Research Progress of Non-Noble Metal Catalysts for Carbon Dioxide Methanation.

The extensive utilization of fossil fuels has led to a rapid increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration, resulting in various environmental issues. To reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate CO2 emissions, it is important to explore alternative methods of utilizing CO2 and H2 as raw materials to obtain high-value-added chemicals or fuels. One such method is CO2 methanation, which converts CO2 and H2 into methane (CH4), a valuable fuel and raw material for other chemicals. However, CO2 methanation faces challenges in terms of kinetics and thermodynamics. The reaction rate, CO2 conversion, and CH4 yield need to be improved to make the process more efficient. To overcome these challenges, the development of suitable catalysts is essential. Non-noble metal catalysts have gained significant attention due to their high catalytic activity and relatively low cost. In this paper, the thermodynamics and kinetics of the CO2 methanation reaction are discussed. The focus is primarily on reviewing Ni-based, Co-based, and other commonly used catalysts such as Fe-based. The effects of catalyst supports, preparation methods, and promoters on the catalytic performance of the methanation reaction are highlighted. Additionally, the paper summarizes the impact of reaction conditions such as temperature, pressure, space velocity, and H2/CO2 ratio on the catalyst performance. The mechanism of CO2 methanation is also summarized to provide a comprehensive understanding of the process. The objective of this paper is to deepen the understanding of non-noble metal catalysts in CO2 methanation reactions and provide insights for improving catalyst performance. By addressing the limitations of CO2 methanation and exploring the factors influencing catalyst effectiveness, researchers can develop more efficient and cost-effective catalysts for this reaction.

In vitro fermentation characteristics of blueberry anthocyanins and their impacts on gut microbiota from obese human.

It has been demonstrated that the gut microbiota may play an important intermediary role in anthocyanins' beneficial impacts on obesity. However, the microbe-related anti-obesity mechanism of blueberry anthocyanins remains unclear. In this study, the interactions between blueberry anthocyanin extracts (BAE) and gut microbiota from obese humans were explored using an in vitro fermentation model. Due to hydrolysis and metabolism by the microbiota, the contents of blueberry anthocyanins are reduced during fermentation. It was demonstrated that both aglycones and glycosides affected the degradation rate. The microbial composition evaluation revealed that BAE could alleviate obesity by promoting the colonization of probiotics such as Lachnospiraceae_UCG-004 and Bacteroides, as well as inhibiting the proliferation of harmful bacteria including Escherichia-Shigella, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, and Klebsiella. Blueberry anthocyanin extracts facilitate the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which is beneficial for obesity control. The relationship between blueberry anthocyanins, gut microbiota, and SCFAs was further investigated. Overall, this data provides new insights into the positive interaction between blueberry anthocyanins and gut microbiota in obese humans.

Rapid Cu(II)-Directed Self Assembly of Esterified Tea Polyphenol Oligomers to Controlled Release Nanoflower Carrier.

In this study, novel tea polyphenolic-copper hybrid nanoflowers were assembled with tea polyphenol palmitate oligomers generated simply through air oxidation. It was revealed that the growth of tea polyphenolic-based hybrid nanoflowers was notably faster than protein-based ones, presumably owing to rigid polyphenolic molecular architecture and the resultant different growth mechanism. The structures and composition investigation by FT-IR, X-ray, and SEM-EDS unveiled that the whole framework of the nanoflowers was composed of complexes of tea polyphenolic oligomers and copper phosphate crystals. The tea polyphenolic hybrid nanoflowers demonstrated high loading capacity of curcumin due to flower-like porous structure and hydrophobic pockets furnished by lipophilic side chains. The nanoflowers exhibited remarkable protection capacity for carried curcumin from UV irradiation and thermal treatment. Controlled release of the nanoflowers could be readily achieved by adjustment of pH condition. Owing to high assembly efficiency, biocompatibility, and natural abundance, tea polyphenols are intriguing organic components to generate nanoflowers.

Forecasting structure of natural products through color formation process by thin layer chromatography.

With booming of computer technology, it is feasible to quantitatively extract valuable information from readily available image of objects, which dramatically reduces the cost and improves the efficiency. In this work, a structural classification method, based on data extracted from color formation process on thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates through computer processing, was established for natural products. Representative natural products exhibited good clustering and separation according to the extracted color feature, and structure of natural products can be classified by the distribution region in the color system. This method provides structural information for typical types of natural products directly from the formed color on TLC, which is very efficient and make portable device-based structure analysis of natural products possible. In addition, a general mechanism of color formation was proposed. This method is free from special instrument, high-throughput, and would facilitate large-scale screening of bioactives from natural sources.

Enhancement of Antioxidant Activity in O/W Emulsion and Cholesterol-Reducing Capacity of Epigallocatechin by Derivatization with Representative Phytosterols.

In this study, derivatization of epigallocatechin (EGC) by representative phytosterols (stigmasterol and ß-sitosterol) was performed employing Steglich esterification. The structural identity and purity of epigallocatechin ß-sitosterol (ESi) and epigallocatechin stigmasterol (ESt) were confirmed by NMR, FT-IR, and HPLC-MS. Further evaluation of ESi and ESt revealed their extraordinary antioxidant activities in O/W emulsion. Two different radical sources in oil or aqueous phase were applied to explore the antioxidant behavior in O/W emulsion. The mechanism was further investigated by fluorescent microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, incorporation of EGC with stigmasterol and ß-sitosterol notably enhanced the cholesterol-reducing activity. TEM studies suggested the hydrogen bonding of EGC strengthened the aggregation network of ESi and ESt in the bile salt micelle. The exceptional properties of ESi and ESt signified their intriguing utilization in the food industry.

Interaction between Gemini Dodecyl O-Glucosides-Based Multilayer Vesicles and ß-Lactoglobulin: The Dominant Role of Surface Charge.

Novel Gemini dodecyl O-glucoside-based primary, secondary, and tertiary vesicles were developed in this work utilizing layer-by-layer deposition of polysaccharides (e.g., sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and chitosan), and their interaction with ß-lactoglobulin (BLG) was carefully investigated. The increase of polysaccharide layers on primary vesicles led to a monotonic increase in size and consecutive reversal of surface charge. Polysaccharide deposition significantly retarded the vesicle aggregation and degradation of entrapped catechin laurate during storage. Steady-state fluorescence, isothermal titration calorimetry, and protein precipitation analyses revealed the surface charge dependence of the interactions between vesicles and a model milk protein BLG, which were much stronger when they were charged oppositely than when they presented the same type of surface charge. It was highlighted that the surface charge of vesicles could be tuned by differently charged coatings to accommodate to that of the milk proteins in the food matrix. This work will contribute to the practical application of niosomal vesicles loaded with bioactive compounds to fortify dairy products.

Highly effective solvent free esterification of phytosterols employing edible metal oxide-emulsifier as catalyst.

A general highly efficient solvent-free esterification of phytosterols with edible magnesium oxide and Span-60 emulsifier catalyst system has been developed. The edible emulsifier dramatically promotes the catalyzing activity of the metal oxide in the reaction. The loading of the magnesium oxide is as low as 0.1 wt% to phytosterols and far lower than the known ones. As demonstrated by the results of scanning electro-microscopy (SEM), the synergistic effect of emulsifier and magnesium oxide presumably results from elimination of nano-scale interfacial barrier between phytosterols and fatty acids and facilitation of mass transfer of reaction agents. The mild, environmentally benign, and highly effective nature of this catalytic transformation suggests its great potential applications.