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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.

Carbon microspheres were synthesized under nitrogen flow from walnut shells (WS) and then used as an adsorbent for the removal of Pb (II), Cu(II), Cr(III) and Cd(II) metals. The prepared material was characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Brounauer-emett-teller surface, Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. SEM micrographs showed homogenous sphere-like structure with an average diameter of 4.55 μm. The prepared carbon microspheres exhibit selective and rapid removal of hazardous metals from synthetic water samples. The effects of solution pH, contact time and temperatures on the removal process have been systematically investigated. The material used in this present work present the highest adsorption capacities ever reported for Cr(III), Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) at an optimum pH of 5, the adsorption capacities reached 792, 638, 574 and 345 mg g−1 for Cr(III), Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II), respectively. Density functional calculations (DFT) showed an agreement with the adsorption process results, Cr(III) had stronger binding ability to the OH and/or COOH functional groups followed by Pb, Cu and Cd. The adsorption mechanism was discussed based on the experimental and theoretical results. Finally, the response surface methodology was used to optimize the adsorption conditions.

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.

Cast composite material based on Cr2AlC MAX phase has been prepared by metallothermic self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) from a mixture of powders of chromium oxide, aluminum, and carbon. The experiments have been performed using an SHS reactor with a volume V of 3 L under an excess inert gas (Ar) pressure (P = 5 MPa). The prepared material has been studied by X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and local microstructural analysis. The quantitative analysis has been performed by the Rietveld method. The electrical resistivity was measured in the 100–1300 K temperature range. The resulting material is an electrical conductor with metallic conductivity in the 100–1300 K temperature range, and has the electrical resistivity of the same order as the samples containing 100% Cr2AlC.

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.

Zinc based materials have been studied as candidates for the fabrication of biodegradable implants. For applications in orthopedics, porous materials with reduced modulus of elasticity are desirable. Fabrication of porous zinc is challenging due to several processing difficulties, such as low melting point, easy evaporation and high reactivity with many porogen agents. In this work, we prepared a porous zinc sheet by thermal plasma spraying with a porosity of 16.8%. Mechanical, corrosion and biological characteristics of the prepared material were studied in detail. The porous zinc possessed reduced moduli of elasticity (2-6 GPa) and relatively high values of strengths (12-55 MPa—depending on the loading mode). The corrosion rate of the porous zinc was approximately 0.1 mm/a, and the extracts showed excellent murine L929 cell viability. The results suggest that thermal plasma spraying is usable for preparation of biodegradable porous zinc scaffolds.

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 (

Here, we report a novel and simple approach to fabricate crater-like superhydrophobic leaf mesh for oil-water separation. Nanocomposite of SiO2 and polystyrene (SiO2-PS) deposited on a naturally dried Tectona grandis leaf mesh showed excellent superhydrophobic and superoleophilic properties. The obtained multifunctional leaf mesh exhibited fast separation of various oils like petrol, kerosene, diesel, coconut oil from oil-water mixtures with separation efficiency greater than 95%, which lasts for more than 18 separation cycles. The prepared material can be used efficiently for the oil-water mixture separation for any oil with absolute viscosity of less than 55 cP. Scopus

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...

A mechanochemical protocol was applied to the synthesis of a magnetic material based on iron oxide nanoparticles and Al-SBA-15. Full characterization of the prepared Fe2O3/Al-SBA-15 evidenced the effective functionalization of the aluminosilicate surface. Particularly, TEM analysis revealed that the mechanochemical protocol did not considerable affect the hexagonal ordered structure of Al-SBA-15. DRIFT experiments of Fe2O3/Al-SBA-15 showed interesting acidic properties, which can be further associated to a good catalytic performance. The catalytic behavior of the prepared material was tested in the oxidation of vanillyl alcohol to vanillin, displaying an excellent activity and selectivity. The material resulted to be highly stable in the aforementioned reaction, without considerable decrease of conversion after 10 reuse cycles.

