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Heavy oil is an important part of petroleum hydrocarbon energy. With the depletion of conventional crude oil reserves, successful and efficient exploitation of heavy oil resources is becoming increasingly important. This article focuses on the nine relatively mature heavy oil development technologies from the perspectives of the level of understanding of the mechanism and the scale of the mining field: steam huff and puff, steam flooding, steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), in situ combustion, thermochemical combined flooding, multicomponent thermal fluid, polymer flooding, chemical viscosity reduction development, and microbial oil recovery, which are divided into two technical categories: thermal recovery and cold recovery development. The basic development principles are explained, and application examples of the two categories of techniques are provided. It is pointed out that thermal compounding, cold mining development, and nanomaterial applications will be the three development trends in heavy oil development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This quasiexperimental study was designed to determine the effectiveness of a participatory program on pesticide use behavior and blood cholinesterase levels. The participants were 18-60 years old, living in Thung Satok subdistrict, San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai Province. Eighty subjects, including 32 farmers and 48 consumers, were recruited to participate in the study voluntarily by a purposive sampling technique. Data concerning each individual's behaviors were collected using questionnaires, and blood cholinesterase levels were obtained from whole blood finger, providing whole blood pre and postexperiment. The data were analyzed using Fishers' exact and paired t-tests, for the problem situations were independently analyzed. The results show that the participatory process made it possible to improve methods for the prevention of the unhealthy effects of pesticides. After participating in the activities, both groups showed significantly higher scores in before and after knowledge (P < 0.05) and a decrease in pesticide contamination in their bodies as a result of the measurement of average cholinesterase which increased significantly (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the participatory program was applied to solve health problems from chemical hazards. The program can raise awareness about chemical toxicity, leading to the modification of the related behavior toward chemicals and reduction of the contamination of chemicals in the body. Therefore, the adoption of participatory processes can effectively solve problems related to chemical hazards that affect health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has been attractive in biomedical applications due to its nontoxic and eco-friendly approach. This study presents the facile, rapid, and cost-effective synthesis of AgNPs by photoassisted chemical reduction using Riceberry (RB) rice extract as a reducing agent. The effects of reaction parameters including photoirradiation, irradiation time, the volume ratio of silver nitrate (AgNO3) to RB extract, and pH condition on the AgNP formation were also investigated. The characterization of AgNPs was determined by UV–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. For antibacterial application, the synthesized AgNPs were studied by disc diffusion method against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The results indicated that light irradiation was an important factor to accelerate the formation of AgNPs. The synthesis parameters including volume of RB extract and pH condition significantly affected the particle size and crystallinity of AgNPs. The volume ratio of AgNO3 to RB extract 1 : 12.5 at pH 2.5 under photoirradiation was the successful condition to form nanometer-sized crystalline particles (average particle size of 59.48 ± 0.37 nm) within 30 min with a rate constant of 0.210 min–1. The FT-IR measurement also suggested that the phytochemical constituents in RB extract were served as reducing and stabilizing agents for the synthesis of AgNPs. Additionally, the obtained AgNPs from various conditions demonstrated the antibacterial activity against both strains. Therefore, this study proposes an effective integration technique to synthesize AgNPs within a short time for antibacterial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the literature data, metal nanoparticles can be synthesized by various methods but the chemical reduction methods are mostly applied getting more advantageous comparing with the other methods. This work emphasizes also that the combination of synthetized methods could lead to the spectacular results depending on the application. Among the chemical methods, this work analyzed the polyol method, radiolytic process, microemulsion method, solvo-thermal method, microwave-assisted synthesis, and electrochemical synthesis. It also presents the main application of metal nanoparticles in biomedical fields, empathizing on their antimicrobial potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As two-dimensional materials with a high specific surface area, strength, and electrical and thermal conductivity, graphene (Gr) and its derivatives have great application prospects in various fields such as structural reinforcement, energy storage, optics, and electrical and thermal conductivity. However, the current preparation method of Gr is complicated and expensive. Its preparation cost can be reduced using Gr composites that include inorganic materials or other polymers. Composite materials comprising Gr and inorganic materials are generally prepared using sinter molding, chemical reduction, or chemical deposition. Gr should be able to mitigate several of the defects resulting from inorganic materials, including their poor toughness, small specific capacity, and low photoelectric conversion rate. The mitigation of these defects should result in the expansion of the applications of Gr composites for use in capacitors, catalysts, and sensors, among other devices. Although solution blending or in situ polymerization produces a relatively good mixing effect, in general, melt blending is used in the large-scale processing of Gr composites with polymer materials. Gr can be used to partially mitigate several weaknesses of polymer materials, including their low strength, poor electrical and thermal conductivities, and poor isolation performance, and expand the applications of Gr composites for use in electrical and thermal conductive materials and functional membrane materials, among other applications. The goal of the present paper is to introduce the structural properties of Gr and a surface modification method for Gr. In addition, the preparation methods and application fields of different Gr composite materials are reviewed. Finally, the development prospects and key issues are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hexagonal boron carbon