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The strategic design, synthesis, and thorough characterizations of a redox-active BODIPY-based tripodal system (

Purpose With its substantial CO2eq emissions, the agricultural sector is a significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter. Animal manure alone contributes 16% of the total agricultural emissions. With a rapidly increasing demand for animal-based protein, animal wastes are expected to rise if sustainable manure management practices are not implemented. Manures have the potential to be treated to generate valuable products (biofertiliser and biocrude) or feedstock for energy production. Thermochemical conversion technologies such as pyrolysis, combustion, supercritical gasification (SCWG), etc., have demonstrated their potential in manure management and valorisation. This study provides a broader overview of these technologies and envisages future manure valorisation trends. Methods The paper presents a state-of-the-art review of manure valorisation. Characterisation of manure, modelling and optimisation of thermochemical conversion technologies along with life cycle anaalysis (LCA) are also reviewed. Results The literature review highlighted that the thermochemical conversion technologies can generate bio-oils, syngas, H2, biofuels, heat, and biochar as carbon-free fertiliser. The reported calorific value of the produced bio-oil was in the range of 26 MJ/kg to 32 MJ/kg. However, thermochemical conversion technologies are yet to be commercialised. The major challenges associated with the scale-up of manure derived feedstocks are relatively high moisture and ash content, lower calorific value and higher concentration of impurities (N, Cl, and S). LCA studies conclude that gasification presents a sustainable option for manure valorisation as it is economical with modest environmental threats. Significance of Study This review briefly states the current challenges faced in manure management and presents the case for a sustainable valorisation of animal manures using thermochemical technologies. The economic, environmental and societal advantages of these technologies are presented in order to promote the scientific and industrial development of the subject in the academic and research community. Conclusions Thermochemical conversion technologies are promising for manure valorisation for energy and nutrient recovery. However, their commercialisation viability needs wide-ranging evaluations such as techno-economics, life-cycle analysis, technology take-up and identification of stakeholders. There should be clear-cut policies to support such technologies. It should be advocated amongst communities and industries, which necessitates marketing by the governments to secure a clean energy future for the planet. Graphical Abstract

A pyrazole appended BODIPY ligand (L) is synthesized and thoroughly characterized by various spectroscopic studies (1H, [Formula: see text]C, [Formula: see text]B, [Formula: see text]F, ESI–MS, UV-vis and fluorescence). The ligand (L) displays aggregation induced emission (AIE) in solution (a mixture of CH3OH and water) and solid state. The vital role of the restriction of intramolecular rotation (RIR) in AIE is supported by viscosity experiments and fluorescence lifetime studies. Photophysical behaviour and aggregate morphology is investigated by UV-vis, emission and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Multiple strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds (C–H[Formula: see text]N and C–H[Formula: see text]F) play a significant role in the AIE response. In addition, L shows strong sensitivity toward Hg[Formula: see text]ion via chelation induced enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) mechanism. Job’s plot analysis suggested a 1:1 binding stoichiometry between L and Hg[Formula: see text], which has been further supported by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and density functional theory.

In the quest to develop artificial light-harvesting systems (LHSs) with high energy transfer efficiency, hydrazone ligands L1–L2 and their –BF2 complexes (BODIHYs; B1 and B2) have been synthesized. Ligands L1 and L2 and the BODIHYs have been thoroughly characterized by various techniques (1H, 13C, 11B, and 19F NMR, ESI-MS, UV-vis and fluorescence). Further, the BODIHYs (B1 and B2) have been utilized as a new platform for artificial LHSs. It has been categorically shown that efficient artificial LHSs can be achieved by combining AIEgens B1 and B2 with rhodamine B (RhB) under aqueous conditions. In these systems B1 and B2 serve as a donor while RhB as an acceptor. The calculated energy transfer efficiency and antenna effect for the BODIHYs in combination with RhB came out to be appreciably high (B1 = 68%, 28.7; B2 = 80%, 35.5) at a donor/acceptor ratio of 25 : 1.

