Materials Advances最新文献

The transformation of seafood processing residues into advanced functional materials offers a dual solution to environmental pollution: mitigating waste streams while addressing water contamination. In this study, shrimp exoskeletons were valorized into a chitin–protein composite (SE-CP) through acid demineralization and thermal activation and evaluated as a biosorbent for the removal of anionic textile dyes Sellacid Red (SR) and Sellaset Blue (SB). The material was characterized using SEM, EDX, FTIR, XRD, BET, DLS, XPS, and PZC analyses, confirming a mesoporous structure (specific surface area = 51.4914 m² g⁻¹) enriched with amino and hydroxyl groups that favor electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Batch adsorption studies showed maximum removal efficiencies of 99.2% for SR at pH = 3 and 98.7% for SB at pH = 4 both around 20 °C and an initial dye concentration of 100 mg L⁻¹. Kinetic data fitted the pseudo-second-order model (R² > 0.96), and equilibrium was best described by the Freundlich isotherm, with adsorption capacities of 158.43 mg g⁻¹ (SR) and 63.81 mg g⁻¹ (SB). SE-CP retained over 76% of its adsorption capacity after five regeneration cycles, indicating strong stability and reusability. This work demonstrates a low-cost and sustainable biosorbent derived from shrimp waste, with high efficiency, reusability, and green synthesis, positioning SE-CP as a promising candidate for industrial dye wastewater treatment within circular economy principles.

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) functionalized with covalent defects are a promising class of optoelectronic materials with strong, tunable photoluminescence and demonstrated single photon emission (SPE). Here, we investigate sulfur-oxide containing compounds as a new class of optically active dopants on (6,5) SWCNT. Experimentally, it has been found that when the SWCNT is exposed to sodium dithionite, the resulting compound displays a red-shifted and bright photoluminescence peak that is characteristic of doping with covalent defects. We perform density functional theory calculations on the possible adsorbed compounds that may be the source of doping (S, SO, SO₂ and SO₃). We predict that the two smallest molecules strongly bind to the SWCNT with binding energies of ∼1.5–1.8 eV and 0.56 eV for S and SO, respectively, and introduce in-gap electronic states into the bandstructure of the tube consistent with the measured red-shift of (0.1–0.3) eV, consistent with measurements. In contrast, the larger compounds are found to be either unbound or weakly physisorbed with no appreciable impact on the electronic structure of the tube, indicating that they are unlikely to occur. Overall, our study suggests that sulfur-based compounds are promising new dopants for (6,5) SWCNT with tunable electronic properties.

Mechanically triggered polymeric nanocomposites offer a promising solution for sustainable chemical recycling and minimize environmental pollution. In this study, a flexible, biodegradable donor–acceptor nanocomposite artificial leaf was synthesized as a photocatalyst by incorporating magnesium tetra-phenyl-porphyrin (T) and aloe-vera-derived graphene (G) into polylactic acid (P) via the blown film method. This process yielded photocatalyst films with excellent mechanical properties, including ultra-high tensile strength, bending strength, impact strength, and surface hardness. The resulting film photocatalyst, PGT, was evaluated at three aloe-vera-derived graphene loadings (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% G). Among these, the 1% PGT photocatalyst with an integrated donor–acceptor architecture incorporated into a nanocomposite artificial leaf as a film photocatalyst demonstrated the best performance, achieving significant levels of active 1,4-NADH regeneration (61.09 ± 0.59%) via solar light, which was efficiently used by the formate dehydrogenase enzyme to exclusively generate formic acid (HCOOH at approximately 146.62 ± 1.6 µmol) from CO₂. The PGT nanocomposite, with its extremely high tensile strength (25.322 MPa), tensile load (589.49 Newtons), strain (11.755%), bending strength (32.244 MPa), and impact energy (2.4615 J), can serve as a suitable material for tissue implants for various applications. The 1% PGT nanocomposite flexible artificial leaf as a film photocatalyst has a remarkable ability to fix CO₂ into HCOOH compared to the 0.5% and 1.5% PGT flexible film photocatalysts. Overall, the outcome demonstrates the potential and adaptability of these P-based nanocomposite artificial leaves (PGT), emphasizing their importance in photocatalysis, solar chemical synthesis, and scaffold-based tissue engineering.

Silver nanocomposites are used to develop photocatalysts for various environmental, energy, and biomedical applications. However, the stability, biocompatibility, and performance of these colloids for practical applications need further improvement. Herein, silver nanocomposites protected with polyphosphodiesters (PPDEs) were successfully synthesized. A conjugate was prepared by varying the ratio of phosphodiesters to silver acetate, which were then exposed to visible light to form the silver nanocomposites, known as PEP·Na_aAg_b-l (a and b correspond to the ratio of Na⁺ and Ag⁺ in the feed). Then, the stability, photocatalytic activity, and recyclability of the colloids were evaluated. The spectral changes observed before and after irradiation confirmed the formation of photogenerated nanocomposites. The morphology of PEP·Na_aAg_b-l was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The silver nanocomposites efficiently degraded rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light, with the degradation efficiency of PEP·Na₅Ag₁-l reaching 89% (k = 5.12 × 10⁻² min⁻¹), indicating their photocatalytic performance. These nanocomposites achieved over 87% degradation of RhB even after six cycles, demonstrating their recyclability. The stability and recyclability of the colloids were reinforced by the polyphosphodiester. The role of specific reactive oxygen species (ROS) was explored by the conventional scavenger approach. The silver nanocomposites play a crucial role in the heterojunction, enhancing not only light harvesting but also increasing the capacity for electron acceptance and suppressing electron–hole recombination.

