Alicia Naranjo, Marine Batista, Emilio M Pérez, Mark W Rutland
{"title":"Self-assembly of microscale architectures with nanoscale inclusions.","authors":"Alicia Naranjo, Marine Batista, Emilio M Pérez, Mark W Rutland","doi":"10.1039/d5nh00356c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nh00356c","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We hypothesise that the recent discovery of nanodomains at the air-water interface can be leveraged to nano-functionalize surfaces through casting with incorporated functional species. The interfacial self-assembly of the amphiphilic molecules, 18-methyleicosanoic acid 18-MEA and 4-(tetradecyl)benzene diazonium tetrafluoroborate TDDS, at the air-water interface and cast on silicon wafer has been investigated using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) techniques and atomic force microscopy. The impact of composition and surface pressure (SP) on the formation of nanodomains and microstructures was examined. TDDS (which can be used to modify the electronic structure of graphene) behaves as a co-surfactant in the 18-MEA film at low concentrations, facilitating the formation of homogeneous nanodomains with functional capacity. At higher TDDS concentrations, there is evidence for phase separation in the domains, and the TDDS furthermore partitions to the aqueous phase at higher pressures. By manipulating the 18-MEA:TDDS ratio and SP, regular nano-patterns can be transitioned into novel 2D structures reminiscent of 3D water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) analogues (\"cookie systems\"), offering a versatile strategy for designing nanoarchitectures with potential applications in graphene patterning.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145297693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maxime Julien, Carlos Andrés Rincón Mejía, Mathilde Grand, Anne-Marie Schiphorst, Estelle Martineau, Serge Akoka, Thibaud Herbst, Gérald S Remaud
{"title":"Is it possible to distinguish virgin <i>versus</i> pyrolytic recycled styrene by determining the intramolecular <sup>13</sup>C distribution?","authors":"Maxime Julien, Carlos Andrés Rincón Mejía, Mathilde Grand, Anne-Marie Schiphorst, Estelle Martineau, Serge Akoka, Thibaud Herbst, Gérald S Remaud","doi":"10.1039/d5ay01257k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ay01257k","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The accumulation of plastic waste presents a significant global environmental challenge, as these materials are highly resistant to degradation. Polymer recycling offers a promising solution by repurposing plastic waste and reducing reliance on fossil hydrocarbons. Most manufacturing companies that use plastics as raw materials are aware of the societal and environmental issues. With the support of governments, they all are striving to increase the use of recycled materials in the short term, the higher cost of recycled polymers compared to virgin materials (directly derived from petroleum) has led to concerns about counterfeiting. Currently, plastic traceability relies on manufacturers' documentation and declarations, highlighting the urgent need for authentication tools to verify the origin of polymers and ensure the integration of recycled materials in industrial applications. Stable isotopes are widely used to authenticate the origins of various substances, such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and they hold great potential for investigating the provenance of polymers. In this study, virgin styrene and pyrolysis-recycled samples were analysed using <sup>13</sup>C position-specific isotope analysis performed through nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (isotopic <sup>13</sup>C NMR). The detected <sup>13</sup>C intramolecular distribution profiles revealed significant differences between the two sources, showing that polystyrene recycling induces an isotope effect. These preliminary findings are highly promising for authenticating recycled styrene. Furthermore, the substantial intramolecular <sup>13</sup>C composition variations observed in the samples could potentially enable the quantification of recycled and virgin polymers in composite materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":64,"journal":{"name":"Analytical Methods","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145297708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2025-10-16DOI: 10.1039/D5RA06803G
