ZrO2 NPs Research Articles

ZrO2 Nanoparticles Filler-Based Mixed Matrix Polyethersulfone/Cellulose Acetate Microfiltration Membrane for Oily Wastewater Separation

Membrane technology has emerged as a dynamic field of study in academia and industry for treating produced oily wastewater. ZrO2 nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) filler-based mixed matrix polyethersulfone/cellulose acetate microfiltration membranes were fabricated and inspected in the oily wastewater remediation. The fabricated bare PES membrane, PES/CA blended polymers membrane, and PES/CA blended polymers incorporating ZrO2 NPs (ZrO2@PES/CA) membranes by phase inversion technique were inspected by field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and measurement of water contact angle and porosity. The ZrO2@PES/CA membrane which consisted of 0.5 wt.% ZrO2 NPs (0.5%ZrPC) afforded increased hydrophilicity and reduced water contact angle from 70° for P membrane to 30.23°. Also, the 0.5%ZrPC membrane gave pure water flux of 88.89 L/m2.h, high oil rejection of 98.2% and showed remarkable antifouling capacity with a high flux recovery ratio of 89.3% and relative flux reduction of 34.3%. The effect of transmembrane pressure (1, 2, 3, and 4 bar), feed temperature (25, 40, and 50 °C), and an initial oil concentration (250, 500, 750, and 1000 mg/L) on the permeation flux and oil rejection of the 0.5%ZrPC membrane was investigated. The results revealed that ZrO2@PES/CA membranes have a significant potential for effective oil removal with high permeability and antifouling ability. The 0.5%ZrPC membrane confirmed its durability and reusability when kept an acceptable oil removal after 5 cycles.

Chemical and Green Synthesis, Characterization, Electrical and Antimicrobial Activity of ZrO2 Nanoparticles

ZrO2 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using a chemical and green synthesis method. Their structural, morphological, optical, anti microbial and electrochemical properties were characterized. The green and chemical synthesis of ZrO2 was achieved by using the ethanolic extract and NaOH as reagents. XRD analysis confirmed the ZrO2 nanoparticles' tetragonal crystal phase. The surface morphological properties under the phases of nucleation, growth and aggregation as well as elementary composition were confirmed by SEM and EDS. The Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) analysis was used to investigate into the functional groups that were present in the molecules of the synthesized nanomaterials. The presence of zirconium oxide nanoparticles with an optical band gap value between 4.73 and 5.48 eV was confirmed by the absorption spectra at 226-232 nm Antimicrobial studies showed that ZrO2 nanoparticles had bactericidal activity at a dose of 10 g/mL against Proteus vulgaris, Eschericia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. The overall results of this study showed that ZrO2 NPs with excellent bioremediation and antibacterial characteristics were formed. The electrochemical behavior of both ZrO2 nano particles was examined using cyclic voltammetry studies were observed. The maximum enhanced specific capacitance value at a 10 mV/s scan rate.

Investigations on structural, morphological and UV light detection characteristics in p- ZrO2/ n-Si Heterostructure based devices

The development of hetero-structured based UV photodiode is a rapidly growing interest in the area of optoelectronic applications. In recent years, one of the next generation semiconductor material zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), has attracted much attention for UV photodiode applications. The curent research work focuses on the fabrication of ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors using ZrO2 nanocrystals with different molar concentrations. Using the co-precipitation method, ZrO2 nanocrystals were formed onto n-Si substrate. The prepared ZrO2 nanocrystals were characterized by XRD, UV–visible spectroscopy, FeSEM, HRTEM, PL spectroscopic analysis. The structural analysis of ZrO2 nanoparticles shows the cubic space groups with ((Fm-3m, Z = 4) and (Im-3m, Z = 1) respectively. The morphological analysis reveals the irregular shape and highly agglomerated. The TEM and HR-TEM images, and SAED pattern of ZrO2 NPs were obtained at higher mole concentration. The optical energy band gap of ZrO2 nanocrystals were determined in between 3.12 and 2.86 eV. The PL emission spectrum of ZrO2 nanoparticles shows highly intensive emission bands between 360 nm and 520 nm. The optimum ZrO2 (0.3 M) nanocrystal layers were formed onto n-Si substrate which was stacked between top and bottom Ag electrodes. The current-voltage measurements (I–V) plots and ln J-V plots characteristics of the fabricated Ag/p-ZrO2/n-Si/Ag devices were investigated under dark and UV illumination. The p-ZrO2/n-Si junction diodes exhibit the ideal rectifying function at higher molar concentration of ZrO2 diode, and the reverse saturation with maximum photo sensitivity was investigated.

