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Minerals
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Nanotubular and Nanofibrous Clay Minerals
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Nanotubular and Nanofibrous Clay Minerals

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 12157

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wenbin Yu

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Guest Editor
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
Interests: surface/interface reactivity of nanoporous minerals; high-efficiency applications of mineral resources; modification of nanoporous structures; effect of nanoconfinement
Prof. Dr. Hongjuan Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Mineral Materials and Application, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
Interests: science and engineering of nanostructured clay minerals and industrial applications; preparation and application of graphene materials; processes intensification for nanofabrication and solid waste resource utilization
Prof. Dr. Lala Setti Belaroui

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Material Chemistry Laboratory (LCM), University of Oran1Ahmed Ben Bella, Oran 31000, Algeria
Interests: nanogeoscience; mineralogy; functionalization and application of clay and fibrous clays as adsorbent, biosensor, antibacterial or catalyst
Prof. Dr. Quan Wan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou 550081, China
Interests: nanogeoscience; mineralogy; experimental geochemistry; (nano)materials science; polymer chemistry and physics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanotubular and nanofibrous clay minerals, such as halloysite, chrysotile, palygorskite, sepiolite, etc., have been attracting more and more research attention, because of their unique one-dimensional structure, easily regulated properties and diverse applications. This Special Issue entitled “Nanotubular and nanofibrous clay minerals” will cover both fundamental aspects and actual applications of the abovementioned clay minerals. We would like to solicit high-quality research papers in areas including (but not limited to) synthesis, characterization, modification, properties of nanotubular and nanofibrous clay minerals, as well as their applications in environmental protection and remediation, materials science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and energy. Both original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Dr. Wenbin Yu
Prof. Dr. Hongjuan Sun
Prof. Dr. Lala Setti Belaroui
Prof. Dr. Quan Wan
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. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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

  • Halloysite
  • Chrysotile
  • Sepiolite
  • Palygorskite
  • Imogolite
  • Modification
  • Characterization
  • Applications
  • Adsorption
  • Catalysis
  • Nanocomposites
  • Biosensor
  • Antibacterial
  • Drug carriers

