The current status of hydrogen energy: an overview.

Hydrogen is the most environmentally friendly and cleanest fuel that has the potential to supply most of the world's energy in the future, replacing the present fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure. Hydrogen is expected to solve the problem of energy shortages in the near future, especially in complex geographical areas (hills, arid plateaus, etc.) and harsh climates (desert, ice, etc.). Thus, in this report, we present a current status of achievable hydrogen fuel based on various scopes, including production methods, storage and transportation techniques, the global market, and the future outlook. Its objectives include analyzing the effectiveness of various hydrogen generation processes and their effects on the economy, society, and environment. These techniques are contrasted in terms of their effects on the environment, manufacturing costs, energy use, and energy efficiency. In addition, hydrogen energy market trends over the next decade are also discussed. According to numerous encouraging recent advancements in the field, this review offers an overview of hydrogen as the ideal renewable energy for the future society, its production methods, the most recent storage technologies, and transportation strategies, which suggest a potential breakthrough towards a hydrogen economy. All these changes show that this is really a profound revolution in the development process of human society and has been assessed as having the same significance as the previous industrial revolution.

Constitutive Modeling of Mechanical Behaviors of Carbon-Based CNTs and GSs, and Their Sensing Applications as Nanomechanical Resonators: A Review.

Carbon-based nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene sheets (GSs), have garnered considerable research attention owing to their unique mechanical, physical, and chemical properties compared with traditional materials. Nanosensors are sensing devices with sensing elements made of nanomaterials or nanostructures. CNT- and GS-based nanomaterials have been proved to be very sensitive nanosensing elements, being used to detect tiny mass and force. In this study, we review the developments in the analytical modeling of mechanical behavior of CNTs and GSs, and their potential applications as next-generation nanosensing elements. Subsequently, we discuss the contributions of various simulation studies on theoretical models, calculation methods, and mechanical performance analyses. In particular, this review intends to provide a theoretical framework for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical properties and potential applications of CNTs/GSs nanomaterials as demonstrated by modeling and simulation methods. According to analytical modeling, nonlocal continuum mechanics pose small-scale structural effects in nanomaterials. Thus, we overviewed a few representative studies on the mechanical behavior of nanomaterials to inspire the future development of nanomaterial-based sensors or devices. In summary, nanomaterials, such as CNTs and GSs, can be effectively utilized for ultrahigh-sensitivity measurements at a nanolevel resolution compared to traditional materials.

Silver Nanoparticle/Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Nanocomposites: One-Step Green Synthesis, Properties, and Applications.

Hybrid nanocomposites of silver nanoparticles and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (AgNPs/MWCNTs) were successfully synthesized by a green one-step method without using any organic solvent. The synthesis and attachment of AgNPs onto the surface of MWCNTs were performed simultaneously by chemical reduction. In addition to their synthesis, the sintering of AgNPs/MWCNTs can be carried out at room temperature. The proposed fabrication process is rapid, cost efficient, and ecofriendly compared with multistep conventional approaches. The prepared AgNPs/MWCNTs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The transmittance and electrical properties of the transparent conductive films (TCF_Ag/CNT) fabricated using the prepared AgNPs/MWCNTs were characterized. The results showed that the TCF_Ag/CNT film has excellent properties, such as high flexible strength, good high transparency, and high conductivity, and could therefore be an effective substitute for conventional indium tin oxide (ITO) films with poor flexibility.

Synthesis of pure colloidal silver nanoparticles with high electroconductivity for printed electronic circuits: the effect of amines on their formation in aqueous media.

This paper describes a practical and convenient method to prepare stable colloidal silver nanoparticles for use in printed electronic circuits. The method uses a dispersant and two kinds of reducing agents including 2-(dimethylamino) ethanol (DMAE), which play important roles in the reduction of silver ions in an aqueous medium. The effect of DMAE and dispersant, as well as the factors affecting particle size and morphology are investigated. In the formation of the silver nanoparticles, reduction occurs rapidly at room temperature and the silver particles can be separated easily from the mixture in a short time. In addition, organic solvents are not used. Pure, small and relatively uniform particles with a diameter less than 10 nm can be obtained that exhibit high electroconductivity. The silver nanoparticles are stable, and can be isolated as a dried powder that can be fully redispersed in deionized water. This method of producing colloidal silver nanoparticles will find practical use in electronics applications.

Systematic approaches to using the FOX hunting system to identify useful rice genes.

Ectopic gene expression, or the gain-of-function approach, has the advantage that once the function of a gene is known the gene can be transferred to many different plants by transformation. We previously reported a method, called FOX hunting, that involves ectopic expression of Arabidopsis full-length cDNAs in Arabidopsis to systematically generate gain-of-function mutants. This technology is most beneficial for generating a heterologous gene resource for analysis of useful plant gene functions. As an initial model we generated more than 23,000 independent Arabidopsis transgenic lines that expressed rice fl-cDNAs (Rice FOX Arabidopsis lines). The short generation time and rapid and efficient transformation frequency of Arabidopsis enabled the functions of the rice genes to be analyzed rapidly. We screened rice FOX Arabidopsis lines for alterations in morphology, photosynthesis, element accumulation, pigment accumulation, hormone profiles, secondary metabolites, pathogen resistance, salt tolerance, UV signaling, high light tolerance, and heat stress tolerance. Some of the mutant phenotypes displayed by rice FOX Arabidopsis lines resulted from the expression of rice genes that had no homologs in Arabidopsis. This result demonstrated that rice fl-cDNAs could be used to introduce new gene functions in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, these findings showed that rice gene function could be analyzed by employing Arabidopsis as a heterologous host. This technology provides a framework for the analysis of plant gene function in a heterologous host and of plant improvement by using heterologous gene resources.

A simple and reliable method for the detection of sialylation in complex/hybrid-type carbohydrate chains of glycoproteins by mixed lectins.

A practical and convenient method for discriminating between the presence and the absence of sialic acid in carbohydrate chains of glycoproteins was devised using paramagnetic beads and two lectins, Sambucus sieboldiana lectin (SSA) and Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA120). The glycoproteins of transferrin or thyroglobulin were firstly captured to paramagnetic beads that were previously coated with corresponding antibody, and then the lectins of RCA120-biotin and SSA-FITC were bound to the glycoproteins on the paramagnetic beads. Finally, the fluorescence intensity of the beads was measured to determine the ratios of lectins RCA120-biotin/Cy5-streptavidin to SSA-FITC. The mixed lectins method showed bigger difference of the ratios between the presence and the absence of sialic acid, indicating higher discrimination efficiency than the ordinary non-mixed lectins method. Furthermore, statistical analysis by two-side t-test indicated that the mixed lectins method was more highly reliable than the ordinary non-mixed lectins method in discriminating between the presence and the absence of sialic acid. The reaction with the two lectins can be performed in a single tube and readily automated taking advantage of the use of paramagnetic beads.

Improvement of the lectin-antibody enzyme immunoassay of the alphafetoprotein carbohydrate chain for automation with the enzyme immunoassay robot.

The lectin-antibody enzyme immunoassay of the alphafetoprotein-L3 carbohydrate chain, a tumor marker of liver cancer, has not been automated. We improved the technique of the assay for automation. Consequently, alphafetoprotein-L3 and total alphafetoprotein were detected with two lectins using an automatic paramagnetic bead handling robot. This indicates that the improved method is potentially applicable to the automated enzyme immunoassay robot.