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Kolokathis PD, Zouraris D, Voyiatzis E, Sidiropoulos NK, Tsoumanis A, Melagraki G, Tämm K, Lynch I, Afantitis A. NanoConstruct: A web application builder of ellipsoidal nanoparticles for the investigation of their crystal growth, stability, and the calculation of atomistic descriptors. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 25:81-90. [PMID: 38883847 PMCID: PMC11179235 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
NanoConstruct is a state-of-the-art computational tool that enables a) the digital construction of ellipsoidal neutral energy minimized nanoparticles (NPs) in vacuum through its graphical user-friendly interface, and b) the calculation of NPs atomistic descriptors. It allows the user to select NP's shape and size by inserting its ellipsoidal axes and rotation angle while the NP material is selected by uploading its Crystallography Information File (CIF). To investigate the stability of materials not yet synthesised, NanoConstruct allows the substitution of the chemical elements of an already synthesized material with chemical elements that belong into the same group and neighbouring rows of the periodic table. The process is divided into three stages: 1) digital construction of the unit cell, 2) digital construction of NP using geometry rules and keeping its stoichiometry and 3) energy minimization of the geometrically constructed NP and calculation of its atomistic descriptors. In this study, NanoConstruct was applied for the investigation of the crystal growth of Zirconia (ZrO2) NPs when in the rutile form. The most stable configuration and the crystal growth route were identified, showing a preferential direction for the crystal growth of ZrO2 in its rutile form. NanoConstruct is freely available through the Enalos Cloud Platform (https://enaloscloud.novamechanics.com/riskgone/nanoconstruct/).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dimitrios Zouraris
- NovaMechanics Ltd, Nicosia 1070, Cyprus
- Entelos Institute, Larnaca 6059, Cyprus
| | | | | | - Andreas Tsoumanis
- NovaMechanics MIKE, Piraeus 18545, Greece
- NovaMechanics Ltd, Nicosia 1070, Cyprus
| | - Georgia Melagraki
- Division of Physical Sciences and Applications, Hellenic Military Academy, Vari 16672, Greece
| | - Kaido Tämm
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Tartu 50090, Estonia
| | - Iseult Lynch
- Entelos Institute, Larnaca 6059, Cyprus
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Antreas Afantitis
- NovaMechanics MIKE, Piraeus 18545, Greece
- NovaMechanics Ltd, Nicosia 1070, Cyprus
- Entelos Institute, Larnaca 6059, Cyprus
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Schmidt DVC, Costa TLG, Cipriano DF, Meireles CS, Dalmaschio CJ, Freitas JCC. Biomass-Derived Cellulose Acetate Membranes Modified with TiO 2/Graphene Oxide for Oil-In-Water Emulsion Treatment. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:40882-40896. [PMID: 39372024 PMCID: PMC11447850 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c05980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
Considering the environmental impact and health risks caused by oily wastewater in the petrochemical industry, it is crucial to develop more efficient separation techniques than traditional methods, such as membrane separation, for treating stable emulsions enriched with natural surfactants. This study investigated the preparation of dense cellulose acetate membranes from a low-cost biomass precursor (Luffa cylindrica) and their modification with graphene oxide (GO) and TiO2 nanoparticles, aiming to obtain a polymeric nanocomposite with good flux characteristics and selectivity for the treatment of oil/water emulsions. The materials obtained were characterized using techniques such as X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy, along with optical and scanning electron microscopy, among others. The membranes were prepared by the casting technique and modified with the above-mentioned nanostructured materials. Flux analyses with petroleum emulsion revealed that membranes modified with GO and TiO2 nanoparticles showed significant improvements in antifouling resistance compared to unmodified membranes. These enhanced properties highlight the potential of modified cellulose acetate membranes for application in industrial wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Djanyna V. C. Schmidt
- Laboratory
of Carbon and Ceramic Materials, Department of Physics, Federal University of Espírito Santo, 29075-910 Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
- Laboratory
of Polymers, Department of Chemistry, Federal
University of Espirito Santo, 29075-910 Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Tainara L. G. Costa
- Laboratory
of Carbon and Ceramic Materials, Department of Physics, Federal University of Espírito Santo, 29075-910 Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Daniel F. Cipriano
- Laboratory
of Carbon and Ceramic Materials, Department of Physics, Federal University of Espírito Santo, 29075-910 Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Carla S. Meireles
- Laboratory
of Advanced Materials, Department of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Espírito Santo, 29932-540 São
Mateus, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Cleocir J. Dalmaschio
- Laboratory
of Polymers, Department of Chemistry, Federal
University of Espirito Santo, 29075-910 Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Jair C. C. Freitas
- Laboratory
of Carbon and Ceramic Materials, Department of Physics, Federal University of Espírito Santo, 29075-910 Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