nitride hybrid (h-BCN) is developed by in situ high-temperature solid-state reaction and subsequent chemical reduction with hydrazine. The XRD and TEM results show that the h-BCN features interlayered structures with two characteristic d -spacing of 0.33 and 0.21 nm. The obtained h-BCN exhibits significant electrochemical sensor for dopamine and uric acid. The cyclic voltammetric and amperometric experiments revealed a good linear relationship between current densities and concentrations of dopamine (DA) of 10-300 μM and uric acid (UA) of 10-500 μM, with high sensitivities of 0.14 μA/μM and 0.32 μA/μM and detection limits of 5 μM and 2 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, polyaniline/attapulgite (PANI/APT)-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) composites were synthesized by liquid-phase chemical reduction method and used for the removal of two kinds of dyes. The structure of as-prepared nZVI/PANI/APT was characterized by various test methods. The removal property and degradation mechanism for azo (alizarin yellow R, methyl red, chrome black T, methyl orange) and non-azo (methylene blue, rhodamine B) dyes in aqueous solution were investigated. The presence of PANI/APT can decrease the aggregation of nZVI particles with maintenance of reactivity and improving adsorption capacity for degradation azo dye. The experiment results showed that the removal property of the composite materials on azo dyes is obviously better than that on non-azo dyes. The varying removal efficiencies of dyes depend on the different degradation mechanisms. Azo dyes removal by nZVI/PANI/APT was mainly due to the reductive cleavage of the N = N of nZVI, while non-azo dyes removal mainly contributes to the adsorption of PANI/APT. The study demonstrated that nZVI/PANI/APT has potential applications for the removal of azo dyes from wastewaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some herbal medicines are treated with various processing methods to ensure their safe and effective use. However, chemical basis of toxicity reducing for most herbal medicines remains unclear. Stellera chamaejasme L., particularly the root (ruixianglangdu), is toxic. Thus, ruixianglangdu is commonly processed with vinegar or milk to reduce toxicity. Here, with help of multiple-ion monitoring (MIM)-based metabolomics, we comprehensively capture chemical information of ruixianglangdu. Then, 33 differential components between crude drugs and processed products were identified or tentatively characterized by multiple-ion monitoring–information dependent acquiring–enhanced product ion (MIM-IDA-EPI), whose level changed after being processed by vinegar or milk. It was found that flavonoids especially biflavonones could be the important chemical basis of toxicity reduction for processed ruixianglangdu. In addition, some coumarins and lignanoids could also play a role in reducing toxicity. It is believed that MIM-based metabolomics method was valuable for exploring chemical basis of toxicity reduction for processing. The data is critical to further study the mechanism of toxicity reducing for processed ruixianglangdu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design route, synthesis, and characterization of spherical copper nanoparticles with antifungal potential are reported in the present work. Copper nanoparticles were synthesized by a novel, inexpensive, and eco-friendly chemical reduction method using ascorbic acid as a reductant and stabilizer under reflux conditions. The characterization results showed the formation of homogeneous, dispersed, and stable spherical ascorbic acid-capped copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) with a diameter of 250 nm. The CuNPs exhibited sustained antifungal activity against Candida albicans (C. albicans) after 24 h and even 48 h of incubation. Using enhanced dark-field microscopy, we presented the in situ interaction between CuNPs and C. albicans. Here, part of the interaction of CuNPs among the C. albicans, studied without the use of any chemical and/or physical fixing method, is discussed. The results indicate that part of the antifungal mechanism involves a promoted adhesion of CuNPs onto the cell wall and a massive accumulation of CuNPs into the fungal cells, concluding in cellular leakage. The cytotoxicity (viability) evaluations indicated that our CuNPs were more biocompatible after comparison to the Cu precursor and triclosan (a commercial antifungal drug). The synthesized CuNPs will open up a new road for their possible use as a potent antimicrobial agent for clinical and industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear optical properties of the aqueous solutions of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) prepared by chemical reduction method are analyzed using femtosecond and picosecond pulses at different wavelengths. In the case of 800 and 400 nm, the growths of nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction with the increase of Ag NP concentration, as well as a change at the signs of nonlinear optical processes, are determined. The nonlinear absorption coefficient and nonlinear refractive index of Ag NP solutions measured using picosecond pulses were a few orders of magnitude larger than those in the case of femtosecond probe pulses. We also demonstrate the optical limiting properties of Ag NPs using 800 nm, 60 fs pulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ring-functionalized semiconducting polythiophene dots (Pdots) were synthesized rapidly and in one step by the hydrazine hydrate reduction of doped parent polythiophene, obtained by conventional chemical oxidation of thiophene monomer by FeCl3 in anhydrous acetonitrile. Dispersions of these Pdots display robust (pseudo) solvatochromism and solvatofluorism. Polythiophene Pdots exhibit significant cytotoxicity towards prostate cancer cells (expected) although when injected subcutaneously in vivo in live mouse, no toxicity is observed for 24 days when monitored in real time using fluorescence imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To quantitatively assess the influence of reducing agents on biological macromolecules and on the possible repair of oxidative damage. Methods. Samples (antibody, enzyme, DNA, and diluted serum) were treated with reducing agents (ammonium ferrous sulfate, ascorbic acid, potassium iodide, and sodium hyposulfite) in the experimental group and with NaCl in the control group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative PCR were used to determine the activity of antibody, enzyme, and DNA. Native gel electrophoresis (Native-PAGE) and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) were used to determine protein structure. Reducing agents that had no inhibitory effect on biological macromolecules were selected. Antibodies were treated with oxidants to caused oxidative damage and then treated with reducing agents, and the possible repair of oxidative damage was assessed. Results. Certain concentrations of ammonium ferrous sulfate resulted in significant inhibition