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Yi B, Ai L, Hou C, Lv D, Cao C, Yao X. Liquid Metal Nanoparticles as a Highly Efficient Photoinitiator to Develop Multifunctional Hydrogel Composites. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:29315-29323. [PMID: 35699106 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c07507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Liquid metal (LM) composites are a class of emerging soft multifunctional materials that are promising for a variety of applications, yet the chemistry properties of LM have not been fully understood. Here, we report that LM nanoparticles can directly perform as a photoinitiator for radical polymerization and the in situ development of highly tough and multifunctional LM hydrogel composites. It is revealed that the photocatalytic activity of LM nanoparticles originates from the oxide layer on LM. Significantly, positively charged metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles are used to stabilize LM nanoparticles in aqueous solutions, where the MOF can anchor on the surface of LM nanoparticles by electrostatic interaction while helping to preserve the unshielded oxide layer, therefore realizing the highly efficient photoinitiation and polymerization. The LM nanoparticle-initiated photopolymerization is shown to develop hydrogel composites featuring excellent stretchability, stimuli responsiveness, and sustained photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic polymerization initiated by LM nanoparticles not only deepens the understanding on the semiconductor properties of the oxide skin on LM but also broadens the application scenarios of multifunctional LM/polymer composites in smart materials, wearable electronics, and soft robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yi
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Guangzhou International Campus, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 511442, P.R. China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P.R. China
| | - Liqing Ai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P.R. China
| | - Changshun Hou
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P.R. China
| | - Dong Lv
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P.R. China
| | - Chunyan Cao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P.R. China
| | - Xi Yao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P.R. China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, P.R. China
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Tao S, Zhong W, Chen Y, Chen F, Wang P, Yu H. Bifunctional thioacetamide-mediated synthesis of few-layered MoOSx nanosheet-modified CdS hollowspheres for efficient photocatalytic H2 production. Catal Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2cy01315k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Constructing efficient cocatalyst-modified hollow-structured photocatalysts holds great potential in the photocatalytic H2 evolution field. Regrettably, it still remains a formidable challenge to develop cost-effective cocatalysts and explore simple synthetic methods...
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Zhang Y, Jiao S, Zhang J, Liu S, Gao S, Wang D, Wang J. Study on the evolution from α-GaOOH to α-Ga2O3 and Solar-blind Detection behavior of α-GaOOH/α-Ga2O3 Heterojunction. CrystEngComm 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d1ce01559a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The GaOOH-Ga2O3 heterojunction was obtained by one-step annealing treatment at certain temperature, the solar blind photoresponse performance of the GaOOH-Ga2O3 heterojunction has been characterized through photoelectrochemical detector, providing a simple...
