Clays enhanced with niobium: potential in wastewater treatment and reuse as pigment with antibacterial activity

• Silvia Jaerger,
• Patricia Appelt,
• Mario Antônio Alves da Cunha,
• Fabián Ccahuana Ayma,
• Ricardo Schneider,
• Carla Bittencourt and
• Fauze Jacó Anaissi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 141–154, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.13

• regeneration of the adsorbent. Various adsorbents including chitosan, cellulose, organophilic clays, kaolinite and montmorillonite clays, and activated carbon have been used for removing toxic compounds from polluted water [6]. Among these adsorbents, bentonite and smectite clays exhibit advantageous

• modified with niobium First, the clays were swollen; for this purpose, 2 g of bentonite clay was dispersed in 100 mL of water, and the resulting suspension was kept under stirring for 24 h. In this experiment step, the color of raw clay was brown (Figure 1a). Then, 3.14 g of NbOPO4 and Nb2O5 was added. The

• A-BEOxP to designate the modifications with NbOPO4 and Nb2O5, respectively. The adsorption efficiency of MB by the clays was calculated using Equation 1: where C0 (mg·L−1) is the initial concentration of the solution, and Cf (mg·L−1) is the concentration of the solution after the adsorption

Introducing third-generation periodic table descriptors for nano-qRASTR modeling of zebrafish toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles

• Supratik Kar and
• Siyun Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1142–1152, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.93

• range of substances that can be categorized as carbon-based, metal oxides, semiconductors, polymers, clays, emulsions, or metals [2]. Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) are metallic oxides that exist within the nanoscale range and can be intentionally created or occur naturally [3]. Under the rapid

Upscaling the urea method synthesis of CoAl layered double hydroxides

• Camilo Jaramillo-Hernández,
• Víctor Oestreicher,
• Martín Mizrahi and
• Gonzalo Abellán

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 927–938, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.76

• materials is one of the most relevant fields in materials science. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), a versatile class of anionic clays, exhibit great potential in photocatalysis, energy storage and conversion, and environmental applications. However, its implementation in real-life devices requires the

• -layer interactions and chemical composition. One of the most interesting families is that of layered double hydroxides (LDHs), which are characterized by having a positive charge, hence the name “anionic clays”. This family exhibits hydrotalcite-like structures consisting of infinite positively charged

• , pinpointing the most critical synthesis aspects that should be controlled. Furthermore, this work offers reliable characterization fingerprints for controlling the quality and phase purity of these appealing anionic clays. These results may pave the way for the use of these 2D layered materials in different

Nanoarchitectonics: bottom-up creation of functional materials and systems

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 450–452, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.36

• data produced could significantly contribute to the field of immunosensing. Some terrific examples of the application of the nanoarchitectonics concept for engineering applications and the physical sciences include a report by Ruiz-Hitzky et al., where they summarize how photoactive clays incorporating

pH-Controlled fluorescence switching in water-dispersed polymer brushes grafted to modified boron nitride nanotubes for cellular imaging

• Saban Kalay,
• Yurij Stetsyshyn,
• Volodymyr Donchak,
• Khrystyna Harhay,
• Ostap Lishchynskyi,
• Halyna Ohar,
• Yuriy Panchenko,
• Stanislav Voronov and
• Mustafa Çulha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2428–2439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.233

• ][16]. For the last two decades, carbon nanotubes [17], such as metal nanotubes [18], oxide nanotubes [19], boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) [12] and nanotubular clays [6][7] were intensively studied. The reason behind the widespread interest in nanotubes is due to their excellent application potential

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

• materials, and macromolecular systems of DNA and cells [2][3][4][5]. In this context, clay-based nanoarchitectonic materials have been developed over the years, starting from classical pillared clays and porous clay heterostructures (PCH) to more innovative materials involving the assembly of different

• types of nanoparticles and other species, and clays of different origin and morphology [6][7][8][9][10][11]. There are diverse methodologies and synthesis strategies to provide new functionalities to clays. Particularly useful for constructing nanoarchitectures is the use of organic–inorganic

• interphases as those provided by organoclays [12]. Besides typical 2D layered clays, fibrous (sepiolite, palygorskite) and tubular (halloysite, imogolite) clays are attracting growing interest in the development of a large variety of functional nanomaterials and nanocomposites for application in diverse

Multicomponent bionanocomposites based on clay nanoarchitectures for electrochemical devices

• Giulia Lo Dico,
• Bernd Wicklein,
• Lorenzo Lisuzzo,
• Giuseppe Lazzara,
• Pilar Aranda and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1303–1315, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.129

• recent years, the “nanoarchitectonics” concept has helped to develop a large variety of materials with new functionalities [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Among them, different types of functional materials based on clay minerals have been also prepared; pillared clays and polymer–clay nanocomposites are the best

• -known examples [7]. Besides classical layered silicates, clays showing other morphologies, such as fibrous (sepiolite and palygorskite) and tubular (halloysite and imogolite) clays, could also be interesting nanoparticulated solids in this context [8][9][10][11]. Sepiolite (SEP) and palygorskite are

