Browsing by Author "Dr. M. Shahid Nazir"

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Cellulose Nanozyme Composites for the Remediation of Pharmaceutical Wastewater
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Wasama Intikhab; CIIT/SP24-R06-020/LHR; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 10025
In this research, the synthesis and description of a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) derived Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe₃O₄ composite will be sought in which the intended purpose will be to utilize the compound in the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater. The rationale behind the use of the CNC is that it is biocompatible with high surface area and has the potential to provide a successful support structure of metal oxides. The compounds were found to be very effective in removing contaminants, which was enhanced by the addition of Fe3O4, Zn and Mn nanoparticles that enhanced the catalytic and adsorption characteristics of the compounds. It was determined, as a consequence of the experimental work, that the Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe₃O₄@CNC composite exhibited a good catalytic degradation of pharmaceutical contaminants and most particularly under varied pH condition and greatest activity at pH alkalinity. The effectiveness of the functionalization and stability of the composite structure in the degradation process was validated by the UV-vis analysis and FTIR analysis. The paper introduces the prospect of the Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe₃O₄@CNC composite as a new environmental friendly and a high promising material in the process of advanced wastewater treatment that will serve as a sustainable solution to the pharmaceutical pollution and will aid in preserving the environment and human health.
Development of a Modified Porphyrin Based Composite for Biomedical Application
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Husnain Ali Awan; CIIT/SP24-R06-022/LHR; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 10026
Zn-TCPP@CNC, a novel fluorescent nanocomposite was prepared by conjugation of Zn-TCPP and CNC. That Zn2+ ions have been successfully coordinated with the porphyrin core, the key functional groups are retained, and the MOF interacts well with the CNC support have been confirmed by structural and optical characterizations, such as UV-Vis, FTIR, and XRD. FESEM analysis showed rod shaped morphology with MOF particles decorated on the surface, this leads to high surface area and less aggregation of the MOF particles, which is ideal in sensing application. Fluorescence of Zn-TCPP@CNC was studied in the process of selectively detecting ascorbic acid. The material had maximum absorption at 420 nm, and showed fluorescence emission spectra with peaks between 600-700nm, which was effectively quenched with the help of ascorbic acid through a photoinduced electron transfer process. Optimization experiments have shown that a material concentration of 200 mL gave both stable and reproducible fluorescence values. The specificity of the sensor was proved by selectivity experiments, which showed low interference with glucose, fructose, urea, uric acid and biogenic amines. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the quenching effect was concentration-dependent, and, therefore, allowed the quantitative determination of ascorbic acid. The slope of the calibration curve and the standard deviation of the blank values were used to determine the limit of detection (LOD) which is 18.29 µM. This is explained by the fact that quenching is because of effective molecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonding and photoinduced electron transfer. These findings suggest that Zn-TCPP@CNC is a sensitive, selective, and reliable platform of fluorescence detection of ascorbic acid.
Facile Synthesis of MOF for Enhanced Photo- fenton Degradation of Pesticide from Model Wastewater
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Amir Mushtaq; CIIT/SP24-R06-001/LHR; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 10013
Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have proved to be a porous material of high surface area, adjustable chemical properties, whereas spinel ferrite nanoparticles have distinct magnetic and electronic properties and their composites are of great interest to the environment. In this research, a useful and efficient photocatalytic compound, MOF-5 and Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4, was effectively prepared by attaching the Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles onto the MOF-5 structure. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the existence of typical diffraction peaks of the two MOF-5 and Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4, which show that the composite was formed without phase segregating and the crystalline structure of MOF-5 remained intact. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) showed several peaks of the metal-oxygen and metal-metal-oxygen stretching vibrations of Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 and the vibrations of the MOF-5 organic linkers indicating that the nanoparticles were highly interacting with the MOF framework. The distribution of Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles in porous MOF-5 was shown based on the Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) images, which indicated a uniform distribution in the interconnected microstructure of the material, resulting in high surface area and easy accessibility of the active site. The composite was studied by UV- Visible spectroscopy, revealing specific absorption peaks within the range of 200-800 nm, with minor variations to pure MOF-5, and bandgap was calculated to be 1.87 eV, which has better light-harvesting properties and the possibility of visible-light driven photocatalysis. Under optimal conditions identified with the analysis of the Design Expert, the degradation of imidacloprid in model wastewater was performed under following conditions: reaction pH 4, a constant dosage of 10 mg catalyst, 112.5 μL hydrogen peroxide, and 40 ppm imidacloprid in 10 min reaction time, and the maximum degradation efficiency reached 97.95%, this highlights composite’s efficiency and applicability in environmental remediation.
