Application of chitosan loaded with metal oxide nano particles to remove lead present from sea water

Chitosan is a natural polymer obtained by deacetylation of chitin. After cellulose chitin is the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature. It is biologically safe, non-toxic, biocompatible and biodegradable polysaccharide. Chitosan loaded with zinc oxide nanoparticles have gained more attention bio sorbent because of their better stability, low toxicity, simple and mild preparation method and high sorption capacity. Chitosan loaded with zinc oxide nanoparticles have been prepared of chitosan. The physicochemical properties of nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Analysis. Its sorption capacity for lead and cadmium ions studied. Factors such as initial concentration of lead ions, cadmium ions sorbent amount, contact time, pH and temperature were investigated. It is found that chitosan loaded with zinc oxide nanoparticles could sorb lead and cadmium ions effectively, this sorption rate was affected significantly by initial concentration of lead and cadmium ions, sorbent amount, contact time, pH of solution. The maximum of percentage of lead sorption was 98 % with initial concentration 3 mg/l and sorbent amount 0.05 g, pH 11 in 45 min and cadmiumwas90 %with initial concentration 3mg/l and sorbent amount 0.05 g, pH 11 in45 min. Consequently chitosan loaded with zinc oxide nanoparticles demonstrated greater fixation ability for lead ions than cadmium ions.

Haemocompatibility of iron oxide nanoparticles synthesized for theranostic applications: a high-sensitivity microfluidic tool

The poor heating efficiency of the most reported magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), allied to the lack of comprehensive biocompatibility and haemodynamic studies, hampers the spread of multifunctional nanoparticles as the next generation of therapeutic bio-agents in medicine. The present work reports the synthesis and characterization, with special focus on biological/toxicological compatibility, of superparamagnetic nanoparticles with diameter around 18 nm, suitable for theranostic applications (i.e. simultaneous diagnosis and therapy of cancer). Envisioning more insights into the complex nanoparticle-red blood cells (RBCs) membrane interaction, the deformability of the human RBCs in contact with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was assessed for the first time with a microfluidic extensional approach, and used as an indicator of haematological disorders in comparison with a conventional haematological test, i.e. the haemolysis analysis. Microfluidic results highlight the potential of this microfluidic tool over traditional haemolysis analysis, by detecting small increments in the rigidity of the blood cells, when traditional haemotoxicology analysis showed no significant alteration (haemolysis rates lower than 2 %). The detected rigidity has been predicted to be due to the wrapping of small MNPs by the bilayer membrane of the RBCs, which is directly related to MNPs size, shape and composition. The proposed microfluidic tool adds a new dimension into the field of nanomedicine, allowing to be applied as a highsensitivity technique capable of bringing a better understanding of the biological impact of nanoparticles developed for clinical applications.

Active oxygen by Ce–Pr mixed oxide nanoparticles outperform diesel soot combustion Pt catalysts

A Ce0.5Pr0.5O2 mixed oxide has been prepared with the highest surface area and smallest particle size ever reported (125 m2/g and 7 nm, respectively), also being the most active diesel soot combustion catalyst ever tested under realistic conditions if catalysts forming highly volatile species are ruled out. This Ce–Pr mixed oxide is even more active than a reference platinum-based commercial catalyst. This study provides an example of the efficient participation of oxygen species released by a ceria catalyst in a heterogeneous catalysis reaction where both the catalyst and one of the reactants (soot) are solids. It has been concluded that both the ceria-based catalyst composition (nature and amount of dopant) and the particle size play key roles in the combustion of soot through the active oxygen-based mechanism. The composition determines the production of active oxygen and the particle size the transfer of such active oxygen species from catalyst to soot.

