Simple Production Research Articles

Acetamide Electrosynthesis from CO2 and Nitrite in Water

AbstractRenewable electricity driven electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a promising solution to carbon neutralization, which mainly generate simple carbon products. It is of great importance to produce more valuable C−N chemicals from CO2 and nitrogen species. However, it is challenging to co‐reduce CO2 and NO3−/NO2− to generate aldoxime an important intermediate in the electrocatalytic C−N coupling process. Herein, we report the successful electrochemical conversion of CO2 and NO2− to acetamide for the first time over copper catalysts under alkaline condition through a gas diffusion electrode. Operando spectroelectrochemical characterizations and DFT calculations, suggest acetaldehyde and hydroxylamine identified as key intermediates undergo a nucleophilic addition reaction to produce acetaldoxime, which is then dehydrated to acetonitrile and followed by hydrolysis to give acetamide under highly local alkaline environment and electric field. Moreover, the above mechanism was successfully extended to the formation of phenylacetamide. This study provides a new strategy to synthesize highly valued amides from CO2 and wastewater.

Preparation of high performance membrane via one-step polymerization and co-deposition of polydopamine/zwitterionic monomers/poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate

Membrane separation is an effective method for water purification. However, conventional preparation processes for the membranes usually suffer from complicated production technology and lack versatility. Mussel-inspired chemistry has generated extensive interest in exploring a facile strategy for the preparation of polymeric membranes. In this work, a simple, green and time saving strategy is proposed for accomplishing the surface functionalization via one-step polymerization and co-deposition of dopamine/zwitterion/poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA). The chain segment of the zwitterion can tightly bind water molecules upon the membrane surface, enhancing the hydrophilicity of the membrane. The chain segment of PEGDA can offer cross-linking sites during the co-deposition process, facilitating the formation of the network structure. The retention to dyes for the membranes prepared with PEGDA was higher than those membranes prepared without PEGDA. The optimized membrane exhibited high water permeance up to 25.9 L m−2 h−1 bar−1, with rejection of 99.7 % and 99.6 % for Methyl blue and Congo Red. Meanwhile, the anti-bacterial rate for the optimized membrane reaches 75.9 %, and the water flux recovery rate (FRR) is as high as 86.65 %. The results cast a light on the exploration of the PDA-based NF membranes, featuring simple production technology and versatile capabilities for the separation of various dyes.

One-step molten salt-assisted preparation of crab shell-based hierarchical porous carbon for capacitive energy storage

Carbon-based materials have become the most commonly used electrode materials for supercapacitors due to their simple production and low preparation cost. The preparation of hierarchical porous carbon materials with excellent properties using biomass materials is a very valuable study. Therefore, we used crab shells as carbon precursors to prepare crab shell-based carbon materials by using the self-templating method (CaCO3) combined with low-temperature eutectic molten salt. When the composition of the eutectic salt was CaCl2/KCl (molar ratio of 43:57) and the mass ratio of crab shells to eutectic salt was 1:5, the prepared crab-shell-based carbon material (CC-CaK-5) exhibited excellent physical and electrochemical properties with high specific surface area (1193.7 m2g−1), rich heteroatom doping (O (7.83 %) and N (6.71 %)), and high specific capacitance (290 Fg−1 at 0.5 Ag−1).The CC-CaK-5//CC-CaK-5 devices assembled with CC-CaK-5 as the electrode material exhibited excellent electrochemical performance. At a current density of 1 Ag−1, the capacitance value of the device remained at 93.11 % of the initial capacitance value after 5000 cycles. The energy density reached 6.95 Whkg−1 at a power density of 302.09 Wkg−1 and remained at 4.71 Whkg−1 at a power density of 13,037.54 Wkg−1.

Dual Roles of Supporting Electrolytes in Organic Electrosynthesis

AbstractSynthetic electro‐organic chemistry is advancing to a well‐established methodology in academic research and industry. The simple process control minimizes reagent waste and avoids using toxic and environmentally unfriendly redox agents, providing a feasible and sustainable alternative to conventional techniques. However, a fundamental disadvantage, is the necessity of ion‐conductive components within the electrolyte. The recovery of these supporting electrolytes, as well as simple product isolation, pose challenges for work‐up strategies. This review presents the following electrochemical protocols featuring a simple material‐ and resource‐saving strategy: the dual role of supporting electrolytes as conductivity enabling components and reagents or meditators. This review is the first to conclude and categorize dual role strategies for the supporting electrolytes. It may inspire electrochemists to advance the development and optimization of electrochemical synthesis protocols towards more material‐ and resource‐efficient reaction control.

