Facile Preparation Research Articles

Facile preparation of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur co-doped porous carbon for zinc-ion hybrid capacitor

Facile preparation of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur co-doped porous carbon for zinc-ion hybrid capacitor

A facile and sustainable preparation of effective biomass macromolecular flame retardants for epoxy resins with improved flame retardation, smoke suppression, and mechanical performance

AbstractThe preparation of biomass flame retardants with efficient flame‐retardant properties is conducive to the realization of sustainable development and is of great practical significance. In this work, a green and sustainable biomass flame retardant PATAPEI was prepared by using phytic acid (PA), tannic acid (TA), and polyethyleneimine (PEI) as reactants via a one‐step method to develop biomass flame retardants that can synchronize enhanced flame retardation, smoke suppression, and mechanical performance of epoxy resin (EP). The EP with only a 3% PATAPEI (EP/3PTP) has a LOI value of 28.5% with a UL‐94 V‐0 classification. The peak heat release rate (PHRR), total heat release (THR), and total smoke release (TSR) of EP/3PTP were decreased by 29.72%, 25.80%, and 21.16%, respectively, in comparison with the ones of pure EP. Additionally, the tensile and impact strengths of EP/3PTP are higher than the ones of pure EP. PATAPEI on heating decomposes to produce phosphorus‐containing acids and biphenyltriol‐containing compounds, which promote to form a good char layer with the aromatic structures during the combustion of EP/3PTP. Therefore, PATAPEI has prospects of wide application in the development of sustainable biomass flame retardant EP.

Facile preparation of vanadium oxide films under varied calcination temperature and their multicolor electrochromic behaviors

A vanadium oxide (VO) film was prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass using a simple electrophoretic method and the VO film and its device demonstrated multicolor electrochromic properties of yellow, green, orange-red, and their intermediate colors. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) were employed to characterize the composition of the as-prepared films. The ratio of V5+/V4+ in the XPS is significantly different in the yellow, green, and orange-red states and this ratio can be adjusted by applied voltages. The detailed effect of calcination temperature as a post-treatment method on the electrochromic performance of VO film was explored. With the increase of calcination temperature, the optical modulation ability of the films was enhanced, and the color change contrast of the films was most obvious at 200 °C. Meanwhile, the cyclic stability of the VO films was also enhanced. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves show that the prepared V2O5 films have high cyclic stability at a calcination temperature of 300 °C. The color efficiency (CE) values of the VO devices were 3.4 cm2C-1 (from initial yellow to green) and 21.6 cm2C-1 (from green to orange-red) at 700 nm, and the coloring time (Tc) and bleaching time (Tb) of the VO devices were 6 s and 10 s, respectively. This work develops a simple and environmentally friendly method to prepare VO films and their devices with multicolor electrochromic properties.

Facile Preparation and Study of Self-Healing Water-Absorbing Expanding Elastomers.

The absorbent expansion elastomer plays a crucial role in engineering sealing and holds a promising future in this field as infrastructure continues to develop. Traditional materials have their limitations, especially when used in large construction projects where the integrity and reliability of the material are of utmost importance. In this work, a self-healing water-absorbing expansion elastomer was developed for continuous production at a large scale to monitor the sealing conditions of massive infrastructure projects. At room temperature, the material exhibited a repairing efficiency of 57.77 % within 2 h, which increased to 84.02 % after 12 h. This extended reaction time allowed for effective repairs when defects were detected. The material's strength can attain 3 MPa, placing it at the upper echelon among common self-healing materials, thereby granting it a certain level of durability in its application environment. The material's volume expansion rate reached 200-400 % to achieve effective sealing, and the functional filling of the filler endowed the material itself with a favorable external force induction effect and prevented heat accumulation. The conductive detection performance of the absorbent expansion elastomer was improved by utilizing triple self-healing strategies, including dipole-dipole interaction, ion cross-linked network, and externally-aided restoration materials. These strategies were combined with a double packing strategy to enhance the material's properties. This innovative elastomer can be applied in various fields such as tunnel construction, infrastructure development, aerospace sealing, and railway transportation, showcasing significant potential for diverse engineering applications.

