ALBERT

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 554〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xiaofei Wang, Yifu Zhang, Jiqi Zheng, Xin Liu, Changgong Meng〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Vanadium sulfide (VS〈sub〉4〈/sub〉) is recognized as a good anode material for energy storage devices because of its chain-like structure and high content of sulfur. Herein, the patronite VS〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 anchored on carbon nanocubes (denoted as VS〈sub〉4〈/sub〉/CNTs) with a petal-shape structure consisting of nanolayers is successfully prepared through a one-step hydrothermal reaction. The influence of the optimal ratio of VS〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 and CNTs on the electrochemical properties of VS〈sub〉4〈/sub〉/CNTs composite is studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The addition of CNTs increases the conductivity and relieves the volume expansion/contraction, resulting excellent electrochemical properties of VS〈sub〉4〈/sub〉/CNTs. In the potential window of −1.4 V to 1.4 V, the VS〈sub〉4〈/sub〉/CNTs composite electrode delivers an outstanding specific capacitance of 330 F g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 (924 C g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) at 1 A g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, which is much higher than that of VS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 with 105 F g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 (294 C g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). The VS〈sub〉4〈/sub〉/CNTs symmetric supercapacitor (SSC) device exhibits the areal capacitance as high as 676 mF cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 (1488 mC cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉) at 0.5 mA cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉, and the energy density of 4.55 W h m〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 (51.2 W h kg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) at the power density of 2.75 W m〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 (30.95 W kg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) within a large voltage up to 2.2 V. All the results confirm that VS〈sub〉4〈/sub〉/CNTs composite with petal-shape structures is a promising material for high-performance energy storage devices.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719307726-ga1.jpg" width="371" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 554〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Lingling Ge, Weijie Tong, Qingfa Bian, Duo Wei, Rong Guo〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Hypothesis〈/h6〉 〈p〉Various advanced geometries are endowed by the unique structure of “three rooms” of immiscible oils composing the Cerberus droplets. Adjustable interfacial properties and tunable volume ratio in the four-liquid system render it possible to realize the controlled morphology transition by the variation of temperature and emulsion composition.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Experiments〈/h6〉 〈p〉Cerberus emulsions are prepared in batch scale by traditional one-step vortex mixing, employing the oil combinations of methacryloxypropyl dimethyl silicone (DMS)/2-(perfluorooctyl) ethyl methacrylate (PFOEMA)/vegetable oil (VO). Emulsifier of pluoronic F127, a temperature sensitive surfactant is applied. Stereoscopic topological phase diagram as functions of temperature and composition are plotted. Numerical calculations on the droplet morphology including interface curvature, contact angle, and volume fraction of each domain are performed.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Findings〈/h6〉 〈p〉Four primary regions with specific morphologies, 〈em〉i〈/em〉.〈em〉e〈/em〉. “VO 〉 DMS 〈 PFOEMA”, “VO 〉 DMS 〉 PFOEMA”, “VO 〈 DMS 〉 PFOEMA”, and finally “VO 〈 DMS 〈 PFOEMA” are obtained. Extended volume ratio range of three lobes, from about 0.03 to 23.3, is achieved and precisely controlled based on the three-phase diagram. What is more, the structural features are found to be thermodynamically determined by the minimization of interfacial energy, though the emulsion is prepared kinetically by vortex mixing. The findings are attractive in the fields of materials synthesis and microreactors.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S002197971930791X-ga1.jpg" width="290" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 554〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Li Zhang, Weiwei Wang, Guancheng Xu, Huijun Song, Lifan Yang, Dianzeng Jia〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The electrochemical splitting of water provides an attractive method for the production of hydrogen fuels. Unfortunately, the slow kinetics of oxygen evolution (OER) on the anode side of the electrolyzer hinders the efficient and large-scale hydrogen production. In this study, starting from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a series of bimetal phosphides Co〈sub〉x〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉1−x〈/sub〉P (x = 0.33, 0.50, 0.66, 0.75 and 0.80) were synthesized by low-temperature phosphidiation of corresponding MOFs precursors. The as-prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Studies indicate that the proportion of cobalt and iron elements make a big differences on the structure of the materials. Benefiting from the porous structure and large specific area of the MOFs precursors, as well as the synergistic effect between Co and Fe elements, the as-synthesized Co〈sub〉0.66〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉0.33〈/sub〉P shows superior electrocatalytic performances and outstanding stability toward OER in alkaline solution.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719307878-ga1.jpg" width="251" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 October 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 554〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Hao Zheng, Zhuyi Wang, Liyi Shi, Yin Zhao, Shuai Yuan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Electric vehicles have very strict requirements for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, the commercial polyethylene (PE) separators cannot meet the demands of high safety and electrochemical performance for LIBs. This work aims to enhance the electrochemical and safety performance of LIBs by coating the separator with multifunctional particles. First, the colloidal SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoparticles were etched by LiOH to form porous shell and lithium silicate (LSO) species simultaneously. Then, the SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoparticles with porous shell were coated on PE separator by dip-coating method in the presence of binder. The experiment results indicate that SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoparticles with porous shell can endow PE separator excellent thermal stability (thermal shrinkage is almost 0% at 150 ℃ for 30 min) and electrochemical properties (improved ionic conductivity and Li〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 ion transference number). Moreover, the Li/LiCoO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 cell employing the PE separator coated by SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 with porous shell exhibits the best cycle life and C-rate performance. The discharge capacity retention of the cell assembled with LSO-SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉@PE separator increase from 69% (cells assembled with pristine PE separator) to 86% after 100 cycles at 0.2C.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719307787-ga1.jpg" width="470" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yahuan Wang, Chengyu Lin, Zhiwei Wang, Zhimin Chen, Jiafu Chen, Yong Chen, Shaohua Liu, Jianwei Fu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The development of novel adsorbents with high adsorption capacity and easy recovery property is imperative in the field of wastewater treatment. In this study, a hard template-induced assembly strategy was developed to fabricate the magnetic hollow poly(cyclotriphosphazene-〈em〉co〈/em〉-4,4′-sulfonyldiphenol)-Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 (PZS-Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉) hybrid nanocapsules, in which Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 nanoparticles were well embedded in the cross-linked PZS shell. The resulting samples were well characterized using SEM, TEM, EDS, FT-IR, VSM, XPS, XRD and N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 sorption. Then, using Safranine T (ST) as model dye, the adsorption behavior of as-prepared hollow PZS-Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 nanocapsules including adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms, adsorption mechanism, and recyclability were systematically evaluated and discussed. The results revealed that the magnetic hollow PZS-Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 nanocapsules own high adsorption capacity towards ST dye and outstanding magnetic separation functionality. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir model can well describe the experimental data, and the adsorption process is controlled by more than one diffusion step. The interaction between ST dye and hollow PZS-Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 nanocapsules is ascribed to π-π interaction and electrostatic interaction. The thermodynamic parameters demonstrated that the adsorption processes were physical, endothermic, and spontaneous. Additionally, the magnetic hollow PZS-Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 nanocapsules also shows excellent peroxidase-like catalytic activity in the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine with H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, indirectly confirming the adsorption kinetic results.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S002197971930983X-ga1.jpg" width="360" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 21 August 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Beibei Wang, Shipeng Zhang, Gang Wang, Hui Wang, Jintao Bai〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Among an enormous variety of electrode materials for lithium and sodium storage, transition metal-oxides/sulfides stand out on account of their widespread availability and high theoretical charge capacity. However, these anodes still undergo poor capacity retention and limited cycle life. Herein, we present a simple approach to synthesize one-dimensional (1D) porous Fe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉@C and FeS@C nanofibers in which ultra-small active nanoparticles are first distributed in the internal porous carbon matrix and further encapsulated in the external nano-carbon walls. The 1D porous nano-architecture effectively alleviates the pulverization or aggregation induced by huge volume changes during cycling as well as provides a short ion/electron diffusion path in the crystal. Furthermore, the internal porous carbon matrix and the external nano-carbon layers keep the structural and mechanical stability of the entire electrode. The as-synthesized Fe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉@C and FeS@C nanofibers show high specific capacities, robust cycling stability as well as desirable rate capability for LIBs and SIBs. Simultaneously, the FeS@C nanofibers achieve better lithium and sodium storage properties due to good electrical property and fast ion diffusion kinetics compared with Fe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉@C nanofibers. This novel architecture design may open an avenue to seeking out high performance electrodes for advanced energy storage.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309816-ga1.jpg" width="275" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Elisangela P. Da Silva, Adley F. Rubira, Odair P. Ferreira, Rafael Silva, Edvani C. Muniz〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In recent years, electrochemical energy devices, i.e. batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, and supercapacitors, have attracted considerable attention of scientific community. The architecture of active materials plays a crucial role for improving supercapacitors performance. Herein, titanium dioxide (TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) nanofibers (1D) have been synthesized by electrospinning process and used as a backbone to manganese dioxide (MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) nanosheets (2D) growth through hydrothermal method. This strategy allows the obtaining of 1D/2D heterostructure architecture, which has demonstrated superior electrochemical performance in relation to pristine MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. The highest electrochemical performance is due to the synergic effect between the metal oxides, where TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanofibers provide electrochemical stability for active MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 phase. Thus, the designed TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉@MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 structure can reach maximum specific capacitance of 525 F·g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 at a current density of 0.25 A·g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, and it demonstrates an excellent stability by retaining 81% of the initial capacitance with coulombic efficiency of 91%. Therefore, the novel architecture of TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉@MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 based on nanofibers and nanosheets exhibits superior electrochemical properties to be used in supercapacitor applications.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉@MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 3D architecture was synthesized using TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanofibers and MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets. The 1D and 2D structures combine high fibers porosity, which could facility diffusion ions from electrolyte, with a large number of active sites in the nanosheets. The 3D architecture enhanced electrochemical reaction and ions transport allowing the hybrid TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉@MnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 outstanding high specific capacitance with an excellent stability with potential as electrode for supercapacitor.〈/p〉 〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308446-ga1.jpg" width="295" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Qiuxia Fu, Yang Si, Lifang Liu, Jianyong Yu, Bin Ding〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The development of chromatographic media with superb adsorption capacity and large processing throughput is of great importance for highly efficient protein adsorption and separation, yet still faces a huge challenge. Herein, a new kind of butane tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) functionalized ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVAL) nanofibrous membranes (BTCA@EVAL NFM)-based chromatographic media is fabricated, for the first time, by combining blend electrospinning technique with 〈em〉in-situ〈/em〉 modification technology. The resulting BTCA@EVAL NFM possesses an enhanced equilibrium protein adsorption capability (716 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉), a high saturated dynamic protein binding capacity (490 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉), and a distinctive selectivity towards positively charged proteins, which are attributed to the synergistic effects of the hydrophilic EVAL nanofibrous matrix and the plentiful carboxyl groups introduced by BTCA. Besides, benefiting from its stable physical and chemical structures, the membrane also presents excellent acid and alkaline resistance as well as good reusability. Significantly, the BTCA@EVAL NFM can directly extract lysozyme from egg white with a relatively large capture capability of 353 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, highlighting its superb potential practicability. We sincerely hope that this new design concept and the highly effective nanofiber-based chromatographic media can provide some guidance for the further development of bio-separation and purification.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308458-ga1.jpg" width="277" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): S.Q. Gao, P.P. Zhang, S.H. Guo, W.Q. Chen, M. Li, F. Liu, J.P. Cheng〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Developing safe, efficient and environment-friendly energy storage systems continues to inspire researchers to synthesize new electrode materials. Doping or substituting host material by some guest elements has been regarded as an effective way to improve the performance of supercapacitors. In this work, single-phase CuCo〈sub〉2−x〈/sub〉Ni〈sub〉x〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 materials were synthesized by a facile two-step hydrothermal method, where Co in CuCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 was substituted by Ni. Cobalt could be easily substituted with Ni in a rational range to keep its constant phase. But, a high content of Ni resulted in a multi-phase composite. Among a series of CuCo〈sub〉2−x〈/sub〉Ni〈sub〉x〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 materials with different Ni/Co mole ratios, CuCo〈sub〉1.25〈/sub〉Ni〈sub〉0.75〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 material presented a significantly high specific capacitance (647 F g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 or 272 C g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 at 1 A g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) and the best cycling stability (∼98% specific capacitance retention after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles), which was mainly due to the modified composition, specific single phase, higher electroconductivity, more electroactive sites and the synergistic effect between Ni and Co. Moreover, the assembled asymmetric capacitor using CuCo〈sub〉1.25〈/sub〉Ni〈sub〉0.75〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 as a positive electrode and activated carbon as a negative electrode delivered a high energy density of 31.8 Wh kg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 at the power density of 412.5 W kg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. These results demonstrated that ternary metal sulfides of CuCo〈sub〉2−x〈/sub〉Ni〈sub〉x〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 are promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308720-ga1.jpg" width="316" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xiaozhe Yuan, Shiyuan Peng, Wenjing Lin, Jufang Wang, Lijuan Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This study introduced multistage pH-responsive nanohybrids (MSN-hyd-MOP) based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) modified with polymers with charge-reversal property via an acid-labile hydrazone linker, which were applied as a drug delivery system loaded anticancer drugs. In this study, MSN-hyd-MOP nanohybrids were completely investigated for their synthesis, pH response, drug release behavior, cytotoxicity capability and endocytic behavior. Responding to the acidic extracellular microenvironment of solid tumor (pH 6.5), MSN-hyd-MOP nanohybrids exhibited surface charge-reversal characteristic from negative (−10.2 mV, pH 7.4) to positive (16.6 mV, pH 6.5). The model drug doxorubicin (Dox) was efficiently loaded within the channels of MSN-hyd-MOP (encapsulation efficiency about 87%). The increased acidity in endo-/lysosome promote Dox-loaded MSN-hyd-MOP (MSN-hyd-MOP@Dox) release Dox quickly. 〈em〉In vitro〈/em〉 study revealed the drug delivery system had good biocompatibility and could deliver the payload to tumor cells. Overall, the described nanohybrids can be used as a potential anticancer drug delivery system.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308410-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ru-Lan Zhang, Jiu-Ju Feng, Lu Zhang, Chuan-Guo Shi, Ai-Jun Wang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Synthesis of high-efficiency catalysts for alcohol oxidation reaction caused great interest in direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs). Ultrathin PdFePb nanowires (NWs) with an average diameter of 2.3 nm were synthesized by a simple and fast one-pot aqueous synthesis, using octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (NP-40) as the structure-directing agent. The as-prepared PdFePb NWs displayed an increscent electrochemically active surface area (ECSA, 121.18 m〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 〈sub〉Pd〈/sub〉). For ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) and glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR), PdFePb NWs exhibited much higher activity and superior stability, outperforming those of homemade PdFe NWs, PdPb NWs, commercial Pd black and Pd/C (20 wt%). These results reveal dramatically high catalytic activity and durability of ultrathin PdFePb NWs in enhancing polyols electrooxidation.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308756-ga1.jpg" width="314" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xinyuan Xu, Jinqiang Zhang, Shuaijun Wang, Zhengxin Yao, Hong Wu, Lei Shi, Yu Yin, Shaobin Wang, Hongqi Sun〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Hydrogen generation from biomass reforming via solar energy utilisation has become a fascinating strategy toward future energy sustainability. In this study, ZnS nanoparticles with an average size around 10–15 nm were synthesised by a facile hydrothermal method, and then hybridised with g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 (MCN, DCN, and UCN) derived from melamine, dicyandiamide and urea, producing the heterojunctions denoted as ZMCN, ZDCN and ZUCN, respectively. Advanced characterisations were employed to investigate the physiochemical properties of the materials. ZMCN and ZDCN showed a slight red shift and better light absorbance ability. Their catalytic performances were evaluated by photocatalytic biomass reforming for hydrogen generation. The hydrogen generation rate on ZMCN, the best photocatalyst among MCN, DCN, UCN, ZDCN and ZUCN, was around 2.5 times higher than the pristine MCN. However, the photocatalytic efficiency of ZUCN experienced decrease of 36.6% compared to pure UCN. The mechanism of the photocatalytic reforming process was discussed. The photoluminescence spectra of ZMCN suggested that the introduction of ZnS for ZMCN would reduce the recombination of photoinduced carriers. It was also found that both microstructure and band structure would influence the photocatalytic reforming efficiency.