Maternal exposure to ambient black carbon particles and their presence in maternal and fetal circulation and organs : an analysis of two independent population-based observational studies

Funding European Research Council, Flemish Scientific Research Foundation, Kom op Tegen Kanker, UK Medical Research Council, and EU Horizon 2020. Acknowledgments The ENVIRONAGE birth cohort was initiated by the European Research Council (ERC-2012-StG 310898) and received additional funding from the Flemish Scientific Research Foundation and Kom op Tegen Kanker (KoTK). The detection equipment was funded by the METHUSALEM Program and the INCALO project (ERC-PoC). We acknowledge the Flemish Scientific Research Foundation (FWO; 1150920N to EB and G082317N). The SAFeR study was funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MR/L010011/1 and MR/P011535/1) and the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie project PROTECTED (grant agreement number 722634) and FREIA project (grant agreement number 825100) as well as by NHS Grampian Endowments grants (16/11/056, 17/034, 18/14, 19/029, and 20/031) to PAF. We thank the midwives from the maternity ward of the East-Limburg Hospital in Genk, Belgium, for coordinating and supporting the study at the ward. We thank the Advanced Optical Microscopy Centre for the maintenance of the microscopic instruments. Moreover, we thank our colleagues from the Centre for Environmental Sciences for their hard work in collecting and processing the samples for the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort. Additionally, we thank the NHS Grampian Research Nurses and NHS Grampian R&D for their tireless recruitment work for the SAFeR study. We thank the past and present SAFeR team for their hard work with the fetuses and placentae. Finally, we thank the NHS Grampian Biorepository for their oversight role in SAFeR and assistance in processing and preparation of tissue sections.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Catalysis to discriminate single atoms from subnanometric ruthenium particles in ultra-high loading catalysts

We report a procedure for preparing ulta-high metal loading (10-20 % w/w Ru) Ru@C60 nanostructured catalysts comprising exclusively Ru single atoms. We show that by changing the Ru/C60 ratio and the nature of the solvent used during the synthesis, it is possible to increase the Ru loading up to 50% w/w, and to produce hetero-structures containing subnanometric Ru nanoparticles. Several techniques such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy – high angle annular dark field (STEM-HAADF), Raman spectroscopy, wideangle X-ray scattering (WAXS), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) together with theoretical calculations were used to characterize these materials. At such high metal loading, the distinction between Ru single atoms and clusters is not trivial, even with this combination of techniques. We evaluated the catalytic properties of these materials for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene. The catalysts containing only Ru single atoms are much less active for these reactions than the ones containing clusters. For nitrobenzene hydrogenation, this is because electro-deficient Ru single atoms and few atom Run clusters are not performant for H2 activation compared to larger clusters (n ≥ 13), as shown by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. For the more crowded substrate 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene, DFT calculations have shown that this is due to steric hindrance. These simple tests can thus been used to distinguish samples containing metallic sub-nanometer nanoparticles. These novel catalysts are also extremely active for the hydrogenation of -substituted 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene

Polymer versus phosphine stabilized Rh nanoparticles as components of supported catalysts : implication in the hydrogenation of cyclohexene model molecule

The solution synthesis of rhodium nanoparticles (Rh NPs) was achieved from the organometallic complex [Rh(η³-C₃H₅)₃] under mild reaction conditions in the presence of a polymer (PVP), a monophosphine (PPh₃) and a diphosphine (dppb) as a stabilizer, leading to very small Rh NPs of 2.2, 1.3 and 1.7 nm mean size, with PVP, PPh3 and dppb, respectively. The surface properties of these nanoparticles were compared using a model catalysis reaction namely, hydrogenation of cyclohexene, first under colloidal conditions and then under supported conditions after their immobilization onto an amino functionalized silica-coated magnetite support. PVP-stabilized Rh NPs were the most active catalyst whatever the catalytic conditions as a result of a strong coordination of the phosphine ligands at the metal surface that blocks some surface atoms even after several recycles of the supported nanocatalysts and limit the reactivity of the metallic surface

PERTES CARACTÉRISTIQUES DES ÉLECTRONS RÉFLÉCHIS SUR LE MOLYBDÈNE (100)

La rétrodiffusion des électrons de 250 eV en incidence normale sur la face (100) de Mo présente un spectre assez complexe pour les pertes d'énergie comprises entre 5 et 25 eV. Ce spectre est notablement altéré par CO et H2 chimisorbés sur le molybdène.The energy spectrum of back scattered 250 eV electrons impinging normally onto (100) Mo is rather complex for energy losses less than 25 eV. This spectrum is definitely altered when CO and H2 are chemisorbed on the molybdenum surface

Corrosion inhibition of C38 steel in 1M hydrochloric acid medium by alkaloids extract from Oxandra asbeckii plant

International audienceThe strict environmental legislations and increasing ecological awareness among scientists have led to the development of “green” alternatives to mitigate corrosion. In the present work, literature on green corrosion inhibitors has been reviewed, and the salient features of our work on green corrosion inhibitors have been highlighted. Among the studied leaves, extract Andrographis paniculata showed better inhibition performance (98%) than the other leaves extract. Strychnos nuxvomica showed better inhibition (98%) than the other seed extracts. Moringa oleifera is reflected as a good corrosion inhibitor of mild steel in 1 M HCl with 98% inhibition efficiency among the studied fruits extract. Bacopa monnieri showed its maximum inhibition performance to be 95% at 600 ppm among the investigated stem extracts. All the reported plant extracts were found to inhibit the corrosion of mild steel in acid media

Inhibitive effect of Siparuna Guianensis extracts on the corrosion of low carbon steel in acidic media

International audienc

Anti-corrosive properties of S. tinctoria and G. ouregou alkaloid extracts on low carbon steel

International audienceThe effect of alkaloid extracts from two Amazonian trees (Guatteria ouregou and Simira tinctoria) on low carbon steel corrosion was investigated in acidic solutions by using electrochemical techniques. All of these plant extracts inhibit the corrosion of low carbon steel in 0.1 M HCl solutions. As their concentration increases to 250 mg/L, the inhibition efficiencies of S. tinctoria and G. ouregou alkaloid extracts reach approximately 92% in 0.1 M HCl solutions. The adsorption of the inhibitor molecules was in accordance with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The results obtained show that these plant extracts could be serve as an effective inhibitor for the corrosion of low carbon steel in hydrochloric acid media. Furthermore, harmane was identified as the main component of S. tinctoria extract and that suggests that it is the active ingredient against corrosion of low carbon steel