Haoliang Wu, Haojie Pan, Zhongjian Li et al.

Chemical Engineering Journal • 2021

Florian Mayer, Franziska Enzmann, Antonio López–Gómez et al.

Bioresource Technology • 2019

Suman Bajracharya, Rustiana Yuliasni, Karolien Vanbroekhoven et al.

Bioelectrochemistry • 2016

Frauke Kracke, Andrew Barnabas Wong, Karen Maegaard et al.

Communications Chemistry • 2019

Abstract CO 2 reduction by combined electro- and bio-catalytic reactions is a promising technology platform for sustainable production of chemicals from CO 2 and electricity. While heterogeneous electrocatalysts can reduce CO 2 to a variety of organic compounds at relatively high reaction rates, these catalysts have limitations achieving high selectivity for any single product beyond CO. Conversely, microbial CO 2 reduction pathways proceed at high selectivity; however, the rates at bio-cathodes using direct electron supply via electricity are commonly limiting. Here we demonstrate the use of non-precious metal cathodes that produce hydrogen in situ to support microbial CO 2 reduction to C 1 and C 2 compounds. CoP, MoS 2 and NiMo cathodes perform durable hydrogen evolution under biologically relevant conditions, and the integrated system achieves coulombic efficiencies close to 100% without accumulating hydrogen. Moreover, the one-reactor hybrid platform is successfully used for efficient acetate production from electricity and CO 2 by microbes previously reported to be inactive in bioelectrochemical systems.

Nabin Aryal, Arnab Halder, Pier‐Luc Tremblay et al.

Electrochimica Acta • 2016

Khurram Tahir, Waheed Miran, Jiseon Jang et al.

Chemical Engineering Journal • 2019

Mélida del Pilar Anzola-Rojas, Raúl Mateos, Ana Sotres et al.

Energy Conversion and Management • 2018

Xenia Christodoulou, Tobechi Okoroafor, Simon Parry et al.

Journal of CO2 Utilization • 2017

This study examines the latest advancements in the field of Microbial ElectroSynthesis (MES) and reports a unique sustainability and economic assessment for the production of five alternative compounds (formic, acetic, propionic acids; methanol and ethanol). Different chemical production conditions were compared by modelling a 1000 t per year production plant. Three sustainability indicators; net energy consumption (NEC), energy gain (EG) and global warming ratio (GWR), were used; along with three economic indicators: production cost, pay-back period and discounted cash flow rate of return. NEC analysis revealed substantial energy requirements in the MES reactor and rectification unit. The former due to the energy required to synthesise CO2to longer chains and the later due to increased water molecules formed during synthesis. EG values suggested that producingformic acid and methanol using MES were lower than conventional processes. MES was shown to use more carbon dioxide for methanol, ethanol and formic acid synthesis than those produced. The economic analysis showed that formic acid and ethanol had a long pay-back period of 15 years. However, production costs were found to be competitive with the market only for formic acid (0.30 £/kg) and ethanol (0.88 £/kg). Moreover, high returns were evaluated for formic acid (21%) and ethanol (14%) compared to the minimum requirements of the industry (11.60%) making these products economically attractive. Our findings reveal insights about the use and scale up of MES for a sustainable and economically viable chemical production process.

Nabin Aryal, Pier‐Luc Tremblay, Dawid Mariusz Lizak et al.

Bioresource Technology • 2017

Jörg S. Deutzmann, Alfred M. Spormann

The ISME Journal • 2016

Microbial uptake of free cathodic electrons presents a poorly understood aspect of microbial physiology. Uptake of cathodic electrons is particularly important in microbial electrosynthesis of sustainable fuel and chemical precursors using only CO 2 and electricity as carbon, electron and energy source. Typically, large overpotentials (200 to 400 mV) were reported to be required for cathodic electron uptake during electrosynthesis of, for example, methane and acetate, or low electrosynthesis rates were observed. To address these limitations and to explore conceptual alternatives, we studied defined co-cultures metabolizing cathodic electrons. The Fe(0)-corroding strain IS4 was used to catalyze the electron uptake reaction from the cathode forming molecular hydrogen as intermediate, and Methanococcus maripaludis and Acetobacterium woodii were used as model microorganisms for hydrogenotrophic synthesis of methane and acetate, respectively. The IS4-M. maripaludis co-cultures achieved electromethanogenesis rates of 0.1-0.14 μmol cm -2 h -1 at -400 mV vs standard hydrogen electrode and 0.6-0.9 μmol cm -2 h -1 at -500 mV. Co-cultures of strain IS4 and A. woodii formed acetate at rates of 0.21-0.23 μmol cm -2 h -1 at -400 mV and 0.57-0.74 μmol cm -2 h -1 at -500 mV. These data show that defined co-cultures coupling cathodic electron uptake with synthesis reactions via interspecies hydrogen transfer may lay the foundation for an engineering strategy for microbial electrosynthesis.

