Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Di Jiang, Hai-Bo Chen, Xiao-Li Zhou, Xian-Wei Liu
Summary: Studying the dissolution process of nanoparticles is crucial to predict their fate in aquatic environments. In this study, the dissolution process of Ag nanoparticles was probed at the single-particle level using surface plasmon resonance microscopy. The dual effect of natural organic matter on the dissolution of Ag nanoparticles was also investigated.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Mining & Mineral Processing
Shaojun Bai, Jie Li, Yunxiao Bi, Jiaqiao Yuan, Shuming Wen, Zhan Ding
Summary: This study investigates the adsorption of sodium oleate (NaOL) at the microfine hematite/aqueous solution interface. The results show that the negative effects caused by microfine hematite dissolution can be effectively eliminated by NaOL at alkali pH conditions. The adsorption of RCOO- and (RCOO)22- ions is responsible for microfine hematite flotation at pH 8.2. Zeta potential and FTIR measurements confirm the co-adsorption of molecular and ionic oleate species at pH 8.2.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MINING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ji Ma, Yunliang Xu, Jinxu Liang, Mingxu Zhang, Ziteng Cao, Haotian Wang, Chunting Liu
Summary: In this study, it was found that the negative fading phenomenon induced by hematite nanoparticles could significantly enhance potassium storage capacity. The size of the hematite particles played a crucial role in this capacity rise, with the 5 nm-sized particles showing the best retention performance even after 600 cycles.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Aude Roland, Benoit Delarre, Jean-Bernard Ledeuil, Nicolas Louvain, Herve Martinez, Laure Monconduit
Summary: The study examined the use of pH=1, 3, and 7 buffered solutions as solvents for preparing Si/C/CMC composite electrodes. It was found that the pH=7 buffered solution showed increased capacity retention and coulombic efficiency during 100 cycles compared to electrodes obtained in acidic conditions.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anindityo Patmonoaji, Yingxue Hu, Muhammad Nasir, Chunwei Zhang, Tetsuya Suekane
Summary: The study investigated dissolution mass transfer in porous media with different particle sizes and distributions using X-ray microcomputed tomography. It found that dissolution fingering has an effect on mass transfer coefficient, with a significant decrease observed when the porous media container diameter (Ly) is larger than the whole lambda. Validation experiments showed successful observation of dissolution fingers, with sizes comparable to theoretical predictions based on linear instability theory.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adrienne G. Donaghue, Erica R. McKenzie
Summary: The presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) can impact metal sulfide (MeS) precipitation and mobility. Thiol containing ligands like cysteine can effectively stabilize MeS nanoparticles in both single and multi-metal systems. Metal sequestration into MeS solids follows solubility products, with the behavior varying in multi-metal systems due to different NP sizes and dissolved concentrations. MeS stabilization by cysteine is influenced by the CYS:S ratio and the presence of Ca2+, impacting particle aggregation and metal dissolution.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yuxiao Wei, Isaac J. Pence, Anna Wiatrowski, Julia B. Slade, Conor L. Evans
Summary: Pharmaceutical development of solid-state formulations requires chemical imaging techniques to analyze the solid-state properties for ensuring drug efficacy and stability. Current chemical imaging techniques have high chemical and spatial resolution but lack the necessary measurement speed for pharmaceutical production and quality assurance processes. To address this issue, fast chemical imaging using stimulated Raman scattering can quantitatively analyze the degradation and distribution of drugs at a faster speed and higher resolution.
Article
Agronomy
Van T. H. Nguyen, Thorsten Kraska, Winona Winkler, Sercan Aydinlik, Brian E. Jackson, Ralf Pude
Summary: The study explores the impact of mechanical processing methods on the morphology, hydrological properties, and water holding capacity of miscanthus substrates. Different mechanical processing techniques result in various particle sizes and water holding capacities of the substrates, while nitrogen immobilization and pH buffering capacity remain largely consistent. Overall, primary mechanical modification of miscanthus offers diverse opportunities for substrate materials of different sizes with minimal changes to their physical and chemical properties.
