Evaporation-induced Self-assembly Process Research Articles

Polyethylene glycol regulates the pitch and liquid crystal behavior of cellulose nanocrystal-based photonic crystals

Inspired by iridescent color in natural creations, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) photonic crystals artificially created by nanotechnology have great application prospects due to their potential to control light propagation in the linear and nonlinear regimes. One of the most important development directions of photonic crystals is the diversification of colors, usually by adjusting the pitch. However, few researchers notice the effect of polymer molecular weight and content on pitch regulation and the interaction between polymer and CNC liquid crystals. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used as polymers to regulate the pitch of CNC photonic crystals and investigate the changes in microstructure, crystal structure, thermal properties, and liquid crystal texture of the composites by changing the PEG content and molecular weight. Different photonic crystal construction systems show that when the molecular weight of PEG is 0.4 k, it can be filled between CNCs to regulate the pitch of photonic crystals, while when the molecular weight of PEG is 20 k, it cannot always be filled between CNCs in evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) process due to the depletion interaction, which cannot effectively regulate the pitch. This study reveals the relationship between PEG and CNC liquid crystals, which supports the development of photonic crystals and the pitch regulation.

Very Large Pore Mesoporous Bioactive Silicate Glasses: Comparison of Behavior toward Classical Mesoporous Bioactive Glasses in Terms of Drug Loading/Release and Bioactivity.

Considering the increase in patients who suffer from osteoporosis and the bone defects that occur in these patients, bone tissue regeneration is a promising option to solve this problem. To achieve a synergistic effect between the synthesis of a proper structure and bioactive/pharmaceutical activity, ions with a physiological effect can be added to silica structures, such as Ca2+, thanks to its bioactive behavior, and Ga3+ for its antibacterial and anticancer action. In this work, the synthesis of large pore mesoporous silica (LPMS), potential bioactive glasses containing Ca2+ and Ga3+, has been studied. Corresponding structures, in terms of composition, have been synthesized following the Sol-Gel EISA (Evaporation Induced Self-Assembly) process (obtaining Classical Mesoporous Silica, MS). Pore structure characterization of LPMSs and MSs has been performed using N2 adsorption/desorption and Hg-porosimetry, showing the presence of pores for LPMSs in the range of 20-60 and 200-600 nm. Nisin, a polycyclic antibacterial peptide, has been used for load tests. The load and release tests performed highlight a higher loading and releasing, doubled for LPMSs if compared to MSs. To confirm the maintenance of the structure of LPMSs and their mechanical strength and resistance, scanning electron microscopy images were acquired before and after release tests. Ca and Ga release in SBF has been studied through inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), showing a particularly high release of these ions performed with LPMSs. The bioactive behavior of Ca-containing structures has been confirmed using FT-IR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), SEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRDP). In conclusion, LPMSs showed better loading and releasing properties compared with classical MS and better release in terms of active ions. In addition, it has also been demonstrated that LPMSs have bioactive behavior (a well-known characteristic of MSs).

Efficient optimization of the synthetic conditions for aerosol-assisted high-quality mesoporous CeO2 powders.

The morphology of surfactant-assisted mesoporous metal oxides was tuned to obtain high surface-area particles by utilizing the synthetic conditions for fabricating transparent thin films through an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) process. For investigating their potential applications, especially for designing heterogeneous catalysts, mesoporous metal oxides should be obtained in powder forms; however, a serious limitation associated with their reproducibility persists. Herein, along with a rapid optimization approach, starting from determining and improving chemical composition for the fabrication of mesoporous metal oxide films, an advanced approach to obtain highly porous metal oxide powders is presented using a temperature-controlled spray-drying process with step-by-step but smooth optimization by combining several EISA processes, involving the utilization of a precursor solution optimized for a slow-drying process in the case of ceria (CeO2) using poly(styrene)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO).