Phosphatase-mimicking Zr@PDA nanozyme with excellent dispersion stability for the detection of fructose 1,6-diphosphate

Zr4+-doped polydopamine (Zr@PDA) nanozyme with phosphatase-like activity was synthesized by a one-pot hydrothermal method for the first time. Compared with previous representative phosphatase-mimicking nanozymes (i.e., CeO2 NPs, ZrO2 NPs and UiO-66), Zr@PDA not only exhibited higher dispersion stability in water, but also higher catalytical efficiency. Kcat/Km of Zr@PDA is 35 and 12 times that of UiO-66 and ZrO2 NPs, respectively, which would endow the Zr@PDA-based analytical methods with high sensitivity. As a demonstration, a novel colorimetric method based on Zr@PDA nanozyme was developed for sensitive detection of the drug fructose 1,6-diphosphate. The linear range is 1–15 μM with a detection limit as low as 0.38 μM.

Characterization and anticancer evaluation of zirconia nanoparticles synthesized via green route using sophora flavescens roots extract

The emergence of drug resistance in cancer cells has impeded recent progress in cancer therapy, leading to the investigation of novel anticancer drugs. The fabrication of metal and ZrO2 nanoparticles is a promising path with prospective applications across diverse technological domains. The present study investigates the potential anticancer effects of ZrO2 NPs obtained from the root extract of Sophora flavescens on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The structural and chemical features of these nanoparticles are analyzed using several techniques such as flow cytometry, SEM, TEM, FTIR, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The examination of XRD and TEM images demonstrates the significant contribution of plant root extract in enhancing the efficiency of nanoparticles, leading to the formation of nearly tetragonal crystal structures with an average size of 8 nm. The MTT experiment verifies the nanoparticles' anticancer activity, which depends on the dosage. The IC50 value of 253 μg/mL indicates the half-maximal inhibitory concentration. The optical microscope reveals an unusual sight: MCF-7 cells appear more spherical and less dense at higher concentrations. This research also investigates the antibacterial properties of ZrO2 nanoparticles against harmful bacteria, particularly those resistant to multiple drugs. The diffusion disk assay indicates that the nanoparticles are active against drug-resistant isolates, with zones of inhibition ranging from 31 to 55 millimeters. Additionally, the researchers noted a positive correlation between nanoparticle concentration and the size of the inhibition zone. Overall, the data indicates the potential of ZrO2 NPs to aid in cancer therapy as well as in combating infections.

Bioorganic macromolecules crowned zirconia nanoparticles: protein-rich fish mucus inspired synthesis and their antibacterial efficacy assessment

Abstract The bioinorganic material, such as fish mucus macromolecules crowned zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) was synthesized via green methodology and has been investigated their efficacy on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains that inhabit the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tracts, and colon. The environmentally benign synthesis methodology was used for fabricating biofunctionalized ZrO2 NPs with three different concentrations of C. striatus epidermal mucus. Spherical morphology with a size ranging from 7 to 25 nm of synthesized granular was identified by FESEM analysis. The powder XRD diffractions of synthesized ZrO2 NPs were confirmed with the previously reported standard literature. Upon being subjected to a primary microbial study, the synthesized ZrO2 NPs were shown to exhibit antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial pathogens. However, another Gram-negative bacterial stain, Proteus vulgaris shows almost similar efficiency to standard antibacterial drugs. Interestingly, all Gram-positive bacterial strains show a high zone of inhibition at higher concentrations of synthesized ZrO2 NPs. In general, the antibacterial activity study proved that the synthesized biofunctionalized ZrO2 NPs may be applied as an efficient health care beneficial material.