Metal Modified ZIF-8 MOF for Control Drug Release Study
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus., 2025-04-01) Noor Ul Huda Mehmood; CIIT/FA23-R06-018/LHR; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 9691
This research introduces a novel nanocomposite, Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4@ZIF-8, which has been developed and tested as a promising nanocarrier for delivering the anticancer drug cisplatin in a controlled manner. This composite combines the impressive surface area and pH-sensitive attributes of ZIF-8 with the unique magnetic and catalytic features of Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles. The method involved the in situ development of ZIF-8 on the surface of Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4, which was treated with CTAB, and this took place in a methanol medium. The analyses of the structure and morphology confirmed that the formation and encapsulation were achieved successfully.We fine-tuned the drug loading experiments with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) using a Central Composite Design (CCD), and we managed to achieve an impressive drug loading efficiency of 74%. We carried out in vitro release tests under three different pH levels (5.4, 7.4, and 8.5) to mimic the conditions found in tumor environments and the human body. The results indicated that the release profile was responsive to pH changes, peaking at around 75% when the pH was neutral (7.4).We explored different models to analyze how the drug is released, and it turns out that the pseudo-second-order model fit the data really well (R² > 0.99). This suggests that the mechanisms of chemisorption and complex formation play a key role in how the drug is released. The improved formulation displayed a steady release pattern, hinting that it could help cut down on how often doses are needed and lessen adverse effects.To sum it up, this research highlights that Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4@ZIF-8 stands out as a potential multifunctional platform for innovative smart drug delivery systems. It offers adjustable loading and release capabilities, magnetic responsiveness, and finely-tuned release kinetics specifically designed for cancer treatment.
Mn-Zn Ferrite Nanoparticles for Removal of Arsenic from Model Wastewater
(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2020-02-20) Muhammad Yar; FA18-R06-020; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 6498
The goal of this research is to synthesize and characterize the different composition of magnetic Zn0.5Mn0.5-xFe2O4 nanoparticles for the removal of toxic pollutants from wastewater. It has been reported that nanoparticles can adsorb pollutants more efficiently from wastewater as compared to other adsorbents due to their small size, high surface area, magnetic properties, high chemical reactivity and selectivity. Nanoparticles can be prepared by different methods e.g., co-precipitation, hydrothermal, sol-gel, solution combustion, and pulse-laser ablation where co-precipitation is more efficient due to its properties like cost effective, , simple methodology, better homogeneity, and rapid operation. Different methods have been used to remove pollutant from water but adsorption method for separation is most popular due to easier methodology, requires lesser volume for process, high efficiency, easiness and characteristic of regeneration and produce lower volume of sludge. Synthesis of Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 and Zn0.5Mn0.4Fe2O4 nanoparticles was confirmed by FTIR and XRD used as adsorbent for removal of contaminants from wastewater. In XRD graph, strong peaks at 300, 340, 350, 430, 520, 550, 640 confirm the formation of crystalline cubic spinel ferrite nanoparticles. FTIR spectra of sintered cubic spinel ferrite nanoparticles correlated with peaks 1102 cm-1 and 1454 cm-1 of nanoparticles from literature which confirms the formation without the presence of –OH group on the surface due to sintering. These composition shows large surface area of 22.42 (m2/g) and porosity is 3.8 nm in reported analysis which enables them to show high adsorption and they can easily separate out from solution after adsorption due to their magnetic nature by applying external magnetic field. Zn0.5Mn0.5-xFe2O4 showed high adsorption capacity of MO and can remove 80% of MO from water in 20 min.
