ALBERT

Beschreibung: In order to meet the global demand for lithium-ion batteries, salt lakes have been targeted as a source of lithium. However, extracting lithium from brine that contains a high Mg/Li ratio is a challenge due to the similar chemical properties of Mg 2+ and Li + . In article number 1700079 by Zhongwei Zhao and co-workers, a novel electrochemical cell is used to extract lithium from brine with high selectivity: LiFePO 4 (anode) | NaCl solution | anion exchange membrane | brine |FePO 4 (cathode). The system demonstrates good cycling performance, effective lithium enrichment, low cost, and use of environmentally friendly materials, making it a practical means to address the issue of lithium extraction.

Beschreibung: Land pollution is a threat to sustainable agricultural development and food security in developing countries. Consumption of farm products from contaminated areas can generate health hazards to the diverse consumers along the food chain through the different pollutants in the products. This study is designed to determine the accumulation of Pb, Cd, and Fe in topsoil, surface water, and maize leaf, stem, grains, and root, cultivated in a garden nearby Ori-Ile battery waste dumpsite, Omilende Area, Olodo, Nigeria. Soil samples, garden maize parts, and surface water samples are collected from the study area using standard procedures. Corresponding reference samples are collected from Moor Plantation, Ibadan. All collected samples are analysed for Pb, Cd, and Fe concentrations. Mean Pb, Cd, and Fe concentrations in topsoil are found to be significantly higher than 157.0 ± 39.8, 2.2 ± 1.2, and 976.3 ± 353.9 mg kg −1 , respectively, which are obtained from reference soil and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency limits (Pb: 164 mg kg −1 and Cd: 50 mg kg −1 ). The soil contamination factor values obtained are greater than 6, indicating severe pollution. Downstream has the highest Pb, Cd, and Fe concentrations. In maize parts, the root has the highest concentration of Pb (40.95 ± 1.98 mg L −1 ) and Cd (2.84 ± 0.19 mg L −1 ), which are significantly higher ( p ≤ 0.05) than those from the reference site. A high concentration of heavy metals found in topsoil further bio-accumulates in maize parts. Consequently, this garden maize is unfit for consumption. The Pb, Cd, and Fe accumulation in topsoil, surface water, and in the leaf, stem, grains and roots of maize grown in a garden around Ori-Ile battery waste dumpsite, Olodo, Nigeria is determined by using AAS to measure their concentration in different samples obtained. A significant concentration of these metals was found in all samples. Thus, Ori-Ile maize is unfit for consumption by residents.

Beschreibung: The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) within the interlayer space of transparent layered titania nanosheet (TNS) films is investigated. A considerable number of silver ions (≈70% against the cation exchange capacity of the TNS) are intercalated in the TNS films using methyl-viologen-containing TNSs as a precursor. The silver ion (Ag + )-containing TNS films are treated with aqueous sodium tetrahydroborate (NaBH 4 ), resulting in a gradual color change to bright blue. Various structural analyses clearly show that crystalline AgNPs are generated within the interlayer space of the TNSs. The NaBH 4 -treated films show intense and characteristic near-infrared (NIR) extinction spectra up to 1800 nm. The stability of the AgNPs within the TNS against oxygen and moisture is also investigated, and 96% and 82% of the AgNPs remain after standing in air for 1 month and 1 year, respectively. The NIR extinctions of the AgNP-containing TNS films are further extended by employing different preparation procedures, for example, using sintered TNS films as starting materials and irradiating the Ag + -containing TNSs with ultraviolet (UV) light. The obtained AgNP-containing TNS films exhibit photochemical activities in the production of hydrogen from ammonia borane under visible-light irradiation and the decomposition of nitrogen monoxide under UV-light irradiation. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles within the interlayer spaces of layered titanate films and their optical and photochemical characteristics are investigated. The films show intense extinction from the visible to the near-infrared region and exhibit good stability in air. The films exhibit photochemical activities for hydrogen production from amminetrihydridoboron and nitric oxide decomposition.

Beschreibung: An approach for underground, deep, and turbid water remediation is presented based on optical fibers with a photocatalytic coating. Thus, photocatalytic TiO 2 P25 nanoparticles immobilized in a poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) matrix are coated on polymeric optical fibers (POFs) and the photocatalytic performance of the system is assessed under artificial sunlight. To the best of our knowledge, poly(methyl methacrylate)-POF coated with TiO 2 /PVDF and the reusability of any type of POF for photocatalytic applications are not previously reported. The photocatalytic efficiency of the hybrid material in the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and its reusability are evaluated here. It is shown that 50 w/w% of TiO 2 P25 achieves a degradation of 95% after 72 h under artificial sunlight and a reusability of three times leads to a loss of activity inferior to 11%. The efficient removal of ciprofloxacin and the stability of the POF coated with TiO 2 P25 successfully demonstrate its suitability in the degradation of pollutants with potential application in regions with low light illumination, as in underground and deep water. For the first time, the immobilization of photocatalytic titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles in a polymer (PVDF) onto the surface of polymeric optical fibers is shown. This material combines the practicability of the optical fibers to transport radiation, the chemical resilience of the PVDF coating, and the catalytic properties of TiO 2 nanoparticles into a single reusable material.

