Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Farzaneh Sabbagh, Beom Soo Kim
Summary: Clays have a specific structure that enables them to interact with drugs and control drug release, making them a powerful drug delivery system. Transdermal delivery is a method of drug administration that avoids drug transformation in the liver. Recent studies have shown that adding 5wt% clay is suitable for transdermal drug delivery. This review discusses clay-based polymer microneedles, mechanisms of clay-drug interactions, and antimicrobial effects of clays. It also explores carriers for clay transdermal drug delivery and in vitro drug release from clay-drug composites.
EXPERT OPINION ON DRUG DELIVERY
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Thuy Tien Nguyen Thanh, Beata Szolnoki, Daniel Vadas, Milan Nacsa, Gyorgy Marosi, Katalin Bocz
Summary: This study comprehensively evaluates the effects of sepiolite and montmorillonite clay minerals on the flame-retardant properties of PLA composites with ammonium polyphosphate. The results show that sepiolite has a more significant impact, and organomodification improves the compatibility of the clay minerals but has contradictory effects on flame retardancy.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Bidemi Fashina, Youjun Deng
Summary: This study evaluates the potential of three clay minerals (smectite, sepiolite, and palygorskite) in binding and degrading pyocyanin, an important virulence factor in the resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to antibiotics. The results show that these clay minerals have the ability to adsorb pyocyanin, with different binding sites and capacities. However, the clay minerals do not degrade pyocyanin, but instead slightly transform its structure on their surfaces.
MICROPOROUS AND MESOPOROUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jinghui Zhan, Huayao Chen, Hongjun Zhou, Li Hao, Hua Xu, Xinhua Zhou
Summary: The nano-scale antibacterial agents show great potential in plant protection and nutrition due to their size-dependent qualities, effective antibacterial activity, and unique physiochemical properties. The Mt-supported ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite exhibited increased antibacterial activity and wetting properties compared to pure ZnO and Mt-supported ZnO composite, offering new opportunities for agricultural and crop protection with its relatively low cost, green and environment friendly, high antibacterial activity, and enhanced wettability.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Alperen Kaymakci
Summary: This study examines the effects of sepiolite clay nanofibers on the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of wood-plastic nanocomposites. The results indicate that increasing the content of sepiolite nanofibers can enhance the flexural and tensile properties of the nanocomposites, as well as improve their thickness swelling and water absorption properties.
JOURNAL OF THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jefferson C. S. da Silva, D. B. Franca, Francisco Rodrigues, Dyego M. Oliveira, Pollyana Trigueiro, E. C. Silva Filho, M. G. Fonseca
Summary: In this study, bionanocomposites of chitosan and bentonite were prepared using microwave heating, showing successful adsorption of dye. The optimal adsorption conditions were found to be at a pH of 1.0 and a contact time of 20 minutes. The adsorption capacity increased with higher proportions of the cation exchange capacity (CEC), indicating the effectiveness of the nanocomposites as dye adsorbents.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yanrong Zhu, Jude O. Iroh, Ramakrishnan Rajagopolan, Aydin Aykanat, Richard Vaia
Summary: This study systematically varied the feed composition to synthesize polyaniline (PANi) and polyaniline-clay nanocomposites (PACN), and analyzed their thermal properties. The results showed that increasing the oxidant concentration decreased the thermal stability and melting point of PANi, while the reinforcement of PANi with clay increased its thermal stability and melting point. The optimal thermal stability and melting point of PANi were achieved by adding about 0.1 wt% of the oxidant.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Djalal Trache, Ahmed Fouzi Tarchoun, Daniela De Vita, John F. Kennedy
