Search Results (3,140)

The increasing global energy demand, coupled with the urgent need to reduce CO₂ emissions, has intensified the search for renewable energy sources. Biogas, produced from agro-industrial biomass, presents a viable solution. In beer production, brewery’s spent grain (BSG), the largest by-product by volume, offers potential for bioenergy recovery. This study applied a biorefinery approach to BSG, extracting protein hydrolysates (PH) through mild alkaline hydrolysis and nanostructured lignin (LN) via the Ionic Liquid Method. The objective was to assess biogas production from the residual biorefinery biomass and evaluate the co-digestion of BSG with Olive Mill Wastewater (OMWW) and Olive Pomace (OP), by-products of the olive oil industry. Biogas was produced in lab-scale batch reactors and the quantity of biogas produced was measured via the volumetric method. Conversely, the amount of biomethane obtained was evaluated by introducing, in the production chain, an alkaline trap. Biogas yields were the highest for untreated BSG (1075.6 mL), co-digested BSG with OMWW (1130.1 mL), and BSG residue after PH extraction (814.9 mL). The concentration of biomethane obtained in the various samples ranged from 54.5 vol % (OMWW + BSG) to 76.59 vol % (BSG). An energy balance analysis considering both the theoretical energy consumed by a semi-continuous anaerobic digestion bioreactor and the energy produced as bio-CH₄ revealed that BSG after PH extraction was the most energy-efficient treatment, producing a net energy gain of 5.36 kJ. For the scope, the energy consumption was calculated by considering a PEIO index equal to 33% of the energy produced during the day, showing the highest biogas production. In contrast, the co-digested BSG with OMWW yielded the lowest net energy gain of 1.96 kJ. This comprehensive analysis highlights the energy efficiency of different treatments, identifying which process should be improved. Full article

The urgent need for sustainable, low-emission energy solutions has positioned proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) as a promising technology in clean energy conversion. Polysulfone (PSF) membranes with incorporated ionic liquid (IL) and hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane-functionalized silica (SiO₂-PDMS) were developed and characterized for their potential application in PEMFCs. Using a phase inversion method, membranes with various combinations of PSFs, SiO₂-PDMS, and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium triflate (BMI.TfO) (1–10 wt%) were prepared and characterized to assess their morphology, porosity, wettability, ionic conductivity, and thermal stability. Incorporating IL significantly altered the membrane structure, increasing porosity and surface roughness, while SiO₂-PDMS enhanced IL retention, reducing leakage by up to 32%. Proton conductivity increased by up to 30 times compared to pure PSF, and membranes exhibited high hydrophilicity at optimal IL concentrations. This work highlights the potential of IL and silica-based membranes for practical applications in PEMFCs. Full article

In this study, a polymer gel electrolyte based on polyacrylonitrile was synthesized with varying polymer-to-liquid-electrolyte ratios. DSSCs incorporating a 1:3 ratio showed optimum PV parameters. Choosing this proportion, the effect of incorporating the photoresponsive AZO dye into this polymer electrolyte was studied. When irradiated with a UV light of 365 nm, the AZO dye underwent photoisomerization, which allowed the gel electrolyte to absorb heat from the UV irradiation and increase its ionic conductivity. It was found that by the addition of azopyridine into the polymer electrolyte, there was an improvement in the photovoltaic parameters of cells. By increasing the dye content from 1% to 10% by weight in the electrolyte, an 11% growth in short current density was observed, resulting in about a 10% rise in cell efficiency. Full article

The difference in the crystallization kinetics during growth from the melt between II–VIs (CdTe, Cd_1−xZn_xTe, ZnSe, and ZnTe) and III–Vs (GaAs and InP) is discussed. At the melt growth of II–VI crystals, the most important difference is the lack of controllability of seeding and achievement of a desired growth orientation. A pronounced tendency of self-orientation toward <111>, <110>, and sometimes <112> and <122>, but almost never toward <100> direction, has been observed regardless of whether a seed has been used or not. The main reason proves to be the tetrahedral coordination due to the high binding ratio of ionicity remaining in the II–VI melts but not occurring in III–Vs. As a result, the general effect of pre-ordering into density layers, forced by the solid surface, is in the II–VI liquids superimposed by a {111} self-orientation via tetrahedral in-plane alignment. Fitting growth kinetics seem to only be possible when this melt configuration conforms to the crystal structure, like the {111} but hardly the {100}. Otherwise, the liquid self-orientation determines the continuing crystal orientation. Additionally, an <100>-oriented seed abruptly changed into an <122> direction via a congruent twin plane. Although such considerations still need verifying atomistic simulations, they are helpful to optimize the growth methodology even for larger crystal diameters. Full article

