Beyond the Business Plan • 2025

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6, 2002–2013 • 2016

AbstractFor the development of long lasting portable microbial fuel cells (MFCs) new strategies are necessary to overcome critical issues such as hydraulic pump system and the biochemical substrate retrieval overtime to sustain bacteria metabolism. The present work proposes the use of a synthetic solid anolyte (SSA), constituted by agar, carbonaceous and nitrogen sources dissolved into diluted seawater. Results of a month-test showed the potential of the new SSA-MFC as a long lasting low energy consuming system.

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National Energy • 2019

Background: Microbial electricity production has received considerable attention from researchers due to its environmental friendliness and low price. The increase in the number of intracellular electrons in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) helps to improve the MFC performance. Results: In this study, we accumulated excess electrons intracellularly by knocking out the gene related to intracellu- lar electron consumption in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the elevated intracellular electron pool positively influ- enced the performances of MFCs in terms of electricity production, while helping to increase ethanol production and achieve ethanol and electricity co-production, which in turn improved the utilization of substrates. The final knockout strain reached a maximum ethanol yield of 7.71 g/L and a maximum power density of 240 mW/m2 in the MFC, which was 12 times higher than that of the control bacteria, with a 17.3% increase in energy utilization. Conclusions: The knockdown of intracellular electron-consuming genes reported here allowed the accumulation of excess electrons in cells, and the elevated intracellular electron pool positively influenced the electrical produc- tion performance of the MFC. Furthermore, by knocking out the intracellular metabolic pathway, the yield of ethanol could be increased, and co-production of ethanol and electricity could be achieved. Thus, the MFC improved the utilization of the substrate.

[object Object], [object Object], [object Object] et al.

Frontiers in Microbiology • 2019

techniques Ramasamy, R. P., Gadhamshetty, V., Nadeau, L. J., and Johnson, G. R. (2009). for the study and development of microbial fuel cells: an electrochemical Impedance spectroscopy as a tool for non-intrusive detection of extracellular mediators perspective. Chem. Inform 40, 1926–1939. doi: 10.1002/chin.200945273 in microbial fuel cells. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 104, 882–89

[object Object], [object Object], [object Object] et al.

Ecosystem Science • 2011

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are devices that exploit microorganisms as biocatalysts to recover energy from organic matter in the form of electricity. One of the goals of MFC research is to develop the technology for cost-effective wastewater treatment. However, before practical MFC applications are implemented it is important to gain fundamental knowledge about long-term system performance, reproducibility, and the formation and maintenance of functionally-stable microbial communities. Here we report findings from a MFC operated for over 300 days using only primary clarifier effluent collected from a municipal wastewater treatment plant as the microbial resource and substrate. The system was operated in a repeat-batch mode, where the reactor solution was replaced once every two weeks with new primary effluent that consisted of different microbial and chemical compositions with every batch exchange. The turbidity of the primary clarifier effluent solution notably decreased, and 97% of biological oxygen demand (BOD) was removed after an 8-13 day residence time for each batch cycle. On average, the limiting current density was 1000 mA/m(2), the maximum power density was 13 mW/m(2), and coulombic efficiency was 25%. Interestingly, the electrochemical performance and BOD removal rates were very reproducible throughout MFC operation regardless of the sample variability associated with each wastewater exchange. While MFC performance was very reproducible, the phylogenetic analyses of anode-associated electricity-generating biofilms showed that the microbial populations temporally fluctuated and maintained a high biodiversity throughout the year-long experiment. These results suggest that MFC communities are both self-selecting and self-optimizing, thereby able to develop and maintain functional stability regardless of fluctuations in carbon source(s) and regular introduction of microbial competitors. These results contribute significantly toward the practical application of MFC systems for long-term wastewater treatment as well as demonstrating MFC technology as a useful device to enrich for functionally stable microbial populations.

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Science • 2019

The electrode is a key component in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) that needs significant improvement for practical implementation. Accurate and reproducible analytical methods are substantial for the effective development of electrode technology. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) is an essential analytical method for evaluating electrode performance. In this study, inoculated carbon brush (IB), abiotic brush (AB), Pt wire (PtW), stainless steel wire (SSW), and mesh (SSM) were tested to find the most suitable counter electrode under different medium conditions. The coefficient of variation (Cv) of maximum current (Imax) was the most decisive indicator of the reproducibility test. This study shows that (i) the electrode used in operation is an appropriate counter electrode in an acetate-added condition, (ii) the anode LSV test should avoid the use of Pt wire as counter electrodes, and (iii) PtW is an appropriate counter electrode in cathode LSV in all conditions.

