A light-powered catalyst could be key for hydrogeneconomy RiceUniversity sciencemagazine
The research follows government and industry investment to create infrastructure and markets for carbon-free liquid ammonia fuel that will not contribute to greenhouse warming. Liquid ammonia is easy to transport and packs a lot of energy, with one nitrogen and three hydrogen atoms per molecule. The new catalyst breaks those molecules into hydrogen gas, a clean-burning fuel, and nitrogen gas, the largest component of Earth's atmosphere.
"Transition metals like iron are typically poor thermocatalysts," said study co-author Naomi Halas of Rice."This work shows they can be efficient plasmonic photocatalysts. It also demonstrates that photocatalysis can be efficiently performed with inexpensive LED photon sources." "This discovery paves the way for sustainable, low-cost hydrogen that could be produced locally rather than in massive centralized plants," said Peter Nordlander, also a Rice co-author.
The best thermocatalysts are made from platinum and related precious metals like palladium, rhodium and ruthenium. Halas and Nordlander spent years developing light-activated metal nanoparticles. The best of these are also typically made with precious metals like silver and gold.
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Frontiers | Bioactivity of plants eaten by wild birds against laboratory models of parasites and pathogensPlants are not only used as energy and nutrient resources for herbivores. Plants can be ingested because of their activity against host parasites and other pathogens. This so-called medicinal role of plants is well reported in ethnopharmacology and under-reported in wild animals. More studies on wild animals are needed because any plant in the world contains bioactive compounds, and probably all plants, no matter how toxic they are, experience herbivory. For example, we tested the activity of extracts and essential oils from Papaver rhoeas and Echium plantagineum against a selection of laboratory pathogens because Great bustards Otis tarda preferred these plants during the mating season, with male fecal droppings showing a higher frequency of P. rhoeas particles than the fecal droppings of females. We hypothesized that P. rhoeas could be helpful for males in the mating season if any part of this plant harbors bioactivity against parasites and other pathogens. Males' immune system is weakened during the mating season because of their investment in secondary sexual characters and sexual display. As a first exploration of the bioactivity of these plants, we evaluated extracts of both plants against a sample of laboratory models, including a flagellated protozoon (Trichomonas gallinae), a nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) and a fungus (Aspergillus niger). Non-polar and polar extracts of the aerial parts of P. rhoeas, especially the extracts of flowers and capsules, and the extracts of leaves and flowers of E. plantagineum showed activity against nematodes and trichomonads. The bioactivity of plants against parasites could explain the foraging behavior of stressed animals. The chemical communication underpinning the capacity of fauna to recognize those plants is far less known.
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Earning bowl berth, chance at winning season 'substantial' for RiceRice can still make a bowl despite a loss Saturday at North Texas, but the Owls' priority...
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Brown University student becomes first woman to make Division I baseball roster - KCBS Radio: On-DemandA Brown University student is making history as the first female student-athlete to play Division I baseball. For more, KCBS Radio anchor Melissa Culross spoke with Amy Bass, professor of Sport Studies and chair of the division of Social Science and Communication at Manhattanville College in New York.
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Probe into University of Idaho student slayings dogged by mixed messaging from policeMixed messaging surrounding the fatal stabbing of four University of Idaho students — with the killer or killers still at large — has fueled mounting frustration among community members, and put a focus on the local police’s handling of the investigation.
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Police say three home invasions involving students in Temple University neighborhood could be relatedThe university said it has increased patrols in the area, sent out safety tips to students and parents, and is working with the city police department on the crimes.
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