Article
Polymer Science
Tomohiro Hirano, Yosuke Fujita, Miki Shinomiya, Yukihiro Arakawa, Fumitoshi Yagishita, Akira Emoto, Miyuki Oshimura, Koichi Ute
Summary: Low-temperature radical polymerization with chiral tartrates as catalysts led to asymmetric induction in the cyclopolymerization reaction, resulting in the formation of a polymer with specific optical activity. The predominant formation of (3S,4S)-trans-units was revealed through hydrogen-bond-assisted complex formation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mehtap Tanyol, Gulben Torgut
Summary: A new graft copolymer was synthesized and used as an adsorbent for the rapid removal of tetracycline from aqueous solutions, showing excellent adsorption capacity and environmental friendliness. The study also examined the kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics of adsorption, with thermodynamic parameters indicating that the adsorption process was exothermic and spontaneous.
JOURNAL OF POLYMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yun Huang, Weida Zeng, Peirong Li, Qiang Liao, Ao Xia, Xianqing Zhu, Xun Zhu
Summary: This study developed a temperature-responsive coating that enhances cell adhesion of microalgae at their optimum growth temperature and enables efficient cell detachment at lower temperatures. The coating showed excellent temperature-switchable performance and significantly increased cell adhesion density and detachment efficiency compared to conventional coatings.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yun Huang, Weida Zeng, Peirong Li, Ao Xia, Qiang Liao, Xianqing Zhu, Xun Zhu
Summary: This study developed a nondependent and environmentally friendly thermoresponsive coating with temperature-switchable performance. The coating could enhance cell adhesion at the optimum growth temperature of microalgae and achieve efficient cell detachment at lower temperatures.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Zi-Shan Li, Jing Lyu, Bei Qiu, Ying-Hao Li, Ruth Foley, Ri-Jian Song, Melissa Johnson, Qiang Geng, Wen-Xin Wang
Summary: In this study, a well-controlled polymerization of NIPAM in water was achieved via a one-pot and one-step Cu(0)-mediated RDRP. The key factors for successful polymerization were sufficient CuI at the beginning and adequate deactivation strength during the process. The new kinetically controlled strategy resulted in PNIPAMs with well-defined structure, narrow molecular weight distributions, and varied MWs.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wenbo Li, Yujia Zhao, Wuliang Sun, Tungalag Dong, Marleny D. A. Saldana, Wenxiu Sun
Summary: In this study, a nanocomposite hydrogel with pH, temperature, and salt ion responsiveness was successfully synthesized using free radical polymerization. Thymol was embedded in the hydrogel and the nanoparticles could be adsorbed on a chitosan film. The loaded thymol nanoparticles exhibited longer release time and stronger antibacterial activity, indicating their potential applications in food packaging.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Fang Yin, Pascale Laborie, Barbara Lonetti, Yannick Coppel, Nancy Lauth-de Viguerie, Jean-Daniel Marty, Stephane Gineste
Summary: Doubly thermo-and pH-responsive PNIPAM-b-PDEAEAM polymers were synthesized by RAFT polymerization. The properties of these polymers and corresponding homopolymers in solution depend on pH and the protonation degree of the diethylamino moiety. The behavior of the polymers is also influenced by the nature of the polymer chain ends. At pH 10, both PNIPAM and PDEAEAM blocks contribute to phase transition and form stable spherical nanoobjects. At pH 4, PNIPAM-b-PDEAEAM with longer PDEAEAM length exhibits a two-step thermoresponsive behavior and forms large aggregates with a positively charged shell.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ritu Yadav, Sumit Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Pannuru Venkatesu
Summary: This study found that the thermal behavior of PVCL can be adjusted by combining it with gold nanoparticles. AuNSs provide a hydrophilic environment that increases PVCL's LCST, while AuNRs approach human body temperature.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
R. R. Gibson, A. Fernyhough, O. M. Musa, S. P. Armes
Summary: This study describes the synthesis of POAA homopolymers and the use of POAA as a stabilizer block for the synthesis of diblock copolymer nanoparticles. The results show that good control over molecular weight can be achieved under appropriate conditions, leading to well-defined nanoparticles.