The present paper deals with the experimentation of a hydrogenated Palm Kernel vegetable fat as a novel bio-based Phase Change Material (PCM). This bio-based PCM with 26.53 °C of melting temperature and 74.35 J/g of the latent heat capacity of fusion was recovered from abundant and renewable underused feedstocks. The purpose is to trap this PCM without leakages into the internal microstructure of a prepared supporting material (matrix) first; and then to propose the resulting composite-PCM for a practical application of passive TES in building envelopes. This matrix was prepared from available, low-cost and eco-friendly components. However, natural clay and cellulose fibers were principally used in the preparation of the PCMs’ supporting material. 53 wt percent (wt%) of the bio-based PCM were successfully incorporated in this matrix after the direct immersion method thanks to the capillary and surface tension forces . Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) results showed that the Thermal energy storage characteristics of the obtained composite-PCM are suitable for building applications. This melts at 27.33 °C with 40.27 J/g of latent heat capacity of fusion. Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) revealed that the prepared composite-PCM maintains a good thermal reliability in its working temperature range. The Hot-Disk results proved that the addition of graphite improved its thermal conductivity . Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed the chemical stability of the prepared material. Finally, Scanning Electron Microcopy (SEM) showed that the bio-based PCM is successfully retained by the microstructure of the prepared matrix after the impregnation process.

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.

Sustainable synthesis of Ni–Al double-layered catalysts by the coprecipitation method is described. Synthesized double-layered catalysts have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared, and thermogravimetric analyses, which confirmed a hydrotalcite-like structure. In addition, the impact of aging time and temperature on the activity of catalyst has been investigated. Furthermore, it has been confirmed by SEM and TEM analyses that the recovered catalyst has retained its structure. It has also been observed that the prepared material has potency to catalyze the reaction without loss in the yield. To explore the reactivity of the material, the catalyst has been examined in the synthesis of N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzamide under solvent-free conditions. The overall process afforded the product with high purity and high yields within short time.

(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.

In this present study, a novel and low cost surface improved material was prepared from the farm waste material (Borassus flabellifer male inflorescence) and its surface was enhanced by the sulphuric acid treatment to intensify the Ni(II) ions adsorption. The adsorption individualities such as availability of functional groups, essential elements and the exterior side and structural properties of the material were assessed by the FT-IR, EDX, SEM and XRD investigation. The impact of varied adsorption influencing parameters on Ni(II) ions adsorption was studied and optimized as pH - 6.0, biosorbent dosage - 1.5 g/L, contact time - 60 min and temperature - 303 K via batch adsorption examination. Modeling examinations were carried with varied adsorption isotherm (Langmuir, Freundlich, Fritz-Schlunder and Temkin) and kinetic models (Pseudo-first order, Pseudo-second order and Elovich kinetics). Thermodynamic studies were carried out at varied Ni(II) ions concentrations (25 mg/L – 150 mg/L) and temperatures (303 K–333 K) to explain the nature of Ni(II) ions adsorption on Borassus flabellifer male inflorescence. The prepared material has shown the most suitable Ni(II) ions adsorption results for the Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.9808) and Pseudo-first order kinetic models (R2 = 0.9735 for 25 mg/L). Thereby, the modeling study revealed that the prepared material has received the Ni(II) ions adsorption capacity (qm) value of 20.31 mg/g and the Ni(II) ions adsorption was physisorption. Thermodynamic results demonstrated that the Ni(II) ions adsorption was immediate, exothermic and favorable at low temperature.

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.

Textile dyeing wastewaters is one of the most difficult to handle. The aim of this paper to investigate the removal capacity of two azo dyes, including Brilliant green and Alizarin red S from the aqueous solution by three types of activated carbon prepared from bamboo leaves AC30 (650 °C/30 min), AC45 (650 °C/45 min) and AC60 (650 °C/60 min). All three samples displayed the functional group represented by the azo dye removal capacity such as C=C; C–O–C, O–H and showed high C content (over 72%). With the highest BET surface area up to 108.9202 m2/g, the AC60 material sample recorded the maximum efficiency of 100% at the reaction time of 30 min with the volume ratio of azo dye/distilled water of 2/18 (mL), pH 9, the absorbent amount of 0.5 and 2 g for Brilliant green and Alizarin red S, respectively. This study is an overview of the azo dye removal capacity in initial textile dyeing wastewater sample and compares the quality of AC60 material sample to four commercial activated carbon samples, including AC-R (Russian activated carbon), AC-C (Chinese activated carbon), AC-F (French activated carbon) and AC-Tra Bac (Vietnamese activated carbon from coconut shell). The analysis results also showed that the azo dye removal efficiency of the AC60 material synthesized from bamboo leaves is higher than some previously prepared material (AC-C material reached only 90.5 and 82.55% for Brilliant green and Alizarin red S, respectively) and achieved the maximum adsorption efficiency 100% after 30 min reaction time. These findings indicated that the removal efficiency for azo dye depends on experimental conditions such as reaction time, pyrolysis temperature, pH… and the source of the raw materials also has a great influence on the carbonaceous material structure, determining the treatment efficiency as well as the removal capacity for pollutants.