The Effect of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on the Fate and Transformation of Arsenic in Aquatic Environments

Iron oxides and arsenic are prevalent in the environment. With the increase interest in the use of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) for contaminant remediation and the high toxicity of arsenic, it is crucial that we evaluate the interactions between IONPs and arsenic. The goal was to understand the environmental behavior of IONPs in regards to their particle size, aggregation and stability, and to determine how this behavior influences IONPs-arsenic interactions. A variety of dispersion techniques were investigated to disperse bare commercial IONPs. Vortex was able to disperse commercial hematite nanoparticles into unstable dispersions with particles in the micrometer size range while probe ultrasonication dispersed the particles into stable dispersions of nanometer size ranges for a prolonged period of time. Using probe ultrasonication and vortex to prepare IONPs suspensions of different particle sizes, the adsorption of arsenite and arsenate to bare hematite nanoparticles and hematite aggregates were investigated. To understand the difference in the adsorptive behavior, adsorption kinetics and isotherm parameters were determined. Both arsenite and arsenate were capable of adsorbing to hematite nanoparticles and hematite aggregates but the rate and capacity of adsorption is dependent upon the hematite particle size, the stability of the dispersion and the type of sorbed arsenic species. Once arsenic was adsorbed onto the hematite surface, both iron and arsenic can undergo redox transformation both microbially and photochemically and these processes can be intertwined. Arsenic speciation studies in the presence of hematite particles were performed and the effect of light on the redox process was preliminary quantified. The redox behavior of arsenite and arsenate were different depending on the hematite particle size, the stability of the suspension and the presence of environmental factors such as microbes and light. The results from this study are important and have significant environmental implications as arsenic mobility and bioavailability can be affected by its adsorption to hematite particles and by its surface mediated redox transformation. Moreover, this study furthers our understanding on how the particle size influences the interactions between IONPs and arsenic thereby clarifying the role of IONPs in the biogeochemical cycling of arsenic.

Nanocomposites based on poly(caprolactone)-chitosan electrospun nanofibers and metallic oxide nanoparticles. Their potential use to adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants

Pollution of water bodies is one of the most common environmental problems today. Organic pollutants are one of the main drawbacks in this natural resource, among which the following stand out long-lived dyes, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. This research aims at obtaining nanocomposites based on polycaprolactone-chitosan (PCL-CS) electrospun nanofibers (NFs) containing TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) for the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, using Rhodamine B as a model. The fabricated hybrid materials were characterized by FT-IR, TGA, DSC, SEM, TEM, tensile properties, and the contact angle of water drops. The photoactivity of the NFs was investigated using a batch-type system by following UV-Vis absorbance and fluorescence of rhodamine B (RhB). For this purpose, TiO2NPs were successfully ex-situ incorporated into the polymer matrix promoting good mechanical properties and higher hydrophilicity of the material. The results showed that CS in the NFs increased the absorption and degradation of RhB by the TiO2NPs. CS attracted the pollutant molecules to the active sites vicinity of TiO2NPs, favoring initial adsorption and degradation. In other words, a bait-hook-and-destroy effect was evidenced. It also was demonstrated that the sensitization of TiO2 by organic dyes (e.g., perylene derivative) considerably improves the photocatalytic activity under visible radiation, allowing the use of low amounts of TiO2. (≈0.05 g/1 g of fiber). Hence, the current study is expected to contribute with an environmentally friendly green alternative solution.

Síntese e caracterização de óxidos de zinco e de magnésio suportados em A1SBA-15 para produção de biodiesel

