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Sanogo B, Dogra P, Kalita K, Neto C, Zhang X. Interfacial hydrogen evolution reaction from Ouzo-effect-generated bulk nano/micro droplets of liquid organic hydrogen carriers. J Colloid Interface Sci 2025; 691:137346. [PMID: 40132429 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2025.137346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2025] [Revised: 03/10/2025] [Accepted: 03/15/2025] [Indexed: 03/27/2025]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Organosilanes as liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) offer a promising solution for the safe storage and transport of hydrogen gas as a clean energy source. However, the dehydrogenation reaction of organosilanes in the presence of water faces the challenge of sluggish kinetics in conventional bulk reactions. Dispersing organosilanes as stable nanodroplets in basic water offers a potential strategy to increase the interfacial area, thereby enhancing H2 production efficiency. EXPERIMENTS Organosilane nanodroplets were generated through spontaneous emulsification via the Ouzo effect in a ternary organosilane-water-acetone system. The reaction between the organosilane nano/microdroplets and the alkaline aqueous phase led to H2 generation. This study investigates how the composition and size distribution of these droplets influence H2 production yield. To gain deeper insight into the reaction mechanisms, single reacting microdroplets were analyzed using side-view imaging and confocal microscopy. FINDINGS Organosilane nano/microdroplets formed from the Ouzo effect in the presence of a co-solvent. H2 formation yields from interfacial reactions of these droplets reached up to 25%, whereas single reacting microdroplets achieved a maximum yield of 3.5%. This study demonstrates that spontaneous emulsification in ternary mixture using the Ouzo effect can enhance reaction kinetics and product yields. Furthermore, detailed insights into the behavior of H2 bubbles, from their nucleation within a microdroplet to their growth and eventual detachment, were obtained through the analysis of single reacting microdroplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boubakar Sanogo
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, Canada
| | - Pratibha Dogra
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, Canada; Complex Fluid Dynamics and Microfluidics (CFDM) Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Kangkana Kalita
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, Canada
| | - Chiara Neto
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Xuehua Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, Canada; Physics of Fluids Group and Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, 7500 AE, Enschede, the Netherlands.
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Sanogo B, Dogra P, Kalita K, Zhang X. Surfactant-Mediated Interfacial Hydrogen Evolution Reaction. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2025; 17:19512-19525. [PMID: 40105239 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c20384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2025]
Abstract
Hydrogen is a highly promising clean energy source without greenhouse gas emissions. Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) offer a promising alternative for convenient storage and transportation. This study investigates the interfacial hydrogen evolution reaction between polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMH), a representative LOHC, and water, focusing on controlling reaction kinetics by modifying interfacial properties with surfactants. The hydrogen production rate at a planar interface between PMH and water catalyzed by sodium hydroxide revealed that surfactants such as Tween 20 and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) can slow down the hydrogen formation by 5 to 20 times, possibly due to an overcrowded interface effect. In contrast, cationic surfactants, such as hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and other quaternary ammonium surfactants, act as pseudo phase-transfer catalysts and accelerate the hydrogen formation rate up to 3-fold at a concentration of 0.05 times their critical micelle concentration. As the PMH microdroplets were dispersed in the surfactant aqueous solution, the conversion yields of hydrogen with cationic surfactants reached up to 45%, which is significantly higher than the yields achieved with Tween 20 or SDS. The effects of the surfactant type were further confirmed by following hydrogen bubble growth in a single PMH droplet. Overall, our findings demonstrate that selecting an appropriate surfactant can provide an effective control over the interfacial reaction rate of dehydrogenation of LOHCs. This offers strategies for manipulating liquid-liquid interfaces and controlling in-demand hydrogen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boubakar Sanogo
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, Canada
| | - Pratibha Dogra
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, Canada
| | - Kangkana Kalita
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, Canada
| | - Xuehua Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, Canada
- Physics of Fluids Group and Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
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Kalita K, Zeng B, You JB, Li Y, Moyo A, Xu BB, Zhang X. Spontaneous Rise of Hydrogen Microbubbles in Interfacial Gas Evolution Reaction. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2400849. [PMID: 38644168 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202400849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Liquid organic hydrogen carrier is a promising option for the transport and storage of hydrogen as a clean energy source. This study examines the stability and behavior of organic drops immobilized on a substrate during an interfacial hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) at the drop surface and its surrounding aqueous solution. Hydrogen microbubbles form within the drop and rise to the drop apex. The growth rate of the hydrogen in-drop bubble increases with the concentration of the reactant in the surrounding medium. The drop remains stable till the buoyancy acting on the in-drop bubble is large enough to overcome the capillary force and the external viscous drag. The bubble spontaneously rises and carries a portion drop liquid to the solution surface. These spontaneous rising in-drop bubbles are detected in measurements using a high-precision sensor placed on the upper surface of the aqueous solution, reversing the settling phase from phase separation in the reactive emulsion. The finding from this work provides new insights into the behaviors of drops and bubbles in many interfacial gas evolution reactions in clean technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangkana Kalita
