Li-Ions Pre-intercalation Strategy of Manganese Oxides for Capacitive Deionization-Based Selective Lithium Extraction From Low-grade Brine.

In this work, Li preintercalated λ-LiMnO with tunable lithium content is synthesized, which exhibited excellent electrochemical performance and dual-mode electrochemical storage behavior. Double-layer capacitive and diffusion-controlled Faradaic processes play a role in the charge-discharge process, leading to an enhanced lithium selective adsorption capacity. When employed in hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI), the λ-LiMnO obtains a Li adsorption capacity of 33.

Silicate-based mineral materials promote submerged plant growth: Insights from plant physiology and microbiomes.

Restoring submerged plants naturally has been a significant challenge in water ecology restoration programs. Some silicate-based mineral materials have shown promise in improving the substrate properties for plant growth. While it is well-established that silicate mineral materials enhance submerged plant growth by improving salt release and reducing salt stress, the influence of rhizosphere microorganisms on phytohormone synthesis and key enzyme activities has been underestimated.

Chemically Functionalized 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for Sensors.

The goal of the sensor industry is to develop innovative, energy-efficient, and reliable devices to detect molecules relevant to economically important sectors such as clinical diagnoses, environmental monitoring, food safety, and wearables. The current demand for portable, fast, sensitive, and high-throughput platforms to detect a plethora of new analytes is continuously increasing. The 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (2D-TMDs) are excellent candidates to fully meet the stringent demands in the sensor industry; 2D-TMDs properties, such as atomic thickness, large surface area, and tailored electrical conductivity, match those descriptions of active sensor materials.

Sustainable Photocatalytic Acylation of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides with Atom Economy.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are promising 2D nanomaterials for diverse applications, but their intrinsic chemical inertness hinders their modification. Herein, a novel approach is presented for the photocatalytic acylation of 2H-MoS and 2H-MoSe, utilizing tetrabutyl ammonium decatungstate ((nBuN)WO) polyoxometalate complex as a catalyst and a conventional halogen lamp as a source of irradiation. By harnessing the semiconducting properties of TMDs, new avenues emerge for the functionalization of these materials.

Multispecies oral biofilm and identification of components as treatment target.

Unlabelled: Endodontic infections involve a multispecies biofilm, making it difficult to choose an antimicrobial treatment. Characteristics such as the pathogens involved and number of microorganisms, nutrients, material surface to develop the biofilm, flow and oxygenation conditions are important for biofilm development using in vitro models.

Objective: To develop a standardized biofilm model, which replicates the main features (chemical, microbiological, and topographical) of an infected root canal tooth to detect components as treatment target.

2D materials towards energy conversion processes in nanofluidics.

Hierarchically assembled 2D material membranes are extremely promising platforms for energy conversion processes in nanofluidics. In this perspective, we discuss recent advances in the production of smart 2D material membranes that come close to mimicking biological energy conversion processes and how these efforts translate into the design of water purification systems, artificial photosynthesis, and solar energy conversion devices. As we depict here, 2D material membranes synergistically modulate the intrinsic active sites (nanopores), electron transport, mass transfer, and mechanical and chemical stability aiming at cost-effective and highly efficient smart membranes.

Covalently Modified MoS Bearing a Hamilton-Type Receptor for Recognizing a Redox-Active Ferrocene-Barbiturate Guest via Multiple H-Bonds.

The covalent modification of the metallic phase of MoS with a Hamilton-type ligand is presented, transforming MoS to a recognition platform which is able to embrace barbiturate moieties via hydrogen bonding. The successful hydrogen bonding formation is easily monitored by simple electrochemical assessments, if a ferrocene-labeled barbiturate analogue is utilized as a proof of concept. Full spectroscopic, thermal, and electron microscopy imaging characterization is provided for the newly formed recognition system, along with valuable insights concerning the electrochemical sensing.

Carbon Dots Strongly Immobilized onto Carbon Nanohorns as Non-Metal Heterostructure with High Electrocatalytic Activity towards Protons Reduction in Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Highly performing, non-metal inexpensive electrocatalysts for the production of hydrogen via electrochemical water splitting are called for the replacement of current platinum-based ones. In order to speed up the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution, abundant active sites but also efficient charge transfer is needed. In this context, 0D carbon dots (CDs) with large specific surface area, low cost, high conductivity, and rich functional groups emerge as promising non-metal electrocatalysts.

A few-layer graphene/chlorin e6 hybrid nanomaterial and its application in photodynamic therapy against .

The global emergence of multidrug resistance of fungal infections and the decline in the discovery of new antibiotics are increasingly prevalent causes of hospital-acquired infections, among other major challenges in the global health care sector. There is an urgent need to develop noninvasive, nontoxic, and new antinosocomial approaches that work more effectively and faster than current antibiotics. In this work, we report on a biocompatible hybrid nanomaterial composed of few-layer graphene and chlorin e6 (FLG-Ce6) for the photodynamic treatment (PDT) of .

Interactions of Functionalized Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes with Giant Phospholipid Vesicles as Model Cellular Membrane System.

Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are considered alternative materials for the design of advanced drug and gene delivery vectors. However, the mechanism responsible for the cellular membrane intake of CNTs is not well understood. In the present study, we show how multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) owning different surface properties, interact with giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), a simple model system for cellular membranes.

Imaging carbon nanostructures' reactivity: a complementary strategy to define chemical structure.

In the search for the integration of carbon nanostructures in composite and functional materials, covalent organic reactions are successfully performed. This approach resulted in the construction of tailored chemical interfaces facilitating incorporation of nanocarbons. By a combination of different characterization techniques, such as high-resolution X-ray photo-spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis-nIR, and fluorescence spectroscopies, it is possible to identify and quantify the functional moieties covalently attached to the carbon frame.

