Ice/Water Interface: Zeta Potential, Point of Zero Charge, and Hydrophobicity

The ice/water interface is a common and important part of many biological, environmental, and technological systems. In contrast to its importance, the system has not been extensively studied and is not well understood. Therefore, in this paper the properties of the H₂O ice/water and D₂O ice/water interfaces were investigated. Although the zeta potential vs pH data points were significantly scattered, it was determined that the isoelectric point (iep) of D₂O ice particles in water at 3.5°C containing 10⁻³ M NaCl occurs at about pH 3.0. The negative values of the zeta potential, calculated from the electrophoretic mobility, seem to decrease with decreasing content of NaCl, while the iep shifts to a higher pH. The point of zero charge (pzc) of D₂O ice and H₂O ice, determined by changes in pH of 10⁻⁴ M NaCl aqueous solution at 0.5°C after the ice particle addition, was found to be very different from the iep and equal to pH 7.0 ± 0.5. The shift of the iep with NaCl concentration and the difference in the positions of the iep and pzc on the pH scale point to complex specific adsorption of ions at the interface. Interestingly, similar values of iep and pzc were found for very different systems, such as hydrophilic ice and highly hydrophobic hexadecane droplets in water. A comparison of the zeta potential vs pH curves for hydrophilic ice and hydrophobic materials that do not possess dissociative functional groups at the interface (diamond, air bubbles, bacteria, and hexadecane) indicated that all of them have an iep near pH 3.5. These results indicate that the zeta potential and surface charge data alone cannot be used to delineate the electrochemical properties of a given water/moiety interface because similar electrical properties do not necessary mean a similar structure of the interfacial region. A good example is the aliphatic hydrocarbon/water interface in comparison to the ice/water interface. Although the experiments were carried out with care, both the zeta potential, measured with a precise ZetaPlus meter, and ΔpH values (a measure of surface charge) vs pH were significantly scattered, and the origin of dissemination of the data points was not established. Differently charged ice particles and not fully equilibrium conditions at the ice/water interface may have been responsible for the dissemination of the data.     

The electrical double layer on oxides: Specific adsorption of chloride and methylviologen on ruthenium dioxide

The double-layer properties of colloidal RuO₂, prepared by thermal decomposition of RuCl₃ at 420°C, have been studied by potentiometric acid-base titrations in combination with electrophoretic mobility measurements. The point of zero charge (pzc) in KNO₃ solutions was found to be pH 5.75 ± 0.05, and the isoelectric point (iep) is positioned at pH 5.8. From the total capacitance of the double layer at the pzc an electrochemical surface area of 21.5 m²/g has been found, which is equal to the BET surface area. The capacitance of the inner part of the double layer (C_i) is 300 μF/cm², which is high compared to C_i on AgI and Hg, but of the same order as that commonly found for oxides. This subject is briefly discussed. The surface charge (σ₀) as a function of pH could be fitted satisfactorily with a simple double-layer model. In the presence of KCl the pzc and the iep are shifted to higher and lower pH, respectively, indicating specific adsorption of Cl⁻ ions. The ionic composition of the double layer as a function of σ₀ and the specific adsorption of Cl⁻ at the pzc have been calculated by a straightforward thermodynamic analysis combined with diffuse double-layer theory. Methylviologen (MV²⁺) also adsorbs specifically and at negative surface charges superequivalent adsorption can take place. In the presence of an excess of KNO₃, specific adsorption of MV²⁺ is no longer noticeable. Some consequences for the catalytic reduction of water by RuO₂ in the presence of MV²⁺ are considered.     

