Nano Titanium Research Articles

Enhancing Mechanical Properties and Antimicrobial Activity of Portland Cement through Titanium Oxide Incorporation

The impact of various factors such as microbes, allergens, inadequate environmental conditions, pollutants, and suboptimal building materials on human health within indoor environments is of utmost importance due to the significant amount of time people spend inside buildings. The objective of this study was to assess the combination of Portland cement (PC) with Titanium Oxide (TiO2) nano powder for antimicrobial properties with good physical and mechanical strength. TiO2 was added to PC at various percentages (0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% by the weight of cement) and analysis of slump flow, compressive strength and flexural strength were determined. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by agar diffusion test, utilizing 4 bacteria strains: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Results showed that the addition of TiO2 increased the mechanical strength of the specimen with 1.0% TiO2 displaying the optimum result. For the antimicrobial activity, samples with 1.05% TiO2 had the highest efficiency in inhibiting bacteria growth. The findings showed that a lower percentage of TiO2 added to the PC mortar significantly enhances its mechanical properties and is efficient in inhibiting the growth of bacteria. Such mortar mixture with antibacterial properties should be utilized to enhance hygiene conditions in diverse environments, including hospitals, institutional kitchens, etc., where such properties are necessary.

Preparation of high-performance anti-aging polypropylene by modified nano-TiO2 and calcium sulfate whisker grafted acrylonitrile composite PP.

By employing the radical polymerization method, acrylonitrile (AN) was grafted on the surface of nano titanium dioxide (TiO2), and the calcium sulfate whisker (CSW) was modified using the coupling agent KH570 to provide ultraviolet (UV)-absorption capacity. The prepared TiO2-PAN and CSW-PAN materials can improve the anti-aging performance and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) and meet the application requirements of high-performance polypropylene. Further, the obtained PP composites show prolonged service life and application scope, which can effectively reduce white waste and avoid both resource waste and environmental pollution.

Lung carcinogenicity by whole body inhalation exposure to Anatase-type Nano-titanium Dioxide in rats.

To investigate the carcinogenicity of anatase-type nano-titanium dioxide (aNTiO2), F344/DuCrlCrlj rats were exposed to aNTiO2 aerosol at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 2, and 8 mg/m3. The rats were divided into 2 groups: carcinogenicity study groups were exposed for two years, and satellite study groups were exposed for one year followed by recovery for 1 day, 26 weeks, and 52 weeks after the end of exposure. In the carcinogenicity groups, bronchiolo-alveolar carcinomas were observed in two 8 mg/m3-exposed males, showing an increasing trend by Peto's test. However, this incidence was at the upper limit of JBRC's historical control data. Bronchiolo-alveolar adenomas were observed in 1, 2, 3, and 4 rats of the 0, 0.5, 2, and 8 mg/m3-exposed females and were not statistically significant. However, the incidence in the 8 mg/m3-exposed females exceeded JBRC's historical control data. Therefore, we conclude there is equivocal evidence for the carcinogenicity of aNTiO2 in rats. No lung tumors were observed in the satellite groups. Particle-induced non-neoplastic lesions (alveolar epithelial hyperplasia and focal fibrosis) were observed in exposed males and females in both the carcinogenicity and satellite groups. Increased lung weight and neutrophils of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were observed in the 8 mg/m3-exposed carcinogenicity groups. The aNTiO2 deposited in the lungs of the satellite group rats was decreased at 26 weeks after the end of exposure compared to 1 day after the end of exposure. At 52 weeks after the end of exposure, the decreased level was the same at 26 weeks after the end of exposure.

