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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2022) | Viewed by 39259

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Matteo Tonezzer

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Guest Editor

IMEM-CNR, sede di Trento - FBK, via alla Cascata 56/C, Trento, Italy
Interests: nanomaterials; nanostructures; metal oxides; vapor phase deposition; gas sensors; chemosensors; smart sensing; electronic noses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Davide Barreca

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Guest Editor

ICMATE-CNR c/o Department of Chemical Sciences, Padova University, Via Marzolo 1, I-35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: oxide-based nanomaterials and nanocomposites by vapor-phase routes for applications in water purification; clean energy production; gas sensing devices

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last two decades, the increasing ability to finely manipulate matter at the nanometer level has opened up a host of new opportunities. Being able to tune the size, structure, composition, and morphology of inorganic, organic, and hybrid nanostructures and nanocomposites is in some ways leading to the compilation of a new periodic table of elements, still to be largely explored. The potential of nanostructured materials is very wide and, although scientists are investigating them intensely, there is still a long way to go, leaving plenty of room for both fundamental and applied research. Such activities are strongly fueled by the broad range of functional applications for the developed materials, encompassing better thermally insulating materials for building, sharper and cheaper screens, elimination of environmental pollutants, distributed sensors for flammable and toxic gases, advanced devices for energy production and accumulation, new biomedical diagnostic techniques, longer-lasting prosthetics, drug delivery, smart food packaging, and water purification, among others.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to gather the latest results in the modeling, simulation, synthesis, advanced characterization, and the potential applications of nanostructured materials.

Topics will include, but are not limited to:

modeling, simulation and characterization of nanomaterials
innovative preparation routes to nanomaterials with tailored spatial organization
environment monitoring
healthcare
food quality assessment
sensing and biosensing devices
energy harvesting, storage and conversion
functional and smart materials
recycling and renewable resources

We encourage the submission of reviews, mini-reviews, original articles, and short communications highlighting the potential of nanomaterials to improve the environment and human life.

Dr. Matteo Tonezzer
Dr. Davide Barreca
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

nanomaterials
nanostructures
nanodevices
sensors
batteries
supercapacitors
(photo)catalysts
energy production
water purification
drug delivery

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Related Special Issue

Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life (Volume II) in Materials (6 articles)

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 4353 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Core–Shell Fe₃O₄@C Nanoparticles for the Organic Dye Adsorption and Targeted Magneto-Mechanical Destruction of Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma Cells

by Oxana S. Ivanova, Irina S. Edelman, Chun-Rong Lin, Evgeniy S. Svetlitsky, Alexey E. Sokolov, Kirill A. Lukyanenko, Alexander L. Sukhachev, Nikolay P. Shestakov, Ying-Zhen Chen and Aleksandr A. Spivakov

Materials 2023, 16(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010023 - 20 Dec 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2499

Abstract

The morphology, structure, and magnetic properties of Fe₃O₄ and Fe₃O₄@C nanoparticles, as well their effectiveness for organic dye adsorption and targeted destruction of carcinoma cells, were studied. The nanoparticles exhibited a high magnetic saturation value (79.4 and 63.8 emu/g, correspondingly) to facilitate magnetic separation. It has been shown that surface properties play a key role in the adsorption process. Both types of organic dyes—cationic (Rhodomine C) and anionic (Congo Red and Eosine)—were well adsorbed by the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles’ surface, and the adsorption process was described by the polymolecular adsorption model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 58, 22, and 14 mg/g for Congo Red, Eosine, and Rhodomine C, correspondingly. In this case, the kinetic data were described well by the pseudo-first-order model. Carbon-coated particles selectively adsorbed only cationic dyes, and the adsorption process for Methylene Blue was described by the Freundlich model, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 14 mg/g. For the case of Rhodomine C, the adsorption isotherm has a polymolecular character with a maximum adsorption capacity of 34 mg/g. To realize the targeted destruction of the carcinoma cells, the Fe₃O₄@C nanoparticles were functionalized with aptamers, and an experiment on the Ehrlich ascetic carcinoma cells’ destruction was carried out successively using a low-frequency alternating magnetic field. The number of cells destroyed as a result of their interaction with Fe₃O₄@C nanoparticles in an alternating magnetic field was 27%, compared with the number of naturally dead control cells of 6%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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14 pages, 869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Properties of Porous Silicon Nanomaterials

by Aleksandr S. Fedorov and Anastasiia S. Teplinskaia

Materials 2022, 15(23), 8678; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238678 - 5 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2250

