Nano-TiO2: Characterization and Application

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Materials and Metal-Organic Frameworks".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 May 2022) | Viewed by 16307

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Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy
Interests: marine biology; vertebrate and non-vertebrate species; models for toxicological testing; biomarkers; immunohistochemistry; electron microscopy; emerging contaminants; nanoparticles
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Dear Colleagues,

I invite you to submit papers for publication including original research describing advances in characterization and application of nano-TiO2, one of the most interesting commercially available nanosize materials that has found application in a variety of fields due to its wide availability, biocompatibility, low cost and nontoxicity, and high chemical stability.

Nano-TiO2 is used as an excipient in the pharmaceutical industry, for sun cream production in the cosmetics industry, as a colorant in white plastics, and as a relatively cheap and nontoxic food pigment approved by the relevant European Union authorities for the safety of food additives. TiO2 NPs have several applications, including in photocatalytic disinfection and as photosensitizing agents in the treatment of cancer, as well as in photodynamic inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Both TiO2 NPs and their composites, combinations or hybrids with other molecules have successfully been tested as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy.

Dr. Maria Violetta Brundo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Air and water purification
  • Antimicrobial activity
  • Environment and health
  • Photocatalysis
  • Additives
  • Packaging
  • Excipient
  • Drug delivery
  • Nanocomposites
  • Nanoparticles

