bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Editorial for the Special Issue: “Multispectral Remote Sensing Satellite Data for Mineral and Hydrocarbon Exploration: Big Data Processing and Deep Fusion Learning Techniques”
Authors: Pour Amin Beiranvand , Rahmani Omeid , Parsa Mohammad
Published: January 2023

Using multispectral remote sensing data in cooperation with big data processing and deep fusion learning techniques provides a new approach for mineral and hydrocarbon exploration [...]
Study on the Provenance and Tectonic Setting of Mudstone in the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation of the Yanyuan Basin on the Western Margin of the Yangtze Platform
Authors: Zhang Qian , Zhang Bin , Yu Qian , Men Yupeng , Zhang Haiquan , Kang Jianwei , Cao Junfeng , Zhao Ankun , Zhou Yexin , Feng Xintao
Published: January 2023

This study investigates the provenance and tectonic background of the lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation black shale of the Yanyuan Basin in the western Kangdian ancient land and provides guidance for shale gas exploration and development in the area. The mineral petrological and geochemical characteristics of the Longmaxi Formation black shale in this area have been studied in detail. The study area is mainly a passive continental margin environment, but also has the attributes of an active continental margin and island arc environment due to the collision between the western oceanic crust and the Yangtze continental crust. The source rocks are mainly felsic igneous rocks, with a small contribution of intermediate–basic rocks. It is inferred that the Kangdian ancient land in the eastern part of the area could be the main provenance area, but with the contribution of sediments derived from oceanic island arc located in the west. During the whole Longmaxi period, the tectonic movement was intense, the climate was cold, the degree of chemical weathering was low, and it was a highly volatile geological sedimentary basin. Therefore, the highly siliceous organic-rich mudstone, which was different from the Sichuan Basin, was deposited.
Cd Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using a New Modified Zeolite Adsorbent
Authors: Zhang He , Gao Shuo , Cao Xiaoxu , Lin Jitong , Feng Jingyi , Wang Hui , Pan Hong , Yang Quangang , Lou Yanhong , Zhuge Yuping
Published: January 2023

Water cadmium (Cd) pollution has widely aroused concerns due to high Cd toxicity in water bodies and its serious health risks to humans. Adsorption has been identified as an effective and widely utilized technology for water purification with heavy metal pollution. To develop a newly identified adsorbent of modified zeolite that can easily and effectively purify Cd-polluted water, NaOH modification (JZ), high-temperature modification (HZ), humic acid modification (FZ), Na2S modification (SZ), and ultrasonic modification (CZ) zeolites were developed, and their appearances and adsorption and desorption characteristics were investigated. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of Cd by JZ and SZ were improved by 68.87% and 32.06%, respectively, relative to that by natural zeolite (NZ); however, HZ, FZ, and CZ decreased the adsorption capacity. JZ had a higher adsorption capacity than SZ and could remove 99.90% Cd at an initial concentration of 100 mg/L. The dominant adsorption mechanism of Cd by JZ was the chemisorption of the monolayer. The preferred temperature and pH that enhanced Cd adsorption by JZ were 25–35 °C and 4–8, respectively. With an equilibrium adsorption capacity of 9.37–9.74 mg/g at an initial concentration of 280 mg/L, JZ reached its maximum saturated adsorption capacity; compared with SZ and NZ, the adsorption capacity increase was 27.83–68.81%. The R2 fitted by JZ’s Langmuir model and quasi-second-order dynamics model were both above 0.93. In summary, JZ was recognized as a novel absorbent for Cd-polluted water purification.
Age and Composition of Columbite-Tantalite Group Minerals in the Spodumene Pegmatite from the Chakabeishan Deposit, Northern Tibetan Plateau and Their Implications
Authors: Sun Wenli , Zhao Zhidan , Mo Xuanxue , Wei Chunjing , Dong Guochen , Li Xiaowei , Yuan Wanming , Wang Tao , Yang Shuang , Wang Bingzhang , Pan Tong , Han Jie , Cao Hongliang , Tang Yan , Zhang Liangliang
Published: January 2023

The Chakabeishan (CKBS) deposit is the first pegmatite-type Li-Be deposit discovered in the eastern North Qaidam Tectonic Belt (NQTB) of Tibetan Plateau. The correct understanding of its petrogenesis and the precise determination of its formation age are of great significance for further regional prospecting and the discovery of new economically valuable rare-metal deposits. Therefore, a systematic study of texture, major-element composition, and U-Pb dating of columbite-tantalite group minerals (CGMs) in the spodumene pegmatite dyke from the CKBS deposit was undertaken. Three types of CGMs were identified, including concentric oscillatory ferrocolumbite (CGMs-1), homogeneous ferrocolumbite (CGMs-2), and irregular ferrotantalite (minor manganocolumbite) with abundant early ferrocolumbite replacement remnants (CGMs-3). The zoning patterns and chemical compositions in the CGMs record the complex evolutionary history of their host pegmatite from the magmatic stage (CGMs-1, disequilibrium crystallization) to the magmatic-hydrothermal transition stage (CGMs-2, equilibrium crystallization) and then to the late metasomatic stage (CGMs-3, replacement/re-equilibrium). CGMs U-Pb dating results suggest that the spodumene pegmatite dyke (No.15) emplaced at 230.1 ± 2.6 Ma. Subsequently, it experienced fluid metasomatism at 221 ± 5.3 Ma. Based on the new age data and published geochronological data, it can be concluded that the spodumene pegmatite dykes in the CKBS deposit formed in an oceanic subduction-related setting, representing a new metallogenic event in western China. Except for the CKBS deposit, a large number of rare-metal pegmatite dykes have also been discovered in the eastern NQTB, indicating that the eastern NQTB may be an important potential rare-metal metallogenic belt that should be explored in detail and arouse painstaking attention.
A Novel Si Nanosheet Channel Release Process for the Fabrication of Gate-All-Around Transistors and Its Mechanism Investigation
Authors: Sun Xin , Wang Dawei , Qian Lewen , Liu Tao , Yang Jingwen , Chen Kun , Wang Luyu , Huang Ziqiang , Xu Min , Wang Chen , Wu Chunlei , Xu Saisheng , Zhang David Wei
Published: January 2023

