Chen, M;
Bolognesi, G;
Begum, R;
Farooqi, ZH;
Vladisavljević, GT;
(2024)
Monodispersed biodegradable microparticles with wrinkled surface coated with silver nanoparticles for catalytic degradation of organic toxins.
Emergent Materials
10.1007/s42247-024-00637-w.
(In press).
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Abstract
Microfluidic fabrication of monodisperse microgels for biomedical, nanotechnological, environmental, and catalytic applications has become the subject of growing interest. In this work, monodisperse polyethylene glycol diacrylate [P(EGDA)] microgel particles were fabricated using a CNC-milled microfluidic device with a Lego-inspired interlocking mechanism. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesised and stabilised in situ on the wrinkled surface of the microgel particles using AgNO3 as a metal precursor and NaBH4 as a reductant. The loading of AgNPs (7.5 wt%) on microgel beads was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. Surface wrinkles were found to be a useful morphological feature acting as reservoirs for the accumulation of AgNPs. Ag–P(EGDA) hybrid polymer particles were shown to be an efficient catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4NP) into 4-aminophenol (4AP) by sodium borohydride at room temperature. After 40 min, 0.08 M 4NP was completely converted into 4AP using 2.1 mg/mL of Ag–P(EGDA) catalytic particles, and the reaction followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics. The apparent rate constant increased from 0.0142 to 0.117 min−1 when the loading of catalytic particles increased from 1.7 to 2.50 mg/mL indicating that the reduction is occurring on the catalyst surface according to the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model. Ag–P(EGDA) hybrid microgel was a potent and recyclable catalyst for room-temperature degradation of methylene blue (MeB) by NaBH4. At the Ag–P(EGDA) loading of 2.0 mg/mL, 25 µM of MeB was completely degraded in 6 min. Composite Ag–P(EGDA) microgel beads can be used as an eco-friendly and easily recoverable catalyst for the transformation of other organic pollutants into useful chemicals. Graphical abstract: (Figure presented.).
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Monodispersed biodegradable microparticles with wrinkled surface coated with silver nanoparticles for catalytic degradation of organic toxins |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s42247-024-00637-w |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s42247-024-00637-w |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2024 Springer Nature. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| Keywords: | Droplet microfluidics, Monodisperse microgel particles, Hybrid microgel particles, Catalytic applications |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Chemistry |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10187628 |
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