Flotation-separation of aluminum from some water samples using powdered marble waste and oleic acid.

Bench-scale experiments were conducted in the laboratory, aiming to remove aluminum from water. They were based on the use of powdered marble wastes (PMW), which are inexpensive and produced in large quantity, and thus potentially cause environmental problems, as an effective inorganic sorbent and oleic acid (HOL) as surfactant. The main parameters (solution pHs, sorbent, surfactant and aluminum concentrations, shaking time, ionic strength and the presence of foreign ions) that influence the sorptive-flotation process were examined. Good results were obtained under the optimum conditions, for which nearly 100% of aluminum at pH 7 and at room temperature (approximately 25 degrees C) was removed. The procedure was successfully applied to the recovery of aluminum spiked to some natural water samples. Moreover, a sorption and flotation mechanism is suggested.     

Fullerenes as sorbent materials for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene isomers preconcentration

A simple and novel SPE system for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene isomers (BTEX) compounds in water is proposed in which samples are directly propelled from a 15 mL glass vial through a sorbent column by means of a needle, thereby avoiding evaporative losses and the sorption of BTEX on the manifold materials. Following elution with 150 microL of ethyl acetate, 1 microL of extract is injected into a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer system. A comparative study of various sorbent materials (C60 fullerene, Tenax TA, and RP-C18) revealed C60 fullerene to be the best choice in terms of sensitivity (a likely result of its increased sample breakthrough volume), precision (the surfactant medium used to prepare samples minimizes evaporative losses), selectivity (C60 fullerene only interacts with nonpolar aromatic compounds), and reusability (columns containing 60 mg of C60 fullerene remain serviceable for at least 6 months). This C60 fullerene-based method exhibits a linear range of 0.1-100 microg/L, a detection limit of 0.04 microg/L, and an RSD of ca. 3%. It was applied to the determination of BTEX in various types of water including sea and waste water with good precision.     

Effect of nonionic surfactant on wetting behavior of an evaporating drop under a reduced pressure environment

The evaporation of sessile drops at reduced pressure is investigated. The evaporation of water droplets on aluminum and PTFE surfaces at reduced pressure was compared. It was found that water droplets on an aluminum surface exhibit a 'depinning jump' at subatmospheric pressures. This is when a pinned droplet suddenly depins, with an increase in contact angle and a simultaneous decrease in the base width. The evaporation of sessile water droplets with a nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100) added to an aluminum surface was then studied. The initial contact angle exhibited a minimum at 0.001 wt% Triton X-100. A maximum in the evaporation rate was also observed at the same concentration. Droplets with low surfactant concentrations are found to exhibit the 'depinning jump.' It is thought that the local concentration of the surfactant causes a gradient of surface tension. The balance at the contact angle is dictated by complex phenomena, including surfactant diffusion and adsorption processes at interfaces. Due to the strong evaporation near the triple line, an accumulation of the surfactant will lead to a surface tension gradient along the interface. The gradient of surface tension will influence the wetting behavior (Marangoni effect). At low surfactant concentrations the contact line depins under the strong effect of surface tension gradient that develops spontaneously over the droplet interface due to surfactant accumulation near the triple line. The maximum evaporation rate corresponds to a minimum contact angle for a pinned droplet.     

Evaluation of a new hypercrosslinked polymer as a sorbent for solid-phase extraction of polar compounds

A new hypercrosslinked polymer (HXLGp) with hydrophilic character due to the presence of hydroxyl moieties has been tested as a sorbent for the solid-phase extraction (SPE) of several polar compounds from water samples. This new sorbent enables the on-line extraction of 300 ml of sample with recoveries higher than 80% for polar compounds such as oxamyl, methomyl or desisopropylatrazine (DIA). The HXLGp has also been compared to other commercially available sorbents such as Oasis HLB (hydrophilic macroporous), to hydrophobic hypercrosslinked resins and to a previously synthesized sorbent based on N-vinylimidazole-divinylbenzene. The results are consistently better with the new synthesized sorbent. The method was successfully applied to the on-line SPE-HPLC of tap and river water samples. The validation with river water samples provided good linearity range and detection limits between 0.03 for methomyl and 4-nitrophenol (4NP) to 0.2 microg l(-1) for phenol (Ph).     

