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In this study, the performance of a paper-based, screen-printed biofuel cell with mesoporous MgO-templated carbon (MgOC) electrodes was improved in two steps. First, a small amount of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was added to the MgOC ink. Next, the cathode was modified with bilirubin prior to immobilizing the bilirubin oxidase (BOD). The CMC increased the accessibility of the mesopores of the MgOC, and subsequently, the performance of both the bioanode and biocathode. CMC also likely increased the stability of the electrodes. The pre-modification with bilirubin improved the orientation of the BOD, which facilitated direct electron transfer. With these two steps, an open circuit potential of 0.65 V, a maximal current density of 1.94 mA cm−2, and a maximal power density of 465 μW cm−2 was achieved with lactate oxidase as bioanode enzyme and lactate as fuel. This is one of the highest reported performances for a biofuel cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of bipolar and driving electrodes materials and also the electrolyte conductivity on the required potential for the beginning of the water electrolysis in the paper-based closed cell bipolar electrochemistry is investigated. The importance of the electrode material is studied by placement of various carbon paste mixtures as an electrode on the paper. Carbon paste mixtures are prepared with different carbon allotropes and various binders such as paraffin and ionic liquids. The effect of hydrophobicity, conductivity, and presence of common additives such as gold nanoparticle is discussed in detail. The role of electrolyte conductivity on the needed ∆E for water electrolysis initialization is investigated. It has been proved that even in the absence of ionic current in the closed bipolar setups, electrolyte conductivity can be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-carbon supply chain is one of the predominant topics towards a green economy and it establishes the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions across the product value chain. This paper focuses on recycling and optimized sourcing in the paper industry as a case company. The main objective is to engage the case company with their supplier networks to diminish the greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and cost in their production process. It proposes a model to support the selection of the best green supplier and an allocation of order among the potential suppliers. The proposed model contains a two-phase hybrid approach. The first phase presents the rating and selection of potential suppliers by considering economics (cost), operational factors (quality and delivery), and environmental criteria (recycle capability and GHG emission control) using Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (Fuzzy TOPSIS) methodology. The second phase presents the order allocation process using multi-objective linear programming in order to minimize cost, material rejection, late delivery, recycle waste and $$\mathrm{CO}_{2}$$ emissions in the production process. A case study from a paper manufacturing industry is presented to elucidate the effectiveness of the proposed model. The results demonstrate a 26.2 % reduction of carbon emission by using recycle products in the production process. The firm benefits by forming a systematic methodology for green supplier evaluation and order allocation. Finally, a conclusion and a suggested direction of future research are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microfluidic paper-based analytical device integrating carbon dot (CDs) is fabricated and used for a fluorometric off-on assay of biothiols. Vinyl sulfone (VS) click immobilization of carbon dots (CDs) on paper was accomplished by a one-pot simplified protocol that uses divinyl sulfone (DVS) as a homobifunctional reagent. This reagent mediated both the click oxa-Michael addition to the hydroxyl groups of cellulose and ulterior covalent grafting of the resulting VS paper to NH2-functionalized CDs by means of click aza-Michael addition. The resulting cellulose nanocomposite was used to engineer an inexpensive and robust microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) that is used for a reaction-based off-on fluorometric assay of biothiols (GSH, Cys, and Hcy). The intrinsic blue fluorescence of CDs (with excitation/emission maxima at 365/450 nm) is turned off via the heavy atom effect of an introduced iodo group. Fluorescence is turned on again due to the displacement of iodine by reaction with a biothiol. The increase in fluorescence is related to the concentration over a wide range (1 to 200 μM for GSH and 5–200 μM for Cys and Hcy, respectively), and the assay exhibits a low detection limit (0.3 μM for GSH and Cys and 0.4 μM for Hcy). The method allows for rapid screening and can also be used in combination with a digital camera readout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A ratiometric fluorescent test pen filled with a mixing ink of blue carbon dots (CDs) and red CdTe quantum dots (CdTe QDs) is introduced for portable assay of silver ion (Ag(I)) on paper. The mixing ink was tuned with ratiometric fluorescent intensity of 1:5, and then filled into a vacant commercial fluorescent pen core. Writing/painting a random word/figure on a blank paper can make the most portable nanoprobe determining Ag(I) by visualization. Ag(I) can adsorb onto the surface of CdTe QDs, which leads to the formation of surficial Ag2Te layer by an ion-exchanging reaction. This enables the red fluorescence of CdTe QDs (with excitation/emission maxima at 360/628 nm) to be quenched. Due to the unchanged blue fluorescence of CDs (with excitation/emission maxima at 360/440 nm) as internal standard, the solution color evolves gradually from red to blue with the increase of Ag(I) concentration with a detection limit of 3.48 nM. This is at least 2 orders of magnitude lower than the limit defined by World Health Organization (WHO) in drinkable water. The fluorescent test pen has also been used for the determination of Ag(I) in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Floatable activated carbon (AC) monoliths were fabricated from waste printing paper (WPP) using a facile method. Coal tar pitch (CTP) and K2CO3 were adopted as the additive and activation agent, respectively. The AC monolith was characterized by N2-adsorption/desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The adsorption isotherms of methylene blue by the AC monolith were also investigated. The experimental data demonstrated that the product had a high surface area up to 2007 m2 g−1 and a total pore volume of 1.207 cm3 g−1. The addition of CTP led to a higher mechanical rigidity and the formation of more micropores compared with the single WPP. Also, the AC monolith had a more developed aromatic structure caused by adding CTP. The adsorption equilibrium data followed Langmuir model with a high monolayer adsorption capacity up to 699 mg g−1. This study provides a reference for the utilization of WPP as a promising precursor of floatable AC monolith, which has the potential to be used as a high-performance and easy-separation adsorbent due to its high surface area and excellent floatability. Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass-derived carbon materials have been widely studied as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts in recent years, and most directly carbonized materials are still inferior to commercial 20% Pt/C in ORR performance. By ball-milling the carbon powder carbonized by yuba, the interior of carbon particles was exposed, which showed that N content inside carbon particles is higher than that on the surface. Then ultrasonication was employed to refresh the surface of the as-obtained carbon particles to increase C-N-active sites to improve their ORR performance. As a result, the as-treated carbon material was comparable to 20% Pt/C as ORR catalyst in all the key ORR activity parameters (only 7 mV and 16 mV negative shift on onset and half-wave potential, respectively, and 0.28 mA cm−2 at −0.5 V versus Hg/HgO larger in limiting current density). Moreover, the ORR durability and the CO resistance of YUC-850 outperformed that of 20% Pt/C. The detailed experiments indicate that ultrasonication treatment can efficiently exfoliate the small raised material portions of low N content from regular particles to expose more refreshed surface with high N content to improve ORR activity. The subsequent centrifugation collection can remove the small particles to inhibit active site coverage and particle coarsening in service, which leads to further improvement in ORR activity and durability. Ultrasonication of another biomass-derived carbon material also showed significantly improved ORR performance. In conclusion, the application of ultrasonication treatment to biomass-derived carbon materials is proposed to fully promote their ORR activity and durability. The superior ORR performance of the treated carbon materials in this paper also indicates that biomass-derived carbon materials indeed have the potential to serve as redox catalysts in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As already mentioned in our article "Hexacyanoferrates (II) belong to an interesting class of sorption materials due to relatively low costs, radiation resistance, high thermal stability, and high selectivity towards cesium [[1]]". Please, let us answer to the comments that Dr. Berek sent in response to our paper. Our results showed that the fibers without impregnation have a small sorption capacity (2 mg Cs SP + sp /L), so in the next step the impregnation was applied to increase it. [Extracted from the article]

As result a bulk mixture of active substance with CF was created, in which the role on CF may be diminished. The authors of paper used large excess of active substances to modify CF. Authors employed microporous carbon fibers (further CF) prepared in our Laboratory by controlled carbonization of delignified cellulose. [Extracted from the article]

Glutathione and 2-aminopyridine are used as carbon sources to prepare carbon dots (CDs) by a one-step hydrothermal reaction. The results show that the average particle diameter of CDs is 8.64 nm with uniform size distribution and the fluorescence quantum yield is 13.62%. We further demonstrate that novel CDs possess highly selective sensing of Fe3+ from 0.2 to 200 μM with a low detection limit (0.194 μM). Meanwhile, the fluorescence of CDs can be repeated many times by the addition of S2−. Moreover, the CDs are used for biological imaging of living cells with well cell penetrability and low toxicity. Furthermore, it is successfully applied for anti-counterfeiting and information encryption. More interestingly, it can be doped with hydrogel and filter paper to prepare solid-phase sensors exhibiting high sensitivity and fast response, demonstrating their tremendous potential for the simple, rapid, and low-cost monitoring of Fe3+ and S2−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been growing interest in the development of waste-specific decay factors for estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from landfills in national greenhouse gas inventories. Although engineered wood products (EWPs) and paper represent a substantial component of the solid waste stream, there is limited information available on their carbon dynamics in landfills. The objective of this study was to determine the extent of carbon loss for EWPs and paper products commonly used in Australia. Experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions designed to simulate optimal anaerobic biodegradation in a landfill.Results: Methane generation rates over incubations of 307-677 days ranged from zero for medium-density fibreboard (MDF) to 326 mL CH4 g−1 for copy paper. Carbon losses for particleboard and MDF ranged from 0.7 to 1.6%, consistent with previous estimates. Carbon loss for the exterior wall panel product (2.8%) was consistent with the expected value for blackbutt, the main wood type used in its manufacture. Carbon loss for bamboo (11.4%) was significantly higher than for EWPs. Carbon losses for the three types of copy paper tested ranged from 72.4 to 82.5%, and were significantly higher than for cardboard (27.3-43.8%). Cardboard that had been buried in landfill for 20 years had a carbon loss of 27.3%—indicating that environmental conditions in the landfill did not support complete decomposition of the available carbon. Thus carbon losses for paper products as measured in bioreactors clearly overestimate those in actual landfills. Carbon losses, as estimated by gas generation, were on average lower than those derived by mass balance. The low carbon loss for particleboard and MDF is consistent with carbon loss for Australian wood types described in previous studies. A factor for carbon loss for combined EWPs and wood in landfills in Australia of 1.3% and for paper of 48% is proposed.Conclusions: The new suggested combined decay factor for wood and EWPs represents a significant reduction from the current factor used in the Australian greenhouse gas inventory; whereas the suggested decay factor for paper is similar to the current decay factor. Our results improve current understanding of the carbon dynamics of harvested wood products, and allow more refined estimates of methane emissions from landfills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this report, the activated carbon papers were prepared by the modified Hummer's method. After the treatment by the modified Hummer's method, the specific surface areas of carbon papers enlarged and the surfaces became wettability. Further, the electrochemical behaviors for the activated carbon papers were measured. They exhibit higher electrochemical activities for VO/VO redox reaction than the unactivated counterparts upon application as vanadium redox battery, which is ascribed to the synergistic effect of surface wettability and catalysis of the docked -OH and -COOH groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most fluorescent probes based on carbon dots (CDs) fluorescence color or intensity change are still used for detection in solution, but in practical fluorescence detection applications, detection in the solid state is necessary. Therefore, a CDs-based fluorescence sensing device is designed in this paper, which can be used for water detection in liquid and solid states. Using oPD as a single precursor, yellow fluorescent CDs (y-CDs) were prepared by hydrothermal method, which can be used in the field of water detection and anti-counterfeiting by using its solvent-sensitive properties. First, y-CDs can be used to visually and intelligently detect the water content in ethanol. Secondly, it can be used to detect the Relative Humidity (RH) of the environment by combining it with cellulose to form a fluorescent film. Finally, y-CDs can also be used as a fluorescent material for fluorescence anti-counterfeiting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technical progress has a tremendous potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by reducing energy consumption, a major concern across production units. However, the existing empirical literature concerning technical efficiency and carbon intensity is scanty. Thus, this paper examines the relationship between technical efficiency and carbon intensity for the organized manufacturing sector of two states, Maharashtra and Odisha, and the all-India level from 2001 to 2018. The paper uses data envelopment analysis to estimate technical efficiency scores. It applies the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Tier 1 methodology for estimating carbon intensity for each 3-digit manufacturing industry in all three sample cases. The study has used static panel regression and fractional logit regression techniques to examine the deterministic relationship between technical efficiency and carbon intensity. The result shows that technical efficiency is highly sensitive to carbon intensity in the Indian manufacturing industries. The findings also addressed that the size of the industries also reduces the technical performance of manufacturing units. This paper also confirmed that increased profit could boost the Indian manufacturing industries' technical efficiency. Thus, this study addresses that carbon intensity as a proxy for the manufacturing sector's potential to affect climate change plays a crucial role in explaining the technical efficiency variations across industries. Thus, it calls for better policies aimed at reducing the emissions of industries specifically to achieve sustainable growth for the Indian manufacturing sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Timber harvesting and industrial wood processing laterally transfer the carbon stored in forest sectors to wood products creating a wood products carbon pool. The carbon stored in wood products is allocated to end-use wood products (e.g., paper, furniture), landfill, and charcoal. Wood products can store substantial amounts of carbon and contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse effects. Therefore, accurate accounts for the size of wood products carbon pools for different regions are essential to estimating the land-atmosphere carbon exchange by using the bottom-up approach of carbon stock change. Results: To quantify the carbon stored in wood products, we developed a state-of-the-art estimator (Wood Products Carbon Storage Estimator, WPsCS Estimator) that includes the wood products disposal, recycling, and waste wood decomposition processes. The wood products carbon pool in this estimator has three subpools: (1) end-use wood products, (2) landfill, and (3) charcoal carbon. In addition, it has a user-friendly interface, which can be used to easily parameterize and calibrate an estimation. To evaluate its performance, we applied this estimator to account for the carbon stored in wood products made from the timber harvested in Maine, USA, and the carbon storage of wood products consumed in the United States. Conclusion: The WPsCS Estimator can efficiently and easily quantify the carbon stored in harvested wood products for a given region over a specific period, which was demonstrated with two illustrative examples. In addition, WPsCS Estimator has a user-friendly interface, and all parameters can be easily modified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how National Eco-industrial Demonstration Parks (NEDP) in China affects carbon emission efficiency. The difference-in-differences (DID) strategy is used for analysis. This paper finds that the construction of NEDP is conducive to the improvement of carbon emission efficiency, and the findings remain robust through placebo tests and propensity score matching. Heterogeneity analysis shows NEDP construction has greater utility on carbon efficiency in non-resource-based cities as well as in environmentally friendly cities. The mechanism analysis found that green technology innovation, industrial restructuring, and the relocation of industrial enterprises are effective ways to improve carbon efficiency in NEDP. Finally, this paper finds that the construction of NEDP has obvious spatial spillover effects on carbon efficiency, which can effectively heighten the carbon efficiency level of this locality and nearby areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power industry's low carbon transition is pivotal for achieving carbon reduction and sustainable development. This study uses the super epsilon-based measurement (Super-EBM) model and the Malmquist index to evaluate the power industry's low carbon transition efficiency using data from 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2020, and utilizes the Tobit model to comprehensively analyze the factors affecting the low carbon transition of power industry. In addition, this paper examines the spatial differences in the power industry's low carbon transition efficiency as well as its distributional characteristics and dynamic evolutionary patterns. Conclusion is drawn as follows this paper analyzes the regional differences, spatial distribution characteristics and dynamic evolutionary trends of the power industry's low carbon transition. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The power industry's low carbon transition efficiency in China shows an uptrend, with the western China region having the highest overall level of efficiency, greater fluctuations in the central China region, and more stability in the eastern China region, technological progress is a central factor in increasing total factor productivity, the efficiency of the power industry's low carbon transition is positively influenced by the electricity prices, and negatively influenced by the energy structure, environmental regulations and economic structure; (2) the Intraregional differences and hypervariable density are the main reasons sources of the overall differences in the efficiency of the power industry's low carbon transition; Intraregional differences in the eastern, central, and western China regions are decreasing year by year, but the efficiency of the power industry's low carbon transition in the western China region is still distributed in a multipolar way; (3) The dynamic evolutionary trends of the efficiency distribution of the low carbon transition in power industry is influenced by the type of spatial lag in the neighboring area. Where areas with low efficiency makes it difficult to achieve short-term leapfrog development, and areas with a cluster of high-efficiency provinces are prone to "Siphon Effect". The findings provide a theoretical basis for promoting the efficiency of the power industry's low carbon transition and coordinating the strategic adjustment of economic and environmental green development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the 75th United Nations General Assembly, China formally proposed the goals of achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, which is referred to as the "double carbon" strategic goal. And energy revolution is the key to achieve this goal. More and more energy enterprises seek to promote the "double carbon" goal through the digital platformization. However, the mechanism of digital platformization promoting the realization of "double carbon" goal is still unclear. Based on the perspective of platform ecosystem and organization structure, this paper deeply analyzes the key intermediary role of energy production mode change and energy trading mode change in energy transformation. This paper also studies the regulatory effect of policy environment, digital platform characteristics, platform leverage, value chain changes, and the ability of digital technology practice and innovatively puts forward the theoretical model. This model reveals the transmission path and internal mechanism of digital platformization of energy companies to promote the realization of dual-carbon goal. Through the established model, this paper analyzes a case that present the commercial digital platformization process developed by Chinese energy company. Such an innovative process in China context has been developed in order to contribute to achieve "double carbon" goals for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality carbon information disclosure is required with the development of China's national carbon emission trading market. It is still controversial what factors influence carbon information disclosure quality in China's power industry. This paper involved four factors: government regulation, media reports, enterprise size, and directors' professional backgrounds based on strategic change theory. The carbon information disclosure quality was measured using the analytic hierarchy process (APH) and entropy weight method (EWM). Then, panel data regression was used to analyze the relationship between the factors and carbon information disclosure quality. The results showed that (1) the quantity of media reports has no significant correlation with carbon information disclosure quality. (2) The proportion of directors with legal backgrounds to all directors is significantly and negatively correlated with carbon information disclosure quality. (3) Government