Modified Cellulose Nanocrystals for Effective Pesticide Removal from Model Wastewater
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus., 2025-04-01) Amina Naveed; CIIT/FA23-R06-003/LHR; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 9681
Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are a renewable and biodegradable emerging nanomaterial obtained by acid hydrolysis having high surface area, abundant hydroxyl groups, and strong dispersibility. The combination of CNCs with spinel ferrite nanoparticles could produce such composites with excellent features and enhanced performance for environmental applications. Therefore, the aim of this work is to synthesize a stable, sustainable photocatalyst for imidacloprid (IMI) degradation from the model wastewater by synthesizing Zn0.3Co0.7Fe2O₄ nanoparticles using the sol-gel method and then incorporating CNC to create a novel photocatalyst CNC@Zn0.3Co0.7Fe2O₄. Characterizations were conducted with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and UV-VIS spectroscopy. The FTIR results exhibit the CNC blending with ferrite nanoparticles through intermolecular bonding. The XRD pattern shows the CNC@Zn0.3Co0.7Fe2O₄ crystallinity, which is similar to that of pure CNC and pure Zn0.3Co0.7Fe2O₄, indicating successful blending stability. The SEM images reveal an interconnected porous microstructure with Zn0.3Co0.7Fe2O₄ nanoparticles evenly dispersed within the CNC matrix. The UV-VIS results confirm the changes in electronic properties of the synthesized photocatalyst. The photocatalyst CNC@Zn0.3Co0.7Fe2O₄ shows effective photocatalytic degradation ability to degrade IMI from model wastewater under UV light, indicating the applicability of this photocatalyst for environmental remediations. The optimal conditions, using box-Behnken design, were pH 6, catalyst 22.5 mg, 112.5 µL hydrogen peroxide, IMI concentration of 50 mg/l and reaction time 10 minutes to achieve 97.95% degradation efficiency. The photocatalyst shows promising reusability in three successive runs.
pH-responsive MOF as Drug Carrier for Controlled Drug Release Studies
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Esha Sohail; FA22-R06-003; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 9321
Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous materials composed of metal ions or clusters that are connected by organic ligands. These structures are currently being extensively studied as drug delivery systems (DDS) due to their ability to be customized, high capacity for holding cargo, and ease of modification for targeting specific areas and improving stability within the body. Zirconium (Zr) and its metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), especially the well-known Zr terephthalate UiO-66, have been extensively researched due to their outstanding biocompatibility. In this paper, we present a thorough investigation of Zr-MOF in relation to its application in drug delivery. The Zr-MOF is capable of accommodating the drug cisplatin (CP) and can also undergo surface alteration during synthesis, either by coordination modulation or post-synthetic. The FTIR analysis of PEGylated, Silanized Zr-MOF shows a significant peak at 648cm-1 confirming the O-Zr-O bond with peaks at 3648cm-1, 1940cm-1, 1345cm-1, and 1200 cm-1 confirming the O-H of the polymer, C=N vibration, C-N vibration of imidazole and C-O vibration of the composite. Peak at 650cm-1 corresponds to the N-Si-O bond which confirms the incorporation of poly(ethylene) glycol particles inside the MOF structure. Moreover, XRD analysis shows characteristic peak positions at 7.3º, 8.3 º, 11.89 º, and 25.4º indicates a high level of crystallinity in the synthesized product, confirming the presence of UiO66-NH2, APTES and PEG. The drug release study UiO66-NH2 and modified UiO66-NH2 were conducted at acidic, basic, and neutral pH levels over a specific period of time. The highest amount of 90% of Cisplatin was released under acidic circumstances. The strong connections between the modified MOF and the molecules of the CP medication are due to the inclusion of APTES and PEG, causing them to entangle with the drug molecules. Ammino functionalized UiO66 is more effective at transporting the drug Cisplatin (CP) to target sites. The results show that ammino functionalized Zr-MOF is an attractive alternative to UiO-66 for drug delivery.