Facile preparation of zirconium(IV) immobilized carboxymethyl cellulose/multiwalled carbon nanotubes gels by radiation technique and its selective fluoride removal

Removal of excessive fluorine in the waterbody environment and the Zn hydrometallurgical system is an urgent problem. In this paper, zirconium oxychloride immobilized carboxymethyl cellulose/carboxymethyl multiwalled carbon nanotube (CMC+MWCCNT-ZrOCl2) gels are facilely prepared by radiation technique. The addition of MWCCNT endows the CMC-ZrOCl2 gel a typical nanotubes/fiber structure, also increase the gel fraction of the gel. The selective adsorption of fluoride from single or co-existed anions was investigated. The adsorption isotherms can be well fitted by both the Langmuir and Freundlich model. The calculated maximum adsorption capacity was 36.657 mg/g. The selectivity coefficients of CMC+MWCCNT-ZrOCl2 for fluoride versus NO3−, PO43−, and SO42− are 140.34, 10.953, and 72.572, respectively. Also, CMC+MWCCNT-ZrOCl2 can be used as a potential adsorbent for selective removing F− from high concentration SO42− solution. The adsorption mechanism was investigated by XPS analyses.

Multicolor emissive hyperbranched polysiloxanes from enhanced spatial electronic communication for security encryption and bacteria imaging

Unconventional fluorescent polymers with long-wavelength emission have attracted considerable attention due to their facile preparation, good biocompatibility, and excellent processability. However, their emission at long-wavelength is relative low. Herein, a series of aromatic amino acids functionalized hyperbranched polysiloxanes with deep red to cyan fluorescence were prepared. Experimental and theoretical calculation results show that the long-wavelength emission comes from the spatial electronic delocalization among conjugated π bonds and electron-rich functional groups. The balance between rigidity and flexibility is favorable for the strong long-wavelength emission. Moreover, the polymers’ fluorescence is sensitive to Fe3+ and OH– ions; and these polymers show potential applications in security encryption, fluorescent stamp inks and bacteria multicolor fluorescence imaging. This work provides an efficient method for the development of long-wavelength emissive unconventional fluorescence polymers

Sulfur-containing cellulose esters for selectively anchoring gold for water catalytic decontamination

The facile preparation of sustainable sulfur-containing polymer functional materials has been obtained great attention due to their chemical reactivity and metal complexing ability. In this study, taking the solution properties advantages of the newly developed cellulose solvent system of DBU/DMSO/CO2, thiol and disulfide bond functionalized cellulose ester (TDSCE) was facilely prepared via in-situ tandem transesterification and oxidation reaction by using methyl 3-mercaptopropionate, without adding any external catalyst. The synthetic protocol was featured by that the DBU not only acted as reagent for the dissolution of cellulose, but also catalysts for the transesterification of cellulose with methyl 3-mercaptopropionate to yield cellulose 3-mercaptopropionate (Cell-MP) with maximum degrees of substitution (DS) of 0.77, and an oxidant for the partial oxidation of Cell-MP to produce a cellulose methyl 3,3′-disulfanediyldipropionate (Cell-MDSP) with maximum DS of 0.36 mixed ester, respectively. With successful introduction of thiol and disulfide bond into the cellulose backbone, the TDSCEs indicated desirable selective absorption of Au3+ from mimic heavy mental ions waste water due to the sulfur-Au chemistry with maximal adsorption capacity for Au3+ of 415.2 mg/g. The subsequent reduction of Au3+ into gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) fabricated a robust TDSCE-2@Au NPs composite catalyst with high catalytic activity for the hydrogenation treatment of water pollutes, such as 4-nitrophenol (4-NP)and azo dyes.

A one-step polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylamide/polyacrylic acid/dimethyl sulfoxide/CaCl2 hybrid hydrogel enabling anti-fatigue, anti-freeze and anti-dehydration for wearable strain sensor

Hydrogel with fatigue resistance, freezing tolerant and dehydration resistance are peculiarly attractive in strain sensors. The hydrogel soaked in organic solvent is an effective strategy to improve freezing resistance and dehydration resistance, while this may result in poor conductivity. Moreover, ion-incorporation is considered to be the most feasible method for solving above concern, while high concentration of salt ions will result in weak mechanical properties. Therefore, the facile preparation of anti-freezing and anti-dehydration hydrogels with excellent fatigue resistance remains a challenge. Herein, a polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylamide/polyacrylic acid/dimethyl sulfoxide/CaCl2 hybrid hydrogel was designed and fabricated through a facile one-step method to balance a variety of outstanding properties. On account of the hybridization design of multi-materials, the hybrid hydrogel exhibited high ionic conductivity (∼0.2 S/m), strength (∼0.36 MPa) and stretchability (∼825 %). Meanwhile, the hybrid hydrogel demonstrated prominent freezing resistance, dehydration resistance and fatigue resistance. The mechanical properties almost no deterioration after 1000 stretching cycle at 100 % strain, exposure to environment for 30 days or freeze at low temperature. Besides, the hybrid hydrogel-based stain sensor showed a linear sensitivity (GF = 1.12 over 0–400 % strain), quickly responsivity (200 ms), and could monitor various human activities steadily, demonstrating distinguished potential for use in wearable health monitoring and flexible electric skins.

