Publications

An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.

Searching for inexpensive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts with high activity has attracted considerable research interest in the past years. Reported herein is the topotactic fabrication of self-supported Cu3 P nanowire arrays on commercial porous copper foam (Cu3 P NW/CF) from its Cu(OH)2 NW/CF precursor by a low-temperature phosphidation reaction. Remarkably, as an integrated three-dimensional hydrogen-evolving cathode operating in acidic electrolytes, Cu3 P NW/CF maintains its activity for at least 25 hours and exhibits an onset overpotential of 62 mV, a Tafel slope of 67 mV dec(-1) , and a Faradaic efficiency close to 100 %. Catalytic current density can approach 10 mA cm(-2) at an overpotential of 143 mV.

In this letter, we report on the use of a cobalt phosphide nanowall array on conductive carbon cloth (CoP NA/CC) as an efficient catalyst electrode for methanol electro-oxidation under alkaline conditions. This CoP NA/CC achieves a current density of 96 mA cm(-2) toward 0.5 M methanol at 0.5 V (versus a saturated calomel electrode (SCE)) in 1 M KOH. Moreover, this electrode exhibits superior stability and 93% of the initial anodic current density can be retained after 1000 cyclic voltammetry cycles when re-measured in new electrolyte.

Biochar, as a cost-efficient adsorbent, is of major interest in the removal of heavy metals from wastewater. Herein, batch experiments were conducted to investigate the performance of biochar derived from rice straw for the removal of Ni(II) as a function of various environmental conditions. The results showed that Ni(II) sorption was strongly dependent on pH but independent of ionic strength and the effects of electrolyte ions could be negligible over the whole pH range. Ionic exchange and inner-sphere surface complexation dominated the sorption of Ni(II). Humic/fulvic acids clearly enhanced the Ni(II) sorption at pH <7.2 but inhibited the sorption at pH >7.2. The sorption reached equilibrium within 10 hours, and the kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order rate model. Any of the Langmuir, Freundlich, or Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models could describe the sorption well, but the Langmuir model described it best. The maximum sorption capacity calculated from the Langmuir model was 0.257 m·mol/g. The thermodynamic parameters suggested that Ni(II) sorption was a spontaneous and endothermic process and was enhanced at high temperature. The results of this work indicate that biochar derived from rice straw may be a valuable bio-sorbent for Ni(II) in aqueous solutions, but it still requires further modification.

An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.