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The realms of natural products and synthetic compounds exhibit distinct chemical spaces that not only differ but also complement each other. While the convergence of these two domains has been explored through semisynthesis and conventional pharmacomodulation endeavours applied to natural frameworks, a recent and innovative approach has emerged that involves the combinatorial generation of libraries of 'natural product‐like compounds' (NPLCs) through the direct synthetic derivatization of natural extracts. This has led to the production of numerous NPLCs that incorporate structural elements from both their natural (multiple saturated rings, oxygen content, chiral centres) and synthetic (aromatic rings, nitrogen and halogen content, drug‐like properties) precursors. Through careful selection of extracts and reagents, specific bioactivities have been achieved, and this strategy has been deployed in various ways, showing great promise without reaching its full potential to date. This review seeks to provide an overview of reported examples involving the chemical engineering of extracts, showcasing a spectrum of natural product alterations spanning from simple substitutions to complete scaffold remodelling. It also includes an analysis of the accomplishments, perspectives and technical challenges within this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses about a new compact 2-level implicit numerical method in the form of exponential approximation for finding the approximate solution of nonlinear fourth order Kuramoto–Sivashinsky and Fisher–Kolmogorov equations, which have applications in chemical engineering. The described method has an accuracy of temporal order two and a spatial order three (or four) on a variable (or constant) mesh. The approach has been demonstrated to be applicable to both non-singular and singular issues. This article has established the stability of the current technique. The suggested approach is used to solve several benchmark nonlinear parabolic problems associated in chemistry and chemical engineering, and the computed results are compared with the existing results to demonstrate the proposed method's superiority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Securing an affordable and environmentally friendly fuel source is a pressing global need. Hydrogen gas, renowned for being carbon-free and derived from water, stands as an abundant and low-cost energy resource. Efficient water electrolysis hinges upon selecting economical yet effective electrocatalysts. In this context, copper-based chalcogenides have garnered attention for driving water electrolysis. This report presents a newly developed electrocatalyst: copper sulfide (CuS) supported silver indium selenide-nickel foam (AgInSe 2 –NF) composites, characterized by a diverse array of morphologies. The optimized CuS@15%AgInS 2 electrocatalyst showcased superior performance when related to electrocatalysts based on noble metals and metal sulfides which were reported previously. CuS@15%AgInSe 2 –NF nanocomposite exhibits significant potential in water oxidation, revealing a marked reduction in overpotential: 289 mV at a benchmark current density of 10 mA cm−2 for OER and 85 mV for HER. This heightened efficiency is accredited to various exceptional elements associated with design of nanocomposite, which offers abundant reactive sites and ion transfer pathways within its structure. Furthermore, this design fortifies structural integrity and conductivity of CuS@15%AgInSe 2 heterostructure. Additionally, synergistic interplay between AgInSe 2 and CuS enhances electron transport and augments electrocatalytic properties. Notably, electrocatalyst exhibits exceptional stability, consistently producing hydrogen gas for over 25 h. These findings not only highlight potential of CuS@15%AgInSe 2 for a multitude of OER and HER applications but also underscore effectiveness of material hybridization as a straightforward yet potent method to enhance the electrochemical performance of an electrode. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aldoxime dehydratases (Oxds) have received considerable attention recently due to their application in the asymmetric synthesis of nitriles without cyanide by catalyzing the dehydration of aldoxime. However, the low stability of Oxds remains a huge obstacle to achieving high conversions and productivities of hydrophobic substrates. OxdPsp was immobilized on a macroporous adsorption resin (IOP) via an ATPS coupled with in situ immobilization. IOP-catalyzed dehydration of 2-phenylpropanal oxime (1) to prepare (S)-2-phenylpropanenitrile ((S)-2) was successfully performed with 95.7% yield, 94.1% ee and 98.6% conversion. The enriched (S)-nitrile (ee 94.1%) was obtained by using (E)-enriched aldoximes (E/Z = 97/3) as the substrate, which is consistent with the Gröger enantiopreference rule. A kinetic model to predict the dehydration catalyzed by IOP was established with an average deviation of 7.6%. The IOP-catalyzed dehydration reaction follows a sequential mechanism including substrate and product inhibition. Developing a kinetic model is a key step in the application of artificial intelligence in chemical engineering. After three recycling steps of IOP, the yield of (S)-2 still reached 83.6%, indicating that the stability of IOP was greatly enhanced, which was attributed to employing an organic solvent with a higher lg P value as the working medium and the immobilization protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking advantage of the unique structure and properties of gramineous straw that are available across the world in a yearly scale of several hundred million tons, a strategy to design and fabricate flexible high‐performance supercapacitors (SCs) is developed, of which the key components including electrode, separator, and electrolyte are all made from the eulaliopsis binata (EB), a ubiquitous gramineous straw. This kind of all‐in‐one biomass‐based flexible supercapacitors (BFSs) is first proposed, with the cuticle‐derived fibers (EBMs) as a separator, the pith‐derived carbon sponges (EBCs) as an electrode, and the sodium salts of the extracted carboxymethyl cellulose as gel electrolyte. The EBM with uniform diameter size, developed porosity, and abundant ‐OH/‐COOH groups have good flexibility, wettability, and ionic conductivity, far exceeding those of commercial glass‐fiber separators. The EBC has a high level of N/O/S co‐doping and hierarchical porous