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Porous oil absorbents have been extensively studied in recent years. Boron nitride (BN) is an ideal inorganic material to withstand severe absorption conditions due to its excellent inertness and high-temperature resistance. A large challenge of BN aerogels is their high preparation costs due to requiring high temperatures and dangerous atmospheres. A facial synthesis of h-BN-based aerogels by the cast-freezing method is reported here, which has the advantages of producing a light and recyclable material (~0.035 g/ml) at a low cost and with low energy consumption. In this work, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) is used as the compounder to interact with BN and form an aerogel that has controllable porosity (38–86 μm) and hydrophobicity (~140°). The porous structure, components, and reaction mechanisms are analyzed by SEM, XRD, mercury porosimetry, etc.. The pore distributions can be controlled by the concentrations of CMC and crosslinking agents. The intercalation effect on BN is carried out by CMC, which increases the specific surface area. Finally, the oil absorption performances are measured. The oil absorption capacity is up to 31.55 g/g (~97% ml/ml) because of the high specific surface area of the prepared material; additionally, the capacity of this material shows no obvious decrease after 6 cycles. Therefore, h-BN-based aerogels are expected to be applied in the oil absorption field and have the potential to be applied in the biochemical and nuclear fields.

In this study, cesium tungsten bronze (CsxWO3) a well-known metal oxide semiconductor and excellent photocatalyst and active photothermal material was used as a sensing material toward hydrogen for the first time. The CsxWO3 nanorods were synthesized using a new hydrothermal method and examined through systematic material investigations. The synthesized CsxWO3 nanorods were coated on SiO2/Si substrates and subsequently fabricated laterally with multi-finger platinum (Pt)-based electrodes to test their gas detecting properties. The gas detecting property of the prepared material was studied toward very toxic hydrogen gas (10–500 ppm concentration). The gas sensing results demonstrate that the synthesized CsxWO3 material has excellent gas sensing properties toward hydrogen (31.3%), which is overwhelmingly superior to as-prepared WO3 (4.7%) due to its suitable electrical and optical properties at room temperature (RT). The selectivity results also indicate that the material has outstanding selectivity toward hydrogen compared with different gases such as ammonia and carbon dioxide. The critical features of this material are its high reliability, simple synthesis method, low humidity susceptibility, and high selectivity, making it viable for use in hydrogen sensors. Compared with the as-prepared WO3, the adsorption capability and conductance of the CsxWO3 surface induces active O2 functional groups, significantly enhancing the gas sensing properties.

A copper-doped lithium-ion battery anode material Cu0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 was obtained through simple hydrothermal synthesis and assisted by high-temperature calcination. Metal-organic framework was introduced into the precursor, and after calcination at 500°C, a porous nano-particle material with the specific surface area of 41.68 m2 g−1 was obtained. With the assistance of metal-organic framework, the prepared material can effectively alleviate the volume expansion problem generated during the charge/discharge process and improve the electrochemical performance. More importantly, the Cu0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 electrode material not only maintains good cycle stability but also has a high charge/discharge specific capacity. The material can remain 1347.93 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at the current density of 1000 mA g−1, and has a high discharge specific capacity of 1846.50 mAh g−1 in the first cycle at the current density of 1000 mA g−1. Benefit from the structural features, the resultant Cu0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 electrode material exhibits good electrochemical performance with remarkable specific capacities (1411.36–919.76 mAh g−1) at various current densities (50–1000 mA g−1).

Here, for the first time, neodymium was incorporated into the three-dimensional mesoporous siliceous material; TUD-1. In order to understand the chemical and morphological structure of the prepared material, several characterization techniques were performed. The characterization results showed the formation of highly distributed isolated Nd3+ ions incorporated in the silica matrix in tetrahedrally coordinated structure, moreover no aggregation of separate phase(s) was/were observed. The prepared material was investigated as an adsorbent for methyl green (MG) dye in aqueous solution as a model cationic dye. The results showed higher adsorption capacity for Nd-TUD-1 by almost 24 times higher than the neat parent TUD-1 material and more than 100 times higher than bulky Nd2O3 under neutral pH. The adsorption results were fitted perfectly with pseudo-second-order model. Moreover, the adsorption isotherms were perfectly fitted with Freundlich isotherm model which indicated the formation of a multilayer of the dye molecules onto the Nd-TUD-1 surface as a physisorption with endothermic nature.

To expand the variety of Sn/C composites, lignite–based porous carbon was initially prepared with Baoqing lignite as the raw material and K2CO3 as the extractant and activator. A novel Sn/lignite–based porous carbon composite was subsequently fabricated via an in situ one–pot synthesis method. In the nanocomposite, Sn nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on lignite–based porous carbon, improving the lithium–ion storage performance of the as–prepared material. Compared with pure Sn and bare lignite–based porous carbon, Sn/lignite–based porous carbon displayed a superior electrochemical performance. The composite material exhibits a high reversible capacity of 941 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 100 mA g−1. Even after 800 charge/discharge cycles at a high current density of 1000 mA g−1, the nanocomposite retains a reversible capacity of 573 mAh g−1. The enhanced lithium–ion storage performance can be attributed to the combined effect of Sn and lignite–based porous carbon.

In order to design and fabricate a new Al2O3/TiC/TiN micro-nano-composite ceramic tool material with high mechanical properties, a microstructure evolution model of ceramic tool material during sintering process was established to optimize the sintering parameters based on cellular automata. Furthermore, the effects of TiC nano-particles on mechanical properties of the prepared material were investigated. Toughening and strengthening mechanisms of TiC nano-particles were revealed by examining SEM images of microstructure and crack propagation. The results indicated that the mechanical properties increased first and then decreased as TiC nano-particles volume fractions of prepared material rose. When Al2O3, TiC, TiN micro-particles and TiC nano-particles were 60%, 20%, 10% and 10%, respectively, ceramic material prepared exhibited outstanding mechanical properties with Vickers hardness of 20.8 GPa, flexure strength of 881.4 MPa, and fracture toughness of 7.8 MPa m1/2 obtained at the sintering temperature of 1650 °C with holding time for15min through the simulation. The main strengthening and toughening mechanisms of the prepared materials could be attributed to transgranular fracture, intergranular fracture, crack deflection and crack bridging.

