Improved synthesis of metformin hydrochloride-sodium alginate (MH-NaALG) microspheres using ultrasonic spray drying.

Metformin Hydrochloride (MH), an orally administered antidiabetic drug from the biguanide family, encounters issues of wide particle size distribution, inefficient dissolution rates and short half-life leading to excess dosage which can result in lactic acidosis. Novel approaches that yield smaller particle size and uniform distribution at higher yields are significant to tackle problems associated with solubility and optimum dosage levels of the administered drugs. In the current research related to microsphere synthesis, a controlled process based on pressure and ultrasonic nozzles for the atomization of liquid, was applied with an objective of optimizing particle size of microspheres of MH in sodium alginate, a biopolymer excipient matrix. The study carried out in spray dryer elucidated parameter optimization using one variable at a time approach by varying important parameters as inlet temperature of air (120°C-150 °C), rate of flow of feed (1.5 mL/min-3 mL/min), aspirator rate (800 rpm-1400 rpm) and polymer content in feed solution (1 g-8 g) using ultrasonic and pressure nozzles for comparison with the target output parameter as particle size and yield. While the particle size at optimum conditions were <10 µm for both types of atomization, ultrasound assisted spray drying exhibited narrower distribution compared to the pressure atomization. Particle characterization performed using SEM, optical microscopy, FTIR, XRD and DSC revealed slight deformation with no chemical interaction and slight decrease in crystalline nature of pure drug. Overall, an improved process based on the use of ultrasound with optimized parameters has been demonstrated for synthesis of MH containing microspheres.

Acetone Detection and Classification as Biomarker of Diabetes Mellitus Using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance Gas Sensor Array.

A gas sensor array was developed and evaluated using four high-frequency quartz crystal microbalance devices (with a 30 MHz resonant frequency in fundamental mode). The QCM devices were coated with ethyl cellulose (EC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), Apiezon L (ApL), and Apiezon T (ApT) sensing films, and deposited by the ultrasonic atomization method. The objective of this research was to propose a non-invasive technique for acetone biomarker detection, which is associated with diabetes mellitus disease. The gas sensor array was exposed to methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and acetone biomarkers in four different concentrations, corresponding to 1, 5, 10, and 15 µL, at temperature of 22 °C and relative humidity of 20%. These samples were used because human breath contains them and they are used for disease detection. Moreover, the gas sensor responses were analyzed using principal component analysis and discriminant analysis, achieving the classification of the acetone biomarker with a 100% membership percentage when its concentration varies from 327 to 4908 ppm, and its identification from methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol.

High-Strength Carbon Nanotube Fibers from Purity Control by Atomized Catalytic Pyrolysis and Alignment Improvement by Continuous Large Prestraining.

Transferring the high strength of individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to macroscopic fibers is still a major technical challenge. In this study, CNT fibers are wound from a hollow cylindrical assembly. In particular, atomized catalytic pyrolysis is utilized to produce the fiber and control its purity. The pristine fiber is then continuously prestrained to have a highly aligned structure for subsequent full densification. Experimental measurements show that the final fiber possesses a high tensile strength (8.0 GPa), specific strength (5.54 N tex-1 (tex: the weight (g) of a fiber of 1 km long)), Young's modulus (350 GPa), and elongation at break (4%). Such an excellent combination is superior to that of any other existing fiber and attributed to the efficient stress transfer among the highly aligned and packed CNTs. Our study provides a new strategy involving atomized catalysis for developing superstrong CNT assemblies such as fibers and films for practical applications.

