Applied Surface Science Advances最新文献

The aim of the current study is to resolve two significant environmental cleanup issues. The first involves recycling the spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and the second involves the degradation of the antibiotics found in water. It has been possible to synthesize reduced graphene oxide (RGO) from used LIBs that have also been doped with boron (BRGO). A nanocomposite (BWO/BR) is formed when BRGO and a visible active Bi₂WO₆ (BWO) are mixed together. The structural, morphological, and spectroscopic characterizations confirm the formation of BRGO, BWO, and BWO/BR nanocomposite. The antibiotics tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) have been tested for photocatalytic degradation with all three of the newly made materials. It is found to decrease the bandgap of BWO (2.73 eV) to 2.22 eV upon combining with BRGO. Under visible light, BWO/BR exhibits elevated TCH degradation (93 %), which is found to increase in the presence of sunlight (95 %). In the presence of BWO/BR, the degradation of CIP was reported to be 72, 95, and 97.5 % in UV, visible, and sunlight, respectively. The effect of reaction conditions like pH, amount of catalyst and initial concentration were examined towards degradation of TCH and CIP in presence of BWO/BR. It has been discovered that pH 6 and 8 are ideal for TCH and CIP, respectively. Studies on TCH and CIP degradation in pharmaceutical effluent were also conducted; in the presence of BWO/BR and visible light, the degradation efficiencies were determined to be 69 and 72 %, respectively. All of the zone of inhibition of E. Coli, L. monocytogenes, S. typhimurium, and S. aureus were examined in presence of BWO/BR before and after exposure to visible light for 90 min, during which time a near-zero zone of inhibition was seen. There were investigations using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to identify the intermediate products of TCH and CIP degradation.

This study employed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scratch testing to explore the interface crystallization behavior of amorphous-Co under thermal conditions and the impact of new phase precipitation on the cohesive strength of WC/Co coatings. Microstructural analysis revealed the phase transformation induced by heat treatment, as amorphous-Co gradually transformed into the η-phase, with the transition starting at 873 K and completed at 1173 K. The results of the scratch testing indicated that appropriate heat treatment could enhance the coating's cohesive strength and thereby improve its performance under certain conditions. Nonetheless, at 873 K, the early stage of η-phase nucleation exhibited elastic strain, leading to an abnormal decrease in the coating's cohesive strength. MD simulation results demonstrated that the crystallization of amorphous-Co primarily occurred at the WC/Co interface, and the ideal fracture energy (W_sep) increased with increasing heat-treatment temperature. However, after heat treatment at 873 K, the W_sep between the atomic layers within amorphous-Co slightly decreased and was reflected as a decrease in the coating's cohesive strength at the macroscopic level.

Carbon-based nanoparticles known as Carbon Dots (CDs) have attracted a lot of interest in the field of cancer therapy because of their special physicochemical characteristics and biocompatibility. They are attractive carriers for drug delivery systems due to their surface functional ability, superior water solubility, and size-dependent fluorescence. CDs are unique in that they have a large surface area, adjustable surface chemistry, and a remarkable ability to carry anticancer medications. Their lower systemic toxicity, regulated drug release, and capacity to get beyond biological barriers have completely changed the way that drugs are delivered. CDs have a variety of uses in the creation of anti-tumor nanodrug conjugates. CDs have been used in combination therapy, a multimodal strategy for cancer treatment that involves co-delivering various medications for synergistic benefits. The incorporation of CDs into anticancerous has-drug conjugates represents a noteworthy progression in the treatment of cancer medication delivery systems have been revolutionized by their capacity to improve medication stability, target specificity, and controlled release, which holds the promise of more effective and customized treatments. This review article deals with the synthesis of carbon dot-mediated nanodrug conjugate and their roles in cancer therapy.

