Fabrication of Robust and Effective Oil/Water Separating Superhydrophobic Textile Coatings.

A superhydrophobic (SH) surface is typically constructed by combining a low-surface-energy substance and a high-roughness microstructure. Although these surfaces have attracted considerable attention for their potential applications in oil/water separation, self-cleaning, and anti-icing devices, fabricating an environmentally friendly superhydrophobic surface that is durable, highly transparent, and mechanically robust is still challenging. Herein, we report a facile painting method to fabricate a new micro/nanostructure containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid/poly(dimethylsiloxane)/fluorinated SiO (EDTA/PDMS/F-SiO) coatings on the surface of a textile with two different sizes of SiO particles, which have high transmittance (>90%) and mechanical robustness.

Polysaccharidic spent coffee grounds for silver nanoparticle immobilization as a green and highly efficient biocide.

Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) contain abundant polysaccharides and several components with bioactivities. Despite many bio-functionalities, their bioactivities are not always satisfactory. Modifications of SCGs may overcome this issue.

Novel synthesis of high-surface-area ordered mesoporous TiO2 with anatase framework for photocatalytic applications.

Ordered mesoporous TiO(2) materials with an anatase frameworks have been synthesized by using a cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (C(16)TMABr) as a structure-directing agent and soluble peroxytitanates as Ti precursor through a self-assembly between the positive charged surfactant S(+) and the negatively charged inorganic framework I(-) (S(+)I(-) type). The low-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the as-prepared mesoporous TiO(2) materials indicates a hexagonal mesostructure. XRD and transmission electron microscopy results and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms measurements indicate that the calcined mesoporous TiO(2) possesses an anatase crystalline framework having a maximum pore size of 6.

Sol-gel synthesis and morphological control of nanocrystalline TiO(2) via urea treatment.

Nanocrystalline TiO(2) rods and hollow tubes with an engraved pattern on the surface have been prepared by a novel anionic template-assisted sol-gel synthesis via urea treatment and under hydrothermal condition. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) results indicate that these nanocrystallines consist predominantly of anatase TiO(2), with minor amounts of rutile and brookite. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) analyses reveal these rods and hollow tubes may result from the aggregates of nanorods of approximately 10 nm in diameter.