Highly efficient,economic, and recyclable glutathione decorated magnetically separable nanocomposite for uranium(VI) adsorption from aqueous solution

A green and environment-friendly magnetically separable nanocomposite, glutathione@magnetite was fabricated sonochemically through the functionalization of Fe₃O₄ by glutathione which was well characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ultravoilet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, vibrating sample magnetometer, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and high-resolution transmission electron microscope. The parameters affecting adsorption including pH, temperature, contact time, initial adsorbate concentration, and adsorbent amount were optimized by batch experiments. The magnetic glutathione@magnetite was applied for the removal of uranium(VI) in water with maximum adsorption capacity found to be 333.33 mg/g in 120 min at a neutral pH at 25 °C showing high efficiency for U(VI) ions. Furthermore, adsorption results obtained from UV-vis spectroscopy were validated by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The thermodynamic parameters, viz Gibbs free energy (ΔGº), standard enthalpy change (ΔHº), and standard entropy change (ΔSº) of the process were calculated using the Langmuir constants. The pseudo-second-order kinetics model is seen to be applicable for describing the uptake process using a kinetics test. Moreover, desorption studies reveals that glutathione@magnetite can be used repeatedly, and removal efficiency shows only a small decrease after six cycles. Thus, glutathione@magnetite acts as a potential adsorbent for the removal of U(VI) from the water with great adsorption performance.     

工业催化:选择性提升策略

工业催化直接或间接贡献了世界GDP的20%-30%,推动了产业变革和社会进步.对于工业催化,开发高活性、高选择性和高稳定性的多相催化剂至关重要,而选择性是最主要的挑战.因为实现催化选择性的精确控制是绿色化学的重要概念之一,更是工业催化可持续发展的重要驱动力;而且,选择性不仅决定了催化过程的原子经济性,也影响到后续分离过程的能耗.针对多数工业催化反应存在'活性越高、选择性越低'的相互制约与矛盾问题,本文以若干能源化工催化反应为例,试图总结催化选择性提升的一般策略,以期为有关工业应用的催化新过程提供科学参考.多相催化一般经历与反应物有关的步骤(反应物的外扩散、内扩散和化学吸附)、与反应有关的步骤(活化和表面反应)、以及与产物相关的步骤(产物脱附、内扩散和外扩散).本文依此归纳并举例说明提高选择性的一般策略.在汽油催化吸附脱硫中,主要利用了催化剂中零价镍-氧化锌耦合活性中心的选择吸附策略,使零价镍优先吸附含硫化合物,从而实现选择性脱硫而不饱和烯烃.在甲苯和甲醇侧链烷基化反应中,主要利用了特定空间分布的酸碱吸附位,实现吸附甲苯和稳定甲醛中间体的协同匹配.在乙苯脱乙基型二甲苯异构化反应中,主要利用了双床层对催化剂功能的分离策略,在不同的择形催化剂床层中分别进行乙苯脱乙基反应和二甲苯异构化反应,从而提高对二甲苯的产量.在苯选择加氢制环己烯反应中,主要利用强化产品脱附的策略,促进环己烯产品从亲水改性的催化剂表面脱附,实现环己烯选择性的提升.这些炼油与化工研究案例中同时存在多个连串-平行反应,主要是利用吸附中心、反应中心在时间或空间上的耦合、解耦或限域策略,调控不同途径的扩散能垒、反应能垒,实现了催化剂选择性的提升.多相催化多是复杂过程,基于提高选择性的初步认识,还要结合具体复杂催化过程,系统研究单策略以及多策略组合作用下的选择催化过程,实现在合理时间尺度、空间尺度上设计高选择性的催化剂,而这本质上是一种介尺度催化.     

