A Zn(II)-based fluorescent metal-organic framework (MOF) was synthesized and applied as a highly sensitive and quickly responsive chemical sensor for antibiotic detection in simulated wastewater. The fluorescent chemical sensor, denoted FCS-1, exhibited enhanced fluorescence derived from its highly ordered, 3D MOF structure as well as excellent water stability in the practical pH range of simulated antibiotic wastewater (pH = 3.0-9.0). Remarkably, FCS-1 was able to effectively detect a series of sulfonamide antibiotics via photoinduced electron transfer that caused detectable fluorescence quenching, with fairly low detection limits. Two influences impacting measurements related to wastewater treatment and water quality monitoring, the presence of heavy-metal ions and the pH of solutions, were studied in terms of fluorescence quenching, which was nearly unaffected in sulfonamide-antibiotic detection. Additionally, the effective detection of sulfonamide antibiotics was rationalized by the theoretical computation of the energy bands of sulfonamide antibiotics, which revealed a good match between the energy bands of FCS-1 and sulfonamide antibiotics, in connection with fluorescence quenching in this system.

A silica (SiO 2 ) nanofibre confined nickel (Ni) catalyst was successfully synthesized by the electrospinning technique and was then systematically characterized with thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N 2 sorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), temperatureprogrammed oxidation (O 2 -TPO), temperature-programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR) and temperatureprogrammed desorption (CO 2 -TPD) measurements. In the electrospinning synthesized Ni/SiO 2 catalyst, most of the Ni nanoparticles were confined inside SiO 2 nanofibers with an average particle size of 8.1 nm.Compared with the Ni/SiO 2 catalyst conventionally prepared via the incipient impregnation method using commercial SiO 2 powder as the support, the electrospun Ni/SiO 2 catalyst exhibited improved metal dispersion and enhanced metal-support interaction, leading to slightly higher activity and much better stability in the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reforming of methane. Carbon deposition, rather than metal sintering, is identified as the main cause for the deactivation of the Ni/SiO 2 catalyst under current conditions. The present work demonstrates that electrospinning is a potential technique for the fabrication of nanoconfined catalysts with superior catalytic performance and macro-scale handling properties.

Gas bubble manipulations in liquid have long been a concern because of their vital roles in various gas-related fields. To deal with the weakness in long-distance gas transportation of previous works, we took inspiration from the ridgelike structure on Nepenthes pitcher’s peristome and successfully prepared a two-dimensional superaerophilic surface decorated with asymmetric aerophobic barriers capable of unidirectional and long-distance gas bubble delivery. For the first time, this process was investigated by in situ bubble-releasing experiments recorded by a high-speed camera and finite element modeling, which demonstrates a kinetic process regulated by the anisotropic motion resistance arising from the patterns. Furthermore, the Nepenthes alata-inspired two-dimensional surface (NATS) was integrated into a water electrolysis system for H2 directional transportation and efficient collection. As a result, the NATS design was proved to be a potential solution for facile manipulation of gas bubbles and provides a simple, adaptive, and reliable strategy for long-range gas transport underwater.

Herein, an anionic metal-organic framework, formulated as {[Zn3(OH)(bmipia)(H2O)3]4·[Zn(H2O)6.5]2}n (FCS-3), was prepared from zinc ions and semi-rigid carboxylate ligands 5-[N, N-bis(5-methylisophthalic acid)amion] isophthalic acid (H6bmipia) and was employed as a unique...