In the present work vanadium oxide (V2O5) was prepared by simple and direct sol–gel method by using ammonium metavanadate as precursor in the presence of ammonia as complexing agent. For structural and morphological analysis of V2O5 different characterization techniques were used. X-Ray Diffraction and Fourier Transform Spectroscopy were used for structural identification and functional group detection. The morphology of prepared material was studied by Scanning Electron microscopy technique. For band gap measurement (optical study) of V2O5, the UV–Visible Spectrophotometer techniques were used. Finally the Photocatalytic activity of the calcinated product for Methylene Blue (MB) dye was studied. The percentage of degradation and rate constant also calculated. The present work shows the good photocatalytic activity of V2O5 for hazardous MB dye and degradation take place in this case is about 75%. Thus V2O5 is promising material for photocatalytic activity.

Molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2) is a competitive ultra-high-temperature structural material. However, it suffered from a fatal low-temperature oxidation, which extremely limited its application. To solve this problem, a novel high entropy refractory metallic silicide with composition of (Mo0.2W0.2Cr0.2Ta0.2Nb0.2)Si2 was synthesized by in-situ spark plasma reaction sintering in this work. The interrupted oxidation tests at 500 °C for 300 h have been performed, and shown that the prepared material has an excellent oxidation resistance at low temperatures without pest phenomenon. The mechanism for eliminating pest oxidation is that the high entropy of this material would suppress generation of bulk metallic oxides with formation of only an intact SiO2 film during oxidation.

PurposeInvestigations over new types of materials as a potential power source for different types of devices were raised dramatically in the last few years. It is connected especially with global needs and that most of the devices in our world need electricity to work. In this paper, an investigation on magnetoelectric effect in the magnetostrictive-piezoelectric composite material is presented.Design/methodology/approachAn author's research setup for investigation of magnetoelectric effect in the developed novel material was prepared. The new composite material was made of magnetostrictive particles of Terfenol-D and lead zirconium titanate (PZT) material.FindingsObtained results show that changes in an electric voltage output from the prepared material are highly dependent on the changes in external magnetic field. It was found out that rate of changes of magnetic field around composite material is one of the most important factors which has influence on the magnetoelectric effect. Taking into account the obtained results, it was proven that prepared hybrid material shows magnetoelectric effect in the case of work in alternating magnetic field.Originality/valueThis phenomenon might be used in a field of energy harvesting as potential power source for devices with low power consumption. Moreover, this new material gives an opportunity to be used as an additional gauge for determination of deformation or crack propagation in the samples during fatigue tests.

The outer cover of the egg (chicken) having the mesh size in the range of 100–350 μm serves as a versatile bio-filler for manufacturing of a novel biocomposite, “pectin-g-P(AN-co-AM)/chicken eggshell”, which was synthesized by using water-soluble cobalt complex as effective catalyst, and its properties were studied by using FTIR and on–off switching swelling behaviour. Moreover, water absorbency and biodegradability along with drug delivery properties of the prepared material were studied by using proper methods. It was observed that the synthesized material shows property of super absorbency (hydrogel) and demonstrates interesting results at pH = 2 and 8 and is responsive to swelling-de-swelling behaviour. This novel material also shows potential applications in drug delivery system. This bio-composite is cost-effective and environmental friendly because it is synthesized in microwave-assisted medium without emission of any toxic gaseous components to the atmosphere.

Prussian blue analogues, Ni3[Fe(CN)6]2-Co3[Fe(CN)6]2-derived flower-like Ni-Co hydroxides coupled with eggplant-derived macroporous carbon tubes, have been prepared by chemical replacement method at room temperature. The composite electrode exhibits high specific capacitance (801 F g-1), rate stability (68.5 %), and cycle stability. It is indicted that the synergistic effect of the high conductivity of macroporous carbon tubes and flower-like structures contributes to the abundant active redox sites, thus delivering high electrochemical performance. Then, the prepared material in this study could be an ideal candidate as electrode materials for supercapacitor.

The aim of this study was to evaluate a new catalytic material for biogas-fuelled DIR-SOFCs. This material was a perovskite-type SrTiO3 doped with La, Ce and Ni of a general formula La0.27Sr0.54Ce0.09Ni0.1Ti0.9O3-σ (LSCNT). Additional preparation steps were undertaken to promote a nickel exsolution process. Heat post-treatment of powders in a humidified H2 resulted in an intensive growth of nickel nanoparticles (NPs) while the reduction temperature was increased gradually from 800 to 1200 °C. A selected reduction temperature equal to 900 °C gave the NPs an average size of 22 nm. The prepared material was used as a functional layer deposited onto the anodic site of a Ni/YSZ-supported SOFC to promote the effective reforming of synthetic and H2S-contaminated biogas at 750 °C. It was found that after 130 h of operation in a 60% CH4/40% CO2 mixture, the fuel cell with an additional LSCNT layer showed higher power density, and no carbon deposits were observed. However, 20 ppm of H2S present in the fuel caused a full deactivation of both the reference and SOFC with LSCNT layer. Cyclic tests in sour biogas revealed that the fabricated anodic layer is much more resistant to sulfur poisoning compared to a bare Ni/YSZ anode. Recovery of overall performance after 3 poisoning cycles was nearly 90% for the fuel cell with the LSCNT layer, while the unmodified one reached only 75%. The concentrations of the exhaust gases, such as CH4, CO2, and CO, were continuously measured in situ using a FTIR-based technique. A thermochemical analysis revealed that the investigated material ensured much better biogas reforming stability over the whole testing time and strongly promoted catalytic reactions.

