N-TiO2 Photocatalysts highly active under visible irradiation for NOX abatement and 2-propanol oxidation

N-doped TiO2 powders were prepared by two different sol–gel methods. Samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET specific surface area measurements (SSA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). XPS measurements revealed a signal at 400 eV assignable to nitrogen in the form of Ti N O. EPR signals are attributed to molecular NO trapped with cavities/defects possibly interacting with oxygen vacancies. The photocatalytic activity under UV and visible light was determined following the abatement of NOx and the photodegradation of 2-propanol in gas–solid systems. N-doped TiO2 showed a higher activity compared with the pristine commercial and home prepared samples under visible light irradiation. A good photoactivity in the abatement of both NOx and 2-propanol is also observed for mechanical dispersions of N-TiO2 in CaCO3 serving as a model in view of perspective application in photocatalytically active construction and architectural materials

Photo-electro-chemical properties of TiO2 mediated by the enzyme glucose oxidase

Electrochemical measurements show that the enzyme Glucose oxidase (GO) is adsorbed on the surface of TiO2 without apparently changing the flat band potential of the semiconductor, indicating that it does not cause a change of the energy of conduction band electrons. On the other hand, it is observed that GO markedly increases the efficiency of the two electron reduction of O2 to H2O2 which is accumulated in the solution phase. ESR spin trapping investigations indicate that GO favors the formation of OH . radicals, due to either the inhibition of charge recombination processes or to H2O2 reduction by conduction band electrons. Accordingly, photo-oxidation of different alcohols to the corresponding radical species is also enhanced in the presence of GO. The photo-oxidation of 1,2-propandiol on TiO2/GO is regioselective in that i) partial oxidation to hydroxyacetone is observed and ii) no mineralization (full combustion to CO2) of the substrate occurs. These facts are of particular interest in the field of studies concerning the design of new photocatalytic systems with enhanced activity and controllable oxidative power

May 1,3,5-Triazine derivatives be the future of leather tanning? A critical review

Leather is produced by a multi-step process among which the tanning phase is the most relevant, transforming animal skin collagen into a stable, non-putrescible material used to produce a variety of different goods, for the footwear, automotive, garments, and sports industry. Most of the leather produced today is tanned with chromium (III) salts or alternatively with aldehydes or synthetic tannins, generating high environmental concern. Over the years, high exhaustion tanning systems have been developed to reduce the environmental impact of chromium salts, which nevertheless do not avoid the use of metals. Chrome-free alternatives such as aldehydes and phenol based synthetic tannins, are suffering from Reach restrictions due to their toxicity. Thus, the need for environmentally benign and economically sustainable tanning agents is increasingly urgent. In this review, the synthesis, use and tanning mechanism of a new class of tanning agents, 1,3,5-triazines derivatives, have been reported together with organoleptic, physical mechanical characteristics of tanned leather produced. Additionally environmental performance and economic data available for 1,3,5-triazines have been compared with those of a standard basic chromium sulphate tanning process, evidencing the high potentiality for sustainable, metal, aldehyde, and phenol free leather manufacturing

Medicamentos, consumos de performance e culturas terapêuticas em mudança

This work is licensed under a CC BY Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Please visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"O uso de fármacos e produtos naturais para a gestão do desempenho pessoal, aqui designado consumos de performance, constitui o foco deste artigo e dá suporte a uma reflexão analítica sobre a mudança nas culturas terapêuticas. Tendo por referência a atual problemática da farmacologização, bem como o lugar do natural na expansão do uso do medicamento, demonstra-se que a farmacologização do quotidiano está a emergir noutros campos, que não exclusivamente o da saúde, dando lugar a novas lógicas de relação com estes recursos. A sustentação empírica desta abordagem tem por base os resultados de um estudo nacional sobre os consumos de performance na população jovem em Portugal.

Accounting, Soci(et)al Risks, and Public Reason: Governmental Risk Discourses About the ILVA Steel Plant in Taranto (Italy)

The case of the ILVA steel plant in Taranto represents an example of con- trasting, incommensurable sustainability issues, explored in terms of “social” and “societal” risks (Asenova et al. in Managing the risks of public spending cuts in Scotland, 2013; Redistribution of social and societal risk: the impact on individuals, their networks and communities, 2015) [Asenova et al. (2015) refer to social risks as the risks of unemployment, and to societal risks as environmental and health risks.]. The case of ILVA has received significant attention for the great amount of dangerous pollutants spread in the environment, as well as the evidence of higher illness and mortality rates in the districts nearest to the plant. In July 2012, the Italian Judiciary halted activity in the steel plant. Four months after, the Italian Government declared the steel plant site as a “Strategic National Interest Site”, and allowed the company to restart its activity. Drawing on governmentality (Foucault in Questions of method, 1991), the paper aims to explore the role of accounting—here broadly intended as calculative practices (Miller in Soc Res 68:379–396, 2001)—in moulding ministerial discourse to support decisions when the governance of contrasting risks is needed to safeguard public interest. Supported by discourse analysis of governmental speech, the research shows that the Italian Government based its decision on various experts’ risk appraisals: accounting shaped governmental discourse by giving more visibility and relevance to “social” risks (i.e. unemployment, economic development, produc- tivity and competitiveness risks), while silencing “societal” ones (i.e. environmental and health risks). Focusing on a case of incommensurable contrasting issues, the findings contribute to show that accounting concurrently plays a significant role in government decisions legitimizing the business continuity through the creation of a specific risk discourse

Accounting, boundary-making and organizational permeability

Financial accounting necessarily depends on an entity assumption which shapes the way it recognises and accounts for organizational exchanges with social environments. It thereby constructs boundaries and frames permeability in terms of what counts, is accounted for, as being inside and outside of the organization. Yet there are different possible entity concepts reflecting different values about the relationship between the organizational entity and society. This essay considers four problem areas in which these values and the entity-society relationship are at stake within financial accounting: the problem of control within group accounting; accounting for externalities; the economization of public organizations; and the construction of organizational actorhood. These four problematics suggest that financial accounting, its boundary determining assumptions and the forms of organizational permeability it permits, are deeply intertwined and subject to continuous pressure for change

Photoelectrocatalysis for water purification

A review. This paper gives an account of photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) for water purifn. Anal. of results show's that the electrode material, the morphol., the applied potential, the pH, the electrolyte compn., and the presence of oxygen strongly influence PEC performance

EPR spin trapping Evidence of Radical Intermediates in the Photo-reduction of Bicarbonate/CO2 in TiO2 Aqueous Suspensions

Using the EPR spin trapping technique, we prove that simultaneous reactions take place in illuminated suspensions of TiO2 in aqueous carbonate solutions (pH ≈ 7). Adsorbed HCO3- is reduced to formate as directly made evident by the detection of formate radicals (●CO2-). Additionally, the amount of OH● radicals from the photo-oxidation of water shows a linear dependence on the concentration of bicarbonate, indicating that electron scavenging by HCO3- increases the lifetime of holes. In a weakly alkaline medium, photo-oxidation of HCO3-/CO32- to ●CO3- interferes with the oxidation of water. A comparative analysis of different TiO2 samples shows that formation of (●CO2-) is influenced by factors related to the nature of the surface, once expected surface area effects are accounted for. Modification of TiO2 surface with noble metal nanoparticles does not have unequivocal benefits: the overall activity improves with Pd and Rh but not with Ru, which favours HCO3- photo-oxidation even at pH =7. In general, identification of radical intermediates of oxidation and reduction reactions can provide useful mechanistic information that may be used in the development of photocatalytic systems for the reduction of CO2 also stored in the form of carbonates