Meltem Asiltürk

Photocatalytic degradation of Congo Red by hydrothermally synthesized nanocrystalline TiO2 and identification of degradation products by LC-MS.

Degradation of Congo Red (CR) dye in aqueous solutions was investigated by means of photocatalysis of TiO2 which was hydrothermally synthesized at 200 degrees C in 2 h, in anatase phase with 8 nm crystallite size. Efficiency of TiO2 in photocatalytic degradation under visible irradiation was studied by investigating the effects of amount of TiO2, irradiation time, initial CR concentration and pH. It was found that complete decolorization is achieved within 30 min of irradiation. Effects of nitrate and sulphate ions and humic acid on the degradation were also tested. The results were compared with Degussa P-25 TiO2 at the same degradation conditions. Degradation products were detected using LC-MS technique. The probable pathways for the formation of degradation products were proposed.

Photocatalytic antibacterial performance of Sn4+-doped TiO2 thin films on glass substrate.

Pure anatase, nanosized and Sn(4+) ion doped titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) particulates (TiO(2)-Sn(4+)) were synthesized by hydrothermal process. TiO(2)-Sn(4+) was used to coat glass surfaces to investigate the photocatalytic antibacterial effect of Sn(4+) doping to TiO(2) against gram negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Relationship between solid ratio of TiO(2)-Sn(4+) in coatings and antibacterial activity was reported. The particulates and the films were characterized using particle size analyzer, zeta potential analyzer, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), SEM, AAS and UV/VIS/NIR techniques. The results showed that TiO(2)-Sn(4+) is fully anatase crystalline form and easily dispersed in water. Increasing the solid ratio of TiO(2)-Sn(4+) from 10 to 50% in the coating solution increased antibacterial effect.

Sol-gel thin films with anti-reflective and self-cleaning properties

Self-cleaning photocatalytic TiO2 films are beneficial since they reduce the maintenance cost and enhance the efficiency of various optical systems, especially thermal and photovoltaic solar systems. However, the presence of a TiO2 layer on glass reduces the transmission of incident light, which leads to a decrease in efficiency. This drawback can be overcome by applying a layer of anti-reflective coating beneath the TiO2 layer. Generally, the anti-reflective layer is porous silica. The presence of the anti-reflective layer compensates for the loss of light transmittance caused by the photocatalytic TiO2 top layer. This paper reviews some of the previous and the latest fundamental studies in the literature on anti-reflective, self-cleaning and multi-functional films.

Toxicological aspects of photocatalytic degradation of selected xenobiotics with nano-sized Mn-doped TiO2.

The toxic effects of two selected xenobiotics, bisphenol A (BPA) and atrazine (ATZ), were evaluated after photocatalytic degradation using nano-sized, Mn-doped TiO2. Undoped and Mn-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis-diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and BET surface area. The photocatalytic efficiency of the undoped and Mn-doped TiO2 was evaluated for BPA and ATZ. The toxicity of the synthesized photocatalysts and photocatalytic by-products of BPA and ATZ was determined using frog embryos and tadpoles, zebrafish embryos, and bioluminescent bacteria. Possible toxic effects were also evaluated using selected enzyme biomarkers. The results showed that Mn-doped TiO2 nanoparticles did not cause significant lethality in Xenopus laevis embryos and tadpoles, but nonfiltered samples caused lethality in zebrafish. Furthermore, Mn-doping of TiO2 increased the photocatalytic degradation capability of nanoparticles, and it successfully degraded BPA and AZT, but degradation of AZT caused an increase of the lethal effects on both tadpoles and fish embryos. Degradation of BPA caused a significant reduction of lethal effects, especially after 2-4h of degradation. However, biochemical assays showed that both Mn-doped TiO2 and the degradation by-products caused a significant change of selected biomarkers on X. laevis tadpoles; thus, the ecological risks of Mn-doped TiO2 should be considered due to nanomaterial applications and for spilled nanoparticles in an aquatic ecosystem. Also, the risk of nanoparticles should be considered using indicator reference biochemical markers to verify the environmental health impacts.

