This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Catalytic electroreduction of carbon dioxide represents a promising technology both to reduce CO2 emissions and to store electrical energy from discontinuous sources. In this work, electrochemical deposition of copper on to a gas-diffusion support was tested as a scalable and versatile nanosynthesis technique for the production of catalytic electrodes for CO2 electroreduction. The effect of deposition current density and additives (DAT, DTAB, PEG) on the catalysts’ structure was evaluated. The selectivity of the synthesized catalysts towards the production of CO was evaluated by analyzing the gaseous products obtained using the catalysts as cathodes in electroreduction tests. Catalyst morphology was deeply influenced by the deposition additives. Copper nanospheres, hemispherical microaggregates of nanowires, and shapeless structures were electrodeposited in the presence of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (DAT) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), respectively. The effect of the deposition current density on catalyst morphology was also observed and it was found to be additive-specific. DTAB nanostructured electrodes showed the highest selectivity towards CO production, probably attributable to a higher specific surface area. EDX and XPS analysis disclosed the presence of residual DAT and DTAB uniformly distributed onto the catalysts structure. No significant effects of electrodeposition current density and Cu(I)/Cu(II) ratio on the selectivity towards CO were found. In particular, DTAB and DAT electrodes yielded comparable selectivity, although they were characterized by the highest and lowest Cu(I)/Cu(II) ratio, respectively.
Gianluca Zanellato; Pier Giorgio Schiavi; Robertino Zanoni; Antonio Rubino; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. Electrodeposited Copper Nanocatalysts for CO2 Electroreduction: Effect of Electrodeposition Conditions on Catalysts’ Morphology and Selectivity. Energies 2021, 14, 5012 .
AMA StyleGianluca Zanellato, Pier Giorgio Schiavi, Robertino Zanoni, Antonio Rubino, Pietro Altimari, Francesca Pagnanelli. Electrodeposited Copper Nanocatalysts for CO2 Electroreduction: Effect of Electrodeposition Conditions on Catalysts’ Morphology and Selectivity. Energies. 2021; 14 (16):5012.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGianluca Zanellato; Pier Giorgio Schiavi; Robertino Zanoni; Antonio Rubino; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2021. "Electrodeposited Copper Nanocatalysts for CO2 Electroreduction: Effect of Electrodeposition Conditions on Catalysts’ Morphology and Selectivity." Energies 14, no. 16: 5012.
Photovoltaic panels were included in EU Directive as WEEE (Wastes of Electric and Electronic Equipment) requiring the implementation of dedicated collection schemes and end-of-life treatment ensuring targets in terms of recycling rate (80%) and recovery rate (85%). Photovoltaic panels are mainly made up of high-quality solar glass (70–90%), but also metals are present in the frames (Al), the cell (Si), and metallic contacts (Cu and Ag). According to the panel composition, about $72 per 100 kg of panels can be recovered by entirely recycling the panel metal content. The PhotoLife process for the treatment of end-of-life photovoltaic panels was demonstrated at pilot scale to recycle high value glass, Al and Cu scraps. A process upgrade is here reported allowing for polymer separation and Ag and Si recycling. By this advanced PhotoLife process, 82% recycling rate, 94% recovery rate, and 75% recoverable value were attained. Simulations demonstrated the economic feasibility of the process at processing capacity of 30,000 metric ton/y of end-of-life photovoltaic panels.
Antonio Rubino; Giuseppe Granata; Emanuela Moscardini; Ludovica Baldassari; Pietro Altimari; Luigi Toro; Francesca Pagnanelli. Development and Techno-Economic Analysis of an Advanced Recycling Process for Photovoltaic Panels Enabling Polymer Separation and Recovery of Ag and Si. Energies 2020, 13, 6690 .
AMA StyleAntonio Rubino, Giuseppe Granata, Emanuela Moscardini, Ludovica Baldassari, Pietro Altimari, Luigi Toro, Francesca Pagnanelli. Development and Techno-Economic Analysis of an Advanced Recycling Process for Photovoltaic Panels Enabling Polymer Separation and Recovery of Ag and Si. Energies. 2020; 13 (24):6690.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonio Rubino; Giuseppe Granata; Emanuela Moscardini; Ludovica Baldassari; Pietro Altimari; Luigi Toro; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2020. "Development and Techno-Economic Analysis of an Advanced Recycling Process for Photovoltaic Panels Enabling Polymer Separation and Recovery of Ag and Si." Energies 13, no. 24: 6690.
An experimental analysis was performed to optimize the structure of Ni–Ni(OH)2/NiO core-shell nanowire electrodes for improving their application in pseudocapacitors. Thickness and composition of the active phase shell were compared after thermal treatments at 40, 70 and 300 °C. A Ni(0) core was found by XPS in the electrode treated at 40 °C, it was still present after a temperature increase to 70 °C but with a lower Ni(OH)2/NiO ratio of the active phase shell, and disappeared after annealing at 300 °C, with a corresponding increase of the charge transfer resistance. The capacitance values increased from 40 to 70 °C and drop to a minimum for the electrode treated at 300 °C. A tailoring of the capacitance of the nanowire electrodes by controlling their length was evaluated. A constant capacitance per nanowires length unit was attained between 5 and 21 μm, indicating that the corresponding mass transfer resistance was negligible over the explored range. These results evidence the relevance to tightly control the thickness and ratio between the Ni(OH)2 and NiO in the nanowires shell and provide a guideline to optimize the capacitance of the electrode by controlling the nanowire length.
