Chemico-physical Properties Research Articles

Tailoring morphological and chemical properties of covalent triazine frameworks for dual CO2 and H2 adsorption

The development of functional porous samples suitable as gas-adsorption materials is a key challenge of modern materials chemistry to face with global warming or issues related to renewable energy-storage solutions. Herein, a set of five Covalent Triazine Frameworks (CTFs) featured by high specific surface area (SSA, up to 3201 m 2 g −1 ) and N content as high as 12.2 wt% have been prepared through a rational synthetic strategy and exploited with respect to their gas uptake properties. Among CTFs from this series, CTF- p DCB/DCI HT ( 4 ) combines ideal morphological and chemico-physical properties for CO 2 and H 2 adsorption. Noteworthy, besides ranking among CTFs with the highest CO 2 adsorption capacity reported so far (up to 5.38 mmol g −1 at 273 K and 1 bar), 4 displays a H 2 excess uptake at 77 K of 2.84 and 5.0 wt% at 1 and 20 bar, respectively, outperforming all CTF materials and 2D Porous Organic Polymers of the state-of-the-art . • Highly porous N-rich CTF materials are prepared by mixing different building blocks. • CTFs chemical and morphological properties are optimized for dual CO 2 /H 2 adsorption. • CTF from this series offers the highest H 2 uptake value reported for organic polymers.

Multiscale Simulation of Protein Corona Formation on Silver Nanoparticles: Study of Ovispirin-1 Peptide Adsorption.

The exposure of nanoparticles (NPs) to biofluids leads to the rapid coverage of proteins, named protein corona, which alters the NPs' chemicophysical and biological properties. Fundamental studies of the protein corona are thus critical to the increasing applications of NPs in nanotechnology and nanomedicines. The present work utilizes multiscale simulations of a model biological system, small ovispirin-1 peptides, and bare silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to examine the NPs' size and surface hydrophilicity effects on formation dynamics and the structure of the peptide corona. Our simulations revealed the different adsorption dynamics of ovispirin-1 peptides on the NPs, including the direct adsorption of a single peptide and peptide aggregates and multistep adsorption, as well as an intermediate cycle of desorption and readsorption. Notably, the whole process of peptide adsorption on hydrophilic AgNP surfaces can be generalized as three stages: diffusion to the surface, initial landing via hydrophilic residues, and the final attachment. The decrease in AgNP's size leads to faster adsorption with more heterogeneous peptide interfacial dynamics, a denser and inhomogeneous peptide packing structure, and a wider distribution of adsorption orientations. Subsequent atomistic molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that on the hydrophilic AgNP surfaces, adsorbed peptides display moderate changes in their secondary structure, resulting in further changes of corona composition, i.e., amino acid residue distribution on the surface.

Polysaccharide Based Polymers Produced by Scabby Cankered Cactus Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) Infected by Neofusicoccum batangarum: Composition, Structure, and Chemico-Physical Properties.

Neofusiccocum batangarum is the causal agent of scabby canker of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L.). The symptoms of this disease are characterized by crusty, perennial cankers, with a leathery, brown halo. Characteristically, a viscous polysaccharide exudate, caking on contact with air, leaks from cankers and forms strips or cerebriform masses on the surface of cactus pear cladodes. When this polysaccharide mass was partial purified, surprisingly, generated a gel. The TLC analysis and the HPLC profile of methyl 2-(polyhydroxyalkyl)-3-(o-tolylthiocarbomoyl)-thiazolidine-4R-carboxylates obtained from the mixture of monosaccharides produced by acid hydrolysis of the three EPSs examined in this research work [the polysaccharide component of the exudate (EPSC) and the EPSs extracted from asymptomatic (EPSH) and symptomatic (EPSD) cladodes] showed the presence of d-galactose, l-rhamnose, and d-glucose in a 1:1:0.5 ratio in EPSC while d-galactose, l-rhamnose, d-glucose, and d-xylose at the same ratio were observed in EPSH and EPSD. The presence of uronic acid residues in EPSC was also showed by solid state NMR and IR investigation. Furthermore, this manuscript reports the chemical-physical characterization of the gel produced by the infected cactus pear.

