A review on conventional and novel materials towards heavy metal adsorption in wastewater treatment application

Pharmaceutical applications of chitosan

Background: Demand for healthy and safe food with minimal use of synthetic inputs (including synthetic preservatives) is increasing rapidly. Plastic polymers being hazardous to the environment, sig ...

Chitosan based nanocomposite films and coatings: Emerging antimicrobial food packaging alternatives

Structure and activity of nanozymes: Inspirations for de novo design of nanozymes

Antibacterial activity of chitosan and its derivatives and their interaction mechanism with bacteria: Current state and perspectives

Preparation of chitosan-TiO2 composite film with efficient antimicrobial activities under visible light for food packaging applications.

Nanozymes aim to mimic enzyme activities using nanomaterials. Nanoceria (CeO2 nanoparticles) is an important model nanozyme for its rich redox chemistry. In particular, its oxidase-like activity allows oxidation reactions without the need of unstable and toxic H2O2. Fluoride can significantly improve its oxidase-like activity, and this work aims to understand the mechanism of fluoride-promoted catalysis. First, fluoride can adsorb on CeO2 tighter than other halides, but not as strong as phosphate as characterized by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). FT-IR spectroscopy indicates adsorption of fluoride likely via exchange with surface hydroxide groups. Fluoride capping inverses the surface charge of CeO2, facilitating desorption of the ABTS oxidation product, significantly increasing the turnover number. The Raman, EPR and XPS spectroscopy results demonstrate that the concentration of Ce3+ and the accompanying oxygen vacancy significantly increased upon adding F-, which can explain the enhanced catalytic activity. Finally, the electron transfer properties of fluoride-capped CeO2 were more efficient than that of the bare CeO2 as determined by a direct electrochemical measurement on a glass carbon electrode. This study has provided new insight into nanoceria, and can also further confirm the role of nanoceria as a model for engineering the surface of nanozymes.

Fluoride-capped nanoceria as a highly efficient oxidase-mimicking nanozyme: inhibiting product adsorption and increasing oxygen vacancies.

Superior adsorption performance of graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets for both cationic and anionic heavy metals from wastewater

Fabrication of biomaterial/TiO2 composite photocatalysts for the selective removal of trace environmental pollutants

A pseudo-homogeneous system for PET glycolysis using a colloidal catalyst of graphite carbon nitride in ethylene glycol

Yaoqiang Wang

Papers

Preparation of chitosan-TiO2 composite film with efficient antimicrobial activities under visible light for food packaging applications.

Fluoride-capped nanoceria as a highly efficient oxidase-mimicking nanozyme: inhibiting product adsorption and increasing oxygen vacancies.

Superior adsorption performance of graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets for both cationic and anionic heavy metals from wastewater

Fabrication of biomaterial/TiO2 composite photocatalysts for the selective removal of trace environmental pollutants

A pseudo-homogeneous system for PET glycolysis using a colloidal catalyst of graphite carbon nitride in ethylene glycol