Electrochemical generation of oxygen-containing groups in an ordered microporous zeolite-templated carbon

Zeolite templated carbon (ZTC) was electrochemically oxidized under various conditions, and its chemistry and structural evolution were compared to those produced by conventional chemical oxidation. In both oxidation methods, a general loss of the original structure regularity and high surface area was observed with increasing amount of oxidation. However, the electrochemical method showed much better controllability and enabled the generation of a large number of oxygen functional groups while retaining the original structure of the ZTC. Unlike chemical treatments, highly microporous carbons with an ordered 3-D structure, high surface area (ranging between 1900 and 3500 m2/g) and a large number of oxygen groups (O = 11,000–3300 μmol/g), have been prepared by the electrochemical method. Some insights into the electrooxidation mechanism of carbon materials are proposed from the obtained polarization curves, using ZTC as a model carbon material.

Pseudocapacitance of zeolite-templated carbon in organic electrolytes

Carbon and graphene-based materials often show some amount of pseudocapacitance due to their oxygen-functional groups. However, such pseudocapacitance is generally negligible in organic electrolytes and has not attracted much attention. In this work, we report a large pseudocapacitance of zeolite-templated carbon (ZTC) based on the oxygen-functional groups in 1 M tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate dissolved in propylene carbonate (Et4NBF4/PC). Due to its significant amount of active edge sites, a large amount of redox-active oxygen functional groups are introduced into ZTC, and ZTC shows a high specific capacitance (330 F g−1). Experimental results suggest that the pseudocapacitance could be based on the formation of anion and cation radicals of quinones and ethers, respectively. Moreover, ZTC shows pseudocapacitance also in 1 M lithium hexafluorophosphate dissolved with a mixture of ethylene carbonate and diethyl carbonate (LiPF6/EC+DEC) which is used for lithium-ion batteries and lithium-ion capacitors.

Tailoring the surface chemistry of zeolite templated carbon by electrochemical methods

One option to optimize carbon materials for supercapacitor applications is the generation of surface functional groups that contribute to the pseudocapacitance without losing the designed physical properties. This requires suitable functionalization techniques able to selectively introduce a given amount of electroactive oxygen groups. In this work, the influence of the chemical and electrochemical oxidation methods, on the chemical and physical properties of a zeolite templated carbon (ZTC), as a model carbon material, have been studied and compared. Although both oxidation methods generally produce a loss of the original ZTC physical properties with increasing amount of oxidation, the electrochemical method shows much better controllability and, unlike chemical treatments, enables the generation of a large number of oxygen groups (O = 11000- 3300 μmol/g), with a higher proportion of active functionalities, while retaining a high surface area (ranging between 1900-3500 m2/g), a high microporosity and an ordered 3-D structure.

Study on Electrochemical Capacitance using Templated Carbons

The template carbonization technique enables the production of porous carbons and carbon-based composites with precisely designed, controlled pore structures. The resulting templated carbons are therefore useful to investigate and understand the relation between carbon nanostructure and electrocapacitive properties. In this short review paper, we introduce our works on electrochemical capacitance using zeolite-templated carbons and carbon-coated anodic aluminum oxide.

Geometrical study of the three-dimensional temperature–composition diagrams. An important aid to understand the behavior of the liquid–vapour equilibrium in ternary systems

In this work the usefulness of qualitatively studying and drawing three-dimensional temperature–composition diagrams for ternary systems is pointed out to understand and interpret the particular behavior of the liquid–vapour equilibrium of non-ideal ternary systems. Several examples have been used in order to highlight the interest and the possibilities of this tool, which should be an interesting support not only for lecturers, but also for researchers interested in experimental equilibrium data determination.

The aid of machine learning to overcome the classification of real health discharge reports written in Spanish

Hospitals attached to the Spanish Ministry of Health are currently using the International Classification of Diseases 9 Clinical Modification (ICD9-CM) to classify health discharge records. Nowadays, this work is manually done by experts. This paper tackles the automatic classification of real Discharge Records in Spanish following the ICD9-CM standard. The challenge is that the Discharge Records are written in spontaneous language. We explore several machine learning techniques to deal with the classification problem. Random Forest resulted in the most competitive one, achieving an F-measure of 0.876.

Aid decision algorithms to estimate the risk in congenital heart surgery

Background and objective: In this paper, we have tested the suitability of using different artificial intelligence-based algorithms for decision support when classifying the risk of congenital heart surgery. In this sense, classification of those surgical risks provides enormous benefits as the a priori estimation of surgical outcomes depending on either the type of disease or the type of repair, and other elements that influence the final result. This preventive estimation may help to avoid future complications, or even death. Methods: We have evaluated four machine learning algorithms to achieve our objective: multilayer perceptron, self-organizing map, radial basis function networks and decision trees. The architectures implemented have the aim of classifying among three types of surgical risk: low complexity, medium complexity and high complexity. Results: Accuracy outcomes achieved range between 80% and 99%, being the multilayer perceptron method the one that offered a higher hit ratio. Conclusions: According to the results, it is feasible to develop a clinical decision support system using the evaluated algorithms. Such system would help cardiology specialists, paediatricians and surgeons to forecast the level of risk related to a congenital heart disease surgery.

The Virtual Interactive Relationship Between BIM Project Teams: Effective Communication to aid Collaboration in the Design Process

Building Information Modelling (BIM) provides a shared source of information about a built asset, which creates a collaborative virtual environment for project teams. Literature suggests that to collaborate efficiently, the relationship between the project team is based on sympathy, obligation, trust and rapport. Communication increases in importance when working collaboratively but effective communication can only be achieved when the stakeholders are willing to act, react, listen and share information. Case study research and interviews with Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry experts suggest that synchronous face-to-face communication is project teams’ preferred method, allowing teams to socialise and build rapport, accelerating the creation of trust between the stakeholders. However, virtual unified communication platforms are a close second-preferred option for communication between the teams. Effective methods for virtual communication in professional practice, such as virtual collaboration environments (CVE), that build trust and achieve similar spontaneous responses as face-to-face communication, are necessary to face the global challenges and can be achieved with the right people, processes and technology. This research paper investigates current industry methods for virtual communication within BIM projects and explores the suitability of avatar interaction in a collaborative virtual environment as an alternative to face-to-face communication to enhance collaboration between design teams’ professional practice on a project. Hence, this paper presents comparisons between the effectiveness of these communication methods within construction design teams with results of further experiments conducted to test recommendations for more efficient methods for virtual communication to add value in the workplace between design teams.

R&D&I Tax Incentives in the European Union and State Aid Rules

Although tax incentives are an effective tool for promoting R&D&I, depending on their design they may qualify as State aid (article 107(1) of the TFEU) unless exempted by the Commission (article 107(3)). This article discusses the role of State aid rules in respect of R&D&I incentives and the need to ensure R&D&I promotion policies in Europe are on equal footing with the rest of the world, thus ensuring a level playing field for European undertakings in global markets.