Cadmium removal from aqueous solution by biochar obtained by co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge with tea waste

Resource utilization is a critical pathway for sustainable solid waste treatment. Biochar was prepared from the co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and tea waste. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller measurement, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared analysis were employed to characterize the biochar. Then, the interface behavior between biochar and Cd from aqueous solution was investigated. The effect of adsorbent dose and pH on Cd adsorption was evaluated. Adsorption kinetics and the adsorption isotherm were studied, and the adsorption mechanism was explored. The results showed that the suitable adsorbent dose was 4 g L^?1 and the optimal pH of the Cd solution remained at 6.0. Cadmium sorption on the biochar could be well described by the pseudo-second order kinetic model (R ² > 0.98). The adsorption process was described using the Langmuir (R ² > 0.86), Freundlich (R ² > 0.86), Temkin (R ² > 0.84) and Dubinin–Radushkevich (R ² > 0.86) isotherm models. The proportion of organic constituents in biochar was 69.2–72.4%. Minerals that originated in biochar played an important role during the Cd adsorption process, and the contribution of minerals accounted for 27.6–30.8% of the total adsorption. The main mechanism of the Cd adsorption process by biochar involved ion exchange, surface complexation, electrostatic interaction, surface co-precipitation, and other mechanisms. Therefore, biochar created by the co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and tea waste could be used as an adsorbent for the removal of metal ions from contaminated water.     

A comparison of energy changes accompanying growth processes by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis>

Calculations are made using the equations Δ_r G = Δ_r H ? TΔ_r S and Δ_r X = Δ_r H ? Δ_r Q where Δ_r X represents the free energy change when the exchange of absorbed thermal energy with the environment is represented by Δ_r Q. The symbol Q has traditionally represented absorbed heat. However, here it is used specifically to represent the enthalpy listed in tabulations of thermodynamic properties as (H _T  ? H ₀) at T = 298.15 K, the reason being that for a given substance TS equals 2.0 Q for solid substances, with the difference being greater for liquids, and especially gases. Since Δ_r H can be measured, and is tangibly the same no matter what thermodynamics are used to describe a reaction equation, a change in the absorbed heat of a biochemical growth process system as represented by either Δ_r Q or TΔ_r S would be expected to result in a different calculated value for the free energy change. Calculations of changes in thermodynamic properties are made which accompany anabolism; the formation of anabolic, organic by-products; catabolism; metabolism; and their respective non-conservative reactions; for the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using four growth process systems. The result is that there is only about a 1% difference in the average quantity of free energy conserved during growth using either Eq. 1 or 2. This is because although values of TΔ_r S and Δ_r Q can be markedly different when compared to one another, these differences are small when compared to the value for Δ_r G or Δ_r X.     

Experimental investigation of radiocesium sorption on ceramic clay using a batch method

In this study, radiocesium sorption on ceramic clay was investigated as a function of particle size and initial ¹³⁷Cs concentration using a batch method. Ceramic clay samples taken from the Sö?üt(?nisar) clay deposit were composed of kaolinite, dickite and quartz. The equilibrium time and the liquid–solid ratio were determined as 60 min and 250 mL g^?1, respectively. The distribution coefficients (K _d) for variable liquid–solid ratio and the percentage adsorption (P _Ad) were calculated. The values of K _d and P _Ad ranged from 483 to 3165 mL g^?1 and 34–93%, respectively. The K _d and P _Ad values increased with increasing particle size, but decreased with increasing initial concentration. The sorption data were interpreted in terms of a Langmuir isotherm. The results indicated that the Sö?üt(?nhisar) ceramic clay has good sorption capacity for cesium.     

