Self-Templated Formation of Carbon Nanotubes Interpenetrating Ordered Microporous Carbon Nanospheres for High-Performance Li-S Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are known as a prospective new generation of battery systems owing to their high energy density, low cost, non-toxicity, and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, several issues remain in the practical application of Li-S batteries, such as low sulfur usage, poor rate performance, and poor cycle stability. Ordered microporous carbon materials and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can effectively limit the diffusion of polysulfides (LiPSs) and have high electrical conductivity, respectively. Here, inspired by the evaporation of zinc at high temperatures, we constructed CNTs interpenetrating ordered microporous carbon nanospheres (CNTs/OMC NSs) by high-temperature calcination and used them as a sulfur host material. With the benefit from the excellent electrical conductivity of CNTs and OMC achieving uniform sulfur dispersion and effectively limiting LiPS dissolution, the S@CNTs/OMC NS cathodes show outstanding cycling stability (initial discharge capacity of 879 mAh g-1 at 0.5 C, maintained at 629 mAh g-1 for 500 cycles) and excellent rate performance (521 mAh g-1 at 5.0 C). Furthermore, the current study can serve as a significant reference for the synthesis of CNTs that interpenetrate various materials.

Efficacy, mechanism, and safety of melatonin-loaded on thermosensitive nanogels for rabbit VX2 tumor embolization: A novel design.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been widely used for hepatocellular carcinoma. Reducing hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment after TACE remains a challenge as tumor progression is common in post-TACE patients due to the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. In this study, melatonin loaded on p(N-isopropyl-acrylamide-co-butyl methylacrylate) (PIB-M) was used for tumor embolism. Two types of human hepatoma cell lines were used to explore the mechanism by which melatonin prevents the growth and metastasis of cancer cells in vitro. A VX2 rabbit tumor model was used to evaluate the efficacy, mechanism, and safety of PIB-M in vivo. We found that under hypoxic condition, melatonin could inhibit tumor cell proliferation and migration by targeting hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in vitro. In vivo, PIB-M inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in rabbit VX2 tumors by promoting apoptosis of tumor cells and targeting related angiogenic proteins and vascular permeability proteins. A high concentration of melatonin in the PIB-M group could be maintained in tumor tissue for 72 h after embolization. The liver and kidney functions were most damaged on the first day but recovered to normal on the seventh day after embolization in the PIB-M group. This novel method may open avenues for reduction of tumor growth and metastasis after TACE and is efficacy and safety, which may be used for treatment for other solid tumors and clinical translation.

Renal and hepatic artery embolization with Pickering gel emulsion of lipiodol in rabbit.

OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a novel liquid embolic agent Pickering gel emulsion of lipiodol (PGEL) for renal and hepatic artery embolization in the rabbit experimental model. METHODS: Embolization was performed in the right renal artery of 24 adult New Zealand White rabbits and 24 VX2 tumors in the left liver lobe. The rabbits were randomly allocated to four treatment groups (n = 6 per group): (A) normal saline (NS), (B) lipiodol, (C) 180-300 µm polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and (D) PGEL. RESULTS: Renal artery embolization in normal rabbits and transarterial embolization (TAE) in VX2 tumor-bearing rabbits indicated that PGEL achieved a better embolization effect for a longer time than lipiodol and PVA. The tumor growth ratio of the PGEL group was significantly lower than that of the NS, lipiodol, and PVA groups at 3 (P < 0.001) and 7 (P < 0.001) days after embolization. In addition, hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical staining revealed that the tumor necrosis ratio was higher in the PGEL group than in the NS, lipiodol, and PVA groups (P < 0.01), and the expression levels of HIF-1α, VEGF, and CD31 decreased after PGEL embolization compared with the lipiodol and PVA treatments. CONCLUSION: PGEL is an effective embolic material that provides immediate and total occlusion of the renal artery and may be a potential therapeutic embolic agent for TAE of HCC.

Detoxication and bioconversion of aflatoxin B1 by yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor): A sustainable approach for valuable larval protein production from contaminated grain.

Yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) is a supplementary protein source for food and feed and represents a promising solution to manage grain contaminated with Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). In this study, AFB1 present in different concentrations in wheat bran was treated and removed via bioconversion by yellow mealworm of different instars, with emphasis on the bioconversion performance and metabolism of AFB1. Upon application of wheat bran spiked with 100 µg/kg AFB1 to 5th-6th instar yellow mealworms, the conversion rate of AFB1 was up to 87.85 %. Low level of AFB1 (< 2 µg/kg) was accumulated in the larval bodies, and the survival rate, development and nutrition contents of yellow mealworm were not significantly affected. It was revealed that 1 kg of wheat bran contaminated with AFB1 increased the weight of yellow mealworms from 138 g to 469 g, containing approximately 103 g of protein. The bioconversion of AFB1 by yellow mealworms led to generation of 13 metabolites in the frass and 3 metabolites in the larvae. AFB1 was detoxicated and removed via phase I metabolism comprising reduction, dehydrogenation, hydration, demethylation, hydroxylation, decarbonylation and ketoreduction, followed by phase II metabolism involving conjugation of amino acid, glucoside and glutathione (GSH). The toxicity of AFB1 metabolites was deemed lower than that of AFB1 according to their structures. This study provides a sustainable approach and theoretical foundation on using yellow mealworms for cleaner grain contamination management and valuable larval protein production via bioconversion of food and feed contaminated by AFB1.

Theory-Guided Design of a Method to Obtain Competitive Balance between U(VI) Adsorption and Swaying Zwitterion-Induced Fouling Resistance on Natural Hemp Fibers.

The competitive balance between uranium (VI) (U(VI)) adsorption and fouling resistance is of great significance in guaranteeing the full potential of U(VI) adsorbents in seawater, and it is faced with insufficient research. To fill the gap in this field, a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was employed to explore the influence and to guide the design of mass-produced natural hemp fibers (HFs). Sulfobetaine (SB)- and carboxybetaine (CB)-type zwitterions containing soft side chains were constructed beside amidoxime (AO) groups on HFs (HFAS and HFAC) to form a hydration layer based on the terminal hydrophilic groups. The soft side chains were swayed by waves to form a hydration-layer area with fouling resistance and to simultaneously expel water molecules surrounding the AO groups. HFAS exhibited greater antifouling properties than that of HFAO and HFAC. The U(VI) adsorption capacity of HFAS was almost 10 times higher than that of HFAO, and the max mass rate of U:V was 4.3 after 35 days of immersion in marine water. This paper offers a theory-guided design of a method to the competitive balance between zwitterion-induced fouling resistance and seawater U(VI) adsorption on natural materials.

Sequential transarterial chemoembolization and early radiofrequency ablation improves clinical outcomes for early-intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma in a 10-year single-center comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are effective treatment methods for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there is still a lack of clinical research on whether early sequential RFA, compared with late combination therapy, can improve the long-term efficacy of initial TACE treatment. METHODS: This retrospective study investigated a cohort of patients who underwent combination therapy using TACE and RFA (TACE followed by RFA) from January 2010 to January 2020 at our medical centre. A total of 96 patients underwent TACE combined with early RFA (usually during the first hospitalization), which was called TACE + eRFA. Thirty-four patients received 1-2 palliative TACE treatments first and then underwent TACE treatment combined with late RFA (TACE + lRFA). All patients continued to receive palliative TACE treatments after intrahepatic lesion progression until reaching intolerance. The overall survival (OS) rate, time to tumour progression (TTP), tumour response rate and major complication rates were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the median OS (46 months vs 33 months; P = 0.013), median TTP (28 months vs 14 months; P < 0.00), objective response rate (ORR) (89.6% vs 61.8%, P = 0.000) and disease control rate (DCR) (94.8% vs 73.5% P = 0.002) between the two groups. Multivariable analysis revealed that the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage was an independent risk factor for OS. Meanwhile, multivariable analysis revealed that TACE + eRFA was associated with an enhanced TTP. CONCLUSION: Early sequential RFA treatment in patients with early-intermediate HCC can improve local tumour control and clinical outcomes while reducing the frequency of TACE treatment. In clinical practice, in HCC patients initially treated with TACE, it is recommended to combine RFA as soon as possible to obtain long-term survival.

An Engineered Thermostable Laccase with Great Ability to Decolorize and Detoxify Malachite Green.