Facile preparation of bamboo with improved hydrophobicity, dimensional stability and mold resistance by paraffin/tung oil modification

Facile preparation of bamboo with improved hydrophobicity, dimensional stability and mold resistance by paraffin/tung oil modification

Facile Preparation of Co3O4/Super P/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Films for High-Performance Li-Ion Battery Anodes

Facile Preparation of Co3O4/Super P/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Films for High-Performance Li-Ion Battery Anodes

Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride‐Hexafluoropropylene) Composites With Carbon Based Nanofillers for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

ABSTRACTIn the current work, a series of flexible polymer matrix composites (PMCs) based on poly(vinylidene fluoride‐hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF‐HFP) as the polymer matrix and carbon nanofillers, namely single‐walled nanotubes (SWCNT) or carbon blacks (CB), were fabricated via a facile preparation method of blending and solution casting. The electrical conductivity, morphology, dielectric constant, mechanics, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties of the composite films were adjusted by varying the carbon type (CB = Ketjenblack, Vulcan, or SWCNT = Tuball) and amount (0.1–15 wt%). The influence of the conductive nanofillers on the EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) and microwave absorbing properties in the X‐band frequency range (8–12 GHz) were investigated. By increasing the carbon content, the EMI shielding properties of the composite films were improved due to an increase in the magnitude of the electromagnetic properties. As the loading of these carbon fillers approach the percolation threshold, the dielectric constant of the composite can dramatically increase because of the construction of a microcapacitor network. However, these nanofillers/polymer composites generally have high dielectric loss near the percolation threshold due to the direct connection between carbon nanofillers. The PVDF‐HFP/Tuball composite particularly contributed low dielectric loss to the electromagnetic (EM) wave, resulting in excellent microwave absorption properties with a SE per unit thickness of 337.5 dB/mm and 2.5× less weight compared with conventional aluminum with the same SE, demonstrating the promise of using these materials as practical EMI shields.

Synthesis and structure of an aqueous stable Cu(II)-based coordination polymer with multifunctional fluorescence sensing property

Advanced methods for both biological and environmental hazardous pollutants are of sustained interest. Herein, a new coordination polymer, namely, [Cu2(OH)(1,2,4-bca)(bmoe)]·H2O (Cu-CP) has been hydrothermally constructed with a mix-ligand strategy, employing 1,2,4-benzenetricarboxylic acid (1,2,4-bca) and 1,1′-bis(1H-benzimidazolyl) oxydiethane (bmoe) as organic ligands. The intrinsic strong blue-light emission and the great stability in water solutions with the broad range of pH values (pH = 4 − 12) of Cu-CP provide a platform for practical fluorescence sensing application in water samples. Fluorescence measurements reveal that Cu-CP displays interesting multi-responsive dection activities toward toxic heavy-metal ions Cr2O72- / CrO42− / MnO4−, nitrofuran antibiotics nitrofurantoin (NFT) / nitrofurazone (NFZ) and acetylacetone (ACAC) in aqueous solutions achieving both high sensitivity and low detection limits (micromolar for Cr(VI) / Mn(VII) / ACAC and nanomolar for NFT / NFZ). Furthermore, the interference experiments have verified its excellent selectivity. A synergetic contribution of internal filtration effect (IFE) and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between Cr2O72- / CrO42− / MnO4− and the framework of Cu-CP realize the fluorescence quenching behavior for Cr(VI) / Mn(VII) detection, while FRET, IFE and photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanisms are synergistically responsible in the case of NFT / NFZ, ACAC sensing supported by the molecular simulations and UV−vis spectral overlap experiments. This present work affords precious guidance for the effective and facile design and preparation of multifunctional luminescent coordination polymers with promising performance.

Mechanochemical “Cage‐on‐MOF” Strategy for Enhancing Gas Adsorption and Separation through Aperture Matching

