Effect of organic solvent on the cold sintering processing of SrFe12O19 platelet-based permanent magnets

In this work we have investigated the effect of the solvent during the processing of SrFe₁₂O₁₉ platelet-based permanent magnets by cold sintering process (CSP) plus a post-thermal treatment. Several organic solvents: glacial acetic acid, oleic acid and oleylamine have been analyzed, optimizing the CSP temperatures at 190?270 °C, under pressures of 375?670 MPa and 6?50 wt% of solvent. Modifications in the morphological and structural properties are identified depending on the solvent, which impacts on the magnetic response. Independently of the solvent, the mechanical integrity of ferrite magnets obtained by CSP is improved by a post-annealing at 1100 °C for 2 h, resulting in relative densities around 92 % with an average grain size of 1 μm and a fraction of SrFe₁₂O₁₉ phase >91 %. H_C ≥ 2.1 kOe and M_S of 73 emu/g are obtained in the final sintered ceramic magnets, exhibiting the highest H_C value of 2.8 kOe for the magnet sintered using glacial acetic acid.     

Application of ferrous sulfate alleviates negative impact of cadmium in rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.)

Soil contamination with toxic heavy metals [such as cadmium (Cd)] is becoming a serious global problem due to rapid development of social economy. Iron (Fe), being an important element, has been found effective in enhancing plant tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses. The present study investigated the extent to which different levels of Ferrous sulphate (FeSO₄) modulated the Cd tolerance of rice (Oryza sativa L.), when maintained in artificially Cd spiked regimes. A pot experiment was conducted under controlled conditions for 146 days, by using natural soil, mixed with different levels of CdCl₂ [0 (no Cd), 0.5 and 1 mg/kg] together with the exogenous application of FeSO₄ at [0 (no Fe), 1.5 and 3 mg/kg] levels to monitor different growth, gaseous exchange characteristics, oxidative stress, antioxidative responses, minerals accumulation, organic acid exudation patterns of O. sativa. Our results depicted that addition of Cd to the soil significantly (P < 0.05) decreased plant growth and biomass, gaseous exchange parameters, mineral uptake by the plants, sugars (soluble, reducing, and non-reducing sugar) and altered the ultrastructure of chloroplasts, plastoglobuli, mitochondria, and many other cellular organelles in Cd-stressed O. sativa compared to those plants which were grown without the addition of Cd in the soil. However, Cd toxicity boosted the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by increasing the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), which is the indication of oxidative stress in O. sativa and was also manifested by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) contents and electrolyte leakage to the membrane bounded organelles. Although, activities of various antioxidative enzymes like superoxidase dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and non-enzymatic antioxidants like phenolics, flavonoid, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin and proline contents increased up to a Cd level of 0.5 mg/kg in the soil but were significantly diminished at the highest Cd level of 1 mg/kg in the soil compared to those plants which were grown without the addition of Cd in the soil. The negative impacts of Cd injury were reduced by the application of FeSO₄ which increased plant growth and biomass, improved photosynthetic apparatus, antioxidant enzymes, minerals uptake together with diminished exudation of organic acids as well as oxidative stress indicators in roots and shoots of O. sativa by decreasing Cd retention in different plant parts. These results shed light on the effectiveness of FeSO₄ in improving the growth and upregulation of antioxidant enzyme activities of O. sativa in response to Cd stress. However, further studies at field levels are required to explore the mechanisms of FeSO₄-mediated reduction of the toxicity of not only Cd, but possibly also other heavy metals in plants.     

Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles prepared by microwave hydrothermal synthesis and adsorption efficiency for organic dyes: Isotherms,thermodynamics and kinetic studies

Magnetic nanoferrites (MFe₂O₄, M = Co, Ni) were successfully synthesised through microwave-hydrothermal route, characterised and used for adsorption of Eriochrome Black T (EBT) and Bromophenol Blue (BRB) dyes from their aqueous solution. The powder XRD patterns confirmed the formation of cubic spinel structure for both the ferrites. Under identical conditions, the adsorption efficiency of CoFe₂O₄ was found relatively higher than the corresponding NiFe₂O_4. Further characterisations revealed that CoFe₂O₄ sample was nearly spherical in size (8–9 nm) with narrow size distribution. The sample showed superparamagnetic behaviour with saturation magnetization (M_s) value (66.4 emu/g). BET surface area calculated for the synthesized cobalt ferrite as 70.9 m²/g. Batch adsorption experiments as a function of initial dye concentration, pH, contact time and adsorbent dose showed the adsorption of dyes depends on pH. Equilibrium adsorption data were well explained by both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacities (Q_o) were found to be 82.6 and 25.6 mg/g for EBT and BRB dyes, respectively. Kinetics of the adsorption was best described by pseudo-second-order model. Various thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG, ΔH and ΔS derived from adsorption data over the temperature range 20–50 °C, accounted for a favourable, spontaneous, endothermic physisorption process. The materials showed potential for repeated use without significant decrease in adsorption capacity after proper regeneration.     

Combination of levulinic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate on inactivation of foodborne microorganisms: A review

Abstract

The combination of levulinic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in recent years has shown considerable promise as an antimicrobial intervention. Both ingredients have been designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for being used as a flavoring agent and multipurpose food additive, respectively. The use of levulinic acid and SDS alone has limited antimicrobial efficacy on tested microorganisms, and synergism between levulinic acid and SDS has been observed. The postulated mechanism of action of the synergistic effect is presented. The antimicrobial efficacy of levulinic acid plus SDS remains high even when organic materials are present. The other features, including penetration, foamability, and being readily soluble, extend its potential applications to disinfection of difficult-to-access areas and control of foodborne pathogens both in a planktonic state and in a biofilm. These features indicate that the levulinic acid plus SDS combination may have the potential to be applied within the food processing environment on a large scale.     

