•Hyacinth flower-like WS2 nanorods were successfully synthesized for the first time.•The formation mechanism was proved reasonable and feasible by TEM and EDS.•WS2 nanorods showed good photocatalytic activity in degrading Rh B.Hyacinth flower-like WS2 nanorods were successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. Sodium tungstate and L-cysteine were employed as source materials. The final products were characterized by XRD, XPS, EDS, SEM and TEM. A possible formation mechanism of these novel WS2 nanorods has been proposed. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of WS2 nanorods toward the rhodamine B was also investigated.

Ag3PO4/TiO2 nanosheet (TNS) heterojunction photocatalysts with almost 100% exposed (001) facets were fabricated via a facile in situ growth process. The Ag3PO4/TNS exhibited remarkable photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and it was significantly more recyclable under sunlight compared with Ag3PO4. The RhB degradation efficiency was 99.11% after 50 min of sunlight irradiation, and was 85.8% after three cycles. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism of RhB over the Ag3PO4/TNS heterojunctions is driven by both photogenerated holes (h+) and ·O2− radicals. This efficient and reusable Ag3PO4/TNS heterojunction photocatalyst is not only suitable for fundamental research but also has potential for practical applications in the energy and environmental fields. This study demonstrates that applying morphology engineering to heterojunctions is useful for developing composite photocatalysts with greatly improved properties.

In this study, Ni/Fe bimetallic nanoparticles were prepared by a liquid-phase chemical reduction method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) with image mapping, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The as-prepared Ni/Fe material was applied to remove Cr(VI) via a coupled adsorption/reduction process. It was found that Cr(VI) removal followed pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics. Acidic pH favored the efficient removal of Cr(VI) due to the abundance of reactive H˙ species that were mediated by the Ni catalyst. XPS studies demonstrated that Cr(VI) removal on the surface of the bimetallic nanoparticles was a synergistic adsorption and reduction process. The introduction of nickel to nZVI not only controls iron passivation but also facilitates the efficient flow of electron transfer between iron and Cr(VI), and thus the efficient reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Hydroxylated Cr(OH)3 and co-precipitation of CrxFe1−x(OH)3 were the final products of Cr(VI) removal by the Ni/Fe material.

In this study, the magnetic cellulose nanomaterials, containing magnetic nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) and cellulose, were prepared by a novel reduction method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The XRD and XPS results demonstrated the formation of zerovalent iron nanoparticles in the nanocomposite materials. With a saturation magnetization of 57.2 emu g−1, the cellulose@nZVI composites could be easily separated from solutions in 30 s through the external magnetic field. We investigated the adsorption performance of the magnetic cellulose nanomaterials for As(III) removal from aqueous solutions. The experimental results showed that arsenite adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. A maximum removal of 99.27 % was observed for an initial concentration 10 mg L−1, at pH 8.0, and an adsorbent dose of 1.0 g L−1. Considering the high adsorption capacity, fast adsorption rate, and quick magnetic separation from treated water, the cellulose@nZVI composites were expected to be an efficient magnetic adsorbent for arsenic removal from aqueous solutions.

•An anatase TiO2 with rich hydroxyl groups has been successful synthesized.•With UV light, the increased hydroxyl groups enhance the arsenic adsorption capacity.•The possible mechanism of As(III) adsorption/oxidation on the anatase TiO2 was established.•Under UV illumination, anatase TiO2functions as both a photocatalyst and adsorbent.Adsorption and photo-oxidation using anatase TiO2 is a promising technique for arsenite removal from aqueous solution. However, adsorption and photo-oxidation at the solid/liquid interface of TiO2 in aqueous suspensions is a complex reaction process. In this study, we use a simple and inexpensive synthesis method for this type of TiO2 and assess its arsenite adsorption and photo-oxidation performance. The prepared anatase TiO2 is rich in hydroxyl groups, with a hydroxyl concentration of approximately 12.84 nm−2. Under irradiation with UV light, the adsorption capacity increases and the residual concentration of arsenic in the solution is lower than 10 μg L−1. According to zeta potential, FTIR, and XPS analyses, the hydroxyl groups on the anatase TiO2 surface are responsible for arsenic adsorption. The effect of hydroxyl radicals is investigated through scavenger experiments, the results of which indicate that hydroxyl radicals play a key role in the oxidation of arsenite on anatase TiO2 under UV irradiation. The number of hydroxyl groups on the anatase TiO2 increases upon UV illumination, indicating that these are the photoactive species for arsenic adsorption.