Investigation of cementitious composites reinforced with metallic nanomaterials, boric acid, and lime for infrastructure enhancement

<abstract> <p>Nanomaterials integration within construction materials could promote the generation of more sophisticated structural materials, as it imbues reinforcement at the nanoscale. This research adopted experimental approaches to assess the influence of metallic nanomaterials on the performance of cementitious composites with various ratios of boric acid (1%, 3%, and 5% by sand's weight) and lime (0.5%, 1.5%, and 2.5% by sand's weight), respectively, for use in construction infrastructure facilities. This research provides valuable insight into the potential of using boric acid and lime as well as metallic nanomaterials to strengthen cement-based composites. Initial curing stages revealed a notable decrease in compressive strength attributed to the inhibitory effects of boric acid and lime on cement hydration. However, the introduction of TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles demonstrated significant enhancements in compressive strength and durability. Statistical analysis emphasized the significance of nanomaterials in augmenting compressive strength, with implications for long-term performance. This study has shown that the addition of nano-titanium dioxide TiO<sub>2</sub> can significantly enhance the compressive strength of Portland cement mortars, particularly when used in conjunction with appropriate ratios of boric acid and lime. The results of the 7 days test indicated that the inclusion of boric acid and lime in the cement mortars significantly decreased the compressive strength. However, the addition of nano-TiO<sub>2</sub> to cement mortars containing 1% boric acid and 0.5% lime resulted in a 31-fold increase in compressive strength compared to cementitious composites without nano-TiO<sub>2</sub>. In contrast, the compressive strength significantly increased by 1.2 times, 85.3 times, and 65.1 times, respectively, after 56 days for the addition of boric acid (1%, 3%, and 5%) with lime (0.5%, 1.5%, and 2.5%), respectively, in the presence of nano-TiO<sub>2</sub>, compared to the 7 days strength. The results also illustrated that, in general, the incorporation of various types of nano-TiO<sub>2</sub> into cementitious composites containing boric acid and lime increases their compressive strength as the ratios of boric acid and lime increase, as long as sufficient curing time is allowed.</p> </abstract>

Investigation of corrosion behavior of Al–TiO2 nanocomposite produced using air plasma spray and accumulative roll bonding method

This work is an attempt to study the Al–TiO2 nanocomposite properties applying accumulative roll bonding process. For this purpose, nano Titania powder was first coated on aluminum foil by air plasma spraying process. The nanocomposite was then fabricated in one, two, three, five, and seven cycles by ARB. To investigate the effect of ARB process cycles on an Al-5% wt. TiO2 nanocomposite, characterization tests including XRD, quantitative XRD analysis by MAUD software, FESEM, EDS, electrochemical impedance, and TAFEL polarization tests were performed on the samples. The results indicate that the crystallite size reduced from 156 to 31 nm and the dislocation density quadrupled in the composite. The results of XRD analysis showed an increase in the dislocation density in the composite when the number of cycles increases. The reduction of crystallite size and increase of the grain boundaries have caused a sudden increase in the dislocation density. As the ARB cycle increases, the local porosity decreases and the local cracks due to the separation of the titanium sprayed droplets disappear in the matrix phase, and the reinforcing phase has more diffusion in the matrix. With the increase of ARB cycles, the percentage of titanium and oxygen elements on the surface was decreasing, but they remained until the last cycle. Among the non-rolled and rolled samples in different cycles, ARBed samples after 1 cycle and 5 cycles had not only the lowest and highest corrosion current densities but also the highest and lowest total resistance (Rt), respectively. This indicates max corrosion resistance due to the decrease in defect and porosity resulting from plasma spray and min corrosion resistance as a result of formation of galvanic cell between Al-matrix and Ti-reinforcing particles, respectively.

The support effect on the performance of a MOF-derived Co-based nano-catalyst in Fischer Tropsch synthesis.

The catalyst plays a central role in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) process, and the choice of catalyst support significantly impacts FTS catalyst performance by enhancing its attributes. In this study, the effects of utilizing various metal oxides-CeO2, ZrO2, and TiO2-on a cobalt-based FTS nanocatalyst are investigated by evaluating the catalyst's reducibility, stability, syngas chemisorption, intermediate species spillover, charge transfer, and metal-support interaction (MSI). This evaluation is conducted both theoretically and experimentally through diverse characterization tests and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Characterization tests reveal that the ceria-supported catalyst (Ceria Nano Catalyst, CNC) demonstrates the highest reducibility, stability, CO chemisorption, and spillover, while the zirconia-supported catalyst (Zirconia Nano Catalyst, ZNC) exhibits the highest hydrogen chemisorption and spillover. The MD simulation results align well with these findings; for instance, ZNC has the lowest hydrogen adsorption enthalpy (ΔHAds.), whereas CNC has the lowest ΔHAds. for CO. Additionally, MD simulations indicate that the titania-supported catalyst (Titania Nano Catalyst, TNC) possesses the highest MSI value, closely resembling that of ZNC, albeit with a minor difference. The TNC catalyst's performance in other tests is also similar to that of ZNC. Finally, FTS performance tests illustrate that the ZNC catalyst achieves the highest CO conversion at 88.1%, while the CNC catalyst presents the lowest CO conversion at 82.2%. Notably, the CNC catalyst showcases the highest durability, with only a 4.4% loss in CO conversion and an 8.55% loss in C5+ yield after 192 h of operation.

