Hydrogen Production by Ethanol Steam Reforming on Ni-Based Catalysts: Effect of the Support and of CaO and Au Doping

Nickel-based catalysts were investigated for hydrogen production by ethanol steam reforming. A suitable support was assessed among the metal oxides TiO2, ZrO2 and CeO2. Alongside catalytic testing with ethanol-water mixture, a series of characterization measurements were carried out: N2-physisorption, XRD, TPR, TPO, CO2-TPD, SEM, AAS and IC. Zirconium and cerium oxides proved to be suitable supports, even if both still suffer from coking phenomena. The effects of doping both by calcium oxide and gold nanoparticles were checked. Doping by calcium oxide prevented deactivation and highly increased the hydrogen yield. Moreover, the addition of gold nanoparticles greatly improved the hydrogen yield. The combination of the two dopants resulted in the best performing catalyst: the basic doping by CaO and the promotion of the water gas shift reaction by gold nanoparticles contributed to the highest hydrogen production

Noble Metal Nanoparticles for Biosensing Applications

In the last decade the use of nanomaterials has been having a great impact in biosensing. In particular, the unique properties of noble metal nanoparticles have allowed for the development of new biosensing platforms with enhanced capabilities in the specific detection of bioanalytes. Noble metal nanoparticles show unique physicochemical properties (such as ease of functionalization via simple chemistry and high surface-to-volume ratios) that allied with their unique spectral and optical properties have prompted the development of a plethora of biosensing platforms. Additionally, they also provide an additional or enhanced layer of application for commonly used techniques, such as fluorescence, infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Herein we review the use of noble metal nanoparticles for biosensing strategies—from synthesis and functionalization to integration in molecular diagnostics platforms, with special focus on those that have made their way into the diagnostics laboratory