This study explored the direct esterification of palmitic acid and ethanol using a deep eutectic solvent (DES) as catalyst to produce biodiesel. Three novel deep eutectic solvents (DTAC-PTSA, DTAC-2PTSA, DTAC-3PTSA) were successfully prepared by mixing dodecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DTAC) and p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate (PTSA) in a molar ratio of 1: z (z=1, 2, 3). After testing, DTAC-3PTSA

L-cysteine as an amino acid was used for the modification of glycidyl POSS in the synthesis of L-cysteine functionalized POSS, including carboxyl, hydroxyl, and diamine groups. Then, the synthesized nanoparticles were applied to fabrication of L-cysteine POSS-TiO2 composite nanoparticles. NF membranes were prepared from the incorporation of different concentrations of the synthesized composite nanoparticles

The incorporation of inorganic nanoparticles into thin film composite forward osmosis (TFC FO) membranes is an effective method to alleviate internal concentration polarization (ICP) and enhance the flux performance of the FO membrane. In this paper, synthetic hydrophilic rod-like porous nano-hydroxyapatites (PNHAs) were doped into polysulfone (PSf) casting solution to form support layer by phase inversion;

The residue of herbaceous Prunella vulgaris stem (PVS) was evaluated as a potential adsorbent for dye removal, followed by fungal cultivation to achieve dye degradation on solid waste. PVS was analyzed in terms of nutritional composition such as fiber, ash, protein, and fat, which not only played a role in dye adsorption but also provided solid matrix for fungal growth. Five dyes, namely, crystal violet

A method for separating sodium alginate through polysulfone (PSf) support by dimethyl acetamide (DMAc) and hydraulic treatment was studied. After exposing the PSf support to DMAc solvent, water pressure was applied onto the polymer support. As a result, the sponge-type structures were connected to each other and the porosity of the modified PSf increased. In addition, the support pressurized for 3

Pinch analysis was applied to optimize the heat exchange network used in the moisture removal processes of energy plants. The moisture removal process absorbs moisture from natural gas using glycol as an absorbent, and the recycling process then separates moisture from the H2O-rich glycol in a regenerator column by applying the principle of vapor-liquid equilibria. For the dehydration process of a

A systematic study was carried out to electrodeposit Ni-Co alloy coatings from a complexing acidic glycine bath on copper substrates. The effects of [Co2+]/[Ni2+] ratio, gly concentration, pH, current density and temperature on the current efficiency, Co content in the coatings and on polarization behavior were investigated. It was found that the CCE of these baths has a wide range starting from 55%

Graphite exhibits electromagnetic wave attenuation and high electrical conductivity. In this study, we analyzed the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) performance and electric conductivity of composites fabricated by varying the size (mean size: 6–100 µm) of graphite fillers and explained resulting attributes through the relative permittivity and geometrical characteristics

Due to the low heat transfer efficiency of common heat exchange systems, an improved heat exchange system was developed. Enhanced tubes (elliptical tubes with a built-in turbulator) instead of a smooth tube were used and TiO2-water nanofluids were substituted for water to intensify the heat transfer. The influences of turbulator (presence or absence), axial ratios of elliptical tubes (Z=1.235, 1.471

Blue TiO2 nanostructures were produced via Lithium/ethylenediamine (Li/EDA) reduction method and applied for photo-oxidative removal of harmful NOx gases under simulated solar light irradiation. Blue TiO2 possesses some unique physicochemical properties such as enhanced visible-light absorption, superficial defects or oxygen vacancies, and the evolution of Ti3+ species. Moreover, the photoluminescence

Production of biofuel by microalgae can become economically viable if other high-value commercial products such as carotenoid are simultaneously produced. This study aimed at enhancement of lipid and carotenoid productivity by an oleaginous microalga sp. Desmodesmus subspicatus LC172266 by supplementing Nitrogen sources to BG 11 medium under batch or fed batch mixotrophic condition. Optimum urea supplement

