Valorization of Industrial Waste Graphite Fines into Graphene Oxide-based Nanohybrids.

The rapid growth of graphite market is highly coupled with the increasing demand for Li-ion grade graphite, the production of which results in significant losses of the graphitic material in the form of graphite fines. Herein, for the first time, we report an effective strategy to utilize industrial waste graphite fines through the development of graphene oxide-based nanohybrids as non-toxic and efficient antibacterial agents. To achieve this, graphene oxide (GO) was initially synthesized using industrial waste graphite fines as a graphitic precursor.

Sonophotocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole using lanthanum ferrite perovskite oxide anchored on an ultrasonically exfoliated porous graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet.

The lanthanum ferrite perovskite (LaFO) was synthesized using a citric combustion route and then modified with a porous graphitic nitride nanosheet the wet impregnation-assisted ultrasonic method to produce La.FO@PgNS. Various techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), and Tauc plot analysis were employed to confirm the functional moieties, crystallinity, phase change, morphology, composition, and bandgap of La.

N solar activation: ammonia as a hydrogen vector for energy storage.

From the plethora of energy-intensive synthetic processes, ammonia production has a particularly negative impact due to the high-energy consumption caused by the Haber-Bosch process and the high greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rate. Thus, new and effective ways to activate N and synthesise NH are crucial to reduce production costs and the anthropogenic footprint derived from the current harsh reaction conditions. In this study, two-dimensional materials have been employed in the photoactivation of nitrogen in an aqueous medium; M(II)M(III) (with M = Cu or CuNi, and M = Cr or Al) layered double hydroxides have been synthesised using a simple, economical and scalable co-precipitation/filtration method.

Rational Development of IT-SOFC Electrodes Based on the Nanofunctionalization of LaSrGaFeO with Oxides. Part 2: Anodes by Means of Manganite Oxide.

To promote the diffusion on the market of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) devices, the use of fuels other than the most appealing hydrogen and also decreasing the working temperature could show the way forward. In the first part, we concentrated our efforts on cathodes; hereby, we focused on anodes and concentrated our efforts to develop a sustainable multifuel anode. We decided to develop LSGF (LaSrGaFeO)-based nanocomposites by depositing manganite oxide to enhance the performance toward propane.

Industrially Produced Fe- and Mn-Based Perovskites: Effect of Synthesis on Reactivity in Three-Way Catalysis: Part 2.

Mn-based perovskites obtained by two different industrial procedures [flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) and co-precipitation (COP)] have been extensively compared in terms of chemical, structural, and morphological properties with the aim of evaluating how the upscale of complex catalysts can affect the functionality. The transition between laboratory and production scale is, in fact, usually not straightforward. The catalytic activity was tested focusing on reactions of relevance in the abatement of pollutants.

Sustainable, Site-Specific Linkage of Antimicrobial Peptides to Cotton Textiles.

A new general method to covalently link a peptide to cotton via thiazolidine ring formation is developed. Three different analogues of an ultrashort antibacterial peptide are synthesized to create an antibacterial fabric. The chemical ligation approach to the heterogeneous phase made up of insoluble cellulose fibers and a peptide solution in water is adapted.

CuO/LaSrCoO: precursor of efficient NO reduction catalyst studied by high energy X-ray diffraction under three-way catalytic conditions.

Substitution of critical raw materials such as platinum group metals in automotive catalysts is challenging. In this work we prepared a nanocomposite in which CuO nanoparticles are highly dispersed on a La0.5Sr0.

Fluorinated vs. Zwitterionic-Polymer Grafted Surfaces for Adhesion Prevention of the Fungal Pathogen .

Fluorinated (F6) and zwitterionic, as well as phosphorylcholine (MPC) and sulfobetaine (MSA), copolymers containing a low amount (1 and 5 mol%) of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (PTMSi) were prepared and covalently grafted to glass slides by using the trimethoxysilyl groups as anchorage points. Glass-surface functionalization and polymer-film stability upon immersion in water were proven by contact angle and angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AR-XPS) measurements. Antifouling performance of the grafted films was assayed against the yeast , the most common species, which causes over 80% of candidiasis.

Functional Nanostructured Perovskite Oxides from Radical Polymer Precursors.

In the present work, nanostructured perovskite oxides with improved reactivity, tunable morphology, and different forms (powder, thin films) were prepared using acrylic molecules such as acrylamide, acrylic acid, and methacrylic acid as novel chelating agents in a straightforward fashion. The approach, developed for LaCoO, was also applied to oxides of the type LaMO (M = Fe, Ni), SrTiO, and solid solutions thereof. The polymer-to-oxide evolution followed by XRD and IR showed merely a minimal amount of carbonate residuals even at temperatures as low as 600 °C.

Bismuth titanate-based UV filters embedded mesoporous silica nanoparticles: Role of bismuth concentration in the self-sealing process.

