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The Omusati region belongs to historic Ovamboland, an area of northern Namibia populated by tribes of the Ovambo group. Four very large African baobabs of Omusati played an important role in historic events of the area, such as the tribal wars and the Namibian War of Independence. The four historic baobabs are the Ombalantu baobab (8 stems; circumference 24.50 m), Okahao baobab (4+ stems; around 25 m), Amadhila baobab (12 stems; 25.35 m) and Sir Howard baobab (9 stems; 31.60 m). Two historic baobabs collapsed totally or partially. The stems of the Amadhila baobab toppled and died in 2021, while 3 stems of the Okahao baobab collapsed a long time ago, but are still alive. Our research aimed to determine the architecture and age of these baobabs. Three baobabs (Ombalantu, Amadhila, Sir Howard) exhibit a closed ring-shaped structure, with a false cavity inside. One baobab (Okahao) had an open ring-shaped structure, before its collapse. Several wood cores were extracted from the baobabs and investigated by radiocarbon dating. The dating results indicate ages of 770 ± 50 years for the Ombalantu baobab, 650 ± 50 years for the Okahao baobab, 1100 ± 50 years for the Amadhila baobab and 750 ± 50 years for the Sir Howard baobab.

We address sustainable energy issues via scrutinizing magnesium-air reserve batteries. Such energy storage systems can hold their energy indefinitely, releasing it on demand, in emergency situations. Main advantage of water-activated batteries is that their electrolyte is supplied by the environment, where they get deployed, hence, only light weight electrodes and battery frames should be transported, rather than the significantly heavier aqueous electrolyte. Recent literature in the field is reviewed. One merit of this account is that recently, battery storage has become an effective way to increase share of renewables in photovoltaic energy systems utilized in farming. While the specific energy of reserve batteries can be determined unequivocally, their energy density calculation needs a clear definition of the considered battery volume. Therefore, this paper proposes a new modality of evaluating specific energy and energy density of seawater-activated metal-air reserve batteries for prismatic and cylindrical geometries, respectively.

Bidirectional interplay between the peripheral immune and nervous systems plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis and responding to noxious stimuli. This crosstalk is facilitated by a variety of cytokines, inflammatory mediators and neuropeptides. Dysregulation of this delicate physiological balance is implicated in the pathological mechanisms of various skin disorders and peripheral neuropathies. The skin is a highly complex biological structure within which peripheral sensory nerve terminals and immune cells colocalise. Herein, we provide an overview of the sensory innervation of the skin and immune cells resident to the skin. We discuss modulation of cutaneous immune response by sensory neurons and their mediators (e.g., nociceptor-derived neuropeptides), and sensory neuron regulation by cutaneous immune cells (e.g., nociceptor sensitization by immune-derived mediators). In particular, we discuss recent findings concerning neuroimmune communication in skin infections, psoriasis, allergic contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis. We then summarize evidence of neuroimmune mechanisms in the skin in the context of peripheral neuropathic pain states, including chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, diabetic polyneuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, HIV-induced neuropathy, as well as entrapment and traumatic neuropathies. Finally, we highlight the future promise of emerging therapies associated with skin neuroimmune crosstalk in neuropathic pain.

Nitrogen (N) is a crop macronutrient of major importance, which affects both plant growth and yield. In this paper we discuss the humus content (%) and various soluble N forms (NO3-, total N, nitrate-N, ammonium-N, and organic nitrogen) available in humus sand soil samples originating from the Pallag Experimental Station of Horticulture at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. We found 45.4% nitrate-N and 13.8% nitrite-N of total N content present in the soil. Considering the percentage distribution of soluble N forms present at the Pallag Experimental Station, we recommend using this soil in further pot experiments, given that this has optimal nutrient supply capacity. In addition, we examined possible statistical correlations between humus% and N forms.