Pier Giorgio Schiavi; Pietro Altimari; Flavio Marzolo; Antonio Rubino; Robertino Zanoni; Francesca Pagnanelli. Optimizing the structure of Ni–Ni(OH)2/NiO core-shell nanowire electrodes for application in pseudocapacitors: The influence of metallic core, Ni(OH)2/NiO ratio and nanowire length. Journal of Alloys and Compounds 2020, 856, 157718 .
AMA StylePier Giorgio Schiavi, Pietro Altimari, Flavio Marzolo, Antonio Rubino, Robertino Zanoni, Francesca Pagnanelli. Optimizing the structure of Ni–Ni(OH)2/NiO core-shell nanowire electrodes for application in pseudocapacitors: The influence of metallic core, Ni(OH)2/NiO ratio and nanowire length. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 2020; 856 ():157718.
Chicago/Turabian StylePier Giorgio Schiavi; Pietro Altimari; Flavio Marzolo; Antonio Rubino; Robertino Zanoni; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2020. "Optimizing the structure of Ni–Ni(OH)2/NiO core-shell nanowire electrodes for application in pseudocapacitors: The influence of metallic core, Ni(OH)2/NiO ratio and nanowire length." Journal of Alloys and Compounds 856, no. : 157718.
Li primary batteries are currently treated along with other Li batteries in several big pyro- metallurgical plants in Northern EU countries. Nevertheless, pyro-metallurgical processes do not allow for Mn and Li recycling and present negative environmental impacts, on the other hand hydrometallurgical processing can potentially ensure the integral recovery of all materials in Li primary batteries. In this work, preliminary experimental findings obtained in the LIFE-LIBAT project (LIFE16 ENV/IT/000389) are reported. In this project, end of life Li(0)-MnO2 batteries were cryo-mechanically treated and then the metals were recovered by a hydrometallurgical process. Representative samples of end of life Li(0) batteries were characterized by type and composition. Batteries were stabilized in an N2 bath and then crushed, sieved, and magnetically separated in the SEVal pilot units. Separated fractions (fine fraction, magnetic coarse fraction, and non-magnetic coarse fraction) were chemically characterized for target metal content (Li and Mn). Fractions were first treated for Li extraction and recovery, then the fine fraction was also leached for Mn recovery. Mass balances evidenced a 55% recycling rate and process simulations outlined profitability in the potentiality range in agreement with battery collection fluxes.
Pier Giorgio Schiavi; Ludovica Baldassari; Pietro Altimari; Emanuela Moscardini; Luigi Toro; Francesca Pagnanelli. Process Simulation for Li-MnO2 Primary Battery Recycling: Cryo-Mechanical and Hydrometallurgical Treatments at Pilot Scale. Energies 2020, 13, 4546 .
AMA StylePier Giorgio Schiavi, Ludovica Baldassari, Pietro Altimari, Emanuela Moscardini, Luigi Toro, Francesca Pagnanelli. Process Simulation for Li-MnO2 Primary Battery Recycling: Cryo-Mechanical and Hydrometallurgical Treatments at Pilot Scale. Energies. 2020; 13 (17):4546.
Chicago/Turabian StylePier Giorgio Schiavi; Ludovica Baldassari; Pietro Altimari; Emanuela Moscardini; Luigi Toro; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2020. "Process Simulation for Li-MnO2 Primary Battery Recycling: Cryo-Mechanical and Hydrometallurgical Treatments at Pilot Scale." Energies 13, no. 17: 4546.
The removal of arsenic from water by adsorption is currently hindered by the elevated cost of conventional adsorbent materials. To overcome this limit, an innovative iron-coated adsorbent was produced by hydrothermal carbonization (170 °C, 30 min) of olive pomace, an inexpensive byproduct of the olive oil production. Hydrothermal carbonization experiments were performed starting from olive pomace dispersions in solutions with acidic, neutral and alkaline pH, in presence and absence of FeCl3. Acidic conditions improved the carbonization, ensuring reduced H/C and O/C ratios, and increased the adsorbent stability. However, acidic pH yielded unsatisfactory iron coating, with only 32% of the iron dissolved in the initial solution transferred to the produced hydrochar. Under alkaline pH, 96% of the iron in the feedwater was, in contrast, stably dispersed over the hydrochar surface, giving the highest maximum arsenic adsorption capacity (4.1 mg/g). However, alkaline pH promoted biomass hydrolysis, causing the loss of 60% and 87% of the total C and N, respectively, and reducing the stability of the produced hydrochar. A two-stage process was tested to overcome these issues, including hydrothermal carbonization under acidic pH with FeCl3, followed by the addition of NaOH. This process prevented biomass hydrolysis yielding a stable hydrochar. However, as compared to the one-stage alkaline synthesis, the two-stage process produced an hydrochar with reduced arsenic adsorption capacity (1.4 mg/g), indicating that biomass hydrolysis could positively influence hydrochar adsorption characteristics, possibly by increasing the specific surface area. Indications are then provided on how to optimize the two-stage process in order to produce a hydrochar with both satisfactory stability and arsenic adsorption capacity.
