Article
Engineering, Environmental
Tetyana Gilevska, Ann Sullivan Ojeda, Steffen Kuemmel, Matthias Gehre, Edward Seger, Kathryn West, Scott A. Morgan, E. Erin Mack, Barbara Sherwood Lollar
Summary: Industrial chemicals are often found in sediments due to previous spills, with global remediation strategies focusing on natural attenuation through in situ abiotic and biotic processes. Compound-specific isotope analysis serves as a diagnostic tool to identify and quantify degradation processes, distinguishing between abiotic and biotic degradation. Through stable isotope profiles, this study found evidence of biodegradation and subsequent transformation of contaminants, highlighting the importance of multiple lines of evidence for predicting remediation outcomes.
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
William C. Daniels
Summary: Paleoclimatologists use lake sediments to reconstruct past changes in precipitation and evaporation. Recent research in Arctic lakes shows that aquatic plants contribute significantly to the wax signals, providing a method for identifying the sources of plant waxes in these lakes.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dashui Yuan, Xueru Chen, Zongyuan Li, Cheng Fang, Jing Ding, Hui Wan, Guofeng Guan
Summary: Introducing benzene ring embedding structure into carbon nitride has a positive impact on its structure and photocatalytic performance. The prepared H3BTC/CN composite can effectively capture photo-generated electrons and promote the separation of photo-generated charge carriers, significantly increasing the hydrogen evolution rate.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Elliott P. Mueller, Alex L. Sessions, Peter E. Sauer, Gabriella M. Weiss, John M. Eiler
Summary: Stable hydrogen isotope compositions have been a useful tool for studying biogeochemical processes in nature, with a new technique using Orbitrap mass spectrometry demonstrated in this study for measuring the δ H-2 of biomolecules like acetate. This approach, utilizing electrospray ionization (ESI)-Orbitrap MS, allows for high precision and sensitivity in analyzing acetate and potentially other molecules amenable to ESI, expanding the scope of hydrogen isotope biogeochemistry research.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gengwu Zhang, Bin Hua, Avishek Dey, Munmun Ghosh, Basem A. Moosa, Niveen M. Khashab
Summary: Developing efficient molecular separation processes is crucial for reducing energy consumption in chemical production. Porous materials with high surface areas and stable pores, such as zeolites and metal-organic frameworks, are ideal candidates for molecular separations of gases and hydrocarbons. Efficient separation strategies using intrinsically porous molecular materials offer potential for significant energy savings.
ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Stefan Marian Iordache, Eusebiu Ilarian Ionete, Ana Maria Iordache, Eugenia Tanasa, Ioan Stamatin, Cristiana Eugenia Ana Grigorescu
Summary: This study demonstrates the applicability of multiwall carbon nanotubes decorated with palladium nanoparticles as a sensitive layer in a resistive microsensor for identifying H-1 and H-2. The different adsorption behaviors of the two hydrogen isotopes on Pd-MWCNTs are well observed in the resistance change, suggesting the sensor's potential for hydrogen leakage detection integration.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Mark D. Peaple, Tripti Bhattacharya, Tim K. Lowenstein, David McGee, Kristian J. Olson, Justin S. Stroup, Jessica E. Tierney, Sarah J. Feakins
Summary: The climate of southwestern North America has undergone significant changes between wet and dry phases over the past 200,000 years. A multi-proxy biomarker study conducted on sediment cores from Searles Lake, California reveals the timing, magnitude, and paleoenvironmental impacts of these hydroclimate changes. Precipitation isotopes show a connection with glacial to interglacial changes, but do not align with evidence of wet-dry vegetation and lake conditions, suggesting a partial disconnect between atmospheric circulation and landscape moisture availability. Limnological conditions during Termination II indicate a fresh, productive, and well-mixed lake, while temperature estimates during Heinrich stadial 11 suggest wetter conditions compared to the last glacial maximum and Heinrich 1.
PALEOCEANOGRAPHY AND PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joan De Vera, Weibin Chen, Elizabeth Phillips, Tetyana Gilevska, Scott A. Morgan, Scott Norcross, Kathryn West, E. Erin Mack, Barbara Sherwood Lollar
Summary: Compound-specific isotope analysis was used to investigate the natural degradation of chlorinated benzenes and benzene in a contaminated aquifer. The analysis of delta 13C values in sampling wells indicated in situ degradation of these compounds, with good correlations observed between delta 13C enrichments and decreasing groundwater concentrations. The results suggest that in situ biodegradation is the primary degradation pathway.
JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel B. Nelson, David Basler, Ansgar Kahmen
Summary: A framework using machine learning has been developed to calculate isotope time series at monthly resolution for precipitation, improving the accuracy of precipitation isotope model predictions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Danlei Wei, Lianqi Huang, Hanying Liang, Junhua Zou, Wenwen Chen, Can Yang, Yidong Hou, Dandan Zheng, Jinshui Zhang
Summary: The study demonstrates that silylated iron vanadate nanorods can serve as promising photocatalysts for directing hydroxylation of benzene to phenol, by utilizing the unique benefits of covalently bonded organosilane groups to achieve kinetic control of heterogeneous photocatalytic reactions.
CATALYSIS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Christophe Thomazo, Pierre Sansjofre, Olivier Musset, Theophile Cocquerez, Stefan Lalonde
Summary: The study introduces a new protocol for carbonates analysis using a laser calcination system, which reduces preparation steps and analysis time significantly while offering spatially resolved analysis at the mm scale. The new method based on a fiber-coupled laser diode device shows accurate and reproducible results for C and O isotopic characterization of natural carbonates. The study also demonstrates that physical effects during calcination do not introduce isotopic fractionation for C and a constant isotopic offset for O within a range of isotopic compositions and mineral matrices.
Article
Geography, Physical
Robert D. Bourque, Peter M. J. Douglas, Hans C. E. Larsson
Summary: This study used fossilized plant wax n-alkanes in fluvial sediments to reconstruct changes in plant ecology and carbon and water cycling across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The results show an increase in the relative abundance of terrestrial plants immediately after the boundary, possibly facilitated by the extinction of large herbivores. Additionally, the study found short-lived carbon and water cycle changes associated with the K-Pg impact in Western Canada, while longer-lasting ecological shifts in plant communities were observed.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Ziru Wang, Einaga Hisahiro
Summary: Phenol is an important intermediate for chemical manufacturing, and the one-pot oxidation of benzene has gained interest due to its energy efficiency compared to the cumene method. However, overoxidation of phenol has been a major challenge. Therefore, improving phenol formation efficiency is crucial for photocatalytic benzene oxidation.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Estelle Allan, Peter M. J. Douglas, Anne de Vernal, Yves Gelinas, Alfonso O. Mucci
Summary: Palmitic acid is a common substance in the biosphere, and its hydrogen isotopic composition has been proposed as a potential paleoenvironmental proxy for salinity. However, this study found a negative correlation between the isotopic composition of palmitic acid and sea-surface salinity, questioning its reliability as a salinity proxy. The study also suggests that different organisms with different metabolisms play a key role in determining the isotopic fractionations of palmitic acid.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Matthias Pilecky, Libor Zavorka, David X. Soto, Fen Guo, Leonard I. Wassenaar, Martin J. Kainz
Summary: Methods for identifying animal origin, movement, and foraging areas are crucial for understanding ecological processes. This study examined the use of compound-specific stable isotopes of fatty acids to identify site specificity in a river catchment. The results showed that this method can be an effective tool for assessing the movement of animals and their specific foraging areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)