The Assistance of Sukosari Bandongan Elementary School Teachers through STEM Education as a Provision for Learning Innovation

Background. This community service program is encouraged by the need for partners, which is the absence of specific activities related to the development of science and technology. Therefore, through the introduction of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in the learning, it is expected that this program can provide a lighter for the Sukosari Bandongan Elementary School teachers. STEM forms quality human resources to reason, think critically, logically, and systematically so that later they can be useful in facing global challenges and solving problems in everyday life.
 Purpose. This program aims to provide teachers with learning innovations through STEM education.
 Method. The activity consists of training in making simple products from the surrounding environment which can later be used as learning media. The training is carried out using lecture, discussion, practice, and mentoring methods.
 Results. The expected output is an increase in basic knowledge, especially in the field of science and technology which is manifested in simple STEM-based products. There are also some other products like training modules, posters, and publications of service results on social media. 
 Conclusion. STEM education is a form of assistance to Sukosari elementary school teachers in improving learning innovation. The teachers need assistance to explore learning materials that can be integrated with STEM. They have very good motivation in practicing simple STEM-based tools. This can be seen from those who actively participate in the training sessions, practice properly, and ask some questions about some matters they do not yet clearly understand. The created simple products can be simple demonstration examples in a STEM-nuanced learning.

Evaluation of the Potential Effect of Postbiotics Obtained from Honey Bees against Varroa destructor and Their Combination with Other Organic Products.

The Varroa destructor mite infests Apis mellifera colonies and causes significant harm. Traditional treatments have become less effective because of mite resistance development and can also generate residues inside beehives. This study aimed to gauge the efficacy of a beehive-derived postbiotic in reducing V. destructor viability and to explore its synergies with organic compounds. Four lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus helsingborgensis, Bacillus velezensis, and Apilactobacillus kunkeei, were isolated and tested in a postbiotic form (preparations of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components) via bioassays. L. mesenteroides, L. helsingborgensis, and B. velezensis notably reduced the mite viability compared to the control, and they were further tested together as a single postbiotic product (POS). Further bioassays were performed to assess the impact of the POS and its combinations with oxalic acid and oregano essential oil. The simple products and combinations (POS/Oregano, POS/Oxalic, Oregano/Oxalic, and POS/Oregano/Oxalic) decreased the mite viability. The most effective were the oxalic acid combinations (POS/Oregano/Oxalic, Oxalic/Oregano, POS/Oxalic), showing significant improvements compared to the individual products. These findings highlight the potential of combining organic products as a vital strategy for controlling V. destructor infection. This study suggests that these combinations could serve as essential tools for combating the impact of mites on bee colonies.

Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) green synthesis of silver nanoparticles: antimicrobial efficacy and ecotoxicological assessment.

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is usually based on expensive methods that use or generate chemicals that can negatively impact the environment. Our study presents a simple one-step synthesis process for obtaining AgNP using an aqueous extract of Amazonian fruit açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) as the reducing and stabilizing agents. The bio-synthesized AgNP (bio-AgNP) were comprehensively characterized by diverse techniques, and as a result, 20-nm spherical particles (transmission electron microscopy) were obtained. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) confirmed the presence of crystalline AgNP, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) suggested that polyphenolic compounds of açaí were present on the surface. The bio-AgNP showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii. In Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to 10μg/L bio-AgNP for 96h, there were no significant effects on growth, reproduction, or reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration; however, there was an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) enzymatic activity. In contrast, when worms were exposed to chemically synthesized AgNP (PVP-AgNP), an increase in ROS, SOD, and GST activity and a reduction in oxidative stress resistance were observed. In conclusion, our study not only showcased the potential of açaí in the simple and rapid production of AgNP but also highlighted the broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of the synthesized nanoparticles using our protocol. Moreover, our findings revealed that these AgNPs exhibited reduced toxicity to C. elegans at environmentally realistic concentrations compared with PVP-AgNP.

Knowledge Management and Competitive Advantage in Selected Manufacturing Firms in Akwa Ibom State

This paper was designed to examine the relationship between Knowledge management and Organizational competitiveness. The main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between knowledge management and competitive advantage in selected manufacturing firms in Akwa Ibom State. In line with the research objective was the research questions and hypothesis. Survey research design was adopted for the study and a sample size of 105 respondents were drawn from the population using census sampling technique. The major instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire administered to the respondent using stratified sampling techniques. The major instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire administered to the respondent using stratified sampling techniques. Data collected were analysed using simple percentage and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Results showed a significant positive relationship between each of the two dimensions of knowledge management (organizational learning, = Rx1 =0.799 amd Knowledge retention = Rx2 =0. 825**,) and organizational competitiveness at the selected manufacturing firms in Akwa Ibom State. It was recommended that, firm managers and knowledge management implementation members should incorporate organizational learning, knowledge retension, as part of Knowledge Management infrastructure capabilities in addition to culture, structure, and information technology in order to make their Knowledge Management infrastructure capabilities more robust.

