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Sol-Gel Materials for Sustainable Application

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Soft Matter".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2023) | Viewed by 5155

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: sol–gel glass ceramics doped with rare-earths for photonics; fluorescence-based thermometry; synthesis, structure and properties of luminescent glasses
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The sol–gel process is a versatile chemical synthesis used in the preparation of materials, especially oxide compounds and non-crystalline solids, at low temperatures. In addition to its ability to synthesize, sol–gel chemistry employs a variety of physical and chemical parameters that allow the creation of materials with different architectures, for example, highly dense or porous materials, of simple or complex composition in various shapes: monoliths, fibers, coatings and (nano)powders. Growing concern with the environment and with the legacy left to future generations has changed the way the world in recent times. Innovative eco-based materials are a response to the growing global demand for green industries, sustainable energy savings, reductions in CO2 emissions and circular economy. The sol–gel process therefore requires sustainable solutions to face these great challenges and currently plays a crucial role in the development of new generations of advanced materials not easily obtained by other approaches. These advances are expected to accelerate the launch of sustainable, effective and environmentally benign materials on the market, which can be widely used in diverse applications (e.g., biomedical, medicine, energy and environment, sensors, optics, photonics, optoelectronics, electronic, magnetic, corrosion protection, energy, information technology, catalysis and photocatalysis, etc.). Recyclability and degradation from a circular economy perspective are also goals that need to be achieved.

In this Special Issue, from an ecological and sustainable perspective, we focus on sol–gel materials for sustainable application, exploring the advances in the field of sol–gel materials/nanomaterials, inorganics, hybrids and polymers, from synthesis to applications.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

- Sol–gel process (chemistry and fundamentals, precursors, tailored modifications, etc.);

- Thin-films and coatings;

- Hybrid materials;

- Surfaces and interfaces;

- Nanomaterials (nanocoatings, nanoparticles, nanostructures);

- Composites;

- Porous materials;

- Surface functionalization.

Dr. Helena Vasconcelos
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • sol–gel materials
  • sustainability
  • circular economy
  • environment
  • green synthesis
  • recyclability and degradation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 5490 KiB  
Article
Behavior of Silica Nanoparticles Synthesized from Rice Husk Ash by the Sol–Gel Method as a Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Agent
by A. Alhadhrami, Gehad G. Mohamed, Ahmed H. Sadek, Sameh H. Ismail, A. A. Ebnalwaled and Abdulraheem S. A. Almalki
Materials 2022, 15(22), 8211; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15228211 - 18 Nov 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4750
Abstract
Silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) are one of the most well-studied inorganic nanoparticles for many applications. They offer the advantages of tunable size, biocompatibility, porous structure, and larger surface area. Thus, in this study, a high yield of SiO2 NPs was produced [...] Read more.
Silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) are one of the most well-studied inorganic nanoparticles for many applications. They offer the advantages of tunable size, biocompatibility, porous structure, and larger surface area. Thus, in this study, a high yield of SiO2 NPs was produced via the chemical treatment of rice husk ash by the sol–gel method. Characteristics of the prepared SiO2 NPs were validated using different characterization techniques. Accordingly, the phase, chemical composition, morphological, and spectroscopic properties of the prepared sample were studied. The average particle size of the SiO2 NPs was found to be approximately 60–80 nm and the surface area was 78.52 m²/g. The prepared SiO2 NPs were examined as photocatalysts for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye under UV irradiation. It was found that the intensity of the characteristic absorption band of MO decreased gradually with exposure time increasing, which means the successful photodegradation of MO by SiO2 NPs. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of obtained SiO2 NPs was investigated by counting the coliform bacteria in the surface water using the most probable number (MPN) index method. The results revealed that the MPN of coliform bacteria untreated and treated by SiO2 NPs was estimated to be 170 CFU/100 mL and 10 CFU/100 mL, respectively, resulting in bacterial growth inhibition of 94.12%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sol-Gel Materials for Sustainable Application)
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