Nanomaterials Engineering by Green Techniques: Concepts and Applications

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 38695

Special Issue Editor

MIFT Department, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: nanomaterials synthesis; electrospun nanofibers; pulsed laser ablation; laser triggered smart nanocomposites; vibrational and electronical spectroscopies (micro-Raman, XPS); morphological techniques (SEM-EDX, DLS); nonlinear optical response (z-scan method)
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Low-dimensional materials are widely implemented as functional elements on surfaces and nano-hybrid systems, with a wide spectrum of technological applications in optoelectronics, biomedicine, catalysis, and energy science. The European Commission has highlighted that the total annual quantity of nanomaterials released on the global market has been around 11 million tons, with a market value of about 20 billion euros. Each application requires specific size, morphology, surface chemistry, purity, colloidal stability, and doping. The development of new synthesis methods that can be reliably scaled up to industrial production levels is now the target required to expand the applicative prospects of nanomaterials. Among green techniques, laser/matter interaction offers different synthesis pathways for the generation of nanoparticles: laser ablation of a solid target, fusion, and laser fragmentation. Particularly, the liquid pulsed laser ablation has demonstrated its versatility and reliability as a scalable synthesis method, while laser melting in liquid can promote the formation of high purity oxides or alloys that are difficult to produce by other methods. The goal of this Special Issue is to collect relevant contributions from various experts in the field of nanomaterials production to discuss the recent developments of green techniques.

The topics of this Issue cover a wide range of R&D fields but are not limited to the following:

  • Green techniques fundamental aspects and consequent nanoparticles properties;
  • The high throughput synthesis of laser-generated nanoparticles;
  • Laser materials processing in the liquid phase: energy and environmental applications;
  • Noble metal nanocolloids for SERS application in the biomedical field;
  • The green synthesis of metal oxide nanomaterials for innovative sensors;
  • The nonlinear optical properties of metallic-dielectric nanostructures.

Prof. Enza Fazio
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Nanomaterials synthesis
  • Pulsed laser ablation
  • Laser annealing
  • XPS
  • Raman
  • FTIR
  • SEM
  • Metal oxide
  • Sensing
  • SERS
  • Catalysis

