Organic Additives Research Articles

Influence of the phthalimide on the process of electrical aging of the high-pressure polyethylene

Relevance. The use of polyolefins without additional processing methods, namely, the increase in their electrophysical characteristics, is an actual modern requirement. For this, it is necessary to use the mechanism of ionization ageing where the role of the modifying additive must be elucidated by the method of infrared spectroscopy in high-pressure polyethylene. Purpose. The research aims to study the effect of low molecular weight organic additives of phthalimide on molecular structural changes in polymers that occur under external action. Methodology. The impact of electrical discharges on polymer dielectrics was carried out in a test cell of an asymmetric type. Tested polymer film before and after pre-stretching was tightly stretched onto this plate following the research procedure. To create an air gap of constant thickness between the top electrode and the polymer film, 1.5 mm thick glass spacers were placed along the edges. Results. The electrical strength (lifetime) of high-pressure polyethene (LDPE) and its optimal modification before and after electrical ageing was investigated. Following experimental data, at the content of 0.05 wt. % LDPE its electrical strength reaches a maximum value compared to both the original LDPE and LDPE at other additive contents. The introduction of 0.05 wt.% phthalimide into high-pressure polyethene contributes to a noticeable decrease in the intensity of the formation of C=0 groups, which is the measure of the oxidative degradation of polymer chains. Conclusions. The optimal composition of the phthalimide was determined and their electrophysical properties were studied. It was found that composites with additions of 0.05 wt.% phthalimide significantly improve the electrophysical properties of LDPE.

Fe‐modified biochar improved the stability of soil aggregates and organic carbon: Evidence from enzymatic activity and microbial composition

AbstractBiochar modifications are used to improve soil organic carbon (SOC) content, while its effects on soil structure stability and carbon (C) mineralization are less known especially in saline–alkaline soils. A 5 years field experiment was arranged with organic amendments addition in the Yellow River Delta, including (i) NPK, only 255, 56, and 190 kg ha−1 N, P, and K each year, (ii) RS, NPK + rice straw, (iii) BC, NPK + straw‐derived biochar, and (iv) FeBC, NPK + biochar modified with ferric chloride. Relative to NPK treatment, the mean weight diameter was significantly increased with organic amendments addition, which was the highest in FeBC treatment. Meanwhile, SOC content in the soil added with organic amendment was increased by 2%–18%. Compared with the RS and BC, FeBC addition increased the content of stable humin (HU), crystalline Fe oxides (Fed), and amorphous Fe oxides (Feo). There was a positive correlation between HU and Feo/Fed, indicating HU and Fe oxides might form organic mineral complexes to limit SOC biodegradation. While the mineralization rate of SOC in FeBC treatment was decreased by more than 30.4% than that in BC treatment. This might be due to the decrease of soil β‐glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase activities, as well as the abundance of Gammaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria. These results were the mechanism of soil enzyme activity and bacterial community regulating C stability. Therefore, Fe‐modified biochar is a better organic amendment to improve the stability of aggregates structure and SOC in saline–alkaline paddy soil.

In situ growth of nano-hydroxyapatite on multilayered Ti3C2Tx MXene as a drug carrier with superior-performance

Bone defects caused by tumor resection typically require bone repair materials to fill the defect sites. The development of multifunctional bone filling materials with integrated chemotherapy, photohermal therapy, and guided bone regeneration is very necessary and urgently needed. Herein, for the first time, the construction of novel multilayered Ti3C2Tx MXene (m-MXene)/nano-hydroxyaptite (nHAp) composites (m-MXene/nHAp) for bone repair is reported. The in situ growth of nHAp on multilayered Ti3C2Tx MXene is achieved through a facile hydrothermal method without using any organic additives. Due to the synergistic effects of nHAp and m-MXene, the m-MXene/nHAp composites show superior drug carrier performance with ultra-high drug loading capacity and ultra-long drug sustained release time. The molecular dynamics simulation results indicate that both Ti3C2Tx MXene and HAp show many adsorption sites and high binding energy with DOX. Moreover, the m-MXene/nHAp composites possess high photothermal conversion efficiency and excellent photothermal stability. The in situ growth of nano-HAp can significantly improve the biocompatibility of the m-MXene. The as-prepared multifunctional m-MXene/nHAp composites in this work can be used as bone filling powder and have great potential in bone defect reconstruction caused by bone tumor.

