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Acid catalysis is recognised as the most reliable industrial ì way to convert hydrocarbons into various products (methanol to olefins and aromatics, glycerol to olefins, methane dehydroaromatization, isomerization, etc.). In this concern, ZSM-5 is extensively used, also because of peculiar type of active sites of such zeolite. In this paper, a fine tuning of the acidity content and strength of ZSM-5 was investigated through a combination of post- synthesis treatments: desilication via alkaline solution and wet impregnation with Mg2+ions followed by calcination. Results show that the insertion of Mg2+has a large influence on the distribution and strength of Brønsted and Lewis acid sites of the hierarchical ZSM-5, as well as an improved crystallinity with respect to the desilicated-one. The hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite incorporating Mg-species was tested in Methanol- to-olefins reaction and the reduction of acid strength of catalyst increased the selectivity toward light olefins (mainly propylene) as well as it suppressed oligomerisation reactions delaying the coke formation.

Background: Buccal delivery of drugs can be used as an alternative administration route to conventional oral route avoiding the liver first-pass effect and improving patient compliance. Objective: The goal of this work was to develop dry emulsions for buccal delivery of ketoprofen, used as a lipophilic model drug. The influence of two vegetable oils, olive oil or wheat germ oil, in the presence of α-cyclodextrin and different drying techniques on the dry emulsion properties was evaluated. Methods: Emulsions were prepared by adding olive oil or wheat germ oil to an aqueous solution of α-cyclodextrin and subsequently dried through an oven, freeze-dryer or spray-dryer. Dry emulsions were characterized in terms of yield, encapsulation efficiency, morphology and drug solid-state. In vitro drug release and permeation studies were carried out to evaluate dry emulsion ability to release the drug and to allow its permeation through the esophageal porcine epithelium. Results: The formation of stable and milky emulsion was assured by cyclodextrin ability to interact with oil components obtaining an inclusion complex with amphiphilic property able to act as a surfaceactive agent. The drying process influenced the yield and the encapsulation efficiency, while no significant differences were observed between olive oil and wheat germ oil. Freeze-dried emulsions, selected as the best formulations, resulted in fast release of drug thereby ensuring its permeation across the epithelium. Conclusion: Dry emulsions prepared with a simple and easy method, using natural ingredients and avoiding synthetic surfactants and organic solvents, could be used for buccal delivery of lipophilic drugs.

Buccal matrices represent a widely accepted dosage form permitting a convenient, easy, reliable drug administration and reducing administration errors. The aim of this study was the development of mucoadhesive buccal matrices for propranolol administration in children. Matrices were obtained by freeze-drying of drug loaded polymeric solutions based on gum tragacanth (GT), pectin (PEC), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), sodium hyaluronate (HA), gelatin (GEL), chitosan (CH) or a mixture of CH and HPMC (CH/HPMC). Matrices were characterized for drug solid state, morphology, water-uptake, mucoadhesion ability, in vitro drug release and permeation through porcine epithelium. The most promising formulations were tested for in vitro biocompatibility in human dental pulp fibroblasts. The preparative method and the polymeric composition influenced the drug solid state, as a complete amorphization as well as different polymorphic forms were observed. GEL and PEC guaranteed a fast and complete drug release due to their rapid dissolution, while for the other matrices the release was influenced by drug diffusion through the viscous gelled matrix. Moreover, matrices based on CH and CH/HPMC showed the best mucoadhesive properties, favoured the drug permeation, in virtue of CH ability to interfere with the lipid organization of biological membrane, and were characterized by a good biocompatibility profile.

