Metal future processing perspectives

Involvement of several proteolytic enzymes, secretases, is probably crucial for this process but other hypotheses, including, for example, cholinergic transmission or accumulation of metal ions, have also been considered. Future perspectives in this area concern the search for novel pharmaceuticals that cross the blood-brain barrier, without side effects (e.g., the dyskinesias of L-Dopa), or potent and selective inhibitors of improper cleavage of amyloid protein, or even stem cell therapy to restore neuronal cells. 

Vanadium phosphates have been established as selective hydrocarbon oxidation catalysts for more than 40 years. Their primary use commercially has been in the production of maleic anhydride (MA) from n-butane. During this period, improvements in the yield of MA have been sought. Strategies to achieve these improvements have included the addition of secondary metal ions to the catalyst, optimization of the catalyst precursor formation, and intensification of the selective oxidation process through improved reactor technology. The mechanism of the reaction continues to be an active subject of research, and the role of the bulk catalyst structure and an amorphous surface layer are considered here with respect to the various V-P-O phases present. The active site of the catalyst is considered to consist of V and V couples, and their respective incidence and roles are examined in detail here. The complex and extensive nature of the oxidation, which for butane oxidation to MA is a 14-electron transfer process, is of broad importance, particularly in view of the applications of vanadium phosphate catalysts to other processes. A perspective on the future use of vanadium phosphate catalysts is included in this review. 

To put things in perspective, it is important to consider that modern composites technology is only several decades old. This is an extremely short period of time compared with other materials, such as metals, which go back millennia. In the future, improved and new materials and processes can be expected. It is also likely that new concepts will emerge, such as greater functionality, including integration of electronics, sensors, and actuators. 

Future Perspectives Processing Metal Oxide Nanomaterials... 

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