The effect of the source/drain compressive stress on the mechanical stability of stacked Si nanosheets (NS) during the process of channel release has been investigated. The stress of the nanosheets in the stacking direction increased first and then decreased during the process of channel release by technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulation. The finite element simulation showed that the stress caused serious deformation of the nanosheets, which was also confirmed by the experiment. This study proposed a novel channel release process that utilized multi-step etching to remove the sacrificial SiGe layers instead of conventional single-step etching. By gradually releasing the stress of the SiGe layer on the nanosheets, the stress difference in the stacking direction before and after the last step of etching was significantly reduced, thus achieving equally spaced stacked nanosheets. In addition, the plasma-free oxidation treatment was introduced in the multi-step etching process to realize an outstanding selectivity of 168:1 for Si0.7Ge0.3 versus Si. The proposed novel process could realize the channel release of nanosheets with a multi-width from 30 nm to 80 nm with little Si loss, unlocking the full potential of gate-all-around (GAA) technology for digital, analog, and radio-frequency (RF) circuit applications.
Flexible NiRu Systems for CO2 Methanation: From Efficient Catalysts to Advanced Dual-Function Materials
Authors: Merkouri Loukia-Pantzechroula , Martín-Espejo Juan Luis , Bobadilla Luis Francisco , Odriozola José Antonio , Duyar Melis Seher , Reina Tomas Ramirez
Published: January 2023

CO2 emissions in the atmosphere have been increasing rapidly in recent years, causing global warming. CO2 methanation reaction is deemed to be a way to combat these emissions by converting CO2 into synthetic natural gas, i.e., CH4. NiRu/CeAl and NiRu/CeZr both demonstrated favourable activity for CO2 methanation, with NiRu/CeAl approaching equilibrium conversion at 350 °C with 100% CH4 selectivity. Its stability under high space velocity (400 L·g−1·h−1) was also commendable. By adding an adsorbent, potassium, the CO2 adsorption capability of NiRu/CeAl was boosted, allowing it to function as a dual-function material (DFM) for integrated CO2 capture and utilisation, producing 0.264 mol of CH4/kg of sample from captured CO2. Furthermore, time-resolved operando DRIFTS-MS measurements were performed to gain insights into the process mechanism. The obtained results demonstrate that CO2 was captured on basic sites and was also dissociated on metallic sites in such a way that during the reduction step, methane was produced by two different pathways. This study reveals that by adding an adsorbent to the formulation of an effective NiRu methanation catalyst, advanced dual-function materials can be designed.
Assembling Near-Infrared Dye on the Surface of Near-Infrared Silica-Coated Copper Sulphide Plasmonic Nanoparticles
Authors: Dimitriev Oleg , Slominskii Yuri , Giancaspro Mariangela , Rizzi Federica , Depalo Nicoletta , Fanizza Elisabetta , Yoshida Tsukasa
Published: January 2023

Functionalization of colloidal nanoparticles with organic dyes, which absorb photons in complementary spectral ranges, brings a synergistic effect for harvesting additional light energy. Here, we show functionalization of near-infrared (NIR) plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) of bare and amino-group functionalized mesoporous silica-coated copper sulphide (Cu2-xS@MSS and Cu2-xS@MSS-NH2) with specific tricarbocyanine NIR dye possessing sulfonate end groups. The role of specific surface chemistry in dye assembling on the surface of NPs is demonstrated, depending on the organic polar liquids or water used as a dispersant solvent. It is shown that dye binding to the NP surfaces occurs with different efficiency, but mostly in the monomer form in polar organic solvents. Conversely, the aqueous medium leads to different scenarios according to the NP surface chemistry. Predominant formation of the disordered dye monomers occurs on the bare surface of mesoporous silica shell (MSS), whereas the amino-group functionalized MSS accepts dye predominantly in the form of dimers. It is found that the dye–NP interaction overcomes the dye–dye interaction, leading to disruption of dye J-aggregates in the presence of the NPs. The different organization of the dye molecules on the surface of silica-coated copper sulphide NPs provides tuning of their specific functional properties, such as hot-band absorption and photoluminescence.
Facile Construction of Porous ZnMn2O4 Hollow Micro-Rods as Advanced Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Wang Yuyan , Xu Senyang , Zhang Yamin , Hou Linrui , Yuan Changzhou
Published: January 2023