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 5301 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Different Dispersants on the Dispersion/Sedimentation Behavior of Halloysite, Kaolinite, and Quartz Suspensions in the Enrichment of Halloysite Ore by Mechanical Dispersion
by Emrah Durgut, Mustafa Cinar, Mert Terzi, Ilgin Kursun Unver, Yildiz Yildirim and Orhan Ozdemir
Minerals 2022, 12(11), 1426; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12111426 - 10 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1759
Abstract
In this study, the dispersion properties of pure halloysite, kaolinite, and quartz minerals in halloysite ore were determined in the absence and presence of dispersants (sodium silicate, STPP, SHMP). First of all, the samples were characterized by chemical, mineralogical, BET, FTIR, and TEM [...] Read more.
In this study, the dispersion properties of pure halloysite, kaolinite, and quartz minerals in halloysite ore were determined in the absence and presence of dispersants (sodium silicate, STPP, SHMP). First of all, the samples were characterized by chemical, mineralogical, BET, FTIR, and TEM analyses. Afterward, the physico-chemical properties of these minerals were investigated by zeta potential measurements and dispersion/sedimentation experiments in the absence and presence of the dispersants. The zeta potential measurements showed that the surface charges of all minerals changed from negative to positive as the PH changed from basic to acidic. The presence of dispersants at natural pHs indicated that the mineral surface charges tended to become more negative as the concentration increased in the zeta potential measurements. SHMP showed the most effect on the zeta potential. In the dispersion/sedimentation experiments, settling was slowed down with the use of dispersants. Finally, the dispersion properties of halloysite ore in the presence of dispersants were explored using mechanical dispersion and pulp viscosity experiments based on the amount of material passing to <38 μm size and the chemical changes in the materials. As a result of the mechanical dispersion tests carried out in the presence of dispersants (sodium silicate, STPP, SHMP), 71.3% of the material with 30.8% Al2O3 and 50.5% SiO2 content passed to <38 μm size without using dispersant, and 73.2% of <38 μm sized material with 35.5% Al2O3 and 46.1% SiO2 content was gained in the use of 7.5 kg/ton SHMP, which was determined as the optimum within the scope of the study. In conclusion, dispersant use enhanced the mechanical dispersion effect for plastic clay mineral separation from hard minerals in an aqueous medium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotubular and Nanofibrous Clay Minerals)
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20 pages, 5087 KiB  
Article
Halloysite-Zinc Oxide Nanocomposites as Potential Photocatalysts
by Balázs Zsirka, Veronika Vágvölgyi, Erzsébet Horváth, Tatjána Juzsakova, Orsolya Fónagy, Erzsébet Szabó-Bárdos and János Kristóf
Minerals 2022, 12(4), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12040476 - 13 Apr 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2462
Abstract
The synthesis and structural characterization of synthetic zinc oxide and halloysite-based zinc oxide nanocomposites (with 2–28 m/m% ZnO content) are presented. The chemical precipitation of zinc hydroxide precursors and its subsequent drying at 80 °C yielded dominantly zinc oxide (zincite). Thermal treatment at [...] Read more.
The synthesis and structural characterization of synthetic zinc oxide and halloysite-based zinc oxide nanocomposites (with 2–28 m/m% ZnO content) are presented. The chemical precipitation of zinc hydroxide precursors and its subsequent drying at 80 °C yielded dominantly zinc oxide (zincite). Thermal treatment at 350 °C completely transformed the remaining precursor to ZnO without causing structural dehydroxylation of the halloysite support. The procedure yielded zinc oxide nanoparticles with 10–22 nm average size having quasi-spherical scale-like morphology. The specific surface area of the synthetic zinc oxide was found to be low (13 m2/g), which was significantly enhanced after nanocomposite preparation (27–47 m2/g). The photocatalytic activity of the prepared nanocomposites was probed by the degradation of a phenolic compound (4-nitrophenol) upon UV irradiation in liquid phase. Compared to their individual constituents, an increased activity of the nanocomposites was observed, while the SSA-normalized photocatalytic activity revealed a synergic effect in nanocomposites above 9 m/m% ZnO content. The nanocomposites were found to be stable at pH = 5.6, with a minor and major mobilization of zinc ions at pH = 12.4 and pH = 1.9, respectively. The toxicity of leachates in different pH environments by Vibrio fischeri bioluminescence indicated low toxicity for ZnO nanoparticles and insignificant toxicity for the nanocomposites. The enhanced photocatalytic activity together with the lower toxicity of the halloysite-ZnO nanocomposites highlight their application potential in water treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotubular and Nanofibrous Clay Minerals)
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15 pages, 4260 KiB  
Article
Facile Preparation of Organo-Modified ZnO/Attapulgite Nanocomposites Loaded with Monoammonium Glycyrrhizinate via Mechanical Milling and Their Synergistic Antibacterial Effect
by Fangfang Yang, Yameng Song, Aiping Hui, Yuru Kang, Yanmin Zhou and Aiqin Wang
Minerals 2022, 12(3), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12030364 - 16 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2252
Abstract
In this study, monoammonium glycyrrhizinate (MAG) was introduced into cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)-modified ZnO/attapulgite (APT) via a mechanical process to form performance-enhanced antibacterial nanocomposites (MAG/C–ZnO/APT). The APT supported ZnO nanocomposite (ZnO/APT) was prepared by a conventional precipitation method, and 20–50 nm of globular [...] Read more.