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Gokberk Yalcin, Semiha Oztuna, Ahmet Selim Dalkilic, Somchai Wongwises
Summary: This experimental study investigated the impact of ZnO particle size on the viscosity of water-based nanofluids. Nanofluid samples with different volume concentrations and ZnO particle sizes were prepared and their viscosity was measured at various temperatures. The study found that the maximum relative viscosity was observed for 1% ZnO (50 to 150 nm) nanofluid, which was 1.35 times that of water. The stability of the samples was evaluated using Zeta potential values, and the correlation for dynamic viscosity showed a high level of accuracy.
ALEXANDRIA ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
K. Lehtipalo, L. R. Ahonen, R. Baalbaki, J. Sulo, T. Chan, T. Laurila, L. Dada, J. Duplissy, E. Miettinen, J. Vanhanen, J. Kangasluoma, M. Kulmala, T. Petaja, T. Jokinen
Summary: Numerous research groups conduct measurements of aerosol particles and clusters smaller than 3 nm in diameter using tools like the Airmodus nano-Condensation Nucleus Counter. By changing the supersaturation of the working fluid, size analysis can provide accurate data for atmospheric field measurements of sub-3 nm clusters and particles.
JOURNAL OF AEROSOL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shuaiwei Gu, Zhizhong Yang, Zhen Chen, Haiming Wang, Hanzi Liu, Wei Zhang, Changfu You
Summary: The utilization of low-grade limestone in wet flue gas desulfurization has shown promising results due to the higher dissolution rate and better desulfurization performance of finer LGL particles. Characterizations through XRD, SEM, EDS, and ICP-OES analyses revealed that smaller particles of LGL have higher desulfurization capacity and can greatly enhance gypsum crystal formation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaohong Wang, Yonglei Wang, Liping Tian, Ling Ju, Ruibao Jia, Wuchang Song, Haiyang Yu, Jingjing Li
Summary: This study investigated the equipment performance and pollution removal efficiency of a multiphase flow pump in wastewater treatment. The results showed that the multiphase flow pump had good dissolution efficiency and bubble stability, and could effectively remove pollutants from the water. Additionally, the hydrophobicity of the microbubbles made them more easily adsorb pollutants.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Junyou Zhang, Shiyuan Li, Hong Qi
Summary: This study proposes a new trivariate retrieval method based on a moderate-fluence laser-induced incandescence (LII) model. The upgraded method obtains robust estimates of particle size distribution parameters and an assembled parameter without requiring prior knowledge of thermal accommodation coefficient and aggregate structure.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Chenxi Hou, Hui He, Jinjie Sun, Bei Yang, Haofan Fang, Caishan Jiao, Mingjian He
Summary: The dissolution behavior of UO2 powder in carbonate-peroxide solution is influenced by different dissolution parameters. Increasing H2O2 concentration enhances UO2 dissolution, while increasing carbonate concentration has no significant influence. (NH4)2CO3 performs better than Na2CO3 at the same initial pH. Moreover, UO2 dissolution is significantly affected by pH value.
JOURNAL OF RADIOANALYTICAL AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Cong Wang, Daoyin Liu, Jiliang Ma, Cai Liang, Xiaoping Chen
Summary: Particle coating in fluidized beds is a widely used technique. In this study, the growth mechanisms of the coating shell on porous Al2O3 particles were investigated, including the effects of drying conditions and solution viscosities. The study revealed that the growth of the coating shell can be classified into three modes: layer growth, island growth, and irregular growth, with smaller droplet viscosity promoting layer growth.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lohit Sharma, John P. Baltrus, Srinivas Rangarajan, Jonas Baltrusaitis
Summary: Initiated by incipient wetness impregnation, dispersed tin atoms were deposited on gamma-Al2O3. Various characterization techniques were used to analyze the morphology and structure of the catalysts, revealing isolated and well-dispersed Sn oxide sites at relatively high coverages. The study suggests that active catalytic sites during propane dehydrogenation involve Al2O3 rather than bulk sulfide and Sn atoms dispersed over alumina.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Manoj Silva, John P. Baltrus, Clinton Williams, Allan Knopf, Lihua Zhang, Jonas Baltrusaitis
Summary: A facile thermal decomposition method was used to synthesize mesoporous Cu-doped MgO nanoparticles, which showed high activity as photo-Fenton-like catalysts for degrading pharmaceutical contaminants in water. The catalysts efficiently oxidized salicylic acid and converted tetracycline to other intermediates with a large portion undergoing full mineralization. Experimental results demonstrated the effects of Cu loading, overall catalyst loading, and H2O2 concentration on the conversion and rate constants of salicylic acid and tetracycline.
