The contamination of aquatic environments by toxic metals such as radionuclides is of great concern because of the tendency of those metals to accumulate in the vital organs of humans and animals, causing severe health problems. The objective of this study was to investigate the use of natural and modified magadiite clay as an adsorbent to remove Th(IV), U(VI), and Eu(III) from aqueous solutions. Magadiite from the Amazon region, Brazil, was modified chemically with 5-mercapto-1-methyltetrazole (MTTZ) using a multi-step or heterogeneous synthesis pathway. The natural and modified materials were characterized using 29Si and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen gas adsorption, and elemental analysis. The physical-chemical properties of the chemically modified magadiite sample were modified, e.g. the specific surface area changed from 35.0 to 678.9 m2 g−1. The ability of the magadiite to remove Th(IV), U(VI), and Eu(III) from aqueous solution was then tested by a series of adsorption isotherms adjusted to a Sips equation. The effects of properties such as pH, contact time, and metal concentration on the adsorption capacity were studied. The adsorption maxima were determined to be 7.5 × 10−3, 9.8 × 10−3, and 12.9 × 10−3 mmol g−1 for Th(IV), U(VI), and Eu(III), respectively. From calorimetric determinations, the quantitative thermal effects for all these cations/basic center interactions gave exothermic enthalpy, negative Gibbs free energy, and positive entropy, confirming the energetically favorable conditions of such interactions at the solid/liquid interface for all systems.

Methods that allow for high-throughput synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles are necessary to more feasibly fabricate materials for real-world applications. To accomplish this, in this article, we describe a versatile electrospray-based synthesis method for the synthesis of magnetic cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. This method has the potential to be readily scaled up using methods similar to those currently used in place for the large-scale electrospinning of fibers. To mitigate film formation as often seen with electrospraying ceramics onto a flat plate collector, we developed a method where the magnetic cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were electrosprayed into a silicone oil–based liquid collector. The as-sprayed particles were then crystalized by salt calcining with sodium chloride at 800 °C. The synthesized magnetic nanoparticles obtained using this method had an average particle diameter of 20.7 ± 11.5 nm. This liquid collection method for the synthesis of cobalt ferrite also presents a versatile platform for the synthesis of a wide range of functional nanomaterials and nanocomposites.

The advantage of alcohol–calcium method on the formation and the stability of vaterite against ethanol–water binary solvents (EWBS) method was studied through comparative experiment. The polymorphs and morphologies of CaCO3 were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD results show that vaterite slowly decreases from 90.4 to 82.5% as increasing aging time from 0 to 1320 min in alcohol–calcium system, while quickly decreases from 46.5% to 0% at the same aging time in EWBS system. The similar variation as reaction temperature was found in both systems. SEM images indicate that calcite presents its typical rhombohedral morphology in both systems, while the morphologies of vaterite particles in two systems are different. In alcohol–calcium system, small vaterite nanoparticles aggregate into spherical microparticles, and these microparticles become porous, loose, and irregular, even incomplete, as increasing aging time and reaction temperature, while in EWBS system, vaterite nanoparticles aggregate into irregular microparticles. The advantage of alcohol–calcium method was discussed from the formation of the complex compound CaCl2·n(C2H5OH) in alcohol and its decomplexation in aqueous medium.

In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in powder and in thin film were successfully synthesized first time using an eco-friendly, simple and cost effective green synthesis method mediated by corn husk (Zea mays) extract as an effective chelating agent, and zinc nitrate hexahydrate as precursor. Diverse characterizations techniques such as High Resolution – Scanning Electron Microscopy (HR-SEM), Energy Dispersive X- rays Spectroscopy (EDS), X-Rays Diffraction (XRD), and UV – Vis – NIR spectroscopy as well as Photoluminescence (PL) were investigated to confirm ZnO NPs nature. For the ZnO NPs powder, highly crystalline ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) annealed at 500°C which are 48.635 nm in particles size were characterised by HR-SEM and XRD analysis. The structure morphology and the constituents of the resultant ZnO powder were investigated respectively by HR-SEM and EDS. UV – Visible spectroscopy analysis was investigated on the optical band gap of ZnO NPs, which was calculated to be 3.31 eV. This result indicates that ZnO NPs can be used in metal oxide semiconductor-based devices. For the ZnO NPs thin film, XRD patterns of hexagonal wurtzite structure with c/a ratio about of 1.60 and μ – parameter of 0.38 were obtained. PL measurements showed a broad emission band in the 380 – 800 nm range, centred at 481 nm. ZnO NPs thin film yielded relatively more intense photoluminescence spectra than the ZnO NPs powder. The intrinsic point defects and defect level transitions responsible for the broad emission are discussed.

