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One of the most promising options for decreasing the costs of microalgae production is enhancing the production and reducing the energy demand of the culturing systems and the high surface area req...

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is integral to metabolic studies; yet, it can suffer from the long acquisition times required to collect data of sufficient signal strength and resolution. The use of non-uniform sampling (NUS) allows faster collection of NMR spectra without loss of spectral integrity. When planning experimental methodologies to perform metabolic flux analysis (MFA) of cell metabolism, a variety of options are available for the acquisition of NUS NMR data. Before beginning data collection, decisions have to be made regarding selection of pulse sequence, number of transients and NUS specific parameters such as the sampling level and sampling schedule. Poor choices will impact data quality, which may have a negative effect on the subsequent analysis and biological interpretation. Herein, we describe factors that should be considered when setting up non-uniformly sampled 2D-1 H,13 C HSQC NMR experiments for MFA and provide a standard protocol for users to follow.

Alterations in the metabolism of substrates such as glucose are integrally linked to the structural and functional changes that occur in the remodeling heart. Assessment of such metabolic changes under in vivo conditions would provide important insights into this interrelationship. We aimed to investigate glucose carbon metabolism in pressure-overload and volume-overload cardiac hypertrophy by using an in vivo [U-13C]glucose labeling strategy to enable analyses of the metabolic fates of glucose carbons in the mouse heart. Therefore, [U-13C]glucose was administered in anesthetized mice by tail vein infusion, and the optimal duration of infusion was established. Hearts were then excised for 13C metabolite isotopomer analysis by NMR spectroscopy. [U-13C]glucose infusions were performed in mice 2 wk following transverse aortic constriction (TAC) or aortocaval fistula (Shunt) surgery. At this time point, there were similar increases in left ventricular (LV) mass in both groups, but TAC resulted in concentric hypertrophy with impaired LV function, whereas Shunt caused eccentric hypertrophy with preserved LV function. TAC was accompanied by significant changes in glycolysis, mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, glucose metabolism to anaplerotic substrates, and de novo glutamine synthesis. In contrast to TAC, hardly any metabolic changes could be observed in the Shunt group. Taken together, in vivo [U-13C]glucose labeling is a valuable method to investigate the fate of nutrients such as glucose in the remodeling heart. We find that concentric and eccentric cardiac remodeling are accompanied by distinct differences in glucose carbon metabolism. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study implemented a method for assessing the fate of glucose carbons in the heart in vivo and used this to demonstrate that pressure and volume overload are associated with distinct changes. In contrast to volume overload, pressure overload-induced changes affect the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolytic pathways, and glutamine synthesis. A better understanding of cardiac glucose metabolism under pathological conditions in vivo may provide new therapeutic strategies specific for different types of hemodynamic overload. Listen to this article’s corresponding podcast at: https://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/u-13c-glucose-and-in-vivo-heart-metabolism/.

To reduce the CO2 emissions from cement production, Portland cement (PC) is partially replaced by supplementary cementitious materials (SCM). Reactions of SCM with PC during hydration leads to the formation of Csingle bondSsingle bondH with more silicon and aluminum than in PC, which affects the stability and durability of such concrete. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the role of aluminum on Csingle bondSsingle bondH properties to predict the formed hydrate phase assemblages and their effects on durability. Aluminum sorption isotherms including very low Al concentrations have been determined for Csingle bondSsingle bondH with Ca/Si ratios from 0.6 to 1.4. Elemental measurements were performed with ICP-MS and ICP-OES. The presence of secondary phases was investigated by using thermogravimetric analysis and XRD. Higher dissolved concentrations of Al were observed at increased alkali hydroxide concentrations and thus higher pH values. High alkali hydroxide led to an increased Al(OH)4- formation, which reduced the Al uptake in Csingle bondSsingle bondH. This comparable behavior of Al and Si towards changes in pH values, points toward the uptake of aluminum within the silica chain both at low and high Ca/Si ratios. A higher Al uptake in Csingle bondSsingle bondH was observed at higher Ca/Si ratios, which indicates a stabilizing effect of calcium in the interlayer on Al uptake.

The CaMK subfamily of Ser/Thr kinases are regulated by calmodulin interactions with their C-terminal regions. They are exemplified by Ca2+/calmodulin dependent protein kinase 1δ which is known as CaMK1D, CaMKIδ or CKLiK. CaMK1D mediates intracellular signalling downstream of Ca2+ influx and thereby exhibits amplifications of Ca2+signals and polymorphisms that have been implicated in breast cancer and diabetes. Here we report the backbone 1H, 13C, 15N assignments of the 38 kDa human CaMK1D protein in its free state, including both the canonical bi-lobed kinase fold as well as the autoinhibitory and calmodulin binding domains.

Like conventional material products, waste is the last stage of the life cycle of engineered nanomaterials, which are then incinerated or stabilized before disposal. However, because of their special physical characteristics, the fate of the thermally treated nanomaterials may differ or not from the conventional ones. In this study the thermal release of metals from three nanomaterials, namely CuO, ZnO, and TiO

Supercritical water is used in a variety of chemical and industrial applications. As a consequence, a detailed knowledge of the structure-properties correlations is of uttermost importance. Although supercritical water was considered as a homogeneous fluid, recent studies revealed an anomalous behaviour due to nanoscale density fluctuations (inhomogeneity). The inhomogeneity is clearly demarked through the Widom line (maxima in response factions) and drastically affect the properties. In the current study the physical properties of supercritical water have been determined by classical molecular dynamics simulations using a variety of polarized and polarizable interatomic potentials. Their validity which was not available at supercritical conditions has been assessed based on the ability to reproduce experimental data. Overall, the polarized TIP4P/2005 model accurately predicted the properties of water in both liquid-like and gas-like regions. All interatomic potentials captured the anomalous behaviour providing a direct evidence of molecular-scale inhomogeneity.

