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Fabrication of Flower-Shaped SbS/FeO Heterostructures for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance.Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces... Jun 2024Antimony sulfide (SbS) has been recognized as a catalytic material for splitting water by solar energy because of its suitable narrow band gap, high absorption...
Antimony sulfide (SbS) has been recognized as a catalytic material for splitting water by solar energy because of its suitable narrow band gap, high absorption coefficient, and abundance of elements. However, many deep-level defects in SbS result in a significant recombination of photoexcited electron-hole pairs, weakening its photoelectrochemical performance. Here, by using a simple hydrothermal and spin-coating method, we fabricated a step-scheme heterojunction of SbS/α-FeO to improve the photoelectrochemical performance of pure SbS. Our SbS/α-FeO photoanode has a photocurrent density of 1.18 mA/cm at 1.23 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode, 1.39 times higher than that of SbS (0.84 mA/cm). In addition, our heterojunction has a lower onset potential, a higher absorbance intensity, a higher incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency, a higher applied bias photon-to-current efficiency, and a lower charge transfer resistance compared to pure SbS. Based on ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, we constructed a step-scheme band structure of SbS/α-FeO to explain its photoelectrochemical enhancement. This work offers a promising strategy to optimize the performance of SbS photoelectrodes for solar-driven photoelectrochemical water splitting.
PubMed: 38814133
DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00938 -
Nanoscale Jun 2024To date, metal oxide catalysts have not been explored as cathode materials for robust and high-performance single-compartment HO fuel cells due to significant...
To date, metal oxide catalysts have not been explored as cathode materials for robust and high-performance single-compartment HO fuel cells due to significant non-electrochemical disproportionation losses of HO on many metal oxide surfaces. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate an acidic peroxide fuel cell with antimony doped tin oxide as the cathode and widely used Ni foam as the anode material. Our constructed peroxide fuel cell records a superior open circuit potential of nearly 0.82 V and a maximum power density of 0.32 mW cm with high operational stability. The fuel cell performance is further improved by increasing the ionic strength of the electrolyte with the addition of 1 M NaCl, resulting in an increased maximum power density value of 1.1 mW cm.
PubMed: 38813765
DOI: 10.1039/d4nr01375a -
Inorganic Chemistry Jun 2024The lead-free halide perovskites possess nontoxicity and excellent chemical stability, whereas relatively weak luminescence intensity limits their potential in practical...
The lead-free halide perovskites possess nontoxicity and excellent chemical stability, whereas relatively weak luminescence intensity limits their potential in practical applications. Therefore, strengthening the luminescence intensity and expanding application fields are urgent tasks for the development of lead-free halide perovskites. In this paper, antimony-doped CsNaScCl crystals synthesized by a solvothermal method emit bright, deep blue photoluminescence at 447 nm. The photoluminescence (PL), photoluminescence excitation (PLE), and absorption spectra demonstrate that Sb doping effectively activate the intrinsic "dark self-trapped exciton (STE)," leading to an impressive photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) value of 78.31% for 1% Sb doping. Furthermore, the luminescence intensity remains above 92% compared with the fresh sample without secondary phases detected even after 90 days under environmental conditions. To expand the emission spectra, rare-earth Sm is further incorporated into CsNaScCl:1% Sb crystals. The results show that Sb ions not only enhance intrinsic STE luminescence but also serve as sensitizers to boost the red-light emission of Sm, leading to a significant 500-fold increase in red emission intensity. Finally, the PLQY reaches a stunning 86.78%. These findings provide valuable insights in the design of Sb ion-doped lead-free double perovskites, broadening the application fields in various optoelectronic devices.
PubMed: 38812065
DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c01339 -
The Veterinary Record Jun 2024This study examined the experiences of owners of dogs with leishmaniosis who treated their dogs with daily subcutaneous meglumine antimoniate injections. The owners'...
BACKGROUND
This study examined the experiences of owners of dogs with leishmaniosis who treated their dogs with daily subcutaneous meglumine antimoniate injections. The owners' perceived ease of administering the injections, the occurrence of problems and the effects on the owners and on the dog‒owner bond were evaluated.
METHODS
Dogs prescribed meglumine antimoniate as a treatment for leishmaniosis were identified using the database of the veterinary pharmacy of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University. An online questionnaire was sent to the owners of these dogs to evaluate the perceived ease of administering the injections, the occurrence of problems and the effects on the owner and the dog-owner bond.
RESULTS
Responses were received from 64 dog owners. Most respondents (78%) reported that administering the injections was not difficult. Pain or the development of nodules at the injection site was reported in 50% and 40% of the dogs, respectively. Polyuria was reported in 44% of the dogs. Some owners reported that administering the injections had a negative impact on their psychological wellbeing (20%), and some would have liked more veterinary support (11%).
LIMITATIONS
Some questions were answered by a limited number of people, and their responses may not be representative.
CONCLUSION
Dog owners remain highly motivated to persevere with meglumine antimoniate treatment and are willing to administer the injections themselves. The availability of active support when needed during the therapy cycle may further improve their acceptance of and confidence in giving the injections.
