An environmentally friendly process for preparing commercial ceramic foam composites based on frit/glass wastes

Considering the size of the amount of energy consumption in ovens during the production of gas ceramic foam materials in the ceramic industry, it can be stated that natural gas is one of the highest energy resources. Natural gas consumption during the production has been evaluated and financial analyses were made for saving consumption amounts. Raw materials and glass/frit wastes obtained from different regions were investigated and their chemical compositions were determined by X-Rays fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) analysis. Compared to their current alternatives, glass foams with homogenous structure and low density were developed by adding frit/glass wastes in the amount of 80%-90%. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis has been conducted for mineralogical investigation of the samples. Also, to analyze the pore sizes and examine the surface morphology of foams, SEM images were obtained. With the addition of glass/frit wastes, natural gas consumption decreased (ca. 20%-25%) in firing process.     

In vitro digestibility of rare sugar (D-allulose) added pectin–soy protein gels

Confectionery gels are known to be high-caloric products due their high sugar content. Changing their formulations by substituting the sugar with alternative natural sweeteners and functionalising them, the addition of proteins has gained attention. Understanding the rate of digestion of these products is also important for selecting the appropriate formulation. In this study, in vitro gastric digestion behaviour of the gels formulated with D-allulose, a low-calorie rare sugar, soy protein isolate (SPI) (1%, 2.5%) and pectin (4%) were examined. Digestion decreased the hardness of the gels (P < 0.05), but, at 2.5% SPI concentration. Moisture content of the samples increased after digestion and presence of SPI induced higher water uptake. At the end of 2 h of digestion, 1% soy protein isolate containing gels had the highest brix values showing that after a certain concentration, soy protein isolate governed the system due to improved soy protein–pectin interaction or due to improved gelation with Maillard reaction. NMR relaxometry experiments further confirmed the changes in the gels with the increase in T₂ values. Power law model was fitted for the dissolution behaviour using the ^oBrix values of the digestion medium. Dissolution of sugar and the contribution of SPI to the gel network were clearly observed in SEM images. Results showed that these gels had the potential to slow down the emptying rate of stomach thus could lead to ‘fullness’ for a longer time.     

Biodegradable porous polylactic acid film as a separator for supercapacitors

A porous polylactic acid (PLA) film was investigated as a separator for supercapacitors (SCs) and compared with commercial separators, for example, NKK-MPF30AC and Celgard 2400. The porous PLA film was fabricated via a facile phase inversion method, and the cross-sectional scanning electron microscope images of the PLA separator film exhibited highly porous interconnected morphology for ion diffusion. The surface modification of separators was performed by radio frequency (RF) air plasma to improve wettability. The plasma modification enhanced the water uptake and swelling properties of the separators and decreased the water contact angles of PLA and Celgard 2400 films. The mechanical and dielectric properties of separators were also studied. The ionic conductivities of RF-PLA in 1 M H₂SO₄ and 1 M Na₂SO₄ were found to be 1.1 × 10⁻¹ S/cm and 0.6 × 10⁻² S/cm at room temperature, respectively. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the RF-PLA SCs showed the lowest solution resistance and internal resistance.     

Color-emotion associations in interiors

Emotional reactions to red, green, blue, and gray colors in a living room were investigated using a self-report measure. Participants first watched a short video of a 3D model of a living room. Next, they were asked to match the living rooms with facial expressions of six basic emotions. The most stated emotions associated for the red room were disgust and happiness, while the least stated emotions were sadness, fear, anger, and surprise; for the green room, neutral and happiness were the most stated emotions, and anger, surprise, fear, and sadness were the least stated ones; for the blue room, neutral was the most stated emotion, while the least stated emotions were anger and surprise. Neutral, disgust, and sadness were the most stated emotions for the gray room. Gender differences were not found in human emotional reactions to living rooms with different wall colors.     

Sustainable Membrane Production through Polyelectrolyte Complexation Induced Aqueous Phase Separation

Nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) is the most common approach to produce polymeric membranes. Unfortunately, NIPS relies heavily on aprotic organic solvents like N‐methyl‐pyrrolidone. These solvents are unsustainable, repro‐toxic for humans and are therefore becoming increasingly restricted within the European Union. A new and sustainable method, aqueous phase separation (APS), is reported that eliminates the use of organic solvents. A homogeneous solution of two polyelectrolytes, the strong polyanion poly(sodium 4‐styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and the weak polycation poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), is prepared at high pH, where PAH is uncharged. Immersing a film of this solution in a low pH bath charges the PAH and results in a controlled precipitation, forming a porous water‐insoluble polyelectrolyte complex, a membrane. Pore sizes can be tuned from micrometers to just a few nanometers, and even to dense films, simply by tuning the polyelectrolyte concentrations, molecular weights, and by changing the salinity of the bath. This leads to excellent examples of microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration membranes. Polyelectrolyte complexation induced APS is a viable and sustainable approach to membrane production that provides excellent control over membrane properties and even allows new types of separations.     

Enantioselective Synthesis of α‐Hydroxy Ketones via Benzaldehyde Lyase‐Catalyzed C−C Bond Formation Reaction

(R)‐Benzoins and (R)‐2‐hydroxypropiophenone derivatives are formed on a preparative scale by benzaldehyde lyase (BAL)‐catalyzed C−C bond formation from aromatic aldehydes and acetaldehyde in aqueous buffer/DMSO solution with remarkable ease in high chemical yield and high optical purity. The substrate range of this thiamin diphosphate‐dependent enzyme was examined with respect to a broad applicability of this benzoin condensation‐type reaction in stereoselective synthesis.