Suman Bajracharya, Karolien Vanbroekhoven, Cees J.N. Buisman et al.

Environmental Science and Pollution Research • 2016

Pau Batlle‐Vilanova, Ramon Ganigué, Sara Ramió‐Pujol et al.

Bioelectrochemistry • 2017

Igor Vassilev, Paula Andrea Peña Hernández, Pau Batlle‐Vilanova et al.

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering • 2018

Microbial electrosynthesis is potentially a sustainable biotechnology for the conversion of the greenhouse gas CO2 into carboxylic acids, thus far mostly limited to acetic acid (C2). Despite the environmental benefits of recycling CO2 emissions to counter global warming, bioelectrochemical production of acetate is not very attractive from an economic point of view. Conversely, carboxylates and corresponding alcohols with longer C content not only have a higher economical value as compared to acetate, but they are also relevant platform chemicals and fuels used on a diverse array of industrial applications. Here, we report on a specific mixed reactor microbiome capable of producing a mixture of C4 and C6 carboxylic acids (isobutyric, n-butyric, and n-caproic acids) and their corresponding alcohols (isobutanol, n-butanol, and n-hexanol) using CO2 as the sole carbon source and reducing power provided by an electrode. Metagenomic analysis supports the hypothesis of a sequential carbon chain elongation process comprised of acetogenesis, solventogenesis, and reverse β-oxidation, and that isobutyric acid is derived from the isomerization of n-butyric acid.

Nabin Aryal, Fariza Ammam, Sunil A. Patil et al.

Green Chemistry • 2017

The applicability of microbial electrosynthesis (MES) for chemical synthesis from carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) requires improved production and energetic efficiencies. The electrode material and its interaction with the biocatalyst greatly influence the MES performance.

Garabed Antranikian, Wolfgang R. Streit

Extremophiles • 2022

The major global and man-made challenges of our time are the fossil fuel-driven climate change a global plastic pollution and rapidly emerging plant, human and animal infections. To meet the necessary global changes, a dramatic transformation must take place in science and society. This transformation will involve very intense and forward oriented industrial and basic research strongly focusing on (bio)technology and industrial bioprocesses developments towards engineering a zero-carbon sustainable bioeconomy. Within this transition microorganisms-and especially extremophiles-will play a significant and global role as technology drivers. They harbor the keys and blueprints to a sustainable biotechnology in their genomes. Within this article, we outline urgent and important areas of microbial research and technology advancements and that will ultimately make major contributions during the transition from a linear towards a circular bioeconomy.

Nur Atikah Mohidem, Mardawani Mohamad, Muhammad Usman Rashid et al.

Journal of Composites Science • 2023

For over a century, enzyme immobilisation has been proven to be a superior strategy to improve catalytic activity and reusability and ensure easy separation, easy operation, and reduced cost. Enzyme immobilisation allows for an easier separation of the enzyme from the reaction mixture, thus simplifying downstream processing. This technology protects the enzyme from degradation or inactivation by harsh reaction conditions, making it more robust and suitable to be used in various applications. Recent strategies of immobilisation methods, such as adsorption, cross-linking, entrapment or encapsulation, and covalent bonding, were critically reviewed. These strategies have shown promising results in improving enzyme stability, activity, and reusability in various applications. A recent development in enzyme immobilisation in nanomaterials and agrowaste renewable carriers is underlined in the current review. Furthermore, the use of nanomaterials and agrowaste carriers in enzyme immobilisation has gained significant attention due to their unique properties, such as high surface area, high mass transfer, biocompatibility, and sustainability. These materials offer promising outcomes for developing more efficient and sustainable immobilised enzymes. This state-of-the-art strategy allows for better control over enzyme reactions and enhances their reusability, leading to more cost-effective and environmentally friendly processes. The use of renewable materials also helps to reduce waste generation and promote the utilisation of renewable resources, further contributing to the development of a circular economy.