Study of variation in thermophysical properties of RE<Subscript>6</Subscript>UO<Subscript>12</Subscript>(s) along the lanthanide series

The novel ligand N,N,N′′′′,N′′′′-tetrabutyl-N′′′,N′′′-(N″,N″-diethyl)-ethidene bisdiglycolamide (TBEE-BisDGA) and other eight analogous extractants have been synthesized and characterized by NMR and HRMS. The solvent extraction of Th⁴⁺, UO₂ ²⁺ and Eu³⁺ from nitric acid solution using the above BisDGA extractants was investigated in 1-dodecanol at 30 ± 1 °C. The extractants exhibited higher affinity toward Th⁴⁺ than UO₂ ²⁺ and Eu³⁺ in the present system. The maximum value of separation factor SF _Th(IV)/U(VI) and SF _{Th(IV)/Eu(III)} is 78.5 and 53.3 respectively for TBEE-BisDGA, 88.1 and 69.5 respectively in the case of TB ^i-PE-BisDGA at 3 M HNO₃ solution.     

Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Black Liquor Xylan by a Novel Xylose-Tolerant,Thermostable β-Xylosidase from a Tropical Strain of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aureobasidium pullulans</Emphasis> CBS 135684

From three cell-associated β-xylosidases produced by Aureobasidium pullulans CBS 135684, the principal enzyme was enriched to apparent homogeneity and found to be active at high temperatures (60–70 °C) over a pH range of 5–9 with a specific activity of 163.3 units (U) mg^?1. The enzyme was thermostable, retaining over 80% of its initial activity after a 12-h incubation at 60 °C, with half-lives of 38, 22, and 10 h at 60, 65, and 70 °C, respectively. Moreover, it was tolerant to xylose inhibition with a K _i value of 18 mM. The K _m and V _max values against p-nitrophenyl-β-d-xylopyranoside were 5.57 ± 0.27 mM and 137.0 ± 4.8 μmol min^?1 mg^?1 protein, respectively. When combining this β-xylosidase with xylanase from the same A. pullulans strain, the rate of black liquor xylan hydrolysis was significantly improved by up to 1.6-fold. The maximum xylose yield (0.812 ± 0.015 g g^?1 dry weight) was obtained from a reaction mixture containing 10% (w/v) black liquor xylan, 6 U g^?1 β-xylosidase and 16 U g^?1 xylanase after incubation for 4 h at 70 °C and pH 6.0.     

New method for calculating the moments of thermally averaged densities of distribution of internuclear distances in polyatomic molecules using the Bloch integral equation

A convenient method is suggested for calculating thermally averaged powers of the normal vibrational coordinates Q _i by iteratively solving the Bloch integral equation with an anharmonic function of potential energy using multidimensional Hermite polynomials. Analytical formulas of the first approximation regarding anharmonicity constant have been obtained for the following moments of thermally averaged density: 〈Q ₁〉, 〈 Q ₁ ² 〉, 〈Q ₁ Q ₂〉, 〈Q ₁ ³ 〉 〈Q ₁ ³ 〉, 〈Q ₁ Q ₂ Q ₃〉, 〈Q ₁ ⁴ 〉, 〈Q ₁ ² Q ₂ ² 〉, 〈Q ₁ Q _2/3〉, 〈Q ₁ Q ₂ Q ₃ ² 〉, 〈 Q 1 Q ₂ Q ₃ Q ₄〉.     

Efficient Regioselective Synthesis of the Crotonyl Polydatin Prodrug by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thermomyces lanuginosus</Emphasis> Lipase: a Kinetics Study in Eco-friendly 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran

Bio-based solvents have recently been discussed as sustainable green and promising alternatives to conventional organic media for enzymatic processes. In this paper, highly regioselective synthesis of the 6″-O-crotonyl-polydatin catalyzed by Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) in biomass-derived 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) was successfully performed for the first time. The results indicated that TLL lipase displayed significantly improved catalytic performance in 2-MeTHF than in other traditional solvents. Under the optimal conditions, the initial reaction rate, 6″-regioselectivity, and maximum substrate conversion were as high as 12.38 mM h^?1, 100 %, and 100 %, respectively. Moreover, further investigations on the operational stability, kinetic parameters like V _max, K _m, V _max/K _m, and E _a revealed that 2-MeTHF exhibited excellent biocompatibility and rendered the greener process of the enzymatic acylation.     

