Jimin Xie

Modifiers-assisted formation of nickel nanoparticles and their catalytic application to p-nitrophenol reduction

Nickel nanoparticles with different sizes and morphologies were prepared with nickel chloride as the source of nickel and hydrazine hydrate as a reductant. Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), polyethylene glycol-10000 (PEG-10000), gelatin and their composites were used as modifiers in this research. The particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The effect of using single modifiers and their composites was investigated. The results revealed that the kind of modifier used had a significant effect on the morphology and size of the Ni nanostructure. The possible formation mechanism of nickel nanoparticles was also investigated. All of the formed nickel nanoparticles showed excellent catalytic activity in the reduction of p-nitrophenol compared to the commercial RANEY® Ni. The catalytic activity of nickel particles prepared in the presence of composite modifiers was higher than nano nickel catalysts prepared in the presence of single modifiers. The magnetic property, possible catalytic mechanism and the possibility of reusability were also investigated.

Facile route fabrication of nano-Ni core mesoporous-silica shell particles with high catalytic activity towards 4-nitrophenol reduction

A facile, environmentally friendly synthetic route was developed to prepare nano-Ni core mesoporous-silica shell particles. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic disodium salt (EDTA) was the chelating agent and thus controlled the nucleation rate of the nano-Ni core. In this work, EDTA was used to regulate the reduction rate of nickel acetate. Thereby, by varying the amount of EDTA utilized in reaction medium, the size of nano-Ni can be readily controlled in the range of 40–80 nm. The mesoporous silica shell was fabricated by the Stober method. The nano-Ni core mesoporous-silica shell particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV spectrophotometry (UV/vis) was used to analyse the growth mechanism of the nano-Ni cores. The as-synthesized nano-Ni core mesoporous silica shell particles were found to show a good catalytic activity towards the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in the presence of an excess amount of NaBH4. The magnetic properties, catalytic mechanism and the possibility of reusability were also investigated.

Natural leaves-assisted synthesis of nitrogen-doped, carbon-rich nanodots-sensitized, Ag-loaded anatase TiO2 square nanosheets with dominant {001} facets and their enhanced catalytic applications

Extending the UV response of anatase TiO2 photocatalysts into the visible light range can play a pivotal role in promoting the practical applications of these catalysts. Nitrogen and carbon co-doped, silver loaded anatase TiO2 (Ag@NC–TiO2) single-crystal nanosheets dominated by {001} facets were prepared for the first time using leaves as the nitrogen and carbon source by a facile, low cost method. The size of the Ag particles on NC–TiO2 nanosheets can be tuned from 1.5 nm to 15 nm using a photo-reduction strategy. The synthesized Ag@NC–TiO2 nanosheets show higher photocatalytic activity in the photodecomposition of organic pollutants compared to NC–TiO2, TiO2 and P25 under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency was ascribed to a synergistic effect between N, C and Ag. In addition, the formed Ag@NC–TiO2 heteronanosheets are highly dispersible in aqueous solution and are capable of efficient catalysis for the reduction of p-nitrophenol. The present synthesis gives a promising method of forming non-metal co-doped, metal nanoparticles (NPs) loaded anatase TiO2 with dominant {001} facets and for broad applications in catalysis and photocatalysis.

In situ synthesis of bimetallic Ag/Pt loaded single-crystalline anatase TiO2 hollow nano-hemispheres and their improved photocatalytic properties

Considering that the reduction of particle size can increase the number of active sites, particle size is accepted to be the key factor in the design of photocatalysts. However, serious agglomeration of nanosized particles may cause not only a decreased surface area but also increase grain boundary recombination. Forming a hollow nano-hemisphere in single crystals with reactive sites could be a good method to overcome this drawback. In this work, we report the synthesis of novel anatase TiO2 hollow nano-hemispheres by using a mixture of CH3COO− and F− as size and morphology controlling co-agents that prevent aggregation and increase the number of active sites. Furthermore, bimetallic Ag/Pt nanoparticles (NPs) are uniformly loaded on both interior and exterior of the nano-hemispheres in situ. The Ag/Pt@TiO2 NPs with improved visible-light-harvesting ability, high charge–hole mobility, and low electron–hole recombination exhibited improved photocatalytic performance in the degradation of rhodamine B/ciprofloxacin (RhB/CIP) and hydrogen generation. The results presented here give a promising way toward the development of delicate bimetal@semiconductor composites for board applications in photocatalysis.