Surface Etched Mixed Matrix Membrane for Desulfurization of Model Diesel Oil
(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2020-02-17) Sadaf Ahmad; FA18-R06-001; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 5959
Fuel counts in basic necessity of modern life. However, fuel consumption has been turned into severe danger to the environment as well as human life due to the presence of sulfur components in fuel. Therefore, it has become essentially important to achieve ultra-low sulfur fuel. For this purpose, desulfurization has been vastly undergoing by using various techniques in recent decades. Polyoxometalates (POMs) are polyatomic anions comprising transition metal oxyanions associated with bridged oxygen atoms resulting in closed three-dimensional assemblies. POMs and their hybrid materials (such as POM-based porphyrin and POM based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)), have been mostly reported in multidisciplinary research fields as brilliant candidates due to their characteristics properties. Specifically, hybrids of POM and porphyrin (~ POM@Porphyrin = POMOF) are outstanding materials for intended applications which being inorganic filler further incorporate in mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). MMMs generally fabricated through incorporation of inorganic fillers in polymeric matrix, have achieved great attention in recent research progress due to multiple applications in gas storage, catalysis, sensing, wastewater treatment, and biomedicine. The main objective of the current study is to use POMOF as a catalyst in desulfurization. Therefore, three POMOFs were fabricated by varying ratios (1:1, 2:1, 3:1) of cationic and anionic species. Characterization analyses such as UV/Vis, FTIR, and TGA showed successful synthesis of these POMOFs. The efficiency of POMOFs followed an order as 3 (95.5%)> 2 (85.5%)> 1 (70.3%). Among these three POMOFs, 3 exhibited excellent catalytic property in desulfurization. Furthermore, the desulfurization process could be recycled for ten times without a significant decrease in catalytic efficiency. Interestingly, POMOFs successfully accomplished desulfurization of model diesel oil and showed excellent renewability. To the best of our knowledge, such kind of POMOFs with special surroundings and bi-functional active sites are not reported.
Synthesis and Characterization of Al-Based Metal Organic Framework for Environmental Application
(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2021-02-25) Maria Shamim; FA19-R06-003; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 7325
Metal organic framework, also called porous co-ordination networks are highly advanced class of crystalline materials with high porosity. MOFs synthesis is influenced via various factors such as solvent, pH and temperature of the system and can be synthesized via various routes. MOFs functionalization can be carried out pre-synthetically or via post-synthetic mode while there are various methods for the activation of MOFs out of which thermal activation is immensely in practice. Synthesis of environment friendly and water stable MOFs is the need of the hour, to be used in environmental applications. Aluminium being the light metal with smaller ionic radius and higher charge makes hydrothermally stable MOFs; a distinguished feature fit to carry out environmental applications such as dye adsorption and heavy metal remediation. Among variously synthesized MOFs, MIL-96(Al) stands out significantly in terms of stability. Three different combinations of MOFs 1) CTAB Modified MIL-96(Al) 2) CTAB-Fe3O4@MIL-96(Al) 3) Fe3O4@MIL-96(Al)/Ag-CTAB, are prepared using MIL-96(Al). These MOFs are characterized via FTIR at each step of their synthesis to confirm the synthesis. XRD has been carried out to confirm the crystallinity of the synthesized materials. MIL-96(Al) is a microcrystalline structure, as proved from 2Ө using XRD studies; characteristics peaks appearing at 9.2o and 11.2o. Average crystal size is determined to be 30.84nm for CTAB Modified MIL-96(Al), 30.95nm for CTAB-Fe3O4@MIL-96(Al) and 16.98nm for Fe3O4@MIL-96(Al)/Ag-CTAB. These synthesized MOFs have turned out be efficient adsorbent for dye removal such as methylene blue. Adsorption efficiencies of CTAB Modified MIL-96(Al), CTAB-Fe3O4@MIL-96(Al) and Fe3O4@MIL-96(Al)/Ag-CTAB are found to be 71.16%, 83.04% and 63.28%, respectively. Further, presence of certain functional groups in these MOFs can be suggestive of their use to be explored in heavy metal remediation as well.
