In situ synthesis of high-quantum-efficiency and stable bromide-based blue-emitting perovskite nanoplatelets.

We present a facile synthetic approach for the growth of two-dimensional CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets (NPLs) in the temperature range of 50-80 °C via the vacuum-assisted low-temperature (VALT) method. In this method, we utilized the solubility of the PbBr2 precursor at temperatures high than the reaction temperature, thus making Br available during the reaction to form NPLs with fewer defects. The high chemical availability of Br during the reaction changes the growth dynamics and formation of highly crystalline nanoplatelets. Using this method, we have synthesized NPLs with an emission wavelength range of 450 to 485 nm that have high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) from 80 to 100%. The synthesized NPLs retain their initial PLQY of about 80% after one month at ambient conditions. The formation of NPLs with fewer defects and enhanced radiative recombination was further confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), reduced Urbach energy, time-resolved photocurrent measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Additionally, we utilized the synthesized NPLs for the fabrication of down-conversion light emitting diodes (LEDs), and the electroluminescence peak was barely shifted compared to the photoluminescence peak.

A p-n Heterojunction Based Pd/PdO@ZnO Organic Frameworks for High-Sensitivity Room-Temperature Formaldehyde Gas Sensor.

As formaldehyde is an extremely toxic volatile organic pollutant, a highly sensitive and selective gas sensor for low-concentration formaldehyde monitoring is of great importance. Herein, metal-organic framework (MOF) derived Pd/PdO@ZnO porous nanostructures were synthesized through hydrothermal method followed by calcination processes. Specifically, porous Pd/PdO@ZnO nanomaterials with large surfaces were synthesized using MOFs as sacrificial templates. During the calcination procedure, an optimized temperature of 500°C was used to form a stable structure. More importantly, intensive PdO@ZnO inside the material and composite interface provides lots of p-n heterojunction to efficiently manipulate room temperature sensing performance. As the height of the energy barrier at the junction of PdO@ZnO exponentially influences the sensor resistance, the Pd/PdO@ZnO nanomaterials exhibit high sensitivity (38.57% for 100 ppm) at room temperature for 1-ppm formaldehyde with satisfactory selectivity towards (ammonia, acetone, methanol, and IPA). Besides, due to the catalytic effect of Pd and PdO, the adsorption and desorption of the gas molecules are accelerated, and the response and recovery time is as small as 256 and 264 s, respectively. Therefore, this MOF-driven strategy can prepare metal oxide composites with high surface area, well-defined morphology, and satisfactory room-temperature formaldehyde gas sensing performance for indoor air quality control.

Modification of Cellulose Nanocrystals With 2-Carboxyethyl Acrylate in the Presence of Epoxy Resin for Enhancing its Adhesive Properties.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have unparalleled advantages in the preparation of nanocomposites for various applications. However, a major challenge associated with CNCs in nanocomposite preparation is the lack of compatibility with hydrophobic polymers. The hydrophobic modification of CNCs has attracted increasing interest in the modern era standing with long challenges and being environmentally friendly. Here, we synthesized CNCs by using cotton as raw material and then modified them with 2-carboxyethyl acrylate to improve their corresponding mechanical, adhesive, contact angle, and thermal properties. Different concentrations (1-5 wt%) of CNCs were used as modifiers to improve the interfacial adhesion between the reinforced CNCs and E-51 (Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether) epoxy resin system. CNCs offered a better modulus of elasticity, a lower coefficient of energy, and thermal expansion. Compared with the standard sample, the modified CNCs (MCNCs) showed high shear stress, high toughness, efficient degradation, thermal stability, and recycling due to the combined effect of the hyperbranched topological structure of epoxy with good compatibility. The native CNCs lost their hydrophilicity after modification with epoxy, and MCNCs showed good hydrophobic behavior (CA = 105 ± 2°). The findings of this study indicate that modification of CNCs with 2-carboxyethyl acrylate in the presence of epoxy resin and the enhancement of the features would further expand their applications to different sectors.

Biodegradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in highly contaminated soils by natural attenuation and bioaugmentation.

Bioremediation is an emerging and sustainable technique that can either occur naturally or be enhanced by introducing nutrients or bacteria able to degrade specific contaminants. In this study, the efficiencies of natural attenuation with nutrients, and bioaugmentation with nutrients and a consortium of five exogenous bacteria, were evaluated for total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) degradation in five highly contaminated soils from China, and Kuwait. The bioaugmentation treatment exhibited better efficiencies than the natural attenuation, and reached 48.10% of TPH degradation with a half-life of 41.76 d. The addition of exogenous bacteria also increased the removal of TPH in the highest contaminated soil sample. The concentration of TPH in that soil was reduced from 236, 500 mg kg-1 of dry soil to 176, 566 mg kg-1 of dry soil in 40 d, which was equivalent to 25.4% degradation of TPH. The degradation rate (1501.8 mg kg-1d-1 of TPH) was higher than those reported in previous studies with a lower concentration of TPH. The bioaugmented strains could withstand high concentrations of TPH and thrive in five different types of soils. Consequently, these strains can be used to remediate soils that are heavily contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons.