Molar Salt Research Articles

Uncovering fantastic synergistic lithium adsorption with manganese-titanium based composite nanospheres: Mild synthesis and molecular dynamics simulation insights

In light of the burgeoning energy technology sector and the ever-growing demand for lithium across diverse industrial domains, conventional lithium extraction methods have been proven inadequate due to their limited production capacity and high operational costs. This work introduces a novel approach to the manganese-titanium based composite HMTO (Mn:Ti=1:4) lithium ion-sieve (LIS) nanospheres, employing lithium acetate dihydrate, manganese carbonate and titanium dioxide P25 as the primary materials. These nanospheres exhibit relatively uniform spherical morphology, narrow size distribution, small average particle size (ca. 55 nm), large specific surface area (43.58 m2 g−1) and high surface O2− content (59.01%). When utilized as the adsorbents for Li+ ions, the HMTO (Mn:Ti=1:4) LIS demonstrates a fast adsorption rate, approaching equilibrium within 6.0 h with an equilibrium adsorption capacity (qe) of 79.5 mg g−1 and a maximum adsorption capacity (qm) of 87.26 mg g−1 (initial concentration C0: 1.8 g L−1). In addition, the HMTO (Mn:Ti=1:4) also delivers a high lithium extraction from the simulated high magnesium-lithium molar ratio salt lake brine (Mg:Li = 103), achieving a qe of 33.85 mg g−1 along with a remarkable selectivity (αMgLi=2192.76). Particularly, the HMTO (Mn:Ti=1:4) LIS showcases a satisfactory recycling adsorption performance. The adsorption capacity remains at a high level, even that determined after the 5th cycle (55.45 mg g−1) surpasses that of the most recently reported adsorbents. Ultimately, the fantastic synergistic lithium adsorption mechanism is deliberately uncovered by leveraging the ion exchange principles and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

Effect of dissolved KOH and NaCl on the solubility of water in hydrogen: A Monte Carlo simulation study.

Vapor-Liquid Equilibria (VLE) of hydrogen (H2) and aqueous electrolyte (KOH and NaCl) solutions are central to numerous industrial applications such as alkaline electrolysis and underground hydrogen storage. Continuous fractional component Monte Carlo simulations are performed to compute the VLE of H2 and aqueous electrolyte solutions at 298-423K, 10-400bar, 0-8 molKOH/kg water, and 0-6 molNaCl/kg water. The densities and activities of water in aqueous KOH and NaCl solutions are accurately modeled (within 2% deviation from experiments) using the non-polarizable Madrid-2019 Na+/Cl- ion force fields for NaCl and the Madrid-Transport K+ and Delft Force Field of OH- for KOH, combined with the TIP4P/2005 water force field. A free energy correction (independent of pressure, salt type, and salt molality) is applied to the computed infinite dilution excess chemical potentials of H2 and water, resulting in accurate predictions (within 5% of experiments) for the solubilities of H2 in water and the saturated vapor pressures of water for a temperature range of 298-363K. The compositions of water and H2 are computed using an iterative scheme from the liquid phase excess chemical potentials and densities, in which the gas phase fugacities are computed using the GERG-2008 equation of state. For the first time, the VLE of H2 and aqueous KOH/NaCl systems are accurately captured with respect to experiments (i.e., for both the liquid and gas phase compositions) without compromising the liquid phase properties or performing any refitting of force fields.

Binary aqueous solutions of choline salts: Determination and modelling of liquid density (298.15 or 313.15 K) and Vapour Pressure Osmometry (313.15 K)