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Wang T, Wang ZW, Zhang Y, Yang XT, Zhu YZ, Wang HF. Porous Ga 2 O 3 Nanotubes Derived from Urease-Mediated Interfacially-Grown NH 4 Ga(OH) 2 CO 3 for High-Efficient Hydrogen Evolution. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2104195. [PMID: 34729918 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202104195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The authors proposed a novel template-free strategy, urease-mediated interfacial growth of NH4 Ga(OH)2 CO3 nanotubes at 20-50 °C, to fabricate the porous Ga2 O3 nanotubes. The subtlety of the proposed strategy is all the products from urea enzymolysis are utilized in formation of NH4 Ga(OH)2 CO3 precipitates, and the key for interfacial growth of NH4 Ga(OH)2 CO3 nanotubes is the dynamic match between the rate of CO2 bubble fusion and NH4 Ga(OH)2 CO3 precipitation. The proposed strategy works well for the doped porous Ga2 O3 nanotubes. As a proof-of-concept, the porous β-Ga2 O3 and β-Ga2 O3 :Cr0.001 nanotubes are used as photocatalysts or co-catalysts with Pt, for H2 evolution from water splitting. The H2 evolution rate of porous β-Ga2 O3 nanotubes reach 39.3 mmol g-1 h-1 with solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency of 2.11% (Hg lamp) or 498 µmol g-1 h-1 with STH of 0.03% (Xe lamp) respectively, both about 3 times of β-Ga2 O3 nanoparticles synthesized at pH 9.0 without urease. The Cr-doping enhances the in-the-dark H2 evolution rate pre-lighted by Hg lamp, and Pt co-catalysis further elevates the H2 evolution rate, for instance, the H2 evolution rate of Pt-loaded β-Ga2 O3 :Cr0.001 nanotubes reaches 54.7 mmol g-1 h-1 with STH of 2.94% under continuous lighting of Hg lamp and 1062 µmol g-1 h-1 in-the-dark.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wang
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Zheng-Wu Wang
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xiao-Ting Yang
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yi-Zhou Zhu
- State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - He-Fang Wang
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biosensing and Molecular Recognition, Tianjin, 300071, China
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Xia Y, Liang R, Yang MQ, Zhu S, Yan G. Construction of Chemically Bonded Interface of Organic/Inorganic g-C 3N 4/LDH Heterojunction for Z-Schematic Photocatalytic H 2 Generation. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 11:2762. [PMID: 34685202 PMCID: PMC8539041 DOI: 10.3390/nano11102762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The design and synthesis of a Z-schematic photocatalytic heterostructure with an intimate interface is of great significance for the migration and separation of photogenerated charge carriers, but still remains a challenge. Here, we developed an efficient Z-scheme organic/inorganic g-C3N4/LDH heterojunction by in situ growing of inorganic CoAl-LDH firmly on organic g-C3N4 nanosheet (NS). Benefiting from the two-dimensional (2D) morphology and the surface exposed pyridine-like nitrogen atoms, the g-C3N4 NS offers efficient trap sits to capture transition metal ions. As such, CoAl-LDH NS can be tightly attached onto the g-C3N4 NS, forming a strong interaction between CoAl-LDH and g-C3N4 via nitrogen-metal bonds. Moreover, the 2D/2D interface provides a high-speed channel for the interfacial charge transfer. As a result, the prepared heterojunction composite exhibits a greatly improved photocatalytic H2 evolution activity, as well as considerable stability. Under visible light irradiation of 4 h, the optimal H2 evolution rate reaches 1952.9 μmol g-1, which is 8.4 times of the bare g-C3N4 NS. The in situ construction of organic/inorganic heterojunction with a chemical-bonded interface may provide guidance for the designing of high-performance heterostructure photocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhou Xia
- Fujian Province University Key Laboratory of Green Energy and Environment Catalysis, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China; (Y.X.); (R.L.)
| | - Ruowen Liang
- Fujian Province University Key Laboratory of Green Energy and Environment Catalysis, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China; (Y.X.); (R.L.)
| | - Min-Quan Yang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Shuying Zhu
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China
| | - Guiyang Yan
- Fujian Province University Key Laboratory of Green Energy and Environment Catalysis, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China; (Y.X.); (R.L.)
