Zoltán Kónya

University of Szeged · Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry

The chronic effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) on aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and algal–bacterial granular sludge (ABGS) was examined in this study. Sequencing batch bioreactors (SBRs) and photo sequencing batch bioreactors (PSBRs) were operated with synthetic wastewater containing 0, 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 mg L⁻¹ TiO2 NPs for...

Barium titanate photocatalysts were synthesized via a sol–gel method involving a unique, cost-effective calcination technique that includes rapid heating and short exposure. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, a...

Catalytic studies aim to design new catalysts to eliminate unwanted by-products and obtain 100 % selectivity for the preferred target product without losing activity. For this purpose, understanding the role of each component building up the catalyst is essential. However, determining the intrinsic catalytic activity of pure metals, especially prec...

Currently, the increasing use of nickel metal-organic frameworks (Ni-MOF) and nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) has raised concerns regarding their potential environmental impact on wastewater treatment systems. Herein, the responses of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and algal-bacterial aerobic granular sludge (AB-AGS) to Ni-MOF and NiO NPs were...

In this study, we report a base‐catalyzed transesterification reaction of glycerol, a waste product of the biodiesel industry, with various dialkyl carbonates, which act both as reactants and solvents, to convert glycerol carbonate into an industrially useful molecular building block. The catalyst, being used for the first time, is also a waste pro...

Antioxidant nanozymes are powerful tools to combat oxidative stress, which can be further improved by applying nanozyme mixtures of multiple enzymatic function. Here, cocktails of Prussian blue (PB) nanocubes and copper(II) exchanged ZSM-5 zeolites (CuZ) with enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity were developed. Surface functio...

Liquid phase direct amination of phenols to primary anilines with hydrazine was achieved using commercial NiLa-perosvkite catalysts as bifunctional Lewis acid/redox-active catalysts without adding any external hydride sources. The amination...

Using a co-precipitation technique, the anionic form of sulisobenzone (benzophenone-4) sunscreen ingredient was incorporated into the interlayer space of CaFe-hydrocalumite for the first time. Using detailed post-synthetic millings of the photoprotective nanocomposite obtained, we aimed to study the mechanochemical effects on complex, hybridized la...

Surface modification, including the anchoring of functional groups is a popular method to increase the photocatalytic activity of semiconductor photocatalysts. These species can trap excited electrons, thus prolonging the life of the charge carriers. N-containing functional groups are suitable for this purpose due to their high electron density. He...

Metal based catalysts and electrodes are versatile tools known for their redox properties, catalytic efficiency, and stability under various conditions. Despite the absence of significant scientific hurdles, the utilization of these methods in cholesterol detection, particularly in non-enzymatic approaches, has been relatively underexplored. To thi...

Surface templating by electrostatic surface potentials is the least invasive way to design large-scale artificial nanostructures. However, generating sufficiently large potential gradients remains challenging. Here, we lay the groundwork for significantly enhancing local electrostatic fields by chemical modification of the surface. We consider the...

Calcium titanate (CTO) photocatalysts were synthesized using a sol–gel method by adopting a cost-efficient, rapid calcination technique. The CTOs were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, porosimetry measurements, scanning/transmission electron microscopy, and diffuse r...

The chronic effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs) on aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and algal-bacterial granular sludge (ABGS) was examined in this study. Sequencing batch bioreactors (SBRs) and photo sequencing batch bioreactors (PSBRs) were operated with synthetic wastewater containing 0, 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 mg L − 1 TiO 2 NPs...

Currently, lithium-ion batteries are increasingly widely used and generate waste due to the rapid development of the EV industry. Meanwhile, how to reuse “second life” and recycle “extracting of valuable metals” of these wasted EVBs has been a hot research topic. The 4810 relevant articles from SCI and SSCI Scopus databases were obtained. Scientome...

High-entropy oxides with five different metal content in the lattice lead to a striking carbon dioxide photoactivator catalyst toward carbon monoxide and methanol production.

Herein, we investigate the potential of nanostructured high-entropy oxides (HEOs) for photocatalytic CO 2 hydrogenation, a process with significant implications for environmental sustainability and energy production. Several cerium-oxide-based rare-earth HEOs with fluorite structures were prepared for UV-light driven photocatalytic CO 2 hydro-genat...

Nanotechnology, especially in the field of photocatalysis, has witnessed rapid advancements, with titanium dioxide being one of the most widely used photocatalysts. As the use of products containing photoactive nanomaterials increases, concerns have arisen regarding their potential release into the environment over time. This release can impact soi...

Different Co contents were used to tune bimetallic Pt–Co nanoparticles with a diameter of 8 nm, resulting in Pt:Co ratios of 3.54, 1.51, and 0.96. These nanoparticles were then applied to the MCF-17 mesoporous silica support. The synthesized materials were characterized with HR-TEM, HAADF-TEM, EDX, XRD, BET, ICP-MS, in situ DRIFTS, and quasi in sit...

The presence of alkaline earth cations, in particular, Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions in brine, causes undesired effects in solutions containing anionic surfactants because of precipitate formation. In the present study, an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was investigated, focusing on the determination of various properties (surface tension,...

