Publications related to Investigating the fate of petroleum fluids released in the marine environment with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and transport models

Unique corrosion behavior of an archaeological Roman iron ring: Microchemical characterization and thermodynamic considerations

The corrosion mechanisms of a Roman iron bezel ring were investigated by in-depth characterization of its uncommon corrosion pattern and thermodynamic modelling. A silver foil and altered glass remnants were identified, covered with thick strata of magneti ...

2024

Structure and dynamics of liquid water from ab initio simulations: adding Minnesota density functionals to Jacob's ladder

Ursula Röthlisberger, Justin Villard, Martin Peter Bircher

The accurate representation of the structural and dynamical properties of water is essential for simulating the unique behavior of this ubiquitous solvent. Here we assess the current status of describing liquid water using ab initio molecular dynamics, wit ...

Royal Soc Chemistry2024

Confinement-Controlled Crystallization of Guanine

Esther Amstad, Chuen-Ru Li

Guanine crystals are frequently encountered in nature in the beta-polymorph to create structural colors, to enhance the vision of creatures, and for camouflage. Unfortunately, it is challenging to control the crystallization of guanine in aqueous condition ...

Amer Chemical Soc2024

Diagenetic isotope exchange in biocalcites for paleoclimate reconstruction

Deyanira Graciela Cisneros Lazaro

The oxygen isotope compositions of fossil biocalcites, such as foraminifera, bivalves, brachiopods, and belemnites have allowed for reconstructions of sea surface and deep ocean temperatures throughout the Phanerozoic and constitute the most important reco ...

EPFL2024

From roots to canopy: Unraveling the influence of species diversity on tree water relations under warmer and drier climates

Eugénie Isabelle Mas

The worsening of drought events with rising air temperature alters tree water relations causing severe hydraulic impairments and widespread forest mortality. Mixing tree species with contrasting hydraulic traits could reduce forest vulnerability to extreme ...

EPFL2024

Contradict mechanism of long-term magnesium and sodium sulfate attacks of nano silica-modified cement mortars - Experimental and thermodynamic modeling

Qiao Wang

The mechanisms of external sulfate attack on cement mortars containing nano silica have been studied under full immersion conditions after 3 years. The sulfate degradation processes were compared between sodium sulfate and magnesium sulfate solutions with ...

Elsevier Sci Ltd2024

Biobased Composites from Eugenol- and Coumarin-Derived Methacrylic Latex and Hemp Nanocellulose: Cross-Linking via [2+2] Photocycloaddition and Barrier Properties

Yves Leterrier, Sara Dalle Vacche

A novel-biobased latex was synthesized by redox-initiated emulsion copolymerization of ethoxy dihydroeugenyl methacrylate with 5 wt % of a photosensitive methacrylate containing a coumarin group. A stable copolymer latex having 16 wt % solids content and a ...

Amer Chemical Soc2024

On the influence of flow-front orientation on stringer stiffened composite panels in water impacts

Véronique Michaud

Water impacts form the critical load case for high-performance carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) racing craft. Such events produce a peaked, non-uniform pressure distribution that travels along a hull panel as it is immersed. Current design standards ...

2024

The molecular scale mechanism of deposition ice nucleation on silver iodide

Mária Lbadaoui-Darvas, Athanasios Nenes, André Welti

Heterogeneous ice nucleation is a ubiquitous process in the natural and built environment. Deposition ice nucleation, i.e. heterogeneous ice nucleation that - according to the traditional view - occurs in a subsaturated water vapor environment and in the a ...

Royal Soc Chemistry2024

From Surfactants to 3D Printing: How Ion-Chelator Pair Interactions Affect the Mechanical Properties of Bioinspired Materials

Gaia De Angelis

The remarkable adaptability observed in marine ecosystems has often inspired researchers when developing new soft materials. The research undertaken in this thesis explores how ion chelator pair interactions influence the mechanical properties of bioinspir ...

EPFL2024

Modeling, design and economics of PEC devices

Alexandre Dominique M. Cattry

Photo-electrochemical (PEC) devices allow for converting solar energy into chemical energy and for the production of energetically dense solar fuels. Light absorption, charge separation and transport, electrochemical reactions, and ionic transport are requ ...

EPFL2024

Spectral and thermodynamic properties of interacting electrons with dynamical functionals

Tommaso Chiarotti

Empowered by ever-increasing computational power and algorithmic developments, electronic-structure simulations continue to drive research and innovation in materials science. In this context, ab-initio calculations offer an unbiased platform for the under ...

EPFL2023

Growth and investigation of Argon thin films adsorbed on graphite by means of Ultrafast Electron Diffraction

Paolo Usai

Starting from our big universe to the microscopic world, phase transitions play an important role in nature. Just after the Big Bang our universe experienced multiple phase transitions, from high-temperature plasma to the matter we know today. Phase transi ...

EPFL2023

Ecosystem engineering by periphyton in Alpine proglacial streams

Matteo Roncoroni, Tom Ian Battin, Marc Aguet, Adrijan Selitaj, Davide Mancini

Stream periphytons are candidate ecosystem engineers in proglacial margins. Here, we quantify the extent to which they are engineers for the case of hillslope-fed tributaries in the terrace zones of proglacial margin alluvial plains. Candidate ecosystem en ...

WILEY2023

Nature-Inspired Stalactite Nanopores for Biosensing and Energy Harvesting

Aleksandra Radenovic, Mukeshchand Thakur, Andrey Chernev, Lucie Navratilova, Nianduo Cai, Victor Carle Adrien Boureau, Yunfei Teng, Tzu-Heng Chen, Vasily Artemov

Nature provides a wide range of self-assembled structures from the nanoscale to the macroscale. Under the right thermodynamic conditions and with the appropriate material supply, structures like stalactites, icicles, and corals can grow. However, the natur ...

Wiley-V C H Verlag Gmbh2023

Long-term biodegradation of crude oil in high-arctic backshore sediments: The Baffin Island Oil Spill (BIOS) after nearly four decades

Ianina Altshuler

With an on-going disproportional warming of the Arctic Ocean and the reduction of the sea ice cover, the risk of an accidental oil spill from ships or future oil exploration is increasing. It is hence important to know how crude oil weathers in this enviro ...

2023

Machine-learning the electronic density of states: electronic properties without quantum mechanics

Chiheb Ben Mahmoud

The electronic density of states (DOS) quantifies the distribution of the energy levels that can be occupied by electrons in a quasiparticle picture and is central to modern electronic structure theory. It also underpins the computation and interpretation ...

EPFL2023

Atmospheric water harvesting in semi-arid regions by membranes: A techno-economic assessment

Kumar Varoon Agrawal, Marina Micari, Xuekui Duan

The availability of a reliable and sufficient amount of water constitutes one of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. The provision of water is still challenging in many regions of the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions ...

ELSEVIER2023

Multi-campaign ship and aircraft observations of marine cloud condensation nuclei and droplet concentrations

Jian Wang, Athanasios Nenes

In-situ marine cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNCs), cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and CCN proxies, based on particle sizes and optical properties, are accumulated from seven field campaigns: ACTIVATE; NAAMES; CAMP(2)EX; ORACLES; SOCRATES; MARCUS ...

NATURE PORTFOLIO2023

The Bioaccumulation of Ionizable Organic Compounds in Fish Cell Lines

Fabian Gerhard Peter Balk

Bioaccumulation is defined as the enrichment of a compound in an organism relative to the surrounding water or its food, and is an important endpoint in chemical risk assessment. Under laboratory conditions, bioaccumulation is measured as bioconcentration ...

EPFL2023