Abstract: An aerosol-assisted chemical vapor-deposition (AACVD) method of making nickel sulfide (NiS) nanowires. The method includes depositing a nickel carbamate compound onto a conductive support by an AACVD technique to form nickel sulfide (NiS) nanowires on the conductive support, where the nanowires are present directly on a surface of the conductive support. The NiS electrode prepared by the process of the present disclosure showed excellent OER activity in 1.0 M KOH solution, with a low Tafel value (60 mV dec?1) and good OER stability. The NiS nanowires, as prepared, can be used in energy conversion devices such as batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors.

Abstract: A method of recovering a hydrocarbon from a reservoir is described. The method includes injecting an oil recovery formulation into the reservoir, and collecting the hydrocarbon from the reservoir. The oil recovery formulation includes date leaf particles selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid functionalized date leaf particles and non-functionalized date leaf particles. The date leaf particles have an average particle size of 30 to 950 nanometers (nm). A method for preparing the carboxylic acid functionalized date leaf particles is also provided.

Abstract: A method of detecting Hg2+ ions in an aqueous solution is described. The method includes contacting the aqueous solution with a metal-organic framework (MOF) chemosensor composite to form a mixture and monitoring a change in an absorption and/or a fluorescence profile of the MOF chemosensor composite in the mixture to determine a presence or absence of Hg2+ ions in the aqueous solution. The MOF chemosensor composite includes fluorescein hydrazide (FH); and a MOF, including nickel as a metal ion and at least one trimesic acid (BTC) ligand. A hydrazide group on the fluorescein hydrazide coordinates to the metal ion of the MOF.

Abstract: A vertical axis wind turbine blade that includes an elongated wing and at least one airflow blocker in the elongated wing. The elongated wing has a first surface and a second surface which meet at a leading edge and a trailing edge, where the leading edge includes a convex curve. The elongated wing also includes a leading edge slat between the first surface and the second surface; and at least one hollow channel extending from the leading edge slat to the first surface. The hollow channel is curved, and the airflow blocker is configured to block the hollow channel.

Abstract: A functionalized silica sorbent is described. The sorbent comprises mesoporous silica nanoparticles having a surface functionalized with a conjugated system comprising an azole and a phenyl. The surface may be functionalized by a Cu-catalyzed click reaction. The nanoparticles have an average particle size of 10-80 nm, and may be used to adsorb phenolic contaminants from aqueous solutions.

Abstract: A system and method are described for information extraction from network traffic traces that are both encrypted and non-encrypted. The system includes a client computer and a remote computer, where the client computer communicates data over a network. The client computer sets a session key log file environment variable, such that when the client computer launches a supported browser, a session key log file (KLF) is created, computer network traffic traces are captured by retrieving data from encrypted traffic, and the KLF and captured traffic are periodically transferred to a remote server. A remote computer performs traffic mining to analyze the captured traffic traces and extract sensitive pieces of information.

Abstract: A method of drilling a subterranean geological formation is described. The method includes driving a drill bit to form a wellbore into the subterranean geological formation thereby producing a formation fluid including hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The method includes injecting a drilling fluid into the subterranean geological formation through the wellbore. The drilling fluid composition includes 0.25 to 2 wt. % of a primary H2S scavenger which is potassium permanganate. The drilling fluid composition includes an invert emulsion which includes a continuous phase including mineral oil and a dispersive phase including water. The potassium permanganate present in the drilling fluid composition reacts with the H2S present in the formation fluid to produce a dispersion of manganese-containing particles which are at least one selected from the group consisting of manganese sulfide and manganese sulfate.

Abstract: A method of preparing a photocatalyst. The method includes a sulfone-containing conjugated polyimide obtained by solvothermally imidizing 3-sulfonyldianiline 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride with poly (amic acid) (PAA). The photocatalyst of the present disclosure can be used in an electrochemical cell for water oxidation processes.

Abstract: A wind turbine control apparatus, method and non-transitory computer-readable medium are disclosed. The wind turbine control apparatus comprises a generator connected to a wind turbine with a drive train. The drive train comprises a rotor, a low speed shaft, a gear box, a high speed shaft, and a controller module. The controller module is configured to obtain a maximum power within a large range of varying wind velocities by operating the rotor at a neural network determined optimal angular speed for the current wind velocity.

Abstract: A method of drilling a subterranean geological formation is described. The method includes driving a drill bit to form a wellbore into the subterranean geological formation thereby producing a formation fluid including hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The method includes injecting a drilling fluid into the subterranean geological formation through the wellbore. The drilling fluid composition includes 0.25 to 2 wt. % of a primary H2S scavenger which is potassium permanganate. The drilling fluid composition includes an invert emulsion includes a continuous phase including palm oil and a dispersive phase including water. The potassium permanganate present in the drilling fluid composition reacts with the H2S present in the formation fluid to produce a dispersion of manganese-containing particles which are at least one selected from the group consisting of manganese sulfide and manganese sulfate.

Abstract: A method of increasing a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signal of a compound is provided. The method includes dissolving the compound in water to form a solution, adding a substrate at least partially coated with gold nanoparticles to the solution to form a mixture, removing the substrate from the mixture and washing with water to form a SERS sample having at least a portion of molecules of the compound adsorbed to the gold nanoparticles on the substrate, and recording a SERS spectrum of the SERS sample. The gold nanoparticles are in a two-dimensional (2D) monolayer assembly on the substrate and are 10-250 nm in size. The SERS signal of the SERS spectrum is higher than a SERS signal of a SERS spectrum of the compound on the substrate without the gold nanoparticles.

