There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Poly(lactic acid)-Mass production, processing, industrial applications, and end of life.

Halloysite is an alumosilicate tubular clay with a diameter of 50 nm, an inner lumen of 15 nm and a length of 600-900 nm. It is a natural biocompatible nanomaterial available in thousands of tons at low price, which makes it a good candidate for nanoarchitectural composites. The inner lumen of halloysite may be adjusted by etching to 20-30% of the tube volume and loading with functional agents (antioxidants, anticorrosion agents, flame-retardant agents, drugs, or proteins) allowing for formulations with sustained release tuned by the tube end-stoppers for hours and days. Clogging the tube ends in polymeric composites allows further extension of the release time. Thus, antioxidant-loaded halloysite doped into rubber enhances anti-aging properties for at least 12 months. The addition of 3-5 wt% of halloysite increases the strength of polymeric materials, and the possibility of the tube's orientation promises a gradient of properties. Halloysite nanotubes are a promising mesoporous media for catalytic nanoparticles that may be seeded on the tube surface or synthesized exclusively in the lumens, providing enhanced catalytic properties, especially at high temperatures. In vitro and in vivo studies on biological cells and worms indicate the safety of halloysite, and tests for efficient adsorption of mycotoxins in animals' stomachs are also carried out.

Halloysite Clay Nanotubes for Loading and Sustained Release of Functional Compounds.

Recent advance in research on halloysite nanotubes-polymer nanocomposite

Properties and applications of halloysite nanotubes: recent research advances and future prospects

Characterisation of properties of various halloysites relevant to their use as nanotubes and microfibre fillers

Morphological, thermal and tensile properties of halloysite nanotubes filled ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) nanocomposites

As the world decides on the next giant step for the renewable energy revolution, scientists have begun to reinforce their headlong dives into the exploitation of solar energy. Hitherto, numerous attempts are made to imitate the natural photosynthesis of plants by converting solar energy into chemical fuels which resembles the "Z-scheme" process. A recreation of this system is witnessed in artificial Z-scheme photocatalytic water splitting to generate hydrogen (H2). This work outlines the recent significant implication of the Z-scheme system in photocatalytic water splitting, particularly in the role of electron mediator and the key factors that improve the photocatalytic performance. The Review begins with the fundamental rationales in Z-scheme water splitting, followed by a survey on the development roadmap of three different generations of Z-scheme system: 1) PS-A/D-PS (first generation), 2) PS-C-PS (second generation), and 3) PS-PS (third generation). Focus is also placed on the scaling up of the "leaf-to-tree" challenge of Z-scheme water splitting system, which is also known as Z-scheme photocatalyst sheet. A detailed investigation of the Z-scheme system for achieving H2 evolution from past to present accompanied with in-depth discussion on the key challenges in the area of Z-scheme photocatalytic water splitting are provided.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/advs.201903171

Z-Scheme Photocatalytic Systems for Solar Water Splitting.

Pectin bionanocomposite films filled with various concentrations of two different types of halloysite nanotubes were prepared and characterized in this study as potential films for food packaging applications. The two types of halloysite nanotubes were long and thin (patch) (200–30 000 nm length) and short and stubby (Matauri Bay) (50–3000 nm length) with different morphological, physical, and dispersibility properties. Both matrix (pectin) and reinforcer (halloysite nanotubes) used in this study are considered as biocompatible, natural, and low-cost materials. Various characterization tests including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, release kinetics, contact angle, and dynamic mechanical analysis were performed to evaluate the performance of the pectin films. Exceptional thermal, tensile, and contact angle properties have been achieved for films reinforced by patch halloysite nanotubes due to the patchy and lengthy nature of these tubes, which form a b...

Pooria Pasbakhsh

Papers

Characterisation of properties of various halloysites relevant to their use as nanotubes and microfibre fillers

Morphological, thermal and tensile properties of halloysite nanotubes filled ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) nanocomposites

Z-Scheme Photocatalytic Systems for Solar Water Splitting.

Effect of Morphology and Size of Halloysite Nanotubes on Functional Pectin Bionanocomposites for Food Packaging Applications.

EPDM/modified halloysite nanocomposites