Functional Composite Materials Research Articles

Flexible fiber composite functional materials based on Fe-MOFs nanozyme catalytic activity for efficient point-of-use water disinfection

Ensuring clean water sources is crucial for human health and safety. However, in underdeveloped areas and emergency situations, low-energy, convenient water disinfection technologies remain a significant challenge. Herein, a series of Fe-MIL-101@flexible fiber composites were designed and synthesized by in-situ cross-linking growth of Fe-MIL-101 metal–organic framework nanozymes on carboxymethyl cellulose (filter paper, cotton, gauze), as a class of point-of-use (POU) water disinfection modules with antibacterial efficacy, portability and biosecurity. The results show that the preparation method of water disinfection material is universal, and the most convenient Fe-MIL-101@composite carboxymethyl filter paper (Fe-MIL-101@CMFP) is outstanding. The combination of Fe-MIL-101 nanozyme with carboxymethyl filter paper (CMFP) is highly stable, even after 200 mechanical or manual frictions, the MOF particles does not fall off, and its flexibility, mechanical properties and filtration efficiency remain unchanged. Furthermore, Fe-MIL-101@CMFP exhibits remarkable simulated activity of peroxidase and oxidase, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS, •OH and O2•-), which effectively eliminate bacteria. Notably, Fe-MIL-101@CMFP filters have excellent bactericidal capability (about 99%), are equally effective on field water, and have no biosafety concerns. Such Fe-MIL-101@flexible fiber composite material, as a portable POU water disinfection and sterilization functional modules, is expected to solve the problem of distributed water disinfection as well as change the way of obtaining safe drinking water in underdeveloped areas and emergency situations.

Granulation of Lithium-Ion Sieves Using Biopolymers: A Review

The high demand for lithium (Li) relates to clean, renewable storage devices and the advent of electric vehicles (EVs). The extraction of Li ions from aqueous media calls for efficient adsorbent materials with various characteristics, such as good adsorption capacity, good selectivity, easy isolation of the Li-loaded adsorbents, and good recovery of the adsorbed Li ions. The widespread use of metal-based adsorbent materials for Li ions extraction relates to various factors: (i) the ease of preparation via inexpensive and facile templation techniques, (ii) excellent selectivity for Li ions in a matrix, (iii) high recovery of the adsorbed ions, and (iv) good cycling performance of the adsorbents. However, the use of nano-sized metal-based Lithium-ion sieves (LISs) is limited due to challenges associated with isolating the loaded adsorbent material from the aqueous media. The adsorbent granulation process employing various binding agents (e.g., biopolymers, synthetic polymers, and inorganic materials) affords composite functional particles with modified morphological and surface properties that support easy isolation from the aqueous phase upon adsorption of Li ions. Biomaterials (e.g., chitosan, cellulose, alginate, and agar) are of particular interest because their structural diversity renders them amenable to coordination interactions with metal-based LISs to form three-dimensional bio-composite materials. The current review highlights recent progress in the use of biopolymer binding agents for the granulation of metal-based LISs, along with various crosslinking strategies employed to improve the mechanical stability of the granules. The study reviews the effects of granulation and crosslinking on adsorption capacity, selectivity, isolation, recovery, cycling performance, and the stability of the LISs. Adsorbent granulation using biopolymer binders has been reported to modify the uptake properties of the resulting composite materials to varying degrees in accordance with the surface and textural properties of the binding agent. The review further highlights the importance of granulation and crosslinking for improving the extraction process of Li ions from aqueous media. This review contributes to manifold areas related to industrial application of LISs, as follows: (1) to highlight recent progress in the granulation and crosslinking of metal-based adsorbents for Li ions recovery, (2) to highlight the advantages, challenges, and knowledge gaps of using biopolymer-based binders for granulation of LISs, and finally, (3) to catalyze further research interest into the use of biopolymer binders and various crosslinking strategies to engineer functional composite materials for application in Li extraction industry. Properly engineered extractants for Li ions are expected to offer various cost benefits in terms of capital expenditure, percent Li recovery, and reduced environmental footprint.

