ACS Applied Engineering Materials最新文献

{"title":"Combining Laser-Induced Graphene with Kirigami for Transparent Flexible Electromagnetic Interference Shielding.","authors":"Mirza Sahaluddin, Mingxuan Li, Mehdi Zarei, Paul W Leu, Mostafa Bedewy","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00861","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.5c00861","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study presents a method for creating effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shields that are transparent, lightweight, and flexible, which is vital to address the needs of emerging flexible electronics. By integrating laser-induced graphene (LIG) with kirigamia technique of cutting and folding polymer filmsspatial patterns of highly conductive 3D porous graphene is produced. The entire fabrication utilizes a single laser system for both LIG and cutting, which makes the direct-write process versatile and scalable. The resulting 3D graphene is highly conductive with resistance under 25 ohm/mm and good quality with G/D ratio at 1.66 and 2D/G ratio at 0.46. The films achieve an EMI shielding efficiency (SE) over 50 dB at a low density of 0.04 g/cm^∧3. By leveraging the kirigami process to tune the SE and transparency, we achieve an SE of 17 dB while maintaining over 80% transparency, which exceeds previously reported values of 2D graphene. Additionally, our results address challenges in the flexibility and weight of EMI shields, achieving an exceptional EMI specific shielding efficiency (SSE) of 1362.2 dB cm³/g, competing with the previously reported values across thicknesses ranging from 10 to several hundred micrometers.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 2","pages":"490-501"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12954757/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147357421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cationically Modified PVA-Based Electrospun Nanofiber Membrane for Adsorptive PFAS Removal from Water.","authors":"Md Nahid Pervez, Tao Jiang, Boyu Li, Behnia Bitaraf, Aswin Kumar Ilango, Marina Maria Ioanniti, Caroline Schaeffer, Haralabos Efstathiadis, Mehmet V Yigit, Yanna Liang","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00822","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.5c00822","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a diverse range of anthropogenic organic compounds, pose significant concerns to society due to their potential harmful impacts on human health and ecosystems. While there are other methods for removing PFAS from water, adsorption remains a viable and efficient option. The present research reports an adsorptive nanofiber membrane prepared through electrospinning in the presence of poly-(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), blended solution. This modified PVA membrane was observed to achieve nearly 100% capture of all 10 target PFAS, each at 10 μg/L in deionized water. The pseudo-second-order model most accurately represented the adsorption kinetics, characterized by rapid adsorption (within 60 s). The Toth isotherm model effectively fitted the isotherm data, indicating that the adsorption of PFAS onto the membrane involved complex interactions. The hypothesized adsorption mechanisms, including electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, were validated through detailed adsorption kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamic analyses, and physicochemical characterization. Remarkably, the performance of the modified system remained unaffected by variations in solution pH and natural organic matter, while being slightly affected by ionic strength, with 90-100% removal effectiveness of PFAS in stormwater. This work highlights the significance of electrospun nanofiber membrane-based adsorbents for the efficient removal of PFAS from real water.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"4 1","pages":"93-106"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12836316/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146094947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Boronium Ionic Liquids for High-Voltage Supercapacitors.","authors":"Whirang Cho, Christopher D Stachurski, Zachary G Neale, Miaomiao Ma, Margaret E Crowley, Matthias Zeller, James H Davis, Paul C Trulove, David P Durkin","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00888","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00888","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Boronium ionic liquids (BILs) are an emergent class of electrolytes with high electrochemical stability afforded by charge delocalization across the cation. BILs are of particular interest for electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices because of their large voltage window. Here, a series of BILs were systematically evaluated as electrolytes in symmetric double-layer capacitors equipped with carbon nanofoam paper (CNFP) architected electrodes. First, the operational voltage window and capacitive properties of supercapacitor cells composed of BILs and CNFP electrodes were evaluated in a two-electrode configuration by using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Then, galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) cycling was used to assess the capacitance, energy density, power density, and long-term stability of cells assembled with the BIL electrolyte. Our results show excellent capacitive behavior of the cells assembled with a series of ammonium-, imidazolium-, and pyrrolidinium-based BILs, with nearly rectangular CV curves across a range of scan rates. Specifically, the methylpyrrolidinium-substituted BIL electrolyte ([(1-m-pyrr)-N₁₁₁BH₂]-TFSI, TFSI: bis-(trifluoromethane)-sulfonimide) presents higher ionic conductivity (1.82 mS