Commercial Availability Research Articles

Waste ceramic frit as novel catalyst triggering sodium borohydride methanolysis reaction

Hydrogen energy is remarkable as a clean and efficient energy source alternative to fossil fuels. In recent years, hydrogen production from methanolysis of borohydride species has been the subject of many studies. Catalysts are of critical importance in hydrogen production with NaBH4. The widespread and commercial availability of this process depends on the cost and sustainability of the catalysts. Due to the cost and environmental impacts of metal-containing or metal-doped support materials used as catalysts, low-cost, environmentally friendly, and high-activity catalysts are being investigated. For this purpose, waste ceramic frits were used as catalysts in the NaBH4 methanolysis reaction. The hydrogen generation rates (HGR) of 11 different frits were compared. The oxide contents of these frits were determined by XRF analysis, and the two frits with the highest HGR values were characterized by XRD and SEM-EDX methods. For the two frits identified by code F1 and F2, initial rates of 10,027 mL/min.gcat and 8839 mL/min.gcat were obtained at 30 °C with 0.05 g catalyst and 1.25 % NaBH4, respectively. The activation energies of F1 and F2 frits were calculated as 18.27 kJ/mol and 29.71 kJ/mol, respectively.

Purpose-centered design of rehabilitation robots: a case study of a hand exoskeleton for assessing spasticity

Hand exoskeletons offer promising solutions for hand function rehabilitation. Despite considerable research on novel exoskeleton technologies and the commercial availability of many hand exoskeletons, most hand exoskeletons can only perform motor training and assistance, rather than treatment or diagnosis of hand diseases. This limitation is also observed in other rehabilitation robots. Designing a rehabilitation robot for medical purposes necessitates the integration of existing technologies, tailored to the symptoms, clinical conditions, and management methods of the target disease. To facilitate such design, this study presents a design strategy for rehabilitation robots that assist in the therapy and assessment of specific diseases. The strategy first systematically gathers prior medical and engineering knowledge on the management of the target disease and clarifies comprehensive design requirements, including medical goals and user needs. Next, modified Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) methods are used to identify the core requirements and the optimal design scheme based on existing technical solutions. Lastly, the optimal design scheme is prototyped, tested, and refined iteratively until the product satisfies the design purpose. As an illustrative case study of this design strategy, the design of a hand exoskeleton for assessing hand spasticity is discussed. This strategy is adaptable for designing hand exoskeletons for other diseases or developing other types of rehabilitation robots, thereby extending the potential of rehabilitation robots in diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Supported-Ir Catalysts: The Impact of the Supports' Chemical Composition on the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

In water electrolyzer cells, the anode electrode is one of the most important components, where the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) takes place. In this process, the water molecules split into oxygen ions, protons, and electrons, and the oxygen gas is produced on the anode surface [1]. The most suitable materials that catalyze OER are ruthenium, iridium, and their oxides, but their cost and scarcity require reduction and enhancement of their utilization [2]. One morphological strategy consists of the dispersion of the active nanoparticles in supportive nanoparticles made of less expensive materials to increase their mass activity. In addition, due to the high potential reached during operating conditions for water splitting, supportive materials have to possess a high corrosion resistance. Titanium oxides are good candidates because of their high thermal and chemical stability, low cost, and commercial availability [3]. But their poor electric conductivity (∼10−6 S cm−1) makes the design of an active and stable catalyst a complex task. In this work, Ir nanoparticles have been synthesized on the surface of several Ti-based nanoparticles and a complete analysis of their physicochemical properties have been carried out ( Fig. 1a-b ). In addition, electrochemical behaviour has been tested ex-situ in a half cell by the rotating disk electrode technique and after, the catalysts have been deposited in a polymer membrane for testing in-situ in a single cell proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer. The results show a successful performance of the supported Ir/TiO2 nanoparticles comparable to the pure Ir black nanoparticles but with an active metal loading five times lower. Differently, even though TiC showed excellent electrical conductivity during the ex-situ characterization, Ir/TiC nanoparticles had a poor activity after just one day of performance in the WE due to the complete oxidation of the TiC into TiO2 ( Fig. 1c-d ). Finally, Ir/TiB2 showed a balanced result in terms of activity and stability, showing promising properties as a catalyst for PEM-WE. Sadhasivam T., Ho-Young J. Chapter 3 - Nanostructured bifunctional electrocatalyst support materials for unitized regenerative fuel cells// Nanostructured, Functional, and Flexible Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage Systems- 2020.- 69-103. Antolini E. Iridium as Catalyst and Cocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution /Reduction in Acidic Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolyzers and Fuel Cells // ACS Catal. - 2014.- 4, N 5.- P. 1426-1440. Van Pham C., Bühler M. IrO2 coated TiO2 core-shell microparticles advance performance of low loading proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers// Applied Catalysis B: Environmental-2020.- P 269.- P. 118762. Figure 1. TEM image of Ir/TIO2 (a), EDX mapping of Ir/TiO2(b), linear sweep voltammetry of catalysts (c), the current density at given potential 1.80 V (d). Figure 1