The development of new safe inorganic UV filters to effectively protect the skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation effects is an emerging issue. Bismuth titanate-based UV filters embedded into mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) represent a new class of inorganic sunscreens, with excellent UVA and UVB shielding properties. In addition, the presence of bismuth ions promotes a self-sealing process, allowing (i) the entrapment of the active phases in the deepest core of the system and (ii) the formation of an external glassy silica layer with a consequent suppression of the photocatalytic activity.

Synthesis, characterization and cytotoxic activity of novel copper(II) complexes with aroylhydrazone derivatives of 2-Oxo-1,2-dihydrobenzo[h]quinoline-3-carbaldehyde.

Three new 2-oxo-1,2-dihydrobenzo[h]quinoline-3-carbaldehyde terminal substituted aroylhydrazone ligands (2-Oxo-1,2-dihydrobenzo[h]quinoline-3-carbaldehyde(2'-hydroxybenzoyl)hydrazine, HL1, 1, 2-Oxo-1,2-dihydrobenzo[h]quinoline-3-carbaldehyde(2'-hydroxybenzoyl)hydrazine, HL2, 2, 2-Oxo-1,2-dihydrobenzo[h]quinoline-3-carbaldehyde(2'-hydroxybenzoyl)hydrazine, HL3, 3) and the corresponding novel copper(II) complexes [Cu(L)(CHOH)(NO)](L = HL1 (4), HL2 (5), HL3 (6-6), have been synthesized to compare their coordination behaviour and biological activity with respect to the presence of an OH group in different positions of the phenyl ring in the hydrazone moieties. The new ligands and their copper complexes were characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopic techniques. The molecular structures of the new complexes 4 and 6-6 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction.

Energetics of CO oxidation on lanthanide-free perovskite systems: the case of Co-doped SrTiO.

The energetics of the catalytic oxidation of CO on a complex metal oxide are investigated for the first time via density functional theory calculations. The catalyst, Co-doped SrTiO, is modelled using periodically repeated slabs based on the SrTiO(100) surface. The comparison of the energy profiles obtained for the pure host and the Co-doped material reveals the actual pathway followed by the reaction, and shows that Co doping enhances the catalytic properties of SrTiO by reducing the energy cost for the formation of oxygen vacancies.

Amphiphilic block copolymer/poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) blends and nanocomposites for improved fouling-release.

Amphiphilic diblock copolymers, Sz6 and Sz12, consisting of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) block (average degree of polymerisation = 132) and a PEGylated-fluoroalkyl modified polystyrene block (Sz, average degree of polymerisation = 6, 12) were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Coatings were obtained from blends of either block copolymer (1-10 wt%) with a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) matrix. The coating surface presented a simultaneous hydrophobic and lipophobic character, owing to the strong surface segregation of the lowest surface energy fluoroalkyl chains of the block copolymer.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance studies of octadecyl modified metal oxides obtained from different silane precursors.

Octadecyl (C(18)) modified metal oxide substrates, including titania, zirconia, hafnia, and alumina, are prepared using two types of silylating reagents, n-octadecyltrihydridosilane and n-octadecyltrichlorosilane. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and solid-state (29)Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements are performed to examine the cross-linking of the silanes. Solid-state (13)C NMR spectroscopy provides information about the conformation and mobility of surface-immobilized alkyl chains.

Nanostructured films of amphiphilic fluorinated block copolymers for fouling release application.

New amphiphilic block copolymers S nSz m consisting of blocks with varied degrees of polymerization, n and m, of polystyrene, S, and polystyrene carrying an amphiphilic polyoxyethylene-polytetrafluoroethylene chain side-group, Sz, were prepared by controlled atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The block copolymers, either alone or in a blend with commercial SEBS (10 wt% SEBS), were spin-coated in thinner films (200-400 nm) on glass and spray-coated in thicker films ( approximately 500 nm) on a SEBS underlayer (150-200 microm). Angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements proved that at any photoemission angle, varphi, the atomic ratio F/C was larger than that expected from the known stoichiometry.

Nanostructured oxide-based powders: investigation of the growth mode of the CeO2 clusters on the YSZ surface.

CeO(2)/YSZ nanocomposite powders, characterized by increasing Ce/Zr atomic ratio, were obtained by depositing, by wet impregnation, different amounts of CeO(2) on the yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) surface. These powders were characterized by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Experimental results allow us to obtain interesting information concerning the growth mode, the morphology, and the dimensions of the CeO(2) clusters on the YSZ supporting surface.

Experimental and theoretical study of the interaction of CO2 with alpha-Al2O3.

Density functional molecular cluster calculations are combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), quadrupolar mass spectrometry (QMS), and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy to investigate the interaction of CO2 with alpha-Al2O3 and partially reduced alpha-Al2O3. The electronic structure of the stoichiometric and partially reduced substrate, adsorbate geometries, chemisorption enthalpies, and adsorbate vibrational parameters are computed and discussed. Theoretical results agree quite well with experimental data and previous theoretical investigations.