Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are among the most frequently utilized highly conductive materials in cementitious composites. However, numerous studies have reported that the hydrophobic nature of CNTs can lead to their aggregation upon exposure to water, subsequently inducing micro-defects within the cementitious matrix. This aggregation has been shown to degrade both the mechanical properties and durability of cement composites. Extensive research has been conducted to address this issue, with reports indicating that the incorporation of polycarboxylate-based superplasticizers, commonly employed in concrete, can mitigate CNT aggregation, thereby enhancing various performance aspects of cementitious composites. In this study, the electrical resistance and compressive strength of cementitious composites incorporating dispersed CNTs were evaluated, utilizing a polycarboxylate-based superplasticizer (PCE), a typical admixture for concrete, as a CNT dispersant.
The incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) dispersed with polycarboxylate (PCE) superplasticizer has been demonstrated to enhance the mechanical performance and electrical conductivity of cementitious composites, evidenced by an increase in 28-day compressive strength and a reduction in electrical resistance. Specifically, an optimal CNT content of 0.5 wt% was identified. It was observed that CNT concentrations exceeding 0.5 wt% led to a degradation in performance, primarily attributed to CNT agglomeration. For instance, at 0.75 wt% CNT content, the compressive strength was lower than that achieved with 0.5 wt%, while the electrical resistivity showed no significant difference. Similar trends were observed at a CNT content of 1.0 wt%.

Introduction

Ternary nanomaterials are increasingly receiving attention due to their unique heterostructures, which offer improved performance in various applications. Certain ternary nanomaterials exhibit well-defined compositions based on specific molecular formulas, whereas others are synthesized as doped systems, where one or more elements are partially substituted to tailor their properties. Ternary nanomaterials often display hybrid properties that are superior to those of their individual constituents, owing to synergistic interactions within the composite structure.

Methods

Stable zinc selenate (ZnSeO₄) ternary nanomaterials were synthesized via a simple one-pot solvothermal method using minimal precursors—zinc acetate dihydrate and selenium powder—in an ethylenediamine medium. This single-step, high-yield, and cost-effective approach enabled the efficient formation of a novel ZnSeO₄ ternary nanomaterial. The physico-chemical characteristics of the synthesized nanomaterial were thoroughly analyzed using advanced techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Surface morphology and elemental composition were examined through scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDAX) and colour mapping. The photocatalytic efficiency of the ZnSeO₄ nanomaterial was assessed through the degradation of a representative textile dye pollutant. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against Escherichia coli, a major foodborne pathogen, using the agar well diffusion method.

Results

The material demonstrated approximately 70% degradation efficiency, while retaining its morphology post-photocatalysis. The nanomaterial exhibited significant inhibitory effects, with a 20 mm zone of inhibition, surpassing that of standard tetracycline (17 mm). Moreover, the panchromatic absorption of ZnSeO₄ suggests excellent light-harvesting efficiency. The presence of surface defects, verified through XPS, plays a crucial role in enhancing the photocatalytic performance of the ZnSeO₄ nanomaterial.

Conclusion

The multifunctional properties make ZnSeO₄ a promising candidate for eco-friendly applications, including its incorporation into porcelain floor tiles for self-cleaning, anti-pollutant, and antibacterial functions.

Carbon dots (CDs) are promising luminescent nanomaterials, valued for their tunable photophysical properties and ease of surface modification, making them ideal for sensing applications¹. Existing pH sensors based on CDs often have a limited operational range and rely on intensity changes rather than wavelength shifts. Furthermore, typical syntheses require complex or toxic reagents². We present a rapid, green, and cost-effective method for synthesising CDs with dual environmental sensitivity that overcomes these challenges.

CDs were synthesised using a simple combustion method, employing non-toxic and low-cost precursors: citric acid, urea and sodium hydroxide. The material was subjected to combustion at 260°C. Structural and optical characterisation was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with ATR attachment (IR-ATR), and UV-Vis and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. PL studies included time-dependent emission measurements in water and alcohols, as well as in solutions with varying pH.

