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Special Issue "Advances in Nanomaterials and Molecules and Their Applications on Environment Recovery and Release Systems"

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2023 | Viewed by 6866

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fernando Gomes de Souza Junior

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Guest Editor

Biopolymers & Sensors Lab., Macromolecules Institute, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Interests: natural resources; polymerization; nanocomposites; characterization; imaging; environmental recovery; nanomedicine; sensors; machine learning; data mining
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Diganta B. Das

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering (AACME), Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK
Interests: water and soil security; wastewater treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Anthropogenic impacts on the environment are increasingly becoming more catastrophic. Oil spills in coastal waters, soil and groundwater contamination with pesticides, and the emission of sulfur vapors and greenhouse gases are examples of the destructive capacities of our society focused on immediate consumerism. Fortunately, nanomaterials and molecular modification developments bring promising prospects for mitigating or zeroing these impacts.

This Special Issue seeks to bring together scientific contributions that address the state of the art and push the boundaries forward. All emerging concepts involving environmental recovery assisted by nanomaterials, molecular modification, machine learning, and related subjects are welcome.

Authoritative review articles and original research papers describing recent findings in advanced materials to environmental recovery applications are expected to cover various topics.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

Adsorption of contaminants;
Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisting environmental recovery;
Detection of contaminants;
Extraction of contaminants;
Geopolymer-based materials as contaminant absorbers;
Internet of Things (IoT) assisting environmental recovery;
Machine Learning assisting environmental recovery;
Molecularly imprinted materials recognition elements;
Natural polymers;
Sensors;
Wettability of adsorbent surface;
Zeolites as contaminant absorbers;
Molecular modelling for nanomaterial characteristics.

We hope that new ideas will promote the fast development of the exciting areas of nanomaterials and molecules useful to environmental recovery applications. We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue by submitting papers on your best research activities.

Dr. Fernando Gomes de Souza Junior
Dr. Diganta B. Das
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. Materials 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 2600 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

adsorption
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
detection
environmental recovery
extraction
geopolymer
Internet of Things (IoT)
Machine Learning
molecularly imprinted materials
nanomaterial
natural polymer
sensor
separation
wettability
zeolites
antibody-bearing liposomes
biodistribution
cancer therapy
combination therapies
drug delivery systems
drug-delivery strategies
nanocomposites
neglected diseases
targeted drug deliver

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

In Vitro Release and In Vivo Pharmacokinetics of Praziquantel Loaded in Different Polymer Particles

Emiliane Daher Pereira

Luciana da Silva Dutra

Thamiris Franckini Paiva

Larissa Leite de Almeida Carvalho

Helvécio Vinícius Antunes Rocha

and

José Carlos Pinto

Materials 2023, 16(9), 3382; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16093382 - 26 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 732

Abstract

Approximately 1 billion people are affected by neglected diseases around the world. Among these diseases, schistosomiasis constitutes one of the most important public health problems, being caused by Schistosoma mansoni and treated through the oral administration of praziquantel (PZQ). Despite being a common disease in children, the medication is delivered in the form of large, bitter-tasting tablets, which makes it difficult for patients to comply with the treatment. In order to mask the taste of the drug, allow more appropriate doses for children, and enhance the absorption by the body, different polymer matrices based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were developed and used to encapsulate PZQ. Polymer matrices included PMMA nano- and microparticles, PMMA-co-DEAEMA (2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate), and PMMA-co-DMAEMA (2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) microparticles. The performances of the drug-loaded particles were characterized in vitro through dissolution tests and in vivo through pharmacokinetic analyses in rats for the first time. The in vitro dissolution studies were carried out in accordance with the Brazilian Pharmacopeia and revealed a good PZQ release profile in an acidic medium for the PMMA-DEAEMA copolymer, reaching values close to 100 % in less than 3 h. The in vivo pharmacokinetic analyses were conducted using free PZQ as the control group that was compared with the investigated matrices. The drug was administered orally at doses of 60 mg/kg, and the PMMA-co-DEAEMA copolymer microparticles were found to be the most efficient release system among the investigated ones, reaching a C_max value of 1007 ± 83 ng/mL, even higher than that observed for free PZQ, which displayed a C_max value of 432 ± 98 ng/mL. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanomaterials and Molecules and Their Applications on Environment Recovery and Release Systems)

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Open AccessArticle

Synthesis and Characterization of Benzoxazine Resin Based on Furfurylamine

and

Materials 2022, 15(23), 8364; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238364 - 24 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 997