Laccases can catalyze the remediation of hazardous synthetic dyes in an eco-friendly manner, and thermostable laccases are advantageous to treat high-temperature dyeing wastewater. A novel laccase from Geothermobacter hydrogeniphilus (Ghlac) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Ghlac containing 263 residues was characterized as a functional laccase of the DUF152 family. By structural and biochemical analyses, the conserved residues H78, C119, and H136 were identified to bind with one copper atom to fulfill the laccase activity. In order to make it more suitable for industrial use, Ghlac variant Mut2 with enhanced thermostability was designed. The half-lives of Mut2 at 50 °C and 60 °C were 80.6 h and 9.8 h, respectively. Mut2 was stable at pH values ranging from 4.0 to 8.0 and showed a high tolerance for organic solvents such as ethanol, acetone, and dimethyl sulfoxide. In addition, Mut2 decolorized approximately 100% of 100 mg/L of malachite green dye in 3 h at 70 °C. Furthermore, Mut2 eliminated the toxicity of malachite green to bacteria and Zea mays. In summary, the thermostable laccase Ghlac Mut2 could effectively decolorize and detoxify malachite green at high temperatures, showing great potential to remediate the dyeing wastewater.

[Correlation between serum level of miRNA-106a expression with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with renal cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the expression of microRNA-106a(miR-106a) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients. METHODS: Serum samples of 64 patients with newly diagnosed RCC were collected as the study group, and serum samples of 40 healthy individuals were used as the control group. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to determine the expression level of miR-106a in each group. The correlation between miR-106a expression and clinicopathological characteristics of the patients was studied with single factor analysis and multiple Logistic regression model. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze its correlation with the prognosis of patients. RESULTS: Before surgery, compared with the control group (1.17± 0.58), RCC patients with high- (9.15± 0.96) and low-expression(3.45± 0.37) had increased expression of miR-106a. Postoperatively, the expression level of miR-106a in both groups of patients decreased to 1.53± 0.18 and 1.75± 0.21, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of the diagnostic value of serum miR-106a for RCC was 0.782 (95% CI: 0.661-0.902). With an optimal cutoff value of 0.531, the sensitivity was 78.10% and the specificity was 75.00%. Serum miR-106a level of RCC patients with TNM stage T3 or T4, clinical stage II or III, lymph node metastasis, and recurrence were significantly increased. The high expression of serum miR-106a in RCC patients has an independent relationship with the tumor TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. Of the 64 follow-up patients, 4 were lost and 30 had died. Among them, the median survival time of patients in the miR-106a high expression group was 30 months, which was significantly shorter than that of the low expression group (52 months). CONCLUSION: The serum level of miR-106a is elevated in RCC patients, and may be used as a molecular marker for the diagnosis of RCC. High serum expression of miR-106a is an independent predictor for tumor TNM stage and lymph node metastasis, as well as an independent predictor for poor prognosis of RCC patients.

HFIP-Functionalized Co3 O4 Micro-Nano-Octahedra/rGO as a Double-Layer Sensing Material for Chemical Warfare Agents.

Semiconductor metal oxides (SMO)-based gas-sensing materials suffer from insufficient detection of a specific target gas. Reliable selectivity, high sensitivity, and rapid response-recovery times under various working conditions are the main requirements for optimal gas sensors. Chemical warfare agents (CWA) such as sarin are fatal inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase in the nerve system. So, sensing materials with high sensitivity and selectivity toward CWA are urgently needed. Herein, micro-nano octahedral Co3 O4 functionalized with hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) were deposited on a layer of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a double-layer sensing materials. The Co3 O4 micro-nano octahedra were synthesized by direct growth from electrospun fiber templates calcined in ambient air. The double-layer rGO/Co3 O4 -HFIP sensing materials presented high selectivity toward DMMP (sarin agent simulant, dimethyl methyl phosphonate) versus rGO/Co3 O4 and Co3 O4 sensors after the exposure to various gases owing to hydrogen bonding between the DMMP molecules and Co3 O4 -HFIP. The rGO/Co3 O4 -HFIP sensors showed high stability with a response signal around 11.8 toward 0.5 ppm DMMP at 125 °C, and more than 75 % of the initial response was maintained under a saturated humid environment (85 % relative humidity). These results prove that these double-layer inorganic-organic composite sensing materials are excellent candidates to serve as optimal gas-sensing materials.

