“We are here!” Oxygen functional groups in carbons for electrochemical applications

Heteroatom doping of carbon networks may introduce active functional groups on the surface of the material, induce electron density changes that alter the polarity of the carbon surface, promote the formation of binding sites for molecules or ions, or make the surface catalytically active for different reactions, among many other alterations. Thus, it is no surprise that heteroatom doping has become a well-established strategy to enhance the performance of carbon-based materials for applications ranging from water remediation and gas sorption to energy storage and conversion. Although oxygen functionalization is sometimes inevitable (i.e., many carbon precursors contain oxygen functionalities), its participation in carbon materials performance is often overlooked on behalf of other heteroatoms (mainly nitrogen). In this Mini-review, we summarize recent and relevant publications on the effect that oxygen functionalization has on carbonaceous materials performance in different electrochemical applications and some strategies to introduce such functionalization purposely. Our aim is to revert the current tendency to overlook it and raise the attention of the materials science community on the benefits of using oxygen functionalization in many state-of-the-art applications

C1N1 Thin Films from Guanine Decomposition Fragments

Polymeric semiconductors are finding a wide range of applications. In particular, graphitic carbon nitride g C3N4 has been investigated extensively in the past decade. However, the family of carbon nitrides is not limited to C3N4 and new CXNY are now being explored due to their different bandgap energy, morphology, and overall physicochemical properties. Here, homogenous and semi transparent C1N1 thin films are fabricated using guanine as a nontoxic molecular precursor. They are synthesized in a simplified chemical vapor deposition process on top of fused silica and fluorine doped tin oxide coated glass substrates. The chemical and structural studies reveal that C N ratio is close to target 1, triazine vibrations are visible in vibrational spectra and stacking of the film is observed from glancing incidence X ray diffraction data. The photo electrochemical properties are studied, the film is a p type semiconductor with a good photoresponse to visible light and a suitable catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction. A simple and safe way of synthesizing C1N1 films on a range of substrates is presented her

“Red carbon” : a rediscovered covalent crystalline semiconductor

Carbon suboxide (C3O2) is a unique molecule able to polymerize spontaneously into highly conjugated light-absorbing structures at temperatures as low as 0 °C. Despite obvious advantages, little is known about the nature and the functional properties of this carbonaceous material. In this work, we aim to bring “red carbon”, a forgotten polymeric semiconductor, back to the community's attention. A solution polymerization process is adapted to simplify the synthesis and control the structure. This allows us to obtain this crystalline covalent material at low temperatures. Both spectroscopic and elemental analyses support the chemical structure represented as conjugated ladder polypyrone ribbons. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest a crystalline structure of AB stacks of polypyrone ribbons and identify the material as a direct bandgap semiconductor with a medium bandgap that is further confirmed by optical analysis. The material shows promising photocatalytic performance using blue light. Moreover, the simple condensation-aromatization route described here allows the straightforward fabrication of conjugated ladder polymers and could be inspiring for the synthesis of carbonaceous materials at low temperatures in general

The origin of the high electrochemical activity of pseudo-amorphous iridium oxides

The origins of the superior catalytic activity of poorly crystallized Ir-based oxide material for the OER in acid is still under debate. Here, authors synthesize porous IrMo oxides to deconvolute the effect of Ir oxidation state from short-range ordering and show the latter to be a key factor

NanoSolveIT project: driving nanoinformatics research to develop innovative and integrated tools for in silico nanosafety assessment