Development of Corona Prevention Coatings for 750kV Substation in Operation

A single acrylic resin has poor conductivity and toughness, but strong hydrophilicity, which limits its application in high-voltage transmission corona prevention. In response to this issue, this article investigates the preparation of four types of acrylic composite conductive coatings with different additions of carbon fiber powder, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and nano titanium dioxide. Through experimental testing, compare and analyze the effects of various fillers on the mechanical properties, conductivity, hydrophobicity, and heat resistance of acrylic composite conductive coatings. The experimental results show that the acrylic conductive coating prepared with thermoplastic acrylic resin as the matrix, carbon fiber powder and multi-walled carbon nanotubes as conductive fillers, and nano titanium dioxide as a self-cleaning agent has excellent performance characteristics in all aspects, and is suitable for corona prevention in ultra-high voltage transmission. This acrylic composite coating can be used to repair burrs and scratches on the surface of transmission lines, fill gaps in stranded wires, and achieve the goal of reducing the local electric field of high-voltage transmission lines to prevent wire corona.

Investigation into the degradation of air and runoff pollutants using nano g-C3N4 photocatalytic road surfaces

Exhaust emissions and road runoff pollution pose significant environmental challenges, leading to severe air pollution and irreversible soil damage, respectively. The adoption of self-cleaning road surfaces with photocatalytic properties has emerged as an effective approach to combat both types of pollution. Currently, nano titanium dioxide (TiO2) stands as the most widely used semiconductor for photocatalytic pavements. However, its limited light/radiation utilization remains a concern. To address this, the present study focuses on the use of the green nanomaterial graphene-like phase carbon nitride (g-C3N4), which has a smaller band gap to improve its light utilization. Comprehensive characterizations were performed to elucidate its physical/chemical properties. Subsequently, photocatalytic road coatings with various active substance contents were prepared by incorporating g-C3N4 into epoxy resin, and the functional pavement's performances were evaluated. A laboratory assessing method for the degradation of runoff pollution and NO contaminant was devised, enabling the evaluation of the redox capacity of semiconductive photocatalysts. Experimental results demonstrate that the nano g-C3N4 photocatalytic coating exhibits significant enhancement in degradation efficiency for a typical water pollutant, methylene blue (MB), being 2.76 times that of the nano TiO2 photocatalytic coating. Additionally, its ability to degrade NO gaseous contaminant under visible-light irradiation is 7 times more than the control sample of TiO2 coating. Moreover, the photocatalytic coating has good anti-slip property and long-term performance. Thus, nano g-C3N4 proves to be a more suitable semiconductor material for self-cleaning road surfaces, holding tremendous potential to mitigate diverse pollution arising from transportation under natural light conditions.

