Nonsterile Process for Biohydrogen Production: Recent Updates, Challenges, and Opportunities.

Hydrogen (H2), a clean and versatile energy carrier, has recently gained significant attention as a potential solution for reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable energy systems. The yield and efficiency of the biological H2 production process primarily depend on sterilization conditions. Various strategies, such as heat inactivation and membrane-based sterilization, have been used to achieve desirable yields via microbial fermentation. Almost every failed biotransformation process is linked to nonsterile conditions at any reaction stage. Therefore, the production of renewable biofuels as alternatives to fossil fuels is more attractive. Pure sugars have been widely documented as a costly feedstock for H2 production under sterile conditions. Biotransformation under nonsterile conditions is more desirable for stable and sustainable operation. Low-cost feeds, such as biowaste, are considered suitable alternatives, but they require appropriate sterilization to overcome the limitations of inherited or contaminating microbes during H2 production. This article describes the status of microbial fermentative processes for H2 production under nonsterile conditions and discusses strategies to improve such processes for sustainable, cleaner production.

Sulfation Pattern Dependent Iron(III) Mediated Interleukin-8 Glycan Binding.

Cytokines such as interleukin-8 activate the immune system during infection and interact with sulfated glycosaminoglycans with specific sulfation patterns. In some cases, these interactions are mediated by metal ion binding which can be used to tune surface-based glycan-protein interactions. We evaluated the effect of both hyaluronan sulfation degree and Fe3+ on interleukin-8 binding by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and surface characterizations. Our results show that sulfation degree and metal ion interactions have a synergistic effect in tuning the electrochemical response of the glycated surfaces to the cytokine.

Fabrication of α-Fe2O3 nanorod/RGO composite: a novel hybrid photocatalyst for phenol degradation.

We report herein the fabrication of a hematite nanorod-graphene composite (α-Fe2O3 nanorod/RGO) via a facile template-free hydrothermal route with an aim to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of the α-Fe2O3 nanorod. The structural and morphological characterizations of the as-prepared composites were carried out using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption, etc. The α-Fe2O3 nanorods were well-decorated on the surface of the graphene sheets, which helps in electron transfer from α-Fe2O3 to graphene and hence can delay the recombination process, leading to the improvement in photocatalytic activity. The composite containing 5 wt % RGO and α-Fe2O3 nanorods shows a 4-fold enhancement in the photocatalytic activity. The performance of photocatalytic activity was discussed in light of surface area, interaction between nanorods and graphene nanosheets, synergism between α-Fe2O3 nanorods and RGO sheets, light-harvesting properties of the composites, photoluminescence spectra, photocurrent measurement, and hydroxyl radical formation.