Recovery of Pure Methanol from Humid Gas Using Mn-Co Prussian Blue Analogue

Conventional methanol recovery and purification processes are highly energy-intensive; processes using selective adsorbents that consume low energy are preferable. However, conventional adsorbents have low methanol selectivity under humid conditions. In this study, we develop a selective methanol adsorbent, manganese hexacyanocobaltate (MnHCC), which enables the efficient removal of methanol from waste gas and its subsequent reuse. MnHCC adsorbs 4.8 mmol-methanol/g-adsorbent at 25 °C in a humid gas containing 5000 ppmv of methanol, which is five times higher than the adsorption capacity of activated carbon (0.86 mmol/g). Although MnHCC exhibits the simultaneous adsorption of methanol and water, it has a higher adsorption enthalpy for methanol. Thus, pure methanol (95%) was recovered via thermal desorption at 150 °C after dehydration. The estimated energy of this recovery was 18.9 MJ/kg-methanol, approximately half that of existing mass production methods. MnHCC is reusable and stable even after 10 cyclic experiments. Consequently, MnHCC has the potential to contribute to both the recycling of methanol from waste gas and its low-cost purification.

Flexibility Control of Two-Dimensional Coordination Polymers by Crystal Morphology: Water Adsorption and Thermal Expansion

Layer flexibility in two-dimensional coordination polymers (2D-CPs) contributes to several functional materials as it results in anisotropic structural response to external stimuli. Chemical modification is a common technique for modifying layer structures. This study demonstrates that crystal morphology of a cyanide-bridged 2D-CP of type [Mn(salen)]₂ [ReN(CN)₄ ] (1) consisting of flexible undulating layers significantly impacts the layer configuration and assembly. Nanoplates of 1 showed an in-plane contraction of layers with a longer interlayer distance compared to the micrometer-sized rod-type particles. These effects by crystal morphology on the structure of the 2D-CP impacted the structural flexibility, resulting in dual-functional changes: the enhancement of the sensitivity of structural transformation to water adsorption and modification of anisotropic thermal expansion of 1. Moreover, the nanoplates incorporated new adsorption sites within the layers, resulting in the uptake of an additional water molecule compared to the micrometer-sized rods.

Engineering ferromagnetism in Ni(OH)2 nanosheets using tunable uniaxial pressure in graphene oxide/reduced graphene oxide

The interlayer spaces in two dimensional (2D) layered materials such as graphene, metal oxides and metal chalcogenides can be used in a number of roles that include the trapping of gases, for ion transfer and for water purification applications. In such spaces, "inner" pressure occurs on guest species enclosed between the layers and its variation can, in principal, be used for precisely controlling particular guest properties. In this study, a mixture of two 2D materials including graphene oxide (GO) and nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)₂), was employed to yield an anisotropic GO-Ni(OH)₂ hybrid 2D sheet. The inner pressure associated with this material was able to be tuned by reduction of the GO (to yield rGO) and this in turn was shown to affect the magnetic behaviour of Ni(OH)₂. The ferromagnetic transition temperature (T_c) for Ni(OH)₂ decreases as the interlayer distance became shorter, which is opposite to the behaviour observed for the application of hydrostatic pressure to the hybrid sheet. The uniaxial pressure affecting the interlayer of the 2D material, and generated by the reduction of GO to rGO, has the potential to not only influence the behaviour of a range of magnetic materials, but also individual properties of other types of functional materials.

3D porous Ni/NiOx as a bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst derived from freeze-dried Ni(OH)2

Bifunctional electrocatalytic properties of freeze-dried Ni/NiOx, freeze-dried NiO, and freeze-dried Ni(OH)2 are reported. Freeze-dried Ni(OH)2 was synthesized by the freeze-drying method. Freeze-dried Ni/NiOx and freeze-dried Ni were obtained from the thermal annealing of the material. Both Ni(OH)2 and Ni/NiOx could sustain with freestanding freeze-dried 3D structures without any carbon support. Freeze-dried Ni/NiOx exhibited excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic properties with the ORR performance at 0.62 V (half-wave potential) and OER at 1.47 V (η = 10 mA cm-2). Using freeze-dried metal hydroxides can be considered useful in a wide range of carbon-free applications and can improve the electrocatalytic performance. The bifunctional catalytic activities were calculated to be 0.86, 0.98 and 1.14 V for freeze-dried Ni/NiOx, freeze-dried NiO and freeze-dried Ni(OH)2, respectively. The stacking of 2D sheets into 3D mass seemed to play a vital role behind this excellent bifunctionality of freeze-dried Ni/NiOx. The material reveals possible applications in Zn-air batteries. Besides, the strategy developed herein could be justified to obtain other transition metal-oriented bifunctional electrocatalysts as alternatives to Pt- and Ir/Ru-based expensive benchmark catalysts.

