Phase Separation Derived Core/Shell Structured Cu11V6O26/V2O5 Microspheres: First Synthesis and Excellent Lithium‐Ion Anode Performance with Outstanding Capacity Self‐Restoration

Novel amorphous vanadium oxide coated copper vanadium oxide (Cu₁₁V₆O₂₆/V₂O₅) microspheres with 3D hierarchical architecture have been successfully prepared via a microwave‐assisted solution method and subsequent annealing induced phase separation process. Pure Cu₁₁V₆O₂₆ microspheres without V₂O₅ coating are also obtained by an H₂O₂ solution dissolving treatment. When evaluated as an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), the as‐synthesized hybrid exhibits large reversible capacity, excellent rate capability, and outstanding capacity self‐recovery. Under the condition of high current density of 1 A g^?1, the 3D hierarchical Cu₁₁V₆O₂₆/V₂O₅ hybrid maintains a reversible capacity of ≈1110 mA h g^?1. Combined electrochemical analysis and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy observation during cycling reveals that the amorphous V₂O₅ coating plays an important role on enhancing the electrochemical performances and capacity self‐recovery, which provides an active amorphous protective layer and abundant grain interfaces for efficient inserting and extracting of Li‐ion. As a result, this new copper vanadium oxide hybrid is proposed as a promising anode material for LIBs.     

A Cost‐Efficient Bifunctional Ultrathin Nanosheets Array for Electrochemical Overall Water Splitting

The design of cost‐efficient earth‐abundant catalysts with superior performance for the electrochemical water splitting is highly desirable. Herein, a general strategy for fabricating superior bifunctional water splitting electrodes is reported, where cost‐efficient earth‐abundant ultrathin Ni‐based nanosheets arrays are directly grown on nickel foam (NF). The newly created Ni‐based nanosheets@NF exhibit unique features of ultrathin building block, 3D hierarchical structure, and alloy effect with the optimized Ni₅Fe layered double hydroxide@NF (Ni₅Fe LDH@NF) exhibiting low overpotentials of 210 and 133 mV toward both oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction at 10 mA cm^?2 in alkaline condition, respectively. More significantly, when applying as the bifunctional overall water splitting electrocatalyst, the Ni₅Fe LDH@NF shows an appealing potential of 1.59 V at 10 mA cm^?2 and also superior durability at the very high current density of 50 mA cm^?2.     

Public awareness of the environmental impact and management of carbon dioxide capture,utilization and storage technology: the views of educated people in China

Carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is regarded as an important carbon emissions reduction technology response to climate change. Though some full-chain CCUS pilot projects have operated in China, many barriers exist when stepping up to commercial applications, including significant negative perceptions of the environmental risk of CCUS. Therefore, to tailor constructive training or outreach programs for public acceptance of CCUS in China, a large national survey of public perceptions of CCUS technology was conducted in 2013. The questionnaire contained four themes focusing on people with a tertiary education. Six hundred paper–pencil questionnaires were dispatched to 22 universities/enterprises across 19 provinces and 2 municipalities, with a response rate of 95%. The results show that 91.4% of the participants agreed that the earth was experiencing climate change, and 74.3% were interested in low-carbon technologies, but while 22% had heard of CCUS, although with limited knowledge, only 3.6% had a good understanding of the technology. The results from the second part of the questionnaire show that 80.4% of participants believed that CCUS may help to mitigate the impacts of global warming, but the “Not in My Back Yard” (NIMBY) phenomenon was obvious from the location-based objections to transportation and storage processes. In addition, ten listed CCUS environmental management policies received extensive recognition from the participants, and about half of the participants considered that the related government departments should be responsible for environmental management as a first priority. The survey also indicates that the most trusted sources through which the survey participants obtain CCUS information are academic journals and textbooks, television, radio and newspapers, expert lectures and brochures on CCUS demonstration projects. According to the survey of public awareness of the environmental impact and management of CCUS technology in China, CCUS technology rates well for environmental benefits, but high environmental risk perceptions of CCUS lead to a lower acceptance of this carbon emissions reduction technology.     