Synthesis and Characterization of Carbon & Nitrogen based Covalent Organic Framework to Explore Biomedical Application
(library Information Services CUI Lahore Campus, 2020-02-16) Bakar bin Khatab Abbasi; FA18-R06-031; LHR TP 5969; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) represent a class of advanced porous materials with outstanding properties such as less density, excellent surface area, and adjustable pore structure and size. These materials proved themselves promising in several fields including separation science, catalysis, sensing, and biomedicine. Recently, many techniques have been developed to synthesize different types of COFs for instance boron-based COFs, imine-based COF, hydrazine-based COFs, and ketoenamine-based COFs according to the nature of linkers and the purpose of application. Among these types of COFs, imine-based COFs are found to be most potential candidate for various applications. Major selection factors in the synthesis of COFs include stability of monomers and facile synthesis route at room temperature. Keeping in view all the above aspects, an imine-based COF has been synthesized at room temperature. Triformylbenzene (TFB) and benzidine (BD) monomers reacted at reported conditions and successfully obtained COF, donated as TFB-BD. Successful synthesis and structure of the COF TFB-BD was confirmed by FTIR and XRD. In FTIR the C=N peak at 1617 cm-1 clearly indicated the formation of framework between the two monomers. In XRD strongest diffraction peak at 2Ө at 2.66° presented confirmation of crystalline nature of synthesized COF-TFB-BD. Furthermore, in SEM and TEM imaging, the morphological characteristic showed porous nature of the prepared COF. Literature describes the utilization of this COF may be explored for biomedical application.
Synthesis and Characterization of Cellulose based MOF for Photo-Catalytic Application
(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2021-02-26) Zarmina Ali; SP20-R06-015; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 7569
Metal organic frameworks are porous materials which are formed by the combination of organic and inorganic substances joined together by coordinate covalent bonds. This class of compounds possess many unique characteristic features. Such as high porosity, large surface area, stability and ability to modify their properties. MOFs are widely used for water treatment, sensing applications, in catalysis, removal of contaminants from air, and in targeted drug delivery applications. The Bio–MOFs with polysaccharides functionalities have gained a lot of importance due to their biocompatible nature and strengthened structures, without affecting internal properties of MOFs. Cellulose is a biodegradable, cost effective natural material which can be used to enhance the porosity, crystallinity & surface area of MOFs .However, Cellulose based MOFs show poor aqueous stability because cellulose swells in water due to its hydrophilic nature. In this work, hydrophobic composite of cellulose based Ni MOF composite is synthesized and has been explored for photocatalytic dye degradation. Aqueous stability of novel composite was achieved by its modification through adipic acid. After synthesizing cellulose from cotton stalk, it has been converted into nanocrystals to get versatile properties that is higher crystallinity. Ni MOF possesses excellent feature of narrow Band gap region (2.3 eV approximately).Narrow regions cause to improve the absorption of light rays, thereby facilitating dye degradation through photocatalysis. Two different combinations of MOFs that is CNCs @ Ni-MOF & CNCs @ AP@ Ni-MOF are synthesized. Kappa no. of extracted cellulose was found to be 30.5, which showed effective removal of lignin content from it.These novel composites are characterized via FTIR at each step during their preparation to confirm the successful modification. For CNCs @AP @ Ni MOF, the characteristic peak at 712cm-1 shows O-Ni-O bonding. The major peaks present in the regions of 3339 and 1102 cm−1, corresponding to the stretching vibrations of -OH functionality and glycosidic linkage (C-O-C) respectively. One of the major peak which proves the modification by adipic acid, was appeared at 1440 cm−1, ascribed the bending
Synthesis and Characterization of COFs Composite for Cancer Drug Delivery
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Asma Asghar Dr. M. Shahid Nazir Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali LHR TP 9323; FA22-R06-018; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 9323
Covalent organic frameworks, often known as COFs, are permanent porosity and highly ordered crystalline porous organic materials. COFs can be synthetically controlled, structurally predesigned, and functionally managed, in contrast to other materials. In order to create complicated structures and customized functional development, COFs provide an appropriate molecular platform. They are perfect for drug delivery because of their greater surface area, biodegradability, and crystallinity. In this study, a simple and adaptable synthesis technique was develop to produce COF LZU1 and utilize it as a model medicine to deliver 5-fluorouracil (5FU), a popular anticancer drug. During the synthesis of COFs, the choice of building units and suitable conditions are the two most important factors. Here, we successfully create imine-linked COF-LZU1 at room temperature through the condensation process of 1,3,5 triformyl benzene with p-Phenylenediamine. For biomedical applications, such as targeted drug delivery, controlled drug release, and biocompatibility, ZnO is added to LZU1 to improve its characteristics. By using FTIR and XRD, the synthesis of Zn@COF-LZU1 and COF-LZU1 was verified. In FTIR spectra C=N appears at 1617 cm 1 that confirms the condensation reaction between two selected monomers. The prominent diffraction peak at 2θ at 4.78o in XRD demonstrates that COF-LZU1 is crystalline. The main objective was to create and enhance a 5-fluorouracil system using the Box-Behnken design (BBD). Drug concentration, pH, and time are all set in accordance with the Box-Behnken design for the experiment. In order to determine the interaction between the independent and dependent variables, Design-Expert's contour, mathematical calculations, response surfaces designs were used.