of antibody, enzyme, DNA, and diluted serum. Certain concentrations of ascorbic acid resulted in significant inhibition of antibody. Sodium hyposulfite and potassium iodide had no effect on antibody, enzyme, DNA, and diluted serum. The OD values in group A (in which HBsAb was treated by oxidation and then a reductant) were significantly higher than those in group B (HBsAb treated by oxidation). Conclusion. Ammonium ferrous sulfate, ascorbic acid, sodium hyposulfite, and potassium iodide had different effects on antibody, enzyme, DNA, and diluted serum. The reduction in antibody activity due to an oxidant was partially repaired by a reductant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by chemical reduction of Ag+ ions (from silver nitrate AgNO3), using aqueous or ethanolic Aloe vera extracts as reducing, stabilizing, and size control agent. The nanoparticles’ sizes were between 2 and 7 nm for ethanolic extract and between 3 and 14 nm for aqueous extract, as measured by High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM). The antibacterial activity against a mesophilic microorganism, Kocuria varians, a Gram-positive coccus, was measured by counting bacterial colonies in agar plate for both extracts. We found that 4% effective concentration is the lowest concentration that completely inhibited visible growth. Mercury removal was investigated by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) measurements, where it was shown that it is not necessary to use high concentrations of nanoparticles for effective removal of mercury inasmuch as with a 20% V/V concentration of both extracts; the Hg(II) removal percentage was above 95%. These results show that the mercury remaining unremoved from the different essays is below the level allowed by World Health Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-containing pellets were prepared with the carbonized product of agricultural wastes and iron concentrate, and an experimental study on the direct reduction was carried out. The experimental results demonstrated that carbon-containing pellets could be rapidly reduced at 1200 to 1300°C in 15 minutes, and the proper holding time at high temperature was 15 to 20 min. The degree of reduction gradually increased with temperature rising, and the appropriate temperature of reducing pellets was 1200°C. The weight loss rate and reduction degree of pellets increased with the rise of carbon proportion, and the relatively reasonable mole ratio of carbon to oxygen was 0.9. A higher content of carbon and an appropriate content of volatile matters in biomass char were beneficial to the reduction of pellets. The carbon-containing pellets could be reduced at high speeds in the air, but there was some reoxidization phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a comprehensive pollutant reduction rating system for hot mix asphalt (HMA) with three Level I indices and ten Level II indices, covering various aspects in HMA pollutant emissions, energy consumption, and exhausts from construction equipment. The pollutant emission reduction effects are investigated not only in the laboratory for modified asphalt mixtures with various mixture gradation and binder types but also in the field for several warm mix asphalt (WMA) projects. Furthermore, energy consumption and emission data during pavement construction are obtained from 58 in situ highway projects in 10 provinces of China. Based on the hierarchical clustering method and Bayesian discriminant analysis, individual ranking systems are developed to quantify pollutant emission reduction effects and energy consumption. Subsequently, a comprehensive reduction rating system is established based on the analytic hierarchy process and approximation methods. A case study is demonstrated to implement the proposed system for the assessment of emission reduction effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafine Pd nanocrystals were grown on the cobalt phosphide (Co2P) decorated Vulcan XC-72 carbon (C/Co2P), which is realized by first implementing the corresponding metal precursor and then the further chemical reduction process. The as-synthesized C/Co2P/Pd composite was further constructed to form a gas permeable electrode. This electrode can be applied for formaldehyde (HCHO) detection. The results demonstrate that the Co2P nanocrystal can significantly improve the sensing performance of the C/Co2P/Pd electrode for catalytic oxidation of HCHO, which is considered to be attributed to the effective electron transfer from Co2P to Pd in the C/Co2P/Pd composites. Furthermore, the assembled C/Co2P/Pd sensor exhibits high sensitivity of 617 nA/ppm and good selectivity toward various interfering gases such as NO2, NO, SO2, CO2, and CO. It also shows the excellent linear response that the correlation coefficient is 0.994 in the concentration range of 1–10 ppm. Therefore, the proposed cost-effective C/Co2P/Pd nanocomposite, which owns advantages such as high activity and good stability, has the potential to be applied as an effective electrocatalyst for amperometric HCHO detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cast Mg-8Al-1Zn-1Ca magnesium alloy was multipass hot rolled at different sample and roll temperatures. The effect of the rolling conditions and reduction in thickness on the microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated. The optimal combination of the ultimate tensile strength, 351 MPa, yield strength, 304 MPa, and ductility, 12.2%, was obtained with the 3 mm thick Mg-8Al-1Zn-1Ca rolled sheet, which was produced with a roll temperature of 80°C and sample temperature of 430°C. This rolling process resulted in the formation of a bimodal structure in the α-Mg matrix, which consequently led to good ductility and high strength, exclusively by the hot rolling process. The 3 mm thick rolled sheet exhibited fine (mean grain size of 2.7 μm) and coarse grain regions (mean grain size of 13.6 μm) with area fractions of 29% and 71%, respectively. In summary, the balance between the strength and ductility was enhanced by the grain refinement of the α-Mg matrix and by controlling the frequency and orientation of the grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of silver nanoparticles was carried out by semicontinuous reduction of Ag+ ions at low temperatures. Silver nitrate was used as the Ag0 precursor, the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as stabilizer and primary reducing agent, and sodium borohydride as reducing agent. Weight ratios of 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 of AgNO3 : CMC were used for carrying out the reactions. Silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-VIS spectroscopy, transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by XRD spectroscopy and by the presence of an absorption peak around 400 nm in the UV-visible spectrum. Unimodal size distributions of spheroidal nanoparticles were observed by TEM. Greater productivities than those reported by other authors were obtained with the advantage of using a lower temperature and minor reaction times. By using a higher CMC/AgNO3 weight ratio or a higher concentration of AgNO3, AgNPs with larger average size were produced. Antibacterial activity of AgNPs against S. aureus and E. coli was determined by the agar disk diffusion method. The higher the AgNPs concentration, the larger the inhibition zone. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of AgNPs against S. aureus and E. coli was 5 μg/disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed on a new family of mono- and bimetallic complexes, containing 4,8-([10]paracyclophane)-1,5-dihydro-s-indacene as the bridging ligand between the two metallic centers and different ancillary ligands. The s-indacene was blocked by substitution of the central benzene ring with the [10]paracyclophane to obtain the syn-conformations. This would force the metallic centers to be close together. It is proposed, due to the calculated molecular and electronic properties such as the reactivity indexes, the delocalized nature of the s-indacenyl ligand, and the electron-rich metals, that these systems could be reactive in a catalytic reaction. The results indicate that the systems with Rh and Re holding ancillary ligands such as bipy and CO show the best properties to be active in a chemical reaction. In this sense, by the assessed geometrical and electronic properties, when compared with a previously reported system, these complexes could be candidates for the reduction of CO2 to oxalate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were rapidly synthesized using an exopolysaccharide from Arthrobacter sp. B4 (B4-EPS). The optimum condition for AgNPs synthesis was under the concentration of 5 g/L B4-EPS and 1 mM AgNO3 at 80°C between pH 7.0 and 8.0. The resulting AgNPs displayed a face-centred-cubic structure with the size range from 9 nm to 72 nm. Further analysis showed that flocculation and reduction of B4-EPS played a pivotal role in the formation of AgNPs. Furthermore, these nanoparticles exhibited great stability, excellent antimicrobial activity, and low phytotoxicity. The aforementioned data provide a feasible and efficient approach for green synthesis of AgNPs using microbial polysaccharides with flocculation and reduction activity, which will be promising in medical filed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prepared a unique leaf-like BiVO4-reduced graphene oxide (BiVO4-rGO) composite with prominent adsorption performance and photocatalytic ability by a single-step method. Multiple characterization results showed that the leaf-like BiVO4 with average diameter of about 5 um was well dispersed on the reduced graphene oxide sheet, which enhanced the transportation of photogenerated electrons into BiVO4, thereby leading to efficient separation of photogenerated carriers in the coupled graphene-nanocomposite system. The characterization and experiment results also indicated that the outstanding adsorption ability of such composite was closely associated with the rough surface of the leaf-like BiVO4 and doped rGO. The surface photocurrent spectroscopy and transient photocurrent density measurement results demonstrated that the doped rGO enhanced separation efficiency and transfer rate of photogenerated charges. As a result, the BiVO4-rGO exhibited higher photocatalytic capacity toward the degradation of rhodamine B dye under visible-light irradiation compared with pure BiVO4 and P25. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excellent physical and chemical properties of boron carbide make it suitable for many applications. However, its synthesis requires a large amount of energy and is time-consuming. Microwave carbothermal reduction is a fast technique for producing well crystallized equiaxial boron carbide nanoparticles of about 50 nm and very few amounts of elongated nanoparticles were also synthesized. They presented an average length of 82 nm and a high aspect ratio (5.5). The total reaction time was only 20 minutes, which disfavor the growing process, leading to the synthesis of nanoparticles. Microwave-assisted synthesis leaded to producing boron-rich boron carbide. Increasing the forward power increases the boron content and enhances the efficiency of the reaction, resulting in better crystallized boron carbide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research work undertook a comparative study of the promoting effects of graphene in TiO2 photoanodes. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of the types and concentration of reduced graphene oxides (rGO) on structure properties and the photovoltaic performance of TiO2 based electrodes. Graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by using modified Hammer’s method. Next, GO was reduced by using two different approaches, which were the chemical reduction with vitamin C and thermal reduction. The latter approach was also carried out in situ during the fabrication and heat treatment processes of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). From the results, it was found that the photovoltaic performance of the DSSCs containing the GO/TiO2 electrode, in which the GO phase experienced an in situ thermal reduction, was superior to those containing rGO/TiO2. It was also found that the power conversion efficiency of the DSSCs changed with the concentration of graphene in a nonlinear fashion. The optimum concentrations of graphene, corresponding to the highest PCE values of the GO/TiO2 based DSSC (3.69%) and that of the rGO/TiO2 based cell (2.90%), were 0.01 wt% and 0.03 wt%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La1−xCexCoO3 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4) and La1−xCexMnO3 (x = 0, 0.2) perovskite-type oxides were prepared by sol-gel process. Characterization techniques EDS, FTIR, XRD, BET, and XPS experiments were performed to survey the composition, bulk structure, and the surface properties of perovskites. The reduction behavior, thermal stability, and catalytic activity were studied by H2-TPR and catalytic performance. All synthesized samples showed well crystalline perovskite structure, 8–22 nm crystallite sizes, and SSA with 2–27 m2 g−1. The XRD results showed that the Ce substitution promoted the structural transformation for LaCoO3 from rhombohedral into cubic and for LaMnO3 no change in lattice geometry. Substitution with cerium (x = 0.2) showed smaller crystallite size, higher SSA, and the highest reducibility and catalytic activity for LaCoO3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surplus coke oven gases (COGs) and low grade hematite ores are abundant in Shanxi, China. Our group proposes a new process that could simultaneously enrich CH4 from COG and produce separated magnetite from low grade hematite. In this work, low-temperature hydrogen reduction of hematite ore fines was performed in a fixed-bed reactor with a stirring apparatus, and a laboratory Davis magnetic tube was used for the magnetic separation of the resulting magnetite ore fines. The properties of the raw hematite ore, reduced products, and magnetic concentrate