Insights into interaction of triazine herbicides with three kinds of different alkyl groups (simetryne, ametryn and terbutryn) with human serum albumin via multi-spectral analysis.

In this study, the interaction of triazine herbicides with three kinds of different alkyl groups (simetryne, ametryn and terbutryn) with human serum albumin (HSA) are investigated through UV-vis, fluorescence, and circular dichroism (CD) spectra. The mechanisms on the fluorescence quenching of HSA initiated by triazine herbicides are obtained using Stern-Volmer, Lineweaver-Burk and Double logarithm equations. The quenching rate constant (Kq), Stern-Volmer quenching constant (Ksv), binding constant (KA), thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy change (∆H), entropy change (∆S) and Gibbs free energy (∆G) and number of binding site (n) are calculated and compared. The variations in the microenvironment of amino acid residues are studied by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. The binding sites and subdomains are identified using warfarin and ibuprofen as site probes. The conformational changes of HSA are measured using CD spectra. The results reveal that the triazine herbicides with different alkyl groups can interact with HSA by static quenching. The combination of the three herbicides and HSA are equally proportional, and the binding processes are spontaneous. Hydrophobic interaction forces play important roles in simetryne-HSA and ametryn-HSA, while the interaction of terbutryn-HSA is Van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding. Moreover, the three herbicides can bind to HSA at site I (sub-domain IIA) more than site II (subdomain IIIA), and combine with tryptophan (Trp) more easily than tyrosine (Tyr) residues, respectively. By comparison, the order of interaction strength is terbutryn-HSA > ametryn-HSA > simetryne-HSA. Terbutryn can destroy the secondary structure of HSA more than simetryne and ametryn, and the potential toxicity of terbutryn is higher. It is expected that the interactions of triazine herbicides with HSA via multi-spectral analysis can offer some valuable information for studying the toxicity and the harm of triazine herbicides on human health at molecular level in life science.

Effect of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups attached to the benzene ring on the photodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ice.

The effect of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups attached to the benzene ring on the photodegradation of anthracene (Ant) and pyrene (Pyr) in ice was investigated. The present study aims to explore the inhibition mechanism of five dissolved organic matter (DOM) model compounds' materials such as benzoic acid, o-hydroxybenzoic acid, m-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and 3-phenyl propionic acid on the degradation of Ant and Pyr in ice. The photodegradation rate of Ant and Pyr were 50.33 and 37.44% in ice, with the photodegradation rate of Ant being greater than that of Pyr. The five DOM model compounds inhibited the photolysis of Ant and Pyr, and the influence mechanism on the photodegradation of Ant and Pyr depended upon the types and positions of functional groups on the benzene. Among them, the structure in which the carboxyl group was directly connected to the benzene ring and carboxyl was located at the ortho position of a hydroxy group had a strong inhibitory effect on the photodegradation of Ant and Pyr. Light-screening effects and quenching effects were the main inhibiting mechanism, and the binding ability of DOM model compounds material and PAHs is dominantly correlated with its inhibiting effect.

A new QEXAFS system on the general XAFS beamline at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

A new quick-scanning extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (QEXAFS) system for in situ studies has been developed and tested on the general XAFS beamline at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility. In the new system, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with 1 MHz sampling rate is used to acquire the detector data while one scaler is used to precisely calculate the scanning energy. Two external hardware trigger signals were adopted to synchronize the data collection of the ADC and the scaler. The software development platforms of the double-crystal monochromator control system and the new QEXAFS system have been unified with the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System. By comparing the spectra acquired by the conventional step-by-step XAFS system with an energy range of 1200 eV at the 7.5um Cu foil K-edge, the new system demonstrates satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio and energy resolution. The previous shortcomings, including distortion of the spectrum and energy shift, have been overcome. The tests with different integration times indicated that appropriate parameters not only ensure good experimental results but also enhance the smoothness of the XAFS spectrum at high energy zones. The reliability of the new system has also been verified.

WITHDRAWN: Fabrication of erbium and nitrogen modified TiO2/diatomaceous earth as a sunlight-driven floating photocatalyst for ibuprofen mitigation.