This study investigated the simultaneous effect of the consumable rod's preprocessing heat treatment conditions (homogenization, solid solution, and artificial aging treatment) and severe plastic deformation on the properties of Al-Si-Cu alloy friction surfaced on a commercially pure aluminum alloy substrate. The friction-surfaced coating's microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and wear resistance were evaluated. The results showed that coatings fabricated using artificially aging (T6)-treated consumable rods resulted in the highest coating width (17.02±0.83 mm) and maximum efficiency (39.78 ± 1.23 %). Friction surfacing using artificially aged and solid solution-treated consumable rods results in minimum (2.78 ± 0.28 µm) and maximum (6.32±0.34 µm) coating grain sizes, respectively. Friction surfacing using T6-treated consumable rods results in smaller, more uniformly distributed Si particles in the coating microstructure. Compared to the other consumable rods, the coatings fabricated using T6-treated consumable rods result in the highest hardness (110.54±10.29 HV0.1), maximum bond strength (14.15±0.75 kN), and lowest wear rate (0.20±0.03 µg/Nm).

In the evolving field of photocatalysis, heterojunction photocatalysts, especially Type II and S-scheme, the latter being also known as direct-Z scheme heterojunctions, are gaining increasing recognition for their pivotal role in enhancing photocatalytic efficiency. These heterojunctions, characterized by similar band alignments but distinct charge transfer mechanisms, play a crucial role in facilitating enhanced charge separation and transfer. This comprehensive review delves into the experimental methodologies essential for characterizing these heterojunctions, with a focus on understanding their unique charge transfer mechanisms. Key methods such as Electron Spin Resonance (ESR), radical trapping experiments, Photoluminescence (PL) probing, Nitro Blue Tetrazolium (NBT) transformation, Surface Photovoltage Spectroscopy (SPS), photodeposition of metals, and in-situ X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (in-situ XPS) analysis are discussed in detail. Each technique is presented with necessary guidelines and accompanying information to ensure their appropriate and effective use in pinpointing the specifics of charge transfer processes. The review concludes that the right selection of experimental techniques is crucial in understanding the charge transfer mechanism in staggered type heterojunctions and achieving further advancements in the field of photocatalysis.

Continuous exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) poses potential hazards to human health and animal life, necessitating thorough monitoring and investigation of environmental contaminants to mitigate their adverse effects. Therefore, this study investigates the histopathological alterations, serum biochemistry, oxidative stress biomarkers, and genotoxicity endpoints induced by crystalline silica (C-SiO₂) NPs, sliver-silica (Ag-SiO₂) and zinc-oxide silica (ZnO-SiO₂) NPs in Rattus Norvegicus. Twenty-five rats were blindly distributed into groups (A, B, C, & D), with B, C, and D administered 500 µg/kg of ZnO-SiO₂, Ag-SiO₂, and C-SiO₂ NPs intravenously (IV), while A served as the control. Severe histopathological alterations, including widening of urinary spaces, edema, necrosis of neurons, atrophy of neurons, myofibrillolysis, inflammatory exudate, disorganization of splenic cells, and pyknotic nuclei, were observed in C-SiO₂ NPs-exposed rats across study organs. Compared to controls, C-SiO₂ NPs significantly altered 95 % of serological, DNA damage, histopathological, and oxidative stress parameters. Ag-SiO₂ and ZnO-SiO₂ NPs affected 75 % and 60 % of these parameters, respectively. Among the NPs, C-SiO₂ exhibited the most adverse effects. The study concludes that SiO₂ coating on metal (Ag) and metal oxide (ZnO) rendered these substances biocompatible, suggesting potential applications for reducing adverse effects in living organisms. These findings also contribute to the genotoxic profiling of NPs and their potential health hazards upon exposure to humans.