Laura Capobianco; Fabrizio Di Caprio; Pietro Altimari; Maria Luisa Astolfi; Francesca Pagnanelli. Production of an iron-coated adsorbent for arsenic removal by hydrothermal carbonization of olive pomace: Effect of the feedwater pH. Journal of Environmental Management 2020, 273, 111164 .
AMA StyleLaura Capobianco, Fabrizio Di Caprio, Pietro Altimari, Maria Luisa Astolfi, Francesca Pagnanelli. Production of an iron-coated adsorbent for arsenic removal by hydrothermal carbonization of olive pomace: Effect of the feedwater pH. Journal of Environmental Management. 2020; 273 ():111164.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLaura Capobianco; Fabrizio Di Caprio; Pietro Altimari; Maria Luisa Astolfi; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2020. "Production of an iron-coated adsorbent for arsenic removal by hydrothermal carbonization of olive pomace: Effect of the feedwater pH." Journal of Environmental Management 273, no. : 111164.
In this work, an innovative hydrometallurgical recycling route for the recovery of all the materials composing Li-MnO2 primary batteries was proposed. End-of-life batteries were mechanically treated in an innovative pilot plant where a cryogenic crushing was performed. The mechanical treatment allowed for the release of the electrodic powder contained in the batteries with the simultaneous recovery of 44 kg of steel and 18 kg of plastics from 100 kg of batteries. Electrodic powder was employed as the raw material for the synthesis of LiMnPO4 nanoparticles. To obtain the synthesis precursors, selective sequential leaching of Li and Mn was performed. Li was extracted via water washing the electrodic powder and Li2CO3 and a purity of 99% was recovered. The black mass containing Mn oxides was leached using phosphoric acid, which gave a Mn-bearing precursor solution that was directly used for the hydrothermal synthesis of LiMnPO4 nanoparticles. A preliminary materials balance of the process was presented, indicating that the proposed process should be an easy hydrometallurgical route for the recycling of primary lithium batteries. In addition, the simultaneous production of high-value-added products that could be reintroduced into the battery manufacturing chain could ensure the economic feasibility of the process.
Pier Giorgio Schiavi; Flavia Carla Dos Santos Martins Padoan; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. Cryo-Mechanical Treatment and Hydrometallurgical Process for Recycling Li-MnO2 Primary Batteries with the Direct Production of LiMnPO4 Nanoparticles. Energies 2020, 13, 4004 .
AMA StylePier Giorgio Schiavi, Flavia Carla Dos Santos Martins Padoan, Pietro Altimari, Francesca Pagnanelli. Cryo-Mechanical Treatment and Hydrometallurgical Process for Recycling Li-MnO2 Primary Batteries with the Direct Production of LiMnPO4 Nanoparticles. Energies. 2020; 13 (15):4004.
Chicago/Turabian StylePier Giorgio Schiavi; Flavia Carla Dos Santos Martins Padoan; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2020. "Cryo-Mechanical Treatment and Hydrometallurgical Process for Recycling Li-MnO2 Primary Batteries with the Direct Production of LiMnPO4 Nanoparticles." Energies 13, no. 15: 4004.
BACKGROUND Microalgae are a promising resource to produce carotenoids for food/feed applications. However, energy intensive pre‐treatments such as drying and cell destruction can hinder the process sustainability. Direct extraction from wet biomass may reduce energy consumption, but the residual water can reduce the effectiveness of the organic solvents used for the extraction. In this work, the extraction of lutein and β‐carotene from wet untreated microalgae biomass is investigated. The process includes a sequence of successive extraction stages with methanol. RESULTS We show that the sequential extraction can effectively overcome the reduced extraction efficiency induced by the residual water in the biomass. The biomass was dehydrated during the first extraction stage, which increased the efficiency starting from the second stage. This allowed attaining an extraction yield larger than 95 % for both lutein and β‐carotene after 5 extraction stages. A mathematical model was developed by coupling mass balances with a linear equilibrium model, satisfactorily describing the repartition of the two carotenoids between the solid and the solvent phase. By fitting the model to the data obtained by the first extraction stage, liquid‐solid partition coefficients (Kd) equal to 2.0 10‐3 and 1.1 10‐4 were estimated for lutein and β‐carotene, respectively. The Kd of both the carotenoids increased to about 10‐2 during the 6 subsequent extraction stages without water. CONCLUSIONS Direct solvent extraction from wet untreated microalgae biomass is a promising strategy to produce carotenoids. The described model can provide guidelines to design industrial processes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Fabrizio Di Caprio; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. Sequential extraction of lutein and β‐carotene from wet microalgal biomass. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology 2020, 95, 3024 -3033.
