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This document describes the initial version of the Data Management Plan (DMP) for the WaPoDe project. The overall objective of the WaPoDe project is to synthetize materials with enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, and response time as electrochemical sensors (ECS) for detection and monitoring of different pharmaceutical and pesticide pollutants in water and to reduce ECS manufacturing costs. The focus of the WaPoDe project is on ZnO-based electrochemical sensors. The database will be developed under the WaPoDe project with the main purpose to summarize the WaPoDe research results on the types, properties, and application of ZnO-based nanoparticles as selective ECS. This initial DMP provides information on the data management principles that will be implemented during and for a certain period after the WaPoDe project completion. It is based on the Data Management Plan template (https://enspire.science/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Horizon-Europe-Data-Management-Plan-Template.pdf) which follows the guidelines from Europe Horizon calls. This DMP will be regularly updated as the implementation of the project progresses. The draft DMP was developed within the project workpackages.

Four samples containing magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) of various sizes are prepared employing a simple low-temperature method of oxidative precipitation from FeCl2∙4H2O-NaOH-NaNO3 aqueous solution. For the preparation of two samples, the usual oxidation-precipitation synthesis protocol is modified by using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelating agent as a stabilizer of the Fe2+ ions in a solution, which results in the partial capping of the prepared MIONs with EDTA molecules. Three out of four samples are subjected to citric acid (CA) functionalization in the post synthesis protocol. Structural and magnetic properties of the synthesized MIONs are assessed using various experimental techniques (XRD, TEM, Fourier transform infrared, dynamic light scattering, Mössbauer, and SQUID). The average size of spherical-like MIONs is tuned from 7 nm to 38 nm by changing the synthesis protocol. Their room temperature saturation magnetization, M s, is in the range of 43 to 91 emu g−1. Magnetic heating ability, expressed via specific absorption rate value, which ranges from 139 to 390 W/gFe, is discussed in relation to their structural and magnetic properties and the possible energy dissipation mechanisms involved. The best heating performance is exhibited by the sample decorated with EDTA and with a bimodal size distribution with average particle sizes of 14 and 37 nm and M s = 87 emu g−1. Though this sample contains particles prone to form aggregates, capping with EDTA provides good colloidal stability of this sample, thus preserving the magnetic heating ability. It is demonstrated that two samples, consisting of 7 nm-sized CA- or 14 nm-sized EDTA/CA-functionalized superparamagnetic MIONs, with a similar hydrodynamic radius, heat in a very similar way in the relatively fast oscillating alternating current magnetic field, f = 577 kHz.

Due to their tunable multifunctional properties zinc oxide (ZnO) based materials have attracted extensive scientific and technological attention. Since they combine different properties such as electrochemical activities, chemical and photochemical stability, nontoxicity, biocompatibility, etc. ZnO-based materials have been used in electronics, optoelectronics, biosensing, bioimaging, drug and gene delivery, implants, antimicrobial and anticancer agents. Successful application of ZnO as photoelectrocatalysts arises from its wide band gap (3.37 eV) which can be easily adjusted by different approaches such as: metal and non-metal ion doping, hydrogenation, introducing of crystalline defects, modifying particle morphology and surface chemistry. During the years, to synthesize zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with improved visible light absorption we have used a fast and environmentally-friendly microwave processing of a precipitate which enable formation of crystalline defects. To further enhance photo(electro)catalytic properties we have employed approaches such as: (1) the incorporation of iron ions into the crystal structure (Zn1-xFexO), (2) sensitization of the particles’ surface with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, Pluronic F127 and polyethylene oxide, and (3) composites with ruthenium oxide (ZnO/RuO2) and graphene oxide (ZnO/GO and ZnO/rGO). To correlate structural and functional properties, prepared materials were characterized using XRD, FTIR, Raman, UV-Vis DRS, and PL spectroscopy, also FESEM; photocatalytic activity of the samples were tested toward decolorization of methylene blue, while their photoelectrochemical activity for water splitting were tested through linear sweep voltammetry in different electrolytes.

As available at lowor zero-cost, agricultural and food industry waste biomass has great potential to be used for wastewater treatment. It has been shown that, with minimum of chemical or mechanical pre-treatment, waste biomass has great adsorption capacity for different heavy metals, organic and biological pollutants from both drinking and wastewater. Since biomass is a renewable resource that is generated daily as waste and requires storage, its inclusion in sustainable development and the circular economy would have multiple benefits for society as a whole. The use of waste biomass for wastewater treatment would have a positive environmental, energy and economic impact on a country's welfare, especially developing ones.

