Global research trends in nursing leadership from 1985 to 2022: a bibliometric analysis.

PURPOSE: Developing nursing leadership has become a key policy priority to achieve universal health coverage. This study aims to explore the current status, developing trends and research frontiers in the field of nursing leadership. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: In total, 1,137 articles and reviews on nursing leadership from 1985 to 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Trends of publications, journals, countries/regions, institutions, documents and keywords were visualized and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and CiteSpace software. FINDINGS: Nursing leadership research showed an overall increase in number despite slight fluctuations in annual publications. The USA was the leading country in nursing leadership research, and the University of Alberta was the most productive institution. The Journal of Nursing Management was the most widely published journal that focused on nursing leadership, followed by the Journal of Nursing Administration. Keyword analysis showed that the main research hotspots of nursing leadership are improvement, practice and impact of nursing leadership. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This article summarizes the current state and frontiers of nursing leadership for researchers, managers and policy makers, as well as follow-up, development and implementation of nursing leadership. More research is needed that focuses on the improvement, practice and impact of nursing leadership, which are cyclical, complementary and mutually reinforcing. Longitudinal and intervention studies of nursing leadership, especially on patient prognosis, are also particularly needed.

Understanding the mechanism of safety attitude mitigates the turnover intention novice nurses via the person-centred method: A theory-driven, deductive cross-sectional study.

AIM: Examine profiles of safety attitudes among novices and explore whether profiles moderate the occupational identity-turnover pathway. BACKGROUND: Novice nurses face unique challenges in adopting positive safety attitudes, which influence outcomes like turnover. However, past research found only average levels of safety attitudes among novices, ignoring possible heterogeneity. Exploring whether meaningful subgroups exist based on safety perspectives and factors shaping them can provide insights to improve safety attitudes and retention. DESIGN: This study was designed as a cross-sectional investigation. METHODS: Data were collected through the distribution of questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were first conducted, followed by latent profile analysis. We then carried out univariate analysis and ordinal multinomial regression to explore the factors shaping the different profiles. Finally, we examine the moderating effect of nurses' safety attitudes with different latent profiles on the relationship between professional identification and turnover intention. RESULTS: A total of 816 novice nurses were included. Three profiles were identified: high, moderate and low safety attitudes - higher attitudes were associated with lower turnover intention. Interest in nursing, health status, identity and turnover predicted profile membership. Moderate profile had a stronger buffering effect on the identity-turnover link versus high profile. CONCLUSION: Multiple safety attitude profiles exist among novice nurses. Certain factors like interest in nursing and occupational identity are associated with more positive safety profiles. Targeting these factors could potentially improve safety attitudes and reduce turnover among novice nurses. The moderating effects suggest that tailored interventions matching specific subgroups may maximize impact. IMPACT: Assessing subgroup attitudes enables tailored training for novices' specific needs, nurturing continuous improvement. Supporting early career development and role identity may strengthen retention intentions.

Changes of college students' psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: A two-wave repeated survey.

COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to the mental health of college students worldwide. We examined the trends in students' stress levels during and after China's first wave of COVID-19 outbreaks by analyzing their demographics, behavior, mental health status, career confidence, and Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) scores. Our findings indicate an increase in students' stress levels since the COVID-19 onset, with more students experiencing higher stress levels after the first outbreak than during it (OR = 2.03, 95% CI 1.79, 2.30). Several factors were identified as being associated with higher CPSS scores, including higher class levels, residence in rural or town areas, low family income, and lack of familiarity with COVID-19, among others. Our study highlighted the urgency of developing and implementing effective strategies to cope with students' stress during and after a global pandemic.

Heterogeneity of work alienation and its relationship with job embeddedness among Chinese nurses: a cross-sectional study using latent profile analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the distinct profiles of work alienation among Chinese nurses, examine the demographic factors associated with profile memberships, and then explore the relationship between latent categories of work alienation and job embeddedness. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 523 nurses was conducted from July to August 2023. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was performed to identify distinct profiles of nurses based on three aspects: powerlessness, helplessness, and meaningfulness. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the predictors of profile membership. Hierarchical regression analysis was carried out to examine the association between profile memberships and job embeddedness. RESULTS: Three subgroups of work alienation of nurses were identified: 23.1%, 57.8%, and 19.1% in the low work alienation group (profile 1), the moderate work alienation group (profile 3), and the high work alienation group (profile 2), respectively. Nurses with college degrees were more likely to be grouped into moderate work alienation. Nurses who did not work night shifts were more likely to have low or moderate levels of work alienation. Nurses earning 2,000-3,000 and 3,001-5,000 yuan per month were likely to be in the low work alienation group. The different categories of work alienation significantly predicted job embeddedness among nurses (ΔR2 = 0.103, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Work alienation has an important impact on clinical nurses' job embeddedness. Nursing managers should pay attention to the differences in individual work alienation status and adopt reasonable management strategies to improve the level of job embeddedness, ensure the quality of care, and reduce nursing turnover.

