Silver Molecularly Imprinting Polymer for the Determination of p-Nitroaniline by Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering

Molecular imprinting and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) were used to prepare a core-shell Ag@molecularly imprinting polymer (MIP) for the determination of p-nitroaniline. The obtained Ag@MIP exhibits a detection limit of 10^?12 M, which demonstrates higher sensitivity toward p-nitroaniline than conventional approaches. In addition, the Ag@MIP shows good recyclability, and simultaneously offers better stability and high SERS activity for recognizing target molecules. To characterize the high SERS activity of the SERS-MIP hybrid material, a possible mechanism for the SERS substrate is proposed involving enhancement by the MIP. This study is expected to provide an alternative approach for the determination of p-nitroaniline in aqueous environments.     

Molybdenum(VI) Oxide-Modified Silica Gel as a Novel Sorbent for the Simultaneous Solid-Phase Extraction of Eight Metals with Determination by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A silica-based inorganic sorbent was synthesized by the thermal decomposition of ammonium heptamolybdate on silica and applied for the preconcentration and simultaneous determination of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb in river water samples using a column system with flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron dispersive spectroscopy were used for sorbent characterization. The effects of pH, sample volume, eluent type, eluent concentration, eluent volume, sample flow rate, and matrix ions (Al, Bi, Ca, Mg, and Zn) on the recovery of the metals in model solutions were investigated. The adsorption capacities (µmol g^?1) of SiO₂-MoO₃ were 88.96 (Cd), 169.69 (Co), 153.85 (Cr), 188.88 (Cu), 179.05 (Fe), 163.81 (Mn), 136.31 (Ni), and 38.61 (Pb). The detection limits of the method were 9.09, 10.82, 10.77, 49.57, 31.64, 6.40, 8.86, 19.15?µg L^?1 for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb, respectively, with a preconcentration factor of 25. The developed method was used for the determination of the target metals in real samples and the recoveries for spiked samples were found to be from 91.2% to 102.9%.     

Characterization of Biodegradable Nanocomposite Films Prepared with Glutelin from Jatropha curcas L. by Response Surface Methodology and Infrared Spectroscopy

The water vapor permeability (WVP) and hardness of biodegradable nanocomposite films based on glutelin from Jatropha curcas L. were determined and the results were analyzed by response surface methodology (RSM). The effects of independent variables constituted by the plasticizer (glycerol), nanofiller (cloisite), and pH on the physical parameters were evaluated. The regression models obtained for each physical property adequately described the measurements used in the experimental design, with regression coefficients of 0.9513 and 0.9421 for WVP and hardness. The regression coefficients show that pH has the most significant effect on the WVP, whereas the cloisite content has the largest influence on the hardness of the nanocomposite film. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy provided confirmation of the results obtained by RSM. Corroboration that the gluteline structure is in a similar form as the WVP and primarily influenced by pH was obtained using conventional and second derivative infrared spectra. However, the hardness of the film primarily depends on the cloisite content. This methodology may be useful for the design and elaboration of nanocomposite films based on J. curcas L. with specific barrier and mechanical properties.     

Performance of Pleurotus ostreatus Mushrooms and Spent Substrate for the Biosorption of Cd(II) From Aqueous Solution

The capacities of Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom and spent substrate were evaluated for the biosorption of cadmium (II) from aqueous solution in order to select the most efficient material for bioremediation. The optimum sorption conditions were optimized, including the pH of the aqueous solution, contact time, biomass dosage, initial metal concentration, and temperature. The sorption of cadmium on both biosorbents was also evaluated by several kinetic, equilibrium, and thermodynamic models. The possible heavy metal biosorption mechanisms were evaluated through point of zero charge (pH_pzc), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDX). Based on the results of column studies, the effectiveness of the P. ostreatus spent substrate was confirmed as a biosorbent for Cd(II) removal from aqueous solutions.