Sharif Digital Repository

Samples of regular gamma and nano-structured alumina were prepared and their porosimetric properties evaluated by N 2 porosimetry method. Moreover, cobalt based catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch (FT) Synthesis were prepared by loading cobalt under two calcinations using these alumina supports. Then the porosimetric properties of these materials as well as; their reactor behaviors assessed. Although the nano-structured favored the gamma alumina from pore volume and surface points of view, comparison of porosimetric properties of fresh alumina samples with corresponding catalysts prepared revealed that calcination effect in decreasing those factors was more pronounced for the nano-structured... 

Chitosan based polyseudorotaxane was designed as a pH-responsive supramolecular polymeric shell around the mesoporous silica-coated magnetic graphene oxide (Fe3O4@GO@mSiO2). It was used for doxorubicin delivery at cancerous tissue in a controlled manner. The core-shell nanocarrier was formed due to electrostatic interaction between chitosan and carboxylated surface of Fe3O4@GO@mSiO2. The maximum release occurred at pH 5.5 (pH of endosomes) because the shell collapsed at this pH. The drug nanocarrier has potential application in tumor therapy due to good pH-sensitive behavior, improved solubility and high colloidal stability in... 

This study aimed to develop a drug carrier based on amine-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (AAS-MSNPs) for a poorly water-soluble drug, curcumin (CUR), and to study its effects on α-synuclein (α-Syn) fibrillation and cytotoxicity. Here, we show that AAS-MSNPs possess high values of loading efficiency and capacity (33.5% and 0.45 mg drug/mg MSNPs, respectively) for CUR. It is also revealed that α-Syn species interact strongly with the CUR-loaded AAS-MSNPs, leading to a significant inhibition of the fibrillation process. Furthermore, these samples reduce the toxic effects of CUR. However, drug-loaded AAS-MSNPs do not affect the cytotoxic properties of the formed fibrils... 

In the present work a novel multifunctional drug nanocarrier was prepared. Polyglycerol-. g-polycaprolactone was grafted on Mesoporous silica-coated magnetic graphene oxide. Doxorubicin, as anticancer drug, was loaded on this carrier. The in vitro drug release showed the controlled pH responsive behavior. At the endosomal pH (pH 5.5) the amount of drug release enhanced. This nanocarrier would have potential application in the tumor therapy owing to its biodegradability, controlled release and pH responsive behavior  

Nanostructured and mesoporous TiO2-Ga2O3 thin films with various Ti:Ga atomic ratios were prepared by a new straightforward particulate sol-gel route. Titanium isopropoxide and gallium (III) nitrate hydrate were used as precursors, and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) was used as a polymeric fugitive agent (PFA) in order to increase the specific surface area (SSA). XRD and TEM analysis of the powders revealed that the Ga2O3 formed from the nitrate precursor retarded anatase-to-rutile transformation, crystallization and crystal growth. The average crystallite size of pure TiO2 powder annealed at 600-1000 °C were in the range 4-10 nm; the values that could be decreased to 2-6 nm for TiO2-Ga2O3... 

High specific surface area (SSA) nanocrystalline powders and dip-coated TiO2 thin films have been prepared by a particulate sol-gel route with added polymeric fugitive agents (PFAs), namely trehalose dihydrate (THD), polyethylene glycol (PEG6000) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC). One of the highest SSA reported in the literature, obtained without PFA, was achieved (i.e., 181 m2/g), a value that could be increased up to 304 m2/g, 274 m2/g and 200 m2/g for PEG/TiO2, HPC/TiO2 and THD/TiO2 powders, respectively. Furthermore, the crystallite size varied from 1 nm for as-produced powders up to 4 nm for powders heat-treated at 600 °C. Thin films produced under optimised conditions showed excellent... 

Light scattering design in dye and quantum dot sensitized solar cells is one of the main concerns in enhancing their light harvesting efficiency, and also in improving their power conversion efficiency. Herein, we present a theoretical analysis to calculate the dependence of the light scattering efficiency in dye solar cells that have employed scattering agents with various sizes and morphologies incorporated in nanostructured photoanodes with different designs. Various isotropic and anisotropic nanostructures, including filled and hollow spheres, spherical voids, nanowires and hollow fibres in a size range of 100 nm to 900 nm, have been considered as scattering centres. The scattering... 

Adsorption and recovery of uranium by nanoporous MCM-41 from aqueous solutions (synthetic solution and uranium conversion facility liquid waste) were investigated by use of a fixed-bed column (1.2 cm diameter and 3.0 cm height). Adsorption was carried out at flow rates 0.2 and 0.5 mL min-1, which correspond to retention times of 10 and 6 min. The maximum breakthrough capacity for uranium ions was achieved by use of nanoporous MCM-41 at the optimum pH of 3.6 and flow rate 0.2 mL min-1 (61.95 μg g-1). The Thomas and Yan models were applied to the experimental data, by use of linear regression, to determine the characteristics of the column for process design. The breakthrough curves calculated... 