Experience of rehabilitation specialist nurses in providing bowel care for stroke patients: A qualitative study.

AIMS: This study aims to explore the experiences of rehabilitation specialist nurses in providing bowel care to stroke patients and to identify the factors that either facilitate or hinder their practice. DESIGN: This was a descriptive qualitative design study. METHODS: Between May 2022 and October 2022, we conducted in-depth and semi-structured interviews with 12 rehabilitation specialist nurses from two tertiary hospitals in Changsha, China. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the interview transcripts. FINDINGS: Three key themes were revealed from our analysis: (1) acceptance of bowel care as a process, (2) high level of recognition improves the experience and (3) challenges stemming from limited knowledge and rights. Acceptance of bowel care as a dynamic process, coupled with a high level of recognition, enabled nurses to prioritize the health and safety of patients over personal feelings and achieve professional accomplishments. However, they encountered challenges in terms of professional development and restricted prescribing rights for bowel care. CONCLUSION: The experiences of rehabilitation specialist nurses in providing bowel care are dynamic. These findings have important implications for healthcare improvement, including the need for collaboration with healthcare professionals and nurturing nurses' self-identity, comprehensive training plans, innovative programs and expanding the scope of rehabilitation specialist nurses' rights. IMPACT: This study enhances our understanding of the challenges faced by rehabilitation specialist nurses caring for stroke patients with neurogenic bowel dysfunction. The findings provide insights into how to enhance bowel care experience and develop further in this field. REPORTING METHOD: This study adhered to the EQUATOR guideline and utilized the COREQ checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTIONS: This study involved participants who were registered nurses, and there were no contributions from patients or public.

"Challenges to Normalcy"- Perceived Barriers to Adherence to Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore perceived barriers to adherence to home-based cardiac rehabilitation exercise in patients with chronic heart failure. Patients and Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in this study from May to July 2023. A purposive sampling approach was adopted to select patients with chronic heart failure. Semi-structured interviews were completed to collect qualitative data for exploring the perceived barriers. In addition, information saturation and validation strategies were adopted to prove the adequacy of qualitative data. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: A total of 16 patients with chronic heart failure were included in this study. Analysis of the data revealed five main barriers to adherence to home-based cardiac rehabilitation in patients with chronic heart failure. These include (1) lack of knowledge, (2) activity intolerance, (3) exercise fear, (4) role conflict, and (5) lower exercise self-efficacy. Conclusion: This study delved deeper into understanding the challenges faced by chronic heart failure patients in adhering to home-based cardiac rehabilitation exercise. The development of precise and effective management and intervention strategies based on these barriers is necessary to improve patient compliance with home-based cardiac rehabilitation exercise.

The experience of healthcare workers to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) implementation in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis.

Background: The effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis has been extensively documented. However, there are substantial gaps between the actual implementation of pre-exposure prophylaxis and the ideal goal, especially in low-and middle-income countries. Healthcare workers play critical roles in the pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation, and they have more multi-level experiences about the barriers of pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation and how to facilitate it. However, the evidence aiming to synthesize their experiences is limited. Objective: This study aims to aggregate the healthcare workers' experiences of providing pre-exposure prophylaxis in low-and middle-income countries, and find the barriers, facilitators, and recommendations of pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation. Methods: The ENTREQ (Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research) statement was used to guide the design and reporting of this qualitative meta-synthesis. A comprehensive search was conducted from inception of databases to 16th March 2023 in four databases: PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Embase, Web of Science. The quality appraisal was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist. JBI's meta-aggregation approach was used to guide the data extraction and synthesis, and the JBI ConQual approach was used to evaluate the evidence level of the synthesized findings. Results: Fourteen articles with good methodological quality were included in this review. A total of 122 findings were extracted and 117 findings with credibility ratings of "unequivocal" or "equivocal" were included in this meta-synthesis. The eligible findings were aggregated into 13 new categories and subsequently developed into 3 synthesized findings: the barriers, facilitators, and recommendations of pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation in low-and middle-income countries. The overall ConQual score of all three synthesized findings was rated as "low." Conclusion: This review aggregated the experience of health care workers implementing pre-exposure prophylaxis in low-and middle-income countries and we could focus on the following key points to promote the uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis: improve knowledge about pre-exposure prophylaxis, create a supportive environment, address medication-related barriers, increase the human resources and financial investments, and diversify the providing models. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/. The protocol of this review has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, CRD42023411604).