To overcome the challenge of meeting growing energy demand in a sustainable way, biodiesel has shown very promising as alternative energy can replace fossil fuels, even partially. Industrially, the biodiesel is produced by homogeneous transesterification reaction of vegetable oils in the presence of basic species used as catalysts. However, this process is the need for purification of the esters obtained and the removal of glycerin formed after the reaction. This context, the alternative catalysts have that can improve the process of biodiesel production, aiming to reduce costs and facilitate its production. In this study, the AlSBA-15 support with Si / Al ratio = 50 was synthesized, as like as the heterogeneous catalysts of zinc oxide and magnesium supported on mesoporous AlSBA-15 silica, in the concentrations of 5, 10, 15 and 30 %, relative to the support. The textural properties and structural characterization of catalysts and supports were determined by techniques: X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled to the chemical analyzer, adsorption / desorption of N2, thermal analysis (TG / DTG), absorption spectroscopy in the infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Characterization results indicated that the support AlSBA-15 retained the hexagonal ordered after the incorporation of zinc oxide and magnesium oxide in the holder. For heterogeneous catalysts, ZnO-AlSBA-15, that was observed the presence of zinc oxide nanoparticles dispersed in the surface and interior channels of the mesoporous and microporous support. The catalytic activity was evaluated by the transesterification reaction of sunflower oil via methylic route, and some reaction parameters were optimized with the most active catalyst in biodiesel production by sunflower oil. For the series of heterogeneous catalysts, the sample with 30 % ZnO supported on AlSBA-15 showed a better conversion of triglyceride to methyl esters, about 95.41 % of reaction conditions: temperature 175 °C, with molar ratio of 42:1, stirring at 200 rpm and under a pressure of 14 bar for 6 h. The catalyst MgO-AlSBA-15 showed no catalytic activity in the studied reactions

Atividade antibacteriana de cimentos de ionômero de vidro modificados por nanopartículas de óxido de zinco

Pós-graduação em Odontologia - FOAR

Sonochemical effects on ZnO particles

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Incorporação de nanopartículas de óxido de zinco a um cimento de ionômero de vidro por meio da calcinação: avaliação de propriedades mecânicas e físicas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

From polymer precursors to metal oxides

We report on a strategy to prepare metal oxides including binary oxide and mixed metal oxide (MMO) in form of nanometer-sized particles using polymer as precursor. Zinc oxide nanoparticles are prepared as an example. The obtained zinc polyacrylate precursor is amorphous as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The conversion from polymer precursor to ZnO nanocrystals by thermal pyrolysis was investigated by means of XRD, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and electron microscopy. The as-synthesized ZnO consists of many individual particles with a diameter around 40 nm as shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The photoluminescence (PL) and electron paramagnetic (EPR) properties of the material are investigated, too. Employing this method, ZnO nanocrystalline films are fabricated via pyrolysis of a zinc polyacrylate precursor film on solid substrate like silicon and quartz glass. The results of XRD, absorption spectra as well as TEM prove that both the ZnO nanopowder and film undergo same evolution process. Comparing the PL properties of films fabricated in different gas atmosphere, it is assigned that the blue emission of the ZnO films is due to crystal defect of zinc vacancy and green emission from oxygen vacancy. Two kinds of ZnO-based mixed metal oxide (Zn1-xMgxO and Zn1-xCoxO) particles with very precise stoichiometry are prepared by controlled pyrolysis of the corresponding polymer precursor at 550 oC. The MMO crystal particles are typically 20-50 nm in diameter. Doping of Mg in ZnO lattice causes shrinkage of lattice parameter c, while it remains unchanged with Co incorporation. Effects of bandgap engineering are seen in the Mg:ZnO system. The photoluminescence in the visible is enhanced by incorporation of magnesium on zinc lattice sites, while the emission is suppressed in the Co:ZnO system. Magnetic property of cobalt doped-ZnO is checked too and ferromagnetic ordering was not found in our samples. An alternative way to prepare zinc oxide nanoparticles is presented upon calcination of zinc-loaded polymer precursors, which is synthesized via inverse miniemulsion polymerization of the mixture of the acrylic acid and zinc nitrate. The as-prepared ZnO product is compared with that obtained from polymer-salt complex method. The obtained ZnO nanoparticles undergo surface modification via a phosphate modifier applying ultrasonication. The morphology of the modified particles is checked by SEM. And stability of the ZnO nanoparticles in aqueous dispersion is enhanced as indicated by the zeta-potential results.