The synthesis of Zn(II) complexes (C1–C2) based on azo-Schiff base ligands 2-((E)-(phenyl-imino)methyl)-4-((E)-(2-(phenylthio)phenyl)diazenyl)phenol (L1) and 4-((E)-(2-(phenyl-thio)phenyl)diazenyl)-2-((E)-(p-tolylimino)methyl)phenol (L2) has been described. These have been thoroughly characterized by spectroscopic studies (IR, 1H, 13C, ESI-MS, electronic absorption, emission) and the structures of C1 and C2 have been determined by X-ray single crystal analyses. The ligands L1 and L2 exhibit reversible acid/base induced “ON–OFF–ON” switching in solution and solid state. Upon exposure to UV light (λ, 365 nm) C1 and C2 display cis–trans photoisomerisation and after removal of light they transform to more stable trans-form. Electronic absorption and 1H NMR studies on C1 and C2 revealed rather rapid (1.27 × 10−1 s−1) photoisomerization for C2 relative to C1 (2.7 × 10−2 s−1) which has also been supported by theoretical studies (DFT). The rather fast photoisomerization for C2 compared to C1 may be related to a small energy gap between HOMO and LUMO levels for the respective isomers.

A series of BODIPY-based AIEgens (QB1–QB5 and Bis-QB) containing 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)quinazoline have been synthesized and thoroughly characterized. Photophysical properties of these compounds in so...

A series of tunable multicolor emitting AIEgens (B1–B8) with multiple BODIPY units linked by methylene and triazole bridges have been synthesized and thoroughly characterized. Close proximity of tw...

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is an evolving technology that can convert waste with high moisture and low energy content to electricity, heat, hydrogen and other synthetic fuels more efficiently. The lee side is that the HTL process produces enormous amounts of wastewaters (HTWW), having high organic and nutrient load. The discharge of the HTWW would contaminate the environment and result in the loss of valuable bioenergy sources. The valorisation of HTWW has drawn considerable interest. Therefore, this review highlights the valorisation of wastewater during the HTL of biomass. The review paper begins with the discussion of the role of microalgae in valorizing the HTWW. The survey illustrates that the selection of appropriate technology is dependent on biomass characteristics of the microalgae. Finally, potential research opportunities are recommended to improve the viability of the HTL wastewater valorisation for bioenergy production. Overall, this review concludes that combining various processes, such as microalgae-anaerobic digestion, and bio-electrochemical system - microalgae-anaerobic digestion would be beneficial in maximizing HTWW valorisation.

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is identified as a promising thermochemical technique to recover biofuels and bioenergy from waste biomass containing low energy and high moisture content. The wastewater generated during the HTL process (HTWW) are rich in nutrients and organics. The release of the nutrients and organics enriched HTWW would not only contaminate the water bodies but also lead to the loss of valued bioenergy sources, especially in the present time of the energy crisis. Thus, biotechnological as well as physicochemical treatment of HTWW for simultaneous extraction of valuable resources along with reduction in polluting substances has gained significant attention in recent times. Therefore, the treatment of wastewater generated during the HTL of biomass for reduced environmental emission and possible bioenergy recovery is highlighted in this paper. Various technologies for treatment and valorisation of HTWW are reviewed, including anaerobic digestion, microbial fuel cells (MFC), microbial electrolysis cell (MEC), and supercritical water gasification (SCWG). This review paper illustrates that the characteristics of biomass play a pivotal role in the selection process of appropriate technology for the treatment of HTWW. Several HTWW treatment technologies are weighed in terms of their benefits and drawbacks and are thoroughly examined. The integration of these technologies is also discussed. Overall, this study suggests that integrating different methods, techno-economic analysis, and nutrient recovery approaches would be advantageous to researchers in finding way for maximising HTWW valorisation along with reduced environmental pollution.

The strategic design, synthesis and thorough characterization of four novel hydroxyl-substituted tetraphenylimidazole (HPI) based boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) fluorophores (HPIB1-HPIB4) have been reported. Single crystal X-ray structure determination unveiled non-planar twisted orientations for these molecules. The non-planar orientations entirely restrict detrimental π-π interactions and avoid the non-radiative relaxation pathway for excited states in the solid/aggregated state and make them AIE active. The AIE characteristics of these compounds have been related to fine J-aggregation (evident from their crystal structures) along with restricted intra-molecular rotations (RIRs). These compounds display significant sensitivity toward viscosity and can serve as fluorescent molecular rotors due to multiple phenyl groups around the imidazole ring, which has been confirmed by measuring fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes.

The fluorescence chemosensing behavior of Zn(ii), Cu(ii), and Cd(ii) based complexes toward cations has been described. Cation detection via conventional mechanisms, metal-metal exchange and chemodosimetric approaches along with the importance of metal ions and the scope, significance, and challenges with regard to the detection of cations by metal complex based probes will be discussed in detail. The fundamentals of photophysical behavior and mechanisms involved in the fluorescence detection of analytes will also be described. This article provides a detailed overview of Zn(ii), Cu(ii), and Cd(ii) based complexes as fluorescent probes for cations, together with essential discussions pertaining to detection mechanisms.

