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A hallmark of acute myeloid leukaemias (AMLs) are chromosomal rearrangements that give rise to novel leukaemia-specific fusion genes. Most of these fusion genes are both initiating and driving events in AML and therefore constitute ideal therapeutic targets but are challenging to target by conventional drug development. siRNAs are frequently used for the specific suppression of fusion gene expression but require special formulations for efficient in vivo delivery. Here we describe the use of siRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles for the specific therapeutic targeting of the leukaemic fusion gene RUNX1/ETO. Transient knockdown of RUNX1/ETO reduces its binding to its target genes and alters the binding of RUNX1 and its co-factor CBFβ. Transcriptomic changes in vivo were associated with substantially increased median survival of a t(8;21)-AML mouse model. Importantly, transient knockdown in vivo causes long-lasting inhibition of leukaemic proliferation and clonogenicity, induction of myeloid differentiation and a markedly impaired re-engraftment potential in vivo. These data strongly suggest that temporary inhibition of RUNX1/ETO results in long-term restriction of leukaemic self-renewal. Our results provide proof for the feasibility of targeting RUNX1/ETO in a pre-clinical setting and support the further development of siRNA-LNPs for the treatment of fusion gene-driven malignancies.

There is a strong and ever-escalating need for sterilization tools that are effective against a broad range of pathogenic microorganisms. To address this issue, this study evaluates the inactivation potential of arc and pulsed spark plasma discharges on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Candida albicans microorganisms. Our results show that the electrical discharge plasma systems are effective in the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms. The inactivation of the considered strains was greatly affected by the type of microorganisms. Higher viability losses of the pathogenic strains were observed in bacterial strains than in the fungal strains. Moreover, in the case of fungal strains, the population of C. albicans was decreased the most, followed by Trichophyton mentagrophyte, while the population of Microsporum canis was decreased the least. Besides, the arc discharge system was compared with the pulsed spark discharge system. It can be obtained from the results that the pulsed spark discharge treatment successfully enhanced the reduction of the pathogenic cells more than the arc discharge treatment. The higher efficiency of the pulsed spark discharge is due to the generation of discharge streamers on the water surface. The SEM analyses showed that electrical discharge plasmas produced serious damage to pathogenic eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms. Also, the plasma-induced changes in pH values and temperature values were measured. The pulsed spark discharge-treated samples have more significant changes in pH value while arc discharge-treated samples have larger temperature changes.

This article proposes, analyzes, and tests an improved high voltage gain dc-dc converter based on a single-ended primary-inductor converter (SEPIC). The proposed magnetically coupled quadratic modified SEPIC converter (MCQ-MSC) employs a coupled transformer with an optimized design to obtain a high voltage boost factor by controlling the transformer's turn ratio along with the switching duty cycle. Thanks to the unique structure of the coupled transformer, high voltage gain is obtained at low turns ratio, which is highly desirable for high voltage applications and the compact size of the converter. In addition to the coupled transformer, a voltage-boosting module is utilized to achieve a very high output voltage for a low switching duty cycle. The proposed inverter has a single switch with a wide control range of duty cycle (0

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a major and most expensive spice globally with diverse applications in food science, cosmetic formulations, medicine, and pharmaceutical areas. Unfortunately, the stigmata harvesting technology is not developed yet and the traditional harvesting process causes a high contamination rate with different microorganisms. Accordingly, we attempt to incorporate nanocomposites and cold plasma (CP) modalities to acquire novel contamination-free and high shelf-life extended packaging for saffron preservation. Hence, based on nano clay, a combination of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as matrices were utilized for the preparation of cellulose nanocomposites (CNCs) film. Also, the ability of CP in different exposure times and voltages was examined on saffron content and contamination. The antimicrobial activity of CNCs film and CP technology alone and in conjunction with together was evaluated against E. coli pathogen. Further, crocin, safranal, and picrocrocin concentrations were studied during the storage period through the above-mentioned methods. Herein, the high potential of combined CNCs and CP leads to saffron safety, complete decontamination, and extended shelf-life in saffron preservation. In summary, failing to cope with contamination and content change in saffron disable CP and CNCs procedure separately application for saffron preservation, the synergistic of plasma and nanocomposite outperforms current methods based on their multimodal natures. Collectively, our evidence indicates that the presence of both CNCs and CP in the saffron preservation process can revolutionize the decontamination and quality maintenance performance of saffron packaging.

