Optimizing co-combustion synergy of soil remediation biomass and pulverized coal toward energetic and gas-to-ash pollution controls.

The co-combustion synergy of post-phytoremediation biomass may be optimized to cultivate a variety of benefits from reducing dependence on fossil fuels to stabilizing heavy metals in a small quantity of ash. This study characterized the thermo-kinetic parameters, gas-to-ash products, and energetically and environmentally optimal conditions for the co-combustions of aboveground (PG-A) and belowground (PG-B) biomass of Pfaffia glomerata (PG) with pulverized coal (PC). The mono-combustions of PG-A and PG-B involved the decompositions of cellulose and hemicellulose in the range of 162-400 °C and of lignin in the range of 400-600 °C. PG improved the combustion performance of PC, with the blends of 30 % PG-A and 70 % (PAC37) and 10 % PG-B and 90 % PC (PBC19) exhibiting the strongest synergy. Both PG-A and PG-B interacted with PC in the range of 160-440 °C, while PC positively affected PG in the range of 440-600 °C. PC decreased the apparent activation energy (Eα) of PG, with PBC19 having the lowest Eα value (107.85 kJ/mol). The reaction order models (Fn) best elucidated the co-combustion mechanisms of the main stages. Adding >50 % PC reduced the alkali metal content of PG, prevented the slagging and fouling depositions, and mitigated the Cd and Zn leaching toxicity. The functional groups, volatiles, and N- and S-containing gases fell with PAC37 and PBC19, while CO2 emission rose. Energetically and environmentally multiple objectives for the operational conditions were optimized via artificial neural networks. Our study presents controls over the co-circularity and co-combustion of the soil remediation plant and coal.

Electrostatic attraction induces cationic covalent-organic framework to pack inorganic acid ions for promoting proton conduction.

A cationic COF (CCOF) was imported to afford stable proton conductive material while the positively charged CCOF can constrain the inorganic anion groups into the framework through an ion exchange process. The inorganic anions could play the role of proton donors to provide a rich source of protons, as well as the proton acceptors for proton transmission, thus forming an interlinked proton conduction pathway within the framework. The proton conductivities of COF materials loaded with different anions have been improved to varying degrees, and the conductivity of H2PO4-@CCOF is up to 3.86 × 10-2 S cm-1 at 100 °C.

Efficiency, by-product valorization, and pollution control of co-pyrolysis of textile dyeing sludge and waste solid adsorbents: Their atmosphere, temperature, and blend ratio dependencies.

This study aimed to quantify the co-pyrolytic synergistic effects of textile dyeing sludge (TDS) and waste biochar (WBC) for an optimal utilization of secondary resources and to mitigate environmental pollution and waste volume. TDS and WBC had a strong synergistic effect between 800 and 900 °C in the CO2-assisted atmosphere. With the increased TDS fraction, NH3 emission fell significantly regardless of the atmosphere type. The CO2 atmosphere changed S in TDS char and released SO2 in the range of 800-1000 °C. With the temperature rise, an unstable N structure turned into a more stable heterocyclic N structure in the CO2 and N2 atmospheres. Regardless of the atmosphere type and temperature, the C-containing functional groups in co-pyrolytic biochar existed mainly as C-C/C-H. In the CO2 atmosphere, inorganic S, aliphatic S, and thiophene S in the co-pyrolytic biochar disappeared and became more stable sulfones. The co-pyrolysis inhibited the formation of S-containing compounds. The retention ability of the co-pyrolytic biochar peaked for most of the heavy metals in the N2 atmosphere but was better for Pb and Zn in the CO2 than N2 atmosphere. Simultaneous optimization showed the co-pyrolysis of 10% TDS and 90% WBC at above 950 °C in the N2-CO2 or CO2 atmosphere as the optimal operational settings combined.

Co-pyrolysis performances, synergistic mechanisms, and products of textile dyeing sludge and medical plastic wastes.

This study aimed to quantify the co-pyrolysis of textile dyeing sludge (TDS) and the two medical plastic wastes of syringes (SY) and medical bottles (MB) in terms of their performances, synergistic mechanisms, and products. The pyrolysis of polyolefin plastics with its high calorific value and low ash content can offset the poor mono-pyrolytic performance of TDS. The synergistic mechanisms occurred mainly in the range of 400-550 °C. The addition of 10% SY or MB achieved the best co-pyrolysis performance with the lowest activation energy. The co-pyrolysis increased the contents of CH4 and CH but reduced CO2 emission. The co-pyrolysis released more fatty hydrocarbons, alcohols, and cyclic hydrocarbon during but reduced the yields of ethers and furans, through the synergistic mechanisms. The addition of the polyolefin plastics made the micro surface particles of chars smaller and looser. Our results can benefit energy utilization, pollution control, and optimal operational conditions for the industrial thermochemical conversions of hazardous wastes.