AMA StyleFabrizio Di Caprio, Pietro Altimari, Francesca Pagnanelli. Sequential extraction of lutein and β‐carotene from wet microalgal biomass. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology. 2020; 95 (11):3024-3033.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFabrizio Di Caprio; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2020. "Sequential extraction of lutein and β‐carotene from wet microalgal biomass." Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology 95, no. 11: 3024-3033.
Electrochemical nucleation and growth of cobalt nanoparticles on aluminium was investigated by potentiostatic electrodeposition from cobalt sulphate solutions buffered with boric acid. At sufficiently low overpotential, the experimental current transients could be fairly reproduced by a mathematical model describing nucleation and growth under mixed kinetic-diffusion control, yielding an estimated number of particles per surface area in agreement with the SEM analysis of the deposits. However, the model gave estimates for the charge-transfer kinetic constant several orders of magnitude lower as compared to the Tafel analysis of cobalt electrodeposition on a previously electrodeposited cobalt film. This deviation can be explained by the inhibition of the direct attachment of metal ions, which can be induced by the adsorption of hydrogen onto cobalt particles and/or the formation of stable nanocluster aggregates. The implemented model failed to reproduce the current transients generated at larger overpotential values. A revision of the implemented mathematical model overcoming this limitation is proposed.
Pietro Altimari; Pier Giorgio Schiavi; Antonio Rubino; Francesca Pagnanelli. Electrodeposition of cobalt nanoparticles: An analysis of the mechanisms behind the deviation from three-dimensional diffusion-control. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 2019, 851, 113413 .
AMA StylePietro Altimari, Pier Giorgio Schiavi, Antonio Rubino, Francesca Pagnanelli. Electrodeposition of cobalt nanoparticles: An analysis of the mechanisms behind the deviation from three-dimensional diffusion-control. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry. 2019; 851 ():113413.
Chicago/Turabian StylePietro Altimari; Pier Giorgio Schiavi; Antonio Rubino; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2019. "Electrodeposition of cobalt nanoparticles: An analysis of the mechanisms behind the deviation from three-dimensional diffusion-control." Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 851, no. : 113413.
A fed-batch strategy is proposed to produce microalgae biomass under non-axenic heterotrophic conditions. The strategy induces the alternation of N-deplete (Glucose-replete) and N-replete (Glucose-deplete) cultivation phases by the periodic and uncoupled supply of glucose and NO3- to the culture. Cultivation of the microalga T. obliquus with this strategy reduced the ratio of the bacteria to microalgae cell concentration from 1.6, attained by conventional photoautotrophic cultivation, to 0.03. During the N-deplete phase, microalgae duplication stopped and biomass concentration increased 1.9 times, while during the N-replete phase, microalgae duplicated halving their average size and losing about 25 % of their weight. The process proved to be effective under several consecutive cycles. Biomass productivity until 6.1 g/Ld and biomass concentration until 26 g/L were achieved. The results demonstrate that the proposed strategy can effectively prevent bacterial contamination, paving the way to the large scale production of microalgae biomass under non-axenic heterotrophic conditions.
Fabrizio Di Caprio; Pietro Altimari; Gaetano Iaquaniello; Luigi Toro; Francesca Pagnanelli. Heterotrophic cultivation of T. obliquus under non-axenic conditions by uncoupled supply of nitrogen and glucose. Biochemical Engineering Journal 2019, 145, 127 -136.
AMA StyleFabrizio Di Caprio, Pietro Altimari, Gaetano Iaquaniello, Luigi Toro, Francesca Pagnanelli. Heterotrophic cultivation of T. obliquus under non-axenic conditions by uncoupled supply of nitrogen and glucose. Biochemical Engineering Journal. 2019; 145 ():127-136.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFabrizio Di Caprio; Pietro Altimari; Gaetano Iaquaniello; Luigi Toro; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2019. "Heterotrophic cultivation of T. obliquus under non-axenic conditions by uncoupled supply of nitrogen and glucose." Biochemical Engineering Journal 145, no. : 127-136.
The application of photovoltaics has been rapidly increasing over the past two decades driven by the idea that it could provide a fundamental contribution to the transition from traditional fossil fuels to renewable energy based economies. However, long-term sustainability of photovoltaics will be largely dependent on the effectiveness of the process solutions that will be adopted to recycle the unprecedented volume of end-of-life panels expected to be generated in the near future. Recycling is indispensible to avoid the loss of the valuable materials employed to produce the photovoltaic panels and, at the same time, prevent that harmful elements, including, for example, heavy metals, could be dispersed into the environment through improper disposal practices. In this article, the process solutions proposed over the past two decades to recycle photovoltaic panels are critically reviewed. Main objective is to provide the basis for the identification of the recycling solutions that can effectively sustain the continuous increase of the photovoltaic market. In order to assess the requirements that should be satisfied by the recycling processes, the legislation currently in force to regulate the management of end-of-life photovoltaic panels is reviewed, and the evolution of the PV market over the past two decades is analysed. Based on this analysis, forecasts are derived for the flux of end-of-life panels that will be generated over the coming four decades. A technical survey of the previously proposed recycling processes is successively performed by including, in addition to the analysis of the research studies published in scientific articles, a detailed review of the patented recycling processes. Indications are given to which may be the most promising processes in terms of their economic sustainability and environmental impact.
