Innovative adsorbents based on bentonite mining waste for removal of cationic dyes from wastewater.

Waste rock from bentonite mining (WRBM) was evaluated as potential adsorbents for removing crystal violet (CV) and methylene blue (MB) cationic dyes from contaminated water. The waste samples (AM01, AM02, and AM03) were collected from different locations of the bentonite mine and characterized through X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, N2 adsorption/desorption, and cation exchange capacity. The adsorption efficiency of CV and MB dyes was investigated through the effect of initial concentration, contact time, pH, the dosage of adsorbent, and temperature. Sample AM02 showed the largest surface area (69.13 m2/g) and the best adsorptive performance for both dyes, with removal more significant than 90%. The adsorption of CV and MB in the waste followed the Langmuir isothermal model. Samples AM01 and AM02 followed the pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetic model, while AM03 better fitted the Elovich kinetic model. The enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS), and Gibbs energy (ΔG) were evaluated as adsorption parameters. The process of adsorption of CV and MB dyes in the waste was predominantly endothermic and occurred spontaneously. WRBM samples proved to be a promising candidate for removing cationic dyes present in water.

Ceramic Nanofiber Materials for Wound Healing and Bone Regeneration: A Brief Review.

Ceramic nanofibers have been shown to be a new horizon of research in the biomedical area, due to their differentiated morphology, nanoroughness, nanotopography, wettability, bioactivity, and chemical functionalization properties. Therefore, considering the impact caused by the use of these nanofibers, and the fact that there are still limited data available in the literature addressing the ceramic nanofiber application in regenerative medicine, this review article aims to gather the state-of-the-art research concerning these materials, for potential use as a biomaterial for wound healing and bone regeneration, and to analyze their characteristics when considering their application.

Hybrid magnetron sputtering of ceramic superlattices for application in a next generation of combustion engines.

A hybrid magnetron sputtering process (dcMS/HiPIMS) was developed to manufacture nanostructured CrN/Cr1-xAlxN multilayers, motivated by improving the low-emission efficiency when applied on gas-nitrided diesel piston rings of a next-generation of combustion engines. In order to improve the mechanical, tribological, and corrosion behavior of the multilayers, the hybrid dcMS/HiPIMS process was designed by selecting the optimal sputtering procedure applied to AISI 440 base steel. The effect of substrate bias and carousel rotational speed on the phase composition, crystallographic texture, residual stresses, surface roughness, coating periodicity and densification, instrumented hardness, elastic modulus, as well as wear and corrosion resistance was determined. The results have demonstrated that hybrid magnetron sputtering produces multilayers with a superlattice structure, which outperforms commercial PVD coatings of CrN for diesel piston rings manufactured by cathodic arc evaporation. Also, multilayer periodicities in the range of 5 to 10 nm yield the best tribological performance under bench tests for the piston ring/cylinder liner system.

Tailoring the Hybrid Magnetron Sputtering Process (HiPIMS and dcMS) to Manufacture Ceramic Multilayers: Powering Conditions, Target Materials, and Base Layers.

The mechanical and wear behavior of CrN/CrAlN multilayers were improved by tailoring the experimental conditions of a hybrid magnetron sputtering process based on a high-power impulse (HiPIMS) and two direct current magnetron sputtering (dcMS) power supplies. To this end, the influence of the base layer and of the combination of Cr and CrAl targets, which were switched to the dcMS and HiPIMS power supplies in different configurations, were investigated with respect to the growth of ceramic CrN/CrAlN multilayers onto commercial gas-nitrided diesel piston rings. The microstructure, grain morphology, and mechanical properties were evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and instrumented nanoindentation. Bench wear tests simulating the operation of a combustion engine were conducted against a gray cast iron cylinder liner under reciprocating conditions using 0W20 oil as a lubricating agent enriched with Al2O3 particles. The results revealed a significant increase in hardness, resistance to plastic strain, and wear resistance when two CrAl targets were switched to a HiPIMS and a dcMS power supply, and a Cr target was powered by another dcMS power supply. The compressive coating stresses were slightly reduced due to the soft Cr base layer that enabled stress relief within the multilayer. The proposed concept of hybrid magnetron sputtering outperformed the commercial PVD coatings of CrN for diesel piston rings manufactured by cathodic arc evaporation.

New Clayey Deposit and Their Potential as Raw Material for Red or Structured Ceramics: Technological Characterization.

Mineralogical and technological characterization of ceramic raw materials from a new deposit located at Caxias city, Maranhão State-Brazil, was accomplished to determine their potential as raw materials for the ceramics industry in northeastern Brazil. The ceramic raw materials were collected from three different locations on the site and characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and thermogravimetry (TG). The XRF analysis of the fraction < 2 µm revealed that most samples had SiO2 (35-51 wt%), Al2O3 (19-29 wt%), Fe2O3 (2-21 wt%), MgO (0.7 to 4.5 wt%) and K2O (0.9 to 5 wt%) as components. Quartz, kaolinite, illite, hematite and montmorillonite were the main mineral phases identified. DTA and TG analysis confirmed the mineral identification. The technological potential of the ceramic raw materials was investigated by: cation exchange capacity (CEC), plastic behavior (Atterberg Limits), linear shrinkage at 950 °C (LSF), flexural strength (FS), apparent porosity (AP), water absorption (WA) and bulk density (BD). The main experimental results-WA (9-17%), AP (19-31%), FS (2.0-23 MPa), and the Atterberg limits-indicated that the ceramic raw materials investigated have high potential to be used to develop mass for red or structured ceramics, such as bricks and roof tiles.

Correction: Development and characterization of a babassu nut oil-based moisturizing cosmetic emulsion with a high sun protection factor.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D0RA00647E.].

A Review on Chitosan's Uses as Biomaterial: Tissue Engineering, Drug Delivery Systems and Cancer Treatment.

Chitosan, derived from chitin, is a biopolymer consisting of arbitrarily distributed ß-(1-4)-linked D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine that exhibits outstanding properties- biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, antibacterial activity, the capacity to form films, and chelating of metal ions. Most of these peculiar properties are attributed to the presence of free protonable amino groups along the chitosan backbone, which also gives it solubility in acidic conditions. Moreover, this biopolymer can also be physically modified, thereby presenting a variety of forms to be developed. Consequently, this polysaccharide is used in various fields, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, and cancer treatment. In this sense, this review aims to gather the state-of-the-art concerning this polysaccharide when used as a biomaterial, providing information about its characteristics, chemical modifications, and applications. We present the most relevant and new information about this polysaccharide-based biomaterial's applications in distinct fields and also the ability of chitosan and its various derivatives to selectively permeate through the cancer cell membranes and exhibit anticancer activity, and the possibility of adding several therapeutic metal ions as a strategy to improve the therapeutic potential of this polymer.