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(Di)electrical and Catalytic Functionality in Advanced (Bio)materials: Synthesis and Structure–Properties Investigation

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2024 | Viewed by 4731

Special Issue Editors

Division of Materials Chemistry, Laboratory for Functional Materials, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: oxide glasses and glass-ceramics; impedance spectroscopy; melt-quenching; (micro)structural characterization; structure and transport properties; crystallization; ceramics; biomaterials; dental materials; thin films; charge carrier dynamics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of MDPI’s International Journal of Molecular Science, named “(Di)electrical and Catalytic Functionality in Advanced (Bio)materials: Synthesis and Structure–Properties Investigation”. This Special Issue welcomes novel manuscripts dealing with previously unpublished advances in the following areas:

  1. Design of novel advance (bio)-based materials/systems followed by their optimized preparation techniques (e.g., using green methods along with post-processing);
  2. Use of conventional and advanced characterization techniques (alone or in combination) and monitoring (in situ/operando) of (micro)structural characteristics under steady or variable conditions (frequency, temperature, atmosphere, substrate etc.) that have a significant influence on the final properties (thermal, (di)electrical, catalytic, mechanochemical, and other (in)directly influenced by structural modifications and compositions) and structure–properties correlations;
  3. Application and compatibility studies: implementation of prepared advanced (bio)materials in target application areas (e.g., catalysis, sensors, battery components, etc.)

Dr. Jana Pisk
Dr. Luka Pavic
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • biomaterials
  • (di)electrical and catalytic functionality
  • advanced (bio)materials
  • catalytic material
  • electrical material

