Topic Review
Types of Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices
Researchers are increasingly paying attention to sustainable methods for storing energy. Many researchers are now concentrating their efforts on the development and exploration of novel materials for use in energy storage devices due to the limited supply of existing energy sources such as oil, coal, and natural gas, and escalating regional tensions. Because of these issues, sustainable renewable energy sources have been touted as an alternative to nonrenewable fuels. Deployment of renewable energy sources requires efficient and reliable energy storage devices due to their intermittent nature. High-performance electrochemical energy storage technologies with high power and energy densities are heralded to be the next-generation storage devices. Transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) have sparked interest among electrode materials because of their intriguing electrochemical properties.
  • 2.5K
  • 09 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Two-Dimensional Silicon Carbide
Two-dimensional silicon carbide (2D SiC) is a single/few atomic layer of silicon carbide.   2D SiC has a graphene-like honeycomb structure consisting of alternating Si and C atoms. In the monolayer SiC, the C and Si atoms bond through  sp2 hybridization to form the SiC sheet.  As a direct wide bandgap semiconducting material, 2D SiC has the potential to bring revolutionary advances into power electronics, optoelectronic and other SiC-based devices. It can overcome current limitations with silicon, bulk SiC, and gapless graphene. In addition to SiC, which is the most stable form of monolayer silicon carbide, other compositions, i.e. SixCy, are also predicted to be energetically favorable. Depending on the stoichiometry and bonding, monolayer SixCy may behave as a semiconductor, semimetal or topological insulator. With different Si/C ratios, the emerging 2D silicon carbide materials could attain novel electronic, optical, magnetic, mechanical, and chemical properties that go beyond those of graphene, silicene, and already discovered 2D semiconducting materials.
  • 3.6K
  • 08 May 2022
Topic Review
Two-Dimensional Materials
Two-dimensional (2D) materials are defined as crystalline materials consisting of single- or few-layer atoms, in which the in-plane interatomic interactions are much stronger than those along the stacking direction. Since the success of monolayer graphene exfoliation, 2D materials have been extensively studied due to their unique structures and unprecedented properties. Among these fascinating studies, the most predominant focus has been on their atomic structures, defects, and mechanical behaviors and properties, which serve as the basis for the practical applications of 2D materials.
  • 14.3K
  • 07 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Tube High-Pressure Shearing
Tube high-pressure shearing (t-HPS) is a deformation processing, in which a tubular sample is subjected to azimuthal shearing under a hydrostatic pressure. The shear plane is in parallel to the cylindrical surface of the tube, and the shear direction is in the azimuthal direction. 
  • 454
  • 25 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Tire-Derived Rubber Recycle
Rubber, as elastomer, is difficult to recycle. Today, the main end of life routes of tyres and other rubber products are landfilling, incineration in e.g. cement plants, and grinding to a fine powder, with huge quantities lacking sustainable recycling of this valuable material. Devulcanization, i.e. the breaking up of sulfur bonds by chemical, thermo-physical or biological means, is a promising route that has been investigated for more than 50 years. This review article presents and update on the state-of-the art in rubber devulcanization. This review article addresses established devulcanization technologies and novel processes described in the scientific and patent literatures. It is expected that the public discussion of environmental impacts of thermoplastics will soon spill over to thermosets and elastomers. Therefore, the industry needs to develop and market solutions proactively. Tyre recycling through devulcanization has a huge lever, since approx. 40 million tons of tyres are discarded annually.
  • 955
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
TiO2-Based Nanostructures for Microbial Inactivation
Pathogenic microorganisms can spread throughout the world population, as the current COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically demonstrated. In this scenario, a protection against pathogens and other microorganisms can come from the use of photoactive materials as antimicrobial agents able to hinder, or at least limit, their spreading by means of photocatalytically assisted processes activated by light—possibly sunlight—promoting the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can kill microorganisms in different matrices such as water or different surfaces without affecting human health. Here, we focus the attention on TiO2 nanoparticle-based antimicrobial materials, intending to provide an overview of the most promising synthetic techniques, toward possible large-scale production, critically review the capability of such materials to promote pathogen (i.e., bacteria, virus, and fungi) inactivation, and, finally, take a look at selected technological applications.
