Graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) behaving as a layered feature with graphite was indexed as a high-content nitrogen-doping carbon material, attracting increasing attention for application in energy storage devices. However, poor conductivity and resulting serious irreversible capacity loss were pronounced for g-CN material due to its high nitrogen content. In this work, magnesiothermic denitriding technology is demonstrated to reduce the nitrogen content of g-CN (especially graphitic nitrogen) for enhanced lithium storage properties as lithium ion battery anodes. The obtained nitrogen-deficient g-CN (ND-g-CN) exhibits a thinner and more porous structure composed of an abundance of relatively low nitrogen doping wrinkled graphene nanosheets. A highly reversible lithium storage capacity of 2753 mAh/g was obtained after the 300th cycle with an enhanced cycling stability and rate capability. The presented nitrogen-deficient g-CN with outstanding electrochemical performances may unambiguously promote the application of g-CN materials in energy-storage devices.

Herein, we report the electrochemical Li intake capacity of carbonaceous one-dimensional graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) obtained by unzipping pristine multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). We have found that nanotubes with diameters of approximately 50 nm present a smaller reversible capacity than conventional mesocarbon microbead (MCMB) powder. Reduced GNRs improve the capacity only marginally over the MCMB reference but present a lower Coulombic efficiency as well as a higher capacity loss per cycle. Oxidized GNRs (ox-GNRs) outperform all of the other materials studied here in terms of energy density. They present a first charge capacity of approximately 1400 mA h g(-1) with a low Coulombic efficiency for the first cycle (approximately 53%). The reversible capacity of ox-GNRs is in the range of 800 mA h g(-1), with a capacity loss per cycle of approximately 3% for early cycles and a decreasing loss rate for subsequent cycles.

There is a growing need to develop analytical methods that can distinguish compounds found within industrially derived oil sands process water (OSPW) from those derived from natural weathering of oil sands deposits. This is a difficult challenge as possible leakage beyond tailings pond containments will probably be in the form of mixtures of water-soluble organics that may be similar to those leaching naturally into aquatic environments. We have evaluated the potential of negative ion electrospray ionization high-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS) for comparing oil sands polar organics from tailing ponds, interceptor wells, groundwater, river and lake surface waters. Principal component analysis was performed for all species observed. which included the O(2) class (often assumed to be monocarbxoylic naphthenic acids) along with a wide range of other species including humic substances in the river and lake samples: O(n) where n=1-16; NO(n) and N(2)O(n) where n=1-13; and O(n)S and O(n)S(2) where n=1-10 and 1-8, respectively. A broad range of species was investigated because classical naphthenic acids can be a small fraction of the 'organics' detected in the polar fraction of OSPW, river water and groundwater. Aquatic toxicity and environmental chemistry are attributed to the total organics (not only the classical naphthenic acids). The distributions of the oil sands polar organics, particularly the sulfur-containing species, O(n)S and O(n)S(2), may have potential for distinguishing sources of OSPW. The ratios of species containing O(n) along with nitrogen-containing species: NO(n), and N(2)O(n), were useful for differentiating organic components derived from OSPW from those found in river and lake waters. Further application of the FTICRMS technique for a diverse range of OSPW of varying ages and composition, as well as the surrounding groundwater wells, may be critical in assessing whether leakage from industrial sources to natural waters is occurring.

Novel g-CN/CoO nanocomposite application for photocatalytic H evolution were designed and fabricated for the first time in this work. The structure and morphology of g-CN/CoO were investigated by a wide range of characterization methods. The obtained g-CN/CoO composites exhibited more-efficient utilization of solar energy than pure g-CN did, resulting in higher photocatalytic activity for H evolution. The optimum photoactivity in H evolution under visible-light irradiation for g-CN/CoO composites with a CoO mass content of 0.5 wt % (651.3 μmol h g) was up to 3 times as high as that of pure g-CN (220.16 μmol h g). The remarkably increased photocatalytic performance of g-CN/CoO composites was mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of the junction or interface formed between g-CN and CoO.

This article provides a review of the routine methods currently utilized for total naphthenic acid analyses. There is a growing need to develop chemical methods that can selectively distinguish compounds found within industrially derived oil sands process affected waters (OSPW) from those derived from the natural weathering of oil sands deposits. Attention is thus given to the characterization of other OSPW components such as oil sands polar organic compounds, PAHs, and heavy metals along with characterization of chemical additives such as polyacrylamide polymers and trace levels of boron species. Environmental samples discussed cover the following matrices: OSPW containments, on-lease interceptor well systems, on- and off-lease groundwater, and river and lake surface waters. There are diverse ranges of methods available for analyses of total naphthenic acids. However, there is a need for inter-laboratory studies to compare their accuracy and precision for routine analyses. Recent advances in high- and medium-resolution mass spectrometry, concomitant with comprehensive mass spectrometry techniques following multi-dimensional chromatography or ion-mobility separations, have allowed for the speciation of monocarboxylic naphthenic acids along with a wide range of other species including humics. The distributions of oil sands polar organic compounds, particularly the sulphur containing species (i.e., OxS and OxS2) may allow for distinguishing sources of OSPW. The ratios of oxygen- (i.e., Ox) and nitrogen-containing species (i.e., NOx, and N2Ox) are useful for differentiating organic components derived from OSPW from natural components found within receiving waters. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy also provides a powerful screening technique capable of quickly detecting the presence of aromatic organic acids contained within oil sands naphthenic acid mixtures. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy provides diagnostic profiles for OSPW and potentially impacted groundwater that can be compared against reference groundwater and surface water samples. Novel applications of X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) are emerging for speciation of sulphur-containing species (both organic and inorganic components) as well as industrially derived boron-containing species. There is strong potential for an environmental forensics application of XANES for chemical fingerprinting of weathered sulphur-containing species and industrial additives in OSPW.