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S002197971930846X-ga1.jpg" width="326" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mian Li, Jirong Yang, Mingjiao Lu, Yingjie Zhang, Xiangjie Bo〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Ultrafine Co〈sub〉7〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanosheets (denoted as Co〈sub〉7〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/NPCSs) are successfully synthesized by utilizing porous plant tissue as a precursor. The morphological, structural, and chemical contents of the Co〈sub〉7〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/NPCSs and other control samples are analyzed by X-ray (powder) diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 adsorption–desorption, Raman spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma (ICP), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The glucose oxidation and detection performances of each catalyst are evaluated by using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The experimental results demonstrate that the electrocatalytic abilities of the resultant catalysts toward glucose oxidation decrease in the order of Co〈sub〉7〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/NPCSs 〉 Co/NPCSs 〉 CoFe/NPCSs 〉 Fe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉C-Co〈sub〉3〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉7〈/sub〉/NPCSs 〉 Fe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉C/NPCSs. The experimental results prove that a small number of Fe atoms in Co〈sub〉7〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 can increase the number of active Co〈sup〉4+〈/sup〉 sites. Meanwhile, the ultrafine Co〈sub〉7〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 nanoparticles uniformly dispersed along the porous carbon nanosheets’ surfaces, which further improved the dispersion of the abundant electrochemically available active sites. Due to the synergistic effect of the hierarchical porous structures, high-density active sites and excellent electron conductivity, the optimal Co〈sub〉7〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/NPCSs display the best glucose detection efficiency of all the catalysts examined. For instance, the Co〈sub〉7〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/NPCSs exhibit large sensitivity values (795.28 µA cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 mM〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 between 0.001 and 2.20 mM and 401.98 μA cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 mM〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 between 2.20 and 14.00 mM), a rapid response time (2.2 s), a low detection limit (1.0 µM), excellent anti-interference toward electroactive molecules, a perfect reproducibility and a superior long-term stability. The Co〈sub〉7〈/sub〉Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/NPCSs also exhibit a satisfying efficiency for glucose detection in human serum samples. Finally, our low-cost synthetic strategy can advance research used for designing 3D hierarchical meso/macroporous noble-metal-free catalysts without any tedious steps or templates.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308793-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Chen Gu, Wei-Qiang Tao, Min Li, Yao Jiang, Xiao-Qin Liu, Peng Tan, Lin-Bing Sun〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Catalysis benefits from biomimetic materials with sophisticated structures because a variety of functions can be integrated into one structure, satisfying the demands of a diverse range of applications. Magnetic catalysts have been widely used in various applications, but the magnetic components are most commonly used for recycling. In this study, we report the fabrication of magnetic nanocatalysts composed of a support of magnetic nanobars and Ag nanoparticles confined between two silica layers. Notably, the catalysts are constructed as nanoscale stirring bars that are able to generate disturbances at this scale. More importantly, the catalysts can be applied in both macro- and micro-systems, effectively addressing the conventional mixing method. The catalysts can then be conveniently separated from the system after use. The performances of magnetic nanoscale catalysts are well maintained through recycling.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308768-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Zhen Zhang, Maria Cheng, Mia San Gabriel, Ângela Albuquerque Teixeira Neto, Juliana da Silva Bernardes, Richard Berry, Kam C. Tam〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉A practical and sustainable method to prepare polymeric hollow microcapsules (PHMs) using cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) stabilized Pickering emulsion polymerization was developed. Pristine CNCs hydrolyzed from wood pulp are hydrophilic and could be employed as emulsifiers to prepare oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsions. The O/W Pickering emulsions were used as templates for the Pickering emulsion polymerization of hydrophobic monomers inside the emulsion droplets. The crosslinked hydrophobic polymers phase separated and partitioned to the interface of the Pickering emulsion, leading to the formation of hydrophobic PHMs. Correspondingly, cinnamate modified CNCs with less surface hydrophilicity were employed as emulsifiers to obtain water-in-oil (W/O) inverse Pickering emulsions, which were then used as templates for inverse Pickering emulsion polymerization of hydrophilic monomers to prepare hydrophilic PHMs. Therefore, both hydrophobic and hydrophilic PHMs could be obtained via this approach. Herein, polystyrene, poly(4-vinylpyridine), and poly(〈em〉N〈/em〉-isopropyl acrylamide) hollow microcapsules were prepared as models, where the size, crosslinking density, shell structure and stimuli-responsive properties of PHMs could be tuned by varying the synthesis parameters.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308938-ga1.jpg" width="395" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Haiping Li, Guiming Ba, Zhiwei Liang, Quanhua Deng, Wanguo Hou〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Construction of Z-scheme heterojunction (ZCH) is one of the most effective ways to enhance photocatalytic performance of photocatalysts. The direct all-solid-state 〈em〉p〈/em〉-〈em〉n〈/em〉 ZCH shows the best prospect, but its fabrication mechanism, especially function of the interfacial electric field (IEF) was rarely expounded explicitly. Herein, a direct all-solid-state 〈em〉p〈/em〉-〈em〉n〈/em〉 copper indium disulfide/tungsten oxide (CIS/WO) ZCH was prepared through a facile hydrothermal process for the first time. The CIS/WO ZCH exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity because of significantly accelerated photogenerated charge separation via a Z-scheme charge migration process. The Z-scheme charge transfer pathway is inferred from matched energy band levels of CIS and WO and the IEF is confirmed to play a key role. The CIS/WO ZCH can fast produce singlet oxygen via hole oxidation of superoxide radicals under visible light irradiation, while pure CIS and WO cannot, effectively verifying the Z-scheme charge transfer process. This work illustrates the principle for fabrication of the direct all-solid-state 〈em〉p〈/em〉-〈em〉n〈/em〉 ZCH and function of the IEF, as well as provides a new ZCH.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308501-ga1.jpg" width="215" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jinchao Xu, Jian Rong, Fengxian Qiu, Yao Zhu, Kaili Mao, Yuanyuan Fang, Dongya Yang, Tao Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉To solve the energy crisis problem, many efforts have been devoted to develop clean and sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. Among varieties of pathways to obtain clean energy, electrochemical water splitting is a promising approach. Herein, we had successfully synthesized the NiCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉@porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (NiCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉@NCNF) nanocomposite via three successive steps consisted of in-situ oxidative polymerization, calcination, and solvothermal sulfuration reaction processes. The effect of controlled molar ratios to electrocatalytic performance was studied in detail. The optimized NiCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉@NCNF nanocomposite exhibits superior electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction with a small overpotential of 117 mV to drive a current density of 10 mA cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉. More importantly, it exhibits similar electrocatalytic activity to the initial state even after successive cyclic voltammetry scan for 3000 cycles, indicating its excellent long-term stability. The superior electrochemical performance is attributed to the developed three-dimensional (3D) network nanostructure derived from bacterial cellulose nanofibers, the highly conductive porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers, and the synergistic effect between metal Ni and Co of NiCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉. This study permits a new pathway to design efficient electrocatalysts based on eco-friendly materials for the production of clean hydrogen energy.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308847-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Kaiqiang Zhang, Zhan Meng, Lirong Liu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this paper, a factorial analysis approach is applied to characterize the potential single and interactive factors as well as their effects on the interface and miscibility of three light oil–CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 systems under 32 different conditions. First, a modified Peng–Robinson equation of state coupled with the parachor model is applied to calculate the vapour–liquid equilibrium and interfacial tensions (IFTs) at a variation of pore radii and different pressures, based on which the MMPs are determined from the diminishing interface method. Second, by means of the factorial-analysis approach and calculated IFTs and minimum miscibility pressures (MMPs), the following five factors are specifically studied to evaluate their main and interactive effects on the IFTs and MMPs: temperature, initial oil and gas compositions, feed gas to oil ratio (feed GOR), and pore radius. It is found that the main and interactive effects of the five factors on the IFTs are inconsistent at different pressures. The effects of the five factors on the MMPs are evaluated quantitatively, which contribute to screen out significant factors, analyze interactions, and identify schemes for the miscible CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 enhanced oil recovery. The most positive significant main and interactive effects on the MMPs are Factors C (gas composition) and AB (temperature and oil composition), whereas the most negative results are Factors E (pore radius) and AC (temperature and gas compositions). A three-factor analysis indicates that the MMP is substantially reduced in small pores by controlling the percentage of the CH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉-dominated gas in the impure CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 sample and lowering the feed GOR.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308963-ga1.jpg" width="274" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 30 July 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Carlos G. Lopez, Thomas Lohmeier, John E. Wong, Walter Richtering〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉We report dynamic light scattering data for a PNIPAM based microgel copolymerised with 2〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si71.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈mo〉%〈/mo〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉 ionic groups. The hydrodynamic radius is measured as a function of temperature (which varies the solvent quality) and added salt concentration (〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si72.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈msub〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉c〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉S〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈/msub〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉) from salt-free conditions up to 〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si73.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈msub〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉c〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉S〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈/msub〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉 = 0.1 M. Incorporation of the ionic co-monomer leads to an increase of the volume phase transition temperature with respect to a non-ionic microgel from 〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si74.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉T〈/mi〉〈mo〉≃〈/mo〉〈mn〉306〈/mn〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉 K to 〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si75.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉T〈/mi〉〈mo〉≃〈/mo〉〈mn〉317〈/mn〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉 K in salt-free water. The hydrodynamic radius varies as 〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si76.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈msub〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉R〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉H〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈/msub〉〈mo〉∝〈/mo〉〈msubsup〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉c〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉S〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mo〉-〈/mo〉〈mn〉0.05〈/mn〉〈/mrow〉〈/msubsup〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉 in good solvent (〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si77.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉T〈/mi〉〈mo〉≃〈/mo〉〈mn〉278〈/mn〉〈mo〉-〈/mo〉〈mn〉298〈/mn〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉 K) and 〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si78.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈msub〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉R〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉H〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈/msub〉〈mo〉∝〈/mo〉〈msubsup〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉c〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉S〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mo〉-〈/mo〉〈mn〉0.15〈/mn〉〈/mrow〉〈/msubsup〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉 in poor solvent (〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si79.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉T〈/mi〉〈mo〉≃〈/mo〉〈mn〉313〈/mn〉〈mo〉-〈/mo〉〈mn〉319〈/mn〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉 K). Deep into the poor solvent regime the microgel is collapsed for all salt concentrations and 〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si80.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈msub〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉R〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉H〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈/msub〉〈mo〉∝〈/mo〉〈msubsup〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉c〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mi〉S〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mn〉0〈/mn〉〈/mrow〉〈/msubsup〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉. Data are fitted to the Flory-Rehner model modified to account for the osmotic pressure of the counterions through the Donnan model. We find that the Flory-Rehner-Donnan (FRD) model does not fully account for the experimental observations, particularly at low ionic strengths, possibly due to the influence of electrostatic excluded volume. The disagreements between theory and experiments are greatly reduced if a cross-linking density three times lower than that expected from synthesis is assumed. The scaling theory exponents for the variation of gel size with temperature and added salt are not in agreement with the experimental results presented.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308227-ga1.jpg" width="253" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Zhiguang Zhang, Siqi Wang, Mingjun Bao, Jiawen Ren, Sihang Pei, Shijun Yu, Jun Ke〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉An Ag/AgCl/NH〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-UiO-66 hybridized photocatalyst was successfully constructed via facile solvothermal with UV reduction method for efficient photocatalytic Cr (VI) reduction. The photoelectrochemical data indicate that compared with the UiO-66, the charge separation and transfer efficiency of Ag/AgCl/NH〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-UiO-66 heterojunction is significantly enhanced due to the introduction of amine functionalization and formation of inorganic-organic hybrid. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect deriving from Ag nanoparticles (NPs) largely extends photo-response range whilst the separation efficiency of photo-generated electrons and holes is improved significantly. The synthesized Ag/AgCl/NH〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-UiO-66 hybrid system shows ameliorated structural stability and superior photocatalytic activity for Cr (VI) reduction under visible light irradiation, which is 1.7 times higher than that of the bare UiO-66. Furthermore, the possible mechanism of Cr (VI) reduction is proposed by analyzing electron transfer path in the ternary Ag/AgCl/NH〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-UiO-66 hybridized system.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308835-ga1.jpg" width="427" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yue Yu, Mingwu Xiang, Junming Guo, Changwei Su, Xiaofang Liu, Hongli Bai, Wei Bai, Kaijiao Duan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The improvements of cyclability and rate capability of lithium ion batteries with spinel LiMn〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 as cathode are imperative demands for the large-scale practical applications. Herein, a nickel (Ni) and magnesium (Mg) co-doping strategy was employed to synthesize LiNi〈sub〉0.03〈/sub〉Mg〈sub〉0.05〈/sub〉Mn〈sub〉1.92〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 cathode material via a facile solid-state combustion approach. The effects of the Ni-Mg co-doping on crystalline structure, micromorphology and electrochemical behaviors of the as-prepared LiNi〈sub〉0.03〈/sub〉Mg〈sub〉0.05〈/sub〉Mn〈sub〉1.92〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 are investigated by a series of physico-chemical characterizations and performance tests at high-rate and elevated-temperature. The resultant LiNi〈sub〉0.03〈/sub〉Mg〈sub〉0.05〈/sub〉Mn〈sub〉1.92〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 has the intrinsic spinel structure with no any impurities, and exhibits an elevated average valence of manganese in comparison to the pristine LiMn〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉. Owing to the Ni and Mg dual-doped merits, the LiNi〈sub〉0.03〈/sub〉Mg〈sub〉0.05〈/sub〉Mn〈sub〉1.92〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 sample demonstrates a robust spinel structure and high first discharge specific capacity of 112.3 mAh g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, whilst undergoing a long cycling of 1000 cycles at 1 C. At a high current rate of 20 C, the capacity of 91.2 mAh g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 with an excellent retention of 77% is obtained after 1000 cycles. Even at 10 C under 55 °C, an excellent capacity of 97.6 mAh g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 is also delivered. These results offer a new opportunity for developing high-performance lithium ion batteries with respect to the Ni-Mg co-doping strategy.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308586-ga1.jpg" width="431" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Shuaiwei Wang, Zhuoran Chen, Baocheng Yang, Houyang Chen, Eli Ruckenstein〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The rapid development of stretchable electronics, which have wide applications from clinical applications to stretchable smart phones, requires numerous advanced stretchable energy technologies, such as stretchable batteries. However, maintaining performance in such batteries during deformation and developing stretchable batteries with suitable mechanical robustness for industrial applications remain challenges. In this work, by using first-principles calculations, the performance of three-dimensional (3D) topological semimetal porous carbon material bct-C〈sub〉40〈/sub〉 anodes in stretchable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is investigated. We find that the mechanical deformation is a feasible route for reconfiguration of inner surfaces of porous carbon material anodes to modulate their high performance in stretchable LIBs. The bct-C〈sub〉40〈/sub〉 anode delivers a high theoretical capacity of 893 mA h/g, which is approximately 2.4 times larger than that of the commercial graphite anode (372 mA h/g). Adsorption-activation-adsorption mechanism and (de)activation-adsorption mechanism are proposed for the capacities of the anode under strain-free and strained states, respectively. Under the strain-free state, the adsorption of Li atoms changes the size of porous of bct-C〈sub〉40〈/sub〉 at the atomic scale and readjusts the electron distribution on bct-C〈sub〉40〈/sub〉 at the electronic scale, activating more adsorption sites. Large tensile strains expand its inner space and inner surface area, forming new adsorption sites and boosting its high capacities. Large compressive strains undermine its inner surface and deactivate some adsorption sites, reducing its capacities. Small compressive and tensile strains play a little role in the inner surface and do not affect adsorption sites, retaining its high capacities. More excitingly, diffusion barriers under strain-free and strained states, which are sensitive to the inner surface, are (ultra)low, demonstrating that the anode has (ultra)fast charge/discharge rates. This work provides new insights for the modulatable performance of 3D porous carbon material anodes, and offers an approach to innovate high performance stretchable metal-ion battery anodes with suitable mechanical robustness.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉The 3D porous topological semimetal bct-C〈sub〉40〈/sub〉 is used as the high-performance Li-ion battery anode.〈/p〉 〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308811-ga1.jpg" width="282" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yanjun Xue, Yichen Guo, Zhangqian Liang, Hongzhi Cui, Jian Tian〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The porous g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 with nitrogen defects and cyano groups (NC-g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉) is prepared via an alkali-assisted heat treatment of urea. Alkali can break hydrogen bonds, which accelerate thermal polymerization of urea and formation of nitrogen defects/cyano groups. The presence of nitrogen defects extends the absorption of visible light to longer wavelengths region. The cyano groups can trap g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉′s photoinduced electrons and therefore suppress charge recombination. The formation of porous structure increases the surface area and exposes more active sites. As a consequence, compared to pure g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉, NC-g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 shows boosted visible photocatalytic nitrogen fixation activity (1.59 mmol h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) without co-catalysts.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309683-ga1.jpg" width="380" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Gui-Lin Wen, Hua-Jie Niu, Ai-Jun Wang, Zheng-Zhi Yin, Qian-Li Zhang, Jiu-Ju Feng〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Green and efficient non-precious metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are prepared to meet the increasing demand for clean, secure and sustainable energy. Herein, we report a novel and environmentally friendly strategy for synthesis of graphene-wrapped iron carbide (Fe〈sub〉7〈/sub〉C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉) nanoparticles supported on hierarchical fibrous N-doped graphene with open-mesoporous structures (Fe〈sub〉7〈/sub〉C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/NG) by simply annealing the mixture of melamine, iron (II) phthalocyanine (FePc) and Fe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉. The effects of the pyrolysis temperature and the molar ratio of FePc to melamine were critically examined in the controls. Remarkably, the Fe〈sub〉7〈/sub〉C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/NG obtained at 800 °C (i.e. Fe〈sub〉7〈/sub〉C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/NG-800) manifested the forward shifts in the onset potential (0.98 V) and half-wave potential (0.85 V) with respective to commercial Pt/C (50 〈em〉wt〈/em〉%) in 0.1 M KOH, coupled with the great enhancement in the durability (still remained 92.11% of its initial current density even after 40,000 s) and strong methanol tolerance. This research presents a promising strategy for developing Pt-free non-precious efficient ORR electrocatalysts in fuel cells.