This study was aimed to investigate Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions removal ability from aqueous solution by cassava root husks (CRH) as a cheap, sustainable and eco-friendly bioadsorbent.The CRH was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy which indicated the availability of various functional groups for metal coordination and the result was supported by elemental analysis studies.UV-Visible spectral studies indicated the presence of oxalate (C O -) and it could possibly interact with metal ions to give rise to a stable chelated coordination complex which affects metal ions removal efficiency.Bioadsorption process was carried out as a function of metal concentration, contact time, pH of the solution, particle size, and dosage of the adsorbent.Experimental results indicated the optimal adsorption condition of pH 4 for both Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions, dosage of 0.1 g/0.1L and 1 g/0.1L for Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions respectively, adsorption equilibrium time of 2 and 25 minutes for Pb(II) and Cu(II) respectively, and concentration of 0.5 mg/L for both metal ions.Kinetic data best fitted pseudo-second-order model and not the pseudo-first-order model.Equilibrium data best fitted the Freundlich model than the Langmuir model.Specific surface area and pore volume studies indicated that CRH is non-porous and hence rapid adsorption kinetics is expected.Supporting the experimental results, molecular modeling studies performed using Schrödinger software predicted several sites in the structure capable of docking with metal ions.
The objective of this study is to develop carbon, that of Acacia auriculeaformis through its activation in order to eliminate lead in an aqueous medium. A series of activated carbon has been prepared by chemical activation with phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride. The determination of the physico-chemical properties of the prepared carbon guided the choice of phosphoric acid activated carbon as the best adsorbent for the elimination of lead(II) in an aqueous solution. Pb2+ adsorption tests in batch mode have shown that the adsorption capacity is influenced by various parameters such as mass, pH, concentration of Pb2+ ions and contact time linked to the medium and the adsorbent. Adsorption isotherms, kinetic models and thermodynamics have been used to describe the adsorption process. The equilibrium data for activated charcoal correspond well to the model of Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin and Kiselev. The kinetic adsorption data proved to be better described by the pseudo-second order model with external and intraparticle diffusion which are two decisive steps in the adsorption process of Pb2+ ions. Thermodynamics and adsorption isotherms predict a spontaneous exothermic surface reaction, of the chemisorption type, with ion retention in orderly monolayers on the heterogeneous surface of the adsorbent. Tests carried out with this adsorbent material have contributed to the elimination of the Pb2+ ions contained in an industrial effluent with a reduction rate reaching 42.52% against 85.90% in a synthetic solution.
In this study, it has been investigated that the incorporation of poly(ethylene glycol) and 4-styrenesulfonic acid sodium salt into acrylamide hydrogel during free radical solution polymerization synthesis for novel highly swollen adsorbents and for the effective removal of some potential pollutants from aqueous solutions such as cationic dyes.Poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate was used as a multifunctional crosslinker.The main purpose of this study was to combine both monomers and a polymer in a new polymeric system.Dye sorption properties of the polymeric hydrogels were investigated by using cationic dye such as Janus Green B. Swelling and sorption studies were carried out at 25˚C.For structural characterization, FT-IR analysis and SEM studies were applied.To determine the sorption behaviors of Janus Green B, some sorption parameters such as dye removal capacity, adsorption percentage, and partition coefficient of the polymeric hydrogels were investigated.
It is urgent to develop excellent solid CO2 sorbents with higher sorption capacity, simpler synthetic process, better thermal stability and lower costs of synthesis in CO2 capture and storage technologies. In this work, a number of Li4SiO4-based sorbents synthesized by lithium carbonate with three different kinds of fly ashes in various molar ratios were developed. The results indicate that the Li2CO3:SiO2 mole ratio used in the sorbents synthesis significantly affects the CO2 absorption properties. The sorption capacity increased with the excess of Li2CO3 first and then decreased when the excessive quantity was beyond a certain amount. The experiments found that FA-Li4SiO4_0.6, CFA-Li4SiO4_0.4, HCl/CFA-Li4SiO4_0.3 presented the best sorption ability among these fly ash derived Li4SiO4 samples, and the corresponding weight gain was 28.2 wt%, 25.1 wt% and 32.5 wt%, respectively. The three sorbents with the optimal molar ratio were characterized using various morphological characterization techniques and evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis for their capacity to chemisorb CO2 at 450°C - 650°C, diluted CO2 (10%, 20%) and in presence of water vapor (12%). The adsorption curve of FA- Li4SiO4_0.6 at different temperatures was simulated with the Jander-Zhang model to explore the influence of carbon dioxide diffusion on adsorption reaction. Further experiments showed that the adsorbent had a good sorption capacity in a lower partial pressure of CO2 and the presence of steam enhanced the mobility of Li+. What’s more, FA-Li4SiO4_0.6, CFA-Li4SiO4_0.4 and HCl/CFA-Li4SiO4_0.3 particles showed satisfactory sorption capacity in fixed-bed reactor and excellent cyclic sorption stability during 10 sorption/ desorption cycles.
