Multifunctional food supplements based on layered zinc hydroxide salts intercalated with vitamin anions and adsolubilized with vanillin.

A layered hydroxide salt (LHS) was used as an inorganic matrix to obtain multifunctional food compounds. The aim is to obtain higher thermal stability for vitamin anions and a slow release of aroma. Thus, vitamin B3 (nicotinate), vitamin B5 (phantothenate) and vitamin L (2-aminobenzoate) anions were intercalated by co-precipitation method. The results show an increase in thermal stability of intercalated vitamin anion since decomposition of pure vitamin B3 starts at 120 °C and after intercalation, the HSL-B3 decomposition starts at 313 °C. The intercalation products were than reacted with vanillin (3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde). A kinetic study showed that the release of vanillin from its nanohybrid was found to occur in a controlled manner, evidencing that the synthesized compounds can be used in formulations for the sustained release of aromas. Results showed that the intercalated anions and adsolubilized vanillin were not only less volatile since it causes the aroma to remain in the LHS for a longer period of time resulting in slow release but also have higher thermal stability when they are confined between layers. In summary, the multifunctional food supplements obtained seems to have nutraceutical, olfactory and better thermal resistance properties being suitable for potential applications in the food industry.

Assessing the Rheological, Mechanical, and Photocatalytic Properties of Niobium Oxide-Incorporated White Cement Pastes.

Niobium oxide (Nb2O5) is a semiconductor that exhibits photocatalytic properties, making it potentially valuable in addressing air pollution, self-cleaning, and self-disinfection in cement-based materials (CBMs). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of different Nb2O5 concentrations on various parameters, including rheological characteristics, hydration kinetics (measured using isothermal calorimetry), compressive strength, and photocatalytic activity, specifically in the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in white Portland cement pastes. The incorporation of Nb2O5 increased the yield stress and viscosity of the pastes by up to 88.9% and 33.5%, respectively, primarily due to the larger specific surface area (SSA) provided by Nb2O5. However, this addition did not significantly affect the hydration kinetics or the compressive strength of the cement pastes after 3 and 28 days. Tests focusing on the degradation of RhB in the cement pastes revealed that the inclusion of 2.0 wt.% of Nb2O5 was insufficient to degrade the dye when exposed to 393 nm UV light. However, an interesting observation was made concerning RhB in the presence of CBMs, as it demonstrated a degradation mechanism that was not dependent on light. This phenomenon was attributed to the production of superoxide anion radicals resulting from the interaction between the alkaline medium and hydrogen peroxide.