Xiaojie Wang, Ye Liu, Chuan Sun, Hemin Li and Jing Xu
{"title":"Dual-functional molecule 3c targeting CYP24A1-mediated 25-hydroxyvitamin D metabolism and microbial biofilms overcomes mixed vaginal infections","authors":"Xiaojie Wang, Ye Liu, Chuan Sun, Hemin Li and Jing Xu","doi":"10.1039/D5RA06803G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA06803G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In the context of clinical treatment for mixed vaginal infections, which pose dual challenges of biofilm resistance and immune microenvironment imbalance, this study synthesized 12 “triazole–Schiff base” hybrid compounds using previously reported synthetic routes. This design was guided by the core mechanism in which CYP24A1 enzyme overexpression in the vitamin D–vitamin D receptor immunoregulatory pathway leads to degradation of active vitamin D. Among them, compound <strong>3c</strong> exhibited excellent broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activity (MIC = 16 μg mL<small><sup>−1</sup></small>), low cytotoxicity, and significant inhibition and eradication of <em>Candida albicans</em> biofilms. Mechanistic studies revealed that the compound possesses both membrane-targeting disruptive effects and CYP24A1 inhibitory activity. At the enzymatic level, compound <strong>3c</strong> achieved 32% inhibition of CYP24A1 at 100 μM. In cellular models, it did not affect basal CYP24A1 mRNA expression at 10<small><sup>−7</sup></small> M, but when combined with 1,25(OH)<small><sub>2</sub></small>D<small><sub>3</sub></small>, it up-regulated CYP24A1 mRNA levels approximately twofold. Further LC-MS/MS analysis confirmed that the addition of 10<small><sup>−7</sup></small> M of compound <strong>3c</strong> significantly slowed the metabolic clearance of 1,25(OH)<small><sub>2</sub></small>D<small><sub>3</sub></small> in HEK293T cells, maintaining an average concentration of 495 pM after 24 h. In summary, compound <strong>3c</strong> employs a multi-target synergistic mechanism of “direct antimicrobial activity–immunomodulation–biofilm penetration” to effectively overcome biofilm-mediated resistance and improve the local immune microenvironment, thus offering a promising lead compound with clinical translational potential for addressing the therapeutic challenges in mixed infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 46","pages":" 38986-38997"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ra/d5ra06803g?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145315541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2025-10-16DOI: 10.1039/D5RA04113A
Mahmoud A. Al-Qudah, Abdulrahman G. Alhamzani, Hala I. Al-Jaber, Zain F. Migdadi, Sultan T. Abu Orabi and Abbas I. Alakhras
{"title":"Triterpenes isolated from Cleome amblyocarpa: evaluation of antioxidant potential","authors":"Mahmoud A. Al-Qudah, Abdulrahman G. Alhamzani, Hala I. Al-Jaber, Zain F. Migdadi, Sultan T. Abu Orabi and Abbas I. Alakhras","doi":"10.1039/D5RA04113A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA04113A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Investigation of the chemical constituents of <em>Cleome amblyocarpa</em> growing wild in Jordan resulted in the isolation and structural elucidation of two new dammarane triterpenes along with <strong>9</strong> other known compounds. The new compounds were identified as 17-hydroxyambylone (<strong>1</strong>) and 15β-acetoxy-17α-hydroxycabralealactone (<strong>2</strong>). The known compounds included calycopterine (<strong>3</strong>), 17α-hydroxycabraleahydroxylactone (<strong>4</strong>), cleocarpanol (<strong>5</strong>), ambylone (<strong>6</strong>), β-sitosterol (<strong>7</strong>), β-sitosteryl glucoside (<strong>8</strong>), isorhamnetin-3-<em>O</em>-rhamnoside (<strong>9</strong>), kaempferol-3,7-<em>O</em>-dirhamnose (<strong>10</strong>) and 3′-<em>O</em>-methylquercetin-3,7-di-<em>O</em>-rhamnopyranoside (<strong>11</strong>). Structural elucidation of all isolated compounds was based on thorough investigation of their spectroscopic data including NMR (1D and 2D), HRESIMS, IR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. LC-MS/MS analysis <em>versus</em> a selected set of authentic samples led to the detection of 21 constituents, including <strong>9</strong> of the isolated compounds. Antioxidant activities of isolated pure compounds were assessed individually and