Ever-increasing demands on improving efficiencies of wound healing procedures are a strong driving force for the development of replacement approaches. This review focuses on wound healing management from the point of formation to the point of healing procedures. The most important usual healing modality with key characteristic is explained and their limitations are discussed. Novel interesting approaches are presented with a concentration of the unique features and action mechanisms. Special attention is paid to gas plasma and nanotechnology impact on wound healing management from fundamental processes to beneficial outcomes. Challenges and opportunities for the future trend that combined common protocols and emerging technologies are discussed.

Nanomedicine and plasma medicine are innovative and multidisciplinary research fields aiming to employ nanotechnology and gas plasma to improve health-related treatments. Especially cancer treatment has been in the focus of both approaches because clinical response rates with traditional methods that remain improvable for many types of tumor entities. Here, we discuss the recent progress of nanotechnology and gas plasma independently as well as in the concomitant modality of nanoplasma as multimodal platforms with unique capabilities for addressing various therapeutic issues in oncological research. The main features, delivery vehicles, and nexus between reactivity and therapeutic outcomes of nanoparticles and the processes, efficacy, and mechanisms of gas plasma are examined. Especially that the unique feature of gas plasma technology, the local and temporally controlled deposition of a plethora of reactive oxygen, and nitrogen species released simultaneously might be a suitable additive treatment to the use of systemic nanotechnology therapy approaches. Finally, we focus on the convergence of plasma and nanotechnology to provide a suitable strategy that may lead to the required therapeutic outcomes.

Over the last two decades, engineering the optical properties of nanoscale structures (nanowires, quantum dots, and nanotubes), i.e., band gap, absorption, and photoluminescence radiation, which can be manipulated in sulfide-based semiconductor materials, has received a lot of attention. Due to their tunable characteristics, these materials were introduced for potential applications ranging from medicine and communications to energy and various sensors (1). In addition, chemical synthesis methods provide the desired structure, material, reproducibility, and possibility of large-scale production, along with sustainable industrialization and foster innovation of these material systems. Polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) is one of the functional polymers, in addition to the ability to stabilize the nanomaterial solution, which can change the optical properties of the material (2). Currently, the majority of sulfide-based nanomaterials are cadmium, lead, and silver, which have shown a wide range of applications. Here, PVA/CdS, PVA/PbS, and PVA/Ag2S nanocomposites were investigated as the desired composites. For optical studies, band gap, absorption, and photoluminescence irradiation of these material systems were performed. The structural and morphological properties were examined by scanning electron microscopy, DLS, and X-ray diffraction. The band gap value of synthesized nanoparticles in the polymer bed was 3.48, 3.08, and 2.27 eV for PVA/CdS, PVA/PbS, and PVA/Ag2S, respectively, whereas for pure PVA the band gap value was 4.75 eV. As shown in Figure 1, with the entry of nanoparticles into the polymer, a shift in the composite band gap can be seen that corresponds to an increase in absorption. Photoluminescence irradiations for polymer-nanoparticle composites showed that silver-polymer nanoparticles have intense irradiance at 405nm, while cadmium-polymer and lead-polymer composites have intense irradiance at 430nm and 500nm, respectively. An X-ray diffraction pattern was indicated for each of the crystals, confirming the presence of the expected crystal structure. The DLS of materials represents sizes of 150, 125, and 175 nm for PVA/CdS, PVA/PbS, and PVA/Ag2S. Besides, the structure of the material systems was examined by FE-SEM microscopy, which showed a homogeneous distribution of particles in the polymer and a cubic nanoparticle structure for PVA/PbS and a spherical for PVA/Ag2S and PVA/CdS. Our findings show that polymer-nanomaterial composites are potential candidates for use in sensors and solar energy cells, especially non-toxic Ag2S nanomaterials (3) that have already been documented as an emerging platform for in-vivo imaging. References: Khan H, Dwivedi PK, Husain M, Zulfequar M. Tunable optical bandgap in PVA/Ge10As40Se50 chalcogenide glass (ChG) nanocomposites free standing films. Optik. 2021;245:167677. Badawi A, Althobaiti M, Alharthi SS. Exploring the structural, optical and photoluminescence properties of tin-doped manganese sulfide nanoparticles encapsulated with PVA for potential application in optoelectronics. Physica E: Low-dimensional Systems and Nanostructures. 2022;140:115190. Nieves LM, Mossburg K, Hsu JC, Maidment AD, Cormode DP. Silver chalcogenide nanoparticles: a review of their biomedical applications. Nanoscale. 2021. Figure 1

