• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.8
• /
• pp.861-870
• /
• 2019

This study was undertaken to establish optimum medium compositions for cost-effective mannitol production by Leuconostoc mesenteroides SRCM201425 isolated from kimchi. L. mesenteroides SRCM21425 from kimchi was selected for efficient mannitol production based on fructose analysis and identified by its 16S rRNA gene sequence, as well as by carbohydrate fermentation pattern analysis. To enhance mannitol production by L. mesenteroides SRCM201425, the effects of carbon, nitrogen, and mineral sources on mannitol production were first determined using Plackett-Burman design (PBD). The effects of 11 variables on mannitol production were investigated of which three variables, fructose, sucrose, and peptone, were selected. In the second step, each concentration of fructose, sucrose, and peptone was optimized using a central composite design (CCD) and response surface analysis. The predicted concentrations of fructose, sucrose, and peptone were 38.68 g/l, 30 g/l, and 39.67 g/l, respectively. The mathematical response model was reliable, with a coefficient of determination of $R^2=0.9185$. Mannitol production increased 20-fold as compared with the MRS medium, corresponding to a mannitol yield 97.46% when compared to MRS supplemented with 100 g/l of fructose in flask system. Furthermore, the production in the optimized medium was cost-effective. The findings of this study can be expected to be useful in biological production for catalytic hydrogenation causing byproduct and additional production costs.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.9-16
• /
• 2021

Since the active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) encapsulation process is very vulnerable to moisture and oxygen, high-purity nitrogen with minimal moisture and oxygen must be used. In this study, a copper-based catalyst used to remove oxygen from nitrogen in the AMOLED encapsulation process was optimized. Two-component and three-component catalysts composed of CuO, Al2O3, or ZnO were prepared through a co-precipitation method. The prepared catalysts were characterized by using BET, XRD, TPR, and XRF analysis. In order to verify the oxygen removal performance of the catalyst, several catalytic reactions were conducted in a fixed bed reactor, and the corresponding oxygen contents were measured through an oxygen analyzer. In addition, reusability of the catalysts was proven through repetitive regeneration. The properties and oxygen removal capacity of the catalysts prepared with CuO and Al2O3 ratios of 6 : 4, 7 : 3, and 8 : 2 were compared. The number of active sites of the catalyst with a ratio of CuO and Al2O3 of 8 : 2 was the highest among the 2-component catalysts. Moreover, the reducibility of the catalyst with a ratio of CuO and Al2O3 of 8 : 2 was the best as it had the highest CuO dispersion. As a result, the oxygen removal ability of the catalyst with a ratio of CuO and Al2O3 of 8 : 2 was the best among the 2-component catalysts. The best oxygen removal capacity was obtained when 2wt% of ZnO was added to the sub-optimized catalyst (i.e., CuO : Al2O3 = 8 : 2) probably due to its outstanding reducibility. Furthermore, the optimized catalyst kept its performance during a couple of regeneration tests.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.31 no.8
• /
• pp.719-728
• /
• 2021

Melanin pigments are abundantly distributed in mammalian skin, hair, eyes, and nervous system. Under normal physiological conditions, melanin protects the skin against various environmental stresses and acts as a physiological redox buffer to maintain homeostasis. However, abnormal melanin accumulation results in various hyperpigmentation conditions, such as chloasma, freckles, senile lentigo, and inflammatory pigmentation. Tyrosinase, a copper-containing enzyme, plays an important role in the regulation of the melanin pigment biosynthetic pathway. Although several whitening agents based on tyrosinase inhibition have been developed, their side effects, such as allergies, DNA damage, mutagenesis, and cytotoxicity of melanocytes, limit their applications. In this study, we synthesized 4-chromanone derivatives (MHY compounds) and investigated their ability to inhibit tyrosinase activity. Of these compounds, (E)-3-(4-hydroxybenzylidene)chroman-4-one (MHY1294) more potently inhibited the enzymatic activity of tyrosinase (IC₅₀ = 5.1±0.86 μM) than kojic acid (14.3±1.43 μM), a representative tyrosinase inhibitor. In addition, MHY1294 showed competitive inhibitory action at the catalytic site of tyrosinase and had greater binding affinity at this site than kojic acid. Furthermore, MHY1294 effectively inhibited α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-induced melanin synthesis and intracellular tyrosinase activity in B16F10 melanoma cells. The results of the present study indicate that MHY1294 may be considered as a candidate pharmacological agent and cosmetic whitening ingredient.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.269-277
• /
• 2022

