Abstract: Compositions for treating a waste source, and related methods are described herein. The composition includes a biochar impregnated with iron. The composition is produced by impregnating a biomass with a pretreatment solution comprising an iron containing compound to form a pretreated biomass, dehydrating the pretreated biomass, and pyrolyzing the pretreated biomass under conditions sufficient to form a biochar. A related method includes contacting a waste source including a pollutant with the composition and hydrogen peroxide to form a reaction mixture, oxidizing at least a portion of the pollutant under conditions sufficient to form an oxidized pollutant or intermediate compound, and separating the oxidized pollutant or intermediate compound from the reaction mixture.

Abstract: Compositions including a biochar, and related methods are described herein. The composition can be produced by contacting a biomass with a pretreatment agent including an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal to form a pretreated biomass, and pyrolyzing the pretreated biomass under conditions sufficient to form a biochar. A related method includes contacting soil with the composition thereby increasing a soluble plant available silicon content in the soil.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a SRG filter is fabricated by disposing a moldable layer on the unpatterned grating layer, pressing a patterned molding surface into the moldable layer to produce an appropriate pattern of reduced thickness regions, removing material from the reduced thickness regions to expose the grating layer and processing the exposed grating layer to form a grating array. In a preferred embodiment the grating layer is adjacent a planar waveguiding layer overlying a substrate and the moldable material is a polymer resist. The waveguide layer advantageously has a refractive index greater than both the grating layer and the underlying substrate. And the pattern can be a one or two-dimensional array of grating elements.