Today, human beings have found an increasing need for energy. The ever-increasing effort to shrink information systems at higher speeds has led to the common idea that photons are used as carriers of information instead of electrons. Photonic crystals have a structure whose dielectric constants and refractive indices change alternately in one, two, or three dimensions, which are called one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional photon crystals. Periodicity in the refractive index of the crystal structure causes a photonic bandgap that includes a range of frequencies in which light with a frequency of this range is not allowed to pass the crystal structure and is reflected or absorbed. In this work, Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microspheres of different sizes were first synthesized using the suspension polymerization method. Concentrations of used materials including initializer, monomer, reaction temperature, reaction time, and rotation speed play important roles in determining the final diameter of PMMA microspheres. Then, the vertical deposition method is used for the growth of multi-layered opals of different sizes, one on top of another. On the other hand, inverse opals have porous and organized structures that are made using opals as the template. The method used in this study to make multisize layered inverse opal made of silica is as follows: 1- Fabrication of a uniform layer of polymer microspheres on a glass substrate with a specified size as a colloidal crystal template 2- Infiltration of void space between the microspheres of the opal template 3- Creating the next layer with different size on the first layer 4- Reinjection of the silica precursor. 5- Repeating the coating layer and injection of the precursor. 6- Finally, selective removal of the opal template by calcination or etching with an organic solvent to create the porous structure of the multisize layered Silica inverse opal photonic crystals. The silica precursor contains a mixture of ethanol, TEOS tetraethyl orthosilicate, and hydrochloric acid. The results show that the fabricated inverse opals are organized, crack-free, and uniform. It is possible to make the desired number of layers by changing the concentration of the PMMA microspheres' colloidal suspension. By changing the characteristics of photonic crystals, such as their constituent materials and refractive indices, lattice constants, and the number of layers, it is possible to control their photonic properties which are beneficial for different applications.

As the photoanode material, TiO2 is the backbone of cost-effective dye-sensitized solar cells. Herein, we propose a green, low-cost, and environmentally friendly synthesis method for titanium dioxide nanotubes using the anodizing process. The anodizing process was carried out in a chemical cell, and the effect of voltage and anodizing time on the creation of pure titanium dioxide nanotubes was investigated. A grade 4 titanium sheet with a thickness of 1 mm was utilized to make titanium oxide nanotubes. First, the titanium sheet was sliced into 1.5 × 1.5 cm squares, and the samples were sanded and polished with SiC sanding sheets ranging in grade from 180 to 3000. After that, the samples were immersed in an ultrasonic bath for 15 minutes to degrease and remove surface impurities in an equal amount of acetone-ethanol solution. A two-electrode cell was utilized for anodizing, with a graphite electrode as the cathode, a titanium sample as the anode, and an electrolyte solution containing 0.5 percent by weight of HF acid and 1:7 acetic acid with a pH of 3.5. The anode and cathode were separated by four centimeters. Different voltages and times were applied and studied in this experiment. Anodization was performed on samples produced at 20 and 15 volts for 15 and 30 minutes, respectively. The crystallization of titanium dioxide nanotubes, as well as their strength and stickiness, were caused by annealing these layers. The electrical characteristics, microstructure, and phases generated before and after heat treatment were investigated using XRD, FESEM, and FPP tests. The titanium dioxide nanotubes were then stacked using the DC sputtering method to increase their structural, crystallographic, and electrical properties for application in solar cells at three different distances of 3, 4, and 5 cm.