The obtained CDs exhibited strong, tunable photoluminescence, high photostability, and excellent dispersibility in aqueous media. XRD analysis confirmed a partially amorphous structure with a graphene-like core and polymeric surface functionalities. CDs demonstrated continuous emission shifts across a broad pH range (1–14); an increase in pH in water caused a blue shift, while red shifts were observed in alcohols. IR spectroscopy revealed dynamic surface interactions during solvent evaporation, with faster changes in methanol than in ethanol. Quantum yield (QY) values were 15% (water), 11% (methanol), 22% (ethanol), and 13.5% (pH 13).

Ultimately, the sustainable and scalable synthesis yielded multifunctional carbon dots. Their unique sensitivity to both pH and hydroxyl-rich environments, including the ability to differentiate between methanol and ethanol, makes them promising materials for low-cost, selective environmental sensors and biomedical diagnostics. Time-dependent emission changes suggest dynamic equilibrium processes at the CD surface, highlighting their potential as intelligent sensors.

Nanostructures have found extensive applications across various research fields due to their superior properties, including high surface area-to-volume ratio, and unique optical, electrical, and mechanical characteristics. With increasing usage areas, the demand for nanostructures has grown significantly, and this situation has necessitated more synthesis processes. In this regard, studies have concentrated on improving the synthesis methods of nanostructures. Traditional synthesis approaches often involve harmful chemicals and generate toxic byproducts, raising environmental and health concerns. Green synthesis methods have been developed as environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional approaches that use harmful chemicals. These "Green synthesis" methods enable the synthesis of nanostructures without requiring any chemicals, making the process more sustainable and cost-effective. Green synthesis, which is a branch of the "bottom-up" approach among nanoparticle synthesis methods, utilizes various biological sources as reducing and stabilizing agents. In green synthesis, metal nanoparticle synthesis is carried out using many biological sources such as sugars, vitamins, plant extracts, microorganisms, bacteria, algae, and fungi, each offering unique advantages in terms of biocompatibility and environmental safety. In this study, Camellia sinensis cultivated in the Rize region was employed for the green synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. The rich polyphenol content and antioxidant properties of Rize tea make it an excellent candidate for nanoparticle synthesis. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using advanced analytical techniques, and their potential applications in antimicrobial activity, catalysis, environmental remediation, and biomedical fields were thoroughly investigated. Results demonstrated that Rize tea serves as an effective biological source for environmentally friendly nanoparticle synthesis.

In the search for renewable and sustainable energy resources, a promising fuel is biomass-derived ethanol (EtOH), whose low toxicity, easy handling, and high energy density (29.7 MJxkg^-1) have stimulated its valorization in direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs), with it eventually being photo-promoted for hydrogen generation [1,2]. Unfortunately, the most used DEFC anodic catalysts based on Pt suffer from high costs, supply shortages, and poor sustainability. In this regard, a key challenge is the reduction of platinum content, and maintaining at the same time an appreciable electrocatalyst activity that can be achieved through a modular dispersion of low-dimensional metal nanoaggregates onto suitable substrates.

In this context, the present work reports on the fabrication of heterocomposites based on platinum nanoparticles and graphitic carbon nitride (gCN), a metal-free Vis-light-active semiconductor (E_G=2.7 eV) endowed with the benefits of low cost, eco-friendly characteristics, and high structural and compositional flexibility. In fact, N-containing functional groups in gCN can effectively coordinate metal centers during the nucleation/growth of metal nanoparticles, allowing platinum content to be lowered and simultaneously boosting the system performance. The target materials are fabricated by an original route consisting of the electrophoretic deposition of exfoliated gCN on carbon paper, followed by the dispersion of Pt nanoparticles in ultra-low amounts (ca. μg/cm²) by sputtering from Ar plasmas. Optimization of processing conditions and the amount of deposited Pt yielded appreciable activity and stability towards ethanol oxidation in alkaline aqueous solutions, thanks to the synergistic Pt/gCN interactions. The obtained results highlight that attractive performances can be provided even by electrocatalysts containing very low platinum amounts, a key target that might pave the way to the implementation of photo-functional systems in the fields of chemical and solar energy conversion.