regulation, the media value orientation, enterprise size, and the proportion of directors with accounting backgrounds to all directors are significantly and positively related to the carbon information disclosure quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper-based analytical devices are promising options for lab-on-chip and other biodetection applications. Among various nanomaterials, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are famous for their significant and stable photoluminescence (PL) properties, as well as their fast and cost-effective gram-scale synthesis techniques. However, studies on the durability and sustainability of their performance as fluorescent composites are very limited and not systematic. Therefore in this investigation, the PL emission intensity of cellulose papers containing various types of CQDs, including pure, N-, S-, P-, N/S-, and N/P-doped CQDs, were studied over two months, at three different storage temperatures, namely, 4 °C, 10 °C, and 25 °C, and four pH settings as to be 5, 6, 7 and 8. The results show that the environmental keeping conditions, as well as the chemical structure of the embedded CQDs, have significant impacts on the durability and sustainability of the produced sensors. All the fluorescent composites investigated in this study proved to have very high performances, sustaining from above 60–90% of their PL emission intensities over time. Although 4 °C is proved to be generally the best keeping temperature for all the fluorescent nanocomposites, the best pH, in which the PL is most sustained, depends strongly on the chemical nature of the embedded CQDs. The CQDs/cellulose composites were kept for additional longer durations, above six months, in their best keeping conditions, and their performance was checked, showing the reliability of the proposed setup for further industrial promising applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the issue of global climate change caused by carbon emissions is of great concern, China has proposed achieving its achieve carbon peak goal by 2030. Building carbon emissions account for approximately 50% of China's total carbon emissions. It is crucial to study the time and values of building carbon peaks. In this paper, based on a system dynamics model, logarithmic mean Divisia index model and Monte Carlo simulation, we predict the building carbon peak in China. The following conclusions are obtained: 1) in the baseline scenario, China's building carbon emissions will peak at 5,427 million tons in 2027. In the high-speed development scenario, China's building carbon emissions will peak at 6,298 million tons in 2032. In the coordinated development scenario, the green development scenario, the low-carbon development scenario, and the low-speed development scenario, the peak occurs in 2030 at 5,972 million tons, 5,991 million tons, 5,657 million tons, and 6,329 million tons, respectively. 2) According to the comprehensive simulation, China's building carbon emissions will reach the peak in 2030, with an 80% probability of reaching 5,729–6,171 million tons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the EU is working toward the implementation of the world's first Carbon Border Adjustment (CBA) Mechanism, a gap remains between the ways in which carbon leakage and CBAs are discussed in policy spheres and economic evidence on these topics. The aim of this paper is to bridge this gap by presenting the EU's policy context, systematically reviewing the economic literature on carbon leakage and CBAs, and discussing potential future research avenues. Three channels of leakage are identified in our literature review: the competition, energy and innovation channels. The main finding of this paper is that while the competition channel is well understood and taken into account by policymakers, the energy and innovation channels are generally not considered. Policy recommendations are provided to better account for these two channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radio Frequency (RF) Nano Electro Mechanical Switches (NEMS) using Carbon Nanotube (CNTs) are preferred for electronic switching due to its high stiffness, switching speeds and ultra-low mass over several GHz range. CNT switch for microwave and millimeter wave applications utilizing a maximum of three CNTs with fixed starting positions of CNTs from zero level offset to obtain better isolation (S21) of the switch in DOWN State has already been studied. The motive of this paper is to obtain better RF performance in terms of return loss (S11) and isolation loss by modelling the switch in DOWN-state by varying the random positioning of CNTs, interelement spacing between CNTs, number of CNTs and frequency is predicted and reported using XG—Boost approach. Time-consuming optimization methods to predict the S-parameters in customized Electromagnetic (EM) simulators such as HFSS (High Frequency Structure Simulator) have been resolved using the proposed XG-Boost regression approach. In this paper, the proposed XG-Boost approach minimizes the switch design time with random placement of CNTs by 99.81% compared to the conventional EM simulator which requires about 120 h for 400 simulations in an Intel-Core processor (2.50 GHz) with 8 GB RAM. To validate the results, they are compared to the HFSS model, and a high degree of agreement is found. Mean Square Error (MSE) of the switch in the DOWN- state after comparing the EM simulation values and XG-Boost regression values is 6.832e−03. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: MedAustron mission is to cure cancer by providing advanced patient care, clinical trials, applied and basic research, and know-how transfer. The facility is constantly striving to improve the therapy method of ion beam therapy, to increase its effectiveness and to make the treatment accessible to more people. Methods: The MedAustron particle therapy accelerator facility is located in Austria and delivers protons in the energy range 60–250 MeV and carbon ions 120–400 MeV/n for tumor treatment to four irradiation rooms. Clinical treatment includes two rooms with fixed beam lines horizontal and horizontal/vertical and a third room with a rotating beam line, the proton gantry. A fourth irradiation room is dedicated to research delivering carbon and helium beams and where proton beams up to 800 MeV are also provided. Results: The facility has been built, the commissioning has been completed and MedAustron is now successfully operating at its full functionality. Since the first patient treatment in December 2016, more than 2,000 patients have been treated at MedAustron. Conclusions: In this paper, we provide an overview of the facility including the world-wide first so-called rotator system used, synchronously with the gantry, to improve the quality of the beam delivered at the patient. Furthermore, we discuss about the ongoing projects for improvement of the facility, the areas of research and potential topics for collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancement of social process, the resource problem is becoming more prominent, biomass materials come into being, and it is becoming more and more important to explore and prepare efficient and multifunctional biomass materials to alleviate the problems of energy storage and water pollution. In this paper, nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon materials (NRRC) were produced by one-step carbonization of withered rose as raw material and melamine as nitrogen source with KOH-activated porosification. The resulting nitrogen-doped porous carbon material had the most abundant pores and the best microspherical graded pore structure, with a specific surface area of up to 1393 m2·g−1, a pore volume of 0.68 cm3·g−1, and a nitrogen-doped content of 5.52%. Electrochemical tests showed that the maximum specific capacitance of NRRC in the three-electrode system was 346.4 F·g−1 (0.5 A·g−1), which was combined with favorable capacitance retention performance and cycling stability. The NRRC//NRRC symmetric supercapacitors were further assembled, and the