Iranian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Volume:43 Issue: 6, Jun 2024

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have garnered considerable interest in the field of medical research, particularly in the realm of cancer therapy, due to their exceptional optical and physical properties. These attributes make them highly promising candidates for a wide range of applications. An important advantage of AuNPs is their ability to be precisely engineered in terms of size and surface chemistry, facilitating targeted interactions with cancer cells and tissues. This study investigates the incorporation of Au-NPs into an alginate matrix for potential biomedical applications. The effects of Au-NPs on the composite material's biological properties, crystallinity, and morphology are examined. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis reveals a homogeneous distribution of Au-NPs within the alginate matrix, with nanoparticle sizes ranging from 5 to 10 microns. At lower concentrations (5 wt% Au-NPs), the nanoparticles are well-dispersed and exhibit minimal agglomeration. However, at higher concentrations (10 wt% and 15 wt% Au-NPs), increased nanoparticle density leads to greater agglomeration. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns demonstrate the highly crystalline nature of pure Au-NPs and the presence of additional diffraction peaks representing the alginate crystal structure in the composite material. These findings provide valuable insights into the structural characteristics and potential applications of the Au-NP-incorporated alginate matrix in biomedical fields. AuNPs possess the ability to selectively absorb and scatter light in a controlled manner, offering numerous possibilities for utilization. When exposed to specific wavelengths of light, AuNPs can generate localized heat, facilitating photothermal therapy. Additionally, AuNPs can function as contrast agents in medical imaging, enhancing tumor visibility and aiding in their detection and characterization. The synthesis of AuNPs is a critical aspect of their application in cancer therapy, and various methods have been developed to produce AuNPs with specific properties. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of AuNPs in photothermal therapy, drug/gene delivery, and imaging. However, several challenges must be overcome to facilitate their translation into clinical use, such as ensuring safety, and biocompatibility, improving targeting efficiency, and scaling up production. Despite these obstacles, ongoing research efforts are focused on fully harnessing the potential of AuNPs for effective and personalized cancer treatments in the future.

According to the rising statistics of cancer cases, the discovery of novel anticancer drugs is a critical issue in current medical research. Besides, drug resistance and the incidence of severe adverse effects are the logical reasons for the discovery of new antineoplastic agents. According to the positive background that has been observed for 1,3-thiazole derivatives as potential anticancer drugs, we decided to synthesize a new series of 1,3-thiazole-based cytotoxic agents. MTT assay, activation of caspase 3, capability for reduction of the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (MMP), and production potency of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) were investigated. Some of the tested compounds demonstrated potent cytotoxic activity and also caspase 3 activation, MMP reduction, and ROS generation. Three cancerous cell lines namely Hela (cervical cancer), A549 (lung carcinoma), and U87 (glioblastoma) were applied to perform the MTT assay. Diverse moieties with different electronic features were substituted on the phenyl ring to reveal the structure-activity relationships of the target compounds 8a-8o. Hela (cervical cancer), A549 (lung carcinoma), and U87 (glioblastoma) were utilized as cancerous cells to explore the cytotoxicity via MTT Hela and U87 cells were more sensitive to the tested compounds and A549 was more resistant to the tested derivatives. Compound 8a with ortho chlorine moiety on the phenyl ring was the most active derivative against Hela cells (IC50 = 1.3±0.14 µM). All evaluated derivatives rendered lower activity against A549 than doxorubicin as a standard anticancer drug. Only some of the evaluated compounds showed more cytotoxicity against U87 than doxorubicin. Furthermore, caspase 3 activation, Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (MMP), and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation were also investigated. Fortunately, some of the tested compounds were also active in these tests. In conclusion, the current 1,3-thiazole derivatives could be suggested as potential anticancer lead compounds.