Article
Polymer Science
Jun He, Dongni Lin, Ying Chen, Li Zhang, Jianbo Tan
Summary: A new method has been developed in this study to prepare PNIPAM-based block copolymer nanoparticles with different morphologies through aqueous photoinitiated polymerization-induced self-assembly, and it was found that the reaction temperature plays a crucial role in both morphology and polymerization kinetics of the nanoparticles.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Fatemeh Sadat Mirjafari Nazari, Homayon Ahmad Panahi, Reza Jahanmardi
Summary: The aim of this study was to develop a drug delivery system for docetaxel using copper sulfide nanoparticles modified N-isopropyl acrylamide and allyl acetoacetate. The nanoadsorbent was characterized and found to have a maximum adsorption capacity of 64.10 mg g-1 at pH = 7, contact time = 30 min, and temperature = 25 degrees C. The release of docetaxel was found to be dependent on pH and temperature and followed a non-Fickian diffusion-controlled profile.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ying Cao, Wenjiao Li, Fengyu Quan, Yanzhi Xia, Zhong Xiong
Summary: In this study, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were incorporated into poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-acrylamide) hydrogel to achieve green-light-responsive volume change through photothermal effect. A boomerang-like hydrogel actuator was also designed and fabricated, successfully driving a floating foam in water in a circular returning movement.
FRONTIERS IN MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yufen Han, Jiaqian Li, Xiaojin Zhang, Fan Xia, Yu Dai
Summary: Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-anchored gold nanoparticles were prepared through host-guest interaction, allowing reversible regulation of catalytic activity by controlling temperature and light irradiation.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Varnakumar Gayathri, Nagaraju Pentela, Debasis Samanta
Summary: This study reported the synthesis of thermoresponsive palladium nanoparticles using two different approaches, with analyses of their thermal behavior and morphology. Although there were slight variations in catalytic activity between nanoparticles synthesized using different methods, both showed good thermoresponsive properties.
APPLIED ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Salhah D. Al-Qahtani, Zeid Osama Owidah, Ameena M. Al-bonayan, Matokah M. Abualnaja, Kholood M. Alkhamis, Salhah H. Alrefaeee, Nashwa M. El-Metwaly
Summary: This article introduces a security encoding ink based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) nanoparticles immobilized with lanthanide-activated aluminate (LAA) nanoparticles, which can be used for advanced anticounterfeiting applications. By varying the concentration of LAA@PNIPAM nanoparticles, composite inks with different emission properties can be prepared. This smart ink can be reported as a highly efficient technology for the production of anticounterfeiting commercial products.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY A-CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
T. Yasmin, S. Dhesi, I. Kuznetsova, R. Cooper, S. Krause, I. Lynch
Summary: This study conducted an in-depth systematic review of literature to explore the context of water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) sustainability and resilience in refugee communities. The results indicate concerns about the lengthy waiting period for refugees to achieve repatriation/integration into host communities, which is often in the Global South. It emphasizes the need to understand the specific factors and interdependencies in each refugee camp, as 'one-size-fits-all' solutions may not be suitable for different camps.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xi Wu, Xiangyu Wang, Iseult Lynch, Zhiling Guo, Peng Zhang, Lisi Wu, Youxue Deng, Yu Xie, Ping Ning, Nanqi Ren
Summary: By photocatalysis, the passivation layers of Fe-0 were activated into semiconductors and S-scheme heterojunctions were constructed with MoS2, enhancing the efficiency of visible-light degradation of tetracycline.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kaini Yang, Xiangyu Wang, Iseult Lynch, Zhiling Guo, Peng Zhang, Lisi Wu, Jun Ma
Summary: An ultra-high NZVI-loaded PAN film with a unique 3D honeycomb structure was successfully designed and demonstrated excellent Cr(VI) removal activity and tolerance to coexisting ions. The film maintained a removal efficiency of over 80% even after long-term use.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Changjian Xie, Xiaowei Li, Lisha Hei, Yiqing Chen, Yuling Dong, Shujing Zhang, Shan Ma, Jianing Xu, Qiuxiang Pang, Iseult Lynch, Zhiling Guo, Peng Zhang
