Toxic and expensive metals like Osmium,Chromium and Ruthenium in different oxidation states have been exhaustively used as catalysts for organic reactions.The use of these metals is hazardous to the environment and hence should be reduced as far as possible.We have successfully used less toxic and cheaper transition metal ions of the first series to catalyze the oxidation of some industrially important alcohols by Ammonium meta vanadate under  mildly acidic conditions.

Some of the alcohols oxidized are:

1)Acyclic alcohols –The primary alcohols, Nerol,Citronellol and Geraniol are used in the preparation of perfumes.

2) Cyclic alcohols-The secondary alcohols, Cyclopentanol.Cyclohexanol and Cyclooctanol are used in the manufacture of polymers,plasticizers  and pharmaceuticals.

3)Substituted ethanols-2-Chloroethanol,2-Butoxyethanol and 2-Phenoxyethanol are used in the preparation of varnishes,crop protection chemicals and industrial cleaners.

The oxidation was studied under first order kinetic conditions with respect to the inorganic oxidant and the progress of oxidation was monitored iodometrically.From the variation of oxidation rate with temperature (303-313K), the thermodynamical activation parameters of the oxidation process were evaluated and interpreted.The sequences of oxidation rates of alcohols has been explained on the basis of their steric,isomeric and structural characteristics.

Transition metal ions ,Mn(II),Co(II) and Ni(II) have been used to catalyze the oxidation of alcohols.For each alcohol under study ,the sequence of catalytic efficiencies of the metal ion catalysts has been determined. The oxidation rates of all alcohols studied   varied linearly with the metal ion catalyst concentration.

A suitable reaction mechanism has been suggested for the oxidation of alcohols using Ammonium meta vanadate in acidic medium.

Nitropolycyclic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) are environmental pollutants that consist of several fused aromatic rings containing one or two nitro (NO2) groups attached to the aromatic rings. It is thought that the photodegradation of NPAHs is related to the geometrical orientation of the nitro groups. To test this hypothesis, the effect of irradiation on 6-nitrochrysene, 9-nitroanthracene and 6-nitrobenzo(a)pyrene has been investigated, when both the NPAHs are dissolved in CH3CN solution and when they are adsorbed onto various solid surfaces. In solution, there appears to be no clear relationship between the photodegradation and the orientation of the nitro groups while, in the solid-state, the nature of surface does have some influence. Recent Publications 1. Nada S, Reddy H, Hunter H, Butler I S and Kozinski J A (2015) Supercritical water gasification of lactose as a model compound for dairy industry effluents. Industrial Engineering Chemistry Research 54:9296-9306. 2. Calahoo C, Zwanziger J W and Butler I S (2016) Mechanical-structural investigation of ion-exchanged lithium silicate glasses using micro-Raman spectroscopy. Journal of Physical Chemistry C 120:7213-7232. 3. Asghar F, Fatima S, Rana, Badshah A, Butler I S and Muhammad M N (2017) Synthesis, spectroscopic investigation and DFT study of N,N’-disubstituted ferrocene-based thiourea Complexes as potential anticancer agents. Dalton Transactions 47:1868-1878. 4. Mink J, Mihaly J, Nesmeth C, Hajba, L, Nemeth P, Drees M, Lokshin B V, Wolf M and Butler I S (2017) Preparation and characterization by infrared emission spectroscopy and applications of new mineral-based composite materials of medical interest. Applied Spectroscopy Reviews 53(6):439-485. 5. Fathy A A, Butler I S, El Rahman M A, Jean Claude B J and Mostafa S I (2018) Anticancer evaluation and drug delivery of new palladium(II) complexes based on the chelate of alendronate onto hydroxyapatite nanoparticles. Inorganica Chimica Acta 473:44-50.

