Cetylpyridinium Chloride as a Regulator in Paper Separation of 2,4‐Dichlorophenol and 2,4,6‐Trichlorophenol in Water

2,4‐Dichlorophenol (2,4‐DCP) and 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol (2,4,6‐TCP) by the use of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPCl) as a regulator was studied for their separation by the paper capillary permeation adsorption (PCPA) separation technique. The effect of pH, the type of PCPA treatment, the concentration of cetylpyridinium chloride, and various inorganic salts on the separatability has been investigated. A nearly 100% separatability was obtained at pH values 5–11 and 5–11, respectively, for 2,4‐dichlorophenol and 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol when cetylpyridinium chloride was present. It was confirmed that 2,4‐dichlorophenol and 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol are separated by adsorption on the fiber surface as ion pairs at the pH. Addition of inorganic salts decreases the separatability.     

Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide as a Regulator in Paper Separation of Pentachlorophenol Herbicide and Methyl Orange Dye

An experimental investigation is presented for separation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and methyl orange (MO) from an aqueous solution by use of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a regulator in the paper capillary permeation adsorption process (PCPA). The effects of pH, concentration of CTAB, and ionic strength on the separatability of the molecules were studied. The maximum separatability of nearly 100% PCP and MO was obtained in the optimum pH range 5–11 and 7–11, respectively. The ionic strength has an appreciable effect on separatability. The recovery of PCP and MO from paper by elution with acetone: isooctane solvent gradients was also studied. The selective separation of PCP and MO admixed in aqueous solution by a developed solvent elution technique was also reported. It was believed that PCP and MO were separated as their ion pairs with CTA cations by adsorption on the fiber surface.     

Crystalline Vanadium Pentoxide with Hierarchical Mesopores and Its Capacitive Behavior

Crystalline vanadium pentoxide with hierarchical mesopores was synthesized by using a CTAB/BMIC cotemplate (CTAB=cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, BMIC=1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride). The material was fully characterized by SEM, TEM, N₂ adsorption–desorption, XRD, XPS, and CV methods. By elaborate adjustment of the template proportions, the distribution and size of the hierarchical pores were tuned successfully. CTAB cationic surfactant contributed more to the larger mesopores, whereas BMIC ionic liquid was beneficial in forming the smaller nanopores. The vanadium‐containing anions combined with CTA⁺ micelles and BMI⁺ rings through electrostatic interactions. The CTA⁺–O(VO)O^?–BMI⁺ entities built up an orderly array, which finally formed the hierarchical mesoporous framework during thermal treatment. The mesoporous vanadium pentoxide directed by the cotemplate of CTAB/BMIC=1:1 showed many orderly crystalline structures and demonstrated a large capacitance (225 F g^?1); it is thus a promising material for electrochemical capacitors. Two alternative solutions to the disappearance of capacitance due to insertion of K⁺ are proposed in view of possible future applications.     

Computational Investigations of a pH-Induced Structural Transition in a CTAB Solution with Toluic Acid

In this work, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the pH-induced structural transitions for a CTAB/p-toluic acid solution. Spherical and cylindrical micelles were obtained for aqueous surfactants at pH 2 and 7, respectively, which agrees well with the experimental observations. The structural properties of two different micelles were analyzed through the density distributions of components and the molecular orientations of CTA⁺ and toluic acid inside the micelles. It was found that the bonding interactions between CTA⁺ and toluic in spherical and cylindrical micelles are very different. Almost all the ionized toluic acid (PTA⁻) in the solution at pH 7 was solubilized into the micelles, and it was located in the CTA⁺ headgroups region. Additionally, the bonding between surfactant CTA⁺ and PTA⁻ was very tight due to the electrostatic interactions. The PTA⁻ that penetrated into the micelles effectively screened the electrostatic repulsion among the cationic headgroups, which is considered to be crucial for maintaining the cylindrical micellar shape. As the pH decreased, the carboxyl groups were protonated. The hydration ability of neutral carboxyl groups weakened, resulting in deeper penetration into the micelles. Meanwhile, their bonding interactions with surfactant headgroups also weakened. Accompanied by the strengthen of electrostatic repulsion among the positive headgroups, the cylindrical micelle was broken into spherical micelles. Our work provided an atomic-level insights into the mechanism of pH-induced structural transitions of a CTAB/p-toluic solution, which is expected to be useful for further understanding the aggregate behavior of mixed cationic surfactants and aromatic acids.     

