Optimizing Membranes for Osmotic Power Generation

The design of ion-selective membranes is the key towards efficient reverse electrodialysis-based osmotic power conversion. The tradeoff between ion selectivity (output voltage) and ion permeability (output current) in existing porous membranes, however, limits the upgradation of power generation efficiency for practical applications. Thus, we provide the simple guidelines based on fundamentals of ion transport in nanofluidics for promoting osmotic power conversion. In addition, we discuss strategies for optimizing membrane performance through analysis of various material parameters in membrane design, such as pore size, surface charge, pore density, membrane thickness, ion pathway, pore order, and ionic diode effect. Lastly, a perspective on the future directions of membrane design to further maximize the efficiency of osmotic power conversion is outlined.     

Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activities of Coleus amboinicus Lour. Cultivated in Indonesia and Poland

Coleus amboinicus Lour., Lamiaceae, is a perennial herb that is native to Indonesia and also cultivated in Africa, Asia and Australia. The major phytochemicals responsible for its bioactivity are rosmarinic acid (RA) and its analogues, flavonoids and abietane diterpenoids. The possibility of cultivation in a colder climate would extend the use of this herb and provide new opportunities to herb growers and livestock farmers. Our study to compare feed value and phytochemical composition of C. amboinicus plants cultivated in its original region, Indonesia, and in Poland. The crude protein content was significantly higher in plants cultivated in Indonesia compared to those cultivated in Poland—21% and 13% of dry matter, respectively. The higher ADF contents were detected in C. amboinicus cultivated in Indonesia, 38–41%, in comparison to 34% in plants cultivated in Poland. The phytochemical composition was also significantly influenced by the cultivation location. Polish samples were higher in polyphenols (RA and its analogues), and also had 1.5–2-fold higher antioxidant potential, as measured by DPPH scavenging, phosphomolybdenum reduction and Fenton reaction driven lipid peroxidation. The Indonesian samples contained more diterpenoid compounds, such as dihydroxyroyleanone, and the sum of terpenoids was ca. 10 times higher than in samples from Poland (15.59–23.64 vs. 1.87 µg/g of extracts). In conclusion, C. amboinicus is suitable for cultivation in non-optimal climatic conditions but some nutritional properties and bioactivity are significantly affected.     

A Mössbauer spectroscopy investigation of SrFe1−xScxO3−δ perovskites

Polycrystalline samples of oxygen deficient perovskites SrFe_1?xSc_xO_3?δ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) have been synthesized by direct solid state reactions. Each compound has been stabilized with two different oxygen stoichiometries. The structural study shows, firstly, the good cationic homogeneity of the samples and, secondly, that the Sc and Fe atoms are randomly distributed over the same crystallographic site, whatever the scandium content. This implies that no anionic order is possible. A detailed Mossbauer spectroscopy study clearly shows that the substitution of scandium for iron involves an oxygen content decrease which decreases the tetravalent iron content until its total disappearance for x = 0.5. The evolutions of the isomer shift, the quadrupolar splitting and the relative intensity versus the Sc³⁺ content are depicted in the present paper.     

The oxygen deficient cubic perovskite SrFe1−xScxO3−δ (x ≤ 0.5; 0.1 ≤ δ ≤ 0.5): Structural features and physical properties

Solid state synthesis method has been used to stabilize oxygen deficient perovskite phases SrFe_1?xSc_xO_3?δ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5). The good homogeneity of samples is confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis performed with a transmission electronic microscope (TEM). By combining X-ray and electronic diffraction (ED), it is demonstrated that the cationic substitution on the B site of the perovskite induces a decrease of the oxygen content but without inducing long range ordering phenomenon. On this basis, X-ray patterns of compounds were indexed in the cubic Pm3m space group. The oxidation states of iron evidenced by Mössbauer spectroscopy, are in good agreement with the oxygen stoichiometries determined by cerimetric titration. In the SrFe_1?xSc_xO_3?δ series, the Fe³⁺/Fe⁴⁺ origin of the electronic conductivity is clearly evidenced. The limit compound SrFe_0.5Sc_0.5O_2.5 is highly resistive and characterized by a cluster glass-like behaviour. Finally, negative magnetoresistivity properties are revealed for the x = 0.1 and x = 0.2 samples, reaching ?10% around the magnetic transition temperature in a 7T magnetic field.