Carbon nanodots were chemically modified to control the fluorescence and identify fluorophores.

Biodiesel is a renewable and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels. Despite nearly 3 decades of research in the field of biodiesel, there remains major obstacles for large-scale production. In the search for an active, selective, and reusable solid base catalyst, strontium oxide (SrO) is emerging out as a preferred choice for the transesterification reaction under various methods of activation. SrO exhibits the highest activity among processable alkaline earth metal oxides as a result of its strong basicity. SrO nanoparticles (NPs) and hybrids showed improved performance. Recent progress achieved in the development of synthetic methods of SrO NPs is reviewed. Advantages of SrO-based nanocomposites for biodiesel production are discussed. Finally, potential support materials for enhancing the catalytic performance of SrO NPs with commercial implications are elaborated.

Among the methods employed for carbon capture, the electroreduction of CO2 offers both a reduction in CO2 levels and the possibility of recycling it into commodity chemicals. However, the most efficient catalysts for this reaction are precious metals. To achieve cost-effective processes, other elements should be used. Transition-metal atoms coordinated with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit high performance as electrocatalysts. However, the isolating natures of MOFs limit their utilization as electrocatalysts. In this study, we grew MOF nanoparticles inside hierarchically mesoporous carbon instead of mixing the MOFs with conductive carbon. The incorporated MOF nanoparticles showed improved properties compared with those of MOFs mixed with carbon, indicating strong electronic interactions in the composites. The encapsulated MOF nanoparticles demonstrated high electric conductivity while preserving their original crystallinity. When used as electrodes in CO2 electroreduction, the MOFs exhibited a high electroactive coverage of 155 nmol cm−2. Moreover, in a CO2-saturated electrolyte, the composites exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, including a small onset potential (−0.31 V vs. RHE) and large reduction currents (−18 mA. cm−2 at −1.0 V); these were considerably higher than those usually reported for MOF-based materials except in CO electroreduction. Importantly, the composite produced valuable hydrogenated commodity chemicals, including formic acid.

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Graphite-oxide (GO) is a valuable compound produced by the chemical oxidation of graphite. The procedure for converting graphite into GO includes two steps: oxidation and subsequent rinsing. Proper rinsing is...

The present work suggests the effectiveness of the composition method to assist non-conductive MOFs to participate in electrochemical applications. We propose a new approach to grow MOF nanoparticles into conductive porous carbon–HKUST-1. When operated in a CO2-saturated aqueous solution, the composites exhibit excellent electrochemical performances, including a low onset potential (-0.58 V) and large reduction currents (-17 mA.cm-2 at -1.0 V), which is considerably high compared to usually reported MOF-based beyond CO electroreduction. The strong π- π interaction between the aromatic linkers and the graphitic carbon proved advantageous in inducing high lateral conductivity of up to 17.2 S m-1 to the composite. EPR investigation of the unpaired electrons on the Cu atoms also disclose that the induced conductivity influences the metal centers. Electrochemical studies reveal high electroactive coverage of 155 nmol. Besides these factors, the excellent durability of the composite is worth noticing. The composite stabilizes the active material, and after 12 hours of constant operation, the electrochemical response was the same. Most importantly, the composite produces formic acid, a valuable chemical commodity, within a short time interval of 15 minutes.

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