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Binglin Zeng
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 1H9, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Jae Bem You
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Yifan Li
- Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Anotidaishe Moyo
- Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Ben Bin Xu
- Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Xuehua Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 1H9, Canada
- Physics of Fluids Group and Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands
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Lin D, Wang S, Xu W, Chen Y, Li P, Fang YG, Zhao W, Duan X, Yang X, Jiang Z, Fang WH, Zeng XC, Francisco JS, Gao Y. Topological wetting states of microdroplets on closed-loop structured surfaces: Breakdown of the Gibbs equation at the microscale. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315730121. [PMID: 38557188 PMCID: PMC11009642 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315730121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Microdroplets are a class of soft matter that has been extensively employed for chemical, biochemical, and industrial applications. However, fabricating microdroplets with largely controllable contact-area shape and apparent contact angle, a key prerequisite for their applications, is still a challenge. Here, by engineering a type of surface with homocentric closed-loop microwalls/microchannels, we can achieve facile size, shape, and contact-angle tunability of microdroplets on the textured surfaces by design. More importantly, this class of surface topologies (with universal genus value = 1) allows us to reveal that the conventional Gibbs equation (widely used for assessing the edge effect on the apparent contact angle of macrodroplets) seems no longer applicable for water microdroplets or nanodroplets (evidenced by independent molecular dynamics simulations). Notably, for the flat surface with the intrinsic contact angle ~0°, we find that the critical contact angle on the microtextured counterparts (at edge angle 90°) can be as large as >130°, rather than 90° according to the Gibbs equation. Experiments show that the breakdown of the Gibbs equation occurs for microdroplets of different types of liquids including alcohol and hydrocarbon oils. Overall, the microtextured surface design and topological wetting states not only offer opportunities for diverse applications of microdroplets such as controllable chemical reactions and low-cost circuit fabrications but also provide testbeds for advancing the fundamental surface science of wetting beyond the Gibbs equation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Lin
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo315211, China
| | - Shixian Wang
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100190, China
- School of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Wenwu Xu
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo315211, China
| | - Yuhao Chen
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo315211, China
| | - Pei Li
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo315211, China
| | - Ye-Guang Fang
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100190, China
- School of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Wenhui Zhao
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo315211, China
| | - Xiangmei Duan
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo315211, China
| | - Xinju Yang
- Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai200438, China
| | - Zuimin Jiang
- Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai200438, China
| | - Wei-Hai Fang
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing100875, China
| | - Xiao Cheng Zeng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong999077, China
| | - Joseph S. Francisco
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Yurui Gao
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100190, China
- School of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
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Amin MO, D'Cruz B, Al-Hetlani E. Continuous synthesis of BaFe 2O 4 and BaFe 12O 19 nanoparticles in a droplet microreactor for efficient detection of antihistamine drugs in oral fluid using surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. Analyst 2023; 148:4489-4503. [PMID: 37578130 DOI: 10.1039/d3an01081c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS) has received considerable attention as a complementary approach to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), offering substantial potential for analyzing molecules in the low-mass region. Herein, we propose a facile method, a microreactor for the synthesis of two types of barium ferrite (BaFe2O4 and BaFe12O19) nanoparticles (NPs) within moving droplets for detecting antihistamine (AH) drugs in oral fluid (OF). The synthesized BaFe2O4 and BaFe12O19 NPs exhibited small particle size, good ultraviolet absorption, and excellent performance in SALDI-MS, as determined by survival yield measurements. The limits-of-detection for AH drugs were in the range of 1 pg mL-1 to 100 ng mL-1, and spot-spot reproducibility of the SALDI substrates was satisfactory. Moreover, when analyzing cetirizine in OF, the obtained recoveries of cetirizine were 101% and 99% using BaFe2O4 and BaFe12O19 NP, respectively. Furthermore, the proposed method was validated by analyzing OF samples from a healthy volunteer who consumed a 5 mg levocetirizine tablet for seven days. SALDI-MS analysis confirmed the successful detection of endogenous components, the parent ion of cetirizine, and other exogenous substances. This study reports an advanced application of droplet microreactor technology for designing and synthesizing a wide range of novel and efficient SALDI-MS substrates for various applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed O Amin
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat - 13060, Kuwait.
