Power-to-chemicals: Low-temperature plasma for lignin depolymerisation in ethanol

Lignin valorisation into renewable fuels and platform chemicals is desirable but still encounters major challenges due to lignin's recalcitrant structure, and the lack of cost-, energy-, and material efficient conversion processes. Herein, we report a low-temperature plasma-based route to lignin depolymerisation at mild conditions. The discharge over ethanol surface locally creating a high-energy and reactive environment rich in free electrons, energetic H radicals, and other reactive species, is well suited for lignin depolymerisation. Furthermore, assisted with a Fenton reaction (by adding Fe₂O₃ and H₂O₂) to sustain a more oxidative environment, the lignin conversion yield increases from 42.6% to 66.0%. Thus-obtained renewable chemicals are rich in aromatics and dicarboxylic acid derivatives. The proposed strategy on intensifying reactive chemistry by high-power plasmas enables an effective power-to-chemicals conversion of lignin and may provide useful guidelines for modern biorefineries.

Sunlight active U3O8@ZnO nanocomposite superfast photocatalyst: synthesis, characterization and application

Sunlight active U₃O₈@ZnO nanocomposite photocatalyst has been synthesized for the first time using co-precipitation method. The synthesized composite has a particle size ranging from 18 nm to 30 nm with band gap energy of 2.9 eV. The composite photocatalyst is capable of degrading methylene blue completely within 30 min under sunlight irradiation. Therefore, this superfast efficient sunlight-active photocatalyst is very useful in industrial organic waste water treatment.

Fabrication of ZnO nanoarchitectured fluorine-free robust superhydrophobic and UV shielding polyester fabrics for umbrella canopies

Mechanically robust, durable, fluorine-free superhydrophobic and UV shielding surfaces are fabricated on polyester umbrella canopy fabrics by self-assembly of stearic acid on zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoarchitectures on polyester fabrics. Drawbacks of conventional umbrella canopies including rain water penetration through the canopy during heavy rains, wet canopies taking too long to dry, and limited blockage of harmful UV radiation have been overcome with the surface modified canopy fabrics in the present study. Herein, in the typical synthesis, the polyester fabric is dipped in Zn(NO₃)₂ : hexamethylenetetraamine (HMT), at 1 : 1 molar ratio solution and heated at 100 °C for 2 h to grow ZnO nanoarchitectures on the fabric surface. Stearic acid is allowed to self-assemble by dipping the fabric in 1 g dm⁻³ stearic acid solution. The modified fabrics are characterized using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. The modified fabrics show superhydrophobicity characterized by water contact angles over 150° with the optimum analyzed conditions. The superhydrophobic layer formed on the fabric is resistant to acid rain and stayed durable throughout 50 abrasion cycles and under 1.5 h strong surfactant washing. The developed method is useful to fabricate a smart umbrella canopy with acid rain resistant, durable, robust superhydrophobic and UV blocking properties.

Mechanically robust, durable, fluorine-free superhydrophobic and UV shielding surfaces are fabricated on polyester umbrella canopy fabrics by self-assembly of stearic acid on zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoarchitectures on polyester fabrics.