New Journal of Chemistry最新文献

Correction for ‘Nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations shed light on the timescale of furylfulgide photocyclisation’ by Michał Andrzej Kochman, New J. Chem., 2024, 48, 14327–14335, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3NJ04752K.

Supercapacitors, an innovative energy storage technology, combine the strengths of batteries and capacitors, enabling diverse applications in sectors such as communications, transportation, and aerospace. Porous carbon materials derived from biomass have excellent electrical conductivity, customizable dimensions, high surface area, and robust electrochemical stability, rendering them ideal candidates for supercapacitor electrodes. This research utilized edamame shells as the carbon precursor and KOH as the activating agent to synthesize a series of N/O co-doped porous carbons (ESC-x-800) through a combined pre-carbonization and activation process. This study thoroughly investigated the effect of KOH addition on the morphology, structure, and electrochemical performance of the materials. The result showed that the ESC-3-800 stood out as the top performer, distinguished by its unique self-doping characteristic with N and O atoms and a unique hierarchical porous structure. The ESC-3-800 boasted an impressive specific surface area of 3188.98 m² g⁻¹, coupled with a substantial pore volume of 1.86 cm³ g⁻¹. When evaluated in a three-electrode system, ESC-3-800 demonstrated a remarkable specific capacitance of 301 F g⁻¹, and a capacitance retention rate of 73.1% at a high current density of 20 A g⁻¹. In a two-electrode setup, the ESC-3-800 achieved a notable high energy density of 37.6 W h kg⁻¹ (at a power density of 200 W kg⁻¹) in the 1 M Na₂SO₄ electrolyte. Remarkably, after enduring 12 000 charge–discharge cycles in 6 M KOH, it maintained an impressive 96.68% of its initial capacity (8 A g⁻¹), demonstrating exceptional long-term stability and durability. The straightforward preparation method and outstanding performance of the edamame shell-derived N/O co-doped porous carbon underscore its immense potential for practical applications in supercapacitors.

To reduce the adverse effects of the flammability of epoxy resin (EP), addition of flame-retardants in EP is a common and effective strategy. A 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene 10-oxide (DOPO) derivative, DOPI, has been synthesized by adding the double bond of itaconic acid (ITA) to DOPO, and was utilized for ligand exchange with terephthalic acid in MIL-53(Fe) to obtain the derived material of MIL-53(Fe)-DOPI. A series of blends were prepared by adding different proportions of MIL-53(Fe)-DOPI into EP. The fire resistance and mechanical properties of these blends were assessed. Among them, the 2 wt% MIL-53(Fe)-DOPI/EP blend displays a UL-94 V-1 rating and a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 30.0% for combustion. The peak smoke production rate (p-SPR), peak CO production rate (p-COP) and peak HRR production rate (p-HRR) for combustion are respectively reduced by 26.56%, 41.2% and 39.9% compared to the same parameters for the combustion of pure EP. Based on the analysis of Py-GCMS, TG-FTIR, Raman and FE-SEM, a flame retardancy process has been proposed. Additionally, the tensile strength, flexural strength, flexural modulus and impact strength of a blend containing 3 wt% MIL-53(Fe)-DOPI in EP are respectively increased by 24.3%, 62.0%, 85.2% and 13.8% relative to those for unmodified EP. Therefore, MIL-53(Fe)-DOPI is an outstanding additive that can effectively reduce the formation of the smoke and toxic gas during combustion, at the same time, improving the mechanical properties of EP.

Defect and crystallinity engineering play vital roles in boosting the bulk charge transfer kinetics of polymeric carbon nitride (PCN)-based photoanodes, thereby enhancing their photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. Herein, a PCN-based photoanode with an N-defect structure and improved crystallinity (KPCN) has been developed by an alkali-assisted synthesis method for PEC water splitting. The PEC performance of the KPCN photoanode is notably improved, delivering a photocurrent density of ca. 162 μA cm⁻² at 1.23 V vs. RHE under AM 1.5G illumination, marking a 13.5-fold boost over that of the pristine PCN photoanodes. Detailed analysis indicates that the observed enhancement is chiefly related to the defect and crystallinity-mediated charge transfer of KPCN. Moreover, the enhanced crystallinity and increased π-electron delocalization also contribute to the improved visible light absorption of KPCN. This work draws attention to the combined impact of defects and crystallinity on optimizing charge transfer in PCN photoanodes, offering new methods for designing high-performance PEC water splitting systems.

Herein, we reported three new hydroxyborate crystals, KRbB₅O₈(OH) (I), KRbB₆O₉(OH)₂ (II), and K_3.3Rb_0.7B₁₀O₁₅(OH)₄ (III), synthesized via a high-temperature solution method and hydrothermal method. Among them, I features a short deep-UV cut-off edge (190 nm), a moderate phase-matching second harmonic generation (SHG) response (0.9 × KDP), and an experimental birefringence of 0.025@546.1 nm. Besides, the syntheses, crystal structures, refractive indexes, and thermal properties of I, II, and III were investigated. In addition, the first-principles calculation was conducted to comprehend the relationship between the microstructure and macro optical property of I.

Mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (MONs) are promising drug carriers with excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. In the context of the bacterial infection microenvironment, a hyaluronidase (HAase)/glutathione (GSH) dual-responsive degradable nanoplatform based on MON (ICG/CIP@MON@PEI-HA) has been developed for the multimodal treatment of bacterial infection. In this work, ciprofloxacin (CIP) and indocyanine green (ICG) are physically adsorbed into the MON, polyethyleneimine (PEI) is electrostatically adsorbed onto the MON surface, and hyaluronic acid (HA) is grafted onto the amino groups of PEI via the amide bonds. The overexpression of HAase at bacterial infection sites enables HA shell degradation, and positively charged PEI is exposed, which facilitates nanoparticle binding to negatively charged bacteria. Also, owing to the protonation of amine groups, PEI is swelled in the acidic environment of bacterial infection, which favours drug release. Subsequently, overexpressed GSH breaks the disulfide bonds in the MON, triggering structural degradation that inhibits carrier accumulation and accelerates drug release even further. According to in vitro antibacterial evaluations, the antibacterial effect can be enhanced to 100% when phototherapy and pharmaceutical therapy are combined. In vitro cytotoxicity assays have demonstrated that ICG/CIP@MON@PEI-HA possesses excellent biocompatibility. Therefore, this study offers a potential approach for developing biodegradable nanoplatforms for the combined treatment of bacterial infection.

A bi-functional ionic liquid 1-(benzotriazole-1-methylene)-3-methylimidazole bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate ([BTAMIM][DEHP]) was prepared. It exhibited high activity and selectivity for the esterification of pentaerythritol with caproic acid to pentaerythritol tetra-hexanoate (PETH). Meanwhile, the friction reduction and anti-wear performance of pentaerythritol tetra-hexanoate were improved significantly by [BTAMIM][DEHP].

With the rapid development of the electromagnetic (EMI) industry, EMI pollution has become a serious problem. In this work, the effect of filler content on electromagnetic shielding performance was studied by heat-induced polymerization of acrylamide (AM) and gelatin (Gel) to form double-mesh hydrogel (PAM-Gel), and then, different contents of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were added. Finally, a one-dimensional/two-dimensional (1D/2D) PAM-Gel/CNTs-RGO heterostructured van der Waals hydrogel was prepared by mixing CNTs with RGO. The experimental results showed that compared with PAM-Gel/CNTs hydrogel or PAM-Gel/RGO hydrogel, the mixed PAM-Gel/CNTs-RGO hydrogel showed the best EMI shielding performance. In general, the EMI shielding effect of PAM-Gel/CNTs-RGO-1 : 1 in the X-band with a thickness of 4 mm was as high as 45.14 dB, compressive stress–strain was 18.45 MPa and 95.90%, water content was 75.74%, and conductivity was 1.12 s m⁻¹.

This study investigates the influence of synthesis parameters on the preparation of MoS₂/MoO₃ composites and their adsorption performance for methylene blue (MB) dye removal. The research gap is based on searching for easily obtainable materials with high adsorption capacity. A 2^k factorial design with a central point was employed to optimize the synthesis conditions, focusing on calcination temperature and time. The synthesized materials were characterized, revealing the MoS₂/MoO₃ composition at the calcination temperature of 300 °C, with varying calcination times. In particular, the sample treated at 300 °C for 23 minutes (S-300/23) demonstrated the highest maximum adsorption capacity, reaching 505.1 mg g⁻¹. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics were also evaluated, fitting with Langmuir and pseudo-first-order models, indicating monolayer adsorption and physisorption as the dominant mechanism, respectively. This study highlights the potential of MoS₂/MoO₃ composites as efficient adsorbents for MB dye removal. The optimized synthesis conditions enable the production of this composite adsorbent in a single step under mild conditions. This efficiency and ease of production highlight its potential for further investigation.

The traditional impregnation method for preparing supported catalysts often faces challenges such as particle agglomeration and weak support–metal interactions. This study focuses on utilizing the exsolution method to prepare Fe, Co, and Ni supported catalysts from ABO₃-type perovskites, aiming to overcome these challenges. Experimental results show that LaBO₃ perovskites with different B site metals (B = Fe, Co, Ni) exhibit different metal exsolution kinetics in the ammonia synthesis reaction. LaNiO₃ demonstrates an initial activity of 782.2 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ within the first 2 hours of the reaction, maintaining stability beyond 80 hours. In contrast, LaFeO₃ and LaCoO₃ exhibit prolonged initiation periods for the metal exsolution process, reaching activities of 7873.8 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and 8046.7 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively, after approximately 80 hours. The degree of B-site metal exsolution was investigated using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and Rietveld refinement of XRD data, revealing exsolution rates of 72.03%, 69.3%, and 86.3% for Fe, Co, and Ni, respectively, after 80 hours of reaction. This study not only introduces the exsolution method for ammonia synthesis but also empirically validates several computational predictions, thereby supporting both theoretical and practical research.