AbstractPost‐modification of porous materials with molecular modulators has emerged as a well‐established strategy for improving gas adsorption and separation. However, a notable challenge lies in maintaining porosity and the limited applicability of the current method. In this study, we employed the mechanochemical “Cage‐on‐MOF” strategy, utilizing porous coordination cages (PCCs) with intrinsic pores and apertures as surface modulators to improve the gas adsorption and separation properties of the parent MOFs. We demonstrated the fast and facile preparation of 28 distinct MOF@PCC composites by combining 7 MOFs with 4 PCCs with varying aperture sizes and exposed functional groups through a mechanochemical reaction in 5 mins. Only the combinations of PCCs and MOFs with closely matched aperture sizes exhibited enhanced gas adsorption and separation performance. Specifically, MOF‐808@PCC‐4 exhibited a significantly increased C2H2 uptake (+64 %) and a longer CO2/C2H2 separation retention time (+40 %). MIL‐101@PCC‐4 achieved a substantial C2H2 adsorption capacity of 6.11 mmol/g. This work not only highlights the broad applicability of the mechanochemical “Cage‐on‐MOF” strategy for the functionalization of a wide range of MOFs but also establishes potential design principles for the development of hybrid porous materials with enhanced gas adsorption and separation capabilities, along with promising applications in catalysis and intracellular delivery.

Filtration Performance of Biodegradable Electrospun Nanofibrous Membrane for Sub‐Micron Particles: A Systematic Review

AbstractNanofiber membranes receive considerable interest recently because of their distinctive structural features, facile preparation, as well as high filtering efficiency. Due to ever‐increasing air pollution, membranes made from biodegradable materials can play a crucial part in providing purified air with minimum concerns of environmental issues after the membrane's end of service life. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the performance of biodegradable electrospun nanofibrous membrane filters toward air sub‐micron particles. To identify relevant studies, a systematic search is carried out in major scientific search engines including PubMed, Scopus, and the Web of Science. Data extraction is used to collect the necessary information on the membranes' structural properties, as well as filtration performance metrics such as efficiency, pressure drop, and quality factor. Among the electrospun membranes derived from biodegradable polymers, the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)‐based electrospun membranes are more effective in filtration efficiency in capturing sub‐micron particles. The results highlight that these types of membranes are effective in filtration with low energy consumption, making them more apt for air purification. The use of such membranes can supply both high filtering performance and protection of the environment.

N-doped carbon decorated by Cu3P nanoparticle derived from Aspartic acid - Cu MOF as suitable catalysts for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions

The preparation of high-efficiency electrocatalysts for the oxygen and hydrogen evolution process (OER and HER) using an easy, green, and facile preparation method is crucial for the effective and economical use of clean energy sources. We report here an eco-friendly phytic acid (PA)-assisted phosphidation strategy to synthesize a novel Cu3P decorated on N-doped carbon (Cu3P-NC). Its synthesis involves precipitation of rode-like microstructured Cu-based aspartic acid frameworks (Asp-Cu MOF), chemical etching of Asp-Cu MOF to form PA cross-linked Cu complexes, and a final pyrolysis step to get Cu3P-NC with abundant Cu3P nanoparticles loaded on N-doped carbon matrix. The Cu3P-NC catalyst demonstrates catalytic performances with low overpotentials of 116 and 310 mV at 10 mA cm−2, small Tafel slopes of 61.2 and 69.2 mV dec−1, for HER and OER respectively, and high catalytic durability in 1 M KOH. The as-prepared Cu3P-NC electrocatalyst offers a new viewpoint on developing multi-functional electrocatalysts in the water-splitting process using environment-friendly substances such as amino acids.

Sustainable photodegradation of tetracycline by surface-functionalized carbon nitride: Mechanism insight and toxicity assessment

Here, we report the facile preparation of amino- and vacancies-abundant carbon nitride photocatalyst using acetone as a low-boiling-point solvent and describe its successful performance of environmental purification. As a demonstration of the notion, tetracycline (TC) antibiotic as an emerging aqueous contaminant has been used as a model substrate for assessing the photoactivity of the modified carbon nitride and clarifying its intrinsic mechanism. 96 % of TC can be photocatalytically removed within 30 min, accompanied by a discernible mitigation in ecotoxicological impact. Reactive species, including •OH, •O2-, and photogenerated holes, are considered the critical oxidants. Meanwhile, the possible intermediates and transformation pathways of TC degradation were investigated utilizing the LC-MS technique, the Fukui function, and the T.E.S.T. software. The comprehensive approach furnishes valuable insights for assessing the evolutionary dynamics of tetracycline in an advanced oxidation process (AOP). This study offers a sustainable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly approach to preparing carbon nitride material, which is believed to open an avenue for the facile design of heterogeneous environmental photocatalysts and to provide insights into the various environmental applications.

