Anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles doped with iron ions have been synthesized via the green chemistry method using aqueous extract of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) obtained from Soxhlet extraction and doped by wet impregnation. The TiO₂ anatase phase has been doped with Fe³⁺ (0.05, 0.075, and 0.1 Fe³⁺ : Ti molar ratio) at 550°C and 350°C, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDS) shows nanoparticle clusters and efficiencies of impregnations between 66.5 and 58.4% depending on the theoretical dopant amount. The electron transmission microscopy (TEM) reveals final particle sizes ranging between 7 and 26 nm depending on the presence or not of the dopant. The cathodoluminescence (CL) and photoluminescence (PL) studies of the doped and undoped nanoparticles show a luminescence signal attributed to surface oxygen vacancies (visible CL emission 380–700 nm and PL emission 350–800 nm); additionally, a decrease in emission intensity is observed due the inhibition of the recombination of the photogenerated electron-holes pairs; moreover, nanopowders were analyzed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry of diffuse reflectance, and the absorption edge of the Fe-TiO₂ in comparison to undoped TiO₂ is extended greatly toward the visible light. The six bands (A_1g + 2B_1g + 3E_g) found by Raman spectroscopy and the x-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) confirm that synthesized TiO₂ is only anatase phase, which is commonly used as a catalyst in waste water treatment, specifically in heterogeneous photocatalytic processes.

Recently, an increase in the production of intelligent nanomaterials has been reported for the application of solid surface coating. These nanomaterials provide a wide number of functionalities such as anticorrosive, antibacterial, and self-cleaning properties. Hence, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized using a green chemistry approach. These nanoparticles were fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet (UV)–visible spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller test, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherm. Then, a commercial enamel-type paint was modified by using different concentrations (2, 3.5, and 5 w/v%) of nanoparticles. These nanofilled paints were then brushed onto the surface of different types of materials such as carbon steel sheets, wood sheets, and aluminum disks. Anticorrosive, self-cleaning, and antibacterial properties of the nanofilled paints were evaluated, with the aim to determine the capability for this application. According to the characterization results, TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles exhibited similar physicochemical properties compared to those synthesized using traditional methods. The anticorrosion results revealed that nanofilled paints provide a barrier using low concentrations of nanoparticles, due to the decrease of agglomerates on the surface avoiding the presence of high porosity. In the case of self-cleaning, a proposed mechanism of degradation demonstrated that the presence of both nanoparticles in the paint provided high degradation of methylene blue due to the high surface area offered by the nanoparticles. On the other hand, antibacterial activity under UV light was observed only for ZnO nanoparticles, which may be related to the diffusion of nanoparticles into the cell membrane of the bacteria, affecting the normal function. These results showed to be promising for the modification of paints with TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles, and the application on solid surfaces for the construction, and even in textile fields.

The removal of organic pollutants from water sources can be enhanced using suitable adsorbents. The aim of this research was to study the adsorption capacity and potential reuse of a magnetic adsorbent prepared from agricultural wastes of yam peels (Dioscorea rotundata) for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic (2,4-D) acid removal. The procedure was performed through carbonization and activation at 400 and 500 °C, respectively. Then, the as-prepared activated carbon (AC) was chemically modified using magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles. The AC and magnetic activated carbon (MAC) were characterized and then used for batch adsorption and regeneration tests at different pH, initial concentrations of 2,4-D, and temperature. AC and MAC were showed to have microporous structures with surface areas of 715 and 325 m²/g, respectively. Superparamagnetic behavior was observed for MAC with a saturation magnetization of 6 emu/g. The results from the batch experiments showed higher adsorption capacity at high initial concentration of 2,4-D, low pH, and room temperature. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the experiments proceeded as exothermic and spontaneous adsorption. Our findings also showed that MAC can be separated from the water medium through a facile magnetic procedure, and from regeneration experiments, MAC showed better results with 60% of its initial adsorption capacity after five cycles. Hence, MAC was found to be a promising alternative adsorbent of pesticides in water.

In this research, the photocatalytic degradation of cypermethrin using iron-titanium dioxide (Fe-TiO ₂ ) nanoparticles supported in a biomaterial was evaluated. The nanoparticles of TiO ₂ were synthesized by the green chemistry method assisted by ultrasound and doped by chemical impregnation using Fe ⁺³ :Ti molar ratios of 0, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1 to make efficient use of direct sunlight ( λ > 310 nm). All nanoparticles were immobilized on the surface of coconut spathe ( Cocos nucifera). The degradation was carried out at room temperature and natural pH in a flat plate solar reactor, on which the composite material was subjected. The concentration of cypermethrin was determined after 12,000 J m ⁻² of accumulated radiation from gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and the resulting material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area. The best results were achieved with the use of Evonik TiO ₂ P-25, Fe:Ti = 0 and Fe:Ti = 0.05 in suspension, with percentages of degradation of cypermethrin of 99.84%, 99.62%, and 100%, respectively. However, the materials supported on the biomaterial of coconut allowed to reach degradation percentages higher than 80%, with the advantage that it minimizes operating costs, as they are not necessarily filtering or centrifuging processes to separate the catalyst.