Modeling and numerical simulation for solid-liquid phase-change problem has become an active area in the last several decades due to its wide applications in energy systems as well as thermal manufacturing, building systems and in thermal energy storage systems. Phase-change thermal energy storage systems can store thermal energy while being subjected to heat input and then release it to the environment over a long period of time. Therefore, they are especially suitable for space applications involving pulsed power loads, such as a large amount of heat rejection from a power cycle in a short period of time. Advances in numerical simulation of natural convection controlled melting for latent heat thermal energy storage system which has been systematically investigated by our group. An interfacial tracking model is developed to simulate melting in an enclosure with presence of natural convection. It obtains the melting front location by calculating energy balance at solid-liquid interface and is a simple and convenient method to solve the solid-liquid phase-change problem. It combines the advantages of the both deforming and fixed grids methods and can handle natural convection-controlled melting and solidification problems. Melting in porous media within a rectangular enclosure with presence of natural convection is also simulated using the interfacial tracking method. Convection in the liquid region is modeled using the Navier-Stokes equation with Darcy’s term and Forchheimer’s extension. A hybrid lattice Boltzmann and finite volume model is proposed to solve the natural convection controlled melting problem. Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) is applied to solve the velocity field while the temperature field is obtained by the Finite Volume Method (FVM). Three-dimensional melting problems are investigated numerically with Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Multiple-Relaxation-Time (MRT) models are employed to simplify the collision term in LBM and temperature and velocity fields are solved with double distribution functions, respectively. Recent Publications 1. Mao Y, Afrin N, Chen JK and Zhang Y (2018) Numerical simulation of complex flow and heat transfer induced by localized laser heating on a urethane-coated substrate. Numer. Heat Transfer 73:63-77. 2. Mao Y, Zhang B, Chen CL and Zhang Y (2017) Hybrid atomistic-continuum simulation of nanostructured defectsinduced bubble growth. J. Heat Transfer 139(10):104503. 3. Mohammadian S K and Zhang Y (2017) Cumulative effects of using pin fin heat sink and porous metal foam on thermal management of lithium-ion batteries. Appl. Therm. Eng. 118:375-384. 4. Ji P and Zhang Y (2017) Electron-Phonon coupled heat transfer and thermal response induced by femtosecond laser heating of gold. J. Heat Transfer 139(5):052001. 5. Rassoulinejad-Mousavi SM, Mao Y and Zhang Y (2016) Evaluation of copper, aluminum and nickel interatomic potentials on predicting the elastic properties. J. Appl. Phys. 119:245102.

The preparation of nano scale materials is one of the most exciting areas of modern science and is at the forefront of the quest for a sustainable future. The field of nanotechnology has generated a great deal of interest primarily because on this size scale numerous new and potentially useful properties have been observed. These size dependent properties include melting point, specific heat, surface reactivities, catalytic, magnetic and optical properties. In particular, the author’s group is working on new synthetic methods to control the size, shape and composition of nano scale materials and applying them in systems integral to alternative energy technologies, pharmaceuticals, biomass upgrading, batteries, petrochemicals and environmental cleanup. Recently, the author’s research group has developed techniques to produce a number of new nano scale materials that have demonstrated unique catalytic activities through controlled faceting as well as novel intercalation strategies that impart robustness. Here, an overview of the recent highlights regarding these materials and their application in catalytic applications will be presented. Figure: ZnO nanoflower and Au icosahedra Recent Publications 1. Feng Lin, Bogdan E Cojocaru, Luke S Williams, Christopher A Cadigan, Chixia Tian, Maria Nicoleta Grecu, Huolin L Xin, Shubham Vyas, Vasile I Parvulescu and Ryan M Richards (2017) Intermediate selectivity in the oxidation of phenols using plasmonic Au/ZnO photocatalysts. Nanoscale 27:9359-9364. 2. Amy E Settle, Laura Berstis, Nicholas A Rorrer, Yuriy Roman-Leshkóv, Gregg T Beckham, Ryan M Richards and Derek R Vardon (2017) Heterogeneous Diels-Alder-catalysis for biomass-derived aromatic compounds. Green Chemistry 19:3468-3492. 3. Mengze Xu, Calvin Mukurakate, Kristiina Iisa, Sridhar Budhi, Malcolm Davidson, David J Robichaud, Mark R Nimlos, Brian G Trewyn and Ryan M Richards (2017) Deactivation of multi-layered MFI nanosheet zeolite during upgrading of biomass pyrolysis vapors. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 5:5477-5484. 4. Samuel H Gage, Brian G Trewyn, Cristian V Ciobanu, Svitlana Pylypenko and Ryan M Richards (2016) Synthetic advancements and catalytic applications of nickel nitride. Catalysis Science and Technology 6: 4059-4076.

Emerging pollutants are causing severe environmental problems. Many new pollutants appear at low concentrations, but because of their physiological effects major effects on ecosystems can be seen, in spite of the trace amounts present. Endocrine disruptors constitute one group of chemicals that have hormonal effects on many animals, and even human beings. Much effort has been spent on monitoring the level of pollution, but less on strategies to combat the threat. Because of the very low concentrations, many of the emerging pollutants, hormone active substances, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, flame retardants etc. pass untreated through the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and get released to the recipient. Pharmaceutical biotechnology operates with high resolving separation technology. In an effort to transfer this to environmental technology, one needs to identify the hurdles to overcome: selectivity; robustness of the affinity receptor and; improved compatibility of the adsorbents with the harsh conditions in wastewater. For this matter we used molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as affinity receptors. These are made of robust polymer material, but have still excellent selectivity and very good affinity for the targets. The MIPs were introduced into a composite cryogel with large pores. This makes it possible to handling crude feed stocks, even with microbial cells present. In order to stabilize the composite gels, they were placed in plastic housings, similar to what is used for cultivation of microbes in WWTP. Plastic housings of different sizes or shapes make it possible to separate composites that have captured different types of pollutants. After regeneration, the adsorbent is ready for a new cycle. When treating effluent from the WWTP in Lund municipality, one could enrich endocrine disruptors and release water where no traces of the pollutants could be detected. MIPs have also been used as recognition elements when designing biosensors for environmental monitoring.

