Bimetal-oxide (Fe/Co) modified bagasse-waste carbon coated on lead oxide-battery electrode for metronidazole removal.

Current study covers the preparation and application of a commercial modified lead oxide battery electrode (LBE) in electrochemical oxidation (ECO) of metronidazole (MNZ) in an aqueous phase. Modified electrode is prepared by doping of bimetal-oxide (Fe and Zn) nanoparticles (NPs) & single metal-oxide (Fe/Zn) on bagasse-waste carbon (bwc) which is further coated on LBE. The modified LBE electrode surface was examined for metal-oxide NPs through X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Different electrodes are prepared by varying combinations of two metal-oxide based on molar ratio and tested for electrochemical characterization and MNZ removal test. Based on large oxygen evolution potential in a linear sweep volumetry (LSV) analysis and high MNZ removal rate, the best electrode has been represented as Fe1:Co2-bwc/LBE which contains Fe & Co molar ratio of 1:2. Moreover, equilibrium attained at faster rate in degradation process of MNZ, where pseudo first order kinetics of 2.29 × 10-2 min-1 was obtained under optimized condition of (MNZ:100 mg/L, pH:7, CD: 30 mA/cm2 and electrolyte: 0.05 M Na2SO4). Maximum MNZ removal, total organic carbon removal (TOC), mineralization current efficiency (MCE) & energy consumption (EC) of 98.7%, 85.3%, 62.2% & 96.143 kW h/kg-TOC removed are found in 180 min of treatment time for Fe1:Co2-bwc/LBE electrode. Accelerated service life test confirms that the stability of modified electrode is enhanced by 1.5 times compared to pristine LBE. Repeatability test confirms that modified LBE (Fe1:Co2-bwc/LBE) can be utilized up to 3 times.

Sun Light Responsive 2D Covalent-Organic Frameworks Platform as a Catalysts Boost C-H Bond Arylation and Dopamine Regeneration.

Photocatalysis is one of the most promising methods for producing organic compounds with a renewable source of energy. Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) are a type of polymer that has developed as a potential light-harvesting catalyst for artificial photosynthesis with a design-controllable platform that might be developed into a new type of cost-effective and metal-free photocatalyst. Here, we present a two-dimensional covalent organic framework synthesis technique as a low-cost and highly efficient visible light active flexible photocatalyst for C-H bond activation and dopamine regeneration. 2D COF were synthesized from tetramino-benzoquinone (TABQ) and terapthaloyl chloride monomer through condensation polymerization reaction and the resultant photocatalyst have remarkable performance due to its visible light-harvesting capacity, appropriate band gap, and highly organized π-electron channels. The synthesized photocatalyst is capable to convert dopamine into leucodopaminechrome with a higher yield (77.08%) and also capable to activate the C-H bond between 4-nitrobenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate and pyrrole.

In Situ Prepared NRCPFs as Highly Active Photo Platforms for in Situ Bond Formation Between Aryldiazonium Salts and Heteroarenes.

Covalent perylene frameworks (CPFs) with melamine linkages have newly received rising interest for a variety of applications because of nitrogen-rich content and high stability. Herein, we account a new simple strategy to in situ attain nitrogen-rich covalent perylene frameworks (NRCPFs) as highly active photo platforms for in situ bond formation between aryldiazonium salts and heteroarenes (C-H bond arylation) through the controlled photoredox route.

Soluble Graphene Nanosheets for the Sunlight-Induced Photodegradation of the Mixture of Dyes and its Environmental Assessment.