Silica (SiO 2 ) and iron-incorporated silica (Fe/SiO 2 ) materials are prepared from rice husk pyrolytic residues through alkali treatment, co-precipitation and calcination. The prepared material is characterized by ICP-AES, XRD, FT-IR, UV-vis DRS, XPS, SEM-EDS and TEM, and the results indicate that the prepared materials are mesoporous, where framework and extra-framework iron species concurrently exist in the Fe/SiO 2 . The prepared materials are applied to treat methylene blue (MB) solution, where influencing factors such as temperature, pH, the dosage of H 2 O 2 and Fe/SiO 2 are studied. Under the optimal conditions, Fe/SiO 2 shows a much better adsorption effect than SiO 2 , where Fe/SiO 2 can adsorb 85 % of MB within only 2 min, and almost 98.8 % color is removed within 90 min in the presence of both Fe/SiO 2 and H 2 O 2 . Only 0.46 % iron leaches from Fe/SiO 2 , and it performs relatively good results in the recycle utilization where almost 90 % of chroma is removed within 10 min or 20 min. Hydroxyl radicals are successfully captured by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiment and it proves that a heterogeneous Fenton-like system form in the presence of both Fe/SiO 2 and H 2 O 2 , i.e., Fe/SiO 2 acts as both adsorbent and catalyst in the treatment process of MB.

Nanocrystalline hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanoflowers have been synthesized by a facile mixing annealing approach. Here, the nontoxic precursor (boric acid and urea) under Ar-atmosphere and various annealing temperature (1000 °C, 1100 °C, and 1200 °C) were responsible for nanoflowers kind structure. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The observed results indicated that the optical and other physical properties of the prepared material were found to be as a function of post-annealing temperature.

Sodium-ion batteries are considered to be a capable alternative for lithium-ion batteries in large-scale energy storage applications due to the earth’s abundance and low cost of sodium resources. Herein, we prepared the layered sodium chromium oxide (O3-Na0.95CrO2) cathode material via solid-state reaction. A far-reaching analysis of the prepared cathode material was performed for its thermal, structural, morphological, chemical, and electrochemical properties. The prepared material was indexed to rhombohedral structure with the space group of R $$ \overline{3} $$ m. The presence of Na-O bond was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) revealed that quasi-polygonal particles were appeared in the sample. The layered O3-Na0.95CrO2 cathode material delivered an initial discharge capacity of 101 mAh g−1in the voltage range 2 to 4 V at 0.1 C rate and sustained with 81 mAh g−1 even after 50 cycles.

A new Lanthanum doped Magnesium ferrite (MgLaxFe2−X) dielectric materials was found using sol–gel auto composition method with four different composition values(x) varying 0.13, 0.25, 0.32 and 0.45 and sintered in microwave furnace at the temperature of 925 °C. The proposed material was investigated under Vibrating Sample Magnetometer test for analyzing its magnetic property. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) test confirmed that prepared material was nano sized material. The phase and homogenized of the material was analyzed under X-ray Diffraction and the chemical components presented in the material was identified under Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analysis. After various investigation, the proposed materials suitable for micro strip patch antenna to be designed and particularly suits for ISM band. The experimental results show better gain of 7.67 dB, Directivity 7.47 dB, with the resonant frequency of 2.4 GHz which yields return loss of − 12.85 dB compared to other micro strip patch antenna.

In this study, the ordered mesoporous jar structure ZnO particles have been synthesized by template method. The cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) was used as the template agent, and zinc acetate dihydrate was used as zinc sources. The prepared material has ordered mesoporous on the surface. The prepared ordered mesoporous ZnO particles showed the hexagonal prisms hollow jar structure, the hexagonal prisms average diameter was about 150 nm, the average length was about 200 nm, and the jar average diameter was about 100 nm. The prepared materials were used as a gas sensor to test the toxic gas. The ordered mesoporous ZnO material showed more excellent gas sensing performances than the imporous ZnO material which was prepared without template agent by the same method. In particular, the ordered mesoporous ZnO showed a higher response to NOx, the detection limit reached to 0.5 ppm, the sensitivity reached to 66.92, and the response time was 1.08 s to 100 ppm NOx at 193 °C. The prepared material will be an excellent gas sensing matrix materials, and have a wide application prospect in gas sensors field.

The catastrophic crisis of energy and huge pollution has made the industries to focus on lightweight materials. Composite material is made by consolidating at least two divergent materials. They are consolidated so that the subsequent composite material or composite has unrivaled properties which are not possible with a solitary constituent material. This research investigates the effect of Graphene concentration in epoxy resin on the tensile and flexural properties of Kevlar fiber laminate of 4 mm thickness. The laminate had been manufactured by using hand lay-up procedure according to ASTM standards and test had been conducted on it. From this experimentation various tensile and flexural properties values obtained. Same procedure conducted on three different graphene concentration variation (5%, 6% and 7%) weight on the prepared material. Analytical investigation of composites is done in Autodesk fusion 360 software. It was found that Kevlar with 7% graphene is recommended for applications where tensile and flexural loadings arise.

In this work, a simple and efficient microwave-assisted hydrothermal method was adopted to synthesis zinc oxide nanostructures. Zinc acetate and hexamethylenetetramine were used as precursors. Various parameters involving synthesis conditions were attuned in order to achieve well-defined morphology. XRD peaks indicated the high crystallinity and hexagonal wurtzite structure of the prepared material. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed different morphology of the synthesized material. The prepared material can be used in organic solar cells, for effective dissociation of electron-hole pairs and thus enhancing photovoltaic performance.

