Touma B Issa

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are known for their exceptional attributes, including remarkable energy efficiency of up to 80%, an extended lifespan, safe operation, low environmental contamination concerns, sustainable recyclability, and easy scalability. One of their standout characteristics is the separation of electrolytes into two distinct tanks, isolating them from the electrochemical stack. This unique design allows for the separate design of energy capacity and power, offering a significantly higher level of adaptability and modularity compared to traditional technologies like lithium batteries. RFBs are also an improved technology for storing renewable energy in small or remote communities, benefiting from larger storage capacity, lower maintenance requirements, longer life, and more flexibility in scaling the battery system. However, flow batteries also have disadvantages compared to other energy storage technologies, including a lower energy density and the potential use of expensive or scarce materials. Despite these limitations, the potential benefits of flow batteries in terms of scalability, long cycle life, and cost effectiveness make them a key strategic technology for progressing to net zero. Specifically, in Australia, RFBs are good candidates for storing the increasingly large amount of energy generated from green sources such as photovoltaic panels and wind turbines. Additionally, the geographical distribution of the population around Australia makes large central energy storage economically and logistically difficult, but RFBs can offer a more locally tailored approach to overcome this. This review examines the status of RFBs and the viability of this technology for use in Australia.

Exfoliated La-doped g-C3N4, namely La(x%)-eCN-N (x = 0.1%– 10%), was prepared via in-situ La doping and thermal treatment. The photocatalytic activity of La(x%)-eCN-N was explored through the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light and then optimized by varying the loading of La dopant. The optimised La(1%)-eCN-N displayed an enhanced photocatalytic performance over the bulk and exfoliated g-C3N4, and bulk La-doped g-C3N4. Meanwhile, the use of La(1%)-eCN-N was seen with a high photocatalytic efficiency towards MO removal when compared with La(1%)-eCN-C, La(1%)-eCN-T, and La(1%)-eCN-U, which were prepared via conventional chemical, thermal and ultrasonic exfoliation of the pre-formed bulk La-doped g-C3N4. The observed outstanding photocatalytic activity of La(1%)-eCN-N was explained by several favourable features. In particular, the thin nanosheets would permit swift migration and effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers. The nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis revealed an increased surface area and porosity, which might expose more active sites on the photocatalyst surface to adsorption and subsequent photocatalytic removal of MO molecules. Moreover, La(1%)-eCN-N was proven with improved visible light absorption, enhanced charge carrier separation and reduced transfer resistance. Its activity, along with the crystal and chemical characteristics, was largely retained after five cycles of photocatalytic reaction, affirming its good reusability and stability for potential practical application. The key reactive oxidising species involved in the photocatalytic removal of MO using La(1%)-eCN-N was experimentally determined to be the superoxide radical.

This study systematically studied the effects of Pr, Fe, and Na as representative rare earth, transition, and alkali metal dopants, respectively, on the photocatalytic activity of exfoliated graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4). The doped exfoliated g-C 3 N 4 samples were prepared by integrating precursor ion intercalation into the pre-formed g-C 3 N 4 with thermal treatment. The as-prepared catalysts were examined for crystal, textural, chemical, optical, and photoelectrochemical properties to explore the correlation between dopants and photocatalytic activity of the resulting composites. The detailed analyses revealed that the Pr-doped g-C 3 N 4 exhibited superior photocatalytic activity in degrading methylene blue under visible light, achieving a ~96% removal in 40 min. This was not only better than the activity of g-C 3 N 4 , but also much higher than that of Na-doped g-C 3 N 4 or Fe-doped g-C 3 N 4. The kinetic rate constant using Pr-doped g-C 3 N 4 was 3.2, 5.1, and 2.0 times greater than that of the g-C 3 N 4 , Fe-doped g-C 3 N 4 , and Na-doped g-C 3 N 4 , respectively. The enhanced performance was attributed to its inherent characteristics after optimal tuning, including good surface area, improved porosity, enhanced visible light absorption, suitable electronic band structure, increased charge carrier density, promoted charge separation, and reduced charge transfer resistance. In addition, the optimized Pr(0.4)g-C 3 N 4 was used to study the photocatalytic removal of methylene blue in detail under conditions with different initial methylene blue concentrations, types of dyes, catalyst dosages, initial solution pH, counter ions, and water matrices. Our results demonstrated the high photocatalytic activity of Pr(0.4)g-C 3 N 4 under varying conditions, including in real wastewater media, which were collected from our local municipal wastewater treatment plant. The observed good reusability and stability after five cycles of photocatalytic degradation test further suggested a promising potential of Pr(0.4)g-C 3 N 4 for practical application in wastewater treatment.