• found for the sample with a higher content of chitosan (72%), suggesting a synergic effect of both clays as reinforcing fillers of the polymer and as adhesive agent, which is required to improve the mechanical properties of the designed samples [50][51]. The obtained compression modulus is comparable to

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

• , Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), 555 Moo 1 Payupnai, Wangchan, Rayong 21210, Thailand 10.3762/bjnano.10.114 Abstract Thought as raw materials clay minerals are often disregarded in the development of advanced materials. However, clays of natural and synthetic origin constitute

• of functional nanoarchitectures. Within this scope, clays can be of special relevance in the production of photoactive materials as they offer an advantageous way for the stabilization and immobilization of diverse metal-oxide nanoparticles. The controlled assembly under mild conditions of titanium

• transformation and for improved overall reaction efficiency. This article tries also to present new steps towards more sophisticated but efficient and highly selective functional nanoarchitectures incorporating photosensitizer elements for tuning the semiconductor–clay photoactivity. Keywords: clays

Outstanding chain-extension effect and high UV resistance of polybutylene succinate containing amino-acid-modified layered double hydroxides

• Adam A. Marek,
• Vincent Verney,
• Christine Taviot-Gueho,
• Grazia Totaro,
• Laura Sisti,
• Annamaria Celli and
• Fabrice Leroux

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 684–695, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.68

• preparation involving soft chemistry routes. Layered double hydroxides can be obtained as naturally existing materials or can be produced by synthetic routes (e.g., co-precipitation or ion exchange). They are also known as anionic clays or hydrotalcite-like materials and are described by the general formula

Layered calcium phenylphosphonate: a hybrid material for a new generation of nanofillers

• Kateřina Kopecká,
• Ludvík Beneš,
• Klára Melánová,
• Vítězslav Zima,
• Petr Knotek and
• Kateřina Zetková

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2906–2915, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.269

• to improve their stiffness, melt behavior, mechanical characteristic, durability and other properties of polymer products is a well-known process and has been studied for decades. Platelets of clay minerals are suitable and widespread fillers. In addition, some clays can be exfoliated thanks to their

• order to achieve a homogenous distribution within the volume of the polymer matrix. This is a drawback for natural clays as they are usually hydrophilic, thus their application is more suitable for water-based systems. This limitation can be overcome by intercalation of organic molecules into the

Uniform cobalt nanoparticles embedded in hexagonal mesoporous nanoplates as a magnetically separable, recyclable adsorbent

• Can Zhao,
• Yuexiao Song,
• Tianyu Xiang,
• Wenxiu Qu,
• Shuo Lou,
• Xiaohong Yin and
• Feng Xin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1770–1781, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.168

• composition [18][19]. They are a typical class of inorganic lamellar clays with dual-metal cations (e.g., CoAl) and anions or guest molecules within the interlayer region. The reduction of metal cations uniformly distributed in the lattice of LDHs by reducing agents to form well-dispersed metal nanoparticles

Photocatalytic and adsorption properties of TiO₂-pillared montmorillonite obtained by hydrothermally activated intercalation of titanium polyhydroxo complexes

• Mikhail F. Butman,
• Nikolay L. Ovchinnikov,
• Nikita S. Karasev,
• Nataliya E. Kochkina,
• Alexander V. Agafonov and
• Alexandr V. Vinogradov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 364–378, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.36

• the performance of the catalyst [53]. In addition, anatase and rutile phase ratio can play an important role, which, as noted in [54], can significantly affect the rate of photocatalytic decomposition. While interpreting the photocatalytic activity of TiO2-pillared clays one should keep in mind the

High-stress study of bioinspired multifunctional PEDOT:PSS/nanoclay nanocomposites using AFM, SEM and numerical simulation

• Alfredo J. Diaz,
• Hanaul Noh,
• Tobias Meier and
• Santiago D. Solares

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2069–2082, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.207

• discussed, for thinner films the properties of the thin films are expected to be dominated by the morphology of PEDOT:PSS. In the case of the nanocomposites, the damping mechanisms are also dominated by the polymer (since the clays are comparatively incompressible), and hence the quality factor is very

Organoclay hybrid materials as precursors of porous ZnO/silica-clay heterostructures for photocatalytic applications

• Marwa Akkari,
• Pilar Aranda,
• Abdessalem Ben Haj Amara and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1971–1982, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.188

• Bizerte, University of Carthage, 7021 Zarzouna, Tunisia 10.3762/bjnano.7.188 Abstract In this study, ZnO/SiO2-clay heterostructures were successfully synthesized by a facile two-step process applied to two types of clays: montmorillonite layered silicate and sepiolite microfibrous clay mineral. In the

• resulting materials were identified as delaminated clays of ZnO/SiO2-clay composition, whereas for sepiolite, the resulting heterostructure is constituted by the assembling of ZnO NP to the sepiolite–silica substrate only affecting the external surface of the clay. The structural and morphological features

• , the development of porous heterostructures based on clays attracts many researchers aiming to prepare adsorbents and catalysts for different applications [10]. Amongst the diverse strategies that have been applied in the preparation of these porous materials Letaïef and co-workers [11][12] proposed a

