Synthesis of hydrophobic W18O49 nanorods for constructing UV/NIR-shielding and self-cleaning film

Nanomaterials with ultraviolet/near-infrared (UV/NIR) shielding property have great potential for developing energy-saving windows. In this work, we report low-cost W₁₈O₄₉ nanorods as UV/NIR shielding material. W₁₈O₄₉ nanorods with the length of ~20 or ~60 nm were prepared by simple solvothermal method, and they exhibited strong size-dependent absorption in the UV/NIR region. By mixing W₁₈O₄₉ nanorods with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), W₁₈O₄₉@PDMS films were constructed and they could shield 55.58% of UV and 75.89% of NIR light while transmit 58.03% of visible light. A sealed box with W₁₈O₄₉@PDMS-coated glass as the window exhibited a minimal temperature elevation (△T = 9.2 °C) compared to those coated with pure glass (△T = 18.2 °C) or ITO glass (△T = 12.1 °C), under the irradiation of solar light (0.6 W cm⁻²). Additionally, the films had a contact angle of 122 ± 2°, showing self-cleaning ability. Therefore, W₁₈O₄₉@PDMS films can act as cost-efficient UV/NIR-shielding and self-cleaning film.     

Improving ultraviolet light photocatalytic activity of polyaniline/silicon carbide composites by Fe-doping

It was aimed to prepare polyaniline (Pani) composites, including silicon carbide (SiC) nanofibers doped with iron (Fe) ions. The Fe-doping of SiC was performed to enhance the photocatalytic activity of the composites through the separation of photoexcited mobile charge carriers. For comparison purposes, Pani composites were also prepared with undoped SiC nanofibers. The composite samples were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX, and UV–Vis spectroscopies. Experiments on photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under ultraviolet light irradiation revealed that Pani/SiC-Fe composites exhibited higher photocatalytic activity when compared with Pani/SiC composites. Almost 22% dye removal was obtained within 300 min with the Pani composite, containing 15 wt.% SiC-Fe. FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX, and UV–Vis spectroscopies demonstrated that SiC nanofibers were successfully doped with iron ions and incorporated into the polyaniline matrix. The original aspect of this study was to research the photocatalytic activity of polyaniline composites containing Fe-doped SiC nanofibers. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48524.     

Polyaniline sensitized Pt@TiO2 for visible-light-driven H2 generation

Polyaniline is a typical conducting polymer with high migration electron rate, good stability, eco-friendly properties, and high absorption coefficients for visible light. In the present study, polyaniline decorated Pt@TiO₂ for visible light-driven H₂ generation is reported for the first time. The above-mentioned nanocomposite is prepared through a simple oxidative-polymerization and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X–ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectra. Polyaniline modification improves the absorption of the nanocomposite in visible light region via a photosensitization effect similar to dye–sensitization but does not influence the crystal structure and size of Pt@TiO₂. The polyaniline modified Pt@TiO₂ exhibits a remarkable visible light activity (61.8 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹) and good stability for H₂ generation (with an average apparent quantum yield of 10.1%) with thioglycolic acid as an electron donor. This work provides new insights into using conducting polymers, including polyaniline, as a sensitizer to modify Pt@TiO₂ for visible-light hydrogen generation.     

Development of UV-curable ZrO2 slurries for additive manufacturing (LCM-DLP) technology

Digital Light Processing (DLP) is a powerful technique for the preparation of ceramic parts with high resolution and complex shapes. In the last years, the development of photosensitive slurries for the production of ceramics with good mechanical properties has received much attention. In this work, ZrO₂ UV-curable slurries were prepared in two steps for their application in DLP. Firstly, the surface modification of the ZrO₂ particles was carried out using a dispersing agent and secondly, the modified powder was dispersed in an acrylate based mixture. Parts with different geometries were printed and a resolution experiment was also carried out in order to determine the limitations of the slurry. Finally, 30 bars were produced to study the mechanical properties of the sintered parts (ρ = 6.00 ± 0.01 g/mL) by 4-point bending tests and Weibull analysis, obtaining a flexural strength σ₀ = 741 (718–765) MPa with a Weibull coefficient of 11.4.     

Tribological performance of UV picosecond laser multi-scale composite textures for C/SiC mechanical seals: Theoretical analysis and experimental verification

The performance of mechanical seals can be improved by using multi-scale composite textures with spiral grooves and micro-dimples, but without a clear texture function mechanism, it is difficult to optimize the textures on the sealing surface. This research established a mathematical model based on the mass-conservative JFO cavitation boundary to analyze the mechanical seal performance of multi-scale composite micro-textures. We use the multi-grid method for numerical solutions, investigate the hydrodynamic lubrication characteristics of composite-textured mechanical seals, and inspect the coupling effect of micro-dimples and spiral grooves. We also analyzed the influence of the geometrical parameters of composite textures on the sealing performance and optimized the sealing surface textures using theoretical analysis. The numerical analysis showed that the multi-scale composite-textured mechanical seal produced a coupling effect between the micro-dimples and spiral grooves, which improved the lubrication of the sealing pair. Eventually, C/SiC mechanical seal bench tests confirmed the tribological improvement of composite textures compared with the un-textured seal under various sealing liquid pressures and rotation speeds. Through comparing the Stribeck curve, the multi-scale composite textured C/SiC mechanical seals have a lower and more stable friction torque than the un-textured.     

The effect of titanium dioxide-supported CdSe photocatalysts enhanced for photocatalytic glucose electrooxidation under UV illumination

The wetness impregnation method was used to synthesize 0.1% CdSe/TiO₂ photocatalysts with different atomic molar ratios (90–10, 70–30, 50–50, and 30–70). These catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM-EDX and mapping, TEM-EDS, UV–VIS spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, XPS, TPR, TPO, and TPD analyses. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses were performed to examine the photocatalytic activity for photocatalytic fuel cells (PFCs) in glucose solution in the dark and under UV illumination. The characterization analyses revealed that anatase TiO₂ formed the catalyst and electronic structure and surface properties changed when doped with metal. The photocatalytic glucose electrooxidation (PGE) results demonstrate that the 0.1% CdSe(50-50)/TiO₂ catalyst has higher photocatalytic activity, stability, and resistance than other catalysts both in the dark (2.71 mA cm^?2) and under UV illumination (7.20 mA cm^?2). These results offer a promising new type of photocatalyst for PFC applications.     

Qualitative analysis of PZT (52/48) MPB using different synthesis methods

The current work reports a comparison between the structural and optical attributes of PZT (52/48) powder and thin film prepared via solid-state reaction and sol-gel spin-coating technique, respectively. The two obtained PZT samples, PZT-I corresponding to powder which was calcined at 875°C for 2 h, and PZT-II corresponding to a thin film which was annealed at 650°C for 2 h, were investigated via X-Ray Diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, UV–Vis Spectroscopy, and SEM analysis. The diffraction spectra suggested the creation of a polycrystalline perovskite structure in both the samples. The optical band gap was evaluated using Tauc's relation. The bandgap values were found to be 3.2 eV for PZT-I and 3.87 eV for PZT-II. The bandgap values are significantly different for the PZT materials prepared by the two different methods.     

In vitro affinity for nicotine of soft contact lenses of different materials

Smoking is a risk factor for the development of microbial keratitis and corneal infiltrates in contact lens (CL) wearers. It is still unknown if this risk is directly associated with the presence of nicotine in the eye and if adherence of nicotine on the CL can enhance these effects. A better understanding of the interaction between nicotine and CL materials could offer insights to explain this risk associated with smoking. The aim of this work was to compare the affinity of nicotine to different soft CL materials. CLs from FDA groups I, II, IV, and V were incubated in a 2-mM nicotine solution for 24 h and then in a 0.9% saline solution for the next 24 h. The amount of absorbed and released nicotine per CL was deduced as a function of time (t) by ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry and normalised to the mass of the hydrated CL. The data were described by the equation y = b –a t^?1, where a and b are constants, and b represents the mass reached at the plateau after ~ 10 min of exposure. Groups IV and V displayed the highest (0.80 ± 0.09 µg) and lowest (0.27 ± 0.08 µg) nicotine absorption per mg of hydrated CL, respectively. The CL affinity for nicotine could be ascribed to the interaction between the positive charge of nicotine pyrrolidine nitrogen and the negative charges of the CLs, especially for the ionic IV group.