Temperature-dependent AC electrical conductivity,thermal stability and different DC conductivity modelling of novel poly(vinyl cinnamate)/zinc oxide nanocomposites

Thermal analysis on organically modified Ca²⁺-montmorillonite (OMON) and its source materials—octadecylamine (ODA) and Ca²⁺-montmorillonite (Ca²⁺-Mon)—was studied using thermally stimulated current (TSC) technique. The appearance of ρ _MON peak with the T _max = 75 °C shows the ability of the developed TSC system to demonstrate the relaxation effects of dehydration in Ca²⁺-Mon. It appeared within the temperature range of DSC endothermic peak (30–100 °C) where the T _mMON = 58 °C. Segmental motions of ODA chains and structural disruptions in the modifier agent compound produced TSC α _ODA, ρ _ODA and ρ _1ODA peaks that are comparable to thermal transition and endothermic peaks in DSC profile (T _gODA, T _m1ODA and T _m2ODA). The effect of localized motion in ODA chains as revealed by the TSC β_OMON peak (T _max = ?23 °C), however, is absent in the DSC profile of OMON. It shows TSC technique has high sensitivity in detecting various relaxation behaviors at molecular level. More evidences are demonstrated by the ρ _OMON (T _max = 86 °C) and ρ _1OMON (T _max = 105 °C) peak originated from the ODA chains structures. These peaks also confirm the intercalation of the modifier cations inside the Ca²⁺-Mon gallery.     

Effective removal of ciprofloxacin from aqueous solutions using magnetic metal–organic framework sorbents: mechanisms,isotherms and kinetics

Metal–organic framework sorbents [MIL-100(Fe), MOF-235(Fe)], Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and metal–organic framework loaded on iron oxide nanoparticles [Fe₃O₄@MIL-100(Fe) and Fe₃O₄@MOF-235(Fe)] were prepared and examined for ciprofloxacin (CIP) removal. The results showed that sorption kinetics of CIP by Fe₃O₄@MIL-100(Fe) follows the Elovich and pseudo-second-order models indicating that the sorption is both chemisorption and physical adsorption, whereas the sorption to other sorbents occurs mainly by physical sorption. The sorption isotherm studies revealed that Langmuir model provided the best fit to all the experimental data. The thermodynamic studies showed that CIP removal is spontaneous (ΔG° = 2.28 kJ/mol) and endothermic (ΔH° = 18.39 kJ/mol). It was also found that among the sorbents investigated for CIP removal, Fe₃O₄@MIL-100(Fe) has the highest maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 322.58 mg/g.     

Crystal and molecular structures and luminescence properties of [Eu(Cin)<Subscript>3</Subscript>]<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript> complex

The crystal structure of europium cinnamate of the composition [Eu(Cin)₃] _n (Cin is cinnamic acid anion C₉H₇O ₂ ^? ) was determined by X-ray crystallography (a = 22.626(1) Å, c = 7.7330(7) Å, space group R3/c, Z = 3, ρ_calc = 1.448 g/cm³). The coordination polyhedron of Eu atoms is a distorted trigonal prism with three centered square faces. The structure is built of infinite polymeric chains [Eu(Cin)₃] _n running along the c axis and linked by van der Waals and π stacking interactions. Luminescent characteristics of the compound were determined.     

Highly efficient mesoporous WO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>/KIT-6 catalysts for oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene with hydrogen peroxide

Oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of organic compounds containing sulfur element from a model oil was performed using tungsten oxide catalysts supported on mesoporous silica with cubic Ia3d mesostructure, well-defined mesopores (7.2 nm), high surface area (719 m²/g), and three-dimensional pore network (WO _x /KIT-6). The prepared WO _x /KIT-6 catalysts (5–20 wt% WO _x ) were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, N₂ sorption measurements, electron microscopy, H₂-temperature programmed reduction, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Among the mesoporous catalysts, 10 wt% WO _x /KIT-6 exhibited the best catalytic performance. Sulfur-containing organic compounds, such as dibenzothiophene, 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene, and benzothiophene, were completely (100 %) removed from the model oil over 10 wt% WO _x /KIT-6 catalyst in 2 h. In addition, the catalyst could be reused several times with only slight decrease in catalytic activity.     