This article has been withdrawn at the request of the authors. Zhaohong Zhang is listed as an author on the manuscript but has informed the journal that this occurred without their consent or knowledge of the submission, and the email address provided was fake. Zhaohong Zhang does not support the scientific conclusions of the article. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal.

Novel B7-H4-mediated crosstalk between human non-Hodgkin lymphoma cells and tumor-associated macrophages leads to immune evasion via secretion of IL-6 and IL-10.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is an incurable lymphoproliferative cancer, and patients with NHL have a poor prognosis. The present study explored the regulatory mechanism of expression and possible roles of the immunosuppressive B7-H4 molecule in human NHL. For functional studies, NHL-reactive T cell lines were generated via the isolation of allogeneic CD3+ T cells from healthy donors and repeated in vitro stimulation with irradiated NHL cells isolated from patients. B7-H4 was found to be distributed in NHL cells and tissues, and its surface protein expression levels were further upregulated by the incubation of NHL cells with interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, or interferon-γ. Additionally, the supernatants of tumor-associated macrophages (tMφs) upregulated B7-H4 surface expression by producing IL-6 and IL-10. B7-H4 expressed in NHL cells inhibited the cytotoxic activity of NHL-reactive T cells. Conversely, the inhibition of B7-H4 in NHL cells promoted T cell immunity and sensitized NHL cells to cytolysis. Furthermore, tMφs induced B7-H4 promoted NHL cell evasion of the T cell immune response. In conclusion, this study shows that NHL-expressed B7-H4 is an important immunosuppressive factor that inhibits host anti-tumor immunity to NHL. Targeting tumor-expressed B7-H4 may thus provide a new treatment strategy for NHL patients.

Comparison of endoscopic resection and gastrectomy for the treatment of early gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic resection methods, including endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection, have become standard treatment modalities for patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) and absolute indications, with en bloc resection being more frequent with the latter. Endoscopic resection, however, has been associated with higher recurrence and metachronous cancer rates than gastrectomy. This meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety of endoscopic resection and gastrectomy for EGC. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science were electronically searched for relevant studies comparing endoscopic resection and gastrectomy for EGC from 1976 through March 2015. The primary endpoints were en bloc resection and histologically complete resection rates. The secondary endpoints were duration of hospital stay and rates of complications, recurrence, metachronous cancer and overall survival. RESULTS: This meta-analysis enrolled 10 studies with 2070 patients: 993 patients who underwent endoscopic resection and 1077 who underwent gastrectomy. Endoscopic resection was associated with shorter hospital stay (standardized mean difference -2.02; 95 % confidence interval [CI] -2.64 to -1.39) and lower complication rate (relative risk [RR] 0.41; 95 % CI 0.22-0.76) than gastrectomy. However, endoscopic resection was associated with lower rates of en bloc resection (odds ratio [OR] 0.05; 95 % CI 0.02-0.16) and histologically complete resection (OR 0.04; 95 % CI 0.01-0.11) and higher rates of recurrence (RR 5.23; 95 % CI 2.43-11.27) and metachronous cancer (RR 5.22; 95 % CI 2.40-11.34) than gastrectomy. Overall survival rate (OR 1.18; 95 % CI 0.76-1.82) was similar. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic resection is minimally invasive and as effective as surgery, suggesting that the former be considered standard treatment for EGC. It should be recommended as standard treatment for EGC with indications. Additional randomized controlled trials from more countries are required.

Comparison of endoscopic submucosal dissection and surgery for the treatment of gastric submucosal tumors originating from the muscularis propria layer: a single-center study (with video).