In Situ Anchoring of Pyrrhotite on Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheet for Efficient Immobilization of Uranium.

Enrichment of UVI is an urgent project for nuclear energy development. Herein, magnetic graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets were successfully prepared by in situ anchoring of pyrrhotite (Fe7 S8 ) on the graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (CNNS), which were used for capturing UVI . The structural characterizations of Fe7 S8 /CNNS-1 indicated that the CNNS could prevent the aggregation of Fe7 S8 and the saturation magnetization was 4.69 emu g-1 , which meant that it was easy to separate the adsorbent from the solution. Adsorption experiments were performed to investigate the sorption properties. The results disclosed that the sorption data conformed to the Langmuir isotherm model with the maximum adsorption capacity of 572.78 mg g-1 at 298 K. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated that the main adsorption mechanism are as follows: UVI is adsorbed on the surface of Fe7 S8 /CNNS-1 through surface complexation initially, then it was reduced to insoluble UIV . Thereby, this work provided an efficient and easy to handle sorbent material for extraction of UVI .

Unique glucose oxidation catalysis of Gluconobacter oxydans constitutes an efficient cellulosic gluconic acid fermentation free of inhibitory compounds disturbance.

Toxic inhibitory compounds from lignocellulose pretreatment are the major obstacle to achieve high bioconversion efficiency in biorefinery fermentations. This study shows a unique glucose oxidation catalysis of Gluconobacter oxydans with its gluconic acid productivity free of inhibitor disturbance. The microbial experimentations and the transcriptome analysis revealed that both the activity of the membrane-bound glucose dehydrogenase and the transcription level of the genes in periplasmic glucose oxidation respiratory chain of G. oxydans were essentially not affected in the presence of inhibitory compounds. G. oxydans also rapidly converted furan and phenolic aldehyde inhibitors into the less toxic alcohols or acids. The synergy of the robust periplasmic glucose oxidation and the rapid inhibitor conversion of G. oxydans significantly elevated the efficiency of the oxidative fermentation in lignocellulose hydrolysate. The corresponding genes responsible for the conversion of furan and phenolic aldehyde inhibitors were also mined by DNA microarrays. The synergistic mechanism of G. oxydans provided an important option of metabolic modification for enhancing inhibitor tolerance of general fermentation strains.

Synergistic adsorption and photocatalysis reduction of uranium by UiO-66 (Ce)-CdS/PEI-modified chitosan composite sponge.

Uranium is a critical element of the nuclear industry, and while extracting it from seawater is considered the most promising way to meet the growing demand for uranium, there are still some problems that still need to be solved. This work designed a UiO-66(Ce)-CdS/PEI-modified chitosan composite sponge (USPS) with an adsorption-photocatalytic synergistic effect to extract uranium efficiently. On the one hand, the drawback that the powder material is difficult to be recycled is solved. On the other hand, the uranium extraction capacity of the substrate sponge is improved. Compared with the unmodified PCS sponge, the uranium extraction capacity of the USPS-4 composite sponge is 1.63 fold higher than that of the PCS sponge. In addition, the USPS-4 composite sponge exhibits excellent selectivity and regenerability. The mechanism of uranium extraction can be summarized as the coordination chelation of uranium with active functional groups in the adsorption process and the reduction of hexavalent uranium by photogenerated electrons in the photocatalytic process. This study provides a new strategy for designing and preparing a novel material with high uranium extraction performance, easy separation, and recovery.

Z-scheme heterojunction ZnS/WO3 composite: Photocatalytic reduction of uranium and band gap regulation mechanism.

In the present research, ZnS/WO3 composites were prepared by coprecipitation method to construct the Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst with high efficiency electron separation for the photocatalytic reduction of U(VI). Compared with WO3 and ZnS, the visible light absorption, photoreduction ability and photocatalytic activity of ZnS/WO3 composites were improved. The ZnS/WO3 composites show higher photoreduction U(VI) performance under visible light irradiation with the maximum extraction capacity of U(VI) at 1.52 g g-1. The ZnS/WO3 composites exhibit high uranium reduction ability under natural light with removal efficiency reaching 93.4 %. In-situ monitoring experiments and DFT calculations were designed to explore the mechanism and pathway of photoelectron transfer in the reduction process from U(VI) to U(IV). The results show that ZnS/WO3 has an internal electric field to form a Z-scheme electron transfer, and uranium reduction is a dual-electron transfer pathway. In addition, the band gap regulation mechanism of binary composite semiconductor materials is deeply discussed.