Exploration of Solution-Processed Bi/Sb Solar Cells by Automated Robotic Experiments Equipped with Microwave Conductivity.

Solution-processed inorganic solar cells with less toxic and earth-abundant elements are emerging as viable alternatives to high-performance lead-halide perovskite solar cells. However, the wide range of elements and process parameters impede the rapid exploration of vast chemical spaces. Here, we developed an automated robot-embedded measurement system that performs photoabsorption spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and white-light flash time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC). We tested 576 films of quaternary element-blended wide-bandgap Cs-Bi-Sb-I semiconductors with various compositions, organic salt additives (MACl, FACl, MAI, and FAI, where MA and FA represent methylammonium and formamidinium, respectively), and thermal annealing temperatures. Among them, we found that the maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) was 2.36%, which is significantly higher than the PCE of 0.68% for a reference film without an additive. Machine learning (ML) and statistical analyses revealed significant features and their relationships with TRMC transients, thereby demonstrating the advantages of combining ML and automated experiments for the high-throughput exploration of photovoltaic materials.

Effects of Biochar and Compost Application on Soil Properties and on the Growth and Yield of Hot Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Improper depositions of organic waste threaten the environment. On the other hand, intensive soil cultivation, inappropriate utilization of inorganic fertilizers, and inadequate soil management practices in the study area resulted in soil fertility reduction and poor crop growth. The addition of organic fertilizers from organic waste (biochar and compost) to soil can be considered an environmental-friendly and climate-smart practice able to improve soil properties and the yield of crops. Thus, this study aimed at evaluating the potential of organic amendment with coffee pulp compost (CPC), coffee pulp biochar (CPB), and their combination (CPC_CPB) on selected soil properties and hot pepper yield. The field experiment was conducted in the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons by adopting a randomized complete block design with a factorial experiment using CPC, CPB, and CPC_CPB treatments in different application rates. Results indicated that, in both years, the maximum dose (4 t/ha) of biochar significantly improved the yield of hot pepper and some soil chemical properties such as pH, OC, TN, P, K, Ca2+, Mg2+ contents, and CEC. When 2021 is compared with the 2020 growing season in terms of hot pepper yield, the treatments 4 CPB, 10 CPC, and 7 CPC_CPB increased the yield by 4.61, 1.62, and 1.55%, respectively. Thus, an application rate of CPB at the rate of 4 t/ha is considered suitable to improve hot pepper yield and soil properties. Therefore, the highest dose of CPB, followed by CPC_CPB and CPC can be considered as suitable to improve both soil fertility and hot pepper yield.

Room-Temperature Molding of Complex-Shaped Transparent Fused Silica Lenses.

The high hardness, brittleness, and thermal resistance impose significant challenges in the scalable manufacturing of fused silica lenses, which are widely used in numerous applications. Taking advantage of the nanocomposites by stirring silica nanopowders with photocurable resins, the newly emerged low-temperature pre-shaping technique provides a paradigm shift in fabricating transparent fused silica components. However, preparing the silica slurry and carefully evaporating the organics may significantly increase the process complexity and decrease the manufacturing efficiency for the nanocomposite-based technique. By directly pressing pure silica nanopowders against the complex-shaped metal molds in minutes, this work reports an entirely different room-temperature molding method capable of mass replication of complex-shaped silica lenses without organic additives. After sintering the replicated lenses, fully transparent fused silica lenses with spherical, arrayed, and freeform patterns are generated with nanometric surface roughness and well-reserved mold shapes, demonstrating a scalable and cost-effective route surpassing the current techniques for the manufacturing of high-quality fused silica lenses.