An investigation about the acetylation of cellulose fibers extracted by acidified sodium chlorite and sodium hydroxide from corn straw was undertaken to examine its potential for use as sorbents in oil spill cleanup. The extent of acetylation was measured by weight percent gain (WPG), which increased with the extent of reaction time and reaction temperature. According to WPG and oil sorption capacity of the acetylated cellulose fibers, the optimum acetylated condition for cellulose fibers was at 120 °C for 7 h. As shown by the adsorption kinetic experiments, more than 90% of the diesel oil was absorbed by the acetylated cellulose fibers within the first 5 min and the adsorption kinetic was consistent with the simulated-second-order model. Characterization of the acetylated and unmodified cellulose fibers was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and contact angle analysis. The results showed that the acetylated cellulose fibers were significantly oleophilic and did not get wet with water. Therefore, the acetylated cellulose fibers provided potential for the better utilization of agricultural residues as natural sorbents in oil cleanup.

Zirconyl-molybdopyrophosphate-tributyl phosphate (ZMPP-TBP) was a novel organic-inorganic composite adsorbent prepared by co-precipitation method and used in the adsorption of uranium from aqueous solution in batch adsorption experiments. The as-obtained product was characterized using SEM, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), XRD and BET-N2 adsorption measurements. The study had been conducted to investigate the effects of solution pH, temperature, contact time, initial concentration and coexisting ions. A maximum removal of 99.31% was observed for an initial concentration 5 mg/L, at pH 6.0 and an adsorbent dose of 1.0 g/L. The isothermal data were fitted with both Langmuir and Freundlich equations, but the data fitted the former better than the latter. According to the evaluation using the Langmuir equation, the maximum adsorption capacity of uranium (VI) was 196.08 mg/g at 293 K and pH 6.0. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model were used to describe the kinetic data, and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model was better. The thermodynamic parameter ΔG was calculated, the negative ΔG values of uranium (VI) at different temperature showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous. The good reusability of ZMPP-TBP also indicated that the ZMPP-TBP was a very promising adsorbent for uranium adsorption from aqueous solution.

Inorganic arsenicals, including arsenite (AsIII) and arsenate (AsV), are well-known human carcinogens. Recently, studies have indicated that arsenic triglutathione (As(GS)3) is unstable in an aqueous solution. The present study was designed to evaluate the degradation mechanism of As(GS)3 in an aqueous solution using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS). Based on the fragments obtained from MS2 and MS3, we identified two new compounds: one was an isomer of glutathione (GSH), and the other was a product from the cleavage of the glutamyl of oxidised glutathione (GSSG). The isomerization of GSH resulted in the loss of its function such as detoxification of many reactive metabolites. The formation of the two new compounds affected the ratio of GSH/GSSG, and thus may affect the antioxidant and detoxification of GSH/GSSG in mammalian cells.

The influence of water on protein conformation was investigated by simulating the molecular dynamics of a model protein lysozyme in different water systems. The lysozyme-water system with TIP3P water model and lysozyme-water cluster system with six-ring water model were evaluated. In addition, the radial distribution function of solvent around lysozyme was calculated. It is found that the distribution of water molecules around lysozyme is similar to that of water clusters. The analyses of dihedral angles and disulfide bonds of lysozyme show that the conformation of lysozyme is severely damaged in the lysozyme-water cluster system compared with that in the lysozyme-water system. This difference can be attributed to the formation of larger number of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between lysozyme and water cluster. It is in agreement with the analysis that water clusters can change the degree of denaturation in the process of heat denaturation of lysozyme.

•3D Ag2O–Ag/TiO2 composites have been synthesized through a facile method.•3D Ag2O–Ag/TiO2 composites exhibit large photocatalytic adsorption capacity, high selectivity, and excellent trace removal performance of I− under visible light.•3D Ag2O–Ag/TiO2 composites could be easily separated and regenerated.•The adsorption capacity of Ag2O for I− is enlarged 4.4 times by the photooxidation of Ag/TiO2.•The cooperative effects mechanism between Ag2O and Ag/TiO2 is proposed and verified.Three-dimensional Ag2O and Ag co-loaded TiO2 (3D Ag2O–Ag/TiO2) composites have been synthesized through a facile method, characterized using SEM, EDX, TEM, XRD, XPS, UV–vis DRS, BET techniques, and applied to remove radioactive iodide ions (I−). The photocatalytic adsorption capacity (207.6 mg/g) of the 3D Ag2O–Ag/TiO2 spheres under visible light is four times higher than that in the dark, which is barely affected by other ions, even in simulated salt lake water where the concentration of Cl− is up to 590 times that of I−. The capability of the composites to remove even trace amounts of I− from different types of water, e.g., deionized or salt lake water, is demonstrated. The composites also feature good reusability, as they were separated after photocatalytic adsorption and still performed well after a simple regeneration. Furthermore, a mechanism explaining the highly efficient removal of radioactive I− has been proposed according to characterization analyses of the composites after adsorption and subsequently been verified by adsorption and desorption experiments. The proposed cooperative effects mechanism considers the interplay of three different phenomena, namely, the adsorption performance of Ag2O for I−, the photocatalytic ability of Ag/TiO2 for oxidation of I−, and the readsorption performance of AgI for I2.