This study was performed to investigate broad bean pods (BBPs), a food waste by-product material, for their glucan and pectin contents, at three different stages of maturation, in order to provide basic support for the functional uses of BBPs and for the development of a potential market for bioactive ingredients from residual sources. In the first instance, the isolation of glucans was performed by carrying out an alkaline extraction on the dry BBP flour, at each stage of maturation. The isolated glucans were dialyzed and the crude and soluble samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analyses. Afterwards, the colorimetric method for the enzymatic measurement of glucans was used. This procedure involved partial acid hydrolysis combined with an enzyme complex for the quantitative determination of α- and β-glucans. The results showed that, regardless of the used method, the glucan content increased with maturation. The maximum total glucan yield was recovered from BBPs at third stage of maturation (45 mg/g). The kit-based procedure revealed the variability of the β-glucan amount with maturation whose percentage, compared to total glucans, increased from 47.6 at the first stage up to 61.9 at the third stage. On the contrary, the pectin content in BBPs decreased with maturation. The yields ranged from 8.7% at the third stage to 17.2% at the first stage of maturation. The degree of esterification was determined by the classical titrimetric method and confirmed by the instrumental FT-IR method. The samples showed an average titrimetric value of 43.4% and the typical fingerprint in IR spectra with an average value of 50.5%. The degree of methoxylation remained almost unchanged during maturation, regardless of the method used.

Nowadays, the dependence on fossil fuels is creating a particular instability in the global market. Moreover, waste management in urban areas is becoming a real problem. Different research groups all over the world are dealing with the resolution of both problems, using agricultural and urban wastes as an initial feedstock for the production of various fuels. In particular, using bioethanol turns out to be one of the most promising for two reasons: firstly, it is characterized by chemical–physical properties similar to gasoline (i.e., octane number, evaporation enthalpy, etc.); and secondly, it is easy to obtain fermentation processes from simple sugars. The problem of waste disposal strongly depends on lignocellulosic substrates, being lignin not easily fermentable like cellulose. Therefore, it became necessary to eliminate/separate it from the starting organic matrix. Pretreatments are used to separate the lignin and part of the hemicellulose from the starting matrix. This crucial point, for the transformation of lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol, is the most expensive process. For this reason, different types of pretreatments have been developed to find the most promising one, to be used in the industrial field, in terms of the total amount converted from an economic point of view. This chapter is an overview of the most widespread pretreatment types, highlighting advantages/disadvantages for each methodology.

Hydrogen is considered one of the energy carriers of the future due to its high mass-based calorific value. Hydrogen combustion generates only water, and it can be used directly as a fuel for electricity/heat generation. Nowadays, about 95% of the hydrogen is produced via conversion of fossil fuels. One of the future challenges is to find processes based on a renewable source to produce hydrogen in a sustainable way. Bioethanol is a promising candidate, since it can be obtained from the fermentation of biomasses, and easily converted into hydrogen via steam catalytic reforming. The correct design of catalysts and catalytic supports plays a crucial role in the optimization of this reaction. The best results have to date been achieved by noble metals, but their high costs make them unsuitable for industrial application. Very satisfactory results have also been achieved by using nickel and cobalt as active metals. Furthermore, it has been found that the support physical and chemical properties strongly affect the catalytic performance. In this review, zeolitic materials used for the ethanol steam reforming reaction are overviewed. We discuss thermodynamics, reaction mechanisms and the role of active metal, as well as the main noble and non-noble active compounds involved in ethanol steam reforming reaction. Finally, an overview of the zeolitic supports reported in the literature that can be profitably used to produce hydrogen through ethanol steam reforming is presented.

One of the most important problems in the worldwide community is the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable sources. In fact, in the last years, intense efforts from research groups around the world have been made in the development of the transformation from biomass to bioenergy in terms of yield and economic sustainability. In particular, one of the most promising renewable sources is considered lignocellulosic biomass for the following reasons: it has high productivity, requires low agricultural inputs, has positive environmental impacts, is easy to process, and does not compete with food crops. In particular, from this raw material is possible to obtain different types of biofuels such as syngas, biooil, and bioethanol. This chapter is focused on the production of bioethanol from renewable sources and aims to give an overview on the various steps of the production processes and the implementation of the technology by membrane reactors.