Assessing the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Vaccination Practices Towards COVID-19 Vaccination Among Mainland Chinese Nursing Students and Interns: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: This study investigated factors influencing the knowledge, attitudes, practice profiles, and vaccination intentions among Chinese nursing students and nursing interns toward the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination. Materials and Methods: The multicenter cross-sectional study was based on a self-reported questionnaire collecting information among nursing students and nursing interns from three major geographic regions of China, and the sample was selected by consecutive sampling. The questionnaire was developed by knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) theory. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 3180 nursing students and interns (effective rate: 99.8%) from six Chinese provinces were polled. The vaccine hesitation rate was 9.65% (307/3180), 2230 participants (70.1%) had gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, and 643 participants (67.7%) had indicated a readiness to be vaccinated. The results showed that older age, higher academic background, perfect vaccine management, others' recommendations, influenza vaccination history, epidemic under control, knowledge of vaccines or intervals, and vaccine knowledge training were associated with higher vaccination rates. Conversely, vaccine hesitancy was caused by a perceived lack of physical need, uncertainty about vaccination requirements, and fear of vaccination. Conclusion: This study provided population-based estimates of COVID-19 vaccine uptake intention among mainland Chinese nursing students and interns. Factors such as age, education, vaccine knowledge, and attitudes influence COVID-19 vaccine behaviour. Relevant authorities should understand the barriers to COVID-19 vaccination from knowledge, attitude and practice, which is significant for formulating effective response strategies in future global public health crises.

Effectiveness of smoking cessation on the high-risk population of lung cancer with early screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials until January 2022.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer has always been the malignant tumor with the highest incidence rate. Smoking is the most important risk factor for lung cancer. Although potential positive effects of smoking cessation interventions on the high-risk population of lung cancer have been observed, evidence of its definitive effect remains uncertain. This study aimed to summarize the evidence related to the effects and safety of smoking cessation interventions for the high-risk population of lung cancer. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted through the following seven databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CENTRAL, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Science Direct. Screening and assessment for risk of bias were conducted by two independent reviewers. Meta-analysis was performed for the 7-day-point prevalence of smoking abstinence and continuous smoking abstinence using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: Meta-analysis results show that in the 7-day-point prevalence of smoking abstinence (by patient-reported outcome): individualized intervention was significantly higher than that of the standard care [RR = 1.46, 95%CI = (1.04,2.06), P < 0.05]. Moreover, the smoking cessation interventions were significantly elevated than that of standard care [RR = 1.58, 95%CI = (1.12, 2.23), P < 0.05] within 1-6 month follow-up time. In line with the findings in cigarette smoking, the continuous smoking abstinence of E-cigarettes (biochemical verified): E-cigarettes were significantly higher than that of the standard care [RR = 1.51, 95%CI = (1.03, 2.21), P < 0.05], and within 1-6 month follow-up time, the smoking cessation interventions were significantly greater than that of standard care [RR = 1.51, 95%CI = (1.03, 2.21), P < 0.05]. Publication bias was detected possibly. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this systematic review show that smoking cessation intervention is effective for long-term lung cancer high-risk smokers who participate in early screening, of which E-cigarettes are the best, followed by individual smoking cessation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: A review protocol was developed and registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). TRIAL REGISTRATION: CRD42019147151. Registered 23 June 2022.

Factors affecting acceptance of organ donation in mainland China: A national cross-sectional study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the acceptances and associated influences of organ donation in mainland China. BACKGROUND: The shortage of organ donors has limited the development of organ transplantation in China. It is important to recognise the target population who has high intention to donate their organs may change the status. DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional, multi-stage sampling study collected demographic data and individuals' willingness to accept organ donation. METHODS: A stepwise linear regression analysis was adopted to evaluate the factors related to the attitudes toward organ donation. RESULTS: We collected 11,031 valid samples for the survey. The willingness to donate organs among Chinese residents averaged 56.93 points. To be specific, males (ß = -.03), religious believers (ß = -.01) and parents with a different number of children (all: ß = -.04) are less willing to donate their organs. Respondents who live in an urban area (ß = .03), have higher education level (High school or junior college ß = .04, Bachelor degree or above ß = .09), feel anxious (mild, moderate ß = .02), feel pressured (moderate, severe ß = .08), have higher scores of the Short-Form Health Literacy Instrument (HLS-SF12) (ß = .31), The Self-Management Scale (SHMS) (ß = .16), EuroQol Five Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D) (ß = .04) and EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) (ß = .24), are more positive to donate. CONCLUSIONS: This study firstly discusses the public acceptance of organ donation through a nationwide sample around China. In this study, we discovered that Chinese residents' acceptance level of organ donation and that gender, house, anxiety, pressure, social support and health literacy were the main influencing factors on residents' attitudes. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: To figure out the Chinese public acceptance and its influencing factors of organ donation can help nurse transplant coordinators to recognise the target population and the obstacles of organ donation. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: At the phase of collecting data, participants were recruited to fill the questionnaires.

