Built-In Electric Field Boost Photocatalytic Degradation of Pollutants in Wastewater.

The photocatalysis technique shows significant potential for wastewater degradation; however, the rapid recombination of photogenerated holes and electrons severely limits its photocatalytic efficiency. This situation necessitates the development of effective strategies to tackle these challenges. One well-documented approach is built-in electric field engineering in heterojunctions or composites, which has been shown to enhance electron transfer and thereby reduce the recombination of electrons and holes. This strategy has proven highly effective in significantly improving photocatalytic activity for the degradation of pollutants in wastewater. In this context, we summarize recent advancements in built-in electric field engineering in photocatalysts, highlighting the fundamentals and modifications of this approach, as well as its positive impact on photocatalytic performance in the degradation of wastewater pollutants.

Modification of carbon nanofibers for boosting oxygen electrocatalysis.

Oxygen electrocatalysis is a key process for many effective energy conversion techniques, which requires the development of high-performance electrocatalysts. Carbon nanofibers featuring good electronic conductivity, large specific surface area, high axial strength and modulus, and good resistance toward harsh environments have thus been recognized as reinforcements in oxygen electrocatalysis. This review summarizes the recent progress on carbon nanofibers as electrocatalysts for oxygen electrocatalysis, with special focus on the modulation of carbon nanofibers for further elevating their electrocatalytic performance, which includes morphological and structural engineering, surface and pore size distribution, defect engineering, and coupling with other electroactive materials. Additionally, the correlation between the geometrical/electronic structure of their active centers and electrocatalytic activity is systematically discussed. Finally, conclusions and perspectives of this interesting research field are presented, which we hope will provide guidance for the future fabrication of more advanced carbon-fiber-based electrocatalysts.

Single-atom catalysts for catalytic benzene oxidation to phenol: recent progress and future perspectives.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs), affording 100% metal dispersion and maximized metal atom utilization, have recently emerged as a new type of potential catalyst for catalytic reactions, particularly for benzene oxidation to phenol. Their great advantages have stimulated researchers' intensive endeavors toward the development of highly efficient SACs, and various metal SACs are well fabricated for facilitating the catalytic benzene oxidation reaction. Aiming to gain a better understanding of the research progress in SACs for boosting benzene oxidation into phenol in recent years, we herein present a comprehensive review with a particular focus on the roles of metal atoms and supports when used for the catalytic oxidation reactions. Additionally, the applications of many advanced SACs in benzene oxidation reactions and their structure-activity correlation are presented, which include noble-metal SACs and non-noble-metal SACs. Finally, challenges remaining in this research area are discussed and possible future research directions are proposed.

Structural characterisation of algae Costaria costata fucoidan and its effects on CCl4-induced liver injury.

Fucoidan is a well-known natural product that is commonly found in brown algae and shows a variety of activities, including immunomodulation, antioxidation, and the combat of carcinogens. The fucoidan fractions of Costaria costata, a brown algae introduced from Japan and cultured in northern China, were studied. The fucoidan fractions were extracted, separated, and purified using a combinatorial procedure consisting of enzymolysis, ethanol precipitation, and DEAE and size-exclusion chromatographies. The fundamental characteristics of the four enriched fucoidan fractions (F1-F4), such as their sulphate content and monosaccharide composition, were investigated. FTIR and NMR spectroscopy were employed to further elucidate the structural features of the four fractions. It was found that the F1-F4 fractions all showed oxidative activity against hydroxyl radicals. The bioactive effects of the fucoidan fractions on CCl4-induced liver injury suggest their potential use as ingredients for functional foods or pharmaceuticals.

Chemical stabilization of the phycocyanin from cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis.

Phycocyanin (PC) prepared from a cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis by the DEAE-DE52 cellulose column chromatography that was developed by gradient elution of 50-250 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) was stabilized by its subunits cross-linked covalently with formaldehyde. The single blue band that the chemically stabilized PC showed in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) demonstrated that the stabilized PC still maintained its trimeric aggregate form even after its incubation at 60 degrees C for 3h and at 100 degrees C for 10 min in the denatured buffer containing 5% (w/v) SDS. Moreover, the stabilized PC exhibited similar spectroscopic properties of absorption and fluorescence to those of the native PC, and showed adequate energy coupling with R-phycoerythrin (R-PE) after it was conjugated with R-PE via glutaraldehyde.