Chinese Science Bulletin

Plastic wastes are becoming one of the most serious environmental pollutants because of their high antidegradation properties and the damage they cause to human health. More seriously, plastics can become smaller in size and form microplastics (MPs), attributing to the oxidation, weathering, and fragmentation processes. The influx of MPs into water bodies seriously affects the quality of the aquatic environment. Therefore, it is necessary to summarize the aging process of MPs. In this review, we first provided an overview of the definition and source of MPs. Then we analyzed the potential a

High-precision measurements of oxygen isotopic compositions in water are of great importance for understanding regional and global hydrological cycles and historical hydroclimate change. Several methods have been developed to determine the triple oxygen isotopic proxy (17O-excess) in water. However, these methods are not applicable because of poor precision or poisonous compound utilisation. Recently, a method based on CO2-H2O equilibration followed by an isotopic exchange between CO2 and O2 catalysed by hot platinum, was developed to measure water 17O-excess with high precision (less than

The dynamic response of a caisson-type breakwater on a riprap foundation under the action of waves is a typical wave-permeable medium-solid structure interaction problem. It involves the capture of strong nonlinear free liquid surface, mathematical description of seepage flow in permeable media, and accurate modeling of the contact force between the seepage field and solid structures. and other issues. Based on the established smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) seepage model, this paper can The support force and friction force of the top surface of the permeable medium to the solid struc

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are considered as next-generation semiconductors owing to their tunable optical and electrical properties depending on their particle size and shape. The characteristics of CQDs are mainly governed by their surface chemistry, and the ligand exchange process plays a crucial role in determining their surface states. Worldwide studies toward the realization of high-quality quantum dots have led to advances in ligand exchange methods, and these procedures are usually carried out in either solid-state or solution-phase. In this article, we review recent advances in

Designed micro/nanomotors are micro/nanoscale machines capable of autonomous motion in fluids, which have been emerging in recent decades owing to their great potential for biomedical and environmental applications. Among them, light-powered micro/nanomotors, in which motion is driven by light, exhibit various advantages in their precise motion manipulation and thereby a superior scope for application. This review summarizes recent advances in the design, manufacture and motion manipulation of different types of light-powered micro/nanomotors. Their structural features and motion performanc