Production and Biotechnological Application of Extracellular Alkalophilic Lipase from Marine Macroalga-Associated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Shewanella algae</Emphasis> to Produce Enriched C<Subscript>20-22</Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Concentrate

An extracellular alkalophilic lipase was partially purified from heterotrophic Shewanella algae (KX 272637) associated with marine macroalgae Padina gymnospora. The enzyme possessed a molecular mass of 20 kD, and was purified 60-fold with a specific activity of 36.33 U/mg. The enzyme exhibited V_max and K_m of 1000 mM/mg/min and 157 mM, respectively, with an optimum activity at 55 °C and pH 10.0. The catalytic activity of the enzyme was improved by Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions, and the enzyme showed a good tolerance towards organic solvents, such as methanol, isopropanol, and ethanol. The purified lipase hydrolyzed the refined liver oil from leafscale gulper shark Centrophorus squamosus, yielding a total C_20-22 n-3 PUFA concentration of 34.99% with EPA + DHA accounting the major share (34% TFA), after 3 h of hydrolysis. This study recognized the industrial applicability of the thermostable and alkalophilic lipase from marine macroalga-associated bacterium Shewanella algae to produce enriched C_20-22 n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrate.     

A novel angle-dependent potential and its exact solution

The quantum mechanics of a diatomic molecule in a noncentral potential of the type V (r) = V _θ (θ)/r ² + V _r (r) are investigated analytically. The θ-dependent part of the relevant potential is suggested for the first time as a novel angle-dependent (NAD) potential \({V_{\theta}(\theta)=\frac{\hbar^2}{2\mu}\left(\frac{\gamma +\beta \sin^2\theta +\alpha \sin^4 \theta}{\sin^2\theta \cos^2\theta}\right)}\) and the radial part is selected as the Coulomb potential or the harmonic oscillator potential, i.e., V _r (r) =  ? H/r or V _r (r) = Kr ², respectively. Exact solutions are obtained in the Schrödinger picture by means of a mathematical method named the Nikiforov–Uvarov (NU). The effect of the angle-dependent part on the solution of the radial part is discussed in several values of the NAD potential’s parameters as well as different values of usual quantum numbers.     

Lanthanide contraction effect on the crystal structures of 2D lanthanide coordination polymers based on 2-(trifluoromethyl)-1<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid

A series of new two-dimensional (2D) lanthanide(III) coordination polymers, namely {[Ln₂(μ ₂-HTFMIDC)₃(DMA)₄] · 2H₂O} _n [Ln = Pr (1); Nd (2); Sm (3); Eu (4); H₃TFMIDC = 2-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid, DMA = N,N′-dimethylacetamide] for type I and {[Ln₂(μ ₂-HTFMIDC)₃(DMA)₂(H₂O)₂] · DMA} _n [Ln = Eu (5); Gd (6)] for type II, have been successfully prepared under solvothermal conditions and structurally characterized for the first time. Both two types of structures exhibit similar 2D honeycomb-like networks, which are constructed by the linkages of μ ₂-HTFMIDC^2? bis-(bidentate) bridging ligands and Ln(III) metal centers. However, slightly different ABAB stacking fashions of the 2D layers and distinctly different hydrogen bonding interactions between the neighboring 2D layers are observed in crystal structures of type I and type II, which may be attributed to the lanthanide contraction effect. Meanwhile, the solid-state luminescent properties of 4 and 5 have been also investigated.     