BACKGROUND Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a condition predominantly affecting obese women of reproductive age. Recent evidence suggests that IIH is a disease of metabolic dysregulation, androgen excess, and an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity. Here we evaluate systemic and adipose specific metabolic determinants of the IIH phenotype. METHODS In fasted, matched IIH (n = 97) and control (n = 43) patients, we assessed glucose and insulin homeostasis and leptin levels. Body composition was assessed along with an interrogation of adipose tissue function via nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics and RNA sequencing in paired omental and subcutaneous biopsies in a case-control study. RESULTS We demonstrate an insulin- and leptin-resistant phenotype in IIH in excess of that driven by obesity. Adiposity in IIH is preferentially centripetal and is associated with increased disease activity and insulin resistance. IIH adipocytes appear transcriptionally and metabolically primed toward depot-specific lipogenesis. CONCLUSION These data show that IIH is a metabolic disorder in which adipose tissue dysfunction is a feature of the disease. Managing IIH as a metabolic disease could reduce disease morbidity and improve cardiovascular outcomes. FUNDING This study was supported by the UK NIHR (NIHR-CS-011-028), the UK Medical Research Council (MR/K015184/1), Diabetes UK, Wellcome Trust (104612/Z/14/Z), the Sir Jules Thorn Award, and the Midlands Neuroscience Teaching and Research Fund.

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) can substantially enhance the sensitivity of NMR experiments. Among the implementations of DNP, ex-situ dissolution DNP (dDNP) achieves high signal enhancement levels owing to a combination of a large temperature factor between 1.4 and 300 K with the actual DNP effect in the solid state at 1.4 K. For sufficiently long T1 relaxation times much of the polarization can be preserved during dissolution with hot solvent, thus enabling fast experiments during the life time of the polarization. Unfortunately, for many metabolites found in biological samples such as blood, relaxation times are too short to achieve a significant enhancement. We have therefore introduced 13C-carbonyl labeled acetyl groups as probes into amino acid metabolites using a simple reaction protocol. The advantage of such tags is a sufficiently long T1 relaxation time, the possibility to enhance signal intensity by introducing 13C, and the possibility to identify tagged metabolites in NMR spectra. We demonstrate feasibility for mixtures of amino acids and for blood serum. In two-dimensional dDNP-enhanced HMQC experiments of these samples acquired in 8 s we can identify acetylated amino acids and other metabolites based on small differences in chemical shifts.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the most common cause of death in the world. Metabolic profiling is an innovative and reliable new method to detect more sensitive biomarkers identifying altered health conditions specifically among the variety of patients with different risk factors. We evaluated the metabolic profile of filtered serum of stable IHD patients (ICD10 codes I20 and I25.2, ischemic heart disease without or with previous myocardial infarction respectively) using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The filtered venous serum from age- and gender-matched stable IHD patients ICD10 coded I20 (n = 13), I25.2 (n = 6) and control individuals (n = 19) were analyzed using one-dimensional proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. These spectra were used for metabolic profiling and concentration calibration (Chenomx Inc.) followed by statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA). Chemometrics analysis showed a significant distinction between the patients and control individuals. The stable IHD patients were exemplified by the increased concentration of acetylacetate, choline, betaine, formate, pyruvate and by the decreased concentration of alanine, creatine, glycine, histidine, lactate, proline, urea and other biomolecules. The major implications found in the serum of IHD patients are related to energy metabolism and potentially altered microbiome. PCA of 1H NMR detected serum metabolites exhibit a significant difference of stable IHD patients and control individuals. These data demonstrate that metabolomics approach may be useful for the early detection of stable IHD, for detection of synergistic pathways involved in the development of altered health conditions, and molecular understanding of particular health condition. The differences of the detected metabolic profile of ischemic patients with or without previous myocardial infarction appear to be minor. This relatively inexpensive, non-invasive and reproducible approach may be useful for the molecular understanding and early prevention of IHD, improvement of surveillance and therapy. The study emerges the need for future investigations using larger cohort and possible longitudinal sight.

A liquid digestate rich in ammonium nitrogen (8.3 g L−1) was collected from an agricultural biogas plant and supplied to microalgae cultures as their only nitrogen source. Chlorella vulgaris was cultivated for up to 21 days, both under controlled conditions in laboratory-scale glass-column photobioreactors as well as outdoors in an open pilot-scale thin-layer photobioreactor. By systematically addressing issues associated with the use of liquid digestate (i.e., turbidity, nutrient imbalance, ammonium toxicity, and acidification), microalgae were robustly cultivated at a high density and cultures achieved a net biomass dry weight of between 10 and 14 g L−1, and a productivity of up to 0.93 g L−1 d−1 (93% of maximum expectation). Cultivation in the thin-layer photobioreactor achieved areal productivities between 7 and 10 g m−2 d−1. Water acidification due to the uptake of ammonium by microalgae was prevented by a controlled addition of NaOH. A detailed mass balance showed that, despite high removal efficiencies (approximately 3% of the supplied nitrogen remained in the medium), microalgae assimilated only 40–60% of the supplied nitrogen and, consequently, a large amount of nitrogen was lost to the atmosphere.

SummaryNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects ~88% of obese individuals and is characterised by hepatic lipid accumulation. Mitochondrial metabolic dysfunction is a feature of NAFLD. We used a human pluripotent stem cell-based system to determine how mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to hepatic lipid accumulation. We induced lipid accumulation in hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) using lactate, pyruvate and octanoate (LPO). Transcriptomic analysis revealed perturbation of mitochondrial respiratory pathways in LPO exposed cells. Using13C isotopic tracing, we identified truncation of the TCA cycle in steatotic HLCs. We show that increased purine nucleotide cycle (PNC) activity fuels fumarate accumulation and drives lipid accumulation in steatotic cells. These findings provide new insights into the pathogenesis of hepatic steatosis and may lead to an improved understanding of the metabolic and transcriptional rewiring associated with NAFLD.