The study represents preparation of chitosan-based Cu(II) ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) and its utilization for selective solid phase extraction and preconcentration of copper in aqueous and real samples. The IIP was prepared by precipitation co-polymerization. The prepared IIP was characterized by different morphological and elemental analytical techniques such as, FT-IR, SEM/EDS, XRD, TGA, and ICP-OES. Then, prepared material was used for extraction of Cu(II) by optimizing different extraction experiments such as effect of pH, sorbent dosages, and contact time. The results showed successful preparation of an ion-imprinted polymer and optimization of extraction parameters for Cu(II) extraction in aqueous and real samples.

Photocatalyst of hydroxyapatite–nano TiO2 (HAp-nTiO2) was prepared from phosphatation of calcined cockle (Anadara granosa) shells followed by dispersion of nano TiO2 powder into HAp precipitate and calcination at 400 °C for 2 h. The prepared material was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope–energy dispersive X-ray spectrophotometry, gas sorption analysis, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry. The photocatalytic activity of the material was evaluated for methyl violet degradation over photocatalysis and photooxidation mechanism. The results showed that the homogeneous dispersion of TiO2 in the HAp-nTiO2 composite was achieved, as seen in the X-ray diffraction analysis, diffuse reflectance UV-Vis, and gas sorption analyses. The physicochemical and photocatalytic character of the composite exhibited the positive role of HAp as TiO2 support in enhancing the photocatalytic activity with a higher turnover number and reusability property than that of pure TiO2. It was also noted that the HAp-nTiO2 composite demonstrated rapid methyl violet degradation over photooxidation rather than by photocatalytic mechanism.

In present work, flake-like CuMn2O4 (Copper manganite) Nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by Co-precipitation method. The FCC spinel phase structure was determined from the PXRD pattern. The optical properties were analyzed by UV–Vis DRS spectroscopy and energy band gap is found to be 2.54 eV. From the FTIR analysis, two bands are observed at 605 cm−1and 498 cm−1 respectively for metal oxide bonds of Cu–O and Mn–O which is originating from the stretching vibration modes. From the SEM analysis, the size of the prepared material was found to be 50–100 nm. The EDAX spectrum reveals that there are no impurities were present in the CuMn2O4 NPs. Towards the application perspective, the photocatalytic performance was examined by the prepared CuMn2O4 NPs against the organic dyes of Methylene Blue (MB) and Malachite Green (MG) and their corresponding degradation efficiencies are 86% and 92% under sunlight irradiation.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the stability of Cu-doped manganese oxide catalyst in the oxidation of m-xylene. The catalyst was prepared by hydrothermal method and characterized by TGA, XRD and TEM methods. The TGA results indicated high thermal stability of the prepared material. The XRD, TEM and catalytic results proved that Cu-doped manganese oxide exhibited high recyclability and stability with time on stream. The catalytic studies also indicated the probability of adsorption of m-xylene and its oxidation products on the surface of the catalyst, leading to the minimal deactivation of the catalyst at low temperatures. The reversible effect of water vapor on the oxidation of on Cu-doped manganese oxide was considered to be the result of the competitive adsorption of water vapor and m-xylene.

Feasibility studies were conducted in the preparation of an effective activated carbon (AC) using the new raw Egyptian coal source called Maghara coal. Using this is eco-friendly, economical and highly available since it is a local and a natural material; thus, it was inspected for the removal of methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solutions. A very simple technique known as impregnation activated carbon with NaOH by chemical activation process was used. The most proper nano-activated carbon (NAC) was produced from carbonization of average particle size coal of 0.478 mm at 550 °C for 90 min. with 50% NaOH and ratio 35. The equilibrium data of MB onto the most effective prepared material was simulated using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Moreover, the adsorption mechanism of MB onto the prepared nano-activated carbon was suggested to take place as mono-layers adsorption on the homogenous active sites. The maximum mono-layers adsorption capacity was recorded as 28.09 mg/g. The morphological, chemical, and textural properties of the prepared NaOH activated carbon was investigated using TEM, Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR, and BET. Results indicated that the material was prepared at spherical shape with average diameter of 38 nm with high total pore volume of 0.183 cm3/g. The adsorption stability and reuseability of NAC was established using HCl as an eluent solution. The findings revealed the versatility of Maghara coal as a good precursor for the preparation of high quality, efficient and economical NAC. Keywords: Nano-activated carbon, Alkaline activation, Materials characterization, Textile dye adsorption

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) structures have a great significance in the medicinal area because of its presence in bone and teeth and it provides structural inflexibility to the medium. This study deals with the synthesis and characterization of HAP biomaterials. It is prepared through wet chemical precipitation method at two different ranges of temperatures, 25°C-35 °C and 35°C-45 °C and is denoted as HAP1 and HAP2 respectively. Porous HAP provides a powerful bond to the bones, which interconnect mechanically foremost to a hard fixation of the bone and teeth. Porous HAP processed from polymeric sponge process had 60–70% porosity with interconnected porous of diameter 100–400 μm range using poly vinyl alcohol (PVA). HAP is phase pure at temperature 1150 °C and gel cast sample of nano crystalline HAP porous materials have been sintered to high densities. This is characterized by XRD, SEM and the molar ratio calculated from EDX. The precipitated HAP basic crystalline size is found to be around 100 nm from XRD. Phosphate and hydroxide absorption peaks for green and sintered porous HAP scaffold materials are studied using FT-IR spectra. Thermogravimetric analysis for prepared material is studied out in air at a heating rate of 20 °C/min by using TGA between 35 °C and 700 °C.