Effects of co‐fermentation of high‐yield ester Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the quality of rice wine

AbstractBackgroundAt present, rice wine has the characteristics of fast fermentation, energy saving, and simple production due to the addition of commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, this kind of fermented rice wine has the disadvantages of single flavor and weak taste. To address this concern, the combination of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non‐Saccharomyces yeast has been identified as an effective approach to enhance the quality of fermented rice wine. This research aims to further enhance the ethyl ester and higher alcohol components of rice wine by utilizing the co‐fermentation method of high‐yield ester Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, thereby increasing the aroma complexity of rice wine.ResultsAccording to the fermentation performance and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis, it was found that S. cerevisiae GJM and Z. rouxii SC01 have a strong metabolic ability for glucose and sucrose. Furthermore, the crucial alcohols such as isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, and phenylethyl alcohol increased by 85%, 29%, and 138%, respectively, when compared to single S. cerevisiae GJM. Additionally, the ethyl acetate and phenylethylene acetate were increased by 1.35 and 1.45 times, respectively, when compared to single S. cerevisiae GJM. These findings were comparable with the results of sensory evaluation and electronic nose analysis, where the fruit flavor score and the content of mellow substances were found to be higher.ConclusionThese findings suggest that the co‐fermentation of S. cerevisiae and high‐yield ester Z. rouxii has the potential to enhance the quality and diversity of aroma in liquid rice wine.

Nonlocal Finite-Depth Circuits for Constructing Symmetry-Protected Topological States and Quantum Cellular Automata

Whether a given target state can be prepared by starting with a simple product state and acting with a finite-depth quantum circuit is a key question in condensed matter physics and quantum information science. It underpins classifications of topological phases, as well as the understanding of topological quantum codes, and has obvious relevance for device implementations. Traditionally, this question assumes that the quantum circuit is made up of unitary gates that are . Inspired by the advent of noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices, we reconsider this question with k- gates, i.e., gates that act on no more than k degrees of freedom but are not restricted to be geometrically local. First, we construct explicit finite-depth circuits of symmetric k-local gates that create symmetry-protected topological (SPT) states from an initial product state. Our construction applies to SPT states protected by global symmetries or subsystem symmetries but not to those with higher-form symmetries, which we conjecture remain nontrivial. Next, we show how to implement arbitrary translationally invariant quantum cellular automata in any dimension using finite-depth circuits of k-local gates. These results imply that the topological classifications of SPT phases and quantum cellular automata both collapse to a single trivial phase in the presence of k-local interactions. We furthermore argue that SPT phases are fragile to k-local symmetric perturbations. We conclude by discussing the implications for other phases, such as fracton phases, and surveying future directions. Our analysis opens a new experimentally motivated conceptual direction examining the stability of phases and the feasibility of state preparation without the assumption of geometric locality. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

A rotary extrusion system with a rectangular-orifice nozzle: toward adaptive resolution in material extrusion additive manufacturing

AbstractMaterial extrusion additive manufacturing (MEAM) has revolutionized the production of complex designs while minimizing the amount of effort required due to its simple production pipeline. However, MEAM naturally comes with a well-known trade-off; higher build resolution often tends to enhance the product quality at the cost of a slower build rate. Nozzles, the standard tool for thermoplastic extrusion in MEAM, have evolved into a crucial component of the process for controlling the product’s build resolution. The purpose of this study is to investigate the details of a novel extrusion system that makes use of a rotating nozzle with an unconventional aperture, in contrast to its typical (i.e., circular-orifice) counterparts. The unique nozzle configuration that lacks axial symmetry allows for precise control over the effective dimension of the extrusion via rotational guiding. By positioning the oblong orifice at intermediate orientations, the presented approach seeks to provide continuously variable intralayer and interlayer resolutions for MEAM processes. This paper explores the distinctive characteristics of this new nozzle design as well as the potential uses of the novel extrusion system. The outcomes of the conducted tests demonstrate the proof-of-concept for creating variable bead width within the layers, in addition to adaptable layer heights throughout the 3D objects. Possible limitations of the new approach and future perspectives are discussed in detail.