Abstract

This paper presents an investigation of the modification of natural oxazines to traditional bisphenol A benzoxazines. Eugenol was reacted with furfurylamine to synthesize a new type of benzoxazine (eugenol–furfurylamine benzoxazine), with a yield of 77.65%; and another new type of benzoxazine (bisphenol A–furfurylamine benzoxazine) was generated from bisphenol A and furfurylamine, with the highest yield of 93.78%. In order to analyze and study the target molecules, IR (infrared radiation) spectroscopy, GPC (gel-permeation chromatograph), mass spectrometry, 1H-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), DSC (differential scanning calorimetry), and DMA (dynamic mechanical analysis) tests were conducted. Eugenol-furfurylamine benzoxazine and conventional bisphenol A-aniline benzoxazine (BZ) composite was also analyzed and cured at different mass ratios of 2:98, 5:95, 10:90, 20:80, and 40:60. When the content of eugenol furfurylamine in the blend reached 5%, the strength of the composite was greatly enhanced, while the strength decreased with the increase in eugenol furfurylamine oxazine content. Moreover, octamaleimide phenyl POSS (OMPS, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane) and bisphenol A furamine benzoxazine were mixed at different molar ratios of 1:16, 1:8, 1:4, 1:2, and 1:1. The curing temperature sharply decreased with the increase in OMPS content. When the molar ratio reached 1:1, the curing temperature decreased from 248 to 175℃. A further advantage of using eugenol and furfurylamine is that they are renewable resources, which is important in terms of utilizing resources effectively and developing environmentally friendly products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanomaterials and Molecules and Their Applications on Environment Recovery and Release Systems)

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Open AccessArticle

Interference Phenomena and Stimulated Emission in ZnO Films on Sapphire

Arsen E. Muslimov

Andrey P. Tarasov

and

Vladimir M. Kanevsky

Materials 2022, 15(18), 6409; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15186409 - 15 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 926

Abstract

We studied the texturing, roughness, and morphology features of ZnO films grown on the R (1

\bar{1}

02)-, M (10

\bar{1}

0)-, A (11

\bar{2}

0)-, and C (0001)-planes of sapphire, as well as their optical and luminescent properties. We [...] Read more.

We studied the texturing, roughness, and morphology features of ZnO films grown on the R (1

\bar{1}

02)-, M (10

\bar{1}

0)-, A (11

\bar{2}

0)-, and C (0001)-planes of sapphire, as well as their optical and luminescent properties. We showed that the growth conditions, substrate orientation, and the presence of a buffer layer significantly affected the structure and morphology of the growing films, which was reflected in their optical and radiative properties. In particular, films grown on the A- and M- planes of sapphire showed the highest UV radiation brightness values and exhibited stimulated emissions upon pulsed photoexcitation. The dependence of the topography of the film surface on the substrate orientation allowed the formation of a smooth continuous film with pronounced interference properties using the R- and M- planes of sapphire. A change in the crystallographic orientation, as well as a significant enhancement in crystallinity and luminescence, were observed for ZnO films grown on R-plane sapphire substrates with a gold buffer layer as compared to films grown on bare substrates. At the same time, the use of gold facilitates a significant smoothing of the film’s surface, retaining its interference properties. The sensitivity of interference and laser properties to changes in the external environment, as well as the ease of fabrication of such structures, create prospects for their application as key elements of optical converters, chemical and biological sensors, and sources of coherent radiation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanomaterials and Molecules and Their Applications on Environment Recovery and Release Systems)

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Open AccessArticle

Inorganic Flame-Retardant Coatings Based on Magnesium Potassium Phosphate Hydrate

and

Materials 2022, 15(15), 5317; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15155317 - 02 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1025

