Abstract: A surfactant of formula (I) wherein each of R1 and R2 are independently a hydrogen, an optionally substituted alkyl, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl, or an optionally substituted arylalkyl, R3 and R4 are independently an optionally substituted alkyl, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl, or an optionally substituted arylalkyl, x is an integer in a range of 2-8, y is an integer in a range of 1-15, z is an integer in a range of 4-10, n is an integer in a range of 2-5, and A is one of a carboxybetaine group, a sulfobetaine group, or a hydroxy sulfobetaine group. An oil and gas well servicing fluid containing the surfactant and methods of servicing an oil and gas well are also described.

Abstract: Capacitor balancing of a dual three-level (3L) T-type converter based on silicon carbide (SiC) discrete semiconductors was performed with the converter feeding an open-ends induction motor (OEIM). A model predictive control (MPC) using a two step cost function calculation was developed to balance the DC link capacitors and control the machine torque simultaneously. The number of redundant switching states used was reduced without affecting the operating voltage vectors, which substantially reduced the computational time. A simulation and experimental results are in good agreement.

Abstract: According to embodiments, a process of forming a catalyst for aromatizing hydrocarbons may include enhancing a mesoporosity of a zeolite support by a base-leaching treatment, an acid-leaching treatment, or both to form a zeolite support having enhanced mesoporosity, mixing the zeolite support having enhanced mesoporosity with a solution containing zinc or gallium to disperse the zinc or gallium on the zeolite support having enhanced mesoporosity, and calcining the zeolite support having enhanced mesoporosity with zinc or gallium dispersed thereon to form a zinc- or gallium-doped zeolite catalyst having a mesopore volume of greater than 0.09 cm3/g and less than 0.20 cm3/g.

Abstract: The method includes mixing an aldehyde and a first solvent to form a mixture. The method further includes mixing an organosulfur phenol and an aromatic compound to the mixture to form a phenol mixture and heating the phenol mixture in the presence of an acid to form a solid. The solid is dried to obtain the cross-linked porous polymer. The obtained cross-linked porous polymer has repeat pyrrole units bonded to one another, and the cross-linked porous polymer has a thiol group which separates non-adjacent pyrrole units. The cross-linked porous polymer obtained after drying is in a form of solid particles having a spherical particle structure.

Abstract: A CoVOx composite electrode and method of making is described. The composite electrode comprises a substrate with an average 0.5-5 ?m thick layer of CoVOx having pores with average diameters of 2-200 nm. The method of making the composite electrode involves contacting the substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent, a cobalt complex, and a vanadium complex. The CoVOx composite electrode is capable of being used in an electrochemical cell for water oxidation.

Abstract: A light harvesting supercapacitor and a method of preparing the light harvesting supercapacitor is disclosed. The light harvesting supercapacitor includes a transparent conducting substrate, an active layer including TiO2 nanoparticles and polyaniline (PAM) nanoparticles disposed on the transparent conducting substrate, an electrolyte layer including a solid separator soaked with an electrolyte comprising polyvinyl alcohol and at least one ionic material selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, an alkali metal phosphate salt, an alkali metal sulfate salt, an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkali metal halide, and a mixture of a halogen and an alkali metal halide disposed on the active layer, a carbon electrode disposed on the electrolyte layer, and a metal layer disposed on the activated carbon electrode. The light harvesting supercapacitor of the present disclosure can be used in a photovoltaic device.

Abstract: A GaON/ZnO photoelectrode involving a nanoarchitectured photocatalytic material deposited onto a surface of a conducting substrate, and the nanoarchitectured photocatalytic material containing gallium oxynitride nanoparticles interspersed in zinc oxide nanoparticles, as well as methods of preparing the GaON/ZnO photoelectrode. A method of using the GaON/ZnO photoelectrode for solar water electrolysis is also provided.