Improvement of Concrete Mechanical Properties by Adding Nanomaterials

This study examined the impact of replacing the cement weight in concrete with nanomaterials (mix (C) 1% Carbon Nanotube CNT, mix (T) 2.5% Nano Titanium and mix (S) 3% Nano Silica) on the concrete mechanical properties through experimental investigations and comparison with normal concrete to show the extent of the effect of adding nanomaterials on the properties of concrete. The differences and increasing in the compressive strength for the mix (T) by comparison with the mix (N) and the mix (S) in the age of 7 days the increasing was 17% and 80% for the mix (S) and (T) respectively, In the age of 28 days the increasing was 44% and 60% with the mix (S) and (T) respectively and in the age of 56 days the increasing was 32% and 36% with the mix (S) and (T) respectively. The compressive strength for mix (C) was decreased 39%, 22%, 13% compared with the compressive strength for mix (N) at 7, 28 and 56days, respectively. The best improvements in compressive strength and splitting tensile strength for the mix that was added Nano Titanium (T) replacement by (2.5%) from weight of cement. For the mixes with nano material, a highest unit weight was observed at the age of 28 days. Referring to the results of SEM (Scanning electron microscope), the effect of nano Silica on the durability and mechanical properties of concrete can be explained by microstructure and from measuring X-ray diffraction (XRD) of concrete samples with the added Nano materials, these materials added to the concrete have clearly affected on the crystalline and chemical structure of the cement mortar components.

Maternal nano-titanium dioxide inhalation exposure alters placental cyclooxygenase and oxidant balance in a sexually dimorphic manner

The placenta plays a critical role in nutrient-waste exchange between the maternal and fetal circulation, and thus impacts fetal growth and development. We have previously shown that nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) inhalation exposure during gestation decreased fetal female pup and placenta mass [1], which persists in the following generation [2]. In utero exposed females, once mated, their offspring's placentas had increased capacity for H2O2 production. Generation of oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), have been shown to impact cyclooxygenase activity, specifically metabolites such as prostacyclin (PGI2) or thromboxane (TXA2). Therefore, we hypothesized that maternal nano-TiO2 inhalation exposure during gestation results in alterations in placental production of prostacyclin and thromboxane mediated by enhanced H2O2 production in a sexually dimorphic manner. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to nano-TiO2 aerosols or filtered air (sham-control) from gestational day (GD) 10–19. Dams were euthanized on GD 20, and fetal serum and placental tissue were collected based on fetal sex. Fetal placental zones (junctional zone (JZ) and labyrinth zone (LZ)) were assessed for xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) activity, H2O2, and catalase activity, as well as 6-keto-PGF1α and TXB2 levels. Nano-TiO2 exposed fetal female LZ demonstrated significantly greater XOR activity compared to exposed males. Exposed fetal female LZ also demonstrated significantly diminished catalase activity compared to sham-control females. Exposed fetal female LZ had significantly increased abundance of 6-keto-PGF1α compared to sham-control females and increased TXB2 compared to exposed males. In the aggregate these data indicate that maternal nano-TiO2 inhalation exposure has a greater impact on redox homeostasis and PGI2/TXA2 balance in the fetal female LZ. Future studies need to address if treatment with an XO inhibitor during gestation can prevent diminished fetal female growth during maternal nano-TiO2 inhalation exposure.

Nano-island-like heterojunction of nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots anchoring on titanium oxide nano sheets@Cu2O for enhancing visible light-driving photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange

Cu2O and TiO2 are promising for photocatalysis owing to their lower cost and excellent performance. Unfortunately, the efficiency of light utilization by Cu2O and TiO2 is still low. Herein, the nano-island-like heterojunction of nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots anchoring on titanium oxide nano sheets@Cu2O (NCQDs/TNSs@Cu2O) was synthesized through the hydrothermal and chemical precipitation process and its photocatalytic performance was systematically characterized. Benefiting from the unique heterojunction, NCQDs/TNSs@Cu2O exhibited a superior photocatalytic performance. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed that NCQDs/TNSs nanoclusters were decorated on Cu2O nanoparticle surface and formed heterojunctions. The UV–Vis-DRS spectra indicated that NCQDs/TNSs@Cu2O exhibited the strong adsorption peaks between 400 and 650 nm. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, NCQDs/TNSs@Cu2O exhibited excellent photocatalytic degradation performance on methyl orange. For example, the degradation was completed within 20 min and the photo-degradation capacity of NCQDs/TNSs@Cu2O remained 90.1 % after four recycling cycles. Furthermore, the potential mechanism for the photo-induced degradation was proposed based on the active substances identified through the electron spin resonance. Conclusively, this study provides a novel perspective on the role of NCQDs and prepares the way for the design of the biomass-based photocatalyst.

