TiO2 functionalization for efficient NOx removal in photoactive cement

Lubricants containing nanoparticles have garnered significant attention due to their potential to improve the tribological performance of systems operating in demanding environments. In the current study, the enhanced stability of copper oxide (CuO) and molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ) nanoparticles (NPs) and their tribological performance, when used as lubricant additives, were experimentally tested to evaluate their synergistic effect on friction and wear performance. The oleic acid (OA) was used as a surface modifier agent to enhance dispersion stability. The influence of oleic acid on nanoparticle dispersion was evaluated using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Zeta Potential (ZP) techniques. The surface of nanoparticles was characterised by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The tribological performance of the more stable nanolubricant, including friction reduction and wear resistance, was evaluated using a pin-on-reciprocating plate test rig. Surface characterisation of the wear tracks was performed using White Light Interferometry (WLI), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) to understand how the improved stability affected the worn surfaces and tribofilm properties. NPs stability study confirmed that the best stability could be achieved with concentrations of 1% CuO/MoS 2 NPs and 1.5 wt. % OA. Tribology results indicated that CuO and MoS 2 NPs individually could reduce friction and wear, whereas their combination exhibited enhanced friction and wear reduction. This synergy in tribological performance has been attributed to the combined effects of nanoparticle size and enhanced dispersion stability, which enable effective nanoparticle entrainment between the contacting surfaces, leading to the formation of a tribofilm that provides anti-wear protection and contributes to friction reduction.

Fluorous-phase iron oxide nanoparticles as enhancers of acoustic droplet vaporization of perfluorocarbons with supra-physiologic boiling point

In this project, a novel magnetic nano catalyst was used in solvent-free conditions in three different experimental fabrication sections, including the synthesis of hexahydroquinolines, 5-amino-1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile and 1-aminoalkyl-2-naphthols derivatives. Accordingly, in this study, a Carbon Quantum Dot (CQD)-based nanomagnetic catalyst (Fe3O4@CQD@Si(OEt)(CH2)3NH@CC@Ad@Cu(OAc)2) was synthesized, in which the Fe3O4 nanoparticles surface was protected using carbon quantum dots (CQDs) instead of conventional SiO2. The as-synthesized catalyst was characterized using different techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), EDX Elemental Mapping (EDX-Mapping), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The activity of the as-synthesized catalyst was evaluated in the synthesis of hexahydroquinolines, 5-amino-1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile and 1-aminoalkyl-2-naphthols derivatives. The solvent-free condition with low reaction time and high reaction yield is the results of the prepared catalyst. Moreover, the effect of temperature and the amount of the catalyst (optimum reaction condition) were determined using a systematic approach, namely, the Design of Experiment (DoE). How the reaction was triggered by the catalyst was determined by FT-IR analysis.

ABSTRACTIn this study, first, magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) were synthesized using a coprecipitation method and the synthesized particles were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). According to DLS and VSM analyses results, it was seen that the size of the MNP was smaller than 10 nm and they exhibited superparamagnetic properties, respectively. Then, magnetic Fe3O4-chitosan micro/nanoparticles were synthesized using a suspension cross-linking method in the presence of the MNP. Fe3O4-chitosan microparticles (Fe3O4-CMs) and Fe3O4-chitosan nanoparticles (Fe3O4-CNs), which have different structural, morphological, and magnetic properties, were obtained. All of the particles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FTIR, TGA, DLS, and VSM. In the second part of the study, the dye adsorption properties of the two different adsorbents from aqueous solution were investigated. For these purposes, Bromothymol Blue (BB) was used as a dye and the parameters affecting adsorption of BB (contact time, initial dye concentration, temperature and pH) were investigated. When the optimum adsorption conditions were provided for each adsorbent, the adsorption capacities of Fe3O4-CNs and Fe3O4-CMs were 82.2 and 193.3 mg/g, respectively.

In this work, titanium dioxide (TiO2) ceramic nanofiber was prepared by homemade electrospinning technique. A homogeneous solution of titanium isopropoxide in polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) was prepared. The thermal behavior of the fiber was characterized by differential thermal analyzer (DTA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to obtain the calcination temperature range. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to analyze the chemical structures of the TiO2/PVP composite nanofibers. The structural phase formations were characterized by x-ray diffraction technique (XRD). It has been found that the single phase of anatase and rutile were obtained at the calcinations temperature at 500 and 900 °C, respectively. The microstructure was characterized by a scanning electron microscope technique (SEM). The diameter of titanium oxide nanofibers were in the range of 70 nm to 300 nm and decrease as the calcination temperature increasing. The results indicated the effect of calcination temperature on the crystalline phase and morphology of the nanofiber.