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309658-ga1.jpg" width="297" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Manivannan Madhu, Tzu-Heng Chen, Wei-Lung Tseng〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Different-sized carbon dots (CDs) with full-color emissions have immerse potentials as a novel class of light source in the field of light-emitting diodes (LED). However, few studies have been devoted to the development of the one-step process for preparing white-light-emitting CDs (WLECDs). Herein, we present a facile and one-pot synthesis of the WLECDs through microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA). The as-synthesized WLECDs had a round shape with a mean particle size of 2.22 nm and their zeta potential reached up to 47 mV. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the appearance of nitrogen and oxygen-containing functional groups on the CD surface, generating many surface state emissive traps. Additionally, photoluminescence spectroscopy showed that the CDs exhibited excitation-dependent surface-state emission and excitation-independent core-state emission. When excited at 350 nm, an aqueous solution of the WLECDs emitted white light with an absolute quantum yield of 11% and a correlated color temperature of 5999 K at Commission International de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.321, 0.348). Single-particle photoluminescence spectroscopy demonstrated that the WLECDs still possessed broadband white-light emission from 400 to 800 nm at a single particle level. Furthermore, a white-light-emitting polymer composite film excited by 365-nm UV light was fabricated by embedding the WLECDs into a polyvinyl alcohol matrix. This flexible solid-state film showed a correlated color temperature of 7023 K at CIE coordinates of (0.303, 0.332) and. Given that the WELCDs have highly positive charges, the fabrication of a white-light-illuminating film was successfully conducted by layer-by-layer assembly of the WELCD and poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid).〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309506-ga1.jpg" width="320" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Janneke M. Dickhout, Ettore Virga, Rob G.H. Lammertink, Wiebe M. de Vos〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉Membrane filtration is a technique that can be successfully applied to remove oil from stable oil-in-water emulsions. This is especially interesting for the re-use of produced water (PW), a water stream stemming from the petrochemical industry, which contains dispersed oil, surface-active components and often has a high ionic strength. Due to the complexity of this emulsion, membrane fouling by produced water is more severe and less understood than membrane fouling by more simple oil-in-water emulsions. In this work, we study the relation between surfactant type and the effect of the ionic strength on membrane filtration of an artificial produced water emulsion. As surfactants, we use anionic sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), cationic hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), nonionic Triton 〈sup〉TM〈/sup〉X-100 (TX) and zwitterionic N-dodecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate (DDAPS), at various ionic strengths (1, 10, 100 mM NaCl). Filtration experiments on a regenerated cellulose ultrafiltration (UF) membrane showed a pronounced effect of the ionic strength for the charged surfactants SDS and CTAB, although the nature of the effect was quite different. For anionic SDS, an increasing ionic strength leads to less droplet-droplet repulsion, allowing a denser cake layer to form, resulting in a much more pronounced flux decline. CTAB, on the other hand leads to a lower interfacial tension than observed for SDS, and thus more deformable oil droplets. At high ionic strength, increased surfactant adsorption leads to such a low oil-water surface tension that the oil droplets can permeate through the much smaller membrane pores. For the nonionic surfactant TX, no clear effect of the ionic strength was observed, but the flux decline is very high compared to the other surfactants. For the zwitterionic surfactant DDAPS, the flux decline was found to be very low and even decreased with increasing ionic strength, suggesting that membrane fouling decreases with increasing ionic strength. Especially promising is that at lower surfactant concentration (0.1 CMC) and high ionic strength no flux decline was observed, while a high oil retention (85%) was obtained.〈/p〉 〈p〉From our results, it becomes clear that the type of the surfactant used is crucial for a successful application of membrane filtration for PW treatment, especially at high ionic strengths. In addition, they point out that the application of zwitterionic surfactants can be highly beneficial for PW treatment with membranes.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308483-ga1.jpg" width="336" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Quantong Che, Ziyun Li, Bin Pan, Xiangqing Duan, Tingting Jia, Lei Liu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Spin coating technique is a simple and effective method to fabricate layered membranes and it has been widely used in the field of energy storage and transformation, biomaterials and electronics. The aim of this work is to develop anhydrous proton exchange membranes (PEMs) based on cheap polymers bearing the simple structure with spin coating technique. Successful fabrication of anhydrous PEMs based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer, cadmium telluride (CdTe) nanocrystals and phosphoric acid (PA) molecules has been demonstrated by identification of high and stable proton conductivity. Specifically, (PVDF-CdTe-PA)〈sub〉5〈/sub〉/85%PA membranes present the maximum proton conductivity of 7.70 × 10〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 S/cm at 160 °C and 1.42 × 10〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 S/cm at 140 °C lasting 620 h. The decreased proton conduction resistance is revealed from the drastic reduction of activation energy (〈em〉Ea〈/em〉) owing to the layered structure and the adsorption of PA molecules. The introduction of CdTe nanocrystals to form the organic/inorganic composite membranes that is substantially more effective at improving proton conductivity and stiffness, showing great promise in solving the dilemma of proton conductivity and mechanical property. This study provides the support to exploit anhydrous PEMs with more cheap polymers using spin coating technique.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309373-ga1.jpg" width="444" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Dongqiao Zhang, Shuoyang Qiu, Wenjing Huang, Dongjie Yang, Huan Wang, Zhiqiang Fang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Flexible and conductive polypyrrole (PPy) paper shows the potential use in electromagnetic shielding, antistatic packaging, and electrochemical materials due to its low cost and facile manufacturing procedure. However, the poor mechanical strength and relatively low electrical stability of PPy paper is still challenging. In this study, we use horseradish peroxidase polymerized sulfonated alkaline lignin (HSAL) as a dispersant and dopant for PPy and demonstrate mechanically strong and electrically stable PPy paper by a combination of multiple impregnations and in-situ polymerization. The abundant sulfonic, carboxyl, and phenolic hydroxyl groups of HSAL could significantly improve the interfacial interaction between cellulose fibers and PPy. Meanwhile, its high molecular weight facilitated the uniform distribution of pyrrole along the fiber axial direction during 〈em〉in-situ〈/em〉 polymerization. As a result, the resulting PPy paper exhibits enhanced mechanical properties and electrical stability, as well as high conductivity (24.84 S cm〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). More significantly, we investigated the influences of the dosage of HSAL and the cycles of multilayer impregnations on the electrical and mechanical properties of PPy paper. This work sheds light on the design and fabrication of flexible and conductive PPy paper with superior mechanical robustness and stable electrical performance.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309300-ga1.jpg" width="250" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yijiang Li, Wencheng Xia, Baofeng Wen, Guangyuan Xie〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Fine minerals, such as silicate and clay minerals are difficult to filtrate and dewater in mineral processing industry. In this study, quartz and kaolinite particles were mixed in different proportions to investigate the filtration and dewatering behavior difference. Combined with the calculation of DLVO theory, the particles size of quartz flocs, kaolinite flocs and the flocs of quartz and kaolinite mixture under pH of 7 and 11 were analyzed by focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM). In addition, the structure of quartz/kaolinite flocs and the filter cake porosity were analyzed by 3D-high solution X-ray microanalyser (3D-XRM). The mixture of 80% quartz and 20% kaolinite had the maximum filtration velocity. The DLVO theoretical analyses show that the interaction between the aluminum-oxygen surface of kaolinite and silicon-oxygen surface of kaolinite/quartz particles is an attractive force at pH of 7, but repulsion force at pH of 11. The FBRM tests found that quartz and kaolinite tended to form relative larger agglomerates at pH of 7 when compared to a pH of 11. The results of 3D-XRM showed the kaolinite flocs were surrounded by amounts of quartz particles at pH of 7, which formed many quartz-kaolinite agglomerates, and therefore the porosity of the cake was increased for the water to easily pass through, which finally sped up the filtration process. However, quartz and kaolinite were evenly dispersed and had no obvious aggregates phenomenon at pH of 11, and the filtration velocity was slow because the kaolinite filled in the gap between quartz particles, which reduced the porosity of filter cake.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309336-ga1.jpg" width="353" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Niloofar Kamyar, Sharifeh Rezaee, Saeed Shahrokhian, Mostafa M. Amini〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this work, we present the design and fabrication of a novel nanocomposite based on noble metal and metal oxide nanoparticles dispersed on highly porous carbon obtained via the pyrolysis of an inorganic complex and metal-organic frameworks. This nanocomposite is prepared by a two-step procedure: first, the composite support of nanoporous carbon (NPC) is obtained by the direct carbonization of the Cr-benzene dicarboxylic ligand (BDC) MOF in an Argon atmosphere at 500 °C (Cr〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉-NPC). A mixture containing Cr〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉-NPC and [PtCl(SnCl〈sub〉3〈/sub〉)(SMe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉)〈sub〉2〈/sub〉] is then prepared, and underflow of Argon is heated to 380 °C. Finally, Pt-SnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoparticles are loaded on the Cr〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉-NPC support, and the obtained nanocomposite was denoted as Pt-SnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/Cr〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉-NPC. The morphology and crystalline structure of the prepared nanocomposites were characterized using XRD, SEM, EDX, FT-IR, and XPS. In addition, the prepared nanocomposite was examined as a novel electrocatalyst for the ethanol electro-oxidation reaction (EOR). The obtained results demonstrated that, compared with Pt/Cr〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉-NPC, Pt-SnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/Cr〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉-NPC showed higher electrocatalytic activity, lower onset potential, and a higher level of poisoning tolerance toward of ethanol oxidation in acidic media. The overall results corroborate the predominant role of SnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 as an excellent catalytic-enhancing agent thorough facilitating the charge transfer process and increasing the CO poisoning oxidation by the spillover of OH〈sub〉ads〈/sub〉 to the Pt surface. Thus, the prepared Pt-SnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/Cr〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉-NPC catalyst could be considered a promising anode catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cells.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309191-ga1.jpg" width="304" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Junhui Li, Li Shan, Binjian Ma, Xinyu Jiang, Abel Solomon, Madhusudan Iyengar, Jorge Padilla, Damena Agonafer〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Evaporation of sessile droplet suffers from reduced evaporation rate due to the confinement of vapor diffusion imposed by the bottom substrate. However, it is possible to change the evaporation behavior of a droplet by suspending it from the bottom substrate, in particular, supporting the droplet on a micropillar. This is expected to enable diffusion transport in the downward direction that will subsequently enhance evaporative transport. In this study, we investigate the diffusion confinement effect imposed by the bottom substrate and the side wall of the micropillar through numerical simulations and experimental investigation. The approximate solutions for total evaporation rate and local evaporative flux were subsequently derived from the total evaporation rate predicted by the simulation results. The simulation results, agreeing within 5% with the experimental measurements, show that increasing the micropillar height enhances the total evaporation rate from the suspended hemispherical droplet. This enhancement is due to a dramatic improvement of the local evaporation rate near the contact line region as micropillar heights increase. The micropillar heights examined for maximum evaporation rates were observed under substrate temperatures from 60–98 °C. The increasing pillar height leads to smaller vapor diffusion resistance but greater conduction resistance.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308744-ga1.jpg" width="452" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ruixia Yuan, Jincheng Liu, Zhijun Li, Yanguang Chen, Zhaohui Wang, Zhanjian Liu, Guolin Jing, Yanji Zhu, Huaiyuan Wang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Single-stage oil/water separation membranes usually suffer from weak chemical stability, susceptible mechanical damage and relatively low permeating flux, and the sophisticated preparation processes also limit their massive utilization. In this work, Cu(OH)〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoneedles coated copper mesh (CM) is prepared by simple and eco-friendly anodic oxidation at a current density of 4 mA/cm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 for 6 min, which is the most efficient route reported so far. The mesh exhibits outstanding superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity towards various oils with contact angles up to 164.9°, achieving superior oil/water separation efficiency of above 99.5% and ultrahigh permeating flux of 191 160 L·m〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 solely driven by gravity. Impressively, the Cu(OH)〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CM demonstrates excellent chemical stability and anti-fouling performance when exposed to acidic and strongly alkaline solutions, saturated NaCl solution and various organic solvents. High durability to withstand mechanical challenges, e.g. high-power sonication and sand abrasion, is experimentally confirmed owing to strong cohesional strength of Cu(OH)〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoneedles on CM surface. Importantly, the Cu(OH)〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CM exhibits favorable long-term recyclability with stable microstructure morphologies even after 50 cycles. These distinct advantages endow the Cu(OH)〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CM to be an ideal candidate to efficiently separate oil pollutants from water. The oil/water separation mechanisms are proposed based on the concept of intrusion pressure.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309129-ga1.jpg" width="465" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Shuangshuang Wu, Wei Li, Yuqiong Sun, Xuejie Zhang, Jianle Zhuang, Hang Hu, Bingfu Lei, Chaofan Hu, Yingliang Liu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Carbon dots as an emerging photoluminescent material has attracted growing attention. Hence, there is a highly urgent to develop kinds of multicolor emission carbon dots materials. Here, we report a new kind of dual-emissive carbon dots which display two emission band located at 457 and 643 nm (blue and red) in alcohols solvent, respectively. In particular, the red emission band of carbon dots independent of the excitation wavelength can be manipulated by changing the polarity of the solvent, which is called solvatochromic phenomenon. It is incredibly rare for bare carbon dots to have both dual-emission and solvatochromic phenomenon at the same time. The temperature-dependent emission spectra of synthesized carbon dots have been measured to go insight into the hydrogen bond interaction, and the aggregation in microscale is observed by transmission electron microscopy. Results indicates that the special dual-emission and solvatochromic phenomenon stem from partially nanoparticle agglomerates which caused by intermolecular hydrogen bond (between solvents and carbon dots). Benefiting from the special optical characteristics, the applications of ratiometric detecting water in ethanol was carried out.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉In our work, a type of CDs is designed to realize continuously tunable multicolor emission by simply adjusting the solvents. Schematic illustration of the formation of DS-CDs and possible dispersion morphology of DS-CDs in diverse polar solvents.〈/p〉 〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308690-ga1.jpg" width="330" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Richard Wyndham O'Brien〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This paper is concerned with effects that arise from the electric charge on the surface of porous colloidal particles. When an external disturbance is applied, for example a change in the concentration of the surrounding electrolyte or an applied electric field, a complicated interaction ensues between the electric field, the liquid pressure field and the ion concentration fields in these particles. In this paper we derive the governing equations for these electrokinetic interactions for a general pore geometry and particle shape, and we present a procedure for solving these equations in the case of a general binary electrolyte. As an illustration, we obtain a new result: a formula for the complex electrical conductivity spectrum of a dilute suspension of porous spheres.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308549-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jun Liu, Jia Li, Gui Wang, Wenning Yang, Jie Yang, Yong Liu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This paper reports the first proof-of-concept of using bioinspired ZIF-8 based micromotors for efficient water remediation. Natural kapok fibers have unique hollow structure that contains cellulose and lignin, inspiring the design and fabrication of bubble-driving tubular micromotors as an active self-propelled micromachine for the removal of organic pollutants from water. The outer dense ZIF-8 layer can adsorb organic pollutants on the micromotors, and the inner catalyst acts as the engine decomposing fuel H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 for providing bubble propulsion. The magnetic γ-Fe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 enables the external magnetic control movement and recovery of micromotors. The maximum adsorption capacity of ZIF-8-based magnetic micromotors toward Congo red and doxycycline were high as 394 and 242 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, respectively, mainly due to the enhanced micromotor-pollutant contacts by their autonomous motion and the resulting mixing associated effect. This novel ZIF-8 micromotor also showed outstanding stability and reusability in aqueous solution, indicating that their great potential for future application in water treatment.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308392-ga1.jpg" width="324" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Gui-Ying Zhuge, Wei-De Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The photocatalytic activity of graphitic carbon nitride (CN) is mainly restricted by its high recombination rate of charge carriers and narrow visible light absorption. In the present work, nitrogen-deficient CN (NDCCN) nanosheets with high crystallinity were synthesized using molten salt (NaLiCO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉) as an etching agent and high-temperature solvent. The electronic structure and energy band levels of the obtained NDCCN are optimized to extend its optical absorption and enhance separation efficiency of photo-generated charge carriers. With these changes, NDCCN displays high photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution under visible light illumination (111 μmol h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉), which is 4.6 times of that over pristine CN. This finding opens up a new window to simultaneously decrease nitrogen composition and increase crystallinity of carbon nitride for higher solar-light-driven hydrogen production efficiency.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308598-ga1.jpg" width="297" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Guiqiang Wang, Jieqiong Liu, Ke Chen, Rajesh Pathak, Ashim Gurung, Qiquan Qiao〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉CsPbI〈sub〉2〈/sub〉Br inorganic perovskite has been considered as a promising candidate for application in photovoltaic devices due to its high thermal stability and reasonable bandgap of 1.92 eV. However, CsPbI〈sub〉2〈/sub〉Br perovskite is sensitive to moisture, which remarkably deteriorates the stability of CsPbI〈sub〉2〈/sub〉Br perovskite solar cells under the ambient conditions. Here, by using hydrophobic poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) layer in conjunction with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the hole transporting layer, we develop a stable and high-performance carbon electrode-based CsPbI〈sub〉2〈/sub〉Br inorganic perovskite solar cell (PSC). The P3HT-MWCNTs composites not only can prevent moisture ingress but also enhance the holes extraction and transport. A conversion efficiency up to 10.01% with a stabilized efficiency of 8.85% is achieved for the champion device. In addition, the as-prepared carbon electrode-based CsPbI〈sub〉2〈/sub〉Br PSC exhibits an excellent long-term stability which retains ∼85% of its initial value over 240 h under the ambient conditions (∼35% R.H.) without encapsulation.