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 3273 KiB  
Article
Facile Assembly of InVO4/TiO2 Heterojunction for Enhanced Photo-Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol
by Xinyu Zhang, Quanquan Shi, Xin Liu, Jingmei Li, Hui Xu, Hongjing Ding and Gao Li
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(9), 1544; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12091544 - 3 May 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2499
Abstract
In this work, an InVO4/TiO2 heterojunction composite catalyst was successfully synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method. The structural and optical characteristics of InVO4/TiO2 heterojunction composites are investigated using a variety of techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), [...] Read more.
In this work, an InVO4/TiO2 heterojunction composite catalyst was successfully synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method. The structural and optical characteristics of InVO4/TiO2 heterojunction composites are investigated using a variety of techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and spectroscopy techniques. The addition of InVO4 to TiO2 considerably enhanced the photocatalytic performance in selective photo-oxidation of benzyl alcohol (BA). The 10 wt% InVO4/TiO2 composite photocatalyst provided a decent 100% BA conversion with over 99% selectivity for benzaldehyde, and exhibited a maximum conversion rate of 3.03 mmol g−1 h−1, which is substantially higher than bare InVO4 and TiO2. The excellent catalytic activity of the InVO4/TiO2 photocatalyst is associated with the successful assembly of heterostructures, which promotes the charge separation and transfer between InVO4 and TiO2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-TiO2: Characterization and Application)
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19 pages, 8895 KiB  
Article
An Effective Photocatalytic Degradation of Industrial Pollutants through Converting Titanium Oxide to Magnetic Nanotubes and Hollow Nanorods by Kirkendall Effect
by Osama Saber, Hicham Mahfoz Kotb, Mostafa Osama and Hassan A. Khater
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(3), 440; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12030440 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2542
Abstract
Controlling of morphology from nanoparticles to magnetic nanotubes and hollow nanorods are interesting for developing the photo-active materials and their applications in the field of photocatalysis and decontamination of aquatic effluents. In the current study, titanium dioxide nanoparticles and nanocomposites were prepared by [...] Read more.
Controlling of morphology from nanoparticles to magnetic nanotubes and hollow nanorods are interesting for developing the photo-active materials and their applications in the field of photocatalysis and decontamination of aquatic effluents. In the current study, titanium dioxide nanoparticles and nanocomposites were prepared by different techniques to produce various morphologies. The nanoparticles of pure titanium dioxide were prepared by sol-gel technique. Magnetic nanotubes and hollow nanorods were prepared by combining titanium with di- and tri-valent iron through two stages: urea hydrolysis and solvent thermal technique. According to the Kirkendall effect, magnetic nanotubes were fabricated by unequal diffusion of Fe2+, Fe3+ and Ti4+ inside the nanocomposite to produce maghemite-titanian phase. In the same trend, hollow nanorods were synthesized by limited diffusion of both trivalent iron and tetravalent titanium producing amorphous structure of titanium iron oxides. The magnetic and optical properties showed that these nanotubes and hollow nanorods are magnetically active and optically more effective compared with titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Therefore, the Naphthol green B dye completely disappeared after 45 min of UV light irradiation in presence of the hollow nanorods. The kinetic study confirmed the high performance of the hollow nanorods for the photocatalytic degradation of Naphthol green B compared with titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-TiO2: Characterization and Application)
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13 pages, 3384 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Nanoparticles on Fire Retardancy of Pedunculate Oak Wood
by Danica Kačíková, Ivan Kubovský, Adriana Eštoková, František Kačík, Elena Kmeťová, Ján Kováč and Jaroslav Ďurkovič
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(12), 3405; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11123405 - 16 Dec 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2751
Abstract
Traditional flame retardants often contain halogens and produce toxic gases when burned. Hence, in this study, low-cost, environmentally friendly compounds that act as fire retardants are investigated. These materials often contain nanoparticles, from which TiO2 and SiO2 are the most promising. [...] Read more.
Traditional flame retardants often contain halogens and produce toxic gases when burned. Hence, in this study, low-cost, environmentally friendly compounds that act as fire retardants are investigated. These materials often contain nanoparticles, from which TiO2 and SiO2 are the most promising. In this work, pedunculate oak wood specimens were modified with sodium silicate (Na2SiO3, i.e., water glass) and TiO2, SiO2, and ZnO nanoparticles using the vacuum-pressure technique. Changes in the samples and fire characteristics of modified wood were studied via thermal analysis (TA), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy, coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The results of TA showed the most significant wood decomposition at a temperature of 350 °C, with a non-significant influence of the nanoparticles. A dominant effect of sodium silicate was observed in the main weight-loss step, resulting in a drop in decomposition temperature within the temperature range of 36–44 °C. More intensive decomposition of wood treated with water glass and nanoparticles led to a faster release of non-combustible gases, which slowed down the combustion process. The results demonstrated that wood modifications using sodium silicate and nanoparticle systems have potentially enhanced flame retardant properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-TiO2: Characterization and Application)
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14 pages, 2624 KiB  
Article
Bactericidal Activity of Multilayered Hybrid Structures Comprising Titania Nanoparticles and CdSe Quantum Dots under Visible Light
by Ekaterina Kolesova, Anastasia Bulgakova, Vladimir Maslov, Andrei Veniaminov, Aliaksei Dubavik, Yurii Gun’ko, Olga Efremenkova, Vladimir Oleinikov and Anna Orlova
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(12), 3331; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11123331 - 8 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2789
Abstract
Titania nanoparticle/CdSe quantum dot hybrid structures are a promising bactericidal coating that exhibits a pronounced effect against light-sensitive bacteria. Here, we report the results of a comprehensive study of the photophysical properties and bactericidal functionality of these hybrid structures on various bacterial strains. [...] Read more.
Titania nanoparticle/CdSe quantum dot hybrid structures are a promising bactericidal coating that exhibits a pronounced effect against light-sensitive bacteria. Here, we report the results of a comprehensive study of the photophysical properties and bactericidal functionality of these hybrid structures on various bacterial strains. We found that our structures provide the efficient generation of superoxide anions under the action of visible light due to electron transfer from QDs to titania nanoparticles with ~60% efficiency. We also tested the antibacterial activity of hybrid structures on five strains of bacteria. The formed structures combined with visible light irradiation effectively inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Mycobacterium smegmatis bacteria, the last of which is a photosensitive causative agent model of tuberculosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-TiO2: Characterization and Application)
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23 pages, 4465 KiB  
Article
Precipitation at Room Temperature as a Fast and Versatile Method for Calcium Phosphate/TiO2 Nanocomposites Synthesis
by Ina Erceg, Atiđa Selmani, Andreja Gajović, Borna Radatović, Suzana Šegota, Marija Ćurlin, Vida Strasser, Jasminka Kontrec, Damir Kralj, Nadica Maltar-Strmečki, Rinea Barbir, Barbara Pem, Ivana Vinković Vrček and Maja Dutour Sikirić
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(6), 1523; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11061523 - 9 Jun 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4085
Abstract
The constantly growing need for advanced bone regeneration materials has motivated the development of calcium phosphates (CaPs) composites with a different metal or metal-oxide nanomaterials and their economical and environmentally friendly production. Here, two procedures for the synthesis of CaPs composites with TiO [...] Read more.
The constantly growing need for advanced bone regeneration materials has motivated the development of calcium phosphates (CaPs) composites with a different metal or metal-oxide nanomaterials and their economical and environmentally friendly production. Here, two procedures for the synthesis of CaPs composites with TiO2 nanoplates (TiNPl) and nanowires (TiNWs) were tested, with the immersion of TiO2 nanomaterials (TiNMs) in corrected simulated body fluid (c-SBF) and precipitation of CaP in the presence of TiNMs. The materials obtained were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction, spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering, and their hemocompatibility and ability to induce reactive oxygen species were evaluated. After 28 days of immersion in c-SBF, no significant CaP coating was formed on TiNMs. However, the composites with calcium-deficient apatite (CaDHA) were obtained after one hour in the spontaneous precipitation system. In the absence of TiNMs, CaDHA was also formed, indicating that control of the CaP phase formed can be accomplished by fine-tuning conditions in the precipitation system. Although the morphology and size of crystalline domains of CaDHA obtained on the different nanomaterials differed, no significant difference was detected in their local structure. Composites showed low reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and did not induce hemolysis. The results obtained indicate that precipitation is a suitable and fast method for the preparation of CaPs/TiNMs nanocomposites which shows great potential for biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-TiO2: Characterization and Application)
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