Due to their tunable multifunctional properties zinc oxide (ZnO) based materials have attracted extensive scientific and technological attention. Since they combines different properties such as electrochemical activities, chemical and photochemical stability, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, etc. ZnO-based materials have been used for variety of applications in electronics, opto-electronics, biosensing, bioimaging, drug and gene delivery, implants, antimicrobial and anticancer agents, as well as sensing in environmental applications. The main aim of this study was to improve efficiency of ZnO particles toward both electrochemical sensing for environmental application and electrocatalysis. To vary electrochemical properties, series of zinc oxide/graphene oxide (ZnO/GO) composites were synthesized by microwave processing of precipitate in the presence of a different amount (0.1 and 0.5 wt.%) of previously prepared GO as well as reduced GO (rGO). The particles crystal structure and phase composition were investigated by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The particles morphology was observed with FE–SEM while the textural properties (BET surface area and pore volume) were determined by low-temperature adsorption-desorption of nitrogen. The optical properties were studied using UV–Vis DRS and PL spectroscopy. The electrochemical sensing activity of ZnO, ZnO/GO and ZnO/rGO electrodes was tested for detection of bisphenol A in water solution while electrocatalytic activity was tested for water splitting when samples were used as anode materials and evaluated by linear sweep voltammetry in several different electrolytes. Differences in electrochemical activity between the composites were correlated with presence of GO, particles morphology and textural properties.

Affordable catalysts for use in water electrolysis and fuel cells as clean energy sources pose a significant challenge. Currently, platinum group metal catalysts are both expensive and difficult to obtain. In this research, an attempt is made to address this issue by investigating methods to reduce costs. Specifically, the use of RuO2 instead of Ru and the incorporation of a substantial amount of easily available ZnO, which has various applications, are explored. A composite of ZnO@RuO2 in a 10:1 molar ratio was synthesized using microwave processing of a precipitate. To enhance its catalytic properties, the composite was subsequently annealed at 300 and 600 °C. A detailed analysis of the crystal structure, morphology, optical and (photo)electrocatalytic properties of the processed 10ZnO@RuO2 catalyst particles was conducted. The catalytic activity of the prepared composites toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 0.1 M NaOH and 0.1 M H2SO4 was investigated using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The measurements were taken both in the dark and under illumination after 60 minutes of exposure. To determine the intrinsic HER and OER activity of the studied catalyst, the LSV data were normalized by the electrochemical surface area (ECSA). Finally, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of the catalysts was tested in both alkaline and acidic electrolytes.

Environmental pollution is increasing day by day due to industrial activities. Heavy metals are pollutants of special concern due to their toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation in nature. Nickel is a heavy metal that is mostly used in industries because of its anticorrosion behavior. As a consequence, nickel ions are present in the wastewater from mining, electroplating, battery manufacturing and metal finishing industries. Nickel ions are nonbiodegradable, and as such, they are present in surface water. Their high concentrations can have a dangerous impact on human health and aquatic life. In this work, a promising method for the removal of Ni ions from wastewater and their incorporation into a stable crystal structure was described. Ni-exchanged form of LTA zeolite was prepared by the standard procedure of ion exchange. After the ion exchange, powder samples were heated at temperatures of 900 to 1300 ºC in order to obtain a stable crystal structure of Ni-spinel, NiAl2O4. XRF analysis was used to study ion exchange efficiency. Characterization of raw as well as thermally treated powder samples of Ni-exchanged LTA zeolite was conducted by XRPD, DTA/TG, FT-IR and SEM analysis.

Phase transition from ZnTiO3 to Zn2TiO4 represents second order phase transition from perovskite (zinc metatitanate) with a hexagonal ilmenite structure (R¯3) to inverse spinel (zinc orthotitanate) cubic structure (Fd¯3m) stable from room temperature to its melting (liquid) was identified during sintering of ZnTiO3 nanopowder. Kinetic of the phase transition has been observed as dimensional changes using dilatometric device thermo-mechanical analyzer TMA SETARAM model SETSYS Evolution and as thermal changes with SETARAM SETSYS Evolution TGA-DTA/DSC device. Two forms of specimens were employed nanopowder and polycrystalline sintered bulk specimen. It was found that sintering process and relaxation of the nanodimensional powder particles stress phenomena strongly influence kinetic of the phase transition. Dilatometric results known from previous investigations are now compared with differential thermal analysis results.

