Rising atmospheric carbon concentrations affect global health, the economy, and overall quality of life. We are fast approaching climate tipping points that must be addressed, not only by reducing emissions but also through new innovation and action toward carbon capture for sequestration and utilization (CCSU). In this perspective, we delineate next-generation biotechnologies for CCSU supported by ...

When we speak of nanometric water films on surfaces we are speaking about a truly ubiquitous phenomenon in nature. All surfaces exposed to ambient conditions are covered by a thin film of water that affects or mediates surface chemistry, general physical-chemical processes on surfaces, and even solid–solid interactions. We have investigated this phenomenon for over a decade by exploiting dynamic ...

We show that it is possible to submit the data obtained from physical phenomena as complex as the tip-surface interaction in atomic force microscopy to a specific question of interest and obtain the answer irrespective of the complexity or unknown factors underlying the phenomena. We showcase the power of the method by asking “how many hours has this graphite surface been exposed to ambient conditions?” ...

Forecasting energy demand within a distribution network is essential for developing strategies to manage and optimize available energy resources and the associated infrastructure. In this study, we consider remote communities in the Arctic located at the end of the radial distribution network without alternative energy supply. Therefore, it is crucial to develop an accurate forecasting model to ...

The energy market relies on forecasting capabilities of both demand and power generation that need to be kept in dynamic balance. Nowadays, contracts and auctions of renewable energy in a liberalized electricity market heavily rely on forecasting future power generation. The highly intermittent nature of renewable energy sources increases the uncertainty about future power generation. Since point ...

The multifrequency formalism is generalized and exploited to quantify attractive forces, i.e., van der Waals interactions, with small amplitudes or gentle forces in bimodal and trimodal atomic force microscopy (AFM). The multifrequency force spectroscopy formalism with higher modes, including trimodal AFM, can outperform bimodal AFM for material property quantification. Bimodal AFM with the second ...

Abuse of carbendazim (CBZ) leaves excessive pesticide residues on agricultural products, which endangers human health because of the residues' high concentrations. Hence, a composite consisting of functionalized carbon nanofibers (f-CNF) with neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) was fabricated to monitor CBZ at trace levels. The Nd2O3/f-CNF composite-modified electrode displays higher electro-oxidation ability ...

Here we demonstrate how to reconstruct force profiles with an amplitude-modulation AFM operated in in standard tapping mode. Our example is based on the Cypher scanning probe microscope from Asylum Research. The method is based on Sader and Katan’s algorithm, but we have implemented an experimental set-up that allows for robust reconstruction. We discuss the details here.

In this manuscript we evaluate the potential of photovoltaic systems to meet some dedicated energy demand in specific geographic locations. Our approach is based on location-specific constraints rather than on pre-established, location-independent methodologies or assumptions. First, we propose that a thorough analysis of the socio-economic and technical possibilities of a location must act as the ...