Dye wastewater containing toxic substances and high resistance to degradation poses a significant threat to environmental integrity and human well-being. Notably, the low cost and highly efficient treatment of high concentration azo dyes, such as methyl orange (MO), remains a significant challenge. This study developed a novel composite adsorbent by in-situ growth of cobalt-based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-L(Co)) on waste eggshell membrane (ESM), designated as ZIF-L(Co)/ESM. The physical and chemical characteristics revealed that ZIF-L(Co) was uniformly grown and vertically dispersed on the three-dimensional fiber network of ESM, increasing the contact area between ZIF-L(Co) and MO. Meanwhile, cobalt ions coordinated with the functional groups on the surface of ESM to form chemical bonds, further strengthening the stability of growth sites and effectively preventing cobalt ion leaching. The adsorption experiments showed that the removal rate of 0.01 g ZIF-L(Co)/ESM for 30 mL MO with a concentration of 100 mg/L was 90.6 %, which was significantly better than that of pure ZIF-L(Co) (81.6 %) and unmodified ESM (33.1 %). The maximum adsorption capacity of ZIF-L(Co)/ ESM for MO was 1216.75 mg/g. The kinetic analysis revealed that the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and was predominantly chemical. The adsorption mechanism was primarily attributed to the synergistic effects of hydrogen bonding, it-it interaction, and electrostatic attraction between ZIF-L (Co)/ESM and MO. ZIF-L(Co)/ESM exhibits excellent adsorption performance and economic and environmental friendliness. It presents a promising green and sustainable strategy for treating high concentration dye wastewater.

The recycling of Nd-Ce-Fe-B magnet waste faces a fundamental trade-off between magnetic performance recovery and rare-earth (RE) consumption. Here, we propose a two-step synergistic strategy, La grain boundary modification followed by Pr diffusion reconstruction, to overcome this limitation. A small amount of LaHx repairs the degraded grain boundaries and regulates the REFe2 phase, creating a pre-engineered microstructure. Subsequently, a low content of PrHx diffuses along grain boundaries, substituting the La-rich shell with a Pr-rich shell featuring higher anisotropy. Microstructural characterization and micromagnetic simulations reveal that this shell reconstruction enhances the nucleation field at grain surfaces and suppresses reverse domain nucleation. Compared with conventional bulk co-doping using 1.5 wt% PrHx, our strategy reduces Pr consumption by 33.3% while achieving 99.3% remanence recovery and 100.5% coercivity recovery. This work establishes a shellreconstruction approach to tune interfacial anisotropy and magnetization reversal pathways, offering a promising route for recycling Ce-rich permanent magnet waste with high value and low RE consumption.

Conventional treatment processes for aquaculture wastewater address phosphorus and antibiotics separately. However, achieving effective simultaneous removal of them remains a significant challenge. This study proposed a method of in-situ compositing using ions leached from MgAlFe-LDH under hydrothermal conditions, and an insitu growth of metal-organic framework compounds (M-BTC, M = Mg, Al, Fe) composed of organic ligands of trimesic acid on its surface, MgAlFe-LDO/Ox catalyst with Z-scheme heterojunction was ingeniously constructed after calcination. MgAlFe-LDO/Ox showed the maximum phosphorus adsorption capacity was 280.21 mg/g, and the tetracycline removal rate reached 88.17% under the 50 mg/L tetracycline with visible light. After phosphorus adsorption, the tetracycline removal rate of MgAlFe-LDO/Ox increased to 95.47%. Phosphorus adsorption enhanced the response of MgAlFe-LDO/Ox to visible light, and the negative charge on the surface of the catalyst accelerated the migration of photogenerated holes to the surface to participate in the oxidation reaction, improving the photogenerated carriers separation rate. Phosphorus adsorption also promoted the formation of & sdot;O2- in the photocatalytic process and accelerated the degradation of tetracycline. It provided a new composite material-based method for the simultaneous, effective removal of phosphorus and tetracycline from water.