compared to ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol using DPPH<small><sup>˙</sup></small> and ABTS<small><sup>˙+</sup></small> assay methods. Compounds <strong>9–11</strong> showed strong antioxidant activities whereas compounds <strong>4–6</strong> exhibited low activity. New compounds <strong>1</strong> and <strong>2</strong> demonstrated moderate DPPH<small><sup>˙</sup></small> radical scavenging power (IC<small><sub>50</sub></small> = 14.70 ± 2.52 and 77.90 ± 3.77 μg mL<small><sup>−1</sup></small>, respectively) and a moderate ABTS<small><sup>˙+</sup></small> scavenging effect (IC<small><sub>50</sub></small> = 22.6 ± 0.04 and 78.30 ± 1.13 μg mL<small><sup>−1</sup></small>).</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 46","pages":" 38577-38584"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ra/d5ra04113a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145315562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elizabeth J Tomaszewski, Sheila F Murphy, Johanna M Blake, Michelle I Hornberger, Gregory D Clark
{"title":"Emerging investigator series: post-wildfire sediment geochemical characterization reveals manganese reactivity and a potential link to water quality impairment in the Gallinas Creek watershed, New Mexico.","authors":"Elizabeth J Tomaszewski, Sheila F Murphy, Johanna M Blake, Michelle I Hornberger, Gregory D Clark","doi":"10.1039/d5em00326a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5em00326a","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Water quality post-wildfire is often impaired by increased turbidity and elevated concentrations of elements such as manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe). Precipitation events exacerbate these issues, due in part to increased erosion and transport of sediment from hillslopes to surface water. Both Mn and Fe are major redox-active elements in sediments that drive a variety of biogeochemical cycles, precipitate adsorptive phases, and can themselves be drinking water contaminants. By investigating Mn and Fe sediment geochemistry in post-wildfire sediment deposits, related water quality hazards can be assessed. To establish and strengthen this connection, we analyzed the geochemistry of sediment deposits and surface water in the Gallinas Creek watershed, New Mexico over 1.5 years post-wildfire. Analyses included particle size analysis, water extractions, sequential extractions and aqua regia extractions to determine metal partitioning in sediment deposits. Data demonstrate Mn concentrations were distributed across labile and reactive fractions, such as the exchangeable and oxyhydroxide fractions, while Fe concentrations were mainly associated with the residual fraction. Manganese concentrations in aqua regia extractions and several fractions of sequential extractions were also strongly and significantly correlated with fine-grained sediment while the same pools of Fe concentrations were not. Dissolved Mn concentrations in surface water were elevated (>50 μg L<sup>-1</sup>) multiple times over the 1.5 years post-wildfire, highlighting a relationship between sediment geochemistry and water quality. This work shows Mn in sediments mobilized post-wildfire has an influence on water quality and highlights how further investigation into Mn sediment redox processes and mineralogy post-wildfire can inform risk assessments and resource management.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145297683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fangfang Chen, Mengyan Lei, Jing Luo, Jiaqi Li, Jinfang Wang, Nan Zhang, Xinyi Li, Nan Jia, Xiangyuan Ouyang, Huaiyu Bu
{"title":"Correction: Ultrathin DNA-copper nanosheets with antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity for treatment of infected wounds.","authors":"Fangfang Chen, Mengyan Lei, Jing Luo, Jiaqi Li, Jinfang Wang, Nan Zhang, Xinyi Li, Nan Jia, Xiangyuan Ouyang, Huaiyu Bu","doi":"10.1039/d5nh90062j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nh90062j","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Correction for 'Ultrathin DNA-copper nanosheets with antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity for treatment of infected wounds' by Fangfang Chen <i>et al.</i>, <i>Nanoscale Horiz.</i>, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nh00257e.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145297752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2025-10-16DOI: 10.1039/D5RA05889A
