Electrochemical processing in molten salts – a nuclear perspective

Nuclear power provides a sustainable, long-term energy source that is an important technology in efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. However, issues related to construction, safety, risk of proliferation, poor public perception and the perpetual issue of end-of-life waste management remain of serious concern. A large body of work has employed molten salt-based electrochemical techniques as practical and viable methods to reprocess spent nuclear fuel and nuclear materials, in addition to producing refractory metals of broader technological relevance. This review summarises the essential aspects of the design of electrochemical reactors for electroreduction, -winning and -refining technologies. Specifically, a critique of materials choice in relation to temperature is presented alongside the effects of different metal oxide feed precursors and molten salt selection. A thorough discourse is provided on each of the actinides (Am, Cm, Np, Pu, Th and U) and lanthanides (Eu) with an evaluation of the performance of several precursor cell types and designs. The type of feed precursor, metal oxide-to-salt ratio and oxide ion concentration are factors that must be considered with regards to current efficiency and are critical to the scaling of current laboratory technologies to pilot-scale. However, a challenge remains in this transition due to potential irradiation hazards of materials under a neutron flux. There is still a need to understand the mechanism by which different radioisotopes are formed and their interaction with metallic compounds in molten salts, yet data in this area is scarce and further work is needed

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Electrochemical Reduction of UO2 to U in LiCl-KCl Molten Salt Eutectic Using the Fluidized Cathode Process

The electrochemical reduction of UO2 to U metal using a fluidised cathode process has been investigated. Voltammetry studies were conducted with reduction observed over the range of -1.7 V to -2.2 V (vs. Ag/Ag+ reference electrode) which may be the consequence of a distribution of partial and full reduction. When performing chronoamperometry, an induction period is observed in which delayed reduction of UO2 to U occurs (compared to WO3 reduction onto W substrate), which may be due to a ‘seeding’ step onto the dissimilar W current collector. Spalling off of the product was observed as well, with associated reduction in current. The reduced product can be collected from two areas, the deposit on the current collector and the bottom of the reactor crucible.</jats:p

g-C₃N₄ Based Photocatalyst for the Efficient Photodegradation of Toxic Methyl Orange Dye: Recent Modifications and Future Perspectives

Industrial effluents containing dyes are the dominant pollutants, making the drinking water unfit. Among the dyes, methylene orange (MO) dye is mutagenic, carcinogenic and toxic to aquatic organisms. Therefore, its removal from water bodies through effective and economical approach is gaining increased attention in the last decades. Photocatalytic degradation has the ability to convert economically complex dye molecules into non-toxic and smaller species via redox reactions, by using photocatalysts. g-C3N4 is a metal-free n-type semiconductor, typical nonmetallic and non-toxici polymeric photocatalyst. It widely used in photocatalytic materials, due to its easy and simple synthesis, fascinating electronic band structure, high stability and abundant availability. As a photocatalyst, its major drawbacks are its limited efficiency in separating photo-excited electron–hole pairs, high separated charge recombination, low specific surface area, and low absorption coefficient. In this review, we report the recent modification strategies adopted for g-C3N4 for the efficient photodegradation of MO dye. The different modification approaches, such as nanocomposites and heterojunctions, as well as doping and defect introductions, are briefly discussed. The mechanism of the photodegradation of MO dye by g-C3N4 and future perspectives are discussed. This review paper will predict strategies for the fabrication of an efficient g-C3N4-based photocatalyst for the photodegradation of MO dye

Identification of Small Molecule Inhibitors of Human Cytomegalovirus pUL89 Endonuclease Using Integrated Computational Approaches

Replication of Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) requires the presence of a metal-dependent endonuclease at the C-terminus of pUL89, in order to properly pack and cleave the viral genome. Therefore, pUL89 is an attractive target to design anti-CMV intervention. Herein, we used integrated structure-based and ligand-based virtual screening approaches in combination with MD simulation for the identification of potential metal binding small molecule antagonist of pUL89. In this regard, the essential chemical features needed for the inhibition of pUL89 endonuclease domain were defined and used as a 3D query to search chemical compounds from ZINC and ChEMBL database. Thereafter, the molecular docking and ligand-based shape screening were used to narrow down the compounds based on previously identified pUL89 antagonists. The selected virtual hits were further subjected to MD simulation to determine the intrinsic and ligand-induced flexibility of pUL89. The predicted binding modes showed that the compounds reside well in the binding site of endonuclease domain by chelating with the metal ions and crucial residues. Taken in concert, the in silico investigation led to the identification of potential pUL89 antagonists. This study provided promising starting point for further in vitro and in vivo studies