Spatial distribution and decrease of dye solar cell performance induced by electrolyte filling

The spatial performance variation of dye solar cell with standard liquid electrolyte was examined by dividing the cell into segments. Surprisingly large and permanent performance differences were found in different parts of the cell leading to significant losses in the overall cell efficiency. The decrease of open circuit voltage along the electrolyte filling direction suggests that 4-tert-butylpyridine is adsorbed non-uniformly as the electrolyte passes through the dyed TiO₂ layer during the filling process. The result indicates that non-uniform electrolyte adsorption may limit the up-scaling of dye solar cells, which calls for the examination of electrolyte filling techniques and electrolyte compositions less prone to this effect.     

Carboxymethyl cellulose on a fiber substrate: the interactions with cationic polyelectrolytes

High and low molecular weight (M_w) carboxymethyl celluloses (CMC) were adsorbed on a well-characterized fiber substrate (long fibers of a commercial bleached birch kraft pulp with the carboxylic acid groups in Na-form) to increase the charge of the fibers in a controlled fashion. The M_w played a role in the utilization of CMCs as a strength additive in paper sheets nearly doubling the tensile strength with the high M_w CMC. Swelling properties of the CMC treated fibers were measured with water retention value (WRV). The WRV increased more with the high M_w CMC. The swelling was further tuned by two highly cationic polyelectrolytes; high M_w poly(diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and low M_w polybrene (hexadimethrine bromide, [3,6]-ionene). They were chosen because of their known ability to neutralize the anionic charge either exclusively on the surface or in the whole fiber, respectively. Adsorption of PDADMAC could reduce WRV of the CMC pre-treated fibers to the level of the untreated reference, while polybrene adsorbed pulps with 3–10 times more cationic polyelectrolyte deswelled the fibers only slightly more than the surface neutralized fibers. These results indicated surface conformation differences with low and high M_w CMCs. While the conformation did play a role after physical alteration (drying and rewetting) of the fibers, the paper sheets produced from these fibers showed remarkable differences. In extreme cases, the strength of the paper could be retained after drying (low M_w CMC + PDADMAC) or paper, resistant to disintegration, could be achieved (CMC + polybrene).     

Performance and early applications of a versatile double aberration-corrected JEOL-2200FS FEG TEM/STEM at Aalto University

Applications relevant to carbon based nano-materials have been explored using a newly installed JEOL-2200FS field emission gun (FEG) (scanning) transmission electron microscope (S)TEM which is integrated with two CEOS aberration correctors for both the TEM image-forming and the STEM probe-forming lenses. The performance and utility of this newly commission hardware has been reviewed with a particular focus on operation at an acceleration voltage of 80 kV, thus bringing the primary electron beam voltage below the knock-on threshold for carbon materials and opening up a range of possibilities for the study of carbon-based nanostructures in the aberration-corrected electron microscope. The ability of the microscope to obtain both atomic TEM images and high-quality electron diffraction patterns from carbon nanotubes was demonstrated. The chiral structure of a double-walled carbon nanotube was determined from its diffraction pattern. The aberration corrected TEM imaging technique facilitates a unique approach to accurate determination of single-walled carbon nanotube diameters. On the other hand, the probe-corrected high angle annular dark field (HAADF) STEM imaging performance allows for the detection of single gold atoms at 80 kV and was used to study the graphite interlayer spacing in a multi-walled carbon nanotube.     

Top–down mass spectrometry reveals new sequence variants of the major bovine seminal plasma protein PDC‐109

The major protein of bovine seminal plasma, PDC‐109, is a 109‐residue polypeptide that exists as a polydisperse aggregate under native conditions. The oligomeric state of this aggregate varies with ionic strength and the presence of lipids. Binding of PDC‐109 to choline phospholipids on the sperm plasma membrane results in an efflux of cholesterol and choline phospholipids, which is an important step in sperm capacitation. In this study, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry was used to analyze PDC‐109 purified from bovine seminal plasma. In addition to the previously known PDC‐109 variants, four new sequence variants were identified by top–down mass spectrometry. For example, a protein variant containing point mutations P10L and G14R was identified along with another form having a 14‐residue truncation in the N‐terminal region. Two other minor variants could also be identified from the affinity‐purified PDC‐109. These results demonstrate that PDC‐109 is naturally produced as a mixture of several protein forms, most of which have not been detected in previous studies. Native mass spectrometry revealed that PDC‐109 is exclusively monomeric at low protein concentrations, suggesting that the protein oligomers are weakly bound and can easily be disrupted. Ligand binding to PDC‐109 was also investigated, and it was observed that two molecules of O‐phosphorylcholine bind to each PDC‐109 monomer, consistent with previous reports. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemoenzymatic Hydrogen Production from Methanol through the Interplay of Metal Complexes and Biocatalysts