Effect of Hypochlorous Acid on Blepharitis through Ultrasonic Atomization: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of eyelid hygiene using topical 0.01% hypochlorous acid (HOCL) through ultrasonic atomization after 2 weeks in patients with blepharitis. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Patients with blepharitis were randomized into two groups: topical 0.01% HOCL through ultrasonic atomization (HOCL group, 42 eyes) or eyelid scrubs (control group, 37 eyes). Patients in both groups received warm compresses twice daily and topical 0.5% levofloxacin three times a day. Primary outcomes were the ocular surface disease index scores (OSDI), lid margin redness, lid margin abnormalities, meibum expressibility, meibum quality, and noninvasive breakup time after 2 weeks. Secondary outcomes were conjunctiva redness, corneal fluorescein staining, and tear meniscus height. A questionnaire of treatment adherence with a free response section was administered to confirm patient compliance and comments. RESULTS: Sixty-seven participants participated in this study. Both groups show an improvement in all primary outcomes, while statistically significant improvements in OSDI, lid margin redness, lid margin abnormality, meibum expressibility and quality are only limited to the HOCL group after 2 weeks of treatment (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Subgroup analysis in HOCL reveals that only the change in lid margin abnormality and meibum expressibility in the mild-moderate meibomian glands loss patients at baseline has a statistically significant difference p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression shows that the improvement in OSDI is negatively associated with meibum expressibility score at the baseline (95% CI [-28.846, -1.815], p = 0.028). The patient compliance is 7.1 ± 2.0 in the HOCL group and 7.1 ± 1.8 in the control group (p > 0.05). No adverse events are reported. CONCLUSION: Topical 0.01% HOCL through ultrasonic atomization is a tolerable and effective eyelid hygiene treatment for blepharitis.

Analysis of dynamic acoustic resonance effects in a sonicated gas-liquid flow microreactor.

In this work, we characterize acoustic resonance phenomena occurring between gas bubbles in a segmented gas-liquid flow in a microchannel irradiated with a frequency around 500 kHz. A large acoustic amplitude can be reached, leading to gas-liquid interface deformation, atomization of micrometer sized droplets, and cavitation. A numerical approach combining an acoustic frequency-domain solver and a Lagrangian Surface-Evolver solver is introduced to predict the acoustic deformation of gas-liquid interfaces and the dynamic acoustic magnitude. The numerical approach and its assumptions were validated with experiments, for which a good agreement was observed. Therefore, this numerical approach allows to provide a description and an understanding of the acoustic nature of these phenomena. The acoustic pressure magnitude can reach hundreds of kPa to tens of MPa, and these values are consistent with the observation of atomization and cavitation in the experiments. Furthermore, volume of fluid simulations were performed to predict the atomization threshold, which was then related to acoustic resonance. It is found that dynamic acoustic resonance gives rise to atomization bursts at the gas bubble surface. The presented approach can be applied to more complex acoustic fields involving more complex channel geometries, vibration patterns, or two-phase flow patterns.

Toward the Scalable Fabrication of Fully Bio-Based Antimicrobial and UVB-Blocking Transparent Polylactic Acid Films That Incorporate Natural Coatings and Nanopatterns.

Microbial transmissions via membrane surface and single-use plastic-induced pollution are two urgent societal problems. This research introduces a scalable fabrication strategy for fully biobased antibacterial and ultraviolet-B block polylactic acid (PLA) films integrating natural coatings and nanopatterns via ultrasonic atomization spray coating and thermal nanoimprinting lithography (TNIL) techniques, respectively. Tannic acid (TA) and gallic acid (GA) were formulated prior to TNIL using anode aluminum oxide template. Results reveal that TA and GA inks display intense adsorption in the UVB region. Plasma increases the hydrophilicity of PLA films for fast spreading of ink droplets. Micron-sized pillars observed on film confirm the successful structural replication. TA-coated PLA films display higher transparency than GA-coated ones. Nanopatterned PLA films have a modest antibacterial resistance of c. 45% against Escherichia coli. TA/GA coatings, however, impart PLA films with a bacterial reduction rate of over 80%. The integration of a TA or GA coating with nanopatterns further promotes the antibacterial rate up to 98%. The cytocompatibility of TA and GA demonstrates that the engineered film can potentially be applied as food packaging. Finally, a continuous mass production strategy is proposed along with an outline of the associated challenges and costs. This study provides a scalable strategy to the sustainable development of eco-benign and functional films.

Mechanical damage thresholds for hematomas near gas-containing bodies in pulsed HIFU fields.