Here we describe the successful synthesis of an LaMnO3/TiO2/graphene composite using a co-precipitation method and three different weight percentages (wt%) of graphene. The structure of the sample was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and the thermal stability of the sample was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis. The XRD pattern of the sample confirmed the orthorhombic phase of the LaMnO3 nanoparticle and anatase phase of the TiO2 nanoparticle; however, the graphene peak unidentifiable by XRD was confirmed using TGA and FTIR spectroscopy. Moreover, we found that the photo-, sono-, and photosono-catalytic activities of LaMnO3/TiO2 were elevated by the presence of graphene material as an electron trapper, resulting in optimal rates of methylene blue degradation in the presence of 5 wt.% graphene.

ABSTRACTCu nanoparticles capped with fatty acids and amines were developed as low-temperature sintering materials. The fatty acids and amines used were decanoic acid + decyl amine (C10) and oleic acid + oleyl amine (C18), respectively. The synthesized Cu nanoparticles were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. Because both of the capping layers could be decomposed at temperatures lower than 300°C even under an inert atmosphere, bonding and sintering experiments could be carried out in the absence of oxygen to prevent the oxidation of the Cu nanoparticles. The sintered structures were observed using scanning electron microscopy. The shear strengths of Cu plates bonded using the C18 Cu nanoparticles were larger than those of plates bonded using the C10 Cu nanoparticles. At 300°C, the strength was higher than 30 MPa, and of the same order as ordinary high-temperature solders, even though the processing temperature was low. The resistivity of a film sintered using the C18 Cu nanoparticles was 12 μΩcm at 300°C, which was lower than the values reported in previous studies.

The present study presents the synthesis details of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) of different morphologies using oleic acid (OA) and oleyl amine (OM) as capping agents. Different shapes of NPs, such as nanospheres, nanorods, and nanorhombics, were achieved. In order to develop nanocomposite thin films for photovoltaic cells, these TiO2 NPs were carefully dispersed in 2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene (MEH-PPV) matrix. The properties of synthesized TiO2 NPs and MEH-PPV/TiO2 nanocomposites were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV-Visible spectroscopy, and Photoluminescence technique. Obtained results showed promising properties for photovoltaic devices, especially solar radiation absorption properties and charge transfer at the interface of the conjugated MEH-PPV matrix and TiO2 dispersed NPs.

Cloxazolam is a benzodiazepine class drug used in the treatment of emotional disorders, specially anxiety, fear, phobias, tension, anxiety, asthenia and depressive symptoms and in the treatment of behavioral disorders, especially in the difficulty of social adaptation.Few studies have been published about cloxazolam and in relation to the its formulation in the pharmaceutical form tablets and in relation to the its stability.In this work Cloxazolam was characterized by the techniques of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), Thermogravimetry (TG), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermomicroscopy (HSM) and Liquid Chromatography with Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS), enabling its use as a reference substance in analytical tests.A drug-excipient compatibility study was carried out with binary mixtures of cloxazolam-excipient in a 1:1 w/w ratio, using the excipients lactose monohydrate, starch, talc, magnesium stearate, croscarmellose sodium, red ferric oxide and yellow ferric oxide, evaluating the excipients alone and in mixtures using DSC, TG, FTIR and HSM techniques.The excipients were previously characterized by DSC, TG and FTIR and the results confirm the data in the literature.The results of the compatibility study obtained for the mixtures suggest drug-excipient incompatibility between cloxazolam and magnesium stearate, possible interaction of the drug with starch, croscarmellose sodium, lactose monohydrate and yellow ferric oxide and absence of interaction with talc and red ferric oxide, in the studied conditions.

Present investigation aimed to convert rock phosphate ore into nano zeolite using calcination (from 200 to 700°C) for 48 hrs. and zeolitization (replacement by a zeolite mineral) processes in order to boost rock phosphate ore efficiency as a source of P2O5 even under high soil pHs. Crystallization, phases, physico-chemical characteristics and surface morphology were studied by visual techniques. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) which cleared that, the converted rock phosphate gave different shapes and sizes of crystals and distribution of its components (elements and oxides mass percentage). While TEM appears the crystals size of converted rock phosphate was found in nano size (19.7 -39.1 nm). Moreover Sterio microscopy illustrated that, after calcination and zeolitization processes, the nano zeolite converted from rock phosphate ore took different shapes with three dimension crystals growth as end of crystallization process. Whilst XRD manifested that, the dominant mineral was zeolite associated with different minerals represented by mica muscovite, montmorillonite, calcite, pyrite, alkali feldspar, plagoclase feldspar and quartz. At the same time, XRF was used to verify nano rock phosphate converted in to zeolite (heulandites type). Also the XRF analysis recorded Si/Al ratio (3.42%) of nano zeolite its properties tended to both hydrophilic and organophillic. Furthermore, DTA (differential thermal analysis) and TGA (thermo-gravimetric analysis) were used for measure percentages of water molecules attached with nano rock phosphate and its thermal stability. Therewithal, Surface area (BET) was (14.93m2/g), pore sizes distribution from 3.98 to 56.87 nm, pore volume19.96 nm and pore width 4.846 cm3 / g. It was observed that there is little change in particles density in both real and bulk densities. Finally, the highest CEC (cation exchange capacity) and lowest AEC (anion exchange capacity) values of the conversion rock phosphate were acquired. In a nutshell, our results designated for more liberate of P2O5 in available and safety form to uptake easily by cultivated crops, and construct an appropriate media for loading by beneficial microorganisms.