structure, resulting in enhanced ion accessibility and supercapacitance. With these advantages, the as‐fabricated BFS has shown ultra‐high‐rate performance, high energy density, and excellent flexibility, surpassing the biomass‐derived flexible supercapacitors reported thus far. This novel approach will shed light on the value‐added utilization of biomass from the viewpoint of molecular chemical engineering and product engineering and pave the way for fabricating flexible high‐performance SCs and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Social media has become a ubiquitous part of daily life. However, little is known about the influence of food-related social media content (FRSMC) on the eating habits of Malaysian undergraduates. This study explored FRSMC usage of undergraduates enrolled in a non-health program, its influence on eating habits, and how such social media content influences dietary behaviours. Method: This qualitative semi-structured interview study involved chemical engineering (CE) undergraduates at a university in Penang, Malaysia. The study was carried out from April 2021 to March 2022 during which ten participants were purposively selected. Based on precedent qualitative research sampling rule of thumb, this sample size of ten participants provided sufficient data saturation for an initial exploratory study. The interview sessions were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Results: According to study findings, in terms of usage, food advertising and promotions; cooking tutorials and food and nutrition information are the most appealing types of FRSMC. With regards to eating habits, FRSMC can lead to healthy and unhealthy food choices. The study identified several perceived challenges, namely unrealistic and untrustworthy content, difficult and repetitive content, and algorithm-driven deviations from healthy diets. The effectiveness of FRSMC can be enhanced by creating trustworthy and engaging content. Conclusion: The study highlights that social media engagement can have both positive and negative impact on food choices among undergraduates. Some FRSMC are perceived to encourage and motivate undergraduates to adopt healthier dietary habits. Future research could involve a larger sample, representative of diverse socio-demographic groups in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow around a plate is a classic problem in fluid dynamics, with applications in fields such as aerospace, construction, energy, and chemical engineering. This paper studies the flow around a plate in a circular tube. The detached-eddy simulation method is used to calculate the unsteady flow near the plate, allowing the mechanical and wake flow characteristics of the plate to be analyzed at different open angles and the influence of the plate dome degree to be further investigated. The variation laws of the plate torque and pressure under the unsteady flow inside the circular tube are obtained. By comparing and analyzing the time-averaged velocity and instantaneous velocity fluctuations of the wake flow on the plate, the flow field distribution patterns under different structures and open angles are identified, and the unstable region of the wake flow is determined. The results presented in this paper provide a theoretical reference for applications involving the flow around a plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a summary of a special issue on nanomaterials for chemical engineering. It discusses the recent developments in nanomaterials and their preparation and characterization methods. The special issue covers various topics such as nanomaterial synthesis, catalytic applications, pollution treatment, and material composites. It emphasizes the importance of evaluating the performance, stability, safety, and environmental sustainability of nanomaterials for practical applications. The document also highlights the role of machine learning in nanomaterial research and encourages contributions from scholars in new areas such as green chemical engineering and energy applications. [Extracted from the article]

Nanozymes, a class of nanomaterials endowed with enzyme-like catalytic activities, have emerged as a transformative force in the fields of biotechnology and environmental science. This review provides an in-depth analysis of nanozymes, from their synthesis and properties to their diverse applications. The synthesis of nanozymes is a pivotal aspect of their development, involving intricate methods to create these nanoscale catalysts. The exploration begins with a fundamental definition of nanozymes as nanomaterials mimicking the catalytic functions of natural enzymes. Then the paper delved into numerous sources of nanozymes, ranging from noble metals to metal oxides, and elucidates the key preparation techniques that enable the fine-tuning of their catalytic properties. The remarkable properties of nanozymes are closely examined, focusing on their catalytic efficiency, stability, and adaptability. These properties lay the foundation for the extensive array of applications they offer. Nanozymes have revolutionized the imaging and tracking of microbes through luminescence and fluorescence detection, making them invaluable in understanding and combatting bacterial and viral infections. Their integration into biosensors has elevated disease detection and pesticide monitoring to unprecedented levels of sensitivity and accuracy, promising innovative solutions for diagnostic and analytical purposes. Additionally, nanozymes have paved the way for advancements in immunoassays, enhancing the precision of disease diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of nanozymes is gaining recognition, with notable applications in antibacterial, antioxidant, and antifouling treatments. Their use in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, cancer therapy, and orthopaedics showcases their versatility in clinical applications. In the food industry, nanozymes have improved food quality, safety, and shelf life, contributing to our well-being. Moreover, nanozymes have demonstrated their environmental significance by efficiently detecting and degrading pollutants, thereby promoting water treatment and environmental preservation. In summary, this review encapsulates the dynamic landscape of nanozymes, providing a technical insight into their synthesis, diverse properties, and wide-ranging applications. Nanozymes, with their unparalleled versatility, hold great promise for addressing contemporary challenges