Spinel ZnMn2O4 is considered a promising anode material for high-capacity Li-ion batteries due to their higher theoretical capacity than commercial graphite anode. However, the insufficient cycling and rate properties seriously limit its practical application. In this work, porous ZnMn2O4 hollow micro-rods (ZMO HMRs) are synthesized by a facile co-precipitation method coupled with annealing treatment. On the basis of electrochemical analyses, the as-obtained samples are first characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The influences of different polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) additions on the formation of the hollow rod structure are also discussed. The abundant multi-level pore structure and hollow feature of ZMO HMRs effectively alleviate the volume expansion issue, rendering abundant electroactive sites and thereby guaranteeing convenient Li+ diffusion. Thanks to these striking merits, the ZMO HMRs anode exhibits excellent electrochemical lithium storage performance with a reversible specific capacity of 761 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1, and a long-cycle specific capacity of 529 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 2.0 A g−1 and keep a remarkable rate capability. In addition, the assembled ZMO HMRs-based full cells deliver an excellent rate capacity, and when the current density returns to 0.05 A g−1, the specific capacity can still reach 105 mAh g−1 and remains at 101 mAh g−1 after 70 cycles, maintaining a material-level energy density of approximately 273 Wh kg−1. More significantly, such striking electrochemical performance highlights that porous ZMO HMRs could be a promising anode candidate material for LIBs.
Characterization of Modified Mechanically Activated Cassava Starch Magnetic Porous Microspheres and Its Adsorption for Cd(II) Ions
Authors: Xie Xinling , Zhao Xiaona , Luo Xuan , Zhang Youquan , Qin Zuzeng , Ji Hongbing
Published: January 2023

The magnetic polymer microsphere is a promising adsorbent due to its high adsorption efficiency and good regeneration ability from wastewater. Cassava starch magnetic porous microspheres (AAM-MSMPMs) were synthesized by graft copolymerization in inverse emulsion. Mechanically activated cassava starch (MS) was used to graft skeletons, vinyl monomers [acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM)] as copolymerized unsaturated monomers, methyl methacrylate (MMA) as the dispersing agent, and polyethylene glycol/methanol (PEG2000/MeOH) as the porogen. It was found that the AAM-MSMPM adsorbent is superparamagnetic, the saturation magnetization is 14.9 emu·g–1, and it can be rapidly and directionally separated from Cd(II) ions in aqueous solution. The FTIR indicated that the carboxyl and hydroxyl groups were grafted into MS. The AAM-MSMPM had good speroidization and a uniform size. After the porogen was added, the particle size of the AAM-MSMPM decreased from 19.00 to 7.00 nm, and the specific surface area increased from 7.00 to 35.00 m2·g–1. The pore volume increased from 0.03 to 0.13 cm3·g–1. The AAM-MSMPM exhibited a large specific surface area and provided more adsorption active sites for Cd(II) ions. The maximum adsorption capacity of the AAM-MSMPM for Cd(II) ions was 210.68 mg·g–1, i.e., 81.02% higher than that without porogen. Additionally, the Cd(II) ion adsorption process on the AAM-MSMPM can be described by Langmuir isothermal and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. A chemical reaction dominated the Cd(II) ion adsorption process on the AAM-MSMPM, and chemisorption was the rate-controlling step during the Cd(II) ion adsorption process. The AAM-MSMPM still had excellent stability after five consecutive reuses.
Recent Advances in Reconfigurable Metasurfaces: Principle and Applications
Authors: Zhang Ziyang , Shi Hongyu , Wang Luyi , Chen Juan , Chen Xiaoming , Yi Jianjia , Zhang Anxue , Liu Haiwen
Published: January 2023

Metasurfaces have shown their great capability to manipulate electromagnetic waves. As a new concept, reconfigurable metasurfaces attract researchers’ attention. There are many kinds of reconfigurable components, devices and materials that can be loaded on metasurfaces. When cooperating with reconfigurable structures, dynamic control of the responses of metasurfaces are realized under external excitations, offering new opportunities to manipulate electromagnetic waves dynamically. This review introduces some common methods to design reconfigurable metasurfaces classified by the techniques they use, such as special materials, semiconductor components and mechanical devices. Specifically, this review provides a comparison among all the methods mentioned and discusses their pros and cons. Finally, based on the unsolved problems in the designs and applications, the challenges and possible developments in the future are discussed.
Production of Hybrid Nanocomposites Based on Iron Waste Reinforced with Niobium Carbide/Granite Nanoparticles with Outstanding Strength and Wear Resistance for Use in Industrial Applications
Authors: Issa Shams A. M. , Almutairi Abeer M. , Albalawi Karma , Dakhilallah Ohoud K. , Zakaly Hesham M. H. , Ene Antoaneta , Abulyazied Dalia E. , Ahmed Sahar M. , Youness Rasha A. , Taha Mohammed A.
Published: January 2023