Enhancing electron transport of 7-bis(diphenylphosphoryl)-9,9′-spirobifluorene through polarity reduction of polar covalent bonds using organic molecular additives

In the electron-transporting organic semiconductor, polar covalent bonds are a necessary design to deepen the Lowest Occupied Molecular Orbitals for effective charge injection. However, these bonds can increase molecular dipole moment, which can impede charge transport. In this study, molecular additives including Tetrathiafulvalene (TTF), 4-(2,3-Dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-N,N-dimethylbenzenamine (N-DMBI), and tetrakis(dimethylamno)ethylene (TDAE) were investigated. Despite being electron donors, no charge transfer occurred between the molecular additives and the π conjugated core of 7-bis(diphenylphosphoryl)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (SPPO13). However, the addition of 2% TTF resulted in a higher current density, while N-DMBI and TDAE led to a decrease. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, density functional theory, and reduced density gradient analysis indicated that a marginal charge transfer occurred from phosphorus atoms to TTF, forming a strong attractive bond between P = O and TTF, which was absent in N-DMBI and TDAE. The low molecular polarity and lack of polar covalent bonds are prerequisites for polarity reduction of the P = O bond in SPPO13, as demonstrated by the 2% addition of TTF resulting in higher electron transport current.

Crop rotation and inoculation increase soil bradyrhizobia population, soybean grain yields, and profitability.

Crop rotation and rhizobial inoculation are strategies to increase yield by means of organic matter addition and modulation of microbial diversity. However, the extent to which these agricultural practices change soil Bradyrhizobium populations, soybean grain yield, and economic benefits to farmers is unclear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the interaction between crop rotation and inoculation of soybean (Glycine max) cultivated in two contrasting soils (clayey and sandy soil) on biological nitrogen fixation components, grain yields, and profits. Field experiments with a three-year crop rotation system were carried out to compare effects of inoculation and crop rotations on soil chemical attributes, bradyrhizobia most probable number (MPN) and diversity, soybean nodulation, grain yield, and economic indicators of inoculation in different crop rotations. The crop rotation did not affect the soil MPN cells of bradyrhizobia, but the inoculation and the soil sampling time did, ranging from 3.61-4.42 to 4.40-4.82 in the sandy soil, while in the clayey soil they were from 5.19-6.34 to 6.61-7.14 in Log10 per g of soil with higher population after harvest of summer crops. In the clayey soil, crop rotation influenced soybean nodulation. The grain yield of inoculated soybean in the clayey soil was higher than that in the sandy soil. Soybean inoculation with Bradyrhizobium spp. increased the profitability of agricultural production systems by up to 45% in clayey soil and up to 7% in sandy soil.

N-Hydroxyethyl-2-Pyrrolidone Improved Cu-Based Catalysts with High Performance for Acetylene Hydrochlorination

To develop environmentally friendly acetylene hydrochlorination catalysts with high efficiency to replace HgCl2, copper-based catalysts were prepared by the impregnation method. The catalyst with the best performance was finally obtained by adding organic additives NHP. The acetylene conversion rate of the catalyst reached 89%, and the test conditions were T = 150 °C, GHSV(C2H2) = 90 h−1, VHCl/VC2H2 = 1:1.08. The characterization results of XRD, TEM, and ICP showed that NHP improved the dispersion of Cu and reduced the loss of Cu. In addition, from the results of TPR and XPS, the NHP inhibited the reduction of Cuα+ to Cu0, thereby preserving the long-term stability of the catalyst. The BET and TGA results show that the addition of organic additives greatly suppressed the formation of carbon deposits during the catalyst reaction process. Overall, this research provided a series of high-performance Cu-based catalysts obtained by the addition of organic additives NHP.Graphical

Organic matter addition promotes Cd immobilization in alkaline paddy soils

Straw incorporation into the soil is a common agricultural practice, but its effect on soil cadmium (Cd) mobility is not well understood. We added 0–20 g kg−1 organic matters (OMs) with different C/N ratios to three spiked alkaline paddy soils that contained a realistically low concentration of total Cd (0.94 mg kg−1), and then investigated soil Cd solubility in alternate watering conditions. As current physical and chemical methods have difficulties in accurately determining the distribution and speciation of Cd in soil at a low concentration, we measured multiple soil properties to identify key factors regulating dissolved Cd concentration. For all three soils, pH and dissolved Cd concentration both decreased after flooding and increased after subsequent drying. OM addition significantly reduced soil Cd solubility at both flooding and drying stages. Random forest and linear regressions further confirmed that soil total organic carbon, rather than pH, dissolved organic carbon, or total inorganic carbon as previously suggested, was the primary predictor of Cd solubility. OMs with different C/N ratios had similar effects on soil Cd solubility, whereas the effect of OM addition rate depended on soil type. The results demonstrated the potential of straw incorporation for the remediation of Cd-contaminated alkaline paddy soils, through mechanisms that differ from those reported for acid soils.Graphical

