The present disclosure relates to methods, systems and products for converting carbon dioxide to one or more small organic compounds. In certain embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method of converting CO.sub.2 and/or a related form thereof to one or more small organic compounds, the method comprising exposing the CO.sub.2 and/or the related form thereof to a beta particle activated high band-gap semiconductor and thereby converting the CO.sub.2 and/or the related form thereof to the one or more small organic compounds.

The invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of this gas processing system.

The present disclosure relates to methods of scrubbing of gas by exposure to electrons and apparatuses therefor. Such methods and apparatuses could be used to reduce harmful emissions created by the burning of fossil fuels, e.g. to power ships. According to one aspect there is provided apparatus for electron irradiation scrubbing, said apparatus comprising: an anode; a cathode a nanostructure located between said anode and said cathode, said nanostructure being configured to field-emit electrons in response to the presence of an electric field between the anode and cathode when a potential difference is established therebetween; and a housing coupled to said nanostructure and configured for locating the nanostructure so that it extends into a container containing gas to be scrubbed such that an interior of said container can be exposed to said electrons. According to further aspects there are provided systems comprising such apparatus and methods making use of it.

The invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of this gas processing system.

Disclosed is a method for removing an antibiotic resistance gene by using ionizing radiation, wherein same comprises treating antibiotic-microorganism residues using ionizing radiation to destroy the DNA of microbial cells, thereby realizing the effective removal of the resistance gene, and same can simultaneously degrade residual antibiotics, wherein the ionizing radiation is performed using gamma rays or a high energy electron beam generated by an electron accelerator. The radiation in the method can be performed at room temperature and has broad application prospects in the environmental field.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a non-acid-treated eco friendly cellulose nanocrystal and the cellulose nanocrystals prepared by the same. The methods for preparing the non-acid-treated cellulose nanocrystal and extracting the cellulose nanocrystal from cellulosic materials of the present invention are eco-friendly methods, compared with the conventional preparation method for cellulose nanocrystal based on acid-hydrolysis; are efficient due to the total energy saving process; are easy to utilize side products; and are characterized by high yield to produce the target cellulose nanocrystal. The nanocrystal prepared according to the present invention exhibits equivalent or higher aspect ratio, yield and crystallinity than the cellulose nanocrystal prepared through acid hydrolysis, and has remarkably excellent thermal stability, so that it can be effectively used for the production of membranes, electrical and electronic parts, substrates, heat insulating materials, and reinforcing materials required for durability against heat.

A method for manufacturing a broadband fluorescence amplification assembly comprising the steps of providing a vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) substrate that has been treated with a plasma and at least partially coated with a metal coating and a support structure, and supporting the VACNT substrate by the support structure. The support structure can include one of quartz or glass. The method can also include the steps of cleaning the support structure with an alcohol solution and/or exposing the support structure to one of a surface cleaning plasma or ozone. The method can further comprise the step of adhering the VACNT substrate to the support structure, wherein the step of adhering can include applying an adhesive material to at least a portion of the support structure. Additionally, the method can include the step of treating the VACNT substrate and the support structure with the plasma.

A synthetic single crystal diamond contains nitrogen atoms at a concentration of more than 600 ppm and 1500 ppm or less, and the nitrogen atoms do not include any isolated substitutional nitrogen atom.

The invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of the gas processing system.

A method for the rapid and controlled synthesis of mixed metal oxide nanoparticles using relatively low temperature plasma oxidation of liquid droplets of predetermined mixed metal precursors is disclosed. The resulting nanoparticles reflect the metal precursor stoichiometries and the mixed metal oxide's metastable phase can be controlled. The synthesis of mixed transition metal oxide comprising binary metal oxides, ternary mixed metal oxides, quaternary mixed metal oxides and pentanary mixed metal oxides are demonstrated herein.