Electrochemical reduction of tartrazine at multi-walled carbon nanotube-modified pyrolytic graphite electrode

Electrochemical reduction of tartrazine on multi-walled carbon nanotube-modied pyrolytic graphite electrode is investigated. A simple, sensitive and inexpensive method for determination of tartrazine in drinks is proposed. The accuracy and reproducibility of the determination method for various known amounts of tartrazine were evaluated. This method was satisfactorily applied for the determination of tartrazine in drinks. The reduction peak currents were proportional to tartrazine concentrations over two intervals in the range from 2.0 to 70.0 mg l−1 and from 70.0 to 230.0 mg l−1, and the detection limit for tartrazine is 0.5 mg l−1.

L-cysteine-assisted synthesis of hierarchical NiS2 hollow spheres supported carbon nitride as photocatalysts with enhanced lifetime

Novel hierarchical NiS2 hollow spheres modified by graphite-like carbon nitride were prepared using a facile L-cysteine-assisted solvothermal route. The NiS2/g-C3N4 composites exhibited excellent photocatalytic efficiency in rhodamine B, methyl orange and ciprofloxacin degradation as compared to single g-C3N4 and NiS2, which could be due to the synergistic effects of the unique hollow sphere-like structure, strong visible-light absorption and increased separation rate of the photoinduced electron-hole pairs at the intimate interface of heterojunctions. A suitable combination of g-C3N4 with NiS2 showed the best photocatalytic performance. In addition, an electron spin resonance and trapping experiment demonstrated that the photogenerated hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals were the two main photoactive species in photocatalysis. A possible photocatalytic mechanism of NiS2/g-C3N4 composites under visible light irradiation is also proposed. The strategy presented here can be extended to a general strategy for constructing 3D/2D heterostructured photocatalysts for broad applications in photocatalysis.

Study on the oxidation form of adenine in phosphate buffer solution

The oxidation of adenine in phosphate buffer solution is investigated using square-wave voltammetry and in situ UV spectroelectrochemistry. The geometry of adenine and the derivatives optimized at DFTB3LYP-6-31G (d, p)-PCM level is in agreement with the crystal structure, and the imitated UV spectra of adenine and the product at electrode are consistent with the in situ UV spectra. The relationship between the electrochemical property and the molecular structure is also discussed. The experimental and theoretical results show that the adenine oxidation origins from the neutral adenine.

Synthesis and theoretical studies on the vibration of a novel (3,4-disfluoro)phenylquione

A novel (3,4-disfluoro)phenylquione (2F-PQ) was synthesized through the reaction of 3,4-Difluoroaniline and 1,4-benzoquinone. Its structure was verified by (1)H NMR, FTIR and Raman spectra. The ground-state geometries were optimized by using density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP/6-311G+(d,p), B3PW91/6-311G+(d,p) and MPB3PW91/6-311G+(d,p) level without symmetry constrains, respectively. The predicted FTIR and Raman spectra scaled by factor are well consistent with experimental spectra.

Theoretical and experimental studies of the electrochemistry of p-aminophenol on a golden electrode

The geometric parameters, vibrational frequencies, and thermochemical values of p-quinonimine (p-AQ) and p-aminophenol (p-AP) were computed ab initio (IIF) and by the density functional theory (DFT) method with the 6-31G(d, p) basis set. Cyclic voltammetry with a golden electrode of p-AP solutions in phosphate buffers at pH 7.30 showed that the standard electrode potential of half reaction for p-QI and p-AP was 0.728 V. The standard electrode potentials of half reactions for p-QI and p-AP were calculated using the free energies and solvation energies of p-QI, p-AP, p-benzoquinone (p-BQ), and hydroquinone (p-HQ). The results showed that the standard electrode potential of half reaction for p-QI and p-AP was 0.743 V at the B3LYP/6-31G(d, p) level and 0.755 V at the HF/6-31G(d, p) level. The standard electrode potentials computed at the B3LYP/6-31G(d, p) and HF/6-31G(d, p) levels were close to their experimental values.