Maral Salehi, Najmeh Nowrouzi and Mohammad Abbasi
{"title":"Humic acid as a natural catalyst for C–S bond construction: decarbonylative and decarboxylative thioether synthesis","authors":"Maral Salehi, Najmeh Nowrouzi and Mohammad Abbasi","doi":"10.1039/D5RA05889A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA05889A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In this study, humic acid is introduced as a sustainable and green catalyst for C–S bond formation. Thioethers were synthesized <em>via</em> the reaction of thiols with aldehydes and carboxylic acids in dimethylformamide (DMF), where humic acid effectively facilitated the generation of stable thiyl and alkyl radicals. This method offers a mild, efficient, and environmentally friendly approach with broad functional group tolerance, highlighting the potential of humic acid as a practical catalyst in green organic synthesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 46","pages":" 39037-39042"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ra/d5ra05889a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145315544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2025-10-16DOI: 10.1039/D5RA06197K
Soupam Das, Anjali Shaw, M. R. Sumaiya, J. B. Jeeva and Amitava Mukherjee
{"title":"Release study of microplastic fibres and heavy metals from disposable surgical face masks in aqueous medium: the effect of physio-chemical factors and shear forces","authors":"Soupam Das, Anjali Shaw, M. R. Sumaiya, J. B. Jeeva and Amitava Mukherjee","doi":"10.1039/D5RA06197K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA06197K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, there has been a dramatic surge in the usage of disposable face masks, and even though the pandemic has passed, discarded masks persist in aquatic systems where they continue to release microplastic fibres. These masks are composed of plastic nonwoven fabrics and can potentially contribute polypropylene (PP) microplastics to the environment. This investigation aimed to assess the potential for these PP microplastics to be released into the water by disposable surgical face masks under different parameters. This study systematically assesses various factors that may affect the release of microplastic fibres into the natural aquatic environment. The initial investigation focused on the impact of various hydro–chemical parameters, including pH levels (4, 7, and 9), ionic strength (IS) at 10, 50, and 100 mM, and humic acid (HA) concentrations (0.1, 1, and 10 mg L<small><sup>−1</sup></small>), to analyse the overall release pattern of microplastic fibres from facemasks. The experimental findings demonstrate that pH, ionic strength, and humic acid significantly influenced the release pattern of the fibres, with the highest release observed at pH 9, 10 mM IS, and 0.1 mg L<small><sup>−1</sup></small> HA. At higher IS and HA concentrations, the release of microplastic fibres was lower compared to that at lower concentrations. This study also emphasises the impact of varying shear stress levels on the release dynamics of fibres and co-contaminants like heavy metals (HMs) from disposable surgical facemasks over different time intervals. Furthermore, the release pattern of the microplastic fibres was examined in various natural water systems, including lakes and seawater. Future studies will extend this work to longer exposure durations to better capture the long-term release dynamics of microplastic fibres from masks.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 46","pages":" 38811-38821"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ra/d5ra06197k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145315621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2025-10-16DOI: 10.1039/D5RA04619J
Wajeeha Zareen, Nadeem Ahmed, Ali Muhammad Khan, Suraj N. Mali, Nastaran Sadeghian, Naflaa A. Aldawsari, Parham Taslimi, Abdullah K. Alanazi, Muhammad Tahir, Mussarat Tasleem and Zahid Shafiq