The ELECTRICAL INTERFACIAL LAYER at theTiO2 (ANATASE)/ELECTROLYTE INTERFACE - ADSORPTION of Zn(II) and Cd(II) IONS

Mechanism of adsorption of Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions at the TiO₂ (anatase)/electrolyte interface has been studied by different experimental techniques (potentiometric titration, microelectrophoresis and adsorption measurements of zinc and cadmium species). It was found that the point of zero charge (pzc) of anatase (pH =5.8) was shifted to the lower pH values with increasing concentrations of Zn(II) or Cd(Il) ions. The surface charge of anatase in the presence of Zn(II) and Cd(II) for pH > pH_pzc was higher than that observed for original sample in NaClO₄ solutions only. Due to low coverage of anatase surface with Zn(II) or Cd(II) species almost no shift of the isoelectric point (iep) or charge reversal were observed. Adsorption density vs. pH plots for both Zn(Il) or Cd(II) showed, typical for multivalent ions, presence of “adsorption edge.”     

Interaction forces between α-alumina fibres in aqueous electrolyte measured with an atomic force microscope

The surface charging properties of polycrystalline α-alumina fibres in aqueous electrolyte solutions have been investigated by direct force and streaming potential measurements. The presence of both Al and Si on the surface of the fibres resulted in a chemically heterogeneous surface. The heterogeneous distribution of Si resulted in large attractive forces between the fibres at moderate to low pH values and a pzc/iep at a pH value of approximately 5.5. The origin of this force was electrostatic in nature as the force profiles were well described by the DLVO theory of colloid stability. The agreement between the direct force and streaming potential measurements was good both in terms of the magnitude of the potentials and the position of the pzc/iep. By acid washing the fibres the chemical heterogeneity of the surface was reduced and the attractive force profiles at lower pH values were not observed. Instead repulsive forces were observed which were well described by DLVO theory at all separation distances greater than 8 nm. At smaller separation distances an additional repulsive force was measured which was attributed to the presence of a Al(OH)₃ like layer on the surface of the alumina. The acid washing treatment also resulted in a shift in the pH at which the pzc/iep occurred to a value of 6.5, presumably due to a lower surface silica concentration.     

Adsorption from mixtures containing mono- and bivalent cations on insoluble oxides and a revision of the interpretation of points of zero charge obtained by titration

Acid—base potentiometric titrations of haematite (α-Fe₂O₃) suspensions in mixtures of the non-specifically adsorbing electrolyte KNO₃ and the nitrates of the specifically adsorbing ions Ca²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ show that the cross-over point of the titration curves, plotted as σ₀(pH), can be interpreted as the point of zero charge (pzc) only if there is no specific adsorption or if the amount of specifically adsorbed cations is so small that all of it is quantitatively adsorbed. This finding implies that the usual procedure for obtaining the pzc from cross-over points of titration curves must be reconsidered in the case of specific adsorption. In reality an Esin—Markov coefficient is measured, the relation of which to the surface charge requires further thermodynamic analysis.     

ESR study of aqueous micellar solutions of perfluoropolyether surfactants with the use of fluorinated spin probes

The acid-base properties of synthetically prepared and well-characterized hydroxyapatite (HAP) in contact with KNO3 solutions were investigated at 25 degrees C, through potentiometric titrations, zeta-potential measurements, and surface complex modeling. Aliquots of suspension were withdrawn every 0.5 pH unit during the titration procedure and analyzed for calcium and phosphate. It was found that, even for rapid titration experiments, a remarkable amount of H+ ions (H+dissol.) is consumed in the bulk solution in reacting with species coming from the dissolution of HAP. These H+ ions must be taken into account in the H+ mass balance, in order for true value for the point of zero charge (pzc=6.5+/-0.2) and consequently true value for the surface charge (sigma0) to be obtained. Besides the conventional potentiometric titration technique, it was found that pzc may be determined much more easily as the intersection point of the suspension titration curve and the blank one modified to include the amount of H+dissol. obtained at one ionic strength. Finally, a surface complexation model was proposed for the development of surface charge. Experimental data were satisfactorily fitted by using the value of 4.2 F m-2 for the capacitance.     

