Synthesis and Characterization of Environmentally Friendly β-Cyclodextrin Cross-Linked Cellulose/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Hydrogels for Adsorption of Malathion.

The widespread use of malathion enhances agricultural plant productivity by eliminating pests, weeds, and diseases, but it may lead to serious environmental pollution and potential health risks for humans and animals. To mitigate these issues, environmentally friendly hydrogel adsorbents for malathion were synthesized using biodegradable polymers, specifically cellulose, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and biobased epichlorohydrin as a cross-linker. This study investigated the effects of the cellulose-to-PVA ratio and epichlorohydrin (ECH) content on the properties and malathion adsorption capabilities of β-CD/cellulose/PVA hydrogels.

Production of PLA/cellulose derived from pineapple leaves as bio-degradable mulch film.

Mulch films were fabricated from polylactic acid (PLA) with cellulose nanocrystals (PNC) extracted from pineapple leaves. The PNC was modified by incorporating 4 wt% triethoxyvinylsilane (TEVS), designated as 4PNC, to enhance its interaction with PLA. The films incorporated varying concentrations of PNC (1, 2, 4, and 8 wt%).

Potassium Permanganate-Impregnated Amorphous Silica-Alumina Derived from Sugar Cane Bagasse Ash as an Ethylene Scavenger for Extending Shelf Life of Mango Fruits.

Ethylene, a plant hormone, is a gas that plays a crucial role in fruit ripening and senescence. In this work, a novel ethylene scavenger was prepared from amorphous silica-alumina derived from sugar cane bagasse ash (SC-ASA) and used to prolong the shelf life of mango fruits during storage. KMnO at 2, 4, or 6 wt %/w was loaded on SC-ASA using an impregnation method.

Unraveling the roles of microporous and micro-mesoporous structures of carbon supports on iron oxide properties and As (V) removal performance in contaminated water.

This study investigates the impact of microporous (SP-C) and micro-mesoporous carbon (DP-C) supports on the dispersion and phase transformation of iron oxides and their arsenic (V) removal efficiency. The research demonstrates that carbon-supported iron oxide sorbents exhibit superior As(V) uptake capacity compared to unsupported FeO, attributed to reduced iron oxide crystallite sizes and As(V) adsorption on carbon supports. Maximum As(V) uptake capacities of 23.

Pineapple-Leaf-Derived, Copper-PAN-Modified Regenerated Cellulose Sheet Used as a Hydrogen Sulfide Indicator.

Regenerated cellulose (RC) produced from waste pineapple leaves was used to develop a colorimetric sensor as a Cu-PAN sheet (RCS). Microcrystalline cellulose derived from dried pineapple leaves was combined with Cu-PAN, dissolved in NaOH and urea, and made into an RC sheet using NaSO as a coagulant. The RCS was used as an HS indicator at various HS concentrations (0-50 ppm) and temperatures (5-25 °C).

Functionalization of cellulose nanocrystals extracted from pineapple leaves as a UV-absorbing agent in poly(lactic acid).

The cinnamate functionalization of cellulose nanocrystals (Cin-CNCs) was investigated as a potential organic reinforcing and UV-shielding agent in polylactic acid (PLA) films. Acid hydrolysis was used to extract cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from pineapple leaves. Through esterification with cinnamoyl chloride, the cinnamate group was grafted onto the CNC surface and the resulting Cin-CNCs were incorporated in PLA films as reinforcing and UV-shielding agents.

Oxidative coupling of methane-comparisons of MnTiO-NaWO and MnO-TiO-NaWO catalysts on different silica supports.

The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) converts CH to value-added chemicals (C), such as olefins and paraffin. For a series of MnTiO-NaWO (MnTiO-NW) and MnO-TiO-NaWO (Mn-Ti-NW), the effect of loading of MnTiO or MnO-TiO, respectively, on two different supports (sol-gel SiO (SG) and commercial fumed SiO (CS)) was examined. The catalyst with the highest C yield (21.

Effects of Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba Dopants on the Performance of LaO Catalysts for the Oxidative Coupling of Methane.

Oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) is a reaction to directly convert methane into high value-added hydrocarbons (C) such as ethylene and ethane using molecular oxygen and a catalyst. This work investigated lanthanum oxide catalysts for OCM, which were promoted with alkaline-earth metal oxides (Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba) and prepared by the solution-mixing method. The synthesized catalysts were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, CO-programmed desorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Highly efficient TiO-supported Co-Cu catalysts for conversion of glycerol to 1,2-propanediol.

Glycerol is a low-cost byproduct of the biodiesel manufacturing process, which can be used to synthesize various value-added chemicals. Among them, 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) is of great interest because it can be used as an intermediate and additive in many applications. This work investigated the hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-PDO over Co-Cu bimetallic catalysts supported on TiO (denoted as CoCu/TiO) in aqueous media.

Sustainable utilization of waste glycerol for 1,3-propanediol production over Pt/WO/AlO catalysts: Effects of catalyst pore sizes and optimization of synthesis conditions.

Recycling of waste glycerol derived from biodiesel production to high value-added chemicals is essential for sustainable development of Bio-Circular-Green Economy. This work studied the conversion of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol over Pt/WO/AlO catalysts, pointing out the impacts of catalyst pore sizes and operating conditions for maximizing the yield of 1,3-propanediol. The results suggested that both pore confinement effect and number of available reactive metals as well as operating conditions determined the glycerol conversion and 1,3-propanediol selectivity.

Modification of pineapple leaf fibers with aminosilanes as adsorbents for HS removal.