• 2010

A method for assessing the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is the polarisation sweep where different external resistances are applied at set intervals (sample rates). The resulting power curves often exhibit an overshoot where both power and current decrease concomitantly. To investigate these phenomena, small-scale (1 mL volume) MFCs operated in continuous flow were subjected to polarisation sweeps under various conditions. At shorter sample rates the overshoot was more exaggerated and power generation was overestimated; sampling at 30 s produced 23% higher maximum power than at 3 min. MFCs with an immature anodic biofilm (5 days) exhibited a double overshoot effect, which disappeared after a sufficient adjustment period (5 weeks). Mature MFCs were subject to overshoot when the anode was fed weak (1mM acetate) feedstock with low conductivity (<100 μS) but not when fed with a higher concentration (20 mM acetate) feedstock with high conductivity (>1500 μS). MFCs developed in a pH neutral environment produced overshoot after the anode had been exposed to acidic (pH 3) conditions for 24 h. In contrast, changes to the cathode both in terms of pH and varying catholyte conductivity, although affecting power output did not result in overshoot, suggesting that this is an anodic phenomenon.

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of Environmental Science and Engineering Technology, 2021, 9, 27-36 27 • 2019

In this study, four double-chambered Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) operated by primary effluent wastewater mixed with anaerobic sludge as substrate, was designed, built, and optimized for better higher energy production and subsequently better removal of organic matter. Optimized MFCs operating parameters as a function of energy produced include electrode material type, electrode size, salt bridge diameter, type of salt solution that used in salt bridge, and concentration of the salt solution used in the salt bridge. Three duplicates-MFCs for each parameter value were used. Output open-circuit voltage (OCV) was measured for each MFC one time daily and for one week for each tested operating parameter. Data obtained showed that (i) MFCs with copper electrodes produce output voltage significantly higher than MFCs with carbon brushes electrodes which, in turn, achieved output voltage significantly higher than both that achieved by MFCs with zinc electrodes and MFCs with manufactured carbon electrodes, (ii) MFCs with 10 mm salt bridge shown significantly higher output voltage than MFCs with both 16 and 24 mm salt bridges, (iii) KCl salt bridge in MFCs is significantly more efficient than NaCl salt bridges, and (iv) MFCs with 1M KCl salt bridges can produce output voltage significantly higher than that produced by MFCs with 3M KCl salt bridges.

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of Power Sources. 2006, 162:1409-1415. • 2018

Low electricity output of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) has continued to limit their large-scale applications, as bioenergy sources. Thus effects of surface area of anode (0.005 to 0.015 m2), surface area of cathode (0.005 to 0.015 m2) and volume of substrate in anode chamber (750 to 1500 ml), on MFCs voltage output, were optimized. Replicated Box Behnken Design (Minitab) gave 30 runs. After 25 days operation, average voltage generated by MFCs ranged from 7.76±0.28 mV to 34.32±3.2 mV, across 10 kΩ. Response Optimizer (Minitab) indicated 0.011 m2 as optimal surface area of anode, 0.015 m2 for cathode and 1500 mL for volume of substrate in anode chamber, with estimated maximum voltage of 4

[object Object], [object Object], [object Object] et al.

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering • 2010

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can ‘treat’ wastewater but individually are thermodynamically restricted. Scale-up might, therefore, require a plurality of units operating in a stack which could introduce losses simply through fluidic connections. Experiments were performed on two hydraulically joined MFCs (20 cm apart) where feedstock flowed first through the upstream unit (MFCup) and into the downstream unit (MFCdown) to explore the interactive effect of electrical load connection, influent make-up and flow-rate on electrical outputs. This set-up was also used to investigate how calculating total internal resistance based on a dynamic open circuit voltage (OCV) might differ from using the starting OCV. When fed a highly conductive feedstock (4,800 µS) MFCdown dropped approximately 180 mV as progressively heavier loads were applied to MFCup (independent of flow-rate) due to electron leakages through the medium. The conductivities of plain acetate solutions (5 and 20 mM) were insufficient to induce losses in MFCdown even when MFCup was operating at high current densities. However, at the highest flow-rate (240 mL/h) MFCdown dropped by approximately 100 mV when using 5 and 220 mV using 20 mM acetate. When the distance between MFCs was reduced by 5 cm, voltage drops were apparent even at lower flow-rates, (30 mL/h decreased the voltage by 115 mV when using 20 mM acetate). Shear flow-rates can introduce dissolved oxygen and turbulence all capable of affecting the anodic biofilm and redox conditions. Calculating total internal resistance using a dynamic OCV produced a more stable curve over time compared to that based on the starting constant OCV.

