Electrochemical growth of tin(II) oxide films: Application in photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

We have investigated the semiconducting and photoelectrochemical properties of SnO films grown potentiostatically on tin substrate. The oxide is characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The anodic process corresponds to the formation of SnO·nH₂O pre-passive layer that is removed upon increasing potential due to surface etching at the metal/oxide interface. SnO films deposited for long durations (>50 mn) are uniform and well adhered; they thicken up to ~50 nm by diffusion-controlled process and the growth follows a direct logarithmic law. The thickness is determined by coulometry and the X-ray diffraction indicates the tetragonal SnO phase (SG: P4/mmm) with a crystallite size of 32 nm. The Mott–Schottky plot is characteristic of n type conductivity with an electrons density of 5.72×10¹⁸ cm⁻³, a flat band potential of −0.09 V_SCE and a depletion width of ~10 nm. The valence band, located at 5.91 eV below, vacuum is made up of hybridized O²⁻:2p Sn²⁺:5s while the conduction band (4.45 eV) derives from Sn²⁺:5p orbital. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measured in the range (10⁻²–10⁵ Hz) shows the contribution of the bulk and grain boundaries. The energy band diagram predicts the photodegradation of methylene blue on SnO films. 67% of the initial concentration (10 mg L⁻¹) disappears after 3 h of exposure to visible light (9 mW cm⁻²) with a quantum yield of 0.072.     

Cr2WO6 nanoparticles prepared by hydrothermal assisted method with selective adsorption properties for methylene blue in water

Cr₂WO₆ nanocrystallites were prepared using a facile hydrothermal assisted process. The microstructures and preferential adsorption performance for methylene blue (MB) of the prepared nanoparticles were investigated using a solid state reaction resulted in Cr₂WO₆ crystallites as a baseline. Their structural information were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer, transmission electron microscopy, N₂–sorption BET surface area, thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimeters. Results show that the Cr₂WO₆ nanocrystallines with ~50 nm in size are achieved by calcination at 650 °C for only 2 h using a hydrothermal product as precursor, while the micrometer sized Cr₂WO₆ crystallites synthesized by the solid state reaction at higher temperature (950 °C) for at least 20 h. For the as-prepared Cr₂WO₆ nanocrystallines, the adsorption performance were tested using methyl orange (MO), Rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB). The adsorption ability was found to be in the order of MB>>RhB>MO owing to electrostatic interactions between the adsorbent and the dye. Results of this study provide a kind of promising alternative adsorbent for color removal from industrial wastewaters.     

三氯化铁分光光度法测定药物中亚甲基二膦酸

通过三氯化铁与亚甲基二膦酸形成络合物，采用分光光度法，建立了注射用亚锡亚甲基二膦酸盐冻干药盒中亚甲基二膦酸含量的测定方法。结果表明，亚甲基二膦酸质量浓度在0.02~0.08 g/L范围内与吸光度A呈良好线性关系，线性回归方程y=14.61x+0.029 7，线性相关系数r=0.999 1。加标回收率为98.8%~102.0%，相对标准偏差为0.97%(n=6)。该方法可用于快速准确地测定注射用亚锡亚甲基二膦酸盐冻干药盒中亚甲基二膦酸的含量。     

Design of data feature-driven 1D/2D convolutional neural networks classifier for recycling black plastic wastes through laser spectroscopy

In this study, two types of convolutional neural network (CNN) classifiers are designed to handle the problem of classifying black plastic wastes. In particular, the black plastic wastes have the property of absorbing laser light coming from spectrometer. Therefore, the classification of black plastic wastes remains still a challenging problem compared to classifying other colored plastic wastes using existing spectroscopy (i.e., NIR). When it comes the classification problem of black plastic wastes, effective classification techniques by the laser spectroscopy of Fourier Transform-Infrared Radiation (FT-IR) with Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) and Raman to analyze the classification problem of black plastic wastes are introduced. Due to the strong ability of extracting spatial features and remarkable performance in image classification, 1D and 2D CNN through data features are designed as classifiers. The technique of chemical peak points selection is considered to reduce data redundancy. Furthermore, through the selection of data features based on the extracted 1D data with peak points is introduced. Experimental results demonstrate that 2DCNN classifier designed with the help of 2D data feature selection as well as 1DCNN classifier shows the best performance compared with other reported methods for classifying black plastic wastes.     

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO NRs with spray coated GO for enhanced photocatalytic activity

Zinc oxide nanorods, ZnO NRs, were synthesized on a clean glass and coated with graphene oxide (GO) using spray coating method to enhance the photocatalytic activity in wastewater treatment. The ZnO NRs were synthesized using the solution process synthesis that was optimized using Taguchi method. Several synthesis parameters have been optimized and studied to determine the best synthesis parameter to grow ZnO NRs for the photodegradation of organic contaminants. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with EDX, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, ultraviolet visible near-infrared (UV-VIS-NIR), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies were used to investigate the structural and optical properties of the produced nanorods. FESEM images revealed the vertical growth of ZnO NRs as well as layers of GO covering the ZnO NRs' top surface. The Raman study demonstrates the combination peak of GO and ZnO, hence proving the GO layer's successful coating. After the GO coating, decrease in the bandgap of the synthesized photocatalyst was detected by PL and UV–Vis absorption measurements. Under UVC exposure with treatment time of 6 h, the degradation of MB with ZnO NRs/GO photocatalyst reached a degradation percentage of 97.86%, which is greater than the degradation percentage achieved using pristine ZnO NRs, which is 93.28%. The results validated that the coating of GO enhances the photocatalytic activity of the host material, ZnO NRs.     

