The effect of pretreatment conditions on the oxidation state and activity of micelle-synthesized Pt nanoparticles supported on ZrO2 was studied for methanol decomposition and oxidation reactions. An O2-pretreatment is observed to be effective for producing clean, stable, and active nanoparticles. Pt-oxide species formed during such pretreatments were found to have little influence in methanol d...

In the methylotrophic bacterium Methylobacterium extorquens strain AM1, MxaF, a Ca(2+)-dependent methanol dehydrogenase (MDH), is the main enzyme catalyzing methanol oxidation during growth on methanol. The genome of strain AM1 contains another MDH gene homologue, xoxF1, whose function in methanol metabolism has remained unclear. In this work, we show that XoxF1 also functions as an MDH and is ...

Kieserite on Mars: The hydrous Mg-sulfate that has been identified definitively on Mars by OMEGA (Mars Express orbiter) is kieserite (MgSO4·H2O) [1]. An additional class of OMEGA spectra has been attributed to “polyhydrated sulfate.” This class has spectral features that match Mg-sulfates of higher hydration or multi-cation sulfates [2,3]. Ca-sulfates, especially gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O), are also i...

Hydrous transition metal oxides (TMOs) are redox-active materials that confine structural water within their bulk, organized in 1D, 2D, or 3D networks. In an electrochemical cell, hydrous TMOs can interact with electrolyte species not only via outer surface but also inner surface, which transport to the interior of material. Many operating aqueous environment transform TMOs, then serve as elect...

Background: Methanol is regarded as a biorenewable platform feedstock because nearly all bioresources can be converted into methanol through syngas. Biological conversion of methanol using synthetic methylotrophs has thus gained worldwide attention. Results: Herein, to endow Escherichia coli with the ability to utilize methanol, an artificial linear methanol assimilation pathway was assembled i...

The biological flux and lifetime of methanol in anoxic marine sediments are largely unknown. We herein reported, for the first time, quantitative methanol removal rates in subsurface sediments. Anaerobic incubation experiments with radiotracers showed high rates of microbial methanol consumption. Notably, methanol oxidation to CO2 surpassed methanol assimilation and methanogenesis from CO2/H2 a...