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been used for the treatment of gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs). This study aims to compare clinical outcomes of ESD versus laparoscopic wedge resection (LWR) for gastric SMTs. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study. Patients with SMTs who underwent ESD or LWR were enrolled in this study at a university-affiliated hospital from January 2010 to October 2015. Preoperative endoscopic ultrasound and computed tomography were performed to determine origin of layer and growth pattern. Clinical outcomes including baseline demographics, tumor size, operation time, blood loss, hospital stay, cost, pathology and postoperative complications were compared. RESULTS: From January 2010 to October 2015, 68 patients with SMTs received ESD and 47 patients with SMTs received LWR. There was no difference in age, gender, body mass index, origin of layer and proportion with symptoms between ESD group and LWR group. However, tumor size was significantly larger in the LWR group (37.1 mm) than in the ESD group (25.8 mm, P = 0.041). For patients with tumors smaller than 20 mm, ESD was associated with shorter mean operation time (89.7 ± 23.5 vs 117.6 ± 23.7 min, P = 0.043), less blood loss (4.9 ± 1.7 vs 72.3 ± 23.3 ml, P < 0.001), shorter length of hospital stay (3.6 ± 1.9 vs 6.9 ± 3.7 days, P = 0.024) and lower cost (2471 ± 573 vs 4498 ± 1257 dollars, P = 0.031) when compared with LWR. For patients with tumors between 20 mm and 50 mm, ESD was associated with shorter mean operation time (99.3 ± 27.8 vs 125.2 ± 31.5 min, P = 0.039), less blood loss (10.1 ± 5.3 vs 87.6 ± 31.3 ml, P < 0.001), shorter length of hospital stay (4.0 ± 1.7 vs 7.3 ± 4.5 days, P = 0.027) and lower cost (2783 ± 601 vs 4798 ± 1343 dollars, P = 0.033) when compared with LWR. There were no significant differences in terms of rates of en bloc resection, complete resection and complication and histological diagnosis regardless of tumor size. CONCLUSIONS: ESD can achieve similar oncological outcomes when compared with surgery for treatment of gastric SMT smaller than 50 mm.

The migration and transformation of dissolved organic matter during the freezing processes of water.

This study investigated the partitioning behavior of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in liquid and ice phases, as well as the changes in the optical properties and chlorine reactivity of DOM during the freezing processes of water. DOM was rejected from the ice phase and accumulated in the remaining liquid phase during water freezing. Moreover, the decrease in freezing temperature, as well as the increase in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration of feed water, caused an increase in DOM captured in the ice phase. The ultraviolet-absorbing compounds, trihalomethane precursors, as well as fulvic acid- and humic acid-like fluorescent materials, were more liable to be to be rejected from the ice phase and were more easily retained in the unfrozen liquid phase during water freezing, as compared with organics (on average) that comprise DOC. In addition, it was also found a higher accumulation of these organics in the unfrozen liquid phase during water freezing at higher temperature. The freeze/thaw processes altered the quantity, optical properties, and chlorine reactivity of DOM. The decrease in ultraviolet light at 254 nm as well as the production of aromatic protein- and soluble microbial byproduct-like fluorescent materials in DOM due to freeze/thaw were consistently observed. On the other hand, the changes in DOC, trihalomethane formation potential, and fulvic acid- and humic acid-like fluorescence caused by freeze/thaw varied significantly between samples.

[Time-Resolved XEOL Experiment System on BL14W1 at SSRF].

