Adsorption of VOCs onto engineered carbon materials: A review

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are an emerging class of mixtures characterized by significant depressions in melting points compared to those of the neat constituent components. These materials are promising for applications as inexpensive "designer" solvents exhibiting a host of tunable physicochemical properties. A detailed review of the current literature reveals the lack of predictive understanding of the microscopic mechanisms that govern the structure-property relationships in this class of solvents. Complex hydrogen bonding is postulated as the root cause of their melting point depressions and physicochemical properties; to understand these hydrogen bonded networks, it is imperative to study these systems as dynamic entities using both simulations and experiments. This review emphasizes recent research efforts in order to elucidate the next steps needed to develop a fundamental framework needed for a deeper understanding of DESs. It covers recent developments in DES research, frames outstanding scientific questions, and identifies promising research thrusts aligned with the advancement of the field toward predictive models and fundamental understanding of these solvents.

Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Review of Fundamentals and Applications.

Titanium dioxide represents an effective photocatalyst for water and air purification and for self-cleaning surfaces. Additionally, it can be used as antibacterial agent because of strong oxidation activity and superhydrophilicity. TiO 2 shows relatively high reactivity and chemical stability under ultraviolet light (λ 400 nm) should allow the main part of the solar spectrum, even under poor illumination of interior lighting, to be used. Visible light-activated TiO 2 could be prepared by metal-ion implantation, reducing of TiO 2 , non-metal doping or sensitizing of TiO 2 with dyes. This paper reviews preparation methods of doped-TiO 2 with metallic and nonmetallic species, including various types of dopants and doping methods currently available. The mechanism of heterogeneous photocatalysis in the presence of TiO 2 is also discussed.

Doped-TiO2: A Review

Microalgae dewatering is a major obstruction to industrial-scale processing of microalgae for biofuel prodn. The dil. nature of harvested microalgal cultures creates a huge operational cost during dewatering, thereby, rendering algae-based fuels less economically attractive. Currently there is no superior method of dewatering microalgae. A technique that may result in a greater algal biomass may have drawbacks such as a high capital cost or high energy consumption. The choice of which harvesting technique to apply will depend on the species of microalgae and the final product desired. Algal properties such as a large cell size and the capability of the microalgae to autoflocculate can simplify the dewatering process. This article reviews and addresses the various technologies currently used for dewatering microalgal cultures along with a comparative study of the performances of the different technologies.

Dewatering of microalgal cultures : a major bottleneck to algae-based fuels

Electrocoagulation for the treatment of textile industry effluent--a review

Anthropogenic climate change, principally induced by the large volume of carbon dioxide emission from the global economy driven by fossil fuels, has been observed and scientifically proven as a major threat to civilization. Meanwhile, fossil fuel depletion has been identified as a future challenge. Lignocellulosic biomass in the form of organic residues appears to be the most promising option as renewable feedstock for the generation of energy and platform chemicals. As of today, relatively little bioenergy comes from lignocellulosic biomass as compared to feedstock such as starch and sugarcane, primarily due to high cost of production involving pretreatment steps required to fragment biomass components via disruption of the natural recalcitrant structure of these rigid polymers; low efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of refractory feedstock presents a major challenge. The valorization of lignin and cellulose into energy products or chemical products is contingent on the effectiveness of selective depolymerization of the pretreatment regime which typically involve harsh pyrolytic and solvothermal processes assisted by corrosive acids or alkaline reagents. These unselective methods decompose lignin into many products that may not be energetically or chemically valuable, or even biologically inhibitory. Exploring milder, selective and greener processes, therefore, has become a critical subject of study for the valorization of these materials in the last decade. Efficient alternative activation processes such as microwave- and ultrasound irradiation are being explored as replacements for pyrolysis and hydrothermolysis, while milder options such as advanced oxidative and catalytic processes should be considered as choices to harsher acid and alkaline processes. Herein, we critically abridge the research on chemical oxidative techniques for the pretreatment of lignocellulosics with the explicit aim to rationalize the objectives of the biomass pretreatment step and the problems associated with the conventional processes. The mechanisms of reaction pathways, selectivity and efficiency of end-products obtained using greener processes such as ozonolysis, photocatalysis, oxidative catalysis, electrochemical oxidation, and Fenton or Fenton-like reactions, as applied to depolymerization of lignocellulosic biomass are summarized with deliberation on future prospects of biorefineries with greener pretreatment processes in the context of the life cycle assessment.

/pdf/lignocellulosic-biomass-transformations-via-greener-161n9s7jup.pdf

Lignocellulosic Biomass Transformations via Greener Oxidative Pretreatment Processes: Access to Energy and Value-Added Chemicals.

https://escholarship.org/content/qt67z7956h/qt67z7956h.pdf?t=p0hdwk

Water-energy nexus for urban water systems: A comparative review on energy intensity and environmental impacts in relation to global water risks

Removal of silica from brackish water by electrocoagulation pretreatment to prevent fouling of reverse osmosis membranes

Chitosan, a bio-based polymer which has similar characteristics to those of cellulose, exhibits cationic behavior in acidic solutions and strong affinity for metals ions. Thus, it has received increased attention for the preparation of heterogeneous catalysts. Recent studies demonstrated that chitosan-based catalysts had high sorption capacities, chelating activities, stability and versatility, which could be potentially applied as green reactants in various scientific and engineering applications. This study intends to review the recent development of chitosan-based catalysts, particularly in the aspects of the main mechanisms for preparing the materials and their applications in environmental green chemistry. Studies on the preparation of catalyst nanoparticles/nanospheres supported on chitosan were also reviewed.

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/5/4/1272/pdf

Chitosan as a Natural Polymer for Heterogeneous Catalysts Support: A Short Review on Its Applications

https://ir.nctu.edu.tw:443/bitstream/11536/13909/1/000227030400012.pdf

Walter Den

Papers

Lignocellulosic Biomass Transformations via Greener Oxidative Pretreatment Processes: Access to Energy and Value-Added Chemicals.

Water-energy nexus for urban water systems: A comparative review on energy intensity and environmental impacts in relation to global water risks

Removal of silica from brackish water by electrocoagulation pretreatment to prevent fouling of reverse osmosis membranes

Chitosan as a Natural Polymer for Heterogeneous Catalysts Support: A Short Review on Its Applications

Electrocoagulation for removal of silica nano-particles from chemical–mechanical-planarization wastewater