Bio-Based Compounds from Grape Seeds: A Biorefinery Approach.

Food and agricultural waste represents a growing problem with negative effects on the economy, environment, and human health. Winemaking produces byproducts with high added value, which can be used for new productions in several application fields. From the perspective of biorefinery and circular economy, grape seeds could be exploited by extracting bioactive compounds with high added value before using biomass for energy purposes. The markets concerned are, in addition to the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals sectors, which use bioactive compounds, the sector of biopolymeric materials and of energy for the production of biohydrogen and biomethane. Generally, bioactive components should be investigated through an integrated and multidisciplinary study approach based on emerging analytical techniques; in this context, attention is addressed towards green and sustainable procedures; an update of extraction techniques, innovative technologies, and chemometrics are described. Nowadays, processes so far tested on a pilot scale for grape waste are developed to enhance the extraction yields. Here, a picture of the Italian experience applied to the byproducts of the wine industry is given.

Stabilization of Hydrogen Production via Methanol Steam Reforming in Microreactor by Al2O3 Nano-Film Enhanced Catalyst Adhesion.

In hydrogen production by methanol steam reforming reaction with microchannel reactor, Al2O3 thin film formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) was introduced on the surface of microchannel reactor prior to the coating of catalyst particles. Methanol conversion rate and hydrogen production rate, increased in the presence of Al2O3 thin film. Over-view and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy study showed that the adhesion between catalyst particles and the surface of microchannel reactor enhanced due to the presence of Al2O3 thin film. The improvement of hydrogen production rate inside the channels of microreactor mainly came from the stable fixation of catalyst particles on the surface of microchannels.

Spatially Separated Photosystem II and a Silicon Photoelectrochemical Cell for Overall Water Splitting: A Natural-Artificial Photosynthetic Hybrid.

Integrating natural and artificial photosynthetic platforms is an important approach to developing solar-driven hybrid systems with exceptional function over the individual components. A natural-artificial photosynthetic hybrid platform is formed by wiring photosystem II (PSII) and a platinum-decorated silicon photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell in a tandem manner based on a photocatalytic-PEC Z-scheme design. Although the individual components cannot achieve overall water splitting, the hybrid platform demonstrated the capability of unassisted solar-driven overall water splitting. Moreover, H2 and O2 evolution can be separated in this system, which is ascribed to the functionality afforded by the unconventional Z-scheme design. Furthermore, the tandem configuration and the spatial separation between PSII and artificial components provide more opportunities to develop efficient natural-artificial hybrid photosynthesis systems.

Hydrogen production via supercritical water gasification of bagasse using Ni-Cu/γ-Al2O3 nano-catalysts.

Biomass gasification in supercritical water media is a promising method for the production of hydrogen. In this research, Cu-promoted Ni/γ-Al2O3 nano-catalysts were prepared with 2.5-30 wt% Ni and 0.6-7.5 wt% Cu loadings via the microemulsion method. Nano-catalysts were characterized by inductively coupled plasma (ICP), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) technique, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), H2 chemisorption and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) technique, as well as Carbon-Hydrogen-Nitrogen-Sulfur (CHNS) analysis was carried out for elemental analysis of bagasse. Nano-catalysts were assessed in a batch micro-reactor under 400°C and 240 bar. The microemulsion method decreased the catalyst average particle size and increased the percentage dispersion and reduction of the catalysts. The total gas yield increased with an increase in Ni and Cu loadings up to 20 wt% Ni and 5 wt% Cu and then started to decrease. Using the microemulsion technique for the preparation of Ni-Cu/γ-Al2O3 nano-catalyst, increased the hydrogen yield to 11.76 (mmol of H2/g of bagasse), CO yield to 2.67 (mmol of CO/g of bagasse) and light gaseous hydrocarbons to 0.6 (mmol of light gaseous hydrocarbons/g of bagasse). Promotion of Ni/γ-Al2O3 with copper increased the mole fraction of hydrogen in the final gasification products to 58.1 mol%.

Evaluation of hydrogen production by clostridium strains on beet molasses.

Clostridium acetobutylicum DSM 792, C. acetobutylicum DSM 1731 and two newly isolated bacteria defined as the members of genus Clostridium - based on the 16S rRNA analysis and biochemical traits - were characterized with regard to their hydrogen production in media containing increasing beet molasses concentrations. The highest hydrogen yield was observed for C. acetobutylicum DSM 792 with a yield of 2.8 mol H2 mol-1 hexose in medium including 60 g L-1 molasses. This bacterium also produced the maximum amount of hydrogen (5908.8 mL L-1) at the same molasses concentration. A slightly lower hydrogen yield was measured for C. acetobutylicum DSM 1731 (2.5 mol H2 mol-1 hexose) when grown on 40 g L-1 molasses. The new isolates Clostridium roseum C and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum PF produced hydrogen with yields of 2.0 mol H2 mol-1 hexose at 40 and 60 g L-1 molasses and 2.1 mol H2 mol-1 hexose at 40 gL-1 molasses, respectively.

