Kanagasubbulakshmi Sankaralingam

Scientists in Canada have compared the performances of fourteen electrospray solvents with a broad range of polarities, including a previously untried toluene derivative that gave excellent results. Read the full article online: ➡️https://ow.ly/fwHR50U954x #electospraysolvents #electrosprayionization #analyticalacience #wileyanalyticalscience #spectroscopy #massspectroscopy

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The activation of methane (CH4) is a crucial step in transforming this abundant resource into high-value products. Methane's C–H bond is exceptionally stable, necessitating the use of catalysts to facilitate its conversion. Our latest study explores this complex process using advanced computational methods. In our research, we employed density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with the unit bond index-quadratic exponential potential (UBI-QEP) approximation to delve into the first dehydrogenation of methane in the TM/(CeO2)10 system, where TM stands for a single transition-metal species (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) supported on a compact ceria (CeO2) cluster. One of our study's key findings is the significant correlation between the transition metal (TM) adsorption energy on CeO2 substrates and the charge transfer from the TM adatoms to the substrates. Interestingly, methane exhibits a relatively weak physisorption binding energy to the ceria cluster and the surface substrates. However, the molecular fragments derived from methane, such as CH3 and H, form stronger chemisorption bonds with the TM and oxygen sites, respectively. We found that the energy barrier for breaking the C–H bond is lower when the reaction takes place within the cluster rather than on the surface. This is a crucial insight as it highlights the efficiency of the cluster substrates in stabilizing molecular fragments, leading to an exergonic (energy-releasing) dehydrogenation reaction. In contrast, the same reaction on surface substrates was endergonic (energy-absorbing). Among the transition metals studied, Fe and Co emerged as the most promising candidates for the first step of methane dehydrogenation on CeO2 substrates. This is attributed to the strong metal-support interaction and the effective stabilization of the CH3 species, resulting in the lowest energy barriers among the evaluated metals. https://lnkd.in/dW2W8zn2

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We are thrilled to announce that Professor Xuehua Zhang from the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta will be our keynote speaker at our upcoming conference! Keynote Topic: Hydrogen Micro/Nanobubbles in Interfacial Gas Evolution Reaction Professor Zhang's pioneering research explores the complex dynamics of hydrogen microbubbles within organic drops during interfacial gas evolution reactions. These insights are crucial for advancing clean energy solutions and improving our understanding of the behaviors of bubbles and drops in various applications. Abstract Highlights: - Investigation of hydrogen microbubbles within organic drops during interfacial reactions. - Observations on how these bubbles grow and rise, influencing the drop's stability and behavior. - Insights into the phase separation and reactive emulsions, crucial for advancing clean technology applications. Professor Zhang’s academic journey began at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where she earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering. Her early career was marked by her work as an Endeavour Research Fellow at the Australian National University. This was followed by an ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship and later the prestigious ARC Future Fellowship in Australia. With a rich background in interdisciplinary research, Professor Zhang has been a trailblazer in developing sustainable technologies for clean energy and water treatment. Since 2017, she has been a Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) at the University of Alberta, where she continues to make significant contributions to the field of chemical and materials engineering. Professional Experience and Achievements: - Endeavour Research Fellow at the Australian National University, where she expanded her research on interfacial phenomena. - Australian Research Council (ARC) Postdoctoral Fellowship recipient, focusing on innovative chemical and materials engineering research. - ARC Future Fellowship awardee, recognized for her significant potential and contributions to scientific research. - Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) at the University of Alberta, leading groundbreaking research in clean energy and sustainable technologies. - Associate Editor for the Soft Matter journal, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), underscoring her influence in the field. Professor Zhang’s extensive expertise and her commitment to eco-friendly and sustainable technology development position her as a leading voice in clean energy research. We are honored to host Professor Zhang and eagerly anticipate the invaluable knowledge and insights she will share. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the foremost experts in the field! #CleanEnergy #SustainableTechnology #HydrogenResearch #ChemicalEngineering #KeynoteSpeaker #Innovation #UniversityofAlberta #HydrogenEconomy #InterfacialReactions