Flavia C.S.M. Padoan; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. Recycling of end of life photovoltaic panels: A chemical prospective on process development. Solar Energy 2018, 177, 746 -761.
AMA StyleFlavia C.S.M. Padoan, Pietro Altimari, Francesca Pagnanelli. Recycling of end of life photovoltaic panels: A chemical prospective on process development. Solar Energy. 2018; 177 ():746-761.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlavia C.S.M. Padoan; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2018. "Recycling of end of life photovoltaic panels: A chemical prospective on process development." Solar Energy 177, no. : 746-761.
An assembly of hemispherical particles continuously nucleating on a planar electrode and growing under mixed kinetic-diffusion control is here considered. A model is derived, from the exact boundary integral formulation of the diffusion equation, to predict the overall current evolution, and the radii distribution of particles nucleating within any prescribed time interval. Iso-nucleation-time classes are introduced in the model, grouping particles (almost) simultaneously nucleating over the underlying substrate. The dynamics of particles belonging to a given iso-nucleation time class are assumed to be identical. By this approximation, hereby referred to as Averaged Class Approximation (ACA), the computation of the average radius of any iso-nucleation-time class is reduced to the solution of an integro-differential equation, parameterized by the nucleation time. An effective computational method is also presented to solve the model equations, giving predictions that fairly well agree with the results of direct multi-particle numerical simulations.
Pietro Altimari; Francesco Greco; Francesca Pagnanelli. Nucleation and growth of metal nanoparticles on a planar electrode: A new model based on iso-nucleation-time classes of particles. Electrochimica Acta 2018, 296, 82 -93.
AMA StylePietro Altimari, Francesco Greco, Francesca Pagnanelli. Nucleation and growth of metal nanoparticles on a planar electrode: A new model based on iso-nucleation-time classes of particles. Electrochimica Acta. 2018; 296 ():82-93.
Chicago/Turabian StylePietro Altimari; Francesco Greco; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2018. "Nucleation and growth of metal nanoparticles on a planar electrode: A new model based on iso-nucleation-time classes of particles." Electrochimica Acta 296, no. : 82-93.
Fabrizio Di Caprio; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. Integrated microalgae biomass production and olive mill wastewater biodegradation: Optimization of the wastewater supply strategy. Chemical Engineering Journal 2018, 349, 539 -546.
AMA StyleFabrizio Di Caprio, Pietro Altimari, Francesca Pagnanelli. Integrated microalgae biomass production and olive mill wastewater biodegradation: Optimization of the wastewater supply strategy. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2018; 349 ():539-546.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFabrizio Di Caprio; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2018. "Integrated microalgae biomass production and olive mill wastewater biodegradation: Optimization of the wastewater supply strategy." Chemical Engineering Journal 349, no. : 539-546.
A novel electrochemical method is proposed to synthesize nanostructured cobalt electrodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). An array of cobalt nanowires (CoNWs) supported by a nanostructured copper current collector was obtained by the sequential electrodeposition of cobalt and copper into the nanopores of alumina templates and selective etching of alumina. The illustrated method can be implemented with one-side open alumina templates generated by one-step aluminium anodization, thus excluding the application alumina membranes and their coating by sputter metal deposition. The cobalt electrodeposition conditions allow to directly form Co-CoO core-shell nanowires, with metallic cobalt nanowires covered by a thin cobalt oxide film. The direct electrochemical growth of copper nanowires connected to CoNWs ensured high electronic conductivity and specific surface area of the resulting electrode, leading to a low interfacial impedance when used in lithium cell. This nanostructure and the enhanced lithium diffusion enabled by the nanowires morphology contributed to achieve a specific capacity of 1500 mAhg−1 after 200 cycles at 2 Ag-1, and complete restore of the capacity at 2 Ag-1 after cycling at the ultra-high current density of 450 Ag-1. The faradaic and capacitive contributions to charge storage were estimated by the analysis of cyclic voltammetry experiments carried out at different scan rates. Based on this latter analysis, pseudo-capacitive effects appear to play a pivotal role in determining the total recorded capacity. The advantages of the proposed method to sustain the large scale application of nanowires electrodes in lithium batteries are thoroughly discussed.
Pier Giorgio Schiavi; Luca Farina; Pietro Altimari; Maria Assunta Navarra; Robertino Zanoni; Stefania Panero; Francesca Pagnanelli. A versatile electrochemical method to synthesize Co-CoO core-shell nanowires anodes for lithium ion batteries with superior stability and rate capability. Electrochimica Acta 2018, 290, 347 -355.