Nonrenewable energy sources accounted for roughly 80% of total energy consumption [1]. Solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, and fuel cells (FCs) have all recently been described as renewable energy sources. In commercial uses, renewable energy has experienced meteorological and logistical obstacles. Because of advantages such as simple fabrication/operation conditions, eco-friendly, high energy conversion efficiency, and long-term durability, FCs technologies are considered one of the most important renewable energy sources for many applications such as portable devices, cars, and electricity plants [2–5]. Methanol can be utilized in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) to produce clean energy that can be used in smart electronic gadgets or small automobiles in this regard [6]. However, before DMFC can be used commercially, the slow oxidation kinetics and catalyst toxicity [7] must be resolved. Therefore, the development of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) is one of the most promising technologies for the applications of these devices in stationary power supplies and electric vehicles [8]. Apart from the future of mobile devices such as mobile chargers, phones, computers, and many other applications, this energy is environmentally benign because no gases are emitted and the waste is simply clean water. The biggest issue that this technique may encounter is its high cost due to the usage of noble metal catalysts (platinum (Pt) and ruthenium (Ru)) [9]. Methanol is oxidized via a multi-electron process and several products and/or intermediates can be formed, depending on the electrolyte and the nature of the electrode. Electrode materials are important parameters in the electrochemical oxidation of methanol, where high efficient electrocatalysts are needed. Several metal oxides such as Fe2O3, CeO2, MoOx, Co3O4, NiO, and CuO has been used in various applications, such as catalysis, water splitting photocatalysis, solar cells and gas sensing, besides their uses to enhance the electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation [10-11]. This paper describes the preparation of graphene quantum dot-doped polyaniline embedded copper metal-organic frameworks composite catalysts for investigating methanol oxidation in alkaline solutions. The electrode surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). After physicochemical characterizations of graphene quantum dot-doped polyaniline embedded copper metal-organic frameworks composite modified carbon ceramic electrode (Cu- MOF/GQDs-PAN/CCE), its electrocatalytic and stability characterizations toward methanol oxidation in alkaline media were investigated in detail by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Results showed that, the electrocatalytic activity of the Cu- MOF/GQDs-PAN/CCE electrode is much higher than those of unmodified electrode under similar experimental conditions, showing the possibility of attaining good electrocatalytic anodes for fuel cells. Kinetic parameters such as the electron transfer coefficient (α) and the number of electrons involved in the rate determining step (nα) for the oxidation of methanol were determined utilizing cyclic voltammetry (CV). Keywords: Graphene quantum dot, Polyaniline, Metal-organic frameworks, electrocatalyst, Methanol References [1] S.K. Kamarudin, F. Ahmad, W.R.W. Daud, Overview on application of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) for portable electronic devices, Int. J. Hydrog. Energy 34 (2009) 6902–6916. [2] L. Carrette, K.A. Friedrich, U. Stimming, Fuel cells: principles, types, fuels and applications, ChemPhysChem 1 (2000) 162–193. [3] A.B. Stambouli, Fuel cells: The expectations for an environmental-friendly and sustainable source of energy, Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 15 (9) (2011) 4507– 4520. [4] P. Joghee, J.N. Malik, S. Pylypenko, R. O’Hayre, A review on direct methanol fuel cells – In the perspective of energy and sustainability, MRS Energy Sustain. 2 (2015), https://doi.org/10.1557/mre.2015.4. [5] D. Hassen, M.A. Shenashen, S.A. El-Safty, M.M. Selim, H. Isago, A. Elmarakbi, H. Yamaguchi, Nitrogen-doped carbon-embedded TiO2 nanofibers as promising oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts, J. Power Sources 330 (2016) 292– 303. [6] M. Mansor, S.N. Timmiati, K.L. Lim, W.Y. Wong, S.K. Kamarudin, N.H. Nazirah Kamarudin, Recent progress of anode catalysts and their support materials for methanol electrooxidation reaction, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 44 (29) (2019) 14744–14769, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.04.100. [7] Z. Mousavi, A. Benvidi, S. Jahanbani, M. Mazloum-Ardakani, R. Vafazadeh, H. R. Zare, Investigation of electrochemical oxidation of methanol at a carbon paste electrode modified with Ni(II)-BS complex and reduced graphene oxide nano sheets, Electroanalysis 28 (12) (2016) 2985–2992, https://doi.org/10.1002/ elan.201501183. [8] S. Wasmus, A. Küver, Methanol oxidation and direct methanol fuel cells: a selective review, J. Electroanal. Chem. 461 (1-2) (1999) 14–31. [9] M. Liu, R. Zhang, W. Chen, Graphene-Supported Nanoelectrocatalysts for Fuel Cells: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications, Chem. Rev. 114 (2014) 5117– 5160. [10] N. Spinner, W.E. Mustain, Electrochim. Acta 56 (2011) 5656. [11] M.S. Risbud, S. Baxter, M. Skyllas-Kazacos, Open Fuels Energy Sci. J. 5 (2012) 9.

