An ethylene oxide (EO) reactor is provided in which a removable impingement basket is configured to be inserted into the reactor inlet pipe of the EO reactor. The removable impingement basket provides protection for the silver-based catalyst filled tubes and other components that are present inside the EO reactor as well as providing another access point into the EO reactor. The removable impingement basket also can provide better distribution of the inlet gas as compared to an EO reactor containing a non-removable impingement plate.

An ethylene oxide (EO) reactor is provided in which a removable impingement basket is configured to be inserted into the reactor inlet pipe of the EO reactor. The removable impingement basket provides protection for the silver-based catalyst filled tubes and other components that are present inside the EO reactor as well as providing another access point into the EO reactor. The removable impingement basket also can provide better distribution of the inlet gas as compared to an EO reactor containing a non-removable impingement plate.

A method of and apparatus for desalinating sea water using geothermal energy. A low voltage (such as less than 0.9V) is applied to a hydrogen generating catalysts to generate hydrogen and oxygen, wherein geothermal heat is used as a heat source. The hydrogen and oxygen are used to drive a gas turbine to generate electricity. The oxygen and hydrogen are transported away and combusted to generate heat and pure water, as such salt are separated from the pure water.

A method of and apparatus for desalinating sea water using geothermal energy. A low voltage (such as less than 0.9V) is applied to a hydrogen generating catalysts to generate hydrogen and oxygen, wherein geothermal heat is used as a heat source. The hydrogen and oxygen are used to drive a gas turbine to generate electricity. The oxygen and hydrogen are transported away and combusted to generate heat and pure water, as such salt are separated from the pure water.

Oxidized metal complexes are formed using methods which adjust the pH of solutions to obtain oxidized metal complexes having particular physicochemical properties. A method for preparing an oxidized metal complex includes providing a first solution comprising a highly oxidized metal and having a pH between 0 to 7; providing a second solution comprising one or more ligands or a ligand precursor and having a pH between 7 to 13 or greater; and combining the first solution and the second solution to form a third solution comprising the first oxidized metal complex. A method for preparing an oxidized metal complex includes providing a species solution comprising a first oxidized metal complex and having a pH of at least pH 11; and adjusting the pH of the species solution to form a second oxidized metal complex. Compositions and methods for preparing and using same are provided.

A solution and method of creating such for producing silicon nanowires or silicon nano-plates. The solution comprising distilled water, Potassium Hydroxide (KOH), at least one catalyst, Sodium Methyl Siliconate (CH.sub.5NaO.sub.3Si), Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA), which act as a first chelating agent, Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate (C.sub.5H.sub.10NS.sub.2Na), which acts as a second chelating agent, and Dimethylacrylic Acid, which acts as a buffer that is able to regulate the amount of silicon nanowires or plates formed and to prevent agglomeration. The concentration of the Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate in the solution is greater than concentration of the EDTA in the solution for forming a plurality of thick and short nanowires, and the concentration of the Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate in the solution is less than the concentration of the EDTA in the solution for forming a plurality of thin and long nanowires.

A solution and method of creating such for producing silicon nanowires or silicon nano-plates. The solution comprising distilled water, Potassium Hydroxide (KOH), at least one catalyst, Sodium Methyl Siliconate (CH.sub.5NaO.sub.3Si), Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA), which act as a first chelating agent, Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate (C.sub.5H.sub.10NS.sub.2Na), which acts as a second chelating agent, and Dimethylacrylic Acid, which acts as a buffer that is able to regulate the amount of silicon nanowires or plates formed and to prevent agglomeration. The concentration of the Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate in the solution is greater than concentration of the EDTA in the solution for forming a plurality of thick and short nanowires, and the concentration of the Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate in the solution is less than the concentration of the EDTA in the solution for forming a plurality of thin and long nanowires.

Provided is a preparing method of linear carbonate compounds, including performing a coupling reaction of carbon dioxide in the presence of a titanium dioxide complex. The titanium dioxide complex includes an anatase phase and a rutile phase, a reduced titanium dioxide which is formed by selectively reducing any one of the anatase phase and the rutile phase, and a metallic oxide bound to the reduced titanium dioxide.

Provided is a preparing method of linear carbonate compounds, including performing a coupling reaction of carbon dioxide in the presence of a titanium dioxide complex. The titanium dioxide complex includes an anatase phase and a rutile phase, a reduced titanium dioxide which is formed by selectively reducing any one of the anatase phase and the rutile phase, and a metallic oxide bound to the reduced titanium dioxide.

Disclosed herein is a multi-layered composite thin film material formed from graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and metal nanocrystals in a layer-by-layer design, wherein the metal nanocrystals can be selected from the group consisting of Ru, Rh, Os, Ir, Pd, Au, Ag and Pt. In a preferred embodiment, the multi-layered composite thin film material is prepared via a facile, green, and easily accessible layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly strategy. In this strategy, positively charged GOQDs and negatively charged metal nanocrystals are alternately and uniformly integrated with each other in a “face-to-face” stacked fashion under substantial electrostatic attractive interaction, and then the obtained GOQDs/metal composite thin film is calcined into GQDs/metal composite thin film. The composite thin film material disclosed herein may be used to catalyse a wide range or reactions, including selective reduction of aromatic nitro compounds in water and electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol at ambient conditions.