The modification of the physicochemical properties of synthetic zeolites is an important element when these materials are applied as heterogeneous catalysts in the view of more sustainable and effective processes. In this work, desilicated ZSM5 samples were tested on the methanol to dimethyl ether dehydration. Desilication time strongly affects the textural and acidic properties of the samples, and those characteristics determined a different catalytic behaviour. Contact time of 60 min with NaOH solution (alkaline desilication) favourably impact on the activity of the catalysts and its stability against deactivation in terms of methanol conversion and yield to DME, in comparison with parent zeolite and sample prepared after 30 min of desilication. This effect is due to a combination of changes in the properties of acidic sites and mesoporous volume, as confirmed by stability test over 80 h of reaction. The analysis of formed coke confirmed this evidence since the most performing catalyst showed the lowest tendency to form coke as the main consequence of the improved accessibility to the acid sites determined by the induced mesoporosity.

The objective of this study was the development of different solid formulations, such as wafers and films, for buccal administration of ondansetron, a selective and potent antagonist of 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptors used in children for the treatment of nausea and vomiting. Wafers and films have been prepared drying an aqueous solution of pectin, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, sodium hyaluronate, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, chitosan or gelatin, through lyophilization or oven. Formulations were characterized in terms of morphology, drug solid state and ability to hydrate, adhere to mucosa, release and favour the permeation of the drug through porcine esophageal epithelium, used as model of human buccal epithelium. The most promising formulations were tested for in vitro biocompatibility in human pulp fibroblasts. Films showed greater hydration and mucoadhesion abilities and allowed the release and the permeation of a greater amount of ondansetron with respect to wafers. Chitosan or hyaluronate provided films with the best mucoadhesion properties and good biocompatibility profile. Moreover, chitosan based film allowed to obtain the highest amount of permeated drug and could represent a novel child-appropriate dosage form able to combine the advantages of solid dosage form with the possibility to avoid the swallowing.

Electrochemical measurement of pH on paper artifacts is a very important tool to assess the state of paper conservation. Different methods using different types of electrodes have been standardized to provide reproducible pH values of paper. One of these methodologies is not very invasive since it is made on the paper surface by means of a surface electrode in contact with the paper through a small layer of water previously added at the measurement point. This method is very convenient but suffers from the fact that the pH value given by the instrument is continuously changing during the measurement with a very fast rate in the first seconds and tending to reach a plateau value after very long time. Usually, the measure is taken at a time after which the rate of pH change is below a given value, i.e., when the value can be considered constant. This condition is usually signaled by an automatic instrumental alert provided to the operator. This pH value, however, is not the asymptotic one, which can be reac...

Wood artefacts are subject to damage by biologic infestations due to bacteria, insects, and fungal species. One of the worst feared attacks is due to the xylophagous insects whose larvae feed on wood by boring galleries, at the expense of building timbers and worked woods. These beetles are responsible for daily destruction of the world’s wooden cultural heritage, and their elimination has been always a big problem for conservation of wood. The need to avoid the use of chemical methods in conservation for pest control has led to the development of various non-chemical, non-toxic treatments. Among these, heating with microwaves (MW) seems to be one of the most promising, since it has already shown its high efficacy in destroying pests. Insect-infested wood remediation by MW heating in conservation is based on the larger thermal increment induced in larvae than in wood, due to their different dielectric permittivity in the GHz frequency range. However, the side effects that may occur due to MW heati...

The growing interest towards the hydrogen utilization as energy carrier placed a high demand on hydrogen permeable membranes as compact devices for hydrogen separation and purification. Many studies in this scientific field demonstrated that the composite Pd-based membranes are particularly effective for the aforementioned purposes, particularly if compared to the utilization of self-supported Pd-based membranes for their high cost and mechanical limitations. As a case study, a composite membrane based on a thin Pd-Au (8 μm of metallic layer and 12 wt% of Au) supported on α-Al2O3 substrate was produced by electroless plating deposition. Permeation tests were performed with pure gases (H2, N2, CO2, CH4) by varying the temperature between 300 °C and 400 °C and the feed pressure from 150 to 350 kPa. The exponential factor (n-value) in the equation describing the relationship between the hydrogen flux permeating through the membrane and its driving force was analyzed as a function of temperature and pressure variation. An apparent activation energy of 11 kJ/mol has been reached and it is comparable to other data present in the open literature. A H2/N2 ideal selectivity of around 500 was reached at 400 °C and 50 kPa of transmembrane pressure and it remained stable up to 600 h under operation. The presence of defects on the metallic layer has affected the membrane performance in terms of H2 perm-selectivity as testified by the post-mortem analysis on the exhausted membrane.