Abstract: The invention concerns synthesized amido-amine-based cationic gemini surfactants with flexible and rigid spacers and different hydrophobic. These gemini surfactants were prepared by modified procedure through amidation of long chain carboxylic acids using 3-(dimethylamino)-1-propylamine followed by treatment with halohydrocarbons and showed excellent thermal stability and surface properties useful for various oilfield applications such as enhanced oil recovery.

Abstract: Provided is a composition that may include an alkylamine modified graphene having a formula R[—CH2-alkylamine)]x, where R is a graphene core, [—CH2-alkylamine)] is an alkylamine functional group, and x is a non-zero integer. The alkylamine functional group may include [—CH2-n-propylamine)], [—CH2-n-hexylamine)], or [—CH2-n-dodecylamine)]. Trace amounts of an oxygen and nitrogen functional group may be coupled to the graphene core. Further provided is a method that may include introducing alkylamine modified graphene into a hydrocarbon-contaminated water. The method may further include separating a hydrocarbon-absorbed alkylamine modified graphene from the recovered water. Further provided is a system that may include a holding tank, a pump, a membrane housing, and a collection tank. The membrane housing may include membranes and a filtration media.

Abstract: The solar augmented chilled-water cooling system comprises a refrigeration cycle, a cooling tower, an air handling unit (AHU), a supplemental cycle and a solar energy harvesting unit. The supplemental cycle is in fluid communication with the refrigeration cycle, which is in fluid communication with the cooling tower, which in turn is in fluid communication with the supplemental cycle. The cooling tower cools a water stream by evaporation. The water stream from the cooling tower is passed to the supplemental cycle for further cooling using energy from the solar energy harvesting unit. The water stream is then passed to a condenser of the refrigeration cycle for its efficient operation at proper temperature. The water stream is then retuned back to the cooling tower to be re-cooled. In the refrigeration cycle, an evaporator uses operation of the associated condenser for providing cooling effect through the AHU.

Abstract: A system and methods for photovoltaic phase change material assisted thermoelectric air cooling and heating of a building includes a photovoltaic phase change material wall unit which is cooled by absorption of heat by a phase change material attached to the photovoltaic wall unit; a photovoltaic phase change material roof unit which converts solar radiation into electric energy; Peltier based thermoelectric units configured to heat and cool air streams passing through an air duct; and Seebeck effect based thermoelectric units which convert a temperature gradient into thermoelectric power. A hot air stream in the air duct is directed to an air duct on a roof of the building and a cold air stream from the first air duct is circulated into the building interior to achieve thermal comfort.

Abstract: An adsorbent and a method of preparing the adsorbent are described. The adsorbent includes a 2-anthracene ammonium magnetic ionic liquid (MIL), and a [FeCl4]? or a [CoCl3]? ion. The adsorbents, 2-anthracene ammonium tetrachloroferrate (III) ([2AA] FeCl4) and 2-anthracene ammonium trichlorocobaltate (II) ([2AA] CoCl3), are prepared by protonation of 2-aminoanthracene, followed by complexation with FeCl3/CoCl2. The adsorbent of the present disclosure is effective in removing contaminants such as heavy metal ions from an aqueous system in a cost-efficient and selective manner.

Abstract: A method to form a metal matrix composite reinforced with eggshell (ES). The method includes preparing an ES powder, blending and milling the ES powder with at least one metal powder selected from the group consisting of magnesium (Mg), zirconium (Zr) to form a powder mixture, compacting and sintering the powder mixture to form the metal matrix composite. In addition, a Mg—Zr-ES metal matrix composite with improved corrosion resistance, having an amount of magnesium from 95 to 97 wt. %, an amount of zirconium from 1 to 2 wt. %, and an amount of ES from 1 to 4 wt. %, may be used for biomedical applications.