Association between chili pepper consumption and risk of gastrointestinal-tract cancers: A meta-analysis.

Background: Stimulating food is emerging as an important modifiable factor in the development of gastrointestinal (GI) tract cancers, but the association between chili pepper consumption and the risk of GI cancers is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the direction and magnitude of the association between chili pepper consumption and the risk of GI cancers. Methods: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from inception to 22 December 2021. Observational studies reporting the association between chili pepper consumption and the risk of gastric cancer (GC), esophageal cancer (EC), and/or colorectal cancer (CRC) in adults were eligible for inclusion. Data extraction and quality assessment were conducted independently by two reviewers for the included literature. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were also performed based on the cancer type, study design, region of the study, study quality, and adjustments. Results: A total of 11,421 studies were screened, and 14 case-control studies were included involving 5009 GI cancers among 11,310 participants. The summary OR showed that high consumption of chili pepper was positively related to the risk of GI cancers (OR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.00-2.70). A stronger positive relationship was observed between chili pepper consumption and EC risk (OR = 2.71; 95% CI: 1.54-4.75), but there was no statistically significant association between GC and CRC risk. In analyses stratified by geographical location, a positive association was found between chili pepper consumption and the risk of GI cancers in Asian studies (OR = 2.50; 95% CI: 1.23-5.08), African studies (OR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.04-2.52), and North American studies (OR = 2.61; 95% CI: 1.34-5.08), but an inverse association was seen in South American studies (OR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.29-0.87) and European studies (OR = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.15-0.61). Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that chili pepper is a risk factor for certain GI cancers (e.g., EC). Geographical regions influence the risk of GI cancers, especially in Asian, African, and North American populations, which require more attention during dietary guidance. Systematic review registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/], identifier [CRD42022320670].

Role of patient safety attitudes between career identity and turnover intentions of new nurses in China: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Patient safety is a key priority for healthcare systems, which is not only about the safety and quality development of health care but also about the safety of patients' lives. However, there has been little research exploring the relationship between new nurses' willingness to leave, patient safety culture, and professional identity. This study was to explore patient safety for new nurses, examine the relationship between professional identity, patient safety culture, and turnover intentions of newly recruited nurses in China, and validate the mediating role of patient safety culture. Methods: From August 2019 to September 2021, we collected data from newly recruited nurses in 5 large tertiary public hospitals in Anhui Province, China using a questionnaire survey. Descriptive analysis, a univariate analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and mediated regression analysis were used to estimate the current status of patient safety attitudes and the effect of safety culture on career identity and turnover intentions among newly recruited nurses. Results: The turnover intention of 816 newly recruited nurses was 14.16 ± 3.14%. Patient safety culture was positively associated with career identity (r = 0.516, P < 0.01) and negatively associated with turnover intentions (r = -0.437, P < 0.01), while patient safety was also a partial mediator between career identity and turnover intentions. Conclusions: The results showed that the low patient safety attitudes of new nurses in China should not be ignored. The impact of professional identity on patient safety has important practical implications for promoting a culture of safety among new nurses and reducing turnover rates.

Navigating through motherhood in pregnancy and postpartum periods during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis.

AIM: The aim of this work is to critically appraise and synthesize the qualitative studies on the experiences, perspectives, and consequences of pregnant women experiencing motherhood during the COVID-19 pandemic. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a threat to the health of pregnant women. Such a pandemic disrupted their routine care, as well as normal daily life. However, little is known about their coping strategies to the changes brought by COVID-19. EVALUATION: A qualitative systematic review was conducted according to the Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) checklist. A meta-aggregative approach rooted in pragmatism and Husserlian transcendental phenomenology was used to synthesize the findings. Dependability and credibility of both study findings and synthesized findings were appraised by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) ConQual process. KEY ISSUES: Key issues include (a) pregnant women experienced changes in routine care, (b) pregnant women used a range of strategies to cope with the consequence of the pandemic, (c) pregnant women struggled to embrace motherhood, and (d) pregnant women received different levels of social support. CONCLUSION: Facing challenges caused by the pandemic, pregnant women used a variety of strategies to cope with and adapt to the changes, but sometimes the adaption is limited. Emotional, instrumental, and informational support should be provided to them in an accessible way. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: As an essential part of policymakers, nursing managers should consider the balance between restriction and the accessibility of maternity care. It is also crucial for them to consider how to provide necessary support in an accessible way.