For the first time, groundwater treatment sludge was integrated with g-C3N4 towards highly efficient and cost-effective visible-light-initiated catalysts for organic removal. The optimized sample of g-C3N4/GWS-M(2.5 %), which was synthesized using the sludge rich in Al and Fe, was explored with improved photocatalytic activity. Its photocatalytic performance was ∼6, 4, and 7 times that of g-C3N4 in terms of removal of methyl orange, cephalexin, and ketoprofen, respectively. The observed greater photocatalytic activity was attributed to its upgraded physicochemical properties, including specific surface area, porous structure, visible light absorption, charge separation and transfer. In particular, the co-existence of dominant Al and Fe dopants in g-C3N4/GWS-M(2.5 %) aided abstraction of photogenerated charge carriers. After photocatalytic reaction, only 0.02 % and 0.01 % loss of Al and Fe was observed from the catalyst, respectively. A superior organic removal (∼92 %) was still observed by using g-C3N4/GWS-M(2.5 %) with no change in its crystal and chemical structures at the 5th cycle of photocatalytic degradation. The primary reactive species responsible for the reaction were inferred to be the superoxide and singlet oxygen radicals.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) is a promising material for photocatalytic applications. However, it suffers from poor visible-light absorption and a high recombination rate of photogener-ated electron–hole pairs. Here, Co/La@g-C 3 N 4 with enhanced photocatalytic activity was prepared by co-doping Co and La into g-C 3 N 4 via a facile one-pot synthesis. Co/La@g-C 3 N 4 displayed better performance, achieving 94% tetracycline (TC) removal within 40 min, as compared with g-C 3 N 4 (BCN, 65%). It also demonstrated promising performance in degrading other pollutants, which was ~2–4-fold greater relative to BCN. The improved photocatalytic activity of Co/La@g-C 3 N 4 was associated with improved photogenerated charge separation, reduced charge transfer resistance, a built-in electric field arising from the p-n-p heterojunction, and the synergistic effect of ternary components for the separation and transfer of the photogenerated charge carriers. Superoxide radicals are suggested to be the most notable reactive species responsible for the photocatalytic reaction. Environmental factors, including the pollutant concentration, catalyst dosage, solution pH, inorganic salts, water matrices, and mixture with dyes, were considered in the photocatalytic reactions. Co/La@g-C 3 N 4 showed good reusability for five cycles of the photocatalytic degradation of TC. The facile one-pot co-doping of Co and La in g-C 3 N 4 formed a p-n-p heterojunction with boosted photocatalytic activity for the highly efficient removal of TC from various water matrices.

Human beings have been responsible for the majority of the damage done to the natural environment. The problems created by humans must be tackled immediately and effectively so that the next seven generations can enjoy the same lifestyle as we do. Unfortunately, there is no Plan B for our planet. Therefore, to minimize the impact from e-waste, energy usage, and other ICT practices on Mother Nature, businesses and individuals can integrate Green Information Technology (IT) in their corporate strategies and daily work. This study aims to examine the awareness, opportunities and challenges of Green IT adoption in Australia. An online survey was distributed to 157 participants in Australia. From this study, new factors are generated for awareness, challenges and opportunities; awareness factors are namely: e-waste, eco-friendly materials and design efficacy. For the opportunities, three new factors are generated namely: environmental value, productivity and new opportunities, while the challenges generated three new factors namely: the rise of scandals and failure, the upsurge of cost and rates, and the escalation in competition and environment policies; in order to mitigate these challenges designers should very carefully consider their strategies. The new factors for this study will encourage Human Computer Interaction and IT researchers to integrate Green IT concepts within their designs in order to save our planet, as our planet is currently suffering and deteriorating as a direct result of human actions and activities.

This book addresses several aspects of environmental sustainability awareness and priorization, explores ways to use resources and processes more responsibly, and describes the strategies, models and tools required to overcome various challenges. Sustainable and green IT are used to minimize the current ICT recycling problems which are harming our planet. The book discusses the new green information technologies as alternatives to conventional ICT, which have significantly harmed nature, and examines how to make recent technologies such as cloud computing; social networking; smart technology; blockchains, IoT (internet-of-things); and big data sustainable. Exploring sustainability awareness and importance among individuals and organizations in the developed and developing countries, most of the contributions conclude that sustainability should be considered a duty in order to change mindsets, attitudes and actions so as to preserve our planet. Furthermore, it examines the green information technology strategies and models.

