Mirella Di Lorenzo

University of Bath

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Pedro Estrela

University of Bath

Nikhil Bhalla

University of Ulster

Giordano Pula

Hull York Medical School

Benjamin Metcalfe

University of Bath

Petra J. Cameron

University of Bath

Thomas P. Curtis

Newcastle University

Jakub Dziegielowski

University of Bath

Domenico Pirozzi

University of Naples Federico II

Wanli Liu

University of Bath

Michele Mascia

University of Cagliari

Cooperative Institutions

University of Bath

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

Universidad de Zaragoza

University of Salento

Newcastle University

University of Bristol

University of Cagliari

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Italian Institute of Technology

Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies

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Electrodeposited highly porous gold microelectrodes for the direct electrocatalytic oxidation of aqueous glucose

Sensors and Actuators B Chemical (2013)

Hendrik du Toit Mirella Di Lorenzo

Amperometry

10.1016/j.snb.2013.11.017

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Citations (56)

Electrically Conductive and Antimicrobial Pluronic-Based Hydrogels

Nicola Antonio Di Spirito Wanli Liu Mirella Di Lorenzo Nino Grizzuti Maisem Laabei

Electrically conductive hydrogels (ECHs) combine the electrical properties of conductive materials with the unique features of hydrogels. They are attractive for various biomedical applications due to their smart response to electrical fields. Owing to their distinctive properties, such as biocompatibility, thermosensitivity and self-assembling behaviour, Pluronics can be adopted for the generation of hydrogels for biomedical applications. Here, innovative self-assembling ECHs holding antimicrobial properties for biomedical applications are developed, providing a full characterization of their macroscopic and microscopic properties. The rheological, morphological, and structural properties of Pluronic F68 (PF68) in the presence of conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly-(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are studied to optimize the synthesis of novel biocompatible and electrically conductive hydrogels. The addition of silver flakes to the aqueous samples of PF68/PEDOT:PSS is used to further enhance the systems electrical conductivity and antimicrobial potency. Aqueous optimal samples with 45wt% PF68 and different PEDOT:PSS/silver contents are investigated by means of experimental rheology and Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS), to unveil the influence of both PEDOT:PSS and silver on the phase diagram, macroscopic flow properties, and morphology of the Pluronic-based systems.The presence of PEDOTPSS and silver flakes endows Pluronic systems with high conductive properties, while preserving the same self-assembly features of PF68 in water. Moreover, the functionalisation with silver flakes confers antimicrobial properties to the ECHs, as demonstrated by growth inhibition of the multi-drug resistant bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.The use of PF68 in this work provides a novel route for the synthesis of innovative ECHs, whose functionalities such as self-assembling behaviour, biocompatibility, conductivity, and bioactivity may inspire future avenues for biomedical field.

10.2139/ssrn.4833272

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Stabilization of a lipase from Rhizopus delemar in the presence of commercial triglycerides

Mirella Di Lorenzo Aurélio Hidalgo Domenico Pirozzi Gianluca Greco Uwe T. Bornscheuer

Rhizopus

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A Cascade of Miniature Microbial Fuel Cells Coupled with an Electrochemical Reactor for Energy Harvesting

Sara Monasterio Michele Mascia Mirella Di Lorenzo Annalisa Vacca Simonetta Palmas

This work reports the use of the Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) technology, in combination with an electrochemical reactor, for the generation of electricity while removing Chlorella vulgaris microalgae contained in wastewater. In particular, Chlorella vulgaris algae was pre-treated by using an electrolytic cell. To this aim, a fixed bed reactor with 3D electrodes was employed. The pre-treated wastewater was used as feedstock for a 3D printed miniature air-cathode MFCs arranged in cascade for further algal removal and energy production. The performance of the system was studied by measuring the chemical oxygen demand, the optical density and the recorded voltage in all the experiments. Results show that the efficiency of the system, in terms of output energy recovery and water treatment, increases when a higher number of MFCs is used in the cascade.