Novel sorbent hydrogels containing acrylamide/sodium vinylsulfonate, carboxymethyl cellulose and zeolite were synthesized with free radical solution polymerization by using ammonium persulfate/N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine as redox initiating pair in presence of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate as crosslinker.It was to investigate the water uptake properties of series of the novel hydrogels, the semi IPNs and the hybrid/biohybrid composite hydrogel sorbents synthesized in this study.Water uptake studies were performed in water and in water-solvent (acetone, methanol and tetrahydrofuran) binary mixtures at 25˚C, gravimetrically.Some swelling and diffusion parameters were calculated and discussed.It has been seen that the lower equilibrium swelling factor values in all solvent compositions in comparison with the equilibrium swelling factor values in water.
In this work, activated carbons (ACs) prepared by chemical activation of garcinia cola nut shell impregnated with H3PO4 (CBH2/1) and KOH (CBK1/1) were used to study the kinetics, equilibrium and thermodynamics of the adsorption of thymol blue from aqueous solution. The characterization of ACs showed the BET measurements gave surface area and total pore volume respectively of 328.407 m2·g-1 and 0.1032 cm3·g-1 for CBH2/1 and 25.962 m2·g-1 and 0.03 cm3·g-1for CBK1/1; elemental analysis showed a high percentage of carbon in both ACs. Influence of parameters such as initial pH, contact time, adsorbent mass, initial concentration, ionic strength and the effect of temperature on the removal of thymol blue from aqueous solution were studied in batch mode. The studies showed that equilibrium adsorption was attained after 60 minutes for the two ACs, adsorption capacity increased with increasing concentration of thymol blue, and maximum adsorption capacity was obtained at an acidic environment with pH 2. Avrami’s non-linear kinetic expression was the best suited for describing the adsorption kinetics of thymol blue onto ACs, while equilibrium data showed that the three-parameter isotherms better described the adsorption process since R2 > 0.96, and the error functions were lowest for all of them. Maximum adsorption capacity values obtained using the three-parameter Fritz-Schlunder equation were 32.147 mg·g-1 for CBH2/1 and 67.494 mg·g-1 for CBK1/1. The values of the model parameters g and mFS respectively, obtained using the Redlich-Peterson and Fritz-Schlunder III isotherms below 1, showed that the adsorption of thymol blue by the ACs occurred on heterogeneous surfaces. Thermodynamic analyses of the data of the adsorption of thymol blue onto ACs revealed that the adsorption process was temperature dependent, endothermic and spontaneous.
Many science-based institutions in most developing countries use heavy metal containing salts in practical teaching sessions. The commonly used chemicals are the salts of lead (II) and copper (II) and the wastes generated end up into the environment when untreated. Thus, a study was done to remove lead (II) and copper (II) ions from mono synthetic aqueous solution using bio-char from Ficus natalensis fruits (FNF). This was done at varied pH, contact time, temperature, bio-char dosage level, salinity and metal ion concentration using the batch approach. The residual metal concentrations were determined using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The optimum pH for the adsorption of copper (II) and lead (II) ions was found to be 4.0 and 5.0 respectively. The maximum percentage adsorption of copper (II) and lead (II) by the FNF bio-char was established at 60 minutes contact time, 47.5°C and 0.4 g adsorbent dose. Increase in the metal ion concentration and the presence of interfering ions in the aqueous solution lead to decrease in the percentage adsorption. The highest adsorption capacity was found to be 161.29 mg/g and 1250 mg/g for copper (II) and lead (II) ions respectively. The thermodynamic parameters indicated the feasibility of the adsorption of copper (II) and lead (II) on the bio-char of FNF. Thus, bio-char from FNF may be used as an adsorbent in waste management where copper (II) and lead (II) ions are present at a concentration range of between 5 and 100 mg/l.
