https://www.radiographyonline.com/article/S1078-8174(10)00038-6/pdf

Do lead rubber aprons pose an infection risk

Developing active single-atom-catalyst (SAC) for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a promising solution to lower the green hydrogen cost. However, the correlations are not clear between the chemical environments around the active-sites and their desired catalytic activity. Here we study a group of SACs prepared by anchoring platinum atoms on NiFe-layered-double-hydroxide. While maintaining the homogeneity of the Pt-SACs, various axial ligands (-F, -Cl, -Br, -I, -OH) are employed via a facile irradiation-impregnation procedure, enabling us to discover definite chemical-environments/performance correlations. Owing to its high first-electron-affinity, chloride chelated Pt-SAC exhibits optimized bindings with hydrogen and hydroxide, which favor the sluggish water dissociation and further promote the alkaline HER. Specifically, it shows high mass-activity of 30.6 A mgPt-1 and turnover frequency of 30.3 H2 s-1 at 100 mV overpotential, which are significantly higher than those of the state-of-the-art Pt-SACs and commercial Pt/C catalyst. Moreover, high energy efficiency of 80% is obtained for the alkaline water electrolyser assembled using the above catalyst under practical-relevant conditions. 

/pdf/pinpointing-the-axial-ligand-effect-on-platinum-single-atom-1tj7pcyd.pdf

Pinpointing the axial ligand effect on platinum single-atom-catalyst towards efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction

Health Care–Associated Infections and the Radiology Department

Toys placed in the bed or microenvironment of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) demonstrate high rates of colonization (92%). As with other fomites, toys may be one potential source of nosocomial infection (NI). This project critically evaluated the practice of placing toys in the microenvironment of critically ill infants by using the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care. With the model as a guide for decision making, the existing evidence was explored using a systematic review of the literature, case studies, scientific principles, theory, and expert opinion. A comprehensive review of the literature did not clearly identify a causal relationship between toys in the NICU microenvironment and NI. Levels of evidence suggesting an association between toys and NI were determined to be moderately strong and consistent. A plausible relationship between the practice of placing toys in the beds of NICU patients and risk for infection was found. These findings prompted a pilot practice change, eliminating toys in the NICU, to test the potential impact of this intervention. Pre- and postintervention infection rates were compared. NI rates decreased from 4.6 to 1.99 per 1,000 patient days over a 6-month evaluation period. Although this decrease was not statistically significant, it was the lowest rate recorded in 5 years. Ongoing evaluation of NI rates is in progress. Individual NICUs must determine if the evidence warrants a practice change in their setting.

Evidence-based practice: examining the risk of toys in the microenvironment of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Revisited electrochemical gas evolution reactions from the perspective of gas bubbles

Renewable, or green, hydrogen will play a critical role in the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors and will therefore be important in limiting global warming. However, renewable hydrogen is not cost-competitive with fossil fuels, due to the moderate energy efficiency and high capital costs of traditional water electrolysers. Here a unique concept of water electrolysis is introduced, wherein water is supplied to hydrogen- and oxygen-evolving electrodes via capillary-induced transport along a porous inter-electrode separator, leading to inherently bubble-free operation at the electrodes. An alkaline capillary-fed electrolysis cell of this type demonstrates water electrolysis performance exceeding commercial electrolysis cells, with a cell voltage at 0.5 A cm-2 and 85 °C of only 1.51 V, equating to 98% energy efficiency, with an energy consumption of 40.4 kWh/kg hydrogen (vs. ~47.5 kWh/kg in commercial electrolysis cells). High energy efficiency, combined with the promise of a simplified balance-of-plant, brings cost-competitive renewable hydrogen closer to reality. 

/pdf/a-high-performance-capillary-fed-electrolysis-cell-promises-4lj5ra4n.pdf

A high-performance capillary-fed electrolysis cell promises more cost-competitive renewable hydrogen

Radiographic markers: friend or fomite?

High-performing, durable electrocatalysts, capable of maintaining industrial current densities (200–700 mA cm−2), are needed.

High-performing catalysts for energy-efficient commercial alkaline water electrolysis

Physical properties of aqueous KOH solutions are crucial to the design and operation of alkaline electrolyzers but have been scarcely and sometimes unreliably reported. Obtaining published data for various properties currently requires time-consuming searches and subsequent interpretation, interpolation, and extrapolation. This work collates and critically analyzes published data for a range of physical properties relevant to alkaline electrolysis, including the density, viscosity, conductivity, surface tension, oxygen/hydrogen solubility, oxygen/hydrogen diffusivity, and water vapor pressures of aqueous KOH solutions, as a function of temperature, KOH molarity, and pressure. Correlation functions, in the form of excel spreadsheets, have been developed to allow interpolation of the most reliable data and computation of desired quantities at specific temperatures, pressures, and KOH concentrations. Composite models incorporating these properties have been developed for automated computation of (i) diffusive gas crossover and (ii) gas production volumes, including (iii) water vapor content, and associated (iv) dissolved gas concentrations in the liquid electrolyte, as a function of KOH concentration, temperature, pressure, current density, and separator thickness and porosity. These spreadsheets are provided in the Supporting Information, as tools and reference points for researchers and practitioners in alkaline electrolysis. 

A Hodges

Papers

A high-performance capillary-fed electrolysis cell promises more cost-competitive renewable hydrogen

Radiographic markers: friend or fomite?

High-performing catalysts for energy-efficient commercial alkaline water electrolysis

Critical Analysis of Published Physical Property Data for Aqueous Potassium Hydroxide. Collation into Detailed Models for Alkaline Electrolysis