Evolution of rates, patterns, and driving forces of green eco-spaces in a subtropical hilly region.

Monitoring ecological resource change in mountainous and hilly areas (MHAs) is vital for theoretical and practical advancements of ecological resource utilization and management in complex ecosystems. The factors driving structural and functional changes in green eco-spaces (GES) in these areas are complex and uncertain, with notable spatial scale effects. However, analyzing the multi-scale driving mechanisms of ecological and socioeconomic factors at a fine spatiotemporal scale presents significant challenges. To address these challenges, we analyzed dynamic changes in GES and eco-socio-economic development in Shanghang County, a typical mountainous region in southern China. We used multiple linear regression and multi-scale geographically weighted regression model to identify key factors driving GES changes and their multi-scale effects at both global and local levels. Over the past two decades, the GES area in the study area has exhibited a consistent pattern of decline, characterized by phases of gradual decline (2000-2005), sharp decline (2005-2009), slow decline (2009-2019). Key global factors driving GES changes included elevation (ELE), slope (SLOPE), population density (PD), distance to settlements (SETTLE), and distance to administrative centers (ADMIN). These factors exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity and multi-scale effects on GES changes. Specifically, SETTLE, PD, SLOPE, and ELE consistently drove GES changes at the local level, while ADMIN only showed significant localized effects during 2005-2009. The synergy between SETTLE and SLOPE had a considerable impact on GES changes, increasing over time, whereas ELE and PD demonstrated a consistent trade-off effect. These findings provide detailed spatiotemporal insights into the driving mechanisms of natural ecological resources, offering crucial guidance for environmental management, land source management, regional economic development, and biodiversity conservation in Shanghang and analogous subtropical hilly regions worldwide.

Schottky-Diode Design for Future High-Speed Telecommunications.

The impact of 5G communication is expected to be widespread and transformative. It promises to provide faster mobile broadband speeds, lower latency, improved network reliability and capacity, and more efficient use of wireless technologies. The Schottky diode, a BN/GaN layered composite contacting bulk aluminum, is theoretically plausible to harvest wireless energy above X-band. According to our first principle calculation, the insertion of GaN layers dramatically influences the optical properties of the layered composite. The relative dielectric constant of BN/GaN layered composite as a function of layer-to-layer separation is investigated where the optimized dielectric constant is ~2.5. To push the dielectric constant approaching ~1 for high-speed telecommunication, we upgrade our BN-based Schottky diode via nanostructuring, and we find that the relative dielectric constant of BN monolayer (semiconductor side) can be minimized to ~1.5 only if it is deposited on an aluminum monolayer (metal side). It is rare to find a semiconductor with a dielectric constant close to 1, and our findings may push the cut-off frequency of the Al/BN-based rectenna to the high-band 5G network.

Photo-assisted reductive cleavage and catalytic hydrolysis-mediated persulfate activation by mixed redox-couple-involved CuFeS2 for efficient trichloroethylene oxidation in groundwater.

Persulfate (PS, S2O82-) activation through transition metal sulfides (TMS) has gained increasing attention since it can decompose a wide variety of refractory halogenated organic compounds in groundwater and wastewater. However, the processes of PS activation by TMS and particularly the formation of •OH radical under anoxic and acidic conditions (pH ∼2.8) remain elusive. Herein, by employing mixed redox-couple-involved chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) (150 mg/L) nanoparticles for PS (3.0 mM) activation, 96% of trichloroethylene was degraded within 120 min at pH 6.8 under visible light irradiation. The combination of experimental studies and theoretical calculations suggested that the Cu(I)/Fe(III) mixed redox-couple in CuFeS2 plays a crucial role to activate PS. Cu(I) acted as an electron donor to transfer electron to Fe(III), then Fe(III) served as an electron transfer bridge as well as a catalytic center to further donate this received electron to the O-O bond of PS, thus yielding SO4•- for trichloroethylene oxidation. Moreover, for the first time, •OH radicals were found to form from the catalytic hydrolysis of PS onto CuFeS2 surface, where S2O82- anion was hydrolyzed to yield H2O2 and these ensuing H2O2 were further transformed into •OH radicals via photoelectron-assisted O-O bond cleavage step. Our findings offer valuable insights for understanding the mechanisms of PS activation by redox-couple- involved TMS, which could promote the design of effective activators toward PS decomposition for environmental remediation.

