Volume 97, Issue 4

The goal of this white paper is to present an objective overview of the current use of blockchain technology along the scientific research workflow and in related areas such as chemical/drug supply chains and education. It represents the culmination of three years of data gathering, including input from multiple interviews with pioneer users of the technology, as well as from more recent adopters around the globe, and recent industry technology analysts’ reports. Within these pages are descriptions of successful applications of the technology at each step of the scientific research workflow – from the timestamping of ideas to funding, to actual experimentation, to the analysis of research results, and ultimately to the sharing of information and the publication of results. However, not all blockchain use cases have such a successful conclusion. In this white paper you will learn where the technology has not worked – and why – thanks to those interviewed who discussed in detail the lessons that they themselves learned during their own blockchain journey. In addition, the paper highlights the potential future uses of the technology; the pitfalls to avoid when considering its use; when and how legislation and regulatory policies come into play; and how the technology is evolving and growing stronger (some say that the fourth generation of the blockchain evolution is on the horizon!). The paper also discusses parallel developments in quantum computing, its potential impact on blockchain technology, and what developments are in progress to ensure a stable and provably secure, quantum safe alternative to the existing blockchain approaches.

The operational industries continuously contribute significant volumes of synthetic dyes along with other pollutants into the aquatic environment. The global issue of dye induced water contamination was addressed through facile synthesis of hydrophobically associated poly(lauryl methacrylate-acrylamide) [p(LMA-AAm)] hydrogel by free radical polymerization method. The SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) micrographs depicted suitability of the hybrid sorbent for crystal violet (CV) uptake owing to porous, rough and spongy texture. The fabricated sorbent was utilized for CV sorption by performing different tests like contact time, pH, and initial concentration effect on the CV sorption. The obtained kinetic and isothermal data fitted well into the non-linear versions of pseudo second order and Langmuir models respectively. The thermodynamics tests signified the sorption process of spontaneous and endothermic nature. After sorption, the resultant [CV/p(LMA-AAm)] waste was applied for toluene (oil probe) separation from water which performed excellent separation in the range of 83–74 % during the first three tests. Thus, the desirable sorption properties, facile fabrication and promising oil separation power may recommend the composite sorbent for applications in the relevant fields like water treatment, separation and sorption.

DHHB (n-hexyl 2-(4-N,N-diethylamino-2-hydroxybenzoyl) benzoate) is a recently developed UV absorber that demonstrates a high degree of safety, excellent efficiency, and favorable solubility properties. In this paper a catalyst was prepared to catalyze the esterification of DHHB with homemade sulfonic acid modified polystyrene microspheres coated with silica instead of conventional H 2 SO 4 . And the catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The effects of different conditions on the reaction rate and equilibrium conversion were also investigated using conventional H 2 SO 4 as a benchmark. The results showed that the catalytic activity of the catalyst did not decrease significantly after 10 consecutive cycles, and the yield of DHHB could reach 90.21 % after 2 h of reaction at 150 °C. Meanwhile, The kinetic experimental data obtained were correlated using a proposed homogeneous phase model. The synthesis of DHHB is a heat-absorbing reaction with heat of reaction and activation energies of 4.6537 kJ/mol, 43.2157 kJ/mol and 37.5735 kJ/mol for the forward and reverse reactions, respectively. It was verified that the proposed homogeneous reaction kinetic model accurately described the kinetic processes of the DHHB esterification reaction.

Tricyclodecyl-containing methacrylate polymers based on tricyclodecyl methacrylate (TCDMA), namely poly (tricyclodecyl methacrylate) [P (TCDMA)] and poly (tricyclodecyl methacrylate- co -methyl methacrylate) [P (TCDMA- co -MMA)], were synthesized by free radical polymerization. Homo- and copolymer were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and 13 C NMR spectroscopy. The effects of structural design on the thermal, mechanical, dielectric and optical properties of synthetic polymers were studied. Compared to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), the incorporation of a tricycloalkyl substituent as a side group on a methacrylate polymer helps to improve thermal stability, while providing high transparency and long-term heat resistance in the UV–visible region. In addition to improving mechanical properties, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), water absorption and dielectric constant are reduced. These advantages make tricycloalkyl-containing methacrylate polymers promising candidates for use as high value-added optical plastics in optoelectronic applications.

The metabolomic and metabolic flux analyses often require accurate measurement of amino acids, which can be effectively conducted using GC-MS analysis after preliminarily trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatization. Among the four central amino acids (glutamate, alanine, serine and aspartate) taken for the study, glutamate has the most peculiar behaviour because of pyroglutamic acid formation. We have discovered that spontaneous non-enzymatic cyclisation occurs only if we dry glutamate from aqueous solution before starting TMS derivatization in pyridine. We investigated various factors during sample preparation and injection into the GC that could affect glutamate cyclisation, and the decisive factor was the presence of water in the sample, which could catalyse the glutamate cyclization process. Very important practical advice was demonstrated that drying from a water-methanol solution (1:1, v/v) instead of drying from water solution significantly prevents the formation of pyroglutamate. Brief research of three other amino-acids indicate the similar problems for alanine and serine amino acids: formations of anhydrides likely happened during drying from pure water solutions.

Mild steel is extensively used in various industrial applications but is susceptible to corrosion in aggressive environments. This study investigates the efficacy of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel, specifically focusing on zinc-aluminium LDH intercalated with nitrate synthesized at different pH values (pH 7, pH 8, and pH 10). The variation in pH significantly influences the composition and subsequent inhibition behavior of the LDH. Characterization of the synthesized LDHs was performed using Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Additionally, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and CHNS elemental analysis were utilized to assess surface morphology and inhibitor loading. Results demonstrated that the ZnAl LDH synthesized at pH 8 exhibited a well-defined structure and the highest inhibitor loading. Corrosion inhibition studies were conducted on mild steel immersed in a neutral 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, utilizing Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and Potentiodynamic Polarization. Notably, 0.1 g/L of the pH 8 ZnAl LDH achieved an impressive inhibition efficiency of 95.18 %, as indicated by the potentiodynamic polarization results. The LDH demonstrated both anodic and cathodic inhibition effects, with the corrosion inhibition mechanism attributed to the controlled release of nitrate ions, which form a passive layer on the steel surface, and the entrapment of chlorides within the LDH structure, thereby reducing the concentration of harmful chlorides in the environment.