(Invited) Transparent Conductive Films of PEDOT:PSS-Amino Acid Composite

Transparent conductive electrode is an important component of optoelectronic devices such as light emitting diodes, photodiodes, and photovoltaic cells as well touchscreen technology. Growing demand for these technologies, as well as need for functionalities such as cost-effectiveness and flexibility, has resulted in various research on developing organic polymer-based transparent electrodes as an alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO) which is the current industry standard. One of the organic conducting polymers most commonly studied for their potential to be used as ITO-free transparent electrodes is PEDOT:PSS due to its high transmittance as a thin film, solution processability, flexibility, environmental stability, and commercial availability. There have been various works carried out to improve the conductivity of the PEDOT:PSS-based thin films by introducing dopants to improve the charge transport. We present our results demonstrating that not only the conductivity but also the transmittance of PEDOT-PSS-based films can be significantly improved by the introduction of amino acids such as phenylalanine in the film. We have observed that this enhancement in conductivity and optical transmittance of PEDOT:PSS-phenylalanine composite film is retained even when the amount of amino acid in the composite films is larger than the amount of PEDOT:PSS. We will present our study on the charge transport mechanism on these films based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. We will also further present our studies based on Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) as well as Scanning Probe Microscopy techniques such as topography imaging and conducting probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM) to elucidate the relationship between film morphology and charge transport in these composite films. The use of bioderived materials such as amino acids to create transparent composite films could open up avenues for developing and integrating bio-based materials in future electronics, help improve the environmental footprint of the electronics, and potentially also allow for the development of materials with a higher degree of biocompatibility for their application in bioelectronics.