Nanotechnology has enabled the discovery of a multitude of novel materials exhibiting unique physicochemical (PChem) properties compared to their bulk analogues. These properties have led to a rapidly increasing range of commercial applications; this, however, may come at a cost, if an association to long-term health and environmental risks is discovered or even just perceived. Many nanomaterials (NMs) have not yet had their potential adverse biological effects fully assessed, due to costs and time constraints associated with the experimental assessment, frequently involving animals. Here, the available NM libraries are analyzed for their suitability for integration with novel nanoinformatics approaches and for the development of NM specific Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA) for human and environmental risk assessment, all within the NanoSolveIT cloud-platform. These established and well-characterized NM libraries (e.g. NanoMILE, NanoSolutions, NANoREG, NanoFASE, caLIBRAte, NanoTEST and the Nanomaterial Registry (>2000 NMs)) contain physicochemical characterization data as well as data for several relevant biological endpoints, assessed in part using harmonized Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) methods and test guidelines. Integration of such extensive NM information sources with the latest nanoinformatics methods will allow NanoSolveIT to model the relationships between NM structure (morphology), properties and their adverse effects and to predict the effects of other NMs for which less data is available. The project specifically addresses the needs of regulatory agencies and industry to effectively and rapidly evaluate the exposure, NM hazard and risk from nanomaterials and nano-enabled products, enabling implementation of computational ‘safe-by-design’ approaches to facilitate NM commercialization

Lęk a postawy młodzieży wobec niepełnosprawnych

Lęk jest nieodłącznym elementem ludzkiego życia, który wpływa na to w jaki sposób funkcjonuje człowiek, jak i również kształtuje jakie postawy przyjmuje wobec otoczenia, przedmiotów, a także ludzi, wśród których żyje. Przedmiotem pracy są powiązania między lękiem, a postawami młodzieży wobec niepełnosprawnych. W realizowanym programie badawczym wykorzystano następujące narzędzia psychologiczne: Inwentarz Stanu i Cechy Lęku STAI opracowany przez C.D. Spielbergera, R.L. Gorsucha i R.E. Lushene’a (1970), w polskiej adaptacji C. D. Spielbergera, J. Strelau’a, M. Tysarczyka i K. Wrześniewskiego (1987), Skalę Postaw Wobec Osób Niepełnosprawnych SPWON w opracowaniu A. E. Sękowskiego (1991) oraz arkusz personalny własnej konstrukcji. W badaniach wzięło udział 250 osób w wieku od 15 do 18 lat. Do analizy statystycznej i psychologicznej uwzględniono 205 kompletnych zestawów. Kobiety stanowiły 70,73%, a mężczyźni 29,27% ogółu badanych. Wyniki badań pozwalają na wyciągnięcie następujących wniosków: istnieje związek między poziomem lęku u młodzieży, a postawami wobec osób niepełnosprawnych, a mianowicie młodzież z wysokim poziomem lęku jako cechy różni się w zakresie prezentowanych postaw wobec niepełnosprawnych w porównaniu z młodzieżą o niskim poziomie tej zmiennej. Oznacza to, że osoby o niskim poziomie lęku jako cecha prezentują negatywne postawy wobec niepełnosprawnych, a osoby o wysokim poziomie lęku jako cecha prezentują pozytywne postawy wobec niepełnosprawnych. Natomiast lęk jako stan nie ma wpływu na rodzaj postaw prezentowanych przez młodzież.Anxiety is an integral part of human life, it effects a person’s well being and overall functioning, as well as their attitudes towards objects and people, among who they live. The primary aim of the thesis was to investigate the associations between anxiety and young people’s attitudes towards the disabled. The following psychological methods were utilised: Questionnaire State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) by C. D. Spielbergera, R.L. Gorsucha i R.E. Lushene’a (1970), polish adaptation by C. D. Spielbergera, J. Strelau’a, M. Tysarczyka i K. Wrześniewskiego (1987), Scale Attitude Towards The Disabled (SPWON) A. E. Sękowskiego (1991) and personal demographic questionnaire. There were 205 adolescent respondents between 15 to 18 years of age. For both statistical and psychological analyses 205 participants qualified with complete sets of questionnaires. There were 70,73% of females and 29,27% of males. Results determined the following final conclusions: there is a relationship between the level of anxiety in adolescents and their attitudes towards disabled people, namely young people with high levels of trait anxiety differed in their attitudes towards disabled people compared with young people with low levels of trait anxiety. Specifically, people with low levels of trait anxiety presented negative attitudes toward people with disabilities and people with high trait anxiety presented positive attitudes towards people with disabilities. However, state anxiety did not affect the nature of attitudes as reported by youth

Li-Ion battery charger supplied with thermoelectric converter

praca inżyniersk

An Analysis of support and protection systems for homeless people.