Carbon black(CB) is a promising conductive filler for cement-based materials; however, its strong hydrophobicity and severe agglomeration hinder conductive-network formation and impair mechanical performance. This study investigates the effects of sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) and hydroxyethyl cellulose(HEC) on the dispersion behavior, hydration characteristics, and electromechanical properties of carbon black conductive mortar(CB-M). Sedimentation tests, contact angle measurements, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and COMSOL simulations were employed to elucidate the relationship between CB dispersion and conductive-network formation. CB exhibited strong hydrophobicity, with a water contact angle exceeding 145°, resulting in severe agglomeration. At a CB dosage of 3wt.% without dispersant, compressive strength decreased by approximately 50%, while resistivity increased because a continuous conductive network could not be established. Both SDS and HEC improved CB wettability and dispersion stability, whereas SDS showed superior dispersion performance. SDS reduced the contact angle to 0° within 5 s and decreased the maximum agglomerate size from 2.8μm to 1.1μm through electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance. Consequently, resistivity decreased to 40–48Ω·m at 3wt.% CB. HEC contributed more effectively to strength recovery, increasing compressive strength by 73.5%, compared with 17.6% for SDS. Microstructural analyses revealed that CB agglomeration suppressed cement hydration and introduced interfacial defects, whereas improved dispersion promoted conductive-network formation. COMSOL simulations further demonstrated that uniformly dispersed CB produced more homogeneous electric-field, potential, and temperature distributions. These findings highlight the critical role of dispersion regulation in achieving synergistic enhancement of the electrical and mechanical performance of CB-based cementitious composites.

Hexavalent chromium (Cr-(VI)) is a prevalent heavy metal contaminant in soil, exhibiting high biotoxicity and posing significant threats to both ecosystems and public health. Reducing Cr-(VI) to lower oxidation states without introducing an additional reducing agent is an effective strategy to mitigate its toxicity. However, the selective remediation and reduction of highly hazardous Cr-(VI) have been hampered by the absence of an appropriate catalyst with desired activity and a comprehensive molecular-level understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Herein, a two-dimensional N-doped graphene (N4G) with a 3d transition metal as an active site was systemically investigated for reduction of Cr-(VI) to Cr-(II) using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results show that Co-N4G, Ni-N4G, and Zn-N4G catalysts exhibit pronounced selective adsorption toward the Cr-(VI) and humic acid (HA) in comparison to H2O, O2, and N2 under soil environments. The reaction pathways and associated dynamic barriers for each reduction step of Cr reduction were explored in detail, and the involved mechanisms of Cr-(VI) reduction to Cr-(IV) and Cr-(IV) to Cr-(II) was elucidated. Notably, the Co-N4G and Ni-N4G catalysts exhibit low E bar of 0.59 and 0.49 eV during the reduction of Cr-(VI) to Cr-(VI) over other single-atom catalysts. In contrast, the Zn-N4G catalyst exhibits higher catalytic activity toward the Cr-(IV) to Cr-(II) with an E bar of 1.35 eV. These findings offer an atom-scale insight for the rational design of advanced catalysts to enhance the selective remediation of heavy metal contamination in soil.

Herein, a Z-Scheme CeO2@PDA/BiOBr heterojunction was prepared through in situ self-polymerization and hydrothermal method, where PDA layer not only facilitated the attachment between CeO2 and BiOBr, but also acted as an electron transfer bridge in the composite. A close interfacial contact between CeO2@PDA nanoparticles and flower-like BiOBr was observed via scanning electron microscope images. Compared with CeO2, CeO2@PDA and BiOBr, the CeO2@PDA/BiOBr exhibits smaller band gap energy, higher transient photocurrent and lower transfer resistance. The CeO2@PDA/BiOBr was effective in decomposition of tetracycline (TC) and methylene blue (MB) with visible light illumination, demonstrating 100 % elimination efficiency of TC and MB. Furthermore, after five recycles, 84.66 % and 89.41 % of the original photocatalytic capability for TC and MB degradation, respectively, were preserved, revealing the cycling stability and reusability of CeO2@PDA/BiOBr. Moreover, the CeO2@PDA/BiOBr also maintains relatively stable removal efficiency of contaminants over the pH range of 2-9. The enhanced properties of CeO2@PDA/BiOBr is mainly owning to the Z-scheme heterojunction between CeO2 nanoparticles and flower-like BiOBr and PDA interfacial interaction layer, which boosted the separation and motability of photo-excited e/h+ pairs. The present work offers a reference for the design and construction of composite photocatalysts with efficient interfacial electron transfer medium.

