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Bacteria identification has predominantly been conducted using specific bioreceptors such as antibodies or nucleic acid sequences. This approach may be inappropriate for environmental monitoring when the user does not know the target bacterial species and for screening complex water samples with many unknown bacterial species. In this work, we investigate the supervised machine learning of the bacteria-particle aggregation pattern induced by the peptide sets identified from the biofilm-bacteria interface. Each peptide is covalently conjugated to polystyrene particles and loaded together with bacterial suspensions onto paper microfluidic chips. Each peptide interacts with bacterial species to a different extent, leading to varying sizes of particle aggregation. This aggregation changes the surface tension and viscosity of the liquid flowing through the paper pores, altering the flow velocity at different extents. A smartphone camera captures this flow velocity without being affected by ambient and environmental conditions, towards a low-cost, rapid, and field-ready assay. A collection of such flow velocity data generates a unique fingerprinting profile for each bacterial species. Support vector machine is utilized to classify the species. At optimized conditions, the training model can predict the species at 93.3% accuracy out of five bacteria: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Typhimurium, Enterococcus faecium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Flow rates are monitored for less than 6 s and the sample-to-answer assay time is less than 10 min. The demonstrated method can open a new way of analyzing complex biological and environmental samples in a biomimetic manner with machine learning classification.

Hypochlorous acid (HClO) as well as its ionic form (ClO−), representative of reactive oxygen species (ROS), are essential players in all sorts of biological processes. The abnormal level of each can lead to the onset of various diseases. Besides, Sodium hypochlorite, a commonly-used bleaching agent in our daily lives, could also result in breathing and skin problems when overexposed. Therefore, developing a molecular chemosensor for sensing HClO is of biological and environmental importance. Though many such chemosensors have been reported, new HClO chemosensors with different sensing performances may still come in handy in certain situations. In this work, we have developed a new coumarin-based chemosensor, CM-hbt, for realizing both ratiometric and colorimetric imaging detection of HClO in live cells. Notably, we further explored its application in sensing HClO in plant mung beans as well as fabricated an easy-to-use paper strip apparatus for facilitating its quick detection, which is seldomly seen in other HClO chemosensors. All the analysis results confirmed the high sensitivity and selectivity of this novel chemosensor. DFT calculations were used to decipher the underlying sensing mechanism of CM-hbt. Overall, this work presents a novel chemosensor, CM-hbt, as a colorimetric and ratiometric chemosensor for realizing imaging detection of HClO in a variety of different model systems, which highlights its broad spectrum of application potentials.

Flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors (FASSCs) have attracted much attention as power supplies for portable and wearable electronic products. Herein, we report the fabrication of a foldable, extra lightweight, flexible chopped carbon fiber paper (CFP) with a porous network structure prepared via wet-mold papermaking that can serve as a conductive substrate. The conductivity and pseudocapacitance of the electrode were improved by controlling the growth of 3D Cu(OH)2 nanorod arrays on CFP substrate. The Cu(OH)2@CFP electrode has a high specific capacitance of 421.8 mF cm−2 at a current density of 0.5 mA cm−2 with capacitance retention of 82.98% at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. The FASSC manifested not only a large capacitance of 196.1 mF cm−2 at 2 mA cm−2, as well as energy and power densities of 6.97 × 10−2 mWh cm−2 and 1.6 mW cm−2, respectively, but also excellent stability of 80.3% over 5000 cycles at 5 mA cm−2. In addition, we confirmed that the FASSC has a large bending angle and can be twisted into various shapes, thereby indicating its applicability in portable and wearable electronic devices.

Lithium metal is the most attractive and promising anode for next-generation high energy batteries. However, uncontrollable dendrite growth of lithium remains a detrimental safety challenge. To tackle this problem, a 3D flexible MXene@Au host is designed by depositing an ultra-fine and robust Au layer on MXene paper via ion-sputtering. The Au layer acts as lithiophilic nuclear agent to ensure homogeneous lithium deposition and suppress the lithium dendrites growth. The as-prepared flexible 3D MXene@Au@Li anode shows significantly enhanced performance. Full lithium metal cell with LFP cathode delivers high capacity retention of 98.47% even after 200 cycles with good rate capability. These results may be useful for other metallic battery system and has potential applications in sensors, super-capacitor and catalyst etc.

Fabricating low-cost and high-efficiency oil-water separation superwetting materials for the demand of oil spilling treatment remains a great challenge. Herein, a superwetting aluminosilicate fiber paper decorated by flower-like nickel-cobalt carbonate hydroxide (NiCo-CH) nanostructures was prepared via the hydrothermal method and chemical modification with stearic acid (SA) or 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluoroalkyltriethoxysilane (FAS-17). The superhydrophilic multi-layers nanoflowers combing with nanoflakes were uniformly distributed on the surface of aluminosilicate fiber. The superhydrophilic aluminosilicate fiber was then modified by the SA to obtain the superhydrophobic aluminosilicate fiber (SA-NiCo-CH@Al2SiO5 FP). The SA-NiCo-CH@Al2SiO5 FP revealed high separation efficiency (> 95.4%) for both light oils and heavy oils, and high oil flux (417 L m−2 h−1–71,656 L m−2 h−1). Furthermore, the SA-NiCo-CH@Al2SiO5 FP can also remain superhydrophobicity under various harsh conditions, such as dust, sand impact, acid or alkali, and low-temperature environments. This study revealed an inexpensive and simple-fabricated multifunctional superwetting material, which provides promising avenue for future applications in oil-water separation.

