Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Zein K. Heiba, Lutfi Arda, Nurcan Dogan, Ozgul Karatas, Mohamed Bakr Mohamed
Summary: The sol-gel technique was used to synthesize Er2-xCoxO3 mixed oxides with varying Co concentrations. Rietveld analyses showed single phase nanoparticles up to x = 0.1, with Co3O4 phase appearing for x >= 0.2. The magnetic analysis revealed super-paramagnetism as the reason for S-shaped hysteresis loops and non-zero magnetic moments, with both Mr and Ms increasing with higher Co+2 concentrations.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Fariba Jafari, Hossein Khademi, Vajihe Shahrokh, Angel Faz Cano, Jose A. Acosta, Farhad Khormali
Summary: This study investigated the effect of earthworm activities and associated microbial communities on phlogopite weathering during the production of phlogopite-enriched vermicompost with different quantities of phlogopite added. The results indicated that phlogopite was partially weathered to vermiculite and interstratified mica-vermiculite during the vermicomposting process, with a higher weathering rate in the early stages.
Article
Polymer Science
Gianpiero Gallo, Ana Mihanovic, Igor Roncevic, Robert Dinnebier, Hrvoj Vancik
Summary: The crystal and molecular structure of poly(1,4-phenyleneazine-N,N-dioxide) obtained from 1,4-dinitrosobenzene polymerization was investigated using X-ray powder diffraction and DFT calculations. The electronic structure analysis revealed that the polymer possesses wide-bandgap semiconductor properties with a high thermal stability. Photolysis of the polymer at cryogenic temperatures yields monomers which can re-polymerize at higher temperatures, demonstrating a reversible photo-thermal cycle.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
M. Buvaneswari, R. Santhakumari, C. Usha, R. Jayasree, Suresh Sagadevan
Summary: This work presents the synthesis and physical analysis of vanillin isonicotinic hydrazide (VINH) crystal using various methods such as X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, TGA/DTA, and density functional theory calculations. The study revealed the molecular structure, properties, and intermolecular interactions of the VINH crystal, showing potential for charge transfer and hydrogen bonding.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuo Feng, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Yucheng Fu, Zhuo Li, Yulong Wang, Jie Bao, Zhijie Xu, Guosheng Li, Cassidy Anderson, Lili Shi, Yuehe Lin, Peter G. Khalifah, Wei Wang, Jun Liu, Jie Xiao, Dongping Lu
Summary: In this study, a simple strategy was demonstrated for constructing low-tortuosity through-pores in both vertical and planar directions of electrodes by casting large particles into single-particle-layer electrodes. Through multi-scale characterizations and simulations, correlations between material/electrode structures, electrolyte permeability, polysulfide migration, and sulfur reactions were elucidated. The high-loading and dense sulfur cathode fabricated by this method delivers a high specific capacity at a very low electrolyte/sulfur ratio.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lukas Ahrens, Olena Tverskoy, Svenja Weigold, Michael Ganschow, Frank Rominger, Jan Freudenberg, Uwe H. F. Bunz
Summary: Doubly alkylene bridged 6,13-diphenylpentacene and analogously bridged azapentacenes have been prepared and are shown to be persistent. These doubly bridged azapentacenes exhibit superior photochemical, oxidative, and thermal stabilities compared to azapentacenes protected by bis(TIPS-ethynyl) substituents. Clipping an azaacene into a large ring is a viable complement in stabilization.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fan Hu, Wenbo Hao, David Mucke, Qingyan Pan, Zhibo Li, Haoyuan Qi, Yingjie Zhao
Summary: A submillimeter-sized two-dimensional polymer (2DP) single crystal, synthesized through single-crystal to single-crystal transformation based on photochemical [2 + 2]-cycloaddition, exhibited efficient exfoliation to yield solution-like samples with large monolayers. This achievement opens up new prospects for studying the basic properties and applications of 2DPs.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Alok Chaudhari, Nathan A. S. Webster, Fang Xia, Andrew Frierdich, Rahul Ram, Barbara Etschmann, Weihua Liu, Jeremy Wykes, Helen E. A. Brand, Joel Brugger