Tricalcium aluminate hexahydrate, C 3 AH 6 , forms during the hydration of the oxide form, C 3 A. Modelling the resulting phase composition over time has been the subject of intensive research; yet, understanding the effect of pH, a crucial parameter of cementitious mixtures, has remained elusive. To this end, we studied the stability of C 3 AH 6 i...

In this study, a chemical precipitation approach was adopted to produce a photocatalyst based on bismuth tungstate Bi2WO6 for enhanced and environmentally friendly organic pollutant degradation. Various tools such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectro...

Regulation of antibiotic use in aquaculture calls for the emergence of more sustainable alternative treatments. Tea polyphenols (GTE), particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), have various biological activities. However, tea polyphenols are susceptible to degradation. In this work, EGCG and GTE were encapsulated in zein nanoparticles (ZNP) sta...

The implementation of supported metal catalysts heavily relies on the synergistic interactions between metal nanoparticles and the material they are dispersed on. It is clear that interfacial perimeter sites have outstanding skills for turning catalytic reactions over, however, high activity and selectivity of the designed interface‐induced metal d...

Nanotechnology has emerged as a rapidly growing scientific field with diverse applications. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are among the most commonly used nanoparticles due to their unique properties. However, their release...

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are extensively utilized across various industries due to their versatile applications. However, the widespread use of these nanoparticles raises concerns regarding their potential release into soil...

The implementation of supported metal catalysts heavily relies on the synergistic interactions between metal nanoparticles and the material they are dispersed on. It is clear that interfacial perimeter sites have outstanding skills for turning catalytic reactions over, however, high activity and selectivity of the designed interface‐induced metal d...

The activation and conversion of CO2 can be achieved on multifunctional catalytic sites at the metal/oxide interface by taking advantage of the synergy between noble metal nanoparticles and supports. Herein, sequential deposition of noble metals (Ru, Rh, and Pt) and nanodiamonds (NDs) was carried out on the surface of strontium titanates (STO). The...

Purpose Sediment contamination is complex, and it is challenging to find the solution that corresponds to treating different groups of pollutants effectively. The existence of potentially toxic elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in co-contaminated river sediment contributes serious toxic residues to the environment. Thus, it is crucial t...

Highly porous metal oxide–polymer nanocomposites are attracting considerable interest due to their unique structural and functional features. A porous polymer matrix brings properties such as high porosity and permeability, while the metal oxide phase adds functionality. For the metal oxide phase to perform its function, it must be fully accessible...

Methylene blue (MB) and basic red 9 (BR9) are cationic dyes that are commonly used in the dye industry and negatively affect humans and other living organisms. This study compares the performance of Indonesian rice husk (IRH) and Hungarian rice husk (HRH) as bio-adsorbents for removing MB and BR9 from aqueous solutions. Chemical content, zeta poten...

Due to the increase inaquaculture facilities, where a large number of animals live in a relatively small area, infectious diseases expanded, resulting in large losses in the sector. These infections not only affectfarmed fish but also spread the pathogens to the ecosystem. Regulation of antibiotic usecalls for the emergence of more sustainable alte...

In practically every industry, mixing is a fundamental process, yet its 3D analysis is scarce in the literature. High-resolution computed tomography (micro-CT) is the perfect X-ray imaging tool to investigate the mixing of granular materials. Other than qualitative analysis, 3D micro-CT images provide an opportunity for quantitative analysis, which...

In present work, the enzyme cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) was immobilized by Nafion® (Naf) on Pt,Ru-C nanocomposite and an ionic liquid (IL)-modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) in order to create cholesterol biosensor (Naf/ChOx/Pt,Ru-C/IL-CPE). The prepared working electrodes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive sp...

By 2030, 12–13 million tons of used electric vehicle batteries (EVBs) will reach the end of their service life, after 1st life cycle of these batteries still 60–70% of their energy storage capacity and can be first is reused for “2nd life” purpose (SLB) up to 5 to 10 years as stationary instruments before sending to recycling and extracting of valu...

Fossil fuel depletion, global warming, climate change, and steep hikes in the price of fuel are driving scientists to investigate commercial and environmentally friendly energy carriers like hydrogen. Steam methane reforming (SMR), a current commercial route for H2 production, has been considered the best remedy to fulfill the requirements. Despite...

The wastewater of the dye industry can be characterized by a complex chemical composition and consists of numerous dyes. Bioadsorbents are increasingly applied for the biosorption of dyes because they are inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Rice husk (RH) is a potential agricultural waste that can be converted into a bioadsorbents for the bio...

High‐resolution computed tomography (micro‐CT) was used in this paper to visualize the inner structure of lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide 18 650 form‐factor batteries non‐destructively after and during a heat endurance test. Open circuit relaxation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were also conducted. We tested the different heat‐age...

Oxidative dehydrogenative coupling (ODC) is a useful tool for the formation of new C–C, C–O and N=N bonds in an atom-economic and sustainable manner. Although this strategy is versatile, it is much less introduced to prepare N-heterocycles. Herein, we report the oxidative dehydrogenative coupling of anilines and 2-aminoanilies with vicinal diols to...