Review of the progress in preparing nano Ti02： An important environmental engineering material

TiO2 nanomaterial is promising with its high potential and outstanding performance in photocatalytic environmental applications, such as CO2 conversion, water treatment, and air quality control. For many of these applications, the particle size, crystal structure and phase, porosity, and surface area influence the activity of TiO2 dramatically. TiO2 nanomaterials with special structures and morphologies, such as nanospheres, nanowires, nanotubes, nanorods, and nanoflowers are thus synthesized due to their desired characteristics. With an emphasis on the different morphologies of TiO2 and the influence factors in the synthesis, this review summarizes fourteen TiO2 preparation methods, such as the sol-gel method, solvothermal method, and reverse micelle method. The TiO2 formation mechanisms, the advantages and disadvantages of the preparation methods, and the photocatalytic environmental application examples are proposed as well.     

TiO₂-based nanoparticles released in water from commercialized sunscreens in a life-cycle perspective: structures and quantities

This work investigates the physical-chemical evolution during artificial aging in water of four commercialized sunscreens containing TiO₂-based nanocomposites. Sunscreens were analyzed in terms of mineralogy and TiO₂ concentration. The residues formed after aging were characterized in size, shape, chemistry and surface properties. The results showed that a significant fraction of nano-TiO₂ residues was released from all sunscreens, despite their heterogeneous behaviors. A stable dispersion of submicronic aggregates of nanoparticles was generated, representing up to 38 w/w% of the amount of sunscreen, and containing up to 30% of the total nano-TiO₂ initially present in the creams. The stability of the dispersion was tested as a function of salt concentration, revealing that in seawater conditions, a major part of these nano-TiO₂ residues will aggregate and sediment. These results were put in perspective with consumption and life cycle of sunscreens to estimate the amount of nano-TiO₂ potentially released into AQUATIC environment.     

Different stabilities of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in fresh surface water samples

The stability of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) in particulate aggregates and surfactant-facilitated suspensions after being mixed into eight types of fresh surface water samples was investigated. MWNTs in particulate aggregates could not be stabilized in any of the water samples except for the one having relatively high content of dissolved organic matter with the aid of sonication. Sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS), polyethylene glycol octylphenyl ether (TX100) and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) were used to prepare MWNT suspensions. SDBS- and TX100-stabilized MWNTs could partly remain suspending after being mixed into the water samples, whereas CTAB-stabilized MWNTs readily sedimentated due to the surface charge neutralization by the surface water contained negatively-charged anions and colloids. This is a first systematic study examining the stability of carbon nanotubes in natural surface waters, the results from which will be useful for understanding the transport, fate and ecological effect of carbon nanotubes in the aqueous environment.     

Review of the progress in preparing nano TiO2: An important environmental engineering material

TiO2 nanomaterial is promising with its high potential and outstanding performance in photocatalytic environmental applications, such as CO2 conversion, water treatment, and air quality control. For many of these applications, the particle size, crystal structure and phase,porosity, and surface area influence the activity of TiO2 dramatically. TiO2 nanomaterials with special structures and morphologies, such as nanospheres, nanowires, nanotubes, nanorods,and nanoflowers are thus synthesized due to their desired characteristics. With an emphasis on the different morphologies of TiO2 and the influence factors in the synthesis, this review summarizes fourteen TiO2 preparation methods, such as the sol–gel method, solvothermal method, and reverse micelle method. The TiO2 formation mechanisms, the advantages and disadvantages of the preparation methods, and the photocatalytic environmental application examples are proposed as well.     

Impact of silver nanoparticles on natural marine biofilm bacteria

There has been a recent increase in the use of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in a wide range of consumer products due to their highly effective antimicrobial properties. However, Ag NPs give cause for concern since their wide use makes them likely to be released into aquatic ecosystems and potentially affect natural bacterial communities. In this study marine biofilms were grown in situ in a coastal site (Singapore Harbour) and exposed in the laboratory for a further 24 h to 0-2000 μg L⁻¹ of well characterised Ag NPs. Increasing concentrations of Ag NPs caused a significant decrease in biofilm volume and biomass, and Ag uptake by biofilms per unit of volume was also dependent on concentration. Terminal fragment length polymorphisms and subsequent cluster and phylogenetic analysis showed the presence of major bacterial groups in biofilms irrespective of treatment with Ag NPs. This implies that even at the highest concentrations studied these taxonomic groups were not displaced. Nevertheless, biofilm succession was impeded on Ag NP treated biofilms, affecting the relative abundance of major bacterial groups in the biofilm community, with potential longer term effects on biofilm development and function.