[object Object], [object Object], [object Object] et al.

MPP Maximum Power Point MPPT Maximum Power • 1998

Wastewater treatment is an energy intensive process and sustainable processes/technologies for the treatment of wastewaters need to be considered. One such contender might be the microbial fuel cell (MFC), a subset of bioelectrochemical system (BES) which generates electricity in the process of electrogenic (generating electrons) degradation of soluble organic contaminants present in the water (or wastewater) by electrogens (electron producing bacteria) at the anode in absence of oxygen. Several issues related to the power performance (also somewhat linked to the cost) of MFCs exist causing barriers in the deployment of up-scaled MFC system and the continual research from a multitude of discipline is focusing on overcoming these issues.

articles, theses, and engineering reports. • 2018

Objectives. The overarching goal of our study is to develop a novel energy-neutral wastewater treatment technology that could aid in water reuse within a forward operation base, reducing water transport. To achieve this, we developed a microbial fuel cell capable of generating hydrogen peroxide as primary product. This technology takes advantage of the high-energy content of blackwater; the microbial fuel cell consumes and converts it into an electrical current that is used to generate significant amounts of hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide can have several uses: (1) direct treatment of graywater towards reuse, (2) tertiary treatment of graywater and/or blackwater, (3) odor control for blackwater, and (4) treatment of blackwater itself for better effluent quality and solids destruction.

of Genetic Engineering • 2021

Background: Although microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a promising technology for capturing renewable energy from wastewater, their scaling-up is significantly limited by a slow-rate cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the development of a resilient anodic microbial community. In this study, mixed transition metal oxides of nickel and copper (Ni and Cu), supported on a graphene (G) (NiO–CuO/G) electrocatalyst, were synthesized and tested as a cost- effective cathode for ORR in MFCs. Electrochemical measurements of electrocatalyst were conducted using a rotating disk electrode (RDE) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) in a neutral electrolyte, and compared with a benchmark Pt/C catalyst. Furthermore, the long-term performance of the as-synthesized electrocatalyst was evaluated in a single- chamber MFC by measuring organic matter removal and polarization behavior. The successful enrichment of electro‑ active biofilm was also monitored using transmission electron microscopy and the Vitek2 compact system technique. Results: When compared with the benchmark platinum cathode, the NiO–CuO/G electrocatalyst exhibited high selectivity toward ORR. The rotating disk electrode (RDE) experiments reveal that ORR proceeds via a 4-electron ORR mechanism. Furthermore, the NiO–CuO/G electrocatalyst also exhibited a high power density of 2

Ridvan Umaz

Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi • 2025

This paper presents an energy harvesting architecture that accommodates two microbial energy sources and delivers power supply synchronously to two loads. The proposed architecture enables the maximum power extraction from the first energy source, whereas the second source is disabled. However, once the first energy source is impaired (i.e., not working), the second energy source becomes the primary energy source in the architecture, and the first energy source is decoupled from the system. The measurement result of the proposed architecture, implemented with the off-the-shelf components and tested with two emulated MFCs, demonstrates a peak efficiency of 56.51%, which is the highest end-to-end efficiency among prior work. The proposed architecture can operate from a minimum input voltage of 0.3 V and simultaneously regulate two outputs to constant voltages of nearly 3.7 V and 5 V.

Changsomba Chang, Pratima Gupta

Fuel Cells • 2022

Abstract To boost growth and global competitiveness, a growing number of industries and sewage treatment plants are making “sustainability” and “cost‐effectiveness” key goals in their strategy and vision. This movement is also spreading far beyond the small group of people who recognize as “green”. This is the first study to demonstrate that domestic sewage water can be utilized as anodic feed for the electrochemical production of H 2 O 2 in the catholyte with simultaneous wastewater treatment in a microbial peroxide‐producing cell (MPPC) designed cost‐effectively utilizing a variety of catholyte and few electrode materials. The electrochemical output utilizing domestic wastewater resulted in maximum production of 62 mM H 2 O 2 in a 37‐day batch in the MPPC with 50 mM H 2 SO 4 catholyte having a bare activated charcoal electrode. The constantly rising H 2 O 2 production during the 37‐day hydraulic retention time demonstrated the system's sustainability and efficiency in contrast to other reported studies. Cyclic voltammetry analysis of the catholyte with the Fenton process showed excellent redox peaks, indicating its applicability for in‐situ pollutant degradation. The MPPCs had an overall 40%–60% and 65%–85% removal efficiency of biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand. This study shows that a simple MPPC design with no extensive modifications can be efficient at producing H 2 O 2 and simultaneously treating wastewater.