In this work, photocatalytic TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were in-situ synthesized on an activated carbon fiber (ACF) substrate and the prepared material was successfully used for the catalytic degradation of an organic pollutant in water under continuous (dynamic) flow conditions. Briefly, titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) was immobilized within the pores of ACF using wet impregnation method followed by hydrothermal treatment. ACF played the dual role of an adsorbent as well as a support to the TiO2 NPs by preventing the NPs from eluting into the flowing effluent stream. Successful immobilization (31 mg/g) of TiO2 within the pores of ACF was confirmed through different spectroscopic techniques. The photocatalytic activity of the material for methylene blue (MB) was tested under a continuous flow in an especially designed photochemical reactor. The effects of TiO2/ACF dose and inlet concentration of MB on degradation were studied. The data showed the prepared material to be an effective photocatalyst without leaching of the TiO2 NPs. Even at the sparse loading of TiO2 on ACF, the photocatalytic degradation kinetic rate was competitive to that reported in literature for MB degradation on the solid supported and composite catalysts. This is the first study to show an effective approach towards remediation of wastewater contaminated with methylene blue under continuous flow using the ACF-supported TiO2 NPs.

Technologies for detecting endocrine disrupting compounds such as bisphenol A (BPA) in an aqueous solution in a convenient way and low cost have gained much attention. In this work, to overcome the drawbacks of current detection methods, we applied molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) to core-shell materials. The core-shell material has the advantage that both properties of the core and shell materials can be used simultaneously. After binding BPA in an aqueous solution, the magnetic core material was able to be recovered using magnetism. In addition, functional groups were easily introduced using silica as a shell material. Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) and MIPs were used to give changes in the fluorescence intensity when BPA was bound to the prepared core-shell material. The physical properties of the prepared Fe3O4@SiO2@AuNCs-MIP (CS-MIP) were analyzed and fluorescence intensities of CS-MIP for BPA were examined. The prepared material was recovered using a magnet, and the recovered CS-MIP was regenerated to investigate how the fluorescence properties for BPA changed in the subsequent reuses.

Surface-protected activated aluminium oxide was synthesized using solution combustion technique and characterized, as inorganic sorbent material, for the removal of 152+154Eu and 134Cs radionuclides from wastewater. The synthesis aluminium oxide showed construction of protective organic species at the aluminium oxide surface. The structural and thermal analysis investigations of the prepared material revealed presence of oxygen in interstitial position with a stable amorphous phase of aluminium oxide. Different experiments were conducted to investigate the sorption ability of the material to radioactive europium and cesium ions including the effect of pH, initial concentration of radionuclides and temperature. Various kinetic models have been applied and also different isotherm models were studied. The results show that the pseudo-second-order model was applicable for the adsorption process and the monolayer capacity equal 133.16 and 109.78 mg/g for 152+154Eu and 134Cs, respectively. Activated amorphous alumina was found to be cost effective and of high uptake capacity for cesium and europium from aqueous solutions.

Pyrogenic biomass carbon has been deemed a promising alternative to Pt/C for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) owing to its low cost, excellent activity, and eco-friendly properties. Herein, a porous carbon tube material derived from kapok fibres was prepared by combining activation with pyrolysis. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the kapok fibre-derived material prepared at 900°C had excellent ORR performance with a half-wave potential –0.14 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) close to that of commercial Pt/C (–0.13 V vs. Ag/AgCl) in 0.1 mol L–1 KOH. The prepared material also displayed remarkable methanol tolerance and durability. Furthermore, the maximum power density output of the microbial fuel cell using the prepared material was (801± 40) mW m–2, comparable to that of the Pt/C cathode ((778± 31) mW m–2). The present work provides a facile way of using economical and renewable biomass to develop a porous structure and high-activity cathode ORR catalyst for fuel cell applications.

The silica-ortho-phenylenediamine(RHAOPDA) derived from Rice Husk Ash and o- phenylenediamine (OPDA) were synthesized. The prepared material was characterized by different techniques; N2- adsorption-desorption measurements of the synthesized material showed that the surface area for RHAOPDA is 25.10 m2 g−1 with a mean pore diameter of 15.10 nm. CHNS and FT-IR analyses proved that the o-phenylenediamine was successfully incorporated on modified silica RHACI. X-ray diffraction technique been showed the amorphous nature of RHAOPDA with maximum intensity at 22° (2θ), while the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique showed that the shapes of the particles resemble the fruit of the cauliflower with average particle size to be 22.62 nm. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTA) of RHAOPDA indicated that the physically adsorbed water was lost between (30–150) °C which means it is weakly bonded in the silica- ortho-phenylenediamine, while the residual parts of material decomposed up to 820 °C. The RHAOPDA showed a high possibility for uptake and removal of Ni(II) ion from aqueous solution.

Co-doped CeO2 (Ba0.10Ga0.10Ce0.80O3–δ) was synthesized via a cost-effective co-precipitation technique, and the electrochemical properties of the solid oxide fuel cell were studied. The microstructural and surface morphological properties were investigated by XRD and SEM, respectively. The structure of the prepared material was found to be cubic fluorite with an average crystallite size of 36 nm. The ionic conductivity of the prepared BGC (Ba0.10Ga0.10Ce0.80O3–δ) electrolyte material was measured as 0.071 S cm−1. The activation energy was found to be 0.46 eV using an Arrhenius plot. The maximum power density and current density achieved were 375 mW cm−2 and 893 mA cm−2, respectively, at 650 °C with hydrogen as a fuel. This study shows that the prepared co-doped electrolyte material could be used as a potential electrolyte to lower the operating temperature of solid oxide fuel cells.