The present deals with fabrication of undoped SnO2, transition metal Co2+ doped SnO2 and non-metal nitrogen doped SnO2 nanostructures. These three materials were prepared by cost effective co-precipitation method. While the thick film sensor was design by screen printing photolithography technique. The fabricated materials were characterized by several techniques. The structural properties of the screen-printed thick films measured by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), which confirms the formation of tetragonal SnO2 nanoparticles with average particle size between 15 -17 nm. The morphological properties of fabricated thick of SnO2 were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and HR-TEM to get surface and lattice characteristics of prepared material. The EDS technique was utilized to get the elemental composition of the prepared thick film sensors. While the UV-DRS technique was used to get the band gap energy of undoped SnO2 and modified SnO2 sensors. Since, the sensors effectively work over the surface, hence the prepared sensors were investigated by BET) study, from BET results the cobalt modified SnO2 found to be higher surface area. These all-prepared sensors were applied for gas sensing results of NO2, LPG, CO and volatile organic compounds (VOC’S). The modified sensors found to be very effective at NO2 and VOC gas vapours with 80.23 % and 69.13% gas response for cobalt modified SnO2 was observed. The tested gases NO2 and VOC found to be very selective modified sensors. Reusability and recycling results demonstrate that Co2+ doped SnO2 is very efficient, long time stable and reproducible sensor at NO2 and VOC gases.

In the present work, the Y0.95Ba0.05Mn0.90Ti0.10O3 ceramic sample was prepared using a conventional solid-state reaction method, and its structural, vibrational, and ferroelectric behaviors were studied at room temperature. The XRD analysis of the prepared material confirms the hexagonal crystal structure with P63cm space group symmetry. The Rietveld refinement of the sample also justifies the results. The Raman spectroscopy reveals the subtle variation of different vibrational modes due to Ba2+ and Ti4+ ions doping at different sites. The ferroelectric measurement performed at room temperature and different voltages reveal that the material exhibits weak ferroelectricity.

In this study, it is aimed to remove nickel from the simulated body fluid by adsorption technique in order to reduce its harmful effects on the human body. Activated carbon was used for the adsorption of Ni(II) pollutants that may occur in the simulated stomach medium. Activated carbon gave a very porous structure with different sizes of pores by presenting a morphology suitable for the adsorption process. The results show the efficiency of activated carbon with interesting surface area values (1689 m2 g−1) and total pore volume (0.842 cm3 g−1). The most suitable adsorption parameters for nickel ions in the stomach environment simulated in a batch system (pH, time, mixing speed, amount of adsorbent, and the effect of other ions, etc.) were investigated. The initial nickel ion concentration was 10 mg L−1 and the adsorbent amount was 0.3 g, and it was determined that the maximum retention efficiency of nickel ions in the pH range 3.5–5.5 was 92%. The activated carbon material was also highly effective, with a maximum of 91.8% removal at 10 mg L−1 of Ni(II) solutions. Finally, the prepared material has basic properties that make it an effective adsorbent in purifying the pollutants that occur in the simulated stomach medium and we recommend that it can be used to clean the stomach environment in nickel poisoning in emergency interventions. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

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.

The La2Zr2O7 NPs photocatalyst was selectively prepared by bio-mediated combustion method by using green extract (Neem extract) and characterized by spectral techniques. The average crystallite size was found to be in the range of ~14 nm by means of XRD analysis. The coating of prepared material in IC engine by plasma spread coating method showed good thermal barrier property, which reduces the heat transfer in Internal Combustion (IC) engine cylinder. SEM photographs show that surface morphology of the La2Zr2O7 photocatalyst by the concentration of Neem extract. La2Zr2O7 photocatalyst shows UV induced photodegradation activity for the decomposition of Methylene blue (MB). Electrochemical investigation was conducted to study the redox-peak current in 0.1 M KCl with Carbon- La2Zr2O7 electrode paste and its performance in chemical sensor activity. These reported studies are proposing some new insight to improve nanomaterials for thermal barrier coating and dye degradation applications.