Titanium Nanotubes as an Effective Electrocatalyst Support for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Developing proper support for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts is important for enhancing the HER efficiency and reducing the cost of green hydrogen production. TiO2-based-catalyst support has attracted considerable attention due to its commercial availability, high stability, low cost, and its unique electronic and ionic properties [1]. TiO2 is commonly utilized in various applications involving, photocatalysis, solar cells, and photoelectrochemical water splitting [2]. The ease of the synthesis of TiO2 with different morphologies and crystal structures makes it promising support to replace carbon in electrochemical applications [3]. Recently, anatase TiO2 nanoparticles decorated with PtOx clusters showed benchmark activity toward hydrogen evolution from the acidic medium with an overpotential of –125 mV at –10 mA cm–2 [4]. Furthermore, Pt clusters supported on porous TiO2 nanoparticles achieved higher stability compared with that of the benchmark Pt/C catalyst due to the facile electron transfer from TiO2 to PtOx [4]. Despite the TiO2-supported Pt nanoclusters have been recently investigated, the characteristic of HER electrocatalysts loaded on highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTs) is still unexplored. TNTs are expected to be an optimal support architecture owing to their large internal surface area and excellent electron mobility [5, 6]. Moreover, they can be readily synthesized and have robust mechanical stability. Therefore, in our work, highly ordered TNTs on Ti substrate have been synthesized and investigated as a support for different types of HER electrocatalysts (i.e. PtOx [7], MoS2 [8], and CoOP [9]). The PtOx clusters supported on TNTs (Ti/TNTs/PtOx) showed excellent performance for HER. An overpotential of –30 mV was sufficient to deliver –10 mA cm–2 from the acidic medium. The electrocatalytic mass activity of Ti/TNTs/PtOx (i.e. 204 mA mgPt –1) is enhanced by 12 and 1.7-fold compared to those of Pt/C and titanium nanoparticles (TNPs) supported PtOx electrocatalysts, respectively. The superior activity of the Ti/TNTs/PtOx is mainly due to its large electrochemically active surface area and the excellent electron mobility in the TNTs support. The immobilizing of MoS2 on TNTs resulted in enhanced electrocatalytic HER activity. An overpotential of –200 mVRHE was ample to deliver –10 mA cm–2 from 0.5 M H2SO4 aqueous solution. A synergy between the in-situ immobilized MoS2 and TNTs is proposed to explain the enhanced HER performance. In an alkaline medium, the Ti/TNTs/CoOP electrode fabricated by incorporating CoOP spheres into the TNTs exhibited only –130 mV overpotential to deliver –10 mA cm–2. This value is superior to that of CoOP deposited on bare Ti foil (–165 mV), FTO (–185 mV), and glassy carbon (–214 mV). In general, our study revealed that the TNTs support improves the electrochemical surface area and accessibility of active sites while reducing the charge transfer resistance at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Acknowledgments T.A.K. thanks the Deanship of Research Oversight and Coordination at KFUPM for the conference attendance support.

New Gel-Polymer Electrolyte for High-Performance Li‖LiFePO4 Cells with Enhanced Safety

The use of lithium-metal anodes promises batteries with substantially higher energy densities due to their high theoretical capacity of 3860 mAh g-1 and low redox plateau of -3.04 V vs. the standard hydrogen electrode [1, 2]. Of particular interest in this regard is the combination with (quasi-)solid electrolytes, potentially enabling a stabilized interface with the lithium electrode compared to solely liquid electrolyte systems [3].Herein, a new gel-polymer electrolyte based on a non-toxic, nitrogen-containing polymer is reported that provides flame-retarding properties and decreases the volatility of the liquid electrolyte phase, thus, reducing the flammability of the electrolyte system as a whole [4, 5]. In addition, this electrolyte enables very stable cycling of symmetric Li‖Li cells and superior cell performance in Li‖LiFePO4 compared to the liquid analogue. In fact, the commercial availability of this polymer renders a potential use in future rather straightforward.

Instrumentation and Control for Tritium-Compatible Hydrogen Generator

Hydrogen generators that use a proton exchange membrane (PEM) cell stack for water electrolysis have various applications, one of them being combined electrolysis catalytic exchange installations. This process separates a stream of tritiated water into detritiated water and a stream of tritium-enriched hydrogen. The stream of tritium-enriched hydrogen then can be used in tritium recovery processes. The development of hydrogen generators capable of processing tritiated water still arouses increased interest due to their low commercial availability. This paper presents the construction of a hydrogen generator compatible with tritium in a two-PEM cell stack configuration in terms of instrumentation and control as well as the active safety measures implemented.

The good, the bad and the ugly faces of cyanobiphenyl mesogens in selected tracks of fundamental and applied liquid crystal research

ABSTRACT Liquid crystal-forming cyanobiphenyls are truly extraordinary molecules that have had an enormous impact on liquid crystal research and applications since they were first synthesised. This impact is, on the one hand, due to the exceptionally convenient physical properties of the main characters, 5CB and 8CB, allowing easy experiments at room temperature, as well as their commercial availability at reasonable cost. On the other hand, the cyanobiphenyl chemical structure leads to some quite peculiar characteristics in terms of organisation at the molecular scale, which are sometimes well recognised and even utilised, but often the awareness of these peculiarities is not strong. This perspective article reviews the use of cyanobiphenyls in making liquid crystal shells and liquid crystal core fibres, in sensing, as a medium for simultaneously aligning and dispersing carbon nanotubes, and as highly useful solvents for reactive mesogens that can be polymerised into anisotropic networks. This choice is very much motivated by how cyanobiphenyls have impacted our group’s research throughout the years, which is the basis for the examples I provide. Nevertheless, I believe they serve well to illustrate the immense usefulness of cyanobiphenyls in innovating research and applications related to liquid crystals.