AMA StylePier Giorgio Schiavi, Luca Farina, Pietro Altimari, Maria Assunta Navarra, Robertino Zanoni, Stefania Panero, Francesca Pagnanelli. A versatile electrochemical method to synthesize Co-CoO core-shell nanowires anodes for lithium ion batteries with superior stability and rate capability. Electrochimica Acta. 2018; 290 ():347-355.
Chicago/Turabian StylePier Giorgio Schiavi; Luca Farina; Pietro Altimari; Maria Assunta Navarra; Robertino Zanoni; Stefania Panero; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2018. "A versatile electrochemical method to synthesize Co-CoO core-shell nanowires anodes for lithium ion batteries with superior stability and rate capability." Electrochimica Acta 290, no. : 347-355.
In this contribution, two different strategies are discussed to synthesize cobalt nanostructures: direct cobalt electrodeposition on a planar aluminum electrode and cobalt electrodeposition into nanoporous alumina templates generated by aluminum anodization (template electrodeposition). In the direct electrodeposition of cobalt on aluminum, cobalt nanoparticles are formed during the early stage of electrodeposition, which causes the depletion of cobalt ions near the electrode. Water reduction then takes place catalyzed by electrodeposited cobalt nanoparticles, which increases the pH near the electrode and can induce cobalt hydroxide precipitation. By varying the electrode potential and the cobalt ion concentration, the interplay between electrochemical growth of cobalt and water reduction could be controlled to induce transition from cobalt hexagonal nano-platelets to nanostructured films composed of cobalt nanoparticles and cobalt hydroxide nano-flakes. Cobalt nanowires can be synthesized by electrodeposition into nanoporous alumina templates generated by aluminum anodization. This approach typically involves the application of alumina templates produced by a two-step anodization procedure: the alumina nanoporous layer generated by a first anodization is dissolved in a chromic acid solution while a very ordered alumina nanoporous layer is produced by a second anodization stage. In accordance with previous studies, this procedure is fundamental to achieve uniform filling of the nanopores in the subsequent electrodeposition stage. In the present study, uniform filling of the nanoporous alumina generated by one-step anodization could be achieved by the electrodeposition of cobalt nanowires. This result was made possible by the application of a novel pulsed electrodeposition strategy.
Pier Giorgio Schiavi; Antonio Rubino; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. Two electrodeposition strategies for the morphology-controlled synthesis of cobalt nanostructures. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: MICRO TO NANO (ETMN-2017): Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Emerging Technologies: Micro to Nano 2018, 1990, 020005 .
AMA StylePier Giorgio Schiavi, Antonio Rubino, Pietro Altimari, Francesca Pagnanelli. Two electrodeposition strategies for the morphology-controlled synthesis of cobalt nanostructures. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: MICRO TO NANO (ETMN-2017): Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Emerging Technologies: Micro to Nano. 2018; 1990 (1):020005.
Chicago/Turabian StylePier Giorgio Schiavi; Antonio Rubino; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2018. "Two electrodeposition strategies for the morphology-controlled synthesis of cobalt nanostructures." EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: MICRO TO NANO (ETMN-2017): Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Emerging Technologies: Micro to Nano 1990, no. 1: 020005.
BACKGROUND Mixotrophic and heterotrophic growth of microalgae through biodegradation of olive mill wastewaters (OMW) configures a promising strategy to improve the economic viability of microalgae production processes. However, OMW are characterized by an elevated phenols content, which makes difficult their treatment by biological processes. In this work, the influence of OMW phenols on microalgae growth was investigated by using the phenols extracted with a resin from OMW. RESULTS OMW phenols, at 0.5 g L‐1, were found to inhibit the growth of Scenedesmus sp. This inhibition was reduced by replacing an inoculum in the stationary phase with an inoculum in the exponential phase. Even with this strategy, a relevant negative effect (‐ 30 %) on maximum cell concentration was found, which could be prevented by decreasing the phenol concentration to 0.1 g L‐1. Under mixotrophic conditions, phenols reduced light penetration, limiting photosynthetic activity without significant improvement in phenols biodegradation. Under both mixotrophic and heterotrophic condition, percentage phenols removal up to 57 % was achieved. CONCLUSIONS The most promising strategy to achieve integrated microalgal cell growth and OMW phenols biodegradation is the heterotrophic cultivation with phenols concentration not greater than 0.1 g L‐1 and an inoculum in exponential phase. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Fabrizio Di Caprio; Paolina Scarponi; Pietro Altimari; Gaetano Iaquaniello; Francesca Pagnanelli. The influence of phenols extracted from olive mill wastewater on the heterotrophic and mixotrophic growth ofScenedesmussp. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology 2018, 93, 3619 -3626.
AMA StyleFabrizio Di Caprio, Paolina Scarponi, Pietro Altimari, Gaetano Iaquaniello, Francesca Pagnanelli. The influence of phenols extracted from olive mill wastewater on the heterotrophic and mixotrophic growth ofScenedesmussp. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology. 2018; 93 (12):3619-3626.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFabrizio Di Caprio; Paolina Scarponi; Pietro Altimari; Gaetano Iaquaniello; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2018. "The influence of phenols extracted from olive mill wastewater on the heterotrophic and mixotrophic growth ofScenedesmussp." Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology 93, no. 12: 3619-3626.
