321 research outputs found
Editorial
This Special Issue of the Journal of Electrochemical Science and Engineering presents papers form the Fifth Regional Symposium on Electrochemistry – South East Europe (RSE - SEE5) held in Pravetz, Bulgaria, June 7 - 11, 2015
Investigation of Ni- and Co-Based Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Carbon-Free Air Electrodes Designed for Zinc-Air Batteries
Ni- and Co-oxide materials have promising electrocatalytic properties towards the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and attract with low cost, availability, and environmental friendliness. The stability of these materials in alkaline media has made them the most studied candidates for practical applications such as a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) for rechargeable metal-air batteries. In this work, we propose a novel concept for a carbon-free gas GDE design. A mixture of catalyst (Co3O4, NiCo2O4) and polytetrafluoroethylene was hot pressed onto a stainless-steel mesh as the current collector. To enhance the electrical conductivity and, thus, increase ORR performances, up to 70 wt.% Ni powder was included. The GDEs produced in this way were examined in a half-cell configuration with a 6 M KOH electrolyte, stainless steel counter electrode, and hydrogen reference electrode at room temperature. Electrochemical tests were performed and coupled with microstructural observations to evaluate the properties of the present oxygen electrodes in terms of their bifunctionality and stability enhancement. The electrochemical behavior of the new types of gas-diffusion electrodes, Ni/Co3O4 and Ni/NiCo2O4, shows acceptable overpotentials for OER and ORR. Better mechanical and chemical stability of electrodes consisting of Ni/NiCo2O4 (70:30 wt.%) was registered. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-03-023 Full Text: PD
Saltwater based fractionation and valorisation of macroalgae
BACKGROUND: Macroalgae are gaining increasing interest as an important biomass feedstock. Yet when valorising marine bio�mass, the presence of salt can pose a substantial obstacle to the effectiveness of downstream biological and chemical processes,
as well as the engineering infrastructure required. Accordingly, dewatering, washing and drying are often considered the first
and crucial primary steps in processing marine biomass such macroalgae. The high costs of these processes can make further
marine biorefinery commercialisation prohibitive. This investigation assesses simple pre-treatments for macroalgal biomass
in saltwater, thereby reducing the freshwater footprint, and removing the need for an energy-intensive washing and drying
stage.
RESULTS: Using acid and basic catalysts, the carbohydrate and soluble protein components were fractionated into a soluble
aqueous phase, for further fermentation and a solid phase suitable for hydrothermal liquefaction. The presence of saltwater
was found to aid the fractionation process, solubilising more of the biomass. The use of H2SO4 produced more monosaccha�rides, whereas NaOH solubilised higher levels of biomass at lower temperatures. The aqueous phase was demonstrated to be
suitable for biological processing with the salt tolerant yeast Metschnikowia pulcherrima, and the residual solids suitable for
processing via hydrothermal liquefaction.
CONCLUSION: By contrast with existing pre-treatment strategies, we demonstrate that an entirely salt-based biochemical con�version route is a potentially viable option. For the first time this work demonstrates that, rather than a hindrance, the presence
of saltwater can be advantageous, and could provide an alternative, more cost-effective pathway to achieving a successful
macroalgal-based biorefinery.
© 2020 Society of Chemical Industr
Correction: Phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic parasite, Polypodium hydriforme, within the Phylum Cnidaria
Correction to Evans, N.M., Lindner, A., Raikova, E.V., Collins, A.G. and Cartwright, P. Phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic parasite, Polypodium hydriforme, within the phylum Cnidaria. BMC Evol Biol, 2008, 8:139
Myxozoa + Polypodium : A Common Route to Endoparasitism
0000-0001-7279-715XCopyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. or its licensors or contributors. The attached document is the authors' final accepted/submitted version of the journal article. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it
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