Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) and their applications [forthcoming]

Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) and Their Application

Mise en place d'une expérience avec le grand public: entre recherche, vulgarisation et pédagogie

Methodological considerations on implementing a participative experimentWe present the implementation of an economic experiment conducted simultaneously in 11 French cities, with over 2700 participants, during four uninterrupted hours, during a popular-science event held in September 2015. Our goal is both to provide a roadmap for a possible replication and to discuss how the discipline can be used in new fields (science popularization, popular education, public communication)

Encapsulated deep eutectic solvent for esterification of free fatty acid

A novel encapsulated deep eutectic solvent (DES) was introduced for biodiesel production via a two-step process. The DES was encapsulated in medical capsules and were used to reduce the free fatty acid (FFA) content of acidic crude palm oil (ACPO) to the minimum acceptable level (< 1%). The DES was synthesized from methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (MTPB) and p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA). The effects pertaining to different operating conditions such as capsule dosage, reaction time, molar ratio, and reaction temperature were optimized. The FFA content of ACPO was reduced from existing 9.61% to less than 1% under optimum operating conditions. This indicated that encapsulated MTPB-DES performed high catalytic activity in FFA esterification reaction and showed considerable activity even after four consecutive recycling runs. The produced biodiesel after acid esterification and alkaline transesterification met the EN14214 international biodiesel standard specifications. To our best knowledge, this is the first study to introduce an acidic catalyst in capsule form. This method presents a new route for the safe storage of new materials to be used for biofuel production. Conductor-like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS) representation of the DES using σ-profile and σ-potential graphs indicated that MTPB and PTSA is a compatible combination due to the balanced presence and affinity towards hydrogen bond donor and hydrogen bond acceptor in each constituent

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 application of nanotechnology: air, soil, and water

Global deterioration of water, soil, and atmosphere by the release of toxic chemicals from the ongoing anthropogenic activities is becoming a serious problem throughout the world. This poses numerous issues relevant to ecosystem and human health that intensify the application challenges of conventional treatment technologies. Therefore, this review sheds the light on the recent progresses in nanotechnology and its vital role to encompass the imperative demand to monitor and treat the emerging hazardous wastes with lower cost, less energy, as well as higher efficiency. Essentially, the key aspects of this account are to briefly outline the advantages of nanotechnology over conventional treatment technologies and to relevantly highlight the treatment applications of some nanomaterials (e.g., carbon-based nanoparticles, antibacterial nanoparticles, and metal oxide nanoparticles) in the following environments: (1) air (treatment of greenhouse gases, volatile organic compounds, and bioaerosols via adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, thermal decomposition, and air filtration processes), (2) soil (application of nanomaterials as amendment agents for phytoremediation processes and utilization of stabilizers to enhance their performance), and (3) water (removal of organic pollutants, heavy metals, pathogens through adsorption, membrane processes, photocatalysis, and disinfection processes)

An Integrated Model to Enhance the Transportation Methods in Malaysia: Review Paper

In this study, we plan to construct a Simulation Model (SM) in corporate with the Road Network Design Method (RNDM), Genetic Algorithm system (GAs), and Optimization method. In order to elicit a general diagnosis for the traffic congestion problem in the main urban areas in Malaysia, and to find out the optimal solutions for transportation system problems in Malaysia. The problems of the transportation system in Malaysia are generally unsatisfactory to many of the customers due to be inability to connect different place. The country requires a better transportation system that could provide multi options to customers travel among the many places that might minimize the traffic congestion in the main urban areas. The results of this study will be reported and used to suggest and apply optimal transportation policies with the aim of providing useful insights on critical issues about the impact of such policies, and to help as a guide for the Malaysian decision makers to elaborate the optimal transportation policies

Rendering of cultural references: a case study of the films 300 and Gladiator : a thesis in audiovisual translation

Theoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 70-74.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Review of related literature -- Chapter 3. Methodology and proposed translation strategies for cultural references -- Chapter 4. Data analysis, discussion and findings -- Chapter 5. Conclusions -- References.Language and culture have always been two sides of the same coin. In the field of translation, many studies have been conducted to illustrate the complex relationship between language and culture, as they bond tightly together and are deemed inseparable. However, with the proliferation of advanced technology such as the Internet, mass media, DVDs and satellite channels, people have become more exposed to other cultures. Therefore, it has become evident that Audiovisual Translation (AVT) is essential to bridge the communication gap between cultures. Subtitling is one of the dominant modes of AVT in the Middle East, yet only a few studies have been conducted in this domain. The main aims of this thesis are to identify the most common cultural references that occur in two American feature films, namely 300 and Gladiator; to detect the most dominant translation strategies applied by subtitlers in rendering these cultural references from English into Arabic; to determine the orientation of translation towards foreignisation or domestication in terms of loyalty to the source or target culture; and to verify the main factors which motivated subtitlers to opt for a certain strategy over another. The findings indicate that source language (SL)-oriented translation strategies are most common, and borrowing and direct translation are the most used strategies among other translation strategies. The genre of period dramas, and in particular sword-and-sandal films, transculturality and co-text have been the chief factors in the decision to favour one strategy over another. Finally, the selection of solutions in tackling cultural references has not been motivated by agency, but has been left to the arbitrary choices of subtitlers.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xi, 74 pages

Assessment of cytotoxicity and toxicity for phosphonium-based deep eutectic solvents

In this work, the cytotoxicity and toxicity of phosphonium-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) with three hydrogen bond donors, namely glycerine, ethylene glycol, and triethylene glycol were investigated. The cytotoxicity effect was tested using brine shrimp (Artemia salina). The toxicity was investigated using the two Gram positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, and two Gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The cytotoxicity of tested DESs was much higher than that of their individual components, indicating their toxicological behavior was different. It was also found that there was toxic effect on the studied bacteria, indicating their potential application as anti-bacterial agents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time the cytotoxicity and toxicity of phosphoniumbased DESs were studied