Flexibility in a printed thermoelectric (TE) material is vital for low-cost manufacturing of shape-conformable TE devices. In this work, a one-pot facile method was adapted to prepare a Cu-Se-based printable ink. The ink was printed on flexible substrates followed by sintering to let β-Cu2-δSe phase be formed. The film is found to be exceptionally flexible with a change in film resistance μ W with an open-circuit voltage VOC of 12 mV is demonstrated using a TE-generator (Flex-TEG) with two thermocouples made of the prepared material.

Quantum dot-based nanocomposite materials have gained huge attention in electrochemical energy storage devices due to their extremely high surface-to-volume ratio and enhanced conductivity. In this work, nanocomposites of SnO2 quantum dots and Au nanoparticles (SQD-Au) has been prepared in a situ soft-chemical approach. The structural and charge storage properties of the prepared material were investigated. The prepared composite material coated on the nickel foam and used as working electrode for supercapacitor applications. Results show that the SQD-Au electrode material exhibits an excellent specific capacity of 87 mAh g-1 at the current density of 1A g-1. The columbic efficiency of the electrode was found be 98 % after 5000 GCD cycles. Some of the factors responsible for the observed superior charge storage properties of SQD-Au composite compared pristine SQDs are enhanced conductivity and fast electron transport.

Current demand for new protective materials ensuring sterility is systematically growing. The purpose of this work was the synthesis of the biocidal N-halamine hydantoin-containing chitosan (CS-CMH-Cl) and characterization of its properties. The functionalization of the chitosan by 5-hydantoinacetic acid substitution leads to obtaining the CS-CMH polymer, which was chlorinated in next step to transform N-H into N-Cl bonds. In this study, the possibility of forming two biocidal N-Cl bonds in hydantoin ring, grafted onto chitosan chains, was proved. The structure and stability of the prepared material was confirmed by spectroscopic (FTIR, NMR, colorimetric test) and microscopic analyses (SEM, AFM). Surface properties were investigated based on contact-angle measurements. In addition, the thermal and photochemical stability of the obtained samples were determined as functional features, determining the range of potential use. It was found that both modified chitosan polymers (CS-CMH and CS-CMH-Cl) were characterized by the smaller thermal stability and more hydrophilic and rougher surface than unmodified CS. Photooxidative degradation of the obtained materials was observed mainly on the sample surface. After irradiation, the surfaces became more hydrophilic&mdash, especially in the case of the CS-CMH-Cl&mdash, which is advantageous from the point of view of the antibacterial properties. Antibacterial tests against S. aureus and E. coli confirmed the antibacterial activities of received CS-CMH-Cl material.

A special gas-phase diffusion precipitation method with ammonia as the gas-phase diffusion precipitant was adopted. After fully reacting with different cobalt sources in a sealed space, the liquid funnel was separated and dried, and calcined at different temperatures for 2 h. The prepared Co3O4 powder was used as a supercapacitor (SCs) electrode to measure the electrochemical properties of the prepared material. The influences of different cobalt sources and sodium phosphate monobasic dehydrate on the preparation of Co3O4 SCs electrodes were investigated. The optimal performance of Co3O4 was 640 F&middot, g&minus, 1 before modification, and this reached 1140 F&middot, 1 after modification, which was an improvement of 78.1%.

In this study, nano-PrO1.8 were synthesized successfully in ionic liquids (ILs) as template assisted ultrasonic irradiation method. Various precipitating agents and different types of ILs were investigated to determine their respective effects on the morphology of the end products. Using hydrazine hydrate as a precipitating agent and 1-carboxymethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride as a template, spherical structure with an average diameter of 250 nm was obtained. It is worth noting that the prepared material exhibits high peroxidase-like activity and weak oxidase activity. Then, the catalytic oxidation capacity of the nano-PrO1.8 was evaluated by the peroxidase substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). The colorless of TMB can be converted into blue oxidized TMB (oxTMB) in the presence of nano-PrO1.8, but trans-resveratrol inhibited its peroxidase-like activity and weakened the blue color. Hence, we developed a sensitive, selective and simple colorimetric method for trans-resveratrol detection using nano-PrO1.8 as peroxidase-like enzyme. A linear relationship was found in the range of 0.30 µM–16 µM trans-resveratrol with the detection limit of 0.29 µM. Satisfactory results were achieved when the method was submitted to the determination of trans-resveratrol in white wine samples.