Influence of landscape features on urban land surface temperature: Scale and neighborhood effects.

Higher land surface temperature (LST) in cities than its surrounding areas presents a major sustainability challenge for cities. Adaptation and mitigation of the increased LST require in-depth understanding of the impacts of landscape features on LST. We studied the influences of different landscape features on LST in five large cities across China to investigate how the features of a specific urban landscape (endogenous features), and neighboring environments (exogenous features) impact its LST across a continuum of spatial scales. Surprisingly, results show that the influence of endogenous landscape features (Eendo) on LST can be described consistently across all cities as a nonlinear function of grain size (gs) and neighbor size (ns) (Eendo = ßnsgs-0.5, where ß is a city-specific constant) while the influence of exogenous features (Eexo) depends only on neighbor size (ns) (Eexo = Î³-εns0.5, where γ and ε are city-specific constants). In addition, a simple relationship describing the relative strength of endogenous and exogenous impacts of landscape features on LST was found (Eendo > Eexo if ns > kgs2/5, where k is a city-specific parameter; otherwise, Eendo < Eexo). Overall, vegetation alleviates 40%-60% of the warming effect of built-up while surface wetness intensifies or reduces it depending on climate conditions. This study reveals a set of unifying quantitative relationships that effectively describes landscape impacts on LST across cities, grain and neighbor sizes, which can be instrumental towards the design of sustainable cities to deal with increasing temperature.

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Firmiana danxiaensis is an endemic species of Danxia landform in China. Identifying the main driving factors of its distribution can provide scientific basis for the conservation of F. danxiaensis and related habitats. With GeoDetector, we analyzed the correlation (measured by q value) between the spatial distribution of F. danxiaens and its habitat factors in F. danxiaens Nature Reserve in Nanxiong City and the Guangdong Danxia Mountain Tourism Scenic Area (core scenic area). Factors measured in this study included geographical elements (geomorphological type, soil subtype, elevation, slope, aspect) and climatic elements (annual precipitation and annual sunshine hours, mean annual relative humidity and mean annual wind speed). Our results showed that the main habitat factors affecting the spatial distribution of F. danxiaensis were soil subtype, annual sunshine hours, and geomorphologic genesis type. The q values of those three factors were higher than the mean values of all factors. In the pairwise combination of habitat factors, the interaction between geomorphologic genesis types ∩ annual sunshine hours and soil subtypes ∩ annual sunshine hours was enhanced by two factors and the q value was greater than the mean value of all combinations, with a strong correlation. Compared with other factors, the q value of soil subtypes, annual sunshine hours and geomorphologic genesis types were significantly different in the ecological detection of spatial distribution correlation of F. danxiaensis. The spatial distribution of F. danxiaensis was significantly correlated with soil subtypes, geomorphologic genesis types and annual sunshine hours, indicating that the GeoDetector is a useful method for vegetation habitat factor analysis and species distribution prediction.

Degradation of ronidazole by electrochemically simultaneously generated persulfate and ferrous ions.

Nitroimidazoles are found in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and, when discharged into the environment, have adverse effects on human health and survival. Advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) based on persulfate (PS) can rapidly and efficiently degrade organic pollutants via strong oxidizing radicals under activation conditions. This study investigated the degradation of ronidazole (RNZ) by indirect electrolytic generation of PS and its activator, ferrous ion (Fe2+). An electrochemical system was developed, with a high concentration of PS generated at the anode while the activator Fe2+ was produced at the cathode. It showed that ammonium polyphosphate (APP) could effectively promote the electrolysis of PS. A high current efficiency (88%) at the anode could be obtained after 180 min at a high current density (300 mA cm-2). However, Fe2+ was inhibited at the cathode due to material control. The degradation of RNZ in the Fe2+/PS system generated from the electrochemical system was also explored. Increasing PS concentration and Fe2+/PS ratio were beneficial to the RNZ degradation. In homogeneous reactions, the degradation efficiency of RNZ could be improved by decreasing the Fe2+ addition rate through a peristaltic pump. Five intermediates were also detected and the degradation pathways were proposed. These findings provide a new method and mechanism for rapid and efficient degradation of RNZ.

