Sustainable Route for Synthesizing Aluminosilicate EU-1 Zeolite.

Developing sustainable routes for the synthesis of zeolites is still a vital and challenging task in zeolite scientific community. One of the typical examples is sustainable synthesis of aluminosilicate EU-1 zeolite, which is not very efficient and environmental-unfriendly under hydrothermal condition due to the use of a large amount of water as solvent. Herein, we report a sustainable synthesis route for aluminosilicate EU-1 zeolite without the use of solvent for the first time. The physicochemical properties of the obtained EU-1 zeolite are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), N2 sorption, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis, and solid nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which show the product has high crystallinity, uniform morphology, large BET surface area, and four-coordinated aluminum species. Moreover, the impact of synthesis conditions is investigated in detail. The sustainable synthesis of aluminosilicate EU-1 zeolite under solvent-free.

Ultralow thermal conductivity in organoclay nanolaminates synthesized via simple self-assembly.

Because interfaces impede phonon transport of thermal energy, nanostructuring can transform fully dense solids into ultralow thermal conductivity materials. Here we report a simple self-assembly approach to synthesizing organoclay nanolaminates with cross-planar thermal conductivities below 0.10 W m(-1) K(-1)-a 5-fold decrease compared to unmodified clay. These organoclays are produced via alkylammonium cation exchange with colloidally dispersed montmorillonite clay sheets followed by solvent casting. Time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) is used to evaluate the thermal conductivity of the organoclay nanolaminates. Variations in both organic layer thickness and cation chemistry are investigated. At these interface densities (1.0-1.5 interfaces/nm), we demonstrate that thermal conductivity is relatively independent of nanolaminate spacing. A simple series resistance model describes the behavior and gives an interfacial thermal conductance value of ≈150 MW m(-2) K(-1) for the organic/clay interface, consistent with similar organic-inorganic interfaces. The wide range of compositional substitutions and structural variations possible in these materials, make organoclays a versatile new platform for investigating the underlying physics of nanolaminate structures.

Montmorillonite clay based polyurethane nanocomposite as substrate for retinal pigment epithelial cell growth.

The subretinal transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE cells) grown on polymeric supports may have interest in retinal diseases affecting RPE cells. In this study, montmorillonite based polyurethane nanocomposite (PU-NC) was investigated as substrate for human RPE cell growth (ARPE-19 cells). The ARPE-19 cells were seeded on the PU-NC, and cell viability, proliferation and differentiation were investigated. The results indicated that ARPE-19 cells attached, proliferated onto the PU-NC, and expressed occludin. The in vivo ocular biocompatibility of the PU-NC was assessed by using the HET-CAM; and through its implantation under the retina. The direct application of the nanocomposite onto the CAM did not compromise the vascular tissue in the CAM surface, suggesting no ocular irritancy of the PU-NC film. The nanocomposite did not elicit any inflammatory response when implanted into the eye of rats. The PU-NC may have potential application as a substrate for RPE cell transplantation.

Synthesis of aluminosilicate and gallosilicate zeolites via a charge density mismatch approach and their characterization.

Aluminosilicate and gallosilicate zeolite syntheses via a charge density mismatch (CDM) approach are compared at intermediate-silica compositions (Si/Me = 5-16, where Me is Al or Ga). With a variation of the crystallization temperature and of the type and/or concentration of alkali metal ions added as a crystallization structure-directing agent (SDA) to tetraethylammonium-tetramethylammonium, tetraethylammonium-hexamethonium, and strontium-choline mixed-SDA systems, we were able to obtain 11 different zeolite structures. However, only 5 out of a total 40 pairs of aluminosilicate and gallosilicate synthesis runs at otherwise identical chemical compositions were found to give the same zeolite product with no detectable impurities, suggesting that the structure-directing ability of Ga is quite different from that of Al even in intermediate-silica synthesis conditions. The CDM approach to offretite synthesis led to hexagonal plate-like crystals with aspect ratios lower than 0.3, and UZM-22 exhibited no significant preference of Al substitution for particular tetrahedral sites, especially for site T1, unlike its framework type material ZSM-18. More interestingly, the EU-1 zeolite obtained from an aluminosilicate synthesis mixture containing Li(+) as an inorganic crystallization SDA in the tetraethylammonium-hexamethonium double-organic additive system has been characterized to locate about half of its Li(+) ions in the framework, while the Li distribution over the 10 topologically different tetrahedral sites is nonrandom in nature.

Novel methodology to control the adsorption structure of cationic porphyrins on the clay surface using the "size-matching rule".

