Journal of Porous Materials最新文献

In this study, a well-interconnected porous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) foam was successfully fabricated via a one-pot synthesis approach using particulate spent coffee grounds (SCG) as a bio-based porogen. The incorporation of SCG induced pore formation through differential solvent evaporation of hexane during thermal curing, eliminating the need for additional post-treatment steps. The resulting PDMS/SCG foams exhibited excellent absorption performance toward hydrophobic contaminants, such as oils and organic solvents, with an absorption capacity ranging from 5.51 to 16.77 g/g when 10 wt% SCG was added. The foams retained stable mechanical integrity and demonstrated reusability over 10 absorption–desorption cycles. Excessive SCG content above 40 wt% (relative to PDMS pre-polymer) negatively affected mechanical stability, as confirmed by external force tests. These results suggest that the direct utilization of biomass-derived SCG as a functional pore-forming agent offers a promising strategy for the sustainable fabrication of high-performance absorbents. The developed porous PDMS/SCG foam shows significant potential for use in selective oil/water and organic solvent/water separation under environmentally relevant conditions.

ZSM-5 has become the primary catalyst for converting palm oil into green gasoline. However, the small intrinsic micropore of ZSM-5 creates a diffusion issue, especially for the bulky molecule of palm oil, which decreases the conversion. Introducing additional mesopores to ZSM-5, forming a hierarchical zeolite, could resolve this issue. This work presents the formation of a hierarchical ZSM-5 assisted by polyethylene glycol (PEG) at low temperatures. The TEM images and N₂ adsorption isotherms confirmed the formation of interconnected mesopores in the ZSM-5 framework. We found that the molecular weight of PEG (PEG-400, PEG-4000, and PEG-5800) firmly controlled the textural properties and catalytic performance of palm oil conversion into green gasoline. Among the PEG types, PEG-4000 significantly increased the S_BET and S_ext to 400 and 198 m²/g, respectively. PEG-4000 also increased the hierarchy factor index by about two times that of commercial ZSM-5 and ZSM-5 prepared without PEG. Despite the lower acidity, the prepared hierarchical ZSM-5 exhibited higher gasoline yields than the commercial one, with a remarkable selectivity toward aromatic gasoline. Accordingly, the prepared hierarchical ZSM-5 improved the quality of the gasoline by increasing the RON values to 110–119, higher than the commercial zeolite (RON: 102).

In this work, we prepared an innovative nanocomposite by integrating stellate monodisperse mesoporous silica nanospheres (SMMS) into the high-purity whisker carbon nanotubes (WCT) networks through an efficient ultrasonic-assisted process. This nanocomposite was employed as sensing sensitizer to modify glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the fabrication of highly sensitive WCT@SMMS/GCE sensing platform for electrochemical analysis of gallic acid (GA). SMMS showed more complex and richly connected pore structure with large pore size and high porosity, which might be beneficial for the adsorption of GA. WCT with good dispersibility could enhance the efficiency of charge transport. Moreover, WCT with multi-layered hollow structure had extremely high electrolyte adsorption capacity, which promoted the penetration of electrolyte for the efficient enrichment of GA molecules on electrode surface. The WCT@SMMS/GCE sensor demonstrated excellent GA electrochemical detection performance (LOD: 8.99 nM, GA concentration: 0.1–20 µM). Additionally, the developed sensor with good repeatability and anti-interference performance obtained satisfactory recovery rates of 94.08–104.78% and RSD values of 1.34–4.84 for the GA quantitative analysis in food samples.