Violeta Martínez, Francisco Rosales, Karen Amaya et al.

Afinidad. Journal of Chemical Engineering Theoretical and Applied Chemistry • 2024

Despite the extensive literature on the effects of implementing aeration in the electrocoagulation (EC) treatment of industrial wastewater, few studies evaluate the performance of this technique at high aeration rates. In this work, we present the outcomes derived from EC treatment of pharmaceutical and synthetic textile wastewater effluents in two lab-scale reactors with and without aeration, each equipped with different electrode combinations of aluminium and iron (Al/Al, Al/Fe, and Fe/Fe). In the non-aerated EC reactor, maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) reductions of 56% and 80% were achieved for the pharmaceutical and textile effluents, respectively, with up to 100% removal of turbidity and colour with the Al/Al combination. The installation of high-rate aeration to prevent sludge accumulation on the electrode surface markedly reduced residence times and enhanced the COD removal in the pharmaceutical effluent. However, this implementation potentially reduced the process efficiency for thesynthetic textile effluent as prolonged operation led to flocculation breakdown and subsequent re-dissolution of the contaminants in the water.

Marc Viñas, Maite Martínez-Eixarch, Abraham Esteve-Núñez et al.

• 2024

The decomposition of buried straw in rice fields during post-harvest generates volatile fatty acids (VFA), thus activating methanogenesis (1). In this study, bioelectrochemical biosensors were used to measure the in-situ electrical current produced by electroactive microorganisms, related to the biodegradation of buired straw,&amp;#160; in outdoor mesocosms containing rice paddy soil from the Ebro Delta (Spain) .Three&amp;#160; biosensors (BS1-BS3), based on bioelectrochemical cells buried in the water saturated soil (at a -10 cm), were used in 3 rice paddy soil mesocosms, with a poised working electrode (graphite) potential at +0.2V vs Ag/AgCl, by using a potentiostat. During 5 months (November 2022-March 2023), the production of electrical current (I) in the soil mesocosms was monitored using chronoamperometry. The presence of electroactive microbial biofilms on the electrodes was assessed by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Simultaneously, soil chemical parameters were monitored (total and soluble COD, VFA and CH4 emission), and microbial diversity (bacteria and archaea) in&amp;#160; the soil and the electrodes biofilms was assessed by 16S rRNA-metabarcoding.Chronoamperometry data in BS1-BS3 showed a marked current production curve from the day 3 to 5 after straw addition, with an I max of 110-180&amp;#181;A (4.26-6.91 &amp;#181;A cm-2) at day 10, remaining higher than the baseline for 30-45 days, and concomitant with VFA accumulation&amp;#160; (69-28 mg-eq Acetic kg-1 soil , 7-40 days) and a high emission rate of CH4 (198.1&amp;#177;101.0 mg C-CH4&amp;#183; m-2 soil &amp;#183; h-1 7 days after straw addition.&amp;#160;The CV revealed electroactive profiles in the 3 biosensors, similar in BS1-BS2 (oxidation peak -0.16/-0.22 V vs Ag/AgCl, similar to Geobacter), and different in BS3 (oxidation peak +0.26 V vs Ag/AgCl), revealing different electroactive microbial communities. 16S-based metataxonomy revealed an enrichment of well known electroactive bacteria on the three anode biofilm but with different relative predominances, encompassing mainly Desulfobulbus in BS1-BS3, &amp;#160;Geobacter mainly in BS1, but in less predominance in BS2 and BS3, Proteiniclasticum solely in BS3, and Clostridium in BS2 and BS3. &amp;#160;Methanogenic archaea such as Methanosarcina and Methanobacterium were also depicted on the anode, but at lower relative abundance than observed in the soil, where ammonium oxidizing archaea (Nitrososphaera and candidatus Nitrosocaldus) were also predominant.The results showed the capacity of the bioelectrochemical-based biosensors for real time detection of microbial in-situ degradation processes of buried edible organic carbon (straw) in the soil of rice &amp;#160;paddy fields, also linked to methane emissions.AknowledgementsThis research was funded by Agencia Estatal de Investigaci&amp;#243;n (PID2019-111572RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 ) from Spain. References1. Mart&amp;#237;nez-Eixarch, M., Alcaraz, C., Vi&amp;#241;as, M., Noguerol, J., Aranda, X., Prenafeta-Bold&amp;#250;, F. X., Salda&amp;#241;a-De la Vega, J.A., Catal&amp;#224;, M.M. &amp;amp; Ib&amp;#225;&amp;#241;ez, C. (2018). Neglecting the fallow season can significantly underestimate annual methane emissions in Mediterranean rice fields. PLoS One, 13(5), e0198081. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202159

Manon Coone, Isabel Vanoverberghe, Shira Houwenhuyse et al.

