Feasibility of quaternary ammonium and 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-functionalized anion-exchange membranes for biohydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cells.

In this work, two commercialized anion-exchange membranes (AEMs), AMI-7001 and AF49R27, were applied in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) and compared with a novel AEM (PSEBS CM DBC, functionalized with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) to produce biohydrogen.

Behavior of two-chamber microbial electrochemical systems started-up with different ion-exchange membrane separators.

In this study, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) - operated with novel cation- and anion-exchange membranes, in particular AN-VPA 60 (CEM) and PSEBS DABCO (AEM) - were assessed comparatively with Nafion proton exchange membrane (PEM). The process characterization involved versatile electrochemical (polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy - EIS, cyclic voltammetry - CV) and biological (microbial structure analysis) methods in order to reveal the influence of membrane-type during start-up. In fact, the use of AEM led to 2-5 times higher energy yields than CEM and PEM and the lowest MFC internal resistance (148 ± 17 Ω) by the end of start-up.

The Nature of Chemical Bonding in Lewis Adducts as Reflected by Al NMR Quadrupolar Coupling Constant: Combined Solid-State NMR and Quantum Chemical Approach.

Lewis acids and Lewis adducts are widely used in the chemical industry because of their high catalytic activity. Their precise geometrical description and understanding of their electronic structure are a crucial step for targeted synthesis and specific use. Herein, we present an experimental/computational strategy based on a solid-state NMR crystallographic approach allowing for detailed structural characterization of a wide range of organoaluminum compounds considerably differing in their chemical constitution.