Topics: Dogs; Animals; Meglumine Antimoniate; Dog Diseases; Leishmaniasis; Surveys and Questionnaires; Humans; Male; Antiprotozoal Agents; Female; Ownership; Meglumine; Organometallic Compounds; Injections, Subcutaneous
PubMed: 38809570
DOI: 10.1002/vetr.4089 -
Small (Weinheim An Der Bergstrasse,... May 2024Antimony selenosulfide (Sb(S,Se)) has recently emerged as a promising light-absorbing material, attributed to its tunable photovoltaic properties, low toxicity, and...
Antimony selenosulfide (Sb(S,Se)) has recently emerged as a promising light-absorbing material, attributed to its tunable photovoltaic properties, low toxicity, and robust environmental stability. However, despite these advantages, the current record efficiency for Sb(S,Se) solar cells significantly lags behind their Shockley-Queisser limit, especially when compared to other well-established chalcogenide-based thin-film solar cells, such as CdTe and Cu(In,Ga)Se. This underperformance primarily arises from the formation of unfavorable defects, predominately located at deep energy levels, which act as recombination centers, thereby limiting the potential for performance enhancement in Sb(S,Se) solar cells. Specifically, deep-level defects, such as sulfur vacancy (V), have a lower formation energy, leading to severe non-radiative recombination and compromising device performance. To address this challenge, thioacetamide (TA), a sulfur-containing additive is introduced, into the precursor solution for the hydrothermal deposition of Sb(S,Se). This results indicate that the incorporation of TA helps in passivating deep-level defects such as sulfur vacancies and in suppressing the formation of large voids within the Sb(S,Se) absorber. Consequently, Sb(S,Se) solar cells, with reduced carrier recombination and improved film quality, achieved a power conversion efficiency of 9.04%, with notable improvements in open-circuit voltage and fill factor. This work provides deeper insights into the passivation of deep-level donor-like V defects through the incorporation of a sulfur-containing additive, highlighting pathways to enhance the photovoltaic performance of Sb(S,Se) solar cells.
PubMed: 38809078
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202402935 -
Journal of Hazardous Materials Aug 2024Electrochemical oxidation (EO) can effectively reduce the degree of humification and toxicity of landfill leachate by generating highly active oxidative species in situ....
Electrochemical oxidation (EO) can effectively reduce the degree of humification and toxicity of landfill leachate by generating highly active oxidative species in situ. However, the selective and competitive oxidation of humic acid (HA) and ammonia (NH) and the role of different oxidative species during the EO process in complex aqueous conditions remain unclear. In this study, a nanostructured tin-antimony electrode (Ti/Sb-SnO NFs) was prepared and compared with three types of commercial electrodes (Ti/Ir-RuO, TiO, Ti/Sb-SnO) in terms of electrochemical properties and electrocatalytic oxidation of HA and NH. The de-humification capacity, interactive effects of HA and NH on each other's oxidation by different oxidative species, as well as the related oxidation byproducts were investigated. The differences in pollutant electrooxidation among the different electrodes were found to be insignificant. The presence of HA was found to be detrimental to NH degradation while reducing the N conversion rate. Interestingly, NH initially inhibited the degradation rates of HA while promoted the degradation and reduced the accumulation of organic chlorine during the later EO process. A proposed mechanism accounts for both competitive and promotional effects for simultaneous HA and NH oxidation during the EO process.
PubMed: 38805814
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134732 -
Journal of Exposure Science &... May 2024Metal exposures can adversely impact olfactory function. Few studies have examined this association in children. Further, metal exposure occurs as a mixture, yet...
BACKGROUND
Metal exposures can adversely impact olfactory function. Few studies have examined this association in children. Further, metal exposure occurs as a mixture, yet previous studies of metal-associated olfactory dysfunction only examined individual metals. Preventing olfactory dysfunctions can improve quality of life and prevent neurodegenerative diseases with long-term health implications.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to test the association between exposure to a mixture of 12 metals measured in environmental sources and olfactory function among children and adolescents residing in the industrialized province of Brescia, Italy.
METHODS
We enrolled 130 children between 6 and 13 years old (51.5% females) and used the "Sniffin' Sticks" test to measure olfactory performance in identifying smells. We used a portable X-ray fluorescence instrument to determine concentrations of metals (arsenic (As), calcium, cadmium (Cd), chromium, copper, iron, manganese, lead (Pb), antimony, titanium, vanadium and zinc) in outdoor and indoor deposited dust and soil samples collected from participants' households. We used an extension of weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression to test the association between exposure to metal mixtures in multiple environmental media and olfactory function adjusting for age, sex, socio-economic status, intelligence quotient and parents' smoking status.
RESULTS
A higher multi-source mixture was significantly associated with a reduced Sniffin' Sticks identification score (β = -0.228; 95% CI -0.433, -0.020). Indoor dust concentrations of Pb, Cd and As provided the strongest contributions to this association (13.8%, 13.3% and 10.1%, respectively). The metal mixture in indoor dust contributed more (for 8 metals out of 12) to the association between metals and olfactory function compared to soil or outdoor dust.