A novel time-resolved X-ray excited optical luminescence (TRXEOL) experiment system was developed for X ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy(XAFS) beamline at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). The TRXEOL system is composed of three parts: timing system, spectrometer system and nuclear instrument module (NIM) system. These three systems were integrated to measure and record the optical luminescence from the sample excited by the synchrotron X-ray pulses, according to the time-correlated single photon counting methodology. It's the first time in the domestic synchrotron radiation facilities to achieve TRXEOL experiment using the synchrotron X-ray pulses and the time structure of the storage ring. In this work, a SSRF-self-developed timing system was used, which is based on the Field programmable Gate Array and the high-speed serial communication technology. The timing system can provide trigger pulse synchronized with the X-ray pulse. The timing jitter is about 6 ps, and the timing delay resolution is 5 ps. The NIM system is the core of the TRXEOL experiment system, it has three main modules: the Constant Fraction Discriminator (CFD), the Time to Amplitude Converter (TAC) and the Multi-Channel Analyzer (MCA). During one excitation circle, the spectrometer and the Photomultiplier Tube detector translate the induced luminescence of the sample excited by a single X-ray pulse into electrical pulse. The CFD module eliminates the timing walk larger than 50 ps induced by the amplitude of the electrical pulse. The TAC module calculates the time interval between the timing trigger pulse and the luminescence electrical pulse, and converts the interval into proportional amplitude of voltage. After plenty of circles, the MCA module gets the luminescence decay curve by recording and analyzing the voltage signals. And the data acquisition system gets the TRXEOL spectra by scanning the spectrometer and acquiring the frequency of the voltage pulses from the TAC module. The TRXEOL experiment system helps researchers measure optical decay curves and spectra of the sample in different time windows. Many luminescence behaviors would be explained more deeply, together with the aid of the optical XAFS to get the electron structure of the sample. A sample of ZnO nanowire was studied using the TRXEOL system. The ordinary XEOL spectrum obtained could distinguish the 390 nm wavelength and the 500 nm wavelength luminescence center. The decay curve at 0 nm wavelength could clearly show the fast luminescence process and the slow luminescence process. The full width at half maximum of the fast luminescence decay curve was about 0.5 ns, showing that the minimum time resolution of the TRXEOL system is less than 1 ns. The TRXEOL spectra obtained could respectively get the luminescence information within different time windows. It was demo nstrated that the TRXEOL system is not only feasible and reliable, but also supply XAFS beamline with the technical preparatio ns of time resolved techniques.

Cellulose-based biomass composite films for plastic replacement: Synergistic UV shielding, antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

With the gradual increase in environmental awareness and the growing demand for food safety, sustainable and environmentally friendly cellulose-based materials have become a promising alternative to petroleum-based plastics. However, in practice, packaging materials prepared from cellulose-based materials still have some unsatisfactory properties, such as monofunctionality, low transparency, and lack of UV shielding, antibacterial or antioxidant properties. Herein, a novel synthetic strategy is proposed in this paper, specifically, tannic acid (TA), a green natural extract with antibacterial and antioxidant properties, is used as a plasticizer and cross-linker, and oxidized cellulose nanocellulose (TOCN) modified with folic acid (FA) grafting is blended with TA, and cellulose-based biomass thin films with ultraviolet (UV) shielding, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties have been successfully prepared by using a simple vacuum-assisted filtration. The experimental results showed that the films could completely block ultraviolet light at wavelengths of 200-400 nm while providing 81.47 % transparency in the visible spectrum, while the introduction of TA conferred excellent antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities with antioxidant activity of up to 95 %, and also resulted in films with excellent mechanical properties. Therefore, this work provides ideas for the design and manufacture of competitive biomass green packaging materials, laying the foundation for future applications in food packaging.

Spectroscopic studies of the role of dissolved organic matter in acenaphthene photodegradation in liquid water and ice.

The effect of concentration and origin of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on acenaphthene (Ace) photodegradation in liquid water and ice was investigated, and the components in DOM which were involved in Ace photodegradation were identified. The DOM samples included Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA), Elliott soil humic acid (ESHA), and an effluent organic matter (EfOM) sample. Due to the production of hydroxyl radical (•OH) and triplet excited-state DOM (3DOM*) which react with Ace, DOM had promotion effects on Ace photodegradation. However, the promotion effects of DOM were prevailed over by their suppressing effect of DOM including screening light effect, intermediates reducing effect and RS quenching effect, and thus, the photodegradation rates of Ace decreased in the presence of the three DOM with concentrations of 0.5-7.5 mg C/L in liquid water and ice. ESHA had higher light absorption and thus had higher screening light effect on Ace photodegradation in liquid water than SRFA and EfOM. At each DOM concentration, ESHA exhibited higher promotion effect on Ace photodegradation than SRFA and EfOM, in liquid water and ice. The binding of Ace with DOM was indicated by decreases in fluorescence intensity of Ace when coexisted with DOM. However, the binding of Ace to DOM played an unimportant role in suppressing Ace photodegradation. The photodegradation behavior of fluorophores in Ace with DOM present in ice was not similar to that in liquid water. C-O, C═O, carboxyl groups O-H and aliphatic C-H functional groups in DOM were involved in the interaction of DOM with Ace. The presence of Ace seemed to have no influence on the photodegradation behavior of functional groups in DOM.