Objective. Boiling histotripsy (BH) is a novel high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) application currently being developed for non-invasive mechanical fractionation of soft tissues and large hematomas. In the context of development of BH treatment planning approaches for ablating targets adjacent to gas-containing organs, this study aimed at investigation of the ultrasound pressure thresholds of atomization-induced damage to the tissue-air interface and correlation of the danger zone dimensions with spatial structure of nonlinear HIFU field parameters.Approach. A flat interface with air of freshly clotted bovine blood was used as anex vivomodel due to its homogenous structure and higher susceptibility to ultrasound-induced mechanical damage compared to soft tissues. Three 1.5 MHz transducers of differentF-numbers (0.77, 1 and 1.5) were focused at various distances before or beyond a flat clot surface, and a BH exposure was delivered either at constant, high-amplitude output level, or at gradually increasing level until a visible damage to the clot surface occurred. The HIFU pressure field parameters at the clot surface were determined through a combination of hydrophone measurements in water, forward wave propagation simulation using 'HIFU beam' software and an image source method to account for the wave reflection from the clot surface and formation of a standing wave. The iso-levels of peak negative pressure in the resulting HIFU field were correlated to the outlines of surface erosion to identify the danger zone around the BH focus.Main results. The outline of the danger zone was shown to differ from that of a typical BH lesion produced in a volume of clot material. In the prefocal area, the zone was confined within the 4 MPa contour of the incident peak-to-peak pressure; within the main focal lobe it was determined by the maximum BH lesion width, and in the postfocal area-by the transverse size of the focal lobe and position of the first postfocal pressure axial null.Significance. The incident HIFU pressure-based danger zone boundaries were outlined around the BH focus and can be superimposed onto in-treatment ultrasound image to avoid damage to adjacent gas-containing bodies.

A Comparative Study on Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Differently Atomized 316L Stainless Steel.

The significant growth of Additive Manufacturing (AM), visible over the last ten years, has driven an increase in demand for small gradation metallic powders of a size lower than 100 µm. Until now, most affordable powders for AM have been produced using gas atomization. Recently, a new, alternative method of powder production based on ultrasonic atomization with melting by electric arc has appeared. This paper summarizes the preliminary research results of AM samples made of two AISI 316L steel powder batches, one of which was obtained during Ultrasonic Atomization (UA) and the other during Plasma Arc Gas Atomization (PAGA). The comparison starts from powder particle statistical distribution, chemical composition analysis, density, and flowability measurements. After powder analysis, test samples were produced using AM to observe the differences in microstructure, porosity, and hardness. Finally, the test campaign covered an analysis of mechanical properties, including tensile testing with Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and Charpy's impact tests. A comparative study of parts made of ultrasonic and gas atomization powders confirms the likelihood that both methods can deliver material of similar properties.

Insights on the effectiveness of pneumatic and ultrasonic atomization in combination with UVC light for processing of fruit juices.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of spraying juices, during shortwave ultraviolet irradiation (UVC) treatments as an alternative to promote more contact area, by means of ultrasonic atomization (UA) and pneumatic atomization (PA). Four juices with dissimilar physical characteristics were processed to assess the effect of suspended solids and turbidity. Antioxidant activity, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, and inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae inoculated in the juices were evaluated. Five decimal reduction cycles were reached after two passes of orange or grapefruit juice through the UVC + UA arrangement. On the other hand, five decimal reduction cycles were achieved after three passes in the UVC + PA arrangement. Losses of 11% and 14% of ascorbic acid were observed in orange and grapefruit juice, respectively, while anthocyanin content presented losses of 50% and antioxidant activity decreased by 40% for pomegranate and blueberry juice, correspondingly.

Effect of the area of a lithium niobate transducer on the efficiency of ultrasonic atomization driven by resonance vibration.

In recent years, individual control of one's personal environment has been drawing increasing attention due to the growing interest in health care. Wearable devices are especially useful because of their controllability regardless of location. Humidity is one of the inevitable factors in the personal environment as a preventive against infectious diseases. Although atomization devices are commonly used as a method of humidity control, at present, there are no wearable humidity control devices. Vibration of a lithium niobate (LN) device in the thickness mode is a promising piezoelectric method for miniaturization of atomization devices for humidity control. To miniaturize the atomization device, the transducer size needs to be small not so much as to decrease the atomization efficiency. However, the effect of the device area on the atomization efficiency of LN at a size suitable for mounting in wearable devices has not been studied. Here, we conducted an atomization demonstration of LN devices with different sizes to evaluate particle size and atomization efficiency. Furthermore, to reveal the relationship between vibration behavior and atomization efficiency, resonance vibration in the MHz frequency band was evaluated by the finite element method and an impedance analyzer. The results showed that the peak size of water particles atomized by each device was in the range of 3.2 to 4.2 µm, which is smaller than particles produced by typical piezoelectric ceramics. Moreover, the best LN size for efficient atomization was found to be 8 mm × 10 mm among the five LN device sizes used in experiments. From the relationship between vibration behavior and atomization efficiency, the size of the transducer was suggested to affect the vibration mode. The obtained result suggested that the LN device is suitable for small wearable nebulizer devices.

