Emerging investigator series: release and phototransformation of benzophenone additives from polystyrene plastics exposed to sunlight.

There are increasing concerns about the human and environmental health impacts of plastic exposure, which include the risks associated with plastic additives. However, despite their presence in most plastic products, the factors governing the release and transformation of chemical additives in the aquatic environment are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the simultaneous release and transformation behavior of four benzophenone-type chemical additives from polystyrene (PS) under natural and accelerated photochemical weathering conditions.

Tunable NPK Release from Surface-Esterified Nanocellulose-Based Prills.

Polysaccharides represent an ideal delivery platform for agrochemicals due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and abundance. However, hydrophilicity renders native polysaccharides ineffective at controlling the release of water-soluble agrochemicals. To overcome this limitation, we used a solvent-free, vapor-phase modification strategy to generate hydrophobic shells on the surface of nanofibrillated cellulose (CNF) prills and evaluated the effects of these tunable diffusion barriers on fertilizer release behavior.

Ion-induced surface reactions and deposition from Pt(CO)Cl and Pt(CO)Br.

Ion beam-induced deposition (IBID) using Pt(CO)Cl and Pt(CO)Br as precursors has been studied with ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) surface science techniques to provide insights into the elementary reaction steps involved in deposition, complemented by analysis of deposits formed under steady-state conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and mass spectrometry data from monolayer thick films of Pt(CO)Cl and Pt(CO)Br exposed to 3 keV Ar, He, and H ions indicate that deposition is initiated by the desorption of both CO ligands, a process ascribed to momentum transfer from the incident ion to adsorbed precursor molecules. This precursor decomposition step is accompanied by a decrease in the oxidation state of the Pt(II) atoms and, in IBID, represents the elementary reaction step that converts the molecular precursor into an involatile PtX species.

Modification of ZIF-8 Membranes for Gas Separation Using X-ray Radiation.

We report an X-ray radiation-induced modification of the structure and gas permeation behavior of ZIF-8 membranes. With 300 min irradiation time, CO permeance decreases by only 9 %, while N and CH permeances reduce by 75 and 65 %, respectively, leading to 3.7- and 2.

Gas-Phase Functionalization of Phytoglycogen Nanoparticles and the Role of Reagent Structure in the Formation of Self-Limiting Hydrophobic Shells.

A suite of acyl chloride structural isomers (CHOCl) was used to effect gas-phase esterification of starch-based phytoglycogen nanoparticles (PhG NPs). The surface degree of substitution (DS) was quantified using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, while the overall DS was quantified using H NMR spectroscopy. Gas-phase modification initiates at the NP surface, with the extent of surface and overall esterification determined by both the reaction time and the steric footprint of the acyl chloride reagent.