Ensuring the long-term durability of building facades is crucial for maintaining their structural integrity and promoting sustainability. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of incorporating Hyaluronic Acid (HA) nanofiber-reinforced coatings as a means of enhancing facade durability. The coatings were fabricated by adding HA nanofibers, ranging from 0-3 wt.%, to commercially available acrylic-silicone coating substrates. Standardized techniques were employed to assess the elastic modulus, compressive strength, and impact resistance of the resulting coatings. Additionally, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was developed to predict these properties for new combinations of HA and facades. The inclusion of HA nanofibers had a significant concentration-dependent influence on the mechanical properties of the coatings. Increasing the HA loading led to proportional improvements in the elastic modulus, with enhancements of up to 22% observed at a 3 wt.% of HA loading. Likewise, the highest HA content resulted in an 18% increase in compressive strength. The impact toughness also exhibited a progressive rise, demonstrating a 29% higher energy absorption for the 3 wt.% HA compared to the unmodified control coating. The implemented ANN demonstrated its ability to accurately capture the dose-dependent patterns and effectively predict relevant properties of compositions that were not subjected to experimental evaluation. In conclusion, the proficient dispersion of HA nanofibers emerged as a crucial factor in fortifying the facades, establishing a harmonious interplay at the nanoscale level, and ultimately augmenting their long-term resilience.

In this research, catalysts with zeolite bases ZSM-48 and organic-metallic framework MOF-5 were used as catalytic bases in the process of oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to produce propylene. The experimental design of the central composition method was used to investigate the effect of different parameters in the oxidative dehydrogenation process of propane. For this purpose, the loading of chromium in the range of 2-6% by weight, the ratio of propane to carbon dioxide in the range of 1:1-3:1, and temperature in the range of 500 to 700 degrees Celsius, and the loading ratio of chromium to vanadium in the range of 2:1 to 5 :1 was used as the input variables of the central composition method. After conducting the reactor test and analyzing the results, the design of the experiment was done by Design expert software. Also, with the increase in temperature, the percentage of propane conversion and the percentage of efficiency increase, and the percentage of selectivity of propylene decreases. However, with increasing chromium loading percentage, propane conversion percentage and oxidative dehydrogenation efficiency percentage first increase and then decrease, and selectivity percentage decreases. By reducing the propane-to-oxygen ratio with the Cr-V@MOF-5 organometallic framework catalyst, the percentage of propane conversion and the percentage of efficiency decrease, and the percentage of selectivity increases. The optimal conditions obtained for the performance of the organometallic framework catalyst, the amount of chromium loading in the catalyst construction, the reaction temperature, the ratio of propane to CO2, and the loading ratio of chromium to vanadium were determined as 4%, 500 degrees Celsius, 1:1, 3.5:1, respectively. Under these conditions, the area under the propylene peak is estimated to be 93.3%. So that in optimal conditions, Cr-V@ZSM-48, the amount of chromium loading in the catalyst construction, the reaction temperature, the propane to CO2 ratio, and the chromium to vanadium loading ratio were determined as 4%, 600°C, 3:1, and 3.5:1, respectively, and under these conditions, the area under propylene was obtained91. 1% is achievable.

In recent years, interest in improving the properties of polymers has become particularly important. Thermal stability is one of these properties that has been widely used in recent years due to its specific applications. One way to increase thermal stability is phosphorylation. Also, due to environmental concerns, a lot of attention is being paid to water-based latex. A Butyl Acrylate (BA)-silicone-acrylic copolymer was obtained by mini-emulsion polymerization. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and ThermoGravimetric Analysis (TGA) analysis were used to characterize the goods thoroughly. DLS verified the presence of 80–100 nm-sized latex particles. DSC results revealed that the presence of silicone chains in the matrix, considering that silicone has a lower glass transition temperature than BA, reduces the matrix's glass transition temperature and increases the chains' flexibility. In addition, the presence of phosphorus in the copolymer chain increases the Tg. Formation of char for B5S5P3 due to the presence of phosphorus, causes a delay in the destruction of the sample and an increase in the temperature of the destruction of the matrix in TGA analysis. Also, the presence of silicon played a significant role in increasing thermal stability. Sample B5S5P3 with 30% phosphorus by mass showed first and second decomposition temperatures of 348 and 630 °C. In addition, in the flame analysis, the B5S5P3 sample showed the best combustion performance among other samples.