Abstract: A system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium that utilizes a distance transformation vector constructed of a probability distribution function (PDF) and a distribution parameter ? in the estimation process for precise and effective PDF estimation. The system includes a mobile wireless agent, a base station and a computing device interconnected over a wireless communication network. The wireless meter transmits sensory information to the computing device, where the sensory information is processed to estimate characteristics of the wireless communication signal based on the Rayleigh estimator. For the estimation, a distance transformation vector of the PDF and a distribution parameter are constructed. The estimated parameters along with a motion actuation plan are sent to the base station, which uses the estimated parameters in transmitting the motion actuation plan to the mobile wireless agent.

Abstract: Methods for preventing, inhibiting, or reducing metal (e.g. mild steel) corrosion in aqueous media utilizing a water-soluble formulation having a polyurea pre-dissolved in a polar aprotic solvent are described. The polyurea contains reacted units of a diisocyanate and a diaminoalkane. The effectiveness of the methods is demonstrated by corrosion inhibition efficiency and corrosion rate of metallic substrates in aqueous acidic environments using the water-soluble formulation.

Abstract: A heating and cooling system powered by renewable energy and assisted with geothermal energy includes a solar cycling unit, a supercritical carbon dioxide (S—CO2) unit, and a refrigerant cycling unit. Solar energy obtained at the solar cycling unit may be used to power the S—CO2 cycling unit. To do so, the solar cycling unit utilizes a solar collector, a thermal energy storage, and a heat exchanger along with a first working fluid which is preferably molten salt or Therminol. Next, the energy generated at the S—CO2 cycling unit, which preferably circulates S—CO2 as a second working fluid, may be used to operate the refrigerant cycling unit. In the refrigerant cycling unit, Tetrafluroethene is preferably used as the third working fluid to produce required cooling effects. Additionally, geothermal heat exchangers may be integrated into the system for use during varying weather conditions.

Abstract: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) may have Zn(II), Pb(II), and/or Cd(II) as a central metal ion, a 4,4?-bipyridylethylene (bpe) ligand as a first ligand; and fumaric acid (fum) and/or oxalic acid (ox) as a second ligand, wherein the 4,4?-bipyridylethylene ligands are stacked in the MOF, and wherein a distance between two consecutive 4,4?-bipyridylethylene ligands is less than 5 ?. Cycloadditions, particularly photoinduced [2+2] cycloadditions may be catalyzed by such MOFs, and/or the conversion of photoinduced [2+2] cycloadditions in inventive MOFs may be increased by mechanical force, such as by grinding.

Abstract: A GaON/ZnO photoelectrode involving a nanoarchitectured photocatalytic material deposited onto a surface of a conducting substrate, and the nanoarchitectured photocatalytic material containing gallium oxynitride nanoparticles interspersed in zinc oxide nanoparticles, as well as methods of preparing the GaON/ZnO photoelectrode. A method of using the GaON/ZnO photoelectrode for solar water electrolysis is also provided.

Abstract: A system for co-generating ammonia and power is described. The system includes oxygen transport reactors having an ion transport membrane (ITM) that separates a feed side and a permeate side. The feed side includes a feed inlet and a feed outlet, and the permeate side includes a permeate inlet and a permeate outlet. A first feed inlet receives water vapor to be converted into hydrogen and first oxygen, and a second feed inlet receives air to be split into nitrogen and second oxygen. The ITM selectively allows permeation of the first oxygen and the second oxygen to respective permeate side to support oxy-combustion process. A first feed outlet discharges hydrogen and a second feed outlet discharges nitrogen, where the hydrogen and the nitrogen are combined in a catalytic converter to form ammonia. Combustion gases from the oxygen transport reactors are used to run a gas turbine to extract power.

Abstract: A photoelectrode includes a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate, and a layer of graphitic-poly(2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine) (g-PTAP) nanoflakes at least partially covering a surface of the FTO substrate. Further, the g-PTAP nanoflakes have a width of 0.1 to 5 micrometers (?m). In addition, a method for producing the photoelectrode, and a method for photocatalytic water splitting, in which the photoelectrode is used.