| 1. |
- Aziz, Baroz, 1980-
(författare)
-
Synthesis and modification of potential CO2 adsorbents : Amine modified silica and calcium carbonates
- 2012
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The prospect of rapid changes to the climate due to global warming is subject of public concern. The need to reduce the emissions of atmospheric green house gases and in particular carbon dioxide is greater than ever. Extensive research is performed to find new solutions and new materials, which tackles this problem in economically benign way. This thesis dealt with two potential adsorbents for post combustion carbon capture, namely, amine modified silica and calcium carbonates. We modified porous silica with large surface area by propyl-amine groups to enhance the carbon dioxide adsorption capacity and selectivity. Experimental parameters, such as reaction time, temperature, water content, acid and heat treatment of silica substrate were optimized using a fractional factorial design. Adsorption properties and the nature of formed species upon reaction of CO2 and amine-modified silica were studied by sorption and infrared spectroscopy. Physisorbed and chemisorbed amount of adsorbed CO2 were, for the first time, estimated directly in an accurate way. The effects of temperature and moisture on the CO2 adsorption properties were also studied. Crystallization of calcium carbonate as a precursor to calcium oxide, which can be used as carbon dioxide absorbent, was studied in the second part of this thesis. Structure of different amorphous phases of calcium carbonate was studied in detail. Crystallization of calcium carbonate with and without additives was studied. Parameters like stirring rate, temperature, pH and polymer concentration showed to be important in selection of phase and morphology. An aggregation mediated crystallization was postulated to explain the observed morphologies.
|
|
| 2. |
- Bergström, Lennart, et al.
(författare)
-
Mesocrystals in Biominerals and Colloidal Arrays
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Accounts of Chemical Research. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0001-4842 .- 1520-4898. ; 48:5, s. 1391-1402
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mesocrystals, which originally was a term to designate superstructures of nanocrystals with a common crystallographic orientation, have now evolved to a materials concept. The discovery that many biominerals are mesocrystals generated a large research interest, and it was suggested that mesocrystals result in better mechanical performance and optical properties compared to single crystalline structures. Mesocrystalline biominerals are mainly found in spines or shells, which have to be mechanically optimized for protection or as a load-bearing skeleton. Important examples include red coral and sea urchin spine as well as bones. Mesocrystals can also be formed from purely synthetic components. Biomimetic mineralization and assembly have been used to produce mesocrystals, sometimes with complex hierarchical structures. Important examples include the fluorapatite mesocrystals with gelatin as the structural matrix, and mesocrystalline calcite spicules with impressive strength and flexibility that could be synthesized using silicatein protein fibers as template for calcium carbonate deposition. Self-assembly of nanocrystals can also result in mesocrystals if the nanocrystals have a well-defined size and shape and the assembly conditions are tuned to allow the nanoparticles to align crystallographically. Mesocrystals formed by assembly of monodisperse metallic, semiconducting, and magnetic nanocrystals are a type of colloidal crystal with a well-defined structure on both the atomic and mesoscopic length scale. Mesocrystals typically are hybrid materials between crystalline nanoparticles and interspacing amorphous organic or inorganic layers. This structure allows to combine disparate materials like hard but brittle nanocrystals with a soft and ductile amorphous material, enabling a mechanically optimized structural design as realized in the sea urchin spicule. Furthermore, rnesocrystals can combine the properties of individual nanocrystals like the optical quantum size effect, surface plasmon resonance, and size dependent magnetic properties with a mesostructure and morphology tailored for specific applications. Indeed, mesocrystals composed of crystallographically aligned polyhedral or rodlike nanocrystals with anisotropic properties can be materials with strongly directional properties and novel collective emergent properties. An additional advantage of mesocrystals is that they can combine the properties of nanoparticles with a structure on the micro- or macroscale allowing for much easier handling. In this Account, we propose that mesocrystals are defined as a nanostructured material with a defined long-range order on the atomic scale, which can be inferred from the existence of an essentially sharp wide-angle diffraction pattern (with sharp Bragg peaks) together with clear evidence that the material consists of individual nanoparticle building units. We will give several examples of mesocrystals and discuss the structural characteristics for biominerals, biomimetic materials, and colloidal arrays of nanocrystals. The potential of the mesocrystal materials concept in other areas will be discussed and future developments envisioned.
|
|
| 3. |
- Gebauer, Denis, et al.
(författare)
-
Pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in crystallisation
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Chemical Society Reviews. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 0306-0012 .- 1460-4744. ; 43:7, s. 2348-2371
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Crystallisation is at the heart of various scientific disciplines, but still the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying phase separation and the formation of the first solid particles in aqueous solution is rather limited. In this review, classical nucleation theory, as well as established concepts of spinodal decomposition and liquid-liquid demixing, is introduced together with a description of the recently proposed pre-nucleation cluster pathway. The features of pre-nucleation clusters are presented and discussed in relation to recent modifications of the classical and established models for phase separation, together with a review of experimental work and computer simulations on the characteristics of pre-nucleation clusters of calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, iron(oxy)(hydr) oxide, silica, and also amino acids as an example of small organic molecules. The role of pre-nucleation clusters as solute precursors in the emergence of a new phase is summarized, and the link between the chemical speciation of homogeneous solutions and the process of phase separation via pre-nucleation clusters is highlighted.
|
|
| 4. |
- Yang, Jiaojiao, et al.
(författare)
-
Multifunctional Polymer-Free Mineral Plastic Adhesives Formed by Multiple Noncovalent Bonds
- 2020
-
Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 12:6, s. 7403-7410
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Supramolecular adhesives have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years, resulting in their development for different applications. However, creating supramolecular adhesives with reversible and reusable properties is still a challenge. Here, a synthesis route to obtain supramolecular adhesives is presented in which no polymeric compounds are involved in the preparation. The adhesive is formed by intermolecular coulomb forces between amorphous magnesium carbonate nanoparticles and the low-molecular-weight drug ibuprofen, which results in an amorphous composite material that is transparent, shapeable, stretchable, and self-healing, making it reusable. It is demonstrated that this hybrid material provides a simple means of gluing a wide variety of materials, including metals, glass, paper, and plastics, and that is reversible and possesses reusability. The material disrupts the traditional concept of polymer-based adhesives and may be used as a sustainable mineral plastic in applications such as 3D printing.
|
|