In this research, some nutraceutical properties of Padina algae extract were identified and its nanoliposomes were prepared to achieve a sustained release of bioactive substance. According to GC-MS analysis, butanoic acid was the foremost substance and n-hexadecanoic acid was the second major chemical constituent in the extract. In addition, there are significant triterpenoids in the algal extract, which could be the possible reason for Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity, which has been recognized as a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The formulation of algal extract-loaded nanoliposomes was optimized based on the variation of the wall-to-base ratio. The effect of lecithin in different ratios on the concentration of Padina alga extract mean size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency was evaluated. The results indicated that nanoliposomes loaded with algal extract showed a smaller size (318±3.05 to 59.95±0.19 nm), narrow size distribution, acceptable EE (15.7±0.92 to 52.8±0.52%), and good antioxidant activity (92 mg/mL). Morphological characteristics of the nanoliposomes using a transmission electron microscope reveal uniform particle with a spherical geometry. Moreover, the optimally formulated nanoliposomes show sustainable release of their contents into the simulated gastrointestinal fluids. These results can appear to the prospect of the possible use of this extract in the nano liposomal structure with a therapeutic approach.

In this study, the oxidative and physicochemical stability of Oil/Water (O/W) and Water/Oil (W/O) nanoemulsions, extra virgin olive oil, and oleic acid were investigated. Nanoemulsions were prepared using a HPH technique. Then, the test of particle size, PDI, zeta potential, viscosity, refractive index, storage stability, pH, PV, conjugated dienes va1ue, and TBA index was performed. The particle size in all studied nanoemulsion samples was less than 200 nm on the first day. With increasing time, particle size, zeta potential, and PDI increased, but pH decreased. The viscosity of W/O nanoemulsions was higher than O/W types. Also, the present study showed that the PV, TBA, and conjugated dienes value and refractive index increased significantly in all samples with the increase in the incubation duration. In terms of physical stability, it was found that O/W nanoemulsion samples are more stable than W/O. Also, compared to oil samples, nanoemulsion samples entered the final oxidation phase later, and types of O/W nanoemulsions have more physical stability than W/O nanoemulsions.

In this study, ultrasound extraction technology was used to extract the active constituents of pomegranate (Punica granatum L. variety SisheKape-Saveh). The effects of independent variables such as ultrasound exposure time and temperature on extraction yield, anthocyanin content, TPC, EC50, and FRAP were examined using the response surface technique. The extraction and measurement of various polyphenols from agricultural pomegranate waste is a precious source. Encapsulating this compound is also a practical idea to preserve its unique properties during storage. To achieve this goal, the extraction conditions of antioxidants from pomegranate waste were optimized and the physical properties of a nanostructured lipid carrier with wall materials were evaluated. Furthermore, the impact of the resulting nanostructures on the oxidative stability of soybean oil was examined through the measurement of peroxide. According to the approximation of the desired functions, the optimal conditions were 39.8 min and 63.4 °C. Under these conditions, the extraction yield, anthocyanin content, TPC, EC50, and FRAP were measured to be 17.12%, 39.74 mg/L, 41.45 mg GA/mL, 5.55 mg/mL, and 2227 μmol Fe2+/L, respectively. The experimental values agreed well with the predicted values. From the results, the size of the resulting nanoparticles ranged from 82.6 to 196.7 nm. Nanocarriers that contained pomegranate extract exhibited an Encapsulation Efficiency (EE) of 85.2-92.5 %. The highest EE was related to a sample containing 5% pomegranate extract, 4% glycerol distearate, 3% Tween 80, and 0.6% lecithin. This extract at 1000 ppm compared to BHT at 200 ppm could effectively prevent the formation of peroxides in soybean oil.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentration techniques on the physicochemical properties, phenolic compounds, antioxidants, color and total anthocyanins  of the barberry concentrate. Three methods including evaporator (at pressures of 11 kPa and 38 kPa), microwave (at pressures of 11 kPa and 38 kPa), and conventional heating at atmospheric pressure were used to concentrate barberry juice. All experiments were performed in triplicate. The means were compared by Duncan test at the 5% level using Minitab 16 software. The results revealed that the use of low-pressure microwave method decreased the concentration time (20 min), lowered the pH (2.59) and dissolved solids (34.41), preserved color properties (195), and resulted in the highest amount of anthocyanin (19.1), antioxidant (68) and phenolic compounds (1.07). Therefore, the use of low-pressure microwave method increased the quality and nutritional properties of barberry concentrate compared to the mentioned methods.

