This paper presents a review of the turn of events and points of view of biogas in and its utilization for power, heat and in transport in the European Union (EU) and its Member States. Biogas creation has expanded in the EU, empowered by the sustainable power strategies, notwithstanding monetary, ecological and atmosphere benefits, to arrive at 18 billion m3 methane (654 PJ) in 2015, speaking to half of the worldwide biogas creation. The EU is the world chief in biogas power creation, with more than 10 GW introduced and various 17,400 biogas plants, in contrast with the worldwide biogas limit of 15 GW in 2015. In the EU, biogas conveyed 127 TJ of warmth and 61 TWh of power in 2015; about half of absolute biogas utilization in Europe was bound to warm age. Europe is the world's driving maker of biomethane for the utilization as a vehicle fuel or for infusion into the petroleum gas network, with 459 plants in 2015 creating 1.2 billion m3 and 340 plants taking care of into the gas network, with a limit of 1.5 million m3. Around 697 biomethane filling stations guaranteed the utilization 160 million m3 of biomethane as a transport fuel in 2015.

https://www.longdom.org/open-access/biogas-developments-and-perspectives-in-europe.pdf

Biogas Developments and Perspectives in Europe

There is a need to develop a clearer understanding of what the social pillar of sustainable development means and how it relates to the environmental pillar. This article contributes to this proces...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15487733.2012.11908081

The social pillar of sustainable development: a literature review and framework for policy analysis

g-C3N4/carbon dot-based nanocomposites serve as efficacious photocatalysts for environmental purification and energy generation: A review

The photocatalytic water splitting technique is a promising alternative to produce hydrogen using a facile and proficient method. In the current Review, recent progress made in photocatalytic hydro...

2D Nanomaterials for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

The objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive study on algal biomass as feedstock for biogas production. Algae-derived biofuels are seen as one of the most promising solutions to mitigate climate change and as alternative to fast depleting of fossil fuels and oil reserves. Microalgae and macroalgae underwent an intense academic and industrial research, thanks to their capability to overcome the drawbacks related to the first and second generations of biomass resources. Major advantages of algae are: no competition with food crops for arable land, high growth rates, low fractions of lignin which reduces the need for energy-intensive pretreatment and compatibility with biorefinery approach implementation. However, some disadvantages such as the presence of high water content, seasonal chemical composition and the occurrence of inhibitory phenomena during anaerobic digestion, make algal biofuels not yet economically feasible although they are more environment friendly than fossil fuels.

/pdf/biogas-production-from-algal-biomass-a-review-2uawuwdm6s.pdf

Biogas production from algal biomass: A review

Hydrogen (H2) production via photocatalytic water splitting is one of the most promising technologies for clean solar energy conversion to emerge in recent decades. The achievement of energy production from water splitting would mean that we could use water as a fuel for future energy need. Among the various photocatalytic materials, titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the dominant and most widely studied because of its exceptional physico-chemical characteristics. Surface decoration of metal/non-metal on TiO2 nanoparticles is an outstanding technique to revamp its electronic properties and enrich the H2 production efficiency. Metal dopants play a vital role in separation of electron-hole pairs on the TiO2 surface during UV/visible/simulated solar light irradiation. In this paper, the basic principles, photocatalytic-reactor design, kinetics, key findings, and the mechanism of metal-doped TiO2 are comprehensively reviewed. We found that Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model is commonly employed by the researchers to demonstrate the rate of H2 production. Copper (Cu), gold (Au) and platinum (Pt) are the most widely studied dopants for TiO2, owing to their superior work function. The metal dopants can amplify the H2 production efficiency of TiO2 through Schottky barrier formation, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), generation of gap states by interaction with TiO2 VB states. The recent advances and important consequences of 2D materials, perovskites, and other novel photocatalysts for H2 generation have also been reviewed.

Photocatalytic hydrogen production using metal doped TiO2: A review of recent advances

The conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuels and value-added products is one of the most significant inventions to address the global warming and energy needs. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) CO2 c...

