Among different depollution methods, photocatalysis activated by solar light is promising for terrestrial outdoor applications. However, its use in underground structures and/or microgravity environments (e.g., extraterrestrial structures) is forbidden. In these cases, there are issues related to the energy emitted from the indoor lighting system because it is not high enough to promote the photocatalytic mechanism. Moreover, microgravity does not allow the recovery of the photocatalytic slurry from the depolluted solution. In this work, the synthesis of a filmable nanocomposite based on semiconductor nanoparticles supported by photosensitized copolyacrylates was performed through a bulk in situ radical copolymerization involving a photosensitizer macromonomer. The macromonomer and the nanocomposites were characterized through UV-Vis, fluorescence and NMR spectroscopies, gel permeation chromatography and thermogravimetric analysis. The photocatalytic activity of the sensitized nanocomposites was studied through photodegradation tests of common dyes and recalcitrant xenobiotic pollutants, employing UV-Vis and visible range (λ > 390 nm) light radiations. The sensitized nanocomposite photocatalytic performances increased about two times that of the unsensitized nanocomposite and that of visible range light radiation alone (>390 nm). The experimental data have shown that these new systems, applied as thin films, have the potential for use in indoor deep underground and extraterrestrial structures.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nano12060996 | DOI Listing |
J Am Chem Soc
January 2025
Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Martensstraße 7, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
Emerging photovoltaics for outer space applications are one of the many examples where radiation hard molecular semiconductors are essential. However, due to a lack of general design principles, their resilience against extra-terrestrial high-energy radiation can currently not be predicted. In this work, the discovery of radiation hard materials is accelerated by combining the strengths of high-throughput, lab automation and machine learning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2024
Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Madrid, Spain.
Extensive carbonate precipitation has occurred on Mars. To gain insight into the carbonation mechanisms and formation processes under ancient Martian aqueous conditions, we examine the precipitation of carbonates resulting from atmospheric carbon fixation, focusing on interactions between various brines and silicate and perchlorate solutions in alkaline environments. The micro-scale morphology and composition of the resulting precipitates are analysed using ESEM micrographs, EDX chemical compositional analysis, X-ray diffraction, and micro-Raman spectroscopy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnal Chim Acta
December 2024
UMALASERLAB, Departamento de Química Analítica, Universidad de Málaga, C/Jiménez Fraud 4, Malaga, 29010, Spain. Electronic address:
Background: Thousands of micrometeorites fall to the Earth on a daily basis. Most of these meteorites have a rocky composition, but others are mainly composed of iron and nickel. Due to their small size, often ca.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRSC Adv
November 2024
PLEX Corporation 275 Martine Str, Suite 100 Fall River MA 02723 USA.
In-falling cosmic dust has left evidence of meteoritic polymer amide in stromatolites, both fossil and modern. In search of evidence for continued present day in-fall, sea foam was collected from two beaches in Rhode Island and subjected to Folch extraction to concentrate amphiphilic components in a chloroform water-methanol interphase layer. Hemoglycin polymer amide molecules previously characterized by MALDI mass spectrometry in meteorites and stromatolites were identified in sea foam either directly, or their fragmentation patterns.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Biotechnol
December 2024
Department of Biology, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, GR-70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece; Botanical Garden, University of Crete, Gallos University Campus, GR-74100 Rethymnon, Crete, Greece. Electronic address:
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