Maternal exposure to nano-titanium dioxide impedes fetal development via endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the placental labyrinth in mice

BackgroundExtensive production and usage of commercially available products containing TiO2 NPs have led to accumulation in the human body. The deposition of TiO2 NPs has even been detected in the human placenta, which raises concerns regarding fetal health. Previous studies regarding developmental toxicity have frequently focused on TiO2 NPs < 50 nm, whereas the potential adverse effects of large-sized TiO2 NPs received less attention. Placental vasculature is essential for maternal–fetal circulatory exchange and ensuring fetal growth. This study explores the impacts of TiO2 NPs (100 nm in size) on the placenta and fetal development and elucidates the underlying mechanism from the perspective of placental vasculature. Pregnant C57BL/6 mice were exposed to TiO2 NPs by gavage at daily dosages of 10, 50, and 250 mg/kg from gestational day 0.5–16.5.ResultsTiO2 NPs penetrated the placenta and accumulated in the fetal mice. The fetuses in the TiO2 NP-exposed groups exhibited a dose-dependent decrease in body weight and length, as well as in placental weight and diameter. In vivo imaging showed an impaired placental barrier, and pathological examinations revealed a disrupted vascular network of the labyrinth upon TiO2 NP exposure. We also found an increase in gene expression related to the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) -SNAIL pathway and the upregulation of mesenchymal markers, accompanied by a reduction in endothelial markers. In addition, TiO2 NPs enhanced the gene expression responsible for the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells, whereas SNAIL knockdown attenuated the induction of EndMT phenotypes.ConclusionOur study revealed that maternal exposure to 100 nm TiO2 NPs disrupts placental vascular development and fetal mice growth through aberrant activation of EndMT in the placental labyrinth. These data provide novel insight into the mechanisms of developmental toxicity posed by NPs.

Incorporating of TiO2 with oxygenated fuel and post-injection strategy in CRDI diesel engine equipped with EGR: A step towards lower NOX, PM and enhance soot oxidation reactivity

A mixture of diesel, biodiesel (from algae), and butanol was mixed with nano-titanium dioxide at 50 and 100 parts per million in this study under post-injection (PI) strategy and two rates (10 % and 20 %) of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). In the literature, few studies have investigated how PI strategies effect on engine emissions and combustion performance from mixture of B16M20 by butanol (16 %), microalgae biodiesel (15 %) and diesel with variable EGR rates. To gain a better understanding of the effects of EGR rates on diesel engines running with B16M20 mixture, this study was conducted. The final fuel type test used B16M20 treated with 50 ppm and 100 ppm of nano-TiO2. Fuel specific fuel consumption (BSFC) increased by 3 % for both diesel and B16M20 when EGR was used, but PI reversed this trend. Nanoparticles added to B16M20 blend significantly contributing in decreased BSFC to 6.47 %. 100 ppm nano-TiO2 added to 10 % of EGR, along with PI, can achieve the same or enhance better brake thermal efficiency (BTE) by 4.53 % than pure diesel. The lowest NOX levels by 26.48 % were achieved with 100 ppm nano-TO2 and B16M20 with 20 % EGR. Because of EGR's high heat capacity and dilution effect, higher EGR rates result in higher soot levels. As a result of the PI strategy, the soot levels emitted from B16M20 reduced by 28.57 % compared with diesel fuel. At PI strategy presence (W PI) and adding 100 ppm nano-TiO2 into the B16M20 blend resulted in the lowest PM concentrations by 59 % compared to the diesel and without PI (W/O PI). PM emissions were significantly reduced at temperatures below 600 °C from B16M20 blend combustion with delay injection, 10 % EGR, and 100 ppm nano-TiO2. Soot oxidation was minimized through EGR, and enhanced by nano-TiO2. Adding this 100 ppm of nanoparticles to diesel fuel produced more reactive soot than diesel fuel alone.