1,7Phenanthroline based bisboron dipyrromethenes (bisBODIPYs) B1 and B2 obtained via small substitutional changes (Cl/SCH3) have been described. The effect of RIR in emission enhancement in a viscous solvent (glycerol) has been studied besides vital role of intermolecular interactions scrutinized by Xray single crystal studies. The efficiency of intersystem crossing (ISC) in generation of singlet oxygen (ΦΔ∼ 19.2% and 56.7%) by photoirradiation using visible light along with distinct photostability has been investigated by 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) titration studies. The 1O2 generation quantum yield and photosensitizing durability of the bisBODIPYs have been investigated by photooxidation of 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) in presence of B1 and B2 as photosensitizers. The pseudo-first-order rate constants for photooxidation reactions and consumption rates of DHN reflected appreciable 1O2 generation quantum yields (ΦΔ: B1, 29.0; B2, 57.8%). Density functional theory (DFT) studies showed distri...

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) The global production of poultry is predicted to grow considerably in the future. Intensive poultry farming poses significant challenges to traditional waste disposal methods (i.e. direct land application) leading to environmental impacts. This paper discusses the result of low temperature (350-450 °C) pyrolysis of representative chicken litter as the feedstock. Four different feedstocks comprised of 50% organic chicken manure and 50% bedding materials (i.e. hay, straw, rice husk and wood shavings) have been experimentally investigated. The products of the pyrolysis process consist of char, gas and liquid (bio-oil). Maximum char production from the rice husk mix is over 67 wt.%, while the wood shavings mix feedstock resulted in the highest liquid yield of 44.4 wt.% at a temperature of 400 °C. Chicken litter and its char product are analysed by elemental analyser and bomb calorimetry. The composition of the evolved gases and bio-oil are analysed by micro gas chromatography (µ-GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. In addition, the mass and energy balance of the pyrolysis process are presented.

Synthesis of the terpyridine based novel Zn(II) complexes (C1–C3) have been described. Characterization of these complexes has been achieved by spectroscopic studies (IR, 1H, 13C, 19F, HRMS, UV/Vis and fluorescence) and structure of C1 determined by X-ray single crystal analyses. Cautious tuning by incorporating appropriate substituents (–H; C1, –CH3; C2 and –OCH3; C3) enabled the complexes to exhibit solvent dependent emission indicative of more polarized excited state probably due to enhanced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). Occurrence of aggregation induced emission (AIE) in C3 has been validated by solid state emission and vital role of RIR in inducing AIE upon aggregation by fluorescence lifetime experiments. The role of solvent and substituents on photophysical behaviour and morphology of the complexes has been investigated by UV/Vis, emission and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As well, lowering of the energy gap between HOMO and LUMO by electron donating substituents –CH3 (C2) and –OCH3 (C3) has been supported by DFT studies.

This study focuses on the combustion behaviour of poultry litter which was experimentally studied in a fixed bed lab-scale reactor. The combustion experiments not only provided useful insights pertaining to the thermal decomposition of poultry litter over time, release of main gaseous compounds and nitrogen (N) species, but also the release of elements found initially in the ash composition. The main gaseous species were released during the devolatilisation phase, whereas Ammonia (NH3) was found to be the most abundant compound of N-gaseous species (45%) followed by nitrogen oxide (NO) with a fraction of ~10%. Alkali metals showed moderate release rates, whilst Chlorine (Cl) was observed to have the highest one (90%) of the ash forming elements, depicting the high volatility of the specific compound., Proceedings of the 29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 26-29 April 2021, Online, pp. 568-572

The spectacular increase of number of motor vehicles on the road is mainly attributed ingeneration of traffic problems like accidents, congestions, delays etc., especially in the urban premises of developing countries. This paper examines the traffic problems and sustainable improvement of road intersection at Bhopal, India. The special and temporal constitutions of the vehicle as well as pedestrian traffic at the intersections were examined and the characteristics of the junction indoctrinating the delay problems are identified. Data regarding the traffic volume, land use and pedestrian movement activities are collected through surveys, expert opinion and literature . Analysis of the collected data revealed that the improper planning of the junctions, lack of traffic signals and unauthorised parking are the major factors contributing to the traffic congestions. Various Using data collected from surveys, traffic frequency and severity standards for signalized and Un signalized have been established. The methodologies are developed incorporating the relative importance of different severity of different safety indices at intersection. The relative importance (weights) of very low, low, medium and high severity condition is developed using data collection and expert opinions experience people which have knowledge in development/safety development at intersection were obtained by conducting a survey.