Beschreibung: Hydrophobically modified acrylamide copolymers dewater oil sands tailings more effectively than anionic polyacrylamide, but the root causes for this enhanced performance have not been investigated systematically. Polyacrylamide-poly(ethylene oxide methyl ether methacrylate) copolymers with different comonomer compositions, hydrophobic chain lengths, and molecular weights to map out these effects systematically are synthetized. Through a statistical design of experiments, it is found out that all three variables above significantly affected flocculation performance and that certain combinations achieve optimal results. The effect of centrifugation on the flocculation and dewatering performance of these polymers is also investigated. This study proposes to dewater oil sands mature fine tailings (MFT) using hydrophobically modified copolymers of acrylamide, poly(acrylamide- co -ethylene oxide methyl ether methacrylate). Dewatering of MFT is systematically studied as a function of comonomer content, hydrophobic chain lengths, and copolymer molecular weight.

Beschreibung: In article number 1700124 , Pedro M. Martins, Senentxu Lanceros-Méndez, and co-workers show for the first time the immobilization of photocatalytic titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles in a polymer (PVDF) onto the surface of polymeric optical fibers, which can be applied in environmental decontamination. The optical fibers not only act as a material of light transportation but also an immobilization matrix for the PVDF/TiO 2 composite, thus radiation and the photocatalytic effect are provided by the same material. The immobilization of TiO 2 in the polymer improves the stability of the coating and consequently its reusability, which is important for practical applications. As light is transmitted through the fibers until the end tip, remote environments deployed of light access, as it is the case of soil and deep water, can be reached and decontaminated. This work combines the practicability of the optical fibers to transport radiation, the chemical resilience of the PVDF coating, and the catalytic properties of TiO 2 into a single material.

Beschreibung: Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ), a type of transition metal dichalcogenide material, has emerged as an important class among 2D systems. When 2D MoS 2 materials are reduced to 0D quantum dots (QDs), they introduce new optical properties that point to several potential technological advantages in electronic, magnetic, optical, and catalytic properties. In this study, a simple way to produce chiral MoS 2 QDs from MoS 2 nanopowder is presented using l (+)-ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. The calculated quantum yield of QDs is 11.06%. Experimental results reveal that the size of QDs is uniformly monodispersed (2–3 nm) and have a blue emissive fluorescence peak and circular dichroism (CD) peak located at 420 and 330 nm, respectively. Furthermore, a dual-mode detection system based on fluorescence and chirality is performed using as-synthesized MoS 2 QDs, where QDs are conjugated with anti-hemagglutinin antibodies of avian influenza virus and made into an immunobridge in the presence of target virus and anti-neuraminidase antibodies conjugated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The photoluminescence and CD spectra of unconjugated QDs after separated magnetochirofluorescent (MNPs-QDs) nanohybrids by external magnets enables influenza virus A (H5N1) detection with the limit of detection value of 7.35 and 80.92 pg mL −1 , respectively. A dual-mode biosensing detection system based on fluorescence and chirality of MoS 2 quantum dots for avian influenza viruses is described.

Beschreibung: Transparent, durable coating materials that show excellent liquid repellency, both water and oil, have multiple applications in science and technology. In this perspective, herein, a simple aqueous chemical formulation is developed that provides a transparent slippery coating without any lubricating fluids, on various substrates extended over large areas. The coatings repel liquids having a range of polarity (solvents) as well as viscosity (oils and emulsions) and withstand mechanical strains. Exceptional optical transparency of 99% in the range of 350–900 nm along with high stability even after cyclic temperature, frost, exposure to sunlight, and corrosive liquids like aqua regia treatments, makes this material unique and widens its applicability in different fields. Besides, being a liquid, it can be coated on an array of substrates independent of their underlying topography, by various easily available techniques. Aside from these interesting properties, the coating is demonstrated as a potential solution contributing to the remediation of one of the biggest global issues of tomorrow: affordable drinking water. The coated surface can capture 5 L of water per day per m 2 at 27 °C when exposed to an atmosphere of 63% relative humidity. An inexpensive aqueous coating material , providing robust, transparent, and liquid repellent properties without any lubricating fluid once cured, is demonstrated. It is stable over extreme mechano-thermochemical perturbations and can be coated on a variety of substrates. Being a liquid, it enables the creation of large surfaces, which makes this material unique for different applications, including atmospheric water harvesting.

Beschreibung: The great antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of enzymes makes them prone to be used as active packaging materials to preserve food from contamination or degradation. Major drawbacks are connected to the use of enzymes freely dispersed in solution, due to reduced protein stability. The immobilization of enzymes on solid supports to create biocatalytic interfaces has instead been proven to increase their stability and efficiency. In this work, it is shown that enzymes crystallized on hydrogel composite membranes (HCMs) can exert an effective antimicrobial action, thus making the composite membrane and crystals biofilm a potential active substrate for food packaging applications. The antimicrobial hen egg white lysozyme is crystallized on the surface of the hydrogel layer of HCMs, and its activity is determined by measuring the decrease in absorbance of Micrococcus lysodeikticus culture incubated with the specimen. The overall catalytic efficiency of the antimicrobial HCMs increases by a factor of 2 compared to the pure enzyme dissolved in solution at the same quantity. Because the enzyme in crystalline form is present in higher concentration and purity than in the solution, both its overall catalytic efficiency and antimicrobial action increase. Moreover, the hydrogel environment allows a better protein stabilization and retention during crystals dissolution. Composite membranes supporting a homogeneous hydrogel layer are used as building blocks to develop new biofilms based on lysozyme crystals. Its antimicrobial activity is much bigger than that shown by free lysozyme in solution, or even by films containing lysozyme immobilized in the molecular form. Lysozyme crystals and hydrogel composite membranes represent a promising surface material for food packaging applications.