Sultan Butun

Utilization of Smart Hydrogel–Metal Composites as Catalysis Media

Various metal nanoparticles such as, Cu, Co, Ni, and Fe were prepared inside poly(1-vinyl imidazole) p(VI) hydrogel by the absorption of the corresponding metal ions from aqueous solutions and the reduction with suitable reducing agents such as NaBH(4) and/or NaOH. TGA and ICP-AES were used to determine the metal particle content of p(VI)-M (M: Cu, Co, and Ni) composites. The prepared hydrogel-metal nanoparticle composites were proven to be resourceful as reaction container for the catalysis of various organic reactions. It was illustrated that p(VI)-M hydrogel-metal composites can be successfully used in the hydrolysis of NaBH(4) for the generation hydrogen form NaBH(4) and NH(3)BH(3). Additionally, p(VI)-M composites were also illustrated in the catalysis of different organic reactions; e.g., these hydrogel-M are very effective in the reduction nitro aromatic compounds such 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to their corresponding amine forms in the presence of aqueous NaBH(4). Various parameters in the catalysis of hydrogen production and 4-NP reduction were determined.

Novel hydrogel particles and their IPN films as drug delivery systems with antibacterial properties

Poly(acrylonitrile) (p(AN))-based materials such poly(acrylonitrile-co-(3-acrylamidopropyl)-trimethylammonium chloride (p(AN-co-APTMACl)), poly(acrylonitrile-co-4-viniyl pyridine) (p(AN-co-4-VP)) and poly(acrylonitrile-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) (p(AN-co-NIPAM)) core-shell nanoparticles were prepared. The core materials, AN, in p(AN-co-4-VP) nanoparticles, were amidoximated and the shell materials, 4-VP, were quaternized to generate p(AN-co-4-VP)(+) and p(AN-co-4-VP)(++), single and double positively charged core-shell nanoparticles, respectively. Furthermore, interpenetrating microgels-hydrogel (IPN) polymeric networks were prepared by mixing double quaternized p(AN-co-4-VP)(++) core-shell particles with acrylamide (AAm) and 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) before polymerization. A model drug, fluorescein sodium salt (FSS) was used in absorption/release studies from these IPNs. Moreover, the prepared and chemically modified particles were tested against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6538, Pseduomonas aeruginosa ATCC9027, Bacillus subtilis ATCC6633, and Escherichia coli ATCC8739, and found that some of these particles had antibacterial properties against tested bacteria.

Reusable Soft Hydrogels for Gold Recovery from Acidic Environments

In this study, poly((N-(hydroxymethyl) acrylamide)–co-1-allyl-2-thiourea) hydrogels were synthesized by free radical crosslinking copolymerization of N-(hydroxymethyl) acrylamide monomer with the addition of a co-monomer 1-allyl-2-thiourea, and N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide as the crosslinker. The copolymer, poly((N-(hydroxymethyl) acrylamide)–co-1-allyl-2-thiourea), was used as a specific sorbent for the recovery of gold. The characteristics of the hydrogels were examined by elemental analyzer and swelling experiments. The effect of pH on the absorption of gold, and the separation and recovery of gold ions from ore samples were investigated. Measurement of absorbed gold was determined by using F-AAS and GF-AAS.

Chapter 9 - 0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D Soft and Hard Templates for Catalysis

Abstract Catalytic reactions are generally catalyzed by metal nanoparticles, metal oxides, or their bi- or trimetallic forms with various formulations, morphology, composition, and shapes. The metal nanoparticle catalytic performances are directly related to the surface features of particles such as crystal structure, atomic stacking and order, surface area, roughness and atomic and/or spatial organizations, and the catalyst environments. Its very well-known that the high surface energy of the metal nanoparticles, which is one of the most important challenges to be considered to overcome, leads to aggregation, deactivation, and oxidation problems. Therefore, many templates such as nanoemulsions prepared from surfactant and polymers and nanogels as zero-dimensional (0D) soft templates; cylindrical or tubular natural or synthetic structures derived from again surfactants, polymers, or peptides or self-assembled structures as one-dimensional (1D) templates; graphene oxide, mica, clay, and silicates as two-dimensional (2D) hard templates; and microgel, bulk hydrogel, and cryogels as three-dimensional (3D) soft templates that are used as stabilizing media will be discussed. Regardless of the sizes of templates, various parameters such as morphology, e.g., core-shell, capsules, guiding direction, porosity, and compartmentation features of the templates, have paramount significance on composition, crystallinity, and shape of the resultant nanoparticle to be used as catalyst. Metal nanoparticles, metal oxides, and metal nanoparticles doped with various elements have been extensively investigated due to their unique physical and chemical properties, and even their bi- or trimetallic forms have been under examination due to synergistic potential application of each of the components. The main concern regarding the nanoparticle synthesis is to overcome their agglomeration, due to their high surface area, high energy, and high surface reactivity resulting in strong tendency to aggregate, leading to deactivation and oxidation. There are a variety of methods available in the synthesis of metal nanoparticles to prevent some of these shortcomings with some catalytic performance sacrifices or with some economical infeasibilities. Nevertheless, the key issue with these methods is the control of the particle size and shapes and the morphology and crystallinity. Therefore, a wide range of templates such as nanoemulsions using surfactant and polymers and nanogels as 0D soft templates; cylindrical or tubular natural or synthetic structures derived from again surfactants, polymers, or peptides or self-assembled structures as 1D templates; graphene, mica, clay, and silicates as 2D hard templates; and microgel, bulk hydrogel, and cryogels as 3D soft templates as stabilizing environments and particle compartments will be discussed. In general, polar molecules or polyelectrolytes stabilizers can be used in both controlling the size and preventing the metal nanoparticles from precipitation processes. Water-soluble polymers, including polyelectrolytes, are the commonly employed stabilizing and/or chelating agents in the preparation of metal ultrafine particles.