Almeida, RM, Dell'Acqua S, Moura I, Pauleta SR, Moura JJG.
2017.
Electron transfer and molecular recognition in denitrification and nitrate dissimilatory pathways. Metalloenzymes in Denitrification: Applications and Environmental Impacts, RSC Metallobiology Series No. 9 (ISBN: 978-1-78262-376-2).. (
Moura, I., Moura, J. J. G., Pauleta, S. R., Maia, L. B., Eds.).:252-286.: Royal Society of Chemistry
Peters, J, Baumann M, Zimmermann B, Braun J, Weil M.
2017.
The environmental impact of Li-Ion batteries and the role of key parameters - A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2017(67):491-506.
AbstractThe increasing presence of Li-Ion batteries (LIB) in mobile and stationary energy storage applications has triggered a growing interest in the environmental impacts associated with their production. Numerous studies on the potential environmental impacts of LIB production and LIB-based electric mobility are available, but these are very heterogeneous and the results are therefore difficult to compare. Furthermore, the source of inventory data, which is key to the outcome of any study, is often difficult to trace back. This paper provides a review of LCA studies on Li-Ion batteries, with a focus on the battery production process. All available original studies that explicitly assess LIB production are summarized, the sources of inventory data are traced back and the main assumptions are extracted in order to provide a quick overview of the technical key parameters used in each study. These key parameters are then compared with actual battery data from industry and research institutions. Based on the results from the reviewed studies, average values for the environmental impacts of LIB production are calculated and the relevance of different assumptions for the outcomes of the different studies is pointed out. On average, producing 1 Wh of storage capacity is associated with a cumulative energy demand of 328 Wh and causes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 110 gCO2eq. Although the majority of existing studies focus on GHG emissions or energy demand, it can be shown that impacts in other categories such as toxicity might be even more important. Taking into account the importance of key parameters for the environmental performance of Li-Ion batteries, research efforts should not only focus on energy density but also on maximizing cycle life and charge-discharge efficiency.
Maia, LB, Moura I, Moura JJG.
2017.
EPR spectroscopy on mononuclear molybdenum-containing enzymes. Future Directions in Metalloprotein and Metalloenzyme Research, Biological Magnetic Resonance, Vol. 33 (ISBN: 978-3-319-59100-1). (
Hanson, G., Berliner, L.J., Eds.).:55-101., Cham: Springer International Publishing
AbstractThe biological relevance of molybdenum was demonstrated in the early 1950s-1960s, by Bray, Beinert, Lowe, Massey, Palmer, Ehrenberg, Pettersson, Vänngård, Hanson and others, with ground-breaking studies performed, precisely, by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Those earlier studies, aimed to investigate the mammalian xanthine oxidase and avian sulfite oxidase enzymes, demonstrated the surprising biological reduction of molybdenum to the paramagnetic Mo5+. Since then, EPR spectroscopy, alongside with other spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallography, has contributed to our present detailed knowledge about the active site structures, catalytic mechanisms and structure/activity relationships of the molybdenum-containing enzymes.
This Chapter will provide a perspective on the contribution that EPR spectroscopy has made to some selected systems. After a brief overview on molybdoenzymes, the Chapter will be focused on the EPR studies of mammalian xanthine oxidase, with a brief account on the prokaryotic aldehyde oxidoreductase, nicotinate dehydrogenase and carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, vertebrate sulfite oxidase, and prokaryotic formate dehydrogenases and nitrate reductases.
Versteeg, T, Baumann M, Weil M, Moniz AB.
2017.
Exploring emerging battery technology for grid-connected energy storage with Constructive Technology Assessment. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 115:99-110.