Design of silver containing mesoporous bioactive glass-embedded polycaprolactone substrates with antimicrobial and bone regenerative properties

ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to design, produce and characterize composite substrates consisting of different formulations of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), as a polymer matrix, and silver-containing mesoporous bioactive glasses (Ag-MBGs) with improved properties for bone tissue engineering. MethodsAg-MBGs were synthesized by an evaporation-induced self-assembly process. Different polymer-to-particles weight ratios were considered (90/10, 80/20, 70/30 wt%). PCL/Ag-MBGs composites substrates were manufactured by melting and molding technique. The effect of Ag-MBGs embedded in the polymer matrix was investigated by morphological (field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), SEM and contact angle measurement), structural/functional (small punch and tensile tests), antimicrobial, and in vitro biological analyses. ResultsThe obtained results highlighted that the inclusion of 10% by weight of Ag-MBGs improved the punching performances as well as the tensile Young’s modulus (from 350.3 ± 32.0 MPa for PCL to 473.5 ± 41.0 MPa), without negatively altering the tensile strength of the neat PCL. Indeed, small punch test findings indicated that, over a threshold concentration (10% by weight), the Ag-MBGs acted as "weak points", rather than reinforcement, because the mechanical properties of the composite substrates decreased. The bacterial growth monitoring showed a clear antimicrobial effect against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive, confirmed by reduced cell viability registered after 24 h (2 ×105 CFU/mL for P. aeruginosa and 2.3 ×105 CFU/mL for S. aureus). The results were confirmed in terms of adhesion and adherent growth, reduced at day 3 on PCL samples with 10% of Ag/MBGs. Furthermore, this formulation induced a significant inhibition zone (21 mm for P. aeruginosa, 23 mm for S. aureus). In vitro biological assays confirmed that all formulations of PCL/Ag-MBGs supported periodontal ligament stem cells’ viability and differentiation over time. Particularly, substrates with Ag-MBGs at a concentration of 10% and 20% by weight of Ag-MBGs provided higher values of the percentage of Alamar Blue reduction meanwhile, the highest Ag-MBGs concentration induced a higher expression of alkaline phosphatase activity. SignificanceAg-MBGs proved to be suitable candidates as filler at a specific threshold concentration (10% by weight), considering a compromise among physicochemical, antimicrobial, and pro-regenerative features. These findings provide useful data for the design and development of improved biomaterials with optimized properties, suggesting a potential application in maxillofacial bone and/or periodontal tissue repair.

In Situ Self-Assembled Formation of Nitrogen-Rich Ag@Ti3C2 Film for Sensitive Detection and Spatial Imaging of Pesticides with Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry (LDI-MS)

Pesticide residues are hazardous to human health; thus, developing a rapid and sensitive method for pesticide detection is an urgent need. Herein, novel nitrogen-rich Ag@Ti3C2 (Ag@N-Ti3C2) was synthesized via an ecofriendly, ultraviolet-assisted strategy, followed by in situ formation of a highly homogeneous film on target carriers via a facile water evaporation-induced self-assembly process. Ag@N-Ti3C2 shows greater surface area, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity than Ti3C2. This Ag@N-Ti3C2 film overcomes the limitations of conventional matrixes and allows laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) to provide fast and high-throughput analysis of pesticides (e.g., carbendazim, thiamethoxam, propoxur, dimethoate, malathion, and cypermethrin) with ultrahigh sensitivity (detection limits of 0.5-200 ng/L), enhanced reproducibility, extremely low background, and good salt tolerance. Furthermore, the levels of pesticides were quantified with a linear range of 0-4 μg/L (R2 > 0.99). This Ag@N-Ti3C2 film was used for high-throughput analysis of pesticides spiked in traditional Chinese herbs and soft drink samples. Meanwhile, high-resolution Ag@N-Ti3C2 film-assisted LDI-MS imaging (LDI MSI) was used to successfully explore spatial distributions of xenobiotic pesticides and other endogenous small molecules (e.g., amino acids, saccharides, hormones, and saponin) in the roots of plants. This study presents the new Ag@N-Ti3C2 self-assembled film equably deposits on the ITO slides and provides a dual platform for pesticide monitoring and has the advantages of high conductivity, accuracy, simplicity, rapid analysis, minimal sample volume requirement, and an imaging function.

