The establishment of low carbon assessment initiatives is a crucial task especially at the city level. The determination of which source of carbon contributed more require robust data set and strategic approach. Hence, by using the campus as a small city approach, the establishment of carbon assessment and its’ reduction initiatives was required to keep track of the hotspot of the carbon source. The substantial amount of carbon source from campus operations such as energy consumption in the building, waste generation, and water consumption were identified. Moreover, as institutions of higher education, the execution of low carbon campus was initiated structurally involves the triangulation of research activities, teaching & learning and as well as campus operations or known as campus living lab approach. The application of low carbon cities framework, LCCF and assessment system enables to strategize the low carbon campus initiatives through the use of carbon footprint concept and the LCCF carbon track.

Carbon dots are carbon based nanoparticles, which have the characteristics of simple preparation process, photoluminescence, biocompatibility, adjustable surface function, water solubility, and low toxicity. They are widely used in biological applications such as imaging, biosensing, photocatalysis, and molecular transfer. It has also aroused great interest among researchers in agriculture and has made significant progress in improving crop growth and production. This review presents the physiological functions of carbon dots for crop growth and development, photosynthesis, water and nutrient absorption, and abiotic stress resistance and their applications in improving ecological environment and agriculture as biosensors, and the future application prospects and research directions of carbon dots in agriculture were prospected.

On-stream inspections are the most appropriate method for routine inspections during plant operation without going through production downtime. Ultrasonic inspection, one of the on-stream inspection methods, faces challenges when performed at high temperatures exceeding the recommended 52°C. This study aims to determine the ultrasonic velocity and attenuation with the known material grade, thickness, and temperatures by comparing theory calculation versus experiment with temperatures ranging between 30°C to 250°C on low carbon steel covering most petrochemical equipment material and working conditions. The theoretical analysis was to obtain Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and longitudinal velocity at different temperatures. The experiments validated the predicted results of ultrasonic change due to temperature increase and showed a maximum error of 3%. The experimental data of velocity and decibel change from the temperature range provide a reference for the future when dealing with unknown materials information on site that require a quick corrosion status determination.

The main objective of this work is to study the effects of carbon nanotubes (CNT) on the strength and electrical properties of cement mortar. Molecular dynamic simulations (MDS) were carried out for the mechanical and electrical properties of the cementitious composite and the associated mechanisms. To model the atomic structure of the Calcium-Silicate-Hydrates (C-S-H) gel, tobermorite 11Å was chosen. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) embedded in tobermorite structure were tested numerically. In particular, the effect of the concentration of CNT in cement paste was studied. An innovative experiment of electrical characterization of a cementitious composite of carbon nanotubes has been developed.

This work investigates how to balance the electricity supply and demand in a carbon-neutral northern Europe. Applying a cost-minimizing electricity system model including options to invest in eleven different flexibility measures, cost-efficient combinations of strategies to manage varia-tions are identified. The results of the model are post-processed using a novel method to map the net load before and after flexibility measures are applied to reveal the contribution of each flexi-bility measure. The net load is mapped in the space spanned by the amplitude, duration, and number of occur-rences. The mapping shows that, depending on cost structure, flexibility measures contribute to reduce the net load in three different ways; 1) by reducing variations of long duration but low amplitude, 2) by reducing variations of high amplitude but short duration and low occurrence or 3) by reducing variations of high amplitude, short duration and high occurrence. It is found that cost-efficient variation management is achieved by combining wind and solar power and by combining strategies (1-3) to manage variations. The cost-efficient combination of strategies de-pends on electricity system context where electricity trade, flexible hydrogen and heat production (1) manage the majority of variations in regions with good conditions for wind power while sta-tionary batteries (3) are the main contributors in regions with good conditions for solar power.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has recently established the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) program that requires countries to report their carbon emissions and sink estimates through national greenhouse gas inventories (NGHGI). Thus, developing automatic systems capable of estimating the carbon absorbed by forests without in-situ observation becomes essential. To support this important need, in this work we introduce ReUse, a simple but effective deep-learning approach to estimate the carbon absorbed by forest areas based on remote sensing. The novelty of the proposed method is in the use of the public above-ground biomass (AGB) data from the European Space Agency's Climate Change Initiative Biomass project as ground truth to estimate the carbon sequestration capacity of any portion of land on Earth using Sentinel-2 images and a pixel-wise Regressive UNet. The approach has been compared to two literature proposals, using a private dataset and human-engineered features. The results show a greater generalization ability of the proposed approach, with a decrease in Mean Absolute Error and Root Mean Squared Error, respectively, of 16.9 and 14.3 in the area of Vietnam and 4.7 and 5.1 in the area of Myanmar over the runner-up. Finally, as a case study, we reported an analysis made for the Astroni area, a nature reserve located near the metropolitan area of Naples in southern Italy, struck by a large fire, producing predictions consistent with values found by experts in the field. These results further support the use of such an approach for the early detection of AGB variations, both in urban and rural areas.

Although several carbon sequestration methods have been proposed according to theories from various disciplines, it is not known which method is the best. This study evaluated and summarized the advantage and disadvantages of several major carbon sequestration methods, including carbon capture and sequestration, ocean alkalinization, algal cultivation, and wood burial, based on the first principles, namely, sequestration scale and time, elemental stoichiometry, and energy use efficiency. This study suggested that, at present, wood burial may be a leading candidate for carbon sequestration because it can be implemented immediately on a large scale, is cost-effective and efficient, has a long sequestration time, has low technical requirements, and has a relatively low impact on agriculture. This study also discussed the implementation of wood burial from the perspective of nutrient requirements. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the present study proposed a 25-year project starting in 2025 with an average sequestration rate of 3 Pg C per year, which includes burying 1.5 Pg of dead wood carbon and the creation of 9.7 × 10⁶ ha woodland.

An increasing body of evidence shows that seaweeds, including kelp, can be used as a tool to neutralize or remove excess nutrients and metals from the water column. Here we report on a preliminary field assessment showing potential nutrient and carbon removal differences by sugar kelp and ribbon kelp grown in common gardens. Seawater and tissue samples were collected systematically from two farms in Alaska. Results show differences between % N and % C content between ribbon kelp (Alaria marginata) and sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima). Results also show that tissue nitrogen in ribbon kelp varies sharply due to nitrogen availability in the water column. In contrast, the percentage of tissue N in sugar kelp remains comparatively stable. Our outcomes provide insight into potential differences in nutrient removal and harvest timing for different kelp species.

Mangroves and salt marshes are among the most productive ecosystems in the global coastal ocean. Mangroves store more carbon (739 Mg CORG ha-1) than salt marshes (334 Mg CORG ha-1), but the latter sequester proportionally more (24%) net primary production (NPP) than mangroves (12%). Mangroves exhibit greater rates of gross primary production (GPP), above-ground net primary production (NPP) and plant respiration (RC) with higher PGPP/RC ratios, but salt marshes exhibit greater rates of below-ground NPP. Mangroves have greater rates of subsurface DIC production and, unlike salt marshes, exhibit significant microbial decomposition to a soil depth of 1 m. Salt marshes release more soil CH4 and export more dissolved CH4 , but mangroves release more CO2 from tidal waters and export greater amounts of POC, DOC and DIC to adjacent waters. Both ecosystems contribute only a small proportion of GPP, RE (ecosystem respiration) and NEP (net ecosystem production) to the global coastal ocean due to their small global area, but contribute 72% of air-sea CO2 exchange from the world’s wetlands and estuaries and contribute 34% of DIC export and 17% of DOC + POC export to the world’s coastal ocean. Thus, both wetland ecosystems contribute disproportionately to carbon flow of the global coastal ocean.

In recent years, the production of cement has grown globally in a very rapid manner due to the modernization of the world we live in, and after fossil fuels and land-use change, cement production is the third-largest source of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, CO₂. Cement being the primary binding material for concrete and with the prospects for the concrete industry continues to grow so will the emissions of CO₂. Hence, a method to reduce the CO₂ production while keeping up with the progression of the concrete industry is very crucial in current times. This is where CO₂ sequestration comes in. It is a process where CO₂ is converted into a mineral which will then be trapped into the concrete forever. Required data to carry out the research between CO₂ sequestered concrete and concrete without CO₂ have been observed, obtained and tabulated as necessary. These data are then used to compare the concrete samples with one another and also prove the theoretical effects of CO₂ exposure to concrete. Hence, experimental results on the compressive strength of the concrete samples for 7, 14 and 28 days has also been tabulated, graphed and further disputed. The objective of this research is mainly to determine the compressive strength of CO₂ sequestered concrete in comparison with concrete without CO₂ in order to decrease the effects the concrete industry has on the environment. The compressive strength of concrete samples with sequestration of CO₂ gas is expected to be higher than of the concrete without CO₂.

The crucial stages in the geochemical evolution of the Earth’s crust, ocean, and atmosphere could be explained by the assumed low-energy nuclear reactions (LENR) that are triggered by seismic activity. LENR result in the fission of medium-weight elements accompanied by neutron emissions, involving Fe and Ni as starting elements, and C, N, O as resultants. Geochemical data and experimental evidences support the LENR hypothesis. A spectral analysis of the period 1955-2013 shows common cycles between interannual changes in atmospheric CO2 growth rate and global seismic-moment release, whereas the trending behavior of the atmospheric CO2 was in response to the anthropogenic emissions. Assuming a correlation between such seismic and atmospheric fluctuations, the latter could be explained by cycles of worldwide seismicity, which would trigger massively LENR in the Earth’s Crust. In this framework, LENR from active faults could be considered as a relevant cause of carbon formation and degassing of freshly-formed CO2 during seismic activity. However, further studies are necessary to validate the present hypothesis which, at the present time, mainly aims to stimulate debate on the models which regulates atmospheric CO2.

The dopamine and uric acid are primary products of purine metabolism and they coexist in serum and the extracellular fluid of the central nervous system. Some diseases of the human body are due to abnormal levels of uric acid and dopamine. Thus, the clinical diagnosis of some diseases needs a sensitive and simultaneous analysis of uric acid and dopamine. In this study, a novel conductive composite film containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWTs) with cooper phthalocyanine attached to acrylate polymer (MWCNTs-CuMAPC-PnBA) was fabricated and dropped on a glassy carbon electrode and used for the simultaneous determination of Uric Acid (UA) and dopamine (DA). The modified glassy carbon electrode showed satisfactory electrocatalytic activity toward dopamine and uric acid. Low detection limits were achieved at 0.174 µM of DA and 6.87 µM of UA and the linear detection ranges of DA and UA are 5-200 µM and 20-250 µM respectively. The proposed sensing system based on the modified GCE offers promising results for rapid, cost-effective and selective simultaneous detection of uric acid and dopamine. Also, the complex modified electrode showed satisfactory results to detecting simultaneously UA and DA in real human samples (human Urine) via the standard addition method.

Non-impregnated small pore graphite (NSPG) with the compact microstructure for using in molten salt reactors (MSR) was prepared by the novel process, and the pore diameter of the obtained graphite was reduced to ~800 nm. The irradiation evaluation of the prepared graphite was carried out by 7 MeV Xe26+ ion irradiation and the microstructural changes of the graphite were investigated with IG-110 as a comparison. The graphitization degree of NSPG was higher than that of IG-110, though it was not subjected to an impregnation process. Under low-dose ion irradiation (

The most massive and fast-eroding thaw slump of the Northern Hemisphere located in the Yana uplands of northern Yakutia was investigated to assess in detail the cryogenic inventory and carbon pools of two distinctive Ice Complex stratigraphic units and the uppermost cover deposits. Differentiating into modern and Holocene near-surface layers (active layer and shielding layer), highest total carbon contents were found in the active layer (18.7 kg m-2), while the shielding layer yielded much lower carbon content of 1.8 kg m-2. The late Pleistocene upper Ice Complex contained 10.4 kg m-2 total carbon, and the mid-Pleistocene lower Ice Complex 17.7 kg m-2. The proportion of organic carbon from total carbon content is well above 70% in all studied units with 94 % in the active layer, 73% in the shielding layer, 83% in the upper Ice Complex and 79% in the lower Ice Complex. Inorganic carbon is low in the overall structure of the deposits.