AbstractThe last decades have shown an increasing amount of research into expectations of science and technology. Especially for emerging technologies, expectations held by different stakeholder are guiding the direction of research and development. In this article the results of an investigation into the expectations of specific actors regarding the development of emerging battery technology for applications in the power grid are presented. It is set up as an explorative study within the framework of Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA). A number of studies since the 1990s have indicated a growing need for energy storage options in the power grid, where batteries appear to be capable of providing a range of valuable services to the grid. Cost-effectiveness on a large scale will however require considerable technical improvements. The configuration of energy storage may differ in the specific location and exploitation of the storage assets, as well as in the investments in new storage capacity. In this study the visions and expectations of several relevant actors are analysed using interviews and surveys in terms of expectations of technological development, expectations concerning stakeholder roles, and channels of interaction between the relevant actors. The results indicate a divide in expectations between the user side of the technology (the electric power industry) and the development side (academic researchers). Opinions differ with respect to the obstacles to technological development, the actors relevant in early technological development, and the most suitable channels for interaction between these actors. It follows from the theoretical background that conflicts in expectations provide the opportunity for the acceleration of technological development and adoption through stakeholder participation. Small interactive workshops, where conflicts identified in this paper are discussed, were identified as a suitable channel in order to reach consensus in visions and expectations for battery technology.
Watson, C, Niks D, Hille R, Vieira M, Schoepp-Cothenet B, Marques AT, Romão MJ, Santos-Silva T, Santini JM.
2017.
Electron transfer through arsenite oxidase: Insights into Rieske interaction with cytochrome c. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics. 1858:865-872., Number 10
AbstractArsenic is a widely distributed environmental toxin whose presence in drinking water poses a threat to >140 million people worldwide. The respiratory enzyme arsenite oxidase from various bacteria catalyses the oxidation of arsenite to arsenate and is being developed as a biosensor for arsenite. The arsenite oxidase from Rhizobium sp. str. NT-26 (a member of the Alphaproteobacteria) is a heterotetramer consisting of a large catalytic subunit (AioA), which contains a molybdenum centre and a 3Fe-4S cluster, and a small subunit (AioB) containing a Rieske 2Fe-2S cluster. Stopped-flow spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) have been used to better understand electron transfer through the redox-active centres of the enzyme, which is essential for biosensor development. Results show that oxidation of arsenite at the active site is extremely fast with a rate of >4000s−1 and reduction of the electron acceptor is rate-limiting. An AioB-F108A mutation results in increased activity with the artificial electron acceptor DCPIP and decreased activity with cytochrome c, which in the latter as demonstrated by ITC is not due to an effect on the protein-protein interaction but instead to an effect on electron transfer. These results provide further support that the AioB F108 is important in electron transfer between the Rieske subunit and cytochrome c and its absence in the arsenite oxidases from the Betaproteobacteria may explain the inability of these enzymes to use this electron acceptor.
Correa, CR, Bernardo M, Ribeiro RPPL, Esteves IAAC, Kruse A.
2017.
Evaluation of hydrothermal carbonization as a preliminary step for the production of functional materials from biogas digestate. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis. 124:461-474.
AbstractDigestate from a biogas plant that uses solely biomass for biogas production was used as precursor material for the production of activated carbon as an alternative to increase its added value. The digestate was converted into hydrochar by hydrothermal carbonization varying the temperature (190–250°C), residence time (3 and 6h), and pH (5 and 7). Temperature followed by residence time had the strongest influence on the chemical composition and thermal stability of the hydrochars. A significant effect of the pH was not observed. The hydrochars were chemically activated to enhance the surface area and use them as activated carbon. As a consequence, the surface areas increased from 8 to 14m2/g (hydrochars) to 930–1351m2/g (activated carbons). Furthermore, large micropore volumes were measured (0.35–0.50cm3/g). The activated carbons were studied as adsorbents in gas phase applications, showing that the product of digestate is a very effective adsorbent for carbon dioxide (CO2). Especially the activated carbon obtained from the hydrochar produced at 250°C for 6h, which adsorbed 8.80mol CO2/kg at 30°C and 14.8bar. Additionally, the activated carbons showed a stronger affinity towards CO2 compared to methane (CH4), which makes this material suitable for the upgrading of raw biogas to biomethane.