Summary: In this study, the toxic effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles (n-CeO2) on stem cells, tissue regeneration, and neuro-regeneration were investigated using freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica as a model. The study found that n-CeO2 not only disrupted the homeostasis of normal planarians, but also inhibited the regeneration processes of regenerated planarians. Ce3+ exhibited higher toxicity than n-CeO2.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna Kukkola, Stefan Krause, Yasmin Yonan, Liam Kelleher, Uwe Schneidewind, Gregory H. Sambrook Smith, Holly Nel, Iseult Lynch
Summary: This article presents a technique for setting up detection limits on any fluorescent microscope using the fluorophore Nile Red for microplastic identification. It also introduces a morphology-specific identification key to reduce subjectivity among researchers. The method establishes detection limits for nine common polymer types and five natural substrates that could result in false-positive signals when using Nile Red. It is applied to real freshwater samples and validated by micro-FTIR or Raman spectroscopy, reducing subjectivity in microplastic identification and enhancing transparency, repeatability, and harmonization in the research community.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhiling Guo, Peng Zhang, Changjian Xie, Evangelos Voyiatzis, Klaus Faserl, Andrew J. Chetwynd, Fazel Abdolahpur Monikh, Georgia Melagraki, Zhiyong Zhang, Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg, Antreas Afantitis, Chunying Chen, Iseult Lynch
Summary: As antimicrobials, graphene materials (GMs) have potential advantages over traditional antibiotics. The antibacterial mechanism of GMs, whether it originates from parallel or perpendicular interactions or a combination of both, remains unclear. This study demonstrates that GMs with high surface oxygen content (SOC) predominantly attach in parallel to bacterial cell surfaces in suspension. The interaction mode shifts to perpendicular when the SOC reaches a threshold of around 0.3. These findings help to understand the different physical mechanisms leading to the antibacterial activity of GMs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pingfan Zhou, Peng Zhang, Mengke He, Yu Cao, Muhammad Adeel, Noman Shakoor, Yaqi Jiang, Weichen Zhao, Yuanbo Li, Mingshu Li, Imran Azeem, Like Jia, Yukui Rui, Xingmao Ma, Iseult Lynch
Summary: The study found that nano hydroxyapatite, iron oxide nanoparticles, and nano zero valent iron can significantly reduce the accumulation of cadmium in rice and promote plant growth. These nanoparticles reduce cadmium content through adsorption and the formation of iron plaques, and alleviate oxidative damage by regulating hormones, metal ion balance, and gene expression. This study provides a theoretical basis for using nanoparticles to reduce cadmium accumulation in edible plants.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Pingfan Zhou, Yaqi Jiang, Muhammad Adeel, Noman Shakoor, Weichen Zhao, Yanwanjing Liu, Yuanbo Li, Mingshu Li, Imran Azeem, Yukui Rui, Zhiqiang Tan, Jason C. White, Zhiling Guo, Iseult Lynch, Peng Zhang
Summary: Nickel (Ni), as a trace element, can improve plant growth and development. A study compared the effects of NiO nanoparticles (n-NiO), NiO bulk (b-NiO), and NiSO4 on soybean growth and nutrition. n-NiO at 50 mg kg-1 significantly increased seed yield by 39% and promoted fatty acid and starch content. n-NiO had long-lasting regulatory effects, and its Ni2+ supply decreased phytotoxicity concerns. Majority of Ni in seeds was in ionic form, with only a small portion as n-NiO.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christopher Green, Antoaneta Bilyanska, Mags Bradley, Jason Dinsdale, Lorraine Hutt, Thomas Backhaus, Frank Boons, David Bott, Chris Collins, Sarah E. Cornell, Mark Craig, Michael Depledge, Bob Diderich, Richard Fuller, Tamara S. Galloway, Gary R. Hutchison, Nicola Ingrey, Andrew C. Johnson, Rachael Kupka, Peter Matthiessen, Robin Oliver, Stewart Owen, Susan Owens, John Pickett, Sam Robinson, Kerry Sims, Pete Smith, John P. Sumpter, Svetlana Tretsiakova-McNally, Mengjiao Wang, Tom Welton, Katherine J. Willis, Iseult Lynch
Summary: Chemicals play a vital role in modern society but their use comes with risks. This study used a Delphi-style approach to identify 15 global chemical threats that should be considered in environmental and chemical policies. The findings highlight the importance of broad thinking, collaboration, and systems approaches to address these challenges, and call for further collaboration between researchers, industry, regulators and policymakers.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Patricia V. Silva, Catia S. A. Santos, Anastasios G. Papadiamantis, Sandra F. Goncalves, Marija Prodana, Rudo A. Verweij, Iseult Lynch, Cornelis A. M. van Gestel, Susana Loureiro
Summary: This study investigated the toxicokinetics of engineered nanoparticles in Chironomus riparius, showing that absorption of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) was higher in the simulating aged form (Ag2S NPs) compared to pristine Ag NPs and AgNO3. Water uptake was the main route of Ag accumulation, and chironomid larvae exhibited a strong ability to accumulate Ag. This is the first study on the toxicokinetics of nanoparticles in Chironomus, providing important insights into their exposure and interactions in the environment.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Patricia V. Silva, Ana Rita R. Silva, Nathaniel J. Clark, Joanne Vassallo, Marta Baccaro, Neja Medve Scek, Magdalena Grgi, Abel Ferreira, Marti Busquets-Fite, Kerstin Jurkschat, Anastasios G. Papadiamantis, Victor Puntes, Iseult Lynch, Claus Svendsen, Nico W. van den Brink, Richard D. Handy, Cornelis A. M. van Gestel, Susana Loureiro
Summary: Mesocosms are useful for simulating realistic scenarios of organism exposure to nanoparticles. An indoor mesocosm experiment was conducted to assess the toxicokinetics and bioaccumulation of silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag2S NPs) and AgNO3 in freshwater invertebrates. The study found that single-species tests could not reliably predict bioaccumulation in the more complex mesocosm scenario.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kostas Blekos, Kostas Chairetakis, Iseult Lynch, Effie Marcoulaki
Summary: Efficient and machine-readable representations are necessary for accurately identifying, validating, and communicating information about chemical structures. However, existing standards do not cover the multi-component structures of nanomaterials (NMs) due to the unique challenges posed by their nature. In this study, we propose a set of principles to guide the development of NM representations that facilitate machine processing and cooperation with nanoinformatics tools. We demonstrate how the recently introduced InChI-based NM representation can potentially be expanded to encode morphology, mixture properties, distributions of properties, and auxiliary information for data reuse.
JOURNAL OF CHEMINFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiangyu Wang, Min Jiang, Iseult Lynch, Zhiling Guo, Peng Zhang, Lisi Wu, Jun Ma
Summary: In this study, a highly efficient composite Fe/Fe2O3@UiO-66 material was constructed by employing an urchin-like core-shell structure of Fe/Fe2O3 onto UiO-66 through a facile ion exchange precipitation method. The urchin-like core-shell configuration extended the life span of Fe0 and produced more active sites, while the addition of Fe2O3 broadened the absorption spectrum and achieved high-efficiency separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs with the load of Fe/Fe2O3. The findings of this research provide a promising method for promoting the catalytic properties of MOF-based materials and Fe/Fe2O3.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xi Wu, Xiangyu Wang, Iseult Lynch, Zhiling Guo, Peng Zhang, Lisi Wu, Ping Ning, Nanqi Ren
Summary: A novel Z-scheme heterojunction catalyst (Fe0@CQDs-TiO2(b)) was designed by decorating nZVI with carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and implanting them into black TiO2 (b-TiO2). This catalyst optimized the band gap of b-TiO2 during the light reaction and enhanced the photo-elimination capacity of metronidazole.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhiling Guo, Peng Zhang, Changjian Xie, Evangelos Voyiatzis, Klaus Faserl, Andrew J. Chetwynd, Fazel Abdolahpur Monikh, Georgia Melagraki, Zhiyong Zhang, Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg, Antreas Afantitis, Chunying Chen, Iseult Lynch
Summary: As antimicrobials, graphene materials (GMs) have potential advantages over traditional antibiotics due to their physical mechanisms of action, which reduce the chance of microbial resistance. This study shows that GMs with high surface oxygen content (SOC) primarily attach in parallel to the bacterial cell surface, while the interaction mode shifts to perpendicular when the SOC reaches a certain threshold. The rigidity of GMs is closely related to these distinct interaction modes. By understanding the interaction mode of GMs with bacteria, the antibacterial activity of GMs can be better understood.