Hydrothermal (HT) conversion is a promising and suitable technology for the generation of biofuels from microalgae. Besides the fact that water is used as a “green” reactant and solvent and that no biomass drying is required, the technology offers a potential nutrient source for microalgae culture using an aqueous effluent very rich in essential inorganic nutrients. However, upon continuous and multiple recycling of this HT effluent, the recalcitrant organic fraction is likely to increase and may potentially attain toxic thresholds for microalgae use. In this work, we show the presence of recalcitrant N-containing organic compounds (NOC's) in the HT effluent. The most prominent NOC's in the extracts were carefully examined for their effect on microalgae, namely 2-pyrrolidinone and β-phenylethylamine (β-PEA). The first set of experiments consisted in testing these two substances at three different concentrations (10, 50 and 150 ppm) using three different microalgae strains: Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Chlorella sorokiniana and Scenedesmus vacuolatus. The confirmed half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was approximately 75 ppm for all tested species. In the second set of experiments, P. tricornutum was grown using diluted HT effluent. Experimental conditions were set by adjusting the nitrogen concentration in the HT effluent to be equal to a known commercial medium. The concentrations of specific NOC's were lowered to concentrations of 8.5 mg/L 2-pyrrolidinone and 0.5 mg/L β-PEA after dilution. The growth of P. tricornutum using the diluted HT solution was kept constant with no evidence of inhibition or consumption of NOC's, as the concentration of the specific compounds remains the same before and after growth. Therefore, in order to avoid effects of accumulation of NOC's upon continuous recycling, the HT effluent was pumped through the existing hydrothermal gasification unit as a water clean-up step. The conversion of NOC's to ammonium was successfully achieved.

Summary Since the discovery of mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) in gliomas and other tumors, significant efforts have been made to gain a deeper understanding of the consequences of this oncogenic mutation. One aspect of the neomorphic function of the IDH1 R132H enzyme that has received less attention is the perturbation of cellular redox homeostasis. Here, we describe a biosynthetic pathway exhibited by cells expressing mutant IDH1. By virtue of a change in cellular redox homeostasis, IDH1-mutated cells synthesize excess glutamine-derived proline through enhanced activity of pyrroline 5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1), coupled to NADH oxidation. Enhanced proline biosynthesis partially uncouples the electron transport chain from tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity through the maintenance of a lower NADH/NAD+ ratio and subsequent reduction in oxygen consumption. Thus, we have uncovered a mechanism by which tumor cell survival may be promoted in conditions associated with perturbed redox homeostasis, as occurs in IDH1-mutated glioma., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • IDH1 mutant cells exhibit increased PYCR1-dependent proline synthesis from glutamine • The increase in proline synthesis is coupled to the oxidation of mitochondrial NADH • PYCR1 activity partially uncouples respiration from TCA cycle activity • PYCR1 expression and proline concentrations are increased in IDH1-mutated gliomas, Hollinshead et al. demonstrate a role for PYCR1 in control of mitochondrial redox homeostasis. Expression of IDH1 R132H mutation leads to increased NADH-coupled proline biosynthesis, mediated by PYCR1. The resulting metabolic phenotype partially uncouples mitochondrial NADH oxidation from respiration, representing an oxygen-sparing metabolic phenotype.

Calcium–silicate–hydrate (C–S–H) is the most important product of cement hydration. Despite this importance, its formation mechanism is not well-understood. Here, we describe the novel application of a coupled thermodynamic-kinetic computational model based on a population balance equation in order to unravel the overall mechanism of synthetic C–S–H precipitation. The framework, embracing primary nucleation, true secondary nucleation, and molecular growth as the constituting sub-processes, is regressed to experimental Ca2+(aq) concentration vs. time data collected on a model synthetic C–S–H with Ca : Si = 2. Upon the critical appraisal of the model's adjustable parameters, which turn out to adopt rational values, simulations were performed to estimate various characteristics of the aforementioned model system (e.g., the kinetic speciation during the precipitation process, or the mechanisms and activation free energies of nucleation and growth phenomena). We mechanistically account for the evolution of the C–S–H mesostructure which is made up of defective crystallites around 3–6 nm thick, nematically packing together in two dimensions giving rise to foil-like polycrystalline particles around 100 nm in breadth, close to the experimentally observed values. The computational framework is generic and can be applied to other precipitation systems and cement hydration scenarios.

UMR BFP - Equipe Métabolisme; International audience; NMR is a widely used analytical technique with a growing number of repositories available. As a result, demands for a vendor-agnostic, open data format for long-term archiving of NMR data have emerged with the aim to ease and encourage sharing, comparison and reuse of NMR data. Here we present nmrML, an open XML-based exchange and storage format for NMR spectral data. The nmrML format is intended to be fully compatible with existing NMR data for chemical, biochemical and metabolomics experiments. nmrML can capture raw NMR data, spectral data acquisition parameters and, where available, spectral metadata such as chemical structures associated with spectral assignments. The nmrML format is compatible with pure-compound NMR data for reference spectral libraries as well as NMR data from complex bio-mixtures i.e. metabolomics experiments. To facilitate format conversions, we provide nmrML converters for Bruker and Agilent/Varian vendor formats. In addition, easy-to-use web-based spectral viewing, processing and spectral assignment tools that read and write nmrML have been developed. Software libraries and web services for data validation are available for tool developers and end-users. The nmrML format has already been adopted for capturing and disseminating NMR data for small molecules by several open source data processing tools and metabolomics reference spectral libraries, e.g. serving as storage format for the MetaboLights data repository. The nmrML open access data standard has been endorsed by the Metabolomics Standards Initiative (MSI) and we here encourage user participation and feedback to increase usability and make it a successful standard.

The development of new biodegradable plastic materials from renewable sources is a major challenge for plastic industries to provide sustainable alternatives to petroleum plastic. Bio-based plastics are generally obtained from photosynthetic biomass such as higher plants, crops and more recently algae. This review aims to summarise the current state of bioplastic production in general with particular emphasis on algal cellulose and its derivatives (nanocellulose) for bioplastic applications. Despite the potential of algae as a feedstock for nanocellulose, little information is available on strain selection regarding cellulose content and downstream processing. This study lists possible optimization opportunities to increase the cellulose yield of algal biomass and the current status of its conversion to nanocellulose. Moreover, the findings of this review provide insight into existing knowledge and future direction in the algal cellulosic bioplastic domain based on algal bioplastic life cycle assessment studies. Finally, the review gives an overview of the main standards used for biodegradability certifications in view to limit the access to the biodegradable label when the required quality is not reached.