The impact of the agriculture net carbon effect is crucial for climate change mitigation, yet research on this topic in China is currently insufficient. In this study, the carbon balance ratio (CBR) is used to characterise the net carbon effect of agriculture, and the spatial Durbin model and threshold regression model were used to empirically analyse the CBR with a sample of 30 provincial-level regions in China from 2004 to 2019. The aim was to investigate the mechanism of the influence of the land management scale (SCALE) of farming on the CBR. The results of the study indicate that national farming generally has a net sink effect, with large changes in interannual fluctuations; the expansion of SCALE has an obvious role in increasing sinks and reducing emissions, and has a positive spatial spillover effect on CBR, with significant spatial heterogeneity. Furthermore, as the SCALE expands, the direction of the influence of rural residents’ income and education level on CBR changes in the opposite direction, showing a significant non-linear relationship characteristic. However, in most areas, the SCALE threshold has not yet been reached, suggesting that the improvement in education levels can still offset the negative impact of economic income growth in the short term. The study recommends paying attention to the role of farmers’ human capital, changing production methods, and implementing carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals to enhance the net sink effect of the farming industry, which would be achieved by increasing land management scale.

We research the interaction between six representative carbon-based nanoparticles (CBNs) and 20 standard amino acids through all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The six carbon-based nanoparticles are fullerene(C60), CNT55L3, CNT1010L3, CNT1515L3, CNT2020L3, and two-dimensional-graphene(Graphene33). Their curvatures decrease sequentially, and all of CNT are single-walled carbon nanotubes. We have observed that as the curvature of CBNs decreases, the adsorption effect of 20 amino acids with them has an increasing trend. In addition, we also used multi-dimensional clustering to analyze the adsorption effects of 20 amino acids on six carbon-based nanoparticles. We observed that the π-π interaction still plays an extremely important role in the adsorption of amino acids on carbon-based nanoparticles. Individual long-chain amino acids and “Benzene-like” Pro also have a strong adsorption effect with carbon-based nanoparticles.

Co-integration and Causality was built to conduct studies on causality relation between carbon intensity and coal consumption leading to providing important basis for the transition to a low carbon economy. The EG two-step method was performed to study the relation between carbon intensity and coal consumption of China during 1990-2015 and the co-integration and Granger test was constructed to build up the co-integration and error correction models for analysis of the interaction between carbon intensity and coal consumption. The results showed that in long term there is a stable co-integration relation and a positive correlation between carbon intensity and coal consumption; whereas fluctuations exist in short term and there is a one-way Granger causality of carbon intensity with respect to coal consumption.

Green carbon-based materials (GCM), i.e. carbon materials produced using renewable biomass or recycled wastes, ought to be used in order to processes become sustainable and carbon neutral. Carbon nanomaterials, like for example carbon dots and nanobichar families, and carbon materials, like for example activated carbon and biochar substances, are sustainable materials with great potential to be used in different technology applications. In this review, the following four applications were selected, and the works published in the last two years (since 2022) critically reviewed: agriculture; water treatment; energy management; and, carbon dioxide reduction and sequestration. GCM improved the performance of the technological applications under revision and play an important role in the sustainability of the processes, contributing to the mitigation of the climate change, namely by reducing emission and increase sequestration of CO2eq..

The short-lived positron-emitter carbon-11 (t1/2 = 20.4 min; b+, 99.8%) is prominent for labeling tracers for use in biomedical research with positron emission tomography (PET). Carbon-11 is produced for this purpose with a cyclotron, nowadays almost exclusively by the 14N(p,a)11C nuclear reaction, either on nitrogen containing a low concentration of oxygen (0.1–0.5%) or hydrogen (~ 5%) to produce [11C]carbon dioxide or [11C]methane, respectively. These primary radioactive products can be produced in high yields and with high molar activities. However, only [11C]carbon dioxide has some utility for directly labeling PET tracers. Primary products are required to be converted rapidly and efficiently into secondary labeling synthons to provide versatile radiochemistry for labeling diverse tracer chemotypes at molecular positions of choice. This review surveys known gas phase transformations of carbon-11 and summarizes the important roles that many of these transformations now play for producing a broad range of labeling synthons in carbon-11 chemistry.

Carbon subsurface storage (CSS) has already been recognised as a critical, urgent, and essential method for reducing anthropogenic CO2 emissions and mitigating the severe effects of climate change. CSS is the last stage in the carbon capture and storage (CCS) cycle and is accomplished chiefly via oceanic and subterranean geological sequestration, as well as mineral carbonation. The injection of supercritical CO2 into geological formations causes a disruption in the subsurface's existing physical and chemical conditions; changes can occur in the pore fluid pressure, temperature state, chemical reactivity, and stress distribution of the reservoir rock. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review on the current advances in CSS, particularly CO2 storage methods and the challenges encountered during the implementation of each methods and analyses on how key uncertainties in CSS can be reduce. CSS sites are essentially unified systems; yet, given the scientific context, these systems are typically split during scientific investigations based on the physics and temporal/spatial scales involved. Separating the physics by using the system as a boundary condition is a strategy that works effectively for a wide variety of physical applications. Unfortunately, the separation technique does not accurately capture the behaviour of the larger important system in the case of water and gas flow in porous media. This is due to the complexity of geological subsurface systems, which prevents the approach from being able to effectively capture the behaviour of the larger relevant system. This consequently give rise to different CSS methods. A good CSS application method can further improve the efficiency of greenhouse gas emission and their environmental impact, promoting the process sustainability and helping to tackle some of the most important issues that human being is currently accounting, global climate change. Though this technology is already large-scale development for the last decade, some issues and uncertainties are identified. Special attention was focused on the basic findings achieved in CO2 storage operational projects to date.

Enhancement in chemisorption is one of the active research areas in carbon materials. To remedy the thermally degraded chemisorption at high temperatures, we report a comprehensive study of kink structures in free-standing monoatomic carbon nanowires upon heating. Our Monte Carlo simulation considers multi-monoatomic carbon chains laterally interacted by the Van der Waals force. Our study reveals that the carbon nanowires maintain their linearity regardless of chain length at low temperatures, but this is not the case at high temperatures. Disordered kink structure is observed in the short carbon chains, especially above the Peierls transition temperature. The severe kink structure might increase the possibility of attaching negatively charged atoms, thereby contributing to the development of next-generation materials for chemisorption at high temperatures. We have also provided an important inspection that any physical property of the finite-length carbon chain predicted by ab-initio calculation should reconsider the atomic rearrangement due to the thermal instability at high temperatures.

With a worldwide growing concern for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their impact on human health and the environment, transportation has become a central theme in mitigation, responsible for 14% of human GHG emissions. To build endurance to climate change, transportation services must adapt to the current scenario and act quickly to avert future changes. Deeply rooted changes in socio-technical systems will be necessary to achieve significant CO2 reduction and secure the well-being of future generations. This study's objective is to comprehensively review the current state of carbon mitigation in the transportation sector. This is done through a systematic literature review engrained in the socio-technical transition theory and the structural theory of contingency. Twenty-six review papers covering 2,983 original articles are selected for full-text examination concerning carbon emissions in transportation. Enablers, barriers, benefits, disadvantages and metrics in carbon emissions reduction are identified, and a comprehensive framework is built. Results provide a view of the current sustainability scenario in transportation and allow a better understanding of the factors influencing carbon emission initiatives in transportation and its outcomes.

Silver iodide (AgI) is a system prototype allowing the flow of ions through its structure and has a phase transition at 420 K, characterized by an abrupt change in conductivity and a high ionic conductivity. Introducing low concentrations of graphite (C) into the AgI structure produces a new material with a mixed conductivity (ionic and electronic) which increases with increasing temperature. The experimental results of the logarithm of the ionic conductivity as a function of the inverse of temperature for the (AgI)x–C(1−x) system for low carbon concentrations 0.97 ≤ x ≤ 0.99 were well fitted using a phenomenological model with a probability distribution for the charge carriers based on the carrier density

Due to the linear property around an acetylenic carbon, the introduction of such an atom to a small cycle would result in high ring strain. Currently, the smallest isolated rings are five-membered, including metallacycloalkynes and metallapentalynes. Both types contain at least one unusual small bond angle around the acetylenic carbon, thus exhibiting abnormal reactivities. This feature article gives a comprehensive overview on these two kind complexes. The synthesis and reactivities are extensively described, the source of stability is presented, and the future prospect is discussed. The article aims to provide a better development for the chemical diversity of five-membered metallacycloalkynes and metallapentalynes.

Carbon dioxide, CO₂ accounts for most of the emission from all the types of greenhouse gasses in the world. The ability of CO₂ to remain longer than other greenhouse gases and the convenience of producing CO₂ has resulted in its high projection in a yearly manner. The prime factor for the emission of CO₂ are from the actions of human beings. One such human act is the concrete industry. Total emissions from the concrete industry could therefore contribute as much as 8% of global CO₂ emissions. Sequestered CO₂ in concrete can provide an impact on reducing the carbon footprint and is also able to improve the compressive strength of concrete. During this process, the sequestered carbon dioxide chemically reacts with cement to produce a mineral, trapping carbon dioxide gas in the concrete. Hence, sequestering carbon dioxide gas in concrete does not only on a bigger scale reduces carbon footprint, but it also reduces the impact the construction industry has on the environment. This paper presents a detailed review on the chemical reaction that takes place during the sequestration of carbon dioxide and the research published on the effects of carbon dioxide sequestered concrete on its properties. The impact this process has on the concrete industry and the environment is discussed in this paper.

Carbon nanotubes have been attracting considerable interest among material scientists, physicists, chemists and engineers for almost 30 years. Owing to their high aspect ratio, coupled with remarkable mechanical, electronic and thermal properties, carbon nanotubes have found application in diverse fields. In this review, we will cover the work on carbon nanotubes used for sensing applications. In particular, we will see examples where carbon nanotubes act as main players in devices sensing biomolecules, gas, light or pressure changes. Furthermore, we will discuss how to improve the performance of carbon nanotube-based sensors after proper modification.

Hybrid carbon-silicon, carbon-nitrogen, and carbon-boron clathrates are new classes of Type I carbon-based clathrates that have been identified by first-principles computational methods by substituting atoms on the carbon clathrate framework with Si, N, and/or B atoms. The hybrid framework is further stabilized by embedding appropriate guest atoms within the cavities of the cage structure. Series of hybrid carbon-silicon, carbon-boron, carbon-nitrogen, and carbon-silicon-nitrogen clathrates have been shown to exhibit small positive values of the energy of formation, indicating that they may be metastable compounds and amenable to fabrication. In this overview article, the energy of formation, elastic properties, and electronic properties of selected hybrid carbon-based clathrates are summarized. Theoretical calculations that explore the potential applications of hybrid carbon-based clathrates as energy storage materials, electronic materials, or hard materials are presented. The computational results identify compositions of hybrid carbon-silicon and carbon-nitrogen clathrates that may be considered candidate materials for use as either electrode materials for Li-ion batteries or as hydrogen storage materials. Prior processing routes for fabricating selected hybrid carbon-based clathrates are highlighted and difficulties encountered are discussed.

Valorization of excess sludge through the recovery of high-value products, such as biopolymers, could be a crucial step to implement circular economy principles in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In this frame, the present study was aimed at evaluating the simultaneous production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), obtainable from the treatment of an agro-industrial wastewater. Two biological systems, one implementing aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and the other a conventional activated sludge operating as a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) were operated for 204 and 186 days, respectively. Both the systems involved a three-stage process for mixed microbial culture enrichment and biopolymers accumulation. The maximum biopolymers accumulation capacity was close to 0.60 mg gVSS^-1 in the AGS when the enrichment reactor was operated at 3 kgCODm^-3d^-1, whereas in the SBR it was slightly more than half (0.35 mg gVSS^-1). Biopolymers extracted from the AGS were mainly constituted by EPS (>70%), which percentage increased with the organic loading rate applied in the enrichment reactor up to 95%. In contrast, SBR enabled to obtain a higher PHA production (50% of the biopolymers). Results suggested that organic carbon was mainly channeled toward metabolic pathways for extracellular storing in AGS, likely as a consequence of metabolic stressors (e.g., hydraulic selection pressure, shear forces) applied for promoting aerobic granulation.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) within the exosomes are short non-coding RNAs that are associated with many diseases including cancers and are crucial players in regulating gene expression and regula-tion. Owing to their potential role as emerging biomarkers, efficient isolation, and quantification methods of miRNA from the exosomes in the cell’s supernatant are complicated and challenging. The quantitative PCR method is the gold standard for miRNA identification and estimation. Nucleic acid-based assays are expensive, labour-intensive, and require expertise. In this work, we demon-strated an aptamer-based magnetic separation of the exosomes, and quantification of the miRNA using a fluorescence switching assay. The fluorescence assay relies on the fluorescence of the fluorophore labelled cDNA quenched by carbon nanomaterials coated on magnetic beads (OFF state). When the target miRNA210 is introduced to the system, the cDNA detaches from the quenching surface. As a result, the fluorescence intensity increases (ON state) with increasing miRNA concentration within the dynamic range of 0-100 nM. This method can detect miR210 as low as 5 pM. This method does not exhibit any cross-reactivity with other closely related miRNAs. The method was validated by spiking miRNA with the standard RT-PCR method using SYBR green as a fluorescent probe. This method can be used for the minimally invasive detection of cancer biomarkers in breast cancer patients.

