The Photocatalytic Activity of TiO 2

In this research different composites of impregnated TiO2 with LTA or FAU zeolites were used as different weight% ratio for photodegradation of organic dye. Normal laboratory UV-lamps were used as a source of UV irradiation. In addition a setup of system of mirrors was used to collect real Jeddah sunlight. A comparison of UV and real sunlight photodegradation activity showed that the real sunlight enhances new centers of active sites exhibiting higher catalytic activity than that of UV irradiated samples

Impact of Block Length and Temperature over Self-Assembling Behavior of Block Copolymers

Self-assembling behavior of block copolymers having water-soluble portion as one of the blocks plays key role in the properties and applications of the copolymers. Therefore, we have synthesized block copolymers of different block length and investigated their self-assembling behavior with reference to concentration and temperature using surface tension and conductance measurement techniques. The results obtained through both techniques concluded that critical micelles concentration (CMC) was decreased from 0.100 to 0.078 g/dL with the increase in length of water insoluble block and 0.100 to 0.068 g/dL for the increased temperature. ΔGmic was also decreased with the increase in temperature of the system, concluding that the micellization process was encouraged with the increase in temperature and block length. However, ΔHmic values were highest for short block length copolymer. The surface excess concentration obtained from surface tension data concluded that it was highest for short block length and vice versa and was increased with the increase in temperature of the system. However, the minimum area per molecule was largest for highest molecular weight copolymers or having longest water insoluble block and decreases with the increase in temperature

The Influence of Self-Heating Iron on the Thermal, Mechanical, and Swelling Properties of PDMS Composites for Organic Solvents Removal

Volatile organic compounds pollute the environment and pose a serious threat to human health due to their toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity. In this context, it is highly desirable to fabricate high-performance poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) composites to remove organic solvents from the environment using a simple technique. Therefore, in the present study, Fe-PDMS composites were fabricated using a technique based on magnetic induction heating with iron particles serving as a self-heating agent. Under an alternating magnetic field, the iron particles served as a thermal source that assisted in the progression of PDMS crosslinking. The influence of self-heating iron on the properties of the fabricated Fe-PDMS composites was also investigated. The hydrosilation reaction occurring during the crosslinking process was controlled using FT-IR. The heating efficiency of PDMS 1, PDMS 2, and PDMS 3 was studied as the function of induction time (0–5 min) and the function of iron content (0%, 1%, and 30% wt.%). The results revealed that the mechanical properties of the PDMS 2 composite were enhanced compared to those of the PDMS 1 and PDMS 3 composites. The mechanical properties of PDMS 3 were the least efficient due to cluster formation. PDMS 3 exhibited the highest thermal stability among all composites. Furthermore, the swelling behavior of different materials in various organic solvents was studied. PDMS was observed to swell to the greatest extent in chloroform, while swelling to a large extent was observed in toluene, pentane, and petroleum ether. PDMS swelling was the least in n-butanol. The elastomeric behavior of crosslinked PDMS, together with its magnetic character, produces stimuli-responsive magneto-rheological composites, which are quite efficient and suitable for applications involving the removal of organic solvents

Inspired Preparation of Zinc Oxide Nanocatalyst and the Photocatalytic Activity in the Treatment of Methyl Orange Dye and Paraquat Herbicide

As the need to use green chemistry routes increases, environmentally friendly catalytic processes are a demand. One of the most important and abundant naturally occurring catalysts is chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the first recognized catalyst; it is a reducing agent due to its electron-rich structure. The effects of spinach on the preparation of zinc oxide nanoparticles and the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange and paraquat in sunlight and under a UV lamp and photocatalytic degradation in sunlight were studied. Different parameters of the catalytic preparation process and photocatalytic degradation process were studied. Characterization of differently prepared samples was carried out using different analytical techniques such as XRD, SEM, and EDX and finally the photocatalytic activity towards decomposition of methyl orange and paraquat

Copper(II) oxide nanocatalyst preparation and characterization: green chemistry route