Complete degradation of ciprofloxacin over g-C3N4-iron oxide composite via heterogeneous dark Fenton reaction.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) supported iron oxide (CN@IO) composite was first fabricated via synthesizing g-C3N4 in-situ onto iron oxide. The fabricated CN@IO composite was characterized by several techniques including XRD, XPS, TEM and nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis. This composite was then used as a catalyst for the dark Fenton oxidative degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP). Results demonstrated that the incorporation of g-C3N4 profoundly changed the structure and chemical properties of iron oxide, endowing CN@IO composites with high-efficient catalytic activity in dark Fenton system. In the synthesis process of CN@IO composites, iron oxide nanoparticles were successfully intercalated into the layers of g-C3N4, enlarging the surface area and thus providing more active sites for the reactions. Meanwhile, the existence of g-C3N4 can accelerate the Fe3+/Fe2+ redox cycle during the Fenton reaction, which further facilitated CIP degradation. In addition, the effects of reaction parameters, including pH, catalyst dosage, initial concentration of CIP and H2O2, on CIP degradation were investigated. Without any assistance of light irradiation, complete degradation and 48.5% mineralization of CIP were achieved under the best conditions of pH 3.0, 1 g/L CN@IO-2, 20 mg/L CIP and 0.0056 M H2O2. The trapping of iron oxide between g-C3N4 layers helped to stabilize iron oxide so the metal leaching problem that usually occurred in acidic media (pH = 3) can be effectively overcome. This work provides a new thought to develop environmental-friendly and high-efficient catalysts for the degradation of refractory pollutants in dark Fenton system, which is much easier to scale up for industrial application comparing with the photo-Fenton reaction.

Dramatic enhancement of superconductivity in single-crystalline nanowire arrays of Sn.

Sn is a classical superconductor on the border between type I and type II with critical temperature of 3.7 K. We show that its critical parameters can be dramatically increased if it is brought in the form of loosely bound bundles of thin nanowires. The specific heat displays a pronounced double phase transition at 3.7 K and 5.5 K, which we attribute to the inner 'bulk' contribution of the nanowires and to the surface contribution, respectively. The latter is visible only because of the large volume fraction of the surface layer in relation to the bulk volume. The upper transition coincides with the onset of the resistive transition, while zero resistance is gradually approached below the lower transition. In contrast to the low critical field Hc = 0.03 T of Sn in its bulk form, a magnetic field of more than 3 T is required to fully restore the normal state.

"Giant" enhancement of the upper critical field and fluctuations above the bulk Tc in superconducting ultrathin lead nanowire arrays.

We have produced ultrathin lead (Pb) nanowires in the 6 nm pores of SBA-15 mesoporous silica substrates by chemical vapor deposition. The nanowires form regular and dense arrays. We demonstrate that bulk Pb (a type-I superconductor below Tc = 7.2 K with a critical field of 800 Oe) can be tailored by nanostructuring to become a type-II superconductor with an upper critical field (Hc2) exceeding 15 T and signs of Cooper pairing 3-4 K above the bulk Tc. The material undergoes a crossover from a one-dimensional fluctuating superconducting state at high temperatures to three-dimensional long-range-ordered superconductivity in the low-temperature regime. We show with our data in an impressive way that superconductivity in elemental metals can be greatly enhanced by nanostructuring.

Capability of novel ZnFe2O4 nanotube arrays for visible-light induced degradation of 4-chlorophenol.