Novel sensors based on fluorescent carbon dots were developed for a rapid, selective, and sensitive detection of pyrimethanil, a fungicide widely used in many agricultural crops. The carbon dots were synthesized from maleic anhydride and triethylenetetramine via a facile one-pot pyrolysis. A quenched fluorescence intensity of carbon dots in the presence of pyrimethanil occurred via inner filter effect and strong π-π interaction. The carbon dots were sensitive to pyrimethanil across a linear range from 0.5 to 75 µM with a low detection limit of 14 nM. The sensing results could be generated in 30 s. The fluorescent carbon dots showed excellent stability and selectivity to pyrimethanil in the presence of interferences, including fungicides and metal ions. They were also successfully employed for pyrimethanil detection in apples, cucumbers, and drinking water, yielding 98.6–107.1% recovery. The practical, portable, and reusable paper-based sensor was also developed. The cytotoxicity of carbon dots was tested to demonstrate that they are sufficiently safe to use. The novel pyrimethanil sensor based on fluorescent carbon dots developed in this work can be used as a high-performance sensor and a rapid tool for quality control in food, agricultural, and environmental monitoring.

The authors of the title paper (Optics and Laser Technology 107 (2018) 478–483) report to have grown a so-called ‘ l- Lysine doped oxalic acid’ crystal by slow evaporation of an aqueous solution containing l- lysine and oxalic acid in 1:2 mol ratio. In this letter to the Editor, we prove that the ‘ l- lysine doped oxalic acid’ is a dubious crystal.

Coconut Shell is a waste product derived from agriculture which is utilized as bio adsorbent for treating the wastewater discharged from electroplating industries. The physio chemical characterization of raw waste water and batch adsorption study using coconut shell charcoal (CSC) with a reference to effluent characterization is conducted to identify the potential contaminant and efficiency of adsorbent. The parameters such as effective particle size of adsorbent, contact time and dosage influencing the treatment efficiency of zinc and potassium which are identified as the potential contaminant in the waste water. Increase in dosage and specific surface area with reduced particle size increases the treatment efficiency up to the approved level, beyond which the portion adsorbed which remains constant. It is apparent that a dosage of 15 g/l and duration of 90 min is satisfactory to remove 90% of phosphate and 97% of zinc for 150 µm particle size. The adsorption equilibrium data were tailored well with the Freundlich isotherm for the removal of zinc and potassium. The baseline study is manifested the potential of CSC in the reduction of zinc and potassium from the industrial waste water.

Acid pretreatment is one of the most widely used fractionation processes for lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, effect of mineral acids (SA, HA, and NA) on recovery of reducing sugar from coconut coir was studied. The independent variables such as reaction time (X1, min) and concentration of acid (X2, % w/w) were optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for maximum yield of reducing sugar. In this study, 10% w/v of coir was pretreated under various conditions of X1 and X2 by maintaining a constant temperature (121oC). A maximum reducing sugar yield greater than 55% was observed for acid pretreatment.

Microalgae-bacteria symbiotic association can provide many competitive advantages over the pure axenic culture of microalgae to obtain biofuel. This system significantly reduces an important technical constraint, including associated capital cost with the infrastructure required for maintaining pure microalgae culture. The current study aims to compare the symbiotic growth of Tetraselmis indica - Pseudomonas aeruginosa consortium with axenic growth of Tetraselmis indica in dairy wastewater (DWW). The extraction and optimization of chlorophyll-a were also investigated. The overall maximum chlorophyll-a recovery of 29.106 ± 0.045 mg L−1 was obtained through the sonification as extractant method with methanol as an extraction solvent. The chlorophyll-a content of consortium cultivated in DWW higher than the axenic pure microalgae culture (APMC). The maximum biomass yield of the consortium was achieved as 1454.88 mg L−1, which is much higher than APMC growth in DWW by 38.80%. On the 10th day, the consortium removed 87.49%, 83.76%, and 79.83% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and total dissolved phosphorus respectively. The higher biomass growth and wastewater nutrient removal exhibited by the symbiotic microalgae-bacteria consortium can be utilized in biofuel technology.

Material industry is one of the most seasoned and biggest areas in India. Removal of material factory slime is a significant issue now daily. In this exploration study, an endeavor had been made to reuse material factory ooze in concrete as halfway trade for sand to build mass use of ooze. Properties of new and solidified cement were explored by adding material factory slop in M20, M25 and M30 evaluations of cement. Material factory ooze was included rate by weight differing from 0% to 36% as a swap for fine totals (sand). Workability of solid blend diminished as ooze rate expanded past 16%. Compressive strength diminished with increment in ooze content in solid blend. Greatest measure of ooze which could be added without trading off the compressive strength altogether three evaluations of cement was 16% without settling on mean objective.

Lignin, the second most plentiful biopolymer, is produced on a large scale as the waste of the pulp and paper industries. Conventionally, lignin is incinerated for energy generation, while less tha...

