Evaluation of the Vapor Hydrolysis of Lithium Aluminum Hydride for Mobile Fuel Cell Applications.

The controlled vapor hydrolysis of LiAlH4 has been investigated as a safe and predictable method to generate hydrogen for mobile fuel cell applications. A purpose-built vapor hydrolysis cell manufactured by Intelligent Energy Ltd. was used as the reaction vessel. Vapor was created by using saturated salt solutions to generate humidity in the range of 46-96% RH. The hydrolysis products were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and powder X-ray diffraction and compared with possible hydroxide-based phases characterized using the same methods. Analysis of the products of the LiAlH4 vapor hydrolysis reaction at a relative humidity in excess of 56% indicated complete decomposition of the LiAlH4 phase and formation of the hydrated layered double hydroxide, [LiAl2(OH)6]2CO3·3H2O, rather than the simple salts, LiOH and Al(OH)3, previously suggested by the literature. The high level of hydration of the layered double hydroxide (LDH) (12% wt water) and the presence of carbonate indicated that the feed stream was contaminated with CO2 and that the highly hydrated and hygroscopic product would be detrimental to the mobile hydrogen production process, restricting recyclability of the water fuel cell byproduct and lowering the gravimetric density of LiAlH4. Carrying out the vapor hydrolysis reaction in a glovebox in the absence of CO2 indicated that the hydroxide derivative of the LDH, [LiAl2(OH)6]OH·2H2O, could be formed instead, but the water content was even more significant, equating to 17% of the carried weight. TGA showed that water was retained up to 300 and 320 °C in the two phases, making thermal recycling of the water retained impractical and casting doubt on whether generating hydrogen on the move by vapor hydrolysis of LiAlH4 is practical.

Implementing the reuse of public DIA proteomics datasets: from the PRIDE database to Expression Atlas.

The number of mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics datasets in the public domain keeps increasing, particularly those generated by Data Independent Acquisition (DIA) approaches such as SWATH-MS. Unlike Data Dependent Acquisition datasets, the re-use of DIA datasets has been rather limited to date, despite its high potential, due to the technical challenges involved. We introduce a (re-)analysis pipeline for public SWATH-MS datasets which includes a combination of metadata annotation protocols, automated workflows for MS data analysis, statistical analysis, and the integration of the results into the Expression Atlas resource. Automation is orchestrated with Nextflow, using containerised open analysis software tools, rendering the pipeline readily available and reproducible. To demonstrate its utility, we reanalysed 10 public DIA datasets from the PRIDE database, comprising 1,278 SWATH-MS runs. The robustness of the analysis was evaluated, and the results compared to those obtained in the original publications. The final expression values were integrated into Expression Atlas, making SWATH-MS experiments more widely available and combining them with expression data originating from other proteomics and transcriptomics datasets.

A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions.

There is a growing research interest in the development of portable systems which can deliver hydrogen on-demand to proton exchange membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cells. Researchers seeking to develop such systems require a method of measuring the generated hydrogen. Herein, we describe a simple, low-cost, and robust method to measure the hydrogen generated from the reaction of solids with aqueous solutions. The reactions are conducted in a conventional one-necked round-bottomed flask placed in a temperature controlled water bath. The hydrogen generated from the reaction in the flask is channeled through tubing into a water-filled inverted measuring cylinder. The water displaced from the measuring cylinder by the incoming gas is diverted into a beaker on a balance. The balance is connected to a computer, and the change in the mass reading of the balance over time is recorded using data collection and spreadsheet software programs. The data can then be approximately corrected for water vapor using the method described herein, and parameters such as the total hydrogen yield, the hydrogen generation rate, and the induction period can also be deduced. The size of the measuring cylinder and the resolution of the balance can be changed to adapt the setup to different hydrogen volumes and flow rates.