Behaviour of a cobalt spinel ultrafiltration membrane during salt filtration with different ionic strengths

The characterisation of the surface charge of a cobalt spinel ultrafiltration membrane was investigated in the presence of electrolyte solutions by means of streaming potential measurements. The selectivity of a membrane towards different salts depends on the electrostatic interactions between the species in solution and the charge of the membrane surface. Firstly, the values of the streaming potential coefficient were measured during the filtration of NaCl, CaCl₂, Na₂SO₄ and CaSO₄ as a function of pH and ionic strength. The iso-electric point was determined for each electrolyte. Secondly, the rejection rates of the electrolytes were measured by ionic chromatography. The rejection was explained by a correlation with the surface charge of the membrane.     

Recovery of H2SO4 from wastewater in the presence of NaCl and KHCO3 through pH responsive polysulfone membrane: Optimization approach

Through the phase inversion technique, asymmetric flat sheet pH-responsive Polysulfone (PSF) membrane was prepared and utilized for recovering H₂SO₄ in the presence of NaCl and KHCO₃ from wastewater. Hydrophilic and pH-responsive characteristics were incorporated within the membrane by blending Polyethylene glycol methyl ether (PEGME) and Humic acid (HA). The modification in membrane morphology with pH was characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier Transform Infrared Studies (FTIR) method. The ion exchange capacity of the prepared pH-responsive membrane increased from 0.145 to 0.25 mmol/g when compared to the pristine PSF membrane. Pure water flux (PWF) of 113.8–46.8 L/m²h, water uptake of 25.9%–6.8% were obtained for pH-responsive membrane when pH varied from 4 to 12. Recovery of H₂SO₄ was optimized by design expert software 9.0 TRIAL and was found to be a maximum of 76.57 ± 1.5% in the presence of 0.32 M NaCl and 0.5 M KHCO₃ at pH ~8.4, through the pH-responsive PSF membrane by diffusion dialysis process. The influencing parameters (pH, NaCl (M) and KHCO₃ (M)) were optimized and acid recovery modeling was performed through response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD). F value of 6573.40 through ANOVA study indicated the significance of the quadratic model chosen, whereas an insignificant lack of fit (prob > F = 0.0519) confirmed the goodness of fit between the model and obtained experimental data's.     

The interfacial electrochemistry of goethite (α-FeOOH) especially the effect of CO2 contamination

The surface charge density/pH function of goethite is shown to be very similar to the surface charge density/surface potential functions reported for mercury. This finding differs from all other reports and we attribute the difference to the experimental method. This paper describes a method of titrating oxide suspensions which reduces pH drifts and suspension and stirring effects to negligible values and also a method for effectively removing CO₂ from oxide suspensions. When goethite which had been stored as a suspension in contact with air was titrated in N₂-purged NaI solution the point of zero charge (pzc) was within the range found by previous workers, i.e. pH 8.75 and the σ/pH function did not resemble reported σ/ψ₀ functions of mercury but when goethite from the same preparation was purged with N₂ for 2 months and then titrated in N₂-purged NaI the pzc was pH 9.3 and the σ/pH function did resemble the σ/ψ₀ function of mercury.     

Use of an automated tension cell to measure physical properties of colloidal systems

A tension cell device is described which is able to automatically collect outflow data and maintain constant loads (2 cm to 18 cm H₂O) for flow systems involving water saturated, deformable porous media. Using the theoretical apparatus presently available for analyzing such systems, various flow parameters are obtained:k, permeability;a, coefficient of bulk compressibility; andD _m, the material diffusivity. The flow parameters are a function of a variety of structural factors, which are controlled to a large extent by the nature of the forces operating between particles. Thus, the values fork, a andD _m are applied to the problem of understanding structure in relatively dilute colloidal systems. Two different aluminum hydroxycarbonate materials are examined, each having a pH dependent surface charge but different in surface area. Because of their particular properties, structural differences between cohesive particle networks (occurring at the point of zero charge (pzc)) and swelling type systems (at pH values much different than pzc) may be examined.     

