• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.442-450
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• 2019

Despite its potential as a renewable source for fuels and chemicals, lignin valorization still faces technical challenges in many aspects. Overcoming such challenges associated with the chemical recalcitrance of lignin can provide many opportunities to innovate existing and emerging biorefineries. In this work, we leveraged a biomass genetic engineering technology to produce phenolic aldehyde-rich lignin structure via downregulation of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD). The structurally altered lignin obtained from the Arabidopsis thaliana CAD mutant was pyrolyzed to understand the effect of structural alteration on thermal behavior of lignin. The pyrolysis was conducted at 400 and $500^{\circ}C$ using an analytical pyrolyzer connected with GC/MS and the products were systematically analyzed. The results indicate that aldehyde-rich lignin undergoes fragmentation reaction during pyrolysis forming a considerable amount of C6 units. Also, it was speculated that highly reactive phenolic aldehydes facilitate secondary repolymerization reaction as described by the lower yield of overall phenolic compounds compared to wild type (WT) lignin. Quantum mechanical calculation clearly shows the higher electrophilicity of transgenic lignin than that of WT, which could promote both fragmentation and recondensation reactions. This work provides mechanistic insights toward biomass genetic engineering and its application to the pyrolysis allowing to establish sustainable biorefinery in the future.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2021

In this work, narrow-band green-emitting CsPbBr3 particles are embedded in commercialized glass composites by a facile dry process. By optimizing the method through sintering in glass frit (GF) composites including CsBr and PbBr2, used as precursors, the encapsulation of CsPbBr3 particles made them waterproof with green fluorescence. To improve the fluorescent properties by reducing aggregation of CsPbBr3, fumed silica (FS) is additionally used to help particles avoid bulking up in the glass matrix. The CsPbBr3 perovskite/glass composites are characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) maps, which support the existence of CsPbBr3 particles in the glass matrix. The photoluminescence (PL) properties demonstrate that the emission spectrum peak, full width at half maximum (FWHM), and photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) values are 519 nm, 17 nm, and 17.7 %. We also confirm the water-resistant properties. To enhance water/moisture stability, the composite sample is put directly into water, with its PLQY monitored periodically under UV light.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.307-312
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• 2022

Metal halide perovskite (MHP) nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as promising materials for various optoelectronic applications including photovoltaics, light-emitting devices, and photodetectors because of their high absorption coefficient, high diffusion length, and photoluminescence quantum yield. However, understanding the morphological evolution of the MHP NCs as well as their controlled assembly into optoelectronic devices is still challenging and will require further investigation of the colloidal chemistry. In this study, we found that the amount of n-octylamine (the capping agent) plays a crucial role in inducing further growth of the MHP NCs into one-dimensional nanowires during the aging process. In addition, we demonstrate that the dielectrophoresis process can permit self-alignment of the MHP nanowires with uniform distribution and orientation on interdigitated electrodes. A strong light-matter interaction in the MHP NWs array was observed under UV illumination, indicating the photo-induced activation of their luminescence and electrical current in the self-aligned MHP nanowire arrays.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1-5
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• 2022

We presented a micro hemi-sphere structure flexible film to improve the external quantum efficiency (EQE) in OLEDs. The micro hemi-sphere flexible film was fabricated with breath figure (BF) method and replica process. At 45 mg/mL of concentration, the size of the hemi-spheres was approximately 6.2 ㎛ were obtained which are the most circular shape. So, it was possible to yield the best performance with an improvement of 33 % in the EQE and the widest viewing angle ranging from 0° to 70°. As a result, the hemi-sphere film's size and distribution seem to play important roles in enhancing the EQE in OLEDs. Furthermore, the flexible hemi-sphere film based on polymeric materials could offer an effective, large-scale, mass-produced product and a simple process and approach to achieve high efficiency in flexible OLEDs.