Wood structure-inspired injectable lignin-based nanogels as blood-vessel-embolic sustained drug-releasing stent for interventional therapies on liver cancer.

An embolic reagent with easy injection, well-controlled target embolization, and sustained release of chemotherapy drugs is urgently needed for successful trans-arterial chemo-embolization (TACE) treatment. However, the development of a highly effective embolic reagent is still challenged. Here, inspired and guided by the structural supporting properties and defense mechanisms of wood cell walls, an ideal lignin-based embolic nanogel (DOX-pN-KL) was explored. Based on the mechanical support of branched lignin and the π-π stacking force between the lignin aromatic ring with anti-tumor drug doxorubicin (DOX), DOX-pN-KL showed the highest mechanical strength among the reported thermosensitive embolization nanogel and performed high drug-loading and favorable sustained-release. Moreover, further TACE treatment and tumor microenvironment evaluation of VX2 tumor-bearing rabbits showed that this nanogel can completely block all levels of vessels in long term and continuously release DOX, thus having effective inhibition on tumor growth and metastasis. DOX-pN-KL is expected to be a promising alternative reagent for interventional therapy.

Fe-MMT/WO3 composites for chemical and photocatalysis synergistic reduction of uranium (VI).

The preparation of Fe-MMT/WO3 composites by the hydrothermal method has been explored in this study for the construction of a chemical and photocatalytic catalyst for the reduction of U (VI). This research found that the visible light absorption and reduction potential of the Fe-MMT/WO3 composites were relatively superior compared to Fe-MMT and WO3 alone. Based on an evaluation of the performance of the Fe-MMT/WO3 composites under visible light irradiation, it was discovered that they had greater uranium extraction capacity, where the maximum extraction capacity of U (VI) was determined to be 1862.69 mg g-1, with removal efficiency reaching 93.32%. To investigate the electron transfer and U (VI) to U (IV) reduction mechanisms after the composite, XPS and DFT calculations were conducted. Results showed that Fe (II) is converted to a higher state Fe (III) and WO3 produce photoelectrons which together reduce U (VI) to U (IV). Moreover, the photoelectrons partially transferred to Fe-MMT with low reduction potential to reduce Fe (III) to Fe (II), allowing iron cycling during uranium extraction to be achieved.

Pretreatments of Broussonetia papyrifera: in vitro assessment on gas and methane production, fermentation characteristic, and methanogenic archaea profile.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to examine the gas production, fermentation characteristics, nutrient degradation, and methanogenic community composition of a rumen fluid culture with Broussonetia papyrifera (B. papyrifera) subjected to ensiling or steam explosion (SE) pretreatment. METHODS: Fresh B. papyrifera was collected and pretreated by ensiling or SE, which was then fermented with ruminal fluids as ensiled B. papyrifera group, steam-exploded B. papyrifera group, and untreated B. papyrifera group. The gas and methane production, fermentation characteristics, nutrient degradation, and methanogenic community were determined during the fermentation. RESULTS: Cumulative methane production was significantly improved with SE pretreatment compared with ensiled or untreated biomass accompanied with more volatile fatty acids production. After 72 h incubation, SE and ensiling pretreatments decreased the acid detergent fiber contents by 39.4% and 22.9%, and neutral detergent fiber contents by 10.6% and 47.2%, respectively. Changes of methanogenic diversity and abundance of methanogenic archaea corresponded to the variations in fermentation pattern and methane production. CONCLUSION: Compared with ensiling pretreatment, SE can be a promising technique for the efficient utilization of B. papyrifera, which would contribute to sustainable livestock production systems.

Biodegradation of Gramineous Lignocellulose by Locusta migratoria manilensis (Orthoptera: Acridoidea).