In this study, the Tb3+ and Eu3+ phosphates were directly assembled into the pores of mesoporous SiO2 aerogel matrix by sol-gel method, and (Eu3+-Tb3+) PO4/SiO2 composite was obtained. The prepared material showed gel block structure whose surfaces were distributed a large number of disordered mesoporous. The advantage of the method was that the rare earth elements could be absolutely assembled into the pores of the SiO2 aerogel, which resolved a bottleneck problem of the guest materials assembly quantity and guest materials location in porous host materials. The study provided an effective method for host-guest material preparation. The luminescent characters of the (Eu3+-Tb3+) PO4/SiO2 composite were studied, the prepared material showed a stronger emission of Eu3+ at 594 nm which was distinct with the past reports at 612 nm. The optimal proportion of Tb3+ and Eu3+ was confirmed according to the sample with the strongest emission.

A novel chromatographic material, aminopolycarboxylic-modified silica, was developed by two different synthetic routes, followed by characterization of the prepared material. The methods were compared and discussed based on binding capacity of ligand, chromatographic experiments and metal ion-chelating capacity of the material. Versatility of this chromatographic material including ion-exchange and affinity behaviors for proteins as well as chelating property for metal ions were investigated. The results showed that the material was prepared successfully, and synthetic method II was more favorable to the preparation of the material. This novel chromatographic material displayed good chromatographic behaviors for the separation of proteins, as well as outstanding chelating property for metal ions. Versatility of the material can effectively expand the applications of this functional material in different research fields.

Fuel cell technology is conquering much attraction in advanced energy conversion technologies due to the highest efficiency and environment friendly features. However, the high working temperature of solid oxide fuel cell is a major obstacle to launch this technology as marketable. In this context, Ba0.15Cu0.15Ni0.10Zn0.60 oxide material has been reported as anode material and prepared via sol-gel technique. The structural analysis and surface morphology are studied through X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), respectively. The average particle size was calculated to be 231 nm. The asymmetrical three layers cell was fabricated for testing of fuel cell performance. The prepared cell was tested between 450 and 650 °C of temperature range with hydrogen fuel. The highest conductivity and power density were achieved to be 10.4 Scm−1 and 350 mWcm−2, respectively. The activation energy was found to be 0.12 eV. The prepared material showed fairly reliable power density at lower operating temperature that make it good candidate for LT-SOFC anode.

NiCo2O4 nanorod arrays were synthesized employing a facile low-temperature solvothermal approach, followed by post-calcination treatment. The structural, morphological and elemental characterizations were done by diffraction, microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The prepared sample was studied as an active electrode material for supercapacitor application in 2 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. The cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectral (EIS) studies were carried out to know the electrochemical activity of the prepared material. From the CV study, a high capacitance value of 440 F g−1 was obtained at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1 in a 3-electrode method. Apart from high capacitance value, the prepared electrode depicted 94% initial capacitance retention value after 2000 charge-discharge cycles at a current density of 8 A g−1. The fabricated symmetrical supercapacitor depicted a high energy density of 12.6 Wh kg−1 and a high power density of 4003 W kg−1. This was attributed to the better electrical conductivity of NiCo2O4 nanorods.

Superamphiphobic fabrics with multiple functionalities have great potentials in intelligent textiles field to extend their applications and satisfy the needs of current industry. Herein, we report a simple water-based method to prepare superamphiphobic fabric with excellent anti-fouling and flame-retardancy. The β-FeOOH nanoparticles which in-situ grow from the fibers not only endow the hierarchical structures with both high robustness factor (A*) and spacing factor (D*), but also could capture the produced free radicals to lower the decomposition rate when the fabric is heated. The relationships among the apparent contact angle (θ*), A* and D* are simulated based on the parameters of prepared structures. We also design a series of experiments to ascertain the growth mechanism of urchin-like nanoparticles and the optimal reaction conditions. The as-prepared fabric could maintain its superamphiphobicity towards extreme conditions, such as strong acid/alkali/salt corrosion, continuous impact of common fluids and longtime high-rate washing. This prepared material exhibits huge potentials in applications of multifunctional advanced textiles.

All over the world the number of people suffering from diabetes and related complications is drastically growing. Therefore, the need for accurate, reliable and stable sensor for monitoring of glucose in human body fluids is becoming highly desirable. In this work we show that material composed of gold layers deposited onto TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) formed onto the flexible Ti foil exhibits great response toward glucose oxidation and can be successfully used as electrodes in non-enzymatic and non-invasive electrochemical sensors. TiO2NTs have been prepared via anodization process followed by calcination at 450 °C in order to ensure formation of anatase crystalline phase. Next, gold layers (up to 100 nm) have been deposited on the NTs by means of the magnetron sputtering. The SEM imaging confirmed presence of the well-aligned nanotubes and preservation of their initial architecture after metal deposition for Au thicknesses up to 50 nm. Basing on electrochemical results in the presence of glucose in neutral and alkaline solutions, the optimal Au thickness was found to ensure both the best response and cost-effectiveness. The detection limit of 50 μM and sensitivity of 45 μA/cm2mM obtained under neutral conditions confirm that prepared material can be used for glucose detection at levels typical for blood, urine or saliva. Moreover, the proposed electrodes exhibit great tolerance to extensive exploitation and multiple bending.

Based on biological inspiration, we proposed a simple method for preparing anti-corrosion and super-hydrophobic coating. The modified TiO2 compounded ZnO and epoxy resin were prepared by one-pot method. The surface morphology, resistance, super-hydrophobicity, repairability, impedance, wear resistance, etc. of the prepared material were performed by SEM, FTIR, electrochemical workstation, contact angle, rolling angle measuring instrument and simple homemade devices. As a result, it was found that the coating had full-thickness hydrophobicity, its WCA was up to 155.6°, and its repairability was good. Even in a harsh environment, it still had a long working life. At the same time, it had been found that the key to prolonging the anti-corrosion life of the coating lies in the reduction of the volume of the free polymer, the degree of cross-linked curing of the metal-polymer interior and its bonding with the metal substrate.