We used a three-step anodization procedure to produce titanium oxide (TiO2) nanotubes in order to investigate the effects of varied electrolyte concentrations and anodization voltages on optical characteristics. Different electrolyte solution concentrations and anodization voltages altered wall thicknesses and tube diameters, according to our observations from the XRD pattern, TEM pictures, and optical examinations. While the band gap and band edge values of TiO2 nanotubes altered with different anodization voltages, the band gap, and band edge values remained constant. Furthermore, we discovered that at various electrolyte solution concentrations, the optimum solution concentration for growing compact TiO2 nanotubes is 70 percent porosity. Various morphologies of TiO2 nanostructures, such as sheet, rod, and tube, were obtained in the next section of the study by modifying the experimental settings (e.g., growth methods, differently used gases, and process temperatures). Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanosheets, nanorods, and nanotubes were created utilizing anodizing methods and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). TiO2 nanorods were synthesized on treated Ti foil with HCl by CVD after TiO2 nanosheets coated with Au catalyst were grown in CVD. TiO2 nanotubes are then manufactured using a three-step anodization method. We found that produced nanostructures can be used for a variety of applications due to compatibility changes in morphological, structural, and optical properties.

TiO2-based nanostructures have received great attention in the past few years owing to their promising applications in water purification systems, sterilization, self-cleaning surfaces, photoelectrochemical conversion, and hydrogen evolution. However, the low-cost and environment-friendly synthesis procedure is an important step for transferring it to commercialization and industry application. Anodizing, one of the newest and most promising procedures in nanomaterial synthesis, is an electrodeposition process for creating nanotubes by altering the surface of the titanium. A variety of parameters influence the thickness of the oxide layer and the size of the nanotube formed during this process, including time, current density, applied voltage, electrolyte solution PH, and temperature. In this work, different anodizing times of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 min as well as various voltages are examined to achieve the best conditions for making a titanium oxide nanotube substrate. We showed that the best-synthesized titanium oxide nanotube substrate with appropriate crystal size and optoelectrical properties was produced in 30 minutes at 20 volts.

Water deterioration and depletion are accompanied by population growth and fast urbanization, posing major environmental problems. The prevalence of water-borne infections remains high, making it critical to discover effective ways of disinfecting water thoroughly. The main methods for inactivating a wide spectrum of harmful bacteria are chemical, physical, electrochemical, and radical. Conventional decontamination methods not only fail to completely disinfect water but also have several drawbacks, including the generation of disinfection byproducts; the complexity of disinfection reactor design; high energy consumption; and high running expenses. As a result, a versatile approach should be developed to overcome the limitations of current decontamination methods while also being efficient against a variety of diseases. Plasma-based water treatment has recently emerged as a possible alternative to traditional approaches. Plasma has proven to be more effective than conventional oxidants and disinfectants, both directly and indirectly. Plasma-related effects vary depending on the type of discharge, device settings, and process parameters. Electrical discharges are one of the most effective water treatment treatments. To this end, two plasma discharges, i.e., arc and pulsed spark discharge, are used for the treatment of synthetic contaminated water with microorganisms, which can be used for naturally contaminated surface water. Our results revealed that in comparison to arc discharge, pulse spark discharge produces more extreme acidic conditions by lowering the pH of water samples as well as a more reactive environment, which results in greater antibacterial efficacy. Furthermore, water samples treated with arc discharge had greater temperatures than water samples treated with pulse spark discharge, indicating that temperature was not a critical effector in the plasma-based sterilizing process.

