Effect of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on Growth and Biomass Accumulation in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

The use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO2) is gaining interest in agriculture because of their impact on many aspects of plant growth. The present study examines the effects of nTiO2 (5 nm and 10 nm) applied to seeds and the seedlings as a foliar application on various aspects of growth characteristics and biomass accumulation in lettuce (Lactuca sativa, cv. Grand Rapids). Application of 10 nm nTiO2 to seeds through imbibition resulted in a significant reduction in shoot biomass accumulation while 5 nm nTiO2 did not affect the biomass accumulation in lettuce. The application of 10 nm nTiO2 reduced the fresh shoot biomass accumulation by about 18% compared to the control plants. Other growth characteristics such as shoot dry biomass, root fresh and dry biomass, plant height, and leaf area were not affected by the application of both 5 nm and 10 nm nTiO2. In addition, foliar application of these nanoparticles to the lettuce seedlings did not have a significant effect on most of the growth parameters examined, and the increasing concentration ranging from 5 nm/L to 400 mg/L did not produce a consistent response in lettuce. Thus, nTiO2 application to lettuce seeds had a notable negative impact on shoot growth while foliar application did not have a significant effect on many plant growth characteristics. However, foliar applications produced some symptoms of toxicity to the foliage in the form of necrotic or chlorotic patches on the leaves, which were more pronounced with increasing concentrations of both 5 nm and 10 nm nTiO2. However, these symptoms were apparent at a concentration as low as 50 mg/L of nTiO2. Thus, foliar application of nTiO2 may not have a significant impact on many of the growth characteristics in lettuce, but it can result in foliar toxicity.

Green synthesis of three-dimensional magnesium ferrite/titanium dioxide/reduced graphene from Garcinia mangostana extract for crystal violet photodegradation and antibacterial activity

In this study,three-dimensional porous magnesium ferrite/titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide(Mg Fe_2O_(4)-GM/TiO_(2)/rGO(MGTG))was successfully synthesized via green and hydrothermal-supported co-precipitation methods using the extract of Garcinia mangostana(G.mangostana)as a reducing agent.The characterization results indicate the successful formation of the nano/micro Mg Fe_(2)O_(4)(MFO)and TiO_(2) on the structure of the reduced graphene oxide(rGO),which can also act as efficient support,alleviating the agglomeration of the nano/micro MFO and TiO_(2).The synergic effects of the adsorption and photodegradation activity of the material were investigated according to the removal of crystal violet(CV)under ultraviolet light.The effects of catalyst dosage,CV concentration,and p H on the CV removal efficiency of the MGTG were also investigated.According to the results,the CV photodegradation of the MGTG-200 corresponded to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model.The reusability of the material after 10 cycles also showed a removal efficiency of 92%.This happened because the materials can easily be recollected using external magnets.In addition,according to the effects of different free radicals·O_(2)^(-),h^(+),and·OH on the photodegradation process,the photocatalysis mechanism of the MGTG was also thoroughly suggested.The antibacterial efficiency of the MGTG was also evaluated according to the inhibition of the Gram-positive bacteria strain Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus).Concurrently,the antibacterial mechanism of the fabricated material was also proposed.These results confirm that the prepared material can be potentially employed in a wide range of applications,including wastewater treatment and antibacterial activity.

Uniform nanoplating of metallic magnesium film on titanium dioxide nanotubes as a skeleton for reversible Na metal anode

To meet the low-cost concept advocated by the sodium metal anode,this paper reports the use of a pulsed electrodeposition technology with ionic liquids as electrolytes to achieve uniform nanoplating of metallic magnesium films at around 20 nm on spaced titanium dioxide(TiO_(2))nanotubes(STNA-Mg).First,the sodiophilic magnesium metal coating can effectively reduce the nucleation overpotential of sodium metal.Moreover,three-dimensional STNA can limit the volume expansion during sodium metal plating and stripping to achieve the ultrastable deposition and stripping of sodium metals with a high Coulombic efficiency of up to 99.5%and a small voltage polarization of 5 mV in symmetric Na||Na batteries.In addition,the comparative study of sodium metal deposition behavior of STNA-Mg and STNA-Cu prepared by the same route further confirmed the advantage of magnesium metal to guide sodium metal growth.Finally,the prepared STNA-Mg-Na metal anode and commercial sodium vanadium phosphate cathode were assembled into a full cell,delivering a discharge capacity of 110.2 mAh·g^(-1)with a retention rate of 95.6%after 110 cycles at 1C rate.