Evaluation of an activated carbon from olive stones used as an adsorbent for heavy metal removal from aqueous phases

The performance of a microporous activated carbon prepared chemically from olive stones for removing Cu(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) from single and binary aqueous solutions was investigated via the batch technique. The activated carbon sample was characterized using N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms, SEM, XRD, FTIR, and Boehm titration. The effect of initial pH and contact time were studied. Adsorption kinetic rates were found to be fast and kinetic experimental data fitted very well the pseudo-second-order equation. The adsorption isotherms fit the Redlich–Peterson model very well and maximum adsorption amounts of single metal ions solutions follow the trend Pb(II) > Cd(II) > Cu(II). The adsorption behavior of binary solution systems shows a relatively high affinity to Cu(II) at the activated carbon surface of the mixture with Cd(II) or Pb(II). An antagonistic competitive adsorption phenomenon was observed. Desorption experiments indicated that about 59.5% of Cu(II) and 23% of Cd(II) were desorbed using a diluted sulfuric acid solution.     

中空碳纳米球的制备及VOCs吸附性能

首先, 在碱性条件下, 不使用表面活性剂, 采用St?ber小球法以正硅酸四乙酯(TEOS)和正硅酸四丙酯(TPOS)为硅源, 生成初级氧化硅球形颗粒; 然后, 使酚醛树脂(间苯二酚和甲醛)与球形氧化硅的羟基共缩合形成酚醛树脂-氧化硅复合材料; 最后, 经高温碳化和酸蚀获得了空心碳纳米球(HCNSs). 通过调节TEOS/TPOS的摩尔比获得了一系列具有良好的单分散性且粒径、 壁厚可调节的HCNSs, 其粒径和壁厚分别在280~430 nm和15~63 nm的范围内. 仅以TPOS为硅源时合成的HCNS-0/4具有较大的粒径(426 nm)和壁厚(63 nm)、 较高的比表面积(1216 m²/g)和孔容(0.508 cm³/g), 并且具有较大的挥发性有机化合物(VOCs)吸附性能, 其正己烷、 甲苯和油气的静态吸附容量分别为2.02, 1.42和0.926 g/g, 正己烷和甲苯的动态吸附容量分别为2.01 g/g和1.37 g/g, 均远高于商业化活性炭.     

Structural characterization and hydrogen sorption properties of the Mg50Ni45Cr5 alloy

The Mg₅₀Ni₄₅Cr₅ alloy for hydrogen storage is prepared by mechanical alloying. First, using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) we examine the morphology and the structure of the substrate. The obtained results highlight the effectiveness of this alloy in loading hydrogen as it is a nanocrystalline and a ductile one. Second, we attempt to justify these expectations using the statistical physic, precisely the model monolayer with two levels of energy, in modeling a hydrogen absorption and desorption isotherms on Mg₅₀Ni₄₅Cr₅ alloy at four temperatures T?=?275?K, T?=?300?K, T?=?325?K and T?=?350?K. The model has six physicochemical parameters deduced from the fitting of the isotherms, they are divided by two categories of steric and energetic parameters. Thanks to these parameters we compare the absorption and desorption processes, in order to highlight the hysteresis phenomenon encountered during the hydrogen sorption.     

Ultrasound-assisted regeneration of zeolite/water adsorption pair

The use of ultrasound to enhance the regeneration of zeolite 13X for efficient utilization of thermal energy was investigated as a substitute to conventional heating methods. The effects of ultrasonic power and frequency on the desorption of water from zeolite 13X were analyzed to optimize the desorption efficiency. To determine and justify the effectiveness of incorporating ultrasound from an energy-savings point of view, an approach of constant overall input power of 20 or 25 W was adopted. To measure the extent of the effectiveness of using ultrasound, the ultrasonic-power-to-total power ratios of 0.2, 0.25, 0.4 and 0.5 were investigated and the results compared with those of no-ultrasound (heat only) at the same total power. To analyze the effect of ultrasonic frequency, identical experiments were performed at three nominal ultrasonic frequencies of ~28, 40 and 80 kHz. The experimental results showed that using ultrasound enhances the regeneration of zeolite 13X at all the aforementioned power ratios and frequencies without increasing the total input power. With regard to energy consumption, the highest energy-savings power ratio (0.25) resulted in a 24% reduction in required input energy and with an increase in ultrasonic power, i.e. an increase in acoustic-to-total power ratio, the effectiveness of applying ultrasound decreased drastically. At a power ratio of 0.2, the time required for regeneration was reduced by 23.8% compared to the heat-only process under the same experimental conditions. In terms of ultrasonic frequency, lower frequencies resulted in higher efficiency and energy savings, and it was concluded that the effect of ultrasonic radiation becomes more significant at lower ultrasonic frequencies. The observed inverse proportionality between the frequency and ultrasound-assisted desorption enhancement suggests that acoustic dissipation is not a significant mechanism to enhance mass transfer, but rather other mechanisms must be considered.     