The removal of sulfur compounds in biomass gasification processes is crucial to protect downstream equipment. While conventional sorbent materials can retain H2S, many fail to capture heterocyclic sulfur compounds such as thiophene (C4H4S). This work explored activated carbons (ACs) for the removal of thiophene from the gas phase both experimentally and by employing different models. Experiments were performed in a laboratory packed bed column between 100–200°C at various gas flow-rates and inlet concentrations. Altering the temperature had the strongest effect with breakthrough capacities ranging from 7–138 mmol kg−1. The transient adsorption process was described by a 1-D approach, including mass transfer phenomena and axial dispersion. Experimental validation showed good agreement between measured and predicted breakthrough times and capacities. A global sensitivity analysis (GSA) was performed to obtain a ranking of importance of model input factors and gain further process insight. The GSA included 12 model parameters and a selection of axial dispersion correlations and isotherm models. Based on the chosen range of input factors, the GSA indicated that the type of isotherm model, axial dispersion correlation, and temperature have a major effect on the predicted breakthrough time. The calculated slope of the curve is strongly affected by the isotherm model and axial dispersion correlation. Overall, this work showed that ACs are a promising option for thiophene removal and provided a generic approach for the application of GSA to adsorption models. In the given context the analysis demonstrated that the selection of common model assumptions deserves as much attention as the model parameters.

Cellular metabolism in mammalian cells represents a challenge for analytical chemistry in the context of current biomedical research. Mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy together with computational tools have been used to study metabolism in cells. Compartmentalization of metabolism complicates the interpretation of stable isotope patterns in mammalian cells owing to the superimposition of different pathways contributing to the same pool of analytes. This indicates a need for a model-free approach to interpret such data. Mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy provide complementary analytical information on metabolites. Herein an approach that simulates 13 C multiplets in NMR spectra and utilizes mass increments to obtain long-range information is presented. The combined information is then utilized to derive isotopomer distributions. This is a first rigorous analytical and computational approach for a model-free analysis of metabolic data applicable to mammalian cells.

Continuous catalytic supercritical water gasification (CSCWG; 400 degrees C, 28 MPa) of microalgal biomass (Chlorella vulgaris) was carried out at the microalgae production site of ZHAW in Wadenswil (Switzerland) non-stop over a period of 100 h. Characterization of the spent catalyst showed that mainly sulfur poisoning, and to a lesser extent coking, salt deposits, and some sintering of the Ru nanoparticles were responsible for the deactivation of the catalyst after 55 h of time on-stream. The commercial zinc oxide adsorbent exhibited a high mechanical stability and good sulfur adsorption performance under supercritical water conditions although its specific surface area collapsed. In summary, the use of a zinc oxide adsorbent upstream of the catalyst bed, together with a higher ruthenium loading of the catalyst, improved the long-term performance of the CSCWG process significantly. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) and static cold storage (SCS) are the two methods used to preserve deceased donor kidneys prior to transplant. This study seeks to characterise the metabolic profile of HMP and SCS porcine kidneys in a cardiac death donor model. Twenty kidneys were cold flushed and stored for two hours following retrieval. Paired kidneys then underwent 24 h of HMP or SCS or served as time zero controls. Metabolite quantification in both storage fluid and kidney tissue was performed using one dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy. For each metabolite, the net gain for each storage modality was determined by comparing the total amount in each closed system (i.e. total amount in storage fluid and kidney combined) compared with controls. 26 metabolites were included for analysis. Total system metabolite quantities following HMP or SCS were greater for 14 compared with controls (all p The metabolic environments of both perfusion fluid and the kidney tissue are strikingly different between SCS and HMP systems in this animal model. The total amount of central metabolites such as lactate and glutamate observed in the HMP kidney system suggests a greater degree of de novo metabolic activity than in the SCS system. Maintenance of central metabolic pathways may contribute to the clinical benefits of HMP.

Nine accurate experimental datasets on amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) formation in dilute solution were collected varying temperature and pH. The entire precipitation process is described using a complete thermodynamic kinetic model. The thermodynamic model includes two new complex chemical interactions whereas the kinetic mode is based on the discretized population balance approach. Saturation primary particle size distribution average secondary particle size nucleation and growth rates as well as a number of additional parameters on the ACC precipitation reaction are reported here for the first time. The excellent agreement among experiments calculated results and literature data demonstrates that a complete thermodynamic kinetic model can significantly contribute towards the understanding of a plausible pathway for precipitating systems. In this case study the classical nucleation theory which includes homogeneous nucleation true secondary nucleation and diffusion limited growth events is able to completely describe the entire precipitation process. The calculated surface (?) and cohesion (ß) energies range from 28 35 mJ m 2 and 30 42 mJ m 2 respectively as a function of pH and temperature. Clusters or pre nucleation entities act as spectators and are not directly involved in the solid formation pathway. The general methodological approach presented can be readily applied to other solid phase formation processes.

In biomass gasification processes, the formation and handling of tars are of major concern. Robust and versatile analytical tools are needed to on-line monitor tar compound concentrations in process gases from lab- to industrial scale. This study addresses the development and application of an on-line UV-Vis method, based on a liquid quench sampling system. The high sensitivity of this method allows to detect UV-Vis active tar compounds in the low ppmv region. Recorded spectra from the liquid phase were analyzed for their tar composition by means of a classical least squares (CLS) and partial least squares (PLS) approach. The developed method was applied to two case studies, involving a lab-scale tar reformer and a pilot-scale gas scrubber. Quantification results in gases with limited complexity in tar composition showed good agreement with off-line reference methods (GC-FID). The case studies show that the developed method is a rapid, sensitive tool that can be applied for qualitative process monitoring with the added benefit of quantification in gases with a limited number of tar compounds. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early industrialization and the development of cheap production processes for paper have led to an exponential accumulation of paper-based documents during the last two centuries. Archives and libraries harbor vast amounts of ancient and modern documents and have to undertake extensive endeavors to protect them from abiotic and biotic deterioration. While services for mechanical preservation such as ex post de-acidification of historic documents are already commercially available, the possibilities for long-term protection of paper-based documents against fungal attack (apart from temperature and humidity control) are very limited. Novel processes for mechanical enhancement of damaged cellulosic documents use Ionic Liquids (IL) as essential process components. With some of these ILs having azole-functionalities similar to well-known fungicides such as Clotrimazole, the possibility of antifungal activities of these ILs was proposed but has not yet been experimentally confirmed.We evaluated the potency of four ILs with potential application in paper restoration for suppression of fungal growth on five relevant paper-infesting molds. The results revealed a general antifungal activity of all ILs, which increased with the size of the non-polar group. Physiological experiments and ultimate elemental analysis allowed to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration of each IL as well as the residual IL concentration in process-treated paper. These results provide valuable guidelines for IL-applications in paper restoration processes with antifungal activity as an added benefit. With azoles remaining in the paper after the process, simultaneous repair and biotic protection in treated documents could be facilitated.

