1. Yearlong variability of oxidative potential of particulate matter in an urban Mediterranean environmentD. Paraskevopoulou, Aikaterini Bougiatioti, Iasonas Stavroulas, T. Fang, Maria Lianou, Eleni Liakakou, Evangelos Gerasopoulos, R. Weber, Athanasios Nenes, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, 2019, original scientific article Abstract: The oxidative potential (OP) of fine and coarse fractions of ambient aerosols was studied in the urban environment of Athens, Greece. OP was quantified using a dithiothreitol (DTT) assay, applied to the water soluble fraction of aerosol that was extracted from 361 fine and 84 coarse mode of 24-h and 12-h filter samples over a one-year period. During the cold period, samples were collected on a 12-h basis, to assess the impact of night-time biomass burning emissions from domestic heating on OP. The chemical characteristics of aerosols were measured in parallel using an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitoring (ACSM) and a 7-wavelength Aethalometer. A source apportionment analysis on the ACSM data resulted in the identification of organic aerosol (OA) factors on a seasonal basis. A good correlation of OP with NO3−, NH4+, BC (Black Carbon), Organics and LV-OOA (low volatility oxygenated OA) was found during winter, revealing the importance of combustion and aging processes for OP. During the summertime, a good correlation between OP and SO4−2 and NH4+indicates its association with regional aerosol – thus the importance of oxidative aging that reduces its association with any characteristic source. Multiple regression analysis during winter revealed that highly oxygenated secondary aerosol (LV-OOA) and, to a lesser extent, fresh biomass burning (BBOA) and fossil fuel (HOA) organic aerosol, are the prime contributors to the OP of fine aerosol, with extrinsic toxicities of 54 ± 22 pmol min−1 μg−1, 28 ± 7 and 17 ± 4 pmol min−1μg−1, respectively. In summer, OP cannot be attributed to any of the identified components and corresponds to a background aerosol value. In winter however, the regression model can reproduce satisfactorily the water soluble DTT activity of fine aerosol, providing a unique equation for the estimation of aerosol OP in an urban Mediterranean environment.
Keywords: oxidative potential, reactive oxygen species, DTT assay, particulate matter, urban aerosol
Published in RUNG: 13.05.2024; Views: 239; Downloads: 0
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2. Plastic Waste Precursor-Derived Fluorescent Carbon and Construction of Ternary FCs@CuO@TiO2 Hybrid Photocatalyst for Hydrogen Production and Sensing ApplicationAkansha Metha, Rayees Ahmad Rather, Blaž Belec, Sandra Gardonio, Ming Fang, Matjaž Valant, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: A sustainable nexus between renewable energy production and plastic abatement is imperative for overall sustainable development. In this regard, this study aims to develop a cheaper and environmentally friendly nexus between plastic waste management, wastewater treatment, and renewable hydrogen production. Fluorescent carbon (FCs) were synthesized from commonly used LDPE (low-density polyethylene) by a facile hydrothermal approach. Optical absorption study revealed an absorption edge around 300 nm and two emission bands at 430 and 470 nm. The morphological analysis showed two different patterns of FCs, a thin sheet with 2D morphology and elongated particles. The sheet-shaped particles are 0.5 μm in size, while as for elongated structures, the size varies from 0.5 to 1 μm. The as-synthesized FCs were used for the detection of metal ions (reference as Cu2+ ions) in water. The fluorescence intensity of FCs versus Cu2+ ions depicts its upright analytical ability with a limit of detection (LOD) reaching 86.5 nM, which is considerably lesser than earlier reported fluorescence probes derived from waste. After the sensing of Cu2+, the as-obtained FCs@Cu2+ was mixed with TiO2 to form a ternary FCs@CuO@TiO2 composite. This ternary composite was utilized for photocatalytic hydrogen production from water under 1.5 AM solar light irradiation. The H2 evolution rate was found to be ~1800 μmolg−1, which is many folds compared to the bare FCs. Moreover, the optimized FCs@CuO@TiO2 ternary composite showed a photocurrent density of ~2.40 mA/cm2 at 1 V vs. Ag/AgCl, in 1 M Na2SO4 solution under the illumination of simulated solar light. The achieved photocurrent density corresponds to the solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of ~0.95%. The efficiency is due to the fluorescence nature of FCs and the synergistic effect of CuO embedded in TiO2, which enhances the optical absorption of the composite by reaching the bandgap of 2.44 eV, apparently reducing the recombination rate, which was confirmed by optoelectronic, structural, and spectroscopic characterizations.
Keywords: plastic waste, fluorescent carbo, sensing of metal ions, photocatalytic hydrogen production
Published in RUNG: 25.02.2022; Views: 1827; Downloads: 43
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3. Particle evolution in Mg-Zn-Zr alloy processed by integrated extrusion and equal channel angular pressing : evaluation by electron microscopy and synchrotron small-angle X-ray scatteringDmytro Orlov, Kei Ameyama, Yuri Estrin, Daniele Pelliccia, Xiya Fang, Laure Bourgeois, Nigel Kirby, Andrei Y. Nikulin, 2014, original scientific article Keywords: magnesium, intermetallic particles, severe plastic deformation, small angle X-ray scattering
Published in RUNG: 16.06.2016; Views: 5612; Downloads: 18
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4. Unravelling the origin of enhanced performance of Mg-Zn-Zr alloy ZK60 by meansof synchrotron radiation and electron microscopyDmytro Orlov, Kei Ameyama, Yuri Estrin, Daniele Pelliccia, Xiya Fang, Laure Bourgeois, Nigel Kirby, Andrei Y. Nikulin, 2014, published scientific conference contribution abstract Keywords: microstructure design, microstructure topology, material performance
Published in RUNG: 22.01.2015; Views: 5736; Downloads: 32
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