Defect-related relaxation processes in irradiated rare gas solids

Electronic and atomic relaxation processes in preirradiated solid Ar doped with N 2 were studied with a focus on the role of radiative electronic transitions in relaxation cascades. Combining methods of activation spectroscopy - thermally stimulated and photon-stimulated exoelectron emission, a new channel of relaxation induced by photon emission from metastable N atoms was detected. It was shown that in insulating materials with a wide conduction band photons of visible range can release electrons from both kinds of traps - shallow (lattice defects) and deep thermally disconnected ones. Correlation in the charge recombination reaction yield and the yield of low temperature desorption - important relaxation channel in a preirradiated solid - clearly demonstrates interconnection between atomic and electronic processes of relaxation.     

Deposition of Phosphate Nanoparticles onto Textile Fabrics via Sol-gel Method and Their Kinetics Desorption Studies

In this paper, phosphate nanoparticles were coated on cotton(CO) and polyester(PES) textile surfaces by sol-gel method using tetraethylorthosilicate(TEOS) and chloropropyltriethoxysilane(CPTS) as silica precursors. The deposited nanoparticles were observed with scanning electronic microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The release kinetics of phosphorus(P) from these textiles into the aqueous medium(Aq), acid(Ac), and basic(Ba) artificial sweats were then studied. The released amount of phosphorus was evaluated by the inductively coupled plasma(ICP) according to ISO NF EN 16711-2 procedure. The results revealed that the release of P into the aqueous medium is lower than in the artificial sweat. The kinetics data[the phosphorus desorption amount(mg/g) as a function of time] were modeled according to five models:the first order, the second order, the third order, simple Elovich and parabolic diffusion. The suitable model was chosen based on the coefficient of determination(R²) and the calculation of the sum of the absolute errors(EABS), which describes the error between the theoretical and experimental values. SEM observations were also carried out on the fabrics after desorption in order to show the impact of desorption on their morphology. Furthermore, the impact of P release on the tensile strength of CO and PES fabrics was investigated using a uniaxial tensile test. The thermal stability of all samples before and after desorption was assessed by thermogravimetric analysis(ATG).     

The removal of Cu,Ni, and Zn in industrial soil by washing with EDTA-organic acids

In order to improve the heavy metal removal ability of traditional single washing agents and explore the removal mechanism of heavy metals. Then, the washing reagents that mixed by low-molecular weight organic acids (citric acid, oxalic acid, and tartaric acid) and artificial chelating compound ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium (EDTA) were selected. Furthermore, the effect of soil washing parameters, the variation of leaching toxicity, mobility, stability and speciation of heavy metals were also considered. The results of soil washing experiments showed that mixing an equal volume of 0.05 M EDTA and 0.2 M organic acids (citric acid, oxalic acid, and tartaric acid) could remove more than about 80% heavy metals from soil under the optimal conditions. In addition, the soil leaching toxicity was decreased and the stability of remaining heavy metals was increased, indicating that EDTA-organic acid washing reagents could effectively reduce the ecological risk of contaminated soil. EDTA had a stronger chelating ability with heavy metals than the organic acids, and the organic acids could not only chelate heavy metals but also decrease the pH of the mixture for promoting the desorption of heavy metals. Thus, mixing EDTA and organic acids was advisable method to improve soil washing technology.