Catalytic degradation of toxic organic dye using an aluminum-doped Cu0.4Zn0.6-xAlxFe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6) spinel ferrite in a photo-Fenton system

Catalytic activity of spinel ferrite in breaking down toxic dye materials are promising due to their uniqueness. In this study, aluminum-doped copper zinc ferrite, Cu_0.4Zn_0.6-xAl_xFe₂O₄ (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6), a catalyst for toxic dye degradation is synthesized through chemical co-precipitation route. The formation of the spinel ferrite catalyst is initially confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectra, which shows the frequency of metal-oxygen bond vibration at 539 and 427 cm⁻¹ attributed to the tetrahedral and octahedral sites respectively. Higher intensity sharp peak of X-ray diffraction for (311) plane is the evidence for the phase purity and the formation of spinel ferrite. The crystallite size is found to decrease with the increase of Al³⁺ ion. The surface structure of the obtained particles is investigated using a scanning electron microscope. Analyses of the material's magnetic characteristics using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) revealed that it is, in fact, a soft magnet, as evidenced by the loop of its hysteresis, which is narrow. The catalytic degradation of methylene blue dye under the mechanism of the photo-Fenton process is studied with the obtained spinel ferrites and the result is found to be as high as 96.5%. The process follows pseudo-second order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm.     

Feasibility of honeycomb monolith supported sugar catalyst to produce biodiesel from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD)

Carbon coated monolith was prepared by sucrose solution 65 wt.% via dip-coating method. Sulfonation of incomplete carbonized carbon coated monolith was carried out in order to synthesize solid acid catalyst. The textural structure characteristics of the solid acid catalyst demonstrated a low surface area and pore volume. Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), a by-product of palm oil refineries, was utilized as oil source in biodiesel production. The esterification reaction subjected to different reaction conditions was performed by using the sulfonated carbon coated monolith as heterogeneous catalyst. The sulfonation process had been performed by using vapour of concentrated H₂SO₄ that was much easier and efficient than liquid phase sulfonation. Total acidity value of carbon coated monolith was measured for unsulfonated sample (0.5 mmol/g) and sulfonated sample (4.2 mmol/g). The effect of methanol/oil ratio, catalyst amount and reaction time were examined. The maximum methyl ester content was 89% at the optimum condition, i.e. methanol/oil molar ratio (15:1), catalyst amount (2.5 wt.% with respect to PFAD), reaction time (240 min) and temperature 80 °C. The sugar catalyst supported on the honeycomb monolith showed comparable reactivity compared with the sugar catalyst powder. However, the catalyst reusability studies showed decrease in FFA% conversion from 95.3% to 68.8% after four cycles as well as the total acidity of catalyst dropped from the value 4.2 to 3.1 mmol/g during these cycles. This might be likely due to the leaching out of SO₃H group from the sulfonated carbon coated monolith surface. The leaching of active species reached a plateau state after fourth cycle.     

Effect of graphene oxide exposure on intestinal Wnt signaling in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Exposure to engineered nanomaterials(ENMs), such as graphene oxide(GO), can potentially induce the response of various molecular signaling pathways, which can mediate the protective function or the toxicity induction.Wnt signaling pathway is conserved evolutionarily in organisms.Using Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo assay model, we investigated the effect of GO exposure on intestinal Wnt signaling.In the intestine, GO exposure dysregulated Frizzled receptor MOM-5, Disheveled protein DSH-2, GSK-3(a component of APC complex), and two β-catenin proteins(BAR-1 and HMP-2), which mediated the induction of GO toxicity.In GO exposed nematodes, a Hox protein EGL-5 acted as a downstream target of BAR-1, and fatty acid transport ACS-22 acted as a downstream target of HMP-2.Functional analysis on HMP-2 and ACS-22 suggested that the dysregulation of these two proteins provides an important basis for the observed deficit in functional state of intestinal barrier.Our results imply the association of dysregulation in physiological and functional states of intestinal barrier with toxicity induction of GO in organisms.     

Fast and efficient aqueous arsenic removal by functionalized MIL-100(Fe)/rGO/δ-MnO2 ternary composites: Adsorption performance and mechanism

Because of its significant toxicological effects on the environment and human health,arsenic(As) is a major global issue.In this study,an Fe-based metal-organic framework(MOF)(Materials of Institut Lavoisier:MIL-100(Fe)) which was impregnated with reduced graphene oxide(rGO) by using a simple hydrothermal method and coated with birnessitetype manganese oxide(δ-MnO_2) using the one-pot reaction process(MIL-100(Fe)/rGO/δ-MnO_2 nanocomposites) was synthesized and applied successfully in As removal.The removal efficiency was rapid,the equilibrium was achieved in 40 min and 120 min for As(Ⅲ) and As(Ⅴ),respectively,at a level of 5 mg/L.The maximum adsorption capacities of As(Ⅲ) and As(Ⅴ) at pH 2 were 192.67 mg/g and 162.07 mg/g,respectively.The adsorbent revealed high stability in pH range 2-9 and saturated adsorbent can be fully regenerated at least five runs.The adsorption process can be described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir monolayer adsorption.The adsorption mechanisms consisted of electrostatic interaction,oxidation and inner sphere surface complexation.     

Density functional theory (DFT) studies of vanadium-titanium based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts

Based on density functional theory (DFT) and basic structure models, the chemical reactions on the surface of vanadium-titanium based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) denitrification catalysts were summarized. Reasonable structural models (non-periodic and periodic structural models) are the basis of density functional calculations. A periodic structure model was more appropriate to represent the catalyst surface, and its theoretical calculation results were more comparable with the experimental results than a non-periodic model. It is generally believed that the SCR mechanism where NH₃ and NO react to produce N₂ and H₂O follows an Eley-Rideal type mechanism. NH₂NO was found to be an important intermediate in the SCR reaction, with multiple production routes. Simultaneously, the effects of H₂O, SO₂ and metal on SCR catalysts were also summarized.     

