Publications by authors named "Toufaily J"

F-doped TiO photocatalyst materials were prepared using solid-state and sol-gel synthesis with varying weight percentages of LiF or NHF. Subsequently, molybdate and vanadium oxide were added to the prepared powders to create composite photocatalysts with reduced bandgap energy, enhancing light absorption in the visible region of the spectrum, which is essential for effective photocatalytic activity using sunlight. The synthesized powders were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and specific surface area using the BET method.

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In this work, two novel acridone-based photoinitiators were designed and synthesized for the free radical polymerization of acrylates with a light-emitting diode emitting at 405 nm. These acridone derivatives were employed as mono-component Type II photoinitiators and as multicomponent photoinitiating systems in the presence of an iodonium salt or an amine synergist (EDB) in which they achieved excellent polymerization initiating abilities and high final conversions of the acrylate group. Photoinitiation mechanisms through which reactive species are produced were investigated employing different complementary techniques including steady-state photolysis, steady-state fluorescence, cyclic voltammetry, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy.

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Industrial wastewater discharge, tainted with hazardous substances, including dyes like methylene blue (MB) from the textile sector, further emphasizes the need for water treatment to produce safe drinking water. This study explores the potential of olive mill solid waste, an abundant and cost-effective agricultural waste in Mediterranean regions, to yield high-quality activated carbon (AC) with zinc chloride activation for MB adsorption. The activation process, carried out at a modest temperature of 500 °C without the need for an inert atmosphere, resulted in AC with remarkable characteristics, boasting a substantial surface area of 1184 cm·g and a total pore volume of 0.

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Amino-functionalized metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted much attention for various applications such as carbon dioxide capture, water remediation and catalysis. The focus of this study is to determine the surface and Lewis's acid-base properties of UiO-66(NH) crystals by the inverse gas chromatography (IGC) technique at infinite dilution. The latter was applied to evaluate the dispersive component of the surface energy by using thermal model and several molecular models.

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Heterogenization of the photocatalyst appears to be a valuable solution to reach sustainable processes. Rapid and efficient synthesis of supported photocatalyst is still a remaining challenge and the choice of the support material is crucial. The present study aims at preparing a new generation of hybrid inorganic/organic photocatalysts based on silica mesoporous material and Eosin Y.

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Bimetallic gold-platinum nanoparticles have been widely studied in the fields of nanoalloys, catalysis and plasmonics. Many preparation methods can lead to the formation of these bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs), and the structure and related properties of the nanoalloy often depend on the preparation method used. Here we investigate the ability of thermal dimethylformamide (DMF) reduction to prepare bimetallic gold-platinum sub-nm clusters supported on titania.

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This work is devoted to the study of two copper complexes (Cu) bearing pyridine ligands, which were synthesized, evaluated and tested as new visible light photoinitiators for the free radical photopolymerization (FRP) of acrylates functional groups in thick and thin samples upon light-emitting diodes (LED) at 405 and 455 nm irradiation. These latter wavelengths are considered to be safe to produce polymer materials. The photoinitiation abilities of these organometallic compounds were evaluated in combination with an iodonium (Iod) salt and/or amine (e.

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In this study, the surface thermodynamic properties and more particularly, the dispersive component γ of the surface energy of crystals of a Zr-based MOF, UiO-66 (ZrO(OH)(BDC); BDC = benzene 1,4-dicarboxylic acid), the specific interactions, and their acid-base constants were determined by using different molecular models and inverse gas chromatography methods. The determination of γ of the UiO-66 surface was obtained by using several models such as Dorris-Gray and those based on the Fowkes relation by applying the various molecular models giving the surface areas of n-alkanes and polar organic molecules. Six models were used: Kiselev, spherical, geometric, Van der Waals, Redlich-Kwong, and cylindrical models.

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Article Synopsis
  • Lignocellulosic feedstocks like forestry biomass and agricultural residues can be converted into biofuels and biochemicals, offering a sustainable energy source.
  • However, many traditional conversion methods rely on expensive and harmful metals as catalysts, leading to issues like toxicity, high costs, and operational inefficiencies.
  • This Review highlights both metal and metal-free catalytic methods for oxidizing key platform molecules, showcasing the advantages and potential of using metal-free catalysts for cleaner production processes.
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The mild hydrotreatment of a model mixture of tar-type compounds (i.e., naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene, acenaphthylene, and phenanthrene) to produce partially hydrogenated products in the range of C9-C15 was studied over Pd supported on TiO possessing different crystalline phases.

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Hierarchical MOR-type zeolites were synthesized in the presence of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a porogen agent. XRD proved that the concentration of CTAB in the synthesis medium plays an essential role in forming pure hierarchical MOR-type material. Above a CTAB concentration of 0.

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In this paper, nine organic compounds based on the coumarin scaffold and different substituents were synthesized and used as high-performance photoinitiators for free radical photopolymerization (FRP) of meth(acrylate) functions under visible light irradiation using LED at 405 nm. In fact, these compounds showed a very high initiation capacity and very good polymerization profiles (both high rate of polymerization (Rp) and final conversion (FC)) using two and three-component photoinitiating systems based on coum/iodonium salt (0.1%/1% /) and coum/iodonium salt/amine (0.

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The thermodynamic surface properties and Lewis acid-base constants of H-β-zeolite supported rhodium catalysts were determined by using the inverse gas chromatography technique at infinite dilution. The effect of the temperature and the rhodium percentage supported by zeolite on the acid base properties in Lewis terms of the various catalysts were studied. The dispersive component of the surface energy of Rh/H-β-zeolite was calculated by using both the Dorris and Gray method and the straight-line method.

