Rhodamine B (RhB) in dyes is widely used in various industries, but it poses a great threat to the natural environment and human health. In this work, a series of thermosensitive polymer materials, PN_xD_y, with controllable morphology and particle size were prepared by free radical polymerization using N-isopropylacrylamide and N,N-dimethylacrylamide as monomers. Then, by using PN_xD_y as a template, bimetallic Mn- and Co-doped MCM-41 molecular sieves with good morphology and properties were prepared by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The effects of a series of thermosensitive templates on the morphology and properties of the Mn-Co-MCM-41 molecular sieve were investigated. The results demonstrated that the Mn-Co-MCM-41 by PN₁₀₀D₄ as a templating agent showed the best mesoporous ordering and the most regular material morphology with 2 nm nanoparticles. In addition, the molecular sieve with the best structure was selected for the RhB degradation experiments. The Mn-Co-MCM-41 with PN₁₀₀D₄ as the template showed regular morphology and uniform pore channels. It was applied as a catalyst for the degradation of RhB by potassium monopersulfate (PMS). The degradation rate of RhB could reach 98% with a 20 min reaction by Mn-Co-MCM-41 (PN₁₀₀D₄). Meanwhile, the degradation rate could be maintained at 91% after being reused six times. The bimetallic-doped Mn-Co-MCM-41 molecular sieves prepared using the thermosensitive material PN₁₀₀D₄ as a template have good catalytic performance and can be effectively reused.

Theory and experiment have revealed that spin–orbit coupling (SOC) strongly depends on the relativistic effect in topological insulators (TIs), while the influence of orbitals is always ignored. Herein, we provide a direct way of controlling effective SOC with the help of orbital effects, reducing the dependence on elements. Taking 5d W₂CO₂ and 4d Mo₂CO₂ MXenes as a specific example, we predict that by decreasing the hybridization strength of W atoms with C or O atoms in 2D W₂CO₂, the nontrivial bandgaps at the Γ-point are directly enhanced. The weak hybridization of W atoms with ligand elements enhances the electron localization of degenerate d-orbitals of three groups under the triangular prism crystal field, inducing stronger on-site Coulomb repulsion that enhances orbital polarization as well as boosts the SOC effect. Meanwhile, similar results have also been observed in 4d Mo₂CO₂. This implies that the orbital effects are an efficient and straightforward way to control the nontrivial bandgap in 2D MXene TIs. Our work not only provides an alternative perspective on designing large nontrivial bandgaps but also brings a possibility to control the SOC effect for TI devices.

Here, we describe the preparation of copper nanoparticles that are stabilized on a chitosan composite film (CP@Cu). This material could catalyze the 1,6-hydroboration reactions of p-quinone methides with B₂pin₂ as a boron source under mild conditions. This reaction exhibited very good functional group compatibility, and the organoboron compounds that were formed could easily be converted into corresponding hydroxyl products with good to excellent yields. This newly developed methodology provides an efficient and sequential pathway for the synthesis of gem-disubstituted methanols.