Synthesis of Cobalt-Based Nanoparticles as Catalysts for Methanol Synthesis from CO Hydrogenation.

The increasing emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has urged the scientific community to investigate alternatives to alleviate such emissions, being that they are the principal contributor to the greenhouse gas effect. One major alternative is carbon capture and utilization (CCU) toward the production of value-added chemicals using diverse technologies. This work aims at the study of the catalytic potential of different cobalt-derived nanoparticles for methanol synthesis from carbon dioxide hydrogenation.

Addressing the gaseous and odour emissions gap in decentralised biowaste community composting.

Composting has demonstrated to be an effective and sustainable technology to valorise organic waste in the framework of circular economy, especially for biowaste. Composting can be performed in various technological options, from full-scale plants to community or even individual composters. However, there is scarce scientific information about the potential impact of community composting referred to gaseous emissions.

Combining nanoscale zero-valent iron and anaerobic dechlorinating bacteria to degrade chlorinated methanes and 1,2-dichloroethane.

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) has the potential to degrade a diversity of chlorinated compounds, and it is widely used for remediation of contaminated groundwaters. However, some frequently detected contaminants such as dichloromethane (DCM) and 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) have shown nearly no reactivity with nZVI. Here, we tested the feasibility of combining anaerobic dechlorinating bacteria, Dehalobacterium and Dehalogenimonas, and nZVI as a treatment train to detoxify chlorinated methanes (i.

Magnetite-based nanoparticles and nanocomposites for recovery of overloaded anaerobic digesters.

The effect of magnetite nanoparticles and nanocomposites (magnetite nanoparticles impregnated into graphene oxide) supplement on the recovery of overloaded laboratory batch anaerobic reactors was assessed using two types of starting inoculum: anaerobic granular sludge (GS) and flocculent sludge (FS). Both nanomaterials recovered methane production at a dose of 0.27 g/L within 40 days in GS.

Conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Methanol Using Cu-Zn Nanostructured Materials as Catalysts.

Nowadays, there is a growing awareness of the great environmental impact caused by the enormous amounts of carbon dioxide emitted. Several alternatives exist to solve this problem, and one of them is the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide into methanol by using nanomaterials as catalysts. The aim of this alternative is to produce a value-added chemical, such as methanol, which is a cheaply available feedstock.

Sustained effect of zero-valent iron nanoparticles under semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge: Evolution of nanoparticles and microbial community dynamics.

The effects of adding zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) on the physicochemical, biological and biochemical responses of a semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge have been assessed. Two sets of consecutive experiments of 103 and 116 days, respectively, were carried out in triplicate. nZVI were magnetically retained in the reactors, and the effect of punctual doses (from 0.

The use of magnetic iron oxide based nanoparticles to improve microalgae harvesting in real wastewater.

A novel approach for harvesting Scenedesmus sp. microalgae from real wastewater by using adsorbents of magnetite-based nanoparticles (FeO NPs) was tested in this study for the first time for this microalgae. Using these NPs, the harvesting efficiency was even higher than 95%.

Biosafety assessment of conducting nanostructured materials by using co-cultures of neurons and astrocytes.

Neural electrode implants are made mostly of noble materials. We have synthesized a nanostructured material combining the good electrochemical properties of iridium oxide (IrOx) and carbon-nanotubes (CNT) and the properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). IrOx-CNT-PEDOT charge storage capacity was lower than that of IrOx and IrOx-CNT, but higher than that of other PEDOT-containing hybrids and Pt.

Controlling Nerve Growth with an Electric Field Induced Indirectly in Transparent Conductive Substrate Materials.

Innovative neurostimulation therapies require improved electrode materials, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) polymers or IrO mixed ionic-electronic conductors and better understanding of how their electrochemistry influences nerve growth. Amphibian neurons growing on transparent films of electronic (metal) conductors and electronic-ionic conductors (polymers and semiconducting oxides) are monitored. Materials are not connected directly to the power supply, but a dipole is created wirelessly within them by electrodes connected to the culture medium in which they are immersed.

Solid contact ion sensor with conducting polymer layer copolymerized with the ion-selective membrane for determination of calcium in blood serum.

A new solid contact ion selective electrode with intermediate conducting polymer (CP) layer formed by electropolymerization on a gold electrode of a bifunctional monomer, n-phenyl-ethylenediamine-methacrylamide (NPEDMA), which contains a methacrylamide group attached to aniline, is presented. The conducting polymer was studied by means of optical spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and potentiometric measurements. Ca-ion-selective membrane based on acrylated urethane polymer was shown to co-polymerize with the CP forming highly adhesive boundary that prevents formation of water layers between the CP and membrane, thus enhancing the stability and life-time of the sensor.

Dual chronoamperometric detection of enzymatic biomarkers using magnetic beads and a low-cost flow cell.

In this work we report on the production of a low cost microfluidic device for the multiplexed electrochemical detection of magneto bioassays. As a proof of concept, the device has been used to detect myeloperoxidase (MPO), a cardiovascular biomarker. With this purpose, two bioassays have been optimized in parallel onto magnetic beads (MBs) for the simultaneous detection of MPO endogenous peroxidase activity and quantification of total MPO.