2SO4 on the biodecolourization of reactive brilliant red K-2BP by a Halomonas sp. GYW (EF188281) was investigated in details. The decolourisation efficiency and the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) change were explored during the decolourization process. The results from sequencing batch tests showed that Na2SO4 influenced the decolourization efficiency more slightly than NaCl in different synthetic dye solutions with different mixtures of Na2SO4 and NaCl. In the dye solutions with the same salt concentration or the same Na+ concentration, high Na2SO4 concentration did not inhibit the decolourization process and even stimulated the decolourization efficiency of reactive brilliant red K-2BP. Compared to NaCl system, the addition of Na2SO4 increased the ORP values about 35 mV, which agreed with the theoretic analysis of Gibbs function. This study improved our knowledge of azo dye decolourization under high salinity conditions and provided efficient option for the treatment of azo dye wastewater.

Mixed-Dimensional Assembly Strategy to Construct Reduced Graphene Oxide/Carbon Foams Heterostructures for Microwave Absorption, Anti-Corrosion and Thermal Insulation.

Considering the serious electromagnetic wave (EMW) pollution problems and complex application condition, there is a pressing need to amalgamate multiple functionalities within a single substance. However, the effective integration of diverse functions into designed EMW absorption materials still faces the huge challenges. Herein, reduced graphene oxide/carbon foams (RGO/CFs) with two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) van der Waals (vdWs) heterostructures were meticulously engineered and synthesized utilizing an efficient methodology involving freeze-drying, immersing absorption, secondary freeze-drying, followed by carbonization treatment. Thanks to their excellent linkage effect of amplified dielectric loss and optimized impedance matching, the designed 2D/3D RGO/CFs vdWs heterostructures demonstrated commendable EMW absorption performances, achieving a broad absorption bandwidth of 6.2 GHz and a reflection loss of - 50.58 dB with the low matching thicknesses. Furthermore, the obtained 2D/3D RGO/CFs vdWs heterostructures also displayed the significant radar stealth properties, good corrosion resistance performances as well as outstanding thermal insulation capabilities, displaying the great potential in complex and variable environments. Accordingly, this work not only demonstrated a straightforward method for fabricating 2D/3D vdWs heterostructures, but also outlined a powerful mixed-dimensional assembly strategy for engineering multifunctional foams for electromagnetic protection, aerospace and other complex conditions.

Understanding the Behaviors of Plasmon-Induced Hot Carriers and Their Applications in Photocatalysis.

Photocatalysis driven by plasmon-induced hot carriers has been gaining increasing attention. Recent studies have demonstrated that plasmon-induced hot carriers can directly participate in photocatalytic reactions, leading to great enhancement in solar energy conversion efficiency, by improving the catalytic activity or changing selectivity. Nevertheless, the utilization efficiency of hot carriers remains unsatisfactory. Therefore, how to correctly understand the generation and transfer process of hot carriers, as well as accurately differentiate between the possible mechanisms, have become a key point of attention. In this review, we overview the fundamental processes and mechanisms underlying hot carrier generation and transport, followed by highlighting the importance of hot carrier monitoring methods and related photocatalytic reactions. Furthermore, possible strategies for the further characterization of plasmon-induced hot carriers and boosting their utilization efficiency have been proposed. We hope that a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental behaviors of hot carriers can aid in designing more efficient photocatalysts for plasmon-induced photocatalytic reactions.

Effective and characteristics of anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) on denitrification by Paracoccus versutus sp.GW1.

The effects of anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) on microbial populations and the biocatalysing characteristics of AQDS on denitrifying strain GW1 are discussed. The results showed that microbial population abundances were 30, 6, 12 and 18% during the different periods (1st, 5th, 10th and 20th days). Strain GW1 utilized AQDS as an electron acceptor in the respiration chain and reduced AQDS to hydroquinone (QH2). The nitrate removal efficiency of strain GW1 was increased 1.14-1.63 fold with 0.04-0.32 mmol/L AQDS. A linear correlation was found between the nitrate removal reaction constant k[gNO3(-)- N/(gVSS x d)] (where VSS is volatile suspended solids) and AQDS concentration (CAQDS), which was k = 19.332 C(AQDS) + 11.115 (R2 = 0.9749). The stabilized oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) values with AQDS were lower 22-92 mv than the control during the denitrification process. The concentration of nitrite sequentially accumulated up to around 250 mg/L when nitrate have removed completely. The results suggested that AQDS as redox mediator was capable of biocatalysing the nitrate and nitrite removal rate.