Effect of amorphous ordered mesoporous carrier on adsorption and desorption of Hg0 over CeOx-amTiO2

Improper disposal of deactivated mercury (Hg) adsorbents will cause secondary contamination which is still hazardous to human beings. Wet desorption is a green and environmentally friendly method, but there is a lack of sufficient study. In this work, a cerium oxide loaded ordered mesoporous amorphous titanium dioxide (CeOx-amTiO2) composite is obtained based on the evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) process. It possesses a high specific surface area (∼198 m2/g), uniform pore diameters (∼14.7 nm), and large pore volume (∼0.49 cm3/g). The CeOx-amTiO2 demonstrates high adsorption capacity in various atmospheres (63.3 % in pure N2, 95.0 % in N2 + 400 ppm H2S), and achieves a desorption efficiency of 93.2 % in 0.2 mol/L sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) solution. The large specific surface area and ordered mesostructure significantly facilitate the mass transfer process, reasonably explaining the strong adsorption capacity and fast desorption kinetics. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization and thermodynamic calculations reveal that the reduction of Ce3+ plays a key role in the desorption of Hg. In addition, the amorphous carrier structure reduces the binding strength between the adsorption product and the adsorbent, further accelerating the desorption process. This study provides a pathway for the efficient desorption of Hg0 removal adsorbents.

Spherical porous iron-nitrogen-carbon nanozymes derived from a tannin coordination framework for the preparation of L-DOPA by emulating tyrosine hydroxylase.

L-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) is widely used in Parkinson's disease treatment and is therefore in high demand. Development of an efficient method for the production of L-DOPA is urgently required. Nanozymes emulating tyrosine hydroxylase have attracted enormous attention for biomimetic synthesis of L-DOPA, but suffered from heterogeneity. Herein, a spherical porous iron-nitrogen-carbon nanozyme was developed for production of L-DOPA. Tannic acid chelated with ferrous ions to form a tannin-iron coordination framework as a carbon precursor. Iron and nitrogen co-doped carbon nanospheres were assembled via an evaporation-induced self-assembly process using urea as a nitrogen source, F127 as a soft template, and formaldehyde as a crosslinker. The nanozyme was obtained after carbonization and acid etching. The nanozyme possessed a dispersive iron atom anchored in the Fe-N coordination structure as an active site to mimic the active center of tyrosine hydroxylase. The material showed spherical morphology, uniform size, high specific surface area, a mesoporous structure and easy magnetic separation. The structural properties could promote the density and accessibility of active sites and facilitate mass transport and electron transfer. The nanozyme exhibited high activity to catalyze the hydroxylation of tyrosine to L-DOPA as tyrosine hydroxylase in the presence of ascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide. The titer of DOPA reached 1.2 mM. The nanozyme showed good reusability and comparable enzyme kinetics to tyrosine hydroxylase with a Michaelis-Menten constant of 2.3 mM. The major active species was the hydroxyl radical. Biomimetic simulation of tyrosine hydroxylase using a nanozyme with a fine structure provided a new route for the efficient production of L-DOPA.

Synergistic effect of cerium and structure directing agent on drug release behavior and kinetics

This work was mainly aimed at the study of the dual effect of cerium and structure directing agent template concentration, on vancomycin release profiles and kinetics from Ce-substituted mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs). MBG based on (20-x) B2O3 - 55 SiO2 – 20 CaO – 5 P2O5 – x Ce2O (x = 0, 1 and 3 mol %) was synthesized by the evaporation-induced self-assembly process using two molar ratios (0.01 and 0.02 molar ratio) of nonionic block copolymer Pluronic® 123 (P123) surfactant. The TGA-DTA, FTIR, and textural features analyses were carried out for the glasses. Moreover, the in vitro bone-forming activity and degradation analysis were tested using simulated body fluid (SBF). The drug loading capacity, drug release profile, and kinetics (using different kinetic models such as first order, Higuchi, Hixson-Crowell, and Baker-Lonsdale models) were determined using vancomycin as a drug model. The results showed that the isotherms of all MBGs fit with type IV isotherms, and the surface area of MBGs synthesized by 0.02 M template was higher than that prepared by 0.01 M, where it ranged from 174.05 m2.g−1 to 256.73 m2.g−1. The pore size diameter was decreased as cerium content increased in all MBGs (decreased from 5.44 to 3.54 nm). Moreover, the MBGs induced the formation of a bone-like apatite layer, and their biodegradation properties can be tailored by controlling glass composition. Furthermore, Ce-free MBGs showed the lowest drug adsorption and the highest drug release percentage. The drug release kinetic was best fitted with Higuchi and Baker-Lonsdale models which denoted that the mechanism of drug release from MBGs was a diffusion release from spherical particles. In conclusion, vancomycin release was controlled by the glass composition. Meanwhile, the MBGs synthesized in this study are proposed to be applied for bone regeneration, bone cancer treatment, and reducing the bacterial activity around the tumor site.Graphical abstract

Non-Oxidative Propane Dehydrogenation on CrOx-ZrO2-SiO2 Catalyst Prepared by One-Pot Template-Assisted Method.