Traditional intersections have always caused accidents. There are numerous geometric intersection designs that best fit each situation. This study performed an operational and safety comparison with different intersection like signalized, unsignalized and roundabout to decrease the overall travel delay & collision at intersection and increase the safety using case study. This dissertation describes the application of the traffic conflict technique to estimate, traffic safety at intersections. Using data collected from surveys, traffic frequency and severity standards for signalized and roundabout have been established. The methodologies are developed incorporating the relative importance of different severity of different safety indices at intersection. The relative importance (weights) of very low, low, medium and high severity condition is developed using data collection and expert opinions experience people which have knowledge in development/safety development at intersection were obtained by conducting a survey. A questionnaire was prepared to obtain the relative importance of different severity of different parameter performance. The weights are developed in such a way that their values lie between 0 and 1. In proposed work design safety parameter for intersection for enhancement of safety at intersections and all safety design is implemented on MATLAB and analysis of the geometrical design for vehicle system in the intersection by MATLAB, analyses, the status of confliction and desired value obtained by comparison of actual value with available geometric designs and to enhance the safety at intersection and explores methods to solve the problem of collision at intersections. In this paper evaluate safety parameter of roundabout.

This study focuses primarily on poultry waste valorisation process to produce bioenergy and nutrients. The research aims to identify the most promising route to create a new agricultural and farm-based bio-industry while mitigating the carbon footprint originating from landfilling of animal waste. This study investigates experimentally the technical feasibility of an air-steam gasification of poultry litter in a bubbling fluidised reactor and evaluates its performance. The maximum carbon conversion efficiency of 98% was reported at 750 °C and remaining unreacted carbon was found in the bottom ash. The reported permanent gas compositions (vol%, db) at the temperature of 750 ºC and an equivalence ratio (ER) of 0.30 were H2: 19.2%, CH4: 2.2%, CO: 13.6%, CO2: 15.7%, C2H4: 1.0% and C2H6: 0.2%. Agglomeration issue was not encountered however, ash sintering had occurred at 750 ºC on the grate (air inlet pores) but they were not blocked. The amount of total tar was 24.2 gr/kgfeedstock,daf at the tested temperature 750 ºC whereas, the moisture content was 13.2 vol.% in the wet gas. The mass balance calculations were performed to ascertain the accuracy of the experimental measurements., Proceedings of the 28th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 July 2020, Virtual, pp. 434-439

Synthesis of three novel terpyridine-based donor–acceptor (D-A) ligands (TP1, TP2, TP3) and cyclometalated iridium complexes [Ir(ppy)2TP1]+PF6– (C1), [Ir(ppy)2TP2]+PF6– (C2), and [Ir(ppy)2TP3]+PF6– (C3) [ppy = 2−phenyl pyridine] involving these were described. The ligands and complexes were characterized by spectroscopic studies (1H, 13C, 19F, 31P, ESI-MS, UV-vis, and fluorescence). Crucial role of intermolecular interactions in aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ; C2) and aggregation-induced emission (AIE; C3) was rationalized by X-ray single-crystal analyses. Vital role of restricted intramolecular rotation (RIR) in inducing AIE upon aggregation via π–π interactions in these complexes was scrutinized by various studies. Because of strong intramolecular charge transfer these D−A based AIEgens exhibited solvatochromism. Further, AIE property of the complexes C1 and C3 was exploited toward detection of CO2.

A series of ESIPT (excited state intramolecular proton transfer) active systems (HQz1-HQz6) derived from quinazoline have been reported. The ESIPT emission for these derivatives gets completely quenched in solvents with diverse polarities which have been restored via aggregation-induced emission (AIE) with large Stokes shift (up to 314 nm). It varied from 450 to 701 nm just by altering substituents at the para position of hydroxy group in the central phenyl ring. As well, HQz1-HQz6 displayed solid state emission [∼455 (blue) to ∼704 nm (red)]. The formyl group on the central hydroxy-phenyl ring of these derivatives induces ESIPT by increasing acidity of the hydroxy proton which has been followed by 1 H NMR studies. Further, it has been clearly shown that emission colour and aggregate morphology can be fine tuned by incorporating apt substituents. The present study offers a simple route to obtain colour tunable ESIPT emission via AIE which is very important for biological imaging and fabrication of optoelectronic devices.