The harmful and destructive effects of excessive consumption of thiourea in various industries and agriculture have caused health and environmental concerns. Hence, attention has been paid to the need for analysis and detection thiourea at very low concentrations. The aim of this study was to determine the efficiency of electrochemical sensor based on glass carbon electrode modified with Ag nanoparticles

Enhancement of sludge dewaterability is key for sludge management and disposal of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). In this study, the Fe2+-peroxymonosulfate (PMS) conditioning approach was first used to oxidize the primary sludge from the primary sedimentation tank of a full scale WWTP. The combination of Fe2+ (0.05–0.5 g/g TSS) and PMS (0.05–0.5 g/g TSS) could significantly improve the dewaterability

N1-(3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl)-1,3-propanediamine (2NS-P), a diaminosilane having a propyl spacer between the two amino groups was successfully synthesized, and a CO2 adsorbent functionalized with 2NS-P was prepared via impregnation of it into silica. The adsorption performance and stability of 2NS-P/Kona95 were examined and compared to that of N1-(3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl)ethane-1,2-diamine (2NS)/Kona95

A multi-functional NiO/g-C3N4 (NC) hybrid nanostructure was synthesized by a hydrothermal process using melamine and Ni(OH)2 as precursors followed by thermal treatment. The optimal conditions were determined by studying the process conditions, such as the Ni(OH)2 to melamine ratio and thermal treatment temperature. The NC prepared in this study exhibited both excellent glucose sensing properties and

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has been widely investigated as an important ultraviolet (UV) sensing material in view of its wide band gap (∼3.4 eV). However, the fabrication of continuous thin films of ZnO generally requires complex, time-consuming, and expensive processes, such as sputtering and atomic layer deposition. Herein, we demonstrate a bilayer film consisting of a conducting polymer and ZnO nanoparticles

A magnetic biosorbent was synthesized from rice straw (a biological waste) and magnetic particles of Fe3O4. The produced biosorbent, which was characterized by XRD, FE SEM, FTIR, and TGA experiments, was used for adsorption of two drug chemical components of Penicillin G and Amlodipine Besylate from aqueous solutions. Effects of various operating parameters such as adsorption temperature (10 to 70

Cellulases are enzymes required for the production of second-generation ethanol (E2G) via biochemical route. The current paper reports the development of an apparatus for solid-liquid extraction of cellulases from solid-state fermentation (SSF) carried out in a packed bed bioreactor (PBB), operated as batch and as semicontinuous. The case study was the cultivation of Myceliophthora thermophila I-1D3b

This study presents a risk assessment study on an amine-based CO2 capture process. Based on the critical risks identified by a hazard and operability study (HAZOP) conducted in our previous work, we performed detailed quantitative risk assessment, including frequency estimation using fault tree analysis (FTA) and consequence estimation using the process hazard analysis software tool (PHAST). As a result

The kinetics of coke combustion was investigated by using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) of coked catalysts which was used for propane dehydrogenation to determine the activation energy. Apart from the Pt/Al2O3 catalyst, four different Pt-Sn/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by varying the Pt/Sn ratio from 3: 0.5 to 3: 3 by weight. The catalytic activity was measured by propane dehydrogenation at 620

The effects of flow field upon the distribution of ionic concentration, electric potential, concentration boundary layer thickness, and electric current density were investigated. A modified numerical scheme is proposed to simulate the corresponding electrochemical system which is governed by nonlinear partial differential equations. Seven types of geometries and various flow fields with Reynolds numbers

Various porous flow fields have been proposed and developed for the cathode configuration of proton exchange membrane fuel cells to replace conventional channel-land flow fields. This study demonstrates the physical properties of porous metallic flow field and gas diffusion layers and quantifies the respective resistances during the oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cells with

The catalytic activity of the Rh-exsolved Sr0.92Y0.08Ti2O3−δ- perovskite catalyst (SYTRh5) was examined for dry reforming of methane. The exsolution of the Rh nanoparticles over the SYT perovskite oxide surface was carried out under various reducing environments where the extent of Rh exsolution was significantly determined by the reduction time (4, 12, 24 h) and temperature (800, 900, 1,000 °C). STYRh5