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I'm pleased to see this journal article published by 𝗔𝗖𝗦 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 within the 𝗖𝗿𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 & 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 journal, entitled “𝗖𝗿𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗶𝘀(𝟮-𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘅𝘆𝗲𝘁𝗵𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲) 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗵𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲-𝘁𝗼-𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝘆(𝗲𝘁𝗵𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗵𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲)”. This research work from collaborators at University of Birmingham (Guido Grause, Joseph Sutton, Andrew Dove) and Siemens (Niall Mitchell) involved the crystallization BHET from ethylene glycol, an energy intensive processing step within one of the most economically promising processes for chemical recycling of PET, namely glycolysis. For this reason, the crystallization of BHET was investigated experimentally. Crystallization was simulated using gPROMS Formulated Products with the aim of estimating kinetic parameters and using these to explore and optimize an industrial process. The calibrated mechanistic model was employed to optimize BHET crystallization in batch and continuous modes by minimizing equipment costs. Ultimately, the continuous and batch processes gave comparable results in terms of equipment cost, with the batch process giving larger crystals and higher yields but the continuous process requiring a smaller crystallizer and hence equipment footprint. The full journal article here: https://lnkd.in/eYvaAnQv #circulareconomy

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#OnTheBeamlines: A University of Saskatchewan team has been using our CLS to investigate how to make better, environmentally friendly plastics from non-toxic materials. Researcher Kehinde Falua and his supervisor Bishnu Acharya have developed aerogel materials from faba, lentils and pea starches that may hold promise for replacing traditional plastics as cheaper, biodegradable options. “Developing a fully bio-based and mechanically stable aerogel from an organic source such as pulse starch will definitely be a game changer for many food and non-food packaging industries,” says Falua. From food packaging to construction and textiles, plastic is everywhere – more than 400 million metric tons of plastic were produced globally from crude oil only in 2022. Difficult to break-down, plastic pollutes the environment and negatively impacts the health of humans and animals alike. The research Falua and Acharya are leading at the CLS using our BXDS-WLE (Brockhouse) beamline will help them gather information about the structure and diffraction patterns of the biomaterials to create more stable aerogels. Most of the existing work in this field focuses on developing aerogels from commercial starch such as corn, wheat, cassava and potatoes. Falua and Acharya are among the first to try using air-classified pulse starches, which are mostly considered pulse processing by-products in Saskatchewan. Using these by-products to develop aerogels could also open up new opportunities for pulse producers in the biopolymer industry. “Many researchers are seeking ways of exploring this kind of biomaterials for new applications,” says Acharya, a professor in the USask College of Engineering. “It is very important to predict the performance of the materials as we’re doing with the experiments at the CLS, if we want to use these aerogels for different applications, including potentially for biomedical use.” Photo (from left): Kehinde Falua, Arika Block, Brockhouse summer student, Brockhouse scientist Adam Leontowich, and Bishnu Acharya. #pulse #agriculture #biomaterials #environment #materials #science #research #synchrotron

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#OnTheBeamlines: A University of Saskatchewan team has been using our CLS to investigate how to make better, environmentally friendly plastics from non-toxic materials. Researcher Kehinde Falua and his supervisor Bishnu Acharya have developed aerogel materials from faba, lentils and pea starches that may hold promise for replacing traditional plastics as cheaper, biodegradable options. “Developing a fully bio-based and mechanically stable aerogel from an organic source such as pulse starch will definitely be a game changer for many food and non-food packaging industries,” says Falua. From food packaging to construction and textiles, plastic is everywhere – more than 400 million metric tons of plastic were produced globally from crude oil only in 2022. Difficult to break-down, plastic pollutes the environment and negatively impacts the health of humans and animals alike. The research Falua and Acharya are leading at the CLS using our BXDS-WLE (Brockhouse) beamline will help them gather information about the structure and diffraction patterns of the biomaterials to create more stable aerogels. Most of the existing work in this field focuses on developing aerogels from commercial starch such as corn, wheat, cassava and potatoes. Falua and Acharya are among the first to try using air-classified pulse starches, which are mostly considered pulse processing by-products in Saskatchewan. Using these by-products to develop aerogels could also open up new opportunities for pulse producers in the biopolymer industry. “Many researchers are seeking ways of exploring this kind of biomaterials for new applications,” says Acharya, a professor in the USask College of Engineering. “It is very important to predict the performance of the materials as we’re doing with the experiments at the CLS, if we want to use these aerogels for different applications, including potentially for biomedical use.” Photo (from left): Kehinde Falua, Arika Block, Brockhouse summer student, Brockhouse scientist Adam Leontowich, and Bishnu Acharya. #pulse #agriculture #biomaterials #environment #materials #science #research #synchrotron