One of the most felt current problems in the worldwide scientific community is the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable sources. Fossil fuels as a source of energy have produced numerous unfavorable effects over the years, such as a decrease in air quality and an increase in global temperature. Nowadays, the rapid depletion of these fuels is provoking fluctuations in global market prices with relative crises in nonenergy-independent states. Bioethanol is one of the promising alternatives for replacing fossil fuels. Currently, most ethanol comes from corn and cane sugar crops that are called first-generation raw materials. However, if ethanol was used as the main fuel and its raw materials were food crops, there would be a marked increase in the cost of food, leading to an increase in the problem of world hunger. For this reason, two other generations of lignocellulosic biomasses were studied that could meet the production needs and were not from agricultural crops. The second generation in fact provides for the use of agricultural, forest, industrial, and urban waste as raw material, while the third generation uses marine algae as raw material. This chapter aims to provide an overview both of the different generations of raw materials used for the production of bioethanol and of the various steps of the fermentation process that from biomass leads to the formation of ethanol.

Nowadays, the world’s energy requirements are based on the use of fossil fuels. Rapid growth in both global energy demand and carbon dioxide emissions associated with the use of these fuels have driven the research for alternative sources, which are renewable and have a lower environmental impact. Ethanol is considered one of them. In fact, it is considered one of the better biofuels for transport: it can be burned directly or blended with petrol to improve fuel combustion in vehicles, resulting in lower CO 2 emission to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The optimization of the ethanol production processes from lignocellulosic biomass is considered an important research from both industrial and research point of view. In function of the nature of the raw material, it is possible to distinguish these three different feedstock generations. In the first generation, the substrate consists mainly of seeds, potato, and grains and the production process consists of the purification of simple sugars to obtain ethanol. Nevertheless, the first generation of biofuels has been perceived as sustainable mainly from both an environmental and limitation in food supply point of view. This has meant that research has switched to the development of more advanced technology to obtain an energy sustainability to minimize greenhouse gases emission. For these reasons, other two different production processes have been developed, focusing on the fermentation of cellulose and hemicellulose from mainly agricultural wastes (second generation) and algae (third generation). This chapter represents a critical analysis of published data on application and potentiality of the bioethanol production from first, second and third generation of feedstock.

In the last century, a series of problems related to the environment, mainly due to polluting emissions such as CO2, CH4, and N2O, led to revaluation of a series of factors, including that of emissions from motor vehicles. To overcome the problem, new types of less polluting biofuels based on ethanol blends with fossil fuels, have been developed. United States, with the production of ethanol from corn, and Brazil, with the production of ethanol from sugarcane, currently drive the market for the world production of bioethanol, thanks mainly to government subsidies. Despite this, some problems related to energy loss during industrial processes and to the linkage of the first-generation feedstock with both biofuel and food for human consumption, are leading to the development of new-generation feedstocks which exploit lignocellulosic or algal biomasses. This chapter is a brief review of the methods of production of ethanol in the United States and Brazil, giving the generic economical and statistical data of the processes.