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is one of the indispensable parts of the water splitting process and is increasingly being researched [1]. The main goal of this study was to enhance the electrochemical properties of nanostructured zinc oxide (ZnO) particles toward HER. In order to enhance their electrochemical properties, ZnO nanoparticles were precipitated onto graphene oxide (GO) to form a ZnO/GO composite which was in situ reduced before electrochemical measurements toward HER. A composite of ZnO/GO (0.1 and 0.5 wt.%) was synthesized using a microwave processing of a precipitate. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were used to investigate the structural and morphological characteristics of composite materials. The diffractograms showed narrow reflections with relatively high intensities, which implies high crystallinity of composite materials. Raman spectra of ZnO/GO_0.5 shows a higher intensity D- and G-bands, attributed to GO, than ZnO/GO_0.1 confirming a larger amount of graphene oxide. FESEM images of composite samples show nanostructured particles. Before HER measurements, the electrode prepared by a mixture of ZnO/GO composite, nafion and ethanol/water solvent, was in situ reduced at potential -1.4 V in 0.1 M KCl to get ZnO/rGO. HER activity was investigated in NaOH by linear voltammetry. ZnO/rGO_0.5 showed increased electrochemical activity as a result of the evolution of hydrogen starting earlier and the higher current density.

Recently we have developed polymer/ceramic composite coatings based on poly(vinyl butyral), hydroxyapatite and zinc oxide-based nanostructured powders (PVB, HAP:Co and ZnO:Co, respectively). Prepared composite coatings showed good both adhesions to metal and glass surfaces and camouflage properties, thus can be used to improve combat capability of military equipment. An essential demand of new materials in the military industry is to be multifunctional. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to examine corrosion activity of the PVB/ZnO:Co and PVB/HAP:Co coatings in saline solution as a function of immersion time. The ZnO:Co and HAP:Co nanostructured powders were synthesized by hydrothermal processing of a precipitate. To adjust optical properties, synthesized powders were annealed at 400, 800 and 1000 °C. Annealed powders were mixed with PVB: each powder was dispersed in ethanol with the aid of an ultrasonic probe, successively PVB powder was added in dispersion, in 10 wt.% regard to ethanol, and stirred on a mechanical stirrer to completely dissolve. Prepared solution was coated on stainless steel substrate and dried at room temperature for 72 hours to form solid coating. The corrosion activity of the coatings was measured by potentiodynamic polarization technique in the potential range from -0.8 to -0.2 V vs SCE, with the scan rate of 10mVs-1. The measurements were performed using a conventional three-electrode cell in 3% NaCl water solution as the electrolyte. Platinum foil, a standard calomel electrode (SCE) and coated stainless steel were used as the counter, reference and working electrode, respectively. We found that all examined coatings have lower corrosion activity than bare stainless steel or stainless steel coated with pure PVB. Differences in corrosion activity between the coatings are explained by different textural and optoelectronic properties of ceramic powders modified by the annealing procedure.

In recent years graphene oxide (GO)/12-tungstophosphoric acid (WPA) nanocomposites have demonstrated promising potential for electrochemical supercapacitors. However, to enhance their performance, it is necessary to modify the surface chemistry of GO to minimize the influence of basal plane oxygen groups, which hinder the material's conductivity. Additionally, some degree of structural modification of WPA is desired. In this regard, ion beam irradiation presents a promising method to simultaneously optimize surface chemistry of GO and structurally modify WPA. To accomplish this, ion beam irradiation is employed for modification of individual components as well as their nanocomposites with varying mass ratios. Different ion species, fluences and energies were utilized depending on the sample type, ranging from 10 keV C to 710 MeV Bi. Spectroscopy methods were employed to gain insight into the type and degree of structural modification in WPA. A direct correlation is observed between the parameters of the ion beams and the resulting structural changes. As the disordering increases, the structure transitions from partially modified to increased bond breaking, ultimately leading to reconnected bronze-like structures. By increasing the fluence, a gradual modification of the structure and surface chemistry of GO was possible. The effects of irradiation on GO and WPA are particularly pronounced in irradiated composites, where higher capacitance is measured.