The main objective of this work is to recycle unwanted industrial waste in order to produce innovative nanocomposites with improved mechanical, tribological, and thermal properties for use in various industrial purposes. In this context, powder metallurgy (PM) technique was used to fabricate iron (Fe)/copper (Cu)/niobium carbide (NbC)/granite nanocomposites having outstanding mechanical, wear and thermal properties. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) examinations were used to investigate the particle size, crystal size, and phase composition of the milled samples. Additionally, it was investigated how different volume percentages of the NbC and granite affected the sintered specimens in terms of density, microstructure, mechanical and wear properties, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). According to the findings, the milled powders included particles that were around 55 nm in size and clearly contained agglomerates. The results showed that the addition of 4 vol.% NbC and 8 vol.% granite nanoparticles caused a reduction in the Fe–Cu alloy matrix particle sizes up to 47.8 nm and served as a barrier to the migration of dislocations. In addition, the successive increase in the hybrid concentrations led to a significant decrease in the crystal size of the samples prepared as follows: 29.73, 27.58, 22.69, 19.95 and 15.8 nm. Furthermore, compared with the base Fe–Cu alloy, the nanocomposite having 12 vol.% of hybrid reinforcement demonstrated a significant improvement in the microhardness, ultimate strength, Young’s modulus, longitudinal modulus, shear modulus, bulk modulus, CTE and wear rate by 94.3, 96.4, 61.1, 78.2, 57.1, 73.6, 25.6 and 61.9%, respectively. This indicates that both NbC and granite can actually act as excellent reinforcements in the Fe alloy.
Synthesis and Characterization of Highly Crystalline Bi-Functional Mn-Doped Zn2SiO4 Nanostructures by Low-Cost Sol–Gel Process
Authors: Bharti Dhiraj Kumar , Verma Rajni , Rani Sonam , Agarwal Daksh , Mehra Sonali , Gangwar Amit Kumar , Gupta Bipin Kumar , Singh Nidhi , Srivastava Avanish Kumar
Published: January 2023

Herein, we demonstrate a process for the synthesis of a highly crystalline bi-functional manganese (Mn)-doped zinc silicate (Zn2SiO4) nanostructures using a low-cost sol–gel route followed by solid state reaction method. Structural and morphological characterizations of Mn-doped Zn2SiO4 with variable doping concentration of 0.03, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 wt% were investigated by using X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) techniques. HR-TEM-assisted elemental mapping of the as-grown sample was conducted to confirm the presence of Mn in Zn2SiO4. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra indicated that the Mn-doped Zn2SiO4 nanostructures exhibited strong green emission at 521 nm under 259 nm excitation wavelengths. It was observed that PL intensity increased with the increase of Mn-doping concentration in Zn2SiO4 nanostructures, with no change in emission peak position. Furthermore, magnetism in doped Zn2SiO4 nanostructures was probed by static DC magnetization measurement. The observed photoluminescence and magnetic properties in Mn-doped Zn2SiO4 nanostructures are discussed in terms of structural defect/lattice strain caused by Mn doping and the Jahn–Teller effect. These bi-functional properties of as-synthesized Zn2SiO4 nanostructures provide a new platform for their potential applications towards magneto-optical and spintronic and devices areas.
Magnetic Properties and Microstructure of FePt(BN, X, C) (X = Ag, Re) Films
Authors: Tsai Jai-Lin , Sun Chun-Yu , Lin Jhih-Hong , Huang Yi-Yuan , Tsai He-Ting
Published: January 2023

A sputtered FePt(BN, Re, C) film, here boron nitride (BN), was compared to a reference sample FePt(BN, Ag, C). Intrinsically, these films illustrate a high anisotropy field (Hk) and perpendicular magnetocrystalline anisotropy (Ku),although the reference sample shows a higher value (Hk = 69.5 kOe, Ku = 1.74 × 107 erg/cm3) than the FePt(BN, Re, C) film (Hk = 66.9 kOe, Ku = 1.46 × 107 erg/cm3). However, the small difference in the anisotropy constant (K2/K1) ratio presents a close tendency in the angular dependence of the switching field. Extrinsically, the out-of-plane coercivity for the reference sample is 32 kOe, which is also higher than the FePt(BN, Re, C) film (Hc = 27 kOe), and both films present lower remanence (Mr(parallel)/Mr(perpendicular) = 0.08~0.12), that is, the index for perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The higher perpendicular magnetization for both films was due to highly (001) textured FePt films, which was also evidenced by the tight rocking width of 4.1°/3.0° for (001)/(002) X-ray diffraction peaks, respectively, and high-enough ordering degree. The reference sample was measured to have a higher ordering degree (S = 0.84) than FePt(BN, Re, C) (S = 0.63). As a result, the Ag segregant shows stronger ability to promote the ordering of the FePt film; however, the FePt(BN, Re, C) film still has comparable magnetic properties without Ag doping. From the surface and elemental composition analysis, the metallic Re atoms found in the FePt lattice result in a strong spin–orbital coupling between transition metal Fe (3d electron) and heavy metals (Re, Pt) (5d electron) and we conducted high magnetocrystalline anisotropy (Ku). Above is the explanation that the lower-ordered FePt(BN, Re, C) film still has high-enough Ku and out-of-plane Hc. Regarding the microstructure, both the reference sample and FePt(BN, Re, C) show granular structure and columnar grains, and the respective average grain size and distributions are 6.60 nm (12.5%) and 11.2 nm (15.9%). The average widths of the grain boundaries and the aspect ratio of the columnar grain height are 2.05 nm, 1.00 nm, 2.35 nm, and 1.70 nm, respectively.
Preparation of MnO2-Carbon Materials and Their Applications in Photocatalytic Water Treatment
Authors: Fan Kun , Chen Qing , Zhao Jian , Liu Yue
Published: January 2023

