Fabrication and deodorizing efficiency of nanostructured core-sheath TiO2 nanofibers

Ibuprofen removal by heterogeneous photocatalysis and ecotoxicological evaluation of the treated solutions

Emerging contaminants including pharmaceuticals are a class of compounds that are causing great concern due to several environmental problems. Conventional water and wastewater treatments do not achieve high removal efficiencies for many of these drugs. Therefore, the present work investigated the removal of ibuprofen (IBP) by heterogeneous photocatalysis using TiO2 irradiated with artificial UV light or solar radiation. The treated solutions were tested against Daphnia similis and Raphidocelis subcapitata, which are species commonly used as bioindicators of environmental conditions. The results indicated that IBP removal reached 92 % after 1 h of treatment using artificial UV and 1000 mg L(-1) of TiO2, which was the optimum catalyst concentration in the range studied (20-1000 mg L(-1)). TOC removal reached up to 78 % after 60 min of treatment using TiO2/artificial UV. Ecotoxicological bioassays indicated that the treated solutions had acute effects, with 30 % immobilization of D. similis and 40 % growth inhibition of R. subcapitata.

Properties and Application Perspective of Hybrid Titania-Silica Patterns Fabricated by Inkjet Printing

A hybrid titania-silica cold-setting sol has been developed that can be deposited onto a wide variety of surfaces without the need for high-temperature fixing and that is suitable for material printing deposition. Thin hybrid titania-silica coatings were patterned onto glass and PET substrates by inkjet printing. Well-defined hybrid titania-silica patterns, with thicknesses ranging from 40 to 400 nm, were fabricated by overprinting 1 to 10 layers. Excellent mechanical, optical, and photocatalytic properties were observed, making the reported material well suited for the fabrication of transparent self-cleaning coatings both on mineral and organic substrates. The printed patterns exhibit photoelectrochemical activity that can be further improved by thermal or photonic curing. A concept of fully printed interdigitated photoelectrochemical cells on flexible PET substrates utilizing the reported hybrid photocatalyst is disclosed as well.

A highly hydrophilic water-insoluble nanofiber composite as an efficient and easily-handleable adsorbent for the rapid adsorption of cesium from radioactive wastewater

Prussian blue nanoparticles-based PVA nanofiber composite is highly efficient and easily-handleable adsorbent for a rapid adsorption of cesium from wastewater.