Abstract: An electron transport includes a metal co-doped zinc oxide compound having a formula MnxCo0.015Zn1?xO, wherein x has a value in a range of 0.001 to 0.014. The electron transport material of the present disclosure may be used in a perovskite solar cell.

Abstract: Methods and systems for optimizing the gas-oil separation plant (GOSP) operating parameters in order to maximize the stabilized crude oil recovery in an integrated framework of GOSP operation. The ambient temperature variations daily (day and night) and seasonal (summer and winter) are incorporated to show their impact on liquid recovery. An artificial intelligence model predicts stabilized crude oil recovery for a range of ambient temperatures. The optimal GOSP separator pressures which yield maximum stabilized crude oil recovery are determined for each ambient temperature. The separator pressures of the GOSP may be adjusted to achieve the maximum stabilized crude oil recovery under changing ambient temperatures.

Abstract: A method of making a polyolefin including, mixing a layered double hydroxide (LDH), and a zirconocene complex in a non-polar solvent to form a first mixture. The method further includes degassing the first mixture and adding an olefin to form a second mixture. The method further includes adding an aluminoxane cocatalyst to the second mixture and reacting for at least 10 minutes to form a reaction mixture including the polyolefin. The method further includes separating the polyolefin from the reaction mixture. The polyolefin has a melting temperature of 120-130° C. The zirconocene complex is supported on the LDH to form a supported catalyst complex in the first mixture.

Abstract: A hybrid system and a method for hybrid desalination and crystallization of seawater is provided. The hybrid system includes a reverse osmosis unit configured to separate the seawater from dissolved solids, generate a first quantity of purified water, and generate a second quantity of wastewater. The hybrid system also includes a pressure exchanger configured to lower a pressure of the second quantity of wastewater to atmospheric pressure. The hybrid system further includes a laser induced shock wave crystallizer configured to trigger nucleation of the dissolved salts in the second quantity of wastewater, expel a third quantity of wastewater having a second concentration of dissolved salts, and expel a fourth quantity of salt crystals. The hybrid system also includes a collection vat for receiving the salt crystals. The hybrid system further includes a high pressure pump configured to recycle the third quantity of wastewater back to the reverse osmosis unit.

Abstract: An drilling mud composition is described, which includes an aqueous base fluid, a viscosifier, and a weighting material. The drilling mud composition also includes an anti-sagging agent that comprises a dimethylamino methyl ester, such as methyl 5-(dimethylamino)-2-methyl-5-oxopentanoate. The anti-sagging agent may be used to prevent barite sagging, where barite is used as a weighting material. Small amounts of the anti-sagging agent may be used to maintain a low sag factor while drilling, and without causing unwanted increases in viscosity. The anti-sagging agent is effective for both vertical and inclined wellbores.

Abstract: A method of removing a sulfate scale from a surface is provided. The method includes contacting the sulfate-comprising scale with a conversion solution including 1 to 10 wt. % of an alkali metal carbonate, 0.5 to 10 wt. % of a borate salt or hydrate thereof, and 0.5 to 2.5 wt. % of a base to produce a carbonate-comprising scale. The method further includes exposing the carbonate-comprising scale with an acid solution including 2.5 to 25 wt. % of an acid.

Abstract: An optical energy detector and a method for detecting a broad range of optical energy are disclosed. The detector comprising a superconducting nanowire filament on a substrate, an electrical current pulse source, a laser pulse source, a first pickup probe, and a second pickup probe for measuring the voltage across the filament. The filament is maintained below a supercomputing critical temperature. The filament is biased with an electrical current pulses slight below the critical current of the filament which creates nonequilibrium state. The filament is excited by the laser pulses, and as a result, a voltage appears after a delay time. The voltage is measured for determining the amount of the optical energy. A reference curve of the voltage and the corresponding delay time can be used for calibrating any light source.

Abstract: A method of making an active catalyst composition includes mixing at least one support with a vanadium oxide precursor and grinding thereby at least partially embedding the vanadium oxide precursor particles in different layers and surfaces of the at least one support to form a first precursor; mixing the first precursor and a first solvent to form a first mixture; grinding the first mixture and drying at a temperature of 60 to 105° C.; calcining the first mixture after the drying at a temperature of at least 300° C. thereby allowing the vanadium oxide precursor particles embedded in different layers and surfaces of the at least one support to decompose in situ to generate vanadium oxide (VOx) particles embedded in the at least one support and form the first vanadium catalyst; and mixing the first vanadium catalyst with a second vanadium catalyst to form the active catalyst composition.

Abstract: A vertical axis wind turbine blade that includes an elongated wing and at least one airflow blocker in the elongated wing. The elongated wing has a first surface and a second surface which meet at a leading edge and a trailing edge, where the leading edge includes a convex curve. The elongated wing also includes a leading edge slat between the first surface and the second surface; and at least one hollow channel extending from the leading edge slat to the first surface. The hollow channel is curved, and the airflow blocker is configured to block the hollow channel.