CdS nanowires decorated with ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets were synthesized for the first time by ultrasonic exfoliation by using dimethylformamide as the dispersing agent. An excellent hydrogen evolution rate of 1914 μmol  h(-1) (20 mg catalyst) under visible-light irradiation (λ ≥ 400 nm, ≈ 154 mW cm(-1) ) and an apparent quantum yield of 46.9% at λ=420 nm were achieved over the MoS2 /CdS composite. The presence of ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets (rich in active edge sites) on the CdS surface promotes the separation of photogenerated charge carriers and facilitates the surface processes of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

A green and efficient route for the highly-selective oxidation of saturated alpha-carbon C-H bonds in aromatic alkanes under visible-light irradiation and solvent-free conditions is developed using flower-like Bi2WO6 microspheres as catalysts.

Synthesizing heterostructured nanomaterials of controllable morphologies by an environmentally benign method is an area of frontier research. In the present work, Bi 2 O 3 microtubes and branched Bi 2 O 3 -Bi 2 S 3 composites were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method without the need for using toxic substances as surfactants (templates) or solvents. Single-crystalline Bi 2 S 3 nanorods and nanosheets are controllably grown on the surface of Bi 2 O 3 microtubes. We propose an "etching and re-growth" mechanism for the generation of the Bi 2 O 3 -Bi 2 S 3 composites. Owing to the presence of Bi 2 S 3 and the branched structure, there is great improvement of visible-light absorption ability, and due to the formation of Bi 2 O 3 -Bi 2 S 3 heterojunctions, there is facile separation of photogenerated charge carriers. It is observed that the as-prepared composites show an enhanced photocurrent response and improved photocatalytic activity under visible-light illumination.

BACKGROUND With the aggravation of the greenhouse effect, much attention is given to the capture of CO2 before its emission into the atmosphere. So far, various solid adsorbents have been developed and used. Among them, solid materials modified with organic‐amines are promising on account of good adsorption and desorption performance. In the present work, triethylenetetramine (TETA) modified solid Fe‐Zr adsorbents were synthesized and characterized. The performance of the adsorbents for CO2 adsorption was tested in a stream of 5% CO2. RESULTS The Fe‐Zr support was first synthesized, and TETA was successfully grafted onto its surface. The adsorbents show good thermal stability and CO2 adsorption ability. Increase in the amount of TETA and increased gas flow rate have a positive influence whereas increase of the adsorption temperature has a negative effect on CO2 adsorption capacity. At 200 mg TETA loading and a flow rate of 20 cm3 g−1, the adsorbent achieves a maximum adsorption capacity of 4.1 mmol g−1 at 75 °C. In addition, the adsorbent exhibits excellent reusability and cyclic performance. CONCLUSION Remarkable adsorption capacity and good recyclability suggest that synthesized TETA‐functionalized Fe‐Zr adsorbents have high potential for CO2 capture in industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry

In the past two decades, bio-orthogonal transformations mediated by biocompatible metal catalysts in living systems have shown enormous potential in both synthetic biology and medicinal chemistry. These metal-mediated bio-orthogonal reactions, many of which could not be accomplished by natural enzymes, have created more possibilities in organic chemistry and biological sciences. Despite all of the challenges for making those abiotic catalysts work in complicated biological environments, many catalytic systems working in living systems have been reported, mediating different transformations such as uncaging of fluorescent probes, pro-drug activation, glycan or protein activation, labeling of proteins or cell surfaces, and in situ drug synthesis. This review categorizes and summarizes the recent development of synthetic metal catalysts for bio-orthogonal reactions in living systems within two decades. Ranging from simple metal complexes and macromolecular-scaffold-based catalytic systems to heterogeneous nanomaterial-based systems, we show those catalysts of diverse nature and highlight the strategies for their design and engineering. We analyze and describe the structure−property relationship of those biocompatible metal catalysts and show the importance of structural diversification and optimization for their potential applications. A brief overview of metal-mediated bio-orthogonal reactions for biological applications is also given, and the challenges and opportunities of this field are discussed from a long-term perspective.