Comparative Study of Physicochemical Properties and Antibacterial Potential of Cyanobacteria -Derived and Chemically Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles.

The "green synthesis" of nanoparticles (NPs) offers cost-effective and environmentally friendly advantages over chemical synthesis by utilizing biological sources such as bacteria, algae, fungi, or plants. In this context, cyanobacteria and their components are valuable sources to produce various NPs. The present study describes the comparative analysis of physicochemical and antibacterial properties of chemically synthesized (Chem-AgNPs) and cyanobacteria -derived silver NPs (Splat-AgNPs).

Influence of Process Parameters on the Efficiency of Pervaporation Pilot ECO-001 Plant for Raw Ethanol Dehydration.

Pervaporation is a membrane-based process used for the separation of liquid mixtures. As this membrane process is governed by the differences in the sorption and diffusivities of separated components, close boiling mixtures and azeotropic mixtures can effectively be separated. The dehydration of ethanol is the most common application of hydrophilic pervaporation.

A "Green" Stirring Plasma Functionalization Strategy for Controllable Oxygen-Containing Functional Groups on Octa-Methyl POSS Microstructure.

The distinctive cage-like structure of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) materials makes them highly effective fillers in composite membranes for separation applications. However, realizing their full potential in the application often requires specific surface functionalization with various groups. However, this requirement remains challenging owing to the limitations of wet-chemistry approaches, which frequently result in the generation of hazardous chemical by-products.

Different Approaches for the Preparation of Composite Ionic Liquid-Based Membranes for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Applications-Recent Advancements.

The use of ionic liquid-based membranes as polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cell applications increases significantly due to the major features of ionic liquids (i.e., high thermal stability and ion conductivity, non-volatility, and non-flammability).

Progress and Prospective of the Industrial Development and Applications of Eco-Friendly Colorants: An Insight into Environmental Impact and Sustainability Issues.

Color is the prime feature directly associated with the consumer's attraction and choice of their food. The flavor, safety, and nutritional value of any food product are directly associated with the food color. Natural and synthetic colorants (dyes and pigments) have diversified applications in various sectors such as food, feed, pharmaceutical, textiles, cosmetics, and others.

Health-Promoting Nutrients and Potential Bioaccessibility of Breads Enriched with Fresh Kale and Spinach.

Bread is a staple food and can be a potential product to be enriched with various deficient nutrients. The objective of the study was to characterize the nutritional properties of toasted bread enriched with 10% and 20% of kale and wholemeal bread with 20% and 40% of spinach. The supplementation increased the phenolic content up to 2−3 times in the bread with the addition of 20% spinach and 40% kale.

Pebax® 2533/PVDF thin film mixed matrix membranes containing MIL-101 (Fe)/GO composite for CO capture.

MIL-101 (Fe) and MIL-GO composites were successfully synthesized and used as fillers for the preparation of Pebax® 2533/PVDF thin film MMMs for CO/N separation. The defect-free Pebax® 2533/PVDF thin film MMMs were fabricated by casting the Pebax solution containing fillers on the PVDF support. The presence of GO nanosheets in the reaction solution did not destroy the crystal structure of MIL-101 (Fe).

The assessment of solar photovoltaic in Poland: the photovoltaics potential, perspectives and development.

The following article explains the current condition of the photovoltaics sector both in Poland and worldwide. Recently, a rapid development of solar energy has been observed in Poland and is estimated that the country now has about 700,000 photovoltaics prosumers. In October 2021, the total photovoltaics power in Poland amounted to nearly 5.

Peculiarities of adsorption of Cr (VI) ions on the surface of algae cells.

Cr (VI) compounds are the most dangerous for human health and the environment, therefore, the study of their adsorption features is of great interest. A comprehensive study of the adsorption of Cr (VI) ions on the surface of algae cells was carried out evaluating the effect of the pH of the medium on the degree of removal of Cr (VI) ions from solutions and on the zeta potential of the cell surface was. The highest values of the degree of removal of Cr (VI) ions equal to 94.

Electro-Driven Materials and Processes for Lithium Recovery-A Review.

The mass production of lithium-ion batteries and lithium-rich e-products that are required for electric vehicles, energy storage devices, and cloud-connected electronics is driving an unprecedented demand for lithium resources. Current lithium production technologies, in which extraction and purification are typically achieved by hydrometallurgical routes, possess strong environmental impact but are also energy-intensive and require extensive operational capabilities. The emergence of selective membrane materials and associated electro-processes offers an avenue to reduce these energy and cost penalties and create more sustainable lithium production approaches.

Fabrication of Polyamide-6 Membranes-The Effect of Gelation Time towards Their Morphological, Physical and Transport Properties.

Porous polyamide-6 membranes were fabricated via a non-solvent induced phase inversion method, and the influence of gelation time on the properties of the membranes was investigated. Membrane samples with various gelation times were prepared. The evaluation of the membranes' properties was carried out by various analyses and tests, such as scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, contact angle, wet and dry thickness, mean pore size measurements, porosity, water uptake, mechanical resistance, hydrodynamic water fluxes, membrane hydrodynamic permeability, and retention testing.

Bioconjugation Strategy for Ceramic Membranes Decorated with Candida Antarctica Lipase B-Impact of Immobilization Process on Material Features.

A strategy for the bioconjugation of the enzyme lipase B onto titania ceramic membranes with varied pore sizes (15, 50, 150, and 300 kDa) was successfully performed. The relationship between the membrane morphology, i.e.

Surfaces with Adjustable Features-Effective and Durable Materials for Water Desalination.