in both biotechnology and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, new traveling wave solutions are generated for the system that models nematicons in liquid crystals using the (1 ∕ G ′) -expansion method. In the equation system, nonlinearity is taken into account for Kerr law and Power law. Also, the existence of exact solutions under restriction conditions is guaranteed. We suggest that the solutions produced are of a different type than the solutions in the literature. Figures representing the intensity of the produced traveling wave solutions are presented. In addition, the simulation of the solitary wave is made for different values of the parameter that affects the inclination angle of the molecules in the nematicons mechanism in liquid crystals. How classical solitary wave behavior translates into triangular wave behavior is discussed. We believe this paper will provide an important perspective on the problems encountered in various application areas such as fluid dynamics, chemical engineering, chaos and complex networks in terms of investigating different mechanisms by taking into account nonlinearity factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the asymptotic behavior of the solution to the diffusion equation in a planar domain, perforated by tiny sets of different shapes with a constant perimeter and a uniformly bounded diameter, when the diameter of a basic cell, , goes to 0. This makes the structure of the heterogeneous domain aperiodical. On the boundary of the removed sets (or the exterior to a set of particles, as it arises in chemical engineering), we consider the dynamic unilateral Signorini boundary condition containing a large-growth parameter . We derive and justify the homogenized model when the problem's parameters take the "critical values". In that case, the homogenized problem is universal (in the sense that it does not depend on the shape of the perforations or particles) and contains a "strange term" given by a non-linear, non-local in time, monotone operator H that is defined as the solution to an obstacle problem for an ODE operator. The solution of the limit problem can take negative values even if, for any , in the original problem, the solution is non-negative on the boundary of the perforations or particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The packed beds are widely used in many industry sectors, such as energy, chemical engineering, and transportation. The prediction of fluid flow parameters is an important task for designing the packed bed units. In this study, the packed beds filled with spherical, cylindrical, and Raschig ring particles were experimentally and numerically investigated to understand the effect of pellet roughness on fluid flow parameters. The packed bed parameters were varied as follows: pellet roughness of 0.001–20 μm; velocity of 1–10 m/s; D / d p ratio of 2.9 and 4.8; packed bed length of 50–250 mm. It was established that the pressure drop increases significantly when the pellet roughness increases. Both numerical and experimental results showed a high deviation between our data and well-known empirical correlations. For this reason, a new correlation coefficient K for the Ergun equation taking into account pellet roughness was proposed. The correlation coefficient K provides a good correlation between the pressure drops calculated via the modified Ergun equation and the experimental/numerical data for a wide range of operational and design parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Site‐selective functionalization strategies are in high demand to prepare well‐defined homogeneous proteins for basic research and biomedical applications. In this regard, cysteine‐based reactions have enabled a broad set of transformations to produce modified proteins for various applications. However, these approaches were mainly employed to modify a single reactive site with a specific transformation. Achieving site selectivity or multiple transformations, essential for preparing complex biomolecules, remains challenging. Herein we demonstrate the power of combining palladium(II)‐mediated C−S bond formation and C−S bond cleavage reactions to selectively edit desired cysteine sites in complex and uniquely modified proteins. We developed an orthogonal palladium(II) strategy for rapid and effective diversification of multiple cysteine sites (3–6 residues) with various transformations. Importantly, we employed our approach to prepare 10 complex analogues, including modified, stapled, and multimeric proteins on a milligram scale. Furthermore, we also synthesized a focused library of stabilized artificial transcription factors that displayed enhanced stability and potent DNA binding activity. Our approach enables rapid and effective protein editing and opens new avenues to engineer new biomolecules for fundamental research and therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Site‐selective functionalization strategies are in high demand to prepare well‐defined homogeneous proteins for basic research and biomedical applications. In this regard, cysteine‐based reactions have enabled a broad set of transformations to produce modified proteins for various applications. However, these approaches were mainly employed to modify a single reactive site with a specific transformation. Achieving site selectivity or multiple transformations, essential for preparing complex biomolecules, remains challenging. Herein we demonstrate the power of combining palladium(II)‐mediated C−S bond formation and C−S bond cleavage reactions to selectively edit desired cysteine sites in complex and uniquely modified proteins. We developed an orthogonal palladium(II) strategy for rapid and effective diversification of multiple cysteine sites (3–6 residues) with various transformations. Importantly, we employed our approach to prepare 10 complex analogues, including modified, stapled, and multimeric proteins on a milligram scale. Furthermore, we also synthesized a focused library of stabilized artificial transcription factors that displayed enhanced stability and potent DNA binding activity. Our approach enables rapid and effective protein editing and opens new avenues to engineer new biomolecules for fundamental research and therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new trend in plasma surface engineering, plasma conditions that allow more-defined chemical reactions at the surface are being increasingly investigated. This is achieved by avoiding high energy deposition