Dual-Functional Proton-Conducting and pH-Sensing Polymer Membrane Benefiting from a Eu-MOF.

Porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have demonstrated a great potential in proton conduction and luminescence sensing due to functionalized nodes, ligands and channels, or pores. Herein, we prepared a hydrothermally stable Eu-MOF that also resisted acid and base using a bifunctional organic ligand containing carboxylic acid groups, which are easily coordinated to Eu ions, and Eu-phobic tetrazolyl groups as potential proton-hopping sites. The hydrogen bond network, which was constructed by the uncoordinated anionic tetrazolium and the coordinated and free water molecules, endowed this Eu-MOF with the highest proton conductivity of 4.45 × 10-2 S/cm at 373 K and 93% relative humidity. The proton conductivity of the Nafion membrane containing this Eu-MOF increased 1.74 times. More interestingly, the hybrid membrane displayed luminescence pH sensing because the changeable protonation levels of uncoordinated tetrazolium groups along with the pH tuned the emission of embedded Eu-MOFs. Such a dual-functional MOF-based hybrid membrane including proton conduction and pH sensing is reported for the first time, which could open an avenue to the more practical application for functional MOFs.

Enhanced removal of veterinary antibiotic from wastewater by photoelectroactive biofilm of purple anoxygenic phototroph through photosynthetic electron uptake.

Purple anoxygenic phototrophs have been recently attracted substantial attention for their growing potential in wastewater treatment and their diverse metabolic patterns can be regulated for process control and optimization. In this study, the photoheterotrophic metabolism of Rhodopseudomonas palustris (R. palustris) was modified by photosynthetic electron uptake using a poised electrode which was explored to enhance removal of veterinary antibiotic from aqueous medium. The results showed that R. palustris grown as biofilm on electrode surface had excellent photoelectroactive activity and the photosynthetic electron uptake from the photoelectroactive biofilm significantly enhanced antibiotic florfenicol (FLO) degradation. The specific degradation rate of FLO at the set electrode potential of 0 V was 2.59-fold higher than that without applied potential. Enhanced co-metabolic reductive dehalogenation by use of the photosynthetic electrons extracted from co-substrate was mainly responsible for FLO degradation which eliminated the antibacterial activity of FLO. The electrode potential controlled the processes of photosynthetic electron uptake and its resultant FLO degradation. The fastest degradation of FLO was achieved at 0 V because the electrode poised at this potential stroke a proper balance between the enhancing photosynthetic electron uptake by serving as electron acceptor and minimizing competition with FLO for the photosynthetic electron from co-substrate. The activity of photoelectroactive biofilm was not negatively affected by FLO at environmental relevant concentration, suggesting its great potential for removal of antibiotic contaminants in wastewater. R. palustris could serve as a reservoir for floR resistance gene but its abundance can be diminished by choosing appropriate electrode potential.

Sulfonic Groups Lined along Channels of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for Super-Proton Conductor.

Designing high-performance proton-conducting metal-organic frameworks simultaneously having highly hydrothermal stability and a high-density proton carrier remains a great challenge. Fe-MIL-88B is a classic metal-organic framework (MOF) with a large-size one-dimensional (1D) channel lined with a high-density uncoordinated metal atom for postfunctionalization; however this MOF cannot act as a proton conductor due to the weak hydrothermal stability. Here, we prepared an ultrastable isostructure Cr-MIL-88B, which is subsequently functionalized by anchoring 3-pyridinesulfonic acid and 2-(4-pyridyl) ethanesulfonic acid on the naked Cr atoms exposed on the surface of the host-framework, producing two new MOFs, i.e. Cr-MIL-88B-pyridine sulfonic acid (abbreviated as Cr-MIL-88B-PSA) and Cr-MIL-88B-pyridine ethanesulfonic acid (abbreviated as Cr-MIL-88B-PESA). Thus, Cr atoms on the host framework were modified by functional sulfonic groups, which stick out toward the center of the channel forming ordered high-density sulfonic groups as proton donors along the open channel and achieving the highest proton conductivity of 4.50 × 10-2 S cm-1 for Cr-MIL-88B-PESA and 1.58 × 10-1 S cm-1 for Cr-MIL-88B-PSA, surpassing that of the Nafion membrane.