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#OnTheBeamlines: A University of Saskatchewan team has been using our CLS to investigate how to make better, environmentally friendly plastics from non-toxic materials. Researcher Kehinde Falua and his supervisor Bishnu Acharya have developed aerogel materials from faba, lentils and pea starches that may hold promise for replacing traditional plastics as cheaper, biodegradable options. “Developing a fully bio-based and mechanically stable aerogel from an organic source such as pulse starch will definitely be a game changer for many food and non-food packaging industries,” says Falua. From food packaging to construction and textiles, plastic is everywhere – more than 400 million metric tons of plastic were produced globally from crude oil only in 2022. Difficult to break-down, plastic pollutes the environment and negatively impacts the health of humans and animals alike. The research Falua and Acharya are leading at the CLS using our BXDS-WLE (Brockhouse) beamline will help them gather information about the structure and diffraction patterns of the biomaterials to create more stable aerogels. Most of the existing work in this field focuses on developing aerogels from commercial starch such as corn, wheat, cassava and potatoes. Falua and Acharya are among the first to try using air-classified pulse starches, which are mostly considered pulse processing by-products in Saskatchewan. Using these by-products to develop aerogels could also open up new opportunities for pulse producers in the biopolymer industry. “Many researchers are seeking ways of exploring this kind of biomaterials for new applications,” says Acharya, a professor in the USask College of Engineering. “It is very important to predict the performance of the materials as we’re doing with the experiments at the CLS, if we want to use these aerogels for different applications, including potentially for biomedical use.” Photo (from left): Kehinde Falua, Arika Block, Brockhouse summer student, Brockhouse scientist Adam Leontowich, and Bishnu Acharya. #pulse #agriculture #biomaterials #environment #materials #science #research #synchrotron

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#OnTheBeamlines: A University of Saskatchewan team has been using our CLS to investigate how to make better, environmentally friendly plastics from non-toxic materials. Researcher Kehinde Falua and his supervisor Bishnu Acharya have developed aerogel materials from faba, lentils and pea starches that may hold promise for replacing traditional plastics as cheaper, biodegradable options. “Developing a fully bio-based and mechanically stable aerogel from an organic source such as pulse starch will definitely be a game changer for many food and non-food packaging industries,” says Falua. From food packaging to construction and textiles, plastic is everywhere – more than 400 million metric tons of plastic were produced globally from crude oil only in 2022. Difficult to break-down, plastic pollutes the environment and negatively impacts the health of humans and animals alike. The research Falua and Acharya are leading at the CLS using our BXDS-WLE (Brockhouse) beamline will help them gather information about the structure and diffraction patterns of the biomaterials to create more stable aerogels. Most of the existing work in this field focuses on developing aerogels from commercial starch such as corn, wheat, cassava and potatoes. Falua and Acharya are among the first to try using air-classified pulse starches, which are mostly considered pulse processing by-products in Saskatchewan. Using these by-products to develop aerogels could also open up new opportunities for pulse producers in the biopolymer industry. “Many researchers are seeking ways of exploring this kind of biomaterials for new applications,” says Acharya, a professor in the USask College of Engineering. “It is very important to predict the performance of the materials as we’re doing with the experiments at the CLS, if we want to use these aerogels for different applications, including potentially for biomedical use.” Photo (from left): Kehinde Falua, Arika Block, Brockhouse summer student, Brockhouse scientist Adam Leontowich, and Bishnu Acharya. #pulse #agriculture #biomaterials #environment #materials #science #research #synchrotron

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I am delighted to share that our latest research paper, "Transesterification Reactions as a Means to Produce Esters: A Critical Review," has been published in the Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. This critical review delves into the transformative potential of transesterification reactions for ester production. Key highlights include: Catalysts Used in Transesterification, Use of Multi-Functional Reactors, Reactive Separation and Membrane-Assisted Transesterifications, Factors Affecting Transesterification, Recent Advances in Transesterification Techniques, etc. A special thank you to Dr. Y. S. Mahajan for their exceptional guidance throughout this journey. Your expertise has been invaluable in shaping our exploration of transesterification reactions, catalyst efficiencies, advanced reactor designs, economic analyses, and recent technological advancements in ester production. #Research #Chemistry #Transesterification #EsterProduction #GreenChemistry #Sustainability #Catalysts #EconomicAnalysis #ReactiveSeparation #MembraneTechnology #Biodiesel #AdvancedTechniques #CaseStudies

