Hybrid nickel-free graphene/porphyrin rings for photodegradation of emerging pollutants in water

Ussia, Martina; Urso, Mario; Miritello, M.; Bruno, E.; Curcuruto, Giusy; Vitalini, Daniele; Condorelli, Guglielmo G.; Cantarella, Maria; Carroccio, Sabrina

doi:10.1039/c9ra06328e

Cited by 21 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Then, the photogenerated electrons can react with O 2 and H 2 O 2 to produce ROS (OH • and HOO • ) while the holes can oxidize H 2 O in OH • or decompose H 2 O 2 into O 2 and protons (see reactions of Figure 3b). [ 45,46 ] As a confirmation, the mixed potential of ZnO:Ag micromotors is measured from Tafel plot curves under dark and UV‐light irradiation conditions. As it is possible to appreciate, under light conditions, a huge shift in the ZnO:Ag curve to more negative potentials (Δ E ZnO:Ag = 380 mV) was achieved, confirming the micromotors’ photo‐oxidation ability in water.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active Light‐Powered Antibiofilm ZnO Micromotors with Chemically Programmable Properties

Ussia

Urso

Dolezelikova

et al. 2021

Adv Funct Materials

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Bacterial biofilms are multicellular communities firmly attached to solid extracellular substrates. They are considered the primary cause of huge economic losses, from medicine due to medical implants’ failure to large infrastructure due to enhanced pipe corrosion. Therefore, their eradication is highly desirable. Here, the preparation of ZnO self‐propelled micromotors is reported, programming their morphology and motion properties through Ag doping. The ZnO:Ag micromotors actively move upon light irradiation via a self‐electrophoretic mechanism, showing excellent light‐controlled on/off switching motion. At the same time, the rapid and effective removal of both gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria biofilms from the solid surface is demonstrated, exploiting the well‐known antibacterial activity of both Ag and ZnO as well as the enhanced diffusion of the micromotors. The new concept for the low‐cost and scalable preparation of chemically programmable Ag‐doped ZnO micromotors here illustrated opens a new route toward the formulation of a new class of light‐driven semiconducting self‐propelled micromotors for environmental applications.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active Light‐Powered Antibiofilm ZnO Micromotors with Chemically Programmable Properties

Ussia

Urso

Dolezelikova

et al. 2021

Adv Funct Materials

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“…In addition, despite this polymer being widely used in cosmetics, its harmfulness at higher molecular weights is controversial. [ 69 ] To favor PEG capture by microrobots, their electrostatic attraction has been intensified. The pH‐dependence of microrobot Zeta potential was explored, indicating the acidic environment (pH 3) as the optimal one, microrobots being positively charged and PEG negatively charged (Figure 3c).…”

Section: Strategies For Nano/microplastics Capture and Degradation By...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nano/Microplastics Capture and Degradation by Autonomous Nano/Microrobots: A Perspective

Urso

Pumera

2022

Adv Funct Materials

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The growing use of plastic materials has led to the continuous accumulation of wastes in marine environments, which fragment into hazardous micro‐and nanoplastics. These plastic particles absorb toxic organic pollutants on their surface, support bacterial biofilms growth, and propagate through the food chain, posing serious risks for human health. Therefore, nano/microplastics pollution has become a global issue, making their definitive elimination compulsory. Self‐propelled nano/microrobots have demonstrated efficient removal of nano/microplastics from water, combining enhanced physicochemical properties of nano/microscale materials and active motion. During the last year, the potential of this technology to degrade nano/microplastics has been investigated. Here, the most advanced strategies for nano/microplastics capture and subsequent degradation by autonomous nano/microrobots are critically reviewed. A short introduction to the main propulsion mechanisms and experimental techniques for studying nano/microplastics degradation is also provided. Forthcoming challenges in this research field are discussed proactively. This perspective inspires future nano/microrobotic designs and approaches for water purification from nano/microplastics and other emerging pollutants.

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“…This metal is indeed a common allergen, harmful for aquatic and human life. In order to overcome this problem, Ussia et al, in a successive work, realized a hybrid material nickel-free based on graphene and polymeric porphyrin [ 78 ]. The main difficulty of the work lied in the removal of the nickel substrate by etching it in an acid environment while avoiding the 3D graphene structure collapsing.…”

Section: Graphene/polyporphyrins Hybrid Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the paper, the free radical and hole scavenging tests were also performed in order to determine the individual contribution of the ROS on the photocatalytic activity of the samples. The tests revealed that the predominant species involved in the photodegradation of contaminants is the singlet oxygen [ 78 ].…”

Section: Graphene/polyporphyrins Hybrid Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… ( a ) Photograph of Ni-Free/G-Porph sample; ( b ) SEM image of Ni-Free/G-Porph sample; ( c ) photocatalytic activity of Ni-Foam/G, Ni-Foam/G-Porph, Ni-Free/G-Porph toward the degradation of MB; ( d ) Total organic carbon (TOC) measurements of pristine PEG after 6 h of irradiation, and in the presence of Ni-Free/G-Porph after 3 and 6 h of irradiation, respectively [ 78 ]. …”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

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Innovative Polymeric Hybrid Nanocomposites for Application in Photocatalysis

et al. 2021

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The immobilization of inorganic nanomaterials on polymeric substrates has been drawing a lot of attention in recent years owing to the extraordinary properties of the as-obtained materials. The hybrid materials, indeed, combine the benefits of the plastic matter such as flexibility, low-cost, mechanical stability and high durability, with them deriving from their inorganic counterparts. In particular, if the inorganic fillers are nanostructured photocatalysts, the originated hybrid systems will be able to utilize the energy delivered by light, catalysing chemical reactions in a sustainable pathway. Most importantly, since the nanofillers can be ad-hoc anchored to the macromolecular structure, their release in the environment will be prevented, thus overcoming one of the main restrictions that impedes their applications on a large scale. In this review, several typologies of hybrid photocatalytic nanomaterials, obtained by using both organic and inorganic semiconductors and realized with different synthetic protocols, were reported and discussed. In the first part of the manuscript, nanocomposites realized by simply blending the TiO2 or ZnO nanomaterials in thermoplastic polymeric matrices are illustrated. Subsequently, the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique is presented as an excellent method to formulate polymeric nanocomposites. Successively, some examples of polyporphyrins hybrid systems containing graphene, acting as photocatalysts under visible light irradiation, are discussed. Lastly, photocatalytic polymeric nanosponges, with extraordinary adsorption properties, are shown. All the described materials were deeply characterized and their photocatalytic abilities were evaluated by the degradation of several organic water pollutants such as dyes, phenol, pesticides, drugs, and personal care products. The antibacterial performance was also evaluated for selected systems. The relevance of the obtained results is widely overviewed, opening the route for the application of such multifunctional photocatalytic hybrid materials in wastewater remediation.

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Hybrid nickel-free graphene/porphyrin rings for photodegradation of emerging pollutants in water

Abstract: A novel hybrid photoactive material based on graphene foam (G) coupled with porphyrin-based polymers (Porph rings) was formulated by using a time-saving procedure to remove nickel from the final device.

Cited by 21 publications

References 57 publications

Active Light‐Powered Antibiofilm ZnO Micromotors with Chemically Programmable Properties

Active Light‐Powered Antibiofilm ZnO Micromotors with Chemically Programmable Properties

Nano/Microplastics Capture and Degradation by Autonomous Nano/Microrobots: A Perspective

Innovative Polymeric Hybrid Nanocomposites for Application in Photocatalysis

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