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) • 2023

Abstract The depletion of oxygen as a result of increased stratification and decreased oxygen solubility is one of the most significant chemical changes occurring in aquatic ecosystems as a result of global environmental change. Hence, more aquatic organisms will be exposed to hypoxic conditions over time. Deciphering the effects of hypoxia on strong ecological interactors in this ecosystem’s food web is critical for predicting how aquatic communities can respond to such an environmental disturbance. Here, (sub-)lethal effects of hypoxia and whether these are genotype specific in Daphnia , a keystone species of freshwater ecosystems, are studied. This is especially relevant upon studying genetic responses with respect to phenotypic switches (G x E interactions) upon environmental stress. Further, we investigated the effect of hypoxia on the Daphnia microbial community to test if the microbiome plays a role in the phenotypic switch and tolerance to hypoxia. For this, two Daphnia genotypes were exposed for two weeks to either hypoxia or normoxia and host performance was monitored together with changes in the host associated and free-living microbial community after this period. We found G x E interactions for some of the tested Daphnia performance traits. The microbial community responded to hypoxia stress with responses in the bacterioplankton and in the Daphnia associated microbial community with respect to species richness and community composition and structure. The latter response was different for the two genotypes suggesting that the microbiome plays an important role in G x E interactions with respect to hypoxia tolerance in Daphnia , but further testing (e.g. through microbiome transplants) is needed to confirm this.

Johannes Rousk, Lettice Hicks

• 2020

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Understanding the role of ecological communities in maintaining multiple ecosystem processes is a central challenge in ecology. Soil microbial communities perform vital ecosystem functions, such as the decomposition of organic matter to provide plant nutrition. However, despite the functional importance of soil microorganisms, attribution of ecosystem function to particular constituents of the microbial community has been impeded by a lack of information linking microbial processes to community structure.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Here, we propose a new conceptual framework to determine how microbial communities influence ecosystem processes, by applying a &amp;amp;#8220;top-down&amp;amp;#8221; approach. Looking from the &amp;amp;#8220;top&amp;amp;#8221;, we first view the microbial community associated with a specific function as a whole, and describe the dependence of microbial community processes on environmental factors (e.g. the intrinsic temperature dependence of bacterial growth rates), allowing us to define the aggregate functional response curve of the community. We then demonstrate that the whole community contribution to ecosystem function can be predicted, by parameterising the functional response curve with current environmental conditions. In a final step, we show how this functional information can be linked to the taxonomic community composition (amplicon assessments of microbial community composition) in order to identify &amp;amp;#8220;biomarker&amp;amp;#8221; taxa that capture microbial communities&amp;amp;#8217; regulation of ecosystem processes and the susceptibility of microbial community structure and function to environmental change. Ultimately, these biomarkers may be used as a diagnostic tool, enabling predictions of ecosystem function from community composition information combined with environmental metadata.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Johannes Rousk, Lettice Hicks

• 2021

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Soil microbial communities perform vital ecosystem functions, such as the decomposition of organic matter to provide plant nutrition. However, despite the functional importance of soil microorganisms, attribution of ecosystem function to particular constituents of the microbial community has been impeded by a lack of information linking microbial function to community composition and structure. Here, we propose a function-first framework to predict how microbial communities influence ecosystem functions.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;We first view the microbial community associated with a specific function as a whole, and describe the dependence of microbial functions on environmental factors (e.g. the intrinsic temperature dependence of bacterial growth rates). This step defines the aggregate functional response curve of the community. Second, the contribution of the whole community to ecosystem function can be predicted, by combining the functional response curve with current environmental conditions. Functional response curves can then be linked with taxonomic data in order to identify sets of &amp;amp;#8220;biomarker&amp;amp;#8221; taxa that signal how microbial communities regulate ecosystem functions. Ultimately, such indicator taxa may be used as a diagnostic tool, enabling predictions of ecosystem function from community composition.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In this presentation, we provide three examples to illustrate the proposed framework, whereby the dependence of bacterial growth on environmental factors, including temperature, pH and salinity, is defined as the functional response curve used to interlink soil bacterial community structure and function. Applying this framework will make it possible to predict ecosystem functions directly from microbial community composition.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Nanostructured Carbon Materials for Catalysis • 2015

In this chapter we review the most relevant applications of nanocarbons as support for photocatalysis. Particular attention is given to comparison with conventional supports for environmental applications. The combination of nanocarbons with metal oxides, and particularly with TiO2, constitutes an important part of this chapter. Different reaction mechanisms are highlighted considering the specific properties that each nanocarbon material takes to the composite material.