This study aimed to synthesize a novel mesoporous template agent, KHBA, using 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH-560) and butylamine as raw materials, and to explore its application in the synthesis of ZSM-5 zeolites with nanocrystal aggregates. The physical and chemical properties of the synthesized ZSM-5 zeolites were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and low-temperature N₂ adsorption–desorption The results showed that the introduction of KHBA effectively inhibited excessive crystal growth and promoted the formation of nanocrystal aggregates with a mesoporous structure. In the synthesis system with a KHBA-to-Al₂O₃ molar ratio ranging from 1.6 to 4.8, the external surface area and mesoporous volume of the samples increased with increasing KHBA content. The sample synthesized with a KHBA-to-Al₂O₃ molar ratio of 4.8 exhibited the highest external surface area (250.43 m²/g) and mesoporous volume (0.24 cm³/g). In the catalytic performance test for C8 aromatic hydrocarbon isomerization, the catalyst prepared with a KHBA-to-Al₂O₃ molar ratio of 4.8 demonstrated the best performance, with isomerization activity of 23.79%, ethylbenzene conversion of 88.94%, and xylene loss of 3.42%. These findings highlight the potential of KHBA as an effective template agent for the synthesis of high-performance ZSM-5 zeolites in catalytic applications.

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), recognized for its highly irritating odor and toxic characteristics, can cause significant damage to natural gas and petroleum transport pipelines even at low concentrations. In this study, an iron-rich Limonite mineral filler was incorporated into polyethersulfone (PES) fibers through a wet-spinning process utilizing the phase-inversion method to prepare the mesoporous limonite composite fiber (LC) applied for the adsorption of H₂S. Increasing the addition of limonite from 20 to 60 wt% in the composite fiber enhanced surface area and reduced the BJH pore volume, with values ranging from 14.2 m².g^-1 and 0.022 cm³.g^-1 for LC20 to 30 m².g^-1 and 0.050 cm³.g^-1 for LC60. Consequently, the maximum H₂S adsorption capacity in batch model, which was followed the Langmuir model, reached 79.8 mmol.g^-1. In the fixed-bed column system, the lower packing volume of the LC60 composite fiber increased the diffusion rate leading to achieve higher values of saturation concentration N₀. Spectroscopic studies confirmed that H₂S adsorption occurred primarily on Brønsted and Lewis acid sites presenting on the surface. This study suggested that the natural-limonite based composite fiber was a promsing adsorbent for the treatment of H₂S.

An effective adsorbent called mesoporous aluminosilica pellets (MAP) was developed to remove Hg(II) from fluid media such as drinking water. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-beam spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) examined the surface characteristics of the MAP. The stability time for Hg(II) is 6 h and MAP seems 8.3 mg g^− 1 sorption capacity at pH 6.5. The pseudo-first-order model gave a good fitting (R2:0.988) showing the physisorption of Hg(II) take-up. The Sips model has the top fit to the Hg (II) sorption data indicating that the sorption on the surface of MAP happens in the interaction sites disseminated heterogeneously. The physisorption process is confirmed by the exothermic Hg(II) uptake. HCl revealed the best eluent for Hg(II) ions desorption and was used to determine adsorbent reusability more than 10th sorption/desorption cycles.

Enhancing the capacitance and rate performance of carbon-based electrodes in supercapacitors is a significant problem for commercial feasibility. To fulfil these specifications, Ti₃C₂Tx (MXene)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) electrodes were synthesised by a one-step hydrothermal process followed by carbonisation for use as supercapacitor electrodes. The physico-chemical characteristics of the electrodes are characterised by X ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, N₂ adsorption-desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) analysis. The Ti₃C₂Tx MXene/RGO exhibits a capacitance of 335 Cg^− 1 at 1 Ag^− 1 in a 1 M KOH electrolyte, maintaining 305 Cg^− 1 at 5 A g^− 1, along with a commendable lifespan. Furthermore, the constructed asymmetric device exhibited a substantial potential window (1.5 V) and a significant specific capacitance (235 Cg^− 1 at 1 A g^− 1). Furthermore, the ASC device has a substantial energy density of around 32.4 Wh kg^− 1, with a power density of 2917 W kg^− 1, and demonstrates prolonged stability with around 82% retention after 10,000 cycles. The proposed method provides an alternate technique for fabricating stretchable MXene-based energy storage devices and may be applied to additional members of the extensive MXene family.