Enhancing the process of CO2 reduction reaction by using CTAB to construct contact ion pair in Li-CO2 battery

Aprotic Li-CO₂ batteries have attracted growing interest due to their high theoretical energy density and its ability to use green house gas CO₂ for energy storage.However,the poor ability of activating CO₂ in organic electrolyte often leads to the premature termination of CO₂ reduction reaction （CO₂RR） directly.Here in this work,cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide （CTAB） was introduced into a dimethyl sulfoxide（DMSO） based Li-CO₂ ba...     

Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite Nanorods under Mild Conditions and Their Drug Release Properties

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanorods possess vast potential applications in various fields, and here HAp nanorods with high aspect ratio were synthesized via a convenient two‐stage precipitation‐hydrolysis process at 60°C under atmospheric pressure. The precursor of CaHPO₄ at precipitation stage is well crystallized as nubby morphology with CTAB as surfactant, while CaHPO₄ was dissolved and CTA⁺ stabilized the HAp nuclei during the hydrolysis stage. OH^? ions were absorbed onto the active crystal surface, where Ca²⁺ and PO₄³⁺ reacted with OH^? to make the nuclei grow into larger crystals, and highly crystalline HAp nanorods were obtained by Ostwald ripening. The loaded drug of IBU on the HAp crystals can be 100% released in 24 h. PVP modified HAp nanorods can increase the drug‐loading capacity and release drug faster than pure HAp nanorods. The results indicate that HAp nanorods modified with suitable surfactants are of great use in drug delivery system.     

Adsorption of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide at the silica gel/water interface

The adsorption isotherms of cetyltrimethylammonium ion (CTA+) together with that of the Br counterion on silica gel, and the effects of pH and added salts (NaF, NaCl and NaBr) have been systematically determined at 25°C. Electrophoretic mobilities of the silica gel particles have also been measured in the same conditions. The adsorption isotherm of CTA⁺ consists of four regions. Region I, at low concentrations of surfactant, the adsorption results primarily from electrostatic force between CTA⁺ and the negatively charged silica surface. Region II (first plateau), at medium concentrations, the adsorption is due to both the electrostatic force and the specific attraction (vdW forces) between CTA⁺ and the surface. Region III, characterized by an abrupt increase in the slope of the isotherm when the concentration reaches a particular point known as hemimicelle concentration (HMC). The abrupt increase in the adsorption is due to the hydrophobic interaction between hydrocarbon chains. Region IV (second plateau), at or above CMC, the limiting adsorption is reached as the micelle is not adsorbed. Based on this model, the experimental results can be explained reasonably. The results show that the HMC is about half of the CMC. According to the assumption that each adsorbed CTA⁺ ion in the first plateau is an active center for surface aggregation, the average aggregation number of hemimicelle have been calculated.     

The intercalation of cetyltrimethylammonium cations into muscovite by a two-step process: II. The intercalation of cetyltrimethylammonium cations into Li-muscovite

The alkylammonium cations were successively intercalated into the interlayer of muscovite. It was achieved by inorganic-organic ion exchange in the hydrothermal reaction of the LiNO₃-treated muscovite with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide solution. One-dimensional Patterson plots and electron density calculations show that hydrated Li⁺ and CTA⁺ cations entered the interlayer of muscovite successively. The CTA⁺-intercalated muscovite was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis, in conjunction with FTIR, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray photoelectron spectra, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, etc. The experiments show that organo-muscovite composite with ordered structure has been obtained. The CTA⁺ headgroups are distributed in the interlayer uniformly. However, the arrangement and conformation of CTA⁺ chains are strongly dependent upon the reaction temperature. At lower reaction temperature, the chains of CTA⁺ ions adopt a little more disordered arrangement and have higher gauche/trans conformer ratio, resulting in the disturbance to the interlayer symmetry. Whereas at higher reaction temperature, the sample with paraffin-like arrangement of CTA⁺ chains could be obtained, in which the methylene chains of CTA⁺ adopt a fully stretched, all-trans conformation.     

Mesoporous aluminosilicate ropes with improved stability from protozeolitic nanoclusters

Mesoporous aluminosilicate ropes with improved hydrothermal stability have been prepared through S⁺X⁻I⁺ route via self-assembly of protozeolitic nanoclusters with cetyltrimethylammonium bromides (CTAB) template micelles in HNO₃ solution. SEM observation confirmed that high-yield aluminosilicate ropes could be produced under proper HNO₃ concentration. NO₃⁻ ions had strong binding strength to the CTA⁺ ions and tended to form more elongated surfactant micelles, thus fibrous products were fabricated under the direction of these long rod micelles in shearing flow. At the same time, the NO₃⁻ ions combining with CTA⁺ ions generated more active (CTA⁺NO₃⁻) assembly, which effectively catalysed the polymerization of protozeolitic nanoclusters with large volume into highly ordered mesostructures. Compared with normal MCM-41 silica synthesized through S⁺X⁻I⁺ route in acidic media, the hydrothermal stability was improved considerably. These protozeolitic nanoclusters survived strongly acidic media and entered into mesostructured framework, which contributed to the improvement of hydrothermal stability.     

Dual Soft‐Template System Based on Colloidal Chemistry for the Synthesis of Hollow Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

A new dual soft‐template system comprising the asymmetric triblock copolymer poly(styrene‐b‐2‐vinyl pyridine‐b‐ethylene oxide) (PS‐b‐P2VP‐b‐PEO) and the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is used to synthesize hollow mesoporous silica (HMS) nanoparticles with a center void of around 17 nm. The stable PS‐b‐P2VP‐b‐PEO polymeric micelle serves as a template to form the hollow interior, while the CTAB surfactant serves as a template to form mesopores in the shells. The P2VP blocks on the polymeric micelles can interact with positively charged CTA⁺ ions via negatively charged hydrolyzed silica species. Thus, dual soft‐templates clearly have different roles for the preparation of the HMS nanoparticles. Interestingly, the thicknesses of the mesoporous shell are tunable by varying the amounts of TEOS and CTAB. This study provides new insight on the preparation of mesoporous materials based on colloidal chemistry.     

2,4‐Dichlorophenyl Acrylate/8‐Quinolinyl Methacrylate Copolymers: Ion‐Exchange Study

The chelating ion‐exchange properties of the 2,4‐dichlorophenyl acrylate (2,4‐DCPA)/8‐quinolinyl methacrylate (8‐QMA) copolymers, synthesized using different monomer feed ratios, were investigated by the batch equilibrium method. Five metal ions Cu⁺², Ni⁺², Co⁺², Zn⁺², and Fe⁺³ were used to evaluate the cation‐exchanger capability of 2,4‐DCPA‐co‐8‐QMA copolymers. The ion‐exchange study was carried out for three different experimental variables viz., pH of the aqueous medium, ionic strength of electrolyte and shaking time. It was observed that due to the presence of a pendant ester‐bound quinolinyl group, the copolymers are better suited as cation exchangers.     

On-line continuous-flow extraction system in liqud chromatography with ultraviolet and mass spectrometric detection for the determination of selected organic pollutants

An on-line extraction system with completely continuous-flow analysis prior to the liquid chromatographic (LC) column was used for the determination of the organophosphorus pesticides tetrachlorvinphos and parathion-methyl and their degradation products 2,4,5-trichlorophenol and 4-nitrophenol, respectively, and the chlorinated phenoxy acids 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T and silvex in water samples. The extent of extraction varied from 100% for chlorinated phenoxy acids to 60% for organophosphorus pesticides and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol. The extraction of 4-nitrophenol was less than 10% under these conditions. By employing positive-ion mode thermospray LC-mass spectrometry, the characterization of tetrachlorvinphos was feasible, indicating [M + NH₄]⁺ as the base peak and a second peak with 20% relative intensity corresponding to [M + H]⁺. When the negative-ion mode was used, the chlorinated phenoxy acids and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol exhibited [M + HCOO]^? as the base peak and a second peak with 30% relative intensity corresponding to [M ? H]^?. The determination of 1 mg l^?1 of tetrachlorvinphos spiked in a surface water sample is reported.     

Single polymer molecules adsorbed to mica and the oppositely charged polymer/surfactant complexes formed at the air–water interface visualized by atomic force microscopy

In the present study, the structure and morphology of single sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) molecules adsorbed to mica surface from the natural aqueous solution is investigated using atomic force microscopy technique. Results show that single PSS molecules are observed which show a morphology of wormlike coils. Meanwhile, single sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS)/Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) complexes deposited on mica from the air–water interface are also observed. However, the PSS/CTA⁺ complexes show different conformations by appearing in the morphology of circular patches. Experimental data are in fair agreement with the theoretical analysis.     

Interaction of Metal–Dipeptide Complex with Ninhydrin in the Absence and Presence of Conventional CTAB Surfactant

The present work is aimed at studying the interaction between copper-glycyltyrosine [(Cu(II)-Gly-Tyr)]⁺ and ninhydrin in water and in micelles formed by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) using spectrophometric measurements at 80°C and pH 5.0. The order of reaction remains the same in the two systems, that is, first- and fractional-order kinetics with respect to [Cu(II)-Gly-Tyr]⁺ and [ninhydrin], respectively, in the excess of ninhydrin over [Cu(II)-Gly-Tyr]⁺. It was observed that the product formed is same in both the media. The reaction is catalyzed by CTAB, and the maximum rate enhancement is about three fold. Quantitative kinetic analysis of k_ψ–[CTAB] data was explained in terms of pseudo-phase of the micelles (assuming the association/incorporation of both the reactants at the micellar surface).     

Cationic Surfactants as Regulators in Paper Separation of 2‐Nitrophenol and 2,4,6‐Trinitrophenol in Water

The chemical pollutants 2‐nitrophenol (2‐NP) and 2,4,6‐trinitrophenol (2,4,6‐TNP) were studied for their separation from water by the paper capillary permeation adsorption technique by the use of the four cationic surfactants dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC), tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) as regulators. The effect of pH and the concentration of surfactant on the separatability have been investigated. A nearly 100% separatability was obtained for each pollutant at its optimum pH and surfactant concentration. It was shown that the separation was accomplished via surface adsorption onto the fibers of paper. The change in separatability at basic pH 11 with surfactant variety was analyzed. The result shows that the surfactant with a longer chain alkyl group is more effective for the separation of 2‐NP and the surfactants with 16 carbons in the long chain alkyl group are most effective. The surfactants with 12 carbons or more in the long alkyl group but containing no aromatic group such as pyridyl group are equally effective for accomplishing an efficient separation of 2,4,6‐TNP. Selective separation of 2‐NP from an admixture of 2‐NP plus 2,4,6‐TNP was attempted. The optimum surfactant for each pollutant was tested with seawater for removing the pollutant. The goal of this study is to search for an optimum cationic surfactant and optimum separation conditions for nitrophenols.     

Enhanced Charge Transport by Incorporating Formamidinium and Cesium Cations into Two‐Dimensional Perovskite Solar Cells

Organic‐inorganic hybrid two‐dimensional (2D) perovskites (n≤5) have recently attracted significant attention because of their promising stability and optoelectronic properties. Normally, 2D perovskites contain a monocation [e.g., methylammonium (MA⁺) or formamidinium (FA⁺)]. Reported here for the first time is the fabrication of 2D perovskites (n=5) with mixed cations of MA⁺, FA⁺, and cesium (Cs⁺). The use of these triple cations leads to the formation of a smooth, compact surface morphology with larger grain size and fewer grain boundaries compared to the conventional MA‐based counterpart. The resulting perovskite also exhibits longer carrier lifetime and higher conductivity in triple cation 2D perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2D PSCs with triple cations was enhanced by more than 80 % (from 7.80 to 14.23 %) compared to PSCs fabricated with a monocation. The PCE is also higher than that of PSCs based on binary cation (MA⁺‐FA⁺ or MA⁺‐Cs⁺) 2D structures.     

Synthesis of Ni(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> in micellar environment: structural,spectroscopic, and electrochemical studies

This work describes the chemical synthesis of nickel hydroxide in the presence of cationic and anionic surfactants (dodecyl benzene sulfonate, DBS^?, and cetyltrimethylammonium, CTA⁺). The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Our findings highlighted that the synthesis in the presence of anionic DBS^?, the α-Ni(OH)₂ structure was preferentially formed. This material showed a high structural disorder and a high amount of intercalated species, suggesting the presence of both micelles and individual surfactants. On the other hand, the synthesis performed in the presence of CTA⁺ has not showed any drastic change in the material structure compared with pure Ni(OH)₂; nevertheless, the intercalated cationic surfactant was identified by FTIR measurements. The enhanced electrochemical response found for the Ni(OH)₂/DBS^? over the Ni(OH)₂/CTA⁺ modified electrodes can be attributed to the enhancement of the ionic diffusion through the solid material as an effect of the high structural disorder and the presence of the excess of the negative electric charge in the Ni(OH)₂ sheets.     

The Energetics of Surfactant‐Templating of Zeolites

Mesoporosity can be conveniently introduced into zeolites by treating them in basic surfactant solutions. The apparent activation energy involved in the formation of mesopores in USY by surfactant‐templating was determined using a combination of in situ synchrotron X‐ray diffraction and ex situ gas adsorption. Additionally, techniques such as pH measurement and thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis were employed to determine OH^? evolution and cetyltrimethylammonium ion (CTA⁺) uptake during the development of mesoporosity, thereby providing information about the different steps involved. The combination of both in situ and ex situ techniques has allowed determination of the apparent activation energies of the different processes involved in the mesostructuring of USY zeolites for the first time. Apparent activation energies are of the same order of magnitude (30–65 kJ mol^?1) as those involved in the crystallization of zeolites. Hence, important mechanistic insight into the surfactant‐templating method was obtained.     

Effect of ammonium formate as ionizing additive in thermospray liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for the determination of triazine,phenylurea and chlorinated phenoxyacetic acid herbicides

A comparison between the use of ammonium acetate and ammonium formate in thermospray liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with positive and negative ion modes using ‘filament-on’ mode has been applied for the determination of simazine, atrazine, propazine, monuron, diuron, linuron, 2,4,-D, 2,4,5-T and silvex. By using ammonium formate, the positive ion mode showed for triazine and phenylurea herbicides [M + H]⁺ and [M + NH₄]⁺, respectively, and the formation of other adduct ions different from ammonium acetate. In the negative ion mode, chlorinated phenoxyacetic acid herbicides exhibited [M + acetate]^? or [M + formate]^?, depending on the ionizing additive. Applications are reported for the determination of triazine and chlorinated phenoxyacetic acid herbicides in spiked soil and water samples, respectively.     

Synthesis and characteristics of novel chelate fiber containing amine and amidine groups

A polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber was adopted for the backbone of a chelate polymer and poly(acrylo‐amidino ethylene amine) (PAEA) was prepared through a one‐step reaction between the PAN fiber and ethylenediamine (EDA). The maximum removal capacity and degree of substitution were 7.8 meq per gram of dried PAEA and 98%, respectively. The PAEA was tested as an adsorbent in single and two‐component metal aqueous solutions under changing pH. The Cu²⁺ ion accomplished maximum adsorption amount at pH 3 and the order of maximum adsorbed amounts on PAEA is Cu²⁺ > Ag⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Ni²⁺ > Pb²⁺ in molar basis. FT‐IR spectroscopy was employed to characterize the chemical bonding in metal aqueous solutions and surface morphology was examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.