Buccal mucosa has emerged as an attractive site for systemic administration of drug in paediatric patients. This route is simple and non-invasive, even if the saliva wash-out effect and the relative permeability of the mucosa can reduce drug absorption (Lam et al., 2014). Mucoadhesive polymers represent a common employed strategy to increase the contact time of the formulation at the application site and to improve drug absorption. Among the different mucoadhesive dosage forms, buccal films are particularly addressed for paediatric population since they are thin, adaptable to the mucosal surface and able to offer an exact and flexible dose (Borges et al., 2015; Trastullo et al., 2016). The objective of the present study was to develop bilayered buccal films for the release of propranolol hydrochloride, a non-selective β1 and β2 adrenergic antagonist, indicated in paediatrics for the treatment of hypertension. Mucoadhesive layer was prepared by casting and drying of solutions of film-forming polymers, such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or polyvinylalcohol (PVA), added with different weight ratios of gelatin (GEL) or chitosan (CH). In order to achieve unidirectional drug delivery towards buccal mucosa, an ethylcellulose coating layer was applied onto the first one. Bilayered films were characterized for their physico-chemical and functional properties. The inclusion of CH into PVP and PVA films provided the best mucoadhesion ability, probably due to their highest hydration among all the formulations, that ensured a good interpenetration and entanglement between polymer and mucin chains. Moreover, the positively charged ammino groups of CH could interact with negatively charged sialic acid and sulphate residues of mucin glycoprotein. Films containing CH provided a lower drug release with respect to films containing GEL, due to their lower viscosity in the gelled state which limited drug diffusion. The presence of CH also increased the amount of permeated drug through buccal mucosa, thanks to its ability of interfering with the lipid organization. Coating layer did not interfere with drug permeation, but it could limit drug release in the buccal cavity. With polymeric films, a novel solid buccal formulation was developed. The selection of suitable polymeric mixture allowed the modulation of the mucoadhesive ability, the release of the drug and its permeation through the buccal mucosa. Moreover, polymeric films fulfill all current demands for child-appropriate dosage forms. In fact, they combine the convenience of tablets, a solid dosage form, with less issues instability than liquid formulations, and the opportunity to avoid swallowing of a large unit. Moreover, the use of films with different sizes enables the administration of variable doses of drug and can be suitable for a large range of age groups. Borges A.F., Silva C., Coelho J.F., Simões S. Oral films: current status and future perspectives. I – Galenical development and quality attributes. J. Control. Release 206 (2015) 1-19. Lam J.K., Xu Y., Worsley A., Wong I.C. Oral transmucosal drug delivery for pediatric use. Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 73 (2014) 50-62. Trastullo R., Abruzzo A., Saladini B., Gallucci M.C., Cerchiara T., Luppi B., Bigucci F. Design and evaluation of buccal films as paediatric dosage form for transmucosal delivery of ondansetron. Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm. 105 (2016) 115-121.

The assessment of the catalytic performance of &ldquo, hybrid&rdquo, metal/zeolite catalysts (based on FER or MFI structure and CuZnZr metal complexes) in the methanol dehydration step to DME has been studied in this work. The results clearly show that there is an important effect of the interaction between metal and acid sites affecting the acid catalyst performances. Additionally, deactivation, studied by means of a Timo-on-Stream (TOS) test, was affected by the type of zeolite structure used for hybrid catalyst preparation. The decrease in DME selectivity can be attributed to the cooperation of metal and acid sites in the production of different compounds (mainly methyl formate and dimethoxy methane) converting methanol and DME. The presence of these compounds (indicating different reaction pathways active) was found to be dependent on the zeolite structure and on the type of co-precipitation medium (water or ethanol) used to prepare the hybrid catalyst.

Chlorhexidine (CLX) is a wide spectrum cationic antimicrobial used for prevention and treatment of infections of buccal and vaginal cavities. To increase the residence time of CLX-based formulations at the application site and consequently reduce the daily dose frequency, new formulations composed of mucoadhesive polymers should be designed. The objective of this work was the development of matrices based on polyanionic polymers, such as sodium alginate, carboxymethylcellulose, xanthan gum and sodium hyaluronate, aimed to prolong the local release of CLX into the buccal or vaginal cavity. Matrices were prepared by freeze-drying and comply with 2 different preparative methods and characterized in terms of resistance to compression, water uptake ability, mucoadhesion, in vitro drug release behavior and antimicrobial activity toward representative pathogens of buccal and vaginal cavities. Results showed that the selection of suitable polymers associated to the adequate preparative method allowed to modulate matrix ability to hydrate, adhere to the mucosa and release the drug as well as to exert antimicrobial activity. In particular, matrix based on sodium hyaluronate was found to be the best performing formulation and could represent a versatile system for local release of CLX with potential application in both buccal and vaginal cavities.