Several methods of processing wood into strong, durable products for the construction industry provide transformative opportunities to substitute for less sustainable building materials. Carbon storage is a further advantage, with the added possibility of combustion for bioenergy at end of life. Intense research activity in this area is expected to open up new markets for wood fiber during the lifetime of trees now being planted. Here, wood-derived materials are classified according to the particle size, from metres to nanometres, into which the wood is fragmented before reconstitution. Materials made by densifying or chemically modifying solid wood with no fragmentation are already in production for exterior doors, window frames and cladding, with improved uniformity and stability compared with unmodified wood. Pre-commercial developments promise further gains in durability and strength. Emerging developments extend these process technologies to wood that has been chipped or stranded or pulped, retaining the above advantages over raw timber for weather-facing applications and adding processability by moulding or extrusion. Crucially, the raw material does not then need to be sawn timber but can be bioenergy-grade wood biomass. This will facilitate afforestation strategies that combine the aims of carbon sequestration and biodiversity.

Activated carbon (AC) is an effective adsorbent for creatinine removal in hemoperfusion. However, the hemocompatibility and adsorption capacity of AC was required to be improved furthermore. Heparin, a widely used anticoagulant biomacromolecule, could improve the hemocompatibility of the absorbents in different ways based on its molecular weight. Thus, it was necessary to study the surface modification with unfractionated heparin (UFH) or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on improvement of hemocompatibility and adsorption. In this study, UFH and LMWH were respectively grafted on AC through polyethyleneimine as an intermediate layer. The modification of AC about morphology, mechanical strength and pore structure was characterized by XPS, SEM, TA and BET. It was found that compared with AC, the morphology and mechanical strength AC-UFH and AC-LMWH could be well maintained, but the BET surface was decreased due to the grafting of macromolecules. Furthermore, AC-UFH and AC-LMWH showed the better hemocompatibility on protein adsorption, APTT and platelet activation compared with AC, in which AC-LMWH had lower fibrinogen adsorption and longer APTT than AC-UFH. Besides, it was found that AC, AC-UFH and AC-LMWH had no significant effect on blood cell composition. Finally, the adsorption capacity of adsorbents for creatinine was evaluated. Although there was no significant difference between AC-UFH and AC-LMWH, it was found that heparin could be interacted with creatinine to enhance the adsorption capacity when compared with AC-PEI. This study deepened the understanding of anticoagulation of heparinized surface and provided a theoretical basis for adsorbents in hemoperfusion.

This work is related to the environmental toxicology risk assessment and evaluation of possible transformation of carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) after the contact with marine microalgae. The materials used in the study represent common and widely applied multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), fullerene (C60), graphene (Gr), and graphene oxide (GrO). The toxicity was evaluated as growth rate inhibition, esterase activity, membrane potential, and reactive oxygen species generation changes. The measurement was performed with flow cytometry after 3, 24, 96 h, and 7 days. Biotransformation of nanomaterials were evaluated after 7 days of microalgae cultivation with CNMs by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. The calculated toxic level (EC50 in mg/L, 96 h) of ued CNMs reduced in the following order: CNTs (18.98) > GrO (76.77) > Gr (159.40) > C60 (414.0). Oxidative stress and membrane depolarization was the main toxic action of CNTs and GrO. At the same time, Gr and C60 decreased the toxic action with time and had no negative impact on microalgae even at concentration of 125 mg/L. Moreover, C60 and Gr after seven days of the contact with microalgae cells obtained structural deformations.

The present study reports on the fabrication and performance of ammonia sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) coated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The sensors were subjected to controlled concentrations of ammonia at two temperatures, namely 25 oC and 140 oC, and their response was monitored through successive cycles of ammonia exposure and nitrogen purging. The results demonstrate that the sputtering-based deposition of AuNPs on SWCNTs led to the best sensor performance, characterized by a rapid increase in resistance values upon exposure to ammonia, and efficient recovery at 140 oC. By contrast, the sensor with chemically impregnated AuNPs exhibited a slower response time. Furthermore, a novel device was developed that combined MoS2-AuNPs (sputtering)-SWCNTs, and it showed improved sensor performance compared to the devices with only AuNPs. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the fabrication and optimization of SWCNT-based ammonia sensors for various applications, especially for detecting and quantifying small amounts of ammonia (concentrations below 1 ppm).

Shale gas and coalbed methane are energy sources that partly or even mainly consist of methane stored in an adsorbed state in the pores of the organic-rich rock and coal seams. In this study, the graphene nanoslit model is employed to model the nanometer slit pores in shale and coal. The Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) and Molecular Dynamics (MD) modelling methods are used to investigate the mechanisms of adsorption and displacement of methane in the slit pore. It was found that the CVFF forcefield resulted in the largest adsorption amount, while the PCFF forcefield resulted in the least. The COMPASS and COMPASS II force fields led to similar results. As the width of the slit pore increases, the adsorption amount of gas molecules increases, and the number density profile of adsorbed methane molecules alters from a single adsorption layer to multi-adsorption layers. The minimum slit pore width at which methane molecules can penetrate the slit pore was found to be 0.7 nm. Moreover, it is demonstrated that by lowering the temperature, the adsorption rate of the methane increases since the adsorption is an exothermic process. Enhancing methane recovery was investigated by the injection of gases such as CO2 and N2 to displace the adsorbed methane. The comparison of adsorption isotherms of gas molecules provided the following order in terms of the amount of adsorption: CO2>CH4>N2.

Within phototherapy, a grand challenge in clinical cancer treatments is to develop a simple, cost-effective, and biocompatible approach to treat this disease using ultra-low doses of light. Carbon-based materials (CBM), such as graphene oxide (GO), reduced GO (r-GO), graphene quantum dots (GQDs), and carbon dots (C-DOTs), are rapidly emerging as a new class of thera-peutic materials against cancer. This mini-review summarizes the progress in lasts years re-garding the applications of CBM in photodynamic (PDT) and photothermal (PTT) therapies for tumor destruction. The current understanding of the performance of modified CBM, hybrids and composites, is also addressed. This approach seeks to achieve an enhanced healing action by im-proving and modulating the properties of CBM to treat various types of cancer. Metal oxides, organic molecules, biopolymers, therapeutic drugs, among others, have been combined with CBM to treat cancer by PDT, PTT, or synergistic therapies.

To design and optimize liquid-assisted processes such as reactive infiltration for fabricating refractory SiC/ZrSi₂ composites, basic investigations on the interfacial phenomena occurring when liquid Si-based alloys are in contact with C and SiC substrates, are key steps. Indeed, targeted wettability studies may provide helpful indications for finding the suitable set of operating conditions to succeed the fabrication of composites via the reactive infiltration and for predicting the key influencing mechanisms. The wettability of glassy carbon (GC) by two different Si-rich Si-Zr alloys as a function of the Si-content has been investigated by the sessile drop method at T = 1450°C. The more relevant results obtained in terms of equilibrium contact angle values, spreading kinetics, reactivity and developed interface microstructures are reported in the paper and compared with the behaviour previously observed in the Si-27Zr/GC system. The increase of Si-content only weakly affected the overall phenomena observed at the interface, which from the practical point of view means that even the Si-Zr alloys with higher Si-content, as respect to the eutectic alloy (Si-27Zr), could be potentially used as infiltrant materials.

This paper presents the microstructural and mechanical properties of low and medium carbon advanced high-strength forging steels developed based on the third generation advanced high-strength sheet steels, in conjunction with those of conventional high-strength forging steels. Hot-forging followed by an isothermal transformation process considerably improved the mechanical properties of the forging steels. The improvement mechanisms of the mechanical properties were summarized by relating to the matrix structure, the strain-induced transformation of metastable retained austenite and/or a mixture of martensite and austenite.

Carbon-based nanomaterials, such as carbon nanomaterials, play an important role in many promising nanomaterials in the field of biomedicine. Among them, carbon nanomaterials are a new kind of porous carbon nanomaterials with great application potential. Therefore, based on carbon nanomaterials, the interaction between biomaterials and cells and surface modification were analyzed. Studies have shown that the interaction between the surface of biological materials and cells is mainly the mutual molecular recognition between the surface receptors of cell membranes and the ligands on the surface of biomaterials. Therefore, biomimetic modification of the surface of biomaterials is used to enhance cell affinity and specific recognition. The carbon nanomaterial has a large specific surface area and pore volume, can provide high drug-loading capacity, has an adjustable pore structure and pores, can control the release of the drug molecules, and has a good application prospect in the field of drug delivery systems.

Nanoparticles of platinum-group metals (PGM) on carbon supports are widely used as catalysts for a number of chemical and electrochemical conversions on laboratory and industrial scale. The newly emerging field of single atom catalysis focuses on the ultimate level of metal dispersion, i.e. atomically dispersed metal species anchored on the substrate surface. However, the presence of single atoms in traditional nanoparticle-based catalysts remains largely overlooked. In this work we use aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope to investigate four commercially available nanoparticle-based PGM/C catalysts (PGM = Ru, Rh, Pd, Pt). We show that in addition to nanoparticles, single atoms are also present on the surface of carbon substrates. These observations raise questions about the role that single atoms play in conventional nanoparticle PGM/C catalysts. We critically discuss the observations with regard to the quickly developing field of single atom catalysis.

Limonene epoxide (1,2 limonene oxide) readily reacts with carbon dioxide in a ring opening copolymerization reaction with insertion of CO₂ and formation of polycarbonates of exceptional chemical and physical properties. Both poly(limonene carbonate) and poly(limonene dicarbonate) can be synthesized using low cost Zn or Al homogeneous catalysts. This study addresses selected relevant questions concerning the technical and economic feasibility of limonene and carbon dioxide polymers en route to the bioeconomy.

Antimicrobial application of carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), capped CNT, C60 fullerene, and C70 fullerene are increasing owing to their low cytotoxicity properties compared to other nanomaterials such as metallic nanoparticles. Enhanced mechanical property and antibacterial activity can be caused by incorporation of CNTs in 3-dimentional (3D) printed nanocomposites (NCs). Interruption of bacterial membrane resulting from cylindrical shape and high aspect ratio properties has been found as the prominent antibacterial mechanism of CNTs. However, unraveling interaction of CNT, capped CNT, C60 fullerene, and C70 fullerene with virulence factors of the main bacterial pathogenesis has not yet been known. Therefore, in the present study, interactions of CNT, capped CNT, C60, and C70 with the eight virulence factors including protein kinase A and ESX-secreted protein B of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, pseudomonas elastase and exotoxin A of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, alpha-hemolysin and penicillin binding protein 2a of Staphylococcus aureus and shiga toxin 2a and heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli have been evaluated by molecular docking method of AutoDock Vina. This study disclosed the binding strength followed the sequence CNT > capped CNT > C70 > C60 towards alpha-hemolysin of S. aureus compared to other virulence factors with values of -19.6, -18.8, -13.6, and -12.8 kcal/mol, respectively. The lowest and highest binding affinity were found for CNT against 1TII and 1MWT by binding energy values of 97.4 and -20.1 kcal/mol. The stability of CNT-1MWT complex at the different times has resulted according to the normal mode analysis of elNémo and iMOD servers. Future studies should be focused on improving cellular uptake of CNTs, capped CNTs, C70, and C60 by surface functionalization for active targeting of bacteria.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess unique mechanical, physical, electrical and absorbability properties coupled with their nanometer dimensional scale that renders them extremely valuable for applications in many fields including nanotechnology and chromatographic separation. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview about the applications of CNTs in chiral and achiral separations of pharmaceuticals, biologics and chemicals. Chiral SWCNTs and MWCNTs have been directly applied for the enantioseparation of pharmaceuticals and biologicals by using them as stationary or pseudostationary phases in chromatographic separation techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), capillary electrophoresis (CE) and gas chromatography (GC). Achiral MWCNTs have been used for achiral separations as efficient sorbent objects in solid-phase extraction techniques of biochemicals and drugs. Achiral SWCNTs have been applied in achiral separation of biological samples. Achiral SWCNTs and MWCNTs have been also successfully used to separate achiral mixtures of pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Collectively, functionalized CNTs have been indirectly applied in separation science by enhancing the enantioseparation of different chiral selectors whereas, non-functionalized CNTs have shown efficient capabilities for chiral separations by using techniques such as encapsulation or immobilization in polymer monolithic columns.