Phosphorylation of the cellulose surface with PCl3 and P(O)Cl3

The vapor-phase phosphorylation of cellulose by means of phosphorus trichloride (PCl3) and phosphorus oxychloride (POCl3) is presented. It was found that cellulose-O-dichlorophosphines (Cell-O6-PCl2) formed by the reaction of cellulose with PCl3 and cellulose-O-dichloro-oxyphosphines (Cell-O6-P(O)Cl2) formed by the reaction with P(O)Cl3 have been hydrolyzed to cellulose-O-hydrogenphosphates (P(III/V)) (Cell-O6-P(O)(H)-OH and (Cell-O6-P(O)(OH)2), respectively. Selected chemico-physical properties (SEM-EDS, 31P NMR, potentiometric titration) of both types of cellulose phosphates (Cell-O6-O-P(O)(H)-OH and Cell-O6-O-P(O)(OH)2) were compared.

Synthesize and multi-spectroscopic studies of zinc-naproxen nanodrug as DNA intercalator agent

The zinc-naproxen complex as a nano-drug (NanoD) was synthesized successfully via effective ultrasound-assisted processes. The chemicophysical properties of the NanoD were determined using FT-IR, XRD, SEM, DLS, and EDX mapping analyses. The results confirmed the formation of the 55 nm NanoD laminates. The interaction of the obtained NanoD with calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (CT-DNA) was studied as well. Structural and topography changes of DNA in interaction with the NanoD were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results of electronic absorption spectroscopy, the DNA-viscosity studies, and competition fluorescence spectroscopy showed that CT-DNA binds to the NanoD through the intercalative binding mode. The data of AFM analysis indicated swollen CT-DNA upon interaction with the NanoD. The in vitro investigation of cytotoxicity of the NanoD on HT-29, Hep G2, and B16–F10 cancer cells as well as normal HFF-1 cells. The obtained results demonstrated high cytotoxicity activity of the NanoD than that of cisplatin in the HT-29 cell line, especially at lower concentrations. On the B16–F10 cell line at lower concentrations (up to 8 μg mL−1), it is comparable to cisplatin and on the Hep G2 cell line and normal HFF-1 cell line at all concentrations, cytotoxicity of cisplatin is more than NanoD.

Microfluidic Technology for the Production of Hybrid Nanomedicines.

Microfluidic technologies have recently been applied as innovative methods for the production of a variety of nanomedicines (NMeds), demonstrating their potential on a global scale. The capacity to precisely control variables, such as the flow rate ratio, temperature, total flow rate, etc., allows for greater tunability of the NMed systems that are more standardized and automated than the ones obtained by well-known benchtop protocols. However, it is a crucial aspect to be able to obtain NMeds with the same characteristics of the previously optimized ones. In this study, we focused on the transfer of a production protocol for hybrid NMeds (H-NMeds) consisting of PLGA, Cholesterol, and Pluronic® F68 from a benchtop nanoprecipitation method to a microfluidic device. For this aim, we modified parameters such as the flow rate ratio, the concentration of core materials in the organic phase, and the ratio between PLGA and Cholesterol in the feeding organic phase. Outputs analysed were the chemico–physical properties, such as size, PDI, and surface charge, the composition in terms of %Cholesterol and residual %Pluronic® F68, their stability to lyophilization, and the morphology via atomic force and electron microscopy. On the basis of the results, even if microfluidic technology is one of the unique procedures to obtain industrial production of NMeds, we demonstrated that the translation from a benchtop method to a microfluidic one is not a simple transfer of already established parameters, with several variables to be taken into account and to be optimized.

Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens as Carrier for Polysaccharides: Impact of Sugar Length, Density, and Attachment Site on the Immune Response Elicited in Animal Models.

Nanoparticle systems are being explored for the display of carbohydrate antigens, characterized by multimeric presentation of glycan epitopes and special chemico-physical properties of nano-sized particles. Among them, outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are receiving great attention, combining antigen presentation with the immunopotentiator effect of the Toll-like receptor agonists naturally present on these systems. In this context, we are testing Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA), OMVs naturally released from Gram-negative bacteria mutated to increase blebbing, as carrier for polysaccharides. Here, we investigated the impact of saccharide length, density, and attachment site on the immune response elicited by GMMA in animal models, using a variety of structurally diverse polysaccharides from different pathogens (i.e., Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A and C, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and streptococcus Group A Carbohydrate and Salmonella Typhi Vi). Anti-polysaccharide immune response was not affected by the number of saccharides per GMMA particle. However, lower saccharide loading can better preserve the immunogenicity of GMMA as antigen. In contrast, saccharide length needs to be optimized for each specific antigen. Interestingly, GMMA conjugates induced strong functional immune response even when the polysaccharides were linked to sugars on GMMA. We also verified that GMMA conjugates elicit a T-dependent humoral immune response to polysaccharides that is strictly dependent on the nature of the polysaccharide. The results obtained are important to design novel glycoconjugate vaccines using GMMA as carrier and support the development of multicomponent glycoconjugate vaccines where GMMA can play the dual role of carrier and antigen. In addition, this work provides significant insights into the mechanism of action of glycoconjugates.