Ultrahigh thermal conductance of the point contact between amorphous nanowires

Amorphous interfaces/contacts are ubiquitous in numerous micro/nanoelectronic devices and functional composite materials. Traditionally, the thermal resistance of interfaces/contacts was believed to be the primary impediment to heat transport. However, in this study, through measuring thermal resistance between crystalline-amorphous core-shell Ge nanowires, we unveil an ultrahigh thermal conductance across the point contact between the amorphous shell of Ge nanowires with a room-temperature value of 892 MW/m2-K. This value surpasses the typical values observed in point contacts between crystalline nanowires/nanoribbons by one to three orders of magnitude and even exceeds that of epitaxial interfaces between well-lattice-matched materials. Molecular and lattice dynamic simulations further reveal that the observed ultrahigh thermal conductance is attributed to the broadened vibrational bandwidths within the amorphous contact, which facilitates the redistribution of phonon energy into a state conductive to more effective interfacial energy transmission, leading to an enhanced overlap of phonon modes and, consequently, a heightened thermal conductance.

Integration of a Bismuth-Based Tris-Mononuclear Complex with 2D Functional Materials for Highly Efficient and Durable Aqueous Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

The eminence of transitioning from traditional fossil fuel-based energy resources to renewable and sustainable energy sources is most evidently crucial. The potential of hydrogen as an alternative energy source has specifically focuses the electrocatalytic water splitting (EWS) as a promising technique for generating hydrogen. Development of efficient electrocatalysts to facilitate the EWS process while rationalizing the limitations of noble metal catalysts like platinum has become one of the daunting tasks. Consequently, porous functional materials such as metal complexes (MCs) and graphene oxide (GO) can act as potential catalysts for EWS. Therefore, a composite of GO and a mononuclear bismuth metal complex is synthesized through in situ facile synthesis, which is further utilized as an efficient electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Several potential electrocatalytic MC@GO composite (BMGO-3,5,7) materials were prepared with compositional variation of GO (3, 5, and 7 wt %). The experimental results demonstrate that the BMGO5 composite exhibits excellent HER activity with a low overpotential value of 105 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a low Tafel slope of 44 mV dec-1 in 1 M KOH solution. Furthermore, a comprehensive investigation on the potentiality of the BMC-GO composite for hydrogen evolution from river water splitting was performed in order to address the issue of freshwater depletion. Inclusion of a mononuclear MC for facile synthesis of functional GO-based efficient electrocatalyst material is very scanty in the literature. This unique approach could assist future research endeavors toward designing efficient electrocatalysts for sustainable renewable energy generation. This is one of the first of its kind, where mononuclear MCs were utilized to develop GO-based functional composite materials for efficient electrocatalysis toward sustainable renewable energy generation.

Advective Assembler‐Enhanced Support Bath Rotational Direct Ink Writing

AbstractManufacturing intricately controlled, hierarchically distributed structures poses significant fabrication challenges, but is crucial for enhancing functionality in synthetic systems. A 3D printing technique combining advective assembly with rotational direct ink writing is developed and exploited to build topologically complex, multimaterial structures with high precision. A modular advective assembler printhead is fabricated and employed in the process. This flow‐structuring device is designed with a complex network of internal channels that patterns flowing hydrogel‐based inks, creating multi‐layered filaments whose structures go well beyond conventional nozzle shape and size limitations. The composite filaments are extruded into a rotating support bath of Polyacrylic acid microgels. The rheology of the inks and support bath are critical to maintain print fidelity and integrity, and are characterized by linear and nonlinear bulk rheometry. Optimization of the materials creates a platform where curvilinear, multimaterial architectures are constructed without being constrained to slicing across X, Y, and Z axes. The versatility of this manufacturing platform is demonstrated by printing helical structures that undergo swelling‐induced actuation. This processing method has the potential to significantly enhance additive manufacturing by enabling the production of intricate, multiscale composite structures with broad applicability in fields such as bioengineering, soft robotics, and functional composite materials.