Salts composed of the cholinium cation (such as choline hydroxide and choline chloride) have become one of the main reactants for the synthesis of greener ionic liquids, but, for a proper description of the aqueous solutions of these strong electrolytes by thermodynamic modelling, reliable data on liquid density (ρ) and vapour pressure (p) are needed, which are often unavailable. So, in this work, the liquid density (ρ) of binary aqueous solutions of choline bicarbonate ([Ch][Bic]), choline (2R,3R)-bitartrate ([Ch][Bit]), choline chloride ([Ch]Cl), choline dihydrogen citrate ([Ch][H2Cit]) and choline hydroxide ([Ch]OH) were measured at 298.15 or 313.15 K and 0.1 MPa and correlated using second-degree polynomials with salt molality (m), obtaining determination coefficients (R2) higher than 0.9974. Furthermore, the osmotic coefficients (ϕ) of these binaries were determined using vapour pressure osmometry (VPO), at 313.15 K and 0.1 MPa, being satisfactorily described by the Extended Pitzer Model of Archer, which yielded low values of standard deviation (3.58<σϕ·103<12.86). Then, the mean molal activity coefficients (γ±) and excess Gibbs free energies (GE/RT) were calculated, following the order [Ch][H2Cit] > [Ch][Bit] > [Ch][Bic] > [Ch]OH > [Ch]Cl, which corresponds to the decreasing polarity of the choline salts and agrees with the empirical law of matching water affinities (LMWA).

Systematic Incorporation of Ionic Hard-Core Size into the Debye-Hückel Theory via the Cumulant Expansion of the Schwinger-Dyson Equations.

The Debye-Hückel (DH) formalism of bulk electrolytes equivalent to the Gaussian-level closure of the electrostatic Schwinger-Dyson identities without the interionic hard-core (HC) coupling is extended via the cumulant treatment of these equations augmented by HC interactions. By comparing the monovalent ion activity and pressure predictions of our cumulant-corrected DH (CCDH) theory with hypernetted-chain results and Monte Carlo simulations from the literature, we show that this rectification extends the accuracy of the DH formalism from submolar to molar salt concentrations. In the case of internal energies or the general case of divalent electrolytes mainly governed by charge correlations, the improved accuracy of the CCDH theory is limited to submolar ion concentrations. Comparison with experimental data from the literature shows that, via the adjustment of the hydrated ion radii, CCDH formalism can equally reproduce the nonuniform effect of salt increment on the ionic activity coefficients up to molar concentrations. The inequality satisfied by these HC sizes coincides with the cationic branch of the Hofmeister series.

Solubility of CO in water and NaCl(aq) at high pressures

Experimental measurements of CO solubility in water and in NaCl(aq) solutions are reported at temperatures, pressures and salt molalities of relevance to geological carbon storage: (323.15 to 423.15) K, (2 to 28) MPa and (2 and 4) mol·kg−1, respectively. The expanded relative uncertainty of the CO solubility is estimated to be 4.4% at 95% confidence intervals. This study provides the first data for CO solubility in brine with high molality of salt. The results from this study were used to develop simple models for the solubility of CO in aqueous NaCl solutions as a function of temperature, pressure and salt molality dependent, up to 4 mol·kg−1.

Measurement and modelling of liquid density (298.15 and 313.15 K) and vapour pressure osmometry (313.15 K) for binary aqueous solutions of organic salts

Due to the eco-friendliness of organic salts, they have been gradually replacing other electrolytes in different fields of chemistry. For example, they provide biocompatible salting-out agents for liquid–liquid extractions and earth-abundant materials for flow batteries. Nevertheless, reliable liquid density and vapour pressure data, which are paramount for a proper parameterisation of thermodynamic models, are often hard to find for aqueous solutions of organic salts, delaying the development of these technologies.In this work, the liquid density (ρ) of five binary aqueous solutions of organic salts (disodium tartrate, sodium potassium tartrate, dipotassium tartrate, trisodium citrate and tripotassium citrate) were measured and correlated at 298.15 and 313.15 K and 0.1 MPa. In these assays, second-degree polynomials provided determination coefficients (R2) larger than 0.9982 in the correlation of liquid density with salt molality, for which a very accurate description of this property was accomplished. Moreover, vapour pressure osmometry (VPO) studies were carried out for these solutions at 313.15 K and 0.1 MPa. Then, the obtained osmotic coefficients (ϕ) were successfully modelled using the Extended Pitzer Model of Archer, yielding standard deviations (σϕ) lower than 8.61·10-3. Finally, the mean molal activity coefficients (γ±) and excess Gibbs free energies (GE/RT) of the binary aqueous solutions of organic salts were effectively calculated, with potassium- and tartrate-based salts attaining significantly higher values than the ones composed of sodium and citrate, hinting at a more ideal solution behaviour of the former.