Controlled supramolecular structure of guanosine monophosphate in the interlayer space of layered double hydroxide

• Gyeong-Hyeon Gwak,
• Istvan Kocsis,
• Yves-Marie Legrand,
• Mihail Barboiu and
• Jae-Min Oh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1928–1935, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.184

• control. Keywords: guanosine monophosphate; hydrogen bond; layered double hydroxide; ribbon structure; supramolecular assembly; Introduction Since Bernal [1] and Cairns-Smith [2] suggested that layered clays contributed to the origin of life by affecting the conformation of prebiotic molecules in

• )polytetrahydrofuran [10]. These G4 membranes showed potential in Na+/K+ artificial ion channels. Inspired by the above reports claiming that i) intermolecular interactions of biomolecules are strongly affected by the confined geometry of layered clays and that ii) guanosine derivatives form various supramolecular

Effective intercalation of zein into Na-montmorillonite: role of the protein components and use of the developed biointerfaces

• Ana C. S. Alcântara,
• Margarita Darder,
• Pilar Aranda and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1772–1782, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.170

• intercalation of gelatin into montmorillonite [4], other biohybrids also based on the assembly of smectite clays and proteins (e.g., bovine serum albumin, gelatin, casein or soy) have been vastly studied [5][6][7][8][9][10]. However, protein adsorption on montmorillonite clay can be considered a complex process

• zein and fibrous clays [25]. The XRD patterns of the Z-MMT_S1 biohybrid materials with low adsorbed protein content show the (001) reflection peak at a 2θ value close to that of pristine MMT (Figure 2a). The diffractogram of Z-MMT_S1-27, with the highest zein content, shows two reflections at low 2θ

• explain the ability of the hydrophobic protein to penetrate into the interlayer region of sodium montmorillonite following the “synthesis 2” approach proposed in this work. Zein-layered clays as nanofillers in biopolymer films The biocompatible character of the developed bio-organoclays makes them an

Manufacturing and investigation of physical properties of polyacrylonitrile nanofibre composites with SiO₂, TiO₂ and Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles

• Tomasz Tański,
• Wiktor Matysiak and
• Barbara Hajduk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1141–1155, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.106

• ][4][5][6], metals (Au, Ag, Al, Fe) [7][8][9], SiC [10] and clays (saponite, montmorillonite, hectorite) [11][12][13]. In nanocomposites, which use inorganic materials at the nano-scale as reinforcement, there is a significant enhancement of properties with a much lower fraction of the reinforcing

Nanotechnology in the real world: Redeveloping the nanomaterial consumer products inventory

• Marina E. Vance,
• Todd Kuiken,
• Eric P. Vejerano,
• Sean P. McGinnis,
• Michael F. Hochella Jr.,
• David Rejeski and
• Matthew S. Hull

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1769–1780, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.181

• advertising to contain metal and metal oxide nanomaterials, silicon-based nanomaterials (mostly SiO2 nanoparticles), and a variety of other nanomaterial components (organics, ceramics, polymers, clays, nanocellulose, liposomes, nano micelles, carnauba wax, etc.) have been growing in popularity. During the

• nanomaterials (CNT = carbon nanotubes). Major nanomaterial composition groups over time. Carbon = carbonaceous nanomaterials (carbon black, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, graphene). Other = organics, ceramics, polymers, clays, nanocellulose, liposomes, nano micelles, carnauba wax, etc. Note the difference in

Nanoporous composites prepared by a combination of SBA-15 with Mg–Al mixed oxides. Water vapor sorption properties

• Amaury Pérez-Verdejo,
• Alvaro Sampieri,
• Heriberto Pfeiffer,
• Mayra Ruiz-Reyes,
• Juana-Deisy Santamaría and
• Geolar Fetter

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1226–1234, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.136

• distributions. Still, it is necessary to improve the preparation methods to obtain micro and mesoporous nanostructured composites more easily, with short preparation times, lower overall costs, better textural properties, and highly dispersed active metals. Anionic clays, or simply hydrotalcites, are good

Twofold role of calcined hydrotalcites in the degradation of methyl parathion pesticide

• Alvaro Sampieri,
• Geolar Fetter,
• María Elena Villafuerte-Castrejon,
• Adriana Tejeda-Cruz and
• Pedro Bosch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 99–103, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.11

• parathion (MP) is a very toxic organophosphate pesticide used as a non-systematic insecticide and acaricide on many corps. As MP and its by-products are highly toxic, they have to be retained to avoid pollution of rivers and lakes. Highly efficient sorbents are hydrotalcites (HTs) (or anionic clays). We

• its degradation products have to be retained and/or decomposed in aqueous solutions. Studies concerning the surface modification of cationic clays and hydrotalcites with organic ions, as pesticide sorbents, have been reviewed by Cornejo et al. [5]. For instance, MP undergoes degradation when it is

• , these products can also cause several environmental problems. Thus anionic clays, or simply hydrotalcites (HTs), should be good candidates for MP degradation at room temperature. HTs are layered compounds with basic properties whose chemical formula is: [M2+1−xM3+x(OH)2](Am−)x/m·nH2O [9][10][11][12