Hierarchically imprinted organic-inorganic hybrid sorbent for selective separation of mercury ion from aqueous solution

A new type of hierarchically organic-inorganic hybrid sorbent was prepared by a double-imprinting approach for the selective separation of Hg(II) from aqueous solution. In the imprinting process, both mercury ions and surfactant micelles (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) were used as templates, N-[3-(trimethoxy-silyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (TPED) as functional monomer, and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as cross-linking agent. The mercury ions and surfactant were removed from sorbent via acid leaching and ethanol extraction, respectively. The adsorption property and selective recognition ability of the sorbents were studied by equilibrium-adsorption method. Results showed that in the presence of Cu(II) or Cd(II) the biggest selectivity coefficient of the imprinted sorbents for Hg(II) was over 100, which is much higher than those of non-imprinted sorbents. The largest relative selectivity coefficient (k′) of the ion-imprinted functionalized sorbent between Hg(II) and Cu(II) was over 300, and between Hg(II) and Cd(II) over 200. The uptake capacities and the selectivity coefficients of the hierarchically imprinted sorbent were much higher than those of the sorbent prepared without CTAB template. Furthermore, the new imprinted sorbent possessed a fast kinetics for the removal of Hg(II) from aqueous solution with the saturation time less than 5 min, and could be used repeatedly. This sorbent has been successfully applied to the separation and determination of the trace Hg(II) in real water samples and those spiked with standards. This new sorbent can be used as an effective solid-phase extraction material for the selective preconcentration and separation of Hg(II) in environmental samples.     

7-amino-4-azaheptyl grafted onto a silica gel as a sorbent for the on-line preconcentration and determination of iron(III) in water samples.

A new sorbent was synthesized by anchoring 7-amino-4-azaheptyltrimetoxisilane, freshly prepared, to silica gel, producing 7-amino-4-azaheptyl anchored silica gel (AAHSG). This material was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), elemental analysis (CHN), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. Isotherms of the adsorption of Fe3+, Fe2+ and Cu2+ on AAHSG were recorded, which indicated that Fe3+ presents a higher affinity by the sorbent. Therefore, AAHSG was successfully employed as a sorbent in a simple flow system for the preconcentration of Fe3+ in natural water samples, such as, river water, lagoonwater, springwater, stream water, well water and two water reference materials (NIST-SRM 1640, NIST-SRM 1643d). The obtained preconcentration factor was 82.2, and the detection limit achieved was 5.9 ng ml(-1). The recovery of spiked water samples ranged from 95.0 - 103.1%.     

Magnetite-doped eggshell membrane as a magnetic sorbent for extraction of aluminum(III) ions prior to their fluorometric determination

We have explored the feasibility of using a magnetite-doped eggshell membrane as a magnetic solid phase extraction sorbent for the separation of aluminum ion from aqueous solutions. The sorbent was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. A fast, simple and non-expensive method was then developed for the determination of trace quantities of Al(III) in water and food samples by combining magnetic solid phase extraction with fluorometric quantitation via its highly fluorescent complex with 8-hydroxyquinoline. The effects of pH value, amount of sorbent, sample volume, elution conditions and interfering ions on extraction were optimized. Under optimum conditions, the calibration graph extends from 0.5 to 65.0 μg L^?1, the limit of detection is 0.2 μg L^?1, and the enrichment factor is 84. The method was validated by the successful analysis of a standard reference material (NIST SRM 1549; nonfat milk powder) and applied to the determination of Al(III) in several waters, black tea, tomato paste and cocoa powder samples. Figure

Synthesis and application of magnetite-doped eggshell membrane for the separation of aluminum(III) ions from aqueous solutions is shown. After extraction for 5 min, the sorbent was gathered under an external magnetic field and the clear supernatant was directly decanted. The enriched analyte was then eluted from the sorbent prior to determination.     

基质固相分散-液相色谱-质谱法测定蔬菜中的邻苯二甲酸酯

采用基质固相分散-液相色谱-质谱法测定保护地蔬菜中邻苯二甲酸酯(PAEs)含量,并分析了蔬菜中PAEs污染状况,研究了水和洗涤液浸泡对蔬菜中PAEs的消除效果。蔬菜样品经弗罗里硅土和石墨化碳黑研磨均匀后,用乙酸乙酯淋洗净化,再用液相色谱/电喷雾质谱法测定。PAEs的添加回收率为82.7%~105.7%;RSD为1.7%~6.1%;检出限为邻苯二甲酸二甲酯(DMP):0.99ng;邻苯二甲酸二乙酯(DEP):0.75ng;邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(DBP):0.70ng;邻苯二甲酸二异辛酯(DEHP):1.9ng。本方法前处理简单,具有较高的准确度和灵敏度。黄瓜、番茄、西葫芦中4种PAEs总量分别为2.02、1.26、0.91mg/kg;洗涤实验结果表明,水和洗涤液浸泡可显著降低蔬菜中的PAEs含量。     

Evaluation of beta-cyclodextrin bonded silica as a selective sorbent for the solid-phase extraction of 4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol.