Degradation of the O-phenylphenol Fungicide in Water by Unconventional CeO2-WO3 Photocatalysts

Background: Water pollution due to emerging contaminants such as pesticides, pharmaceutics and/or plasticizers, is a serious environmental problem strictly connected to the safety of human and ecosystem life. For this reason, the development of high-performing (photo)catalysts for water purification is crucial. Objective: In recent years, the synergistic effects in Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) can perform better strategies to remove recalcitrant contaminants from water. In this contest, the (photo)catalytic activity of CeO2-WO2materials for the degradation of the orto-phenylphenol fungicide comparing the photocatalytic, the Fenton and the photo-Fenton-like processes, has been examined. Methods: The samples were synthetized through deposition-precipitation mediated with the hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) surfactant. The chemico-physical properties of the materials were examined by Raman, UV-Vis Diffuse Reflectance (Uv-vis DRS) and X-Ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies, N2 adsorption-desorption measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The (photo)catalytic measurements were made through a home-made photoreactor irradiated by a solar lamp. The degradation of the fungicide was measured by UV-vis spectroscopy. Results : An efficient heterojunction was formed between the CeO2 and the WO2 oxides, which provided a good degradation percentage of the pesticide (65%) employing the solar photo-Fenton-like reaction that was the best performing process among the three investigated AOPs. The addition of WO3on CeO2 facilitated the ionic exchange between the Ce and the W ions, boosting the redox properties of cerium oxide. Conclusions: The strong interaction between CeO2 and WO3 and the peculiar properties of this unconventional composite pave the way to its use as a promising material for water depollution.

Bioactive films based on barley β-glucans and ZnO for wound healing applications

In this study, mixtures based on β-glucans and proteins are extracted from barley, in mild (MA) and high (HA) alkaline conditions, and employed with zinc oxide (ZnO) to prepare bioactive films for wound healing. Composition of extracts and properties of resulting films depend on pH extraction conditions. MA based samples show weak physical interactions among mixture components, whereas in HA films the extent of these interactions is larger. Consequently, their chemico-physical properties are significantly different, as demonstrated by FT-IR, thermal, mechanical and morphological analyses. ZnO with its bound water molecules acts as a slight plasticizer in MA, as shown by the lower Tg and the decrease of elastic modulus. In HA, this effect is evidenced up to ZnO 1%, and above this concentration an increase of strength at break is observed. Finally, MA and HA films show intrinsic antimicrobial properties, enhanced by ZnO, which make them exploitable as wound dressings.

Porous Silicon Carbide (SiC): A Chance for Improving Catalysts or Just Another Active-Phase Carrier?

There is an obvious gap between efforts dedicated to the control of chemicophysical and morphological properties of catalyst active phases and the attention paid to the search of new materials to be employed as functional carriers in the upgrading of heterogeneous catalysts. Economic constraints and common habits in preparing heterogeneous catalysts have narrowed the selection of active-phase carriers to a handful of materials: oxide-based ceramics (e.g. Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2, and aluminosilicates-zeolites) and carbon. However, these carriers occasionally face chemicophysical constraints that limit their application in catalysis. For instance, oxides are easily corroded by acids or bases, and carbon is not resistant to oxidation. Therefore, these carriers cannot be recycled. Moreover, the poor thermal conductivity of metal oxide carriers often translates into permanent alterations of the catalyst active sites (i.e. metal active-phase sintering) that compromise the catalyst performance and its lifetime on run. Therefore, the development of new carriers for the design and synthesis of advanced functional catalytic materials and processes is an urgent priority for the heterogeneous catalysis of the future. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a non-oxide semiconductor with unique chemicophysical properties that make it highly attractive in several branches of catalysis. Accordingly, the past decade has witnessed a large increase of reports dedicated to the design of SiC-based catalysts, also in light of a steadily growing portfolio of porous SiC materials covering a wide range of well-controlled pore structure and surface properties. This review article provides a comprehensive overview on the synthesis and use of macro/mesoporous SiC materials in catalysis, stressing their unique features for the design of efficient, cost-effective, and easy to scale-up heterogeneous catalysts, outlining their success where other and more classical oxide-based supports failed. All applications of SiC in catalysis will be reviewed from the perspective of a given chemical reaction, highlighting all improvements rising from the use of SiC in terms of activity, selectivity, and process sustainability. We feel that the experienced viewpoint of SiC-based catalyst producers and end users (these authors) and their critical presentation of a comprehensive overview on the applications of SiC in catalysis will help the readership to create its own opinion on the central role of SiC for the future of heterogeneous catalysis.