Gold immunochromatographic sensor for the rapid detection of twenty-six sulfonamides in foods

A gold immunochromatographic sensor (GICS) was developed for the rapid detection of 26 sulfonamides in honey samples.The sensor was based on a group-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) that can recognize all 26 sulfonamides.Three haptens (hapten 1 with a thiazole ring,hapten 2 with a benzene ring,and hapten 3 with a straight carbon chain) were used for antigen preparation.With hybridoma technology,a group-specific mAb was screened with a 50％ maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) against sulfathizole (STZ) and the other 25 analogues ranging from 0.08 to 90.18 ng/mL.Mono-dispersed gold nanoparticles were conjugated with the mAb to develop the lateral immunochromatographic strip.A labeled antibody concentration of 0.1 μg/mL and a coating antigen concentration of 0.2 μg/mL in the test line were chosen for strip preparation.Under optimized conditions,the visual limits of detection (vLOD) for the concentrations of STZ,sulfamethoxazole,sulfamethizole,sulfadiazine,sulfamerazine,sulfadimethoxine,sulfamonomethoxine,sulfameter,sulfamethoxypyridazine,and sulfachloropyridazine were 5,0.25,0.25,10,5,10,25,2.5,5,0.25,and 10 μg/kg,respectively.Scanner analysis in honey samples revealed good performance for detection of the 26 sulfonamides.Commercial honey samples were tested with the sensor and positive results were confirmed with high-performance liquid chromatography.The proposed strip sensor provides a convenient method for the rapid and reliable determination of sulfonamides pollutants in honey samples.     

Gold nanoparticle-based paper sensor for ultrasensitive and multiple detection of 32 (fluoro)quinolones by one monoclonal antibody

For rapid and simultaneous detection of (fluoro)quinolones, a broadly specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) that recognizes 32 (fluoro)quinolone antibiotics was prepared using a mixture of a norfloxacin derivative and a sarfloxacin derivative as the hapten. An immunochromatographic strip based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was then assembled with goat anti-mouse antibody and antigen (sarfloxacin coupled to ovalbumin), used to form the C line and T line, respectively. This antigen competes with the (fluoro)quinolones in a sample incubated with mAbs labeled with AuNPs. The strip can detect 32 (fluoro)quinolones including oxolinic acid, nalidixic acid, miloxacin, pipemidic acid, piromidic acid, rosoxacin, cinoxacin, norfloxacin, pefloxacin, lomfloxacin, enofloxacin, fleroxacin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, dafloxacin, orbifloxacin, sparfloxacin, gemifloxacin, besifloxacin, balofloxacin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, nadifloxacin, ofloxacin, marbofloxacin, flumequine, pazufloxacin, prulifloxacin, sarafloxacin, difloxacin, trovafloxacin, and tosufloxacin in milk within 10 min with the naked eye. The cut-off values of the strip range from 1 to 100 ng/mL and the limits of detection are 0.1–10 ng/mL. The strip does not cross-react with antibiotics including tetracycline, sulfamethazine, ampicillin, erythromycin, aflatoxin B1, or gentamicin. In short, this immunochromatographic strip is a very useful tool for the primary screening of (fluoro)quinolones in milk.

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Proline-derived in situ synthesis of nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanosheets with encaged Fe2O3@Fe3C nanoparticles for lithium-ion battery anodes

The homogeneous incorporation of heteroatoms into two-dimensional C nanostructures, which leads to an increased chemical reactivity and electrical conductivity as well as enhanced synergistic catalysis as a conductive matrix to disperse and encapsulate active nanocatalysts, is highly attractive and quite challenging. In this study, by using the natural and cheap hydrotropic amino acid proline—which has remarkably high solubility in water and a desirable N content of ~12.2 wt.%—as a C precursor pyrolyzed in the presence of a cubic KCl template, we developed a facile protocol for the large-scale production of N-doped C nanosheets with a hierarchically porous structure in a homogeneous dispersion. With concomitantly encapsulated and evenly spread Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles surrounded by two protective ultrathin layers of inner Fe₃C and outer onion-like C, the resulting N-doped graphitic C nanosheet hybrids (Fe₂O₃@Fe₃C-NGCNs) exhibited a very high Li-storage capacity and excellent rate capability with a reliable and prolonged cycle life. A reversible capacity as high as 857 mAh•g^–1 at a current density of 100 mA•g^–1 was observed even after 100 cycles. The capacity retention at a current density 10 times higher—1,000 mA•g^–1—reached 680 mAh•g^–1, which is 79% of that at 100 mA•g^–1, indicating that the hybrids are promising as anodes for advanced Li-ion batteries. The results highlight the importance of the heteroatomic dopant modification of the NGCNs host with tailored electronic and crystalline structures for competitive Li-storage features.