Open circuit potential measurements with Ti/TiO2 electrodes

The open circuit potential (OCP) vs pH response of Ti/TiO₂ electrodes prepared by thermal and electrochemical oxidation of metallic titanium was measured in KNO₃ aqueous solutions in order to establish whether the slopes of the OCP-pH curves can be used as a measure of the variation of surface potential (ψ_o) of TiO₂ with the pH of the aqueous solution. For comparison purposes, ψ_o—pH slopes were also evaluated from surface charge-pH data obtained by acid-base potentiometric titrations of TiO₂ dispersions.Ti/TiO₂ electrodes showed a linear OCP-pH response in the range of ph 5–10 with slopes of −0.039 ± 0.005 V ph⁻¹. The OCP-pH dependence of Ti/TiO₂ electrodes was lower than that predicted thermodynamically. According to the triple-layer model, used to describe the oxide/aqueous solution interface, the OCP-pH slopes obtained for Ti/TiO₂ electrodes cannot be identified with the variation of ψ_o with the pH. Calculations with this model indicated that neither the single nor the double extrapolation methods used to evaluate the intrinsic ionization constant of oxide surface sites render realistic values of these parameters for the TiO₂ surface.The analysis of surface charge—pH data and the use of the triple-layer model to predict experimental values indicated that the ψ_o—pH slopes of TiO₂ surfaces must be greater (in absolute magnitude) than 0.041 V pH⁻¹.     

Effect of composition on the point of zero charge of RuO2 + TiO2 mixed oxides

RuO₂ + TiO₂ mixed oxides have been prepared by thermal decomposition of RuCl₃ + TiCl₄ at 450°C. The structural features have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, while the Braunauer-Emmett-Teller method has been used to determine the surface area of the powders. The point of zero charge (pzc) has been measured by potentiometric titration of oxide suspensions in KNO₃ solution. The charge-pH curves have been transformed into capacitance values which have been used at the pzc to estimate in-situ the real surface area and the inner layer capacitance. In the absence of RuO₂, Tio₂ is mainly in the anatase form. The rutile form of TiO₂ has a pzc close to that of RuO₂ which results in a pzc varying very little between 40 and 100% RuO₂. The same is the case with the real surface area. This is in accord with the performances of electrodes showing RuO₂-like properties down to 30–40% RuO₂. The behaviour of RuO₂ + TiO₂ oxides is structurally, electronically and chemically dominated by that of the RuO₂ component.     

Effect of solution chemistry on the surface charge of polymeric reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes

A streaming potential analyzer has been used to investigate the effect of solution chemistry on the surface charge of four commercial reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes. Zeta potentials of these membranes were analyzed for aqueous solutions of various chemical compositions over a pH range of 2 to 9. In the presence of an indifferent electrolyte (NaCl), the isoelectric points of these membranes range from 3.0 to 5.2. The curves of zeta potential versus solution pH for all membranes display a shape characteristic of amphoteric surfaces with acidic and basic functional groups. Results with salts containing divalent ions (CaCl₂, Na₂SO₄, and MgSO₄) indicate that divalent cations more readily adsorb to the membrane surface than divalent anions, especially in the higher pH range. Three sources of humic acid, Suwannee River humic acid, peat humic acid, and Aldrich humic acid, were used to investigate the effect of dissolved natural organic matter on membrane surface charge. Other solution chemistries involved in this investigation include an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate) and a cationic surfactant (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide). Results show that humic substances and surfactants readily adsorb to the membrane surface and markedly influence the membrane surface charge.     

