Summary
The use of low‐rank coal in a clean and efficient manner is a major challenge facing the current coal technology. A high‐sulfur coal with 4.5 wt% sulfur is chosen to examine the compatibility of the pristine coal and the purified contrast with a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with nickel cermet anodes. Desulfurization of the pristine coal is performed by molten caustic leaching method with a removal ratio of 80%. Analyses of the physicochemical properties of coal samples indicate that the purified coal has a more favorable structure and higher Boudouard reactivity, which is suitable as a fuel for fuel cells. The assessment of electrochemical performance reveals that the purification treatment not only makes the peak power density of SOFCs improve from 115 to 221 mW cm−2 at 900°C but also extends their durability from 1.7 to 11.2 hours under a current density of 50 mA cm−2 at 850°C with a fuel availability increasing from 6.25% to 40%. The postmortem analyses show that far less deposited carbon and nickel sulfide are observed on the anode surface. The fuel‐based investigation reveals that the purified coal is a promising fuel for direct carbon fuel cells.
Biomedical applications and biomarkers for early clinical diagnostics and the treatment of diseases demand efficient and selective enrichment platforms for glycoproteins.
The detection and adsorption of nitroaromatic compounds such as 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) is of great importance, but the selective detection of trace DNT in water remains a challenge. Here, we report molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning using DNT as a template molecule and poly(allylamine) as a functional macromer. The physical and chemical properties of the nanofibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the DNT adsorption and selectivity properties were also studied by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results show that the nanofibers prepared using 20 wt% poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) in solvent had a good morphology and an optimal ratio of poly(allylamine) and DNT, and the imprinted nanofibers showed specific adsorption of DNT, in accordance with the Freundlich isotherm model and Scatchard analysis. Furthermore, the imprinted nanofibers showed remarkable stability and reusability, losing only 3% of their performance after eight cycles. Thus, the imprinted nanofibers fabricated by this strategy could be used for trace DNT extraction, separation, and further construction of sensors in the near future.
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