Inorganic–polymer composites have become promising materials to be processed by printing technologies because of their unique properties that allow the fabrication of flexible wearable electronics at reduced manufacturing costs. In the present work, a complete methodological process of assembling a flexible microthermoelectric generator based on inorganic−polymer materials is presented. The used microparticles were prepared by a top-down approach beginning with a previously prepared material by solid-state reaction and later scaled down through the use of ball milling. It was found that the necessity to proceed with a chemical treatment with HCl to reduce Bi2O3 present on the surface of the microparticle leads to a power factor (PF) of 2.29 μW K–2 m–1, which is two times higher than that of the untreated sample. On the fabrication of flexible inorganic–organic thermoelectric thick films based on Bi2Te3 microparticles (

Rare earth elements are known to improve both mechanical and corrosion properties. However, it highly depends on the final microstructure conditions of prepared material. During extrusion, intermet...

This work describes the preparation of core–shell structured zero valent manganese (ZVM) for sequestration of total arsenic from drinking water. The material was synthesized using an ultra-sonication assisted hydrothermal route and the prepared material was characterized by using various analytical techniques such as FTIR, XRD, FE-SEM, EDS, AFM, TEM, TGA-DTA, BET and XPS. A combination of data shows successful fabrication of core–shell structured ZVM which consists of core zero-valent manganese (Mn0) encapsulated by layers of manganese oxides (Mn3O4–MnO2). XPS analysis provides information regarding the surface interaction of arsenic species with the adsorbent material. The adsorbent was tested for arsenic removal with variation of the solution parameters in a batch technique. Both As(III) and As(V) could be removed over a wide pH range where the maximum sorption capacity was found to be 30.9 mg g−1 and 72.5 mg g−1 for As(III) and As(V), respectively. It was observed that the sorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm follow a pseudo second order kinetic model and D–R isotherm model, respectively. The presence of co-anions in a competitive environment had little effect on the arsenic removal properties of the material. Moreover, the exceptional arsenic adsorption capacity of ZVM in ground water and high reusability make it a promising adsorbent material in the removal of total arsenic from aqueous solution.

The presence of heat stable salts (HSS) in the gas sweetening absorption columns reduces the absorption capacity of the amine solutions. For the first time, the capacitive deionization (CDI) technique is used to clean the MDEA solutions from HSS. For this purpose, the hybrid material (CNTs-Si-Ag) was synthesized by using the sol–gel process followed by chemical reduction. This hybrid material was then utilized as CDI electrode material in order to remove the HSS from the lean amine solutions. TEM and SEM confirmed the well-ordered interconnected porous network containing silanized CNTs (carbon nanotubes) along with silver (Ag) nanoparticles. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis and electrochemical studies (EIS and CV) evidenced the substantial conductivity, porosity, surface area and specific capacitance of the prepared material. The specific capacitance of the hybrid material was found to be 149.1 F g−1 at 10 mV s−1 heralding substantial electrosorption capacity for the removal of HSS. The continuous CDI experiments showed that the highest SAC of the newly prepared electrode is 21.5 mg g−1 with maximum ASAR of 0.17 mg g−1 min−1 under 1.0 V and the lowest SAC is 17.3 mg g−1 with ASAR of 0.12 mg g−1 min−1 under 0.8 V. This work introduced the CDI as a potential technique that can be used to clean amine solutions advantaged with its low maintenance, easy operation and environment friendliness.

Recently, porous-structured electrode materials with high electrochemical activity and redox chemistry have attracted widespread attention for the development of high-performance electrochemical supercapacitors. In the present study, porous Ni2V2O7 microsphere-chains (NV MCs) were successfully prepared using a single-step synthesis via a facile propanetriol (PT)-assisted hydrothermal technique, followed by thermal decomposition. By varying the PT volume in the growth solution, the morphological evaluation of Ni2V2O7 was performed. After thermal treatment, the crystallinity of NV MCs was improved along with the generation of nanocaves inside the MCs. Capitalizing on the advantages of high porosity, good crystallinity, and the open-apertures of the NV MCs, the prepared material demonstrated an excellent battery-type redox behavior with a high areal capacity of 65 μA h cm−2 (at 2 mA cm−2) and good cycling stability of 82.3% (at 7 mA cm−2) in 1 M KOH electrolyte, which were comparatively higher than the samples prepared with various PT volumes. The improved performance in energy storage is predominantly attributed to the short-diffusion path owing to the bilaterally connected microspheres in the MCs and to the activation of the entire NV microspheres by the deep penetration of electrolyte into the nanocaves through the open-apertures of the MCs. This facile method for the preparation of porous metal vanadate nano/micro-architectures opens up a new avenue for the development of an efficient positive electrode material for energy storage devices.

Bimetallic (Zn and Co) azolate framework-6s (BMMAF-6s) (composed of Zn and Co in various compositions) were firstly synthesized and pyrolyzed to prepare Co supported on N-doped carbons. BMMAF-6-derived carbonaceous materials (MDC-6(xZnyCo)) were highly porous and were composed of Co nanoparticles (5–15 nm) dispersed well on a N-containing carbon matrix. Co-based catalysts, such as MDC-6(75Zn25Co), Co/activated-carbon and Co/reduced-graphene-oxide, were firstly applied as heterogeneous catalysts for purification of fuel via oxidative desulfurization. The results revealed that the catalytic performance of the prepared material is superior not only to that of conventional Co-based catalysts but also to that of reported catalysts including the representative WO3/ZrO2 catalyst. Moreover, the high reactivity of the MDC-6(75Zn25Co) (with facile recyclability) can be explained by the well-dispersed/small Co-nanoparticles and the synergistic effect between Co and N species. Additionally, the material also shows good efficiency in reductive removal of 4-nitrophenol (from water). Finally, the Co-based materials can be suggested firstly as effective catalysts for oxidative desulfurization.