The electrodeposition of cobalt nanowires into nanoporous alumina templates produced by one-step anodization of low-purity aluminium was investigated. Aluminium was electropolished prior anodization to generate a hexagonal cell pattern, and a tree-like structure was introduced at the aluminium/aluminium oxide interface by progressively decreasing the anodization potential following potentiostatic anodization. Pulsed electrodeposition including the periodic application of a cathodic potential pulse with constant amplitude was performed to fill the generated alumina template by cobalt nanowires. With this strategy, cathodic potential pulses with amplitude lower than −5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) were necessary to enforce uniform and instantaneous cobalt nucleation at the bottom of template nanopores, which allowed achieving uniform filling and narrow length distribution of the electrodeposited nanowires. However, the uniform growth of the nucleating cobalt nanowires could be sustained by considerably less cathodic potential pulses (up to −1.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl). Uniform filling of the alumina template could accordingly be achieved by a two-stage-pulsed electrodeposition strategy including the application of a high cathodic pulse (<−5 V) inducing uniform and instantaneous cobalt nucleation followed by the periodic application of a lower cathodic pulse (>−1.5 V) sustaining nanowire growth. The mechanisms that govern cobalt nucleation at the bottom of nanopores and the technical advantages of the proposed nanowire synthesis strategy are discussed
Pier Giorgio Schiavi; Pietro Altimari; Antonio Rubino; Francesca Pagnanelli. Electrodeposition of cobalt nanowires into alumina templates generated by one-step anodization. Electrochimica Acta 2018, 259, 711 -722.
AMA StylePier Giorgio Schiavi, Pietro Altimari, Antonio Rubino, Francesca Pagnanelli. Electrodeposition of cobalt nanowires into alumina templates generated by one-step anodization. Electrochimica Acta. 2018; 259 ():711-722.
Chicago/Turabian StylePier Giorgio Schiavi; Pietro Altimari; Antonio Rubino; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2018. "Electrodeposition of cobalt nanowires into alumina templates generated by one-step anodization." Electrochimica Acta 259, no. : 711-722.
The influence of Ca2+ concentration on the growth of the microalga Scenedesmus sp. in heterotrophic and photoautotrophic cultivations was investigated. Heterotrophic growth was induced by the addition of olive mill wastewaters (9% v·v-1) to the culture. Variations in the calcium concentration affected differently biomass production depending on whether microalgae were cultivated under heterotrophic or photoautotrophic regime. In photoautotrophic regime, increasing the calcium concentration from 20 to 230mg⋅L-1 decreased maximum cell concentration and growth rate. In heterotrophic cultivation, cell concentration and growth rate decreased with Ca2+ concentration increasing from 20 to 80mg⋅L-1 but then increased with Ca2+ concentration increasing to 230mg⋅L-1. Increasing calcium concentration invariably promoted cell aggregation. The precipitation of calcium phosphates can explain the decreasing growth rate and cell concentration attained with increasing calcium concentration, while the influence of Ca2+ concentration on the adsorption of phenols on suspended solids can explain the enhanced growth attained at large Ca2+ concentration under heterotrophic regime. Implications of the illustrated results for industrial scale application of microalgae are thoroughly discussed.
Fabrizio Di Caprio; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. Effect of Ca2+ concentration on Scenedesmus sp. growth in heterotrophic and photoautotrophic cultivation. New Biotechnology 2018, 40, 228 -235.
AMA StyleFabrizio Di Caprio, Pietro Altimari, Francesca Pagnanelli. Effect of Ca2+ concentration on Scenedesmus sp. growth in heterotrophic and photoautotrophic cultivation. New Biotechnology. 2018; 40 ():228-235.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFabrizio Di Caprio; Pietro Altimari; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2018. "Effect of Ca2+ concentration on Scenedesmus sp. growth in heterotrophic and photoautotrophic cultivation." New Biotechnology 40, no. : 228-235.
Biosorption offers a competitive technological solution to the removal of heavy metals from wastewaters. Nevertheless, large-scale application of biosorption is still hindered by the absence of systematic methodologies for product and process design. Crucial role is played by the development of models that can describe the effect of operating conditions on biosorption equilibrium and kinetics and thus drive the rational process design. In this contribution, biosorption of copper onto a wild-type strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is analyzed. The analysis is structured in a way that allows reviewing and discussing the main stages of process development. Type and concentration of the biomass active sites were determined by fitting mechanistic equilibrium models accounting for the distribution of the site protonation constants to potentiometric titration data. Equilibrium biosorption tests were performed to determine the dependence of the biosorption capacity on pH (3 and 5) and metal liquid concentration (0–120 ppm). The immobilization of biomass by calcium alginate was performed to produce composite sorbent beads with different biomass contents. An experimental analysis was performed to characterize the kinetics and the equilibrium of copper biosorption onto the produced beads. These data were exploited to identify kinetic and equilibrium models describing the competitive biosorption of protons and copper ions onto the beads. A mathematical model was derived to describe the transport of copper and protons in a biosorption column packed by the produced beads. The column mathematical model was validated by recourse to the experimental data derived by the operation of lab-scale packed column (length 15 cm, diameter 1.7 cm).
