Colloid and Interface Science Communications最新文献

The current work has been focused on using 1,2-diamine with a chirality having trans stereochemistry where two amino (NH₂) groups are trans to each other on a cyclohexane ring. The thin film composite (TFC) polyamide (PA) membrane was fabricated on a hydrazine hydrate crosslinked polyacrylonitrile (HH-PAN) support by interfacial polymerization (IP) reaction between trans-1,2-diamniocyclohexane (Tans-Amine; t-DAC) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC). Owing to the trans-position of the two vicinal amino groups occupying opposite positions on the chair conformation of t-DAC, a dense and crosslinked active layer was grown on the ultrafiltration (UF) HH-PAN support. Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) experiments showed high rejection rates of Trans-Amine-TMC@HH-PAN TFC membrane for model solutes such as dyes with a molecular size of ≈ 700 Da were completely rejected. Among polar solvents, methanol showed a permeance of 4.2 L m⁻² h⁻¹ bar⁻¹ whereas among non-polar solvents, toluene showed a permeance of 6.4 L m⁻² h⁻¹ bar⁻¹. Current work shows the significance of making use of the chirality of reacting monomers during IP for developing promising PA TFC OSN membranes.

Rosin thiourea imidazole quaternary ammonium salt (RTIQAs) was synthesized by connecting rosin and imidazole units via thiourea linker, and its inhibitive action on the corrosion of CRS (cold rolled steel) in 1.0 M HCl solution was fully investigated. The results demonstrate that RTIQAs is an efficient mixed-type inhibitor with the maximum inhibition efficiency of 95%. The adsorption rule on the CRS surface fully complies with Langmuir isotherm. The efficient inhibition of RTIQAs can also be verified by AFM, SEM and CLSM (confocal laser scanning microscope). The direct adsorption proof of RTIQAs molecules on steel surface can be further presented in EDX and XPS.

Porous filters with selective wetting properties offer a more effective route for separating oil and water than traditional industrial processes. However, developing durable structures for emulsion purification remains a challenge. Herein, we present a filter comprising a stainless steel mesh decorated with silica nanowires, which is highly resistant to fouling (almost 0° water contact angle and 166° underwater oil contact angle) and demonstrates excellent separation efficiency and reusability. The nanowire filter is particularly suited for separating n-hexane/water emulsions, where the oil phase could be completely separated by the filter. In addition, it demonstrates remarkable resistance to acid (pH 2 for 10 days), salt solution (37 days), butane flame, and abrasion, indicating its applicability in harsh environmental conditions. By combining the advantages of low-cost production, excellent separation, and enhanced durability, this nanowire filter holds significant potential for oil/water separation applications.

This study reports the fabrication of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based hydrogel with pomegranate peel polyphenols (PPP) via the freezing-thawing cycles method, employed as a cost-effective and efficient Congo Red (CR) adsorbent. Numerous techniques, including TGA, SEM, FTIR, XRD, DLS, BET, together with universal stretching machine, were employed to confirm the successful synthesis of PVA/PPP hydrogels with porous structures. When compared to pure PVA hydrogel, the PVA/PPP hydrogels showed greater adsorption capabilities for CR. The kinetic data coincided with pseudo-second-order modeling (R² = 0.9927). Freundlich isotherm modeling was highly-conformed through adsorption (R² = 0.9985). CR adsorption appeared to be exothermic and spontaneous, according to the thermodynamic study. Moreover, following five consecutive runs, adsorption effectiveness for PVA/PPP hydrogels remained above 88%, demonstrating their exceptional reusability. The mechanisms analysis revealed that the CR adsorption was facilitated by electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, together with π-π stacking interplays.

Graphene aerogel (GA) and hydrogel (GH) were oxidized using hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and nitric acid (HNO₃), respectively. The oxidized GA enhanced bisphenol A (BPA, hydrophobic) and methyl orange (MO, hydrophilic) adsorption. The accessibility of the air-closed pores in oxidized GA was enhanced due to the increase of oxygen-containing functional groups, exposing some new adsorption sites, as identified by ¹H NMR relaxation measurements. The oxidized GH inhibited BPA adsorption but increased MO adsorption. Higher oxygen-containing functional groups form water clusters and occupy adsorption sites for hydrophobic pollutants. Nevertheless, increased hydrophilicity facilitated the adsorption of hydrophilic pollutants. In addition, the adsorption rate of BPA on oxidized GA was decelerated, while that of MO was accelerated. The adsorption rates of both BPA and MO were accelerated on oxidized GH. This study emphasized that oxidation has different effects on the accessibility of air-enclosed pores and the adsorption properties of GA and GH.