The facile preparation of polydopamine-modified sepiolite and its adsorption properties and microscopic mechanism for cadmium ion

Natural sepiolite (SEP) has the characteristics of cation exchange, abundant reserves, low cost, and environmental friendliness, but its adsorption capacity for heavy metal pollutants is limited. Because polydopamine (PDA) molecules contain rich functional groups such as phenolic and amino groups, in the present work, dopamine and natural sepiolite were utilized as raw materials to prepare polydopamine-modified sepiolite composite (SEP/PDA) by simple co-precipitation method. According to Langmuir isotherm model, the maximum adsorption capacity of SEP/PDA for Cd2+ can reach 203.21 mg/g at 298 K. At the initial concentration of 100 mg/L, the adsorption capacity was 2.9 times that of natural sepiolite. The composite material has good reusability and anti-cationic interference performance and has 100 % removal ability of low concentration Cd2+ in actual electroplating wastewater. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were performed to obtain the electronic structure information. To elucidate the microscopic mechanism, molecular surface analyses, Interaction Region Indicator (IRI), Atom In Molecules (AIM) theory, Bond Order Density (BOD), and Electron Localization Function (ELF) were conducted. These analyses revealed that the amino nitrogen and phenolic oxygen atoms in the dopamine molecules donate lone pair electrons to coordinate with cadmium ions. Polydopamine, which possesses multiple oxidation states, contains catechol, quinone, and indole or a lesser extend pyrrole groups that can complex with cadmium ions, resulting in the formation of a surface complex. This coordination significantly enhances the adsorption properties of the SEP/PDA composite.

Novel Graphitic Oxynitrides as Photocatalysts for Sustainable H2 Production and CO2 Valorization. The Importance of Self-Assembly for Catalytic Activity.

The field of carbocatalysis, often portrayed by paradigmatic graphitic carbonaceous structures, has become a booming topic tailored for multiple applications. To this end, a new metal-free carbocatalyst has been constructed from simple prebiotic monomers such as cyanamide and glyoxal. The resulting material shows an excellent performance as photocatalyst for H2 production and CO2 valorization, thus unveiling its real value to tackle sustainable goals. The unique oxygen-rich carbonaceous structure has been characterized in detail, which is consistent with a graphitic layered network. The described performance in two major societal concerns along with a facile preparation from C1/C2 platforms, makes this type of overlooked oxynitride carbocatalysts promising for real-life environmental endeavors.

Facile and green preparation of carbonaceous material-based wood bio-adhesives using hydrochar from hydrothermal carbonization of glucose with or without acrylic acid/acrylamide

To address the issues of formaldehyde emission, mildew, and easy combustion of traditional wood adhesives, this paper, for the first time, reported formaldehyde-free plywood bio-adhesives using carbonaceous material (hydrochar) generated from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of glucose with or without acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM). The highest wet shear strength of bio-adhesives (BD-G/AA-180) was 1.32 MPa, which meets the Chinese national standard GB/T 9846-2015 (≥0.7 MPa). It was found that functional groups (–NH2 and –COOH) were abundant on the surface of hydrochar from co-HTC of glucose with AM or AA. The formation of covalent bonds (between components of bio-adhesives; between bio-adhesives and wood) via dehydration or esterification reaction was a key factor in improving wet shear strength during hot-press treatment. Unlike bio-adhesives developed from polysaccharides and proteins, these hydrochar carbonaceous material-derived bio-adhesives had excellent anti-mildew properties and flame resistance with help from ammonium polyphosphate. This work paves a new road to prepare green formaldehyde-free plywood bio-adhesives.

Self‐promoted Controlled Ring‐opening Polymerization via Side Chain‐mediated Proton Transfer for the Synthesis of Tertiary Amine‐pendant Polypeptoids

Proton transfer is essential in virtually all biochemical processes, with enzymes facilitating this transfer by optimizing the proximity and orientation of reactants through site‐specific hydrogen bonds. Proton transfer is also crucial in the rate‐determining step for the ring‐opening polymerization of N‐carboxyanhydrides (NCAs), widely used to prepare various peptidomimetic materials. This study utilizes side chain‐assisted strategy to accelerate the rate of chain propagation by using NCAs with tertiary amine pendants. This moiety enables hydrogen bond formation between the incoming NCA and the polymer amino growing end. The tertiary amine side chain of the NCA forms a proton shuttle, via a less constrained transition state, to facilitate the proton transfer process. Moreover, the tertiary amine side chains enable the precipitation of NCA monomers through in situ protonation during the monomer synthesis. This greatly facilitates the synthesis of these unreported monomers, allowing the direct controlled synthesis of tertiary amine‐pendant polypeptoids. This side chain‐promoted polymerization has rarely been reported. Additionally, the tertiary amine side chains, as widely used functional groups, endow the polymers with unique properties including pH‐ and thermo‐responsiveness, tunable pKas, and siRNA transfection capability. The self‐promoted synthesis, facile monomer preparation, and attractive properties make tertiary amine‐pendant polypeptoids promising materials for various applications.