Preparation of sustainable oxidized nanocellulose films with high UV shielding effect, high transparency and high strength.

UV protection has become crucial as increasing environmental pollution has led to the destruction of the ozone layer, which has a weakened ability to block UV rays. In this paper, we successfully prepared cellulose-based biomass films with high UV shielding effect, high transparency and high tensile strength by graft-modifying oxidized cellulose nanocellulose (TOCN) with folic acid (FA) and borrowing vacuum-assisted filtration. The films had tunable UV shielding properties depending on the amount of FA added. When the FA addition was 20 % (V/V), the film showed 0 % transmittance in the UV region (200-400 nm) and 90.61 % transmittance in the visible region (600 nm), while the tensile strength was up to 150.04 MPa. This study provides a new integrated process for the value-added utilization of nanocellulose and a new route for the production of functional biomass packaging materials. The film is expected to be applied in the field of food packaging with UV shielding.

Interaction of different chloro-substituted phenylurea herbicides (diuron and chlortoluron) with bovine serum albumin: Insights from multispectral study.

In this work, the interaction between different chloro-substituted phenylurea herbicides (diuron (DIU) and chlortoluron (CHL)) and BSA were investigated and compared at three different temperatures (283 K, 298 K and 310 K) adopting UV-vis, fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectra. The quenching mechanism of the interaction was also proposed. The energy transfer between BSA and DIU/CHL was investigated. The binding sites of DIU/CHL and BSA and the variations in the microenvironment of amino acid residues were studied. The changes of the secondary structure of BSA were analyzed. The results indicate that both DIU and CHL can significantly interact with BSA, and the degree of the interaction between DIU/CHL and BSA increases with the increase of the DIU/CHL concentration. The fluorescence quenching of BSA by DIU/CHL results from the combination of static and dynamic quenching. The DIU/CHL has a weak to moderate binding affinity for BSA, and the binding stoichiometry is 1:1. Their binding processes are spontaneous, and hydrophobic interaction, hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces are the main interaction forces. DIU/CHL has higher affinity for subdomain IIA (Site I) of BSA than subdomain IIIA (Site II), and also interacts with tryptophan more than tyrosine residues. The energy transfer can occur from BSA to DIU/CHL. By comparison, the strength of the interaction of DIU-BSA is always greater than that of CHL-BSA, and DIU can destroy the secondary structure of BSA molecules greater than CHL and thus the potential toxicity of DIU is higher due to DIU with more chlorine substituents than CHL. It is expected that this study on the interaction can offer in-depth insights into the toxicity of phenylurea herbicides, as well as their impact on human and animal health at the molecular level.

Effect of dissolved organic matter on sulfachloropyridazine photolysis in liquid water and ice.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an ubiquitous component of environmental snow and ice, which can absorb light and produce reactive species (RS) and thus is of importance in ice photochemistry. The photodegradation of sulfachloropyridazine (SCP) without and with DOM present in liquid water and ice were investigated in this study. The photodegradation rate constants for SCP without DOM present was enhanced by 52.5 % in ice relative to liquid water, likely due to the enhanced role of SCP self-sensitized RS in ice. DOM significantly promoted SCP photolysis in both liquid water and ice, which was mainly attributed to roles of singlet oxygen (1O2) and triplet excited-state DOM (3DOM*) generated from DOM. 1O2 production from DOM was significantly enhanced in ice relative to liquid water. Hydroxyl radical (•OH) production from DOM in ice was similar to those in liquid water. Enhancement in 3DOM* production in ice was observed at low DOM concentrations. Suwannee River Fulvic Acid (SRFA) and Elliott Soil Humic Acid (ESHA) exhibited differences in RS production in liquid water and ice, as well as in enhancement of 1O2 and 3DOM* produced in ice relative to liquid water. DOM induced reaction pathways of SCP different from those without DOM present, and therefore affected toxicity of SCP photoproducts. There were differences in photodegradation pathways of SCP as well as in toxicity of SCP photoproducts between liquid water and ice.

Dissolved organic matter-mediated photodegradation of anthracene and pyrene in water.