• Clean Technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 2015

Rhodamine dyes are widely used as fluorescent probes because of their excellent photophysical properties, such as high extinction coefficients, excellent quantum yields, great photostability, relatively long emission wavelengths. A great synthetic effort has been focused on developing efficient and practical procedures to prepare rhodamine derivatives, because for most applications the probe must be covalently linked to another (bio)molecule or surface. Sulforhodamine B is one of the most used rhodamine dyes for this purpose, because it carries two sulfoxy functions which can be easily utilized for binding with other molecules. Recently, we needed an expedient, practical synthesis of sulforhodamine derivatives. We found the existing procedure for obtaining those compounds unsatisfactory, particularly, with the cyclization process of the dihydroxytriarylmethane (1) to produce the corresponding xanthene derivative (2). We report here our findings, which represent modification of the existing literature procedure and provide access to the corresponding xanthene derivative (2) in a high yield. Use of methanol as a co-solvent was found quite effective to prohibit the water molecule produced during the cyclization reaction from retro-cyclizing back to the starting dihydroxytriarylmethane and the yield of the cyclization was increased (up to 84% from less than 20%). The reaction temperature was significantly lowered (80 vs. 135 ℃). Thus, the reaction proceeds in a higher yield and energy-saving manner where the use of reactants and the production of chemical wastes is minimized.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1501-1511
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• 2015

As essential trace elements, copper and zinc play important roles in many physiological events in plants. In excess, however, these elements can limit plant growth. This study selected a heavy metal-tolerant plant by analyzing seed germination and biomass of alfalfa (Medicago sativa), canola (Brassica campestris subsp. napus var. nippo-oleifera), Chinese corn (Setaria italica), and a sorghum-sudangrass hybrid (Sorghum bicolor ${\times}$ S. sudanense), and determined heavy metal uptake capacity by analyzing biomass, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and heavy metal contents under high external copper or zinc levels. The seed germination rate and biomass of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid were higher under copper or zinc stress compared to the other three plants. The plant biomass and photosynthetic pigment contents of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid seedlings were less vulnerable under low levels of heavy metals (${\leq}50ppm$ copper or ${\leq}400ppm$ zinc). The maximum quantum yield of PSII ($F_v/F_m$) and the maximum primary yield of PSII ($F_v/F_o$) decreased with increasing copper or zinc levels. Under high copper levels, the decline in $F_v/F_m$ was caused only by the decline in $F_m$, and was accompanied by an increase in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). The $F_v/F_m$ declined under high levels of zinc due to both a decrease in the maximum fluorescence ($F_m$) and an increase in the initial fluorescence ($F_o$), and this was accompanied by a marked decrease in photochemical quenching (qP), but not by an increase in NPQ. Accumulations of copper and zinc were found in both aboveand below-ground parts of plants, but were greater in the below-ground parts. The uptake capacity of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid for copper and zinc reached 4459.1 mg/kg under 400 ppm copper and 9028.5 mg/kg under 1600 ppm zinc. Our results indicate that the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid contributes to the in situ phytoremediation of copper or zinc polluted soils due to its high biomass yield.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.743-748
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• 2022

The garlic chive (Allium tuberosum Rotter) is a prominent herb species in Asia and other nations of the world. Garlic chives is a favorite vegetable and used to garnish noodles in Korea. The effects of various doses of N, P, and K fertilizers and drought stress on the chlorophyll content in the leaves of garlic chives were investigated. The evaluations showed that chlorophyll a content was 0.386 at 10 mg/l N fertilizer and 0.584 at 50 mg/l N fertilizer. The treatment group showed a significant difference with regard to the contents of chlorophylls a and b and total chlorophyll at the 5% level (p<0.05). Pearson's correlation coefficient (Pearson's r) for chlorophylls a and b and total chlorophyll were 0.940, 0.966, and 0.971, respectively. The highest content of chlorophylls a and b and total chlorophyll in the leaves was recorded at 40 mg/l P fertilizer, while the values corresponding to 50 mg/l P fertilizer were lower than those for 40 mg/l P fertilizer. The content of total chlorophyll evaluated at 10 mg/l K fertilizer was 0.312 and that at 50 mg/l was 0.589. The simple linear regression showed the relationship between chlorophyll efficiency aand moisture. The slope factors of the dark-level fluorescence yield (Fo), the maximum fluorescence yield (Fm), the quenched state (Fv), and the maximal PSII quantum yield (Fv/Fm) for chlorophyll-efficient indicators were -0.931, 0.972, 972, and 0.950, respectively. NPK fertilizers and drought stress affected the chlorophyll content and efficiency of A. tuberosum.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.146-154
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• 2021

