http://depts.washington.edu/solgel/documents/pub_docs/journal_docs/2011/Nanostructured%20carbon%20for%20energy%20storage%20and%20conversion.pdf

Nanostructured carbon for energy storage and conversion

The removal of crop residues for bio-energy production reduces the formation of soil organic carbon (SOC) and therefore can have negative impacts on soil fertility. Pyrolysis (thermoconversion of biomass under anaerobic conditions) generates liquid or gaseous fuels and a char (biochar) recalcitrant against decomposition. Biochar can be used to increase SOC and cycle nutrients back into agricultural fields. In this case, crop residues can be used as a potential energy source as well as to sequester carbon (C) and improve soil quality. To evaluate the agronomic potential of biochar, we analyzed biochar produced from poultry litter, peanut hulls, and pine chips produced at 400°C and 500°C with or without steam activation. The C content of the biochar ranged from 40% in the poultry litter (PL) biochar to 78% in the pine chip (PC) biochar. The total and Mehlich I extractable nutrient concentrations in the biochar were strongly influenced by feedstock. Feedstock nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg) were concentrated in the biochar and were significantly higher in the biochars produced at 500°C. A large proportion of N was conserved in the biochar, ranging from 27.4% in the PL biochar to 89.6% in the PC biochar. The amount of N conserved was inversely proportional to the feedstock N concentration. The cation exchange capacity was significantly higher in biochar produced at lower temperature. The results indicate that, depending on feedstock, some biochars have potential to serve as nutrient sources as well as sequester C.

Effect of Low-Temperature Pyrolysis Conditions on Biochar for Agricultural Use

An overview of the modification methods of activated carbon for its water treatment applications

The acronym ESKAPE includes six nosocomial pathogens that exhibit multidrug resistance and virulence: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp. Persistent use of antibiotics has provoked the emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) bacteria, which render even the most effective drugs ineffective. Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase producing Gram negative bacteria have emerged as an important therapeutic challenge. Development of novel therapeutics to treat drug resistant infections, especially those caused by ESKAPE pathogens is the need of the hour. Alternative therapies such as use of antibiotics in combination or with adjuvants, bacteriophages, antimicrobial peptides, nanoparticles, and photodynamic light therapy are widely reported. Many reviews published till date describe these therapies with respect to the various agents used, their dosage details and mechanism of action against MDR pathogens but very few have focused specifically on ESKAPE. The objective of this review is to describe the alternative therapies reported to treat ESKAPE infections, their advantages and limitations, potential application in vivo, and status in clinical trials. The review further highlights the importance of a combinatorial approach, wherein two or more therapies are used in combination in order to overcome their individual limitations, additional studies on which are warranted, before translating them into clinical practice. These advances could possibly give an alternate solution or extend the lifetime of current antimicrobials.

/pdf/emerging-strategies-to-combat-eskape-pathogens-in-the-era-of-mchli3dllg.pdf

Emerging Strategies to Combat ESKAPE Pathogens in the Era of Antimicrobial Resistance: A Review.

The chemistry underlying the aqueous dispersibility of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) is a key consideration in the design of solution processing techniques for the preparation of processable graphene sheets. Here, we use zeta potential measurements, pH titrations, and infrared spectroscopy to establish the chemistry underlying the aqueous dispersibility of GO and r-GO sheets at different values of pH. We show that r-GO sheets have ionizable groups with a single pK value (8.0) while GO sheets have groups that are more acidic (pK = 4.3), in addition to groups with pK values of 6.6 and 9.0. Infrared spectroscopy has been used to follow the sequence of ionization events. In both GO and r-GO sheets, it is ionization of the carboxylic groups that is primarily responsible for the build up of charge, but on GO sheets, the presence of phenolic and hydroxyl groups in close proximity to the carboxylic groups lowers the pKa value by stabilizing the carboxylate anion, resulting in superior wate...

Understanding Aqueous Dispersibility of Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide through pKa Measurements

https://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/27786/1/1-s2.0-S000186861630392X-main.pdf

Formulation, stabilisation and encapsulation of bacteriophage for phage therapy

Characterisation of the surface of oxidised carbon adsorbents

The uses and abuses of rapid bioluminescence-based ATP assays

A commercial activated carbon Chemviron F 400 has been oxidized using nitric acid in order to introduce a variety of acidic surface functional groups. Both unoxidized and oxidized carbon samples were characterized using nitrogen porosimetry, elemental analysis, pH titration, Boehm's titration, and electrophoretic mobility measurements. Results show that oxidation treatment reduced surface area and pore volume. However, the carbon surface acquires an acidic character with carboxylic groups being the dominant surface functional groups. The modified sample displays cation-exchange properties over a wide range of pH values and exhibits polyfunctional nature. Both carbon samples were challenged for the removal of transition metals such as copper(II), nickel(II), cobalt(II), zinc(II), and manganese(II). The affinity series Mn2+ Zn2+ has been found to coincide with the general stability sequence of metal complexes (the Irving–Williams series). The higher preference displayed by carbons toward copper(II) is a consequence of the fact that copper(II) often forms distorted and more stable octahedral complexes.

Danish J. Malik

Papers

Formulation, stabilisation and encapsulation of bacteriophage for phage therapy

Characterisation of the surface of oxidised carbon adsorbents

The uses and abuses of rapid bioluminescence-based ATP assays

Characterization and metal sorptive properties of oxidized active carbon.

Characterisation of novel modified active carbons and marine algal biomass for the selective adsorption of lead.