Abstract Background Green synthesis as a technique of preparation of metal/metal oxide nanomaterials is becoming an important and competitive method of preparation replacing the conventional method of preparation. Among metal oxides, nanocatalyst copper(II) oxide is considered as a very important and potent catalyst/photocatalyst with a very wide range of applications. Results In this work, copper(II) oxide nanoparticles were prepared with the assist of aqueous spinach extract from copper metal powder. Spinach extract catalyzes the formation of copper oxide nanoparticles with manipulation of chlorophyll that exists in the extract. The produced copper(II) oxide nanoparticles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Conclusions It was proved that spinach extract catalyzes the preparation of copper(II) oxide nanocatalyst. It was elucidated from the characterization technique that the produced nanoparticles are pure copper oxide with particle size range of 60–100 nm

Polymeric Nanocomposites for Environmental and Industrial Applications

Polymeric nanocomposites (PNC) have an outstanding potential for various applications as the integrated structure of the PNCs exhibits properties that none of its component materials individually possess. Moreover, it is possible to fabricate PNCs into desired shapes and sizes, which would enable controlling their properties, such as their surface area, magnetic behavior, optical properties, and catalytic activity. The low cost and light weight of PNCs have further contributed to their potential in various environmental and industrial applications. Stimuli-responsive nanocomposites are a subgroup of PNCs having a minimum of one promising chemical and physical property that may be controlled by or follow a stimulus response. Such outstanding properties and behaviors have extended the scope of application of these nanocomposites. The present review discusses the various methods of preparation available for PNCs, including in situ synthesis, solution mixing, melt blending, and electrospinning. In addition, various environmental and industrial applications of PNCs, including those in the fields of water treatment, electromagnetic shielding in aerospace applications, sensor devices, and food packaging, are outlined

Controlled Preparation of Thermally Stable Fe-Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Composite by Magnetic Induction Heating

The most challenging task in the preparation of poly(dimethylsiloxane) composites is to control the curing time as well as to enhance their thermal and swelling behavior. Curing rate can be modified and controlled by a range of iron powder contents to achieve a desired working time, where iron is used as self-heating particles. Iron under alternative current magnetic field (ACMF) is able to generate thermal energy, providing a benefit in accelerating the curing of composites. Three types of iron-Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (Fe-PDMS) composites were prepared under ACMF with iron content 5, 10, and 15 wt %. The curing process was investigated by FTIR, while the morphology and the thermal stability were examined by SEM, DMA, and TGA. The heating’s profile was studied as functions of iron content and induction time. It was found that the time required to complete curing was reduced and the curing temperature was controlled by varying the iron content and induction time. In addition, the thermal stability and the swelling behavior of the prepared composites were enhanced in comparison with the conventional PDMS and thus offer a promising route to obtain thermally stable composites

Extracellular bio-synthesis of silver nanoparticles

The effect of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB has been studied on the optical properties and morphology of advanced Ag-nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Oriental plane leaves extract as a reducing-, stabilizing- and capping-agent for the first time. The formation of Ag-nanodisks was monitored by measuring the UV–vis spectra at different time intervals (5, 10, 20 and 30 min) after adding the leaves extract (from 1 to 5 cm3) to the different AgNO3 solutions ([Ag+] = 4.0, 8.0, 12.0, 16.0 × 10−4 mol dm−3). The sigmoidal nature of the reaction-time plots suggests the involvements of an autocatalytic reaction path. In the presence of CTAB, the peak at 450 nm is shifted to shorter wavelength, i.e., 425 nm and sharpness of the surface resonance plasmon (SRP) band also decreases. The results confirm a significant change in the morphology and/or agglomeration tendency with CTAB. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results show the formation of stable AgNPs at different concentration of AgNO3 gives mostly spherical particles with diameter ranging from 10 to 30 nm

Anisotropy in the mechanical properties of organic crystals: temperature dependence

The nanoindentation technique has recently been utilized for quantitative evaluation of the mechanical properties of molecular materials successfully, including their temperature (T) dependence. In this paper, we examine how the mechanical anisotropy varies with T in saccharin and L-alanine single crystals. Our results show that elastic modulus (E) decreases linearly in all the cases examined, with the T-dependence of E being anisotropic. Correspondence between directional dependence of the slopes of the E vs. T plots and the linear thermal expansion coefficients was found. The T-dependence of hardness (H), on the other hand, was found to be nonlinear and significant when (100) of saccharin and (001) of L-alanine are indented. While the anisotropies in E and H of saccharin and E of L-alanine enhance with T, the anisotropy in H of L-alanine was found to reduce with T. Possible mechanistic origins of these variations are discussed