via ion bombardment during direct plasma exposure (DPE) causing destruction, densification, and a broad variety of chemical reactions. In this work, a novel approach is introduced by placing a polymer mesh with large open area close to the plasma–sheath boundary above the plasma-treated sample, thus enabling near-plasma chemistry (NPC). The mesh size effectively extracts ions, while reactive neutrals, electrons, and photons still reach the sample surface. The beneficial impact of this on the plasma activation of poly (tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) to enhance wettability and on the plasma polymerization of siloxanes, combined with the etching of residual hydrocarbons to obtain highly porous SiOx coatings at low temperatures, is discussed. Characterization of the treated samples indicates a predominant chemical modification yielding enhanced film structures and durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ca 2 Nb 2 O 7 is a promising material for high-temperature piezoelectric applications due to its ultra-high Curie temperature, which makes it a suitable candidate for use in harsh environments. However, their piezoelectric performance needs improvement. Here, through chemical engineering methods, we have successfully grown Bi3+ doped Ca 2 Nb 2 O 7 single crystals using the optical floating zone technique. The Ca 1.94 Bi 0.06 Nb 2 O 7 single crystals achieved better high-temperature stability, transparency and a higher piezoelectric constant of 12.8 pC/N at 298 K and 20.0 pC/N at 660 K. In addition to the dopant effects, mechanisms for enhancing the piezoelectric properties of perovskite-like layer structure (PLS) materials have been identified, highlighting the significant contribution of the NbO 6 octahedron and interlayer ions. These findings offers valuable insights into improving the performance of PLS materials, which is crucial for promoting their practical applications as high-temperature lead-free piezoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we show that the energy conversion efficiency in thermoelectric (TE) devices can be effectively improved through simultaneous optimization of carrier concentration, bandgap tuning, and fabrication of stepwise legs. n- and p-type Bi2Te3-based materials were selected as examples for testing the proposed approach. At first, the Boltzmann transport theory was employed to predict the optimal temperature-dependent carrier concentration for high thermoelectric performance over a broad temperature range. Then, the synthesized n-Bi2Te3−xSex and p-Bi2−xSbxTe3 solid solutions were tested to evaluate their suitability for fabricating the stepwise thermoelectric legs. The output energy characteristics of the designed TE devices were estimated using numerical modeling employing the finite element method. The theoretical simulation revealed an improvement in the conversion efficiency between the best homogeneous and stepwise TE legs from 8.8% to 10.1% and from 9.9% to 10.8% in p-type and n-type legs, respectively, which is much higher than the efficiency of the industrial thermoelectric modules (3–6%). The measured conversion efficiency of the fabricated n- and p-type stepwise legs reached very high values of 9.3% and 9.0%, respectively, at the relatively small temperature gradient of 375 K. This work suggests carrier concentration and bandgap engineering accompanied by the stepwise leg approach as powerful methods for achieving high energy conversion efficiency in thermoelectric converters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article introduces the 2023 IUPAC Distinguished Women in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Awards, which recognize women leaders in the field. The awardees are selected based on their research, teaching, leadership, and community service. The program began in 2011 and has recognized 94 women from over 30 countries. The article highlights the achievements and research interests of some of the 2023 awardees, including their contributions to topics such as self-assembled materials, coordination chemistry, and therapeutic peptides. The collection of articles aims to inspire women scientists and advance the future of chemistry. [Extracted from the article]

Taking the explanation of heat conduction in the heat transfer chapter of the chemical engineering transmission course as an example, this paper expounds on innovative teaching considerations based on the "fun, learn, apply" three-level teaching method. It analyzes the transient and steady-state heat transfer processes in cooking, increasing the interest in teaching. At the same time, analogical teaching is conducted, from heat transfer analogy to mass transfer processes, allowing students to learn the similarity between heat transfer and mass transfer. Furthermore, the analogy of heat and mass transfer is further extended to the synthesis of new materials, enabling students to apply the knowledge learned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractional calculus can be used to fully describe numerous realworld situations in a wide range of scientific disciplines, including natural science, social science, electrical, chemical, and mechanical engineering, economics, statistics, weather forecasting, and particularly biomedical engineering. Different types of derivatives can be useful when solving various fractional calculus problems. In this study, we suggested a single step modified one parameter family of the Caputo-type fractional iterative method. Convergence analysis shows that the proposed family of methods' order of convergence is ϑ + 1. To determine the error equation of the proposed technique, the computer algebra system CAS-Maple is employed. To illustrate the accuracy, validity, and usefulness of the proposed technique, we consider a few real-world applications from the fields of civil and chemical engineering. In terms of residual error, computational time, computational order of convergence, efficiency, and absolute error, the test examples' acquired numerical results demonstrate that the newly proposed algorithm performs better than the other classical fractional iterative scheme already existing in the literature. Using the computer program Mathematia 9.0, we compare the draw basins of attraction of the suggested fractional numerical algorithm to those of the currently used fractional iterative methods for the graphical analysis. The graphical results show how quickly the newly developed fractional method converges, confirming its supremacy