Although knowledge on glycan biosynthesis and processing is continuously maturing, there are still a limited number of studies that examine biological functions of N-glycan structures in plants, which remain virtually unknown. Here, the statistical correlation between nutrient (nitrogen) deficiency symptoms of crops and changes in 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (APTS)-labeled complex type free oligosaccharides is reported. While deficiency symptoms are predicted by multispectral images and Kjeldahl digestion, APTS-labeled complex type free oligosaccharides are identified by their glucose unit (GU) values in tomato xylem sap, using capillary electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF). Given the limited number of structures obtained from plants, archived in the literature, in the future, it is intended to create an open access database of promising indicators, namely, glycan structures that are presumably responsible for the nutrient deficiency caused stress in plants (http://glycoplants.org).

Author Posting. © Studia Chemia, 2018. Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Chemia is an Open Access Journal (read, download, copy, distribute, print for research use, search, or link to the full texts of articles). The definitive version was published in Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Chemia 63(4), (2018): 7-13, doi: 10.24193/subbchem.2018.4.01.

Author Posting. © Studia Chemia, 2018. Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Seria Chemia is an Open Access Journal (read, download, copy, distribute, print for research use, search, or link to the full texts of articles). The definitive version was published in Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Seria Chemia 63, no. 3 (2018): 41-48, doi:10.24193/subbchem.2018.3.03.

The article discloses the AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) radiocarbon dating results of the historic Big Tree at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The research aimed to determine the age, growth and architecture of this renowned African baobab. The superlative baobab is composed of five main stems, three young stems and one false stem. It exhibits an open ring-shaped structure, an architecture that allows baobabs to reach large sizes and old ages. Several wood samples extracted from four stems were dated by radiocarbon. The oldest sample had a radiocarbon date of 978 ± 14 BP, corresponding to a calibrated age of 955 ± 20 calendar years. By this value, the Big Tree at Victoria Falls is 1150 ± 50 years old. We found that the eight common stems belong to three generations, which are 1000–1100, 600–700 and 200–250 years old, respectively. The false stem is 550 years old. The stems belonging to the oldest generation stopped growing over 100 years ago.

Author Posting. © Studia Chemia, 2017. This article is posted here by permission of Studia Chemia for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Seria Chemia 62, no. 2, Tom 2 (2017): 355-364, doi:10.24193/subbchem.2017.2.28.

Author Posting. © Studia Chemia, 2017. This article is posted here by permission of Studia Chemia for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Seria Chemia 62, no. 1 (2017): 111-120, doi:10.24193/subbchem.2017.1.09.

The article presents the radiocarbon investigation of the baobab of Jhunsi, Allahabad and the Parijaat tree at Kintoor, two old African baobabs from northern India. Several wood samples extracted from these baobabs were analysed by using AMS radiocarbon dating. The radiocarbon date of the oldest samples were 779 ± 41 BP for the baobab of Jhunsi and 793 ± 37 BP for the baobab of Kintoor. The corresponding calibrated ages are 770 ± 25 and 775 ± 25 calendar years. These values indicate that both trees are around 800 years old and become the oldest dated African baobabs outside Africa.

Background: In this study we aimed to determine the effect of university teaching and leadership styles at Universidad César Vallejo on the prevention of adolescence pregnancy. Methods: We performed a non-experimental, quantitative, cross-sectional study, with a correlational descriptive design using a survey. Participants were students in classes enrolled in the starting two semesters at Universidad César Vallejo, Peru. The questionnaire comprised three sections: (I) General demographic data, (II) Teacher leadership styles, and (III) Pregnancy prevention teachings. Results: According to the students (n=793), teaching leadership styles are of three types: Laissez faire, transactional, and transformational. Types of pregnancy prevention from the students’ standpoint are the following: "high" level of "primary prevention" (44.4%), "medium" level of "tertiary prevention" (36.6%), and "high" level of "secondary prevention" (36.2%). Chi-Square test revealed that the three styles of leadership significantly affect the prevention of pregnancy: transformational (X2 = 136.390), transactional (X2 = 95.539), and Laissez Faire (X2 = 80.557) (p 2 = 110,634, p = 0.0000), with a significance level of 5%. Conclusions: It can be concluded that for college students, teaching leadership style significantly affects the prevention of adolescent pregnancy.