Exploring an efficient and green pretreatment method is an important prerequisite for the development of biorefinery. It is well known that locusts can degrade gramineous lignocellulose efficiently. Locusts can be used as a potential resource for studying plant cell wall degradation, but there are few relative studies about locusts so far. Herein, some new discoveries were revealed about elucidating the process of biodegradation of gramineous lignocellulose in Locusta migratoria manilensis. The enzyme activity related to lignocellulose degradation and the content of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in the different gut segments of locusts fed corn leaves were measured in this study. A series of characterization analyses were conducted on corn leaves and locust feces, which included field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD), and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. These results showed that the highest activities of carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase), filter paper cellulase (FPA), and xylanase were obtained in the foregut of locusts, which strongly indicated that the foregut was the main lignocellulose degradation segment in locusts; furthermore, the majority of nutritional components were absorbed in the midgut of locusts. The activity of CMCase was significantly higher than that of xylanase, and manganese peroxidase (MnPase) activity was lowest, which might be due to the basic nutrition of locusts being cellulose and hemicellulose and not lignin based on the results of FE-SEM, FTIR, XRD, and TG analysis. Overall, these results provided a valuable insight into lignocellulosic degradation mechanisms for understanding gramineous plant cell wall deconstruction and recalcitrance in locusts, which could be useful in the development of new enzymatic pretreatment processes mimicking the locust digestive system for the biochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals.

A high-flux antibacterial poly(amidoxime)-polyacrylonitrile blend membrane for highly efficient uranium extraction from seawater.

Uranium is an important fuel for nuclear power, with 4.5 billion tons of it stored in the oceans, 1,000 times more than on land. Polymer membrane materials are widely used in the marine resources fields, due to their convenient collection, good separation and can work continuously. Herein, a poly(amidoxime)-polyacrylonitrile blend membrane (PCP) with high flux, excellent antibacterial properties and uranium adsorption performance has been prepared by using the phase inversion method, and the prepared membrane was used for highly efficient uranium extraction from seawater. In static adsorption experiments, the PCP membrane reached adsorption equilibrium after 48 h, and the adsorption capacity was 303.89 mg/g (C0 =50 mg/L). In dynamic adsorption experiments, it was found that the lower flow rate and higher number of membrane layers were favorable for dynamic adsorption. In addition, the water flux of the PCP membrane was 7.4 times higher than that of the PAN membrane. The adsorption mechanism can be attributed to the chelation between amino and hydroxyl groups in CS, amidoxime group in poly(amidoxime) and uranyl ions. The simple preparation process coupled with the excellent adsorption performance indicated that the PCP membrane would be a promising material for the uranium extraction from seawater.

Defective carbon nitride ultrathin nanosheets enriched with amidoxime groups for enhanced visible light-driven reduction of hexavalent uranium.

Amidoxime-based materials have made a great contribution to the selective adsorption process in the extraction of uranium from seawater. However, traditional adsorbents with amidoxime groups are limited by adsorption capacity and adsorption rate, which greatly hinder the development of uranium extraction from seawater. Based on this, we combined the amidoxime group with carbon nitride to synthesize the amidoxime group carbon nitride (NCN-AO), which is rich in nitrogen defects. Compared with ordinary carbon nitride (CN), NCN-AO has better selectivity and uranium reduction ability. In the process of extracting uranium from seawater, soluble hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) can be reduced to insoluble tetravalent uranium (U(IV)), to achieve high-efficiency extraction of uranium. The removal rate of uranium by NCN-AO in 100 mg/L uranium solution is 99 %, and NCN-AO has specific and selective adsorption of uranium. The band structure, density of states (DOS), highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of NCN-AO were calculated by Density Functional Theory (DFT) method, and adsorption reduction occurred on the surface and interface of NCN-AO. The above results show that NCN-AO may be a promising material for extracting uranium from seawater.

catena-Poly[[bis-(nitrato-κO)cobalt(II)]-bis-[µ-1,4-bis-(pyridin-3-ylmeth-oxy)benzene-κN:N']].

In the title compound, [Co(NO(3))(2)(C(18)H(16)N(2)O(2))(2)](n), the Co(II) ion is located on an inversion center and is six-coordinated in an octa-hedral environment defined by four N atoms of the pyridine rings and two O atoms of the nitrate anions. The ligands link the Co(II) ions into a linear chain running along [201]. One O atom of the nitrate ligand is disordered over two positions with site-occupancy factors of 0.59 (4) and 0.41 (4).