Layered double hydroxide/sepiolite hybrid nanoarchitectures for the controlled release of herbicides

• Ediana Paula Rebitski,
• Margarita Darder and
• Pilar Aranda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1679–1690, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.163

• value. This procedure and other protocols of synthesis together with the possibility to stabilize solids involving a large variety of metal ions have provided a large variety of LDH compounds of interest in numerous applications as adsorbents of anionic pollutants, catalysts, additive of polymers, as

• removal of pollutants from water, for instance dyes [31] and, As(III) and As(V) species [34]. Moreover, they could be used as precursors for supported metal-oxide nanoparticles that could be of interest in catalysis [31]. MgAl-LDH/sepiolite nanoarchitectures have been also satisfactorily tested as

BiOCl/TiO₂/diatomite composites with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B

• Minlin Ao,
• Kun Liu,
• Xuekun Tang,
• Zishun Li,
• Qian Peng and
• Jing Huang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1412–1422, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.139

• Abstract A BiOCl/TiO2/diatomite (BTD) composite was synthesized via a modified sol–gel method and precipitation/calcination method for application as a photocatalyst and shows promise for degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater upon visible-light irradiation. In the composite, diatomite was used as

Construction of a 0D/1D composite based on Au nanoparticles/CuBi₂O₄ microrods for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity

• Weilong Shi,
• Mingyang Li,
• Hongji Ren,
• Feng Guo,
• Xiliu Huang,
• Yu Shi and
• Yubin Tang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1360–1367, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.134

• , Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212018, PR China School of Energy and Power, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212003, PR China 10.3762/bjnano.10.134 Abstract Photocatalysis is considered to be a promising technique for the degradation of organic pollutants. Herein, a 0D/1D composite

• photocatalysis as an advanced green technology has been widely studied and applied for the removal of organic pollutants from water [1][2][3]. The catalytic activity of many wide-bandgap (Eg) semiconductor photocatalysts is restricted to UV light radiation, which is only 5% of the solar spectrum. Hence, the

• used for the oxidative degradation of organic pollutants [18]. In this context, there is a need for more efforts regarding the design and development of efficient noble metal-decorated CuBi2O4 photocatalysts. Recently, composite photocatalysts of zero-dimensional (0D) and one-dimensional (1D) materials

Janus-micromotor-based on–off luminescence sensor for active TNT detection

• Ye Yuan,
• Changyong Gao,
• Daolin Wang,
• Chang Zhou,
• Baohua Zhu and
• Qiang He

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1324–1331, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.131

• rapid detection of environmental pollutants. Experimental Materials Silica spheres with a diameter of 5 µm were obtained from Baseline Chrom Tech, Tianjin, China. Poly(styrene sulfonate) sodium salt (PSS, Mw = 70 000), poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH, Mw = 70 000), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA, Mw = 1800

A highly efficient porous rod-like Ce-doped ZnO photocatalyst for the degradation of dye contaminants in water

• Binjing Hu,
• Qiang Sun,
• Chengyi Zuo,
• Yunxin Pei,
• Siwei Yang,
• Hui Zheng and
• Fangming Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1157–1165, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.115

• ; Introduction Organic dyes used in the textile and dye industries account for a large proportion of pollutants in wastewater. Most of the organic dyes used are difficult to degrade, resulting in irreversible damage to the environment [1]. Although many efficient approaches have been applied to manage this

Photoactive nanoarchitectures based on clays incorporating TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles

• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky,
• Pilar Aranda,
• Marwa Akkari,
• Nithima Khaorapapong and
• Makoto Ogawa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1140–1156, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.114

• often than ZnO NPs regarding their use as photocatalysts. One of the main applications of clay–semiconductor materials is the mineralization of organic pollutants, which represents an ideal solution for the remediation of wastewater contaminated with diverse organic species. This process consists in the

• oxidative decomposition of organic pollutants to non-toxic inorganic species such as carbon dioxide, avoiding the formation of any kind of residual sludge [23]. In fact, advanced oxidation processes (AOP) might be considered as promising technologies for the sustainable removal of pollutants from urban

• alkoxides, salts or coordination complexes, remain associated with the delaminated clay sheets, resulting in stable and efficient photoactive catalysts of particular interest for the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater [84][87][89][106][107][118][128]. Akkari and co-workers [118] have recently

Glucose-derived carbon materials with tailored properties as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

• Rafael Gomes Morais,
• Natalia Rey-Raap,
• José Luís Figueiredo and
• Manuel Fernando Ribeiro Pereira

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1089–1102, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.109

• developed using new and innovative materials. Fuel cells are outstanding conversion devices, as they convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy with high efficiency and low emission of pollutants (the by products are water and heat) [1][2]. Fuel cells offer the best advantages for use with