In this study, the fabrication of magnetic hemicellulosic composite microspheres and the adsorption of copper ions are explored. The microspheres were prepared by the micro-emulsion technique, using Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and hemicellulose extracted from wheat straw with the ionic liquid B[mim]Cl as a solvent. Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, synthesized through coprecipitation, were evenly encapsulated within the hemicellulosic microspheres. The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles measured 10–15 nm in size, while the microspheres had an average diameter of about 20 μm and displayed a saturation magnetization of 35.95 emu/g. The optimal conditions for copper adsorption by the microspheres were found to be a pH of 5.0, a temperature of 323 K, and an initial copper ion concentration of 80 mg/L, resulting in an adsorption capacity of 85.65 mg/g after 24 h. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, and the Langmuir isotherm suggested a monomolecular layer adsorption mechanism, with a theoretical maximum capacity of 149.25 mg/g. In summary, the magnetic hemicellulosic microspheres exhibited considerable adsorption potential and favorable recycling capabilities for copper ions. Full article

Compared to traditional liquid electrolytes, solid electrolytes have received widespread attention due to their higher safety. In this work, a vinyl functionalized metal–organic framework porous material (MIL-101(Cr)-NH-Met, noted as MCN-M) is synthesized by postsynthetic modification. A novel three-dimensional hybrid gel composite solid electrolyte (GCSE-P/MCN-M) is successfully prepared via in situ gel reaction of a mixture containing multifunctional hybrid crosslinker (MCN-M), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI), ethylene carbonate (EC), diethylene glycol monomethyl ether methacrylate (EGM) and polyethylene (vinylidene fluoridee) (PVDF). Benefiting from the excellent mechanical properties, rich pore structure, and numerous unsaturated metal sites of GCSE-P/MCN-M, our GCSE-P/MCN-M exhibits excellent mechanical modulus (953 MPa), good ionic conductivity (9.3 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹) and wide electrochemical window (4.8 V). In addition, Li/LiFePO₄ batteries based on GCSE-P/MCN-M have also demonstrated excellent cycling performance (a high-capacity retention of 87% after 200 cycles at 0.5 C). This work provides a promising approach for developing gel solid-state electrolytes with high ion conduction and excellent safety performance. Full article

The fast-growing area of battery technology requires the availability of highly stable, energy-efficient batteries for everyday applications. This, in turn, calls for research into new battery materials, especially with regard to a battery’s main component: the electrolytes. Besides the demands associated with solid ionic conduction and appropriate electrochemical behaviour, considerable effort will be necessary to thoroughly reduce safety risks in terms of flammability, leakage, and thermal runaway. Consequently, completely new classes of electrolytes need to be developed that are compatible with energy storage systems. Despite the progress made in solid polymer electrolytes, such materials have suffered from limitations to their real-world application. Now, ionic liquids are considered a class of electrolytes with the most potential for the creation of more advanced and safer lithium–ion batteries. In recent decades, ILs have been widely explored as potential electrolytes in the search for new breakthroughs in the ESS field, such those associated with fuel cells, lithium–ion batteries, and supercapacitors. The present review will discuss ILs that present high ionic conductivity, a lower melting point below 100 °C, and which feature up to 5–6 V wide electrochemical potential windows vs. Li⁺/Li. Furthermore, ILs exhibit good thermal stability, non-flammability, and low volatility—all of which are attributes realized by appropriate cation–anion combinations. This paper seeks to review the status of research concerning ILs, along with the advantages and challenges yet to be overcome in their development. Full article

