University of Wollongong

About: University of Wollongong is a education organization based out in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 15674 authors who have published 46658 publications receiving 1197471 citations. The organization is also known as: UOW & Wollongong University.

Nitrogen enriched porous carbon spheres: attractive materials for supercapacitor electrodes and CO2 adsorption

Abstract: A series of nitrogen-containing polymer and carbon spheres were obtained by the sol–gel method. In particular, the nitrogen-rich carbon spheres were prepared by one-pot hydrothermal synthesis in the presence of resorcinol/formaldehyde as carbon precursors and ethylenediamine (EDA) as both a base catalyst and nitrogen precursor, followed by carbonization in nitrogen and activation with CO2. The introduction of EDA to the sol–gel system resulted in structurally bonded nitrogen-containing carbon spheres. The nitrogen doping level and the particle size can be tuned by varying the EDA amount in the reaction mixture. The maximum nitrogen doping level of 7.2 wt % in carbon spheres could be achieved without sacrificing the spherical morphology. The diameter of these carbon spheres (CS) can be tuned in the rage of 50–1200 nm by varying the EDA amount. N2 adsorption analysis showed that the aforementioned activated carbon spheres exhibited high surface area reaching up to1224 m2/g. Ultra high CO2 adsorption capacit...

Neutrophils scan for activated platelets to initiate inflammation

Abstract: Immune and inflammatory responses require leukocytes to migrate within and through the vasculature, a process that is facilitated by their capacity to switch to a polarized morphology with an asymmetric distribution of receptors. We report that neutrophil polarization within activated venules served to organize a protruding domain that engaged activated platelets present in the bloodstream. The selectin ligand PSGL-1 transduced signals emanating from these interactions, resulting in the redistribution of receptors that drive neutrophil migration. Consequently, neutrophils unable to polarize or to transduce signals through PSGL-1 displayed aberrant crawling, and blockade of this domain protected mice against thromboinflammatory injury. These results reveal that recruited neutrophils scan for activated platelets, and they suggest that the neutrophils' bipolarity allows the integration of signals present at both the endothelium and the circulation before inflammation proceeds.

Metal-Free Carbon Materials for CO2 Electrochemical Reduction.

Abstract: The rapid increase of the CO2 concentration in the Earth's atmosphere has resulted in numerous environmental issues, such as global warming, ocean acidification, melting of the polar ice, rising sea level, and extinction of species. To search for suitable and capable catalytic systems for CO2 conversion, electrochemical reduction of CO2 (CO2 RR) holds great promise. Emerging heterogeneous carbon materials have been considered as promising metal-free electrocatalysts for the CO2 RR, owing to their abundant natural resources, tailorable porous structures, resistance to acids and bases, high-temperature stability, and environmental friendliness. They exhibit remarkable CO2 RR properties, including catalytic activity, long durability, and high selectivity. Here, various carbon materials (e.g., carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, diamond, nanoporous carbon, and graphene dots) with heteroatom doping (e.g., N, S, and B) that can be used as metal-free catalysts for the CO2 RR are highlighted. Recent advances regarding the identification of active sites for the CO2 RR and the pathway of reduction of CO2 to the final product are comprehensively reviewed. Additionally, the emerging challenges and some perspectives on the development of heteroatom-doped carbon materials as metal-free electrocatalysts for the CO2 RR are included.

Hybrid 2D Dual-Metal–Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Water Oxidation Catalysis

Abstract: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and MOF-derived nanostructures have recently been emerging as promising catalysts for electrocatalysis applications. Herein, twodimensional (2D) MOFs nanosheets decorated with Fe-MOF nanoparticles are synthesized and evaluated as the catalysts for water oxidation catalysis in alkaline medium. A dramatic enhancement of the catalytic activity is demonstrated by introduction of electrochemically inert Fe-MOF nanoparticles onto active 2D MOFs nanosheets. In the case of active Ni-MOF nanosheets (Ni-MOF@Fe-MOF), the overpotential is 265 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm in 1 M KOH, which is lowered by ca. 100 mV after hybridization due to the 2D nanosheet morphology and the synergistic effect between Ni active centers and Fe species. Similar performance improvement is also successfully demonstrated in active NiCo-MOF nanosheets. More importantly, the real catalytic active species in the hybrid Ni-MOF@FeMOF catalyst are unraveled. We find that, NiO nanograins (~5 nm) are formed in situ during OER process and act as OER active centers as well as building blocks of the porous nanosheet catalysts. These findings provide new insights into understanding MOF-based catalysts for