Synthesis and Characterization of Imine Linked-Covalent Organic Frameworks for Drug Control Release Studies
(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2020-02-20) Awais Ali Aslam; SP19-R06-013; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 6516
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are new class of emerging porous crystalline materials that have outstanding properties like high surface area, less density and controlled pore size and structure. Owing these outstanding properties COFs proved themselves as excellent materials in numerous fields such as gas separation, gas storage, energy storage, catalysis and biomedical. Based on different building units COFs have been classified into boron containing COFs, imine-based COFs, hydrazine-based COFs and imide-based COFs. Various synthetic approaches have been explored for the construction of COFs such as solvothermal method, microwave method, ionothermal method and room temperature synthesis method. Two factors are very important for the synthesis of COFs, one is selection of building units and second is suitable conditions. Here we synthesize imine linked COF at room temperature. Successful synthesis of imine linked COF-LZU1 was done by the condensation reaction between Triformyl benzene and 1,4-diaminobenzene. COF-LZU1 was modified with Ag particles by the reaction between silver nitrate and COF-LZU1. Synthesis of COF-LZU1 and Ag@COF-LZU1 was confirmed by FTIR and XRD. In FTIR spectra C=N appears at 1616 cm-1 that confirms the condensation reaction between two selected monomers. In XRD strong diffraction peak at 2Ɵ at 4.78o confirms the crystalline nature of COF-LZU1. COF-LZU1 showed the photocatalytic degradation of MB and CR dyes in visible light with percentage degradation of 72.21 and 67.7, respectively.
Synthesis and Characterization of Modified Filler Mixed Matrix Membrane for Dyes Degradation
(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2020-02-19) Bushra Anees Palvasha; FA18-R06-021; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 6499
It is acknowledged that water is the survival key for life on earth. Millions of human lives expire due to privation of water quality, ineffective management as well as low-quality wastewater treatment protocols. Water contamination involves the addition of harmful impurities e.g., herbicides, pesticides, dyes, resins etc.. According to survey, above 0.7 million tons of organic dyes are manufactured per annum that are used in many commercial products of cosmetics, painting, foods, plastic, textile etc. Dyes from the textile industry has been identified as the most polluting agent in comparison to others in industrial sector due to the discharge of around 25% leaching of toxic chemicals to water system. Among these dyes, azo dyes contribute nearly 50% of these contaminations. Various protocols are approved and tested for the removal of dye color in wastewater, that are classified as chemical, physical, and biological methods. Among these, the conventional biological protocols are cited as less effective due to high salinity of dyes wastewater and high stability of dyes structure. Currently, photo-catalysis has been reflected as an effective protocol for the destruction of dye due to easy treatment protocols, recyclability, cost-effectiveness and ecofriendly nature. Among various photocatalysts, Polyoxometalates (POMs) are contributing much more due to effective photodegradation nature, low-cost and easy synthesis protocol. Polyoxometalates (POMs) are polyatomic anions comprising transition metal oxyanions associated with bridged oxygen atoms resulting in closed three-dimensional assemblies. Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are novel porous constituents consist of several organic ligands and metal nodes through coordination links, which are characterized by a high degree of modularity, excellent porosity and versatility. Due to high surface area, well crystalline structure, porous nature and tunable properties of linkers, MOFs showed numerous impending applications such as, energy storage, gas uptake, heterogeneous catalysis, pollutant elimination etc. POMs and MOF hybrids such as POM based metal-organic frameworks (PMOFs) have been mostly reported in multidisciplinary research fields as brilliant candidates due to their characteristics properties. However, high solubility of POMs and difficulty facing in dealing powder catalyst limits their application on industrial scale