(TmxYb1 –x)3Al5O12 (YbAG:Tm3+) nanoparticles (NPs) with mean diameter of 56 nm were prepared by a rapid carbonate coprecipitation method with a short calcination time of only 1 min. Our results confirmed the structure and purity of the prepared material and proved that Tm3+ was successfully incorporated into YbAG. The results on the upconversion luminescence show that the emission peaks were located at 486 and 684 nm, corresponding to the 1G4 → 3H6 and 3F2 → 3H6 transitions of Tm3+. The transition mechanism of the blue and red emission was discussed.This rapid method could improve the production efficiency of YbAG:Tm3+ nanoparticles, and may have certain implications for the preparation of other upconversion nanomaterials.

NiCo2O4 is a potential anode material for lithium ion battery due to its many advantages, such as high theoretical capacitance, low cost, and good electrochemical activity. In this study, mesoporous NiCo2O4 double-hemisphere (3–5 μm) with high surface area (270.68 m2·g−1) and excellent electrochemical performances has been synthesized through a facile precipitation method followed with thermal treatment process. The prepared NiCo2O4 is pure phase and can be indexed as a face-centered-cubic with a typical spinel structure. Electrochemical tests show the prepared material has high specific capacities (910 mAh·g−1 at 100 mA·g−1), excellent cyclicity (908 mAh·g−1 at 100 mA·g−1 after 60 cycles) and remarkable high rate performance (after 100 cycles, 585 mAh·g−1 at 400 mAh·g−1, 415 mAh·g−1 at 800 mAh·g−1 and 320 mAh·g−1 at 1600 mAh·g−1 with coulombic efficiencies of almost 100%). The excellent performances of prepared NiCo2O4 are mainly caused by the unique double-hemisphere structure, which has large surface area, gives material more opportunity to contact with electrolyte and facilitates lithium ion spreading into the material along the radical direction, resulting in a promising application for next-generation lithium-ion batteries.

Zinc cobaltite (ZnCo2O4) is an emerging electrode material for supercapacitors due to its rich redox reactions involving multiple oxidation states and different ions. In the present work, potato chip-like 0D interconnected ZnCo2O4 nanoparticles (PIZCON) were prepared using a solvothermal approach. The prepared material was characterized using various analytical methods, including X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The possible formation mechanism of PIZCON was proposed. The PIZCON electrode material was systematically characterized for supercapacitor application. The areal capacitance of PIZCON was 14.52 mF cm−2 at 10 µA cm−2 of current density, and retention of initial capacitance was 95% at 250 µA cm−2 following 3000 continuous charge/discharge cycles. The attained measures of electrochemical performance indicate that PIZCON is an excellent supercapacitor electrode material.

Due to the increased demand for palladium, as well due to its reduced availability in nature, its recovery from diluted waste solutions becomes a necessity, and perhaps an emergency. As a result of economic and technological development, new materials with improved adsorbent properties that are more efficient for metallic ions’ recovery were synthesized and introduced to market. The goal of this study was to obtain a new adsorbent material by functionalizing through impregnation a commercial polymeric support that was both inexpensive and environmentally friendly (Amberlite XAD7) with crown ether (di-benzo-18-crown-6—DB18C6). Crown ethers are known for their ability to form complexes within metallic ions, by including them inside of the ring, regardless of its atomic size. Adsorbent material was prepared by impregnation using the solvent-impregnated resin method (SIR). To highlight the presence of crown ether on the resin surface, a new synthesized material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The specific surface of the adsorbent material was also determined by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. Adsorbent performances of the prepared material were highlighted by kinetic, thermodynamic and equilibrium studies and a possible mechanism was also proposed. The influence of specific parameters for the adsorption process (contact time, temperature, Pd(II) initial concentration) on the maximum adsorption capacity was pursued.

Due to the limitation of the theoretical specific capacity of traditional cathode materials, the key to improve the energy density of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is to develop high-performance cathode materials. As a promising cathode material for LIBs, Fe-containing lithium-rich manganese-based materials possess high specific capacity and high working voltage. At present, the research on the synthesis and electrochemical reaction mechanism of this kind of material is still imperfect. Here, a facile oxalate co-precipitation method is employed to prepare Li1.2Fe0.16Ni0.24Mn0.4O2 using different lithium sources. The effects of lithium source and electrochemical window on the specific capacity and cyclic stability of the materials are also systematically investigated. When applied in LIBs, the prepared material using LiNO3 as lithium source presents a micro-nano hierarchical structure and exhibits a high first discharge specific capacity of 337.7 mAh g−1 and a high reversible capacity of 208.4 mAh g−1 after 60 cycles at 0.1 C in the voltage range of 1.5 − 4.8 V. The results of this study can provide more selectivity for the lithium source of the electrode material during the preparation process, and select a suitable voltage test range for cathode materials to achieve specific properties. The outstanding performances make this oxalate co-precipitation process a prospective method to prepare high-capacity cathode materials for LIBs.

Nitrocellulose with silver nanoparticle (AgNP/NC) composite was prepared in situ using Ag(CH3CO2) and nitrocellulose without any reducing agent. The composite materials synthesized were spray coated onto glass substrates to obtain thin films. The AgNPs/NC composites were characterized by ultraviolet-visible, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The antimicrobial activity of AgNPs/NC composite was investigated by tube method and time-kill kinetic studies against three microbial species, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231). The antibiofilm activities were qualitatively determined against all three organisms. Prepared AgNPs/NC films exhibited good antimicrobial activity and significant inhibition of biofilm development against all three microbial species. The effective dispersion of AgNPs/NC in biofilm was responsible for the significant antibiofilm activity of the prepared material. The reported AgNPs/NC composite can be used as coating additive in bacteriocidal paint which can be applied onto surfaces such as in healthcare environments.