Water pollution is one of the most important problems in the field of environmental protection in the whole world, and organic pollution is a critical one for wastewater pollution problems. How to solve the problem effectively has triggered a common concern in the area of environmental protection nowadays. Around this problem, scientists have carried out a lot of research; due to the advantages of high efficiency, a lack of secondary pollution, and low cost, photocatalytic technology has attracted more and more attention. In the past, MnO2 was seldom used in the field of water pollution treatment due to its easy agglomeration and low catalytic activity at low temperatures. With the development of carbon materials, it was found that the composite of carbon materials and MnO2 could overcome the above defects, and the composite had good photocatalytic performance, and the research on the photocatalytic performance of MnO2-carbon materials has gradually become a research hotspot in recent years. This review covers recent progress on MnO2-carbon materials for photocatalytic water treatment. We focus on the preparation methods of MnO2 and different kinds of carbon material composites and the application of composite materials in the removal of phenolic compounds, antibiotics, organic dyes, and heavy metal ions in water. Finally, we present our perspective on the challenges and future research directions of MnO2-carbon materials in the field of environmental applications.
Entropy Generation and Thermal Radiation Analysis of EMHD Jeffrey Nanofluid Flow: Applications in Solar Energy
Authors: Sharma Bhupendra Kumar , Kumar Anup , Gandhi Rishu , Bhatti Muhammad Mubashir , Mishra Nidhish Kumar
Published: January 2023

This article examines the effects of entropy generation, heat transmission, and mass transfer on the flow of Jeffrey fluid under the influence of solar radiation in the presence of copper nanoparticles and gyrotactic microorganisms, with polyvinyl alcohol–water serving as the base fluid. The impact of source terms such as Joule heating, viscous dissipation, and the exponential heat source is analyzed via a nonlinear elongating surface of nonuniform thickness. The development of an efficient numerical model describing the flow and thermal characteristics of a parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC) installed on a solar plate is underway as the use of solar plates in various devices continues to increase. Governing PDEs are first converted into ODEs using a suitable similarity transformation. The resulting higher-order coupled ODEs are converted into a system of first-order ODEs and then solved using the RK 4th-order method with shooting technique. The remarkable impacts of pertinent parameters such as Deborah number, magnetic field parameter, electric field parameter, Grashof number, solutal Grashof number, Prandtl number, Eckert number, exponential heat source parameter, Lewis number, chemical reaction parameter, bioconvection Lewis number, and Peclet number associated with the flow properties are discussed graphically. The increase in the radiation parameter and volume fraction of the nanoparticles enhances the temperature profile. The Bejan number and entropy generation rate increase with the rise in diffusion parameter and bioconvection diffusion parameter. The novelty of the present work is analyzing the entropy generation and solar radiation effects in the presence of motile gyrotactic microorganisms and copper nanoparticles with polyvinyl alcohol–water as the base fluid under the influence of the source terms, such as viscous dissipation, Ohmic heating, exponential heat source, and chemical reaction of the electromagnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) Jeffrey fluid flow. The non-Newtonian nanofluids have proven their great potential for heat transfer processes, which have various applications in cooling microchips, solar energy systems, and thermal energy technologies.
Highly Dispersed Ni on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon for Stable and Selective Hydrogen Generation from Gaseous Formic Acid
Authors: Nishchakova Alina D. , Bulushev Dmitri A. , Trubina Svetlana V. , Stonkus Olga A. , Shubin Yury V. , Asanov Igor P. , Kriventsov Vladimir V. , Okotrub Alexander V. , Bulusheva Lyubov G.
Published: January 2023

Ni supported on N-doped carbon is rarely studied in traditional catalytic reactions. To fill this gap, we compared the structure of 1 and 6 wt% Ni species on porous N-free and N-doped carbon and their efficiency in hydrogen generation from gaseous formic acid. On the N-free carbon support, Ni formed nanoparticles with a mean size of 3.2 nm. N-doped carbon support contained Ni single-atoms stabilized by four pyridinic N atoms (N4-site) and sub-nanosized Ni clusters. Density functional theory calculations confirmed the clustering of Ni when the N4-sites were fully occupied. Kinetic studies revealed the same specific Ni mass-based reaction rate for single-atoms and clusters. The N-doped catalyst with 6 wt% of Ni showed higher selectivity in hydrogen production and did not lose activity as compared to the N-free 6 wt% Ni catalyst. The presented results can be used to develop stable Ni catalysts supported on N-doped carbon for various reactions.
Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Pathways to Photoluminescent Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs)
Authors: Gulati Shikha , Baul Arikta , Amar Anoushka , Wadhwa Rachit , Kumar Sanjay , Varma Rajender S.
Published: January 2023

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs), a new family of photoluminescent 0D NPs, have recently received a lot of attention. They have enormous future potential due to their unique properties, which include low toxicity, high conductivity, and biocompatibility and accordingly can be used as a feasible replacement for conventional materials deployed in various optoelectronic, biomedical, and energy applications. The most recent trends and advancements in the synthesizing and setup of photoluminescent CQDs using environmentally friendly methods are thoroughly discussed in this review. The eco-friendly synthetic processes are emphasized, with a focus on biomass-derived precursors. Modification possibilities for creating newer physicochemical properties among different CQDs are also presented, along with a brief conceptual overview. The extensive amount of writings on them found in the literature explains their exceptional competence in a variety of fields, making these nanomaterials promising alternatives for real-world applications. Furthermore, the benefits, drawbacks, and opportunities for CQDs are discussed, with an emphasis on their future prospects in this emerging research field.
A Porphyrin-Based Covalent Organic Framework as Metal-Free Visible-LED-Light Photocatalyst for One-Pot Tandem Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation/Knoevenagel Condensation
Authors: Oudi Sara , Oveisi Ali Reza , Daliran Saba , Khajeh Mostafa , Dhakshinamoorthy Amarajothi , García Hermenegildo
Published: January 2023