Facile fabrication of nanocellulose-supported membrane composited with modified carbon nitride and HKUST-1 for efficient photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde

As a cellulose-derived material, nanocellulose possesses unique properties that make it an ideal substrate for various functional composite materials. In this study, we developed a novel composite membrane material capable of adsorbing and photo-catalyzing formaldehyde by immobilizing HKUST-1 (copper open framework composed of 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid) onto NFC (Nano-fibrillated cellulose) membranes and subsequently loading modified carbon nitride. The synthesized CNx@HN composite membrane (consisting of NFC membrane with anchored HKUST-1 and modified g-C3Nx nanosheets) was thoroughly characterized, and its photocatalytic degradation performance towards low concentrations of formaldehyde (3.0 mg/m3) was investigated. The results demonstrated that HKUST-1's porous nature exhibited a concentrated adsorption capacity for formaldehyde, while the modified CNx (Modified g-C3Nx nanosheets) displayed robust photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde. The synergistic effect of HKUST-1 and modified CNx on the NFC membrane significantly enhanced the efficiency of formaldehyde degradation. Under xenon lamp irradiation, CNx@HN-5 achieved a total removal efficiency of 86.9 % for formaldehyde, with a photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 48.45 %, showcasing its exceptional ability in both adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde. Furthermore, after 10 cycles of recycling, the composite membrane exhibited excellent stability for the photocatalytic degradation process. Therefore, this study presents a green and facile strategy to fabricate nanocellulose-supported composite membranes with great potential for practical applications in formaldehyde degradation.

Humic acid-based polyphenol-functionalized collagen fiber for efficient recognition capture of iodine vapor

Effective capture of radioactive iodine vapor is a crucial part of the spent fuel reprocessing process. In this study, humic acid (HA), which has excellent recognition capture of iodine vapor, is introduced as the active site construction center, functionalizing and modifying alkali-activated collagen fiber (ACF), to prepare the biomass composite functional materials (HA@ACF). The results demonstrate that HA@ACF exhibits exceptional recognition ability and a strong affinity for iodine vapor, with an adsorption capacity of 2811.8 mg/g (ACF is only 1068.6 mg/g). Simultaneously, under relative humidity of 27 % and strong acid conditions, the iodine vapor capture capacity of HA@ACF only decreased by 17.2 %, indicating that the material exhibits excellent iodine capture performance under complex conditions. The excellent adsorption performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of abundant −NHR, C = O, and phenolic hydroxyl active sites in HA@ACF, which recognize and induce iodine vapor, resulting in the capture of iodine molecules as I3-. Meanwhile, DFT calculations reveal the excellent adsorption energy (−0.51 eV) of iodine vapor on the phenolic hydroxyl groups on HA. Therefore, the HA@ACF biomass composite functional material can be an ideal candidate adsorbent for the efficient recognition capture of radioactive iodine vapor in airborne effluent.

Micro-reinforced polymer composite materials studied by correlative X-ray imaging

Three-dimensional insights into the microstructure of composite materials are vital for enhancing their performance under operational conditions. Phase-sensitive methods can offer supplementary data, especially for materials with low absorption, compared to standard absorption-based techniques. This work presents the correlative X-ray imaging and computed tomography results of polymer composites reinforced with glass fibers using an inverted Hartmann mask. This method identified areas with enhanced refraction and scattering due to glass fibers and discriminated signals based on their orientation, offering an advantage in evaluating anisotropic materials. The simplicity of the setup, adding the inverted Hartmann mask, makes integration feasible in commercial CT scanners and existing radiography laboratories, enabling simultaneous phase, scattering, and absorption information extraction. Our approach, which combines refraction and scattering with absorption signals, exposes intricate structures beyond the usual spatial resolution threshold. Despite the distinct absorption coefficients of air, polymer-based, and glass fibers, the inverted Hartmann mask is crucial for examining similar absorption composites and low-absorbing materials. This research offers profound insights into the microstructures of fiber-reinforced polymer composites, laying the groundwork for studies of nanostructured functional composite materials.