The study aimed to investigate the possibility of sodium nitrite substitution form (Persian Golnar) extract in sausage formulation. To this end, the amount of sodium nitrite allowed in sausages (120 ppm) was substituted for different concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 %w/w) of (Persian Golnar) extract. The amount of flavonoid, IC50, color characteristics (a*, b*, L*), microbial characteristics (total microbial, mold, yeast, coliform, Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus counts), and their sensory properties (taste, odor and general acceptance) were evaluated on days 1, 25, and 50 of storage at 4 °C. The results showed that increasing the substitution percentage of (Persian Golnar) for sodium nitrite increased flavonoids and decreased IC50. Furthermore, increasing the substitution percentage of (Persian Golnar) instead of sodium nitrite decreased a* and L* and increased b*. It is worth noting that the total microbial counts of all samples entire storage periods were within the acceptable range of Iranian National Standard, and there didn’t observe any coliforms, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, mold and yeast in any sample at all intervals. Substitution of (Persian Golnar) for sodium nitrite in sample 3 (60% sodium nitrite, and 40% (Persian Golnar), and sample 4 (40% sodium nitrite, and 60% (Persian Golnar) had the highest score of sensory properties (smell, taste, and overall acceptance). Thus, the substitution of all or part of the sodium nitrite used in the sausage formulation of (Persian Golnar) extract increased antioxidant properties, without any adverse effect on the sensory and microbial properties of the sausage.

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman) is considered one of the most important pests of honey bee colonies throughout the world. This mite feeds on honey bee hemolymph, transmits some viruses, and inflicts heavy economic losses on the beekeeping industry worldwide. Beekeepers use various miticides, including Folbex-VA fumigant strips, in bee colonies to control Varroa mite populations. This lipophilic compound dissolves in wax first. It is then released into honey.  Pesticides used to control pests and diseases may remain in raw and processed products that are used by humans and livestock. These pesticide residues can cause health hazards because of their chronic or acute toxicity in humans. Consequently, this research measured Folbex-VA residues in six honey production regions in Damavand County (Ayeneh Varzan, Aru, Havir, Mosha, Tar Lake, and Damavand) in two months (the final spring and summer months). The GC-MS was used in the isolation and identification processes of Folbex-VA. A factorial experiment using a completely randomized design was performed to analyze the data, and a comparison of the means was carried out using Duncan’s multiple range tests at the significance level of 1%. The results indicated that  in the last month of spring, pesticide residues were higher than the Maximum Residue Level (MRL) set by the European Union (EU) in the samples taken from Ayeneh Varzan, Havir, and Masha but at the MRL in the samples taken from Aru, Tar Lake and Damavand. However, in the last month of summer, pesticide residues in the samples taken from all six regions were below the MRL adopted by the EU.

Rice husk is one of the critical agricultural by-products in the rice milling process; it is abundantly produced and often left unused or burned in the environment. In this study, the biotransformation potential of this material into biological organic fertilizer was investigated using a mixture of wood lignocellulolytic microorganisms and natural rice husk compost. Corn steep liquor with 50 ± 5% solid materials in a total ratio of 15% (w/w) and sugar cane molasses (SCM) with 60 ± 5% solids in a total ratio of 15% (w/w) to the treated solids materials were used to supply microorganism's nutrients and optimization of biochemical, organic fertilizer elements. A rice husk sample and two other rice husks, combined with wood waste, were treated in a mixture of the mentioned additives and microorganisms. Samples at certain intervals were determined to have the amount of nitrogen, organic matter, organic carbon, essential elements, and the C/N ratio as the main parameters to evaluate the quality and maturity of biofertilizer in the conversion period. Based on the results, the biological conversion process converted rice husk into organic biofertilizer. Also, using wood waste along with rice husk, at first, caused a relative decrease in minerals and an increase in the C/N ratio, but this effect decreased with the progress of the process. In addition, during the biotransformation process, with the relative decrease of organic matter and organic carbon, the relative amounts of K+, , Ca2+ and Mg2+ increased significantly and reached acceptable levels. A rice husk and wood waste mixture can be converted into superior-quality organic fertilizer using low-cost CSL, starch, or sugarcane molasses.