Enhancement of Visible Light Antibacterial Activities of Cellulose Fibers from Lotus Petiole Decorated ZnO Nanoparticles.

Cellulose/ZnO (CZ) nanocomposites are promising antimicrobial materials known for their antibiotic-free nature, biocompatibility, and environmental friendliness. In this study, cellulose fibers extracted from lotus petioles were utilized as a substrate and decorated with various shapes of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), including small bean, hexagonal ingot-like, long cylindrical, and hexagonal cylinder-shaped NPs. Increasing zinc salt molar concentration resulted in highly crystalline ZnO NPs forming and enhanced interactions between ZnO NPs and -OH groups of cellulose. The thermal stability and UV-visible absorption properties of the CZ samples were influenced by ZnO concentration. Notably, at a ZnO molar ratio of 0.1, the CZ 0.1 sample demonstrated the lowest weight loss, while the optical band gap gradually decreased from 3.0 to 2.45eV from the CZ 0.01 to CZ 1.0 samples. The CZ nanocomposites exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (E. coli, Gram-negative) bacteria under visible light conditions, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.005mg/mL for both bacterial strains. The bactericidal effects increased with higher concentrations of ZnO NPs, even achieving 100% inhibition. Incorporating ZnO NPs onto cellulose fibers derived from lotus plants presents a promising avenue for developing environmentally friendly materials with broad applications in antibacterial and environmental fields.

Vortex-assisted hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvent liquid-liquid microextraction for the removal of silver ions from environmental water.

This study presents a novel approach for the quantification of silver ions in environmental water through the utilization of liquid-liquid microextraction, employing natural deep eutectic solvents in conjunction with inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy. The extracted solvent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The impact of various extractant types, extractant molar ratio, extractant volume, extraction time, and salt concentration on the efficacy of silver ion extraction was investigated. The findings indicate that the optimal extraction efficiency was attained by utilizing a 5-mL aqueous solution volume, containing 1000 μL thymol/lactic acid NADES 1:3, a salt concentration of 1 mg mL-1, a pH value of 4, and a vortex time of 4 min. Upon implementing the optimized experimental conditions, the recovery of target metal ions was from 96.9 to 101.0%. The relative standard deviations were observed to be within the range of 1.5 to 2.7%. The present study demonstrates the reproducibility, accuracy, and reliability of the method for detecting silver ions in environmental water, with linear range of 5~1000 ng mL-1 and limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) of 1.52 ng mL-1 and 5.02 ng mL-1, respectively.

Solvophobic effects in the mixtures of inorganic salts and organic solvents

The effect of inorganic salts on the solvation properties of organic solvents is analyzed. Experimental data on the thermodynamic functions of solvation at 298.15 K for alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons in methanol and tetrahydrofuran at varying concentrations of sodium iodide or lithium bromide have been obtained. The solubility of apolar compounds decreases with growing salt concentration as the Gibbs free energy of solvation linearly increases with the salt molarity. Hence, the salt effects in non-aqueous solvents can be characterized with Sechenov constants like those in aqueous solutions. An increase in salt concentration leads to a decrease in the entropy of hydrocarbon solvation. Calculation of the thermodynamic functions of cavity formation in the studied systems based on the molecular dynamics data show that the salt effects can be attributed to a less favorable and lower-entropy cavity formation. The Gibbs free energy of cavity formation is also linear on the salt concentration. These results can be interpreted as strengthening of the solvophobic effects upon salt addition, similar to what is typical for aqueous solutions. The observed trends are also similar to the behavior of solvation free energies in ionic liquids, which are known to correlate with ion concentration.

Molecular dynamics analysis of thermophysical properties of Na2CO3-K2CO3 binary molten salts in temperature range of 1125–1475 K

Molten carbonates are highly promising solar thermal storage materials. In this paper, the molecular dynamics (MD) method was used to study the thermal properties of binary molten salt mixtures of Na2CO3-K2CO3 as a function of temperature and composition. Their thermal storage mechanisms were analyzed from the perspectives of microstructure and atomic diffusion. It was confirmed that temperature and various components have significant effects on the density, thermal conductivity and shear viscosity of binary molten salts. Based upon the MD data, the correlation for the temperature-thermal properties-component with the correlation coefficient of higher than 0.98 was obtained. In addition, the radial distribution function (RDF) showed that the change in thermal properties was the result of variation in distance between the ionic clusters. Finally, based on the guidance of material composition design strategy, a coefficient that could reflect the synergistic effect between the binary molten salts was proposed for the first time. The results showed that the synergy coefficient reached its highest point for the molten salt molar ratio of 58:42, and at this point, the positive synergy was most obvious. This study can provide theoretical guidance for the design and enhancement in the performance of molten carbonates as thermal storage materials.