Methanol, or methyl alcohol, is the simplest alcohol, appearing as a colorless liquid with a distinctive smell. Nowadays, it is considered one of the most useful chemical compounds. In fact, it is one of the most promising building blocks for obtaining more complex chemical structures, such as acetic acid, methyl tertiary butyl ether, dimethyl ether, methylamine, etc. Furthermore, methanol is also considered a promising clean-burning fuel with a high octane number. Knowing that CO2 and H2 are among the precursors in methanol synthesis, it is noteworthy that the conversion of CO2 to methanol can be considered a promising method for significantly reducing CO2 emissions, and that methanol production can also be used as a convenient energy carrier for hydrogen storage and conservation. In fact, methanol synthesis is the second source, after ammonia production, of hydrogen consumption (which has the highest energy content per weight) via several reactions, such as partial oxidation, steam reforming, autothermal reforming, methanol decomposition, or methanol-water solution electrolysis. Finally, among the recent attractive applications of methanol, the most promising for the future are the production of DME, the production of hydrogen, and the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). This chapter is an overview of not only common feedstocks used in the production processes for obtaining methanol (natural gases, CO2, or char/biomass), but also of the historical production processes (such as the BASF process, also known as the “high-pressure method,” and the ICI process, also known as the “low-pressure method”) and the most innovative trends for industrial applications.

Bifidobacteria are predominant microorganisms in the intestinal flora, but at the same time represent a subdominant group of the vaginal microbiota. For this reason, oral administration of these probiotic bacteria can provide beneficial effect for both intestinal and urogenital ecosystems. The first aim of this study was to test the strain Bifidobacterium breve BC204, isolated from a vaginal swab of a healthy woman, for its capability to adhere to human cells, to survive to gastric acids and bile salts and to exert antimicrobial activities. The second aim of the work was to develop an oral formulation able to guarantee bacterial survival during storage and administration, thus favouring intestinal and vaginal colonization. B. breve BC204 was encapsulated by spray-drying and subsequently formulated in time-dependent erodible tablets. B. breve BC204 showed good ability to adhere to Caco-2 cells and moderate ability to resist to gastrointestinal stress. Moreover, it exerted a strong antimicrobial activity against urogenital and enteric pathogens. Microencapsulation followed by tablet production allowed high loading and survival of B. breve BC204, associated to a delayed release and mucoadhesive ability. These characteristics are required to achieve appropriate amount and persistence of viable microbial cells in the treatment site.

Buccal mucosa has emerged as an attractive site for systemic administration of drug in paediatric patients. This route is simple and non-invasive, even if the saliva wash-out effect and the relative permeability of the mucosa can reduce drug absorption. Mucoadhesive polymers represent a common employed strategy to increase the contact time of the formulation at the application site and to improve drug absorption. Among the different mucoadhesive dosage forms, buccal films are particularly addressed for paediatric population since they are thin, adaptable to the mucosal surface and able to offer an exact and flexible dose. The objective of the present study was to develop bilayered buccal films for the release of propranolol hydrochloride. A primary polymeric layer was prepared by casting and drying of solutions of film-forming polymers, such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or polyvinylalcohol (PVA), added with different weight ratios of gelatin (GEL) or chitosan (CH). In order to achieve unidirectional drug delivery towards buccal mucosa, a secondary ethylcellulose layer was applied onto the primary layer. Bilayered films were characterized for their physico-chemical (morphology, thickness, drug content and solid state) and functional (water uptake, mucoadhesion, drug release and permeation) properties. The inclusion of CH into PVP and PVA primary layer provided the best mucoadhesion ability. Films containing CH provided a lower drug release with respect to films containing GEL and increased the amount of permeated drug through buccal mucosa, thanks to its ability of interfering with the lipid organization. The secondary ethylcellulose layer did not interfere with drug permeation, but it could limit drug release in the buccal cavity.

Nowadays, hydrogen has gained a considerable attention as the most viable energy carrier for numerous applications and, particularly, for PEMFCs supplying. In particular, many scientific studies involve in the production of hydrogen in more environmentally friendly processes, based on the exploitation of bio-sources. Therefore, the hydrogen generation has made attractive the bio-alcohols and, among them, ethanol and methanol - as bio-derived and renewable sources - constitute attracting candidates for producing hydrogen through reforming reactions in both conventional and membrane reactors. This chapter deals with the recent findings on both ethanol, methanol and biogas reforming reactions, paying attention on the utilization and the potentiality of the membrane reactors technology as well as its advantages over the conventional reactors technology. Furthermore, a short overview from the specialized literature on the most representative scientific findings concerning ethanol, methanol and biogas reforming processes performed in membrane reactors is also given and discussed.

