Removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solution using polyacrylic acid modified hemp stem.

Water pollution caused by dyes is a pressing environmental challenge due to their persistence and difficulty in degradation. Herein, an anionic adsorbent (HS-PAANa) was synthesized by grafting polyacrylic acid (PAA) onto the agricultural waste-hemp stem (HS). The obtained HS-PAANa adsorbent exhibited rapid adsorption kinetics, high adsorption capacity, and a favorable preference for cationic dyes, such as methylene blue (MB) and crystal violet (CV). The experimental data fit well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm, demonstrating the efficiency of HS-PAANa in dye removal. Notably, the optimal adsorption capacities of HS-PAANa for MB and CV were found to be 1296.65 mg/g and 1451.43 mg/g, respectively. In the cationic/anionic dyes (MB/MO) binary systems, HS-PAANa exhibited enhanced selective adsorption of cationic dyes (MB), indicating its potential for targeted removal of specific dyes from mixed solutions. Moreover, HS-PAANa adsorption shows an excellent recyclability, after five cycles, HS-PAANa still maintained MB and CV removal rates of 93.85% and 95.08%, respectively. Therefore, the bioadsorbent HS-PAANa exhibits high potential as a highly efficient adsorbent for the effective treatment of cationic pollutants in wastewater.

Diamide-linked imidazolyl Poly(dicationic ionic liquid)s for the conversion of CO2 to cyclic carbonates under ambient pressure.

The ionic active centers and hydrogen-bond donors (HBDs) in heterogeneous catalytic materials are highly beneficial for enhancing the interaction between solid-liquid-gas three-phase interfaces and promoting effective fixation of carbon dioxide (CO2). Diamide-linked imidazolyl poly(dicationic ionic liquid)s catalysts PIMDILs (PMAIL-x and PBAIL-2) were synthesized through the copolymerization of diamide-linked imidazolyl dicationic ionic liquids (IMDILs) with divinylbenzene (DVB), which successfully enable the simultaneous construction of high-density and uniformly distributed ionic active centers (2.014-4.883 mmol g-1) and hydrogen-bond donors (HBDs). The as-synthesized PIMDILs present excellent catalytic activity in promoting the cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxides. PMAIL-2 could convert epichlorohydrin (ECH) with a quantitative conversion of 99.8 % (selectivity > 99 %) under ambient pressure. Furthermore, only a decrease in activity of 5 % was observed even after six cycles of recycling. The excellent conversions (>97.3 %) were achieved for various terminal substituted epoxides. The experimental and characterization results reveal that the high-density ionic active centers and amide HBDs can effectively activate the reaction substrates, their synergistic effect plays a crucial role at the catalyst interface. This work is expected to provide some useful insights for the rational construction of heterogeneous catalysts for CO2 conversion.

Synthesis of flower-like CuS nanostructured microspheres using poly(ethylene glycol) 200 as solvent.

CuS flower-like microspheres with the diameter of about 3-4 microm constructed by nanoflakes with thickness of about 30-40 nm have been successfully synthesized by a simple wet chemical method. In this reaction system, Poly(ethylene glycol) 200 (PEG 200) was used as solvent, CuCl2 2H2O as cuprum source, and thioacetamide (TAA) as sulfur source. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) in detail. The XRD patterns revealed that the products were pure hexagonal phase of CuS. Experiments with various parameters indicated that the reaction temperature and molar ratio of CuCl2 2H2O to thioacetamide had strong effects on the sizes and morphologies of CuS crystals. A possible growth mechanism on the formation of CuS microspheres was proposed. The PEG 200 acted as solvent, complexing agent, and soft template in this synthesis. Furthermore, optical studies of the products including UV-Vis absorption spectrum and photoluminescence spectrum have also been carried out.

Synthesis of fiber-like porous microstructures SnO2 templated by cotton fibers and their gas sensing properties.

A novel chemistry strategy has been employed to prepare fiber-like SnO2 by replicating the morphologies and microstructures of natural cotton fibers. X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, BET, thermal analysis, and infrared spectra were used to characterize the intermediate or final products. The proposed mechanism for formation of the fiber-like SnO2 was discussed. The obtained product was composed of nanoparticles with the average size of 14 nm which interconnected with each other and formed porous microstructures. Because of the small size and special porous microstructures, the obtained fiber-like SnO2 showed high sensitivities to ethanol gas.

Fabrication of symmetric hierarchical hollow PbS microcrystals via a facile solvothermal process.

Symmetric hierarchical hollow PbS structures consisting of nanowalls were successfully fabricated by a facile solvothermal process in ethylenediamine at 120 degrees C for 12 h, employing lead acetate trihydrate and dithizone as precursors; the thickness of the nanowalls is about 80 nm. No surfactants or other templates were used in the process. The synthesized product was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), electron diffraction (ED), ultraviolet-visible spectrometer (UV-vis), near-infrared absorption spectroscopy (near-IR), and fluorescence spectrophotometer. The effect of the reaction conditions on the size and morphologies of PbS structures was investigated. The results show that the temperatures, solvent, and sulfur sources are crucial factors on the morphologies and sizes of the symmetric hierarchical hollow PbS microcrystals. A possible growth mechanism of hierarchical hollow PbS structures is presented. UV-vis absorption spectrum holds a weak peak at 253 nm; the near-infrared absorption spectrum of PbS microcrystals has the two absorption peaks centered at 9613 cm(-1) (1040 nm) and 6771 cm(-1) (1477 nm), showing a blue shift compared with the bulk PbS (approximately 3020 nm). And the fluorescence spectrum of PbS microcrystals consists of an emission peak with a maximum at 305 nm. These PbS microcrystals may have potential applications in the fundamental study of nanostructures as well as fabricating nanodevices.

Self-assembly synthesis of single-crystalline tin oxide nanostructures by a poly(acrylic acid)-assisted solvothermal process.

Single-crystalline SnO(2) nanocones with an average 1.0 mum in length and 100-500 nm in root size and their self-assembly morphologies were obtained through a solvothermal process in the presence of poly(acrylic acid). X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, Raman scattering spectra, and infrared (IR) spectra were used to characterize the nanocones. The as-synthesized SnO(2) nanocones with the typical rutile phase exhibit preferential growth along the [001] direction and high chemical stability. The proposed mechanism for the formation of SnO(2) nanocones and the further self-assembly into hollow sphere-like superstructure is discussed.