In this research, a ZnSnO3@PDA/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 heterojunction was constructed by coating ZnSnO3 with PDA layer and further compounding Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 with ZnSnO3@PDA through ultrasonic method, in which the PDA shell acted as interfacial electron transport bridge. The formation of this hybrid photocatalyst resulted in more efficient light utilization, raised charge conductivity and decreased band gap width. The adsorption and photocatalytic efficiency of ZnSnO3@PDA/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 for oxytetracycline and Acid chrome blue K removal were assessed. Compared with ZnSnO3, ZnSnO3@PDA and Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3, the ZnSnO3@PDA/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 manifested prominent improved adsorption and photocatalytic performance, which can eliminate 100 % oxytetracycline and Acid chrome blue K within 180 and 75 min, respectively. After five-run repeated experiments, the ZnSnO3@PDA/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 shows 87.9 % and 94.9 % degradation rate for oxytetracycline and Acid chrome blue K, respectively, demonstrating its sufficient stability. The boosted photocatalytic performance and reusability of ZnSnO3@PDA/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 are attributed to the distinctive Type I heterojunction between ZnSnO3 and Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 as well as the PDA as interfacial electron transport bridge. The experiments on radical scavenging verified that the center dot O2- and h+ oxidants are largely responsible for the photocatalytic reactions. This type I ZnSnO3@PDA/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 heterojunction using PDA as electron transport layer may deliver a new reference for designing and fabricating efficient heterostructural photocatalysts in the environmental purification territories.

A hybrid photocatalyst consisting of bismuth molybdate tungstate/titanium dioxide heterostructure anchored on rGO through a solvothermal method. The construction of heterostructure among bismuth molybdate tungstate, TiO2 and rGO contributes to the increased light acquisition, reduced band gap energy, improved photocurrent responses and decreased resistance. The resulting bismuth molybdate tungstate/titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide (BWMTG) showed 100% elimination efficiency of norfloxacin and rhodamine B after 180 and 60 min illumination with visible light, respectively, and the corresponding photocatalytic rate constants were 6.1 and 16.2 times of those of bismuth molybdate tungstate, respectively. After five times of recycling, the elimination efficiency of norfloxacin and rhodamine B still remained 89.5% and 93.9%, respectively. Furthermore, the adsorption-photocatalyatic synergistic mechanism of BWMTG was proposed. The improved adsorption-photocatalyatic performance can be ascribed to the increased active sites, promoted separation and migration of photo-induced carriers from the synergistic effect of bismuth molybdate tungstate/titanium dioxide loaded on rGO sheets.

The high sulfur content in kiln slag ceramsites leads to pronounced efflorescence, significantly limiting the application of such solid-waste-derived products in construction engineering. In this study, a sintering experiment of 50 kg ceramsites with 60% kiln slag content was conducted at 1150 °C on small-scale ceramsites sintering equipment. The research focused on discussing the mechanisms of efflorescence and putting forward the process strategy to control efflorescence in kiln slag ceramsites. The results revealed that the sulfur content (4.53%) and water absorption rate of ceramsites (8.5%) were the primary causes of efflorescence. During the sintering process, sulfur evolved on the pathway of “pyrite in raw materials→partial oxidation to SO2 and partial fixation in CaSO4→decomposition of CaSO4”. In order to reduce content of sulfur, it was proposed that not only was sulfur in pyrite oxidized enough to be removed in the low-temperature stage but, also, residual CaSO4 decomposed more to eliminate S in the high-temperature stage. This optimizing sintering process reduced the sulfur content from 2.0% to 0.72%. Furthermore, enhancing its densification contributed to avoiding efflorescence. By controlling its sintering temperature and increasing the formation of Fe2O3, the densification of ceramsites was improved by decreasing its water absorption rate from 8.5% to 1.2%, and its efflorescence was thereby enhanced. This provides both a theoretical foundation and technological support for the high-value utilization of high-sulfur solid waste.