Stable graphene oxide-gold nanoparticle platforms for biosensing applications.

Graphene oxide-gold nanoparticle (AuNPs@GO) hybrids were fabricated in water dispersions of graphene oxide (GO) and Au precursor completely free of stabilizing agents by UV-light irradiation. Gold nanoparticle (AuNP) nucleation, growth, and stabilization mechanisms at the surface of GO are discussed on the basis of UV-Vis, Raman, IR, and X-Ray photo-spectroscopy studies. The analyses of AuNPs@GO hybrids by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric (TGA) and electrochemical tests show that they exhibit outstanding chemical, thermal and electrochemical stabilities.

Triazine-Carbon Nanotubes: New Platforms for the Design of Flavin Receptors.

The synthesis of functionalised carbon nanotubes as receptors for riboflavin (RBF) is reported. Carbon nanotubes, both single-walled and multi-walled, have been functionalised with 1,3,5-triazines and p-tolyl chains by aryl radical addition under microwave irradiation and the derivatives have been fully characterised by using a range of techniques. The interactions between riboflavin and the hybrids were analysed by using fluorescence and UV/Vis spectroscopic techniques.

Supramolecular Macrostructures of UPy-Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered excellent materials for the construction of flexible displays due to their nanoscale dimensions and unique physical and chemical properties. By using the recognition properties of 2-ureido-4[1H]pyrimidinone (UPy), a versatile and simple methodology was demonstrated for the construction of macroscopic structures based on UPy-CNT/polymer composites prepared by a combination of two functionalization approaches: 1) covalent attachment of UPy pendants on the multiwalled CNT surface (UPy-MWCNTs) and 2) directed self-assembly of UPy-MWCNTs within polymers bearing UPy pendants (Bis-UPy 1 and Bis-UPy 2) by quadruple complementary DDAA-AADD hydrogen-bond recognition (D=donor, A=acceptor).

Liquid-phase exfoliated graphene: functionalization, characterization, and applications.

The development of chemical strategies to render graphene viable for incorporation into devices is a great challenge. A promising approach is the production of stable graphene dispersions from the exfoliation of graphite in water and organic solvents. The challenges involve the production of a large quantity of graphene sheets with tailored distribution in thickness, size, and shape.

Supramolecular assemblies of nucleoside functionalized carbon nanotubes: synthesis, film preparation, and properties.

Nucleoside-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-MWCNTs) were synthesized and characterized. A self-organization process using hydrogen bonding interactions was then used for the fabrication of self-assembled N-MWCNTs films free of stabilizing agents, polymers, or surfactants. Membranes were produced by using a simple water-dispersion-based vacuum-filtration method.

Positive graphene by chemical design: tuning supramolecular strategies for functional surfaces.

A diazonium based-arylation reaction was efficiently used for the covalent addition of 4-amino-N,N,N-trimethylbenzene ammonium to stable dispersions of few layer graphene (FLG) yielding an innovative FLG platform with positive charges to immobilize inorganic polyanions.

Rolling up a graphene sheet.

Carbon Nanotubes, CNTs, have been described as rolled-up graphene layers. Matching this concept to experiments has been a great experimental challenge for it requires a method to exfoliate graphite, generate ordered and stable dangling carbon bonds, and roll up the layer without affecting the unpaired electrons of the dangling bonds that finally have to zip up in an orderly fashion: A tall order for any synthetic strategy. The combined use of ultrasonication of graphite in dimethylformamide and addition of ferrocene aldehyde just does it!

Knitting the catalytic pattern of artificial photosynthesis to a hybrid graphene nanotexture.

The artificial leaf project calls for new materials enabling multielectron catalysis with minimal overpotential, high turnover frequency, and long-term stability. Is graphene a better material than carbon nanotubes to enhance water oxidation catalysis for energy applications? Here we show that functionalized graphene with a tailored distribution of polycationic, quaternized, ammonium pendants provides an sp(2) carbon nanoplatform to anchor a totally inorganic tetraruthenate catalyst, mimicking the oxygen evolving center of natural PSII. The resulting hybrid material displays oxygen evolution at overpotential as low as 300 mV at neutral pH with negligible loss of performance after 4 h testing.

Production of large graphene sheets by exfoliation of graphite under high power ultrasound in the presence of tiopronin.

Under ultrasonication, the production of high quality graphene layers by exfoliation of graphite was achieved via addition of tiopronin as an antioxidant.

Organic functionalization of graphene in dispersions.

Graphene is considered a promising material for a range of new applications from flexible electronics to functional nanodevices, such as biosensors or intelligent coatings. Therefore researchers need to develop protocols for the mass production of graphene. One possible method is the exfoliation of graphite to form stable dispersions in organic solvents or even water.

A simple road for the transformation of few-layer graphene into MWNTs.

We report the direct formation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) by ultrasonication of graphite in dimethylformamide (DMF) upon addition of ferrocene aldehyde (Fc-CHO). The tubular structures appear exclusively at the edges of graphene layers and contain Fe clusters. Fc in conjunction with benzyl aldehyde, or other Fc derivatives, does not induce formation of NT.

Multiple hydrogen bond interactions in the processing of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

In a set of unprecedented experiments combining "bottom-up" and "top-down" approaches, we report the engineering of patterned surfaces in which functionalized MWCNTs have been selectively adsorbed on polymeric matrices as obtained by microlithographic photo-cross-linking of polystyrene polymers bearing 2,6-di(acetylamino)-4-pyridyl moieties (PS1) deposited on glass or Si. All patterned surfaces have been characterized by optical, fluorescence, and SEM imaging techniques, showing the local confinement of the CNTs materials on the polymeric microgrids. These results open new possibilities toward the controlled manipulation of CNTs on surfaces, using H-bonding self-assembly as the main driving force.