Heterostructures based on ZnO-TiO₂/delaminated montmorillonite coated with Ag have been prepared by sol-gel and photoreduction procedures, varying the Ag and ZnO contents. They have been thoroughly characterized by XRD, WDXRF, UV-Vis, and XPS spectroscopies, and N₂ adsorption, SEM, and TEM. In all cases, the montmorillonite was effectively delaminated with the formation of TiO₂ anatase particles anchored on the clay layer's surface, yielding porous materials with high surface areas. The structural and textural properties of the heterostructures synthesized were unaffected by the ZnO incorporated. The photoreduction led to solids with Ag nanoparticles decorating the surface. These materials were tested as photocatalysts for the degradation of several emerging contaminants with different nitrogen-bearing chemical structures under solar light. The catalysts yielded high rates of disappearance of the starting pollutants and showed quite stable performance upon successive applications.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5578326 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ma10080960 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Swelling and delamination of inorganic homoionic montmorillonite clay in water-polar organic mixed solvents.
Dalton Trans
April 2024
Department of Materials Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
Article Synopsis
- The smectite group of clay minerals, including montmorillonite, can delaminate into single layers in water due to osmotic swelling, facilitated by small alkaline cations like Na or Li.
- This study reveals that montmorillonite also exhibits osmotic swelling in mixed solvents of water with acetonitrile and 2-propanol, despite previous beliefs that inorganic interlayer cations hinder delamination in organic solvents.
- The research findings indicate that saWelling patterns vary based on the type of interlayer cations, with specific behaviors observed under different solvent conditions, confirmed through macroscopic observations, XRD patterns, and SEM imaging.
Wide Temperature All-Solid-State Ti C T Quantum Dots/L-Ti C T Fiber Supercapacitor with High Capacitance and Excellent Flexibility.
Adv Sci (Weinh)
February 2024
Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Shaanxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Xi'an, 710062, P. R. China.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers developed a flexible fiber electrode made of TiC quantum dots using a wet spinning method, achieving a high specific capacitance of 1560 F/cm and mechanical strength of 130 MPa.
- The electrode was combined with a new hydrogel electrolyte (F-MMT/PVA DHGE) to create an all-solid-state supercapacitor that demonstrated an impressive volume specific capacitance of 413 F/cm and maintained 97% capacity after 10,000 cycles.
- This innovation showcases a balance of high energy density (36.7 mWh/cm) and flexibility across a wide temperature range (-40 to 60 °C), making it a promising strategy for future supercapacitor designs.
Effect of the combined addition of ultrasonicated kraft lignin and montmorillonite on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose bionanocomposites.
Nanoscale Adv
August 2023
Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM), CSIC C/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3 28049 Madrid Spain
Although hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) has been proposed as renewable substitute for traditional plastic, its barrier and active properties need to be improved. Thus, the combination of an organic residue such as kraft lignin (0-10% w/w) and a natural clay such as montmorillonite (3% w/w) by application of ultrasound can significantly improve HPMC properties. This is most likely due to the close interaction between lignin and montmorillonite, which leads to delamination of the clay and improves its dispersion within the HPMC matrix.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClay-Catalyzed Ozonation of Organic Pollutants in Water and Toxicity on : Effects of Molecular Structure and Interactions.
Molecules
December 2022
Nanoqam, Department of Chemistry, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada.
The use of clays as adsorbents and catalysts in the ozonation of organic pollutants (Atrazine, bis-Phenol A, Diazinon, and Diclofenac sodium) allowed simulating their natural oxidative degradation in clay soils and to evaluate the ecotoxicity of mixtures partially oxidized on the species , a biodiversity representative of plants in the aquatic environment. Kinetic data showed that the adsorption of organic pollutants on clay particles obeys the pseudo-second-order model, while the adsorption isotherms satisfactorily fit the Langmuir model. Adsorption reduces the dispersion of the organic pollutant in the environment and prolongs its persistence and its natural degradation probability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Effect of Surface Characteristics of Clays on the Properties of Starch Nanocomposites.
Materials (Basel)
October 2022
Laboratory of Plastics and Rubber Technology, Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3, H-1111 Budapest, Hungary.
Article Synopsis
- This research explores the use of different clays, specifically laponite and montmorillonite (NaMMT), as fillers in thermoplastic starch/clay nanocomposites, emphasizing their role in enhancing material properties.
- Thin films are created using these clays through a casting and evaporation process with glycerol as a plasticizer, while various techniques like inverse gas chromatography, X-ray diffraction, and UV-VIS light transmission are employed for characterization.
- The findings indicate that starch/montmorillonite nanocomposites show intercalated structures, whereas starch/laponite exhibits significant exfoliation, leading to improved mechanical properties and greater reinforcement from laponite due to its larger specific surface area.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!