Toxicity and transformation process of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is strongly depended on the interaction between PAHs and dissolved organic matters (DOM). In this study, a 125W high-pressure mercury lamp was used to simulate the sunlight experiment to explore the inhibition mechanism of four dissolved organic matters (SRFA, LHA, ESHA, UMRN) on the degradation of anthracene and pyrene in water environment. Results indicated that the photodegradation was the main degradation approach of PAHs, which accorded with the first-order reaction kinetics equation. The extent of degradation of anthracene and pyrene was 36% and 24%, respectively. DOM influence mechanism on PAHs varies depending upon its source. SRFA, LHA and ESHA inhibit the photolysis of anthracene, however, except for SRFA, the other three DOM inhibit the photolysis of pyrene. Fluorescence quenching mechanism is the main inhibiting mechanism, and the binding ability of DOM and PAHs is dominantly correlated with its inhibiting effect. FTIR spectroscopies and UV-Visible were used to analyze the main structural changes of DOM binding PAHs. Generally, the stretching vibration of N-H and C-O of polysaccharide carboxylic acid was the key to affect its binding with anthracene and C-O-C in aliphatic ring participated in the complexation of DOM and pyrene.

[Investigation on damage of bovine serum albumin (BSA) catalyzed by nano-sized silicon dioxide (SiO2) under ultrasonic irradiation using spectral methods].

The damage of bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules under ultrasonic irradiation in the presence of nano-sized silicon dioxide (SiO2) particles was studied by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra. In addition, the influences of ultrasonic irradiation time, nano-sized SiO2 addition amount, solution acidity (pH) and ultrasonic irradiation power on the damage of BSA molecules in aqueous solution were also detected. For BSA solution of 1.0 x 10(-5) mol x L(-1) at (37.0+/-0.2) degrees C, the UV-Vis spectra of BSA solutions showed that the absorption peaks of BSA displayed obvious hyperchromic effect with the increase in some influence factors such as ultrasonic irradiation time, nano-sized SiO2 addition amount, pH value and ultrasonic irradiation power. However, the fluorescence spectra of BSA solutions showed the phenomenon of fluorescence quenching with the increase in ultrasonic irradiation time, nano-sized SiO2 addition amount, pH value and ultrasonic irradiation power. Moreover, the possible mechanism behind the damage of BSA molecule in the presence of nano-sized SiO2 powders under ultrasonic irradiation was discussed. It was considered that the damage of BSA molecules was attributed to the formation of *OH radicals resulting from the sonoluminescence and high-heat excitation of ultrasonic cavitation. The research results could be of great significance to using sonocatalytic method to treat tumour in clinic application and for developing nano-sized drug in the future.

Effect of dissolved organic matter fractions on photodegradation of phenanthrene in ice.

The effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractions on photodegradation of phenanthrene (PHE) in ice was investigated. DOM in surface water and wastewater samples was fractionated using XAD-8/XAD-4 resins into five fractions: hydrophobic acid (HPO-A), hydrophobic neutral (HPO-N), transphilic acid (TPI-A), transphilic neutral (TPI-N) and hydrophilic fraction (HPI). The photodegradation rate of PHE in ice was about 40% greater than that in water. The screening effect and quenching effect contributed 3-12% and 88-97% toward the inhibition of DOM fractions on PHE photodegradation in ice, respectively. The contribution ratios of singlet oxygen (1O2) and hydroxyl radical (OH) produced from DOM fractions to PHE photodegradation rates in ice were 9-31% and 2-13%, respectively. Among five DOM fractions, HPO-A was most efficient in advancing PHE photodegradation in ice through 1O2 mechanism. When excluding the photosensitized effect of 1O2 and OH produced from DOM fractions, the quencing effect of DOM fractions on PHE photodegradation in ice was closely related to their PHE binding ability.

Construction of novel Z-scheme Ag/ZnFe2O4/Ag/BiTa1-xVxO4 system with enhanced electron transfer capacity for visible light photocatalytic degradation of sulfanilamide.

