Facile production of chitin from shrimp shells using a deep eutectic solvent and acetic acid.

High purity chitin was extracted from shrimp shells by a green, sustainable, and efficient one-pot approach using a deep eutectic solvent consisting of choline chloride and glycerol (ChCl-Gl) combined with a small amount of acetic acid. Under the conditions of an acetic acid concentration of 7.5 wt% and reaction temperature of 120 °C, the purity of isolated chitin was up to 96.

High electrocatalytic activity of Pt on porous Nb-doped TiO nanoparticles prepared by aerosol-assisted self-assembly.

This study explores an aerosol-assisted method to prepare an efficient support for the Pt catalyst of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Titania nanoparticles and mesoporous niobium-doped titania nanoparticles were prepared by aerosol-assisted self-assembly using titanium(iv) isopropoxide and niobium(v) ethoxide as the titanium and niobium sources for application as non-carbon supports for the platinum electrocatalyst. The structural characteristics and electrochemical properties of the supports were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and dynamic light scattering.