New Eco-Friendly and Low-Energy Synthesis to Produce ZnO Nanoparticles for Real-World Scale Applications.

This paper presents an original and sustainable method for producing ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) in response to global challenges (low energy requirements, low environmental impact, short production times, and high production yield). The method is based on an ion exchange process between an anionic resin and an aqueous ZnCl2 solution; it operates in one step at room temperature/ambient pressure without the need for complex apparatus or purification steps. From the kinetics, we observed the formation of pure simonkolleite, a zinc-layered hydroxide salt (Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O), after only 5 min of reaction. This compound, used elsewhere as a ZnO precursor after calcination at high temperatures, here decomposes at room temperature into ZnO, allowing extraordinary savings of time and energy. Finally, in only 90 min, pure and crystalline ZnO NPs are obtained, with a production yield > 99%. Several types of aggregates resulting from the self-assembly of small hexagonal platelets (solid or hollow in shape) were observed. Using our revolutionary method, we produced almost 10 kg of ZnO NPs per week without any toxic waste, significantly reducing energy consumption; this method allows transferring the use of these unique NPs from the laboratory environment to the real world.

New Sustainable, Scalable and One-Step Synthesis of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles by Ion Exchange Process.

This work introduces an innovative, sustainable, and scalable synthesis of iron oxides nanoparticles (NPs) in aqueous suspension. The method, based on ion exchange process, consists of a one-step procedure, time and energy saving, operating in water and at room temperature, by cheap and renewable reagents. The influence of both oxidation state of the initial reagent and reaction atmosphere is considered. Three kinds of iron nanostructured compounds are obtained (2-lines ferrihydrite; layered-structure iron oxyhydroxide δ-FeOOH; and cubic magnetite), in turn used as precursors to obtain hematite and maghemite NPs. All the produced NPs are characterized by a high purity, small particles dimensions (from 2 to 50 nm), and high specific surface area values up to 420 m2/g, with yields of production >90%. In particular, among the most common iron oxide NPs, we obtained cubic magnetite NPs at room temperature, characterized by particle dimensions of about 6 nm and a surface area of 170 m2/g. We also obtained hematite NPs at very low temperature conditions (that is 2 h at 200 °C), characterized by particles dimensions of about 5 nm with a surface area value of 200 m2/g. The obtained results underline the strength of the synthetic method to provide a new, sustainable, tunable, and scalable high-quality production.

Biobased Carbon Dots: From Fish Scales to Photocatalysis.

The synthesis, characterization and photoreduction ability of a new class of carbon dots made from fish scales is here described. Fish scales are a waste material that contains mainly chitin, one of the most abundant natural biopolymers, and collagen. These components make the scales rich, not only in carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, but also in nitrogen. These self-nitrogen-doped carbonaceous nanostructured photocatalyst were synthesized from fish scales by a hydrothermal method in the absence of any other reagents. The morphology, structure and optical properties of these materials were investigated. Their photocatalytic activity was compared with the one of conventional nitrogen-doped carbon dots made from citric acid and diethylenetriamine in the photoreduction reaction of methyl viologen.

Sustainable Nanotechnologies for Curative and Preventive Wood Deacidification Treatments: An Eco-Friendly and Innovative Approach.

Waterlogged wooden artifacts represent an important historical legacy of our past. They are very fragile, especially due to the severe phenomenon of acidification that may occur in the presence of acid precursors. To date, a satisfactory solution for the deacidification of ancient wood on a large scale has still not been found. In this paper, we propose, for the first time, eco-friendly curative and preventive treatments using nanoparticles (NPs) of earth alkaline hydroxides dispersed in water and produced on a large scale. We present the characterization of the NPs (by X-ray diffraction, atomic-force and electron microscopy, and small-angle neutron scattering), together with the study of the deacidification efficiency of our treatments. We demonstrate that all our treatments are very effective for both curative and preventive aims, able to assure an almost neutral or slightly alkaline pH of the treated woods. Furthermore, the use of water as a solvent paves the way for large-scale and eco-friendly applications which avoid substances that are harmful for the environment and for human health.

Exploring the Porosity in Ceramics at the nm Scale: From Understanding Historical Ceramics to Innovative Materials Design.

Ceramics are complex objects and a rich source of information: they constitute a large part of the staple memory of past and present human activities. A deep understanding of traditional ceramics is an essential key to designing new ceramic materials. The demanding synthesis of ceramics with fine-tuned properties, such as enhanced mechanical, electrical, optical or magnetic characteristics, must be associated with cutting-edge analysis procedures in order to improve the engineering process. In this context, we describe a neutron-based non-destructive approach to investigating the nanoporosity of an historical pottery matrix as an effective investigation technique for exploring both traditional and advanced ceramic materials.

Molecular mechanisms of survival strategies in extreme conditions.

Today, one of the major challenges in biophysics is to disclose the molecular mechanisms underlying biological processes. In such a frame, the understanding of the survival strategies in extreme conditions received a lot of attention both from the scientific and applicative points of view. Since nature provides precious suggestions to be applied for improving the quality of life, extremophiles are considered as useful model-systems. The main goal of this review is to present an overview of some systems, with a particular emphasis on trehalose playing a key role in several extremophile organisms. The attention is focused on the relation among the structural and dynamic properties of biomolecules and bioprotective mechanisms, as investigated by complementary spectroscopic techniques at low- and high-temperature values.

Prepeak and first sharp diffraction peak in the structure factor of (Cs(2)O)(0.14)(B(2)O(3))(0.86) glass: influence of temperature.

Neutron diffraction measurements on (Cs(2)O)(0.14)(B(2)O(3))(0.86) glass were performed at varying temperature over an extended range from room temperature to 800 K. It was found that, in the same Q range where the first sharp diffraction peak (FSDP) is observed in the static structure factor of almost all glass-forming systems, cesium borate glass shows two peaks. The intensities of these peaks increase with temperature, and their positions shift to lower Q values, in agreement with the peculiarities of the FSDP of network glasses. A description of this anomalous temperature dependence in terms of thermal relaxations of strained bonding arrangements of boron oxide units lying on the boundaries of cages present in the boron skeleton matrix is suggested. By comparing the diffraction patterns of a (Cs(2)O)(0.14)(B(2)O(3))(0.86) sample before and after a high-temperature thermal treatment with the spectra of cesium crystals, a correspondence between the medium-range structure in the glass and the related crystalline phases has been inferred.

Modifications of the mesoscopic structure of cellulose in paper degradation.

Paper is the main component of a huge quantity of cultural heritage. It is primarily composed of cellulose that undergoes significant degradation with the passage of time. By using small angle neutron scattering (SANS), we investigated cellulose's supramolecular structure, which allows access to degradation agents, in ancient and modern samples. For the first time, SANS data were interpreted in terms of water-filled pores, with their sizes increasing from 1.61 nm up to 1.97 nm in natural and artificially aged papers. The protective effect of gelatine sizing was also observed.

On the use of grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) in the morphological study of ion-implanted materials.

Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering has become a widely used technique for the morphological analysis of surface systems. Here it is show how this technique can be applied to a buried system, like metallic clusters in glass obtained by ion implantation. The optimization of the data-collection geometry is described as well as the details of the quantitative data analysis. An experimental example on Cu + Au-implanted glasses shows the potentiality of the technique.