Saponite-type clays that have different cation exchange capacities were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal synthesis. The structure and properties were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, (27)Al NMR, FT-IR, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, atomic force microscopy, and cation exchange capacity measurement. The intercharge distances on the synthetic saponite (SS) surfaces were calculated to be 0.8-1.9 nm on the basis of a hexagonal array. The complex formation behavior between SS and cationic porphyrins was examined. It turns out that the average intermolecular distance between porphyrin molecules on the SS surface can be controlled, depending on the charge density of the SS. In the case of tetrakis(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (H(2)TMPyP(4+)), the average intermolecular distances on the SS surface can be controlled from 2.3 to 3.0 nm on the basis of a hexagonal array. It was also found that absorption maxima of porphyrins depend on the charge density of the SS. The adsorption behavior of porphyrin on the SS surface can be rationally understood by the previously reported "size-matching rule". This methodology using host-guest interaction can realize a unique adsorption structure control of the porphyrin molecule on the SS surface, where the gap distance between guest porphyrin molecules is rather large. These findings will be highly valuable to construct photochemical reaction systems such as energy transfer in the complexes.

Formation of organo-highly charged mica.

The interlayer space of the highly charged synthetic Na-Mica-4 can be modified by ion-exchange reactions involving the exchange of inorganic Na(+) cations by surfactant molecules, which results in the formation of an organophilic interlayer space. The swelling and structural properties of this highly charged mica upon intercalation with n-alkylammonium (RNH(3))(+) cations with varying alkyl chain lengths (R = C12, C14, C16, and C18) have been reported. The stability, fine structure, and evolution of gaseous species from alkylammonium Mica-4 are investigated in detail by conventional thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) techniques. The results clearly show the total adsorption of n-alkylammonium cations in the interlayer space which expands as needed to accommodate intercalated surfactants. The surfactant packing is quite ordered at room temperature, mainly involving a paraffin-type bilayer with an all-trans conformation, in agreement with the high density of the organic compounds in the interlayer space. At temperatures above 160 °C, the surfactant molecules undergo a transformation that leads to a liquid-like conformation, which results in a more disordered phase and expansion of the interlayer space.

The application of sewage sludge as an expanding agent in the production of lightweight expanded clay aggregate mass.

Sewage sludge can be used as an expanding agent in the production of lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) mass. The addition of sewage sludge increases the total porosity and decreases the bulk density of a sinter. The addition of sewage sludge to a raw material used in the production of LECA enabled a decrease in the burning temperature for the maintained operational parameters of a lightweight aggregate. The optimum content of sewage sludge added to a raw material used in LECA production was 5% to 15% of dry mass. The addition of sewage sludge in an amount of 5% and 10% caused an increase in closed porosity.

CWPO of 4-CP and industrial wastewater with Al-Fe pillared clays.

Catalysts based on pillared clays with Al-Fe have been synthesised from a commercial bentonite and tested for catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of aqueous 4-Chlorophenol (4-CP) solution and industrial wastewater from cosmetics manufacture. The effect of the synthesis procedure, the iron load and reaction temperature on the catalytic activity was studied using 4-CP as target compound. A lower temperature in the preparation of the pillaring solution, as well as a higher Fe load, gave rise to a higher catalytic activity, but also a higher leaching of the active phase. The best catalyst, in terms of catalytic activity, was also tested for treating cosmetic wastewater by CWPO. Experiments were carried out at 90 degrees C and atmospheric pressure and the influence of Fe load, catalyst concentration and H(2)O(2)/COD ratio (between 0.5 and 2 times the stoichiometric ratio) were analysed. Higher values of these parameters favour COD reduction. The Fe leaching in all cases was lower than 1.2 mg/L, indicating that these catalysts have a high stability under these experimental conditions.

Ultrasound assisted synthesis of polyacrylic acid-nanoclay nanocomposite and its application in sonosorption studies of malachite green dye.

Synthesis of nanoclay nanocomposite has been undertaken by using polyacryalic acid (PAA) in aqueous medium and ultrasound environment and its application in dye removal has been investigated. The synthesized product was characterized by using FTIR and XRD techniques. The sonosorption capacity of the product namely PAA-nanoclay composite was determined by choosing malachite green (MG) dye as a model pollutant. The effects of various parameters such as nanocomposite loading, pH, various process conditions etc. have been studied. On comparing the results obtained with that of nanoclay as an adsorbent, it was found for an initial concentration of 500mg/l, the PAA-nanoclay nanocomposite exhibited higher percentage of pollutant removal (68%) and for nanoclay it was 54%. The adsorption data has been correlated using Langmuir and Freundlich models. The fit of the Freundlich isotherm model was found to be good in the entire range of concentration for the experimental sorption data obtained on the nanoclay nanocomposite. A plausible reaction mechanism for use of PAA-nanoclay nanocomposite as an adsorbent is also proposed.