Paddy straw fiber an agricultural by-product is frequently managed through incineration, representing a prevalent disposal method. There is a need for a solution to help reduce the harmful effects (air pollution, environmental issues) of burning rice straw. Efforts are being made to find sustainable and beneficial uses for paddy straw to reduce its environmental impact. The research gap is exploring the technologies for converting agricultural waste into innovative products. This paper describes the preparation of composites using paddy straw fiber-reinforced polyester bio-composites. The chemical treatment involves the paddy straw fiber to improve the fiber's strength. To delineate the inherent and modified fibers, a range of assessments were performed, encompassing single-fiber analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Radiation, Thermo gravimetric Analysis, and surface imaging. The strengths of raw and treated fibers achieved the values of 10900 gf and 8540 gf respectively. Randomly oriented composite laminates with the dimensions of 300x300x3 mm and different weight proportions of 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50 (Untreated and treated) were fabricated using semi-automatic compression molding. After fabricating the laminates, cutting the specimens using the ASTM standard for evaluation of the mechanical behaviors (Tensile, flexural, impact, hardness, and shear) and also studied the water absorption in each laminates, and preparation of the specimens to identify the morphology and structure using a scanning electron microscope. ALT-3 laminate achieved the maximum values of tensile, flexural (bend), impact, hardness, and shear values such as 20 MPa, 31 MPa, 62 KJ/m2, 34 HV, and 39 MPa respectively. Overall results revealed that paddy straw fiber is a very superior material for non-structural applications.

North Maluku is an area with rich agricultural properties, including coconut, nutmeg, and canary. These waste materials have the potential to be used as alternative sources of energy. These shell wastes can be used to produce bio-briquettes, as a potential source of carbon for the production of activated carbon, and as biofuel. There is a lack of research on the characterization of biobriquettes made from shell waste. This study aims to characterize biobriquettes made from coconut shells, nutmeg shells, and canary shell waste in North Maluku, Indonesia. The study was conducted to evaluate the potential of these waste materials as alternative sources of energy. Biobriquettes were formulated using cassava flour as a binder. The shapes of the briquettes were produced in cube and cylinder sizes. The biobriquettes were characterized based on their physical and chemical properties, including calorific value, ash content, moisture content, volatile matter, and fixed carbon. The results showed that FT-IR spectrophotometry analysis revealed higher hydroxyl groups in nutmeg shells, while coconut and canary shells had similar hydrocarbon levels. The carbonization and the powdering efficiency of coconut shells, nutmeg shells, and canary shell biobriquettes vary. Nutmeg shell biobriquettes yield the highest at 80%, while coconut shell biobriquettes yield 78%. Neem shell biobriquettes have a slightly lower yield of 90%. Cylindrical, cube-shaped, and cylindrical biobriquettes exhibit consistent weights and white ash production, indicating efficient combustion. In conclusion, the data from the proximate analysis and comparison with SNI standard No. 1/6235/2000 revealed that all biobriquettes fulfill or surpass the standard's requirements for moisture, ash, fixed carbon, and volatile matter.

The use of chitosan as an adsorbent for the removal of oil from oil-in-water emulsion has been investigated in this study. Chitosan is a promising material with various applications in adsorption and is effective in removing several types of pollutants, including vegetable oil. As oil pollution continues to cause significant harm to the environment, adsorption has emerged as a viable method for remediation, and this study seeks to explore its potential in removing oil from wastewater. A series of adsorption experiments were conducted on artificially made oil-in-water emulsions, using chitosan flakes as the adsorbent and cooking vegetable oil as the adsorbate. The study investigated various parameters affecting the sorption capacity, including pH, contact time, oil concentration, adsorbent dose, agitation speed, and temperature. Untreated and unmodified chitosan flakes were used as adsorbents, and the results showed that oil removal efficiencies of up to 80-90% could be achieved by varying individual parameters. Significantly, the peak values were observed individually at 50°C, 30 min of contact time, 0.005 g of adsorbent per 100 mL of emulsion, 0.8% of initial oil concentration, 150 RPM of agitation speed, and a solution pH of 6.02. The potential for improving oil removal with modified chitosan was also discussed, along with an analysis of parameter interaction. The findings suggest that chitosan has significant potential as an adsorbent for oil removal from wastewater and that further research into modifications and optimization of parameters could lead to even greater efficiency in oil removal. Overall, this study contributes to the growing body of research on environmentally friendly and sustainable methods for the bioremediation of oil pollution.