Multistage Porous Carbon Derived from Enzyme-Treated Waste Walnut Green Husk and Polyethylene Glycol for Phase Change Energy Storage.

The thermal storage performance, cost, and stability of phase-change materials (PCMs) are critical factors influencing their application in the field of thermal energy storage. Porous carbon, with its excellent support, thermal conductivity, and energy storage properties, is considered one of the most promising support matrix materials. However, the simple and efficient synthesis of high-performance and highly active bio-based materials under mild conditions still faces challenges. In our work, a novel method for preparing new functional composite phase-change materials based on enzyme treatment technology and using waste walnut green husk biomass and polyethylene glycol as raw materials was developed. The enzymatic treatment method exposes the internal structure of the walnut green husk, followed by the adjustment of the calcination temperature to increase the adsorption sites of the biochar, thereby stabilizing polyethylene glycol (PEG). The porous properties of walnut green husk biochar effectively regulate the phase-change behavior of polyethylene glycol. In the biochar carbonized at 600 °C, the PEG loading reached 72.09%, and the absorption heat of the solid-solid phase-change material (SSPCM) reached 194.76 J g-1. This work not only enriches the application of biomass in heat storage but also demonstrates the broad prospects of SSPCMs in solar thermal utilization.

Structure, Synthesis, and Catalytic Performance of Emerging MXene-Based Catalysts.

As traditional fossil fuel energy development faces significant challenges, two-dimensional layered materials have become increasingly popular in various fields and have generated widespread research interest. MXene is an exceptional catalytic material that is typically integrated into functional composite materials with other substances to enhance its catalytic-reaction performance. Improving the thermal stability, electrical conductivity, and electrochemical activity, as well as enhancing the specific surface structure, can make the material an excellent catalyst for photoelectrocatalysis and energy-regeneration reactions. The article mainly outlines the structural characteristics, preparation methods, and applications of MXene in the field of catalysis. This text highlights the latest progress and performance comparison of MXene-based catalytic functional materials in various fields such as electrochemical conversion, photocatalysis, renewable energy, energy storage, and carbon capture and conversion. It also proposes future prospects and discusses the current bottlenecks and challenges in the development of MXene-based catalytic materials.

The formation of research in the field of chemical technology of ceramic and composite materials in Komi Scientific Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1980-1990-ies)

The work is devoted to the history of the formation of one of the scientific directions currently developing at the Institute of Chemistry of the Federal Research Center "Komi Scientific Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences". The subject of the study is the process of formation and development of research in the field of materials science and chemical technology of ceramic and composite materials in the Laboratory of Chemistry and Solid State Physics of the Department of Chemistry of the Komi Scientific Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the 1980s and 1990s. The main attention is paid to the study of the prerequisites for the creation, conditions and main stages of the laboratory, the mechanisms of interaction between a research institution and industrial enterprises of the republic, the analysis of the influence of external factors on the choice of subjects and the development of scientific research, the role of the personality of a scientist in the history of science. The methodological basis of the research is the principle of historicism, a problem-chronological approach, according to which the formation of a scientific direction in an academic institution was studied in the context of the history of industrial development of the region. Based on the documents stored in the funds of the Scientific Archive of the Komi Scientific Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and published works, the history of the organization and operation of the laboratory of chemistry and solid state physics was reconstructed for the first time. It is established that one of the main factors that determined the process of formation and development of research in the laboratory during this period was the availability in the republic of promising reserves of mineral raw materials suitable for use in obtaining functional ceramic and composite materials; the necessary research base; the development of high-tech industries in the Komi ASSR. Scientists have been working on the creation of physico-chemical bases for the production of high-tech materials with special properties (magnetic, electrophysical, etc.) based on the mineral raw materials of the republic. New materials with special physical and chemical characteristics obtained in the laboratory were introduced into production, which contributed to the development of the region's industry.