In this work, we propose as new wound dressing, the Spanish Broom fibers impregnated with vancomycin (VM) loaded chitosan nanoparticles. Spanish Broom fibers were extracted by patented method DiCoDe and the morphological, physical and mechanical properties were investigated. Chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by ionic gelation using different weight ratios between chitosan (CH) and tripolyphosphate (TPP). Nanoparticles were characterized in terms of size, zeta potential, yield, encapsulation efficiency, stability and drug release. Finally, the antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus as well as in vitro cytotoxicity on HaCaT cells were evaluated. The best formulation CH/TPP 4:1 was selected based on the encapsulation efficiency and yield. Spanish Broom fibers impregnated with loaded nanoparticles showed an increased antibacterial activity against S . aureus compared to the same fibers containing VM without nanoparticles. Moreover, these fibers were not toxic to HaCaT keratinocytes cells. In conclusion, Spanish Broom fibers impregnated with VM loaded CH/TPP nanoparticles would appear to be a promising candidate for wound dressing application.

This chapter aims to provide an update of the state of art of existing feedstocks for biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomasses. Lignocellulosic biomass is considered an important bioresource that can be utilized in many forms. In function of the nature of this lignocellulosic biomass, it is possible to make a difference between three feedstock generations. In the first one, the substrate consists mainly of seeds, potato, and grains, and the production process consists in the purification of simple sugars to obtain ethanol. But, the first-generation biofuels have been perceived as unsustainable from both an environmental and an industrial production cost points of view. So, the research has switched to the development of more advanced biofuels. For this reason, the first-generation feedstocks have been replaced in a first time by a second one (mainly agricultural wastes) and in a second time with a third one (algae). This chapter presents a critical analysis of published data on both the applications and potentiality of the bioenergy production from second and third generation of feedstocks.

This paper presents a fully integrated step-up switched-capacitor DC-DC converter for energy harvesting applications. The proposed solution exhibits both a high voltage-conversion ratio and a high power-conversion efficiency from a low-voltage source such as a thermoelectric generator or an indoor solar cell. The circuit has been implemented in TSMC 55nm CMOS process. Measurements demonstrate that it can properly operate with a 220 mV input, providing a 1.9 V output voltage at 10.45 μW output power, with 37.4% power conversion efficiency. We demonstrate that it can be used as a power supply for a Bluetooth Low Energy beacon with a thermoelectric generator subjected to a temperature difference of only 3.5°C.

A rise in CO2 and other greenhouse gases’ concentration from gas refinery flares and furnaces in the atmosphere causes environmental problems. In this work, a new process was designed to use waste gas (flue gas and flare gas) of a domestic gas refinery to produce pure hydrogen in a membrane reactor. In particular, the process foresees that the energy and CO2 content of flue gas can provide the heat of the mixed reforming reaction to convert flare gas into hydrogen. Furthermore, the characteristics of the feed stream were obtained via simulation. Then, an experimental setup was built up to investigate the performance of a membrane reactor allocating an unsupported dense Pd-Ag membrane at the mentioned conditions. In this regard, a Ni/CeO2 catalyst was loaded in the membrane reformer for mixed reforming reaction, operating at 450 °C, in a pressure range between 100 and 350 kPa and a gas hourly space velocity of around 1000 h−1. The experimental results in terms of methane conversion, hydrogen recovery and yield, as well as products’ compositions are reported. The best results of this work were observed at 350 kPa, where the MR was able to achieve about 64%, 52% and 50% for methane conversion, hydrogen yield and recovery, respectively. Furthermore, with the assistance of the experimental tests, the proposed process was simulated in the scaling up to calculate the needed surface area for MR in the domestic gas refinery.