Design and synthesis of organic rectorite-based composite nanofiber membrane with enhanced adsorption performance for bisphenol A.

Nowadays, most of mineral-based adsorbents are powder form, which makes them inconvenient to collect and always easy to cause secondary pollution. In this work, an organic rectorite composite nanofiber membrane (SRt-PAN) was designed and prepared by electrospinning technique. The as-received composite nanofiber membranes were characterized by XRD and SEM analysis, proving the homodisperse and existence of SRt in PAN nanofiber membrane. A series of batch experiments for BPA adsorption were carried out to investigate the effect of different adsorption parameters, including initial concentration, pH, and temperature of pollutant solution. The influences of modifier dosage and adsorbent dosage on the adsorption performance were investigated as well. On the basis of the experiment results, the adsorption process could be well described by the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir isotherm. In addition, the thermodynamic parameters indicate that this adsorption process is exothermic and spontaneous. Moreover, compared with pure nanofiber membranes and organic rectorite powders, the resultant SRt-PAN adsorbents exhibited higher adsorption capacity, superior reusability, and adsorption stability. It is indicated that the hydrophobicity surface of organic rectorite should be the key factor to not only the intimate interfacial combination between the mineral and PAN, but also the enhancement of BPA adsorption capacity.

Preparation and characterization of hydrophobic TiO(2) pillared clay: the effect of acid hydrolysis catalyst and doped Pt amount on photocatalytic activity.

Titanium hydrate sols were prepared using different acid hydrolysis catalysts, i.e., acetic acid and hydrochloric acid. The platinum-doped TiO(2) sol-gels were also synthesized by adding K(2)PtCl(6) into the titanium hydrate sols. The hydrophobic montmorillonite clay, treated with organic cationic surfactant, i.e., hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, was used as a template to prepare TiO(2) pillared photocatalyst with the above sols. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) were employed to characterize the resulting photocatalysts. The adsorption performance and photoactivity of prepared pillared clays were studied by using methyl orange as a model organic pollutant. The preliminary results indicated that the hydrophobic TiO(2) pillared clay prepared with acetic acid as the acid hydrolysis catalysts possessed higher photocatalytic activity than that with hydrochloric acid. Due to the excellent sedimentation property of the clay, the resulting pillared photocatalyst is easily recovered and reused in the postrun treatment. Also the doping of platinum into the hydrophobic photocatalyst can increase the photocatalytic activity significantly.

Preparation of a porous clay heterostructure and study of its adsorption capacity of phenol and chlorinated phenols from aqueous solutions.

A porous clay heterostructure (PCH) from a Mexican clay was prepared and characterized, and its aqueous phenol and dichlorophenols (DCPs) adsorption capacities were studied using a batch equilibrium technique. The PCH displayed a surface area of 305.5 m2/g, 37.2 A average porous diameter, and a basal space of 23.2 A. The adsorption capacity shown by the PCH for both phenol and DCPs from water (14.5 mg/g for phenol; 48.7 mg/g for 3,4-DCP; and 45.5 mg/g for 2,5-DCP) suggests that the PCH has both hydrophobic and hydrophilic characteristics, as a result of the presence of silanol and siloxane groups formed during the pillaring and calcination of the PCH. The values of maximal adsorption capacity for dichlorophenols were higher than those reported for aluminum pillared clays and some inorgano-organo clays and comparable with some ionic exchange resins.

Facile synthesis and rheological characterization of nanocomposite hyaluronan-organoclay hydrogels.

We report a facile methodology for the synthesis of inorganic-organic hydrogels based on integrative assembly of aminopropyl magnesium phyllosilicate (aminoclay) and sodium salt of hyaluronic acid. The viscoelastic materials produced by electrostatic interactions and crosslinking of hyaluronan in the presence of exfoliated synthetic organoclay results in the formation of gel-like behavior retaining a high amount of water. This was confirmed by a rheological study revealing significant dominance of the elastic response over the entire deformation frequency range used. The mechanical strength of the aminoclay-hyaluronan hydrogels was found to be higher than that for related materials based on poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-aminoclay hydrogels.

Electric birefringence and streaming-electric birefringence of synthesized imogolite: the anisotropy of electric polarizability.