maximum energy density of a single device was 23.88 Wh·kg−1, which still maintains excellent capacitance retention and cyclic charging/discharging stability. For example, the capacitance retention rate was always close to 96.27% with almost negligible capacitance loss after 10000 consecutive charge/discharge cycles (current density: 10 A·g−1). Regardless of the three-electrode or two-electrode system, the super capacitive performance of NRRC porous carbon materials was comparable to the electrochemical performance of many reported biomass porous carbon materials, which showed better energy storage advantages and practical application potential. In addition, NRRC porous carbon materials had excellent water purification ability. The dye adsorption test confirmed that NRRC had a high adsorption capacity (491.47 mg·g−1) for methylene blue. This undoubtedly also showed a potential and promising avenue for high value-added utilization of this material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer composites are becoming more popular as a feasible alternative to conventional engineering materials due to superior physio-mechanical qualities, corrosion resistance, moisture resistance, damage tolerance, and tailored properties. The epoxy matrix molecular structure significantly affects mechanical performance because of its high crosslink structure, density, and stiffness. This paper deals with the evaluation of mechanical and thermal characteristics of carbon (C) and glass fiber (G) stacked composites modified by multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT). The conventional hand-layup method (HLM) was employed to fabricate nanocomposite samples in different MWCNT wt% (0, 0.45, 0.90,1.35). Tensile and Flexural testing examined the mechanical behavior of the developed composite. Thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis compute the thermal and viscoelastic behavior of the nanocomposite specimens. Scanning electron microscopy describes the failure mechanisms on the damaged surfaces of the nanocomposite samples. The MWCNT supplements in the stacked composite make it more efficient than pristine samples and augment the mechanical characteristics of structural components. The MWCNT-modified stacked samples show improved tensile and flexural behavior than the stacked samples for the desired application. This work reveals that adding MWCNTs as the third phase reinforcement into the stacked (C–G–C) nanocomposites could improve the mechanical and thermal characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constructs a novel stress measurement system of carbon market from the perspective of trading, emission reduction, and external shocks and simulates the stress indices of national and pilot carbon markets of China with the methods of functional data analysis and criteria importance through intercriteria correlation. It concludes that the overall carbon market stress is in the shape of "W" and still at a high level, with frequent fluctuations and an upward trend. In addition, the stress of Hubei, Beijing, and Shanghai carbon market fluctuates and rises, while the stress of Guangdong carbon market decreases. Moreover, carbon market stress mainly comes from trading and emission reduction. Furthermore, stress fluctuation of Guangdong and Beijing carbon market is more prone to "big waves," indicating that the two markets are sensitive to big events. Finally, the pilot carbon markets are divided into stress-driven and stress-release market and the type of which keeps change in different period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon Integration methods help identify the appropriate allocation of captured carbon dioxide (CO2) streams into CO2-using sinks, and are especially useful when a number of CO2 sink options are present simultaneously. The method helps identify CO2 allocation scenarios when subjected to an emission target on the CO2 overall network. Many carbon dioxide sink options are costly, and more often than not, require a high purity carbon dioxide source to satisfy the sink demand. Hence, it is imperative to effectively incorporate treatment units in such networks, to obtain high-purity CO2 streams. In fact, it has been previously reported in many studies that the most expensive step in Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS) is the treatment system. As a result, this paper focuses on reassessing the performance of carbon integration networks using a more rigorous cost model for the treatment design stage. The effect of utilizing different treatment operating conditions on the overall cost of the treatment stage of CO2 (before allocation) is first captured using a detailed cost model. Subsequently, this information is then fed into a network design problem that involves a CO2 source-sink allocation network problem, and different CO2 net capture targets within the network. For this, an enhanced treatment model that captures all necessary treatment design parameters has been utilized alongside the original model. The original carbon integration formulation has been adopted from previous work. Many of the cost items have been lumped into single parameters in the original formulation, and lack the necessary depth required to carry out the necessary investigations for this work. Hence, the treatment model introduced in this paper is more rigorous, as it accounts for important technical performance constraints on the system to be assessed. Utilizing a more detailed cost model was found to be very helpful in understanding several effects of varying parameters on the overall source-sink allocations, when subjected to different CO2 net emission reduction targets. The cost of the carbon network increases when the solvent temperatures are increased. However, there was a noticeable linear trend at lower temperatures compared to higher temperatures, where the increase became non-linear. Furthermore, it was discovered that for net capture targets of 20% and 25%, no revenue from carbon storage could be generated beyond a solvent temperature of 25 °C. Additionally, the optimal diameter of the treatment column was more responsive to changes in solvent temperature for cases with low net capture targets (below 10%), while its sensitivity decreased for higher capture targets (above 10%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cope with climate change, China commits that it will strive to achieve carbon peaking by 2030. Using the Cointegration model and the Markov Chain model, this paper forecasts China's carbon emissions during 2019–2030 in six scenarios, and assesses the contribution of optimizing the energy mix to China's carbon peaking. The research obtains three main conclusions. Firstly, optimizing the energy mix will contribute to achieving China's carbon peaking. In the economic slow-growth scenario, taking China's planned target of energy mix (PTEM) into account, the carbon peaking year will be brought forward from 2028 to 2023. In the economic medium-speed-growth scenario, optimizing the energy mix will make China achieve carbon peaking in 2028. Without considering the PTEM, however, the carbon emissions will not peak before 2030. In the economic fast-growth scenario, the peaking year will not occur whether considering the PTEM or not, but the growth rate of carbon emissions with the PTEM will be far lower than that without considering the PTEM. Secondly, in all three economic growth scenarios, optimizing the energy mix will largely reduce the growth rate of carbon emissions, and thus significantly reduce the peak value of carbon emissions. Thirdly, optimizing the energy mix has a negative adjusting effect on the impact of economic growth on the growth rate of carbon emissions, and the negative effect rise as the economic growth rate increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a regulation method through torsional strain effect is proposed for carbon nanotube linear thermal actuators. The effects of torsional strain effect on the linear driven performance of linear actuators are systematically studied by molecular dynamics method, and the