Bleach Cleaning of Commercially Available Gold Nanopillar Arrays for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS).

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive technique that can assist in trace analysis for biomedical, diagnostic, and environmental applications. However, a major limitation of SERS is surface contamination of the substrates used, which can complicate the spectral reproducibility, limits of detection, and detection of unknown analytes. This is especially prevalent with commercially available substrates as shipping under a controlled and clean environment is difficult. Here we report a method using dilute bleach solutions to remove surface contamination from commercially available substrates consisting of gold-coated nanopillar arrays that maintains functionality. The results show that this method can be used to remove background signals associated with typical surface contamination in commercially available substrates as well as remove thiolated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Results indicate the bleach oxidizes the surface contaminants, which can then be easily washed away. Although the metallic surface also becomes oxidized in this process, the surface can be reduced without loss of SERS activity. The SERS intensity of SAMs improved following bleach treatment across all concentrations studied.

Development of user-friendly protocols for single-cell arachidonic acid production in developing countries

Arachidonic acid (ARA) is a sorely needed nutrient and an effective and safe schistosomicide and tumoricide. Consumption levels are low in developing countries because of unawareness of its critical impact on health and limited commercial availability. The research work aims to encourage production in developing countries via providing user-friendly definitive protocols for polyunsaturated fatty acids production by the fungus Mortierella alpina and ARA isolation. Fatty acids content was determined by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. The optimal cultivation conditions included culture medium to flask volume 1:5; shake-flask culture at 25 °C, then at 20 °C, and stationary aging at 10 °C, each over 7 days, while addition of trace minerals and vitamins was dispensable. The ARA yield attained >1.8 g per liter culture. Repeat experiments led to the selection of an optimal lipid extraction method from dried biomass, and efficacious urea complexation-based protocol for obtention of high ARA yield and purity.

Investigation of goat meat consumption in relation to market potential among major stores in Eastern Cape, South Africa

There is low commercial availability of goat meat in retail outlets such as supermarkets and butcheries due to the limited supply and cultural beliefs in many nations of the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to find potential customers for goat meat if it were made readily available in retail outlets. Two hundred respondents from cities and towns (Port Elizabeth, East London, Mthatha, King’s Williams town, Grahamstown, Alice, Butherwotth, Fort Beaufort, Queenstown, Craddock, Adelaide, Port Alfred, Stutterheim, and Peddie) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, were randomly selected and interviewed using structured Google form questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Participants answered questions about goat meat consumption in relation to other meats. Factors limiting the consumption of goat meat were also investigated. About 66% of respondents had positive views of goat meat, while 23.5% were neutral. Only 10.5 % had unfavourable views concerning goat meat. The availability of goat meat in the market was the most limiting factor for 60% of the respondents, while 15% said price was their limiting factor. Other factors limiting goat meat consumption were personal preferences, religion, aversion to testing, price of goat meat, aversion to smell, and fattiness, with 15%, 9%, 6.5%, 5%, 4%, and 0.5% of respondents, respectively. About 46% of the total respondents preferred goat meat from a supermarket or butchery, and only 6.5% preferred vendors. Only 26% preferred live goats, while 61.5% preferred a portion of meat from slaughtered goats. The chi-square test also revealed a significant association (P<0.05) between attitude/view of goat meat consumption with gender (0.00), age (0.001), nationality (0.027) and ethnicity (0.041). However, the association between attitudes/views towards goat meat consumption and small households (0.262) or religion (0.142) was not significant (P>0.05). Although demand for goat meat is expected to rise as people receive more information on nutritional benefits and cooking methods, it could be concluded that consumers are willing to consume it and that there is market potential for it as a major store product. Key words: availability, goat meat, consumer perceptions, purchasing drivers, limiting factors, future consumption, major stores, market, South Africa

Do It Yourself: A Modernized Gravid Trap Design for Mosquito Surveillance.

