Recent Progress in Homogeneous Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid

Recently, there has been a strong demand for technologies that use hydrogen as an energy carrier, instead of fossil fuels. Hence, new and effective hydrogen storage technologies are attracting increasing attention. Formic acid (FA) is considered an effective liquid chemical for hydrogen storage because it is easier to handle than solid or gaseous materials. This review presents recent advances in research into the development of homogeneous catalysts, primarily focusing on hydrogen generation by FA dehydrogenation. Notably, this review will aid in the development of useful catalysts, thereby accelerating the transition to a hydrogen-based society.

Isolation of thermo-tolerant and ethanol-tolerant yeast from local fermented foods and their potential as bioethanol producers

Bioethanol is a liquid chemical produced from sugar-, starch-or lignocellulosic-based biomass through fermentation by ethanol-producing microbes. Ethanol-producing yeast generally has limited tolerance to ethanol and has limitation to high temperatures above 40°C. High-temperature tolerant yeast is required because it potentially reduces the risk of contamination and it also reduces the cost of the cooling process. This study aims to determine ethanol-producing yeasts that have tolerance to ethanol and high temperatures from local fermented food products. This study uses a descriptive method conducted in three stages. Isolation and selection of yeast were performed from 18 local fermented foods in Indonesia. Temperature and ethanol tolerance of selected yeast were performed by using a spot test method. The ethanol content was tested using Gas Chromatography (GC). The results exhibited that isolate F08b had the highest tolerance to ethanol and temperature. The isolate was able to grow up to a temperature of 50°C and a concentration of 18% ethanol. Meanwhile, isolate F10 was able to produce the highest ethanol concentration at 3.37% (v/v) in 48th-hour fermentation.

Hybrid emergency ventilation system for controlling inhaled contaminant dose in the case of chemical leakage

In factories where high-risk chemical pollutants are treated, it is essential to anticipate response measures in the event of chemical pollutant leakage to minimize adverse health effects on workers. When high-risk liquid chemical pollutants are assumed to be leaked inside enclosed spaces, it becomes crucial to predict the non-uniform concentration distributions in enclosed spaces and evaluate the health impacts and risks of short-time exposure to prevent large-scale accidents. Therefore, we have developed an emergency ventilation system for controlling the inhaled contaminant dose of factory workers. In this study, assuming a worst-case scenario liquid chemical pollutant leak in an enclosed factory space, the advantages and performance of a hybrid ventilation system that combines displacement and push–pull type ventilation systems were numerically investigated. Installation of wall materials that facilitate photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) reactions for background passive concentration control was also discussed. Based on the demonstrative numerical analyses for a realistic factory space, push–pull type ventilation system was confirmed to effectively suppress chemical pollutant diffusion in enclosed spaces with a low ventilation rate. Wall materials with the PCO mechanism had a certain contribution to the control of peak concentration.

Плазмохимическое и жидкостное травление в постростовой технологии каскадных солнечных элементов на основе гетероструктуры GaInP/GaInAs/Ge

Investigation and development of a separating mesa-structure creating technology for fabricating multi-junction solar cells based on the GaInP/GaInAs/Ge heterostructure has been carried out. Studied were methods of etching of heterostructure layers: liquid chemical etching in the etchants based on HBr, H2O2, K2Cr2O7 and plasma-chemical etching in the stream of operating gas BCl3. The comparative analysis of etching methods was studied. The protective masks based on photoresist layer and TiOx/SiO2 were developed. Multi-junction solar cells with low parameters of leakage current less than 10-7 A at voltage 0,5-1 V were created.