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Membranes
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Multifunctional Hybrid Nanostructured Membranes
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Multifunctional Hybrid Nanostructured Membranes

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Surfaces and Interfaces".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2022) | Viewed by 8857

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Viorica Musat

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Chemical Nanotechnologies, Centre of Nanostructures and Functional Materials, CNMF, “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi, 800008 Galati, Romania
Interests: multifunctional thin film composite membranes; nano-filtration membranes; multifunctional nanostructured adsorbents

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, like all technical fields, the manufacture and use of new generation membranes explore the potential of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies. The effect of large surface area on chemical reactivity and the quantum effects that occur when the size fall well below 100 nm were reported in more studies in this field, but often lack a systematic view. The situation is even more unsatisfactory looking to the influence of shape at nanoscale and related quantum effects. It was observed that the same material can show major differences in physical, chemical and physic-chemical properties when it is 0D (quantum dots), 1D (nanorods, nanowires, nanofibers, nanotubes) or 2D (nanosheets, nanodiscs, nanoplatelets, thin films) nanostructured. Thoroughly understanding both size-effect and shape effect at the nanoscale will allow us to optimize the properties and to design new emerging materials for a new generation of multifunctional smart hybrid membranes suitable for various field applications.

In this Special Issue, we would like to promote advances in the design, preparation and characterization of hybrid composite membranes based on nanostructured active materials, for applications in environmental purification and decontamination, but also in health care, biosensing or smart packaging. Contributions for the topics below are welcome:

  • Effects of 0D, 1D or 2D nanostructuration on the photocatalytic efficiency;
  • Designing and developing new emerging nanophotocatalyst and sensing nanostructures based on both size-dependent and shape-dependent properties;
  • Correlations between photocatalytic efficiency and antimicrobial activity, self-cleaning properties;
  • Photocatalitic activity and sorption capacity of magnetic nanostructured oxides and their composites;
  • Magnetic photonanocatalysts, nanosorbents and related membranes;
  • Solving recovery back-up issues by magnetic photonanocatalysts and nanosorbents;
  • Composite functional nanofibers and related membranes by electrospinning or hybrid electrospinning-sol-gel techniques;
  • Environmental purification and decontamination, biosensors, and smart packaging.

Review and original, experimental and theoretical papers are eligible.

Prof. Dr. Viorica Musat
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • multifunctional self-cleaning nanomembranes
  • 0D, 1D and 2D active nanostructures
  • quantum-size effect, quantun-shape effect
  • hybrid nanophotocatalist
  • magnetic nanophotocatalyst and nanosorbents
  • magnetic membranes
  • micro/nanofibers-besed membranes
  • electrospinning, electrospinning-sol-gel, green chemistry
  • biomembranes, tissue regenerative membranes
  • environmental purification and decontamination
  • biosensing, smart packaging