Nishit Savla, Raksha Anand, Soumya Pandit et al.

JOURNAL OF RENEWABLE MATERIALS • 2020

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are an attractive innovation at the nexus of energy and water security for the future. MFC utilizes electrochemically active microorganisms to oxidize biodegradable substrates and generate bioelectricity in a single step. The material of the anode plays a vital role in increasing the MFC’s power output. The anode in MFC can be upgraded using nanomaterials providing benefits of exceptional physicochemical properties. The nanomaterials in anode gives a high surface area, improved electron transfer promotes electroactive biofilm. Enhanced power output in terms of Direct current (DC) can be obtained as the consequence of improved microbe-electrode interaction. However, several limitations like complex synthesis and degeneration of property do exist in the development of nanomaterial-based anode. The present review discusses different renewable nanomaterial applied in the anode to recover bioelectricity in MFC. Carbon nanomaterials have emerged in the past decade as promising materials for anode construction. Composite materials have also demonstrated the capacity to become potential anode materials of choice. Application of a few transition metal oxides have been explored for efficient extracellular electron transport (EET) from microbes to the anode.

Lalit Goswami, Anamika Kushwaha, Anju Singh et al.

Catalysts • 2022

Nowadays, the valorization of organic wastes using various carbon-capturing technologies is a prime research area. The anaerobic digestion (AD) technology is gaining much consideration in this regard that simultaneously deals with waste valorization and bioenergy production sustainably. Biochar, a well-recognized carbonaceous pyrogenic material and possessing a broad range of inherent physical and chemical properties, has diverse applications in the fields of agriculture, health-care, sensing, catalysis, carbon capture, the environment and energy. The nano-biochar-amended anaerobic digestion approach has intensively been explored for the past few years. However, an inclusive study of multi-functional roles of biochar and the mechanism involved for enhancing the biogas production via the AD process still need to be evaluated. The present review inspects the significant role of biochar addition and the kinetics involved, further focusing on the limitations, perspectives, and challenges of the technology. Additionally, the techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment of biochar-aided AD process for the closed-loop integration of biochar and AD and possible improvement practices are discussed.

A.G. Olabi, Tabbi Wilberforce, Enas Taha Sayed et al.

International Journal of Thermofluids • 2021

This investigation summarized the application of nanofluids (NFs) in heat exchangers (HExs) with different geometries. The quest for heat devices with quick response for the industrial sector is still a major challenge that has been an active research direction over the years. Addressing this issue is likely to increase the capacity of several industries. There is a direct relationship between expanding the heat capacity and the pressure drop. The common approach in increasing the rate of heat transfer often leads to an increment in pressure drop. This study reviews and summarizes the investigations on various geometrical effects inside the channel combined with NF in HExs. This review explored the potential of NFs as possible heat transfer fluid in HExs. From a detailed literature review compiled and evaluated, it has been deduced that NFs application significantly improves the thermal efficiency of HExs. The investigation further evaluated plate, helical, as well as shell and tube HExs. The review explored NFs application in HExs and how they can significantly improve the HExs' thermal characteristics. It was deduced that the use of NFs improved the heat transfer both experimentally and numerically . This equally has a direct relation to energy savings as well as industrial waste heat.

Mariana Rodrigues, Thiago T. de Mattos, Tom Sleutels et al.