In this study, monoammonium glycyrrhizinate (MAG) was introduced into cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)-modified ZnO/attapulgite (APT) via a mechanical process to form performance-enhanced antibacterial nanocomposites (MAG/C–ZnO/APT). The APT supported ZnO nanocomposite (ZnO/APT) was prepared by a conventional precipitation method, and 20–50 nm of globular ZnO nanoparticles were uniformly decorated on APT nanorods. The FTIR and zeta potential analyses demonstrated that modification by CTAB facilitated the loading of MAG into ZnO/APT by H-bonding and electrostatic interactions. Antibacterial evaluation results indicate that MAG/C–ZnO/APT nanocomposites with CTAB and MAG doses of 2.5% and 0.25%, respectively, exhibited synergistically enhanced inhibitory activities against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and extended-spectrum β-lactamases Escherichia coli, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 1, 0.1, 0.25, 5, 0.1, and 2.5 mg/mL, respectively, which are better than those of ZnO/APT, C–ZnO/APT and MAG. Moreover, the nanocomposites had low cytotoxicity on human normal cell line L-O2. Therefore, this study provided a more effective strategy to extend the antibacterial spectrum and strengthen the inhibitory effects of antibiotic-free materials to address increasingly serious situations of microbial infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotubular and Nanofibrous Clay Minerals)
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11 pages, 2319 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Halloysite/Ag2O Nanomaterials and Their Performance for Iodide Adsorption
by Wenlin Yu, Qinpeng Dong, Wenbin Yu, Zonghua Qin, Xin Nie, Quan Wan and Xiuli Chen
Minerals 2022, 12(3), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12030304 - 27 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1975
Abstract
Halloysite/Ag2O (Hal/Ag2O) nanomaterials were prepared by growing Ag2O nanoparticles on the surface of nanotubular halloysite using silver nitrate solution under alkaline conditions. The nanomaterials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2 [...] Read more.
Halloysite/Ag2O (Hal/Ag2O) nanomaterials were prepared by growing Ag2O nanoparticles on the surface of nanotubular halloysite using silver nitrate solution under alkaline conditions. The nanomaterials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2 adsorption. Good dispersion of Ag2O nanoparticles with average sizes of 6.07 ± 2.5 nm and 8.04 ± 3.8 nm was achieved in the nanomaterials when using different concentrations of alkali. The nanomaterial with 6.36% Ag2O (Hal/Ag2O-2) exhibited rapid adsorption to iodide (I−); adsorption equilibrium can be reached within 100 min. The adsorption capacity of I− on Hal/Ag2O-2 is 57.5 mg/g, which is more than 143 times higher than that of halloysite. The nanomaterial also showed a better adsorption capacity per unit mass of Ag2O due to the better dispersion and less coaggregation of Ag2O in the nanomaterial than in the pure Ag2O nanoparticles. Importantly, Hal/Ag2O-2 exhibited high selectivity for I−, and its I− removal efficiency was hardly affected by the coexistence of Cl−, Br−, or SO42−, as well as the initial pH of the solution. With an excellent adsorption performance, the prepared Hal/Ag2O nanomaterial could be a new and efficient adsorbent capable of the adsorption of radioactive I− from aqueous solution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotubular and Nanofibrous Clay Minerals)
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16 pages, 5592 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Natural Consolidated Halloysite Nanotube Structures
by Jiaqi Jin, Shoeleh Assemi, Hassnain Asgar, Greeshma Gadikota, Thang Tran, William Nguyen, John D. McLennan and Jan D. Miller
Minerals 2021, 11(12), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121308 - 24 Nov 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2186
Abstract
Halloysite is a unique 1:1 clay mineral frequently appearing with nanotubular morphology, and having surfaces of different polarity with interesting and important technological applications. HNTs can be consolidated naturally in the earth by pressure and thermal flows. In this study of natural consolidated [...] Read more.
Halloysite is a unique 1:1 clay mineral frequently appearing with nanotubular morphology, and having surfaces of different polarity with interesting and important technological applications. HNTs can be consolidated naturally in the earth by pressure and thermal flows. In this study of natural consolidated HNTs, the strength and hardness of these materials were found to be dependent on the presence of impurities (gibbsite, alunite, quartz, and other silica minerals), which accounted for the increased stability of such samples. In the absence of impurities, the strength of consolidated HNTs was significantly lower. The first 3D mapping of the pore structure of natural consolidated HNT is provided. The contributions of the porosity within the nanotubes and between the nanotubes were delineated using a combination of non-invasive ultra-small and small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS/SAXS) analyses, BET/BJH pore size analyses, and computed tomography studies. A total porosity of 40%, as determined by X-ray attenuation and He porosimetry, was found for the natural consolidated HNTs, of which about one-third was due to the inter-HNT porosity. Nano-X-ray computed tomography (nano-XCT) analyses also indicated that 76% of the inter-HNT pores were smaller than 150 nm in diameter. The intra-HNT pore size determined by combined USAXS/SAXS and BET/BJH was about 10 nm. This pore network information is essential for the utilization of natural consolidated HNTs as a model geomaterial to investigate the effects of surface characteristics on confined fluid flow. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotubular and Nanofibrous Clay Minerals)
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