Abstract

The thermal properties, including the heat capacity, thermal conductivity, effusivity, diffusivity, and phonon density of states of silicon-based nanomaterials are analyzed using a molecular dynamics calculation. These quantities are calculated in more detail for bulk silicon, porous silicon, and a silicon aerocrystal (aerogel), including the passivation of the porous internal surfaces with hydrogen, hydroxide, and oxygen ions. It is found that the heat capacity of these materials increases monotonically by up to 30% with an increase in the area of the porous inner surface and upon its passivation with these ions. This phenomenon is explained by a shift of the phonon density of states of the materials under study to the low-frequency region. In addition, it is shown that the thermal conductivity of the investigated materials depends on the degree of their porosity and can be changed significantly upon the passivation of their inner surface with different ions. It is demonstrated that, in the various simulated types of porous silicon, the thermal conductivity changes by 1–2 orders of magnitude compared with the value for bulk silicon. At the same time, it is found that the nature of the passivation of the internal nanosilicon surfaces affects the thermal conductivity. For example, the passivation of the surfaces with hydrogen does not significantly change this parameter, whereas a passivation with oxygen ions reduces it by a factor of two on average, and passivation with hydroxyl ions increases the thermal conductivity by a factor of 2–3. Similar trends are observed for the thermal effusivities and diffusivities of all the types of nanoporous silicon under passivation, but, in that case, the changes are weaker (by a factor of 1.5–2). The ways of tuning the thermal properties of the new nanostructured materials are outlined, which is important for their application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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11 pages, 1951 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ash and Slag Waste Processing in Self-Shielded Atmospheric DC Arc Discharge Plasma

by Zhanar Bolatova, Alexander Pak, Kirill Larionov, Dmitriy Nikitin, Pavel Povalyaev, Aleksander Ivashutenko, Gennady Mamontov and Alexey Pestryakov

Materials 2022, 15(22), 8134; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15228134 - 16 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1459

Abstract

In this paper, we report the experimental results obtained in slag waste processing by direct current arc discharge initiated in ambient air. The method does not employ vacuum and gas equipment, therefore increasing the energy efficiency of processing. Plasma processing of coal slag was performed at different arc exposure times: 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 s. The obtained materials contained a significant amount of graphite, which was removed through combustion. The micropowder based on silicon carbide and aluminum nitride was obtained and then sintered by spark plasma. The bulk ceramic samples based on silicon carbide with the hardness of ~10.4 GPa were finally fabricated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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16 pages, 4223 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Entomopathogenic Fungi-Mediated AgNPs: Synthesis and Insecticidal Effect against Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

by Tárcio S. Santos, Camila de Souza Varize, Elena Sanchez-Lopez, Sona A. Jain, Eliana B. Souto, Patrícia Severino and Marcelo da Costa Mendonça

Materials 2022, 15(21), 7596; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15217596 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1950

Abstract

The insect Plutella xylostella is known worldwide to cause severe damage to brassica plantations because of its resistance against several groups of chemicals and pesticides. Efforts have been conducted to overcome the barrier of P. xylostella genetic resistance. Because of their easy production and effective insecticidal activity against different insect orders, silver nanoparticles are proposed as an alternative for agricultural pest control. The use of entomopathogenic fungi for nanoparticle production may offer additional advantages since fungal biomolecules may synergistically improve the nanoparticle’s effectiveness. The present study aimed to synthesize silver nanoparticles using aqueous extracts of Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Isaria fumosorosea isolates and to evaluate their insecticidal activity against P. xylostella, as innovative nano-ecofriendly pest control. The produced silver nanoparticles were evaluated by measuring the UV–vis spectrum and the mean particle size by dynamic light scattering (DLS). I. fumosorosea aqueous extract with 3-mM silver nitrate solution showed the most promising results (86-nm mean diameter and 0.37 of polydispersity). Scanning electron microscopy showed spherical nanoparticles and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy revealed the presence of amine and amide groups, possibly responsible for nanoparticles’ reduction and stabilization. The CL₅₀ value of 0.691 mg mL⁻¹ was determined at 72-h for the second-instar larvae of the P. xylostella, promoting a 78% of cumulative mortality rate after the entire larval stage. From our results, the synthesis of silver nanoparticles mediated by entomopathogenic fungi was successful in obtaining an efficient product for insect pest control. The I. fumosorosea was the most suitable isolate for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles contributing to the development of a green nanoproduct and the potential control of P. xylostella. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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20 pages, 4383 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Amorphous FeCoCrSiB Ribbons with Tailored Anisotropy for the Development of Magnetic Elements for High Frequency Applications

by Galina V. Kurlyandskaya, Luis Lezama, Anna A. Pasynkova, Stanislav O. Volchkov, Vera A. Lukshina, Aitor Larrañaga, Natalia V. Dmitrieva, Anastasia V. Timofeeva and Iñaki Orue