The development of the preparation strategy for high-quality and large-size graphene via eco-friendly routes is still a challenging issue. Herein, we have successfully developed a novel route to chemically exfoliate natural graphite into high-quality and large-size graphene in a binary-peroxidant system. This system is composed of urea peroxide (CO(NH2)2⋅H2O2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), where CO(NH2)2⋅H2O2 is used in preparing graphene for the first time. Benefiting from the complete decomposition of CO(NH2)2⋅H2O2 and H2O2 into gaseous species under microwave (MW) irradiation, no water-washing and effluent-treatment are needed in this chemical exfoliation procedure, thus the preparation of graphene in an eco-friendly way is realized. The resultant graphene behaves a large-size, high-quality and few-layer feature with a yield of ~100%. Then 4 μm-thick ultrathin graphene paper fabricated from the as-exfoliated graphene is used as an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material. And its absolute effectiveness of EMI shielding (SSE/t) is up to 34,176.9 dB cm2 g −1, which is, to the best of our knowledge, among the highest values so far reported for typical EMI shielding materials. The EMI shielding performance demonstrates a great application potential of graphene paper in meeting the ever-increasingly EMI shielding demands in miniaturized electronic devices.

Iron gall Inks corrosion causes paper degradation (browning, embrittlement) and treatments were developed to tackle this issue. They often include resizing with gelatin to reinforce the paper and its cellulosic fibers (of diameter approx. 10 µm). This work aimed at measuring the distribution of ink components at the scale of individual paper fibers so as to give a better understanding of the impact of gelatin (re-)sizing on iron gall ink corrosion. For this purpose, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) was used at the Canadian light source synchrotron (CLS, Saskatoon). This technique combines nano-scale mapping (resolution of 30 nm) and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) analysis. Fe L-edge measurements enabled to map iron distribution and to locate iron(II) and iron(III) rich areas. N K-edge measurement made it possible to map gelatin distribution. C K-edge measurements allowed mapping and discrimination of cellulose, gallic acid, iron gall ink precipitate and gelatin. Three fibers were studied: an inked fiber with no size, a sized fiber that was afterwards inked and an inked fiber sprayed with gelatin. Analysis of gelatin and ink ingredients distribution indicated a lower amount of iron inside the treated cellulosic fiber, which may explain the beneficial effect of gelatin on iron gall ink corrosion.

Lignin is a potential renewable raw material for synthesis of aromatic molecules and materials. Particularly, Kraft-type lignins are abundantly available as a byproduct of wood and paper industries. Currently, there are practically no valuable products made using this highly complex polymer. Within this work, we have investigated the straightforward, high-yield depolymerization of two different technical lignins (Indulin AT and alkaline lignin) using only a mixture of green short-chain (C-1-C-3) alcohols and water as solvents. As shown here, at a temperature of 220 degrees C, autogenous pressure, and isopropanol/water as a co-solvent medium, it is possible to cleave Kraft lignin without char-forming side reactions. The obtained so-called "light" oil contains guaiacol-based monomeric units of 23 wt % yield together with liquid oligomers of 13 wt % yield combining liquid-liquid and solid-liquid extraction. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of lignin residues showed that the isopropanol/water treatment caused a marked breakdown of the intermolecular beta-O-4 and beta-beta bonds; thus, the depolymerization produced monomers and lignin residues with lower molecular weight. The results suggested a synergistic effect between isopropanol and water. No sign of repolymerization reactions could be observed with this process.

Seaweed fibre is usually discarded as biomass waste after extraction of useful ingredients from seaweed. However this seaweed fibre, a natural abundant cellulose material with uniform dimensions 10 times smaller than other plant-based fibre can be utilized as electrode material for energy storage. In this work, we converted seaweed fibre into conductive carbon electrodes by a thermal carbonisation method. The morphology, chemical composition and conductivity are highly influenced by the carbonisation temperature. In comparison to other biomass sources such as cotton pulp, seaweed fibre is finer, smoother and more conductive at low carbonisation temperature. These carbonized seaweeds were then used as a supercapacitor, giving a high supercapacitance (226.3 Fg−1) at the carbonisation temperature of 900°C, and good stability within 2400 cycles. This specific capacitance is significantly higher than values obtained from filter paper or cotton pulp.

Bentonite is a favourable candidate as a sealing material in the deep geological repository to safe storage of highly radioactive nuclear waste in several countries. The high swelling characteristic made bentonite famously type of clay that extracted from smectite group with the main mineral is montmorillonite that has a double diffusion layer. The benefits of sodium bentonite like Wyoming bentonite has proven in the industry. Research on modifying the properties of calcium bentonite to high swelling clay like sodium bentonite for it be able to benefit the industry has been done. Most of the research attempted to improve the workability of calcium bentonite as an alternative material for replacing sodium bentonite in construction industry; however, very little is known about using raw calcium bentonite to improve weak soil subgrades. This paper highlighted the usage of calcium bentonite adapted in construction industry especially in soil stabilization activity and some experimental analysis has been made on the type of calcium bentonite found in British Columbia mine.

As an aromatic polymer in nature, lignin has recently attracted gross attention because of its advantages of high carbon content, low cost and bio-renewability. However, most lignin is directly burnt for power generation to satisfy the energy demand of the pulp mills. As a result, only a handful of isolated lignin is used as a raw material. Thus, increasing value addition on lignin to expand its scope of applications is currently a challenge demanding immediate attention. Many efforts have been made in the valorization of lignin, including the preparation of precursors for carbon fibers. However, its complex structure and diversity significantly restrict the spinnability of lignin. In this review, we provide elaborate knowledge on the preparation of lignin-based carbon fibers ranging from the relationships among chemical structures, formation conditions and properties of fibers, to their potential applications. Specifically, control procedures for different spinning methods of lignin, including melt spinning, solution spinning and electrospinning, together with stabilization and carbonization are deeply discussed to provide an overall understanding towards the formation of lignin-based carbon fibers. We also offer perspectives on the challenges and new directions for future development of lignin-based carbon fibers.