effect mechanism is revealed as well. It was found that the torsional strain affects the thermal driving force and the friction effect by changing the spacing between the carbon tubes and lattice vibration modes, then further affects the linear driving characteristics. The influence mechanism of torsional strain on the driving characteristics is analyzed and the valuable conclusions for nanoscale strain engineering application are obtained. The work of this paper provides a new idea for performance regulation for nano-driving by using strain effect, and has important guiding significance for nanoscale strain engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim to analyze the behavior of developed-country acquiring firms in dealing with Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions location choices at both national and sub-national levels with the impact of carbon risk and heterogeneous environmental regulations (Government, Civil, and Market Environmental regulations) and to explore their Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions performances under different situations. A sample of 874 intra-manufacturing Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions completed by developed-country acquirers and conducted in developed countries and China during 2002–2021 was analyzed using logistic regression and multiple linear regression. The results show that: (1) Acquirers with higher carbon risks tend to choose China rather developed country as the target location, while this relationship is not strengthened by the home country's high-level environmental regulations; (2) At the sub-national level, Chinese provinces' government environmental regulations cannot impede acquirers to enter; what's more, the civil environmental regulations even attract these acquirers, this is particularly the case if the acquirer has high carbon risk; (3) Acquirers with higher carbon risks can achieve more performance, no matter whether they choose China as the target country. Our findings add insight into the effect of carbon risks on companies' decisions and the unique characteristics of the heterogeneous environmental regulations in China. What's more, implications are provided for Chinese regulators and policymakers, e.g., listening to the public opinion, improving the governance quality, and attracting foreign investors to help domestic industry upgrading and maintain long-run economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strengthening the synergistic management of carbon and haze is an important means to realize China's "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals" and green development. In this paper, the entropy method is used to measure the key core technology innovation level of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2021, and the fixed-effect model is used to empirically test the impact of key core technology innovation on carbon haze synergistic governance and the internal mechanism. The study found that (1) key core technological innovation helps to promote carbon haze synergistic governance. (2) The mechanism test shows that key core technology innovation promotes the synergistic management of carbon haze by improving the clean energy structure. (3) The moderating effect shows that both market incentives and government environmental regulations will strengthen the positive relationship between key core technology innovation and carbon haze synergistic governance. The main contribution of this paper is to reveal the influence mechanism of key core technology innovation on carbon haze synergistic governance, and also to provide theoretical basis for the mechanism and law of carbon haze synergistic governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in-depth implementation of the "Broadband China Strategy" is of great significance in promoting the synergistic governance of urban carbon reduction and pollution reduction. In this paper, based on the "Broadband China" pilot program implemented in China in 2014 as a quasi-natural experiment, the coupled synergy model is used to measure the carbon and pollution reduction synergy index based on the balanced panel data of 277 prefectural-level cities and above in China from 2006 to 2020, and the staggered and synthetic DID methods are applied to investigate the impact of the Broadband China strategy on carbon and pollution reduction synergy and its mechanism. strategy on carbon and pollution reduction synergy and its mechanism. The conclusions of the study show that (1) the Broadband China strategy significantly improves the synergistic governance of carbon reduction and pollution reduction. (2) The mechanism results show that Broadband China mainly realizes carbon and pollution synergistic governance by promoting source control and process innovation but does not have an effective mediating role in end-of-pipe treatment. (3) The results of heterogeneity analysis show that Broadband China weakens the traditional geographic advantage, narrows the carbon pollution synergistic governance gap at the national and regional levels, and significantly improves the regional carbon reduction and pollution reduction governance level. This paper examines the micro-mechanism of the Broadband China strategy on carbon pollution synergistic governance from the whole process of production activities, which provides a new perspective for the study of carbon pollution synergistic governance, and provides an empirical basis for carbon pollution synergistic governance in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective adsorption of heavy metal ions from industrial effluent is important for healthy ecosystem development. However, the selective adsorption of heavy metal pollutants by biochar using lignin as raw material is still a challenge. In this paper, the lignin carbon material (N-BLC) was synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal carbonization method using paper black liquor (BL) as raw material and triethylene diamine (TEDA) as nitrogen source. N-BLC (2:1) showed excellent selectivity for Cr(VI) in the binary system, and the adsorption amounts of Cr(VI) in the binary system were all greater than 150 mg/g, but the adsorption amounts of Ca(II), Mg(II), and Zn(II) were only 19.3, 25.5, and 6.3 mg/g, respectively. The separation factor (SF) for Cr(VI) adsorption was as high as 120.0. Meanwhile, FTIR, elemental analysis and XPS proved that the surface of N-BLC (2:1) contained many N– and O– containing groups which were favorable for the removal of Cr(VI). The adsorption of N-BLC (2:1) followed the Langmuir model and its maximum theoretical adsorption amount was 618.4 mg/g. After 5th recycling, the adsorption amount of Cr(VI) by N-BLC (2:1) decreased about 15%, showing a good regeneration ability. Therefore, N-BLC (2:1) is a highly efficient, selective and reusable Cr(VI) adsorbent with wide application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their encouraging results, nanolubricants have been revolutionary in the field of lubrication. The degree, to which the new material may improve the tribology, energy savings, and durability, is a crucial consideration for any new additive to a conventional lubricant. The results of the earlier research on carbon, metal, metal oxide, and their composites and hybrid nanolubricants as well as their effects on tribology, are summarized in this review paper. The most popular measuring methodologies, the tribology results for lubricants with an oil base, biodegradable base, and a water base, as well as the reasons that explain these tribological advancements, are all included in this study. Finally, prospects for more study in this area are emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimization and transition of the industrial structure help improve the quality of the economy, moving it toward low-carbon development. By using the Instrumental Variable Generalized Method of Moments model and a city-level dataset covering the period 2006–2019, this paper explores the carbon lock-in mitigation effects of industrial structure optimization and