Tailoring the stability/aggregation of one-dimensional TiO₂(B)/titanate nanowires using surfactants

• Atiđa Selmani,
• Johannes Lützenkirchen,
• Kristina Kučanda,
• Dario Dabić,
• Engelbert Redel,
• Ida Delač Marion,
• Damir Kralj,
• Darija Domazet Jurašin and
• Maja Dutour Sikirić

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1024–1037, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.103

• because of their unique physicochemical properties compared to the bulk material. TNMs play an important role in various applications such as photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants [1][2], sensors [3][4], solid oxide fuel cells [5], water purification [6][7], adsorption of radioactive and heavy

Hydrophilicity and carbon chain length effects on the gas sensing properties of chemoresistive, self-assembled monolayer carbon nanotube sensors

• Juan Casanova-Cháfer,
• Carla Bittencourt and
• Eduard Llobet

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 565–577, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.58

• local environment. One of the reasons for this is their high surface-to-volume ratio and hollow structure in which almost every single carbon atom is on the surface, making them suitable for the adsorption of gas molecules [6]. This capability to detect toxic air pollutants has made them ideal

• , different carbon nanotube sensors have been reported for detecting toxic pollutants emitted from vehicle exhaust [22][23], hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [24] or chemical warfare agents (CWAs) [25][26]. Usually, these modified carbon nanotubes improve the selectivity, because the chemical

• biofuels. Ethanol is added to fuels since it can act as a radical scavenger, improving air quality by diminishing the concentration of pollutants emitted from combustion engines. However, an excessive amount of ethanol in the blend can damage automotive fuel lines [35]. Additionally, by testing oxidizing

Development of an anti-pollution coating process technology for the application of an on-site PV module

• Sejin Jung,
• Wonseok Choi,
• Jung Hyun Kim and
• Jang Myoun Ko

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 332–336, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.32

• external surface pollutants, such as dust, yellow dust, animal excrement and rainfall sediment. These pollutants prevent sunlight from entering the PV modules and thereby degrade the power generation efficiency. Therefore, various studies have been conducted of late to effectively prevent the surface

• light transmittance of 95% or higher [5][6]. Large solar power plants are currently being installed for power generation, and a huge amount of time and cost is required for maintenance, including surface cleaning. Therefore, the introduction of a technology capable of easily removing pollutants using

• angles of the fabricated functional coating films were measured using a contact angle analyzer (Phoenix 300 Touch, S.E.O. Co., South Korea). The anti-pollution characteristics were measured using permanent markers instead of actual pollutants. This method is useful for checking the level of pollutant

Removal of toxic heavy metals from river water samples using a porous silica surface modified with a new β-ketoenolic host

• Said Tighadouini,
• Smaail Radi,
• Abderrahman Elidrissi,
• Khadija Haboubi,
• Maryse Bacquet,
• Stéphanie Degoutin,
• Mustapha Zaghrioui and
• Yann Garcia

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 262–273, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.25

• known to cause health problems even at low concentrations in living systems [3][4][5]. Among these toxic metals included on the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA’s) list of priority pollutants, zinc, lead, cadmium and copper are considered as the most hazardous. Solutions to remove heavy metals

New micro/mesoporous nanocomposite material from low-cost sources for the efficient removal of aromatic and pathogenic pollutants from water

• Emmanuel I. Unuabonah,
• Robert Nöske,
• Jens Weber,
• Christina Günter and
• Andreas Taubert

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 119–131, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.11

• ; micro/mesoporous; nanocomposite; water remediation; Introduction Porous carbon-based materials and carbon/inorganic hybrid materials have extensively been used for the adsorption of pollutants, such as heavy metals or aromatic hydrocarbons, from water in developing countries [1][2][3][4]. The removal

• of such contaminants is a necessity for public health in many developing countries because these pollutants can negatively alter important biochemical processes and thus are a critical threat to the health of plants, animals, and humans [5]. In addition to chemical contaminants, the removal of

• biological pollutants from water is a key issue in water treatment and public health. According to the World Health Organization, increasing discharges of untreated sewage, in addition to agricultural runoff and wastewater from industry, have drastically reduced the quality of water around the world. The

Wet chemistry route for the decoration of carbon nanotubes with iron oxide nanoparticles for gas sensing

• Hussam M. Elnabawy,
• Juan Casanova-Chafer,
• Badawi Anis,
• Mostafa Fedawy,
• Mattia Scardamaglia,
• Carla Bittencourt,
• Ahmed S. G. Khalil,
• Eduard Llobet and
• Xavier Vilanova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 105–118, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.10