Rapid growth in socio-economic requirements and climatic change has put much pressure on the quality of water resources. To prevent the future shortage of fresh water and to keep up with the current demand for water, wastewater reuse, and recycling are among the most pressing issues that must be addressed immediately. So far, many technologies have been used to remove both inorganic and organic pollutants from wastewater. Unfortunately, modern water treatment technologies are still out of reach financially for many developing nations, making it difficult for them to eliminate these toxins. Moreover, increasing environmental toxicity from solid waste exposures is also a major cause of worry. Intending to combat these issues, research efforts have increased to develop an efficient, eco-friendly and low cost biosorbent from agricultural waste to treat wastewater. As a result, there has been an increased focus on identifying locally and regionally accessible agriculture wastes for the removal of heavy metals/metalloids and dyes. This article aims to review a multidisciplinary approach to handle agriculture waste as a potential resource for wastewater treatment. A comprehensive discussion is included on the fundamentals of the biosorption and the involved mechanism. The strategies to improve the efficiency of biosorbents are discussed. In addition, current developments in various biosorbents derived from different agricultural waste and their application to remove toxic elements using diverse methods have been reviewed to set the stage for further investigation. Finally, regeneration of biosorbents and current challenges to implement biosorbents are addressed. This article will help to bridge the gap between laboratory findings and industrial application, leading to the development of more efficient systems for removing pollutants.

Pesticides usage has tremendously increased to enhance crop production; however some pesticides are toxic and harmful to human health and the environment. This review discusses the eco-toxicological impacts of pesticides on the environment. This study extensively evaluates various sustainable remediation technologies such as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), electrochemical processes, membrane separation, and adsorbent types (carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofiber, carbon aerogel, graphene oxide, carbon dot, biochar, biosorbents, polymers, metal-organic framework, and nanocomposite) that are used for removal of toxic pesticides from aqueous bodies. Further, various equilibrium isotherm and kinetic models that are used for understanding the mechanisms along with challenges in the techniques are discussed. From the studies, it is observed that the nanocomposites could degrade and remove pesticides efficiently due to their unique properties, making them promising adsorbents for water and wastewater remediation. This review will be an inclusive paper for readers to easily define research gaps and develop novel treatment methods for removing pesticide-contaminated waters.

TiO₂ oxide coatings incorporated ZrO₂ nanoparticles were prepared on Cp-Ti using the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process in electrolyte solutions containing dispersed ZrO₂ nanoparticles. The coatings’ microstructure, roughness, and composition were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), roughness profilometry, and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) analyses, respectively. The coatings’ friction and wear characteristics were examined using a ball-on-disk sliding test in a simulated body fluid (SBF) electrolyte. The as-prepared oxide coatings had a rough and porous surface structure, primarily consisting of rutile and/or anatase TiO₂, tetragonal ZrO₂, and ZrTiO₄. ZrO₂ nanoparticles were incorporated into the TiO₂ coating layers and were found on the surface or in the pores. The wear and friction behavior of the oxide coatings were influenced by the quantity of ZrO₂ nanoparticles (1 g/L, 3 g/L, and 5 g/L) in the electrolyte solution. The wear resistance of coatings improved by decreasing the wear rate by about 8 % (from 2.31 × 10⁻⁶ mm³/Nm to 2.11 × 10⁻⁶ mm³/Nm) when the ZrO₂ nanoparticles concentration in the electrolyte solution rose from 1 g/L to 5 g/L, because of the formation of more of harder ZrO₂ and ZrTiO₄ phases in the coatings.

The use of titanium alloy-based dental implant restorations has gained popularity due to their attractive properties. Current research on the surface modification of titanium materials primarily centers around the surface integration of various metal ions, the incorporation of different drugs, or other materials. By simply adjusting the process parameters of micro-arc oxidation, we were able to form a “groove” structure in titanium chips. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) observations revealed that Bone Marrow Stem Cells (BMSCs) noticeably elongated along the “grooves”. Immunofluorescence results indicated an elevated expression of Osteocalcin (OCN) and CD31 in “groove” structure group. Furthermore, “groove” structure group also amplified the expression of osteogenic genes (Alkaline Phosphatase, ALP; Osteocalcin, OCN) and angiogenic genes (CD31, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, VEGF; Angiopoietin-2, ANG2; and Fibroblast Growth Factor, FGF) on the material surface (P < 0.05). This study suggests that the “groove” structure enhances early cell adhesion on the material surface and improves osteogenic and angiogenic differentiation on the titanium surface, thereby providing potential research implications for enhancing the initial stability of implants.