The article reports the growth stop phenomenon, which was documented only for baobabs, i.e. for trees belonging to the Adansonia genus. The identification of growth stop was enabled by radiocarbon dating, which allows a complex investigation of samples collected from the trunk/stems of baobabs. In several cases, the outermost rings of baobabs, which were close to the bark, were found to be old, with ages of several hundreds of years, instead of being very young. Dating results of samples collected from six baobabs are presented. For multistemmed baobabs, the growth stop may occur only for one or several stems. We identified four factors that may induce the growth stop: (i) stress determined by severe climate conditions, (ii) old age, (iii) the need to keep a stable internal architecture, and (iv) the collapse of stems that survive this trauma. Baobabs and their stems affected by growth stop may survive for several centuries, by continuing to produce leaves, flowers, and fruits. This phenomenon was associated with the capacity of baobabs to store large amounts of water in their trunks/stems in the rainy season. This reservoir of water is used during the dry season and allows the trees to survive prolonged drought periods.

Glycerol aerosol generated by the low-cost micro-heater. We disclose a low cost, rapid turn around proves for volume production of microheaters for use in aerosol generation.We provide qualitative data on the quality of the aerosol generated by a number of designs.We disclose designs for creating and mixing multicomponent aerosols using closely spaced individual heaters. A low cost micro-heater for aerosol generation has been developed using thin film deposition, electroless metal plating and selective wet etching technology. The thermal and electrical behavior of micro-heater (MH) and micro-hot-plate (MHP) systems is reported. The microstructure of the MH consists of a free standing amorphous silicon membrane with a thin film micro-heater (Cr/Ni layer) on top. The heating element is fabricated by e-beam evaporation and solution based nickel plating. The metal pattern temperature reaches the boiling point of glycerol (290?C) and higher. A wet etched formed reservoir storage space for the aerosol source liquid can be placed alongside or underneath the hot plate. The entire MH unit is fabricated on a thin glass coverslip. This structure and the use of a plating bath and wet etch render the device remarkably low cost (less than 18?) as compared to other silicon technology based heaters. This MH can be integrated with gas sensors to assist pre-heating to the working temperature. The chemical release cycles are well controlled and are ideally suitable for use in medical procedures, such as drug inhalation therapy.

Two large Romanian poplars are considered to be associated with significant historical events of the past. In order to verify these claims, wood samples collected from the broken trunks of the two poplars were radiocarbon dated by AMS. The oldest radiocarbon dates were found to be 275 ± 20 bp for the black poplar of Mocod and 316 ± 22 bp for the gray poplar of Rafaila. These values correspond to calibrated ages of 365 ± 10 and 465 ± 25 years, respectively. The dating results indicate old ages for the two trees, i.e., 455 years for the Mocod poplar and 560 years for the Rafaila poplar. Such age values validate historical information on the two large Romanian trees.

The Glencoe baobab, a very large specimen from South Africa, split twice in 2009. Several wood samples were collected from the eastern cavity, from the outer part of the main section and also from the largest broken segment which was connected to this section. These wood samples were processed and investigated by AMS radiocarbon dating. The radiocarbon date of the oldest sample was found to be 1838 ± 21 BP, which corresponds to a calibrated age of 1835 ± 40 years. Thus, the Glencoe baobab becomes the oldest dated baobab and also the oldest angiosperm tree with accurate dating results. The distribution of dating results revealed that the Glencoe baobab is a multi-generation tree, with several standing or collapsed and partially fused stems, showing different ages.