ZnFe₂O₄ possesses an excellent gas-sensing performance, but its sensing mechanism towards different toxic gas molecules requires further exploration. In this study, the competitive adsorption and sensing properties of several toxic gases (NO₂, NO, SO₂, CO, H₂S, and NH₃) on the ZnFe₂O₄ (111) surface were investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The adsorption energy, charge transfer (Q_T), occupation function, adsorption free energy, charge density difference (CDD), and density of states (DOS) were compared. The results reveal that the ZnFe₂O₄ (111) surface exhibits obvious adsorption for NH₃, H₂S, NO₂, and H₂O, besides the selectivity of NH₃ molecule is highest. Strong chemical interactions exist between these harmful gas molecules and the ZnFe₂O₄ (111) surface. This study offers valuable theoretical insights into the selective adsorption and sensing mechanism, contributing to the development of high-performance gas sensors to detect toxic gases.

Inadequate elimination of tumor cells, bacterial infection, and insufficient bone fusion are the primary factors contributing to the recurrence of osteosarcoma and implant failure. To overcome these challenges, a multifunctional bioactive titanium-based implant consisting of fluorine-doped titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles was designed for synergistic therapy activated by near-infrared II (NIR-II) light and ultrasound. The F-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles exhibit excellent photothermal and acoustic properties upon excitation by 1060 nm NIR-II laser and ultrasound, respectively. The synergistic effect of hyperthermia and reactive oxygen species (ROS) under photoacoustic action endows the TiO₂ nanoparticles with remarkable anti-tumor and anti-bacterial activities, enabling them to eradicate Saos-2 cells within 10 min and S. aureus within 15 min. Meanwhile, the nanostructured surface and appropriate doping of F endow nanoparticles with excellent bone promoting ability.

Water-repellent and moisture-permeable membranes are highly desirable for improving wearing comfort and protection; however, constructing thermostable fabrics with excellent moisture permeability and high resistance to water penetration in high-temperature personal protection remains a great challenge. Therefore, we fabricate Nomex nanofibrous membranes via electrospinning, and further perform dip-coating with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) emulsion and hot-pressing for constructing connected PTFE network. The Nomex membranes possess hydrophobic PTFE networks and retain porous structures, improving their water repellent without influencing water vapor transmission. Furthermore, the membranes demonstrate prominent thermostability due to the synergistic effect of the high-temperature-resistant Nomex substrate and PTFE hydrophobic agent. Consequently, the Nomex/PTFE membranes exhibit prominent water-repellent and moisture-permeability with high hydrostatic pressure of 58 kPa and satisfactory water vapor transmission rate of 6008 g m⁻² d⁻¹, as well as remarkable thermostability to maintain structural stability under 300 °C, suggesting great promise as exceptional candidates for high-temperature personal protection and comfort management.

To date, researchers have worked on developing new pathways to control and manage food and industrial wastes (e.g. dairy wastewater, heavy metals, etc.), but most do not involve the reuse of these wastes. Herein, we propose to use casein peptides (CPs) based on dairy waste to capture Cu²⁺ from industrial wastewater, which is reduced to copper and cuprous oxide nanoparticles (consisting of metallic Cu and Cu₂O crystalline phases) distributed on CPs. The prepared product CPs/Cu/Cu₂O NPs showed prominent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as multidrug-resistant bacteria from livestock wastewater through generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) in combination with released Cu²⁺. The method proposed in this study is also applicable to extract Cu²⁺ from actual electroplating wastewater for bacterial disinfection. Finally, we achieved the modulation of the composition of Cu/Cu₂O NPs loaded on CPs.

The Chlorella cells exhibit excellent application potential in the field of environmental governance and bioenergy development. By selecting a bionic coating on the cell surface, it is possible to significantly enhance the cells' viability and stability within polluted environments. In this study, we employed catechol to induce the native Chlorella cells and Tannic acid (TA)-Fe³⁺@laccase coated cells to produce hydrogen. This protective coating effectively shielded the cells from external stressors, enhancing their tolerance in alkaline environments and higher substrate concentrations, ensuring long-term stable hydrogen production, achieving a 1.7-fold increase compared to the native cell hydrogen production in 7 days (Optical density, OD₇₅₀ = 2.5). Meanwhile, the degradation rate of catechol and the accumulation of biomass were also improved, and the accumulation of biomass increased by 8%. This strategy is expected to provide new solutions and possibilities for utilizing environmental pollutants to produce clean energy.