Synthesize uniform ZrO2 NPs by non-coordination solvents and modification for high refractive film

Zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) are considered promising functional materials due to their high refractive index, thermal stability, and relatively wide bandgap. They can be particularly valuable when blended with monomer resins to create transparent composite materials with tunable refractive indices. However, the challenge of synthesizing uniformly sized and transparently dispersible ZrO2 NPs in organic resin monomers has been an ongoing research problem. In this study, we proposed an improved method based on an existing synthesis route for the production of ZrO2 NPs. We employed a sol-gel approach and introduced a simple yet effective strategy to synthesize ZrO2 NPs. Using high-boiling non-coordinating solvent squalane to adjust the concentration of oil amine ligands in the solution, helped to balance the nucleation and growth of ZrO2, thereby improving the size uniformity of ZrO2 NPs. In addition, the addition of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to the reaction system effectively promoted the crystal growth of ZrO2 without affecting its crystal structure and crystallinity. Simultaneously, this addition significantly reduced the content of surface oleylamine (OAm) ligands. Finally, ZrO2 was modified using 2-Ethylhexanoic acid (EHA) and 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH-570), achieving successful transparent dispersion within the high refractive index acrylic monomer, benzyl acrylate (BZA). In-situ polymerization was used with a UV initiator to produce a refractive index continuously tunable BZA/ZrO2 composite film.

Enhanced light olefin production from CO2 over potassium promoted Fe–Co bimetallic ZrO2 supported catalysts

Over 1300 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted into the earth's atmosphere every second, threatening to breach the limiting global temperature increase of 1.5 °C set under the Paris Agreement. It is considered as sustainable feedstock that ensures season-wide availability for producing oxygenates and olefins. Likewise, CO2 hydrogenation to lower olefins was performed using bimetallic Fe-Co catalysts, processed in situ in a fixed-bed catalytic microreactor at 280–380 °C and a pressure of 0.5–3 MPa. A MOF framework (UIO-66) was used to fabricate ZrO2 NPs. In addition, a series of potassium-promoted Fe-Co bimetallic catalysts over the ZrO2 NPs were prepared, characterised and studied for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to light olefins. With increasing K content, the selectivity of C2-C4 increased under all operating conditions. The spent catalyst exhibits the bimodal size distribution of Fe3C, Fe2O3 and Fe° after a modified Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (M−FTS) reaction. The XANES data shows that the energy of the Fe K-edge and the Zr K-edge are shifted in a positive direction compared to the respective foil, indicating the presence of oxides in the fresh catalyst. Under the optimised reaction conditions, the H2-pretreated K promoted Fe-Co catalyst (K5Co3Fe10/ZrO2) showed remarkably low methanation with an olefin (C2-C4) selectivity of 38 %. In addition, the catalyst exhibits excellent stability and activity, providing nearly constant CO2 conversion and selectivity of (C2−C4=) lower olefins, CO and paraffin over the 100 h time-on-stream.

Enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial properties of silver–zirconia nanoparticles for environmental pollution treatment

Abstract Silver–zirconia nanoparticles (Ag–ZrO2 NPs) were synthesized via an in situ strategy at room temperature using NaBH4 as a reducing agent. The surface modification of ZrO2 nanoparticles with nano silver was confirmed through various characterization techniques including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–vis Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The obtained results demonstrated that Ag nanoparticles, with a crystallite size of approximately 12 nm, were uniformly distributed on the surface of ZrO2 nanoparticles. The incorporation of Ag nanoparticles to the ZrO2 nanoparticles led to increasing the light absorption ability and reducing the band gap of Ag–ZrO2 nanoparticles, thereby enhancing their photocatalytic performance under infrared lamp exposure. When 1 g/L of Ag–ZrO2 nanoparticles was employed to methylene blue (MB) solution, the degradation of MB reached 90 % after 5 h of exposure. Additionally, the Ag–ZrO2 nanoparticles exhibited a high antibacterial activity against two bacterial strains, E. coli and S. aureus. These findings highlight the potential of Ag–ZrO2 nanoparticles as effective materials for environmental pollution treatment through advanced oxidation processes.