Researchers are increasingly directing their attention toward hybrid fiber laminates, which can be crafted from either natural or synthetic fibers. The Waste to Wealth approach effectively curtails the incineration of paddy straw fibers, reducing air pollution by transforming waste materials into valuable products. In this investigation, paddy straw waste fibers were gathered, and Pine Apple Leaf Fiber (PALF) was extracted using an extraction machine. Alkali treatment was employed to enhance the adhesion properties between the fiber and matrix. Various fiber tests, including the single fiber test, fiber tenacity, fiber fineness, and fiber surface imaging, were conducted to compare the properties of treated and untreated fibers. The reinforcements and matrix were weighed at different percentages using a semi-automatic compression molding machine. The mechanical and morphological behavior of the hybrid fiber-reinforced polyester composites were then assessed. The S9 laminate exhibited a maximum tensile strength of 30.5 MPa, a flexural strength of 47.55 MPa, an impact strength of 108.28 KJ/m2, a hardness strength of 44 HV, and a shear strength of 41.2 MPa. Fractured specimens' failures were identified through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The introduction of PALF fiber content (0%, 5%, 10%) resulted in incremental improvements in mechanical strength and a reduction in water absorption properties. Crop residues are completely transformed into innovative products such as tabletops, writing desks, particle boards, and various home applications.

An eco-friendly and cost-effective biosorbent has been developed for the efficient elimination of acid red 114 dye from aqueous media. Batch studies were carried out to determine the effects of various operating parameters, namely the effect of temperature, pH, contact time, and concentration. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) are also examined. The quadratic model is the most useful model for describing the adsorption of AR 114 dye, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9506. In addition, the adjusted R2 for the quadratic model was 0.9045. Compared to other parameters, AR 114 dye concentration is the most important. The adsorption capacity is best at pH=11. The pseudo-first-order describes the kinetic adsorption. The adsorption capacity increases with temperature. Experimental data are well illustrated by Langmuir-Freundlich and Baudu models. The process of AR 114 adsorption on bentonite is spontaneous, endothermic, and disordered. The statistical physical model results show that AR 114 adsorbs on the surface in a nonparallel orientation. Furthermore, the adsorption energy in the systems is 3.07 kJ/mol, indicating physical adsorption. The dye's adsorption efficiency fell from 244 to 173 mg/g after five adsorption/desorption cycles. In summary, this investigation showed that bentonite exhibits great potential as a suitable sorbent in the elimination of AR 114 dye from aqueous solutions.

As international desalination capacities have increased, brine from desalination plants has become an environmental danger to ecosystems. Thus, it is essential to treat such hypersaline brines. This case study uses a hybrid RO-freeze desalination system and an evaporation pond to treat desalination brine. A thermodynamic analysis based on the mass and energy balances is initially performed for the proposed system. Then, RO-freeze Desalination and Reverse Osmosis desalination have been compared from the viewpoint of energy consumption and the amount of brine discharge. The effects of temperature and salinity in the feedwater and the Fs factor on energy consumption and the quantity of brine discharge are under investigation. The results show a 30% increase in recovery in RO-FD compared to reverse osmosis desalination, while SEC has only a 40% increase. The specific energy consumption, second-law efficiency, and evaporation pond area are 6–12 kWh/m3, 7–12 %, and 20000-52000 m2, respectively. It is coupled with a CO2 cooling system that freezes seawater in a crystallizer and melts ice in a chamber. The evident rise in water product and decreased residual brine amount create an exceptionally appealing desalination process.

Utilization of waste heat in processes of oilfield plants has been taken into account as the most promising technology to improve thermodynamic performance. This paper proposes and investigates alternative Orangic Rankine Cycle (ORC) based combined systems for recovering moderate-to-low temperature waste heat of flue gas based on energy and exergy analysis. Advanced exergy analysis, splitting the exergy destruction into endogenous/exogenous and avoidable/unavoidable parts, is applied to reveal more detailed information about the components' inefficiency on each other and the real potential of the optimized system for improvement. With the help of the presented model and the genetic algorithm optimization method, the optimal configuration and operating fluid in terms of power generation. The investment cost was chosen for low and medium heat demand. The results showed that the working fluid R123 has a better performance than toluene for medium heat demand, parallel configuration with preheater, and R123 working fluid and low heat demand, parallel configuration of preheater and recuperator with R123 working fluid is the most appropriate choice. In these cases, the maximum production power was calculated as 3.56 and 5.12 MW respectively, while the special investment costs for the proposed items were evaluated as 1.631 and 1.63 $/W respectively.