Graphical abstract, Introduction Face masks are regarded as effective Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the dominant polypropylene (PP)-based masks are devoid of antiviral/antibacterial activities and create enormous environmental burdens after disposal. Objectives Here we report a facile and potentially scalable method to fabricate biodegradable, breathable, and biocidal cellulose nonwovens (BCNWs) to address both environmental and hygienic problems of commercially available face masks. Methods TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nonwovens are rendered antiviral/antibacterial via covalent bonding with disinfecting polyhexamethylene guanidine or neomycin sulfate through carbodiimide coupling chemistry. Results The obtained results showed that the BCNWs have virucidal rate of >99.14%, bactericidal efficiency of >99.51%, no leaching-out effect, and excellent air permeability of >1111.5 mm s−1. More importantly, the as-prepared BCNWs can inactivate SARS-CoV-2 instantly. Conclusions This strategy provides a new platform for the green fabrication of multifunctional cellulose nonwovens as scalable bio-protective layers with superior performance for various PPE in fighting COVID-19 or future pandemics. Additionally, replacing the non-biodegradable non-antimicrobial PP-based masks with the cellulose-based masks can reduce the plastic wastes and lower the greenhouse gas production from the incineration of disposed masks.

Embargado hasta 30/11/2023 Lithium–sulfur batteries have been recognised as highly promising next-generation batteries, due to their low cost and high theoretical energy density. Despite numerous advances in this technology over the last decade, its commercialisation is still a challenge that has not yet been achieved. Many efforts have been made to improve the problems that these batteries present, mainly by investigating different cathode manufacturing strategies, testing novel Li anodes, new additives in the electrolytes, and modified separators or interlayers. However, the characteristics of the current collectors used in the preparation of the electrodes have been rarely addressed. Three commercial collectors are commonly used in basic research on Li–S batteries: Al foil, carbon coated Al foil (Al-C), and carbon paper (gas diffusion layer, GDL). In this work, a detailed study of the electrochemical response of these commercial collectors has been carried out. The tests were carried out on two S composites formed by carbons of a different natures, commercial carbon black and synthetic N-doped graphene. In addition, the S impregnation method was different, using either melt diffusion at 155 °C or ethylenediamine as S solvent, respectively. In both systems, the results were similar – the electrodes supported on GDL delivered higher specific capacities than those supported on Al and Al-C, with minimal differences between the two. Of the different collector properties examined to explain this behaviour, namely Al corrosion, electrical conductivities, surface-level composition, and surface texture, only the latter had a significant effect in the performance of GDL-based electrodes. SEM images revealed a rough and cracked surface formed by the agglomerated carbon particles that give rise to a complex pore system, predominantly consisting of macropores. All of these features are beneficial for a better anchoring of the active material on the collector surface, in addition to enhancing the wettability of the electrolyte and favouring reaction kinetics. In contrast, the Al-based collector possesses a very smooth and non-porous surface, detrimental to both the active material-substrate interface and the active material impregnation by the electrolyte.

Chemical and spectroscopic characterization of the mononuclear photosensitizers [(DPEPhos)Cu(I)(MPyrT)]0/+ (CuL, CuLH) and their dinuclear analogues (Cu2L’, Cu2L'H2 ), backed by (TD)DFT and high‐level GW‐Bethe‐Salpeter equation calculations, exemplifies the complex influence of charge, nuclearity and structural flexibility on UV‐induced photophysical pathways. Ultrafast transient absorption and step‐scan FTIR spectroscopy reveal flattening distortion in the triplet state of CuLH as controlled by charge, which also appears to have a large impact on the symmetry of the long‐lived triplet states in Cu2L’ and Cu2L'H2 . Time‐resolved luminescence spectroscopy (solid state), supported by transient photodissociation spectroscopy (gas phase), confirm a lifetime of some tens of μs for the respective triplet states, as well as the energetics of thermally activated delayed luminescence, both being essential parameters for application of these materials based on earth‐abundant copper in photocatalysis and luminescent devices., The comprehensive results on two mononuclear pyridyl‐triazole/DPEPhos based Cu(I) complexes and its extension to their two dinuclear analogues paves the road to addressing the complex coupling of the respective monomeric units, involving various physical and chemical properties as charge, (electronic) structure and (long‐lived) excited state properties, relevant for applications.

Biorefinery is pivotal to the sustainability of modern chemical industry. However, since biomass is oxygen-enriched, new and green chemical strategies are required for expanding the biomass derived chemical space. In this work, synthesis of natural products dihydrocapsaicin and dihydrocapsiate was achieved exclusively from lignocellulosic platform chemicals. Natural products dihydrocapsaicin and dihydrocapsiate were synthesized exclusively from lignocellulosic platform chemicals, using furfural (from hemicellulose) and methyl isopropyl ketone (from cellulose) through aldol condensation-hydrolysis-hydrodeoxygenation to synthesize 8-methylnonanoic acid and then combined with vanillin derivates (from lignin). This synthesis demonstrates the feasibility of constructing natural products entirely from renewable biomass platform through green processes. The utilization of inherent functional groups of biomass demonstrates their potential to open up chemical space.