{"title":"Synthesis, antidiabetic evaluation, and computational modeling of 3-acetyl-8-ethoxy coumarin derived hydrazones and thiosemicarbazones","authors":"Wajeeha Zareen, Nadeem Ahmed, Ali Muhammad Khan, Suraj N. Mali, Nastaran Sadeghian, Naflaa A. Aldawsari, Parham Taslimi, Abdullah K. Alanazi, Muhammad Tahir, Mussarat Tasleem and Zahid Shafiq","doi":"10.1039/D5RA04619J","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA04619J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Inhibiting important enzymes like α-amylase and α-glucosidase is essential for controlling hypoglycemia and its related complications in diabetes mellitus. A series of novel hydrazones and thiosemicarbazones have been synthesized and evaluated for their ability to inhibit enzymes, causing hypoglycemia and diabetes mellitus in the human body. From synthesized compounds, compound <strong>3b</strong> from the carbohydrazide series, demonstrated the strongest potency against α-amylase and α-glucosidase, with respective IC<small><sub>50</sub></small> values of 252.45 ± 12.81 nM and 159.10 ± 8.15 nM and in the case of the carbothioamide series, thiosemicarbazone <strong>5e</strong>, exhibited the highest inhibitory potency, with IC<small><sub>50</sub></small> values of 73.68 ± 2.84 nM for α-glucosidase and 146.18 ± 7.35 nM for α-amylase. These compounds were compared to the standard drug acarbose with IC<small><sub>50</sub></small> values of 315.74 ± 15.06 nM and 437.93 ± 13.96 nM for α-glucosidase and α-amylase. Novel compounds having a variety of structural configurations, showed encouraging activity profiles with potent inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The interactions between these inhibitors and the target enzyme's active sites were further examined by doing Density Function Theory (DFT), molecular docking, and structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies, which provides information about the derivatives that are more potent. Toxicity, metabolism, and drug-likeness characteristics of newly synthesized hydrazones and thiosemicarbazones were investigated by <em>in silico</em> ADMET tests.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 46","pages":" 39043-39058"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ra/d5ra04619j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145315545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2025-10-16DOI: 10.1039/D5RA06422H
Adina Zholdas, Abylay Abilkhan, Islam Rakhimbek, Oleg Rofman, Daniyar Salikhov, Fail Sultanov and Batukhan Tatykayev
{"title":"Solid-state in situ synthesis of g-C3N4/ZnO nanocomposites for photocatalytic water cleaning","authors":"Adina Zholdas, Abylay Abilkhan, Islam Rakhimbek, Oleg Rofman, Daniyar Salikhov, Fail Sultanov and Batukhan Tatykayev","doi":"10.1039/D5RA06422H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA06422H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >We present a scalable, solvent-free two-step route to g-C<small><sub>3</sub></small>N<small><sub>4</sub></small>/ZnO heterostructured nanocomposites for solar-driven wastewater remediation. g-C<small><sub>3</sub></small>N<small><sub>4</sub></small> is first obtained by conventional thermal polymerization of melamine; in the second step, ZnO is introduced mechanochemically, yielding intimate g-C<small><sub>3</sub></small>N<small><sub>4</sub></small>/ZnO interfacial contact and robust heterojunctions. Composites with 2–20 wt% g-C<small><sub>3</sub></small>N<small><sub>4</sub></small> were synthesized and comprehensively characterized. The optimized ZOCN10 (10 wt% of g-C<small><sub>3</sub></small>N<small><sub>4</sub></small>) exhibits rate constant <em>k</em> = 0.0389 min<small><sup>−1</sup></small> and achieves ∼95% methylene blue removal within 90 min under simulated solar irradiation, outperforming both pristine ZnO and g-C<small><sub>3</sub></small>N<small><sub>4</sub></small> 4.6 and 5.5 times, respectively and clearly surpassing a physical mixture. Reactive-species trapping indicates h<small><sup>+</sup></small> and O<small><sub>2</sub></small><small><sup>−</sup></small> as the dominant actors in the degradation pathway. The catalyst remains reusable across multiple cycles, retaining a substantial portion of its activity and thereby supporting practical deployment scenarios in water treatment. By eliminating organic solvents while enabling scalable processing and efficient solar-light operation, this mechanochemically assisted approach provides a green and cost-effective path to high-performance photocatalysts for wastewater purification.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 46","pages":" 38532-38546"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ra/d5ra06422h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145315552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}