APPLIED CATALYSIS A-GENERAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bishenka H. Mahaulpatha, Lalinda Palliyaguru, Savidya Jayawardene, Masaru Shimomura, Jonas Baltrusaitis, Pradeep M. Jayaweera
Summary: This study synthesized CuO@Na2Ti(PO4)(2).H2O catalyst using a hydrothermal method and characterized it using various techniques. The results showed that the catalyst with 12 wt.% CuO@Na2TiP exhibited fast reduction kinetics for 4-NP.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH PART A-TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Madeline G. Jensen, Patrick T. O'Shaughnessy, Marlee Shaffer, Sooyoun Yu, Yun Young Choi, Megan Christiansen, Charles O. Stanier, Michael Hartley, Joey Huddle, Jed Johnson, Kyle Bibby, Nosang V. Myung, David M. Cwiertny
Summary: During the global spread of COVID-19, the high demand and limited availability of melt-blown filtration material led to a manufacturing backlog of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators (FFRs). An alternative filter material, consisting of electrospun polystyrene (PS) microfibers, showed favorable performance in terms of filtration efficiency and antibacterial activity, potentially making it a suitable option for use in N95 FFRs.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Monica E. McFadden, Keith P. Reber, John D. Sivey, David M. Cwiertny, Gregory H. LeFevre
Summary: Microbial biotransformation of benoxacor and dichlormid primarily occurs via cometabolism, leading to the formation of novel products including monochlorinated species, glutathione conjugates, and sulfur-containing species. Dechlorination followed by conjugation with glutathione is proposed as the main transformation pathway.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Review
Agronomy
Mariana Brondi, Mohamed Eisa, Ricardo Bortoletto-Santos, Donata Drapanauskaite, Tara Reddington, Clinton Williams, Caue Ribeiro, Jonas Baltrusaitis
Summary: Ammonium carbonates, including ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium carbonate hydrate, and ammonium carbamate, were once extensively used as fertilizer materials but gradually replaced by urea fertilizers. With the emergence of sustainable agriculture, there is a need to recover and reuse nutrients using conventional feedstocks and biogenic waste streams. Anaerobic digestion liquid presents a convenient source to produce solid fertilizers containing nitrogen and carbon. This review discusses the feedstocks, methods to concentrate and crystallize solid ammonium carbonates, technologies to stabilize them in the environment, and their agricultural efficiency as nitrogen and carbon sources.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Mohamed Ammar, Ezz Yousef, Muhammed A. A. Mahmoud, Sherif Ashraf, Jonas Baltrusaitis
Summary: Water organic pollution is a significant problem, causing water quality decline and health issues. Electrocoagulation (EC) has emerged as an efficient water treatment method with small equipment size and simple operation. This review highlights the recent developments in EC technology for wastewater treatment, emphasizing its preference for organic wastewater treatment due to easy setup and low material costs. EC effectively destabilizes and removes organic impurities through charge neutralization and coagulation, making it highly efficient for removing various pollutants, including emerging contaminants like microplastics. Overall, this review provides important knowledge on EC technology for environmental chemical researchers and engineers in the field of wastewater treatment and water purification.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Derek Simonsen, Jacob Heffelfinger, David M. Cwiertny, Hans-Joachim Lehmler
Summary: This study investigates the enantioselective metabolism of benoxacor in human subcellular fractions. The results demonstrate that microsomal cytochrome P450 enzymes, microsomal carboxylesterases, and cytosolic glutathione S-transferases metabolize benoxacor. These findings highlight the importance of considering the enantioselective metabolism of benoxacor when studying human exposures and toxicities.
