Modified and unmodified zinc oxide as coagent in elastomer compounds

The aim of this work was to study the activity of unmodifi ed and modifi ed ZnO in the peroxide crosslinking of hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene elastomer (HNBR) and ethylene-propylene copolymer (EPM). In the first step, zinc oxide was obtained by emulsion precipitation. Maleic acid was introduced onto the surface of ZnO using an in situ method. The unmodifi ed and modifi ed zinc oxide was characterized using dispersive and morphological analysis, BET surface area analysis, and elemental, spectroscopic and thermal analysis. In the second stage of the research, the ZnO/MA systems were incorporated into the structure of elastomer compounds improving the kinetic and mechanical properties of vulcanizates. The proposed modifi cation method had a favorable effect on the physicochemical properties of the zinc oxide and on the kinetic and mechanical properties of the vulcanizates. This study demonstrated that modifi cation of zinc oxide by maleic acid is a promising technique

Characterization of amino-, epoxy- and carbonyl-functionalized halloysite and its application in the immobilization of aminoacylase from Aspergillus melleus

Functionalized halloysite was used as a support for the immobilization of an enzyme. The surface of halloysite was modified with amino (–NH), epoxy (–C(O)C) and carbonyl (–C=O) groups. Both unmodified and modified forms of the support underwent a comprehensive physicochemical and structural evaluation, including morphological, structural, thermogravimetric and spectroscopic analysis. Aminoacylase from Aspergillus melleus was used as the enzyme in the immobilization process. The process of immobilization by adsorption was performed for 1, 6 and 24 h using different concentrations of enzyme solution (0.5, 1 and 3 mg/cm3). The quantity of aminoacylase loaded onto the support was calculated by the Bradford method. Free and immobilized aminoacylase were used to catalyze the deacetylation of N-acetyl-L-methionine. Additionally, the thermal and chemical stability of the obtained biocatalytic systems were evaluated, as well as the reusability of the immobilized systems. The biocatalytic system with amino groups demonstrated activity above 70% in the pH range 4–9 and 60% in the temperature range 30–70 °C. Aminoacylase immobilized on amino-functionalized halloysite also retains around 50% of its initial activity after five reaction cycles

Zinc Oxide—From Synthesis to Application: A Review

Zinc oxide can be called a multifunctional material thanks to its unique physical and chemical properties. The first part of this paper presents the most important methods of preparation of ZnO divided into metallurgical and chemical methods. The mechanochemical process, controlled precipitation, sol-gel method, solvothermal and hydrothermal method, method using emulsion and microemulsion enviroment and other methods of obtaining zinc oxide were classified as chemical methods. In the next part of this review, the modification methods of ZnO were characterized. The modification with organic (carboxylic acid, silanes) and inroganic (metal oxides) compounds, and polymer matrices were mainly described. Finally, we present possible applications in various branches of industry: rubber, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, textile, electronic and electrotechnology, photocatalysis were introduced. This review provides useful information for specialist dealings with zinc oxide

Zinc Oxide—From Synthesis to Application: A Review

Zinc oxide can be called a multifunctional material thanks to its unique physical and chemical properties. The first part of this paper presents the most important methods of preparation of ZnO divided into metallurgical and chemical methods. The mechanochemical process, controlled precipitation, sol-gel method, solvothermal and hydrothermal method, method using emulsion and microemulsion enviroment and other methods of obtaining zinc oxide were classified as chemical methods. In the next part of this review, the modification methods of ZnO were characterized. The modification with organic (carboxylic acid, silanes) and inroganic (metal oxides) compounds, and polymer matrices were mainly described. Finally, we present possible applications in various branches of industry: rubber, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, textile, electronic and electrotechnology, photocatalysis were introduced. This review provides useful information for specialist dealings with zinc oxide

Structural Characterisation of ZnO Particles Obtained by the Emulsion Precipitation Method

Zinc oxide was obtained by precipitation in an emulsion system with zinc acetate used as a precursor of ZnO and potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide as a precipitating agent. The cyclohexane, as an organic phase, and a nonionic surfactant mixture were also used for preparation of the emulsion. By applying modifications of the ZnO precipitation process, such as changing the precipitating agent, composition of substrates, and the rate of substrate dosing, some interesting structures of ZnO particles were obtained. The morphology of the modified samples was analysed based on SEM (scanning electron microscope) and TEM (transmission electron microscope) images. Moreover the samples were characterised by determination of their dispersive properties using the noninvasive back scattering method (NIBS), adsorption parameters (BET), and crystalline structure (XRD). Thermogravimetric analysis (TG) as well as infrared spectrophotometry (FT-IR) was also applied. For selected samples their electrical properties (dielectric permittivity and electric conductivity) were also measured. The zinc oxide obtained consisted of particles in the shapes of solids, ellipsoids, rods, and flakes, with size ranging from 164 to 2670 nm and showed well-developed surface area with values as high as 20 m2/g

Advanced Ga2O3/Lignin and ZrO2/Lignin Hybrid Microplatforms for Glucose Oxidase Immobilization: Evaluation of Biosensing Properties by Catalytic Glucose Oxidation

In this study, novel Ga2O3/lignin and ZrO2/lignin hybrid materials were obtained and used as supports for the adsorption of the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx). A biosensor system based on the hybrid supports was then designed to determine the concentration of glucose in various solutions. The obtained bioinspired platforms were analyzed to determine chemical and physical properties of the support structures. A determination was made of the effectiveness of the proposed method of immobilization and the quality of operation of the constructed glucose biosensor in electrochemical tests. To characterize the materials, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), electrokinetic (zeta) potential measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM), particle size measurements (NIBS technique), and elemental analysis (EA) were used. In further research, glucose oxidase (GOx) was immobilized on the surface of the obtained functional Ga2O3/lignin and ZrO2/lignin biomaterials. The best immobilization capacities—24.7 and 27.1 mg g−1 for Ga2O3/lignin and ZrO2/lignin, respectively—were achieved after a 24 h immobilization process. The Ga2O3/Lig/GOx and ZrO2/Lig/GOx systems were used for the construction of electrochemical biosensor systems, in a dedicated carbon paste electrode (CPE) with the addition of graphite and ferrocene

Candida antarctica Lipase B Immobilized onto Chitin Conjugated with POSS® Compounds: Useful Tool for Rapeseed Oil Conversion

A new method is proposed for the production of a novel chitin-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) enzyme support. Analysis by such techniques as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the effective functionalization of the chitin surface. The resulting hybrid carriers were used in the process of immobilization of the lipase type b from Candida antarctica (CALB). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the effective immobilization of the enzyme. The tests of the catalytic activity showed that the resulting support-biocatalyst systems remain hydrolytically active (retention of the hydrolytic activity up to 87% for the chitin + Methacryl POSS® cage mixture (MPOSS) + CALB after 24 h of the immobilization), as well as represents good thermal and operational stability, and retain over 80% of its activity in a wide range of temperatures (30–60 °C) and pH (6–9). Chitin-POSS-lipase systems were used in the transesterification processes of rapeseed oil at various reaction conditions. Produced systems allowed the total conversion of the oil to fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) and glycerol after 24 h of the process at pH 10 and a temperature 40 °C, while the Methacryl POSS® cage mixture (MPOSS) was used as a chitin-modifying agent