Torsello Monica, Ben-Zichri Shani, Pesenti Lucia, Kunnath Sisira M, Samorì Chiara, Pasteris Andrea, Bacchelli Greta, Prishkolnik Noa, Ben-Nun Uri, Righi Serena, Focarete Maria Letizia, Kolusheva Sofiya, Jelinek Raz, Gualandi Chiara, Galletti Paola
Department of Chemistry "Giacomo Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi, 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 84105, Israel.
Heliyon. 2024 Feb 16;10(4):e25417. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25417. eCollection 2024 Feb 29.
Carbon dots (CDs) are promising photothermal nanoparticles that can be utilized in environmental treatments. They exhibit favorable physicochemical properties, including low toxicity, physical and chemical stability, photo-dependant reversible behaviour, and environmentally friendly synthesis using benign building blocks. Here, we synthesized innovative CDs/polylactic acid (PLA) electrospun composite membranes for evaluating the removal of hydrophobic compounds like long-chain hydrocarbons or oils in biphasic mixtures with water. The ultimate goal was to develop innovative and sustainable solar-heated oil absorbents. Specifically, we fabricated PLA membranes with varying CD contents, characterized their morphology, thermal, and mechanical properties, and assessed the environmental impact of membrane production according to ISO 14040 and 14044 standards in a preliminary "cradle-to-gate" life cycle assessment study. Solar radiation experiments demonstrated that the CDs/PLA composites exhibited greater uptake of hydrophobic compounds compared to pure PLA membranes, ascribable to the CDs-induced photothermal effect. The adsorption and regeneration capacity of the new CDs/PLA membrane was demonstrated through multiple uptake/release cycles. Ecotoxicity analyses confirmed the safety profile of the new adsorbent system towards freshwater microalgae, further emphasizing its potential as an environmentally friendly solution for the removal of hydrophobic compounds in water treatment processes.
碳点（CDs）是一种很有前景的光热纳米粒子，可用于环境处理。它们具有良好的物理化学性质，包括低毒性、物理和化学稳定性、光依赖的可逆行为，以及使用良性构建块进行环境友好型合成。在此，我们合成了创新的碳点/聚乳酸（PLA）电纺复合膜，用于评估在与水的双相混合物中去除长链烃或油等疏水性化合物的效果。最终目标是开发创新且可持续的太阳能加热吸油剂。具体而言，我们制备了具有不同碳点含量的聚乳酸膜，表征了它们的形态、热性能和机械性能，并在初步的“从摇篮到大门”生命周期评估研究中，根据ISO 14040和14044标准评估了膜生产对环境的影响。太阳辐射实验表明，与纯聚乳酸膜相比，碳点/聚乳酸复合材料对疏水性化合物的吸收能力更强，这归因于碳点诱导的光热效应。通过多次吸收/释放循环证明了新型碳点/聚乳酸膜的吸附和再生能力。生态毒性分析证实了新型吸附剂系统对淡水微藻的安全性，进一步强调了其作为水处理过程中去除疏水性化合物的环保解决方案的潜力。
