Sodium carbonate

The electrochemical behaviors of current graphitic carbons are seriously restricted by its low surface area and insufficient interlayer spacing for sodium-ion batteries. Here, sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nanosheets are reported by utilizing sodium dodecyl sulfate as sulfur resource and graphitization additive, showing a controllable interlayer spacing range from 0.38 to 0.41 nm and a high specific surface area up to 898.8 m(2) g(-1) . The obtained carbon exhibits an extraordinary electrochemical activity for sodium-ion storage with a large reversible capacity of 321...

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are expected to be a promising commercial alternative to lithium-ion batteries for grid electricity storage due to their potential low cost in the near future. Up to the present, the anode material still remains a great challenge for the application of SIBs, especially at room temperature. The graphite has an obvious limitation to store larger radius sodium ions (Na+) in comparison with lithium ions (Li+), while the hard carbon with large interlayer distance can demonstrate a relatively high storage capability and durable cycle life...

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the polymethyl acrylate (PMA) additive on the formation of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOX) emission from a diesel coconut and/or Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel-fueled engine. The physicochemical properties of 20% of coconut and/or C. inophyllum biodiesel-diesel blend (B20), 0.03 wt% of PMA with B20 (B20P), and diesel fuel were measured and compared to ASTM D6751, D7467, and EN 14214 standard. The test results showed that the addition of PMA additive with B20 significantly improves the cold-flow properties such as pour point (PP), cloud point (CP), and cold filter plugging point (CFPP)...

Rechargeable sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), as the most promising alternative to commercial lithium-ion batteries, have received tremendous attention during the last decade. Among all the anode materials for SIBs, metal sulfides/selenides (MXs) have shown inspiring results because of their versatile material species and high theoretical capacity. They suffer from large volume expansion, however, which leads to bad cycling performance. Thus, methods such as carbon modification, nanosize design, electrolyte optimization, and cut-off voltage control are used to obtain enhanced performance...

Glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO) are α-oxoaldehydes that can be used as urinary diabetes markers. In this study, their levels were measured using a sample preparation procedure based on salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effect of the derivatization reaction with 2,3-diaminonaphthalene, the addition of acetonitrile and sodium chloride to urine, and the DLLME step using the acetonitrile extract as dispersant solvent and carbon tetrachloride as extractant solvent were carefully optimized...

Oxygen-rich carbon material is successfully fabricated from a porous carbon and evaluated as anode for sodium-ion battery. With the strategy of optimal combination of fast surface redox reaction and reversible intercalation, the oxygen-rich carbon anode exhibits a large reversible capacity (447 mAh g(-1) at 0.2 A g(-1)), high rate capability (172 mAh g(-1) at 20 A g(-1)), and excellent cycling stability.

A sensitive, field-portable microplasma spectroscopy method has been developed for real-time measurement of carbon nanomaterials. The method involves microconcentration of aerosol on a microelectrode tip for subsequent analysis for atomic carbon using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) or spark emission spectroscopy (SES). The spark-induced microplasma was characterized by measuring the excitation temperature (15,000 - 35,000 K), electron density (1.0 × 10(17) - 2.2 × 10(17) cm(-3)), and spectral responses as functions of time and interelectrode distance...

The chemistry of hypervalent iodine(III) compounds has gained great interest over the past 30 years. Hypervalent iodine(III) compounds show valuable ionic reactivity due to their high electrophilicity but also express radical reactivity as single electron oxidants for carbon and heteroatom radical generation. Looking at ionic chemistry, these iodine(III) reagents can act as electrophiles to efficiently construct C-CF3, X-CF3 (X = heteroatom), C-Rf (Rf = perfluoroalkyl), X-Rf, C-N3, C-CN, S-CN, and C-X bonds...

Studies of sodium and potassium intake and cardiovascular disease incidence often rely on self-reported dietary data. Here self-reported intakes from postmenopausal women at 40 participating U.S. clinical centers are calibrated using 24-hour urinary excretion measures in Women's Health Initiative cohorts, with follow-up over 1993-2010. Hypertension incidence related positively to (calibrated) sodium intake and to the ratio of sodium-to-potassium. The sodium-to-potassium ratio was associated with cardiovascular disease incidence during a 12-year average follow-up period...

The supply of inorganic carbon (Ci) at the site of fixation by Rubisco is a key parameter for efficient CO2 fixation in aquatic organisms including the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells, when grown on limiting CO2, have a CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM) that functions to concentrate CO2 at the site of Rubisco. Proteins thought to be involved in inorganic carbon uptake have been identified and localized to the plasma membrane or chloroplast envelope. However, current CCM models suggest that additional molecular components are involved in Ci uptake...