Printed electronics-based biosensors

Printed electronics have attracted enormous interest owing to their large production capability, low cost, and environmentally friendly properties. Printed electronics-based biosensors have also achieved increasing attention in different domains that range from laboratory to home for many applications. They will be necessary for the implementation of next-generation platforms due to printing simplifies the fabrication of platforms on several thin, rigid, and/or flexible substrates. Moreover, the printed electronics-based biosensors show an excellent chance to facilitate fast, sensitive, and real-time screening of several molecules to exploit their features. Printing technology has strong impacts to assemble more customizable and simpler production of biosensors with great resolution and combination with microfluidic and electronics systems. This review is a summary of recent progress in printed electronics-based biosensors to produce various electronic devices and circuits and also supplies a review of the properties of printed electronics-based biosensors in different applications. In the end, up-to-date experiments of the latest studies of the printed electronics-based biosensors for various target molecules is reported.

Graphene oxide-DNA/graphene oxide-PDDA sandwiched membranes with neuromorphic function.

The behavior of polyelectrolytes in confined spaces has direct relevance to the protein mediated ion transport in living organisms. In this paper, we govern lithium chloride transport by the interface provided by polyelectrolytes, polycation, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and, polyanion, double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA), in confined graphene oxide (GO) membranes. Polyelectrolyte-GO interfaces demonstrate neuromorphic functions that were successfully applied with nanochannel ion interactions contributed, resulting in ion memory effects. Excitatory and inhibitory post-synaptic currents were tuned continuously as the number of pulses applied increased accordingly, increasing decay times. Furthermore, we demonstrated the short-term memory of a trained vs untrained device in computation. On account of its simple and safe production along with its robustness and stability, we anticipate our device to be a low dimensional building block for arrays to embed artificial neural networks in hardware for neuromorphic computing. Additionally, incorporating such devices with sensing and actuating parts for a complete feedback loop produces robotics with its own ability to learn by modifying actuation based on sensing data.

Streamlined Adeno-Associated Virus Production Using Suspension HEK293T Cells.

Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) are valuable viral vectors for in vivo gene transfer, also having significant ex vivo therapeutic potential. Continued efforts have focused on various gene therapy applications, capsid engineering, and scalable manufacturing processes. Adherent cells are commonly used for virus production in most basic science laboratories because of their efficiency and cost. Although suspension cells are easier to handle and scale up compared to adherent cells, their use in virus production is hampered by poor transfection efficiency. In this protocol, we developed a simple scalable AAV production protocol using serum-free-media-adapted HEK293T suspension cells and VirusGEN transfection reagent. The established protocol allows AAV production from transfection to quality analysis of purified AAV within two weeks. Typical vector yields for the described suspension system followed by iodixanol purification range from a total of 1 × 1013 to 1.5 × 1013 vg (vector genome) using 90 mL of cell suspension vs. 1 × 1013 to 2 × 1013 vg using a regular adherent cell protocol (10 × 15 cm dishes). Key features • Adeno-associated virus (AAV) production using serum-free-media-adapted HEK293T suspension cells. • Efficient transfection with VirusGEN. • High AAV yield from small-volume cell culture. Graphical overview.

Development of a generic sample preparation method using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the monitoring of leachable compounds in hospital pharmacy-prepared prefilled drug products.

Performant sample preparation is mandatory in any leachable study to clean and preconcentrate analytes within the sample to offer the best possible extraction recovery as well the best precision for any given substance. The aim consists in developing a sample preparation method for hospital pharmacy-prepared drug products such as long-term storage prefilled syringes, vials and IV bags for the screening of leachable compounds. The Quality Control Laboratory of the Pharmacy of the Lausanne University Hospital (Switzerland) has developed a time- and cost-effective, highly sensitive, robust, and fast method using liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) for the analysis of 205 plastic additives. An innovative setup, based on postcolumn infusion (PCI) using 2% ammonium hydroxide in methanol was used to boost the signal intensity of the analytes in MS detection. A database for extractable and leachable trace assessment (DELTA) was built to assist in the screening process of 205 plastic packaging-related compounds. The development of the sample preparation was based on 33 plastic additive candidates in different hospital pharmacy compounding solutions, and their extraction recovery rates as well as their relative standard deviation were taken into consideration. In conclusion, the developed DLLME was assigned with ultrasound assistance and triple extraction, which brought about extraction recovery rates between 67% and 92%, a good RSD <10%, and a preconcentration factor of 50×. Therefore, DLLME could be considered suitable for the semiquantitative screening of leachable additives in simple hospital pharmacy-prepared prefilled drug products.

Construction and Application of Cost Prediction Model Based on Multiple Linear Regression Analysis

Production cost forecasting is the key link to control the production cost of products, is an important step for enterprises to scientifically plan the future cost level and cost objectives, and is also the basis for enterprises to make scientific decisions. Taking women's clothing as an example, this paper introduces a simple and practical product production cost prediction method based on multiple linear regression mathematical model, describes the establishment process and prediction steps of multiple linear regression mathematical model in detail, and makes a prediction empirical research. It is found that the design difficulty and production volume are the key factors affecting the production cost of women's clothing, while the unit cost of raw materials and the man-hour required for production are not significant. The sample equation was fitted by the least square method, and the mathematical model was established, and the empirical analysis was carried out by SPSS22.0 software. The results show that the model has a high degree of fitting and forecasting ability, and provides a scientific and practical cost forecasting tool for enterprises.

Molten salt-shielded synthesis of Ti3AlC2 as a precursor for large-scale preparation of Ti3C2Tx MXene binder-free film electrode supercapacitors.

MXenes are a group of two-dimensional materials that are promising for many applications, including as film electrode supercapacitors. When synthesizing such materials, special attention is paid to the conditions for obtaining the MAX phase, the chemical, morphological and structural features of which determine the functional properties of the final product. In this study, the Ti3AlC2 precursor is proposed to be obtained using a technologically simple and accessible method of synthesis in molten salt. This method allows reducing the reaction temperature and creating an antioxidant atmosphere. Ti3C2Tx MXene electrode films are produced by the easily scalable blade coating method without a binder. The synthesized materials were studied by X-ray phase analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Electrochemical testing of Ti3C2Tx film electrodes was carried out in a three-electrode configuration in aqueous solutions of 1M H2SO4, 6M KOH, 1M LiOH and 1M Na2SO4 electrolytes. The maximum specific capacity value for Ti3C2Tx MXene binder-free film electrode supercapacitors is obtained in 1M H2SO4 electrolyte (480 F g-1 at a scan rate of 1 mV s-1). The simple, low-cost and scalable production technology and promising electrochemical characteristics of the Ti3C2Tx MXene binder-free film electrode make it an excellent candidate for new-generation supercapacitors.

Reactive deep eutectic solvents for EDC-mediated amide synthesis.

The sustainability of amide bond formation is an ever-present topic in the pharmaceutical industry, as it represents the common motif in many clinically approved drugs. Despite many procedures for accomplishing eco-friendly amide synthesis having been developed, this transformation still remains a contemporary challenge. Herein, we report a greener approach for amide synthesis by using Reactive Deep Eutectic Solvents (RDESs) acting as both the reaction medium and reactants. The procedure not only avoids the use of hazardous solvents but also provides operationally simple product recovery with high purity and efficiency, without chromatographic purification. This approach was efficiently applied to the synthesis of a key intermediate in the production of an active pharmaceutical ingredient like atenolol. The green metrics of the gram-scale procedure were compared to the conventional industrial strategy showing an advancement in the greening of amide synthesis.

Application of Buffer Layer to Improve the Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells

Organic solar cells (OSCs) are widely studied for their advantages such as simple production, low cost, good flexibility, and large‐area printing. The buffer layer between electrodes and the photoactive layer has a significant impact on the efficiency and stability of OSCs. In order to lower the energy barrier height at the interface, provide an Ohmic contact with lower series resistance, and increase the charge collection efficiency of the corresponding electrodes for either holes or electrons, suitable electrode buffer materials can be chosen. The selection of electrode buffer layer has an important effect on the photoelectric conversion efficiency. Therefore, the study of buffer layer characteristics has certain guiding significance for the improvement of device structure and performance optimization. At present, the buffer layer materials used in OSCs are mainly organic polymer materials, organic small molecule materials, metal fluoride, metal oxides, and so on. Herein, the structure and working principle of OSCs are introduced first. Then, the properties and function of buffer layer in OSCs are summarized and discussed. Finally, the application of common buffer layer materials in OSCs is summarized, and how to improve the performance of the device is described.

FLEXURE BASED LINEAR GUIDE WITH MICROMETRIC PRECISION

Linear guides represent the backbone of the manufacturing machines. Their properties have a direct impact on the machine characteristics and so they are given a special attention. Among these, linear guides with micrometric precision are a special case, which normally requires expensive manufacturing processes and complex assembly procedures. This work proposes an alternative design, based on the compliance of materials, which implies a significantly simpler production process, lower overall production costs and a much smaller manufacturing time. The resulted mechanical system will exhibit no backlash, does not require maintenance, has a very long life and is suitable to work in particle contaminated environments.