industrial structure transition, respectively. The heterogeneity and the synthetic industrial structure adjustment effect are detected, and the potential impact mechanism is also explored. Some findings have been generated. (1) Both industrial structure optimization and industrial structure transition realize carbon lock-in eradication. (2) Industrial structure optimization and transition are more effective in inhibiting carbon lock-in in cities with a higher level of economic background. (3) By generating an interaction term of industrial structure optimization and transition and examining the impact of the interaction term on carbon lock-in, this paper detects that industrial structure optimization and transition have a synthetic impact on carbon lock-in, showing a "1 + 1 > 2" effect. (4) Industrial structure optimization and transition both affect carbon lock-in by improving technological innovation level, which is the impact mechanism. Some policy implications, such as sectoral diversification and promoting research and development, are put forward for better industrial structure development and carbon unlocking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woody biomass has gained increased attention as a source of renewable energy. However, its categorization as a sustainable source of energy remains controversial, as its carbon neutrality depends on its end use, moisture content, bulk density, and the distance between the source of biomass and its end use. Due to these mediating factors, policies largely shape its sustainability and ability to mitigate emissions. This paper organizes and evaluates the current state of research through a systematic review of global literature from 2011 to 2021 (n = 345) on the governance of the production, transportation, sale, and use of woody biomass for energy. Peer-reviewed literature emphasizes the role of woody biomass as a decentralized energy source for individual households and communities, focusing on its harvest, transport, and localized energy conversion. Policies primarily address land management and energy infrastructure rather than direct emissions reduction. Research gaps in policy within the Global South underscore the need to examine biomass regulation in regions with limited energy diversity. The key factors that drive the sustainable uptake of woody biomass include strict sustainability criteria, fiscal incentives, technological development, and wood utilization from across its value chain. Effective policy implementation increases rural employment, boosts rural economies, provides energy security to remote areas, improves overall environmental sustainability, reduces emissions, and improves land management practices. Our systematic review reveals that future research should focus on improving conversion efficiencies in small-scale systems, reducing emissions in the international trade of woody biomass, and using the wood value chain to increase the profitability of bioenergy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of experimental and theoretical investigations into the synthesis of silicon carbide using the energy of thermal plasma. The experimental investigations were conducted on a stand with 4 kW of power making it possible to have a thermal plasma flow with a bulk temperature of 5600 K. Regimes have been identified for the synthesis of silicon carbide and concentration of composite charge mixture components determining its yield. On the basis of processing experimental data, key characteristics have been calculated for the technological process of silicon carbide synthesis (time and load mass). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The universe is a vast store of organic abiotic carbon that could potentially drive heterotrophy on habitable planets. Meteorites are one of the transporters of this carbon to planetary surfaces. Meteoritic material was accumulating on early Earth when life emerged and proliferated. Yet it is not known if this organic carbon from space was accessible to life. In this research, an anaerobic microbial community was grown with the CM2 carbonaceous chondrite Aguas Zarcas as the sole carbon, energy and nutrient source. Using a reversed 13C-stable isotope labelling experiment in combination with optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy of single cells, this paper demonstrates the direct transfer of carbon from meteorite into microbial biomass. This implies that meteoritic organics could have been used as a carbon source on early Earth and other habitable planets, and supports the potential for a heterotrophic metabolism in early living systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the impact mechanisms of territorial space composition and landscape pattern changes on carbon storage is critical to balance the development and utilization of territorial space and the conservation of the ecosystem. Thus, taking the Fujian Delta urban agglomeration (FDUA) of China as an example, this paper analyzed the impact of the transference in territorial space composition and the change in the coupling coordination degree (CCD) of landscape patterns on carbon storage based on the urban–rural gradient and grid scales. Results illustrated that the areas of agricultural, green, and blue spaces continued to decline, while the intensity of economic space expansion increased from 20.86 to 42.45% during 2000–2020. The grids with CCD change of landscape patterns declined mainly (accounting for 64.31%) in the first decade and rose mainly (accounting for 76.79%) in the second decade. The carbon loss of each under rural gradient was gradually serious. The percentage of grids with moderate and significant decrease in carbon storage escalated from 27.83 to 70.21%. Additionally, grids experiencing high carbon loss moved from the northeast coast to the southwest inland. The response of carbon storage change showed that the expansion of agricultural space occupied by economic space played a crucial role in the carbon loss in each urban–rural gradient. The carbon loss caused by supplementing agricultural space with green space increased from the urban to the field. Enhancing the CCD of landscape patterns can boost carbon storage, and the scattering expansion of economic space needs to be avoided. This paper provides a novel perspective to explore the spatial response of carbon storage change to the territorial space composition and landscape pattern evolution, which is important to optimize the territorial space pattern and improve the regional carbon sink capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural methane hydrate has often been observed in sand layers that contain no particulate organic carbon (POC), but are surrounded by organic-rich, fine-grained marine muds. In this paper, we develop a reactive transport model (RTM) of a microbially-mediated set of POC degradation reactions, including hydrolysis of POC driven by extracellular enzymes, fermentation of the resulting high-molecular weight dissolved organic carbon (HMW-DOC), and methanogenesis that consumes low-molecular weight dissolved organic carbon (LMW-DOC). These processes are mediated by two groups of microbes, fermenters and methanogens that are heterogeneously distributed in different lithologies, with the largest numbers of microbes in the large pores of coarse-grained layers. We find that the RTM can reproduce methane hydrate occurrences observed in two different geological environments, at Walker Ridge Site 313-H (Gulf of Mexico) and IODP Site U1325 (Cascadia Margin). We also find that microbes can degrade POC even if they are physically separated, as extracellular enzymes and DOC can diffuse away from where they are produced by microbes. Microbial activity is highest at relatively early times after burial at shallow depths and near lithological boundaries, where concentration gradients transport solutes to intervals that contain the most microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands provide numerous ecological and economic services to mankind. The soils of wetlands are one of the largest sinks of carbon (C) among the terrestrial ecosystems and can play an important role in offsetting the emission of C as a greenhouse gas (GHG) to the atmosphere. India is bestowed with enriched wetland ecosystems that support diverse and unique habitats. The potential of the wetlands in terms of C capture and sequestration has not been quantified. Therefore, in the present paper, an assessment of C capture from different sources and its ultimate deposition in soils leading to sequestration has been done in three different types of wetlands, one created sewage-fed and two natural floodplain oxbow lakes, in the West Bengal state of India. Multiple seasonal sampling of water, macrophytes, and soil was done to assess the primary productivity, dissolved C, and deposition of C in soils of the wetlands in comparison to reference upland sites. All these wetlands are productive ecosystems as indicated by the physicochemical parameters of water and soil. The quantity of C accumulated up to 0.3 m depth in the oxbow lakes was to the tune of 144–166 Mg/ha, which was 3.43–4.78 times higher than that in the corresponding reference upland sites. In the sewage-fed wetland, the C accumulation estimated as 50 Mg/ha was 1.27 times higher than its corresponding upland site. So, the wetland ecosystems, particularly the floodplains, are highly efficient in accumulating C in their soils and thus can somewhat negate the GHG emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) are widely used, which has caused huge pressure on the ecological environment, especially human health. It is necessary to have a detailed understanding and real-time tracking of the current research progress and hot spots on the toxicity of carbon nanomaterials, so as to provide guidance for researchers in this field to carry out new research. In this paper, CiteSpace software was used to perform bibliometric and visual analysis of all publications related to the toxicity of carbon nanomaterials in the Web of Science database. The results show that the number of annual articles has increased significantly since 2004, and 83.1% of the articles were published in the last decade (2013–2022). China has the largest number of publications, while the United States plays an authoritative role in this field. ACS Appl Material Inter is the most published journal, and ACS Nano is the most cited journal. The Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dayong Wang were the institutions and authors with the largest number of papers, respectively. The toxicity and mechanism of CNMs (such as oxidative stress, cell death, and cell membrane damage) and their applications in biomedicine, material synthesis, and sensors, etc., are the research hot topics in this field. The comprehensive risk assessment and safe utilization of CNMs may be an urgent problem to be solved currently. Our findings present the hot topics and development trends in the field of carbon nanomaterials toxicity, which would be helpful to provide a reference for future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral carbon quantum dots (cCQDs) , as a new type of carbon nano-functional material with tunable emission wavelength, superior photostability, low toxicity, biocompatibility and chirality, are playing an increasingly important role in the fields of chemistry, biology and medicine. This paper reviews the preparation methods (one-step and two-step), optical properties (UV, fluorescence, chirality) and applications in chiral catalysis, chiral recognition, targeted imaging as well as other fields, while lists some of the issues and challenges in the research of chiral carbon quantum dots. Finally, due to its good fluorescence and other properties, it is expected that chiral carbon quantum dots will have broad commercial prospects in future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposal of "double carbon" goal increases the pressure of power structure transformation. This paper sets up two scenarios according to the timing progress of realizing the "double carbon" goal and explores the transformation planning schemes of China's power structure. The conclusions are as follows: (1) Technological progress and policy support will greatly reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of onshore wind power, offshore wind power, photovoltaic power, and photothermal power. The rapid rise in carbon price will lead to the LCOE of coal power in 2060 rising to 2 CNY/kWh. (2) The power consumption of the whole society in the baseline scenario can reach 17,000 TWh in 2060. In the acceleration scenario, this value may triple that in 2020 to 21,550 TWh. (3) The acceleration scenario will pay more newly added power costs and coal power stranded scale than the baseline scenario but can achieve carbon peak and negative emissions earlier. (4) More attention should be paid to the flexible level of power system, improve the allocation proportion and requirements of new energy storage on the power supply side, help the steady exit of coal power, and ensure the safety of low-carbon transformation of power structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have some excellent properties that make them ideal candidates as sorbents for solid-phase extraction (SPE). However, practical difficulties related to their handling (dispersion in the atmosphere, bundling phenomena, reduced adsorption capability, sorbent loss in cartridge/column format, etc.) have hindered their direct use for conventional SPE modes. Therefore, researchers working in the field of extraction science have looked for new solutions to avoid the above-mentioned problems. One of these is the design of CNM-based membranes. These devices can be of two different types: membranes that are exclusively composed of CNMs (i.e. buckypaper and graphene oxide paper) and polysaccharide membranes containing dispersed CNMs. A membrane can be used either as a filter, operating under flow-through mode, or as a rotating device, operating under the action of magnetic stirring. In both cases, the main advantages arising from the use of membranes are excellent results in terms of transport rates, adsorption capability, high throughput, and ease of employment. This review covers the preparation/synthesis procedures of such membranes and their potential in SPE applications, highlighting benefits and shortcomings in comparison with conventional SPE materials (especially, microparticles carbonaceous sorbents) and devices. Further challenges and expected improvements are addressed too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article summarizes research published in a 2015 issue of "Advanced Materials" concerning the development of a flexible lithium-air battery using paper and lithium foil with a carbon-based ink which was capable of holding a charge even after being bent 1,000 times.

The surface morphology of biocathode was one of the limiting factors for microbial fuel cell (MFC) design. Up-flow membrane-less single-chambered MFC (UFML MFC) was used to investigate the effect of surface morphology of carbon material as aqueous biocathode. Pt-loaded carbon paper, carbon felt, and carbon plate were examined and compared on the power output, surface morphology for biofilm formation, Coulombic efficiency (CE), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction. The COD reduction was up to 90 % in UFML MFC with Pt-loaded carbon paper, carbon felt, and carbon plate as aqueous biocathodes. The results obtained showed that the performance in voltage output was not related to internal resistance but mainly due to the ability of cathode material in oxygen reduction process. The performance of voltage output with different materials as aqueous biocathode was mainly based on to the surface morphology as it was related to the ability of biofilm formation. Roughness of aqueous biocathode's surface morphology could prompt the biofilm growth, while biofilm overgrowth on aqueous biocathode could decrease voltage output. Therefore, smoother surface morphology of aqueous biocathode is more suitable for long-term operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]