Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs): a review of current challenges and future applications.

Nuclear power sources can be effectively employed to generate renewable energy as a counter to global reliance on fossil fuels and increasing energy demands. Nuclear radiation can be utilized in numerous ways to produce energy. Along with their use as fuel for nuclear power plants, the decay process of radioisotopes can also be used to create electrical energy.

Thermal Effect on Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Toward Highly Solar to Hydrogen Efficiency.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production is an emerging technology that uses renewable solar light aimed to establish a sustainable carbon-neutral society. The barriers to commercialization are low efficiency and high cost. To date, researchers have focused on materials and systems.

Toward a Comprehensive Understanding of Amorphous Photocatalysts: Fundamental Hypotheses and Applications in CO Photoreduction.

In principle, photocatalytic activity can be precisely controlled with crystalline catalysts. However, an amorphous photocatalyst could be a viable candidate for CO photoreduction to form value-added products. The amorphous phase is currently part of the crystalline material in several ongoing CO photoreduction studies.

Quantum Dots, Passivation Layer and Cocatalysts for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production.

Solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production is one potential pathway to establish a carbon-neutral society. Nowadays, quantum dots (QDs)-sensitized semiconductors have emerged as promising materials for PEC hydrogen production due to their tunable bandgap by size or morphology control, displaying excellent optical and electrical properties. Nevertheless, they still suffer from anodic corrosion during long-term cycling, offering poor stability.

Selective photocatalytic CO reduction to CH over metal-free porous polyimide in the solid-gas mode.

Using a catalyst-free one-pot polycondensation approach, a new donor-acceptor (D-A) based porous polyimide (PeTt-POP) photocatalyst was developed. PeTt-POP produced CH (125.63 ppm g in 6 h) from CO under visible light irradiation in the gas-solid mode without the use of co-catalysts or sacrificial agents.

Single-Atom Catalysts (SACs) for Photocatalytic CO Reduction with H O: Activity, Product Selectivity, Stability, and Surface Chemistry.

In recent years, single-atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted the interest of researchers owing to their suitability for various catalytic applications. For instance, their optoelectronic features, site-specific activity, and cost-effectiveness make SACs ideal for photocatalytic CO reduction. The activity, product selectivity, and photostability of SACs depend on various factors such as the nature of the metal/support material, the interaction between the metal atoms and support, light-harvesting ability, charge separation behavior, CO adsorption ability, active sites, and defects.

Nanoarchitectonics of Metal-Free Porous Polyketone as Photocatalytic Assemblies for Artificial Photosynthesis.

The main component of natural gas is methane, whose combustion contributes to global warming. As such, sustainable, energy-efficient, nonfossil-based methane production is needed to satisfy current energy demands and chemical feedstocks. In this article, we have constructed a metal-free porous polyketone () with donor-acceptor (D-A) groups with an extensive π-conjugation by facile Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction between triphenylamine () and pyridine-2,6-dicarbonyl dichloride ().

Recent Advances in Quantum Dots for Photocatalytic CO Reduction: A Mini-Review.

Solar energy-driven carbon dioxide (CO) reduction to valuable solar fuels/chemicals (e.g., methane, ethanol, and carbon monoxide) using particulate photocatalysts is regarded as one of the promising and effective approaches to deal with energy scarcity and global warming.

Noble metal sensitized invasive porous bioelectrodes: advanced medical device for enhanced neuronal activity and chronic alcohol treatment.

Invasive bioelectrodes are widely used as an effective treatment for several acute and chronic diseases. In earlier work using high surface area invasive porous bioelectrodes evaluated in an animal model of alcoholism withdrawal, we demonstrated significantly improved electrophysiological and behavioral responses. In this study, we further modify the surface of these invasive porous bioelectrodes with noble metal (Ag, Au, Pt) nanoparticles.

C-14 powered dye-sensitized betavoltaic cells.

A dye-sensitized betavoltaic cell is developed for the first time, which utilizes radioisotopic carbon, composed of nano-sized quantum dots, and ruthenium-based dye sensitized TiO as electrodes. In this cell, emitted beta radiations are absorbed by the dye rather than TiO, which resulted in enhanced performance compared to the pristine betavoltaic cell.

Augmented Mechanical Forces of the Surface-Modified Nanoporous Acupuncture Needles Elicit Enhanced Analgesic Effects.