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering • 2020

Electrochemical systems for total ammonium nitrogen (TAN) recovery are a promising alternative compared with conventional nitrogen-removal technologies. To make them competitive, we propose a new minimal stackable configuration using cell pairs with only bipolar membranes and cation-exchange membranes. The tested bipolar electrodialysis (BP-ED) stack included six cell pairs of feed and concentrate compartments. Critical operational parameters, such as current density and the ratio between applied current to nitrogen loading (load ratio), were varied to investigate the performance of the system using synthetic wastewater with a high nitrogen content as an influent (NH 4 + ≈ 1.75 g L -1 ). High TAN removal (>70%) was achieved for a load ratio higher than 1. At current densities of 150 A m -2 and a load ratio of 1.2, a TAN transport rate of 1145.1±14.1 g N m -2 d -1 and a TAN-removal efficiency of 80% were observed. As the TAN removal was almost constant at different current densities, the BP-ED stack performed at a high TAN transport rate (819.1 g N m -2 d -1 ) while consuming the lowest energy (18.3 kJ g N -1 ) at a load ratio of 1.2 and 100 A m -2 . The TAN transport rate, TAN removal, and energy input achieved by the minimal BP-ED stack demonstrated a promising new cell configuration for upscaling.

Maliheh Abdollahi, Sara Al Sbei, Miriam A. Rosenbaum et al.

Frontiers in Microbiology • 2022

Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) from CO 2 provides chemicals and fuels by driving the metabolism of microorganisms with electrons from cathodes in bioelectrochemical systems. These microorganisms are usually strictly anaerobic. At the same time, the anode reaction of bioelectrochemical systems is almost exclusively water splitting through the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This creates a dilemma for MES development and engineering. Oxygen penetration to the cathode has to be excluded to avoid toxicity and efficiency losses while assuring low resistance. We show that this dilemma derives a strong need to identify novel reactor designs when using the OER as an anode reaction or to fully replace OER with alternative oxidation reactions.

Dheeraj Rathore, Anoop Singh, Divakar Dahiya et al.

AIMS energy • 2019

Depleting fuel resources and global warming potential of fossil fuel raise a concern over its sustainability. Among the four strategically important alternative fuel sources viz. biofuels, hydrogen (H2), natural gas and syngas (synthesis gas), hydrogen emerges as a superior fuel. For the reasons, that hydrogen gas is renewable, free from greenhouse gases emission and liberates large amount of energy per unit weight during combustion, and it also gets converted into electricity by fuel cell easily. The utilization of biohydrogen as an energy source could be able to provide environmental safety as it does not liberate GHGs during combustion. The biohydrogen production could be economical with the latest developments and society will be benefitted with pollution control, which is added into environment during the combustion of other energy sources. The present review discusses various aspects with conclusions that considering social, economic and environmental benefits, biohydrogen energy could be considered as a sustainable source of future clean energy.

Jingyan Hu, Weizhao Meng, Yixi Su et al.

Frontiers in Marine Science • 2023

Microalgae are unicellular photosynthetic microorganisms that play a vital role in primary production and have diverse applications in various industries. They have high photosynthetic and metabolic capacities and can produce a variety of valuable metabolites, such as lipids, carbohydrates, pigments, and proteins. However, practical applications of microalgae are limited to high-value products due to the high production costs. Algal biotechnology faces challenges such as low energy utilization efficiency and product yield that are currently inadequate to fulfill commercial production. To overcome these challenges, emerging technologies have shown promise to achieve higher production efficiency, including molecular manipulation of photosynthetic efficiency and metabolic activities. Here, we provided an overview of the importance, diversity, and photosynthesis of microalgae, as well as strategies for enhancing their photosynthetic efficiency. We discussed various approaches for improving microalgal photosynthesis, including strain selection and optimization, rational genetic modification, and innovative technologies such as spectral recomposition of light, nanomaterials, advanced cultivation systems, and symbiotic systems. Additionally, we summarized metabolic engineering strategies that focus on optimizing the synthesis of value-added metabolites, such as pigments, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, starch, proteins, and hydrogen in microalgae. By concentrating on improving photosynthetic efficiency and the synthesis of bioactive metabolites, this review provided valuable insights into enhancing microalgae production yields. Overcoming limitations in microalgae production costs can lead to broader applications in various industries. Furthermore, we highlight the potential of these strategies in increasing the efficiency of microalgae as a sustainable source for high-value products.

Karthikeyan Rengasamy, Tahina Onina Ranaivoarisoa, Rajesh Singh et al.

