Increased carbon dioxide reduction to acetate in a microbial electrosynthesis reactor with a reduced graphene oxide-coated copper foam composite cathode.

Microbial electrosynthesis is a bioprocess where microbes reduce CO into multicarbon chemicals with electrons derived from the cathode of a bioelectrochemical reactor. Developing a highly productive microbial electrosynthesis reactor requires excellent electrical connection between the electrochemical setup, the cathode, and the microbes. Copper is a highly conductive cathode material widely employed in electrochemical apparatuses.

Photon Energy Dependent Micro-Raman Spectroscopy with a Continuum Laser Source.

We present a method for continuous, photon energy dependent micro Raman spectroscopy. A narrow excitation line is selected from a continuum laser by an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) plus an additional monochromator (MC). Automation of laser, AOTF, MC and tunable long pass filters enables us to continuously scan the wavelength over the full visible range while synchronously acquiring Raman spectra over a photon energy range from 1.

Using Polarized Spectroscopy to Investigate Order in Thin-Films of Ionic Self-Assembled Materials Based on Azo-Dyes.

Three series of ionic self-assembled materials based on anionic azo-dyes and cationic benzalkonium surfactants were synthesized and thin films were prepared by spin-casting. These thin films appear isotropic when investigated with polarized optical microscopy, although they are highly anisotropic. Here, three series of homologous materials were studied to rationalize this observation.

Graphene Oxide: A One- versus Two-Component Material.

The structure of graphene oxide (GO) is a matter of discussion. While established GO models are based on functional groups attached to the carbon framework, another frequently used model claims that GO consists of two components, a slightly oxidized graphene core and highly oxidized molecular species, oxidative debris (OD), adsorbed on it. Those adsorbents are claimed to be the origin for optical properties of GO.