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3147 KiB  
Article
The NOx Degradation Performance of Nano-TiO2 Coating for Asphalt Pavement
by Huanan Yu, Wan Dai, Guoping Qian, Xiangbing Gong, Dayao Zhou, Xi Li and Xinglin Zhou
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(5), 897; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano10050897 - 08 May 2020
Cited by 109 | Viewed by 6139
Abstract
The NOx degradation performance of nano-TiO2 as a coating material for the road environment was evaluated in this research. The nano-TiO2 coating materials for both road surface and roadside were prepared by using anatase nano-TiO2, activated carbon powder, [...] Read more.
The NOx degradation performance of nano-TiO2 as a coating material for the road environment was evaluated in this research. The nano-TiO2 coating materials for both road surface and roadside were prepared by using anatase nano-TiO2, activated carbon powder, silane coupling agent and deionized water. The impact of varying amounts of coating material and silane coupling agent were evaluated. The road environment of NOx degradation was simulated by the photocatalytic test system designed by the research team. For the road surface coating, the photocatalytic degradation experiments of NO under different radiation intensities were carried out. The results show that the material has good photocatalytic degradation performance, and the proper amount of silane coupling agent can enhance the bonding performance of the material and asphalt mixture. For the roadside coating, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate was selected as the surfactant to carry out the photocatalytic degradation experiment of NO2 with different dosages of surfactant. The results showed that when the mass ratio of nano-TiO2 and surfactant was about 1:2, the catalytic degradation effect of the material was the best. Full article
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14 pages, 4990 KiB  
Article
Green and Sustainable Manufacture of Ultrapure Engineered Nanomaterials
by David Ortiz de Zárate, Carlos García-Meca, Elena Pinilla-Cienfuegos, José A. Ayúcar, Amadeu Griol, Laurent Bellières, Esther Hontañón, Frank E. Kruis and Javier Martí
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(3), 466; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano10030466 - 05 Mar 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2795
Abstract
Nanomaterials with very specific features (purity, colloidal stability, composition, size, shape, location…) are commonly requested by cutting-edge technologic applications, and hence a sustainable process for the mass-production of tunable/engineered nanomaterials would be desirable. Despite this, tuning nano-scale features when scaling-up the production of [...] Read more.
Nanomaterials with very specific features (purity, colloidal stability, composition, size, shape, location…) are commonly requested by cutting-edge technologic applications, and hence a sustainable process for the mass-production of tunable/engineered nanomaterials would be desirable. Despite this, tuning nano-scale features when scaling-up the production of nanoparticles/nanomaterials has been considered the main technological barrier for the development of nanotechnology. Aimed at overcoming these challenging frontier, a new gas-phase reactor design providing a shorter residence time, and thus a faster quenching of nanoclusters growth, is proposed for the green, sustainable, versatile, cost-effective, and scalable manufacture of ultrapure engineered nanomaterials (ranging from nanoclusters and nanoalloys to engineered nanostructures) with a tunable degree of agglomeration, composition, size, shape, and location. This method enables: (1) more homogeneous, non-agglomerated ultrapure Au-Ag nanoalloys under 10 nm; (2) 3-nm non-agglomerated ultrapure Au nanoclusters with lower gas flow rates; (3) shape-controlled Ag NPs; and (4) stable Au and Ag engineered nanostructures: nanodisks, nanocrosses, and 3D nanopillars. In conclusion, this new approach paves the way for the green and sustainable mass-production of ultrapure engineered nanomaterials. Full article
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14 pages, 3371 KiB  
Article
Laser Fragmentation Synthesis of Colloidal Bismuth Ferrite Particles
by Simon Siebeneicher, Friedrich Waag, Marianela Escobar Castillo, Vladimir V. Shvartsman, Doru C. Lupascu and Bilal Gökce
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(2), 359; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano10020359 - 19 Feb 2020
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3402
Abstract
Laser fragmentation of colloidal submicron-sized bismuth ferrite particles was performed by irradiating a liquid jet to synthesize bismuth ferrite nanoparticles. This treatment achieved a size reduction from 450 nm to below 10 nm. A circular and an elliptical fluid jet were compared to [...] Read more.
Laser fragmentation of colloidal submicron-sized bismuth ferrite particles was performed by irradiating a liquid jet to synthesize bismuth ferrite nanoparticles. This treatment achieved a size reduction from 450 nm to below 10 nm. A circular and an elliptical fluid jet were compared to control the energy distribution within the fluid jet and thereby the product size distribution and educt decomposition. The resulting colloids were analysed via UV-VIS, XRD and TEM. All methods were used to gain information on size distribution, material morphology and composition. It was found that using an elliptical liquid jet during the laser fragmentation leads to a slightly smaller and narrower size distribution of the resulting product compared to the circular jet. Full article
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16 pages, 4384 KiB  
Article
The Effect of the Antioxidant Activity of Plant Extracts on the Properties of Gold Nanoparticles
by Natalia Yu. Stozhko, Maria A. Bukharinova, Ekaterina I. Khamzina, Aleksey V. Tarasov, Marina B. Vidrevich and Khiena Z. Brainina
Nanomaterials 2019, 9(12), 1655; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano9121655 - 21 Nov 2019
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 4828
Abstract
Synthesis of gold nanoparticles (phyto-AuNPs) with the use of leaf extracts (phytosynthesis) is based on the concept of Green Chemistry. The present study is conducted to discuss how antioxidant activity (AOA) of extracts from plant leaves impacts on the kinetics of phytosynthesis, the [...] Read more.
Synthesis of gold nanoparticles (phyto-AuNPs) with the use of leaf extracts (phytosynthesis) is based on the concept of Green Chemistry. The present study is conducted to discuss how antioxidant activity (AOA) of extracts from plant leaves impacts on the kinetics of phytosynthesis, the size of the formed nanoparticles, and the stability of their nanosuspensions. Results show that the formation rate of phyto-AuNPs suspensions accelerate due to the increase in the AOA of the extracts. Accompanying the use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis-spectrophotometry and dynamic light scattering (DLS), it also has been found that higher AOA of the extracts leads to a decrease in the size of phyto-AuNPs, an increase in the fraction of small (d ≤ 5 nm), and a decrease in the fraction of large (d ≥ 31–50 nm) phyto-AuNPs, as well as an increase in the zeta potential in absolute value. Phyto-AuNPs suspensions synthesized with the use of extracts are more resistant to destabilizing electrolytes and ultrasound, as compared to suspensions synthesized using sodium citrate. Thus, the AOA of the extract is an important parameter for controlling phytosynthesis and predicting the properties of phyto-AuNPs. The proposed approach can be applied to the targeted selection of plant extract that will be used for synthesizing nanoparticles with desired properties. Full article
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Review