Steam reforming of glycerol for hydrogen production over supported nickel catalysts on alumina.

The experiment was carried out to produce hydrogen through steam reforming of glycerol over nano-sized Ni catalysts supported on alumina (Al2O3). The catalysts were characterized by BET surface area, metal dispersion, XRD, TPR, NH3-TPD and SEM. 15 wt% Ni/Al2O3 catalysts presented carbon nano fiber after the catalyst was used. However, when the Ni loading was higher than that of 15 wt%, the catalytic activity reduced, and the increase of the Ni particle size and the formation of graphitic carbon occurred. The Ni/SiO2(70)-Al2O3 with the high surface area and the small Ni particle size promoted the catalytic activity and could easily reduce from NiO to Ni, inhibiting the formation of NiAl2O4.

Catalytic hydrothermal gasification of algae for hydrogen production: composition of reaction products and potential for nutrient recycling.

Chlorella vulgaris, Spirulina platensis and Saccharina latissima were processed under supercritical water gasification conditions at 500 °C, 36 MPa in an Inconel batch reactor for 30 min in the presence/absence of NaOH and/or Ni-Al(2)O(3). Hydrogen gas yields were more than two times higher in the presence of NaOH than in its absence and tar yields were reduced by up to 71%. Saccharina, a carbohydrate-rich macro-alga, gave the highest hydrogen gas yields of 15.1 mol/kg. The tars from all three algae contained aromatic compounds, including phenols, alkyl benzenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as heterocyclic nitrogen compounds. Tars from Chlorella and Spirulina contained high yields of pyridines, pyrroles, indoles and pyrimidines. Up to 97% TOC removal were achieved in the process waters from the gasification of the algae. Analyses for specific nutrients in the process waters indicated that the process waters from Saccharina could potentially be used for microalgae cultivation.

Aqueous-phase reforming of the low-boiling fraction of rice husk pyrolyzed bio-oil in the presence of platinum catalyst for hydrogen production.

Aqueous-phase reforming (APR) of the low-boiling fraction (LBF) of bio-oil from rice husk pyrolysis was investigated over Pt/Al(2)O(3) for hydrogen production. The influence of reaction temperature (503-563 K), reaction time (1-4h), different load of organics in water (3-12 wt.%) and catalyst amounts (0.25-1g) were studied. The hydrogen content of the gas products reached 65 vol.% at 533 K for 4h with a feedstock of 9.6g LBF and 30 mL water in the presence of 0.5 g of 2 wt.% Pt/Al(2)O(3). APR is a promising method to make use of the organics in LBF of bio-oil to produce hydrogen.

[Producing of molecular hydrogen by association of sporulating microorganisms].

Technologically promising microbe association, consisting of aerobic and anaerobic sporulating bacteria has been isolated. The association synthesizes molecular hydrogen during fermentation of potato and starch. The association was isolated from soil, pasteurized on the boiling water bath. The association destroys potato during 5-7 days with a decrease of mass up to 17.4 times and synthesizes gas consisting of 60% of H2.

Efecto de un extracto seco de boldo sobre el tránsito intestinal oro-cecal en voluntarios sanos / Effect of a dry boldo extract on oro cecal intestinal transit time in healthy volunteers

Background: Boldo (peumus boldus Molina) is a widely used medicinal plant. However, its physiological effects are not well known. Recent studies in animals showed that certain components of boldo relax smooth muscle and prolong intestinal transit. Aim: to assess the effects of a dry boldo extract on oro cecal transit time in normal humans. Subjects and methods: twelve volunteers received 2.5 g of a dry boldo extract or a placebo (glucose) during 2 successive periods of 4 days. On the fourth day, 20 g of lactulose were administered and breath hydrogen was collected every 15 min. Oro cecal transit time was defined as the time in which breath hydrogen increased by 20 ppm over the fasting level. Results: oro cecal transit time was larger after dry boldo extract administration, compared to placebo (112.5ñ15.4 and 87ñ11.8 min respectively, paired t p<0.05). Conclusions: dry boldo extract prolongs oro cecal transit time, a possible explanation for its medicinal use