Solubility modeling of hydrogen sulfide in aqueous sodium salt solutions

Accurate solubility prediction of hydrogen sulfide in aqueous electrolyte solutions is critical for gas exploitation and geological storage. However, there is a lack of electrolyte Equation of State model that can accurately calculate the solubilities of hydrogen sulfide in aqueous electrolyte solutions over wide ranges of temperature, pressure, and salt molality. This work presents a modeling study on the solubilities of hydrogen sulfide in pure water and several aqueous sodium salt solutions. The thermodynamic framework used in this work is an electrolyte version of Cubic-Plus-Association Equation of State. The model’s temperature-dependent ion-gas binary interaction parameters are obtained by regressing the experimental solubilities in the aqueous electrolyte solutions. The modeling results show that the electrolyte Cubic-Plus-Association Equation of State can satisfactorily correlate the solubilities of hydrogen sulfide in aqueous electrolyte solutions over wide ranges of temperature, pressure, and salt molality. For the typical water–sodium chloride–hydrogen sulfide system, the model can satisfactorily correlate the gas solubilities with the mean relative deviation being 6.2%, with the temperature up to 593.95 K, pressure up to 32.30 MPa, and salt molality up to 6.0 mol⋅kg−1 water. Moreover, the salting-out effects and model adaptability are analyzed and discussed.

Influence of Zinc Salt Concentration on Structured ZnO Composition and Morphology

AbstractIn the present work, Zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) and Simonkolleite (Zn5(OH)8Cl22H2O) nanodisks were successfully prepared hydrothermally using zinc chloride as a zinc source salt. The molarity of the zinc salt was varied to investigate its effect on the structure of the synthesized nanostructures. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV‐visible optical transmittance, and photoluminescence were used to characterize the synthesized nanostructures. These results suggest that the morphology of the synthesized nanostructures was significantly influenced by the molarity of zinc chloride. We inferred that increasing zinc salt molarity above 0.01 M leads to a pure simonkolleite nanodisks. In contrast, ZnO NRs were formed at low concentrations.

How to Measure Solid State Lithium-ion Diffusion using the Atlung Method for Intercalant Diffusion

A systematic investigation of the factors that affect lithium diffusion coefficient measurements in the Atlung Method for Intercalant Diffusion (AMID) is carried out. Single crystal LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 is used for method development. The factors include electrode mass loading, separator thickness, electrolyte solvent choice and salt molarity, voltage interval sizes, open circuit relaxation time, C-rate choice, and charge vs discharge direction. In an ideal diffusivity measurement method, none of these factors listed should impact the true material diffusivity since it should be a purely material property. However, as we demonstrate here, all these experimental parameters should be selected carefully to minimize cell and electrode resistance contributions so that one can measure true lithium diffusivity in a material that is independent of current direction. We propose a low electrode loading cell design that is applicable for all diffusion measurement methods consisting of an ultrathin electrode coating (0.2 mAh cm−2), thin separator and 1.5 M LiPF6 ethylene carbonate: dimethyl carbonate 1:1 electrolyte. Additionally, we show diffusivity is not dependent on charge or discharge direction in NMC622, and we compare AMID results to Galvanostatic Intermittent Titration. Specific to AMID 15 min OCV time with 0.1 V intervals are suitable for this measurement.

Compressibility of Lithium Hexafluorophosphate Solutions in Two Carbonate Solvents.