This study was conducted to determine the degree of reduction in the yield of sweetpotato subjected to different shading treatments according to the growing season of the typical viscous sweetpotato 'Hogammi' and the powdery sweetpotato 'Jinyulmi'. Shading was provided using commercially available shading nets (55% and 75% shading level), and the treatments were applied at the following stages of storage root growth: SFS: the storage root formation stage (planting-50^th day), SSS: the storage root swelling stage (50-90^th day), and SAS: the storage root actively swelling Stage (90-120^th day). The growth characteristics according to shading treatments during each growth period, the number of tubers obtained at harvest, and sugar contents were investigated. For both assessed cultivars, there was no significant difference between the control group and the 55% shading treated group with respect to the maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) of photosystem II under different shading treatments, whereas the 75% shading group showed slightly higher values than the control group. In both cultivars, the contents of chlorophyll a and b tended to increase in plants subjected to shading treatments compared with the control plants, particularly that of chlorophyll b. Compared with the control group, the chlorophyll b content of 'Hogammi' subjected to 55% and 75% shading increased by 47% and 41%, respectively, whereas that of 'Jinyulmi' increased by 39% and 34%, respectively. We also detected reductions in the dry weights of the above- and belowground parts of the two varieties in response to shading compared with the control, with the reduction in the dry weight of belowground parts being significant. Furthermore, in both varieties, the T/R rate tended to increase in response to shading treatment. Owing to the lack of sunlight, both cultivars tended to suppress the formation and enlargement of tuber roots. Consequently, post-harvest yield analysis revealed that under shading treatments, both cultivars were characterized by poor tuber root growth according to growing season, with the yield of 'Hogammi' showing a greater reduction compared with that of 'Jinyulmi'. In addition, we found that the higher shading level also significantly reduced yields. Compared with the storage root formation and storage root actively swelling stages, shading treatments during the storage root swelling stage significantly affected yield reduction in both varieties.

• Clean Technology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.294-301
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• 2017

Air pollution associated with the $NO_x$ emission from the ship engines is becoming one of the major environmental concerns these days. As the regulations on ship pollutants are strengthened, the wet absorption method, for controlling complex pollutants in a confined space, has the advantage of simultaneously removing various pollutants, but the low solubility of nitrogen monoxide is drawback. In this study, for improving existing denitrification scrubber system, NO oxidation process by hydroxyl radical produced from irradiating UV light on $H_2O_2$ is suggested and the $H_2O_2$ decomposition rates and hydroxyl radical quantum yields were measured to find the optimum condition of $H_2O_2$ photolysis reaction. As a result, the optimum quantum yield and photolysis rate of $H_2O_2$ were 0.8798, $0.6mol\;h^{-1}$ at 8 W, 2 M condition, and oxidation efficiency of 1000 ppm NO gas was 40%. In batch system, NO removal efficiency has a range of 65.0 ~ 67.3% according to input gas concentration of 100 ~ 1500 ppm. This results indicate that the scrubber system using hydrogen peroxide photolysis can be applied as air pollution prevention facility of ship engines.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 1984

The terrestrial UV flux rapidly increased in late spring, as measured by the chemical actinometry at two elevations (near sea level and 1,100m above sea level) on Jeju Island. More intense UV fluxes were observed at higher altitudes. Any harmful effects of solar UV-B on the growth of soybean were not detected in UV-B-exclusion experiment. To ascertain the effect of UV radiation on vegetative growth, intact (㏖ wt 124000) and large (${\sim}120000$) phytochromes were irradiated with UV-B radiation. In intact phytochrome, the Pfr form accounts for 60% of the total phytochrome under stationary state conditions, whereas it accounts for 50% in large phytochrome. Calculated quantum yields for the forward and the backward phototransformations of phytochrome by UV were ${\phi}r=0.016$ and ${\phi}fr=0.010$ in intact phytochrome, and ${\phi}r={\phi}fr=0.012$ in large phytochrome, respectively.