It is provided a process of producing amorphous silica from a raw material, such as serpentine, containing silica comprising the steps of mixing the raw material with a hydrochloric acid solution; leaching the raw material obtaining a slurry comprising a liquid fraction and a solid fraction containing silica and minerals; separating the liquid fraction and the solid fraction; removing the minerals from the solid fraction by magnetic separation producing a purified solid silica; drying the purified solid silica; and heating the purified solid silica to remove hydroxyl groups from the silica surface and reducing specific surface area of the resulting amorphous silica.

The invention relates to peptides including DEDE(SSD).sub.nDEG indicated by SEQ NO. 1, RRRDEDE(SSD).sub.nDEG indicated by SEQ NO. 2, RRRGDEDE(SSD).sub.nDEG indicated by SEQ NO. 3, and LKKLKKLDEDE(SSD)nDEG indicated by SEQ NO. 4, wherein n is an integer from 2 to 20. The invention also relates to phosphorylating these peptides at multiple amino acid sites by employing casein kinases. These phosphorylated peptides may be used in various applications such as forming mineralized collagen fibrils and biomimetic composites for use in tissue repair and regeneration.

Aspects of the invention include methods of removing carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) from a CO.sub.2 containing gas. In some instances, the methods include contacting CO.sub.2 containing gas with a bicarbonate buffered aqueous medium under conditions sufficient to produce a bicarbonate rich product. Where desired, the resultant bicarbonate rich product or a component thereof may then be stored or further processed, e.g., combined with a divalent alkaline earth metal cation, under conditions sufficient to produce a solid carbonate composition. Aspects of the invention further include systems for practicing the methods, as well as products produced by the methods.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods of removing carbon dioxide from a gaseous stream using magnesium hydroxide and then regenerating the magnesium hydroxide. In some embodiments, the systems and methods can further comprise using the waste heat from one or more gas streams to provide some or all of the heat needed to drive the reactions. In some embodiments, magnesium chloride is primarily in the form of magnesium chloride dihydrate and is fed to a decomposition reactor to generate magnesium hydrochloride, which is in turn fed to a second decomposition reactor to generate magnesium hydroxide.

Disclosed is a method for the selective catalytic reduction of NO.sub.x in waste/exhaust gas by using ammonia provides by heating one or more salts of formula M.sub.a(NH.sub.3).sub.nX.sub.z, wherein M represents one or more cations selected from alkaline earth metals and transition metals, X represents one or more anions, a represents the number of cations per salt molecule, z represents the number of anions per salt molecule, and n is a number of from 2 to 12, the one or more salts having been compressed to a bulk density above 70% of the skeleton density before use thereof.

Disclosed is a method for the selective catalytic reduction of NO.sub.x in waste/exhaust gas by using ammonia provides by heating one or more salts of formula M.sub.a(NH.sub.3).sub.nX.sub.z, wherein M represents one or more cations selected from alkaline earth metals and transition metals, X represents one or more anions, a represents the number of cations per salt molecule, z represents the number of anions per salt molecule, and n is a number of from 2 to 12, the one or more salts having been compressed to a bulk density above 70% of the skeleton density before use thereof.

Composite particles are disclosed comprising magnesium oxide, iron oxide, and biochar; and methods of making and using the composite particles. The composite particles may be used to recover solutes including phosphate, nitrate, ammonium, and organic compounds from aqueous solution, and the resulting solute-loaded particles may be used as a fertilizer to enhance plant growth. The composites be used to remove pollutants from agricultural runoff, wastewater, and surface water. The particles possess magnetic properties that enhance their recovery following solute adsorption.

A solid state hydrogen storage system and materials are provided. Hydrogen storage is provided by the formation of metal hydrides in a nanoporous metal framework. H.sub.2 can be effectively released from the hydride that is made directly during the synthesis processes at just 100 C. Dealloying using galvanic corrosion in a metal ion electrolyte and in a hydrogen containing atmosphere is used to create monolithic nanoporous metal frameworks and the simultaneous formation of metal hydrides within the porosity. The nanoporous frameworks have a tunable plasmon resonance and morphology. The system can reversibly store hydrogen in the nanoporous framework using hot electrons generated either by surface plasmons or by exothermic galvanic replacement reactions to form metal hydrides.

The invention features an electrochemical cell having an anode and a cathode; wherein at least one of the anode and cathode includes a solid ionically conducting polymer material that can ionically conduct hydroxyl ions.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods of removing carbon dioxide from a gaseous stream using magnesium hydroxide and then regenerating the magnesium hydroxide. In some embodiments, the systems and methods can further comprise using the waste heat from one or more gas streams to provide some or all of the heat needed to drive the reactions. In some embodiments, magnesium chloride is primarily in the form of magnesium chloride dihydrate and is fed to a decomposition reactor to generate magnesium hydroxychloride, which is in turn fed to a second decomposition reactor to generate magnesium hydroxide.