This Bombesin (BBN), a tetradecapeptide analog of human gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) with a high binding affinity for GRP receptors (GRPR), is overexpressed in early stages of androgen-dependent prostate carcinomas, but not in advanced stages.Therefore, there is a need to develop effective tracers for the accurate and specific detection of this disease.The objective of this study was to evaluate Lys 1 , Lys 3 -DOTA-BBN (1,14) analog with the radiolabeled positron emitter [ 68 Ga]-Ga-BBN for receptor imaging with PET, and to determine its biodistribution and radiation dosimetry using whole-body (WB) PET scans in healthy volunteers.The highest uptake was in the pancreas, followed by urinary bladder.The critical organ was pancreas with a mean absorbed dose of 206 ± 0.7, 210 ± 0.7, 120 ± 0.9, 390.23 ± 0.6 µGy/MBq and the effective doses were estimated as 73.2 ± 0.6, 49.8 ± 0.3 µGy/MBq (women and men, respectively).
This study reports on the adsorption efficiency of a natural iron oxide from Mballam-Cameroon in comparison with synthesized goethite to simulta-neously remove cobalt and nickel ions from aqueous solutions. Chemical analysis on the natural iron oxide sample revealed iron as the main element and hematite (58.52%) goethite (19.42%), kaolinite (12.69%) and quartz (7.79%) as the component phases in the iron oxide sample. The iron oxide was found to be microporous (BET surface area 43.27 m2/g) with fairly spherical polydisperse particles. Results show maximum absorption for Co(II) and Ni(II) ions for both adsorbents occurred at an equilibrium contact time of 80 mins, dose rate of 0.1 g/L, and pH = 7. Goethite was slightly more efficient at removing target metal ions with maximal adsorbed quantities at 117.8 mg/g of Co(II) and 100.6 mg/g of Ni(II), and 103.9 mg/g of Co(II) and 85.2 mg/g of Ni(II) ions for natural iron oxide. Equilibrium modelling presented the Freundlich isotherm as the best fit model for both adsorbents and metal ions, indicating heterogeneity of the surface binding sites during adsorption. The pseudo-second order kinetic model was the best-fit model, indicating chemical adsorption between the adsorbent surface and metal ions, hence a good correlation between equilibrium and kinetics. The findings indicate that the efficacy of the natural iron oxide from Mballam is almost equivalent to that of synthetic goethite, validating its applicability for the simultaneous removal of cobalt and nickel ions from aqueous solution.
In this study, it was to investigate the swelling performance of novel biohybrid composite hydrogel sorbents containing acrylamide/potassium 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate/sodium alginate/bentonite in water and binary mixtures of water-solvent. Novel hydrogels were synthesized with free radical solution polymerization by using ammonium persulfate/N,N,N’,N’-tetramethylethylenediamine as redox initiating pair in presence of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate as crosslinker. Swelling experiments were performed in water and binary mixtures of water-solvent (acetone, methanol and tetrahydrofuran) at 25°C, gravimetrically. Some swelling and diffusion properties of the hydrogels were calculated and they were discussed for the biohybrid/hybrid hydrogel systems prepared under various formulations. It has been seen the lower equilibrium percentage swelling ratio values (62% - 124%) in all solvent compositions in comparison with the equilibrium percentage swelling ratio values in water (718% - 2055%). Consequently, the hydrogel systems developed in this study could serve as a potential device for water and water-solvent binary mixtures.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been related to be toxic and to have a role in human physiological functions. Therefore, there is a necessity to comprehend ways to scavenger hydrogen sulfide from different media. Here, we used recombinant metaquo-Hemoglobin I (metHbI) from Lucina pectinata and metaquo-myoglobin (metMb) encapsulated in the tetramethyl orthosilicate gel (TMOS), to facilitate the understanding of H2S transfer toward these metaquo-hemeproteins. In this sol-gel environment, metHbI binds and releases H2S with rate constants of 0.0597 M-1·s-1 and 6.67 × 10-5 s-1, respectively. The process generates an H2S affinity constant (kon/koff) of 8.9 × 102 M-1, which is 107 lowers than the analogous constant in solution (6.3 × 109 M-1). Although the H2S koff for the rHbI-H2S complex is almost similar with both sol-gel and solution. To further understand how the H2S koff from rHbI-H2S in solution (5 μM) is influenced by the protein concentration gradient, metHbI and metMb (25 μM) encapsulated in TMOS sol-gel. Under these circumstances, the H2S transfer from a solution of the rHbI-H2S complex to encapsulated hemeprotein resulted in koff values of 1.90 × 10-4 s-1, and 2.09 × 10-4 s-1 leading to the formation of rHbI-H2S and Mb-H2S species, respectively. The results suggest that the: 1) extreme ionic TMOS construct limits the H2S pathways to reach the hemeprotein active center, 2) possible interaction with metHbI hydrophilic forces increases the hydrogen bonding networking and decreases the H2S association constant, 3) hemeproteins concentration gradients between solution and sol-gels also influence its hydrogen sulfide transfer. In the presence of oxygen or hydrogen peroxide metMb generated a mixture of Mb-H2S and sulfmyoglobin derivative, while encapsulated metHbI reaction did not produce the sulfheme species. Consequently, the results show that metHbI encapsulated in TMOS is an excellent trap for H2S from solution or gas media.
Polyphenolic compounds with relatively high antioxidant activity obtained from subcritical water extraction of apple pomace were assessed for encapsulation by spray drying technique, making use of polymeric substances co-extracted with the polyphenolic compounds. Comparative assessments were carried out of the directly encapsulated subcritical water extract (SWE) products with particles formed when encapsulated with the addition of hydroxyl propyl-β-Cyclodextrin (SWE + HPβ-CD). The powders were characterized for their physico-chemical properties such as, moisture content, density, particle size, hygroscopicity to assess their suitability within cosmetic formulations. The SWE and SWE + HPβ-CD encapsulated products resulted in different physical properties. Although the particle size was less than 4 μm for both products, the direct encapsulation (SWE) was highly hygroscopic and this property was significantly reduced with addition of HPβ-Cyclodextrin (SWE + HPβ-CD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic were em-ployed to analyse the micronised powders to support evidence of encapsulation. Both techniques revealed the interaction between compounds in extract and the carrier HPβ-Cyclodextrin suggesting successful encapsulation. The effect of storage conditions on retention of antioxidant activity of the subcritical water extract was evaluated within 35 days for extracts with and without the carrier HPβ-Cyclodextrin. Hydroxyl propyl-β-Cyclodextrin offered protection against degradation of antioxidant compounds thereby potentially extending the shelf-life and making the encapsulated powder suitable for incorporation in cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications.
Effluents containing inorganic contaminants are releasing into the environment untreated despite being hazardous to man and environment. It is costly and unsustainable to use conventional methods to remove them from dilute aqueous solution. Adsorption involving granular activated carbon is an alternative method for treating such effluents. Granular activated carbon is structurally strong, highly resistance to attrition and wearing, large and can easily separate from the effluents. However, its surface is highly hydrophobic and has little surface charge thereby reducing its adsorption capacity for anion or cation. This article reviews surfactant modification of activated carbon to enhance its adsorption capacity for inorganic contaminants and key factors affecting the adsorption efficiency. They include initial concentration of contaminants, contact time, solution pH, solution temperature, adsorbent concentration, ionic strength, competing ions, type of surfactant, and surfactant concentration. The modified activated carbon usually shows maximum contaminant uptake around its critical micelles concentration. Surfactant modification reduces specific surface area and/or micro pore volume but hot NaOH or HNO3 treatment before surfactant modification minimises this drawbacks and increases the net surface charge. Overall, surfactant modification is a simple but efficient method of enhancing adsorption capacity of activated carbon for removing anion or cation from aqueous solution. However, a handful publication is available on the regeneration of the spent (saturated) surfactant modified activated carbons. Hence, more research efforts should be directed towards proper regenerating reagents and the optimise conditions such as contact time, concentration, and temperature for regenerating spent modified activated carbons.
Commercial silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieves (SAPO-34) received alkali treatment with either NaOH (0.2, 0.01, 0.005, or 0.001 M) or NH4OH (0.005 M). Treatment with NaOH (0.005 M) increased the water adsorption initial rate of SAPO-34 by 1.4-fold. The alkali treatment introduced Na+ adsorption sites into the SAPO-34. The desorption ratio (adsorption at 30°C and desorption at 100°C) was 88.2% higher than the original rate (84.3%). On the other hand, after alkali treatment of SAPO-34 using NH4OH (0.005 M), calcination resulted in the highest desorption ratio at 91.3%. When combined with calcination, alkali treatment with NH4OH introduced H+adsorption sites into SAPO-34, H+ adsorption sites feature low levels of interaction with water, which enhanced the desorption ratio, but decreased the initial adsorption rate. These results indicate that treating commercial SAPO-34 with 0.005 M NaOH enhances both the adsorption and desorption behaviors.