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A novel nanosensor with peroxidase enzyme-mimetic activity, based on CuS-BSA-Cu(PO) nanoparticles, was developed. CuS-BSA nanoparticles were first synthesized using a facile bio-mineralization assay. Conjugation of Cu(PO) with CuS-BSA generates CuS-BSA-Cu(PO) nanoparticles (NPs) of 10 nm in size with high catalytic activity against a peroxidase substrate, 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB).

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Binderless pure silica zeolites (zeosils) spheres and hollow spheres with a diameter of 20 µm composed of silicalite-1 nanosheets particles were prepared by pseudomorphic transformation of spherical silica beads using different temperatures (110, 130, and 150 °C) and treatment times (1-5 days) in order to adapt the local dissolution rate of silica to the crystallization rate of silicalite-1 nanosheets allowing to preserve the initial morphology of the silica beads. Fully crystalline beads of 20 µm were obtained at 110 °C for 5 days, whereas hollow spheres similar in size were synthesized at higher temperatures. The crystallization process seems to begin at the outer surface of the amorphous silica beads and spreads with the time in the interior of the beads leading to a dissolution of the inner amorphous part of the beads to create zeosil hollow spheres for the highest treatment temperatures (130 and 150 °C).

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This work reports on the synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid nanoscale materials, CuS-BSA-Cu(PO). The developed nanoparticles were characterized by various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis absorption spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The CuS-BSA-Cu(PO) were successfully applied as artificial colorimetric probes in sensing HO, the final outcome of glucose oxidation, and proved to be efficient peroxidase mimics for the catalytic conversion of a chromogenic substrate, 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), into a blue colored oxidized product (oxTMB) which can be easily visualized by the naked eye and monitored by a great absorption peak at 654 nm in the UV-vis spectrophotometry.

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Hierarchical *BEA-type nanosponges zeolite with a high external surface area (116 m.g) and small crystal size, synthesized in the presence of a dual-porogenic organic compound, were modified with a cationic surfactant (HDTMABr: hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) in order to create a new anion exchanger system: the surfactant-modified zeolite nanosponges (SMZ). For comparison, two other surfactant-modified *BEA-type zeolite materials, SMZ and SMZ, were obtained by modifying the synthesized conventional micron-size microcrytals and nanocrystals *BEA-type zeolite with HDTMABr, respectively.

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Peatlands represent large terrestrial carbon banks. Given that most peat accumulates in boreal regions, where low temperatures and water saturation preserve organic matter, the existence of peat in (sub)tropical regions remains enigmatic. Here we examined peat and plant chemistry across a latitudinal transect from the Arctic to the tropics.

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Biocompatible thermoresponsive copolymers based on 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethyl methacrylate (MEOMA) and oligo (ethylene glycol) methacrylate (OEGMA) were grown from the surface of ZnO quantum dots (QDs) by surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization with activators regenerated by electron transfer (SI-ARGET ATRP) in order to design smart and fluorescent core/shell nanosystems to be used toward cancer cells. Tunable lower critical solution temperature (LCST) values were obtained and studied in water and in culture medium. The complete efficiency of the process was demonstrated by the combination of spectroscopic and microscopic studies.

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W based catalysts were synthesized by dry impregnation of SBA-15 mesoporous silica with phosphotungstic acid (HPW) solution with W contents between 5 and 20%, the HPW compound being preserved after calcination. The catalysts performance and the reactivity of various sulfide compounds were evaluated in the oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of model solutions and of real diesels, with sulfur contents ranging from 50 to 2000 ppm. The reactivity of benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene compounds was different in the ODS of model solutions but globally identical in the ODS of SRGO.

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Six new carbazole based compounds (Ca1-Ca6) are synthesized and proposed as high performance photoinitiators with iodonium salt (iod) and/or an amine (EDB) for both the free radical polymerization (FRP) of acrylates and the cationic polymerization (CP) of epoxides upon near UV and visible light exposure using light emitting diodes (LEDs) @385 nm and @405 nm. Excellent polymerization initiating abilities are found and high final reactive function conversions are acquired. A full picture of the involved photochemical mechanisms is given.

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In this study, light-sensitive photosensitizers (Chlorin e6, Ce6) were linked to TiO and SiO nanoparticles (NPs) in order to develop new kinds of NP-based drug delivery systems for cancer treatment by PDT. TiO or SiO NPs were modified either by the growth of a polysiloxane layer constituted of two silane reagents ((3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS)) around the core (PEGylated NPs: TiO@4Si-Ce6-PEG, SiO@4Si-Ce6-PEG) or simply modified by APTES alone (APTES-modified NPs: TiO-APTES-Ce6, SiO-APTES-Ce6). Ce6 was covalently attached onto the modified TiO and SiO NPs via an amide bond.

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In this paper, for the first time, faujasite Y zeolite impregnated with iron (III) was employed as a catalyst to remove a real cocktail of micropollutants inside real water samples from the Meurthe river by the means of the heterogeneous photo-Fenton process. The catalyst was prepared by the wet impregnation method using iron (III) nitrate nonahydrate as iron precursor. First, an optimization of the process parameters was conducted using phenol as model macro-pollutant.

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Radical chemistry is a very convenient way to produce polymer materials. Here, an application of a particular photoinduced radical chemistry is illustrated. Seven new carbazole derivatives - are incorporated and proposed as high performance near-UV photoinitiators for both the free radical polymerization (FRP) of (meth)acrylates and the cationic polymerization (CP) of epoxides utilizing Light Emitting Diodes LEDs @405 nm.

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Nanoparticles (NPs) have been shown to have good ability to improve the targeting and delivery of therapeutics. In the field of photodynamic therapy (PDT), this targeting advantage of NPs could help ensure drug delivery at specific sites. Among the commonly reported NPs for PDT applications, NPs from zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and fullerene are commonly reported.

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