• CNTs and iron oxide have been also used for sensing ammonia and NOx [22][23]. Among those gases NO2 is considered one of the most dangerous air pollutants occurring both indoors, due to using of gas stoves, and outdoors from fuel powered motor vehicles and power plants especially in long-term exposure

In situ characterization of nanoscale contaminations adsorbed in air using atomic force microscopy

• Jesús S. Lacasa,
• Lisa Almonte and
• Jaime Colchero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2925–2935, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.271

• specified properties during AFM operation [19][20]. Tip degradation, either tip wear or tip contamination from the sample, is mainly induced by AFM operation [18][20][21]. Other kinds of contamination that may affect the tip are organic contamination from ambient air, metallic pollutants due to the

Impact of the anodization time on the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanotubes

• Jesús A. Díaz-Real,
• Geyla C. Dubed-Bandomo,
• Juan Galindo-de-la-Rosa,
• Luis G. Arriaga,
• Janet Ledesma-García and
• Nicolas Alonso-Vante

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2628–2643, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.244

• such as excellent chemical stability, photo-corrosion resistance, low cost, and low toxicity make TiO2 a material suitable for energy production and environmental applications, such as advanced oxidation processes for the decomposition of organic pollutants in water [2][3]. However, the material

Improved catalytic combustion of methane using CuO nanobelts with predominantly (001) surfaces

• Qingquan Kong,
• Yichun Yin,
• Bing Xue,
• Yonggang Jin,
• Wei Feng,
• Zhi-Gang Chen,
• Shi Su and
• Chenghua Sun

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2526–2532, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.235

• at a flame temperature up to ≈2,000 K [4], which favours the formation of nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollutants. To suppress such reactions, a lower flame temperature is targeted, but this potentially results in incomplete combustion with large CO and unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions [5], which

Nanocellulose: Recent advances and its prospects in environmental remediation

• Katrina Pui Yee Shak,
• Yean Ling Pang and
• Shee Keat Mah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2479–2498, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.232

• concerns warrant the application of bio-renewable polymers in the production of nanomaterials. In recent years, nanomaterials have displayed potential in effective detection and removal of greenhouse gases, chemical contaminants, organic pollutants, and biological agents. These materials come in various

• nanocellulose, which could be particularly useful for particle aggregation of negatively charged pollutants to coagulate and flocculate kaolin colloids as reported by Liimatainen et al. [79]. On the other hand, the utilization of green solvents (ionic liquids) as both solvent and catalyst for cellulose

• adsorbent for wastewater treatment due to its adsorption affinity towards organic pollutants. Unlike micrometre-sized cellulose, the nanometre-sized counterparts are relatively smaller in dimensional size but also possess a larger surface area with improved porosity, which limits internal diffusion and

ZnO-nanostructure-based electrochemical sensor: Effect of nanostructure morphology on the sensing of heavy metal ions

• Marina Krasovska,
• Vjaceslavs Gerbreders,
• Irena Mihailova,
• Andrejs Ogurcovs,
• Eriks Sledevskis,
• Andrejs Gerbreders and
• Pavels Sarajevs

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2421–2431, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.227

• the presence of lead and other heavy ions, even in small quantities, is an important and topical task. ZnO nanostructures are promising candidates for use in such sensors. They are sensitive to various types of contamination, including almost all heavy metal ions and organic pollutants, and show very

SERS active Ag–SiO₂ nanoparticles obtained by laser ablation of silver in colloidal silica

• Cristina Gellini,
• Francesco Muniz-Miranda,
• Alfonso Pedone and
• Maurizio Muniz-Miranda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2396–2404, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.224

• chemical reactants. These nanocomposites, which combine the adsorption properties of silica with the plasmonic properties of nanometer-sized silver, can be used for several purposes, for example, for the SERS detection of environmental contaminants such as POPs (persistent organic pollutants), as

Hierarchical heterostructures of Bi₂MoO₆ microflowers decorated with Ag₂CO₃ nanoparticles for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic removal of toxic pollutants

• Shijie Li,
• Wei Jiang,
• Shiwei Hu,
• Yu Liu,
• Yanping Liu,
• Kaibing Xu and
• Jianshe Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2297–2305, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.214

• Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China 10.3762/bjnano.9.214 Abstract Developing highly active and durable visible-light-driven photocatalysts for the degradation of toxic pollutants is of vital significance

• candidate for wastewater treatment. Keywords: antibiotic removal; Bi2MoO6; heterojunction; silver carbonate (Ag2CO3); Introduction Industrial pollutants, such as industrial dyes and antibiotics, in wastewaters pose a huge threat to the environment [1][2]. Thus, many methods for pollutant removal have been

