Lignin Nanoparticles and Alginate Gel Beads: Preparation, Characterization and Removal of Methylene Blue

A novel and effective green system consisting of deep eutectic solvent (DES) was proposed to prepare lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) without any lignin modification. The LNPs are obtained through the dialysis of the kraft lignin-DES solution. The particle size distribution, Zeta potential and morphology of the LNPs are characterized by using dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The average diameter of LNPs is in the range 123.6 to 140.7 nm, and the LNPs show good stability and dispersibility in water. The composite beads composed of LNPs and sodium alginate (SA) are highly efficient (97.1%) at removing methylene blue (MB) from the aqueous solution compared to 82.9% and 77.4% by the SA/bulk kraft lignin composite and pure SA, respectively. Overall, the LNPs-SA bio-nanocomposite with high adsorption capacity (258.5 mg/g) could be useful in improving water quality and other related applications.

MOF composites derived BiFeO3@Bi5O7I n-n heterojunction for enhanced photocatalytic performance

BiFeO3 is a photocatalyst with excellent performance. However, its applications are limited due to its wide bandgap. In this paper, MIL-101(Fe)@BiOI composite material is synthesized by hydrothermal method and then calcined at high temperature to obtain BiFeO3@Bi5O7I composite material with high adsorption capacity. Among them, An n-n heterojunction is formed, which improves the efficiency of charge transfer, and the recombination of photo-generated electrons and holes prevents the improvement of photocatalytic efficiency and stability. The result of photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline under visible light irradiation showed, BiFeO3@Bi5O7I (1:2) has the best photodegradation effect, with a removal rate of 86.4%, which proves its potential as a photocatalytic degradation material.

Characterization and evaluation of adsorption potential of chitosan impregnated cellulose nanofiber / multi-walled carbon nanotubes aerogel for copper ions

The development of aerogel materials with high preparation efficiency, no pollution, and high adsorption efficiency was still an effective solution for water pollution caused by heavy metal ions. This paper...

Fabrication, Structure, Performance, and Application of Graphene-Based Composite Aerogel

Graphene-based composite aerogel (GCA) refers to a solid porous substance formed by graphene or its derivatives, graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), with inorganic materials and polymers. Because GCA has super-high adsorption, separation, electrical properties, and sensitivity, it has great potential for application in super-strong adsorption and separation materials, long-life fast-charging batteries, and flexible sensing materials. GCA has become a research hotspot, and many research papers and achievements have emerged in recent years. Therefore, the fabrication, structure, performance, and application prospects of GCA are summarized and discussed in this review. Meanwhile, the existing problems and development trends of GCA are also introduced so that more will know about it and be interested in researching it.

DFT Based Material Computations of Metal-doped and Pure Carbon Nanodots for Examining their Enhancement of Sulfur Dioxide Adsorption

Carbon nanodots, one of the last members of the nanocarbon family, show superior properties, such as low-cost production, good conductivity, and optical properties, nontoxic behavior, high biocompatibility, and eco-friendly nature. Understanding the effect of metal doping on the modification of the electronic structure of carbon nanodots is critical for enlarging its potential applications. In the present study, in terms of structural, energetic, and electronic analyses, X-doped carbon nanodot structures (X = B, N, Si, Al, Co, Au, Pd, and Pt) and their SO2 adsorption abilities were examined comprehensively by employing DFT. Results depict that embedding the heavy impurity metals (Pd, Pt) to the nanodot structures does not improve the SO2 sensing ability of carbon nanodot materials relatively. However, the doping of the low concentrated metals to the carbon nanodots may be one of the best ways for enhancing the SO2 trapping ability of the carbon nanodot materials since the calculated results having high adsorption energy values indicate SO2 gas molecule is easily adsorbed on the surface of doped carbon nanodots. This means higher adsorption capability compared to pure ones. Thus, it is suggested that the doped carbon nanodots consisting of B, Si, and N impurity atoms may be good candidates for effective SO2 sensing (adsorptions).