EFFECT OF PHOSPHATE ROCK AND TRIPLESUPERPHOS-PHATE ON GROWTH AND LEAF N, P AND K CONTENTS OF GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS HYPOGAEA L.) GROWN ON A CLAY SOIL

A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the agricultural value of a local phosphate rock (PR) as a source of plant phosphorus compared with that of the cur-rently imported triplesuperphosphate (TSP) .The PR was applied at the rate of 0, 55, and 110 kg P2O5 /ha and the TSP was at the rate of 0 , 45 and 90 kg P2O5 /ha. The growth and leaf contents of N, P and K of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) grown on a clay soil were measured. The experiment continued for two seasons. Phosphatic fertilizers are of low recovery; therefore, they can remain for the next crop. Thus, the pots of the first season were set to study the residual effect of phosphorus in the second season. The results indicated that PR and TSP significantly (P>0.05) in-creased dry weights of shoot and root, leaf contents of N , P and available soil phos-phorus. However, plant height was significantly increased by TSP only. The leaf content of K was neither affected by PR nor TSP application. The results showed a positive effect of the residual PR and TSP on the measured parameters. Moreover, the results revealed that the plant measurements obtained from PR treatments were comparable to those obtained from TSP treatments which indicate that PR can be used as a potential source of phosphorus fertilizer

Carbon-supported trimetallic catalysts (PdAuNi/C) for borohydride oxidation reaction

The synthesis of palladium-based trimetallic catalysts via a facile and scalable synthesis procedure was shown to yield highly promising materials for borohydride-based fuel cells, which are attractive for use in compact environments. This, thereby, provides a route to more environmentally friendly energy storage and generation systems. Carbon-supported trimetallic catalysts were herein prepared by three different routes: using a NaBH4-ethylene glycol complex (PdAuNi/CSBEG), a NaBH4-2-propanol complex (PdAuNi/CSBIPA), and a three-step route (PdAuNi/C3-step). Notably, PdAuNi/CSBIPA yielded highly dispersed trimetallic alloy particles, as determined by XRD, EDX, ICP-OES, XPS, and TEM. The activity of the catalysts for borohydride oxidation reaction was assessed by cyclic voltammetry and RDE-based procedures, with results referenced to a Pd/C catalyst. A number of exchanged electrons close to eight was obtained for PdAuNi/C3-step and PdAuNi/CSBIPA (7.4 and 7.1, respectively), while the others, PdAuNi/CSBEG and Pd/CSBIPA, presented lower values, 2.8 and 1.2, respectively. A direct borohydride-peroxide fuel cell employing PdAuNi/CSBIPA catalyst in the anode attained a power density of 47.5 mW cm−2 at room temperature, while the elevation of temperature to 75 °C led to an approximately four-fold increase in power density to 175 mW cm−2. Trimetallic catalysts prepared via this synthesis route have significant potential for future development