Photocatalysis is considered as one of the promising routes to solve the energy and environmental crises by utilizing solar energy. Graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) has attracted worldwide attention ...due to its visible‐light activity, facile synthesis from low‐cost materials, chemical stability, and unique layered structure. However, the pure g‐C3N4 photocatalyst still suffers from its low separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers, which results in unsatisfactory photocatalytic activity. Recently, g‐C3N4‐based heterostructures have become research hotspots for their greatly enhanced charge carrier separation efficiency and photocatalytic performance. According to the different transfer mechanisms of photogenerated charge carriers between g‐C3N4 and the coupled components, the g‐C3N4‐based heterostructured photocatalysts can be divided into the following categories: g‐C3N4‐based conventional type II heterojunction, g‐C3N4‐based Z‐scheme heterojunction, g‐C3N4‐based p–n heterojunction, g‐C3N4/metal heterostructure, and g‐C3N4/carbon heterostructure. This review summarizes the recent significant progress on the design of g‐C3N4‐based heterostructured photocatalysts and their special separation/transfer mechanisms of photogenerated charge carriers. Moreover, their applications in environmental and energy fields, e.g., water splitting, carbon dioxide reduction, and degradation of pollutants, are also reviewed. Finally, some concluding remarks and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for exploring advanced g‐C3N4‐based heterostructured photocatalysts are presented.
g‐C3N4‐based heterostructured photocatalysts have become research hotspots for their greatly enhanced charge carrier separation efficiency and photocatalytic performance. g‐C3N4‐based conventional type II heterojunction, g‐C3N4‐based Z‐scheme heterojunction, g‐C3N4‐based p–n heterojunction, g‐C3N4/metal heterostructure, and g‐C3N4/carbon heterostructure have been widely reported in recent years. This review summarizes the design principles, preparation methods, charge transfer mechanism, and photocatalytic applications of these g‐C3N4‐based heterostructured photocatalysts.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Photocatalytic degradation is an effective method to alleviate environmental pollution caused by organic pollutants. In this work, research progress on the application of photocatalytic degradation ...and the antibacterial properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials is reviewed. The visible-light photo-response of ZnO has been expanded by employing various strategies, such as enhancing the photocatalytic activity of ZnO through modification of its electronic and optical properties, doping metal/nonmetal atoms, depositing noble metals, constructing heterojunctions, and coupling carbon materials, because the wide band gap of ZnO likely restricts its applications in photocatalysis. Although ZnO nanomaterials are commonly used for antibacterial applications, our understanding on the toxicity mechanisms of ZnO is limited. Some of the main toxicity mechanisms of this compound include reactive oxygen species generation, Zn2+ release, membrane dysfunction, and nanoparticle internalization into cells. Some of the main methods that improve antibacterial activities are coating inorganic or organic antimicrobial agents, doping ZnO, and tuning the size, morphological characteristics, and concentration of ZnO nanomaterials. This review aims to examine the current research progress on ZnO-based nanomaterials developed for the photocatalysis of organic contaminant degradation and antibacterial applications.
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•The photocatalytic and antibacterial applications of ZnO are reviewed.•Strategies that enhance the photocatalytic activity of ZnO are highlighted.•Methods that improve the antibacterial performance of ZnO are presented.•The photocatalytic and antibacterial applications of ZnO are summarized.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
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•Application of modified TiO2 for photocatalytic CO2 reduction is summarized.•Different surface modification strategies of TiO2 are highlighted.•Summary and future perspectives in ...photocatalytic CO2 reduction are presented.
Recently, the excessive consumption of fossil fuels has caused high emissions of the greenhouse gases, CO2 into atmosphere and global energy crisis. Mimicking the natural photosynthesis by using semiconductor materials to achieve photocatalytic CO2 reduction into valuable solar fuels such as CH4, HCO2H, CH2O, and CH3OH is known as one of the best solutions for addressing the aforementioned issue. Among various proposed photocatalysts, TiO2 has been extensively studied over the past several decades for photocatalytic CO2 reduction because of its cheapness and environmental friendliness. Particularly, surface modification of TiO2 has attracted numerous interests due to its capability of enhancing the light absorption ability, facilitating the electron-hole separation, tuning the CO2 reduction selectivity and increasing the CO2 adsorption and activation ability of TiO2 for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. In this review, recent approaches of the surface modification of TiO2 for photocatalytic CO2 reduction, including impurity doping, metal deposition, alkali modification, heterojunction construction and carbon-based material loading, are presented. The photocatalytic CO2 reduction mechanism and pathways of TiO2 are discussed. The future research direction and perspective of photocatalytic CO2 reduction over surface-modified TiO2 are also presented.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The production of solar fuel through photocatalytic water splitting and CO2 reduction using photocatalysts has attracted considerable attention owing to the global energy shortage and growing ...environmental problems. During the past few years, many studies have demonstrated that graphene can markedly enhance the efficiency of photocatalysts for solar‐fuel generation because of its unique 2D conjugated structure and electronic properties. Herein we summarize the recent advances in the application of graphene‐based photocatalysts for solar‐fuel production, including CO2 reduction to hydrocarbon fuel and water splitting to H2. A brief overview of the fundamental principles for splitting of water and reduction of CO2 is given. The different roles of graphene in these graphene‐based photocatalysts for improving photocatalytic performance are discussed. Finally, the perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for future research in this promising area are also presented.
There’s always the sun: Graphene‐based photocatalysts for solar‐fuel production are of significant interest in solving the global energy problem. The recent advances in the fabrication and application of graphene‐based photocatalysts, including photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to hydrocarbon fuels and photocatalytic splitting of water to H2 are explored.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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•Nickel-based adsorbents show remarkable potential in CR adsorption.•Recent studies on CR adsorption by using nickel-based adsorbents are introduced.•The mechanisms of CR adsorption ...onto nickel-based adsorbents are summarized.•The effective regeneration of nickel-based adsorbents requires further exploration.•The CR adsorption ability depends on several factors related to the properties and structure.
Excessive synthetic dyestuffs in the aquatic environment pose various ecological and health issues that are detrimental to sustainable development. Adsorption is considered a feasible technique of eliminating dye pollutants from the water environment because of its advantages of high efficiency, low cost, easy operation, and absence of secondary pollution. Among the many dyes, Congo red (CR) is a widely used azo dye. Nickel-based materials, including nickel hydroxide, nickel oxide, nickel-containing layered double hydroxides, nickel-based spinel and metal–organic frameworks, metallic nickel, nickel-based sulfide, and nickel composites, have been extensively studied for CR adsorption due to their morphological diversity, large specific surface area, and strong affinity toward CR. However, fabricating nickel-based adsorbents with high efficiency and stability and excellent recyclability for practical application remains a challenge. This review outlines the research progress of nickel-based materials in CR adsorption. The interaction between CR molecules and nickel-based adsorbents is systematically presented, and the possible adsorption mechanisms are summarized. Finally, the challenges and future development directions of the practical application of nickel-based adsorbent materials are proposed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Solving energy and environmental problems through solar‐driven photocatalysis is an attractive and challenging topic. Hence, various types of photocatalysts have been developed successively to ...address the demands of photocatalysis. Graphene‐based materials have elicited considerable attention since the discovery of graphene. As a derivative of graphene, nitrogen‐doped graphene (NG) particularly stands out. Nitrogen atoms can break the undifferentiated structure of graphene and open the bandgap while endowing graphene with an uneven electron density distribution. Therefore, NG retains nearly all the advantages of original graphene and is equipped with several novel properties, ensuring infinite possibilities for NG‐based photocatalysis. This review introduces the atomic and band structures of NG, summarizes in situ and ex situ synthesis methods, highlights the mechanism and advantages of NG in photocatalysis, and outlines its applications in different photocatalysis directions (primarily hydrogen production, CO2 reduction, pollutant degradation, and as photoactive ingredient). Lastly, the central challenges and possible improvements of NG‐based photocatalysis in the future are presented. This study is expected to learn from the past and achieve progress toward the future for NG‐based photocatalysis.
Nitrogen‐doped graphene plays a significant role in photocatalysis. Rational design, preparation, and understanding the mechanism of N‐doped graphene‐based photocatalysts provides a new opportunity to further enhance the photocatalytic performance. The research progress, atomic and band structures, photocatalytic mechanism, synthesis strategy, unique advantages, and wide application of N‐doped graphene in photocatalysis are highlighted.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Hydrogen (H2) has been deemed as the most promising and valuable alternative to nonrenewable fossil fuels. Photocatalytic and electrocatalytic water splitting are considered to be the most efficient ...and environmentally friendly approaches for the sustainable H2 evolution reaction (HER). Graphene with a 3D framework has been utilized for the HER due to its unique structure and properties, including its hierarchical network, large specific surface area, diverse pore distribution, outstanding light absorption ability, and excellent electrical conductivity. The large specific surface area and hierarchically porous structure of 3D graphene can not only maximize the exposure of active sites but also promote electron transfer and gas product diffusion. In addition, the free‐standing 3D graphene monolith is easily recycled compared with powder phase support, which can prevent the loss of active catalysts. By making full use of the aforementioned merits, 3D graphene‐based composite materials show great promise as high‐performance catalysts toward photocatalytic and electrocatalytic HER. In this review, recent advances in fabricating 3D graphene‐based composite materials and their applications in both photocatalytic and electrocatalytic HER are summarized and discussed. Furthermore, the current challenges and future vision associated with the design, fabrication, and integration of 3D graphene‐based composite materials toward HER are put forward.