Manipulating gelation properties of the isomeric zinc-terpyridine complexes C-1 (nongelator) and C-2 (gelator) using three different luminescent dyes, viz., acridine yellow (AY), ethidium bromide (EB), and azido-boron dipyrromethene, have been described. Hybrid gels created by the combination of C-1, C-2, and above-mentioned dyes have been termed complex-luminogen mixed gels (CLMGs). Ensuing CLMGs have been thoroughly characterized by spectral, morphological, and rheological studies. Cytotoxicity measurements and imaging against breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 unveiled that three out of the five CLMGs can be effectively used for cell imaging. Interestingly, direct use of the metal-containing hybrid gels for live cell imaging which is a distinctive approach, has been successfully achieved with significantly encouraging results.

Zn(II) complexes MTPY–ZnCl2 (C1) and MTPY–Zn(NO3)2 (C2) based on a new D–A type ligand MTPY involving phenothiazine donor and terpyridine acceptor units have been described. The ligand MTPY and complexes C1 and C2 display intramolecular charge transfer and substantial solvatochromism. Solid-state emission studies on MTPY further substantiated the occurrence of concentration-induced emission in this molecule. In addition, the complexes C1 and C2 displayed a solvent-dependent self-assembly which has been examined as a function of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature of the solvent systems. The role of hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of a solvent and compounds on morphology and emission characteristics of the self-assembled aggregates has been investigated by UV–vis, emission, and scanning electron microscopy studies. In addition, it has been categorically shown that aggregation-induced emission in C1 offers a simple, sensitive, and rapid means for the detection of pyrophosphates (PPi) in the aqueous medium....

Fluorescent azo-phenol BODIPYs (1–3) have been obtained by the substituent (–OCH3/–CH3) directed synthesis of ortho (L1) and para (L2–L3) azo-phenol aldehydes. These display aggregation caused quenching (ACQ, 1) and aggregation induced emission enhancement (AIEE, 2 and 3) depending on the position of azo relative to the phenolic hydroxyl group. An intriguing time dependent morphological transition from nanospheres to ordered nanorods and subsequent emission changes in AIEE active azo-phenol BODIPYs have been successfully realized by time dependent fluorescence, scanning electron (SEM), transmission electron (TEM) and fluorescence optical microscopy (FOM) studies. The existence of one-dimensional (1D) nanorods as ultimate species in these compounds (2–3) has been supported by crystal packing patterns. Diverse aggregated forms and hierarchical nanostructures have been related to variable extents of fluorescence enhancement. The plausible charge transfer process and its role in AIEE have been supported by DFT studies.

This work investigates the transformation, release and fate of inorganic matter during fluidised bed gasification of poultry litter and also poultry litter mixed with limestone as an additive. The poultry litter, the cyclone and bed ash were characterised by means of chemical fractionation analysis, as well as X-ray diffraction. Concurrently, the release of inorganic species during gasification of the feedstock was measured in separate laboratory experiments using molecular beam mass spectrometry. In addition, FactSage was used to predict the formation of gaseous species and the composition of solid residues from gasification under equilibrium conditions. On average, the cyclone ash accounts for 4.6 wt% and the bed ash 12.4 wt% of the total poultry litter fed into the reactor. All phosphorous (P) was present in the cyclone ash as stable phosphates, while potassium (K) in both cyclone and bed ash was mainly present as H2O leachable KCl, organically associated and stable phosphates and silicates. Furthermore, an assessment was made against the appropriate criteria, whether the ashes from gasification can be categorised as component materials for EU fertiliser products.

A pyrazole-appended quinoline-based 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (L1, BODIPY) has been synthesized and used as a ligand for the preparation of iridium(III) complexes [Ir(phpy)2(L1)]PF6 (1; phpy = 2-phenylpyridine) and [(η5-C5Me5)Ir(L1)Cl]PF6 (2). The ligand L1 and complexes 1 and 2 have been meticulously characterized by elemental analyses and spectral studies (IR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, 1H and 13C NMR, UV/vis, fluorescence) and their structures explicitly authenticated by single-crystal X-ray analyses. UV/vis, fluorescence, and circular dichroism studies showed that complexes strongly bind with calf-thymus DNA and bovine serum albumin. Molecular docking studies clearly illustrated binding through DNA minor grooves via van der Waals forces and their electrostatic interaction and occurrence in the hydrophobic cavity of protein (subdomain IIA). Cytotoxicity, morphological changes, and apoptosis have been explored by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromi...