A beta-cyclodextrin bonded silica was synthesized by using a convenient method, and was evaluated as a selective sorbent for the solid-phase extraction of 4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol. When double-distilled water was used as the sample matrix, the sorbent showed a strong capacity to adsorb 4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol; the recoveries were found to be 96% and 99%, respectively, with a 1 L water sample. The selectivity of the sorbent was investigated by using a washing step with methanol. Most of the phenols were washed out with 5 mL of methanol, while 4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol still gave recoveries of 94% and 90%. The solution for efficiently eluting the analytes was optimized and the effect of the inorganic salt on the extraction was examined. In order to investigate the potentiality of the sorbent in dealing with real water samples, water from Donghu lake (Wuhan, China) spiked with nine phenolic compounds at microgram per liter levels were preconcentrated on this cartridge.     

Evaluation of single-walled carbon nanohorns as sorbent in dispersive micro solid-phase extraction

A new dispersive micro solid-phase extraction method which uses single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) as sorbent is proposed. The procedure combines the excellent sorbent properties of the nanoparticles with the efficiency of the dispersion of the material in the sample matrix. Under these conditions, the interaction with the analytes is maximized. The determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was selected as model analytical problem. Two dispersion strategies were evaluated, being the functionalization via microwave irradiation better than the use of a surfactant. The extraction was accomplished by adding 1 mL of oxidized SWHNs (o-SWNHs) dispersion to 10 mL of water sample. After extraction, the mixture was passed through a disposable Nylon filter were the nanoparticles enriched with the PAHs were retained. The elution was carried out with 100 μL of hexane. The limits of detection achieved were between 30 and 60 ng L⁻¹ with a precision (as repeatability) better than 12.5%. The recoveries obtained for the analytes in three different water samples were acceptable in all instances. The performance of o-SWNHs was favourably compared with that provided by carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes and thermally treated carbon nanocones.     

Interface composition of multiple emulsions: rheology as a probe

We have investigated the dynamic rheological properties of concentrated multiple emulsions to characterize their amphiphile composition at interfaces. Multiple emulsions (W1/O/W2) consist of water droplets (W1) dispersed into oil globules (O), which are redispersed in an external aqueous phase (W2). A small-molecule surfactant and an amphiphilic polymer were used to stabilize the inverse emulsion (W1 in oil globules) and the inverse emulsion (oil globules in W2), respectively. Rheological and interfacial tension measurements show that the polymeric surfactant adsorbed at the globule interface does not migrate to the droplet interfaces through the oil phase. This explains, at least partly, the stability improvement of multiple emulsions as polymeric surfactants are used instead of small-molecule surfactants.     

Electron density matching as a guide to surfactant design

The effectiveness at reducing interfacial tension between water and different organic solvents was studied, with 14 structurally different dichain sulfosuccinate surfactants. Variations in chemical structure ranged from linear/branched alkyl tail groups, to phenyl-tipped tail units, to partially and fully fluorinated tails. The solvents n-heptane, toluene, and perfluoroheptane were used as example oil phases. Interfacial activity was measured in terms of a reduced interfacial tension scale, R(IFT), based on the value in the presence of surfactants compared to that for the pure solvent-water interface. Overall surfactant chain structure was determined to be the key factor affecting R(IFT). Furthermore, a strong correlation was observed between R(IFT) and the electron density rho(e) of the different surfactants: with any given oil, the most effective surfactants have rho(e) values closest to that for the solvent. For example, phenyl-tipped surfactants were shown to be comparatively more effective at the interface with an aromatic solvent (toluene) than with an aliphatic n-alkane (heptane). Furthermore, fluorination of the tail groups decreased effectiveness at the hydrocarbon/water interface, which was substantially increased at the fluorocarbon/water interface: this too followed the electron density-matching pattern. The importance of chain-tip chemical structure was also noted, with regard to the introduction of phenyl, CF3-, and H-CF2- terminal moieties. For branched alkyl-tailed surfactants, it was found that effectiveness could be linked to an empirical "branching factor". The significance of the electron density matching of organic solvent and surfactant for the prediction of interfacial activities is highlighted, and this concept may prove useful for the future design of new high-efficiency surfactants.     

Ytterbium tungstate nanoparticles as a novel sorbent for basic dyes from aqueous solutions

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Ytterbium tungstate nanoparticles (YTNPs) were used as a sorbent for removing methylene blue (MB), as a model cationic dye, from water solutions. YTNPs were...     

A Novel Synthetic Method and Potential Application of a Sulfanilic Acid-Based Surfactant

A novel synthetic method was developed to prepare a difunctional surfactant using sulfanilic acid and dodecyl bromide. In the first step, sulfanilic acid was protected by acetic anhydride. Then, Friedel–Crafts alkylation of the synthesized acetanilide with dodecyl bromide was performed in the presence of aluminum chloride. The protecting group (amide) was removed easily by acid hydrolysis. The formation of surfactant was confirmed with Fourier transform infrared and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The demulsification property of this surfactant was studied using brine-fuel oil emulsion, and its result was compared with a commercially available demulsifier. The results showed that 52% of water was separated from emulsion at room temperature, but at elevated temperature 98% of water was separated from brine-fuel oil emulsion.     

