Paweł Miśkowiec

This study investigates the remediation of natural soil samples from diverse locations, which exhibit varying degrees of copper contamination. To further elucidate the mechanisms of contaminant retention and desorption, similar extraction studies were conducted on representative soils. Finally, the resulting metal-rich leachates were treated using advanced organomodified adsorbents. This step aimed to reduce the volume of contaminated solutions and assess the potential for partial Cu recovery, thereby supporting a circular remediation concept.

This study investigates the remediation of natural soil samples from diverse locations, which exhibit varying degrees of copper contamination. To further elucidate the mechanisms of contaminant retention and desorption, similar extraction studies were conducted on representative soils. Finally, the resulting metal-rich leachates were treated using advanced organomodified adsorbents. This step aimed to minimize the volume of contaminated solutions and facilitate the recovery of valuable components, thereby contributing to a circular remediation process.

This study explores the catalytic performance of V³⁺-modified Mg/Al hydrotalcite-derived materials in the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of n-butane, compared with catalysts derived from pyrovanadate and decavanadate precursors. Different methods for preparing hydrotalcite-like materials were applied to obtain vanadium-containing Mg-Al mixed oxide catalysts for n-butane ODH. The hydrotalcite-like precursors were doped with vanadates (V⁵⁺) via ion exchange or co-precipitation or with V³⁺ cations incorporated into brucite-like layers. During calcination in air or argon flow, different vanadium-containing phases were obtained. Our findings demonstrate that V³⁺-doped hydrotalcites exhibit superior activity and selectivity toward the total C₄H₈ products, with enhanced selectivity for 1,3-butadiene. The highest n-butane conversion was observed for catalysts with an MgO structure and vanadium dispersed in the oxide matrix. A similar conversion level (~44%) was obtained for a spinel-like Mg₂VO₄ catalyst, but only a 15% level was found for the highly crystalline α-Mg₂V₂O₇ catalyst. In contrast, the highest selectivities toward dehydrogenated products were observed for V³⁺-containing and α-Mg₂V₂O₇ catalysts. NH₃- and CO₂-temperature programmed desorption (TPD) analyses showed that high basicity combined with low acidity favors the formation of butene isomers and 1,3-butadiene. This work highlights the strategic potential of tailoring vanadium speciation and hydrotalcite-based catalyst design for low-carbon chemical manufacturing, supporting the transition toward a circular economy.

This study explores the catalytic performance of V3+-modified Mg/Al hydrotalcite-derived materials in the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of n-butane, compared with catalysts derived from pyrovanadate and decavanadate precursors. Different methods for preparing hydrotalcite-like materials were applied to obtain vanadium-containing Mg-Al mixed oxide catalysts for n-butane ODH. The hydrotalcite-like precursors were doped with vanadates (V5+) via ion exchange or co-precipitation, or with V3+ cations incorporated into brucite-like layers. During calcination in air or argon flow, different vanadium-containing phases were obtained. Our findings demonstrate that V3+-doped hydrotalcites exhibit superior activity and selectivity toward total C4H8 products, with enhanced selectivity for 1,3-butadiene. The highest n-butane conversion was observed for catalysts with an MgO structure and vanadium dispersed in the oxide matrix. A similar conversion level (~44%) was obtained for a spinel-like Mg2VO4 catalyst, but only 15% for the highly crystalline α-Mg2V2O7 catalyst. In contrast, the highest selectivities toward dehydrogenated products were observed for V3+-containing and α-Mg2V2O7 catalysts. NH3-TPD and CO2-TPD analyses showed that high basicity combined with low acidity favors the formation of butene isomers and 1,3-butadiene. This work highlights the strategic potential of tailoring vanadium speciation and hydrotalcite-based catalyst design for low-carbon chemical manufacturing, supporting the transition toward a circular economy.

This study aimed to determine the levels, mobility, and concentration fluctuations of cadmium, lead, and zinc in soils southern Poland's Beskid Mały mountains. The examined massif is located approximately 60–100 km to the south and southeast of potential industrial contamination sources, including the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB), the Katowice Iron Steelworks, as well as the Bukowno zinc–lead ore mine and smelter. Soil pollution in the study area was assessed utilizing the geoaccumulation index and the potential ecological risk index. At the same time, the Bureau Communitaire de Reference (BCR) sequential extraction technique was employed to assess the mobility of the elements. The results indicate a discernible influence of industrial sources on mountainous environmental contamination, with a robust correlation among lead, zinc, and cadmium concentrations, affirming a common origin. Furthermore, a statistically significant disparity in metal concentrations was observed between the leeward and windward sides of the mountains, notwithstanding the relatively low absolute height. This phenomenon has not been previously documented in low‐altitude regions (below 1000 m above sea level). Therefore, despite their modest height, the studied highlands serve as an impediment to the dissemination of airborne pollutants. The research presented here also paves the way for further analyses and attempts to systematize information on the minimum height of a mountain barrier as a function of its distance from potential sources of pollution.

The second article of the “Naming game…” series provides detailed information on the discovery and naming of elements in the nineteenth century. Outlines of discoveries of 46 elements were presented, with particular emphasis on publications in which the name appeared for the first time. In the article the short historical information about every element naming is presented. The process of naming each chemical element was analyzed, with particular emphasis on the first publication with a given name.

The third article of the “Naming game…” series presents the issues of naming elements discovered and synthesized in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Based on the source data, the publication time of the names of the last 35 chemical elements was identified. In the case of discoveries from the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century, the principle was adopted of the priority of information about the synthesis of a new chemical element in scientific journals or conference reports. However, when the same information was published earlier in the news sections of scientific journals, in articles in popular science journals, and (in modern times) on the websites of interested research institutes, such an info is presented as well. It turned out that in some cases this information is very complex as the names of some elements were changed several times and published in different media in the same period. Therefore, this article is an attempt to sort out the issue of first publishing of the names of the last known 35 chemical elements.

The aim of the series of the three articles entitled “Name game…” is to present the historical information about nomenclature history of every known chemical element. The process of naming each chemical element is analyzed, with particular emphasis on the first publication with a given name. It turned out that in many cases this information is not obvious and unambiguous, and the published data are even contradictory. In a few cases, the names of the elements were changed even several times. Moreover, even when the author of a given element name is known, it is sometimes not entirely clear in which publication he/she first used it. Therefore, the series of three articles are an attempt to sort out the issue of first publishing of the names of all 118 chemical elements known so far, based on original source texts, available thanks to the digitization of a number of collections of scientific literature. The articles are divided according to the time of discoveries: (1) research till the end of the 18th century, (2) discoveries in the 19th century, (3) discoveries and syntheses of elements in the 20th and 21st centuries. This particular article presents the history of naming of the first 37 elements: known from antiquity, discovered in nature and named in 17th and 18th century.