ABSTRACT
This study explores the use of biochar (BC), an inexpensive filtration media, for removing graphene oxide (GO) contaminants from the aquatic subsurface environments. Mass balance approaches and column dissection tests were used to analyze the retention behavior of GO in a series of model fixed-bed columns as a function of ionic strength (IS) and flowrate. The column based on the biochar media (BC) displayed 3.6-fold higher retention compared to the quartz sand (control). To overcome the challenges of unfavorable electrostatic interactions between GO and BC, we used a facile functionalization strategy to modify the BC surfaces with nanoscale zero-valent iron (BC-nZVI). The BC-nZVI (5:1, w/w) retained 2.6-fold higher amounts of GO compared with bare biochar. Furthermore, the performance of BC-nZVI increased with decreasing values of IS, attributed to the attachment of GO to nZVI where nZVI was partially dissolved by the presence of higher chloride ion at high IS. A better GO retention (86%) at higher IS was observed in BC where the GO was primarily retained due to the higher aggregation via straining.
Subject(s)
Charcoal , Graphite , IronABSTRACT
An oil-in-water nanoemulsion capable of dispersing upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) for 7 months was investigated. Negative staining transmission electron microscopy shows that the UCNPs reside in the oil phase of the nanoemulsion. Dynamic light scattering measurements indicate that the majority of the oil volume is contained in droplets less than 1 µm in diameter. The system studied could be used to inkjet print UCNPs at least 7 months after the ink was first formulated. Nanoemulsion stability was tested in the short term, over 11 days, using an ink stability test developed for this research. It was found that after an initial loss of UCNPs, the majority of the UCNPs remained well-dispersed in solution. The UCNP dispersion was stable for longer periods under storage at 333 K compared to storage at 277 K.
ABSTRACT
Optimal ink formulations, inclusive of nanoparticles, are often limited to matching the nanoparticle's capping agent or surface degree of polarity to the solvent of choice. Rather than relying on this single attribute, nanoparticle dispersibility was optimized by identifying the Hansen solubility parameters (HSPs) of decanoic-acid-capped 5 nm silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by broad spectrum dispersion testing and a more specific binary solvent gradient dispersion method. From the HSPs, solvents were chosen to disperse poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and nanoparticles, give uniform evaporation profiles, and yield a phase-separated microstructure of nanoparticles on PMMA via film formation by solvent evaporation. The goal of this research was to yield a film that is reflective or transparent depending on the angle of incident light (i.e., optically variable). The nanoparticle HSPs were very close to alkanes with added small polar and hydrogen-bonding components. This led to two ink formulations: one of 90:10 vol % toluene/methyl benzoate and one containing 80:10:10 vol % toluene/p-xylene/mesitylene, both of which yielded the desired final microstructure of a nanoparticle layer on a PMMA film. This approach to nanoparticle ink formulation allows one to obtain an ink that has desirable dispersive qualities, rheology, and evaporation to give a desired printed structure.