Speed-of-sound measurements are performed to establish how the isentropic bulk modulus K s of the electrolyte system comprising lithium hexafluorophospate (LiPF6) in blends of propylene carbonate (PC) and ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) varies with salt molality m, mass fraction of PC in the PC:EMC cosolvent f, and temperature T. Bulk moduli are calculated by combining acoustic time-of-flight data between parallel walls of a liquid-filled cuvette with densitometric data for a sequence of binary and ternary salt solutions. Correlations are presented to yield K s (m, f, T) accurately for nine compositions spanning the range m = 0-2 mol kg-1 and f = 0-1, at temperatures T ranging from 283.15 to 313.15 K. Electrolyte compressibility varies most with solvent ratio, followed by salt content and temperature, with K s ranging from 1 to 3 GPa. Composition-dependent acoustical properties elucidate the nature of speciation and solvation states in bulk electrolytes, and could be useful to identify the features of individual phases within solution-permeated porous electrodes.

Molecular crowding bi-salt electrolyte for aqueous zinc hybrid batteries

Aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) represent a promising option for a low-cost, safe and sustainable energy storage system for large-scale applications. However, substandard Zn metal anode performance (hydrogen evolution, dendrites) and cathode instabilities, attributed to water activity and/or water-induced side reactions, still plague their practical deployment. Herein, we investigate the performance of an aqueous Zn//LFP hybrid battery by using molecular crowding electrolytes (MCE) combining a low concentrated bi-salt (Zn(TFSI) 2 and LiTFSI) electrolyte with a crowding agent, namely polyethylene glycol (PEG400). The composition of MCE electrolyte was optimized as a function of the PEG content and the molality of LiTFSI salt. The PEG confines water molecules, thereby reducing the fraction of “free water” molecules as evidenced by combined LSV, Raman, DSC and molecular dynamics simulations studies. Consequently, the reversibility of Zn plating/stripping anode reaction and the long-term cyclability of the Zn//LFP hybrid battery was significantly improved in MCE compared to the conventional electrolyte. Specifically, in our optimized MCE containing 1m Zn(TFSI) 2 and 4m LiTFSI in 70% wt. PEG, the Zn//LFP not only delivers high rate performance but also sustains high capacities (120 mAh g −1 ) with superior long-term cycling stability retaining 65% of its initial capacity over an extended period of 882 h (vs 5% after 205 h) over 200 cycles at 0.2 C compared to the conventional electrolyte. Furthermore, Zn//LFP demonstrates a much lower self-discharge rate (only 5% per month vs 100% in the conventional electrolyte) and superior float charge behavior inferring that the detrimental parasitic reactions in the aqueous Zn-hybrid battery are potentially suppressed in our MCE. These combined results show that this MCE strategy can be used to design high reversible, safe and long-cycling AZMBs for practical applications.

Effect of substrate temperature and precursor salt molarities on the nickel oxide physical properties

Effect of substrate temperature and precursor salt molarities on the nickel oxide physical properties

Influence of micellar size on the structure of surfactant-DNA complexes.

We have studied the structure of complexes of the cationic surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) with DNA as a function of surfactant to DNA base molar ratio (R) and salt concentration. Small-angle x-ray scattering data show the formation of nematic gels at lower and higher salt concentrations, irrespective of the value of R. Two crystalline phases are observed over intermediate salt concentrations; a square (S) phase for R>3 and a hexagonal (H_{S}) phase for lower R. Electron density maps of these phases show intercalated structures, with DTAB micelles sandwiched between long DNA strands. The composition of these complexes, estimated using elemental analysis, indicates that the micelles are not very long, and they occupy only about half of the interstitial volume between the DNA strands. This phase behavior is strikingly different from that of complexes of DNA with longer chain surfactants cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB), which show only a hexagonal (H) phase over similar ranges of R and salt concentration, the H_{S} structure observed in the present study being a sqrt[3]×sqrt[3] superlattice of the H structure. Madelung energies of the S and H structures, calculated from the electrostatic interaction between their cylindrical constituents, suggest that the former is preferred in DTAB-DNA complexes due to the smaller micellar radius of DTAB. The propensity of DTAB to form short micelles seems also to favor the H_{S} phase at lower R. These results illustrate the important role of micellar size in determining the structure of these two-dimensional macro-ion crystals.

Maximum in density of electrolyte solutions: Learning about ion-water interactions and testing the Madrid-2019 force field.

