Smart catalytic materials for energy transition

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Regularity and estimates for JJ-holomorphic discs attached to a maximal totally real submanifold

We prove that pseudo-holomorphic discs attached to a maximal totally real submanifold inherit their regularity from the regularity of the submanifold and of the almost complex structure. The proof is based on the computation of an explicit lower bound for the Kobayashi metric in almost complex manifolds, which also yields explicit estimates of H\"olderian norms of such discs.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figure

Perceptive continua and immanent realism. Perspects of study of the work of Franz Brentano in a recent book of Liliana Albertazzi

The book of Liliana Albertazzi, Immanent Realism. An Introduction to Brentano (Springer 2006) is a punctual and complete presentation of the thought of Franz Brentano (accompanied by a rich bibliography) concerning all the fundamental problems of his work and showing those to which Brentano’s fortune and importance in the second half of the nineteenth century and in the first half of the twentieth century are due; in part, they are still fundamental in the contemporary philosophical, psychological and physiopsychological research. It is not possible to present all the aspects of the Brentano’s complex way which Albertazzi learnedly brings out; therefore I shall highlight the aspect in my opinion more interesting, the aspect for that the theory of the intentionality is a theory of perceiving

Molecular simulation study of the early stages of formation of bioinspired mesoporous silica materials

The use of bioinspired templates, such as polyamines and polypeptides, could lead to significant improvements to the synthetic conditions at which mesoporous materials are traditionally produced, removing the need for strong pH as well as high temperature or pressure. In this work, we perform atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of 1,12-diaminododecane surfactants, in water and in the presence of silica monomers, to investigate the early stages of synthesis of one the first examples of bioinspired silica materials. Different surfactant concentrations and pH were considered, clarifying the influence of the charge state of the molecules on the self-assembly process. We show that the amphiphilic amines form stable lamellar structures at equilibrium in the range from intermediate to high pH values. In a later stage, when silica species are added to the system, our results reveal that, in the same range of pH, silicates strongly adsorb around these aggregates at the interface with water. This causes a considerable modification of the curvature of the layer, which suggests a tendency for the system to evolve from a lamellar phase to the formation of vesicle structures. Furthermore, we show that silica monomers are able to penetrate the layer spontaneously when defects are created due to surfactants head-to-head repulsion. These findings are in agreement with experimental observations and support the pillaring mechanism postulated for this class of materials. However, our simulations indicate that the aggregation process is driven by charge matching between surfactant heads and silica monomers rather than by hydrogen bond interactions between neutral species, as had been previously hypothesised

Plasma Technology for CO2 Conversion: A Personal Perspective on Prospects and Gaps

Abstract: ent MIFT, University of Messina and ERIC aisbl, Messina, Italy There is increasing interest in plasma technology for CO2 conversion because it can operate at mild conditions and it can store fluctuating renewable electricity into value-added compounds and renewable fuels. This perspective paper aims to provide a view on the future for non-specialists who want to understand the role of plasma technology in the new scenario for sustainable and low-carbon energy and chemistry. Thus, it is prepared to give a personal view on future opportunities and challenges. First, we introduce the current state-of-the-art and the potential of plasma-based CO2 conversion. Subsequently, we discuss the challenges to overcome the current limitations and to apply plasma technology on a large scale. The final section discusses the general context and the potential benefits of plasma-based CO2 conversion for our life and the impact on climate change. It also includes a brief analysis on the future scenario for energy and chemical production, and how plasma technology may realize new paths for CO2 utilization