Next Materials最新文献

The present work deals with surface modification and gamma (γ) irradiation treatment to improve the performance of polyester/bitumen emulsion polymer-coated jute woven textiles for geotextile applications. There are different formulations of jute used such as raw (untreated) jute textile fabrics (J0) were modified by HEMA (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) monomer (J1), raw jute was only coated with the blend of polyester resin/bitumen emulsion (10 %/30 %) (J2), and the HEMA-treated jute was coated with polymer blends (J3). It was revealed that the HEMA treatment increased the tensile breaking force of the polymer-coated jute textiles (J3) by 13.2 %, and moisture properties decreased by 18–24 %. Further, γ-irradiation of 2.5 and 5.0 kGy was exposed to the processed jute fabrics for the yield of improved performance. In this case, a 5.0 kGy dose of γ-irradiation demonstrated maximum improvement compared to their non-irradiated ones, which is 6.1 % and 3.7 % increase of tensile breaking force for J2 (γ) and J3 (γ), respectively, than their non-irradiated jute samples (J2 and J3), whilst the enhancement of the values were 15.4 % and 17.4 %, respectively, compared to the raw jute (J0) sample. The moisture properties were reduced by up to 60 % as a function of γ-irradiation. Further characterization of the jute fabric samples was assessed by FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) Spectroscopy, XRD (X-ray diffraction), TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis), and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) testing.

Room-temperature phosphorescence and organic afterglow materials exhibit significant applications in diverse fields. Among them, aqueous-phase organic afterglow materials display interesting biomedical and other applications, whereas afterglow material fabrication in aqueous medium remains less explored when compared to those in solid states. In view of the excellent afterglow performance in difluoroboron β-diketonate containing systems, here we report supramolecular inclusion complexation of γ-cyclodextrin (γCD) with difluoroboron β-diketonate (BF₂bdk) phosphors for devising aqueous-phase room-temperature afterglow crystalline micro/nanostructures. The γCD-BF₂bdk host-guest supramolecular interactions induce crystallization of the two-component system into micro/nanostructures where BF₂bdk’s triplet excited states can be well protected from nonradiative decay and oxygen quenching, leading to the emergence of aqueous-phase afterglow with phosphorescence lifetimes around 1 s and high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) > 50 %. The aqueous afterglow materials possess visible-light-excitable property and can serve as donor of energy transfer for constructing long-wavelength and color-tunable afterglow systems. Their potential applications for bioimaging were further demonstrated. The present study provides a simple method but a new avenue for the preparation of high-performance aqueous-phase afterglow materials.

Despite enormous progress in the field of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging sensor technology in the past three decades, noble metals like Au and Ag, despite their drawbacks, continue to be the metals of choice for plasmonic sensing layers. The conventional architecture of the SPR sensor based on gold/silver and glass prism hinders scaling, portability, and industrial manufacturing. In this contribution, we present a novel architecture of SPR sensor using copper on polycarbonate prism as a cost-effective, scalable, and mass-producible alternative. Various optimization techniques, such as interface layer, protective encapsulation, and 2D affinity layer are explored to address the challenges related to the practical application of copper in a plasmonic sensor. Our results show that optimized architectures of SPR sensor based on copper has a sensitivity of 235.01°/RIU. From a quantitative analysis of the interrelationships among various performance parameters, we have derived a comprehensive sensing parameter that integrates signal quality and sensitivity. The proposed architecture of the copper based SPR sensor can lead to inexpensive, compact, and handy probes that do not sacrifice accuracy or reliability.

Microstructure and composition are critical strategies to obtain high-performance electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials. In this study, Fe₃O₄@C and Fe₃O₄@C/rGO were synthesized by the hydrothermal method. Subsequently, a gradient structure was designed to further optimize the EMW absorption performance of composition using CST software. The electromagnetic parameters of the EMW absorbing materials were utilized to design the gradient structure by employing a genetic algorithm to determine the optimal thickness. The results indicate that the gradient structure of Fe₃O₄@C and Fe₃O₄@C/rGO demonstrate exceptional EMW absorption performance with the minimum reflection loss (RL_min) of −50.26 dB at 9.73 GHz and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 3.86 GHz (2.04 GHz-2.85 GHz, 8.57 GHz-11.62 GHz). Finally, the proposed system was validated using the waveguide method, revealing that the experimental curves align closely with simulated curves, thereby confirming the feasibility of this structure.