Three‐dimensional (3D) graphene is utilized for the photocatalytic and electrocatalytic H2 evolution reaction (HER) due to its unique structure and properties, including large specific surface area, hierarchical network, and excellent electrical conductivity. 3D graphene‐based composite materials exhibit high photocatalytic and electrocatalytic HER activity. This review summarizes the recent advances of 3D graphene‐based composite materials toward photocatalytic and electrocatalytic HER.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
•LUCC simulation and ecological security prediction were combined.•Three development scenarios were simulated for the PRD urban agglomeration in 2025.•Spatial autocorrelation analysis was applied to ...examine the regional ES pattern.•Eco-functional zones was proposed to optimize the ES pattern of the PRD.
In the past four decades, China has achieved tremendous economic success, but it has also faced serious ecological security (ES) problems. The land use/cover change (LUCC) plays a decisive role in the issue of ES. LUCC and ES evaluation were combined by predicting the change in land use and simulating ES pattern. Taking the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration (PRD) as the study area, the temporal changes of land use were predicted by the CA-Markov model, and the land use pattern in three different scenarios in 2025 was simulated. Based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model, the ES evaluation of the PRD in 2005, 2010 and 2015 was carried out, and the safety level dropped from 75.39% to 66.67% in this period. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was performed by the GeoDA to reflect the dynamic of ES pattern of the PRD, which suggested that there is greater heterogeneity within the PRD, and the homogenous sub-region continues to increase. Through change the transition probability among different land use types, three scenarios were set: Inertial development, Over expansion, and Ecological protection scenario, which showed that the expansion of construction land (accounting for 18.58%, 20.12% and 17.93% respectively) must occupy agricultural and forest lands and lead to decrease on ES level, the safety level are accounting for 79.07%, 78.30% and 79.95% in the three scenarios respectively. The ES pattern of the PRD was described, the central sub-region of the PRD with high urbanization have relative low ES, and the periphery sub-regions with good ecological order have high ES level, there are more than 63.59% and less than 4.06% of unsafety level of Dongguan and Zhaoqing respectively, which are both the representative city of these two sub-regions. Based on the spatial-temporal dynamic of urban ES, the optimized ES pattern of the PRD was proposed, three eco-functional zones were determined: ecological conservation zone, living environment guarantee zone and ecological restoration zone. The eco-functional zones have defined the leading ecological functions of each sub-region and could gradually improve the integrity and connectivity of the entire ecosystem of the PRD, which provides valuable knowledge for understanding and planning regional city management.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract
Exploring photocatalysts to promote CO
2
photoreduction into solar fuels is of great significance. We develop TiO
2
/perovskite (CsPbBr
3
) S-scheme heterojunctions synthesized by a facile ...electrostatic-driven self-assembling approach. Density functional theory calculation combined with experimental studies proves the electron transfer from CsPbBr
3
quantum dots (QDs) to TiO
2
, resulting in the construction of internal electric field (IEF) directing from CsPbBr
3
to TiO
2
upon hybridization. The IEF drives the photoexcited electrons in TiO
2
to CsPbBr
3
upon light irradiation as revealed by in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, suggesting the formation of an S-scheme heterojunction in the TiO
2
/CsPbBr
3
nanohybrids which greatly promotes the separation of electron-hole pairs to foster efficient CO
2
photoreduction. The hybrid nanofibers unveil a higher CO
2
-reduction rate (9.02 μmol g
–1
h
–1
) comparing with pristine TiO
2
nanofibers (4.68 μmol g
–1
h
–1
). Isotope (
13
CO
2
) tracer results confirm that the reduction products originate from CO
2
source.
Pyroptosis, a type of inflammatory programmed cell death, is mediated by multiple inflammasomes which can recognize danger signals and activate the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines like ...IL-1811Interleukin (IL) -18. and IL-1β22Interleukin (IL) -1β.. It can induce cancer cell death within the gastrointestinal tract. NLRs33NOD-like receptors, AIM244absent in melanoma 2-like receptors, GSDM55gasdermin family play important roles in pyroptosis signaling pathways in intestinal cancer such as gastric cancer, colitis-associated colorectal cancer and esophageal cancer, etc. Furthermore, several inflammasomes are elucidated to be involved in mucosal innate immune responses and modulate specific enteric pathogens infection. Precise modulation of inflammasome activation and exploration of potential diagnostic markers can contribute to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of intestinal tumors and inflammatory or infectious disorders in human patients in the near future.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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