Bioelectrochemistry • 2018

J. Sadhik Basha, Tahereh Jafary, Ranjit Vasudevan et al.

Sustainability • 2021

This critical review report highlights the enormous potentiality and availability of renewable energy sources in the Gulf region. The earth suffers from extreme air pollution, climate changes, and extreme problems due to the enormous usage of underground carbon resources applications materialized in industrial, transport, and domestic sectors. The countries under Gulf Cooperation Council, i.e., Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, mainly explore those underground carbon resources for crude oil extraction and natural gas production. As a nonrenewable resource, these are bound to be exhausted in the near future. Hence, this review discusses the importance and feasibility of renewable sources in the Gulf region to persuade the scientific community to launch and explore renewable sources to obtain the maximum benefit in electric power generation. In most parts of the Gulf region, solar and wind energy sources are abundantly available. However, attempts to harness those resources are very limited. Furthermore, in this review report, innovative areas of advanced research (such as bioenergy, biomass) were proposed for the Gulf region to extract those resources at a higher magnitude to generate surplus power generation. Overall, this report clearly depicts the current scenario, current power demand, currently installed capacities, and the future strategies of power production from renewable power sources (viz., solar, wind, tidal, biomass, and bioenergy) in each and every part of the Gulf region.

Siddharth Gadkari, Deepak Kumar, Zi‐Hao Qin et al.

Waste Management • 2021

According to the US Department of Energy, succinic acid (SA) is a top platform chemical that can be produced from biomass. Bread waste, which has high starch content, is the second most wasted food in the UK and can serve as a potential low cost feedstock for the production of SA. This work evaluates the environmental performance of a proposed biorefinery concept for SA production by fermentation of waste bread using a cradle-to-factory gate life cycle assessment approach. The performance was assessed in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and non-renewable energy use (NREU). Waste bread fermentation demonstrated a better environmental profile compared to the fossil-based system, however, GHG emissions were about 50% higher as compared to processes using other biomass feedstocks such as corn wet mill or sorghum grains. NREU for fermentative SA production using waste bread was significantly lower (~ 46%) than fossil-based system and about the same as that of established biomass-based processes, thus proving the great potential of waste bread as a valuable feedstock for bioproduction of useful chemicals. The results show that steam and heating oil used in the process were the biggest contributors to the NREU and GHG emissions. Sensitivity analyses highlighted the importance of the solid biomass waste generated in the process which can potentially be used as fish feed. The LCA analysis can be used for targeted optimization of SA production from bread waste, thereby enabling the utilization of an otherwise waste stream and leading to the establishment of a circular economy.

Jeroen Spooren, Koen Binnemans, Johanna Björkmalm et al.

Resources Conservation and Recycling • 2020

With an increasing number of low-grade primary ores starting to be cost-effectively mined, we are at the verge of mining a myriad of low-grade primary and secondary mineral materials. At the same time, mining practices and mineral waste recycling are both evolving towards sustainable near-zero-waste processing of low-grade resources within a circular economy that requires a shift in business models, policies and improvements in process technologies. This review discusses the evolution towards low-grade primary ore and secondary raw material mining that will allow for sufficient supply of critical raw materials as well as base metals. Seven low-grade ores, including primary (Greek and Polish laterites) and secondary (fayalitic slags, jarosite and goethite sludges, zinc-rich waste treatment sludge and chromium-rich neutralisation sludge) raw materials are discussed as typical examples for Europe. In order to treat diverse and complex low-grade ores efficiently, the use of a new metallurgical systems toolbox is proposed, which is populated with existing and innovative unit operations: (i) mineral processing, (ii) metal extraction, (iii) metal recovery and (iv) matrix valorisation. Several promising novel techniques are under development for these four unit-operations. From an economical and environmental point of view, such processes must be fitted into new (circular) business models, whereby impacts and costs are divided over the entire value chain. Currently, low-grade secondary raw material processing is only economic and environmentally beneficial when the mineral residues can be valorised and landfill costs are avoided and/or incentives for waste processing can be taken into account.

Chengcheng Li, Tuo Wang, Jinlong Gong

Transactions of Tianjin University • 2020

Abstract As one of the world’s most produced chemicals, ammonia (NH 3 ) is synthesized by Haber–Bosch process. This century-old industry nourishes billions of people and promotes social and economic development. In the meantime, 3%–5% of the world’s natural gas and 1%–2% of the world’s energy reserves are consumed, releasing millions of tons of carbon dioxide annually to the atmosphere. The urgency of replacing fossil fuels and mitigating climate change motivates us to progress toward more sustainable methods for N 2 reduction reaction based on clean energy. Herein, we overview the emerging advancement for sustainable N 2 fixation under mild conditions, which include electrochemical, photo- , plasma-enabled and homogeneous molecular NH 3 productions. We focus on NH 3 generation by electrocatalysts and photocatalysts. We clarify the features and progress of each kind of NH 3 synthesis process and provide promising strategies to further promote sustainable ammonia production and construct state-of-the-art catalytic systems.