Magnesium aluminate spinel (MgAl2O4) is a material with good mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties, low dielectric permeability and loss tangent. Based on those properties, MgAl2O4 has found a significant application in refractory ceramics, ceramics windows, integrated electronic devices, etc. Also, it possesses a high chemical and radiation resistance. In this research, MgO was calcined at 1000ºC for an hour, with a step of 10ºC/min to avoid presence of hydroxide or carbonate. MgO and Al2O3 powders were mixed in a one-to-one molar ratio afterwards. The powders were mechanically activated for 15, 30, and 60 minutes. The mass ratio of powder and balls was 1:40. The mechanically activated powders are pressed in the tablets, under the pressure of 0.5 t. The pressed powders were heated up to 1300 ºC with a step of 10 ºC/min and held for 1 h for the reaction. Reacted pellets were crushed and sieved. Obtained spinel powders were sintered at 1450 ºC for 2 h. Both sintered and non-sintered samples were investigated by XRD and SEM. The particle size distribution of the reacted powders was investigated by laser diffraction analysis. Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the lattice vibration in the sintered samples. All results are in accordance with our previous results, and the pure dense spinel phase is obtained.

The increasing demand for efficient catalysts has raised concerns about the limited availability and high cost of platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts. Ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) has shown remarkable catalytic activity; however, its extensive use is hindered by its high cost. To tackle this challenge, we investigated the utilization of zinc oxide (ZnO) as a promising alternative to reduce reliance on expensive RuO2 catalysts while maintaining catalytic performance by synthesizing ZnO/RuO2 composites in various mass ratios (1:1, 2:1, 10:1) through microwave processing of a precipitate, followed by calcination at temperatures of 300 and 600 °C. The crystallinity and phase purity of the particles were analyzed using Xray powder diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Surface chemistry was examined by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was employed to investigate the morphology and particle size. Photoluminescence and UVVis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy were utilized for analyzing the optical properties. The electrocatalytic activity of the materials were evaluated via linear sweep voltammetry in both acidic (0.1 M H2SO4) and alkaline (0.1 M NaOH) electrolytes. The ZnO/RuO2 composites exhibited outstanding catalytic performance for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in both types of electrolytes.

Ion beam modification of materials is notable method for achieving their unique structural, electronic, and other physicochemical properties. In the case of graphene oxide (GO) such modification of structure and surface chemistry is known to yield properties interesting for electrochemical supercapacitors. The performance of GO supercapacitors can be additionally improved by incorporating components with attractive redox properties. In this work, the influence of ion beam irradiation on synergy of GO and 12-tungstophosphoric acid (WPA) in their nanocomposite was investigated. For that, both components and their composites with different mass ratios were irradiated using different ion species, fluences and energies (from 10 keV C to 710 MeV Bi). For the irradiated WPA, results showed clear correlation between ion beam parameters, degree of structural modification and electrochemical properties. With increasing structural modification, bond breaking is first induced giving higher catalytic activity toward HER. Further irradiation resulted in an increased interconnection of polytungstate species producing lower catalytic activity and lower lithiation capacity. Irradiated GO showed modified surface chemistry, with preferable reduction of alkoxy and epoxy groups, changes in morphology and electric properties due to increased number of defects with increasing fluence, synergic effect of ion beam irradiated GO and WPA resulted in higher capacitance of irradiated composites compared to GO presumably because of interaction of structurally modified WPA with defect sites on GO thus reducing electrolyte flow along ion tracks.

The demand for affordable and accessible catalysts to replace the expensive and scarce resourced platinum group metals (PGMs) has become increasingly vital. Since they combine different properties such as electrochemical activities, chemical and photochemical stability, non-toxicity, etc. ZnO-based materials have been examined for potential applications in electronics, optoelectronics, sensing in environmental applications as well as catalysis. This study focused on cost reduction of PGM materials by introducing RuO2 as a substitute for Ru and decreasing the amount of RuO2 through the incorporation of abundant and versatile ZnO. A composite of ZnO/RuO2 in a 10:1 molar ratio was synthesized using a microwave processing of a prepcipitate. To enhance its catalytic properties, the composite was subsequently annealed at 300 and 600 C. The physicochemical characteristics of the ZnO/RuO2 composites were analyzed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Furthermore, the electrochemical activity of the samples was assessed through linear sweep voltammetry in both acidic (0.1 M H2SO4) and alkaline (0.1 M NaOH) electrolytes. Remarkably, the ZnO/RuO2 composites exhibited excellent bifunctional catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in both types of electrolytes.