| | - Bessy D'Cruz
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat - 13060, Kuwait.
| | - Entesar Al-Hetlani
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat - 13060, Kuwait.
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Zheng J, Qi J, Song S, Yuan K, Zhang L, Zhao H, Lü J, Zhu B, Zhang Y, Hu J. An antioxidation strategy based on ultra-small nanobubbles without exogenous antioxidants. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8455. [PMID: 37231048 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35766-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Antioxidation is in demand in living systems, as the excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) in organisms lead to a variety of diseases. The conventional antioxidation strategies are mostly based on the introduction of exogenous antioxidants. However, antioxidants usually have shortcomings of poor stability, non-sustainability, and potential toxicity. Here, we proposed a novel antioxidation strategy based on ultra-small nanobubbles (NBs), in which the gas-liquid interface was employed to enrich and scavenge ROS. It was found that the ultra-small NBs (~ 10 nm) exhibited a strong inhibition on oxidization of extensive substrates by hydroxyl radicals, while the normal NBs (~ 100 nm) worked only for some substrates. Since the gas-water interface of the ultra-small NBs is non-expendable, its antioxidation would be sustainable and its effect be cumulative, which is different to that using reactive nanobubbles to eliminate free radicals as the gases are consumptive and the reaction is unsustainable. Therefore, our antioxidation strategy based on ultra-small NB would provide a new solution for antioxidation in bioscience as well as other fields such as materials, chemical industry, food industry, etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Juncheng Qi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Sanzhao Song
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Kaiwei Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lijuan Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Hongwei Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Junhong Lü
- CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Beien Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China.
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Jun Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China.
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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Zhou K, Maugard V, Zhang W, Zhou J, Zhang X. Effects of Gas Type, Oil, Salts and Detergent on Formation and Stability of Air and Carbon Dioxide Bubbles Produced by Using a Nanobubble Generator. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:nano13091496. [PMID: 37177046 PMCID: PMC10180106 DOI: 10.3390/nano13091496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent developments in ultrafine bubble generation have opened up new possibilities for applications in various fields. Herein, we investigated how substances in water affect the size distribution and stability of microbubbles generated by a common nanobubble generator. By combining light scattering techniques with optical microscopy and high-speed imaging, we were able to track the evolution of microbubbles over time during and after bubble generation. Our results showed that air injection generated a higher number of microbubbles (<10 μm) than CO2 injection. Increasing detergent concentration led to a rapid increase in the number of microbubbles generated by both air and CO2 injection and the intensity signal detected by dynamic light scattering (DLS) slightly increased. This suggested that surface-active molecules may inhibit the growth and coalescence of bubbles. In contrast, we found that salts (NaCl and Na2CO3) in water did not significantly affect the number or size distribution of bubbles. Interestingly, the presence of oil in water increased the intensity signal and we observed that the bubbles were coated with an oil layer. This may contribute to the stability of bubbles. Overall, our study sheds light on the effects of common impurities on bubble generation and provides insights for analyzing dispersed bubbles in bulk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyu Zhou
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Vincent Maugard
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Wenming Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Joe Zhou
- Disruptive Separation Technology Ltd. (DSTL), Edmonton, AB T6X 1M5, Canada
| | - Xuehua Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
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