The regioregularity and band gap of P3HT, an organic solar cell donor polymer, were improved. Oxidative coupling enhanced regioregularity, voltammetric p-doping broadened the optical absorption band and a molar mass increase reduced the band gap.

The effects of natural honey and its major sugar constituents (i.e. D-fructose, D-glucose, maltose and sucrose) on phagocytic respiratory burst have been studied. Pre-incubated whole blood and isolated leukocytes with honey samples and sugars were induced for phagocytosis and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was monitored by using chemiluminescence assays. Honey samples were found to decrease the luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence in opsonized zymosan-stimulated whole blood and isolated leukocytes with statistically significant differences; indicating inhibition of ROS production including hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl free radical and hypochlorous acid. Thus honey appears to modify the oxidative burst process by inhibiting phagocytic myeloperoxidase activity. Chemiluminescence assays further showed that among the major sugar constituents of honey, D-fructose in high concentration exerted an inhibitory effect on exocytosis-associated myeloperoxidase catalyzed ROS formation. These results pointed out an immuno-modulatory potential of honey in the course of phagocytosis.

Porous catalysts with a higher activated surface area are strategic materials to enhance the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and improve the performance of the microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this investigation, a highly porous cagelike zirconium metal−organic framework (Zr-MOF) was synthesized by the solvothermal method and used as the ORR catalyst in an air-cathode MFC. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed the successful synthesis of Zr-MOF having a high specific surface area of 858 m 2 /g. Cyclic voltammetry analysis demonstrated a sharp ORR peak current at −0.38 V having a current value of 11 mA compared to the negligible amount of peak current observed for cathode having no catalyst. The MFC having Zr-MOF-catalyzed cathode could translate a power density of 131.2 ± 3.5 mW/m 2 at a coulombic efficiency of 29.04 ± 1.54% from the organic matter present in wastewater; these values were comparable with the MFC having 10% Pt/C on cathode (128.7 ± 4.9 mW/m 2 and 29.03 ± 2.76%, respectively). The cost of energy production by the Zr-MOF cathode was estimated to be ca. 4.4 times lower than that by the 10% Pt/C cathode. The performance of MFC indicates that Zr-MOF could be an excellent alternative cathode catalyst, to the costly Pt/C, upon ambitious scale-up of MFCs.

No abstract

No abstract