To understand how reactivity between reinforcing nanoparticles and aqueous solution affects electrodeposited Cu thin films, two types of commercialized cerium oxide (ceria, CeO2) nanoparticles were used with copper sulfate electrolyte to form in-situ nanocomposite films. During this process, we observed variation in colors and pH of the electrolyte depending on the manufacturer. Ceria aqueous solution and nickel sulfate (NiSO4) aqueous solutions were also used for comparison. We checked several parameters which could be key factors contributing to the changes, such as the oxidation number of Cu, chemical impurities of ceria nanoparticles, and so on. Oxidation number was checked by salt formation by chemical reaction between CuSO4 solution and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. We observed that the color changed when H2SO4 was added to the CuSO4 solution. The same effect was obtained when H2SO4 was mixed with ceria solution; the color of ceria solution changed from white to yellow. However, the color of NiSO4 solution did not show any significant changes. We did observe slight changes in the pH of the solutions in this study. We did not obtain firm evidence to explain the changes observed in this study, but changes in the color of the electrolyte might be caused by interaction of Cu ion and the by-product of ceria. The mechanical properties of the films were examined by nanoindentation, and reaction between ceria and electrolyte presumably affect the mechanical properties of electrodeposited copper films. We also examined their crystal structures and optical properties by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Vis spectroscopy.

The coffee grounds generated during the coffee extraction process contain several resources, but the technology for their recycling has not been commercialized yet, causing various environmental problems. Due to the recent increase in coffee consumption worldwide, the amount of coffee grounds produced has been continuously increasing, reaching more than 750 million tons. In Korea, about 120,000 tons of coffee waste are annually generated; however, most of them are landfilled or incinerated. Although there is still a shortage of coffee waste recycling technologies compared to the amount of coffee grounds produced, various recycling approaches are being actuated in many countries including Korea. In this study, the generation of coffee grounds at home and abroad, the status of coffee grounds recycling, and the associated technology development trends were investigated. The coffee grounds recycling has been studied in the fields of energy, adsorbent, construction, agriculture, and bio-foods. Research is most active in the energy and biotechnology areas; in particular, since the oil in the coffee grounds is valuable as a feedstock for biomass energy, the technology related to energy recovery is currently under development worldwide. Removed because confusing and unnecessary.