“Benefit segmentation of tourists to geosites and its implications for sustainable development of geotourism in the Southern Lake Tana Region, Ethiopia”. Tessema GA, van der Borg J, Van Rompaey A, Van Passel S, Adgo E, Minale AS, Asrese K, Frankl A, Poesen J, Sustainability 14, 3411 (2022). http://doi.org/10.3390/SU14063411
Abstract: Geotourism is a sustainable type of tourism that focuses on the geological and geomorphological heritages of an area, and the associated cultural and biodiversity features. Though the popularity of geotourism is rapidly growing, research on the demand side, particularly on segmenting tourists to geosites and understanding their profiles, is limited. This obviously makes the designing of effective tourism policies that aim at developing geotourism sustainably very difficult. Hence, the main objectives of this study were to segment and profile tourists to geosites based on the benefits sought, and to show its implications for sustainable development of geotourism. With a survey of 415 tourists, this study clustered tourists to geosites in the southern Lake Tana region in Ethiopia based on the benefits sought. A factor-cluster method was applied to segment the tourists. The study identified four distinct segments: Activity-Nature Lovers, Culture Lovers, Nature-Culture Lovers, and Want-It-Alls. These segments differed in their demographic, trip, and behavioral characteristics. The findings implied that for sustainable development, destination managers and marketers need to customize their geotourism product development and marketing strategies based on the needs and characteristics of each market segment.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)
Impact Factor: 3.9
DOI: 10.3390/SU14063411
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“Engineering of hollow periodic mesoporous organosilica nanorods for augmented hydrogen clathrate formation”. Watson G, Kummamuru NB, Verbruggen SW, Perreault P, Houlleberghs M, Martens J, Breynaert E, Van Der Voort P, Journal of materials chemistry A : materials for energy and sustainability 11, 26265 (2023). http://doi.org/10.1039/D3TA05530B
Abstract: Hydrogen (H2) storage, in the form of clathrate hydrates, has emerged as an attractive alternative to classical storage methods like compression or liquefaction. Nevertheless, the sluggish enclathration kinetics along with low gas storage capacities in bulk systems is currently impeding the progress of this technology. To this end, unstirred systems coupled with porous materials have been shown to tackle the aforementioned drawbacks. In line with this approach, the present study explores the use of hydrophobic periodic organosilica nanoparticles, later denoted as hollow ring-PMO (HRPMO), for H2 storage as clathrate hydrates under mild operating conditions (5.56 mol% THF, 7 MPa, and 265–273 K). The surface of the HRPMO nanoparticles was carefully decorated/functionalized with THF-like moieties, which are well-known promoter agents in clathrate formation when applied in classical, homogeneous systems. The study showed that, while the non-functionalized HRPMO can facilitate the formation of binary H2-THF clathrates, the incorporation of surface-bound promotor structures enhances this process. More intriguingly, tuning the concentration of these surface-bound promotor agents on the HRPMO led to a notable effect on solid-state H2 storage capacities. An increase of 3% in H2 storage capacity, equivalent to 0.26 wt%, along with a substantial increase of up to 28% in clathrate growth kinetics, was observed when an optimal loading of 0.14 mmol g−1 of promoter agent was integrated into the HRPMO framework. Overall, the findings from this study highlight that such tuning effects in the solid-state have the potential to significantly boost hydrate formation/growth kinetics and H2 storage capacities, thereby opening new avenues for the ongoing development of H2 clathrates in industrial applications.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology
Impact Factor: 11.9
DOI: 10.1039/D3TA05530B
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“Hematite iron oxide nanorod patterning inside COK-12 mesochannels as an efficient visible light photocatalyst”. Wee LH, Meledina M, Turner S, Custers K, Kerkhofs S, Van Tendeloo G, Martens JA, Journal of materials chemistry A : materials for energy and sustainability 3, 19884 (2015). http://doi.org/10.1039/C5TA05075H
Abstract: The uniform dispersion of functional oxide nanoparticles on the walls of ordered mesoporous silica to tailor optical, electronic, and magnetic properties for biomedical and environmental applications is a scientific challenge. Here, we demonstrate homogeneous confined growth of 5 nanometer-sized hematite iron oxide (α-Fe2O3) inside mesochannels of ordered mesoporous COK-12 nanoplates. The three-dimensional inclusion of the α-Fe2O3 nanorods in COK-12 particles is studied using high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and electron tomography. High resolution imaging and EDX spectroscopy provide information about the particle size, shape and crystal phase of the loaded α-Fe2O3 material, while electron tomography provides detailed information on the spreading of the nanorods throughout the COK-12 host. This nanocomposite material, having a semiconductor band gap energy of 2.40 eV according to diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, demonstrates an improved visible light photocatalytic degradation activity with rhodamine 6G and 1-adamantanol model compounds.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 8.867
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1039/C5TA05075H
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“A review of technological solutions to prevent or reduce marine plastic litter in developing countries”. Winterstetter A, Grodent M, Kini V, Ragaert K, Vrancken KCM, Sustainability 13, 4894 (2021). http://doi.org/10.3390/SU13094894