Green synthesis and characterization of Zirconium Oxide with antimicrobial activities

Green synthesis methods have garnered considerable attention due to their eco-friendly and sustainable nature. In this study, we report a green synthesis approach to fabricate Zirconium Oxide nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) using cinnamon extract and citric acid as reducing and stabilizing agents. The green synthesis process was carried out through a sol-gel reaction method. The obtained ZrO2 NPs were characterized using various analytical techniques, including UV-Vis, XRD and FTIR. The characterization results confirmed the successful synthesis of crystalline ZrO2 NPs with a narrow size distribution and the presence of functional groups from cinnamon and citric acid on the NP surface. The synthesized ZrO2 NPs were further investigated for their antimicrobial properties against bacteria and fungi. The results demonstrated potent antibacterial and antifungal activities of the green-synthesized ZrO2 NPs. Overall; this study showcases a green and sustainable approach to synthesize ZrO2 NPs using cinnamon extract and citric acid as reducing and stabilizing agents. The resulting ZrO2 NPs exhibited promising antibacterial and antifungal properties, making them potential candidates for various biomedical and environmental applications, particularly in the development of novel antimicrobial agents and coatings.

Flexural strength of 3D-printed nanocomposite provisional resins: Impact of SiO2 and ZrO2 nanoparticles and printing orientations in vitro.

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the influence of zirconium dioxide nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) and silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) addition and printing orientation on the flexural strength (FS) of provisional three-dimensional (3D) printing resins undergoing thermal cycling (TC). Three dimensional-printed resin (NextDent C&B MFH) was used to fabricate 300bar-shaped specimens (25×2×2mm3 ). The ZrO2 NPs and SiO2 NPs specimens were divided into two groups, then subdivided into three groups, based on the nanoparticle concentration (i.e., 0 wt% (original group), 0.5 wt%, and 1 wt%). Each concentration was printed in three printing orientations (0°, 45°, and 90°). The printed specimens were exposed to 5000 cycles of TC, followed by a three-point bending test to assess the FS. Fracture surface analysis was conducted by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). For data analysis, ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc were utilized (α = 0.05). Compared to the original material, the addition of ZrO2 NPs and SiO2 NPs had a significantly positive impact on the FS, (P > 0.001). After TC, the FS of the original group decreased significantly and had the lowest value. The highest FS value was observed in 1% ZrO2 NPs at 0°. Regardless of the nanoparticle concentration, the 0° orientation consistently showed a higher FS, compared to the 45° and 90° orientations. At all orientations (i.e., 0°, 45°, and 90°), the FS significantly increased with the addition of NPs, compared with that of the original material (P > 0.001). TC had a significantly negative effect on the FS of the unmodified groups. However, no significant differences existed in FS among the modified groups after TC. The addition of SiO2 NPs and ZrO2 NPs increased the FS of the 3D-printed provisional resin. Regardless of the nanoparticle concentration, the 0° orientation had the higher FS. TC had an effect on the original resin, whereas it had no significant effect on the nanoparticle-modified resins. In clinical practice, 3D-printed provisional nanocomposite resins printed at the 0° orientation could be recommended for long-term dental provisional restorations.