Implications for long COVID: A systematic review and meta-aggregation of experience of patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This review aims to synthesize the available evidence of what patients experience when infected with COVID-19, both in hospital and post-discharge settings. DESIGN: This review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for qualitative systematic reviews and evidence synthesis. Reporting of results was presented according to the Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) checklist. BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to be a public health crisis worldwide. Many patients diagnosed with COVID-19 have varied levels of persisting mental disorders. Previous studies have reported the degree, prevalence and outcome of psychological problems. Minimal research explored the experience of patients with long COVID. The real-life experience of patients with COVID-19 from diagnosis to post-discharge can deepen the understanding of nurses, physicians and policymakers. METHODS: All studies describing the experience of patients were included. Two authors independently appraised the methodological quality of the included studies using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research 2020. RESULTS: This systematic review aggregated patients' experience of being diagnosed with COVID-19 in both hospitalized and post-discharge settings. Finally, 17 studies met inclusion criteria and quality appraisal guidelines. The selected studies in the meta-synthesis resulted in 12 categories, and further were concluded as five synthesized findings: physical symptoms caused by the virus, positive and negative emotional responses to the virus, positive coping strategies as facilitators of epidemic prevention and control, negative coping strategies as obstacles of epidemic prevention and control, and unmet needs for medical resource. CONCLUSIONS: The psychological burden of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 is heavy and persistent. Social support is essential in the control and prevention of the epidemic. Nurses and other staff should pay more attention to the mental health of the infected patients both in and after hospitalization. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses should care about the persistent mental trauma of COVID-19 survivors and provide appropriate psychological interventions to mitigate the negative psychological consequences of them. Besides, nurses, as healthcare professionals who may have the most touch with patients, should evaluate the level of social support and deploy it for them. It is also needed for nurses to listen to patient's needs and treat them with carefulness and adequate patience in order to decrease the unmet needs of patients.

Nurse-led care versus usual care on cardiovascular risk factors for patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTS: This study aims to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-led cares on cardiovascular risk factors among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: The electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and Cochrane Library databases were searched for randomised controlled trials of nurse-led care for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) published in English from inception to 23 December 2021. Random effects models were used to calculate weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95%CI. RESULTS: 13 articles were included in the meta-analysis, with a total of3757 participants. Considering baseline measurements, pooled analysis showed that nurse-led care significantly decreased the glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (WMD=-0.68 mmol/L; 95% CI -0.85 to -0.52; p<0.001), body mass index (BMI) (WMD=-0.54 kg/m2; 95% CI: -0.97 to -0.11; p=0.01) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (WMD=-1.17 mmHg; 95% CI: -2.11 to -0.22; p=0.02) for patients with T2DM. But there was no difference in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (WMD=-2.50 mg/dL ; 95% CI: -5.07 to 0.08; p=0.06) between the nurse-led and control groups. CONCLUSION: Nurse-led care is an effective and accessible intervention that could improve HbA1c, SBP, BMI levels among individuals with T2DM. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021248275.

Fast photoelectro-reduction of CrVI over MoS2@TiO2 nanotubes on Ti wire.

A stable MoS2 nanosheets@TiO2 NTAs composite was prepared via a simple hydrothermal process. Few-layer MoS2 nanosheets distributed on the TiO2 nanotube top surface and the inner walls rather than filling in the tubes, allowing abundant tubular channels open to environment and benefiting for efficient mass transport. Photocatalytic (PE) and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) performance of the composite were evaluated on CrVI reduction, with variable low molecule weight organic acids (LOAs) added as sacrificial electron donor to form a charge-transfer-complex (CTC) between LOAs and TiO2/MoS2, which is sensitive to the visible light illumination and could induce the photo-reduction of CrVI and photo-oxidation of LOAs. The overall trend of CrVI PEC rates are in the order as: L(+)-Tartaric acid>oxalic acid>citric acid>malic acid>amber acid, which is 103.9>62.5>31.2>21.6>2.5mg/Lmin-1cm-2, respectively. The improved catalytic performance and excellent stability of the composite can be attributed to the abundant active adsorption and reaction sites on MoS2 nanosheets and the formation of a heterojunction between TiO2 and MoS2. Moreover, the appropriate application of LOAs and voltage also have a great contribution to the utilization of sunlight and efficient separation of photogenerated carriers.