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Fuel cells, hydrogen and energy supply in Australia

Australia is unique in terms of its geography, population distribution, and energy sources. It has an abundance of fossil fuel in the form of coal, natural gas, coal seam methane (CSM), oil, and a variety renewable energy sources that are under development. Unfortunately, most of the natural gas is located so far away from the main centres of population that it is more economic to ship the energy as LNG to neighboring countries. Electricity generation is the largest consumer of energy in Australia and accounts for around 50% of greenhouse gas emissions as 84% of electricity is produced from coal. Unless these emissions are curbed, there is a risk of increasing temperatures throughout the country and associated climatic instability. To address this, research is underway to develop coal gasification and processes for the capture and sequestration Of CO2. Alternative transport fuels such as biodiesel are being introduced to help reduce emissions from vehicles. The future role of hydrogen is being addressed in a national study commissioned this year by the federal government. Work at the University of Queensland is also addressing full-cycle analysis of hydrogen production, transport, storage, and utilization for both stationary and transport applications. There is a modest but growing amount of university research in fuel cells in Australia, and an increasing interest from industry. Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd. (CFCL) has a leading position in planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) technology, which is being developed for a variety of applications, and next year Perth in Western Australia is hosting a trial of buses powered by proton-exchange fuel cells. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nematocidal thiocyanatins from a southern Australian marine sponge Oceanapia sp.

Investigations of a southern Australian marine sponge, Oceanapia sp., have yielded two new methyl branched bisthiocyanates, thiocyanatins D-1 (3a) and D-2 (3b), along with two new thiocarbamate thiocyanates, thiocyanatins E-l (4a) and E-2 (4b). The new thiocyanatins belong to a rare class of bioactive marine metabolite previously only represented by thiocyanatins A-C (1, 2a/b). Structures were assigned on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis, with comparisons to the known bisthiocyanate thiocyanatin A (1) and synthetic model compounds (5-7). The thiocyanatins exhibit potent nematocidal activity, and preliminary structure-activity relationship investigations have confirmed key characteristics of the thiocyanatin pharmacophore.

Blanchaquinone: A new anthraquinone from an Australian Streptomyces sp.

Chemical analysis of an Australian Streptomyces species yielded a range of known anthracyclines and biosynthetically related metabolites, including daunomycin (1), E-rhodomycinone (2), 11-hydroxyauramycinone (3), 11-hydroxysulfurmycinone (4), aklavinone (5), bisanhydro-gamma-rhodomycinone (6), and the anthraquinone 7, as well as the hitherto unreported blanchaquinone (8). The structure assigned to 8 was secured by detailed spectroscopic analysis and correlation to known analogues, such as the anthraquinone 7. This account also represents the first natural occurrence of 3, 4, and 7 and the first spectroscopic characterization of 11-hydroxysulfurmycinone (4).

Rugulotrosins A and B: Two new antibacterial metabolites from an Australian isolate of a penicillium sp.

Two new antibacterial agents, rugulotrosin A (1) and B (2), were obtained from cultures of a Penicillium sp. isolated from soil samples acquired near Sussex Inlet, New South Wales, Australia. Rugulotrosin A (1) is a chiral symmetric dimer, and its relative stereostructure was determined by spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Rugulotrosin B (2) is a chiral asymmetric dimer isomeric with 1. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic analysis with comparison to the co-metabolite 1 and previously reported fungal metabolites. Both rugulotrosins A and B displayed significant antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, while rugulotrosin A was also strongly active against Enterococcus faecalis and B. cereus.

Gymnoascolides A-C: Aromatic butenolides from an Australian isolate of the soil ascomycete Gymnoascus reessii

Three new aromatic butenolides, gymnoascolides A-C (1-3), have been isolated from the Australian soil ascomycete Gymnoascus reessii and assigned structures on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations of gymnoascolides B (2) and C (3) at C-5 were solved using a combination of chemical derivatization and quantum chemical simulations.

Calbistrin E and two other new metabolites from an Australian isolate of Penicillium striatisporum

An Australian isolate of Penicillium striatisporum collected near Shalvey, New South Wales, exhibited selective antifungal activity against Candida albicans versus Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Bioassay-directed fractionation yielded members of the rare class of fungal metabolites known as the calbistrins. These included a new example of this structure class, calbistrin E (1), as well as the known polyenes calbistrin C (2) and deformylcalbistrin A (3). Also recovered from P. striatisporum were new triene and butenolide acids, striatisporin A (4) and striatisporolide A (5), together with the known fungal metabolites versiol (6) and (+)-hexylitaconic acid (7). Structures for all metabolites were determined by detailed spectroscopic analysis.

