Research Articles

The integrated strategy using coupling photocatalysis and adsorption to treat liquid waste has attracted increased attention. In this work, a carbon enhanced photocatalyst (BiOBr@PSBM) with dopamine bridge was constructed using porous straw biochar (SBM) as loading carrier for efficient, multitasking water purification engineering, enhancing adjustable adsorption and visible-light degradation. A cellulose-targeted etching strategy was used to construct porous biochar carriers. Benefiting from the synergy of dopamine and carbon enhancement, the electron migration ability of composites enabled the heightened visible-light catalysis activities, and the efficient visible-light degradation (96.5%) for various dye pollutants was achieved. The optimized porous structure, amino-rich surface, and pH control adjustable surface charge properties endowed composites with multitasking ability. They achieved excellent and rapid capture Cr(VI) through static-dynamic adsorption (157.7 mg·g^-1, 40 min). The theoretical calculation with DFT framework was used to study the proposed adsorption-degradation mechanism and the degradation pathway of organic polluted molecules. Significantly, multiple recycling and environmental experiments indicated that photocatalysts boasted stable structure and regeneration, supporting their cost-effective and efficient remediation of wastewater containing various polluted species. This work provided a feasible strategy for developing advanced water purification materials by the utilization of low-value solid-waste.

Identifying the transition age between juvenile and mature wood is key for designing more efficient silvicultural strategies and optimizing timber exploitation.  The objective of this study was to identify the juvenile wood transition age and analyze certain growth characteristics of Cuban Pinus caribaea M. var. caribaea B&G by comparing plantation and native populations. Radial variations in growth ring width, latewood proportion, and ultrasonic longitudinal speed were examined to identify the delimitation age from juvenile to mature wood. Visual assessment and statistical analyses, including segmented regression and k-means clustering, were applied. The findings indicated that juvenile wood is formed within the first 5 to 9 years, while mature wood develops after 21 to 26 years. Plantation trees exhibited higher variability and a wider juvenile wood zone (60 mm from the pith) than native trees (43 mm). The mean growth ring in the mature wood was 3.14 mm in native and 3.67 mm in plantation. The latewood proportion stabilized above 50% beyond the transition age, confirming the shift to mature wood, trees from native population developing 22% more latewood than trees from plantation. The ultrasonic speed pattern was similar between populations, validating its use as an indirect indicator of wood maturation.