Mapana Journal of Sciences

Unlocking the Potential of Microalgae: Renewable Biofuel Technologies, Barriers, and Future Directions

2025-05-24T04:36:30+00:00

Researchers are looking for an alternative source of energy due to the increment of energy demand and environmental pollution caused by fossil fuels. Recent reports said that microalgae are efficient for biofuel production due to its high growing ability, low production cost and potential to grow in severe environments. There are many photosynthetic microalgae which consume CO₂ and sunlight for growth in biomass and thus provide a promising source of bioenergy. This review paper presents the recent technologies to produce microalgal biofuel. Besides this, the cultivation and harvesting processes and environmental factors that influence the microalgal biofuel production have also been discussed. This review paper also discusses how to attain carbon neutrality through the several biofuel generations and also discusses their applications and limitations in agriculture and environment. In future, researchers should give attention to identify better strains of algae which produce good quality biofuel of a high yield better than economically feasible algal biofuel. Future research is needed to produce a higher amount of product because in recent days most of the algae face the uneconomical higher costs. Finally this review paper gives an exposure for a better biofuel in future.

A Review of Nano Structured Thermites and Explosives

2025-05-30T03:38:15+00:00

Primary explosives have been a crucial component of defense systems since long, but the currently used lead-based primary explosives are highly harmful to the environment and toxic to living beings. Nanostructured materials have offered quite an improvement in this regard, offering a greener source of primary explosive with improved safety and reliability, while also offering better performance. This has led many major military groups to conduct considerable research in this domain. The SFE method is a highly efficient and favoured method for the production of such nanoenergetic materials, offering good productivity and industrial compatibility for mass-scale manufacturing. The nanoenergetic particles thus prepared, exhibit better combustion properties when mixed with nanothermites to form NSTEX composites. These loose powder composites have shown considerable improvement with respect to metal-based primary explosives which are currently employed in explosive and pyrotechnic applications. However, the ultimate challenge that exists in this domain is the production of practical and operational systems from these highly energetic nanopowders. This research is still in its early stages and breakthrough in this domain may unlock a vast array of opportunities for the development of safer and more efficient defence systems.

Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Quantum Chemical Analysis of (E)-2-(1-(4-Bromophenyl)ethylidene)hydrazinecarbothioamide: A Potential Candidate for Biological Applications

2025-05-24T04:54:11+00:00

This study reports the synthesis, structural characterization, and computational analysis of a novel compound, (E)-2-(1-(4-bromophenyl)ethylidene)hydrazine (EBEHC), synthesized via condensation of 1-(4-bromophenyl)ethanone and thiosemicarbazide in methanol. Yellow single crystals were obtained through recrystallization. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that EBEHC crystallizes in a monoclinic system (space group P21/c), with a unit cell volume of 1103.56 Å³. Experimental and DFT-calculated geometries showed strong correlation, with bond length and angle deviations within 0.02 Å and 3°, respectively. Conformational analysis identified R1(a) as the most stable conformer (energy: -9147715.587 kJ/mol), while R2(b) was least stable (ΔE: +2874.87 kJ/mol). FT-IR and DFT analyses confirmed N–H stretching near 3444 cm⁻¹ and C–Br vibrations near 445 cm⁻¹. Hirshfeld surface analysis revealed significant intermolecular interactions—hydrogen bonding (45.2%) and halogen contacts (19.4%). Molecular docking indicated favorable binding with cholesterol-reducing targets, suggesting potential anti-cholesterol properties. These findings highlight EBEHC’s promising structural, spectroscopic, and biological characteristics for future therapeutic applications.

Design and Development of a Capacitance Sensor for Gas/Gas or Gas/Liquid Void Fraction Detection

2025-03-24T06:31:10+00:00

The capacitance-based void fraction sensor was developed to detect various types of liquids and gases. This sensor consisted of two semi-concave copper plates mounted parallel to each other on a hollow cylindrical glass tube. A radio frequency signal was applied to the sensor, and changes in the phase shift of the input signal were observed, corresponding to variations in the dielectric constant. Measurements were conducted with different types of liquids and gases, resulting in measurable changes in the phase shift between the input and output signals. The experimental results demonstrated that the phase shift of the signal was proportional to the dielectric constant of the liquid flowing through the pipeline. The measured phase shift was compared with theoretical values, revealing close agreement. These findings support the potential application of the capacitance-based void fraction sensor for detecting liquid and gas flow in pipelines.