Materials 2022, 15(12), 4160; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15124160 - 12 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2236

Abstract

The ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) in the frequency range of 0.5 to 12.5 GHz has been investigated as a function of external magnetic field for rapidly quenched Fe₃Co₆₇Cr₃Si₁₅B₁₂ amorphous ribbons with different features of the effective magnetic anisotropy. Three states of the ribbons were considered: as-quenched without any treatment; after relaxation annealing without stress at the temperature of 350 °C during 1 h; and after annealing under specific stress of 230 MPa at the temperature of 350 °C during 1 h. For FMR measurements, we adapted a technique previously proposed and tested for the case of microwires. Here, amorphous ribbons were studied using the sample holder based on a commercial SMA connector. On the basis of the measurements of the reflection coefficient S_11, the total impedance including its real and imaginary components was determined to be in the frequency range of 0.5 to 12.5 GHz. In order to confirm the validity of the proposed technique, FMR was also measured by the certified cavity perturbation technique using a commercial Bruker spectrometer operating at X-band frequency of 9.39 GHz. As part of the characterization of the ribbons used for microwave measurements, comparative analysis was performed of X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, inductive magnetic hysteresis loops, vibrating sample magnetometry, magneto-optical Kerr effect (including magnetic domains) and magnetoimpedance data for of all samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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17 pages, 8952 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nano-Hybrid Au@LCCs Systems Displaying Anti-Inflammatory Activity

by Marcello Condorelli, Antonio Speciale, Francesco Cimino, Claudia Muscarà, Enza Fazio, Luisa D’Urso, Carmelo Corsaro, Giulia Neri, Angela Maria Mezzasalma, Giuseppe Compagnini, Fortunato Neri and Antonina Saija

Materials 2022, 15(10), 3701; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15103701 - 22 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2090 | Correction

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) have received great attention owing to their biocompatible nature, environmental, and widespread biomedical applications. Au NPs are known as capable to regulate inflammatory responses in several tissues and organs; interestingly, lower toxicity in conjunction with anti-inflammatory effects was reported to occur with Au NPs treatment. Several variables drive this benefit-risk balance, including Au NPs physicochemical properties such as their morphology, surface chemistry, and charge. In our research we prepared hybrid Au@LCC nanocolloids by the Pulsed Laser Ablation, which emerged as a suitable chemically clean technique to produce ligand-free or functionalized nanomaterials, with tight control on their properties (product purity, crystal structure selectivity, particle size distribution). Here, for the first time to our knowledge, we have investigated the bioproperties of Au@LCCs. When tested in vitro on intestinal epithelial cells exposed to TNF-

α

, Au@LCCs sample at the ratio of 2.6:1 showed a significantly reduced TNF gene expression and induced antioxidant heme oxygenase-1 gene expression better than the 1:1 dispersion. Although deeper investigations are needed, these findings indicate that the functionalization with LCCs allows a better interaction of Au NPs with targets involved in the cell redox status and inflammatory signaling. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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21 pages, 4678 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Utilization of Incense Stick Ash in Hydrometallurgy Methods for Extracting Oxides of Fe, Al, Si, and Ca

by Virendra Kumar Yadav, Govindhan Gnanamoorthy, Krishna Kumar Yadav, Ismat H. Ali, Abdulaziz A. Bagabas, Nisha Choudhary, Shalini Yadav, Rajendran Suriyaprabha, Saiful Islam, Shreya Modi and Marina Cabral-Pinto

Materials 2022, 15(5), 1879; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15051879 - 3 Mar 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3501