A novel method for the determination of linear and cyclic siloxane compounds (L2, L3, D3, D4, D5, and D6) in biogas was developed by combining gas chromatography (GC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Using a continuous liquid quench sampling system, biogas samples were collected from a Swiss biogas production plant processing manure and mixed organic wastes. Although significant concentrations of siloxanes are normally linked to biogas from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) or landfill gas, manure and mixed organic waste samples also showed values in the range of 0.1 mgSi Nm-3, which would be particularly critical for appliances such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). The GC-ICP-MS method showed very good linearity for all the investigated compounds (R2 between 0.999 and 1.000). The limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ) in the gas for cyclic compounds, such as D5, vary based upon the used sampling conditions (approximate range of 0.002-0.004 mgSi Nm-3 and 0.007-0.014 mgSi Nm-3, respectively). To the best of our knowledge, these LOD and LOQ values are by far among the lowest reported in literature and they satisfy the EURAMET (the European Association of National Metrology Institutes) requirements, which fix recommended levels for Si total amounts between 0.1 and 0.3 mgSi Nm-3 for measurement in biogas or bio-methane. The GC-ICP-MS method was evaluated by comparing its performances with a flame ionization detector (FID), operated in parallel with ICP-MS, and with GC-MS (gas chromatography - mass spectrometry). The GC-FID showed higher detection limits and matrix effects than GC-ICP-MS. Nevertheless, it can still be suitable for an initial estimation of the siloxane compounds present in the biogas, at least for samples having relatively high concentration, by following some data treatment optimization. The GC-MS analyses were considered here as a further confirmation of the accuracy of the GC-ICP-MS results.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 10% of women and is a lifelong metabolic disorder, with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, fatty liver and cardiovascular disease. Androgen excess is an important driver of metabolic risk. Excess androgen activation in adipose tissue from PCOS women, through conversion of androstenedione (A4) to testosterone (T) by the enzyme AKR1C3, has been shown to drive insulin resistance and lipotoxicity, with insulin upregulating AKR1C3 further. Recent work has shown that 11-oxygenated androgens including 11-ketotestosterone (11KT), which binds and activates the androgen receptor with similar potency to T, constitute the majority of circulating androgens in PCOS, and that AKR1C3 can activate 11-ketoandrostenedione (11KA4) to 11KT with even higher efficiency than A4 to T. This raises the possibility that 11KT is more relevant than T in mediating excess androgen effects in PCOS. Here, we examined the contributions of classic and 11-oxygenated androgen pathways to intra-adipose androgen activation and the functional significance of the involved enzymes. To this end, we performed ex vivo primary adipose tissue incubations with corresponding subcutaneous (sc) and omental (om) adipose tissue obtained from eight women undergoing bariatric surgery (age range 32-59 years; BMI range 44-57). Incubations carried out with 100nM A4 and 11KA4, respectively, revealed significantly higher AKR1C3-mediated conversion of 11KA4 to 11KT than conversion of A4 to T, both in sc and om tissue. We observed a significant reduction of both 11KT and T generation after the addition of a selective AKR1C3 inhibitor to the primary tissue incubations. Conversely, co-incubation with a selective HSD11B1 inhibitor significantly enhanced the activation of 11KA4 to 11KT by decreasing the inactivation of 11KA4 to 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione; HSD11B1 inhibition had no impact on classic androgen pathway activation of A4 to T. Supernatants and tissues are currently undergoing investigation by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy to determine the differential impact of T and 11KT generation on the adipose-specific global metabolome and lipidome. We conclude that local activation of 11-oxygenated androgens is the predominant source of androgen exposure in adipose tissue. AKR1C3 inhibition presents a promising tool to reduce androgen burden in PCOS, with effective reduction in both classic and 11-oxygenated pathway androgen biosynthesis in adipose tissue.

Background The optimal perfusate partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) during hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) is unknown. The aims of the study were to determine the functional, metabolic, structural, and flow dynamic effects of low and high perfusate PO2 during continuous HMP in a pig kidney ischemia-reperfusion autotransplant model. Methods The left kidneys of a ±40 kg pigs were exposed to 30 minutes of warm ischemia and randomized to receive 22-hour HMP with either low perfusate PO2 (30% oxygen, low oxygenated HMP [HMPO2]) (n = 8) or high perfusate PO2 (90% oxygen, HMPO2high) (n = 8), before autotransplantation. Kidneys stored in 22-hour standard HMP (n = 6) and 22-hour static cold storage (n = 6) conditions served as controls. The follow-up after autotransplantation was 13 days. Results High PO2 resulted in a 3- and 10-fold increase in perfusate PO2 compared with low HMPO2 and standard HMP, respectively. Both HMPO2 groups were associated with superior graft recovery compared with the control groups. Oxygenation was associated with a more rapid and sustained decrease in renal resistance. While there was no difference in functional outcomes between both HMPO2 groups, there were clear metabolic differences with an inverse correlation between oxygen provision and the concentration of major central metabolites in the perfusion fluid but no differences were observed by oxidative stress and metabolic evaluation on preimplantation biopsies. Conclusions While this animal study does not demonstrate any advantages for early graft function for high perfusate PO2, compared with low perfusate PO2, perfusate metabolic profile analysis suggests that aerobic mechanism is better supported under high perfusate PO2 conditions.

BACKGROUND Supplemental oxygenation of the standard hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) circuit has the potential to invoke favorable changes in metabolism, optimizing cadaveric organs before transplantation. METHODS Eight pairs of porcine kidneys underwent 18 hours of either oxygenated (HMP/O2) or aerated (HMP/Air) HMP in a paired donation after circulatory death model of transplantation. Circulating perfusion fluid was supplemented with the metabolic tracer universally labeled glucose.Perfusate, end-point renal cortex, and medulla samples underwent metabolomic analysis using 1-dimension and 2-dimension nuclear magnetic resonance experiments in addition to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Analysis of C-labeled metabolic products was combined with adenosine nucleotide levels and differences in tissue architecture. RESULTS Metabolomic analysis revealed significantly higher concentrations of universally labeled lactate in the cortex of HMP/Air versus HMP/O2 kidneys (0.056 mM vs 0.026 mM, P < 0.05). Conversely, newly synthesized [4,5-C] glutamate concentrations were higher in the cortex of HMP/O2 kidneys inferring relative increases in tricarboxylic acid cycle activity versus HMP/Air kidneys (0.013 mmol/L vs 0.003 mmol/L, P < 0.05). This was associated with greater amounts of adenoside triphosphate in the cortex HMP/O2 versus HMP/Air kidneys (19.8 mmol/mg protein vs 2.8 mmol/mg protein, P < 0.05). Improved flow dynamics and favorable ultrastructural features were also observed in HMP/O2 kidneys. There were no differences in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and reduced glutathione levels, tissue markers of oxidative stress, between groups. CONCLUSIONS The supplementation of perfusion fluid with high-concentration oxygen (95%) results in a greater degree of aerobic metabolism versus aeration (21%) in the nonphysiological environment of HMP, with reciprocal changes in adenoside triphosphate levels.

The consensus is growing for the UN sustainable development goals regarding responsible consumption, production, and climate actions. Because of growth towards a digital society (“industry 4.0 revolution”), it is needed to have our resources and economies to be circular. The success also depends on appropriate management of critical raw materials, such as Rare Earth Elements (REEs). Here, a cost-effective recycling method for the recovery of single REEs from fluorescent powder (FP) with end-of-life lamp e-waste is presented with the additional benefit of having a much less environmental impact than mining. The recycling method involves a carefully designed sequential digestion of two phosphor components (YOX and LAP) and treating their leachates separately under specific hydrometallurgical conditions. The phosphors were targeted for Yttrium (Y), Europium (Eu), Terbium (Tb), Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce), and Gadolinium (Gd). On trace REEs basis, the leaching process with the FP showed >95% recovery for Eu, La, Ce, Y and Tb. The effective recycling was achieved to >99% purity for Y, Eu, and Tb in 1, 25, and 55 liquid-liquid extraction stages, respectively. To our knowledge, this is one of the first methods to leach and separate Tb from FP e-waste with near quantitative leaching efficiency and >99% purity.

Recent literature on Pt/CeO2 catalysts reveals that ionic Pt species could be incorporated into the CeO2 lattice. Here we present a detailed study of Pt segregation in air and under a reducing atmosphere conducted on thermally treated samples by high resolution X ray diffraction (XRD) and X ray absorption spectroscopy. We further perform a kinetic study by in situ XRD measurements with the aim of estimating the activation energy for Pt cluster segregation and coalescence in air which was found to be ~3.88 eV. This high activation energy indicates that Pt clusters are strongly anchored on the CeO2 surface and that their mobility is activated only at >900 °C. We clearly show the correlation between the nature of the segregated Pt particles and the applied thermal treatment for Pt/CeO2 nanomaterials prepared by the wet chemical route. On the basis of thorough characterization we present a possible segregation pathway under oxidizing conditions as opposed to a mere surface reduction during a reducing treatment leading to the coalescence of less anchored Pt. The catalytic performances confirm the remarkable activity and thermal stability of entities obtained via an incorporation–segregation mechanism.

Modern engineered materials have to be developed to address specific problems associated to chemical processes that directly affect our society. Catalysts are key materials used for large scale production of at least 90% of the everyday goods. Many energy transformation chains exist in which catalysts are used at relatively high temperature. Therefore, deactivation due to sintering and poisoning is a common phenomenon and often the reason for unsuccessful implementation of new catalytic processes. In this paper, a Ni-based catalyst for CO methanation is studied with the aim to address two specific issues, namely the sintering and the carbon deposition, which both hinder the stability and the efficiency of the catalyst over time. The engineered material is composed by a Ni core of about 170 nm protected by a 30-40 nm microporous SiO2 layer. The porous layer allows the gases to permeate and completely inhibits particle-particle sintering. The experimental evidences demonstrate that even in the presence of 2000 ppm of C2H4 no carbon deposition occurs on the catalyst surface. The reported materials show outstanding properties paving the way to a new class of advanced functional material with improved catalytic activity and stability. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physical and chemical characterization of gas borne particles in the nanometer to sub micrometer size range includes knowledge about particle size distribution and chemical composition, possibly with a high time resolution. However, most of the available techniques are offline methods and/or not able to provide such physical and chemical information simultaneously. Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) is a well established and widely used technique for determining size distribution and number concentration of such particles, within scan durations of a few minutes. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS) is a highly sensitive multi element technique, allowing the determination of elemental composition with excellent defection limits and a wide dynamic concentration range. In this work, SNIPS and ICPMS were coupled to one hyphenated system which allows achieving on-line and simultaneously size and chemical information with SMPS-Lypical time resolutions. A Rotating Disk Diluter was used as sample introduction interface, and the SMPS flow concept was re designed to fulfill the requirements of both different analytical methods. The developed setup was successfully tested with a model aerosol containing airborne silver nanoparticles. Proper SMPS operation under argon atmosphere instead of air was validated. The presented setup was applied to scan the particle size range from 7 to 156 um within 120s, Similar sensitivities and efficiencies compared to that of state-of-the-art SMPS and ICPMS instruments were achieved. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This study reports the first attempt of a citrate-modified photo-Fenton (PF) application at near-neutral pH (7.5–8.5, tap water) to disinfect Escherichia coli (as model bacterium), in Chlorella vulgaris cultures. The conditions are aimed towards bacterial inactivation, while minimizing the detrimental effect on microalgae viability. The presence of microalgae accelerates H2O2 consumption and may affect bacterial disinfection due to faster H2O2 depletion. Supplementation of citric acid before PF improved the inactivation efficacy by 1.34–1.96 logU, alongside with a notably lower microalgae inactivation. Citric acid also considerably increased the lifetime of dissolved iron and prevented aggregation of microalgae, which was caused by Fe2+ addition. While these aggregates do not impact the already short lifetime of dissolved iron, they impede the citrate-favored homogeneous process that mainly inactivates E. coli. Finally, an integrated mechanism for C. vulgaris inactivation is suggested and compared with the one of E. coli.