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Basaleh AS, Shawky A, Mahmoud MHH. CdO-supported ZrO 2heterojunctions: facile synthesis and rapid visible-light oxidation of atrazine herbicide with superb recyclability. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 34:035701. [PMID: 36240728 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac9a57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The advancement in ceramic oxide-based photocatalysis has got much attention recently for environmental issues. Atrazine (AZ) is one of the major used herbicides in agricultural and related industries. This work familiarizes a polymeric-assisted sol-gel preparation of high surface area zirconium oxide (ZrO2) supported with cadmium oxide nanoparticles at minor content (0.5-2.0 wt%). Exploration of the synthesized heterostructures revealed the enhancement of visible-light absorbance and reduction of bandgap energy to 2.76 eV keeping the same crystalline form and high surface area of 170 m2g‒1. The prepared photocatalysts were used to degrade AZ in water at a concentration of 231.8μM (50 ppm). The 1.5%-introduced CdO to ZrO2revealed the best-performed photocatalyst for complete oxidation of AZ within 40 at an optimized dose of 1.6 g l-1. This novel ceramic photocatalyst showed a chemical and structural ability to keep 98.5% of its initial efficiency after five regenerated cycles. The construction of p-n heterojunction between the p-type ZrO2and the n-type CdO contributed to the comprehensive photocatalytic competence toward the efficient charge separation and photooxidation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Basaleh
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Shawky
- Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Department, Advanced Materials Division, Central Metallurgical R&D Institute (CMRDI), PO Box 87, Helwan, 11421, Cairo, Egypt
| | - M H H Mahmoud
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, PO Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia
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Fujii T, Nakamura T, Kawasaki SI. Fast solvothermal synthesis of organic-modified single-nanosized zirconia dispersed in benzyl alcohol. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2022. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20210439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Fujii
- Research Institute for Chemical Process Technology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Nigatake 4-2-1, Miyagino, Sendai, Miyagi, 983-8551
| | - Takashi Nakamura
- Research Institute for Chemical Process Technology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Nigatake 4-2-1, Miyagino, Sendai, Miyagi, 983-8551
| | - Shin-ichiro Kawasaki
- Research Institute for Chemical Process Technology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Nigatake 4-2-1, Miyagino, Sendai, Miyagi, 983-8551
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Ta S, Zhang H, Wu W, Wang Y, Zhang P, Cheng Z, Xu S, Goodman BA, Deng W. Luminescence properties of Eu 2O 3-doped ZrO 2–Y 2O 3 single crystals. CrystEngComm 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2ce01054b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The optical properties of the Eu3+-doped Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 crystals demonstrate potential for various applications based on their intense emission of orange light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengdi Ta
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 East Daxue Road, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiting Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 East Daxue Road, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxia Wu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 East Daxue Road, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yazhao Wang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 East Daxue Road, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 East Daxue Road, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Zeyu Cheng
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 East Daxue Road, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Shoulei Xu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 East Daxue Road, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Bernard Albert Goodman
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 East Daxue Road, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen Deng
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 East Daxue Road, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
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Patil KN, Prasad D, Bhanushali JT, Kakade B, Jadhav AH, Nagaraja BM. Chemoselective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde over a tailored oxygen-vacancy-rich Pd@ZrO2 catalyst. NEW J CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d0nj05595f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to hydrocinnamaldehyde is captivating due to its industrial relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komal N. Patil
- Centre for Nano and Material Science (CNMS)
- JAIN (Deemed-to-be University)
- Bangalore-562112
- India
| | - Divya Prasad
- Centre for Nano and Material Science (CNMS)
- JAIN (Deemed-to-be University)
- Bangalore-562112
- India
| | - Jayesh T. Bhanushali
- Centre for Nano and Material Science (CNMS)
- JAIN (Deemed-to-be University)
- Bangalore-562112
- India
| | - Bhalchandra Kakade
- Department of Chemistry
- SRM Research Institute
- SRM Institute of Science and Technology
- Chennai
- India
| | - Arvind H. Jadhav
- Centre for Nano and Material Science (CNMS)
- JAIN (Deemed-to-be University)
- Bangalore-562112
- India
| | - Bhari Mallanna Nagaraja
- Centre for Nano and Material Science (CNMS)
- JAIN (Deemed-to-be University)
- Bangalore-562112
- India
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Görke M, Garnweitner G. Crystal engineering of nanomaterials: current insights and prospects. CrystEngComm 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d1ce00601k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nanocrystal engineering has evolved into a dynamic research area over the past few decades but is not properly defined. Here, we present select examples to highlight the diverse aspects of crystal engineering applied on inorganic nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Görke
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute for Particle Technology and Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Georg Garnweitner
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute for Particle Technology and Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany
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