Abstract

With rapid industrialization, there is an ever-increasing demand for iron oxides, calcium oxides, aluminum oxides, silica, and zeolites as raw materials for various industries, but reserves of such metal oxides are continuously diminishing. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore new alternatives for such value-added minerals. One such material is incense stick ash (ISA), which is among the most unexplored byproducts from residential and holy places. Currently, ISA is of no use and it is disposed of in millions of tons (MTs) in rivers and other water bodies in India due to its sacred value. The major chemical composition of ISA is calcium, silica, alumina, ferrous minerals, magnesium, and traces of Na, K, P, Ti, etc. Major fractions of ISA, i.e., 50–60%, are made up of calcium and magnesium oxides; 20–30% of ISA is made up of silica, alumina, and ferrous minerals, as revealed by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). In the present research work, methods of recovery of value-added micro and nano minerals from ISA are suggested, using cost-effective techniques and an eco-friendly approach. Firstly, magnetic fractions were recovered by a magnetic separation method; then, alumina, silica, and calcium oxides were synthesized from non-magnetic fractions. The confirmation of the synthesized and extracted nanomaterials was done by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), particle size analyzer (PSA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy with electron diffraction spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The purity of synthesized particles varied from 40–80%. In the future, ISA will prove to be an alternative resource material for Fe, Ca, Si, C, Al, and zeolites, which will minimize solid waste pollution and water pollution arising due to the disposal of ISA into water bodies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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19 pages, 1952 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Advances and Challenges of Liposome-Assisted Drug Release in the Presence of Serum Albumin Molecules: The Influence of Surrounding pH

by Danuta Pentak, Anna Ploch-Jankowska, Andrzej Zięba and Violetta Kozik

Materials 2022, 15(4), 1586; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15041586 - 20 Feb 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2119

Abstract

The aim of this study is to prepare a liposomal delivery system for 5-methyl-12 (H)-quino[3,4-b]-1,4-benzothiazine chloride (5-MBT) and study the in vitro release characteristics. The release of 5-MBT from a liposomal complex with human serum albumin (HSA) [L_DPPC/5-MBT]:HSA was examined using the spectrophotometric method and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Electronic paramagnetic resonance was used to assess the influence of the pH of the environment on the conformation of phospholipids, the latter determining the degree of release of the encapsulated compound. The applied mathematical models made it possible to determine the necessary analytical parameters to facilitate the process of potential drug release from liposomes. The complexes formed by liposomal 5-MBT with serum albumin (HSA) particles allowed for the description of the Fick process. The change in the polarity of the phospholipid membrane resulting from the changes in the pH of the surroundings, significantly influenced the percentage of 5-MBT entrapment in the liposomes. It also affected the release percentage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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11 pages, 3197 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spiky Durian-Shaped Au@Ag Nanoparticles in PEDOT:PSS for Improved Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells

by Muheeb Ahmad Alkhalayfeh, Azlan Abdul Aziz, Mohd Zamir Pakhuruddin and Khadijah Mohammedsaleh M. Katubi

Materials 2021, 14(19), 5591; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14195591 - 26 Sep 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2309

Abstract

The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effects of nanoparticles (NPs) are effective for enhancing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs). In this study, spiky durian-shaped Au@Ag core-shell NPs were synthesized and embedded in the hole transport layer (HTL) (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)) of PTB7:PC₇₁BM bulk-heterojunction OSCs. Different volume ratios of PEDOT:PSS-to-Au@Ag NPs (8%, 10%, 12%, 14%, and 16%) were prepared to optimize synthesis conditions for increased efficiency. The size properties and surface morphology of the NPs and HTL were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). UV–Vis spectroscopy and current density–voltage (J-V) analysis were used to investigate the electrical performance of the fabricated OSCs. From the results, we observed that the OSC with a volume ratio of 14% (PEDOT:PSS–to–Au@Ag NPs) performed better than others, where the PCE was improved from 2.50% to 4.15%, which is a 66% increase compared to the device without NPs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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15 pages, 9841 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards the High Phase Purity of Nanostructured Alluaudite-Type Glass-Ceramics Cathode Materials for Sodium Ion Batteries

by Maciej Nowagiel, Mateusz J. Samsel and Tomasz K. Pietrzak

Materials 2021, 14(17), 4997; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14174997 - 1 Sep 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2434

Abstract

Alluaudite-type materials are systematically attracting more attention as prospective cathode materials for sodium ion batteries. In this paper, we strove to optimize various synthesis parameters of three alluaudite compositions (Na

_{2}

_{3}

(PO

_{4}

)

_{3}

—FFF, Na

_{2}

VFe

_{2}

(PO [...] Read more.