Dissolved organic carbon diminishes manganese oxide-driven oxidation of chromium

Oxidation of chromium (Cr)-bearing minerals by manganese (Mn) oxides is viewed as the dominant mechanism controlling geogenic production of Cr(VI) and its contamination of groundwater. This process may be modulated by other chemical constituents found in the natural environment, but such confounding factors have not been quantified. Here, we evaluated the mechanism of Cr(III) oxidation by mixed-valence Mn oxide in the presence of citric and gallic acids, two natural organic matter (NOM) constituents commonly found in the soil environment. Incubation experiments showed that each organic acid enhanced solubilization of Cr(III) and Mn over controls without organic addition but increasing organic acid concentration decreased production of Cr(VI), with approximately 8.5 times less Cr(VI) produced in the citric acid than gallic acid experiments. X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed that negligible Cr(VI) was present in solid-phase reaction products, regardless of treatment. Geochemical modeling revealed that in the citric acid experiments, unprotonated Cr(III)-citrate was the dominant organo-metallic complex in solution, while (CrOH)2+ distribution positively correlated with concentrations of Cr(VI) produced. Collectively, these results illustrate how NOM can modify expected chemical pathways driving Cr cycling, and such mechanistic information should be better integrated into models predicting Cr redox dynamics and availability in the environment.

Ingestion of car tire crumb rubber and uptake of associated chemicals by lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus)

Car tire rubber constitutes one of the largest fractions of microplastics emissions to the environment. The two main emission sources are tire wear particles (TWPs) formed through abrasion during driving and runoff of crumb rubber (CR) granulate produced from end-of-life tires that is used as infill on artificial sports fields. Both tire wear particles and crumb rubber contain a complex mixture of metal and organic chemical additives, and exposure to both the particulate forms and their leachates can cause adverse effects in aquatic species. An understanding of the exposure pathways and mechanisms of toxicity are, however, scarce. While the most abundant metals and organic chemicals in car tire rubber have multiple other applications, para-phenylenediamines (PDs) are primarily used as rubber antioxidants and were recently shown to cause negative effects in aquatic organisms. The present study investigated the responses of the marine lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) to crumb rubber exposure in a controlled feeding experiment. Juvenile fish were offered crumb rubber particles with their feed for 1 week, followed by 2 weeks of depuration. Crumb rubber particle ingestion occurred in >75% of exposed individuals, with a maximum of 84 particles observed in one specimen. Gastrointestinal tract retention times varied, with some organisms having no crumb rubber particles and others still containing up to 33 crumb rubber particles at the end of the experiment. Blood samples were analyzed for metals and organic chemicals, with ICP-MS analysis revealing there was no uptake of metals by the exposed fish. Interestingly, high resolution GC-MS analysis indicated that uptake of PDs into lumpfish blood was proportionate to the number of ingested CR particles. Three of the PDs found in blood were the same as those identified in the additive mixture Vulkanox3100. N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) was the most concentrated PD in both the crumb rubber and lumpfish blood. The transformation product 6PPD-quinone was detected in the rubber material, but not in the blood. This study demonstrates that PDs are specific and bioavailable chemicals in car tire rubber that have the potential to serve as biomarkers of recent exposure to tire chemicals, where simple blood samples could be used to assess recent tire chemical exposure in vertebrates, including humans.