Zink oxide-based materials have a great potential to be applied in photo and electro catalysts, opto-electronic (indoor illumination, LED), etc. Attractiveness of ZnO is attributed to wide bandgap energy at room temperature (3.37 eV), high electron mobility and transfer efficiency (115-155 cm2·V-1·s-1), large exciton binding energy (60 meV), intrinsic stability, nontoxicity, environmental compatibility and also, simple and not expensive synthesis procedure. A lot of different approaches can be used to modify the bandgap (i.e. optical absorption) of ZnO materials: metal and nonmetal ion doping, hydrogenation, the incorporation of crystalline defects in the form of V and I, modification of particles morphology and surface topology, etc. In this study, eco-friendly and rapid microwave processing of a precipitate was used to produce Fe-doped ZnO nanoparticles with 5, 10, 15 and 20 at.% of Fe (Zn1-xFeyO(1-x+1.5y)). The influence of different amount of Fe substituted Zn in ZnO on the crystal structure, morphological, textural, and optical properties as well as on functionality of ZnO particles was investigated. The crystal structure and phase purity of the Zn1-xFeyO(1-x+1.5y) particles were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Effects of the Fe3+ amount on particles morphology and texture properties were observed with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE–SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherm, respectively. Optical properties were studied using UV-Vis diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Functionality of ZnO particles was studied due to their photocatalytic and electrochemical activities. Photocatalytic activity was examined via decolorization of methylene blue under direct sunlight irradiation. Electrochemical behavior of the ZnO samples as anode material was evaluated by linear sw

The release of pharmaceuticals in the environment represents a significant ecological problem due to their complex structure making them challenge to be decomposed and removed by standard waste-water treatment processes. Zinc oxide (ZnO) represents a semiconductor compound with exceptional optical and electrochemical properties, chemical and photochemical stability, nontoxicity, biocompatibility, etc. Due to their adjustable multifunctional properties, ZnO based materials have concerned general scientific and technological attention. Nowadays these materials are used for a range of applications in electronics, opto-electronics, biosensing, bioimaging, drug delivery, antimicrobial and anticancer agents, implants as well as sensing in environmental applications. The main object of this study was to improve efficiency of ZnO particles toward electrochemical sensing of water pollutants and electrocatalysis. In order to modify electrochemical properties, zinc oxide/graphene oxide (ZnO/GO) composites with different ZnO:GO weights ratio were prepared using a microwave (MW) assisted synthesis of precipitate. Two different amounts of GO (0.1 and 0.5 wt.%) were dispersed in 100 mL of distilled water. After stirring for 5 min an appropriate amount of ZnCl2 was added to the GO water dispersion. Subsequently, 20 mL of 1.75 M NaOH was added dropwise to the mixture with constant stirring. After being stirred at 50 C for 90 min in total, the as-prepared precipitate was microwave processed in a MW oven (2.45 GHz, 130 W) for 5 min. After cooling to room temperature, the precipitate was centrifuged and rinsed to remove the surface residues of the starting chemical solutions. The synthesized powder was dried in an oven at 80 C for 24 h. The particles crystal structure and phase composition were investigated by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The particles morphology was determined with FE–SEM. The optical properties were studied using UV–Vis DRS and PL spectroscopy. The ele

Catalytic materials are the greatest challenge for the commercial application of water electrolysis (WEs) and fuel cells (FCs) as clean energy technologies. There is a need to find an alternative to expensive and unavailable platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts. This study aimed to reduce the cost of PGM materials by replacing Ru with RuO2 and lowering the amount of RuO2 by adding abundant and multifunctional ZnO. A ZnO@RuO2 composite in a 10:1 molar ratio was synthesized by microwave processing of a precipitate as a green, low-cost, and fast method, and then annealed at 300°C and 600°C to improve the catalytic properties. The physicochemical properties of the ZnO@RuO2 composites were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The electrochemical activity of the samples was investigated by linear sweep voltammetry in acidic and alkaline electrolytes. We observed good bifunctional catalytic activity of the ZnO@RuO2 composites toward HER and OER in both electrolytes. The improved bifunctional catalytic activity of the ZnO@RuO2 composite by annealing was discussed and attributed to the reduced number of bulk oxygen vacancies and the increased number of established heterojunctions.

Novel hybrid core-shell structures, in which up-converting (UC) NaYF4:Yb,Tm core converts near-infrared (NIR) to visible (Vis) light via multiphoton up-conversion processes, while anatase TiO2-acetylacetonate (TiO2-Acac) shell ensures absorption of the Vis light through direct injection of excited electrons from the highest-occupied-molecular-orbital (HOMO) of Acac into the TiO2 conduction band (CB), were successfully synthesized by a two-step wet chemical route. Synthesized NaYF4:Yb,Tm@TiO2-Acac powders were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and photoluminescence emission measurement. Tetracycline, as a model drug, was used to investigate the photocatalytic efficiencies of the core-shell structures under irradiation of reduced power Vis and NIR spectra. It was shown that the removal of tetracycline is accompanied by the formation of intermediates, which formed immediately after bringing the drug into contact with the novel hybrid core-shell structures. As a result, ~80% of tetracycline is removed from the solution after 6 h.