The isoelectric point/point-of zero-charge of interfaces formed by aqueous solutions and nonpolar solids, liquids, and gases

From our previous work on the role of the electrostatic field strength in controlling the pH of the iso-electric point (iep)/point-of-zero-charge (pzc) of polar solids we have extended the analysis to predict that the pH of the iep/pzc of a nonpolar solid, liquid or gas-aqueous interface should occur at pH 1.0-3.0, dependent on the value assigned to water molecules or clusters at the interface. Consideration of a wide range of experimental results covering nonpolar solids such as molybdenite, stibnite, paraffin, etc. as well as hydrocarbon liquids such as xylene, decalin, and long chain (>C8) alkane oils, as well as nitrogen and hydrogen gases, all in various simple 1:1 electrolyte solutions confirm the general validity of the result. We further consider various models of the origin of the charge on nonpolar material-water interfaces.     

A novel pH sensing membrane based on an ionic liquid-polymer composite

A novel pH sensing membrane was developed that consists of the ionic liquid n-cetylpyridinium hexafluorophosphate (CPFP), poly(vinyl chloride), and quinhydrone. The membrane is stable and flexible and can be easily deposited on the electrode. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to study the interfacial charge transfer of this membrane. Compared to a traditional plasticizer-based membrane electrode, the new electrode possesses excellent potentiometric characteristics for monitoring pH, such as a response time of less than 10 s, high sensitivity, stability, and reproducibility. The response is almost Nernstian, with a slope of ?57.5?±?0.2 mV pH^?1 in the pH range from 2 to 9.5. The new electrode was used for direct monitoring of pH in real food samples.

Efficient removal of MB dye using litchi leaves powder adsorbent: Isotherm and kinetic studies

Removal of Methylene Blue (MB) dye using Litchi Leaves Powder (LLP) material was carried out in batch mode. Effect of the mass of the adsorbent (0.1–2.5 g/L), pH of the solution (2−12), starting concentration of MB dye (50–150 mg/L), ionic strength using NaCl (0.1–0.5 M) as an electrolyte, contact time (0–60 min) on the adsorption of MB dye was studied. To calculate pH at which LLP material surface becomes neutral point of zero charge (pH_pzc) is also determined and found to be 6.48. Removal process best fit in the pseudo-second-order kinetic model as indicated by its higher R² value (0.999). Isotherm models (Freundlich and Langmuir) were fitted to the data obtained from the experiment to understand the adsorption behaviour. Result shows that experimental data were fitted to the both isotherm models (Freundlich and Langmuir) as indicated by higher R² value for both Freundlich (0.991) and Langmuir (0.994) model, and it was determined that LLP has a maximum adsorption capacity of 119.76 mg/g.     

Sorption of [Fe(CN)6]3− and [Fe(CN)6]4− ions on the surface of Fe(III), Cr(III), and Zr(IV) oxyhydroxide hydrogels from aqueous solutions

The sorption of [Fe(CN)₆]^3? and [Fe(CN)₆]^4? anions on the surface of Fe(III), Cr(III), and Zr(IV) oxyhydroxide hydrogels at various pH values of hydrogel precipitation from solutions without a support electrolyte and from NaCl and Na₂SO₄ solutions with an ionic strength of 0.5 was studied. It was found that isotherms of sorption of [Fe(CN)₆]^3? and [Fe(CN)₆]^4? anions from solutions without a support electrolyte and from NaCl solutions and those of sorption of [Fe(CN)₆]^4? from Na₂SO₄ solutions are described by the Langmuir equation. It was established that the sulfate background suppresses the sorption of [Fe(CN)₆]^3? on Fe(III) and Zr(IV) oxyhydroxides. Both anions are sorbed only when the surface of the oxyhydroxides is charged positively; the Langmuir equation parameters A _max and K tend to decrease to the point of zero charge as the pH value of oxyhydroxide precipitation increases. An electrostatic mechanism of the sorption of [Fe(CN)₆]^3? and [Fe(CN)₆]^4? anions was suggested.     