The stability, sensitivity, and volatility of essential oils are some of their most serious limitations, and nanoencapsulation has been considered one of the most effective techniques for solving these problems. This research aimed to investigate the incorporation of Salvia rosmarinus Speen and Cedrus atlantica Manetti (MEO) essential oil mixture in Gum Arabic (GA) and to evaluate nanoencapsulation’s ability to promote antifungal activity against two brown rot fungi responsible for wood decay Gloeophyllum trabeum and Poria placenta. The optimization of encapsulation efficiency was performed using response surface methodology (RSM) with two parameters: solid-to-solid (MEO/GA ratio) and solid-to-liquid (MEO/ethanol). The recovered powder characterization was followed by various techniques using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The optimal nanoencapsulating conditions obtained from RSM were ratios of MEO/GA of 1:10 (w/w) and MEO/ethanol of 10% (v/v), which provided the greatest encapsulation efficiency (87%). The results of SEM, XRD, DLS, FTIR, and TGA showed that the encapsulation of MEO using GA modified particle form and molecular structure and increased thermal stability. An antifungal activity assay indicated that an effective concentration of MEO had an inhibitory effect on brown rot fungi. It had 50% of the maximal effect (EC50) value of 5.15 ± 0.88 µg/mL and 12.63 ± 0.65 µg/mL for G. trabeum and P. placenta, respectively. Therefore, this product has a great potential as a natural wood preservative for sustainable construction and green building.

Pineapple leaves was utilized for the fabrication of cellulose acetate. It underwent a series of process that includes alkaline treatment using sodium hydroxide aqueous solution, bleaching treatment using acetate buffer and aqueous sodium chlorite, and acetylation using acetic anhydride. The preparation of cellulose acetate was done in different acetylation times (8, 16, 24 and 32 hours). The cellulose acetate samples were then characterized using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to elucidate the vibrational move, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) to investigate the thermal property of the material and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine the surface morphology. FTIR result showed significant decrease in absorption intensity of the O-H stretch after the acetylation which indicates the substitution of hydroxyl group by acetyl group. On the other hand, the emergence of C=O stretch of the ester group and C-O stretch of acetyl group can be observed which indicates the formation of cellulose acetate. TGA and DTA also shows enhanced thermal stability of cellulose acetate prepared in 16 hrs acetylation period. Increasing the reaction time to 24 hrs and 32 hrs resulted to significant decrease in thermal stability. SEM images revealed the deterioration on the physical structure of cellulose after 24 hrs acetylation.

The quality of a road relies on the good use of the on road surface and its maintenance along the years. The technology used and the corrections contributes to the prevention of early road destructions. Pavement with polmyer and others additives exhibits greater resistance to rutting, thermal cracking, and decreased fatigue damage, stripping and temperature susceptibility. Samples of CAP 40, SBS 440/02, L 1861/04, L 784/05 and L 2000/04 were analyzed by thermogravimetry (TG), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and FTIR. Thermal characterizations showed that the main decomposition stage refers to asphaltenes and samples with additives exhibited a slight increase in thermal stability. The kinetic study, by Kissinger, showed that the sample with the highest stability was the SBS 440/02. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis suggested that these asphalt samples were originated from light oil.

Green & sustainable synthetic route of obtaining iron oxide nanoparticles using Hylocereus undantus (pitaya or dragon fruit)

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element, and its deficiency in the humans leads to increase the risk of various diseases, such as cancer and heart diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of biofield energy treatment on the physical and thermal properties of the selenium powder. The selenium powder was divided into two parts denoted as control and treated. The Control part was remained as untreated and treated part received Mr. Trivedi’s biofield energy treatment. Both control and treated selenium samples were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis - differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The XRD data showed that biofield energy treatment has slightly altered the lattice parameter (0.07%), unit cell volume (0.15%), density (-0.14%), atomic weight (0.15%), and nuclear charge per unit volume (-0.21%) in the treated selenium powder as compared to the control. The crystallite size of the treated selenium powder was reduced considerably from 106.98 nm (control) to 47.55 nm. The thermal analysis study showed that the latent heat of fusion was 64.61 J/g in the control, which changed to 68.98, 52.70, 49.71 and 72.47 J/g in the treated T1, T2, T3, and T4 samples respectively. However, the melting temperature did not show any considerable change in the treated selenium samples as compared to the control. The FT-IR spectra showed the absorption peak at 526 and 461 cm^-1, which corresponding to metal oxide bonding vibration in the control and treated selenium powder respectively. Hence, overall data suggest that, the biofield energy treatment considerably altered the physical and thermal properties of selenium powder. Therefore, biofield energy treatment could make selenium even more useful nutrient in human body.