Effects of calcination temperature on physicochemical property and activity of CuSO4/TiO2 ammonia-selective catalytic reduction catalysts

CuSO_4/TiO_2 catalysts with high catalytic activity and excellent resistant to SO_2 and H_2 O,were thought to be promising catalysts used in Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides by NH_3.The performance of catalysts is largely affected by calcination temperature.Here,effects of calcination temperature on physicochemical property and catalytic activity of CuSO_4/TiO_2 catalysts were investigated in depth.Catalyst samples calcined at different temperatures were prepared first and then physicochemical properties of the catalyst were characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption,X-ray diffraction,thermogravimetric analysis,Raman spectra,Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,temperature-pro grammed desorption of NH_3,temperature-programmed reduction of H_2 and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy.Results revealed that high calcination temperature had three main effects on the catalyst.First,sintering and anatase transform into rutile with increase of calcination temperature,causing a decrement of specific surface area.Second,decomposition of CuSO_4 under higher calcination temperature,resulting in disappears of Br(?)nsted acid sites(S-OH),which had an adverse effect on surface acidity.Third,CuO from the decomposition of CuSO_4 changed surface reducibility of the catalyst and favored the process of NH_3 oxidation to nitrogen oxides(NO_x).Thus,catalytic activity of the catalyst calcined under high temperatures(≥600℃) decreased largely.     

磁性氧化石墨处理乳化含油废水及磁致增强效应

以高铁酸钾为氧化剂,基于改进Hummers法制备了新型磁性氧化石墨材料,在SEM、FTIR、氮气吸脱附和表面接触角表征基础上,探究了该材料处理乳化含油废水的效果及磁致增强效应.结果表明：相较于石墨,磁性氧化石墨比表面积增大,表面有卷曲结构并负载着Fe₃O₄颗粒,具有含氧官能团,存在疏水性较强的微观孔隙结构.在外加磁场条件下,磁性氧化石墨团聚,形成疏水性宏观孔隙结构,利于乳化油滴的吸附和附着.磁性氧化石墨处理乳化含油废水的能力远好于石墨与粉末活性炭,且处理效率与磁场强度成正相关,COD去除率可达95%以上.使用后的磁性氧化石墨进行溶剂萃取或热处理,可以循环使用.磁性氧化石墨经过4次循环使用,热再生效率为92%,溶剂萃取再生效率为86%.以上研究为乳化含油废水的处理提供了一种有效的方法.     

中国报废汽车中铂族金属回收潜力估算

基于Gompertz模型预测中国2018~2050年民用汽车的社会保有量;在此基础上,采用物质流分析方法估算得出我国汽车高峰报废年限大约为9a.然后,通过市场供给A模型预测我国2018~2025年汽车报废量,结果显示,我国汽车报废量到2025年将达到2535.05万辆,并且地理空间分布极不均衡.基于上述汽车报废量的时空分布,测算不同技术发展情景下废汽车三元催化剂中的铂族金属回收潜力和需求量.结果显示：如果按照当前催化剂消耗水平,全国铂族金属的需求量均在2019年达到峰值,铂钯铑分别达到4.57,65.70,7.92t,有望实现行业内闭环供应;如果以欧盟汽车尾气治理标准为目标,而现有汽车技术不发生根本变化,需求量将大幅增加,铂钯铑分别在2020年达到峰值85.01,109.38,8.37t,存在严重的供需矛盾.为此,建议在汽车生产者责任延伸制度中,关注废催化剂的回收和再生利用,以促进前端生产环节在不同技术选择中考虑稀贵金属的供给限制.     

氮掺杂二氧化钛负载钒磷氧催化氧化NO的实验研究

以VPO为活性组分,N掺杂TiO 2为载体,采用浸渍法制备了VPO/TiN催化剂,基于单因素实验研究了其对NO的选择性催化氧化(SCO)性能以及抗硫抗水性能。研究表明:当P/V为1/5、N/Ti为1、活性组分负载量为10%、焙烧温度为350℃时,催化剂的SCO活性最好,NO氧化率达到61%;光致发光光谱(PL)表征显示N掺杂TiO 2在催化剂表面形成的氧空位可增强催化剂对O 2的吸附;VPO/TiN催化剂抗硫抗水性能较强,反应后的催化剂表面未发现硫酸根的特征峰,水蒸气主要通过与NO竞争吸附占据活性位点来抑制催化剂的SCO活性。     

预磁化强化ZnO@Fe3O4活化PMS降解AO7

为了研究预磁化对ZnO@Fe_3O_4活化过一硫酸盐(PMS)去除水中酸性橙7(AO7)性能的影响,考察了预磁化强度、ZnO@Fe_3O_4投量、PMS投量及初始pH对Mag-ZnO@Fe_3O_4/PMS体系降解AO7效果的影响.结果表明,当预磁化强度由0 T逐渐增大至2 T时,催化剂去除AO7的表观速率常数由0.0463 min~(-1)逐渐增大至0.1832 min~(-1),反应速率提高倍数达到1.4～4.0倍; Mag-ZnO@Fe_3O_4和PMS投量的增加对AO7的去除率均有提升效果,在最优条件下反应20 min后AO7的去除率达92%;体系初始pH对AO7降解有显著影响, pH为6～8条件下有利于Mag-ZnO@Fe_3O_4催化PMS氧化反应的进行.通过投加不同种类的猝灭剂,证实了AO7的降解主要是各种自由基共同作用的结果.经过预磁化处理后的催化剂产生感应磁场,从而影响了反应体系中自由基的复合概率,使得污染物被自由基氧化的速率提高.