Correction: Magnetically recoverable magnetite-reduced graphene oxide as a demulsifier for surfactant stabilized crude oil-in-water emulsion.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Synergy Effect of Plasmonic Field Enhancement and Light Confinement in Mesoporous Titania-Coated Aluminum Nanovoid Photoelectrode.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a highly demanded technology for the realization of sustainable society. Various types of photoanodes have been developed to achieve high efficiency of PEC water splitting. Plasmonic field enhancement and light confinement effects are often adopted to improve PEC performance.

Fabrication and electrochemical properties of electrode composites for oxide-type all-solid-state batteries through electrostatic integrated assembly.

All-solid-state batteries, which use flame-resistant solid electrolytes, are regarded as safer alternatives to conventional lithium-ion batteries for various applications including electric vehicles. Herein, we report the fabrication of cathode composites for oxide-type all-solid-state batteries through an electrostatic assembly method. A polyelectrolyte is used to adjust the surface charge of the matrix particles to positive/negative, and the aggregation resulting from electrostatic interactions is utilized.

Characterization of Fungal Foams from Edible Mushrooms Using Different Agricultural Wastes as Substrates for Packaging Material.

Agricultural wastes and leaves, which are classified as lignocellulosic biomass, have been used as substrates in the production of fungal foams due to the significant growth of the mushroom industry in recent years. Foam derived from fungi can be utilized in a variety of industrial applications, including the production of packaging materials. Here, white oyster mushrooms () and yellow oyster mushrooms () were cultivated on rice husk, sawdust, sugarcane bagasse, and teak leaves.

Degradation of Diazo Congo Red Dye by Using Synthesized Poly-Ferric-Silicate-Sulphate through Co-Polymerization Process.

The ability of poly-ferric-silicate-sulphate (PFSS) synthesized via a co-polymerization process has been applied for the removal of diazo Congo red dye. A novel degradation pathway of diazo Congo red dye by using PFSS is proposed based on LC-MS analysis. Diazo Congo red dye was successfully removed using synthesized PFSS at lower coagulant dosages and a wider pH range, i.

A Novel Controlled Fabrication of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Incorporated Composite Granules Using the Electrostatic Integrated Granulation Method.

Despite the availability of nano and submicron-sized additive materials, the controlled incorporation and utilization of these additives remain challenging due to their difficult handling ability and agglomeration-prone properties. The formation of composite granules exhibiting unique microstructure with desired additives distribution and good handling ability has been reported using the electrostatic integrated granulation method. This study demonstrates the feasible controlled incorporation of two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) sheets with alumina (AlO) particles, forming AlO-hBN core-shell composite granules.

Anodic nanoporous WO modified with BiS quantum dots as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Although anodic nanoporous (ANP) WO has gained a lot of attention for photoelectrochemical water splitting (PEC-WS), there is still a lack of efficient WO-based photoanodes with sufficient light absorption and good e/h separation and transfer. The decoration of ANP WO with narrow bandgap semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) can enhance charge carrier transfer while reducing their recombination, resulting in a high PEC efficiency. In this study, ANP WO was synthesized via an anodic oxidation process and then modified with BiS QDs via successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) process and examined as a photoanode for PEC-WS under ultraviolet-visible illumination.

Controlled formation of carbon nanotubes incorporated ceramic composite granules by electrostatic integrated nano-assembly.

Controlled incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNT) with alumina (AlO) and zirconia (ZrO) nanoparticles using an electrostatic nano-assembly method for the fabrication of homogeneous CNT-incorporated AlO-ZrO and CNT-incorporated shell-layer AlO-ZrO composite granules is demonstrated. The spark-plasma-sintered CNT-incorporated shell-layer AlO-ZrO artifact exhibited approximately 15 times higher electrical conductivity than a homogeneous CNT-incorporating artifact. This novel composite granule fabrication method using an electrostatic integrated assembly of colloidal nanomaterials would be beneficial for the development of multiscale and multicomponent composite materials.

Enhanced photocatalytic and antimicrobial performance of a multifunctional Cu-loaded nanocomposite under UV light: theoretical and experimental study.

