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The objective of HYTHEC—HYdrogen THErmo-chemical Cycles—is to investigate the effective potential for massive hydrogen production of the S–I thermo-chemical cycle, and to compare it with the hybrid S Westinghouse (WH) cycle. The project aims to conduct flow-sheeting, industrial scale-up, safety and costs modelling, to improve the fundamental knowledge and efficiency of the S–I cycle H2 production step, and to investigate a solar primary energy source for the H2SO4 decomposition step which is common to both the cycles. Initial reference flowsheets have been prepared and compared. First data and results are available now on the coupling of S–I cycle with a very high temperature nuclear reactor, scale-up to industrial level and cost estimation, improvement of the knowledge of the HIx mixture (S–I cycle) and membrane separation, splitting of sulphuric acid using a solar furnace, and plant concepts regarding the WH process

Polypyrrole (PPy) has been deposited from aqueous solution onto submicrometer-sized sulfur-rich poly[bis(4-vinylthiophenyl)sulfide] (PMPV) latex particles. The PMPV seed particles and resulting composite particles were extensively characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, helium pycnometry, Raman spectroscopy, and electrical conductivity measurements. Four-point probe measurements on pressed pellets indicate conductivities of around 6 × 10-5 S cm-1 for a polypyrrole loading of approximately 11.5%. This suggests a somewhat patchy, nonuniform polypyrrole overlayer, which is consistent with our Raman spectroscopy studies. Despite their relatively low conductivities, these polypyrrole-coated PMPV latexes can be accelerated up to hypervelocities (>20 km s-1) using a high voltage (2 MV) van de Graaf instrument. In view of their high sulfur contents (ca. 28%), these new electrically conductive latexes are expected to be interesting synthetic mimics for understanding the behavior of sulfur-based micrometeorites, whose existence has been postulated by planetary scientists investigating signs of volcanic activity on one of Jupiter's moons (Io).

The potential photodynamic therapy photosensitizers Methylene Blue, Azure C, Methylene Violet, Thionine, Methylene Green, Haematoporphyrin, Nile Blue A, chloroaluminium phthalocyanine and bis-aluminium phthalocyanine were examined for their photoeffects and dark toxicity against a human superficial bladder carcinoma cell-line. By examination of [3H]thymidine uptake into dye-treated cells after irradiation with a copper-vapour pumped dye laser, it was found that Methylene Blue was the most phototoxic and dark toxic of all the dyes tested, suggesting that the dye might be of some use as a topically applied photodrug for use in photodynamic therapy of superficial or early-recurring carcinomas.

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