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Molecules
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Novel Nanocomposite: Synthesis and Application
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Novel Nanocomposite: Synthesis and Application

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 12072

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pierfrancesco Cerruti

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Guest Editor
Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB)—CNR, Via Campi Flegrei, 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
Interests: sustainable polymers; blends and composites; stimulus-responsive micro and nanostructured polymer materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Arash Moeini

E-Mail
Guest Editor
School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
Interests: active food packaging; biopolymers; biodegradable polymers; green synthesis; polymerization; nanotechnology; nanocomposites; polysaccharides; semiconductors; wound dressing; drug formulation; release control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of nanocomposites (NCs) and polymer nanocomposites (PNCs), i.e., multicomponent materials where nanosized fillers are dispersed in metal or ceramic (NCs), or polymer (PNCs) matrices, represents a breakthrough in the application of novel materials in academia and industrial environments. Both NCs and PNCs exhibit remarkably enhanced properties with respect to their parent matrices, in terms of structural and mechanical properties, flame resistance, and electrical behavior, providing further outstanding functionalities to the materials. A number of inorganic and organic nanoparticles, including clays, silica, metals, nanocarbonaceous fillers, cellulose, etc., are being used to enhance the performance of the dispersing matrix for a wide variety of technological applications.

This Special Issue is focused on the most recent advances in the synthesis, characterization, and applications of nanocomposite materials. We invite original contributions and review articles addressing recent progress in the field of NCs and PNCs, including systems designed for advanced structural applications or endowed with a novel, exciting functional properties, e.g., self-healing and shape memory, as well as responsive nanocomposites, whose properties and functions can even be controlled remotely by physical, chemical, or biological external stimuli. Progress in this field is rapidly expanding, and advanced nanocomposite systems hold great promise for breakthroughs in materials science and energy, environmental, health, and biomedical applications. We are grateful to the authors who will participate in this issue of Molecules for their contributions to further develop this fascinating research and innovation field.

Dr. Pierfrancesco Cerruti
Dr. Arash Moeini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanoparticles and nanocomposites
  • nanotechnology
  • semiconductors
  • stimulus-responsive materials
  • green synthesis
  • morphology
  • processing
  • food packaging
  • wound dressing
  • coatings
  • drug delivery

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3440 KiB  
Article
La3+’s Effect on the Surface (101) of Anatase for Methylene Blue Dye Removal, a DFT Study
by Ximena Jaramillo-Fierro, Sneyder Gaona and Eduardo Valarezo
Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6370; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196370 - 27 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1516
Abstract
Density functional theory (DFT) is a widely used method for studying matter at the quantum level. In this study, the surface (101) of TiO2 (anatase phase) was considered to develop DFT calculations and explain the effect of lanthanum ion (La3+) [...] Read more.
Density functional theory (DFT) is a widely used method for studying matter at the quantum level. In this study, the surface (101) of TiO2 (anatase phase) was considered to develop DFT calculations and explain the effect of lanthanum ion (La3+) on the electronic properties, adsorption capacity, and photocatalytic activity of this semiconductor. Due to the presence of the La3+ ion, the bandgap energy value of La/TiO2 (2.98 eV) was lower than that obtained for TiO2 (3.21 eV). TDOS analysis demonstrated the presence of hybrid levels in La/TiO2 composed mainly of O2p and La5d orbitals. The chemical nature of the La-O bond was estimated from PDOS analysis, Bader charge analysis, and ELF function, resulting in a polar covalent type, due to the combination of covalent and ionic bonds. In general, the adsorption of the methylene blue (MB) molecule on the surface (101) of La/TiO2 was energetically more favorable than on the surface (101) of TiO2. The thermodynamic stability of doping TiO2 with lanthanum was deduced from the negative heat-segmentation values obtained. The evidence from this theoretical study supports the experimental results reported in the literature and suggests that the semiconductor La/TiO2 is a potential catalyst for applications that require sunlight. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanocomposite: Synthesis and Application)
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16 pages, 1079 KiB  
Article
Mushroom-Derived Novel Selenium Nanocomposites’ Effects on Potato Plant Growth and Tuber Germination
by Olga M. Tsivileva and Alla I. Perfileva
Molecules 2022, 27(14), 4438; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27144438 - 11 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1467
Abstract
Multicomponent materials, where nanosized selenium (Se) is dispersed in polymer matrices, present as polymer nanocomposites (NCs), namely, selenium polymer nanocomposites (SeNCs). Selenium as an inorganic nanofiller in NCs has been extensively studied for its biological activity. More ecologically safe and beneficial approaches to [...] Read more.
Multicomponent materials, where nanosized selenium (Se) is dispersed in polymer matrices, present as polymer nanocomposites (NCs), namely, selenium polymer nanocomposites (SeNCs). Selenium as an inorganic nanofiller in NCs has been extensively studied for its biological activity. More ecologically safe and beneficial approaches to obtain Se-based products are the current challenge. Biopolymers have attained great attention with perspective multifunctional and high-performance NCs exhibiting low environmental impact with unique properties, being abundantly available, renewable, and eco-friendly. Composites based on polysaccharides, including beta-glucans from edible and medicinal mushrooms, are bioactive, biocompatible, biodegradable, and have exhibited innovative potential. We synthesized SeNCs on the basis of the extracellular polysaccharides of several medicinal mushrooms. The influence of bio-composites from mushrooms on potato plant growth and tuber germination were studied in two potato cultivars: Lukyanovsky and Lugovskoi. Bio-composites based on Grifola umbellata demonstrated the strongest positive effect on the number of leaves and plant height in both cultivars, without negative effect on biomass of the vegetative part. Treatment of the potato tubers with SeNC from Gr. umbellata also significantly increased germ length. Potato plants exposed to Se-bio-composite from Ganoderma lucidum SIE1303 experienced an increase in the potato vegetative biomass by up to 55% versus the control. We found earlier that this bio-composite was the most efficient against biofilm formation by the potato ring rot causative agent Clavibacter sepedonicus (Cms). Bio-composites based on Pleurotus ostreatus promoted increase in the potato root biomass in the Lugovskoi cultivar by up to 79% versus the control. The phytostimulating ability of mushroom-based Se-containing bio-composites, together with their anti-phytopathogenic activity, testifies in favor of the bifunctional mode of action of these Se-biopreparations. The application of stimulatory green SeNCs for growth enhancement could be used to increase crop yield. Thus, by combining myco-nanotechnology with the intrinsic biological activity of selenium, an unexpectedly efficient tool for possible applications of SeNCs could be identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanocomposite: Synthesis and Application)
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15 pages, 3317 KiB  
Article
Biodegradation of Alprazolam in Pharmaceutical Wastewater Using Mesoporous Nanoparticles-Adhered Pseudomonas stutzeri
by Mahdi Shahriarinour, Faten Divsar, Fereshteh Kamalpour Dahka, Sharareh Nezamivand Chegini, Mohamad Mahani, Arash Moeini and Pierfrancesco Cerruti
Molecules 2022, 27(1), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27010237 - 31 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2036
Abstract
The release of pharmaceutical wastewaters in the environment is of great concern due to the presence of persistent organic pollutants with toxic effects on environment and human health. Treatment of these wastewaters with microorganisms has gained increasing attention, as they can efficiently biodegrade [...] Read more.
The release of pharmaceutical wastewaters in the environment is of great concern due to the presence of persistent organic pollutants with toxic effects on environment and human health. Treatment of these wastewaters with microorganisms has gained increasing attention, as they can efficiently biodegrade and remove contaminants from the aqueous environments. In this respect, bacterial immobilization with inorganic nanoparticles provides a number of advantages, in terms of ease of processing, increased concentration of the pollutant in proximity of the cell surface, and long-term reusability. In the present study, MCM-41 mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were immobilized on a selected bacterial strain to remove alprazolam, a persistent pharmaceutical compound, from contaminated water. First, biodegrading microorganisms were collected from pharmaceutical wastewater, and Pseudomonas stutzeri was isolated as a bacterial strain showing high ability to tolerate and consume alprazolam as the only source for carbon and energy. Then, the ability of MSN-adhered Pseudomonas stutzeri bacteria was assessed to biodegrade alprazolam using quantitative HPLC analysis. The results indicated that after 20 days in optimum conditions, MSN-adhered bacterial cells achieved 96% biodegradation efficiency in comparison to the 87% biodegradation ability of Pseudomonas stutzeri freely suspended cells. Kinetic study showed that the degradation process obeys a first order reaction. In addition, the kinetic constants for the MSN-adhered bacteria were higher than those of the bacteria alone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanocomposite: Synthesis and Application)
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30 pages, 7498 KiB  
Article
La-Doped ZnTiO3/TiO2 Nanocomposite Supported on Ecuadorian Diatomaceous Earth as a Highly Efficient Photocatalyst Driven by Solar Light
by Ximena Jaramillo-Fierro, Silvia González and Francesc Medina
Molecules 2021, 26(20), 6232; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26206232 - 15 Oct 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2107
Abstract
Currently, there is great interest in the use of TiO2 for photocatalytic remediation of wastewater. Doping, heterojunction, and immobilization on porous materials are effective methods to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of this semiconductor oxide. In this study, ZnTiO3/TiO2 (ZTO) [...] Read more.
Currently, there is great interest in the use of TiO2 for photocatalytic remediation of wastewater. Doping, heterojunction, and immobilization on porous materials are effective methods to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of this semiconductor oxide. In this study, ZnTiO3/TiO2 (ZTO) and ZnTiO3/TiO2/La (ZTO/La) nanocomposites were successfully prepared and immobilized on diatomaceous earth (DE). The composition and texture of the composites prepared were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), and specific surface area (SSA). The adsorption capacity and photocatalytic activity of the composites were determined via degradation of methylene blue (MB) in batch reactors. The materials evaluated were prepared in the shape of 0.2 cm (diameter) and 1.0 cm (length) cylindrical extrudates. The results indicate that the ZTO/La-DE composite exhibited higher efficiency for the removal of MB under solar irradiation than both ZTO-DE and DE. The pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir isotherm model were better suited to explain the adsorption process. The highest degradation percentage of MB obtained was 96% after 150 min of irradiation. The results indicate that synthesized composite could be used for the removal of cationic dyes in wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanocomposite: Synthesis and Application)
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Review

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28 pages, 6030 KiB  
Review
Magnetic Self-Healing Composites: Synthesis and Applications
by Kenneth Cerdan, Carlos Moya, Peter Van Puyvelde, Gilles Bruylants and Joost Brancart
Molecules 2022, 27(12), 3796; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27123796 - 13 Jun 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3954
Abstract
Magnetic composites and self-healing materials have been drawing much attention in their respective fields of application. Magnetic fillers enable changes in the material properties of objects, in the shapes and structures of objects, and ultimately in the motion and actuation of objects in [...] Read more.
Magnetic composites and self-healing materials have been drawing much attention in their respective fields of application. Magnetic fillers enable changes in the material properties of objects, in the shapes and structures of objects, and ultimately in the motion and actuation of objects in response to the application of an external field. Self-healing materials possess the ability to repair incurred damage and consequently recover the functional properties during healing. The combination of these two unique features results in important advances in both fields. First, the self-healing ability enables the recovery of the magnetic properties of magnetic composites and structures to extend their service lifetimes in applications such as robotics and biomedicine. Second, magnetic (nano)particles offer many opportunities to improve the healing performance of the resulting self-healing magnetic composites. Magnetic fillers are used for the remote activation of thermal healing through inductive heating and for the closure of large damage by applying an alternating or constant external magnetic field, respectively. Furthermore, hard magnetic particles can be used to permanently magnetize self-healing composites to autonomously re-join severed parts. This paper reviews the synthesis, processing and manufacturing of magnetic self-healing composites for applications in health, robotic actuation, flexible electronics, and many more. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanocomposite: Synthesis and Application)
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