Due to modern industrialization and population growth, access to clean water has become a global challenge. In this study, a metal-semiconductor heterojunction was constructed between Cu NPs and the CoNiFeO/SiO/TiO composite matrix for the photodegradation of potassium permanganate, hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) and -nitroaniline (pNA) under UV light. In addition, the electronic and adsorption properties after Cu loading were evaluated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Photoreduction of Cr(VI) in wastewater by anodic nanoporous NbO formed at high anodizing voltage and electrolyte temperature.

In this study, nanoporous anodic film was produced by anodization of niobium, Nb in a fluoride ethylene glycol electrolyte. The effect of anodization voltage and electrolyte temperature was studied to find an optimum condition for circular, ordered, and uniform pore formation. The diameter of the pores was found to be larger when the applied voltage was increased from 20 to 80 V.

Formation of Dense and High-Aspect-Ratio Iron Oxide Nanowires by Water Vapor-Assisted Thermal Oxidation and Their Cr(VI) Adsorption Properties.

Coral-like and nanowire (NW) iron oxide nanostructures were produced at 700 and 800 °C, respectively, through thermal oxidation of iron foils in air- and water vapor-assisted conditions. Water vapor-assisted thermal oxidation at 800 °C for 2 h resulted in the formation of highly crystalline α-FeO NWs with good foil surface coverage, and we propose that their formation was due to a stress-driven surface diffusion mechanism. The Cr(VI) adsorption property of an aqueous solution on α-FeO NWs was also evaluated after a contact time of 90 min.

Nanoporous anodic NbO with pore-in-pore structure formation and its application for the photoreduction of Cr(VI).

An anodic film with a nanoporous structure was formed by anodizing niobium at 60 V in fluorinated ethylene glycol (fluoride-EG). After 30 min of anodization, the anodic film exhibited a "pore-in-pore" structure; that is, there were smaller pores growing inside larger pores. The as-anodized film was weakly crystalline and became orthorhombic NbO after heat treatment.

Nanomaterial Fabrication through the Modification of Sol-Gel Derived Coatings.

In materials processing, the sol-gel method is one of the techniques that has enabled large-scale production at low cost in the past few decades. The versatility of the method has been proven as the fabrication of various materials ranging from metallic, inorganic, organic, and hybrid has been reported. In this review, a brief introduction of the sol-gel technique is provided and followed by a discussion of the significance of this method for materials processing and development leading to the creation of novel materials through sol-gel derived coatings.

Nanocomposite matrix conjugated with carbon nanomaterials for photocatalytic wastewater treatment.

The problem of hazardous wastewater remediation is a complicated issue and a global challenge. Herein, a layered CoNiFeO/SiO/TiO composite matrix was prepared and incorporated with three carbon nanomaterials having different dimensionalities, carbon dots (C-dots, 0D), single-walled carbon nanotubes (1D), and reduced graphene oxide (2D), in an effort to create effective photocatalytic nanocomposites for chloramine-T removal from water. Microstructural analyses confirmed the formation of nanocomposites and revealed their chemistry and structure.

Carbon-dot-loaded CoNiFeO; x = 0.9/SiO/TiO nanocomposite with enhanced photocatalytic and antimicrobial potential: An engineered nanocomposite for wastewater treatment.

Water scarcity is now a serious global issue resulting from population growth, water decrease, and pollution. Traditional wastewater treatment plants are insufficient and cannot meet the basic standards of water quality at reasonable cost or processing time. In this paper we report the preparation, characterization and multiple applications of an efficient photocatalytic nanocomposite (CoNiFeO; x = 0.

Formation of grassy TiO nanotube thin film by anodisation in peroxide electrolyte for Cr(VI) removal under ultraviolet radiation.

Arrays of TiO nanotubes (TiO NTs) with grassy surfaces were observed on titanium foil anodised at 60 V in fluorinated ethylene glycol (EG) with added hydrogen peroxide (HO). The grassy surface was generated by the chemical etching and dissolution of the surface of the TiO NTs walls, which was accelerated by the temperature increase on the addition of HO . Upon annealing at 600 °C, the grassy part of the TiO NTs was found to consist of mostly anatase TiO whereas the bottom part of the anodic oxide comprised a mixture of anatase and rutile TiO.