All energy-harvesting schemes require some form of “intermediate” storage – batteries or capacitors that reservoir energy harvested from the environment. There are a number of reasons for this requirement. Ambient energy fluctuates and intermediate storage smoothes out the impact of these fluctuations on the power delivered to a load. In addition, energy must be “conditioned” to be useful in a given application. It must be set to a certain voltage or made capable of delivering a desired current to load. In this article, a complete energy harvesting system including storage and conditioning electronics is described with a concentration on radio frequency (RF) harvesting. The system is capable of harvesting energy from a commercially available hand-held communication device, and exhibits an overall energy harvesting efficiency of 13.2%. Several potential applications have been investigated based on the performance of this system. Highlighted example applications include power sources for nodes in an architectural structural integrity monitor, and limb prosthesis.

This paper demonstrates a a system capable of harvesting radio-frequency energy from the environment, rectifying this energy, boosting the resulting voltage across a load and using this rectified signal to charge a battery and a super-capacitor hybrid system. Each of the components of this system (antenna, diode rectifier/voltage multiplier/storage medium) will be discussed and a power harvesting efficiency of 11% will be demonsrated

In Supplementary Table 1 originally published with this Brief Communication, the authors gave an incorrect GPS easterly coordinate for tree number 12 (Makulu Makete Big baobab); the coordinate ‘2° 34.584' S, 25° 52.261' E’ should have read ‘22° 34.584' S, 28° 52.261' E’. This has now been amended in the online Supplementary Information file for this Brief Communication.

Several wood samples collected from Dorslandboom, a large iconic African baobab ( Adansonia digitata L.) from Namibia, were investigated by AMS radiocarbon dating subsequent to pretreatment and, alternatively, without pretreatment. The comparative statistical evaluation of results showed that there were no significant differences between fraction modern values and radiocarbon dates of the samples analyzed after pretreatment and without pretreatment, respectively. The radiocarbon date of the oldest sample was 993 ± 20 BP. Dating results also revealed that Dorslandboom is a multi-generation tree, with several stems showing different ages.

The article reports the first radiocarbon dating of a live African baobab (Adansonia digitata L.), by investigating wood samples collected from 2 inner cavities of the very large 2-stemmed Platland tree of South Africa. Some 16 segments extracted from determined positions of the samples, which correspond to a depth of up to 15–20 cm in the wood, were processed and analyzed by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Calibrated ages of segments are not correlated with their positions in the stems of the tree. Dating results indicate that the segments originate from new growth layers, with a thickness of several centimeters, which cover the original old wood. Four new growth layers were dated before the reference year AD 1950 and 2 layers were dated post-AD 1950, in the post-bomb period. Formation of these layers was triggered by major damage inside the cavities. Fire episodes are the only possible explanation for such successive major wounds over large areas or over the entire area of the inner cavities of the Platland tree, able to trigger regrowth.

We describe a nanoscale gating effect by an atypical tether-containing polythiophene, [poly(thiophene-3-carboxylic acid 2-(2-(2-(2-ethoxy-ethoxymethyl sulfonate)-ethoxy)-ethoxy)-amide], referred to as poly(TP-OEG-SO4). Cyclic voltammetry data permitted us to calculate liquid-phase ion diffusivities in the polymer as a function of its oxidation state. Diffusivities are more than 350 times higher in the oxidized state versus the reduced state. As a control, poly 3′,4′-dimethyl-[2,2′;5′,2″] terthiophene (DMPT) was synthesized and characterized. On comparing both polymers in the reduced state, we find diffusivities in poly(TP-OEG-SO4) to be more than 4500 times lower than in poly(DMPT). To explain this behavior, we propose a model that features a charge-balancing mechanism by the sulfonate tethers in poly(TP-OEG-SO4), which causes nanoporous regions around the polymer main chains to be opened and closed, leading to the large observed differences in diffusivities. These data suggest that the polymer poly(TP-OEG-SO4) is evidently able to act as a reversible “nanogate” with an open pore structure when oxidized, and a closed one when reduced. Keywords: Nanogate, Self-doping, Tether, Oligoethylene glycol, Polythiophene, Diffusion

