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Molecules
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Design, Construction, and Applications of New Mineral Functional Materials
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Design, Construction, and Applications of New Mineral Functional Materials

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 2790

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Wenbo Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
Interests: clay minerals; adsorbent; polymer composites; mesoporous materials; solid wastes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With green development becoming the focus of global attention, the economy and environmental friendliness of materials themselves have become topics of great interest. As a new favorite of the material family, natural mineral materials have received significant attention in recent years due to their harmlessness to human health and the ecological environment. As a “gift” from nature to human beings, natural minerals not only present a special structure with properties and functions unmatched by synthetic materials but also have the advantages that they are cost-effective and environmentally friendly. These minerals are mainly composed of the most abundant elements on Earth, such as O, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, etc. Some show a unique crystal structure (such as tourmaline), and some show a special nanoscale size and diversified morphology from 1D to 3D.

Nanorods, nanofibers, nanotubes, and nanosheets, which are widely used in modern industry and human life, can be found in nature. Therefore, natural mineral-based materials have been recognized as “green materials” in the future and show great prospects in the fields of the environment, energy, composite materials, fine chemicals, and catalysis. A variety of natural polymer/nanoscale mineral composites have been developed and used in biological, medical, and environmental remediation applications. The catalytic activity of natural iron ore and tourmaline minerals can also be directly used to degrade pollutants. However, there is still a long way to go to replace traditional synthetic nanomaterials with natural nanomaterials. First, natural minerals need to be dispersed in nano or even smaller sizes through physical/chemical methods to ensure adequate dispersion. Secondly, the dispersed nanoscale minerals need to be chemically modified to adjust their surface properties. Third, the modified nano minerals sometimes need to be compounded with other active components to form composite materials with improved performance. Although natural minerals and their applications in functional materials have attracted much attention in recent years, there is a lack of basic research, especially on the modification and composite mechanism. Therefore, there are many unclear and unresolved problems in this field.

This Special Issue focuses on the preparation of mineral functional materials and their applications in various fields. Researchers in this field are welcome to submit review papers or research papers on the green synthesis, modification, preparation, and application of composite material based on natural minerals to this Special Issue to contribute to the development of mineral functional materials by integrating the latest research achievements and new insights. It is expected that this Special Issue will serve as a reference for the research and development of more high-performance mineral functional materials.

Prof. Dr. Wenbo Wang
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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

  • clay minerals and their composites (palygorskite, sepiolite, montmorillonite, rectorite, bentonite, vermiculite, laponite, kaolinite, and others)
  • solid wastes with mineral properties and their composites (Iron tailings, coal gangue, semi-coke, and others)
  • polymer/mineral composites
  • mineral-derived adsorbents
  • mineral-derived catalysts
  • purification of pollutants (organics, inorganic, and others)
  • mineral-containing coatings
  • mineral-derived separation materials
  • mineral–carbon composites
  • mineral-based membranes
  • friction lubricating materials
  • energy-saving materials
  • mineral-derived antibacterial materials
  • mineral-based building materials
  • synthesis or evolution of minerals
  • the interaction between minerals and organic molecules
  • mineral-based pigments