were analyzed and characterized by a chemical analysis method, X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results indicated that, at temperatures lower than 400°C, the rate of reduction of the hematite ore fines was controlled by the interfacial reaction on the core surface. However, at temperatures higher than 450°C, the reaction was controlled by product layer diffusion. With increasing reduction temperature, the average utilization of hydrogen initially increased and tended to a constant value thereafter. The conversion of Fe2O3 in the hematite ore played an important role in the total iron recovery and grade of the concentrate. The grade of the concentrate decreased, whereas the total iron recovery increased with the increasing Fe2O3 conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lighter tars are largely useful in chemical industries but their quantity is quite little. Catalytic cracking is applied to improve the yield of light tars during pyrolysis. Consequently, in situ upgrading technique through a MoS2 catalyst has been explored in this research work. MoS2 catalyst is useful for the conversion of high energy cost into low energy cost. The variations in coal pyrolysis tar without and with catalyst were determined. Meanwhile, the obtained tar was analyzed using simulated distillation gas chromatograph and Elemental Analyzer. Consequently, the catalyst reduced the pitch contents and increased the fraction of light tar from 50 to 60 wt.% in coal pyrolysis tar. MoS2 catalyst increased the liquid yield from 18 to 33 (wt.%, db) and decreased gas yield from 27 to 12 (wt.%, db) compared to coal without catalyst. Moreover, it increased H content and hydrogen-to-carbon ratio by 7.9 and 3.3%, respectively, and reduced the contents of nitrogen, sulphur, and oxygen elements by 8.1%, 15.2%, and 23.9%, respectively, in their produced tars compared to coal without catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to compare the graphene produced using a biotechnological method (Escherichia coli) with the graphene produced by Hummers’ method (a chemical method) and to study the effect on the energy consumption and environment. The results indicated that the chemical reduction process has higher energy consumption, approximately 1642 Wh, than the energy consumption of the biotechnological reduction process, which is 5 Wh. The potential of global warming (GWP 100) improved by 71% using the biotechnological route for the production of graphene. Abiotic depletion, the photochemical ozone creation potential, and marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential were improved when the biological route was employed, compared with the chemical route. The eutrophication potential, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and ozone depletion layer changed very little since the main variables involved in the production of graphene oxide and waste management are the same. The biotechnological method can be considered a green technique for the production of graphene, especially given the reduction in the negative effects on global warming, abiotic depletion, the photochemical ozone creation potential, and the marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cornus species fruits are well known as a rich source of antioxidant compounds responsible for their diverse health benefits. The present study aims to investigate the variation of the total antioxidant capacity of Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) fruits during storage, using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and two spectrophotometric assays based on different mechanisms: the 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazolyne-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation (ABTS+∙) assay and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The fruit extract was stored at room temperature (22°C) for 19 days. No major differences in the total antioxidant capacity were observed during this period, indicating that storage does not have any deleterious effect on the antioxidant properties of the investigated fruits extract. The antioxidant capacity varied between 12.91 and 12.83 µmol Trolox/g fruit as determined by the HPTLC method and from 36.13 to 33.93 µmol Trolox/g fruit as determined by the ABTS assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Pt-Ce-Ba/γ-Al2O3 and Mn-Ce/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were synthesized by a sol-gel method and the samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, and EDS. The effect of Mn-Ce/γ-Al2O3 on the storage and reduction of NOx over Pt-Ce-Ba/γ-Al2O3 catalysts was studied in a fix-bed reactor with simulation gases NO, O2, and N2. The results indicated that NO oxidation to NO2 was reduced with the increase of inlet NO concentration, which was up to 83% when the concentration of NO was 500 ppm but reduced to 76% with the concentration of NO increasing to 1000 ppm. Comparing with the Pt-Ce-Ba/γ-Al2O3 catalysts, the rate of NOx storage and reduction was remarkably increased over Pt-Ce-Ba/γ-Al2O3 combined with Mn-Ce/γ-Al2O3 catalysts. However, the reductant used for NOx reduction reaction over Pt-Ce-Ba/γ-Al2O3 catalysts was consumed under the treatment of Mn-Ce/γ-Al2O3 catalyst, which caused the NOx conversion to obviously drop, but the rate of NOx absorption declined slightly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) is performed by the reduction of aqueous gold metal ions in contact with the aqueous peel extract of plant, Garcinia mangostana (G. mangostana). An absorption peak of the gold nanoparticles is observed at the range of 540–550 nm using UV-visible spectroscopy. All the diffraction peaks at 2θ = 38.48°, 44.85°, 66.05°, and 78.00° that index to (111), (200), (220), and (311) planes confirm the successful synthesis of Au-NPs. Mostly spherical shape particles with size range of 32.96 ± 5.25 nm are measured using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). From the FTIR results, the peaks obtained are closely related to phenols, flavonoids, benzophenones, and anthocyanins which suggest that they may act as the reducing agent. This method is environmentally safe without the usage of synthetic materials which is highly potential in biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemisorption of NO and successive heterogeneous reduction mechanisms on the well-defined char models under carbon/char-CO2 gasification condition were investigated using density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G (d) level of theory. The characteristics of gasification process were concluded and incorporated into the theoretical calculations by establishing three gasification char models and taking into account the presence of CO in ambient gas pool. The results indicate that both the configuration of char model and adsorption mode have significant influence on the NO adsorption energy. Intensive gasification surface is likely to be thermally unfavorable and the O-down mode is regarded as the most inactive approach for NO’s adsorbing. Finally, NO heterogeneous reduction mechanisms on the three char models under gasification are proposed based on detailed analysis on thermodynamic data and atomic bond populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to evaluate the structural, thermal, and electrical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) hybridized with silver nanoparticles (AgNP) obtained via chemical reduction of aqueous silver salt assisted with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as stabilizing agent. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals microstructural analysis of the MWNT-Ag hybrids. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra prove the interactions between the AgNP and carboxyl groups of the MWNT. Raman spectra reveal that the D- to G-band intensity ratios ID/IG and ID′/IG increase upon the deposition of AgNP onto the surface of the MWNT. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) shows that the MWNT-Ag hybrids decompose at a much faster rate and the weight loss decreased considerably due to the presence of AgNP. Nonlinearity of current-voltage (I-V) curves indicates that electrical transport of pristine MWNT is enhanced when AgNP is induced as charge carriers in the MWNT-Ag hybrids. The threshold voltage Vth value for the MWNT doped with a maximum of 70 vol% of AgNP was substantially reduced by 65% relative to the pristine MWNT. The MWNT-Ag hybrids have a favourable electrical characteristic with a low threshold voltage that shows enhancement mode for field-effect transistor (FET) applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1-Octanethiol-coated Cu nanoparticles were mixed with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to fabricate Cu nanoinks with enhanced oxidation prevention. Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized using modified Hummer’s method and rGO was reduced from GO using hydrazine hydrate. Copper nanoinks were fabricated with varying concentrations of rGO (Cu : rGO ratios of 100 : 1, 500 : 1, and 1000 : 1 wt.%). The coating layers on the copper nanoparticles and rGO were observed using transmission electron microscopy and characterized by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. It was observed that surface roughness increased as the concentration of rGO in Cu patterns increased, and an optimized Cu : rGO weight ratio of 1,000 : 1 was established. After sintering, the electrical properties and corrosion resistance of copper patterns both with and without rGO were measured and monitored for 200 days. The copper pattern with rGO (Cu : rGO = 1,000 : 1) was found to maintain its initial resistivity (1.63 × 10−7 Ω·m) for 150 days. Corrosion tests were conducted to confirm the oxidation prohibition of rGO. The resistance polarization (Rp) of the copper pattern was measured to be 1.5 times higher than that of the copper pattern without rGO. Thus, rGO was shown to prevent oxidation and improve the conductivity of copper patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclic voltammetric investigation of metronidazole at carbon paste electrode revealed an irreversible reduction peak centered at about −0.4 V. Observed peak potential shift with pH in the range 2.0 to 8.5 indicated the involvement of protons during the reduction of metronidazole, whereas the peak potential shift with scan rate in the range 10–250 mV/s confirmed the irreversibility of the reduction reaction. A better correlation coefficient for the dependence of peak current on the scan rate than on the square root of scan rate indicated an adsorption controlled kinetics. Under the optimized method and solution parameters, an excellent linearity between the reductive peak current and the concentration of metronidazole was observed in the concentration range 1.0 × 10−6 to 5.0 × 10−4 M with a correlation coefficient, method detection limit (based on s=3σ), and limit of quantification of 0.999, 2.97 × 10−7 M and 9.91 × 10−7 M, respectively. Good recovery results for spiked metronidazole in tablet samples and selective determination of metronidazole in tablet formulations in the presence of selected potential interferents such as rabeprazole, omeprazole, and tinidazole confirmed the potential applicability of the developed method for the determination of metronidazole in real samples like pharmaceutical tablets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium nanoparticles are of great interest in many industrial fields, ranging from catalysis and hydrogen technology to microelectronics, thanks to their unique physical and chemical properties. In this work, palladium clusters have been prepared by reduction of [PdCl4]2− ions with ethylene glycol, in the presence of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) as stabilizer. The stabilizer performs the important role of nucleating agent for the Pd atoms with a fast phase separation, since palladium atoms coordinated to the polymer side-groups are forced at short distances during nucleation. Quasispherical palladium clusters with a diameter of ca. 2.6 nm were obtained by reaction in air at 90°C for 2 hours. An extensive materials characterization by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and other characterizations (TGA, SEM, EDS-SEM, and UV-Vis) has been performed in order to evaluate the structure and oxidation state of nanopalladium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the experimental studies are concerned with the effect of the synthesis parameters on the formation of monometallic Ag and Cu nanoparticles (NPs). We consider the synthesis strategies verification for the bimetallic core-shell and alloy particles preparation. It was successfully obtained by chemical reduction method. The obtained colloidal solution is characterized by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) data, UV-Vis spectra, particle size distribution, and zeta potential. This work presents a comprehensive overview of experimental studies of the most stable colloidal solutions to impregnate fabrics that will exhibit a bactericidal and fungicidal activity against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chemical reduction method was employed for the synthesis of copper nanoparticles stabilized by nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) using different concentrations of copper salt in aqueous solution under atmospheric air. CuSO4·5H2O salt and hydrazine were used as metal ion precursor and reducing agent, respectively. Ascorbic acid and aqueous NaOH were also used as an antioxidant and a pH moderator, respectively. The number of CuNPs increased with increasing concentration of the precursor salt. The formation of copper nanoparticles stabilized by NCC (CuNPs@NCC) was investigated by UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), where the surface absorption maximum was observed at 590 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the CuNPs@NCC are of a face-centered cubic structure. Moreover, the morphology of the CuNPs@NCC was investigated using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), which showed well-dispersed CuNPs with an average particle size less than 4 nm and the shape of CuNPs was found to be spherical. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS) also confirmed the presence of CuNPs on the NCC. The results demonstrate that the stability of CuNPs decreases with an increasing concentration of the copper ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A polypyrrole-nanoparticles reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite layer was prepared using electrochemical method. The prepared samples were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The band gap of nanocomposite layers was calculated from UV-visible spectra and the thermal diffusivity of layers was measured using a photoacoustic technique. As experimental results, the optical band gap was in the range between 3.580 eV and 3.853 eV, and thermal diffusivity was increased with increasing the layer thickness from 2.873 cm2/s to 12.446 cm2/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO nanostructures were synthesized using two different routes and the light sensor response of structures was studied. The synthesis by carbothermal reduction resulted in ZnO tetrapods while the synthesis by microwave assisted hydrothermal method produced multipoint stars structures. Characterization by scanning and transmission electron microscopy confirmed that both structures consist of one-dimensional crystals with a hexagonal cross section and [001] growth direction. Under a simulated solar radiation spectrum, it was observed that tetrapods display a light sensor response of approximately 5000. For the multipoint stars, a maximum in the sensor signal value of 3400 was achieved, which also represents a substantial variation in the conductivity of the material. A model based on the surface oxygen presence is proposed to explain the observed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical reduction of a wet colloidal suspension of graphene oxide is a cost-effective and adaptable method for large scale production of “quasi” graphene for a wide variety of optoelectronic applications. In this study, modified Hummers’ procedure was used to synthesize high quality graphene oxide at 50°C. This modified protocol thus eliminates the potentially hazardous second high-temperature step in Hummers’ method for the production of GO. Furthermore, the reduction of graphene oxide by lithium triethylborohydride is demonstrated for the first time. According to FT-IR, UV-Vis, TGA, Raman, SEM/EDS, and AFM results, the reduced graphene oxide (LiEt3BH-RGO) has properties comparable to other reduced graphene oxide products reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduced graphene oxide reinforced silicone-acrylate resin composite films (rGO/SAR composite films) were prepared by in situ synthesis method. The structure of rGO/SAR composite films was characterized by Raman spectrum, atomic force microscope, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analyzer. The results showed that the rGO were uniformly dispersed in silicone-acrylate resin matrix. Furthermore, the effect of rGO loading on mechanical properties of composite films was investigated by bulge test. A significant enhancement (ca. 290% and 320%) in Young’s modulus and yield stress was obtained by adding the rGO to silicone-acrylate resin. At the same time, the adhesive energy between the composite films and metal substrate was also improved to be about 200%. Moreover, the erosion resistance of the composite films was also investigated as function of rGO loading. The rGO had great effect on the erosion resistance of the composite films, in which the Rcorr (ca. 0.8 mm/year) of composite film was far lower than that (28.7 mm/year) of pure silicone-acrylate resin film. Thus, this approach provides a novel route to investigate mechanical stability of polymer composite films and improve erosion resistance of polymer coating, which are very important to be used in mechanical-corrosion coupling environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(N,N′-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEM) with different molecular weights was used to stabilize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) obtained by in situ reduction of tetrachloroauric acid using citrates under acidic conditions and in organic/alcoholic medium. The influence of the pH value on gold nanoparticle size in the presence of PDEAEM was investigated. Results show that the pH of the reacting mixture has a dramatic effect on the size, polydispersity, and morphology of the resulting AuNPs. Moreover, the size of the nanoparticles (NPs) may be modified by changing the solution’s pH or by changing the solvent type. Electron microscope images showed that the sizes of AuNPs coated with PDEAEM were not sensitive to the variation of the polymer molecular weight in the range between 9000 and 29300 g/mol; however their aggregation behavior depended strongly on the polymer molecular weight as revealed by dynamic light scattering studies. AuNPs stabilized with PDEAEM (AuNP@PDEAEM) are stable in water at acidic pH and in organic polar solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe nanoparticles and branched nanostructures of iron oxide were synthesized by chemical reduction in aqueous phase. The mechanism of formation of iron oxides as a function of the amount of surfactant employed during the synthesis process was studied. Specifically Fe, Fe2O3, and Fe3O4 nanoparticles were obtained. The oxidation of Fe to Fe3O4 and finally to Fe2O3 was carried out by oxidative etching process, decreasing the amount of stabilizer agent. The structures obtained were characterized by high resolution (HRTEM) and scanning/transmission (STEM) electron microcopies, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and optical spectroscopy (UV-Vis and IR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a novel two-dimensional carbon material, graphene has fine potential applications in the fields of electron transfer agent and supercapacitor material for its excellent electronic and optical property. However, the challenge is to synthesize graphene in a bulk quantity. In this paper, graphite oxide was prepared from natural flake graphite by Hummers’ method through liquid oxidization, and the reduced graphene oxide was obtained by chemical reduction of graphene oxide using NH3·H2O aqueous solution and hydrazine hydrate. The raw material graphite, graphite oxide, and reduced graphene oxide were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflectance-infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), and field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results indicated that the distance spacing of graphite oxide was longer than that of graphite and the crystal structure of graphite was changed. The flake graphite was oxidized to graphite oxide and lots of oxygen-containing groups were found in the graphite oxide. In the morphologies of samples, fold structure was found on both the surface and the edge of