The accurate estimation of biomass carbon in forests is of paramount importance for effective forest management and mitigating climate change. This study presents a novel approach to produce a high-resolution map of biomass carbon over forests in Malaysia using the Aboveground Carbon Density Indicator (ACDI) and a comprehensive collection of 12 years of inventory data, i.e., from 2012 to 2023. The ACDI was derived based on several vegetation indices (VIs) that were produced from the original Landsat images to indicate the level of aboveground biomass carbon (AGC) stock in the forested areas. The VIs includes Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalised Burn Ratio (NBR), Shadow Index (SI), Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), Iron Oxide Index (IO), Modified Normalised Difference Water Index (NDWI), and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). The ACDI was then integrated with ground-based measurements, and serves as a robust indicator for estimating AGC. This calculation was conducted on Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to match the date of field observation with the satellite imagery datasets. The production of seamless mosaic of the latest date of Landsat imagery and the forest type classification were also performed on GEE. The forested areas were classified into three major types, which are dry inland forest, mangrove forest, and peat swamp forest. Results indicated significant spatial variations in AGC across Malaysia's forests. The derived AGC prediction models based on the ACDI varied among the forest types. Based on the estimates, a 30-metre resolution, wall-to-wall map of AGC across the entire forested region of Malaysia has been created. The ACDI was calibrated and validated using a separate validation plots dataset to ensure the accuracy of the AGC estimates. The total AGC in all types of forests in Malaysia was estimated at 3.0 billion Mg C with an attainable accuracy of about 80%. These estimates were also divided into categories and reported to the AGC at the state level. This high-resolution map provides essential information for various stakeholders, with critical implications for carbon sequestration efforts, conservation priorities, and sustainable forest management. The presented methodology not only showcases the value of combining advanced remote sensing techniques with long-term inventory data but also underscores the potential for similar approaches in other tropical forest regions globally. Ultimately, this study contributes to the understanding of carbon dynamics in Malaysian forests and promotes effective strategies for mitigating climate change through better-informed forest conservation and management practices.

The nucleation of voids in alpha iron and the influence of carbon were investigated through a combination of rate theory and nucleation theory calculations. The steady rates of void nucleation exhibit high sensitivity to carbon. Even a seemingly negligible carbon concentration, as low as a few atomic parts per million (appm), can dramatically reduce the nucleation rates and narrow the temperature window for nucleation. This study highlights the challenges in certifying and qualifying nuclear materials for use in reactor environments. It emphasizes the necessity for precise control of impurity levels during materials processing and stringent requirements for irradiation testing, which are susceptible to contamination. Furthermore, the study provides an explanation for the significant data scattering observed in void swelling behaviors as reported in the literature.

Capturing and storing CO2 (CCS) was once regarded as a significant, urgent, and required option for reducing the emissions of CO2 from coal and oil and gas industries and mitigating the serious impacts of CO2 on the atmosphere and the environment. This recognition came about as a result of extensive research conducted in the past. The CCS cycle comes to a close with the last phase of CO2 storage, which is accomplished primarily by the adsorption of CO2 in the ocean and injection of CO2 subsurface reservoir formation, in addition to the formation of limestone by the process of CO2 reactivity with reservoir formation minerals through injectivities. CCS is the last stage in the carbon capture and storage (CCS) cycle and is accomplished chiefly via oceanic and subterranean geological sequestration, as well as mineral carbonation. The injection of supercritical CO2 into geological formations disrupts the sub-surface's existing physical and chemical conditions; changes can occur in the pore fluid pressure, temperature state, chemical reactivity, and stress distribution of the reservoir rock. This paper aims at advancing our current knowledge in CO2 injection and storage systems particularly CO2 storage methods and the challenges encountered during the implementation of each method and analyses on how key uncertainties in CCS can be reduced. CCS sites are essentially unified systems; yet, given the scientific context, these storage systems are typically split during scientific investigations based on the physics and spatial scales involved. Separating the physics by using the chosen system as a boundary condition is a strategy that works effectively for a wide variety of physical applications. Unfortunately, the separation technique does not accurately capture the behaviour of the larger important system in the case of water and gas flow in porous media. This is due to the complexity of geological subsurface systems, which prevents the approach from being able to effectively capture the behaviour of the larger relevant system. This consequently gives rise to different CCS technology with different applications, costs and social and environmental impacts. The findings of this study can help improve understanding of selecting a suitable CCS application method and can further improve the efficiency of greenhouse gas emissions and their environmental impact, promoting the process sustainability and helping to tackle some of the most important issues that human being is currently accounting global climate change. Though this technology has already had large-scale development for the last decade, some issues and uncertainties are identified. Special attention was focused on the basic findings achieved in CO2 storage operational projects to date. The study has demonstrated that though a number of CCS technology has been researched and implemented to date, choosing a suitable and acceptable CCS technology is still daunting in terms of its technological application, cost-effectiveness and socio-environmental acceptance.

This article presents analysis of carbon Swan, C$_2$, laser-plasma emission records using line strength data, C$_2$-Swan-lsf, and the ExoMol astrophysical database. Line-strength data fitting of 0.25-nanometer spectral resolution ExoMol-computed spectra for a 6,000-Kelvin temperature C$_2$ Swan system, ${\rm d}\ ^3\,\Pi_{\rm g} \longrightarrow {\rm a} \ ^3\,\Pi_{\rm u}$, $\Delta {\rm v} = 0, \pm 1$, reveals a temperature of 5,640 Kelvin. The six per cent lower temperature is associated primarily with the accuracy of the transition wavelengths in the ExoMol vs. C$_2$-Swan-lsf data. The analysis of experiment data examines spectra that are recorded following laser-induced optical breakdown in carbon monoxide. The laser plasma data are recorded with 0.35-nm spectral resolution. The temperature inferences are elaborated when using non-linear fitting with both databases. The results show temperatures in excess of 6,000 Kelvin for the $\Delta {\rm v} = -1$ sequence, and for a time delay of 30\,$\upmu$s from laser plasma initiation. The accuracy of the C$_2$ Swan bands line strength data is of the order of 1 picometer. These line strength data are also utilized for analysis of laser-induced fluorescence experiments that employ a spectral resolution of 5.5 picometer, and a temperature of 2,716 Kelvin is inferred. Accurate C$_2$ databases show many applications in laboratory diagnosis and interpretation of astrophysical plasma records.

This review proposes an overview on the use of organic functionalized carbon nanostructures (CNSs) into solar energy conversion schemes. Our attention has focused in particular on the contribution given by organic chemistry to the development of new hybrid materials that find application in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC), organic photovoltaics (OPV), perovskite solar cells (PSC) and also in photocatalytic fuel production, focusing in particular on the most recent literature. The request for new materials able to accompany the green energy transition that are abundant, low cost, with low toxicity, from renewable sources has further increased the interest in CNSs that meet all these requirements. The inclusion of an organic molecule, thanks to both covalent and non-covalent interactions, into a CNS, leads to the development of a completely new hybrid material able of combining and improving the properties of both starting materials. Besides the numerical data, which unequivocally state the positive effect of the new hybrid material, we hope that these examples can be inspiring for further research in the field of photoactive materials from an organic point of view.

Carbon dots (C-dots) represent an emerging class of non-toxic nano-emitters that show excitation wavelength dependent photoluminescence (PL) with high quantum yield (QY) and minimal photobleaching. The vast majority of studies focus on C-dots that exhibit the strongest PL emission in the blue/green region of the spectrum, while longer wavelength emissions are ideal for applications such as bioimaging, photothermal and photodynamic therapy and light emitting diodes. Effective strategies to modulate the PL emission of C-dot based systems towards the red end of the spectrum rely on extensive conjugation of sp2 domains, heteroatom doping, solvatochromism, surface functionalization and passivation. Those approaches are systematically presented in this review, while emphasis is given on important applications of red-emissive suspensions, nanopowders and polymer nanocomposites.

The sustainable production of food faces formidable challenges. Foremost is the availability of arable soils, which have been ravaged by the overuse of fertilizers and detrimental soil management techniques. As such, maintenance of soil quality, and reclamation of marginal soils, has become an increasingly important endeavor. Recently, there has been emerging interest in the use of biochar, a carbon rich, porous material thought to improve various aspects of soil performance. Biochar (BC) is produced through the thermochemical decomposition of organic matter at high temperature in an oxygen limited environment, in a process known as pyrolysis. Importantly, the source of organic material, or ‘feedstock,’ used in this process and different parameters of pyrolysis, especially temperature, determine the chemical and physical properties of biochar. Incorporation of BC impacts soil-water relations, tilth and nutrient status, pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and microbial activity. Soil amendment with BC has been shown to have an overall positive impact on soil health and crop productivity; however, initial soil properties need to be considered prior to the application of BC. There is an urgent need to understand the effects of long-term field application of BC and how it influences the soil microcosm. This knowledge will facilitate predictable enhancement of crop productivity and meaningful carbon sequestration.

Low carbon cities are increasingly forming a distinct strand of sustainability literature. Models have been developed to measure the performance of low carbon cities. The purpose of this paper is to formulate a strategy-based model to evaluate current performance and predict future conditions of low carbon cities. It examines the dynamic interrelationships between key performance indicators (KPIs), induces changes to city plan targets and then instantly predicts the outcome of these changes. Designed generic and flexible, the proposed model shows how low carbon targets could be used to guide the transformation of low carbon cities under four strategies: (1) passive intervention, (2) problem solving, (3) trend modifying and (4) opportunity seeking. Further, the model has been applied to 17 cities and then tested on 5 cities: London, New York, Barcelona, Dubai and Istanbul. The paper concludes with policy implications to realign city plans and support low carbon innovation.

The conventional rolled-up model for carbon nanocones assumes that the cone is constructed from a rolled-up graphene sheet joined seamlessly, which predicts five distinct vertex angles. This model completely ignores any effects due to the changing curvature and all bond lengths and bond angles are assumed to be those for the planar graphene sheet. Clearly curvature effects will become more important closest to the cone vertex, and especially so for the cones with the smaller apex angles. Here we construct carbon nanocones which in the assembled cone are assumed to comprise bond lengths and bond angles which are, as far as possible, equal throughout the structure at the same distance from the conical apex. Predicted bond angles and bond lengths are shown to agree well with those obtained by relaxing the conventional rolled-up model using the LAMMPS software. The major objective here is not simply to model physically realisable carbon nanocones for which numerical procedures are far superior, but rather to produce an improved model that takes into account curvature effects close to the vertex, and from which we may determine an analytical formula which represents an improvement on that for the conventional rolled-up model.

“Blue carbon”, apart from marine humus, includes the carbon (C) stock of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, marshes, and seagrass meadows, which have been overlooked until recently. Information about the role of coastal wetlands in C sequestration and providing other ecosystem services is still insufficient. In the present study, we assessed the C reserves of soils and vegetation biomass in two complex coastal landscapes (tombolos) located on the coasts of the White and Baltic seas. The soil and plant C stocks were slightly higher at the plot at the Baltic Sea (93.4 ± 46.7 Mg C·ha-1 and 5.22 ± 2.51 Mg C·ha-1, respectively) than at the plot on the White Sea (71.4 ± 38.2 Mg C·ha-1 and 3.95 ± 2.42 Mg C·ha-1, respectively). We attributed the higher values of the C reserved to a warmer climate and less saline water at the plot on the Baltic Sea. Both soil and plant C showed high heterogeneity due to geomorphological complexity and differences in vegetative communities. The Phragmites australis community showed the highest plant biomass and, in some places, high soil C reserves. Allochthonous C contributed to the soil C stock at the site on the White Sea. Though P. australis sequestered more C than other communities, its effect on ecosystem services was mostly negative because the invasion of reeds reduced the biological diversity of the marshes.