Celem pracy była analiza obowiązującego systemu prawnego pod względem ochrony i form pomocy osobom bezdomnym. Praca została podzielona na trzy części. Pierwsza z nich przedstawia definicje pojęcia bezdomności, jej przyczyny rozdzielone na społeczne, chorobowe i psychologiczne oraz różnice między nimi. Następnie opisana została skala zjawiska bezdomności w poszczególnych województwach oraz zobrazowany został rozkład procentowy liczby kobiet i mężczyzn wśród osób bezdomnych jak i liczby poszczególnych grup wiekowych i przyczyn pozostawania w bezdomności. Na koniec zobrazowane zostało postrzeganie osób bezdomnych na przestrzeni lat oraz pierwsze unormowanie mające na celu minimalizację tego problemu społecznego.Druga część przedstawiła regulacje prawne zaczynając od Konstytucja RP, głównie w formie omówienia norm programowych mających za zadanie przeciwdziałaniu bezdomności. Następnie opisane zostały ustawy oraz programy na podstawie których udzielana zostaje pomoc w formie noclegów, posiłków, podstawowych produktów jak i pomoc socjologiczna czy psychologiczna oraz opieka lekarska. W części drugiej została również poruszona kwestia pomocy ze strony fundacji, stowarzyszeń i instytucji kościelnych współpracujących z państwem w zakresie problemu bezdomności.Trzecia część objęła akty prawa międzynarodowego w tym ONZ, Rady Europy oraz Unii Europejskiej. Uwzględnione zostało obowiązywanie, skuteczność oraz wpływ na państwowe systemy pomocy osobom bezdomnym. Pod koniec rozdziału nastąpiło również krótkie przedstawienie organizacji międzynarodowych zajmujących się tymże problemem.The aim of this M.A. thesis was to analyse the current legal system in relation to the protection and forms of assistance available to homeless people. This thesis is divided into three parts. The first part presents definitions of homelessness, as well as it causes of homelessness. The causes presented include social, illness-related and psychological with a focus an explanation of the differences between them. Following this, the thesis describes, the scale of homelessness in specific voivodships including: the percentage distribution of the number of women and men among homeless persons, figures of individual age groups and reasons for their remaining in the state of homelessness. Finally this section addresses the perception of homeless people over the years and the first regulations aimed at minimizing this social problem.The second part of this thesis presents legal regulations, starting from the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, mainly focusing on the program standards aimed at counteracting homelessness. Afterwards follows a description of the laws and programs, upon which provisions of assistance in the form of accommodation, meals, basic products as well as sociological or psychological assistance and medical care are based. The second part also addresses the issue of assistance from foundations, associations and church institutions cooperating with the state in the issue of homelessness. The third part of this thesis covers acts of international law, including those of the UN, the Council of Europe and the European Union. Analysed and assessed are the validity, effectiveness and impact of these laws on aiding state systems in helping homeless people. Finally, at the end there is also a brief presentation of the ways in which international organizations are dealing with the issue of homelessness

Metodyka badań doświadczalnych procesów wymiany ciepła i masy w procesie inhalacji aerozolu z e-papierosów

This work is focused on the development and validation of experimental method for testing EC-aerosols under simulated conditions of human respiratory tract with variable aerosol residence time in the physiologically humid environment associated with the inhalation pattern. Initial results obtained using the laser diffractometry indicate the usefulness and applicability of developed method for EC-aerosol testing for a deeper understanding of simultaneous heat and mass transfer processes during EC-aerosol formation, inhalation and movement in the human respiratory tract.Praca koncentruje się na opracowaniu i walidacji metodyki badań doświadczalnych aerozoli uwalnianych z e-papierosów do środowiska odzwierciedlającego pod względem panującej wilgotności, temperatury oraz czasu przebywania aerozolu drogi oddechowe człowieka. Wstępne wyniki uzyskane przy użyciu dyfraktometru laserowego wskazują na przydatność zaproponowanej metody badania aerozoli do głębszego zrozumienia roli procesów wymiany ciepła oraz masy w trybie ich powstawania, inhalacji oraz transportu w drogach oddechowych