EMERGING CONTAMINANTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Mindaugas Dzikaras, Dovydas Barauskas, Donatas Pelenis, Gailius Vanagas, Marius Mikolajunas, Jingming Shi, Jonas Baltrusaitis, Darius Virzonis
Summary: In this study, a gravimetric gas sensor was designed using zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) dispersed in a photoresist AZ1512HS (AZ) matrix. The sensor showed higher sensitivity towards higher hydrocarbons and a shorter response time.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Prakriti Bista, Mohamed Eisa, Dovile Ragauskaite, Sundar Sapkota, Jonas Baltrusaitis, Rajan Ghimire
Summary: Urea cocrystal materials have shown significant effects in reducing nitrogen loss and improving nitrogen use efficiency as high nitrogen fertilizers. A greenhouse study on sorghum yield, nitrogen uptake, and N2O emissions demonstrated that urea cocrystal increased crop yield and significantly reduced N2O emissions. This study suggests that urea cocrystal fertilizers can provide balanced nitrogen supply in a more environmentally friendly way and significantly improve nitrogen use efficiency in sorghum.
Article
Education & Educational Research
Ramteja Sajja, Yusuf Sermet, David Cwiertny, Ibrahim Demir
Summary: Miscommunication between instructors and students is a significant obstacle to post-secondary learning. To address this issue, an AI-augmented intelligent educational assistance framework was developed, utilizing GPT-3 to generate course-specific intelligent assistants. The virtual teaching assistant system can provide students with easy access to relevant information, improving engagement and reducing barriers to learning.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Ceramics
Mohamed Ammar, Sherif Ashraf, Jonas Baltrusaitis
Summary: Complex inorganic powders based on calcium phosphates have various practical applications, particularly in agricultural industry where the CaO-P2O5 system-based multi-component material powders and granules are used as a source of nutrients for plants. Nano fertilizers based on hydroxyapatite (HAP) have emerged as a promising strategy for nutrient delivery. The doping of micronutrients into HAP structure presents an interesting challenge, and mechanochemical synthesis has been employed as a simple and cost-effective method for producing doped HAP powders.
CERAMICS-SWITZERLAND
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Matthew Nagorzanski, Jiajie Qian, Andres Martinez, David M. Cwiertny
Summary: In this study, various electrospun nanofiber mats (ENMs) were fabricated and tested for their ability to sorb neonicotinoid insecticides. The inclusion of carbon nanotubes and cationic surfactants increased the sorption capacity, and carbonization temperature further enhanced the uptake. The optimal ENM exhibited fast uptake and comparable capacity to other carbonaceous sorbents.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
James Kacer, Ralph Altmaier, Drew Latta, Patrick T. O'Shaughnessy, David M. Cwiertny
Summary: This study compared the mass of selected metals in the PM10 size fraction of fugitive dust from roads where slag was applied to metals in fugitive dust where slag was not applied. Manganese was found to be an important metal in the PM10 fraction on slag-covered roads, but the increase was not significant. Other HAPs were also detected in both slag-covered and non-slag-covered roads.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Donata Drapanauskaite, Kristina Buneviciene, Regina Repsiene, Danute Karcauskiene, Romas Mazeika, Jonas Baltrusaitis
Summary: Extensive use of mineral fertilizers has led to soil acidity, affecting crop production and soil quality. Lime kiln dust and wood ash can be used as alternative liming materials for sustainable agriculture. This study found that pelletized lime kiln dust meets the requirements of liming materials, increasing soil pH and significantly improving crop yields.