In order to investigate the effect of washing water pH on textile damage for delicate garments, the study was conducted such that a customer survey was first applied to randomly selected users to analyze domestic washing machine using habits of Turkish consumers. Based on the findings of the survey, the experimental study was designed in two successive phases to investigate the dimensional and mechanical behavior of certain types of delicate textiles against varying washing conditions by taking in particular, water properties, namely pH, hardness, and temperature into account, and accordingly to determine the optimized washing conditions for such textiles. Firstly, tergotometer was employed as a washing machine simulator. Within the light of the results obtained, the experimental work of the second phase of the study was conducted, which involved a domestic washing machine as a real-life scenario. All of the results, including the correlation between the data sets obtained from the tergotometer and domestic washing machine trials, were statistically analyzed using Minitab 17. The study produced some important findings regarding the effect of washing water pH on delicate textiles, in addition to an algorithm for improving the present washing program, minimizing textile damage for mainly wool and silk garments.

In this study, the effects of corrosion inhibitor of sludge produced in the process of natural gas exploitation and transportation on sulfur oxidation by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans were studied....

Flexible thermoelectric materials are presented with potential applications in electronic devices and energy conversion due to their convenient preparation, good flexibility, and various forms. However, as ductility is rarely observed in inorganic semiconductors and ceramic insulators, reports on applications of inorganic oxide materials in flexible thermoelectric materials are sparse. Here, we report a new method for the synthesis of a flexible Na1.4Co2O4 thermoelectric material based on Na1.4Co2O4 bulk materials, which are prepared by a self-flux method and painted on print paper. Seebeck coefficient and power factor of the obtained thermoelectric material are 78–102 μVK-1 and 159–223 μWm-1K-2, respectively, in a temperature range of 303–522 K, which are superior to those values of other conductive polymers and their compounds. More interestingly, the n-type Na1.4Co2O4 flexible material is obtained in the painting process at higher pressure with Seebeck coefficients of –109 to –183 μVK-1 in a temperature range of 303–522 K. The convenient preparation method of these novel flexible thermoelectric materials may be expanded to the synthesis of other flexible thermoelectric materials, which will be the focus of future work.

Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) is a powerful technique that exploits X-ray free-electron lasers to determine the structure of macromolecules at room temperature. Despite the impressive exposition of structural details with this novel crystallographic approach, the methods currently available to introduce crystals into the path of the X-ray beam sometimes exhibit serious drawbacks. Samples requiring liquid injection of crystal slurries consume large quantities of crystals (at times up to a gram of protein per data set), may not be compatible with vacuum configurations on beamlines or provide a high background due to additional sheathing liquids present during the injection. Proposed and characterized here is the use of an immiscible inert oil phase to supplement the flow of sample in a hybrid microfluidic 3D-printed co-flow device. Co-flow generation is reported with sample and oil phases flowing in parallel, resulting in stable injection conditions for two different resin materials experimentally. A numerical model is presented that adequately predicts these flow-rate conditions. The co-flow generating devices reduce crystal clogging effects, have the potential to conserve protein crystal samples up to 95% and will allow degradation-free light-induced time-resolved SFX.

In recent years, agricultural wastes cause serious pollution to the environment. Agricultural residues can be used to produce value-added products in order to control environmental pollution, therefore these wastes are a promising feedstock as it has many advantages such as wide range of source, low cost and renewable. Rice straw and lemongrass leaves which are the renewable sources for the production of many useful products such as xylose. The aim of this study is to compare the content of xylose produced from rice straw and lemongrass leaves, in order to obtain highest yield of xylose and to optimize the acid hydrolysis time, concentration of sulphuric acid, liquid–solid ratio and the power of the microwave towards the maximum extraction of xylose. Microwave assisted acidic hydrolysis method was used to extract xylose from rice straw and lemongrass leaves. The acid hydrolysis of both rice straw and lemongrass was performed at different time (1–5 min), acid concentration (1%–5%), liquid solid ratio (1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30) and power (160 W, 320 W, 480 W, 640 W, 800 W). The results obtained indicate that the yield of xylose from rice straw (2.98 g/L) via the microwave assisted is slightly higher than lemongrass (2.91 g/L) with optimum conditions of 3 min of hydrolysis time, 2% of sulphuric acid concentration, 1:30 of liquid solid ratio and 320 W of microwave power. Meanwhile, the optimum conditions for lemongrass leaves are 4 min of hydrolysis time, 4% of sulphuric acid concentration, 2:30 of liquid solid ratio and 480 W of microwave power. Thus, rice straw has slightly higher capability in production of xylose compared to lemongrass.

Lubricants are widely used in macroscopic mechanical systems to reduce friction and wear. However, on the microscopic scale, it is not clear to what extent lubricants are beneficial. Therefore, in this study, we consider two diamond solid-state gears at the nanoscale immersed in different lubricant molecules and perform classical MD simulations to investigate the rotational transmission of motion. We find that lubricants can help to synchronize the rotational transmission between gears regardless of the molecular species and the center-of-mass distance. Moreover, the influence of the angular velocity of the driving gear is investigated and shown to be related to the bond formation process between gears.