Highly ordered ZnFe2O4 nanotube arrays were successfully prepared by anodic aluminum oxide templates from sol-gel solution. The results from environmental scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy indicated that the as-prepared samples were vertically aligned spinel ZnFe2O4 nanotube arrays, and the nanotubes were uniform along the axial direction with an average diameter of approximately 200 nm. The absorption edge of ZnFe2O4 nanotube arrays shifted to a higher energy in the UV-Vis absorption spectrum compared with that of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles film. The synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanotube arrays exhibited excellent photocatalytic capability for degradation of 4-chlorophenol under visible-light irradiation. The main intermediate degradation species of 4-chlorophenol identified by liquid chromatography-mass technique were benzoquinone, hydroquinone, hydroxybenzoquinone and 2-peroxy-o-dihydroxybenzene. The degradation pathways of 4-chlorophenol under visible-light irradiation was derived and discussed by interpreting the observations of the intermediate species in the photocatalytic reactions.

Synthesis, characterization and adsorptive performance of MgFe2O4 nanospheres for SO2 removal.

A type of uniform Mg ferrite nanospheres with excellent SO(2) adsorption capacity could be selectively synthesized via a facile solvothermal method. The size of the MgFe(2)O(4) nanospheres was controlled to be 300-400 nm in diameter. The structural, textural, and surface properties of the adsorbent have been fully characterized by a variety of techniques (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, BET; X-ray diffraction analysis, XRD; scanning electron microscopy, SEM; and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, EDS). The valence states and the surface chemical compositions of MgFe(2)O(4) nanospheres were further identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The behaviors of SO(2) oxidative adsorption on MgFe(2)O(4) nanospheres were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Both the sulfite and sulfate species could be formed on the surface of MgFe(2)O(4). The adsorption equilibrium isotherm of SO(2) was analyzed using a volumetric method at 298 K and 473 K. The results indicate that MgFe(2)O(4) nanospheres possess a good potential as the solid-state SO(2) adsorbent for applications in hot fuel gas desulfurization.

The formation of hollow poly(methyl methacrylate)/multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposite cylinders by microwave irradiation.

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposite particles with 1, 2 and 4 wt% of MWCNTs were prepared by mechanical grinding of PMMA and MWCNT powders in a mortar at room temperature. Both scanning electron microscopy and Raman scattering characterizations revealed that these nanocomposite particles consist of a PMMA core and a MWCNT shell. The PMMA/MWCNT nanocomposite particles were used to fabricate the corresponding nanocomposites in the form of a hollow cylinder with various diameters and heights under 700 W microwave irradiation within 1 min. A mechanism for the fast microwave assisted forming process is proposed. These experimental results may lead to a new technology for forming hollow polymeric articles that is different from the conventional injection and blowing process.

A template-free nano-wrapping technique for the fabrication of copper hollow nanospheres smaller than 20 nm.

A new template-free "nano-wrapping" method has been developed for the fabrication of copper hollow nanospheres with the smallest size of around 15 nm and its significance is highlighted to its composition tunability of the metal encapsulated inside the copper nanoshell.

Formation of an ink-bottle-like pore structure in SBA-15 by MOCVD.

Metallorganic chemical vapor deposition is used as a simple pore-modifying method to fine tune the pore-opening size of SBA-15 materials without significant loss in pore volume and surface area.

Thermal decomposition of carbon precursors in decorated AFI zeolite crystals.

Mass spectrometry and thermogravimetric analysis are used to explore the thermal decomposition of carbon precursors (primarily the tripropylammonium cations) occluded within AlPO(4)-5 (AFI) crystals prepared in various media (in the presence or absence of F(-) ions, Si(4+) substations of P(5+)), with the aim to fabricate high-density 0.4-nm single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). It has been found that the tripropylammonium precursors exist in the as-synthesized crystals in three different forms: tripropylammonium fluoride, hydroxide, and tripropylammonium cation compensating for the negative charge of the framework. The latter is bonded to the framework by strong chemical interaction and its decomposition takes place by a series of beta-elimination reactions to give propylene and ammonia, with the stepwise formation of dipropylammonium and n-propylammonium cations. The 0.4-nm SWNTs filling density was found to be higher than that resulting from the carbon precursor of tripropylammonium fluoride and hydroxide, because of the strong adsorption force of the channel walls to pyrolysate, as evidenced by the clear and strong radial breathing modes in Raman spectra.