Creating effective oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is crucial for advancing water electrolysis and hydrogen generation, thereby mitigating the depletion of conventional fossil fuels. This study prepared a Fe/Ce-Ni2P electrocatalyst with a coral-like structure by hydrothermal and low-temperature phosphating methods. The catalyst demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving current densities of 50 and 200 mA cm(-2) at overpotentials of 250 and 310 mV, respectively & horbar;significantly outperforming pure Ni2P by 80 and 160 mV. Specifically, Fe doping significantly enhances conductivity and oxygen evolution activity, while Ce doping improves stability. The Fe/Ce-Ni2P catalyst exhibited outstanding stability over 100 h, a testament to the synergistic effects of Fe and Ce doping. This work introduces a simple and scalable synthesis strategy, offering a promising approach to developing robust dual-heteroatom-doped catalysts for OER applications.

In order to synchronously solve the complex pollution of harmful organics (such as Tetracycline, TC) and heavy metals (like hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI)) in industrial wastewater and urban sewage, the heterojunction composite was constructed with C3N5 and calcined ZnAlBi-LDHs (C3N5/CLDHs), the photo-induced carriers can be quickly separated and transferred in the adsorption-photocatalysis process. C3N5/CLDHs-1/10 exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance for both TC degradation and Cr(VI) reduction under visible light irradiation. Benefiting from the S-scheme heterojunction structure, the removal efficiency for TC (40 mg/L) and Cr(VI) (40 mg/L) by the C3N5/CLDHs-1/10 composite was above 95 %, and harmful Cr(VI) was successfully reduced to harmless Cr(III). The degradation rate constants of C3N5/CLDHs-1/10 for the degradation of TC and Cr(VI) were 0.0362 min-1 and 0.0301 min-1, respectively, which were much higher than those of CLDHs and C3N5, individually. Additionally, the C3N5/CLDHs-1/10 composite still showed excellent adsorption and photocatalytic activity after four cycles, and the degradation efficiency for TC and Cr(VI) remained above 90 % and 95 %, respectively. Finally, the proposed photocatalysis mechanism of the C3N5/CLDHs heterojunction was the reaction of e- located on the conduction band of C3N5 with H+ in water to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III), while the generated center dot OH subsequently oxidized TC to CO2 and H2O with h+. This study provides a novel TC and Cr(VI) removal strategy using the C3N5/CLDHs heterojunction and has great potential for application in solving TC and Cr(VI) pollution.

Tengchong County, Southwestern China, is a renowned volcanic region with abundant geothermal resources. This study systematically investigates the geochemical characteristics of hydrothermal waters in Tengchong, utilizing major and trace elements as well as hydrogen and oxygen isotopes. The primary objectives are to identify the potential sources of the hydrothermal waters and provide a detailed assessment of heavy metal pollution, with a particular focus on fluoride. The results of δD and δ18O values indicate that the hydrothermal waters primarily originate from atmospheric precipitation, with some samples (Dagunguo and Huangguajing) showing evidence of high-temperature water–rock interactions. The study reveals significantly high concentrations of F, Hg, and As in the geothermal waters, accompanied by heightened concentrations of other trace elements, including V, Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sb, and Pb. Among these, F and Hg stand out as posing severe contamination risks, particularly at the Rehai and Xiangda sites where the highest water quality index (WQI) values were documented. The fluoride levels, in particular, far surpass safe drinking water thresholds, raising serious public health concerns. The study identifies key mechanisms for fluoride enrichment, including water–rock interactions, cation exchange, and high temperatures. Specifically, the dissolution of fluoride-bearing minerals like fluorite (CaF2), enhanced by elevated temperatures, significantly contributes to fluoride release. Additionally, the exchange of calcium (Ca2+) with sodium (Na+) promotes fluoride enrichment in the geothermal waters. The study highlights the need for effective monitoring and management of geothermal resources to mitigate the risks associated with trace element contamination.