[1] D. Barreca et al., ChemSusChem, 17, e202401041 (2024).

[2] D. Barreca et al., Surf. Sci. Spectra, 31, 024002 (2024).

Introduction: The immiscible water-oil interface offers a promising platform for materials construction and functionalization, which has been a major focus of chemical science and engineering. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) is a green biomass nanomaterial with high aspect ratio and interfacial activity. Pickering emulsions stabilized by CNF have recently drawn attractive attention. Compared to molecule surfactants, some solid particles like cellulose nanomaterials, are more in demand for emulsification because of an outstanding stability. Meanwhile, CNF can be dispersed into the matrix to form polymer composites, playing an important role in emulsion stability and interfacial properties. Cyclophosphazene is a series of materials with high thermal stability, low toxicity, good flammability resistance, and tuneability in chemical structures, which performed excellent properties in widely fields such as aerospace materials, energy storage and bioengineering.

Method: Here, by using electrostatic interactions between cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and animo-substituted cyclophosphazene (ACP), the formation and assembly of an novel CNF-ACP-based supramolecular at water-toluene interface is demonstrated.

Result: The packing density of supramolecular at the interface can be tumbled by tuning pH value and concentrations of ligands. The utilization of CNF-ACP as building blocks enables the fabrication of interfacial assemblies including 2D Janus films. With CNF-ACP as emulsifiers, stable O/W emulsions can be prepared in one step homogenization. Moreover, when used emulsion as templates, porous materials can be synthesized by polymerizing the water phase and freeze-drying strategy.

Conclusion: All these results open a new avenue for stabilizing all-liquid systems and constructing porous materials, numerous applications in the field of adsorption and electrochemical energy storage can be achieved.

In the shift towards a circular and climate-conscious materials economy, the development of thermoset plastics from renewable feedstocks is of great priority. Proteins, as abundant and naturally occurring macromolecules, are often available as industrial byproducts. They offer a sustainable and underutilised resource for polymer design (1, 2). However, materials derived from proteins typically exhibit characteristics such as brittleness, limited flexibility, and poor processability, which limits their application in advanced materials. This work explores the transformation of zein, a protein byproduct derived from maize, into crosslinked polymeric films through chemical modification and radical polymerisation as a strategy to overcome the intrinsic limitations of zein^1,2.

In the present study, zein, a lipophilic protein of no nutritional value, was acrylated to varying degrees so that the protein itself would be able to crosslink with acrylic monomers. Acrylated zein was then reacted with an acrylic monomer to form flexible, bio-based thermosetting films. The mechanical and thermal properties of the films were evaluated, and the effect of additional components, such as biobased crosslinkers, was also investigated.

The resulting materials demonstrated the preservation of zein's inherent strength and thermal stability, while exhibiting a substantial enhancement in flexibility, elongation, and toughness. It is noteworthy that lower degrees of acrylation resulted in superior performance, indicating that minimal, non-invasive chemical modifications can substantially enhance the performance of protein-based materials. The thermoset films developed in this study demonstrate considerable promise in applications such as flexible electronics, packaging, and environmentally sustainable coatings, thereby contributing to a circular and regenerative approach in materials science.

¹ Scott R. Nicholson, Nicholas A. Rorrer, Alberta C. Carpenter, Gregg T. Beckham Joule 2021, 5, 3, 673-686.

² M. Peydayesh, M. Bagnani, W. L. Soon, R. Mezzenga Chemical Reviews 2023 123 (5), 2112-2154.