With the recent development of the biological enzymatic reaction industry, lactic acid (LA) can be mass-produced from biomass sources. In particular, a catalytic process that converts LA into acrylic acid (AA) is receiving much attention because AA is used widely in the petrochemical industry as a monomer for superabsorbent polymers (SAP) and as an adhesive for displays. In the LA conversion process, NaY zeolites have been previously shown to be a high-activity catalyst, which improves AA selectivity and long-term stability. However, NaY zeolites suffer from fast deactivation due to severe coking. Therefore, the aim of this study is to modify the acid-base properties of the NaY zeolite to address this shortcoming. First, base promoters, Ca ions, were introduced to the NaY zeolites to tune their acidity and basicity via ion exchange (IE) and incipient wetness impregnation (IWI). The IWI method showed superior catalyst selectivity and stability compared to the IE method, maintaining a high AA yield of approximately 40% during the 16 h reaction. Based on the NH₃- and CO₂-TPD results, the calcium salts that impregnated into the NaY zeolites were proposed to exit as an oxide form mainly at the exterior surface of NaY and act as additional base sites to promote the dehydration of LA to AA. The NaY zeolites were further treated with KOH before calcium impregnation to reduce the total acidity and improve the dispersion of calcium through the mesopores formed by KOH-induced desilication. However, this KOH treatment did not lead to enhanced AA selectivity. Finally, calcium loading was increased from 1wt% to 5wt% to maximize the amount of base sites. The increased basicity improved the AA selectivity substantially to 65% at 100% conversion while maintaining high activity during a 24 h reaction. Our results suggest that controlling the basicity of the catalyst is key to obtaining high AA selectivity and high catalyst stability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.1092-1099
• /
• 2022

Research on exhaust aftertreatment devices to reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions is being actively conducted. However, in the case of the particulate matters/nitrogen oxides (PM/NOx) simultaneous reduction device for ships, the problem of back pressure on the diesel engine and replacement of the filter carrier is occurring. In this study, for the optimal design of the integrated device that can simultaneously reduce PM/NOx, an appropriate standard was presented by studying the flow inside the device and change in back pressure through the inlet/outlet pressure. Ansys Fluent was used to apply porous media conditions to a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) by setting porosity to 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 70%. In addition, the ef ect on back pressure was analyzed by applying the inlet velocity according to the engine load to 7.4 m/s, 10.3 m/s, 13.1 m/s, and 26.2 m/s as boundary conditions. As a result of a computational fluid dynamics analysis, the rate of change for back pressure by changing the inlet velocity was greater than when inlet temperature was changed, and the maximum rate of change was 27.4 mbar. This was evaluated as a suitable device for ships of 1800kW because the back pressure in all boundary conditions did not exceed the classification standard of 68mbar.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.28 no.7
• /
• pp.1209-1215
• /
• 2022

