Evaluations of Electrostatic Filtration Efficiency and Antibacterial Efficacy of Antibacterial Electret Polypropylene Filters: Effects of Using Low Molecular Antibacterial Agent as Additive

In recent years, air filtration has been gaining much attention, and now people are much more concerned about antibacterial filters due to the spreading of COVID-19. The electret polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabrics possess excellent filtration efficiency but a limited antibacterial effect against S. aureus and E. coli, and therefore triclosan is used in this study. Serving as an antibacterial agent, triclosan with a low molecular weight is an effective additive for the test results, indicating that the presence of triclosan strengthens the antibacterial effects of the filters. In addition, triclosan also strengthens the PP’s crystallinity, which in turn betters the filtration efficiency of the filters concurrently. Demonstrating powerful filtration and antibacterial performances, the antibacterial electret PP filters are highly qualified for filter applications.

Valorization of Biomass Pulping Waste As Effective Additive For Enhancing The Performance of Liquid Crystal Hydroxypropyl Cellulose Nanocomposite Film

The full text of this preprint has been withdrawn by the authors as it was submitted and made public without the full consent of all the authors. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference. Questions should be directed to the corresponding author.

Valorization of Biomass Pulping Waste As Effective Additive For Enhancing The Performance of Liquid Crystal Hydroxypropyl Cellulose Nanocomposite Film

Utilization of wastes from some biomass-based industries in production of nanomaterials is vital in the green chemistry field. This work deals with valorization of lignin from paper making by-product for synthesizing lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) and evaluating its role on performance of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) film as liquid crystal nanocomposite development, in comparison with different carbon nanoallotropes. In this respect LNPs, graphene oxide (GO) and bagasse-based carbon quantum dots (CQD) and carbon oxide (CO) were synthesized and incorporated with HPC during film formation. The effective behavior of LNPs, especially that produced from using highly polar solvent (PEG), on performance of HPC film was evidenced, from examining polarized light microscope together with TEM, SEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA as well as mechanical tests. The results showed that LNPs provided the HPC-nanocomposite film with acceptable thermal stability and mechanical properties, together with distinct complex mixed colorful texture, lines nearly like Grandjean-Cano lines aligned (PO images) and the planar layered morphology.

Enhancement of Y5−xPrxSb3−yMy (M = Sn, Pb) Electrodes for Lithium- and Sodium-Ion Batteries by Structure Disordering and CNTs Additives

The maximally disordered (MD) phases with the general formula Y5−xPrxSb3−yMy (M = Sn, Pb) are formed with partial substitution of Y by Pr and Sb by Sn or Pb in the binary Y5Sb3 compound. During the electrochemical lithiation and sodiation, the formation of Y5-xPrxSb3-yMyLiz and Y5−xPrxSb3−yMyNaz maximally disordered–high entropy intermetallic phases (MD-HEIP), as the result of insertion of Li/Na into octahedral voids, were observed. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are an effective additive to improve the cycle stability of the Y5−xPrxSb3−yMy (M = Sn, Pb) anodes for lithium-ion (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Modification of Y5−xPrxSb3−ySny alloys by carbon nanotubes allowed us to significantly increase the discharge capacity of both types of batteries, which reaches 280 mAh · g−1 (for LIBs) and 160 mAh · g−1 (for SIBs), respectively. For Y5−xPrxSb3−yPby alloys in which antimony is replaced by lead, these capacities are slightly smaller and are 270 mAh · g−1 (for LIBs) and 155 mAh · g−1 (for SIBs), respectively. Results show that structure disordering and CNT additives could increase the electrode capacities up to 30% for LIBs and up to 25% for SIBs.