Pineapple leaves were used as a natural fiber source to prepare various modified microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) samples as sorbents for HS sorption. Pineapple leaf fibers were first extracted from pineapple leaves, followed by hydrolyzing to produce MCC before various modifications using primary amine (3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, APS), secondary amine (N-methyl-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, MAPS), or tertiary amine (N,N-dimethyl-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, DAPS). The characterization results proved that all the aminosilane groups were successfully grafted onto the MCC.

Synthesis of Value-Added Chemicals via Oxidative Coupling of Methanes over NaWO-TiO-MnO /SiO Catalysts with Alkali or Alkali Earth Oxide Additives.

NaWO-TiO-MnO /SiO (SM) catalysts with alkali (Li, K, Rb, Cs) or alkali earth (Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) oxide additives, which were prepared using incipient wetness impregnation, were investigated for oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) to value-added hydrocarbons (C). A screening test that was performed on the catalysts revealed that SM with Sr (SM-Sr) had the highest yield of C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses indicated that the catalysts with a relatively low binding energy of W 4f facilitated a high CH conversion.

Novel Hybrid Conductor of Irregularly Patterned Graphene Mesh and Silver Nanowire Networks.

We prepared the hybrid conductor of the Ag nanowire (NW) network and irregularly patterned graphene (GP) mesh with enhanced optical transmittance (~98.5%) and mechano-electric stability (Δ: ~42.4% at 200,000 (200k) cycles) under 6.

Removal of Heavy Metal Ions Using Modified Celluloses Prepared from Pineapple Leaf Fiber.

Since large amounts of pineapple leaves are abandoned after harvest in agricultural areas, the possibility of developing value-added products from them is of interest. In this work, cellulose fiber was extracted from pineapple leaves and modified with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and carboxymethyl (CM) groups to produce Cell-EDTA and Cell-CM, respectively, which were then used as heavy metal ion adsorbents. A solution of either lead ion (Pb) or cadmium ion (Cd) was used as wastewater for the purpose of studying adsorption efficiencies.

Synthesis of Dimethyl Ether via CO Hydrogenation: Effect of the Drying Technique of Alumina on Properties and Performance of Alumina-Supported Copper Catalysts.

Thermal treatment during catalyst preparation is one of the important factors affecting the characteristics and performance of a catalyst. To improve the catalytic performance of an alumina-supported copper catalyst prepared by an impregnation method for dimethyl ether (DME) synthesis from CO, the effects of the use of hot air and infrared drying as well as calcination at 600 and 900 °C to prepare alumina supports were investigated. Infrared drying could shorten the required drying time by 75% when compared with hot air drying.

Propylene Epoxidation to Propylene Oxide Over RuO₂, CuO, TeO₂, and TiO₂ Supported on Modified Mesoporous Silicas.

Direct gas phase epoxidation of propylene to propylene oxide (PO) using O₂ is a challenging problem in catalysis research. Silica-supported ruthenium-copper-based catalysts have been recently reported to be promising for propylene epoxidation. In this work, mesoporous silica supports modified with RuO₂, CuO, and TeO₂ with and without TiO₂ were investigated for propylene epoxidation to PO.

Production of Glycerol Carbonate from Glycerol over Templated-Sodium-Aluminate Catalysts Prepared Using a Spray-Drying Method.

Glycerol carbonate (GLC) was synthesized from glycerol and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) over sodium aluminate (NaAlO) catalysts. The catalysts were prepared using a spray-drying method and compared with those prepared using the conventional hot-air drying method. Polyvinylpyrrolidone and glycerol were used as a catalyst template to increase the surface area and porosity of the catalysts.

Thermally Robust Porous Bimetallic (Ni Pt) Alloy Mesocrystals within Carbon Framework: High-Performance Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction and Hydrogenation Reactions.

Thermally stable porous bimetallic (Ni Pt) alloy mesocrystals within a carbon framework are produced via an aerosol-assisted process for high-performance catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogenation. The porous Ni Pt alloy has a robust composite of alloy nanoparticles with an adjustable composition and a porous carbon skeleton. Porous Ni Pt alloys exhibit high thermal stability, retaining their crystalline structure and morphology at 550 °C for 6 h, as observed in thermal treatment tests under various conditions (time, temperature, and atmosphere).

High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors of MnCoO Nanofibers and N-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide Aerogel.

The working potential of symmetric supercapacitors is not so wide because one type of material used for the supercapacitor electrodes prefers either positive or negative charge to both charges. To address this problem, a novel asymmetrical supercapacitor (ASC) of battery-type MnCoO nanofibers (NFs)//N-doped reduced graphene oxide aerogel (N-rGO) was fabricated in this work. The MnCoO NFs at the positive electrode store the negative charges, i.

Charge storage mechanisms of manganese oxide nanosheets and N-doped reduced graphene oxide aerogel for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors.

Although manganese oxide- and graphene-based supercapacitors have been widely studied, their charge storage mechanisms are not yet fully investigated. In this work, we have studied the charge storage mechanisms of K-birnassite MnO nanosheets and N-doped reduced graphene oxide aerogel (N-rGO) using an in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and an electrochemical quart crystal microbalance (EQCM). The oxidation number of Mn at the MnO electrode is +3.

High-throughput synthesis and screening of new catalytic materials for the direct epoxidation of propylene.

Nanoparticles of 35 individual metals as well as their binary combinations were synthesized using High Throughput pulsed laser ablation (PLA), and collected on Al(2)O(3), CeO(2), SiO(2), TiO(2), and ZrO(2) pellets. These materials were then screened for their catalytic activities and selectivities for the partial oxidation of propylene, in particular for propylene oxide (PO), using array channel microreactors. Reaction conditions were the following: 1 atm pressure, gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 20,000 h-1, temperature 300 degrees C, 333 degrees C, and 367 degrees C, and feed gas composition 20 vol% O(2), 20 vol% C(3)H(6) and balance He.