IMMOBILIZATION OF GLUCOSE OXIDASE IN SILICA SOL-GEL FILM FOR APPLICATION TO BIOSENSOR AND AMPEROMETRIC DETERMINATION OF GLUCOSE

In this study, an electrochemical biosensor was developed by using a sol-gel coating solution. The modified platinum electrode used in the study was constructed by immobilization of glucose oxidase under a layer of sol-gel film. The sol-gel coating solution was prepared by using GLYMO, TEOS, and MTEOS. Electrochemical measurements were carried out amperometrically by determining hydrogen peroxide produced by the enzymatic reaction between glucose and glucose oxidase. The amperometric responses of the resulting enzymatic electrode to glucose were rapid. It was observed that the amperometric response of the enzymatic electrode was linear for glucose concentrations in the range from 2 to18 mM with 50 s response time. LOD and LOQ for the enzymatic electrode were calculated to be 0.055 mM and 0.184 mM, respectively. It was determined that the developed biosensor had an acceptable reproducibility. The selectivity of the biosensor was determined in the presence of some interfering substances, such as lactose, sucrose, urea, uric acid, oxalic acid, and ascorbic acid. The stability of the biosensor was investigated, and it was found that the sensor response decreased by 59% of its initial response over a period of 30 days of storage in dry conditions at 4 oC.

Photocatalytic degradation of azo dye using core@shell nano-TiO2 particles to reduce toxicity

Clean and safe water is fundamental for human and environmental health. Traditional remediation of textile dye-polluted water with chemical, physical, and biological processes has many disadvantages. Due to this, nano-engineered materials are drawing more attention to this area. However, the widespread use of nano-particles for this purpose may lead to photocatalytic degradation of xenobiotics, while increasing the risk of nano-particle-induced ecotoxicity. Therefore, we comparatively evaluated the toxicity of novel synthesized core@shell TiO2 and SiO2 nano-particles to embryonic stages of Danio rerio and Xenopus laevis. The ability of photocatalytic destruction of the synthesized nano-particles was tested using toxic azo dye, disperse red 65, and the effects of reducing the toxicity were evaluated. The reflux process was used to synthesize catalysts in the study. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, BET surface area, and UV–vis-diffuse reflectance spectra. It was determined that the synthesized nano-particles had no significant toxic effect on D. rerio and X. laevis embryos. On the other hand, photocatalytic degradation of the dye significantly reduced lethal effects on embryonic stages of the organisms. Therefore, we suggest that specific nano-particles may be useful for water remediation to prevent human health and environmental impact. However, further risk assessment should be conducted for the ecotoxicological risks of nano-particles spilled in aquatic environments and the relationship of photocatalytic interaction with nano-particles and xenobiotics.

Microcapsules of poly(methyl metharcylate) containing epoxy resin and multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Microcapsules of poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMMA] containing epoxy and multi-walled carbon nanotubes were formed by solution evaporation in an aqueous emulsion. Thin PMMA shells precipitated at the resin/water interface as the solvent was removed, thus encapsulating the dispersion of epoxy and nanotubes. Dichloromethane (DCM) was selected as the common solvent for both resin and PMMA, and slowly evaporated from the aqueous mixture agitated at 40°C. After trying various epoxy/PMMA ratios, a 1:1 w/w epoxy/PMMA ratio yielded stable, individual microcapsules with smooth PMMA shells. Four different mixing speeds (300, 500, 800, and 1000 rpm) and four carbon nanotube contents (0.25, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00 w/w %) were used during the encapsulation process. Microcapsules with 10 to 55 μm average diameter were obtained by increasing the mixing speed from 300 to 1000 rpm. Increasing the mixing speed yielded a decrease in average particle size, whereas carbon nanotube presence led to a broader capsule size distribution at...

Effects of coating with different ceromers on the impact strength, transverse strength and elastic modulus of polymethyl methacrylate

The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanical properties of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) after coating with different ceromers. For transverse strength and modulus of elasticity tests, specimens of 65×10×2.5 mm dimensions were prepared (5 groups, n=10). For impact strength test, specimens of 60×7.5×4 mm dimensions were prepared (5 groups, n=10). Test group specimens were coated with one of four different types of ceromers, and specimens in the control group were not coated. After specimens were tested for transverse and impact strengths, the data were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis and Conover post hoc tests (p<0.05). GLYMOTEOS-TiO2 and A174-TEOS significantly increased the transverse strength of PMMA. All ceromers caused a statistically significant increase in the elastic modulus of PMMA. While GLYMO-TEOS-ZrO2 significantly decreased the impact strength, the other ceromers did not cause any statistically significant difference in impact strength. Coating with ceromers substantially improved the mechanical properties of PMMA.