A porphyrin-based covalent organic framework (COF), namely Porph-UOZ-COF (UOZ stands for the University of Zabol), has been designed and prepared via the condensation reaction of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)porphyrin (DHPP) with 1,4-benzenediboronic acid (DBBA), under the solvothermal condition. The solid was characterized by spectroscopic, microscopic, and powder X-ray diffraction techniques. The resultant multifunctional COF revealed an outstanding performance in catalyzing a one-pot tandem selective benzylic C-H photooxygenation/Knoevenagel condensation reaction in the absence of additives or metals under visible-LED-light irradiation. Notably, the catalytic activity of the COF was superior to individual organic counterparts and the COF was both stable and reusable for four consecutive runs. The present approach illustrates the potential of COFs as promising metal-free (photo) catalysts for the development of tandem reactions.
Alkaline Electro-Sorption of Hydrogen Onto Nanoparticles of Pt, Pd, Pt80Pd20 and Cu(OH)2 Obtained by Pulsed Laser Ablation
Authors: Scandurra Antonino , Iacono Valentina , Boscarino Stefano , Scalese Silvia , Grimaldi Maria Grazia , Ruffino Francesco
Published: January 2023

Recently, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media has received a renewed interest both in the fundamental research as well as in practical applications. Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquid (PLAL) has been demonstrated as a very useful technique for the unconventional preparation of nanomaterials with amazing electro-catalyst properties toward HER, compared to those of nanomaterials prepared by conventional methods. In this paper, we compared the electro-sorption properties of hydrogen in alkaline media by Pt, Pd, Pt80Pd20, and Cu(OH)2 nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by PLAL. The NPs were placed onto graphene paper (GP). Noble metal particles have an almost spherical shape, whereas Cu(OH)2 presents a flower-bud-like shape, formed by very thin nanowalls. XPS analyses of Cu(OH)2 are compatible with a high co-ordination of Cu(II) centers by OH and H2O. A thin layer of perfluorosulfone ionomer placed onto the surface of nanoparticles (NPs) enhances their distribution on the surface of graphene paper (GP), thereby improving their electro-catalytic properties. The proposed mechanisms for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on noble metals and Cu(OH)2 are in line with the adsorption energies of H, OH, and H2O on the surfaces of Pt, Pd, and oxidized copper. A significant spillover mechanism was observed for the noble metals when supported by graphene paper. Cu(OH)2 prepared by PLAL shows a competitive efficiency toward HER that is attributed to its high hydrophilicity which, in turn, is due to the high co-ordination of Cu(II) centers in very thin Cu(OH)2 layers by OH- and H2O. We propose the formation of an intermediate complex with water which can reduce the barrier energy of water adsorption and dissociation.
Improving the Ablation Properties of Liquid Silicone Rubber Composites by Incorporating Hexaphenoxycyclotriphosphonitrile
Authors: Zhang Hao , Tian Jinfeng , Yan Liwei , Zhou Shengtai , Liang Mei , Zou Huawei
Published: January 2023

The ablative properties of epoxy-modified vinyl silicone rubber (EMVSR) composites containing hexaphenoxycyclotriphosphonitrile (HPCTP) have been systematically studied. The strength of the ablation char layer was greatly enhanced with the addition of HPCTP, which induced the formation of a more complete, denser, and thicker char during oxyacetylene ablation tests. Moreover, the HPCTP-containing EMVSR composites demonstrated lower thermal conductivity and pyrolysis rate when compared with those without HPTCP. At the same time, the thermal insulation properties of HPCTP-filled composites were improved under low heat flow ablation scenarios. The reduction of graphitic carbon content, the formation of phosphate-like crystals as well as the increase of SiC content contributed to strengthening the char layer, which was critical for improving the ablation properties. The optimum char layer strength and thermal insulation properties were achieved when the content of HPCTP was 15 phr, whereas an optimum ablation resistance was achieved at 25 phr HPCTP. This suggests that HPCTP-modified EMVSR composites can be used for thermal protection purposes, especially in the fields of aerospace and aeronautics.
Fast and Effective Removal of Congo Red by Doped ZnO Nanoparticles
Authors: Sachin Sachin , Pramanik Biplob Kumar , Singh Nahar , Zizhou Rumbidzai , Houshyar Shadi , Cole Ivan , Yin Hong
Published: January 2023

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) show remarkable efficiency in removing various contaminants from aqueous systems. Doping ZnO NPs with a second metal element can dramatically change the physicochemical properties of the pristine nanoparticles. However, there have been limited reports on the absorption of doped ZnO NPs, especially comparing the performance of ZnO NPs with different doping elements. Herein, ZnO NPs were doped with three transitional metals (Co, Fe, and Mn) at a nominal 2 wt.%. The particle surface had a higher dopant concentration than the interior for all NPs, implying the migration of the dopants to the surface. Because doping atoms inhibited grain growth, the doped ZnO NPs had a small particle size and a large surface area. The adsorption performance followed the order of Fe-doped < undoped < Mn-doped < Co-doped ZnO. Co-doped ZnO had an increased surface area and less tendency to agglomerate in an aqueous solution, showing the best adsorption performance. The adsorption of Congo red (CR) on Co-doped ZnO followed the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption process was spontaneous through monolayer chemisorption, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 230 mg/g. Finally, the Co-doped ZnO was successfully incorporated into an alginate membrane by electrospinning. The membrane demonstrated excellent adsorption performance and had great potential as an innovative and low-cost adsorbent (inexpensive raw materials and simple processing) for wastewater purification.
Enhanced Emulsifying Ability of Deoxycholate through Dynamic Interaction with Layered Double Hydroxide
Authors: Xie Jing , Lee Kyounghyoun , Park Hyeonjin , Jung Hyun , Oh Jae-Min
Published: January 2023