Microbial methylotrophic organisms can serve as great inspiration in the development of biomimetic strategies for the dehydrogenative conversion of C₁ molecules under ambient conditions. In this Concept article, a concise personal perspective on the recent advancements in the field of biomimetic catalytic models for methanol and formaldehyde conversion, in the presence and absence of enzymes and co-factors, towards the formation of hydrogen under ambient conditions is given. In particular, formaldehyde dehydrogenase mimics have been introduced in stand-alone C₁-interconversion networks. Recently, coupled systems with alcohol oxidase and dehydrogenase enzymes have been also developed for in situ formation and decomposition of formaldehyde and/or reduced/oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH/ NAD⁺). Although C₁ molecules are already used in many industries for hydrogen production, these conceptual bioinspired low-temperature energy conversion processes may lead one day to more efficient energy storage systems enabling renewable and sustainable hydrogen generation for hydrogen fuel cells under ambient conditions using C₁ molecules as fuels for mobile and miniaturized energy storage solutions in which harsh conditions like those in industrial plants are not applicable.     

Preparation of Langmuir/Blodgett-cellulose Surfaces by Using Horizontal Dipping Procedure. Application for Polyelectrolyte Adsorption Studies Performed with QCM-D

A method of preparing model cellulose surfaces by the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique with horizontal dipping procedure has been developed. The primary aim for the use of these surfaces was adsorption studies performed with the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) instrument. Hydrophobised cellulose (trimethylsilyl cellulose, TMSC) was deposited on the hydrophobic, polystyrene-coated QCM-D crystal. After 15 dipping cycles, the TMSC film fully covers the crystal surface. TMSC can easily be hydrolysed back to cellulose with acid hydrolysis. With this method a smooth, rigid, thin and reproducible cellulose film was obtained. Its morphology, coverage, chemical composition and wetting was further characterised using atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and contact angle measurements. The swelling behaviour and the stability of the cellulose film in aqueous solutions at different ionic strengths were studied using the QCM-D instrument. The swelling/deswelling properties of the cellulose film were those expected of polyelectrolytes with low charge density; some swelling occurred in pure water and the swelling decreased when the ionic strength was increased. No significant layer softening was detected during the swelling. The effect of electrolyte concentration and polymer charge density on the adsorption of cationic polyelectrolytes on the cellulose surface was also investigated. At low electrolyte concentration less of the highly charged PDADMAC was adsorbed as compared to low charged C-PAM. The adsorbed amount of PDADMAC increased with increasing ionic strength and a more compact layer was formed while the effect of electrolyte concentration on the adsorption of C-PAM was not as pronounced.     

Sol-Gel Derived Binder for Inorganic Composites

A new low cost inorganic binder system for large volume products like fiber insulation, building materials, etc. has been developed based on sol-gel technology. The precursor for the binder system is an amorphous mineral raw material containing silica as the major component. The sol was prepared by dissolving the amorphous mineral material in formic acid and the mineral was dissolved in a few hours dependent on the molarity of the formic acid. The sol stability was dependent on the solids content and the pH. The gel formation was studied using light scattering and NMR. The results show a growing particle size of particles mainly consisting of silica while the other cations were dissolved in the pore liquid. During the drying of the wet gels, salts of these cations were crystallized in the pores and further decomposed during heating. The derived binder shows good wetting properties to mineral fiber surfaces and a good strength of paper-binder composites. The new binder system applicable to approximately 800°C has a great potential as a substitute for some traditional organic systems.     

Ultrasound-assisted extraction in the determination of arsenic,cadmium, copper,lead, and silver in contaminated soil samples by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

An extraction method was developed for the determination of toxic elements in contaminated soil samples by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The determination of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and silver in ultrasound-assisted extracts of SRM 2710 and SRM 2711 by ICP-AES was carried out with high accuracy and precision (RSD<3.7%). The certified concentrations of the SRMs were obtained for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and silver by using an ultrasound-assisted extraction method with a digestion solution of (1+1)-diluted aqua regia. The determination of copper in SRMs by the ultrasound-assisted extraction method and analysis by ICP-AES failed to obtain the certified concentrations at the 95% level of confidence using (+/-2 s) as confidence limits of the mean. However, the same results were observed with the use of the microwave digestion method and reflux, which is the ISO 11466 standard method. The analysis of the SRMs showed that the ultrasound-assisted extraction method is highly comparable with the other methods used for such purposes. The major advantages of the ultrasound-assisted extraction method compared to the microwave and reflux methods are the high treatment rate (50 samples simultaneously in nine minutes) and low reagent usage, the main benefit of which are the low chloride and nitrate concentrations in the extracts.     

Dual Effect of Manganese Oxide Micromotors: Catalytic Degradation and Adsorptive Bubble Separation of Organic Pollutants

Manganese oxide (MnO₂) based micromotors exhibiting a dual effect, that is, catalytic degradation and adsorptive bubble separation, were employed for water remediation. The dual effect of MnO₂ microparticles led to a greater than 90 % of decolorization of non‐biodegradable organic dyes in just 1 h, without the need for external agitation or bubble generation. These findings suggest high potential of MnO₂ micromotors for decontamination of organic pollutants from wastewaters or natural water reserves.