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Watch the U of C Chemistry Department in detail & see how they use #nanalysis #benchtopNMR to enhance their undergrad Inorganic #lab. #norm2024 #ChemEd >> https://lnkd.in/g6fT2kmG

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#PhD #Mechanical #IndustrialEngineering PhD Opportunity for Winter 2025 in Optimization and Operational Research at the University of Alberta! 🌟We have created a WhatsApp group dedicated to scholarships (hashtag hashtag #master #PhD, #Postdoc). 🎓 DM for link

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Tuesday publication post! 📖 In this new publication from #McMasterUniversity in Canada, Liza-Anastasia DiCecco, Jing Zhang, Travis Casagrande and Kathryn Grandfield have looked at new methods to observe mineralization events at biomaterial interfaces using the #PoseidonAX system! 💧Liquid-transmission electron microscopy (liquid-TEM) opens up new possibilities for observing mineralization events at biomaterial interfaces, an area with vast potential yet largely unexplored. In this paper, a novel method to visualize calcium phosphate (CaP) nucleation and assembly on titanium (Ti) surfaces. 💡By combining nanofabrication of Ti lamellae with focused ion beam (FIB) techniques and in situ liquid-TEM, the authors captured multiphasic CaP particles nucleating, adhering, and forming assemblies at the Ti interface in real-time. This approach offers groundbreaking insights into the nanoscale interactions between biomaterials and liquids. Want to read the whole paper? https://lnkd.in/ejbdxwpf Want to know more about our Poseidon AX solution for biological materials? https://hubs.li/Q02NZj120 #Protochips #FindYourBreakthrough #InSituMicroscopy #MineralizationEvents #InSituLiquidPhase

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In case you are interested

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It has been exciting to join the 25th International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium (IBS 2024) as part of the 63rd Conference of Metallurgists (COM 2024) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada for the past four days (19-22.8.2024). The IBS 2024 Local Organising Committee had put together an exciting program on the fundamentals and various applications of biomining, with plenty of opportunities to also network with old and new colleagues in the field. I had the opportunity to present on “Biomining critical minerals from ores and wastes” (https://lnkd.in/g5Zb3SdZ) and on our project “Algae-based technologies for mine site sustainability” funded by Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME), South32, Fortescue Metals, Rio Tinto, Mineral Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), Hanson, The Office of the Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Commissioner, Energy Australia, CSIRO, The University of Queensland and Murdoch University) (https://lnkd.in/gvqEahBd). Thanks to IBS 2024 and COM2024 organisers for the great event, and Newmont for sponsoring the conference 😊 The 26th IBS 2026 conference will be held in France, and the 27th IBS 2028 in South Africa. #biomining #biohydrometallurgy #sustainablemining #bioleaching #biooxidation #bioreduction #bioprecipitation #bioremediation #circulareconomy #valuefromwaste #resourcerecovery

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Our recent work in #ACSCatalysis (https://lnkd.in/g7U55hqv) highlights a critical step forward in sustainable chemical production by exploring the electrochemical nitrogen oxidation reaction (N₂OR) as a greener alternative to traditional nitric acid synthesis. Through a combination of density functional theory (DFT, led by Joseph Gauthier and group) and experimental screening (performed by Yancun Qi and Nishithan C. Kani), we identified the Mars-van Krevelen (MvK) mechanism as a key pathway for N₂OR. However, the study revealed significant challenges, including the dominance of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) intermediates, which limit N₂ adsorption and reduce selectivity. To address this, we demonstrated that dynamic potential control can enhance N₂OR activity by favoring N₂ adsorption while suppressing competing OER. Despite achieving limited nitrate faradaic efficiencies (<10%), our findings provide crucial insights into catalyst behavior and highlight strategies such as microenvironment control and novel catalyst designs to overcome existing barriers. This work underscores the potential for disruptive technologies in nitrate and nitric acid production, advancing the transition to more sustainable and decentralized chemical processes. Congratulations to graduate student researchers - Samuel Olusegun, Yancun Qi and Nishithan C. Kani for their excellent contribution! #Electrocatalysis #Sustainability #CatalysisScience #NitrogenOxidation #GreenChemistry #MaterialsResearch

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