Construction of covalent organic frameworks membranes in situ through nonsolvent-induce phase separation for fast and accurate nanofiltration

With the development of covalent organic frameworks (COFs), their superior separation performance in membrane separation has gradually becoming apparent. The method of combining COFs with membrane materials is crucial for their applications prospect. In this study, inspired by the traditional Chinese mortise and tenon structure, we selected 1,3,5-triacetaldehyde mesityl phenol (TFP) and 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene (TAPB) as the reactive building monomers. P-Phenylenediamine (PDA) was introduced into the casting solution to construct Polyether-sulfone (PES) bottom membranes with amino ligand sites, utilizing the phase transition effect generated by the non-invasive solvent-induced method (NIPS). Subsequently, COFs composite nanofiltration membranes with two-dimensional layered structures were prepared through mild interfacial polymerization (IP) under optimized reaction conditions. The synthesis of COFs composite nanofiltration membranes was demonstrated through a series of characterizations, including scanning transmission electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The COFs composite nanofiltration membranes synthesized by this method exhibited better alignment, greater chemical stability, and higher separation efficiency compared to traditional interracially polymerized COFs composite nanofiltration membranes. As the method involves the addition of additives, it can be more widely applied to a broad range of organic polymer membranes. Furthermore, we demonstrated the effectiveness of the COF composite nanofiltration membranes produced using this method in the separation of molecular dyes. They exhibited rejection exceeding 99% for 0.1 g L−1 methyl blue (MB), Congo red (CR) and chrome black-T (EBT). Additionally, they achieved separation fluxes of up to 300 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 for mixed solutions (dyes/salts) and proved to be effective under extreme conditions, such as 1 M HCl/NaOH. Moreover, COFs-NH2PES composite nanofiltration membranes exhibited the ability to efficiently separate dye molecules of different sizes. This work introduces new ideas for constructing stable and durable COF functional composite membrane materials for practical applications.

Effects of Synthesis Parameters on Structure and Antimicrobial Properties of Bacterial Cellulose/Hydroxyapatite/TiO2 Polymer-Ceramic Composite Material.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a highly pure polysaccharide biopolymer that can be produced by various bacterial genera. Even though BC lacks functional properties, its porosity, three-dimensional network, and high specific surface area make it a suitable carrier for functional composite materials. In the present study, BC-producing bacteria were isolated from kombucha beverage and identified using a molecular method. Two sets of the BC hydrogels were produced in static conditions after four and seven days. Afterwards, two different synthesis pathways were applied for BC functionalization. The first method implied the incorporation of previously synthesized HAp/TiO2 nanocomposite using an immersion technique, while the second method included the functionalization of BC during the synthesis of HAp/TiO2 nanocomposite in the reaction mixture. The primary goal was to find the best method to obtain the functionalized material. Physicochemical and microstructural properties were analyzed by SEM, EDS, FTIR, and XRD methods. Further properties were examined by tensile test and thermogravimetric analysis, and antimicrobial activity was assessed by a total plate count assay. The results showed that HAp/TiO2 was successfully incorporated into the produced BC hydrogels using both methods. The applied methods of incorporation influenced the differences in morphology, phase distribution, mechanical and thermal properties, and antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 12453), and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231). Composite material can be recommended for further development and application in environments that are suitable for diseases spreading.

