Shape-stable phase change materials (ss-PCMs) are extensively applied in renewable energy storage. The core for realizing high latent heat and good thermal stability of ss-PCMs is the designation of suitable supporting skeletons that can effectively preserve the PCMs from leaking out. In this study, ss-PCMs impregnated by D-mannitol were prepared using a waste yeast-derived carbon (YC) as the support material. YC possesses a large surface area (669.90 m2/g), which can provide sufficient phase transition space and nucleation sites for D-mannitol. The results indicated that a reduced supercooling of 44.76 °C for YC/D-mannitol ss-PCMs can be realized. The ss-PCMs also exhibited good cycling stability, with latent heat loss rates of 4.00% and 2.15% after 200 thermal cycles. We further demonstrate that YC provides restricted space for mannitol to inhibit the supercooling mechanism. The YC/D-mannitol ss-PCMs exhibited great promise for solar heat storage and industrial waste heat recovery in the medium temperature domain.
12 November 2024 in Biochemical Engineering Journal
The green biosynthesis of adipic acid, an important monomer of nylon 6,6, has become a research hotspot. α-Aminoadipate is a key intermediate in the metabolic pathway that converts L-lysine to produce adipic acid. In addition, metabolic flux analysis has become an important part of metabolic engineering. Many metabolic optimization algorithms have been developed to predict engineering intervention strategies with the aim of improving the production of target chemicals. Here, OptHandle, a new metabolic optimization algorithm, has been developed. And, we use OptHandle to optimize the biosynthesis of α-aminoadipate. Based on the results of OptHandle, an engineered Escherichia coli with a 13-fold higher titer was obtained, and 1.10 ± 0.02 g/L of α-aminoadipate was produced. The efficient synthesis of α-aminoadipate lays a foundation for the green production of adipic acid.