Processing of Biomass Prior to Hydrogen Fermentation and Post-Fermentative Broth Management

Using bioconversion and simultaneous value-added product generation requires purification of the gaseous and the liquid streams before, during, and after the bioconversion process. The effect of diversified process parameters on the efficiency of biohydrogen generation via biological processes is a broad object of research. Biomass-based raw materials are often applied in investigations regarding biohydrogen generation using dark fermentation and photo fermentation microorganisms. The literature lacks information regarding model mixtures of lignocellulose and starch-based biomass, while the research is carried out based on a single type of raw material. The utilization of lignocellulosic and starch biomasses as the substrates for bioconversion processes requires the decomposition of lignocellulosic polymers into hexoses and pentoses. Among the components of lignocelluloses, mainly lignin is responsible for biomass recalcitrance. The natural carbohydrate-lignin shields must be disrupted to enable lignin removal before biomass hydrolysis and fermentation. The matrix of chemical compounds resulting from this kind of pretreatment may significantly affect the efficiency of biotransformation processes. Therefore, the actual state of knowledge on the factors affecting the culture of dark fermentation and photo fermentation microorganisms and their adaptation to fermentation of hydrolysates obtained from biomass requires to be monitored and a state of the art regarding this topic shall become a contribution to the field of bioconversion processes and the management of liquid streams after fermentation. The future research direction should be recognized as striving to simplification of the procedure, applying the assumptions of the circular economy and the responsible generation of liquid and gas streams that can be used and purified without large energy expenditure. The optimization of pre-treatment steps is crucial for the latter stages of the procedure.     

Carbon Dioxide Adsorption over Activated Carbons Produced from Molasses Using H2SO4, H3PO4, HCl,NaOH, and KOH as Activating Agents

Cost-effective activated carbons for CO₂ adsorption were developed from molasses using H₂SO₄, H₃PO₄, HCl, NaOH, and KOH as activating agents. At the temperature of 0 °C and a pressure of 1 bar, CO₂ adsorption equal to 5.18 mmol/g was achieved over activated carbon obtained by KOH activation. The excellent CO₂ adsorption of M-KOH can be attributed to its high microporosity. However, activated carbon prepared using HCl showed quite high CO₂ adsorption while having very low microporosity. The absence of acid species on the surface promotes CO₂ adsorption over M-HCl. The pore size ranges that are important for CO₂ adsorption at different temperatures were estimated. The higher the adsorption temperature, the more crucial smaller pores were. For 1 bar pressure and temperatures of 0, 10, 20, and 30 °C, the most important were pores equal and below: 0.733, 0.733, 0.679, and 0.536 nm, respectively.     

Structural properties of transparent Ti-V oxide semiconductor thin films

Transparent oxide semiconducting thin films based on mixed Ti-V oxides were prepared using a modified reactive magnetron sputtering method. Based on structural investigations performed with the help of x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis, two distinct regions in the prepared thin film have been observed: a nanocrystalline TiO₂-V₂O₃-V₂O₅ mixed composition, and a thin layer consisting of amorphous phase and nanocystalline TiO₂ phase deposited directly at the substrate. Optical measurements show excellent transmission in the visible spectral range of 73%, on average. Resistivity of the thin film was found at the order of 10⁵ Ω cm at room temperature. The preparation of mixed Ti-V oxides provides a combination of high transparency and semiconducting properties.     

Polyisoprenoid alcohols--recent results of structural studies

Polyisoprenoid alcohols (polyprenols and dolichols) are linear polymers of from several up to more than 100 isoprene units identified in almost all living organisms. Studies of their chemical structures have resulted in the discovery of new variants such as the recently described alloprenols with reversed configuration of the double bond in the alpha-isoprene unit. In parallel, structural elucidation of metabolically labeled plant dolichols has indicated that both the mevalonate and methylerythritol phosphate pathways are involved in the biosynthesis of dolichols in roots, leading to the construction of a spatial model of their biosynthesis. According to this model, in root cells, synthesis of the dolichol molecule is initiated in the plastids, and the resulting intermediates, oligoprenyl diphosphates, are exported to the cytoplasm and are elongated up to the desired chain length. The metabolic consequences of this putative model are discussed in the context of the enzymatic machinery involved.     