  • 1.0K
  • 08 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Three-finger Toxin
Three-finger toxins (abbreviated 3FTx) are a protein superfamily of small toxin proteins found in the venom of snakes. Three-finger toxins are in turn members of a larger superfamily of three-finger protein domains which includes non-toxic proteins that share a similar protein fold. The group is named for its common structure consisting of three beta strand loops connected to a central core containing four conserved disulfide bonds. The 3FP protein domain has no enzymatic activity and is typically between 60-74 amino acid residues long. Despite their conserved structure, three-finger toxin proteins have a wide range of pharmacological effects. Most members of the family are neurotoxins that act on cholinergic intercellular signaling; the alpha-neurotoxin family interacts with muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), the kappa-bungarotoxin family with neuronal nAChRs, and muscarinic toxins with muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs).
  • 510
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Three Dimensional Printing
The following article introduces technologies that build 3 dimensional (3D) objects by adding layer-upon-layer of material, called also additive manufacturing technologies.  Furthermore most important features supporting the conscious choice of 3D printing methods for applications in micro and nanomanufacturing were covered. The micromanufacturing method covers photopolymerisation based methods such as Stereolithography (SLA), Digital Light Processing (DLP), Liquid Crystal Display – DLP coupled method, Two-Photon Polymerisation (TPP) and Inkjet based methods. Functional photocurable materials, with magnetic, conductive or specific optical applications in the 3D printing processes were also reviewed. 
  • 1.4K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Thorium and Rare Earth Monoxides
Thorium was a part of energy infrastructure in the 19th century due to the refractory and electronic properties of its dioxide. It will be a part of future energy infrastructure as the most abundant energy reserve based on nuclear fission.
  • 280
  • 05 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Thiomersal and Vaccines
Thiomersal (or Thimerosal) is a mercury compound used as a preservative used in some vaccines. Anti-vaccination activists promoting the incorrect claim that vaccination causes autism, have asserted that the mercury in thiomersal is the cause. There is no scientific evidence to support this claim. The idea that thiomersal in vaccines might have detrimental effects originated with anti-vaccination activists and was sustained by them and especially through the action of plaintiffs' lawyers. The potential impact of thiomersal on autism has been investigated extensively. Multiple lines of scientific evidence have shown that thiomersal does not cause autism. For example, the clinical symptoms of mercury poisoning differ significantly from those of autism. In addition, multiple population studies have found no association between thiomersal and autism, and rates of autism have continued to increase despite removal of thiomersal from vaccines. Thus, major scientific and medical bodies such as the Institute of Medicine and World Health Organization (WHO) as well as governmental agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reject any role for thiomersal in autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders. In spite of the consensus of the scientific community, some parents and advocacy groups continue to contend that thiomersal is linked to autism and the claim is still stated as if it were fact in anti-vaccination propaganda, notably that of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., through his group Children's Health Defense. Thiomersal is no longer used in most children's vaccines in the United States, with the exception of some types of flu shots. While exposure to mercury may result in damage to brain, kidneys, and developing fetus, the scientific consensus is that thiomersal has no such effects. This controversy has caused harm due to parents attempting to treat their autistic children with unproven and possibly dangerous treatments, discouraging parents from vaccinating their children due to fears about thiomersal toxicity and diverting resources away from research into more promising areas for the cause of autism. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. to seek damages from alleged toxicity from vaccines, including those purportedly caused by thiomersal. US courts have ruled against multiple representative test cases involving thiomersal. A 2011 journal article described the vaccine-autism connection as "perhaps, the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years". Outside of the United States, worries about thiomersal had not gained any significant traction as of 2009.
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  • 21 Nov 2022
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