Release of silver and titanium from face masks traded for the general population.

Previous assessments of a selection of face masks intended for the general population in Belgium found that silver (Ag)-based biocides were present in masks advertised for antimicrobial properties; whereas titanium dioxide (TiO) particles were detected in all the face masks in at least one layer corroborating its widespread use in the textile industry. The presence of Ag-based biocides and TiO particles in face masks raised questions on the possibility of release under normal wearing conditions, which could potentially cause a health risk to the consumers. Direct measurement of release of Ag and TiO particles during normal wearing is problematic by the lack of methodology to test release and to quantify inhaled particles.

Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Driven by a Heteroleptic Ruthenium(II) Bis(terpyridine) Complex.

Since the initial report by Lehn et al. in 1979, ruthenium tris(bipyridine) ([Ru(bpy)]) and its numerous derivatives were applied as photosensitizers (PSs) in a large panel of photocatalytic conditions while the bis(terpyridine) analogues were disregarded because of their low quantum yields and short excited-state lifetimes. In this study, we prepared a new terpyridine ligand, 4'-(4-bromophenyl)-4,4‴:4″,4‴'-dipyridinyl- 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine (Bipytpy) and used it to prepare the heteroleptic complex [Ru(Tolyltpy)(Bipytpy)](PF) (; Tolyltpy = 4'-tolyl-2,2':6',2'-terpyridine).