A novel Z-scheme system, Ag/ZnFe2O4/Ag/BiTa1-xVxO4 with enhanced electron transfer capacity was constructed for degrading sulfanilamide (SAM) using solar light. The photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnFe2O4/Ag/BiTa1-xVxO4 was investigated. The effects of the mass ratio (ZnFe2O4:BiTaO4), doped V dose, Ag wt.% content, and irradiation time on the catalytic performance were evaluated. The reasonable mechanism of Ag/ZnFe2O4/Ag/BiTa1-xVxO4 solar photocatalytic degradation was also presented. These results reveal Ag/ZnFe2O4/Ag/BiTa1-xVxO4 possesses enhanced photocatalytic performance. The loaded Ag as electron mediator increases the electron transfer rate. Particularly, the doped V and the Fe ions from ZnFe2O4 form a powerful electron driving force, which enhances the electron transfer capacity. Ag/ZnFe2O4/Ag/BiTa1-xVxO4 shows optimal photocatalytic performance at 2.0 wt.% Ag and 0.5% doped V dose (ZnFe2O4:BiTaO4 = 1.0:0.5). Also, Ag/ZnFe2O4/Ag/BiTa1-xVxO4 exhibits high stability and repeatability in photocatalytic degradation. Several active species (•OH, •O2-, and h+) are produced in the Z-scheme photodegradation of SAM. These results on the enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnFe2O4/Ag/BiTa1-xVxO4 are ascribed to synergistic photocatalytic effects of ZnFe2O4 and BiTa1-xVxO4 mediated through Ag and driven by doped V and Fe ions. Therefore, the Z-scheme Ag/ZnFe2O4/Ag/BiTa1-xVxO4 photocatalytic technology proves to be promising for the solar photocatalytic treatment of antibiotics under solar light.

Sonocatalytic degradation of acid red B and rhodamine B catalyzed by nano-sized ZnO powder under ultrasonic irradiation.

Nano-sized ZnO powder was introduced to act as the sonocatalyst after the treatment of high-temperature activation, and the ultrasound of low power was used as an irradiation source to induce nano-sized ZnO powder performing sonocatalytic degradation of acid red B and rhodamine B. At the same time, the effects of operational parameters such as solution pH value, initial concentration of dyestuff and addition amount of nano-sized ZnO powder have been examined in this paper. We found that the degradation ratios of acid red B and rhodamine B in the presence of nano-sized ZnO powder were much higher than that with only ultrasonic irradiation. However, the degradation ratio of acid red B was about two times higher than that of rhodamine B for the initial concentration of 10.0mg/L, addition amount of 1.0 g/L nano-sized ZnO powder, solution acidity of pH 7.0 and 60 min irradiation experimental condition. The difference of the degradation ratios can be illustrated by the difference of chemical forms of acid red B and rhodamine B in aqueous solution and the surface properties of nano-sized ZnO particles. In addition, the researches on the kinetics of sonocatalytic reactions of acid red B and rhodamine B have also been performed and found to the follow pseudo first-order kinetics. All the experiments indicated that the sonocatalytic method in the presence of nano-sized ZnO powder was an advisable choice for the treatments of non- or low-transparent organic wastewaters in future.

Treatment of nano-sized rutile phase TiO2 powder under ultrasonic irradiation in hydrogen peroxide solution and investigation of its sonocatalytic activity.

The treated mixed-crystal TiO(2) powder with high sonocatalytic activity was obtained through utilizing ultrasonic irradiation in hydrogen peroxide solution. At the same time, some influencing factors (including heat-treated temperature and heat-treated time) on the sonocatalytic activity of treated mixed-crystal TiO(2) powder were also considered through the degradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution. In this work, it was found that the sonocatalytic degradation ratio of methylene blue in the presence of treated mixed-crystal TiO(2) powder was much higher than ones in the presence of nano-sized rutile phase TiO(2) powder and with onefold ultrasonic irradiation. At last, the methylene blue in aqueous solution was completely degraded and became some simple inorganic anions such as NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-) and Cl(-). All experiments indicated that the sonocatalytic method adopting treated mixed-crystal TiO(2) powder as sonocatalyst was an advisable choice for the treatments of non- or low-transparent wastewaters in future.