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 visibly transparent, homogeneous UV-blocking cellulose nanocrystal/lignin nanocomposite film and a method of making the same. The film is made by dispersing cellulose nanocrystals and lignin in an aqueous, alkaline solution to yield a dispersion; casting the dispersion onto a substrate; and evaporating the aqueous, alkaline solution to yield a homogeneous, visibly transparent film that at least partially absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

The present invention generally relates to various polycyclic aromatic selenoxide compounds, methods for preparing these compounds, and methods of us these and other compounds to generate ground state atomic oxygen.

The present invention provides a method of controlling back reactions or recombination reactions of product molecules formed in a dissociation reaction of reactant molecules of a fluid sample, in a reaction chamber. The method comprises introducing the fluid sample into the reaction chamber through one or more inlets, initiating the dissociation reaction of the reactant molecules of the fluid sample in the reaction chamber to form the product molecules, creating a patterned flow of the fluid sample in the reaction chamber to reduce/minimize disordered and/or turbulent mixing of the reactant molecules and/or product molecules in the fluid sample, and conveying the fluid sample comprising the product molecules out from the reaction chamber through one or more outlets.

A sterilization apparatus is provided with: a light source, which has a semiconductor light-emitting element that emits ultraviolet light; a housing, which forms a flow passage through which a fluid subject to sterilization passes; a light receiving unit, which receives a portion of the ultraviolet light emitted from the light source and detects the amount of ultraviolet light that has been received; and a control unit, which controls the output of the semiconductor light-emitting element based on information regarding the amount of ultraviolet light acquired from the light receiving unit. The housing has an incidence portion on which ultraviolet light becomes incident and a reflection portion, which reflects the ultraviolet light at the inner surface thereof. The light receiving unit is provided at a position where the light receiving unit can receive the portion of ultraviolet light that has been transmitted through the reflection portion.

The present invention is directed to mobile radiation systems and methods of use that comprise a mobile UVA irradiator including a power supply, a UVA lamp, a control and system indicator unit; a UV radiation blocker nest having an adaptor opening for receiving a hand-held irradiator when said irradiator is in a seated position in said nest; and a mobile carrier comprising a first compartment for housing said power supply, hand-held irradiator, said irradiator nest, wheels and said control unit. The nest may be configured to conform to the hand-held irradiator to block irradiation from the hand-held irradiator when it is energized and in its seated position. The mobile radiation device produced UVA radiation having peak radiation wavelength in a range of from 250 nm to 450 nm and can have a peak irradiation power in a range of from 0.5 W/cm.sup.2 to 10 W/cm.sup.2.

A method and a system for producing a change in a medium disposed in an artificial container. The method places in a vicinity of the medium at least one of a plasmonics agent and an energy modulation agent. The method applies an initiation energy through the artificial container to the medium. The initiation energy interacts with the plasmonics agent or the energy modulation agent to directly or indirectly produce the change in the medium. The system includes an initiation energy source configured to apply an initiation energy to the medium to activate the plasmonics agent or the energy modulation agent.

An invention is provided for conversion of methane into hydrocarbon fuels is disclosed. The invention includes providing methane to an illumination chamber, and illuminating the methane with substantially narrow bandwidth photons of a predefined wavelength. The photons are provided from a substantially uncollimated light source producing photon intensities less than 10 Watt/m.sup.2. As a result, the methane is placed in an excited state that results in the molecules of the methane reacting more readily with other molecules to form a final product.

Provided herein are compositions comprising cadmium sulfide quantum dot photocatalysts and methods and systems utilizing as much (e.g., for the reduction of a nitrobenzene to an aniline).

Photocatalysts and methods of using the same for producing hydrogen and oxygen from water are disclosed. The photocatalysts include photoactive titanium dioxide loaded with 0.5 wt. % to 4 wt. % of a hole-scavenging material comprising cobalt oxide and 0.1 wt. % to 1 wt. % of palladium (Pd) and/or a PdCo alloy.