Biomimetic ZrO2-modified seaweed residue with excellent fluorine/ bacteria removal and uranium extraction properties for wastewater purification

Exploring and developing promising biomass composite membranes for the water purification and waste resource utilization is of great significance. The modification of biomass has always been a focus of research in its resource utilization. In this study, we successfully prepare a functional composite membrane, activated graphene oxide/seaweed residue-zirconium dioxide (GOSRZ), with fluoride removal, uranium extraction, and antibacterial activity by biomimetic mineralization of zirconium dioxide nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) on seaweed residue (SR) grafted with oxidized graphene (GO). The GOSRZ membrane exhibits highly efficient and specific adsorption of fluoride. For the fluoride concentrations in the range of 100–400 mg/L in water, the removal efficiency can reach over 99 %, even in the presence of interfering ions. Satisfactory extraction rates are also achieved for uranium by the GOSRZ membrane. Additionally, the antibacterial performance studies show that this composite membrane efficiently removes Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The high adsorption of F− and U(VI) to the composite membrane is ascribed to the ionic exchange and coordination interactions, and its antibacterial activity is caused by the destruction of bacterial cell structure. The sustainability of the biomass composite membranes is further evaluated using the Sustainability Footprint method. This study provides a simple preparation method of biomass composite membrane, expands the water purification treatment technology, and offers valuable guidance for the resource utilization of seaweed waste and the removal of pollutants in wastewater.

Studying Some Properties of Microwave-Cured Resin After Adding PP Fibers and ZrO2 NPs

Aim of the study: Since the introduction of acrylic resin as a denture base material, it suffered from having unsatisfactory properties and processing method. So, the use of microwave cured technique for the acrylic as modified procedure to simplify the manipulation of laboratory procedure and reinforcing of polymer by materials such as fibers and nanoparticles can maintain good resin material and to overcome these limitations. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of adding polypropylene fibers with and without different concentration of ZrO2nanoparticles into resin on some properties such as surface hardness and roughness.
 Materials and methods: 100 samples were split into 2 groups depending on test type, 50 specimens were subdivided into 5 groups (control group without any reinforcement, reinforced with polypropylene fibers group alone and other three groups reinforced acrylic with polypropylene fibers with 0.5%,1%,1.5%ZrO2 respectively).
 Results: The results of polypropylene fibers addition into acrylic revealed a non-significant for both tests. The addition polypropylene fibers with ZrO2 nanoparticles showed significant heightening in the hardness and significant decrease in surface roughness.
 Conclusion: The conclusion of this study was both ZrO2nanoparticles with polypropylene fibers addition into resin improved the surface hardness with reduction in the surface roughness of acrylic resin.

INNOVATIVE SYNTHESIZE OF ZrO2 NANOMATERIAL USING BIODEGRADABLE DRAGON FRUIT PEEL EXTRACTS AND ITS PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY AGAINST METHYL ORANGE BY UV RADIATION

The motivation behind this study is to stress the worth of green amalgamation in the development of nanomaterials. Regarding this declaration, we said that we have examined the morphological, optical, underlying, and photocatalytic color debasement exercises of the incorporated ZrO2 nanoparticles as well as their biosynthesis by means of a response intervened by mythical serpent organic product bloom separate. UV-noticeable spectroscopy was utilized to identify a huge absorbance top at 360 nm. The utilization of SEM affirmed that the nanoparticles, which had a typical size of 17.5 nm, were circular in shape. The nanoparticles' zirconium (70.88%) and oxygen (29.12%) contents were checked utilizing energy-dispersive X-beam examination. The nanoparticles' X-beam powder diffraction (XRD) spectra demonstrated their crystallinity. While the information from HR-TEM shows particles that are 33.75 nm in size. When the photocatalytic movement of ZrO2 NPs was researched, Methyl Orange showed 54.2 % debasement following 120 minutes of UV openness and 68.50 % corruption following an hour and a half of UV openness, individually. This fresh-out of the plastic bio-ZrO2 nanoparticle was utilized to study the photocatalytic breakdown of methyl orange when presented with apparent light. The cationic color was separated by the engineered bio-ZrO2 shortly with 91.8 % corruption ability.

