Surface Pore Research Articles

Mechanically Mixed Thermally Expanded Graphite/Cobalt(II) Perrhenate—Co(ReO4)2—As Electrodes in Hybrid Symmetric Supercapacitors

A mechanically homogenized composite of expanded graphite and cobalt(II) perrhenate has been described. Cobalt(II) perrhenate was obtained in a reaction of perrhenic acid with cobalt(II) nitrate. A simple mortar homogenization method was used to enhance the intercalation of cobalt species within the carbon matrix. The specific capacitance of the composite was enhanced by 50% (to 78 F/g) in comparison to bare expanded graphite (52 F/g). The electrochemical characteristics were significantly improved, including better cyclability (7% capacitance loss), a lower resistance of the electrode material, and a lower iR drop, with respect to expanded graphite without cobalt(II) perrhenate active species. Expanded graphite, with its unique specific surface area and pore size diameter, was proved to be a potential and cheap carbon support.

What do phytoliths from pottery cooking vessels represent? Insights from Neolithic Stavroupoli (northern Greece)

The analysis of charred food crust from cooking vessels offers an opportunity to recover and study residues originating from culinary practices, such as phytoliths from cereal-based meals or other plant ingredients, serving as direct evidence of past food preparation and consumption activities. However, the presence of charred food crusts is sporadic in archaeological records, making it challenging to rely solely on them to reconstruct past culinary practices through phytolith analysis. Valuable dietary evidence has also been obtained through the analysis of phytoliths in the sediment adhering to the porous surfaces of ceramic cooking vessels and utensils. However, without the contextual certainty provided by the charred food crust, determining whether the phytoliths recovered from attached sediments represent culinary practices remains a complex task. This paper explores the utility of phytoliths extracted from the sediment attached to the inner walls of cooking vessels for understanding past culinary practices. For this task, phytolith assemblages recovered from charred food crust and the sediment attached to the inner walls of cooking vessels from Neolithic Stavroupoli (ca. 5400–5000 cal. BC) were contrasted to evaluate the similarity between the two assemblages. While this study primarily demonstrates the statistical variation in phytolith assemblages from two distinct sources, the findings offer valuable insights into the feasibility and interpretative value of using phytolith analysis on sediments adhering to cooking vessels to gain insights into past culinary practices, especially in cases where direct food residues, such as charred food crust, are absent.

Lubrication failure mechanism of rolling‑sliding steel ball against oil-impregnated porous polyimide and bearing steel in double friction pair

Oil-impregnated Porous Polyimide (O-PPI) cages have been widely applied in aerospace bearings because of their exceptional performance and self-lubricating characteristics, where the surface blackening failure of the O-PPI cage during the operation process significantly shortens the service lifetime. However, the blackening failure mechanisms are still not fully understood due to the complex multiple contacts between steel balls, the cage, and the inner/outer rings in the bearing system. This study aims to deeply detect the surface blackening failure mechanism of PPI materials with a relevant improvement measuring method. A double-contact rolling-sliding ball holder was developed to simulate the contact and the motion in aerospace bearings with PPI cages, where the blackening phenomenon on the O-PPI surface was replicated as the bearing ball rubbed against the PPI and steel surfaces. Comparative experiments and subsequent characterization results revealed that the iron debris generated at the ball-steel sliding interface was infiltrated into the PPI surface pores along the rolling motion of the steel ball, and then the splitting reaction of PAO oil at the steel-PPI interface catalyzed by the iron (Fe) during friction resulted in the formation of blackening products and further lubrication failure. Based on these findings, effective countermeasures are proposed to prevent similar failures in the future. This analysis is expected to enhance the operational reliability and enlarge the service lifetime of the space-bearing systems.

Fundamental study on hydrogen production by radiation related to material properties of boron-containing geopolymers with reduced water content

ABSTRACT We investigated the radiolytic hydrogen production of geopolymers that are a candidate material for solidifying radioactive waste. The effects of water content and solid properties on the hydrogen production were evaluated by 60Co γ-ray irradiation using geopolymers with and without boric acid, which controls the setting time of the geopolymer. We also constructed a preliminary model of the geopolymer pore structure and calculated the dose to water on the pore surface using Monte Carlo simulation. Hydrogen production was influenced by water content, specific surface area, and electron density of elements in the solid, and increased as these values increased. Simulation results suggested that the amount of hydrogen was affected by the dose of Compton electrons generated by γ-ray irradiation on the geopolymer solid to water on the pore surface. The apparent hydrogen production yield of the geopolymer containing boric acid was 1.1 × 10−8 mol/J, less than 1/4 of that of water. When this sample was heated over 800°C, it decreased to 1.0 × 10−9 mol/J. In contrast, the apparent hydrogen production yield based on the energy absorbed by water in the geopolymer was larger than that of water and increased with a decrease in water content. Furthermore, it decreased below 0.2 wt.% water content.

Pore Environmental Modification by Amino Groups in Robust Microporous MOFs for SF6 Capturing and SF6/N2 Separation.

Capturing and separating the greenhouse gas SF6 from nitrogen N2 have significant greenhouse mitigation potential and economic benefits. We used a pore engineering strategy to manipulate the pore environment of the metal-organic framework (MOF) by incorporating organic functional groups (-NH2). This resulted in an enhanced adsorption of SF6 and separation of the SF6/N2 mixture in the MOF. The introduction of amino (-NH2) groups into YTU-29 resulted in a reduction of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface but an increase in interactions with SF6 within the confined pores. Water-stable YTU-29-NH2 showed a significantly higher SF6 uptake (95.5 cm3/g) than YTU-29 (77.4 cm3/g). The results of the breakthrough experiments show that YTU-29-NH2 has a significantly improved separation performance for SF6/N2 mixtures, with a high SF6 capture of 0.88 mmol/g compared to 0.56 mmol/g by YTU-29. This improvement is due to the suitable pore confinement and accessible -NH2 groups on pore surfaces. Considering its excellent regeneration ability and cycling performance, ultrastable YTU-29-NH2 demonstrates great potential for SF6 capturing and SF6/N2 separation.

Highly stable mesoporous Ni-phyllosilicate particle under high temperature hydrothermal and base conditions towards industrial catalytic applications

Two mesoporous nickel phyllosilicate (Ni-PS) samples with Ni/Si ratios of 0.3 and 1 were used to compare high-temperature hydrothermal stability. The Ni-PS structures have well-developed porosity and pore size distributions mainly ranging from 2 to 20 nm. To assess their hydrothermal resistance as a reusable heterogeneous catalyst in high-temperature reactions, the samples were exposed to 800 °C for 7 days using steam-supplied muffle furnaces. Three types of mesoporous silica samples (i.e. MCM-41, SBA-15, and mesoporous benzene-silica) and two zeolites (i.e. ZSM-5 and zeolite-Y) were compared under the same conditions. The hydrothermal resistance was primarily confirmed based on changes in pore size distribution and surface area through nitrogen-sorption isotherm analysis. The crystal structure and the binding energy of each sample were investigated by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. The Ni-PS structures displayed excellent stability (i.e. BET surface area retained over 77 % and 65 % after 1-d and 7-d treatment, respectively.) compared with other mesoporous samples, and even higher stability than zeolite Y. In addition, structural stability at pH = 10 is much higher than that of ZSM-5. This suggests that it could be used for various catalytic chemical reactions including hydrogenation and cracking processes because NiO and Ni nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the surface, maintaining their particle shape even after a reduction process.

Irinotecan-loaded magnetite-silica core-shell systems for colorectal cancer treatment

Colorectal cancer represents a worldwide spread type of cancer and it is regarded as one of the leading death causes, along with lung, breast, and prostate cancers. Since conventional surgical resection and chemotherapy proved limited efficiency, the use of alternative drug delivery systems that ensure the controlled release of cytostatic agents possess immense potential for treatment. In this regard, the present study aimed to develop and evaluate the efficiency of a series of irinotecan-loaded magnetite-silica core–shell systems. The magnetite particles were obtained through a solvothermal treatment, while the silica shell was obtained through the Stöber method directly onto the surface of magnetite particles. Subsequently, the core–shell systems were physico-chemically and morpho-structurally evaluated trough X-ray diffraction (XRD) and (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy ((HR-)TEM) equipped with a High Annular Angular Dark Field Detector (HAADF) for elemental mapping. After the irinotecan loading, the drug delivery systems were evaluated through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), and UV–Vis spectrophotometry. Additionally, the Brunauer–Emmett-Teller (BET) method was employed for determining the surface area and pore volume of the systems. The biological functionality of the core-shells was investigated through the MTT assay performed on both normal and cancer cells. The results of the study confirmed the formation of highly crystalline magnetite particles comprising the core and mesoporous silica layers of sizes varying between 2 and 7 nm as the shell. Additionally, the drug loading and release was dependent on the type of the silica synthesis procedure, since the lack of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) resulted in higher drug loading but lower cumulative release. Moreover, the nanostructured systems demonstrated a targeted efficiency towards HT-29 colorectal adenocarcinoma cells, as in the case of normal L929 fibroblast cells, the cell viability was higher than for the pristine drug. In this manner, this study provides the means and procedures for developing drug delivery systems with applicability in the treatment of cancer.

Tailor-Made Heterocharged Covalent Organic Framework Membrane for Efficient Ion Separation.

Pore size sieving, Donnan exclusion, and their combined effects seriously affect ion separation of membrane processes. However, traditional polymer-based membranes face some challenges in precisely controlling both charge distribution and pore size on the membrane surface, which hinders the ion separation performance, such as heavy metal ion removal. Herein, the heterocharged covalent organic framework (COF) membrane is reported by assembling two kinds of ionic COF nanosheets with opposite charges and different pore sizes. By manipulating the stacking quantity and sequence of two kinds of nanosheets, the impact of membrane surface charge and pore size on the separation performance of monovalent and multivalent ions is investigated. For the separation of anions, the effect of pore size sieving is dominant, while for the separation of cations, the effect of Donnan exclusion is dominant. The heterocharged TpEBr/TpPa-SO3H membrane with a positively charged upper layer and a negatively charged bottom layer exhibits excellent rejection of multivalent anions and cations (Ni2+, Cd2+, Cr2+, CrO4 2-, SeO3 2-, etc). The strategy provides not only high-performance COF membranes for ion separation but also an inspiration for the engineering of heterocharged membranes.

Synergistic catalytic performance of Co–Fe/CQD nanocatalyst for rapid hydrogen generation through NaBH4 hydrolysis

In this study, a bimetallic Co–Fe nanocatalyst supported on carbon quantum dots (CQDs) is introduced as an effective catalyst for promoting hydrogen generation upon hydrolysis of sodium borohydride. Hydrothermal synthesis routes were used to produce CQDs support. All samples were subjected to analysis using XRD, UV–Vis, Raman, FTIR, FESEM, EDX, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption techniques. Benefiting from the higher surface area (51 m2gr), pore volume (0.200 mLgr), and good dispersion of Co–Fe nanoparticles over the CQDs support, the CoFe/CQD spherical nanocatalysts with 5 wt.% iron content exhibited the highest catalytic activity of 20200 mL/min.gcat within only 1 min of reaction. The kinetics studies revealed a low activation energy of 48 kJ/mol over this optimum catalyst. In addition, it was found that the catalytic performance of this catalyst was decreased after 4 runs of recycling experiments. Catalyst degradation and leaching of the active phase were likely responsible for the decline in catalyst performance.

Artificial Intelligence and High-Throughput Computational Workflows Empowering the Fast Screening of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Hydrogen Storage.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are one of the most promising hydrogen-storing materials due to their rich specific surface area, adjustable topological and pore structures, and modified functional groups. In this work, we developed automatically parallel computational workflows for high-throughput screening of ∼11,600 MOFs from the CoRE database and discovered 69 top-performing MOF candidates with work capacity greater than 1.00 wt % at 298.5 K and a pressure swing between 100 and 0.1 bar, which is at least twice that of MOF-5. In particular, ZITRUP, OQFAJ01, WANHOL, and VATYIZ showed excellent hydrogen storage performance of 4.48, 3.16, 2.19, and 2.16 wt %. We specifically analyzed the relationship between pore-limiting diameter, largest cavity diameter, void fraction, open metal sites, metal elements or nonmetallic atomic elements, and deliverable capacity and found that not only geometrical and physical features of crystalline but also chemical properties of adsorbate sites determined the H2 storage capacity of MOFs at room temperature. It is highlighted that we first proposed the modified crystal graph convolutional neural networks by incorporating the obtained geometrical and physical features into the convolutional high-dimensional feature vectors of period crystal structures for predicting H2 storage performance, which can improve the prediction accuracy of the neural network from the former mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.064 wt % to the current MAE of 0.047 wt % and shorten the consuming time to about 10-4 times of high-throughput computational screening. This work opens a new avenue toward high-throughput screening of MOFs for H2 adsorption capacity, which can be extended for the screening and discovery of other functional materials.

MXene-Derived TiO2/Starbon Nanocomposite as a Remarkable Electrode Material for Coin-Cell Symmetric Supercapacitor.

In this study, the synthesis of a MXene (Ti3C2Tx)-derivedTiO2/starbon (M-TiO2/Starbon-800°C) nanocompositeusingafacilecalcination method is explored. High-temperature exposure transforms layered Ti3C2Tx into rod-like TiO2 and starbon into amorphous carbon. The resulting M-TiO2/Starbon-800°C nanocomposite exhibits a significantly larger surface area and pore volume compared to its individual components, leading to superior electrochemical performance. In a three-electrode configuration, the nanocomposite achieved a specific capacitance (Csp) of 1352Fg⁻¹ at 1Ag⁻¹, while retaining more than 99% of its Csp after 50000 charge/discharge cycles. Furthermore, when incorporated into a two-electrode symmetric coin cell, it demonstrates a Csp of 115Fg⁻¹ along with exceptional long cycle life. Moreover, the device shows an energy density (ED) of 51Whkg-1 and a power density (PD) of 7912Wkg-1 at 5Ag-1. The enhanced charge storage is attributed to the formation of a porous structure with a high specific surface area resulting from the interaction between M-TiO2 nanorods and starbon, which facilitates efficient ion penetration.

Biosorption of pb(II) from aqueous solution by citrus reticulate: adsorption studies, and modeling

Removing toxic Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution by the peels of citrus reticulate (mandarin orange), a fruit industry waste, presents suitable scale-up possibilities. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) studies reflected that the mandarin orange peel powder had a porous surface area (32.46 m2g−1), average pore size and pore volume was 38.6 Å and 0.402 cm3g−1, respectively, favorable for binding Pb(II) ions. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed C-Br stretching, primary alcohol (C-O), phenolic O-H, and carbodimide N = C = N bands primarily helped to bind Pb(II) ions. The study evaluated and optimized the parametric influences of pH, adsorbate and biosorbent concentration, contact time and temperature on the removal efficiency of Pb(II) ions. A maximum of 97.08% Pb(II) was removed from 20 mg L−1 solution when 2.5 g L−1 adsorbent was present. The reaction obeyed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The intra-particle diffusion was involved in lead sorption. The Langmuir isotherm model resulted in an adsorption capacity of 23.04 mg g−1. 35.28% Pb(II) was removed in the 3rd adsorption-desorption cycle with 0.4 M HCl. The adsorption process was natural, impulsive and endothermic. The statistical investigation used Multiple Polynomial Regression (MPR) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). The analysis effectively forecasted the percentage removal at the optimized condition.

Fabrication of Stable Liquid-like Wetting Buckled Surfaces as Bioinspired Antibiofouling Coatings by Using Silicon-Containing Block Copolymers.

Inspired by animals with a slippery epidermis, durable slippery antibiofouling coatings with liquid-like wetting buckled surfaces are successfully constructed in this study by combining dynamic-interfacial-release-induced buckling with self-assembled silicon-containing diblock copolymer (diBCP). The core diBCP material is polystyrene-block-poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PS-b-PDMS). Because silicon-containing polymers with intrinsic characters of low surface energy, they easily flow over and cover a surface after it has undergone controlled thermal treatment, generating a slippery wetting layer on which can eliminate polar interactions with biomolecules. Additionally, microbuckled patterns result in curved surfaces, which offer fewer points at which organisms can attach to the surface. Different from traditional slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces, the proposed liquid-like PDMS wetting layer, chemically bonded with PS, is stable and slippery but does not flow away. PS-b-PDMS diBCPs with various PDMS volume fractions are studied to compare the influence of PDMS segment length on antibiofouling performance. The surface characteristics of the diBCPs─ease of processing, transparency, and antibiofouling, anti-icing, and self-cleaning abilities─are examined under various conditions. Being able to fabricate ecofriendly silicon-based lubricant layers without needing to use fluorinated compounds and costly material precursors is an advantage in industrial practice.

Study on multifunctional magnesium copper zinc spinel ferrite nanoparticles prepared by hydrothermal route; Physical, electrical, and anti-microbial investigation

Polycrystalline spinel ferrite nanoparticles of Mg0.70-XCuXZn0.30Fe2O4(X=0.0,0.15,0.30,0.45,0.60) were prepared by hydrothermal approach. The structural modification by X-ray diffraction of Mg-Zn spinel ferrite with Cu2+ substitution was recorded through crystallite size (11–14 nm), Lattice dimension (8.34–8.38 A°), strain (7×10−3-9×10−3) and dislocation density (4×1015-7×1015) respectively. The formation of spinel structure (Fe-O) was identified by FTIR with a vibration band around 400–600 cm−1. Also, the Rietveld refined XRD pattern confirmed the presence of a cubical spinel structure. The electron microscopic (SEM) analysis revealed sphere-cubical agglomerates of the prepared material. TEM analysis revealed that the particles were inside the nanoscale range, with an average particle size of 15.97 nm determined using a lognormal histogram. The existence of the expected elements is confirmed by EDS spectra. From BET data, surface parameters including surface area (39.938–92.643 m2/gm), volume (2.355 × 10−1 to 2.52 × 10−1 gm/cm3), pore radius (5.0831–12.650 nm), and pore size distribution were determined. The magnetic parameters Ms (20–34 emu/g), Hc (30–39 Oe), and Mr (1.3–2.8 emu/g) obtained by VSM measurements indicate the single domain, pseudo single domain and multi-domain nature of as prepared nanoparticles and lower dielectric parameters at high frequency obtain from dielectric spectroscopy indicate the suitability of the material for switching devices, power application energy storage, and high-frequency applications. The antibacterial efficacy of the synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) was evaluated against different harmful bacteria and demonstrated the desired zone of inhibition (ZOI).

Investigating the Effects of Lubricant Infusion Methods on Polymer SLIPS.

Slippery lubricant infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs) are promising bioinspired surfaces with self-healing and droplet wetting properties, among many others, that are desirable due to their range of applications. Recently, there have been many developments in the SLIPS field regarding the creation of textured surfaces and lubricant selection. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the method of lubricant infusion. In this study, we aim to fill this void by investigating different infusion methods that impose external forces on the lubricant. We developed our SLIPS by hot embossing nanostructures onto polypropylene by using molds that were laser micromachined. These textured surfaces were then infused with silicone oil using three different infusion methods: ultrasonication, vacuum, and hydrostatic pressure. We analyzed the wettability and slipperiness of the SLIPS by evaluating the critical tilt angle and comparing the sliding velocities of water droplets on each sample at a tilt angle of 20°. Additionally, the durability of the SLIPS was tested by dropping 50 successive water drops onto the samples and evaluating the droplet-surface interactions throughout. The sonicated infusion method yielded SLIPS that performed the best with a contact angle hysteresis of 13°, a critical tilt angle of 18.3°, a sliding velocity of 1.66 mm/s, and the least accumulation of droplets over time with use. These values are greatly improved when compared to the control sample where lubricant was simply dripped on, which resulted in a contact angle hysteresis of 20°, a critical tilt angle of 26.3°, and a sliding velocity of 0.23 mm/s. The sonicated and drip infusion methods were also compared with different materials (stainless steel) and different textures (microstructures). It was found that the improvement in slipperiness using the sonicated infusion method is prominent for nanoscale textures on both stainless steel and polypropylene. In this study, we discuss the challenges with oil depletion in SLIPS (cloaking and wetting ridges) and with the selection of contact angle measurement methods. While further investigation as to why certain applied forces during infusion yield better SLIPS is warranted, these forces greatly affect the outcome. This work suggests that researchers should consider using sonication or other methods of lubricant infusion that apply external forces as infusion techniques to yield better SLIPS on the nanoscale.

A molecular dynamics study on pore structure: Performance comparison between metal foam and artificial mesh porous surface

With the development of surface engineering, porous surfaces have emerged as a significant research subject in boiling heat transfer. The latter, in turn, plays a crucial role in various industries such as power plants, distillation plants, and microelectronic technology. In this paper, the Molecular Dynamics method is adopted to investigate the wicking dynamics and boiling dynamics of two porous surfaces: foam, which exhibits randomly distributed pores, and mesh, composed of ordered square wires with relatively uniform pore sizes. Three wettability, namely hydrophilic, neutral, and hydrophobic wetting states, are assigned to the two porous surfaces de-coupling the effect of wettability from surface structure. Results reveal that, during the wicking process, the foam surface shows better wetting ability as it absorbs liquid under both hydrophilic and neutral wettability. Comparatively, the mesh surface has the fastest wicking speed under hydrophilic wettability yet it becomes non-wetting under neutral wettability. During the boiling process, the boiling dynamics differ greatly under three wettability. More importantly, the difference in surface structure makes the foam surface possess a better heat transfer whereas the mesh surface causes gentle pressure variation. Our findings provide insights into the design of artificial porous surfaces for certain purpose and their potential application.

Structural modification of CNT-C xerogel through synthesis parameters

This study focuses on the synthesis of porous carbonaceous structures by drying resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) gels under ambient conditions and then carbonizing them in an inert atmosphere. This avoids the expensive drying processes like supercritical drying or freeze drying. However, drying under ambient conditions does cause structural shrinkage and a reduction in porosity and specific surface area. Therefore, the goal of this study was to compensate for these structural degradations by adjusting other synthesis and process parameters, such as solvent exchange, drying condition, content of water, catalyst, and CNT in the gel. In the present study, different organic solvents such as t-butanol, ethanol, and acetone were used to replace the water in the hydrogels at a certain R/F molar ratio (1:2). The experimental results showed that t-butanol, with its low surface tension, resulted in a structure with a high specific surface area and pore volume. Regarding the catalyst dosage, by changing the R/C molar ratio between 71 and 849, the best structural properties were obtained using R/C∼200. Increasing the water content from 15 to 30 mL led to a decrease in specific surface area and pore volume. Drying the gel at an oven temperature of 85 °C resulted in the highest specific surface area, pore volume, and mean pore diameter. Increasing the dosage of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the range of 20–150 mg led to an increase in total pore volume and mean pore diameter. The results of this work can be a step forward towards the industrialization of these materials in various applications.