Tailoring CaCO3 microstructure to improve trace phosphate removal from water

The phosphorus raw material is in crisis, and the demand for P-fertilizer production is increasing, therefore different sources are sought. The trace concentration of phosphorus in treated domestic wastewater is a potential point of recovery as an alternative source of phosphate solids. In this study, we synthesized CaCO3 with a specific microstructure with an enhanced kinetics for the removal of trace concentrations of phosphate from a model solution. The crystalline morphology of the materials was tailored by the addition of organic additives into the CaCO3 precipitation solution. We synthesized CaCO3 by mixing Na2CO3 and CaCl2 water solutions and different concentrations of citrate (from 3 to 152 mM, equal to 1.2, 11.3 and 50.6 % citrate/Ca2+) as morphology modifiers. Samples were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, and nitrogen physisorption. The crystalline structure of all materials corresponds to calcite crystals; however three main properties: the crystalline habit, crystallite size, and surface area, change in function of the citrate concentration used in the synthesis. Particularly, CaCO3 synthesized in a 50 % citrate/Ca2+ (sample C3) consists of agglomerates of porous peanut-shaped calcite crystals, with a crystallite size of 28 nm, and a surface area of 29.8 m2/g. Selected samples were tested for the removal of phosphate from water in batch and column experiments. In batch experiments, sample C3 was able to reduce 80 % of the phosphate within minutes from a solution with an initial concentration of 2.4 mg P/L, using a CaCO3 dose of 1.3 g/L. Sample C3 was tested for the removal of phosphate in a fluidized bed column system. The spent material showed calcium phosphate precipitates as verified by XRD characterization, revealing a surface precipitation removal mechanism.

Legacy effects of wheat season organic fertilizer addition on microbial co-occurrence networks, soil function, and yield of the subsequent maize season in a wheat-maize rotation system

Organic fertilizer can alleviate soil degradation. While numerous studies have explored the immediate impacts of organic fertilizer on soil properties and crop production, the legacy effects of organic fertilizer addition remain less understood. This research investigated the subsequent effects of organic fertilizer addition during the winter wheat season on soil microbial community structure, co-occurrence networks, soil function, and summer maize yield from 2018 to 2020. Six fertilization treatments were implemented as chemical nitrogen fertilizer (N) alone or combined sheep manure and nitrogen fertilizer (SMN) at low, medium, and high fertilization levels during the winter wheat season, with only N fertilizer applied during the maize season. The findings revealed significant variations in bacterial and fungal community structures between the SMN and N treatments. The SMN treatments increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes and decreased the relative abundance of Rokubacteria, Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Chloroflexi, and Nitrospirae compared to the N treatment. The SMN treatments had higher fungal network connectivity and lower mean path distance and modularity than the N treatment, resulting in heightened sensitivity of fungi to environmental changes. The legacy effects of organic fertilizer changed the functional potential of the N and C cycles, with keystone taxa such as Proteobacteria, Actinomycetes, Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Bacteroides, and Ascomycota significantly correlating with functional genes related to the C and N cycles. Surprisingly, no significant differences in summer maize yield occurred between the SMN and N treatments. However, the random forest model revealed that the SMN treatments had significantly higher explanatory power of soil microbial community structure for maize yield (74.31%) than the N treatment (13.07%). These results were corroborated in subsequent studies and underscore the legacy effects of organic fertilizer addition on soil microbial communities. This research offers valuable insights into organic fertilizer use for enhancing soil quality and sustaining agricultural productivity.

The Effect of Application Various Doses of Cow Manure and NPK (16:16:16) on Soil Properties and The Growth of Red Lettuce (Lactuca sativa Var. Acephala)

Red lettuce is one of the horticultural crops that has many benefits and can increase the economic income of farming families. Cultivation of red lettuce plants requires proper maintenance and fertilization to increase the yield of red lettuce plants. To complement nutrients, the addition of organic and NPK fertilizers is required. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of cow manure and NPK fertilizers 16:16:16 on soil properties and the growth of red lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa Var. Acephala). The method used in this research is an experimental method with a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) experiment consisting of two factors, namely factor I is cow manure (K) and factor II is Pearl NPK fertilizer (16:16:16) (P). Each treatment was repeated 3 times so that a total of 27 experimental polybags were obtained. The treatment with cow manure 10 tons/ha has the best value of C-organic (3.55%) and porosity (56.76%). The highest weight of wet stems of red lettuce plants was obtained in the treatment of 300 kg/ha NPK fertilizer and 10 tons/ha cow manure at 35.14 grams.