Oxygen defect modulating the charge behavior in titanium dioxide for boosting photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance

Extremely high-temperature and high-pressure requirement of Haber-Bosch process motivates the search for a sustainable ammonia synthesis approach under mild conditions.Photocatalytic technology is a potential solution to convert N2 to ammonia.However,the poor light absorption and low charge carrier separation efficiency in conventional semiconductors are bottlenecks for the application of this technology.Herein,a facile synthesis of anatase TiO_(2)nanosheets with an abundance of surface oxygen vacancies(TiO_(2)-OV)via the calcination treatment was reported.Photocatalytic experiments of the prepared anatase TiO_(2)samples showed that TiO_(2)-OV nanosheets exhibited remarkably increased ammonia yield for solar-driven N2 fixation in pure water,without adding any sacrificial agents.EPR,XPS,XRD,UV-Vis DRS,TEM,Raman,and PL techniques were employed to systematically explore the possible enhanced mechanism.Studies revealed that the introduced surface oxygen vacancies significantly extended the light absorption capability in the visible region,decreased the adsorption and activation barriers of inert N2,and improved the separation and transfer efficiency of the photogenerated electronhole pairs.Thus,a high rate of ammonia evolution in TiO_(2)-OV was realized.This work offers a promising and sustainable approach for the efficient artificial photosynthesis of ammonia.

Preparation of calcium carbonate particles coated with titanium dioxide

The preparation of a new mineral composite material, calcium carbonate particles coated with titanium dioxide, was studied. The mechanism of the preparation process was proposed. The new mineral composite material was made by the mechanoehemieal method under the optimum condition that the mass ratio of calcium carbonate particles to titanium dioxide was 6.5：3.5. The mass ratios of two different types of titanium dioxide （anatase to rutile） and grinding media to grinded materials were 8：2 and 4：1 respectively, and the modified density was 60%. Under this condition, the new material was capable of forming after 120-min modification. The hiding power and oil absorption of this new material were 29.12 g/m^2 and 23.30%, respectively. The results show that the modification is based on surface hydroxylation. After coating with titanium dioxide, the hiding power of calcium carbonate can be improved greatly. The new mineral composite materials can be used as the substitute for titanium dioxide.

Evaluation of the adsorption potential of titanium dioxide nanoparticles for arsenic removal

The adsorption potential of titanium dioxide （TiO2） nanoparticles for removing arsenic from drinking water was evaluated. Pure and iron-doped TiO2 particles are synthesized via sol-gel method. The synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles were then immobilized on ordinary sand for adsorption studies. Adsorption isotherms were conducted on the synthesized nanoparticles as well as the sand coated with TiO2 nanoparticles under varying conditions of air and light, namely, the air-sunlight （A-SL）, air-light （AL）, air-dark （AD） and nitrogen-dark （ND）. X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis showed that the pure and iron-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were in 100% anatase crystalline phase with crystai sizes of 108 and 65 nm, respectively. Adsorption of arsenic on the three adsorbents was non-linear that could be described by the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption models. Iron doping enhanced the adsorption capacity of TiO2 nanoparticles by arresting the grain growth and making it visible light responsive resulting in a higher affinity for arsenic. Similarly, the arsenic removal by adsorption on the sand coated with TiO2 nanoparticles was the highest among the three types of sand used. In all cases, As（V） was adsorbed more compared with As（Ⅲ）. The solution pH appeared to be the most important factor in controlling the amount of arsenic adsorbed.

Preparation of titanium dioxide from titania-rich slag by molten NaOH method

Preparing titanium dioxide from titania-rich slag （TiO2 73wt%） by molten NaOH method has been developed. The effects of temperature and reaction time on the titanium conversion were investigated. The results showed that temperature had significant influence on the titanium conversion as well as the structure of the product. About 92% of titanium in the titania-rich slag could be converted after reacting with NaOH at 500℃ for 1 h. Metatitanic acid was formed through the steps of washing treatment, acid dissolution, and hydrolysis. Well-dispersed spherical titanium dioxide particles with an average size of 0.1-0.4μm can be obtained by calcination of metatitanic acid. In addition, the content of titanium dioxide in the product is up to 98.6wt%, which can be used as pigments after further treatment of coating and crushing.

Biodegradable starch/poly(vinyl alcohol) film reinforced with titanium dioxide nanoparticles

Biodegradable starch/poly （vinyl alcohol）/nano-titanium dioxide （ST/PVA/nano-Ti02） nanocomposite films were prepared via a solution casting method. Their biodegradability, mechanical properties, and thermal properties were also studied in this paper. A general full factorial experimental approach was used to determine effective parameters on the mechanical properties of the prepared films. ST/PVA/TiO2 nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results of mechanical analysis show that ST/PVA films with higher contents of PVA have much better mechanical properties. In thermal analysis, it is found that the addition of Ti02 nanoparticles improves the thermal stability of the films. SEM micrographs, taken from the fracture surface of samples, illustrate that the addition of PVA makes the film softer and more flexible. The results of soil burial biodegradation indicate that the biodegradability of ST/PVA/TiO2 films strongly depends on the starch proportion in the film matrix. The degradation rate is increased by the addition of starch in the films.

