MFC-driven H2S electro-oxidation based on Fe nanoparticles anchored on carbon aerogel-ZIF-8: A collaborated experimental and DFT study

The development of electrocatalysts for electrochemical oxidation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to elemental sulfur and its recovery in the form of sulfur, particularly catalysts based on metal-organic-framework (MOF) supports, are...

Shedding Light on Microbial “Dark Matter”: Insights Into Novel Cloacimonadota and Omnitrophota From an Antarctic Lake

The potential metabolism and ecological roles of many microbial taxa remain unknown because insufficient genomic data are available to assess their functional potential. Two such microbial “dark matter” taxa are the Candidatus bacterial phyla Cloacimonadota and Omnitrophota, both of which have been identified in global anoxic environments, including (but not limited to) organic-carbon-rich lakes. Using 24 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) obtained from an Antarctic lake (Ace Lake, Vestfold Hills), novel lineages and novel metabolic traits were identified for both phyla. The Cloacimonadota MAGs exhibited a capacity for carbon fixation using the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle driven by oxidation of hydrogen and sulfur. Certain Cloacimonadota MAGs encoded proteins that possess dockerin and cohesin domains, which is consistent with the assembly of extracellular cellulosome-like structures that are used for degradation of polypeptides and polysaccharides. The Omnitrophota MAGs represented phylogenetically diverse taxa that were predicted to possess a strong biosynthetic capacity for amino acids, nucleosides, fatty acids, and essential cofactors. All of the Omnitrophota were inferred to be obligate fermentative heterotrophs that utilize a relatively narrow range of organic compounds, have an incomplete tricarboxylic acid cycle, and possess a single hydrogenase gene important for achieving redox balance in the cell. We reason that both Cloacimonadota and Omnitrophota form metabolic interactions with hydrogen-consuming partners (methanogens and Desulfobacterota, respectively) and, therefore, occupy specific niches in Ace Lake.

Direct Selective Oxidation of Hydrogen Sulfide: Laboratory, Pilot and Industrial Tests

This article is devoted to scientific and technical aspects of the direct catalytic oxidation of hydrogen sulfide for the production of elemental sulfur. It includes a detailed description of the Claus process as the main reference technology for hydrogen sulfide processing methods. An overview of modern catalytic systems for direct catalytic oxidation technology and known processes is presented. Descriptions of the scientific results of the Institute of Catalysis of the SB RAS in a study of the physical and chemical foundations of the process and the creation of a catalyst for it are included. The Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS technologies based on fundamental studies and their pilot and industrial testing results are described.

Near 100% ethene selectivity achieved by tailoring dual active sites to isolate dehydrogenation and oxidation

Prohibiting deep oxidation remains a challenging task in oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkane since the targeted alkene is more reactive than parent substrate. Here we tailor dual active sites to isolate dehydrogenation and oxidation instead of homogeneously active sites responsible for these two steps leading to consecutive oxidation of alkene. The introduction of HY zeolite with acid sites, three-dimensional pore structure and supercages gives rise to Ni2+ Lewis acid sites (LAS) and NiO nanoclusters confined in framework wherein catalytic dehydrogenation of ethane occurs on Ni2+ LAS resulting in the formation of ethene and hydrogen while NiO nanoclusters with decreased oxygen reactivity are responsible for selective oxidation of hydrogen rather than over-oxidizing ethene. Such tailored strategy achieves near 100% ethene selectivity and constitutes a promising basis for highly selective oxidation catalysis beyond oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkane.

Kinetics of the Oxidation of Hydrogen Sulfide by Atmospheric Oxygen in an Aqueous Medium

Hydrogen sulfide is an important acid rain precursor and this led us to investigate the kinetics of its oxidation in aqueous phase by atmospheric oxygen. The kinetics was followed by measuring the depletion of oxygen in a reactor. The reaction was studied under pseudo order conditions with [H2S] in excess. The kinetics followed the rate law: -d[O2]/dt = k[S][O2]t (A) Where [S] represents the total concentration of hydrogen sulfide, [O2]t is the concentration of oxygen at time t and k is the second order rate constant. The equilibria (B - C) govern the dissolution of H2S; the sulfide ion in water forms different species: H2S K1 HS- + H+ (B) HS- K2 S2- + H+ (C) Where K1 and K2 are first and second dissociation constants of H2S. Although, H2S is present as undissociated H2S, HS- and S2- ions, nature of [H+ ] dependence of reaction rate required only HS- to be reactive and dominant. The rate law (A) on including [H+ ] dependence became Equation (D). -d[O2]/dt = k1K1[H+ ][S][O2]t / ([H+ ] 2 + K1[H+ ] + K1K2) (D) Our results indicate anthropogenic VOCs such as acetanilide, benzene, ethanol, aniline, toluene, benzamide, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene and anisole to have no significant effect on the reaction rate and any observed small effect is within the uncertainty of the rate measurements.

Thermophilic Chloroflexi Dominate in the Microbial Community Associated with Coal-Fire Gas Vents in the Kuznetsk Coal Basin, Russia

Thermal ecosystems associated with areas of underground burning coal seams are rare and poorly understood in comparison with geothermal objects. We studied the microbial communities associated with gas vents from the coal-fire in the mining wastes in the Kemerovo region of the Russian Federation. The temperature of the ground heated by the hot coal gases and steam coming out to the surface was 58 °C. Analysis of the composition of microbial communities revealed the dominance of Ktedonobacteria (the phylum Chloroflexi), known to be capable of oxidizing hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Thermophilic hydrogenotrophic Firmicutes constituted a minor part of the community. Among the well-known thermophiles, members of the phyla Aquificae, Deinococcus-Thermus and Bacteroidetes were also found. In the upper ground layer, Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, as well as Proteobacteria of the alpha and gamma classes, typical of soils, were detected; their relative abundancies decreased with depth. The phylum Verrucomicrobia was dominated by Candidatus Udaeobacter, aerobic heterotrophs capable of generating energy through the oxidation of hydrogen present in the atmosphere in trace amounts. Archaea made up a small part of the communities and were represented by thermophilic ammonium-oxidizers. Overall, the community was dominated by bacteria, whose cultivated relatives are able to obtain energy through the oxidation of the main components of coal gases, hydrogen and carbon monoxide, under aerobic conditions.