Photoelectrochemical Conversion of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into Fuels and Value-Added Products

The outbreak of COVID-19 has spread rapidly across the globe, greatly affecting how humans as a whole interact, work and go about their daily life. One of the key pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is being utilised to return to the norm is the face mask or respirator. In this review we aim to examine face masks and respirators, looking at the current materials in use and possible future innovations that will enhance their protection against SARS-CoV-2. Previous studies concluded that cotton, natural silk and chiffon could provide above 50% efficiency. In addition, it was found that cotton quilt with a highly tangled fibrous nature provides efficient filtration in the small particle size range. Novel designs by employing various filter materials such as nanofibres, silver nanoparticles, and nano-webs on the filter surfaces to induce antimicrobial properties are also discussed in detail. Modification of N95/N99 masks to provide additional filtration of air and to deactivate the pathogens using various technologies such as low- temperature plasma is reviewed. Legislative guidelines for selecting and wearing facial protection are also discussed. The feasibility of reusing these masks will be examined as well as a discussion on the modelling of mask use and the impact wearing them can have. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models and its applications to minimise or prevent the spread of the virus using face masks and respirators is also addressed. It is concluded that a significant amount of research is required for the development of highly efficient, reusable, anti-viral and thermally regulated face masks and respirators.

https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/15/3363/pdf

Face masks and respirators in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic: A review of current materials, advances and future perspectives

Surface contamination by microbes is a major public health concern. A damp environment is one of potential sources for microbe proliferation. Smart photocatalytic coatings on building surfaces using semiconductors like titania (TiO2) can effectively curb this growing threat. Metal-doped titania in anatase phase has been proven as a promising candidate for energy and environmental applications. In this present work, the antimicrobial efficacy of copper (Cu)-doped TiO2 (Cu-TiO2) was evaluated against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) under visible light irradiation. Doping of a minute fraction of Cu (0.5 mol %) in TiO2 was carried out via sol-gel technique. Cu-TiO2 further calcined at various temperatures (in the range of 500–700 °C) to evaluate the thermal stability of TiO2 anatase phase. The physico-chemical properties of the samples were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–visible spectroscopy techniques. XRD results revealed that the anatase phase of TiO2 was maintained well, up to 650 °C, by the Cu dopant. UV–vis results suggested that the visible light absorption property of Cu-TiO2 was enhanced and the band gap is reduced to 2.8 eV. Density functional theory (DFT) studies emphasize the introduction of Cu+ and Cu2+ ions by replacing Ti4+ ions in the TiO2 lattice, creating oxygen vacancies. These further promoted the photocatalytic efficiency. A significantly high bacterial inactivation (99.9999%) was attained in 30 min of visible light irradiation by Cu-TiO2.

Cu-Doped TiO2: Visible Light Assisted Photocatalytic Antimicrobial Activity

Marine algae have emerged as an alternative feedstock for the production of a number of renewable fuels, including biogas. In addition to energy potential, other characteristics make them attractive as an energy source, including their ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), higher productivity rates than land-based crops and the lack of water use or land competition. For Ireland, biofuels from marine algae can play an important role by reducing imports of fossil fuels as well as providing the necessary energy in rural communities. In this study, five potential seaweed species common in Irish waters, Saccorhiza polyschides, Ulva sp., Laminaria digitata, Fucus serratus and Saccharina latissima, were co-digested individually with bovine slurry. Batch reactors of 120 ml and 1000 ml were set up and incubated at 35°C to investigate their suitability for production of biogas. Digesters fed with S. latissima produced the maximum methane yield (335 ml g volatile solids−1 (gVS−1)) followed by S. polyschides with 2...

John Bartlett

Papers

Photocatalytic hydrogen production using metal doped TiO2: A review of recent advances

Photoelectrochemical Conversion of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into Fuels and Value-Added Products

Face masks and respirators in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic: A review of current materials, advances and future perspectives

Cu-Doped TiO2: Visible Light Assisted Photocatalytic Antimicrobial Activity

Green energy from marine algae: biogas production and composition from the anaerobic digestion of Irish seaweed species