Increasing Profitability of Ethanol Photoreforming by Simultaneous Production of H2 and Acetal.

Often, H2 is produced photocatalytically at the expense of sacrificial agents. When a sacrificial agent is selectively oxidized, this allows coupling of H2 production with synthesis of value-added organic compounds. Herein, it is argued that the conversion of bioethanol into 1,1-diethoxyethane with simultaneous H2 production increases the economic viability of photocatalysis and suggests a semiconductor material that is the most relevant for this purpose.

Extent of carbon nitride photocharging controls energetics of hydrogen transfer in photochemical cascade processes.

Graphitic carbon nitride is widely studied in organic photoredox catalysis. Reductive quenching of carbon nitride excited state is postulated in many photocatalytic transformations. However, the reactivity of this species in the turn over step is less explored. In this work, we investigate electron and proton transfer from carbon nitride that is photocharged to a various extent, while the negative charge is compensated either by protons or ammonium cations. Strong stabilization of electrons by ammonium cations makes proton-coupled electron transfer uphill, and affords air-stable persistent carbon nitride radicals. In carbon nitrides, which are photocharged to a smaller extent, protons do not stabilize electrons, which results in spontaneous charge transfer to oxidants. Facile proton-coupled electron transfer is a key step in the photocatalytic oxidative-reductive cascade - tetramerization of benzylic amines. The feasibility of proton-coupled electron transfer is modulated by adjusting the extent of carbon nitride photocharging, type of counterion and temperature.

Photonics and nanophotonics and information and communication technologies in modern food packaging.

The analysis of the problem of conjunction of information and communication technologies (ICT) with packaging industry and food production was made. The perspective of combining the latest advances of nanotechnology, including nanophotonics, and ICT for creating modern smart packaging was shown. There were investigated luminescent films with zinc oxide nanoparticles, which change luminescence intensity as nano-ZnO interacts with decay compounds of food products, for active and intelligent packaging. High luminescent transparent films were obtained from colloidal suspension of ZnO and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The influence of molecular mass, concentration of nano-ZnO, and film thickness on luminescent properties of films was studied in order to optimize the content of the compositions. The possibility of covering the obtained films with polyvinyl alcohol was considered for eliminating water soluble properties of PVP. The luminescent properties of films with different covers were studied. The insoluble in water composition based on ZnO stabilized with colloidal silicon dioxide and PVP in polymethylmethacrylate was developed, and the luminescent properties of films were investigated. The compositions are non-toxic, safe, and suitable for applying to the inner surface of active and intelligent packaging by printing techniques, such as screen printing, flexography, inkjet, and pad printing.

Nonresonant surface-enhanced Raman scattering of ZnO quantum dots with Au and Ag nanoparticles.

Pronounced 10(4)-fold enhancement of Raman scattering has been obtained for ZnO nanocrystals on substrates coated with 50 nm Ag nanoparticles under nonresonant excitation with a commercial red-emitting laser. This makes feasible beyond 10(-18) mole detection of ZnO nanocrystals with a commercial setup using a 0.1 mW continuous wave laser and can be purposefully used in analytical applications where conjugated nanocrystals serve as Raman markers. For Au-coated surfaces the enhancement is much lower and the heating effects in the course of Raman experiments are pronounced.