to other techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ordered porous frameworks like MOFs and COFs are generally constructed using the monomers through distinctive metal-coordinated and covalent linkages. Meanwhile, the inter-structural transition between each class of these porous materials is an under-explored research area. However, such altered frameworks are expected to have exciting features compared to their pristine versions. Herein, we have demonstrated a chemical-induction phase-engineering strategy to transform a two-dimensional conjugated Cu-based SA-MOF (Cu-Tp) into 2D-COFs (Cu-TpCOFs). The structural phase transition offered in-situ pore size engineering from 1.1 nm to 1.5–2.0 nm. Moreover, the Cu-TpCOFs showed uniform and low percentage-doped (~ 1–1.5%) metal distribution and improved crystallinity, porosity, and stability compared to the parent Cu-Tp MOF. The construction of a framework from another framework with new linkages opens interesting opportunities for phase-engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grading of chemical engineering capstone design project student reports represents a considerable burden on educators, due to the detailed calculations undertaken by students. The reports represent the accumulation of calculations into material and energy balances, detailed process and mechanical designs, process control as well as economic analysis. To facilitate these calculations, most students utilise computational programs and detailed spreadsheets. Hence, the verification of the resulting mathematics behind the generated data requires significant time commitment. To simplify this verification for grading, the significant-digit law was applied here to chemical engineering student design project reports. The use of this law enables large-scale data sets to be quickly analysed to establish if the data has been manipulated or errors exist. The significant-digit law was successfully shown to apply to chemical engineering students' design project reports, with four abnormal student reports identified that deviated from the law due to fraud/errors in their design calculations. Importantly, applying the significant-digit law enabled a rapid approach to verifying the mathematics within the design project reports. This reduces the time burden on educators, enabling them to focus on ensuring the correct design equations and procedures have been applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently, the practical teaching system for chemistry and chemical engineering students faces challenges such as a weak theoretical foundation, a disconnect between theory and practice, and a mismatch between knowledge and innovative skill application. To address these issues, a binary combination strategy integrating theory-engineering and research-teaching is proposed, aligning with emerging engineering education paradigms. This approach allows for a more comprehensive and reinforced knowledge system, achieved by merging theory with practice. Both real and virtual training methods are employed to enhance experimental skills. Furthermore, amalgamating scientific research with industry-focused education elevates the practical proficiency of students. Investigating this holistic approach to practical education, tailored to societal demands and talent growth, offers a more robust method for cultivating innovative and skilled graduates in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Principles of chemical engineering serving as a bridge between basic and professional courses of chemical engineering plays a great role in the training of chemical talents. Based on the educational output concept of engineering education professional certification, we take the advantages of online and offline teaching, and carry out the exploration of online and offline collaborative teaching mode of chemical engineering principles. By constructing the collaborative teaching process, including "online pre-class preview and feedback, case reconstruction of teaching design for key and difficult points, task leading teaching interaction, post-class consolidation and expansion, and learning situation statistics", teachers and students can effectively interact online and offline, which strengthens teachers' control over the teaching process and improves students' learning initiative. By introducing online and offline comprehensive assessment method focusing on process evaluation, students' absorption and internalization of the teaching content can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Coal chemical technology" is a core professional course that emphasizes both theory and practice. In the process of teaching practice, the authors keep the "four combinations and one evaluations" throughout the teaching by starting with the reorganization of the course teaching content, the optimization of the teaching implementation process, the establishment of a comprehensive evaluation system, so as to improve the teaching quality and focus on cultivating applied undergraduate talents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of the Ministry of Education's construction of "Emerging Engineering Education", how to enhance interdisciplinary integration is the key to the teaching reform. Taking the "Emerging Engineering Education" exploration experiment as an example, we introduce the enhancement of undergraduate students' scientific research ability by the integration of mathematical modeling with chemical engineering majors. We also take the China Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling (CUMCM) in 2022 as an example to elaborate the specific implementation process of interdisciplinary integration and how to prepare for the mathematical modeling competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Samples relevant to fields such as chemical engineering, soft matter research, environmental studies and biology can be studied with respect to their material properties by characterizing the molecular mobility of the sample itself or of fluids interacting with the sample. This mini review aims to illustrate the versatility and power of NMR diffusometry in obtaining relevant material information provided by diffusion for a selection of different samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the Technische Hochschule Dresden, the predecessor institution of the TU Dresden, a specialization "Engineer for Process Engineering" was established in 1953 with the filling of the specialist professorship for