Using heat pipe-cooled micro-reactors in power plants is one of the newest technologies in small power plants. In these power plants, heat is taken from the reactor by several heat pipes and transferred to the working fluid in the main heat exchanger of the power plant. The purpose of this study is the design and thermal-hydraulic analysis of heat pipes and the main heat exchanger of the power plant. The reactor's thermal power is 5 MW and its heat is transferred to carbon dioxide as the working fluid in the heat exchanger by 192 potassium heat pipes. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method is used for thermal-hydraulic analysis. ANSYS-CFX code, which is a high-performance and reliable tool, is also used for simulation. The results show that the maximum temperature of potassium vapor inside the hottest heat pipe is 913.6 °C. Also, the minimum temperature of the liquid inside the wick structure of this heat pipe is 910.01 °C. Also, the average temperature and pressure of carbon dioxide in the outlet section of the heat exchanger are 649.5 °C and 14.13425 MPa under normal operating conditions. In this situation, carbon dioxide is in a supercritical state and it is possible to use it in the power plant gas cycle.

The turbulence characteristics of the oil pulsation flow may be influenced by the concentration of particles. In this research, an NI PXI data acquisition system is utilized to experimentally analyze the flow pressure signal of the oil pulsation containing various concentrations of particles. To decompose the signal of the oil pressure, a wavelet basis function called sym8 was selected, and a 4-layer decomposition was performed. In this way, the wavelet coefficients of each node can be obtained. By utilizing wavelet packet decomposition, we investigated the impact of varying concentrations of particles on the energy distribution and values of the signal of the oil pressure. The findings indicate that the first three nodes of the signal of the oil pressure, regardless of the concentration of particles, play a significant influence on the signal of the oil pressure frequency band. The Euclidean distance between these nodes ranges from 0.6723 to 1.9786, showing considerable variability. As the concentration of particles increases, the Euclidean distance between these nodes decreases. Moreover, the primary frequency corresponding to nodes with even sequence numbers gradually decreases with increasing concentration of particles, while nodes with odd sequence numbers experience an opposite trend of gradual increase. Additionally, the primary frequency of the signal of the oil pressure gradually decreases with increasing the concentration of particles.

Screening of water-based Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques is a preliminary task in designing an EOR technique for an oil reservoir. Commonly, a screening table is looked up either manually or automatically to screen out unfitted EOR techniques for a specific reservoir, based on a worldwide database of successful EOR projects. This approach disregards the physics of the EOR processes within the reservoir and does not consider the optimal values of decision variables such as well control parameters during the screening and ranking of EOR techniques. In this study, we address these challenges by presenting a workflow for screening water-based EOR techniques. This includes surfactant flooding, polymer flooding, low-salinity water flooding, and Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer (ASP), flooding in an oil reservoir. To conduct this, several representative sectors are extracted from the oil reservoir’s dynamic model. In the first step, an automated screening based on the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) algorithm determines the ranking of EOR techniques and similar EOR projects. In the next step, each water-based EOR project is simulated on each reservoir sector to rank the EOR techniques using the Recovery Factor (RF). Finally, stochastic optimizations of decision variables in each EOR technique in each reservoir sector update the ranking and screening. The final rankings from these three steps are averaged across all sectors to list the suitable EOR techniques and find their relative technical performance. The differences in the ranking list using the table-based screening, flow simulation, and optimization highlight the benefits of the proposed workflow.

Bacterial Cellulose (BC) has been applied in various industries, like the hygiene and medical industry, due to its functional properties (water absorption properties, mechanical strength, biodegradability, and nanostructure). However, the use of BC instead of petrochemical products in the hygiene industry is associated with challenges such as high production costs and low water absorption performance. The type of microbial strain, the development of a cheap culture medium using food industry waste, and the optimization of the production type and conditions are among the most important strategies that have been used in recent years to increase production yield and reduce BC costs. Also, the presence of different hydroxyl functional groups in each repeating unit of the BC chain makes it possible to make various changes to increase its water absorption capacity by using in-situ and external modifications and adding different chemical or biological compounds to make it competitive with chemical polymers. In this article, an attempt has been made to encourage researchers and industries by reviewing the recent research related to reducing production costs and increasing the water absorption power of BC to make more efforts towards the possibility of replacing the chemical polymer with a biodegradable and environmentally friendly biopolymer.