Direct S-H Evidence Revealing the Photo-electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Mechanism on CdS Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Photoelectrocatalytic water splitting using metal sulfides is a promising method for green hydrogen production. However, in situ probing of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on sulfides with excellent performance remains a challenge. Here, we construct Au@CdS core-shell nanoparticles to study the HER on CdS, a typical HER catalyst, by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using a "borrowing" strategy. We directly capture the spectroscopic evidence of S-H intermediate under HER condition, further verified by isotopic experiments. Moreover, the population of S-H intermediates is improved by injecting charge carriers through light illumination and the S-H bond is weakened by introducing Pt to form a Au@Pt@CdS structure to change the interfacial electronic structure, both of them resulting in significant HER performance improvement. These findings can deepen the understanding of the HER mechanism and offer strategies for designing of cost-effective HER catalyst with high performance.

Catalyzing denitrification of Paracoccus versutus by immobilized 1,5-dichloroanthraquinone.

The accelerating effect of non-dissolved redox mediator (1,5-dichloroanthraquinone) on the biological denitrification was investigated in this paper using 1,5-dichloroanthraquinone immobilized by calcium alginate (CA) and a heterotrophic denitrification bacterium of Paracoccus versutus (GU111570). The results suggested that the denitrification rate was enhanced 2.1 fold by 25 mmol l(-1) 1,5-dichloroanthraquinone of this study, and a positive correlation was found for the denitrification rate and 1,5-dichloroanthraquinone concentrations from 0 to 25 mmol l(-1). According to the change characteristic of NO(3) (-) and NO(2) (-) during the denitrification process, the tentative accelerating mechanism of the denitrification by redox mediators was put forward, and redox mediator might play the role of reduced cofactors like NADH, N(A)DH and SDH, or the similar ubiquinol/ubiquinone (Q/QH(2)) role during the denitrification process.

Struvite precipitation for ammonia nitrogen removal in 7-aminocephalosporanic acid wastewater.

7-Aminocephalosporanic acid wastewater usually contains high concentrations of ammonium (NH4⁺-N), which is known to inhibit nitrification during biological treatment processes. Chemical precipitation is a useful technology to remove ammonium from wastewater. In this paper, the removal of ammonium from 7-aminocephalosporanic acid wastewater was studied. The optimum pH, molar ratio, and various chemical compositions of magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) precipitation were investigated. The results indicated that ammonium in 7-aminocephalosporanic acid wastewater could be removed at an optimum pH of 9. The Mg²âº:NH4⁺-N:PO4 ³â»-P molar ratio was readily controlled at a ratio of 1:1:1.1 to both effectively remove ammonium and avoid creating a higher concentration of PO4 ³â»-P in the effluent. MgCl2·6H2O + 85% H3PO4 was the most efficient combination for NH4⁺-N removal. Furthermore, the lowest concentration of the residual PO4 ³â»-P was obtained with the same combination. Struvite precipitation could be considered an effective technology for the NH4⁺-N removal from the 7-aminocephalosporanic acid wastewater.

The accelerating effect and mechanism of a newly functional bio-carrier modified by redox mediators for the azo dyes decolorization.

In this study, a functional bio-carrier modified by redox meditors was developed as a redox mediator for application in azo dye decolorization processes. Its accelerating effect and mechanism for azo dyes decolorization were also examined. The decolorization rates of 10 azo dyes were enhanced about 1.5-3 fold by the functional bio-carrier modified with disperse turquoise blue S-GL, and the ORP value during the acid red GR decolorization process was changed to a more negative value of 20-25 mV. Non-dissolved redox mediator on the functional bio-carrier played a similar role as NADH during the azo dyes decolorization process. At the same time, the functional bio-carrier exhibited good reusability and the combinational technology of the redox mediator and bio-carrier was a great improvement of the redox mediator application and represents a new bio-treatment concept.

Enhanced performance of a graphene/GaAs self-driven near-infrared photodetector with upconversion nanoparticles.

Near-infrared photodetectors (NIRPDs) have attracted great attention because of their wide range of applications in many fields. Herein, a novel self-driven NIRPD at the wavelength of 980 nm is reported based on the graphene/GaAs heterostructure. Extraordinarily, its sensitivity to light illumination (980 nm) is far beyond the absorption limitation of GaAs (874 nm). This means that the photocurrent originates from the separation of photo-induced carriers in graphene, which is caused by the vertically built-in electric field formed through the high quality van der Waals contact between graphene and GaAs. Moreover, after introducing NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) onto the graphene/GaAs heterojunction, the responsivity increases to be as superior as 5.97 mA W-1 and the corresponding detectivity is 1.1 × 1011 cm Hz0.5 W-1 under self-driven conditions. This dramatic improvement is mainly ascribed to the radiative energy transfer from UCNPs to the graphene/GaAs heterostructure. The high-quality and self-driven UCNPs/graphene/GaAs heterostructure NIRPD holds significant potential for practical application in low-consumption and large-scale optoelectronic devices.

