Oil-eating bacterium can help clean up pollution and spills
An enzyme derived from a bacterium cleans soil contaminated by petroleum-based products in a simple, effective, and environmentally-friendly manner. From pipelines to tankers, oil spills and their impact on the environment are a source of concern. These disasters occur on a regular basis, leading to messy decontamination challenges that require massive investments of time and resources. But however widespread and serious the damage may be, the solution could be microscopic—Alcanivorax borkumensis—a bacterium that feeds on hydrocarbons. Read More
The electric conductivity dyes are suitable for both DC Conductivity and AC conductivity, and it is used for enhancing the performance of an electric device, according to a report by Persistence Market Research. The total electric conductivity (which is the product of DC conductivity and AC conductivity) is expected to be higher than DC conductivity, and the activation energy of total electric conductivity is expected to be lower than that of DC conductivity, owing to the rise of the applied field frequency, which in turn, improves the carrier jumping and consequently the conductivity value. Read More
Experts in different gas separation methods have worked together to explore a new integrated system, which promises to enhance natural gas purification. Fundamental researchers at the Colorado School of Mines have proposed a novel two-part system for separating impurities from natural gas in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, from AIP Publishing. Natural gas primarily contains methane, but impurities in the gaseous mixture need to be removed before the methane can be put into the pipeline. The newly proposed purification system combines two separation methods and, in principle, promises to improve performance, reduce costs and diminish ecological side effects. Read More
A team from the Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB) Chair of Inorganic Chemistry II has developed new chemical compounds that make catalysts more efficient. The properties of a catalyst are not only determined by its catalytically active centre but also by atoms or molecules bound to it, which are called ligands. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, researchers led by Prof Dr Viktoria Daschlein-Gessner described a new class of what are known as phosphine ligands. With their electronic and spatial properties, they ensure that catalysts are more active and more stable. Read More