Terpenes are high-value chemicals which can be produced by engineered cyanobacteria from sustainable resources, solar energy, water and CO2. We previously reported that the euryhaline unicellular cyanobacteria Synechocystis PCC 6803 (S.6803) and Synechococcus PCC 7002 (S.7002) produce farnesene and limonene, respectively, more efficiently than other terpenes. In the present study, we attempted at enhancing farnesene production in S.6803 and limonene production in S.7002. Practically, we tested the influence of key cyanobacterial enzymes acting in carbon fixation (RubisCO, PRK, CcmK3 and CcmK4), utilization (CrtE, CrtR and CruF) and storage (PhaA and PhaB) on terpene production in S.6803, and we compared some of the findings with the data obtained in S.7002. We report that the overproduction of RubisCO from S.7002 and PRK from Cyanothece PCC 7425 increased farnesene production in S.6803, but not limonene production in S.7002. The overexpression of the crtE genes (synthesis or terpene precursors) from S.6803 or S.7002 did not increased farnesene production in S.6803. In contrast, the overexpression of the crtE gene from S.6803, but not S.7002, increased farnesene production in S.7002, emphasizing the physiological difference between these two model cyanobacteria. Furthermore, the deletion of the crtR and cruF genes (carotenoid synthesis) and phaAB genes (carbon storage) did not increase the production of farnesene in S.6803. Finally, as a containment strategy of genetically modified (GMO) strains of S.6803 we report that the deletion of the ccmK3K4 genes (carboxysome for CO2 fixation) did not affect the production of limonene but decreased the production of farnesene in S.6803.

Adopting banana peel as raw material, the adsorption properties of banana peel hydrothermal carbon modified with KOH solution for lead ions in aqueous solution were studied. The surface structure and functional groups of the modified hydrothermal carbon were analyzed by XRD and SEM. The results showed that the banana peel hydrothermal carbon prepared from 0.5 mol/L KOH solution had large pores, and its adsorption capacity reached 42.92 mg/g at a pH value of 6; When the concentration of KOH solution is 0.5 mol/L, the solid liquid ratio is 2 g/L, the adsorption capacity reaches 21.39 mg/g, and the adsorption rate reaches 82.74%; When the concentration of lead solution increased to 100 mg/L, the adsorption capacity of modified hydrothermal carbon for lead ions decreased to 78.26%; The equilibrium adsorption time of lead ion in solution on phosphoric acid modified hydrothermal carbon from banana peel was 250 minutes, and the adsorption process met the quasi second order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm equation, with an equilibrium adsorption rate of 88.62%. The adsorption of lead ions in solution by KOH modified hydrothermal carbon is mainly chemical physical adsorption.

Cambodian spices Amomum kravanh, Citrus hystrix and Piper nigrum 'Kampot' have long history of seasoning of food products. In this study, essential oils (EOs) and supercritical CO2 extracts from all three species have been analyzed using GC-MS with two columns of different polarity, whereas EO and CO2 extract from P. nigrum fruits and CO2 extract from the peel of C. hystrix have been isolated and analyzed for the first time. The results showed that A. kravanh EO contained mostly eucalyptol (78.8/ 72.6 %), while CO2 extract was rich in oleic acid (29.26 %) and tricosane (14.74 %). C. hystrix EO was rich in β-pinene (29.95/29.45 %), followed by D-limonene (24.54/23.24 %) and sabinene (9.94/10.23 %). β-pinene (30.2/28.9 %), D-limonene (23.99/23.74 %) and sabinene (13.36/19.55 %) were also predominant in the CO2 extracts. β-Caryophyllene was the main constituent of both EO and CO2 extract from P. nigrum 'Kampot' with contents ranging from 37.84 to 55.84 %, followed by 3-carene (from 7.18 to 18.72 %). Such findings suggest that supercritical CO2 can potentially be used for extraction of all three Cambodian spices. Nevertheless, further research determining the most efficient extraction parameters will be needed before its application in the spice processing practice.

Thermal Non-destructive Testing and Evaluation (NDT&E) is crucial in ensuring the quality and safety of industrial materials, components, and structures. It serves as a key tool for assessing their operational reliability, thus enhancing safety in a wide range of industries. There is a growing demand for dependable, swift, remote, and secure inspection and assessment techniques to detect hidden flaws, especially for sustainable solutions prompts adjustments in design and manufacturing standards. Hidden defects often emerge during the service life of these materials and structures due to various stress factors, potentially resulting in catastrophic failures. This study delves into the optimal and dependable experimental method for conducting fast, remote, and secure inspections and assessments of carbon fiber reinforced polymer materials using Infrared Imaging (IRI) as part of Thermal Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation (TNDT&E). Additionally, it examines the post-processing approach associated with this technique. This perspective also sheds light on the current state-of-the-art infrared imaging methods employed in TNDT&E, emphasizing their strengths and weaknesses about their ability to detect subsurface defects present within the material Most of the methods discussed in previous research primarily focus on the thermal differences in specific areas of a sample using processed thermal images, even though these images come from analyzing a series of images captured over time. This study highlights the latest research in thermal/infrared non-destructive testing and evaluation, along with the related post-processing techniques. It aims to not only show hidden subsurface defects through thermal differences also provides information about how these defects change over time.

This study aims to exploit the distinctive properties of carbon nanotube materials, which are particularly pronounced at the microscopic scale, by deploying fabrication techniques that allow their features to be observed macroscopically. Specifically, we aim to create a semiconductor device that exhibits flexibility and the ability to modulate its electromagnetic wave absorption frequency by means of biasing. Initially, we fabricate a sheet of carbon nanotubes through a vacuum filtration process. Subsequently, phosphorus and boron elements are separately doped into the nanotube sheet, enabling it to embody the characteristics of a PN diode. Measurements indicate that, in addition to the fundamental diode's current-voltage relationship, the device also demonstrates intriguing transmission properties under the TEM mode of electromagnetic waves. It exhibits a frequency shift of approximately 2.3125 GHz for each volt of bias change. The final result is a lightweight and flexible carbon-based semiconductor microwave filter, which can conform to curved surfaces. This feat underscores the potential of such materials for innovative and effective electromagnetic wave manipulation.

To date, only a few studies focused on carbon monoxide (CO) production during waste composting; all targeted on CO inside piles. Here, the CO net emissions from compost piles and the assessment of worker’s occupational risk of exposure to CO at large-scale composting plants are shown for the first time. CO net emissions were measured at two plants processing green waste, sewage sludge, or undersize fraction of municipal solid waste. Effects of the location of piles (hermetised hall vs. open yard) and turning (before vs. after) were studied. Higher CO net emission rates were observed from piles located in a closed hall. The average CO flux before turning was 23.25 and 0.60 mg‧m-2‧h-1 for hermetised and open piles, respectively, while after – 69.38 and 5.11 mg‧m-2‧h-1. The maximum CO net emissions occurred after the compost was turned (1.7x to 13.7x higher than before turning). The top sections of hermetised piles had greater CO emissions compared to sides. Additionally, 5% of measurement points of hermetised piles switched to ‘CO sinks’. The 1-h concentration in hermetised composting hall can reach max. ~50 mg CO∙m-3 before turning, and >115 mg CO∙m-3 after, exceeding the WHO thresholds for a 1-h and 15-min exposures, respectively.

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) have garnered significant interest in the field of molecular magnetism due to their unique magnetic properties at the nanoscale. These molecular systems exhibit magnetisation behaviour reminiscent of conventional bulk magnets but with distinct advantages such as size-dependent properties and potential applications in quantum computing and high-density data storage. However, challenges remain in harnessing their properties for practical applications, including their susceptibility to degradation and limited control over their assembly and organisation.

Despite the development of biorefinery processes, so far this area does not take into account the possibility of coupling the “conventional” composting process with the production of biochemicals. However, net carbon monoxide (CO) production has been observed during bio-waste composting. So far, O2 concentration and temperature have been identified as main variables influencing CO formation. This study aimed to investigate the CO net production during bio-waste composting under controlled laboratory conditions, depending on different aeration rates and temperatures. A series of composting processes were carried out in conditions ranging from ~psychrophilic to thermophilic (T=35, 45, 55, and 65°C) and an aeration rate of 2.7, 3.4, 4.8, and 7.8 L‧h-1. The highest concentrations of CO in each thermal variant was achieved with oxygen deficit (aeration rate 2.7 L‧h-1); additionally, CO levels increased with temperature, reaching ~300 ppm at 65°C. Production of CO in mesophilic and thermophilic conditions draws attention to the biological CO formation by microorganisms capable of producing the CODH enzyme. Further research on the CO production efficiency in these thermal ranges is necessary with the characterization of the microbial community and analysis of the ability of the identified bacteria to produce the CODH enzyme and convert CO from CO2.

Methane (CH4) has attracted attention as not only synthetic natural gas, but also one of the hy-drogen carriers in terms of energy density. On the other hand, there exist bacterial ecosystems in nature that can decompose organic compounds to produce CH4 and CO2. In this study, Clostridi-um cellulovorans was first cultivated with pig manure (PM) as an unused biomass. Regarding the measurement of organic acids by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), acetate and butyrate were increased in the C. cellulovorans medium containing 0.5% PM, while formate and lactate were decreased in it. Next, in comparison with carbon sources such as glucose, cellobiose, and acetate, cocultivation of C. cellulovorans and Methanosarcina mazei or microbial flora of me-thane production (MFMP) was performed in the C. cellulovorans medium. These results revealed that 0.5% acetate as the sole carbon source produced CH4 only by cocultivating C. cellulovorans and MFMP. Furthermore, MFMP was only cultivated with 1% acetate or 1% methane as a carbon source after precultivated with 0.5% glucose medium for 12 h. As a result, methane productivity of MFMP with 1% methanol medium was approximately eight times higher than that with 1% acetate medium. Finally, next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of MFMP after cultivation with 1% acetate or 1% methane was carried out. Interestingly, Methanofollis (0.211%) belonging to H2/CO2 -using methanogens (CO2 reduction pathway) was dominant in the 1% acetate medium for 72 h cultivation, whereas Methanosarcina siciliae (1.178%), M. barkeri (0.571%), and Methano-follis (0.490%) were major species in 1% methanol medium for 72 h cultivation. Since Methano-sarcina spp. are belonging to acetoclasts (acetoclastic pathway), methanol could promote to grow Methanosarcina spp. rather than acetate. Therefore, it seemed Methanosarcina spp. may play a key methanogenesis in MFMP. Thus, these results will provide important information for low cost biomethane production.

Low-dimensional carbon-based (LDC) materials have attracted extensive research attentions in electrocatalysis because of their unique advantages such as structural diversity, low cost, and chemical tolerance. They have been widely used in a broad range of electrochemical reactions to relief environmental pollution and energy crisis. Typical examples include hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR), and nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). Traditional “trial and error” strategies seriously slowed down the rational design of electrocatalysts for these important applications. Recent studies show that the combination of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental research is capable of accurately predicting the structures of electrocatalysts, thus could reveal the catalytic mechanisms. Herein, current well-recognized collaboration methods of theory and practice are reviewed. The history of modern DFT, commonly used calculation methods, and basic functionals are briefly summarized. Special attention is paid to descriptors that are widely accepted as a bridge links the structure and activity, and the breakthroughs for high-volume accurate prediction of electrocatalysts. Importantly, correlating multiple descriptors are used to systematically describe the complicated interfacial electrocatalytic processes of LDC catalysts. In addition, machine learning and high-throughput simulations are crucial in assisting the discovery of new multiple descriptors and reaction mechanisms. This review will guide the further development of LDC electrocatalysts for extended applications from the aspect of DFT computations.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a new technology considered to have the potential to decarbonise economies. However, nationally and internationally the use of CCS has also been raising concerns about its potential global risks and adverse impacts on the environment. CCS was part of the discussions at the 4th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in March 2019 and in side-events in the 26th UN Climate Change Conference which took place in Glasgow in November 2021. The UK Government aims to deploy CCS at scale during the 2030s, subject to cost reduction. At the same time the UK Government has recently enacted the Environment Act 2021 which provides a set of five environmental principles: the integration principle, the principle of preventative action, the precautionary principle, the rectification at source principle and the polluter pays principle. This work seeks to analyse the application of the UK environmental law principles to carbon capture and storage policies in the UK and its balance with other considerations. Given the concerns surrounding the use of CCS, the debate about its legality may arise in the UK and in other countries. To this end, this paper initially carries out a systematic review of CCS policy documents to discover the policy considerations which support the development of CCS. It then examines the application of the UK environmental law principles to CCS initiatives and its balance with other considerations, such as reduction of carbon emissions, security of energy supply, economic growth and technological leadership. In doing so, this paper aims at contributing to the debate surrounding recent technological developments which have been utilised to help address climate change and some of the legal challenges emerging through the use of CCS under UK environmental law.