Gap-Mode Surface-Plasmon-Enhanced Photoluminescence and Photoresponse of MoS2.

2D materials hold great potential for designing novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, 2D material can only absorb limited incident light. As a representative 2D semiconductor, monolayer MoS2 can only absorb up to 10% of the incident light in the visible, which is not sufficient to achieve a high optical-to-electrical conversion efficiency. To overcome this shortcoming, a "gap-mode" plasmon-enhanced monolayer MoS2 fluorescent emitter and photodetector is designed by squeezing the light-field into Ag shell-isolated nanoparticles-Au film gap, where the confined electromagnetic field can interact with monolayer MoS2 . With this gap-mode plasmon-enhanced configuration, a 110-fold enhancement of photoluminescence intensity is achieved, exceeding values reached by other plasmon-enhanced MoS2 fluorescent emitters. In addition, a gap-mode plasmon-enhanced monolayer MoS2 photodetector with an 880% enhancement in photocurrent and a responsivity of 287.5 A W-1 is demonstrated, exceeding previously reported plasmon-enhanced monolayer MoS2 photodetectors.

In situ SERS study of surface plasmon resonance enhanced photocatalytic reactions using bifunctional Au@CdS core-shell nanocomposites.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has been utilized in many fields, such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and solar energy conversion. Here we developed an Au@CdS core-shell nanostructure, a bifunctional nanoparticle, used as an efficient catalyst for SPR enhanced photocatalytic degradation, and as a substrate for in situ SERS detection of methylene blue (MB) and p-nitrophenol (pNTP). With integration of an Au nanoparticle into a CdS shell, the degradation process was significantly accelerated under 500 nm long-pass (λ > 500 nm) visible light irradiation, which was caused by the injection of hot electrons. Moreover, a highly uniform, monolayer film of Au@CdS nanoparticles (NPs) has been prepared and used as both a SERS substrate and catalyst. The decomposition of MB molecules and nitrogen coupling reaction of pNTP were observed during the 638 nm laser illumination. We demonstrate that a plasmonic core-semiconductor shell nanocomposite can be a promising material for photocatalysis and in situ SERS study.

Serum proteomics study of the squamous cell carcinoma antigen 1 in tongue cancer.

The identification of serum biomarkers as a means of the early diagnosis and finding possible therapeutic targets in cancers is of increasing interest. In the present study, cells of human tongue cancer cell line Tca8113 were subcutaneously inoculated into nude mice, while control nude mice were injected with phosphate-buffered saline. Two weeks after injection, serum from mice was collected for proteomic analysis using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry (MS). Comparing the serum 2-DE maps from the tumor-bearing mice with those produced from control mice, we found that squamous cell carcinoma antigen 1 was over-expressed only in tumor-bearing mice. Squamous cell carcinoma antigen 1 was also up-regulated in clinical tongue cancer patients by RT-PCR and Western-blotting. These results indicate that squamous cell carcinoma antigen 1 may be of great potential as the biomarker of tongue cancer and as the potential therapeutic target for gene therapy.

[Operation Performance of a Bioaugmented Membrane-aerated Biofilm Reactor Treating Atrazine Wastewater].

A hydrophobic SPG (shirasu porous glass) membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) with genetically engineered microorganism (GEM) biofilm formed on the SPG membrane surface was applied to treat atrazine wastewater. The contaminant removal performance and its influencing factors were investigated during the stable operation of this MABR. The results indicated that the oxygen supply capacity could be increased in the SPG membrane aeration when the membrane pore size and the aeration pressure increased, which could improve the performance of COD and atrazine removals. The maximum oxygen supply capacity of hydrophobic SPG membrane with pore size of 1.5 µm was estimated to be about 22.4 g·(m2·d)-1 at aeration pressure of 70 kPa. When aeration pressure was 70 kPa and hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 1.5 h, the average COD removal efficiency was 80.1% and the average organic loading rate removed was 1.86 kg·(m3·d)-1in the MABR with 1.5 µm hydrophobic SPG membrane. Under the same operating conditions, the average atrazine removal efficiency was 62.5% and the average atrazine loading rate removed was 0.18 kg·(m3·d)-1. The COD and atrazine removal efficiencies decreased significantly at further shortened HRT and increased influent organic loading rate. DO concentration showed more significant influence on atrazine removal. The simplex genetically engineered microorganism biofilm turned into complex microbial community gradually during MABR operation, but the GEM cells could still reside in the biofilm well. Therefore, the efficient atrazine removal by GEM bioaugmentation could be maintained.