We previously reported synthesis of novel arene ruthenium (Ru) complexes and evaluated their antitumor activity in murine lymphoma (DL) cells. In this present study we further investigated the mechanism of action of two ruthenium complexes [complex 1 (η6-arene)RuCl(2-pcdpm)] and complex 2 (η6-arene)RuCl(4-mtdpm)] in cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). Our studies demonstrate that anticancer property of these two complexes was due to induction of apoptosis through p53 mediated pathway as well as arrest of cells in G2/M phase of cell cycle. It is worth to note that the complexes did not cause any substantial cytotoxic effect on normal cells. Further in comprehensive studies, apoptosis inducing property of both complexes were established in accordance with array of morphological changes ranging from membrane blebbing to formation of apoptotic bodies and followed by DNA fragmentation assay. Furthermore, Flow cytometry by Annexin V/PI staining delineate that complex 1 and 2 have strident impact to induce apoptosis in HeLa cells. The complex 1 and 2 treated cells show increased level of intracellular ROS generation which was preceded by p53 activation. Apoptosis induced by 1 and 2 was preceded by mitochondrial aggregations which were monitored by mitotracker. In addition flow cytometry analysis showed that both complexes also effectively arrest cells at G2/M phase of cell cycle. Western blot, RT-PCR as well as Real Time analysis were used to further confirm that the complexes induced apoptosis in p53 dependent pathway. Thus, our promising results can contribute to the rational design of novel potential anticancer agents.

The effect of equivalence ratio on gasification of poultry litter, blend of poultry litter with beech wood and beech wood alone, was experimentally studied in a lab-scale fluidised bed reactor. Lower calorific value decreased with equivalence ratio whereas carbon conversion efficiency revealed the opposite trend. Beech wood showed both the highest lower calorific value and carbon conversion efficiency, 4.96 MJ/m3 and 91.6% respectively. Total gas chromatography-detectable tar decreased with an increase in equivalence ratio. The reduction in total gas chromatography-detectable tar was more profound in the case of poultry litter (22%). Beech wood illustrated the highest amount of total gas chromatography-detectable tar, 7.52gtar/kgfeedstock-daf at the lowest equivalence ratio, due to the higher lignin content responsible for generation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Agglomeration occurred while gasifying poultry litter at 750°C and at the highest equivalence ratio (0.25), whereas in the case of blend and beech wood alone all the test runs were conducted successfully. The authors would like to express their gratitude and appreciation to the European Commission for the financial support of the experimental campaign through the BRISK2 project (grant agreement number 731101) and to the staff of the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN part of TNO) for hosting the experimental campaign. This work is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC, EP/P004636/1, UK). The financial support from EPSRC is gratefully acknowledged. Daya Shankar Pandey acknowledges funding from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF, R5004, UK).

Livestock production is among the most rapidly growing sectors of the agricultural economy driven primarily by growing demand for animal protein, but also posing significant waste disposal issues and environmental impacts. Moreover, opportunities exist for utilising animal waste at the farm level for heat and power generation (thermal conversion) which can contribute to economic sustainability and also provide a bio-fertiliser for soil amendment. The present study is focused on energy and nutrient recovery from poultry litter using a thermochemical conversion technology (fast pyrolysis). The formation of products (gases, biochar and bio-oil) during the fast pyrolysis of poultry litter was experimentally investigated in a laboratory-scale bubbling fluidised bed reactor. Pyrolytic gases accounted for 15&ndash, 22 wt.% of the product. The carbon content in biochar increased from 47 to 48.5 wt.% with an increase in the pyrolysis temperature. Phosphorous and potassium recovery in the biochar were over 75%, suggesting that it could be used as an organic soil amendment. The high ash content in poultry litter (14.3 wt.%) resulted in low bio-oil and high biochar yield. The bio-oil yield was over 27 wt.% with a higher heating value of 32.17 MJ/kg (dry basis). The total acid number of the bio-oil decreased from 46.30 to 38.50 with an increase in temperature. The nitrogen content in the bio-oil produced from the poultry litter (&gt, 7 wt.%) was significantly higher compared to bio-oil produced from the wood (0.1 wt.%).

peer-reviewed Fly ash from a poultry litter gasification process and the potential of application of the fly ash as a fertiliser in line with the poultry litter protocol is investigated. The fines collected in the cyclone are mainly formed by ash which comprises between 70-83 wt.% of the fines on a dry basis, and to a lesser extent of carbon (elutriated char). The effect of the gasification operating conditions on the concentration of ash forming elements (inorganic compounds) in the fly ash, are discussed. In addition, the enrichment factor which defines the volatility, has been used and fly ash elements were categorised as Class I (non-volatile), Class II (semi-volatile with the possible occurrence of condensation) and Class III (highly volatile elements). Inorganic elements in fly ashes from poultry litter gasification experiments are categorised as Class I: Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Class II: Cd, Cr, Mo and Class III: Pb and Se. It has been found that the fly ash from the poultry litter gasification exceeds the upper acceptable limit set by Poultry Litter Protocol to be used as a fertiliser in agriculture systems