Ion conduction switching between H+ and OH- induced by pH in graphene oxide

Ion conduction through graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets that is pH-switchable between H⁺ (in acid) and OH^- (in base) ions is demonstrated. This finding is the first observation of this type for ion conductive materials and demonstrates an example of stimuli-driven ion-conduction switching.

Successful Heart-Lung Transplant for a Patient on Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Support Complicated With Amiodarone-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis

In this case report, we present a successful case of en bloc heart-lung transplant in a patient with advanced cardiopulmonary respiratory failure from amiodarone-associated pulmonary fibrosis that occurred post-left ventricular assist device implantation.

Development of an All Solid State Battery Incorporating Graphene Oxide as Proton Conductor

Graphene oxide (GO) shows high proton conductivity (≈10-4 Scm-1), excellent mechanical stability, and electrical insulation property, which makes it an ideal candidate for use as a proton conducting solid state electrolyte. The prospects of using GO as single phase solid electrolyte in an all solid battery is presented herein. A battery with the cell configuration: Zn + ZnSO4•7H2O + graphite (anode) || GO (electrolyte) || MnO2 + graphite (cathode) is fabricated. Cyclic voltammetry confirms its rechargeable nature. The respective discharge capacity and power density of the cell are 360 μAh and 19.5 mW kg-1 at a constant current drain of 3 μA under the experimental conditions employed. GO based proton conductors are cleaner and cheaper than other solid electrolytes. The current study strongly suggests that GO can be used as a practical and beneficial component in solid state battery applications with low energy feedback.

Oxidation route dependent proton conductivities of oxidized fullerenes

Proton conductivities of oxidized fullerenes from different types of oxidizing agents were measured. Among all, NaOH treated fullerenes were showed higher proton conductivity.

[Effects of prostaglandin E1 on cerebral blood flow, cerebrospinal fluid pressure, and spinal subarachnoidal compliance]

In enflurane-anesthetized subjects, controlled hypotension was induced by the intravenous administration of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), and its effects on the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and intracranial pressure (ICP) were investigated by using changes in the flow velocity of the ophthalmic artery (OPA) and cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) as indices, respectively. After measurements of these hemodynamic variables, the spinal subarachnoidal compliance was also determined, and its relationship with the flow velocity in the ophthalmic artery and CSFP was investigated. The results of the study suggest that PGE1 causes no significant changes in CSFP and that cerebral blood flow is well-maintained despite a reduction in cerebral perfusion pressure.

The degree of muscle relaxation requested by the surgens during upper abdominal surgery

The degree of muscle relaxation required for the abdominal surgery should differ at different phase of operation. To test this hypothesis muscle relaxation was assessed subjectively by the surgeon and the results were compared with quantitative observations of the degree of response depression to train of four (t4) stimulation at various stages of surgery. Maximum relaxation, with a t4 ratio of less than 10%, was required immediately after the skin incision and during closure of the abdominal wall, while the requirement was minimal during the major part of surgery when the intra-abdominal procedures were performed.

[The effect of RO15-1788 on the interaction between pancuronium and diazepam]

Some reports have shown that diazepam potentiates the neuromuscular blocking effect of pancuronium in in vitro experiments. Another report shows that a receptor for diazepam is present in the rat diaphragm and there is a direct blocking effect by diazepam of the neuromuscular junction of diaphragm muscle. Such interaction, consequently, may be related to the peripheral diazepam receptor. Based on such a hypothesis, RO15-1788, a recently developed diazepam antagonist, was used in an attempt to clarify the mechanism of such interaction. Hemidiaphragm preparations were immersed in an organ bath filled with Krebs solution which was bubbled with 95% oxygen and 5% carbon dioxide at 37 degrees C. The phrenic nerves were stimulated supramaximally at 0.1 Hz intervals. Mechanical twitch responses were recorded. The preparations were divided into five groups (group 1: treated with only 30 microM of diazepam, group 2: treated with 30 microM of diazepam and 3.0 microM of RO15-1788, group 3: treated with 30 microM of diazepam and 4.0 microM of RO15-1788, group 4: treated with 30 microM of diazepam and 6.6 microM of RO15-1788, group 5: without diazepam and RO15-1788). Cumulative dose-response curves were determined for pancuronium, and ED50 was calculated from each of the 5 curves. There was almost no effect of RO15-1788 in group 2, but RO15-1788 increased ED50 for 20% in group 3 (ED50 3.04 +/- 0.10 microM) and for 35% in group 4 (ED50 3.12 +/- 0.07 microM), respectively, as compared with group 1 (ED50 2.76 +/- 0.08 microM). This phenomenon shows that diazepam was antagonized significantly by RO15-1788.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)