Activity of lactoperoxidase when adsorbed on protein layers

Lactoperoxidase (LPO) is an enzyme, which is used as an antimicrobial agent in a number of applications, e.g., food technology. In the majority of applications LPO is added to a homogeneous product phase or immobilised on product surface. In the latter case, however, the measurements of LPO activity are seldom reported. In this paper we have assessed LPO enzymatic activity on bare and protein modified gold surfaces by means of electrochemistry. It was found that LPO rapidly adsorbs to bare gold surfaces resulting in an amount of LPO adsorbed of 2.9mg/m(2). A lower amount of adsorbed LPO is obtained if the gold surface is exposed to bovine serum albumin, bovine or human mucin prior to LPO adsorption. The enzymatic activity of the adsorbed enzyme is in general preserved at the experimental conditions and varies only moderately when comparing bare gold and gold surface pretreated with the selected proteins. The measurement of LPO specific activity, however, indicate that it is about 1.5 times higher if LPO is adsorbed on gold surfaces containing a small amount of preadsorbed mucin in comparison to the LPO directly adsorbed on bare gold.     

Optical Spectra of Oligofurans: A Theoretical Approach to the Transition Energies,Reorganization Energies,and the Vibronic Activity

There is experimental evidence of high vibronic activity that accompanies the allowed transition between the ground state and the lowest electronic singlet excited state of oligofurans that contain two, three, and four furan rings. The absorption and emission spectra of the three lowest oligofurans measured at liquid nitrogen temperature show distinct fine structures that are reproduced using the projection-based model of vibronic coupling (with Dushinsky rotation included) parameterized utilizing either Density Functional Theory (DFT, with several different exchange-correlation functionals) or ab initio (CC2) quantum chemistry calculations. Using as a reference the experimental data concerning the electronic absorption and fluorescence for the eight lowest oligofurans, we first analyzed the performance of the exchange-correlation functionals for the electronic transition energies and the reorganization energies. Subsequently, we used the best functionals alongside with the CC2 method to explore how the reorganization energies are distributed among the totally symmetric vibrations, identify the normal modes that dominate in the fine structures present in the absorption and emission bands, and trace their evolution with the increasing number of rings in the oligofuran series. Confrontation of the simulated spectra with the experiment allows for the verification of the performance of the selected DFT functionals and the CC2 method.     

Direct electron transfer reactions between human ceruloplasmin and electrodes

In an effort to find conditions favouring bioelectrocatalytic reduction of oxygen by surface-immobilised human ceruloplasmin (Cp), direct electron transfer (DET) reactions between Cp and an extended range of surfaces were considered. Exploiting advances in surface nanotechnology, bare and carbon-nanotube-modified spectrographic graphite electrodes as well as bare, thiol- and gold-nanoparticle-modified gold electrodes were considered, and ellipsometry provided clues as to the amount and form of adsorbed Cp. DET was studied under different conditions by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Two Faradaic processes with midpoint potentials of about 400 mV and 700 mV vs. NHE, corresponding to the redox transformation of copper sites of Cp, were clearly observed. In spite of the significant amount of Cp adsorbed on the electrode surfaces, as well as the quite fast DET reactions between the redox enzyme and electrodes, bioelectrocatalytic reduction of oxygen by immobilised Cp was never registered. The bioelectrocatalytic inertness of this complex multi-functional redox enzyme interacting with a variety of surfaces might be associated with a very complex mechanism of intramolecular electron transfer involving a kinetic trapping behaviour.     

Microwave-enhanced solid-phase synthesis of N,N'-linked aliphatic oligoureas and related hybrids

A practical and efficient microwave-assisted solid-phase method for the synthesis of N,N'-linked oligoureas and related amide/urea hybrid oligomers, featuring the use of succinimidyl (2-azido-2-substituted ethyl) carbamate monomers, is reported. The rate enhancement of urea formation under microwave irradiation combined with the mild conditions of the phosphine-based azide reduction makes this approach very effective for routine synthesis of oligoureas and possibly for library production.