Interest in constructing composite materials from biosourced, recycled materials; waste resources; and their combinations is growing. Biocomposites have attracted the attention of automakers for the design of lightweight parts. Hybrid biocomposites made of petrochemical-based and bioresourced materials have led to technological advances in manufacturing. Greener biocomposites from plant-derived fiber and crop-derived plastics with higher biobased content are continuously being developed. Biodegradable composites have shown potential for major uses in sustainable packaging. Recycled plastic materials originally destined for landfills can be redirected and repurposed for blending in composite applications, thus leading to reduced dependence on virgin petro-based materials. Studies on compatibility of recycled and waste materials with other components in composite structure for improved interface and better mechanical performance pose major scientific challenges. This research holds the promise of advancing a key global sustainability goal.
Biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Murraya koenigii leaf extract was investigated and the effect of broth concentration in reduction mechanism and particle size is reported. The rapid reduction of silver (Ag + ) ions was monitored using UV-visible spectrophotometry and showed formation of silver nanoparticles within 15 minutes. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis showed that the synthesized silver nanoparticle are varied from 10-25 nm and have the spherical shape. Further the XRD analysis confirms the nanocrystalline phase of silver with FCC crystal structure. From this study, it was found that the increasing broth concentration increases the rate of reduction and decreases the particle size.
Pure biopolymer-based electrospun precursor carbon fibers are fabricated using an abundant and inexpensive biopolymer lignin blended with renewable resource-based cellulose acetate (CA). Iodine treatment on the fabricated green fiber was successfully performed in order to enhance the carbonization process as well as the retention of fiber morphology. The absorption mechanism of iodine by lignin and cellulose acetate and their derived electrospun green fibers has been investigated by means of thermal behavior and morphological retention. It was found that iodine treatment plays a vital role in altering the graphitization behavior as well as morphology retention during the carbonization process. With the help of iodine treatment, the green precursor fibers were successfully converted into thin carbon fibers, and scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed the retention of fibrous structures with diameters around 250 nm. Raman spectroscopy revealed that although the overall level of graphitization was lower compared to polyacrylonitrile-based fibers, the graphitic crystallite size was larger in the produced carbon fibers. The produced pure biopolymer fibers and iodine treatments show promise for the production of green and costreduced carbon fibers.
A novel switchgrass (<i>Panicum virgatum</i>) extract mediated green process was demonstrated for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles from silver nitrate solution at ambient temperature. UV-visible spectroscopic analysis indicates the rapid reduction of silver (Ag<sup>+</sup>) ions by swithgrass extract. The silver nanoparticles began to form at 15 min and the reduction reaction was completed within 2 hours. Synthesized silver nanoparticles were subjected to x-ray diffraction (XRD) for structural characterization, which confirms the FCC symmetry of silver nanoparticles with the lattice parameter of 4.0962 Å. The particle size of bio-synthesized silver nanoparticles was identified through transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analysis and found to be in the range of 20 - 40 nm
Nanoparticles of silver, gold, palladium and platinum are widely applied in medicine, sensor, energy and catalysis and have been widely investigated for their unique physicochemical properties. Next to silver and gold nanoparticles, palladium receives extensive attention due to their distinctive size‐dependent catalytic performance. Traditionally, Pd nanoparticles have been synthesized using various physical and chemical methods involving sophisticated equipment and excessive chemicals. Expanding demand and the emerging economic/environmental concerns in synthesizing palladium nanoparticles created the necessity for the development of simple, eco‐friendly, and cost effective processes. Within this context, biological processes that use plants, microorganisms, enzymes and biochemicals have been used for the synthesis of Pd nanoparticles as the green alternative. The aim of this article is to review the recent biological trends in the synthesis of Pd nanoparticles employing various plants and their effective utilization.
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