Dye intermediates are important industrial chemicals; there is a lack of systematic field experiments and relevant validation data regarding the remediation of groundwater contamination by dye intermediates. This study examines the eluting effects of alcohol eluting agents, non-ionic surfactants, and deionized water on 4-methoxy-2-nitroaniline (4M2N) in a contaminated aquifer medium from a historically polluted dye intermediate production site in northwest China. The findings indicate that alcohol eluting agents exhibit superior eluting effects compared to non-ionic surfactants. Under optimized conditions, including 60% n-propanol concentration, a liquid-to-solid ratio of 15:1, two eluting cycles, an elution pH of 3, and a 2 h eluting duration, the eluting concentration of 4-methoxy-2-nitroaniline reached 75.49 mg/kg, exceeding that of the composite eluting agent by two times more and deionized water by three times further. Analysis revealed that the liquid-to-solid ratio and number of eluting cycles are the primary factors influencing eluting efficiency. Field trials conducted using treated groundwater involved injecting 31,560 m³ of treated groundwater over 152 days, resulting in the extraction of 38,550 m³ and the removal of about 1887 kg of 4-methoxy-2-nitroaniline. The concentrations of contaminants in both pumping wells and monitoring wells exhibited a certain degree of increase at various times. Field applications of treated groundwater washing facilitated the release of 4-methoxy-2-nitroaniline from the aquifer medium, which significantly enhances remediation efficiency. This provides theoretical support for data analysis and the promotion of similar remediation efforts. Full article

Mixed systems based on ionic liquids are promising innovative solvents due to their properties, which are strictly connected to the interactions that arise among the components. The present work investigates the intermolecular interactions of a mixed choline acetate and maleic acid system and their modifications with increasing acid content. MM/DFT calculations provided indications about the possible geometric configurations of the systems while Non-Covalent Interaction analysis was useful to describe and distinguish secondary interactions. The number of available configurations decreases at high acid concentration. Moreover, intramolecular hydrogen bonding was observed in all configurations except that in the most stable one of the lowest acid content mixture. Concomitantly, far-infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate intermolecular interactions and provided support to the computational results. Full article

Dehydration is the principal conservation process for waterlogged archaeological wood (WAW), with the aim of preventing shrinkage and cracking. For well-preserved WAW, shrinkage mainly takes place when the moisture content is below the fiber saturation point. Here, we conduct a new trial using ionic liquid as a dimensional stabilizer to maintain a stable swollen state of WAW. Molecular dynamics simulation (MD), shrinkage measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) were adopted to investigate the interactions and effects of 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim][Cl]) on WAW (Dipterocarpaceae Dipterocarpus sp. with a maximum moisture content of 80.3%) in comparison with the conventional material polyethylene glycol (PEG). The results show that [Bmim][Cl] and its water mixtures have a comparable or slightly greater ability to swell amorphous cellulose than does water at room temperature, while crystalline cellulose is left intact. The samples treated with [Bmim][Cl] show less shrinkage than the PEG 300- and PEG 2000-treated samples at all tested concentrations after air-drying. The best dimension control was achieved by 40 wt% [Bmim][Cl], with volumetric shrinkage reduced from 5.03% to 0.47%. DVS analysis reveals that [Bmim][Cl] reduces moisture contents at moderate and low relative humidity (<80%) when the concentration is at or below 20 wt%, which suggests that good dimensional stability was not achieved by simply preserving the moisture content but possibly through the interaction of the ionic liquid with the wood polymers. Full article

Flexible solid-state-based supercapacitors are in demand for the soft components used in electronics. The increased attention paid toward solid-state electrolytes could be due to their advantages, including no leakage, special separators, and improved safety. Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are preferred in the energy storage field, likely owing to their safety, lack of leakage, and compatibility with various separators as well as their higher ionic conductivity (IC) than traditional solid electrolytes. This review covers the classification, properties, and configurations of different GPE-based supercapacitors and recent advancements that have occurred in this area of energy storage. Ionic liquid (IL)-based materials are popular GPEs for electrochemical energy storage and can be used to prepare unprecedented flexible supercapacitors due to their great IC and wide potential range. A comparative assessment of the GPEs-based supercapacitors reveals that in a majority of them, the value of specific capacitance is generally under 1000 F g⁻¹, energy density reaches around 125 Wh kg⁻¹, and the power density is seen to be less than 1500 W kg⁻¹. The results of this research serve as an essential reference for upcoming scholars, and could significantly improve our comprehension of the efficacy of GPE-containing supercapacitors. Full article

