Band-pass filters for guiding or controlling crystal polymorphism in oil are provided. Band-pass filters convert a passive energy source to a spectral energy pattern tuned to be resonant with different types of molecular oscillations pertinent to oil. Tuned energy patterns convert problematic insoluble crystals to more thermodynamically stable and soluble crystals. Methods include use of the band-pass filter in crude oil recovery and design of band-pass filter parameters for optimal use on a particular oil recovery facility. Band-pass filters also lower the interfacial tension of oil when present with water, which are also provided, as are methods for enhanced recovery of oil from depleted oil fields.

Carbon nanomaterials can undergo selective functionalization or defunctionalization in the presence of near-infrared electromagnetic radiation. In particular, semiconducting carbon nanotubes can be selectively functionalized or defunctionalized over metallic carbon nanotubes, which can allow their purification and/or separation to take place. Functionalizing methods can include exposing a carbon nanomaterial to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of about 700 nm or greater, and reacting at least a portion of the carbon nanomaterial with a reactive medium in the presence of the electromagnetic radiation to form a functionalized carbon nanomaterial. In the absence of the electromagnetic radiation, the carbon nanomaterial is unreactive with the reactive medium. Defunctionalizing methods can take place similarly in the absence of the reactive medium. Photochemical reactors incorporating a recirculation loop and a near-infrared electromagnetic radiation source can be used in functionalization and defunctionalization methods. In-line sonication can also be provided in the photochemical reactors.

Provided is a method for producing a photocatalyst electrode for water decomposition that exhibits excellent detachability between the substrate and the photocatalyst layer and exhibits high photocurrent density. The method for producing a photocatalyst electrode for water decomposition of the invention includes: a metal layer forming step of forming a metal layer on one surface of a first substrate by a vapor phase film-forming method or a liquid phase film-forming method; a photocatalyst layer forming step of forming a photocatalyst layer by subjecting the metal layer to at least one treatment selected from an oxidation treatment, a nitriding treatment, a sulfurization treatment, or a selenization treatment; a current collecting layer forming step of forming a current collecting layer on a surface of the photocatalyst layer, the surface being on the opposite side of the first substrate; and a detachment step of detaching the first substrate from the photocatalyst layer.

An organic compound refinement method for refining a specific organic compound which is a target compound from at least two types of organic compounds. The method includes separating the target compound from an organic compound other than the target compound while the at least two types of organic compounds are irradiated with light at an infrared absorption wavelength of a specific functional group that is not contained in the target compound but is contained in the organic compound other than the target compound, or separating the target compound from an organic compound other than the target compound while the at least two types of organic compounds are irradiated with light at an infrared absorption wavelength of a specific functional group that is contained in the target compound but is not contained in the organic compound other than the target compound.

A system for and method of cleaving a bond between a first atom and a second atom in a molecule of a material are presented. One embodiment of the technique includes selecting a first electromagnetic radiation frequency, the first electromagnetic radiation frequency including a product of a golden mean and a base frequency associated with at least one of the first atom and the second atom. Such an embodiment further includes directing a first electromagnetic radiation at the material, where the first electromagnetic radiation has a frequency equal to the first electromagnetic radiation frequency, and where the first electromagnetic radiation frequency is sufficient to cleave the bond between the first atom and the second atom.

The present disclosure discloses a device for producing hydrogen through photothermal coupling of solar energy based on a frequency division technology, including a photothermal coupling reactor and a liquid storage tank and so on; during operation, a test sample containing a photothermal catalyst is placed in the photothermal coupling reactor, a light source is divided into an infrared light part and an ultravioiet light part through the solid-state frequency divider, energy of the infrared light part is finally transferred to the photothermal coupling reactor, and the ultraviolet light part is projected onto the photothermal catalyst. The present disclosure is used for an experiment for producing hydrogen through photothermal coupling of catalyst particles, and has advantages of environmental protection, high efficiency, simple and convenient operation and the like.

The present disclosure relates generally to reactor systems that include (a) a housing having an interior surface that may be at least partially reflective, (b) at least one reactor cell disposed within an interior of the housing, the at least one reactor cell including an enclosure and a plasmonic photocatalyst on a catalyst support disposed within the at least one enclosure, where the enclosure is optically transparent and includes at least one input for a reactant to enter the at least one cell and at least one output for a reformate to exit the at least one cell and (c) at least one light source disposed within the interior of the housing and/or external to the housing.

An extrusion system (100) includes at least one sensor (102, 104) to detect localized presence of oil (701) on an exterior surface (715) or skin of wet extrudate material (714 e.g., ceramic material having a honeycomb cross-sectional shape), and at least one infrared emitting device (106, 108) configured to impinge infrared emissions on at least a portion of the exterior surface responsive to one or more sensor signals. Localized impingement of infrared emissions may reduce presence of oil streaks (701) without undue differential drying of the extrudate skin (715), and avoid surface fissures that would otherwise result in fired ceramic bodies. Separately controllable infrared emitters (502), or at least one controllable infrared blocking or redirecting element (603), may be used to impinge infrared emissions on selected areas. A humidification section (120) arranged downstream of infrared emitters (106, 108) may be used to at least partially rehydrate the wet extrudate material, if necessary.

A method for producing a reaction product, with which the reaction product is obtained from a starting material through a particular organic synthesis reaction, the method includes (a) a step of setting a target wavelength to a peak wavelength of a reaction region involved in the organic synthesis reaction in an infrared absorption spectrum of the starting material; (b) a step of preparing an infrared heater that emits an infrared ray having a peak at the target wavelength from a structure constituted by a metal pattern, a dielectric layer, and a metal substrate stacked in this order from an outer side toward an inner side; and (c) a step of obtaining the reaction product by allowing the organic synthesis reaction to proceed while the infrared ray having a peak at the target wavelength is being applied to the starting material from the infrared heater.

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.