Important conservation efforts are often directed to protect emblematic species or biomes whereas; small closest and less majestic habitats are usually forgotten. That is the case of small ponds. Despite of the great biodiversity they shelter and of their indubitable social and ecological value, these ecosystems are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. The value of these ecosystems is incalculable. Among the goods and services they provide, it would have to highlight the regulation of aquifer loading and unloading, brine and salt supply, flood control, carbon sequestration, water storage, regulation of nutrients cycles, production/recycling of organic matter, sediment retention, source of great biodiversity, green tourism, spiritual enrichment and aesthetic experiences and so on. In the particular case of the Andalusian ponds, South Spain as in other parts of the world, the main threats of these ecosystems are climate change, drainage and ploughing to increase cultivable areas, wetlands siltation due to the high soil losses because of the olive growing, increase or decrease of salinity as a result of irrigation techniques adopted and contamination with pesticides, herbicides and drugs. Of particular concern is the latest threat mentioned, since it affects not only wetlands but also reservoirs whose water is for human consumption. In this plenary talk, we want to briefly show the knowledge acquired by our research group after two decades of studying these valuable ecosystems and the strategies we have carried out to make their values known to different sectors of society. Recent Publications 1. Gilbert J D, de Vicente I, Ortega F, García-Muñoz E, Jiménez-Melero R, Parra G and Guerrero F (2017) Linking watershed land uses and crustacean assemblages in Mediterranean wetlands. Hydrobiologia 799(1):181–191. 2. Parra G, Galotti A, Jiménez-Melero F, Guerrero F, Sanchez-Moyano E, Jiménez-Gómez F and Conradi M (2016) Effects of experimental long-term CO2 exposure on Daphnia magna. Chemosphere 156:272-279. 3. Gilbert J D, de Vicente I, Ortega F, Jiménez-Melero R, Parra G and Guerrero F (2015) A comprehensive evaluation of the crustacean assemblages in southern Iberian Mediterranean wetlands. Journal of Limnology 74(1):169-181. 4. Jiménez-Melero R, Gilbert J D and Guerrero F (2014) Seasonal variation in the sex ratio of Arctodiaptomus salinus (Copepoda:Calanoida): Does it agree with the “cheaper-sex” hypothesis? Journal of Plankton Research 36(6):1413– 1418. 5. Gilbert J D, de Vicente I, Jiménez-Melero R, Parra G and Guerrero F (2014) Selecting priority conservation areas based on zooplankton diversity: the case of Mediterranean wetlands. Marine and Freshwater Research 65(10):857–871.

Supplemental damping strategies are increasingly adopted for seismic retrofit of frame structures also in consideration of their low-impact architectural and environmental characteristics. A further spreading of these technologies in the professional community strongly depends on the availability of simple design procedures, especially concerning the preliminary sizing of the dissipaters. A viable design criterion was recently proposed by the author to this aim and applied to the retrofit study of a reinforced concrete gym buiding. A new case study, namely a school building in Florence dating back to the early 1980s, is examined in this paper, so as to evaluate the feasibility of the criterion for a more complex structure. The building is composed of two portions, with reinforced concrete and steel frame structure, respectively. Similarly to several other buildings of the same period, the structure is infilled by heavy reinforced concrete panels interacting with the frame elements under horizontal loads. A careful reconstruction of the structural characteristics of the constituting members, based on the original design documentation and on-site testing campaigns, highlighted specific drawbacks in current state, related to a remarkable degradation of the materials and a poor performance of several elements. The retrofit solution considered in this study consists in removing the infill panels and replacing them with a set of dissipative braces incorporating fluid viscous dampers as protective devices. The design is carried out by the sizing criterion mentioned above, targeting an elastic structural response up to the maximum considered earthquake normative level. A performance analysis carried out in retrofitted conditions confirms that the proposed sizing criterion helps optimizing the mechanical characteristics of the dampers by carrying out simple procedural design steps. Recent Publications 1. Sorace S, Terenzi G and Licari M (2015) Traditional and viscous dissipative steel braced top addition strategies for a R/C building. International Journal of Structural Engineering, 6(4):332-353. 2. Sorace S, Terenzi G and Mori C (2016) Passive energy dissipation-based retrofit strategies for R/C frame water towers. Engineering Structures 106:385-398. 3. Sorace S, Terenzi G, Bitossi C and Mori E (2016) Mutual seismic assessment and isolation of different art objects. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering 85:91-102. 4. Sorace S and Terenzi G (2016) Analysis and seismic isolation of an older reinforced concrete vaulted building. Contemporary Engineering Sciences 9(25):1201-1215. 5. Sorace S and Terenzi G (2017) Existing prefab R/C industrial buildings: seismic assessment and supplemental damping-based retrofit. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering 94:193-203.