Swapnil R. Bankar

Current Organocatalysis • 2019

&lt;P&gt;Background: In recent years, green organic transformation has become a challenge for a chemist in areas like social sector, health, and environment. Literature survey revealed that a nano magnetite supported heterogeneous catalysis is an emergent field with huge application in chemical synthesis. &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt; Objective: In the present article, the aim was to develop a simple and facile method to carry organic reaction under benign media. So, the focus was on the synthesis of nano-magnetite supported molybdenum catalyst and its application in β-enaminones synthesis. &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt; Methods: Magnetically recyclable heterogeneous ferrite-molybdenum catalyst was prepared by simple impregnation method. The synthesized nanocatalyst Fe-Mo was well analysed by spectroscopic techniques like X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, field-emission gun scanning electron microscopy and vibrating-sample magnetometry. The functionalized nanocatalyst Fe-Mo was employed in the synthesis of β-enaminones under solvent free condition. &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt; Results: The competency of synthesized nanocatalyst-Fe-Mo was observed to be good for the synthesis of β-enaminones derivatives under microwave irradiation and gave excellent yield (86-96%) of the product. The catalyst was recycled for more than five consecutive runs without significant loss in its activity. &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt; Conclusion: In the present research article, synthesis of highly active, magnetically recyclable Fe- Mo nanocatalyst was obtained from easily available precursor. The MNP was stable under investigated conditions and effective in β-enaminones synthesis. The simple eco-friendly method, low catalyst loading, short transformation time, and reusability of the catalyst thoroughly follow the sustainable protocol.&lt;/P&gt;

Vivek Srivastava

Letters in Organic Chemistry • 2024

Abstract: The preparation and characterization of SBA-15 supported Ni catalysts with varying metal loading (1, 2, and 3% by weight) was carried out using the impregnation technique, followed by a rigorous characterization using advanced analytical techniques. The catalytic performance of the synthesized catalysts was evaluated for the Wittig-type olefination reaction, and it was found that the SBA- 15-3Ni catalyst exhibited superior activity for this reaction under mild reaction conditions (70°C and 1 hour). The corresponding stilbenes were obtained in good yield, although with low to average diastereoselectivity. An important feature of this protocol is that the proposed methodology is especially efficient for the synthesis of stilbenes since no additives are required to serve as a hydrogen acceptor. Moreover, the new catalytic system was successfully employed for the synthesis of polymethoxylated and polyhydroxylated stilbenes, including resveratrol and DMU-212, with high yield and easy product isolation. A key advantage of this protocol is that the catalysts can be reused for up to 5 runs without significant loss in catalytic activity, which makes this approach highly sustainable and cost-effective. Additionally, the ligand-free approach proposed in this study is an added advantage, which makes it more attractive for large-scale synthesis of biologically active compounds.

SAKTHI SARAVANAN, Periyasamy Sivanandi

Research Square • 2022

Abstract The exhaustion of natural resources has occasioned the profit margin of oil products to increase dramatically, prompting the use of sustainable fuels like as biofuel. In the proposed investigation, biofuel was developed from castor oil utilizing Fe 3 O 4 @MnO 2 NCs as a heterogeneous catalyst for the transesterification process. X-Ray Diffraction evaluation acknowledged the nanocatalyst's single phase. Scanning Electron Microscopy revealed the spherical morphology of the consolidated nanocatalyst. The magnetic characteristics were examined using a vibrating sample magnetometer. Atomic Force Microscopy demonstrated that the catalyst exhibited has a greater surface area and unevenness. The yield was achieved was 95 percent (w/w) in 50 minutes at 60 0 C with 15 wt percent catalyst loading and a 12:1 methanol/oil ratio, as acknowledged by a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometer. The findings indicate that Fe 3 O 4 @MnO 2 NCs are an encouraging catalyst for bio-fuels production via heterogeneous catalyzed transesterification under relatively mild response circumstances.

Andreas Gubner

Innovations in Fuel Cell Technologies • 2010

A one dimensional (1D) model for simulating Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) isothermal performance with humidified hydrogen and air is introduced. It is based on a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) describing the local current density as a function of the flow path for parallel flow SOFCs. Isothermal operation is a reasonable idealisation for laboratory cells placed in comparatively large furnaces, especially when operated at low fuel utilization. Such small scale SOFCs are often used to characterize the electrochemical cell performance. The electrochemical behaviour is modeled by a single constant Area Specific Resistance (ASR) by taking the slope of an experimentally recorded I-V curve. It will be discussed that suitable operating conditions are found at a steam content (fuel humidity) of approx. 50 Vol-% and low fuel utilizations of less than 10 %. Alternatively, the 1D model can be used to calculate the ASR from I-V data directly which is less strict on operating condition requirements. Using the 1D model also allows to convert endurance test data, usually delivering a Vcell(t) data set, at constant electric current into a corresponding ASR(t) data set. The ODE set is solved numerically. Based on this model, a further step is taken by introducing a simple model for describing SOFC degradation during stationary operation. The simple degradation model can be useful as a first approach to more sophisticated life time prediction models and for deriving accelerated life time tests.