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21 pages, 4154 KiB  
Review
Renewable Carbon Nanomaterials: Novel Resources for Dental Tissue Engineering
by Seyyed Mojtaba Mousavi, Khadije Yousefi, Seyyed Alireza Hashemi, Marzie Afsa, Sonia BahranI, Ahmad Gholami, Yasmin Ghahramani, Ali Alizadeh and Wei-Hung Chiang
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(11), 2800; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11112800 - 22 Oct 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2549
Abstract
Dental tissue engineering (TE) is undergoing significant modifications in dental treatments. TE is based on a triad of stem cells, signaling molecules, and scaffolds that must be understood and calibrated with particular attention to specific dental sectors. Renewable and eco-friendly carbon-based nanomaterials (CBMs), [...] Read more.
Dental tissue engineering (TE) is undergoing significant modifications in dental treatments. TE is based on a triad of stem cells, signaling molecules, and scaffolds that must be understood and calibrated with particular attention to specific dental sectors. Renewable and eco-friendly carbon-based nanomaterials (CBMs), including graphene (G), graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), graphene quantum dots (GQD), carbon nanotube (CNT), MXenes and carbide, have extraordinary physical, chemical, and biological properties. In addition to having high surface area and mechanical strength, CBMs have greatly influenced dental and biomedical applications. The current study aims to explore the application of CBMs for dental tissue engineering. CBMs are generally shown to have remarkable properties, due to various functional groups that make them ideal materials for biomedical applications, such as dental tissue engineering. Full article
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27 pages, 2102 KiB  
Review
Multifunctional Gold Nanorod for Therapeutic Applications and Pharmaceutical Delivery Considering Cellular Metabolic Responses, Oxidative Stress and Cellular Longevity
by Seyyed Mojtaba Mousavi, Seyyed Alireza Hashemi, Sargol Mazraedoost, Khadije Yousefi, Ahmad Gholami, Gity Behbudi, Seeram Ramakrishna, Navid Omidifar, Ali Alizadeh and Wei-Hung Chiang
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(7), 1868; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11071868 - 20 Jul 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3182
Abstract
Multifunctional gold nanorods (GNR) have drawn growing interest in biomedical fields because of their excellent biocompatibility, ease of alteration, and special optical properties. The great advantage of using GNR in medicine is their application to Photothermal therapy (PPTT), which is possible thanks to [...] Read more.
Multifunctional gold nanorods (GNR) have drawn growing interest in biomedical fields because of their excellent biocompatibility, ease of alteration, and special optical properties. The great advantage of using GNR in medicine is their application to Photothermal therapy (PPTT), which is possible thanks to their ability to turn luminous energy into heat to cause cellular hyperthermia. For this purpose, the relevant articles between 1988 and 2020 were searched in databases such as John Wiley, Free paper, Scopus, Science Direct, and Springer to obtain the latest findings on multifunctional gold nanorods for therapeutic applications and pharmaceutical delivery. In this article, we review recent progress in diagnostic and therapeutic applications of multifunctional GNR, highlighting new information about their toxicity to various cellular categories, oxidative stress, cellular longevity, and their metabolic effects, such as the effect on the energy cycles and genetic structures. The methods for the synthesis and functionalization of GNR were surveyed. This review includes new information about GNR toxicity to various cellular categories and their metabolic effects. Full article
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50 pages, 8418 KiB  
Review