Mineral magnetic properties of urban forest soils tailored to soil quality indicator

Ecosystem surveys reveal the benefits to society, provided by the natural environment, which in turn is chiefly regulated by the geodiversity. Thus, physico-chemical processes regulating the solid rock/sediment response to environmental changes comprise an important part in the assessment of natural ecosystems. Environmental magnetism provides a wide set of field and laboratory data able to discover natural and anthropogenic processes affecting different environmental compartments. Despite this, geosciences and environmental magnetism in particular, are under-represented in ecosystem assessment tools due to the lack of unified and clearly articulated application template. In this study, we propose a new mineral magnetic indicator of soil’s quality, based on detailed appraisal of field- and laboratory mineral magnetic characteristics of a collection of 453 urban topsoil samples. Field magnetic susceptibility (Kfield) and laboratory measurements of magnetic parameters revealed that soil magnetism reflects sensitively soils affected by vehicle traffic and park’s alleys foot load from semi-natural soil. Geochemical analyses of the content of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) on a sub-set of samples was used for magnetic data validation. Correlation analysis showed strong positive link between magnetic parameters and the main PTEs, the strongest being obtained between magnetic susceptibility and the complex pollution load index (PLI). Factor analysis suggested that three factors account for the 74% of data variability. They were assigned to: 1) traffic emissions, 2) pedogenic contribution and 3) lithogenic input plus anthropogenic organic waste additions. Novel mineral magnetic Indicator (MAG) was defined, combining information on composition, concentration and grain size of ferrimagnetic iron oxides, using scored contributions from five magnetic parameters and grain size sensitive ratios. Evaluation of the spatial MAG map showed its suitability as a complex indicator of soils’ contamination with PTEs. Kfield reflected sensitively overall anthropogenic load not necessarily related to PTEs contamination but also to foot trampling and application of fertilizers.

Simplifying the Synthesis of Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous, crystalline materials constructed from organic linkers and inorganic nodes that have attracted widespread interest due to their permanent porosity and highly modular structures. However, the large volumes of organic solvents and additives, long reaction times, and specialized equipment typically required to synthesize MOFs hinder their widespread adoption in both academia and industry. Recently, our lab has developed several user-friendly methods for the gram-scale (1-100 g) preparation of MOFs. Herein, we summarize our progress in the development of high-concentration solvothermal, mechanochemical, and ionothermal syntheses of MOFs, as well as in minimizing the amount of modulators required to prepare highly crystalline Zr-MOFs. To begin, we detail our work elucidating key features of acid modulation in Zr-MOFs to improve upon current dilute solvothermal syntheses. Choosing an optimal modulator maximizes the crystallinity and porosity of Zr-MOFs while minimizing the quantity of modulator needed, reducing the waste associated with MOF synthesis. By evaluating a range of modulators, we identify the pKa, size, and structural similarity of the modulator to the linker as controlling factors in modulating ability. In the following section, we describe two high-concentration solvothermal methods for the synthesis of Zr-MOFs and demonstrate their generality among a range of frameworks. We also target the M2(dobdc) (M = Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd; dobdc4- = 2,5-dioxido-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) family of MOFs for high-concentration synthesis and introduce a two-step preparation of several variants that proceeds through a novel kinetic phase. The high-concentration methods we discuss produce MOFs on multi-gram scale with comparable properties to those prepared under traditional dilute solvothermal conditions. Next, to further curtail solvent waste and accelerate reaction times, we discuss the mechanochemical preparation of M2(dobdc) MOFs utilizing liquid amine additives in a planetary ball mill, which we also apply to the synthesis of two related salicylate frameworks. These samples exhibit comparable porosities to traditional dilute solvothermal samples but can be synthesized in just minutes, as opposed to days, and require under 1 mL of liquid additive to prepare ~0.5 g of material. In the following section, we discuss our efforts to avoid specialized equipment and eliminate solvent use entirely by employing ionothermal conditions to prepare a variety of azolate- and salicylate-based MOFs. Simply combining metal chloride (hydrate) salts with organic linkers at temperatures above the melting points of the salts affords high-quality framework materials. Further, ionothermal conditions enable the syntheses of two new Fe(III) M2(dobdc) derivatives that cannot be synthesized under normal solvothermal conditions. Last, as a demonstrative example, we discuss our efforts to synthesize 100 g of high-quality Mg2(dobdc) in a single batch using a high-concentration (1.0 M) hydrothermal synthesis. Our Account will be of significant interest to researchers aiming to prepare gram-scale quantities of MOFs for further study.