The restoration of water resources and the optimization of solar energy use are critical challenges. In this study, hydrophilic BiOBr/WS2 Z-scheme heterojunctions were prepared using a series of reactions for solar interface water evaporation and photocatalytic degradation of RhB. WS2 nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of titanium mesh using a hydrothermal method, and BiOBr nanosheets were further modified on WS2 using a successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR) method and solvothermal method. The relatively broad absorption range of WS2 in the full spectrum resulted in enhanced light absorption and improved light utilization of BiOBr/WS2. The formation of Z-scheme heterojunction between BiOBr and WS2 improved the hydrophilicity of the material, enhanced the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in BiOBr/WS2 composite materials, and improved the solar interface water evaporation performance. The degradation rate of RhB by BiOBr/WS2 could reach 95.6 % under one solar irradiation, and the photothermal water evaporation rate could reach 1.81 kg center dot m- 2 center dot h- 1 . This study solved the problem of dye enrichment on solar absorber and provided a new way to construct an efficient solar interfacial water evaporation-photocatalytic system to treat dye wastewater.

Ce-BiVO4/SrTiO3 (Ce-BVO/STO) Z-scheme heterojunction composites were synthesized through a hydrothermal method to address the dual challenges of the energy crisis and water pollution. The influences of Ce3+ doping in Ce-BVO and the composition ratio of Ce-BVO/STO on the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and water splitting for H2 production were systematically investigated. Notably, the Ce-BVO/STO-1/1 composite exhibited an H2 production capacity as high as 771.3 mu mol/g under visible light irradiation for 5 h. Additionally, 96.65 % of MB (10 mg/L) was photodegraded under visible light within 150 min. Furthermore, after three cycles, the Ce-BVO/STO-1/1 composite maintained a stable H2 production yield and MB removal rate, demonstrating its high recyclability for practical application. The Z-scheme heterojunction structure effectively promoted the separation and redox reactions of photogenerated electrons (e-) and holes (h+), and the photoelectrochemical reaction mechanism responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic performance was verified. These findings indicate that the as-prepared Ce-BVO/STO-1/1 composite has significant potential for application in H2 production and pollutant degradation through visible-light-driven photocatalysis.

(1) Background: Groundwater numerical modeling education often suffers from passive student imitation, which limits the development of higher-order thinking and knowledge internalization. To address this challenge and promote a shift in instructional philosophy, inquiry-based learning (IBL) was implemented. However, the mechanisms underlying its effectiveness require further elucidation to guide this transformation. (2) Methods: This study was conducted with a cohort of 63 third-year environmental engineering students. It compares the outcomes of the IBL approach, focused on the geometric requirements of grid construction for the control-volume finite-difference (CVFD) method, against those of traditional instruction. (3) Results: The findings demonstrate that IBL's effectiveness is strongly moderated by students' prior knowledge. Learners with stronger prior knowledge exhibited a 330% increase in higher-order thinking (p = 0.04), reflected in a shift toward complex, terrain-adapted Voronoi grids. However, their understanding of core CVFD geometric concepts only improved moderately (34%), reflecting the nonlinear and by-product nature of knowledge acquisition in inquiry-based pathways. In contrast, students with weaker prior knowledge devoted most of their cognitive resources to basic concept understanding, and their limited cognitive schemas constrained their ability to process new information. Therefore, no measurable improvement was observed in either higher-order thinking or conceptual mastery in this group. (4) Conclusions: The key innovation of this study lies in revealing prior knowledge as a critical moderator, highlighting how the effectiveness of IBL depends on its interaction with the learner's individual characteristics. This mechanistic insight provides a cognitive framework for differentiated instructional design in engineering education, ensuring that pedagogical advancements translate into equitable learning gains.