Highly Flexible Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) Nanocomposites Filled with Zirconium (IV) Oxide Nanoparticles and Graphene Nanoplatelets for Smart Electronic Devices

ABSTRACT In this study, we used solution casting method to fabricate Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexa fluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) polymer nanocomposites incorporated with different compositions of zirconium (IV) oxide nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). The PVDF-HFP/ZrO2/GNPs nanocomposites were characterized with the help of various analytical techniques. The results obtained from these techniques evidenced an excellent interaction between the nanofillers and the polymer matrix in the polymer nanocomposites. Further, dielectric studies of the PVDF-HFP/ZrO2/GNPs nanocomposites were performed at different frequencies and temperatures. Dielectric constant with higher values for the PVDF-HFP/ZrO2/GNPs nanocomposites (ε = 26964.66, at 50 Hz, at 150°C, feed composition: 75/5/20 wt%) and dielectric loss with lower values (Tanδ = 2.14, at 50 Hz, at 150°C, feed composition: 75/25/0 wt%) were observed for all the PVDF-HFP/ZrO2/GNPs nanocomposites at high temperature and at low frequency values. The increase in AC conductivity increased with increase in frequency and temperature (maximum value of σ AC = 1.14 × 10−5 S/m, feed composition: 75/10/15 wt%). Cole–Cole plots show semi-circular arcs that are consistent with fitted impedance data. Hence, the improved dielectric properties of the PVDF-HFP/ZrO2/GNPs nanocomposites suggested that these materials are suitable for smart electronic devices.

The impact of zirconia nanoparticles on the mechanical characteristics of 7075 aluminum alloy

Abstract In numerous engineering applications, metal matrix composites strengthened by ceramic particles have played an important role. For this purpose, an aluminum (Al 7075) nanocomposite has been fabricated, and nano-zirconium oxide of particle size 40 nm (0, 0.8, 1.6, and 2.4) wt% reinforced Al 7075 alloy was produced using a stir-casting process. The effect of ZrO2 NPs loading on mechanical properties along with the detailed characterization were demonstrated. The performance of Al with ZrO2 nanocomposite was investigated by Vickers hardness tester, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray, compression test, Lee’s disc, and Shore D instruments were utilized to determine the hardness, structural morphology, composition of the elements, Young’s modulus, thermal conductivity, and roughness values of the samples, respectively. The hardness (120.3–177) HV, compression strength (624.2–878.6) MPa, yield modulus (38–70) MPa, surface roughness (0.876–0.606) µm, thermal conductivity (2.0–2.39) W/m2 °C improved by increasing the wt% of ZrO2 NP reinforcement particles. The implication of these findings shows that 5 wt% nano-ZrO2-reinforced Al 7075 composites yielded better performance than pure Al 7075 alloy. To sum up, this investigation demonstrated that the ZrO2 reinforcement enhanced the mechanical properties of Al 7075.

Biosynthesis, Characterization, Adsorption and Antimicrobial studies of zirconium oxide Nanoparticles Using Punica Granatum Extract

In this study we using zirconium sulfate, Punica granatum plant extract, and an alkaline medium, to created ZrO2 nanoparticles. They were then characterized using a variety of techniques, including FT-IR, UV-visible, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The Debye-Scherrer equation was used to calculate the crystal size in X-ray diffraction and found to be 27.82 nm. The particle size of ZrO2 nanoparticles was determined using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopes, and transmission electron microscopy. Utilizing ZrO2 NPs, the metal ions M (II) = Co, Ni, and Cu were successfully adsorbed, proving that the three metal ions could be removed from the water at the same time. Over the time frame and under the circumstances, Ni(II) has the highest rate of adsorption. Co, Ni, and Cu ions had removal efficiencies of 32.79%, 75.00%, and 30.20%, respectively. Three concentrations of the ZrO2 nanoparticles were tested against two types of bacteria, Escherichia coli and staphylococcus, and one type of fungus, Candida, in various concentrations of (25, 50, and 75) mg/L. The outcomes were contrasted with those attained using the medications Amoxicillin and Metronidazole.