chemical engineering, and the present Institute for Process and Environmental Engineering was founded. Since then, the profile in education and research of the institute within the Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering of the Technische Universität Dresden (TUD) has been considerably extended. Based on this development, the current main research areas of the five chairs and research groups are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professor Rosa Nomen, member of the editorial board of Process Safety and Environmental Protection, and Professor Julià Sempere both from the Institut Químic de Sarrià (IQS), Universitat Ramon Llull (Barcelona, Spain) will be retired in July 2023. They have contributed to the education of more than 1000 chemical engineers around Catalonia for 40 years. In this article, we have revisited the main scientific contributions that they have carried out in the field of chemical engineering. They had diverse research interests covering a wide range of topics in the areas of process safety and environmental protection. These included the utilization of thermal analysis and calorimetry to comprehend chemical reactions, including their safety and chemical and physical kinetics. They also focused on devising new methodologies for industrial safety and implementing flow chemistry to produce fine and specialty chemicals in a more sustainable and safer way. Additionally, they contributed to the advancement of adsorption-based carbon capture technologies as technological strategy for the minimization of the environmental impact of the chemical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane-bound vesicles released by cells. EVs are emerging as a promising class of therapeutic entity that could be adapted in formulation due to their lack of immunogenicity and targeting capabilities. EVs have been shown to have similar regenerative and therapeutic effects to their parental cells and also have potential in disease diagnosis. To improve the therapeutic potential of EVs, researchers have developed various strategies for modifying them, including genetic engineering and chemical modifications which have been examined to confer target specificity and prevent rapid clearance after systematic injection. Formulation efforts have focused on utilising hydrogel and nano-formulation strategies to increase the persistence of EV localisation in a specific tissue or organ. Researchers have also used biomaterials or bioscaffolds to deliver EVs directly to disease sites and prolong EV release and exposure. This review provides an in-depth examination of the material design of EV delivery systems, highlighting the impact of the material properties on the molecular interactions and the maintenance of EV stability and function. The various characteristics of materials designed to regulate the stability, release rate and biodistribution of EVs are described. Other aspects of material design, including modification methods to improve the targeting of EVs, are also discussed. This review aims to offer an understanding of the strategies for designing EV delivery systems, and how they can be formulated to make the transition from laboratory research to clinical use. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Definition: Active learning strategies are increasingly implemented in chemical engineering education, yet challenges persist in stimulating student participation and motivation. The rigorous demands placed on students in this field, from complex practical requirements to extensive programming and computational skills, underscore the need for innovative educational tools. Gamification emerges as a pivotal instrument in this context, fostering active student engagement, enhancing practical application of knowledge, increasing motivation, and providing a more precise assessment of student comprehension. These educational games serve as a powerful adjunct to traditional teaching strategies, equipping students with necessary skills for their future careers in the field. These games include laboratory course games, process simulators, games used in foundational courses, and those centered around reaction kinetics. This entry primarily investigates the various games employed to bolster student learning during chemical engineering laboratory courses. A thorough analysis is conducted on the survey of existing games used specifically in chemical engineering labs. The gamut of games discussed includes escape games, along with Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) games, all aiming to enhance laboratory experiences in areas such as fluid mechanics, organic reactions, and process control. This entry concludes by examining the prospective trajectory of gamification in chemical engineering labs, offering insights into future potential and advancements in this innovative educational approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coming of the information age opens up rich resources and approaches for education, and at the same time brings opportunities and challenges to teaching and learning. Based on Outcome Based Education (OBE) teaching philosophy, aiming at the teaching spot problems existing in the principles of chemical engineering, this paper constructs a "five-in-one" teaching mode, including case analysis, theoretical teaching, project-driven teaching, ideological and political guidance as well as network assistance by using of the internet and combining the development needs of life and national low-carbon environmental protection, which starts from the requirements of continuous improvement under the background of engineering certification. Moreover, the innovation teaching mode fully reflects the mutual integration of knowledge objectives, ability objectives and quality objectives, and meets the needs of applied personnel training under the background of emerging engineering education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the online and offline teaching of chemical engineering principles course, we carried out the teaching exploration combined with online preview, flipped classroom and home exploration on the basis of cooperative group learning. This work shows the teaching mode by taking the simple calculation of the tray number of distillation column as an example. On the basis of class grouping and pre-class thinking questions, the teacher guides students to online preview and cooperative group discussion with questions, by which students' learning initiative is