Correction for ‘Exploring 2D hexagonal WO₃/COK-12 nanostructures for efficient humidity detection’ by Bhavna Rohilla et al., Mater. Adv., 2023, 4, 5785–5796, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MA00691C.

The rational design of self-assembling protein nanocages holds great promise for synthetic biology, biotechnology and biomedical applications. Protein nanocages are well-defined nanoparticles with an inner cavity formed by self-assembly of repetitive protein building blocks. These cavities can be tailored to encapsulate and protect cargo molecules such as drugs, enzymes, or imaging agents. The ability to design de novo protein cages has recently been revolutionized by new concepts of modular protein design, computational design of interacting surfaces and machine learning-based generative protein design. Protein cages can be designed in diverse architectures and sizes, and their assembly and disassembly can be regulated by chemical, biological, and physical signals. Here, we focus on the review of engineering strategies for the designed protein cages based on coiled coils or other modular protein domains, their functionalization and opportunities of customized engineered protein cages.

The third-generation semiconductor, silicon carbide (SiC), has become increasingly crucial in emerging markets for radio-frequency and power electronic devices due to its superior physical properties. However, the insufficient growth thickness and low powder source utilization rate still limit the development of physical vapor transport (PVT) growth. In this work, a systematic investigation on the evolution progress and consumption features of the SiC powder source in PVT growth was conducted by theoretical simulations and experimental measurements. We found that the non-uniform source consumption and recrystallization negatively impacted the evolution of thermal and flow fields, resulting in a final low utilization rate of the powder source. To enhance the usage of the powder source and the quality of as-grown crystals, we designed a porous graphite plate in the PVT chamber to modulate both mass transfer processes and the thermal field. Compared to a conventional structure, the designed porous graphite plate could optimize the utilization rate (29% enhanced) and the spatial uniformity of source consumption, thereby increasing the crystal growth rates by 33%. Meanwhile, this designed plate could reduce the thermal stress gradients and thus reduce the defect density (52%) within the SiC crystals.

A composite series, (1 − x)ZnBi₂O₄/x-BiOBr, was synthesized using a two-step hydrothermal method. The x = 0.7 composite demonstrated 100% removal of RhB in 10 minutes (k = 0.2317 min⁻¹) under visible light, ∼74 times higher than that of ZnBi₂O₄ (k = 0.0031 min⁻¹). For Orange G, x = 0.7 yielded 100% removal in 30 min with k = 0.1053 min⁻¹, ∼14 times greater than that of ZnBi₂O₄. The improved activity correlates with high S_BET (21.8 m² g⁻¹) and good interfacial charge separation. Band-edge estimates and scavenger tests suggested a type-II-like band alignment. Moreover, the x = 0.7 composite retained ≥81% of activity over 5 cycles.

In this study, a comprehensive dual-junction (n-MoS₂/p-CuO/Si and p-CuO/n-Si) evaluation of a self-biased heterostructure was conducted for photodetector applications. Owing to the integration of both junctions, the proposed design offered dual-response functionality, under zero bias, corresponding to the visible (625 nm) and NIR (720 and 808 nm) regions. At zero applied bias, the n-MoS₂/p-CuO/Si heterojunction exhibited a responsivity (R_λ) of 21.04/30.50 mA W⁻¹ and a detectivity (D*) of 1.0 × 10¹⁴/1.5 × 10¹⁴ Jones at incident wavelengths of 625/720 nm; this highlights the self-biased nature of the fabricated design. The attained values were found to be dramatically increased under a 3 V bias, with R₂ values of 0.144 and 0.124 A/W for the n-MoS₂/p-CuO/Si and p-CuO/n-Si heterostructures, respectively. The observed figures-of-merit consistently reduced as the incident light intensity increased, indicating a strong negative correlation, which was further confirmed by the R² value approaching unity (R² = 1). The time-resolved features confirmed response/recovery times of 0.27/0.36 and 0.41/0.48 s, respectively, for the addressed heterostructures, highlighting the suitability of this design for efficient, bias-free photodetection over Vis-NIR wavelengths.

Here, we present a novel materials-based strategy that bypasses alignment procedures by integrating ZnO nanoparticles into an LCE ink, enabling a simplified, direct-write 4D printing process. We first demonstrate that ZnO doping significantly enhances the photo-actuation of non-aligned, injected LCE films, confirming the viability of the approach. Applying this strategy, we successfully printed reproducible actuators that exhibit large-amplitude bending and high actuation speeds, with performance comparable to traditionally aligned LCEs. The mechanism behind this enhancement is a synergistic photo-thermal effect; the ZnO nanoparticles increase light absorption via scattering while also dramatically improving the thermal diffusivity of the polymer matrix, leading to a more efficient and rapid mechanical response. By shifting the complexity from the manufacturing process to the material itself, this work offers a scalable pathway towards the rapid fabrication of complex, stimuli-responsive architectures for applications in soft robotics and adaptive systems.