Wuhan University of Technology

About: Wuhan University of Technology is a education organization based out in Wuhan, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Microstructure & Catalysis. The organization has 40384 authors who have published 36724 publications receiving 575695 citations. The organization is also known as: WUT.

Corporate governance structure and firm performance in developing economies: evidence from Nigeria

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between corporate governance structure and firm performance in Nigeria, – The present study uses the regression model to analyze publicly available data for a sample of 107 firms quoted in the Nigerian Stock Exchange for the fiscal years 1998 to 2002, – The empirical investigations showed that ownership concentration has a positive impact on performance Although the results revealed no evidence to support the impact of board composition on performance, there is significant evidence to support the fact that CEO duality adversely impact firm performance The result also suggests firm size and leverage to impact on firm performance A new variable, identified as more than one family member on the board, is found to have an adverse effect on firm performance, – The study relied much on publicly available data for a sample of 107 listed firms in Nigeria for the fiscal years 1998 to 2002 Thus, effort should be made to look at this study in a more elaborate viewpoint and across borders, – Good corporate governance standards are imperative to every organization and should be encouraged for the interest of the investors and other stakeholders, – Interestingly, from a developing country perspective, especially in sub‐Saharan Africa, the paper is the first of its kind and offers evidence on the impact of corporate governance structure on firm performance The paper provides useful information that is of great value to policy makers, academics and other stakeholders

Effects of calcination temperature on the microstructures and photocatalytic activity of titanate nanotubes

Abstract: Titanate nanotubes were prepared via a hydrothermal treatment of TiO2 powders (P25) in a 10 M NaOH solution at 150 °C for 48 h and then calcined at various temperatures. The as-prepared titanate nanotubes before and after calcination were characterized with XRD, TEM, HRTEM, SEM, FESEM, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared samples was evaluated by photocatalytic oxidation of acetone in air. The effects of calcination temperature on the phase structure, crystallite size, morphology, specific surface area, pore structures and photocatalytic activity of the titanate nanotubes were investigated. The results indicated that at 400 to 600 °C, the calcined nanotube samples showed a higher photocatalytic activity than Degussa P25. Especially, at 400 and 500 °C, the photocatalytic activity of the calcined nanotubes exceeded that of P25 by a factor of about 3.0 times. This could be attributed to the fact that the former had a larger specific surface area and pore volume. With further increase in the calcination temperature from 700 to 900 °C, the photocatalytic activity of the calcined nanotube samples greatly decreased due to the formation of rutile phase, the sintering and growth of TiO2 crystallites and the decrease of specific surface area and pore volume.

Enhanced Performance of NaOH-Modified Pt/TiO2 toward Room Temperature Selective Oxidation of Formaldehyde

Abstract: Pt/TiO2 catalysts with various Pt loadings (0.05–2 wt %) were prepared by a combined NaOH-assisted impregnation of titania with Pt precursor and NaBH4-reduction. The thermal catalytic activity was evaluated toward catalytic decomposition of formaldehyde (HCHO) vapor in the presence of toluene under ambient conditions. HCHO could be selectively oxidized into CO2 and H2O over Pt/TiO2 catalysts and toluene had no change. Pt/TiO2 catalysts prepared with the assistance of NaOH showed higher HCHO oxidation activity than those without NaOH due to the introduction of additional surface hydroxyl groups, the enhanced adsorption capacity toward HCHO, and larger mesopores and macropores facilitating diffusion and transport of reactants and products. The as-prepared Pt/TiO2 catalysts with an optimal Pt loading of 1 wt % exhibited high catalytic stability. Considering the versatile combination of noble-metal nanoparticles and supports, this work will provide new insights to the design of high-performance catalysts for ...

Surfactant-Free Assembly of Mesoporous Carbon Hollow Spheres with Large Tunable Pore Sizes

Abstract: Mesoporous carbon hollow spheres (MCHS) have wide applications, including catalysis, absorption, and energy storage/conversion. Herein, we report a one-pot, surfactant-free synthesis of MCHS using three molecules: resorcinol, formaldehyde, and tetrapropyl orthosilicate. The co-condensation process between the in situ generated silica primary particles and the polymer oligomers is regulated, leading to monodispersed MCHS with adjustable pore sizes from micropores to 13.9 nm. The resultant MCHS shows excellent performance for electrochemical double-layer capacitors with high capacitance (310 F g–1 at 1 A g–1), excellent rate capability (157 F g–1 at 50 A g–1), and outstanding cycling stability (98.6% capacity retention after 10 000 cycles at 10 A g–1). Our one-pot synthesis strategy is versatile and can be extended to fabricate metal oxide@mesoporous carbon yolk–shell structures in the absence of surfactant, paving the way toward designed synthesis of nanostructured mesoporous carbon composites for various ...

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of hierarchical macro/mesoporous TiO2–graphene composites for photodegradation of acetone in air

Abstract: Graphene, a single layer of graphite, possesses a unique two-dimensional structure, high conductivity, superior electron mobility and extremely high specific surface area, and can be obtained on a large scale at low cost. Thus, it has been regarded as an excellent catalyst support. Recently, graphene-based semiconductor photocatalysts have attracted more attention due to their enhanced photocatalytic activity. In this work, hierarchical macro/mesoporpous TiO2–graphene composites with low loadings (0–0.2 wt.%) of graphene were first produced by a simple one-step hydrothermal method using tetrabutyl titanate as the titanium precursor. The prepared composite samples presented enhanced photocatalytic activity in photodegradation of acetone in air. Graphene content exhibited an obvious influence on photocatalytic activity and the optimal graphene addition content was determined. At the optimal graphene concentration (0.05 wt.%), the prepared composites showed the highest photocatalytic activity, exceeding that of pure TiO2 and Degussa P-25 by a factor of 1.7 and 1.6, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is due to graphene as an excellent electron acceptor and transporter, thus reducing the recombination of charge carriers and enhancing the photocatalytic activity. The transient photocurrent response experiment further confirmed the transfer of photogenerated electrons from TiO2 to graphene and the suggested mechanism.