Abstract: Growing global plastic production combined with poor waste collection has led to increasing amounts of plastic debris being found in oceans, rivers and on shores. The goal of this study is to provide an overview on currently available technological solutions to tackle marine plastic litter and to assess their potential use in developing countries. To compile an inventory of technological solutions, a dedicated online platform was developed. A total of 51 out of initially 75 submitted solutions along the plastics value chain were assessed by independent experts. Collection systems represent more than half of the shortlisted solutions. A quarter include processing and treatment technologies, either as a stand-alone solution (30%) or, more commonly, in combination with a first litter capturing step. Ten percent offer digital solutions. The rest focuses on integrated waste management solutions. For each stage in the source-to-sea spectrum-land, rivers, sea-two illustrative examples are described in detail. This study concludes that the most cost-effective type of solution tackles land-based sources of marine litter and combines technology with people-oriented practices, runs on own energy sources, connects throughout the plastics value chain with a convincing valorization plan for captured debris, and involves all relevant stakeholders.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Impact Factor: 1.789
DOI: 10.3390/SU13094894
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“Novel 3DOM BiVO4/TiO2nanocomposites for highly enhanced photocatalytic activity”. Zalfani M, van der Schueren B, Hu Z-Y, Rooke JC, Bourguiga R, Wu M, Li Y, Van Tendeloo G, Su B-L, Journal of materials chemistry A : materials for energy and sustainability 3, 21244 (2015). http://doi.org/10.1039/C5TA00783F
Abstract: Novel 3DOM BiVO4/TiO2 nanocomposites with intimate contact were for the first time synthesized by a hydrothermal method in order to elucidate their visible-light-driven photocatalytic performances. BiVO4 nanoparticles and 3DOM TiO2 inverse opal were fabricated respectively. These materials were characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, N2 adsorption–desorption and UV-vis diffuse (UV-vis) and photoluminescence spectroscopies. As references for comparison, a physical mixture of BiVO4 nanoparticles and 3DOM TiO2 inverse opal powder (0.08 : 1), and a BiVO4/P25 TiO2 (0.08 : 1) nanocomposite made also by the hydrothermal method were prepared. The photocatalytic performance of all the prepared materials was evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) as a model pollutant molecule under visible light irradiation. The highly ordered 3D macroporous inverse opal structure can provide more active surface areas and increased mass transfer because of its highly accessible 3D porosity. The results show that 3DOM BiVO4/TiO2 nanocomposites possess a highly prolonged lifetime and increased separation of visible light generated charges and extraordinarily high photocatalytic activity. Owing to the intimate contact between BiVO4 and large surface area 3DOM TiO2, the photogenerated high energy charges can be easily transferred from BiVO4 to the 3DOM TiO2 support. BiVO4 nanoparticles in the 3DOM TiO2 inverse opal structure act thus as a sensitizer to absorb visible light and to transfer efficiently high energy electrons to TiO2 to ensure long lifetime of the photogenerated charges and keep them well separated, owing to the direct band gap of BiVO4 of 2.4 eV, favourably positioned band edges, very low recombination rate of electron–hole pairs and stability when coupled with photocatalysts, explaining the extraordinarily high photocatalytic performance of 3DOM BiVO4/TiO2 nanocomposites. It is found that larger the amount of BiVO4 in the nanocomposite, longer the duration of photogenerated charge separation and higher the photocatalytic activity. This work can shed light on the development of novel visible light responsive nanomaterials for efficient solar energy utilisation by the intimate combination of an inorganic light sensitizing nanoparticle with an inverse opal structure with high diffusion efficiency and high accessible surface area.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 8.867
Times cited: 88
DOI: 10.1039/C5TA00783F
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“Vulnerability assessment models to drought : toward a conceptual framework”. Zarafshani K, Sharafi L, Azadi H, Van Passel S, Sustainability 8, 1 (2016). http://doi.org/10.3390/SU8060588
Abstract: Drought is regarded as a slow-onset natural disaster that causes inevitable damage to water resources and to farm life. Currently, crisis management is the basis of drought mitigation plans, however, thus far studies indicate that effective drought management strategies are based on risk management. As a primary tool in mitigating the impact of drought, vulnerability assessment can be used as a benchmark in drought mitigation plans and to enhance farmers ability to cope with drought. Moreover, literature pertaining to drought has focused extensively on its impact, only awarding limited attention to vulnerability assessment as a tool. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for designing a vulnerability model in order to assess farmers level of vulnerability before, during and after the onset of drought. Use of this developed drought vulnerability model would aid disaster relief workers by enhancing the adaptive capacity of farmers when facing the impacts of drought. The paper starts with the definition of vulnerability and outlines different frameworks on vulnerability developed thus far. It then identifies various approaches of vulnerability assessment and finally offers the most appropriate model. The paper concludes that the introduced model can guide drought mitigation programs in countries that are impacted the most by drought.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Impact Factor: 1.789
Times cited: 15
DOI: 10.3390/SU8060588
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