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Featured Materials in Biochemical Industry, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China
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Zhang C, Yang W, Li J, Jin X, Yang L, Liu B. Catalyst-assisted heteroepitaxial strategy for highly ordered β-Ga 2O 3nanoarrays and their optical property investigation. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 32:505601. [PMID: 34438375 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac218d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we demonstrate the growth of highly orderedβ-Ga2O3nanoarrays with (001) preferred growth plane for the first time through a facile heteroepitaxial strategy using metal Ga and c-sapphire as Ga precursor and monocrystalline substrate. The (001) preferred growth plane means that theβ-Ga2O3nanowires grow along the normal direction of the (001) plane. Theβ-Ga2O3nanoarrays along (001) preferential plane exhibit inclined six equivalent directions that correspond to the six crystallographic symmetry of (0001)α-Al2O3. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analyses confirm the good crystallinity and the existence of unusual epitaxial relationship of {310}β-Ga2O3ǁ (0001)α-Al2O3and <001>β-Ga2O3or <132>β-Ga2O3ǁ [11¯00]α-Al2O3. UV-vis and cathodoluminescence measurements reveal the wide band gap of 4.8 eV and the strong UV-blue luminescence (300-500 nm) centered at ∼388 nm. Finally, the luminescence mechanism is further investigated with the assistance of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The heteroepitaxial strategy of highly orderedβ-Ga2O3nanoarrays in this work will undoubtedly pave a solid way toward the fundamental research and the applications of Ga2O3nanodevices in optoelectronic, gas sensor, photocatalyst and next-generation power electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai Zhang
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science (SYNL), Institute of Metal Research (IMR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), No. 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, No. 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjin Yang
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science (SYNL), Institute of Metal Research (IMR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), No. 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, No. 11, Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110819, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Jin
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science (SYNL), Institute of Metal Research (IMR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), No. 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Liu Yang
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science (SYNL), Institute of Metal Research (IMR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), No. 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, No. 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Baodan Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, No. 11, Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110819, People's Republic of China
- Foshan Graduate School of Northeastern University, No. 2, Zhihui Road, Foshan 528300, People's Republic of China
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Jiang Z, Xiao Z, Tao Z, Zhang X, Lin S. A significant enhancement of bulk charge separation in photoelectrocatalysis by ferroelectric polarization induced in CdS/BaTiO 3 nanowires. RSC Adv 2021; 11:26534-26545. [PMID: 35480002 PMCID: PMC9037354 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra04561j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient charge separation, in particular bulk charge separation (BCS), is one of the most critical factors in determining the performance of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting. The BCS enhancement of CdS/BaTiO3 (CdS/BTO) nanowires (NWs) in photoelectrocatalysis has rarely been reported. This paper describes a remarkable PEC properties promotion of the CdS/BTO NWs, which is confirmed to be a result of the enhanced BCS efficiency induced by the ferroelectric polarization. The vertical arrays of BTO NWs endow fast transfer of carriers. Meanwhile, CdS is decorated uniformly on the surface of BTO NWs, which ensures a wide range of light absorption. After two negative polarizations, the CdS/BTO NWs have successfully obtained a remarkable photocurrent density, achieving 459.53 μA cm-2 at 1.2 V(vs.RHE), which is 2.86 times that of the unpolarized sample. However, after two positive polarizations, the photocurrent density dramatically decreases to 40.18 μA cm-2 at 1.2 V(vs.RHE), which is merely 0.25 times the original value. More importantly, the photocurrent density reaches up to a prominent value of -71.09 mA cm-2 at -0.8 V(vs.RHE) after two successive negative polarizations, which is a 40.87 mA cm-2 enhancement with respect to the sample without poling. Significantly, at -0.8 V(vs.RHE), the BCS efficiency of the CdS/BTO NWs is as high as 91.87% after two negative polarizations. The effects of ferroelectric polarization on the PEC performance of CdS/BTO NWs have been systematically studied. The results demonstrate that ferroelectric polarization, especially negative polarization, results in an internal electric field to tune band bending of CdS/BTO NWs, thus prominently enhancing the PEC performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University Haikou 570228 Hainan China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University Haikou 570228 Hainan China
| | - Zhaohui Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University Haikou 570228 Hainan China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University Haikou 570228 Hainan China
| | - Zui Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University Haikou 570228 Hainan China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University Haikou 570228 Hainan China
| | - Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University Haikou 570228 Hainan China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University Haikou 570228 Hainan China
| | - Shiwei Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University Haikou 570228 Hainan China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University Haikou 570228 Hainan China
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Liang X, Zhao J, Wang T, Zhang Z, Qu M, Wang C. Constructing a Z-Scheme Heterojunction Photocatalyst of GaPO 4/α-MoC/Ga 2O 3 without Mingling Type-II Heterojunction for CO 2 Reduction to CO. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:33034-33044. [PMID: 34229432 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c07757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Constructing Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts is a prevalent strategy to prolong the lifetime of photoinduced charge carriers without reducing their redox potentials. Nevertheless, these photocatalysts were usually mingled with type-II heterojunction, leading to a decrease in the redox potentials of photoinduced charge carriers. Herein, based on the absolute electronegativity of semiconductors, a Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst of GaPO4/α-MoC/Ga2O3 was designed and successfully constructed, in which the formation of type-II heterojunction was prevented between GaPO4 and Ga2O3. In the GaPO4/α-MoC/Ga2O3 photocatalyst, the conduction band (CB) and valance band (VB) potentials and the Fermi level of Ga2O3 are higher than those of GaPO4, respectively. Under irradiation, photoinduced electrons on the CB of GaPO4 migrate to the electron mediator α-MoC and subsequently recombine with the photoinduced holes of Ga2O3, thereby retaining the photoinduced charge carriers with higher redox potentials. As a result, GaPO4/α-MoC/Ga2O3 exhibits a 4-fold enhancement of activity for CO2 photoreduction, compared to Ga2O3. Photocatalytic mechanism studies indicate that superoxide radicals might be an important intermediate for CO2 reduction to CO. The present work supplies a paradigm to construct a Z-scheme heterostructure without mingling type-II heterojunction via energy band engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Liang
- School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xian, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xian, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Ting Wang
- School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xian, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Zexing Zhang
- School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xian, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Miao Qu
- School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xian, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Chuanyi Wang
- School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xian, Shaanxi 710021, China
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Tai Y, Zhang Y, Sun J, Liu F, Tian H, Liu Q, Li C. Y 2O 3:Yb 3+, Tm 3+/ZnO composite with a heterojunction structure and upconversion function for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes. RSC Adv 2021; 11:24044-24053. [PMID: 35479009 PMCID: PMC9036705 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra03066c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Endowing photocatalytic materials with a broader range of light responses is important for improving their performance and solar energy utilization. In this study, a simple sol-gel method was used to prepare Yb3+/Tm3+-co-doped Y2O3 upconversion materials and Y2O3:Yb3+, Tm3+/ZnO (Y/Z) composite photocatalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of dyes. The Y/Z composite photocatalyst achieved degradation rates of 38%, 95%, and 89% for methyl orange, methylene blue (MB), and acid chrome blue K dye solutions, respectively, within 30 minutes. The degradation efficiency for MB after three cycles of degradation was 86%. The spherical Y2O3:Yb3+, Tm3+ particles had diameters of 20-50 nm and attached to the ZnO nanosheets, forming a heterojunction structure with ZnO. Fluorescence spectroscopy showed that Y2O3:Yb3+, Tm3+ could convert near-infrared (NIR) light into three sets of ultraviolet light (290, 320, and 360 nm) under NIR excitation. Photoluminescence spectroscopy demonstrated that the photogenerated electron-hole pair recombination probability of the composite photocatalyst was significantly lower than that of ZnO nanosheets, thereby reducing the energy loss during the migration process. Furthermore, the addition of Y2O3:Yb3+, Tm3+ to ZnO substantially improved the absorption capacity for ultraviolet light, which enhanced the photocatalytic activity. A possible mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic performance of the Y/Z composites was proposed based on the synergistic effect of heterojunction formation and the photoconversion process. The composite photocatalyst with upconversion characteristics and heterogeneous structure provides a new strategy for removing organic pollutants from water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehui Tai
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University No. 235, University West Road Hohhot China .,School of Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology No. 45, Aimin Road Hohhot China
| | - Yu Zhang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University No. 235, University West Road Hohhot China
| | - Jinlong Sun
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University No. 235, University West Road Hohhot China
| | - Fuyue Liu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University No. 235, University West Road Hohhot China
| | - Haoran Tian
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University No. 235, University West Road Hohhot China
| | - Qifeng Liu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University No. 235, University West Road Hohhot China
| | - Caihong Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology No. 45, Aimin Road Hohhot China
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