Pietro Altimari; Fabrizio Di Caprio; Francesca Pagnanelli. Biosorption of Copper by Saccharomyces cerevisiae: From Biomass Characterization to Process Development. Adsorption Processes for Water Treatment and Purification 2017, 205 -224.
AMA StylePietro Altimari, Fabrizio Di Caprio, Francesca Pagnanelli. Biosorption of Copper by Saccharomyces cerevisiae: From Biomass Characterization to Process Development. Adsorption Processes for Water Treatment and Purification. 2017; ():205-224.
Chicago/Turabian StylePietro Altimari; Fabrizio Di Caprio; Francesca Pagnanelli. 2017. "Biosorption of Copper by Saccharomyces cerevisiae: From Biomass Characterization to Process Development." Adsorption Processes for Water Treatment and Purification , no. : 205-224.
Experimental results of leaching tests using waste fractions obtained by mechanical pretreatment of lithium ion batteries (LIB) were reported. Two physical pretreatments were performed at pilot scale in order to recover electrodic powders: the first including crushing, milling, and sieving and the second granulation, and sieving. Recovery yield of electrodic powder was significantly influenced by the type of pretreatment. About 50% of initial LIB wastes was recovered by the first treatment (as electrodic powder with size 99%) of Co and Li from Sample 1 are 1/10g/mL as solid/liquid ratio and +50% stoichiometric excess of acid (1.1M). Using the same solid/liquid ratio, +100% acid excess (1.2M) is necessary to extract 96% of Co and 86% of Li from Sample 2. Best conditions for leaching of Sample 2 using glucose are +200% acid excess (1.7M) and 0.05M glucose concentration. Optimized conditions found in this work are among the most effective reported in the literature in term of Co extraction and reagent consumption.
Francesca Pagnanelli; Emanuela Moscardini; Pietro Altimari; Thomas Abo Atia; Luigi Toro. Leaching of electrodic powders from lithium ion batteries: Optimization of operating conditions and effect of physical pretreatment for waste fraction retrieval. Waste Management 2017, 60, 706 -715.
AMA StyleFrancesca Pagnanelli, Emanuela Moscardini, Pietro Altimari, Thomas Abo Atia, Luigi Toro. Leaching of electrodic powders from lithium ion batteries: Optimization of operating conditions and effect of physical pretreatment for waste fraction retrieval. Waste Management. 2017; 60 ():706-715.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesca Pagnanelli; Emanuela Moscardini; Pietro Altimari; Thomas Abo Atia; Luigi Toro. 2017. "Leaching of electrodic powders from lithium ion batteries: Optimization of operating conditions and effect of physical pretreatment for waste fraction retrieval." Waste Management 60, no. : 706-715.
Different kinds of panels (Si-based panels and CdTe panels) were treated according to a common process route made up of two main steps: a physical treatment (triple crushing and thermal treatment) and a chemical treatment. After triple crushing three fractions were obtained: an intermediate fraction (0.4-1mm) of directly recoverable glass (17%); a coarse fraction (>1mm) requiring further thermal treatment in order to separate EVA-glued layers in glass fragments; a fine fraction (<0.4mm) requiring chemical treatment to dissolve metals and obtain another recoverable glass fraction. Coarse fractions (62%) were treated thermally giving another recoverable glass fraction (52%). Fine fractions can be further sieved into two sub-fractions: <0.08mm (3%) and 0.08-0.4mm (22%). Chemical characterization showed that 0.08-0.4mm fractions mainly contained Fe, Al and Zn, while precious and dangerous metals (Ag, Ti, Te, Cu and Cd) are mainly present in fractions <0.08mm. Acid leaching of 0.08-0.4mm fractions allowed to obtain a third recoverable glass fraction (22%). The process route allowed to treat by the same scheme of operation both Si based panels and Cd-Te panels with an overall recycling rate of 91%.
Francesca Pagnanelli; Emanuela Moscardini; Giuseppe Granata; Thomas Abo Atia; Pietro Altimari; Tomas Havlik; Luigi Toro. Physical and chemical treatment of end of life panels: An integrated automatic approach viable for different photovoltaic technologies. Waste Management 2017, 59, 422 -431.
AMA StyleFrancesca Pagnanelli, Emanuela Moscardini, Giuseppe Granata, Thomas Abo Atia, Pietro Altimari, Tomas Havlik, Luigi Toro. Physical and chemical treatment of end of life panels: An integrated automatic approach viable for different photovoltaic technologies. Waste Management. 2017; 59 ():422-431.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesca Pagnanelli; Emanuela Moscardini; Giuseppe Granata; Thomas Abo Atia; Pietro Altimari; Tomas Havlik; Luigi Toro. 2017. "Physical and chemical treatment of end of life panels: An integrated automatic approach viable for different photovoltaic technologies." Waste Management 59, no. : 422-431.