Alfredo Zendejas Rodriguez, Huiyao Wang, Lei Hu et al.

Water • 2020

Produced water is the largest volume of waste product generated during oil and natural gas exploration and production. The traditional method to dispose of produced water involves deep well injection, but this option is becoming more challenging due to high operational cost, limited disposal capacity, and more stringent regulations. Meanwhile, large volumes of freshwater are used for hydraulic fracturing. The goal of this study is to develop cost-effective technologies, and optimize system design and operation to treat highly saline produced water (120–140 g/L total dissolved solids) for hydraulic fracturing. Produced water was collected from a salt water disposal facility in the Permian Basin, New Mexico. Chemical coagulation (CC) using ferric chloride and aluminum sulfate as coagulants was compared with electrocoagulation (EC) with aluminum electrodes for removal of suspended contaminants. The effects of coagulant dose, current density, and hydraulic retention time during EC on turbidity removal were investigated. Experimental results showed that aluminum sulfate was more efficient and cost-effective than ferric chloride for removing turbidity from produced water. The optimal aluminum dose was achieved at operating current density of 6.60 mA/cm2 and 12 min contact time during EC treatment, which resulted in 74% removal of suspended solids and 53–78% removal of total organic carbon (TOC). The energy requirement of EC was calculated 0.36 kWh/m3 of water treated. The total operating cost of EC was estimated $0.44/m3 of treated water, which is 1.7 or 1.2 times higher than CC using alum or ferric chloride as the coagulant, respectively. The EC operating cost was primarily associated with the consumption of aluminum electrode materials due to faradaic reactions and electrodes corrosions. EC has the advantage of shorter retention time, in situ production of coagulants, less sludge generation, and high mobility for onsite produced water treatment. The fine particles and other contaminants after coagulation were further treated in continuous-flow columns packed with different filter media, including agricultural waste products (pecan shell, walnut shell, and biochar), and new and spent granular activated carbon (GAC). Turbidity, TOC, metals, and electrical conductivity were monitored to evaluate the performance of the treatment system and the adsorption capacities of different media. Biochar and GAC showed the greatest removal of turbidity and TOC in produced water. These treatment technologies were demonstrated to be effective for the removal of suspended constituents and iron, and to produce a clean brine for onsite reuse, such as hydraulic fracturing.

Dheeraj Rathor, Abdul‐Sattar Nizami, Anoop Singh et al.

Biofuel Research Journal • 2016

The increasing demand for biofuels has encouraged the researchers and policy makers worldwide to find sustainable biofuel production systems in accordance with the regional conditions and needs. The sustainability of a biofuel production system includes energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) saving along with environmental and social acceptability. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an internationally recognized tool for determining the sustainability of biofuels. LCA includes goal and scope, life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment, and interpretation as major steps. LCA results vary significantly, if there are any variations in performing these steps. For instance, biofuel producing feedstocks have different environmental values that lead to different GHG emission savings and energy balances. Similarly, land-use and land-use changes may overestimate biofuel sustainability. This study aims to examine various biofuel production systems for their GHG savings and energy balances, relative to conventional fossil fuels with an ambition to address the challenges and to offer future directions for LCA based biofuel studies. Environmental and social acceptability of biofuel production is the key factor in developing biofuel support policies. Higher GHG emission saving and energy balance of biofuel can be achieved, if biomass yield is high, and ecologically sustainable biomass or non-food biomass is converted into biofuel and used efficiently.

Fereshteh Chekin, Komal Bagga, Palaniappan Subramanian et al.

Sensors and Actuators B Chemical • 2018

Xinxiao Zhou, Bin Liu, Yun Chen et al.

Materials Advances • 2020

Carbon-nanofiber-based three-dimensional nanomaterials exhibit promising energy and environmental science applications.