Detailed report on MOFs for CO2 adsorption on the basis of ligands employed, OMSs, and structures. Systematic report on the high- and low-pressure CO2 capture. Report on the mechanism of CO2 capture.

A review on the promising field of MOF-based carbon capture and storage is presented. We discuss here the main features of MOFs applicable for CO2 capture and separation, the linker functionalization role, and the most important CO2-binding sites as also the most efficient and significant technologies, and a systematic report on the high- and low-pressure CO2 capture.

Hydrogen is often touted as the fuel of the future, but hydrogen is already an important feedstock for the chemical industry. This review highlights current means for hydrogen production and use, and the importance of progressing R&D along key technologies and policies to drive a cost reduction in renewable hydrogen production and enable the transition of chemical manufacturing toward green hydrogen as a feedstock and fuel.

The chemical industry is at the core of what is considered a modern economy. It provides commodities and important materials, e.g., fertilizers, synthetic textiles, and drug precursors, supporting economies and more broadly our needs. The chemical sector is to become the major driver for oil production by 2030 as it entirely relies on sufficient oil supply. In this respect, renewable hydrogen has an important role to play beyond its use in the transport sector. Hydrogen not only has three times the energy density of natural gas and using hydrogen as a fuel could help decarbonize the entire chemical manufacturing, but also the use of green hydrogen as an essential reactant at the basis of many chemical products could facilitate the convergence toward virtuous circles. Enabling the production of green hydrogen at cost could not only enable new opportunities but also strengthen economies through a localized production and use of hydrogen. Herein, existing technologies for the production of renewable hydrogen including biomass and water electrolysis, and methods for the effective storage of hydrogen are reviewed with an emphasis on the need for mitigation strategies to enable such a transition.

In recent years, investigations of the phase transition behavior of semiconducting nanoparticles under high pressure has attracted increasing attention due to their potential applications in sensors, electronics, and optics. However, current understanding of how the size of nanoparticles influences this pressure-dependent property is somewhat lacking. In particular, phase behaviors of semiconducting CdS nanoparticles under high pressure have not been extensively reported. Therefore, in this work, CdS nanoparticles of different sizes are used as a model system to investigate particle size effects on high-pressure-induced phase transition behaviors. In particular, 7.5, 10.6, and 39.7 nm spherical CdS nanoparticles are synthesized and subjected to controlled high pressures up to 15 GPa in a diamond anvil cell. Analysis of all three nanoparticles using in-situ synchrotron wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) data shows that phase transitions from wurtzite to rocksalt occur at higher pressures than for bulk material. Bulk modulus calculations not only show that the wurtzite CdS nanomaterial is more compressible than rocksalt, but also that the compressibility of CdS nanoparticles depends on their particle size. Furthermore, sintering of spherical nanoparticles into nanorods was observed for the 7.5 nm CdS nanoparticles. Our results provide new insights into the fundamental properties of nanoparticles under high pressure that will inform designs of new nanomaterial structures for emerging applications.

The polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) onto nanosilica (SiO2) was synthesized in this study by using supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2). With the addition of dopants of p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA) or decylbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA), the PEDOT/SiO2 composite became conductive. The product was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and the core-shell structure was confirmed through the TEM images. The electrical properties were analyzed by UV-vis absorbance and four-point probe measurement. DBSA is shown as the better dopants with the molar ratio (DBSA/EDOT) of 0.2 at the reaction time of 48 hours. The maximum coating percentage is 63 wt% under the optimal operation conditions at 40oC and 280 bar. The conductivity is tuned up to 6.6×10-2 S/cm after the coating process.

A perfluorinated ionic liquid, 1-(perfluorohexyl)-3-methylimidazolium iodide, was synthesized via microwave reaction and compared to a non-fluorinated analog. Typically, the synthesis of fluorinated ionic liquids involves long reaction times and multiple steps. We have demonstrated a shortened synthesis and a more straightforward procedure, by using a microwave reactor for the microwave-assisted synthesis of 1-(perfluorohexyl)-3-methylimidazolium iodide. The addition of fluorinated alkyl chains on imidazolium ionic liquid cations increases the molecular free volume of the ionic liquid which is beneficial for increasing CO2 physisorption. Computational and experimental data shows an increased CO2 solubility and capacity for fluorinated ionic liquids. The perfluoroalkyl functionalized ionic liquid is characterized using 1H and 19F NMR spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and DSC. By DSC, a crystallization onset is near -31 °C and while the onset of the melting point between -30 and -17 °C.