The emulsifying ability of the naturally occurring surfactant deoxycholic acid (DCA) was improved by dynamic interaction with nanometric layered particles, layered double hydroxide (LDH). As DCA molecules are rigid due to the facial configuration of hydrophobic–hydrophilic groups, they tend to form molecular aggregation in an acidic condition or imbalanced water–lipid ratios. In this study, the homogeneous hybrids of DCA and LDH were obtained by the in situ growth of LDH at a DCA molecule. The DCA−LDH hybrid successfully prevented the molecular aggregation of DCA at an acidic pH and imbalanced water–to–oil ratio. The dynamic light scattering showed that the hydrodynamic radius of micelle in the emulsion made with DCA−LDH maintained its small size (<500 nm), while upon pH change and dilution with water, that made with DCA only uncontrollably increased up to ~3000 nm. The polydispersity index value of the DCA–LDH emulsion remained constant (<0.3) after the pH change and dilution with water, indicating the high stability of the formulation. Furthermore, time-dependent turbidity monitoring revealed that the DCA-only formulation suffered from serious coalescence and creaming compared with the DCA–LDH formulation. It is suggested that the dynamic interaction between LDH layers and DCA prevented molecular aggregation under unfavorable conditions for the oil–in–water emulsion.
Fine Particle Adsorption Capacity of Volcanic Soil from Southern Kyushu, Japan
Authors: Misawa Naoaki , Yasui Kentaro , Sakai Kentaro , Kobayashi Taichi , Nagahama Hideki , Haraguchi Tomohiro , Sasaki Satomi , Torrung Vetchapitak , Luangtongkum Taradon , Taniguchi Takako , Yamada Kentaro , Minamimagari Makoto , Usami Toshihiro , Kinoshita Hiroyuki
Published: January 2023

“Akahoya” is a volcanic soil classified as a special soil deposited in Kyushu, Japan. Many of its properties are not yet clearly understood. We found that Akahoya had the potential to adsorb bacteria in cattle feces, which prompted us to investigate its material properties and perform experiments to comprehensively evaluate its adsorption performance for various fine particles such as acidic and basic dyes, NOx/SOx gas, and phosphoric acid ions, in addition to bacteria. Akahoya had a very high specific surface area owing to the large number of nanometer-sized pores in its structure; it exhibited a high adsorption capacity for both NO2 and SO2. Regarding the zeta potential of Akahoya, the point of zero charge was approximately pH 7.0. The surface potential had a significant effect on the adsorption of acidic and basic dyes. Akahoya had a very high cation exchange capacity when the sample surface was negatively charged and a high anion exchange capacity when the sample surface was positively charged. Akahoya also exhibited a relatively high adsorption capacity for phosphoric acid because of its high level of Al2O3, and the immersion liquid had a very high Al ion concentration. Finally, filtration tests were performed on Escherichia coli suspension using a column filled with Akahoya or another volcanic soil sample. The results confirmed that the Escherichia coli adhered on the Akahoya sample. The results of the Escherichia coli release test, after the filtration test, suggested that this adhesion to Akahoya could be phosphorus-mediated.
A Federated Learning-Based Approach for Improving Intrusion Detection in Industrial Internet of Things Networks
Authors: Rashid Md Mamunur , Khan Shahriar Usman , Eusufzai Fariha , Redwan Md. Azharuddin , Sabuj Saifur Rahman , Elsharief Mahmoud
Published: January 2023

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of electrical devices that are connected to the Internet wirelessly. This group of devices generates a large amount of data with information about users, which makes the whole system sensitive and prone to malicious attacks eventually. The rapidly growing IoT-connected devices under a centralized ML system could threaten data privacy. The popular centralized machine learning (ML)-assisted approaches are difficult to apply due to their requirement of enormous amounts of data in a central entity. Owing to the growing distribution of data over numerous networks of connected devices, decentralized ML solutions are needed. In this paper, we propose a Federated Learning (FL) method for detecting unwanted intrusions to guarantee the protection of IoT networks. This method ensures privacy and security by federated training of local IoT device data. Local IoT clients share only parameter updates with a central global server, which aggregates them and distributes an improved detection algorithm. After each round of FL training, each of the IoT clients receives an updated model from the global server and trains their local dataset, where IoT devices can keep their own privacy intact while optimizing the overall model. To evaluate the efficiency of the proposed method, we conducted exhaustive experiments on a new dataset named Edge-IIoTset. The performance evaluation demonstrates the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed intrusion detection model by achieving an accuracy (92.49%) close to that offered by the conventional centralized ML models’ accuracy (93.92%) using the FL method.
Thwarting Alzheimer’s Disease through Healthy Lifestyle Habits: Hope for the Future
Authors: Govindugari Vijaya Laxmi , Golla Sowmya , Reddy S. Deepak Mohan , Chunduri Alisha , Nunna Lakshmayya S. V. , Madasu Jahanavi , Shamshabad Vishwanutha , Bandela Mounica , Suryadevara Vidyani
Published: January 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that slowly disintegrates memory and thinking skills. Age is known to be the major risk factor in AD, but there are several nonmodifiable and modifiable causes. The nonmodifiable risk factors such as family history, high cholesterol, head injuries, gender, pollution, and genetic aberrations are reported to expediate disease progression. The modifiable risk factors of AD that may help prevent or delay the onset of AD in liable people, which this review focuses on, includes lifestyle, diet, substance use, lack of physical and mental activity, social life, sleep, among other causes. We also discuss how mitigating underlying conditions such as hearing loss and cardiovascular complications could be beneficial in preventing cognitive decline. As the current medications can only treat the manifestations of AD and not the underlying process, healthy lifestyle choices associated with modifiable factors is the best alternative strategy to combat the disease.
Mediterranean Dietary Patterns Related to Sleep Duration and Sleep-Related Problems among Adolescents: The EHDLA Study
Authors: López-Gil José Francisco , Smith Lee , Victoria-Montesinos Desirée , Gutiérrez-Espinoza Héctor , Tárraga-López Pedro J. , Mesas Arthur Eumann
Published: January 2023