A Novel 3D Platinum–Thallium Coordination Polymer having Strong Metal–Metal Interactions

A new three-dimensional platinum(II)–thallium(I) coordination polymer [{Pt(pda)(NHCOtBu)₂}₄Tl₄][Pt(CN)₄]₂·2H ₂ O (pda = 1,2-propyldiamine) has been prepared from the direct reaction of [Tl₂Pt(CN)₄] and [Pt(pda)(NHCOtBu)₂] in water, and its structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. The compound crystallizes in monoclinic, space group Pn, a = 11.567(2) Å, b = 11.570(2) Å, c = 37.677(8)Å, β = 94.64(3)°, V = 5025.8(17) Å³, Z = 2, R1 = 0.0679 and wR2 = 0.1574 [I >  2σ (I)], Goodness-of-fit on F ² = 1.055. The compound exhibits a novel 3D network structure consisting of [Pt(CN)₄]^2? connected 1D infinite Pt–Tl–Pt–Tl chains via strong Pt–Tl bonds.     

Synthesis,characterization, antimicrobial activity and ultrastructure of the affected bacteria of new quinoline compounds

The reaction on 8-hydroxy quinoline-7-aldehyde azo compounds (HL _n ) (where n = 1–5) with 4-amino-1,2-dihydro-2,3-dimethyl-1-phenylpyrazol-5-one to obtain HL _n (where n = 6–10) have been characterized by means of TLC, melting point and spectral data, such as IR, ¹H NMR, mass spectra and thermal studies. The X-ray diffraction patterns of two starting materials 8-hydroxy quinoline-7-aldehyde (start 1), 4-amino-1,2-dihydro-2,3-dimethyl-1-phenylpyrazol-5-one (start 2) and the ligands (HL_5,10) are investigated in powder form. All the ligands have been screened for their antimicrobial activity against four local bacterial species, two Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and two Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) as well as against four local fungi; Aspergillus niger, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium italicum and Fusarium oxysporium. The results show that the azo ligands (HL _n ) (where n = 1–5) have no antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi while most azomethine ligands (HL _n ) (where n = 6–10) are good antibacterial agents against E. coli and K. pneumoniae as well as antifungal agents against P. italicum and A. alternata. The results were compared to standard substances (start 1) and (start 2). Among the azomethine ligands, HL₁₀ was the most effective against the most microorganisms tested. The size of clear zone was ordered as p-(OCH₃ < CH₃ < H < Cl < NO₂) as expected from Hammett’s constant (σ ^R ). Also, the ultrastructure study of the affected bacteria confirmed that HL₈ is good antibacterial agent against E. coli and S. aureus.     

Structure of cyano-bridged Eu(III)—Co(III) bimetallic assembly and its application to photophysical verification of photomagnetic phenomenon

New crystal structure of Eu(DMF)₄(H₂O)₃Co(CN)₆·H₂O (DMF = N,N′-dimethylformamide) (Eu-Co) has been determined to be monoclinic, P2(1)/n, a = 19.796(12) Å, b = 8.862(11) Å, c = 17.525(10) Å, β = 96.26(5)°, V = 3056(5) ų, Z = 4. The Eu(III) ion adopts an antiprismatic eight-coordination and forms a cyano bridge with r(Eu-N) = 2.496(7) Å and Θ(Eu-N-C) = 165.7(7)° to the Co(III) ion. The complex exhibits some common features with the Eu-Fe complex. Diffuse reflectance electronic spectra and magnetic susceptibility of Eu-Cr, Eu-Mn, Eu-Fe, and Eu-Co complexes were compared. By substituting the metal ions, both electronic and structural features affected the charge transfer bands and superexchange interactions concerning cyanide ligands. In addition, only Eu-Co exhibited ⁵ D ₀ → ⁷ F ₂ and ⁵ D ₀ → ⁷ F ₁ luminescence bands at 16300 cm^?1 and 16900 cm^?1, respectively at 298 K (λ_ex = 360 nm (27000 cm^?1)), because quenching by cyano-bridged ions did not prevent Eu(III) ion from exhibiting emission. Thus, only Eu-Co may be suitable for verification of an assumption of mechanism concerning drastic photoinduced magnetic changes for Nd-Fe. Merely small decrease of magnetization was observed for Eu-Co after UV light irradiation at 2.0 K. This result was attributed to slight structural changes around cyano bridges without transitions of spin states.     

