Sonochemical conversion of CO2 into hydrocarbons: The Sabatier reaction at ambient conditions

In this study, we investigated an alternative method for the chemical CO₂ reduction reaction in which power ultrasound (488 kHz ultrasonic plate transducer) was applied to CO₂-saturated (up to 3%) pure water, NaCl and synthetic seawater solutions. Under ultrasonic conditions, the converted CO₂ products were found to be mainly CH₄, C₂H₄ and C₂H₆ including large amount of CO which was subsequently converted into CH₄. We have found that introducing molecular H₂ plays a crucial role in the CO₂ conversion process and that increasing hydrogen concentration increased the yields of hydrocarbons. However, it was observed that at higher hydrogen concentrations, the overall conversion decreased since hydrogen, a diatomic gas, is known to decrease cavitational activity in liquids. It was also found that 1.0 M NaCl solutions saturated with 2% CO₂ + 98% H₂ led to maximum hydrocarbon yields (close to 5%) and increasing the salt concentrations further decreased the yield of hydrocarbons due to the combined physical and chemical effects of ultrasound. It was shown that CO₂ present in a synthetic industrial flue gas (86.74% N₂, 13% CO₂, 0.2% O₂ and 600 ppm of CO) could be converted into hydrocarbons through this method by diluting the flue gas with hydrogen. Moreover, it was observed that in addition to pure water, synthetic seawater can also be used as an ultrasonicating media for the sonochemical process where the presence of NaCl improves the yields of hydrocarbons by ca. 40%. We have also shown that by using low frequency high-power ultrasound in the absence of catalysts, it is possible to carry out the conversion process at ambient conditions i.e., at room temperature and pressure. We are postulating that each cavitation bubble formed during ultrasonication act as a “micro-reactor” where the so-called Sabatier reaction -$C{O}_2+4H_2\stackrel{\mathit{Ultrasonication}}{\to }C{H}_4+2H_{2}O$ - takes place upon collapse of the bubble. We are naming this novel approach as the “Islam-Pollet-Hihn process”.     

Modification of Polylactide Nonwovens with Carbon Nanotubes and Ladder Poly(silsesquioxane)

Electrospun nonwovens of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and linear ladder-like poly(silsesquioxane) with methoxycarbonyl side groups (LPSQ-COOMe) were obtained. MWCNT and LPSQ-COOMe were added to the polymer solution before the electrospinning. In addition, nonwovens of PLLA grafted to modified MWCNT were electrospun. All modified nonwovens exhibited higher tensile strength than the neat PLA nonwoven. The addition of 10 wt.% of LPSQ-COOMe and 0.1 wt.% of MWCNT to PLLA increased the tensile strength of the nonwovens 2.4 times, improving also the elongation at the maximum stress.     

First principles investigations of Fe,Co, Ni in model honeycomb carbon networks

The behaviors of ferromagnetic transition metals of the first period: Fe, Co and Ni are examined within density functional theory calculations in two dimensional carbon extended networks using model structure LiC₆. Around geometry optimized structures, the energy-volume equations of states considering non magnetic and spin polarized configurations established ferromagnetic ground states with magnetizations –reduced with respect to the metals’– of 2 μ_B for FeC₆ and 1 μ_B for CoC₆ while no magnetic solution could be identified for NiC₆. In the D_6h point group of the P6/mmm space group l_m decomposition of the d states results with increasing energy into doublet state E_1g with d(x²-y²) and d(xy); singlet state A_1g d(z²) and doublet state E_2g d(xz) and d(yz) lying on E_F and responsible of the onset of magnetic moments. This was mirrored via molecular orbital approach with a construct of Fe embedded between two extended carbon networks thus validating the model structure proposed for TC₆ compounds. The 100% polarization in one spin channel allows proposing potential uses in spintronics applications.     

A simple,rapid and sensitive method based on modified multiwalled carbon nanotube for preconcentration and determination of lead ions in aqueous media in natural pHs

In this study, multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) was modified by the pyridine group using a silane agent and characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermal analysis (TG/DTA), and elemental analysis (CHN) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The application of this sorbent was investigated in determination of lead ions in aqueous samples, using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Through this study, different parameters such as pH and sample flow rate on adsorption process and eluent concentration, volume and flow rate were optimized. The limit of detection (LOD), the relative standard deviation and the recovery of the method were 2 ng mL^?1, 1.3% and 99.7%, respectively. Two standard reference materials (NIST 1571 and NIST 1572) were used to verify accuracy of this method. Finally, the sorbent was successfully applied for extraction and determination of low levels of Pb(II) ions in aqueous samples.     