Mixed Phase Anatase/rutile Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene-blue

Titanium dioxide Nanotubes(TNTs) prepared by electroless deposition have been annealed at air ambient and low temperature. As a result, the anatase/rutile phase composition of the TNTs can be tailored to the needs of later applications. Nanotubes with anatase/rutile mixed phase ratio of 4:1 have been produced in this report and further examined for their photocatalytical behavior. The photocatalytical properties of the TNTs have been observed by degradation of methylene-blue in aqueous solution under low power UV-light irradiation. The results shown in this report are based on the synergetic effect between rutile and anatase,which results in the mixed phase TiO 2 nanotubes having enhanced photocatalytical properties.

Plasma Induced Grafting of PMMA onto Titanium Dioxide Powder

Grafting of polymer of methyl methacrylate （PMMA） onto titanium dioxide powder is investigated in this paper. The graft polymerization reaction is induced by dielectric-barrier- discharge produced N2 plasma treatment of titanium dioxide surfaces. IR, XPS and TGA results show that PMMA is grafted onto the surfaces of titanium dioxide powder. And crystal structure of the titanium dioxide powder observed with XRD spectra is unchanged after plasma graft polymerization.

Preparation of Bentonite Supported Nano Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysts by Electrostatic Self-assembly Method

Electrostatic self-assembly method （ESAM） was used to prepare bentonite supported-nano titanium dioxide photocatalysts. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Methyl orange was used to estimate the photocatalytic activity of the materials. The effects of the calcination temperature and silane dosage on the photocatalytic activity of the samples were investigated. The experimental results show that the bentonite facilitates the formation of anatase and restrains the transformation of anatase to rutile. Part of nano-size TiO2 particles insert into the galleries of bentonite. The photocatalysts exhibit a synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis on methyl orange. Photocatalysts prepared by ESAM method exhibit higher photocatalytic activity and better recycle ability than those of the traditional method.

Effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on zebrafish embryos and developing retina

AIM: To investigate the impact of titanium dioxide nanoparticles(Ti O2NPs) on embryonic development and retinal neurogenesis.METHODS: The agglomeration and sedimentation of Ti O2 NPs solutions at different dilutions were observed,and the ultraviolet-visible spectra of their supernatants were measured. Zebrafish embryos were experimentally exposed to Ti O2 NPs until 72 h postfertilization(hpf). The retinal neurogenesis and distribution of the microglia were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and whole mount in situ hybridization.RESULTS: The 1 mg/L was determined to be an appropriate exposure dose. Embryos exposed to Ti O2 NPs had a normal phenotype. The neurogenesis was initiated on time, and ganglion cells, cones and rods were well differentiated at 72 hpf. The expression of fms m RNA and the 4C4 antibody, which were specific to microglia in the central nervous system(CNS), closely resembled their endogenous profile.CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that short-term exposure to Ti O2 NPs at a low dose does not lead to delayed embryonic development or retinal neurotoxicity.

Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous Titanium Dioxide Spheres

Mesoporous titanium dioxide spheres were synthesized by a convenient solvothermal method at room temperature with tetraethyl titanate as a precursor. Investigation by means of X-ray diffraction（XRD）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms confirms that the sample has a mesostructure with a higher specific surface area and shows that the mesoporous TiO2 spheres have a diameter of 2 μm, the average pore size is about 5.9 nm, and the BET surface area and specific pore volume are about 236 m2/g and 2.116 cm3/g, respectively. The anatase and rutile mesoporous TiO2 spheres calcined at 700 °C show much better photocatalytic activity than the samples calcined at other temperatures and is comparable to an uncalcined sample in the photodegradation of Methyl Blue（MB） under the UV irradiation.

Enhancement of corona discharge induced wind generation with carbon nanotube and titanium dioxide decoration

Dip-coated double-wall carbon nanotubes(DWCNTs) and titanium dioxide(TiO2) sol have been prepared and smeared onto the tip of a conductive iron needle which serves as the corona discharge anode in a needle-cylinder corona system.Compared with the discharge electrode of a CNT-coated needle tip, great advancements have been achieved with the TiO_2/CNT-coated electrode, including higher discharge current, ionic wind velocity, and energy conversion efficiency,together with lower corona onset voltage and power consumption.Several parameters related to the discharge have been phenomenologically and mathematically studied for comparison.Thanks to the morphology reorientation of the CNT layer and the anti-oxidation of TiO_2, better performance of corona discharge induced wind generation of the TiO2/CNT-coated electrode system has been achieved.This novel decoration may provide better thoughts about the corona discharge application and wind generation.

Sonocatalytic Damage of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) in the Presence of Nanometer Titanium Dioxide (TiO_2) Catalyst

The sonocatalytic damage of bovine serum albumin （BSA） was studied in the presence of nanometer titanium dioxide （TiO2） powders by low frequency （80 kHz） ultrasound. The destruction of secondary structure and change of α-helical structure of BSA were reflected by ultraviolet （UV） and circular dichroism （CD） spectroscopies.

Acaricidal activity of synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles using Calotropis gigantea against Rhipicephalus microplus and Haemaphysalis bispinosa

Objective:To assess the acaricidal activity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles(TiO_2 NPs)synthesized from flower aqueous extract of Calotropis gigantea(C.gigantea)against the larvae of Rhipicephalus(Boophilus)microplus[R.(B.)microplus]and the adult of Haemaphrysalis bispinosa(H.bispinosa).Methods:The lyophilized C.gigantea flower aqueous extract of 50 mg was added with 100 mL of TiO(OH_2)(10 mM)and magnetically stirred for 6 h.Synthesized TiO_2 NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD).Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),Scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX).The synthesised TiO_2 NPs were tested against the larvae of R(B.)microplus and adult of H.bispinosa were exposed to filter paper impregnated method.Results:XRD confirmed the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles with the mean size of 10.52 nm.The functional groups for synthesized TiO_2NPs were 1405.19,and 1053.45 cm^(-1)for-NH_2 bending,primary amines and amides and 1053.84and 1078.45 cm^(-1)for C-O.SEM micrographs of the synthesized TiO_2 NPs showed the aggregated and spherical in shape.The maximum efficacy was observed in the aqueous flower extract of C.gigantea and synthesized TiO_2 NPs against R.(B.)microplus(LC_(50)=24.63 and 5.43 mg/L and r^2=0.960 and 0.988)and against H.bispinosa(LC_(50)=35.22 and 9.15 mg/L and r^2=0.969 and 0.969).respectively.Conclusions:The synthesized TiO_2 NPs were highly stable and had significant acaricidal activity against the larvae of R.(B.)microplus and adult of H.bispinosa.This study provides the first report of synthesized TiO_2 NPs and possessed excellent anti-parasitic activity.

Disruption of Bacterial Cells by Photocatalysis of Montmorillonite Supported Titanium Dioxide

The photo-induced antibacterial capacity of montmorillonite supported titanium dioxide （TiO2/Mmt for short） was evaluated by using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as modal organims. The bactericidal activity of TiO2/Mmt was examined by cell viability assay under different illumination modes. Atomic force microscopy （AFM） and total organic carbon/Total nitrogen （TOC/TN） analyses were employed to investigate the mechanism of the photocatalytic bactericidal process qualitatively and quantitatively. The kinetic data show that TiO2/Mmt has excellent antibacterial performance, and about 99% of both bacteria cells are inactivated within 75 rain illumination. The AFM images demonstrate that the bacterial cells are irreversibly decomposed and some cell components are dissolved. Therefore, the content and phase of carbon and nitrogen in the solution are changed after photocatalytic reaction.

Study on Surface Modification of Titanium Dioxide Using Polymethyl Methacrylate

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) at the surface of titanium dioxide (TiO 2) particles was carried out by using soapless emulsion polymerization method. In this process, composite particles with TiO 2 core and polymer shell were obtained and thus the surface of titanium dioxide was modified. The encapsulating polymer was characterized by TEM, DTA and IR. In addition, the surface properties of the original and modified TiO 2 were studied by Zeta potential measurement and determination of contact angle and dispersability.

Sulfonated polybenzimidazole/amine functionalized titanium dioxide(s PBI/AFT) composite electrolyte membranes for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells usage

The novel sulfonated polybenzimidazole(sPBI)/amine functionalized titanium dioxide(AFT) composite membrane is devised and studied for its capability of the application of high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells(HT-PEMFCs),unlike the prior low temperature AFT endeavors.The high temperature compatibility was actualized because of the filling of free volumes in the rigid aromatic matrix of the composite with AFT nanoparticles which inhibited segmental motions of the chains and improved its thermal stability.Besides,amine functionalization of TiO2 enhanced their dispersion character in the sPBI matrix and shortened the interparticle separation gap which finally improved the proton transfer after establishing interconnected pathways and breeding more phosphoric acid(PA) doping.In addition,the appeared assembled clusters of AFT flourished a superior mechanical stability.Thus,the optimized sPBI/AFT(10 wt%) showed 65.3 MPa tensile strength;0.084 S·cm^-1 proton conductivity(at 160℃;in anhydrous conditions),28.6% water uptake and PA doping level of 23 mol per sPBI repeat unit.The maximum power density peak for sPBI/AFT-10 met the figure of0.42 W·cm^-2 at 160℃(in dry conditions) under atmospheric pressure with 1.5 and 2.5 stoichiometric flow rates of H2/air.These results affirmed the probable fitting of sPBI/AFT composite for HT-PEMFC applications.