A series of CrOx-ZrO2-SiO2 (CrZrSi) catalysts was prepared by a “one-pot” template-assisted evaporation-induced self-assembly process. The chromium content varied from 4 to 9 wt.% assuming Cr2O3 stoichiometry. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM-EDX, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR-H2), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The catalysts were tested in non-oxidative propane dehydrogenation at 500–600 °C. The evolution of active sites under the reaction conditions was investigated by reductive treatment of the catalysts with H2. The catalyst with the lowest Cr loading initially contained amorphous Cr3+ and dispersed Cr6+ species. The latter reduced under reaction conditions forming Cr3+ oxide species with low activity in propane dehydrogenation. The catalysts with higher Cr loadings initially contained highly dispersed Cr3+ species stable under the reaction conditions and responsible for high catalyst activity. Silica acted both as a textural promoter that increased the specific surface area of the catalysts and as a stabilizer that inhibited crystallization of Cr2O3 and ZrO2 and provided the formation of coordinatively unsaturated Zr4+ centers. The optimal combination of Cr3+ species and coordinatively unsaturated Zr4+ centers was achieved in the catalyst with the highest Cr loading. This catalyst showed the highest efficiency.

Templated synthesis of crystalline mesoporous CeO2 with organosilane-containing polymers: balancing porosity, crystallinity and catalytic activity

We report the synthesis of ordered mesoporous ceria (mCeO2) with highly crystallinity and thermal stability using hybrid polymer templates consisting of organosilanes. Those organosilane-containing polymers can convert into silica-like nanostructures that further serve as thermally stable and mechanically strong templates to prevent the collapse of mesoporous frameworks during thermal-induced crystallization. Using a simple evaporation-induced self-assembly process, control of the interaction between templates and metal precursors allows the co-self-assembly of polymer micelles and Ce3+ ions to form uniform porous structures. The porosity is well-retained after calcination up to 900 °C. After the thermal engineering at 700 °C for 12 h (mCeO2-700-12 h), mCeO2 still has a specific surface area of 96 m2 g−1 with a pore size of 14 nm. mCeO2 is demonstrated to be active for electrochemical oxidation of sulfite. mCeO2-700-12 h with a perfect balance of crystallinity and porosity shows the fastest intrinsic activity that is about 84 times more active than bulk CeO2 and 5 times more active than mCeO2 that has a lower crystallinity.

Design of Ordered Mesoporous CeO2-YSZ Nanocomposite Thin Films with Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conductivity via Surface Engineering.

Mixed ionic and electronic conductors represent a technologically relevant materials system for electrochemical device applications in the field of energy storage and conversion. Here, we report about the design of mixed-conducting nanocomposites by facile surface modification using atomic layer deposition (ALD). ALD is the method of choice, as it allows coating of even complex surfaces. Thermally stable mesoporous thin films of 8 mol-% yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) with different pore sizes of 17, 24, and 40 nm were prepared through an evaporation-induced self-assembly process. The free surface of the YSZ films was uniformly coated via ALD with a ceria layer of either 3 or 7 nm thickness. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was utilized to probe the influence of the coating on the charge-transport properties. Interestingly, the porosity is found to have no effect at all. In contrast, the thickness of the ceria surface layer plays an important role. While the nanocomposites with a 7 nm coating only show ionic conductivity, those with a 3 nm coating exhibit mixed conductivity. The results highlight the possibility of tailoring the electrical transport properties by varying the coating thickness, thereby providing innovative design principles for the next-generation electrochemical devices.

Spray Deposition Synthesis of Locally Ordered Mesoporous Polycrystalline Titania Films at Low Temperature.

A low-temperature spray deposition synthesis was developed to prepare locally hexagonally ordered mesoporous titania films with polycrystalline anatase pore walls in an evaporation-induced self-assembly process. The titania film preparation procedure is conducted completely at temperatures below 50 °C. The effects of spray time, film thickness, synthesis time prior to spray deposition, and aging time at high relative humidity after deposition on the atomic arrangement and the mesoorder of the mesoporous titania were studied. We find the crystallite size to depend on both the synthesis time and aging time of the films, where longer times result in larger crystallites. Using the photocatalytic activity of titania, the structure-directing agent is removed with UV radiation at 43–46 °C. The capability of the prepared films to remove the polymer template increased with longer synthesis and aging times due to the increased crystallinity, which increases the photocatalytic efficiency of the titania films. However, with increasingly longer times, the crystallites grow too large for the mesoorder of the pores to be maintained. This work shows that a scalable spray coating method can be used to prepare locally ordered mesoporous polycrystalline titania films by judiciously tuning the synthesis parameters.

3D-TNAs composite electrodes with enhanced visible-light photoelectrocatalytic performance and stability

Three-dimensional TiO2 nanotube arrays (3D-TNAs) formed by anodization over Ti meshes has been prepared. The TiO2 nanotube arrays were uniformly grown around each Ti wire in a radially outward direction, which have a large specific surface area and can absorb incident light from any direction. Composite electrodes, made of Gd, N or Gd–N and TiO2 co-doped 3D TiO2 nanotube arrays (Gd-TiO2/3D-TNAs, N–TiO2/3D-TNAs and Gd-N-TiO2/3D-TNAs), were successfully prepared by an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) process and applied for the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. The experimental results show that the multi-doped electrodes significantly enhanced visible light photoelectrocatalytic activity compared to TiO2/3D-TNAs without element-doped and unmodified 3D-TNAs. 99% of methylene blue (MB) was degraded by N–TiO2/3D-TNAs with a 0.7 V bias under 210 min simulated solar irradiation, which was approximately 1.5 and 1.8 times higher than that of TiO2/3D-TNAs and pristine 3D-TNAs, respectively. The N–TiO2/3D-TNAs has excellent stability, the degradation rate remained almost unchanged after used for 4 times. The enhanced photoelectrocatalytic performance of N–TiO2/3D-TNAs could be attributed to the large specific surface area, strong light absorption, low electron-hole recombination rate and wide light-response range as the result of the three-dimensional structure and N-doping heterojunction structure.

Effect of π-π Stacking Interfacial Interaction on the Properties of Graphene/Poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene) Composites.

Interfacial interaction is one of the most important factors in the construction of high-performance graphene-based elastomer composites. In this paper, graphene/poly (styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene) (SIS) composites were prepared with solution mixing followed by an evaporation-induced self-assembly process. Various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis absorption spectra, tensile testing, Shore A hardness, surface resistance, thermal conductivity, and thermogravimetric analysis were conducted to characterize the microstructure and properties of the obtained composites. The results showed that the π–π stacking interfacial interaction between phenyl groups of SIS and graphene play an important role in the properties’ improvement, and the effect of interfacial interaction on the properties was revealed.

Chiral Photonic Liquid Crystal Films Derived from Cellulose Nanocrystals.

As a nanoscale renewable resource derived from lignocellulosic materials, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have the features of high purity, high crystallinity, high aspect ratio, high Young's modulus, and large specific surface area. The most interesting trait is that they can form the entire films with bright structural colors through the evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) process under certain conditions. Structural color originates from micro-nano structure of CNCs matrixes via the interaction of nanoparticles with light, rather than the absorption and reflection of light from the pigment. CNCs are the new generation of photonic liquid crystal materials of choice due to their simple and convenient preparation processes, environmentally friendly fabrication approaches, and intrinsic chiral nematic structure. Therefore, understanding the forming mechanism of CNCs in nanoarchitectonics is crucial to multiple fields of physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering application. Herein, a timely summary of the chiral photonic liquid crystal films derived from CNCs is systematically presented. The relationship of CNC, structural color, chiral nematic structure, film performance, and applications of chiral photonic liquid crystal films is discussed. The review article also summarizes the most recent achievements in the field of CNCs-based photonic functional materials along with the faced challenges.

Size Effect of Hydroxide Nanobuilding Blocks and Nonionic Block Copolymer Templates on the Formation of Ordered Mesoporous Structures.