Imogolite synthesized from sodium orthosilicate and aluminum trichloride was fractionated into four fractions by centrifuging at 12,000 x g (1h). The supernatant, which did not deposit by three times centrifugations, was used for all measurements. The signal of birefringence under a reversing electric pulse showed that the permanent dipole moment is negligibly small at low fields. The electric birefringence under a rectangular electric pulse is positive. The saturated value is proportional to the concentration of imogolite in the range of 0-0.1mg/ml and decreases rapidly with an increase of added salt concentration for NaCl and AgNO(3). It slightly depends on the pH of solution and is biggest in pure water. Then we have determined the anisotropy of electric polarizability (Deltaalpha) for imogolite in pure water at 0.05 mg/ml. Deltaalpha we obtained from the method decreases rapidly at low fields and slowly at high fields as shown in references [M. Matsumoto, Colloids Surf. A 148 (1999) 75, M. Matsumoto, Biophys. Chem. 58 (1996) 173]. It is approximately shown by the following expression, Deltaalpha=Deltaalpha(infinity)+(Deltaalpha(0)-Deltaalpha(infinity))/(1+KE), (Deltaalpha(0):Deltaalpha at E=0, Deltaalpha(infinity):Deltaalpha at E=infinity). Using this relation we can draw the curve of electric birefringence as a function of electric field and compare it with experimental values. The results, when Deltaalpha(0)=1.17x10(-28)Fm(2), Deltaalpha(infinity)=0.005x10(-28)Fm(2) and K=0.00031 m/V, are in good agreement with each other. In order to explain the reason why the anisotropy of electric polarizability rapidly decreases with an increase of electric field we propose that the difference of electrophoretic mobility between parts of colloidal particle causes the orientation of a rod like particle. The theoretical electric birefringence as a function of electric field we obtained is considerably in good agreement with the experimental values.

Silylated pillared clay (SPILC): A novel bentonite-based inorgano-organo composite sorbent synthesized by integration of pillaring and silylation.

This research examines the feasibility of synthesizing inorgano-organo composites based on bentonite-silylated pillared interlayered clays (SPILCs) by pre-pillaring of bentonite with the Keggin ion (hydroxyaluminum polycation) and then silylating with alkylchlorosilanes. The results of organic carbon content analysis, FTIR, XRD, and DTA/TG indicated that the silyl group can be successfully grafted to the inner surface of pillared interlayered clays (PILCs) through reaction with the OH groups of the pillars and the d-spacing of synthesized PILCs and SPILCs were almost the same. SPILCs have both the higher organic carbon content relative to original bentonite and PILCs and the better surface and pore properties relative to surfactants-modified organobentonites. A comparison of the modifier demand of SPILCs and CTMAB-bentonites indicated that the silylation of PILCs was a modifier-economized process for organically modification of bentonite. The heat-resistant temperature of SPILCs, 508 degrees C for OTS-Al-PILC and 214 degrees C for TMCS-Al-PILC, are more excellent organobentonites. Unlike the partition-predominated sorption mechanisms of organobentonites, both adsorption and partition are important components of sorption mechanism of SPILCs. The VOC sorption capacity of SPILCs is approximately same with that of organobentonites and the hydrophobicity of SPILCs is superior to that of PILCs.

The synthesis of mesoporous aluminosilicate using microcline for adsorption of mercury(II).

An economical mesoporous aluminosilicate was synthesized with microcline as starting material and the precursor 13X zeolite as seed for crystal structure on mesoporous walls. In this method, a mixture of microcline and Na2CO3 with a molar ratio of 1:1.05 was first calcined at 1093 K for 2.5 h. The calcined materials were mixed with 35 ml C16TMABr aqueous solution (containing 8.2 g C16TMABr) and the precursors of 13X zeolite, resulting in mesoporous aluminosilicate after crystallization of the solution at 378 K for 48 h and calcination of the powder at 823 K for 5 h. The as-synthesized sample has a uniform pore diameter distribution centered at 3.7 nm. The as-synthesized sample had BET surface area of 725 m2/g and BJH mean pore diameter of 3.7 nm. The FT-IR results revealed that the building units of 13X zeolite were inserted into the pore walls of the as-synthesized sample. The adsorption ratio of mercury(II) onto the as-synthesized adsorbent was about 95%. The adsorption process was found to be spontaneous and can be explained by particle diffusion and chemical ion-exchange mechanisms. The equilibrium concentration of mercury(II) using the as-synthesized sample as the adsorbent was under 1 microg/L, making the concentration of mercury meet the limit for drinking water in China as recommended by the World Health Organization.

Zeolite synthesis from paper sludge ash at low temperature (90 degrees C) with addition of diatomite.

