Enhancing the Photoelectrochemical Activity of CuO/ZnO Junction Photocathodes for Water Splitting.

To facilitate fast transfer of photogenerated electrons and surface stability, the CuO photocathode needs to be coupled with another heterojunction material. Here, we propose CuO/ZnO heterojunctions as photocathodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. First, CuO was grown on a Cu substrate, either in the form of a foil or mesh gauge, via anodization followed by postheating treatment.

Controlling N-Doping Nature at Carbon Aerogels from Biomass for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction in Seawater Batteries.

Pyridinic N-type doped at carbon has been known to have better electrocatalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) than the others. Herein, we proposed to prepare pyridinic N doped at carbon aerogels (CaA) derived from biomass, i.e.

Amine-functionalized porous silica production via ex- and in-situ method using silicate precursors as a selective adsorbent for CO capture applications.

A comparison of the amine-modified silica particle's characteristics via ex- and in-situ routes and their application as a CO gas adsorbent is reported. Modifying silica particles via ex-situ involves two separate steps: forming porous silica particles with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) as a template and impregnation using ultrasound assistance. In contrast to ex-situ modification, in-situ modification of silica particles is carried out in one step by mixing directly between the silica source and the modifying agent.

Hydrophobic Modification of Sulfonated Carbon Aerogels from Coir Fibers To Enhance Their Catalytic Performance for Esterification.

The hydrophilicity of sulfonic acid-functionalized solid catalysts tends to accelerate the deactivation of the catalyst for chemical reactions where water is produced during the process. In this work, we proposed a hydrophobic carbon aerogel acid catalyst derived from coir fibers by a sulfonation-hydrophobization route via the diazo reduction method. Sulfonation using the diazo reduction method offers some advantages such as the process takes only a few minutes and the modified surface can be easily modified further to be hydrophobic.

Enhancement of sugar production from coconut husk based on the impact of the combination of surfactant-assisted subcritical water and enzymatic hydrolysis.

The role of three kinds of surfactant (by means of PEG, Tween 80, and SDS) on subcritical water (SCW) hydrolysis of coconut husk towards the reducing sugar production was studied comprehensively. The addition of Tween gave a significant escalation of sugar yield below the cloud point (around 130 °C). The simultaneous hydrophobic and hydrophilic interaction between lignin and SDS drove the highest delignification and solubilization of monomeric sugar during SCW process.

An integrated green process: Subcritical water, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation, for biohydrogen production from coconut husk.

The objective of this work is to develop an integrated green process of subcritical water (SCW), enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of coconut husk (CCH) to biohydrogen. The maximum sugar yield was obtained at mild severity factor. This was confirmed by the degradation of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin.