Synthesis of PAN/ferrocyanide composite incorporated with cetrimonium bromide and its employment as a bifunctional adsorbent for coremoval of Cs+ and HCrO4− from aqueous solutions

Polyacrylonitrile/ferrocyanide composite incorporated with cetrimonium bromide (PFICB) was synthesized and evaluated as a novel bifunctional adsorbent for coremoval of Cs⁺ and HCrO₄^?. Results of the reaction time effect showed that adsorption of Cs⁺ and HCrO₄^? onto PFICB were rapid processes. The effect of the solution pH in the range 2.5–10 revealed that PFICB had the ability to simultaneously remove Cs⁺ and HCrO₄^?. The maximum adsorption capacity of PFICB was found to be 41.79 mg/g for Cs⁺ and 19.39 mg/g for HCrO₄^?. These values were compared with those reported in literature using other adsorbents.

     

Biosynthesis of Pd/MnO2 nanocomposite using Solanum melongena plant extract and its application for the one‐pot synthesis of 5‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles from aryl halides

In this work, for the first time, Solanum melongena plant extract was used for the green synthesis of Pd/MnO₂ nanocomposite via reduction osf Pd(II) ions to Pd(0) and their immobilization on the surface of manganese dioxide (MnO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) as an effective support. The synthesized nanocomposite were characterized by various analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of Pd/MnO₂ nanocomposite was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the one‐pot synthesis of 5‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles from aryl halides containing various electron‐donating or electron‐withdrawing groups in the presence of K ₄ [Fe (CN) ₆ ] as non‐toxic cyanide source and sodium azide. The products were obtained in good yields via a simple methodology and easy work‐up. The nanocatalyst can be recycled and reused several times with no remarkable loss of activity.     

A New Approach for Synthesis of Low‐moisture Glycidyl Azide Polymer

In this work, low‐moisture glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) was successfully prepared using a modified two‐step method. The modified method resembles the structure of the classical two‐step method, which is widely used to prepare the GAP. Firstly, epichlorohydrin (ECH) is polymerized into polyepicholorohydrin (PECH), which is subjected afterward to azidation step using sodium azide (NaN₃). Interestingly, minimizing the water content in the final GAP product, which is a challenging when dealing with GAP as a rocket propellant binder, was effectively achieved by utilizing low boiling point solvents instead of the relatively high boiling point Dimethyl formamide (DMF), monitoring the volatility of ECH and controlling the exothermicity of the reaction. Prepared GAP samples were investigated using Fourier transformer infra‐red (FT‐IR), gel‐permeation chromatography (GPC) and elemental analysis apparatus (CHNS) were used to characterize the product. The moisture % in the final product was examined using the Karl‐Fisher Technique. Results showed the successful preparation of GAP with low water content (<0.01 %), high average molecular weight (> 2000 g · mol^–1), 42.82 % nitrogen, a viscosity of 3484 cP at 20 °C, yield ranges between 95–98 % and a polydispersity index of 1.2. The prepared GAP is promising for replacement of the classical GAPs in the energetic materials applications.     

Role of compositional changes on thermal,magnetic,and mechanical properties of Fe-P-C-based amorphous alloys

This work aimed to tune the comprehensive properties of Fe-P-C-based amorphous system through investigating the role of microalloying process on the crystallization behavior,glass forming ability(GFA),soft magnetic features,and mechanical properties.Considering minor addition of elements into the system,it was found that the simultaneous microalloying of Ni and Co leads to the highest GFA,which was due to the optimization of compositional heterogeneity and creation of near-eutectic composition.Moreover,the FeCoNiCuPC amorphous alloy exhibited the best anelastic/viscoplastic behavior under the nanoindentation test,which was owing to the intensified structural fluctuations in the system.However,the improved plasticity by the extra Cu addition comes at the expense of magnetic properties,so that the saturation magnetization of this alloying system is significantly decreased compared to the FeCoPC amorphous alloy with the highest soft magnetic properties.In total,the results indicated that a combination of added elemental constitutes,i.e.,Fe69Co5Ni5Cu1P13C7 composition,provides an optimized state for the comprehensive properties in the alloying system.     