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308641-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Wanjian Yu, Nuo Yu, Zhaojie Wang, Xuan Li, Cen Song, Ruiqi Jiang, Peng Geng, Maoquan Li, Shiwu Yin, Zhigang Chen〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉CuS nanomaterials capped with artificial organic-molecules or polymers have been well demonstrated as efficient photothermal nanoagents for the therapy of tumor, but their biocompatibility and target ability should be improved. To address these problems, we have used chitosan (CS) as the biomacromolecule model and surface ligands to prepare CuS quantum dots (QDs) via a simple co-precipitation method. CuS-CS QDs are then conjugated with folic acid (FA). The resulting CuS-CS-FA QDs are composed of hexagonal phase nanodots with sizes of about 4 nm. FA modification process has no apparent influence on the size, phase and composition of the QDs. Furthermore, the zeta potential and infrared spectroscopy confirm the efficient conjugation of FA. CuS-CS-FA QDs exhibit strong near-infrared photoabsorption and high photothermal efficiency (47.0%). As a result of the presence of CS ligand and FA modification, CuS-CS-FA QDs have good biocompatibility and relatively high cellular uptake efficacy. When CuS-CS-FA QD dispersion is injected intravenously into the tumor-bearing mice, the photoacoustic imaging reveals that CuS-CS-FA QD can be efficiently targeted and accumulated in the tumor and reach the peak dose at 60 min. The irradiation of 1064-nm laser (1.0 W cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉, 10 min) results in the efficient inhibition of tumor growth, without treatment-induced toxicity. Therefore, CuS-CS-FA QDs have great potential to become biocompatible multifunctional nanoagents for imaging guided therapy of tumor.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉CuS quantum dots have been prepared with chitosan (CS) as surface ligands and then conjugated with folic acid (FA). The resulting CuS-CS-FA QDs have been successfully used for the photoacoustic imaging guided photothermal therapy of tumor.〈/p〉 〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308987-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Da-Eun Lee, Eun-Young Choi, Hye-Jin Yang, Akula S.N. Murthy, Tejinder Singh, Jong-Min Lim, Jungkyun Im〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Hypothesis〈/h6〉 〈p〉Obtaining simultaneous stretchability and superhydrophobicity remains a great challenge in stretchable electronics, and wearable devices. Inspired by natural surfaces, such as lotus leaf, surface roughness and coating materials are the fundamental requirements to achieve superhydrophobicity.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Experiments〈/h6〉 〈p〉We prepared an elastic fibrous mat by electrospinning of a composite solution made of thermoplastic elastomer as an organic polymer matrix, and silica nanoparticles as inorganic additives to support surface roughness. To enhance hydrophobicity, the pristine mat was immersed into a solution of fluorinated material, which can decrease the surface energy.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Findings〈/h6〉 〈p〉The pristine fibrous mat showed high stretchability (with more than 1000% strain), and superhydrophobicity (with a contact angle of 156°, and a sliding angle of 7.8°). Superhydrophobicity did not disappear when the fibrous mat was stretched up to 1000%. Sliding angles were less than 10° under different strain levels only in longitudinal direction, suggesting the stretchable superhydrophobic surface is effective in rolling off the water droplet in one direction. The fibrous mat was repeatedly stretched 1000 times to 1000% strain; the material showed stable stretchability and superhydrophobicity. Based on these observations, the resulting fibrous mat appears to be in the Cassie-Baxter wetting state.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309014-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jessica Lucenius, Juan José Valle-Delgado, Kirsti Parikka, Monika Österberg〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Plant-based polysaccharides (cellulose and hemicellulose) are a very interesting option for the preparation of sustainable composite materials to replace fossil plastics, but the optimum bonding mechanism between the hard and soft components is still not well known. In this work, composite films made of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and various modified and unmodified polysaccharides (galactoglucomannan, GGM; hydrolyzed and oxidized guar gum, GGhydHox; and guar gum grafted with polyethylene glycol, GG-g-PEG) were characterized from the nano- to macroscopic level to better understand how the interactions between the composite components at nano/microscale affect macroscopic mechanical properties, like toughness and strength. All the polysaccharides studied adsorbed well on CNF, although with different adsorption rates, as measured by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Direct surface and friction force experiments using the colloidal probe technique revealed that the adsorbed polysaccharides provided repulsive forces–well described by a polyelectrolyte brush model – and a moderate reduction in friction between cellulose surfaces, which may prevent CNF aggregates during composite formation and, consequently, enhance the strength of dry films. High affinity for cellulose and moderate hydration were found to be important requirements for polysaccharides to improve the mechanical properties of CNF-based composites in wet conditions. The results of this work provide fundamental information on hemicellulose-cellulose interactions and can support the development of polysaccharide-based materials for different packaging and medical applications.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308331-ga1.jpg" width="399" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Marina Massaro, Francesco Armetta, Giuseppe Cavallaro, Delia F. Chillura Martino, Michelangelo Gruttadauria, Giuseppe Lazzara, Serena Riela, Marco d'Ischia〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Hypothesis〈/h6〉 〈p〉Polydopamine (PDA) is widely used as hydrophilic coating for several applications. However, most of the methods studied to improve or manipulate PDA properties are multistep and time-consuming, and there is a need for versatile strategies aimed at controlling and modifying the properties of PDA.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Experiments〈/h6〉 〈p〉PDA-halloysite nanocomposites were produced under different oxidation conditions in alkaline and acidic media and were characterized by UV–visible and attenuated total refraction- Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis, porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and contact angle measurements against the reference PDA polymer.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Findings〈/h6〉 〈p〉Inclusion of the inorganic halloysite nanofiller in the PDA component was found to affect the thermal properties of the nanocomposite as well as its structure, depending on the experimental conditions. The ability of the nanocomposites to adsorb organic dyes as possible membrane coatings for environmental remediation was also investigated by different models, suggesting promising applications as adsorbents for the treatment of wastewaters.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S002197971930880X-ga1.jpg" width="426" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Juan Wang, Qin Zhong, Yiqing Zeng, Danyu Cheng, Yongheng Xiong, Yunfei Bu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Reasonably designing self-supported metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoarrays is profound for applications in energy storage and conversion. Herein, we construct a triangle-like nickel-cobalt bimetallic metal-organic framework nanosheet array on nickel foam (NiCo-MOF/NF) via facile one-step hydrothermal reaction, served as battery-like electrode material for hybrid supercapacitors. By adjusting the molar ratio of Ni and Co, the optimal NiCo-MOF/NF with Ni/Co = 3:2 (3-2 NiCo-MOF/NF) produces an impressive specific capacity of 1003.5 C/g (2230 F/g) at 1 A/g, surpassing most of the previously reported MOF based electrode materials. The superior electrochemical performances may be related to their 3D well-aligned MOF nanosheets arrays, which provides enlarged electroactive areas. Meanwhile, the tight junction of electrode materials and conductive substrate nickel foam (NF) can guarantee their sufficient electric contact, contributing to fast electron transfer from electrodes to conductive substrates. Finally, a hybrid supercapacitor fabricated by the 3-2 NiCo-MOF/NF against active carbon (AC) delivers an advantageous energy density of 34.3 Wh/kg at a power density of 375 W/kg. These results certificate that such bimetallic NiCo-MOF nanosheets arrays hold great potential as novel electrode materials for hybrid supercapacitors.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308434-ga1.jpg" width="270" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Russell Macoon, Timothy Guerriero, Anuj Chauhan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Hypothesis〈/h6〉 〈p〉Topical and systemic methods are not able to deliver ophthalmic drugs for treatment of retinal diseases. Consequently, invasive monthly intravitreal injections through the eyeball are required to deliver retinal drugs. A reduction in the frequency of the injection through extended release of the drugs could have significant clinical benefits.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Experiments〈/h6〉 〈p〉Oleogels containing ethyl cellulose as the gelator at 10% (wt%) in soybean oil were loaded with dexamethasone above the solubility limit and expunged from a syringe to create cylindrical rods for extended drug delivery. The devices were imaged to explore particle distribution and drug release was measured under sink conditions in buffer. A model was developed and fitted to data to determine effective drug diffusivity.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Findings〈/h6〉 〈p〉Dexamethasone is released slowly due to the presence of the drug particles that serve as drug depots. The release increases from 600 to 3000 h as the drug loading is increased from 3% to 28%. The release profiles can be modeled by considering drug dissolution and diffusion, as well as the tortuosity of the matrix due to the presence of the voids formed after the drug particles have dissolved. The proposed approach is promising as the release profiles of the drug are comparable to commercial devices.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308628-ga1.jpg" width="384" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Zhe Fan, Li Zhang, Shangying Liu, Lingyu Luan, Gongrang Li, Dejun Sun〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Hypothesis〈/h6〉 〈p〉High temperatures can reduce the colloidal stability and rheological properties of nonpolar organoclay suspensions. The desorption of surfactants from organoclay has been proposed to explain this effect, but the mechanism remains unclear. In this work, it was hypothesized that the high-temperature-induced desorption of ion-exchanged surfactants is the main factor affecting the stabilization of suspensions.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Experiments〈/h6〉 〈p〉Using the cationic surfactant dimethyldioctadecylammonium chloride (DODMAC) and Na-montmorillonite (Na-MMT), the high-temperature-induced reestablishment of the adsorption–desorption equilibrium of DODMAC in organoclay suspensions was studied. Thermogravimetric analysis combined with infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry experiments were performed to determine the thermal decomposition products and, ultimately, infer the adsorption modes and locations of DODMAC on Na-MMT. Thermal analysis and rheology were utilized to demonstrate the high-temperature-induced desorption and transfer of DODMAC in organoclay suspensions.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Findings〈/h6〉 〈p〉High temperatures induced the complete desorption of physically adsorbed DODMAC molecules from particle surfaces, the partial desorption of ion-exchanged dimethyldioctadecylammonium ions (DODMA〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 ions) from particle surfaces, and the partial transfer of ion-exchanged DODMA〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 ions from the surfaces to the interlayers. Importantly, desorption of ion-exchanged DODMA〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 ions resulted in destabilization of the organoclay suspensions at high temperatures.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308537-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 19 August 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xuan Li, Yao-Wen Hai, Da Ma, Jing Chen, Martin G. Banwell, Ping Lan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Hypothesis〈/h6〉 〈p〉The development of functional and nutritional surfactants for the food industry remains a subject of great interest. Herein, therefore, we report on the design and synthesis of novel trisaccharide (raffinose) monoester-based surfactants in the expectation that they would display functional properties superior to certain disaccharide-based, commercially-deployed emulsifiers and thus have potential for industrial applications.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Experiments〈/h6〉 〈p〉The title esters were prepared by enzymatic methods and their properties as surfactants evaluated through determination of their HLB values, water solubilities, CMCs, foamabilities and foaming stabilities as well as through investigation of their impacts on the stability of oil-in-water emulsions over a range of storage times and under certain other conditions.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Findings〈/h6〉 〈p〉The emulsifying properties of 6-〈em〉O〈/em〉-acylraffinose esters are dictated, in large part, by the length of the associated alkyl chains. The results of storage and environmental stress experiments revealed that the increasing length of alkyl chains enhances the stability of the derived emulsions. All the raffinose ester-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions displayed stratification effects under strongly acidic conditions (pH ≤ 4) or at high ionic strength (≥ 300 mM) while possessing reasonable resistance to variations in temperature. As such, a number of the raffinose esters showed greater stability to environmental stress than their commercially-deployed and sucrose-based counterparts. The structure-property profiles established through the present study provide a definitive guide to the development of raffinose esters as novel emulsifiers, particularly for the food industry.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309786-ga1.jpg" width="403" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ghassem Rezaei, Seyed Mojtaba Daghighi, Mohammad Raoufi, Mehdi Esfandyari-Manesh, Mahban Rahimifard, Vahid Iranpur Mobarakeh, Sara Kamalzare, Mohammad Hossein Ghahremani, Fatemeh Atyabi, Mohammad Abdollahi, Farhad Rezaee, Rassoul Dinarvand〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Enhanced understanding of bio-nano interaction requires recognition of hidden factors such as protein corona, a layer of adsorbed protein around nano-systems. This study compares the biological identity and fingerprint profile of adsorbed proteins on PLGA-based nanoparticles through nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The total proteins identified in the corona of nanoparticles (NPs) with different in size, charge and compositions were classified based on molecular mass, isoelectric point and protein function. A higher abundance of complement proteins was observed in modified NPs with an increased size, while NPs with a positive surface charge exhibited the minimum adsorption for immunoglobulin proteins. A correlation of dysopsonin/opsonin ratio was found with cellular uptake of NPs exposed to two positive and negative Fc receptor cell lines. Although the higher abundance of dysopsonins such as apolipoproteins may cover the active sites of opsonins causing a lower uptake, the correlation of adsorbed dysopsonin/opsonin proteins on the NPs surface has an opposite trend with the intensity of cell uptake. Despite the reduced uptake of corona-coated NPs in comparison with pristine NPs, the dysopsonin/opsonin ratio controlled by the physicochemistry properties of NPs could potentially be used to tune up the cellular delivery of polymeric NPs.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309592-ga1.jpg" width="472" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Nicole Zoratto, Isabelle Grillo, Pietro Matricardi, Cécile A. Dreiss〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The association between a hydrophobically modified polysaccharide, gellan gum, with micelles based on a surfactant bearing the same hydrophobic tail as pendant groups was investigated by rheology and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Gellan gum grafted with cholesterol groups (20% mol/mol tetrasaccharide unit), GeCh, was mixed with polyoxyethylene cholesteryl ether (ChEO〈sub〉10〈/sub〉), which comprises a cholesterol group as the tail linked to a small polyoxyethylene headgroup, and self-assembles into micelles with an unusual disc-like morphology. The addition of 0.5% polymer to solutions of ChEO〈sub〉10〈/sub〉 induced a remarkable transition from a Newtonian fluid to a predominantly solid-like viscoelastic behaviour, leading to a ×10〈sup〉5〈/sup〉 increase in zero-shear viscosity (with 5% ChEO〈sub〉10〈/sub〉). Increasing surfactant concentration led to an enhancement of the viscoelasticity, but the elastic modulus 〈em〉G′〈/em〉 reached a plateau around 15% surfactant, attributed to a saturation of the sticker groups. The effect of micellar morphology on the network was studied by adding a small headgroup co-surfactant, triethylene glycol monododecyl ether, to ChEO〈sub〉10〈/sub〉 micelles, which drives their elongation into wormlike micelles. Networks obtained with the long, flexible micelles displayed enhanced solid-like behaviour, with no cross-over between 〈em〉G′〈/em〉 and 〈em〉G″〈/em〉 over the measured range of frequencies, reflecting relaxation times of the order of minutes or hours. The morphology of the gels studied by SANS revealed a scattering dominated by strongly interacting micelles (described by discs of 140 Å diameter and a hydrated ∼38 Å PEO corona) and the presence of micellar clusters induced by the presence of the polymer. The scattering data therefore confirm that the onset of gelation is due to surfactant micelles acting as junction points for the network.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309580-ga1.jpg" width="457" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Vimal Kumar Mariappan, Karthikeyan Krishnamoorthy, Parthiban Pazhamalai, Surjit Sahoo, Sang-Jae Kim〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Carbon- and carbon derivatives are widely employed as efficient electrode materials for supercapacitor applications. Herein, we demonstrate a cost-effective dip-coating process followed by dehydrohalogenation of PVDF-Ni for the preparation of carbyne enriched carbon anchored on nickel (CEC-Ni) as high-performance electrode material. The removal of halogens in the prepared CEC-Ni were widely characterized using XRD, XPS, Laser Raman, and FT-IR analysis. The occurrence of carbon-carbon vibration in the prepared CEC-Ni foam was confirmed using FT-IR spectroscopy. Laser Raman analysis confirms that the CEC-Ni foam contains both sp and sp〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 hybridized carbon. The electrochemical properties of prepared carbyne enriched carbon anchored on nickel foam electrode (CEC-NiE) showed an ideal capacitive properties and delivered a maximum specific capacitance of about 106.12 F g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 with excellent cyclic retention. Furthermore, the mechanism of charge-storage in the CEC-NiE was analyzed using Dunn’s method. In additon, the asymmetric supercapacitor device was fabricated using CEC-NiE as positive and rGO as negative electrode achieved a remarkable energy density of 33.57 Wh Kg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 with a maximal power density of 14825.71 W Kg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. These results suggested that the facile preparation of CEC-NiE could be a promising and effective electrode material for future energy storage application.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309567-ga1.jpg" width="323" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Arpan Biswas, Vinod K. Aswal, Pralay Maiti〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In-situ inclusion of different nanoclays during synthesis results in different level of dispersion of nanoclays in the polymer matrix depending upon the surface modification of the nanoclay. Higher intercalation of the polymer chains within the galleries of organically modified nanoclay results better dispersion as compared to pristine nanoclay. The spectroscopic measurement shows that the extent of interaction between the nanoclay and polymer chains is higher in modified nanoclay nanocomposite which decreases the crystallinity considerably as compared to pristine clay nanocomposite. Interestingly, shape memory behavior measured at physiological temperature (37 °C) improves significantly in presence of organically modified nanoclay while it decreases in presence of unmodified nanoclay in same polyurethane matrix. Complete melting of soft segment along with restricted flipping of hard segment with temperature in presence of extensive interaction in nanocomposite with modified nanoclay helps it to achieve better shape memory behavior against flipping induced stacking of hard segment with temperature along with poor interaction decreases its shape memory behavior in nanocomposite with unmodified nanoclay. Temperature dependent nanostructure reveals the cause of variation in shape memory behavior in presence of organically modified nanoclay. Further, the cell culture studies like cell adhesion, cell viability assay and fluorescence imaging, suggest superior biomaterial of the nanocomposite with modified nanoclay as compared to other composite. Better biodegradable nature of the modified nanocomposite makes it suitable candidate for its potential biomedical applications.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309543-ga1.jpg" width="284" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Krishna Kanta Haldar, Swati Tanwar, Rathindranath Biswas, Tapasi Sen, Jouko Lahtinen〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉We demonstrated the design of tiny bowls of copper-silver-gold (Cu-Ag-Au) alloy type noble trimetallic nanocrystals with a unique shape. All the structural characterizations confirm the presence of copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and gold (Au) in the trimetallic nanobowls. Finally, we examined the catalytic efficiency of trimetallic Cu-Ag-Au nanobowls for reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol and found that these nanobowls were 14, 23 and 43-fold more active than each of the constituent metals, Au, Cu and Ag, respectively.