Understanding consumer resistance to the consumption of organic food. A study of ethical consumption,purchasing, and choice behaviour

Although the demand for organic food is growing globally, the mainstream consumption of organic food is far less. The present study attempts to understand the underlying reasons for consumer resistance toward consuming organic food using the theoretical framework of innovation resistance theory (IRT). The study further examines the association between different consumer barriers and purchase decisions (purchase intentions, ethical consumption intentions, and choice behaviour) at different levels of buying involvement and environmental concerns. The collected data, consisting of 452 consumers, were analyzed by structural equation modeling approach. The results showed that value barrier shared a negative association with purchase intentions and ethical consumption intentions. Ethical consumption and purchase intention were found to have a direct influence on choice behaviour. Additionally, the relationship between ethical consumption intention and choice behaviour is mediated by purchase intention. However, no significant differences have emerged based on the level of buying involvement and environment concerns. The findings of the study provide insight into public policymakers, marketers, suppliers, and consumer associations by enhancing their current understanding of buying behaviour of the growing organic food community.     

Organic Additives for the Enhancement of Laminar Flow in a Brain‐Vessels‐Like Microchannel Assembly

Organic polymers were extracted from okra, aloe vera, and hibiscus leaves and used as drag‐reducing additives (DRAs) to enhance the laminar flow in custom‐made microchannels that simulate the human brain vessels. The experiment was conducted using an open‐loop microfluidic system. The flow enhancement performance was evaluated as the function of percentage of flow increment of mucilage additives at different concentrations. Okra mucilage showed greater flow enhancement performance at higher mucilage concentration while both aloe vera and hibiscus mucilage performed better at lower additive concentration. The findings prove the potential of these organic polymers as DRAs to enhance the blood flow.     

Gas-assisted exfoliation of boron nitride nanosheets enhancing adsorption performance

A gas exfoliation strategy for controllable preparation of boron nitride (BN) nanosheets with few-layered structure were reported. The green exfoliation process provides the BN nanosheets remarkable increment of adsorption capacities to organic contaminants, which is ascribed to better exposure of active sites originating from the larger surface area and thinner layer. Moreover, the prepared BN also exhibits outstanding recyclability.     

Catalytic biohydrogen production from organic waste materials: A literature review and bibliometric analysis

Global population growth and accelerated urbanisation have resulted in massive amounts of fossil fuel use and waste production. Because of its high energy content, pure nature, and fuel quality, hydrogen fuel is a viable option to fossil fuels. Biohydrogen from agricultural waste, in particular, piques concern because it generates hydrogen while still disposing of waste. This review conducted a bibliometric analysis of biohydrogen production from organic waste to trace the research trends and hotspots based on the literature in the Web of Science (WOS) database from 1970 to 2020. The present review article also focuses on highlighting various processes for converting organic waste into hydrogen, raw materials for biohydrogen production, and catalysts that could distil the latest perceptions that could shed light on a route advancing for successful catalyst design. It also seems that some intentions have been paid on studying waste materials such as pure polysaccharides, disaccharides, and monosaccharides. Among all the catalysts used, non-noble and low-cost active metals over reduced graphene oxide (rGO) support can significantly affect the activity of fermentative hydrogen production from organic waste materials. However, researches focusing on developing anaerobic membrane bioreactors for these technologies are still needed.     

Low voltage operating organic light emitting transistors with efficient charge blocking layer

Charge injection/blocking layers play important roles in the performances of organic electronic devices. Their incorporation into organic light emitting transistors has been limitted, due to generally high operating voltages (above 60 V) of these devices. In this work, two hole blocking molecules are integrated into tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq₃) based light emitting transistors under operating voltage as low as 5 V. The effects of hole blocking and electron injection are decoupled through the differences in the energy levels. Significantly improved optical performance is achieved with the molecule of suitable energy level for electron injection. Surprisingly, a decreased performance is observed in the case of another hole blocking molecule evidencing that charge injection overweighs charge blocking in this device architecture.     

Investigation on the mechanism of charge generation in organic heterojunctions: Analysis of I–V and C–V characteristics

The charge generation mechanism of organic heterojunction (OHJ) consisted of 1,4,5,8,9,11-hexaazatriphenylene-hexacarbonitrile (HAT-CN) and different hole transporting materials (HTMs) are studied systematically by current-voltage (I–V) and capacitance-voltage measurements. The analysis of I–V characteristics of the devices based on OHJs at forward and reverse voltages by comparing the thickness of HTM layers finds that a forward and reverse symmetrical I–V curve is observed at thin HTM layers and the forward current becomes larger than the reverse current with the increase of HTM thickness, fully illustrating the effectiveness of OHJ charge generation. Moreover, the I–V characteristics at different temperatures indicate that the efficient charge generation is originated from electron tunneling rather than diffusion. And the C–V and capacitance-frequency (C–F)characteristics further illustrate the highly efficient charge generation ability of OHJs so that the charge density is as high as 4.5 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³, guaranteeing the high conductivity of OHJs, which is very beneficial to developing highly efficient OLEDs using OHJs as charge injector and generator.