The Electrospray (ESI) and Flowing Atmosphere-Pressure Afterglow (FAPA) Mass Spectrometry Studies of Nitrophenols (Plant Growth Stimulants) Removed Using Strong Base-Functionalized Materials

The functional silica-based materials functionalized with a strong nitrogen base TBD (SiO2-TBD) deposited via a linker or with a basic poly(amidoamine) dendrimer containing multiple terminal amine groups -NH2 (SiO2-EDA) and functional polymers containing a strong phosphazene base (Polymer-Phosphazene) or another basic poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (PMVEAMA-PAMAM) were tested as sorbents dedicated to a mixture of nitrophenols (p-nitrophenol and 2-methoxy-5-nitrophenol), which are analogs of nitrophenols used in plant growth biostimulants. The adsorptive potential of the studied materials reached 0.102, 0.089, 0.140, and 0.074 g of the nitrophenols g−1, for SiO2-TBD, SiO2-EDA, polymer-phosphazene, and PMVEAMA-PAMAM, respectively. The sorptive efficiency of the analytes, i.e., their adsorption on the functional materials, the desorption from the obtained [(sorbent)H+ − nitrophenolates–] complexes, and interactions with the used soil, were monitored using mass spectrometry (MS) technique with electrospray (ESI) and flowing atmosphere-pressure afterglow (FAPA) ionizations, for the analysis of the aqueous solutions and the solids, respectively. The results showed that the adsorption/desorption progress is determined by the structures of the terminal basic domains anchored to the materials, which are connected with the strength of the proton exchange between the sorbents and nitrophenols. Moreover, the conducted comprehensive MS analyses, performed for both solid and aqueous samples, gave a broad insight into the interactions of the biostimulants and the presented functional materials.

Study of catalytic hydrogenation performance for the Pd/CeO2 catalysts

Pd/CeO2 catalysts with different metallic Pd loading were synthesized by impregnation method. The physicochemical properties of prepared Pd/CeO2 catalysts and corresponding precursors were studied by XRD, XPS, H2-TPD and H2-TPR. Moreover, the catalytic performance of the Pd/CeO2 catalysts was investigated via gas phase benzene hydrogenation reaction at the temperature of 100–200 °C under atmosphere pressure. Results show that the catalytic performance of prepared Pd/CeO2 catalysts is directly related to the metallic Pd content. The amounts of active metallic Pd and adsorbed-desorbed hydrogen species on Pd/CeO2 catalysts increase with the increasing metallic Pd loading from 1.0 to 3.0%, while the numbers of them are slightly reduced on Pd/CeO2(3.5) catalyst. Furthermore, metallic Pd is highly dispersed on the nano-CeO2 supports, therefore, the prepared Pd/CeO2 catalysts present good gas phase benzene catalytic hydrogenation performance. At 200 °C, the benzene conversion over the Pd/CeO2 catalysts with different metallic Pd loading follows the rule: Pd/CeO2(3.0) > Pd/CeO2(3.5) > Pd/CeO2(2.5) > Pd/CeO2(2.0) > Pd/CeO2(1.5) > Pd/CeO2(1.0), corresponding values are 94.3, 96.4, 89.9, 82.8, 72.7, 42.6 and 94.3%. And the cyclohexane selectivity is 100% on all prepared Pd/CeO2 catalysts.

Effect of Chemical Oxygen Demand Concentration on Nutrient Removal in Simultaneous Nitrification, Denitrification and Phosphorus Removal System in High-Altitude Areas

The application of biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal processes in high-altitude areas faces severe challenges due to low temperature, low atmosphere pressure and low oxygen concentration. In this study, a simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal (SNDPR) system was operated under low atmosphere pressure. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations in influent were decreased from 300 mg/L (stage I) to 200 mg/L (stage II), corresponding to the low COD concentration of sewage in high-altitude areas. The removal of COD and total phosphate was efficient at the H1 reactor (72 kPa). The removal rates of COD and total phosphate were 94.08% (stage I), 90.66% (stage II) and 98.43% (stage I), 99.34% (stage II), respectively, which were similar to L1 (100 kPa). The removal rates of total inorganic nitrogen and simulation nitrification and denitrification were from 81.21% (stage I) and 59.48% (stage I) to 72.86% (stage II) and 31.95% (stage II), respectively, which were also improved compared to L1. Cycle experiment results indicated that the activity of phosphorus accumulating organisms was enhanced, while the ammonia oxidation process was inhibited under low atmosphere pressure.

Atmosphere pressure and COVID-19

As of 26 January 2021 146 836 524 coronavirus cases and 3 106 435 coronavirus deaths were officially recorded in 193 countries around the world. In this regard, obtaining new scientific knowledge about the patterns of climate influence on the results of the pandemic is extremely important. The developed original method allows determining the periods when climatic factors have had the greatest impact on human morbidity and mortality and calculating how much a particular parameter of the atmosphere has influenced the infection process and course of illness. The authors have used the methods of pair and multiple correlation to determine the nature and dependence of the morbidity and mortality levels on atmosphere pressure. The authors have carried out a correlation analysis of the dependence between atmosphere pressure and morbidity patterns due to COVID-19 in the Murmansk and Novgorod regions, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Denmark, Belgium and Ireland. It has been proved that in two weeks period preceding the date of detection of morbidity there are necessarily two points in time at which atmosphere pressure has had the greatest impact on the results of morbidity. The authors have associated these extremes with the moment of infection and appearance of symptoms of morbidity. That allows making assumptions about the duration of the incubation period in different atmosphere conditions. For the first time based on statistical calculations it has been proved that the levels of morbidity and mortality may be related to the meteorological conditions that have been observed for 5–9 weeks before the facts of morbidity. The conducted research have allowed obtaining new scientific knowledge of influence of atmosphere pressure on the morbidity patterns of COVID-19. This creates the conditions for timely scientific forecasting of level of pandemic danger and action planning of an appropriate scale to be have made by the Executive authorities at all level to prevent mass infection of the population and reduce its negative consequences.

Facile assembly of 2D Ni-based coordination polymer nanosheets as battery-type electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors

The large-scale Ni-based nano-sized coordination polymers (Ni-nCPs) are facilely constructed by a self-assembled approach at room temperature and atmosphere pressure. In this strategy, we only use environmentally friendly solvents of...