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S002197971930949X-ga1.jpg" width="488" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Dapeng Wu, Rui Wang, Can Yang, Yipeng An, Hai Lu, Hongju Wang, Kun Cao, Zhiyong Gao, Wenchao Zhang, Fang Xu, Kai Jiang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Bismuth oxychloride micro-sheets with rich oxygen vacancies (BiOCl-OV) are firstly prepared through a surfactant assisted solvothermal method. Due to the selective surfactant adsorption, the as-prepared BiOCl-OV exposes high percentage {0 0 1} facets. Moreover, the ion-exchange process not only introduces Br atoms but also creates cavities in crystal structure of the Br doped BiOCl-OV (Br-BiOCl-OV). When used as photocatalyst for N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 photo-fixation, the optimized Br-BiOCl-OV demonstrates an ammonia producing rate of 6.3 μmol h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 under visible light irradiation, which is greatly enhanced than that of pristine BiOCl-OV (4.1 μmol h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). The density functional theory (DFT) calculation suggests that because of the introduced Br atoms and the oxygen vacancies, the adsorbed N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 on Br-BiOCl-OV exhibits greater N〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉N bond length than that adsorbed on pristine BiOCl-OV, attributing to the effective activation of the inert N〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉N bonds. Photocurrent response, state/transient PL spectra and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicate that the Br-BiOCl-OV possesses promoted charge separation and suppressed charge recombination, which finally leads to the high N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 photo-fixation performances.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309488-ga1.jpg" width="269" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yuan Xu, Aleks Atrens, Jason R. Stokes〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Hypothesis〈/h6〉 〈p〉Liquid crystal hydroglass (LCH) is a biphasic soft material with flow programmable anisotropy that forms via phase separation in suspensions of charged colloidal rods upon increases in ionic strength. The unique structure and rheology of the LCH gel formed using nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) is hypothesised to be dependent on colloidal stability that is modulated using specific ion effects arising from Hofmeister phenomena.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Experiments〈/h6〉 〈p〉LCHs are prepared in NCC suspensions in aqueous media containing varying levels of sodium chloride (NaCl) or sodium thiocyanate (NaSCN). The NCC suspensions are characterised using rheology and structural analysis techniques that includes polarised optical microscopy, zeta potential, dynamic light scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Findings〈/h6〉 〈p〉The two salts have a profound effect on the formation process and structure of the LCH. Differences in network density and size of the liquid crystal domains are observed within the LCH for each of the salts, which is associated with the strength of interaction between NCC particles during LCH formation. In comparison to Cl〈sup〉−〈/sup〉 at the same salinity, the chaotropic nature of the weakly hydrated SCN〈sup〉−〈/sup〉 enhances colloidal stability by rendering NCC particles more hydrated and repulsive, but this also leads to weaker gel strength of the LCH. The results suggest that salts are a means in which to control the formation, structure and rheology of these anisotropic soft materials.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309233-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Zhiyuan Liu, Yadong Song, Qingyao Wang, Yao Jia, Xinying Tan, Xinxin Du, Shanmin Gao〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The fabrication of TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 NTs/Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉 type-II heterojunction photocatalyst was carried out by a simple solvothermal method. Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉 nanoparticles with nanosheet microstructures were successfully loaded on TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 NTs surface through the adjustment of reaction intervals. The heterojunction photocatalyst showed excellent organic dye and heavy metal ion removal performances, and nearly 100%, 75%, 100% and 100% of MO, RhB, MB and Cr (VI) were removed by simulative sunlight irradiation for 3 or 2 h, respectively. The outstanding photocatalyic performance was mainly due to the formation of type-II heterojunction between TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉. The type-II heterojunction not only enhanced visible light response but also accelerated photogenerated charge carrier transfer and restrained the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs with the assistance of internal electric field.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉The nanosheets of Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉 were loaded to surface of TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 NTs (grown on Ti mesh) via simple solvothermal method and the amount of Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉 nanosheets was adjusted by changing reaction intervals. The PEC removal efficiency of RhB, MO, MB and Cr (VI) achieved 75%, 100%, 100% and 100%. The type-II heterojunction mechanism was tentatively proposed.〈/p〉 〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309348-ga1.jpg" width="376" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Manviri Rani, Rachna, Uma Shanker〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are causing environmental concerns due to their persistent nature and carcinogenicity. Hence, their removal through advanced nanomaterials with characteristics of low-cost and high efficiency is essential. In view of this, bimetallic oxides (BMOs) nanocomposites of NiO-ZnO, ZnCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4,〈/sub〉 MnCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 and CoFe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 were synthesized via green route using leaf extract of 〈em〉Aegle marmelos.〈/em〉 Subsequently, these BMOs were investigated for photocatalytic removal of selected PAHs like anthracene (ANTH) and phenanthrene (PHEN) from water. Nanospheres of NiO-ZnO, ZnCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4,〈/sub〉 and CoFe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 and nanosheets of MnCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 with particle size range of 10–30 nm were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. At neutral pH, nanocomposites showed excellent ability in degrading 2 mg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 of PAHs (ANTH: 98%; PHEN: 93%) within 12 h under the exposure of sunlight. Among the synthesized BMOs, NiO-ZnO was found best followed by ZnCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4,〈/sub〉 MnCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 and CoFe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4.〈/sub〉 This fact is attributed to the highest surface area (129 m〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) and particles stability (zeta potential: −30 eV) of NiO-ZnO. Photodegradation of PAHs by nanocomposites followed first order kinetics and fitted in Langmuir model for adsorption. Higher degradation under sunlight and lower removal efficiency with scavenger confirmed the photodegradation activity of nanocomposites. Overall, reusable (n = 10) nanocomposites with no loss of activity have high photocatalytic potential in the removal of carcinogenic PAHs.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309178-ga1.jpg" width="454" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jing Huang, Junwei Mei, Jianxin Han, Hui Liang, Wei Wang, Bohua Dong, Lixin Cao〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Two-dimensional (2D) sulfides have attracted much attention as a promising photocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction. In this work, a highly active and stable vertical 1T/2H-WS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoflakes grown on 2D-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 with multiple charge transfer channels through a simple and efficient colloidal strategy is reported. This three-dimensional (3D) composite presents the usual semiconducting 2H phase WS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 as well as the unusual distorted octahedral 1T phase WS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, which vertically connect 2D-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 constructing an interesting 3D structure with more active sites. The H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 production rate of the optimal product has reached 350.75 μmol·g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉·h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, which is 66.8 and 8.2 times higher than the rate of 2D-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 and 1T/2H-WS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 respectively. The predominant charge transfer occurs between 2D-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 and 2H-WS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoflakes due to their vertical connection and the matched energy structure while the existence of the metallic 1T-WS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 acts as a cocatalyst with an enhanced conductivity to provide multiple charge transfer channels over its basal and edge sites for H〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 reduction.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309440-ga1.jpg" width="297" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jinghao Huo, Yujia Xue, Lifeng Zhang, Xiaofei Wang, Yiqiao Cheng, Shouwu Guo〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Hybrid Li-ion capacitor (LIC) draws more attention as novel energy storage device owing to its high power density and high energy density. Designing three-dimensional electrode materials is beneficial for improving electrochemical performance of LICs. Herein, an improved hydrothermal method combined with an ion-exchange reaction is used to manufacture oxygen vacancies (OVs)-doping TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 (TiO〈sub〉2-x〈/sub〉) nanowires/nanosheets (NWS) on Ti-foil. Then TiCl〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 treatment is performed to form TiO〈sub〉2-x〈/sub〉 NWS/nanocrystallines (NWSC). These-obtained hierarchical nanoarchitectures assumes enrich electro-active sites and contact areas, which can improve electron transference and structural stability. The TiO〈sub〉2-x〈/sub〉 NWSC is used as binder-free anode for Li-ion battery and achieves high specific capacity (300 mAh g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 at 0.1 A g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉), excellent rate capability (102 mAh g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 at 5 A g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) and long cycle stability (44% after 1000 cycles at 1 A g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). LICs assembled with a TiO〈sub〉2-x〈/sub〉 NWSC anode and an activated carbon cathode have an energy density of 44.2 W h kg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 at the power density of 150 W kg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. Therefore, the TiO〈sub〉2-x〈/sub〉 NWSC is a potential candidate for high energy and high power electrochemical energy storage devices.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309312-ga1.jpg" width="294" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yajie Hou, Yiming Li, Lisha Wang, Dafan Chen, Mutai Bao, Zhining Wang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Application of dispersants is one of the widely used oil spill response strategies. With the growing concern for particulate emulsifiers, applying amphiphilic Janus particles to emulsify oil in seawater has been examined in this paper. Amphiphilic Janus particles with a combination of colloidal particles and amphiphilic characteristic are found to show a highly effective emulsification for various oils in seawater and overcome several drawbacks of conventional chemical dispersants. We report the synthesis of amphiphilic Janus silica particles (JSPs) as a novel oil spill dispersant and confirm their amphiphilicity by various techniques. The oil-in-seawater emulsion stabilized by JSPs presents small and stable oil droplets in one month, even at a higher volume ratio of oil to seawater and a wide temperature range. It is believed that the small size and high stability of droplets are very important to oil dispersion and eventual biodegradation. Through confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscope observations, JSPs were found to anchor tightly at droplet surface and form a dense interfacial particle film to prevent droplets coalescence. The appropriate wettability of JSPs and the reduced interfacial tension contribute to the high interfacial adsorption energy of JSPs. Additionally, JSPs show weak inhibitory effect on oil-degrading bacteria, which is confirmed by bacterial growth curve, resazurin test and oil biodegradation experiment. This study reveals that amphiphilic Janus silica particles hold an impressive capability for environmentally friendly treatment of oil spills.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309439-ga1.jpg" width="372" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Arianna Bartolini, Paolo Tempesti, Ahmad F. Ghobadi, Debora Berti, Johan Smets, Yousef G. Aouad, Piero Baglioni〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Hypothesis〈/h6〉 〈p〉Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) can provide micron-sized liquid compartments dispersed in an aqueous medium. This phenomenon is increasingly appreciated in natural systems, 〈em〉e.g.〈/em〉, in the formation of intracellular membraneless organelles, as well as in synthetic counterparts, such as complex coacervates and vesicles. However, the stability of these synthetic phase-separated microstructures versus coalescence is generally challenged by the presence of salts and/or surfactants, which narrows the range of possible applications. We propose a new strategy to obtain micron-sized liquid domains 〈em〉via〈/em〉 LLPS, by mixing an amphiphilic copolymer with surfactants and sodium citrate in water at room temperature.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Experiments〈/h6〉 〈p〉Combining Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) with Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) simulations, we map the phase diagram to detect LLPS and address the presence and morphology of these microscopic domains. This mapping in turn provides a first mechanistic hypothesis for the formation of such confined polymer-rich microenvironments.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Findings〈/h6〉 〈p〉LLPS is driven by the phase behavior of the copolymer in water and by its associative interactions with surfactants, combined with the water-sequestering ability of salting-out electrolytes. The key factor for LLPS and formation of microdomains is the entropy-driven dehydration of the copolymer head groups, which can be quantified through the Free Water Content (FWC). Interestingly, the internal morphology of the LLPS microdomains is finely controlled by the ratio between nonionic and anionic surfactants. Beside its applicative potential, this approach represents a tool for designing synthetic mimics that improve our understanding of the occurrence of LLPS in cells.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309166-ga1.jpg" width="273" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yao Chen, Jiu-Ju Feng, Li-Ping Mei, Chuan-Guo Shi, Ai-Jun Wang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) has great diagnostic values for its high specificity (90–96%) in diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma especially cancers, where electrochemical immunoassay is powerful for its accurate and reliable detection of specific tumor biomarkers at very low levels. In this work, well-defined three-dimensional dendritic core-shell rhodium@platinum-cobalt nanocrystals (Rh@PtCo NCs) were facilely prepared via a simple one-pot solvothermal strategy. Taking advantage of dramatically enhanced catalytic activity of the Rh@PtCo NCs for catechol oxidation, a label-free electrochemical immunosensor was developed for highly sensitive assay of SCCA. Under optimal conditions, the electrochemical signals were linearly correlated with the logarithm of the SCCA concentration, showing a broad linear range from 0.0001 to 10.0 ng mL〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 and a ultralow detection limit of 0.04 pg mL〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 (S/N = 3). The resultant immunosensor was further exploited for actual analysis of serum samples with convinced results. This immunosensor has good expectation in actual samples analysis and provides a universal approach for detection of other tumor markers and disease surveillance.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309130-ga1.jpg" width="435" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Saeed Zajforoushan Moghaddam, Esben Thormann〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Specific ion effects in aqueous polymer solutions have been under active investigation over the past few decades. The current state-of-the-art research is primarily focused on the understanding of the mechanisms through which ions interact with macromolecules and affect their solution stability. Hence, we herein first present the current opinion on the sources of ion-specific effects and review the relevant studies. This includes a summary of the molecular mechanisms through which ions can interact with polymers, quantification of the affinity of ions for the polymer surface, a thermodynamic description of the effects of salts on polymer stability, as well as a discussion on the different forces that contribute to ion–polymer interplay. Finally, we also highlight future research issues that call for further scrutiny. These include fundamental questions on the mechanisms of ion-specific effects and their correlation with polymer properties as well as a discussion on the specific ion effects in more complex systems such as mixed electrolyte solutions.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308471-ga1.jpg" width="288" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jun Song, Jianyong Yu, Gang Sun, Yang Si, Bin Ding〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Constructing a flexible inorganic membrane photocatalyst for efficient visible-light-driven water disinfection is highly desired but remains a great challenge. Herein, we fabricated a flexible and heterostructured silver/bismuth oxyiodide/titania (Ag/BiOI/TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) nanofibrous membrane by combining the electrospinning technique with simple successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) and photodeposition process. In this ternary nanocomposite, ultrathin BiOI nanoplates were firmly anchored onto TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanofibers, while Ag nanoparticles were uniformly decorated on the surface of both BiOI and TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. Benefiting from the large surface area, improved visible-light absorption, and the effective interfacial charge transfer induced by multi-heterojunctions, the resultant Ag/BiOI/TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 membrane exhibited superior photocatalytic disinfection activity (7.5 log inactivation of 〈em〉E. coli〈/em〉 within 1 h) under visible light illumination. Moreover, the plasmonic Z-scheme charge transfer mode was also proposed for Ag/BiOI/TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 system according to the band structure and reactive species analysis. More significantly, the Ag/BiOI/TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 membrane-based photoreactor could be facilely constructed for high-efficiency disinfection of high volume contaminated water, and the membrane still maintained good structural integrity and mechanical flexibility after utilization. This work may open up new avenues for designing and constructing flexible high-performance photocatalytic membranes for environmental applications.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S002197971930918X-ga1.jpg" width="328" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Chao Yang, Song Yang, Huiling Fan, Yeshuang Wang, Ju Shangguan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Herein, an unusual strategy is reported to enhance the H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S uptake capacity by varying the ZnO-support interaction and controlling the acid-basic environment of the pore channel; this is in place of the generally reported method of decreasing ZnO nanoparticle size and optimizing their porosity. With this regard, coal based activated carbon (AC) is selected as the support and the interaction with ZnO is tuned by introducing N species on AC surface through a soft nitriding strategy. Our strategy is confirmed to be prospective based on the fact that the 〈em〉N〈/em〉-modifying AC supported ZnO adsorbent show a maximum breakthrough sulfur capacity (BSC) of 62.5 mg S/g sorbent, two times larger than that without 〈em〉N〈/em〉-modification (30.5 mg S/g sorbent). The enhanced BSC is attributed to the introduced N species, which not only increases the basicity of the water film condensed in the pores, promoting the dissociation of H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S and H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O, but also influences the electronic structure of ZnO, accelerating the rate of lattice diffusion during in sulfidation process. It is also found that the high BSC of sorbent with N modification is related to the doped N concentrations, ZnO dispersion and the material porosity. This paper provides a new insight for designing supported ZnO based adsorbents.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309154-ga1.jpg" width="374" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Bo Yang, Peng Zhou, Xin Cheng, Haishen Li, Xiaowei Huo, Yongli Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This study aimed to investigate the simultaneous removal of methylene blue (MB) and total dissolved copper (TCu) by heterogeneous zero-valent iron (ZVI) Fenton-like system (ZVI/H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) and elucidate the mechanism of synergistic effect for co-contaminants removal. Hydroxyl radical (〈sup〉〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"〉〈/sup〉OH) formation was hypothesized to be the dominant pathway for the oxidation of MB, confirmed by the quenching experiments and ESR analysis. And the synergistic effect of TCu and ZVI greatly promoted the release of Fe〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉, further accelerating the generation of hydroxyl radical (〈sup〉〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"〉〈/sup〉OH) via Fenton reaction. The generation process of 〈sup〉〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"〉〈/sup〉OH was unveiled by quenching experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis, while the processes of ZVI corrosion and TCu reduction were revealed through several characterization approaches including SEM, XRD, FTIR and XPS. The degradation pathway of MB was also investigated by LC-MS analysis. The MB initial concentration, TCu initial concentration, H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 dosage, ZVI dosage and initial solution pH could play crucial roles in the removal of MB and TCu. The influence of water matrix including inorganic anions (Cl〈sup〉−〈/sup〉, NO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉, HCO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉) and actual water was finally conducted to elucidate the role of natural organic matter (NOM) in the environmental systems.