Photocatalysis and Targeted Sorbent Activity of Advanced Polymer-Based Composites

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Hybrid and Composite Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2025 | Viewed by 1704

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Polymers, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: composites; polymers; nanomaterials; polymeric materials; biomaterials; biodegradable; photocatalysis
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Guest Editor
Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography “Acad. I. Kostov”, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: oxide nanomaterials; composites; mechanochemical activation; photocatalysis

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Guest Editor
Department of Energy Materials and Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
Interests: nanostructuring metal-oxide by anodization; photocatalysis; electrocatalysis; water splitting; metal-organic-frameworks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of the current Special issue, “Photocatalysis and Targeted Sorbent Activity of Advanced Polymer Based Composites”, is dedicated to the use of newly emerging polymeric (nano)composites with different incorporated sorbent- and photocatalysis-active inorganic fillers, e.g., mono/multi- metallic and metal-oxide nanoparticles, porous/layered silicate and aluminosilicate materials, mesoporous carbon and nanocarbon materials, quantum dots, etc. Special emphasis will be assigned to the compatibilization role of the different polymeric matrices and their specific interactions with the inorganic filler interface, and its thermal and chemical stability or possible (bio)degradability and disposable form as well. This Special Issue will also include research on hybrid polymeric materials, metal/covalent organic networks (MOF’s, COF’s), and polymer-imprinted sorbents with high surface area in the form of micronized powders, nano/hollow fibers, or anisotropic membranes with sorption/removal and photocatalytic degradation properties towards different environmental pollutants such as organic dyes, heavy metals, oil, and environmental/health toxic compounds removal, etc. Additionally, it will study methods for the preparation of different polymer–inorganic composites in various forms—powders, films, fibers possessing high photocatalytic and/or sorption ability—the effect of structure, phase composition, morphology and the other characteristics of synthesized polymer–inorganic composites on their photocatalytic and/or sorption properties; the role of the synergistic effect between polymers and inorganic compounds in composites; and the influence of various process parameters on the photocatalytic degradation and/or sorption of dyes, heavy metals, and other toxic pollutants. 

Dr. Hristo Penchev
Dr. Katerina L. Zaharieva
Prof. Dr. Nabeen K Shrestha
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • polymers
  • composites
  • nanoparticles
  • imprinted polymers
  • metal/covalent organic frameworks
  • photocatalysis
  • adsorption
  • pollutants
  • dye
  • heavy metal

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 3442 KiB  
Article
Adsorption of Ni(II) from Aqueous Media on Biodegradable Natural Polymers—Sarkanda Grass Lignin
by Elena Ungureanu, Costel Samuil, Denis C. Țopa, Ovidiu C. Ungureanu, Bogdan-Marian Tofanica, Maria E. Fortună and Carmen O. Brezuleanu
Crystals 2024, 14(4), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14040381 - 18 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1159
Abstract
Heavy metals are pollutants that pose a risk to living systems due to their high toxicity and ability to accumulate and contaminate. This study proposes an alternative approach to the static adsorption of Ni(II) from aqueous media using Sarkanda grass lignin crystals, the [...] Read more.
Heavy metals are pollutants that pose a risk to living systems due to their high toxicity and ability to accumulate and contaminate. This study proposes an alternative approach to the static adsorption of Ni(II) from aqueous media using Sarkanda grass lignin crystals, the non-cellulosic aromatic component of biomass, as an adsorbent substrate. To determine the best experimental conditions, we conducted tests on several parameters, including the initial and adsorbent solution pH, the concentration of Ni(II) in the aqueous solution, the amount of adsorbent used, and the contact time at the interface. The lignin’s adsorption capacity was evaluated using the Freundlich and Langmuir models to establish equilibrium conditions. The Lagergren I and Ho–McKay II kinetic models were used to determine the adsorption mechanism based on surface analyses and biological parameters such as the number of germinated seeds, energy, and germination capacity in wheat caryopses (variety Glosa) incorporated in the contaminated lignin and in the filtrates resulting from phase separation. The results suggest that Sarkanda grass lignin is effective in adsorbing Ni(II) from aqueous media, particularly in terms of adsorbent/adsorbate dosage and interfacial contact time. Full article
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