The restriction of PVP can alleviate the growth tendency of ZnTiO₃ rods in the radial direction during a cooperative assembly process.

This study focuses on synthesizing a composite material of Ag/ZnO/BiOCl using Ag, ZnO, and BiOCl as raw materials. The material was prepared by loading Ag and BiOCl onto ZnO nanofilms, aiming to enhance the photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP). Optimization of the photocatalytic degradation process through single-factor experiments revealed that under conditions of an initial CIP pH of 9, an Ag/ZnO/BiOCl dosage of 1 g/L, and an initial CIP concentration of 5 mg/L the conversion efficiency of CIP reached 98.79% after 150 min of exposure to a 250 W xenon lamp simulating sunlight. Furthermore, the composite material maintained a conversion efficiency of 86.17% for CIP even after five cycles of reuse, demonstrating its excellent stability. The optical properties, elemental composition, valence state, crystallinity, and morphology of the samples were analyzed using techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL), UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that the introduction of Ag expanded the light response range of ZnO, while the addition of BiOCl improved the separation efficiency of electron–hole pairs in the composite nanomaterial. The photocatalytic mechanism was further elucidated through radical scavenging experiments, confirming that ·OH and h⁺ are the main active species in the degradation process.

Potato starch wastewater, a byproduct of potato processing, is an escalating environmental concern due to its high concentrations of COD (chemical oxygen demand), ammonia nitrogen, and total phosphorus (TP). Addressing this challenge, this research introduced a novel method combining chitosan-modified biochar film (CBC) adsorption with subsequent ultrafiltration. SEM (scanning electron microscope), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectral), XRD (X-ray diffractometer), and BET (specific surface area) analyses validated CBC’s enhanced surface characteristics, confirming successful chitosan (CS) film impregnation. CBC exhibited superior adsorption capacities, especially 40%wt-CBC, optimizing COD removal at 79.8%, ammonia nitrogen at 93.3%, and TP at 91.2%. Kinetic studies associated the adsorption process with a pseudo-second-order model, highlighting chemical adsorption. Additionally, the Langmuir isotherm model suggested monolayer adsorption with no inter-adsorbate interactions. The treated effluent, post adsorption, was directed through an ultrafiltration membrane, ensuring water quality suitable for reuse. This integrative treatment not only offers an effective solution for potato starch wastewater management but also underscores the potential for sustainable water resource recovery in the food processing sector.

In this study, pomelo peel waste was utilized as the raw material to extract flavonoids, which were subsequently microencapsulated with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and incorporated into a corn starch/konjac glucomannan composite film matrix, aiming to develop biodegradable candidate films containing an antioxidant extract for potential food packaging applications. The extraction conditions for pomelo peel flavonoids (PF) were optimized via response surface methodology, yielding the optimal parameters as follows: extraction time of 123.88 min, temperature of 69.07 °C, etc., under which the total PF extraction rate reached 5.958%. At high concentrations, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging capacities of the obtained PF did not differ significantly from those of ascorbic acid. The fabricated PF-loaded β-cyclodextrin microcapsules (PF-CD-MCs) achieved an encapsulation efficiency of 71.24 ± 0.21%, the morphological and spectroscopic results suggested the successful formation of the inclusion complex and were incorporated into the composite films at varying addition levels ranging from 0% to 40% (w/w). The results demonstrated that the loading content of PF-CD-MCs played a critical regulatory role in the microstructure and macroscopic properties of the films. At 10% loading, the water vapor permeability (WVP) reached its minimum, whereas 20% loading provided the best overall compromise: the microcapsules remained uniformly dispersed without recrystallization, the film retained acceptable barrier and mechanical performance, and the active loading was higher than that at 10%. At 30%–40%, aggregation and recrystallization caused structural defects and marked deterioration in WVP, mechanical strength, and water resistance. Therefore, 20% is recommended as a comprehensive loading level rather than a single-property optimum. This study provides important theoretical foundations and technical references for the high-value utilization of pomelo peel waste and the rational design of biodegradable active packaging materials.

In this study, a dual-crosslinked Ca²⁺-SA/LMCP hydrogel network with both elasticity and toughness was constructed via Ca²⁺ crosslinking of low-methoxyl citrus pectin (LMCP) and sodium alginate (SA). Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF) was then incorporated as a physical reinforcing phase, interacting with the Ca²⁺-SA/LMCP network through hydrogen bonding and physical entanglement to further enhance the physical framework strength. Finally, rutin (RTN) was loaded into this system as an antibacterial agent, and the system was freeze-dried to fabricate antibacterial aerogel preservation sheets with an ionically crosslinked and physically entangled dual-network structure composed of Ca²⁺-SA, LMCP, and CNF. The effects of RTN concentration on the porous structure and mechanical properties of the composite aerogels were investigated. The surface micromorphology, functional groups, thermal behavior, and crystalline structure of the LMCP/SA/CNF/RTN composite aerogels were characterized in detail by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Notably, a well-developed porous structure was observed in the composite aerogel when the Ca²⁺ concentration was 15 mmol/L, pH was 4, the LMCP/SA mass ratio was 1:1, and the CNF concentration was 15 mg/mL. The antibacterial activity, loading capacity, and mechanical properties of the aerogels were further verified through mechanical tests, swelling tests, and antibacterial assays. The experimental results showed that the maximum compressive modulus of the LMCP/SA/CNF aerogel was 6.57 MPa, and the compressive stress was 1.313 MPa. The swelling ratio of the LMCP/SA/CNF/RTN composite aerogel in PBS reached 2246%. Antibacterial assays revealed that composite aerogels with different RTN concentrations all exhibited inhibitory effects against Staphylococcus aureus; notably, the inhibition zone diameter of the aerogel containing 0.5 g RTN reached 9.8 mm. In summary, the development of this innovative antibacterial aerogel material demonstrates its application potential as a packaging cushioning material, providing new technical insights for this field.