Investigation of electromagnetic wave absorption and anti-corrosion mechanism of multifunctional Ni/AlN composite coatings with core-shell structure by laser cladding

Developing efficient microwave absorbing materials (MAMs) suitable for prolonged use in marine environments is of great importance. Laser cladding serves as one of the new techniques for the material of surface modification and microwave-absorbing materials in the 3D printing. However, it is usually challenging to prepare materials that combine desirable printability, corrosion resistance, and microwave absorption properties using this technology. To enhance the microwave absorption of laser-clad Ni-based alloys, the method of impedance modulation was employed by incorporating ceramic powders with varying AlN content. The results show that Ni/AlN/MWCNTs composite functional materials with core-shell heterostructures were prepared under optimized laser processing parameters. This unique core-shell structure optimizes impedance matching increased polarization loss and multiple scattering to boost microwave absorption. The optimized 20wt% AlN content resulted in a minimum RL of -13.24dB at 13.86GHz, in addition, electrochemical tests showed that AlN enhanced the resistance to the corrosion medium transfer during the corrosion process, and the corrosion resistance of the Ni/AlN/MWCNTs composites material (self-corrosion current density (8.52 × 10-8), the charge transfer resistance (1.55 × 10-5)). Therefore, this work provides innovative theoretical and practical insight for the design and manufacture of advanced microwave-absorbing materials for harsh environments by laser melting technology.

Dual-use of sodium alginate to prepare sodium algenate -derived carbon dots sodium algenate hydrogel composite for Pb2+ removal

The effective mitigation of the environmental impact of heavy metal remains a significant scientific challenge. In this study, a novel and environmentally friendly approach has been proposed to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) functional composite materials for Pb(II) removal. The easy-to-recycle spherical adsorbent is prepared by the dual utilization of sodium alginate (SA) as a bio-source precursor for the synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) and as a natural framework for the formation of SA hydrogel. The abundant surface-active groups on the SA hydrogel not only provide additional adsorption sites for the aggregation of heavy metal ions but can also be readily cross-linked with CDs without chemical additives, and thereby offering a 3D porous structure for chelating metal ions. The resulting HL-5CDs adsorbent demonstrates an impressive adsorption capacity of 305.21 mg·g−1 for Pb(II). The adsorption mechanism involves both chemical reaction and diffusion, leveraging the porous structure and rich oxygen groups of the material. Notably, a pot experiment revealed that the as-prepared HL-5CDs could inhibit the bioavailability of Pb(II). This study introduces a green and straightforward method for creating high-performance adsorbents, showcasing potential applications in energy, cleaning, and the remediation of wastewater pollution.

MXene-based PCC-IS/M@TiO2 ternary integrated heterogeneous conjunctiva for efficient interfacial evaporation and photocatalytic degradation

Traditional photocatalytic materials have low catalytic efficiency due to their weak absorption capacity of light. As a new technology to obtain fresh water from seawater or sewage by using sunlight, solar interface evaporation has attracted wide attention. Therefore, it is urgent to explore new composite materials with synergistic interfacial evaporation and photocatalytic properties. A ternary integrated heteroconjunctival membrane (PCC-IS/M@TiO2) with excellent solar interfacial evaporation and photocatalytic properties has been prepared by two-step hydrothermal method and phase transformation method. Under the condition of 1 kW m−2 simulated solar illumination, the evaporation rate of the composite film can reach 1.4898 kg m−2 h−1, and the photothermal conversion efficiency can reach 82.93 %. It also has good photocatalytic performance on RhB and MB, with degradation rates of 93.34 % and 94.79 %, respectively. In addition to its recyclability and good recycling ability, its practical application ability has also been verified in outdoor experiments. PCC-IS/M@TiO2 has great application potential in the study of interfacial evaporation synergistic photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, and provides a new idea for exploring the design of functional composite materials for treating more complex pollutant water bodies.

Application of metal-organic frameworks-based functional composite scaffolds in tissue engineering.

With the rapid development of materials science and tissue engineering, a variety of biomaterials have been used to construct tissue engineering scaffolds. Due to the performance limitations of single materials, functional composite biomaterials have attracted great attention as tools to improve the effectiveness of biological scaffolds for tissue repair. In recent years, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great promise for application in tissue engineering because of their high specific surface area, high porosity, high biocompatibility, appropriate environmental sensitivities and other advantages. This review introduces methods for the construction of MOFs-based functional composite scaffolds and describes the specific functions and mechanisms of MOFs in repairing damaged tissue. The latest MOFs-based functional composites and their applications in different tissues are discussed. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of using MOFs-based composites in tissue engineering are summarized. The aim of this review is to show the great potential of MOFs-based functional composite materials in the field of tissue engineering and to stimulate further innovation in this promising area.

