One-pot synthesis of purple benzene-derived MnO2-carbon hybrids and synergistic enhancement for the removal of cationic dyes

Introducing micropores into carbon nanoparticles synthesized via a solution plasma process by thermal treatment and their charge storage properties in supercapacitors

Carbon materials synthesized via a solution plasma process (SPP) have recently shown great potential for various applications. However, they mainly possess a meso-macroporous structure with a lack of micropores, which limits their applications for supercapacitors. Herein, carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) were synthesized from benzene via SPP and then subjected to thermal treatment at different temperatures (400, 600, 800, and 1000 °C) in an argon environment. The CNPs exhibited an amorphous phase and were more graphitized at high treatment temperatures. A small content of tungsten carbide particles was also observed, which were encapsulated in CNPs. An increase in treatment temperature led to an increase in the specific surface area of CNPs from 184 to 260 m² g^-1 through the development of micropores, while their meso-macropore structure remained unchanged. The oxygen content of CNPs decreased from 14.72 to 1.20 atom% as the treatment temperature increased due to the degradation of oxygen functionality. The charge storage properties of CNPs were evaluated for supercapacitor applications by electrochemical measurements using a three-electrode system in 1 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte. The CNPs treated at low temperatures exhibited an electric double layer and pseudocapacitive behavior due to the presence of quinone groups on the carbon surface. With increasing treatment temperature, the electric double layer behavior became more dominant, while pseudocapacitive behavior was suppressed due to the quinone degradation. Regarding cycling stability, the CNPs treated at high temperatures (with a lack of oxygen functionality) were more stable than those treated at low temperatures. This work highlights a way of introducing micropores into CNPs derived from SPP via thermal treatment, which could be helpful for controlling and adjusting their pore structure for supercapacitor applications.

A review on activated carbon modifications for the treatment of wastewater containing anionic dyes

Polluted water resources, particularly those polluted with industrial effluents' dyes, are carcinogenic and hence pose a severe threat to sustainable and longstanding worldwide development. Meanwhile, adsorption is a promising process for polluted/wastewater treatment. In particular, activated carbon (AC) is popular among various wastewater treatment adsorbents, especially in the organic contaminants' remediation in wastewater. Hence, the AC's synthesis from degradable and non-degradable resources, the carbon activation involved in the AC synthesis, and the AC's modification to cutting-edge and effective materials have been modern-research targets in recent years. Likewise, the main research focuses worldwide have been the salient AC characteristics, such as its surface chemistry, porosity, and enhanced surface area. Notably, various modified-AC synthesis methods have been employed to enhance the AC's potential for improved contaminants-removal. Hence, we critically analyze the different modified ACs (with enhanced (surface) functional groups and textural properties) of their capacity to remove different-natured anionic dyes in wastewater. We also discuss the corresponding AC modification techniques, the factors affecting the AC properties, and the modifying agents' influence on the AC's morphological/adsorptive properties. Finally, the AC research of future interest has been proposed by identifying the current AC research gaps, especially related to the AC's application in wastewater treatment.

Construction of K and Tb Co-doped MnO2 nanoparticles for enhanced oxidation and detoxication of organic dye waste

Developing low-cost and efficient materials for dye pollutant removal under mild condition remains a great challenge. Here K⁺ and Tb³⁺ co-doped porous MnO₂ (K-Tb-MnO₂) nanoparticles with tailored properties including crystal structure, surface area and catalytic activity have been synthesized. Experimental results reveal that K-Tb-MnO₂ nanoparticle has higher specific surface area, Mn³⁺ content and surface oxygen vacancies than pristine MnO₂ nanoparticle and single-doped MnO₂ materials, showing the uniqueness of dual-doped metal ions. Using methyl blue (MB) as a model pollutant, its removal efficiency by K-Tb-MnO₂ nanoparticles within 5 min is 93.6%, which is 18, 8.3, and 2.9 times higher than that of MnO₂, K-MnO₂, and Tb-MnO₂ nanomaterials, respectively. Oxalic acid triggered MnO₂ material dissolving assay and FT-IR spectrum suggested that remarkable performance of K-Tb-MnO₂ nanoparticle toward MB removal can be attributed to a combined effect of adsorption (16% MB removal) and catalytic degradation (84% MB removal). Moreover, K-Tb-MnO₂ nanoparticle mediated MB degradation is demonstrated to be a combination of non-radical oxidation by Mn³⁺ and radical-participated degradation, with ¹O₂ as the main species. And the intermediates and pathways of MB degradation were studied by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Importantly, cell viability experiment suggests that the toxicity of MB dye could be efficiently alleviated after the treatment with K-Tb-MnO₂ nanoparticle. These results demonstrate the great potential of the novel K-Tb-MnO₂ particles to be used as a highly effective nanomaterials to reduce the risk of dye wastes toward the environment and human health.