Wei Wei, Haoyang Gong, Lin Sheng et al.

Research Square • 2021

Abstract Although humic acid (HA) is a complex natural organic matter, it can potentially harm the environment and human health. In this study, aluminum–air fuel cell electrocoagulation (AAFCEC) was used to remove HAs from water while generating electricity. This device can generate electricity from the anodic oxidation of aluminum without an external power source as well produce an aluminum coagulant. Operating parameters, namely initial pH, electrolyte concentration, and HA concentration, were analyzed to determine the optimal power generation and removal efficiency. Al–Ferron complexation timed spectrophotometry was used to determine the Al speciation distribution in the solution. The power density of the cell reached 313.47 mW/cm 2 for the following conditions: 1 g/L NaCl concentration, 3 cm electrode distance, 20 Ω external resistor, and pH 9. And after about an hour electrolysis, the optimum removal rate of HA was above 99%. The results demonstrate that the AAFCEC is an efficient and eco-friendly water treatment process, and it could be further developed and disseminated in the rural areas and households.

Manuel Razo-Mejia, Sarah Marzen, Griffin Chure et al.

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) • 2019

Abstract Given the stochastic nature of gene expression, genetically identical cells exposed to the same environmental inputs will produce different outputs. This heterogeneity has been hypothesized to have consequences for how cells are able to survive in changing environments. Recent work has explored the use of information theory as a framework to understand the accuracy with which cells can ascertain the state of their surroundings. Yet the predictive power of these approaches is limited and has not been rigorously tested using precision measurements. To that end, we generate a minimal model for a simple genetic circuit in which all parameter values for the model come from independently published data sets. We then predict the information processing capacity of the genetic circuit for a suite of biophysical parameters such as protein copy number and protein-DNA affinity. We compare these parameter-free predictions with an experimental determination of protein expression distributions and the resulting information processing capacity of E. coli cells. We find that our minimal model captures the scaling of the cell-to-cell variability in the data and the inferred information processing capacity of our simple genetic circuit up to a systematic deviation.

Ouendi Fatima, Rachid Zentar, Hongwei Wang

Research Square • 2021

Abstract The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.

Anthony J. Abel, Douglas S. Clark

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) • 2020

Abstract Mediated microbial electrosynthesis (MES) represents a promising strategy for the capture and conversion of CO 2 into carbon-based products. We describe the development and application of a comprehensive multiphysics model to analyze a formate-mediated MES reactor. The model shows that this system can achieve a biomass productivity of ∼1.7 g L -1 hr -1 but is limited by a competitive trade-off between O 2 gas/liquid mass transfer and CO 2 transport to the cathode. Synthetic metabolic strategies are evaluated for formatotrophic growth, which can enable an energy efficiency of ∼21%, a 30% improvement over the Calvin cycle. However, carbon utilization efficiency is only ∼10% in the best cases due to a futile CO 2 cycle, so gas recycle will be necessary for greater efficiency. Finally, separating electrochemical and microbial processes into separate reactors enables a higher biomass productivity of ∼2.4 g L -1 hr -1 . The mediated MES model and analysis presented here can guide process design for conversion of CO 2 into renewable chemical feedstocks.

Ramona Crainic, Radu Fechete

Preprints.org • 2024

Advanced 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry and diffusometry methods and VIS-nearIR spectroscopy combined with pH, electric conductivity (EC) and totally dissolved solids (TDS) measurements were used to assess the properties of wastewater collected from a chicken slaughterhouse in each step of the treatment process (wastewater before treatment, biologically treated wastewater, chemically treated wastewater and discharged wastewater) and from sludge. The 1H NMR Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) and Pulsed-Gradient-Stimulated-Echo (PGSE) decay curves recorded for all samples of wastewater were analyzed by inverse Laplace transform (ILT) to obtain the distributions of transverse relaxation times T2 and diffusion coefficient D. The VIS-nearIR total absorbance, T2-values, D-values, pH, EC and TDS parameters were used for statistical analysis in principal component analysis (PCA). The 1H T2-distributions measured for the slaughterhouse wastewater lie in two main regions reflecting the amount of dissolved solids or the distribution of undissolved solids mobility. The PCA analysis successfully differentiates between polluted and less polluted types of wastewater and sludge. The wastewater treatment applied by the slaughterhouse is efficient. The recommended methods for wastewater monitoring are the NMR T2- and D-distributions and EC, TDS and NMR-D diffusion coefficient. Finally, Machine Learning AI-algorithms are used to provide prediction maps of wastewater treatment stage.