Paper sludge ash was partially converted into zeolites by reaction with 3M NaOH solution at 90 degrees C for 24 h. The paper sludge ash had a low abundance of Si and significant Ca content, due to the presence of calcite that was used as a paper filler. Diatomite was added to the NaOH solution to increase its Si content in order to synthesize zeolites with high cation exchange capacity. Diatomite residue was filtered from solution before addition of ash. The original ash without addition of diatomite yielded hydroxysodalite with a cation exchange capacity ca. 50 cmol/kg. Addition of Si to the solution yielded Na-P1 (zeolite-P) with a higher cation exchange capacity (ca. 130 cmol/kg). The observed concentrations of Si and Al in the solution during the reaction explain the crystallization of these two phases. The reaction products were tested for their capacity for PO(4)(3-) removal from solution as a function of Ca(2+) content, suggesting the formation of an insoluble Ca-phosphate salt. The product with Na-P1 exhibits the ability to remove NH(4)(+) as well as PO(4)(3-) from solution in concentrations sufficient for application in water purification. Both NH(4)(+) and PO(4)(3-) removal showed little variation with pH between 5 and 9. Alternative processing methods of zeolite synthesis, including the addition of ash to an unfiltered Si-NaOH solution and addition of a dry ash/diatomite mixture to NaOH solution, were tested. The third process yielded materials with lower cation exchange capacity due to formation of hydroxysodalite. The second process results in a product with relatively high cation exchange capacity, and reduces the number of processing steps necessary for zeolite synthesis.

[Study on the expansion properties of homemade fast investment material for the IPS-Empress2 castable ceramic].

IPS-Empress2 is a successful all-ceramic restoration system. To lower its cost, and promote its application, a kind of homemade fast investment material has been developed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expansion properties of this investment material. The setting expansion, thermal expansion and total expansion of the homemade fast investment material were tested. The same properties of the IPS special fast investment material were also tested as control. Then the SPSS statistics software was used to evaluate the differences between the homemade material and the special material. The results show that the setting expansion rate, thermal expansion rate and total expansion rate of the special investment material for IPS-Empress2 are 0.858%, 1.11% and 1.17% respectively, while the same parameters of the homemade investment material are 0.798%, 1.09% and 1.16% respectively. There is no statistically significant difference in these expansion properties between the two investment materials. In conclusion, the expansion properties of homemade fast investment material are comparable to those of the special fast investment material, so it can compensate for the cast contraction of IPS-Empress2 castable ceramic precisely.

Grafting of poly[(methyl methacrylate)-block-styrene] onto cellulose via nitroxide-mediated polymerization, and its polymer/clay nanocomposite.

For the first time, nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP) was used for synthesis of graft and block copolymers using cellulose (Cell) as a backbone, and polystyrene (PSt) and poly(methyl metacrylate) (PMMA) as the branches. For this purpose, Cell was acetylated by 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide (BrBiB), and then the bromine group was converted to 4-oxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl group by a substitution nucleophilic reaction to afford a macroinitiator (Cell-TEMPOL). The macroinitiator obtained was subsequently used in controlled graft and block copolymerizations of St and MMA monomers to yield Cell-g-PSt and Cell-g-(PMMA-b-PSt). The chemical structures of all samples as representatives were characterized by FTIR and (1)H NMR spectroscopies. In addition, Cell-g-(PMMA-b-PSt)/organophilic montmorillonite nanocomposite was prepared through a solution intercalation method. TEM was used to evaluate the morphological behavior of the polymer-clay system. It was demonstrated that the addition of small percent of organophilic montmorillonite (O-MMT; 3wt.%) was enough to improve the thermal stability of the nanocomposite.

Synergistic effect in an Au-Ag alloy nanocatalyst: CO oxidation.

Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles supported on mesoporous aluminosilicate have been prepared by one-pot synthesis using hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) both as a stabilizing agent for nanoparticles and as a template for the formation of mesoporous structure. The formation of Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Although the Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles have a larger particle size than the monometallic gold particles, they exhibited exceptionally high activity in catalysis for low-temperature CO oxidation. Even at a low temperature of 250 K, the reaction rate can reach 8.7 x 10(-6) mol.g(cat.)(-1).s(-1) at an Au/Ag molar ratio of 3/1. While neither monometallic Au@MCM-41 nor Ag@MCM-41 shows activity at this temperature, the Au-Ag alloy system shows a strongly synergistic effect in high catalytic activity. In this alloy system, the size effect is no longer a critical factor, whereas Ag is believed to play a key role in the activation of oxygen.