The response of bacteria in bulk soil and earthworm casts to carbon enrichment was studied by an RNA stable-isotope probing/terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism strategy with (13)C-labeled glucose and acetate. Both the soil microsite status and the carbon enrichment selected rapidly for different active bacterial communities, which resulted in different degradation kinetics. Our st...

Synthesize carbon-based metal-free catalysts and • carbon-composite catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Optimize catalytic active reaction sites as a function • of carbon support, surface oxygen groups, nitrogen content, surface modifiers, pyrolysis temperature, porosity, and the concentration of the non-metallic additive “X” in the catalyst matrix. Evaluate catalyst stability under ...

Highly active phases in carbon monoxide oxidation are known, however they are transient in nature. Here, we determined for the first time the structure of such a highly active phase on platinum nanoparticles in an actual reactor. Unlike generally assumed, the surface of this phase is virtually free of adsorbates and co-exists with carbon-monoxide covered and surface oxidized platinum. Understan...

An experimental and theoretical study of electroreduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide is presented. The experimental measurements of nitrided Ketjenblack indicated an onset potential for reduction of approximately 0.5 V (SHE) compared to the onset potential of 0.2 V observed for untreated carbon. Quantum calculations on cluster models of nitrided and un-nitrided graphite sheets show that car...

A facile, two-step method for chemically attaching single-stranded DNA to graphitic surfaces, represented here by carbon nanotubes, is reported. In the first step, an azide-containing compound, N-5-azido-nitrobenzoyloxy succinimide (ANB-NOS), is used to form photo-adducts on the graphitic surfaces in a solid-state photochemical reaction, resulting in active ester groups being oriented for the s...

The importance of finding efficient ways of quantifying terrestrial carbon stocks at a global scale has increased due to the concerns about global climate change. Exchange of carbon between forests and the atmosphere is a vital component of the global carbon cycle (Nelson et al. 2003). Recent advances in remote sensing technology have facilitated rapid and inexpensive measurements of topography...