Nickel-rich layered oxide LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 suffers from severe structural instability and irreversible capacity loss during cycling due to cation disorder of Li+ and Ni2+. To solve this problem, the precursor Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1(OH)2 and well-ordered LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode materials were successfully synthesized via controlled crystallization and high-temperature solid-state methods. The structure, morphology, and electrochemical performance of the precursor and LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 powders were investigated. The results show that the precursor Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1(OH)2 is made of sphere-like particles composed of needle-like primary crystal and LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 possesses a perfect layered structure with low Li/Ni disorder. Electrochemical data demonstrate that the material rate capabilities are 203.3, 187.7, 170.4, and 163 mA h/g from 0.1C to 10C, respectively. The capacity retention is 87.9% after 100 cycles at 1C, even the cut-off voltage was increased to 4.5 V. The high discharge capacity and outstanding cycling life can be attributed to the merits of a perfect crystal lattice with low Li/Ni disorder, fast lithium ion transport, and relatively low charge transfer resistance.

Sputtered thin films of Ag2ZnSnS4 (AZTS) have shown promising semiconducting properties in spite of the films containing SnS2, SnSx, or ZnS as impurity phases. In this study, reaction pathways were identified to produce single-phase AZTS nanoparticles as precursors for forming dense, single-phase films. The morphology, composition, and phase evolution during nanoparticle formation in an oleylamine-based solvothermal reaction process were determined using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and transmission and scanning transmission electron microscope (TEM/STEM). The reaction pathways for AZTS nanoparticles were found to be different from Cu2ZnSnS4 nanoparticles in oleylamine, which may explain the difficulty in creating (Ag, Cu)2ZnSnS4 solid solutions in the nanoparticle synthesis. The single-phase AZTS nanoparticle films have a band gap (2.16 eV) slightly higher than sputtered films, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurements demonstrated a current of 0.1 mA/cm2 in K2SO4 solution even as porous nanoparticle films, suggesting the potential of this material in solar energy conversion when converted into a dense film.

The present research was aimed to study the degradation of 2-Chlorophenol through the use of bismuth molybdate (γ-Bi2MoO6) structures supported on graphene oxide (GO) which is intended to control the recombination of charge carriers. γ-Bi2MoO6/GO systems were doped with nitrogen via chemical reaction, to reduce their energy gap, improving their photocatalytic activity. Structural and physicochemical characterization of the resulting catalysts were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-Vis. The obtained compounds show good photo catalytic performance when using visible energy to degrade 2-Chlorophenol, obtaining 80% of degradation in 65 min.

A fundamental design rule that nature has developed for biological machines is the intimate correlation between motion and function. One class of biological machines is molecular motors in living cells, which directly convert chemical energy into mechanical work. They coexist in every eukaryotic cell, but differ in their types of motion, the filaments they bind to, the cargos they carry, as well as the work they perform. Such natural structures offer inspiration and blueprints for constructing DNA-assembled artificial systems, which mimic their functionality. In this article, we describe two groups of cytoskeletal motors, linear and rotary motors. We discuss how their artificial analogues can be built using DNA nanotechnology. Finally, we summarize ongoing research directions and conclude that DNA origami has a bright future ahead.

In this contribution, we devoted ourselves to fabricating aggregation-induced emission (AIE) activity copolymers via one-pot combination of RAFT polymerization and Biginelli reaction for the first time. When the feeding ratio of TPB was 33.5%, the molar fraction of TPB was, respectively, about 14.2 and 22.5% in PEG-PTE1 copolymers by two-step strategy and PEG-PTE2 copolymers by one-pot strategy with the similar structure. The Mn of PEG-PTE1 increased to 59,300 from 52,800 of PEG-AE presoma with narrow PDI, which was more than Mn of PEG-PTE2 with 52,300. As compared with PEG-PTE2, when the feeding ratio of TPB was 48.6%, the molar fraction of TPB increased to 32.6% in PEG-PTE3. In aqueous solution, the as-obtained PEG-PTE2 copolymers can self-assemble into fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) with 100–180 nm spherical morphology, the maximal emission peak of which presented at 460 nm with the obvious AIE phenomenon. Moreover, due to the low toxicity and excellent cell dyeing behavior, the as-prepared PEG-PTE2 copolymers displayed great potential for biomedical applications.

In this work, a new phenylethylene derivative, named 2-((3,5-di(9H-carbazol-9-yl)phenyl)(p-tolyl)methylene)malononitrile (DCPTMM), is synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectroscopies, mass spectrum, and X-ray crystallography. Its photophysical properties are systematically studied and the result illustrates that DCPTMM shows aggregation-induced emission (AIE). The X-ray single crystal diffraction shows that the individual structure of crystals is monoclinic system with space group symbol P21/c and presents a twisted propeller-type structure as well as the packing structure of crystals has multiple types of hydrogen bonds (C–H⋯π and C–H⋯N) formed between adjacent molecules, and there is no π–π interaction between the aromatic rings, which is the main reason for the formation of AIE. Nondoped OLED fabricated with DCPTMM as light emitting layer emits greenish yellow light with a maximum emission peak of 554 nm and has relatively good performance with a maximum current efficiency of 5.53 cd/A and a maximum brightness of 6936 cd/m2.