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Low temperature gasification of poultry litter (PL) was experimentally studied in a lab scale fluidized bed reactor. The experiments were carried out at three different equivalence ratios (ER) of 0.17; 0.21; 0.25 and temperature 700 °C, to investigate its impact on cold gas efficiency (CGE), carbon conversion efficiency (CCE), gas yield, lower calorific value (LCV), and tar evolution. Maximum CGE and LCV of the produced gas was 43.4% and 3.34 MJ/m 3 respectively at an ER of 0.25. The maximum CCE of 72% was attained at the highest value of ER (0.25). The gas yield showed an increasing trend with ER reaching its highest value of ~1 m 3 /kgdaf N2 free. Highest amount of total tar was 2.41 g/Nm 3 in the dry gas at the lowest tested ER. Styrene- xylene, phenol, and naphthalene, were the components with the highest concentrations of up to 30%, whilst the tar compounds detected but couldn't be identified ranged between 25-30% with respect to the total tar yield. The average compositions of the main components in permanent gases (vol %, dry basis) at the indicative value of the lowest ER were as follows: H2:7.87%, CH4:2.04%, CO: 6.37%, CO2:11.47%, C2H4:1%, and C2H6:0.22. Research Councils UK Centre for Sustainable Energy

© 2020 The Author(s). Experiments have been conducted in a batch fixed bed lab-scale reactor to investigate the combustion behaviour of three different biomass fuels, poultry litter (PL), blend of PL with wood chips (PL/WC) and softwood pellets (SP). Analysis of the data gathered after completion of the test runs, provided useful insights about the thermal decomposition behaviour of the fuels, the formation of N gaseous species, the release of ash forming elements and the estimation of aerosol emissions. It was observed that the N gaseous species are mainly produced during the devolatilisation phase. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) was the predominant compound in the case of SP combustion, whereas ammonia (NH3) displayed the highest concentration during the combustion of PL and blend (PL/WC). With reference to ash forming elements, the release rates of potassium (K) and sodium (Na) range between 15–50% and 20–37% respectively, whereas the release rate of sulphur (S) falls between 54–92%. Chlorine (Cl) presents very high release rate for all tested fuels acquiring values greater than 85%, showing the volatile nature of the specific compound. The maximum potential of aerosol emissions was estimated based on the calculation of ash forming elements. In particular, during PL combustion the maximum aerosol emissions were observed, 2806 mg/Nm3 (dry flue gas, 13 vol% O2), mainly influenced by the release rate of K in the gas phase. Fuel indexes for the pre-evaluation of combustion related challenges such as NOx emissions, potential for aerosols formation, corrosion risk, and ash melting behaviour have also been investigated. European Commission BRISK2 project (grant agreement number 731101); Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC, EP/P004636/1, UK); Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF/R5004, UK).

Design and synthesis of novel mono- and dimeric quinazoline derivatives (+)-6-methyl-6-pyridin-2-yl-5,6-dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline (1) and (+)-6-[(6-methyl-5,6-dihydrobenzo-[4,5]imidazo[1,2-c]quinazolin-6-yl)-pyridin-2-yl]-6-methyl-5,6-dihydro-benzo-[4,5]imidazo-[1,2-c]quinazoline (2) have been described. Both 1 and 2 have been characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR, HRMS spectroscopic studies and their structures authenticated by X-ray single crystal analyses. Photophysical properties of these compounds have been studied by UV/VIS absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and transient photoluminescence analysis in solution, powder, and non-doped (neat) and doped vacuum-deposited films. A broad emission spectrum spanning most of the visible range and good thermal stability indicated promising application of 1 and 2 as OLED emitters. Unfortunately, under current flow we observed rapid device degradation, presumably to be related to free –NH moiety in these compounds.