Kambiz Vaezzadeh Naderi

• 2021

In this study, a three-factor, three-level Box-Behnken design with response surface methodology and quadratic programming were used to maximize the total organic carbon (TOC) removal and minimize the H2O2 residual in the effluent of the combined UV-C/H2O2/VUV system for the treatment of actual slaughterhouse wastewater. The initial TOC concentration (TOCo), the initial concentration of H2O2, and the irradiation time were the three independent variables studied in the design of experiments. The multiple response approach was used to obtain desirability response surfaces at the optimum factor settings. Thus, the optimum conditions to achieve a maximum TOC removal of 46.19% and a minimum H2O2 residual of 1.05% were TOCo of 213 mg/L, H2O2,o of 450 mg/L, and irradiation time of 9 min. The obtained optimal operating conditions were validated with an additional test. Consequently, maximum TOC removal of 45.68% and minimum H2O2 residual of 1.03% were obtained experimentally, confirming the reliability of the statistical model. Keywords: Slaughterhouse Wastewater; Wastewater Treatment; UV-C/H2O2/VUV, Combined Processes; Design of Experiments; Optimization.

Rajesh Sani

• 2020

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Biofilm Engineering Approaches for Improving the Performance of Bioelectrochemical Systems&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;#160;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;ABSTRACT: &amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Bio-electrochemical devices are realized as promising technologies for a wide range of applications such bioenergy, and in biocommodity engineering.&amp;amp;#160; Bioelectrochemical systems make use of electroactive biofilms as electrocatalysts for converting chemical energy to electrical energy and vice versa. In this presentation, surface engineering of electrodes (using biopolymers such as chitosan/alginate, nanomaterials such as reduced graphene oxide), extremophilic bioprocessing, and biofilm engineering strategies for enhancing the biofilm formation and performance of bio-electrochemical systems will be discussed. This talk will also cover the applications of biofilm for energy and environment.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;#160;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Keywords:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; Electrochemical devices, Electrode materials, Bioelectricity, Biofilm Engineering, Biopolymers&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Dayakar Thatikayala, Deepak Pant, Booki Min

Reaction Chemistry &amp; Engineering • 2021

Single chamber MES reactor – microbial reduction synthesis of CO 2 to VFA.

Huanhuan Zhao, Chui-Hua Kong

Chemical Engineering Journal • 2018

Amit Jain

European Chemical Bulletin • 2022

Innocent Tayari Mwizerwa, Yu Wang, Xiaoguang Chen

Journal of Environmental Accounting and Management • 2020

Malathi H, Pooja Sharma

Novel Research in Microbiology Journal • 2023

Hana Barak, Asher Brenner, Alex Sivan et al.

Chemosphere • 2020

Water and soil contamination by industrial wastes is a global concern. Biological treatment of industrial wastewater using bioreactors allows the removal of organic matter and nutrients and enables either reuse or safe discharge. Wastewater bioremediation depends in part on the microbial communities present in the bioreactor. To ascertain which communities may play a role in the remediation process, the present study investigates the microbial community structure and diversity of microorganisms found in a full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) for industrial wastewater treatment. The study was carried out using high-throughput data observations following a failure (crash) of the MBR and during the extended recovery of the process. Results revealed a positive correlation between the MBR's ability to remove organic matter and its microbial community richness. The significant changes in relative microbial abundance between crash and recovery periods of the MBR revealed the important role of specific bacterial genera in wastewater treatment processes. A whole-genome metagenomics based comparison showed a clear difference in microbial makeup between two functional periods of MBR activity. The crash period was characterized by abundance in bacteria belonging to Achromobacter, Acinetobacter, Halomonas, Pseudomonas and an uncultured MBAE14. The recovery period on the other hand was characterized by Aquamicrobium and by Wenzhouxiangella marina. Our study also revealed some interesting functional pathways characterizing the microbial communities from the two periods of bioreactor function, such as Nitrate and Sulfate reduction pathways. These differences indicate the connection between the bacterial diversity of the MBR and its efficiency to remove TOC.

Journal of Scientific &amp; Industrial Research • 2020

Omprakash Sahu

Results in Engineering • 2019