Magnetically recoverable magnetite-reduced graphene oxide as a demulsifier for surfactant stabilized crude oil-in-water emulsion.

Oily wastewater, especially water-oil emulsion has become serious environmental issue and received global attention. Chemical demulsifiers are widely used to treat oil-water emulsion, but the toxicity, non-recyclable and non-environmental friendly characteristic of chemical demulsifiers had limited their practical application in oil-water separation. Therefore, it is imperative to develop an efficient, simple, eco-friendly and recyclable demulsifiers for breaking up the emulsions from the oily wastewater.

Design of Heat-Conductive hBN-PMMA Composites by Electrostatic Nano-Assembly.

Micro/nanoscale design of composite materials enables alteration of their properties for advanced functional materials. One of the biggest challenges in material design is the controlled decoration of composite materials with the desired functional additives. This study reports on and demonstrates the homogeneous decoration of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) on poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and vice versa.

Micro- and Nano-assembly of Composite Particles by Electrostatic Adsorption.

This work reports on a novel controlled nanocomposite fabrication technique which is applicable for material design via a micro- and nano-assembly method. The principle is based on the use of electrostatic adsorption of the surface charge-modified particles via layer-by-layer assembly. The polarity and the zeta potential of the surface charge was controlled using polycation and polyanion, while the zeta potential strength was controlled via the number of alternating coating layers which was determined using zeta potential measurement.

Correction to: Controlled Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al2O3-Based Nanocarbon Composites Fabricated by Electrostatic Assembly Method.

Please note that in the original article [1] the name of the second author, Norio Hakiri, was erroneously ordered; the name was ordered with the given and family names the wrong way around, as 'Hakiri Norio'.

Liquid Phase Synthesis and Morphological Observation of BaTiO₃-CoFe₂O₄ Nanocomposite Films.

A novel and inexpensive fabrication method of multiferroic nanocomposite films via liquid-phase formation is demonstrated in this work. Well-aligned anodized TiO₂ nanotube arrays on a Ti substrate were used as the core template. The anodized TiO₂ nanotube arrays were then hydrothermally treated in Ba(OH)₂ aqueous solution to form BaTiO₃ (BTO) nanotube arrays.

Facile Fabrication of Plasmonic Enhanced Noble-Metal-Decorated ZnO Nanowire Arrays for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

Novel decoration of high aspect ratio zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO NWs) with noble metals such as Ag and Au nanoparticles (NPs) was demonstrated in this work. A facile method of chemical deposition with good controllability, as well as good homogeneity would be a huge advantage towards large scale fabrication. The highlight of this work is the feasibility of multiple component decoration such as a hybrid (co-exist) Ag-Au NPs decorated ZnO NWs formation that could be beneficial towards the development of nanoarchitectured materials with the most desired properties.

Controlled microstructure and mechanical properties of AlO-based nanocarbon composites fabricated by electrostatic assembly method.

This work reports on the microstructure-controlled formation of interconnected carbon-layered AlO ceramics using carbon nanoparticles (CNP)-alumina (AlO) composite particles. The AlO micro-particles used in this study were obtained by granulation of nano-sized AlO nanoparticles with an average diameter of 150 nm. Then, CNP-AlO composite was fabricated using an electrostatic assembly method using the granulated AlO and CNP.

PMMA-ITO Composite Formation via Electrostatic Assembly Method for Infra-Red Filtering.

Formation of functional composite materials with desired properties is important for advanced application development. However, formation of a homogenous composite material via conventional mixing methods still remains a challenge due to agglomeration. Therefore, this work reports and demonstrates the formation of a homogeneous poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA)-indium tin oxide (ITO) composite with high visible light transparency (up to 90%) with an excellent shielding effect of infra-red (IR) via a facile electrostatic assembly method.

Rapid Nucleation of Reduced Graphene Oxide-Supported Palladium Electrocatalysts for Methanol Oxidation Reaction.

Small sized electrocatalysts, which can be obtained by rapid nucleation and high supersaturation are imperative for outstanding methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). Conventional microwave synthesis processes of electrocatalysts include ultrasonication, stirring, pH adjustment, and microwave irradiation of the precursor mixture. Ethylene glycol (EG), which serves as a reductant and solvent was added during the ultrasonication or stirring stage.