Self-Assembly of C3 Symmetric Rigid Macrolactams into Very Polar and Porous Trigonal Crystals

Cyclohexane and cyclotri-β-alanyl have been used as scaffolds for the design of new C₃-symmetric rings incorporating conjugated alkenes and dienes. All three C₃-symmetric lactams share the same triangular shape and their crystal system is trigonal. They all belong to the R3 space group, R3m, R3 and R3c, for the increasingly large 12-, 18- and 24-membered rigid rings, respectively. All lactams stack on top of each other, through H-bonds and van der Waals noncovalent interactions, leading to endless supramolecular cylinders and tubes. The largest member of the family leads to tubes, the central pores of which is wide enough to let water in. A common feature of all the lactams is their very large dipole, of around 9 D, according to DFT calculations. Surprisingly, all the resulting cylinders and tubes pack side by side in the crystals, with all the dipoles pointing to the same direction. As a result, all three crystals are anisotropic and appear to be the first members of a new kind of highly polar crystals.     

Periodic Optical Pulses in Nonlinear Optical Fibers

We discuss the problem of transmitting polarized pulses along optical fibers with variable dispersion. The dissipation and mean dispersion are assumed to be zero, which allows using the model of the vector nonlinear Schrödinger equation. We consider an optical fiber consisting of arms of equal length, which is assumed to be large. We propose an asymptotic recursive procedure for calculating the amplitude and the phase of an optical pulse propagating along the optical cable with variable dispersion.     

Towards molecular-scale electronics and biomolecular self-assembly

This paper provides an overview of recent research developments in the field of nanoelectronics with organic materials such as carbon nanotubes and DNA-templated nanowires. Carbon nanotubes and gold electrodes are chemically functionalized in order to contact carbon nanotubes by self-assembly. The transport properties of these nanotubes are dominated by charging effects and display clear Coulomb blockade behaviour. A different approach towards nanoscale electronics is based on the molecular recognition properties of biomolecules such as DNA. As an example, DNA is stretched between electrodes using a molecular combing technique. A two-step metallization procedure leads to the formation of highly conductive gold nanowires.     

PREPARATION AND CATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF BIOACTIVE FIBERS

Two kinds of water-soluble metallophthalocyanines, binuclear cobalt phthalocyanine （Co2Pc2） and binuclear ferric phthalocyanine （Fe2Pc2）, were synthesized through phenylanhydride-urea route and characterized by elemental analysis and FT-IR spectra. Binuclear metallophthalocyanine derivatives （Mt2Pc2） were immobilized on silk fibers and modified viscose fibers to construct bioactive fibers of mimic enzyme. Mt2Pc2 was used as the active center of bioactive fibers, viscose and silk fibers as the microenvironments. The catalytic oxidation ability of bioactive fibers on the malodors of methanthiol and hydrogen sulfide was investigated at room temperature. The experimental results indicated that the catalytic activity of such bioactive fibers was closely correlative to the types ofbioactive fibers and substrates.     

碳纳米管阵列、捆束的三步升温工艺制备及其形貌与结构

使用结构简单的单温炉设备，通过三步升温热解二茂铁、三聚氰氨混合物方法，在二氧化硅、多晶陶瓷基底上分别合成了碳纳米管阵列、碳纳米管捆束.使用扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜、电子能量损失谱和x射线光电子能谱对合成样品进行了结构和成分分析.结果显示：两种基底上合成的纳米管均为多壁纯碳管；生长于光滑二氧化硅表面的碳纳米管具有高度取向性和一致的外径，长度为10—40μm.碳纳米管采取催化剂顶端生长模式并展示出类杯状形貌；生长于粗糙多晶陶瓷表面的碳纳米管捆束随机取向，碳纳米管直径为15—80nm，长度在几百微米，展示 关键词： 碳纳米管 热解法 三步升温工艺     

利用场发射显微镜研究O2对单壁碳纳米管场发射的影响

利用场发射显微镜和四极质谱计研究了充入高纯O2的四极质谱和O2对单壁碳纳米管场发射的影响.单壁碳纳米管经过约1000℃的热处理得到清洁态场发射像后，充入O2，分别测量了O2吸附和脱附后场发射的I V特性.实验观测到在单壁碳纳米管上O2的吸附使场发射电流减小，说明逸出功增加.在10-4Pa的O2压强下对单壁碳纳米管进行约1000℃的热处理，可以产生氧化刻蚀作用，观测到场发射像的变化，并测量了氧化刻蚀产生的I V特性变化. 关键词： 单壁碳纳米管 场发射显微镜 场发射 四极质谱