Electrochemical Activation of Graphene at Low Temperature: The Synthesis of Three-Dimensional Nanoarchitectures for High Performance Supercapacitors and Capacitive Deionization

An electrochemical technique is developed to activate graphene oxide (GO) at relatively low temperature and assemble it into porous electrodes. The activation process is carried out in molten KOH by switching the polarity between 2 symmetrical GO electrodes. The electrochemically activated graphene (ECAG) showed a specific surface area as high as 2170 m² g^–1 and nanometer-sized pore created at a temperature as low as 450 °C. The ECAG electrode shows a significant enhancement in the electrochemical activity and thus improved electrochemical performance when being used as electrodes in supercapacitors and capacitive deionization (CDI) cells. A specific capacitance of 275 F g^–1 is obtained in 6 M KOH electrolyte, and 189 F g^–1 in 1 M NaCl electrolyte, which maintains 95% after 5000 cycles. The desalination capacity of the electrodes was evaluated by a batch mode electrosorption experiment. The ECAG electrode was able to remove 14.25 mg of salts per gram of the active materials and satisfy a high adsorption rate of 2.01 mg g^–1 min^–1. The low energy consumption of the CDI system is demonstrated by its high charge efficiency, which is estimated to be 0.83

Hydrogen and Carbon Nanotubes from Pyrolysis-Catalysis of Waste Plastics: A Review

More than 27 million tonnes of waste plastics are generated in Europe each year representing a considerable potential resource. There has been extensive research into the production of liquid fuels and aromatic chemicals from pyrolysis-catalysis of waste plastics. However, there is less work on the production of hydrogen from waste plastics via pyrolysis coupled with catalytic steam reforming. In this paper, the different reactor designs used for hydrogen production from waste plastics are considered and the influence of different catalysts and process parameters on the yield of hydrogen from different types of waste plastics are reviewed. Waste plastics have also been investigated as a source of hydrocarbons for the generation of carbon nanotubes via the chemical vapour deposition route. The influences on the yield and quality of carbon nanotubes derived from waste plastics are reviewed in relation to the reactor designs used for production, catalyst type used for carbon nanotube growth and the influence of operational parameters

Early-infantile onset epilepsy and developmental delay caused by bi-allelic GAD1 variants.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate are the most abundant amino acid neurotransmitters in the brain. GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, is synthesized by glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). Its predominant isoform GAD67, contributes up to ∼90% of base-level GABA in the CNS, and is encoded by the GAD1 gene. Disruption of GAD1 results in an imbalance of inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters, and as Gad1-/- mice die neonatally of severe cleft palate, it has not been possible to determine any potential neurological dysfunction. Furthermore, little is known about the consequence of GAD1 disruption in humans. Here we present six affected individuals from six unrelated families, carrying bi-allelic GAD1 variants, presenting with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, characterized by early-infantile onset epilepsy and hypotonia with additional variable non-CNS manifestations such as skeletal abnormalities, dysmorphic features and cleft palate. Our findings highlight an important role for GAD1 in seizure induction, neuronal and extraneuronal development, and introduce GAD1 as a new gene associated with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy

Putative adjunct therapies to target mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in phenylketonuria, lysosomal storage disorders and peroxisomal disorders

Introduction: Oxidative stress (OS) and mitochondrial dysfunction are implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of metabolic diseases. OS occurs when there is an imbalance between the pro-oxidant/antioxidant homeostasis, leading to an increased generation of reactive oxidant species (ROS) with resultant cellular dysfunction. It is becoming apparent that increased ROS generation may be attributable to secondary mitochondrial dysfunction as a consequence of disease pathophysiology. Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs as a result of oxidative damage from enhanced ROS generation as well as the accumulation of toxic metabolites in some metabolic diseases. Areas covered: The present review will discuss evidence of OS and mitochondrial dysfunction in phenylketonuria (PKU), lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), and peroxisomal disorders. In addition, potential adjunct therapies which have the potential to enhance mitochondrial functioning and mitigate OS will be explored. The databases utilized for this review were Pubmed and the Wed of science, with inclusive dates, 1988–2020. Expert opinion: There is an un-unified approach in the treatment of metabolic diseases. Agents including augmenters of mitochondrial function, antioxidants, and activators of mitochondrial biogenesis, may be beneficial. However, although successful in some cases, these adjunct therapies have yet to be incorporated into the clinical-management of metabolic diseases

Fabrication and Characterization of Polypyrrole/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Thin Films Using Thermal Evaporation

Polypyrrole/multiwalled carbon nanotubes composites (PPy/MWCNTs) were produced in an acidic solution utilizing an in situ oxidative polymerization method using ferric chloride as an oxidizing agent and sodium dodecyl sulfate as a soft template. Thermal evaporation was used to fabricate thin films from polypyrrole/multiwalled carbon nanotube composites. The resulting composites were examined by different techniques to explore their morphology, structural and electrical characteristics. The surface morphology analysis revealed that polypyrrole structure is a two-dimensional film with impeded nanoparticles and the thickness of coated PPy around the MWCNTs decreases when increasing the amount of MWCNTs. XRD analysis revealed that the average crystallite size of the prepared composites is 62.26 nm. The direct energy gap for PPy is affected by a factor ranging from 2.41 eV to 1.47 eV depending on the contents of MWCNTs. The thin film’s optical properties were examined using experimental and TDDFT-DFT/DMOl3 simulation techniques. The optical constants and optical conductivity of the composites were calculated and correlated. The structural and optical characteristics of the simulated nanocomposites as single isolated molecules accord well with the experimental results. The nanocomposite thin films demonstrated promising results, making them a viable candidate for polymer solar cell demands. Under optimal circumstances, the constructed planar heterojunction solar cells with a 75 ± 3 nm layer of PPy/MWCNTs had a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.86%