This study examines the high temperature corrosion response and thermal barrier characteristics of BaCeO₃. The phase stability and decomposition behaviour of BaCeO₃ were studied using TG-DSC analysis. The thermal diffusivity and thermal expansion coefficient were determined using Laser Flash Analysis and Dilatometry techniques. Microhardness of the sintered BaCeO₃ was measured using Vickers micro indentation technique whereas the elastic modulus was found using Ultrasonic technique. Corrosion tests were performed on both BaCeO₃ coatings and pellet samples in 32 wt% Na₂SO₄ + 68 wt% V₂O₅ salt melt at 900ºC, and the corrosion process was analyzed using XRD and SEM-EDS. The main corrosion product found in the samples exposed to 32 wt% Na₂SO₄ + 68 wt% V₂O₅ mixture was Ba₃V₂O₈, with small amounts of CeO₂ and BaSO₄. SEM-EDS examination of the corroded samples highlighted the significant corrosive action on BaCeO₃, indicating the acidic leaching of Ba²⁺ ions, which then reacted with the salt mixture. The formation of NaVO₃ intensified atomic mobility, aggravating the corrosion process. Comparing the hot corrosion of BaCeO₃ in pure Na₂SO₄ and V₂O₅ melts with that in the 32 wt% Na₂SO₄ + 68 wt% V₂O₅ mixture confirmed this effect. No discernible peaks corresponding to any Ce-V-O compound were observed in any of the corrosion patterns, suggesting a preference for BaO over CeO₂ in the corrosion process due to its stronger basic nature.

While the preservation of culturally significant materials is increasingly recognized as important within the scientific community, it remains closely tied to traditional practices and the empiric knowledge of small handicraft companies. These procedures are usually highly effective, but, especially when dealing with biological degradation phenomena, they are often not updated to the latest scientific innovations and hence do not always consider the impact of their use on the environment. MCM-41 silica-based nanoparticles were employed as nanocontainers to encapsulate and later release the antimicrobial agent Biotin T ®. Specifically, the silica nanoparticles were modified with sulphonic groups to functionalize the silica structure and its interaction with the antimicrobial compound, thereby aiming to regulate its release. Microbiological tests were conducted to determine Biotin T ® antimicrobial activity at low concentrations. The nanomaterials were characterized by N₂ physisorption, XRD, TPO, TG/TDA, Raman IR/ATR spectroscopy, SEM, EDS, and HR-TEM, whereas Biotin T ® release was studied through UV spectroscopy. The functionalized silica nanoparticle-based matrix can encapsulate and gradually release the commercial biocidal. Two of the matrices, MCM-41 and MCM-SO₃H, exhibited different properties after functionalization, with both maintaining the original structure but leading to a higher interaction with the antimicrobial product.

In this work, we report the synthesis and characterization of Fe₃O₄/CuO nanocomposites and demonstrate their catalytic efficiency towards the degradation of organic dyes. Single-crystalline Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles of 11 nm were obtained via coprecipitation and functionalized with β-alanine for colloidal stability and chemical affinity towards the CuO surface. The CuO nanoleaves were produced by sonochemical precipitation, resulting in nanostructures with average sizes of 1080, 286, and 15 nm in long, wide, and thick, respectively. Moreover, the nanoleaves are polycrystalline, with an average crystallite size of 16 nm, and with band-gap energy of 1.48 eV. The nanocomposites were prepared by mixing the two nanostructures in various ratios to study the effect of the composition on both properties and technological performance. Field emission scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the ratio of primary nanostructures was retained in the nanocomposites and showed that the exposed surface area of nanoleaves decreased with an increasing percentage of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. While the crystalline structure of the primary nanostructures remained unchanged, the band-gap energy increased to 1.78 eV. These nanocomposites demonstrated impressive catalytic efficiency, achieving nearly complete degradation of methyl orange with H₂O₂ assisted by ultrasonication. This high catalytic activity, coupled with ease of recovery and reuse, makes these nanocomposites a promising solution for water remediation applications.

Herein, we report the large-scale, low-temperature, solution combustion method for the synthesis of Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were annealed at four different temperatures and were then characterized in detail to investigate the morphological, structural, optical and compositional properties by using field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV‐vis spectroscopy, and EDX techniques. The detailed characterization revealed the large-scale growth, well-crystallinity, and hexagonal crystal phase of the prepared nanoparticles. The structural and morphological appearance of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles was improved by raising the sintering temperature. The synthesized nanoparticles were used as effective photocatalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange dye and amoxicillin drug. The photocatalytic activities were evaluated by measuring the photodegradation rate of methyl orange and amoxicillin in the presence of ZnO nanoparticles under UV light irradiation. Interestingly, over 73 % of methyl orange and 98 % of amoxicillin were degraded in 180 min using 0.05 g of ZnO nanoparticles.