In-Situ Product Removal for the Enzymatic Depolymerization of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) via a Membrane Reactor.

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is a common single-use plastic and a major contributor to plastic waste. PET upcycling through enzymatic depolymerization has drawn significant interests, but lack of robust enzymes in acidic environments remains a challenge. This study investigates in-situ product removal (ISPR) of protons and monomers from enzymatic PET depolymerization via a membrane reactor, focusing on the ICCG variant of leaf branch compost cutinase.

Enhanced CO Reactive Capture and Conversion Using Aminothiolate Ligand-Metal Interface.

Metallic catalyst modification by organic ligands is an emerging catalyst design in enhancing the activity and selectivity of electrocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO) reactive capture and reduction to value-added fuels. However, a lack of fundamental science on how these ligand-metal interfaces interact with CO and key intermediates under working conditions has resulted in a trial-and-error approach for experimental designs. With the aid of density functional theory calculations, we provided a comprehensive mechanism study of CO reduction to multicarbon products over aminothiolate-coated copper (Cu) catalysts.

Enzyme selection, optimization, and production toward biodegradation of post-consumer poly(ethylene terephthalate) at scale.

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is one of the world's most widely used polyester plastics. Due to its chemical stability, PET is extremely difficult to hydrolyze in a natural environment. Recent discoveries in new polyester hydrolases and breakthroughs in enzyme engineering strategies have inspired enormous research on biorecycling of PET.

Cellulose Fast Pyrolysis Activated by Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds.

The conversion of inedible biomass by fast pyrolysis is a promising route for sustainable production of renewable fuels and value-added chemicals, but low selectivity toward desired products hampers its economic viability. Understanding the molecular-level reaction pathways of biomass fast pyrolysis could be the key to overcoming this challenge. However, the effects of intramolecular and interchain hydrogen bonds near the reaction center have not been thoroughly explored.

Understanding Consequences and Tradeoffs of Melt Processing as a Pretreatment for Enzymatic Depolymerization of Poly(ethylene terephthalate).

Melt extrusion pretreatment of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) prior to enzymatic depolymerization with an unpurified leaf branch compost cutinase enzyme cocktail is explored to ascertain the efficiency gained by different processing methods on the enzymatic depolymerization of PET. Specific surface area (SSA) is investigated as a key factor in reducing depolymerization time. Higher SSA substrates (>5.

Microbial synthesis of wax esters.

Microbial synthesis of wax esters (WE) from low-cost renewable and sustainable feedstocks is a promising path to achieve cost-effectiveness in biomanufacturing. WE are industrially high-value molecules, which are widely used for applications in chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Since the natural WE resources are limited, the WE production mostly rely on chemical synthesis from rather expensive starting materials, and therefore solution are sought from development of efficient microbial cell factories.

Biomanufacturing of value-added products from oils or fats: A case study on cellular and fermentation engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica.

The United States produces more than 10 million tons of waste oils and fats each year. This paper aims to establish a new biomanufacturing platform that converts waste oils or fats into a series of value-added products. Our research employs the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica as a case study for citric acid (CA) production from waste oils.

Effect of Metal Substrate on Electrocatalytic Property of Palladium Nanowire Array for High Performance Ethanol Electro-Oxidation.

In this research, a high performance, ionomer-free electrocatalyst based on vertically aligned palladium (Pd) nanowire array was developed as an anode electrode toward ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in an alkaline environment. Using a one-step electrodeposition method, the Pd nanowires with controlled length were obtained by varying the electrodeposition current density and the synthesis time. Scanning electron microcopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) were employed to characterize the morphology, chemical composition, and crystal structure of the Pd nanowires.

An algorithm to estimate aircraft cruise black carbon emissions for use in developing a cruise emissions inventory.

Unlabelled: To provide accurate input parameters to the large-scale global climate simulation models, an algorithm was developed to estimate the black carbon (BC) mass emission index for engines in the commercial fleet at cruise. Using a high-dimensional model representation (HDMR) global sensitivity analysis, relevant engine specification/operation parameters were ranked, and the most important parameters were selected. Simple algebraic formulas were then constructed based on those important parameters.

Measurement of naphthalene uptake by combustion soot particles.

In this study, we designed and constructed an experimental laboratory apparatus to measure the uptake of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by soot particles. Results for the uptake of naphthalene (C10H8) by soot particles typical of those found in the exhaust of an aircraft engine are reported in this paper. The naphthalene concentration in the gas phase and naphthalene attached to the particles were measured simultaneously by a heated flame ionization detector (HFID) and a time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (ToF AMS), respectively.

Encoding of polycyclic Si-containing molecules for determining species uniqueness in automated mechanism generation.

Automated mechanism generation is an attractive way to understand the fundamental kinetics of complex reaction systems such as silicon hydride clustering chemistry. It relies on being able to tell molecules apart as they are generated. The graph theoretic foundation allows molecules to be identified using unique notations created from their connectivity.