Properties of waterborne polyurethane chemically modified composite materials and their application in gushing water protection

The absence of organic solutions during the preparation of waterborne polyurethane has resulted in a decline in its overall performance. To address this issue, this study introduces nano zirconia as a modifier to enhance the properties of the polyurethane material. A novel composite material combining waterborne polyurethane and zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) was proposed, and its performance was experimentally analyzed. The particle size of ZrO2@CA is as high as 80 nm, which exceeds the 23 nm of ZrO2@MA and the 21 nm of ZrO2@AA. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the emulsion droplets in the composite lotion exhibit excellent spherical uniformity and dispersion. Moreover, there is not a significant difference in size between composite lotions with different zirconia contents. Remarkably, even with a zirconia content of only 0.5 wt%, the specimen exhibits high mechanical properties, with the tensile strength increasing from 11.9 MPa to 14.3 MPa and the elongation at break increasing from 560% to 712%. Additionally, a higher doping amount of ZrO2 leads to an increased water absorption rate, with the actual water absorption rate rising from 7% to 14.4%. In practical engineering projects A and B, the initial water output of four holes in engineering A is maintained at 48–580 m3/h. However, as time progresses, the water output gradually decreases, approaching 0 m3/h. In project B, the composite material coating exhibits a tensile strength greater than 15 MPa, reaching 18.26 MPa, which significantly surpasses the performance of the comparison material. Overall, the composite materials demonstrate excellent mechanical and water protection properties, proving to be crucial for practical water inrush protection applications.

Green synthesis of zirconia nanoparticles and their characterization, anticancer activity and corrosion inhibition properties

Zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) were synthesized using leaf extract of Parkia biglandulosa (P. biglandulosa) (PBL). The structure of ZrO2 NPs was confirmed by various spectroscopic techniques such as UV–Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDAX and HR-TEM coupled with SAED pattern. Morphology was studied with a scanning electron microscope coupled with an energy-dispersive study (EDS) and a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM). The crystalline phase was analyzed using a selected area electron diffraction pattern (SAED). The tetragonal phase structure of the produced NPs was authenticated by the XRD pattern. The absorption bands at 616 and 619 cm−1 confirmed the Zr–O–Zr asymmetric and Zr–O stretching modes of ZrO2 NPs. The ZrO2 NPs were evaluated for their bactericidal activity against oral bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Staphylococcus albus and Streptococcus mutans. The toxicity of the ZrO2 NPs was assessed by MTT assay on MCF7 breast cancer cells. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the Tafel polarization technique showed that the ZrO2 NPs mild steel (MS) exhibited greater anticorrosive behavior in 3.5% NaCl electrolyte compared with the uncoated MS plate.

Preparation and characterization of chitosan/polyethylene oxide nanocomposite films with different concentrations of zirconia nanocomposites

This study describes preparing and characterizing chitosan/polyethylene oxide (Cs/PEO) nanocomposite films incorporated with different zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) weight percentages. The study involved the preparation of nanocomposite films using the casting technique, followed by a detailed analysis of their structural, optical, and dielectric properties. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic measurements confirmed the interaction between Cs/PEO and ZrO2 NPs through hydrogen bonding between the polymeric chain and nanoparticles. The XRD analysis also indicated that the amorphosity of Cs/PEO matrices increased with the addition of ZrO2 NPs. The optical characteristics of the nanocomposite films, including absorption edge, band gap, refractive index, optical dielectric modulus (ε′ and ε′′), and optical conductivity (σ), were studied in detail. The results showed that adding ZrO2 NPs led to the creation of localized states in Cs/PEO and ZrO2 NPs, and the energy band gap reduced from 5.5 to 4.8 eV and from 4.4 to 2.7 eV, respectively. The dielectric measurements were performed, and it was found that both ε′ and ε′′ values were increased as the ZrO2 NPs content decreased and the frequency increased for the nanocomposite films. Additionally, the electrical conductivity was increased by adding ZrO2 NPs due to the presence of mobile charge carriers. Measurements of the real and imaginary dielectric modulus revealed that adding ZrO2 NPs improved both parameters. These findings indicate that the Cs/PEO- ZrO2 NPs nanocomposite films exhibit strong potential for use in optoelectronic devices, owing to their enhanced optical and electrical properties.