Toxicological impacts of roadway deicers on aquatic resources and human health: A review

During winter, snow and ice on roads in regions with cold weather can increase traffic crashes and casualties, resulting in travel delays and financial burdens to society. Anti-icing or deicing the roads can serve a cost-effective method to significantly reduce such risks. Although traditionally the main priorities of winter road maintenance (WRM) have been level of service, cost-effectiveness, and corrosion reduction, it is increasingly clear that understanding the environmental impacts of deicers is vital. One of the most important problems in this regard is environmental contamination caused by cumulative use of deicers, which has many detrimental effects on the aquatic systems. Among the deicers, the chloride-based ones raise the most toxicological concerns because they are highly soluble, can migrate quickly in the environment and have cumulative effects over time. In this review, we summarize and organize existing data, including the latest findings about the adverse effects of deicers on surface water and groundwater, aquatic species, and human health, and identify future research priorities. In addition, the data provided can be used to develop a framework for quantifying some of the variables that stakeholders and agencies use when preparing guidelines and standards for WRM programs. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Pollution from the increasing use of roadway deicers may have detrimental effects on the environment. Of particular concern are the acute and cumulative risks that chloride salts pose to aquatic species. Chloride salts are water-soluble, very difficult to remove, highly mobile, and non-degradable. Deicers cause water stratification, change the chemicophysical properties of water, and affect aquatic species and human health. Current guidelines may not be appropriate for environmental protection and need to be revised.

A multidisciplinary study of chemico-physical properties of different classes of 2-aryl-5(or 6)-nitrobenzimidazoles: NMR, electrochemical behavior, ESR, and DFT calculations

Continuing in our researches on the syntheses, reactivity, pharmacological/biological activities of heterocyclic compounds containing one or more nitrogen atoms we have examined some chemico-physical properties (1H and 13C NMR, electrochemical behavior, and ESR) of three series of 2-aryl-5(or 6)-nitrobenzimidazoles (1–3) variously substituted in the 2-aryl ring. The electrochemical behavior of the nitro group on the benzimidazole ring has been studied by cyclic voltammetry. This has allowed to point out both the reversibility, the formal potential, and the number of electrons involved in the electrochemical processes, and to evaluate the effect of the substituents present on the aryl ring. The data collected have been able to furnish a complete picture of electronic distribution and have been supported by DFT calculations.

Toward Exotic Silicon Doping with a Low Thermal Budget and Flexible Profile Control by Liquid-Phase Epitaxy.

We investigate semiconductor p-n junction formation by liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) using metallic pastes incorporating traditional and nontraditional dopants. The LPE technique enables us to control the shape of doping profiles with a low thermal budget through the choice of solvent, total amount of solvent deposited, and process temperature. We focus here on the Al-B, Zn-P, and Sn-Ga chemistries to dope silicon regions using the chemicophysical properties of a low-eutectic-temperature metallic solvent acting as a matrix for the dissolution of a high concentration of a dopant. Additionally, we developed a capping method enabling doping across a large surface area wafer with a tunable thickness well below 1 μm without film dewetting. In good agreement with thermodynamic simulation of the LPE process, we demonstrate B- and Al-doped regions with a sheet resistance ranging from less than 10 to 300 Ω/sq between 650 and 800 °C, which is significantly lower than the typical temperatures of gas-phase doping processes. Comprehensive electrical simulations suggest that LPE p-n junctions with a low carrier recombination activity can be fabricated via the reduction of surface doping concentration and improved surface recombination velocity. Our investigation of exotic LPE chemistries suggests that emitter saturation currents below 50 fA/cm2 could be achieved at doping concentrations relevant to solar cells.

Effect of the Introduction of Reactive Fillers and Metakaolin in Waste Clay-Based Materials for Geopolymerization Processes.

