Nanoscale ZnS/TiO2 composites: Preparation, characterization, and visible-light photocatalytic activity

Photoactive ZnS/TiO₂ nanocomposites were prepared via microemulsion-mediated solvothermal method. The structure, composition, physicochemical property, and morphology of the composites were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering studies, UV diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV/DRS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It showed that the composites were cube-shaped with particle sizes of 10 to 15 nm, and the phase structure for ZnS and TiO₂ in the composites was cubic and anatase, respectively. The content of the ZnS in the composites was 2.1%, 10.7%, and 19.9%, respectively. Compared with the solitary anatase TiO₂, the ZnS/TiO₂ exhibited enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for the aqueous parathion-methyl degradation. Factors including the interactions between the phases of ZnS and TiO₂, strong adsorption of the substrate at the surface of the ZnS/TiO₂ nanocomposites, and preassociation of the substrate and composites are responsible for this enhancement photocatalytic activity.     

Cover Picture: Metallodielectric Two‐Dimensional Photonic Structures Made by Electric‐Field Microstructuring of Nanocomposite Glasses (Adv. Mater. 24/2005)

Nanocomposite glasses containing metallic nanoparticles can be microstructured by electric‐field assisted dissolution of the embedded particles. As reported by Graener and co‐workers on p. 2983, any pattern of the electrode—down to the nanoscale—can be transferred onto the nanocomposite glass, giving 2D metallodielectric microstructures. The cover image shows as the background a regular array of squares with 2 μm periodicity produced using macroporous silicon as an electrode. The insets show the base material, the electrode, a representation of the dissolution process, and an enlarged view of the remaining silver nanoparticles.     

Cross-linked nanocomposite hydrogels based on cellulose nanocrystals and PVA: Mechanical properties and creep recovery

Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels with a water content of ∼92% were successfully prepared with glutaraldehyde (GA) as a cross-linker. The effects of the CNC content on the thermal stability, swelling ratio and mechanical and viscoelastic properties of the cross-linked hydrogels were investigated. The compressive strength at 60% strain for the hydrogels with 1 wt% CNCs increased by 303%, from 17.5 kPa to 53 kPa. The creep results showed that the addition of CNCs decreased the creep elasticity due to molecular chain restriction. The almost complete strain recovery (∼97%) after fixed load removal for 15 min was observed from the hydrogels with CNCs, compared with 92% strain recovery of the neat cross-linked PVA hydrogels. The incorporation of CNCs did not affect the swelling ratio and thermal stability of the hydrogels. These results suggest the cross-linked CNC-PVA hydrogels have potential for use in biomedical and tissue engineering applications.     

Effect of particle morphology on viscoelastic and flexural properties of epoxy–alumina polymer nanocomposites

Nanocomposites were synthesised by dispersing two different types of alumina nanoparticles in epoxy matrix by ultrasonication. Alumina nanoparticles of two shapes, rod and spherical were selected to investigate the effect of particle morphology on viscoelastic and flexural properties of nanocomposites. Specific surface area of both the selected nanoparticles was kept in the similar range. Good dispersion of nanoparticles was observed through transmission electron microscopy. The addition of nanoparticles in epoxy had significant enhancement in the viscoelastic properties and moderate improvement in flexural properties of composites. Composites having alumina nanorods showed higher improvement both in storage modulus as well as in flexural properties in comparison to composites having spherical alumina nanoparticles. Efficacy of Mori-Tanaka method was explored in modelling storage modulus of nanocomposites. Assorted size of alumina nanorods based on particle size distribution was used to model composites with nanorods to see the effect of size assortment on storage modulus.     

Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite doped with aluminium: A potential carrier for biomedical applications

Biocompatible materials based on hydroxyapatite are potentially attractive for a wide range of medical applications. The effect of aluminium substitution on the biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite (HA) under the physiochemical conditions has been investigated. Various samples of aluminium doped hydroxyapatite (Al-HA) with different concentration (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 mol%) were successfully synthesised by solution combustion method and characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and thermal analysis technique. XRD and TEM results reveal uniform and crystalline nature of Al-HA nanoparticles. The biocompatibility of the Al-HA nanoparticles was studied using L929 cell lines by MTT assays up to 24 h. These Al-HA nanoparticles are biocompatible on cell lines L929 and do not have toxic effects for further possible in vivo applications. The results of these studies confirmed the biocompatibility of Al-HA and demonstrated the suitability for biomedical applications. The present work reveals the importance of structural, morphological, biocompatible properties of Al-HA nanoparticles and predicts the suitability for biomedical applications.     

Microstructural evolution after thermomechanical processing in an equiatomic,single-phase CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy with special focus on twin boundaries

The FCC-structured equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy was produced by arc melting and drop casting. After homogenization, the drop-cast ingots were cold rolled to sheets with six different final thicknesses (thickness reductions of 21, 41, 61, 84, 92 and 96%). Samples were cut from the rolled sheets and annealed for 1 h at temperatures between 400 and 1000 °C. The recrystallization temperature was then determined as a function of cold work by means of scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction measurements. Additionally, Vickers indentation was performed on these samples. It was found that the microhardness first tends to increase slightly upon annealing below the recrystallization temperature but then drops steeply for higher annealing temperatures due to the onset of recrystallization. To study grain growth kinetics, samples that underwent 96% cold rolling were first recrystallized for 1 h at 800 °C, which is the lowest temperature at which complete recrystallization occurs, and then annealed at temperatures between 800 and 1150 °C for various times. The grain growth exponent was determined to be approximately n = 3, and the activation energy Q = 325 kJ/mol, both of which agree well with published values for this alloy. EBSD measurements were made in the as-recrystallized and grain growth samples to analyze the annealing twins. The density of annealing twins in the grain growth samples was found to depend only on grain size, i.e., it was independent of annealing temperature and time. No such correlation could be found for the as-recrystallized samples. These observations are discussed in the framework of existing theories for the formation of annealing twins.     

Improving post irradiation stability of high density polyethylene by multi walled carbon nanotubes

Sterilization of implants and other clinical accessories is an integral part of any medical application. Although many materials are used as implants, polyethylene stands unique owing to its versatility. Carbon nanotubes are being used as a filler material to enhance the properties of polyethylene. However, the role of multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as an effective antioxidant and radical scavenger in resisting the deteriorating effects of sterilization is yet to be studied in detail. The present work is aimed to investigate the mechanical properties and oxidation stability of irradiated high density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced by MWCNTs with various concentrations such as 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75% and 1.00 wt.%. The composites were exposed to ⁶⁰Co source in air and irradiated at different dosage level starting from 25 to 100 kGy and then shelf aged for a period of 120 days prior to investigation. The loss in toughness, Young’s modulus and ultimate strength at 100 kGy for 1 wt.% MWCNTs composite were found to be 21.5%, 20.3% and 19.2%, respectively compared to that of unirradiated composite. FTIR and ESR studies confirmed the antioxidant and radical scavenging potentialities of MWCNTs with increased concentration and irradiation dosage. It was found that by the addition of 1 wt.% MWCNTs into virgin HDPE, the oxidation index of the composite at 100 kGy was decreased by 56.2%. It is concluded that the addition of MWCNTs into polyethylene not only limits the loss of mechanical properties but also improves its post irradiation oxidative stability.