Easily deposited ZnO nanorods on siloxene nanosheets: investigation of morphological, dielectric, ferroelectric, and energy storage properties.

The integration of metal oxides onto two-dimensional layered siloxene has proven to be an effective strategy for expanding potential applications across diverse fields. Herein, we present the synthesis and detailed characterization of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods deposited on siloxene nanosheets using the wet chemical precipitation method without the need of alkali. The presence of ZnO nanorods was confirmed through electron microscopy analyses.

New iron(iii) complex of bis-bidentate-anchored diacyl resorcinol on a FeO nanomagnet: C-H bond oxygenation, oxidative cleavage of alkenes and benzoxazole synthesis.

We have synthesized a novel, bis-bidentate, covalently anchored, 4,6-diacetyl resorcinol (DAR) ligand on silica-coated magnetic FeO nanoparticles and the corresponding bi-metallic iron(iii) complex (FeO@SiO-APTESFeL). Both the chemical nature and the structure of the homogeneously heterogenized catalyst were investigated using physico-chemical techniques. The results obtained by XPS, XRD, FT-IR, TGA, VSM, SEM, TEM, EDX, ICP and AAS revealed a magnetic core, a silica layer and the grafting of a binuclear iron complex on the FeO@SiO-APTES, as well as its thermodynamic stability.

Implementation of food matrix effects into chemical food contaminant risk assessment.

Food risk assessment plays an important role in protecting public health worldwide. Stakeholders involved in food risk assessment, such as national authorities, agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), industry and consumers, need to properly understand the terminology of food risk assessment effectively. In this respect, the first part of the EU-FORA work programme (WP1) aimed to provide insights into the actual translation of two essential terms used in food risk assessment.

Insight into the interdependence of Ni and Al in bifunctional Ni/ZSM-5 catalysts at the nanoscale.

Catalyst design is crucial for improving catalytic activity and product selectivity. In a bifunctional Ni/ZSM-5 zeolite type catalyst, catalytic properties are usually tuned varying Al and Ni contents. While changes in acid properties associated with Al sites are usually closely investigated, Ni phases, however, receive inadequate attention.

Growth mode and strain effect on relaxor ferroelectric domains in epitaxial 0.67Pb(MgNb)O-0.33PbTiO/SrRuO heterostructures.

Controlling the growth of complex relaxor ferroelectric thin films and understanding the relationship between biaxial strain-structural domain characteristics are desirable for designing materials with a high electromechanical response. For this purpose, epitaxial thin films free of extended defects and secondary phases are urgently needed. Here, we used optimized growth parameters and target compositions to obtain epitaxial (40-45 nm) 0.

Difference in the interaction of nano-diameter rod and tubular particles with a disclination line in a nematic liquid crystal.

In the presence of a disclination line, inclusions within an aligned nematic liquid crystal (LC) are first attracted and ultimately trapped in it. The kind of orientational distortion created by the inclusions is fundamental in determining the trapping. In the present work, we observe differences in the trapping behaviour, onto a ½ defect line in a nematic LC, of two types of particles both elongated but different in their actual geometry.

Natural Microbial Communities Can Be Manipulated by Artificially Constructed Biofilms.

Biofouling proceeds in successive steps where the primary colonizers affect the phylogenetic and functional structure of a future microbial consortium. Using microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) as a study case, a novel approach for material surface protection is described, which does not prevent biofouling, but rather shapes the process of natural biofilm development to exclude MIC-related microorganisms. This approach interferes with the early steps of natural biofilm formation affecting how the community is finally developed.

The effect of oxidant species on direct, non-syngas conversion of methane to methanol over an FePO catalyst material.

The effect of the phase transformation of a FePO catalyst material from the tridymite-like (tdm) FePO to the α-domain (α-Fe(PO)) during the direct selective oxidation of methane to methanol was studied using oxidant species O, HO and NO. The main reaction products were CHOH, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, whereas formaldehyde was produced in rather minute amounts. Results showed that the single-step non-syngas activation of CH to oxygenate(s) on a solid FePO phase-specific catalyst was influenced by the nature of the oxidizer used for the CH turnover.