Application of ion-imprinted polymer synthesized by precipitation polymerization as an efficient and selective sorbent for separation and pre-concentration of chromium ions from some real samples

In this study, a new Cr(III)-imprinted polymer (Cr(III)-IIP) is prepared from CrCl₃·6H₂O, methacrylic acid functional monomer, ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate cross-linking agent, 2,2?-azobisisobutyronitrile radical initiator and 2,2-(azanediylbis (ethane-2,1-diyl))bis(isoindoline-1,3-dione) ligand. To obtain the maximum adsorption capacity, the optimum condition was studied through pH, type and concentration of eluent, IIP weight, sample volume as well as the adsorption and desorption times. The Cr(III) ion content was determined via flame atomic absorption spectrometer. In optimum conditions, the adsorption capacity of the IIP for Cr(III) was obtained to be 74.65 mg g^?1, using 50 mg of IIP and the initial pH solution of 3.0. Both the adsorption and desorption times for quantitative analyses of Cr(III) ions were 15 and 5 min; respectively. After elution of the adsorbed ions by 3 mL of 4 mol L^?1 HNO₃ aqueous solution, the established IIP-based SPE procedure provides a reasonable pre-concentration factor of 100. The IIP-based pre-concentration method provides a low detection limit of 1.7 µg L^?1 with good repeatability (RSD?=?3.22%). Reusability studies confirmed that synthesis IIP is reusable and recoverable up to six cycles. According to the selectivity experiments, it was concluded that the prepared sorbent possesses more affinity toward Cr(III) ions than other ions such as Al³⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Ni²⁺ ions. To evaluate the potential applicability of the proposed separation method, the pre-concentration and determination of trace amounts of Cr(III) were performed successfully in food samples with complex matrices, a bestial sample (i.e. cow liver) and an herbal product (i.e., broccoli) as real samples.     

Euphorbia polygonifolia extract assisted biosynthesis of Fe3O4@CuO nanoparticles: Applications in the removal of metronidazole,ciprofloxacin and cephalexin antibiotics from aqueous solutions under UV irradiation

In this study, a new, economical and green method was reported for synthesizing Fe₃O₄@CuO nanoparticles without adding any surfactants using Euphorbia polygonifolia extract as a renewable, mild and safe reducing agent and effective stabilizer. The green synthesized NPs were analyzed by various methods such as XRD, FESEM, FT-IR, EDS, VSM, UV–visible, DRS, BET and TGA-DTA. Based on the BET analysis, the Fe₃O₄@CuO NP had a surface area of 69.20 m²/g. The FTIR analysis verified the existence of different functional groups of phytochemicals from Euphorbia polygonifolia extract which were accountable for the NPs formation. The catalytic performance of the catalyst for the degradation of metronidazole, ciprofloxacin and cephalexin antibiotics was examined in aqueous mediums at room temperature. The results showed an extraordinary catalytic performance, easy reusability and long-term stability of the composite for reducing antibiotic pollution. In this process, the effects of environmental conditions such as initial pH of the environment, initial concentration of antibiotics, the concentration of modified photocatalyst and reaction time were studied. According to the results, at the optimal conditions, the highest removal efficiency for metronidazole, ciprofloxacin and cephalexin antibiotics using Fe₃O₄@CuO nanoparticles, were 89%, 94%, and 96%, respectively. Also, it was observed that even after recycling, the NPs presents good nanocatalytic stability for the degradation of antibiotics. Using the NPs for five cycles did not significantly alter the photocatalyst efficiency, showing that the photocatalytic stability of the NPs was excellent.     

Characterization of polyoxometalate/polymer photo-composites: A toolbox for the photodegradation of organic pollutants

Different inorganic/organic photocomposites based on polyoxometalate (POM) nanoparticles have been developed for photocatalytic applications. Currently, polyoxometalate nanoparticles have been successfully in-situ embedded into an acrylate polymer network by photopolymerization upon mild visible light irradiation at 405 nm. The proposed POM/polymer photocomposites have been characterized using complementary techniques for a better understanding of their photocatalytic activity. Interestingly, the obtained photocomposites exhibit high rigidity, excellent thermal stability, a non-negligible porosity and new functionalities such as light reactivity and redox properties. Moreover, developed composites showed efficient catalytic activity for the color removal of aqueous solutions of erythrosine and rose Bengal under Light Emitting Diodes LED@375 nm irradiation reaching 80 and 90% as a final color removal, respectively.