Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Cancer Treatment By Targeting Hdac4 Translocation Induced By Microsecond Pulsed Electric Field Exposure: Mechanistic Insights Through Kinases And Phosphatases, Zahra Safaei

Theses and Dissertations

Epigenetic modifications, arising from sub-cellular shifts in histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity and localization, present promising strategies for diverse cancer treatments. HDACs, enzymes responsible for post-translational histone modifications, induce these epigenetic changes by removing acetyl groups from ε-N-acetyl-lysine residues on histones, thereby suppressing gene transcription. Within the HDAC group, class IIa HDACs are notable for their responsiveness to extracellular signals, bridging the gap between external stimuli, plasma membrane, and genome through nuclear-cytoplasmic translocation. This localization offers two significant mechanisms for cancer treatment: nuclear accumulation of HDACs represses oncogenic transcription factors, such as myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C), triggering various cell death …

A Prediction Of Interfacial Tension By Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation: A Study On Effects Of Cushion Gas (Co2, N2 And Ch4) For Underground Hydrogen Storage, Quoc T. Doan, Alireza Keshavarz, Caetano R. Miranda, Peter Behrenbruch, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel consumption have caused global warming and remain challenging problems for mitigation. Underground Hydrogen Storage (UHS) provides clean fuel and replaces traditional fossil fuels to reduce emissions of CO2. Geological formations such as depleted oil/gas reservoirs, deep saline aquifers and shale formations have been recognized as potential targets to inject and store H2 into the subsurface formations for large-scale implementation of CCS and UHS. However, the presence of H2 with cushion gas at different fractions under different geo-storage conditions, which can influence Hydrogen's flow properties, was not investigated widely. Until now, studies of interfacial …

Molecular Understanding And Design Of Deep Eutectic Solvents And Proteins Using Computer Simulations And Machine Learning, Usman Lame Abbas

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as excellent extractants. A major challenge is the lack of an efficient tool to discover DES candidates. Currently, the search relies heavily on the researchers’ intuition or a trial-and-error process, which leads to a low success rate or bypassing of promising candidates. DES performance depends on the heterogeneous hydrogen bond environment formed by multiple hydrogen bond donors and acceptors. Understanding this heterogeneous hydrogen bond environment can help develop principles for designing high performance DESs for extraction and other separation applications. This work investigates the structure and dynamics of hydrogen bonds in hydrophobic DESs …

Novel Supercritical Biodiesel Plant Design & Process Scale-Up, Ghana Shyam Paudel

Doctoral Dissertations

"Current energy prices, national energy security, and global climate change fuel our momentum to find efficient advanced fuels choices. In this study, biodiesel processing, and a novel design for next generation biodiesel plants are explored. During a National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps project we identified three creative and profitable improvements to the process: 1. Incorporating Energy intensive separations and reactions 2. Utilizing Low commodity glycerol and 3. Applying process intensification principles.

Current biodiesel processes are catalyzed processes using continuous stir reactors with distillation systems to separate material constituents. We tested a lab-scale nocatalyst supercritical biodiesel process using waste cooking oil …

The Comprehensive Study Of High Viscosity Friction Reducers In High-Tds And High-Temperature Environments, Xiaojing Ge

Doctoral Dissertations

"High viscosity friction reducers (HVFRs) have been recently gaining more attention and increasing in use, not only as friction-reducing agents but also as proppant carriers. Reusing of produced water has also been driven by both environmental and economic benefits. Currently, most friction reducers on the market are anionic friction reducers, which are fully compatible with most produced water with low to medium level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) but show a significant drop at high TDS conditions in term of their friction reduction performance in most cases. On the contrary, cationic friction reducers are believed to have better TDS tolerance …

Assessing The Potential Of Uav-Based Multispectral And Thermal Data To Estimate Soil Water Content Using Geophysical Methods, Yunyi Guan, Katherine R. Grote

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Knowledge of the soil water content (SWC) is important for many aspects of agriculture and must be monitored to maximize crop yield, efficiently use limited supplies of irrigation water, and ensure optimal nutrient management with minimal environmental impact. Single-location sensors are often used to monitor SWC, but a limited number of point measurements is insufficient to measure SWC across most fields since SWC is typically very heterogeneous. To overcome this difficulty, several researchers have used data acquired from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to predict the SWC by using machine learning on a limited number of point measurements acquired across a …

A Review Of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Atmospheric Plasma For Surface Sterilization And Decontamination, Kolawole Adesina, Ta Chun Lin, Yue-Wern Huang, Marek Locmelis, Daoru Frank Han

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Numerous investigations have shown that non-equilibrium discharges at atmospheric pressure, also known as "cold atmospheric plasma" (CAP) are efficient to remove biological contaminants from surfaces of a variety of materials. Recently, CAP has quickly advanced as a technique for microbial cleaning, wound healing, and cancer therapy due to the chemical and biologically active radicals it produces, known collectively as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). This article reviews studies pertaining to one of the atmospheric plasma sources known as Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) which has been widely used to treat materials with microbes for sterilization, disinfection, and decontamination purposes. To …

Evaluation Of Novel Preformed Particle Gel System For Conformance Control In Mature Oil Reservoirs, Abdulaziz Almakimi, Ahmed Ben Ali, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To address challenges associated with excessive water production in mature oil reservoirs, this study introduces a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based material as a novel preformed particle gel (PPG) designed to plug excessive water pathways and redistribute the subsequent injected water toward unswept zones. Through microwave-assisted grafting copolymerization of CMC with acrylamide (AM), we successfully generated multi-sized dry particles within the range of 250–800 µm. Comprehensive analyses, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), have confirmed the chemical composition and morphology of the resulting carboxymethyl cellulose-grafted crosslinked polyacrylamide (CMC/PAMBA). Swelling kinetics and rheology tests were conducted to confirm the …

Design And Development Of Biocompatible Mofs And Silica-Based Nanocarriers With Controlled Pharmacokinetics For Drug Delivery Applications, Neila Pederneira

Doctoral Dissertations

"In the past decade, a big interest has drawn into nanoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and silica-based materials as nanocarriers for drug delivery applications, owing to their exceptionally high surface area and highly structured porous network. The overall goal of this research was to optimize the pharmacokinetic behavior of several highly porous biocompatible drug carriers that have the potential to carry Ibuprofen, 5-Fluorouracil, and Curcumin to the desired tissue without creating a burst effect and minimizing the amount of dosage and size that conventional capsules require. The specific objectives of this study are to (i) assess the effect of drug solubility …

Sustainable Cementitious Materials For Building And Sorption Applications, Sukanta Kumar Mondal

Doctoral Dissertations

"Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is the most widely used cement material, but it contributes over 8% of the global CO₂ emission and the process is energy intensive. Moreover, OPC faces durability challenges, particularly in aggressive environments. Hence, there is rapidly increasing interest in sustainable alternative cements with lower carbon footprint, lower energy consumption, and those that offer superior properties that are beneficial for specific applications. Two sustainable cementitious materials that are frequently researched as an alternative to OPC are calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement and alkali-activated materials (AAMs). CSA cement lowers CO₂ emission by over 40% compared to OPC, …

A Critical Review Of Capillary Pressure Behavior And Characterization In Fractional-Wet Reservoirs, Yihang Xiao, Zhenjiang You, Lei Wang, Zhengtong Du

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Fractional wettability is common in oil and gas reservoirs, resulting in complex fluid distribution and transport phenomena. A precise understanding of capillary pressure behavior and characterization in fractional-wet reservoirs, including the two-phase flow mechanisms within pores and relationship between capillary pressure and saturation in porous media, is significant to enhanced oil recovery strategies. In this paper, an in-depth review of the two-phase flow mechanisms in fractional-wet pores and capillary entry pressures in various displacement processes was conducted. Furthermore, the effects of oil-wet proportion and contact angle on capillary pressure characterization were summarized, highlighting the emergence of similar capillary pressure curves …

Investigation Of Asphaltene Instability Under Gas Injection In Unconventional Reservoirs And Its Impact On Oil Recovery Performance, Mukhtar Elturki

Doctoral Dissertations

"Unconventional reservoirs, such as shale gas and tight oil formations, have become an important source of energy in recent years. However, these reservoirs often contain high levels of asphaltenes, which can lead to deposition and blockages in production wells and reduce the flow of hydrocarbons during gas enhanced oil recovery (GEOR) techniques. This study aims to experimentally evaluate the impact of miscible and immiscible carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrogen (N₂) on asphaltene deposition and its impact on oil recovery performance in unconventional shale reservoirs.

This research began with a comprehensive literature review and data analysis of GEOR methods in unconventional …

Direct Blue 86 Textile Dye Removal From Aqueous Solution Using Rice Husk-Based Adsorbent, M. Zulbahari M. Zua, Muhammad Raza Ul Mustafa, Mohamed Hasnain Isa, Teh Sabariah Binti Abd Manan, Naimah Ibrahim, Rozeana Hj Md Juani, Wida Susanty Hj Suhaili, Asmaal Muizz Sallehhin Bin Hj Mohammad Sultan, Zuliana Binti Hj Nayan

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Adsorption by activated carbon is an effective method of dye removal. However, due to high production and regeneration costs of activated carbon, various studies on low-cost adsorbents have been conducted. Agricultural waste such as rice husk (RH) is seen to be a good adsorbent for dye removal. Moreover, rice husk is readily available. In this study, rice husk-based adsorbents were prepared by chemical and thermal treatments. Standard curve (colour vs absorbance) for Direct Blue 86 (DB 86) was prepared to determine the concentration of dye before and after adsorption. The adsorption potential of the adsorbent for textile dye DB 86 …

Xylan Fast Pyrolysis: An Experimental And Modelling Study Of Particle Changes And Volatiles Release, F Cerciello, E Freisewinkel, A Coppola, C Ontyd, D Tarlinski, Martin Schiemann, Osvalda Senneca, Pierro Salatino, C Allouis, Victor Scherer, Thomas H. Fletcher

Faculty Publications

Biomass char particles produced by pyrolysis may have different morphologies, which has important implications on burning mode, conversion rate and boiler efficiency. These features are difficult to address due to the complexity of biomass structure and pyrolysis reaction models. The present work reports preliminary results on the morphological changes and volatile release that solid particles of Xylan experience upon fast heating in a Drop Tube Reactor (DTR) and in a Heated Strip Reactor (HSR) in a range of temperature between 1100 and 1573 K under inert atmosphere with heating rate in the order of 10³ K/s. Two different Xylan …

Oxygen Fugacity Of Global Ocean Island Basalts, Lori N. Willhite, Ricardo Arevalo, Philip Piccoli, John C. Lassiter, Devin Rand, Matthew G. Jackson, James M.D. Day, Robert W. Nicklas, Marek Locmelis, Thomas J. Ireland, Igor S. Puchtel

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Mantle plumes contain heterogenous chemical components and sample variable depths of the mantle, enabling glimpses into the compositional structure of Earth's interior. In this study, we evaluated ocean island basalts (OIB) from nine plume locations to provide a global and systematic assessment of the relationship between fO₂ and He-Sr-Nd-Pb-W-Os isotopic compositions. Ocean island basalts from the Pacific (Austral Islands, Hawaii, Mangaia, Samoa, Pitcairn), Atlantic (Azores, Canary Islands, St. Helena), and Indian Oceans (La Réunion) reveal that fO₂ in OIB is heterogeneous both within and among hotspots. Taken together with previous studies, global OIB have elevated and heterogenous fO …

Geochemical Assessment Of Mineral Sequestration Of Carbon Dioxide In The Midcontinent Rift, Alsedik Abousif, David J. Wronkiewicz, Abdelmoniem Masoud

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Study Examines The Potential Of Midcontinent Rift Rocks To Facilitate Long-Term CO2 Sequestration By Providing The Necessary Ca And Mg For Carbonate Mineralization. Surface Samples Were Collected From The Oronto And Bayfield-Jacobsville Groups Around Lake Superior And Used For Petrography And X-Ray Diffraction To Determine Their Mineral Composition. Also, X-Ray Fluorescence Was Also Used To Assess Their Bulk Chemical Composition. The Samples Were Then Exposed To CO2 And Deionized Water In Teflon-Lined Vessels At 90°C, And The Resulting Leachate Fluids Were Analyzed For The Cation Released During The Testing. SEM Microscopy Was Used To Examine The Samples For Potential …

Flow Regimes In Bubble Columns With And Without Internals: A Review, Ayat N. Mahmood, Amer A. Abdulrahman, Laith S. Sabri, Abbas J. Sultan, Hasan Shakir Majdi, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Hydrodynamics characterization in terms of flow regime behavior is a crucial task to enhance the design of bubble column reactors and scaling up related methodologies. This review presents recent studies on the typical flow regimes established in bubble columns. Some effort is also provided to introduce relevant definitions pertaining to this field, namely, that of "void fraction" and related (local, chordal, cross-sectional and volumetric) variants. Experimental studies involving different parameters that affect design and operating conditions are also discussed in detail. In the second part of the review, the attention is shifted to cases with internals of various types (perforated …

Advancing Natural Hydrogen Exploration: Headspace Gas Analysis In Water-Logged Environments, Krista Davies, Lionel Esteban, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Natural hydrogen has gained prominence as a potential contributor to the low-carbon energy landscape; however, exploration techniques are still evolving. Current methods primarily rely on dry soil gas studies or gas vent measurements. Because gas vents are scarce and groundwater inhibits hydrogen gas flux from the soil, other field detection techniques are necessary. This research paper presents a novel approach for advancing natural hydrogen exploration through the analysis of headspace gas of agitated groundwater extracted from dedicated shallow boreholes to better estimate the hydrogen gas flux and its variations with time. Several shallow boreholes were drilled in Western Australia on …

Gas-Phase Adsorption Of Dimethyl Methylphosphonate Over Ce(Oh)4@Pim-1 Composites Prepared Via Matrix Incorporation And Surface Coating Methods, Sukanta K. Mondal, Peter O. Aina, Ali A. Rownaghi, Fateme Rezaei

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Study Investigated the Potential of Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIM-1) and Ce(OH)4@PIM-1 Composites for Adsorption of the Nerve Agent Simulant, Dimethyl Methylphosphonate (DMMP). through Experimental Investigations It Was Demonstrated that These Composite Adsorbents Exhibit Excellent Gas-Phase DMMP Adsorption Performance, with High Uptake Capacities and Relatively Fast Kinetics. This Study Further Examined the Effect of Two Composite's Preparation Methods, Namely Matrix Incorporation and Surface Coating, on the DMMP Adsorption Performance of Ce(OH)4@PIM-1. the Results Revealed that Coating of Ce(OH)4 on the PIM-1 Surface Gives Rise to Faster Adsorption Kinetics Than its Incorporation into the Polymer Matrix at Fixed 30 Wt …

Mantle Flow And Olivine Fabric Transition In The Myanmar Continental Subduction Zone, Enbo Fan, Yinshuang Ai, Stephen S. Gao, Yumei He, Kelly H. Liu, Mingming Jiang, Guangbing Hou, Shun Yang, Chit Thet Mon, Myo Thant, Kyaing Sein

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

One of the Major Advances in Mineral Physics and Seismology is the Realization that Different Olivine Fabric Types Are Functions of Temperature, Shear Stress, and Water Content in Oceanic Subducting Systems. the Distribution of Different Olivine Fabric Types and Geodynamic Processes in the Mantle Wedge above a Subducting Continental Slab Remain Poorly Understood. Here, based on Splitting Analysis of Shear Waves Recorded by 46 Stations Recently Deployed in Central Myanmar, We Reveal Trench-Perpendicular Fast Orientations between the 80 and 100 Km Slab Contours Sandwiched between Trench-Parallel Fast Orientations from the Mantle Wedge Tip to the Backarc. the Dramatic Change in …