State-of-the-art technology: Recent investigations on laser-mediated synthesis of nanocomposites for environmental remediation

In both developing and industrialized/developed countries, various hazardous/toxic environmental pollutants are entering water bodies from organic and inorganic compounds (heavy metals and specifically dyes). The global population is growing whereas the accessibility of clean, potable and safe drinking water is decreasing, leading to world deterioration in human health and limitation of agricultural and/or economic development. Treatment of water/wastewater (mainly industrial water) via catalytic reduction/degradation of environmental pollutants is extremely critical and is a major concern/issue for public health. Light and/or laser ablation induced photocatalytic processes have attracted much attention during recent years for water treatment due to their good (photo)catalytic efficiencies in the reduction/degradation of organic/inorganic pollutants. Pulsed laser ablation (PLA) is a rather novel catalyst fabrication approach for the generation of nanostructures with special morphologies (nanoparticles (NPs), nanocrystals, nanocomposites, nanowires, etc.) and different compositions (metals, alloys, oxides, core-shell, etc.). Laser ablation in liquid (LAL) is generally considered a quickly growing approach for the synthesis and modification of nanomaterials for practical applications in diverse fields. LAL-synthesized nanomaterials have been identified as attractive nanocatalysts or valuable photocatalysts in (photo)catalytic reduction/degradation reactions. In this review, the laser ablation/irradiation strategies based on LAL are systematically described and the applications of LAL synthesized metal/metal oxide nanocatalysts with highly controlled nanostructures in the degradation/reduction of organic/inorganic water pollutants are highlighted along with their degradation/reduction mechanisms.     

Developing a Robust Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Framework to Evaluate Performance of Water System Design and Planning under Climate Change

In theory, emergence of robustness concept has pushed decision-makers toward designing alternatives, such as resistant against the potential fluctuations fueled by uncertain surrounding environment. This study promotes an objective-based multi-attributes decision-making framework that takes into account the uncertainties associated with the impacts of the climate change on water resources systems. To capture the uncertainties of climate change, Monte Carlo approach has been used to generate a series of ensembles. These generated ensembles represent the stochastic behavior of the hydro-climatic variables under climate change. This framework represents the inherent uncertainties associated with hydro-climatic simulations. Next, a coupled TOPSIS/Entropy multi-attribute decision-making framework has been formed to prioritize the feasible alternatives using system performance measures. The main objective of this framework is to minimize the risk of deceptive and subjective assessments during decision-making process. Karkheh River basin has been selected as a case study to demonstrate the implication of this framework. Using a set of system performance attributes, the performance of two hydropower systems has been estimated during the baseline period and under the future climate change conditions. According to the conducted frequency analysis, the alternative in which both hydropower projects would go under construction emerged as the robust solution (i.e., there was a 99.9% chance that it outperforms other solutions). The results indicate that the construction of these hydropower systems leads to the increase of Karkheh River basin robustness in the future.

     

Human Cellular Retinol Binding Protein II Forms a Domain-Swapped Trimer Representing a Novel Fold and a New Template for Protein Engineering

Domain-swapping is a mechanism for evolving new protein structure from extant scaffolds, and has been an efficient protein-engineering strategy for tailoring functional diversity. However, domain swapping can only be exploited if it can be controlled, especially in cases where various folds can coexist. Herein, we describe the structure of a domain-swapped trimer of the iLBP family member hCRBPII, and suggest a mechanism for domain-swapped trimerization. It is further shown that domain-swapped trimerization can be favored by strategic installation of a disulfide bond, thus demonstrating a strategy for fold control. We further show the domain-swapped trimer to be a useful protein design template by installing a high-affinity metal binding site through the introduction of a single mutation, taking advantage of its threefold symmetry. Together, these studies show how nature can promote oligomerization, stabilize a specific oligomer, and generate new function with minimal changes to the protein sequence.     

Wear Resistance of Amorphous-Crystalline Coatings with Lubricants

The results of tests of a Zr–Al–B boundary friction detonation coating in a wide range of changes under friction conditions have been presented. A comparative analysis of the obtained characteristics of friction and wear in order to evaluate the tribotechnical properties of amorphous-crystalline coatings has been carried out. These results have been compared with parallel tests of coatings based on tungsten carbide, samples of hardened steel and bronze, and the bearing of the sliding layer. The formation of solid solutions has been established and the introduction of oxygen in zirconium that corresponds to the formation on the friction surfaces of the secondary structures of the first type, a characteristic feature of which is their surface localization, ultra-dispersed structure, and ability to minimize disruption and shield unacceptable adhesion phenomena. The use of the Auger electron microscope confirmed that oxygen completely replaces the sulfur in the surface structures.     

Effect of Different Cosolvents on Transesterification of Waste Cooking Oil in a Microreactor

Biodiesel was prepared from waste cooking oil combined with methanol. The process was performed via transesterification in a microreactor using kettle limescale as a heterogeneous catalyst and various cosolvents under different conditions. n‐Hexane and tetrahydrofuran were selected as cosolvents to investigate fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). To optimize the reaction conditions, the main parameters affecting FAME% including reaction temperature, catalyst concentration, oil‐to‐methanol volumetric ratio, and cosolvent‐to‐methanol volumetric ratio were studied via response surface methodology. Under optimal reaction conditions and in the presence of the cosolvents n‐hexane and tetrahydrofuran, high FAME purities were achieved. Considering the experimental results, the limescale catalyst is a unique material, and the cosolvent method can reduce significantly the reaction time and biodiesel production cost.     

Structural Regeneration of Coatings in Friction

Materials Science - We propose a mechanism for increasing the durability of friction surfaces in the presence of in-service defects caused by the intrastructural regeneration. It is shown that, in...     

Knowledge Acquisition and Design Using Semantics and Perception: A Case Study for Autonomous Robots

Neural Processing Letters - The pervasive use of artificial intelligence and neural networks in several different research fields has noticeably improved multiple aspects of human life. The...     

Optimization of Steam Reforming of Methane in a Hydrogen-Filtering Membrane Module with a Nickel Catalyst and a Palladium-Alloy Foil

Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Engineering - A model is proposed for steam reforming of methane in a catalytic reactor, the working section of which includes two cylindrical chambers separated...