Liposome-encapsulated folic acid was incorporated into the films made from sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) (2 mas%) and a mixture of carboxymethyl cellulose and solagum (9:1 w/w) using the film-forming cast solution method. Histidine was used to increase solubility for folic acid in liposomes (1-5 mg/ml), and propylene glycol was used as a film plasticizer (2.6 mas%). The obtained films (50-60 µm tick) containing 3.12-20.19 mg of folic acid per gram of film are envisaged to be used as patches for transdermal delivery of folic acid. Therefore, some physical, mechanical, release and structural attributes of the films were scrutinized. Folic acid gave yellow color to the films and contributed to stronger chemical bonds which resulted in improved strength of the film. Liposomes prolonged the release of folic acid from films to 24 h without adverse effects on mechanical properties of the films, but degraded homogeneity of the films, which could be ascribed to its agglomeration within the film matrix as revealed by AFM. According to the release at pH 5.5, the film formulation based on a blend of CMC and solagum containing 3 mg/ml liposome-encapsulated folic acid is recommended from the point of view of release kinetics determined by its solubility. Practical application: Folic acid is effective in reducing oxidative stress levels in the skin and neutralizing the harmful free radicals and is also essential for various metabolic reactions in the body. However, the limited solubility of folic acid linked with its poor absorption in an organism, low storage stability, short half-life upon oral consumption, specific food preferences of some people, extensive liver metabolism, and pregnancy-induced vomiting point to a large potential in transdermal usage of folic acid. This has motivated us to design new multicomponent polymer-lipid systems as an alternative solution to overcome some of these drawbacks. The results obtained for these multicomponent films pointed to their p

Photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) was investigated using commercial TiO2 P25 nanoparticles supported on natural zeolite clinoptilolite (Cli). Employing ultrasound assisted solid-state dispersion method hybrid photocatalyst containing 20 wt% of TiO2, marked TCli-20, was prepared. The structural, morphological and surface properties, and particle size distribution of TCli-20 were studied by X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, Brunner-Emmet-Teller method and laser diffraction. The results revealed a successful loading of TiO2 P25 nanoparticles on Cli surface and the preservation of both zeolitic structure and optical properties of TiO2. The influence of catalyst dose, pH value and the addition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was evaluated. The optimal reaction conditions were 2 g/L of catalyst at near-neutral conditions (pH = 6.4) for complete BPA (5 mg/L) photodegradation after 180 min of exposure to simulated solar light. The addition of H2O2 was beneficial for the degradation process and led to the removal of BPA after 120 min of irradiation. BPA removal (60% for 180 min of irradiation) was reduced when TCli-20 was tested in bottled drinking water due to the presence of bicarbonate ions which acted as scavengers for hydroxyl radicals. Even though the photocatalytic activity of TCli-20 decreased after several cycles of usage, 70% of BPA was still successfully degraded during the fourth cycle. The reusability study showed easy separation, stability and good photocatalytic ability of investigated cost-effective hybrid photocatalyst. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Hydroxyapatite attracts great attention as hard tissues implant material for bones and teeth. Its application in reconstructive medicine depends on its biocompatibility, which is in a function of composition and surface properties. The insertion of a protein element in the composition of implants can improve the cell adhesion and the osseointegration. Having this in mind, the proposal of this work was to develop L-alanine-grafted hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and to study their biocompatibility. Two L-alanine sources and three grafting methods were used for hydroxyapatite surface functionalization. The efficiency of grafting was determined based on X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal analyses, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated the formation of hydroxyapatite with 8–25 wt% of organic content, depending on the grafting method. Protein adsorption, cell adhesion, and viability studies were carried out to evaluate biological properties of grafted materials. The viability of MG-63 human osteoblastic cells following 24 h incubation with the alanine-grafted hydroxyapatite samples is well preserved, being in all cases above the viability of cells incubated with hydroxyapatite. The alanine-grafted hydroxyapatite prepared in situ and by simple mixture showed higher protein adsorption and cell adhesion, respectively, indicating their potential toward use in regenerative medicine.