MXene sheets, as new 2D nanomaterials, have been used in many advanced applications due to their superior thin-layered architecture, as well as their capability to be employed as novel nanocontainers for advanced applications. In this research, intercalated Ti3C2 MXene sheets were synthesized through an etching method, and then they were modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). Cerium cations (Ce3+) as an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor were encapsulated within Ti3C2 MXene sheets to fabricate novel self-healing epoxy nanocomposite coatings. The corrosion protection performance (CPP) of Ce3+-doped Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets (Ti3C2 MXene-Ce3+) in a 3.5 wt % sodium chloride (NaCl) solution was studied on bare mild steel substrates using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization measurements. The self-healing CPP of epoxy coatings loaded with 1 wt % undoped and doped Ti3C2 MXene was evaluated using EIS, salt spray, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) techniques. The introduction of Ti3C2 MXene-Ce3+ into the corrosive solution and artificially scribed epoxy coating enhanced the total impedance from 717 to 6596 Ω cm2 and 8876 to 32092 Ω cm2, respectively, after 24 h of immersion compared to the control samples.
X-ray radiation is a harmful carcinogenic electromagnetic source that can adversely affect the health of living species and deteriorate the DNA of cells, thus it's vital to protect vulnerable sources from them. To address this flaw, the conductive polymeric structure of polyaniline (PANi) was reinforced with diverse filler loadings (i.e., 25 wt % and 50 wt %) of hybrid graphene oxide-iron tungsten nitride (ITN) flakes toward attenuation of X-ray beams and inhabitation of microorganisms' growth. Primary characterizations confirmed the successful decoration of graphene oxide (GO) with interconnected and highly dense structure of iron tungsten nitride with a density of about 24.21 g.cm⁻3 and reinforcement of PANi with GO-ITN. Additionally, the outcome of evaluations showed the superior performance of developed shields, where a shield with 1.2 mm thickness containing 50 wt % GO-ITN showed 131.73 % increase in the electrical conductivity (compared with neat PANi) along with 78.07%, 57.12%, and 44.99% decrease in the amplitude of the total irradiated X-ray waves at 30, 40, and 60 kVp tube voltages, respectively, compared with control X-ray dosage. More importantly, the developed shields not only showed non-toxic nature and improved the viability of cells, but also completely removed the selected microorganisms at a concentration of 1000 µg.mL-1.
The postsynthetic modification of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has opened up a promising area to widen their water treatment application. However, their polycrystalline powdery state still restricts their widespread industrial-scale applications. Herein, the magnetization of UiO-66-NH2 is reported as a promising approach to facilitate the separation of the used MOFs after water treatment. A two-step postmodification procedure employing 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine (TCT) and 5-phenyl-1H-tetrazole (PTZ) agents was introduced to level up the adsorption performance of the magnetic nanocomposite. Despite a decrement in porosity and specific surface area of the designed MOFs (m-UiO-66-TCT) compared to neat UiO-66-NH2, it outweighs in adsorption capacity. It was observed that m-UiO-66-TCT has an adsorption capacity of ≈298 mg/g for methyl orange (MO) with facile MOF separation using an external magnet. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm models suitably interpret the experimental data. Thermodynamic studies showed that MO removal using m-UiO-66-TCT is spontaneous and thermodynamically favorable at higher temperatures. The m-UiO-66-TCT composite exhibited easy separation, high adsorption capacity, and good recyclability, rendering it an attractive candidate for the adsorptive removal of MO dye from aqueous environments.