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308525-ga1.jpg" width="477" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Tang Li, Andrew J. Clulow, Cameron J. Nowell, Adrian Hawley, David Cipolla, Thomas Rades, Ben J. Boyd〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Drug nanocrystals precipitated inside liposomes are of increasing interest in liposomal drug delivery. For liposomal nanocrystal formulations, the size and shape of the drug nanocrystals can influence the apparent drug release properties, providing opportunities for developing tailored liposomal drug release systems. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and quantitative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to analyse the size distributions of the nanoparticles. In this study, by changing the fluidity of the membrane through the use of different membrane phospholipids with varying cholesterol content, the impact of lipid phase, fluidity and permeability on the size distribution of ciprofloxacin nanocrystals were investigated using standard TEM and SAXS as orthogonal techniques. The results show that the phospholipid phase behaviour has a direct effect on the nanocrystal size distribution, where shorter and thinner nanocrystals were formed in liposomes made from hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine (HSPC) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-〈em〉sn〈/em〉-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) phospholipids with higher phase transition temperatures than 1,2-dimyristoyl-〈em〉sn〈/em〉-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) and 1,2-dioleoyl-〈em〉sn〈/em〉-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) with lower transition temperatures. This is mainly due to the phase behaviour of the liposome during nanocrystal formation. The addition of cholesterol that reduces fluidity and permeability of the DOPC liposomes was also shown to restrict the growth of the ciprofloxacin nanocrystals. Moreover, increasing the drug loading of the liposomes made from HSPC and DPPC produced longer and wider nanocrystals. The findings open new opportunities to tailor nanocrystal size distributions, as well as the aspect ratio of the enclosing liposomes with potential to alter drug release and 〈em〉in vivo〈/em〉 behaviour.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308616-ga1.jpg" width="435" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yajie Chen, Guofeng Wang, Huali Li, Fangfang Zhang, Haiyu Jiang, Guohui Tian〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this work, Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉 hetero-structured porous films were fabricated via a facile anion exchange process using the as-prepared Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉 nanoflake array film as substrate material. The formation of Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉 ternary hetero-structured porous film is both thermodynamically controllable and reaction time dependent. Systematic experiments were done to investigate the products at each reaction stage and disclose the relationships between the composite components and reaction temperature and time. The study showed that the energy barrier need to be overpassed when MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 were simultaneously produced. The optimized Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉 photoelectrode exhibited significantly higher photoelectrocatalytic efficiency than Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉, binary Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉 and Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 photoelectrodes. The remarkable degradation efficiency of the Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉3〈/sub〉/MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/Bi〈sub〉2〈/sub〉MoO〈sub〉6〈/sub〉 photoelectrode comes from the synergy of high quality assembly and heterostructure interfaces between the three components. The optimized film assembly and stepwise band alignment in the ternary heterostructure composite contribute to visible light utilization, transport and separation of charge carriers, mass transport, and accessibility of active sites. The generated active species such as superoxide anions (O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉) and holes were detected to promote the decomposition of organic pollutants. The reasonable photoeletrocatalytic degradation mechanism was also proposed.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308707-ga1.jpg" width="360" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mohamed Shaban, Ashour M. Ahmed, Nora Shehata, Mohamed A. Betiha, Abdelrahman M. Rabie〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Ni-doped and Ni/Cr co-doped TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanotubes were successfully synthesized using a novel hydrothermal method. The surface and bulk properties of as-synthesized nanopowders were characterized using various microstructural and optical techniques. The photocatalytic ability of these nanopowders was investigated systematically for the decomposition of methylene blue dye (MB) under visible light illumination. The morphological results revealed the structural transformation of TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanotubes to nanosheets, and further to a mixture of nanosheet/nanotube on doping with Ni and co-doping of Ni/Cr, respectively. Moreover, the Ni doping causes an optical absorption edge shifts towards lower wavelengths, while doping by Ni/Cr results to an optical absorption edge shifts towards higher wavelength in comparison to TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-nanotubes. Also, Ni-doping and Ni/Cr co-doping strongly affects the Raman vibrational modes owing to the changes in interplanar distance, crystallite size, dislocation density, and crystal microstrains. Among the undoped, doped and co-doped TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoparticles, the 6Ni/4Cr co-doped TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 exhibited a higher efficiency of 95.6% and excellent stability towards the photocatalytic degradation of MB. It is attributed to the availability of many carriers for the efficient photo-oxidation within the UV-Vis optical absorption range. Also, the photocatalytic reaction kinetics and degradation mechanism of MB were discussed.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308513-ga1.jpg" width="325" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Pousali Samanta, Kausik Kapat, Saikat Maiti, Gargi Biswas, Santanu Dhara, Dibakar Dhara〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The stability of a drug payload inside a nanocarrier at physiological environment and the release of the said drug at specific tumor cells in a sustainable manner are the two most important factors that determine the efficiency of a smart targeted drug-delivery system. In this work, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and a coumarin-based methacrylate monomer containing β-thiopropionate moiety were copolymerized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process, followed by characterization using NMR and GPC. The said copolymer self-assembled at physiological pH to form vesicular nano-aggregates which was confirmed using DLS, TEM and by fluorescence measurements. These vesicles were further stabilized by photochemical crosslinking via coumarin (2π + 2π) cycloaddition reaction. These cross-linked vesicles (CVs) exhibited a 38% reduction in premature drug leakage as compared to the uncross-linked vesicles (UCVs) at physiological pH. Additionally, a slow hydrolysis of the β-thiopropionate moieties under mildly acidic conditions prevalent in tumor cells resulted in disassembly of the vesicles, thereby releasing the loaded drug in a sustainable manner. Studies related to 〈em〉in vitro〈/em〉 toxicity, efficiency of cellular uptake and pH-responsive antineoplastic activity of doxorubicin (DOX) loaded in the cross-linked vesicles (CVs) toward cancer cell lines were undertaken. A significant reduction in IC50 was noticed for DOX-loaded CVs in comparison to free DOX toward MG63 cancer cell lines, making these vesicles as potent nanocarrier systems for cancer therapy.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308495-ga1.jpg" width="310" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Denys Grekov, Gilles Montavon, Jean-Charles Robinet, Bernd Grambow〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The smectite content is a key parameter to be determined for various applications of clays and clay-rich rocks. The quantity of interlayer water characteristic of swelling domains can be used to assess the smectite content in clays. We propose in this study to use a simple approach to determine water distribution in clays (mainly between pores and interlayers) by means of thermoporometry and thermogravimetric analysis. Provided the interlayer water does not freeze at low temperature upon thermoporometry experiments, the difference between water quantities determined by the two techniques is assigned to interlayer water. Single-phase model clays and complex natural clay rocks and their composites in water-saturated state are characterized by this approach. The open question is the application of available thermoporometry models developed for simple pore geometry to characterize the complex pore network of clays. Depending on the approach used, different pore sizes were obtained highlighting the limit of a simplified model to describe the complex porous network. The results are more coherent when quantifying the amount of interlayer water, further used for smectite content estimation. Good agreement was obtained between smectite fraction contents deduced from the results of thermal analysis and those measured by conventional mineralogical techniques.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308562-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mohsen Lashgari, Majid Ghanimati〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Hydrogen sulfide (H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S) is a noxious gas for living organisms and devastating/corrosive agent for metallic structures, which is generated in large scale through natural [geothermal/bacterial] activities or industrial processes, particularly by petroleum and gas industries. Photocatalytic elimination of this plentiful-perilous pollutant and its transformation into hydrogen green fuel and elemental sulfur is a novel/sustainable strategy, which is intriguing from energy and environmental science as well as technological viewpoints. To this end, the design and synthesis of low-price, environmentally friendly, effective photocatalyst/solar-energy materials are highly in demand. Herein, through a facile hydrothermal route, a set of new pn junction 〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si5.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈mi mathvariant="normal"〉x〈/mi〉〈msub〉〈mrow〉〈mi mathvariant="normal"〉B〈/mi〉〈mi mathvariant="normal"〉i〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈mn〉2〈/mn〉〈/msub〉〈msub〉〈mi mathvariant="normal"〉S〈/mi〉〈mn〉3〈/mn〉〈/msub〉〈mo〉·〈/mo〉〈mi mathvariant="normal"〉y〈/mi〉〈mi mathvariant="normal"〉M〈/mi〉〈mi mathvariant="normal"〉n〈/mi〉〈mi mathvariant="normal"〉S〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉 nanocomposite photocatalysts were synthesized and employed in an alkaline H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S medium (pH = 11) to generate hydrogen fuel and elemental sulfur under atmospheric pressure at room temperature conditions. The maximum conversion yield was attained at the molar ratio 〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si6.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈mfrac〉〈mi mathvariant="normal"〉x〈/mi〉〈mi mathvariant="normal"〉y〈/mi〉〈/mfrac〉〈mo linebreak="goodbreak" linebreakstyle="after"〉=〈/mo〉〈mn〉2〈/mn〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉, where the photocatalyst exhibited the lowest charge recombination, strong photon absorption, and the greatest surface area among the synthesized nanocomposite materials. Furthermore, it was witnessed that disulfide (〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si7.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈msubsup〉〈mi mathvariant="normal"〉S〈/mi〉〈mrow〉〈mn〉2〈/mn〉〈/mrow〉〈mrow〉〈mn〉2〈/mn〉〈mo〉-〈/mo〉〈/mrow〉〈/msubsup〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉) was the only oxidation product in the reaction medium, which could be effortlessly precipitated as elemental sulfur by acidification of the medium and lowering the pH to about 5.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308781-ga1.jpg" width="391" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mengping Liu, Ran Wang, Bing Liu, Fei Guo, Lihong Tian〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉2D layered SnS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 is one of the most popular semiconductor photocatalysts. However, its performance on photocatalytic reduction of aromatic nitro compounds is unsatisfactory, due to charge carrier recombination and weak adsorption of active hydrogen from the hydrolysis of NaBH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉. Herein, we have prepared CQDs @ Pd nanoclusters with Pd nanoparticles below 5 nm through an in-situ reducing Pd(Ⅱ) with CQDs containing some oxygen-containing groups at first. CQDs @ Pd-SnS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 is achieved through a strong interaction of sulfur ions bonding on nanometric Pd surface. The composite shows a stable and efficient visible-light-driven catalytic reduction of aromatic nitro compounds in H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O and NaBH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉. Under 40 min visible light irradiation, the conversion rate of 4-NP attains 99.7% on CQDs @ Pd-SnS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. The first order reaction rate constant is 0.0332 min〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, 586.5, 202.4 and 31.9 times that on SnS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, CQDs-SnS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and Pd-SnS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 in the condition of 20 mg·L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 4-NP and excess NaBH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉, respectively. The significant enhancement is ascribed to CQDs @ Pd promoting the charge carrier separation on SnS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and increasing the adsorption of active hydrogen from the hydrolysis of NaBH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉CQDs @ Pd nanoclusters play an important role in improving the photocatalytic activity of CQDs@Pd-SnS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 composite, due to fast electrons transfer, increased adsorption of aromatic nitro compounds, and strong bonding of active hydrogen on Pd nanoparticles below 5 nm.〈/p〉 〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308999-ga1.jpg" width="245" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jin Hu, Junwei Ding, Zhiguo Du, Huiping Duan, Shubin Yang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Rechargeable nickel-zinc battery is regarded as a prospective choice for next-generation energy storage device due to its good safety, environmental friendliness and high energy density. However, zinc anode inevitably suffers from uncontrollable growth of zinc dendrites and the dissolution of zinc metal in high-concentration alkaline electrolytes, resulting in poor cycle stability and severely hampering the widespread applications of nickel-zinc batteries. Herein, a unique zinc anode with artificial solid electrolyte interface (ASEI) is facilely constructed via the rolling-tearing of tin and zinc foils and subsequent surface-based chemical reaction in a lead salt solution. The as-prepared ASEI composed of lead film has an efficient protective effect on preventing the dissolution of zinc anode. Meanwhile, the lead element and residual tin can not only enhance hydrogen evolution over-potential of zinc anode but affect the zinc growth mechanism. As a consequence, an excellent cyclic performances upto 100 cycles (capacity retention: 90%) with high reversible capacities are achieved for the zinc anode with AESI.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308677-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Lei Cheng, Dainan Zhang, Yulong Liao, Fei Li, Huaiwu Zhang, Quanjun Xiang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Small plasmonic Au nanoparticles (NPs)-decorated with TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets were fabricated to improve the photocatalytic performance. The Au/TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets with Au NPs of different sizes ranging from ∼3 nm to 28 nm were prepared by using hydrothermally obtained TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets as substrate via urea and light reduction method. During synthesis, the obtained Au NPs through urea reduction treatment in different calcination temperatures possessed smaller size (∼3–13 nm) than those of the light reduction method (∼28 nm). The introduced Au NPs were tightly loaded on the surface of TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets through in situ growth reduction process of chloroauric acid. The emergence of smaller Au NPs promoted the photocatalytic performance over Au/TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets. The as-prepared Au/TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets with small Au NP sizes of ∼3–5 nm showed the highest photocatalytic rate of hydrogen production (∼230 µmol·h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) under xenon lamp illumination, exceeding more than twice that of Au/TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets with loading of larger Au NPs (∼28 nm). The favorable constituents and combination of Au/TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets provided large surface adsorptive sites for reactant adsorption, introduced plasmonic effects and formed Schottky barrier junction via surface plasmon resonance. The Schottky barrier height was lower due to the presence of smaller Au NPs, thereby enhancing the charge separation through the Schottky transfer hub to neighboring TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets. The synergistic effect between the plasmonic hot carrier-driven Au NPs and TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets was discussed. The photocatalytic mechanism was also proposed for the fabrication of visible light-restricted photocatalysts with smaller Au NPs.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉The as-prepared Au/TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanosheets with decorating small plasmonic Au NPs through urea reduction method exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity of hydrogen generation.〈/p〉 〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308409-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jin Wu, Jian Zhou, Shouwei Zhang, Ahmed Alsaedi, Tasawar Hayat, Jiaxing Li, Yuntao Song〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Herein a versatile adsorbent has been synthesized by immobilization of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) into the pores of the Zr-based metal organic framework (UiO-66) through a facile method. The as-prepared EDTA modified UiO-66 (UiO-66-EDTA) was characterized completely to investigate its physical and chemical properties. It shows great chemical stability with octahedral structure and carboxylic groups and amine groups. Through batch experiments, UiO-66-EDTA shows no specificity for the removal of diverse heavy metal ions (three categories: soft acids, hard acids, and borderline acids) because of its both hard and relatively softer chemical characters of functional groups. The maximum removal capacities of UiO-66-EDTA for Eu〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 (hard acids), Hg〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 (soft acids) and Pb〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 (borderline acids) are 195.2, 371.6 and 357.9 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, respectively. Notably, 11 metal ions removal efficiency reaches over 99% in co-existing system. The results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis reveal the coordination of Eu〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉, Hg〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 and Pb〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 with carboxyl groups (〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉COOH) and tertiary amine groups (C〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉N(C)〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉C) is responsible for their removal by UiO-66-EDTA. Given the fact that UiO-66-EDTA possesses high chemical stability, facile synthesis method, efficient removal performance and superior reusability, it can be applied in treatment of seriously polluted water with multi-pollutants.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S002197971930894X-ga1.jpg" width="433" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jun Ke, Hongru Zhou, Jie Liu, Zhiguang Zhang, Xiaoguang Duan, Shaobin Wang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this work, 2D/2D tungsten trioxide (WO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉) plates/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) heterojunction was prepared by combining the (0 0 2) faceted WO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 with RGO nanosheets. An enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 evolution was achieved due to the uncovering electronegative oxygen atoms, which results in the enhancement of photo-induced charge carrier separation efficiency. The 3 wt% RGO/WO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 heterojunctions display significantly the increase of O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 production, which is 3.9 and 7.3 times higher than those of WO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 nanoplates with preferential (0 0 2) facets and commercial WO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉. The strategy could provide an efficient approach for the fabrication of graphene-based metal oxide hybrids with exposed facets towards high photocatalytic performance.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S002197971930904X-ga1.jpg" width="249" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mohit Yadav, Seema Garg, Amrish Chandra, Klara Hernadi〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The use of 〈em〉Azadirachta indica〈/em〉 (〈em〉A.I.〈/em〉) leaf extract to synthesize green photocatalysts for efficient separation of photogenerated charges has been a promising way to enhance the photocatalytic activity. Herein, we report the synthesis of green bismuth oxybromide/oxyiodide composites (G-BiOBr〈sub〉x〈/sub〉I〈sub〉1〈/sub〉〈sub〉−〈/sub〉〈sub〉x〈/sub〉) using 〈em〉A.I.〈/em〉 leaf extract with effective size control, high specific surface area, and porosity. The 〈em〉A.I.〈/em〉 leaf extract also acted as an excellent sensitizer that boosted the optical window of the G-BiOBr〈sub〉x〈/sub〉I〈sub〉1−x〈/sub〉 photocatalysts. The as-prepared G-BiOBr〈sub〉x〈/sub〉I〈sub〉1−x〈/sub〉 photocatalysts possessed three-dimensional (3-D) nanoplates like structure with successive modulation of the band gaps from 2.28 eV to 1.98 eV by varying the bromine/iodine (Br/I) ratio. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of the G-BiOBr〈sub〉x〈/sub〉I〈sub〉1−x〈/sub〉 samples was measured and compared with the bismuth oxybromide/oxyiodide composite (C-BiOBr〈sub〉0.5〈/sub〉I〈sub〉0.5〈/sub〉) synthesized via conventional hydrolysis route (without the leaf extract). The G-BiOBr〈sub〉x〈/sub〉I〈sub〉1−x〈/sub〉 photocatalysts degraded higher percentage of methyl orange (MO) and amoxicillin (AMX) than C-BiOBr〈sub〉0.5〈/sub〉I〈sub〉0.5〈/sub〉 under visible light irradiation. The superior photocatalytic efficiency was attributed to the multiple heterojunctions developed between BiOBr, BiOI, and electron-accepting π-conjugated system offered by leaf extract constituents, thereby facilitating the charge transfer process and effective separation of photogenerated charges.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308719-ga1.jpg" width="405" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ge Gao, Zhi Zhu, Jia Zheng, Zhi Liu, Qiu Wang, Yongsheng Yan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin Mg-Al layered double hydroxide modified by magnetic Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 (Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉/Mg-Al LDH) was successfully synthesized via the co-precipitation method. The Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉/Mg-Al LDH not only exhibits superior separation efficiency of charge carriers but also possesses signally enhanced photocatalytic activity for CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 reduction than Mg-Al LDH. The as-prepared Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉/Mg-Al LDH affords the CO and CH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 generation rate of 442.2 µmol g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 and 223.9 µmol g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. The enhanced reduction CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 activity mainly comes from synergetic effect of Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 and ultrathin Mg-Al LDH. And Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 can increase the separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and ultrathin Mg-Al LDH can reduce the transmission resistance of charge carriers. Moreover, a detailed mechanism insight of Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉/Mg-Al LDH for CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 reduction is also investigated by a series of characterization methods and activity experiments. This work offers a simple and environment-friendly approach to develop recycled photocatalysts in CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 reduction treatment.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308057-ga1.jpg" width="268" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ping'er Yu, Hui Xu, Liujun Jin, Chunyan Chen, Hongyuan Shang, Qingyun Liu, Yukou Du〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Mastery over the structure at nanoscale can efficiently tune the catalytic properties of catalysts, enabling great enhancement in electrocatalytic performance toward liquid fuel electrooxidation reactions. Herein, we demonstrate a facile one-pot method for the successful fabrication of binary PdCu nanocatalysts bounded with 3D open-structured nanocages, which show the advantages of high surface areas, facile mass/electron transport, and strong synergistic effect. Impressively, the resultant 3D open-structured PdCu nanocages (NCs) show large promotion in electrocatalytic performance toward ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) with the mass activity of 1790.8 mA mg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, being 3.3 times higher than that of commercial Pd/C (536.2 mA mg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). Besides, the specific activity for EOR on PdCu NCs (7.7 mA cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉) is also comparable to many Pt-based electrocatalysts, suggesting the dramatically improved electrocatalytic activity. The outstanding electrocatalytic performance of binary PdCu catalysts is attributed to the highly open 3D nanocage structure and strong electronic effect of Pd and Cu.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308732-ga1.jpg" width="312" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Tamás Gerecsei, István Erdődi, Beatrix Peter, Csaba Hős, Sándor Kurunczi, Imre Derényi, Bálint Szabó, Robert Horvath〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Characterization of the binding of functionalized microparticles to surfaces with a specific chemistry sheds light on molecular scale interactions. Polymer or protein adsorption are often monitored by colloid particle deposition. Force measurements on microbeads by atomic force microscopy (AFM) or optical tweezers are standard methods in molecular biophysics, but typically have low throughput. Washing and centrifuge assays with (bio)chemically decorated microbeads provide better statistics, but only qualitative results without a calibrated binding force or energy value. In the present work we demonstrate that a computer controlled micropipette (CCMP) is a straightforward and high-throughput alternative to quantify the surface adhesion of functionalized microparticles. However, being an indirect force measurement technique, its in-depth comparison with a direct force measurement is a prerequisite of applications requiring calibrated adhesion force values. To this end, we attached polystyrene microbeads to a solid support by the avidin-biotin linkage. We measured the adhesion strength of the microbeads with both a specialized robotic fluid force microscope (FluidFM BOT) and CCMP. Furthermore, the bead-support contact zone was directly characterized on an optical waveguide biosensor to determine the density of avidin molecules. Distribution of the detachment force recorded on ∼50 individual beads by FluidFM BOT was compared to the adhesion distribution obtained from CCMP measurements on hundreds of individual beads. We found that both methods provide unimodal histograms. We conclude that FluidFM BOT can directly measure the detachment force curve of 50 microbeads in 150 min. CCMP can provide calibrated binding/adhesion force values of 120 microbeads in an hour.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308823-ga1.jpg" width="358" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Shuquan Huang, Yuanguo Xu, Feiyue Ge, Dong Tian, Xingwang Zhu, Meng Xie, Hui Xu, Huaming Li〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Light absorption and carrier transfer, are two sequential and complementary steps related to photocatalysis performance, whereas the collective integration of these two aspects into graphitic carbon nitride (g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉) photocatalyst through polycondensation optimization have seldom been achieved. Herein, we report on tailoring the crystalline structure of g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 by avoiding the formation of incompletely reacted N-rich intermediates and selective breaking the hydrogen bonds between the layers of g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 simultaneously. The obtained layer plane ordered porous carbon nitride (LOP-CN) material shows efficient photocatalytic H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 generation performance. The highest H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 evolution rate achieved is 53.8 μmol under λ ≥ 400 nm light irradiation, which is 7.4 times higher than that of g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 prepared by convention thermal polycondensation. The substantially boosted photocatalytic activity is mainly ascribed to the efficient charge separation on long-range atomic order layer plane and the extended visible light harvesting ability. This work highlights the importance of crystalline structure tailoring in improving charge separation and light absorption of g-C〈sub〉3〈/sub〉N〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 photocatalyst for boosting its photocatalytic H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 evolution activity.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉A long-range atomic order carbon nitride layer plane is more favorable for the diffusion of electrons and holes to surface sites for photocatalytic reactions.〈/p〉 〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309701-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 17 August 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): C. Vila-Sanjurjo, L. David, C. Remuñán-López, A. Vila-Sanjurjo, F.M. Goycoolea〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉We have fabricated two types of crosslinked chitosan-based nanoparticles (NPs), namely 1) ionically crosslinked with tripolyphosphate (TPP), designated as IC-NPs and 2) dually co-crosslinked (ionically and covalently with TPP and genipin, respectively) termed CC-NPs. The two types of NPs were physichochemically characterized by means of DLS-NIBS, synchrotron SAXS and M3-PALS (zeta potential). First, we found that covalent co-crosslinking of ionically pre-crosslinked nanoparticles yielded monodisperse CC-NPs in the size range of ∼200 nm, whereas the parental IC-NPs remained highly polydisperse. While both types of chitosan nanoparticles displayed a core-shell structure, as determined by synchrotron SAXS, only the structure of CC-NPs remained stable at long incubation times. This enhanced structural robustness of CC-NPs was likely responsible of their superior colloidal stability even in biological medium. Second, we explored the antimicrobial and quorum sensing inhibition activity of both types of nanoparticles. We found that CC-NPs had lower long-term toxicity than IC-NPs. In contrast, sub-lethal doses of IC-NPs consistently displayed higher levels of quorum quenching activity than CC-NPs. Thus, this work underscores the influence of the NP’s ultrastructure on their colloidal and biological properties. While the cellular and molecular mechanisms at play are yet to be fully elucidated, our results broaden the spectrum of use of chitosan-based nanobiomaterialsin the development of antibiotic-free approaches against Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309622-ga1.jpg" width="159" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Fatemeh Davodi, Elisabeth Mühlhausen, Daniel Settipani, Eeva-Leena Rautama, Ari-Pekka Honkanen, Simo Huotari, Galina Marzun, Pekka Taskinen, Tanja Kallio〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Core-shell nanoparticles represent a class of materials that exhibit a variety of properties. By rationally tuning the cores and the shells in such nanoparticles (NPs), a range of materials with tailorable properties can be produced which are of interest for a wide variety of applications. Herein, experimental and theoretical approaches have been combined to show the structural transformation of NPs resulting to the formation of either NiFe〈sub〉x〈/sub〉C〈sub〉y〈/sub〉 encapsulated in ultra-thin graphene layer (NiFe@UTG) or Ni〈sub〉3〈/sub〉C/Fe〈sub〉x〈/sub〉C〈sub〉y〈/sub〉@FeO〈sub〉x〈/sub〉 NPs with the universal one-step pulse laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) method. Analysis suggests that carbon in Ni〈sub〉3〈/sub〉C is the source for the carbon shell formation, whereas the final carbon-shell thickness in the NPs originates from the difference between Ni〈sub〉3〈/sub〉C and Fe〈sub〉x〈/sub〉C〈sub〉y〈/sub〉 phases stability at room temperature. The ternary Ni-Fe-C phase diagram calculations reveal the competition between carbon solubility in the studied metals (Ni and Fe) and their tendency toward oxidation as the key properties to produce controlled core-shell NP materials. As an application example, the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution current on the different NPs is measured. The electrochemical analysis of the NPs reveals that NiFe@UTG has the best performance amongst the NPs in this study in both alkaline and acidic media.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309579-ga1.jpg" width="440" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Himanshu Chaudhary, Ricardo M.F. Fernandes, Vasantha Gowda, Mireille M.A.E. Claessens, István Furó, Christofer Lendel〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The rich pool of protein conformations combined with the dimensions and properties of carbon nanotubes create new possibilities in functional materials and nanomedicine. Here, the intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein is explored as a dispersant of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in water. We use a range of spectroscopic methods to quantify the amount of dispersed SWNT and to elucidate the binding mode of α-synuclein to SWNT. The dispersion ability of α-synuclein is good even with mild sonication and the obtained dispersion is very stable over time. The whole polypeptide chain is involved in the interaction accompanied by a fraction of the chain changing into a helical structure upon binding. Similar to other dispersants, we observe that only a small fraction (15–20%) of α-synuclein is adsorbed on the SWNT surface with an average residence time below 10 ms.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S002197971930952X-ga1.jpg" width="287" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Hossam E. Emam, Hanan B. Ahmed, Heba R. El-Deib, Farida M.S.E. El-Dars, Reda M. Abdelhameed〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Fuel purification from sulfur containing contaminants (SCCs) is concerned in the last decades. Herein, non-invasive and innovative method was carried out for synthesis of metal organic framework (MOF)@fabric composites to be applied in removing of thiophene from liquid fuel. MIL-53(Al)-NH〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 as a type of MOF was selected to be in-situ prepared within fabrics (cotton & wool) by infrared-assisted technique. The contents of MOF/Al in-grown within fabrics were 81.97/9.92 mg/g for cotton and 95.70/11.58 mg/g for wool. Scanning microscope and X-ray confirmed that fluffy microcrystalline MIL-53(Al)-NH〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 powder was formed directly within fabrics structure. The prepared MOF and MOF@fabric composites were exploited in adsorption of thiophene from 〈em〉n〈/em〉-heptane. Infrared spectra approved the presence of thiophene bands [C〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉H, 833 cm〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 and C〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/sbnd"〉S, 706 cm〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉] onto the applied materials, after adsorption. The adsorption of thiophene onto the composites found to obey Langmuir isotherm and second-order kinetic model. The maximum adsorption capacities were followed the order of MIL-53(Al)-NH〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 (739.0 mg/g) 〉 MIL-53(Al)-NH〈sub〉2〈/sub〉@fabric (469.4–516.5 mg/g) ⋙ fabric (83.1–153.8 mg/g). After 4 restoration cycles, the adsorption capacities were lowered by percentage of 28.4–43.6, due to the decrement in MOF contents. The prepared MIL-53(Al)-NH〈sub〉2〈/sub〉@fabric composites could be widely applicable in the cleaning of liquid fuel from SCCs with high efficient.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309518-ga1.jpg" width="255" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sheng Zhao, Jing Xu, Zhengting Li, Zeying Liu, Yanru Li〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉A hollow spherical NiCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 photocatalytic material was prepared with a high HER activity in the dye sensitization system. Then the hollow spherical NiCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 was coated by the sheet-shaped 2D MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. Through the band gap adjustment, a type-II heterostructure is constructed to move the photogenerated electrons to the outer layer, and part of photogenerated holes migrate to the inner layer, which successfully reduces the degradation rate of the dye sensitizer for slowing down the decay of H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 evolution rate in the dye sensitization system. In addition, Ni〈sub〉2〈/sub〉P was used to enrich photogenerated electrons on the outer layer of MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 thereby achieving more efficient hydrogen production. The photocatalytic materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, UV–vis DRS and N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 Isothermal adsorption experiments. The transfer mechanism of photogenerated carriers was studied by PL, photoelectrochemical tests, and hydroxyl radical capture experiments.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉The hollow core-shell structured composite photocatalytic material Ni〈sub〉2〈/sub〉P/NiCo〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉4〈/sub〉@MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 with stepwise synthesis exhibits excellent HER activity in the dye sensitization system. The structural feature and the type-II heterojunction effectively enhance the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers and the sustained HER activity in sensitized system. Ni〈sub〉2〈/sub〉P enriched electrons limit the photocatalytic activity of HER.〈/p〉 〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309208-ga1.jpg" width="382" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xiang Li, Jikai Zheng, Shuai Liu, Tianle Zhu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉A series of wormhole-like mesoporous hybrid MnCoO〈em〉〈sub〉x〈/sub〉〈/em〉 catalysts have been successfully prepared using a soft template combining the sol-gel method. The physical and chemical properties of these mesostructured materials are systematically characterized using XRD, BET, Raman, XPS, HRTEM, H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-TPR and O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-TPD and compared with pure MnO〈em〉〈sub〉x〈/sub〉〈/em〉 and Co〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉. Their catalytic performances for ethanol oxidation are investigated and carried out on a fixed-bed reactor. It is found that the molar ratio of transition metal precursors has a remarkable influence on the nanoparticle morphology, open-framework structure dispersion, surface element distribution, and redox property. Among the MnCoO〈em〉〈sub〉x〈/sub〉〈/em〉 catalysts, Mn〈sub〉1〈/sub〉Co〈sub〉1〈/sub〉 catalyst composed by uniform worm-like nanoparticles shows the highest BET surface area (208 m〈sup〉2〈/sup〉/g), most surface proportion of Co〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 and Mn〈sup〉4+〈/sup〉 (18.7%), lowest reducibility potential and best catalytic activity (T〈sub〉50〈/sub〉 = 80 °C) as well as an excellent CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 selectivity (S〈sub〉170〈/sub〉 = 100%) with a GHSV of 60,000 mL·(g·h)〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. Based on the structure-function analysis of catalysts, it is deduced that the synergistic effect between Mn and Co in Mn〈em〉〈sub〉x〈/sub〉〈/em〉Co〈sub〉1〈/sub〉〈em〉〈sub〉−x〈/sub〉〈/em〉O〈em〉〈sub〉y〈/sub〉〈/em〉 solid solution and proton scavenger addition in preparation can improve the mesostructured, active sites distribution and catalytic performance. Consequently, it can be expected that the mesoporous hybrid MnCoO〈em〉〈sub〉x〈/sub〉〈/em〉 catalysts are promising materials for catalytic removal of VOCs, and the related results in this research would also provide some new insights into the porous composite material design and application exploration for ethanol catalytic oxidation.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308422-ga1.jpg" width="425" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Asad Mahmood, Jae-Woo Park〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Titanium dioxide (TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉)-cadmium sulfide (CdS) hybrid nanoparticles on magnetic-cored dendrimers (MCDs) of the zero and first generations (G0 and G1, respectively) were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 was embedded with CdS to produce more radicals and suppress the recombination of photo-induced electrons and holes. A dendrimer with a magnetite core was used as a template to immobilize the TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CdS nanocomposites. They were characterized via scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The obtained G0- and G1-MCD-TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CdS exhibited high photocatalytic activity and was able to degrade methyl orange (MO) by 83.6 and 88.5%, respectively, in 120 min under ultraviolet irradiation. After 5 cycles, the MO degradation by G0- and G1-MCD-TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CdS was 78.8 and 81.4%, respectively. The MCD-TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CdS materials were easily recycled by applying an external magnetic field. G0-TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CdS was more efficient in photocatalytic performance than G1-TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CdS. Apparent quantum yields (AQYs) and figures of merit (FOMs) were calculated to quantify the photocatalytic performance. The AQYs of G0- and G1-MCD-TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/CdS were 3.48 × 10〈sup〉−5〈/sup〉 and 3.69 × 10〈sup〉−5〈/sup〉 molecules photon〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, respectively. The FOM of our proposed materials demonstrated its high capability for photocatalytic degradation of MO.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309397-ga1.jpg" width="338" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xue Wang, Xue Li, Guangli Ou, Xin Shi, Zhi Liu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The γ-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA), an anionic homo-polyamide similar to naturally occurring polyaspartic acid in mollusk shells, is selected for morphosynthesis of calcium phenylphosphonates. It has been found that they exhibit a series of interesting morphological transformation with changing γ-PGA amount and initial pH. A rare, reversible transformation between solid and hollow microspheres, in particular, is observed. Systematic investigation suggests, for the first time, that γ-PGA exhibits the “schizophrenic” micellization behavior in response to structural and morphological changes caused by spontaneous hydrophobic modification with phenylphosphonic acids and calcium ions. The present work introduces a new paradigm for biomimetic synthesis. The results not only bring insight into the template mechanism of biomacromolecules from spontaneous hydrophobic modification, but also provide a universally applicable strategy for morphosynthesis of metal phosphonates containing hydrophobic groups. In addition, solid and hollow calcium phenylphosphonate microspheres with hierarchical structures are excellent adsorbents in the removal of aqueous lead ions. They consistently exhibit 100% Pb〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 removal efficiency when Pb〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 concentration is not more than 600 mg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 and even after four recycles, making them promising candidates as efficient and reusable adsorbents.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉It has been found for the first time that γ-PGA exhibits the “schizophrenic” micellization behavior, in that it induces and controls a series of interesting morphology transformations of hierarchical calcium phenylphosphonates. In particular, a rare, reversible morphology transformation between solid microspheres and hollow microspheres is observed with increasing pH.