The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is known as a very efficient method to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) and the catalyst performs reduction from nitrogen oxides (NOx) to nitrogen (N₂) and water vapor (H2O). The catalyst, which is one of the factors determining the performance of the nitrogen oxide (NOx) ruduction method, is known to increase catalyst efficiency as cell density increases. In this study, the reduction characteristics of nitrogen oxides (NOx) under various engine loads investigated. A 100CPSI(60Cell) catalysts was studied through a laboratory-sized simulating device that can simulate the exhaust gas conditions from the power generation engine installed in the training ship SEGERO. The effect of 100CPSI(60Cell) cell density was compared with that of 25.8CPSI(30Cell) cell density that already had NOx reduction data from the SCR manufacturing. The experimental catalysts were honeycomb type and its compositions and materials of V₂O₅-WO₃-TiO₂ were retained, with only change on cell density. As a result, the NOx concentration reduction rate from 100CPSI(60Cell) catalyst was 88.5%, and IMO specific NOx emission was 0.99g/kwh satisfying the IMO Tier III NOx emission requirement. The NOx concentration reduction rate from 25.8CPSI(30Cell) was 78%, and IMO specific NOx emission was 2.00g/kwh. Comparing the NOx concentration reduction rate and emission of 100CPSI(60Cell) and 25.8CPSI(30Cell) catalysts, notably, the NOx concentration reduction rate of 100CPSI(60Cell) catalyst was 10.5% higher and its IMO specific NOx emission was about twice less than that of the 25.8CPSI(30Cell) catalysts. Therefore, an efficient NOx reduction effect can be expected by increasing the cell density of catalysts. In other words, effects to production cost reduction, efficient arrangement of engine room and cargo space can be estimated from the reduced catalyst volume.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.19-26
• /
• 2023

Hydrogen, a clean energy source free of COx emissions, is poised to replace fossil fuels, with its usage on the rise. Despite its high energy content per unit mass, hydrogen faces limitations in storage and transportation due to its low storage density and challenges in long-term storage. In contrast, ammonia offers a high storage capacity per unit volume and is relatively easy to liquefy, making it an attractive option for storing and transporting large volumes of hydrogen. While NH₃ decomposition is an endothermic reaction, achieving excellent low-temperature catalytic activity is essential for process efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The study examined the effects of different zeolite types (5A, NaY, ZSM5) on NH₃ decomposition activity, considering differences in pore structure, cations, and Si/Al-ratio. Notably, the 5A zeolite facilitated the high dispersion of Ni across the surface, inside pores, and within the structure. Its low Si/Al ratio contributed to abundant acidity, enhancing ammonia adsorption. Additionally, the presence of Na and Ca cations in the support created medium basic sites that improved N₂ desorption rates. As a result, among the prepared catalysts, the 15 wt%Ni/5A catalyst exhibited the highest NH₃ conversion and a high H₂ formation rate of 23.5 mmol/g_cat·min (30,000 mL/g_cat·h, 600 ℃). This performance was attributed to the strong metal-support interaction and the enhancement of N₂ desorption rates through the presence of medium basic sites.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.62 no.1
• /
• pp.36-43
• /
• 2024

Fishing net waste (FNW) constitutes over half of all marine plastic waste and is a major contributor to the degradation of marine ecosystems. While current treatment options for FNW include incineration, landfilling, and mechanical recycling, these methods often result in low-value products and pollutant emissions. Importantly, FNWs, comprised of plastic polymers, can be converted into valuable resources like syngas and pyrolysis oil through pyrolysis. Thus, this study presents a process for generating high-purity hydrogen (H₂) by catalytically pyrolyzing FNW in a CO₂ environment. The proposed process comprises of three stages: First, the pretreated FNW undergoes Ni/SiO₂ catalytic pyrolysis under CO₂ conditions to produce syngas and pyrolysis oil. Second, the produced pyrolysis oil is incinerated and repurposed as an energy source for the pyrolysis reaction. Lastly, the syngas is transformed into high-purity H₂ via the Water-Gas-Shift (WGS) reaction and Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA). This study compares the results of the proposed process with those of traditional pyrolysis conducted under N₂ conditions. Simulation results show that pyrolyzing 500 kg/h of FNW produced 2.933 kmol/h of high-purity H₂ under N₂ conditions and 3.605 kmol/h of high-purity H₂ under CO₂ conditions. Furthermore, pyrolysis under CO₂ conditions improved CO production, increasing H₂ output. Additionally, the CO₂ emissions were reduced by 89.8% compared to N₂ conditions due to the capture and utilization of CO₂ released during the process. Therefore, the proposed process under CO₂ conditions can efficiently recycle FNW and generate eco-friendly hydrogen product.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.54-62
• /
• 2024

SICM (Scanning Ion Conductivity Microscopy) is a technique for measuring surface topography in an environment where electrochemical reactions occur, by detecting changes in ion conductivity as a nanopipette tip approaches the sample. This study includes an investigation of the current response curve, known as the approach curve, according to the distance between the tip and the sample. First, a simulation analysis was conducted on the approach curves. Based on the simulation results, then, several measuring experiments were conducted concurrently to analyze the difference between the simulated and measured approach curves. The simulation analysis confirms that the current squeezing effect occurs as the distance between the tip and the sample approaches half the inner radius of the tip. However, through the calculations, the decrease in current density due to the simple reduction in ion channels was found to be much smaller compared to the current squeezing effect measured through actual experiments. This suggests that ion conductivity in nano-scale narrow channels does not simply follow the Nernst-Einstein relationship based on the diffusion coefficients, but also takes into account the fluidic hydrodynamic resistance at the interface created by the tip and the sample. It is expected that SICM can be combined with SECM (Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy) to overcome the limitations of SECM through consecutive measurement of the two techniques, thereby to strengthen the analysis of electrochemical surface reactivity. This could potentially provide groundbreaking help in understanding the local catalytic reactions in electroless plating and the behaviors of organic additives in electroplating for various kinds of patterns used in semiconductor damascene processes and packaging processes.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.58 no.1
• /
• pp.31-42
• /
• 2005

Background : Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a relatively newly recognized, novel family of peroxidases that reduce $H_2O_2$ and alkylhydroperoxide into water and alcohol, respectively. There are 6 known isoforms of Prxs present in human cells. Normally, Prxs exist in a head-to-tail homodimeric state in a reduced form. However, in the presence of excess $H_2O_2$, it can be oxidized on its catalytically active cysteine site into inactive oxidized forms. This study surveyed the types of the Prx isoforms present in the pulmonary epithelial, macrophage, endothelial, and other cell lines and observed their response to oxidative stress. Methods : This study examined the effect of exogenous, excess $H_2O_2$ on the Prxs of established cell lines originating from the pulmonary epithelium, macrophages, and other cell lines, which are known to be exposed to high oxygen partial pressures or are believed to be subject to frequent oxidative stress, using non-reducing SDS polyacrylamide electrophoresis (PAGE) and 2 dimensional electrophoresis. Result : The addition of excess $H_2O_2$ to the culture media of the various cell-lines caused the immediate inactivation of Prxs, as evidenced by their inability to form dimers by a disulfide cross linkage. This was detected as a subsequent shift to its monomeric forms on the non-reducing SDS PAGE. These findings were further confirmed by 2 dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis by a shift toward a more acidic isoelectric point (pI). However, the subsequent reappearance of the dimeric Prxs with a comparable, corresponding decrease in the monomeric bands was noted on the non-reducing SDS PAGE as early as 30 minutes after the $H_2O_2$ treatment suggesting regeneration after oxidation. The regenerated dimers can again be converted to the inactivated form by a repeated $H_2O_2$ treatment, indicating that the protein is still catalytically active. The recovery of Prxs to the original dimeric state was not inhibited by a pre-treatment with cycloheximide, nor by a pretreatment with inhibitors of protein synthesis, which suggests that the reappearance of dimers occurs via a regeneration process rather than via the de novo synthesis of the active protein. Conclusion : The cells, in general, appeared to be equipped with an established system for regenerating inactivated Prxs, and this system may function as a molecular "on-off switch" in various oxidative signal transduction processes. The same mechanisms might applicable other proteins associated with signal transduction where the active catalytic site cysteines exist.