Interactions between silica particles and poly(2-vinylpyridine) brushes in aqueous solutions of monovalent and multivalent salts

AFM colloidal probe technique, scratch tests, and spectroscopic ellipsometry are employed to study the conformation of a poly(2-vinyl pyridine) brush grafted to a planar surface and its interaction with microsized silica spheres in solutions containing monovalent (Cl^?) and multivalent counterions (SO₄ ^2? and PO₄ ^3?) at pH 2.5. During approach of the sphere, steric repulsion is observed with all salts at any concentration. The approach force-distance curves are fitted according to the Alexander-de Gennes model in order to calculate the equilibrium brush thickness L. These data are compared to the brush thickness determined by ellipsometry and AFM scratch tests. Different values are obtained but all of them decrease with increasing salt concentration. This effect is enhanced by counterions of higher valence because they have a stronger screening effect and ion correlation due to their greater charge per unit volume. With NaCl solutions, a reswelling of diluted P2VP coils is observed at Cl^? concentrations >1 M. When the sphere is retracted, weak adhesion forces occur at Cl^? concentrations >1.3?×?10^?2 M and at all concentrations of SO₄ ^2? and PO₄ ^3?.     

A Novel Potentiometric Membrane Sensor Based on Aryl Palladium Complex for Selective Determination of Thiocyanate in the Saliva and Urine of Cigarette Smokers

A highly selective potentiometric sensor for thiocyanate ion based on the use of a newly synthesized organo‐palladium ion exchanger complex dispersed in a plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membrane is described. The sensor displays a Nernstian response (?57.8±0.2 mV decade^?1) over a wide linear concentration range of thiocyanate (1.0×10^?6–1.0×10^?1 mol L^?1 ), low detection limit (6.3×10^?7 mol L^?1), fast response (20 s), stable potential readings (±0.4 mV), good reproducibility (±0.9%), long term stability (8 weeks), high precision (±0.7%) and applicability over a wide pH range (4–10). Negligible interferences are caused by F^?, Cl^?, I^?, Br^?, NO₃^?, NO₂^?, CN^?, SO₄^2?, S₂O₃^2?, PO₄^3?, citrate, acetate and oxalate ions. Under hydrodynamic mode of operation (FIA), the calibration slope is ?51.1±0.1 mV decade^?1, the linear response range is 1.0×10^?5–1.0×10^?1 mol L^?1 SCN^? and the sample throughput is 40–45 per hour. The sensor is satisfactory used for manual and flow injection potentiometric determination of SCN^? in the saliva and urine of cigarette smokers and non smokers. The data agree fairly well with results obtained by the standard spectrophotometric technique. Direct potentiometry and potentiometric titration of SCN^? with Ag⁺ are also monitored with the sensor.     

Study on a novel polyester composite nanofiltration membrane by interfacial polymerization of triethanolamine (TEOA) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC): I. Preparation, characterization and nanofiltration properties test of membrane

A novel thin-film composite (TFC) membrane for nanofiltration (NF) was developed by the interfacial polymerization of triethanolamine (TEOA) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) on the polysulfone (PSf) supporting membrane. The active surface of the membrane was characterized by using FT-IR, XPS and SEM. The performance of TFC membrane was optimized by studying the preparation parameters, such as the reaction time of polymerization, pH of aqueous phase and the concentration of reactive monomers. It is found that the membrane performance is related to the changes of the monomer content in the aqueous phase rather than in the organic phase. Furthermore, the nanofiltration properties of the TFC membrane were tested by examining the separating performance of various salts at 0.6 MPa operating pressure. The rejection to different salt solutions decreased as per the order of Na₂SO₄ (82.2%), MgSO₄ (76.5%), NaCl (42.2%) and MgCl₂ (23%). Also, streaming potential tests indicated that isoelectric point of the TFC membrane is between pH 4 and 5. Moreover, the investigation of the flux for NaCl solution at different pH showed that the polyester NF composite membrane is also particularly suitable for treating acidic feeds: the flux increased from 8.4 to 11.5 L/m² h when pH of the feed decreased from 9 to 3. Additionally, the TFC membrane exhibits good long-term stability.