Fabrication and Characterization of Anionic Exchange Membranes Based on Chitosan/Poly (Vinyl) Alcohol and Chitosan/Chondroitin Doped with an Amino Cumulene Derivative and Carbon Nanotubes

Anionic exchange membranes mainly based on mixed matrix membranes (MMM) via the crosslinking of either chitosan (CHT) with poly (vinyl alcohol) (CHT : PVA) or CHT with chondroitin sulfate (CHT : CS) in a 50 : 50 wt% were synthesized. The doping of CHT, CHT : PVA and CHT : CS membranes with either the dispersant agent aminocumulene derivative (named AC, coming from the polycondensation of hexamethylenetetramine in an anhydrous acid medium) or with the carbonaceous inch made of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) dispersed by using AC to perform (AC/CNT) were characterized by the exploration of the topology by scanning electron microscopy, the determination of water uptake, and the analysis of X-ray diffraction spectroscopy together with the measurement of the anionic conductivity by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results revealed that the modification of the MMMs with the above inorganic carbonaceous fillers, i.e. AC or AC/CNT, improved remarkably the OH– conductivity for all membranes. The modified CHT:CS blend membranes exhibited the highest ionic conductivities of the series. Water uptake increased for the modified CHT and CHT : PVA membranes, whereas a remarkable reduction of water uptake for the CHT : CS based membranes took place. The best membranes in terms of anionic conductivity were correlated with crystallinity and water uptake.The research was carried out at the expense of a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 15-13-10038). AG acknowledges the Presidential fellowship programme of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Also LGC and JI are grateful to the Spanish MINECO through the project CTQ2016-76231-C2-2-R

The District Heating in the Context of the Active Consumers Development in Smart Energy Systems

The paper defines the main factors of the smart energy systems that influence on the district heating. Noted increase in the regulatory impact of electric energy system on the district heating and increase in roles of the distribution and consumption of thermal energy. Urban population and other consumers of energy become equal partners of the utilities and acquire the status of "active" consumers. The heating supply companies need to develop a new model of management of heating regimes with dynamic synchronization with energy system and "active" consumers. One of the most important conditions of the achievement of the cost reduction, reliability and quality increase in community facilities is active consumer's behavior

Polycondensation of Hexamethylenetetramine in Anhydrous Acid Media as a New Approach to Carbyne-Like Materials and Its Application as Dispersant of Carbon Materials

Aminocumulene (AC), a technical name that results from the hexamethylenetetramine polycondensation in anhydrous sulfuric acid, was successfully performed toward the synthesis of oligomeric cumulenic compounds made up of carbyne-like (=C=C)x fragments as a main moiety together with amino endcapping groups. The tentative mechanism for the synthesis of the soluble and insoluble AC likely included the participation of carbene species as an intermediate. Spectral properties obtained from UV-Vis, infrared, and Raman spectroscopies, and surface chemistry analysis through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the soluble AC confirmed the presence of a mixture of linear and branched aminocumulene-based oligomers. AC displayed high performance as a dispersant and stabilizer agent of both multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene in aqueous solutions after powerful insonation treatment under controlled temperature compared to the most commonly used dispersant agents. Thereby, AC is vitally important for the preparation of carbonaceous materials based on nanoinks in a wide variety of fields.The research was carried out at the expense of a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 15-13-10038). AG acknowledges the Presidential fellowship program of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Also L.G.-C. and J.I. are grateful to the Spanish MINECO through the project CTQ2016-76231-C2-2-R

The Great Oxidation Event Recorded in Paleoproterozoic Rocks from Fennoscandia

With support of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) and other funding organizations, the Fennoscandia Arctic Russia – Drilling Early Earth Project (FAR-DEEP) operations have been successfully completed during 2007. A total of 3650 meters of core have been recovered from fifteen holes drilled through sedimentary and volcanic formations in Fennoscandia (Fig. 1), recording several global environmental changes spanning the time interval 2500–2000 Ma, including the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) (Holland, 2002). The core was meanwhile curated and archived in Trondheim, Norway, and it has been sampled by an international team of scientists

The onega basin

The main geological and stratigraphic features of the Onega Basin are discussed in Chap. 4.3. Given here is a brief geological outline to provide a scientific context and background information for the FAR-DEEP implemented in this area

The imandra/varzuga greenstone belt

The Late Archaean-Early Palaeoproterozoic transition (2500–2000 Ma) represents a hallmark period when the Earth System experienced a series of fundamental upheavals. Among them, the most important was the establishment of an oxygen-rich atmosphere (sometimes referred to as the Great Oxidation Event) and the emergence of an aerobic biosphere. Associated with this, either incidentally or causally, was a cascade of other prominent, global-scale events that considerably modified Earth’s surface environments, either temporarily or permanently; these are reviewed in Parts 1 and 8 in full, and detailed in Part 7. Briefly mentioned here, these include: the severe and global climatic event known as the Huronian glaciation; an unprecedented perturbation of the global carbon cycle, the large-magnitude Lomagundi-Jatuli positive excursion of δ13Ccarb, lasted over 160 Ma; radical changes in the phosphorus and sulphur cycles resulting in accumulation of the first-known massive sulphates and sedimentary phosphates; a radical modification in recycling of organic matter leading to the emergence of a new 13C-depleted carbon reservoir in the form of carbonate concretions; and an unprecedented accumulation of organic-rich sediments and formation of the earliest supergiant petroleum deposits

Composite Graphene-Containing Porous Materials from Carbon for Capacitive Deionization of Water

New techniques were developed for the synthesis of monolithic highly porous composite aerogels (hydrogels) from reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes, as well as graphene-containing composites based on mesoporous activated carbon. Simple operations for hydrophilization of synthesized samples were proposed. New electrode materials for electrosorption and deionization of water were fabricated. The resulting materials were investigated and tested in electrochemical cells for membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI)