http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/13335 <b>Special issue: Perspectives and Challenges</b> Search the Channel search http://nopr.niscair.res.in/simple-search http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/13373 Title: Challenges and opportunities in biofuels production <br/> <br/>Authors: Srinivas, Darbha; Satyarthi, Jitendra Kumar <br/> <br/>Abstract: Biofuels are attractive alternative to petroleum diesel. They are renewable, non-toxic, biodegradable, carbon neutral and lead to reduced tailpipe emissions. This article presents the current state-of-art processes of their production and discusses the opportunities and future challenges in this area of research. <br/> <br/>Page(s): 174-185 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:58:59 GMT http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/13372 Title: Reflections on the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide on metallic surfaces <br/> <br/>Authors: Viswanathan, B <br/> <br/>Abstract: It is known that carbon dioxideundergoes electrochemical reduction to a variety of products like CO, hydrocarbons and alcohols on metallic surfaces and that the nature of the metal has a role to play in the observed selectivity of products. Rationalization of the results obtained on different metallic surfaces and accounting for the selectivity have been the points of contention in literature. This presentation examines these aspects from the point of view of surface activation of carbon dioxide and proposes a site specific and geometry constrained adsorption of carbon dioxide as the possible reason for the variation in the results reported in literature. <br/> <br/>Page(s): 166-173 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:58:59 GMT http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/13371 Title: Polyaniline-supported metal catalysts for green synthesis <br/> <br/>Authors: Likhar, Pravin R; Kantam, M Lakshmi; Bhargava, Suresh <br/> <br/>Abstract: The conducting and redox properties of polyaniline coupled with its easy preparative protocol from inexpensive starting materials, high environmental stability, and easy acid doping/base dedoping has prompted its use as a support to hold metal complexes securely during catalytic reactions. Synthesis of polyaniline-supported palladium, indium, and iron catalysts, their characterization and use in coupling, addition and acylation reactions have been reviewed in this article. <br/> <br/>Page(s): 155-165 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:58:59 GMT http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/13370 Title: Anion doped binary oxides, SnO₂, TiO₂ and ZnO: Fabrication procedures, fascinating properties and future prospects <br/> <br/>Authors: Nagarajan, R; Kumar, Vinod; Ahmad, Shahzad <br/> <br/>Abstract: Doping the oxygen in the three technologically important binary oxides SnO₂, TiO₂, and ZnO, with other anions such as nitrogen, carbon, fluorine, sulfur and chlorine by various synthetic procedures are described. The crystal structures of these oxides along with their electronic structures are summarized. The evolution of many useful properties, such as efficient photocatalysis, high electrical conductivity with high optical transparency on doping with some of these anions, is discussed. An important milestone achieved by our research group for the synthesis of F-doped SnO₂ and ZnO powders is highlighted. Heavily F-doped SnO₂, obtained by the safe, simple, reliable and reproducible synthetic approach developed by us is the first example among oxide semiconductors to show Moss-Burstein effect, and consequently the defect states are produced in the system on injection of extra charge carriers. These trapped defect states give rise to glow curves in the thermoluminescence spectrum. This observation suggests the use of SnO₂:F as a thermal UV sensors in high radiation environments. In the concluding part, the need for the investigation in to the interesting structural, electronic and optical properties, especially in the heavily doped regime, are portrayed as part of the future directions of research in these oxides. <br/> <br/>Page(s): 145-154 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:58:59 GMT