Spongosoritin A: A new polyketide from a Fijian marine sponge, Spongosorites sp.

A new polyketide, spongosoritin A, with a rare vinylagous alpha,beta-unsaturated gamma-lactone moiety was isolated from a Fijian marine sponge, Spongosorites sp., and the structure assigned by detailed spectroscopic analysis.

Roquefortine E, a diketopiperazine from an Australian isolate of Gymnoascus reessii

The new isoprenylated diketopiperazine roquefortine E (6) has been isolated from an Australian soil isolate of the ascomycete Gymnoascus reessii. The known fungal metabolite roquefortine C (1) was also recovered as the major antibacterial principle, and all structures were assigned by detailed spectroscopic analysis.

A galloylated cyanogenic glycoside from the Australian endemic rainforest tree Elaeocarpus sericopetalus (Elaeocarpaceae)

A cyanogenic glycoside -6'-O-galloylsambunigrin - has been isolated from the foliage of the Australian tropical rainforest tree species Elaeocarpus sericopetalus F. Muell. (Elaeocarpaceae). This is the first formal characterisation of a cyanogenic constituent in the Elaeocarpaceae family, and only the second in the order Malvales. 6'-O-galloylsambunigrin was identified as the principal glycoside, accounting for 91% of total cyanogen in a leaf methanol extract. Preliminary analyses indicated that the remaining cyanogen content may comprise small quantities of sambunigrin, as well as di- and tri-gallates of sambunigrin. E. sericopetalus was found to have foliar concentrations of cyanogenic glycosides among the highest reported for tree leaves, up to 5.2 mg CN g(-1) dry wt. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isokibdelones: Novel heterocyclic polyketides from a Kibdelosporangium sp.

The isokibdelones are an unprecedented family of polyketides produced by an Australian isolate of a rare actinomycete, Kibdelosporangium sp. The structures of the isokibdelones were assigned by spectroscopic analysis and chemical interconversion. A proposed biosynthesis requires a novel molecular twist that generates an unprecedented heterocyclic system and differentiates the isokibdelones from their kibdelone co-metabolites. SAR analysis on the isokibdelones further defines the anticancer pharmacophore of these novel polyketides.

Polyenylpyrroles and polyenylfurans from an Australian isolate of the soil ascomycete Gymnoascus reessii

An Australian isolate of the soil ascomycete Gymnoascus reessii yielded a series of cytotoxic metabolites, including the known polyenylpyrroles rumbrin (1) and auxarconjugatin A (2), and the new rumbrin stereoisomer 12E-isorumbrin (3), as well as an unprecedented class of polyenylfurans exemplified by gymnoconjugatins A (4) and B (5). Structures were assigned with detailed spectroscopic analysis.

Hydrogen from coal: Production and utilisation technologies

Error condition detected Although coal may be viewed as a dirty fuel due to its high greenhouse emissions when combusted, a strong case can be made for coal to be a major world source of clean H-2 energy. Apart from the fact that resources of coal will outlast oil and natural gas by centuries, there is a shift towards developing environmentally benign coal technologies, which can lead to high energy conversion efficiencies and low air pollution emissions as compared to conventional coal fired power generation plant. There are currently several world research and industrial development projects in the areas of Integrated Gasification Combined Cycles (IGCC) and Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell (IGFC) systems. In such systems, there is a need to integrate complex unit operations including gasifiers, gas separation and cleaning units, water gas shift reactors, turbines, heat exchangers, steam generators and fuel cells. IGFC systems tested in the USA, Europe and Japan employing gasifiers (Texaco, Lurgi and Eagle) and fuel cells have resulted in energy conversions at efficiency of 47.5% (HHV) which is much higher than the 30-35% efficiency of conventional coal fired power generation. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) are the front runners in energy production from coal gases. These fuel cells can operate at high temperatures and are robust to gas poisoning impurities. IGCC and IGFC technologies are expensive and currently economically uncompetitive as compared to established and mature power generation technology. However, further efficiency and technology improvements coupled with world pressures on limitation of greenhouse gases and other gaseous pollutants could make IGCC/IGFC technically and economically viable for hydrogen production and utilisation in clean and environmentally benign energy systems. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.