Durability of organic blended lime mortar and its shear bond strength in brick masonry

Durability of historical structures is one of the most significant parameters that is appreciable and is of utmost importance. From studies conducted earlier it has been witnessed that the lime mortar used in these structures is embedded with organic additives that has enhanced the different properties of the mortar. Therefore, understanding the behaviour of these additives and their impact on the durability of the mortar is of significance use. To witness the effect of an additives on the mortar, jaggery, egg, and jute are taken as organic additives in the present study. To determine the durability properties of these organic-based lime mortar, acid attack, alkali attack, and wetting and drying tests has been performed. Further, the bond strength of these organic lime mortar in brick masonry has been examined by performing a triplet test. According to the sulphuric acid attack test, the lime mortar with jute as an additive has shown the best results with only a 5% loss in strength which is 23 % in lime mortar without any additive. In the alkali resistance test also, jute has shown exceptional behaviour with a strength loss of 1.5% which is 22% in lime mortar without additive. In the triplet test, the shear bond strength of jaggery-based mortar is 27.77% higher than the mortar without additive, hence showing the best result in the shear bond test. These results can be used in the studies conducted to repair and reconstruction of our heritage structures that need to be revived.

Insights into the effects of multiple frequency ultrasound combined with acid treatments on the physicochemical and thermal properties of brown rice postcooking

This study was proposed to improve the taste of ready-to-eat rice by suitable organic acid addition with brown rice as the raw material and to investigate the effects of multiple frequency ultrasound combined with glucono-δ-lactone (GDL) on the physicochemical properties of brown rice grains under different treatment conditions, which included the moisture content, appearance, texture profile analysis (TPA) and microstructure of brown rice. This study showed that 2.2 g/100 mL GDL can reduce brown rice's pH < 4.6. Sensory evaluation revealed that its sour taste was similar to that of the control group (without acid), while it complied with the product specification for acidified canned food. The soaking brown rice for 30 min showed 23.3 g/100 mL moisture content, but the soaking process combined with multiple frequency (40/80 kHz) ultrasound at 200, 400, and 600 W enhanced the moisture content to 23.7–25.6 g/100 mL. This heat moisture treatment (HMT) improved the brown rice starch's modified thermal properties and texture while the optimal condition of 25.6 g/100 mL moisture content with multiple frequency ultrasound 400 W combined with 2.2 g/100 mL GDL was satisfactory for producing ready-to-eat brown rice with appearance integrity, improved brightness, and chewiness without unpleasant sourness.

Combination of recommended macro fertilizers and solid organic fertilizers for sweet corn on medium land in Inceptisol soil types

One of the horticulture products in Indonesia with a large market potential is sweetcorn, which is greatly influenced by the amount of organic matter at the planting site. The study was carried out in the IP2TP BSIP Malang, from March to July 2022. ANOVA was performed for data analysis using a fully randomized design (RBD) with 9 treatments and 3 replicates, and when there were discrepancies in the results, a DMRT analysis was conducted at a 5% level of confidence. This study aimed to ascertain how organic fertilizer affected sweetcorn yield and growth. The findings demonstrated that treatments variable plant height and leaf count had the highest values. The best results for diameter and cob length were obtained in treatment I with a combination of 1,000 kg/ha of organic fertilizer, 750 kg/ha, and 500 kg/ha, which is one recommended dose of NPK plus 500 kg/ha. In comparison to the control treatment, all treatments with the addition of organic fertilizer demonstrated significant improvements in sweet corn production per hectare. The B/C ratio value of 2.86 supports these findings, demonstrating that the maize production per ha is a plant treated with 1 recommended dose of NPK + organic fertilizer at 500 kg/ha.