Magnesium oxysulfate whisker (MOSW) was produced using magnesite and sulfuric acid as raw materials by hydrothermal method and further modified by taking zinc stearate as modifier via wet chemical method. The influences of the amount of modifier, slurry concentration, modification duration, modification temperature and the stirring rate on the surface modification were investigated. The effects of surface modification in functional groups, morphology and electron binding energies of surface elements of MOSW were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The mechanism of modification was analyzed by studying the microstructure model of the surface of MOSW, which was modified by zinc stearate. The results show that the coordination is generated by the Mg element and O in carboxylic ion of modifier, and the chemical bond could be obtained by modification. Moreover, the surface of MOSW bonds the molecules of zinc stearate, and it becomes rough. Then, the hydrophobicity of MOSW is also improved significantly. In addition, the 1s electron binding energies of Mg and O on the surface of MOSW decrease by 1.2 and 0.2 eV, respectively.
Gastrodia bawanglingensis, a new species of Orchidaceae from Hainan Island, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to G. theana, G. albidoides and G. albida with dwarf habits, scarcely opening flowers, elongated fruit stems, curved and fleshy perianth tubes and similar columns and lips, but can be easily distinguished from them by having a pair of lateral wings bent outwards at the apex of the column and lateral wings with acuminate tips lower than the anther. According to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, the new species is assessed as Endangered (EN). The plastome of G. bawanglingensis is greatly reduced and reconfigured with approximately 30876 bp in size and 25.36% in GC content. Morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic results based on chloroplast gene sequences support the recognition of G. bawanglingensis as a new species within Gastrodia.
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