Summary: The fluid-driven transformation of chalcopyrite into Cu-rich sulfides is a complex mineral replacement reaction controlled by evolving mineral make-up, texture/porosity, and solution chemistry. In-situ and ex-situ experiments showed rapid reduction of Cu2+ to Cu+ during chalcopyrite replacement, with covellite forming first followed by digenite-high. The activation energies for the two kinetic stages were calculated, highlighting the intricate feedback between aqueous redox, mineral nucleation, and ion transport properties during replacement reactions.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Tehmeena Ahad, Amir Gull, Farooq Ahmad Masoodi, Jasia Nissar, Lubna Masoodi, Mohd Sajad Wani
Summary: Ginger oleoresin microcapsules were successfully developed using gum acacia and whey protein isolate as wall materials through the spray drying technique. Whey protein isolate microcapsules exhibited higher phenolic content, total flavonoid, and antioxidant activity compared to gum acacia microcapsules.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sana Zahid, Hans C. Oskierski, Ibukun Oluwoye, Helen E. A. Brand, Fang Xia, Gamini Senanayake, Mohammednoor Altarawneh, Bogdan Z. Dlugogorski
Summary: Heat-treatment of serpentine minerals can generate structural amorphicity and increase reactivity for mineral carbonation. This study investigates the thermal decomposition of antigorite using thermal analysis and in-situ synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction. The results demonstrate that antigorite decomposition is a complex multi-step reaction with the formation of intermediate phases. Local crystal structure changes related to these phases and forsterite formation are responsible for the steep increase in activation energy.
MINERALS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiehua Ding, Xinyu Guan, Xiaohong Chen, Pihan Nan, Shilun Qiu, Qianrong Fang
Summary: This study presents a novel method for the visual and quantitative assessment of COF stability. By analyzing the PXRD patterns of chemically stable KEA-COFs, two crystallinity-dependent parameters are identified, which provide a standardized criterion for assessing COF crystallinity. The study not only demonstrates the remarkable chemical stability of KEA-COFs, but also provides valuable insights into the quantitative evaluation of COFs' crystallinity and stability.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yulia A. Nikiforova, Anna G. Ivanova, Kirill Frolov, Igor S. Lyubutin, Dmitriy A. Chareev, Arseniy O. Baskakov, Sergey S. Starchikov, Ivan A. Troyan, Mariana Lyubutina, Pavel G. Naumov, Mahmoud Abdel-Hafiez
Summary: The FeSe0.89S0.11 superconductor undergoes a structural phase transition from tetragonal to orthorhombic under high pressure, with a hysteresis effect observed during decompression.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Optics
G. P. S. Silva, M. C. S. Nunes, C. Ulsen, R. Kunzel, E. M. Yoshimura, N. M. Trindade
Summary: Fluorapatite is a commonly occurring mineral known for its diverse luminescent properties, such as fluorescent lamps and lasers. This study investigated the thermoluminescence of Brazilian natural fluorapatites, showing linear response and determining activation energy and frequency factor for each peak.
JOURNAL OF LUMINESCENCE
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Kirty Pant, Mamta Thakur, Harish Kumar Chopra, Vikas Nanda
Summary: The study aimed to produce encapsulated vacuum dried propolis powder by varying propolis ethanolic extract concentration, temperature, and pressure. Results showed different impacts of these factors on the physical characteristics and total phenolic content of the powder. The optimized propolis powder sample demonstrated effective encapsulation of polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activity.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
R. Paranthaman, J. A. Moses, C. Anandharamakrishnan
Summary: This study developed and validated a powder X-ray diffraction method for direct detection of PbCrO4 adulteration in turmeric powder. The optimal detection conditions were determined, confirming the method's applicability and high sensitivity in screening PbCrO4 at various levels in turmeric powder.