International audience; The labelling of DNA oligonucleotides with signalling groups that give a unique response to duplex formation depending on the target sequence is a highly effective strategy in the design of DNA-based hybridisation sensors. A key challenge in the design of these so-called base discriminating probes (BDPs) is to understand how the local environment of the signalling group affects the sensing response. The work herein describes a comprehensive study involving a variety of photophysical techniques, NMR studies and molecular dynamics simulations, on anthracene-tagged oligonucleotide probes that can sense single base changes (point variants) in target DNA strands. A detailed analysis of the fluorescence sensing mechanism is provided, with a particular focus on rationalising the high dependence of this process on not only the linker stereochemistry but also the site of nucleobase variation within the target strand. The work highlights the various factors and techniques used to respectively underpin and rational-ise the BDP approach to point variant sensing, which relies on different responses to duplex formation rather than different duplex binding strengths.

The experimental data on calcium phosphates formation were collected in dilute solution at constant pH (7.40) and temperature (37.0 °C) at different levels of ionic strength (IS). The evolution of the solid phase formation is described in detail using a thermodynamic-kinetic model. The thermodynamic model takes into account all relevant chemical species as well as Posner’s clusters; the kinetic model, based on the discretized population balance approach, accounts for the solid formation from solution. The experimental data are consistent with an initial formation of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD, brushite), which dominates the nucleation rate, and its rapid transformation into octacalcium phosphate (OCP) or hydroxyapatite (HA), which dominates the growth rate. Depending on the experimental conditions and, including the influence of the IS level, OCP may be further transformed into apatite. The classical nucleation theory is able to describe the experimental results very well and the solid phase growth is limited by the diffusion of Ca2+ ions. The precipitation pathway described by a complete thermodynamic-kinetic model is expected to contribute to the understating of the in vivo osteogenesis. Statement of Significance The formation mechanism of calcium phosphates under biomimetic conditions is unraveled. The formation pathway is mathematically described based on a thermodynamic-kinetic model in which (i) the nucleation stages (primary and secondary) are dominated by the formation of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) and (ii) the fast growth stage is limited by the diffusion of Ca2+ ions under the driving force of octacalcium phosphate (OCP), or hydroxyapatite (HA), solubility. The obtained solid phase seems correlated to the activity coefficient of phosphate ions, thus to the ionic strength and local phosphate speciation. The model, being able to highlight the details of the precipitation pathway, is expected to contribute to the understanding of the apatitic phase formation in the biomineralization-biodemineralization processes under in-vivo conditions.

The release of secondary nano-objects formed during waste combustion processes is becoming a matter of concern, considering their known toxicity and the fact that the 100% efficiency of filtering systems is not always ensured. An increased cytotoxicity and genotoxicity on human peripheral blood lymphocytes is known particularly in the case of ZnO, which is often contained in paints and waterproof agents, heading to a relevant quantity present in the waste wood material. In this study, the behavior of ZnO nanoparticles during wood combustion and the effect of the reduction potential of generated carbon species on the release of secondarily formed ZnO-containing nano-objects were investigated. By hyphenating a modified scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), it was possible to obtain simultaneously size-resolved and chemical information on the emitted nanoparticles. Through the established correlation between SMPS and ICP-MS signals, Zn-containing particles were efficiently resolved from the combustion generated particles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) on size-selected particles confirmed the SMPS and ICP-MS data. The use of electron diffraction allowed determining the structure of the crystalline materials as hexagonal ZnO. A possible mechanism of reduction of ZnO to Zn and further reformation as secondary nano-objects is proposed.

This work presents the poisoning effect of organic oxo-silicon compounds (siloxanes) which are generally found in sewage biogas. Lifetime and durability associated with solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology is strongly related to the amount of contaminants that reach the stack. Several experiments on Ni anode-supported (AS) single cells are performed in order to clarify the mechanism of degradation and also the possibility of cell performance recovery. Three experiments focus on the degradation and recovery of AS Ni-YSZ fed with H-2, co-feeding 5 ppm D4-siloxane (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, C8H24O4Si4) as representative compound for the organic silicon species, at 800 degrees C. A fourth experiment focuses on the durability of the AS Ni-YSZ cell with variable concentrations of the impurity (0-5ppm), during steady state polarization (0.25Acm(-2)) for 250 h, using simulated biogas-reformate fuel H-2/CO/CO2/H2O: irreversible degradation was observed with the D4-impurity feed in the anode gas. Post-test scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicate formation of SiO2(s) deposits, which block pores and reduce the TPB length.

This paper presents an experimental study of the impact of toluene on the performance of anode-supported (AS) Ni-YSZ SOFC operating at ~800 °C, 0.25 A/cm2 fed with H2 and reformed biosyngas. Toluene was added to the fuel stream and its concentration increased stepwise from tens to thousands of ppm. Each poisoning test was followed by a recovery step (no toluene in the fuel stream) for the duration of 25 hours. The main goal of this work is to define a concentration threshold of toluene as a model tar compound in the fuel stream and later to identify the degradation mechanism caused by this tar compound. Polarization behavior, current-voltage and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were analyzed to evaluate the cell performance. A linear degradation is observed at concentrations above 1000 ppmv for the cell which was fed with pure H2 (cf Figure) The degradation was due to local C(s) deposition. In contrast, toluene even up to 3500 ppm did not cause a severe degradation when the cell was fed with reformed biosyngas. Figure 1

Dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) has become one of the predominant implementations for DNP. However, the technical implementation of transferring the sample from the polarizer to the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) system remains challenging. There is a need for additional technical optimizations in order to use dissolution DNP for biochemical and chemical applications. Here we show how a newly designed pressure dissolution kit considerably improves spectral quality and stability by enabling highly reliable and fast sample transfer to the NMR system.