The inherent brittleness of pure SiO₂ aerogels due to the fragile Si–O–Si bonding connection at the neck greatly limits their applications. The limitations in mechanical properties of SiO₂ aerogels can be effectively overcome through the recent advancements in organic–inorganic hybrid systems. In this paper, resorcinol- formaldehyde (RF) reinforced silica aerogels (RSA) were synthesized using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the silicon precursor through a two-step sol–gel approach coupled with an ethanol supercritical drying process. The structural evolution and properties of aerogels during RSA's preparation were studied in relation to RF sol properties, gelation catalysts, and the doping content of RF sol. In particular, the aerogels crosslinked with γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), exhibit multifunctional properties including a high specific surface area of 802 m²/g, a low density of 0.208 g/cm³, a low thermal conductivity of 0.0230 W/(m·K), good hydrophobicity (a water contact angle of 141.5°) and compressive strength (0.58 MPa at 10% strain). The thermally insulating, hydrophobic and robust resorcinol–formaldehyde modified silica aerogel materials have positive significance in expanding the applications of silica aerogels.

Escalating environmental issues and depletion of fossil-based reserves stimulate the need for sustainable transformation of plentiful and affordable biomass into valuable aromatic monomers. It is necessary for various industry applications. In this work, we have obtained low-molecular-weight monomeric compounds from commercial lignin by means of a low-cost catalytic depolymerization method using one of three Al-, Ti- or Zr-pillared Laponite clays as the catalyst in methanol solvent. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), temperature-programmed ammonia desorption (TPD-NH₃), and BET surface area analysis were used to characterize the synthesized Ti-Laponite materials (at 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% loadings) as well as Al-Laponite and Zr-Laponite materials (at 30% loading).The lignin depolymerization was optimized based on different reaction conditions using an autoclave batch reactor. The resulting depolymerized products were characterized by analytical GPC, for molecular weight distribution, and by ¹³C and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, for evaluation of the carbon backbone structure. The intermediate molecular weight of lignin was significantly reduced from ~ 13,000 Da to 230 Da. The increased surface characteristics of the Ti-modified Laponite could direct selective depolymerization by cleaving the oxygen bridges (-O-) of lignin leading to the formation of low-molecular-weight compounds. Under optimal conditions (140 °C, 10 bar N₂ pressure), lignin conversion was > 98% and the primary product was identified as 4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-catechol, as determined through gas chromatography, along with ¹³C and ¹H NMR spectroscopy.

This study presents the development of a novel polysulfone (PSf) hollow fiber membrane, achieved through the incorporation of a graphene oxide (GO)-iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) nanocomposite, aimed at enhancing antifouling properties and permeability for hemodialysis applications. The PSf/GO-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite membranes were produced using a dry-wet spinning technique, employing different ratios of GO to Fe₂O₃ (20:80, 50:50, 80:20) to enhance the performance of the membranes. The successful synthesis and uniform dispersion of GO-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites within the membrane matrix were confirmed through characterization techniques such as transmission electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The incorporation of GO-Fe₂O₃ enhanced the hydrophilicity of the membrane and elevated water permeability. Notably, the 80:20 GO-Fe₂O₃ ratio exhibited a remarkable 96% increase in pure water permeability and achieved a 98% rejection rate for BSA. The antifouling properties were also enhanced, as evidenced by a flux recovery ratio of 93% and reduced protein adsorption down to 6.9 µg/cm². Additionally, dynamic ultrafiltration tests confirmed the membrane’s stability and cleaning efficiency across multiple cycles. No leaching of GO or Fe was detected, confirming the nanocomposite’s stability within the membrane matrix. The findings suggest that PSf/GO-Fe₂O₃ membranes may enhance efficiency in hemodialysis by minimizing fouling and improving overall membrane performance.