Novel applications of ultrasonic atomization in the manufacturing of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.

Liquid atomization as a fluid disintegration method has been used in many industrial applications such as spray drying, coating, incineration, preparation of emulsions, medical devices, etc. The usage of ultrasonic energy for atomizing liquid is gaining interest as a green and energy-efficient alternative to traditional mechanical atomizers. In the past two decades, efforts have been made to explore new applications of ultrasonic misting for downstream separation of chemicals, e.g., bioethanol, from their aqueous solutions. Downstream separation of a chemical from its aqueous solutions is known to be an energy-intensive process. Conventional distillation is featured by low energy efficiency and inability to separate azeotropic mixtures, and thus novel alternatives, such as ultrasonic separation have been explored to advance the separation technology. Ultrasonic misting has been reported to generate mist and vapor mixture in a gaseous phase that is enriched in solute (e.g., ethanol), under non-thermal, non-equilibrium, and phase change free conditions. This review article takes an in-depth look into the recent advancements in ultrasound-mediated separation of organic molecules, especially bioethanol, from their aqueous solutions. An effort was made to analyze and compare the experimental setups used, mist collection methods, droplet size distribution, and separation mechanism. In addition, the applications of ultrasonic atomization in the production of pharmaceuticals and medical devices are discussed.

Enhancement of Antiviral Effect of Plastic Film against SARS-CoV-2: Combining Nanomaterials and Nanopatterns with Scalability for Mass Manufacturing.

Direct contact with contaminated surfaces in frequently accessed areas is a confirmed transmission mode of SARS-CoV-2. To address this challenge, we have developed novel plastic films with enhanced effectiveness for deactivating the SARS-CoV-2 by means of nanomaterials combined with nanopatterns. Results prove that these functionalized films are able to deactivate SARS-CoV-2 by up to 2 orders of magnitude within the first hour compared to untreated films, thus reducing the likelihood of transmission. Nanopatterns can enhance the antiviral effectiveness by increasing the contact area between nanoparticles and virus. Significantly, the established process also considers the issue of scalability for mass manufacturing. A low-cost process for nanostructured antiviral films integrating ultrasonic atomization spray coating and thermal nanoimprinting lithography is proposed. A further in-depth investigation should consider the size, spacing, and shape of nanopillars, the type and concentration of nanoparticles, and the scale-up and integration of these processes with manufacturing for optimal antiviral effectiveness.

Sustained-Release and pH-Adjusted Alginate Microspheres-Encapsulated Doxorubicin Inhibit the Viabilities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Derived Cells.

The objective of this study aimed to develop biodegradable calcium alginate microspheres carrying doxorubicin (Dox) at the micrometer-scale for sustained release and the capacity of pH regulatory for transarterial chemoembolization. Ultrasonic atomization and CaCl2 cross-linking technologies were used to prepare the microspheres. A 4-by-5 experiment was first designed to identify imperative parameters. The concentration of CaCl2 and the flow rate of the pump were found to be critical to generate microspheres with a constant volume median diameter (~39 µm) across five groups with different alginate: NaHCO3 ratios using each corresponding flow rate. In each group, the encapsulation efficiency was positively correlated to the Dox-loading %. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed that NaHCO3 and Dox were step-by-step incorporated into the calcium alginate microspheres successfully. Microspheres containing alginate: NaHCO3 = 1 exhibited rough and porous surfaces, high Young's modulus, and hardness. In each group with the same alginate: NaHCO3 ratio, the swelling rates of microspheres were higher in PBS containing 10% FBS compared to those in PBS alone. Microspheres with relatively high NaHCO3 concentrations in PBS containing 10% FBS maintained better physiological pH and higher accumulated Dox release ratios. In two distinct hepatocellular carcinoma-derived cell lines, treatments with microspheres carrying Dox demonstrated that the cell viabilities decreased in groups with relatively high NaHCO3 ratios in time- and dose-dependent manners. Our results suggested that biodegradable alginate microspheres containing relatively high NaHCO3 concentrations improved the cytotoxicity effects in vitro.

Effectual removal of indoor ultrafine PM using submicron water droplets.