The facile one-pot synthesis of CeO2-based catalysts has been developed to prepare a relatively large amount of nanopowders with relevant catalytic activity towards CO oxidation. The method consists of a two-steps process carried out in ethylene glycol: in the first step, 5 nm well-crystallized pure CeO2 is prepared. In a subsequent second step, a salt of a noble metal is added to the CeO2 suspension and the deposition of the noble metal on the nanocrystalline CeO2 is induced by heating. Two catalysts were prepared: Pt/CeO2 and Au/CeO2. The as-prepared catalysts, the thermally treated catalysts, as well as the pure CeO2, are characterized by XRD, TGA, XPS, FTIR, HR-TEM, STEM, particle size distribution, and N2-physisorption. In spite of the identical preparation protocol, Au and Pt behave in a completely different way: Au forms rather large particles, most of them with triangular shape, easily identifiable and dispersed in the CeO2 matrix. In contrast, Pt was not identified as isolated particles. The high resolution X-ray diffraction carried out on the Pt/CeO2 thermally treated sample (500 degrees C for 1 h) shows a significant CeO2 lattice shrinkage, which can be interpreted as an at least partial incorporation of Pt into the CeO2 crystal lattice. Moreover, only Pt2+ and Pt4+ species were identified by XPS. In literature, the incorporation of Pt into the CeO2 lattice is supported by first-principle calculations and experimentally demonstrated only by combustion synthesis methods. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report where ionically dispersed Pt into the CeO2 lattice is obtained via a liquid synthesis method. The thermally treated Pt/CeO2 sample revealed good activity with 50% CO conversion at almost room temperature.

A carbon support was treated with HNO3 to create surface functional groups (e.g. –COOH, –OH), which were then characterized by TGA, TPD, CNS elemental analysis, and Boehm titration. HNO3 modified the carbon surface properties by adding a high amount of carboxylic groups, improved the thermal stability of the carbon support, and reduced ca. 50% of the ash. The thermal pre-treatment (723 K under He) following the HNO3 pre-treatment successfully removed the carboxylic groups. 4% Ru/C catalysts were synthesized using the surface-modified carbon supports and characterized by H2-TPR, CO pulse chemisorption, N2-physisorption and HAADF-STEM. The Ru dispersion was increased in the presence of the carboxylic groups. Catalytic supercritical water gasification (CSCWG) of 10 wt.% isopropanol over the 4% Ru/C catalysts was carried out at 723 K and 30 MPa for 50 hours to assess the performance of the catalysts. It was found that the Ru/C catalyst prepared involving a pre-treatment with HNO3 did not exhibit a higher catalytic activity than the catalyst whose carbon support was not pre-treated with HNO3. Hence, the activity and the selectivity during CSCWG were not influenced by the pre-treatment of the catalyst support with HNO3.

The catalytic supercritical water gasification of isopropanol (450 degrees C, 30 MPa) over Ru catalysts supported on carbon and metal oxides was performed in a fixed-bed plug flow reactor. The Ru loading was between 1.2 and 2%. The catalyst stability over a period of 50h was in the order: Ru/C > Ru/ZrO2 > Ru/Al2O3. Ru/TiO2. Considerable coke deposits were found on Ru/Al2O3 and Ru/TiO2, which suggests that coke formation was responsible for the loss of activity, whereas the coke content was much lower on Ru/C and Ru/ZrO2, which confirms their better coking resistance. Clearly, Ru/C was the most stable catalyst as a loss of only 3% of its initial activity was measured. The high Ru dispersion of Ru/C and Ru/ZrO2 was beneficial for the improvement of the catalyst stability because of the higher gasification rate versus the coke formation rate.

A large variety of analytical methods are available to characterize particles in aerosols and suspensions. The choice of the appropriate technique depends on the properties to be determined. In many fields information about particle size and chemical composition are of great importance. While in aerosol techniques particle size distributions of gas-borne particles are determined online, their elemental composition is commonly analyzed offline after an appropriate sampling and preparation procedure. To obtain both types of information online and simultaneously, a hyphenated setup was recently developed, including a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICPMS). This allows first to classify the particles with respect to their mobility diameter, and then to determine their number concentration and elemental composition in parallel. A Rotating Disk Diluter (RDD) is used as the introduction system, giving more flexibility regarding the use of different aerosol sources. In this work, a practical guide is provided describing the different steps for establishing this instrumentation, and how to use this analysis tool. The versatility of this hyphenated technique is demonstrated in example measurements on three different aerosols generated out of a) a salt solution, b) a suspension, and c) emitted by a thermal process., Journal of Visualized Experiments. JoVE (125), ISSN:1940-087X

Nanotechnology offers new opportunities for providing health benefits in foods. Food fortification with iron phosphate nanoparticles (FePO4 NPs) is a promising new approach to reducing iron deficiency because FePO4 NPs combine high bioavailability with superior sensory performance in difficult to fortify foods. However, their safety remains largely untested. We fed rats for 90 days diets containing FePO4 NPs at doses at which iron sulfate (FeSO4), a commonly used food fortificant, has been shown to induce adverse effects. Feeding did not result in signs of toxicity, including oxidative stress, organ damage, excess iron accumulation in organs or histological changes. These safety data were corroborated by evidence that NPs were taken up by human gastrointestinal cell lines without reducing cell viability or inducing oxidative stress. Our findings suggest FePO4 NPs appear to be as safe for ingestion as FeSO4.

Continuous catalytic supercritical water gasification (CSCWG; 400 degrees C, 28 MPa) of microalgal biomass (Chlorella vulgaris) was carried out at the microalgae production site of ZHAW in Wadenswil (Switzerland) nonstop over a period of 100 h. Microalgae slurries (3-15 wt %) were successfully gasified to a methane-rich gas for 55 h. The low total organic carbon of the reactor effluent (

The preparation of nanoparticles with tailored properties and in quantities in the order of 10–100 g prepared with laboratory-scale equipment is a target of great interest. In this study, Ni nanoparticles with different sizes, surface morphologies, magnetic, and catalytic properties were obtained from NiCl2, N2H4, NaOH, and ethylene glycol as solvent by tuning the synthesis parameters. Preliminary syntheses were done in batch reactors and then the continuous synthesis carried out in the Segmented Flow Tubular Reactor (SFTR). For the first time a SFTR system was applied to a non-aqueous system. By combining SEM, HRTEM, XRD, TGA, XPS, FTIR, specific surface area, SQUID, and catalytic tests, the complete structural, morphological, and functional characterization of the produced nanoparticles were performed. The continuous production of 2.1 g h−1 of Ni nanoparticles was carried out up to 6 h without product properties deterioration. The results allow estimating a production >300 g d−1 in an ad-hoc low-cost single-tube SFTR system. Catalytic tests of CO methanation showed good activity at 769 K with stable methane yield of 83%. The results presented in this study demonstrate that reliable and reproducible synthesis of relatively high amounts of metal nanoparticles with lab-scale equipment can be achieved. This approach opens new opportunities for reliable and controlled preparation of advanced materials in quantities suitable for a full functional characterization.