Quinolone and quinoline based boron dipyrromethenes (BODIPYs) viz. BQN1 and BQN2 obtained by relative stabilization of keto and enol forms of N-methylated quinolones via minute substitutional variations (−H/–OCH3) have been reported. The relative disparity in degree of aromaticity arising from quinolone/quinoline strongly affects the free rotation of these molecules. The photophysical and structural characteristics of these compounds revealed an exceptional dissonance between restriction of intramolecular rotation (RIR) and aggregation induced emission (AIE) signifying competitive steric hindrance and conjugation. Despite being an AIE inactive dye, BQN1 experiences maximum RIR and excels as a viscosity sensitive hindered molecular rotor, while an effective J-aggregation irrevocably established AIE in BQN2. This is the first report dealing with utilization of AIE active BODIPY (BQN2) in fabrication of AIEgen loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles with live cell imaging in human breast cancer cell ...

In this study, hydrochars were prepared by hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) of poultry litter (PL) at temperatures between 150-300°C with residence times of 30, 120 and 480min. The effects of treatment temperature and residence time on the yield and composition of hydrochar were investigated. Both treatment temperature and residence time effects were observed however, the effect of residence time was lower. The results indicated that the HHV was improved by up to 25.17% and the overall ash in hydrochar was significantly lower compared to PL, however this coincided with a lower hydrochar yield.

A pioneering approach towards controlling the efficiency of saponification assisted gelation in ethyl ester based ZnII-complexes have been described. Using four new ester containing bis-salen ZnII complexes (C1-C4) involving different para- dye-azo phenyl substituted ligands it has been clearly shown that gelation efficiency is greatly influenced by electronic effect of the substituents (-H, C1; -CH3, C2; -NO2, C3 and -OCH3, C4). Morphological, photophysical, and rheological investigations corroborated well with the experimental observations and established that gelation efficiency enhanced coherently with electron withdrawing characteristics of the substituents (C4 < C2 < C1 < C3) which has also been supported by DFT studies.

Two arrays of “Inorganic-Organic Mixed Gels” (IOMGs) based on terpyridyl complexes have been synthesized combining progelator/non-gelators with easily available, inexpensive and non-reactive small organic non-gelators (SOnGs). This new class of multicomponent gels displays radical changes in morphological patterns and enormous enhancement in their viscoelastic properties relative to weak metallogel (ZTP2G) derived from the progelator only. It has been unequivocally shown that twisting or coiling in gels diminishes as well as their viscoelastic strengths with simple alteration of heteroatoms, their number and positions in SOnGs. Multicomponent gelation is quite complicated considering the susceptibility of anion triggered metallogels towards various external stimuli which has been profoundly outdone. The present approach may be extremely beneficial for negating limitations in the usage of weak metallogels with promising efficacy in specified areas.

The current study investigates the effect of temperature, equivalence ratio, and biomass composition on tar yields and composition. Torrefied and raw Miscanthus x giganteus (M×G) were used as biomass feedstocks in an atmospheric bubbling fluidized bed gasifier for experiments undertaken between 660 and 850 °C and equivalence ratios from 0.18 to 0.32. Tar was sampled according to the solid phase adsorption method and analyzed by gas chromatography. There is an indication that torrefied M×G produces higher amounts of total GC-detectable tar as well as higher yields of 20 individually quantified tar compounds compared with those of raw M×G. Under similar gasification conditions (800 °C and an equivalence ratio of 0.21), the total GC-detectable tar for torrefied M×G is approximately 42% higher than that for raw M×G. Higher tar yields are observed to be related to higher lignin and lower moisture content of torrefied M×G. The effect of temperature on tar yields is in good agreement with the literature. The hig...

Synthesis of the novel hydrazone based ligands (L1–L3) and their borondifluoride (BF2) complexes (BODIHYs; B1–B3) have been described. The ligands and BODIHYs have been thoroughly characterized by spectroscopic studies (1H NMR, 13C NMR, 11B NMR, 19F NMR, ESI–MS, UV–vis and fluorescence) and structures of L1, L2 and B1–B3 determined by X–ray single crystal analyses. Emission behaviour of these compounds in solution and solid state have been fine tuned by varying the σ–spacers (–O, –S and –SO2). Vital role of various interactions in aggregation induced emission (AIE; B1 and B2), aggregation caused quenching (ACQ; B3) and reversible mechanochromism (B1–B3) have been rationalized by X-ray single crystal analyses. Dual emission band (~484 and 550 nm) for B3 have been attributed to the involvement of the intra-/and intermolecular charge transfer processes. The observed hypsochromic shift in these luminophores (upon grinding) successfully reverted back upon exposure to dichloromethane (CH2Cl2). An analysis of the powder X–ray diffraction (PXRD) pattern, before and after grinding advocated alteration of prevailing crystal packing by the external force as it rescinds the weak intra-/and intermolecular interactions of the molecule.