In situ bridges of nano-titanium dioxide constructed in MXene self-cleaning loose nanofiltration membranes for dye wastewater treatment

It has been a longstanding problem to combat the oxidation process of MXene membranes. Here, we propose a strategy to construct nano bridge defect repair loose nanofiltration membrane with the help of MXene oxidation. The oxidation kinetics of Ti3C2Tx was investigated in both model and experimental aspects. The acid solution leads to aggregation and smaller d-spacing. However, the oxidation of MXene was accelerated in alkaline solution via reaction with hydroxyl anions resulting in a hydrophilic MXene membrane surface. The water permeability of the pH = 12-Ti3C2Tx membrane increased to a maximum value of 26.5 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1 together with a high rejection (98 %) of Janus green B (JGB). Titanium dioxide, which was in situ formed by oxidation of MXene, gives the membrane self-cleaning properties under UV light. The water recovery ratio was as high as 96.6 %. To further study the mechanism of in situ oxidation of MXene to form nano-titanium dioxide, the oxidation stages were analyzed which revealed that the in-situ oxidation process involved three different oxidations stages. This research offers a new perspective on MXene membrane design, paving the way for a new method of in situ nano bridge defect repair loose MXene nanofiltration membrane.

Synergistic Effects of f-MWCNTs and Nano Titania on the Wound Healing Efficacy of Chitosan Films in Drosophila and Rat Models

Synergistic Effects of <i>f</i>-MWCNTs and Nano Titania on the Wound Healing Efficacy of Chitosan Films in Drosophila and Rat Models

Novel and superhydrophilic bifunctional NiCuMn@TiN nanosheets supported on iron foam for high-performance supercapacitors and water oxidation

Synthesizing low-cost and highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for hybrid supercapacitors and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critically essential for the progress of energy storage and conversion devices. Therefore, a novel, inexpensive and superhydrophilic bifunctional NiCuMn@TiN nanosheet supported on iron foam (NiCuMn@TiN/IF) is successfully designed and fabricated via spent cupronickel (SCN) as Ni and Cu precursor by a facile one-step electrosynthesis routine. With adding nano titanium nitride (TiN), the obtained NiCuMn@TiN/IF composite electrode not only possesses a large superhydrophilic surface that enhances ion/electron transfer efficiency and provides numerous activity sites for the electrochemical reaction but also achieves efficient recovery of metal resources using the secondary resource SCN as soluble anode further reduces the cost of electrode preparation. And since the synergistic effect of large specific surface area and superhydrophilicity, the NiCuMn@TiN/IF delivers a high specific capacity of 22.5 F cm−2 at 10 mA cm−2 in 3 M KOH and also illustrates superior OER activity with an extremely low overpotential (286 mV) and remarkable durability at a high current density of 100 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH. This research provides a solid foundation for the large-scale preparation of low-cost and high-performance non-precious metal bifunctional electrocatalysts for the commercial development of electrochemical supercapacitors and electrochemical water-to-hydrogen conversion technology.

A Novel Electrochemical Strategy for the Highly Sensitive Investigation of Tinidazole Using Newly Designed Halloysite Nano Clay and TiO2 Based Sensor

A voltametric technique with high sensitivity has been introduced to perform the electrochemical reduction of Tinidazole (TDZ), a significant antihistamine medication employed to combat infections instigated by various protozoans like Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, and Trichomonas vaginalis. This method employs a Titanium oxide and halloysite nano clay modified Glassy Carbon electrode (TiO2-HNC/GCE), which displayed remarkable sensitivity and selectivity in detecting TDZ. The electrode characterization was carried out by XRD and SEM-EDS. The analysis of TDZ explored using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV). The best reduction activity of TDZ was observed in pH of 7.0. The process was determined to be irreversible and controlled by diffusion. Through concentration variance assessments, a linear range of 1.0 μM to 10.0 μM was established. Detection and quantification limits were computed to be 14 nM and 46.9 nM, which is superior to reported works. The practical utility of the modified sensor was verified to detect TDZ concentration in pharmaceutical and biological samples. The investigation of various parameters indicated the sensor’s stability, and sensitivity in yielding valuable outcomes and can be used in pharamaco-kinetics and quality control laboratories.