Polyoxometalate (POM) catalysts with different trivalent hetero ions (M n+ = Fe 3+ , Al 3+ , and Cr 3+ ) were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation method and supported on different zeolites namely, NaY, ZSM-5 and Mordenite.The intended catalysts samples were distinguished by X-ray diffraction, FTIR and surface texture measurements.The data given disintegration in the crystallinity of zeolite structure, enlarge in particle size and new phases of metal oxides Al 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 and Fe 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 were exposed by XRD and FTIR techniques.These phases caused widening of pores of the employed zeolites and change of the surface texture.The physical changes indicate the considerable interaction of polyoxomolybdate with the zeolite structure.The assessment of the catalytic activity was thorough by applied the photocatalytic degradation of direct blue 1 dye (DB1) in existence of H 2 O 2 as a green oxidant.The catalytic activity of M n+ Mo-ZSM-5 sample is higher than that of M n+ Mo-Y or M n+ Mo-Mord.
The objective of this work is to prepare one of the best activated carbon (CA) based on wood (Acacia auriculeaformis). The chemical activation method was used for varying the chemical agent namely phosphoric acid H3PO4 (CAA), sodium hydroxide NaOH (CAB), and sodium chloride NaCl (CAS). The physico-chemical analysis of the three activated carbons indicated that, under the conditions of preparation, the activated carbons possess activation efficiencies lower than 50% (41.81% for CAA, 26.25% for CAB and 48.87% for CAS), low ash content (CAA: 5.00%, CAB: 14.90 and CAS: 6.60%) and iodine values ranging from 190.35 mg/g to 380.71 mg/g, suggesting that the good quality of the prepared activated carbon. The surface functional groups using Boehm test and the zero point charge (pHZPC) methods confirmed the acidic, basic and neutral character for CAA, CAB and CAS respectively (CAA: pHZPC = 4.8, CAB: pHZPC = 8.2, CAS: pHZPC = 6.8). The surface specific areas were determined through the liquid phase adsorption of acetic acid and methylene blue using the Langmuir method and BET analysis. Also, the porosity was determined. The BET surface areas of CAA, CAB and CAS were respectively 561.60 m2/g, 265.00 m2/g and 395.40 m2/g. The influence of chemical activation agent on pores formation was confirmed by scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. CAA was selected as the best activated carbon because of its good surface area and good pore volume compared to those found in the literature. Therefore, its application as an adsorbent for effluents treatment could be explored. In addition, the best activating agent for coal from Acacia auriculeaformis was found to be phosphoric acid.
Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a synthetic ceramic which is used in numerous biomedical applications. However, its use is restricted in load bearing applications. A novel batch hydrothermal method is indigenously developed to synthesize fine size, crystalline hydroxyapatite (HA) and titania doped hydroxyapatite (TiO2-HA) powders with distinct phase formation. Powders were characterized using XRD, FTIR and DSC-TGA. Sharp peaks in HA XRD pattern after sintering at 1000°C indicate significant crystallinity while sharp peaks in TiO2 XRD pattern at 27°, 36° and 5° after sintering indicate anatase to rutile transformation. This fact is also confirmed by FTIR and DSC-TGA Plots.
Microstructure is closely related to techno-functional properties in microencapsulated powders intended to protect bioactive compounds. Soursop leaves provide phytochemicals that need to be protected to ensure their functionality. This investigation aimed to study the microstructure of microcapsules containing soursop leaves extract and its linkage with physical and chemical characteristics of the resulting powder. Microcapsules were prepared by spray drying using gum Arabic and maltodextrin as encapsulating agents at 5 and 10%. Powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, particle size analysis, solubility, infrared spectroscopy and encapsulation efficiency. Microphotographs showed spherical shape particles ranging from 0.25 to 13.87 μm, where the particles morphology depended on the concentration and the type of the encapsulant used. At higher concentration of encapsulant, there was an increase in the sphericity, integrity, size, and surface smoothness of particles. This relationship was inverse for solubility in treatments with gum Arabic. The extract encapsulation was confirmed by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy and encapsulation efficiency index, revealing that the treatment with maltodextrin at 10% showed a better capability for entrapment (72.12%). The results evidence that microstructure of microcapsules is closely linked to the type and concentration of encapsulant, which in turn determine the physical and chemical characteristics of powders intended for instant drinks solubility and entrapping soursop bioactive compounds.