Growth and surface properties of boehmite nanofibers and nanotubes at low temperatures using a hydrothermal synthesis route

The growth of boehmite nanostructures at low temperature using a soft chemistry route with and without (PEO) surfactant is presented. Remarkably long boehmite 1D nanotubes/nanofibers were formed within a significantly short time by changing the reaction mechanism of aluminum hydroxide. By using the PEO surfactant as a templating agent, boehmite nanotubes up to 170 nm in length with internal and external diameters of 2-5 and 3-7 nm, respectively, were formed at 100 degrees C. A slightly higher temperature (120 degrees C) resulted in the formation of lath-like nanofibers with an average length of 250 nm. Using the cationic surfactant CTAB, nanotubes rather than nanofibers were formed at 120 degrees C. Without surfactant, nanotubes counted for around 20% of the entire sample. A regular interval supply of fresh boehmite precipitate resulted in a larger crystallite size distribution of nanotubes. The morphology of nanotubes was more uniform in samples without the regular addition of aluminum hydroxide. Moreover, for the same hydrothermal time, the final nanotubes for nanomaterials without a regular interval supply of fresh aluminum hydroxide precipitate were longer than those with a regular aluminum hydroxide precipitate supply, which is in contrast to previously published results. Higher Al/PEO concentrations resulted in the formation of shorter nanotubes. A detailed characterization and mechanism are presented.     

On-line trace enrichment of phenolic compounds from water using a pyrrole-based polymer as the solid-phase extraction sorbent coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography

A pyrrole-based conductive polymer was prepared and applied as new sorbent for on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) of phenol and chlorophenols from water samples. Polypyrrole (PPy) was synthesized by chemical oxidation of the monomer in non-aqueous solution. The efficiency of this polymer for extraction of phenol and chlorophenols was evaluated using 35 mg of PPy as the sorbent in an on-line SPE system coupled to reversed-phase liquid chromatography with UV detection. The mobile phase were mixture of phosphate buffer-acetonitrile and compounds were eluted by the mobile phase using a six-port switching valve. High volumes of water, up to 160 ml, could be preconcentrated without the loss of phenols, except for the more polar ones. The R.S.D. for a river water sample spiked with phenol and chlorophenols at sub-ppb level was lower than 7% (n=5) and detection limits of 15-100 and 35-150 ng l⁻¹ for tap and river water were obtained, respectively.     

Determination of perfluorinated compounds in wastewater and river water samples by mixed hemimicelle-based solid-phase extraction before liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry detection

A comparative study on the use of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-coated silica and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-coated alumina mixed hemimicelles-based solid-phase extraction (SPE) for the pre-concentration of six perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in environmental water samples was presented. The six analytes heptafluorobutyric acid (HFBA), perfluoroheptanic acid (PFHeA), perfluorooctanic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanic sulfonic (PFOS), perfluorononanic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanic acid (PFDeA) were quantitatively retained on both sorbent materials. The cationic surfactant (CTAB adsorbed onto silica) was more appropriate for SPE of PFCs. The main factors affecting adsolubilization of PFCs including the amount of surfactant, pH of solution, sample loading volume and desorption were investigated and optimized. Concentration factor of 500 were achieved by SPE of 500 mL of several environmental water samples. The method detection limits obtained for HFBA, PFHeA, PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFDeA were 0.10, 0.28, 0.07, 0.20, 0.10 and 0.05 ng/L, respectively. The relative standard deviation of recoveries ranged from 2 to 8%, which indicated good method precision.     

Potato peels as solid waste for the removal of heavy metal copper(II) from waste water/industrial effluent

A new sorbent potato peels, which are normally discarded as solid waste for removing toxic metal ion Cu(II) from water/industrial waste water have been studied. Potato peels charcoal (PPC) was investigated as an adsorbent of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions. Kinetic and isotherm studies were carried out by studying the effects of various parameters such as temperature, pH and solid liquid ratios. The optimum pH value for Cu(II) adsorption onto potato peels charcoal (PPC) was found to be 6.0. The thermodynamic parameters such as standard Gibb's free energy (Delta G degrees ), standard enthalpy (Delta H degrees ) and standard entropy (DeltaS degrees ) were evaluated by applying the Van't Hoff equation. The thermodynamics of Cu(II) adsorption onto PPC indicates its spontaneous and exothermic nature. The equilibrium data at different temperatures were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms.     

Recovery of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions using modified organosilicas

Sorption of Cu(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions on two-component organosilicas was studied as influenced by sorbent composition, contact time, ratio of solid and liquid phases, solution pH, nature and concentration of heavy metal ions, and content of modifying agent. The degrees of sorption of these metal ions from aqueous solutions using organosilicas modified with aluminum(III) added into the siloxane matrix or with copper(II) grafted to the sorbent surface layer were compared.