Advances and challenges in understanding the electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to fuels

The electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide is a promising approach for storing (excess) renewable electricity as chemical energy in fuels. Here, we review recent advances and challenges in the understanding of electrochemical CO2 reduction. We discuss existing models for the initial activation of CO2 on the electrocatalyst and their...

Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Using Plasmonic Pd-Decorated Au Nanorods as Catalyst: A Study on the Contribution of Laser Illumination

The interaction between plasmonic metal catalysts and visible light can be exploited to increase their catalytic activity. This activity increase results from the generation of hot charge carriers or hot surfaces, or a combination of both. We have studied the light-induced Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of bromobenzene and m-tolylboronic...

Electrical transport and Al doping efficiency in nanoscale ZnO films prepared by atomic layer deposition

In this work, the structural, electrical, and optical properties as well as chemical bonding state of Al-doped ZnO films deposited by atomic layer deposition have been investigated to obtain insight into the doping and electrical transport mechanisms in the films. The range in doping levels from 0% to 16.4% Al was accomplished by tuning the...

Charge transfer dynamics in polymer-fullerene blends for efficient solar cells

Blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and the bis-adduct of [6,61-pheuyl-C\61-butyric acid methyl ester (bisPCBM) show enhanced performances in bulk-heterojunction solar cells compared to P3HT:PCBM thin films due to their higher open-circuit voltage. However, it is not clear whether the decrease of the shortcircuit current observed in P3HT...

Structural requirements for the flavonoid-mediated modulation of glutathione S-transferase P1-1 and GS-X pump activity in MCF7 breast cancer cells

The objective of this study was to investigate the structural requirements necessary for inhibition of glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (GSTP1-1) and GS-X pump (MRP1 and MRP2) activity by structurally related flavonoids, in GSTP1-1 transfected MCF7 cells (pMTG5). The results reveal that GSTP1-1 activity in MCF7 pMTG5 cells can be inhibited by some...

Efficient screening methods for glucosyltransferase genes in Lactobacillus strains

Limited information is available about homopolysaccharide synthesis in the genus Lactobacillus. Using efficient screening techniques, extracellular glucosyltransferase (GTF) enzyme activity, resulting in α-glucan synthesis from sucrose, was detected in various lactobacilli. PCR with degenerate primers based on homologous boxes of known...

Properties and applications of starch-converting enzymes of the alpha-amylase family

Starch is a major storage product of many economically important crops such as wheat, rice, maize, tapioca, and potato. A large-scale starch processing industry has emerged in the last century. In the past decades, we have seen a shift from the acid hydrolysis of starch to the use of starch-converting enzymes in the production of maltodextrin,...

Thermodynamics of micellization of nonionic saccharide-based N-acyl-N-alkylaldosylamine and N-acyl-N-alkylamino-1-deoxyalditol surfactants

Eight homologous series of nonionic carbohydrate-derived surfactants in which the alkyl chains are linked through N-acylated amine bonds were synthesized, and their critical micelle concentrations (cmc's) and standard enthalpies of micellization were determined using titration microcalorimetry. Gibbs energies of micellization (ΔmicG°) were...