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Nanomaterials
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The Development of Nanomaterials in Adsorption, Separation and Purification
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The Development of Nanomaterials in Adsorption, Separation and Purification

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Nanoscience and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (19 February 2024) | Viewed by 19339

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Daniela Cristina Culita

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: materials chemistry; functional nanomaterials; adsorption; micro/mesoporous materials; nanocomposites; metal oxides; water treatment; magnetic materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the most serious environmental problems in modern society is water pollution. The effective separation and removal of emerging pollutants are hot research topics because of the constant increase in ecological inconsistency and environmental pollution in recent years. From the wide variety of separation and purification techniques, adsorption has proven to be one of the most convenient methods due to its ease of operation, low cost, flexibility, and effectiveness toward a wide range of pollutants. This technique also allows the regeneration and reuse of adsorbents in multiple cycles. In the past decade, nanomaterials have emerged as a suitable option for tackling the global issue of water pollution and treatment. The capacity of nanomaterials to act as nanoadsorbents for water purification is based on their unique physical and chemical properties, such as high specific surface area, high porosity and active surface, and their tunable functionalities. To date, a large number of nanomaterials have been developed and proven their high capability to adsorb pollutants (dyes, heavy metals, antibiotics, pesticides, etc.) from contaminated waters. The most investigated ones are zeolites, mesoporous silicas, metal oxide nanoparticles, and carbon-based nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene oxide.

This Special Issue of Nanomaterials aims to cover the most recent developments in all aspects related to the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials for applications in adsorption, separation, and purification processes for water treatment.

Dr. Daniela Cristina Culita
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Nanomaterials 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 2900 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

  • functional nanomaterials
  • nanocomposites
  • nanostructures
  • synthesis and characterization
  • water treatment
  • pollutant adsorption
  • separation technologies
  • water purification

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 164 KiB  
Editorial
The Development of Nanomaterials in Adsorption, Separation and Purification
by Daniela Cristina Culita
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(20), 1660; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14201660 - 16 Oct 2024
Viewed by 719
Abstract
In an era marked by growing concerns about environmental pollution, resource scarcity, and energy demand, nanomaterials are emerging as powerful tools for addressing challenges in water treatment, air purification, and industrial separations [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Nanomaterials in Adsorption, Separation and Purification)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