Exposure to ultrafine airborne particulate matter (PM1.0) poses a significant risk to human health and well-being. Examining the effect of submicron water droplets on the removal of ultrafine PM is timely and important for mitigating indoor ultrafine PM, which is difficult to filter out from incoming air. In this study, submicron water droplets were made by using a nanoporous membrane and an ultrasonic module of a commercial household ultrasonic humidifier (UH) for effectual ultrafine PM removal. The effect of water droplet size on indoor PM removal was experimentally investigated. Variations in the normalized PM concentration, removal efficiency and deposition constants were evaluated by analyzing the temporal variation in PM concentration inside a test chamber. The measured PM deposition constants were compared with the results of other previous studies. As a result, submicron water droplets of 800 nm in mean diameter were generated by ultrasonic module combined passive nanoporous membrane, and PM1.0 concentration decreased by 30% in the initial 30 min. Compared with micron-sized water droplets, PM1.0 removal efficiency improved by approximately two times higher. Moreover, the substitution of the experimental results into a theoretical model ascertained that PM collection efficiency is increased by approximately 103 levels as the size of water droplets decreases. These results would be utilized in the development and implementation of effective strategies for indoor PM removal.

Efficacy and Safety of Houttuynia Eye Drops Atomization Treatment for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction-Related Dry Eye Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Houttuynia eye drops (a Chinese traditional medicine) atomization treatment in meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)-related dry eye disease (DED) patients. METHODS: A total of 240 eligible patients diagnosed with MGD-related DED were assigned either Houttuynia eye drops or placebo for atomization once daily for four weeks in a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. Primary outcome evaluations used included eye symptom score (using the Chinese Dry Eye Questionnaire), meibum quality, and tear break-up time (TBUT), while safety evaluations included adverse events (AEs), visual acuity, and intraocular pressure monitoring. Indicators were measured at baseline as well as one week, two weeks, and four weeks after treatment. RESULTS: Primary outcome measures of the Houttuynia group were improved compared with their placebo counterparts following four-week treatment. Eye symptom scores were significantly reduced relative to the baseline in the Houttuynia group (mean ± standard error of the mean, 9.00 ± 0.61) compared with the placebo group (6.29 ± 0.55; p = 0.0018). Reduction in meibum quality score in the Houttuynia group (0.91 ± 0.10) was also significantly higher compared with the placebo group (0.57 ± 0.10; p = 0.0091), while TBUT in the treatment group (6.30 ± 0.22) was also longer than in the latter (5.60 ± 0.24; p = 0.0192). No medication-related adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Atomization treatment with Houttuynia eye drops is both clinically and statistically effective for the treatment of mild to moderate MGD-related DED patients. This approach is generally safe and was tolerated well by patients.

Experimental Investigation on Ultrasonic Atomization Assisted Turning of Titanium Alloy.

There are high cutting temperatures, large tool wear, and poor tool life in conventional machining, owing to the superior strength and low thermal conductivity of titanium alloy. In this work, ultrasonic atomization assisted turning (UAAT) of Ti6Al4V was performed with a mixed water-soluble oil-based cutting fluid, dispersed into tiny droplets by the high frequency vibration of a piezoelectric crystal. Different cutting speeds and two machining environments, dry and ultrasonic atomization assisted machining, were considered in the investigation of tool life, tool wear morphology, surface roughness, and chip morphology. In comparison with dry machining, UAAT shows lower tool wear and longer tool life due to the advantages of cooling and lubrication. Furthermore, better surface roughness, smoother chip edges, and shorter tool-chip contact length were obtained with UAAT.

Improved ultrasonic degradation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic aldehydes in water by combined use of atomization and UV irradiation onto the mist surface.

Ultrasonic irradiation of 430 kHz, which induces both the chemical effect of pyrolysis and the physical effect of atomization, was carried out to achieve highly effective decomposition of organic substances in water with UV254 irradiation and H2O2 addition. To investigate the influence of physicochemical properties of the substrate on the degradation rate, three different aldehydes, namely, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and benzaldehyde, were selected as model substrates. Upon ultrasonic irradiation alone, the removal ratio of the hydrophobic substrate benzaldehyde reached 100% after 120 min, whereas the removal ratios of the hydrophilic substrates formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were only 21.1% and 53.0%, respectively. By combining ultrasonic atomization and UV254 irradiation, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde underwent effective gas-phase decomposition on the surfaces of the mist particles. Photolysis by UV254 irradiation mainly affected for the decomposition of aldehydes on the mist surface rather than the reaction of hydroxyl radicals derived from H2O2 made by water sonolysis. However, the addition of H2O2 effectively improved the decomposition and mineralization rates for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic aldehydes owing to the generation of hydroxyl radicals on the surfaces of the mist particles, which greatly contributed to the gas-phase decomposition. Consequently, the effective decomposition of organic pollutants was achieved regardless of their physicochemical properties in aqueous media.