In this work, we studied the effect of Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ chlorides and sulfates on the temperature of maximum density (TMD) of aqueous solutions at room pressure. Experiments at 1 molal salt concentration were carried out to determine the TMD of these solutions. We also performed molecular dynamics simulations to estimate the TMD at 1 and 2m with the Madrid-2019 force field, which uses the TIP4P/2005 water model and scaled charges for the ions, finding an excellent agreement between experiment and simulation. All the salts studied in this work shift the TMD of the solution to lower temperatures and flatten the density vs temperature curves (when compared to pure water) with increasing salt concentration. The shift in the TMD depends strongly on the nature of the electrolyte. In order to explore this dependence, we have evaluated the contribution of each ion to the shift in the TMD concluding that Na+, Ca2+, and SO4 2- seem to induce the largest changes among the studied ions. The volume of the system has been analyzed for salts with the same anion and different cations. These curves provide insight into the effect of different ions upon the structure of water. We claim that the TMD of electrolyte solutions entails interesting physics regarding ion-water and water-water interactions and should, therefore, be considered as a test property when developing force fields for electrolytes. This matter has been rather unnoticed for almost a century now and we believe it is time to revisit it.

Effect of Mineral Nutrition and Salt Spray on Cucumber Downy Mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis).

It was previously shown that spraying with CaCl2, MgCl2, KCl, and K2SO4 and high N and Mg concentrations in the irrigation water of potted cucumber plants reduced powdery mildew, while medium P and high K concentrations increased powdery mildew. In the present work, we tested the effect of irrigation with N, P, K, Ca, and Mg and spraying with salts on downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis) of cucumber (CDM). In potted plants, an increase in N concentration in the irrigation water resulted in a major increase in CDM severity, while an increase in K or Ca concentrations resulted in a gradual increase in CDM severity. An increase in P and Mg concentrations in the irrigation water resulted in a major CDM decrease. Spraying with Ca, Mg, and K salts with Cl and SO4 anions resulted in CDM suppression in most cases, and a negative correlation was obtained between the salt and anion molar concentrations and the CDM severity. Using NaCl sprays, both Na and Cl concentrations were negatively related to the CDM severity. MgCl2 (0.1 M Cl), K2SO4 (0.1 M SO4), MgCl2 + K2SO4, and monopotassium phosphate (MKP, 1%) sprayed under commercial-like (CL) conditions significantly reduced CDM by 36.6% to 62.6% in one disease cycle, while, in a second cycle, CDM was significantly reduced only by K2SO4 and MKP. In conclusion, fertigation with P and Mg, and salt spraying decreased CDM, while only spraying under CL resulted in CDM suppression.

Tuning polymorphs of precipitated calcium carbonate from discarded eggshells: effects of polyelectrolyte and salt concentration.

Biowaste eggshells are a valuable source of calcium carbonate suitable for various applications. In this study, spherical vaterite and calcite calcium carbonate polymorphs have been synthesised from discarded eggshells by the precipitation technique at ambient temperature. The influence of initial salt concentration with different polyelectrolytes such as ethylene glycol (EG), polyethylene glycol (PEG, 600 and 6000), and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) at various w/v% concentrations on the polymorph crystal formation of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) particles was studied. The results indicated that PCC crystals with spherical, star-shaped and yarn shaped morphologies can be obtained based on the concentration of calcium ions and the presence of different polyelectrolyte solution. At low salt molar concentration, PEG-6000 and PSS polyelectrolytes were found to promote the formation of spherical vaterite calcium carbonate particles with particle mean diameters of 5.05 μm and 2.17 μm, respectively. Furthermore, silver nanoparticles were also loaded into the PCC particles in situ, and the surface area significantly increased from 2.2813 m2 g−1 in untreated ground eggshells to 30.4632 m2 g−1 in PCC particles in the presence of PSS and silver colloid solution. The EDS mapping revealed the average wt% of silver atoms loaded in PCC particles in the presence of PSS polyelectrolyte was lower (1.44 wt%) than in the presence of PEG-6000 (4.27 wt%) due to the silver encapsulation possibility during the core–shell formation, as confirmed by SEM images. The silver nanoparticle-loaded PCC particles in this study can be incorporated into the polymer matrix and employed for antimicrobial food packaging or wound dressing application.