Benthic microbial fuel cells (BMFCs) consist of an anode imbedded in marine sediment, connected by an external circuit to a cathode in overlying water. Long-term power density of BMFCs is limited by mass transport of the anode reactants, the transport being attributed to natural processes, including diffusion, convention, and tidal pumping. In order to increase short-term power density of BMFCs and long-term power density of a more recently reported BMFC, which artificially augments mass transport of the anode reactants, new anode materials are reported here with faster kinetics for microbial reduction as compared to commonly used G10 graphite. Results indicate that the kinetic activities (KAs) of glassy carbon graphite with surface-confined anthraquinone-1,6-disulfonic acid (AQDS), graphite paste with an incorporated Sb(V) complex, and oxidized graphite, and oxidized graphite subsequently modified with AQDS is 1.9–218 times greater than the KA of plain G10 graphite.

Motivated by the technological possibilities of electronics and sensors based on gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), we investigate the selective assembly of such NPs on electrodes via DNA hybridization. Protocols are demonstrated for maximizing selectivity and coverage using 15mers as the active binding agents. Detailed studies of the dependences on time, ionic strength, and temperature are used to understand the underlying mechanisms and their limits. Under optimized conditions, coverage of Au NPs on Au electrodes patterned on silicon dioxide (SiO2) substrates was found to be approximately 25-35%. In all cases, Au NPs functionalized with non-complementary DNA show no attachment and essentially no nonspecific adsorption is observed by any Au NPs on the SiO2 surfaces of the patterned substrates. DNA-guided assembly of multilayers of NPs was also demonstrated and, as expected, found to further increase the coverage, with three deposition cycles resulting in a surface coverage of approximately 60%.

Here we describe the first demonstration of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) as a practical alternative to batteries for a low-power consuming application. The specific application reported is a meteorological buoy (ca. 18-mW average consumption) that measures air temperature, pressure, relative humidity, and water temperature, and that is configured for real-time line-of-sight RF telemetry of data. The specific type of MFC utilized in this demonstration is the benthic microbial fuel cell (BMFC). The BMFC operates on the bottom of marine environments, where it oxidizes organic matter residing in oxygen depleted sediment with oxygen in overlying water. It is maintenance free, does not deplete (i.e., will run indefinitely), and is sufficiently powerful to operate a wide range of low-power marine-deployed scientific instruments normally powered by batteries. Two prototype BMFCs used to power the buoy are described. The first was deployed in the Potomac River in Washington, DC, USA. It had a mass of 230 kg, a volume of 1.3 m3, and sustained 24 mW (energy equivalent of ca. 16 alkaline D-cells per year at 25 °C). Although not practical due to high cost and extensive in-water manipulation required to deploy, it established the precedence that a fully functional scientific instrument could derive all of its power from a BMFC. It also provided valuable lessons for developing a second, more practical BMFC that was subsequently used to power the buoy in a salt marsh near Tuckerton, NJ, USA. The second version BMFC has a mass of 16 kg, a volume of 0.03 m3, sustains ca. 36 mW (energy equivalent of ca. 26 alkaline D-cells per year at 25 °C), and can be deployed by a single person from a small craft with minimum or no in-water manipulation. This BMFC is being further developed to reduce cost and enable greater power output by electrically connecting multiple units in parallel. Use of this BMFC powering the meteorological buoy highlights the potential impact of BMFCs to enable long term (persistent) operation of durable low-power marine instruments (up to 100 mW average power consumption) far longer than practical by batteries.

We found that when a quinone headgroup, present in a mixed self-assembled monolayer on gold, reacts with a nucleophile, dissolved in the bulk phase, the reaction rate widely depends on the chemical nature of the tether, being 7 times faster for quinones attached via a delocalized bridge as compared to a saturated alkane chain. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the quinone/hydroquinone redox couple was used to monitor the nucleophilic addition, while simulated CVs compared to experimental runs permitted the determination of rate constants. Analysis of CV data also suggests that the delocalized oligo(phenylene ethynylene) bridge facilitates the addition of two mercaptoethanol molecules as compared to the alkane bridge, where only one molecule is being added. The use of delocalized bridges for tethering quinones to electrodes is of great potential in electrochemically controlled "tuning" of surfaces needed in biosensor applications.

