Search

The dominance of plastics in the packaging market is due to their low weight and thickness, which save transportation costs. However, their non-biodegradability poses a significant threat to the environment. Paper, on the other hand, is considered as a safer alternative due to its natural composition and biodegradability. The porous structure of paper limits its application in packaging, and its poor water resistance further restricts its use in humid environments. Therefore, lamination is a method useful tool to improve the barrier properties of paper. Additionally, the researchers are focusing on developing biodegradable and water-based coatings with anti-fat properties as a green alternative to plastic packaging. The impact of a new grease-resistant coating composed of starch, gelatin and sodium alginate on the mechanical properties of paper was investigated through tensile, tearing, and bursting strength tests. The results showed significant improvements in the mechanical properties of the coated paper sheets. Furthermore, the biodegradability test indicated that the paper samples coated with the new composition showed a 50% weight loss after one week of incubation in the soil, and after three weeks, they exhibited 100% weight loss, demonstrating their outstanding biodegradability.

This work reports a facile fabrication method to modify exfoliated molybdenum disulfide (e-MoS2) nanosheets with magnetite nanoparticles with various size distribution. The obtained materials have been utilized as nanofillers of polyethylene to enhance its thermal properties and flame retardance. The incorporation of magnetite modified MoS2 nanosheets leads to the reduction of the peak heat release rate. The best thermal conductivity has been noticed for composites with e-MoS2/Fe3O4 with 2 wt. % of nanofillers. The lowest CO emission was observed for the PE/e-MoS2 composite containing also 2 wt. % of Fe3O4. All composites with exfoliated MoS2 exhibited greater thermal properties in respect to the pristine polyethylene.

Promoted nanocrystalline iron was carburized in a differential tubular flow reactor with thermogravimetric measurement of mass changes. The carburization process was carried out in the presence of pure methane under atmospheric pressure at 650 °C to obtain different carburization degrees of the sample. The carburized iron samples were characterized by the X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscope in the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mode, thermoprogrammable oxidation, and Raman spectroscopy. As a result of the methane decomposition on the nanocrystalline iron the following nanocrystalline products were observed: iron carbide FeC, graphite, iron and nanotubes. The crystallinity of the samples increased with the carburization degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a study on enhanced photocatalytic performance of TiO nanospheres deposited on graphene (n-TiO-G) in a process of coumarin oxidation. The enhancement of the photoactivity has been observed in respect to commercial TiO P25. The presented material was prepared in two steps: (i) hydrolysis of titanium (IV) butoxide (TBT) in ethanol solution with simultaneous deposition on graphene oxide (GO) and (ii) calcination of TiO-GO to form anatase-TiO and reduce GO to graphene. The nanomaterial was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-Transformed Infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. In the presented photocatalytic process the fluorescence was used to detect OH formed on a photo-illuminated n-TiO-G surface using coumarin which readily reacted with OH to produce highly fluorescent 7-hydroxycoumarin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotubes have unique properties, such as thermal and electrical conductance, which could be useful in the fields of aerospace, microelectronics and biotechnology. However, these properties may vary widely depending on the dimensions, uniformity and purity of the nanotube. Nanotube samples typically contain a significant percentage of more allotropes forms of carbon as well as metal particles left over from catalysts used in manufacturing. Purity characterization of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) is an increasingly popular topic in the field of carbon nanotechnology. In this study, DWCNTs were synthesized in a catalytic reaction, using Fe:MgO as catalyst and methane or methane/ethanol as carbon feedstock for chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The addition of ethanol as carbon feedstock allowed to investigate the influence of oxygen on the sample quality. The purification of the as-produced material from the metallic particles and the catalyst support was performed by sonication in an acid solution. The influence of the duration of the acid treatment using ultrasound on the sample purity was investigated, and the optimal value of this parameter was found. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirmed the removal of impurities and served to elucidate the morphology of the samples. The purity of carbon nanotubes was analyzed using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The Raman spectra of the samples, as a measure of the concentration of defects, were also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of iron filled multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Fe-MWCNT) using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) has been widely studied. Considering the remarkable magnetic and structural properties of Fe-MWCNT, these materials have been applied in numerous areas. In particular their biomedical application has been explored, where Fe-MWCNT can be used in hyperthermia, acting as a local nano-heater at cellular level. Regarding this aim, the reproducible and highly purified ferromagnetically filled samples of carbon nanotubes are still required. There are several parameters during the synthesis process that influence the properties of the nanotubes. The most favourable temperature of the CNT growth is probably one of the most important issues and its optimisation is crucial. In the current study, the Fe-MWCNT were grown at different temperatures ranging from 650 °C to 1050 °C. Additionally, a comparison between two different CVD systems and two carbon sources are also here presented. The Fe-MWCNT were characterised using diverse techniques regarding the evaluation of their morphology, filling ratio, and purity. Observations showed a strong influence of the growth temperature on the morphology and properties of the Fe-MWCNT. The samples characterisation was performed using Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy analysis (TEM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the adsorption of Ni2+ and Fe3+ metal ions from aqueous solutions onto graphene oxide (GO) have been explored. The effects of various experimental factors such as pH of the solution, initial metal ion concentration and temperature were evaluated. The kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic studies were also investigated. The adsorption rate data were analyzed using the pseudo-first-order kinetic model, the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the intraparticle diffusion model. Kinetic studies indicate that the adsorption of both ions follows the pseudo-second-order kinetics. The isotherms of adsorption data were analyzed by adsorption isotherm models such as Langmuir and Freundlich. Equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacities of Ni2+ and Fe3+ onto GO were 35.6 and 27.3 mg g−1, respectively. In addition, various thermodynamic parameters, such as enthalpy (ΔHO), entropy (ΔSO) and Gibbs free energy (ΔGO), were calculated.