Article
Ecology
Marco Signorini, Gabriele Midolo, Stefano Cesco, Tanja Mimmo, Luigimaria Borruso
Summary: This study conducted the first meta-analysis to investigate the effect of cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) additions on soil microbial alpha-diversity. The results showed a negative dose-dependent response for Cu but not for Cd, and extreme doses of Cu did not cause a dramatic loss in alpha-diversity. The study highlights the different behaviors of bacterial communities in response to soil pollution, depending on the metal.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Ignazio Allegretta, Giacomo Squeo, Concetta Eliana Gattullo, Carlo Porfido, Antonio Cicchetti, Francesco Caponio, Stefano Cesco, Carlo Nicoletto, Roberto Terzano
Summary: The increased demand for safe and high-quality food products from customers has made food traceability a priority for identifying frauds and certifying quality. Elemental profiling, particularly using TXRF spectroscopy, is a widely used strategy for food traceability, although its full potential has not been fully explored. In this study, a new method using directly TXRF spectra coupled with multivariate analyses was tested for food traceability. The study focused on 24 different genotypes of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in two different locations. After developing the method for bean analysis, the TXRF spectra were collected and processed using PCA combined with SNV and GLSW filters, resulting in a perfect clustering of the beans based on their geographical origin. Finally, using PLS-DA, the beans were correctly classified, demonstrating that TXRF spectra can be successfully used as a fingerprint for food and seed traceability and that elemental quantification is not necessary for this purpose.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Giuseppe Cantarella, Mallikarjun Madagalam, Ignacio Merino, Christian Ebner, Manuela Ciocca, Andrea Polo, Pietro Ibba, Paolo Bettotti, Ahmad Mukhtar, Bajramshahe Shkodra, A. K. M. Sarwar Inam, Alexander J. Johnson, Arash Pouryazdan, Matteo Paganini, Raphael Tiziani, Tanja Mimmo, Stefano Cesco, Niko Munzenrieder, Luisa Petti, Nitzan Cohen, Paolo Lugli
Summary: A sustainable and green technology for fabricating electronics on fruit-waste derived paper substrate is reported, which can be used in smart agriculture and the Internet-of-Thing applications. By optimizing laser parameters, various electronic devices are realized, and the cellulose-based substrate allows for twofold strategies for electronics recycling. The results show the realization of green, low-cost and circular electronics with no waste creation and positive impact on the ecosystem.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Stefano Cesco, Paolo Sambo, Maurizio Borin, Bruno Basso, Guido Orzes, Fabrizio Mazzetto
Summary: Smart agriculture, through the use of information technologies and digital tools, can contribute to food security, reduced resource consumption, and increased profitability. However, the adoption rate of these technologies is still low and varies across different regions. This paper proposes a framework for smart agriculture and digital twins, presents a case study on nitrogen fertilization, and discusses the challenges and future prospects. The study emphasizes the need for optimizing fertilizer input and considering spatial and temporal variabilities. It also highlights the potential benefits of digital twins for predictive analysis and sustainability.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eleonora Coppa, Silvia Celletti, Francesco Sestili, Tanja Mimmo, Maria Dolores Garcia Molina, Stefano Cesco, Stefania Astolfi
Summary: This study found that limiting the sulfate level can enhance the plant's uptake of selenium, and different wheat genotypes express different genes during selenium uptake.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Monica Yorlady Alzate Zuluaga, Mariateresa Cardarelli, Youssef Rouphael, Stefano Cesco, Youry Pii, Giuseppe Colla
Summary: Iron is an essential micronutrient for plant growth, but its bioavailability can be limited in calcareous soils, leading to iron deficiency in plants. Currently, iron fertilization is commonly used in agriculture to prevent or treat iron deficiency chlorosis. Fe-fertilizers based on synthetic ligands effectively maintain iron in the soil solution and increase its bioavailability for plant uptake. However, these complexes have limitations such as pH-dependent effectiveness and environmental persistence. Plant-derived protein hydrolysates have the potential to be used as biochelating ligands in innovative iron fertilizers. Experimental trials on horticultural crops have shown that Fe-biochelate is as efficient as traditional synthetic chelates, even under alkaline conditions. This finding suggests that Fe-biochelates could be promising alternatives for iron nutrition management in crops.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Monica Yorlady Alzate Zuluaga, Sonia Monterisi, Youssef Rouphael, Giuseppe Colla, Luigi Lucini, Stefano Cesco, Youry Pii
Summary: Plants have evolved various tolerance mechanisms to cope with salt stress, but these strategies are often not efficient in mitigating the stress caused by increasing salinity. Plant-based biostimulants have gained popularity for their ability to alleviate the harmful effects of salinity. This study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of tomato and lettuce plants to high salt conditions and the potential protective effects of four biostimulants based on vegetal protein hydrolysates.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Sonia Monterisi, Monica Yorlady Alzate Zuluaga, Andrea Porceddu, Stefano Cesco, Youry Pii
Summary: Food authenticity is crucial in today's society due to increased consumer awareness. This study aimed to detect potential adulterations in apple juice using DNA barcoding and HRMA. The results showed that HRMA combined with trnL (UAA) intron can discriminate between the four fruit species, but provided incomplete results for juices.