The article reports the radiocarbon investigation of Anzapalivoro, the largest za baobab (Adansonia za) specimen of Madagascar and of another za, namely the Big cistern baobab. Several wood samples collected from the large inner cavity and from the outer part/exterior of the tree were investigated by AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) radiocarbon dating. For samples collected from the cavity walls, the age values increase with the distance into the wood up to a point of maximum age, after which the values decrease toward the outer part. This anomaly of age sequences indicates that the inner cavity of Anzapalivoro is a false cavity, practically an empty space between several fused stems disposed in a ring-shaped structure. The radiocarbon date of the oldest sample was 780 ± 30 bp, which corresponds to a calibrated age of around 735 yr. Dating results indicate that Anzapalivoro has a closed ring-shaped structure, which consists of 5 fused stems that close a false cavity. The oldest part of the biggest za baobab has a calculated age of 900 years. We also disclose results of the investigation of a second za baobab, the Big cistern baobab, which was hollowed out for water storage. This specimen, which consists of 4 fused stems, was found to be around 260 years old.

Initial studies on the fabrication of a new double-layer capacitor based on hydrated ruthenium oxide (RuO2.xH2O) are presented. The electrochemical capacitor cell is based on three designs approaches: active surface enhancement via corrugations, the use of an ultra-thin self assembled dielectric implemented with hydrated Ruthenium oxide and activated carbon powders in combination with sulfuric acid and the fusion of both processes. We address the key components of the electrochemical cell (i) packaging,; (ii) the methodology of incorporating sulfuric acid and the various powders, and (iii) the deposition technique for the powder. The powder composition was varied to establish its effect on the overall capacitance. Mixing RuO2.xH2O and AC yielded devices with the greatest capacitance value, whereas devices containing only one of the two components had capacitance values lower by a factor of 10-50. The devices have capacitance values as large as 50 mF/cm2 per plate pair.

We compare the electron transfer (ET) rates of hydroquinone self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold electrodes containing either an alkane or pi-delocalized oligo(phenylene vinylene) (OPV) bridge at basic pH (between pH 8 and 12.6). The hydroquinone SAMs were diluted with octane-1-thiol. Cyclic voltammograms of the quinone/hydroquinone (Q/H 2 Q) couple allowed the peak-to-peak separation of the anodic and catholic peak potentials to be analyzed and apparent rate constants ( k app ) to be determined using Laviron’s formalism. We found that a simple rate law containing one equilibrium constant ( K AH ) and two rate constants ( k AH and k A ) describes the dependence of k app as a function of pH. From this model, the ratio of the rate constants for the protonated form H 2 Q, k AH (OPV) / k AH (alk) was ∼800, and the ratio of the de-protonated form, HQ − , k A(OPV) / k A(alk) was ∼2. The large ratio at pH K AH suggests that, for protonated H 2 Q, the ability of the OPV bridges to tunnel electrons significantly affects the overall rate. The small ratio at strongly basic pH (>p K AH ) implies that, for the de-protonated form HQ − , the overall ET rate is less sensitive to the bridge.

Aims: To assess the influence of chemical treatment of the anode of a marine sediment biofuel cell (MSBFC) on the microbial diversity of the anode biofilm. Methods and Results: A MSBFC was equipped with two graphite plate anodes, one pretreated by electrochemical oxidation in sulfuric acid and the other untreated. After 6 weeks of operation, 16S rRNA clone libraries were constructed from each anode biofilm. The pretreated anode exhibited a fourfold depletion in γ-proteobacteria, a fourfold enrichment in δ-proteobacteria, a sixfold increase in sulfate reducers, a fivefold enrichment in unclassified micro-organisms, and 6% of the colonies were sulfur oxidizers while none were detected on the untreated anode. Conclusion: Anode pretreatment significantly affects the anode-colonized microbial communities of MSBFCs. Significance and Impact of the Study: The MSBFC is one of a new class of microbial fuel cells in which the anode is spontaneously colonized by a subset of micro-organisms indigenous to a complex anaerobic mixture (such as sewage and food processing effluents). These micro-organisms utilize the anode as an oxidant, catalysing power generation by oxidizing fuel in the mixture and reducing the anode. This study reveals that pretreatment of the anode can greatly affect the composition of the microbial colony of such fuel cells.

