Nanjing Tech University

About: Nanjing Tech University is a education organization based out in Nanjing, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Membrane. The organization has 21827 authors who have published 21794 publications receiving 364050 citations. The organization is also known as: Nangongda & Nánjīng Gōngyè Dàxúe.

Plant leaf-derived fluorescent carbon dots for sensing, patterning and coding

Abstract: We report a simple, low-cost and green route for fabrication of fluorescent carbon dots (CDs), and demonstrate their applications in sensing, patterning, and coding. Pyrolysis of various plant leaves yielded bright blue-emitting CDs, providing a one-step way for large-scale production of CDs without surface passivation treatment or the use of toxic/expensive solvents and starting materials. Also, further improvement in the fluorescence intensity of CDs was achieved after treatment using plasma and microwave-assisted techniques. The obtained CDs were applied as a fluorescent sensing platform for sensitive and selective detection of Fe3+ ions, and as fluorescent inks for printing luminescent patterns useful in anti-counterfeit and optoelectronic applications. Moreover, uniform fluorescent microbeads of polymer-encapsulated CDs, CD/QD nanocomposites, and CD/organic fluorescent dye nanocomposites were prepared via a microfluidic process, which may expand the potential applications of CDs in coding, bioimaging, and drug delivery.

MXene hydrogels: fundamentals and applications.

Abstract: Hydrogels have recently garnered tremendous interest due to their potential application in soft electronics, human-machine interfaces, sensors, actuators, and flexible energy storage. Benefiting from their impressive combination of hydrophilicity, metallic conductivity, high aspect ratio morphology, and widely tuneable properties, when two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes) are incorporated into hydrogel systems, they offer exciting and versatile platforms for the design of MXene-based soft materials with tunable application-specific properties. The intriguing and, in some cases, unique properties of MXene hydrogels are governed by complex gel structures and gelation mechanisms, which require in-depth investigation and engineering at the nanoscale. On the other hand, the formulation of MXenes into hydrogels can significantly increase the stability of MXenes, which is often the limiting factor for many MXene-based applications. Moreover, through simple treatments, derivatives of MXene hydrogels, such as aerogels, can be obtained, further expanding their versatility. This tutorial review intends to show the enormous potential of MXene hydrogels in expanding the application range of both hydrogels and MXenes, as well as increasing the performance of MXene-based devices. We elucidate the existing structures of various MXene-containing hydrogel systems along with their gelation mechanisms and the interconnecting driving forces. We then discuss their distinctive properties stemming from the integration of MXenes into hydrogels, which have revealed an enhanced performance, compared to either MXenes or hydrogels alone, in many applications (energy storage/harvesting, biomedicine, catalysis, electromagnetic interference shielding, and sensing).

Adsorptive Removal of Methyl Orange and Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution with Finger-Citron-Residue-Based Activated Carbon

Abstract: Activated carbon derived from finger citron residue (FAC) was tested as a new type of adsorbent for the removal of harmful dyes, namely, the anionic dye methyl orange (MO) and the cationic dye methylene blue (MB), from contaminated water. Liquid-phase adsorption experiments were conducted, and the maximum adsorption capacity was determined. Various conditions were evaluated, including initial dye concentration, adsorbent dosage, contact time, solution pH, and temperature. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were used to describe the equilibrium isotherm and to calculate the isotherm constants. It was found that the adsorption capacity of FAC is much higher than those of other types of activated carbons. Maximum equilibrium adsorption capacities of 934.58 and 581.40 mg/g for MO and MB, respectively, were achieved. Three simplified kinetic models, namely, pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion equations, were used to investigate the adsorption process. The pseudo-seco...