In this study, I extend the Fama and French five-factor asset pricing model with a sixth factor, namely, carbon risk, to investigate its impact on equity returns. To measure carbon risk, a new factor ‘pollutant minus green,’ is developed using the difference between the weighted average returns of pollutant and green firms across 51 developed and emerging countries across four categories—North America, Europe, Emerging Markets, and the Asia Pacific. The results reveal that North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific markets have a carbon risk premium that gets eliminated in small-cap firms. The carbon risk factor is further tested in left-hand side (LHS) test asset portfolios and found to be more pronounced with size-effect anomaly; specifically, small stock firms report greater declining average returns because of more exposure than the mega-cap stocks to carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, size-effect anomaly prevails with profitability and investment factors across firms. Therefore, high profitability, as well as high investment small firms, show a greater decline than the big stock firms in average returns when their carbon dioxide emissions increase. The asset pricing model evaluation is carried out through the Gibbons, Ross, and Shanken test. The six-factor model directed at capturing carbon risk patterns in average equity returns performs better than the three-factor and five-factor models of Fama and French (1993 and 2015) in the majority of categories under 3x3 sorting and compete with both Fama and French model under 2x4x4 sorted LHS portfolios. The finding of this study offers various useful applications for investors, policymakers, brokers, corporations, governmental pollution abatement institutions, and other stakeholders who wish to obtain carbon risk premium.

Forest plantations have a large potential for carbon sequestration, playing an important role in the global carbon cycle. However, despite the huge amount of research carried out worldwide, the absolute contribution of industrial forest plantations is still incomplete for some parts of the world. To contribute to bridge this gap, we calculated the amount of C stock in three fast growing forest species in Chile. Relevant C pools (above-ground and below-ground biomass, forest floor, and soil) were considered for this analysis. Across the industrial plantation forests of Chile, carbon accumulated in the above-ground biomass was 181–212 Mg · ha−1 for Pinus radiata, 147–180 Mg · ha−1 for Eucalyptus nitens, and 95–117 Mg · ha−1 for Eucalyptus globulus (age 20–24 years for P.radiata and 10–14 years for Eucalyptus). Our results agree with other studies showing that 30%–50% of the total C stock is stored in the soil. Total C stocks were for 343 Mg · ha−1 for P.radiata, 352 Mg · ha−1 for E.nitens, and 254 Mg · ha−1 for E. gloubulus, also at the end of a typical rotation. The carbon pool in the forest floor was found to be significantly lower (less than 4% of the total) when compared to the other pools and showed large spatial variability. We conclude that industrial forest plantations are a valuable tool to reduce atmospheric CO2 and mitigate climate change. Given the contribution of soils to total carbon stocks, special attention should be paid to forest management activities that affect the soil organic carbon pool.

A valorization process of spent coffee grounds (SCG) was studied. Thus, a two-stage process, a stage of extraction of the polyphenols and a stage of obtaining activated carbon (AC) by a carbonization process, was performed. The extraction was carried out with a hydro-alcoholic solution in a pressure reactor, modifying time and temperature. To optimize the extraction of polyphenols, a two-level factorial design with three replications at the central values was used. The best results were obtained by performing the extraction at 80 °C during 30 min, using a mixture of EtOH:H2O 1:1 (v/v) as extraction solution. Caffeine and chlorogenic acid were the most abundant compounds in the analyzed extracts, ranging from 0.09 to 4.8 mg∙g^-1 and 0.06 to 9.7 mg∙g^-1, respectively. The precursor obtained in the extraction stage were transformed into AC. An experimental design was realized in order to analyze the influence of different variables in the AC obtained process (reaction time and amount of potassium hydroxide used). Actived carbons with BET specific surface (SBET) comprised between 1600 m^2∙g^-1 and 2330 m²∙g^-1 had a microporous surface. Under the optimum conditions, the obtained AC presented a maximum adsorption capacity of methylene blue (qm) between 411 mg∙g^-1 and 813 mg∙g^-1.

The effects of carbon fiber hybridisation on the thermal properties of woven kenaf reinforced epoxy composites kenaf fibre were studied. Woven kenaf hybrid composites at the different weave designs of plain and satin, and fabric count of 5 × 5 and 6 × 6 were manually prepared by vacuum infusion technique. Thermal properties of pure carbon fibre and hybrid composites were conducted by using thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). It was found that at high kenaf fibre content showed better thermal stability while the highest thermally stable was found in pure carbon fibre composite. The TG and DTG results showed that the amount of residue decreased in plain-designed hybrid composite compared to satin-designed hybrid composite. The DSC data revealed that the presence of woven kenaf increase decomposition temperature.

The acoustic emission (AE) technique was applied to monitor the pitting corrosion of carbon steel in NaHCO₃ + NaCl solutions. The open circuit potential (OCP) measurement and the corrosion morphology in-situ capturing using optical microscope were conducted during AE monitoring. The corrosion micromorphology was characterized with scanning electron microscope (SEM). The propagation behavior and AE features of natural pitting on carbon steel were investigated. After the performing of signal processing including pre-treatment, shape preserving interpolation and denoising for raw AE waveforms, three types of AE signals can be classified in the correlation diagrams of new waveform parameters. Finally, a 2D pattern recognition method was established to calculate the similarity of different continuous AE graphics, which is quite effective to distinguish the localized corrosion from uniform corrosion.

Polymer composites with high thermal conductivity have a great potential for applications in modern electronics due to their low cost, easy process, and stable physical and chemical properties. Nevertheless, most polymer composites commonly possess unsatisfactory thermal conductivity, primarily because of the high interfacial thermal resistance between inorganic fillers. Herein, we developed a novel method through silver functionalized graphene nanosheets (GNS) and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites with excellent thermal properties to meet the requirements of thermal management. The effects of composites on interfacial structure and properties of the composites were identified, and the microstructures and properties of the composites were studied as a function of the volume fraction of fillers. An ultrahigh thermal conductivity of 12.3 W/mK for polymer matrix composites was obtained, which is an approximate enhancement of 69.1 times compared to the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix. Moreover, these composites showed more competitive thermal conductivities compared to untreated fillers/PVA composites applied to the desktop central processing unit, making these composites a high-performance alternative to be used for thermal management.

This paper aims to investigate carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations on roadways of Karachi, potential blood levels carboxy-hemoglobin (COHb) in Karachi. Geographical information system (GIS) was used for spatial analysis of diseases potentiality while an interpolation technique has been applied for surface generation with town boundaries and later evaluates risk areas.The higher concentration of carbon monoxide in the ambient is mainly due to automobile emissions. The City center and CBD areas are more perilous.

: Seaweeds are among the most important biomass feedstocks for the production of third generation biofuels. They are also efficient in carbon sequestration during growth, and produce a variety of high value chemicals. Given these characteristics together with the relatively high carbohydrate content, seaweeds have been discussed as an ideal means for CO2 capture and biofuel production. Though third generation biofuels have emerged as some of the best alternatives to fossil fuels, there is currently no large-scale production or mainstream use of such liquid fuels due to the many technical challenges and high production costs. The present study describes the concept of coastal marine biorefineries as the most cost-effective and sustainable approach for biofuel production from sea-weeds as well as atmospheric carbon capture and storage (CCS). The suggested refinery system makes use of marine resources, namely seawater, seaweed, and marine microorganisms. Firstly, extensive screening of the current literature was performed to determine which technologies would enable the emergence of such a novel biorefinery system and its merits over conventional refineries. Secondly, the study investigates various scenarios assessing the potential of seaweeds as a means of carbon sequestration. We demonstrate that the removal of 100 Gigatons of excess CO2 using seaweed farms can be achieved in around 4 months to less than 12 years depending on the area under cultivation and the seaweed species. The total bioethanol that could be generated from the harvested biomass is around 8 trillion litres. In addition, high-value chemicals (HVC) that could potentially be recovered from the process represent a considerable op-portunity with multi-billion-dollar commercial value. Overall, coastal marine biorefineries have strong potential for a sustainable green economy and rep-resent a rapid approach for climate change mitigation.

Biogeochemical models estimate soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, crop growth, and yield. The DeNitrification and DeComposition (DNDC) model was used to simulate soil SOC dynamics and harvested C-biomass in rice-wheat rotation under organic/inorganic fertilizations with conventional tillage (CT) and reduced tillage (RT). Before calibration, DNDC under-predicted harvestable grain C-biomass of rice by 29.22% to 42.14% and over-simulated grain C-biomass of wheat by 55.01% with equal amounts of NPK and animal manure applied under CT. However, after calibration by adjusting default values of soil/crop parameters, DNDC simulated harvestable grain C-biomass of both crops very close to observed values (only -2.81% to -6.17% less). DNDC also predicted effects of nutrient management practices on grain C-biomass of rice/wheat under CT/RT using d-index (0.76 to 0.96) and the calculated root mean squared error (RMSE of 165.36 to 494.18 kg C ha-1). DNDC simulated SOC trends for rice-wheat using measured values of several statistical indices. Regression analysis between modeled and observed SOC dynamics was significant with R2 ranging from 0.35 to 0.46 (p < 0.01), and intercept ranging from 0.30 to 1.34 (p < 0.65). DNDC demonstrated that combined inorganic and organic fertilization may result in higher C-biomass and more SOC sequestration in rice-wheat systems.

This work examines atomic and molecular signatures in laser-induced plasma in standard ambient temperature and pressure environments, including background contributions to the spectra that depend on the laser pulse-width. Investigations include solids, gases, and nano-particles. Abel inversions of measured line-of-sight data reveal insight into the radial plasma distribution. For nominal 6 nanosecond laser pulses and for pulse-energies in the range of 100 to 800 mJ, expansion dynamics and turbulence due to shock phenomena are elucidated to address local equilibrium details that are frequently assumed in spatially averaged emission spectroscopy. Chemical equilibrium computations reveal temperature dependence of selected plasma species. Specific interests include atomic hydrogen (H) and cyanide (CN). Atomic hydrogen spectra indicate axisymmetric shell structures and isentropic expansion of the plasma kernel over and above the usual shockwave. The recombination radiation of CN emanates within the first 100 nanoseconds for laser-induced breakdown in a 1:1 CO2:N2 gas mixture when using nanosecond laser pulses to create the micro-plasma. The micro-plasma is generated using 1064 nm, 150 mJ, 6 ns Q-switched Nd:YAG laser radiation. Measurements of the optical emission spectra utilize a 0.64 m Czerny-Turner type spectrometer and an intensified charge-coupled device.

Hierarchical micro-/mesoporous graphitic carbon spheres (HGCS) with a uniform diameter of ~0.35 μm were synthesized by Fe-catalyzed graphitization of amorphous carbon spheres resultant from hydrothermal carbonization. The HGCS resultant from 3 h at 900 °C with 1.0 wt% Fe catalyst had high graphitization degree and surface area as high as 564 m²/g. They also exhibited high specific capacitance of 140 F/g at 0.2 A/g, good electrochemical stability with 94% capacitance retention after consecutive 2500 cycles. The graphitization degree of the HGCS contributed about 60% of their specific capacitance, and their specific capacitance per unit surface area was as high as 0.2 F/m² which was much higher than in the most cases of porous amorphous carbon materials reported before. In addition, the HGCS showed a high adsorption capacity of 182.8 mg/g for methylene blue (MB), which was 12 times as high as that in the case of carbon spheres before graphitization.

