Nickel phosphonate MOF as efficient water splitting photocatalyst

A novel microporous two-dimensional(2D)Ni-based phosphonate metal-organic framework(MOF;denoted as IEF-13)has been successfully synthesized by a simple and green hydrothermal method and fully characterized using a combination of experimental and computational techniques.Structure resolution by single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that IEF-13 crystallizes in the triclinic space group Pi having bi-octahedra nickel nodes and a photo/electroactive tritopic phosphonate ligand.Remarkably,this material exhibits coordinatively unsaturated nickel(II)sites,free-P0₃H₂and-P0₃H acidic groups,a C0₂accessible microporosity,and an exceptional thermal and chemical stability.Further,its in-deep optoelectronic characterization evidences a photoresponse suitable for photocatalysis.In this sense,the photocatalytic activity for challenging H₂generation and overall water splitting in absence of any co-catalyst using UV-Vis irradiation and simulated sunlight has been evaluated,constituting the first report for a phosphonate-MOF photocatalyst.IEF-13 is able to produce up to 2,200 fimol of H₂per gram using methanol as sacrificial agent,exhibiting stability,maintaining its crystal structure and allowing its recycling.Even more,170μmol of H₂per gram were produced using IEF-13 as photocatalyst in the absence of any co-catalyst for the overall water splitting,being this reaction limited by the 0₂reduction.The present work opens new avenues for further optimization of the photocatalytic activity in this type of multifunctional materials.     

Energy Recovery in Pressurized Hydraulic Networks

Water Resources Management - This paper aims to evaluate the possibility of using non-utilized hydraulic energy in urban water distribution systems. For this purpose, the viability and possible...     

An effectiveness analysis of altmetrics indices for different levels of artificial intelligence publications

Scientometrics - Altmetrics indices are increasingly applied to measure scholarly influence in recent years because they can reflect the influence of research outputs more timely comparing with...     

Biodegradation of poly(lactic acid)—cassava bagasse composites produced by injection molding

Neat poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and PLA/cassava bagasse (CB) composites were used to produce seedling tubes by extrusion and injection molding. The tubes were buried in simulated soil, and their biodegradation was investigated by weight loss, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). After 180 days, the composites' biodegradation was higher than neat PLA material, and the higher the CB content, the higher the biodegradation, which caused fissures and voids in the material. The biodegradation of PLA/CB composites increased the phosphorus content in the soil after 180 days. Composites of PLA with CB, an abundant agro-industrial residue in Brazil, are promising because they can reduce the environmental impact due to CB's proper destination, and the composites' costs and biodegradation are faster than pure PLA material. Both the faster biodegradation of the tube and the higher P content are advantageous for seedling tubes.