Cost-efficient, visible-light-driven hydrogen production from water is an attractive potential source of clean, sustainable fuel. Here, it is shown that thermal solid state reactions of traditional carbon nitride precursors (cyanamide, melamine) with NaCl, KCl, or CsCl are a cheap and straightforward way to prepare poly(heptazine imide) alkali metal salts, whose thermodynamic stability decreases upon the increase of the metal atom size. The chemical structure of the prepared salts is confirmed by the results of X-ray photoelectron and infrared spectroscopies, powder X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy studies, and, in the case of sodium poly(heptazine imide), additionally by atomic pair distribution function analysis and 2D powder X-ray diffraction pattern simulations...

Based on available literature, ecology and economy of LED (light emitting diode) lights in plant foods production were assessed and compared to HPS (high pressure sodium) and CFL (compact fluorescent light) lamps. The assessment summarises that LEDs are superior compared to other lamp types. LEDs are ideal in luminous efficiency, life span and electricity usage. Mercury, carbon dioxide and heat emissions are also lowest in comparison to HPS and CFL lamps. This indicates that LEDs are indeed economic and eco-friendly lighting devices...

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are efficient, renewable and environment friendly polymeric esters. These polymers are synthesized by a variety of microbes under stress conditions. This study was carried out to check the suitability of waste frying oil in comparison to other oils for economical bioplastic production. Six bacterial strains were isolated and identified as Bacillus cereus (KF270349), Klebsiella pneumoniae (KF270350), Bacillus subtilis (KF270351), Brevibacterium halotolerance (KF270352), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (KF270353), and Stenotrophomonas rhizoposid (KF270354) by ribotyping...

Selecting parents and evaluating progenies is a very important step in breeding programs and involves approaches such as understanding the initial stages of growth and characterizing the variability among genotypes for different parameters, such as physiological, growth, biomass partitioning and nutrient translocation to the aerial part. In these cases, facilitating tools can be used to understand the involved gene dynamics, such as diallel crosses and genetic and phenotypic correlations. Our main hypothesis is that the contrasting phenotypes of these parental genotypes of cocoa used are due to genetic factors, and progenies derived from crosses of these parental genotypes are useful for breeding programs related to plant architecture, physiological parameters and translocation of mineral nutrients...

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease in which clonal LAM cells infiltrate the lungs and lymphatics. In association with recruited fibroblasts, LAM cells form nodules adjacent to lung cysts. It is hypothesized that LAM nodule-derived proteases lead to cyst formation. On protease gene-expression profiling in whole-lung tissue, cathepsin K was 40-fold overexpressed in LAM compared with control lungs (P ≤ 0.0001). Immunohistochemistry confirmed cathepsin K protein in LAM nodules but not in control lungs...

In the present study, biochar combined with a higher dosage of zeolite (Z) and biochar (B) alone were applied as additives for dewatered fresh sewage sludge (DFSS) composting using 130-L working volume lab-scale reactors. We first observed that the addition of a mixture of B and Z to DFSS equivalent to 12%B+10% (Z-1), 15% (Z-2) and 30% (Z-3) zeolite (dry weight basis) worked synergistically as an amendment and increased the composting efficiency compared with a treatment of 12%B alone amended and a control without any amendment...

In this study, zinc-nickel (ZnNi) particles were electrochemically deposited on carbon steel (CS) electrode applying constant current of 1 mA with chronopotentiometry technique. Poly(N-methylpyrrole) (PNMP) film on CS/ZnNi electrode was synthesized with cyclic voltammetry technique from 0.10 M N-methylpyrrole containing 0.20 M sodium oxalate solution. The corrosion performances of coated and uncoated electrodes in 3.5% NaCl solution were evaluated with the help of AC impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and anodic polarisation curves...

Long single-walled carbon nanotubes, with lengths >10 μm, can be spontaneously dissolved by stirring in a sodium naphthalide N,N-dimethylacetamide solution, yielding solutions of individualised nanotubide ions at concentrations up to 0.74 mg mL(-1). This process was directly compared to ultrasonication and found to be less damaging while maintaining greater intrinsic length, with increased individualisation, yield, and concentration. Nanotubide solutions were spun into fibres using a new reactive coagulation process, which covalently grafts a poly(vinyl chloride) matrix to the nanotubes directly at the point of fibre formation...

Exosomes are involved in intercellular communication. We previously reported that sodium butyrate-induced differentiation of HT29 colon cancer cells is associated with a reduced CD133 expression. Herein, we analyzed the role of exosomes in the differentiation of HT29 cells. Exosomes were prepared using ultracentrifugation. Gene expression levels were evaluated by real-time PCR. The cell proliferation rate was assessed by MTT assay and with the electric cell-substrate impedance sensing system, whereas cell motility was assessed using the scratch test and confocal microscopy...

Nanosized SnO2 particles (∼2 nm in diameter) are embedded in ordered mesoporous CMK-8 carbon with unique three-dimensional interconnected pore channels and used as a sodium-ion battery (NIB) anode. Due to the CMK-8 confinement effects, the growth of SnO2 is suppressed during synthesis, leading to high material electroactivity. The CMK-8 not only serves as an electronic conducting pathway, but also creates interpenetrating tunnels, which guarantee electrolyte accessibility and thus Na(+) transport throughout the electrode...