Investigation of titanium liquid/gas diffusion layers in proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells

In a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell (PEMEC), liquid/gas diffusion layer (LGDL) is expected to transport electrons, heat, and reactants/products to and from the catalyst layer with minimum voltage, current, thermal, interfacial, and fluidic losses. In addition, carbon materials, which are typically used in PEM fuel cells (PEMFCs), are unsuitable in PEMECs due to the high ohmic potential and highly oxidative environment of the oxygen electrode. In this study, a set of titanium gas diffusion layers with different thicknesses and porosities are designed and examined coupled with the development of a robust titanium bipolar plate. It has been found that the performance of electrolyzer improves along with a decrease in thickness or porosity of the anode LGDL of titanium woven meshes. The ohmic resistance of anode LGDL and contact resistance between anode LGDL and the anode catalyst play dominant roles in electrolyzer performance, and better performance can be obtained by reducing ohmic resistance. Thin titanium LGDLs with straight-through pores and optimal pore morphologies are recommended for the future developments of low-cost LGDLs with minimum ohmic/transport losses.     

Direct methanol fuel cell bubble removal mechanism using magnetic actuation

This article develops a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) with a magnet-actuated bubble removal mechanism. A micro-DC motor is used to control the bubble removal mechanism. The lower magnetic device is operated to extrude a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) runner to compress the liquid fuel in the anode flow channel, forcing the CO₂ bubbles in the runner to flow toward the outlet end. The bubble retention in the anode flow channel is thereby improved, enhancing the cell performance. The proposed mechanism stability and performance and Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) runner are also discussed.     

分子筛催化剂生产废水的生物处理

采用氨化—硝化—反硝化三段联合生物工艺处理分子筛催化剂生产过程中产生的含有机胺废水。实验结果表明：在氨化过程中,当进水COD稳定为1 200~1 600 mg/L时,出水COD低于300 mg/L,COD去除率稳定在80%左右,当进水ρ（有机氮）为100~160 mg/L时,出水ρ（有机氮）均低于30 mg/L,有机氮去除率大于80%,在整个氨化过程中,出水ρ（氨氮）较进水ρ（氨氮）提高了35~200 mg/L;硝化过程中,当进水ρ（氨氮）小于等于300 mg/L时,出水ρ（氨氮）最终稳定在15 mg/L以内,氨氮去除率大于90%;在反硝化过程中,亚硝酸盐氮去除率基本稳定在98%以上,最终出水COD低于80 mg/L,出水ρ（总氮）低于25 mg/L。     

生物阴极式碳纸隔膜微生物燃料电池的反硝化和产电性能

为了探讨生物阴极式廉价隔膜微生物燃料电池(microbial fuel cell,MFC)的基本性能,首先以生物反硝化作用为基础构建了生物阴极MFC,并进一步以涂布聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)的廉价碳纸代替昂贵的质子交换膜(PEM)构建碳纸隔膜生物阴极式MFC。研究结果显示,对于生物阴极式MFC,阴极室中最适宜反硝化细菌生长的NO-3-N浓度为99.2 mg/L,此时输出电压最高可达0.11 V,1 h内NO-3-N的去除率达到80.0%,COD去除率为62.8%;以涂PTFE的碳纸代替PEM的生物阴极式MFC与有PEM的MFC最高输出电压基本一致(均达到0.22 V,外阻500Ω),但碳纸隔膜MFC的产电更稳定。结果验证了廉价隔膜生物阴极式MFC的可行性,并为其应用于污水脱氮奠定基础。     

表面活性剂改性4A分子筛对Cr(VI)的吸附行为

采用浸渍法对4A分子筛进行表面改性,通过引入阳离子表面活性剂,使4A分子筛表面附着季铵型阳离子,并与反离子Br-形成"阴离子交换膜",从而促使更多的Cr(VI)阴离子通过离子交换吸附到改性4A分子筛上,通过X-射线衍射(XRD)和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)对样品的物相结构和组成进行表征分析。研究表明,表面活性剂的类型和疏水碳氢链结构会影响4A分子筛的吸附能力,十八烷基三甲基溴化铵(OTAB)碳氢链长,在分子筛表面形成的双分子层密,对Cr(VI)的吸附量最大。采用准一级、准二级、Elovich和Bangham动力学模型对六价铬的吸附数据进行拟合,其中准一级动力学方程最符合十八烷基三甲基溴化铵改性分子筛的吸附行为。同时,分别从Langmuir和Redlich-Peterson等温吸附模型获得六价铬的最大吸附量为13.98 mg/g,且改性分子筛以均一表面吸附为主。     

Corynebacterium glutamicum as an indicator for environmental cobalt and silver stress–A proteome analysis

Cobalt and silver are toxic for cells, but mechanisms of this toxicity are largely unknown. Analysis of Corynebacterium glutamicum proteome from cells grown in control and cobalt or silver enriched media was performed by two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) followed by mass spectrometry. Our results indicate that the cell adapted to cobalt stress by inducing five defense mechanisms: Scavenging of free radicals, promotion of the generation of energy, reparation of DNA, reparation and biogenesis of Fe-S cluster proteins and supporting and reparation of cell wall. In response to the detoxification of Ag⁺ many proteins were up-regulated, which involved reparation of damaged DNA, minimizing the toxic effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and energy generation. Overexpression of proteins involved in cell wall biosynthesis (1,4-alpha-glucan branching enzyme and nucleoside-diphosphate-sugar epimerase) upon cobalt stress and induction of proteins involved in energy metabolism (2-methylcitrate dehydratase and 1, 2-methylcitrate synthase) upon silver demonstrate the potential of these enzymes as biomarkers of sub-lethal Ag⁺ and Co toxicity.     

Telomere length in workers was effected by omethoate exposure and interaction between smoking and p21 polymorphisms

Abstract

Omethoate is an organophosphorus pesticide that poses a major health hazard, especially DNA damage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting telomere length in workers exposed to omethoate by analyzing the interaction between cell cycle gene polymorphism and environmental factors. The exposure group consisted of 118 workers exposed to omethoate for 8–10?years, the control group comprised 115 healthy people without occupational toxicant exposure history. The telomere length of genomic DNA from peripheral blood leucocyte was determined with real-time PCR. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to detect the polymorphisms in p53, p21 and MDM2 gene. The telomere length in the (CA?+?AA) genotypes for p21 rs1801270 polymorphism was longer than that in the CC genotype in control group (P?=?0.015). The generalized linear model analysis indicated the interaction of the p21 rs1801270 polymorphic (CA?+?AA) genotypes and smoking has a significant effect on telomere length (β = ?0.258, P?=?0.085). The prolongation of telomere length in omethoate-exposed workers was associated with genotypes (CA?+?AA) of p21 rs1801270, and interactions of (CA?+?AA) genotypes and smoking factor.     

In vitro toxicity of fungicides with different modes of action to alfalfa anthracnose fungus,Colletotrichum destructivum

Abstract

Sensitivity of 24 isolates of Colletotrichum destructivum O’Gara, collected from alfalfa plants in Serbia, to eight selected fungicides, was investigated in this study. Molecular identification and pathogenicity test of isolates tested were also performed. Fungicide sensitivity was evaluated in vitro, using mycelial growth assay method. All isolates exhibited significant pathogenicity, causing necrosis at the alfalfa seedling root tips two days after inoculation. Using the primer pair GSF1-SR1 and by comparing the amplified fragments of the tested isolates with the marker (M), the presence of the amplicon of the expected size of about 900?bp was determined for all isolates. The isolates tested in this study showed different sensitivity towards fungicides in vitro. Mycelial growth was highly inhibited by QoI (quinone outside inhibitors) fungicide pyraclostrobin (mean EC₅₀=0.39?µg mL^?1) and by DMI (demethylation-inhibiting) fungicide tebuconazole (mean EC₅₀=0.61?µg mL^?1), followed by azoxystrobin (mean EC₅₀=2.83?µg mL^?1) and flutriafol (mean EC₅₀=2.11?µg mL^?1). Multi-site fungicide chlorothalonil and MBC (methyl benzimidazole carbamate) fungicide thiophanate-methyl evinced moderate inhibition with mean EC₅₀=35.31 and 62.83?µg mL^?1, respectively. Thirteen isolates were sensitive to SDHI (succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors) fungicide boscalid and fluxapyroxad, (mean EC₅₀=0.49 and 0.19?µg mL^?1, respectively), while the rest of isolates were highly resistant.     

活性艳橙K-7R分子印迹聚合物微球的制备及结合特性研究

以微米级聚苯乙烯微球为种球,活性艳橙K-7R为模板分子,甲基丙烯酸为功能单体,乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯为交联剂,采用单步溶胀聚合法在水相中制得了分子印迹聚合物微球(MIPs),并用平衡吸附实验研究了其吸附性能。通过Scatchard分析,结果表明,MIPs在识别K-7R过程中存在两类结合位点,高亲和力结合位点的平衡离解常数Kd1=14.855μmol/L,最大结合量Qmax1=1.282μmol/g;低亲和力结合位点的平衡离解常数Kd2=70.939μmol/L,最大结合量Qmax2=3.930μmol/g。该MIPs对K-7R有较高的亲和性和选择性。     

阴极液及底物浓度对AFB-MFC同步废水处理及产电性能影响

为了提高厌氧流化床微生物燃料电池（AFB-MFC）的性能,并为双室MFC寻找价廉、易得、无污染的阴极液,在曝气量16～24 L/h、温度（35±2）℃、回流量10.2 L/h、阴极底边距阴极室内底部17.3 cm、外电阻250 Ω、水力停留时间（HRT）14.0～14.9 h以及进水pH 7.81～8.37下,研究了阴极液及底物浓度对系统产电及废水处理性能的影响。结果表明,使用缓冲溶液、阳极室出水和自来水作阴极液时,自来水的产电性能最佳,阴极液种类不影响系统有机基质的去除。以自来水为阴极液时,阴极液pH及电导率随运行时间增加而增加,COD去除率为80.11%～89.29%,输出电压及功率密度开始随运行时间增加而增加,之后稳定在440～452 mV和48.40～51.08 mW/m²之间。增加底物浓度对COD去除率影响不大,而输出电压及功率密度随底物浓度增加而下降;底物COD浓度由3 307.09 mg/L增至9 520 mg/L时,COD去除率在85.77%～94.44%之间,输出电压及功率密度则分别由449 mV和50.40 mW/m²下降至406 mV和41.21 mW/m²。自来水作阴极液可避免二次污染及阴极液对阳极室微生物的影响,并得到高的产电能力。