Urban wetlands are reported to be ideal habitats for accumulation of HMs and MPs. However, study on combined pollution of HMs and MPs in soil is rare in urban wetland environment. In this study, the characteristics of HMs and MPs in the soils of the Qionghai Lake wetland in southwest China were studied by using ICP-MS, and FTIR. The results showed that the average concentration of HMs in soil ranges from 0.84 to 552.75 (mg/kg). According to the EF and Igeo analysis results, Cd and Cr in the soil were significant enriched (EF=12.64) and moderately enriched (EF=2.09), and were at the moderate to heavy pollution level (I geo = 2.83) and the unpolluted to moderate pollution level (I geo = 0.23), and the other elements were at a low level. MPs are emerging micropollutants in the soil environment, and the abundance (pieces/g) of MPs in the soil was 3.90, 7.00, 3.10, 3.40, 14.80, and 1.10 at Stations M1, M2, M3, M4, M8, and M9, respectively, with an average of 5.55 +/- 4.92. Films represented the main microplastic shape, accounting for 81.55 %, followed by fibers, accounting for 11.33 %. The proportion of MPs with a particle size of 0.1-0.5 mm is the highest. Black, blue, and green are the predominant colors found in MPs. Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) were the main MP materials based on FTIR identification, accounting for 52.16 % and 42.31 % of the total MPs, respectively. The pollution load index (PLI) of MPs was 2.2, which is a level I pollution. The research on HMs and MPs in urban wetland soil is still in its preliminary stage. Our aim is to offer a fresh perspective for evaluating the pollution status and risk associated with these two pollutants in urban wetland soil, while also providing a valuable reference for subsequent studies on wetland soil pollutants. (c) 2024 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Eu3+/Tb3+ co-doped borophosphate glass was synthesized by a melt-quenching method for the luminescence color-tunable performance. Under the excitation of 373 nm, the Tb3+-doped glass exhibited a very strong green emission at 544 nm, corresponding to the electron transition D-5(4)-> F-7(5) of Tb3+. The emission intensity and lifetime of D-5(4) level of Tb3+ dropped with the increase of Eu3+ co-doping, whereas the emission intensity and lifetime of Eu3+ at 615 nm increased, confirming the existence of energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+. Additionally, the color-tunable luminescence of the borophosphate glass was also realized from green region to orange-red region through shifting the Eu3+/Tb3+ ion concentration and the excitation light. There was little difference in emission intensity of Eu3+/Tb3+ co-doped borophosphate glass under working temperature between 303 and 483 K, manifesting excellent thermal stability. This study indicated that the Eu3+/Tb3+ co-doped borophosphate glass could become a promising candidate for the applications of anti-counterfeiting technology.

The fabrication of bilayer borophene presents an alternative approach to tackle the challenges related to ther-modynamic stability and the detachment of monolayer borophene from the metal substrate, which currently restrict its practical application. However, recent theoretical investigations have revealed that the structural arrangement of the most energetic free-standing bilayer borophene, denoted as BL-alpha+ borophene, is different from the configuration observed experimentally (Nat. Mater. 2022, 21, 35-40). Herein, the effects of introducing an additional stratum of borophene on the electronic properties, mechanical performance, adherence capabilities towards Ag (1 1 1), and electrochemical performance as an anode material for alkali-ions batteries has been thoroughly examined. The results demonstrate that free-standing BL-alpha+ borophene manifests a reduced energy adhesion (Eadh) of-0.059 eV angstrom- 2 when contrasted with its monolayer counterpart. Furthermore, the interlayer B-B bonding exhibits a breath-like dilatation and contraction behavior during metal-ion adsorption/desorption, leading to remarkable theoretical capacities of 1351.6 mAh/g for Li-ion anodes, 1351.6 mAh/g for Na-ion an-odes, and 450.53 mAh/g for K-ion anodes, accompanied by moderate diffusion barriers of 0.58 eV, 0.34 eV, and 0.23 eV for Li, Na, and K ions, respectively. These results provide valuable insights into the application of borophene-based electrode materials that exhibit improved stability through a "self-stacking" mechanism.

The ZnO/wood fiber composite was formed to serve as an environment friendly multifunctional composite for environmental purification, offering emulsion separation, dye adsorption, antibacterial properties, self-cleaning, and biological harmlessness.