Materials based on PVDF with desirable and controllable features were successfully developed. The chemistry and roughness were adjusted to produce membranes with improved transport and separation properties. Membranes were activated using the novel piranha approach to generate OH-rich surfaces, and finally furnished with epoxy and long-alkyl moieties via stable covalent attachment.

Highly effective enzymes immobilization on ceramics: Requirements for supports and enzymes.

Enzyme immobilization is a well-known method for the improvement of enzyme reusability and stability. To achieve very high effectiveness of the enzyme immobilization, not only does the method of attachment need to be optimized, but the appropriate support must be chosen. The essential necessities addressed to the support applied for enzyme immobilization can be focused on the material features as well as on the stability and resistances in certain conditions.

Revisiting Wetting, Freezing, and Evaporation Mechanisms of Water on Copper.

Wetting of metal surfaces plays an important role in fuel cells, corrosion science, and heat-transfer devices. It has been recently stipulated that Cu surface is hydrophobic. In order to address this issue we use high purity (1 1 1) Cu prepared without oxygen, and resistant to oxidation.

The Synthesis of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Grafted with Fluorinated Protic Ionic Liquids Containing Sulfo Functional Groups.

There has been an ongoing need to develop polymer materials with increased performance as proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for middle- and high-temperature fuel cells. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a highly hydrophilic and chemically stable polymer bearing hydroxyl groups, which can be further altered. Protic ionic liquids (proticILs) have been found to be an effective modifying polymer agent used as a proton carrier providing PEMs' desirable proton conductivity at high temperatures and under anhydrous conditions.

Thin Film Mixed Matrix Hollow Fiber Membrane Fabricated by Incorporation of Amine Functionalized Metal-Organic Framework for CO/N Separation.

Membrane separation technology can used to capture carbon dioxide from flue gas. However, plenty of research has been focused on the flat sheet mixed matrix membrane rather than the mixed matrix thin film hollow fiber membranes. In this work, mixed matrix thin film hollow fiber membranes were fabricated by incorporating amine functionalized UiO-66 nanoparticles into the Pebax 2533 thin selective layer on the polypropylene (PP) hollow fiber supports via dip-coating process.

A Review on Ionic Liquids-Based Membranes for Middle and High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEM FCs).

Today, the use of polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) possessing ionic liquids (ILs) in middle and high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (MT-PEMFCs and HT-PEMFCs) have been increased. ILs are the organic salts, and they are typically liquid at the temperature lower than 100 °C with high conductivity and thermal stability. The membranes containing ILs can conduct protons through the PEMs at elevated temperatures (more than 80 °C), unlike the Nafion-based membranes.

Fabrication of Polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) Dense Layer on Polyetherimide (PEI) Hollow Fiber Support for the Efficient CO/N Separation Membranes.

The development of thin layer on hollow-fiber substrate has drawn great attention in the gas-separation process. In this work, polydimethysiloxane (PDMS)/polyetherimide (PEI) hollow-fiber membranes were prepared by using the dip-coating method. The prepared membranes were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and gas permeance measurements.

How Can the Desert Beetle and Biowaste Inspire Hybrid Separation Materials for Water Desalination?

Highly effective, hybrid separation materials for water purification were generated following a bioinspired system available in nature. The desert beetle was the inspiration for the generation of separation materials. Using the hydrophobic poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane as the basis, the membrane was first activated and then furnished with silane-based linkers, and the covalent anchoring of chitosan was successfully accomplished.

The Effects of PEI Hollow Fiber Substrate Characteristics on PDMS/PEI Hollow Fiber Membranes for CO/N Separation.

The CO separation from flue gas based on membrane technology has drawn great attention in the last few decades. In this work, polyetherimide (PEI) hollow fibers were fabricated by using a dry-jet-wet spinning technique. Subsequently, the composite hollow fiber membranes were prepared by dip coating of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) selective layer on the outer surface of PEI hollow fibers.

Molecular Decoration of Ceramic Supports for Highly Effective Enzyme Immobilization-Material Approach.

A highly effective method was developed to functionalize ceramic supports (AlO powders and membranes) using newly synthesized spacer molecules. The functionalized materials were subsequently utilized for lipase B enzyme immobilization. The objective is to systematically evaluate the impact of various spacer molecules grafted onto the alumina materials will affect both the immobilization of the enzymes and specific material surface properties, critical to enzymatic reactors performance.

Evaluation of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Anthocyanin-Rich Water-Soluble Aronia Dry Extracts.

Aronia fruits contain many valuable components that are beneficial to human health. However, fruits are characterized by significant variations in chemical composition dependent on the growing conditions and harvesting period. Therefore, there is a need to formulate the extracts with a precisely defined content of health-promoting substances.

Analysis of Membrane Transport Equations for Reverse Electrodialysis (RED) Using Irreversible Thermodynamics.

Reverse electrodialysis (RED) is an electro-membrane process for the conversion of mixing energy into electricity. One important problem researchers' face when modeling the RED process is the choice of the proper membrane transport equations. In this study, using experimental data that describe the membrane Nafion 120 in contact with NaCl aqueous solutions, the linear transport equation of irreversible thermodynamics was applied to calculate the power density of the RED system.

The Impact of Reactive Ionic Liquids Addition on the Physicochemical and Sorption Properties of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Based Films.

A new type of hybrid polymeric-based film containing 1-(1,3-diethoxy-1,3-dioxopropan-2-ylo)-3-methylimidazolium bromide (RIL1_Br) and 1-(2-etoxy-2-oxoethyl)-3-methylimidazolium bromide (RIL2_Br) reactive ionic liquids was elaborated. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based films with 9-33 wt % of RILs were subsequently characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and TGA-FTIR. PVA-RIL films were also studied in tensile tests, contact angle and sorption measurements.