Titanate nanotubes (TNT) supported AgI nanoparticles were prepared by a two‐step method: the deposition of Ag2O on titanate nanotubes from AgNO3 solution and the subsequent I‐adsorption process from NaI solution. It is found that the supported AgI samples exhibited excellent photoactivity for the selective oxidation of benzylamine to the corresponding imine under visible light illumination and the photocatalyst can be used for many times without apparent activity loss. X‐ray diffraction studies, transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance UV‐Vis spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption measurements were used for the characterization of the as‐prepared and recycled AgI samples. It is found that under visible light irradiation, AgI partially decomposed to produce Ag/AgI nanostructure and thus stabilized. The photoactivity of supported Ag/AgI for the selective oxidation of benzylamine was studied in terms of the light intensity, wavelength, temperature and substituent. It is proposed that the formation of plasmonic Ag nanoparticles should be responsible for the high activity and selectivity.

Enhanced and durable electrocatalytic performance of thin layer PtRu bimetallic alloys on Pd-nanocubes for methanol oxidation reactions.

Abstract

The constant utilization of hydrocarbon-based fuels such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas has resulted in the detection of high concentration levels of sulfur containing gases in the atmosphere of many countries, including Qatar. Among those potential air pollutants, the rising concentrations of H2S and SO2 are of serious concern. In this work, sulfur-based seed solutions (SBSSs) such as sulfite or sulfide solutions are made by purging sulfur-containing gases released from industry into alkaline solutions. These SBSS solutions are simultaneously utilized towards the production of renewable hydrogen energy via a photoelectrochemical (PEC) process, and are used as draw solutions (DS) to produce diluted fertilizer water by a forward osmosis (FO) desalination process for agricultural irrigation purposes. The continuous bench scale of the integrated PEC-FDFO system was successfully demonstrated for simultaneous hydrogen production and dilution of SBSS DS. The experimental results showed that the reduction potential of SBSS DS in the PEC cell changes with variation of SBSS DS concentration and pH. This resulted in the continuous oxidation of sulfite into sulfate and led to more hydrogen production. Moreover, FDFO process exhibited high percentage of water recovery and DS dilution up to 80% and 68% at high SBSS DS concentration, respectively. In binary mixture of SBSS DS, increasing the concentration of ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4 led to high water flux to about 42%. The outcomes of this experimental study showed a successful practical continuous integrated system toward hydrogen production and fertigation.

Many polymers have been found in bioscience paralleling with advancement in a technology sector. A selection of suitable polymers for using in a biomedical sector is based on many factors such as chemical nature, surface free energy or morphology, which influence cell-polymer surface interactions. However, these materials suffering from infections represent serious issues for their applications. These infections closely relate with biofilm formation, whereby microorganisms are strongly attached to surface forming strong attached multicellular communities. Therefore, a preparation of slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) using low-temperature plasma technique in combination with electrospinning technique was utilized in this research. A multistep physicochemical approach was carried out for this purpose. The first step includes the pretreatment of polyethylene (PE) and polyurethane (PU) substrates using low-temperature plasma to activate the surface for an adhesion improvement. Subsequently, the 3D porous network consisted of superhydrophobic fiber mats, that was fabricated on the plasma activated substrates using electrospinning technique. Final step consisted of the infusion of natural oils with emphasis on their antimicrobial effect. This complex strategy led to the effective antimicrobial modification of the PE and PU surface potentially applicable in the biomedical field.