Photodegradation Diuron herbicide with TiO2-Al2O3 catalysts supported on graphene nanoplatelets

Objective: To photodegrade Diuron with TiO2-Al2O3 nanomaterials supported on graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) Design/methodology/approach: The synthesis of the materials was carried out by the sol-gel method under mild conditions. Subsequently, the obtained materials were subjected to thermal processing for structural stabilization and pulverized. Synthesized nanomaterials were then characterized by nitrogen adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Uv-Vis spectroscopy. Results: The adsorption/desorption results indicated that the ternary TiO2-Al2O3/GnPs nanomaterials were found to have complex porosity, which suggested that TiO2-Al2O3 was formed on agglomerated GnPs. X-ray diffraction data revealed that the anatase phase of TiO2 and the g-Al2O3 phase coexist with the crystalline phase of graphene. The morphology of the materials indicates that the nanoplatelets were randomly dispersed in a continuous mixed oxide phase. About the UV analysis, the presence of GnPs at 1 wt % concentration reduces the band gap by 6%. Limitations on study/implications: The physical and chemical properties of GnPs make the material an excellent candidate for the degradation of pollutants by photocatalysis. Findings/conclusions: The addition of GnPs improved the Diuron degradation, probably by forming a nanostructured interface or heterojunction.  Objective: To photodegrade Diuron with TiO2-Al2O3 nanomaterials supported on graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) Design/methodology/approach: The synthesis of the materials was carried out by the sol-gel method under mild conditions. Subsequently, the obtained materials were subjected to thermal processing for structural stabilization and pulverized. Synthesized nanomaterials were then characterized by nitrogen adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Uv-Vis spectroscopy. Results: The adsorption/desorption results indicated that the ternary TiO2-Al2O3/GnPs nanomaterials were found to have complex porosity, which suggested that TiO2-Al2O3 was formed on agglomerated GnPs. X-ray diffraction data revealed that the anatase phase of TiO2 and the g-Al2O3 phase coexist with the crystalline phase of graphene. The morphology of the materials indicates that the nanoplatelets were randomly dispersed in a continuous mixed oxide phase. About the UV analysis, the presence of GnPs at 1 wt % concentration reduces the band gap by 6%. Limitations on study/implications: The physical and chemical properties of GnPs make the material an excellent candidate for the degradation of pollutants by photocatalysis. Findings/conclusions: The addition of GnPs improved the Diuron degradation, probably by forming a nanostructured interface or heterojunctio

Antimicrobial Property of Polypropylene Composites and Functionalized Copper Nanoparticles

Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) functionalized with polyethyleneimine (PEI) and 4-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were used to obtain composites with isotactic polypropylene (iPP). The iPP/CuNPs composites were prepared at copper concentrations of 0.25–5.0 wt % by melt mixing, no evidence of oxidation of the CuNP was observed. Furthermore, the release of copper ions from iPP/CuNPs composites in an aqueous medium was studied. The release of cupric ions was higher in the composites with 2.5 and 5.0 wt %. These composites showed excellent antibacterial activity (AA) toward Pseudomona aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The incorporation of CuNP into the iPP polymeric matrix slightly decreased the thermal stability of the composite material but improved the crystallinity and the storage modulus. This evidence suggests that CuNPs could work as nucleating agents in the iPP crystallization process. The iPP/CuNPs composites presented better AA properties compared to similar composites reported previously. This behavior indicates that the new materials have great potential to be used in various applications that can be explored in the future

Easy Synthesis of Doped Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets as New Material for Enhanced DNA Extraction from Vegetal Tissues Using a Simple and Fast Protocol

Conventional and commercially available DNA extraction methods have several limitations regarding, for instance, contamination, and complex and slow precipitation and recovery processes. Herein, we report the synthesis of oxygen and phosphorus-doped Graphitic carbon nitride structures (g-POCN), via a novel Zinc-catalyzed one-pot solvothermal approach, and its application in the extraction of genomic DNA (gDNA) from a vegetal matrix (P. argentatum). Experimental and molecular modeling analyses demonstrate the high affinity of gDNA with g-POCN, which provided highly efficient gDNA extraction processes, with extraction yield, as well as integrity and quality of the extracted gDNA, comparable or superior to a commercial extraction kit and isopropanol extraction. Moreover, under suitable elution conditions, this method allows the easy removal of high concentrations of gDNA from g-POCN, rendering this method as a low-cost, simple, and fast approach for the extraction of even small amounts of gDNA. Remarkably, the extracted gDNA shows no degradation, and no inhibition of the polymerase chain reaction. Therefore, g-POCN represents a promising material for the highly efficient, cost-effective, and biocompatible extraction of DNA, which could stimulate research focused on broad DNA sources, e.g., RNA extraction, plasmids, ssDNA, etc