Growing global warming and climate change shifted energy policy to adopt a cleaner and more sustainable way of energy generation across the world. Biodiesel has emerged as a good alternative fuel due to advantages like diesel-like structure and less emission. However, the cost of biodiesel production makes it ineffective compare to the use of diesel especially in a developing country like India. Waste materials as an alternative can help to reduce the cost. In this review rice by-products like rice bran oil and rice husk have been discussed as a cheap and reliable alternative for feedstock and source of catalyst respectively. The Rice bran oil-based biodiesel and Rice husk-based catalyst are briefly discussed using process variables like reaction temperature, yield, etc. Also, the applicability of rice bran biodiesel using engine performance and emission characteristics of biodiesel from rice bran oil is compared and the potential of by-products in India is investigated. Biodiesel production using rice bran oil as a source of free fatty acid and rice husk as a source of catalyst is discussed thoroughly. In conclusion, the rice by-products as input appeared as a good and sustainable alternative for biodiesel production in India.

Palm oil clinker (POC) is a by-product produced by the palm oil industry dumped in open sites, contributing to the environment's issues. Thus the need for strategic ways to mitigate its environmental effect and improves sustainability is crucial. This research was conducted to ascertain the suitability of using the palm oil clinker fine (POCF) as bitumen modifiers through material characterization tests. Furthermore, the evaluation of the influence of modification mixing parameters on the conventional properties of the POCF-modified bitumen. The incorporation of The POCF into the bitumen was done using a high shear mixer with the mixing speed, temperature, and time varied between 500 and 2000 rpm, 140–160 °C, and 30–60 min respectively, whereas the dosage of POCF was varied between (2–10% by weight of bitumen). Subsequently, the effect of the mixing parameters on penetration and softening point tests were used to assess the POCF-modified bitumen conventional properties relating to the base bitumen. From the material characterization, its pozzolanic properties suggest the feasibility of utilizing it as a bitumen modifier. Also, the findings reveal that all the mixing parameters have an influence on the POCF-MB properties and the optimum mixing parameters are 900 rpm at 160 °C for 30 min. While 6.3% of POCF is the optimum dosage that displays more improvement in the conventional properties of the bitumen such as decreasing penetration, increasing softening point. Generally, the incorporation of POCF enhances conventional bitumen properties while concurrently encouraging and harnessing sustainability.

Drilling Slurry or drilling mud is used to stabilize the drilled wellbores. Unfortunately, its disposal on land renders the soil infertile, while its coagulation with aluminium salts poses potential health risks. Here, two natural coagulants: Moringa oleifera and Benincasa hispida were investigated as potential sustainable alternatives to chemical coagulants. These are cost-effective, highly biodegradable, and safe from the human health point of view. Various forms of these substance: seed powder, de-oiled seed powder, and seed oil were used to minimize the drilling mud slurries. For the turbidity removal, the best efficiency of 99.71% was obtained by using de-oiled seed powder of Benincasa hispida whereas the total solids removal efficiency of 94.19% was obtained by using de-oiled seed powder of Moringa oleifera at an optimum dosage of 10 g/l. These results are comparable to those obtained by using alum, thus confirming the effectiveness of the natural coagulants for management of drilling slurries.

The alternative and renewable sources of energy are very much essential to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and also to control the environmental pollution. One of the important renewable sources which replace the fossil based fuels is biodiesel. The biodiesel is highly influenced by fatty acid composition. Hence, in the present work Salvodara persica nonedible seed oil (38% oil content) which is rich in saturated fatty acids (79.16%) is mixed with Leucas aspera nonedible seed oil (22.50% oil content), which is rich in unsaturated fatty acids (90.72%) in equal proportion (1:1). The mixed seed oil fatty acid profile is analyzed by GC-FID which shows that, it is exactly half of the fatty acid profile of individual seed oils (saturation 45.26% and unsaturation 54.74%). Bio-mixed oil is transesterified and the biodiesel produced is characterized for its fuel properties. The fuel properties of biodiesel produced from mixed seed oils is compared with biodiesel from individual seed oils, already existing biodiesels and biodiesel standards. It reveals that better quality biodiesel is produced by mixing seed oil strategy. Even the emission analysis shows that the emissions are reduced except NOx. This work reveals that it is one of the important criterions to improve the biodiesel quality by mixed seed oil strategy.

Dyes derived from coconut (Cocos nucifera) husk have materialised as an important substitute to synthetic dyes. However, better extraction techniques are needed to leach out the natural colourants from this plant. The influence of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration (0.2 to 0.8 M) and time of extraction (2 to 10 min) on the maximum extraction yield of natural dye from the mesocarp and exocarp of C. nucifera have been studied. The results indicate a significant (p

The huge packaging application of non-degradable plastics has created a severe threat to the present civilization. This work emphasizes on low density polyethylene/corn starch biopolymer sheets production. Biodegradability assessment was done under alkali, acid, compost pit soil, garden soil and vegetable waste environment for one year. Enhancement in starch content by 60% in the matrix improved the Young’s modulus and stiffness from 251.79−422.42 MPa and 17763.34–27481.87 N/m respectively. Highest increase in weight loss percent from 1.26% for virgin LDPE to 13.18% for the sample LC5 (LDPE-16 g, Starch-24 g) was observed in garden soil. The degradation was also reported by morphological non-uniformness (SEM images) and drop in mechanical properties like tensile strength from 7.9 to 2.12 MPa in vegetable waste environment. Increase in haze from 97.20 to 99.8% and decrease in transmittance from 68.40 to 28.20% in vegetable waste for sample LC5 confirmed the optical degradability of the sheets.