_{2}

_{3}

(PO

_{4}

)

_{3}

—FFF, Na

_{2}

VFe

_{2}

(PO

_{4}

)

_{3}

—VFF, and Na

_{2}

VFeMn(PO

_{4}

)

_{3}

—VFM) to obtain nanostructured alluaudite-type glass-ceramics with high phase purity. We systematically investigated the role of the chemical reactions, temperature and time of melting, cooling rate, and reducing factors on the quality of the final products. A detailed synthesis protocol along with X-ray diffractometry, thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy imaging, and electrical conductivity measurements (with impedance spectroscopy) are reported. As a result, a significant increase of the conductivity was observed in the nanomaterials. The highest value was reached for the VFF composition and was equal to

6 \times 10^{- 4}

S/cm at room temperature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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Review

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33 pages, 3814 KiB

Open AccessReview

Carbon Nanomaterials (CNMs) and Enzymes: From Nanozymes to CNM-Enzyme Conjugates and Biodegradation

by Petr Rozhin, Jada Abdel Monem Gamal, Silvia Giordani and Silvia Marchesan

Materials 2022, 15(3), 1037; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15031037 - 28 Jan 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5588

Abstract

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) and enzymes differ significantly in terms of their physico-chemical properties—their handling and characterization require very different specialized skills. Therefore, their combination is not trivial. Numerous studies exist at the interface between these two components—especially in the area of sensing—but also involving biofuel cells, biocatalysis, and even biomedical applications including innovative therapeutic approaches and theranostics. Finally, enzymes that are capable of biodegrading CNMs have been identified, and they may play an important role in controlling the environmental fate of these structures after their use. CNMs’ widespread use has created more and more opportunities for their entry into the environment, and thus it becomes increasingly important to understand how to biodegrade them. In this concise review, we will cover the progress made in the last five years on this exciting topic, focusing on the applications, and concluding with future perspectives on research combining carbon nanomaterials and enzymes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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30 pages, 5791 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Acrylate and Methacrylate Polymers’ Applications: Second Life with Inexpensive and Sustainable Recycling Approaches

by Carmelo Corsaro, Giulia Neri, Antonio Santoro and Enza Fazio

Materials 2022, 15(1), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15010282 - 31 Dec 2021

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 5136

Abstract

Polymers are widely employed in several fields thanks to their wide versatility and the easy derivatization routes. However, a wide range of commercial polymers suffer from limited use on a large scale due to their inert nature. Nowadays, acrylate and methacrylate polymers, which are respectively derivatives of acrylic or methacrylic acid, are among the most proposed materials for their useful characteristics like good biocompatibility, capping ability toward metal clusters, low price, potentially recyclability and reusability. Here, we discuss the advantages and challenges of this class of smart polymers focusing our attention on their current technological applications in medical, electronic, food packaging and environmental remediation fields. Furthermore, we deal with the main issue of their recyclability, considering that the current commercial bioplastics are not yet able to meet the global needs as much as to totally replace fossil-fuel-based products. Finally, the most accredited strategies to reach recyclable composites based on acrylic polymers are described. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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22 pages, 6907 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Advances in the Fabrication and Environmental Science Applications of Cellulose Nanofibril-Based Functional Materials

by Lianming Zhang, Lei Guo and Gang Wei

Materials 2021, 14(18), 5390; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14185390 - 17 Sep 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3704

Abstract

Cellulose is one of the important biomass materials in nature and has shown wide applications in various fields from materials science, biomedicine, tissue engineering, wearable devices, energy, and environmental science, as well as many others. Due to their one-dimensional nanostructure, high specific surface area, excellent biodegradability, low cost, and high sustainability, cellulose nanofibrils/nanofibers (CNFs) have been widely used for environmental science applications in the last years. In this review, we summarize the advance in the design, synthesis, and water purification applications of CNF-based functional nanomaterials. To achieve this aim, we firstly introduce the synthesis and functionalization of CNFs, which are further extended for the formation of CNF hybrid materials by combining with other functional nanoscale building blocks, such as polymers, biomolecules, nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and two-dimensional (2D) materials. Then, the fabrication methods of CNF-based 2D membranes/films, three-dimensional (3D) hydrogels, and 3D aerogels are presented. Regarding the environmental science applications, CNF-based nanomaterials for the removal of metal ions, anions, organic dyes, oils, and bio-contents are demonstrated and discussed in detail. Finally, the challenges and outlooks in this promising research field are discussed. It is expected that this topical review will guide and inspire the design and fabrication of CNF-based novel nanomaterials with high sustainability for practical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life)

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