A novel synthesis of β-CD@SA@Ag composite hydrogel microspheres with high catalytic activity and environmental adaptability

The composite of hydrogels and noble metal nanoparticles has wide applications in the field of functional materials. In this paper, we developed a novel and green strategy to synthesize a kind of composite hydrogel microspheres containing silver nanoparticles and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) modified sodium alginate (β-CD@SA@Ag) without use of strong reducing reagent. First, β-CD was chemical linked to SA by epichlorohydrin (ECH) to form the β-CD modified polymer (β-CD@SA). then AgNO3 was added to the as-prepared polymer solution, in which silver nanoparticles were formed by the reducing power of β-CD units. Subsequently, by reversed-phase emulsion method and ionic cross-linking, a kind of β-CD@SA@Ag hydrogel microspheres were obtained. The structure and morphology of the composite material were characterized in detail by Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Test data indicated that silver nanoparticles evenly dispersed in the composite material. On the basis, the adsorption and catalytic performances of the β-CD@SA@Ag hydrogel microspheres were studied towards to the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds. Research results showed that the β-CD@SA@Ag hydrogel microspheres had excellent catalytic activity along with high environmental adaptability. whether in pure water, tap water or river water, aromatic nitro compounds can be completely reduced within 2–13 min. Moreover, the morphology of microspheres of the composite material endows the composite material with high stability and reusability. We believe that our work would provide a new idea for the green synthesis of organic-inorganic composite functional materials.

A review on the influence of various metal oxide nanoparticles on structural, morphological, optical, thermal and electrical properties of PVA/PVP blends

Biopolymer blend based nanocomposites have been interestingly investigated by researchers to achieve advanced composite functional materials that are environmentally amicable. Among the varieties of biopolymers, widespread attention has been given to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) owing to their interesting properties like water solubility, biodegradability, biocompatibility and non-toxicity. PVA and PVP form a completely miscible blend at all compositions as both the polymers are rich in a variety of functional groups that permit effective intermolecular interactions between the polymers as well as with filler. PVA/PVP blend exhibits excellent dopant sensitive properties also. Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) have made a prominent place in the area of scientific and technological research due to their unique chemical and physical properties. Doping with MONPs enhances the properties of the PVA/PVP blend matrix and the resulting PVA/PVP/MONP polymer nanocomposites are suitable for multifunctional purposes. This review mainly focused on the influence of various MONPs such as ZnO, CuO, Al2O3, ZrO2, MnO, SnO, MgO, TiO2, etc. in the structural, morphological, thermal, optical and electrical properties of PVA/PVP blend as well as its applications in various fields.

Facile Fabrication of Silica Glass Embedded with NiO Nanoparticles by 3D Printing Technology and its Optical Nonlinearity

Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in glass matrixes exhibit special optical, electrical, or magnetic properties. Despite various approaches of encapsulating NPs in different kinds of glasses to prepare functional composite materials, there still exist challenges in fabricating efficiency and performance for silica glass made by traditional methods, such as sol–gel or melt quenching. Herein, the authors report a facile way to fabricate metal oxide NP‐doped silica glass by digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing technology for the first time. Different from common ion doping in silica glass, metal acetylacetonates that can be thermally decomposed to corresponding metal oxides innocuously, are chosen as a general precursor. Then, the representative nickel(II) acetylacetonate is introduced during the 3D printing process. The subsequent heat treatment generates a homogeneous distribution of NiO NPs in silica glass and it also exhibits optical nonlinear effect. The results provide a facile method for developing functional metal oxide‐doped glasses as well as the freeform fabrication of optoelectronic devices based on them.