17 pages, 7352 KiB  
Article
Porous Hierarchical Ni/Mg/Al Layered Double Hydroxide for Adsorption of Methyl Orange from Aqueous Solution
by Tayyaba Waheed, Salah ud Din, Lei Ming, Pervaiz Ahmad, Pu Min, Sirajul Haq, Mayeen Uddin Khandaker, Imed Boukhris, Mohammad Rashed Iqbal Faruque, Fazal Ur Rehman and Israf Ud Din
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(13), 1943; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13131943 - 26 Jun 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2062
Abstract
A basic urea technique was successfully used to synthesize Mg/Al-Layered double hydroxides (Mg/Al LDHs), which were then calcined at 400 °C to form Mg/Al-Layered double oxides (Mg/Al LDOs). To reconstruct LDHs, Mg/Al LDOs were fabricated with different feeding ratios of Ni by the [...] Read more.
A basic urea technique was successfully used to synthesize Mg/Al-Layered double hydroxides (Mg/Al LDHs), which were then calcined at 400 °C to form Mg/Al-Layered double oxides (Mg/Al LDOs). To reconstruct LDHs, Mg/Al LDOs were fabricated with different feeding ratios of Ni by the co-precipitation method. After synthesis, the Ni/Mg/Al-layered double hydroxides (NMA-LDHs) with 20% and 30% Ni (S1 and S2) were roasted at 400 °C and transformed into corresponding Ni/Mg/Al-layered double oxides (NMA-LDOs) (S1a and S2b, respectively). The physiochemical properties of synthesized samples were also evaluated by various characterization techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET). The adsorption behavior of methyl orange (MO) onto the synthesized samples was evaluated in batch adsorption mode under varying conditions of contact time, adsorbent quantity, and solution pH. As the dosage amount increased from 0.01–0.04 g, the removal percentage of MO dye also increased from 83% to 90% for S1, 84% to 92% for S1a, 77% to 87% for S2, and 93% to 98% for S2b, respectively. For all of the samples, the adsorption kinetics were well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The equilibrium adsorption data were well fitted to both Langmuir and Freundlich models for methyl orange (MO). Finally, three adsorption-desorption cycles show that NMA-LDHs and NMA-LDOs have greater adsorption and reusability performance for MO dye, signifying that the design and fabrication strategy can facilitate the application of the natural hydrotalcite material in water remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Nanomaterials in Adsorption, Separation and Purification)
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11 pages, 2835 KiB  
Article
Removal of Acetaminophen Drug from Wastewater by Fe3O4 and ZSM-5 Materials
by Florinela Pirvu, Cristina Ileana Covaliu-Mierlă and Gina Alina Catrina
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(11), 1745; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13111745 - 26 May 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2375
Abstract
Adsorption of toxic compounds from water using zeolites and magnetite was developed due to the various advantages of their applicability. In the last twenty years, the use of zeolite-based compositions in the form of zeolite/inorganic or zeolite/polymer and magnetite has been accelerated for [...] Read more.
Adsorption of toxic compounds from water using zeolites and magnetite was developed due to the various advantages of their applicability. In the last twenty years, the use of zeolite-based compositions in the form of zeolite/inorganic or zeolite/polymer and magnetite has been accelerated for the adsorption of emergent compounds from water sources. The main adsorption mechanisms using zeolite and magnetite nanomaterials are high surface adsorption, ion exchange capacity and electrostatic interaction. This paper shows the capacity of Fe3O4 and ZSM-5 nanomaterials of adsorbing the emerging pollutant acetaminophen (paracetamol) during the treatment of wastewater. The efficiencies of the Fe3O4 and ZSM-5 in the wastewater process were systematically investigated using adsorption kinetics. During the study, the concentration of acetaminophen in the wastewater was varied from 50 to 280 mg/L, and the maximum Fe3O4 adsorption capacity increased from 25.3 to 68.9 mg/g. The adsorption capacity of each studied material was performed for three pH values (4, 6, 8) of the wastewater. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were used to characterize acetaminophen adsorption on Fe3O4 and ZSM-5 materials. The highest efficiencies in the treatment of wastewater were obtained at a pH value of 6. Fe3O4 nanomaterial presented a higher removal efficiency (84.6%) compared to ZSM-5 nanomaterial (75.4%). The results of the experiments show that both materials have a potential to be used as an effective adsorbents for the removal of acetaminophen from wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Nanomaterials in Adsorption, Separation and Purification)
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14 pages, 2698 KiB  
Article
Single-Step Synthesis of Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanomaterials by Directly Calcining the Mixture of Urea and Thiourea: Application for Rhodamine B (RhB) Dye Degradation
by Agidew Sewnet, Esayas Alemayehu, Mulualem Abebe, Dhakshnamoorthy Mani, Sabu Thomas, Nandakumar Kalarikkal and Bernd Lennartz
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(4), 762; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13040762 - 17 Feb 2023
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5706
Abstract
Recently, polymeric graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has been explored as a potential catalytic material for the removal of organic pollutants in wastewater. In this work, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalysts were synthesized using mixtures of [...] Read more.
Recently, polymeric graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has been explored as a potential catalytic material for the removal of organic pollutants in wastewater. In this work, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalysts were synthesized using mixtures of low-cost, environment-friendly urea and thiourea as precursors by varying calcination temperatures ranging from 500 to 650 °C for 3 h in an air medium. Different analytical methods were used to characterize prepared g-C3N4 samples. The effects of different calcination temperatures on the structural, morphological, optical, and physiochemical properties of g-C3N4 photocatalysts were investigated. The results showed that rhodamine B (RhB) dye removal efficiency of g-C3N4 prepared at a calcination temperature of 600 °C exhibited 94.83% within 180 min visible LED light irradiation. Photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 was enhanced by calcination at higher temperatures, possibly by increasing crystallinity that ameliorated the separation of photoinduced charge carriers. Thus, controlling the type of precursors and calcination temperatures has a great impact on the photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4 towards the photodegradation of RhB dye. This investigation provides useful information about the synthesis of novel polymeric g-C3N4 photocatalysts using a mixture of two different environmentally benign precursors at high calcination temperatures for the photodegradation of organic pollutants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Nanomaterials in Adsorption, Separation and Purification)
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21 pages, 5170 KiB  
Article
Ag-Decorated Iron Oxides-Silica Magnetic Nanocomposites with Antimicrobial and Photocatalytic Activity
by Viorica Muşat, Lenuța Crintea (Căpăţână), Elena-Maria Anghel, Nicolae Stănică, Irina Atkinson, Daniela Cristina Culiţă, Liliana Baroiu, Nicolae Țigău, Alina Cantaragiu Ceoromila, Andreea-Veronica Botezatu (Dediu) and Oana Carp
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(24), 4452; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12244452 - 15 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2872
Abstract
Nanotechnology offers unlimited possibilities for creating effective hybrid materials, which combine functional performance in environment depollution and antimicrobial defense with a lack of toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and natural availability. This paper presents the silver effect on photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of double-coated iron [...] Read more.
Nanotechnology offers unlimited possibilities for creating effective hybrid materials, which combine functional performance in environment depollution and antimicrobial defense with a lack of toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and natural availability. This paper presents the silver effect on photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of double-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs), Fe3O4@SiO2/ZnO-Ag. The structural, morphological, and textural information of the, core–shell iron oxides-based superparamagnetic nanoparticles (IOMNPs) decorated with 5% Ag by ultrasound-assisted synthesis were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller physisorption measurements. Although two synthesis temperatures of 95 and 80 °C were used for the co-precipitated iron oxide cores, the XRD patterns revealed the formation of a single magnetite, Fe3O4, phase. The sorption–photocatalytic activities under dark and UV irradiation encountered a maximum removal efficiency of the MB (90.47%) for the Fe3O4@SiO2/ZnO-Ag sample with iron oxide core obtained at 80 °C. The rate constant for the second-order kinetics was 0.0711 min−1 for 2 h, and the correlation coefficient R2 closed to unity. Two samples with Ag-decorated hybrid SiO2/ZnO shell and hierarchically interconnected porous structure with large surface area (328.8 and 342.5 m2g−1) exhibited the best disk diffusion antimicrobial activity against four microorganisms, especially gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Nanomaterials in Adsorption, Separation and Purification)
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17 pages, 4624 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Characterization of Hematite-Based Nanocomposites as Promising Catalysts for Indigo Carmine Oxidation
by Andrei Cristian Kuncser, Arpad Mihai Rostas, Rodica Zavoianu, Octavian Dumitru Pavel, Ioana Dorina Vlaicu, Mihaela Badea, Daniela Cristina Culita, Alina Tirsoaga and Rodica Olar
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(14), 2511; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12142511 - 21 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2240
Abstract
The hematite-based nanomaterials are involved in several catalytic organic and inorganic processes, including water decontamination from organic pollutants. In order to develop such species, a series of bimetallic hematite-based nanocomposites were obtained by some goethite composites-controlled calcination. Their composition consists of various phases [...] Read more.
The hematite-based nanomaterials are involved in several catalytic organic and inorganic processes, including water decontamination from organic pollutants. In order to develop such species, a series of bimetallic hematite-based nanocomposites were obtained by some goethite composites-controlled calcination. Their composition consists of various phases such as α-FeOOH, α-Fe2O3 or γ-Fe2O3 combined with amorphous (Mn2O3, Co3O4, NiO, ZnO) or crystalline (CuO) oxides of the second transition ion from the structure. The component dimensions, either in the 10–30 or in the 100–200 nm range, together with the quasi-spherical or nanorod-like shapes, were provided by Mössbauer spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction as well as transmission electron microscopy data. The textural characterization showed a decrease in the specific area of the hematite-based nanocomposites compared with corresponding goethites, with the pore volume ranging between 0.219 and 0.278 cm3g−1. The best catalytic activity concerning indigo carmine removal from water in hydrogen peroxide presence was exhibited by a copper-containing hematite-based nanocomposite sample that reached a dye removal extent of over 99%, which correlates with both the base/acid site ratio and pore size. Moreover, Cu-hbnc preserves its catalytic activity even after four recyclings, when it still reached a dye removal extent higher than 90%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Nanomaterials in Adsorption, Separation and Purification)
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Graphical abstract

