Article
Thermodynamics
Juliana A. de Lima, Lays B. Fitaroni, Walter R. Waldman, Sandra A. Cruz
Summary: This study evaluated the influence of sepiolite content and PP-g-MA compatibilizer on the degradation of polypropylene/sepiolite nanocomposites, revealing different effects under different atmospheres. The presence of sepiolite concentration and compatibilizer had varied effects on the stability of the nanocomposites, suggesting the need for further optimization in dispersing the nanofillers within the polymer matrix.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2021)
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
Chemistry, Applied
Nur Sena Okten Besli, Nermin Orakdogen
Summary: This study investigated the enhancement mechanism of mechanical properties of binary nanocomposites filled with fibrillar nanoclay sepiolite, highlighting the significant impact of interactions between SP nanofillers and terpolymer matrix on the performance of nanocomposites. Additionally, the swelling and pH-responsive properties of the nanocomposites were discussed in detail.
REACTIVE & FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Changxin Liu, Hai Wang, Xiaowen Qi, Bingli Fan, Xiao Yang, Yu Dong
Summary: The aim of this study is to prepare epoxy/PTFE/GF composites with low friction and high wear resistance. The tribological properties of composites with different filler ratios were studied, and it was found that the minimum coefficient of friction and wear rate were achieved at a 40 wt% PTFE filler content. The worn surfaces and transfer films were observed and analyzed, and it was observed that increasing velocity and amplitude leads to a reduction in the carbon-rich region and enhanced formation of transfer films.
POLYMER COMPOSITES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dongdong Li, Xuechun Huang, Fang Hao, Yang Lv, Hao Chen, Shengtao Wu, Wei Xiong, Pingle Liu, He'an Luo
Summary: Organic-inorganic composites with excellent antibacterial activities were successfully synthesized via different combination styles. The materials showed high antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Aspergillus niger due to the formation of a chitosan-zinc oxide structure.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Ying Zhou, Min He, Lan Xie, Weidi He, Dinghong Xu, Hongming Wu, Guangqiang Xiao, Shuhao Qin, Jianbing Guo
Summary: The study examined the flammability, thermal, and mechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/DOPO derivative (DiDOPO)/sepiolite composites fabricated by a melt blending process. The TPUSEP3 composite achieved UL-94 V0 classes and showed enhanced flexural strength. The presence of sepiolite and DiDOPO led to improvements in the fire performance of the composites.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Swati Singh, Vengatesan M. Rangaraj, Vikas Mittal
Summary: In this study, hybrid polypropylene ternary composites were developed using amine-functionalized sepiolite intercalated graphene nanofillers. The functionalization process did not affect the morphology of the filler, and the use of an interfacial compatibilizer improved the dispersion of the filler in the polypropylene matrix. Thermal analysis showed that the addition of a small amount of filler enhanced the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the composites.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Na Zhang, Ningxi Li, Xiaoyu Han, Hong Zhang, Junping Meng, Pengfei Zhou, Jinsheng Liang
Summary: By in-situ synthesizing ceria nano-crystals on sepiolite nanofibers, the photocatalytic efficiency for AFB1 removal in aqueous solution under visible light was improved. The CeO2/sepiolite (Ce/Sep) composites achieved a maximum removal efficiency of 93.3% within 3 hours, nearly 2.7 times higher than nano ceria. The enhanced removal performance of Ce/Sep composites can be attributed to the large specific surface of sepiolite, which leads to the homogeneous distribution of ceria and reduces particle sizes, increasing the reaction active sites. Furthermore, sepiolite acts as an electron acceptor to inhibit electron-hole recombination and enhances the separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, resulting in more reactive oxygen species to destroy AFB1 structure. This work demonstrates the excellent photocatalytic activity of Ce/Sep composites and their potential application in AFB1 environmental pollution treatment.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Irene Tagliaro, Elkid Cobani, Elisa Carignani, Lucia Conzatti, Masimillano D'Arienzo, Luca Giannini, Francesca Martini, Francesca Nardelli, Roberto Scotti, Paola Stagnaro, Luciano Tadiello, Barbara Di Credico
Summary: Composite materials based on hybrid filler systems, such as silica and sepiolite, have shown promising results in improving the mechanical properties of rubber nanocomposites. This study focused on the synergistic self-assembly of nanosilica and sepiolite in rubber-based nanocomposites, particularly for tire applications. The use of a double white filler, consisting of particles with different aspect ratios, was found to provide a good balance between efficient reinforcement and low rolling resistance. Transmission electron microscope analysis confirmed the formation of cooperative superstructures within the rubber matrix when chemically modified sepiolite was used as the secondary filler, leading to improved dynamic-mechanical performance.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xijun Ma, Jing Zhang, Mehwish Javed, Jiayu Wu, Yuzhu Hu, Siyuan Yin, Yujie Zhu, Wentian Wu, Fei Liu
Summary: This research synthesized Chitosan/PVA-blank and a series of Cs/PVA/Sepolite based pH-sensitive membranes. Various techniques such as SEM, FTIR, XRD, and TGA were used to investigate the properties of the membranes. The results showed that the Cs/PVA/Sep membranes exhibited improved hydrolytic stability and strength in acidic and basic media and higher thermal stability compared to the Cs/PVA-blank membranes. Additionally, the Cs/PVA/Sep membranes displayed enhanced stability in basic and neutral media, while showing minimum swelling in an acidic medium. The water uptake ability of the membranes was also affected by the Sepolite content.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Sedef Kaptan Usul, Ayse Aslan, Hatice Busra Luleci, Bengu Erguden, Muhamed Tarik Copoglu, Hakan Oflaz, Ali Murat Soydan, Didem Ozcimen
Summary: This study focuses on improving the physicochemical and mechanical properties as well as antibacterial activity of dental composites by incorporating imidazole and benzimidazole functional groups. The experimental results show that the addition of these functional nanoparticles positively enhances the properties of the composites, paving the way for their industrial applications.
JOURNAL OF DENTISTRY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Zijuan Wu, Guolin Pi, Wenxin Song, Yali Li
Summary: The implications of miRNAs for animal health management in livestock are not well understood. This study identified changes in miR-10b levels in the jejunum of piglets post-weaning and found that mice lacking miR-10b were more susceptible to DSS administration, showing worse survival, greater weight loss, more severe tissue damage, and increased intestinal permeability. The increased disease severity was associated with enhanced macrophage infiltration and elevated pro-inflammatory mediators and immunoglobulins. These findings may lead to new strategies for improving swine health and production.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zeljka Milovanovic, Slavica Lazarevic, Ivona Jankovic-Castvan, Zeljko Radovanovic, Slobodan Cvetkovic, Dorde Janackovic, Rada Petrovic
Summary: Sepiolite/ZrO2 composites were prepared by modifying sepiolite with zirconium propoxide in toluene at different temperatures. The composites showed improved adsorption capacities for phosphate removal from aqueous solutions compared to sepiolite. The formation of inner-sphere complexes was identified as the mechanism of phosphate adsorption, and the strong bonds between phosphate and the composite surface were confirmed by slow release during desorption with NaOH solution.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Xiaofei Ren, Guicong Hu, Qingbin Guo, Dengzheng Gao, Li Wang, Xiaolong Hu
Summary: A novel visible-light-driven Ag/Ag3PO4/sepiolite ternary heterostructure photocatalysts were successfully prepared via a facile precipitation method. The presence of Si-OH on the surface of sepiolite converted the part of Ag + to Ag-0 through the in-situ reduction. The superior photocatalytic perfor-mance of Ag/Ag3PO4/sepiolite was attributed to the formation of Ag3PO4 particles with smaller grain size and Ag-0 nanoparticles due to the introduction of sepiolite, resulting in the enhanced adsorption capacity, improved light response ability and accelerated photogenerated electron transfer rate. In particular, the generated Ag-0 played a very important role in improving the electron-hole separation efficiency through acting as the electron acceptor and regulating the carriers' separation path. On the other hand, the SPR effect of Ag-0 can improve the light absorption ability of the photocatalyst. The radical trapping experiment showed that holes (h(+)) and superoxide radical (O-center dot(2)-) were the main reactive species, where the formation of O-center dot(2)- was closely related to the presence of Ag-0. This work provides new insights for the application of hybrid photocatalysts combined with mineral materials in wastewater treatment.
MATERIALS SCIENCE IN SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Jianqiao Liu, Zhenxiang Xin
Summary: A novel silicone rubber composite with low smoke, good mechanical property, and excellent flame retardant was prepared by introducing melamine (MEL), starch (St), and sepiolite (SEP) into SR. The optimal mechanical properties were achieved when the amount of SEP was 30 phr. The addition of SEP remarkably enhanced the strength and stability of the carbon layer, thus improving the flame retardant properties of the materials. The SEM images of CCT carbon residues revealed that the composite with SEP had a more stable carbon layer with fewer cracks compared to the composite without SEP.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