Gravid traps have become a common and frequently essential surveillance tool for parous Culex spp. vectors of West Nile virus and other encephalitis-causing pathogens. The recent closing of BioQuip Products Inc., an entomological supply company, has jeopardized the commercial availability of gravid traps. The Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District presents herein a template for making your own gravid trap, but with some modernizations for quieter fans and longer lasting, light weight, lithium battery packs. At the time of writing, the materials cost for the fan ($14 USD), toolbox ($13), cables ($9), ABS pipe ($2.50), aluminum brackets ($10), catch container with lid ($9), trap net ($10), USB battery pack ($35) and the negligible amount of 3D-printed filament ($2), is approximately half the cost (not including labor) of the formerly available commercial model. Additionally, performance validation in the laboratory (t4,9 = 0.1191, P < 0.9109) and within two field sites (χ2 = 0.107, P < 0.744) demonstrated no significant differences in collections of gravid Culex pipiens. We do not present an overhaul of the previous gravid trap blueprint, but the quality-of-life updates to the trap design, the feasibility of in-house manufacture, and the mirrored collection efficacy to the commercial model can allow improved maintenance of gravid trap surveillance networks without a commercial supplier.

Development of Potential Multi-Target Inhibitors for Human Cholinesterases and Beta-Secretase 1: A Computational Approach.

Alzheimer's disease causes chronic neurodegeneration and is the leading cause of dementia in the world. The causes of this disease are not fully understood but seem to involve two essential cerebral pathways: cholinergic and amyloid. The simultaneous inhibition of AChE, BuChE, and BACE-1, essential enzymes involved in those pathways, is a promising therapeutic approach to treat the symptoms and, hopefully, also halt the disease progression. This study sought to identify triple enzymatic inhibitors based on stereo-electronic requirements deduced from molecular modeling of AChE, BuChE, and BACE-1 active sites. A pharmacophore model was built, displaying four hydrophobic centers, three hydrogen bond acceptors, and one positively charged nitrogen, and used to prioritize molecules found in virtual libraries. Compounds showing adequate overlapping rates with the pharmacophore were subjected to molecular docking against the three enzymes and those with an adequate docking score (n = 12) were evaluated for physicochemical and toxicological parameters and commercial availability. The structure exhibiting the greatest inhibitory potential against all three enzymes was subjected to molecular dynamics simulations (100 ns) to assess the stability of the inhibitor-enzyme systems. The results of this in silico approach indicate ZINC1733 can be a potential multi-target inhibitor of AChE, BuChE, and BACE-1, and future enzymatic assays are planned to validate those results.

Omidubicel-Onlv for Allogeneic Transplantation (allo-HCT) in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies: Results of a Multicenter Open Label Expanded Access Program