Summary: Posidonia oceanica is an abundant aquatic vascular higher plant in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to the Posidoniaceas family. It is valuable for various uses, but it is often confused with macroalgae or seaweeds. This note aims to discuss the misuse of terminology in the scientific literature and provide accurate nomenclature for this promising endemic species.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fabrizio Bernini, Elena Castellini, Maria Franca Brigatti, Beatrice Bighi, Marco Borsari, Daniele Malferrari
Summary: Kaolinite functionalized with mu-oxo Fe3+-phenanthroline complex was found to efficiently remove and store gaseous heptanethiol. The continuous catalytic activity of Fe3+ towards the oxidation of thiol to disulfide explained the significant removal of the smelly gas and the high thiol/Fe(3+)Phen molar ratio.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhengmao Ding, Tiancheng Gu, Shouyi Sun, Gang Tang, Hanli Zhang, Teng Wang, Yunjun Luo, Jinjin Li
Summary: This study proposes a novel approach to harvest osmotic energy by using strongly electronegative CF3 to reduce the resistance of hydrated ion transport. The high-quality monolayered clay nanosheets are prepared by large-scale exfoliation at room temperature, achieving high cation selectivity and output power density in an artificial sea-river water system. This economically viable strategy may advance the industrialization process of ultrathin 2D nanosheets preparation and osmotic energy harvesting.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
M. F. Paucar-Sanchez, M. A. Martin-Lara, M. Calero, G. Blazquez, R. R. Solis, M. J. Munoz-Batista
Summary: This contribution proposes an in-situ catalytic pyrolysis process to valorize rejected plastic wastes from mechanical-biological treatment. It focuses on producing a liquid fraction with similar properties to traditional fuels and utilizes Simulated Distillation, hydrocarbon types analysis, CHNS-O analysis, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for fuel fraction identification. The catalytic structures Sepiolite and Montmorillonites (K10 and K30) are employed, and their properties affecting the catalytic activity and product yields are analyzed. A comparison with hydrocarbons from the petroleum industry is provided to evaluate the technology in the current energy scenario.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mirza Nadeem Ahmad, Sohail Nadeem, Mohsin Javed, Shahid Iqbal, Sadaf ul Hassan, Samar O. Aljazzar, Eslam B. Elkaeed, Rami Adel Pashameah, Eman Alzahrani, Abd-ElAziem Farouk, Mohammed T. Alotaibi, Hisham S. M. Abd-Rabboh
Summary: In this study, MMT/POA clay nanocomposites were synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization of POA and MMT clay with POA. The effect of MMT clay on the properties of POA was investigated by using different loadings of MMT clay while maintaining a constant concentration of POA. The interaction between POA and MMT clay was studied by FTIR spectroscopy, and the distribution of MMT clay in POA was assessed by SEM analysis. The UV-visible spectrum was used to study the optical and absorbance properties of MMT/POA ceramic nanocomposites. Furthermore, the horizontal burning test demonstrated the fire-retardant properties of clay nanofillers in POA.
Article
Biology
Kunio Kawamura, Jean-Francois Lambert, Louis M. P. Ter-Ovanessian, Jacques Vergne, Guy Herve, Marie-Christine Maurel
Summary: The study focuses on the role of minerals in the chemical evolution of RNA molecules under simulated primitive conditions, highlighting the importance of specific conformational binding for the efficient function of functional RNA molecules. The findings suggest that zirconium silicate, a mineral evidence for the existence of water, plays a crucial role in the chemical evolution of biomolecules.
Article
Polymer Science
Guofeng Wu, Liang Lei, Yijian Wu, Fei Yu, Jianjun Li, Hui He
Summary: Polypropylene (PP)/sepiolite nanocomposites were prepared using melt blending technique. The effects of nano-sepiolite content on the properties of PP/sepiolite nanocomposites were investigated. The addition of organic modified sepiolites (OSep) improved the mechanical and thermal properties of PP matrix.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Is Fatimah, Sesy Ardianti, Imam Sahroni, Gani Purwiandono, Suresh Sagadevan, Ruey-An Doong
Summary: The study conducted visible-light sensitization on PCH-ZnSi photocatalyst with Ru(Bpy)3+2, resulting in enhanced catalytic activity under UV and visible light exposure. The material showed increased specific surface area and improved pore distribution, leading to efficient degradation of methylene blue. Additionally, the stability of the material was demonstrated through XPS analysis, showing maintained efficiency over multiple cycles.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anastasiia O. Krushynska, Antonio S. Gliozzi, Alberto Fina, Dmitry Krushinsky, Daniele Battegazzore, Miguel A. Badillo-Avila, Monica Acuautla, Stefano Stassi, Camilla Noe, Nicola M. Pugno, Federico Bosia
Summary: Phononic materials are artificial composites with the ability to control acoustic waves in solids, their performance is determined by structure and mechanical/material properties of constituents. Dynamics of polymer phononic materials with different architectures made of thermoset and thermoplastic polymers are characterized, and the reliability of elastic and viscoelastic material models is evaluated in broad frequency ranges.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alessandro Di Pierro, Bohayra Mortazavi, Hamidreza Noori, Timon Rabczuk, Alberto Fina
Summary: The study investigated the effective thermal conductivity of polymer nanocomposites with graphene and borophene as nanofillers using multi-scale modeling. The results showed that improving the bonding between fillers and polymer can significantly enhance the thermal conductivity. Despite lower thermal conductivity, borophene has the potential to enhance thermal conductivity in polymer nanocomposites.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Lorenza Maddalena, Tobias Benselfelt, Julio Gomez, Mahiar Max Hamedi, Alberto Fina, Lars Wagberg, Federico Carosio
Summary: This study demonstrates the capability of branched polyethylenimine and polyacrylic acid to stabilize reduced graphite oxide dispersions in water. Atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the interaction mechanisms between rGO and the polyelectrolytes. The PE-stabilized rGO dispersions showed excellent gas barrier properties when used for coatings on polyethylene terephthalate films.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Giacomo Damonte, Alberto Vallin, Alberto Fina, Orietta Monticelli
Summary: The study aimed to enhance the graphite dispersion and electrical conductivity of nanocomposites based on PCL and GNP by designing a specific polymeric additive. The synthesized compound Pyr-PCL was found to promote graphite dispersion and improve electrical conductivity, while also demonstrating GNP nucleating effect in the samples.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alessandro Di Pierro, Bohayra Mortazavi, Alberto Fina
Summary: The study investigates the use of molecular junctions to enhance thermal conductivity in polymer nanocomposites, finding that short and conformationally rigid molecular junctions are most effective in reducing thermal resistance and promoting thermal transport efficiency.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Kun Li, Daniele Battegazzore, Ricardo A. Perez-Camargo, Guoming Liu, Orietta Monticelli, Alejandro J. Muller, Alberto Fina
Summary: The use of polycaprolactone (PCL) as a polymer binder in the fabrication of free-standing nanopapers based on graphene and related materials enhances resistance and flexibility, while maintaining high thermal conductivity. The unique crystallization behavior of PCL within the nanopapers has a direct impact on material properties, with the coexistence of different crystalline populations playing a crucial role in strengthening and toughening the nanopapers.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Geetanjali Deokar, Abdeldjalil Reguig, Manoj Tripathi, Ulrich Buttner, Alberto Fina, Alan B. Dalton, Pedro M. F. J. Costa
Summary: This study presents a flexible and efficient heater based on a nanoscale-thick graphite film. The heater exhibits stable performance in a wide temperature range and has a fast response time, achieving high temperatures at low power.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Giacomo Damonte, Lorenza Maddalena, Alberto Fina, Dario Cavallo, Alejandro J. Mueller, Maria Rosaria Caputo, Alberto Mariani, Orietta Monticelli
Summary: The mechanical properties of PHEA-based hydrogels were improved by synthesizing a star-shaped polymer with PCL arms to act as a crosslinker, resulting in hydrogels with enhanced mechanical strength. The presence of the star polymer promoted crosslinking and compatibility between the polymers, leading to hydrogels with outstanding modulus and structural stability under compression loadings.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Natalia Mazur, Sergio Salviati, Henk Huinink, Alberto Fina, Federico Carosio, Hartmut Fischer, Olaf Adan
Summary: This paper investigates the interaction between strontium bromide hexahydrate (SBH) and polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDAC) as well as other additives in thermochemical heat storage (TCHS) composites. The study explores the effects of these additives on reaction temperature and speed and finds that PDAC can both inhibit and enhance hydration depending on its content in the composite.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Francesco Cantamessa, Giacomo Damonte, Orietta Monticelli, Rossella Arrigo, Alberto Fina
Summary: In this study, a covalent adaptable network based on the thermoreversible cross-linking of an ethylene-propylene rubber through Diels-Alder reaction was prepared through melt blending. The research shows that this rubber has the potential to compete with conventionally cross-linked elastomers and can be recycled through a simple melt processing step. Furthermore, the addition of reduced graphene oxide to the thermoreversible rubber significantly improves its stiffness and thermal conductivity.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Tianhui Jiang, Lorenza Maddalena, Julio Gomez, Federico Carosio, Alberto Fina
Summary: Polyelectrolyte-based water dispersion of graphene-related materials is an important intermediate for the development of advanced materials through sustainable processes. The effects of parameters such as functionalization, molecular weight, and charge density of polyelectrolytes on the quality and stability of reduced graphite oxide dispersion were evaluated. The study found that branched poly(ethylenimine) achieved the highest concentration of graphene oxide with no dependence on molecular weight, while polyacrylic acid-based dispersion showed the best stability and size distribution.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alberto Vallin, Daniele Battegazzore, Giacomo Damonte, Alberto Fina, Orietta Monticelli
Summary: In this study, the development of nanocomposite systems based on reduced graphite oxide (rGO) was combined with the development of crosslinked materials characterized by dynamic covalent bonds. The crosslinking reaction was carried out using methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) to create systems capable of bond exchanges. Crosslinking was confirmed through solvent testing, and it was found that the crosslinking process had a minor effect on the dispersibility of the nanofiller. The crosslinking led to a decrease in the crystallinity of the polymer and affected the crystallization temperature. Additionally, rGO acted as a nucleating agent and increased the crystallization temperature of the nanocomposite. Rheological measurements confirmed the solid-like behavior during the crosslinking process. The prepared nanocomposites exhibited self-healing and recyclability properties.
Article
Polymer Science
Luciano Fabrizio, Rossella Arrigo, Maria Teresa Scrivani, Marco Monti, Alberto Fina
Summary: In this study, end-of-life PET trays were chemically modified into a covalent associative network, upcycling tPET and improving its performance. The modified tPET exhibited enhanced thermomechanical resistance, tensile strength, and elongation at break, making it suitable for applications beyond bottles, such as textiles.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Giacomo Damonte, Francesco Cantamessa, Alberto Fina, Orietta Monticelli
Summary: The aim of this study was to improve the dispersibility of graphite nanoplatelets (GNP) in poly (epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) films by synthesizing a star-shaped PCL with furoate-like end groups (PCL-Fur) that can interact with GNP. The reactivity of GNP with furoate groups was demonstrated, and the dispersion of graphite in PCL-Fur solution was studied. The composite films prepared with PCL-L/PCL-Fur/GNP showed well-dispersed GNP and high electrical conductivity.
REACTIVE & FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Valentina Cavallo, Sebastien Pruvost, Jean-Francois Gerard, Alberto Fina
Summary: Poly(methylmethacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (PMMA-co-MAA) polymers were synthesized with a high conversion rate of 98.5% and a final ratio of MMA/MAA equal to 63:37 mol%. These polymers were then used as a matrix for cellulose-based nanocomposites, with cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) dispersed using a solution with a mixture of solvents. The resulting transparent films of PMMA-co-MAA + CNF showed good dispersion of CNF in the matrix, leading to reinforced polymethacrylate matrix with increased tensile strength and optical transparency.