In this study, CdS, CuS, and Ag2S nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by a chemical bath procedure in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a polymer stabilizer. Morphological studies followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed monolithic and small size NPs. The average crystalline size of CdS, Ag2S, and CuS nanocomposites was 18.1, 26.7, and 21.7 nm, respectively. UV-Vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of samples showed a near-infrared region (NIR) emission peak for CuS. The bandgap of samples measured using absorption data was 3.48, 2.75, and 2.30 eV for CdS, Ag2S, and CuS NPs, respectively. Nonlinear optical properties, including nonlinear refractive index and nonlinear absorption of the NPs, were measured by the Z-scan technique under a 632.8 nm wavelength He-Ne CW laser. PVA/Ag2S nanocomposite displayed reverse saturable absorbance (RSA) and self-focusing, while PVA/CdS and PVA/CuS displayed saturable absorbance and self-defocusing behavior under the chemical bath procedure synthesis.

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) is emerging as new healthcare technology and it has a high potential through physical and chemical effects for cancer treatment. Recently, CAP, plasma activated liquid (PAL), and nanomaterial have been significant advances in oncotherapy. Reactive oxygen-nitrogen species (RONS), electrical field, and other agents generated by CAP interact with cells and induce selective responses between the malignant and normal cells. Nanomedicine enhances therapeutic effectiveness and decreases the side effects of traditional treatments due to their target delivery and dispersion in tumor tissue. There are various nanocarriers (NCs) which based on their properties can be used for the delivery of different agents. The combination of gas plasma and nanomaterials technologies is a new multimodal treatment in cancer treatment, therefore, is expected that the conjunction of these technologies addresses many of the oncology challenges. This chapter provides a framework for current research of NC and gas plasma therapies for lung cancer. Herein, we focus on the application of gas plasmas and nanotechnology to drug and gene delivery and highlight several outcomes of its. The types and features of the mentioned therapeutics strategy as novel classes for treating lung cancer individually and synergistic were examined.

Recently, cold atmospheric pressure plasmas (CAP) have emerged as a promising oncotherapeutic modality, through physical and chemical effects. Here, for the first time, A2780 CP and SKOV-3 cells, relevant to ovarian cancer and GCs as normal ovarian cells were evaluated through CAP directly, indirectly, and concomitant modality of plasma activated medium (PAM) with common drugs to overcome chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer. Our results confirm the high potential and the stronger selectivity of PAM in comparison to CAP for the selected cell lines and selectivity mechanism was related to the pH and concentration of H2O2, NO2-, and NO3- reactive species in the plasma stimulated medium. Compared to the combination of common carboplatin (CAR) and paclitaxel (PTX) chemotherapy treatments, the PAM-based treatment is very promising for ovarian cancer treatment. Our data verify that PAM alone and in combination with carboplatin sensitizes cancer cells to carboplatin, inhibits the SOD1 gene, and selectively induces apoptosis accompanied with high expression of p53, Bax, and activation of Caspase-3. Collectively, our observations revealed PAM treatment is an innovative and emerging technology for the future combination or multimodal ovarian cancer oncotherapy.