Economically viable hydrogen production by water electrolysis requires an inexpensive and efficient electrocatalyst Transition metal carbides (TMCs) have many merits such as low price, platinum-like catalytic activity, high physical stability, and electrical conductivity. This review presents strategies for improving the catalytic activity of TMCs. It highlights synthesis using nanostructuring by inorganic-organic

Computational approaches have been used effectively in material design for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). As a way to improve the performance and stability of anode materials in SOFCs, the exsolution phenomenon has been extensively taken advantage of. In the exsolution process, highly active and stable nanoparticles (NPs) are formed uniformly over the surface of the host oxide due to the anchoring

Reducing the Pt loading amount in an electrode is essential for the commercialization of water electrolyzers. We report a simple method for the fabrication of a low Pt loading electrode, using an electrochemical method named self-terminated electrodeposition, at room temperature and under ambient pressure. Controlling the deposition conditions enables the quenching deposition of Pt on a C-coated gas

Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have recently emerged as promising hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic alternatives to platinum. Among them, molybdenum phosphide (MoP) has attracted extensive attention due to its high electrical conductivity, good stability, and Pt-like electronic structure; however, there is no systematic comparison of its different colloidal synthetic routes. This study

MgO modified TiO2/WO3 dual-layer photocatalysts (DLP) was synthesized by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS). The influences of MgO on the properties and the performance of the prepared DLP were investigated. MgO modified TiO2 thin films were characterized by instrumental analysis such as XRD, AFM, SEM-EDS, and UV-visible absorption spectrometry. Their photoactivity was assessed by conducting

Alleviating the surface degradation of Ni-rich cathode materials is desirable to achieve better electrochemical performance. Herein, we report the surface coating of lithium diborate (Li2O-2B2O3) over the Ni-rich LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) cathode material and the systematic investigation of its electrochemical properties. The structural and morphological properties were characterized through X-ray

Among the diverse approaches for improving the electrode performance of solid oxide fuel cells operating at intermediate temperatures, the use of nanofiber-based electrodes has provided large improvement owing to their large specific surface area, continuous conduction pathway, and highly porous structure. However, the low thermal stability at increased temperature often limits the process compatibility

In many catalyst systems, including fuel cell applications, control of the catalyst surface composition is important for improving activity since catalytic reactions occur only at the surface. However, it is very difficult to modify the surface composition without changing the morphology of metal nanoparticles. Herein, carbon-supported Pd3Au1 nanoparticles with uniform size and distribution are fabricated

Hydrogen energy is a potential next-generation energy source for fossil fuel replacement. The development of high-efficiency materials and catalysts for storage and transportation of hydrogen energy must be achieved to realize hydrogen economy. Recently, catalyst systems such as Pd nanoclusters (Pd NCs) supported on nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2) have been reported to have advantages, including effective

Supported Ru catalysts have been often employed for hydrogen charge into liquid organic hydrogen carrier molecules (monobenzyltoluene in this work), and their catalytic performance largely depends upon physicochemical properties of the support materials. We prepared supported Ru catalysts on SiO2-ZrO2 with different Si/(Si+Zr) ratios ranging from 0 to 30mol% by loading Ru3(CO)12 onto Si,Zr-mixed metal

We investigated composition-dependent catalytic activity of bimetallic PtPd dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) that had a uniform size of ∼1.7nm for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB). The PtPd DENs, composed of seven different Pt: Pd ratios, were synthesized using hydroxyl-terminated sixth-generation polyamidoamine dendrimers as a molecular template. The dendrimer-templating

Surface decorated La0.43Ca0.37Ni0.06Ti0.94O3−d (LCNT) perovskite oxide was investigated as an anode functional layer (AFL) for anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The surface exsolved Ni nano particles on LCNT scaffold enlarged electrochemically active triple phase boundaries (TPBs) without any agglomeration and mechanical failure. The Ni particles with 60 nm in diameter were homogeneously

With a growing concern on climate change, hydrogen has attracted great attention as an alternative energy fuel. The hydrogen economy allows us to accomplish a high level of energy security and realize zero emission. To successfully establish the hydrogen economy, the development of sustainable hydrogen production, storage and fuel cell technologies is important; among them, safe and stable hydrogen