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to examine the association of adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) and its specific components with both sleep duration and sleep-related disorders in a sample of adolescents from the Valle de Ricote (Region of Murcia, Spain). Methods: This cross-sectional study included a sample of 847 Spanish adolescents (55.3% girls) aged 12–17 years. Adherence to the MD was assessed by the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Children and Teenagers. Sleep duration was reported by adolescents for weekdays and weekend days separately. The BEARS (Bedtime problems, Excessive daytime sleepiness, Awakenings during the night, Regularity and duration of sleep, and Sleep-disordered breathing) screening was used to evaluate issues related to sleep, which include difficulties at bedtime, excessive drowsiness during the day, waking up frequently during the night, irregularity, length of sleep, and breathing issues while sleeping. Results: Adolescents who presented a high adherence to the MD were more likely to meet the sleep recommendations (OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.12–2.06, p = 0.008) and less likely to report at least one sleep-related problem (OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.43–0.72, p < 0.001). These findings remained significant after adjusting for sex, age, socioeconomic status, waist circumference, energy intake, physical activity, and sedentary behavior, indicating a significant association of adherence to the MD with sleep outcomes (meeting sleep recommendations: OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.00–1.96, p = 0.050; sleep-related problems: OR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.50–0.92, p = 0.012). Conclusions: Adolescents with high adherence to the MD were more likely to report optimal sleep duration and fewer sleep-related problems. This association was more clearly observed for specific MD components, such as fruits, pulses, fish, having breakfast, dairies, sweets, and baked goods/pastries.
Current Nutritional Therapies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Improving Clinical Remission Rates and Sustainability of Long-Term Dietary Therapies
Authors: Reznikov Elizabeth A. , Suskind David L.
Published: January 2023

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) includes a spectrum of chronic immune-mediated intestinal diseases thought to be related to the complex interaction between the host immune system and the intestinal microbiome. Research supports the use of nutritional therapy in IBD; however, it is not routinely used in clinical practice. This literature review seeks to advance the understanding of diet and its effect in IBD with a focus on both Crohn’s Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). The contribution of diet to the development and treatment of IBD cannot be overstated. In both pediatric as well as adult IBD, nutritional interventions have been shown to improve clinical symptoms as well as inflammatory burden. The impact of dietary intervention is best exemplified through the use of Exclusive Enteral Nutrition (EEN) in CD. EEN and clinical research on exclusionary whole food diets—Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED), Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet, and Mediterranean Diet—are discussed within this review. Current clinical literature supports the elimination of detrimental components and the incorporation of low processed whole foods in the diet. Additional prospective and longitudinal dietary studies on sustainable and long-term dietary options, along with a deeper understanding of the mechanism, are needed to further advance the role of nutritional interventions in IBD.
Differential Gene Expression Pattern of Importin β3 and NS5 in C6/36 Cells Acutely and Persistently Infected with Dengue Virus 2
Authors: Ávila-Ramírez María Leticia , Reyes-Reyes Ana Laura , Avila-Bonilla Rodolfo Gamaliel , Salas-Benito Mariana , Cerecedo Doris , Ramírez-Moreno María Esther , Villagrán-Herrera María Elena , Mercado-Curiel Ricardo Francisco , Salas-Benito Juan Santiago
Published: January 2023

The establishment of persistent dengue virus infection within the cells of the mosquito vector is an essential requirement for viral transmission to a new human host. The mechanisms involved in the establishment and maintenance of persistent infection are not well understood, but it has been suggested that both viral and cellular factors might play an important role. In the present work, we evaluated differential gene expression in Aedes albopictus cells acutely (C6/36-HT) and persistently infected (C6-L) with Dengue virus 2 by cDNA-AFLP. We observed that importin β3 was upregulated in noninfected cells compared with C6-L cells. Using RT-qPCR and plaque assays, we observed that Dengue virus levels in C6-L cells essentially do not vary over time, and peak viral titers in acutely infected cells are observed at 72 and 120 h postinfection. The expression level of importin β3 was higher in acutely infected cells than in persistently infected cells; this correlates with higher levels of NS5 in the nucleus of the cell. The differential pattern of importin β3 expression between acute and persistent infection with Dengue virus 2 could be a mechanism to maintain viral infection over time, reducing the antiviral response of the cell and the viral replicative rate.