Introduction Omidubicel-onlv is a nicotinamide-modified allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cell therapy donor source derived from umbilical cord blood (UCB). A phase 3 randomized study (NCT02730299) demonstrated improved hematopoietic recovery and decreased infections in patients transplanted with omidubicel compared to UCB. An expanded access program (EAP) was conducted to provide access to omidubicel in advance of commercial availability in the United States (US) in April 2023. Objective This was an open-label, single-arm EAP evaluating clinical outcomes in patients with hematologic malignancies following allo-HCT with omidubicel. Methods Eligible patients (≥12 years) with hematologic malignancies received myeloablative conditioning, prophylactic medications, and supportive care as per institutional guidelines. Patients were monitored for neutrophil and platelet engraftment, infections, graft versus host disease (GVHD), and additional clinical events for up to 2 years post-transplantation. Results were retrospectively compared with previously described outcomes in patients from the phase 3 study comparing transplant with omidubicel (P3-OMI, n=52) and unmanipulated UCB (P3-UCB, n=56). Results Between July 2020 and April 2023, 36 patients were enrolled and 29 (18 males, 11 females) were transplanted at 5 US sites. Median age was 39 years (range: 20-73); 55% were White, 21% Asian, 17% Black, and 7% other. Diagnoses were acute myelogenous leukemia (38%), acute lymphocytic leukemia (28%), myelodysplastic syndrome (21%), and other (14%). All patients received myeloablative conditioning (total body irradiation-based: 58.5%, chemotherapy alone: 34.5%). Median transplanted CD34+ cell dose was 5.6x10 6 cells/kg (range: 1.8-18.7x10 6 cells/kg) and HLA match was 4/6 in 52%, 5/6 in 45%, and 6/6 in 3%. Median follow-up was 6.3 months (range: 0.3-27.7). No infusion reactions were reported. Median time to neutrophil (≥500/µl x3 days) and platelet (&amp;gt;20,000/µl x3 days) engraftment were 13 and 34 days, respectively. Primary graft failure occurred in 2 (6.9%) patients, both alive &amp;gt;100 days after second haploidentical transplant. The incidences of first grade 2-3 bacterial and invasive (grade 3) fungal infection through 100 days post-transplant were 16.9% and 0%, respectively. The incidence of grade 3 viral infections 1-year post-transplant was 13.4%. At 100 and 365 days post-transplant, disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 95.2% and 82.5%, and overall survival (OS) rates were 96.3% and 84.2%, respectively. Acute GVHD was reported in 13 (44.8%) patients (grade 2: 34.5%, grade 3: 10.3%) and mild chronic GVHD in 1 (3.5%) patient. There were 4 deaths (13.8%): 2 due to relapse (Days 275 and 381), 1 due to infection (Day 135) and 1 due to respiratory failure (Day 10). Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease was reported in 1 patient. Demographic and disease characteristics were similar to those in the phase 3 omidubicel registration trial, including racial and ethnic diversity (&amp;gt;39% minorities). Neutrophil engraftment time in EAP patients was similar to P3-OMI (10 days) and shorter than P3-UCB (20.5 days). Similarly, median platelet recovery was similar to P3-OMI (37 days) and shorter than P3-UCB (50 days). Infection, GVHD, DFS, and OS in EAP were also similar to those observed in P3-OMI (Table 1). Conclusion In a real-world EAP setting, the outcomes of allo-HCT with omidubicel in patients with hematologic malignancies were consistent with those from the phase 3 registration study. These data support the role of omidubicel as a donor source, particularly for patients from diverse racial backgrounds.

What Do Different Modes of AFM-IR Mean for Measuring Soft Matter Surfaces?

In the past decade, rapidly emerging atomic force microscopy-based photothermal infrared microscopy (AFM-IR) techniques have routinely delivered surface chemical imaging with tens of nanometers spatial resolution. The commercial availability of AFM-IR instruments has accelerated their popularity among soft matter and surface science communities. Various AFM-IR modes exist with different characteristics. In this Perspective, we discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with many AFM-IR modes, clarifying the possible confusion arising from terminologies and describing the possible benefits of using multiple AFM-IR modes for a better understanding of the nanoscale composition organization of the interface.

Additive Manufacturing of Shape Memory Thermoset Composites with Directional Thermal Conductivity

AbstractShape memory epoxy vitrimers and their composites are candidate materials for multiple engineering applications due to the commercial availability of their precursors combined with their functionality, mechanical properties, and recyclability. However, the manufacturing of vitrimer composites through conventional mould‐casting limits the flexibility in the design of complex parts. In this work feedstock inks are formulated based on reduced graphene oxide and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) to 3D‐print epoxy vitrimer‐based composites by direct ink writing (DIW). The introduction of hBN platelets (up to 22 vol.%) and their alignment during printing enhances the fracture resistance of the material and induces directional thermal transport. The in‐plane thermal conductivities (3 W m−1 K−1) are nearly one order of magnitude higher than the matrix material. The high conductivity results in faster actuation times and can be combined with the printing process to build structures designed to manage heat flow.