In this work, graphene and graphene oxide were synthesized by the modified Hummers method. In order to use graphene in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), TiO2–graphene was prepared by a simple chemical method and used in the DSSC photoanode at different concentrations of graphene to investigate DSSC performance. Utilizing the FE-SEM images, it was observed that accumulation of TiO2 nanoparticles disappeared and a different distribution of nanoparticles was formed on the graphene sheet. Moreover, the UV-vis spectra showed that TiO2–graphene nanocomposites can absorb a wide range of light in comparison with pure TiO2. Structural characterization of TiO2–graphene nanocomposites is confirmed by the FT-IR and Raman analysis. The results have shown that in the presence of graphene, the DSSC performance significantly improved by reducing the recombination. In addition, it has been shown that excess graphene concentration is not proper for DSSC performance. The best result for TiO2–graphene nanocomposite was obtained when the concentration of 1.5% graphene was applied.

Ultrasonic sonochemistry and pulsed laser ablation in liquids (LAL) are modern techniques for materials synthesis that are in different ways linked to the formation and collapse of cavitation bubbles. We provide an overview of the physics of laser-induced and acoustically driven bubble oscillations and then describe how the high pressures and temperatures associated with ablation and bubble collapse, as well as emitted shock waves, take part in material synthesis inside and around the bubble. Emphasis is placed on the mechanisms of sonochemical synthesis and modification, and on a step-by-step account of the events from laser ablation through interaction of ablation products with the surrounding liquid up to the modification or aggregation of particles within the bubble. Both sonochemistry and LALs yield nanostructured materials and colloidal nanoparticles with unique properties. The synthesis process has been demonstrated to be scalable.

In this work, the nitrogen-doped carbon materials (NCM) and nitrogen/sulfur codoped carbon materials (NSCM) were prepared using conventional benzoxazine (BOZ) and sulfur-containing benzoxazine as precursor and SBA-15 as template. The morphology, structure, and electrochemical performance of carbon materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, the X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic charge–discharge. The results show that the as-prepared carbon materials have ordered mesoporous structure, large specific surface area, and excellent electrochemical properties. The NSCM treated at 800 °C exhibit an extremely high specific capacitance of 550 F/g at the current density of 0.5 A/g in 0.5 mol H2SO4 electrolyte, which shows great improvement compared with NCM. The nitrogen/sulfur codoping is suggested to be a very effective method to improve the performance of carbon materials, and the NSCM should be a promising candidate as electrode materials for supercapacitors.

Two wide band gap conjugated polymers, namely PBDT-TT25 and PBDT-TT36, derived from (4,8-bis(4,5-dioctyl-thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl)bis(trimethylstannane) with 2,5-dibromothieno[3,2-b]thiophene (TT25) or 3,6-dibromothieno[3,2-b]thiophene (TT36), have been synthesized by simply altering the linker positions of thieno[3,2-b]thiophene unit. The impact of linker positions on the energy levels, aggregation, active layer morphology, and optical and photovoltaic properties was evaluated systemically. We found that the absorption was greatly broadened, and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level was elevated as the result of the significantly reduced twist angle on the polymer backbone when the linker positions changed from 3,6-isomer to 2,5-isomer. Therefore, the optimal inverted polymer solar cells exhibited a 1.87 times enhancement in power conversion efficiencies (PCE), which was mainly ascribed to the higher short circuit current densities (JSC) and fill factor (FF) of the devices mainly benefited from the widened, stronger absorption, higher hole mobility, and more ordered structure.

We report the development of a sensitive and a label-free electrochemical immunosensing platform for the detection of cardiac biomarker troponin I (cTnI) using tungsten trioxide nanorods (WO3 NRs). The low-temperature hydrothermal technique was employed for the controlled synthesis of WO3 NRs. Thin films of 3-aminopropyltriethoxy saline (APTES)-functionalized WO3 NRs were deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrate (0.5 cm × 1 cm) using electrophoretic deposition technique. The covalent immobilization of cTnI antibody onto functionalized WO3 NRs electrode was accomplished using EDC-NHS [1-(3-(dimethylamino)-propyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride and N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide] chemistry. The structural and morphological characterizations of WO3 NRs and functionalized WO3 NRs were studied using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and electrochemical techniques. The impedimetric response study of the proposed immunosensor demonstrates high sensitivity [6.81 KΩ mL·cm2)] in a linear detection range of 0.01–10 ng/mL. The excellent selectivity, good reproducibility, and long-term stability of the proposed immunosensing platform indicate WO3 NRs as a suitable platform for the development of a point-of-care biosensing device for cardiac detection.