Structures of a particle containing a core and at least one shell, a metal oxide material of which is necessarily doped to ensure protection of a material of the core from photodegradation. The core can include any of a thermochromic material, a phase-change material, and a judiciously defined auxiliary material that in turn contains organic and/or polymeric material. Derivative products utilizing a plurality of such particles. Methodologies for producing such particles and derivative products.

An active energy irradiation device includes: an active energy irradiation unit having an emitting surface extending in both a first direction and a second direction, the emitting surface configured to emit an active energy ray to one side in a third direction; an inert gas supply unit having a spray port located on one side in the second direction with respect to the emitting surface, the spray port configured to spray an inert gas to the one side in the third direction; and a structure including a protrusion portion located on the other side in the second direction with respect to the emitting surface, the protrusion portion protruding to the one side in the third direction with respect to the emitting surface. A width in the second direction of the protrusion portion is larger than a width in the third direction of the protrusion portion.

The disclosure relates to systems and methods to photolytically cleave hydrogen sulfide (H.sub.2S) present in a gas mixture produced by a hydrocarbon producing well and/or a gas treatment unit, thereby converting the hydrogen sulfide to hydrogen gas (H.sub.2) and a sulfur species (e.g., elemental sulfur, polysulfides, and/or organosulfur compounds). This reduces the amount of hydrogen sulfide present in the gas mixture. The systems and methods can be implemented in a component of a hydrocarbon producing well (e.g., a wellhead, a flow line, a production casing, a production tubing), a component used to transport the gas mixture produced by the well (e.g., a transportation pipeline, an inlet to a gas-oil separation plant), and/or a gas treatment unit (e.g., a tail gas treatment unit). The gas mixture is disposed in an annular space of the component(s), and an ultraviolet (UV) light source delivers UV light to the gas mixture to photolytically cleave the hydrogen sulfide.

Methods and systems are described for processing cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials into useful intermediates and products, such as energy and fuels. For example, conveying systems and methods, such as highly efficient vibratory conveyors, are described for the processing of the cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials.

A plant for drying and solid state polycondensing a granular moisture-containing polymeric material includes a conduit feeding material to be treated longitudinally, a treatment zone located along the conduit, a blower of an inert gas into the conduit, and a radiating device emitting an alternating electromagnetic field in the radio-frequency band to dry and upgrade the material. The radiating device includes applicators, located at the treatment zone and external to the conduit in longitudinally offset positions, which are connected to the terminals of an electromagnetic wave generator and include pairs of opposed radiating elements that generate an alternating electromagnetic field in the conduit, with field lines at least partially parallel to the direction of feed of the material, and that define magnetic dipoles with opposite polarities along the conduit. A method of drying and solid state polycondensing a polymeric material in granular form obtained by polycondensation using the plant.

Compositions are provided that can include nanoscale particles including metal cations such as cerium having an average particle size of less than 10 nm. The nanoscale particles can include cerium and oxygen. Methods for forming nanoparticles are provided. The methods can include exposing a metal cation within a solution to radiation to form metal nanoparticles that can include metal cations. The methods can include exposing a cerium salt solution to radiation to form the nanoparticles. The methods can include exposing solvated metal cations to radiation to precipitate nanoparticles that include metal cations such as Ce. The methods can include exposing the homogeneous solution to radiation to precipitate nanoparticles. The methods can include: providing an aqueous solution comprising metal cations; and increasing the pH of the aqueous solution with radiation to form nanoparticles that include metal cations. Nanoparticle generators are provided. The generators can include: a reactant reservoir comprising a metal cation in solution; a fluid cell in fluid communication with the reactant reservoir; a radiation source operatively aligned with the fluid cell; and a product reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid cell.

The disclosure relates to a method for forming aryl carbon-nitrogen bonds and to photoreactors useful in these and other light-driven reactions. The method comprises contacting an aryl halide with an amine in the presence of a Ni salt catalyst solution and an optional base, thereby forming a reaction mixture; exposing the reaction mixture to light under reaction condition sufficient to produce the aryl carbon-nitrogen bonds. In certain embodiments, the amine may be present in a molar excess to the aryl halide. In certain embodiments, the Ni salt catalyst solution includes a Ni(II) salt and a polar solvent, wherein the Ni(II) salt is dissolved in the polar solvent. In certain embodiments, the reactions conditions include holding the reaction mixture at between about room temperature and about 80 C. for between about 1 hour and about 20 hours such that at least about 50% yield is obtained.

Supported chromium catalysts with an average valence less than +6 and having a hydrocarbon-containing or halogenated hydrocarbon-containing ligand attached to at least one bonding site on the chromium are disclosed, as well as ethylene-based polymers with terminal alkane, aromatic, or halogenated hydrocarbon chain ends. Another ethylene polymer characterized by at least 2 wt. % of the polymer having a molecular weight greater than 1,000,000 g/mol and at least 1.5 wt. % of the polymer having a molecular weight less than 1000 g/mol is provided, as well as an ethylene homopolymer with at least 3.5 methyl short chain branches and less than 0.6 butyl short chain branches per 1000 total carbon atoms.

A hybrid twin process uses an independent mechanical destructive process and an illumination process to change of state of weed seeds to having reduced germination viability by illuminating a seed with at least one of 2 J/cm.sup.2 cumulative illumination energy, and 0.2 W/cm.sup.2 irradiance, but no more than 7 W/cm.sup.2 average irradiance, of at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID), and infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR) radiation, preferably 2-8 microns. The process can be incorporated into a harvester combine to convert a tailings flow prior to discharge on an agricultural field. For the mechanical destructive process, high required applied energy, noise, wear, and difficulty treating impact-resistant seeds are avoided by modifying a driven load flow via increased capability of exposure to illumination and underdriving the mechanical destructive process. This can include randomization, rarefaction and enhanced circulation.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods that can achieve photoreduction of CO.sub.2 to CO in pure water at pH 6-7 with excellent performance parameters. In embodiments, the compositions and methods use CuInS.sub.2 colloidal quantum dots (QDs) as photosensitizers, and a Co-porphyrin catalyst.