Clinical study on the efficacy of Shenmai Runmu prescription in the treatment of MGD-related dry eyes by ultrasonic atomization / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM:To investigate the clinical effect of ultrasonic atomization of Shenmai Runmu formula on dry eyes related to meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD). <p>METHODS: Totally 120 cases of MGD related dry eye patients in our hospital patients were randomly divided into two groups: treatment group(ultrasonic atomization of Shenmai Runmu group)and control group(OPT intense pulse phototherapy), 60 cases each, both groups were combined with meibomian gland massage. The ocular surface comprehensive analyzer was used to detect various indicators: average non-invasive tear break-up time(NITBUTav), lower tear meniscus height(LTMH), meibomian gland score, <i>etc</i>. Subjective symptoms of patients' eyes were scored by questionnaire survey, and the clinical data were statistically processed. <p>RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between the treatment group and the control group in terms of gender, age, course of disease before treatment, and the indicators in the period from treatment start to 6mo after the treatment end(<i>P</i>>0.05); The total effective rate was about 94.9% in the treatment group and 96.6% in the control group(<i>P</i>>0.05). <p>CONCLUSION: Ultrasonic atomization combined with meibomian gland massage can improve the subjective symptoms and objective indexes of MGD related dry eyes. Compared with the modern medical treatment, the therapeutic effect of this method is basically the same, safe and effective, but it is more convenient and economic, which is worth popularizing in clinical application.

Nitrogen/sulfur co-doped ordered carbon nanoarrays for superior sulfur hosts in lithium-sulfur batteries.

A universal and low-cost biomass waste, soybean residue, that was derived from a soybean product processing plant, was used to fabricate nitrogen/sulfur co-doped, ordered carbon nanoarrays (NS-OCNA/S). The effects of nitrogen and sulfur co-doping and the addition of formaldehyde on the structure and properties of these novel materials were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. With high levels of sulfur doping, the nitrogen/sulfur co-doped ordered carbon nanoarrays (NS-OCNA/S) were found to possess hierarchical pores and a high pore volume. The NS-OCNA/S exhibited good electrical conductivity, excellent discharge capacity and cycling performance. When the NS-OCNA/S was used in Li-S batteries it was found that the charge capacity of the cell decayed from 914 to 739 mAh g-1, with a capacity retention 81% over 600 cycles at 2 C. This successful research effort has identified new, high-performance materials derived from bio-resources for use in Li-S batteries.

Simultaneous removal of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide using ultrasonically atomized hydrogen peroxide.

A new method was developed for denitrification and desulfurization using hydrogen peroxide with the aid of an ultrasonic nebulizer to obtain high removal efficiency of NOx and SO2. Comparing with the atomizing nozzles having the aperture size of 0.01~0.02 mm, the droplets generated using the ultrasonic nebulizer show the smallest d50 value of 7.2 µm, with 72% possessing the size less than 10 µm. Based on the numerical simulation of the vaporization rate of droplets, it is indicated that the droplets with the size of 7.2 µm can be vaporized totally at very short residence time (0.11 s) under 130 °C. Effects of influence factors including the reaction temperature, the initial H2O2 concentration, pH value, and the flue gas flow rate were studied on the removal efficiencies of NO and SO2. Using the in-series double-oxidation subsystems with H2O2 concentration of 6 wt%, pH 5.0, and the reaction temperature of 130 °C, the removal efficiencies of SO2 and NO are respectively 100% and 89.3% at the short residence time of 1.8 s, and the removal efficiency of NO can be increased to 100% as the residence time is longer than 3.7 s. It is confirmed that the ultrasonically atomized H2O2 can indeed enhance the removal efficiencies of NO and SO2 at the optimal temperature, owing to the fast vaporization rate of fine droplets as well as the formation of more active radicals to be captured by NO and SO2 simultaneously. The results here provide a promising route to remove effectively the emissions of NO and SO2 simultaneously. Graphical abstract.