Ordered mesoporous carbon as an efficient and reversible adsorbent for the adsorption of fullerenes.

An ordered mesoporous carbon, CMK-3, was synthesized using a mesoporous siliceous material, SBA-15, as the template. CMK-3 was characterized and used for the adsorption of fullerenes C60 and C70. It was found that the adsorption capacity of CMK-3 is 4 times higher than that of activated carbon. The adsorption equilibrium isotherms of C60 and C70 on CMK-3 were studied for both single and binary systems. The reversibility of fullerene adsorption on CMK-3 was also explored. The results showed that CMK-3 is an effective and reversible adsorbent for the separation of fullerenes by adsorption.

Effect of initial solution pH on the degradation of Orange II using clay-based Fe nanocomposites as heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst.

Effect of initial solution pH on the discoloration and mineralization of 0.2 mM Orange II by using two clay-based Fe nanocomposites (Fe-B (Fe supported on bentonite clay) and Fe-Lap-RD (Fe supported on laponite clay)) as catalysts was studied in detail. It was found that the initial solution pH not only influences the photo-catalytic activity of Fe-B and Fe-Lap-RD but also the Fe leaching from the two catalysts. Both catalysts show the best photo-catalytic activity at an initial solution pH of 3.0, and the activity of the catalysts decreases as the initial solution pH increases. At optimal conditions, 100% discoloration and mineralization of 0.2 mM Orange II are achieved in 60 and 120 min reaction in the presence of 10 mM H2O2, 1.0 g/L Fe-B, and 1 x 8 W UVC at initial solution pH of 3.0. 100% discoloration and 90% mineralization of 0.2 mM Orange II are achieved when Fe-Lap-RD is used as catalyst under the same conditions. Both catalysts also display a reasonable good photo-catalytic activity and negligible Fe leaching at an initial solution pH of 6.6 that is very close to neutral pH. This characteristic makes it possible for the Fe-B and Fe-Lap-RD to have a long-term stability. It also becomes feasible for the photo-Fenton process to treat the original wastewater without the need to pre-adjust the solution pH.

A novel heterogeneous acid-activated clay supported copper catalyst for the photobleaching and degradation of textile organic pollutant using photo-Fenton-like reaction.

Copper supported on acid-activated bentonite clay was found to be an effective catalyst for the photo degradation of Acid Black 1 at pH 3.0-8.0 without significant metal leaching.

Discoloration and mineralization of Orange II by using a bentonite clay-based Fe nanocomposite film as a heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst.

Discoloration and mineralization of an azo dye Orange II was conducted by using a bentonite clay-based Fe nanocomposite (Fe-B) film as a heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst in the presence of UVC light and H(2)O(2). Under optimal conditions (pH=3.0, 10 mM H(2)O(2), and 1 x 8W UVC), 100% discoloration and 50-60% TOC removal of 0.2 mM Orange II can be achieved in 90 and 120 min, respectively. The mineralization kinetics of 0.2 mM Orange II is much slower than the corresponding discoloration kinetics. Under the same conditions, the Fe leaching from the Fe-B-coated catalyst film is very low. The Fe-B-coated catalyst film could be used in the pre-treatment of wastewater for an integrated system consisting of a photochemical reactor and a biological reactor. Multi-run experimental results reveal that the Fe-B-coated catalyst film could have a long-term stability for the discoloration and mineralization of Orange II. A comparison between the performance of the Fe-B-coated catalyst film and a suspended Fe-B catalyst in the discoloration and mineralization of Orange II was also discussed.