Ionic liquids at electrified interfaces

Until recently, “room-temperature” (<100–150 °C) liquid-state electrochemistry was mostly electrochemistry of diluted electrolytes(1)–(4) where dissolved salt ions were surrounded by a considerable amount of solvent molecules. Highly concentrated liquid electrolytes were mostly considered in the narrow (albeit important) niche of high-temperature electrochemistry of molten inorganic salts(5-9) and in the even narrower niche of “first-generation” room temperature ionic liquids, RTILs (such as chloro-aluminates and alkylammonium nitrates).(10-14) The situation has changed dramatically in the 2000s after the discovery of new moisture- and temperature-stable RTILs.(15, 16) These days, the “later generation” RTILs attracted wide attention within the electrochemical community.(17-31) Indeed, RTILs, as a class of compounds, possess a unique combination of properties (high charge density, electrochemical stability, low/negligible volatility, tunable polarity, etc.) that make them very attractive substances from fundamental and application points of view.(32-38) Most importantly, they can mix with each other in “cocktails” of one’s choice to acquire the desired properties (e.g., wider temperature range of the liquid phase(39, 40)) and can serve as almost “universal” solvents.(37, 41, 42) It is worth noting here one of the advantages of RTILs as compared to their high-temperature molten salt (HTMS)(43) “sister-systems”.(44) In RTILs the dissolved molecules are not imbedded in a harsh high temperature environment which could be destructive for many classes of fragile (organic) molecules

Environmental influences on the replenishment of lizardfish\ud (family Synodontidae) in Caribbean Panama

Lizardfish (family Synodontidae) are little studied despite their potentially important predatory role in epibenthic coral reef communities. The present study documented the temporal and spatial larval supply patterns of five Caribbean lizardfish species together with environmental variables (solar radiation, rainfall, water temperature, onshore-offshore winds, alongshore winds and wind-induced turbulence) to examine: (1) whether species within the same family respond differently to their developmental environment and (2) if larval supply in year-round warm waters is influenced by climatic changes. To address these questions, late-stage larvae of Synodus foetens, Synodus intermedius, Synodus poeyi, Saurida suspicio and Saurida brasiliensis were collected in replicate light traps in three different reef habitats (back-reef, lagoon and exposed) in the San Blas Archipelago, Panama, over 18 consecutive lunar months. Although replenishment of lizardfish occurred year-round, the temporal and spatial supply patterns were species-specific: S. foetens, S. intermedius and S. poeyi were most abundant during the dry season while S. suspicio and S. brasiliensis were most prevalent during the wet season. When seasons were analysed separately, water temperature explained 39 and 26% of the variance in light trap catches of S. foetens and S. intermedius, respectively, in the dry season while wind-induced turbulence accounted for 25% of the variability in S. suspicio and S. brasiliensis catches during the wet season. These findings stress the importance of analysing larval supply in conjunction with environmental data at a high taxonomic resolution to better understand the mechanisms that drive replenishment in reef systems at low latitudes