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 4922 KiB  
Article
An Anthocyanin-Based Eco-Friendly Triboelectric Nanogenerator for pH Monitoring and Energy Harvesting
by Wuliang Sun, Junhui Dong, Wenbo Li, Xiaobo Gao, Jun Liu and Ding Nan
Molecules 2024, 29(9), 1925; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29091925 - 23 Apr 2024
Viewed by 349
Abstract
In recent years, renewable and sustainable triboelectric nanogenerators have attracted attention due to their high energy conversion rate, and enhancing their functionality further contributes to their applicability across various fields. A pH-sensitive triboelectric nanogenerator (pH-TENG) has been prepared by electrostatic spinning technology, with [...] Read more.
In recent years, renewable and sustainable triboelectric nanogenerators have attracted attention due to their high energy conversion rate, and enhancing their functionality further contributes to their applicability across various fields. A pH-sensitive triboelectric nanogenerator (pH-TENG) has been prepared by electrostatic spinning technology, with anthocyanin as the pH indicator and environmentally friendly polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the substrate. Among many friction-negative materials, the pH-TENG exhibits the best combination with fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) and yields an open-circuit voltage of 62 V, a short-circuit current of 370 nA, and a transferred charge of 21.8 nC. At a frequency of 3 Hz, it can charge a 4.7 μF capacitor to 2 V within 45 s, effectively powering a thermometer. Furthermore, the presence of anthocyanin does not affect the pH-TENG’s power generation performance and enables the monitoring of a wide range of environmental pH changes, with an ΔE change of 28.8 ± 7.6. Therefore, pH-TENG prepared with environmentally friendly materials can bring new available materials to the biological and medical fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Construction, and Applications of New Mineral Functional Materials)
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12 pages, 2391 KiB  
Article
Effect of the Side-Chain Length in Polycarboxylic Superplasticizer on the Competition Adsorption in the Presence of Montmorillonite: A Density Functional Theory Study
by Zhihao He, Teng Huang, Meiben Gao, Desong Kong and Meng Li
Molecules 2024, 29(4), 752; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29040752 - 06 Feb 2024
Viewed by 577
Abstract
Polycarboxylic superplasticizers (PCEs) exhibit numerous advantages as concrete additives, effectively improving the stability and strength of concrete. However, competitive adsorption of PCEs occurs in the presence of clay, which may affect the cement dispersion and water-reducing performance. Extensive research has been conducted on [...] Read more.
Polycarboxylic superplasticizers (PCEs) exhibit numerous advantages as concrete additives, effectively improving the stability and strength of concrete. However, competitive adsorption of PCEs occurs in the presence of clay, which may affect the cement dispersion and water-reducing performance. Extensive research has been conducted on the physical and mechanical properties of PCEs; however, the effect of the diverse structures of PCEs on the competitive adsorption on clay and cement hydration products has been rarely studied. This study employs Ca-montmorillonite (CaMMT) as a clay representative, by constructing adsorption models of PCEs on CaMMT and cement hydration products. A comparison of the adsorption energies considering different side-chain lengths of PCEs is included. Typically, the adsorption energy on CaMMT is lower than that on hydration products, leading PCEs to preferentially adsorb on the clay, thereby reducing its effective dosage in the cement particles. The challenge of PCE adsorption on CaMMT increases with the polymerization degree, and methylallyl polyoxyethylene ether (HPEG) exhibits lower adsorption energies on CaMMT. The density of states (DOS) analysis indicated the highest peak values of allyl polyethylene ether (APEG) as well as the peak area at n (polymerization degree) = 1. The total number of transferred electrons for APEG was 0.648, surpassing those of other PCEs. The interaction mechanism of PCEs with clay and hydration products is further elucidated through electronic gain/loss analysis, also providing a basis for the theoretical analysis on how to reduce the adsorption of PCEs on clay and the structural design of mud-resistant PCEs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Construction, and Applications of New Mineral Functional Materials)
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20 pages, 6900 KiB  
Article
Luminescent Properties of (Ca7ZrAl6O18-Ca3Al2O6-CaZrO3):Eu3+ Composite Ceramics and Tracing in the Hydration Process
by Dominika Madej and Andrzej Kruk
Molecules 2023, 28(23), 7799; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28237799 - 27 Nov 2023
Viewed by 640
Abstract
In this work, solid-state reaction sintering was used to fabricate Ca7ZrAl6O18-Ca3Al2O6-CaZrO3:Eu3+ ternary composite ceramics and cements. The structural, microstructural, and spectroscopic properties of the ceramics with different Eu [...] Read more.
In this work, solid-state reaction sintering was used to fabricate Ca7ZrAl6O18-Ca3Al2O6-CaZrO3:Eu3+ ternary composite ceramics and cements. The structural, microstructural, and spectroscopic properties of the ceramics with different Eu2O3 content were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and spectrofluorimetry, respectively. The XRD patterns analyzed with Rietveld refinement confirm the presence of the orthorhombic phase of Ca7ZrAl6O18 and the cubic phase of Ca3Al2O6 in all the samples, indicating that doping of Eu3+ slightly changes the crystalline structure of both aluminate phosphors. EDS analysis revealed that the Eu doping element was strongly concentrated to the two phases, i.e., Ca7ZrAl6O18 and Ca3Al2O6, with the Eu concentrations of 8.45 wt.% and 8.26 wt.%, respectively. The luminescent properties of the ceramics doped with different Eu3+ ion concentrations were investigated by excitation and emission spectroscopy at room temperature. These results were compiled using a laser with an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) system. The obtained spectra indicated changes in the luminescence intensity and shape occurring with phase composition and Eu2O3 concentration. The emission spectra of the ceramics exhibit a strong dependence on the excitation wavelength in the range from 210 to 300 nm, and invariably, five peaks were assigned to the 5D0 → 7FJ (J = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) transitions of Eu3+. The luminescence spectroscopy was then used to trace the early and long-term hydration behavior of cements. Thus, luminescence spectroscopy may provide a new tool for non-destructive testing of cement-based structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Construction, and Applications of New Mineral Functional Materials)
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10 pages, 7286 KiB  
Article
Modification of Pillared Intercalated Montmorillonite Clay as Heterogeneous Pd Catalyst Supports
by Kailang Sun, Yonghong Liu, Taojun Zhang, Jie Zhou, Jinyang Chen, Xiaorong Ren, Zhen Yang and Minfeng Zeng
Molecules 2023, 28(22), 7638; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28227638 - 17 Nov 2023
Viewed by 631
Abstract
Montmorillonite clay was modified by pillaring with AlMn oxides in different Al/Mn ratios and intercalation of two kinds of N-containing polymers (i.e., chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl pyrrolidinone (PVP)) chains. The modified pillared montmorillonite clay (PM) showed a rich two-dimensional layered porous structure with [...] Read more.
Montmorillonite clay was modified by pillaring with AlMn oxides in different Al/Mn ratios and intercalation of two kinds of N-containing polymers (i.e., chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl pyrrolidinone (PVP)) chains. The modified pillared montmorillonite clay (PM) showed a rich two-dimensional layered porous structure with tunable parameters, such as large interlayer spacing, high specific area, and large porous volume. They were then used as supports for Pd nanoparticles. As applied in coupling reactions of aryl halides with terminal alkynes, Pd@CS/AlMn-PM showed better comprehensive catalytic performance than Pd@PVP/AlMn-PM. This was mainly attributed to its higher specific area, stronger chelation to Pd species, and better solvent resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Construction, and Applications of New Mineral Functional Materials)
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