ignited, and the teaching effect and efficiency of offline flipped classroom are greatly improved. Through flipped classroom and cooperative group learning, students master the ideas and methods to solve the complex engineering problems in chemical engineering, and can solve the corresponding complex engineering problems. Through extending problems and post-class group cooperation, students are guided to study and explore after class, by which students' scientific research and innovation ability is cultivated. Our teaching experiences indicated that "online preview-flipped classroom-home exploration" on the basis of cooperative group learning can be used as a general teaching mode in higher engineering education with high efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method and a mathematical model were proposed to calculate the chemical and energy engineering process of roasting of phosphate ore raw materials in a moving dense bed on the grate of a traveling-grate roasting machine. The results of computational experiments on the developed computer model were used to analyze the limiting and optimal conditions of drying and roasting of lump and pelletized phosphate ore raw materials on the traveling grate of the roasting machine. The limiting conditions for the calcination of lump and pelletized ore raw materials loaded as a monolayer bed of lumps, for co-roasting, and as a bed of phosphorite pellets were determined taking into account the technological restrictions on the existing traveling-grate roasting machines. For phosphate ore raw materials, it was determined that the maximum achievable degree of decarbonization in high-temperature roasting of lumps in the traveling-grate roasting machine is 60%, whereas the pellets can be roasted to a degree of decarbonization of 80%. The method of thermophysical and kinetic studies that was proposed in this paper can be extended to study the laws of thermally activated endothermic chemical-metallurgical calcination processes in a wide class of iron ore raw materials. The presented computer model for calculating the limiting and optimal conditions for the operation of traveling-grate roasting machines is used for the rapid adaptation of industrial plants to the periodically changing properties of ore raw materials supplied for heat treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) is a promising technology for safe operation, quality control, and profitability improvement in chemical process systems. In practice, chemical process systems usually switch among operating conditions in response to market demands, fatigue, malfunctions of components and environments. However, FDD models often deteriorate when transferred from one operating condition to another. Current widely used FDD models are trained and tested in identical domains (or operating conditions) without emphasis on the capability of domain generalization. Furthermore, they ignore the causality that remains invariant among domains but excessively rely on statistical correlation that varies from domain to domain. This paper presents an FDD model named CausalViT. Causality and a gradient reversal operation are designed to enhance domain generalization. In CausalViT, a Causal Layer is constructed to discover the causal mechanism in features to purify superfluous domain-specific statistical correlation. Then, a domain classifier cooperating with gradient reversal layers is developed to further enhance the domain invariance. To evaluate the CausalViT, comparisons have been made between it and other advanced FDD models in six domains/modes in Tennessee Eastman Process. CausalViT shows superiority from the perspectives of both fault detection ratio and domain generalization, obtaining an average 16% improvement on domain generalization. Dimension reduction visualization shows the significance of domain generalization and gives a deeper insight into CausalViT. Furthermore, the convergence of the model and the effectiveness of components in the model have been analyzed and demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There exist some problems in cultivating talents in local colleges and universities, such as the inadaptation between talent cultivating objectives and locally economic development needs, the lack of effective measures and reasonable assessment and evaluation mechanisms for cultivating students' application abilities, the loose integration of professional education and humanistic education, and the lack of in-depth integration of industry and education. In response to these problems, the teaching team at the school of chemistry and chemical engineering, Linyi University has built the student-centered "four-in-one" talent cultivating model, which is guided by moral education, supported by practical platform, and driven by scientific and technological projects. The school has taken some measures of resetting the talent training program, optimizing the double-qualified teachers, strengthening the hierarchical and progressive training, and establishing an incentive-oriented assessment and evaluation mechanism to highlight the cultivation of application ability. The whole-process education of all staff has been realized, and gratifying results have been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by important chemical engineering applications, we study probabilistic mechanisms of stochastic effects in a randomly forced model of the continuous stirred tank reactor. The bifurcation analysis of the deterministic model reveals the parameter zone of bistability with coexistence of the equilibrium and oscillatory regimes. It is shown that the boundary between basins of these regimes is moving as the bifurcation parameter changes. We study noise-induced transitions across this boundary leading to the stochastic generation of spiking oscillations and backward effect of the noise-induced suppression of large-amplitude spiking. In the study of these stochastic effects, we use statistics extracted from the direct numerical simulation, and an analytical approach using confidence ellipses method. An important probabilistic phenomenon of coherence resonance is revealed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lantibiotics are believed to have a conceivable potential to be used as therapeutics, especially against clinically resistant bacterial strains. However, their low solubility and poor stability under physiological conditions limit their availability for clinical studies and further pharmaceutical commercialization. Nisin