Article
Microbiology
Ciro Sannino, Luigimaria Borruso, Ambra Mezzasoma, Benedetta Turchetti, Stefano Ponti, Pietro Buzzini, Tanja Mimmo, Mauro Guglielmin
Summary: Rock glaciers in Antarctic permafrost areas are postglacial cryogenic landforms, but their chemical-physical and biotic composition is understudied. In this study, a permafrost core was analyzed for chemical-physical parameters and fungal community. The core showed significant differences in chemical and physical characteristics among its five units, with higher values of certain elements found in the deepest unit. Yeasts dominated over filamentous fungi, and Glaciozyma was the predominant yeast genus, especially in the deepest unit. This dominance was correlated with the elemental composition of the core.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Raphael Tiziani, Marion Pranter, Fabio Valentinuzzi, Youry Pii, Borruso Luigimaria, Stefano Cesco, Tanja Mimmo
Summary: Nutrient deficiencies have a significant impact on agricultural production globally. However, combined deficiencies of iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P) have been poorly studied. This study investigated the effects of single and combined deficiencies of Fe and P in barley and tomato plants. The results showed that tomato plants exhibited reduced root morphology and ionome in all deficiency treatments, while barley plants displayed enhanced root growth under double deficiency. Multivariate statistics highlighted significant differences in all treatments in tomato plants, while only Fe deficiency was statistically different in barley plants.
Article
Horticulture
Christophe El-Nakhel, Francesco Cristofano, Giuseppe Colla, Youri Pii, Luigi Lucini, Youssef Rouphael
Summary: The manipulation of nutrient solution electrical conductivity and biostimulant application can modulate plant secondary metabolism, leading to increased crop growth and bioactive compound content, thus improving the qualitative attributes of vegetables.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Christophe El-Nakhel, Francesco Cristofano, Giuseppe Colla, Youry Pii, Elena Secomandi, Marco De Gregorio, Valentina Buffagni, Pascual Garcia-Perez, Luigi Lucini, Youssef Rouphael
Summary: Biostimulants, such as protein hydrolysates, are sustainable inputs that can reduce the reliance on chemical fertilizers and improve crop yield and quality. In this study, the activity of a Malvaceae-derived protein hydrolysate and a commercial legume-derived protein hydrolysate was compared on soilless greenhouse-grown lettuce under nitrogen depletion conditions. Both protein hydrolysates increased biometric parameters, but to a lesser extent under depleted nitrogen conditions. The legume-derived protein hydrolysate promoted greater photosynthetic efficiency and higher levels of catalase and total phenolic acids under optimal nitrogen conditions. The Malvaceae-derived protein hydrolysate did not affect phenolic acid levels, but increased the concentration of calcium, magnesium, and catalase while reducing hydrogen peroxide levels. Metabolomics analysis revealed distinct metabolic changes under optimal and depleted nitrogen conditions, with phenylpropanoids down-accumulated and polyunsaturated fatty acids accumulated following protein hydrolysate application. However, it should be noted that protein hydrolysates cannot compensate for severe nitrogen depletion and are intended to complement, rather than replace, fertilizer use.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2023)