The current threats of climate change are driving attention away from the petrochemical industry towards more sustainable and bio-based production processes for fuels and speciality chemicals. These processes require suitable low-cost starting material. One potential material assessed here is the oat hull. Its overall chemical composition has so far not been fully characterized. Furthermore, it is not known how it is affected by extreme weather events. Oat hulls (Kerstin and Galant varieties) grown during 'normal' weather years (2016 and 2017) are compared to the harvest of the warmer and drier year (2018). Standard methods for determination of plant chemical composition, with focus on carbohydrate composition, are utilized. Oat hulls grown in 'normal' weather conditions (2017) are rich in lignocellulose (84%), consisting of 35% hemicellulose, 25% lignin and 23% cellulose. Arabinoxylan was found to be the major biopolymer (32%). However, this composition is greatly influenced by weather variations during the oat growth phase. A lignocellulose reduction of 25% was recorded in the warmer and drier 2018 harvest. Additionally, a 6.6-fold increase in starch content, a four-fold increase in protein content and a 60% decrease in phenolic content was noted. Due to its high lignocellulose composition, with an exceptionally large hemicellulose fraction, the chemical composition of oat hulls is unique among agricultural by-products. However, this characteristic is significantly reduced when grown in warmer and drier weather, which could compromise its suitability for use in a successful biorefinery.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/plb.13171 | DOI Listing |
Chem Rev
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States.
The application of external electric fields to influence chemical reactions at electrode interfaces has attracted considerable interest in recent years. However, the design of electric fields to achieve highly efficient and selective catalytic systems, akin to the optimized fields found at enzyme active sites, remains a significant challenge. Consequently, there has been substantial effort in probing and understanding the interfacial electric fields at electrode/electrolyte interfaces and their effect on adsorbates.
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January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
Under a changing climate, enhancing the drought resilience of crops is critical to maintaining agricultural production and reducing food insecurity. Here, we demonstrate that seed priming with amorphous silica (SiO) nanoparticles (NPs) (20 mg/L) accelerated seed germination speed, increased seedlings vigor, and promoted seedling growth of rice under polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mimicking drought conditions. An orthogonal approach was used to uncover the mechanisms of accelerated seed germination and enhanced drought tolerance, including electron paramagnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), metabolomics, and transcriptomics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInorg Chem
January 2025
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.
The Pd-Zn γ-brass phase provides exciting opportunities for synthesizing site-isolated catalysts with precisely controlled Pd active site ensembles. Introducing a third metallic element into the γ-brass lattice further perturbs the catalytic active site ensembles. Here, we introduce coinage metallic elements M (M = Cu, Ag, and Au) into the Pd-Zn γ-brass phase and investigate the site occupation factors of each element in the γ-brass lattice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Mater Interfaces
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031, India.
Accurate oxygen detection and measurement of its concentration is vital in biological and industrial applications, necessitating highly sensitive and reliable sensors. Optical sensors, valued for their real-time monitoring, nondestructive analysis, and exceptional sensitivity, are particularly suited for precise oxygen measurements. Here, we report a dual-emissive iridium(III) complex, IrNPh, featuring "aggregation-induced emission" (AIE) properties and used for sensitive oxygen sensing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Mater Interfaces
January 2025
Department of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Kansai University, 3-3-35 Yamate-cho, Suita, Osaka 564-8680, Japan.
Hydride (H) species on oxides have been extensively studied over the past few decades because of their critical role in various catalytic processes. Their syntheses require high temperatures and the presence of hydrogen, which involves complex equipment, high energy costs, and strict safety protocols. Hydride species tend to decompose in the presence of atmospheric oxygen and water, which reduces their catalytic activities.
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