This work investigated the photocatalytic properties of polymorphic nanostructures based on silica (SiO₂) and magnetite (Fe₃O₄) for the photodegradation of tartrazine yellow dye. In this sense, a fast, easy, and cheap synthesis route was proposed that used sugarcane bagasse biomass as a precursor material for silica. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results showed a decrease in organic content due to the chemical treatment with NaOH solution. This was confirmed through the changes promoted in the bonds of chromophores belonging to lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. This treated biomass was calcined at 800 ℃, and FTIR and X-ray diffraction (XRD) also confirmed the biomass ash profile. The FTIR spectrum showed the formation of silica through stretching of the chemical bonds of the silicate group (Si-O-Si), which was confirmed by DXR with the predominance of peaks associated with the quartz phase. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the morphological and chemical changes due to the chemical and thermal treatments applied to this biomass. Using the coprecipitation method, we synthesized Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Np) in the presence of SiO₂, generating the material Fe₃O₄/SiO₂-Np. The result was the formation of nanostructures with cubic, spherical, and octahedral geometries with a size of 200 nm. The SEM images showed that the few heterojunctions formed in the mixed material increased the photocatalytic efficiency of the photodegradation of tartrazine yellow dye by more than two times. The degradation percentage reached 45% in 120 min of reaction time. This mixed material can effectively decontaminate effluents composed of organic pollutants containing azo groups.

Graphene has been ranked among one of the most remarkable nanostructures in the carbon world. Graphene modification and nanocomposite formation have been used to expand the practical potential of graphene nanostructure. The overview is an effort to highlight the indispensable synthesis strategies towards the formation of graphene nanocomposites. Consequently, graphene has been combined with useful matrices (thermoplastic, conducting, or others) to attain the desired end material. Common fabrication approaches like the in-situ method, solution processing, and melt extrusion have been widely involved to form the graphene nanocomposites. Moreover, advanced, sophisticated methods such as three- or four-dimensional printing, electrospinning, and others have been used to synthesize the graphene nanocomposites. The focus of all synthesis strategies has remained on the standardized graphene dispersion, physical properties, and applications. However, continuous future efforts are required to resolve the challenges in synthesis strategies and optimization of the parameters behind each technique. As the graphene nanocomposite design and properties directly depend upon the fabrication techniques used, there is an obvious need for the development of advanced methods having better control over process parameters. Here, the main challenging factors may involve the precise parameter control of the advanced techniques used for graphene nanocomposite manufacturing. Hence, there is not only a need for current and future research to resolve the field challenges related to material fabrication, but also reporting compiled review articles can be useful for interested field researchers towards challenge solving and future developments in graphene manufacturing.

The study of metaphor has a long history, and it has gradually been taken seriously from the very beginning of Aristotle of ancient Greek. In 1980, American scholars George Lakoff and Mark Johnson published the book Metaphor We Lived By jointly, from which metaphor began to be known as a way of cognition. The differences in languages and cultures, together with the complicated working mechanism of metaphor, post a great challenge in translating metaphor in literary work. This paper analyzes example sentences taken from Chinese classical works. By comparing these sentences with their English translations, we can have a glimpse of the translation strategies often used in rendering metaphor.

This study seeks to explore the uses, behaviors and perceptions of university students regarding mobile phones to help elucidate whether there is a relationship between the use of mobiles and the academic performance of university students. A quantitative approach based on an ad hoc questionnaire, applied before the pandemic, was used to gather evidence in this regard, which revealed the uses and educational visions of mobile phones in a convenience sample of 314 university students from nine different degree courses in two Spanish universities. Three major conclusions are formulated as part of future lines of development. First, although there is frequent use of mobile phones, the image of the mobile as a learning resource in the university classroom does not reach one-third of students. Second, although this study does not determine the causal relationship, there is a statistically significant negative relationship between average grades achieved and hours of dedication to the mobile phone. Finally, students who are unable to spend more than one hour without checking their phone obtain a significantly lower average mark than those who can stay more than one hour without checking their phone.