cm^-1 at 25 °C) compared to other BIL analogues and a wide operating voltage window of ∼3.7 V. These properties of [(1-m-pyrr)-N₁₁₁BH₂]-TFSI deliver an appreciable energy density of 16.3 Wh kg^-1 (at a power density of 36.4 W kg^-1), whereas [(1-a-pyrr)-N₁₁₁BH₂]-TFSI achieves a maximum power density of 13.9 kW kg^-1. Overall, these BILs display excellent power density and sufficient energy density with the advantage of steadily delivering the energy at high power density. High cycling durability is also possible with the BILs supercapacitor cells, which maintain a capacitance retention above 90% after undergoing 1000 charge-discharge cycles at a current density of 0.5 A g^-1. Finally, the specific capacitance, energy density, and power density of ammonium- and pyrrolidinium-based BILs exhibit a delicate dependence on temperature intended to facilitate the diffusion kinetics of BILs, confirming thermal resilience with no additional performance advantage.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"3 12","pages":"4560-4568"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12750520/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145879484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating Copper-Modified Carbon Composite Nanofiber Electrodes for Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction.","authors":"Ashley Hesterberg Butzlaff, Abdulsattar H Ghanim, Yun Young Choi, Chenxu Yan, Xiaonan Shan, Nosang Vincent Myung, Charles J Werth, David M Cwiertny, Syed Mubeen","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00510","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00510","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increasing urgency to address nitrate (NO₃ ^-) pollution in water sources has intensified research on electrochemical nitrate reduction, a process capable of transforming NO₃ ^- into valuable ammonia (NH₃) by using renewable electricity. Copper (Cu) catalysts can reduce NO₃ ^-, but their activity and selectivity toward NH₃ can vary based on their structure, reaction environment, and support material. This study examines the efficacy of Cu-modified carbon nanofiber (CNF) supports, tailored through electrospinning, in enhancing the electrocatalytic reduction of NO₃ ^- to NH₃. Three variants of CNF supports were synthesized: pristine CNFs, CNFs integrated with carbon nanotubes (CNF/CNTs), and CNFs embedded with titanium dioxide nanoparticles (CNF/TiO₂). Each electrode's physical and electrochemical properties were analyzed before and after Cu electrodeposition. Notably, the CNF/TiO₂/Cu composites demonstrated a selectivity exceeding 40% for the conversion of NO₃ ^- to NH₃ at neutral pHsignificantly outperforming the CNF/CNT/Cu (<5%) and CNF/Cu (20%) configurations when deposited with equivalent amounts of Cu. The CNF/TiO₂/Cu electrode also exhibited consistent and stable performance over the extended experimental duration (|<i>Q</i>| = 70 C), maintaining NH₃ selectivity rates of over 50%. Tafel analysis and operando Raman spectroscopy suggest that TiO₂ plays an active role in hydrogenating nitrogenous reduction products for enhanced selectivity. This research highlights the importance of electrode-catalyst selection in electrochemical NO₃ ^- reduction and identifies TiO₂-containing electrodes as promising solutions in this domain.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"3 12","pages":"4282-4295"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12750526/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145879488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dual-Functional Triphenyltriindole \"Knitting Polymers\" for Efficient Iodine Capture and Zn-I₂ Batteries.","authors":"Nayara Méndez-Gil, Paula García-Balaguer, Lidia Martínez, Yves Huttel, Mohammad Afsar Uddin, María Luisa Ferrer, Berta Gómez-Lor","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00709","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00709","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This work introduces a class of nitrogen-rich porous polymers synthesized via \"knitting polymerization\" using a redox-active triphenyltriindole monomer. Two synthetic routes-thermal Friedel-Crafts reaction (<b>TRIPh-d</b>) and solvent-free mechanochemical activation (<b>TRIPh-m</b>) yield polymers with similar chemical structures but markedly different surface areas. Despite this, both materials exhibit exceptional iodine uptake from hexane solution (up to 1.87 g g^-1), placing them among the highest-performing amorphous microporous organic polymers reported to date. The superior adsorption is attributed to the reversible oxidation of triindole units, forming radical cations that enhance iodine capture through electrostatic interactions. Comparative analysis with a truxene-based analog (<b>TX-m</b>) confirms the critical role of nitrogen-rich scaffolds over surface area alone. Beyond iodine sequestration, <b>TRIPh-d</b> also demonstrates outstanding performance as a cathode material in zinc-iodine batteries (ZIBs), delivering a specific capacity of 228 mA h g^-1 at 1 A g^-1, 99% Coulombic efficiency, and 72% capacity retention over 10,000 cycles. This dual functionalitycombining environmental remediation with energy storage-along with the sustainability of the synthesis, positions these redox-active knitting polymers as promising candidates for future applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"3 11","pages":"4074-4085"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12670518/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145670997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seawater Splitting Using NiFeP-Embedded Porous Carbon Fibers.","authors":"Akshara Paras Parekh, Ashish Kumar Yadav, Brendan Whitfield, Yue Zhang, Arshad Aijaz, Guoliang