Obesity and diabetes mellitus are generalized under Diabesity, a concerning epidemic condition that affects mankind diversely. The medicinal flora has been used as a natural remedy for controlling metabolic disorders like diabesity. Dodonaea viscosat (from the Potohar region of Pakistan) has been evaluated as a potential source for the treatment of obesity/diabetes. Different solvent compositions (DVL@100%PEE, DVL@80%HEE, DVL@60%HEE, DVL@40%HEE, DVL@20%HEE & DVL@PAE) were investigated for anti-oxidant, anti-obesity and antidiabetic activities. Among all compositions, DVL@60% HEE ethanolic leaves extract showed highest TFC (89 ± 1.94 mgRE/g DE), TPC (144 ± 1.37 mgGAE/g DE), DPPH scavenging potential (IC50 = 33.75 ± 0.86 μg/mL), TAP (131.59 ±1.30 mg/g AAE), pancreatic lipase inhibition (70.82 ± 0.94%) and α-glycosidase inhibition (IC50 = 43.52 ± 0.80 µg/mL). Numerous active metabolites have been identified by the highly sensitive UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analytical technique including Shikimic acid, Cryptomerin B, Menisdaurin, 4-O-Caffeoylquinic acid, Chlorogenic acid, cis-Caffeic acid, Quinic acid, 4-Hydroxymethyl-2-furfural, Epicatechin, Cnidimol F, 3-Hydroxynaringenin, Asaricin, cis-Anethole, E-p-Coumatic acid, Methyl 3-O-feruloylquinate, Lappaol D, Isolariciresinol, and Urolignoside, etc that might be responsible for the substantial anti-obesity/antidiabetic attributes of D. Viscosa leaves extracts.

Environmental concerns about the contamination of groundwater and sea as a result of oil refining and transportation have encouraged scientists to seek sustainable and cost-effective methods to clean up these pollutants. Ammonia removal by green microalgae Chlorella vulgaris in media containing 10 mg/L ammonia and different concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons was studied. The experiments were carried out in an airlift photobioreactor. Laboratory experiments showed that low concentrations of hydrocarbons not only did not inhibit ammonia removal but also had benefits for increasing the rates of biomass production and ammonia removal. Ammonia removal was obtained 100%. And hydrocarbon removal was obtained 100%. Based on the results obtained; microalgae utilize hydrocarbons as a carbon source. In addition, Chlorella vulgaris was a flexible and resistant microalgae to unfavorable conditions and quickly adapted to the low-contaminated culture solution. This feature increased the potential of Chlorella vulgaris to remove ammonia and a wide range of hydrocarbons with different properties and toxicity.

Kluyveromyces marxianus is a yeast species with various industrial applications. It's known for its ability to metabolize a wide range of substrates, including lactose, xylose, and cellobiose, which makes it useful in various biotechnological processes. In order to Design of Experiment (DOE) and design an optimized method for extracting and purification of mannoprotein using three homogenization, alkalinity, and bio-emulsifier extraction methods, as well as model data at three levels based on three factors: acidity, temperature, and the mannoprotein extraction method, this study looked at the growth of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus (IBRC-M 30114) in a 30-L fermentor to determine its optimized yield. Mannoprotein was extracted (in 27 runs with 3 parts) using QUALITEK-4 software and the Taguchi method. In the designed stage, various temperatures (25, 30, and 35 °C) and pHs (2, 5, and 7) were used in the homogenization, alkaline, and bio-emulsifier methods. The growth of the yeast K. marxianus in a fermenter (bioreactor) showed that the maximum biomass was obtained from the scale increase inside the reactor. This indicated that the maximum fermentation biomass 34.02 (g/L) was obtained from K. marxianus in 30 h at pH 4.6, 29 °C, 500 rpm, oxygen 19.7, inlet air volume 1 vvm3, and 36.6 DO. The maximum amount of mannoprotein 8.243 (mg 100 m/L) from 10 (g/L) yeast biomass was extracted by the alkaline method with pH 5. In the bio-emulsifier method, the mannoprotein extraction was maximized at pH 7. The homogenization approach fared better than the alkaline method overall in terms of performance. In contrast, the alkaline method outperformed the other two methods homogenization and bioemulsifier in terms of volume or quantity. Mannoproteins play important roles in various biological processes and have several applications in different industries. Mannoproteins have potential applications in drug delivery and as carriers for bioactive compounds due to their biocompatibility and ability to interact with cells and tissues.