A century of gray: A genomic locus found in 2 distinct Pseudomonas spp. is associated with historical and contemporary color defects in dairy products worldwide

Some gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas spp., can grow at refrigeration temperatures and cause flavor, odor, and texture defects in fluid milk. Historical and modern cases exist of gray and blue color defects in fluid milk due to Pseudomonas, and several recent reports have detailed fresh cheese spoilage associated with blue-pigment-forming Pseudomonas. Our goal was to investigate the genomes of pigmented Pseudomonas isolates responsible for historical and modern pigmented spoilage of dairy products in the United States to determine the genetic basis of pigment-forming phenotypes. We performed whole genome sequencing of 9 Pseudomonas isolates: 3 from recent incidents of gray-pigmented fluid milk (Pseudomonas fluorescens group), 1 from blue-pigmented cheese (P. fluorescens group), 2 from a historical blue milk spoilage incident (Pseudomonas putida group), and 3 with no evidence for blue or gray pigment formation (2 from P. fluorescens group and 1 from Pseudomonas chlororaphis group). All 6 isolates collected from products with a gray or blue pigment defect were confirmed to produce pigment using potato dextrose agar or pasteurized milk. A subset of 2 isolates was selected for inoculation into milk and onto the surface of a model cheese for subsequent color measurement. These isolates produced different colors on potato dextrose agar, but produced nearly identical color defects in milk and on model cheese. For the same subset of 2 isolates, the gray color defect in milk was produced only in containers with ample headspace and not in full containers, suggesting that oxygen is vital for pigment formation. This work also demonstrated that a Pseudomonas isolate from cheese can produce a pigment defect in milk, and vice versa. Comparative genomics identified an accessory locus encoding tryptophan biosynthesis genes that was present in all isolates that produced gray or blue pigment under laboratory conditions and was only previously reported in 2 P. fluorescens isolates responsible for blue mozzarella in Italy. Because this locus was found in genetically distant isolates belonging to different Pseudomonas species groups, it may have been acquired via horizontal gene transfer. These data suggest that several past and present gray- or blue-pigmented dairy spoilage events share a common genetic etiology that transcends species-level identification and merits further investigation to determine mechanistic details and modes of prevention.     

Adsorption efficiency and photocatalytic activity of fly ash-based geopolymer foam mortar

Fly ash-based geopolymer foam mortar (GFM) was used as an adsorbent material to methylene blue (MB) and also the dye removal material using the photocatalytic mechanism. The GFM, containing 50 wt% river sand aggregate, was prepared to have approximately 46% open porosity, pore size distribution between 0.01 and 3.5 mm, and water permeability of 0.2 cm/s. The variation of adsorption efficiency and adsorption capacity with the contact time of the GFM was first evaluated using various GFM dosages (10, 20, 50, 80, and 100 g/L). The adsorption efficiency at equilibrium (AE_e) was found to linearly increase, while adsorption capacity (q_ae) exponentially decayed, with an increase of loading dosages. The photocatalytic removal efficiency of ~100% was obtained with 50, 80, and 100 g/L GFM loading dosages, with a shorter time at higher dosages. The GFM could be reused, without regeneration, for 5 cycles. The AE_e and q_ae for each reused cycle did not noticeably change suggesting the reusability. The photocatalytic removal efficiency, however, was found to decrease with an increase of the reused cycle. After the 5^th cycle, the highest removal efficiency was reduced to ~70%. The attempts to treat the GFMs with hydrochloric (HCl) and phosphoric (H₃PO₄) acid to reduce the excess alkaline did not give satisfactory results as expected. The photocatalytic removal efficiency had subsided after the treatment with both acids.     

新造珠江大桥主梁0#块施工技术

本文介绍了广州新造珠江大桥的主梁0#块施工情况，针对0#块分支架、挂篮施工相结合的施工方法做出了主要阐述，突出了其与传统施工方法的差异，强调了临时索、挂篮提前应用的先进性和优势，希望对以后类似的斜拉桥主梁0#块施工提供借鉴。     

Cloud Point Extraction and Spectrophotometric Determination of Sulfide in Water Samples using Ethylene Blue Formation Reaction

Abstract

A rapid, selective, and sensitive cloud point extraction process using mixed micelle of a nonionic surfactant, Triton X-114, and an anionic surfactant, SDS, to extract sulfide from aqueous solutions was investigated. The method is based on the color reaction of sulfide with N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPD) in the presence of suitable oxidizing reagent (Fe³⁺) in acid media and cloud point extraction of ethylene blue (EB) dye. Various factors and optimal extraction and reaction conditions like: acid, Fe³⁺, reagent, and surfactant concentration were studied and the analytical characteristics of the method (e.g., limit of detection, linear range, RSD%) were obtained. Linearity was obeyed in the range of 1–100 ng mL^?1 of sulfide ion. The detection limit of the method is 0.5 ng mL^?1 of sulfide ion. The interference effect of some anions, cations, and neutral species was also tested. The method was applied to the determination of sulfide in spring, river, and waste water samples.