Synthesis,crystal structure,and thermodynamics of a high-nitrogen copper complex with <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-bis-(1(2)H-tetrazol-5-yl) amine

A new high-nitrogen complex [Cu(Hbta)₂]·4H₂O (H₂bta = N,N-bis-(1(2)H-tetrazol-5-yl) amine) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analyses. X-ray structural analyses revealed that the crystal was monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c with lattice parameters a = 14.695(3) Å, b = 6.975(2) Å, c = 18.807(3) Å, β = 126.603(1)°, Z = 4, D _c = 1.888 g cm^?3, and F(000) = 892. The complex exhibits a 3D supermolecular structure which is built up from 1D zigzag chains. The enthalpy change of the reaction of formation for the complex was determined by an RD496–III microcalorimeter at 25 °C with the value of ?47.905 ± 0.021 kJ mol^?1. In addition, the thermodynamics of the reaction of formation of the complex was investigated and the fundamental parameters k, E, n, \( \Updelta S_{ \ne }^{{{\uptheta}}} \), \( \Updelta H_{ \ne }^{{{\uptheta}}} \), and \( \Updelta G_{ \ne }^{{{\uptheta}}} \) were obtained. The effects of the complex on the thermal decomposition behaviors of the main component of solid propellant (HMX and RDX) indicated that the complex possessed good performance for HMX and RDX.     

Crystal structure and triboluminescence of tetraethylammonium tetrakis(thenoyltrifluoroacetonato)europium

An atomic structure of complex Et₄N[Eu(ТТA)₄] (TTA is the thenoyltrifluoroacetonate anion, Et₄N⁺ is the tetraethylammonium cation) possessing strong luminescence and triboluminescence was determined by X-ray crystallography. The crystal system of centrosymmetric crystals is monoclinic: a = 10.2495(1) Å, b = 20.2162(3) Å, c = 23.5788(3) Å, β = 102.551(1)°, space group P2₁/c, Z = 4, d _calc = 1.625 g cm^–3. The crystals of the compound have an isle structure, which comprises individual complex anions [Eu(TTA)₄]^– and tetraethylammonium cations Et₄N⁺. The structural aspects of a possible model for the formation of triboluminescent properties were considered, the role of cleavage planes and disordering was discussed.     

Hexa(isothiocyanato)chromates(III) of Some Yttrium Group Lanthanide(III) and Europium Complexes with Nicotinic Acid: Synthesis and Crystal Structures

Double ionic complexes [M(C₅H₅NCOO)₃(H₂O)₂][Cr(NCS)₆] · nH₂O, where M = Eu (I), n = 1.15; Dy (II), Er (III), n = 1.5; M = Yb (IV), n = 2, have been synthesized by the reaction between M(NO₃)₃, M = Eu, Dy, Er, Yb, K₃[Cr(NCS)₆], and nicotinic acid (C₅H₅NCOO) in an aqueous solution and studied by chemical analysis, IR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Crystals of complexes I–IV are monoclinic, space group P2₁/n, Z = 4; a = 9.5358(2) Å, b = 25.4871(5) Å, c = 15.4303(4) Å, β = 105.513(1)°, V = 3613.6(1) ų, ρ_calcd = 1.799 g/cm³ for I, a = 9.5901(5) Å, b = 25.8599(15) Å, c = 15.6316(9) Å, β = 106.829(2)°, V = 3710.6(4) ų, ρ_calcd = 1.782 g/cm³ for II, a = 9.5640(3) Å, b = 25.8936(11) Å, c = 15.6498(7) Å, β = 106.895(2)°, V = 3708.3(3) ų, ρ_calcd = 1.791 g/cm³ for III, and a = 9.5049(2) Å, b = 25.6378(4) Å, c = 15.5120(3) Å, β = 106.934(1)°, V = 3616.1(1) ų, ρ_calcd = 1.864 g/cm³ for IV.