Abstract

A magnesium potassium phosphate hydrate-based flame-retardant coating (MKPC) is formulated by dead-burnt magnesium oxide (magnesia) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH₂PO₄), behaving as a matrix. Constituents of the MKPC include wollastonite, vermiculite, aluminum fluoride, aluminum trihydroxide, and calcium carbonate. Some of the ingredients inter-react to produce mullite whiskers at high temperatures, despite an acid-base hydration induced reaction between magnesia and KH₂PO₄. The MKPC’s thermal, corrosion-resistant, mechanical, and flame-resistant properties were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, electrochemical corrosion testing, compression testing, thermogravimetric analysis, and freeze/thaw tests. The results show that with the molar ratio = 4 of magnesia to KH₂PO₄, MKPC demonstrates lower thermal conductivity (0.19 W/m K), along with better corrosion resistance, stronger compressive strength (10.5 MPa), and higher bonding strength (6.62 kgf/cm²) to the steel substrate. Furthermore, acceptable additives to the formulation could enhance its flame-retardancy and increase its mechanical strength as well. Mullite whisker formed from the interaction of wollastonite, aluminum trihydroxide, and aluminum fluoride acts as an outer ceramic shield that enhances mechanical strength and compactness. In addition, Mg-containing minerals with calcium carbonate treated at high temperatures, transform into magnesium calcium carbonate after releasing CO₂. At the optimum composition of MKPC (magnesia/KH₂PO₄ molar ratio = 4; wollastonite:vermiculite = 20:10 wt.%; aluminum trihydroxide = 10 wt.%; and calcium carbonate = 5 wt.%), coated on a steel substrate, the flame-resistance limit results exhibit below 200 °C on the back surface of the steel substrate after one hour of flaming (ca. 1000 °C) on the other surface, and the flame-resistance rating results demonstrate only 420 °C on the back surface of the steel substrate after three hours of flaming (>1000 °C) on the other surface. Both requirements for the flame-resistance limit and three-hour flame-resistance rating are met with the optimum compositions, indicating that MKPC plays an effective role in establishing flame-retardancy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanomaterials and Molecules and Their Applications on Environment Recovery and Release Systems)

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Open AccessArticle

Tenebrio molitor Larvae-Based Magnetic Polyurea Employed as Crude Oil Spill Removal Tool

and

Materials 2022, 15(14), 5063; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15145063 - 20 Jul 2022

Viewed by 1195

Abstract

Renewable resources constitute an extremely rich and varied set of molecules and polymers produced by natural biological activities. Within the applications of these polymers, a very important application is the use of these materials as a sorber for oils or oil spills. The advantage of these nanocomposites is the fact that they integrate different component materials and their properties into a single component material. They have several applications, ranging from environmental remediation to the development of advanced medical applications. This work proposed using magnetic polyurea composites based on an animal substrate from Tenebrio molitor larvae to perform oil spill clean-up operations under a magnetic field in the presence of 1% and 3% of magnetite to be tested as magnetic crude oil sorber. The obtained materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Scanning Differential Calorimetry (DSC), and Low-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (LF-NMR 1H). The sorber material is simple to prepare and inexpensive. The use of magnetite as a magnetic charge allowed for the efficient removal of oil from water with about 28 g of oil per gram of sorber. These results are very promising and encouraging for future environmental recovery studies involving magnetite and sustainable polymers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanomaterials and Molecules and Their Applications on Environment Recovery and Release Systems)

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Open AccessArticle

Dual-Drug Delivery via the Self-Assembled Conjugates of Choline-Functionalized Graft Copolymers

Katarzyna Niesyto

Aleksy Mazur

and

Dorota Neugebauer

Materials 2022, 15(13), 4457; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15134457 - 24 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1111

Abstract

Graft copolymers based on a choline ionic liquid (IL), [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]-trimethylammonium chloride (TMAMA), were obtained by atom transfer radical polymerization. The presence of chloride counterions in the trimethylammonium groups promoted anion exchange to introduce fusidate anions (FUS, 32–55 mol.%) as the pharmaceutical anions. Both the choline-based IL copolymers and their ionic drug-carrier conjugates (FUS systems as the first type, 26–208 nm) formed micellar structures (CMC = 0.011–0.025 mg/mL). The amphiphilic systems were advantageous for the encapsulation of rifampicin (RIF, 40–67 mol.%), a well-known antibiotic, resulting in single-drug (RIF systems as the second type, 40–95 nm) and dual-drug systems (FUS/RIF as the third type, 31–65 nm). The obtained systems released significant amounts of drugs (FUS > RIF), which could be adjusted by the content of ionic units and the length of the copolymer side chains. The dual-drug systems released 31–55% FUS (4.3–5.6 μg/mL) and 19–31% RIF (3.3–4.0 μg/mL), and these results were slightly lower than those for the single-drug systems, reaching 45–81% for FUS (3.8–8.2 μg/mL) and 20–37% for RIF (3.4–4.0 μg/mL). The designed polymer systems show potential as co-delivery systems for combined therapy against drug-resistant strains using two drugs in one formula instead of the separate delivery of two drugs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanomaterials and Molecules and Their Applications on Environment Recovery and Release Systems)

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