A covalent organic framework (COF) based on imine was synthesized using 2,5-dihexoxyterephthalaldehyde (DHT) and 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl) benzene (TAPB) as starting materials. The TAPB-DHT-COF exhibited satisfactory chemical stability, making it a promising adsorbing material for stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) of four estrogens, including estrone (E1), β-estradiol (E2), hexestrol (HES), and mestranol (MeEE2), in ambient water samples. The extracted analytes were subsequently analyzed using a high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). A series of parameters affecting the SBSE process, such as solution pH, ionic strength, extraction time, and desorption solvent, were investigated by the controlled variable method. Under optimal conditions, the limit of detection (LODs) for the four targeted estrogens ranged from 0.06 to 0.15 µg/L, with a linear range from 0.2 to 100 µg/L. The observed enrichment factor (EF) ranged from 39 to 49, while the theoretical EF was estimated to be 50-fold. This methodology can be applied to the identification of estrogens in three environmental water samples. Full article

Polymerizable ionic liquid-based gel polymer electrolytes (PIL-GPEs) were developed for the first time using high-energy electron beam irradiation for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). By incorporating an imidazolium-based ionic liquid (PIL) into the polymer network, PIL-GPEs achieved high ionic conductivity (1.90 mS cm⁻¹ at 25 °C), a lithium transference number of 0.62, and an electrochemical stability exceeding 5 V. E-beam irradiation enabled rapid polymer network formation within a metal-cased battery structure, eliminating the need for initiators and improving the process efficiency. In the NCM811/PIL-GPE/Li cells, PIL-GPE (8:2) delivered an initial discharge capacity of 198.8 mAh g⁻¹ with 82% retention at 100 cycles, demonstrating enhanced thermal stability and cycling performance compared to traditional GPEs. The demonstrated PIL-GPEs demonstrate strong potential for high-stability, high-performance LIB applications. Full article

This study investigates a series of surface-active ionic liquids (SAILs), including both imidazolium monocationic and dicationic compounds. These compounds are promising candidates, as they combine unique surface properties with antimicrobial activity, aligning with modern trends in chemistry. The research encompasses synthesis, thermal analysis, and topographical assessment, focusing on the impact of the amphiphilic cationic moiety, alkyl chain length, and the spatial relationship between the imidazolium ring and the phenyl substituent on the compounds’ physicochemical behavior. An added value of this work lies in the integration of theoretical calculations related to their behavior in solution and at the air–water interface, revealing spontaneous adsorption (negative Gibbs free energy of adsorption values, ΔG⁰_ads). The results indicate that dicationic imidazolium SAILs have a greater tendency to form micelles but are less effective at reducing surface tension compared to their monocationic counterparts. Topography analyses of SAILs with 12 carbon atoms further highlight these differences. Notably, the dicationic SAIL with 12 carbon atoms in the spacer exhibited an impressive MIC of 0.007 mmol L⁻¹ against Candida albicans, consistent with findings showing that dicationic SAILs outperformed conventional antifungal agents, such as amphotericin B and fluconazole, at equivalent concentrations. Overall, the synthesized SAILs demonstrate superior surface activity compared to commercial surfactants and show potential as disinfectant agents. Full article

This study presents the synthesis of a transparent, flexible gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) based on the protic ionic liquid BMImHSO₄ and on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) through solution casting and electrochemical evaluation in a 2.5 V symmetrical C/C electrical double-layer solid-state capacitor (EDLC). The freestanding GPE film exhibits high thermal stability (>300 °C), wide electrochemical windows (>2.7 V), and good ionic conductivity (2.43 × 10⁻² S cm⁻¹ at 20 °C). EDLC, using this novel GPE film, shows high specific capacitance (81 F g⁻¹) as well as good retention above 90% of the initial capacitance after 4500 cycles. The engineered protic ionic liquid GPE is, hopefully, applicable to high-performance solid-state electrochemical energy storage. Full article