The development of high-performance and low-cost electrodes is essential for hydrogen production using a proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE). Herein, we report an electrochemical method for the fabrication of a Ni-P based cathode for a PEMWE single cell. A porous copper foam (CF) is fabricated on carbon paper (CP) by two-step electrodeposition to obtain a large number of active sites

Cr poisoning of the SUS interconnect and the solid oxide fuel cell electrode is one of the crucial hurdles to achieving system sustainability. Among various approaches to solving this issue, the suppression of cation segregation, especially Sr, and preventing the electrode surface from direct exposure to Cr-gas have been considered the most important factors. Herein, the effect of surface coating on

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been widely used as catalyst supports, and the confinement of metal nanoparticles inside the CNT cavity have received much attention. In this study, graphitic carbon nitride were used to introduce nitrogen to CNT and form ruthenium nanoparticles inside the CNT channel. The XPS evidenced that the ruthenium nanoparticles in the CNT cavity are present in more reduced state

We demonstrate ultra-fast fabrication of anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) using microwave-assisted sintering technology. Due to the nature of microwaves that transfers heat directly into the material, the SOFC sintering process was completed within 8 h, ∼ six times faster compared to a conventional sintering process (∼47 h). Despite extremely rapid processing time, the microstructure

Water electrolysis using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power has the advantage of producing hydrogen with high efficiency and zero emissions. Solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis (SPEWE) is divided into anion exchange membrane electrolysis (AEMWE) carried out in an alkaline environment and proton exchange membrane electrolysis (PEMWE) carried out in an acidic environment.

This research synthesized polybutadiene nanoparticles and investigated the induction time for their nucleation under different supersaturations and their cross-linking to be utilized in an asymmetric membrane synthesis. Purchased (bulk) polybutadiene was dissolved in toluene and then ethanol was added dropwise to the solution as an antisolvent. The induction time, i.e., the time interval between adding

Removal of organic dyes from wastewater has become an important issue because of their carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. In this study, we prepared Ag-doped ZnO (Ag_ZnO) photocatalysts containing various amounts of Ag (0.05-0.5mol%) by a hydrothermal process followed by calcination at 500 °C and evaluated the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under sunlight irradiation. The incorporation

A two-objective, two-stage mathematical model was developed considering demand uncertainty and operational risk assessment in constructing a utility supply network for steam generation and steam exchange in a petrochemical industrial park. This study defined two objective functions, the total economic cost and risk cost, where the demand uncertainty enhanced the reliability of the utility network design

This research investigated the concept of a two-step acidic and thermal treatment for glucose extraction and levulinic acid (LA) production from food waste using dilute hydrochloric acid (DHA) as a catalyst, and subsequently analyzed the properties of the resulting humins. Glucose extraction was performed under various reaction conditions (reaction temperature range: 120-190 °C, DHA concentration range:

Coal gasification slag (CGS) is a carbon-containing solid waste used as an adsorbent to remove low concentrations of mercury from wastewater in a series of batch tests to assess its adsorption properties and safe storage. The results showed that the adsorption of mercury on CGS was a very rapid and efficient process, and adsorption equilibrium was reached in only 10–40 min. A pseudo-second-order kinetics

Ethylenediamine (EA)-incorporated MIL-101(Cr)-NH2 adsorbents were prepared for CO2 adsorption. First, MIL-101(Cr)-NH2 was directly prepared by the solvothermal method, followed by the EA incorporation inside the pores of MIL-101(Cr)-NH2. The prepared samples were characterized by N2 porosimetry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared

The papermaking process is a typical nonlinear process with multiple input-output variables, so it is difficult to construct an accurate model for the process. Data-based modeling techniques may be used to establish a reliable paper plant model. In particular, the LSSVM (least-squares support vector machine) can be used to create a highperformance papermaking process model based on operation data.

Ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis of Quercus mongolica over HZSM-5 and in-line esterification of pyrolysis/catalytic pyrolysis vapors with liquid phase n-butyl alcohol were carried out in a fluidized bed reactor. The ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis over HZSM-5 beads was performed to produce bio-oil containing aromatic hydrocarbons. The temperature of the ex-situ catalytic upgrading reaction was varied from 450

Alumina supported bimetallic cobalt-iron oxide (Co3O4-Fe2O3/Al2O3) catalyst was prepared via co-impregnation of boehmite with the mixture solution of cobalt nitrate and iron nitrate followed by calcination in air. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscope analyses confirmed the existence of highly dispersed Co3O4 and Fe2O3 nanoparticles in the as-prepared

A novel and uncomplicated synthesis method of Cu2+-chelating with carboxyl groups that directly-modified NiFe2O4 magnetic microspheres (NiFe2O4-PAA-Cu2+) was fabricated for selective enrichment and separation of bovine hemoglobin (BHb). First, a carboxyl group directly-modified on NiFe2O4 magnetic microspheres was gained through a facile one-pot solvothermal method. Second, Cu2+ from CuSO4 was brought

Three different Gemini compounds containing different lengths of multi-carbonyl groups were synthesized, and the effect of their hydrocarbon tail length on the AgNPs synthesis was investigated. The Gemini surfactants with the long hydrocarbon chain tail produces small AgNPs with a narrow size distribution and high colloidal stability in an aqueous phase. The surface parameters of the aqueous solution

Intrinsically microporous oligomers (or oligomers of intrinsic microporosity, OIM) for use as organic poro-gens were first synthesized and subsequently incorporated into polysulfone (PSU) matrices to produce mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) for gas separation. Their molecular weight was controlled to be about Mn=2,800 (n~5–6), and their end groups were regulated to be either -OH (OH-OIM) or -F (F-OIM)

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were used as an adsorbent in a solid-phase extraction (SPE) process to detect pesticide residues in water. The MWCNT were prepared with polyvinyl pyrrolidone and polysilazane liquid by pyrolysis. The morphology and integrity of MWCNT were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, and transmission

We employed polypyrrole/graphene quantum dot (PPy/GQD) composites as a sensor for the simple and selective detection of catecholamine neurotransmitters (CNs), such as dopamine (DA), epinephrine (EP), norepinephrine (NE), which play vital roles in the peripheral and central nervous systems. The PPy/GQD composites showed strong fluorescence emission, which was significantly increased, by as much as greater

Pine sawdust, to which sulfuric acid was applied (APSD), was utilized as an inexpensive adsorbent to perform the batch adsorptive removal from a synthetic dye solution of Maxilon Red GRL (MR GRL). The activated adsorbent was characterized by the points of zero charge, FTIR, N2 adsorption-desorption, SEM, and SEM-EDX analyses. According to the removal results, the highest efficiency of the dye adsorption

The presence of antibiotics in the environment as persistent micropollutants, due to their widespread consumption, has increased the concerns about the harmful effects of these compounds on human and animal health. Advanced oxidation processes are one of the most effective methods to remove these types of organic pollutants. In this study, amoxicillin (AMX) removal in a modified photoelectro-Fenton

We investigated the visible-light sensitive photocatalytic ability of a designed ternary Pd-GO/TiON nano-composite for use as an effective photocatalyst in membranes. We succeeded in synthesizing the TiO2-based photocata-lyst for Suzuki coupling reaction and application of this photocatalyst for fabricating high performance photocatalytic membrane. In this regard, palladium metal as a complementary

Bacterial cellulose (BC), an important biopolymer, has gained tremendous interest in several fields in the last few decades. Despite having the same chemical structure as plant cellulose, BC is superior in physical appearance and purity, as well as in mechanical, crystallinic, and biological properties for multiple applications. Despite these features, BC has limitations in production cost as well

A three-zone simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography using ModiCon strategy is proposed to enhance the separating performance. In this approach, three fold-concentrated feed and only desorbent are introduced during one-third and two-thirds of the switching time, respectively. The results showed that if the concentrated feed is introduced during the first and the last subsection of switching time