IMPACT STATEMENT
Among a mixture of 12 metals measured in three different environmental sources (soil, outdoor and indoor dust), we identified Pb, Cd and As measured in indoor dust as the main contributors to reduced olfactory function in children and adolescents residing in an industrialized area. Exposure to indoor pollution can be effectively reduced through individual and public health interventions allowing to prevent the deterioration of olfactory functions. Moreover, the identification of the factors that can deteriorate olfactory functions can be a helpful instrument to improve quality of life and prevent neurodegenerative diseases as long-term health implications.
PubMed: 38802534
DOI: 10.1038/s41370-024-00687-6 -
Unlocking the power of AI models: exploring protein folding prediction through comparative analysis.Journal of Integrative Bioinformatics May 2024Protein structure determination has made progress with the aid of deep learning models, enabling the prediction of protein folding from protein sequences. However,...
Protein structure determination has made progress with the aid of deep learning models, enabling the prediction of protein folding from protein sequences. However, obtaining accurate predictions becomes essential in certain cases where the protein structure remains undescribed. This is particularly challenging when dealing with rare, diverse structures and complex sample preparation. Different metrics assess prediction reliability and offer insights into result strength, providing a comprehensive understanding of protein structure by combining different models. In a previous study, two proteins named ARM58 and ARM56 were investigated. These proteins contain four domains of unknown function and are present in spp. ARM refers to an antimony resistance marker. The study's main objective is to assess the accuracy of the model's predictions, thereby providing insights into the complexities and supporting metrics underlying these findings. The analysis also extends to the comparison of predictions obtained from other species and organisms. Notably, one of these proteins shares an ortholog with and , leading further significance to our analysis. This attempt underscored the importance of evaluating the diverse outputs from deep learning models, facilitating comparisons across different organisms and proteins. This becomes particularly pertinent in cases where no previous structural information is available.
PubMed: 38797876
DOI: 10.1515/jib-2023-0041 -
Allergy May 2024Allergic rhinitis is a common inflammatory condition of the nasal mucosa that imposes a considerable health burden. Air pollution has been observed to increase the risk...
BACKGROUND
Allergic rhinitis is a common inflammatory condition of the nasal mucosa that imposes a considerable health burden. Air pollution has been observed to increase the risk of developing allergic rhinitis. We addressed the hypotheses that early life exposure to air toxics is associated with developing allergic rhinitis, and that these effects are mediated by DNA methylation and gene expression in the nasal mucosa.
METHODS
In a case-control cohort of 505 participants, we geocoded participants' early life exposure to air toxics using data from the US Environmental Protection Agency, assessed physician diagnosis of allergic rhinitis by questionnaire, and collected nasal brushings for whole-genome DNA methylation and transcriptome profiling. We then performed a series of analyses including differential expression, Mendelian randomization, and causal mediation analyses to characterize relationships between early life air toxics, nasal DNA methylation, nasal gene expression, and allergic rhinitis.
RESULTS
Among the 505 participants, 275 had allergic rhinitis. The mean age of the participants was 16.4 years (standard deviation = 9.5 years). Early life exposure to air toxics such as acrylic acid, phosphine, antimony compounds, and benzyl chloride was associated with developing allergic rhinitis. These air toxics exerted their effects by altering the nasal DNA methylation and nasal gene expression levels of genes involved in respiratory ciliary function, mast cell activation, pro-inflammatory TGF-β1 signaling, and the regulation of myeloid immune cell function.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results expand the range of air pollutants implicated in allergic rhinitis and shed light on their underlying biological mechanisms in nasal mucosa.
PubMed: 38796780
DOI: 10.1111/all.16174 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... May 2024Arsenic (As) is one extremely hazardous and carcinogenic metalloid element. Due to mining, metal smelting, and other human activities, the pollution of water (especially...
Arsenic (As) is one extremely hazardous and carcinogenic metalloid element. Due to mining, metal smelting, and other human activities, the pollution of water (especially groundwater) and soil caused by As is increasingly serious, which badly threatens the environment and human health. In this study, a zeolite imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) was synthesized at room temperature and employed as an adsorbent to facilitate the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) from the solution. The successful synthesis of ZIF-8 was demonstrated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that its particle size was approximately 80 nm. The adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherm, solution pH, dose, coexisting ions, and the synonymous elements antimony (Sb) were conducted to study the adsorption of As by ZIF-8 nanoparticles. The maximum saturation adsorption capacity was determined to be 101.47 mg/g and 81.40 mg/g for As(III), and As(V) at initial pH = 7.0, respectively. Apparently, ZIF-8 had a good removal effect on As, and it still maintained a good performance after four cycles. The coexisting ions PO and CO inhibited the adsorption of both As(III) and As(V). ZIF-8 performed well in removing both As and Sb simultaneously, although the presence of Sb hindered the adsorption of both As(III) and As(V). Both FTIR and XPS indicated the adsorption mechanism of As on ZIF-8: ZIF-8 generates a large amount of Zn-OH on the surface through hydrolysis and partial fracture of Zn-N, both of which form surface complexes with As.
Topics: Adsorption; Zeolites; Arsenic; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Imidazoles; Kinetics; Water Purification; X-Ray Diffraction; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
PubMed: 38795294
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33747-3