Chlorella vulgaris

Chemical energy

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Towards Miniature Microbial Fuel Cells for Water Quality Monitoring

Jonathan C. Chouler Mirella Di Lorenzo

To ensure adequate sanitation of water supplies a rapid, cheap and simple method to test water systems is required. The microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has potential for the effective testing of water sources in real time. A single chamber (68 μL) miniature MFC biosensor for detection of the biological oxygen demand (BOD) of water systems and to detect toxicants is presented. The device showed a response to a change in BOD within 19 minutes. The effect of operational conditions (pH, temperature, flow rate) on current generation was shown to have a maximum sensitivity of 0.944 μA cm-2 per unit change of the operational parameter. The power output of the device was enhanced by a factor of 28 by doubling the length of the anodic chamber and doping the cathode with a sustainable biochar based catalyst. The promise for detection of ‘emerging’ contaminants and toxicants in developing countries is discussed.

Biochemical oxygen demand

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Towards effective small scale microbial fuel cells for energy generation from urine

Electrochimica Acta (2016)

Jon Chouler George A. Padgett Petra J. Cameron Kathrin Preuß Maria‐Magdalena Titirici

To resolve an increasing global demand in energy, a source of sustainable and environmentally friendly energy is needed. Microbial fuel cells (MFC) hold great potential as a sustainable and green bioenergy conversion technology that uses waste as the feedstock. This work pursues the development of an effective small-scale MFC for energy generation from urine. An innovative air-cathode miniature MFC was developed, and the effect of electrode length was investigated. Two different biomass derived catalysts were also studied. Doubling the electrode length resulted in the power density increasing by one order of magnitude (from 0.053 to 0.580 W m−3). When three devices were electrically connected in parallel, the power output was over 10 times higher compared to individual units. The use of biomass-derived oxygen reduction reaction catalysts at the cathode increased the power density generated by the MFC up to 1.95 W m−3, thus demonstrating the value of sustainable catalysts for cathodic reactions in MFCs.

Power density

Electrochemical energy conversion

Environmentally Friendly

10.1016/j.electacta.2016.01.112

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Citations (128)

CCDC 240695: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

The Cambridge Structural Database (2005)

D. Carmona J. A. Valls Ferrer Mirella Di Lorenzo F.J. Lahoz Isabel T. Dobrinovitch

An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.

10.5517/cc82gc4

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Enhanced Stability of Highly Porous Nanostructured Gold Anodes Via Polyaniline Coating for Abiotic Glucose Fuel Cell

Asghar Niyazi Benjamin Metcalfe Hannah S. Leese Mirella Di Lorenzo

10.2139/ssrn.4958063

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A photosynthetic toxicity biosensor for water

Electrochimica Acta (2019)

Jon Chouler Matthew D. Monti William J. Morgan Petra J. Cameron Mirella Di Lorenzo

Effective detection of contaminants in water is the basis of safe water provision to communities. Traditional analytical methods are, however, expensive, time-consuming and cannot be easily adapted to emerging pollutants (i.e. herbicides, pharmaceuticals and their metabolites). Microalgae have been shown to be an ideal sensing probe for bioactive compounds, with great sensitivity and limit of detections at very low concentration levels (nM range). In this study, we explore the use of microalgae in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as a means to generate a sensitive, portable and cost-effective bioelectrochemical sensor for onsite monitoring of pollutants in water. In particular, we report an innovative miniature single chamber photosynthetic MFC (photoMFC) and demonstrate its ability to detect formaldehyde, a highly toxic compound that can arise in drinking water from the oxidation of natural organic matter during ozonation and chlorination. The photoMFC, inoculated with a mixed microalgae culture from a wastewater treatment algal pond, generated a peak power and current density of 0.18 mW m−2 and 7.2 mA m−2 respectively, when exposed to light. A current response to formaldehyde proportional to its concentration was produced in less than 1 h, with a sensitivity of 69.2 ± 16.7%−1 cm−2. As such, this work provides the first miniature photosynthetic MFC device water shock sensor, with the great benefit of simple operation (with light being the sole energy source) and rapid onsite biosensing capability.

10.1016/j.electacta.2019.04.061

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Citations (36)

Active expression of lipase forms from Rhizopus delemar in E. coli

Mirella Di Lorenzo Aurélio Hidalgo Domenico Pirozzi Gianluca Greco Michael J. Haas

Rhizopus

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