Polydopamine/zirconium(IV) iodate was prepared by incorporating polydopamine into zirconium iodate gel and studied as an effective adsorbent for ampicillin. In order to characterize the prepared composite, FTIR, XRD, TGA-DTA, SEM and TEM were used. The effects of experimental variables on ampicillin removal were examined using response surface methodology. The optimum conditions for ampicillin removal were 7, 130 min, 20 mg/20 mL and 50 mg L−1 for pH, contact time, adsorbent dose and initial ampicillin concentration, respectively. Under the optimum conditions, the maximum ampicillin removal percentage was found to be 99.12%. The Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models explained the removal process more appropriately. The maximum adsorption capacity at 303 K was 100.0 mg g−1. Thermodynamic study revealed that the ampicillin adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. The reusability of the prepared material was also explored.

Here we present a new effective antibacterial material suitable for a coating, e.g., surface treatment of textiles, which is also time and financially undemanding. The most important role is played by hydrophobic carbon quantum dots, as a new type of photosensitizer, produced by carbonization of different carbon precursors, which are incorporated by swelling from solution into various polymer matrices in the form of thin films, in particular polyurethanes, which are currently commercially used for industrial surface treatment of textiles. The role of hydrophobic carbon quantum dots is to work as photosensitizers upon irradiation and produce reactive oxygen species, namely singlet oxygen, which is already known as the most effective radical for elimination different kinds of bacteria on the surface or in close proximity to such modified material. Therefore, we have mainly studied the effect of hydrophobic carbon quantum dots on Staphylococcus aureus and the cytotoxicity tests, which are essential for the safe handling of such material. Also, the production of singlet oxygen by several methods (electron paramagnetic spectroscopy, time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy), surface structures (atomic force microscopy and contact angle measurement), and the effect of radiation on polymer matrices were studied. The prepared material is easily modulated by end-user requirements.

Doped biodegradable polymer blend of PVA-starch and PVA-starch/NaI has been prepared by simple solution cast method in this project. Using FT-IR, XRD and SEM the prepared film was characterized. Comparative structural studies of PVA-Starch and PVA-starch/NaI doped blends were obtained. The prepared material was analyzed to study its frequency variation (50Hz-5MHz) of AC electrical properties. The analysis showed that with increase in NaI doping, the AC electrical conductivity of PVA-starch blend increases.

Nanoparticles with different zinc concentrations in magnesium ferrite were prepared by chemical co- precipitation technique as a potential candidate for magnetic hyperthermia. Synthesized material was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) for structural and magnetic properties respectively. The XRD study revealed phase identification, crystal structure, and average crystallite size of the prepared sample. It confirms cubic spinel structure of Fd3m space group and average crystallite size decreases from 18 nm to 12 nm with increasing the doping concentration of zinc. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis were indicated the superparamagnetic behavior of prepared material with substitution of zinc in manganese ferrite nanoparticles at room temperature. Induction heating system was used to carry out the magnetic hyperthermia study. The induction heating results shows a small amount (2 mg/mL) of nanoparticles can able to achieve temperature of 42°C for 267s and 563s respectively at 4.0 kA/m.

guendouzi, Abdelkrim/0000-0001-9476-0489 WOS: 000531139200002 PubMed: 32385816 This paper presents a synthesis of mesoporous silica (MS) from natural clay as a silica source using Pluronic L35 (EO11PO16EO11) as a structure-directing agent. The prepared material was characterized by XRD, X-ray fluorescence, thermogravimetric analysis, SEM, TEM, and N2 adsorption-desorption analyses. Then, mesoporous material was used for the removal of Acid Red 337 (AR337) from aqueous solution, and the treatment of real textile effluent. The effect of pH, contact time, weight of adsorbent, and initial concentration was studied in batch adsorption. The synthesized mesoporous material showed good discoloration efficiency with a 62% percentage. Experiment with real textile wastewater showed that 39%, 40%, and 31.5% of the color, TOC, and chemical oxygen demand respectively were eliminated by using 1 g of MS per liter of wastewater. funding agency of Algeria (DGRSDT) This work was done in the frame of the ERANETMED SETPROpER project "Sustainable textile effluent treatment processes of reuse of water in agriculture" (2016-2019) with the support of the funding agency of Algeria (DGRSDT).