Synthesis and Characterization of MOF-on-MOF Hybrid for the Application of Photocatalysis
(LHR TP 8641, 2023-02-27) Alia Farooq; SP22-R06-002; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 8641
Metal organic frameworks, made-up of organic ligands and inorganic connections used for extensive applications. The current study focused on the synthesis of efficient novel ZIF-67@MIL-96(Al) core shell hybrid for effective electrocatalytic water splitting. Hybrid was synthesized by solvothermal approach in which ZIF-67 serves as a shell and MIL-96(Al) as a core. For enhancing their stability novel hybrid was modified with CTAB and APTES. Synthesized and modified hybrids were characterized by IR and XRD, which were used to analyze the crystallinity and functional groups. The characterization peaks describe the successful formation of MOFs, MOF on MOF Hybrid & Modified Hybrids. The performance of this core shell novel material in terms of its ability to catalyze the oxygen evolution reaction in the process of water splitting was then assessed. The novel ZIF-67@MIL-96(Al) hybrid exhibits a very low overpotential of 210 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH, as well as a Tafel slope of 62 mV dec−1. These performance metrics surpass those of both ZIF-67 & MIL-96(Al), which has overpotential of 272 mV 240 mV and Tafel values are 75 mV.dec-1 & 82 mV. dec-1. Furthermore, the electrode that was constructed exhibited remarkable chemical stability, therefore generating new opportunities for studying water splitting electrocatalysts which are essential for sustainable energy conversion. Hierarchical nanoarrays with core-shelled structure maximize active sites and efficient mass & electron transit increased electrochemical reaction surface area. This study describes a simple way to make excellent electrocatalysts for electrolysis of water, storage, and electrochemical energy conversion applications.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nitrogen Base Covalent Organic Framework for Environmental Application
(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2021-02-25) Malka Shahid; A19-R06-027; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 7319
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are porous two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures due to their large structural diversity, inherent porosity, and excellent stability has been acknowledged as an excellent and versatile platform for gas adsorption, gas, and energy storage, as the heterogenous catalyst, in optoelectronic devices, in chemical sensing, treatment of wastewater, pollutants detection and their removal, photoconductivity, biomedical applications and for dye adsorption. Several different dyes are used for different applications to overcome the environmental parameters suitable dye storage, dye release, and dye removal method is required. So our main objective was to figure a desirable COF of resplendent porosity and stability with a less heat-intensive method for dye application. These days, there has been a major sake given to the development of the nanocomposites by employing the nanoscale panorama in one of two constituents. To produce nanocomposites of amended structure and corporeal features, the maintenance of nanoparticles and agglomeration is necessary for technological application. In this sense, Iron and Iron oxide nanoparticles have been considered as an efficient material for dye removal but iron-based magnetic nanoparticles (such as Fe3O4 and γ-Fe2O) have very low stability in harsh conditions, and decomposition of material result in loss of their magnetic properties. In this study, the modification of COFs is done by the preparation of Iron-based magnetic COFs (Fe3O4@LZU-1) which also ensue the stabilization of magnetic nanoparticles. For the preparation of Fe3O4 @LZU-1, a very facile approach is utilized which shows excellent chemical stability. Synthesis of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4@LZU1 was confirmed by FTIR and XRD. In FTIR spectra of Fe3O4@LZU-1, C=N appears at 1622 cm-1 that confirms the condensation reaction between two selected monomers. In XRD all the characteristics peaks were observed in the sample of Fe3O4 NPs and Fe3O4@LZU-1 fitted well with the JCPDS database (Card no. 075-1609) indicating that the formation of shell on the surface of NPs does not cause any evident change in diffraction peaks. According to the previous studies in Fe3O4 NPs for achieving the superparamagnetism, the estimated particles size is considered to be below 20 nm, and here in our reported work particle size for both magnetic nanoparticles and COF x magnetic nanocomposite is 11.93 and 10.58 nm which shows high magnetization saturation