The use of precrystallized nanoparticles as nanobuilding blocks (NBBs) is a promising way to obtain mesoporous materials with crystalline walls. In this study, the size effects of both hydroxide NBBs and nonionic block copolymer (BCP) templates on the formation of ordered mesostructures are investigated. The diameter of layered nickel hydroxide NBBs was controlled at the sub-2 nm scale by an epoxide-mediated alkalinization process. Commercially available nonionic BCPs (gyration radii in the range of 11.9-43.9 Å) were used. Mesoperiodic structures were formed by the evaporation-induced self-assembly process. A proper size combination of hydroxide NBBs, smaller than 12.5 Å, and BCPs, larger than 19.9 Å, is shown to be necessary to form ordered mesostructures.

Robust lithium storage of block copolymer-templated mesoporous TiNb2O7 and TiNb2O7@C anodes evaluated in half-cell and full-battery configurations

We report a facile Pluronic F127-mediated evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) process for the scalable preparation of mesoporous TiNb2O7 (m-TNO) with an uniform grain size of ~12 nm. The elaborated m-TNO are demonstrated as an excellent anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) able to deliver a high discharge specific capacity of 235.7 mAh/g at 1 C and 109.2 mAh/g even at 20 C, with high capacity retention rate up to 94.6% after 100 cycles at 1 C in half cell. In addition, the m-TNO electrode delivers a specific capacity of 257.1 mAh/g at a current density of 0.5 C in the m-TNO/LiFePO4 full cell, and a high discharge capacity of 185.1 mAh/g can be achieved with a capacity retention rate of 78.7% even at 1 C after 800 cycles. To further improve the electrochemical performances, carbon-coated m-TNO (m-TNO@C) is also synthesized by calcining the mixture of m-TNO and glucose. The initial discharge specific capacity of m-TNO@C is 248.4 mAh/g, and the capacity retention after 100 cycles at 1 C is 90.1%. The conductive carbon layer on m-TNO significantly improves the electronic conductivity of m-TNO. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses show that coating the carbon layer by grinding will reduce the Li+ ion diffusion rate and lower its rate performance under the high current density, compared with the uncoated counterpart. Both of m-TNO and m-TNO@C deliver long-term cyclic stability with the large capacity of ~160 mAh/g even at 5 C after 800 cycle, accompanied by the capacity retention rate of ~70%, exhibiting excellent electrochemical performances in LIBs.

CO2 hydrogenation to methanol on ZnO-ZrO2 solid solution catalysts with ordered mesoporous structure

CO2 hydrogenation to methanol is becoming a potential route for reducing CO2 emission, benefiting from the worldwide growth of renewable energy for H2 production. In this work, the ZnO-ZrO2 solid solution catalysts with ordered mesoporous structure were constructed by the evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) process using triblock copolymer P123 as the template. The 20% ZnO-ZrO2 catalyst prepared by the evaporation-induced self-assembly process shows a methanol formation rate of 22.1 mmol·h-1·gcat-1 at 320°C, 5.5 MPa, which is 1.35 times that of the catalyst prepared by co-precipitation. Characterizations prove that the EISA catalysts have larger specific surface areas and more sites for the activation of CO2 and H2, which are related to the higher CO2 conversion.

One-pot self-assembly synthesis of Ni-doped ordered mesoporous carbon for quantitative hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol

Ni-Doped OMC with high catalytic activity and stability for furfural hydrogenation to furfuryl alcohol was prepared by a one-pot evaporation-induced self-assembly process with biomass-derived gallic acid as carbon precursor and Ni2+ as crosslinker.

Modified EISA synthesis of NiAl2O4/MWCNT composite mesoporous free-standing film as a potential electrochemical capacitor material

Electrochemically active, free-standing mesoporous films of nickel aluminate/ multiwalled carbon nanotubes (NiAl2O4/MWCNT) composite were synthesised by eco-friendly modified evaporation-induced self-assembly process (m-EISA). The high temperature annealed composite material displayed excellent morphological and electrochemical characteristics. The electrochemical performance was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis for the composite material annealed at 600 °C, 700 °C, 800 °C, and 900 °C. In particular, the composite material annealed at 900 °C, exhibited a specific capacitance of 618 F g−1. The inverse spinel structure prepared by the m-EISA process assembled into a well-configured free-standing film in which MWCNTs facilitated electronic transport across NiAl2O4/MWCNTs interfaces. The m-EISA process employed in the present work was eco-friendly, economical, energy-efficient, time-saving, and provided flexibility in regulating the final mesostructure of the free-standing films.