〈/p〉 〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309403-ga1.jpg" width="410" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 15 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 556〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xiaobing Xu, Wei Zhong, Lei Zhang, Guangxiang Liu, Youwei Du〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉A new heterostructure Ni〈sub〉9〈/sub〉S〈sub〉8〈/sub〉@MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 hybrid is studied as a promising candidate nonplatinum electrocatalyst for highly enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), prepared by an improved two-step hydrothermal method. Under optimized experiment conditions, the as-prepared catalysts exhibit significantly higher electrocatalytic activity than pure MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and Ni〈sub〉9〈/sub〉S〈sub〉8〈/sub〉 nanosheets. The optimized Ni〈sub〉9〈/sub〉S〈sub〉8〈/sub〉@MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 hybrid shows a small onset overpotential of 88 mV, a Tafel slope as low as 49 mV/dec, and a good durability in acidic solution. Through experimental analysis, the excellent electrocatalytic activity of HER and high stability of the hybrid largely attribute to the electrical coupling between MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and Ni〈sub〉9〈/sub〉S〈sub〉8〈/sub〉, the massive exposed active edge sites provided by layered transition metal chalcogenides (MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉), and the electrocatalytic synergistic effects produced by the Ni〈sub〉9〈/sub〉S〈sub〉8〈/sub〉@MoS〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 heterostructure.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309427-ga1.jpg" width="344" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xudong Zhao, Yuwei Zhao, Meiqi Zheng, Shuangxue Liu, Wenjuan Xue, Guohua Du, Ting Wang, Xinli Gao, Keke Wang, Jianshui Hu, Zhuqing Gao, Hongliang Huang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉High-efficiency separation of niacin (NIA) and nicotinamide (NIC) still faces large challenge up to date. In this work, a stable zirconium-based metal-organic framework (DUT-67) was used to adsorb and separate NIA and NIC in aqueous solutions. The adsorption capacities for NIA and NIC at the concentration ratio of 1:1 were 110.2 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 and 11.2 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, respectively. Further study indicates that low ratio of NIA/ NIC is in favor of the separation. High temperature can restrain the adsorptions of NIA and NIC but promote the separation. Besides, DUT-67 can be well regenerated via a simple method. Mechanism analysis indicates that electrostatic interaction plays a critical role in the separation of these vitamins.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309257-ga1.jpg" width="263" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Daniele Selli, Stefano Motta, Cristiana Di Valentin〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoparticles (NPs) are attracting materials for biomedical applications, provided that they are coated with polymers to improve solubility, dispersion and biocompatibility. Conformation, coverage density and solvent effects largely influence their functionality and stability. In this work, we use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to study polyethylene glycol (PEG) grafting to highly curved TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 NPs (2–3 nm) in different solvents. We compare the coating polymer conformations on NPs with those on (1 0 1) flat surfaces. In water, the transition from mushroom to brush conformation starts only at high density (σ = 2.25 chains/nm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉). In dichloromethane (DCM), at low-medium coverage (σ 〈 1.35 chains/nm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉), several interactions between the PEG chains backbone and undercoordinated Ti atoms are established, whereas at σ = 2.25 chains/nm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 the conformation clearly becomes brush-like. Finally, we demonstrate that these spherical brushes, when immersed in water, but not in DCM, follow the Daoud-Cotton (DC) classical scaling model for the polymer volume fraction dependence with the distance from the center of star-shaped systems.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308926-ga1.jpg" width="306" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jing Ouyang, Tianhao Liu, Huaming Yang, Yi Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Halloysite hybridized B-N co-doped C/Co composites (HNT/BNC/Co) for microwave absorption were prepared via a one-step pyrolysis method. The results indicate that the samples are consisted of halloysite nanotubes (HNT), cobalt nanoparticles and B-N co-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Benefiting from unique hollow tubular structure and the polarization between multiple components, the 0.15HNT/BNC/Co composites with 40 wt% in wax matrix exhibit remarkable microwave absorption properties. A maximum reflection loss up to −40.86 dB with the thickness 1.51 mm at 17.12 GHz, and an effective absorption bandwidth (〈−10 dB) up to 4.8 GHz (in the range 12.16–16.96 GHz) can be achieved in this sample. The unique hollow tubular morphology of halloysite and CNTs make it possible to obtain suitable complex permittivity when the sample doping content is 40 wt.%. Furthermore, it was found that the halloysite can be used to adjust complex permittivity of the composites, which were derived from the electromagnetic parameters of composites with different contents of halloysite and the changed doping amounts in paraffin-wax hybrids. This study can provide a new strategy for designing novel carbon and halloysite hybridized microwave absorption materials.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719309002-ga1.jpg" width="357" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Brenda L. Kessenich, Nihit Pokhrel, Elias Nakouzi, Christina J. Newcomb, Markus Flury, Lutz Maibaum, James J. De Yoreo〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Hypothesis〈/h6〉 〈p〉While soil water repellency causes a variety of undesirable environmental effects, the underlying mechanism is unknown. We investigate the coupled effects of chemical characteristics and surface topology in a simple model system of two lipids, DSPE (1,2-distearoyl-〈em〉sn〈/em〉-〈em〉glycero〈/em〉-3-phosphoethanolamine) and DOPE (1,2-dioleoyl-〈em〉sn〈/em〉-〈em〉glycero〈/em〉-3-phosphoethanolamine), and a clay substrate. These closely-related lipids allowed the study of how a small change in chemical structure influences the surface hydrophobicity.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Experiments〈/h6〉 〈p〉Techniques ranging from molecular (simulations) to nanoscopic (atomic force microscopy) to microscopic (fluorescence microscopy) to macroscopic (contact angle measurements) were used to explore interactions at all length scales. The wettability was assessed from initial contact angle and time-dependent changes in droplet shape.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Findings〈/h6〉 〈p〉The lipid distribution depended on the lipid’s melting temperature: solid lipids did not spread evenly through the film, while liquid ones did. However, the initial contact angle did not change appreciably with the addition of DSPE or DOPE. Only DSPE heated above its melting temperature induced significant changes. In addition to the initial contact angle, quantitative variables extracted from the change in droplet shape over time correlated with the film topography or lipid distribution. These results define a new quantitative approach to investigating partially-wettable soils and provide a potential rationale for why clays can remediate water-repellent soils.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308550-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): P. Rochowski, M. Grzegorczyk, S. Pogorzelski〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The aim of the work was to exploit a methodology based on contact angle measurements for the purpose of membrane transport studies. Special attention has been paid to a model system of pharmacological relevance, consisting of the drug dithranol (from semisolid Vaseline suspension) in contact with an artificial skin barrier. The drug permeation has been monitored by the surface wettability evolution during the drug transport process. The surface wettability parameters, such as: surface free energy, 2D film pressure, contact angle hysteresis (CAH) and surface excess for long and short adsorption time intervals, have been derived from dynamic contact angle measurements of the probe liquid drops deposited on the outermost membrane layer. The analysis has allowed the apparent Arrhenius-type energy barrier for the drug surface adsorption (〈em〉E〈sub〉a〈/sub〉/R〈sub〉g〈/sub〉T〈/em〉 = −8.04 ± 0.84 at 295 K), the characteristic lag-time of the transport process (〈math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si1.svg"〉〈mrow〉〈msub〉〈mi〉t〈/mi〉〈mrow〉〈mi mathvariant="italic"〉lag〈/mi〉〈/mrow〉〈/msub〉〈/mrow〉〈/math〉 = 20 ± 1.9 min) and the diffusion coefficient of the drug through the membrane (〈em〉D〈/em〉 = 1.25 ± 0.24·10〈sup〉−9〈/sup〉 cm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 s〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) to be determined. The latter one remains in a good agreement with literature data for the same system investigated by means of spectroscopic methods.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308975-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Donald Hill, Andrew R. Barron, Shirin Alexander〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Hypothesis〈/h6〉 〈p〉The wetting characteristics of coatings created using functionalised nanoparticles and adhesive resins, depends strongly on the particle distribution within the surface layers. Although it has been shown that commercially available adhesives improve the durability of hydrophobic nanoparticle coatings, the wettability of these surfaces is governed by the agglomeration behaviour of the particles within the adhesive. As a consequence of this, coatings where the particles are highly agglomerated within the adhesive show lower hydrophobicity.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Experiments〈/h6〉 〈p〉The morphology and chemical composition of coatings formed from carboxylate functionalised Al〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 and magnetite (Fe〈sub〉3〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉) nanoparticles and epoxy resin on plastic was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Water contact angle (WCA) measurements were used to investigate how the coatings’ morphological characteristics and loading of the particles within the surface layers influenced their wettability. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to study carboxylate adsorption onto the magnetite nanoparticles.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Findings〈/h6〉 〈p〉Combining the Al〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 nanoparticles with epoxy resin was observed to create highly hydrophobic coatings that displayed water contact angles (WCAs) between 145 and 150°. These coatings displayed good durability when sonicated in isopropanol and wiped with tissue. By comparison, coatings formed from the magnetite nanoparticles were substantially less hydrophobic and displayed WCAs between 75 and 125° when combined with epoxy resin. SEM revealed that the magnetite nanoparticles in the coatings were present as large agglomerates. By comparison, coatings formed from the Al〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 nanoparticles showed a more homogenous particle distribution. Furthermore, XPS showed that the resin engulfed the magnetite nanoparticles to a far greater extent. The difference in wetting behaviour of these coatings is largely attributed to their different morphologies, since the particles are similar sizes and TGA shows that the particles possess similar carboxylate grafting densities. The uneven distribution of nanoparticles in the magnetite/epoxy resin coating is due to the particles’ magnetic properties, which drive nanoparticle agglomeration as the coatings solidify. This work demonstrates that it is important to consider inter-particle interactions when fabricating low wettability composite coatings.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308604-ga1.jpg" width="356" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Emilio A. Raimúndez-Rodríguez, Sonia Losada-Barreiro, Carlos Bravo-Díaz〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Hypothesis〈/h6〉 〈p〉The distribution of antioxidants (AOs) in O/W emulsions depends on two partition constants, that between oil-interfacial (〈em〉P〈/em〉〈sub〉O〈/sub〉〈sup〉I〈/sup〉), and that between the aqueous-interfacial (〈em〉P〈/em〉〈sub〉W〈/sub〉〈sup〉I〈/sup〉) regions, that need to be determined in the unbroken emulsion to prevent disruptions of the present equilibria. Prediction of the effects of temperature on AO partitioning is challenging because may change both 〈em〉P〈/em〉〈sub〉O〈/sub〉〈sup〉I〈/sup〉 and 〈em〉P〈/em〉〈sub〉W〈/sub〉〈sup〉I〈/sup〉 in a different extent and the control of their interfacial concentrations is crucial to optimize their antioxidant efficiency. Such effects can be analyzed in the intact emulsions with the aid of a pseudophase kinetic model.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Experiments〈/h6〉 〈p〉Here we estimated the partition constants of the food-grade antioxidants -propyl (PG), octyl (OG) and lauryl (LG) gallates- in intact corn oil-in-water emulsions and their interfacial concentrations by employing a kinetic methods, and carried out a thermodynamic analysis of the transfer parameters controlling their partitioning.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈div〉 〈h6〉Findings〈/h6〉 〈p〉Results show that the Gibbs free energy for the transfer of gallates to the interfacial region is spontaneous and the transfer process is enthalpy driven. An increase in T favors their incorporation into the interfacial region in an extent that depends on AO hydrophobicity. For any of AOs, the effective interfacial concentrations are much higher (15–170 fold) than the stoichiometric concentration. Results are basic to get a deeper knowledge on the driving force that partitions the AOs in lipid-based foods and to select the best AO to minimize the oxidation of lipids.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308653-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Aiwen Wang, Qi Zhu, Zipeng Xing〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this study, a novel chitosan material (ECS@Ca@CTA) was prepared to significantly adsorb sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS). First, chitosan is complexed with CaCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and crosslinked into hollow spheres by glutaraldehyde (GA). However, a part of the active groups (amino group) is depleted. The amino group is crucial in CS, which can adsorb anions under acidic aqueous solutions and be functionalized by other groups. Therefore, the amino group is reactivated by ethylenediamine (EDA), then the ECS@Ca is quaternized by (3-chloro-2 hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride (CTA) and prepared to hollow sphere structure with wrinkled surface in order to improve the effect of pH on adsorption of SDBS. It is not only a simple functionalization, but a synergistic effect between the three materials (ECS@Ca@CTA) to efficiently adsorb SDBS. Thus the maximum adsorption capability of ECS@Ca@CTA is 2430, 1967 and 1116 mg g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 at pH 3.0, 7.0 and 10.0 for SDBS, respectively. The adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherm and reusability of ECS@Ca@CTA were studied. This paper is to provide a new environmentally friendly adsorbent material to adsorb SDBS.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉Not only a simple compound, but also a 〈strong〉synergistic effect〈/strong〉 between the materials (ECS@Ca@CTA) to adsorb SDBS with high efficiency.〈/p〉 〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308665-ga1.jpg" width="300" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Qingsi Li, Jing Yang, Nana Cai, Jiamin Zhang, Tong Xu, Weiqiang Zhao, Hongshuang Guo, Yingnan Zhu, Lei Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Resin hemoperfusion is a life-saving treatment for drug intoxication or hepatic failure of patients. However, current resin adsorbents exhibit a limited hemocompatibility or low adsorption efficiency, representing a major roadblock to successful clinical applications. In this work, we developed a hemocompatible and effective hemoadsorbent based on polystyrene resin (H103) microparticles encapsulated in anti-biofouling zwitterionic poly(carboxybetaine) (PCB) hydrogels. Apart from a strong mechanical stability, this PCB-based adsorbent (PCB-H103) exhibited excellent hemocompatibility (hemolysis ratio was ∼0.64%), which was attributed to the anti-biofouling property of PCB hydrogel. In addition, it can efficiently adsorb both small and middle molecular weight molecules in phosphate-buffered saline, and the efficiencies were significantly higher than poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate-based and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-based adsorbent counterparts, indicating the favorable permeability of PCB hydrogel coating. More importantly, PCB-H103 could effectively remove protein-bound toxins including phenol red and bilirubin in bovine serum albumin solution or even in 100% fetal bovine serum (FBS). In 100% FBS, the adsorption capacity of PCB-H103 towards bilirubin was 8.3 times higher than that of pristine clinical-scale resin beads. Findings in this work may provide a new strategy for the development of modern resin hemoperfusion technology.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308276-ga1.jpg" width="445" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Xiaodong Wang, Huiyue Zhao, Yuanyuan Cao, Yixuan Su, Haohao Hui, Jun Shen〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Environmental stability is of great interest for sol–gel porous antireflective (AR) coatings. In this work, sol–gel silica AR coatings with excellent environmental stability were prepared via ammonia vapor treatment (AVT) combined with organosilane (hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) or hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HTMS)) vapor treatment. The surface free energy (〈em〉SFE〈/em〉) of the coatings treated with different approaches was estimated through Owens–Wendt method combined with Wenzel equation from the contact angles of water, glycerol and diiodomethane. Scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to study the surface morphology and chemical composition of the silica coatings treated with different methods. The silica coatings treated by combined vapor phase method possess the 〈em〉SFE〈/em〉 of 24.11 mJ·m〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 for N-HD-SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and 34.18 mJ·m〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 for N-HT-SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. After being placed in a 90%RH humid environment for 2 months, the peak transmittance of BK7 glasses coated with N-HD-SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and N-HT-SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 only decreases by 0.58% and 0.95%, respectively. Meanwhile, N-HD-SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and N-HT-SiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 coated BK7 glasses also show quite stable optical transmittance after exposure to a vacuum oil environment for 2 months. The mechanism of the combined vapor phase surface treatment is discussed based on the combination analysis of surface morphology, chemical composition and 〈em〉SFE〈/em〉 of the coatings.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308367-ga1.jpg" width="293" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Shanshan Hu, Wenyuan Li, Wei Li, Nan Zhang, He Qi, Harry Finklea, Xingbo Liu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The technological feasibility of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of gadolinium doped ceria (GDC) on polypyrrole (PPy) coated yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has been reported. To enhance the EPD technique for the fabrication of GDC layer and to deepen the understanding of EPD, the fundamental characteristics of EPD of GDC on PPy coated YSZ were investigated. The deposition rate of GDC on PPy coated YSZ is slower than that on graphite under the same voltage. An H〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 ion accumulation zone is formed in the vicinity of PPy coated YSZ after applying the voltage. The thickness of this ion accumulation zone initially increases and then decreases. Finally, the ion accumulation zone is replaced by an ion depletion zone. The absorbed H〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 ions are desorbed from the particles after deposition and are then reduced to hydrogen gas. The reduction of absorbed H〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 ions and free H〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 ions corresponds to the deposition and the unavoidable side reaction, respectively. A new parameter, 〈strong〉〈em〉f〈/em〉〈/strong〉, the percentage of electric charged associated with the reduction of absorbed H〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 ions in the total charge, is introduced to reflect the competitive relationship between the deposition and the inevitable side reaction. 〈strong〉〈em〉f〈/em〉〈/strong〉 decreases with the increase of current density.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S002197971930877X-ga1.jpg" width="255" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: 1 November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 555〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Taiping Hu, Zhen Li, Luhua Lu, Kai Dai, Jinfeng Zhang, Rui Li, Changhao Liang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Inorganic-organic hybrid nanomaterials, with excellent chemical and physical properties and technology applications, have attracted much attention in many fields. In the photocatalytic field, it is still a problem to find a stable, adjustable morphology and band gap and effective photocatalyst in utilizing solar energy conversion to hydrogen (H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) to solve the energy crisis. Herein, with the assistance of diethylenetriamine (DETA), the novel inorganic-organic CdSe-DETA hybrids with different morphology and adjustable band gap have been synthesised via simple microwave hydrothermal method. The morphological transformation mechanism involves the consumption of organic components controlled by the mixed precursor and subsequent self-assembly of residual inorganic components (CdSe). Under the visible light irradiation (λ 〉 420 nm), CdSe-18DETA nanobelt, showed the best photocatalytic H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 production activity (5.75 mmol·g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉·h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉), which is 3.03 times greater than that of pure CdSe (1.90 mmol·g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉·h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). Moreover, after four cycles, the photocatalytic H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 production activity can still remain 91.27% of initial value, which indicates its good photocatalytic stability. Our results provide a promising approach for designing visible-light photocatalysts with efficient electron-hole separation and adjustable morphology and band gap.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0021979719308689-ga1.jpg" width="500" alt="Graphical abstract for this article" title=""〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