An article includes a closed-environment air purification system that has a purifier through which air can be recirculated. The purifier is capable at a temperature of equal or less than 35° C. of converting hydrogen in the air to water and converting carbon monoxide in the air to carbon dioxide. The purifier has a reactor bed that includes media comprised of support particles and a metal catalyst disposed on the support particles.

A portable or handhold air purification system, whose air flow pipeline made of highly reflective and low absorptive material for UVC or UVB light acts also as a UV light waveguide, is invented. The system is based on the design concept of maximizing UV light exposure dosage to deactivate all the pollutants in the air flow going through to allow the system to use UVC and/or UVB LED. The system also has some features around the middle point of the air flow path to either further increase light exposure, or clean the air flow through the interaction between the specially designed nano particles and incoming UV light. Moreover, an ozone filter and an air heating devices, with energy either from the heat sink of LED's TEC or a device based on plasmonic resonance induced photothermal effects, are placed near the air outlet of the system for further enhancement. The system is very useful for travelers in the closed environment such as in a airplane, or on a train. It can also use in office during flu season as well as provide cleaned air supply to its users against the hay-fever.

The present invention provides compositions and methods of making bimetallic metal alloys of composition for example, Rh/Pd; Rh/Pt; Rh/Ag; Rh/Au; Rh/Ru; Rh/Co; Rh/Ir; Rh/Ni; Ir/Pd; Ir/Pt; Ir/Ag; Ir/Au; Pd/Ni; Pd/Pt; Pd/Ag; Pd/Au; Pt/Ni; Pt/Ag; Pt/Au; Ni/Ag; Ni/Au; or Ag/Au prepared using microwave irradiation.

In some aspects and embodiments, the present application provides a wide range of porous 1-D polymeric graphitic carbon-nitride materials that are atomically doped with binary metals in different morphologies. In some embodiments, the graphitic carbon-nitride materials can be prepared with high mass production from inexpensive and natural abundant precursors. In some embodiments, the materials were used successfully for the oxidation of CO to CO.sub.2 under ambient reaction temperature in addition to the reduction of CO.sub.2 into hydrocarbons. In some embodiments, the materials can be used for practical and large-scale gas conversion for household or industrial applications.

A nitrous oxide (N.sub.2O) removal catalyst composition for treating an exhaust stream of an internal combustion engine is provided, containing a platinum group metal (PGM) component on a metal oxide-based support, wherein the N.sub.2O removal catalyst composition is in a substantially reduced form, such that it has an oxygen deficiency of about 0.05 mmol oxygen atoms/g or greater, and wherein the N.sub.2O removal catalyst composition provides effective removal of at least a portion of N.sub.2O from the exhaust stream under lean conditions at a temperature of about 350 C. or lower. N.sub.2O removal catalytic articles, systems, and methods are also provided for removing at least a portion of N.sub.2O from an exhaust stream under lean, low temperature conditions.

Various embodiments are directed to an improved electrochemical cell system that is configured to reduce the concentration of a target gas in a cold storage environment. The electrochemical cell system may comprise an electrochemical cell apparatus, an air circulation apparatus, and a flow hood. The electrochemical cell apparatus may be combined with or coupled to an air circulation apparatus via the flow hood to maximize access of the target gas to the gas aperture.

A porous carbon material composite formed of a porous carbon material and a functional material and equipped with high functionality. The porous carbon material composite is formed of (A) a porous carbon material obtainable from a plant-derived material having a silicon (Si) content of 5 wt % or higher as a raw material; and (B) a functional material adhered on the porous carbon material, and has a specific surface area of 10 m.sup.2/g or greater as determined by the nitrogen BET method and a pore volume of 0.1 cm.sup.3/g or greater as determined by the BJH method and MP method.

The present invention discloses a novel mesoporous gold deposited oxidation catalyst of formula: XAu-M.sub.0.1Ce.sub.0.85Zr.sub.0.05O.sub.2 wherein X=0.01-10%, M is selected from Cu, Co or Mn and process for the preparation thereof by photodeposition method.

An anti-bacterial lighting apparatus includes one translucent housing, at least one light source, and an air circulation mechanism. The translucent housing is air permeable, has as least one air inflow port, and has an anti-bacterial photocatalytic film on its inside surface. The at least one light source is inside the housing, and its light activates the anti-bacterial photocatalytic film on the housing. The air circulation mechanism, such as a fan, is at the air inflow port of the housing. It sucks the ambient air from outside the housing and forces the air through the air-permeable housing. The air-permeable housing traps airborne bacteria and viruses, and the activated anti-bacterial photocatalytic film kills the trapped bacteria and viruses. Moreover, the light shines through the translucent housing while the apparatus is filtering the air and killing the airborne bacteria and viruses.

The invention relates to a process for producing ethylene glycol and/or ethylene carbonate, said process comprising contacting at least a portion of a recycle gas stream comprising an alkyl iodide impurity with a guard bed system positioned upstream of an ethylene oxide reactor to produce a treated recycle gas stream, wherein the guard bed system comprises silver on alumina; contacting a feed gas stream comprising ethylene, oxygen and at least a portion of the treated recycle gas stream with an epoxidation catalyst in the ethylene oxide reactor to produce an epoxidation reaction product comprising ethylene oxide; and contacting at least a portion of the epoxidation reaction product comprising ethylene oxide with an aqueous absorbent in the presence of an iodide-containing catalyst in an absorber to produce an aqueous product stream comprising ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol and the recycle gas stream comprising the alkyl iodide impurity.