Zirconium Containing Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica: The Effect of Zr on CO₂ Sorption at Ambient Conditions

Two series of zirconium-incorporated-periodic-mesoporous-organosilica (Zr–PMO) materials were successfully prepared, via a co-condensation strategy, in the presence of Pluronic P123 triblock copolymer. The first series of Zr–PMO was prepared using tris[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]isocyanurate (ICS), tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), and zirconyl chloride octahydrate(ZrCO), denoted as Zr-I-PMO, where I refers to ICS. The second series was synthesized using bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene (BTEE), TEOS, and ZrCO as precursors, named as Zr-B-PMO, where B refers to BTEE. Zr–PMO samples exhibit type (IV) adsorption isotherms, with a distinct H2-hysteresis loop and well-developed structural parameters, such as pore volume, pore width, high surface area, and narrow pore-size distribution. Structural properties were studied by varying the Zr:Si ratio, adding TEOS at different time intervals, and changing the amount of block copolymer-Pluronic P123 used as well as the calcination temperature. Surface characteristics were tailored by precisely controlling the Zr:Si ratio, upon varying the amount of TEOS present in the mesostructures. The addition of TEOS at different synthesis stages, notably, enhanced the pore size and surface area of the resulting Zr-I-PMO samples more than the Zr-B-PMO samples. Changing the amount of block copolymer, also, played a significant role in altering the textural and morphological properties of the Zr-I-PMO and Zr-B-PMO samples. Optimizing the amount of Pluronic P123 added is crucial for tailoring the surface properties of Zr–PMOs. The prepared Zr–PMO samples were examined for use in CO2 sorption, at ambient temperature and pressure (25 °C, 1.2 bar pressure). Zr–PMO samples displayed a maximum CO2 uptake of 2.08 mmol/g, at 25 °C and 1.2 bar pressure. However, analogous zirconium samples, without any bridging groups, exhibited a significantly lower CO2 uptake, of 0.72 mmol/g, under the same conditions. The presence of isocyanurate- and benzene-bridging groups in Zr-I-PMO and Zr-B-PMO samples enhances the CO2 sorption. Interestingly, results illustrate that Zr–PMO materials show potential in capturing CO2, at ambient conditions

Zirconium Containing Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica: The Effect of Zr on CO2 Sorption at Ambient Conditions

Two series of zirconium-incorporated-periodic-mesoporous-organosilica (Zr–PMO) materials were successfully prepared, via a co-condensation strategy, in the presence of Pluronic P123 triblock copolymer. The first series of Zr–PMO was prepared using tris[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]isocyanurate (ICS), tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), and zirconyl chloride octahydrate(ZrCO), denoted as Zr-I-PMO, where I refers to ICS. The second series was synthesized using bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene (BTEE), TEOS, and ZrCO as precursors, named as Zr-B-PMO, where B refers to BTEE. Zr–PMO samples exhibit type (IV) adsorption isotherms, with a distinct H2-hysteresis loop and well-developed structural parameters, such as pore volume, pore width, high surface area, and narrow pore-size distribution. Structural properties were studied by varying the Zr:Si ratio, adding TEOS at different time intervals, and changing the amount of block copolymer-Pluronic P123 used as well as the calcination temperature. Surface characteristics were tailored by precisely controlling the Zr:Si ratio, upon varying the amount of TEOS present in the mesostructures. The addition of TEOS at different synthesis stages, notably, enhanced the pore size and surface area of the resulting Zr-I-PMO samples more than the Zr-B-PMO samples. Changing the amount of block copolymer, also, played a significant role in altering the textural and morphological properties of the Zr-I-PMO and Zr-B-PMO samples. Optimizing the amount of Pluronic P123 added is crucial for tailoring the surface properties of Zr–PMOs. The prepared Zr–PMO samples were examined for use in CO2 sorption, at ambient temperature and pressure (25 °C, 1.2 bar pressure). Zr–PMO samples displayed a maximum CO2 uptake of 2.08 mmol/g, at 25 °C and 1.2 bar pressure. However, analogous zirconium samples, without any bridging groups, exhibited a significantly lower CO2 uptake, of 0.72 mmol/g, under the same conditions. The presence of isocyanurate- and benzene-bridging groups in Zr-I-PMO and Zr-B-PMO samples enhances the CO2 sorption. Interestingly, results illustrate that Zr–PMO materials show potential in capturing CO2, at ambient conditions

Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Green Reducing Agent: Ceylon Olive (<i>Elaeocarpus serratus</i>): Characterization and Investigating Their Antimicrobial Properties

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely recognized as a prominent antimicrobial agent and have found applications in the field of medicine. This study focuses on the synthesis of AgNPs utilizing the natural reducing agent of Ceylon olive (Elaeocarpus serratus), presenting an economically viable and ecologically friendly approach. For the first time, this research demonstrated the synthesis of AgNPs using phytochemicals extracted from Ceylon olive, serving as both natural reducing and stabilizing agents. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized with UV–visible spectroscopy, a particle size analyzer (PSA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX). The UV–visible spectra primarily indicated the formation of the AgNPs by the surface plasmon resonance band around 434 nm. SEM analysis confirmed the presence of silver nanoparticles within a size range of 50–110 nm, with an average size of approximately 70 nm. FTIR determined that proteins, phenols, and flavonoids may have acted as reducing and capping agents. Experimental parameters were optimized to improve the yield and size of the AgNPs and eventually evaluate their antibacterial properties. The well diffusion method exhibits a significantly larger zone of inhibition for Gram-negative bacterial strains (18.4 ± 0.55 mm for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 14.4 ± 0.55 mm for Escherichia coli) compared to Gram-positive bacterial strains (11.6 ± 0.55 mm for Staphylococcus aureus and 10.4 ± 0.55 mm for Staphylococcus epidermidis) for 50 µg/mL AgNPs. These findings demonstrate that AgNPs synthesized with Ceylon olive have the potential to develop into novel materials for bacterial-mediated diseases