Liu","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00785","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00785","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Designing efficient and durable nonprecious metal-based electrocatalysts for high-performance seawater splitting is essential for clean energy conversion. Nevertheless, the underlying cause of NiFeP activity, particularly in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), remains poorly understood. Using a flexible and controllable electrospinning approach, we effectively synthesized bimetallic NiFeP encapsulated in porous carbon nanofibers (PCF). Benefiting from the strong synergistic effects of the mesoporous structures with optimized binary metal components encapsulated in the carbon nanofibers, NiFeP-PCFs exhibit improved OER and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance in alkaline, neutral, and alkaline seawater electrolytes. The electrode exhibits overpotentials of 320 mV and 145 mV at 100 mA cm^-2 for OER and HER, respectively, in 1 M KOH, with excellent durability (100 h at 100 mA cm^-2). Furthermore, NiFeP-PCF requires a voltage of 1.8 V at 100 mA cm^-2 for seawater splitting and can operate stably for over 200 h. Our research holds significant potential for developing efficient non-noble-metal bimetallic electrodes for water and seawater electrolysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"3 11","pages":"4167-4177"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12670422/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145671179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surface-Enhanced Raman Detection of the CO₂ Moisture Swing.","authors":"Javier Mendez Lozoya, Estrella Solis Mata, J Jesus Velazquez Salazar, Alondra Hernandez Cedillo, Miguel Jose Yacaman, Jennifer L Wade","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00716","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00716","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The development of scalable, energy-efficient carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture technologies is critical for achieving net-zero emissions. Moisture swing (MS) sorbents offer a promising alternative to traditional thermal regeneration methods by enabling reversible CO₂ binding through humidity-driven ion hydrolysis. In this study, we investigate the anion speciation dynamics in two classes of MS materialsan anion-exchange resin with a bicarbonate anion and activated carbon impregnated with potassium bicarbonate saltusing both sorption measurements and in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Ni-coated Ag nanowires were employed as SERS substrates to enhance signal intensity and enable the real-time detection of carbonate (CO₃ ^2-), bicarbonate (HCO₃ ^-), and hydroxide (OH^-) species under controlled humidity conditions in both air and nitrogen atmospheres. The results reveal humidity-dependent interconversion between anionic species with significant spectral shifts confirming the reversible hydrolysis reactions that drive the MS mechanism. Under humid conditions, we observed the depletion of bicarbonate signals and a concurrent increase in carbonate species, consistent with moisture-induced desorption of CO₂. With the activated carbon samples, we further observed the formation of hydroxide. These findings not only validate the mechanistic models of humidity-driven anion exchange in MS sorbents but also demonstrate the practical potential of SERS as an operando diagnostic tool for monitoring CO₂ capture media. The ability to resolve and semiquantitatively evaluate the reversible transformation of carbonate, bicarbonate, and hydroxide ions under realistic environmental conditions provides valuable insight for the rational design, performance optimization, and quality control of next-generation sorbent materials for direct air capture applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"3 11","pages":"4050-4062"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12671539/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145671182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High-Performance Supercapacitors with Femtosecond-Laser-Nanostructured Current Collectors.","authors":"Oleksandr Kuznetsov, Fedir Ivashchyshyn, Andriy Lotnyk, Nils Braun, Andrea Prager, Volodymyr Babizhetskyy, Anatoly V Zayats, Iaroslav Gnilitskyi","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00389","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00389","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The interfacial resistance between a current collector and an active material of a supercapacitor leads to energy losses and a decrease in the specific power of the device. In addition, low adhesion of the active material to the collector can cause degradation of the supercapacitor during operation. In this study, we propose a method to reduce the interfacial resistance at the interface between a current collector and active material by forming laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). We show that laser structuring in inert gas (N₂) environment results in improvement of electrochemical characteristics of supercapacitors. The charge-transfer resistance determined by the voltage drop during the cell discharge after femtosecond laser processing of the collectors decreases by 90% compared to the untreated collectors. The main effects of improving the electrochemical characteristics can be understood by an increase in the contact area between the electrode material and the collector due to the formation of LIPSS, which reduces the specific resistance. Laser structuring also causes certain chemical changes on the surface of the current collector, which can contribute to improving the electrical conductivity and the chemical stability of the contact. The LIPSS on the surface improves the adhesion of the active material to the current collector, which reduces the risk of mechanical delamination during the cyclic charge-discharge processes. A significant reduction in internal resistance with nanostructured electrodes opens promising avenues for increasing the specific power of supercapacitors of various types. The laser processing method does not require the use of additional reagents or multicomponent sublayers, which simplifies the approach and makes it attractive for application requiring scale up.