25 pages, 7320 KiB  
Article
Novel Magnetic Nanocomposites Based on Carboxyl-Functionalized SBA-15 Silica for Effective Dye Adsorption from Aqueous Solutions
by Claudia Maria Simonescu, Daniela Cristina Culita, Alina Tatarus, Teodora Mocanu, Gabriela Marinescu, Raul Augustin Mitran, Irina Atkinson, Andrei Kuncser and Nicolae Stanica
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(13), 2247; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12132247 - 29 Jun 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2310
Abstract
In this study, three novel magnetic nanocomposites based on carboxyl-functionalized SBA-15 silica and magnetite nanoparticles were prepared through an effective and simple procedure and applied for methylene blue (MB) and malachite green G (MG) adsorption from single and binary solutions. Structure, composition, morphology, [...] Read more.
In this study, three novel magnetic nanocomposites based on carboxyl-functionalized SBA-15 silica and magnetite nanoparticles were prepared through an effective and simple procedure and applied for methylene blue (MB) and malachite green G (MG) adsorption from single and binary solutions. Structure, composition, morphology, magnetic, and textural properties of the composites were thoroughly investigated. The influence of the amount of carboxyl functional groups on the physicochemical and adsorptive properties of the final materials was investigated. The capacity of the synthesized composites to adsorb MB and MG from single and binary solutions and the factors affecting the adsorption process, such as contact time, solution pH, and dye concentration, were assessed. Kinetic modelling showed that the dye adsorption mechanism followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, indicating that adsorption was a chemically controlled multilayer process. The adsorption rate was simultaneously controlled by external film diffusion and intraparticle diffusion. It was evidenced that the molecular geometry of the dye molecule plays a major role in the adsorption process, with the planar geometry of the MB molecule favoring adsorption. The analysis of equilibrium data revealed the best description of MB adsorption behavior by the Langmuir isotherm model, whereas the Freundlich model described better the MG adsorption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Nanomaterials in Adsorption, Separation and Purification)
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