Electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) provides an attractive alternative to anthraquinone process for H2O2 synthesis. Rational design of earth-abundant electrocatalysts for H2O2 synthesis via a two-electron ORR process in acids is attractive but still very challenging. In this work, we report that nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as a multi-functional support for CoSe2 nanoparticles not only keep CoSe2 nanoparticles well dispersed but alter the crystal structure, which in turn improves the overall catalytic behaviors and thereby renders high O2-to-H2O2 conversion efficiency. In 0.1 M HClO4, such CoSe2@NCNTs hybrid delivers a high H2O2 selectivity of 93.2% and a large H2O2 yield rate of 172 ppm·h-1 with excellent durability up to 24 h. Moreover, CoSe2@NCNTs performs effectively for organic dye degradation via electro-Fenton process.
Supplementary material (SEM images, EDX mapping images, XPS spectrum, XRD patterns, RRDE voltammogram, Tafel plots, cyclic voltammograms, UV-Vis spectra, and Tables S1) is available in the online version of this article at 10.1007/s12274-021-3474-0.
Supplementary material (SEM images, EDX mapping images, XPS spectrum, XRD patterns, RRDE voltammogram, Tafel plots, cyclic voltammograms, UV-Vis spectra, and Tables S1) is available in the online version of this article at 10.1007/s12274-021-3474-0.Increasing food production by developing small-scale irrigation schemes is a requirement for tackling household food insecurity. Strategies, such as the World Vision, Enhancing Nutrition, Stepping Up Resilience and Enterprise, have been established to enhance food availability in the drought-prone Burirano Ward 4, Chipinge, Zimbabwe, through the drip irrigation intervention. This study analysed the extent to which the drip intervention has increased food production, abilities, income and nutrition of households. Consequently, the key factors impacting the performance of the drip irrigation scheme were assessed. The study utilised a mixed-method convergent parallel design, drawing from semi-structured questionnaires administered on a census of 40 household beneficiaries as well as a focus group discussion of five key informants directly linked to the Chidzadza irrigation scheme, Burirano Ward 4, Chipinge, Zimbabwe. The findings show that the drip irrigation scheme significantly increased households' food production abilities, nutrition and income. The main factors responsible for the success of the drip irrigation scheme are cheap labour from household members and agriculture extension support. Issues that prevent the success of the scheme include erratic rain supplies and damaged water pipes. Strategies to increase household food production through the drip irrigation scheme include maintenance of water pipes, an increase in water catchment areas and water availability through solar-powered borehole systems.Food insecurity has increasingly become a topical issue that needs to be addressed before it goes out of hand. The article explores the synergistic relationship that exists between Amartya Sen entitlement and systems theories. The article hypothesises that food insecurity in Matabeleland South Province is mainly caused by a lack of understanding of food security pillars and how all the concepts dove tail into the food security discourse. The article further propounds that, for communities to go out of the food insecurity quagmire, they need to work collaboratively as a system as substantiated by the systems theory. Sen argues that the law stands between food availability and access. This is further simplified as follows food can be available in the markets but the people might lack the purchasing power to purchase the food. When people try to acquire food through stealing, the law catches on them. On the other hand, the systems theory argues that for a community to function well all the parts should play their roles towards the survival of the whole. The theory further informs that government stakeholders and non-state actors must work together in addressing food insecurity without a clearly defined direction. Interactions with provincial stakeholders, revealed that, a leaf can be borrowed and applied from the two theoretical models to achieve food security in Matabeleland South Province in Zimbabwe.The Igbo people survived a civil war that raged between 1967 and 1970 and that devastated their land and reduced their population because of more than three million deaths. They were confronted with the challenges of beginning life afresh from scratch with almost nothing. Since then, they have allegedly been marginalised on a continuous basis by the Nigerian government. This notwithstanding the people with their communal spirit, which saw them through the civil war, have continued to cement their survival resolve in the post-war era. The aim of this article was to study the Igbo communal system as the bedrock of Igbo progress, especially in the past 50 years and recommends it as the basic principle of Igbo survival in Nigeria. It considers Igbo communal spirit as a veritable panacea against the recent agitations for secession by the people as that would guarantee Igbo people an ample space to operate in Nigeria. The methodology used in this article is a qualitative phenomenological method. This was carried out by interviewing some members of Igbo society, observing and interpreting events in Igbo society and as documented in literatures. It was found that Igbo people have really done well for themselves despite the seeming marginalisation by sticking to their resilient spirit. This study concluded that instead of seeking for independence from Nigeria, the Igbo people need to be mindful of their resilient communal spirit and reinforce it in all spheres of life. This would make them more relevant in the country's affairs than they are currently.The body characteristics and yield indices of Clarias gariepinus, Bagrus bajad, Synodontis nigrita, Labeo senegalensis and Mormyrus rume from lower Benue River in Nigeria were determined in this study using 60 samples each for the fish species. Length, weight and fillet correlations were also determined during the study. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/k03861.html Results obtained showed that M. rume, L. senegalensis and C. gariepinus had the highest percentage of edible parts (≥ 55%) compared to the other species (≤ 39%). Concerning correlations of the fillet with the morphological variables, results obtained suggest that fillet yield is independent of fish size (except for C. gariepinus which was positively correlated). Also, only samples of L. senegalensis showed isometric growth pattern; the other fish species had either positive (C. gariepinus and B. bajad) or negative (S. nigrita and M. rume) allometric growth. While the difference in fillet yield and body characteristics was attributed to the structural anatomy and other biological dynamics of the fishes, this study could not establish a connection between fillet yield and the length-weight relationship.