Quantitative detecting low concentration polystyrene nanoplastics in aquatic environments via an Ag/Nb2CTx (MXene) SERS substrate.

In this study, the plasmonic Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were uniformly anchored on the high conductivity Nb2CTx (MXene) nanosheets to construct an Ag/Nb2CTx substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection of polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics. The KI addition (0.15 mol/L), the volume ratio between substrate colloid and nanoplastic suspension (2:1), and the mass ratio of Nb2CTx in substrate (14%) on SERS performance were optimized. The EM hot spots of Ag/Nb2CTx are significantly enlarged and enhanced, elucidated by FDFD simulation. Then, the linear relationship between the PS nanoplastics concentration with three different sizes (50, 300, and 500 nm) and the SERS intensity was obtained (R2 > 0.976), wherein, the detection limit was as low as 10-4 mg/mL for PS nanoplastic. Owing to the fingerprint feature, the Ag/Nb2CTx-14% substrate successfully discerns the mixtures from two-component nanoplastics. Meanwhile, it exhibits excellent stability of PS nanoplastics on different detection sites. The recovery rates of PS nanoplastics with different sizes in lake water ranged from 94.74% to 107.29%, with the relative standard deviation (RSD) ranging from 2.88% to 8.30%. Based on this method, the expanded polystyrene (EPS) decomposition behavior was evaluated, and the PS concentrations in four water environments were analyzed. This work will pave the way for the accurate quantitative detection of low concentration of nanoplastics in aquatic environments.

Fe, N, S co-doped carbon network derived from acetate-modified Fe-ZIF-8 for oxygen reduction reaction.

In this work, potassium acetate (KAc) was added during the synthesis of a Zn-Fe based metal-organic framework (Fe-ZIF-8) to increase the fixed amount of Fe while simultaneously enhancing the number of pores. Electrospinning was utilized to embed KAc-modified Fe-ZIF-8 (Fe-ZIF-8-Ac) into the polyacrylonitrile nanofiber mesh, to obtain a network composite (Fe@NC-Ac) with hierarchical porous structure. Fe@NC-Ac was co-pyrolyzed with thiourea, resulting in Fe, N, S co-doped carbon electrocatalyst. The electrochemical tests indicated that the prepared catalyst displayed relatively remarkable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalytic activity, with an onset potential (Eonset) of 1.08 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) and a half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.94 V, both higher than those of the commercial Pt/C (Eonset = 0.95 V and E1/2 = 0.84 V), respectively. Assembled into Zn-air batteries, the optimized catalyst exhibited higher open circuit voltage (1.698 V) and peak power density (90 mW cm-2) than those of the commercial 20 wt% Pt/C (1.402 V and 80 mW cm-2), respectively. This work provided a straightforward manufacturing strategy for the design of hierarchical porous carbon-based ORR catalysts with desirable performance.

In situ modifying of carbon tube-in-tube nanostructures with highly active Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles.

A novel in situ method based on a liquid membrane templated self-assembly process is employed to modify carbon tube-in-tube nanostructures (TTCNTs) with Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles. The as-obtained Fe(2)O(3) modified TTCNTs (Fe(2)O(3)/TTCNTs) nanocomposites are well constructed and the Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles are well dispersed and decorated on the outer, inner and intramolecular surfaces of TTCNTs. In addition, the Fe(2)O(3)/TTCNTs nanocomposites are employed as catalysts for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH(3) and show high SCR catalytic activity, indicating that the novel multiple intramolecular channels and unique surface chemistry of the TTCNTs should play an important role in improving the properties of TTCNTs.

Particle-wire-tube mechanism for carbon nanotube evolution.

The synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been proved to be greatly promoted by vapor metal catalysts, but the fast reaction feature and the required high-temperature environment involved in CNT evolution usually make it difficult for an insight into the evolution mechanism. Here, we successfully freeze the synthetic reaction at intermediary stages and observe the detailed morphologies and structures of the obtained intermediates and various objects related to carbon nanotubes. It is unveiled that there is a kindred evolution linkage among carbon nanoparticles, nanowires, and nanotubes in the vapor catalyst-involved synthetic processes: tiny carbon nanoparticles first form from a condensation of gaseous carbon species and then self-assemble into nanowires driven by an anisotropic interaction, and the nanowires finally develop into nanotubes, as a consequence of particle coalescence and structural crystallization. The function of metals is to promote the anisotropic interactions between the nanoparticles and the structural crystallization. An annealing transformation of carbon nanoparticles into nanotubes is also achieved, which gives further evidence for the evolution mechanism.

Self-catalytic behavior of carbon nanotubes.

Self-catalytic behavior of multi-walled carbon nanotubes is proposed and validated experimentally under the conditions in which metal catalysis was previously figured to work only. The self-catalysis could support the nanotube nucleation and radial and axial developing processes. This result should lead to a new and better understanding of the growth mechanism of carbon nanotubes in a metal catalytic process.