A PANI/NaTaO3 composite was successfully synthesized by an oxidative polymerization of aniline monomer in hydrochloric acid solution containing sodium tantalate. NaTaO3 at a monoclinic structure was produced via hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic activities of the unmodified NaTaO3 and PANI/NaTaO3 were evaluated for hydrogen generation from an aqueous HCOOH solution and under UV light irradiation. The results showed that the evolution rate of H2 increased significantly when NaTaO3 was modified with PANI. The enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of PANI/NaTaO3 composite was ascribed to the effective charge transfer and separation between NaTaO3 and PANI, which reduced their recombination. This indicates that PANI modification of tantalate photocatalysts may open up a new way to prepare highly efficient catalytic materials for H2 generation.

Graphene – novel 2D material, which possesses variety of fascinating properties, can be considered as a convenient support material for the nanoparticles. In this work various methods of synthesis of reduced graphene oxide with metal or metal oxide nanoparticles will be presented. The hydrothermal approach for deposition of platinum, palladium and zirconium dioxide nanoparticles in ethylene glycol/water solution was applied. Here, platinum/reduced graphene oxide (Pt/RGO), palladium/reduced graphene oxide (Pd/RGO) and zirconium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide (ZrO2/RGO) nanocomposites were prepared. Additionally, manganese dioxide/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite (MnO2/RGO) was synthesized in an oleic-water interface. The obtained nanocomposites were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results shows that GO can be successfully used as a template for direct synthesis of metal or metal oxide nanoparticles on its surface with a homogenous distribution.

The removal of Ni2+ from aqueous solution by magnetic multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposite (MMWCNTs-C) was investigated. MMWCNTs-C was characterized by X-ray Diffraction method (XRD), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), surface area (BET), and Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The effects of initial concentration, contact time, solution pH, and temperature on the Ni2+ adsorption onto MMWCNTs-C were studied. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied to fit the adsorption data. The results showed that the adsorption isotherm data were fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm model with the maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 2.11 mg g–1. The adsorption kinetics was best described by the pseudo-second-order model. The thermodynamic parameters, such as ΔHo, ΔGo and ΔSo, were also determined and evaluated. The adsorption of Ni2+ is generally spontaneous and thermodynamically favorable. The values of ΔHo and ΔGo indicate that the adsorption of Ni2+ onto MMWCNTs-C was a physisorption process.

Calcination and microwave-assisted hydrothermal processing of precipitated zirconium dioxide are compared. Characterization of synthesized products of these two technologies is presented. The infiuence of thermal treatment up to 1200oC on the structural and spectroscopic properties of the so-obtained zirconium dioxide is examined. It was found that initial crystallization of material inhibits the crystal growth up to the 800oC (by means of XRD and TEM techniques), while the material crystallized from amorphous hydroxide precursor at 400oC, exhibits 26 nm sized crystallites already. It was found using the TG technique that the temperature range 100–200oC during the calcination process is equivalent to a microwave hydrothermal process by means of water content. Mass loss is estimated to be about 18%. Based on X-ray investigations it was found that the initial hydroxide precursor is amorphous, however, its luminescence activity suggests the close range ordering in a material.