Currently, the air and water pollutions are presenting the most serious global concerns. Despite the well known tremendous efforts, it could be a promising sustainability if the black carbon (BC) soot can be utilized for the practical and sustainable applications. For this, the almost complete aqueous phase photodegradation of the three well-known organic pollutant dyes as crystal violet (CV); rhodamine B (RhB); methylene blue (MB) and their mixture (CV + RhB + MB), by using water-soluble graphene nanosheets (wsGNS) isolated from the BC soot under the influence of natural sunlight is described. The plausible mechanism behind the photocatalytic degradation of dyes and their mixture has been critically analyzed via the trapping of active species and structural analysis of photodegraded products. The impact of diverse interfering ions like Ca2+, Fe3+, SO42-, HPO42-, NO3-, and Cl- on the photodegradation efficiency of wsGNS was also investigated. Importantly, the environmental assessment of the whole process has been evaluated towards the growth of wheat plants using the treated wastewater. The initial studies for the fifteen days confirmed that growth of wheat plants was almost the same in the photodegraded wastewater as being noticed in the control sample, while in case of dyes contaminated water it showed the retarded growth. Using the natural sunlight, the overall sustainability of the presented work holds the potential for the utilization of pollutant soot in real-practical applications related to the wastewater remediation and further the practical uses of treated water.

Brightly Fluorescent Zinc-Doped Red-Emitting Carbon Dots for the Sunlight-Induced Photoreduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III).

The present finding deals with a simple and low-cost fabrication of surface-passivated, brightly fluorescent zinc-oxide-decorated, red-emitting excitation-independent ultrafluorescent CDs, denoted as "CZnO-Dots". Surface doping of zinc oxide significantly improved the quantum yield by up to ∼72%, and these brightly fluorescent red-emitting CZnO-Dots have been employed for the aqueous-phase photoreduction of 100 ppm hexavalent chromium(VI) to trivalent chromium(III) under the influence of sunlight irradiation. The overall utility of the prepared CZnO-Dots can be ascertained by their recyclability over seven cycles.

Correction to "Brightly Fluorescent Zinc-Doped Red-Emitting Carbon Dots for the Sunlight-Induced Photoreduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III)".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b00047.].

Synthesis of phenolic precursor-based porous carbon beads in situ dispersed with copper-silver bimetal nanoparticles for antibacterial applications.

Copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) bimetal-dispersed polymeric beads (~0.7 mm) were synthesized by suspension polymerization using phenol and formaldehyde monomers. The Cu:Ag bimetal nanoparticles (Nps) were incorporated into the polymeric matrix at the incipience of gel formation during polymerization using an anionic surfactant. The prepared bimetal-doped polymeric beads were carbonized, activated using steam, and reduced in a hydrogen atmosphere to produce metal Nps-doped porous carbon beads. The prepared bimetal (Cu and Ag) Nps-doped beads exhibited significantly larger anti-bacterial activities than single-(Cu or Ag) metal-doped beads for both gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria. The prepared materials contained the total optimized amounts of Cu and Ag. These amounts were smaller (approximately half) than the amount of single metal (Cu or Ag) required for preparing single-metal-doped beads. Although Cu Nps exhibit lesser antibacterial activity than Ag Nps, it enhanced the porosity of the beads. The prepared bimetal beads remained effective for 120 h, completely inhibiting the bacterial growth, and therefore, they are potential antibacterial agents for water purification.

Preparation of novel carbon microfiber/carbon nanofiber-dispersed polyvinyl alcohol-based nanocomposite material for lithium-ion electrolyte battery separator.

A novel nanocomposite polyvinyl alcohol precursor-based material dispersed with the web of carbon microfibers and carbon nanofibers is developed as lithium (Li)-ion electrolyte battery separator. The primary synthesis steps of the separator material consist of esterification of polyvinyl acetate to produce polyvinyl alcohol gel, ball-milling of the surfactant dispersed carbon micro-nanofibers, mixing of the milled micron size (~500 nm) fibers to the reactant mixture at the incipience of the polyvinyl alcohol gel formation, and the mixing of hydrophobic reagents along with polyethylene glycol as a plasticizer, to produce a thin film of ~25 µm. The produced film, uniformly dispersed with carbon micro-nanofibers, has dramatically improved performance as a battery separator, with the ion conductivity of the electrolytes (LiPF6) saturated film measured as 0.119 S-cm(-1), approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of polyvinyl alcohol. The other primary characteristics of the produced film, such as tensile strength, contact angle, and thermal stability, are also found to be superior to the materials made of other precursors, including polypropylene and polyethylene, discussed in the literature. The method of producing the films in this study is novel, simple, environmentally benign, and economically viable.