The development of highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts is crucial for advancing clean energy technologies. This study employed electrodeposition to fabricate a highly efficient and stable Fe-doped CoOOH electrocatalyst. During the OER process, the catalyst undergoes substantial electrochemical reconstruction, resulting in its in-situ transformation into a FeCo bimetallic oxyhydroxide (Fe-CoOOH) enriched with active sites. The introduction of Fe significantly enhances the intrinsic conductivity of the reconstructed material, thereby facilitating improved charge transfer kinetics. Furthermore, leveraging bimetallic synergy, the optimized catalyst exhibits a notably reduced Tafel slope of 30 mV dec⁻¹. This kinetic enhancement indicates a shift in the rate-determining step (RDS) from the conventional *OOH formation step (approximately 120 mV dec⁻¹), typical of cobalt-based oxyhydroxides, toward a mechanism dominated by electron transfer. The reconstituted Fe-CoOOH demonstrates exceptional electrocatalytic performance, requiring an overpotential of merely 283 mV to deliver a current density of 50 mA cm⁻².In summary, this work successfully prepared a high-performance bimetallic oxyhydroxide OER catalyst through an electrochemical reconstruction strategy. Fe doping played a critical role in enhancing electrical conductivity and, more importantly, in modulating the electronic structure of the reconstruction product, which led to a reduced Tafel slope and a fundamental change in the RDS. These findings provide valuable insights for the rational design of efficient bimetallic electrocatalysts for energy conversion applications.

The removal of persistent micropollutants, such as pharmaceutical residues, agricultural chemicals, and industrial contaminants from wastewater is a rising concern nowadays. Conventional wastewater treatment methods are often ineffective in completely eliminating these contaminants. Owing to their high degradation efficiency, environmental compatibility, and the potential for solar-driven operation, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), particularly photocatalysis, have shown great promise for the efficient degradation of pharmaceutically active compounds. The selectivity and subsequent removal of the photocatalyst from the suspension were addressed in this work by assembling a magnetic core–shell photocatalyst with a molecular imprint of torasemide via microwave-assisted synthesis. The embedded magnetite allows for simple and effective retrieval of the photocatalyst using an external magnet, ensuring reusability. Meanwhile, the molecularly imprinted TiO₂ layer provides highly specific binding sites for the target molecule, boosting adsorption selectivity and photocatalytic performance. Moreover, microwave irradiation facilitated rapid and uniform heating, promoting accelerated nucleation and particle growth, reducing reaction time, and enhancing energy efficiency. The obtained photocatalyst exhibited 84% degradation of torasemide in 120 mins, as opposed to non-imprinted photocatalyst with only 12% degradation. The structural and surface properties of the synthesized material were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms (BET) were used to determine the specific surface area and pore characteristics. Band gap energy was evaluated using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and the morphology of the material was examined via scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

The growing demand for sustainable and cost-effective energy storage systems has accelerated research into sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) as viable alternatives to lithium-ion technology. This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of NASICON-type (Na₃Zr₂Si₂PO₁₂, NZSP) solid-state electrolytes, known for their high ionic conductivity and structural stability. Using a solid-state reaction method, two sets of NZSP samples were synthesized from different precursor sources: high-purity-grade chemicals (Sample-A) and more economical but low-purity-grade chemicals (Sample-B). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed successful phase formation in both cases, although a secondary phase structure was found in NZSP based on sample-B; however, the high-purity sample-A showed higher phase purity and crystallinity. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis showed significantly improved ionic conductivity and reduced grain boundary resistance in the sample-A-based NZSP, while sample-B-based NZSP exhibited increased porosity and higher impedance. These differences are attributed to impurity levels and compositional uniformity in the starting materials. The study demonstrates that precursor quality plays a critical role in determining the electrochemical performance of NASICON electrolytes. Although low-purity (Sample-B)-based chemical sources offer a lower-cost pathway, their impact on structural integrity and conductivity must be addressed for practical application. This research highlights the importance of precursor selection in the scalable development of high-performance solid-state electrolytes for sodium-ion batteries, and contributes toward the realization of safer and more efficient energy storage technologies.