Confinement and synergy effects of supported-confined bimetal catalysts with superior stability and catalytic activity

Bimetallic nanocrystals have attracted considerable attention because of their complicated systems, which are far superior to those of their individual constituents. A TiO2-confined PtMnP bimetallic catalyst (PtMnP@TiO2) was prepared using an ultrasonic-assisted coincident strategy, which demonstrated exceptional catalytic activity in the universal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Owing to the bimetallic synergistic effect and TiO2 confinement, PtMnP@TiOx showed ultrasmall metal nanoparticles (NPs), a higher active Pt0 content, adequate activation at the porous surface, and abundant acid sites. Simulations were performed to visualize the strain properties of Mn and Pt during the bending process and demonstrate the high activity of Pt. The Pt-Mn bimetallic catalysts were enriched with Pt NPs, convoyed by electron transfer from Mn to Pt. Briefly, PtMnP@TiO2 showed robust evolution reaction activities (an overpotential of 220 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 186 mV dec−1) and the ability to contrast stated catalysts without ultrasonication-plasma. This protocol revealed that the geometrical and electronic effects of Pt and P surrounding the Mn species in PtMnP@TiO2 were crucial for increasing the catalytic activity (99%) and durability (over 20 cycles), which were far superior to those of other reported catalysts.

Deformable-boundary integral formulation for the solution of arbitrarily-forced acoustic wave equation

The propagation of perturbations in fluids is governed by an acoustic wave equation. This paper, first, introduces an arbitrarily-forced wave equation which, properly adapted, gives rise to equations describing specific phenomena of signal perturbation propagation in fluids (like, for instance, the Lighthill and Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkings equations for radiation and scattering). Then, its solution is determined through a novel boundary integral formulation based on the free-space Green function, which is applicable to fluid domains bounded by solid or porous deformable surfaces. Different versions of the proposed boundary integral formulation can be derived, depending on the frame of reference in which they are expressed. The numerical investigation begins with the comparison of the results obtained by the presented formulation against analytical solutions concerning both a pulsating solid sphere and a deformable porous surface that encloses pulsating sources. Then, the equivalence of the formulations expressed in different frames is examined for a bending and twisting non-lifting wing translating at different Mach numbers. Finally, the aeroacoustic field generated by a helicopter rotor model in forward flight is examined to assess the effect of the body deformation on the radiated noise and the accuracy of the numerical simulations by comparison with experimental data. The results of the numerical investigation have provided a comprehensive validation of the deformable-boundary integral formulation presented for the analysis of wave propagation in fluids, and confirmed its capability to study problems of engineering interest.

Selective extraction of captafol from blood and river water samples using molecularly imprinted polymers

In this study, the captafol molecularly imprinted polymers were first prepared using the precipitation polymerization method, using captafol as the template molecule and acrylamide (Am) as the functional monomer. The synthesized polymers have spherical particles with a loose, porous surface, as determined through scanning electron microscopy. The polymer was analyzed using BET, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The polymers demonstrated a high adsorption efficiency of up to 90 % and specific recognition ability towards captafol, based on the results of the dynamic and static adsorption assays. The factors affecting MIPs’ binding efficiency were carefully optimized. Studies were established to analyze captafol in water and human blood serum samples under optimal conditions. Through adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms, and selectivity tests, this suggested approach demonstrated good MIP adsorption characteristics for captafol. The resulting Cap-MIPs showed notable selectivity for captafol as compared to folpet, high adsorption capacity (90 %), and good reusability, with the ability to reach adsorption equilibrium in less than 60 min. The results showed that the Cap-MIPs strategy exhibited high selectivity, good consistency, and high sensitivity, making it an efficient way to enrich and recognize captafol in a complex blood serum matrix