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 26411 KiB  
Article
Polyelectrolyte Membrane Nanocoatings Aimed at Personal Protective and Medical Equipment Surfaces to Reduce Coronavirus Spreading
by Anna Grzeczkowicz, Agata Lipko, Angelika Kwiatkowska, Marcin Strawski, Paweł Bącal, Agnieszka Więckowska and Ludomira H. Granicka
Membranes 2022, 12(10), 946; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12100946 - 28 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1174
Abstract
The study of the surface of membrane coatings constructed with adsorbed coronavirus (COV) was described to test their suitability for the antiviral activity for application in personal protective and medical equipment. The nanocoating based on polyethyleneimine (PEI) or polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) with metallic [...] Read more.
The study of the surface of membrane coatings constructed with adsorbed coronavirus (COV) was described to test their suitability for the antiviral activity for application in personal protective and medical equipment. The nanocoating based on polyethyleneimine (PEI) or polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) with metallic nanoparticles incorporated was investigated using the AFM technique. Moreover, the functioning of human lung cells in a configuration with the prepared material with the adsorbed coronavirus was studied using microscopic techniques and flow cytometry. The mean values of the percentage share of viable cells compared with the control differed by a maximum of 22%. The results showed that PEI and PSS membrane layer coatings, modified with chosen metallic nanoparticles (AuNPs, AgNPs, CuNPs, FeNPs) that absorb COV, could support lung cells’ function, despite the different distribution patterns of COV on designed surfaces as well as immobilized lung cells. Therefore, the developed membrane nanocoatings can be recommended as material for biomedical applications, e.g., medical equipment surfaces to reduce coronavirus spreading, as they adsorb COV and simultaneously maintain the functioning of the eukaryotic cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Hybrid Nanostructured Membranes)
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20 pages, 7369 KiB  
Article
Development of 3D ZnO-CNT Support Structures Impregnated with Inorganic Salts
by Stefania Chiriac, Maria-Eliza Puscasu, Ioan Albert Tudor, Alexandru Cristian Matei, Laura Madalina Cursaru and Radu Robert Piticescu
Membranes 2022, 12(6), 588; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12060588 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1700
Abstract
Carbon-based materials are promising candidates for enhancing thermal properties of phase change materials (PCMs) without lowering its energy storage capacity. Nowadays, researchers are trying to find a proper porous structure as PCMs support for thermal energy storage applications. In this context, the main [...] Read more.
Carbon-based materials are promising candidates for enhancing thermal properties of phase change materials (PCMs) without lowering its energy storage capacity. Nowadays, researchers are trying to find a proper porous structure as PCMs support for thermal energy storage applications. In this context, the main novelty of this paper consists in using a ZnO-CNT-based nanocomposite powder, prepared by an own hydrothermal method at high pressure, to obtain porous 3D printed support structures with embedding capacity of PCMs. The morphology of 3D structures, before and after impregnation with three PCMs inorganic salts (NaNO3, KNO3 and NaNO3:KNO3 mixture (1:1 vol% saturated solution) was investigated by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). For structure impregnated with nitrates mixture, SEM cross-section morphology suggest that the inorganic salts impregnation started into micropores, continuing with the covering of the 3D structure surface and epitaxial growing of micro/nanostructured crystals, which led to reducing the distance between the structural strands. The variation of melting/crystallization points and associated enthalpies of impregnated PCMs and their stability during five repeated thermal cycles were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and simultaneous DSC-thermogravimetry (DSC-TGA). From the second heating-cooling cycle, the 3D structures impregnated with NaNO3 and NaNO3-KNO3 mixture are thermally stable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Hybrid Nanostructured Membranes)
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20 pages, 6368 KiB  
Article
Magnetic Core-Shell Iron Oxides-Based Nanophotocatalysts and Nanoadsorbents for Multifunctional Thin Films
by Viorica Muşat, Nicolae Stănică, Elena Maria Anghel, Irina Atkinson, Daniela Cristina Culiţă, Silviu Poloşan, Lenuţa Crintea (Căpăţână), Alina Cantaragiu Ceoromila, Cristian-Teodor Buruiană and Oana Carp
Membranes 2022, 12(5), 466; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12050466 - 26 Apr 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2971
Abstract
In recent years, iron oxides-based nanostructured composite materials are of particular interest for the preparation of multifunctional thin films and membranes to be used in sustainable magnetic field adsorption and photocatalysis processes, intelligent coatings, and packing or bio-medical applications. In this paper, superparamagnetic [...] Read more.
In recent years, iron oxides-based nanostructured composite materials are of particular interest for the preparation of multifunctional thin films and membranes to be used in sustainable magnetic field adsorption and photocatalysis processes, intelligent coatings, and packing or bio-medical applications. In this paper, superparamagnetic iron oxide (core)-silica (shell) nanoparticles suitable for thin films and membrane functionalization were obtained by co-precipitation and ultrasonic-assisted sol-gel methods. The comparative/combined effect of the magnetic core co-precipitation temperature (80 and 95 °C) and ZnO-doping of the silica shell on the photocatalytic and nano-sorption properties of the resulted composite nanoparticles were investigated by ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy monitoring the discoloration of methylene blue (MB) solution under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and darkness, respectively. The morphology, structure, textural, and magnetic parameters of the investigated powders were evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) measurements, and saturation magnetization (vibrating sample magnetometry, VSM). The intraparticle diffusion model controlled the MB adsorption. The pseudo- and second-order kinetics described the MB photodegradation. When using SiO2-shell functionalized nanoparticles, the adsorption and photodegradation constant rates are three–four times higher than for using starting core iron oxide nanoparticles. The obtained magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were tested for films deposition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Hybrid Nanostructured Membranes)
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20 pages, 3851 KiB  
Article
Efficacy of Two Stabilizers in Nanoemulsions with Whey Proteins and Thyme Essential Oil as Edible Coatings for Zucchini
by Iulia Bleoanca, Andreea Lanciu, Livia Patrașcu, Alina Ceoromila and Daniela Borda
Membranes 2022, 12(3), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12030326 - 15 Mar 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2427
Abstract
Edible coatings are important for horticulture crops preservation and reducing food waste. Application of edible coatings followed by low-temperature storage prolongs the storability, preserves quality, and decreases the overall postharvest losses. This study evaluated the efficacy of two nanoemulsions formulae containing thyme essential [...] Read more.
Edible coatings are important for horticulture crops preservation and reducing food waste. Application of edible coatings followed by low-temperature storage prolongs the storability, preserves quality, and decreases the overall postharvest losses. This study evaluated the efficacy of two nanoemulsions formulae containing thyme essential oil and whey proteins as coatings for zucchini, with the purpose of extending their shelf-life. The nanoemulsions were rheologically evaluated and the formula with guar and arabic gum mix stabilizer (S) showed a better capacity to restructure after strain compared to the formulae with Tween 20 (T). The S coating material had a better capacity to integrate nanoparticles compared to T. However, when applied on zucchini, T coating was more effective in reducing weight loss showing 16% weight loss compared to 21% in S, after 42 days. At the end of storage at 10 °C, the T-coated zucchini had better firmness (p < 0.05) compared with S and both coatings were superior to control (p < 0.05). POD (peroxidase) activity was high in peel at the end of storage when also CAT (catalase) showed a sudden increase. On the 42nd day of storage, the highest enzymes activity (CAT, POD, and APX (ascorbate peroxidase)) was present in the S-coated zucchini peel. The most abundant volatile in T coating was α-pinene and 4-carene in S. Sensory analysis showed that T coating delayed the appearance of senescence while S exhibited surface cracks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Hybrid Nanostructured Membranes)
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