We describe the synthesis of two oligo(phenylene vinylene)s (OPVs) with a hydroquinone moiety and a thiol anchor group: 4-(2‘,5‘-dihydroxystyryl)benzyl thioacetate and 4-[4‘-(2‘ ‘,5‘ ‘-dihydroxystyryl)styryl]benzyl thioacetate. Monolayers on gold of these molecules were examined by electrochemical techniques to determine the electron transfer kinetics of the hydroquinone functionality (H2Q) through these delocalized tethers (“molecular wires”) as a function of pH. Between pH 4 and 9, rate constants were ca. 100-fold faster than for the same H2Q functionality confined to the surface via alkane tethers. Also, in this same pH range rate constants were independent of the length of the OPV bridge. These new electroactive molecules in which the hydroquinone functionality is wired to the gold surface by means of OPV tethers should be useful platforms for constructing bioelectronic devices such as biosensors, biofuel cells, and biophotovoltaic cells with a fast response time.

Hydrophilic gold nanoclusters were tethered onto gold electrodes modified with mixed 1-octane thiol/1,9-nonane dithiol monolayers. The heterogeneous electron transfer (ET) kinetics of soluble redox species in the supporting electrolyte were investigated at these electrodes by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in the presence and absence of the ion-pairing anions PF6- and NO3-. The redox species investigated, [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− and [Co(C12H8N2)3]3+/2+ where oppositely charged. The results presented here reveal that the rate of ET for the negatively charged redox species decreases with decreasing ionic charging time constant of the electrolyte. The opposite trend is observed for the positively charged redox species. Keywords: Gold nanocluster, Quantized charging, Mixed monolayer, Electron transfer kinetics, Blocked surface, Cobalt tris(phenanthroline)

Here, we report a comparative study on the kinetic activity of various anodes of a recently described microbial fuel cell consisting of an anode imbedded in marine sediment and a cathode in overlying seawater. Using plain graphite anodes, it was demonstrated that a significant portion of the anodic current results from oxidation of sediment organic matter catalyzed by microorganisms colonizing the anode and capable of directly reducing the anode without added exogenous electron-transfer mediators. Here, graphite anodes incorporating microbial oxidants are evaluated in the laboratory relative to plain graphite with the goal of increasing power density by increasing current density. Anodes evaluated include graphite modified by adsorption of anthraquinone-1,6-disulfonic acid (AQDS) or 1,4-naphthoquinone (NQ), a graphite-ceramic composite containing Mn2+ and Ni2+, and graphite modified with a graphite paste containing Fe3O4 or Fe3O4 and Ni2+. It was found that these anodes possess between 1.5- and 2.2-fold greater kinetic activity than plain graphite. Fuel cells were deployed in a coastal site near Tuckerton, NJ (USA) that utilized two of these anodes. These fuel cells generated ca. 5-fold greater current density than a previously characterized fuel cell equipped with a plain graphite anode, and operated at the same site.

A systematic investigation of acrylic type copolymers was performed for determining their mechanical durability and electrolyte retention, when immersed in various media, including aqueous and organic solutions. Optimization of the chemical and dimensional stability of polymers was possible by electrochemical techniques and swelling/dissolution/evaporation tests. Acrylic acid—acrylonitrile copolymers resistant to aqueous and organic media in a wide pH range have been previously employed in various electrochemical applications, including unconventional reference electrodes. This paper introduces a simple and easy to use system for polymer testing, and highlights the ability of electrochemistry to predict polymer behavior in aqueous and organic solutions. Specially designed gravimetric measurements support the electrochemical characterization of the hydrogel samples. It is shown that open circuit potential against time measurements represent suitable tools for evaluating polymer properties.