To improve the oil-solubility of nanoparticles, a new technology was used to prepare a kind of lubricant containing titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles. The microstructures of the prepared nanoparticles were characterized via transmission electron microscope (TEM) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). Tribological properties of TiO₂ nanoparticles used as an additive in base oil were evaluated using four-ball tribometer and ball-on-disk tribometer. In addition, the worn surface of the steel ball was investigated via polarized microscopy (PM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The TiO₂ nanoparticles can be completely well-dispersed in the base oil under a new process (NP), which has no significantly negative effect on the anti-oxidation property. The results of the tribological tests show that TiO₂ nanoparticles under the NP show a better anti-wear property and friction-reducing property in base oil compared to TiO₂ nanoparticles under the tradition process (TP). The main aim of this paper lies in solving with the oil-solubility problem through the combination effect of surface modification and special blend process of lubricating oil. This method was first used to prepare lubricant containing TiO₂ nanoparticles and then used as additives in engine oil, gear oil, and other industrial lubricants. At the same time, tribological properties of TiO₂ nanoparticles in base oil as a lubricating additive were also studied.

Heavy metals represent a class of pollutants detected at concentrations lower than 10 ppm in different matrices that are intensively monitored due to having a major impact on human health. Industrial activities including mining, agriculture, and transport, determine their presence in different environments. Corrosion phenomena of various installations, volcanic eruptions, or atmospheric deposition on the soil surface and in water can contaminate the respective environments. Atmospheric pollutants in the form of suspended dust particles with diameters below 10 microns are predominantly composed of different metallic species from Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, etc. This paper presents a review of the main sources and types of heavy metals present in the atmosphere in the composition of particulate matter (PM), highlighting the main mechanisms of occurrence and detection techniques, including the impact on bio-geo-chemical processes in the soil and food chain, in close correlation with their impact on environment and human health. The purpose of this review is to highlight the current level of knowledge regarding the global situation of heavy metals in PM and to identify gaps as targets for future research.

Due to its valuable compounds, food waste has been gaining attention in different applications, such as life quality and environment. Combined with circular economy requirements, a valorization method for waste, especially banana waste, was to convert them into adsorbents with advanced properties. The banana waste, after thermal treatment, was used with high removal performances (100%) for the removal of heavy metals, such as Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn, but their small particle size makes them very hard to recover and reuse. For this reason, a biopolymeric matrix was used to incorporate the banana waste. The matrix was chosen for its remarkable properties, such as low cost, biodegradability, low carbon footprint, and reduced environmental impact. In this research, different types of materials (simple banana peel ash BPA and combined with biopolymeric matrix, ALG–BPA, CS–BPA) were prepared, characterized, and tested. The materials were characterized by means of attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tested for the removal of metal ions from synthetic solutions using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The ALG–BPA material proved to be the most efficient in the removal of heavy metal ions from synthetic solution, reaching even 100% metal removal for Cr, Fe, Pb, and Zn, while the CS-based materials were the least efficient, presenting the best values for Cr and Fe ions with a removal efficiency of 34.14% and 28.38%, respectively. By adding BPA to CS, the adsorption properties of the material were slightly improved, but also only for Cr and Fe ions, to 37.09% and 57.78%.

Transdermal delivery devices and wound dressing materials are constantly improved and upgraded with the aim of enhancing their beneficial effects, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and cost effectiveness. Therefore, researchers in the field have shown an increasing interest in using natural compounds as constituents for such systems. Plants, as an important source of so-called “natural products” with an enormous variety and structural diversity that still exceeds the capacity of present-day sciences to define or even discover them, have been part of medicine since ancient times. However, their benefits are just at the beginning of being fully exploited in modern dermal and transdermal delivery systems. Thus, plant-based primary compounds, with or without biological activity, contained in gums and mucilages, traditionally used as gelling and texturing agents in the food industry, are now being explored as valuable and cost-effective natural components in the biomedical field. Their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity compensate for local availability and compositional variations. Also, secondary metabolites, classified based on their chemical structure, are being intensively investigated for their wide pharmacological and toxicological effects. Their impact on medicine is highlighted in detail through the most recent reported studies. Innovative isolation and purification techniques, new drug delivery devices and systems, and advanced evaluation procedures are presented.

This paper presents a comprehensive literature review surveying the most important polymer materials used for electrospinning processes and applied as membranes for the removal of emerging pollutants. Two types of processes integrate these membrane types: separation processes, where electrospun polymers act as a support for thin film composites (TFC), and adsorption as single or coupled processes (photo-catalysis, advanced oxidation, electrochemical), where a functionalization step is essential for the electrospun polymer to improve its properties. Emerging pollutants (EPs) released in the environment can be efficiently removed from water systems using electrospun membranes. The relevant results regarding removal efficiency, adsorption capacity, and the size and porosity of the membranes and fibers used for different EPs are described in detail.

The aim of this article is to present a nonconventional method for the efficient removal of lead ions from industrial wastewater. For this purpose, magnetite nanomaterial was used, which was very easily separated from the wastewater at the end of the treatment due to its magnetic properties. Currently, nanotechnology is an efficient and inexpensive manner that is being researched for wastewater treatment. Additionally, iron oxide nanoparticles are widely used to remove heavy metal ions from water due to their special properties. The experimental results detailed in this article show the influence of pH and contact time on the process of adsorption of lead ions from wastewater. The magnetite nanomaterial had its maximum efficiency of speed when the wastewater had pH 6. At a lower pH, the highest treatment efficiency was over 85%, and the required contact time has doubled. When the pH increases above 6, the precipitation process occurs. Langmuir and Freundlich models were used to describe the adsorption process.