Evaluation of poly(ethylene diamine-trimesoyl chloride)-modified diatomite as efficient adsorbent for removal of rhodamine B from wastewater samples

Diatomite (D) as a low-cost and eco-friendly clay was modified by ethylene diamine (EDA)-trimesoyl chloride (TMC) polymer to achieve a novel adsorbent for efficient removal of rhodamine B dye (RB) from wastewater samples. The EDA-TMC polymer was grafted to the surface of diatomite by in situ interfacial polymerization. The prepared p(EDA-TMC)/D adsorbent was characterized by XRD, FTIR, and SEM/EDX techniques. The effective experimental parameters on the adsorption performance were optimized with factorial design analysis. The equilibrium data were better correlated by non-linear Langmuir model compared to non-linear Freundlich model. The Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacity of the p(EDA-TMC)/D adsorbent was determined as 371.8 mg g^-1. The key adsorption parameters were optimized by experimental design analysis. The kinetic findings showed the adsorption mechanism of RB onto p(EDA-TMC)/D adsorbent was well designated by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic results indicate that the RB adsorption had an exothermic character in thermal nature and was less favorable with increasing temperature from 20 to 60 °C. Furthermore, the adsorption/desorption yield of p(EDA-TMC)/D was still 80%/70% after 5^th cycle and reduced to 60%/52% at the end of 8^th cycle. Thus, the present study revealed that the developed p(EDA-TMC)/D composite had great adsorption potential for removal of RB from wastewater samples compared to that of different kinds of adsorbents reported in the literature.

Plasma-Assisted Synthesis of Multicomponent Nanoparticles Containing Carbon, Tungsten Carbide and Silver as Multifunctional Filler for Polylactic Acid Composite Films

Multicomponent nanoparticles containing carbon, tungsten carbide and silver (carbon-WC-Ag nanoparticles) were simply synthesized via in-liquid electrical discharge plasma, the so-called solution plasma process, by using tungsten electrodes immersed in palm oil containing droplets of AgNO₃ solution as carbon and silver precursors, respectively. The atomic ratio of carbon:W:Ag in carbon-WC-Ag nanoparticles was 20:1:3. FE-SEM images revealed that the synthesized carbon-WC-Ag nanoparticles with particle sizes in the range of 20–400 nm had a spherical shape with a bumpy surface. TEM images of carbon-WC-Ag nanoparticles showed that tungsten carbide nanoparticles (WCNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with average particle sizes of 3.46 nm and 72.74 nm, respectively, were dispersed in amorphous carbon. The carbon-WC-Ag nanoparticles were used as multifunctional fillers for the preparation of polylactic acid (PLA) composite films, i.e., PLA/carbon-WC-Ag, by solution casting. Interestingly, the coexistence of WCNPs and AgNPs in carbon-WC-Ag nanoparticles provided a benefit for the co-nucleation ability of WCNPs and AgNPs, resulting in enhanced crystallization of PLA, as evidenced by the reduction in the cold crystallization temperature of PLA. At the low content of 1.23 wt% carbon-WC-Ag nanoparticles, the Young’s modulus and tensile strength of PLA/carbon-WC-Ag composite films were increased to 25.12% and 46.08%, respectively. Moreover, the PLA/carbon-WC-Ag composite films possessed antibacterial activities.

Synthesis, characterization, and regeneration of an inorganic-organic nanocomposite (ZnO@biomass) and its application in the capture of cationic dye

Despite the efficiency of ZnO nanoparticle (NPs) composite adsorbents in the adsorption of various pollutants, there is presently no report on the combo of ZnONPs with biomass for adsorption. Besides, there is a dearth of information on the biosorption of celestine blue (CEB), a dye used in the nuclear and textile industry. In this study, biogenic-chemically mediated synthesis of a composite (ZnO@ACP) was prepared by the impregnation of ZnONPs onto Ananas comosus waste (ACP) for the adsorption of CEB. The SEM, EDX, FTIR, XRD, BET, and TGA characterizations showed the successful presence of ZnONPs on the biomass to form a nanocomposite. The uptake of CEB was enhanced by the incorporation of ZnONPs on ACP. A faster CEB adsorption onto ZnO@ACP (120 min) compared to ACP (160 min) was observed. The Langmuir (R² > 0.9898) and pseudo-second-order (R² > 0.9518) models were most appropriate in the description of the adsorption process. The impregnation of ZnONPs onto the biomass enhanced the spontaneity of the process and displayed endothermic characteristics. High CEB desorption of 81.3% from the dye loaded ZnO@ACP as well as efficient reusability showed the efficacy of the prepared nanocomposite for CEB adsorption.

Adsorptive removal and photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants using metal oxides and their composites: A comprehensive review

Metal oxide nanomaterials and their composites are comprehensively reviewed for water remediation. The controlled morphological and textural features, variable surface chemistry, high surface area, specific crystalline nature, and abundant availability make the nanostructured metal oxides and their composites highly selective materials for efficient removal of organic pollutants based on adsorption and photocatalytic degradation. A wide range of metal oxides like iron oxides, magnesium oxide, titanium oxides, zinc oxides, tungsten oxides, copper oxides, metal oxides composites, and graphene-metal oxides composites having variable structural, crystalline and morphological features are reviewed emphasizing the recent development, challenges, and opportunities for adsorptive removal and photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants viz. dyes, pesticides, phenolic compounds, and so on. It also covers the deep discussion on the photocatalytic mechanism of metal oxides and their composites along with the properties relevant to photocatalysis. High photodegradation efficiency, economically-viable approaches for the preparation of photocatalytic materials, and controlled band-gap engineering make metal oxides highly efficient photocatalysts for degradation of organic pollutants. The review would be an excellent resource for researchers who are currently focusing on metal oxides-based materials for water remediation as well as for those who are interested in adsorptive and photocatalytic applications of metal oxides and their composites.

Magnetic mesoporous TiO2 microspheres for sustainable arsenate removal from acidic environments

Unique magnetic mesoporous TiO₂ microspheres exhibit superior arsenate removal performance and high stability in acidic environments.