Various detrimental effects of petroleum-based lubricants have encouraged the use of vegetable oil as a replacement due to its better lubricity and environmental friendliness. This study evaluated the performance of virgin and emulsified vegetable oil as cutting fluid for the turning of titanium alloy with ceramic inserts. The performance was determined using signal to noise (S/N) ratio with few input parameters such as lubricant type, cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut. Palm oil and coconut oil were used as the vegetable oil. The virgin oil was mixed with a portion of water to produce emulsified oil. The machining operation applied minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) throughout the experiment. The performance of each type of oil was evaluated in terms of S/N ratio for cutting temperature, and chip reduction coefficient, and percentage of cutting tool wear in order to obtain the best cutting condition. Results showed that the virgin palm oil had better performance on the cutting temperature, tool wear, and chip reduction coefficient. Furthermore, the virgin coconut produced better performance compared to emulsified coconut oil. Hence, it is concluded that virgin vegetable oils perform better as cutting fluid compared to emulsified vegetable oil.

We demonstrate the possibility of using a CMOS 2D sensor for time-resolved pump–probe XUV FEL experiments. We gained a factor of 30 in acquisition time compared to the use of a commercial CCD-BSI., The latest Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) 2D sensors now rival the performance of state-of-the-art photon detectors for optical application, combining a high-frame-rate speed with a wide dynamic range. While the advent of high-repetition-rate hard X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs) has boosted the development of com­plex large-area fast CCD detectors in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray domains, scientists lacked such high-performance 2D detectors, principally due to the very poor efficiency limited by the sensor processing. Recently, a new generation of large back-side-illuminated scientific CMOS sensors (CMOS-BSI) has been developed and commercialized. One of these cost-efficient and com­petitive sensors, the GSENSE400BSI, has been implemented and characterized, and the proof of concept has been carried out at a synchrotron or laser-based X-ray source. In this article, we explore the feasibility of single-shot ultra-fast ex­peri­ments at FEL sources operating in the EUV/soft X-ray regime with an AXIS-SXR camera equipped with the GSENSE400BSI-TVISB sensor. We illustrate the detector capabilities by performing a soft X-ray magnetic scattering experiment at the DiProi end-station of the FERMI FEL. These measurements show the possibility of integrating this camera for collecting single-shot images at the 50 Hz operation mode of FERMI with a cropped image size of 700 × 700 pixels. The efficiency of the sensor at a working photon energy of 58 eV and the linearity over the large FEL intensity have been verified. Moreover, on-the-fly time-resolved single-shot X-ray resonant magnetic scattering imaging from prototype Co/Pt multilayer films has been carried out with a time collection gain of 30 com­pared to the classical start-and-stop acquisition method performed with the conventional CCD-BSI detector available at the end-station.

The present study reports the effectiveness of natural plant materials - fenugreek as a coagulant, with okra and Aloe vera as flocculants, to treat palm oil mill effluent (POME). The treatment process was modelled using Central Composite Design (CCD) of the Design Expert software. Standard jar tests were used to determine the important treatment parameters such as pH, coagulant dosage and flocculant dosage on the removal efficiencies and they were optimized with Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimum condition obtained from RSM was established for pH, coagulant dosage and flocculant dosage as pH 4, 22.24 g/L and 16.77 mL/L respectively for fenugreek-okra, and pH 4, 24.13 g/L and 20 mL/L respectively for fenugreek-Aloe vera. Removal efficiencies of TSS, TUR and COD were 88.19%, 78.35% and 30.56% respectively for fenugreek-okra and 83.40%, 82.78% and 32.95% respectively for fenugreek-Aloe vera. Results obtained from characterisation shows that the coagulation – flocculation process was ruled by inter-particle bridging as the dominant mechanism.

The objective of current numerical analysis is to assess the compression ignition engine performance and emission indices using diesel (B0), spirulina microalgae biodiesel (SMB) blends (SMB20, SMB40, and SMB60) as fuel. The engine chosen for the experimental evaluation and tool validation is 4-stroke solo cylinder of direct injection type diesel engine cooled with water. The numerical assessment is conducted with advanced timing (23.5˚b TDC) of injection and nozzle opening pressure (NOP) 220 bar with half and 100% load condition. The results obtained have shown that SMB20 (20% of spirulina microalgae biodiesel and 80% base fuel) similar results to base fuel (diesel fuel). All spirulina microalgae biodiesel blends reduce brake torque (BT) by 5.7%, indicated efficiency by 0.52% and mechanical efficiency 5.5% at load full condition. Engine exhaust emission results showed that mixed fuel diminishes the oxides of nitrogen (NOX) emission by 4.96% and smoke emission by 11.0% and enhance specific carbon dioxide (CO2) by 3.4% for SMB20 blend at full load condition. The rate of formation of soot (1/deg.) was obtained to be 1.46 for DF, SMB20 by 1.23 and SMB100 by 0.92.