In the present work a pH responsive drug nanocarrier based on magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MMSN) and polyethylene glycol-co-polyvinyl pyridine (PEG-co-PVP) was prepared. The core-shell nanocarrier was formed due to electrostatic interaction between protonated polyvinyl pyridine and surface modified MMSN with carboxylate groups. This carrier was used for pH-controllable doxorubicin release. The maximum release was occurred at pH 5.5 (pH of endosomes). This carrier was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscope, and high-resolution transmission electron microscope techniques. Also the... 

Stimuli-responsive controlled-release nanocarriers are promising vehicles for delivery of bioactive molecules that can minimize side effects and maximize efficiency. The release of the drug occurs when the nanocarrier is triggered by an internal or external stimulus. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) can have drugs and bioactive cargos loaded into the high-capacity pores, and their release can be triggered by activation of a variety of stimulus-responsive molecular "gatekeepers" or "nanovalves." In this mini-review, we discuss the basic concepts of MSN in targeted drug-release systems and cover different stimulus-responsive gatekeepers. Internal stimuli include redox, enzymes, and pH,... 

Molybdenum(VI)–oxodiperoxo complex containing an oxazine ligand, ([MoO(O2)2(phox)], phox: 2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)-5,6-dihydro-1,3-oxazine) was conveniently synthesized and immobilized onto chloro-functionalized mesoporous silica SBA-15 by covalent bonding between the chloropropyl group on the internal surface of the pores and the nitrogen atom of oxazine ligand yielding [MoO(O2)2(phox)]/SBA-15. The resulting material was characterized by FT-IR, TGA, XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, ICP-AES, BET and UV–vis spectroscopy. The heterogeneous catalyst [MoO(O2)2(phox)]/SBA-15 was employed in the epoxidation of alkenes, exhibiting high catalytic performance and selectivity for epoxide similar to that of homogeneous... 

Nanostructured and mesoporous TiO2-Ta2O5 films and powders with various TiO2:Ta2O5 molar ratios and high specific surface area (SSA) have been prepared by a straightforward particulate sol-gel route. Titanium isopropoxide and tantalum ethoxide were used as precursors and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) was used as a polymeric fugitive agent (PFA) in order to increase the SSA. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that powders contained both hexagonal δ-Ta2O5 and monoclinic β-Ta2O5 phases, as well as anatase and rutile. It was observed that Ta2O5 retarded anatase-to-rutile transformation. Furthermore, δ → β phase transformation temperature increased... 

Light scattering, porosity, surface area, and morphology of TiO2 working electrode can affect the power conversion efficiency of dye -sensitized solar cells dramatically. Here mesoporous TiO2 microbeads were tested as working electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells based on cobalt tris-bipyridine electrolyte. Power conversion efficiencies up to 6.4% were obtained with D35 dye adsorbed onto the light-scattering microbeads. Electron transport, studied using small light perturbation methods, was found to be significantly faster in the microbead films than in standard mesoporous TiO 2 films. This was attributed to the favorable assembly of nanocrystals in the microbeads, which can increase the... 

The preparation of composite manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoparticles in an ordered mesoporous carbon (CMK-3) matrix and its use for constructing a new wide-potential-window supercapacitor is reported. CMK-3 is prepared using mesoporous silica as a hard template and sucrose as carbon source. The different ratios of MnO2/CMK-3 composite is synthesized by impregnating CMK-3 with a Mn(NO3)2·4H 2O solution followed by annealing in nitrogen. Physical properties, morphology, and specific surface area were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen sorption measurements, respectively. The electrochemical properties of the composite were studied by cyclic... 

The low temperature perovskite-type calcium titanate (CaTiO3) thin films and powders with nanocrystalline and mesoporous structure were prepared by a straightforward particulate sol-gel route. The prepared sol had a narrow particle size distribution about 17 nm. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that, the synthesized powders had highly pure and crystallized CaTiO3 structure with preferable orientation growth along (1 2 1) direction at 400-800 °C. The activation energy of crystal growth was calculated 5.73 kJ/mol. Furthermore, transmission electron microscope images showed that the average crystallite size of the powders annealed at 400 °C was around 3.5... 

A novel mesoporous MCM-41 with remarkable wide channel diameters and thick walls was synthesized. The procedure involved the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of tetraetheylorthosilicate (TEOS) in a water/ethanol/isopropoanol solvent mixture while employing 1-hexadecylamine as a templating agent and mesitylene as an auxiliary agent. After removal of the template by either extraction or calcination at 560 °C, the resulting mesoporous materials had surface areas of 1,289 and 1,210 m2/g.The channel diameterswere found to be 46.8-51.2 Å ,while thewall thicknesses were 20.9-21.1 Å. X-ray powder diffraction proved that the synthesized mesoporous structure belongs to MCM-41 family. Notably, they displayed...