Marco Zeppilli, Paola Paiano, Marianna Villano et al.

Biochemical Engineering Journal • 2019

Seokhoon Choi, Changyeon Kim, Jun Min Suh et al.

Carbon Energy • 2019

Abstract There have been ever‐growing demands to develop advanced electrocatalysts for renewable energy conversion over the past decade. As a promising platform for advanced electrocatalysts, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has attracted substantial research interests in a variety of electrochemical energy conversion reactions. Its versatile utility is mainly attributed to unique physical and chemical properties, such as high specific surface area, tunable electronic structure, and the feasibility of structural modification and functionalization. Here, a comprehensive discussion is provided upon recent advances in the material preparation, characterization, and the catalytic activity of rGO‐based electrocatalysts for various electrochemical energy conversion reactions (water splitting, CO 2 reduction reaction, N 2 reduction reaction, and O 2 reduction reaction). Major advantages of rGO and the related challenges for enhancing their catalytic performance are addressed.

Senthil Velan Venkatesan, Arpita Nandy, Kunal Karan et al.

Electrochemical Energy Reviews • 2022

Abstract As the world works to move away from traditional energy sources, effective efficient energy storage devices have become a key factor for success. The emergence of unconventional electrochemical energy storage devices, including hybrid batteries, hybrid redox flow cells and bacterial batteries, is part of the solution. These alternative electrochemical cell configurations provide materials and operating condition flexibility while offering high-energy conversion efficiency and modularity of design-to-design devices. The power of these diverse devices ranges from a few milliwatts to several megawatts. Manufacturing durable electronic and point-of-care devices is possible due to the development of all-solid-state batteries with efficient electrodes for long cycling and high energy density. New batteries made of earth-abundant metal ions are approaching the capacity of lithium-ion batteries. Costs are being reduced with the advent of flow batteries with engineered redox molecules for high energy density and membrane-free power generating electrochemical cells, which utilize liquid dynamics and interfaces (solid, liquid, and gaseous) for electrolyte separation. These batteries support electrode regeneration strategies for chemical and bio-batteries reducing battery energy costs. Other batteries have different benefits, e.g., carbon-neutral Li-CO 2 batteries consume CO 2 and generate power, offering dual-purpose energy storage and carbon sequestration. This work considers the recent technological advances of energy storage devices. Their transition from conventional to unconventional battery designs is examined to identify operational flexibilities, overall energy storage/conversion efficiency and application compatibility. Finally, a list of facilities for large-scale deployment of major electrochemical energy storage routes is provided. Graphical abstract

Dhananjaya P. Singh, Ratna Prabha, Vijai Kumar Gupta et al.

Frontiers in Microbiology • 2018

Agricultural soils are becoming contaminated with synthetic chemicals like polyaromatic compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phenols, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides due to excessive dependency of crop production systems on the chemical inputs. Microbial degradation of organic pollutants in the agricultural soils is a continuous process due to the metabolic multifunctionalities and enzymatic capabilities of the soil associated communities. The plant rhizosphere with its complex microbial inhabitants and their multiple functions, is amongst the most live and dynamic component of agricultural soils. We analyzed the metatranscriptome data of 20 wheat rhizosphere samples to decipher the taxonomic microbial communities and their multifunctionalities linked with the degradation of organic soil contaminants. The analysis revealed a total of 21 different metabolic pathways for the degradation of aromatic compounds and 06 for the xenobiotics degradation. Taxonomic annotation of wheat rhizosphere revealed bacteria, especially the Proteobacteria, actinobacteria, firmicutes, bacteroidetes, and cyanobacteria, which are shown to be linked with the degradation of aromatic compounds as the dominant communities. Abundance of the transcripts related to the degradation of aromatic amin compounds, carbazoles, benzoates, naphthalene, ketoadipate pathway, phenols, biphenyls and xenobiotics indicated abundant degradation capabilities in the soils. The results highlighted a potentially dominant role of crop rhizosphere associated microbial communities in the remediation of contaminant aromatic compounds.

Arijit Ghosh, ChangKyu Yoon, Federico Ongaro et al.

Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering • 2017

Untethered microtools, that can be precisely navigated into deep in vivo locations, are important for clinical procedures pertinent to minimally invasive surgery and targeted drug delivery. In this mini-review, untethered soft grippers are discussed, with an emphasis on a class of autonomous stimuli responsive gripping soft tools that can be used to excise tissues and release drugs in a controlled manner. The grippers are composed of polymers and hydrogels, and are thus compliant to soft tissues. They can be navigated using magnetic fields and controlled by robotic path-planning strategies to carry out tasks like pick-and-place of microspheres and biological materials either with user assistance or in a fully autonomous manner. It is envisioned that the use of these untethered soft grippers will translate from laboratory experiments to clinical scenarios and the challenges that need to be overcome to make this transition are discussed.

Shams Forruque Ahmed, Shams Forruque Ahmed, Maliha Kabir et al.

Energy Reports • 2023

Continual global energy scarcity and its future challenges, as well as environmental disasters, are causing global devastation. Additionally, a substantial quantity of food is being wasted regularly. Therefore, the adoption of circular bioeconomy principles and the bioconversion of wasted food appears to be both highly advantageous and urgently required. However, previous studies have placed limited emphasis on the technological progress and circular bioeconomy aspects associated with the bioconversion of wasted food. The present review thus investigates how mass-generated food waste can be used to produce valuable bioproducts through bioconversion techniques such as oleaginous metabolism, anaerobic fermentation, and solventogenesis. These techniques have attracted considerable interest due to their eco-friendly and resource-recycling capacities, as well as their efficiency and sustainability. The paper also discusses approaches to integrate biorefineries within existing economies to establish a circular bioeconomy and analyses the challenges as well as the techno-economic, environmental and life cycle scenarios of these approaches. Analysis of the techno-economic and environmental effects reveals that food waste biorefineries can be lucrative if certain pathways are maintained. The environmental impact of bioconversion methods that produce valuable bioproducts is also found to be substantially lower than that of conventional methods. Integrating bioconversion processes further improves the efficiency of the process and sustainably recovers resources. Developing a circular bioeconomy requires the adoption of a biorefinery strategy with an integrated approach.

Nader Abdelhamied, Fatma Abdelrahman, Ayman El‐Shibiny et al.

Scientific Reports • 2023

The early and rapid detection of pathogenic microorganisms is of critical importance in addressing serious public health issues. Here, a new bacteriophage-based nano-biosensor was constructed and the electrochemical impedimetric method was fully optimized and applied for the quantitative detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in food samples. The impact of using a nanocomposite consisting of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and tungsten oxide nanostructures (WO 3 ) on the electrochemical performance of disposable screen printed electrodes was identified using the cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The use nanomaterials enabled high capturing sensitivity against the targeting bacterial host cells with the limit of detection of 3.0 CFU/ml. Moreover, selectivity of the covalently immobilized active phage was tested against several non-targeting bacterial strains, where a high specificity was achieved. Thus, the targeting foodborne pathogen was successfully detected in food samples with high specificity, and the sensor provided an excellent recovery rate ranging from 90.0 to 108%. Accordingly, the newly developed phage-biosensor is recommended as a disposable label-free impedimetric biosensor for the quick and real-time monitoring of food quality.

Hong‐Jing Zhu, Duan‐Hui Si, Hui Guo et al.

Nature Communications • 2024

The direct use of flue gas for the electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction is desirable but severely limited by the thermodynamically favorable oxygen reduction reaction. Herein, a photonicswitching unit 1,2-Bis(5'-formyl-2'-methylthien-3'-yl)cyclopentene (DAE) is integrated into a cobalt porphyrin-based covalent organic framework for highly efficient CO 2 electrocatalysis under aerobic environment. The DAE moiety in the material can reversibly modulate the O 2 activation capacity and electronic conductivity by the framework ring-closing/opening reactions under UV/Vis irradiation. The DAE-based covalent organic framework with ring-closing type shows a high CO Faradaic efficiency of 90.5% with CO partial current density of -20.1 mA cm -2 at -1.0 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode by co-feeding CO 2 and 5% O 2 . This work presents an oxygen passivation strategy to realize efficient CO 2 electroreduction performance by co-feeding of CO 2 and O 2 , which would inspire to design electrocatalysts for the practical CO 2 source such as flue gas from power plants or air.