In this study, the role of two reactive fillers, specifically a sand from a clay washing process as an alternative to waste glass powder and a commercial metakaolin (MK), into the geopolymerization process of waste clay-based materials was assessed. Three kinds of clayey wastes from mining operations—halloysitic, kaolinitic and smectitic clays—were tested as potential precursor of geopolymeric materials in view of a potential valorisation of these by-products. A mix-design based on the addition of low percentages (20%) of these fillers or MK to improve the mechanical and chemico-physical properties of geopolymeric formulations was evaluated. All the clays were thermally treated at a temperature of 650 °C, while the geopolymeric pastes were cured at room temperature. In particular, the chemical stability in water (pH and ionic conductivity of leachate water, weight loss), the variations in the microstructure (XRD, SEM), and in the mechanical performance (compressive strength) were analysed. The most reactive additive was MK, followed by sand and waste glass at very similar levels—1:1 or 2:1—depending upon the type of the clay but not strictly related to the clay type. The increase of geopolymeric gel densification due to the presence of MK and sand was replaced by a crack deflection mechanism in the case of the WG grains. The worst performance (chemical stability and mechanical properties) was found for the halloysitic clay, while kaolinitic and smectitic clays developed strengths slightly below 30 MPa.

Electrospun Scaffolds in Periodontal Wound Healing.

Periodontitis is a set of inflammatory conditions affecting the tissues surrounding the teeth predominantly sustained by bacterial infections. The aim of the work was the design and the development of scaffolds based on biopolymers to be inserted in the periodontal pocket to restore tissue integrity and to treat bacterial infections. Nanofibrous scaffolds were prepared by means of electrospinning. Gelatin was considered as base component and was associated to low and high molecular weight chitosans and alginate. The scaffolds were characterized by chemico–physical properties (morphology, solid state-FTIR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)-surface zeta potential and contact angle), and mechanical properties. Moreover, preclinical properties (cytocompatibility, fibroblast and osteoblast adhesion and proliferation and antimicrobial properties) were assessed. All the scaffolds were based on cylindrical and smooth nanofibers and preserved their nanofibrous structure upon hydration independently of their composition. They possessed a high degree of hydrophilicity and negative zeta potentials in a physiological environment, suitable surface properties to enhance cell adhesion and proliferation and to inhibit bacteria attachment. The scaffold based on gelatin and low molecular weight chitosan proved to be effective in vitro to support both fibroblasts and osteoblasts adhesion and proliferation and to impair the proliferation of Streptococcus mutans and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, both pathogens involved in periodontitis.

Fine-Tuning of Alanyl-tRNA Synthetase Quality Control Alleviates Global Dysregulation of the Proteome.

One integral step in the transition from a nucleic acid encoded-genome to functional proteins is the aminoacylation of tRNA molecules. To perform this activity, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) activate free amino acids in the cell forming an aminoacyl-adenylate before transferring the amino acid on to its cognate tRNA. These newly formed aminoacyl-tRNA (aa-tRNA) can then be used by the ribosome during mRNA decoding. In Escherichia coli, there are twenty aaRSs encoded in the genome, each of which corresponds to one of the twenty proteinogenic amino acids used in translation. Given the shared chemicophysical properties of many amino acids, aaRSs have evolved mechanisms to prevent erroneous aa-tRNA formation with non-cognate amino acid substrates. Of particular interest is the post-transfer proofreading activity of alanyl-tRNA synthetase (AlaRS) which prevents the accumulation of Ser-tRNAAla and Gly-tRNAAla in the cell. We have previously shown that defects in AlaRS proofreading of Ser-tRNAAla lead to global dysregulation of the E. coli proteome, subsequently causing defects in growth, motility, and antibiotic sensitivity. Here we report second-site AlaRS suppressor mutations that alleviate the aforementioned phenotypes, revealing previously uncharacterized residues within the AlaRS proofreading domain that function in quality control.

