Microwave-assisted ammonia decomposition reaction over iron incorporated mesoporous carbon catalysts

Microwave-assisted ammonia decomposition reaction was investigated to produce COx free hydrogen, for fuel cell applications. Iron incorporated mesoporous carbon catalysts were prepared at different metal loadings, following an impregnation procedure. Mesoporous carbon acted as the catalyst support, as well as the microwave receptor. Complete conversion of ammonia was achieved at 450 degrees C over the catalyst having 7.7 wt% Fe, when the reaction was carried out in the microwave reactor system, using pure ammonia (GHSV of 36000 ml/h gut). However, in the case of using the conventionally heated reactor, complete conversion of ammonia was achieved only at 600 degrees C. Iron oxides, namely maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3), magnetite (Fe3O4) and hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) simultaneously appeared in the structure of the synthesized catalysts, after their calcination at 450 degrees C, under pure N-2 flow. Iron oxides present in the calcined catalytic materials then were reduced to metallic iron at 500 degrees C. Formation of iron carbide crystals was observed in the structure of spent catalysts that were used in microwave reactor system, while metallic iron crystals were still present in the catalysts that were tested in conventionally heated system

Knockout of zebrafish desmin genes does not cause skeletal muscle degeneration but alters calcium flux

Desmin is a muscle-specific intermediate filament protein that has fundamental role in muscle structure and force transmission. Whereas human desmin protein is encoded by a single gene, two desmin paralogs (desma and desmb) exist in zebrafish. Desma and desmb show differential spatiotemporal expression during zebrafish embryonic and larval development, being similarly expressed in skeletal muscle until hatching, after which expression of desmb shifts to gut smooth muscle. We generated knockout (KO) mutant lines carrying loss-of-function mutations for each gene by using CRISPR/Cas9. Mutants are viable and fertile, and lack obvious skeletal muscle, heart or intestinal defects. In contrast to morphants, knockout of each gene did not cause any overt muscular phenotype, but did alter calcium flux in myofibres. These results point to a possible compensation mechanism in these mutant lines generated by targeting nonsense mutations to the first coding exon

Microwave-assisted ammonia decomposition reaction over iron incorporated mesoporous carbon catalysts

Microwave-assisted ammonia decomposition reaction was investigated to produce COx free hydrogen, for fuel cell applications. Iron incorporated mesoporous carbon catalysts were prepared at different metal loadings, following an impregnation procedure. Mesoporous carbon acted as the catalyst support, as well as the microwave receptor. Complete conversion of ammonia was achieved at 450 degrees C over the catalyst having 7.7 wt% Fe, when the reaction was carried out in the microwave reactor system, using pure ammonia (GHSV of 36000 ml/h gut). However, in the case of using the conventionally heated reactor, complete conversion of ammonia was achieved only at 600 degrees C. Iron oxides, namely maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3), magnetite (Fe3O4) and hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) simultaneously appeared in the structure of the synthesized catalysts, after their calcination at 450 degrees C, under pure N-2 flow. Iron oxides present in the calcined catalytic materials then were reduced to metallic iron at 500 degrees C. Formation of iron carbide crystals was observed in the structure of spent catalysts that were used in microwave reactor system, while metallic iron crystals were still present in the catalysts that were tested in conventionally heated system