Functionalization of Tailored Porous Carbon Monolith for Decontamination of Radioactive Substances.

As the control over radioactive species becomes critical for the contemporary human life, the development of functional materials for decontamination of radioactive substances has also become important. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) porous carbon monolith functionalized with Prussian blue particles was prepared through removal of colloidal silica particles from exfoliated graphene/silica composite precursors. The colloidal silica particles with a narrow size distribution were used to act a role of hard template and provide a sufficient surface area that could accommodate potentially hazardous radioactive substances by adsorption. The unique surface and pore structure of the functionalized porous carbon monolith was examined using electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS). The effective incorporation of PB nanoparticles was confirmed using diverse instrumentations such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A nitrogen adsorption/desorption study showed that surface area and pore volume increased significantly compared with the starting precursor. Adsorption tests were performed with 133Cs ions to examine adsorption isotherms using both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. In addition, adsorption kinetics were also investigated and parameters were calculated. The functionalized porous carbon monolith showed a relatively higher adsorption capacity than that of pristine porous carbon monolith and the bulk PB to most radioactive ions such as 133Cs, 85Rb, 138Ba, 88Sr, 140Ce, and 205Tl. This material can be used for decontamination in expanded application fields.

Development of the Functionalized Nanocomposite Materials for Adsorption/Decontamination of Radioactive Pollutants.

A polymer-based nanofiber membrane with a high specific surface area, high porosity and abundant adsorption sites is demonstrated for selective trapping of radionuclides. The Prussian blue (PB)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanofiber composites were successfully prepared through a one-step, single-nozzle electrospinning method. Various analytical techniques were used to examine the physical and chemical properties of PB nanoparticles and electrospun nanofibers. It is possible to enhance binding affinity and selectivity to radionuclide targets by incorporation of the PB nanoparticles into the polymer matrix. It is noteworthy that the maximum 133Cs adsorption capacity of hte PB/PMMA nanofiber filter is approximately 28 times higher than that of bulk PB, and the removal efficiency is measured to be 95% at 1 ppm of 133Cs. In addition, adsorption kinetics shows that the PB/PMMA nanofiber has a homogenous surface for adsorption, and all sites on the surface have equal adsorption energies in terms of ion-exchange between cyano groups of the introduced PB nanoparticles and radionuclides.

Fluorescent polydopamine nanoparticles as a probe for zebrafish sensory hair cells targeted in vivo imaging.

Fluorescent polydopamine nanoparticles (FPNPs) are prepared via the ethylenediamine (EDA)-induced degradation of as-prepared non-fluorescent polydopamine (PDA) and used for targeted bioimaging. The reductive treatment of PDA in the presence of EDA yields fluorescent precipitates, inspiring us to seek various biological approaches to preparing FPNPs with excellent optical and biocompatible properties. Moreover, we firstly found that FPNPs selectively label neuromast hair cells in the lateral line of zebrafish, their applications as a reliable fluorescent indicator to investigate the neuromast hair cells, to in turn determine the viability of hair cells, was demonstrated. FPNPs also provided a minimal toxicity enable to assay the number of functional hair cells per neuromast in live animals as development proceeds. Upon combined incubation with TO-PRO-3, a well-established hair cell marker, all hair cells that were rapidly labeled with FPNPs were observed to be also completely labeled with the TO-PRO-3, labeling hair cells in neuromasts positioned in the supraorbital, otic and occipital lateral line as well as in posterior lateral line of living zebrafish larvae. Their potential efficacy for biological applications was demonstrated by their excellent optical and biocompatible properties, offering new opportunities in cancer research, real-time monitoring of stem cell transplantation and other cell-based therapies.