is a readily available and cheap lanthipeptide and thus serves as a good model in the search for the tools to engineer lantibiotics with improved pharmacological properties. This review aims to address technologies that can be applied to alter and enhance the antimicrobial activity, antibacterial spectrum and physicochemical properties (solubility, solution stability and protease resistance) of nisin. There are basically two general means to obtain nisin analogs—protein engineering and chemical functionalization of this antibiotic. Although bioengineering techniques have been well developed and enable the creation of nisin mutants of variable structures and properties, they are lacking spectacular effects so far. Chemical modifications of nisin based on utilization of the reactivity of its free amino and carboxylic moieties, as well as reactivity of the double bonds of its dehydroamino acids, are in their infancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have constructed new families of derivative-free three- and four-parametric methods with and without memory for finding the roots of nonlinear equations. Error analysis verifies that the without-memory methods are optimal as per Kung–Traub's conjecture, with orders of convergence of 4 and 8, respectively. To further enhance their convergence capabilities, the with-memory methods incorporate accelerating parameters, elevating their convergence orders to 7.5311 and 15.5156, respectively, without introducing extra function evaluations. As such, they exhibit exceptional efficiency indices of 1.9601 and 1.9847, respectively, nearing the maximum efficiency index of 2. The convergence domains are also analysed using the basins of attraction, which exhibit symmetrical patterns and shed light on the fascinating interplay between symmetry, dynamic behaviour, the number of diverging points, and efficient root-finding methods for nonlinear equations. Numerical experiments and comparison with existing methods are carried out on some nonlinear functions, including real-world chemical engineering problems, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new proposed methods and confirm the theoretical results. Notably, our numerical experiments reveal that the proposed methods outperform their existing counterparts, offering superior precision in computation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millifluidics, the manipulation of liquid flow in millimeter-sized channels, has been a revolutionary concept in chemical processing and engineering. The solid channels that contain the liquids, though, are not flexible in their design and modification, and prevent contact with the external environment. All-liquid constructs, on the other hand, while flexible and open, are imbedded in a liquid environment. Here, we pro- vide a route to circumvent these limitations by encasing the liquids in a hydrophobic powder in air that jams on the surface, containing and isolating flowing fluids, offering flexibility and adaptability in design, as manifest in the ability to reconfigure, graft, and segment the constructs. Along with the open nature of these powder-contained channels that allow arbitrary connections/disconnections and substance addition/ extraction, numerous applications can be opened in the biological, chemical, and material arenas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have demonstrated rapid progress in their power conversion efficiencies (PCEs)—from 3.8% in 2009 to 25.7% in 2022—and they have received considerable attention as a promising future photovoltaic (PV) technology. However, the operational stability of PSCs is still inadequate to satisfy the standards for commercial applications. Interface engineering has become one of the most important strategies to push PSCs' efficiency and stability for practical use. Among the various interface engineering approaches, organic interface modifiers (OIMs) have been frequently used by the PSC field to address the issues limiting PSC stability at high efficiency levels. In this perspective, the chemical structures of state‐of‐the‐art OIMs are discussed, and their characteristics are reviewed, as well as the impact on device performance associated with key device interfaces (e.g., metal oxide/perovskite and organic transport layer/perovskite interfaces) from a chemical and materials engineering point of view is discussed. Design considerations and the authors' perspective are discussed, on the basis of representative literature examples, for building new, customized organic OIMs to further improve PSC efficiency and stability toward commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganism has shown great functional potential in practical application, but the defects of free microorganism causing high production cost, low efficiency, poor environmental tolerance and low recovery inhibit its use, while the immobilization technology can improve the above properties of microorganism and has been applied in many fields. Among various methods, the combined immobilization based on adsorption has achieved remarkable results, and it is of great significance to increase the adsorption capacity and adsorption capacity of carrier materials, thus the development of efficient, durable and low-cost carrier materials is the key to the popularization and application of microbial immobilization technology. In this paper, the application of natural biomass materials as the immobilized carrier of microorganisms for environmental treatment is reviewed. The research on the modification and optimization of carriers based on biomass materials and substitution of mycelium pellets are summarized and prospected. The strategy of combining chemical engineering and genetic engineering to strengthen the application efficiency of microbial immobilization is emphasized in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Input‐output data sets are ubiquitous in chemical process engineering. We introduce a real‐time interactive navigation framework that provides several capabilities to the decision maker (DM). Once a surrogate model is trained the DM can perform what‐if analyses in both input and output spaces by manipulating sliders. An approximated convex hull spanned in the input space supports both a reliable surrogate prediction and a navigation close to the data set. The framework has been tested on data sets obtained with a flowsheet simulator modeling a real steam methane reforming process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]