One of the most important pathways for exposure to metals is drinking water ingestion. Chronic or acute exposure to metals can endanger the health of the exposed population, and hence, estimation of human health risks is crucial. In the current study for the first time, the concentrations of Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As), Zinc (Zn), Lead (Pb) and Cobalt (Co) in 120 collected tap water samples (2015, July–November) from Ilam city, Iran were investigated using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Also, the metal-induced carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for consumers exposed to tap drinking water were calculated. The average (range) concentrations of Hg, Zn, As, Pb and Co were defined as 0.40 ± 0.10 μg/L (ND-0.9 μg/L), 5014 ± 5707 μg/L (2900.00–5668.33 μg/L), 21.008 ± 2.876 μg/L (3.5–62 μg/L), 30.38 ± 5.56 μg/L (6–87 μg/L), and 11.34 ± 1.61 μg/L (0.1–50 μg/L), respectively. Average concentrations of all examined metals were significantly higher than WHO and national standard recommended limits. The ranking order of metals concentrations in the tap drinking water was Zn > Pb > As > Co > Hg. Except for Hg and Co, at least one age group consumers were at considerable non-carcinogenic risks induced by Zn, As and Pb Target Hazard Quotient (THQ > 1). The rank order of age groups consumers based on THQ and Incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) was 1–9 years > 20 + years > 10–19 years. The calculated ILCR for As in all age groups were higher than 10−3 value. All age groups of consumers in Ilam city, especially infants (

The influence of zinc to the synthesis of ZSM-5 nanocatalysts (Si/Al = 24) was investigated in xylene isomerization reactions. Pt was doped through partial vacuum impregnation method on both the parent and Zn-ZSM-5. The synthesized nanocatalyst were characterized by ICP, BET, XRD, FE-SEM, XPS, 27Al MAS NMR, FTIR, NH3-TPD, and TG analysis. The concentration of weak acid sites of ZSM-5 nanocatalyst slightly decreased while that of strong acid sites increased with the addition of Zn to the nano zeolite structure. Reducing weak acidity resulted in lower coke formation and remarkable catalytic stability in Zn-ZSM-5 nanocatalysts. The precence of Pt on the Zn-containing ZSM-5 illustrated simultaneous high PX yield and high catalytic stability. (0.1 wt%)Pt/(0.8 wt%) Zn-ZSM-5 as an active and stable nanocatalyst for xylene isomerization reactions demonstrated high PX yield (32.6 wt%), high level of EB conversion (68%) and low xylene loss (2.1%).

The addition of iron to the synthesis of ZSM-5 catalysts (Si/Al = 21) was studied in xylene isomerization reactions. Pt impregnation was conducted by partial vacuum impregnation on both the parent and Fe-ZSM-5. XRD, FE-SEM, ICP, BET, XPS, FT-IR, NH3-TPD, and TG analysis have been used to characterize the catalysts. Fe incorporation strongly decreased the weak acid sites and slightly reduced the strong acid sites. Reducing weak acidity led to lower coke formation and more catalytic stability in Fe-containing ZSM-5 catalysts. The presence of Pt on the Fe-supported ZSM-5 illustrated simultaneous high PX yield and high catalyst stability. (0.1 wt%)Pt/(0.4 wt%)Fe-ZSM-5 as an efficient and stable catalyst for xylene isomerization reactions demonstrated high PX yield (25.4 wt%), high EB conversion (61%) and low xylene loss (1.8%).

The adsorption process was studied for separating para -xylene from xylene mixture on modified nano-zeolite X in a breakthrough system. Nano-zeolitic adsorbent with different ratios of SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 was synthesized through hydrothermal process and ion-exchanged with alkaline metal cations like lithium, sodium and potassium. The product was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption, transform electron microscopy (TEM) and in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The influence of nano-zeolite water content and desorbent type on the selectivity of para -xylene toward other C 8 aromatic isomers was studied. The optimization of adsorption process was also investigated under variable operation conditions. The isotherm for each isomer of C 8 aromatics and the desorbents possess the adsorption characteristics of Langmuir type. The selectivity factor of para -xylene relative to each of meta -xylene, ortho -xylene and ethylbenzene under the optimum conditions obtained to be 5.36, 2.43 and 3.22, in the order given.