Binding of warfarin differently affects the thermal behavior and chain packing of anionic, zwitterionic and cationic lipid membranes

Warfarin is a coumarin derivative drug widely used for its anticoagulant properties. The interaction of warfarin with fully hydrated lipid bilayers has been studied by combining differential scanning calorimetry, spectrophotometry, electron spin resonance of chain-labelled lipids and molecular docking. Bilayers formed by lipids with different chemico-physical properties were considered, namely dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC), dimyristoyl-phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG), and dioleoyltrimethyl-ammoniumpropane (DOTAP). We observed in all cases the binding of warfarin in proximity of the surface of the bilayers, leading to a variety of distinct effects on key molecular properties of the membranes. The drug associates with the lipid bilayers in the deprotonated open chain form, with an association constant similar for DMPC and DMPG (1.27·104 and 2.82·104 M−1, respectively) and lower for DOTAP (0.46·104 M−1). In DMPC bilayers, which are zwitterionic and with saturated symmetrical chains, warfarin at 10 mol% suppresses the pre-transition, slightly stabilizes the fluid state and reduces the cooperativity of the main transition. Moreover, it alters the lateral packing density of the chain segments close to the polar/apolar interface at any temperature through the gel phase. In anionic DMPG bilayers, the drug slightly perturbs the thermotropic phase behavior, and at 10 mol% markedly loosens the compact gel phase packing of the first chain segments. In cationic DOTAP bilayers, possessing unsaturated acyl chains, the drug induces a slightly higher degree of order and motional restriction in the outer hydrocarbon region in the frozen state. In all cases, as a surface adsorbed molecule, warfarin does not affect the segmental chain order and dynamics for temperatures in the fluid phase. The overall results provide an outline of the action of warfarin on membranes formed by lipids of different types.

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Cryo‐electron diffraction tomography (Cryo‐EDT) has been developed to determine the crystal structures of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and their host‐guest interaction at the atomic precision, whose crystals are only submicron‐sized, organic, porous, and dynamic. The keys of 3D electron diffraction (3D‐ED) techniques are low‐dose beam, sample cryo‐handling, fast data collection, sensitive detector, and direct space structure solution. We envision the development of COF chemistry will be propelled by such powerful 3D‐ED techniques for a better understanding at the molecular level and correlation of structures to chemicophysical properties. More details are discussed in the article by Zhang et al. on page 1153—1166.image

Artificial neural networks test for the prediction of chemical stability of pyroclastic deposits-based AAMs and comparison with conventional mathematical approach (MLR)

The investigation on the reticulation degree of volcanic alkali-activated materials, AAMs, were experimentally determined in terms of chemico-physical properties: weight loss after leaching test in water, ionic conductivity and pH of the leachate and compressive strength. Artificial neural network (ANN) was successfully applied to predict the chemical stability of volcanic alkali-activated materials. Nine input data per each chemico-physical parameter were used to train each ANN. The training series of specific volcanic precursors were tested also for the other one. Excellent correlations between experimental and calculated data of the same precursor type were found reaching values around one. The evidence of strong effect on chemical stability of the alkaline activator SiO2/Na2O molar ratio as well as the Si/Al ratio of precursor mixtures on the reticulation degree of ghiara-based formulation with respect to volcanic ash-based materials is presented. It must be noted that such effect was much less pronounced on the compressive strength values, appearing more insensitive the molar ratio of the alkaline activator. The comparison of the ANN results with more conventional multiple linear regression (MLR) testifies the higher prediction performance of the first method. MLRs results, less significant, are useful to confirm the powerful capacity of ANNs to identify the more suitable formulation using a set of experimental AAMs. This study, as few others, on the correlation between chemical stability and compressive strength of AAMs provide a great contribution in the direction of durability and in-life mechanical performance of these class of materials.Graphic abstract

Biochar: a sustainable solution

The planet Earth has been thronged by a horde of threatening issues since the late twentieth century. Climate change, fossil fuel depletion and various types of pollution, including heavy metal pollution, have hit the humanity hard. Application of biochar has been emerged as a viable option to tackle heavy metal pollution. Biochar is a carbonaceous product obtained on pyrolysing any substance containing biomass. The chemico-physical properties of biochar depend on the type of feedstock used and the pyrolysis temperature involved in its production. Its remarkable properties of high porosity, large surface area, surplus surface functional groups and high adsorption capacity make it an excellent substrate for removing heavy metals from contaminated soil and water. At the same time, it can also tackle the emerging issues of climate change, by sequestering carbon, curtail depleting fossil fuels via bio-oil and syngas production, and it turns out to be a cheap and eco-friendly method. Due to such wide ranging applications, the review was conceptualized to determine whether biochar can be a sustainable solution to deal with the various threatening issues. The review focuses upon production, properties and applications of biochar showing that it can help in partial achievement of multiple sustainable development goals.​