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"3 11","pages":"3742-3750"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12670528/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145671012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digital Light Processing 3D Printing of Polymer Composites Based on Tunable Curing Resins with Photoswitchable Molecules.","authors":"Saiful Islam Sagor, Anasheh Khecho, Erina Baynojir Joyee","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00401","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00401","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study presents an additive manufacturing (AM) technique, photoswitchable direct light processing (P-DLP), which utilizes a dynamic mask imaging photoinitiation approach to mitigate light-scattering effects caused by filler particles like silicon carbide (SiC) in composite printing. Vat photopolymerization AM process offers high precision but faces significant challenges in balancing speed and resolution, material instability, and requiring extensive support structures during fabrication. The P-DLP technique overcomes these limitations by employing a dynamic masking system, where ultraviolet (UV) light initiates photopolymerization and visible (blue) light selectively inhibits undesired polymerization. This mechanism allows for precise control over the curing process, enabling the fabrication of complex high-resolution structures while minimizing scattering-induced distortions. A key aspect of this work is the resin formulation incorporating azobenzene as a photoswitchable additive, enhancing the controllability of the polymerization kinetics. UV-vis spectrophotometry results showed that azobenzene extended the absorption spectrum into the blue region, with higher concentrations significantly increasing the absorbance in the 380-500 nm range, confirming its potential as a photoinhibitor. Despite reductions in mechanical properties, the proposed dual-wavelength P-DLP method demonstrated robust control over layer curing, successfully inhibiting unwanted polymerization in the boundary and void regions. This enabled high-resolution printing with minimal overcuring artifacts. The advancements in P-DLP make it well-suited for applications demanding high precision and structural integrity, including optical, medical implants, and soft robotics. Overall, this approach marks a significant advancement in composite AM by overcoming key limitations of conventional methods and enabling the faster, more accurate fabrication of complex components for industrial and biomedical use.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"3 11","pages":"3751-3763"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12670390/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145671002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Removal of Uranium by Polymer Metal Oxide Nanofiber Composites: Enhanced Performance through Integration of Phthalic Acid.","authors":"Sewoon Kim, Sarah K Scherrer, Nicole M Shapiro, Chang Min Park, Tori Z Forbes, David M Cwiertny","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00648","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsaenm.5c00648","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We developed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers embedded with various commercially available metal oxide particles (Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, MnO₂, Co₃O₄, CoFe₂O₄, ZnFe₂O₄) via electrospinning for the removal of uranium (U-(VI)) from aqueous systems. We compared the performance of composites electrospun with and without the inclusion of phthalic acid (PTA), building on our prior evidence that PTA can promote particle dispersion in precursor sol-gels. Characterization using SEM, TEM, XPS, and BET confirmed that PTA results in improved metal oxide distribution within the polymer fiber, promotes enrichment of metal oxides on the nanofiber surface, and increases composite surface area and porosity. In batch sorption experiments, PTA-containing composites consistently exhibited greater U-(VI) uptake than those without PTA, producing more than 2- and 3-fold increases for top-performing Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂ composites, respectively. For Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂ composites with PTA, U-(VI) uptake increased from pH 2 to 7, suggesting a contribution from retained phthalic acid (as phthalate), and isotherm studies revealed sorption capacities exceeding ∼8 mg U/g (corresponding to >90% of U-(VI) removal) at environmentally relevant concentrations (∼1 μM). These composites are offer a simple, one-pot fabrication route to high-performing U-(VI) sorbents in which PTA improves metal oxide distribution, surface area and pore volume of the polymer-metal oxide composites while also contributing to U-(VI) uptake via cooperative binding with embedded metal oxides.</p>","PeriodicalId":55639,"journal":{"name":"ACS Applied Engineering Materials","volume":"3 11","pages":"3920-3931"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12670384/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145671109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}