The liquid phase adsorption process was studied on nano-zeolite Ba-X for separating para -xylene from a feed mixture containing all C 8 aromatics. Nano-zeolite Ba-X with different ratios of SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 was synthesized through hydrothermal process and ion-exchanged with barium. The product was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption and in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The adsorption process was carried out in a breakthrough system at temperature range of 120–160 °C under 4–7 atm pressure. The influence of nano-zeolite water content on the separation process was studied. The optimization of adsorption process was also investigated by changing the operation conditions. The adsorption isotherm for all C 8 aromatic isomers and also desorbents indicated the typical Langmuir type. The selectivity factor of adsorbent for para -xylene and the adsorption capacity at saturation of the different adsorbate samples with each component from C 8 aromatic mixture were determined. It was observed that the selectivity of para -xylene increased by barium ion-exchange of cationic sites in nano-zeolite X and the adsorbent selectivity for para -xylene relative to each of meta-xylene, ortho -xylene and ethyl-benzene under the optimum conditions was found to be 7.191, 2.819 and 3.745, in the order given. It was also studied the influence of desorbent type on its selectivity for para -xylene compared to each isomer from the C 8 aromatic mixture.

Industrial adsorptive separation process for liquids is most successful when the involved species have very close boiling points, making distillation expensive or are thermally sensitive at convenient distillation temperatures. The adsorption process was studied for separating meta-xylene from a feed mixture containing all C 8 aromatics on binder-free X and Y zeolites in the liquid phase. Zeolitic adsorbents with different SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 were synthesized by the hydrothermal method and ion-exchanged with alkaline metal cations like lithium, sodium and potassium. The adsorption process was carried out in a breakthrough system at temperature of 110–160 °C and pressure of 6–8 atm. The influence of adsorbent moisture content on the separation process was studied. The optimization of adsorption process was also investigated by the changing operation conditions. The isotherms for each isomer of C 8 aromatics and the desorbent possess the adsorption characteristics of Langmuir type. The selectivity factor of meta-xylene and the saturation adsorption capacities of adsorbates were determined. It was observed that the selectivity of meta-xylene increased by sodium ion-exchanging of cationic sites in Y zeolite and the selectivity factor of meta-xylene/para-xylene, meta-xylene/ortho-xylene and meta-xylene/ethylbenzene in the optimum conditions was determined to be 2.62, 2.83 and 5.93, respectively.

The adsorption behavior of para-xylene on H/ZSM-5 and also monovalent cations ion-exchanged ZSM-5 zeolite was investigated in liquid phase adsorption and breakthrough system. Nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and also in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were also performed to characterize the adsorbents and study the type of adsorbed species and their thermal stabilities. The adsorption experiments were carried out at temperature of 130–170 °C and the pressure between 6 and 8 bar. Ion-exchange process was accomplished using metal cations such as lithium, sodium and potassium. H/ZSM-5 was found more efficient than other ion-exchanged ZSM5 zeolites in separation of para-xylene from its isomers. The isotherms for each isomer of C 8 aromatics and the desorbents possess the adsorption characteristics of Langmuir type. The selectivity factor of para-xylene and the saturation adsorption capacities of adsorbates were determined. A selectivity factor of para-xylene/meta-xylene, para-xylene/ortho-xylene and para-xylene/ethylbenzene on H/ZSM-5 adsorbent is determined as 24.987, 16.782 and 6.760, respectively. A series of desorbents matched with adsorbents like benzene, toluene, n -butylbenzene, p -diethylbenzene and p -dichlorobenzene were investigated as well. Influence of Si/Al ratio and the zeolite moisture content on selectivity of para-xylene to other C 8 aromatic isomers were also studied.

Computational fluid dynamic has already become a widely used and indispensable design and optimization tool in many technical areas. In the present work, the CFD simulations have been coupled with complex chemical reactions to model a membrane tubular reactor which is used to produce phenol from benzene in the vapor phase. Hydrogen dissociates on the palladium layer and reacts with oxygen to give active oxygen species, which attack benzene to produce phenol. In principal, reaction occurs in the surface of palladium and conversion of benzene is increased by changing the length and diameter of the Pd coated PSS tubes. The reactor length and diameter are two geometrical factors which are concerned in the present study. Although increasing the reactor length increase the conversion of benzene to phenol but the concentration of the phenol start to decrease. Based on the data provided by the experiments, a mathematical model has been constructed to conduct a simulation which leads us to an optimum design of a new tubular membrane micro-reactor.