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

For every three people on the planet there is approximately two Tonne (Te) of available plastic waste. We show that carbon recovery from polystyrene (PS) plastic is enhanced by the co-addition to solvents to grow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by liquid injection chemical vapour deposition. Polystyrene was loaded up to 4 wt% in toluene and heated to 780 °C in the presence of a ferrocene catalyst and a hydrogen/argon carrier gas in a 1:19 ratio. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Raman spectroscopy were used to identify multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The PS addition in the range from 0 to 4 wt% showed improved quality and CNT homogeneity; Raman “Graphitic/Defective” (G/D) values increased from 1.9 to 2.3; mean CNT diameters increased from 43.0 to 49.2 nm; and maximum CNT yield increased from 11.3% to 14.2%. Since both the CNT diameters and the percentage yield increased with respect to polystyrene addition, we conclude that carbon from the PS contributes to the carbon within the MWCNTs. The electrical contact resistance of acid washed Bucky papers produced from each loading, ranged from 2.2 to 4.4 Ohm, with no direct correlation to PS loading. Due to this narrow range, the materials with different loading were mixed to create six wires of an Ethernet cable and tested using iPerf to give uplink and downlink speeds of ~99.5 Mbps, comparable to Cu wire of identical dimension (~99.5 Mbps). The lifecycle assessment (LCA) of CNT wire production was compared to copper wire production for the use case in a Boeing 747-400 over the lifespan of the craft. Due to their lightweight nature the CNT wires decreased the CO2 footprint by 21 kTonne (kTe) over the aircraft lifespan.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

Background: Educating college students about the importance of good sleep habits could lead to the adoption of healthier sleep routines, including sufficient sleep duration and sleep quality. The current pre-post study examines the impact of completing a sleep education program called “Sleep 101” on (1) sleep hygiene practices, (2) sleep quality, and (3) weekday and weekend sleep behaviors among college students. “Sleep 101” is an interactive online course developed to educate college students about the importance of sleep by addressing basic sleep physiology, the impact of sleep on mood, academic and physical performance, the interactions between sleep and various substances, and common sleep disorders. Methods: 338 college students were recruited from a midsized public university in the US and invited to participate in “Sleep 101”, of which 25 participants completed the baseline and post-intervention questionnaire. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) was utilized to evaluate sleep hygiene practices, while standard questions were employed to assess weekday and weekend sleep behaviors and overall sleep quality. Results: Those who completed the study demonstrated a significant increase in weekday sleep duration and were less likely to engage in negative prior bedtime activities. In addition, 40% of those who completed baseline and post-intervention assessments noticed improvements in their sleep quality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a brief online program is beneficial in improving sleep behaviors among college and could be a scalable approach to addressing current sleep issues and preventing future sleep problems in college students.

The profile of secondary metabolites occurring in apple cuticular layer is not only characteristic for particular apple cultivar, but also dynamically reflects various external factors in growing environment. In this study, the possibility to authenticate apple samples based on analysis of their cuticular layer extracts was investigated. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) was employed for obtaining metabolomic fingerprints. In total, 274 authentic apple samples, four cultivars harvested within the seasons 2020 to 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland were analysed. The generated complex data processed by univariate and multivariate statistical methods enabled to build classification models for discrimination of apple cultivars as well as their geographical origin. The models showed very good performance in differentiation of Czech and Polish samples for three of four cultivars: ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’, moreover, the validity of the models was verified over harvest seasons. The diagnostic markers, besides metabolites of triterpene biosynthetic pathway, mainly represented wax esters. ‘Jonagold’, which is known to be susceptible to mutations, was the only cultivar for which the unambiguous classification of geographical origin was not possible.

The temporary immersion system bioreactor named GreenTray®[2], [3]presents advantages over the existing ones. Firstly, there is no need to use forceps to move the shoots or plantlets in or out of the recipient, neither the use of scalpel to divide them. Secondly, the basis of the shoot can remain in the GreenTray® and can sprout again in several cycles of growth. These two characteristics reduce the costs in the process of micropropagation. Besides, shoots or plantlets development is enhanced by the aeration of the recipient, thus enriching with CO2 the recipient atmosphere. The chapter describes and provides images and values of interest in (1) the micropropagation process of some commercial Prunus or Pyrus rootstocks; (2) the plantlet growth under autotrophic conditions; and (2) the inoculation of plants with pathogens that reproduce in vitro the symptoms observed in vivo, using the GreenTray® bioreactor.

Based on recent interest and on the importance of the ongoing climate change catastrophe, this article provides the basics of global carbon cycle modelling as required for the assessment of the degree of carbon neutrality of biomass energy, and its underlying dynamics. It is aimed at clari-fying the question “Are biomass fuels carbon neutral?”. The "Combined Energy and Biosphere Model" (CEBM) computes annual carbon flows including growth and decay of plants on 2.52.5° grid elements of the continents’ surface and offers detailed results on the changes of after implementation of large-scale biomass energy strategies world-wide. The main (and possibly unexpected) effect is the long-term depletion of the soil organic compartment after extraction of biomass fuels. When comparing CEBM model runs using (i) biomass energy sources and (ii) carbon-free energy sources (such as solar or wind), it becomes quantitatively clear already on the theoretical level (i.e., even without taking into account effi-ciency losses) that biomass is only “half as carbon neutral” as ideally assumed, to express a rule of thumb – mainly because of soil carbon depletion. Still, biomass energy will play an important role when fighting global warming, even if efforts to lower energy demand are preferable as a fundamental strategy.

Keywords: Spine surgery 1; Metastatic spinal cord compression 2; Spinal metastasis 3; Cancer treatment.

The systems for automated monitoring of a human’s personal carbon footprint and CO2-equivalent emissions at industrial enterprises were developed in the article. The personal carbon footprint monitoring system includes data collection subsystems based on energy consumption metering devices, data storage and transmission, and calculation subsystems. To measure the consumption of water, electricity, thermal energy, IoT control sensors were selected. The calculation of the individual carbon footprint of a person is proposed. The system for automated monitoring of the carbon footprint of an enterprise includes a subsystem of devices for monitoring the use of energy resources, a subsystem for data transmission, calculation and prompt display of the carbon footprint. Selected devices for monitoring the consumption of water, energy and heat resources with data transfer to the SCADA system. An algorithm for calculating the carbon footprint of an enterprise is proposed. Structural schemes for automated carbon footprint control have been developed.

The adsorption of actinide ions (Am(III) and U(VI)) from aqueous solutions by pristine and oxidized carbon fabrics has been investigated by means of batch experiments at different pH values (4, 7 and 9) and temperatures (25, 35 and 45 °C) under ambient atmospheric conditions. The experimental results indicate that both pH and fabric texture affect the adsorption rate and the relative removal efficiency, which results at 70% and 100% for Am(III) and U(VI), respectively. The Kd (L/kg) values for U(VI) have been generally found to be higher (2 &lt; log10(Kd)&lt; 3) than the corresponding values for the Am(III) adsorption (1.5 &lt; log10(Kd) &lt; 2). The data obtained from the experiments regarding the temperature effect imply that the relative adsorption for both actinides increases with temperature and that the adsorption is an endothermic and entropy-driven reaction. Application of the fabrics to remove the two actinides from contaminated seawater samples shows that both the relative removal efficiency and the Kd values decrease significantly due to the presence of competitive cations (e.g., Ca2+ and Fe3+) and complexing anions (CO32-) in the respective waters. Nevertheless, the removal efficiency is still remarkable (50% and 90% for Am(III) and U(VI), respectively), demonstrating that these materials could be attractive candidates for the treatment of radionuclide/actinide contaminated waters.

Among various processes, catalytic CO2 methanation has emerged as a promising method for carbon capture and utilization. Therefore, a CO2 methanation reaction studied with experimentally. The extent of coke formation on the catalyst after the reaction was quantitatively studied. Then, four different machine learning model were employed in order to model CO2 methanation process and to predict CO2, CO, CH4, H2 and N2 concentrations at outlet. The results of the machine learning models were consistent with the experimental data. Performances of the proposed regression methods are evaluated with 10-fold cross validation. Random forest and decision tree regression performed the best among other methods by achieving R >0.98 for the output concentrations and were able to outperform other modeling approaches. It was shown that the best result among the literature studies is reached in this study. The results have demonstrated the possibility of simulation of the methanation process via machine learning techniques. These techniques can be used control and optimization of carbon capture.

With the rapid and continuous advancement and deployment of advanced energy storage de-vices, there has been significant interest in aqueous capacitors that possess non-flammable properties and high safety features. Consequently, extensive research efforts have focused on investigating zinc anodes and low-cost carbonaceous cathode materials. Despite these efforts, the development of high-performance zinc-ion capacitors (ZICs) still faces challenges such as limited cycling stability and low energy densities. In this study, we present a novel approach to address these challenges. We demonstrate the utilization of a three-dimensionally (3D) grown conductive porous carbon framework cathode coupled with zinc anode cells, which exhibit exceptional sta-bility and durability in ZICs. Our experiments reveal a remarkable cycling performance, with a capacity retention of approximately 97.3% and a coulombic efficiency of nearly 100% even after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles. These findings signify significant progress in enhancing the performance of ZICs.

United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change (UNFCC) conventions in their conference of parties (COPs) has continuously considered and agreed reducing emission level in order to minimize the impact of global climate change. Reducing emission due to deforestation and degradation (REDD) ,was considered as one of the major activities in this regard during Kyoto protocol in 2009 which laid foundation for the participating countries to be compensated financially for reduced carbon emission. Mexico convention -2012 required the countries to develop and implement a transparent and consistent monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) process. Later in Paris agreement-2015, the parties agreed to limit the global warming to 2 degree centigrade and with further efforts to 1.5-degree centigrade furthering entailing the parties to prepare and communicate nationally determined contributions (NDCs) every five years. Nepal aimed to decrease the average annual deforestation rate by 0.05 percent from existing 0.44 percent in the terai region and 0.1 percent in the Chure. Nepal decided to develop its forest reference level (FRL) in national level for the historical period 2000-2010 considering Carbon dioxide and carbon pools above and below ground. As per the Forestry Sector Strategy, Nepal aims to increase carbon stock growth by at least 5% by 2025 as compared to 2015 and decrease mean annual deforestation rate to 0.05. After major change in administrative division in Nepal, forest management responsibility has shifted down to the Sub-national level. But forest resource studies have not been conducted yet in these levels. Despite a small country, Nepal has at least four clear physiological regions. The amount of carbon stock stored by different forest type are different depending upon species distribution, carbon volume and density for each species, and their distribution along ecological and physiological regions. Sal (shorea Robusta), for example, having one of the highest carbon densities, is a major forest types in Nepal. The purpose of this study was to generate forest map of the country, calculate carbon stock, gain and loss, and their rate in each province due to deforestation/afforestation using remote sensing data. Further Sal forest map was generated and its contribution in carbon stock was calculated using averaged national carbon density as well as using regional density method. According to the study, around 5.1 million hectares of Nepali land was forest in 2015 increasing from 4.2 million hectares in 2005. However, Sal forest has decreased during the same period. Province 1 contributed the maximum (130 Tg) and Province 2 the minimum (40Tg) of Carbon stock in 2015. Using the conventional method of calculation with national average density (108.08 t/ha), a total of 36.7T CO2 yr-1 carbon sink was observed in the Country. Whereas, with the new approach of calculation, a total of 44.7 T CO2 e of carbon sink per year was estimated during the same period. This approach holds potential for qualifying as an MRV process of Nepal. The subnational level forest and carbon statistics produced during this study can be important assets for the better forest governance. This can also pave way for policy formation and preparation of action plan for sustainable forest management and intervention strategy and obtaining better financial incentives participating in the reduction of emission due to deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) plus programs.

Molybdenum oxides is well-known electro-catalysts in fuel cells systems, they are usually used as anodic materials for the oxidation of low molecular weight alcohols. The utilization of Mo as catalysts in the pharmaceutical analysis is not common yet. In this study, bare glassy carbon electrodes were modified by the oxides by means of electrochemical deposition and the modified electrodes were used as catalysts for the electrochemical oxidation of hydrochlorothiazide (HCT). Well-resolved anodic peaks were reported for the analyzed pharmaceuticals when the Mo/GCE was utilized for the analysis of HCT. Analytical performance of the modified electrodes was evaluated based on the following statistical parameters; linearity ranges, correlation coefficients, limits of detection and quantitation, and recovery values. The prepared electrodes were used for the determination of the active ingredients in their pharmaceutical formulations and the reported activity was correlated to influence of the utilized pH on both structures of the used electrodes and the detected analytes.

Nanomedicine has allowed for emerging advances in imaging, diagnostics and therapeutics. Regenerative Medicine has taken advantage of a number of nanomaterials for reparation of diseased or damaged tissues in the nervous system involved in memory, cognition and movement. Electrical, thermal, mechanical and biocompatibility aspects of carbon-based nanomaterials (nanotubes, graphene, fullerenes and their derivatives) make them suitable candidates to drive nerve tissue repair and stimulation. This review article focuses on recent advances on the use of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based technologies on nerve tissue engineering; outlining how neurons interact with the nanomaterials interface for promoting neuronal differentiation, growth and network reconstruction for their possible use in therapies of neurodegenerative pathologies and spinal cord injuries.