reduced graphene oxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer retention is one of the most important factors to govern polymer propagation through porous media, determining whether successful or not. The focus of previous studies has been limited to polymer concentration loss caused by the retention; not only change in polymer concentration, but also reduction in reservoir permeability is the main issue for theoretical transport study. Due to the lack of accuracy of Langmuir isotherm describing the polymer retention mechanisms, this study proposes a new type of matching interpretation method to correlate the permeability reduction factors from experiments to permeability. In order to solve the problem of poorly matching results between estimation and observation, use of nonadsorptive constant conditionally selected in matching process was made. Based on the threshold permeability reduction factors, approximate critical permeability can be calculated to which nonadsorptive constant would be applied. Results showed significant improvements in the estimation of permeability reduction for both low and high permeability cores. In addition, effects of permeability reduction on polymer transport in field scale were analyzed using the proposed matching model. Thus, not only does this interpretation method help to evaluate prediction for accurate flow behavior, but also unwanted risk can be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of nuclear energy is to supply electric power on a stable basis to meet increasing demands, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and maintain stable electric power costs while ensuring safety. The Fukushima accident taught us many lessons for creating safer nuclear power plants. Considering the design of systems, the areas of weakness at the Fukushima nuclear power plants can be divided into three categories: plant protection, electricity supply, and cooling of the nuclear fuel. In this paper, focusing on these three areas, the lessons learned are proposed and applied for pressurized heavy water reactors. Firstly, hard protection against external risks ensures the integrity of components and systems such that they can perform their original functions. Secondly, additional emergency power supply systems for electrical redundancy and diversity can improve the response capabilities for an accident by increasing the availability of active components. Thirdly, cooling for removing decay heat can be augmented by adopting diverse safety systems derived from other types of reactors. This study is expected to contribute to the safety enhancement of pressurized heavy water reactors by applying design changes based on the lessons learned from the Fukushima accident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Au-Cu alloy nanoparticles were synthesized by a chemical reduction method. Five samples having different compositions of Au and Cu (Au-Cu 3 : 1, Au-Cu 2 : 1, Au-Cu 1 : 1, Au-Cu 1 : 2, and Au-Cu 1 : 3) were prepared. The newly synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by electronic absorption, fluorescence, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). These alloy nanoparticles were also analyzed by SEM and TEM. The particle size was determined by SEM and TEM and calculated by Debye Scherrer’s equation as well. The results revealed that the average diameter of nanoparticles gets lowered from 80 to 65 nm as the amount of Cu is increased in alloy nanoparticles. Some physical properties were found to change with change in molar composition of Au and Cu. Most of the properties showed optimum values for Au-Cu alloy nanoparticles of 1 : 3. Cu in Au-Cu alloy caused decrease in the intensity of the emission peak and acted as a quencher. The fluorescence data was utilized for the evaluation of number of binding sites, total number of atoms in alloy nanoparticle, binding constant, and free energy of binding while morphology was deduced from SEM and TEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide (GO)/polyvinyl butyral (PVB) nanofibers were prepared by a simple electrospinning technique with PVB as matrix and GO as a functional nanomaterial. GO/PVB nanofibers on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were reduced through electrochemical method to form reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/PVB nanofibers. The morphology and structure of GO/PVB nanofiber were studied by scanning election microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). RGO/PVB modified GCE was used for fabricating an electrochemical sensor for detecting Cu (II) in water. The analysis results showed that RGO/PVB modified GCE had good analytical results with the linear range of 0.06–2.2 μM, detection limit of 4.10 nM (S/N=3), and the sensitivity of 103.51 μA·μM−1·cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoparticles with average diameter of 22.4nm were prepared by aqueous reduction method for low-temperature sintering bonding application.The reaction temperature and PVP concentration, which are the influential factors of nanoparticle characteristics, were investigated during reduction process. In our research, monodispersity of nanoparticles was remarkably improved while unfavorable agglomeration was avoided with the AgNO3/PVPmass ratio of 1 :4 at the reaction temperature 30°C. Besides, copper padswere successfully bonded using sintering pasteemploying fresh silver nanoparticleswith diameter of 20~35 nm at 200°C. In addition, after morphology of the bonding joint was analysed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), the porous sintering characteristics were confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An AgNPs solution was synthesized by chemical reduction, characterized, and tested against Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Minimum inhibitory (MICs) and minimum fungicidal/bactericidal concentrations (MFC/MBC) were determined on planktonic cells. Also, total biofilm mass was determined by crystal violet (CV) staining and morphological changes by scanning electron microscope (SEM). MICs for C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, S. aureus, and MRSA were 15.63, 3.91, 1.95, and 1.95 μg/mL, respectively. MFC for C. glabrata was 62.5 μg/mL and for C. tropicalis 15.63 μg/mL The same MBC (3.91 μg/mL) was observed for S. aureus and MRSA. CV assay showed that the AgNPs (1000 μg/mL) promoted reductions in biofilm mass of ~60% for C. glabrata and ~35% for C. tropicalis. A reduction of ~20% in C. tropicalis biomass was also observed at the concentration of 3.91 μg/mL. No significant effect on total biomass was found for S. aureus and MRSA. SEM images revealed that C. glabrata and C. tropicalis biofilm cells, exposed to the AgNPs (1000 μg/mL), had an irregular and shriveled appearance. AgNPs solution exhibited considerable antimicrobial activity against important fungal and bacterial pathogens, associated with several oral and systemic diseases, and has potential as an antimicrobial agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]