Nanoparticles Engineering by Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids: Concepts and Applications
by Enza Fazio, Bilal Gökce, Alessandro De Giacomo, Moreno Meneghetti, Giuseppe Compagnini, Matteo Tommasini, Friedrich Waag, Andrea Lucotti, Chiara Giuseppina Zanchi, Paolo Maria Ossi, Marcella Dell’Aglio, Luisa D’Urso, Marcello Condorelli, Vittorio Scardaci, Francesca Biscaglia, Lucio Litti, Marina Gobbo, Giovanni Gallo, Marco Santoro, Sebastiano Trusso and Fortunato Neriadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(11), 2317; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano10112317 - 23 Nov 2020
Cited by 140 | Viewed by 8580
Abstract
Laser synthesis emerges as a suitable technique to produce ligand-free nanoparticles, alloys and functionalized nanomaterials for catalysis, imaging, biomedicine, energy and environmental applications. In the last decade, laser ablation and nanoparticle generation in liquids has proven to be a unique and efficient technique [...] Read more.
Laser synthesis emerges as a suitable technique to produce ligand-free nanoparticles, alloys and functionalized nanomaterials for catalysis, imaging, biomedicine, energy and environmental applications. In the last decade, laser ablation and nanoparticle generation in liquids has proven to be a unique and efficient technique to generate, excite, fragment and conjugate a large variety of nanostructures in a scalable and clean way. In this work, we give an overview on the fundamentals of pulsed laser synthesis of nanocolloids and new information about its scalability towards selected applications. Biomedicine, catalysis and sensing are the application areas mainly discussed in this review, highlighting advantages of laser-synthesized nanoparticles for these types of applications and, once partially resolved, the limitations to the technique for large-scale applications. Full article
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27 pages, 9049 KiB  
Review
Trimetallic Nanoparticles: Greener Synthesis and Their Applications
by Mahmoud Nasrollahzadeh, Mohaddeseh Sajjadi, Siavash Iravani and Rajender S. Varma
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(9), 1784; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano10091784 - 09 Sep 2020
Cited by 55 | Viewed by 6162
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs) and multifunctional nano-sized materials have significant applications in diverse fields, namely catalysis, sensors, optics, solar energy conversion, cancer therapy/diagnosis, and bioimaging. Trimetallic NPs have found unique catalytic, active food packaging, biomedical, antimicrobial, and sensing applications; they preserve an ever-superior level of [...] Read more.
Nanoparticles (NPs) and multifunctional nano-sized materials have significant applications in diverse fields, namely catalysis, sensors, optics, solar energy conversion, cancer therapy/diagnosis, and bioimaging. Trimetallic NPs have found unique catalytic, active food packaging, biomedical, antimicrobial, and sensing applications; they preserve an ever-superior level of catalytic activities and selectivity compared to monometallic and bimetallic nanomaterials. Due to these important applications, a variety of preparation routes, including hydrothermal, microemulsion, selective catalytic reduction, co-precipitation, and microwave-assisted methodologies have been reported for the syntheses of these nanomaterials. As the fabrication of nanomaterials using physicochemical methods often have hazardous and toxic impacts on the environment, there is a vital need to design innovative and well-organized eco-friendly, sustainable, and greener synthetic protocols for their assembly, by applying safer, renewable, and inexpensive materials. In this review, noteworthy recent advancements relating to the applications of trimetallic NPs and nanocomposites comprising these NPs are underscored as well as their eco-friendly and sustainable synthetic preparative options. Full article
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