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 10078 KiB  
Article
Effect of Morphology Modification of BiFeO3 on Photocatalytic Efficacy of P-g-C3N4/BiFeO3 Composites
by Abubakar Usman Katsina, Diana-Luciana Cursaru, Dănuţa Matei and Sonia Mihai
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(9), 4948; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25094948 - 1 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 895
Abstract
This current study assessed the impacts of morphology adjustment of perovskite BiFeO3 (BFO) on the construction and photocatalytic activity of P-infused g-C3N4/U-BiFeO3 (U-BFO/PCN) heterostructured composite photocatalysts. Favorable formation of U-BFO/PCN composites was attained via urea-aided morphology-controlled hydrothermal [...] Read more.
This current study assessed the impacts of morphology adjustment of perovskite BiFeO3 (BFO) on the construction and photocatalytic activity of P-infused g-C3N4/U-BiFeO3 (U-BFO/PCN) heterostructured composite photocatalysts. Favorable formation of U-BFO/PCN composites was attained via urea-aided morphology-controlled hydrothermal synthesis of BFO followed by solvosonication-mediated fusion with already synthesized P-g-C3N4 to form U-BFO/PCN composites. The prepared bare and composite photocatalysts’ morphological, textural, structural, optical, and photocatalytic performance were meticulously examined through various analytical characterization techniques and photodegradation of aqueous rhodamine B (RhB). Ellipsoids and flakes morphological structures were obtained for U-BFO and BFO, and their effects on the successful fabrication of the heterojunctions were also established. The U-BFO/PCN composite exhibits 99.2% efficiency within 20 min of visible-light irradiation, surpassing BFO/PCN (88.5%), PCN (66.8%), and U-BFO (26.1%). The pseudo-first-order kinetics of U-BFO/PCN composites is 2.41 × 10−1 min−1, equivalent to 2.2 times, 57 times, and 4.3 times of BFO/PCN (1.08 × 10−1 min−1), U-BFO, (4.20 × 10−3 min−1), and PCN, (5.60 × 10−2 min−1), respectively. The recyclability test demonstrates an outstanding photostability for U-BFO/PCN after four cyclic runs. This improved photocatalytic activity exhibited by the composites can be attributed to enhanced visible-light utilization and additional accessible active sites due to surface and electronic band modification of CN via P-doping and effective charge separation achieved via successful composites formation. Full article
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27 pages, 14776 KiB  
Article
Photocatalytic and Cathode Active Abilities of Ni-Substituted α-FeOOH Nanoparticles
by Ahmed Ibrahim, Mikan Shiraishi, Zoltán Homonnay, Stjepko Krehula, Marijan Marciuš, Arijeta Bafti, Luka Pavić and Shiro Kubuki
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(18), 14300; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241814300 - 19 Sep 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1531
Abstract
The present study investigates the relationship between the local structure, photocatalytic ability, and cathode performances in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) using Ni-substituted goethite nanoparticles (NixFe1−xOOH NPs) with a range of ‘x’ values from 0 to 0.5. [...] Read more.
The present study investigates the relationship between the local structure, photocatalytic ability, and cathode performances in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) using Ni-substituted goethite nanoparticles (NixFe1−xOOH NPs) with a range of ‘x’ values from 0 to 0.5. The structural characterization was performed applying various techniques, including X-ray diffractometry (XRD); thermogravimetry differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA); Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR); X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES/EXAFS), both measured at room temperature (RT); 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy recorded at RT and low temperatures (LT) from 20 K to 300 K; Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area measurement (BET), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). In addition, the electrical properties of NixFe1−xOOH NPs were evaluated by solid-state impedance spectroscopy (SS-IS). XRD showed the presence of goethite as the only crystalline phase in prepared samples with x ≤ 0.20, and goethite and α-Ni(OH)2 in the samples with x > 0.20. The sample with x = 0.10 (Ni10) showed the highest photo-Fenton ability with a first-order rate constant value (k) of 15.8 × 10−3 min−1. The 57Fe Mössbauer spectrum of Ni0, measured at RT, displayed a sextet corresponding to goethite, with an isomer shift (δ) of 0.36 mm s−1 and a hyperfine magnetic distribution (Bhf) of 32.95 T. Moreover, the DC conductivity decreased from 5.52 × 10−10 to 5.30 × 10−12 (Ω cm)–1 with ‘x’ increasing from 0.10 to 0.50. Ni20 showed the highest initial discharge capacity of 223 mAh g−1, attributed to its largest specific surface area of 174.0 m2 g−1. In conclusion, NixFe1−xOOH NPs can be effectively utilized as visible-light-activated catalysts and active cathode materials in secondary batteries. Full article
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17 pages, 6180 KiB  
Article
Bioactive Glass Modified with Zirconium Incorporation for Dental Implant Applications: Fabrication, Structural, Electrical, and Biological Analysis
by Imen Hammami, Sílvia Rodrigues Gavinho, Ana Sofia Pádua, Isabel Sá-Nogueira, Jorge Carvalho Silva, João Paulo Borges, Manuel Almeida Valente and Manuel Pedro Fernandes Graça
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(13), 10571; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241310571 - 24 Jun 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1626
Abstract
Implantology is crucial for restoring aesthetics and masticatory function in oral rehabilitation. Despite its advantages, certain issues, such as bacterial infection, may still arise that hinder osseointegration and result in implant rejection. This work aims to address these challenges by developing a biomaterial [...] Read more.
Implantology is crucial for restoring aesthetics and masticatory function in oral rehabilitation. Despite its advantages, certain issues, such as bacterial infection, may still arise that hinder osseointegration and result in implant rejection. This work aims to address these challenges by developing a biomaterial for dental implant coating based on 45S5 Bioglass® modified by zirconium insertion. The structural characterization of the glasses, by XRD, showed that the introduction of zirconium in the Bioglass network at a concentration higher than 2 mol% promotes phase separation, with crystal phase formation. Impedance spectroscopy was used, in the frequency range of 102–106 Hz and the temperature range of 200–400 K, to investigate the electrical properties of these Bioglasses, due to their ability to store electrical charges and therefore enhance the osseointegration capacity. The electrical study showed that the presence of crystal phases, in the glass ceramic with 8 mol% of zirconium, led to a significant increase in conductivity. In terms of biological properties, the Bioglasses exhibited an antibacterial effect against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and did not show cytotoxicity for the Saos-2 cell line at extract concentrations up to 25 mg/mL. Furthermore, the results of the bioactivity test revealed that within 24 h, a CaP-rich layer began to form on the surface of all the samples. According to our results, the incorporation of 2 mol% of ZrO2 into the Bioglass significantly improves its potential as a coating material for dental implants, enhancing both its antibacterial and osteointegration properties. Full article
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