Over the past several decades, clinical studies have shown significant analgesic effects of acupuncture. The efficacy of acupuncture treatment has improved with the recent development of nanoporous needles (PN), which are produced by modifying the needle surface using nanotechnology. Herein, we showed that PN at acupoint ST36 produces prolonged analgesic effects in an inflammatory pain model; the analgesic effects of PN acupuncture were sustained over 2 h, while those using a conventional needle (CN) lasted only 30 min.

TiO Based Nanostructures for Photocatalytic CO Conversion to Valuable Chemicals.

Photocatalytic conversion of CO to useful products is an alluring approach for acquiring the two-fold benefits of normalizing excess atmospheric CO levels and the production of solar chemicals/fuels. Therefore, photocatalytic materials are continuously being developed with enhanced performance in accordance with their respective domains. In recent years, nanostructured photocatalysts such as one dimensional (1-D), two dimensional (2-D) and three dimensional (3-D)/hierarchical have been a subject of great importance because of their explicit advantages over 0-D photocatalysts, including high surface areas, effective charge separation, directional charge transport, and light trapping/scattering effects.

Synthesis and Growth Mechanism of Stable Prenucleated (≈0.8 nm Diameter) PbS Quantum Dots by Medium Energy Ion Scattering Spectroscopy.

In the current work, stable prenucleated PbS quantum dots (QDs) with a sub-nanometer (0.8 nm) size have been successfully synthesized via a systematically designed experiment. A detailed analysis of critical nucleation, growth, and stability for such ultrasmall prenucleated clusters is done.

Novel Porous Brain Electrodes for Augmented Local Field Potential Signal Detection.

Intracerebral local field potential (LFP) measurements are commonly used to monitor brain activity, providing insight into the flow of information across neural networks. Herein we describe synthesis and application of a neural electrode possessing a nano/micro-scale porous surface topology for improved LFP measurement. Compared with conventional brain electrodes, the porous electrodes demonstrate higher measured amplitudes with lower noise levels.

Highly Efficient Visible Blue-Emitting Black Phosphorus Quantum Dot: Mussel-Inspired Surface Functionalization for Bioapplications.

The preparation of blue-emitting black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) is based on the liquid-phase exfoliation of bulk BP. We report the synthesis of soluble BPQDs showing a strong visible blue-light emission. Highly fluorescent (photoluminescence quantum yield of ≈5% with the maximum emission (λ) at ≈437 nm) and dispersible BPQDs in various organic solvents are first prepared by simple ultrasonication of BP crystals in chloroform in the ambient atmosphere.

The Biocompatibility of Nanoporous Acupuncture Needles.

We investigate the biocompatibility of a new class of acupuncture needles that possess a hierarchical nano/microscale porous surface topology, referred to as porous acupuncture needles (PAN). The PAN is synthesized via a facile electrochemical anodization technique by which a surface area approximately 20 times greater than a conventional acupuncture needle, of approximately the same diameter, is obtained. PAN biocompatibility is evaluated using a variety of standard tests, with results indicating that the PAN can safely be used within therapeutic practice.

Enhanced Therapeutic Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Using Surface-Modified Nanoporous Acupuncture Needles.

Acupuncture originated within the auspices of Oriental medicine, and today is used as an alternative method for treating various diseases and symptoms. The physiological mechanisms of acupuncture appear to involve the release of endogenous opiates and neurotransmitters, with the signals mediating through electrical stimulation of the central nervous system (CNS). Earlier we reported a nanoporous stainless steel acupuncture needle with enhanced therapeutic properties, evaluated by electrophysiological and behavioral responses in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.

Formation of Titania-Silica Mixed Oxides in Solvent Mixtures and Their Influences for the Photocatalytic CO2 Conversion to Hydrocarbon.

TiO2-SiO2 mixed oxide photocatalyst materials responsive to simulated solar light illumination have been synthesized by sol-gel method in various polar and nonpolar organic solvent mixtures. The photocatalysts were characterized by numerous experimental techniques and investigated for the photocatalytic conversion of CO2 to CH4. The TiO2-SiO2 mixed oxide photocatalysts prepared in the presence of nonpolar aromatic solvents such as xylene, toluene or benzene along with ethanol show high surface area, huge mesoporosity and enormous pore volume compared to the materials conventionally synthesized in a mixture of ethanol and hexane.

Recent Progress of Nanostructure Modified Anodes in Microbial Fuel Cells.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a bio-electrochemical system which converts chemical energy into electrical energy by catalytic activity of microorganisms. Electrons produced by microbial oxidation from substrates such as organic matter, complex or renewable biomass are transferred to the anode. Protons produced at the anode migrate to the cathode via the wire and combine with oxygen to form water.