• established. However, the conventional wastewater treatments are usually accompanied by high cost, low efficiency and other insufficiencies [2]. The decomposition and mineralization of pollutants under sunlight through photocatalysis has been demonstrated to be an effective and green technology for

Electrospun one-dimensional nanostructures: a new horizon for gas sensing materials

• Muhammad Imran,
• Nunzio Motta and
• Mahnaz Shafiei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2128–2170, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.202

• important active materials for gas sensing applications. Such highly sensitive and selective elements can be embedded in sensor nodes for internet-of-things applications or in mobile systems for continuous monitoring of air pollutants and greenhouse gases as well as for monitoring the well-being and health

• benefits and limitations for every approach. Keywords: 1D nanostructures; conductometric devices; electrospinning; gas sensors; optical sensors; resonators; Review 1 Introduction The monitoring and control of air pollutants, toxic gases and explosives has become increasingly important for human wellness

• followed by death. Gas sensors are the primary devices used for the detection and monitoring of these pollutants. Employing nanotechnology in sensor applications has significantly improved the performance of such devices, providing enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, low power consumption and high

Synthesis of a MnO₂/Fe₃O₄/diatomite nanocomposite as an efficient heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for methylene blue degradation

• Zishun Li,
• Xuekun Tang,
• Kun Liu,
• Jing Huang,
• Yueyang Xu,
• Qian Peng and
• Minlin Ao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1940–1950, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.185

• ) oxide (Fe3O4); manganese(IV) oxide (MnO2); Introduction Organic contaminants are widely distributed in water and soil due to the excessive emissions of industrial processes, which causes a great threat to the ecosystem as well as to human health [1][2][3]. Most of the organic pollutants are toxic and

• -based catalysts, MnO2 shows good catalytic performance because of the Mn(III)/Mn(IV) redox loop and much less sludge formation due to the neutral functional pH value [11][12]. Although, the MnO2-PMS system shows good prospect in the treatment of organic pollutants, modifications focusing on the

• organic pollutants. XRD patterns of the purified diatomite and the prepared diatomite-supported composites. FTIR spectra of the purified diatomite and prepared diatomite-supported composites. The SEM images of diatomite (a), Fe3O4/diatomite (b, d), MnO2/Fe3O4/diatomite (c and e), EDX spectrum (f) and

Free-radical gases on two-dimensional transition-metal disulfides (XS₂, X = Mo/W): robust half-metallicity for efficient nitrogen oxide sensors

• Chunmei Zhang,
• Yalong Jiao,
• Fengxian Ma,
• Sri Kasi Matta,
• Steven Bottle and
• Aijun Du

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1641–1646, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.156

• results also suggest XS2 (X = Mo, W) nanosheets can act as promising nanoscale NO sensors. Keywords: free radical; half-metallicity; nitric oxide (NO); sensors; spin-polarized; Introduction Nitrogen oxide (NOx) gases, one of the most common groups of air pollutants, are known as one culprit of acid rain

Sulfur-, nitrogen- and platinum-doped titania thin films with high catalytic efficiency under visible-light illumination

• Boštjan Žener,
• Lev Matoh,
• Giorgio Carraro,
• Bojan Miljević and
• Romana Cerc Korošec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1629–1640, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.155

• of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technology, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia 10.3762/bjnano.9.155 Abstract Titanium dioxide photocatalysts have received a lot of attention during the past decades due to their ability to degrade various organic pollutants to CO2 and H2O, which makes them

• oxidizing species, which then oxidize adsorbed pollutants, forming CO2 and H2O as final products [7]. Because of this particularly beneficial characteristic, together with its low-cost and lack of secondary emissions [8], significant research has been focused on the use of TiO2 photocatalysis in various

Cr(VI) remediation from aqueous environment through modified-TiO₂-mediated photocatalytic reduction

• Rashmi Acharya,
• Brundabana Naik and
• Kulamani Parida

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1448–1470, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.137

• pollutants and has mandated a maximum acceptable concentration of 50 μg L−1 in potable water [13][14][15]. Therefore, it is now of great importance to explore the efficient and economical ways for the treatment of Cr(VI)-rich wastewater. Various techniques, such as chemical reduction, ion exchange, bacterial

• transformation for the fine chemical synthesis [39][40][41][42] and (v) photodegradation of pollutants [43][44][45][46][47][48][49]. Semiconductor-based photocatalysis proceeds through following three steps: (1) absorption of light; (2) separation and transport of charge carriers; and (3) redox reactions on the

• visible-light irradiation. The authors have also reported that •CO2− radicals (produced by the reaction of hVB+ with HCO2NH4) and eCB− are responsible for the reduction of 4-nitroaniline to p-phenylenediamine over CdS/TiO2 photocatalysts [56]. Photodegradation of pollutants The principle of photocatalysis