Pt(PPh3)4 and Pt(PPh3)4@IL catalyzed hydroboration of ketones

An efficient method for the reduction of various ketones via [Pt(PPh3)4]-catalyzed hydroboration with HBpin has been successfully developed for the first time. The protocol is suitable for symmetrical and unsymmetrical derivatives possessing electron donating or withdrawing functional groups. O-borylated products were easily converted to 2° alcohols via hydrolysis with high isolated yields. According to the low-temperature NMR spectroscopy, a reaction mechanism was proposed. Additionally, effective immobilization of the catalyst in the ionic liquid [BMIM][NTf2] was applied to increase the productivity of the process by carrying out reactions under the repetitive batch mode, obtaining higher TON values and limiting the amount of expensive Pt used. The catalyst stability and almost neglectable leaching were confirmed by ICP-MS analysis of the extracted mixture. A simple separation method via extraction with n-heptane, efficient catalyst immobilization, and the commercial availability of the Pt complex, make this protocol an attractive method for the hydroboration of ketones

Single PbS colloidal quantum dot transistors

Colloidal quantum dots are sub-10 nm semiconductors treated with liquid processes, rendering them attractive candidates for single-electron transistors operating at high temperatures. However, there have been few reports on single-electron transistors using colloidal quantum dots due to the difficulty in fabrication. In this work, we fabricated single-electron transistors using single oleic acid-capped PbS quantum dot coupled to nanogap metal electrodes and measured single-electron tunneling. We observed dot size-dependent carrier transport, orbital-dependent electron charging energy and conductance, electric field modulation of the electron confinement potential, and the Kondo effect, which provide nanoscopic insights into carrier transport through single colloidal quantum dots. Moreover, the large charging energy in small quantum dots enables single-electron transistor operation even at room temperature. These findings, as well as the commercial availability and high stability, make PbS quantum dots promising for the development of quantum information and optoelectronic devices, particularly room-temperature single-electron transistors with excellent optical properties.

MR based magnetic susceptibility measurements of 3D printing materials at 3 Tesla

Commercial availability, ease of printing and cost effectiveness have rendered 3D printing an essential part of magnetic resonance (MR) experimental design. However, the magnetic properties of several materials contemporarily used for 3D printing are lacking in literature to some extent. A database of the magnetic susceptibilities of several commonly used 3D printing materials is provided, which may aid MR experiment design. Here, we exploit the capability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to map the local magnetic field variations caused by these materials when placed in the scanner's B0 field. Exact analytical solutions of the magnetic flux density distribution for a cylindrical geometry are utilized to fit experimentally obtained data with theory in order to quantify the magnetic susceptibilities. A detailed explanation of the data processing and fitting procedure is presented and validated by measuring the susceptibility of air along with high resolution MR measurements. Furthermore, an initiative is taken to address the need for a comprehensive database comprising of not only the magnetic susceptibilities of 3D printing materials, but also information on the 3D printing parameters, the printers used, and other information available for the materials that may also influence the measured magnetic properties. An open platform with the magnetic susceptibilities of materials reported in this work besides existing literature values is provided here, with the aim to invite researchers to enable further extension and development towards an open database to characterize commonly used 3D printing materials based on their magnetic properties.

Large‐Scale Production of Metal–Organic Frameworks

AbstractMetal–organic frameworks (MOFs) show captivating performances in many large‐scale applications including gas adsorption and separation, heat reallocation, water production, or remediation which can overcome important drawbacks of the conventionally used porous materials in the industry. This raises, therefore, the commercial interest in MOFs which brings the necessity to decrease the cost of their production, calling for the synthesis optimization from small‐scale to large‐scale. However, the commercial availability, yet very limited, is highly dependent on their production cost. Thus, to promote the commercial development and availability of MOFs, many steps can be taken. In this work, the state‐of‐art of the large‐scale production of MOFs can be first outlined, before discussing the criteria of greener MOF synthesis processes. Besides, a critical evaluation of the available synthesis routes for large‐scale production can be given, taking into consideration their cost, environmental impact, safety, and feasibility. Moreover, since there are strong limitations to the use in the powder form, the shaping procedures can thus be discussed briefly to outline the prospects of MOFs for different industrial applications. Finally, yet importantly, the perspective for MOFs commercialization can be highlighted with an emphasis on the necessity of techno‐economic analyses and life‐cycle assessments.