Nanotechnology in food industry II: risk assessment and legislation

Currently, there is increasing use of nanomaterials in the food industry thanks to the many advantages offered and make the products that contain them more competitive in the market. Their physicochemical properties often differ from those of bulk materials, which require specialized risk assessment. This should cover the risks to the health of workers and consumers as well as possible environmental risks. The risk assessment methods must go updating due to more widespread use of nanomaterials, especially now that are making their way down to consumer products. Today there is no specific legislation for nanomaterials, but there are several european dispositions and regulations that include them. This review gives an overview of the risk assessment and the existing current legislation regarding the use of nanotechnology in the food industry.

Applications for nanomaterials in critical technologies

This thesis is devoted to the development, synthesis, properties, and applications of nano materials for critical technologies, including three areas: (1) Microbial contamination of drinking water is a serious problem of global significance. About 51% of the waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States can be attributed to contaminated ground water. Development of metal oxide nanoparticles, as viricidal materials is of technological and fundamental scientific importance. Nanoparticles with high surface areas and ultra small particle sizes have dramatically enhanced efficiency and capacity of virus inactivation, which cannot be achieved by their bulk counterparts. A series of metal oxide nanoparticles, such as iron oxide nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles and iron oxide-silver nanoparticles, coated on fiber substrates was developed in this research for evaluation of their viricidal activity. We also carried out XRD, TEM, SEM, XPS, surface area measurements, and zeta potential of these nanoparticles. MS2 virus inactivation experiments showed that these metal oxide nanoparticle coated fibers were extremely powerful viricidal materials. Results from this research suggest that zinc oxide nanoparticles with diameter of 3.5 nm, showing an isoelectric point (IEP) at 9.0, were well dispersed on fiberglass. These fibers offer an increase in capacity by orders of magnitude over all other materials. Compared to iron oxide nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles didn’t show an improvement in inactivation kinetics but inactivation capacities did increase by two orders of magnitude to 99.99%. Furthermore, zinc oxide nanoparticles have higher affinity to viruses than the iron oxide nanoparticles in presence of competing ions. The advantages of zinc oxide depend on high surface charge density, small nanoparticle sizes and capabilities of generating reactive oxygen species. The research at its present stage of development appears to offer the best avenue to remove viruses from water. Without additional chemicals and energy input, this system can be implemented by both points of use (POU) and large-scale use water treatment technology, which will have a significant impact on the water purification industry. (2) A new family of aliphatic polyester lubricants has been developed for use in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), specifically for hard disk drives that operate at high spindle speeds (>15000rpm). Our program was initiated to address current problems with spin-off of the perfluoroether (PFPE) lubricants. The new polyester lubricant appears to alleviate spin-off problems and at the same time improves the chemical and thermal stability. This new system provides a low cost alternative to PFPE along with improved adhesion to the substrates. In addition, it displays a much lower viscosity, which may be of importance to stiction related problems. The synthetic route is readily scalable in case additional interest emerges in other areas including small motors. (3) The demand for increased signal transmission speed and device density for the next generation of multilevel integrated circuits has placed stringent demands on materials performance. Currently, integration of the ultra low-k materials in dual Damascene processing requires chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) to planarize the copper. Unfortunately, none of the commercially proposed dielectric candidates display the desired mechanical and thermal properties for successful CMP. A new polydiacetylene thermosetting polymer (DEB-TEB), which displays a low dielectric constant (low-k) of 2.7, was recently developed. This novel material appears to offer the only avenue for designing an ultra low k dielectric (1.85k), which can still display the desired modulus (7.7Gpa) and hardness (2.0Gpa) sufficient to withstand the process of CMP. We focused on further characterization of the thermal properties of spin-on poly (DEB-TEB) ultra-thin film. These include the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), biaxial thermal stress, and thermal conductivity. Thus the CTE is 2.0*10-5K-1 in the perpendicular direction and 8.0*10-6 K-1 in the planar direction. The low CTE provides a better match to the Si substrate which minimizes interfacial stress and greatly enhances the reliability of the microprocessors. Initial experiments with oxygen plasma etching suggest a high probability of success for achieving vertical profiles.

An investigation into the influence of zinc precursor on the microstructural, photoluminescence, and gas-sensing properties of ZnO nanoparticles

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)