*Correspondence: Sheng S. Zhang, Electrochemistry Branch, RDRL-SED-C, Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD 20783-1197, USA e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Liquid electrolyte lithium/sulfur (Li/S) batteries cannot come into practical applications because of many problems such as low energy efficiency, short cycle life, and...

The purple photosynthetic sulfur bacterium, Chromatium, will grow only in the light and under anaerobic conditions. This organism can grow on an inorganic medium utilizing CO2 as the sole carbon source in the presence of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds. Some reduced carbon compounds can be utilized for the growth of this organism but only in the light and under anaerobic conditions. In this ...

Functionalization of silica surfaces using organo-silanes is highly sensitive to reaction conditions. Silica-coated nanoparticles were functionalized with propyl-sulfonic acid groups (PS) under different synthesis conditions including, various solvents (Ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile, and toluene), water content in the reaction media (0% to 50%), 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane concentration...

Sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR) was purified from membrane of acidophilic chemolithotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans NASF-1 cells grown on sulfur medium. It was composed of a single polypeptide with an apparent molecular mass of 47 kDa. The apparent K(m) values for sulfide and ubiquinone were 42 and 14 muM respectively. The apparent optimum pH for the SQR activity was about...

Sulfur speciation was determined in real time in salt marsh microbial mats, subtidal sediments and hydrothermal vent diffuse flow waters using solid state gold-amalgam voltammetric microelectrodes. Chemical species were measured in situ without any sample manipulation or processing. The partially oxidized sulfur species detected were polysulfides, thiosulfate, elemental sulfur and tetrathionate...

Elemental sulfur cathodes for lithium/sulfur cells are still in the stage of intensive research due to their unsatisfactory capacity retention and cyclability. The undesired capacity degradation upon cycling originates from gradual diffusion of lithium polysulfides out of the cathode region. To prevent losses of certain intermediate soluble species and extend lifespan of cells, the effective en...

The nutrient elements uptake in many of soils, is a problem because of high pH and plenty of calcium ions in them. Some of these elements are phosphorus and microelements. It is possible to increase absorption of these nutrient elements by addition of sulfur in soil and biological oxidation. The rate of this reaction is very slow and Thiobacillus bacteria are the most important oxidators of sul...

The catalytic reduction of sulfur dioxide with methane to form elemental sulfur has been studied. Al2O3, Cu-Al2O3 and Ni-Al2O3 were examined as catalysts and their performances were compared in terms of SO2 conversion and selectivity. Performance of the catalyst extremely enhanced when nickel and copper were added as promoters. The effects of temperature, SO2/CH4 molar ratio, and reaction...

Transient-state experiments with the obligately autotrophic Thiobacillus sp. strain W5 revealed that sulfide oxidation proceeds in two physiological phases, (i) the sulfate-producing phase and (ii) the sulfur- and sulfate-producing phase, after which sulfide toxicity occurs. Specific sulfur-producing characteristics were independent of the growth rate. Sulfur formation was shown to occur when t...