The liquid green hydrocarbons (LGHs) fuel was collected from waste tube-tyres by the pyrolysis process using FeCO3 a catalyst; it was conducted at 23 to 370 °C. The LGHs fuel were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, GC × GCMS, Parameters of diesel, and ICP. Fractions of LGHs, gases, and residues were obtained from 100 gm, 98 gm, and 95 gm waste tube-tyres with 0 gm, 2 gm, and 5 gm. Waste tube-tyres whose rates of conversion percentage in LGHs 50%, 52%, and 56% gases were 12.52%, 10.52%, and 13.55% residues were 37.48%, 26.48%, and 30.45%. Sulfur percentage, and 23 types of metal elements were obtained in LGHs were less than their standard limits. Physicochemical properties of LGHs fuel were found to be close their standard limits.

Developing new energy sources is of critical significance to satisfy the growing energy demand and also reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. The conversion of CO2 into value-added prod...

Thermal oxidation of carbon electrodes is a common approach to improving flow battery performance. Here, we investigate how thermal pretreatment increases electrode surface area and the effect this...

In this study, the effect of number of stages and bioreactor type on the removal performance of a sequential anaerobic-aerobic process employing activated sludge for the treatment of a simulated textile dyeing wastewater containing three commercial reactive azo dyes was considered. Two stage processes performed better than one stage ones, both in terms of overall organic and color removal, as well as the higher contribution of anaerobic stage to the overall removal performance, thereby making them a more energy efficient option. The employment of a moving bed sequencing batch biofilm reactor, which uses both suspended and attached biomass, for the implementation of the anaerobic stage of the process, was compared with a sequencing batch reactor that only employs suspended biomass. The results showed that, although there was no meaningful difference in biomass concentration between the two bioreactors, the latter reactor had better performance in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency and rate and color removal rate. Further exploratory tests revealed a difference between the roles of suspended and attached bacterial populations, with the former yielding better color removal whilst the latter had better COD removal performance. The sequential anaerobic-aerobic process, employing an aerobic membrane bioreactor in the aerobic stage resulted in COD and color removal of 77.1±7.9% and 79.9±1.5%, respectively. The incomplete COD and color removal was attributed to the presence of soluble microbial products in the effluent and the autoxidation of dye reduction metabolites, respectively. Also, aerobic partial mineralization of the dye reduction metabolites, was experimentally observed.

The selection of a proper drying method can play a vital role in reducing the energy consumption and the quality of the final product. In this study, three dryers, including conventional refractance window (CRW), solar refractance window (SRW) based on the photovoltaic-thermal system, and hot air (HA) dryers, were used to dry the Aloe vera gel. Experiments were carried out at four levels of temperature (60, 70, 80, and 90 °C) and three levels of thickness (1, 2, and 3 mm) for the puree product. An increase in temperature and a decrease in thickness reduced specific energy consumption, specific heat consumption, specific heat utilization, pollutant emission, and social costs derived from the pollutant. The results showed that the SRW dryer significantly improved the energy and drying parameters compared to the HA method. The pollutant emission and social costs in the SRW dryer were zero, while these values were significant using the CRW and HA dryers. The highest amounts of antioxidant potential, phenol, flavonoids, and glucose were 98.61%, 0.0435%, 0.0103%, and 19.28% (mg/g dry matter), which were obtained at 60 °C and 3 mm thickness using the SRW/CRW dryers. However, these values were 76.69%, 0.0246%, 0.0039%, and 16.31% (mg/g dry matter) using the HA dryer. In general, according to energy consumption and drying parameters, the best experimental results were obtained at temperatures between 70 and 80 °C and a thickness of 2 mm.

The authors would like to thank the financial support from Stora Enso and Aalto University. D.S. gratefully acknowledges funding from the Academy of Finland’s Flagship Programme under the projects no. 318890 and 318891 (Competence Center for Materials Bioeconomy, FinnCERES). Prehydrolysis kraft (PHK) pulps account for more than half of the global market of dissolving pulp. Characterized by high reactivity toward dissolution, their performances can still be improved by activation treatments. This study compares the dissolution kinetics in cupriethylenediamine of a hardwood and a softwood PHK pulps before and after their activation by high-solid-content mechano-enzymatic treatments. Three enzyme combinations were tested: endoglucanase (E), xylanase and mannanase (XM), and endoglucanase, xylanase, and mannanase (EXM). Xylanase and mannanase reduced the hemicellulose content of only hardwood (by max. 2.4%). Mixing and carbohydrate depolymerization decreased the dissolution time of hardwood and softwood pulps by a maximum of 63 and 30% with E, 37 and 16% with XM, and 44 and 30% with EXM, respectively. The shortening of the dissolution time was partially hindered by hornification, which increased with hemicellulose degradation. Interestingly, XM accelerated the dissolution while preserving a high weight-average molecular mass.

The motor gasoline production mixing flows ratios determination considering feedstock quality and quantity is the one of the most complex and multifactorial problems of catalyst crude oil processing. Mixing compounds ratios determination taking into account hydrocarbon feedstock properties and composition changes, as well as optimal catalyst process conditions will reduce the end products cost by reducing quality giveaway. The catalyst process isomerization C7-C8 implementation allows to increase low-octane fractions supply in commercial gasoline compounding by 7–10 % of the produced amount. At the same time, increasing the octane number of these fractions causes reducing the consumption of MTBE by 9 %, toluene by over 3% and alkylbenzene by 15 %. These changes can significantly reduce the cost of commercial gasoline while maintaining the quality.