Structures and Electronic Properties of Titanium Oxo Clusters with Tartrate Ligand: A Density Functional Theory Study

Titanium oxo clusters are considered a model for nanotitanium dioxide and have gradually become a new field of functional materials in solar cells. In this work, the precise structural information of two types of tartrate-based titanium-oxo clusters was investigated by quantum chemical approaches. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations provided the precise structural parameters of Ti4(C4H2O6)(AS)2(OiPr)10 and Ti4(C4H2O6)(ATS)2(OiPr)10. Our work provided reliable results in agreement with the experimental results. In both molecules, the Ti-O bonds were mainly divided into three categories: the bonds in the first category were the coordination bonds between the central skeleton Ti atom and the tartaric acid group, whose bond lengths were 2.000 – 2.080 Å; the bonds in the second category were the coordination bond formed by the Ti atom and the oxygen on the AS ligand sulphonic acid group, whose bond lengths were 2.148 – 2.310 Å; the bonds in the third category were the Ti-O bonds with shorter bond lengths, which were the coordination bond formed by the Ti atom and the oxygen on the isopropylalkoxy group with their bond lengths in the value range from 1.777 Å to 1.795 Å. These kinds of Ti-O bonds also can be found in other Ti4 titanium-oxo clusters. Molecular orbitals showed that electron transfer from the AS/ATS ligand to the {Ti4} central skeleton was induced by sunlight with maximum UV-Vis absorption of 605/629 nm. Our calculation results provide strong guidance for the discovery of new efficient titanium oxo in solar cells.

Adsorption of Chromium (VI) from Aqueous Solution Using Nano TiO2 Doped Strong Base Anion Exchange Resin

Background: The evolution of environmentally-safe methods for treating hazardous chemicals in wastewater, particularly urban and industrial wastewater, has increased interest over recent years. The chromium-containing wastewater is produced by industries from steel, metallurgical, electroplating, chemical, refractory, leather tanning, dye manufacturing, mining, cementing, textiles, etc. Consequently, advanced techniques are essential for treating chromium-polluted water. Objective: The prime objective of this effort was to assess the adsorption performance of nanoTiO2 (nanoparticles of average crystallite size 19.15 nm) doped strong base anion exchange resin (TDTulsion) for Cr(VI)to that of the host Tulsion A-62 (MP). Methods: The tests were carried out in batches in the temperature-controlled water bath shaking unit, with 30 ml of the aqueous solution containing Cr(VI) and a certain amount of resin being stirred for 6 hours at 303 K. Using a standard diphenylcarbazide (DPC) procedure at 540 nm, the solution was spectrophotometrically analyzed for Cr(VI). Results: The majority of the Cr(VI) ions are adsorbed by the anion exchange resins Tulsion A- 62(MP), and TD-Tulsion is in the pH range of 4.0 to 5.0. The maximal sorption capacity of Cr (VI) was established to be 181.5 and 204.8 mg/g for Tulsion A-62(MP) and TD-Tulsion, respectively. Conclusion: The TD-Tulsion has a substantially better adsorption capacity than Tulsion A-62(MP) under similar conditions. The outcomes show that modifying anion-exchange resin with nano titanium dioxide improves adsorption performance in Cr(VI) removal from drinking water and contaminated water.

Development of nano titanium dioxide modified carbon paste electrode for determination of chloramphenicol in vaname shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) pond water by cyclic voltammetry

Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic that has activity against aerobic, anaerobic, and fungal bacteria and is often used in vaname shrimp farming pond water. Behind its usefulness, chloramphenicol has side effects for health, such as aplastic anemia, bone marrow suppression, stomach intestinal disorders, and optical and peripheral neuropathy. This study aims to determine the ability of carbon paste electrodes modified with nano titanium dioxide to detect chloramphenicol levels in vaname shrimp pond water by cyclic voltammetry. This research has successfully made an electrochemical sensor as a nano titanium dioxide-modified carbon paste electrode to detect chloramphenicol in vaname shrimp pond water samples. Nano titanium dioxide used as a modifier in carbon paste electrodes was characterized by XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) and FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared), while the study of electrochemical characteristics using cyclic voltammetry method. The electrochemical sensor that has been made is a nano titanium dioxide-modified carbon paste electrode that can detect chloramphenicol in vaname shrimp pond water using the cyclic voltammetry method.