Partially Oxidised Boron Nitride As A 2D Nanomaterial For Nanofiltration Applications

Access to clean water has become increasingly scarce in recent years due to various factors, such as increasing population density, urbanisation, and inequality, among others.1 The development of new, inexpensive, and reliable methods for the removal of various impurities and toxins from water is therefore vital. In recent years, the emergence of nanofiltration (NF) membranes has become an exciting prospect for water purification. NF can be described as a type of filtration which exhibits separation characteristics in between reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration, and typically has molecular weight cut-offs in the region of 200–1000 Daltons.2,3 Various nanomaterials have been implemented in NF membranes, such as metal organic frameworks (MOFs), metal oxide nanoparticles and nanotubes.4–6 NF membranes based on 2D nanomaterials such as graphene and boron nitride (BN) have attracted significant interest due to the unique properties of 2D nanomaterials, most importantly their high surface-to-volume ratio, which leads to high adsorption capacity. In particular, BN is an attractive candidate for use in NF membranes as it is mechanically strong, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly. BN-based membranes have been the subject of numerous studies, with BN shown to be very effective in the removal of several water pollutants, including various dyes, that often can be leached into wastewater, from the textile industry

Preparation and Characterisation of Metallorganic Precursors Derived Iron Oxides on Porous Silicon Layers

Porous silicon has generated interest in scientific community after its photoluminescence discovery and thereafter, research was focused on to the chemical functionalization of silicon and subsequent anchoring of nanoparticles onto silicon surface. In the present work, the porous silicon has been effectively modified with magnetic nanoparticles which were prepared through metallorganic approach. The as-fabricated magnetic-porous silicon composites were characterised using FTIR and Raman spectroscopies, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) as well as magnetic measurements

Investigations into the electrochemical etching process of p-type silicon using ethanol-surfactant solutions

In this work, the electrochemical etching of p-type silicon was performed in aqueous ethanol-surfactant solutions and the dependence of morphology and luminescent properties of porous silicon with respect to the etching parameters and silicon resistivities have been studied. The obtained porous silicon structures have been studied using various characterisation techniques such as SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy

SPIE Photonics

F?rster resonant energy transfer (FRET) between the CdTe quantum dot (QD) acting as donors and acceptors is investigated at nanoscale proximity to gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). Photoluminescence (PL) studies of the acceptor QD emission from a mixed monolayer showed a distance dependent enhancement of the acceptor emission compared with that achieved for a donor-acceptor mixed monolayer in the absence of the Au NP layer. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements showing a reduction in the donor lifetime, accompanied by an increase in the acceptor PL lifetime, provide further evidence for surface plasmon enhanced FRET

Microplastic release from the degradation of polypropylene feeding bottles during infant formula preparation

Polypropylene-based products are commonly used for food preparation and storage, but their capacity to release microplastics is poorly understood. We investigated the potential exposure of infants to microplastics from consuming formula prepared in polypropylene (PP) infant feeding bottles (IFBs). Here, we show that PP IFBs release microplastics with values as high as 16,200,000 particles per litre. Scenario studies showed that PP IFB sterilization and exposure to high-temperature water significantly increase microplastic release. A 21-d test of PP IFBs showed periodic fluctuations in microplastic release. To estimate the potential global exposure to infants up to 12?months old, we surveyed 48 regions, finding values ranging from 14,600?4,550,000 particles per capita per day, depending on the region. We demonstrate that infant exposure to microplastics is higher than was previously recognized due to the prevalence of PP-based products used in formula preparation and highlight an urgent need to assess whether exposure to microplastics at these levels poses a risk to infant health

Effects of long-term exposure of gelatinated and non-gelatinated cadmium telluride quantum dots on differentiated pc12 cells

Background: The inherent toxicity of unmodified Quantum Dots (QDs) is a major hindrance to their use in biological applications. To make them more potent as neuroprosthetic and neurotherapeutic agents, thioglycolic acid (TGA) capped CdTe QDs, were coated with a gelatine layer and investigated in this study with differentiated pheochromocytoma 12 (PC12) cells. The QD - cell interactions were investigated after incubation periods of up to 17 days by MTT and APOTOX-Glo Triplex assays along with using confocal microscopy. Results: Long term exposure (up to 17 days) to gelatinated TGA-capped CdTe QDs of PC12 cells in the course of differentiation and after neurites were grown resulted in dramatically reduced cytotoxicity compared to non-gelatinated TGA-capped CdTe QDs. Conclusion: The toxicity mechanism of QDs was identified as caspase-mediated apoptosis as a result of cadmium leaking from the core of QDs. It was therefore concluded that the gelatine capping on the surface of QDs acts as a barrier towards the leaking of toxic ions from the core QDs in the long term (up to 17 days)