This book would not have been possible without the existence of that brilliant, vivid, bright, superb, wonderful, luminous, radiant, and very beautiful person whom the authors simply refer to as ‘Mum.’ The Authors’ mother was always there for them as they went through the highs and lows of their lives, always encouraging and helping them throughout her life, and this help continued even when the authors became adults. She continued to be a source of great help until she answered God’s call and went into her eternal sleep on that Wednesday afternoon in March of 2016. This book is written by her five children and is an attempt to keep Bathqyomo Marine Khoury-Issa’s memory alive. The authors’ mother hailed from Mesopotamia, “the land between the two rivers.” Mesopotamia is the place that is referred to as the“Cradle of Western Civilization.” Therefore, it was worthwhile to mention in this book some of the literature that talks about this great civilization that the authors’ parents brought them nearer to by what they taught, told and asked them to read in history books. The recipes included in this book were taught to the authors by their mother, and thus have a Mesopotamian origin. This book is dedicated to the authors’ mother, Bathqyomo Marine Khoury-Issa, with her unique characteristics as a spouse, mother and matriarch of the Issa Family. Her care put continues to exist in the food she used to cook (both main dishes and sweets), the care she gave to the garden, the way she faced life and the way she welcomed people into her home and family.

Technology continues to make great strides in society by providing opportunities for advancement, inclusion, and global competency. As new systems and tools arise, novel applications are created as well. Smart Technology Applications in Business Environments is an essential reference source for the latest scholarly research on the risks and opportunities of utilizing the latest technologies in different aspects of society such as education, healthcare systems, and corporations. Featuring extensive coverage on a broad range of topics and perspectives including virtual reality, robotics, and social media, this publication is ideally designed for academicians, researchers, students, and practitioners seeking current research on the improvement and increased productivity from the implementation of smart technologies.

This book, authored by family members who were originated in Mesopotamia, and are members of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, strives to provide a brief historical background on the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, her dogma, her ancient sacred language (Syriac/Aramaic), and persecution including 1915 Genocide (Sayfo) which might also be referred to as (SAYFO/SEPA/SWORD ܣܝܦܐ). This book endeavours to bring to light a historical account of the inhabitants of the ancient land of Mesopotamia, leading to the events that resulted in several persecutions of these original people of the land, specifically during the “Syriac Genocide” (Sayfo) of 1915 (SAYFO/SEPA/SWORD ܣܝܦܐ). The authors derive from diverse sources, including some ancient rare manuscripts that have not been, to date, translated into English from Syriac/Aramaic; supported by evidence derived from some of what has been translated into English, including personal accounts. In this book, the authors highlight the number of people who were massacred and those who were forced to leave their Christian faith and convert, including members of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, showing the unpleasant face of persecution and Genocide against people who are accredited of their huge positive impact on the World’s Civilization. This book commences with a brief historical background on the origin of Christianity in the East, and the historical background of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, leading to an explanation of the atrocities at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, providing a backdrop to allow an understanding of the context at the time, concluding with some insights of the atrocities in the 21st century against the same people in parts of the Middle East and around the world. The book provides a brief account of the courageous actions taken by patriarchs, other clergy, and lay people to face such atrocities. The authors briefly examine some of the events that took place leading to the main Genocide of 1915, the “Syriac Genocide” (Sayfo) (SAYFO/SEPA/SWORD ܣܝܦܐ), or what has been dubbed as “The Forgotten Genocide”. The book concludes with some events that took place in the 21st century which were mainly derived from the ongoing incidents that affected the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and her community in the Middle East and around the world. The image on the front cover of this book is taken from a handwritten manuscript that was written in 1478 in Syriac/Aramaic. This manuscript was the property of the father of the main author and the parental grandfather of the other co-authors, the ܡܫܡܫܢܐ ܐܘܢܓܠܝܐ (Mshamshono Ewangeloyo) “Full Deacon Touma Issa Sr.” (his full name is Touma bar Issa Dbeath Khoshaba Maryya). His vast knowledge in Syriac/Aramaic language, and his reticence in the Syriac Ecclesiastical melodies and hymns led him to teach these two topics for some forty years, thus, and due to his immense knowledge and tireless services to the Holy Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, he was ordained by the Archbishop then as a ܡܫܡܫܢܐ ܐܘܢܓܠܝܐ (Mshamshono Ewangeloyo) (i.e. Full Deacon) at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch on 15th July 1901. May his soul rest in peace.