The Global Carbon Budget is the cumulative carbon emissions that human activities can generate while limiting the global temperature increase to less than 2°C. On this basis, most countries ratified the Paris Agreement 2015, pledging to reduce national emissions and the impacts of climate change. The European Union has planned to reduce emissions by 80% of their 1990 value by 2050 but such a target needs to be coupled with a further constraint on the cumulative greenhouse gases released along the path to 2050. The aim and the novelty of this study are to propose, for the first time, a carbon budget for the European Union, which represents the most significant physical characteristic to assess the feasibility of current EU-28 greenhouse gas reduction objectives under the goals of the 2015 Paris treaty

Synthetic materials such as Carbon, Kevlar, and Glass fibers are extensively utilized in various industries due to their superior characteristics including high stiffness, great strength, low den-sity, and high wear resistance, these advantages contributed to making them widespread in ap-plications like; aerospace, automobile, civil and electronics. This research is carried out to enhance the creep compliance of epoxy composite material by considering two types of fibers as reinforcement. A composite material is produced by combining two fibers, Kevlar fiber mixed with sika epoxy resin, along with Carbon fiber also mixed with sika epoxy resin using a Hand-Layup process. Experiments and numerical modeling are examined to offer a comprehensive understanding creep behavior of epoxy composite material in different weight ratios. Burger and Prony models are used to represent stress relaxation and creep strain of Visco-elastic material. According to the results, sika epoxy resin reinforced with Kevlar and Carbon fibers exhibits enhancement in the mechanical properties compared with pure epoxy. The use of Kev-lar/Sika epoxy composite results in higher creep compliance and modulus of elasticity compared with Carbon/Sika epoxy composite.

Nanotechnology sparks discussions and concerns about the impacts of new nanomaterials on health and the environment. It holds importance in various domains due to its unique struc-tures. Carbon dots (C-dots) are versatile nanomaterials with applications in bioimaging, sensing, catalysis, polymers, solar cells, and more. They offer desirable characteristics such as stability, cost-effectiveness, biocompatibility, and high photoluminescent quantum yield. C-dots have the potential to replace expensive fluorophores in solar cells. They are catego-rized as carbon quantum dots, graphene quantum dots, and carbonized polymer dots. C-dots have outstanding optical and photoelectric properties with low toxicity. Bottom-up and top-down approaches are used for the synthesis of carbon dots (CDs), with each method im-pacting their physicochemical characteristics. The choice of synthesis method depends on de-sired properties and application requirements. Researchers combine these methods and ex-plore new approaches to enhance synthesis efficiency and tailor CD properties. CDs have di-verse chemical structures with modified oxygen, polymer-based, or amino groups on their surface. Various characterization methods such as HRTEM, XPS, and optical analysis (PL, UV) are used to determine CD structure. Carbon dots (CDs) are cutting-edge fluorescent nano-materials with remarkable qualities such as biocompatibility, low toxicity, environmental friendliness, high water solubility, and photo-stability. They are easily adjustable in terms of their optical properties, making them highly versatile in various fields. CDs find applications in bio-imaging, nanomedicine, drug delivery, solar cells, LEDs, photo-catalysis, elec-tro-catalysis, and other related areas.

A novel metal-doped carbon quantum dot, zinc-chlorine co-doped carbon quantum dots (Zn/Cl-CQDs), has been developed for the fluorescent probe detection of vitamin B2 and the analysis of the correlation properties of this carbon quantum dot and vitamin B2. Stability experiments demonstrate that Zn/Cl-CQDs possess good fluorescence properties under alkaline conditions. However, when vitamin B2 is added into Zn/Cl-CQDs, the fluorescence intensity decreases sharply, indicating that a fluorescence quenching phenomenon occurs between vitamin B2 and Zn/Cl-CQDs. Lastly, the use of Zn/Cl-CQDs in the detection of vitamin B2 tablets and vitamin B2-rich fruits resulted in recovery rates of 98.2% and 100.6%, respectively. Therefore, this method can be well applied to the detection and analysis of vitamin B2, and has great development prospects in the pharmaceutical industry and food monitoring fields.

Using banana peel as raw material, the adsorption properties of hydrothermal carbon pre-10 pared from banana peel modified with different concentrations of phosphoric acid solution for lead 11 ions in aqueous solution were studied. The surface structure and functional groups of the modified 12 hydrothermal carbon were analyzed by XRD and SEM. The results show that the surface of the 13 modified banana peel hydrothermal carbon prepared at 240℃ and 2mol/L phosphoric acid solution 14 has large pores. The adsorption capacity is larger when pH value is 6.When the concentration of 15 phosphoric acid solution was 2mol/L, the solid-liquid ratio was 2g/L, the adsorption capacity was 16 40.64mg/g, and the removal rate was 82.74%.When the initial concentration of lead solution in-17 creased to 100mg/L, the adsorption capacity of modified hydrothermal carbon for lead ion increased 18 to 76.81mg/g, and the removal rate decreased to 76.81%.The equilibrium adsorption time of banana 19 peel phosphoric acid modified hydrothermal carbon for lead ions in solution is 300min. The adsorp-20 tion process satisfies the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm equation. The 21 reaction temperature is 313K, and the equilibrium adsorption capacity can reach 101.19mg/g. The 22 adsorption of Pb ions in aqueous solution by phosphoric acid modified hydrothermal carbon is 23 dominated by single layer chemisorption. The artificial neural network has a fitting correlation of 24 0.99, and the adsorption process includes physical adsorption, electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, 25 and surface complexation.

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are being used extensively in modern industries that require high strength-to-weight ratio such as aerospace, automotive, motorsport, and sports equipment. However, although reinforcement with carbon fibers improves the mechanical properties of polymer, this comes on the expense of abrasive wear resistance. Therefore, to efficiently utilize CFRPs in dry sliding contacts, solid lubricant is used as a filler. Further, to facilitate fabrication of objects with complex geometries, selective laser sintering (SLS) can be employed. Accordingly, in the present work, graphite-filled carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide 12 (CFR-PA12) specimens were prepared using SLS process to explore the dry sliding friction and wear characteristics of the composite. The test specimens were aligned along four different orientations in the build chamber of SLS machine to determine the orientation-dependent tribological properties. The experiments were conducted using pin-on-disc tribometer to measure the coefficient of friction (COF), interface temperature, friction-induced noise, and specific wear rate. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of tribo-surfaces was conducted to specify the dominant wear pattern. The results indicated that the steady state COF, contact temperature, and wear pattern of graphite-filled CFR-PA12 are orientation-independent, and that the contact temperature is likely to approach an asymptote far below the glass transition temperature of amorphous PA12 zones, thus eliminating the possibility of matrix softening. Additionally, the results showed that the Z-oriented specimen exhibits the lowest level of friction-induced noise along with the highest wear resistance. Moreover, SEM of tribo-surfaces determined that abrasive wear is the dominant wear pattern.

Hydrothermal carbonization of cellulose was examined at 240 ℃ for 1 h. Ammonium sulfate and thiourea were selected as the doping sources of inorganic nitrogen and organic nitrogen for the preparation of supercapacitor carbon. The effect of boric acid on the properties of the resulting hydrochar after KOH activation was examined. The results showed that the proportion of functional groups and the specific surface area of the activated hydrochar would be reduced after the addition of boric acid, and the pore-forming process of the micropores would be inhibited. The hydrochar obtained from the reaction of cellulose and organic nitrogen compounds had better pore size distribution and electrochemical properties after activation. The largest specific surface area (952.27 m2 g-1) was obtained when only thiourea was used as the only doping source. In the three-electrode system, the specific capacitance resulting activated hydrochar reached 236.25 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1. After 20,000 cycles of charging and discharging at a current density of 10 A g-1, the capacitance retention rate reached 99.96%. Therefore, this study proves that the supercapacitor carbon with good electrochemical properties could be obtained by the direct reaction of cellulose with organic nitrogen compounds.

Carbon fibers (CFs) cannot be directly used for the preparation of CF paper because of their chemically inert nature. Herein, the surface of CF was modified via the spontaneous oxidative self-polymerization of dopamine. By taking full advantage of the spontaneous oxidation and self-polymerization properties of PD to maintain the maximum strength of CFs, a polydopamine-modified CF paper (PDA-CFP) with excellent performance was prepared using PD-modified CFs (PDA-CFs), which increased the proportion of hydrophilic functional groups on the surface of carbon fibers, increased the O/C ratio on the CF surface by 6 times, and improved the bond strength between the modified CF and the adhesive by making full use of the interaction force between polydopamine and PVA fibers. In this way, the primary properties of the CF paper was improved. Overall, the results showed that the dispersion of CF was considerably improved by the dopamine modification. In addition, the primary physical properties of PDA-CFP were better than those of virgin CF paper (CFP-0). PDA-CFP exhibited a maximum tensile strength of 2.04 kN/m2, a minimum resistivity of 0.06055 Ω·cm and a minimum porosity of 72.4%. The tightness could be increased by up to 12.1%.

Finishing coatings used in the wood-based composites industry play a key role in the final appearance of the finished product. However, the use of such coatings is not only for aesthetic purposes but also to protect the product against surface damage and moisture or minimize the emission of harmful substances. The latter is an extremely important factor in terms of safety for both the manufacturer and the user, which is why the emissivity test is one of the most important tests in the case of finishing coatings. Such a role can be played by carbon-rich materials, such as those remaining from the extraction of birch bark. In this article, an attempt was made to create coatings in the form of a film by combining a biopolymer with suberinic acid residues (SAR). There were two types of biopolymers used – polylactide (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL), in various polymer-SAR ratios. SAR as a residue, is a material that bounds CO2 from the atmosphere and creates a possibility of further use. As part of this study, the obtained coatings were tested in terms of resistance to scratch, relative hardness, cold liquids, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and formaldehyde emission, surface absorption etc. Differences in the polymers used and the effect of the SAR additive on selected surface properties were demonstrated. The addition of carbon-rich SAR significantly improves the gas barrier properties of the surface finishing materials based on PLA and PCL. The relative hardness and scratch resistance has also increased with raising SAR content. However, the increasing content of SAR filler act as a limiter in the depth of penetration of deposited surface finishing materials onto the wood surface.

Important first phases in the process of implementing CO2 subsurface and ocean storage projects include selecting of best possible location(s) for CO2 storage, site selection evaluation. Sites must fulfil a number of criteria that boil down to the following basics: they must be able to accept the desired volume of CO2 at the rate at which it is supplied from the CO2 source(s); they must as well be safe and reliable; and must comply with regulatory and other societal requirements. They also must have at least public acceptance and be based on sound financial analysis. Site geology; hydrogeological, pressure, and geothermal regimes; land features; location, climate, and access, etc. can all be refined from these basic criteria. In addition to aiding in site selection, site characterization is essential for other purposes, such as foreseeing the fate and impacts of the injected CO2, and informing subsequent phases of site development, including design, permitting, operation, monitoring, and eventual abandonment. According to data from the IEA, in 2022, emissions from Africa and Asia's emerging markets and developing economies, excluding China's, increased by 4.2%, which is equivalent to 206 million tonnes of CO2 and were higher than those from developed economies. Coal-fired power generation was responsible for more than half of the rise in emissions that were recorded in the region. The difficulty of achieving sustainable socio-economic progress in the developing countries is entwined with the work of reducing CO2 emissions, which is a demanding project for the economy. Organisations from developing countries, such as Bangladesh, Cameroon, India, and Nigeria, have formed partnerships with organisations in other countries for lessons learn and investment within the climate change arena. The basaltic rocks, coal seams, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, soils, deep saline aquifers, and sedimentary basins that developing countries (Bangladesh, Cameroon, India, and Nigeria etc) possesses all contribute to the individual country's significant geological sequestration potential. There are limited or no carbon capture and storage or clean development mechanism projects running in these countries at this time. The site selection and characterization procedure are not complete without an estimate of the storage capacity of a storage location. Estimating storage capacity relies on volumetric estimates because a site must accept the planned volume of CO2 during the active injection period. As more and more applications make use of site characterization, so too does the body of written material on the topic. As the science of CO2 storage develops, regulatory requirements are implemented, field experience grows, and the economics of CO2 capture and storage improve, so too will site selection and characterisation change.

Carbon dots have received much attention due to their unique physicochemical properties and diverse applications in bioimaging, optoelectronic devices, catalysis, and agriculture. Here in this work, we report a simple hydrothermal synthesis of nitrogen and phosphorus-doped carbon dots (N, P-CDs). The optical and physical properties of the synthesized N, P-CDs were analyzed using systematical spectroscopy and electrical characterization. The synthesized N, P-CDs show strong photoluminescence at 626 nm and demonstrate high stability under UV light and other conditions. Moreover, we incorporate the synthesized N, P-CDs into water spinach by root spraying and leaf spraying. It was found that N, P-CDs could effectively promote the growth of water spinach by increasing the photosynthetic rate, and the content of total phenols and anthocyanins in water spinach