Synthesis and Characterization of Polysaccharide-MOF Composites for Environmental Remediation
(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2021-02-25) Osama Kokab; SP20-R06-002; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 7557
MOFs are porous co-ordination networks/polymers which are highly crystalline substances with enhanced porosity, large surface area and improved overall attributes. These cages comprise of metal ion clusters which serve as the secondary building units (SBUs). Based on the coordination geometry of the organic linkers with metal ions; their structure and unique attributes can vary accordingly. Zeolitic Imidazole Framework-8 (ZIF-8) have improved structural porosity, flexibility, surface functionality and crystalline nature making it feasible to be utilized in various applications including the gas storage, CO2 adsorption, alkane/alkene separation and the catalysis. The biodegradability, higher surface area, and flexible binding interaction between the cellulose and ZIF-8 have made it an ideal choice for the various water remediation applications. The poor wet chemistry of the ZIF8-Cellulose composite is reported previously as the cellulose swells and loose dimensional stability in aqueous media. To overcome this problem, the ZIF8-APTES-Cellulose composite is synthesized which have high hydrophobicity and aqueous stability. The wet chemistry is tested by measuring the water contact angle which is 139.5°. The FTIR analysis shows a significant peak at 450cm-1 confirming the Zn-N bond along with peaks at 1550cm-1, 1480 cm-1, 1080cm-1, and 1020 cm-1 confirming the N-H bending of APTES, C=N vibration, C-N vibration of imidazole and C-O vibration of the composite respectively. Moreover, XRD analysis of the composite shows characteristic peak positions at 7.3°, 10.3°, 12.7°, 18°, 22.7° and 35.02° confirming the presence of ZIF8, APTES and cellulose. The dye degradation efficiency for the composite is explored at different conditions such as pH, dose of adsorbent, and concentration of dyes to achieve the optimized results. The maximum efficiency for the degradation of Congo Red dye is achieved 95% with 4mg dose of adsorbent at pH 4.0. This study opens up avenue for the dye remediation of wastewater.
Thermal Stability and Fire Retardant Studies of Polymeric Nanocomposites based on Layered Double Hydroxides
(Library Information Services COMSATS University Islamabad Lahore Campus, 2020-02-17) Raheel Ayub; FA18-R06-006; Dr. M. Shahid Nazir; LHR TP 5959
Layered double hydroxide (LDH) has been used as nanofiller in different polymer industry and gained extra intention in 21th century due to substantially improved physical, electrical, mechanical and extraordinary flame retardant properties. LDH nanofiller have variable charge density, which allows various interactions with the host polymer matrices. In this study, MOF based LDH and MOF based CNTs/LDH nanocomposites were synthesized by using MOF and CNTs as precursor respectively, by co-precipitation method to improve flame retardant efficiency of polymer. Pristine LDH have limitations of toxicity, low limited oxygen index (LOI %), high peak heat release rate, and high loadings. Acidic modification of MWCNTs was synthesized by co-precipitation method with nitric acid (HNO3) and sulphuric acid (H2SO4). MOF based LDH and MOF based CNTs/LDH were confirmed by FTIR described peaks at at 2,927 cm-1, 1528 and 1048 cm-1 attributed to the vibration of aliphatic sp3 C–H, C = O and C–O respectively along with the broad peaks around 3000-3400 cm-1 of water molecules of LDH. Hollow dodecahedral structure of MOF based LDH and MOF based CNTs/LDH nanocomposites were confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) represented greater surface active sites and synergistic effect for polymer. Thermal property of MOF based LDH and MOF based CNTs/LDH nanocomposites were confirmed by Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) which described initial weight loss at 137ºC attributed to the removal of water between the layers and maximum weight loss at above 450ºC due to nitrates and hydroxyl ions, significantly higher than pristine LDH. This work advances progress on the development of highly safe multifunctional polymeric nanocomposites for economical use and reduced life threat.