Here, we reported a strategy of using an eggshell membrane to produce hierarchically porous carbon as a low-cost substrate for synthesizing nano nickel oxide catalyst (C@NiO), which can effectively turn biowaste -urea into energy through an electrochemical approach. The interwoven carbon networks within NiO led to highly efficient urea oxidation due to the strong synergistic effect. The as-prepared electrode only needed 1.36 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode to realize high efficiency of 10 mA cm -2 in 1.0 M KOH with 0.33 M urea and delivered an even higher current density of 25 mA cm -2 at 1.46 V, which is smaller than that of the porous carbon and commercial Pt/C catalyst. Benefiting from theoretical calculations, Ni(III) active species and the porous carbon further enabled the electrocatalyst to effectively inhibit the "CO2 poisoning" of electrocatalysts, as well as ensuring its superior performance for urea oxidation.

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The stiffness and tensile strength of biopolymers (e.g., polylactic acid (PLA)) are less than desirable for load-bearing applications in their neat form. The use of natural fibers as reinforcements for composites (for large-scale three-dimensional (3D) printing) has expanded rapidly, attributable to their low weight, low cost, high stiffness, and renewable nature. Silane and acid/alkali are typically used to modify the surface of natural fibers to improve the fiber/polymer interfacial adhesion. In this study, a simple method of impregnation was developed to modify pine fibers (loblolly, mesh size of 90–180 μm, 30 wt %) with a solvent-borne epoxy to reinforce PLA. As a benefit of the epoxy modification (0.5–10 wt %), the tensile strengths and Young’s moduli of the epoxy-modified pine/PLA composites increased by up to 20 and 82%, respectively, as compared to that of neat PLA. The epoxy-modified pine/PLA composites, with an optimum epoxy modification (1.0 wt %), had fewer voids on the fracture surface as compared with pine/PLA composites without the modification of pine fibers via epoxy. Results confirmed that epoxy partially penetrated the pore/hollow inner structures of pine fibers and improved the fiber/matrix interfacial adhesion. Epoxy modification is found to be a simple and effective technique to improve the properties of biocomposites.

Interest in novel uses of biogas has increased recently due to concerns about climate change and greater emphasis on renewable energy sources. Although biogas is frequently used in low-value applications such as heating and fuel in engines or even just flared, reforming is an emerging strategy for converting biogas to syngas, which could then be used to obtain high-value-added liquid fuels and chemicals. Interest also exists due to the role of dry, bi-, and tri-reforming in the capture and utilization of CO 2 . New research efforts have explored efficient and effective reforming catalysts, as specifically applied to biogas. In this paper, we review recent developments in dry, bi-, and tri-reforming, where the CO 2 in biogas is used as an oxidant/ partial oxidant. The synthesis, characterization, lifetime, deactivation, and regeneration of candidate reforming catalysts are discussed in detail. The thermodynamic limitation and techno-economics of biogas conversion are also discussed.

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Upgrading pyrolysis oil by hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is a promising route for the production of advanced biofuels. The proper reaction conditions and catalysts are important for the success of this process. Previously our research group investigated the ratio of Zn and Pd on the synergistic effect for HDO bio-oil upgrading. This present research focuses on determining the optimal 3 reaction conditions for HDO conversion of pyrolysis oil produced from pine sawdust. Temperatures of 150, 200 and 250 o C and hydrogen pressures of 1.38, 2.76 and 4.14 MPa were evaluated. Syngas, liquids and coke were the primary products evaluated. Syngas was characterized using a Gas chromatography (GC). The liquids were characterized using a Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Increasing reaction temperature resulted in increased coke yields. Treatment at 250 °C and 1.38 MPa resulted in the highest hydrocarbon content (6.06%). The treatment at 200 °C and 1.38 MPa produced the largest amounts of hydrocarbons in C 6-C 12 range (5.07%). The physicochemical characterizations further support the GCMS results. Syngas analysis revealed that higher hydrogen pressure leads to increased hydrogen consumption and results in more oxy-compounds conversion to hydrocarbons. The syngas analysis also supports the liquid analysis result.

The production of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) continues to receive considerable attention because of their desirable material characteristics for a variety of consumer applications. There are, however, challenges that remain in transitioning CNFs from research to widespread adoption in the industrial sectors, including production cost and material performance. This Review covers CNFs produced from nonconventional fibrillation methods as a potential alternative solution. Pretreating biomass by biological, chemical, mechanical, or physical means can render plant feedstocks more facile for processing and thus lower energy requirements to produce CNFs. CNFs from nonconventional fibrillation methods have been investigated for various applications, including films, composites, aerogels, and Pickering emulsifiers. Continued research is needed to develop protocols to standardize the characterization (e.g., degree of fibrillation) of the lignocellulosic fibrillation processes and resulting CNF products to make them more attractive to the industry for specific product applications.

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