Dongen Zhang

The potential persistence of zirconium ions (Zr⁴⁺) in environmental and biological systems poses significant risks, underscoring the critical need for rapid, sensitive, and highly selective detection methods. In this study, a Schiff base-type organic fluorescent polymer designated as TFMP-APBIA, was successfully synthesized via a solvothermal method using tris(4-formyl-2-methoxyphenyl) phosphate (TFMP) and 2-(4-aminophenyl)-1H-benzimidazol-5-amine (APBIA) as building blocks. Experimental results demonstrate that TFMP-APBIA functions as a “turn-on” fluorescent probe capable of highly selective recognition of Zr⁴⁺, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 4.7 × 10^-6 M. The polymer exhibits robust solvent adaptability and exceptional acid-base stability, maintaining consistent fluorescence performance across a pH range of 4 - 10. Mechanistic investigations reveal that the fluorescence response to Zr⁴⁺ originates from a synergistic coordination effect involving the phosphate ester and the imine units. Leveraging its high sensitivity, selectivity, and superior anti-interference capabilities, test strips based on TFMP-APBIA were fabricated to enable the visual detection of Zr⁴⁺ in real water samples. Consequently, TFMP-APBIA demonstrates significant potential for the analytical detection of Zr⁴⁺ in environmental matrices, offering new insights for the design of advanced fluorescent sensing materials.

Ferro-alloys have been extensively studied in the field of electrochemical sensing due to their abundant earth reserves and excellent performances. In this work, serials of bimetallic Fe/Co nanoalloy@carbon composites (Fe/Co@C) were successfully prepared using Co-doped MIL-101(Fe) as templates and developed as excellent electrochemical sensors for acetaminophen (AP) detection. It was found that the atomic ratio of Fe/Co in the templates can significantly affect the electrochemical activity of the product. Among the prepared composites, Fe/Co@C-G2 (Fe/Co = 2:1) with high conductivity and large specific surface area presents the best electrochemical sensing performance. Under the optimal conditions, Fe/Co@C-G2 has a high sensitivity of 55.2 [ ]A [ ][ ] [ ], a wide linear range of 0.29-407.15 [ ]M, a low LOD of 0.09 [ ]M, good selectivity, excellent stability, and good repeatability. In addition, Fe/Co@C-G2 can also be used for real sample testing. This work expands the application of Fe/Co@C-based composites in electrochemical sensing.

The majority of current photodegradation experiments utilize high-energy xenon lamps as simulated sunlight, which ignores the changeable weather in nature. In this paper, we synthesize a flower-like Bi₂WO₆/CdS heterojunction via a surfactant assisted one-pot hydrothermal strategy. Owing to the suitable energy level match, an S-scheme charge transfer route is achieved in the composite, which possesses tremendous practical application potential in photocatalytic degradation. In an outdoor environment with cloudy weather, the obtained Bi₂WO₆/CdS S-scheme heterojunction exhibits superior tetracycline decomposition performance, with 67.12% degradation efficiency within 150 min, higher than those of pristine B₂WO₆ (64.15%) and CdS (19.62%). Bi₂WO₆/CdS also presents excellent photocatalytic activity in a large volume of tetracycline solution without magnetic stirring to simulate a motionless wastewater environment. After 4 cycles of the photodegradation test, little loss of tetracycline removal efficiency is observed for Bi₂WO₆/CdS, suggesting its strong durability. Moreover, the Bi₂WO₆/CdS composite also reveals favorable photodegradation ability toward various dye pollutants under real natural sunlight irradiation, with degradation efficiencies of 78.11%, 92.79%, and 95.96% for methyl orange, methylene blue, and rhodamine B after natural light irradiation for 80, 60 and 40 min, respectively. This work could provide a significant impact on the promotion of Bi₂WO₆-based photocatalysts into real-world applications of wastewater treatment.

It is still a challenge to design an efficient and low-cost electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline electrolyte. Herein, ultra-low amount Pt-doped Co₂P/Ni₂P on nickel foam (Pt/Co₂P/Ni₂P/NF) was facilely synthesized via an in situ controlled growth and used as an efficient electrocatalyst for electrolytic water splitting into hydrogen. Pt/Co₂P/Ni₂P/NF was achieved by a two-step procedure that was conducted by the hydrothermal approach to obtain the precursor, followed by a subsequent in situ phosphorization procedure. Due to the NF substrate being supermacroporous, more active sites of Pt/Co₂P/Ni₂P/NF could be exposed, improving electron transport and providing open-channels for the rapid release of H₂. Pt/Co₂P/Ni₂P/NF exhibited remarkable electrocatalytic performance towards HER with an overpotential of 75 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² in an alkaline electrolyte and a small Tafel slope of 64 mV dec⁻¹. This work provided a facile and reliable synthetic approach to improve transition metal phosphides (TMPs) for electrocatalytic HER performance in alkaline electrolytes.

Nonmetal doping is a convenient method to adjust the visible light photocatalytic activity of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄).

In this study, molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) was used as an adsorbent to quickly and efficiently remove Rhodamine B (RhB) from wastewater.

The carbon-based NiS₂ nanorods (NiS₂@C) were prepared by chemical deposition and sulfidation with nickel dimethylglyoximate (Ni(DMG)₂) as the starting agent. The nanorods were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. Structural characterization revealed that NiS₂ existed on the surface of the rod and in the internal channels of the rod. In 0.5[Formula: see text]m H₂SO₄ solution, NiS₂@C has lower onset potential and higher current density than NiS₂. The results suggest that C improves the electrical conductivity of the NiS₂ electrocatalyst, and the carbon film-based rod-like NiS₂ is a more effective nanocomposite of hydrogen evolution.